The Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine’s Bama, Bulldog, Gator and North Carolina divisions will wrap up their 2024 season in Clarendon County, South Carolina, Oct. 10-12 with the Phoenix BFL Presented by T-H Marine Regional Event at Santee Cooper Lakes.
Hosted by the Clarendon County Chamber of Commerce, the three-day regional tournament will feature the top 45 boaters and co-anglers plus tournament winners from all four divisions, battling it out for a top prize of $60,000, including a Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard and $10,000, along with lucrative contingency awards, including up to an additional $7,000 Phoenix MLF Bonus. Strike King co-anglers will compete for a top prize of $50,000, including a Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard. Winners will be determined by the heaviest three-day catch.
The top six finishers in each regional will qualify for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Phoenix BFL All-American. The highest finishing boater from each division will also receive a $1,000 bonus and the highest finishing co-angler from each division will receive a $500 bonus.
Bass Pro Tour angler Bryan Thrift of Shelby, North Carolina, said he expects to see some really good fishing during the event, especially if the weather stays stable.
“Santee was fishing a little tough when I was there for the Toyota Series in September, but we were still in that late summer transition pattern,” said Thrift. “The fishery is moving into fall patterns, and I look for it to be really good as we move into October.”
With the southeast portion of the country currently reeling from the effects of Hurricane Helene, Thrift said the changing water conditions will be the biggest wild card during the tournament.
“I’m sure they’ve dropped the water level to prepare for that influx of water coming from upstate North and South Carolina, and that’s going to affect the fishery,” said Thrift. “There are going to be a lot of things at play there and I expect there to be a lot of color in the water. Santee has a lot of grass in it right now and the fish seem to be grouped up. If you can find them, there’s usually more than one around.
“It’s all going to depend on the effects of the hurricane runoff and how much of the upper lake is in play,” Thrift continued. “With that much water coming down through the river system and coming into the upper end of Lake Marion, you could have a good portion of Lake Marion that’s essentially unfishable.”
While the weather may influence water conditions on the fishery, Thrift said fans and anglers can expect to see some fun, fall power-fishing throughout the event.
“With the rain, I expect a ChatterBait to play big time – maybe the Z-Man Big Blade ChatterBait or the new Z-Man Tungsten ChatterBait Elite EVO ,” said Thrift. “I expect we’ll also see guys flipping a jig and throwing topwater baits. I feel like that will be the concentration for most guys, throwing topwater or ChatterBaits around that grass and trying to capitalize on a couple big bites each day. You’re not going to get a lot of bites every day at Santee, but if you can figure out how to get 8 to 10 bites per day, you’re going to do very well and have some big bags.”
Thrift said he expects it will take an average of 20 to 25 pounds per day to take home the win.
“You could see someone with a big 27- to 30-pound bag one day and a couple lower 20-pound days, but it’s definitely going to take at least a 20-pound average to win,” Thrift finished.
Anglers will launch at 7:30 a.m. ET each morning from John C. Land III Landing, located at 4404 Greenall Road, in Summerton, South Carolina. Weigh-ins will also be held at the landing and will begin at 3:30 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend the event or follow the action online through the “MLF Live” weigh-in broadcasts at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The 2024 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine consisted of 24-divisions devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season and 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, advance to one of six Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regionals. The 2025 BFL All-American will be held May 29-31 at Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and is hosted by Visit Hot Springs and the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism.
The top boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division will also earn priority entry into the Toyota Series, the pathway to the Tackle Warehouse Invitationals and ultimately the Bass Pro Tour. For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Proud sponsors of the 2024 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 7Brew, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, E3, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, General Tire, GSM Outdoors, Lew’s, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, PowerStop Brakes, REDCON1, Strike King, Suzuki, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, WIX Filters 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.
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