SANDUSKY, Ohio (Aug. 5, 2024) – Boater Michael Sitko of Pinckney, Michigan, caught a five-bass limit weighing 25 pounds, 8 ounces, Saturday to win the MLF Bass Fishing League (BFL) tournament on Lake Erie. The tournament was the fourth event of the season for the BFL Buckeye Division. Sitko earned $12,143, including the lucrative $7,000 MLF Contingency Bonus, for his victory. After a recent Phoenix Bass Fishing League win on the Detroit River, Sitko is finishing out the season on a bit of a hot streak, posting his seventh career win and his second victory in the past four weeks.
“This has been pretty incredible,” Sitko said. “I don’t expect it, ever, and I don’t know how long it’s going to last, but it’s pretty amazing right now.
“I made a big run to the north shore of the lake, about 37 miles one way, which wasn’t too bad,” Sitko continued. “I targeted some isolated breaks on the bottom, boulders and other stuff up that way.”
Sitko said he caught all his fish on drop-shot rigs with a Berkley Powerbait Maxscent Flat Worm and Berkley Powerbait Maxscent Flatnose Minnow and said his key to winning was his mindset and patience.
“I pulled up to my first spot and my co-angler caught a 4-pounder on his first cast,” Sitko said. “I broke off a 5-pounder, caught my biggest fish, then lost two more – but I didn’t freak out.
“That bite dried up and I just slowly worked my way around, culling up throughout the day, and it all worked out in my favor.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:
1st: Michael Sitko, Pinckney, Mich., five bass, 25-8, $12,143 (includes $7,000 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
2nd: Grant Gallagher, Fremont, Ohio, five bass, 23-3, $2,249
3rd: Joshua Barr, Louisville, Ohio, five bass, 21-10, $1,798
4th: Cody Dawson, Mount Vernon, Ohio, five bass, 21-8, $1,050
5th: Mike Trombly, Belleville, Mich., five bass, 21-2, $900
6th: Hunter Colwell, Sidney, Ohio, five bass, 20-11, $825
7th: Jarrett Martin, Mansfield, Ohio, five bass, 19-14, $750
8th: Brody Campbell, Oxford, Ohio, five bass, 19-7, $675
9th: Pat Upthagrove, Monroe, Mich., five bass, 19-6, $600
10th: Jeffrey Yost, Lima, Ohio, five bass, 19-0, $525
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Sitko caught a bass that weighed 6 pounds, 6 ounces, to earn the Big Bass Boater award of $645. Bryan Wilson of Marion, Ohio, won the co-angler division and $2,571 Saturday, after bringing five bass to the scale that totaled 19 pounds, 14 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers finished:
1st: Bryan Wilson, Marion, Ohio, five bass, 19-14, $2,571
2nd: Joe Yocum, Strawberry Plains, Tenn., five bass, 15-14, $1,125
3rd: Jim Feathers, Vermilion, Ohio, four bass, 14-0, $752
4th: Jacob Alltop, Lewistown, Ohio, four bass, 13-10, $525
5th: Jordan Smith, Middletown, Ohio, four bass, 13-5, $431
5th: Anthony Bell Jr., Cincinnati, Ohio, five bass, 13-5, $431
7th: Dan Goforth, Monroe, Ohio, five bass, 13-3, $375
8th: Brent Jones, Okeana, Ohio, five bass, 12-4, $337
9th: Brian Zelinskas, Beavercreek, Ohio, five bass, 12-2, $300
10th: Brett Warrick, Powell, Ohio, five bass, 11-14, $262
Wilson earned the Big Bass co-angler award of $322, catching a bass that weighed in at 5 pounds, 8 ounces – the largest co-angler catch of the day.
After four events, Sean Wieda of Alexandria, Kentucky, leads the BFL Buckeye Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 964 points, while Brent Jones of Okeana, Ohio, leads the Strike King Co-Angler Division AOY race with 927 points.
The next event for BFL Buckeye Division anglers will be held Sept. 14-15, at Indian Lake in Lakeview, Ohio.
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