Pittsgrove’s Merker Wins Strike King Co-Angler Division
UNION SPRINGS, N.Y. (Aug. 10, 2021) – Boater Casey Smith of Macedon, New York wins the Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine at Cayuga Lake in Union Springs, New York. Smith earned $4,428 for his victory at the event.
TOP 10 RESULTS
| RANK | BOATER NAME/HOMETOWN | BASS | WEIGHT | AWARD |
| 1st | Casey Smith of Macedon, N.Y. | 5 | 22-13 | $4,428 |
| 2nd | Kyle Gelles of Pingree, Idaho | 5 | 21-13 | $3,214 |
| 3rd | Bill Spence of San Diego, Calif. | 5 | 20-7 | $1,478 |
| 4th | Alec Morrison of Peru, N.Y. | 5 | 20-2 | $1,033 |
| 5th | Pete Gluszek of Mt. Laurel, N.J. | 5 | 19-15 | $886 |
| 6th | Joe A Zombek, II of Scranton, Pa. | 5 | 19-12 | $1,447 |
| 7th | Elijah Meyers of Fort Wayne, Ind. | 5 | 19-10 | $738 |
| 8th | Michael A. Sentore of Gloucester City, N.J. | 5 | 18-11 | $664 |
| 9th | Donald Tripoli of Webster, N.Y. | 5 | 18-0 | $590 |
| 10th | Mark Bower of Kunkletown, Pa. | 5 | 17-10 | $517 |
| RANK | STRIKE KING CO-ANGLER NAME/HOMETOWN | BASS | WEIGHT | AWARD |
| 1st | Joseph Merker of Pittsgrove, N.J. | 5 | 19-7 | $2,531 |
| 2nd | Mike Wotanowski of Lake Hopatcong, N.J. | 5 | 17-12 | $1,107 |
| 3rd | Corey Thornton of Blodgett Mills, N.Y. | 5 | 16-1 | $738 |
| 4th | Joe Pacholec, Jr. of Moosic, Pa. | 5 | 16-0 | $517 |
| 5th | Jesse Jodon of Windber, Pa. | 5 | 15-12 | $443 |
| 6th | Matt Hummel of Lancaster, Pa. | 5 | 15-8 | $406 |
| 7th | Len Hargrave of York, Pa. | 5 | 15-6 | $369 |
| 8th | Jared Muzyka of Hadley, Mass. | 5 | 15-4 | $332 |
| 9th | Stephen Draghi of Sparrowbush, N.Y. | 5 | 14-5 | $495 |
| 10th | Alexander McKenzie of Feasterville, Pa. | 5 | 12-14 | $258 |
CONTINGENCY AWARDS
| AWARD | NAME | CONTINGENCY | PAYOUT |
| Boater Big Bass | Joe A. Zombek, II of Scranton, Pa. | 6-pound, 8-ounce bass | $635 |
| Strike King Co-Angler Berkley Big Bass | Joseph Merker of Pittsgrove, N.J. | 6-pound, 4-ounce bass | $317 |
| Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus | Kyle Gelles of Pingree, Idaho | Eligible Phoenix Boat* | $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 Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.
WINNING BAITS
| ANGLER | BAIT | COLOR |
| Boater | Dropshot/Senko | Not Specified |
| Strike King Co-Angler | Worm | Not Specified |
2021 QUALIFICATION OPPORTUNITIES
| EVENT | DATE | LOCATION | HOST |
| Northeast Division – Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championship | Oct. 14-16 | Potomac River, Marbury, Md. | Charles County Board of Commissioners |
| 2022 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American | June 2-4 | Lake Hamilton, Hot Springs, Ark. | Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism & Visit Hot Springs |
The 2021 MLF 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 Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championships. 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 Strike King co-anglers will fish for a new Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.
The top six finishers in each regional will then qualify for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.
The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division will also earn priority entry into the Toyota Series, the pathway to the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit and ultimately the MLF Bass Pro Tour.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube .