Boater Elmer Roberts of Claremore, Oklahoma, brought five bass to the scale weighing 19 pounds, 4 ounces to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on Lake Eufaula. The tournament, hosted by Vision Eufaula, was the second of five events of the season for the BFL Okie Division. Roberts earned $3,340 for his win.
Roberts relied on a shallow-water flipping pattern to catch his limit.
“Everything I caught today was flipping, probably 3 feet deep or less,” Roberts said. “Those fish were all locked in on hard cover and they were bedding.”
Roberts said he dialed in quickly on the only presentation the fish would respond to, committing fully to a single bait and setup throughout the day.
“Nothing else wanted to work – I tried hard with a spinnerbait,” Roberts said. “The only thing I could get them to bite was a black and blue (Strike King) Rage Bug – I caught every fish on it.”
After building an early limit, Roberts simplified his approach even further, focusing on efficiency and fish care to secure the win.
“I turned my electronics off at 9 o’clock to conserve battery power for my livewells because I already had a good limit,” Roberts said. “I just kept culling, and I didn’t need LiveScope today.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament: 1st: Elmer Roberts, Claremore, Okla., five bass, 19-4, $3,340 2nd: Daniel Cowett, Porum, Okla., five bass, 17-3, $1,680 3rd: Sean McAllister, McAlester, Okla., five bass, 16-5, $950 4th: Harmon Davis, Marlow, Okla., five bass, 16-2, $680 5th: Ed Broaddrick, Broken Arrow, Okla., five bass, 15-8, $1,100 (includes $500 Phoenix bonus) 6th: Brett Brumnett, Wagoner, Okla., five bass, 15-4, $510 6th: Arturo Baquera, Noble, Okla., five bass, 15-4, $660 8th: Shonn Goodwin, Moore, Okla., five bass, 15-3, $480 9th: Trenton Underwood, Pocola, Okla., five bass, 15-1, $460 10th: Bryce Steel, Wagoner, Okla., five bass, 14-9, $430 Complete results can be found at Major-LeagueFishing.com.
Boater Darren Hahne of Beggs, Oklahoma, earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award honors with a 5-pound, 15-ouncer, worth $200.
Harold Frazier of Okmulgee, Oklahoma, won the co-angler division and the top prize of $1,670 Saturday after bringing three bass to the scale that totaled 10 pounds, 12 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers finished: 1st: Harold Frazier, Okmulgee, Okla., three bass, 10-12, $1,670 2nd: Randy Staton, Muskogee, Okla., two bass, 9-13, $840 3rd: Fred Fielder, Afton, Okla., three bass, 9-10, $475 4th: Guy Nievez, Oklahoma City, Okla., three bass, 9-0, $340 5th: Joseph Case, Mannford, Okla., two bass, 8-6, $300 6th: Mike Ketcher, Bunch, Okla., three bass, 8-1, $260 7th: Thomas Hill, Providence Village, Texas, three bass, 7-11, $250 8th: Lori Steele, Broken Arrow, Okla., two bass, 7-10, $240 9th: Justin Fuller, Broken Arrow, Okla., two bass, 7-8, $230 10th: Mark King, Gurdon, Ark., three bass, 7-7, $215 Christopher Collins of Miami, Oklahoma, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award and $100 after landing a bass weighing in at 5 pounds even.
After two events, boater Elmer Roberts of Claremore, Oklahoma, now leads the 7 Brew Okie Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 488 points, while Fred Fielder of Afton, Oklahoma, leads the Okie Division Co-Angler of the Year race with 498 points.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the division based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, will qualify for the Oct. 1517 BFL Regional tournament on Kentucky Lake in Calvert City, Kentucky. Boaters will fish for a top award of a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard worth $50,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top prize of a new Phoenix 518 pro with a 115-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard, worth $33,500.
