MajorLeagueFishing.com<\/a>.<\/p>\nMichael Spaulding Jr. of Dundee, Michigan, earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award after landing a 5-pound, 10-ounce bass worth $300.<\/p>\n
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Joseph Nega of Chicago, Illinois, won the co-angler division and the top prize of $2,085 Sunday after bringing a two-day total of six bass to the scale that weighed 23 pounds, 14 ounces.<\/p>\n
The top 10 co-anglers finished:<\/p>\n
1st:\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Joseph Nega, Chicago, Ill., six bass, 23-14, $2,085
2nd:\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Greg Elswick, Goshen, Ind., six bass, 21-3, $1,065
3rd:\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Brent Jones, Okeana, Ohio, six bass, 20-9, $705
4th:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Brian Ruetz, Toledo, Ohio, six bass, 19-14, $455
5th:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Ryan Sykes, Hamilton, Ohio, five bass, 18-10, $385
6th:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Trey Lawrence, Imperial, Mo., six bass, 17-5, $370
7th:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Jeffrey Smith, West Chester, Ohio, six bass, 16-11, $350
8th:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Scott Standafer, Milford, Ohio, six bass, 16-8, $335
9th:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Darick Cook, Findlay, Ohio, five bass, 15-14, $320
10th:\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Eddie Dean, Point Pleasant, W.V., four bass, 15-8, $450<\/p>\n
Eddie Dean of Point Pleasant, West Virginia, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award after landing a 5-pound, 6-ounce bass worth $150.<\/p>\n
With all five events in the division now complete, Chris Martinkovic of Hamilton, Ohio, won the 7 Brew Buckeye Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 1,320 points and earned the $1,000 prize, while Austin Herbst of Hamilton, Ohio, won the Buckeye Division Co-Angler of the Year race with 1,276 points and earned the $500 payout.<\/p>\n
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the division based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, now qualify for the Oct. 8-10 BFL Regional tournament on the Potomac River in Marbury, Maryland. 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.<\/p>\n
The 2026 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 co-anglers from each division, along with the five qualifying tournament winners, will advance to one of six BFL Regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top seven, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing \u2013 the BFL All-American. The 2027 BFL All-American will take place June 5-7, at the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes in Kissimmee, Florida, and is hosted by Experience Kissimmee.
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