PALATKA – Boater Parker Stalvey of Green Cove Springs caught a total of 10 bass weighing 46 pounds, seven ounces, over two days to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) presented by T-H Marine on the St. Johns River.

The tournament, hosted by Putnam County Tourist Development Council, was the fifth and final event of the season for the BFL Gator Division. Stalvey, a Clay High graduate, earned $5,237 for his victory.

As usual, tides proved to be the major factor on the St. Johns River, and Stalvey was tuned in to them and adjusted as necessary to capitalize on the changing conditions the water presented to earn his first BFL trophy.

“Saturday, I started north and caught them decent, probably 12 to 13 pounds by 10 o’clock,” said Stalvey, who earned his first career victory in a BFL competition after two prior third-place finishes, as well as a runner-up effort. “The tide was headed out pretty strong by that time, so I went south and started following the tide.

“I got around the Seven Sisters area and pulled up on a school of fish,” Stalvey added. “It was game on at that point.”

Stalvey said he caught fish early on a Heddon Zara Spook and a popping bait fished near the bank, then as the day progressed, he moved into 8 to 10 feet of water and fished a crankbait on current swings near docks or anything else fish were setting up on.

Stalvey said Sunday he tried to duplicate his first day’s success with the same pattern, but the tide was coming from the opposite direction, and he couldn’t get fish to bite. He moved south to the Crescent Lake area where the tide was coming in.

“As soon as I shut down, they were biting pretty good,” Stalvey said. “I had my weight by 11:30 or 12 o’clock.

“I told my co-angler, ‘If I can get them to bite on this brush pile, I feel like we’ll be sitting pretty,’” Stalvey added. “Then I caught a 5-pounder and one 4-pounder. I felt pretty good about it then.”

The top 10 boaters who finished the tournament were:

1st: Parker Stalvey, Green Cove Springs, Fla., 10 bass, 46-7, $5,237
2nd: Cody Morgan, Green Cove Springs, Fla., 10 bass, 43-11, $2,569
3rd: Austin Black, East Palatka, Fla., 10 bass, 42-8, $1,712
4th: John Mobley, Macclenny, Fla., 10 bass, 32-10, $1,199
5th: Wendell Burke, Cross City, Fla., 10 bass, 32-8, $1,027
6th: Steven Eastman, Eustis, Fla., 10 bass, 27-9, $942
7th: Chris Keith, Alachua, Fla., 10 bass, 27-7, $856
8th: Kenton Linthout, Cape Coral, Fla., nine bass, 27-6, $771
9th: Kyle Fox, Lakeland, Fla., seven bass, 26-11, $1,330
10th: Ryan Lewis, Deland, Fla., 10 bass, 26-3, $599