Trombly gets $3,963 for winning fish tournament on Saturday

TRENTON — Boater Mike Trombly of Belleville caught a five-bass limit weighing 22 pounds, 3 ounces on Saturday to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on the Detroit River.
The tournament was the third event of the season or the BFL Michigan Division. Trombly earned $3,963 for his victory.
“We had heavy winds throughout the day, and I made a long run in heavy waves to get where I needed to fish,” said Trombly, who notched his 10th career win, including eight BFL victories and two Toyota Series titles.
“I caught a big fish right off the bat on a drop-shot. I fished around in that area in big waves and was able finish off my limit with some 2-pounders.”
Trombly said he slowly began making his way toward the weigh-in site, stopping to hit points along the way. Around noon, he stopped at a spot that held a good number of bigger fish in 30 to 32 feet of water and finished off his final weigh bag.
“The last stop I made that had the big fish on it I told my co-angler, ‘I think I’m starting to become relevant in this tournament,’” Trombly said with a laugh. “I could tell just because of quality I was catching. I knew there was a chance.”
Trombly said he used a (Berkley PowerBait MaxScent) Flat Worm with the drop-shot rig to catch his smallmouth, rigged on a 1/0 hook with a ½-ounce weight. The setup produced 12 bass for Trombly – all except one were keepers. He said he focused on the north shore, some areas of the river, and open water on Lake Erie.
“It’s awesome to win,” Trombly said. “It never gets old. It’s a blessing to be able to win in this division. We’ve got some tremendous smallmouth fishermen in this division.”
Billy Crider, Jr., of Kettering, Ohio, won the Strike King co-angler division and a total of $1,981 Saturday after bringing five bass to the scale that totaled 19 pounds, 1 ounce.
After three events, Trombly leads the BFL Michigan Division Boater Angler of the Year race with 744 points, while Hunter Ingle of Fort Wayne, Ind., leads the Strike King Co-Angler Division AOY race with 711 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, Tenn.
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.