Canadian Gary Miller 2nd!
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| Since making the St. Lawrence River his summertime home, Brent Anderson has passionately chased a title on the fishery. Photo by Charles Waldorf. |
MLF Fishing
MASSENA, N.Y. – Since making upstate New York his summertime home, Brent Anderson has craved a win on his adopted waters of the St. Lawrence River. He finally pulled it off Saturday by tallying 66 pounds, 11 ounces to come out on top of the Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats Northern Division event and earn his 11th win with FLW/MLF. Weighing just over 22 pounds each day, Anderson won by less than a pound, and he’ll take home a crisp $80,500 (including a $35,000 Phoenix Bonus) for his efforts.
Dropping from the lead into second, Gary Miller totaled 66-1, and Spencer Shuffield finished third with 65-9. Overall, the event was characterized by some big single-day performances, but consistency won out, with most of the Top 10 staying very steady throughout.
This win is a long time coming for Anderson
A 10-time winner at the Phoenix Bass Fishing League level, Anderson has seen a lot of success in tournament fishing but hadn’t sealed the deal in a major event. Now, after a few close calls, he has convincingly outlasted the competition on a river he might be more fond of than the Tennessee.
“This is a big deal for me, it means the world to me,” Anderson said. “I’m really content. I’m not in it for the glory, I don’t like the risk that fishing the next level could put me back in the office. I’ll try to continue to do 100 guide trips a year if the tournaments are going good – I’ll try to squeeze in another 100 if they aren’t. Just spending time on places I really enjoy; once I fall in love with a place, I want to learn it as much as I can.”
