Vance Montgomery

GROVE, Okla. – Boater Vance Montgomery of Claremore, Oklahoma, caught a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 35 pounds, 2 ounces, to win the Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine Super Tournament at Grand Lake Presented by Suzuki Marine. Hosted by the City of Grove and the Grove Convention and Tourism Bureau, the tournament concluded on Sunday. It was the fifth and final event of the season for the BFL Okie Division. Montgomery earned $6,586 for his victory.

According to Montgomery, fishing is typically pretty tough on Grand in September. The fish are in transition, which makes them difficult to pattern. 

“I fished another team event last weekend there and had 20 pounds the first day and 8 pounds the next day,” he said. “So it’s one of those deals where the fish are really moving a lot right now. But the main key that I found was finding the big gizzard shad. That was really the main key to this, as a pattern. I found about five different coves or pockets that had the big gizzard, and I’m talking 8-, 9-, 10-inch shad. That’s where those big fish were.”