GREENVILLE, Miss. (July 22, 2024) – Boater John Anderson of Bay Springs, Mississippi, caught a five-bass limit weighing 10 pounds even Saturday to win the MLF Bass Fishing League (BFL) tournament on Lake Ferguson. The tournament was the fourth event of the season for the BFL Mississippi Division. Anderson earned $5,401, including the lucrative $2,500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus, for his victory. Anderson summed up the Lake Ferguson event in just four words: “It was very tough.”
A combination of factors impacted the fishing and forced Anderson to get a little creative with his practice. He sampled oxbows and other waters as far as 100 miles away on the connected Mississippi River. Several fruitless practice stops had him scratching his head until finally he found a clue.
“I ran to another chute farther north up the river. I was fishing some current in the river, and that’s where I wound up finding fish to potentially win the tournament,” he said. “I didn’t really know what I had until I got up there this morning (on tournament day). It took me an hour and 25 minutes (to get there from launch).”
Anderson got to his primary spot and immediately caught three keepers. His second spot produced zero bass.
“Then I pulled up to my third spot, which I didn’t even know. I just saw something that looked good on the side of the river,” he said. “I pulled in there and the fish started schooling, and I caught roughly 20 bass on consecutive casts.”
When Anderson moved again, he made one last upgrade before having to start his trip back to weigh-in before noon. Anderson’s key areas were all on the main river and varied from just 2 feet deep down to 18 feet of water. Current breaks were the key. The winning baits included a jighead minnow, which Anderson fished while using Garmin LiveScope, and a shallow-diving crankbait, which he used to catch the schoolers.
“I put in a lot of work, and it paid off,” he said. “I did not expect 10 pounds to win the tournament. But I’m not going to give it up.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:
1st: John Anderson, Bay Springs, Miss., five bass, 10-0, $5,401 (includes $2,500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
2nd: Dakota Fleming, Oak Grove, La., two bass, 6-4, $1,301
3rd: Blake Hodge, Oxford, Miss., three bass, 6-3, $867
4th: Jacob Long, Batesville, Miss., three bass, 6-2, $607
5th: Andrew Schrock, Smithville, Miss., two bass, 5-7, $520
6th: Kevin Bovia, Mandeville, La., one bass, 4-8, $757
7th: Mark Clark, Crawford, Miss., two bass, 4-6, $434
8th: Billy J-Hawk Brooks, Southaven, Miss., one bass, 4-3, $390
9th: Jeff Johnston, Marion, Ark., two bass, 3-12, $347
10th: Tim McDaniel, Grenada, Miss., one bass, 3-1, $303
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Kevin Bovia of Mandeville, Louisiana, caught a bass that weighed 4 pounds, 8 ounces, and earned the Big Bass Boater award of $280. Maxwell Brown of Gonzales, Louisiana, won the co-angler division and $1,301 Saturday, after bringing five bass to the scale that totaled 6 pounds, 1 ounce.
The top 10 co-anglers finished:
1st: Maxwell Brown, Gonzales, La., five bass, 6-1, $1,301
2nd: Bubba Wright, Ridgeland, Miss., one bass, 4-14, $790
3rd: Brayden Gray, Pontotoc, Miss., one bass, 2-12, $434
4th: Wally Northam, Olive Branch, Miss., one bass, 2-4, $303
5th: Thomas Smith, Brandon, Miss., one bass, 2-0, $260
6th: Ryan LeCompte, Picayune, Miss., one bass, 1-14, $238
7th: Jesse Steadham, Byram, Miss., one bass, 1-12, $217
8th: Isiah Kelly, Memphis, Tenn., one bass, 1-11, $195
9th: Travis Culbreth, Pearl, Miss., one bass, 1-10, $173
10th: Adam Davis, Nesbit, Miss., one bass, 1-8, $152
Bubba Wright of Ridgeland, Mississippi, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $140, catching a bass that weighed in at 4 pounds, 14 ounces – the largest co-angler catch of the day.
After four events, Dakota Fleming of Oak Grove, Louisiana, leads the Fishing Clash Mississippi Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 982 points, while Thomas Smith of Brandon, Mississippi, leads the Fishing Clash Mississippi Division Co-Angler of the Year race with 978 points.
The next event for BFL Mississippi Division anglers will be held Sept. 21-22 at Pickwick Lake in Iuka, Mississippi.
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