Bean Wins Bass Fishing League Tournament on Lake Hamilton

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. (Feb. 16, 2022) – Local Hot Springs angler Brian Bean brought five bass to the stage Saturday weighing 17 pounds, 15 ounces, to win the MLF Bass Fishing League Tournament on Lake Hamilton. The tournament was the season opener for the Bass Fishing League Arkie Division. For his win, Bean earned $6,139.

According to post-tournament reports, Bean caught his fish in the mid-to-upper-lake area of Lake Hamilton, targeting deep brush in 15 to 30 feet of water with an umbrella rig, rigged with Tennessee Shad-colored Berkley Power Swimmer swimbaits.

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

                1st:        Brian Bean, Hot Springs, Ark., five bass, 17-15, $6,139
                2nd:       Josh Ray, Alexander, Ark., five bass, 14-13, $3,152 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Bonus)
                3rd:       Kevin Brown, Hot Springs, Ark., five bass, 13-9, $2,168
                4th:        Scott Hardin, Little Rock, Ark., five bass, 13-6, $1,238
                5th:        Brayden Nichols, Blanchard, La., five bass, 12-15, $1,061
                6th:        Chris Huselton, Conway, Ark., five bass, 12-8, $972
                7th:        Spencer Shuffield, Hot Springs, Ark., five bass, 12-0, $884
                8th:        Ethan Sutton, Hot Springs, Ark., five bass, 11-7, $796
                9th:        Robert Jacuzzi, Little Rock, Ark., five bass, 11-6, $707
                10th:     Matt Baker, Glenwood, Ark., five bass, 11-5, $619

Bean’s 6-pound, 1-ounce bass earned the day’s Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $835. Lance Freeman of Eddyville, Kentucky, won the Strike King Co-angler Division and $2,652 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 14 pounds, 3 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers were:

                1st:        Lance Freeman, Eddyville, Ky., five bass, 14-3, $2,652
                2nd:       Caden Fuller, Waldron, Ark., two bass, 8-12, $1,743
                3rd:       Jonathan Simms, Hot Springs, Ark., three bass, 8-2, $887
                4th:        Perry Dawson, Rockwood, Tenn., three bass, 7-9, $619
                5th:        Darrin Franklin, Hot Springs, Ark., three bass, 7-6, $530
                6th:        Kevin Keown, Lonoke, Ark., five bass, 6-13, $486
                7th:        Stephen Tyson, Sr., Camden, Ark., two bass, 6-12, $442
                8th:        Brooks Robertson, Hot Springs, Ark., four bass, 6-8, $398
                9th:        Todd Garner, Pocola, Okla., five bass, 6-7, $331
                9th:        Travis McKee, Fayetteville, Ark., three bass, 6-7, $331

Fuller caught a bass weighing 7 pounds, 3 ounces – the largest bass in the Co-angler Division – to earn him the day’s Berkley Big Bass Co-angler award of $417.