Abbott Wins Bass Fishing League Tournament on Dale Hollow Lake

BYRDSTOWN, Tenn. (March 21, 2022) – Boater Tristan Abbott of Somerset, Kentucky, caught five bass Saturday weighing 20 pounds, 1 ounce, to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Tournament on Dale Hollow Lake. The tournament, hosted by Star Point Marina and Resort, was the season-opener for the Bass Fishing League Mountain Division. Abbott earned $7,200 for his victory.

“We took off in the morning and made a run down the lake,” Abbott said. “I’d been on some fish and been catching them for the majority of the winter, and was very blessed they had stayed in the same area.

“I had one of the fish I weighed in the first hour or so,” Abbott added. “And it went from there. I was pleased with my day. I fished clean throughout the day and didn’t lose any fish.”

Abbott said he spent the majority of his day trying to boost his bag of 4-pounders by targeting staging fish, mid-lake around chunk rock and channel swings that were holding baitfish. Abbott said his baits of choice were an Alabama-rig and a Berkley Stunna Jerkbait.

“It was a good day of fishing all the way around,” Abbott said. “This win is long overdue. I’ve finished second a couple of times, and I won Angler of the Year last year in the Mountain Division, and I’d like to repeat that.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

                1st:        Tristan Abbott, Somerset, Ky., five bass, 20-1, $7,200
                2nd:       Dalton Smith, Taylorsville, Ky., five bass, 19-13, $3,000
                3rd:       Christian Nash, Cookeville, Tenn., five bass, 19-10, $2,500 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
                4th:        Isaac Peavyhouse, Jamestown, Tenn., five bass, 18-14, $1,400
                5th:        Brad Atkins, West Liberty, Ky., five bass, 18-2, $1,400
                6th:        Ryan Davidson, Branchland, W.V., five bass, 17-12, $1,100
                7th:        Cori White, Celina, Tenn., five bass, 17-9, $1,000
                8th:        Clay Peters, Butler, Ky., five bass, 17-2, $900
                9th:        Zach Crider, Tunnel Hill, Ga., five bass, 17-0, $800
                10th:     David Steadman Jr., Tullahoma, Tenn., five bass, 16-15, $700

Jonathan Green of East Bernstadt, Kentucky, had a 5-pound, 7-ounce largemouth that was the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division and earned the day’s Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $1,000. Jason Henson of Rome, Georgia, won the Strike King Co-angler Division and $3,300 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 16 pounds, 8 ounces.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:

                1st:        Jason Henson, Rome, Ga., five bass, 16-8, $3,300
                2nd:       Timothy Jolley, Monroe, Tenn., five bass, 16-5, $1,500
                3rd:       Billy Gardner, Livingston, Tenn., five bass, 15-1, $1,000
                4th:        Lee Sinclair, Albany, Ky., five bass, 15-0, $700
                5th:        Robert Jones, Whitley City, Ky., five bass, 14-8, $600
                6th:        Trent Suratt, Lawrenceburg, Tenn., five bass, 14-7, $550
                7th:        Nicole Foor, Greenfork, Ind., five bass, 14-4, $500
                8th:        Justin Brandenburg, Richmond, Ky., five bass, 14-3, $450
                9th:        Pop Catalin, Cookeville, Tenn., five bass, 14-1, $400
                10th:     Lance Souders, Somerset, Ky., four bass, 13-10, $350

Christopher Logsdon of Brownsville, Kentucky, 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 $500.

After one event, Tristan Abbott of Somerset, Kentucky leads the Bass Fishing League Mountain Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 250 points, while Jason Henson of Rome, Georgia leads the Strike King Co-Angler Division AOY race with 250 points.