SANDUSKY, Ohio (Aug. 4, 2025) – Boater Pat Upthagrove of Monroe, Michigan, caught a five-bass limit weighing 22 pounds, 4 ounces, Saturday to win the Fishing League (BFL) tournament at Lake Erie. The tournament was the fourth event of the season for the BFL Buckeye Division. Upthagrove earned $3,766 for his victory.
Upthagrove leaned on his strengths – and a 90-minute run – to claim his first career win. With tough conditions across the main lake, Upthagrove made the long run to the Detroit River, a place he’s fished almost exclusively since moving near its mouth 11 years ago.
“Lake Erie has been fishing tough the past couple of weeks, and I knew the river was fishing more consistently,” Upthagrove said. “It’s my strength. I’m comfortable there, and you’re not constantly battling the elements like you are out on the lake.”
After an unproductive start in shallow water, Upthagrove shifted to deeper current breaks in 20 to 22 feet of water. Once he made the adjustment, the bite lit up. He caught roughly 50 fish in about 4½ hours using a swimjig and a Carolina rig matched with natural-colored soft plastics. While he credited both presentations, the biggest bites came on the swimjig.
The win was especially sweet for Upthagrove, who had compiled a string of top-five finishes on the Detroit River without breaking through.
“I’ve had a handful of seconds over the years, so this one felt really good,” he said. “It was nice to finally get the monkey off my back.”
Fishing with a self-described “old-school approach,” Upthagrove said he relies solely on basic electronics – a sonar unit and GPS.
“No offense to guys who use the newer technology, but I just enjoy my time on the water more this way,” he said.
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:
1st: Pat Upthagrove, Monroe, Mich., five bass, 22-4, $3,766
2nd: Chris Martinkovic, Hamilton, Ohio, five bass, 22-0, $1,883
3rd: Mike Trombly, Belleville, Mich., five bass, 20-13, $1,256
4th: Grant Gallagher, Fremont, Ohio, five bass, 19-15, $774
4th: Wilson Burton, Findlay, Ohio, five bass, 19-15, $774
4th: Lawrence Clontz, Trenton, Ohio, four bass, 19-15, $774
7th: Matthew Davis, Morenci, Mich., five bass, 19-1, $628
8th: Tyler Brown, Lakeside Marblehead, Ohio, five bass, 18-4, $565
9th: Josh Smith, Liberty, Ind., five bass, 16-10, $471
9th: Zach Maisch, Lima, Ohio, five bass, 16-10, $471
Fourth-place finisher Lawrence Clontz of Trenton, Ohio, caught a bass that weighed 5 pounds, 6 ounces, and earned the Big Bass Boater award of $500. Gary Michalski of Naperville, Illinois, won the co-angler division and $2,133 Saturday, with a three-bass limit that totaled 13 pounds, 8 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers finished:
1st: Gary Michalski Naperville, Ill., three bass, 13-8, $1,883
2nd: Austin Brock, West Chester, Ohio, three bass, 10-15, $942
3rd: Douglas Shope, Arcanum, Ohio, three bass, 10-3, $627
4th: Greg Barnes, Morning View, Ky., three bass, 9-12, $439
5th: Alex Richardson, Cincinnati, Ohio, three bass, 9-7, $377
6th: Brent Jones, Okeana, Ohio, three bass, 9-6, $345
7th: Ryan Crider, Kettering, Ohio, three bass, 9-5, $314
8th: Chad McQueen, Fairfield, Ohio, three bass, 8-10, $282
9th: Brendon Thornburg, Muncie, Ind., three bass, 8-7, $251
10th: Jeffrey Smith, West Chester, Ohio, three bass, 8-2, $220
Co-angler winner Michalski also earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $250, catching a bass that weighed in at 5 pounds, 10 ounces – the largest co-angler catch of the day.
After four events, Chris Martinkovic of Hamilton, Ohio, leads the Fishing Clash Buckeye Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 975 points, while Jeff Campbell of Fairfield, Ohio, leads the Fishing Clash Buckeye Division Co-Angler of the Year race with 931 points.
The final event for BFL Buckeye Division anglers will be held Sept. 13-14, at Mosquito Lake out of Cortland, Ohio.
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