Sam Rayburn Tournament Delivers Big Wins for Local Anglers in BFL Cowboy Division
- Rita Shipp
- Apr 8
- 4 min read
Despite rough weather conditions, the third stop of the Major League Fishing (MLF) Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Cowboy Division, presented by T-H Marine and hosted by the Jasper County Development District, brought out big bass and even bigger energy at Sam Rayburn Reservoir. Originally scheduled to take place on Toledo Bend Reservoir on February 15, the event was postponed due to severe weather, including forecasts of high winds and lightning. The rescheduled tournament was held April 6 and ran alongside the regularly scheduled Sam Rayburn event on April 5.
Nineteen-year-old Zane Parker of Kingwood, Texas, stole the show with a five-bass limit weighing in at an astonishing 30 pounds, 12 ounces, earning him $3,426. Parker leaned heavily on forward-facing sonar and reaction baits to target spawning bass in shallow water. By 10 a.m., he had assembled a 20-pound limit and continued to cull until topping 30 pounds.
"After I had 30-something, I just kind of stopped fishing," Parker said. "My smallest was basically a 5-pounder. I was like, man, if I’ve got to throw back a 5-pounder that’s just sick. If someone beats me, hats off to them."
Coming close in second place was Livingston's own Kaden Mueck, who weighed in five bass totaling 28 pounds, 2 ounces, earning him $2,143. Mueck also landed the tournament’s biggest bass – an 8-pound, 13-ounce catch that earned him the Berkley Big Bass Boater award.
Local pride was strong throughout the leaderboard, with many top finishers hailing from within an hour of the region. Wyatt Frankens of Corrigan secured third place with 22-3, followed by Cody Ross of Livingston (4th, 19-15), Phil Hennigan of Center (5th, 19-8), and Clayton Boulware of Zavalla (6th, 19-6), who fished close to his hometown along the Sam Rayburn shoreline. Rounding out the top 10 were John Maddox of Lufkin (8th, 15-10) and Melvin Dunn of Orange (9th, 15-4), bringing a strong East Texas presence to the forefront.
The full Top 10 Boaters:
Zane Parker, Kingwood, TX – 30-12 – $3,426
Kaden Mueck, Livingston, TX – 28-2 – $2,143
Wyatt Frankens, Corrigan, TX – 22-3 – $1,141
Cody Ross, Livingston, TX – 19-15 – $899
Phil Hennigan, Center, TX – 19-8 – $685
Clayton Boulware, Zavalla, TX – 19-6 – $628
Cole Moore, Anacoco, LA – 18-14 – $1,071 (includes $500 MLF Contingency Bonus)
John Maddox, Lufkin, TX – 15-10 – $514
Melvin Dunn, Orange, TX – 15-4 – $457
Joel Baker, Talala, OK – 15-0 – $400
In the Co-Angler division, Takaaki Kojima of Temecula, California, claimed the win with three bass totaling 11 pounds, 4 ounces, taking home $1,713. Brad Poole of Roanoke followed closely with 11-0 and also earned the Berkley Big Bass Co-Angler award with a 7-pound, 15-ounce fish.
Top 10 Co-Anglers:
Takaaki Kojima, Temecula, CA – 11-4 – $1,713
Brad Poole, Roanoke, TX – 11-0 – $1,071
Neill Beckham, Jacksonville, TX – 10-9 – $571
Darrell Denton, Georgetown, TX – 10-8 – $450
Ben Faucheaux, Natchitoches, LA – 9-13 – $343
Jay Childs, Houston, TX – 9-0 – $299
Velin (Lin) Sims, Spring, TX – 9-0 – $299
Brandon Begnaud, Dickinson, TX – 8-10 – $257
James Grizzle, Many, LA – 8-8 – $228
Leavitt Hamilton, Gonzales, LA – 8-3 – $200
Brad Poole of Roanoke, Texas, earned the Berkley Big Bass Co-Angler award of $215, catching a bass that weighed in at 7 pounds, 15 ounces – the largest co-angler catch of the day.
After three events, Cole Moore of Anacoco, Louisiana, now leads the Fishing Clash Cowboy Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 741 points, while Logan Slaughter of Lewisville, Texas, leads the Co-Angler of the Year race with 719 points.
The BFL Cowboy Division continues its season with anglers working toward a spot at the BFL Regional Championship this October on Lake Eufaula in Oklahoma. Boaters will fish for a top award of a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard worth $50,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top prize of $20,000.
The 2025 Phoenix BFL Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit for weekend anglers, featuring 134 events throughout the season. The top 60 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five qualifying tournament winners, will advance to one of 12 BFL Regional tournaments. The top three finishers at each regional qualify for one of the longest-running championships in competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. The 2025 BFL All-American will take place May 29-31, 2025, at Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas, hosted by Visit Hot Springs and the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism.
Proud sponsors of the 2025 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 7Brew, Abu Garcia, Athletic Brewing, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, Deep Dive App, E3 Sports Apparel, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, Grizzly, Humminbird, Lew’s, Li Time Batteries, Mercury, Minn Kota, Mossy Oak, Mystik Lubricants, Onyx, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Phoenix Boats, Polaris, Power-Pole, Precision Sonar, Strike King, Suzuki Marine, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, WIX Filters and YETI.
For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.
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