Clausen/Hunter and Lane/Wall advance after Elimination Round Match 3 at General Tire Team Series B&W Trailer Hitches Challenge Cup Presented by Toyota

Windsor’s McDowell posts third career win at Phoenix Bass Fishing League event at Lake Shelbyville

Braidwood’s Tatroe Tops Strike King Co-Angler Division

Boater Garrett McDowell of Windsor, Illinois, and Strike King co-angler Anthony Tatroe of Braidwood, Illinois.

August 5, 2024 • MLF • Press Releases

SHELBYVILLE, Ill. – Boater Garrett McDowell of Windsor, Illinois, caught a five-bass limit weighing 15 pounds, 14 ounces, Saturday to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on Lake Shelbyville . The tournament was the fourth event of the season for the BFL Illini Division. McDowell earned $3,269 for his victory.

McDowell said he had two different game plans in mind when he started the competition day but struggled all morning scoping deep brush piles and stumps.

“I didn’t have a keeper until around 10 a.m., when I finally caught a 4-pounder,” McDowell said. “That’s when I switched to Plan B, targeting shallow wood with a Razor Custom Tackle Pro Swim Jig.”

McDowell caught his second fish shortly after, a 6-12 that ended up winning him the Berkley Big Bass of the day.

“That 6-pounder gave me the confidence to keep doing what I was doing the rest of the day, and that’s what brought home the win,” McDowell said. “My first win was on Lake Shelbyville, and I pretty much grew up on that lake, so I’ve put in my time there and to notch another win there feels good.”

The Top 10 boaters finished the tournament:

1st:          Garrett McDowell, Windsor, Ill., five bass, 15-14, $3,269
2nd: Riley Walk, Neoga, Ill., five bass, 14-15, $1,467
3rd: Jason Jacobs, Charleston, Ill., five bass, 14-3, $977
4th:         Hunter Russell, Salem, Ill., five bass, 13-9, $684
5th:         Wayne O’Dell, Toledo, Ill., five bass, 12-13, $887
6th:         Joshua Tyner, Spencer, Ind., five bass, 12-11, $538
7th:         Tim Schneider, Saint Louis, Mo., five bass, 12-9, $489
8th:         Andrew Harper, Shelbyville, Ill., five bass, 11-12, $440
9th:         Curtis Samo, Rochelle, Ill., five bass, 10-15, $516
10th: Patrick Odell, Windsor, Ill., four bass, 10-6, $342

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

McDowell also caught a bass that weighed 6 pounds, 12 ounces, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $335.

Anthony Tatroe of Braidwood, Illinois, won the Strike King co-angler division and $1,467 Saturday, after bringing three bass to the scale that totaled 8 pounds, 14 ounces.

The Top 10 Strike King co-anglers finished:

1st:          Anthony Tatroe, Braidwood, Ill., three bass, 8-14, $1,467
2nd:        Dan Brown, Glenarm, Ill, two bass, 7-12, $733
3rd: Dale Renth, Mascoutah, Ill., two bass, 7-7, $657
4th:         Michael Ratts, Iuka, Ill., two bass, 7-3, $342
5th:         Andrew Boring, El Paso, Ill., four bass, 6-5, $293
6th:         Mark Yates, Mason, Ill., three bass, 6-4, $269
7th:         Brandon Depew, Odin, Ill., three bass, 6-2, $244
8th:         Ryan Murphy, Paris, Ill., three bass, 5-8, $220
9th:         William Stokes, West Paducah, Ky., two bass, 5-1, $196
10th: Myles Louthan, Mattoon, Ill., three bass, 4-12, $171

Renth earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $167, catching a bass that weighed in at 4 pounds, 10 ounces – the largest co-angler catch of the day.

After four events, Adam Brookman of Bonnie, Illinois, leads the BFL Illini Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 951 points, while Ryan Murphy of Paris, Illinois, leads the Strike King Co-Angler Division AOY race with 979 points.

The next event for BFL Illini Division anglers will be held Sept. 7-8, at Rend Lake in Sesser, Illinois. 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. 10-12 BFL Regional tournament on the Mississippi River in Quad Cities, Illinois. 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, PowerStop Brakes, 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.