Special to IFN
Boater Kaden Buchmann of Troutman caught a five-bass limit weighing 19 pounds, 6 ounces, on Saturday to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on Lake Norman.
The tournament, hosted by Visit Lake Norman, Visit Charlotte, and Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation, was the first event of the season for the BFL North Carolina Division.
Buchmann earned $4,684 for his victory.
After spending all winter fishing Lake Norman, he was well prepared for Saturday’s BFL event.
“It’s my home lake, so I know a lot of the high-percentage places for big fish,” he said. “I pretty much ran as many high-percentage places as I could in the wind, because it was blowing – at least in the later part of the day. I never tried to fish for a limit to just barely cull. I was always fishing for the win.”
According to Buchmann, there was not a particular lure, pattern or area that worked best. He junk-fished all day, running from spot to spot over a 10-mile stretch of the lake. He caught them on a variety of lures, including a Muffin Top Jig and a Z-Man Evergreen ChatterBait Jack Hammer.
Buchmann caught a bass that weighed 5 pounds, 8 ounces, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $565.
The top 10 boaters in the tournament were:
♦ 1st: Kaden Buchmann, Troutman, N.C., five bass, 19-6, $4,684
♦ 2nd: Colby Cotterill, Alpharetta, Ga., five bass, 18-10, $2,059
♦ 3rd: Brian Morgan, Maiden, N.C., five bass, 17-1, $1,374
♦ 4th: Chris Goodwin, Charlotte, N.C., five bass, 16-14, $1,461 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
♦ 5th: Jake Monti, Mooresville, N.C., five bass, 15-12, $824
♦ 6th: Michael Wilson, Burnsville, N.C., five bass, 15-3, $755
♦ 7th: Isaac Ledford, Dallas, N.C., five bass, 15-0, $686
♦ 8th: Chad Sims, Lancaster, S.C., five bass, 14-14, $618
♦ 9th: Chris Baumgardner, Gastonia, N.C., five bass, 14-9, $514
♦ 9th: Mitch Drew, Gold Hill, N.C., five bass, 14-9, $514
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
In addition to earning the win, Buchmann grabbed the early lead in the Fishing Clash North Carolina Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 250 points.
The next event for BFL North Carolina Division anglers will be held March 22 at Lake Wylie in York, S.C. To register for the event as a boater or a co-angler, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com or call (270)-252-1000.
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, S.C.. Boaters will fish for a top award of a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard worth $50,000.