| Boater Rob Leidholdt of Milton, Wisconsin, and co-angler Matt Chumbler of Carbondale, Illinois. |
Illinois’ Chumbler Takes Co-Angler Division QUAD CITIES, Ill. (Oct. 6, 2025) – Boater Rob Leidholdt of Milton, Wisconsin, caught a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 30 pounds, 13 ounces, to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine Regional on the Mississippi River Presented by Mando Deodorant. The tournament, which was hosted by Visit Quad Cities, concluded Saturday. For his win, Leidholdt earned a prize package valued at $50,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200hp Mercury or Suzuki outboard. “Partnering with Major League Fishing to host the Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional here in the Quad Cities was an incredible opportunity for Sports QC, Powered By Visit Quad Cities,” said Joan Kranovich, Vice President of Business Growth & Director, Sports QC. “This event showcased the strength of our partnership with MLF, the beauty and challenge of the Mississippi River, and the community pride that comes with welcoming anglers and fans from across the country.” The Mississippi River event served as the Regional championship for the BFL Great Lakes and Illini divisions. The field included the top 60 boaters and co-anglers based on point standings, plus each division’s tournament winners. The top three boaters and co-anglers have also now qualified to compete at the 2026 BFL All-American. “Oh boy, where do I start?” Leidholdt said with a laugh after learning he had won. “I had a fantastic first day. I went to my first spot and caught quite a few fish. There were quite a few boats in that area, but I was fishing a bit slower and a little bit more off the bank than the other anglers in the area.” Leidholdt said his first two fish of the day Friday were his biggest two of the day, and he then added some nice bass to his first-day weight. Saturday on Day 2, however, turned out to be more of a challenge for him, as boat problems he discovered on Friday night forced him to borrow a boat from a co-angler he had fished with earlier this season. As soon as Leidholdt got to his spot on Saturday morning, the borrowed boat broke down. He was able to fish – and fill his limit – but he was forced to end his day a little earlier than expected and get a ride to weigh-in. “It was quite eventful and very stressful,” Leidholdt said. Leidholdt said when he was fishing, he targeted bass in three to eight feet of water near mud and wood banks with a 5/16-ounce black and blue jig. Leidholdt said he fishes a jig 80 percent of the time when he’s on the water. “I felt very confident today,” Leidholdt said. “I knew if I could just get to my spot that there were good quality fish there. “To get the win after all of this feels incredible,” Leidholdt said. “I was up late (Friday night) trying to figure out my next day’s plan of attack, and I thought I wasn’t going to be fishing because I had no boat. Then a former co-angler I had stepped up and let me borrow a boat. From the highs to the lows in this tournament … it just feels unreal. I have to pinch myself right now to remind myself that I actually won.” The top three boaters who qualified for the 2026 Phoenix BFL All-American finished: 1st: Rob Leidholdt, Milton, Wis., 10 bass, 30-13, $51,100 2nd: Chris Aswegan, Tiffin, Iowa, 10 bass, 26-4, $7,073 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus) 3rd: Jeremy Mull, Pawnee, Ill., nine bass, 24-9, $3,419 Rounding out the top 10 boaters were: 4th: J.J. Patton, Eldridge, Iowa, 10 bass, 24-3, $2,158 5th: Tony Puelz, Garnavillo, Iowa, nine bass, 23-10, $1,527 6th: Mike Brueggen, La Crosse, Wis., 10 bass, 23-5, $1,401 7th: Austin Howard, Granby, Colo., eight bass, 22-10, $1,274 8th: Mike Feldermann, Galena, Ill., 10 bass, 21-14, $1,148 9th: Jeff Ritter, Prairie Du Chien, Wis., eight bass, 20-14, $1,172 10th: Glenn Walker, Savage, Minn, nine bass, 20-11, $1,958 Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com. Leidholdt also won the Berkley Big Bass Boater award and $1,000 for bringing the largest bass to the scale – 5 pounds, 8 ounces.  Matt Chumbler of Carbondale, Illinois, won the co-angler division Saturday after bringing a two-day total of five bass weighing 16 pounds, 3 ounces, to the scale. Chumbler earned the top co-angler award of $13,251 for his victory. The top three co-anglers who qualified for the 2026 Phoenix BFL All-American finished: 1st: Matt Chumbler, Carbondale, Ill., five bass, 16-3, $13,251 2nd: Blake Miller, Cedar Falls, Iowa, six bass, 15-13, $3,393 3rd: Zachary Howell, Tipton, Iowa, six bass, 15-2, $1,759 Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers were: 4th: Timothy Wittren, Ontario, Wis., five bass, 14-0, $1,100 5th: Aaron Konopacki, New Albin, Iowa, four bass, 12-8, $1,270 6th: Ron Mairet, Columbus Junction, Iowa, five bass, 11-13, $704 7th: Doug Miller, Peoria, Ill., five bass, 11-12, $637 8th: Caleb Peck, Atwood, Ill., five bass, 11-9, $571 9th: Matthew Tinsman, Peoria, Ill., five bass, 11-5, $505 10th: Owen Boyer, Cantrall, Ill., five bass, 10-8, $472 Aaron Konopacki of New Albin, Iowa, caught a bass that weighed 5 pounds even to win the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award worth $500. 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, now 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. |