South Carolina’s Crossland targets prespawn bass to earn the win at Phoenix Bass Fishing League event at Kerr Lake

New Jersey’s Kitson tops Strike King co-angler division

April 29, 2024 • MLF • Phoenix Bass Fishing League

HENDERSON, N.C. – Boater Johnathan Crossland of Chapin, South Carolina, caught a five-bass limit weighing 17 pounds, 4 ounces, Saturday to win the Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on Kerr Lake. Hosted by the Vance County Tourism Development Authority, the tournament was the second event of the season for the BFL Piedmont Division. Crossland earned $3,456 for his victory.

Crossland focused his efforts on targeting prespawn bass around rock and brush in 6 to 12 feet of water. He used Garmin LiveScope to line up on the brush. While he wasn’t “scoping” all his fish, he did catch one key bass fishing on live sonar using a Queen Tackle prototype head with a Strike King 3x ElazTech Z Too Soft Jerkbait.

“It was a suspended fish, and I threw above it,” Crossland said. “It’s a roller type head. I’m pretty excited about it.”

The rest of his fish came on a shaky head rigged with a Strike King KVD Perfect Plastics Shim-E-Stick with a 1/4-ounce Big Bite Baits Fin Twist Jig Head.

“I was making really long casts,” Crossland said. “So the rod setup was essential to having good hookups with those fish. I actually was using it (the shaky head) on the Lew’s Signature Series Bladed Jig/Thunder Cricket rod. It’s a 7-3, medium-heavy rod, and it’s the perfect setup for when you’re casting something like that. It’s got enough backbone, but it’s got enough tip that it allows the fish to get it. Every fish that I caught was hooked perfect in the top of the mouth.”

Crossland paired the rod with a Lew’s Custom Pro reel.

He rotated through about 30 spots and caught 12 keepers on the day. A key cull at about 1:30 p.m. replaced a 1-pound, 8-ounce bass with a 4-12. That upgrade helped put Crossland atop the leaderboard by a margin of 1 pound, 4 ounces.

The Top 10 boaters finished the tournament:

1st: Johnathan Crossland, Chapin, S.C., five bass, 17-4, $3,456
2nd: David G. Williams, Newton, N.C., five bass, 16-0, $1,578
3rd: John Wiese, Charlotte, N.C., five bass, 15-12, $1,052
4th: Benjamin Clark, Smithfield, Va., five bass, 15-6, $736
5th: Jackson Pleasant, Four Oaks, N.C., five bass, 15-0, $631
6th: Tyler Trent, Nathalie, Va., five bass, 14-13, $1,079 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
7th: Jordan Hardin, Salem, Va., five bass, 14-0, $896
8th: Rodney Sorrell, Stokesdale, N.C., five bass, 13-10, $473
9th: Bradley Staley, Sophia, N.C., five bass, 13-7, $421
10th: Shawn Hammack, Gasburg, Va., five bass, 13-5, $368

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Jordan Hardin of Salem, Virginia, caught a bass that weighed 5 pounds, 3 ounces, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $370.

Devon Norwood Kitson of Montclair, New Jersey, won the Strike King co-angler division and $1,578 Saturday, after bringing five bass to the scale that totaled 9 pounds, 4 ounces.

The Top 11 Strike King co-anglers finished:

1st: Devon Norwood Kitson, Montclair, N.J., five bass, 9-4, $1,578
2nd: Dan Glosson, Rougemont, N.C., five bass, 8-14, $789
3rd: Stephen Barr, Wilmington, N.C., five bass, 8-10, $526
4th: Alex Moss, Lambsburg, Va., five bass, 8-8, $468
5th: Al Berkley, Madison Heights, Va., five bass, 8-7, $316
6th: Dustin Riddle, Hiwassee, Va., four bass, 8-6, $289
7th: Josh Hall, Zion Crossroads, Va., four bass, 8-3, $263
8th: Phillip Ragland Jr., Rustburg, Va., four bass, 7-13, $373
8th: Alvin Hicks, Alexandria, Va., four bass, 7-13, $223
10th: Craig Ferguson, Emporia, Va., five bass, 7-7, $175
10th: Mekye Barnes, Raleigh, N.C., three bass, 7-7, $175

Jean Lacerte of Elm City, North Carolina, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $185, catching a bass that weighed in at 2 pounds, 15 ounces – the largest co-angler catch of the day.

After two events, Adam Lester of Huddleston, Virginia, leads the Fishing Clash Piedmont Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 487 points, while Josh Hall of Zion Crossroads, Virginia, leads the Fishing Clash Piedmont Division Co-Angler of the Year race with 491 points.

The next event for BFL Piedmont Division anglers will be held June 8, at High Rock Lake in Lexington, North Carolina. To register for the event as a boater or a co-angler, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com or call 270-252-1000.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, will qualify for the Oct. 17-19 BFL Regional tournament on Clarks Hill Lake in Appling, Georgia. Boaters will fish for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki 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 or Suzuki outboard.

The 2024 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.

Proud sponsors of the 2024 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 7Brew, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, E3, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, General Tire, GSM Outdoors, Lew’s, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, REDCON1, Strike King, Suzuki, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, WIX Filters 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.