CLEWISTON, Fla. (Sept. 25, 2017) – Jessie Mizell of Sarasota, Florida, won the Bass Fishing League (BFL) Gator Division tournament on Lake Okeechobee Sunday with a two-day cumulative catch of 10 bass weighing 42 pounds, 12 ounces. For his win, Mizell earned $5,848. According to post-tournament reports, Mizell targeted schooling fish in the northeast area of the lake using a 6th Sense crankbait.
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Jessie Mizell, Sarasota, Fla., 10 bass, 42-12, $5,848
2nd: Richard Sasina, Port St. Lucie, Fla., 10 bass, 37-9, $2,824
3rd: Donald Locke, Loxahatchee, Fla., 10 bass, 36-11, $2,182
4th: Mason Boylan, Melbourne, Fla., 10 bass, 34-4, $1,318
5th: Cody Wright, Okeechobee, Fla., 10 bass, 34-3, $1,130
6th: Matthew Wieteha, Miami, Fla., 10 bass, 33-1, $1,135
7th: Joey Roberts, Jensen Beach, Fla., 10 bass, 33-1, $941
8th: William Schmitt, West Palm Beach, Fla., 10 bass, 30-12, $847
9th: Jason Pike, Greenacres, Fla., 10 bass, 30-12, $753
10th: Steve Broughton, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., 10 bass, 30-3, $659
Dustin Royer of Davie, Florida, caught a 7-pound, 8-ounce bass – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division – and earned the Boater Big Bass award of $750. Mike LaPorta of Port Charlotte, Florida, caught a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 38 pounds, 4 ounces, to win the Co-angler Division and $2,824.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Mike LaPorta, Port Charlotte, Fla., 10 bass, 38-4, $2,824
2nd: Richard Mongiovi, Indian Lake Estates, Fla., 10 bass, 33-8, $1,412
3rd: Rusty Lacy, Plantation, Fla., 10 bass, 30-5, $940
4th: James Tyler, Deltona, Fla., 10 bass, 26-4, $659
5th: Nik Kayler, Apopka, Fla., 10 bass, 25-13, $565
6th: Garrett Colbert, Orlando, Fla., 10 bass, 25-12, $518
7th: Junior Iriban, Lantana, Fla., 10 bass, 25-4, $671
8th: James Ryba, West Palm Beach, Fla., 10 bass, 23-15, $424
9th: Bill Wight, Punta Gorda, Fla., 10 bass, 22-15, $377
10th: Ernie Thompson, Anthony, Fla., 10 bass, 22-13, $379
Delfin Pernas of Miami, Florida, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division – a fish weighing 6 pounds, 1 ounce – and earned the Co-angler Big Bass award of $375.