Brueggen Wins Bass Fishing League Tournament on Ohio River

PADUCAH, Ky. (Aug. 22, 2022) – Boater Mike Brueggen of La Crosse, Wisconsin, caught five bass Saturday weighing 9 pounds, 9 ounces, to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League tournament on the Ohio River at Paducah. The tournament was the fourth event for the Bass Fishing League Illini Division. Brueggen earned $4,514 for his victory.

Brueggen, who now has nine BFL career wins, said he caught only five keepers during the tournament. He began the day fishing a creek that produced two keepers, then relocated to the main river and caught two spotted bass, before ending his day in another creek where he caught his two biggest fish of the day. Brueggen said he caught all of his bass on Texas-rigged soft plastics.

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

                1st:        Mike Brueggen, La Crosse, Wis., five bass, 9-9, $4,514
                2nd:       Brandon Broadway, Golconda, Ill., five bass, 8-13, $2,257 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
                3rd:       Patrick Odell, Windsor, Ill., five bass, 7-4, $1,172
                4th:        Colby Schrumpf, Highland, Ill., five bass, 7-0, $1,120
                5th:        Chris Randell, Saint Charles, Mo., two bass, 6-5, $703
                6th:        Keith Nemcek, Saint Charles, Ill., four bass, 6-2, $644
                7th:        Peyton Coleman, Paducah, Ky., two bass, 5-15, $586
                8th:        Curtis Samo, Rochelle, Ill., four bass, 5-12, $927
                9th:        Taylor Umland, Carlock, Ill., four bass, 5-10, $469
                10th:     Riley Walk, Neoga, Ill., three bass, 5-9, $410

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Drew Cress of Highland, Illinois, had a largemouth that weighed 4 pounds, 12 ounces that was the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division and earned the day’s Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $450.

Andrew Harper of Shelbyville, Illinois, won the Strike King Co-angler Division and $2,057 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 10 pounds, 3 ounces.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:

                1st:        Andrew Harper, Shelbyville, Ill., five bass, 10-3, $2,057
                2nd:       Ovidiu Marginean, Glenview, Ill., five bass, 8-2, $879
                3rd:       Brandon Depew, Odin, Ill., four bass, 6-9, $585
                4th:        Andy Heisler, Sun Prairie, Wis., three bass, 5-6, $410
                5th:        Steve Grigsby, Washington, Ill., two bass, 5-1, $351
                6th:        Brian Huber, Saint Peters, Mo., four bass, 4-15, $322
                7th:        David Workman, Harrisburg, Ill., three bass, 4-14, $293
                8th:        Shaun Avery, Plainfield, Ill., three bass, 4-6, $464
                9th:        Alan Bernicky, Joliet, Ill., three bass, 3-12, $234
                10th:     Eugene Kim, Lindenhurst, Ill., two bass, 3-7, $205

Roman Perun of St. Louis, Missouri, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 3 pounds, 5 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Berkley Big Bass Co-angler award of $225.

After four events, Riley Walk of Neoga, Illinois, leads the Bass Fishing League Illini Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 961 points, while Derick Holmes of Fairfield, Illinois, leads the Strike King Co-Angler Division AOY race with 917 points.