Dorsett Wins Bass Fishing League Tournament on Lake Mitchell

CLANTON, Ala. (April 4, 2022) – Boater Kyle Dorsett of Springville, Alabama, caught five bass Saturday weighing 15 pounds, 7 ounces, to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League tournament on Lake Mitchell . The tournament was the second event for the Bass Fishing League Bama Division. Dorsett earned $5,498 for his victory.

“We had about an hour fog delay, and I really didn’t have any expectations,” Dorsett said. “I had practiced a couple of days, and the sun was out then, but I had never even caught a 3-pounder.

“After the fog delay Saturday I went to my spot and there were two boats sitting on it, so I just picked up a jig and went fishing,” Dorsett added. “I fished the way I like to fish.”

Dorsett said his bass came on a Dirty Jigs Swim Jig and a Dirty Jigs Scott Canterbury Flippin’ Jig. He said he focused on fishing Lake Mitchell from the boat ramp mid-lake to the Coosa River.

“This win feels awesome,” Dorsett said. “This is my third BFL win, but it’s been a while. It’s just awesome to win against this caliber of fishermen.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

                1st:        Kyle Dorsett, Springville, Ala., five bass, 15-7, $5,498
                2nd:       Chad Hall, Cullman, Ala., five bass, 13-1, $1,873
                2nd:       Austin Shields, Lake View, Ala., five bass, 13-1, $1,873
                4th:        Dennis Barnes, Boaz, Ala., five bass, 12-14, $1,050
                5th:        Danny Grantham, Bay Minette, Ala., five bass, 12-13, $900
                6th:        Michael Smith, Andalusia, Ala., five bass, 12-4, $987
                6th:        Cory Gardner, Estill Springs, Tenn., five bass, 12-4, $787
                8th:        Robbie Robinson, Mobile, Ala., five bass, 12-3, $675
                9th:        Dusty Robinson, Eclectic, Ala., five bass, 12-0, $600
                10th:     Austin Archer, Anniston, Ala., five bass, 11-10, $1,025 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)


Tyler Smith of Selma, Alabama, had a 4-pound, 6-ounce largemouth that was the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division and earned the day’s Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $645. Mike Langdale of Sycamore, Georgia, won the Co-angler Division and $2,249 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 13 pounds, 12 ounces.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:

                1st:        Mike Langdale, Sycamore, Ga., five bass, 13-12, $2,249
                2nd:       Joseph Chilcott, Crestview, Fla., five bass, 13-3, $1,447
                3rd:       Lonnie Hill, Pine Mountain, Ga., five bass, 11-2, $852
                4th:        Rodney Thompson, Highland Home, Ala., five bass, 10-8, $525
                5th:        Daniel Buswell Jr., Fayetteville, Ga., five bass, 10-1, $450
                6th:        Dennis Sandoval, Decatur, Ala., five bass, 9-14, $762
                7th:        Anthony Davis, McCalla, Ala., five bass, 9-9, $337
                7th:        Michael Corbett, Oxford, Ala., five bass, 9-9, $337
                7th:        Sam Fish, Alexander City, Ala., five bass, 9-9, $337
                10th:     Gary Marlowe, Montgomery, Ala., five bass, 9-7, $249
                10th:     Jeffery McCoy, Montgomery, Ala., five bass, 9-7, $249

Chilcott caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 4 pounds, 14 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Berkley Big Bass Co-angler award of $322.