Feldermann Wins Bass Fishing League Tournament on the Mississippi River

PRAIRIE DU CHIEN, Wis. (Aug. 15, 2022) – Boater Mike Feldermann of Galena, Illinois, caught three bass Saturday weighing 12 pounds, 6 ounces, to win the MLF Bass Fishing League tournament on the Mississippi River at Prairie du Chien. The tournament was the fourth event for the Bass Fishing League Great Lakes Division. Feldermann earned $4,052 for his victory.

“I down one pool and made a 40-mile run south, to a 200-yard section of lily pads,” Feldermann said. “I made one pass through there, and I caught one that weighed 5-2. I made another pass and caught one that weighed 4¼ pounds.”

Feldermann said he stayed committed to the stretch he had run to and made a couple more passes that resulted in a 17-inch keeper before he made the long run back to the Washington Street Ramp for weigh-in. He said all four of his fish, including a short 15-inch bass, came on a black and yellow SPRO Frog.

“This win feels great,” said Feldermann, who now has 11 career BFL wins to his credit. “I’ve been fishing these tournaments for about 30 years, so when you get a little older you appreciate them more. BFLs are a tough tournament to win, but like I say, ‘You’re not going to win if you’re not there.’”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

                1st:        Mike Feldermann, Galena, Ill., three bass, 12-6, $4,052
                2nd:       Hunter Litchfield, Macomb, Ill., three bass, 9-15, $1,996
                3rd:       Mike Brueggen, La Crosse, Wis., three bass, 9-14, $1,201
                4th:        Dan Mohn, Lansing, Iowa, three bass, 9-10, $1,238
                5th:        Jeff Ritter, Prairie du Chien, Wis., three bass, 9-9, $718
                6th:        Aidan Hansen, Osceola, Wis., three bass, 9-3, $659
                7th:        Brandon Gann, Sparta, Wis., three bass, 9-2, $599
                8th:        Darren Hahne, Ottowa, Ill., three bass, 9-1, $539
                9th:        Bill Sepke, Indian Head Park, Ill., three bass, 9-0, $449
                9th:        Ryan Lewis, Glasford, Ill., three bass, 9-0, $449

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Feldermann’s 5-pound, 2-ounce largemouth was the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division and earned the day’s Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $460. Ed Remian of Schiller Park, Illinois, won the Strike King Co-angler Division and $2,226 Saturday after catching three bass weighing 10 pounds, 1 ounce.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:

                1st:        Ed Remian, Schiller Park, Ill., three bass, 10-1, $2,226
                2nd:       Brian Brecka, Alma, Wis., three bass, 8-9, $638
                2nd:       Nicholas Oates, Marengo, Ill., three bass, 8-9, $738
                2nd:       Will Ahnen, Fennimore, Wis., three bass, 8-9, $638
                5th:        Mack Traynor, Hanover, Minn., three bass, 8-4, $359
                6th:        Dan McAdams, Reedsburg, Wis., three bass, 8-0, $329
                7th:        Danny Mancini, Necedah, Wis., three bass, 7-13, $284
                7th:        Alan Bernicky, Joliet, Ill., three bass, 7-13, $484
                9th:        Mike Toft, Belleville, Wis., three bass, 7-8, $224
                9th:        Kyle Simonson, Appleton, Wis., three bass, 7-8, $224

Remian 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 $230.

After four events, Jeff Ritter of Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, leads the Bass Fishing League Great Lakes Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 966 points, while Ed Remian of Schiller Park, Illinois, leads the Co-Angler Division AOY race with 949 points.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 20-22 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Grand Lake in Grove, Oklahoma. Boaters will compete for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.

The 2022 Phoenix Bass Fishing League is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six Regional Championships where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Bass Fishing League All-American.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Bass Fishing League division will also earn priority entry into the MLF Toyota Series, the pathway to the MLF Pro Circuit and ultimately the MLF Bass Pro Tour.