| Boater winner Chris Martinkovic of Hamilton, Ohio, and co-angler winner Ryan Sykes of Hamilton, Ohio. |
| Ohio’s Sykes Tops Co-Angler Division CORTLAND, Ohio (Sept. 15, 2025) – Boater Chris Martinkovic of Hamilton, Ohio, caught a total of 10 bass weighing 30 pounds, 5 ounces, over two days to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine at Mosquito Lake Presented by Lew’s. The tournament was the fifth and final event of the season for the BFL Buckeye Division. Martinkovic earned $5,782 for his victory. Martinkovic’s winning game plan was less about finding a secret spot and more about avoiding the crowd. With Mosquito Lake only about 14 miles long and heavy fishing pressure from the field, he focused on covering water and targeting overlooked stretches. “I just tried to go where all the other boats weren’t,” Martinkovic said. “It’s a small lake, so I wanted to stay away from the pressure.” His approach turned into a classic case of junk fishing, rotating through multiple techniques depending on the cover in front of him. Milfoil, lily pads and grass beds all played a role, and Martinkovic mixed a frog, a ChatterBait, and a flipping jig to trigger bites. “Frogging and flipping a jig in the pads was probably the most productive for me,” he explained. “But I caught some key fish on a ChatterBait, too. It was all kind of mixed in.” The pattern delivered steady action throughout the weekend, with Martinkovic boating an estimated 25 keepers on Day 1 and another 15 on Championship Sunday, despite a two-hour fog delay. “The first day was definitely better for me, both in numbers and size,” he said. “Day 2 was tougher, and losing a 4-pounder really hurt because I ended up weighing one that was only about a pound and a half.” Even with the missed opportunity, Martinkovic felt he had a chance at the win as weigh-in approached. “When I lost that big one, I thought I might have lost the tournament right there,” he admitted. “But I also knew I had a good shot with what I had.” The victory was especially meaningful for Martinkovic, as after a five-year stretch of BFL wins each season, he went through a bit of a drought as his last win was 2017. “It feels good, because I’ve probably had 10 second-place finishes in the last five years,” he said. “It felt like I’ve been the king of second place. These wins are so hard to come by — everything’s got to go just right. To finally get it done after eight years feels great.” The top 10 boaters finished the tournament: 1st: Chris Martinkovic, Joplin, Hamilton, Ohio, 10 bass, 30-5, $5,782 2nd: Dan Moran, London, Ohio, 10 bass, 28-4, $2,341 3rd: Mervin Miller, Sugarcreek, Ohio, 10 bass, 25-8, $2,124 4th: Brandon Smith, Mason, Ohio, 10 bass, 25-6, $1,092 5th: Zak Wiseman, Macedonia, Ohio, 10 bass, 23-7, $936 6th: Nick Morgan, Gallipolis, Ohio, 10 bass, 23-3, $1,108 7th: Dave Fricke, Hamilton, Ohio, 10 bass, 22-9, $780 8th: Joel Berelsman, Minster, Ohio, 10 bass, 21-9, $702 9th: Richard Knoll, Pittsburgh, Pa., 10 bass, 21-2, $624 10th: Mike Blake, Carrollton, Ohio, 10 bass, 20-13, $1,046 (includes $500 Phoenix Bonus) Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com. Mervin Miller of Sugarcreek, Ohio, caught a bass that weighed 5 pounds, 12 ounces, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $562.  Ryan Sykes of Hamilton, Ohio, won the co-angler division and $2,922 after bringing six bass to the scales that totaled 20 pounds, 8 ounces. The top 10 co-anglers finished: 1st: Ryan Sykes, Hamilton, Ohio, six bass, 8-6, $1,504 2nd: Steven Logan, Hugo, Okla., five bass, 8-6, $1,504 3rd: Markus Mills, Norman, Okla., six bass, 8-4, $668 4th: Mason Eudy, Muskogee, Okla., six bass, 8-2, $468 5th: Bryan Schuster, Oklahoma City, Okla., six bass, 7-14, $401 6th: Mark Johnson, Weleetka, Okla., four bass, 7-12, $351 7th: Ryan Doel, Springfield, Mo., five bass, 7-12, $351 8th: Fred Fielder, Afton, Okla., five bass, 7-11, $284 9th: Robert Shedrick, Blanchard, Okla., six bass, 7-11, $284 10th: Berton Pritchett, Gentry, Ark., six bass, 7-10, $234 Sykes also earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $281, catching a bass that weighed in at 5 pounds, 2 ounces. With all five events in the division now complete, boater Chris Martinkovic of Hamilton, Ohio, clinched the Fishing Clash Buckeye Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 1,350 points and earned the $1,000 prize, while Ryan Sykes of Hamilton, Ohio, won the Fishing Clash Buckeye Division Co-Angler of the Year race with 1,292 points and earned the $500 payout. The top 60 boaters and co-anglers in the division based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, will qualify for the Oct. 3-4 BFL Regional tournament on Lake Erie in Sandusky, Ohio. Boaters will fish for a top award of a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard worth $50,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $20,000. The 2025 Phoenix BFL Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 134 events throughout the season, five qualifying tournaments in each division. The top 60 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five qualifying tournament winners, will advance to one of 12 BFL Regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top three, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. |
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