LAWRENCEBURG, Ind. — The Ohio River has become synonymous with grinder tournaments, and September is widely regarded as the toughest month of the year to catch bass across much of the country. So, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine Hoosier Division Super Tournament out of Tanners Creek slated for Sept. 20-21 is setting up to challenge competitors.
In the eyes of some locals, that’s the way it should be, as the season-ending event will reward the true Ohio River grinders.
This year, BFL anglers benefit from an expanded slate of Regionals, which minimizes travel costs and provides more opportunities to qualify for the $120,000 BFL All-American while fishing familiar, closer-to-home waters. Click here to find out more.
What to expect
Indiana’s Mike Quinlin has won four BFLs on the Ohio River, and he didn’t mince words about what to expect at this event, when the start of the fall transition will likely have the shad (and thus the bass) on the move.
“It’s going to be tough,” Quinlin said. “The river is always tough, but late summer is especially tough. It’s definitely a grinder.”
In Quinlin’s mind, there are two ways to tackle the tough conditions. One is by running and gunning, trying to hit as many productive spots as possible during the day. The other is hunkering down in a zone with a population of bass and spending all day there.
“Most of the time, that’s what I like to do,” he said of the latter approach. “I like to get in an area, try to get it to myself, make a long run, and then once I get in there, pick it apart.”
Historically, largemouth – typically plucked from creeks and backwater areas – have dominated tournaments on the Ohio. However, Quinlin noted that the smallmouth living in the main river have become more prevalent in recent years, and a few quality spotted bass have been showing up as well. He thinks the potential is there for mixed bags or even a couple all-smallmouth limits to contend for the win.
Regardless of the target species, Quinlin expects to see anglers keying on hard cover.
“You’ve got to hit the hard spots – laydown wood, if you can find a little bit of rock,” he explained. “That river is so silted in in most places that the harder spots – causeways, riprap, stuff like that – really gives you a better chance of getting a bite.”
Simply catching five keepers is far from a guarantee, but Quinlin said the biggest key to success in this event will be filling a limit and adding one kicker in the 3- to 5-pound range each day.
“That’s what gets you over the hump on the river is catching that one, good quality fish,” he said.
Baits to bring
Those targeting largemouth should be able to keep it simple. Quinlin won’t be fishing this event due to a scheduling conflict, but if he were, he’d rely on the one-two punch of a spinnerbait and a compact creature bait that he can flip and pitch to cover.
What will it take?
While the river occasionally yields bags over 10 pounds, Quinlin doubts anyone will be able to achieve that two days in a row. He’s seen winning weights as low as 7 pounds a day this time of year. Most likely, it’ll fall somewhere in the middle of that 14- to 20-pound range, but probably closer to the lower end.