LA CROSSE, Wis. (April 19, 2026) – Boater Mike Brueggen of La Crosse, Wisconsin, brought a five-bass limit to the scale weighing 21 pounds, 5 ounces, to win the Bass Fishing League (BFL) tournament on the Mississippi River in La Crosse. The tournament, hosted by Explore La Crosse, was the first of five events of the season for the BFL Great Lakes Division. Bruggen earned $3,920 for his victory.
Brueggen said he spent the day keying on shallow fish that repositioned following the strong cold front and heavy winds. Targeting grass flats that had been loaded with bait just days earlier, he relied on a red squarebill crankbait and a modified vibrating jig to trigger reaction bites.
“I had some in the drain with shallow water on it, and with that cold front and a lot of wind, it pushed those fish off the shallow flat,” Brueggen said. “I kind of guessed it right – I’m not saying I knew they were going to, but I guessed it right and they did.”
A key part of his setup was a customized approach to his vibrating jig, designed to keep it higher in the water column over the submerged vegetation. Brueggen said he used a straight-tail trailer to match the presentation and even modified the bait to enhance its performance.
“It would ride higher, and I drilled some weight out so it would ride even higher yet,” he explained.
The adjustment allowed him to effectively cover water and stay above the grass, where fish were actively feeding. The strategy produced steady action throughout the day, with Brueggen boating an estimated 40 to 50 bass.
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:
1st: Mike Brueggen, La Crosse, Wis., five bass, 21-1, $3,920
2nd: Hunter Vanduyse, Green Bay, Wis., five bass, 20-7, $1,860
3rd: Jim Jones, Big Bend, Wis., five bass, 19-7, $1,030
4th: Kyle von Ruden, Stoddard, Wis., five bass, 18-4, $740
5th: Wyatt Becker, West Salem, Wis., five bass, 17-13, $650
6th: Mike Feldermann, Galena, Ill., five bass, 16-11, $560
7th: Mark Myers, Cedar Falls, Iowa, five bass, 16-9, $530
8th: Casey Goode, La Crosse, Wis., five bass, 16-8, $1,000 (includes $1,000 Phoenix Bonus)
8th: Devin Teigen, Nelson, Wis., five bass, 16-8, $500
10th: Ty Kreis, Brady, Neb., five bass, 16-4, $460
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Brueggen also earned the Big Bass Boater award after landing a 5-pound, 11-ouncer, worth $200. Wil Plank of Holmen, Wisconsin, won the co-angler division and the top prize of $1,860 Saturday after bringing three bass to the scale that totaled 13 pounds, 3 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers finished:
1st: Wil Plank, Holmen, Wis., three bass, 13-3, $1,860
2nd: Kevin Clark, Lancaster, Wis., three bass, 12-6, $980
3rd: Dan McAdams, Reedsburg, Wis., three bass, 12-2, $465
4th: Jason Swanson, Wauwatosa, Wis., three bass, 11-12, $370
5th: Philip Olson, Wauwatosa, Wis., three bass, 10-7, $325
6th: David Ondria, Elmhurst, Ill., three bass, 10-1, $280
7th: Austin Frye, Ontario, Wis., three bass, 9-13, $262
7th: Nicholas Howell, Mackinaw, Ill., three bass, 9-13, $262
9th: Jordan Pekar, South Milwaukee, Wis., three bass, 9-8, $250
10th: Brian Brecka, Alma, Wis., three bass, 9-7, $230
Ron Mairet of Columbus, Junction, Iowa, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award after landing a 5-pound, 15-ounce bass worth $100.
After one event, Mike Brueggen of La Crosse, Wisconsin, now leads the 7 Brew Great Lakes Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race, while Wil Plank of Holmen, Iowa, leads the Great Lakes Division Co-Angler of the Year race.
https://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_123/bfl-mississippi-42026.html
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