| Boater winner Kaden Buchmann of Troutman, North Carolina, and co-angler winner George Hirapetian of Charlotte, North Carolina. |
| North Carolina’s Hirapetian Tops Co-Angler Division HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. (Sept. 15, 2025) – Boater Kaden Buchmann of Troutman, North Carolina, caught a total of 10 bass weighing 29 pounds, 8 ounces, over two days to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine at Lake Norman . The tournament, hosted by Visit Lake Norman, Visit Charlotte & Mecklenburg County Park & Recreation, was the fifth and final event of the season for the BFL North Carolina Division. Buchmann earned $5,043 for his victory. Buchmann said he “junk fished” with a variety of baits and approaches to target winning bass, and his arsenal included an in-line buzzbait with a white blade, a Muffin Top Jig and a Queen Tackle L.S. Tungsten Jig Head. “It was mix of all the baits,” Buchmann said. “It just kind of depended on the time of day and place.” Buchmann said weather played a role in the tournament on Sunday, as conditions changed and the bass bite slowed. “It was bluebird skies and no wind Sunday – not even one mile per hour,” Buchmann said. “And the fish got very pressured. “I could just tell by the way my day was going that the weights were going to be really low,” Buchmann added. “I fish there a good bit. I won the spring BFL there in March, so I knew by how my day was going weights would be down. I could tell the fish were not cooperating. Then when I saw the leader’s weight, I knew I had a chance.” Buchmann also wrapped up the Fishing Clash North Carolina Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 1,344 points and earned the $1,000 prize. The top 10 boaters finished the tournament: 1st: Kaden Buchmann, Troutman, N.C., 10 bass, 29-8, $5,043 2nd: Chris Goodwin, Charlotte, N.C., 10 bass, 27-2, $2,971 (includes $500 Phoenix Bonus) 3rd: Chris Dover, Blacksburg, S.C., 10 bass, 26-13, $1,648 4th: Michael Wilson, Burnsville, N.C., 10 bass, 26-5, $1,153 5th: Kevin Chandler, New London, N.C., 10 bass, 25-8, $989 6th: Christian Johnson, Denver, N.C., eight bass, 24-15, $906 7th: Chad Sims, Lancaster, S.C., 10 bass, 24-10, $824 8th: Tyler Walls, Kings Mountain, N.C., 10 bass, 24-7, $741 9th: Shane Lineberger, Lincolnton, N.C., 10 bass, 23-15, $659 10th: Cole Huskins, Gastonia, N.C., 10 bass, 23-10, $577 Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com. Andrew Young of Clarendon, North Carolina, caught a bass that weighed 5 pounds, 9 ounces, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $607.  George Hirapetian of Charlotte, North Carolina, won the co-angler division and $2,775 after bringing six bass to the scale that totaled 13 pounds, 9 ounces. The top 10 co-anglers finished: 1st: George Hirapetian, Charlotte, N.C., six bass, 13-9, $2,775 2nd: Brendan Yeckley, Monroe, N.C., six bass, 12-4, $1,236 3rd: Marvin Godard, Charlotte, N.C., six bass, 12-2, $972 4th: Jerry Neuner, Rutherford, N.C., six bass, 12-2, $577 5th: Mike Shatley, North Wilkesboro, N.C., six bass, 12-1, $494 6th: Dan Noel, Huntersville, N.C., six bass, 11-3, $453 7th: Dalton Marlow, Maiden, N.C., five bass, 10-0, $412 8th: Russell Nicewander, Bluefield, W.V., five bass, 9-15, $371 9th: Trevor Lewis, Wake Forest, N.C., four bass, 9-12, $330 10th: Arthur Harris, York, S.C., four bass, 9-3, $288 Hirapetian also earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $304, catching a bass that weighed in at 3 pounds, 8 ounces. With all five events in the division now complete, boater Kaden Buchmann of Troutman, N.C., won the Fishing Clash North Carolina Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 1,344 points and earned the $1,000 prize, while Travis Ruff of Connelly Springs, N.C., won the Fishing Clash North Carolina Division Co-Angler of the Year race with 1,316 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. 10-11 BFL Regional tournament on Lake Murray in Columbia, South Carolina. 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. |