Illinois’ Feldermann Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on the Mississippi River

Illinois’ Remian Tops Strike King Co-Angler Division

PRAIRIE DU CHIEN, Wis. – Boater Mike Feldermann of Galena, Illinois, caught three bass Saturday weighing 12 pounds, 6 ounces, to win the Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on the Mississippi River at Prairie du Chien. The tournament was the fourth event for the Bass Fishing League Great Lakes Division. Feldermann earned $4,052 for his victory.

“I was down at one pool and made a 40-mile run south, to a 200-yard section of lily pads,” Feldermann said. “I made one pass through there, and I caught one that weighed 5-2. I made another pass and caught one that weighed 4¼ pounds.”

Feldermann said he stayed committed to the stretch he had run to and made a couple more passes that resulted in a 17-inch keeper before he made the long run back to the Washington Street Ramp for weigh-in. He said all four of his fish, including a short 15-inch bass, came on a black and yellow SPRO Frog.

“This win feels great,” said Feldermann, who now has 11 career BFL wins to his credit. “I’ve been fishing these tournaments for about 30 years, so when you get a little older you appreciate them more. BFLs are a tough tournament to win, but like I say, ‘You’re not going to win if you’re not there.’”

The Top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

• 1st:          Mike Feldermann, Galena, Ill., three bass, 12-6, $4,052
• 2nd:        Hunter Litchfield, Macomb, Ill., three bass, 9-15, $1,996
• 3rd:        Mike Brueggen, La Crosse, Wis., three bass, 9-14, $1,201
• 4th:         Dan Mohn, Lansing, Iowa, three bass, 9-10, $1,238
• 5th:         Jeff Ritter, Prairie du Chien, Wis., three bass, 9-9, $718
• 6th:         Aidan Hansen, Osceola, Wis., three bass, 9-3, $659
• 7th:         Brandon Gann, Sparta, Wis., three bass, 9-2, $599
• 8th:         Darren Hahne, Ottowa, Ill., three bass, 9-1, $539
• 9th:         Bill Sepke, Indian Head Park, Ill., three bass, 9-0, $449
• 9th:         Ryan Lewis, Glasford, Ill., three bass, 9-0, $449

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Feldermann’s 5-pound, 2-ounce largemouth was the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division and earned the day’s Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $460.

Ed Remian of Schiller Park, Illinois, won the Strike King Co-angler Division and $2,226 Saturday after catching three bass weighing 10 pounds, 1 ounce.

The Top 10 Strike King co-anglers were: 

• 1st:          Ed Remian, Schiller Park, Ill., three bass, 10-1, $2,226
• 2nd:        Brian Brecka, Alma, Wis., three bass, 8-9, $638
• 2nd:        Nicholas Oates, Marengo, Ill., three bass, 8-9, $738
• 2nd:        Will Ahnen, Fennimore, Wis., three bass, 8-9, $638
• 5th:         Mack Traynor, Hanover, Minn., three bass, 8-4, $359
• 6th:         Dan McAdams, Reedsburg, Wis., three bass, 8-0, $329
• 7th:         Danny Mancini, Necedah, Wis., three bass, 7-13, $284
• 7th:         Alan Bernicky, Joliet, Ill., three bass, 7-13, $484
• 9th:         Mike Toft, Belleville, Wis., three bass, 7-8, $224
• 9th:         Kyle Simonson, Appleton, Wis., three bass, 7-8, $224

Remian caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 4 pounds, 8 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Berkley Big Bass Co-angler award of $230.

After four events, Jeff Ritter of Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, leads the Phoenix Bass Fishing League Great Lakes Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 966 points, while Ed Remian of Schiller Park, Illinois, leads the Strike King Co-Angler Division AOY race with 949 points.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 20-22 Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Grand Lake in Grove, Oklahoma. Boaters will compete 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 fish for a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.

The 2022 Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six Regional Championships 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 Phoenix Bass Fishing League 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 Toyota Series, the pathway to the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit and ultimately the Bass Pro Tour. 

Proud sponsors of the 2022 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 4WP, 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, AFTCO, A.R.E. Truck Caps, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, E3, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, Gary Yamamoto Baits, General Tire, Lew’s, Lowrance, Lucas Oil, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Revital Outdoors, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, Wiley X, YETI and Yo-Zuri.

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.