Oxford’s McCaig claims victory at Phoenix Bass Fishing League event at Neely Henry Lake Presented by Southern Petroleum Services

Robertsdale’s Macks wins Strike King co-angler Division

JUNE 26, 2023 • MLF • PHOENIX BASS FISHING LEAGUE

GADSDEN, Ala. – Boater Mark McCaig of Oxford, Alabama, caught a five-bass limit weighing 17 pounds, 3 ounces, Saturday to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on Neely Henry Lake Presented by Southern Petroleum Services. The tournament, hosted by the City of Gadsden, was the fourth event of the season for the BFL Bama Presented by Mystik Lubricants Division. McCaig earned $12,155, including the lucrative $7,000 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus, for his victory.

“I fish Neely Henry 10 to 12 times a year in different tournaments,” said the 52-year-old McCaig. “I know the lake pretty well and only fished in practice one morning to see what things looked like.

“I started the tournament out in the grass and caught one that I weighed in,” McCaig added. “I realized the fish weren’t off the river anymore, so I started flipping a jig on the riverbanks and caught a 4½-pounder. So, I started running that.”

For the rest of his limit that he weighed, McCaig said he caught two on a square-bill crankbait and one on a jig aimed at a piece of brush. He caught five 3-pounders or better during the tournament. McCaig said his fish came spread out during the event, with his first coming at 8:30 and his last two on his last two stops.

“I saved a place down by the dam where I had caught some before, and I told my co-angler I was going to save some time to fish one little place that was a bit of a run toward the dam,” McCaig said. “I felt like there could be something there. One spot was a dock, and one was a laydown tree. I caught a 3½-pounder out of the tree, idled across to where there was a dock with a brushpile in front of it, threw a big crankbait up there and caught a 4-pounder. I ran back up to the ramp and got there with 10 or 15 minutes to go.”

Even though he had a good idea of the weight he had to weigh in, McCaig said he wasn’t confident in his chance for a win.

“It took 20 pounds in a local tournament last weekend to win here,” McCaig said. “But that’s a buddy trail, and the lake is just getting tougher and tougher this time of year. I knew that everything I had was between 3½ to 4 pounds.”

McCaig has racked up numerous tournament wins over the years, including four BFLs and one Toyota Series victory.

“My wife and I kind of have a thing,” McCaig said. “Years ago, when I started fishing, I couldn’t afford Red Lobster. We hadn’t been married long, but any time I won a tournament we ate at Red Lobster. So that’s kind of become a tradition.”

McCaig said the victory celebration dinner tradition has been going on for 33 years of marriage.

The Top 10 boaters finished the tournament:

• 1st:        Mark McCaig, Oxford, Ala., five bass, 17-3, $12,155 (includes $7,000 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
• 2nd:       Andrew Johnson, Glencoe, Ala., five bass, 16-2, $2,078
• 3rd:       Wes Logan, Springville, Ala., five bass, 15-0, $1,383
• 4th:        Hunter Hayes, Gadsden, Ala., five bass, 13-6, $900
• 4th:        Gabe Aldridge, Demopolis, Ala., five bass, 13-6, $900
• 6th:        Jack White, Vance, Ala., five bass, 12-10, $762
• 7th:        Roger Shilling, Athens, Ala., five bass, 12-6, $693
• 8th:        Jared Kawalec, Waterloo, Ala., five bass, 12-5, $623
• 9th:        Matthew Knight, Gadsden, Ala., five bass, 12-1, $519
• 9th:        Daniel Buswell, Jr., Fayetteville, Ga., five bass, 12-1, $519

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Roger Peebles of Atmore, Alabama, caught a bass that weighed 6 pounds, 4 ounces, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $570.

Chad Macks of Robertsdale, Alabama, won the Strike King co-angler division and a total of $2,041 Saturday, after bringing five bass to the scale that totaled 14 pounds, 2 ounces.

The Top 10 Strike King co-anglers finished:

• 1st:        Chad Macks, Robertsdale, Ala., five bass, 14-2, $2,041
• 2nd:       Michael McLaurin, Chickamauga, Ga., five bass, 12-1, $1,021
• 3rd:       Gunter Williams, Linden, Ala., five bass, 11-5, $683
• 4th:        Todd Mowery, Madison, Ala., five bass, 10-6, $676
• 5th:        Larry Franks, Jr., Wilsonville, Ala., five bass, 9-11, $408
• 6th:        Josh McCrimmon, Nashville, Ga., five bass, 9-10, $574
• 7th:        Chad Bailey, Trinity, Ala., three bass, 9-2, $620
• 8th:        Jonathon Cone, Riverside, Ala., four bass, 8-10, $306
• 9th:        Daniel Birmingham, Reform, Ala., five bass, 8-6, $241
• 9th:        James Lehman, Fort Walton Beach, Fla., five bass, 8-6, $241
• 9th:        Blake Dodson, Montevallo, Ala., five bass, 8-6, $241

Chad Bailey of Trinity, Alabama, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $280, catching a bass that weighed in at 6 pounds, 9 ounces – the largest co-angler catch of the day.

After four events, Michael Smith of Andalusia, Alabama, leads the BFL Bama Presented by Mystik Lubricants Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 938 points, while Chad Macks of Robertsdale, Alabama, leads the Strike King Co-Angler Division AOY race with 955 points.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, will qualify for the Oct. 12-14 BFL Regional tournament on Dale Hollow Lake in Byrdstown, Tennessee. Boaters will fish for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $50,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.

The 2023 Phoenix BFL Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 events throughout the season, five qualifying tournaments in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five qualifying event winners, will advance to one of six BFL Regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American.

Proud sponsors of the 2023 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, E3, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, General Tire, Grundéns, Gill, Lew’s, Lowrance, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Mystik Lubricants, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, Wiley X and YETI.

For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Bass Fishing League updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.