Athen’s Kimmel Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League on Lake Oconee
Category: article
Mar 17th, 2021 by Keith Worrall
Modified Mar 17th, 2021 at 11:35 AM
Blue Ridge’s Graham Wins Strike King Co-Angler Division
BUCKHEAD, Ga. (March 16, 2021) – Boater Justin Kimmel of Athens, Georgia, wins the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine at Lake Oconee in Buckhead, Ga. Kimmel earned $6,153 for his victory at the event.
TOP 10 RESULTS
RANK
BOATER NAME/HOMETOWN
BASS
WEIGHT
AWARD
1st
Justin Kimmel of Athens, Ga.
5
22-4
$6,153
2nd
John Duvall of Madison, Ga.
5
19-0
$3,452
3rd
Lance Collins of Monticello, Ga.
5
18-7
$1,968
4th
Justin Durham of Madison, Ga.
5
18-2
$1,377
5th
Brian Jamison of Greensboro, Ga.
5
17-3
$1,181
6th
Tony Couch of Buckhead, Ga.
5
15-14
$1,082
7th
Dylan Peppers of Social Circle, Ga.
5
15-6
$984
8th
Cody Stahl of Griffin, Ga.
5
15-5
$886
9th
Weston Parker of Mansfield, Ga.
5
15-0
$787
10th
Willie McMullen of Oxford, Ga.
5
14-14
689
RANK, STRIKE KING CO-ANGLER NAME/HOMETOWN, BASS WEIGHT, AWARD
1st
Chris Graham of Blue Ridge, Ga.
5
13-8
$2,952
2nd
Randal Ditto of Tallahassee, Fla.
4
13-6
$1,961
3rd
Tim Prosen of Cleveland, Ga.
5
13-4
$984
4th
Thai-Son Le of Macon, Ga.
5
12-3
$689
5th
Troy Cain of Gillsville, Ga.
5
12-2
$590
6th
Frank Godwin, Jr. of Bainbridge, Ga.
5
11-15
$541
7th
Danny Smith of Tyrone, Ga.
4
11-1
$492
8th
Gabe Sowash of Gainesville, Ga.
5
10-11
$443
9th
Daniel Tuten of Byron, Ga.
5
9-11
$394
10th
Chandler White of Covington, Ga.
3
9-7
$327
10th
Wesley Wilson of Cornelia, Ga.
3
9-7
$327
CONTINGENCY AWARDS
AWARD
NAME
CONTINGENCY
PAYOUT
Boater Big Bass
Kevin Underwood, Gillsville, Ga.
6-pound, 8-ounce bass
$970
Strike King Co-Angler Berkley Big Bass
Randal Ditto, Tallahassee, Fla.
6-pound, 1-ounce bass
$485
Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus
John Duvall, Madison, Ga.
Eligible Phoenix Boat*
$500
* Boaters are eligible to win up to an extra $7,000 per event in each Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine tournament if all requirements are met. More information on the Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.
WINNING BAITS
ANGLER
BAIT
COLOR
Boater
– ½-ounce Missile Jig
– Berkley Powerbait Maxscent Meaty Chunk Trailer
– Berkley Powerbait Maxscent The General Worm
Did Not Divulge
Strike King Co-Angler
– Daiwa Yamamoto Neko Fat Worm, shaky head
Baby Bass
2021 QUALIFICATION OPPORTUNITIES
EVENT
DATE
LOCATION
HOST
Bulldog Division – Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championship
Oct. 21-23
St. Johns River, Palatka, Florida
Putnam County Tourist Development Council
Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American
June 3-5
Douglas Lake, Dandridge, Tenn.
Jefferson County Department of Tourism
The 2021 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine 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 Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championships. Boaters will compete for a $60,000 prize package, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while Strike King co-anglers will fish for a new Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury s outboard.
The top six finishers in each regional will then qualify for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.
The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division will also earn priority entry into the Toyota Series, the pathway to the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit and ultimately the MLF Bass Pro Tour.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook , Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
About MLF BIG5
MLF BIG5 is part of MLF, the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization. It provides anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money across five tournament circuits featuring a five-biggest-fish format. Headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with offices in Benton, Kentucky, MLF and its partners conduct more than 290 bass-fishing tournaments annually around the world, including the United States, Canada, China, Italy, South Korea, Mexico, Namibia, Portugal, South Africa, Spain and Zimbabwe.
MLF tournaments are broadcast on Outdoor Channel, Sportsman Channel, World Fishing Network, MyOutdoorTV, Discovery and CBS Sports while MLF Bass Fishing magazine delivers cutting-edge tips from top pros to the world’s most avid bass anglers.