MOORESVILLE, N.C. (March 2, 2020) – Boater Brian Morgan of Sherrills Ford, North Carolina, brought five bass to the scale Saturday totaling 18 pounds, 13 ounces to win the 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine event at Lake Norman in Mooresville, North Carolina. For his victory, Morgan earned a total of $5,014.
“The key to my victory was cranking all day,” said Morgan, who earned his first career victory in FLW competition. “I told my co-angler that I was not going to put the crankbait down and we ran all over the lake. I kept the crankbait in my hand all day.”
Morgan remained tight-lipped about his specific color and presentation but mentioned that his lure of choice was a Lucky Craft crankbait.
“I was fishing stained water on the south end of the lake,” Morgan went on to say. “It feels awesome to get this win. I’ve had a chance to win many of them, and then I end up blowing it. To win this one feels great – it’s been a long time coming.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:
1st: Brian Morgan of Sherrills Ford, N.C., five bass, 18-13, $5,014
2nd: Cole Blythe of Stanley, N.C., five bass, 17-14, $2,507
3rd: Stephen Cannon of Wilkesboro, N.C., five bass, 17-8, $1,670
4th: Derik Hudson of Concord, Va., five bass, 17-0, $1,370
5th: Roger Pope of Statesville, N.C., five bass, 16-11, $1,103
6th: David Cooke of Mooresville, N.C., five bass, 16-7, $877
6th: Scott Hamrick of Denver, N.C., five bass, 16-7, $877
8th: Kelly Logan of Morganton, N.C., five bass, 16-3, $752
9th: Robert Walser of Lexington, N.C., five bass, 15-14, $1,433
10th: Michael Stephens of Gastonia, N.C., five bass, 15-12, $585
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Walser brought a 7-pound, 2-ounce bass to the scale to win the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $765.
Adam Waters of Denver, North Carolina was the highest-finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member and took home an extra $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 FLW PHOENIX BONUS contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.
Artie Phillips of Monroe, North Carolina, won the Co-angler Division and $2,507 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 15 pounds, 5 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:
1st: Artie Phillips of Monroe, N.C., five bass, 15-5, $2,507
2nd: David Deciucis of Chester, Va., five bass, 13-2, $1,253
3rd: Nathan Grose of Summersville, W. Va., five bass, 12-15, $837
4th: Colby Schuping of North Wilkesboro, N.C., five bass, 12-11, $585
5th: Mathew Baker of Asheboro, N.C., five bass, 11-10, $501
6th: Quin Motley of Sherrills Ford, N.C., five bass, 11-6, $439
7th: Stuart Hicks of Statesville, N.C., five bass, 11-6, $439
8th: Josh Neal of Lincolnton, N.C., five bass, 10-11, $376
9th: Charles Wood of Thomasville, N.C., four bass, 10-4, $334
10th: Jesse Jodon of Windber, Pa., three bass, 9-10, $674
Jodon caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, weighing in at 5 pounds, 5 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $382.
The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on Lake Norman was hosted by the Mooresville Convention & Visitors Bureau and was the first of five qualifying events in the North Carolina Division.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the North Carolina Division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 8-10 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on the James River in Richmond, Virginia, hosted by Visit Richmond. 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 co-anglers will fish for a new 18-foot Phoenix bass boat with a 200-horsepower outboard.
The 2020 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 co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.
The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American will be held April 30 through May 2 at Lake Hartwell in Anderson, South Carolina and is hosted by Visit Anderson. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division earn priority entry into the FLW Series, the pathway to the FLW Pro Circuit and ultimately the MLF Bass Pro Tour, where top pros compete with no entry fees.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.