Pennsylvania’s Thompson adapts to conditions, wins two-day Phoenix Bass Fishing League Super Tournament on the St. Lawrence River
Coatesville angler also records back-to-back Angler of the Year titles
MASSENA, N.Y. – Boater Joseph Thompson of Coatesville, Pennsylvania, caught 10 bass weighing 44 pounds, 5 ounces, to win the two-day MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on the St. Lawrence River in Massena, New York. The tournament was the fifth and final regular-season event for the Phoenix Bass Fishing League Northeast Division. Thompson earned $12,806 for his victory, including the lucrative $7,000 Phoenix MLF contingency bonus.
“The conditions on the days of competition for the tournament were unlike any of the practice days,” Thompson said. “Practice was sunny, with good wind direction, and then the tournament was overcast with a northeast wind. It really backed the current up. It had fish positioned a little differently, and the first couple of hours each morning it took me a bit to figure it out and see how they had repositioned.”
Thompson said he didn’t land his first bass Sunday until 10 a.m., and caught most of his weigh fish between 10 and 1 p.m. He fished the Brockville area and relied primarily on a Carolina rig and a drop-shot rig for his bass around steep ledges off points in 30 feet of water.
Thompson entered the Super Tournament needing the win to secure his second-consecutive Northeast Division Angler of the Year title.
“I thought I was going to be a little short when it was all said and done, to be honest with you,” Thompson said. “I was surprised when I won.
“The win feels so good,” Thompson added. “The caliber of fishermen in the BFLs is unbelievable. Everywhere you go it’s the best of the local guys fishing in them. It’s an unbelievable talent pool.”
The Top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
- 1st: Joseph Thompson, Coatesville, Pa., 10 bass, 44-5, $12,806 (includes $7,000 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
- 2nd: Ethan Carr, Massena, N.Y., 10 bass, 41-0, $2,403
- 3rd: Kent Compo, Brasherfalls, N.Y., 10 bass, 40-15, $1,603
- 4th: Lane Olson, Forest Grove, Ore., 10 bass, 40-10, $1,121
- 5th: Christopher Sperling, Cato, N.Y., 10 bass, 40-2, $961
- 6th: Clay Reece, Lexington, Ky., 10 bass, 39-12, $881
- 7th: Brett Carnright, Plattsburgh, N.Y., 10 bass, 38-10, $1,378
- 8th: Douglas Reed, Bridgeton, N.J., 10 bass, 38-8, $721
- 9th: Ethan McMahon, Swanton, Vt., nine bass, 38-4, $641
- 10th: Jonathan Robla, Lisbon, N.Y., 10 bass, 37-11, $561
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Brett Carnright of Plattsburgh, New York, had a bass that weighed 5 pounds, 10 ounces that was the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $577.
Christopher Dam of Staatsburg, New York, won the Strike King Co-angler Division and $2,972 Sunday after catching a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 40 pounds, 1 ounce.
The Top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:
- 1st: Christopher Dam, Staatsburg, N.Y., 10 bass, 40-1, $2,972
- 2nd: Eric Baba, Plainville, Ct., 10 bass, 35-10, $1,186
- 3rd: Justin Harant, Havertown, Pa., 10 bass, 35-9, $792
- 4th: Matt Hummel, Dillsburg, Pa., 10 bass, 35-4, $838
- 5th: Cory Germano, Staatsburg, N.Y., 10 bass, 32-5, $624
- 6th: Michael Bahnweg, Union Dale, Pa., nine bass, 29-9, $435
- 7th: John Alexander, Mt. Airy, Md., nine bass, 29-8, $395
- 8th: Jimmy Papineau, Staatsburg, N.Y., 10 bass, 29-1, $356
- 9th: Alexandre Jelev, Petawawa, Ont., 10 bass, 27-14, $316
- 10th: Avery Shoemaker, Oakwood, Ga., 10 bass, 27-0, $277
Matt Hummel of Dillsburg, Pennsylvania, caught the largest bass in the Strike King Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 5 pounds, 14 ounces. The catch earned him the Berkley Big Bass Co-angler award of $285.
With the regular season now complete, boater Joseph Thompson of Coatesville, Pennsylvania, won the 2023 Phoenix Bass Fishing League Northeast Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with a five-event total of 1,274 points to earn the $1,000 boater AOY award. Michael Bahnweg of Union Dale, Pennsylvania, won the 2023 Strike King Co-Angler Northeast Division AOY race with 1,281 points and earned the $500 Strike King Co-angler of the Year award.
Now, the Top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will advance to compete in the Oct. 5-7 Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on the Potomac River in Marbury, Maryland. Boaters will fish for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $50,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.
The 2023 Phoenix BFL Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 events throughout the season, five qualifying tournaments in each division. The Top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five qualifying event winners, will advance to one of six BFL Regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American.
The Top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division will also earn priority entry into the MLF Toyota Series, the pathway to the MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitationals and ultimately the MLF Bass Pro Tour.
Proud sponsors of the 2023 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, E3, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, General Tire, Grundéns, Gill, Lew’s, Lowrance, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Mystik Lubricants, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, Wiley X and YETI.
For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Bass Fishing League updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.