AnglersChannel

Travel Tuesday - "SAFE" Kayaking in Florida

By Vance McCullough, AC Insider

In recent days we’ve seen a Florida Man rescue a drowning bald eagle from a wild, gator-infested lake, an unfortunate 89-year-old man and his dog get killed by black bears in Collier County and, regrettably, a lady fall out of her kayak and suffer a fatal attack by a big gator near the state park on Lake Kissimmee.

Wildlife encounters will continue to rise as Eden continues to get loved to death by visitors and paradise is further paved to make way for more permanent future residents.

A bear was even seen strolling through downtown St Augustine’s Historic District, heavily peopled by tourists, this past week.

But historically speaking, kayaking inland and nearshore waters is a fairly safe activity. Staying inside the kayak helps. Not sure how the lady lost her seat, but I have accidentally parked my kayak right on top of a 9-foot gator before. I’m not sure who was more frightened, but it nearly induced an accident of a different sort. As soon as the water settled and we both escaped unharmed, I had to giggle uncontrollably. It was fun. My kayak got bucked into the air, me atop. It took me back to younger days, getting thrown from a horse, crashing my bike, trying to block a football opponent who stood 6’ 9” and weighed 295 pounds.

In that moment when time stands still – and everything else is a warp speed blur – you know real fear. And then the nervous system kicks in with endorphins and there’s an afterglow. ‘I made it through! I’m ok. That was amusing.’

There are parks, probably too many now, that pepper the I-4 corridor and exist for the simple purpose of amusement. Sure, it’s a blast to get dropped 13 stories or accelerate from 0-to-60 at a rate which humans aren’t supposed to.

But if you want a real experience, you must get out to the wilds of Florida. And you should do so while there are still mysteries to explore in a virile state that is being castrated by developers, some of whom actually ‘serve’ in leadership capacities on the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission.

Indeed, development has displaced many animals and forced many of their conflicts with humans. You simply can’t turn that many people loose on this peninsula and not expect them to cross paths with wild things. My son had a close encounter with a mother bear and cub last month while camping near Rodman Reservoir.

What this means for you who visit Florida and fish from whatever craft you choose is that some of the increase in conflicts is just a numbers game. If more people play the lottery, more people will win the lottery. The odds that it will happen to any given individual remain the same. Practically zero.

And as more people enjoy Florida’s bountiful outdoors, more will suffer attacks from bears, panthers, gators, saltwater crocodiles, pythons (there are more here now than there are in their native home range), four species of poisonous snakes, sharks, jellyfish, stingrays, 14-year-olds on jet skis and presidents of homeowners’ associations.

But the odds that you will suffer an attack from any of these are low to begin with and can be greatly reduced by taking reasonable precautions. By no means am I placing blame on the fine people who recently died in animal attacks. My heart hurts for them and their families and friends. What I am doing is encouraging you to wear your life jacket and whistle, have appropriate safety lights (so the jet skier sees you) file a float plan or at least let someone know what ramp you’re launching from, and be extra attentive during low light hours around daybreak and dusk - great times to be on the water; not in it.

Always keep a hold of little people and pets which are both on the menu for large carnivores.

Be smart. Be safe. And come on down and fish with us!

by AnglersChannel

NPFL to Hold Fundraising Tournament for Chad Poteat

WILKESVILLE, Ohio—Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a rare and devastating neurodegenerative disorder that results in the progressive loss of muscle control. It’s better known as “Lou Gehrig’s disease” after being contracted by baseball’s legendary hall of famer in the 1930s. More recently, it took the life of astrophysicist Stephen Hawking. Recently National Professional Fishing Legue angler Chad Poteat of Mount Airy, North Carolina has been diagnosed with ALS, and it is already impacting his quality of life.

“Our hearts go out to Chad and his family,” said NPFL President Brad Fuller. “He’s been a member of the NPFL family since joining the league in 2024, and we want to support him in any way we can. That starts with a fundraising event. All proceeds will go to Chad and his family as they battle ALS.”

The Chad Poteat ALS Fundraiser tournament involves NPFL professional anglers who will be taking donor co-anglers out on Cherokee Lake on Wednesday, May 21. The tournament will launch at the Cherokee Dam boat ramp on Renfro Road in Jefferson City, Tennessee.

Two paired donor co-anglers will be randomly assigned to a professional’s boat, and the boat will compete as a team. There is a three bass limit.

A donation of $200 per pair of co-anglers is required to participate and they will be paired together with an NPFL professional. Dozens of NPFL pros are donating their time, expertise and energies to the event, but space is limited. The top three teams as determined by cumulative weight will earn prize packages.

Basic NPFL tournament rules apply. Co-angler participants must supply their own gear and personal flotation devices. They should be on-site to meet their assigned professional angler no later than 7:00 a.m. ET at the Cherokee Dam boat ramp. Official launch begins at 8:00 a.m. ET and the tournament ends at 12:00 noon ET.

To participate, complete the online registration form. The entry fee is $200 per paired co-anglers and all proceeds go to Chad Poteat and his family. Deadline for entries is Monday, May 19 at 8:00 a.m. ET.

About the National Professional Fishing League
The National Professional Fishing League was founded to bring competitive fishing to a broader audience and offer anglers a platform to compete at the highest level. The NPFL is committed to fostering integrity, competition, and innovation in the sport, providing anglers and fans alike with an exciting and unique experience.

For more information, contact Ken Duke at (407) 574-1898 or ken@tnpfl.com.

by AnglersChannel

Gore Gets Toyota Bonus Bucks for 7th place at Lake Fork

Courtesy Dynamic Sponsorships

Seven just might be Wesley Gore’s lucky number on Lake Fork, as he has finished in the number seven spot both in 2024 and now the 2025 Bassmaster Elite Series event on the iconic fishery in northeast Texas. Gore’s seventh place effort this past weekend was enough to earn him a $3,000 payday from Toyota Bonus Bucks, making an already good week even better.

Gore employed a three-prong approach that focused on an early morning shad spawn, a mid-day pattern targeting offshore schools, and then ended competition days using FFS to locate bedding bass in deep water that couldn’t be seen with the naked eye.

Whether he was boat flipping 8-pound beasts in shallow water or picking off Lake Fork bigguns off the bank, Gore proved having multiple productive patterns to be profitable this week.

“Late April into the first few weeks of May has always been one of my favorite times to fish,” Gore explained. “A lot of guys struggle this time of year because the fish are scattered everywhere, shallow to deep, and most anglers want to key in on one primary thing. Personally, I go into every practice trying to find at least three bite windows to capitalize on. I like to mix it up and have options. That worked to a tee at both Hartwell and Fork.”

Gore’s shallow pattern got stronger each day of the event. The Clanton, Alabama native keyed in on short pockets on the north end of Lake Fork, not major creek arms but small main lake coves, when keying in on the early morning shad spawn bite.

After filling an early limit on a swimjig, Gore would utilize electronics, whether it was FFS or side-scan, to make key culls each afternoon.

“After the morning flurry would subside, usually around 8:30AM, I would go check a few offshore groups of fish I had found,” Gore said. “Those offshore fish were definitely setting up better later in the day, but I could still pick a few off on LiveScope even if they weren’t schooled up. And they’d be good ones. Then the final hour or two I’d spend ‘scoping deeper bed fish. I caught at least one key fish each day that way.”

This approach helped Gore catch more than 107-pounds over the course of four days and notch his second top ten finish in a row. The sophomore Elite Series pro is riding high on momentum and a reliable tow vehicle heading into the MAXAM Tire Elite on the Sabine River.

“Man, I can’t say enough about the reliability of my Tundra,” Gore offered. “I’ve put this thing through the ringer the past few years and it always answers the call. It tows my boat better than any truck I previously owned and most importantly it gets to me the lake, and home, every single time. I’m actually looking for a new Tundra right now, to buy for next year.”

Gore currently drives a 2021 Toyota Tundra but knows this is the final year of his trucks’ eligibility for the popular Bonus Bucks program, which rewards the highest finishing angler driving an eligible tow vehicle in a supported tournament, whether it’s a Bassmaster Elite or one of the over 620 other tournaments Bonus Bucks pays out to.

The Mountain Dew sponsored pro doesn’t want to miss out on free money, therefore he plans to purchase a newer style Tundra this fall before the 2026 season so he can continue to reap the rewards of this contingency program.

If you want to cash in like Wesley Gore, follow this link for more information, a full list of supported events, or to sign up for Toyota Bonus Bucks today: https://www.toyotatrucksbonusbucks.com/overview.

by AnglersChannel

Bartlesville’s Hughes Wins on Custom Glide Bait at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Broken Bow

Delaware’s Hewitt Tops Co-Angler Division

BROKEN BOW, Okla. (May 12, 2025) – Boater Roger Hughes of Bartlesville, Oklahoma, caught a five-bass limit weighing 17 pounds, 7 ounces, Saturday to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on Broken Bow Lake. The tournament was the third event of the season for the BFL Okie Division. Hughes earned $4,619 for his victory.

“With the water rising and coming up, I just practiced with my wife, and we just kind of broke it down and figured it out,” Hughes said. “They definitely were on the steeper embankments, and I had to get up there where there wasn’t any water behind the structure.”

Hughes caught his fish using two tactics. He flipped shallow cover and he threw a glide bait. The glide is a custom bait he paints and sells under the brand name Lucky H Lures. His company can be found on social media and an auction app called Whatnot. Hughes’ glide baits have a knocker in them for a little extra attraction.

“I sell the bigger glides for $25 and the little ones for $20, so you don’t go broke with them – and they work,” he said. “I put my own twist on the paint jobs.”

As for the fishing, Hughes stayed on the steep banks and worked the glide bait down the outside of flooded bushes. He used a gizzard shad pattern in clear areas and a bone color where visibility was reduced. His flipping approach was to pick apart shallow brush and rock.

“It was big chunky bluff rock and green buckbrush that had water over the top of it,” he said. “There were a million cypress trees and not a fish wanted in the cypress. There was nothing in willows. They were all bush-related, either out in front of the bushes or on the real chunky bluff rock.”

To make his win even sweeter, Hughes got to see his cousin, Thad Hewitt, get the W on the co-angler side.

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:

1st:        Roger Hughes, Bartlesville, Okla., five bass, 17-7, $4,619
2nd:       Nick Kincaid, Brookeland, Texas, five bass, 16-2, $2,559 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
3rd:       Ian Leybas, McAlester, Okla., five bass, 15-13, $2,064
4th:        Paul Davis, Newalla, Okla., five bass, 15-8, $961
5th:        Titan Hobson, Idabel, Okla., five bass, 14-4, $824
6th:        Jeremy Johnson, Sapulpa, Okla., five bass, 13-13, $755
7th:        Brendon McDonald, Claremore, Okla., five bass, 13-5, $686
8th:        Kiel Dean, Broken Bow, Okla., five bass, 12-15, $618
9th:        Ben Blaschke, Roland, Okla., five bass, 12-13, $549
10th:     Justin Barbour, Tulsa, Okla., five bass, 12-10, $480

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Ian Leybas of McAlester, Oklahoma, caught a bass that weighed 6 pounds, 11 ounces, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $565.

Thad Hewitt of Delaware, Oklahoma, won the co-angler division and $2,741 Saturday, after bringing three bass to the scale that totaled 14 pounds, 1 ounce.

The top 10 co-anglers finished:

1st:        Thad Hewitt, Delaware, Okla., three bass, 14-1, $2,741
2nd:      Markus Mills, Norman, Okla., three bass, 9-14, $1,030
3rd:       Doug Camp, Talihina, Okla., three bass, 8-15, $687
4th:        Alan Bernicky, Dardanelle, Ark., three bass, 8-14, $480
5th:        James West, Spiro, Okla., three bass, 8-3, $412
6th:        Steve Cummins, Bartlesville, Okla., three bass, 8-1, $378
7th:        David See, Tulsa, Okla., three bass, 7-12, $343
8th:        Mark Taylor, Oklahoma City, Okla., three bass, 7-2, $274
8th:        Blake Gunderson, Claremore, Okla., three bass, 7-2, $274
8th:        Andrew Kuppinger, Owasso, Okla., three bass, 7-2, $274

Hewitt also earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $282, catching a bass that weighed in at 6 pounds, 13 ounces – the largest co-angler catch of the day.

After three events, Nick Kincaid of Brookeland, Texas, now leads the Fishing Clash Okie Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 736 points, while James West of Spiro, Oklahoma, leads the Fishing Clash Okie Division Co-Angler of the Year race with 708 points.

The next event for BFL Okie Division anglers will be held June 21, at the Arkansas River out of Muskogee, Oklahoma. To register for the event as a boater or a co-angler, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com or call (270)-252-1000.

The top 60 boaters and co-anglers in the division based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, will qualify for the Oct. 10-11 BFL Regional tournament on Grand Lake in Grove, Oklahoma. Boaters will fish for a top award of a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard worth $50,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $20,000.

The 2025 Phoenix BFL Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 134 events throughout the season, five qualifying tournaments in each division. The top 60 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five qualifying tournament winners, will advance to one of 12 BFL Regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top three, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. The 2025 BFL All-American will take place May 29-31, 2025, at Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and is hosted by hosted by Visit Hot Springs and the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism.

Proud sponsors of the 2025 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 7Brew, Abu Garcia, Athletic Brewing, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, Deep Dive App, E3 Sport Apparel, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, Grizzly, Humminbird, Lew’s, Li Time Batteries, Mercury, Minn Kota, Mossy Oak, Mystik Lubricants, Onyx, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Phoenix Boats, Polaris, Power-Pole, Precision Sonar, Strike King, Suzuki Marine, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, WIX Filters and YETI.

For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Bass Fishing League updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery Channel, Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 20 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.

by AnglersChannel

Orange’s Harris Catches Giant 40-8 Limit to Win Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Toledo Bend Presented by Strike King

Harris’ limit No. 4 heaviest all-time in BFL history, McKinney’s Smith Tops Co-Angler Division

ZWOLLE, La. (May 12, 2025) – Boater Riley Harris of Orange, Texas, caught a five-bass limit weighing 40 pounds, 8 ounces, Saturday – the 4th largest limit ever weighed in MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) history – to win the BFL Presented by T-H Marine on Toledo Bend Reservoir Presented by Strike King . The tournament was the fourth event of the season for the BFL Cowboy Division. Harris earned $3,317 for his victory.

Toledo Bend is a legendary bass fishery. On Saturday, Harris put together a legendary type of day, catching more than 40 pounds. Wildly, this is the second 40-plus tournament limit he’s been part of this year. Back in February, Harris and his tournament partner, Luke Potter, caught a whopping 41-pound, 9-ounce limit in a Texas Team Trail event.

Harris was thrilled that everything finally came together on Saturday. He’s known about these fish for a while, but lost fish and some equipment issues had kept him from capitalizing on them until the BFL event, when things went flawlessly.

“A lot of them are schooled up right now, especially around brush piles, and you could usually go to each brush pile that was offshore and it would have four to five really big ones on it,” he said. “I thought that if everything went properly – like 100% – I knew I could get anywhere from 35 to 40 pounds. I had 32 yesterday when I practiced, and I only threw a handful of times. When I caught 41 in the Texas Team Trail in February, I was like, man, I’ll never be able to get close to that again. It was crazy.”

His biggest bass for the day weighed 11 pounds, 1 ounce, earning Harris an extra $340 prize pot as the Berkley Big Bass. His smallest fish? A “tiny” little 6-pounder.

Getting so dialed started with electronics. Harris idled around with side-scanning sonar to look for brush piles. If he saw a few fish – or even one fish – to the side of a pile, he turned around and used 360 sonar and forward-facing sonar to take a closer look. The fish were at the bottom of the piles, so the extra time studying each piece helped determine the potential.

Even with all that technology, it really was Harris’ preparation and execution that made this happen. In fact, he was overprepared – the result of a ton of experience on Toledo Bend.

“I’ve been at Toledo for a while, and we’ve pretty much lived on it for small periods of time it feels like,” he said. “It’s just a bunch of knowledge and everything – it just starts coming together.

“I didn’t even get to fish like three groups I had today,” Harris added. “I had 40 at like 1 o’clock and figured if somebody beat me they deserved it, so I headed in.”

Harris caught his fish on power-fishing baits: a Carolina-rigged 6th Sense Bodega (not available in stores yet), a 6th Sense Crush 500DD crankbait and a Texas-rigged 6th Sense Boosa 9.6 Ribbon Tail Worm.

“Don’t get me wrong, I’ll always have a minnow tied up on my deck,” Harris said, referring to the popular lure used with forward-facing sonar. “I caught an 8-pounder yesterday throwing a minnow at this school, but it was a fun day today. I got to lean on them hard.”

Harris started his day on a spot where he and his wife fished the weekend before. She lost one there that he figures weighed 10-plus. And he caught a 7 1/2.

“I was like, ‘OK, I’m gonna start there come next weekend – no doubt,’” he said. “So I ran there and caught 27 (pounds). I actually caught one (an 8-pounder) that I broke off on that day with my wife, too. My hook was in the back of its throat. It ate the same Ribbon Tail Worm and everything. It was incredible.”

With 27 pounds in the livewell, Harris started running his other piles, picking up a fish or two almost every stop. The best piles had a lot of life around them – bass and bait. At around 12:50, he hooked the giant 11-pounder on the Bodega. And that was that. Harris started working back toward the ramp, knowing he’d done it again – cracking 40 pounds in a one-day tournament.

“Me and my good buddy were able to do it in the Texas Team Trail earlier this year, and that was crazy,” he said. “That happened and we were done by 9 o’clock. This one, it was good fishing, but you had to work for it a lot more. You just had to cover ground and keep moving. You couldn’t stay in the same spot. It was a great feeling. It was awesome.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:

1st:        Riley Harris, Orange, Texas, five bass, 40-8, $3,317
2nd:      Cole Moore, Anacoco, La., five bass, 29-3, $1,989 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
3rd:       Tater Reynolds, Florien, La., five bass, 22-9, $992
4th:        Eric Leger, Mamou, La., five bass, 21-3, $695
5th:        Jaden Parrish, Liberty, Texas, five bass, 19-2, $595
6th:        Brad Smith, Longview, Texas, five bass, 16-14, $1,046
7th:        Tommy Dickerson, Orange, Texas, five bass, 16-7, $496
8th:        Melvin Dunn, Orange, Texas, five bass, 15-7, $447
9th:        Dustin Boyt, Converse, La., five bass, 15-3, $397
10th:     Red Ballard, Sulphur, La., five bass, 15-0, $347

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Jacob Smith of McKinney, Texas, won the co-angler division and $1,489 Saturday, after bringing three bass to the scale that totaled 8 pounds, 10 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers finished:

1st:        Jacob Smith, McKinney, Texas, three bass, 8-10, $1,489
2nd:      Takaaki Kojima, Temecula, Calif., three bass, 7-15, $744
3rd:       Tony Thompson, Marshall, Texas, three bass, 7-14, $497
4th:        Steve Barnett, Conroe, Texas, three bass, 7-4, $347
5th:        Velin (Lin) Sims, Spring, Texas, three bass, 7-2, $298
6th:        Logan Slaughter, Lewisville, Texas, three bass, 6-11, $273
7th:        Carter Lanclos, Sulphur, La., two bass, 6-8, $468
8th:        Brandon Begnaud, Dickinson, Texas, three bass, 6-5, $223
9th:        Mark Charpentier, Carthage, Texas, two bass, 6-3, $186
9th:        Quintus Lee, Whitehouse, Texas, three bass, 6-3, $186

Carter Lanclos of Sulphur, Louisiana, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $170, catching a bass that weighed in at 4 pounds, 8 ounces – the largest co-angler catch of the day.

After four events, Cole Moore of Anacoco, Louisiana, now leads the Fishing Clash Cowboy Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 990 points, while Logan Slaughter of Lewisville, Texas, leads the Fishing Clash Cowboy Division Co-Angler of the Year race with 964 points.

The next event for BFL Cowboy Division anglers will be held Sept. 27-28, at Sam Rayburn Reservoir in Brookeland, Texas. To register for the event as a boater or a co-angler, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com or call (270)-252-1000.

The top 60 boaters and co-anglers in the division based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, will qualify for the Oct. 24-25 BFL Regional tournament on Lake Eufaula in Eufaula, Alabama. Boaters will fish for a top award of a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard worth $50,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $20,000.

by AnglersChannel

Murray State Student Levi Kohl Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Kentucky-Barkley Lakes

Tennessee’s Nolen Tops Co-Angler Division

GILBERTSVILLE, Ky. (May 12, 2025) – Boater Levi Kohl of Edinburg, Illinois, caught a five-bass limit weighing 22 pounds, 13 ounces, Saturday to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on Kentucky-Barkley Lakes out of Gilbertsville, Kentucky . The tournament, hosted by the Kentucky Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau, was the second event of the season for the BFL LBL Division. Kohl earned $3,804 for his victory.

While Kohl weighed in a limit that included four smallmouth bass, his winning strategy felt like old-school Kentucky Lake largemouth ledge fishing.

“We ran down around the middle of the lake around the Kenlake area,” he said. “I had a school down there on a ledge, and we caught ’em on a crankbait, a Carolina rig and a few on a jighead minnow.”

The crankbait was a Strike King 6XD. Kohl, who’s originally from Illinois, is now a junior business major at Murray State University and a member of the Racer bass club. He plans to move full time to the Murray, Kentucky, area after graduating to pursue a career in the fishing industry.

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:

1st:        Levi Kohl, Edinburg, Ill., five bass, 22-13, $3,804
2nd:       Grant Meisenhelter, Decatur, Ill., five bass, 21-14, $1,902
3rd:       Clint Knight, Russellville, Ky., five bass, 21-0, $1,267
4th:        Harlan Thomas, Paducah, Ky., five bass, 19-11, $888
5th:        Isaac Peavyhouse, Jamestown, Tenn., five bass, 19-8, $761
6th:        Jeff DeFew, Benton, Ky., five bass, 18-4, $697
7th:        Toby Corn, Paducah, Ky., five bass, 17-5, $634
8th:        Josh Dowdy, Mayfield, Ky., five bass, 17-0, $571
9th:        Sam Boss, Paducah, Ky., five bass, 16-13, $507
10th:     Justin Berger, Murray, Ky., five bass, 16-12, $444

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Lonnie Bowlin of Benton, Illinois, caught a bass that weighed 6 pounds, 3 ounces, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $505.

Daniel Nolen of Lexington, Tennessee, won the co-angler division and $2,154 Saturday, after bringing three bass to the scale that totaled 12 pounds, 1 ounce.

The top 10 co-anglers finished:

1st:        Daniel Nolen, Lexington, Tenn., three bass, 12-1, $2,154
2nd:      Marcus Mann, Benton, Ky., three bass, 10-5, $1,051
3rd:       Josh Mileur, Murphysboro, Ill., three bass, 9-11, $634
4th:        Adam Lucas, Cape Girardeau, Mo., three bass, 9-3, $444
5th:        Damon Brown, Mayfield, Ky., three bass, 9-0, $380
6th:        Sam Mann, Gillbersville, Ky., three bass, 8-10, $349
7th:        Zach Falder, Sedalia, Ky., three bass, 8-3, $317
8th:        Jack Ryan, Salem, Ill., three bass, 8-1, $285
9th:        Scott Gill, Greenwood, Ind., three bass, 7-6, $254
10th:     Peyton Nolen, Lexington, Tenn., two bass, 7-3, $222

Nolen also earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $252, catching a bass that weighed in at 5 pounds, 7 ounces – the largest co-angler catch of the day.

After two events, Levi Kohl of Edinburg, Illinois, now leads the Fishing Clash LBL Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 498 points, while Daniel Nolen of Lexington, Tennessee, leads the Fishing Clash LBL Division Co-Angler of the Year race with 494 points.

The next event for BFL LBL Division anglers will be held June 14, at Kentucky-Barkley Lakes out of Gilbertsville, Kentucky. To register for the event as a boater or a co-angler, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com or call (270)-252-1000.

The top 60 boaters and co-anglers in the division based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, will qualify for the Oct. 24-25 BFL Regional tournament on Dale Hollow Lake in Byrdstown, Tennessee. Boaters will fish for a top award of a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard worth $50,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $20,000.

by AnglersChannel

Indianapolis Boater Colasessano Posts First Career Win at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Lake Patoka

Bedford’s Stoute Tops Co-Angler Division

BIRDSEYE, Ind. (May 12, 2025) – Boater Gary Colasessano of Indianapolis, Indiana, caught a five-bass limit weighing 12 pounds, 15 ounces, Saturday to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on Lake Patoka. The tournament was the first event of the season for the BFL Hoosier Division. Colasessano earned $4,415 for his victory.

“It was a lot of trial and error,” Colasessano said about his day. “I didn’t end up fishing the way I thought I was going to fish. The water was about 8 feet high. There was so much stuff in the water – trees, bushes, you name it.

“I tend to like to power fish, and I wasn’t getting any bites when I was fishing that shallow stuff. Because I ultimately was fishing too fast.”

After starting his day tossing a jerkbait on main-lake rocky points, Colasessano got a helpful clue from his co-angler, Gary Higgins. Both anglers were throwing Yamamoto Senkos. Colasessano was fishing his on a Texas rig. Higgins was throwing a wacky rig. Higgins caught a couple short fish, which showed his boater partner that slowing down could get him more bites. Colasessano made the switch, and the day turned around.

“For the next four hours in this one cove, I just did a circle two times around,” Colasessano said. “We’d get one bite every 45 minutes basically.

“Literally, you just soaked that worm or you weren’t going to get bit,” he added. “You just let that thing sink slowly to the bottom and they’d pick it up. The same areas I threw creature baits with a weight in them are the same areas we caught them on Senkos. It just took forever.”

Prior to the tournament, there was some buzz that this event might take a big limit to win. Colasessano was so sure he hadn’t won that he didn’t stick around for the whole weigh-in. After weighing in among the first six or so anglers, Colasessano loaded his boat on the trailer and headed for home, happy to have a decent showing.

“I was probably 30, 45 minutes from home and Leroy (Hensley, the tournament director) called me and said, ‘Where are you?’ I said, ‘I’m going home.’ He said, ‘Well, you won.’ You could’ve knocked me over with a feather.

“The funny thing is in those huge smashmouth tournaments where there are a lot of big weights, I don’t do very well,” he added. “The ones I tend to do well in are like this – really tough. I’m pleased. I was very surprised and happy.”

As for the drive back to get his trophy, Colasessano was cool with that, too.

“I would’ve driven 10 hours to go back and get my trophy,” he joked.

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:

1st:        Gary Colasessano, Indianapolis, Ind., five bass, 12-15, $4,415
2nd:      Jamil Abdullah, Indianapolis, Ind., five bass, 12-10, $2,157
3rd:       Chris Martinkovic, Hamilton, Ohio, five bass, 12-6, $2,064
4th:        Rob Flowers, West Harrison, Ind., five bass, 11-6, $1,007
5th:        Thomas Foster, Terre Haute, Ind., four bass, 11-5, $863
6th:        Mark Dunn, Trafalgar, Ind., three bass, 10-13, $1,255 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
6th:        Braxton Munson, Anderson, Ind., four bass, 10-13, $755
8th:        Blake Albertson, Bloomington, Ind., five bass, 10-8, $647
9th:        Nick Uebelhor, Jasper, Ind., three bass, 10-0, $575
10th:     Dayton Land, Coatesville, Ind., three bass, 9-8, $503

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Kevin Spivey of Hamilton, Ohio, caught a bass that weighed 6 pounds, 2 ounces, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $610.

Jeremy Stoute of Bedford, Indiana, won the co-angler division and $2,157 Saturday, after bringing three bass to the scale that totaled 6 pounds, 5 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers finished:

1st:        Jeremy Stoute, Bedford, Ind., three bass, 6-5, $2,157
2nd:      Akshay Verma, Franklin, Ind., two bass, 5-3, $1,079
3rd:       Austin Herbst, Hamilton, Ohio, two bass, 5-2, $717
4th:        Rob Campbell, Martinsville, Ind., one bass, 5-1, $808
5th:        Bryan Wampler, Georgetown, Ky., two bass, 4-14, $431
6th:        Darrell Duke, Hawesville, Ky., two bass, 4-12, $396
7th:        Mark Bouchie, Evansville, Ind., one bass, 4-8, $342
7th:        Derek Jackson, New Albany, Ind., two bass, 4-8, $342
9th:        Mark Sollman, Haubstadt, Ind., one bass, 4-6, $288
10th:     Martin Bryant, North Vernon, Ind., one bass, 4-4, $252

Rob Campbell of Martinsville, Indiana, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $305, catching a bass that weighed in at 5 pounds, 1 ounce – the largest co-angler catch of the day.

In addition to earning the win, Gary Colasessano of Indianapolis, Indiana, has the early lead in the Fishing Clash Hoosier Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 250 points, while Jeremy Stoute of Bedford, Indiana, leads the Fishing Clash Hoosier Division Co-Angler of the Year race with 250 points.

The next event for BFL Hoosier Division anglers will be held June 7, at Ohio River-Rocky Point out of Cannelton, Indiana. To register for the event as a boater or a co-angler, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com or call (270)-252-1000.

The top 60 boaters and co-anglers in the division based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, will qualify for the Oct. 10-11 BFL Regional tournament on Kentucky-Barkley Lakes out of Paris, Tennessee. Boaters will fish for a top award of a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard worth $50,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $20,000.

by AnglersChannel

Gold Hill’s Drew Runs Bream Bed Pattern to Win Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at High Rock Lake

Virginia’s Deciucis Tops Co-Angler Division

LEXINGTON, N.C. (May 12, 2025) – Boater Mitch Drew of Gold Hill, North Carolina, caught a five-bass limit weighing 22 pounds, 10 ounces, Saturday to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on High Rock Lake. The tournament was the third event of the season for the BFL Piedmont Division. Drew earned $2,648 for his victory.

Drew was dialed in on a bream bed pattern at High Rock. He caught most of his fish on a topwater popper, with a few coming on a spinnerbait.

“The bluegills right now are starting to come to the bed on our lake,” he said. “They like shallow flats and sandy bottoms. I just targeted all kinds of sandy bottoms with shallow flats today. You see a lot of bream and sometimes you catch a few. It was just a good day. That’s all you can say about it.”

Staying on the move was key for Drew. He ran from flat to flat, visually hunting the spawning bream, then caught a crucial break midday.

“We had cloud cover, but we had the sun peaking in and out,” he said. “And finally, the sun peaked out a little bit around noon, which brought the bream closer to the top where they were easier to see. I caught a lot of fish between 12 and 1 o’clock. That’s when I caught three of my big fish, too.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:

1st:        Mitch Drew, Gold Hill, N.C., five bass, 22-10, $2,648
2nd:       Charles Bowman, Kernersville, N.C., five bass, 21-4, $1,324
3rd:       Zac Ridenhour, Salisbury, N.C., five bass, 18-7, $882
4th:        Ricky Bomar, Lynchburg, Va., five bass, 16-5, $618
5th:        Chad Sims, Lancaster, S.C., five bass, 16-4, $530
6th:        Jason Barnes, Concord, N.C., five bass, 16-3, $1,395 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
7th:        Jeff Taylor, Long Island, Va., five bass, 15-13, $441
8th:        Landon Whicker, Winston-Salem, N.C., five bass, 15-10, $497
9th:        David Farrington, Greensboro, N.C., five bass, 15-7, $353
10th:     Keith Roberts, Hurt, Va., five bass, 15-5, $309

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Jason Barnes of Concord, North Carolina, caught a bass that weighed 6 pounds, 13 ounces, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $285.

David Deciucis of Chester, Virginia, won the co-angler division and $1,324 Saturday, after bringing three bass to the scale that totaled 14 pounds, 4 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers finished:

1st:        David Deciucis, Chester, Va., three bass, 14-4, $1,324
2nd:       Troy Mitten, Cumberland, Va., three bass, 11-15, $804
3rd:       Jason Hinger, Timberlake, N.C., three bass, 11-5, $590
4th:        Larry Freeman Jr., La Crosse, Va., three bass, 10-4, $309
5th:        Charles Wood, Thomasville, N.C., three bass, 9-13, $265
6th:        Kiel Guin, Knoxville, Tenn., three bass, 9-11, $232
6th:        James Roten, West Jefferson, N.C., three bass, 9-11, $232
8th:        Alex Moss, Lambsburg, Va., three bass, 9-7, $199
9th:        Dustan Hudson, Grover, N.C., three bass, 8-8, $177
10th:     Grady Stanley, Fuquay-Varina, N.C., three bass, 8-3, $154

Troy Mitten of Cumberland, Virginia, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $142, catching a bass that weighed in at 7 pounds, 10 ounces – the largest co-angler catch of the day.

After three events, Chris Brummett of Lynch Station, Virginia, now leads the Fishing Clash Piedmont Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 721 points, while Derek Stanley of Fuquay Varina, North Carolina, leads the Fishing Clash Piedmont Division Co-Angler of the Year race with 723 points.

The next event for BFL Piedmont Division anglers will be held July 12, at the James River out of Henrico, Virginia. To register for the event as a boater or a co-angler, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com or call (270)-252-1000.

The top 60 boaters and co-anglers in the division based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, will qualify for the Oct. 3-4 BFL Regional tournament on Lake Norman in Huntersville, North Carolina. Boaters will fish for a top award of a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard worth $50,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $20,000.

by AnglersChannel

Pennsylvania’s McGeary Logs First Career Win at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at the Potomac River

Pennsylvania’s Bernier Tops Co-Angler Division

MARBURY, Md. (May 12, 2025) – Boater Joshua McGeary of Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania, caught a five-bass limit weighing 18 pounds, 4 ounces, Saturday to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on the Potomac River . The tournament, hosted by Charles County Recreation, Parks and Tourism, was the first event of the season for the BFL Northeast Division. McGeary earned $11,127, including the lucrative $7,000 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus, for his victory.

Most of the action came early for McGeary, who took advantage of the high tide to put an early limit in the livewell.

“I just wanted to go to a place where I knew there were fish – more or less a community hole,” he said. “We fished around there for the first two hours of the day.”

After that, McGeary strategically played the wind. He knew that the forecast called for the wind to build throughout the day, making it harder to fish and travel on the east side of the river. So he ran over to that side after leaving the community hole before the wind got too bad. After fishing there for a while, he jumped over to the west side midday to avoid the worst of the wind later in the day.

McGeary had his final weight by lunchtime – a good thing because, eventually, the tide pulled out so hard that getting bit was tough in the afternoon.

“I was going to areas that I knew were protected from the wind and areas I knew that traditionally hold fish,” McGeary said. “I didn’t have much practice for this tournament, so I just was fishing off my gut. And it worked out. I caught over 20 keepers today, and I just whittled my way up. I never really had a big fish. I just had a good solid five-fish limit.”

For McGeary, the ChatterBait bite was tough, but he still caught two of his weigh fish on the vibrating jig. The rest came on a Texas-rigged X Zone Adrenaline Bug. Most of his fish came off various types of hard cover.

“It was just one of those days where I was in a groove, making a lot of right decisions,” McGeary added. “It just worked out.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:

1st:        Joshua McGeary, Mount Pleasant, Pa., five bass, 18-4, $11,127 (includes $7,000 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
2nd:      Ryan Lachniet, Gum Spring, Va., five bass, 18-2, $2,064
3rd:       Robert Grike, Dumfries, Va., five bass, 17-10, $1,377
4th:        Safulla (Safu) Rana, Manassas, Va., five bass, 17-0, $1,538
5th:        Brian Mullaney, Ijamsville, Md., five bass, 16-2, $825
6th:        Aaron Dixon, Bel Alton, Md., five bass, 15-12, $757
7th:        Jason Orecchio, Andover, N.J., five bass, 15-4, $688
8th:        Peter Yanni, Gaithersburg, Md., five bass, 15-2, $619
9th:        Jay Clingenpeel, Bridgeport, W.Va., five bass, 15-1, $1,116
9th:        Tom Bateman, Welcome, Md., five bass, 15-1, $516

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Safulla (Safu) Rana of Manassas, Virginia, caught a bass that weighed 5 pounds, 14 ounces, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $575.

Cole Bernier of Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania, won the co-angler division and $2,064 Saturday, after bringing three bass to the scale that totaled 11 pounds, 11 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers finished:

1st:        Cole Bernier, Saylorsburg, Pa., three bass, 11-11, $2,064
2nd:       Gerald Dam, Pine Plains, N.Y., three bass, 11-4, $1,032
3rd:       Chris Slater, Boston, Mass., three bass, 10-9, $975
4th:        Marvin Stith, Piscataway, N.J., three bass, 10-6, $482
5th:        Hayward Thaxton III, Hagerstown, Md., three bass, 10-4, $413
6th:        David Paszkiewicz, Kearny, N.J., three bass, 9-15, $478
7th:        Pat Kendrick, Bumpass, Va., three bass, 9-14, $344
8th:        David Williams, Fredericksburg, Va., three bass, 9-2, $292
8th:        Nathan Routzahn, Myersville, Md., three bass, 9-2, $292
10th:     Richard Obrien, New Market, Md., three bass, 9-1, $241

Chris Slater of Boston, Massachusetts, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $287, catching a bass that weighed in at 4 pounds, 15 ounces – the largest co-angler catch of the day.

In addition to winning the event, Joshua McGeary of Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania, has the early lead in the Fishing Clash Northeast Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 250 points, while Cole Bernier of Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania, leads the Fishing Clash Northeast Division Co-Angler of the Year race with 250 points.

The next event for BFL Northeast Division anglers will be held July 12, at the St. Lawrence River out of Massena, New York. To register for the event as a boater or a co-angler, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com or call (270)-252-1000.

The top 60 boaters and co-anglers in the division based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, will qualify for the Oct. 3-4 BFL Regional tournament on the James River out of Richmond, Virginia. Boaters will fish for a top award of a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard worth $50,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $20,000.

by AnglersChannel

Smith’s timing earns Bassmaster Elite Title at Lake Fork

YANTIS, Texas — It’s said that timing is everything and Tucker Smith proved as much en route to tallying a four-day total of 127 pounds, 8 ounces in the Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork.

Smith opened his campaign with a limit of 25-4 that put him in 20th place. Picking up the pace, he added 34-5 on Day 2 and rose to fourth.

A Semifinal Saturday limit of 33-1 sent Smith into Championship Sunday in the No. 3 spot and his best bag of the week — 34-14 — sealed the deal with a total weight that ranks seventh largest in Elite history.

“It’s unbelievable; I feel like I’m in a dream right now,” said Smith, who anchored his Day 4 bag with a 7-14. “This was one of the best days I’ve ever had on the water.

“It’s really special to win on Mother’s Day with my mother (Mallory) here. She and I fish together a lot and the most important thing she’s taught me is to just be happy.”

Smith edged his roommate and fellow rookie Paul Marks by 13 ounces. Notably, Smith finished second to Marks by 14 ounces two weeks ago at the Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Lake Hartwell.

A 3-time Bassmaster High School National Champion and the 2023 College National Champion, Smith collected the $100,000 top prize, along with his first Bassmaster Century Club Belt. The Bassmaster Century Club recognizes anglers who reach the 100-pound mark in a four-day Elite event.

Smith kicked off his final round with a big catch in the first hour of competition.

“This morning, I wasn’t getting bit much, so I pulled up to a place and decided to sidescan and look at some new stuff on my Humminbird APEX,” Smith said. “I saw a bunch of birds on the bank, so I picked up a Picasso swim jig and caught a 6-4.

“That started my day off good. That told me I had to catch four more giants today. I went out there and rotated all the best stuff I had and ended up catching a good bag today.”

After that ice breaker, Smith hit a variety of offshore spots from clay points and saddles with hard spots, to remnant pond dams from the lake’s pre-construction days. Fishing from 6 to 40 feet, Smith said the key to his success was hitting each spot at the right time.

“I think finding my rotation every day was the biggest thing,” Smith said. “After the first day, I slowly started figuring out that rotation. The second day, I caught a big bag and then the third day, I followed that same rotation and caught another big bag.

“Today, I got in that same rotation and the fish were just bigger. It seems like those offshore fish especially have bite windows and I found the bite windows on the five best places I had and ended up pulling up to them at the same time every day.”

Smith caught his fish on a jighead minnow with a 1/4-ounce Picasso jig head and 3/4-ounce Picasso football head with a Yamamoto Yama Craw.

Considering the amount of fishing pressure Lake Fork receives, the fish can be remarkably skittish. Smith said his Minn Kota Quest trolling motor played a key role in his requisite stealth.

“That trolling motor is super fast and super quiet,” he said. “I had to get pretty close to my spots to be able to cast to the fish because the wind was so strong today and having a quiet trolling motor allowed me to get close to them.”

Giving a nod to his competitors, Smith said: “These guys are so good, it really takes a special day to get one of these trophies.”

Hailing from Cumming, Ga., Marks finished second with 126-11. Marks placed fifth on Day 1 with 30-13 and rose to third with a second-round limit of 31-10. A Day 3 limit of 33-4 moved him up to second where he’d end his run with a final-round catch of 31-0.

Targeting suspended fish over offshore hard spots, Marks did all of his work with a 7 1/2-inch Zoom Winged Fluke on a 1/4-ounce jig head.

“What an awesome week out there,” Marks said. “Over 30 pounds every day. I have nothing to complain about.”

Trey McKinney of Carbondale, Ill., finished third with 122-3. His daily weights were 32-5, 30-7, 21-5 and 38-2 — the event’s heaviest bag.

“I’ll probably never beat today, as long as I fish,” McKinney said. “I fished all new water today and didn’t hardly make a wrong move. I lost only one fish out of I don’t know how many I caught. I was throwing back 6-pounders.”

McKinney, who won the 2024 Elite at Lake Fork, caught fish on a glidebait, crankbait, a jighead minnow and a jig.

Wesley Gore took home an additional $3,000 for being the highest-placing entrant in the Toyota Bonus Bucks program, while Easton Fothergill earned $2,000 for being the second-highest placing entrant.

As part of the Yamaha Power Pay program, Marks earned an additional $4,000 while Tyler Williams claimed an additional $1,500 for being the second-highest placing entrant.

Jay Przekurat of Plover, Wis., and Kyle Norsetter of Cottage Grove, Wis., both earned $1,000 Phoenix Boats Big Bass awards for their 9-pound, 14-ounce bass. Przekurat also won the $1,000 daily award for Day 1. Norsetter won the $1,000 daily award for Day 2.

Przekurat leads the Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings with 464 points. Will Davis Jr. of Sylacauga, Ala., is in second with 419, followed by McKinney with 411, Chris Johnston of Otonabee, Canada with 410, and Smith with 398.

Smith leads the Dakota Lithium Elite Series Rookie of the Year standings with 398 points.

The Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork was hosted by Wood County.

2025 Bassmaster Elite Series Platinum Sponsor: Progressive, Toyota
2025 Bassmaster Elite Series Premier Sponsors: Bass Pro Shops, Dakota Lithium, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Progressive Insurance, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha
2025 Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: AFTCO, Daiwa, Garmin, Lew's, Lowrance, Triton Boats, VMC, Yokohama

About Tackle Warehouse

Tackle Warehouse was launched online in 2003 with the goal of meeting the fishing tackle needs of the casual and professional bass angler alike. As a tackle shop run by anglers for anglers, the requirements were evident, and the mission remains the same: provide bass anglers with the widest selection of great products, fast and reliable shipping and excellent customer service, while offering support and education for anglers of all levels and abilities. Tackle Warehouse relies upon its tackle shop roots and a passion for fishing to best serve our customers, as well as the bass fishing community as a whole

About B.A.S.S.

B.A.S.S., which encompasses the Bassmaster tournament leagues, events and media platforms, is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting-edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), TV show, radio show, social media programs and events. For more than 50 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.

The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series, St. Croix Bassmaster Opens Series presented by SEVIIN, Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Qualifier Series presented by Lowrance, Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Strike King Bassmaster High School Series, Bassmaster Junior Series, Bassmaster Team Championship, Newport Bassmaster Kayak Series presented by Native Watercraft, Bassmaster College Kayak Series, Yamaha Bassmaster Redfish Cup Championship presented by Skeeter and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour.

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Media Contact: Chad Gay, Communications Manager, 256-424-2390, cgay@bassmaster.com

2025 Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork 5/8-5/11
Lake Fork, Yantis TX.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 4

Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$

1. Tucker Smith Birmingham, AL 20 127-08 104 $100,000.00
Day 1: 5 25-04 Day 2: 5 34-05 Day 3: 5 33-01 Day 4: 5 34-14
2. Paul Marks Cumming, GA 20 126-11 103 $20,000.00
Day 1: 5 30-13 Day 2: 5 31-10 Day 3: 5 33-04 Day 4: 5 31-00
3. Trey McKinney Carbondale, IL 20 122-03 102 $17,000.00
Day 1: 5 32-05 Day 2: 5 30-07 Day 3: 5 21-05 Day 4: 5 38-02
4. Kyoya Fujita Yamanashi CA JAPAN 20 121-13 101 $13,000.00
Day 1: 5 31-00 Day 2: 5 34-00 Day 3: 5 35-10 Day 4: 5 21-03
5. JT Thompkins Myrtle Beach, SC 20 120-04 100 $11,750.00
Day 1: 5 28-04 Day 2: 5 30-09 Day 3: 5 28-11 Day 4: 5 32-12
6. Tyler Williams Belgrade, ME 20 110-09 99 $11,000.00
Day 1: 5 23-04 Day 2: 5 26-08 Day 3: 5 32-13 Day 4: 5 28-00
7. Wesley Gore Clanton, AL 20 107-06 98 $11,500.00
Day 1: 5 20-02 Day 2: 5 23-06 Day 3: 5 34-01 Day 4: 5 29-13
8. Easton Fothergill Grand Rapids , MN 20 106-08 97 $10,300.00
Day 1: 5 29-03 Day 2: 5 19-04 Day 3: 5 33-02 Day 4: 5 24-15
9. Jay Przekurat Plover, WI 20 106-07 96 $13,200.00
Day 1: 5 31-02 Day 2: 5 27-07 Day 3: 5 23-02 Day 4: 5 24-12
10. Seth Feider Elko New Market, MN 20 101-08 95 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 27-10 Day 2: 5 28-04 Day 3: 5 23-13 Day 4: 5 21-13
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1 Jay Przekurat Plover, WI 09-14 $1,000.00
2 Kyle Norsetter Cottage Grove, WI 09-14 $1,000.00
3 Will Davis Jr Sylacauga, AL 09-00 $500.00
3 Kyoya Fujita Yamanashi CA JAPAN 09-00 $500.00
4 Wesley Gore Clanton, AL 08-07 $1,000.00

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Jay Przekurat Plover, WI 09-14 $1,000.00
Kyle Norsetter Cottage Grove, WI 09-14 $1,000.00
RAPALA CRUSHCITY MONSTER BAG

Trey McKinney Carbondale, IL 38-02 $2,000.00

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 90 485 1961-10
2 80 469 1897-02
3 45 240 1070-10
4 10 50 287-04
----------------------------------
225 1244 5216-10

by AnglersChannel

Rookie Pro Banks Shaw Wins Tackle Warehouse Invitational Stop 4 at Pickwick Lake

Harrison, Tennessee pro catches 23-pound limit on final day to overtake Jake Lawrence and win top prize of $115,000

COUNCE, Tenn. (May 11, 2025) – Tackle Warehouse Invitationals Stop 4 Presented by E3 Sport Apparel turned out to be gem of a Pickwick Lake tournament, with big weights and a tight finish on the final day. Taking the title – his first on the Invitationals – pro Banks Shaw of Harrison, Tennessee, tallied 26 pounds, 6 ounces on Day 1, 21-11 on Day 2 and finished off with an even 23 pounds on the final day for a 71-1 total and a convincing margin over Paris, Tennessee pro Jake Lawrence. With a 67-15 total, Lawrence won the tiebreaker to beat Jacob Walker of Springville, Alabama, who finished third.

Shaw took home his fourth MLF winner’s trophy between College, Toyota Series and the Invitationals, and by far his biggest payday yet – a cool $115,000, which includes the Phoenix MLF Bonus. Shaw also took over the Fishing Clash Angler of the Year lead with 783 points, while pro Mitchell Robinson finished 19^th and moved up to second in the points.

In 2024, Shaw won the Toyota Series event on Lake Chickamauga, his home lake, with a record winning margin and an 82-12 total – as you’d guess, he won it offshore. Raised on Chick, Shaw has been fishing offshore on the Tennessee River his whole life, and going to school at the University of North Alabama has given him an intimate familiarity with Pickwick. This week, having to make hay without the aid of forward-facing sonar on Day 2, Shaw put together a real masterclass on modern Tennessee River success.

Shaw primarily targeted a few schools out deep on Day 1 and mostly relied on an offshore shad spawn on Day 2. On the final day, he mixed the two to secure the win. A key difference-maker for Shaw turned out to be Day 2, when many contenders dropped out of the hunt.

“In practice I could catch some fish off a shad spawn, but at the same time, I also just tried going shallow, getting on the bank,” Shaw said. “I caught a handful of fish doing that, but nothing good. I was really worried about [Day 2] because if it was sunny, then I might not even have had a limit. That's just how it was – the sunny days in practice, I could barely get bit off the shad spawn. The fish were there, you just couldn't really get them to bite, they were too smart. I knew I could catch fish, and it turned into more than what I thought it was.”

Fishing in 2 to 8 feet, Banks targeted the shad spawn bass with a minnow, as well as a Scottsboro Tackle Top Hook Swimbait and a ¾-ounce Z-Man Evergreen ChatterBait JackHammer.

“It was shallow bars that had really rough shell on it,” Shaw said. “There's no way you could really pinpoint where the fish would be at. You just had to go down it and just cover water, making as many long casts as you can to find the fish.”

On the first and third days of competition, the bulk of Shaw’s weight came from the few offshore schools Pickwick currently offers, with some as deep as 22 feet but his best bets being in 12 to 14 feet. One of his keys was the area of the lake he ended up in, fishing mostly around or above the Natchez Trace Bridge.

“It was definitely the area of the lake that was playing going into the event,” Shaw said. “I like it up there, but I've never fished a tournament up there. But, I was just thinking with the amount of tournament pressure this year, I knew certain areas where fish were super pressured, and I thought that was somewhere they were less pressured. And on top of that, one of the main reasons why I keyed in on that area is I just thought there were more fish, with all the fish that have been released this year out of McFarland [in Florence] and all the big tournaments that go out of there.”

For his schools, Shaw did his best work with a minnow on a jighead, including a Rapala CrushCity Freeloader.

Shaw has come of age in an era where the best young anglers can find a school on side scan as well as any veteran, and he’s loaded to the gills with forward-facing sonar skills as well. It’s not exclusive to the area, but lately, the Tennessee River Valley is turning out some of the county’s best young anglers – schooled in every aspect of offshore fishing.

“LiveScope's definitely the dominant way of fishing,” Shaw said. “I felt like my recent two or three years with it have just been the most important, because I was just able to learn more than anything. I understand what's going on, where fish are, what they're relating to, how big fish are.”

Of course, just because Shaw’s boat is loaded with screens didn’t mean it came easy. On Day 1 particularly, he could have given the tournament away.

“I went straight offshore and I rotated my four or five best places three times,” Shaw said. “I ran all the way up to hit another random place where I saw one big one and I decided I was going to hit them one more time on the way back down. I was planning on running all the way down here, and I only had, like, 15 pounds. And the last rotation through, my fish just started biting. I stayed up there. If that wouldn't have happened, then I would have probably ran down here and just had a had a rough day.”

In 2024, while he was winning on Chickamauga, he was learning on Pickwick, and it turned into big money this week.

“All the Tennessee River lakes are similar, but they somewhat set up in different ways,” Shaw said. “Chickamauga is not really a good shad spawn lake. That's something I strictly learned here recently. Last year is the year I dialed in the shad spawn a little bit and figured out what they relate to.”

When he won at Chickamauga last year, Shaw blew the field away and had all day to think about the win. Today without a megabag in the ‘well, he had all day to worry.

“(At Chickamauga), I knew that I probably had it, just because I knew the body of water so good, I knew what it had to offer,” Shaw said. “I know this place good too, but just how it's been fishing here recently and the guys I was fishing against, I wasn't confident really with anything I had.

“If I would have had 28 pounds, I would have probably still been worried. So it was it was definitely a very tough mental day, I would say. Especially after losing fish – I've never been able to win a tournament losing fish like that. I thought I definitely threw it away when I lost those fish. It definitely could have happened that way, but it was meant to be this week.”

The top 30 pros at the Tackle Warehouse Invitational Stop 4 at Pickwick Lake Presented by E3 Sport Apparel finished:

1st:        Banks Shaw, Harrison, Tenn., 15 bass, 71-1, $115,000
2nd:       Jake Lawrence, Paris, Tenn., 15 bass, 67-15, $30,000
3rd:       Jacob Walker, Springville, Ala., 15 bass, 67-15, $20,500
4th:        Kyle Cortiana, Broken Arrow, Okla., 15 bass, 62-6, $18,000
5th:        Jimmy Washam, Stantonville, Tenn., 15 bass, 59-10, $17,000
6th:        Colby Miller, Elmer, La., 14 bass, 59-4, $16,000
7th:        Andrew Nordbye, Guntersville, Ala., 15 bass, 59-0, $15,000
8th:        Ken Thompson, Roaring Springs, Pa., 15 bass, 57-11, $14,000
9th:        Lane Olson, Forest Grove, Ore., 15 bass, 55-10, $13,000
10th:     Levi Thibodaux, Thibodaux, La., 15 bass, 55-4, $12,000
11th:     Bobby Lane, Lakeland, Fla., 15 bass, 54-0, $10,000
12th:     Thomas Wooten, Huddleston, Va., 15 bass, 52-14, $10,000
13th:     Tyler Stewart, Dubach, La., 15 bass, 52-13, $10,000
14th:     Terry Fisher, Decatur, Ala., 15 bass, 52-9, $10,000
15th:     Carter Nutt, Nashville, Tenn., 15 bass, 52-6, $10,000
16th:     Chad Mrazek, Montgomery, Texas, 15 bass, 51-10, $10,000
17th:     Ethan Greene, Eufaula, Ala., 15 bass, 50-11, $10,000
18th:     Austin Swindle, Parrish, Ala., 15 bass, 50-6, $10,000
19th:     Mitchell Robinson, Landrum, S.C., 15 bass, 50-5, $10,000
20th:     Blake Hall, Rogersville, Ala., 15 bass, 48-7, $10,000
21st:      Brian Latimer, Belton, S.C., 15 bass, 48-6, $9,000
22nd:    Ricky Robinson, Greenback, Tenn., 13 bass, 47-14, $9,000
23rd:     Jack Daniel Williams, Kingsport, Tenn., 15 bass, 47-14, $9,000
24th:     Keith Poche, Cecil, Ala., 13 bass, 47-9, $9,000
25th:     Kyle Glasgow, Guin, Ala., 15 bass, 47-7, $9,000
26th:     Shaw Grigsby, Gainesville, Fla., 15 bass, 47-0, $9,000
27th:     Samuel Fish, Chelsea, Ala., 15 bass, 46-14, $9,000
28th:     Jon Canada, Helena, Ala., 13 bass, 46-4, $9,000
29th:     Todd Walters, Kernersville, N.C., 14 bass, 44-7, $10,000
30th:     Chris Lane, Guntersville, Ala., 14 bass, 42-5, $9,000

Complete results for the entire field can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Overall, there were 142 bass weighing 507 pounds 2 ounces caught by the final 30 pros on Sunday. The catch included 25 five-bass limits.

The three-day tournament, hosted by Explore Pickwick Lake/Hardin County Tourism, featured pro anglers competing for a top prize of up to $115,000 and valuable points to qualify for the 2025 Tackle Warehouse Invitationals Championship in September. The full field of anglers competed in the two-day opening round on Friday and Saturday in a five-fish, weigh-in format. Only the top 30 pros, based on their two-day cumulative weight, advanced to the final round on Championship Sunday.

Television coverage of the MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitationals Stop 4 at Pickwick Lake Presented by E3 Sport Apparel will air as a two-hour episode, premiering at 9 a.m. ET, on Saturday, Oct. 25 on CBS Sports Network.

The next event on the schedule for Invitationals anglers is the MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitationals Stop 5 at the James River Presented by 7Brew Coffee, set for June 20-22 in Richmond, Virginia.

Proud sponsors of the 2025 MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitationals include: 7Brew Coffee, Abu Garcia, Athletic Brewing, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Bubba, Deep Dive, E3 Sport Apparel, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, Grizzly, Humminbird, Lew’s, Mercury, Minn Kota, Mossy Oak, Onyx, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Phoenix Boats, Polaris, Power-Pole, Precision Sonar, Strike King, Suzuki Marine, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, VOSKER, WIX Filters and YETI.

For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Tackle Warehouse Invitationals updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the MLF5 social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

by AnglersChannel

Red Hot Lawrence Moves Into Lead at Tackle Warehouse Invitational Stop 4 at Pickwick

Paris, Tennessee pro catches 23-14 to take lead into final day

COUNCE, Tenn. (May 10, 2025) – With modern sonar set aside for Day 2 of Tackle Warehouse Invitationals Stop 4 Presented by E3 Sport Apparel on Pickwick Lake, it was a foregone conclusion that the weights would go down. Still, the pros that either had some sort of backup or didn’t need forward-facing sonar to be effective were able to make big moves on the leaderboard.

Totally changing his game plan overnight, Jake Lawrence ran to the tailrace and blasted 23 pounds, 14 ounces to move into the lead. Behind him, Banks Shaw dropped into second, staying offshore and making hay on a shad spawn pattern in the morning to the tune of 21-11. Lawrence leads the pack with a 49-5 total, Shaw is right behind with 48-1, and Jacob Walker , who has set up shop at the tailrace, is in third with 45-12 – very much within striking distance.

Heading into the final day, all sorts of sonar will be turned back on, and we’re probably in for a heck of a finish. The Tennessee River reservoir has been kicking out all kinds of 30-pound bags this year, and at the top, Lawrence and Shaw are two of the best on the Tennessee River, no matter what particular pool of water they’re on. Behind them, the Top 30 is stacked with similarly excellent talent and pros catching them all kinds of ways.

Lawrence and Walker have worked together all year, which is not an unusual arrangement in pro fishing. However, given the nature of the Invitationals, with the possibility of a pro needing multiple different patterns throughout the event, it can look a little odd. Rest assured, when Lawrence set his Phoenix down near the concrete at the Wilson Dam, Walker was fully expecting his presence and had briefed him on what to expect.

“The first event at Sam Rayburn last year, we shared that main drain that both of us utilized, and we just kind of hit it off,” said Lawrence. “He hollered at me over there and he had forgot his water, forgot anything to drink that morning. So, I threw him a couple bottles of water, and each time we'd pass each other in that drain, we'd kind of talk.”

Lawrence ended up second in that Invitationals event, starting his run to the Bass Pro Tour. Walker finished 25th, earning $10,000, and later that season, sharing water again with Lawrence, he won the Invitationals event on Champlain.

“After the event, I actually ran into him at The Stump, and we just hit it off,’ said Lawrence. “And what a great guy. I mean, he's an absolute blast to be around and such a great fisherman.”

At REDCREST this year, Walker and Lawrence hatched a plan to figure out every inch of Pickwick for this event, and so far, it’s paying off handsomely.

“Obviously, I’m a big offshore guy,” said Lawrence. “I know where the vast majority of these schools live from guiding here so long. The game plan going into this event was I was going to spend my time idling and looking for these groups. He was going spend his time up there. And whichever of the two showed more potential, we would both kind of lean on it.”

With very few schools out offshore at the moment, Lawrence didn’t end up shelling out waypoints to Walker.

“Had this been what we all expected, I'd have given him 20 or 30 schools, and we’d just divvy them all up. I can't say enough about our partnership, our team effort. We're able to cover a tremendous amount of a big body of water very quickly, and we seem to jive pretty well together.”

On Day 1, Walker ran to the Wilson Dam and mined smallmouth, while Lawrence leaned on ‘Scope down the lake. Today, Lawrence rolled up to join Walker in the current for a wild day of fishing.

“That was the most mentally and physically challenging tournament day, fishing day, period,” said Lawrence. “I've never worked that hard.”

Fishing in heavy current, Lawrence was hooked up almost constantly – it was probably more common for him to be reeling in a fish than a bait. The problem was most of them were not bass.

“If I caught one, I bet I caught a hundred drum and catfish and gar – everything imaginable except a smallmouth,” he allowed. “But it worked out super, super fortunate. You know, there in the last couple minutes before I left, I was able to get in a good position where I could hit where most of those smallmouth were set up, and it made all the difference in the world. I went from catching a drum every cast to catching a smallmouth every cast.”

It took Lawrence almost all day, but he got five over the rail and got out – and those five were mighty strong. On Day 3, he’s planning on leaving the smallmouth to Walker and chasing the win on the section of Pickwick he knows best.

“I'm looking forward to turning the ‘Scope back on tomorrow and getting after a few of these deep bedders,” said Lawrence. “I've got several big ones – of course, I haven’t been to them in four days now, I don't know if they'll be there. But if they are, we’ve got a shot at catching a great big old bag. I've got no doubt in my mind that I have the waypoint or the dot to the five winners, it's just a matter of making those five stops in the right order and getting them in the boat.”

Only the top 30 competitors, based on their two-day cumulative weight, now advance to Championship Sunday. The three-day tournament, hosted by Explore Pickwick Lake/Hardin County Tourism, features pro anglers competing for a top prize of up to $115,000 and valuable points to qualify for the 2025 Tackle Warehouse Invitationals Championship in September.

The top 30 pros advancing to the final day of competition on Pickwick Lake are:

1st:        Jake Lawrence, Paris, Tenn., 10 bass, 49-5
2nd:       Banks Shaw, Harrison, Tenn., 10 bass, 48-1
3rd:       Jacob Walker, Springville, Ala., 10 bass, 45-12
4th:        Jimmy Washam, Stantonville, Tenn., 10 bass, 40-2
5th:        Andrew Nordbye, Guntersville, Ala., 10 bass, 39-4
6th:        Keith Poche, Cecil, Ala., 10 bass, 38-9
7th:        Carter Nutt, Nashville, Tenn., 10 bass, 37-15
8th:        Jon Canada, Helena, Ala., 10 bass, 37-13
9th:        Levi Thibodaux, Thibodaux, La., 10 bass, 37-5
10th:     Colby Miller, Elmer, La., nine bass, 37-3
11th:     Kyle Cortiana, Broken Arrow, Okla., 10 bass, 36-11
12th:     Ken Thompson, Roaring Springs, Pa., 10 bass, 36-8
13th:     Ricky Robinson, Greenback, Tenn., 10 bass, 36-7
14th:     Thomas Wooten, Huddleston, Va., 10 bass, 35-12
15th:     Chad Mrazek, Montgomery, Texas, 10 bass, 35-11
16th:     Todd Walters, Kernersville, N.C., 10 bass, 34-6
17th:     Mitchell Robinson, Landrum, S.C., 10 bass, 34-3
18th:     Blake Hall, Rogersville, Ala., 10 bass, 34-0
19th:     Lane Olson, Forest Grove, Ore., 10 bass, 33-15
20th:     Jack Daniel Williams, Kingsport, Tenn., 10 bass, 33-13
21st:      Terry Fisher, Decatur, Ala., 10 bass, 33-8
22nd:    Chris Lane, Guntersville, Ala., 10 bass, 33-7
23rd:     Samuel Fish, Chelsea, Ala., 10 bass, 33-5
24th:     Austin Swindle, Parrish, Ala., 10 bass, 33-4
25th:     Bobby Lane, Lakeland, Fla., 10 bass, 33-3
26th:     Shaw Grigsby, Gainesville, Fla., 10 bass, 32-13
27th:     Brian Latimer, Belton, S.C., 10 bass, 32-12
28th:     Ethan Greene, Eufaula, Ala., 10 bass, 32-2
29th:     Tyler Stewart, Dubach, La., 10 bass, 31-14
30th:     Kyle Glasgow, Guin, Ala., 10 bass, 31-12

Complete results for the entire field can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

The $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award for Day 2 went to pro Todd Walters, who weighed in the heaviest bass of the day – a nice 5-pound, 5-ouncer.

Overall, there were 390 bass weighing 1,192 pounds 8 ounces caught by 99 pros Saturday. The catch included 56 five-bass limits.

In Tackle Warehouse Invitationals competition, the full field competed in the two-day opening round on Friday and Saturday in a five-fish, weigh-in format. Only the top 30 pros, based on their two-day cumulative weight, now advance to the final round on Championship Sunday, where they will compete for the grand prize of up to $115,000. The winner of the Tackle Warehouse Invitational Stop 4 at Pickwick Lake Presented by E3 Sport Apparel will be determined by the heaviest three-day cumulative weight.

The final 30 anglers will launch at 6:30 a.m. CT Sunday from Pickwick Landing State Park, located at 120 Playground Loop in Counce, Tennessee. Sunday’s Championship weigh-in will also be held at the State Park and will begin at 2:30 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend all launch and weigh-in events and also encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLFNOW!® live stream and coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

The MLFNOW! broadcast team of Chad McKee and Rob Newell will break down the extended action live all three days of competition from 7 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. CT. MLFNOW! will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com, the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app and Rumble.

by AnglersChannel

Phenomenal performance keeps Fujita atop the lead in Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork

Phenomenal performance keeps Fujita atop the lead in Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork

YANTIS, Texas — Kyoya Fujita is a man on a mission and he made a clear statement to that effect by catching a Day 3 limit of 35 pounds, 10 ounces and maintain his lead at the Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork.

Placing fourth on Day 1 with 31-0, Fujita added a second-round limit of 34-0 and took over the lead by a 2 1/4-pound margin. Semifinal Saturday saw him catch the event’s largest bag and boost his cumulative total to 100-10.

“I am very happy,” Fujita said. “I’m having a good week.”

The Bassmaster Century Club recognizes anglers who reach the 100-pound mark in a four-day Elite event. Those who achieve that feat receive the coveted Century Club belt.

Fujita’s amazing accomplishment is only the fourth time an Elite angler has reached 100 pounds in three days of competition. The 2008 Elite tournament at Falcon Lake saw three competitors, the late Aaron Martens (109-8), Mark Davis (102-1) and Byron Velvick (101-12) reach that mark.

“One hundred in three days — very good,” Fujita said.

Since Day 1, Fujita has committed to a section of Caney Creek not far from takeoff. He’s using forward facing sonar to aggressively hunt down large bass amid submerged timber. Selectively casting to quality fish, Fujita’s not catching a lot, but he’s more concerned with quality than quantity.

Consistent with his week’s pattern, Fujita started off catching 3-pound class fish, with his better weights coming mid-morning through early afternoon.

After a late-morning round of trading the (unofficial) lead with Paul Marks, Fujita took over the top spot with a 6-pounder around noon. An hour and a half later, he set the hook on a 9-pound Lake Fork giant that had him noticeably animated.

That big fish — the day’s largest — did not make life easy on Fujita, who was fishing a finesse bait on a spinning rod.

“That fish got stuck on a tree twice,” Fujita said. “I was nervous. I thought the fish came off, or the line broke. My heart was racing but I caught the fish.”

Fujita credits his tackle set up for his day-topping catch. He used a 6-8 Daiwa Steez spinning rod and a Daiwa Exist reel loaded with 50-pound braid and a 28-pound fluorocarbon leader.

“I used very strong tackle, so I could get those big fish out of (the timber),” Fujita said. “That was the fish I needed.”

Notably, Fujita’s late-day kicker was a short, stumpy fish that did not reach the 24-inch minimum for possession. This tournament format comprises a catch, weigh and release rule, with anglers allowed to bring one fish over 24 inches to the weigh-ins.

Fujita’s biggest fish flirted with the 24-inch mark, but he correctly released it after logging the official weight.

Heading into Championship Sunday with a lead of 4-15 over Marks, Fujita is 31-14 away from breaking the all-time winning record for a 4-day, 5-bass limit tournament. Paul Elias won the 2008 event at Falcon Lake with 132-8.

When Bassmaster Emcee Dave Mercer stated the pending high mark, Fujita boldly replied: “I need 31-14 to break the record? I will try to break the record!”

Hailing from Cumming, Ga., Marks is in second place with 95-11. Marks placed fifth on Day 1 with 30-13 and rose to third with a second-round limit of 31-10. Day 3 yielded 33-4.

“This was my best day ever in a tournament, so I said, ‘I gotta order a pizza (for dockside deliver, without leaving his boat),’” Marks said. “I ordered one and it was very good.

“No pizzas for me tomorrow. I’ll have to catch close to 40 to win, so I’m going to go catch 5 (over 24 inches). That’s the plan. It’s doable out there.”

Marks, who claimed a blue trophy two weeks ago at the Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Lake Hartwell, has enjoyed three days of morning action that delivered the majority of his weight before noon.

Day 3 saw Marks tally 32-8 by 9:30 a.m. After spending several hours scouting for Championship Sunday, he culled up with a 6-10 just before 2 p.m.

Spending his time offshore, Marks had been catching his fish on a jighead minnow rig with a 5-inch Zoom Winged Fluke. Today, he upsized to the 7 1/2-inch Winged Fluke.

Tucker Smith of Birmingham, Ala. is in third place with 92-10. His daily weights were 25-4, 34-5 and 33-1.

“What an awesome day,” Smith said. “I really didn’t have anything for the first two hours this morning. I ran to a place and couldn’t catch 'em. I came back about an hour later and caught 31 pounds.

“I caught one that was 8-12. It was an unbelievable day.”

Jay Przekurat of Plover, Wis., and Kyle Norsetter of Cottage Grove, Wis., share the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors, each with a 9-14.

Przekurat leads the Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings with 466 points. Will Davis Jr., of Sylacauga, Ala. is in second with 419, followed by Chris Johnston of Otonabee, Canada with 410, Trey McKinney of Carbondale, Ill. with 409 and Smith with 396.

Smith leads the Dakota Lithium Elite Series Rookie of the Year standings with 396 points.

Bassmaster LIVE coverage of Championship Sunday at the Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork will be broadcast on FS1 from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. and FOX from noon to 3 p.m. Live Cast will be available all day on Bassmaster.com.

Sunday’s takeoff is scheduled for 6:30 a.m. CT at Caney Point Recreation Area. The weigh-in will be held at the same area at 2:30 p.m.

The Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork is being hosted by Wood County.

About Tackle Warehouse

About B.A.S.S.

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Connect with #Bassmaster on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok.

Media Contact: Chad Gay, Communications Manager, 256-424-2390, cgay@bassmaster.com

2025 Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork 5/8-5/11
Lake Fork, Yantis TX.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 3

Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$

1. Kyoya Fujita Yamanashi CA JAPAN 15 100-10 104 $500.00
Day 1: 5 31-00 Day 2: 5 34-00 Day 3: 5 35-10
2. Paul Marks Cumming, GA 15 95-11 103
Day 1: 5 30-13 Day 2: 5 31-10 Day 3: 5 33-04
3. Tucker Smith Birmingham, AL 15 92-10 102
Day 1: 5 25-04 Day 2: 5 34-05 Day 3: 5 33-01
4. JT Thompkins Myrtle Beach, SC 15 87-08 101
Day 1: 5 28-04 Day 2: 5 30-09 Day 3: 5 28-11
5. Trey McKinney Carbondale, IL 15 84-01 100
Day 1: 5 32-05 Day 2: 5 30-07 Day 3: 5 21-05
6. Tyler Williams Belgrade, ME 15 82-09 99
Day 1: 5 23-04 Day 2: 5 26-08 Day 3: 5 32-13
7. Jay Przekurat Plover, WI 15 81-11 98 $1,000.00
Day 1: 5 31-02 Day 2: 5 27-07 Day 3: 5 23-02
8. Easton Fothergill Grand Rapids , MN 15 81-09 97
Day 1: 5 29-03 Day 2: 5 19-04 Day 3: 5 33-02
9. Seth Feider Elko New Market, MN 15 79-11 96
Day 1: 5 27-10 Day 2: 5 28-04 Day 3: 5 23-13
10. Wesley Gore Clanton, AL 15 77-09 95
Day 1: 5 20-02 Day 2: 5 23-06 Day 3: 5 34-01
11. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 15 77-05 94 $7,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-06 Day 2: 5 25-06 Day 3: 5 30-09
12. Patrick Walters Eutawville, SC 15 75-07 93 $7,000.00
Day 1: 5 27-09 Day 2: 5 26-04 Day 3: 5 21-10
13. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 15 74-14 92 $7,000.00
Day 1: 5 29-05 Day 2: 5 22-09 Day 3: 5 23-00
14. Bryan New Leesville, SC 15 73-14 91 $7,000.00
Day 1: 5 22-04 Day 2: 5 20-07 Day 3: 5 31-03
15. Chris Johnston Otonabee Ontario CANADA 15 69-14 90 $7,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-00 Day 2: 5 30-01 Day 3: 5 21-13
16. Caleb Sumrall New Iberia, LA 15 69-08 89 $6,500.00
Day 1: 5 23-02 Day 2: 5 18-12 Day 3: 5 27-10
17. Cory Johnston Otonabee CANADA 15 69-03 88 $6,500.00
Day 1: 5 20-03 Day 2: 5 21-00 Day 3: 5 28-00
18. Andrew Loberg Guntersville, AL 15 69-00 87 $6,500.00
Day 1: 5 23-00 Day 2: 5 23-13 Day 3: 5 22-03
19. Brad Whatley Bivins, TX 15 67-12 86 $6,500.00
Day 1: 5 25-06 Day 2: 5 21-02 Day 3: 5 21-04
20. Bryan Schmitt Deale, MD 15 67-11 85 $6,500.00
Day 1: 5 19-07 Day 2: 5 26-02 Day 3: 5 22-02
21. Jason Christie Dry Creek, OK 15 67-09 84 $6,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-14 Day 2: 5 24-06 Day 3: 5 21-05
22. Caleb Kuphall Mukwonago, WI 15 67-04 83 $6,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-11 Day 2: 5 24-04 Day 3: 5 23-05
23. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 12 66-12 82 $6,000.00
Day 1: 5 29-06 Day 2: 4 20-06 Day 3: 3 17-00
24. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 15 66-05 81 $6,000.00
Day 1: 5 25-10 Day 2: 5 19-07 Day 3: 5 21-04
25. Jake Whitaker Hendersonville, NC 15 65-15 80 $6,000.00
Day 1: 5 22-06 Day 2: 5 20-14 Day 3: 5 22-11
26. Will Davis Jr Sylacauga, AL 15 65-12 79 $6,000.00
Day 1: 5 23-15 Day 2: 5 17-00 Day 3: 5 24-13
27. Drew Benton Panama City, FL 15 65-08 78 $5,500.00
Day 1: 5 21-07 Day 2: 5 20-13 Day 3: 5 23-04
28. Tyler Rivet Raceland, LA 15 65-05 77 $5,500.00
Day 1: 5 20-03 Day 2: 5 25-02 Day 3: 5 20-00
29. Jordan Lee Cullman, AL 15 64-07 76 $5,500.00
Day 1: 5 17-00 Day 2: 5 23-14 Day 3: 5 23-09
30. Cooper Gallant Bowmanville Ontario CAN 15 64-02 75 $5,500.00
Day 1: 5 21-01 Day 2: 5 21-05 Day 3: 5 21-12
31. Brandon Cobb Greenwood, SC 15 63-00 74 $5,500.00
Day 1: 5 22-14 Day 2: 5 22-13 Day 3: 5 17-05
32. Pat Schlapper Eleva, WI 15 62-11 73 $5,500.00
Day 1: 5 15-09 Day 2: 5 26-13 Day 3: 5 20-05
33. Drew Cook Cairo, GA 15 62-05 72 $5,500.00
Day 1: 5 22-01 Day 2: 5 18-08 Day 3: 5 21-12
34. Taku Ito Dalton GA JAPAN 15 61-13 71 $5,500.00
Day 1: 5 23-02 Day 2: 5 18-02 Day 3: 5 20-09
35. Wes Logan Springville, AL 15 60-15 70 $5,500.00
Day 1: 5 20-11 Day 2: 5 20-10 Day 3: 5 19-10
36. Kyle Patrick Cooperstown, NY 15 60-06 69 $5,500.00
Day 1: 5 25-15 Day 2: 5 15-12 Day 3: 5 18-11
37. Kyle Norsetter Cottage Grove, WI 15 59-12 68 $6,500.00
Day 1: 5 15-04 Day 2: 5 25-05 Day 3: 5 19-03
38. Ed Loughran III Richmond, VA 15 59-08 67 $5,500.00
Day 1: 5 22-05 Day 2: 5 20-00 Day 3: 5 17-03
39. Robert Gee Knoxville, TN 15 59-01 66 $5,500.00
Day 1: 5 13-13 Day 2: 5 25-08 Day 3: 5 19-12
40. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 15 58-14 65 $5,500.00
Day 1: 5 18-10 Day 2: 5 21-07 Day 3: 5 18-13
41. Buddy Gross Chattanooga, TN 11 58-10 64 $5,500.00
Day 1: 5 33-09 Day 2: 4 20-03 Day 3: 2 04-14
42. Shane LeHew Catawba, NC 13 57-10 63 $5,500.00
Day 1: 5 19-15 Day 2: 5 28-10 Day 3: 3 09-01
43. Randy Howell Guntersville, AL 15 56-14 62 $5,500.00
Day 1: 5 20-05 Day 2: 5 18-15 Day 3: 5 17-10
44. Marc Frazier Newnan, GA 15 56-05 61 $5,500.00
Day 1: 5 14-13 Day 2: 5 31-11 Day 3: 5 09-13
45. Cole Sands Johnson City, TN 15 55-06 60 $5,500.00
Day 1: 5 18-03 Day 2: 5 23-05 Day 3: 5 13-14
46. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 13 54-05 59 $5,500.00
Day 1: 5 25-05 Day 2: 5 18-00 Day 3: 3 11-00
47. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 15 53-06 58 $5,500.00
Day 1: 5 19-02 Day 2: 5 22-07 Day 3: 5 11-13
48. John Garrett Union City, TN 13 52-09 57 $5,500.00
Day 1: 5 28-12 Day 2: 3 09-14 Day 3: 5 13-15
49. Chris Zaldain Boyd, TX 15 50-15 56 $5,500.00
Day 1: 5 23-11 Day 2: 5 17-11 Day 3: 5 09-09
50. Bryant Smith Roseville, CA 14 49-15 55 $5,500.00
Day 1: 5 19-04 Day 2: 5 22-00 Day 3: 4 08-11
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 90 485 1961-10
2 80 469 1897-02
3 45 240 1070-10
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by AnglersChannel

Roy Hawk Soars to Victory at 2025 WON Bass Lake Havasu Open

Ian Boehm Places Second in Tight Finale

Lake Havasu City, Ariz. – May 9, 2025 –– Ever the threat on desert lakes, or anywhere in the West for that matter, Roy Hawk, the Lake Havasu City, Ariz. pro swooped in and took the lead in the 2025 WON Bass Lake Havasu Open and soared again on the final day to claim the victory by a pound a half margin over Ian Boehm, of Desert City, Ariz.

Hawk started the final day with 36.86 pounds, and after Boehm posted 17.42 pounds to claim the Ranger Hot Seat, Hawk needed nearly 16 pounds to win and claim the victor’s spoils. That would be the 2025 Ranger Boats Z518 powered by a Mercury ProXS 150 prize boat provided by Bass Pro Shops that would become the property of the winner. Hawk came to the scales as the last angler to weigh, and when the scales read 17.76 pounds, the celebration began. He also earned an additional $14,250 cash for his efforts.

Hawk said that he spent the tournament in the north end of the lake, fitting in where he could amongst the pressure. “I know this lake really well, so I ran around looking for spots I could sit on and make a few casts before the company arrived,” he said. “I have so many different pieces of structure I can fish that I ran around and just ‘felt’ what the lake was telling me and made the right casts.”

Hawk reported using reaction baits to weigh 14 of his 15 keepers in the event. “I caught fish on three different crankbaits and a bladed jig,” he said. “I caught one fish on an old Roboworm Zipper Worm that was a follow up to a fish that chased my crankbait.”

Hawk used a SPRO Little John in Spooky Shad for his shallow crankbait, and two different mid depth runners, an OSP Blitz crankbait in a shad color and a SPRO Fat Papa in Clear Chartreuse. He threw the shallow runner on a Taipan Roy Hawk Signature 746 crankbait rod with a Daiwa Tatula Elite reel spooled with 12-pound-test Daiwa Samurai Fluorocarbon line. The medium runners used the same reel and line, but he upgraded to a Taipan 806 crankbait rod.

His bladed jig was a 3/4-ounce Jackhammer in Spot Remover color paired with a Yamamoto Custom Baits D Shad as the trailer. He threw this on a Taipan Roy Hawk Signature 747 heavy reaction bait rod, a Daiwa Taula reel and 18-pound-test Daiwa Samurai Fluorocarbon.

For Hawk, the win comes with memories, and at a good time. “I won my first ‘Pro’ tournament right here on Lake Havasu in 2003, and it was a WON Bass event; so, it feels really cool to have this kind of come full circle here,” he said. “It’s been a little bit of a rough road, and this win really comes at a good time for me and my family. It’s just a testament to how God takes care of His people, it’s also really amazing to do this in front of my family and friends; and I’m humbled by the whole experience.”

Second place finisher Boehm fished at the South end of the lake and said that he used a variety of baits to trigger his fish this week. “I caught some on a Vixen and I flipped some around grass,” he said. “But, I cove hopped back from the Bill Williams area and targeted fish cages with my Forward Facing Sonar and a Deps Sakamata Shad.”

After leading on Day One, he knew his second day stumble was the difference. “I really hurt myself with 13 pounds on day two and was really concerned that it would hurt me and it did,” he said. “I would love to have day two back again, but I’m happy with the finish overall.”

Third place in the Pro Division went to Shane Edgar of Glendale, Ariz. with 51.55 pounds, Ty Manterola of Pasco, Wash. finished the event in fourth place with a three-day total of 50.22 pounds and Brandon Kuehl of Peoria, Ariz. finished fifth with 48.81 pounds.

The AAA Division Champion was Craig Paclik from North Las Vegas, Nev. with a total weight of 52.36 pounds. Second place in the AAA Divison was earned by Ernie Gorham from Vista, Calif. with 50.49 pounds. Alex Onofrei from Mesa, Ariz. finished third with 48.83 pounds, fourth place went to David Shearrer of Trabuco Canyon, Calif. with 48.67 pounds and Mie Walsh of El Cajon, Calif. rounded out the top five in the AAA Division with 47.79 pounds.

Each of the pros and AAA anglers who finish in the top five will also earn a Golden Ticket berth into the 2026 Bassmaster B.A.S.S. Nation Championship for a chance to qualify for the Bassmaster Classic

The daily livestream of the weigh-ins aired on the WON Bass Facebook page, located at Facebook.com/WONBassTournaments.

The top 10 in each division are posted below: for complete standings, visit - https://wonbassevents.com/pages/lake-havasu-open-pairings-results.

2025 WON Bass Lake Havasu Open Final Pro Standings

	Angler	Hometown	Fish	Day 1	Day 2	Day 3	Total
1	Roy Hawk	Lake Havasu City AZ	15-15	17.73	19.13	17.76	54.62
2	Ian Boehm	Desert Hills AZ	15-15	22.43	13.31	17.42	53.16
3	Shane Edgar	Glendale AZ	15-15	18.66	15.37	17.52	51.55
4	Ty Manterola	Pacso WA	15-15	20.50	11.64	18.08	50.22
5	Brandon Kuehl	Peoria AZ	15-15	13.95	18.86	16.00	48.81
6	Justin Kerr	Lake Havasu City AZ	15-15	18.14	17.64	12.84	48.62
7	Jeff Rutt	Lake Havasu City AZ	15-15	14.23	16.58	17.24	48.05
8	Todd Kline	San Clemente CA	15-15	16.35	15.61	15.39	47.35
9	Jeff Giffen	Phoenix AZ	15-15	16.55	13.50	16.85	46.90
10	Rick Harris	Carlsbad NM	15-15	16.79	16.11	13.71	46.61

2025 WON Bass Lake Havasu Open Finalv AAA Standings

	Angler	Hometown	Fish	Day 1	Day 2	Day 3	Total
1	Craig Paclik	North Las Vegas NV	15-15	19.81	15.13	17.42	52.36
2	Earnest (Ernie) Gorham	Vista CA	15-15	17.52	16.58	16.39	50.49
3	Alex Onofrei	Mesa AZ	15-15	15.16	16.38	17.29	48.83
4	David Shearrer	Trabuco Canyon CA	15-15	22.43	17.60	8.64	48.67
5	Mike Walsh	El Cajon CA	15-15	16.59	16.78	14.42	47.79
6	Ron Casner	Rosevelt AZ	15-15	16.93	15.61	14.71	47.25
7	Damon Motley	Orange CA	15-15	16.35	15.84	14.85	47.04
8	Allen Maynard	Henderson NV	15-15	12.61	19.13	15.25	46.99
9	Todd Tobiasson	Las Vegas NV	15-15	16.23	15.63	15.07	46.93
10	Dave Burt	Waddell AZ	15-15	13.50	15.24	18.10	46.84

For complete details to register for future events, or to find results, look to wonbassevents.com and WONews.com to hear the latest news about the 2024 season and beyond and follow along at Facebook.com/WONBassTournaments.

The 2025 WON Bass Western Opens Series of events Consisting of five events in California, Arizona and Nevada, will culminate with the 2024 WON Bass U.S. Open at Lake Mohave in October. The five event dates are as follows:

Feb. 5 to 7, 2025 - Lake Shasta – Champion Joe Uribe

April 9 to 11, 2025 - Clear Lake – Champion John Pearl

May 7 to 9, 2025 - Lake Havasu – Champion Roy Hawk

Sept. 10 to 12, 2025 - Lake Mead

Oct. 6 to 8, 2025 - U.S. Open at Lake Mohave

For complete details or to register, look to wonbassevents.com and WONews.com to hear the latest news about the 2024 season and beyond and follow along at Facebook.com/WONBassTournaments.

The 2025 WON Bass Lake Havasu Open was brought to you by Bass Pro Shops, Ranger Boats, Mercury Marine, Nitro Boats, Triton Boats, Bridgford Foods, Volta Power Lithium, Power Pole, Lowrance, Daiwa, AFTCO, Costa, Berkley, Abu Garcia, Fenwick Rods, Anderson Toyota, A&M Graphics, Anglers Marine, Signature Gates, DD26 Fishing, Bad Ass Bearings, Cipher Fishing, Megaware Keelguard and GRatt.

Local presenting sponsors were Anderson Toyota and Riviera Marina. Daily takeoffs and weigh-ins occur at Riviera Marina.

by AnglersChannel

Banks Shaw Takes Day 1 Lead at Tackle Warehouse Invitational Stop 4 at Pickwick Lake Presented by E3 Sport Apparel

Harrison, Tennessee pro smashes 26-6 to take early lead in three-day competition

COUNCE, Tenn. (May 9, 2025) – Hopes were high for Tackle Warehouse Invitationals Stop 4 Presented by E3 Sport Apparel on Pickwick Lake, and on Day 1, those expectations were met or exceeded. Leading the way, Banks Shaw , a University of North Alabama student and now the clear Fishing Clash Angler of the Year leader, wrangled 26 pounds, 6 ounces for the lead. In second, Jake Lawrence did what he does on the Tennessee River, weighing an 8-pounder together with four other large bass for a 25-7 total.

Behind Shaw and Lawrence, 20 pounds went down to 20th place, which means there’s a deep pool of talent to draw from the rest of the way. Miles Smith, Robby Lefere, Alex Bradley (with a 9-pounder), and Jon Canada all broke 23 pounds, and the overall result was an impressive day on the water and at the scales.

Of course, the elephant in the room is Day 2, during which forward-facing sonar will be turned off for the full field. For some, it may not be much of a hindrance. Some anglers are fishing offshore schools – side scan and a crankbait can do some serious damage there, no ‘Scope required. In the tailrace, it might be hard to even use forward-facing sonar – some smallmouth will definitely be caught old school on Saturday. However, there are plenty of fish being caught spawning deep or offshore on very isolated cover, which will be a tough nut to crack without good underwater eyes.

While plenty of anglers had trouble locating schools of fish offshore in practice, Shaw figured it out – or, he figured it out enough to do very well on Day 1. Mixing bass on shad spawn areas and on offshore schools, the young pro shot to the top of the leaderboard.

“Hopefully, I can keep on catching them out of those schools,” said Shaw. “There's not a ton of fish there, but there's definitely fish moving to them.

“I think I can definitely catch some dragging for sure on those same places,” said Shaw, who is an ace with forward-facing sonar and a minnow. “Day 2 is usually a day that I feel I can maybe fish better than a lot of these guys offshore, like for ‘Scoping fish. So, I’m excited about that. I think I can definitely catch a few fish out of my main places that I had today.”

Even if the offshore bite is trickier for Shaw on Day 2, he’s got hopes for more success on some shad spawn areas.

“If we have cloud cover and some wind, I think it could be really good,” he said. “I didn't burn any of my shad spawn stuff up this morning. I tried it a little bit, but it was too sunny, so I just quit doing it right away. So, I think tomorrow, if we get some cloud cover, it could be really good. That's what I've been mainly catching them on all week.”

With a great performance in the early afternoon, Shaw spent some time preparing for the rest of the week, looking around where the bass should be.

“I spent pretty much the last 2 1/2 hours idling around,” Shaw said. “I scanned probably 20 places where they should be coming to. I found one place that had a decent little wad on it that could be good. And then on my way down, I culled out my 3-pounder with a 4-pounder out of an out of a new place I just found. I hope I can catch 18 pounds tomorrow, and I think I'll be sitting really good if I can get 18.”

The top 20 pros after Day 1 on Pickwick Lake are:

1st:        Banks Shaw, Harrison, Tenn., five bass, 26-6
2nd:       Jake Lawrence, Paris, Tenn., five bass, 25-7
3rd:       Miles Smith, Houma, La., five bass, 23-11
4th:        Robby Lefere, Jackson, Mich., five bass, 23-5
5th:        Alex Bradley, Wellford, S.C., five bass, 23-3
6th:        Jon Canada, Helena, Ala., five bass, 23-2
7th:        Cole Breeden, Lebanon, Mo., five bass, 22-12
8th:        Jacob Walker, Springville, Ala., five bass, 22-10
9th:        Andrew Nordbye, Guntersville, Ala., five bass, 22-0
9th:     Carter Nutt, Nashville, Tenn., five bass, 22-0
11th:     Colby Miller, Elmer, La., five bass, 21-8
12th:     Ken Thompson, Roaring Springs, Pa., five bass, 21-7
13th:     Levi Thibodaux, Thibodaux, La., five bass, 21-3
14th:     Jimmy Washam, Stantonville, Tenn., five bass, 21-3
15th:     Brody Campbell, Oxford, Ohio, five bass, 20-14
16th:     Jack Daniel Williams, Kingsport, Tenn., five bass, 20-11
17th:     Kyle Cortiana, Broken Arrow, Okla., five bass, 20-6
18th:     Bobby Lane, Lakeland, Fla., five bass, 20-3
19th:     Josh Butler, Hayden, Ala., five bass, 20-2
20th:     Marshall Hughes, Hemphill, Texas, five bass, 20-1

Complete results for the entire field can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Overall, there were 434 bass weighing 1,446 pounds even caught by 100 pros Friday. The catch included 73 five-bass limits.

Pro Alex Bradley earned the Day 1 Berkley Big Bass award of $1,000 after bringing a bass that weighed 9 pounds, 4 ounces to the scale.

The three-day MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitationals Stop 4 at Pickwick Lake Presented by E3 Sport Apparel is hosted by Explore Pickwick Lake/Hardin County Tourism and features professional bass anglers competing for a top prize of up to $115,000.

In Tackle Warehouse Invitationals competition, the full field compete in the two-day opening round on Friday and Saturday in a five-fish, weigh-in format. Only the top 30 pros, based on their two-day cumulative weight, advance to the final round on Championship Sunday, where they will compete for the grand prize of up to $115,000. The winner of the Tackle Warehouse Invitational Stop 4 at Pickwick Lake Presented by E3 Sport Apparel is determined by the heaviest three-day cumulative weight.

Anglers will launch at 6:30 a.m. CT each day from Pickwick Landing State Park, located at 120 Playground Loop in Counce, Tennessee. Weigh-ins will be held at the State Park and will begin at 2:30 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend all launch and weigh-in events and also encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLFNOW!® live stream and coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

by AnglersChannel

Fujita takes the Day 2 lead in Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork

Fujita takes the Day 2 lead in Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork

YANTIS, Texas — Kyoya Fujita was happy with his day, but he was far from satisfied. That’s a hard statement to process, considering the Japanese superstar notched a 34-pound limit en route to leading Day 2 of the Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork.

Hailing from Yamanashi, Japan, Fujita placed fourth on Day 1 with 31-0. Heading into Semifinal Saturday, his 65-pound 2-day total gives him a lead of 2 1/4 pounds over 2024 Lake Fork Champion Trey McKinney.

“I had a great day,” Fujita said. “I hope I catch (at least) 34 pounds again tomorrow, but, in practice, I caught 40 pounds on my spot.

“Thirty-four pounds was not what I was expecting. I was expecting a bigger bag, but with all the fishing pressure, it just didn’t happen. I think it’s going to be tougher tomorrow.”

Fujita spent his day in Caney Creek, not far from takeoff, where he fished five main spots. This area, he said, held the most promise, both in quality and quantity.

“I practiced all over the lake, but this area had the biggest fish,” Fujita said.

Like much of the lake, Fujita’s area bristled with flooded timber. This habitat is not easily navigated and the snagging risks loom ever present, however, Fujita hunted his targets on forward facing sonar and enticed his fish with precise casts.

“I caught most of my fish in 10 feet of water,” Fujita said. “My fish were suspended on the trees. I fished big trees and small trees; they were all good.”

Contrasting the first day’s mostly bluebird conditions, Day 2 brought increasing clouds and more wind. Such scenarios typically have the fish loosely relating to cover and Fujita found this worked in his favor.

“Cloudy is good, sunny is no good,” Fujita said in comparison to the first day’s brighter conditions. “Cloudy (days) are bite, bite, bite, but cloudy days are (fewer) bites. Yesterday was very tough.”

Fujita caught his fish on a jighead minnow and a Neko-rigged dice style bait. The latter comprises a solid soft plastic cube with several silicone strands inserted through the body. When slowly pulled through the water, the pulsing strands wave and wiggle with lifelike appearance.

“Five years ago, when I fished in Japan, I used this bait,” Fujita said. “Sometimes, the fish bite on this bait, sometimes they don’t. This time, they are biting this bait a little better.”

Fujita rigged his dice bait on a 3/0 Daiwa Steez Worm Hook and added a 1/4-ounce nail weight.

Fujita, who opened the 2024 season with a Texas win at the 2024 Gamakatsu Bassmaster Elite at Toledo Bend. That tournament saw Fujita earn the event’s only Century Club belt for his 100-13 total. Thus far, his Lake Fork performance has him well ahead of pace for another century effort.

“I love Texas; I love Lake Fork,” Fujita said. “This lake has big fish.”

McKinney, who makes his home in Carbondale, Ill., is in second place with 62-12. After a first-round limit 32-05 put him in the No. 2 spot, McKinney held fast with a Day-2 limit of 30-7.

McKinney caught most his bass on a jighead minnow, but stroking a jig produced a key fish. While his baits mostly fooled quality bass, he found himself needing a late-day upgrade that would expel a small fish from his total.

McKinney admittedly missed a key opportunity, but fortunately, fate offered another chance.

“I had a 1-pounder at 1:30 and I lost a 5 1/2-pounder,” McKinney said. “Mentally, that was the hardest thing, because I knew I had forfeited the chance. Thank goodness, when I came around the next corner, I ended up catching a 6-pounder that brought me in today.”

Looking ahead to Semifinal Saturday, McKinney’s hopeful that the schools he has located will deliver another big day.

“I feel like I’m running out of fish, but that could just be my confidence, because I know what it’s going to take to win here,” McKinney said. “Can I do it? I don’t know. But is there a chance? Always.

“I have five or six schools that have (the potential for) 30 pounds a day on each school, but getting them to bite is the toughest thing I’ve ever had to do.”

Paul Marks of Cumming, Ga., is in third place with 62-7. Fresh off his win at the Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Lake Hartwell, Marks placed fifth on Day 1 with 30-13 and followed with a second-round limit that went 31-10.

Getting off to a blistering start, Marks had 30 pounds to his credit by 8:30. He’d make a key upgrade with a 5-6 around 1:40, but spent the majority of his day scouting for areas he might fish on Semifinal Saturday.

“What a day out there today; it was so much fun,” Marks said. “That was the best morning of fishing I’ve ever had.

“This place is awesome. It has so many big fish and I can’t wait to get back out there.”

Marks caught his fish on a Zoom Winged Fluke rigged on a 1/4- and a 3/8-ounce Bad Little Shad jig head. The soft plastic’s winged form helps keep the bait up in the water column where it stays in front of the fish longer.

Jay Przekurat of Plover, Wis., and Kyle Norsetter of Cottage Grove, Wis., share the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors, each with a 9-14.

Przekurat leads the Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings with 467 points. Shane LeHew of Catawba, N.C., is in second with 425, followed by McKinney with 412, Chris Johnston of Otonabee, Can. with 410 and Will Davis Jr. of Sylacauga, Ala., with 402.

Tucker Smith of Birmingham, Ala. leads the Dakota Lithium Elite Series Rookie of the Year standings with 395 points.

Bassmaster LIVE coverage of the Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork will be available on FS1 on Day 3 from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. ET before moving to Bassmaster.com in the afternoon. Championship Sunday coverage will be broadcast on FS1 from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. and FOX from noon to 3 p.m.

Saturday’s takeoff is scheduled for 6:30 a.m. CT at Caney Point Recreation Area. The weigh-in will be held at the same area at 2:30 p.m.

The Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork is being hosted by Wood County.

About Tackle Warehouse

About B.A.S.S.

by AnglersChannel

Fish Tip Friday - Speed kills. Or lack thereof.

By Vance McCullough, AC Insider

The two most important factors in getting bass to bite are lure depth and lure speed. How deep are the fish and are they looking up or down (so I can put the bait in front of them) and what’s it gonna to take to trigger a reaction?

Sometimes, fish are happily feeding and you can just dangle a worm as long as you like and let one find it. Sometimes they’re pinned to a bed and you have to let the intrusive lure marinate in the frying pan until a bass boils over with aggression. Sometimes you have to bulge a wake over their heads to provoke a crushing strike. Or, blaze a lure past their stump, maybe even bump it.

These different situations call for equally different lure speeds. But there’s a problem.

Your reel’s advertised rate of retrieval is a function of not only gear ratio but also spool size. Not the bare spool size, but the practical diameter of that spool loaded with line versus when it is nearly empty, as it may be at the end of a long cast. When the line plays out, the spool gets scrawny until it packs some line back on. As the retrieve continues, the speed of the lure increases, provided you crank at a steady rate meaning that, by the same token, your lure is crawling at a relative snail’s pace as you begin your retrieve. Not good for triggering reaction bites from fish in a neutral feeding mode.

Of course, the easy solution is to use a reel with a high gear ratio, right? Not so fast (pardon the pun). It’s actually the raw spool size that is critical for consistent speed across a retrieve. If you want to burn a swim jig past a target at the far end of your cast, then you need a larger spool such as comes with the Lew’s BB1.

But here’s another strategy, a formula for success with any reel: Line size x gear ratio = retrieve speed.

The thicker your line, the faster you’ll build up that spool once you start cranking the reel handle. This can help you float a bladed jig, spinnerbait, buzzbait etc. high in the water the whole time instead of wasting several yards (perhaps the most critical stretch of your presentation) just to get up to speed at the proper depth.

It bears noting that you should completely fill that spool with line in the first place to maximize rate of retrieve throughout the presentation.

Conversely, if you want to slow your roll, thinner lines will pile back onto the reel at a greatly reduced rate. This will get that bait down deeper sooner and help you more thoroughly scour the primary strike zone. I use this tactic to limit my speed when fish are lethargic or any time I need to keep my lure down such as in clear water environments.

Play with that balance of gear ratio, raw spool size, and line diameter and material for maximum control over lure depth and speed.

A final note on spool size: bigger spools cause less line memory, thereby reducing twist and improving casting accuracy. This is felt most deeply when using spinning reels which get a bad rap for causing line twist. Size up to a 3000 series, maybe even a 4000 size, and remember to always close the bail with your hand to avoid the one-quarter twist that will be imparted to line if you just start cranking the handle after the cast. After just a dozen casts, that’s 3 full twists!

by AnglersChannel

Mega sack gives Gross the Day 1 lead in Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork

YANTIS, Texas — Buddy Gross knew he had enough for at least one day of competition and his determination to maximize that potential rewarded the Chattanooga, Tenn., pro with a whopping limit of 33 pounds, 9 ounces which leads Day 1 of the Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork.

On a day that saw the Top 6 anglers reach the “Dirty 30,” Gross notched a lead of 1-4 over Trey McKinney.

“God is good; he always shows up for me when I need it,” Gross said. “We weren’t catching quantity, we were catching quality. We’re just going to have to do it again and try to back it up.

“I did this on the first day of practice and I zeroed the second day, so we’re going to have to work hard and make sure we get a lot of fish in the boat.”

Anchoring his day with a 9-11, Gross got the action going early with a couple of quality fish and ended with a 6-11 at 1:14 p.m. Leaving nothing to chance, he squeezed all he could out of his areas.

“In practice, I caught some quality and today, I went to those areas and really soaked them up,” Gross said. “I fished hard in those areas. I don’t know what to expect the rest of the week, but I knew I needed a good bag today to stay in contention, so I just bore down and fished those areas.”

Gross held his cards low, but he described his areas as postspawn staging spots. He clearly found the right size fish, but he’s aware that his opportunities are limited.

“I just don’t have a lot of it,” Gross said. “I thought I could run some history here and still catch them, but I didn’t. I did find a little offshore stuff but it just wasn’t helping, so I quit that. I hope I have enough left to do well tomorrow.”

Gross said Fork’s water level — currently full pool — has the fish widely dispersed. While low water periods gather fish in tighter areas, a full lake makes it harder to dial in consistency.

“The water being high has them moved around a little bit,” Gross said. “I think timing is not the problem, I think it’s the high water. I think it has spread them out. I just got blessed and found one place that’s kinda loading up.”

Gross said he had to fish a broad spectrum of baits today.

“I had to throw everything — I used (Garmin LiveScope), I used Humminbird 360,” Gross said. “When I got the first five, I didn’t catch any of the fish on the same bait. I had five different baits. It was work.

“I needed that last one (6-11); that’s the one that pushed us over the edge. I caught it doing the same kind of stuff, just a way different location.”

Looking ahead to Day 2, Gross said he’ll return to some of his Day 1 waters, but he suspects continued success will require additional prospecting.

“I’m going to run the same stuff and just hope they’re there,” Gross said. “If they’re not, we’re just going to have to run new water. I ran new water today and caught some. Where I caught that 6-11, I hadn’t fished at all.

“There’s just not a lot of what I’m doing. I’m only going to catch one or two here and there. I’m not going to run into a school of them.”

McKinney, who won last year’s Lake Fork event with a 4-day record-setting total of 130-15, is in second place with 32-5. Hailing from Carbondale, Ill., McKinney made a key upgrade with a 7-2 that bit a little after 2 p.m.

“I love this place, but the fish are educated and smart and tough to catch,” McKinney said. “They’ve been beat on for (many years) so they’re probably the smartest bass anywhere in the country.

“Instead of looking for numbers and throwing at everyone, you’re looking for five.”

McKinney fished a variety of scenarios, including schools, roaming fish and timber. He found his best action with the schoolers.

“I caught 30 pounds off schools and then I caught that 7-2 roaming,” McKinney said. “I caught most of my fish, including that 7-2, on a (jighead minnow). Most of these fish are so smart, I really can’t get them to bite much else. I caught one a big glidebait.”

Jay Przekurat of Plover, Wis., is in third place with 31-2. Despite a slow start, the 2022 Rookie of the Year put together a solid day. Doing so, he said, required perseverance.

“I had a terrible practice; I had one place I was excited to go to, but I got there this morning and never had a bite,” Przekurat said. “I was pretty discouraged about that so I scrambled around the rest of the day and I only caught six or seven fish.”

Przekurat caught his fish on a dropshot with a Strike King KVD Filler Worm and a Strike King 6XD. He cemented his performance with a late-day kicker that exemplified Lake Fork’s nationwide appeal.

“Late in the day, I caught a 9-14,” Przekurat said. “That was the catch of my life so far. That was my personal best and I caught it in a tournament.”

Przekurat is in the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors with his 9-14.

Przekurat leads the Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings with 470 points. Will Davis Jr. of Sylacauga, Ala., is in second with 423, followed by McKinney with 412, Kyoya Fujita of Lake Forest, Calif., with 392, and Bill Lowen of Brookville, Ind., with 389.

Georgia's Paul Marks leads the Dakota Lithium Elite Series Rookie of the Year standings with 384 points.

Friday’s takeoff is scheduled for 6:30 a.m. CT at Caney Point Recreation Area. The weigh-in will be held at the same area at 2:30 p.m.

Bassmaster LIVE coverage of the Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork will be available on Bassmaster.com on Days 1 and 2 starting at 8 a.m. ET and ending at 3 p.m. and also on Roku from 8 to 11 a.m. FS1 will carry the morning action on Day 3 from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. before moving to Bassmaster.com in the afternoon. Championship Sunday coverage will be broadcast on FS1 from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. and FOX from noon to 3 p.m.

The Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork is being hosted by Wood County.

About Tackle Warehouse

About B.A.S.S.

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2025 Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork 5/8-5/11
Lake Fork, Yantis TX.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 1

Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$

1. Buddy Gross Chattanooga, TN 5 33-09 104
Day 1: 5 33-09
2. Trey McKinney Carbondale, IL 5 32-05 103
Day 1: 5 32-05
3. Jay Przekurat Plover, WI 5 31-02 102
Day 1: 5 31-02
4. Kyoya Fujita Yamanashi CA JAPAN 5 31-00 101
Day 1: 5 31-00
5. Paul Marks Cumming, GA 5 30-13 100
Day 1: 5 30-13
6. Dakota Ebare Brookeland, TX 5 30-01 99
Day 1: 5 30-01
7. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 5 29-06 98
Day 1: 5 29-06
8. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 5 29-05 97
Day 1: 5 29-05
9. Easton Fothergill Grand Rapids , MN 5 29-03 96
Day 1: 5 29-03
10. John Garrett Union City, TN 5 28-12 95
Day 1: 5 28-12
11. JT Thompkins Myrtle Beach, SC 5 28-04 94
Day 1: 5 28-04
12. Seth Feider Elko New Market, MN 5 27-10 93
Day 1: 5 27-10
13. Patrick Walters Eutawville, SC 5 27-09 92
Day 1: 5 27-09
14. Emil Wagner Marietta, GA 5 27-04 91
Day 1: 5 27-04
15. Cody Huff Ava, MO 5 26-01 90
Day 1: 5 26-01
16. Kyle Patrick Cooperstown, NY 5 25-15 89
Day 1: 5 25-15
17. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 5 25-10 88
Day 1: 5 25-10
18. Brad Whatley Bivins, TX 5 25-06 87
Day 1: 5 25-06
19. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 5 25-05 86
Day 1: 5 25-05
20. Tucker Smith Birmingham, AL 5 25-04 85
Day 1: 5 25-04
21. Kyle Welcher Valley, AL 5 24-06 84
Day 1: 5 24-06
22. Will Davis Jr Sylacauga, AL 5 23-15 83
Day 1: 5 23-15
23. Chris Zaldain Boyd, TX 5 23-11 82
Day 1: 5 23-11
24. Tyler Williams Belgrade, ME 5 23-04 81
Day 1: 5 23-04
25. Taku Ito Dalton GA JAPAN 5 23-02 80
Day 1: 5 23-02
25. Caleb Sumrall New Iberia, LA 5 23-02 80
Day 1: 5 23-02
27. Matt Robertson Kuttawa, KY 5 23-01 78
Day 1: 5 23-01
28. Andrew Loberg Guntersville, AL 5 23-00 77
Day 1: 5 23-00
29. Brandon Cobb Greenwood, SC 5 22-14 76
Day 1: 5 22-14
30. Alex Redwine Blue Ash, OH 5 22-10 75
Day 1: 5 22-10
31. Scott Canterbury Odenville, AL 5 22-08 74
Day 1: 5 22-08
32. Jake Whitaker Hendersonville, NC 5 22-06 73
Day 1: 5 22-06
33. Ed Loughran III Richmond, VA 5 22-05 72
Day 1: 5 22-05
34. Bryan New Leesville, SC 5 22-04 71
Day 1: 5 22-04
35. Drew Cook Cairo, GA 5 22-01 70
Day 1: 5 22-01
36. Jason Christie Dry Creek, OK 5 21-14 69
Day 1: 5 21-14
37. Drew Benton Panama City, FL 5 21-07 68
Day 1: 5 21-07
38. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 5 21-06 67
Day 1: 5 21-06
39. Cooper Gallant Bowmanville Ontario CAN 5 21-01 66
Day 1: 5 21-01
40. Ben Milliken Omaha, NE 4 21-00 65
Day 1: 4 21-00
41. Wes Logan Springville, AL 5 20-11 64
Day 1: 5 20-11
41. Cody Meyer Eagle, ID 5 20-11 64
Day 1: 5 20-11
43. Hunter Shryock Ooltewah, TN 5 20-07 62
Day 1: 5 20-07
44. Randy Howell Guntersville, AL 5 20-05 61
Day 1: 5 20-05
45. Cory Johnston Otonabee CANADA 5 20-03 60
Day 1: 5 20-03
45. Tyler Rivet Raceland, LA 5 20-03 60
Day 1: 5 20-03
47. Beau Browning Hot Springs National Pa 5 20-02 58
Day 1: 5 20-02
47. Wesley Gore Clanton, AL 5 20-02 58
Day 1: 5 20-02
47. Jacob Powroznik North Prince George, VA 5 20-02 58
Day 1: 5 20-02
50. Matt Arey Shelby, NC 5 20-01 55
Day 1: 5 20-01
51. Shane LeHew Catawba, NC 5 19-15 54
Day 1: 5 19-15
52. Cliff Pace Ovett, MS 5 19-14 53
Day 1: 5 19-14
53. Caleb Kuphall Mukwonago, WI 5 19-11 52
Day 1: 5 19-11
54. Bryan Schmitt Deale, MD 5 19-07 51
Day 1: 5 19-07
55. Justin Atkins Florence, AL 5 19-06 50
Day 1: 5 19-06
56. Bryant Smith Roseville, CA 5 19-04 49
Day 1: 5 19-04
57. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 5 19-02 48
Day 1: 5 19-02
58. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 5 18-10 47
Day 1: 5 18-10
59. Austin Felix Eden Prairie, MN 5 18-06 46
Day 1: 5 18-06
59. Alex Wetherell Middletown, CT 5 18-06 46
Day 1: 5 18-06
61. Cole Sands Johnson City, TN 5 18-03 44
Day 1: 5 18-03
62. John Cox Debary, FL 5 18-02 43
Day 1: 5 18-02
63. Chris Johnston Otonabee Ontario CANADA 5 18-00 42
Day 1: 5 18-00
64. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 5 17-13 41
Day 1: 5 17-13
65. Jason Williamson Aiken, SC 5 17-08 40
Day 1: 5 17-08
66. Jordan Lee Cullman, AL 5 17-00 39
Day 1: 5 17-00
67. Jacob Foutz Charleston, TN 5 16-12 38
Day 1: 5 16-12
67. Evan Kung Pickering Ontario CANAD 5 16-12 38
Day 1: 5 16-12
69. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 5 15-14 36
Day 1: 5 15-14
70. Logan Latuso Gonzales, LA 5 15-11 35
Day 1: 5 15-11
71. Justin Hamner Northport, AL 5 15-09 34
Day 1: 5 15-09
71. Pat Schlapper Eleva, WI 5 15-09 34
Day 1: 5 15-09
73. Ray Hanselman Jr Del Rio, TX 5 15-07 32
Day 1: 5 15-07
74. Kyle Norsetter Cottage Grove, WI 5 15-04 31
Day 1: 5 15-04
75. Bob Downey Detroit Lakes, MN 5 14-14 30
Day 1: 5 14-14
75. Jonathan Kelley Old Forge, PA 5 14-14 30
Day 1: 5 14-14
77. Marc Frazier Newnan, GA 5 14-13 28
Day 1: 5 14-13
78. Gerald Swindle Guntersville, AL 4 14-11 27
Day 1: 4 14-11
79. Joey Cifuentes III Clinton, AR 5 14-09 26
Day 1: 5 14-09
79. Michael Iaconelli Pitts Grove, NJ 5 14-09 26
Day 1: 5 14-09
81. Brandon Card Salisbury, NC 5 14-08 24
Day 1: 5 14-08
82. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 5 14-07 23
Day 1: 5 14-07
83. Lee Livesay Longview, TX 5 14-05 22
Day 1: 5 14-05
84. Carl Jocumsen Queensland TN AUSTRALIA 4 14-01 21
Day 1: 4 14-01
85. Robert Gee Knoxville, TN 5 13-13 20
Day 1: 5 13-13
86. Matty Wong Honolulu, HI 5 13-09 19
Day 1: 5 13-09
87. Logan Parks Auburn, AL 5 13-07 18
Day 1: 5 13-07
88. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 5 12-12 17
Day 1: 5 12-12
89. KJ Queen Catawba, NC 4 11-14 16
Day 1: 4 11-14
90. Jeff Gustafson Kenora, ON Ontario CANA 4 11-13 15
Day 1: 4 11-13
91. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 5 11-09 14
Day 1: 5 11-09
92. Blake Capps Muskogee, OK 5 11-05 13
Day 1: 5 11-05
93. Jamie Hartman Newport, NY 5 10-10 12
Day 1: 5 10-10
94. Luke Palmer Coalgate, OK 5 10-08 11
Day 1: 5 10-08
95. Chad Pipkens Dewitt, MI 5 09-01 10
Day 1: 5 09-01
96. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 2 07-13 9
Day 1: 2 07-13
97. Timothy Dube Nashua , NH 2 07-09 8
Day 1: 2 07-09
98. Hank Cherry Jr Lincolnton, NC 2 04-14 7
Day 1: 2 04-14
99. David Gaston Sylacauga, AL 3 04-08 6
Day 1: 3 04-08
100. Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 3 04-01 5
Day 1: 3 04-01
101. Gregory DiPalma Millville, NJ 2 04-00 4
Day 1: 2 04-00
102. Kenta Kimura Osaka OK JAPAN 1 03-04 3
Day 1: 1 03-04
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 90 485 1961-10
----------------------------------
90 485 1961-10

by AnglersChannel

Montevallo Continues to Extend Its Lead in the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year

University of North Alabama moves up to 2^nd, and McKendree University is in 3^rd

The Association of Collegiate Anglers releases the latest standings for the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia. This points update features results from the latest Bassmaster College Series tournament, as well as numerous School-Run/Other events. Teams ranked in the Top 25 per this standings release will qualify to send up to three teams in addition to their one guaranteed team, for a maximum of four teams total(excluding additional qualifications via other criteria) to be entered into the historic 20^th Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops.

In this latest points update, the University of Montevallo remains in 1^st place. The University of North Alabama climbs one spot to be ranked 2^nd, and McKendree University falls back to 3^rd.

From the previous points update to now, the University of Montevallo has again almost doubled its lead in the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia. During the last update, Montevallo led then 2^nd ranked McKendree University by 1,970 points. Montevallo now leads 2^nd ranked UNA by 3,830 points.

At the latest Bassmaster College Series event at Buggs Island, four-time defending title winning University of Montevallo placed its two highest-finishing teams in the Top 10. Brennan Berglund & Colton White placed 5^th, and Storm Clark & Elisha Colley finished in 7^th. Those two top finishes earned the team 2,400 points. Montevallo earned the most points of any school to compete at that double points tournament.

Carson-Newman University also earned significant points at the Buggs Island event to close the gap between 2^nd and 4^th to 425 points.

Along with UNA moving from 3^rd to 2^nd, two other teams improved their ranking inside of the Top 25 for this update to the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia:

11) Blue Mountain Christian University – Previously ranked 13^th

12) Adrian College – Previously Ranked 14^th

View the complete rankings here.

The next major event on the points qualifying schedule for the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia is the Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops. This year’s tournament marks the ACA’s historic 20^thNational Championship, and will be worth triple points. With the standings in college fishing’s only all-encompassing National Rankings system packed so tight, the ACA’s final event of the 2024-25 season will be key in defining the final standings for this campaign.

by AnglersChannel

B&W Trailer Hitches Heavy Hitters All-Star Event Set to Compete on Smith Mountain Lake Next Week – $100K Payday for One Bass

One of Virginia’s finest fisheries takes center stage as MLF Bass Pro Tour pros target big fish and massive payouts

FRANKLIN COUNTY, Va. (May 8, 2025) – One fish. One cast. One hundred thousand dollars. That’s what’s at stake next week when the sixth-annual Major League Fishing (MLF) all-star event – B&W Trailer Hitches Heavy Hitters Presented by Bass Pro Shops – hits Smith Mountain Lake, May 17-22.

Hosted by Visit Franklin County, Virginia and Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge , the All-Star tournament will showcase the 30 pros that qualified from the 2024 Bass Pro Tour season competing for a top prize of $100,000 to the winner. Anglers will also be awarded Berkley Big Bass bonuses during the competition, that pay up to $100,000 for catching the single biggest bass.

To qualify for B&W Heavy Hitters, the weight of an angler’s single-largest bass from each event of the seven 2024 Bass Pro Tour events was recorded. The 30 anglers with the heaviest total from those seven bass qualified to compete in this event.

“We are beyond excited to welcome Major League Fishing's top big bass anglers to Smith Mountain Lake,” said Kevin Tosh, Director of Tourism and Communications at Visit Franklin County, Virginia. “This prestigious event is a powerful opportunity to showcase not only one of America's rising top tier bass fisheries but also the vibrant metro-mountain charm of Franklin County, Virginia’s Blue Ridge, and the entire Smith Mountain Lake community. This moment has been years in the making, thanks to the dedication of local anglers, conservationists and partners who’ve invested in sustainable fishery practices. We invite anglers, fans and families alike to experience ‘Virginia’s Big Bass Playground’ and enjoy everything our beautiful destination has to offer.”

While MLF has held 61 tournaments on Smith Mountain Lake in various circuits in the past, this event marks the first time that the MLF Bass Pro Tour will hold a tournament on the fishery.

“Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge and Visit Franklin County, Virginia are excited to co-host the 2025 B&W Trailer Hitches Heavy Hitters tournament at Smith Mountain Lake,” said John Oney, Vice President of Sports & Sales at Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge. “We’re looking forward to welcoming our friends at Major League Fishing, a premier professional bass fishing brand, to our destination. This all-star Bass Pro Tour event will feature professional anglers, families, staff and other support personnel from across the country in a six-day competition. As a result of hosting, our region will be highlighted through ongoing national television coverage on Discovery Channel, Outdoor Channel and MLFNOW! live streaming. This tournament will give our region a terrific platform to showcase our outdoor recreation opportunities, arts & culture, attractions and many other metro mountain adventures that we’re known for.”

As the 2025 B&W Trailer Hitches Heavy Hitters event descends upon Smith Mountain Lake, anticipation is high for what promises to be an unpredictable showdown on one of the East coast’s more underrated bass fisheries. Local pro Martin Villa of Charlottesville, Virginia , who will be among the 30 competitors in this event, said Smith Mountain Lake is fishing better than ever and is more than ready for the spotlight.

“Virginia’s done a phenomenal job on this fishery, and they’ve been stocking it for quite a while,” said Villa. “It's been a minute since any big event has been here, but it seems like the region is setting up for a series of professional events over the next five years. It's Virginia's best fishery, hands down.”

As one of the most scenic and consistent fisheries in the Mid-Atlantic, Smith Mountain Lake is a natural fit for the high-stakes format of Heavy Hitters, where every fish counts – and the biggest bass of each round can net anglers a hefty bonus check. The timing of the event places the field squarely in the middle of a complex seasonal transition, according to Villa, which means anglers will likely see a little bit of everything – spawning fish, fry guarders and shad spawn activity.

“We’re hitting the fishery, for this event, during the second half of the spawn,” Villa explained. “It's been kind of a strange spawn in Virginia. They jumped on the beds real early and then it stalled out. But the water is warm enough now where the shad spawn will be going on as well. So, it's a lot like what we ran into at Lake Chickamauga where you'll have bedding bass and fry guarders as well as shad balls and fish targeting them.”

With no restrictions on forward-facing sonar during the Heavy Hitters event, Villa expects the technology to play a major role in how the tournament shakes out.

“This is an exceptional forward-facing sonar fishery,” he said. “Ever since forward-facing sonar came out, the bar has risen on this lake. There’s been quite a few seven- to 11-pound bass caught over the wintertime and in late spring.”

While many of those big fish slide shallow during the spawn, Villa said forward-facing sonar will likely unlock offshore opportunities all day long.

“With it being allowed the entire day during this event, it’s probably going to dominate,” Villa said. “But this is one of these fisheries that’s everybody's favorite because anglers can really fish to their strengths. The upper ends are great, but you can really win this thing in any section of the lake.”

Villa also noted that shoals and offshore structure will come into play, depending on how much water is moving through the system. And as a part of the Roanoke River system, Smith Mountain Lake is known for its water clarity and quality – something Villa says anglers shouldn’t overlook.

“Smith Mountain Lake has excellent water quality. You can find muddy water if you want to fish it, but the lake is mostly clear,” he said. “This is one of these fisheries where fish live from one end to the other. You don’t have to go looking for where they are – they’re everywhere. We take that for granted in Virginia, but it’s a good thing.”

With a unique format that emphasizes both quantity and quality, Villa believes strategy will shift over the course of the week – especially with the 3-pound minimum on Championship Day.

“During the Qualifying and Knockout Rounds, catching males will be fine – on this lake they’ll be over two pounds,” he said. “But during the Championship Round, anglers are definitely going to need to find the females to get to that three-pound minimum.

“This is a fishery that's known for three- to six-pound bass, but not necessarily known for lots and lots of bites,” Villa continued. “But I think somebody who puts 15 bass on the board daily – about 40 pounds per day – will advance. But I wouldn’t be surprised if someone finds a big school of fish and runs it way up.”

The Bass Pro Tour trailering policy has been enacted for this event, so anglers will depart Trinity Ecumenical Parish each morning at 6:15 a.m. to one of five launch ramps located around the fishery. Anglers will return to Trinity Ecumenical Parish each evening following the end of competition at 3:45 p.m. Fans are encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLFNOW! live stream and SCORETRACKER® coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

B&W Trailer Hitches Heavy Hitters at Smith Mountain Lake Presented by Bass Pro Shops features the MLF catch, weigh, immediate-release format, in which anglers catch as much weight as they can each day, while also feeling the pressure and intensity of the SCORETRACKER® leaderboard. A bass must meet the 2-pound minimum weight requirement for a bass to be deemed scorable in the Qualifying and Knockout Rounds, but for the final day Championship Round a bass must weigh at least 3 pounds to be deemed scorable.

The 15 Anglers in Group A compete in their two-day qualifying round on Saturday and Monday – the 15 anglers in Group B on Sunday and Tuesday. After each two-day qualifying round is complete, the top eight anglers from both groups advance to Wednesday’s Knockout Round. In the Knockout Round weights are zeroed, and the remaining 16 anglers compete to finish in the Top 10 to advance to the Championship Round. In Thursday’s final-day Championship Round, weights are zeroed, and the highest one-day total wins the top prize of $100,000.

In addition to overall tournament awards, Berkley Big Bass bonuses are awarded in each round of competition with payouts of $10,000 for the single biggest bass on each day of Group A & B Qualifying, $30,000 for the biggest bass in the Knockout Round and $100,000 for the biggest bass in the Championship Round.

The 30 anglers that will compete in B&W Trailer Hitches Heavy Hitters at Smith Mountain Lake Presented by Bass Pro Shops are:

Group A:
Matt Becker, Ten Mile, Tenn.
Cliff Crochet, Pierre Part, La.
Mark Daniels Jr., Tuskegee, Ala.
Edwin Evers, Talala, Okla.
Drew Gill, Mount Carmel, Ill.
Nick Hatfield, Greeneville, Tenn.
Dylan Hays, Hot Springs, Ark.
Alton Jones, Lorena, Texas
Alton Jones Jr., Waco, Texas
Dave Lefebre, Erie, Pa.
Andy Morgan, Dayton, Tenn.
Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn.
Fred Roumbanis, Russellville, Ark.
Jeff Sprague, Wills Point, Texas
Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn.

Group B:
Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla.
Luke Clausen, Spokane, Wash.
Dustin Connell, Clanton, Ala.
Brent Ehrler, Redlands, Calif.
Cole Floyd, Leesburg, Ohio
Shin Fukae, Osaka, Japan
Bobby Lane, Lakeland, Fla.
Nick LeBrun, Bossier City, La.
Justin Lucas, Guntersville, Ala.
Britt Myers, Lake Wylie, S.C.
Keith Poche, Pike Road, Ala.
Marshall Robinson, Landrum, S.C.
Matthew Stefan, Junction City, Wis.
Jonathon VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich.
Martin Villa, Charlottesville, Va.

The MLFNOW! broadcast team of Chad McKee and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action live on all six days of competition from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET. MLFNOW! will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com, the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app, and Rumble.

Television coverage of B&W Trailer Hitches Heavy Hitters 2025 Presented by Bass Pro Shops will be showcased across six two-hour episodes, premiering at 7 a.m. ET, July 26 and running each Saturday through Aug. 30 on Discovery. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on Discovery, with re-airings on the Outdoor Channel.

Proud sponsors of the 2025 B&W Trailer Hitches Heavy Hitters include: 7Brew Coffee, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Barbasol, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, BUBBA, E3 Sport Apparel, Kubota, Lowrance, Lucas Oil, Mercury, MillerTech, Mossy Oak Fishing, NITRO Boats, Onyx, Power-Pole, Ranger Boats, Star brite, Toyota, YETI and Zenni.

For complete details and updated information on Major League Fishing and the Bass Pro Tour, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook , X, Instagram and YouTube.

by AnglersChannel

Ian Boehm Takes Day One Lead of WON Bass Lake Havasu Open

Ty Manterola places second to start the 2025 Event

Lake Havasu City, Ariz. – May 7, 2025 –– Think of Lake Havasu, heck, think of Arizona fisheries in general in May and bright sun and heat are among the first thoughts that come to mind. As the 2025 Ranger Boats WON Bass Lake Havasu Open presented by Mercury approached, the conditions were nothing but usual.

Cool temperatures, even some rains met the field as practice commenced, and as the first day of the event approached, seasonably cool temperatures in the low 80’s with overnight lows in the high 60’s were on the menu. Those conditions led to comfortable fishing conditions for the 143 Pro anglers and their AAA partners, and for the first day at least, the fishing also proved to be strong.

The angler that took the most advantage of the day’s conditions was 27-year-old Desert Hills, Ariz. pro Ian Boehm and his AAA partner David Shearrer of Trabuco Canyon, Calif. The pair brought 22.43 pounds of Lake Havasu bass – including the 8.96-pound big bass of the day - to the Riviera Marina scales to take the day one lead.

They were followed in second place by Paco, Wash. Pro Ty Manterola and his AAA partner Thaddeus Vinson of Medford, Ore. With 20.50 pounds. Both pairs arrived at their weights in entirely different fashions.

Boehm reported his day kicking off in rapid fashion with little adversity. “I made a short run and caught a couple on my second spot using Forward Facing Sonar,” he said. “Things got interesting on our next pot when my partner caught a pound and a half smallmouth, and I set my rod down to net it. When I picked my rod back up, it was hung, so I asked him to hold it; it wasn’t snagged, it was a two and a half pound largemouth.”

His third stop, after a run toward the south yielded the big fish of the day. “I saw her about 20 feet from the boat and made a cast to her with a drop shot rig – and she bit,” he said. “That was crazy for Havasu, they don’t normally do that. Then, I caught my final weigh fish at 9:30, a four and a half pounder that made my final weight.”

Boehm said that he’s looking forward to day two. “I think it’s going to get tougher with the heat and high skies coming,” he said. “But I feel good about it because I really didn’t lean on any of my stuff today, I feel confident.”

Despite a total weight that was good enough for second place, Manterola felt he left plenty on the table. “I lost a pair of really good reaction bait fish this morning, and it was not a good start,” he said. “I had to settle down and fish with my Forward Facing Sonar to get a limit, but my co angler really saved the day with his big fish, that was huge (Vinson weighed a 6.96-pound largemouth that was the AAA Big Bass of the Day), I’ve got some ground to make up.”

Third place for the day was a tie between East Valley, Calif. pro Hayden Metz and his AAA partner Craig Paclik from North Las Vegas, Nev. and Los Angeles, Calif. pro Anthony Garcia and AAA Danny Craig from San Clemente, Calif. with 19.81 pounds. Fifth place after the tie went to Phoenix, Ariz. pro Robert Kettner and Lake Havasu City, Ariz AAA Robert Petersen with 19.26 pounds.

Day two begins tomorrow from Riviera Marina at safe light.

The winner of the 2025 Ranger Boats WON Bass Lake Havasu Open presented by Mercury, will earn the Ranger Boats / Mercury Motor prize boat provided by Bass Pro Shops.

The daily livestream of the weigh-ins aired on the WON Bass Facebook page, located at Facebook.com/WONBassTournaments.

The top 10 in each division are posted below: for complete standings, visit - https://wonbassevents.com/pages/lake-havasu-open-pairings-results.

2025 WON Bass Lake Havasu Open Day One – Pro Standings

	Angler	Hometown	Fish	Wght	Pnlty	B/B	Day 1	Total

1	Ian Boehm	Desert Hills AZ	5-5	22.43		8.96	22.43	22.43
2	Ty Manterola	Paco WA	5-5	20.50			20.50	20.50
3	Hayden Metz	Eastvalle CA	5-5	19.81		7.14	19.81	19.81
3	Anthony Garcia	Los Angeles CA	5-5	19.81		5.67	19.81	19.81
5	Robert Kettner	Pheonix AZ	5-5	19.26			19.26	19.26
6	Julius Mazy	Phoenix AZ	5-5	19.24		6.44	19.24	19.24
7	Shane Edgar	Glendale AZ	5-5	18.66		5.66	18.66	18.66
8	Justin Patti	Peoria AZ	5-5	18.42		5.93	18.42	18.42
9	Daylon Smith	Frazier Park CA	5-5	18.21			18.21	18.21
10	Randy McAbee, Jr.	Bakersfield CA	5-5	18.15			18.15	18.15

2025 WON Bass Lake Havasu Open Day One – AAA Standings

	Angler	Hometown	Fish	Wght	Pnlty	B/B	Day 1	Total

1	David Shearrer	Trabuco Canyon CA	5-5	22.43			22.43	22.43
2	Thaddeus Vinson	Medford OR	5-5	20.50		6.96	20.50	20.50
3	Craig Paclik	North Las Vegas NV	5-5	19.81			19.81	19.81
3	Danny Craig	San Clemente CA	5-5	19.81			19.81	19.81
5	Robert Petersen	Lake Havasu City AZ	5-5	19.26			19.26	19.26
6	Geoff Peterson	Huntington Beach CA	5-5	19.24			19.24	19.24
7	Tim Skellett	Apache Junction AZ	5-5	18.66			18.66	18.66
8	Mark Snitow	Lake Havasu City AZ	5-5	18.42		3.87	18.42	18.42
9	Keith Honeycutt	Temple TX	5-5	18.21			18.21	18.21
10	Andy Becker	Lake Havasu City AZ	5-5	18.15		5.68	18.15	18.15

Feb. 5 to 7, 2025 - Lake Shasta – Champion Joe Uribe

April 9 to 11, 2025 - Clear Lake – Champion John Pearl

May 7 to 9, 2025 - Lake Havasu

Sept. 10 to 12, 2025 - Lake Mead

Oct. 6 to 8, 2025 - U.S. Open at Lake Mohave

For complete details or to register, look to wonbassevents.com and WONews.com to hear the latest news about the 2024 season and beyond and follow along at Facebook.com/WONBassTournaments.

The 2025 WON Bass California Open at Clear Lake is brought to you by Bass Pro Shops, Ranger Boats, Mercury Marine, Nitro Boats, Triton Boats, Bridgford Foods, Volta Power Lithium, Power Pole, Lowrance, Daiwa, AFTCO, Costa, Berkley, Abu Garcia, Fenwick Rods, Anderson Toyota, A&M Graphics, Anglers Marine, Signature Gates, DD26 Fishing, Bad Ass Bearings, Cipher Fishing, Megaware Keelguard and GRatt.

Local presenting sponsors are Anderson Toyota and Riviera Marina. Daily takeoffs and weigh-ins occur at Riviera Marina.

by AnglersChannel

Vast Sabine River fishery sets stage for Bassmaster Elite Series drama

ORANGE, Texas — Long runs and low weights may sound like a bummer, but those who’ve fished the Sabine River know this is one of the most engaging and potentially dramatic of Southern fisheries. If past tournaments provide any indication, the MAXAM Tire Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River should offer another highly entertaining event.

Competition days will be May 15-18 with daily takeoffs from City of Orange Boat Ramp, at 6:30 a.m. CT and weigh-ins each day back at the boat ramp at 2:30 p.m.

While the Sabine’s relatively modest fish size pales in comparison to the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series’ previous stop at the Texas monster factory Lake Fork, the Sabine still has plenty of bass. According to Caleb Sumrall of New Iberia, La., the challenge will be weeding through quantity in hopes of finding quality.

“The goal is to find those 2 1/2- to 3-pound bass,” Sumrall said. “Every spring, a 7- to 9-pounder comes out of there. But if you catch a 5 or a 6, you have a fish that you can ride for a couple days. That’s a really big fish for (May).

“I think a lot of people will have limits; there’s no shortage of 12-inch bass, but it’s a matter of who’s gonna break over that 8- to 10-pound a day mark to have a good check. The guy that catches 11 1/2 to 12 pounds a day will probably win it.”

With tournament water comprising the Sabine River and multiple tributaries spanning seven Texas counties, anglers have a vast playing field at their disposal. As Sumrall explained, most anglers will fish what’s considered the main waterways.

“You have the Sabine River, the Trinity River, the Neches River, Taylor Slough and Cow Bayou, and each one has its own features,” Sumrall said. “You go into Cow Bayou and there’s cypress trees, cypress stumps and marsh grass.

“Taylor is predominantly marsh grass, then the Neches starts off with marsh and turns into cypress tree cover and the Sabine does the same. It could be a little bit of everything.”

When the Elites competed at the Sabine in 2021, intrepid anglers pushed opposite ends of tournament boundaries, with Jason Christie ultimately winning in a small creek off the Sabine located just below the Toledo Bend Dam. That event’s first three days saw second-place finisher Brock Mosley running 110 miles west to fish Clear Creek on the east side of metro Houston.

Notably, the next time the Bassmaster Elite Series visited the Sabine in 2023, Mosley split his first three days between an industrial waterway encompassing Orange Harbor Island a couple miles downriver from the takeoff site and Taylor Slough, about 45 minutes south. He spent his entire final day in that industrial area and won the event.

While this year’s event will likely see most of the eastern tournament waters in play, Sumrall believes the potential for quality fish in less-pressured western areas does not merit the considerable loss of fishing time.

“It’s a hard commitment to make,” he said. “Houston is a big gamble, and it hardly ever lasts four days unless it’s the spawn."

Sumrall said recent local and upstream rains will likely have the water level a little higher and possibly muddier in certain areas. Closer to the Gulf, tides clean the waters quickly, but farther inland, turbidity lingers longer.

“It’s going to be full summer patterns,” Sumrall said. “You’re going to see people fishing a little dirtier water, but finding moving water, oxygenated water — that’s the stuff most people will be looking for.”

The Sabine’s diverse natural and man-made habitat features lend themselves to a variety of power fishing techniques, such as flipping jigs and Texas-rigged plastics or throwing reaction baits such as ChatterBaits, crankbaits and topwaters.

Finesse fishing could play a role, especially when the midday slump invokes lethargy. During that 2021 event, Japanese pro Taku Ito fished wacky-rigged plastics under a bridge near takeoff and tempted key fish, while others struggled to trigger reaction bites.

Ultimately, Sumrall believes victory will require a few key catches that allow an angler to break away from the pack. Strategy will play a big role, as competitors must know when to leave a population of smaller fish in hopes of finding one big bass.

“A lot of guys will come in with 7 to 8 pounds a day, but catching a 3-plus-pounder every day will be the biggest challenge,” Sumrall said. “It’s about getting a couple better-than-average quality bites every day.”

Bassmaster LIVE coverage of the MAXAM Tire Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River will be available on Bassmaster.com on Days 1 and 2 starting at 8 a.m. ET and ending at 3 p.m. Roku will have coverage on Days 1 and 2 from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. and noon to 3 p.m. FS1 will carry the morning action on Days 3 and 4 from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. before moving to Bassmaster.com in the afternoon.

The MAXAM Tire Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River is being hosted by the Greater Orange Area Chamber of Commerce.

2025 Bassmaster Elite Series Platinum Sponsor: Progressive, Toyota
2025 Bassmaster Elite Series Premier Sponsors: Bass Pro Shops, Dakota Lithium, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha
2025 Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: AFTCO, Daiwa, Garmin, Lew's, Lowrance, Triton Boats, VMC, Yokohama

About B.A.S.S.

by AnglersChannel

MLF Toyota Series Central Division Set to Close Next Week with Toyota Series at Lake Guntersville Presented by Suzuki Marine

SCOTTSBORO, Ala. (May 7, 2025) – The third and final regular-season event of the Major League Fishing (MLF) Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats Central Division is set to take place next week, May 14-16, in Scottsboro, Alabama – the Toyota Series at Lake Guntersville Presented by Suzuki Marine.

The three-day bass tournament, hosted by the Mountain Lakes Chamber of Commerce, will showcase the region’s top bass-fishing boaters and co-anglers competing for a grand prize of up to $100,000 in the pro division and a new Phoenix 518 Pro boat with a 115-horsepower outboard motor plus $5,000 in the co-angler division.

“This one’s shaping up to be a full-on ledge tournament,” said 21-year-old pro Hayden Marbut of Birmingham, who won the Toyota Series event held at Lake Guntersville last year. “We’re at the very end of the postspawn. There might be a few guys still looking for and fishing beds, but most of the fish – and most of the anglers – are going to be offshore, targeting schools.”

While some isolated structure may factor in, Marbut believes the winning pattern will revolve around timing and location on offshore ledges.

“Out there right now, I don’t think anybody’s going to have much to themselves,” Marbut explained. “So, to be successful, you’ll probably need to find something a little off the wall and mix in a couple key schools and hope you can manage them. The offshore spots on Guntersville just aren’t that big, and with all the locals in this event it’s going to get crowded fast.”

Still, despite the anticipated pressure, Marbut expects Lake Guntersville to show out.

“There’s going to be a ton of 20-pound bags, for sure,” he said. “Last week in a local tournament there were a couple of 25s and the Nutt brothers, who are fishing in this event, weighed in 30. I’m not sure we’ll see multiple 30-pound days with the boat traffic, but someone’s definitely going to hit a big one.

“If you can average 25 a day, you’ll be in the mix,” Marbut continued. “But it could take even more. It just depends on what you can get on and how well you can manage it over three days.”

When it comes to baits, Marbut said his plan is to keep it classic.

“Big cranks, hair jigs, flutter spoons – your usual ledge stuff,” he said. “There’ll also be big worms, football jigs, and of course, some minnow baits with how forward-facing sonar plays now. I’ll definitely be slinging some of the new Nomad Design minnows in this one.”

Anglers will begin each day at 6 a.m. CT, launching from the Goose Pond Colony Resort, located at 417 Ed Hembree Drive in Scottsboro. Weigh-ins will take place at the resort starting at 2 p.m. daily. Fans are invited to attend in person and can also stay connected by following the “MLF Live” weigh-in broadcasts and daily updates on MajorLeagueFishing.com.

In Toyota Series regular-season competition, payouts are based on the number of participants competing in the event, scaling up for every 20 boats over 160 and scaling down for every boat below 160. With a 160-boat field, pros fish for a top prize of up to $75,000, if Phoenix MLF Bonus qualified. Co-anglers cast for the top prize of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard (valued at $33,500). With a 260-boat field, pros fish for a top award of up to $100,000, if Phoenix MLF Bonus qualified. Co-anglers compete for the top prize of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard plus $5,000 cash.

The 2025 Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats consists of five divisions – Central, Northern, Plains, Southern and the Southwestern – each holding three regular-season events, along with the International and Wild Card divisions. Anglers who fish in any of the five divisions or the Wild Card division and finish in the top 25 will qualify for the no-entry-fee Toyota Series Championship for a shot at winning up to $235,000 and a qualification to REDCREST 2026. The winning co-angler at the championship earns a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard. The 2025 Toyota Series Championship will be held Nov. 6-8 on Grand Lake in Grove, Oklahoma, and is hosted by the City of Grove Convention & Tourism Bureau.

Proud sponsors of the 2025 MLF Toyota Series include: 7Brew, Abu Garcia, Athletic Brewing, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, Deep Dive App, E3 Sport Apparel, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, Grizzly, Humminbird, Lew’s, Mercury, Minn Kota, Mossy Oak, Onyx, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Phoenix Boats, Polaris, Power-Pole, Precision Sonar, Strike King, Suzuki Marine, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, WIX Filters and YETI.

For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Toyota Series updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the MLF5 social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

by AnglersChannel

Premier Lake Fork Guide Previews Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite

Courtesy of Dynamic Sponsorships

It takes a special fishery to get the Bassmaster Elite Series field worked up, but famed Lake Fork in northeast Texas is that kind of pond. This iconic reservoir has hosted five previous Elite Series tournaments scattered across the calendar from November, to March, to June and every single one of them has delivered giant largemouth and heavy weight bags this body of water has become known for.

The 2025 Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite is setting up to be another notable event, just ask top local fishing guide James Caldemeyer of Lake Fork Trophy Bass Guide Service. Few people have invested more time on Lake Fork than Caldemeyer, who spent approximately 280 days on the waters of Fork in the past year alone.

The longtime supporter of the Toyota Bonus Bucks program has helped client’s boat hundreds of ten-plus-pound trophy bass over the years and he believes Fork is primed to dish out another impressive tournament for Elite anglers and fishing fans alike.

Lake Fork is full and healthy

“Lake Fork is in excellent condition – she’s in the best shape that I’ve seen in over a decade,” Caldemeyer reported. “This years and last year’s spawns were incredible, and we’ve seen what had been dormant creeks or areas on the lake coming back to life. I think this is mainly to do with water level. Fork is currently at capacity, or maybe a little over, and it’s been stable for a while.”

Caldemeyer talks about Fork like he’s reminiscing on an old friend, and you could hear the excitement in his voice as he commended the status of the fishery. In general, the health of Fork should be a benefit to all 102-competitors, but this lake does throw its share of curveballs.

“Fork being above or at full capacity usually means current and current can be tricky here,” Caldemeyer explained. “There are still plenty of fish up shallow right now, and there will be guys who find a lot of fish shallow in practice, but shallow fish don’t always respond well to current here in my opinion. Whereas current can make offshore fish go crazy… they like it out there.

“Lake Fork is not river fed like so many other reservoirs in the country. Instead, Fork is fed by creeks, which usually makes things a little more stable, but it also makes planning for – or against – the presence of current really tough to do in a multiple-day event.”

Anglers will be able to pick their poison, but offshore get Caldemeyer’s nod

According to Caldemeyer, there is still a solid percentage of fish holding shallow on Fork during the first week of May while the offshore bite improves by the day as groups of fish move from spawning flats to deeper water haunts. Therefore, options will abound for Elite competitors.

“I’d say 35% of the bass are still shallow, somewhere around the spawning stage,” Caldemeyer said. “There should also be a strong shad spawn first thing in the morning. And, of course, the offshore bite is coming on strong. Whether you are using FFS to target individual fish or searching for the first schools of offshore bass, guys will be able to pick their poison this week.”

Having so many possibilities available should spread competitors out and allow them to fish their strengths, showcasing Lake Fork’s full potential. While Caldemeyer thinks there will be a lot of big bass caught shallow bed fishing or on frogs, swimjigs, and other power fishing techniques - he does believe it will be hard to keep up with weights tallied offshore.

Noting that he would lean heavily on his Garmin LiveScope if he were competing this week. Employing baits like a deep diving Berkley Dredger crankbait, a magnum flutterspoon, and a jighead minnow to key on suspended fish.

“A lot of fish are kind of in that post spawn funk right now,” Caldemeyer said. “They are starting to show up offshore, but they are often suspended and are not in the best mood quite yet. They will be there to be caught, but it won’t be easy. Tahe guys who can figure those fish out will likely be your leaders.”

Caldemeyer suspects more than five anglers will eclipse 100-pounds of cumulative weight to earn a century belt this week, and eyes the 25-lb. mark to be the goal weight of anyone who wants to hoist the trophy on Sunday.

“I don’t know if anyone will beat Trey’s 130-lbs from last March, but they absolutely have to have 25-lbs. per day if they want a shot at winning,” Caldemeyer offered. “This isn’t a lake where you can catch 18-lbs and then recover, which says a lot about the fishery. If you want to win, you need to catch 25-lbs. at minimum.”

When five pounders are merely par for the course, it’s easy to see why the excitement level of the Elite field is heightened as their practice comes to an end and they prep for competition to begin at sunrise tomorrow morning.

by AnglersChannel

Cover Boy Brandon Card’s Lake Fork Forecast

There are family photos to prove Vexus® Boats pro Brandon Card has been flipping through the pages of bass fishing magazines since age three, perhaps dreaming of being on the front cover of 500,000 copies of Bassmaster Magazine where he finds himself this month at age 38.

Now a pro for 14 years, the University of Kentucky grad who calls High Rock Lake, NC home has notched two 4^th place finishes in recent Elite Series events on Lake Fork, and graciously shared his thoughts about being on the front cover of the magazine he grew up reading, and what fans can expect at this week’s Bassmaster Elite event.

Q: When did you first learn Dalton Tumblin’s photo of you landing a smallmouth on Lake Saint Clair would be on the cover of Bassmaster Magazine?

Card: Editor James Hall called me about a month before it printed to make sure my sponsors and jersey were still consistent with those shown in the photo, and at first, I thought it was for the media guide or website. Then he told me it was for the cover of Bassmaster, and I was fairly speechless. I’m just so grateful.

Q: You’ve done very well on Fork, notching two Top 5s in recent years. Why does this place suit you so well?

Card: When the fish are mostly done spawning and head away from the shoreline, it kind of fishes like Cherokee and Douglas in East Tennessee where I grew up. Both of those top finishes here recently took place away from the shoreline.

Q: Lake Fork is an iconic big bass lake, what’s the biggest bass you have ever caught, and what’s the biggest bass you have ever caught on Lake Fork?

Card: My biggest bass ever was a 9-pound 12-ounce giant on a plastic craw at Kissimmee, FL, but my biggest bass on Fork was 8-pounds 8-ounces on a forward-facing sonar minnow.

Q: What’s your forecast for what fishing fans can expect on Fork this week?

Card: The lake is full, but it’s still a fairly small reservoir compared to other places we fish, so guys will still be fishing close to one another, and it’s still going to take over 100 pounds to win.

Q: You were one of the very first pros to run a Vexus Boat. Five years later, what do you love most about it?

Card: That’s easy – the super comfortable AirWave® seats that cushion the shock from waves, and the massive amounts of storage.

Q: This Sunday is Mother’s Day. You’re super close to your mom and your bride, Kelly. How will you celebrate Mom’s Day as a touring pro away from home?

Card: We’ve agreed that if I’m in contention to win, that Kelly is flying to be here Sunday. That would be incredible! And yes, you’re right, my mom and Kelly are both my greatest fans, not just when I do well, but also to cheer me on and encourage me after the tough tournaments.

by AnglersChannel

2026 Alabama Bass Trail Tournament Series Dates and Locations Set

Decatur, Ala. (May 2, 2025) – The Alabama Bass Trail Tournament Series will enter its thirteenth season next year as the state's premier weekend tournament trail for amateur bass anglers with an 11-event schedule offering more than $750,000 in prizes and awards. The season gets underway February 21, 2026, on Lake Jordan, in Wetumpka, Alabama, and concludes October 16-17, 2026, with the championship on Lake Eufaula, in Eufaula, Alabama.

"In August 2024, the 12th season of the Alabama Bass Trail Tournament Series sold out in under seven minutes. That puts a tremendous amount of pressure on our team to put together a schedule that will excite the anglers and spur them to sign up like they did in 2024, but I think we have done it. We will be returning to Lake Eufaula for the championship for the first time since 2016, which is exciting for anglers in both the North and South divisions. I think this year's schedule offers a number of opportunities to see heavy weights atop the leaderboard," said Kay Donaldson, Director of the Alabama Bass Trail.

Sanctioned by BASS (Bass Anglers Sportsman Society), the Alabama Bass Trail Tournament Series contains two divisions, North and South, and each division is made up of five tournaments on five different lakes. The maximum number of boats for each tournament is 225. Teams must fish in all five tournaments in their respective division; no single entries will be allowed.

North Division: February 28, 2026 - Lake Guntersville, hosted by Marshall County Sports and Tourism March 28, 2026 - Pickwick Lake, hosted by Florence-Lauderdale Tourism April 18, 2026 - Neely Henry Lake, hosted by City of Gadsden May 09, 2026 - Wheeler Lake, hosted by Decatur Morgan Tourism June 20, 2026 - Weiss Lake, hosted by Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce

South Division: February 21, 2026 - Lake Jordan, hosted by Elmore County Economic Development Authority and the City of Wetumpka March 21, 2026 - Lay Lake, hosted by Discover Shelby April 11, 2026 - Lake Martin, hosted by Tallapoosa County Tourism May 16, 2026 - Logan Martin Lake, hosted by City of Lincoln June 13, 2026 - Alabama River (Cooter's Pond), hosted by City of Prattville

Hosted by the Eufaula-Barbour County Chamber of Commerce, the championship tournament will be held October 16-17, 2026, on Lake Eufaula.

The no-entry fee championship event will include up to 180 boats. The 180 boats are comprised of the 10 regular season winners, top 75 teams in points from both divisions that fished all five events in their respective divisions, along with the top five student teams, top five college teams and the top five couples teams collectively from both divisions that fished all five events in their respective divisions.

Each regular season tournament features a $15,000 guaranteed first place prize and pays 40 places totaling $64,450.

The no-entry fee championship will feature a $100,250 payout with a first-place prize of $50,000. There is also a $5,000 bonus cash prize for Angler of the Year and $2,500 for runner-up Angler of the Year.

2026 Payout Schedule: First Place - $15,000 Second Place - $7,500 Third Place - $6,000 Fourth Place - $4,000 Fifth Place - $3,000 Sixth Place - $2,000 Seventh Place - $1,300 Eighth Place - $1,300 Ninth Place - $1,300 Tenth Place - $1,300 11th – 15th - $1,000 each 16th – 25th - $750 each 26th – 30th - $600 each 31st – 40th - $500 each Big Fish - $1,000 ABT Gear - $250

2026 Championship Payout: First Place - $50,000 Second Place - $10,000 Third Place - $5,000 Fourth Place - $4,000 Fifth Place - $3,000 Sixth Place - $2,500 Seventh Place - $2,200 Eighth Place - $2,000 Ninth Place - $1,800 Tenth Place - $1,500 11th – 15th - $1,200 each 16th – 25th - $1,100 each Big Fish - $500 daily ABT Gear - $250

In addition, the Alabama Bass Trail will pay a $500 entry fee for the 18 teams who qualify for the B.A.S.S. Team Championship. According to Donaldson, over $750,000 in cash and prizes will be awarded when the Alabama Bass Trail Tournament Series wraps up its season in 2026.

The ABT Series will bring live on-the-water tournament action to viewers directly from the boats competing in the events and also will be televised later in 2026. The weigh-in and Live Leaderboard for each event will be streamed live on www.AlabamaBassTrail.org, on Facebook at Alabama Bass Trail Series and on the Alabama Bass Trail TV YouTube channel.

Anglers who fished all five events in their respective divisions in 2025 will be given a priority entry period beginning August 1, 2024, at 5:30 a.m. CST online at www.alabamabasstrail.org. Registration opens for new teams August 15 at 5:30 a.m. CST. The entry fee is $1,600 per team, which includes registration for all five tournaments in the respective division. Each team may choose to pay a $600 non-refundable deposit to hold the team's spot. The balance of $1,000 is due on or before December 19, 2025. All entry fees are subject to a credit card processing fee

Alabama Bass Trail Tournament sponsors include Phoenix Bass Boats, Landers McLarty Chevrolet, McGraw–Webb Chevrolet, Advantage Trailer Rentals, Alabama State Parks, Jack’s, Mountain Dew, FishAlabama.org, America’s First Federal Credit Union, Visit North Alabama, Alabama Tourism Department, T-H Marine Supplies, Inc., Power-Pole Total Boat Control, VMC, Rapala, Crush City, American Baitworks, Pro-Guide Batteries, Buffalo Rock Company, Garmin, Lew’s, Strike King, and Southern Protection Agency SPA .

WOTM–TV will continue the live-streaming and Angler's Channel will film and produce the Alabama Bass Trail television series to air at a later date.

For more information, call Donaldson at 855-934-7425 or visit www.alabamabasstrail.org.

About Alabama Bass Trail The Alabama Bass Trail is a program of the Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association. Its mission is to promote Alabama as a year-round fishing destination, to preserve natural resources for generations to come, and to educate high school and college-aged students to be good stewards of natural resources. The 13 bass fishing lakes consist of Lake Guntersville, Wheeler Lake, Pickwick Lake, Lewis Smith Lake, Neely Henry Lake, Weiss Lake, Lake Martin, Lay Lake, Logan Martin Lake, Lake Jordan, Alabama River, Lake Eufaula, and the Mobile-Tensaw River Delta. For more information, visit www.alabamabasstrail.org.

by AnglersChannel

A Case Study on How to Deal with High Water

By Vance McCullough, AC Insider

Going on a month now without any substantial rainfall at my house in North Florida. Our lakes and ponds have reacted by shirking the onset of summer heat, retreating into their own depths and revealing white sand beaches that beckon us to join them in the yet cool water. Might as well swim with the fish under the sun anyway as they are mostly feeding only beneath the moon now, their shoreline ambush points high and dry.

Such is not the case on Oklahoma’s Lake Eufaula where anglers participated in the Major League Fishing Toyota Series event this past weekend – well, one day this past weekend. The rains came down and the waters came up and the organization shortened the multi-day tournament to a one-day affair.

Three solid fish were enough to land three different anglers in the Top 10. Fourth place went to a man who only caught two, one of which took big bass honors at five pounds, twelve ounces.

A Texan by the name of River Lee took his first national level win with thirteen pounds, ten ounces, one of only five limits weighed-in among Top 10 finishers.

How he did it is a classic study in managing flood conditions during a tournament. Let’s have a look and learn along with Lee.

History tells us that bass go shallow and cling to hard cover such as wood under these conditions. They may also seek clearer water behind grass lines that filter out sediment. And the upper ends of creeks, oxbows or any place where water runs into the system should be the first places to clear up as the weather stabilizes. Keep this in mind as we read about Lee’s approach.

Spinnerbaits, jigs and plastics that feature a big profile and move a lot of water are all on deck for these tournaments. Lee used those time-tested classics, but he also threw a wacky rig to round out his bait selection.

A slow, thorough pace was important as evidenced by Lee’s frequent use of Power-Poles.

Here’s the story in Lee’s words as shared by our friends at our friends at MLF:

“In practice, before the water came up crazy, I was fishing the old bank line, where the bank grass was, and I was catching them,” said Lee. “We were getting a lot of bites on a wacky. So, going into it, I thought with the water still coming up that I still could do that. It would just have more water on it.

“I picked this area, and I put the trolling motor down in the mouth of it. Well, I just fished everything in front of me – flipped, wacky rig and spinnerbait. If I wasn't flipping, I was doing one of the other two. And my first bite, it came flipping in an isolated bush by a walkway of a dock.”

As Lee eased around his chosen area, he made the decision of the day. Recalling a pond he hadn’t been able to get into a few weeks ago in a BASS Nation event, the Texas pro gave it another go.

“I tried to get in there a few weeks ago, but (the water) wasn't high enough,” said Lee. “So, I was fishing in that creek and got all the way to the back, and I could hear the water running. I pulled up my phone and I looked at my Google Earth, and I was like, ‘I think we can get back there.’ It just looks like a wall of bushes, and the gap that I went through was probably like 4-foot wide – I had to force my boat in there. But once I got through that first wall of bushes, it was a little easier at that point. I guess that helped to kind of disguise it from everybody else.”

Once in the pond, Lee fished around the newest part of Lake Eufaula and didn’t catch anything until he got to a little spillway in the back. There, he plucked his second keeper of the day.

Then, Lee headed back into the regular lake and caught his third fish on a grass line on a wacky rig before returning eventually to his little pond. There, he caught the bass that pushed him over the top.

“I never caught anything in the pond itself; I caught them all where that spillway was running out,” he explained. “It was so shallow, but there was a little hole washed out in there that had just enough water for them to be there. The second time I went in there, I made 15 casts at it before I had a bite – I was fixing to leave it. I made one last cast up there and caught that fourth keeper. And I poled back down, because I had already picked my poles up – I was fixing to leave. I poled back down and made another cast and caught one the next cast. I don't know what happened, what triggered it or anything, but they just bit back-to-back.”

For baits, Lee used a Rapala Crush City Bronco Bug, a Rapala Crush City Pick Stick and a chartreuse and white, double-willow War Eagle spinnerbait.

by AnglersChannel

Athletic Brewing Company Named Official Non-Alcoholic Beer Sponsor of Major League Fishing

BENTON, Ky. (May 6, 2025) – Major League Fishing (MLF), the world’s largest tournament fishing organization, announced today that Athletic Brewing Company has been named the Official Non-Alcoholic Beer Sponsor throughout the 2025 and 2026 seasons. The multi-year agreement unites two brands committed to the great outdoors.

Athletic Brewing will hold category exclusivity within non-alcoholic beer across multiple MLF-owned properties, including the Bass Pro Tour, Tackle Warehouse Invitationals, Toyota Series and Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) events. As part of the deal, Athletic Brewing will enjoy broad marketing rights, media exposure and event activation.

“We’re thrilled to bring Athletic Brewing into the MLF family,” said Chris Bork, Vice President of Sponsorship & Sales Development for MLF. “Their commitment to quality, community and outdoor adventure aligns perfectly with the MLF lifestyle. From their award-winning brews to their impact-driven mission, Athletic Brewing is a great fit for our anglers and fans alike.”

Athletic’s Two For The Trails environmental grant program and IMPACT initiatives align closely with MLF’s own environmental stewardship, furthering the positive influence of both organizations.

"Athletic Brewing is delighted to become the Official Non-Alcoholic Beer of Major League Fishing, a captivating blend of sport and entertainment where top anglers pursue their passion,” said Athletic Brewing Chief Marketing Officer Andrew Katz. “This community’s passion for adventure on the water deeply resonates with us, and we can’t wait to share our award-winning NA brews with them over the next two seasons.”

Launched commercially in 2018, Athletic pioneered a proprietary method for making non-alcoholic beer, re-engineering nearly every step of the brewing process through hundreds of small-batch trials. This innovative approach has made Athletic the most highly awarded non-alcoholic brewer of the past decade, with over 100 taste awards and NA brews that rival full-strength counterparts.

Athletic’s mission is to positively impact its customers’ lifestyles while greatly impacting their communities and environment for the better. In addition to giving back up to $2 million annually to protect and enhance outdoor spaces, Athletic maintains exceptional levels of water recapture and efficiency at its custom breweries in Connecticut and California, and donates up to $100,000 to meaningful causes each year through its IMPACT Brew Series.

For complete details and updated information on Major League Fishing, its tournaments and sponsors, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube.

About Athletic Brewing Company
Athletic Brewing Company is America's largest dedicated non-alcoholic brewer. Athletic is revolutionizing how modern adults drink by crafting game-changing NA brews that can be consumed anytime and anywhere. Launched commercially in 2018, Athletic is the number one non-alcoholic beer brand in America¹ and a top 20 U.S. brewing company². Its award-winning brews are available nationwide at over 75,000 retail locations. Athletic operates custom breweries in Connecticut and California and donates up to $2 million annually to protecting and restoring outdoor spaces across the globe via its Two For The Trails program. Athletic is proudly a Certified B Corporation™. Learn more and shop at www.athleticbrewing.com.

Follow Athletic Brewing on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, X, and YouTube to stay up-to-date on all things Athletic.

by AnglersChannel

Palmer’s Hartwell Hustle: A Solid Finish and Toyota Bonus Bucks

By Walker Smith, Courtesy of Dynamic Sponsorships

The 2025 Bassmaster Elite Series stop at Lake Hartwell delivered a masterclass in adaptability and Luke Palmer, the seasoned pro from Coalgate, Oklahoma, walked away with a third-place finish and a hefty bonus check from Toyota Bonus Bucks. With a game plan rooted in stubborn determination and a knack for reading subtle lake features, Palmer turned Lake Hartwell into a showcase of his skill.

A career built on consistency

Luke Palmer’s rise in professional bass fishing is a story of determination and precision. Since joining the Bassmaster Elite Series in 2018, he’s racked up an impressive resume, including multiple top-10 finishes and a reputation for thriving under pressure. Palmer’s ability to dissect fisheries, from Oklahoma’s muddy reservoirs to clear waters in the Southeast, has made him a perennial threat. At Lake Hartwell, roughly his third time fishing the lake, he leaned on experience and intuition to navigate a fishery that didn’t fully cooperate.

Hartwell’s puzzle and Palmer’s plan

Lake Hartwell, a 56,000-acre impoundment straddling the Georgia-South Carolina line, is a spotted bass haven with a reputation for rewarding versatility. For the 2025 Whataburger Bassmaster Elite Series, Palmer arrived with a clear strategy.

“I came into Hartwell with a gameplan, and I also decided that I was going to be really hard-headed,” he said.

His focus? Targeting points—lots of them.

“I targeted spotted bass for most of the tournament and I considered largemouth as a welcomed bonus.”

The herring spawn, a springtime staple at Hartwell, didn’t materialize in practice as Palmer hoped.

“The herring spawn didn’t really get going for me like I had hoped,” he admitted.

Instead, he pivoted to a pattern that felt like home.

“So, I fished a lot of points like I do back home in Oklahoma,” Palmer said. “Any point that looked different than the others, I’d fish those multiple times per day.”

This wasn’t a scattershot approach. Palmer’s success hinged on identifying unique features.

“I looked for points that looked unique, if that makes sense,” he explained. “You could look at the points on my mapping and many of them would stand out like sore thumbs. Maybe they had a little different features like a secondary point or a ditch.”

With Hartwell’s endless points, Palmer had plenty of options. He anchored his efforts near the dam, where clearer water and abundant structure harbored the biggest spotted bass.

“I stayed towards the dam the entire time because there was clearer water and lots of points to choose from down there,” he said. “I went north some, but I tended to devote my time towards the deep, clear water. I felt like that’s where the biggest spotted bass were hanging out.”

Palmer’s arsenal included finesse tactics to coax wary spotted bass. His ability to stick with the pattern, even when the bite slowed, paid off. The result? A third-place finish that earned him not only a podium spot but extra cash through Toyota’s Bonus Bucks program, a contingency award for being the highest finishing pro towing his boat with a 2021 or newer Toyota tow vehicle.

The Toyota Tundra: Palmer’s road warrior

Off the water, Palmer’s loyalty to his Toyota Tundra is unwavering. The truck, a constant companion on the grueling Elite Series trail, is more than just a vehicle—it’s a lifeline.

“I had driven diesels all my life and wouldn’t trade the Tundra for any of them,” Palmer said. “There’s more than enough power and the ride is very comfortable. It doesn’t beat you to death and makes 10 to 20-hour drives much more enjoyable.”

Whether towing his boat to Hartwell or heading home to Oklahoma, Toyota’s reliability keeps Palmer focused on fishing, not logistics.

Family first, always

For Palmer, success on the water is only part of the equation. His heart lies with his family—a 7-month-old daughter and a 10-year-old stepdaughter. The Elite Series demands long stretches away from home, a sacrifice that weighs heavily.

“Family is everything to me,” he said. “Being away so much is really tough. You miss a lot of things, and at first, you don’t realize how hard that can be. That’s why when I get even a few days home, I’m here being a husband and father. It’s the most important job in my life.”

Those words resonate with anyone who’s balanced passion with personal life and Palmer’s grounded perspective keeps him relatable despite his Elite status.

Looking ahead to Lake Fork

With Hartwell in the rearview, Palmer’s sights are set on Lake Fork, the next stop on the 2025 Elite Series schedule. The Texas powerhouse is a fishery of extremes, capable of producing massive bags or humbling the best.

“We head to Lake Fork next, and I’ve had good and bad tourneys there,” Palmer said. “It’ll be a good tournament for sure, so I’m anxious to get there and see what’s happening.”

He’s already itching to lean into his strengths.

“There might be some good bank fishing down there. I love flipping bushes—it’s my favorite thing to do. I’m coming around to the minnow fishing, but I’d love to flip bushes and any other shallow cover I can find.”

by AnglersChannel

82-Year-Old McMullin Earns Third Career Win at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Lake Shelbyville

Normal’s Wehmeyer Tops Co-Angler Division

SHELBYVILLE, Ill. (May 5, 2025) – Boater Bobby McMullin of Pevely, Missouri, caught a five-bass limit weighing 14 pounds, 3 ounces, Saturday to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on Lake Shelbyville. The tournament was the second event of the season for the BFL Illini Division. McMullin earned $2,748 for his victory.

Spending 250 days on the water over any course of time would be a heck of an accomplishment for any weekend warrior bass angler. What with work and family and other responsibilities, it’s just not easy to get out there as often as most would like.

Now imagine not only fishing that much, but competing 250 times. That’s what 82-year-old McMullin has accomplished. According to the most up-to-date records, McMullin has competed in 254 tournaments with MLF and its predecessors, dating back to the Operation Bass Red Man Tournament Trail days that preceded the FLW era of the Bass Fishing League. Some Red Man records were lost in an office fire years ago, so the number of tournaments he’s entered is probably actually higher.

Whatever the exact total, McMullin is a diehard grassroots angler. He says he started fishing a lot more tournaments after he wrapped up a 37-year-long career at Chrysler back around 2001. He’s spent his long retirement enjoying competition and getting a few wins, including on Saturday.

“It means a lot to win one at 82 because I didn’t get a check at all last year,” he said. “That’s the first year I’ve ever gone without getting a check. I was about ready to give up. I had one keeper in the first tournament and won this one. It’s been a pretty good year so far.”

And in case you were wondering, McMullin is fully rigged with all the latest fish-finding technology – plus a good sense of humor.

“I’ve got LiveScope on the boat, but I don’t know how to use it,” he said with a chuckle.

As far as the fishing, McMullin claims it was all luck, though anyone who’s fished as long as he has knows there’s always more to winning than chance.

“I’m 82 years old, so I’m surprised I got bit the way I did,” he joked. “I only had one keeper yesterday (Friday in practice). I got there today and just had two small bass – 13-inchers. But as we got toward the back of the cove, the fishing picked up and it got better all the sudden. Then it cut off again after I got those fish. But I was able to catch one right a quittin’ time that gave me a limit.”

McMullin fished several coves in 3 to 5 feet of water. He stayed close to the takeoff area. And he kept his tactics simple, sticking with a confidence bait.

“I caught ’em on a blue (Yamamoto) Senko,” he said, adding that he fished it Texas-rigged with a light weight. “I had two baits tied on. I had a black Senko tied on, and I had a blue one, but I never did throw the black one. I caught all the fish on a blue one.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:

1st:        Bobby McMullin, Pevely, Mo., five bass, 14-3, $2,748
2nd:      Patrick Odell, Windsor, Ill., five bass, 13-15, $1,499
3rd:       Clay Reeves, Kenney, Ill., five bass, 11-2, $916
4th:        Todd Blakeman, Chatham, Ill., five bass, 10-8, $741
5th:        Doug Borgmann, Ashley, Ill., three bass, 10-1, $855
6th:        Hunter Russell, Salem, Ill., four bass, 10-0, $1,004 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
7th:        Ethan Fields, Breese, Ill., five bass, 9-1, $458
8th:        Riley Walk, Neoga, Ill., five bass, 8-10, $412
9th:        Kyle Dowdy, Sunrise Beach, Mo., three bass, 8-8, $366
10th:     Chris Engelage, Mascoutah, Ill., three bass, 8-4, $321

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Doug Borgmann of Ashley, Illinois, caught a bass that weighed 5 pounds, 13 ounces, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $305.

Aaron Wehmeyer of Normal, Illinois, won the co-angler division and $1,374 Saturday, after bringing three bass to the scale that totaled 7 pounds, 14 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers finished:

1st:        Aaron Wehmeyer, Normal, Ill., three bass, 7-14, $1,374
2nd:      Ken Landreth, Swansea, Ill., three bass, 7-9, $687
3rd:       Ty Zeller, Normal, Ill., three bass, 6-6, $459
4th:        Anthony Tatroe, Braidwood, Ill., three bass, 6-0, $321
5th:        Gavin Thomas, Aviston, Ill., three bass, 5-12, $275
6th:        David Ribbing, New Memphis, Ill., two bass, 5-10, $252
7th:        Brad Thacher, Murray, Ky., three bass, 5-9, $229
8th:        Andrew Boring, El Paso, Ill., two bass, 5-4, $206
9th:        Hayden Swain, Tamaroa, Ill., two bass, 5-2, $183
10th:     Ryan Fancher, Olney, Ill., two bass, 5-1, $160

Dan Brown of Glenarm, Illinois, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $152, catching a bass that weighed in at 4 pounds, 11 ounces – the largest co-angler catch of the day.

After two events, Travis Boley of Weldon, Illinois, now leads the Fishing Clash Illini Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 487 points, while Matt Chumbler of Carbondale, Illinois, leads the Fishing Clash Illini Division Co-Angler of the Year race with 482 points.

The next event for BFL Illini Division anglers will be held June 21, at Lake Shelbyville out of Shelbyville, Illinois. To register for the event as a boater or a co-angler, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com or call (270)-252-1000.

The top 60 boaters and co-anglers in the division based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, will qualify for the Oct. 3-4BFL Regional tournament on the Mississippi River in Quad Cities, Illinois. Boaters will fish for a top award of a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard worth $50,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $20,000.

by AnglersChannel

West Point’s Armstrong Gets the Victory at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Columbus Pool

Alabama’s Goodman Tops Co-Angler Division

COLUMBUS, Miss. (May 5, 2025) – Boater Eddie Armstrong of West Point, Mississippi, caught a five-bass limit weighing 14 pounds, 12 ounces, Saturday to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on the Columbus Pool. The tournament was the third event of the season for the BFL Mississippi Division. Armstrong earned $3,021 for his victory.

In mid-April, the Bassmaster Open on the Columbus Pool of the Tombigbee system was won on a white swim jig in the grass, while several others in the top 10 also worked a white swim jig or vibrating jig. Armstrong knew about the results of that tournament, and he knew the rest of the field did, too. So he purposely changed it up to avoid the most heavily pressured areas.

“All the locals had jumped on the bandwagon, and I knew everybody that would come pre-fish was going to be doing the same thing,” he said. “And that’s what they did.

“I got to messing around with just some isolated stuff that didn’t look good to everybody else and noticed that the fish had really pulled out of the grass and were a boat length away from the grass. Every fish I weighed in but one came off a junebug lizard, and I caught one off a frog that was actually on an isolated stump with grass on it.”

Armstrong fished his 8-inch lizard on a Texas rig with a 3/16-ounce weight. He tossed it into the edge of the grass – sparse grass; “just a few springs” – and fished it back slowly, bringing it off the edge and letting it drop while staying a long way off. That slow approach and staying back produced better-than-average fish.

“We learned that a long time ago out here,” he said. “This is not something that’s new. A lot of times the fish will back off from the grass (when there’s heavy fishing pressure).”

Another key was staying in shallow water. Armstrong held the boat in 3 to 4 feet of water most of the time and at the deepest was only in about 8 feet. Using this approach, he fished four primary areas. He caught a limit from the first spot then culled four of those bass throughout the day.

“I always fish to win,” Armstrong added. “I felt like I had a good chance after what I saw yesterday and knowing what everybody else was going to do and I wouldn’t have anybody (to share water with). One of the places that I fished had probably 10 boats go down that all went by fast throwing a swim jig because there wasn’t hardly any grass there. They were just really going from spot to spot, and we (he and his co-angler) actually caught four keepers off that spot.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:

1st:        Eddie Armstrong, West Point, Miss., five bass, 14-12, $3,021
2nd:      Hunter Briles, Russellville, Ala., five bass, 14-3, $1,511
3rd:       Luke Glasgow, Guin, Ala., five bass, 12-5, $1, 507 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
4th:        Kyle Shaw, Millport, Ala., five bass, 11-13, $705
5th:        David Dove, Columbus, Miss., five bass, 11 - 09 $604
6th:        John Anderson, Bay Springs, Miss., five bass, 11 - 07 $654
7th:        Kyle Glasgow, Guin, Ala., five bass, 10-15, $478
7th:        Kevin Nicely, Ethelsville, Ala., five bass, 10-15, $478
9th:        Gene Brown, West Point, Miss., four bass, 10-14, $403
10th:     Jeffery Davis, Steens, Miss., five bass, 10-7, $352

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Tommy Robinson of Florence, Alabama, caught a bass that weighed 5 pounds, 5 ounces, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $345.

Jonathan Goodman of Ethelsville, Alabama, won the co-angler division and $1,511 Saturday, after bringing three bass to the scale that totaled 8 pounds, 4 ounces.

The top 11 co-anglers finished:

1st:        Jonathan Goodman, Ethelsville, Ala., three bass, 8-4, $1,511
2nd:      Andy Lockhart, Amory, Miss., three bass, 7-9, $755
3rd:       Gary Stripling, Kennedy, Ala., three bass, 7-1, $504
4th:        Travis Culbreth, Pearl, Miss., three bass, 6-7, $352
5th:        Richard Baker, Jackson, Tenn., three bass, 6-5, $302
6th:        Chance Starnes, Louisville, Miss., three bass, 5-14, $277
7th:        Takaaki Kojima, Temecula, Calif., three bass, 5-12, $252
8th:        Allen Swedenburg, Columbus, Miss., two bass, 5-9, $227
9th:        Lance Jackson, Starkville, Miss., three bass, 5-8, $201
10th:     Brandon Mast, Mathiston, Miss., three bass, 5-2, $167
10th:     Jeffery Reece, Guys, Tenn., two bass, 5-2, $167

Craig Perrigin of Gordo, Alabama, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $172, catching a bass that weighed in at 4 pounds, 11 ounces – the largest co-angler catch of the day.

After three events, Luke Glasgow of Guin, Alabama, now leads the Fishing Clash Mississippi Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 714 points, while Steve Hammack of Caledonia, Mississippi, leads the Fishing Clash Mississippi Division Co-Angler of the Year race with 694 points.

The next event for BFL Mississippi Division anglers will be held June 7, at Ross Barnett Reservoir out of Ridgeland, Mississippi. To register for the event as a boater or a co-angler, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com or call (270)-252-1000.

The top 60 boaters and co-anglers in the division based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, will qualify for the Oct. 10-11 BFL Regional tournament on Kentucky-Barkley Lakes out of Paris, Tennessee. Boaters will fish for a top award of a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard worth $50,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $20,000.

by AnglersChannel

Reform’s Davidson Earns Second Career Win at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Lake Demopolis

Laurel’s Chastain Tops Co-Angler Division

DEMOPOLIS, Ala. (May 5, 2025) – Boater Hunter Davidson of Reform, Alabama, caught a five-bass limit weighing 13 pounds, 3 ounces, Saturday to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on Lake Demopolis. The tournament was the third event of the season for the BFL Bama Division. Davidson earned $3,347 for his victory.

Winning just about any bass tournament usually requires reacting to changing conditions. Sometimes those changes are subtle. Then, there are changes like Davidson and the rest of the field encountered on Demopolis.

“The water came up 4 feet last night,” he said. “It was in the trees. The fish I found yesterday (Friday) were gone. So I started in there, and I had like four small fish. I decided to leave pretty quick after I saw how high the water was. I went into another hole that was pretty hard to get in, and I ended up catching all my weight in there off of grass on a swim jig.”

Davidson used a shallow ditch to access the tucked-away area. Because the bass were locked in on the morning shad spawn, bailing on his first area early was a key decision, leaving Davidson enough time to capitalize on the shad spawn bite in what turned out to be his winning area. Davidson caught his fish on C&B Custom Jigs swim jigs in white and black/blue.

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:

1st:        Hunter Davidson, Reform, Ala., five bass, 13-3, $3,347
2nd:      David Wesson, Southside, Ala., five bass, 12-4, $1,623
3rd:       Donald Griffith, Robertsdale, Ala., five bass, 11-14, $1,582 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
4th:        Zeke Gossett, Pell City, Ala., five bass, 11-12, $758
5th:        Tim Fox, Meridian, Miss., five bass, 11-4, $649
6th:        Joshua Cameron, Meridian, Miss., five bass, 11-2, $985
7th:        Timothy Travis, Tuscaloosa, Ala., five bass, 10-8, $541
8th:        Tim Ferguson, Pelham, Ala., five bass, 10-5, $487
9th:        Stihl Smith, Alexander, Ala., five bass, 10-2, $433
10th:     Chad Hall, Cullman, Ala., five bass, 9-13, $379

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Joshua Cameron of Meridian, Mississippi, caught a bass that weighed 4 pounds, 7 ounces, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $390.

Larry Chastain of Laurel, Mississippi, won the co-angler division and $1,623 Saturday, after bringing three bass to the scale that totaled 7 pounds.

The top 10 co-anglers finished:

1st:        Larry Chastain, Laurel, Miss., three bass, 7-0, $1,623
2nd:      Tom Nelson, Tuscaloosa, Ala., three bass, 6-8, $812
3rd:       Cody Clowdus, Lincoln, Ala., three bass, 6-1, $705
3rd:       Curtis Hillman, Eufaula, Ala., three bass, 6-1, $460
5th:        Gunter Williams, Linden, Ala., three bass, 5-12, $325
6th:        Ken Grice, Gallion, Ala., three bass, 5-8, $298
7th:        Jeff Turner, Morris, Ill., three bass, 5-1, $271
8th:        Brad Mahan, Clanton, Ala., three bass, 5-0, $230
8th:        Barry Jones, Verbena, Ala., three bass, 5-0, $230
10th:     Phillip Easterling, Clanton, Ala., three bass, 4-14, $189

Cody Clowdus of Lincoln, Alabama, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $195, catching a bass that weighed in at 3 pounds, 6 ounces – the largest co-angler catch of the day.

After three events, Joe Minor of Clanton, Alabama, now leads the Fishing Clash Bama Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 725 points, while Larry Chastain of Laurel, Mississippi, leads the Fishing Clash Bama Division Co-Angler of the Year race with 722 points.

The next event for BFL Bama Division anglers will be held June 7, at Neely Henry Lake out of Gadsden, Alabama. To register for the event as a boater or a co-angler, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com or call (270)-252-1000.

The top 60 boaters and co-anglers in the division based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, will qualify for the Oct. 10-11 BFL Regional tournament on Logan Martin Lake in Lincoln, Alabama. Boaters will fish for a top award of a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard worth $50,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $20,000.

by AnglersChannel

Georgia’s Sellers Cranks His Way to Victory at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Lake Eufaula

Phenix City’s Graziano Tops Co-Angler Division

EUFAULA, Ala. (May 5, 2025) – Boater Kyle Sellers of Lumpkin, Georgia, caught a five-bass limit weighing 22 pounds, 1 ounce, Saturday to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on Lake Eufaula. The tournament was the third event of the season for the BFL Bulldog Division. Sellers earned $4,097 for his victory.

It was a sweet win for Sellers. Not only because getting your first BFL win is a huge deal. It was sweet because he caught his fish doing his favorite thing: ledge fishing with Strike King 6XD and 8XD crankbaits.

“I love it. It’s my favorite thing to do,” he said. “Just put it in drive and sit back and idle and listen to music and find as many schools as you can. You idle across a school and look and go, ‘This is about to be fun.’”

Some mechanical troubles during practice hampered Sellers’ efforts to idle the entire lake and mark schools of postspawn bass. And the best school he marked down the lake vanished before the tournament. The situation forced him to limit his target area in the event.

“Without being able to practice on Friday and with those fish being gone, I just decided to stay up the lake,” Sellers said. “I just ran from school to school where I knew they were and checked some spots where they get. I fished basically from Lakepoint to White Oak. I mixed in a little brush here and there but only caught small fish. I only had 14 pounds at 1 o’clock, and I pulled up on a school and fired my crankbait in there and lost one about 5 1/2 pounds. The very next cast I fired back in there and caught a 6-8. Very next cast I caught a 6-pounder. It’s just one of those things. It was a lot of fun.”

Those two kickers essentially carried the day for Sellers because he sat on that school the rest of the day and never got another bite. In addition to the crankbaits, he mixed in a jighead minnow and caught one fish on a football jig, but the crankbaits were definitely the main players.

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:

1st:        Kyle Sellers, Lumpkin, Ga., five bass, 22-1, $4,097
2nd:      John Lee, Cataula, Ga., five bass, 21-6, $1,816
3rd:       Buddy Benson, Dahlonega, Ga., five bass, 20-5, $1,710 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
4th:        John Pearson, Perry, Ga., five bass, 20-1, $847
5th:        Carson Maddux, Hoover, Ala., five bass, 18-14, $726
6th:        Shane Powell, Dothan, Ala., five bass, 17-14, $666
7th:        Chandler Ray, Bainbridge, Ga., five bass, 17-3, $705
8th:        Todd Classon, Camilla, Ga., five bass, 17-0, $545
9th:        Jim Murray Jr., Parrott, Ga., five bass, 16-10, $484
10th:     John Duvall, Madison, Ga., five bass, 16-7, $424

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Sellers caught a bass that weighed 6 pounds, 8 ounces, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $465.

Steve Graziano of Phenix City, Alabama, won the co-angler division and $1,816 Saturday, after bringing three bass to the scale that totaled 12 pounds, 7 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers finished:

1st:        Steve Graziano, Phenix City, Ala., three bass, 12-7, $1,816
2nd:      Jacob Chandler, Covington, Ga., three bass, 11-3, $1,140
3rd:       Shawn Malcom, Monroe, Ga., three bass, 9-0, $606
4th:        Brayden Tisdale, Opp, Ala., three bass, 8-0, $424
5th:        John Patterson, Milledgeville, Ga., three bass, 7-14, $363
6th:        Jeffrey Webb, Watkinsville, Ga., three bass, 7-13, $383
7th:        Justin Merritt, Adairsville, Ga., three bass, 7-11, $303
8th:        Adam Johnson, Duluth, Ga., three bass, 7-8, $272
9th:        Benjie Winkler, Cleveland, Ga., three bass, 7-4, $242
10th:     Jeff Cook, Columbus, Ga., three bass, 7-0, $212

Jacob Chandler of Covington, Georgia, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $232, catching a bass that weighed in at 4 pounds, 11 ounces – the largest co-angler catch of the day.

After three events, Michael Wilder of Lizella, Georgia, now leads the Fishing Clash Bulldog Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 718 points, while Daniel Arnberg of Auburn, Alabama, leads the Fishing Clash Bulldog Division Co-Angler of the Year race with 706 points.

The next event for BFL Bulldog Division anglers will be held June 14, at Lake Sinclair in Milledgeville, Georgia. To register for the event as a boater or a co-angler, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com or call (270)-252-1000.

The top 60 boaters and co-anglers in the division based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, will qualify for the Oct. 17-18 BFL Regional tournament on Lake Seminole in Bainbridge, Georgia. Boaters will fish for a top award of a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard worth $50,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $20,000.

by AnglersChannel

Virginia’s Trent Earns Sixth Career Victory at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Kerr Lake

Wilkesboro’s Cannon Tops Co-Angler Division

HENDERSON, N.C. (May 5, 2025) – Boater Tyler Trent of Nathalie, Virginia, caught a five-bass limit weighing 17 pounds, 8 ounces, Saturday to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on Kerr Lake . The tournament, hosted by Vance County Tourism Development Authority, was the fourth event of the season for the BFL North Carolina Division. Trent earned $8,205, including the lucrative $5,000 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus, for his victory.

Tournament morning started out on a pretty sour note for Trent, when a mechanical issue left him unable to use the big motor just 10 minutes after takeoff. It could’ve been an insurmountable hurdle, but Trent didn’t let it stand in the way of getting his sixth career BFL win and his second this season. Trent also won the March 8 Piedmont Division event on Kerr Lake.

“Luckily, I didn’t make it too far, so I could fish on the trolling motor and still make it back to weigh-in on time,” he said. “That’s basically how my day went. I just fished everything that was in front of me.”

Trent used a shaky head and a jig. While there was no pattern, he found plenty of rocky areas and laydowns to target en route to an impressive showing given the circumstances.

“I probably caught 30-some keepers,” Trent said. “I mean, it’s basically my home lake, so I know every end of it.

“It feels great, honestly,” he added. “This is my sixth BFL now I’ve won, but the other five, I was pretty much on ’em and knew it was going to happen. This one, when I broke down I thought I had no chance, and it just turned out to be one of those days you hear about.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:

1st:        Tyler Trent, Nathalie, Va., five bass, 17-8, $8,205 (includes $5,000 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
2nd:       Ryan Harrell, Roanoke Rapids, N.C., five bass, 17-5, $1,603
3rd:       Lucas Murphy, West Columbia, S.C., five bass, 16-2, $1,168
4th:        Winston Husband, Gilbert, S.C., five bass, 15-0, $748
5th:        Kevin Chandler, New London, N.C., five bass, 14-12, $1,026
6th:        A.J. Lester, Huddleston, Va., five bass, 14-10, $838
7th:        John Wiese, Charlotte, N.C., five bass, 13-10, $534
8th:        Chris Baumgardner, Gastonia, N.C., five bass, 13-1, $481
9th:        Austin Wike, Salisbury, N.C., five bass, 13-0, $427
10th:     Wesley Cashwell, Roanoke Rapids, N.C., five bass, 12-15, $374

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Kevin Chandler of New London, North Carolina, caught a bass that weighed 5 pounds, 2 ounces, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $385.

Steve Cannon of Wilkesboro, North Carolina, won the co-angler division and $2,003 Saturday, after bringing three bass to the scale that totaled 8 pounds, 12 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers finished:

1st:        Steve Cannon, Wilkesboro, N.C., three bass, 8-12, $2,003
2nd:      Travis Ruff, Connelly Springs, N.C., three bass, 8-9, $801
3rd:       Bobby Henderson, Charlotte, N.C., three bass, 8-7, $533
4th:        Cameron Deese, Kershaw, S.C., three bass, 7-14, $374
5th:        Wayne Smelser, Wytheville, Va., three bass, 7-12, $321
6th:        Sean Tobatto, Greensboro, N.C., three bass, 7-10, $294
7th:        Jason Hinger, Timberlake, N.C., three bass, 7-9, $317
8th:        Robert Green, Sedalia, N.C., three bass, 7-4, $240
9th:        Jay Huffstickler, Stanley, N.C., three bass, 7-2, $214
10th:     Trevor Lewis, Wake Forest, N.C., three bass, 6-14, $187

Braxton Spurlin of Ellenboro, North Carolina, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $192, catching a bass that weighed in at 4 pounds, 4 ounces – the largest co-angler catch of the day.

After four events, Kaden Buchmann of Troutman, North Carolina, now leads the Fishing Clash North Carolina Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 969 points, while Travis Ruff of Connelly Springs, North Carolina, leads the Fishing Clash North Carolina Division Co-Angler of the Year race with 977 points.

The next event for BFL North Carolina Division anglers will be held Sept. 13-14, at Lake Norman in Huntersville, North Carolina. To register for the event as a boater or a co-angler, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com or call (270)-252-1000.

The top 60 boaters and co-anglers in the division based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, will qualify for the Oct. 10-11 BFL Regional tournament on Lake Murray in Columbia, South Carolina. Boaters will fish for a top award of a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard worth $50,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $20,000.

by AnglersChannel

Last-minute heroics lift Rigsbee and Clark to victory at Buggs Island

MECKLENBURG COUNTY, Va. — Ayden Rigsbee has been humbled by Buggs Island Reservoir more times than he can count, but he and Triangle Bass Club partner Nolan Clark exacted revenge on Rigsbee’s home lake by winning the Strike King Bassmaster High School Series at Buggs Island title with a five-bass limit weighing 16 pounds, 13 ounces.

“Winning this tournament feels awesome. This place can be really rough at times and treat you terribly,” Rigsbee, a freshman, said. “It feels good to finally pull something off on your home lake.”

Triangle Bass Club anglers Kieran Stephenson and Grady Stanley and McDowell High School’s Jackson Dowdle and Mason Brewer tied for second place with 16-12. Oldham County High School’s Olevir Johnson and Rhett Shirrell finished fourth with 15-8 and Lucas Crutchfield from Mecklenburg County Youth Bassmasters finished fifth with 15-4.

This was the first Bassmaster event Clark and Rigsbee had ever fished together. With the win, they punched their ticket to the Strike King Bassmaster High School National Championship at Clarks Hill this July.

“I never in a million years thought I would win one of these,” Clark, a sophomore from the Jordan Lake region of North Carolina, said. “We tried our best and everything just worked out.”

Rain and storms greeted the field of 145 boats Sunday morning, but the teams were able to battle the elements to land 75 limits and over 1,020 pounds of bass for the day.

Rigsbee and Clark fished in Nutbush Creek on the lake’s southeast side. When the bridge they started on only produced one keeper bass, the duo pivoted to thick stumps and tree roots in the back of the creek that postspawn largemouth were holding on. Rock and riprap also came into play.

Falling water and the early morning storms, Rigsbee said, positioned the bass on cover off of the bank.

“We found them really shallow in practice, but we thought the thunder and lightning might have pushed them off some,” he explained. “The water dropped overnight, and the low water pulled them out even further.”

Rigsbee and Clark kept their front graphs off all day long and used several shallow techniques to claim the title. A buzzbait produced several quality bites when the rain was falling while a jig was better in just overcast conditions.

“I throw a buzzbait everywhere I go,” Clark said. “As soon as the rain picked up, I knew I needed to pick up the buzzbait, and every single time I caught one. When it wasn’t raining, I would flip a jig into the outside trees, and they would suck it in and hold onto it.”

To start the morning, the duo fished the bridge for over an hour without a bite. That’s when Rigsbee and Clark moved to the very back of Nutbush and began working their way back out.

“We knew something had to change if we wanted to win this,” Rigsbee said. “We made a couple of adjustments and started playing the wind a little more. The bites kept getting bigger and bigger.”

With around 13 pounds in the livewell late in the afternoon, the duo moved back out to the bridge and landed a quality keeper on a weightless fluke and then their biggest bass of the day, a 5-pounder, on a Pirate Baits balsa crankbait with just a few minutes left in their fishing day.

“It was the last cast we made. I threw it to the bridge corner, cranked it three times and felt like I got stuck,” Clark explained. “I held it there for a second, and my line went the other way. It was complete chaos for about two minutes. We weren’t sure if we were going to win, but we knew we had a chance then.”

Stephenson and Stanley landed the Big Bass of the Day, a 6-2 largemouth that anchored their second-place bag.

Mecklenburg County, Virginia hosted the tournament.

2025 Bassmaster High School Series Title Sponsor: Strike King

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2025 Bassmaster High School Series Premier Sponsors: Bass Pro Shops, Dakota Lithium, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Progressive Insurance, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha
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2025 Bassmaster High School Series Youth Sponsors: Seaguar, Shimano

About B.A.S.S.

The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Bassmaster Elite Series, St. Croix Bassmaster Opens Series presented by SEVIIN, Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Qualifier Series presented by Lowrance, Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Strike King Bassmaster High School Series, Bassmaster Junior Series, Bassmaster Team Championship, Newport Bassmaster Kayak Series presented by Native Watercraft, Bassmaster College Kayak Series, Yamaha Bassmaster Redfish Cup Championship presented by Skeeter and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour.

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Media Contact: Chad Gay, Communications Manager, 205-313-0945, cgay@bassmaster.com

2025 Bassmaster High School Series at Buggs Island 5/4-5/4
Buggs Island Reservoir, Mecklenburg VA.
Standings Day 1

Team Club/School Pts

1. Nolan Clark - Ayden Rigsbee Triangle Bass Club 0
Day 1: 5 16-13 Total: 5 16-13
2. Kieran Stephenson - Grady Stanley Triangle Bass Club 0
Day 1: 5 16-12 Total: 5 16-12
2. Jackson Dowdle - Mason Brewer Mcdowell High School Bass Fishin 0
Day 1: 5 16-12 Total: 5 16-12
4. Olevir Johnson - Rhett Shirrell Oldham Co High School Bass Team 0
Day 1: 5 15-08 Total: 5 15-08
5. Lucas Crutchfield - Bradley Solomon Mecklenburg Co. Youth Bass Maste 0
Day 1: 5 15-04 Total: 5 15-04
6. Troy Watson - Shockley Hiatt Mayberry High School Anglers 0
Day 1: 5 15-01 Total: 5 15-01
7. Conner Wharton - Nicholas Farmer Lake Anna Elite Anglers 0
Day 1: 5 14-12 Total: 5 14-12
8. Logan Eudy - Brody Clontz Stanly County Jr Bassmasters - N 0
Day 1: 5 13-10 Total: 5 13-10
9. Elliott Clay - Xavier Keogh Riley's Catch 0
Day 1: 5 12-11 Total: 5 12-11
10. Jacob Spencer - Tripp Thompson Patrick County High School 0
Day 1: 5 12-05 Total: 5 12-05
11. Tanner Sims - Tunstall Trojans Bass Team 0
Day 1: 5 12-03 Total: 5 12-03
11. Jacob Greenwood - Cain Dowling Trhs Devildog Anglers Travelers 0
Day 1: 5 12-03 Total: 5 12-03
13. Trey Richardson III - Reid Luckett Free State Bass 0
Day 1: 5 12-00 Total: 5 12-00
14. Mason Carr - Robert Duvall Lake Anna Elite Anglers Junior 0
Day 1: 5 11-15 Total: 5 11-15
14. Griffin Sheets - John Hicks Sml Junior Anglers 0
Day 1: 5 11-15 Total: 5 11-15
16. Jonah Shockley - Hunter Heath Patrick County High School 0
Day 1: 5 11-13 Total: 5 11-13
16. Carter Elliott - Tucker Robertson Meigs County High School Fishing 0
Day 1: 5 11-13 Total: 5 11-13
16. Chayd Freeze - Fisher Stamm Roco Anglers 0
Day 1: 5 11-13 Total: 5 11-13
19. Faith Burks - Allie Reagan Clay County Anglers 0
Day 1: 5 11-12 Total: 5 11-12
19. Lucas Gatewood - Mason Tarlton Anson Anglers 0
Day 1: 5 11-12 Total: 5 11-12
21. Logan Parker - Hudson Howell Cherokee Bass Team 0
Day 1: 5 11-11 Total: 5 11-11
22. Elijah Ambrose - Jarren Crowder Hs Potomac River Bassmasters 0
Day 1: 5 11-10 Total: 5 11-10
23. Joah Coley - Morgan Coley Focused Fishing 0
Day 1: 5 11-06 Total: 5 11-06
23. Brody Musser - Gavin Lytton Swva Bassin 0
Day 1: 5 11-06 Total: 5 11-06
25. Brody Teller - Will Anderson Sumner County Bass Team 0
Day 1: 5 11-04 Total: 5 11-04
26. Isaac Kowalski - Miller Nixon Goochland County Bass Team 0
Day 1: 5 11-03 Total: 5 11-03
26. Carter Pjesky - JD McBroom Off The Hook High School Bassmas 0
Day 1: 5 11-03 Total: 5 11-03
28. Camdon Fauver - Cade Bailey Frederick County Hs Bass Wrangle 0
Day 1: 5 11-02 Total: 5 11-02
28. Berkley Wright - Ross Reese Brunswick Academy Junior Team 0
Day 1: 5 11-02 Total: 5 11-02
30. Trent VanDam - Wyatt Carr Reeths-Puffer High School 0
Day 1: 5 11-00 Total: 5 11-00
31. Parker Jones - Sc Lower State Hs Bass Club 0
Day 1: 4 10-14 Total: 4 10-14
32. Conner Harris - Hunter Harris Riley's Catch 0
Day 1: 5 10-13 Total: 5 10-13
33. Collier Alderman - Dawson Lytton Swva Bassin 0
Day 1: 5 10-11 Total: 5 10-11
33. Eli Rakes - James Millner Foothills Youth Anglers 0
Day 1: 5 10-11 Total: 5 10-11
35. Logan Brown - Caleb Southerly Lake Anna Elite Anglers 0
Day 1: 5 10-10 Total: 5 10-10
36. Bryant Washburn - Wyatt Reynolds Foothills Jr. Anglers 0
Day 1: 4 10-10 Total: 4 10-10
37. Andrew Carr - Charles Duvall Lake Anna Elite Anglers Junior 0
Day 1: 5 10-09 Total: 5 10-09
38. Levi Stanley - Colt Hackney Triangle Bass Club 0
Day 1: 5 10-08 Total: 5 10-08
39. Tanner Mason - Kaden Randles DAR High School - AL 0
Day 1: 5 10-07 Total: 5 10-07
39. Asher Sigmon - Cole Turner Bassett High School 0
Day 1: 5 10-07 Total: 5 10-07
41. Landon Vaughn - Will Taylor Pendleton High School Fishing Te 0
Day 1: 5 10-04 Total: 5 10-04
42. Max Himmel - Catholic High School Fishing 0
Day 1: 5 10-03 Total: 5 10-03
43. Taylor Bogard - Christian Childress Wilkes County Bandits 0
Day 1: 4 10-03 Total: 4 10-03
44. Aydin Knapp - Justin Humphrey Southern Outcasts 0
Day 1: 5 10-01 Total: 5 10-01
45. Thomas Newman - Cayden Ryman Frederick County Hs Bass Wrangle 0
Day 1: 5 10-00 Total: 5 10-00
46. Peyton McAndrew - Cutler Wooten Sml Anglers 0
Day 1: 5 09-14 Total: 5 09-14
47. Connor Strachan - Connor Fleming Bryant High School 0
Day 1: 5 09-13 Total: 5 09-13
48. Jesse Lancaster - Fisher Lancaster Triangle Bass Club 0
Day 1: 5 09-12 Total: 5 09-12
49. Jacob Barker - Henry Price Skyhawks Fishing Club 0
Day 1: 5 09-11 Total: 5 09-11
50. Gage Jones - Eli Walker Buggs Island Elite Anglers 0
Day 1: 5 09-10 Total: 5 09-10
50. Zachary Stall - Lakes Community High School 0
Day 1: 5 09-10 Total: 5 09-10
52. Gavin Frost - Nathan Haga Radford Youth 0
Day 1: 5 09-08 Total: 5 09-08
52. Trevor Lynch - Dakota Elder Mecklenburg Co. Youth Bass Maste 0
Day 1: 5 09-08 Total: 5 09-08
52. Ethan Rose - Grant Arnold Jefferson County Patriot Anglers 0
Day 1: 5 09-08 Total: 5 09-08
55. Jacob Hicks - Colton Hall Sml Anglers 0
Day 1: 5 09-07 Total: 5 09-07
55. Parker Wicker - Gavin Williams Roco Anglers 0
Day 1: 5 09-07 Total: 5 09-07
57. Parker Bilbrey - Tyler Thompson Monterey Anglers 0
Day 1: 5 09-07 Total: 5 09-07
58. Dylan Harlow - Marilyn Gibson Greensville County Anglers 0
Day 1: 5 09-06 Total: 5 09-06
59. Tate Bowen - Brycen Bowen Buggs Island Elite Anglers 0
Day 1: 5 09-05 Total: 5 09-05
60. Grayson Fitch - Daniel Lindsey Southern Outcasts 0
Day 1: 5 09-05 Total: 5 09-05
61. Chase Kirk - Jaxon Yaussy Lake Anna Elite Anglers 0
Day 1: 5 09-04 Total: 5 09-04
62. Tyler Nelson - Saw Reynolds Bandys Fishing Team Juniors 0
Day 1: 5 09-03 Total: 5 09-03
63. Carson Holbert - Eagleton Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 5 09-02 Total: 5 09-02
64. Quinn Barbee - Andrew Miller Southeastern Bass Anglers 0
Day 1: 5 09-00 Total: 5 09-00
65. Cole Powell - Grayson Thomas 0
Day 1: 5 08-15 Total: 5 08-15
66. Jackson Moore - Jacquelyn Moore Greensville County Anglers 0
Day 1: 5 08-15 Total: 5 08-15
67. Caleb Johnson - Chase Murphy Lake Anna Elite Anglers 0
Day 1: 4 08-15 Total: 4 08-15
68. Logan Brown - Jake Bryant 0
Day 1: 5 08-14 Total: 5 08-14
69. Colin Turner - Robert Knouse Bassett High School 0
Day 1: 4 08-13 Total: 4 08-13
70. Caleb Godson - Asher Ready North Augusta High School Fishin 0
Day 1: 5 08-12 Total: 5 08-12
70. Caleb Moore - Dean Austin Off The Hook IL Bassmasters 0
Day 1: 5 08-12 Total: 5 08-12
72. Jon Gavin Dellinger - Carter Ross Cleveland County Bass Anglers 0
Day 1: 5 08-10 Total: 5 08-10
72. Jakob Fullerton - Kaden Tomblin Southern Garrett Bass Slayer 0
Day 1: 5 08-10 Total: 5 08-10
74. Jacob Burkhead - Benton Panther Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 4 08-10 Total: 4 08-10
75. Camm Bennett - Justin Massey Freedom Ffa Bass Club 0
Day 1: 5 08-09 Total: 5 08-09
76. Austin Hayes V - Traydun Freeze Roco Anglers 0
Day 1: 5 08-07 Total: 5 08-07
77. Devin Yates - Adrian Yates Southern Outcasts 0
Day 1: 5 08-06 Total: 5 08-06
78. Evan Bush - Cason Thomas Lowndes High School Lip Rippers 0
Day 1: 5 08-05 Total: 5 08-05
78. Cayden Mines - Liam Garvey Swva Bassin 0
Day 1: 5 08-05 Total: 5 08-05
78. Rhylen Watkins - Jace Childers Bandys High School 0
Day 1: 5 08-05 Total: 5 08-05
81. Landen Daniel - Hunter Watson Madison Anglers 0
Day 1: 5 08-01 Total: 5 08-01
82. Jaxson Beard - Anderson Mesplay Pendleton High School Fishing Te 0
Day 1: 4 07-15 Total: 4 07-15
83. Tanner Moulton - Upper Valley Weekend Warriors 0
Day 1: 4 07-07 Total: 4 07-07
84. Dylan Terrell - Port City Bass Masters 0
Day 1: 4 07-05 Total: 4 07-05
85. Caleb Upton - Matthew Briggs Buggs Island Elite Anglers 0
Day 1: 4 06-15 Total: 4 06-15
86. Nathan Holderness - Gilbert Bass Anglers 0
Day 1: 4 06-14 Total: 4 06-14
87. Tyler Shore - Nathan Harris Davie High War Eagle Bass Fishin 0
Day 1: 4 06-14 Total: 4 06-14
88. Noah Mazzarisi - Tanner Bailey Oregon Panthers 0
Day 1: 3 06-02 Total: 3 06-02
89. Jack Sharpe - Sumner County Bass Team - TN 0
Day 1: 3 05-15 Total: 3 05-15
90. Evan Havens - Asher Perry Patrick County High School 0
Day 1: 4 05-14 Total: 4 05-14
91. Luke Pappas - Jerry Hodge Hs Potomac River Bassmasters 0
Day 1: 4 05-13 Total: 4 05-13
92. Slate Baker - Jackson Cary Buckingham Bassmasters 0
Day 1: 3 05-12 Total: 3 05-12
93. Eli Ellege - Aidan Ellege Warrior Hs Bass Anglers 0
Day 1: 3 05-06 Total: 3 05-06
94. Matthew Carey - Noah Hollar Roco Anglers 0
Day 1: 3 05-05 Total: 3 05-05
94. Barrett Moore - Braydon Shriver Mecklenburg Co. Youth Bass Maste 0
Day 1: 3 05-05 Total: 3 05-05
96. Thomas Hance - Braddock Morris Fluvanna County High School 0
Day 1: 3 05-03 Total: 3 05-03
97. Aidan Cohan - Alex Roots Port City Junior Bass Masters 0
Day 1: 3 04-13 Total: 3 04-13
98. Will Heath - Chace Handy Patrick County High School 0
Day 1: 2 04-10 Total: 2 04-10
99. Fred Neville Jr Jr - Sawyer Fitch Southern Outcasts 0
Day 1: 3 04-08 Total: 3 04-08
100. Kohen Dulaney - Carter Lamb Mcdowell High School Bass Fishin 0
Day 1: 2 04-02 Total: 2 04-02
101. Parker Smith - Jake Arnold Powhatan Bass Masters 0
Day 1: 1 03-15 Total: 1 03-15
102. Bryson Clarke - Stephen Nunnelley Skyhawks Fishing Club 0
Day 1: 2 03-11 Total: 2 03-11
102. Mason Shifflett - Gavin Griffin Powhatan Bass Masters 0
Day 1: 2 03-11 Total: 2 03-11
104. Clay Smith - Christian Smith Freedom Ffa Bass Club 0
Day 1: 2 03-06 Total: 2 03-06
104. Dalton Whittington - William Payne Mecklenburg Co. Youth Bass Maste 0
Day 1: 2 03-06 Total: 2 03-06
106. Reece Seamans - Colton Wilbourne Mecklenburg Co Junior Bassmaster 0
Day 1: 2 03-03 Total: 2 03-03
107. RJ Moffett JR - Camden Perkinson Powhatan Bass Masters 0
Day 1: 2 03-01 Total: 2 03-01
107. Porter Morrison - Harrison Kirkpatrick Catholic High School Fishing 0
Day 1: 2 03-01 Total: 2 03-01
107. Josiah Smith - Isaac Borum Warrior Bass Anglers 0
Day 1: 2 03-01 Total: 2 03-01
110. Garrett Smith - Parker Daniels Powhatan Bass Masters 0
Day 1: 1 03-01 Total: 1 03-01
111. Laythan Vick - Bruce Dear III Southern Outcasts 0
Day 1: 2 02-15 Total: 2 02-15
112. Jake Boersma - Holden Prichard Covenant Bass Fishing 0
Day 1: 2 02-10 Total: 2 02-10
113. Kade Williams - Jazmyne Reynolds Patrick County High School 0
Day 1: 1 02-06 Total: 1 02-06
114. Blake Woodley - Wyatt Rose Powhatan Bass Masters 0
Day 1: 1 01-09 Total: 1 01-09
115. Cole Goodman - Cole Loudin Lake Anna Elite Anglers 0
Day 1: 1 00-11 Total: 1 00-11
116. Eli Cooke - Andrew Yarboro Cleveland County Bass Anglers 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
116. Dannon Garber - Colton Wiles Mecklenburg High School Anglers 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
116. Daniel Lowhorn - Mt Juliet Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
116. Wyatt Lucy - Jacob Ermel Brunswick Academy Vikings 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
116. Alvin Martin - Aiden Barringer Roco Anglers 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
116. Gavon Mcclure - Joseph Sherman Frederick County Hs Bass Wrangle 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
116. Nathan Mccoy - Roco Anglers 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
116. Colton Milam - Ryder Milam Buggs Island Elite Anglers 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
116. Ethan Ogburn - Tyler Jarratt Greensville County Anglers 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
116. Tyson Owen - Hayden Marchant Fluvanna County High School 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
116. Landon Poole - Griffin Scearce Buggs Island Elite Anglers 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
116. Bryson Shook - Gavin Queen Bandys High School 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
116. Alex Thigpen - Owen Thigpen Riley's Catch 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
116. Samantha Thurman - Jackson Shivley Foothills Youth Anglers 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
116. Jackson Wagner - Bryce Cubbage Powhatan Bass Masters 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
BIG BASS OF TOURN
Kieran Stephenson Fuquay Varina, NC 06-02 $0.00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 75 487 1020-06
----------------------------------
75 487 1020-06

by AnglersChannel

Jake Lawrence Earns First MLF Bass Pro Tour Win at O’Reilly Auto Parts Stage 4

Tennessee rookie catches 27 bass totaling 83-2 on Nickajack Lake in final day Championship Round to earn top prize of $150,000

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (May 4, 2025) – Thirty hours of competition across four days at the Major League Fishing (MLF) O’Reilly Auto Parts Stage 4 Presented by OPTIMA Batteries boiled down to the final 20 seconds. Separated on SCORETRACKER® by just 6 ounces, Jake Lawrence and Jacob Wheeler both set the hook.

Wheeler and Lawrence had long since distanced themselves from the rest of the field during Sunday’s Championship Round on Nickajack Lake. The latter half of the day morphed into a one-on-one prize fight: Wheeler, the winningest Bass Pro Tour angler of all time, who caught all smallmouth in the current beneath Chickamauga Dam, versus Lawrence, a rookie who caught all largemouth roughly 40 miles down the lake. Lawrence had led most of the day, but with 6 minutes left, Wheeler finally passed him. Still, both anglers felt like if they could just muster one more scorable bass, they’d secure the trophy and $150,000 top prize that comes with it.

With 45 seconds left before lines out, Lawrence made a bomb cast with his Buckeye Buzzerk buzzbait . About halfway back to the boat – 21 seconds left to be exact – a massive mouth engulfed it. Nine seconds later, Lawrence swung the bass over the gunnel and hung it on the BUBBA scale: a 5-pound, 9-ounce buzzer-beater, easily enough to put him back in the lead. At virtually that exact moment, Wheeler hooked up with another smallmouth, but he couldn’t get it in the boat before time expired. It might not have been enough to overcome Lawrence’s late lunker anyway.

With a total of 83-2 on 27 scorable bass, Lawrence had won his first Bass Pro Tour title in what might have been the most dramatic finish in the seven-year history of the tour. More than an hour later, he still couldn’t come up with a way to describe the ending other than divine intervention.

“The only thing I can say is, man, He wanted me to do it,” Lawrence said. “Wheeler jumped me there by a couple ounces, and I said out loud, ‘Lord, if you want me to do this, you’re going to make it happen.’ I had 45 seconds left, and I had just gotten my buzzer back to the boat, and I said, alright, you can throw right, which is where I had been catching them, or you can throw somewhere totally new. And I chose to throw somewhere totally new, and it was the deal. Unbelievable.”

The tournament may not have been decided until Lawrence’s literal last cast, but his win was a week in the making. Stage 4 offered the Bass Pro Tour field a unique challenge, with the two-day Qualifying Round taking place on Lake Chickamauga, then the Knockout and Championship Rounds relocating to neighboring Nickajack Lake, one reservoir down on the Tennessee River chain.

Like many in the field, Lawrence chose to spend most of the three-day practice period on Chickamauga. The Paris, Tennessee, native didn’t make it to Nickajack until Wednesday afternoon, when he got his first clue about how to attack the mysterious fishery, which had never hosted a tour-level MLF/FLW event: He caught a few bass that looked to be feeding on spawning bluegill.

“I was very fortunate in the 4 hours that I had the last day of practice that I saw several cruising shallow,” Lawrence said. “I actually caught a 2-pounder that was real close to a bluegill bed. I assumed that she was relating to it, kind of hanging around that area. And that’s really what I ran with.”

Just to make it back to Nickajack, Lawrence needed to finish among the Top 20 anglers on Chickamauga. After a lackluster Day 1, he sat in 21st. But on the second day, he showed off the offshore ledge fishing skills he’s honed during a lifetime fishing Kentucky Lake, blasting 91-11 to rocket all the way to second place.

That stellar Day 2 performance actually briefly put Lawrence in the top spot on SCORETRACKER®, but Justin Lucas edged him with a couple late catches to win the Qualifying Round. That might have turned out to be the best thing that could have happened. While Lucas skipped Saturday’s Knockout Round and advanced straight to the Championship Round, Lawrence got an extra day of competition on Nickajack. He stacked up 40 pounds by the midpoint of the second period and used the latter half of the day to practice. He later said he “100%” would not have won without that extra time on the water.

Lawrence wound up keying in on Mullins Creek in the mid-lake area. While the rest of the lake got dirty following the thunderstorms that hit the area earlier in the week, the water in the spring-fed creek stayed clean.

“It seemed like everybody on the lower end really struggled, and I have to imagine it’s because of the water quality,” Lawrence said. “The clarity just got really, really bad down there. This lake is generally really clear, so it’s kind of a shock the first couple days that happens. However, my little area back there stayed clean because of that spring-fed creek in the back of it.”

The final piece of the Nickajack puzzle was figuring out how to trigger the bass relating to bluegill beds and other bare spots amid the carpet of eelgrass in Nickajack. Lawrence primarily leaned on a Yamamoto D Shad and a Yamamoto Senko during the Knockout Round. However, even though it doesn’t necessarily have a reputation as a tournament winner, he always keeps a buzzbait handy when trying to cover water up shallow this time of year, and it quickly became apparent on Sunday that’s what the big ones wanted.

“I actually caught a couple non-scorables on it (during the Knockout Round), and I had like a 5- or 6-pounder in that area that came off,” Lawrence said of the buzzbait. “It was just enough to kind of keep me interested, keep me going with it. And in such vast areas like this – and when I say vast, it wasn’t like the area was humongous, but there was no change. And so, I’m not super confident in slowing way down and dragging when there’s just nothing to really key on. So, that was a really big deal for me to cover a bunch of water.”

Lawrence got on the board Sunday morning with a couple scorables on the D Shad. Around 9:30 a.m., he caught consecutive fish on the buzzbait, including a 4-4, which gave him the confidence to keep it in his hands. Thirty-five minutes later, he threw it over a hole in the grass at the base of a tapering point, and the water exploded.

Lawrence wrangled a giant into his Phoenix. At 8 pounds, 3 ounces, it easily earned Berkley Big Bass honors for the day, clearing the next-biggest bass caught over two days at Nickajack by more than 2 pounds. Perhaps more important, it clued him into the spot that would provide almost all his shallow fish for the rest of the day – a series of sandy patches around that point.

“It was just light enough that I could see the hole up there in probably 10 to 14 inches of water,” Lawrence said. “My first cast up there was that 8-pounder. And it just kind of materialized from there.

“When I came back to it 30 minutes into that third period, oh my goodness, it was unbelievable. It was like every third cast. Had a father and son that was bluegill fishing right on the end of it, and their bobber was going down, and (bass) were blowing up on my buzzbait. It was just mayhem there for about 20 minutes.”

Lawrence followed up the 8-pounder with consecutive 2-pounders in the final 10 minutes of Period 1, which gave him the lead at the intermission. When competition resumed, he made the decision to swap his casting rod for spinning gear and move to deeper water. Using his one allotted period with forward-facing sonar during Period 2, he targeted bass that were suspending around submerged timber in a nearby creek channel. Lawrence racked up 33-3 on 11 scorable bass during the period, pushing his lead to more than 7 pounds.

That Lawrence, one of the best on tour with the technology, put together the best forward-facing sonar period of the day didn’t come as a shock. But part of what will make this win so memorable is the fact that he combined his forward-facing prowess with offshore ledge skills and shallow power fishing to get it done. Lawrence prides himself on his versatility and willingness to change course on a dime.

“That’s really how I fish,” he said. “I mean, I don’t generally like to do four or five different things, but I really try to stay very open-minded and keep my options open.”

That diverse skill set has powered Lawrence to one of the best starts to a pro career in bass fishing history. Since Lawrence, who will turn 34 this month, decided last year to try his hand at tournament fishing full time, he’s been as good as anyone, amassing an astounding eight Top 10s and two wins in 11 career tour-level events to the tune of $430,000 in earnings.

Every time he moves a rung up the tournament ladder, Lawrence just keeps winning. He now has at least one victory at every level of MLF competition – Phoenix Bass Fishing League, Toyota Series, Tackle Warehouse Invitationals and Bass Pro Tour – in the past three years alone. Across all those levels, he has an insane seven wins and 19 Top-10 finishes in 25 events since the start of 2023. Oh, by the way, he also won the Fishing Clash Angler of the Year award in the Toyota Series Plains Division last year and finished second in the Invitationals points race. He moved up to fourth in the current BPT standings.

With the lock box back on his transducers for Period 3, Lawrence returned to his shallow honey hole. It didn’t take him long to reignite the buzzbait bite. Within the first 45 minutes of the final frame, he’d added another four fish for 11-7. With less than 2 hours left to fish, he led by more than 15 pounds.

But Lawrence never doubted that Wheeler would figure it out, and the world’s No. 1-ranked angler lived up to his reputation. While Lawrence hit a lull, Wheeler – the only competitor who was able to make the smallmouth bite below Chickamauga Dam last on Sunday – ignited a flurry that added 10-10 to his total in the span of 10 minutes.

Especially after he fell one bite short of the win at Stage 3 on Lake Murray, it felt inevitable that Wheeler wouldn’t be denied again. Multiple times during the final hour, he pulled within one scorable bass of Lawrence’s lead.

“I knew that I had to keep catching them,” Lawrence said. “I knew that (Wheeler) was going to. Just the feeling of ‘oh my gosh, I think I may win this,’ to ‘oh no, now I’m going to let it slip.’”

Finally, with 6 minutes left before lines out, Wheeler got over the hump. He boated a 3-12 that put him 6 ounces clear of Lawrence – which meant Lawrence would have to catch at least a 2-pounder to retake the lead.

Lawrence pleaded for another largemouth to eat his buzzbait. For a few casts in the final minutes, he actually put down the bait before deciding to live or die with the tool that had already produced 12 of his scorable bass.

However, he did decide to stop casting to the spot that had produced most of his buzzbait fish, instead throwing to the other side of the point.

On his first cast that way, the bass struck so violently, Lawrence initially thought it had missed his bait. He set the hook, flipped it into the boat, grabbed its lower lip and unleashed a guttural scream of celebration.

“She hit it with such force coming at me that it threw a bunch of slack in my line, and I honestly though she missed it,” he said. “I started to go wind it in fast to make another cast, and when I started winding it down, she was there. I was like, ‘oh my goodness. There is no way this is happening.’”

Every angler likes to end an outing with a fish. Growing up fishing alongside my dad and brother, we’d always ask for some “last cast magic” as everyone threw one final time.

Of course, the last cast usually doesn’t turn out to be the last cast – until you catch one. But with the Bass Pro Tour’s live scoreboard, Lawrence almost certainly didn’t have time to make another cast and fight a fish before lines out.

That 5-9 – the second biggest bass of the day not only for Lawrence but the entire Championship Round field – delivered the ultimate last-cast magic.

“That’s God’s work right there,” Lawrence said in the seconds after his win became official. “That’s the way to end one.”

The top 10 pros at the O’Reilly Auto Parts Stage 4 Presented by OPTIMA Batteries on Nickajack Lake finished:

1st:   Jake Lawrence, Paris, Tenn., 27 bass, 83-2, $150,000
2nd: Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn., 27 bass, 77-15, $45,000
3rd: Cole Floyd, Leesburg, Ohio, 17 bass, 48-14, $35,000
4th:         Ron Nelson, Berrien Springs, Mich., 15 bass, 42-7, $30,000
5th:         Wesley Strader, Spring City, Tenn., 15 bass, 37-14, $25,000
6th:         Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., 12 bass, 37-4, $23,000
7th:         Matt Becker, Ten Mile, Tenn., 12 bass, 29-9, $22,000
8th:         Drew Gill, Mount Carmel, Ill., 11 bass, 25-9, $21,000
9th:         Justin Cooper, Zwolle, La., seven bass, 21-12, $20,500
10th: Justin Lucas, Guntersville, Ala., six bass, 15-8, $20,000

A complete list of results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Lawrence won the Berkley Big Bass Award on Sunday with his giant 8-pound, 3-ounce largemouth that he caught in the first period. Berkley awards $1,000 to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass each day.

The O’Reilly Auto Parts Stage 4 Presented by OPTIMA Batteries was hosted by Visit Chattanooga and Fish Tennessee and showcased 66 of the top professional anglers in the world, competing for a purse of $650,000, including a top payout of $150,000 and valuable Angler of the Year (AOY) points in hopes of qualifying for the General Tire Heavy Hitters all-star event and REDCREST 2026, the Bass Pro Tour championship.

Television coverage of the O’Reilly Auto Parts Stage 4 at Lake Chickamauga and Nickajack Lake Presented by OPTIMA Batteries will premiere as a two-hour episode starting at 7 a.m. ET, on Saturday, Oct. 11 on Discovery, with the Championship Round premiering on Saturday, Oct. 18. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on Discovery, with re-airings on Outdoor Channel.

The 2025 Bass Pro Tour features a field of 66 of the top professional anglers in the world, competing across seven regular-season tournaments around the country, for millions of dollars and valuable points to qualify for the annual Heavy Hitters all-star event and the REDCREST 2026 championship.

Proud sponsors of the 2025 MLF Bass Pro Tour include: 7Brew Coffee, Abu Garcia, Athletic Brewing, Bass Force, B&W Trailer Hitches, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, BUBBA, E3 Sport Apparel, Fishing Clash, Grizzly, Lowrance, Mercury, MillerTech, Mossy Oak Fishing, NITRO, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Power-Pole, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Star brite, Suzuki Marine and Toyota.

by AnglersChannel

Wheeler Paces Field in Knockout Round at MLF Bass Pro Tour O’Reilly Auto Parts Stage 4

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (May 3, 2025) – Seeing Jacob Wheeler’s name atop SCORETRACKER® for virtually all of Saturday’s Knockout Round at O’Reilly Auto Parts Stage 4 Presented by OPTIMA Batteries probably didn’t surprise anyone. Wheeler, an eight-time winner on the Bass Pro Tour , lives in nearby Harrison, Tennessee, and he entered the event as a clear favorite.

But Wheeler himself didn’t expect such a strong showing after the field relocated from Lake Chickamauga for the first of two days on the smaller, more mysterious Nickajack Lake.

Fishing in the current beneath the Chickamauga Dam, Wheeler posted the first scorable bass of the day – a 2-pound, 11-ounce smallmouth – 4 minutes after lines in. From there, he led nearly wire-to-wire. He stacked up 10 smallmouth totaling 32-6 in the first hour and 35 minutes (which would have been enough to finish above the elimination line). Despite spending most of the final two periods scouting new water, he cruised to a 63-5 total on 20 bass, finishing 9-3 clear of Wesley Strader.

“It was an unbelievable day of fishing today,” Wheeler said. “I felt like I could have caught another 40 pounds if I wanted to.”

Wheeler and the rest of the top nine finishers will be joined by Qualifying Round winner Justin Lucas on Nickajack for Sunday’s Championship Round. Weights will zero overnight, then the angler who can rack up the most weight will take home the $150,000 top prize.

Wheeler devoted about a third of the three-day practice period prior to Stage 4 on Nickajack, which was enough to convince him to focus on the riverine upper section of the reservoir. However, Saturday’s conditions, with overcast skies, bouts of rain and a strong current flowing from the dam, were quite a bit different than anything he saw in practice.

Turns out, that activated the smallmouth. Zipping between a handful of spots in a small zone, Wheeler got bites in bunches. The coolest flurry came when he caught a 4-7 and a 6-2 (the Berkley Big Bass of the day) back-to-back on a walking topwater.

“It was the most unbelievable bite I’ve had in a long time,” Wheeler said. “I threw it out there, and those suckers came up blowing up. I threw a (Rapala) Jowler out there, and twitch, twitch, and 4- and 5-pound smallmouth were blowing my topwater out of the water, and a freakin’ 6-pounder comes up and eats it. It was unbelievable.”

Wheeler built a lead of more than 12 pounds during the opening period, which allowed him to spend the rest of the day sampling more spots in preparation for the Championship Round. Wheeler said that “every hour, things seemed to be changing a little bit,” and with more current in the forecast for tomorrow, he expects the complexion of the fishery to shift once again.

“It was very important (to start fast),” Wheeler said. “I was able to understand a little bit more than I did, and I was able to sort of go, ‘okay, this is not going to work,’ or ‘this might develop tomorrow.’ I have some things that I didn’t have in the boat today that I know I’m going to have to add to my arsenal for tomorrow.”

As dominant as Wheeler looked during the Knockout Round, he’s not clearing out space for another trophy just yet. Predicting it’ll take around 50 pounds to claim the trophy, he described himself as “uneasy” about what the additional current, which could mean dirtier water, will do to his fish. While he thinks he’ll stay on the upper end of the lake, he’s not necessarily all-in on the smallmouth-dominated approach he employed Saturday.

“In the river section, the more current you have, it’s not necessarily the best,” he explained. “When there’s a decent amount of current, the fish will set up on offshore places, and you can catch them. But when you get a lot of current and a lot of mud, they leave that stuff. So, you’ve got to do a little bit more power fishing on the bank. And I think that will be a little bit more difficult. Like, the places I caught them today, I might be able to catch them on a couple places, but it won’t be like it was today.”

Wheeler admitted the proximity of Stage 4 to his adopted home made for more pressure than he typically feels entering a Bass Pro Tour event. He’s one day away from living up to the hype – and from adding a win on Nickajack to a résumé that already includes top-level victories on both of its neighbors, Chickamauga and Guntersville.

“By no means is Nickajack a home lake to me,” Wheeler said. “I’ve spent probably 10 days of my entire life down on that place. But I know the region, I know the Tennessee River. I’ve won on Chickamauga, I’ve won on Guntersville and had some really good finishes all throughout the Tennessee River. So, to me, they’re all sort of similar. It’s fun to go compete, but I do feel a little more pressure to try to represent the local community and do a good job at this event just because it is so close to home.”

Drew Gill has been at the cutting edge of the sport since his career went national in 2023, thanks in large part to his mastery of forward-facing sonar. He combined that skill with some savvy strategy on Saturday to pull off an unprecedented game plan in the Bass Pro Tour’s every-fish-counts format.

For nearly the first 4 hours of competition, Gill didn’t pick up a rod. Instead, the 22-year-old phenom spent all that time idling and graphing, locating fish he could target during his lone period with forward-facing sonar.

He played it to perfection. Gill didn’t catch his first scorable bass until shortly after 11:30 a.m., and that was the only fish he put on SCORETRACKER® until the start of the third period. He entered the final frame in 15thplace, nearly 13 pounds back of the elimination line. By lines out, he had climbed all the way to fourth with 40-4 on 14 bass.

“It was a really aggressive decision to choose to not fish in the tournament, to actively practice in the tournament,” Gill said. “It’s one of those decisions that you can either look like a hero or look like an idiot. And today, we ended up on the hero side of things, and that was really cool.”

In Gill’s words, he made the “unique decision because of a unique set of circumstances.” He only spent about 3 hours of official practice on Nickajack, so he knew he needed to learn more about the fishery in order to make his eighth Championship Round in 11 career BPT events. He figured most of the field had also spent the bulk of practice on Chickamauga, so the weights wouldn’t get away from him too quickly (as long as the elimination line pace stayed below 15 pounds per period, he thought he could get there). The time of year added the final ingredient, as Gill said he’s targeting fish that aren’t moving much during the course of the day.

“I taught myself on Chick, I can catch enough weight when I have Scope to overcome any amount of not catching them when I don’t,” Gill said. “And this time of year, when you’re fishing for isolated, single fish, if you find one on SideScan, that one is already caught. Whether you reel him in right then or not, that one is already caught. So, I had the opportunity to sit down and catch a bunch without catching them for 4 hours, and then once I had them all found, I just went and essentially scooped them all up the last period.”

The good news for Gill is that, while idling, he found two other areas that set up like the one where he did all his damage during the third period. So, he won’t have to try and pull off a similar comeback during the Championship Round.

“I think I’ve already got my fish for tomorrow found today,” he said. “That was kind of the side part of my strategy; I was like, if it’s going to be good enough that I can catch what I need in 2 1/2 hours, it’s also going to be good enough that I can find stuff that I won’t use.”

Even though he doesn’t plan to do it again on Championship Sunday, don’t be surprised if Gill pulls this trick out from time to time going forward as long as the BPT limits competitors to one period per day with forward-facing sonar.

“This was a decision I’m really glad I made, and I can promise you, although this was the first time I’ve made this decision and I don’t think it’s one that will happen often, it won’t be the last time,” Gill said. “This has given me the confidence I need to potentially be willing to make this gamble again sometime.”

The top nine pros from the Knockout Round that now advance to Championship Sunday on Nickajack Lake are:

1st:          Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn., 20 bass, 63-5
2nd:        Wesley Strader, Spring City, Tenn., 19 bass, 54-2
3rd: Jake Lawrence, Paris, Tenn., 18 bass, 45-6
4th:         Drew Gill, Mount Carmel, Ill., 14 bass, 40-4
5th:         Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., 15 bass, 39-11
6th:         Ron Nelson, Berrien Springs, Mich., 13 bass, 36-14
7th:         Cole Floyd, Leesburg, Ohio, 12 bass, 36-7
8th:         Matt Becker, Ten Mile, Tenn., 14 bass, 35-13
9th:         Justin Cooper, Zwolle, La., 12 bass, 31-9
*QR Winner: Justin Lucas, Guntersville, Ala.

Eliminated from competition are:

11th:      Jeff Sprague, Wills Point, Texas, 11 bass, 27-8, $15,900
12th:      Spencer Shuffield, Hot Springs, Ark., 10 bass, 25-11, $15,800
13th:      Dean Rojas, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., 11 bass, 25-7, $15,700
14th:      Ott DeFoe, Blaine, Tenn., seven bass, 23-7, $15,600
15th:      Nick Hatfield, Greeneville, Tenn., seven bass, 18-5, $15,500
16th:      Andy Montgomery, Blacksburg, S.C., seven bass, 16-1, $15,400
17th:      Alton Jones Jr., Waco, Texas, six bass, 13-15, $15,300
18th:      Jared Lintner, Covington, Ga., four bass, 8-14, $15,200
19th:      Andy Morgan, Dayton, Tenn., two bass, 6-2, $15,100
20th:      Brent Ehrler, Redlands, Calif., two bass, 4-2, $15,000

A complete list of results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Wheeler won Saturday’s Berkley Big Bass Award with the 6-pound, 2-ounce smallmouth that he caught in Period 1. Berkley awards $1,000 to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass each day.

The full field of anglers competed in the two-day Qualifying Round on Thursday and Friday on Lake Chickamauga. After the two-day Qualifying Round was complete, leader Justin Lucas advanced directly to Sunday’s Championship Round on Nickajack Lake. The anglers that finished 2nd through 20th competed in Saturday’s Knockout Round on Nickajack Lake. In the Knockout Round, weights were zeroed, and the top nine finishers now join Lucas in Sunday’s Championship Round. In the Championship Round, weights are zeroed, and the highest one-day total wins the top prize of $150,000.

On Championship Sunday, the final 10 anglers will launch at 7:15 a.m. ET from the Tennessee Riverpark, located at 4301 Amnicola Highway in Chattanooga. The takeout Sunday will be held at the same location, beginning at 3:45 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend all launch and takeout events and also encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLFNOW!® live stream and SCORETRACKER® coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

The MLFNOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action live on Championship Sunday from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET. MLFNOW!® will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com, the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app and Rumble.

On Sunday, May 4, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. MLF welcomes fans of all ages to visit Ross’s Landing at 201 Riverfront Parkway for the MLF Fan Experience & Watch Party. Fans can watch the pros live on the MLFNOW! big screen, enjoy free food, enter to win hourly giveaways, listen to live music and cheer on their favorite pros. The first 50 kids 14 and under will receive a free Abu Garcia rod and reel. The event also includes a meet and greet with Paw Patrol's Skye and Marshall, a youth fishing derby presented by Hardee’s and a casting contest. The Bass Pro Tour anglers will be on hand to meet and greet fans, sign autographs and take selfies.

The O’Reilly Auto Parts Stage 4 at Lake Chickamauga and Nickajack Lake Presented by OPTIMA Batteries is hosted by Visit Chattanooga and Fish Tennessee and features anglers competing with a 2-pound minimum weight requirement for a bass to be deemed scorable. The MLF Fisheries Management Division determines minimum weights for each body of water that the Bass Pro Tour visits, based on the productivity, bass population and anticipated average size of fish in each fishery.

by AnglersChannel

Major League Fishing Cancels Saturday Watch Party, Events and Championship Trophy Ceremony to Resume Sunday

WHAT:
Due to the forecast for Saturday afternoon, Major League Fishing (MLF) has cancelled the Watch Party originally scheduled for Saturday, May 3, from 3-6 p.m. The Watch Party and Trophy Ceremony will take place as planned on Sunday, May 4, from 3-6 p.m. at Ross’ Landing. Fans are invited to attend and celebrate with the professional anglers from the Bass Pro Tour on Sunday as MLF crowns the champion of O’Reilly Auto Parts Stage 4 at Lake Chickamauga and Nickajack Lake Presented by OPTIMA Batteries.

WHEN:
Saturday, May 3
(canceled)

Sunday, May 4
3 p.m. – MLF Bass Pro Tour Fan Experience & Watch Party
4 p.m. – Live Music
5 p.m. – Top 10 Interviews & Trophy Ceremony

WHERE:
Ross’ Landing
201 Riverfront Parkway
Chattanooga, Tennessee

NOTES:
The FREE, family-friendly event will be fun for fishing fans of all ages, with opportunities to watch the pros live on the MLFNOW! big screen, participate in casting contests, enter to win hourly giveaways, listen to live music and cheer on their favorite pros.

The first 50 kids 14 and under will receive a free Abu Garcia rod and reel Sunday and the first 100 attendees will receive free food from Hardees. The event also includes a meet and greet with Paw Patrol’s Skye and Marshall and a youth fishing derby, presented by Hardees. The Bass Pro Tour anglers will be on hand Sunday to meet and greet fans, sign autographs and take selfies.

Hosted by Visit Chattanooga and Fish Tennessee, the four-day tournament features 66 of the world’s top professional anglers competing for a $150,000 top prize, crucial points in the Fishing Clash Angler of the Year (AOY) race and coveted qualification spots for the Heavy Hitters all-star event and REDCREST 2026.

by AnglersChannel

Justin Lucas Tops Qualifying Round at MLF Bass Pro Tour O’Reilly Auto Parts Stage 4 Presented by OPTIMA Batteries

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (May 2, 2025) – Justin Lucas’ Day 1 lead at O’Reilly Auto Parts Stage 4 Presented by OPTIMA Batteries got a few early challenges, but for just about all of the first two periods Friday on Lake Chickamauga, the Alabama pro retained the top spot on SCORETRACKER®. When he added a 4-pound, 12-ounce largemouth to his total late in Period 2 to extend his lead to 19 pounds, the Qualifying Round win and automatic berth to the Championship Round that comes with it looked to be safely in his grasp.

Less than an hour of competition time later, Lucas found himself trailing Jake Lawrence. The Tennessee native had rocketed from 21^st place at the start of the day – an even 33 pounds behind Lucas – all the way to the top of the leaderboard. He wound up stacking up 91-11 on 28 scorable bass, easily the best day of any angler during the event.

However, while Lawrence’s bite went dry late, Lucas stayed steady. He added seven scorable bass during the final frame to bring his Day 2 tally to 62-13, which pushed his total an even 127 pounds and edged Lawrence by 4-2 in one of the most dramatic Qualifying Rounds in recent memory.

Claiming the top spot will allow Lucas to sit out while the rest of the Top 20 heads one reservoir down the Tennessee River to Nickajack Lake for Saturday’s Knockout Round. He will join the top nine finishers there on Sunday for the Championship Round, where $150,000 will be on the line.

Lucas stacked up most of his Day 1 weight by targeting schools of postspawn bass offshore. So, he figured his ability to win the Qualifying Round would depend on those fish regrouping overnight.

When he arrived at his most productive spot Friday morning, however, he caught just one non-scorable bass. So, he turned to Plan B, another offshore ledge where he’d plucked a few fish the day prior. He wound up recording an even better start, catching 11 bass for 37-1 during the opening period.

In addition to his spot switch, Lucas’ key adjustment was swapping from a Neko rig and deep-diving crankbait, his main tools on Day 1, for a jighead minnow, as the fish weren’t relating as closely to the bottom.

“I just think it was conditions,” he said. “It was calm, no wind. The fish were up in the water column chasing bait, and so anything on the bottom, they weren’t real interested. There’s no current, and when there’s no current, the fish are suspended. And that was the deal.”

After utilizing his forward-facing sonar in Period 1, Lucas went shallow in search of bass on beds, as he’d done a day prior. Once again, he found the fish less willing to cooperate – he only caught one bass during Period 2, the aforementioned 4-12. With Lawrence closing hard, he decided to return to his best offshore spots even though he wouldn’t have forward-facing sonar at his disposal.

The action wasn’t as fast and furious as it had been in the morning, but Lucas added six fish for 18-11, including a 5-1 that put him back in the lead. He then capped the afternoon with one last savvy decision, running back to the shallows and catching a 2-5 on a Berkley Bullet Pop in the final 10 minutes before lines out.

While it turned out Lucas didn’t need that last fish to win the round, it represented his favorite catch of the day. He designed the Bullet Pop, and while doing so, he used an early prototype to finish 11^th at a BASS Open on Chickamauga in 2017.

“I first caught fish on that bait as a 3-D printed bait here in 2017, and I caught some really nice fish on it around laydowns just like I caught that one this evening,” Lucas said. “So, it was just kind of icing on the cake.”

Initially unsure about the strategy of skipping a day on Nickajack, Lucas couldn’t pass up an automatic Top 10, which will be his 15^th in Bass Pro Tour competition. He spent a day scouting Nickajack more than a month ago, before it went off-limits, but never ventured there during official practice this week. His plan for the Championship Round is to “try and figure it out on the fly.”

After his Qualifying Round performance, he can at least take confidence from his decision making.

“It’s just a totally different lake, totally different body of water,” Lucas said. “So, I have no idea what to expect down there.”

Even though his Day 1 total of 31-3 had him just 5 ounces outside the elimination line, Lawrence emerged from Thursday frustrated. The former guide on Kentucky Lake and Pickwick should have been in his element targeting bass on offshore ledges, but he said a lack of current killed his bite.

“Yesterday was so frustrating – it was the only time on the TVA chain that I believe I have ever seen the current generation at 0,” Lawrence said. “Like 0 – not 2,000 (cubic feet per second), not 4,000. For a couple hours yesterday, it was at absolute 0. And that really just messed me up. A lot of schools broke apart, disappeared. The ones that were there wouldn’t act right.”

With a bit more current rolling through his prime stretches Friday, Lawrence showed why he’s earned a reputation as one of the best on the Tennessee River system. Rotating between about 10 different offshore schools, he racked up 30-10 in Period 1, then 30-14 in Period 2. He blistered 28-1 in the first 45 minutes of Period 3 to take the lead before a school of white bass moved in and hurt his bite.

“We made it count today,” he said. “We had just enough current to kind of keep those fish together and get them competitive. So, I had a blast.”

Lawrence turned his forward-facing sonar on during Period 3, but he never used it to target individual fish, just to better line up his casts. He did most of his damage on either a Bill Lewis MR-12 crankbait or a soft swimbait.

“The way that the wind blew was kind of opposite of where I wanted to set up, so I was really throwing over the back of the boat, over the Mercury, for the majority of the day,” Lawrence said.

While Lawrence fell short of winning the round, his huge day continued a banner rookie season on the Bass Pro Tour. Including REDCREST on Lake Guntersville last month, where he finished fifth, he’s logged three Top 10s in his first four events of 2025. He’ll have a chance to make it five-for-six this weekend.

The top 20 pros that now advance to competition on Nickajack Lake are:

1st:          Justin Lucas, Guntersville, Ala., 44 bass, 127-0
2nd:        Jake Lawrence, Paris, Tenn., 41 bass, 122-14
3rd:        Nick Hatfield, Greeneville, Tenn., 33 bass, 88-11
4th:         Drew Gill, Mount Carmel, Ill., 31 bass, 87-1
5th:         Cole Floyd, Leesburg, Ohio, 28 bass, 85-1
6th:         Ott DeFoe, Blaine, Tenn., 30 bass, 84-8
7th:         Andy Morgan, Dayton, Tenn., 26 bass, 80-6
8th:         Jeff Sprague, Wills Point, Texas, 25 bass, 77-15
9th:         Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn., 28 bass, 75-8
10th:      Matt Becker, Ten Mile, Tenn., 27 bass, 74-8
11th:      Alton Jones Jr., Waco, Texas, 25 bass, 73-15
12th:      Justin Cooper, Zwolle, La., 27 bass, 70-0
13th:      Spencer Shuffield, Hot Springs, Ark., 26 bass, 68-12
14th:      Brent Ehrler, Redlands, Calif., 22 bass, 68-8
15th:      Dean Rojas, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., 22 bass, 65-12
16th:      Jared Lintner, Covington, Ga., 22 bass, 62-5
17th:      Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., 19 bass, 61-11
18th:      Andy Montgomery, Blacksburg, S.C., 23 bass, 61-0
19th:      Wesley Strader, Spring City, Tenn., 23 bass, 60-8
20th:      Ron Nelson, Berrien Springs, Mich., 20 bass, 59-10

A complete list of results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Nelson earned the Day 2 Berkley Big Bass Award Friday with a 8-pound, 8-ounce largemouth that he caught in Period 3. Berkley awards $1,000 to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass each day.

The full field of anglers competed in the two-day Qualifying Round on Lake Chickamauga Thursday and Friday. With the two-day Qualifying Round now complete, Lucas advances directly to Sunday’s Championship Round on Nickajack Lake. The anglers that finished 2nd through 20th advance to Saturday’s Knockout Round on Nickajack Lake. In the Knockout Round, weights are zeroed, and the top nine anglers will join Lucas in Sunday’s Championship Round. In the Championship Round, weights are zeroed, and the highest one-day total wins the top prize of $150,000.

On Saturday and Sunday, anglers will launch at 7:15 a.m. ET from the Tennessee Riverpark, located at 4301 Amnicola Highway in Chattanooga. The takeout Saturday and Sunday will be held at the same location, beginning at 3:45 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend all launch and takeout events and also encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLFNOW!® live stream and SCORETRACKER® coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

The MLFNOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action live on all four days of competition from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET. MLFNOW!® will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com, the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app and Rumble.

On Saturday and Sunday, May 3-4, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. MLF welcomes fans of all ages to visit Ross’s Landing at 201 Riverfront Parkway for the MLF Fan Experience & Watch Party. Fans can watch the pros live on the MLFNOW! big screen, enjoy free food, enter to win hourly giveaways, listen to live music and cheer on their favorite pros. The first 50 kids 14 and under will receive a free Abu Garcia rod and reel each day. The event also includes a meet and greet with Paw Patrol's Skye and Marshall, a youth fishing derby presented by Hardee’s and a casting contest. The Bass Pro Tour anglers will be on hand both days to meet and greet fans, sign autographs and take selfies.

Proud sponsors of the 2025 MLF Bass Pro Tour include: 7Brew Coffee, Abu Garcia, Athletic Brewing, Bass Force, B&W Trailer Hitches, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, BUBBA, E3 Sports Apparel, Fishing Clash, Grizzly, Lowrance, Mercury, MillerTech, Mossy Oak Fishing, NITRO, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Power-Pole, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Star brite, Suzuki Marine and Toyota.

by AnglersChannel

Texan River Lee Wins Weather-Shortened MLF Toyota Series Event at Oklahoma’s Lake Eufaula

EUFAULA, Okla. (May 2, 2025) – Drenching overnight rains sent the lake up even more than it already was, which turned the Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats Southwestern Division event on Lake Eufaula into a one-day tournament. Earning the win, pro River Lee of Diboll, Texas, weighed 13-10 on five fish on Day 1 and edged Wesley Baxley by an ounce. For his win, Lee earned $29,024 and locked in qualification to the Toyota Series Championship this fall on Grand Lake.

In the Fishing Clash Angler of the Year race, Dakota Ebare held on to the top spot to earn an extra $5,000. The well-traveled pro managed two fish for 6-5 on Day 1, which put him in 16th and moved him 10 points ahead of runner-up Brody Campbell . Finishing third was Baxley, who put together three Top-25 finishes in an excellent season.

On Day 1 and only, Lee set out with a bit of a plan in mind, and as additional proof of his sound strategy, practice partner Cody Ross also finished in the Top 10. However, the unplanned part of the day turned out to be the key to his win.

As Lee eased around his chosen area, he made the decision of the day. Recalling a pond he hadn’t been able to get into a few weeks ago in a BASS Nation event, the Texas pro gave it another go.

Once in the pond, Lee fished around the newest part of Lake Eufaula and didn’t catch anything until he got to a little spillway in the back. There, he plucked his second keeper of the day.

For baits, Lee used a Rapala CrushCity Bronco Bug, a Rapala CrushCity Pick Stick and a chartreuse and white, double-willow War Eagle spinnerbait.

The win is Lee’s first at a national level, though he’s been very successful in Texas, especially recently.

“I mean, it's definitely not how I dreamed of winning my first big one,” he said. “But then again, I've also just got to be super thankful that I caught what I caught and just to be in that position, with how it went. So, I'm trying not to let it bother me that it turned into a one-day shootout, and I got the win that way. But I'm super thankful – I did not see it coming at all.”

The top 10 pros at the Toyota Series at Lake Eufaula finished:

1st:        River Lee, Diboll, Texas, five bass, 13-10, $29,024
2nd:       Wesley Baxley, Conroe, Texas, five bass, 13-9, $12,247 (includes $1,000 Phoenix Bonus)
3rd:       Levi Thibodaux, Thibodaux, La., five bass, 12-10, $8,957
4th:        Aaron Johnson, Shreveport, La., two bass, 10-11, $7,756
5th:        Matt Reed, Madisonville, Texas, five bass, 9-15, $6,530
6th:        Shonn Goodwin, Moore, Okla., five bass, 9-10, $5,805
7th:        Corey Calvert, Coldspring, Texas, four bass, 9-4, $5,079
8th:        Paul Browning, Monahans, Texas, three bass, 8-4, $4,354
9th:        Seth Kelm, Canyon Lake, Texas, three bass, 7-4, $3,628
10th:     Cody Ross, Livingston, Texas, three bass, 7-2, $2,902

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Johnson earned the $500 Berkley Big Bass Award on Thursday with a bass weighing 5 pounds, 12 ounces.

Clayton Coppin of Muskogee, Oklahoma, won the co-angler division at Lake Eufaula with a total of two bass weighing 10 pounds, 1 ounce. Coppin earned the top co-angler prize package worth $33,500, including a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard motor.

The top 10 co-anglers at the Toyota Series at Lake Eufaula finished:

1st:        Clayton Coppin, Muskogee, Okla., two bass, 10-1, Phoenix 518 Pro boat w/115-hp Mercury outboard
2nd:       Ben Burk, Norman, Okla., three bass, 9-1, $3,721
3rd:       Michael Zachry, Fairfield, Texas, two bass, 8-1, $2,977
4th:        Stephen Vogel, Muenster, Texas, three bass, 6-15, $2,605
5th:        Justin Swayze, Gurdon, Ark., three bass, 6-11, $2,233
6th:        David Bozarth, Montgomery, Texas, two bass, 6-5, $1,861
7th:        Shawn Clark, Afton, Okla., two bass, 6-4, $1,488
8th:        Mark Sloan, Harrison, Ark., two bass, 5-1, $1,402
9th:        Jimmy Wells Jr., Collinsville, Ill., two bass, 4-15, $1,116
10th:     Mike Casanova, Frisco, Texas, one bass, 4-8, $930

Coppin also earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award with a largemouth weighing 7 pounds even to win the $150 prize.

The Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats at Lake Eufaula was hosted by Vision Eufaula. It was the third and
final regular-season tournament for the Toyota Series Southwestern Division. The next event for Toyota Series Southwestern Division anglers will be the Toyota Series Championship, Nov. 6-8, at Grand Lake in Grove, Oklahoma. For a complete schedule of events, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.

by AnglersChannel

Montevallo’s Lead Nearly Doubles as Race for Bass Pro Shops School of the Year

SAN ANTONIO, TX (May 1, 2025) – The race for the 2024-25 Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia will conclude on May 31^st. Hundreds of college bass fishing teams from all across the nation are continuing to compete for valuable points to count towards college fishing’s only all-encompassing National Rankings system. Whether it be to finish the year in 1^st place overall, achieve a school-best end-of-year ranking, or end the season inside of the coveted Top 25, only a few more valuable points earning opportunities remain in this current season for schools to achieve their goals.

In the latest points update to the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia, the University of Montevallo maintains its number one ranking. McKendree University continues to hold onto 2^nd, and the University of North Alabama climbs up one spot into 3^rd.

Each of these Top 3 ranked teams are past winners of the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia:

University of Montevallo: 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024

McKendree University: 2019, 2020

University of North Alabama: 2014, 2015

This latest points update to the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia is highlighted by points awarded at the MLF College Series National Championship, and numerous School-Run/Other Sanctioned events.

Top ranked University of Montevallo’s two highest-placing teams at the MLF National Championship on Wheeler Lake placed 1^st and 2^nd overall, earning the four-time defending title winning team the most points of any school to compete that week. Brody Robison & Peyton Sorrow finished in 1^st place, and Nicholas Dumke took 2^nd. Those two top finishes earned Montevallo 3,980 points. Following the previous update, Montevallo led 2^nd ranked McKendree by 1,055 points. Montevallo’s lead over 2^nd place has now extended to 1,970 points.

Here is a look at other programs that made significant moves up in the Top 25 for the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia:

4) Carson-Newman University – Previously Ranked 7^th

7)Campbellsville University – Previously Ranked 8^th

10) Bethel University – Previously Ranked 11^th

11) Murray State University – Previously ranked 12^th

13) Blue Mountain Christian University – Previously Ranked 16^th

18) Missouri State University – Previously ranked 19^th

Click here to view the complete updated rankings.

Two programs moved into the Top 25 of the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia after previously being ranked outside of this coveted spot. Northwestern State University climbed four spots from 27^th to 23^rd, and East Texas Baptist University moved up two places from 26^th to 24^th.

by AnglersChannel

Justin Lucas Jumps to Early Lead at MLF Bass Pro Tour O’Reilly Auto Parts Stage 4 Presented by OPTIMA Batteries at Lake Chickamauga

Alabama pro catches 25 largemouth weighing 64-3 to lead after Day 1 on Lake Chickamauga, full field to complete Qualifying Round Friday

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (May 1, 2025) – Pre-tournament chatter suggested a diverse event would be on tap at O’Reilly Auto Parts Stage 4 Presented by OPTIMA Batteries , and Day 1 delivered. With the field fishing famed Lake Chickamauga for the first of two days Thursday, a wide range of patterns yielded fish. Cloudy skies made for a strong morning shad spawn bite, then some anglers found schools of fish on offshore ledges, while others targeted shallow cover for spawners and fry-guarders and still others caught smallmouth in the tailrace beneath Watts Bar Dam.

Justin Lucas pieced together the best day of the bunch. The Guntersville, Alabama pro got off to a strong start fishing offshore, then moved shallow and targeted bass on beds in Period 3. That produced a total of 64 pounds, 3 ounces on 25 scorable bass, which has him 5-6 ahead of Waco, Texas, pro Alton Jones Jr. in second. Blaine, Tennessee, pro Ott DeFoe, the only other angler to top 50 pounds, rounds out the top three with 55-15.

With the first two days of Stage 4 taking place on Chickamauga before the field relocates to Nickajack Lake for the Knockout and Championship Rounds, the field got three days of official practice rather than its usual two. Lucas spent most of it on Chick, and yet he still didn’t expect such a strong Day 1 performance.

“Today was fun,” Lucas said. “I can’t believe I caught 25 fish. I didn’t have that many bites in all of practice.”

The big day came at a good time for Lucas, and not just because Thursday marked his 39th birthday. The last time he took the water in competition – at REDCREST on Lake Guntersville, where he’s lived for the past 15 years – he failed to make the Knockout Round and finished 34th. That left a sour taste in his mouth, so seeing his game plan work to perfection provided a welcome jolt of confidence.

“I expected to catch them (at Guntersville), and when you don’t, it definitely takes a little wind out of your sails,” Lucas said. “It feels really good to catch them here.”

Recognizing Chickamauga’s bass were scattered between different phases of the spawn, and in different depth ranges, Lucas centered his strategy on finding an area of the lake where he could catch fish both offshore and around the bank. He started his day plying offshore ledges with the one-two punch of a Neko-rigged Berkley PowerBait MaxScent magnum Hit Worm and a deep-diving crankbait.

As is typical of postspawn ledge fishing, Lucas often got bites in bunches. His best flurry saw him stack nine bass for nearly 23 pounds on SCORETRACKER® in the final 36 minutes of Period 1. In all, he totaled more than 50 pounds fishing offshore.

“I really didn’t catch but probably two fish using (forward-facing sonar),” Lucas noted. “Just more traditional ledge fishing.”

Lucas then switched gears, spending the final period sight-fishing for shallow spawners. He added four more scorable bass for 13-1, most of them eating a wacky-rigged Berkley PowerBait MaxScent The General. He plans to employ a similar program on Day 2, although he’s not sure he can catch another 60 pounds.

“I think the bite is going to be tougher tomorrow,” he said. “I don’t know if I can catch that much weight. But depending on how well some of my deep spots reload, we’ll see.”

If Lucas can maintain the top spot at the end of Friday’s action, he’ll earn an automatic berth to Sunday’s Championship Round. Shortly after lines out Thursday, he remained torn on whether that would be a sound strategy.

On one hand, it’s hard to pass up a guaranteed spot in the Top 10, and there’s no reason to practice or save fish on Day 2 since that will be the field’s final day on Chickamauga. On the other, he (like much of the field) has little experience on Nickajack, so he thinks the best path to hoisting his second career Bass Pro Tour trophy would be to compete in the Knockout Round and hopefully find the winning pattern.

“Obviously, I would take a guaranteed Top 10 anytime,” Lucas said. “But I feel like this one, being that I don’t know Nickajack at all, it would probably benefit me more to make the Knockout Round and fish there and try and figure something out. I think it’s going to be an advantage to the guys that make the Knockout Round.

“I’ll probably try to (win). But I don’t know if it’s a good idea. But I do like Top 10s.”

Like Lucas, Jones pieced together two patterns, both fishing for bedding bass and postspawners offshore. However, he didn’t worry about staying in the same area of the lake.

Jones said he ran a total of 96 miles on the day. He also estimated he caught at least one fish on 10 different baits, illustrating just how spread out the fish are on Chickamauga.

“I never caught one on a big crankbait today, and I never caught one on a swimbait, but I think every other rod on my deck got some action today,” Jones said.

Jones started his day running a few different offshore spots where he targeted postspawn schools.

“I think your chances of catching a quality bass are better offshore if you don’t have forward-facing sonar, and for two-thirds of the day, we can’t,” he explained.

He used the latter part of Period 2 to make a long run to a different area of the lake, making sure he’d have all of Period 3 to maximize his time with forward-facing sonar. Jones used the technology to target fish that were spawning and guarding fry away from the bank. He put together one of the best forward-facing sonar periods of any angler, totaling an even 22 pounds on eight bass and moving from sixth place at the start of the period up to second.

“There’s a lot of fish still spawning, but what I noticed is they’re spawning offshore – points, shoals, bars, whatever,” he said. “And so being really dialed in with that is really, really important this week.”

Like Lucas, Jones expects the bite to slow a bit tomorrow. If he can push his total above 100 pounds, he likes his chances of winning the Qualifying Round.

And he has no reservations about pursuing the automatic berth to the Championship Round. A Top 10 would be important in his pursuit of his first Fishing Clash Angler of the Year title (he’s currently fourth), and since he doesn’t have to worry about saving bass on Chickamauga, he sees no reason not to shoot for it.

“Normally, there’s a little more strategy that goes into grabbing the auto qualification,” Jones said. “Do I want to burn my fish? Do I not want to burn my fish? But here, we’re not coming back. So, there is no number where you lay off here. It’s just pedal to the metal and see what happens.”

The top 20 pros after Day 1 on Lake Chickamauga are:

1st:          Justin Lucas, Guntersville, Ala., 25 bass, 64-3
2nd         Alton Jones Jr., Waco, Texas, 19 bass, 58-13
3rd: Ott DeFoe, Blaine, Tenn., 19 bass, 55-15
4th:         Cole Floyd, Leesburg, Ohio, 16 bass, 47-12
5th:         Nick Hatfield, Greeneville, Tenn., 17 bass, 47-8
6th:         Drew Gill, Mount Carmel, Ill., 18 bass, 47-5
7th:         Matt Becker, Ten Mile, Tenn., 17 bass, 46-3
8th:         Andy Morgan, Dayton, Tenn., 14 bass, 44-4
9th:         Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn., 15 bass, 42-12
10th: Spencer Shuffield, Hot Springs, Ark., 15 bass, 42-2
11th: Brent Chapman, Lake Quivira, Kan., 12 bass, 41-2
12th: Andy Montgomery, Blacksburg, S.C., 15 bass, 40-2
13th: Justin Cooper, Zwolle, La., 16 bass, 38-12
14th: David Walker, Huntingdon, Tenn., 13 bass, 38-3
15th: Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla., 15 bass, 37-15
16th: Dean Rojas, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., 12 bass, 36-14
17th: Colby Miller, Elmer, La., 12 bass, 33-10
18th: Wesley Strader, Spring City, Tenn., 13 bass, 33-3
19th: Jeff Sprague, Wills Point, Texas, 10 bass, 32-3
20th: Bobby Lane, Lakeland, Fla., nine bass, 31-8

A complete list of results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

“Big Fish” Bobby Lane earned the Day 1 Berkley Big Bass Award Thursday with a 7-pound, 14-ounce largemouth that he caught on a bladed swim jig in Period 1. Berkley awards $1,000 to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass each day.

The full field of anglers compete in the two-day Qualifying Round on Thursday and Friday. After the two-day Qualifying Round is complete, the pro with the highest two-day total advances directly to Sunday’s Championship Round. Anglers that finish 2nd through 20th will advance to Saturday’s Knockout Round. In the Knockout Round, weights are zeroed, and the remaining anglers compete to finish in the top nine to advance to Sunday’s Championship Round. In the final-day Championship Round, weights are zeroed, and the highest one-day total wins the top prize of $150,000.

Anglers will launch at 7:15 a.m. ET Friday from Chester Frost Park, located at 2277 Gold Point Circle N. in Hixson, Tennessee. The takeout on Friday will be held at the same location beginning at 3:45 p.m. On Saturday and Sunday, anglers will launch at 7:15 a.m. ET from the Tennessee Riverpark, located at 4301 Amnicola Highway in Chattanooga. The takeout Saturday and Sunday will be held at the same location, beginning at 3:45 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend all launch and takeout events and also encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLFNOW!® live stream and SCORETRACKER® coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

The O’Reilly Auto Parts Stage 4 at Lake Chickamauga and Nickajack Lake Presented by OPTIMA Batteries is hosted by Chattanooga, Tennessee and Fish Tennessee and features anglers competing with a 2-pound minimum weight requirement for a bass to be deemed scorable. The MLF Fisheries Management Division determines minimum weights for each body of water that the Bass Pro Tour visits, based on the productivity, bass population and anticipated average size of fish in each fishery.

by AnglersChannel

Big bag lifts Marco and Rowlands to victory at Buggs Island

MECKLENBURG COUNTY, Va. — Often, tournaments are won by anglers fishing within their comfort zone. That wasn’t necessarily the case for the King University duo of Trey Marco and Jake Rowlands at the Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops at Buggs Island.

Using two baits they’ve hardly thrown, Marco and Rowlands won their first College Series event with a two-day total weighing 38 pounds, 9 ounces. The Pennsylvania natives opened the tournament in a tie for eighth place with a limit weighing 17-1 before securing a tournament-best 21-8 on the final day.

“It has been a while since I’ve won a bigger tournament,” Marco said. “This has been a long time coming. We put a lot of hard work into this, and it feels good to be rewarded for it.”

While neither of them had been to Buggs Island as boaters, Marco fished an event on the massive Roanoke River reservoir as a co-angler a few years prior.

“I fished the lake twice as a co-angler four years ago, and that was the year I really started bass fishing,” Marco said. “It feels good to come back here and see all of the progress I’ve made over the past few years.”

Emmanuel University’s Will Wester and Jackson Thomas finished second with a two-day mark of 36-3 while Day 1 leaders Easton Drennon and Chase McCarter from Carson-Newman University fell to third with a total of 34-14.

Marco, a sophomore, and the freshman Rowlands teamed up at the start of the school year but were disappointed with their results during the fall season. The duo worked hard to improve over the winter and spring, with preparation being an important piece of the puzzle. They spent several days on Buggs Island before the off-limits period scanning offshore areas looking for brushpiles.

When tournament week rolled around, they discovered that brush would not be the key piece of cover and shifted their focus to stumps.

“We thought shallow brushpiles would be good for postspawners,” Rowlands said. “We ended up finding that the brushpiles were not what they were on, it was stumps. But luckily when you found brushpiles, there were also stumps around.”

The majority of their productive stumps were in 12 feet of water or less, but on the final day they moved deeper and targeted smaller stumps. Most of these targets had two or three bass holding to them, and at times Marco said they had to weed through the smaller fish to get to the quality largemouth.

“It was hard to find an area by yourself. Our biggest key was finding an area that we had to ourselves. We didn’t see another boat the entire tournament. We pretty much made a circle around a three-mile area. We had 50 to 70 stumps marked. It seemed like the bites came in flurries.”

To trigger their bites, the duo threw a ¾-ounce bucktail jig as well as a Megabass Kanata Jerkbait, neither of which have been used much by Rowlands and Marco in the past. In fact, Rowlands received the jerkbait as a Christmas gift this past December and bought another one after Brandon Palaniuk won the Champion Power Equipment Bassmaster Elite at Lake Okeechobee in February. There was only one bucktail jig in the boat, and the hook was admittedly a little rusty.

“I really feel like no one was throwing them and these fish haven’t seen them,” Rowland said.

After not catching a single keeper to start Day 1 around a shad spawn, Marco and Rowland headed straight to their primary area on the final day. The duo picked up 11 pounds by 11 a.m., but within a 15-minute flurry, the duo upgraded to over 19 pounds.

“It was one of those things that just seemed meant to be,” Marco said. “The bite you normally don’t get, for whatever reason we got. It was a very short period of time, and we expanded on it a little bit.”

At around 1 p.m., the duo landed their final 4-pounder to put them over the 20-pound mark. While Marco felt good about their chances to win when they landed that bass, Rowlands thought they needed another kicker bite.

“Trey was saying the whole time that we had a shot at the win if we got to 21,” Rowlands said. “And I was saying we needed more. He was right.”

With the win, Marco and Rowlands qualified for their first Bassmaster College National Championship, which will be held just south of King University on Cherokee Lake in July.

Wester and Thomas utilized a similar gameplan to catch their 18-9 and 17-10 limits. They anchored their final day bag with a 5-4 largemouth. The duo dedicated their top finish to head coach Pam Martin-Wells, who passed away in April from cancer.

“It felt great being able to do this for her,” Wester said.

The week started with a blown motor, but in the process of trolling back to the ramp, the Emmanuel duo discovered the bass in the area were hovering around brushpiles.

With a new boat brought up from Georgia, they expanded on their pattern before making the transition to stumps in 6 to 8 feet of water, although they did catch a quality keeper off a stump in 30 feet of water. A ⅜-ounce brown and purple jig produced the majority of their stump bites while a 5/16-ounce Buckeye Lures G-Stroll jighead paired with a Strike King Z-Too minnow was better around the brush, especially if the bass were floating above the brush.

“Our better bites came around midday with the jig,” Wester, a sophomore, said.

With a limit of 10 pounds to start the day, Wester and Thomas slowly culled up throughout the day. Their kicker bite came around mid-morning.

“About 10 o’clock we had 13 pounds, and I leaned into that 5-4, which helped big time,” Thomas, a freshman, said. “We had our weight by 1 and we kept catching 2-pounders from then on.”

Wester and Thomas split Big Bass of the Tournament honors with the Erskine College duo of Rylan Green and Luke McGuffin, who also landed a 5-4 on the final day of competition.

The Top 20 teams qualified for the aforementioned Strike King Bassmaster College National Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops at Cherokee Lake scheduled for July 10-12. All teams earned points towards the Lunkers Trail points race. The Lunkers Trail will conclude at Chickamauga Lake May 30-31.

Mecklenburg County, Virginia, hosted the tournament.

2025 Bassmaster College Series Title Sponsor: Strike King

2025 Bassmaster College Series Presenting Sponsor: Bass Pro Shops

2025 Bassmaster College Series Platinum Sponsor: Progressive, Toyota
2025 Bassmaster College Series Premier Sponsors: Dakota Lithium, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha
2025 Bassmaster College Series Supporting Sponsors: AFTCO, Daiwa, Garmin, Lew's, Lowrance, Triton Boats, VMC, Yokohama

2025 Bassmaster College Series Youth Sponsors: Seaguar, Shimano

About B.A.S.S.

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Media Contact: Chad Gay, Communications Manager, 256-313-0945, cgay@bassmaster.com

2025 Strike King Bassmaster College Series at Buggs Island presented by Bass Pro Shops 4/30-5/1
Buggs Island Reservoir, Mecklenburg VA.
Standings Day 2

Team Club/School Pts

1. Trey Marco - Jake Rowlands King University 250
Day 1: 5 17-01 Day 2: 5 21-08 Total: 10 38-09
2. Will Wester - Jackson Thomas Emmanuel College 249
Day 1: 5 18-09 Day 2: 5 17-10 Total: 10 36-03
3. Easton Drennon - Chase McCarter Carson-Newman University 248
Day 1: 5 20-05 Day 2: 5 14-09 Total: 10 34-14
4. Lucas Washburn - Braylon Eggerding Adrian College 247
Day 1: 5 18-09 Day 2: 5 14-15 Total: 10 33-08
5. Brennan Berglund - Colton White University of Montevallo 246
Day 1: 5 17-01 Day 2: 5 16-05 Total: 10 33-06
6. Nathan Reynolds - Jake Brown University of North Alabama 245
Day 1: 5 20-02 Day 2: 5 13-01 Total: 10 33-03
7. Storm Clark - Elisha Colley University of Montevallo 244
Day 1: 5 15-09 Day 2: 5 17-09 Total: 10 33-02
8. Brody Robison - Peyton Sorrow University of Montevallo 243
Day 1: 5 17-13 Day 2: 5 15-02 Total: 10 32-15
9. Colton Boelkes - Joshua Hayes University of North Alabama 242
Day 1: 5 17-12 Day 2: 5 15-03 Total: 10 32-15
10. Scooter Ligon Jr - Levi Seagraves Emmanuel College 241
Day 1: 5 16-12 Day 2: 5 15-09 Total: 10 32-05
11. Bryce Dimauro - Tripp Berlinsky University of North Alabama 240
Day 1: 5 15-12 Day 2: 5 16-06 Total: 10 32-02
12. Matt Boerboom - Jacob Swanson University of Montevallo 239
Day 1: 5 16-02 Day 2: 5 15-14 Total: 10 32-00
13. Bryson Dotson - Hayden Peck Tennessee Wesleyan University 238
Day 1: 5 16-02 Day 2: 5 15-12 Total: 10 31-14
14. Matthew Massey - Matthew Gunn Erskine College 237
Day 1: 5 18-05 Day 2: 5 12-13 Total: 10 31-02
15. Chris Baker - Elijah Kelley Kentucky Christian University 236
Day 1: 5 14-14 Day 2: 5 15-12 Total: 10 30-10
16. Zachary Helton - Blake Wheat Carson-Newman University 235
Day 1: 5 14-15 Day 2: 5 15-05 Total: 10 30-04
17. Peyton Harris - Dalton Head University of Montevallo 234
Day 1: 5 16-03 Day 2: 5 14-00 Total: 10 30-03
18. Chandler Howell - Clayton Ellis Blue Mountain Christian Universi 233
Day 1: 5 15-02 Day 2: 5 14-12 Total: 10 29-14
19. Cole Moulton - Jared Hubbard Lander University 232
Day 1: 5 12-06 Day 2: 5 17-07 Total: 10 29-13
20. Anderson Jones - Lander University 231
Day 1: 5 14-10 Day 2: 5 14-14 Total: 10 29-08
21. Cason Price - Joe Vaulton Carson-Newman University 230
Day 1: 5 16-01 Day 2: 5 13-05 Total: 10 29-06
22. Nick Dumke - Connor Bell University of Montevallo 229
Day 1: 5 15-12 Day 2: 5 13-06 Total: 10 29-02
23. Brayden Ruckman - Zachary Wolfe Carson-Newman University 228
Day 1: 5 13-06 Day 2: 5 15-12 Total: 10 29-02
24. Kaden Buchmann - Chase Wodzinski Lander University 227
Day 1: 5 13-14 Day 2: 5 15-01 Total: 10 28-15
25. Carson Winn - Ethan Tedder University of North Alabama 226
Day 1: 5 13-05 Day 2: 5 15-09 Total: 10 28-14
26. Bryce Mcdonald - Ethan Elliott University of Pikeville 225
Day 1: 5 15-06 Day 2: 5 13-08 Total: 10 28-14
27. Calup Williams - Hunter King Blue Mountain Christian Universi 224
Day 1: 5 13-06 Day 2: 5 15-07 Total: 10 28-13
28. Daylon Milam - James Dubose University of Montevallo 223
Day 1: 5 15-11 Day 2: 5 13-00 Total: 10 28-11
29. Drake Sturgill - Hudson Choquette University of Montevallo 222
Day 1: 5 16-12 Day 2: 5 11-13 Total: 10 28-09
30. Tyler Thompson - Emery Burnett Georgia Southern University 221
Day 1: 5 12-06 Day 2: 5 16-01 Total: 10 28-07
31. Paxton Giem - Nick Seitz Adrian College 220
Day 1: 5 13-07 Day 2: 5 15-00 Total: 10 28-07
32. Jake Krauth - Jack Mcillwain University of North Alabama 219
Day 1: 5 14-01 Day 2: 5 14-04 Total: 10 28-05
33. Szymon Piton - Riley Faulkner Carson-Newman University 218
Day 1: 5 15-01 Day 2: 5 13-02 Total: 10 28-03
34. Lane Clark - Tallis Morrison Erskine College 217
Day 1: 5 14-04 Day 2: 5 13-15 Total: 10 28-03
35. Rylan Green - Luke McGuffin Erskine College 216
Day 1: 5 10-04 Day 2: 5 17-14 Total: 10 28-02
36. Logan Hendrick - Jake Brown Lenoir Rhyne University 215
Day 1: 5 13-14 Day 2: 5 13-15 Total: 10 27-13
37. Nicholas DellaPorta - Drew Pitts Carson-Newman University 214
Day 1: 5 15-01 Day 2: 5 12-11 Total: 10 27-12
38. Joe Lutz - Jake Monti UNC - Charlotte 213
Day 1: 5 13-10 Day 2: 5 14-01 Total: 10 27-11
39. Jon Foster - Lawton Williams Erskine College 212
Day 1: 5 13-04 Day 2: 5 14-05 Total: 10 27-09
40. Cameron Dials - Ethan Burnette Kentucky Christian University 211
Day 1: 5 13-12 Day 2: 5 13-13 Total: 10 27-09
41. Jackson Mitchell - Carson Palmer Carson - Newman University 210
Day 1: 5 13-03 Day 2: 5 14-05 Total: 10 27-08
42. Tomas Matual - Zach Widelski McKendree University 209
Day 1: 5 13-04 Day 2: 5 14-04 Total: 10 27-08
43. Hunter Keller - Wes Smith II Catawba Valley Community College 208
Day 1: 5 11-07 Day 2: 5 15-14 Total: 10 27-05
44. Austin Marley - Jack Richardson Georgia Southern University 207
Day 1: 5 14-05 Day 2: 5 12-15 Total: 10 27-04
45. Colby Reece - Alex Gore Carson-Newman University 206
Day 1: 5 14-06 Day 2: 5 12-12 Total: 10 27-02
46. Andrew Blanton - Garrett Smith Lander University 205
Day 1: 5 13-04 Day 2: 5 13-12 Total: 10 27-00
47. Blake Bullock - John Mark Berry Blue Mountain Christian Universi 204
Day 1: 5 13-13 Day 2: 5 13-01 Total: 10 26-14
48. Will Hammond - Parker Lambert Lander University 203
Day 1: 5 10-12 Day 2: 5 15-15 Total: 10 26-11
49. Storm Cline - Gabe Fishlock Carson-Newman University 202
Day 1: 5 15-04 Day 2: 5 11-06 Total: 10 26-10
50. Brooks Parker - Briggs Alavezos University of Montevallo 201
Day 1: 5 12-11 Day 2: 5 13-13 Total: 10 26-08
51. Trace Antunes III - Garrett Ring University of Montevallo 200
Day 1: 5 13-15 Day 2: 5 12-08 Total: 10 26-07
52. Blair Erickson - Jackson Pontius University of Montevallo 199
Day 1: 5 13-08 Day 2: 5 12-15 Total: 10 26-07
53. Brady Pinwar - Cole Carr Adrian College 198
Day 1: 5 14-06 Day 2: 5 12-00 Total: 10 26-06
54. Chan Barber II - Jake Kester NC State University 197
Day 1: 5 14-00 Day 2: 5 12-06 Total: 10 26-06
55. Matthew Strickland - Eli Ward University of Pikeville 196
Day 1: 5 16-00 Day 2: 5 10-01 Total: 10 26-01
56. Will Rooker - Ben Brockwell Kentucky Christian University 195
Day 1: 5 12-00 Day 2: 5 13-15 Total: 10 25-15
57. Drake Hemby - Ewing Minor Carson-Newman University 194
Day 1: 5 13-14 Day 2: 5 11-15 Total: 10 25-13
58. Hayden Williams - Luke Garofalo University of South Carolina - U 193
Day 1: 5 13-15 Day 2: 5 11-12 Total: 10 25-11
59. Wyatt Wood - Wyatt Ford University of Montevallo 192
Day 1: 5 13-05 Day 2: 5 12-06 Total: 10 25-11
60. Jeremy Monda - Will Boyd Jr Florida Gateway College 191
Day 1: 5 13-09 Day 2: 5 12-00 Total: 10 25-09
61. Derek Rodriguez Jr. - Gavyn Rapp Adrian College 190
Day 1: 5 15-07 Day 2: 5 10-00 Total: 10 25-07
62. Turner Hart - Summer Dees Bryan College 189
Day 1: 5 14-08 Day 2: 5 10-15 Total: 10 25-07
63. Hunter Slone - Cole Petroff Tennessee Tech University 188
Day 1: 5 13-00 Day 2: 5 12-07 Total: 10 25-07
64. Bryson Holderness - Isaac Greene University of South Carolina - U 187
Day 1: 5 10-11 Day 2: 5 14-11 Total: 10 25-06
65. Will Hart - Logan Fisher Emmanuel College 186
Day 1: 5 14-07 Day 2: 5 10-15 Total: 10 25-06
66. Hunter Barrow - Kanton Trull Catawba Valley Community College 185
Day 1: 5 13-06 Day 2: 5 12-00 Total: 10 25-06
67. Brian Haire - Fischer Barber Troy University 184
Day 1: 5 12-05 Day 2: 5 13-01 Total: 10 25-06
68. Hank Sturm - Matt Mosby Adrian College 183
Day 1: 5 09-15 Day 2: 5 15-05 Total: 10 25-04
69. Max Hondorp - Ridge Faircloth Troy University 182
Day 1: 5 11-02 Day 2: 5 14-02 Total: 10 25-04
70. Garrett Christy - Corban Chenevey Catawba Valley Community College 181
Day 1: 5 11-08 Day 2: 5 13-11 Total: 10 25-03
71. Peyton Dunn - Michael Avery Emmanuel College 180
Day 1: 5 14-15 Day 2: 5 10-02 Total: 10 25-01
72. Tanner Wassilchalk - Mason Kerr West Virginia University 179
Day 1: 4 11-04 Day 2: 5 13-13 Total: 9 25-01
73. Nolan Gray - Riley Brown Carson-Newman University 178
Day 1: 5 13-02 Day 2: 5 11-14 Total: 10 25-00
74. Hunter Starling - Emory Jackson Georgia Southern University 177
Day 1: 5 11-15 Day 2: 5 13-01 Total: 10 25-00
75. Cody Abbott - Trenton Carey Lander University 176
Day 1: 5 14-00 Day 2: 5 10-15 Total: 10 24-15
76. Brandon Berry - Hunter Bright University of Montevallo 175
Day 1: 5 11-11 Day 2: 5 13-04 Total: 10 24-15
77. Mason Bohland - Brady Metzger Purdue University 174
Day 1: 5 12-02 Day 2: 5 12-13 Total: 10 24-15
78. Dylan May - Will Shepherd Carson-Newman University 173
Day 1: 5 10-08 Day 2: 5 14-04 Total: 10 24-12
79. Cole Hunter - Joseph Bontrager University of South Carolina - U 172
Day 1: 5 10-15 Day 2: 5 13-08 Total: 10 24-07
80. Palmer Parrish - Clemson University 171
Day 1: 5 12-05 Day 2: 5 12-02 Total: 10 24-07
81. Joe Shamblin - William Griffith University of Pikeville 170
Day 1: 5 14-09 Day 2: 5 09-12 Total: 10 24-05
82. Hampton Shull - Landon Surrett Lander University 169
Day 1: 5 13-08 Day 2: 5 10-12 Total: 10 24-04
83. Mason Kornegay - Miller Dowling University of Montevallo 168
Day 1: 5 11-14 Day 2: 5 12-05 Total: 10 24-03
84. Kaleb Butts - Landon Bannister University of South Carolina - U 167
Day 1: 5 14-02 Day 2: 5 10-00 Total: 10 24-02
85. Fisher Heard - Hunter Brewer University of North Alabama 166
Day 1: 5 10-07 Day 2: 5 13-10 Total: 10 24-01
86. Matt Brault - Dylan Mclaughlin Erskine College 165
Day 1: 5 10-10 Day 2: 5 13-07 Total: 10 24-01
87. Will Hadley - Blayne Leeman Kentucky Christian University 164
Day 1: 5 09-10 Day 2: 5 14-06 Total: 10 24-00
88. Brycen Williamson - Erskine College 163
Day 1: 5 13-06 Day 2: 5 10-08 Total: 10 23-14
89. Dalton DeFelice - Evan Ludlow University of Montevallo 162
Day 1: 5 12-04 Day 2: 5 11-10 Total: 10 23-14
90. Brayden Batchelor - Quinn Williams Georgia Southern University 161
Day 1: 5 14-02 Day 2: 5 09-11 Total: 10 23-13
91. Caden Gettys - Tyler Eggers Catawba Valley Community College 160
Day 1: 5 12-03 Day 2: 5 11-09 Total: 10 23-12
92. Jerry Brumbaugh Jr. - Quade Lobo Adrian College 159
Day 1: 5 10-07 Day 2: 5 13-04 Total: 10 23-11
93. Drew Kuhnle - Landon Rollison Lander University 158
Day 1: 5 11-11 Day 2: 5 12-00 Total: 10 23-11
94. Zion Dunaway - Andrew Krintz Purdue University 157
Day 1: 5 10-09 Day 2: 5 12-15 Total: 10 23-08
95. Hunter Kellogg - Owen Klein Ohio State University 156
Day 1: 5 12-02 Day 2: 5 11-06 Total: 10 23-08
96. Dustin Weinberg - Cade McBride Blue Mountain Christian Universi 155
Day 1: 5 11-01 Day 2: 5 12-05 Total: 10 23-06
97. Chandler Pruett - Steven Deschene Blue Mountain Christian Universi 154
Day 1: 5 12-06 Day 2: 5 10-15 Total: 10 23-05
98. James Lamberth - Jaxon Leverette Troy University 153
Day 1: 5 15-03 Day 2: 5 08-00 Total: 10 23-03
99. Bryce Balentine - Connor Koch Florida Gateway College 152
Day 1: 5 10-13 Day 2: 5 12-04 Total: 10 23-01
100. Finn Maher - Jake Buzin University of South Carolina 151
Day 1: 5 10-03 Day 2: 5 12-13 Total: 10 23-00
101. Robert Miller - Levi Bolton Emmanuel College 150
Day 1: 5 11-02 Day 2: 5 11-13 Total: 10 22-15
102. Jackson Rentschler - Tyler Gross Purdue University 149
Day 1: 5 11-06 Day 2: 5 11-08 Total: 10 22-14
103. Kyle Smith - Jacob Highley Kentucky Christian University 148
Day 1: 5 10-00 Day 2: 5 12-13 Total: 10 22-13
104. Branton Champion - Cole Guck Emmanuel College 147
Day 1: 5 10-07 Day 2: 5 12-05 Total: 10 22-12
105. Carrson Sizemore - Dalton Blakley University of Pikeville 146
Day 1: 5 10-15 Day 2: 5 11-11 Total: 10 22-10
106. Hunter Townsend - Jon Wehner Jr James Madison University 145
Day 1: 5 09-11 Day 2: 5 12-14 Total: 10 22-09
107. Nick Hawkins - Dillan Mcglothern South Eastern University 144
Day 1: 5 12-09 Day 2: 5 10-00 Total: 10 22-09
108. Lawson Blake - Garrett Simon Marshall University 143
Day 1: 5 12-02 Day 2: 5 10-07 Total: 10 22-09
109. Will Kimbrough - Mac Nail Georgia Southern University 142
Day 1: 5 12-12 Day 2: 5 09-12 Total: 10 22-08
110. Nick Schaefer - Cameron Gates University of Pikeville 141
Day 1: 5 11-10 Day 2: 5 10-14 Total: 10 22-08
111. Ethan Hospedales - UNC - Charlotte 140
Day 1: 5 12-09 Day 2: 5 09-14 Total: 10 22-07
112. Harrison McCall - Lander University 139
Day 1: 5 12-09 Day 2: 5 09-13 Total: 10 22-06
113. Gavin Sheffer - Logan Birth Liberty University 138
Day 1: 5 12-10 Day 2: 3 09-11 Total: 8 22-05
114. Kaden Raichel - Luke Davis University of Montevallo 137
Day 1: 5 11-12 Day 2: 5 10-08 Total: 10 22-04
115. Cameron Chapman - Dyson Lewis Catawba Valley Community College 136
Day 1: 5 12-09 Day 2: 5 09-07 Total: 10 22-00
116. Preston Kolisek - Smith McGregor University of North Alabama 135
Day 1: 5 10-15 Day 2: 5 11-01 Total: 10 22-00
117. Brendon Brones - Porter Welch Lamar State College Orange 134
Day 1: 5 11-14 Day 2: 5 10-00 Total: 10 21-14
118. Wyatt Gabehart - Riley Hendricks Lander University 133
Day 1: 5 10-07 Day 2: 5 11-07 Total: 10 21-14
119. Ethan Vue - Christian Vue UNC - Charlotte 132
Day 1: 5 12-10 Day 2: 5 09-02 Total: 10 21-12
120. Colin Cooper - Cory Mitchell Liberty University 131
Day 1: 5 11-11 Day 2: 5 09-15 Total: 10 21-10
121. Alex Geroulis - William Brogan Indiana University 130
Day 1: 5 10-05 Day 2: 5 11-05 Total: 10 21-10
122. Mitch Straffon - Owen Januszewski Adrian College 129
Day 1: 5 12-06 Day 2: 5 09-02 Total: 10 21-08
123. Grant Rice - Blake Marcum Morehead State University 128
Day 1: 5 11-12 Day 2: 5 09-12 Total: 10 21-08
124. Leo Romano - Miller Kieran James Madison University 127
Day 1: 5 10-08 Day 2: 5 11-00 Total: 10 21-08
125. Bryson Hatcher - Jake Lovingood Bryan College 126
Day 1: 5 10-10 Day 2: 5 10-12 Total: 10 21-06
126. JD Sewell - Holden Hatcher Lamar State College Orange 125
Day 1: 5 09-10 Day 2: 5 11-10 Total: 10 21-04
127. Robie Vines Jr - Colby Bryan Catawba Valley Community College 124
Day 1: 5 09-12 Day 2: 5 11-08 Total: 10 21-04
128. Caleb Dugger - Kolby Gambrel King University 123
Day 1: 5 11-12 Day 2: 4 09-07 Total: 9 21-03
129. Kasen Pemberton - Avery Padgett Troy University 122
Day 1: 5 12-07 Day 2: 4 08-11 Total: 9 21-02
130. Nick Owens - Noah Varitek Adrian College 121
Day 1: 5 09-15 Day 2: 5 11-03 Total: 10 21-02
131. Reece Keeney - Brantley Anders Kentucky Christian University 120
Day 1: 5 08-09 Day 2: 5 12-08 Total: 10 21-01
132. Carter Burdette - Brayden Jordan Troy University 119
Day 1: 5 12-10 Day 2: 4 08-04 Total: 9 20-14
133. Asa Putnam - Brett Mouw University of Montevallo 118
Day 1: 5 11-10 Day 2: 5 09-03 Total: 10 20-13
134. Dylan Mcgee - Hayden Short Kentucky Christian University 117
Day 1: 5 10-02 Day 2: 5 10-11 Total: 10 20-13
135. Joey Meadows - Caleb Edwards Emmanuel College 116
Day 1: 5 09-00 Day 2: 5 11-11 Total: 10 20-11
136. Chase Rogers - Bryson Holland University of South Carolina - U 115
Day 1: 5 10-15 Day 2: 5 09-11 Total: 10 20-10
137. Gabe Hannon - LSU 114
Day 1: 5 10-06 Day 2: 5 10-04 Total: 10 20-10
138. Jacob Vanscoik - Robert Richbourg Catawba Valley Community College 113
Day 1: 5 11-04 Day 2: 5 09-04 Total: 10 20-08
139. Chase Loftus - Caden Petrille University of Iowa 112
Day 1: 5 10-12 Day 2: 5 09-12 Total: 10 20-08
140. Matthew Mitchell - Butler Cochran University of South Carolina 111
Day 1: 5 08-08 Day 2: 5 11-14 Total: 10 20-06
141. Logan Howarter - Mason Lyons Kentucky Christian University 110
Day 1: 5 11-03 Day 2: 5 09-02 Total: 10 20-05
142. Will Holloway - Nick Pemberton University of Montevallo 109
Day 1: 5 09-03 Day 2: 5 10-15 Total: 10 20-02
143. Carson Aarup - Ryan Auchmoody UNC - Charlotte 108
Day 1: 5 11-03 Day 2: 5 08-14 Total: 10 20-01
143. Alexander Blanchard - Connor Hebert LSU 108
Day 1: 5 08-14 Day 2: 5 11-03 Total: 10 20-01
145. Seth Shuler - Nicholas Giompalo University of Pikeville 106
Day 1: 5 10-00 Day 2: 5 09-14 Total: 10 19-14
146. Lyndon Gaddy - Daniel Ridenour East Tennessee State University 105
Day 1: 5 08-08 Day 2: 5 11-05 Total: 10 19-13
147. Thomas Phillips - James Riegert Ohio State University 104
Day 1: 5 11-12 Day 2: 4 08-00 Total: 9 19-12
148. Mitch Johnson - Joe Bob Burchett Kentucky Christian University 103
Day 1: 5 09-04 Day 2: 5 10-04 Total: 10 19-08
149. Cody Wyatt - Fletcher Allen UNC - Charlotte 102
Day 1: 5 08-12 Day 2: 5 10-08 Total: 10 19-04
150. Matthew Norton - Ian Schroeder UNC - Charlotte 101
Day 1: 5 08-09 Day 2: 5 10-09 Total: 10 19-02
151. Phillip Herring - Parker O'Bryan University of Montevallo 100
Day 1: 5 08-14 Day 2: 5 10-04 Total: 10 19-02
152. John James Coco - JD Farage LSU 99
Day 1: 5 10-01 Day 2: 5 09-00 Total: 10 19-01
153. Fisher Rodgers - Loren Oliver University Of South Carolina 98
Day 1: 5 09-02 Day 2: 5 09-11 Total: 10 18-13
154. Beau Landry - Peyton Matherne LSU 97
Day 1: 5 09-06 Day 2: 5 09-07 Total: 10 18-13
155. Owen Barker - Carter Jerdon Ohio State University 96
Day 1: 5 07-13 Day 2: 5 10-14 Total: 10 18-11
156. Carson Holbrook - Silas Jones University of Pikeville 95
Day 1: 5 09-07 Day 2: 5 09-03 Total: 10 18-10
157. Thomas Osa - Kole Costello High Point University 94
Day 1: 5 12-01 Day 2: 3 06-07 Total: 8 18-08
158. Austin Paulus - Landen Paulus Ohio State University 93
Day 1: 5 10-00 Day 2: 5 08-05 Total: 10 18-05
159. Colin McGough - Jeremy Etter Virginia Tech University 92
Day 1: 5 11-02 Day 2: 4 07-02 Total: 9 18-04
160. Brendan Vinton - Grant Harris Cvcc Redhawks 91
Day 1: 5 13-15 Day 2: 3 04-04 Total: 8 18-03
161. Cole Mitchell - Hayden Mare High Point University 90
Day 1: 4 07-13 Day 2: 5 10-06 Total: 9 18-03
162. Charlie Moomau - Matthew Delaney West Virginia University 89
Day 1: 5 12-02 Day 2: 3 05-07 Total: 8 17-09
163. Cohen Cravey - Maxwell Johnson Brewton-Parker College 88
Day 1: 4 07-08 Day 2: 5 09-13 Total: 9 17-05
164. Dawson Woerner - Wyatt Cash Purdue University 87
Day 1: 5 11-04 Day 2: 3 06-00 Total: 8 17-04
165. Connor Westerman - Michael Mcnulty West Virginia University 86
Day 1: 4 08-01 Day 2: 5 09-02 Total: 9 17-03
166. Scotty Hagan - Will Copley University of Pikeville 85
Day 1: 5 08-00 Day 2: 5 08-12 Total: 10 16-12
167. Ryder Krueger - Mason Laurin Troy University 84
Day 1: 4 05-14 Day 2: 5 10-06 Total: 9 16-04
168. Spencer Knight - Colton Cybulski Ohio State University 83
Day 1: 5 12-04 Day 2: 2 03-13 Total: 7 16-01
169. Chase Hubble - University of Florida 82
Day 1: 5 08-09 Day 2: 4 07-08 Total: 9 16-01
170. Thomas Smith - Tyler Michael University of South Carolina - U 81
Day 1: 3 06-01 Day 2: 5 09-03 Total: 8 15-04
171. Max Pierlott - Mike Pierlott UNC - Charlotte 80
Day 1: 5 09-10 Day 2: 3 05-09 Total: 8 15-03
172. Ryan Thomas - Nate Harper University of Pikeville 79
Day 1: 5 10-04 Day 2: 3 04-11 Total: 8 14-15
173. Kyle Zainitzer - Hayden Alexander University of North Alabama 78
Day 1: 5 09-02 Day 2: 5 05-06 Total: 10 14-08
174. Bryson Gurley - Ethan Evatt University of South Carolina - U 77
Day 1: 3 05-13 Day 2: 5 08-10 Total: 8 14-07
175. Emerson Petty - Jaxon Humphrey Tennessee Wesleyan University 76
Day 1: 5 10-02 Day 2: 2 03-15 Total: 7 14-01
176. Branson James - Hunter Musick East Tennessee State University 75
Day 1: 3 04-06 Day 2: 5 09-11 Total: 8 14-01
177. Makenzie Irwin - Nicholas Palazzo King University 74
Day 1: 5 09-15 Day 2: 2 04-01 Total: 7 14-00
178. Dylan Reid - Jaxson Smoak Georgia Southern University 73
Day 1: 5 11-02 Day 2: 2 02-07 Total: 7 13-09
179. Conner Nichols - Nathanael Eubank East Tennessee State University 72
Day 1: 5 07-09 Day 2: 3 05-14 Total: 8 13-07
180. Kenneth Vicchio - Devon Blevins East Tennessee State University 71
Day 1: 1 00-09 Day 2: 5 12-03 Total: 6 12-12
181. Caleb Baynes - Konnor Sweet Liberty University 70
Day 1: 5 08-01 Day 2: 2 04-04 Total: 7 12-05
182. Wes Newman Jr. - Liberty University 69
Day 1: 1 01-07 Day 2: 5 10-11 Total: 6 12-02
183. Sawyer Brady - TJ Edwards Jr Blue Mountain Christian Universi 68
Day 1: 5 11-01 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 5 11-01
184. Aiden Reid - Isaac Patrick Catawba Valley Community College 67
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 5 10-00 Total: 5 10-00
185. MJ Lutz Jr - CJ Chavous Jr. University of South Carolina - U 66
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 5 09-06 Total: 5 09-06
186. Dane Leopold - Chris Veitch Coastal Carolina University 65
Day 1: 5 09-02 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 5 09-02
187. Tanner Herndon - Caleb Griffin Bryan College 64
Day 1: 3 05-00 Day 2: 2 04-02 Total: 5 09-02
188. Andrew Oswalt - Evan Mabrey University of Montevallo 63
Day 1: 5 08-05 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 5 08-05
189. Garrett Tucker - Tyler Randolph West Virginia University 62
Day 1: 3 05-11 Day 2: 1 00-03 Total: 4 05-14
190. Braydon Southerland - Conner Busby Tennessee Tech University 61
Day 1: 2 03-09 Day 2: 1 02-00 Total: 3 05-09
191. Fisher Carver - Hunter Richie Brewton-Parker College 60
Day 1: 3 05-05 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 3 05-05
192. Landon Brown - JD Rose Morehead State University 59
Day 1: 3 05-04 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 3 05-04
193. Cole Bedard - Jackson Plyler NC State University 58
Day 1: 3 05-02 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 3 05-02
194. Trey Martinez - Maddux Moore Sportsman Fishing Club At Lsu 57
Day 1: 2 03-04 Day 2: 1 01-10 Total: 3 04-14
195. Haden James - Daniel Litwin 56
Day 1: 2 03-09 Day 2: 1 00-00 Total: 3 03-09
196. Noah Strand - Max Trenz UNC - Chapel Hill 55
Day 1: 5 01-12 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 5 01-12
197. Alan Ter Molen - Luke Rosebrook Grace College 54
Day 1: 1 01-07 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 1 01-07
198. Kayden Crosier - Gavin Warholic Kent State University 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
198. Aaron McGill - Trey Woliver University of Tennessee 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
198. Kyle Werbeck - Joseph Phillips Kent State University 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
BIG BASS OF TOURN
Rylan Green Campobello, SC 05-04 $0.00
Will Wester Royston, GA 05-04 $0.00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 176 933 2265-11
2 165 889 2139-05
----------------------------------
341 1822 4405-00

by AnglersChannel

BassmastHER workshops continue to inspire women in 2025

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — After a very successful inaugural season, Bassmaster’s popular BassmastHER program continues to host workshops in conjunction with events during the 2025 Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series season.

BassmastHER, an initiative started with the goal of creating a space for female anglers at all levels to learn new fishing skills within a supportive community, launched a series of one-day workshops in 2024 that ran in conjunction with select Elite Series events. In response to the program’s success, B.A.S.S. has expanded workshop dates in 2025 to create even more workshop opportunities for female anglers across the country.

Gender does not dictate how successful you can be on the water, but it helps to have a like-minded support system for education, travel, inspiration and ideation. BassmastHER was created to build a passionate community of female anglers, inspire confidence at the water's edge and be the conduit for creating lifetime friends and memories.

BassmastHER workshops are conducted by BassmastHER ambassadors Anastasia Patterson, Kristine Fischer and Maggie Carsello, along with fishing experts from the Bassmaster staff. Topics at the workshops range from bass fishing fundamentals to casting for accuracy, getting familiar with a bass boat or kayak, bank fishing and discussing industry and sponsorship opportunities. Attendees will also have the opportunity to network with other female anglers at the workshops.

“Being a part of BassmastHER is bigger than just me — it’s every little girl, wife, mother, daughter, sister and friend who has a passion for fishing,” said Patterson. “They are all a part of this initiative to get more women out there and fishing. The workshops are a great space to learn, lead, network and contribute to plant seeds to grow the community of female anglers and hopefully see more women out on the water.”

2025 BassmastHER workshops have been held in conjunction with the 2025 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour in Fort Worth, Texas (March 23) and the Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Lake Hartwell in Anderson, S.C. (April 26). Upcoming 2025 BassmastHER workshops will run concurrently with the following events:

MAXAM Tire Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River in Orange, Texas (May 17)
ICAST in Orlando, Fla. (July 17)
Bassmaster Elite at Mississippi River in La Crosse, Wis. (Aug. 23)

“As a dad who is teaching his two young girls to fish, I am excited that the BassmastHER program will introduce more females to the sport of bass fishing,” said B.A.S.S. CEO Chase Anderson. “I am thankful for our partners at Toyota for their continued support, and I believe together we can continue to grow this great program.”

Virtual BassmastHER workshop educational material, articles and how-to pieces can be found at Bassmaster.com. Women interested in attending workshops, telling their story or asking fishing-related questions are encouraged to reach out to BassmastHER on any of their social channels, including a private Facebook page for female anglers to network with each other and establish community, or email bassmasther@bassmaster.com.

The BassmastHER workshops are for all skill levels, but participants must be at least 14 years old. Workshops are only $25 to attend and space is limited, so it is first come, first serve.

About B.A.S.S.

by AnglersChannel

Lake Fork offers tremendous potential for Bassmaster Elite field

YANTIS, Texas — Lake Fork is full of water and full of big bass, which bodes well for the 102 anglers set to compete in the 2025 Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite at this east Texas powerhouse.

Competition days will be May 8-11 with daily takeoffs from Caney Point Recreation Area at 6:30 a.m. CT and weigh-ins each day at the same location at 2:30 p.m.

“The weather has been pretty stable around Texas lately,” said Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series pro Keith Combs. “We haven’t had a lot of rain, but we’ve had enough. The lake is near full now and it stayed up most of last year, so it should be a regular Lake Fork tournament.

“That being said, it is the rainy time of year in Texas, so a lot could change if we start getting rain. That could cause a little water color change in the pockets and creeks, but Fork’s not on a major river that would (significantly) affect it, so this should be a good, stable tournament.”

A thriving testament to the diligent work by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, which manages Lake Fork as a trophy bass fishery, this 27,264-acre impoundment of Lake Fork Creek (Sabine River tributary) boasts an impressive population of quality fish, with double-digit giants impressively abundant.

In all five of the previous Elite events at Lake Fork, the renowned fishery yielded Century Club belts, which recognize four-day total weights of 100 pounds or more. Last year’s event yielded 10 century belts, including then-rookie Trey McKinney’s winning total of 130 pounds, 15 ounces.

The tournament format will differ from the standard Elite Series event, as anglers will catch, weigh and release their fish. Anglers catching fish surpassing 24 inches (referred to as “overs”) may bring one to the weigh-in scales. Any fish brought to the weigh-ins are promptly released.

Combs said he expects a mix of spawn and postspawn fish. Bed fishing for Texas tanks might sound appealing, but Combs warns against depending solely on that uncertain pursuit.

“I don’t think a guy can win it exclusively on spawners unless all the weather conditions lined up for every single day,” Combs said. “Someone could earn a Top 10 with all spawners, but I think it would take a postspawn pattern or a combination of spawn and postspawn to win.”

With minimal vegetation, Lake Fork spawners typically use habitat such as docks, stumps and other hard-bottom sites. The typical assortment of Texas-rigged baits fool these bed fish, but Combs suggests upsizing the profiles for this lake’s bigger class of fish.

Postspawn habitat typically includes hard clay points, ridges and big offshore fields of standing timber, the latter of which offers vast habitat for fish to hang out and feed as they wish.

Forward-facing sonar technology has, in recent years, revealed much about specific bass positioning, so anglers can quickly and efficiently break down large areas to locate prime habitat and fish locations. Combs lists jerkbaits, swimbaits, big crankbaits, Neko rigs and jighead minnows as the likely postspawn lineup.

“I think it’s pretty consistent; we’ve been there several times in May,” Combs said. “I think most of what happens on Fork has been (seen); it will just be a matter of a guy dialing it in a little better than the rest of the field.”

As Combs points out, the likelihood of such a performance is higher with the postspawn option simply due to numeric superiority. While bed fishing might reward an angler with a handful of shots at difference-makers, the potential for intercepting postspawn fish offers higher statistical advantage.

Bass follow predictable seasonal routes into and out of their spawning zones, with periodic pauses at key prespawn and postspawn habitat. If an angler locates one of those receiving areas and has the good fortune to fish it for four days, that one spot could deliver the blue trophy.

“I do think in the past you would need multiple spots to win, but now, with a lot of fish moving out, I think a guy could win on one spot,” Combs said. “In general on Fork, schools of fish move in and out a lot. You need to find a place where fish are coming to you.”

“It’s going to take a lot of weight to win; it will take over 100 pounds, there’s no doubt about that,” Combs said. “There’s definitely a way to get bit with smaller fish — you’re just going to have to concentrate on a lesser bite for better quality fish.

“I think the guys that pull away from the rest of the field will not focus on a 4-pound fish. You really don’t need to weigh a single 4-pound fish if you want to win the tournament. You don’t just get a limit and then go for a big bite. You have to look for nothing but big bites.”

As past events have shown, mega-bags are not only possible, they’re expected. Not everyone will be so fortunate, but Combs fully expects a couple of eye-popping performances.

“You can’t do it every day, but you need that one day with a 30- to 40-pound bag,” he said. “We will see that once, maybe twice.”

The Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork is hosted by Wood County.

2025 Bassmaster Elite Series Platinum Sponsor: Progressive, Toyota
2025 Bassmaster Elite Series Premier Sponsors: Bass Pro Shops, Dakota Lithium, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha
2025 Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: AFTCO, Daiwa, Garmin, Lew's, Lowrance, Triton Boats, VMC, Yokohama

About B.A.S.S.

by AnglersChannel

Big Show Scroggins Previews Stage Four on the Tennessee River

Courtesy of Dynamic Sponsorships

Terry Scroggins and the rest of the Bass Pro Tour field kicked off O’Reilly Auto Parts Stage 4 this morning on Lake Chickamauga out of Chattanooga, Tennessee. This tournament features a unique split design, highlighting two fisheries on the iconic Tennessee River. The full field will fish the first two days on The Chick, before switching over to Nickajack Lake for the Knockout and Championship Rounds.

The BPT format always finds ways to keep these top sixty-six anglers on their toes, even for 23-year pro tournament veterans like Scroggins. “Big Show” didn’t pull any punches, his practice his not live up to his expectations for a lake like Chickamauga, where he knows it will take heavy weights to do well.

“I spent my entire practice time on Chickamauga because I simply didn’t find enough fish to feel like I could go down to Nickajack,” Scroggins said. “To be honest, I bet 75% of our BPT field spent all their time on Chick. For such a great fishery it seems to be fishing tough. It’s the typical late-spring funk bass can sometimes get in immediately after the spawn. I didn’t really find them grouped up out offshore yet, and they aren’t flooded in the shallows either.”

This ‘in-between’ stage can be cumbersome for anglers but is usually exciting for tournament fishing fans, as there will be multiple patterns at play with anglers leaning into their strengths to add weight to the SCORETRACKER. While Scroggins and every competitor he talked to was “singing the blues” after practice, you can rest assured the field is still going to catch ‘em. Sandbagging and outpacing expectations is par for the course for these guys.

“With our format, practice really doesn’t mean too terribly much,” the Team Toyota pro admitted. “Especially on a lake with as many fish in it as Chick. All it takes is finding the right group during competition and you can light them up. The winning school of fish is probably offshore somewhere, and I haven’t found them yet, but it can happen quick. I plan to sample some shallower spawning stuff early today before poking around offshore.”

Sampling the spawn(s)

Scroggins saw plenty of spawning activity throughout his practice days between the shad spawn first thing in the morning, brim and bluegill on their beds in the shallows, and the tail end of the bass spawn; but he doesn’t believe any one of these patterns is steady enough to propel him to the Knockout Round. Instead, Big Show plans to sample all three throughout the day, squeezing a few quality scoreables from each.

“The shad spawn is on here on Chick, but we’re not Lines In until 7:30A.M. each morning and that deal is pretty much over by then,” Scroggins explained. “I still saw enough to try and capitalize on the shad spawn first thing in the morning and then I’ll run and few bed fish I have marked. I didn’t find many, but there are a few up there. Then, there are always big bass hanging around bedding brim this time of year, too.”

This hodge-podge approach is the best way Scroggins knows how to break down a good fishery that’s fishing a little tough. Instead of being tunnel-visioned to one pattern that may be dwindling, he’ll explore several clues he got in practice and continue to dial in his game plan throughout the event. An open mind will win you more fishing tournaments than any lure, technique or piece of equipment.

Scroggins gave a few final predictions Wednesday night as he finished pouring and producing a few more soft plastic worms and Chatterbait trailers on the tailgate of his Tundra.

“I think it will take 25-pounds per day to make the Knockout Round,” Scroggins offered. “Which is light for Chickamauga with our every-fish-counts format, but with the fish being scattered like they are it’s just not easy right now. Our guys are so good, and we have several who live right around here. There will be a few dudes who blast ‘em, but it’ll be a bit of a grind for most of us. That said, this is still the Tennessee River, and you know it’ll show out.”

by AnglersChannel

Productive morning carries McCarter, Drennon to Day 1 lead at Buggs Island

April 30, 2025

MECKLENBURG COUNTY, Va. — Day 1 of the Strike King Bassmaster College Series at Buggs Island presented by Bass Pro Shops well exceeded the expectations of Easton Drennon and Chase McCarter, who landed a five-bass limit weighing 20 pounds, 5 ounces to take the lead over the 200-boat field.

The Carson-Newman duo holds a 3-ounce advantage over North Alabama’s Nathan Reynolds and Jake Brown. Lucas Washburn and Braylon Eggerding from Adrian College and Will Wester and Jackson Thomas from Emmanuel College are tied for third with 18-9.

“We are amazed. Today was a true blessing,” Drennon said. “We honestly struggled in practice. We didn’t see many fish over 2 ½ pounds. It was a tough practice, so we went out with the mindset that we were going to grind out some bites and it went our way.”

Anglers enjoyed warm and sunny conditions on Day 1 of the two-day tournament, which resulted in an overall great day of fishing from the field. A total of 176 limits were caught and over 2,265 pounds of bass hit the scales.

McCarter and Drennon both hail from Tennessee, McCarter from the eastern side of the state and Drennon from the Nashville area. While neither one had seen Buggs Island prior to the week, McCarter’s experience using forward-facing sonar on Douglas Lake played a role in their Day 1 success.

After a lackluster practice, McCarter and Drennon found a small area with shallow and deep-water access that both prespawn and postspawn bass were utilizing.

“The fish had both deep and shallow to dwell in,” Drennon said. “I think that is what made the biggest difference. We had some postspawners and some that still seemed to be prespawn in our bag.”

They filled their bag of 4-pound largemouth using a jighead minnow, but getting the bass to bite it took more convincing than McCarter expected.

“You just had to make a lot of good casts. They weren’t just going to run out and get it; you really had to talk them into it. They wanted it a certain way,” he explained. “Most of them were cruising along the bottom and some of them were stationary. It is a pretty special spot, honestly.”

Although their starting spot didn’t pan out like they hoped, McCarter and Drennon quickly moved to what turned out to be their best point. There, they quickly filled out a limit and landed three of the bass they would take back to weigh-in. A short distance down the bank on another point, they landed two more quality keepers.

“It was unreal. They were just biting,” McCarter said. “I’d say we started catching them around 7:30 and we were done by 11. We left that area after that. We culled a 3.39 and we didn’t think the lake could produce much more than a 20-pound bag. We didn’t want to waste any fish.”

The Carson-Newman team spent the rest of the day trying to expand on their area and found a few more promising spots for the final day. McCarter believes they will need around 17 pounds to keep the lead on Day 2.

Reynolds and Brown anchored their 20-3 Day 1 limit with the Big Bass of the Day, a 5-2 largemouth.

The full field will launch from Occoneechee State Park tomorrow beginning at 6:15 a.m. ET and return for weigh-in at 2:15 p.m. The Top 10% of the field will punch their tickets to the 2025 Strike King Bassmaster College National Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops at Cherokee Lake scheduled for July 10-12. Teams will also earn points towards the Lunkers Trail Team of the Year race.

Mecklenburg County, Virginia, is hosting the tournament.

2025 Bassmaster College Series Title Sponsor: Strike King

2025 Bassmaster College Series Presenting Sponsor: Bass Pro Shops

2025 Bassmaster College Series Youth Sponsors: Seaguar, Shimano

About B.A.S.S.

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Connect with #Bassmaster on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok.

Media Contact: Chad Gay, Communications Manager, 256-313-0945, cgay@bassmaster.com

2025 Strike King Bassmaster College Series at Buggs Island presented by Bass Pro Shops 4/30-5/1
Buggs Island Reservoir, Mecklenburg VA.
Standings Day 1

Team Club/School Pts

1. Easton Drennon - Chase McCarter Carson-Newman University 250
Day 1: 5 20-05 Total: 5 20-05
2. Nathan Reynolds - Jake Brown University of North Alabama 249
Day 1: 5 20-02 Total: 5 20-02
3. Lucas Washburn - Braylon Eggerding Adrian College 248
Day 1: 5 18-09 Total: 5 18-09
3. Will Wester - Jackson Thomas Emmanuel College 248
Day 1: 5 18-09 Total: 5 18-09
5. Matthew Massey - Matthew Gunn Erskine College 246
Day 1: 5 18-05 Total: 5 18-05
6. Brody Robison - Peyton Sorrow University of Montevallo 245
Day 1: 5 17-13 Total: 5 17-13
7. Colton Boelkes - Joshua Hayes University of North Alabama 244
Day 1: 5 17-12 Total: 5 17-12
8. Brennan Berglund - Colton White University of Montevallo 243
Day 1: 5 17-01 Total: 5 17-01
8. Trey Marco - Jake Rowlands King University 243
Day 1: 5 17-01 Total: 5 17-01
10. Scooter Ligon Jr - Levi Seagraves Emmanuel College 241
Day 1: 5 16-12 Total: 5 16-12
11. Drake Sturgill - Hudson Choquette University of Montevallo 240
Day 1: 5 16-12 Total: 5 16-12
12. Peyton Harris - Dalton Head University of Montevallo 239
Day 1: 5 16-03 Total: 5 16-03
13. Matt Boerboom - Jacob Swanson University of Montevallo 238
Day 1: 5 16-02 Total: 5 16-02
13. Bryson Dotson - Hayden Peck Tennessee Wesleyan University 238
Day 1: 5 16-02 Total: 5 16-02
15. Cason Price - Joe Vaulton Carson-Newman University 236
Day 1: 5 16-01 Total: 5 16-01
16. Matthew Strickland - Eli Ward University of Pikeville 235
Day 1: 5 16-00 Total: 5 16-00
17. Bryce Dimauro - Tripp Berlinsky Bryan College 234
Day 1: 5 15-12 Total: 5 15-12
17. Nick Dumke - Connor Bell University of Montevallo 234
Day 1: 5 15-12 Total: 5 15-12
19. Daylon Milam - James Dubose University of Montevallo 232
Day 1: 5 15-11 Total: 5 15-11
20. Storm Clark - Elisha Colley University of Montevallo 231
Day 1: 5 15-09 Total: 5 15-09
21. Derek Rodriguez Jr. - Gavyn Rapp Adrian College 230
Day 1: 5 15-07 Total: 5 15-07
22. Bryce Mcdonald - Ethan Elliott University of Pikeville 229
Day 1: 5 15-06 Total: 5 15-06
23. Storm Cline - Gabe Fishlock Carson-Newman University 228
Day 1: 5 15-04 Total: 5 15-04
24. James Lamberth - Jaxon Leverette Troy University 227
Day 1: 5 15-03 Total: 5 15-03
25. Chandler Howell - Clayton Ellis Blue Mountain Christian Universi 226
Day 1: 5 15-02 Total: 5 15-02
26. Nicholas DellaPorta - Drew Pitts Carson-Newman University 225
Day 1: 5 15-01 Total: 5 15-01
27. Szymon Piton - Riley Faulkner Carson-Newman University 224
Day 1: 5 15-01 Total: 5 15-01
28. Peyton Dunn - Michael Avery Emmanuel College 223
Day 1: 5 14-15 Total: 5 14-15
28. Zachary Helton - Blake Wheat Carson-Newman University 223
Day 1: 5 14-15 Total: 5 14-15
30. Chris Baker - Elijah Kelley Kentucky Christian University 221
Day 1: 5 14-14 Total: 5 14-14
31. Anderson Jones - Lander University 220
Day 1: 5 14-10 Total: 5 14-10
32. Joe Shamblin - William Griffith University of Pikeville 219
Day 1: 5 14-09 Total: 5 14-09
33. Turner Hart - Summer Dees Bryan College 218
Day 1: 5 14-08 Total: 5 14-08
34. Will Hart - Logan Fisher Emmanuel College 217
Day 1: 5 14-07 Total: 5 14-07
35. Brady Pinwar - Cole Carr Adrian College 216
Day 1: 5 14-06 Total: 5 14-06
35. Colby Reece - Alex Gore Carson-Newman University 216
Day 1: 5 14-06 Total: 5 14-06
37. Austin Marley - Jack Richardson Georgia Southern University 214
Day 1: 5 14-05 Total: 5 14-05
38. Lane Clark - Tallis Morrison Erskine College 213
Day 1: 5 14-04 Total: 5 14-04
39. Kaleb Butts - Landon Bannister University of South Carolina - U 212
Day 1: 5 14-02 Total: 5 14-02
40. Brayden Batchelor - Quinn Williams Georgia Southern University 211
Day 1: 5 14-02 Total: 5 14-02
41. Jake Krauth - Jack Mcillwain University of North Alabama 210
Day 1: 5 14-01 Total: 5 14-01
42. Cody Abbott - Trenton Carey Lander University 209
Day 1: 5 14-00 Total: 5 14-00
42. Chan Barber II - Jake Kester NC State University 209
Day 1: 5 14-00 Total: 5 14-00
44. Trace Antunes III - Garrett Ring University of Montevallo 207
Day 1: 5 13-15 Total: 5 13-15
44. Hayden Williams - Luke Garofalo University of South Carolina - U 207
Day 1: 5 13-15 Total: 5 13-15
46. Brendan Vinton - Grant Harris Cvcc Redhawks 205
Day 1: 5 13-15 Total: 5 13-15
47. Kaden Buchmann - Chase Wodzinski Lander University 204
Day 1: 5 13-14 Total: 5 13-14
47. Drake Hemby - Ewing Minor Carson-Newman University 204
Day 1: 5 13-14 Total: 5 13-14
47. Logan Hendrick - Jake Brown Lenoir Rhyne University 204
Day 1: 5 13-14 Total: 5 13-14
50. Blake Bullock - John Mark Berry Blue Mountain Christian Universi 201
Day 1: 5 13-13 Total: 5 13-13
51. Cameron Dials - Ethan Burnette Kentucky Christian University 200
Day 1: 5 13-12 Total: 5 13-12
52. Joe Lutz - Jake Monti UNC - Charlotte 199
Day 1: 5 13-10 Total: 5 13-10
53. Jeremy Monda - Will Boyd Jr Florida Gateway College 198
Day 1: 5 13-09 Total: 5 13-09
54. Blair Erickson - Jackson Pontius University of Montevallo 197
Day 1: 5 13-08 Total: 5 13-08
54. Hampton Shull - Landon Surrett Lander University 197
Day 1: 5 13-08 Total: 5 13-08
56. Paxton Giem - Nick Seitz Adrian College 195
Day 1: 5 13-07 Total: 5 13-07
57. Hunter Barrow - Kanton Trull Catawba Valley Community College 194
Day 1: 5 13-06 Total: 5 13-06
57. Brayden Ruckman - Zachary Wolfe Carson-Newman University 194
Day 1: 5 13-06 Total: 5 13-06
57. Calup Williams - Hunter King Blue Mountain Christian Universi 194
Day 1: 5 13-06 Total: 5 13-06
57. Brycen Williamson - Erskine College 194
Day 1: 5 13-06 Total: 5 13-06
61. Carson Winn - Ethan Tedder University of North Alabama 190
Day 1: 5 13-05 Total: 5 13-05
61. Wyatt Wood - Wyatt Ford University of Montevallo 190
Day 1: 5 13-05 Total: 5 13-05
63. Jon Foster - Lawton Williams Erskine College 188
Day 1: 5 13-04 Total: 5 13-04
63. Tomas Matual - Zach Widelski Mckendree University Bass Fishin 188
Day 1: 5 13-04 Total: 5 13-04
65. Andrew Blanton - Garrett Smith Lander University 186
Day 1: 5 13-04 Total: 5 13-04
66. Jackson Mitchell - Carson Palmer Carson Newman University 185
Day 1: 5 13-03 Total: 5 13-03
67. Nolan Gray - Riley Brown Carson-Newman University 184
Day 1: 5 13-02 Total: 5 13-02
68. Hunter Slone - Cole Petroff Tennessee Tech University 183
Day 1: 5 13-00 Total: 5 13-00
69. Will Kimbrough - Mac Nail Georgia Southern University 182
Day 1: 5 12-12 Total: 5 12-12
70. Brooks Parker - Briggs Alavezos University of Montevallo 181
Day 1: 5 12-11 Total: 5 12-11
71. Carter Burdette - Brayden Jordan Troy University 180
Day 1: 5 12-10 Total: 5 12-10
71. Ethan Vue - Christian Vue UNC - Charlotte 180
Day 1: 5 12-10 Total: 5 12-10
73. Gavin Sheffer - Logan Birth Liberty University 178
Day 1: 5 12-10 Total: 5 12-10
74. Cameron Chapman - Dyson Lewis Catawba Valley Community College 177
Day 1: 5 12-09 Total: 5 12-09
74. Nick Hawkins - Dillan Mcglothern Webber International University 177
Day 1: 5 12-09 Total: 5 12-09
74. Ethan Hospedales - UNC - Charlotte 177
Day 1: 5 12-09 Total: 5 12-09
74. Harrison McCall - Lander University 177
Day 1: 5 12-09 Total: 5 12-09
78. Kasen Pemberton - Avery Padgett Troy University 173
Day 1: 5 12-07 Total: 5 12-07
79. Chandler Pruett - Steven Deschene Blue Mountain Christian Universi 172
Day 1: 5 12-06 Total: 5 12-06
79. Tyler Thompson - Emery Burnett Georgia Southern University 172
Day 1: 5 12-06 Total: 5 12-06
81. Cole Moulton - Jared Hubbard Lander University 170
Day 1: 5 12-06 Total: 5 12-06
81. Mitch Straffon - Owen Januszewski Adrian College 170
Day 1: 5 12-06 Total: 5 12-06
83. Brian Haire - Fischer Barber Troy University 168
Day 1: 5 12-05 Total: 5 12-05
83. Palmer Parrish - Clemson University 168
Day 1: 5 12-05 Total: 5 12-05
85. Dalton DeFelice - Evan Ludlow University of Montevallo 166
Day 1: 5 12-04 Total: 5 12-04
85. Spencer Knight - Colton Cybulski Ohio State University 166
Day 1: 5 12-04 Total: 5 12-04
87. Caden Gettys - Tyler Eggers Catawba Valley Community College 164
Day 1: 5 12-03 Total: 5 12-03
88. Mason Bohland - Brady Metzger Purdue University 163
Day 1: 5 12-02 Total: 5 12-02
88. Hunter Kellogg - Owen Klein Ohio State University 163
Day 1: 5 12-02 Total: 5 12-02
88. Charlie Moomau - Matthew Delaney West Virginia University 163
Day 1: 5 12-02 Total: 5 12-02
91. Lawson Blake - Garrett Simon Marshall University 160
Day 1: 5 12-02 Total: 5 12-02
92. Thomas Osa - Kole Costello High Point University 159
Day 1: 5 12-01 Total: 5 12-01
93. Will Rooker - Ben Brockwell Kentucky Christian University 158
Day 1: 5 12-00 Total: 5 12-00
94. Hunter Starling - Emory Jackson Georgia Southern University 157
Day 1: 5 11-15 Total: 5 11-15
95. Brendon Brones - Porter Welch Lamar State College Orange 156
Day 1: 5 11-14 Total: 5 11-14
95. Mason Kornegay - Miller Dowling University of Montevallo 156
Day 1: 5 11-14 Total: 5 11-14
97. Caleb Dugger - Kolby Gambrel King University 154
Day 1: 5 11-12 Total: 5 11-12
97. Thomas Phillips - James Riegert Ohio State University 154
Day 1: 5 11-12 Total: 5 11-12
97. Kaden Raichel - Luke Davis University of Montevallo 154
Day 1: 5 11-12 Total: 5 11-12
97. Grant Rice - Blake Marcum Morehead State University 154
Day 1: 5 11-12 Total: 5 11-12
101. Brandon Berry - Hunter Bright University of Montevallo 150
Day 1: 5 11-11 Total: 5 11-11
101. Drew Kuhnle - Landon Rollison Lander University 150
Day 1: 5 11-11 Total: 5 11-11
103. Colin Cooper - Cory Mitchell Liberty University 148
Day 1: 5 11-11 Total: 5 11-11
104. Asa Putnam - Brett Mouw University of Montevallo 147
Day 1: 5 11-10 Total: 5 11-10
104. Nick Schaefer - Cameron Gates University of Pikeville 147
Day 1: 5 11-10 Total: 5 11-10
106. Garrett Christy - Corban Chenevey Catawba Valley Community College 145
Day 1: 5 11-08 Total: 5 11-08
107. Hunter Keller - Wes Smith II Catawba Valley Community College 144
Day 1: 5 11-07 Total: 5 11-07
108. Jackson Rentschler - Tyler Gross Purdue University 143
Day 1: 5 11-06 Total: 5 11-06
109. Jacob Vanscoik - Robert Richbourg Catawba Valley Community College 142
Day 1: 5 11-04 Total: 5 11-04
109. Dawson Woerner - Wyatt Cash Purdue University 142
Day 1: 5 11-04 Total: 5 11-04
111. Tanner Wassilchalk - Mason Kerr West Virginia University 140
Day 1: 4 11-04 Total: 4 11-04
112. Carson Aarup - Ryan Auchmoody UNC - Charlotte 139
Day 1: 5 11-03 Total: 5 11-03
112. Logan Howarter - Mason Lyons Kentucky Christian University 139
Day 1: 5 11-03 Total: 5 11-03
114. Max Hondorp - Ridge Faircloth Troy University 137
Day 1: 5 11-02 Total: 5 11-02
114. Robert Miller - Levi Bolton Emmanuel College 137
Day 1: 5 11-02 Total: 5 11-02
114. Dylan Reid - Jaxson Smoak Georgia Southern University 137
Day 1: 5 11-02 Total: 5 11-02
117. Colin McGough - Jeremy Etter Virginia Tech University 134
Day 1: 5 11-02 Total: 5 11-02
118. Sawyer Brady - TJ Edwards Jr Blue Mountain Christian Universi 133
Day 1: 5 11-01 Total: 5 11-01
118. Dustin Weinberg - Cade McBride Blue Mountain Christian Universi 133
Day 1: 5 11-01 Total: 5 11-01
120. Cole Hunter - Joseph Bontrager University of South Carolina - U 131
Day 1: 5 10-15 Total: 5 10-15
120. Chase Rogers - Bryson Holland University of South Carolina - U 131
Day 1: 5 10-15 Total: 5 10-15
120. Carrson Sizemore - Dalton Blakley University of Pikeville 131
Day 1: 5 10-15 Total: 5 10-15
123. Preston Kolisek - Smith McGregor University of North Alabama 128
Day 1: 5 10-15 Total: 5 10-15
124. Bryce Balentine - Connor Koch Florida Gateway College 127
Day 1: 5 10-13 Total: 5 10-13
125. Will Hammond - Parker Lambert Lander University 126
Day 1: 5 10-12 Total: 5 10-12
125. Chase Loftus - Caden Petrille University of Iowa 126
Day 1: 5 10-12 Total: 5 10-12
127. Bryson Holderness - Isaac Greene University of South Carolina - U 124
Day 1: 5 10-11 Total: 5 10-11
128. Matt Brault - Dylan Mclaughlin Erskine College 123
Day 1: 5 10-10 Total: 5 10-10
128. Bryson Hatcher - Jake Lovingood Bryan College 123
Day 1: 5 10-10 Total: 5 10-10
130. Zion Dunaway - Andrew Krintz Purdue University 121
Day 1: 5 10-09 Total: 5 10-09
131. Dylan May - Will Shepherd Carson-Newman University 120
Day 1: 5 10-08 Total: 5 10-08
131. Leo Romano - Miller Kieran James Madison University 120
Day 1: 5 10-08 Total: 5 10-08
133. Jerry Brumbaugh Jr. - Quade Lobo Adrian College 118
Day 1: 5 10-07 Total: 5 10-07
133. Branton Champion - Cole Guck Emmanuel College 118
Day 1: 5 10-07 Total: 5 10-07
133. Wyatt Gabehart - Riley Hendricks Lander University 118
Day 1: 5 10-07 Total: 5 10-07
133. Fisher Heard - Hunter Brewer University of North Alabama 118
Day 1: 5 10-07 Total: 5 10-07
137. Gabe Hannon - LSU 114
Day 1: 5 10-06 Total: 5 10-06
138. Alex Geroulis - William Brogan Indiana University 113
Day 1: 5 10-05 Total: 5 10-05
139. Rylan Green - Luke McGuffin Erskine College 112
Day 1: 5 10-04 Total: 5 10-04
139. Ryan Thomas - Nate Harper University of Pikeville 112
Day 1: 5 10-04 Total: 5 10-04
141. Finn Maher - Jake Buzin University of South Carolina 110
Day 1: 5 10-03 Total: 5 10-03
142. Dylan Mcgee - Hayden Short Kentucky Christian University 109
Day 1: 5 10-02 Total: 5 10-02
142. Emerson Petty - Jaxon Humphrey Tennessee Wesleyan University 109
Day 1: 5 10-02 Total: 5 10-02
144. John James Coco - JD Farage LSU 107
Day 1: 5 10-01 Total: 5 10-01
145. Austin Paulus - Landen Paulus Ohio State University 106
Day 1: 5 10-00 Total: 5 10-00
145. Seth Shuler - Nicholas Giompalo University of Pikeville 106
Day 1: 5 10-00 Total: 5 10-00
145. Kyle Smith - Jacob Highley Kentucky Christian University 106
Day 1: 5 10-00 Total: 5 10-00
148. Makenzie Irwin - Nicholas Palazzo King University 103
Day 1: 5 09-15 Total: 5 09-15
148. Nick Owens - Noah Varitek Adrian College 103
Day 1: 5 09-15 Total: 5 09-15
148. Hank Sturm - Matt Mosby Adrian College 103
Day 1: 5 09-15 Total: 5 09-15
151. Robie Vines Jr - Colby Bryan Catawba Valley Community College 100
Day 1: 5 09-12 Total: 5 09-12
152. Hunter Townsend - Jon Wehner Jr James Madison University 99
Day 1: 5 09-11 Total: 5 09-11
153. Will Hadley - Blayne Leeman Kentucky Christian University 98
Day 1: 5 09-10 Total: 5 09-10
153. Max Pierlott - Mike Pierlott UNC - Charlotte 98
Day 1: 5 09-10 Total: 5 09-10
153. JD Sewell - Holden Hatcher Lamar State College Orange 98
Day 1: 5 09-10 Total: 5 09-10
156. Carson Holbrook - Silas Jones University of Pikeville 95
Day 1: 5 09-07 Total: 5 09-07
157. Beau Landry - Peyton Matherne LSU 94
Day 1: 5 09-06 Total: 5 09-06
158. Mitch Johnson - Joe Bob Burchett Kentucky Christian University 93
Day 1: 5 09-04 Total: 5 09-04
159. Will Holloway - Nick Pemberton University of Montevallo 92
Day 1: 5 09-03 Total: 5 09-03
160. Fisher Rodgers - Loren Oliver University Of South Carolina 91
Day 1: 5 09-02 Total: 5 09-02
160. Kyle Zainitzer - Hayden Alexander University of North Alabama 91
Day 1: 5 09-02 Total: 5 09-02
162. Dane Leopold - Chris Veitch Coastal Carolina University 89
Day 1: 5 09-02 Total: 5 09-02
163. Joey Meadows - Caleb Edwards Emmanuel College 88
Day 1: 5 09-00 Total: 5 09-00
164. Alexander Blanchard - Connor Hebert LSU 87
Day 1: 5 08-14 Total: 5 08-14
164. Phillip Herring - Parker O'Bryan University of Montevallo 87
Day 1: 5 08-14 Total: 5 08-14
166. Cody Wyatt - Fletcher Allen UNC - Charlotte 85
Day 1: 5 08-12 Total: 5 08-12
167. Chase Hubble - University of Florida 84
Day 1: 5 08-09 Total: 5 08-09
167. Reece Keeney - Brantley Anders Kentucky Christian University 84
Day 1: 5 08-09 Total: 5 08-09
167. Matthew Norton - Ian Schroeder UNC - Charlotte 84
Day 1: 5 08-09 Total: 5 08-09
170. Lyndon Gaddy - Daniel Ridenour East Tennessee State University 81
Day 1: 5 08-08 Total: 5 08-08
171. Matthew Mitchell - Butler Cochran University of South Carolina 80
Day 1: 5 08-08 Total: 5 08-08
172. Andrew Oswalt - Evan Mabrey University of Montevallo 79
Day 1: 5 08-05 Total: 5 08-05
173. Caleb Baynes - Konnor Sweet Liberty University 78
Day 1: 5 08-01 Total: 5 08-01
174. Connor Westerman - Michael Mcnulty West Virginia University 77
Day 1: 4 08-01 Total: 4 08-01
175. Scotty Hagan - Will Copley University of Pikeville 76
Day 1: 5 08-00 Total: 5 08-00
176. Owen Barker - Carter Jerdon Ohio State University 75
Day 1: 5 07-13 Total: 5 07-13
177. Cole Mitchell - Hayden Mare High Point University 74
Day 1: 4 07-13 Total: 4 07-13
178. Conner Nichols - Nathanael Eubank East Tennessee State University 73
Day 1: 5 07-09 Total: 5 07-09
179. Cohen Cravey - Maxwell Johnson Brewton-Parker College 72
Day 1: 4 07-08 Total: 4 07-08
180. Thomas Smith - Tyler Michael University Of South Carolina Uni 71
Day 1: 3 06-01 Total: 3 06-01
181. Ryder Krueger - Mason Laurin Troy University 70
Day 1: 4 05-14 Total: 4 05-14
182. Bryson Gurley - Ethan Evatt University of South Carolina - U 69
Day 1: 3 05-13 Total: 3 05-13
183. Garrett Tucker - Tyler Randolph West Virginia University 68
Day 1: 3 05-11 Total: 3 05-11
184. Fisher Carver - Hunter Richie Brewton-Parker College 67
Day 1: 3 05-05 Total: 3 05-05
185. Landon Brown - JD Rose Morehead State University 66
Day 1: 3 05-04 Total: 3 05-04
186. Cole Bedard - Jackson Plyler NC State University 65
Day 1: 3 05-02 Total: 3 05-02
187. Tanner Herndon - Caleb Griffin Bryan College 64
Day 1: 3 05-00 Total: 3 05-00
188. Branson James - Hunter Musick East Tennessee State University 63
Day 1: 3 04-06 Total: 3 04-06
189. Haden James - Daniel Litwin 62
Day 1: 2 03-09 Total: 2 03-09
189. Braydon Southerland - Conner Busby Tennessee Tech University 62
Day 1: 2 03-09 Total: 2 03-09
191. Trey Martinez - Maddux Moore Sportsman Fishing Club At Lsu 60
Day 1: 2 03-04 Total: 2 03-04
192. Noah Strand - Max Trenz UNC - Chapel Hill 59
Day 1: 5 01-12 Total: 5 01-12
193. Wes Newman Jr. - Liberty University 58
Day 1: 1 01-07 Total: 1 01-07
193. Alan Ter Molen - Luke Rosebrook Grace College 58
Day 1: 1 01-07 Total: 1 01-07
195. Kenneth Vicchio - Devon Blevins East Tennessee State University 56
Day 1: 1 00-09 Total: 1 00-09
196. Kayden Crosier - Gavin Warholic Kent State University 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
196. MJ Lutz Jr - CJ Chavous Jr. University of South Carolina - U 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
196. Aaron McGill - Trey Woliver University of Tennessee 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
196. Aiden Reid - Isaac Patrick Catawba Valley Community College 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
196. Kyle Werbeck - Joseph Phillips Kent State University 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 176 933 2265-11
----------------------------------
176 933 2265-11

by AnglersChannel

Tackle Warehouse Invitational Stop 4 Presented by E3 Sports Apparel Set for Pickwick Lake Next Week

COUNCE, Tenn. (April 30, 2025) – The next Major League Fishing (MLF) Tackle Warehouse Invitational event of the 2025 season is set to take place in Counce, Tennessee, next week, May 9-11, at Pickwick Lake – the Tackle Warehouse Invitational Stop 4 Presented by E3 Sports Apparel.

The three-day tournament, hosted by Explore Pickwick Lake/Hardin County Tourism, will feature professional bass anglers competing for a top prize of up to $115,000. Anglers will take to the water to catch their five biggest bass each day, and the winner will be determined by the heaviest three-day cumulative total.

“Once again, we are grateful to welcome Major League Fishing to Pickwick Lake and for their continued partnership”, said Beth Pippin, Executive Director for Hardin County Tourism. “Pickwick Lake in West Tennessee is on the Bill Dance Signature Lake trail offering world-class fishing where three states meet. We look forward to welcoming the anglers, staff, sponsors, and fans and allowing us to showcase our side of this beautiful lake, and in return bringing us a vast economic impact.”

Former Pickwick Lake champion Jon Canada of Helena, Alabama, is excited to return to the site of his 2022 victory and looking to reclaim his dominance on one of the Tennessee River’s most dynamic spring fisheries. He’ll be competing against Pickwick Lake standouts like Bass Pro Tour phenoms Drew Gill and Jake Lawrence, brothers Carter and Dylan Nutt – the Tennessee River aces who compete collegiately for the University of North Alabama – and a returning Jason Lambert, who recently retired from pro-level competition but couldn’t resist the allure of big-time competition on his home fishery.

“It’s shaping up to be one of those tournaments where you could see it all,” said Canada. “With the weather we’ve had – it hit 89 or 90 degrees this week – everything’s happening fast. Guys are going to be catching fish off the shad spawn, some guarding fry, postspawners, and there may even be a few pre-spawn stragglers pulling up.”

Unlike his 2022 win, when grass played a key role, Canada doesn’t expect vegetation to be a factor this time around.

“The lake had a lot more grass back then. This year, I’ve looked around and haven’t seen any,” he said. “They’ve been managing it pretty aggressively, and it’s basically gone.”

Instead, Canada anticipates a return to more traditional structure fishing.

“You’ll see guys fishing stumps, shell bars, docks, maybe some offshore brush. A spinnerbait or flipping bite could definitely be in play.”

With Day 2 of competition enforcing a no-forward-facing sonar rule, offshore success may come down to “blind fishing” and familiarity.

“I’m okay with that,” Canada said. “It might be a challenge to find offshore schools that fast, but if we get the right conditions – some current and stable water – it could spread people out and open up opportunities.”

Canada emphasized that the Tennessee River system thrives on current.

“That lake – everything relates to current. Doesn’t matter if it’s ledges, ditches, bars, shallow or deep – if they’re pulling water, those fish will bite. That’ll be the biggest thing I’ll be watching next week.”

While a few early-morning smallmouth might show up, Canada is betting on largemouth to anchor most of the top bags. “If someone can unlock the smallmouth after they vanish post-spawn, they’ll be dangerous – but that’s a tough puzzle. It’s going to come down to current, water level, and making good decisions each day.”

The 2025 Tackle Warehouse Invitationals feature a field of professional anglers competing across six invitational tournaments around the country, for a total purse of $4.3 million and valuable Fishing Clash Angler of the Year (AOY) points to qualify for the Invitationals Championship, set for Sept. 5-7 on the Mississippi River in La Crosse, and a coveted spot on the MLF Bass Pro Tour – the sport’s premier circuit.

In Tackle Warehouse Invitationals competition, the full field competes in the two-day opening round on Friday and Saturday in a five-fish, weigh-in format. Only the top 30 pros, based on their two-day cumulative weight, advance to the final round on Championship Sunday, where they will compete for the grand prize of up to $115,000.

Forward-facing and/or 360-degree sonar is limited to only days 1 and 3 of competition. No forward-facing and/or 360-degree sonar will be allowed on day 2 of competition.

Television coverage of the MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitationals Stop 4 at Pickwick Lake Presented by E3 Sports Apparel will air as a two-hour episode, premiering at 9 a.m. ET, on Saturday, Oct. 25 on CBS Sports Network.

Proud sponsors of the 2025 MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitationals include: 7Brew Coffee, Abu Garcia, Athletic Brewing, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Bubba, Deep Dive, E3 Sports Apparel, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, Grizzly, Humminbird, Lew’s, Mercury, Minn Kota, Mossy Oak, Onyx, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Phoenix Boats, Polaris, Power-Pole, Precision Sonar, Strike King, Suzuki Marine, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, VOSKER, WIX Filters and YETI.

by AnglersChannel

Fishing's Greatest Auction is Back

Fishing's Greatest Auction is Back!

Open Now, Online Auction is Your Chance to Bid on More Than 100 Packages – Fishing Trips, Vacations, Tackle, Electronics and Much More.

Rogers, Minn. (April 29, 2025) — MN-FISH’s “World’s Greatest Fishing Auction” launched this week and runs till Sunday, May 4th.

Go to MN-FISH.com and click on red auction tab to check out the amazing assortment of items available. Shop for yourself, loved ones or even that special client ahead of fishing opener, Mother’s and Father’s days!

All proceeds benefit non-profit MN-FISH Sportfishing Foundation, created in 2018 to give Minnesota anglers and businesses that support them a strong voice in the legislature and state’s fish management.

Fishing’s top brands are represented in this auction! Blackfish, Rapala, Berkley, Whitewater Fishing, Shimano, EGO Fishing, DAIWA, Garmin, Vexilar, Humminbird, 13Fishing, St. Croix Rod, Engel, Fenwick, Pflueger, Tune-Up Custom, GSM, Northland, Lindy, AFTCO, Striker, Fish Monkey and many others.

If you are looking for a fishing trip or two, some of the Midwest’s leading anglers are waiting to take you out. Names like Al Lindner, Jason Mitchell, Brian Brosdahl, Jeremy Smith, Ted Takasaki, Matt Breuer, Butch Furtman, and Jason Durham are offering exclusive guided trips that promise memorable experiences on the water.

There are also incredible vacation packages to top destinations including Lake of the Woods, Leech, Minnetonka, Red, Woman, Mille Lacs, Ontario’s Eagle and others.

Follow MN-FISH on Facebook and Instagram for auction updates; new items added daily!

“Since launched, MN-FISH has helped secure more than $110 million in state investments into Minnesota’s fishing and outdoor recreation infrastructure, benefiting state fish hatcheries, public accesses, invasive carp barriers and urban shore fishing piers, said MN-FISH Executive Director Mark Holsten. “This spring, MN-FISH is helping fund a critical muskie movement/survivability study on Leech Lake, pushing to replace the aging metro fish hatchery in St. Paul and ensure anglers’ voices are heard as the DNR is considering limit and season changes for species like walleye and bass. We’re busy!”

You can browse auction items and bid right now until the auction closes at 8:00 PM CST this Sunday, May 4, 2025.

View Online Version

About MN-FISH

MN-FISH Sportfishing Foundation & Coalition is Minnesota’s only non-profit organization formed as two entities in order to represent the interested of all Minnesota anglers and other stakeholders. MN-FISH Foundation is a 501c3 non-profit. Its mission is to restore, protect and enhance Minnesota sportfishing for present and future anglers to enjoy. The c-4 MN-FISH Coalition LLC was founded by the Foundation to become the voice of Minnesota Anglers before the DNR and state legislature on all fishing-related issues. To learn more, visit MN-FISH.com.

CONTACT

www.MN-FISH.com

833-3MN-FISH (1-833-366-3474)

Steve Pennaz info@MNFISH.com

by AnglersChannel

B.A.S.S. announces Tackle Warehouse as title sponsor of the 2025 Bassmaster Elite Series event at Lake Fork

April 30, 2025

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — B.A.S.S. is excited to announce Tackle Warehouse as the title sponsor of the highly anticipated 2025 Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork, taking place May 8-11 in Yantis, Texas.

Lake Fork has long been known for producing legendary bass fishing moments, and last year’s Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series event was no exception. More than 10 anglers broke the prestigious 100-pound mark, with then-rookie Trey McKinney delivering a jaw-dropping performance to claim victory with an astounding 130 pounds, 15 ounces — one of the heaviest four-day totals in Elite Series history.

“We are thrilled to welcome Tackle Warehouse as the title sponsor for this iconic stop on the Elite Series schedule,” said Phillip Johnson, B.A.S.S. chief operating officer. “Lake Fork always delivers incredible action, and with Tackle Warehouse’s support, we’re looking forward to another unforgettable event showcasing some of the best anglers in the world on one of the most electrifying venues we visit.”

As the industry’s premier online retailer for bass fishing gear, Tackle Warehouse has been a go-to source for tournament anglers and weekend warriors alike. Their sponsorship of the 2025 Bassmaster Elite Series event at Lake Fork ensures fans will experience next-level coverage, exclusive content and in-depth access to the gear and techniques that help Elite Series anglers land giant bass.

“We at Tackle Warehouse are so excited for the Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork in the great state of Texas,” said Joey Reggio, general manager of Tackle Warehouse. “We can’t wait to see huge bass, huge bags and tons of excitement at one of the most legendary big-fish factories in the nation!”

The biggest bass of the 2024 Elites was landed by Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series pro Justin Hamner during last year’s Lake Fork event. His 11-pound, 7-ounce behemoth may well be topped this year. With the potential for record-breaking weights and another thrilling showdown on one of the most revered trophy-bass lakes in the country, the 2025 Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork is a must-watch event.

For more information on the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series, visit Bassmaster.com.

About Tackle Warehouse

About B.A.S.S.

by AnglersChannel

Paul Marks Claims First Bassmaster Elite Series Victory at Lake Hartwell

Kennesaw, GA - Rookie angler Paul Marks etched his name into Bassmaster history this weekend, securing his first Elite Series blue trophy with a determined and dynamic performance at the Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Lake Hartwell.

Marks, 23, who hails from Cumming, Georgia, started strong on Day 1 with a five-fish limit weighing 19 pounds, 7 ounces — good enough for third place. He maintained momentum over the next two days with bags of 17-4 and 16-5, entering Championship Sunday in second place. A final-day limit of 15-8 pushed his four-day total to 68 pounds, 8 ounces, earning him the win by a 14-ounce margin over fellow rookie Tucker Smith and a $100,000 top prize.

“I don’t know what to think — it’ll probably take a week to set in, maybe a month,” Marks said. “I think I’ve been dreaming about this since I was a little kid. I love spotted bass; I love fishing the way I do. It’s the best thing ever in my eyes.”

Marks’ winning formula combined shallow and offshore tactics. He opened the tournament with a crucial 5-pound largemouth caught bed fishing with a white Zoom Z Craw Jr., but the bulk of his success came offshore. Targeting spotted bass around points and brush piles from the Green Pond area down to the Hartwell Dam, Marks showcased patience and adaptability, crucial traits when chasing blueback herring-spawn bass.

Each morning, Marks capitalized on the herring spawn bite, throwing a Zoom Fluke Stick Jr. and a Super Fluke rigged on a 5/0 Gamakatsu worm hook round bend to trigger early big bites. As the sun climbed, he shifted deeper, fishing 10–30 feet of water with a 3/16-ounce SPRO Skip Gap shaky head paired with the Fluke Stick Jr.

“There are fish everywhere on the bank and I knew it was going to be really hard to win with spots,” Marks said. “I got lucky on Day 1 and caught a big one on the bed. That fish made my tournament.”

Despite the challenges of tracking the fast-moving herring spawn, Marks’ relentless approach — moving constantly and trusting his instincts — ultimately paid off.

“I never let off the gas today; I ran so hard,” Marks said. “It was a long day for me. I really didn’t think I had enough. Somehow, it worked out.”

With his first career Elite Series win secured, Paul Marks’ future in professional bass fishing looks incredibly bright — and this is likely just the beginning.

We are Sports Professionals. SPRO works with America's best anglers to design the world's finest fishing tackle. Using cutting edge technology and innovation, SPRO leads the way in developing the highest quality premium fishing equipment available.

For more information, please visit, WWW.SPRO.COM

by AnglersChannel

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