Power fishing, big bass extravaganza expected at Pasquotank River/Albemarle Sound Elite
April 3, 2025
ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. — A hidden gem will likely be exposed when the 2025 Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series at Pasquotank River/Albemarle Sound event kicks off in eastern North Carolina. While a cooldown is forecast for the area, local guide and tournament angler Matt Greschak expects plenty of big bass to be caught.
“It is going to be really cool to watch,” Greschak, who runs Avery's Guide Service, said. “Think of the Sabine River with Florida weight. We have big ones here. If you don’t have one over 8 pounds, you aren’t winning big bass. I think it is going to take some serious weight to win.
“You could see somebody hitting the right stretch and landing 25 to 28 pounds and follow it up with a couple 20-pound bags to hang on to it. Someone is going to catch some giants, though. I think we’ll see one over 10 pounds.”
Tournament days are scheduled for April 10-13. The Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series field will launch from Waterfront Park each day at 7 a.m. ET and return for weigh-in starting at 3 p.m. The field will be cut to the Top 50 on Day 3 before the Top 10 duke it out on Championship Sunday for the first-place prize of $100,000 and a coveted blue trophy.
The Bassmaster Tournament Trail has only visited the northeastern area of North Carolina three times — once for the 1975 Bassmaster Classic at the Currituck Sound won by Jack Hains and twice for North Carolina Invitationals in 1980 and 1981 in the Albemarle Sound.
Very few of the same patterns and areas from those events are still relevant.
“The Currituck Sound was full of milfoil brought in for duck hunting,” Greschak said. “It was a waterfowl destination, and all the grass turned it into a premier bass-fishing destination. Guys would work full-time duck hunting, and in the summer, they would be bass guides. Since then, a lot of things have happened, but in summary, the salinity has risen in that particular area where the Classic takeoff was. All of that is now premier flounder, trout and redfish waters.”
The prominent milfoil beds from that era may be gone, but the fishing along the North Carolina coast has only gotten better. Greschak competes in the Carolina Anglers Team Tournament Trail (CATT), and their tournament bags in the Tidewater rival what the Santee Cooper Lakes division produces.
Greschak won one of those CATT tournaments the last week of March with nearly 26 pounds.
“We had an 8-3 and a 7 3/4, and we didn’t win big fish (of the tournament),” he said.
The playing field for this tournament is massive. Anglers can go as far north as Norfork, Va., as far south as Morehead City, N.C., and as far west down any of the rivers as they want without locking. Greschak anticipates much of the field will focus their attention on the Chowan and Roanoke rivers to the west of takeoff, but there are big bass closer to takeoff as well.
Despite being close to the Atlantic Ocean, the fishery does not experience tidal influences.
“We don’t have a tide,” Greschak explained. “We have some water fluctuation depending on which way the wind is blowing, and that is about it. Guys will be disappointed if they try to run a tide.”
Ahead of official practice, temperatures are expected to be around and over 80 degrees before a front moves in and sends temperatures back into the mid- to high 60s. Greschak is expecting largemouth to still be in a largely prespawn pattern, but with the full moon arriving halfway through the tournament, there is a chance some will be caught off the bed.
Each river sets up differently from the next. The Roanoke is thinner with stronger current, while the Chowan is quite a bit wider. The Pasquotank River and the other rivers on the east side of the Albemarle Sound proper also present unique opportunities.
Cypress trees and wooded cover will be the most prominent cover. Some of the backwater ponds along the Sound will have some vegetation, and isolated shellbars could hold a population of bass. Bluegill and crawfish are prominent on the east side, while a strong shad population exists in the western rivers.
“It is mostly wood here,” he said. “There’s not a lot of riprap and no rock unless you go way up the Roanoke. Hard spots and shellbars are hard to find. I feel like the majority of the guys will be fishing the bank or fishing drains (and) marsh ditches with grass in them as well.”
The wind will be the biggest X factor in this tournament, Greschak said. With how wide and shallow the Sound is, navigation becomes difficult with higher wind speeds, particularly when they come from the southwest. In that scenario, those who can navigate well or find productive areas close to takeoff will have the upper hand.
“If people can break down the Chowan and Roanoke, they will be big players,” he said. “The issue is getting there all four days. The Albemarle Sound gets really, really rough. There’s no place to get gas and you can’t make it when it is that rough without stopping to get fuel. You’ll have to be very strategic.”
Even though there will be some places where forward-facing sonar will shine, power-fishing techniques will likely be on full display in this event. Spinnerbaits and ChatterBaits are popular baits, as well as squarebill crankbaits. Flipping baits like a beaver or a Strike King Rage Bug will also come into play.
Given the right conditions, a productive topwater bite could present itself, too. While some bass could be spawning, the water clarity doesn’t always make sight fishing easy.
Union City, Tenn., pro John Garrett leads the Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings after two events with 204 points. DeBary, Fla.’s John Cox is second with 191 points, followed by Sylacauga, Ala.’s David Gaston in third with 183 points. Brookville, Ind., pro Bill Lowen is fourth with 182 points, while Alabama pros Will Davis Jr. and Wes Logan are tied for fifth with 182 points. Jay Przekurat, Jake Whitaker, Lee Livesay and Brandon Palaniuk round out the Top 10.
Canadian pro Evan Kung leads the Dakota Lithium Bassmaster Rookie of the Year standings with 143 points followed by Arkansas’s Beau Browning in second with 140 points. Georgia’s Paul Marks is third with 131 points, Alabama’s Tucker Smith is fourth with 122 points and Georgia’s Emil Wagner is fifth with 108 points.
Bassmaster LIVE coverage of the 2025 Bassmaster Elite at Pasquotank River will be available on Bassmaster.com on Days 1 and 2 starting at 8 a.m. ET and ending at 3 p.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.
Visit Elizabeth City is hosting the tournament.
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 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.
A Proven Grass-Fishing Veteran Prepares for REDCREST 2025
Courtesy of Dynamic Sponsorships
Now that the Bass Pro Shops REDCREST 2025 Presented by MillerTech is underway, Lake Guntersville is primed as the playing field for 50 seasoned anglers looking to leave Alabama as a REDCREST champion. Among the names to watch is Terry Scroggins, a Team Toyota pro known for his uncanny ability to thrive in shallow, grass-filled environments. With a career built on consistent performances, especially in challenging tournament conditions, Scroggins is more than ready to face the challenges presented by REDCREST.
Tough conditions ahead: Scroggins' mindset for REDCREST
While the weather and water conditions can change quickly, Scroggins is already eyeing what could be a unique set of challenges at REDCREST.
"I like the tougher tournaments usually but this is going to be a slugfest," Scroggins said. "It will take 40 or 50 pounds a day to make the Knockout round. I think everyone is going to catch ‘em pretty well."
But even with favorable expectations, Scroggins understands the nuances of the competition, particularly when it comes to the format.
"It looks good on paper in a 5-fish format and takes 20 pounds to get a check, but when every fish counts, it’s a totally different mindset," Scroggins said. “When you come here, you can get 7 or 8 bites and have a big bag but you’re going to have to catch 15-20 fish a day to be competitive in this format and that’s tough to do, even on Guntersville.”
Indeed, REDCREST’s format is designed to make anglers focus on every bite. In such a scenario, Scroggins is accustomed to making the most out of his opportunities.
Grass and shallow waters: Scroggins’ domain
As one of the best shallow-water specialists in the game, Scroggins’ greatest strength lies in his understanding of grass fishing. He thrives in situations where bass are nestled among thick vegetation and with the springtime spawn just around the corner, these areas are key for success.
"I do have some prespawn stuff I’ve figured out fishing grass," Scroggins said. ”They have so much cover to get in, they don’t have to go far. There is so much eelgrass here nowadays that is kinda has them spread out."
For Scroggins, the key is understanding the movements and habits of bass during the transition between prespawn and the actual spawn. The shallows are prime real estate for these fish and with the right combination of knowledge and patience, Scroggins is hopeful Guntersville will kick out fireworks for REDCREST. However, the fishing pressure will play a major factor in how he approaches this tournament.
“I'm thinking there was over 1,000 tournament boats on this lake during practice," Scroggins said. "The fish are trying to spawn a bit but it has been so busy."
The increased boat traffic can stir up the water and disturb key areas where bass may be trying to bed, which could complicate the process of catching scoreable bass. Still, Scroggins remains undaunted. He has long embraced the challenges of fishing under pressure and knows how to adapt when conditions become less than ideal.
Strategic adjustments for the toughest conditions
One of the most significant challenges Scroggins and his peers will face is the weather, which can be unpredictable during the spring months.
"Today the weather was so bad," Scroggins noted earlier this week, reflecting on the conditions during his recent practice sessions.
Despite these setbacks, he remains optimistic and focused on adapting to whatever the tournament throws his way. When asked about how he planned to tackle the competition today and throughout the event, Scroggins shared some insight into his approach.
"In this format, I’d rather be winding something to cover more water and generate more bites," Scroggins explained. “You can’t rest in this format. If you aren’t adding weight, you feel like you are falling behind. That makes fishing slow for spooky spawners tough to do.”
His strategy of using fast-moving lures to search wide swaths of water aligns with his style—moving quickly and efficiently through the grass to increase the chances of connecting with bass that will make a difference. As the tournament unfolds, expect this proven veteran to be a major player, making waves both in the shallow waters and on the leaderboard.
290+ College Bass Fishing Teams Set to Compete at Pickwick Lake for the Pickwick Slam
SAN ANTONIO, TX (April 2, 2025) – This weekend, the Association of Collegiate Anglers will visit Pickwick Lake to contest the third event of its historic 20th season. The Pickwick Slam is the final regular season stop of the majors lineup of events in the 2024-25 Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Bass Fishing Series before the year ending 20th Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops.
The no-entry-fee, nationally televised, double points tournament will be contested at Pickwick Lake in Florence, AL on April 5-6, 2025. More than 290 teams comprised of the top collegiate anglers in the nation are set to be on-hand. The full field is scheduled to compete for two days in hopes of claiming their share of the over $20,000 in prizes and contingencies on the line, as well as double points to count towards the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia.
Official practice begins on Thursday, with the final day of official practice and mandatory tournament meeting happening on Friday. Saturday and Sunday will be official competition days, with weigh-in and takeoff happening at McFarland Park. Live weigh-in will be streamed each afternoon on the ACA website. Official weigh-in will begin at 3:00 PM on Day 1 and 1:30 PM on Day 2. The ACA website and social media pages will also provide detailed coverage, including a live blog, event insight, important links, and more.
Pickwick Lake has been producing quality limits of bass across major regional and national events this spring. From the Wilson Dam to the Pickwick Dam, anglers have been finding success around various types of cover with an array of different baits. Bass will likely be in all three phases, spawn, pre spawn, and post spawn. This means anglers will find success with a variety of presentations and techniques. Read a complete lake preview at this link.
The latest episode of the Rapala #WeAreCollegiate Bass Podcast featured Peyton Harris, Dalton Head, and Peyton Sorrow from top ranked University of Montevallo. Montevallo is the two-time defending winner of the Pickwick Slam, as team members finished in 1stplace in 2021 and 2023. Tune in to this episode as we preview the event and talk about current lake conditions.
The total payout for the Pickwick Slam exceeds $20,000 in prizes and contingencies. The no-entry-fee Pickwick Slam will pay out the Top 20 places in the final standings, and a Power-Pole to the Overall Big Bass. This prestigious prize payout is comprised of product and gift cards from companies including Bass Pro Shops, AFTCO, Power-Pole, Rapala, 13 Fishing, Turtlebox, Trailer Valet, and Bajío Sunglasses. Click here to view the complete prize list.
The Top 15 finishing angler pairings at the Pickwick Slam automatically qualify to compete in the 2025 Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops. These qualified angler pairing entries must compete at Lake Hartwell in May as the same angler pairing that competed at the Pickwick Slam.
The Pickwick Slam will be the final ACA double points event to count towards the 2024-25 Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia. First place will receive 1,750 points, and schools will be eligible to earn points for their two highest-finishing teams inside of the Top 150 of the final tournament standings.
24 of the Top 25 teams are registered to compete at Lake Dardanelle this upcoming weekend. For teams that have two high finishes, there is potential for them to earn well over 3,000 points. 1st place University of Montevallo leads 2nd ranked McKendree University by 2,325 points, and 3rd through 10th are separated by less than 2,700 points. Given that the standings are stacked so tightly now, there will be an opportunity for teams to make major moves in the rankings.
View the complete rankings for the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia.
Live coverage for the event will begin with the Live Blog on the final day of official practice on Friday. The live blog will also be active during both days of tournament competition. As mentioned above, live weigh-in will be streamed on the ACA website both afternoons. Also, follow along with ACA social media channels for additional coverage and content.
Tarleton State makes the most of shortened day, leads Day 1 at Lake Eufaula
April 2, 2025
EUFAULA, Okla. — Despite a lengthy weather delay, Tyler Chmelar and Kase Kramer from Tarleton State University made the most of the circumstances and caught a limit weighing 19 pounds, 4 ounces to take the Day 1 lead at the Strike King Bassmaster College Series at Lake Eufaula presented by Bass Pro Shops.
The Texas duo anchored their catch with a 5-12 largemouth they landed late in the day on a drop shot.
“It was a great day,” Chmelar said. “A little nerve-wracking, but it was fun.”
Connor Hall and Carson Belville and Auburn’s Brendin Simich are tied for second with 18-10. Simich landed the Big Bass of the Day, a 6-10 largemouth.
A squall line tore through eastern Oklahoma around the time anglers were originally scheduled for takeoff, bringing with it strong winds, severe storms and heavy rains. Tournament officials delayed the start of the tournament for nearly four hours before allowing teams on the water.
Quantity was hard to come by during the shortened day. Only 30 limits were caught by the 175-boat field on Wednesday, but the teams at the top found quality bass, and multiple 6-pounders crossed the stage.
Neither Chmelar nor Kramer have visited the massive reservoir in southern Oklahoma before, but several Texas lakes set up similarly to Lake Eufaula.
“It does set up a lot like Texas. When these bass are in the prespawn, it is my favorite time to get out on the water,” Kramer said.
Using Garmin LiveScope, Chmelar and Kramer targeted rockpiles that served as staging spots for largemouth waiting to spawn. They started on deeper piles in around 14 feet of water, but as the day continued the shallower rock (6 feet of water) became more productive.
Four different presentations produced key bites, including a Neko rig, a drop shot, a jig and a jerkbait.
“We knew these fish were thinking about pushing up to spawn, but they weren’t really wanting to because the weather is not great,” Kramer said. “The water temperature was still 57 degrees this morning. As the day went on, we moved up with them.”
Practice did not provide any indication that quality bass were present in their areas, so Chmelar and Kramer ran to the area where they caught the most bass in practice. Their first stop of the day was a rockpile in 14 feet of water, and it produced a 3 ½-pounder.
From there, the duo made stops at several more rockpiles and collected their limit within 45 minutes of fishing. While they caught plenty of bass, many of them did not cull. Then as the day was coming to a close, Kramer hooked into their biggest largemouth.
“I saw three big dots up there, threw my drop shot at them and shook it in front of their face,” he explained.
Chmelar and Kramer had a great start at Smith Lake as well, landing in fourth after Day 1, only to fall to 82nd on Day 2. The duo is hoping to find better success on Day 2 this time around and believe there are still plenty of bass hanging around their spots.
The full field of anglers will launch from Peters Point starting at 7 a.m. CT and return for weigh-in at 3 p.m. More wind and storms are expected on Day 2, which will give anglers yet another hurdle to overcome. The Top 10 percent of the field after tomorrow’s weigh-in will punch a ticket to the 2025 Strike King Bassmaster College National Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops, details of which will be announced at a later time.
The City of Eufaula 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 Platinum Sponsor: Progressive, Toyota
2025 Bassmaster College Series Premier Sponsors: Dakota Lithium, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Progressive Insurance, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha
2025 Bassmaster College Series Supporting Sponsors: AFTCO, Daiwa, Garmin, Lew's, Lowrance, Marathon, Triton Boats, VMC
2025 Bassmaster College Series Youth Sponsors: Seaguar, Shimano
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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Connect with #Bassmaster on Facebook, Instagram, Twitte
Media Contact: Chad Gay, Communications Manager, 256-313-0945, cgay@bassmaster.
2025 Strike King Bassmaster College Series at Lake Eufaula presented by Bass Pro Shops 4/2-4/3
Lake Eufaula, Eufaula OK.
Standings Day 1
Angler Club/School Pts
1. Tyler Chmelar - Kase Kramer Tarleton State University 250
Day 1: 5 19-04 Total: 5 19-04
2. Connor Hall - Carson Belville McKendree University 249
Day 1: 5 18-10 Total: 5 18-10
2. Brendin Simich - Auburn University 249
Day 1: 5 18-10 Total: 5 18-10
4. Blair Cox - Grant Simmons Missouri State University 247
Day 1: 5 18-08 Total: 5 18-08
5. Levi Thibodaux - William Tew LSU - Shreveport 246
Day 1: 5 16-04 Total: 5 16-04
6. Anderson Jones - Lander University 245
Day 1: 5 16-03 Total: 5 16-03
7. Cody Monlezun - Josh Kerr Texas A&M University 244
Day 1: 5 16-00 Total: 5 16-00
8. Wyatt Loving - Kenny Price Stephen F Austin State Universit 243
Day 1: 4 15-00 Total: 4 15-00
9. Sam Ausbrooks - Eli Jaime Wabash Valley College 242
Day 1: 5 14-12 Total: 5 14-12
10. Grayson Bonfils - Nevan Osburn LSU - Shreveport 241
Day 1: 4 14-12 Total: 4 14-12
11. Coleman Stewart - Keenan Stewart Campbellsville University 240
Day 1: 5 13-08 Total: 5 13-08
12. Parker Welch - Angelo Malek McKendree University 239
Day 1: 5 13-05 Total: 5 13-05
13. Ben Burns - Grant Pursifull Stephen F Austin State Universit 238
Day 1: 5 13-03 Total: 5 13-03
14. Dalton Phelps - Peyton Rose Wabash Valley College 237
Day 1: 5 13-01 Total: 5 13-01
15. Matthew Qualich - Liam Bonnett McKendree University 236
Day 1: 4 13-01 Total: 4 13-01
16. Aiden Hamblin - Tarleton State University 235
Day 1: 5 12-13 Total: 5 12-13
17. Trey McMeen - Dylan Armstrong East Texas Baptist University 234
Day 1: 3 12-09 Total: 3 12-09
18. Noah Lieberman - Jacob Hiebsch Missouri State University 233
Day 1: 5 12-07 Total: 5 12-07
19. Barrett Bennefield - Mason Mccormick LSU - Shreveport 232
Day 1: 5 11-14 Total: 5 11-14
20. Colby Carrier - Justin Frey Bethel University 231
Day 1: 4 11-14 Total: 4 11-14
21. John Michael Ortman - Max Heaton Emmanuel College 230
Day 1: 5 11-11 Total: 5 11-11
22. Delaney Platt - Ryan Olsen Wabash Valley College 229
Day 1: 3 11-11 Total: 3 11-11
23. Allen Powe - Jonathan Combs Campbellsville University 228
Day 1: 5 11-07 Total: 5 11-07
24. Triston Richardson - Johnny Hudson Jr LSU - Shreveport 227
Day 1: 5 11-06 Total: 5 11-06
25. Peyton Bryant - Brezlyn Hightower Murray State College 226
Day 1: 5 11-04 Total: 5 11-04
26. Ty Kreis - Braeden Anderson University of Nebraska 225
Day 1: 5 10-15 Total: 5 10-15
27. Dallas Copeland - Mario Botan Texas A&M University 224
Day 1: 5 10-13 Total: 5 10-13
28. Wilson York - Matthew Tucker JC Calhoun Community College 223
Day 1: 5 10-11 Total: 5 10-11
29. Isaac Patrick - Braylon Carden Catawba Valley Community College 222
Day 1: 3 10-10 Total: 3 10-10
30. Brock Blazier - Colby Joseph Campbellsville University 221
Day 1: 5 10-08 Total: 5 10-08
31. Jordan Bezold - Joe Bezold Northern Kentucky University 220
Day 1: 4 10-08 Total: 4 10-08
32. Harmon Marien - Mason Darling McKendree University 219
Day 1: 5 10-06 Total: 5 10-06
32. Syler Prince - Parker Stalvey St Johns River State College 219
Day 1: 5 10-06 Total: 5 10-06
34. Braden Lankford - Tityn Miller Murray State College 217
Day 1: 4 10-06 Total: 4 10-06
35. Cole Divin - Grant Gale 216
Day 1: 5 10-05 Total: 5 10-05
36. Evan Mccormick - Cole Sampson McKendree University 215
Day 1: 5 10-02 Total: 5 10-02
37. Jake Peck - Luke Wyle Auburn University 214
Day 1: 5 09-11 Total: 5 09-11
38. Clayton Easter - Tarleton State University 213
Day 1: 4 09-11 Total: 4 09-11
38. Ryan Lachniet - Carter Doren Campbellsville University 213
Day 1: 4 09-11 Total: 4 09-11
40. Lane Stephens - Jack Stephens McKendree University 211
Day 1: 5 09-06 Total: 5 09-06
41. Kade MacDonald - Michael Pipitone University of Wisconsin - Whitew 210
Day 1: 3 09-06 Total: 3 09-06
42. Andrew Sell - Blake Rufkahr Missouri State University 209
Day 1: 4 09-04 Total: 4 09-04
43. Kaden Mueck - Landon O'Connor Stephen F Austin State Universit 208
Day 1: 5 08-14 Total: 5 08-14
44. Brett Jolley Jr. - Carson Stevens East Texas Baptist University 207
Day 1: 4 08-14 Total: 4 08-14
45. Jack Clancy - Luka Strepacki University of Tennessee 206
Day 1: 3 08-14 Total: 3 08-14
46. Cade Smith - Axel Pierce Murray State College 205
Day 1: 3 08-13 Total: 3 08-13
47. Christian Boyd - Luke Ray Shelton State Community College 204
Day 1: 4 08-11 Total: 4 08-11
48. Shaden Farley - Sam Sutter Murray State College 203
Day 1: 4 08-06 Total: 4 08-06
49. Gavin Robinson - Bennett Mcbride Tarleton State University 202
Day 1: 3 08-06 Total: 3 08-06
50. Jaxson Freeman - Evan Sutton McKendree University 201
Day 1: 3 08-05 Total: 3 08-05
51. Camden Kozikoski - Dayne Kobriger Drury University 200
Day 1: 2 08-04 Total: 2 08-04
52. Bronson Jackson - Jebb Bryan Auburn University 199
Day 1: 3 07-14 Total: 3 07-14
53. Turner Barksdale - Jared Walters Shelton State Community College 198
Day 1: 2 07-13 Total: 2 07-13
54. Nathan Fideldy - Noah Wells Drury University 197
Day 1: 4 07-11 Total: 4 07-11
55. Dustin Michek - Josh Morrow University of Wisconsin - Platte 196
Day 1: 2 07-10 Total: 2 07-10
56. Mason Thompson - Matthew Dettling University of Tennessee 195
Day 1: 3 07-09 Total: 3 07-09
57. Logan Greeno - Matthew Nichols University of Nebraska 194
Day 1: 2 07-09 Total: 2 07-09
58. Maxwell Trotter - Chase Logue McKendree University 193
Day 1: 4 07-07 Total: 4 07-07
59. Reece Keeney - Brantley Anders Kentucky Christian University 192
Day 1: 4 07-06 Total: 4 07-06
60. Adrian Urso - Corbin Templon Murray State University 191
Day 1: 2 07-06 Total: 2 07-06
61. Colton Combs - Northeastern State University 190
Day 1: 3 07-05 Total: 3 07-05
61. Karson Denton - Hayden Hurst Tarleton State University 190
Day 1: 3 07-05 Total: 3 07-05
63. Dillon Robertshaw - Jake Mantovani Missouri State University 188
Day 1: 3 07-01 Total: 3 07-01
64. Sean Ferguson - Caden Pinter Kansas State University 187
Day 1: 2 07-01 Total: 2 07-01
65. Brayden Stoker - Tucker Kendall Tarleton State University 186
Day 1: 3 06-13 Total: 3 06-13
66. Archer Smith - Nathan Kallstrand Murray State University 185
Day 1: 3 06-08 Total: 3 06-08
67. Hampton Shull - Lander University 184
Day 1: 3 06-07 Total: 3 06-07
68. Hunter Stuart - Ryan Rhodes Tarleton State University 183
Day 1: 3 06-06 Total: 3 06-06
69. Michael Gammons - Colby Elliott Emmanuel College 182
Day 1: 2 06-05 Total: 2 06-05
70. Stone Grove - Joseph Senn Bethel University 181
Day 1: 3 06-04 Total: 3 06-04
71. Cody Domingos - Jackson Paden University of Tennessee 180
Day 1: 3 06-03 Total: 3 06-03
72. Alex Avery - Christian Bales Murray State University 179
Day 1: 2 06-03 Total: 2 06-03
72. AJ Bowdoin - Preston Waltisperger Texas A&M University - Aggie Ang 179
Day 1: 2 06-03 Total: 2 06-03
72. David Gummow - Coleman Self Bethel University 179
Day 1: 2 06-03 Total: 2 06-03
72. Cole Pickett - Dawson Cowden Northwestern State University 179
Day 1: 2 06-03 Total: 2 06-03
76. Wyatt Pearman - Ridge Rutledge Campbellsville University 175
Day 1: 2 06-02 Total: 2 06-02
77. Michael Canonica - Seth Proctor University of Tennessee 174
Day 1: 2 06-01 Total: 2 06-01
78. Bryson Dotson - Hayden Peck Tennessee Wesleyan University 173
Day 1: 2 05-15 Total: 2 05-15
79. Tyler Morris - Hunter Hamilton LSU - Shreveport 172
Day 1: 3 05-13 Total: 3 05-13
80. Dawson Lynch - John Mizell Tarleton State University 171
Day 1: 2 05-13 Total: 2 05-13
80. Alex Standerfer - Dustin Swafford Catawba Valley Community College 171
Day 1: 2 05-13 Total: 2 05-13
82. Breckett Long - Cooper Mayes Texas A&M University 169
Day 1: 2 05-11 Total: 2 05-11
83. Jacob Renelt - Tarleton State University 168
Day 1: 2 05-10 Total: 2 05-10
84. Hunter Sandschafer - Connor Becker Wabash Valley College 167
Day 1: 1 05-09 Total: 1 05-09
85. Garrett Smith - Andrew Blanton Lander University 166
Day 1: 3 05-08 Total: 3 05-08
86. Stone Robertson - Carter Martin University of Tennessee 165
Day 1: 2 05-08 Total: 2 05-08
87. Zane Stroman - Dylan Benson East Texas Baptist University 164
Day 1: 2 05-05 Total: 2 05-05
88. Emerson Petty - Jaxon Humphrey Tennessee Wesleyan University 163
Day 1: 3 05-02 Total: 3 05-02
89. Sam Semper - Sonny Mann Tarleton State University 162
Day 1: 2 05-02 Total: 2 05-02
90. Ryan Doel - Missouri State University 161
Day 1: 2 05-01 Total: 2 05-01
91. Ryan Pero - Tucker Evans Stephen F Austin State Universit 160
Day 1: 3 05-00 Total: 3 05-00
92. Logan Ware - Conner Pickens Southwestern Michigan College 159
Day 1: 2 05-00 Total: 2 05-00
93. Aaron McGill - Trey Woliver University of Tennessee 158
Day 1: 3 04-15 Total: 3 04-15
94. Evan Fields - Noah Dabney Campbellsville University 157
Day 1: 3 04-14 Total: 3 04-14
95. Caden Bunney - Ryan Mizee Oklahoma State University 156
Day 1: 2 04-14 Total: 2 04-14
95. Braydon Kelley - Noah Parrish East Texas Baptist University 156
Day 1: 2 04-14 Total: 2 04-14
97. Jeffrey Jones - Nick Illobre Bethel University 154
Day 1: 2 04-12 Total: 2 04-12
97. Will Weischwill - Cade Dornburg Texas A&M University 154
Day 1: 2 04-12 Total: 2 04-12
99. Clay Henderson - Brant Rowland Drury University 152
Day 1: 1 04-12 Total: 1 04-12
100. Alex Wood - Joe Williams Missouri State University 151
Day 1: 2 04-10 Total: 2 04-10
101. Stone Smith - Drake Wadsworth Northwestern State University 150
Day 1: 2 04-08 Total: 2 04-08
102. Caleb Johnston - Colin Cosenza Northwestern State University 149
Day 1: 2 04-07 Total: 2 04-07
103. Jack Gano - Cole Muenzer Southwestern Michigan College 148
Day 1: 2 04-06 Total: 2 04-06
103. Cade Lipham - Caleb Coleman Drury University 148
Day 1: 2 04-06 Total: 2 04-06
103. Noah Trant - Evan Howe Northwestern State University 148
Day 1: 2 04-06 Total: 2 04-06
106. Jack Carroll - Tucker Dottley Bethel University 145
Day 1: 2 04-03 Total: 2 04-03
107. Avery Merrow - Mason Stidwill Southwestern Michigan College 144
Day 1: 2 04-02 Total: 2 04-02
107. Will Oberman - Clay Oberman Campbellsville University 144
Day 1: 2 04-02 Total: 2 04-02
109. Paul Baker - Chandler Cook Auburn University 142
Day 1: 2 03-15 Total: 2 03-15
110. Grant Harris - Tyler Eggers Cvcc Redhawks 141
Day 1: 1 03-13 Total: 1 03-13
111. Tyler Madden - Kyle Knoll Auburn University 140
Day 1: 2 03-12 Total: 2 03-12
111. Nathan Preston - Evan Conn Auburn University 140
Day 1: 2 03-12 Total: 2 03-12
111. Carty Shoen - Auburn University 140
Day 1: 2 03-12 Total: 2 03-12
114. Grant McCraney - Faulkner University 137
Day 1: 1 03-12 Total: 1 03-12
115. Jackson Wyatt - Tyler Gentry Texas A&M University 136
Day 1: 1 03-10 Total: 1 03-10
116. Austin Denmark - Matthew Bennett Faulkner University 135
Day 1: 2 03-08 Total: 2 03-08
117. Palmer Parrish - Clemson University 134
Day 1: 1 03-07 Total: 1 03-07
118. Zach Pocos - Tucker Siminak McKendree University 133
Day 1: 1 03-06 Total: 1 03-06
118. Jase White - Brady Horton Drury University 133
Day 1: 1 03-06 Total: 1 03-06
120. Connor Dunn - Caden Denny Texas A&M University 131
Day 1: 1 03-05 Total: 1 03-05
121. Luke Bennett - Tarleton State University 130
Day 1: 1 03-04 Total: 1 03-04
122. Christian Moore - Tarleton State University 129
Day 1: 1 03-02 Total: 1 03-02
123. Connor Green - Faulkner University 128
Day 1: 1 03-00 Total: 1 03-00
124. Josh Richardson - Nathan Vahle University of Nebraska 127
Day 1: 1 02-15 Total: 1 02-15
125. Kyle Hopping - Kai Barnett McKendree University 126
Day 1: 1 02-14 Total: 1 02-14
126. Caleb Bomer - Layne Mercer Texas A&M University 125
Day 1: 1 02-11 Total: 1 02-11
126. Caleb Neu - Anthony Cicero IV Bethel University 125
Day 1: 1 02-11 Total: 1 02-11
128. Dawson Hendrix - Henry Fleddermann McKendree University 123
Day 1: 1 02-10 Total: 1 02-10
129. Colten Drawdy - Hunter Shelton Bethel University 122
Day 1: 1 02-08 Total: 1 02-08
130. Ryan Foster - Colton Hill McKendree University 121
Day 1: 1 02-07 Total: 1 02-07
130. Carter Smith - Ross Deters Wabash Valley College 121
Day 1: 1 02-07 Total: 1 02-07
132. Luke Iles - Northwestern State University 119
Day 1: 1 02-06 Total: 1 02-06
132. Caden Pearson - Ty Leak Wabash Valley College 119
Day 1: 1 02-06 Total: 1 02-06
134. Cooper Crowell - Sam Taylor Stephen F Austin State Universit 117
Day 1: 1 02-05 Total: 1 02-05
134. Bryce Kindell - Braedy Wilson Oklahoma State University 117
Day 1: 1 02-05 Total: 1 02-05
136. Ethan Powell - Aidan Casey Texas A&M University 115
Day 1: 1 02-02 Total: 1 02-02
137. Hayes Finch - Parker Mckee Faulkner University 114
Day 1: 1 02-01 Total: 1 02-01
137. Jacob Keller - University Of Florida Gator Bass 114
Day 1: 1 02-01 Total: 1 02-01
139. Trevor Alexander - Fletch Titus Missouri State University 112
Day 1: 1 02-00 Total: 1 02-00
139. Easton Bouma - Zachary Ward Drury University 112
Day 1: 1 02-00 Total: 1 02-00
139. Connor Foreman - Joe Krejci Texas A&M University 112
Day 1: 1 02-00 Total: 1 02-00
142. Mark Bixler - Ty Reynolds Murray State University 109
Day 1: 1 01-15 Total: 1 01-15
143. Cody Tiemann - Luke Salvail JC Calhoun Community College 108
Day 1: 1 01-13 Total: 1 01-13
144. Carson Owen - Dylan Reed Murray State College 107
Day 1: 1 01-12 Total: 1 01-12
144. Xander Patton - Stephen Brooks Emmanuel College 107
Day 1: 1 01-12 Total: 1 01-12
146. Trevor Johnston - Ashton Hehr Texas A&M University 105
Day 1: 1 01-11 Total: 1 01-11
147. Thomas Neal - Avian Gerdes Kansas State University 104
Day 1: 1 01-10 Total: 1 01-10
147. Jackson Smith - Ely Hagans Bethel University 104
Day 1: 1 01-10 Total: 1 01-10
149. Mitch Johnson - Kentucky Christian University 102
Day 1: 1 01-09 Total: 1 01-09
149. Hunter Russell - Wabash Valley College Bass Warri 102
Day 1: 1 01-09 Total: 1 01-09
151. Corey Morris - Brayden Mercer East Texas Baptist University 100
Day 1: 1 01-08 Total: 1 01-08
151. Skyler Stevens - Brier Hardy Faulkner University 100
Day 1: 1 01-08 Total: 1 01-08
153. Braci Ault - Brody Ault Purdue University 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
153. Coleman Bingham - Bethel University 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
153. Drew Blasi - Noah Amundson Kansas State University 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
153. Logan Clark - Hunter Stuckey East Texas Baptist University 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
153. Elliott Davis - Texas A&M University 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
153. James Day - Stephen F Austin State Universit 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
153. Will Eriksson - University Of Tennessee 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
153. Brogan Gregg - Ian Fehrenbacher Wabash Valley College Bass Warri 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
153. Tyler Gunter - Mason Sills Catawba Valley Community College 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
153. Brice Hudler - Otto Cornett Texas A&M University 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
153. Pete Johnson - Tanner Wolf Southwestern Michigan College 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
153. Anna Kay - Briley Mills Emmanuel College 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
153. Avery Myers - Ryder Hall Missouri State University 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
153. Hunter Nipper - Reese Wade Shelton State Community College 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
153. Atlan Pfluger - Cade Johnson Texas A&M University 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
153. Ben Puckett - Collin Foley Mississippi State University 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
153. Zach Thompson - John Whetter Oklahoma State University 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
153. Farren Todd III - Brady Cornwell Northeastern State University 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
153. Trenton Underwood - Lane Grogan Northeastern State University 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
153. Willem Van Der Heijden - Jack Middlebrook Tarleton State University 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
153. Presley Warden - Parker Emery East Texas Baptist University 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
153. Jacob Webb - Cabe Mackey Catawba Valley Community College 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
153. Michael Zanglin - Carter Stambelos Auburn University 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 30 408 1050-12
------------------------------
30 408 1050-12
Spawning largemouth will play at B.A.S.S. Nation event on Oklahoma’s Lake Eufaula
April 2, 2025
EUFAULA, Okla. — Conditions could be right for a full spawn bonanza at the Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Qualifier at Lake Eufaula presented by Lowrance April 9-11.
How successful anglers are, however, depends on the timing of spring rains according to Oklahoma’s Austin Cranford.
“It will be all about the spawn, for sure,” the St. Croix Bassmaster Opens presented by SEVIIN pro said. “If conditions are stable, the first week of April on this lake is really, really good. But the water is coming. Because it is going to rain, we just don’t know when.
The tournament will launch out of Peter’s Point at 7 a.m. CT with weigh-ins scheduled for 3 p.m. Anglers are competing for spots in the 2025 Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Championship at Upper Mississippi River presented by Lowrance.
By far Oklahoma’s largest reservoir, Lake Eufaula is one of the best all-around fisheries in Oklahoma and has been rising in popularity amongst tournament organizations. All three species of bass swim in these waters, with largemouth being the primary target. The Bassmaster Opens Series has visited Lake Eufaula the past two summers, and each tournament showcased a largemouth weighing 8 pounds or better.
Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series pro and 2025 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour champion Easton Fothergill took home the victory last June with a three-day total of 52 pounds, 8 ounces.
The first week of April is historically the time bass flood the banks to spawn, Cranford said, but it is also the time of year when the water tends to rise on Lake Eufaula. If the water comes up before the bass go to spawn, the fishing will likely be better. If the bass go to spawn and then the lake level rises, it will be much tougher to locate those bass.
“What level is going to be everything,” he explained. “If the water comes up April 8th or 9th, it is going to get really tough. Then you’ve got a whole bunch of water over top of those beds."
For a prespawn bite in normal conditions, Cranford anticipates anglers will be able to use their forward-facing sonar to locate those bass as well as some of the spawning bass. If the water is stable, the bass tend to group up in areas around a certain type of rock.
“It is kind of a weird spawn place,” Cranford added. “That is if it is normal. I fished a tournament this same time last year and it was insanely good. Then there was a big flood right after that.”
Should the lake flood before the bass make their move, the shallow bushes will come into play, which Cranford believes is the best-case scenario.
“As soon as it floods, the bass are going to spawn. If the water comes up before that first wave of bass goes, the bush flipping bite will be insane.”
There are also stretches of water willow, and if the lake rises just a little higher than normal pool, that grass will also factor.
While Eufaula is a massive reservoir, the Opens anglers gravitated to only a couple of areas of the lake. During these spring events, Cranford imagines anglers will spread out more, especially if the lake rises.
“One of those tournaments will get won in an area it hasn’t been won before,” Cranford said. “There could be some really interesting things happening if anglers branch out.”
Texas-rigged creature baits, shaky head and wacky worms, as well as crankbaits will be important players. If the right conditions present themselves, frogs and buzzbaits could also produce big bites.
The City of Eufaula will be hosting the tournament.
2025 Bassmaster Nation Series Title Sponsor: Mercury
2025 Bassmaster Nation Series Presenting Sponsor: Lowrance
2025 Bassmaster Nation Series Platinum Sponsors: Progressive, Toyota
2025 Bassmaster Nation 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 Nation Series Supporting Sponsors: AFTCO, Daiwa, Garmin, Lew's, Lowrance, Triton Boats, VMC, Yokohama
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.
REDCREST Ruminations with Justin Lucas and Ott DeFoe
Courtesy of Dynamic Sponsorships
REDCREST 2025 kicks off tomorrow morning on iconic Lake Guntersville in Alabama, which may arguably be the tournament fishing capital of the world. Fifty of the world’s best bass anglers qualified to be here and one of them will take home Major League Fishing’s top prize and $300K by Sunday afternoon.
Nearly every angler competing in the Bass Pro Shops REDCREST presented by MillerTech has history with Guntersville in some capacity, as it is one of the premier tournament lakes in the country and is hallowed water for bass fishermen.
But with the unique format of the Bass Pro Tour including every-fish-counting towards an anglers’ total weight, competitors only being afforded use of forward-facing sonar (FFS) during one period each competition day, and a live leaderboard in play it makes this event on a familiar fishery feel brand-new.
We caught up with two Toyota Bonus Bucks members and REDCREST veterans, Justin Lucas and Ott DeFoe, to pick their brains on Guntersville before competition begins for the biggest tournament of their season.
Q – What are three lures or techniques you think will play a major factor this week?
Lucas – “Soft plastics will play a huge role in this event in my opinion. Texas-rigs, Carolina rigs, and dropshots will all catch fish. I know I’ll be giving a Berkley MaxScent General a workout. A vibrating jig, especially in the wind, could be a good power fishing bet. Lastly a swimbait, if you can effectively work it through the eelgrass.”
DeFoe – “Sight fishing will definitely play a role in some capacity. I don’t know how big a factor it (sight fishing) will be, but there are some fish up spawning. Given the wind in the forecast, I think a crankbait will play a big role. I’m hoping for that anyway. And then you know they are going to catch them scoping with a jighead minnow somewhere or another. These guys are too good, they’ve proven FFS always will be a factor.”
Q – What is your goal weight each competition day? What is the target weight to make the Knockout Round?
Lucas – “I would love to have 45-lbs per day, for the first three days, and then I think you’d need 60 to 80-lbs to win it on Sunday. I think closer to 80-lbs for the first two days would qualify you to fish the Knockout Round, but I’m shooting for 90-lbs to be safe.”
DeFoe – “I would love to catch 40-lbs per day. I think 80-lbs for the first two days will have you safely in the Knockout Round. Maybe even closer to 72-75-lbs could qualify you to fish on Saturday. I hope I’m high on that, but these guys always catch ‘em.”
Q – Do you remember the first time you came to the famed Lake Guntersville? What has been the biggest change in the fishery since then?
Lucas – “I’ll never forget the first time I came to Guntersville. It was February of 2009, and I came with Stetson Blaylock as a co-angler on the FLW Tour. We came over the mountain here in Huntsville and drove down to the lake around Honeycomb creek and I just fell in love with it. I told him before we ever fished, if the fishing was good, I was going to move here from California. Well, the fishing was phenomenal, and I moved not long after.
“The biggest change is the presence and distribution of eelgrass in the lake. It’s everywhere now which just didn’t use to be the case.”
DeFoe – “The first time I ever fished a tournament on Guntersville I was 17 years old and I fished a BFL in March. I caught like 13-lbs cranking riprap, but my biggest one came on a lipless crankbait out of grass. It was the first check I ever cut in a BFL… I remember it like it was yesterday.
“Honestly, I don’t think the lake has changed that much. It was full of grass then, just like it is now, and it has always gotten hammered with fishing pressure. It’s still Guntersville and big ones have always lived here!”
Q – Toyota Bonus Bucks upped their payouts for REDCREST 2025 to $10,000 to the highest finisher, $5,000 for the second highest placing Toyota driver, and $3,000 to the third highest. If you were to collect the $10,000 Bonus Bucks check from Toyota this week, what will you spend that money on?
Lucas – “My seven-year-old son really wants a pet scorpion. One of the big ones, like a 6-incher. I made a deal with him that if I get a top 10, I’ll get him his scorpion, so that’s what I’d spend the Bonus Bucks on…. He’s already made the terrarium for it and everything, with an extra, heavy rock for the lid because that thing is not coming out of that tank around me.”
DeFoe – “If I get to take that Bonus Bucks check home I’ll take my wife Jennie on a vacation. That’s always a good way to spend some money and keep momma happy.”
B. Hite shares JackHammer™ history, and previews rainy Norfork Open
Most fishing fans credit Arizona pro Brett Hite with making the vibrating jig wildly popular, but many may not know it was a gracious collaboration between two tackle companies, Z-Man and Evergreen, that brought the ChatterBait® JackHammer™ to fruition.
Hite shares the cool history of the premium bladed jig, and previews this week’s Bassmaster Open on Norfork Lake, Arkansas, near the home of his longtime boat partner, Vexus®, on the eve of what looks to be a very rainy event.
Q: The vibrating jig is arguably the most popular bass fishing lure to come along the past 20 years, and most credit you for being the pro who sparked the fire for it all, tell us how it all got started.
Hite: I won four major events on a bladed jig between 2004 and 2008 and formed a friendship along the way with former Elite Series angler, Morizo “Big Mama” Shimizu with Japanese tackle manufacturer Evergreen.
We teamed up to design the ultimate vibrating jig in collaboration with Z-Man by using premium components and through adjustments to the angle of the blade. The JackHammer was born in 2016, and by the 2017 Bassmaster Classic in Houston, it was all the rage.
Q: Give fans two key tips to better bladed jig fishing success.
Hite: Don’t fish it too slow. Speed up your retrieve, and make sure you’re making contact with rocks, the tops of vegetation or whatever habitat you’re fishing – much like we’re taught to fish a crankbait. The ½ ounce size is my favorite, and I fish it on a 6.3:1 reel spooled with 20-pound Sunline FC Sniper fluorocarbon.
Q: Will you lean on a JackHammer this week at Norfork?
Hite: Absolutely, along with an Evergreen Flat Force crankbait that dives to about 6-feet, and a compact Evergreen I.R. finesse jig with a Yamamoto Covert Craw.
Q: It’s possible up to 10” of rain could fall on Norfork Lake this week. What will be the biggest key to dealing with adverse conditions?
Hite: My Simms rainsuit, rubber boots, and having the mindset to constantly adapt to rising, dirtier water. The angler who best fishes the moment, and targets where fish are going versus where they were the day before will likely win.
Q: This week’s Bassmaster Open takes place just 30 minutes from your longtime boat sponsor, Vexus. What do you love most about your boat?
Hite: Aside from the highly experienced craftsmen who build it, I love the cooler, because it holds ice longer than any boat cooler in the business, and I love how much space there is surrounding the cockpit. Even with a co-angler’s tackle bag on the floor, nobody is tripping over stuff, because there’s so much floorspace.
Mark Daniels Jr. Gears Up for 2025 REDCREST at Lake Guntersville
Courtesy of Dynamic Sponsorship / Photo: MLF
As the 2025 Bass Pro Shops REDCREST draws near, Team Toyota pro Mark Daniels Jr. is riding high off a stellar Stage 3 performance and is ready to bring that momentum to Lake Guntersville. After a strong showing in the regular season, Daniels enters the championship event with both confidence and a healthy dose of respect for one of the most challenging fisheries in the country.
Known for his meticulous attention to detail and ability to adapt to changing conditions, Mark Daniels Jr. feels well prepared for what lies ahead—though he knows it won’t be easy.
For MDJ, the challenge is part of the excitement.
“I like tough tournaments,“ MDJ said. “This is going to be a beatdown. The more difficult the fishing is, the more the details matter. I feel like I’m good at that.”
And when it comes to Lake Guntersville, those details will be crucial. The iconic Alabama fishery is known for its abundant eelgrass and intricate structure and while it’s home to some of the biggest bass in the country, it can be an unforgiving place to fish.
Lake Guntersville, situated in north Alabama, has earned its reputation as a bass-fishing tournament powerhouse but with that prestige comes a unique set of challenges.
“It’s hard to fish and move around with all the people on the water,” MDJ said. “I’ve never seen a lake with that kind of fishing pressure in my life.”
The sheer number of anglers who frequent the lake, combined with its dense vegetation and shifting water conditions, means that adaptability is essential to success.
However, there’s one factor that could be a game-changer for the competitors: Forward-facing sonar (FFS). Technology has revolutionized the way anglers approach tournaments and at Guntersville, it will likely play a major role in determining who comes out on top. Daniels Jr., ever the student of the game, has been watching closely.
“The little I know, the lake has been absolutely awesome,” Daniels Jr. said. “The recent tournament weights have been extraordinary. It reminds me of Clear Lake back home in California.”
But while he’s excited about the potential for high weights, MDJ is also curious about how technology will impact the fishing.
“I’m always wondering how it’s going to play. It played heavily at Murray, but the eelgrass on Guntersville is the big unknown,” he said. “How big of a player will FFS be? Or can you not see ‘em and have to fish more traditionally?”
As Daniels Jr. continues to consider the role of FFS, he’s also factoring in the unique challenges that come with Guntersville’s ecosystem. The lake is home to an abundance of eelgrass, which provides incredible habitat for bass, but it can also make power fishing difficult, especially during the pre-spawn and spawning periods.
MDJ is preparing for potentially tough conditions.
“Rain is supposed to fall every single day from the time we get there until the time we leave,” MDJ said. “I’m not going to say it’s not a good thing but it’s certainly not good for sight fishing.”
While there will undoubtedly be spawning fish, Daniels anticipates that anglers might have a harder time locating them due to the overcast conditions.
For Daniels Jr., adapting to these challenges is all part of the game and he’s confident that his versatile approach will allow him to stay competitive throughout the event.
“Eelgrass is going to be a big deal,” said MDJ, adding that he expects a bladed jig to be one of the standout baits during the event. “A chatterbait will be a shining star and I think you’re going to catch a lot of fish on moving-style baits.”
MDJ also expects to lean heavily on baits like swimbaits, shallow crankbaits and other “chuck-and-wind” lures that can cover a lot of water and trigger reaction strikes from bass lurking in the dense grass.
With the weather and fishing conditions unpredictable, Daniels Jr. knows every bite will count.
“You’re going to have to get on ‘em pretty good as far as numbers,” MDJ said. “That’s what makes it so hard. With a 2-pound minimum for bass, even the smallest fish can add up quickly but finding the right fish will be a key to success. It can be a little intimidating because going into it, you know how good the fishery is, and you know what you’re walking into. You need to catch ‘em big.”
For Daniels, the mindset heading into REDCREST is clear: stay focused on the task at hand and be ready for anything.
Whataburger® named title sponsor for Bassmaster Elite Series event at Lake Hartwell
April 1, 2025
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — B.A.S.S. is proud to announce that Whataburger will serve as the title sponsor for the upcoming Bassmaster Elite Series event at Lake Hartwell to be held April 24–27 in Anderson, S.C. In addition to the title sponsorship, Bassmaster will launch a new digital content franchise, Whataburger Wednesdays, bringing fans fun and flavorful lifestyle content featuring their favorite Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series pros.
The Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Lake Hartwell will bring the nation’s top professional anglers to one of the Southeast’s most iconic fisheries. Known for its scenic views and big spotted bass, Lake Hartwell promises to deliver four exciting days of competition for fans both on-site and online.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Whataburger to the B.A.S.S. family as a title sponsor and content partner,” said Phillip Johnson, B.A.S.S. Chief Operating Officer. “Their brand is built on passion, tradition and community — the same values that drive our anglers and our fans. Together, we’re going to create a world-class event at Lake Hartwell and share even more great stories through Whataburger Wednesdays.”
Whataburger Wednesdays will feature behind-the-scenes access, off-the-water adventures and a bite-sized look into the personalities of Elite Series anglers. The content will be distributed across Bassmaster digital and social media platforms throughout the 2025 season.
“Whataburger is excited to partner with B.A.S.S. and be part of a sport that resonates so strongly with our fans,” said Whataburger Director of Corporate Sponsorship Jeff Altman. “Fishing is about more than just competition — it’s about family, tradition and creating unforgettable moments. That’s exactly the spirit we want to bring to the Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Lake Hartwell.”
Fans can expect great fishing, delicious food experiences and a one-of-a-kind connection to their favorite anglers during the Lake Hartwell event.
For more information and updates on the 2025 Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Lake Hartwell, visit Bassmaster.com.
About Whataburger®
Whataburger serves up Goodness 24/7. Our original recipes are made to order, just like you like it, and we pride ourselves on extraordinary hospitality and meaningful connections in our communities. That's what's led fans to Whataburger since Harmon Dobson served our first customer in 1950. Headquartered in San Antonio, we've stayed close to our roots while building systemwide revenue of more than $4 billion annually across our 17-state footprint and over 1,090 restaurants. Even with our exceptional menu, we know that people make the difference at Whataburger. That's why we're among QSR Magazine's Best Brands to Work For in 2023 and consistently win culture excellence awards, including Top Workplaces 2023. Want to become part of our orange spirit? Apply to become a Family Member (what we call our employees) at whataburger.com/careers. Just hungry for a great meal? Download our app on iOS or Android to order ahead. Shop Whataburger-branded merchandise and selected sauces, including our famous Fancy and Spicy Ketchup, at WhataStore.com. Find Whataburger original recipe products in grocery stores. See our press kit for a list of locations, fun facts, milestones and other company information.
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.
Kentucky and Barkley Lakes Set to Host MLF Toyota Series Tournament Next Week
GILBERTSVILLE, Ky. (April 1, 2025) – The Major League Fishing (MLF) Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats is set to visit Kentucky, April 8-10 for the second event of the season in the Toyota Series Plains division – the Toyota Series at Kentucky Lake.
The three-day bass tournament, hosted by the Kentucky Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau, 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.
As the Toyota Series returns to Kentucky Lake in Gilbertsville, Kentucky, anticipation is building for what could be a strong spring showdown. While last year’s winner Jake Lawrence isn’t currently planning to be in the field due to a busy tournament schedule, the Paris, Tennessee, pro still has his finger on the pulse of the fishery – and he believes the stage is set for another exciting event.
“This tournament is shaping up to be very much what it has been the last couple of years,” Lawrence said. “It’s lining up to be a spawning smallmouth deal, with a decent chance that someone could have a really good event on Barkley.”
He noted that although Kentucky Lake’s largemouth population continues to recover, the better-quality bags are still coming from targeting smallmouth, particularly during the spawn. The biggest variable heading into the event? Pollen.
“The fish are there, but the pollen could absolutely be the x-factor,” Lawrence explained. “It makes it harder to see the fish, harder to see your bait. Guys are just going to be a lot less efficient.”
Still, with warming trends in place and water clarity improving from earlier in the season, conditions appear favorable overall. Lawrence also believes Barkley Lake could quietly play a major role.
“If it weren’t for the spawning smallmouth, this is the time of year when Barkley is where you’d want to be,” he said. “There’s just always someone who sneaks up from over there and makes a run at it. This is the time of year Barkley plays.”
Last year, Lawrence won with 63 pounds, with fellow Kentucky pro Matt Robertson hot on his heels at 61. He predicts similar totals again this year.
“I’m confident you’ll see something in that 58 to 65 range win it,” he said. “It really just comes down to how efficient these guys can be – if they find them and can see them, the weights will be right there again.”
Anglers will begin each day at 6:30 a.m. CT, launching from Moors Resort & Marina, located at 570 Moors Road in Gilbertsville. Weigh-ins will take place at the marina, starting at 2:30 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 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, 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.
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.
Lynchburg’s Luckey Goes Back-to-Back, Wins Sunday’s Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Smith Mountain Lake
Maryland’s Badra Tops Co-Angler Division
HUDDLESTON, Va. (March 31, 2025) – Boater Broderick Luckey of Lynchburg, Virginia, caught a five-bass limit weighing 24 pounds, 10 ounces, Sunday to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on Smith Mountain Lake. The tournament was the second event of the season for the BFL Piedmont Division. Luckey earned $3,792 for his victory.
It was another day, another win for Luckey. In addition to winning Sunday’s Piedmont Division event at Smith Mountain, the aptly named angler also won a Shenandoah Division event on Smith Mountain held on Saturday. This weekend’s two wins actually make it three in a row for Luckey, who also won the March 2024 Piedmont Division tournament on Smith Mountain.
On Saturday, Luckey caught his fish by intercepting prespawn bass around docks and wood as they were making their way back into the creeks. You can read more about Saturday’s tournament here.
“Today (Sunday), was a totally different day,” he said. “I kept my mind open, and I had all my fish by 8:45 this morning.”
The “open mind” part came into play when Luckey chose his starting spot.
“So yesterday I saw some fish in (Sunday’s winning area) later in the day, but there weren’t many,” he added. “So I thought they might show up better there the next day. I thought I would start there because there might be more fish there today. I kept my mind open instead of just running what I ran yesterday. I made a decision to start in a different place to see if they showed up better, and they did.”
And it didn’t take long to validate the decision. Luckey pulled in, dropped his trolling motor and within 30 seconds spotted a big fish on his live sonar, which he promptly caught. That bass weighed 5 1/4 pounds. He followed up with two 4-pound-class fish and a massive 8-pound, 1-ounce kicker that won Luckey the Berkley Big Bass award – worth $415 – for the second day in a row on the boater side. It was also Luckey’s biggest bass ever on Smith Mountain. His final keeper on that spot weighed about 2 3/4 pounds.
Luckey caught his morning flurry using a jighead minnow and forward-facing sonar to target bass cruising in 30 to 40 feet of water. His fish were much farther off the bank Sunday compared to the ones he caught Saturday.
Once he had a solid limit in the boat, Luckey wanted to put some real numbers on the board, so he went looking to upgrade. That included mixing in something the fish don’t see all winter long, knowing it gave him a good chance to put a giant in the boat – a frog. The frog produced a nice kicker in practice and nearly got it done for him on tournament day, too, but ultimately he never upgraded.
“I thought I had all day to get it done,” Luckey said. “They just went lockjaw. I lost a 6-pounder on a frog about two hours later. It got me wrapped up in a tree, and it was just sitting in a pollen mat. Here, the pollen holds heat. I was really hoping to get rid of (the 2 3/4-pound fish), and if I’d have had that one I lost on a frog, I’d have been pushing 28 pounds today.”
Catching 28 pounds would’ve been impressive, but 24-10 and two wins in one weekend is about as awesome as it gets in stiff BFL competition.
“I couldn’t believe it,” he said about going back to back. “It’s kind of surreal. After practice, if you’d have told me I was gonna win, I would’ve called you crazy. Fish moved and good things happened. The Lord blessed me for sure.”
The top 11 boaters finished the tournament:
1st: Broderick Luckey, Lynchburg, Va., five bass, 24-10, $3,792
2nd: Kaden Buchmann, Troutman, N.C., five bass, 20-11, $1,689
3rd: Chris Brummett, Lynch Station, Va., five bass, 19-10, $1,128
4th: Thomas Milton, Chester, Va., five bass, 18-0, $788
5th: Billy Kohls, Huddleston, Va., five bass, 16-12, $925
6th: Chad Green, Moneta, Va., five bass, 16-11, $619
7th: Adam Lester, Huddleston, Va., five bass, 15-5, $535
7th: Matt McCluskey, Ashburn, Va., five bass, 15-5, $535
9th: Boogie Atkins, Greenville, Va., five bass, 14-7, $450
10th: Chris Jackson, Jeffersonton, Va., five bass, 13-14, $374
10th: Brandon Huff, Draper, Va., five bass, 13-14, $374
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Cornell Badra of Clarksburg, Maryland, won the co-angler division and $1,709 Sunday, after bringing three bass to the scale that totaled 8 pounds, 7 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers finished:
1st: Cornell Badra, Clarksburg, Md., three bass, 8-7, $1,709
2nd: Ricky Grant, Callands, Va., three bass, 7-6, $855
3rd: Derek Stanley, Fuquay Varina, N.C., three bass, 7-5, $570
4th: John Robinson, Montpelier, Va., two bass, 7-4, $399
5th: Todd Hurst, Copper Hill, Va., two bass, 7-3, $342
6th: Eric Nelson, Gainesville, Va., three bass, 7-1, $313
7th: Andrew Hostler, Tyrone, Pa., three bass, 6-12, $385
8th: Scott Bolling, Bedford, Va., two bass, 6-9, $256
9th: Nathan Sullivan, Fredericksburg, Va., one bass, 6-8, $438
10th: Mekye Barnes, Knightdale, N.C., three bass, 6-7, $199
Nathan Sullivan of Fredericksburg, North Carolina, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $210, catching a bass that weighed in at 6 pounds, 7 ounces – the largest co-angler catch of the day.
After two events, Thomas Milton of Chester, Virginia, now leads the Fishing Clash Piedmont Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 495 points, while Derek Stanley of Fuquay Varina, North Carolina, leads the Fishing Clash Piedmont Division Co-Angler of the Year race with 497 points.
The next event for BFL Piedmont Division anglers will be held May 10, at High Rock Lake out of Lexington, 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. 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.
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 Sports 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.
Eldon’s Rallo Cracks 22-1 to Win Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Lake of the Ozarks Presented by Suzuki Marine
Bonne Terre’s Spell Tops Co-Angler Division
OSAGE BEACH, Mo. (March 31, 2025) – Boater Thomas Rallo of Eldon, Missouri, caught a five-bass limit weighing 22 pounds, 1 ounces, Saturday to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on Lake of the Ozarks Presented by Suzuki Marine . The tournament was the second event of the season for the BFL Ozark Division. Rallo earned $7,041, including the lucrative $2,500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus, for his victory.
Rallo kicked off the morning in a shallow pocket to get away from fishing pressure. Things went fast. He had a limit by 8 a.m., which allowed him to spend the rest of the day hunting bigger bites. Also, Rallo abandoned what he’d found in practice because the fish had already transitioned in shallower.
“I had noticed a warming trend,” Rallo said. “The fish were getting from their winter patterns into their spawning patterns, and I want to say something happened overnight because the fish that I caught today (Saturday) were not there in practice. In practice, I was seeing them out a little deeper using my LiveScope, and today I didn’t see a single one using LiveScope. They were all in less than 8 feet.”
Once he had a limit, Rallo ran spawning pockets and flats, keying on pea gravel banks, to pick up a few more quality fish. The best spots were located right at the transition areas where the banks bent to go into the pockets – near the mouths, rather than in the backs.
Rallo caught most of his weight on an Alabama rig with Bojangle Baits Jangle Shad swimbaits, slow-rolling the rig down the bank. He also caught some fish on a homemade 3/8-ounce jig with a Bojangle Z-Daddy trailer.
The top 11 boaters finished the tournament:
1st: Thomas Rallo, Eldon, Mo., five bass, 22-1 $7,041 (includes $2,500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
2nd: Ronnie Kane, Spring Hill, Kan., five bass, 20-8, $2,270
3rd: Eric Olliverson, Shell Knob, Mo., five bass, 17-6, $1,514
4th: Jonathan Pimentel, Camdenton, Mo., five bass, 16-5, $1,060
5th: Ricky Crawford, Shell Knob, Mo., four bass, 16-2, $908
6th: Chase Fitzpatrick, Eldon, Mo., five bass, 15-14, $833
7th: Brian Hansen, Fenton, Mo., five bass, 15-10, $757
8th: Greg Proffitt, Kansas City, Mo., five bass, 15-5, $643
8th: Jason Weast, Macks Creek, Mo., five bass, 15-5, $643
10th: Chad Allison, Carl Junction, Mo., five bass, 14-14, $503
10th: Lawson Hibdon, Versailles, Mo., five bass, 14-14, $503
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Justin Luetkemeyer of Osage Beach, Missouri, caught a bass that weighed 6 pounds, 7 ounces, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $660.
Dennis Spell of Bonne Terre, Missouri, won the co-angler division and $2,270 Saturday, after bringing three bass to the scale that totaled 13 pounds, 15 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers finished:
1st: Dennis Spell, Bonne Terre, Mo., three bass, 13-15, $2,270
2nd: Morgan McLain Lenexa, Kan., three bass, 12-15, $1,135
3rd: Wes Proctor, Manhattan, Kan., three bass, 12-14, $757
4th: William Koerber, Phillipsburg, Mo., three bass, 12-5, $530
5th: Christopher Becker, Kansas City, Mo., three bass, 11-5, $454
6th: David Honey, Hollister, Mo., two bass, 9-4, $416
7th: Jamie McCain, Lake Lotawana, Mo., three bass, 9-2, $378
8th: Brian Davis, Bethalto, Ill., three bass, 9-1, $341
9th: Steve Treiber, Eureka, Mo., two bass, 8-13, $633
10th: Paul Davis, Hollister, Mo., three bass, 8-11, $265
Steve Treiber of Eureka, Missouri, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $330, catching a bass that weighed in at 7 pounds, 6 ounces – the largest co-angler catch of the day.
After two events, Eric Olliverson of Shell Knob, Missouri, now leads the Fishing Clash Ozark Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 493 points, while Paul Davis of Hollister, Missouri, leads the Fishing Clash Ozark Division Co-Angler of the Year race with 477 points.
The next event for BFL Ozark Division anglers will be held April 26, at Table Rock Lake in Kimberling City, Missouri. 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 Sports 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.
Virginia’s Francis Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at South Holston Reservoir
Drummonds, Williams Tie for Win in Co-Angler Division
BRISTOL, Tenn. (March 31, 2025) – Boater Zachary Francis of Abingdon, Virginia, caught a five-bass limit weighing 21 pounds, 6 ounces, Saturday to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on South Holston Reservoir. The tournament was the third event of the season for the BFL Volunteer Division. Francis earned $3,247 for his victory.
Francis weighed in a mixed bag comprised of three smallmouth bass and two largemouth bass. Regardless of species, he caught all his fish the same way.
“I was just out scoping,” he said. “I was catching some prespawn females. I started out this morning kind of in a community hole with several boats around. The fish were just real pressured. I had a small limit at 12 o’clock. Then I made a run and switched gears and went up the lake, and I just ran into some better quality fish there within the last hour and a half or so.”
South Holston is Francis’ home lake, so he knows where the fish spent the winter. He simply started in the backs of some nearby creeks and worked his way out toward the main lake until he ran into the lake’s bigger prespawn females. He caught his fish using a jighead that he pours and a soft plastic lure poured by a buddy.
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:
1st: Zachary Francis, Abingdon, Va., five bass, 21-6, $3,247
2nd: Kevin Stevenson, Butler, Tenn., five bass, 21-3, $1,623
3rd: Gavin Cloutier, Jonesborough, Tenn., five bass, 20-11, $1,582 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
4th: Landon Lawson, Jonesborough, Tenn., five bass, 20-7, $758
5th: Jeremy Gordon, Rutledge, Tenn., five bass, 20-2, $649
6th: Seth Austin, Bristol, Tenn., five bass, 19-6, $958
6th: Corey Neece, Bristol, Tenn., five bass, 19-6, $568
8th: Donavan Carson, Bluff City, Tenn., five bass, 19-4, $487
9th: Hunter McClaskey, Elizabethton, Tenn., five bass, 18-14, $433
10th: Conner Dimauro, Dayton, Tenn., five bass, 18-12, $379
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Corey Neece of Bristol, Tennesee, caught a bass that weighed 5 pounds, 11 ounces, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $390.
Jack Williams of Kingsport, Tennessee, and Dewayne Drummonds of Gray, Kentucky, tied for the win in the co-angler division Saturday after each bringing three bass to the scale that totaled 10 pounds, 1 ounce. They each took home $1,217 for their share of the winning prize.
The top 11 co-anglers finished:
1st: Jack Williams, Kingsport, Tenn., three bass, 10-1, $1,217
1st: Dewayne Drummonds, Gray, Ky., three bass, 10-1, $1,217
3rd: Ricky Crider, Dwale, Ky., three bass, 8-15, $541
4th: Brad Barton, Middlesboro, Ky., three bass, 8-9, $379
5th: Justin McGaha, Knoxville, Tenn., three bass, 8-8, $325
6th: Stephen Vick, Dandridge, Tenn., three bass, 8-6, $298
7th: Kasey Hunley, Sharps Chapel, Tenn., three bass, 8-3, $271
8th: TJ Blakely, Kingsport, Tenn., three bass, 7-10, $244
9th: Colton Salyer, Gate City, Va., three bass, 7-9, $216
10th: Derek Ray, Swords Creek, Va., three bass, 7-8, $179
10th: Justin Goodman, Lancing, Tenn., three bass, 7-8, $179
Bud McKelvey of Knoxville, Tennessee, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $195, catching a bass that weighed in at 4 pounds, 1 ounce – the largest co-angler catch of the day.
After three events, Corey Neece of Bristol, Tennessee, now leads the Fishing Clash Volunteer Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 743 points, while Stephen Vick of Dandridge, Tennessee, leads the Fishing Clash Volunteer Division Co-Angler of the Year race with 724 points.
The next event for BFL Volunteer Division anglers will be held May 18, at Cherokee Lake in Jefferson City, Tennessee. 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.
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 Sports 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.
Last-Minute Bite Earns Lynchburg’s Luckey the Win Saturday at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Smith Mountain Lake
Maryland’s Dixon Tops Co-Angler Division
HUDDLESTON, Va. (March 31, 2025) – Boater Broderick Luckey of Lynchburg, Virginia, caught a five-bass limit weighing 21 pounds, 14 ounces, Saturday to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on Smith Mountain Lake. The tournament was the first event of the season for the BFL Shenandoah Division. Luckey earned $5,683 for his victory.
Saturday’s tournament was the start of a huge weekend for Luckey. On Sunday, he went back-to-back, getting the win in a Piedmont Division tournament that was also held on Smith Mountain Lake. Here’s what’s even wilder: In March 2024, Luckey fished a Piedmont Division derby on Smith Mountain, and he won that one too. He’s three-for-three in his last three Smith Mountain Lake BFL events.
You can read about Luckey’s Sunday victory here. On Saturday, his Shenandoah Division win was all about timing the prespawn transition.
“In practice, I kind of saw that fish were moving,” said Luckey. “Fish were transitioning. So I knew that I needed to try to fish ahead of them instead of trying to find where they were currently and trying to catch them where they were currently. So I found areas where they were, and I tried to take my best guess as to where they were going. That ended up working out really well.”
Luckey started off going to the backs of pockets and working his way back out toward the main lake, hoping to intercept the fish along the way. Eventually, he was able to find fish on docks, wood and other areas. The key was covering a lot of water.
“The fish are really spread out,” he said. “There’s not a lot of fish in one place. I covered miles and miles today both scoping and fishing shallow, just trying to get a read on what the fish are doing. The majority of my better fish came shallow, but my good limit fillers came scoping.”
Luckey caught his winning fish on a minnow bait, a big swimbait and a Yamamoto Senko. A key moment for him happened right at the end of the day, when he landed the 7-pound, 14-ounce bass that won him the Berkley Big Bass award of $745 on the boater side. With 17 pounds in the livewell, Luckey skipped his swimbait up under a dock and that big girl followed it out. He spotted her coming and gave his swimbait a couple twitches, which triggered her to bite.
“She crushed it right about 2 feet from the boat, and I led her around to the net with about 15 minutes to go,” Luckey said. “It was the best fish catch that I have ever had as far as excitement and an unbelievable event.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:
1st: Broderick Luckey, Lynchburg, Va., five bass, 21-14, $5,683
2nd: Billy Kohls, Huddleston, Va., five bass, 20-6, $2,719
3rd: Chad Green, Moneta, Va., five bass, 20-2, $1,646
4th: Matt McCluskey, Ashburn, Va., five bass, 18-0, $1,152
5th: Greg Stallings, Dry Fork, Va., five bass, 17-14, $988
6th: Ron Rousseau, Raleigh, N.C., five bass, 17-10, $864
6th: Stefan Ward, Wirtz, Va., five bass, 17-10, $864
8th: Eric Johnson, Partlow, Va., five bass, 16-14, $741
9th: Ben Reynolds, Callands, Va., five bass, 16-13, $658
10th: Marvin Reese, Randallstown, Md., five bass, 16-12, $576
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Joe Dixon of Bel Alton, Maryland, won the co-angler division and $2,453 Saturday, after bringing three bass to the scale that totaled 12 pounds, 1 ounce.
The top 10 co-anglers finished:
1st: Joe Dixon, Bel Alton, Md., three bass, 12-1, $2,453
2nd: Johnnie Hopkins, Greensboro, N.C., three bass, 10-10, $1,226
3rd: Robert Wedding, Welcome, Md., three bass, 10-8, $816
4th: David Deciucis, Chester, Va., three bass, 9-14, $572
5th: James Dehart, Roanoke, Va., two bass, 9-12, $861
6th: Brandon Miskell, Vienna, Va., three bass, 8-11, $450
7th: Jason Hinger, Timberlake, N.C., three bass, 7-12, $509
8th: Mike Coleman, S. Chesterfield, Va., three bass, 7-6, $368
9th: Phillip Ragland Jr., Rustburg, Va., three bass, 7-5, $327
10th: Dan Garner, Littleton, N.C., three bass, 7-2, $286
James Dehart of Roanoke, Virginia, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $370, catching a bass that weighed in at 8 pounds – the largest co-angler catch of the day.
In addition to winning the event, Broderick Luckey of Lynchburg, Virginia, has the early lead in the Fishing Clash Shenandoah Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 250 points, while Joe Dixon of Bel Alton, Maryland, leads the Fishing Clash Shenandoah Division Co-Angler of the Year race with 250 points.
The next event for BFL Shenandoah Division anglers will be held April 19, at Kerr Lake in Henderson, 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. 3-4 BFL Regional tournament on the James River in 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.
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 Sports 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.
Macon’s Wilder Gets Win No. 2 at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Lake Oconee
BUCKHEAD, Ga. (March 31, 2025) – Boater Christopher Wilder of Macon, Georgia, caught a five-bass limit weighing 18 pounds, 11 ounces, Saturday to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on Lake Oconee . The tournament was the second event of the season for the BFL Bulldog Division. Wilder earned $6,641, including the lucrative Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus, for his victory.
Wilder found his winning fish on Oconee’s docks during practice, but it took some situational awareness to figure out when and how to catch them in the tournament.
“In practice I was actually catching them mostly on a wacky rig on the walkways of the docks,” he said. “But while I was doing that I was scanning out and looking at the main part of the dock. I could see some big fish out there, but I couldn’t get them to bite anything. I moved out and started throwing an Alabama rig on the ends of the docks. I was able to catch some fish, but they were all small.”
Sunny, bluebird conditions in practice transitioned to overcast and breezy for the tournament. Knowing that the forecast called for a change, Wilder figured those bigger fish might slide out from underneath the shade of the docks and give him a shot to catch them.
“I think that’s what it did because this morning it was cloudy and I was catching them pretty good,” he added. “Then it got sunny in the middle of the day and I went a few hours with only catching a fish here or there, and they were small again like I was catching in practice. It started getting cloudy again later and I started catching them on the edges of docks again.”
Wilder relied on the Alabama rig for most of his weight. His strategy was to target as many docks as he could, keying on docks in pockets.
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:
1st: Christopher Wilder, Macon, Ga., five bass, 18-11, $6,641 (includes $3,000 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
2nd: Matt O’Connell, Brooks, Ga., five bass, 16-11, $1,820
3rd: John Kitchens, Cumming, Ga., five bass, 16-5, $1,507
3rd: David Lowery, Milledgeville, Ga., five bass, 16-5, $1,032
5th: Brad Stalnaker, Eatonton, Ga., five bass, 16-0, $728
6th: Matt Henry, Milledgeville, Ga., five bass, 15-8, $668
7th: Kenneth Cash, Covington, Ga., five bass, 15-6, $607
8th: Jon Lawson, Alpharetta, Ga., five bass, 15-2, $546
9th: Josh George, Monroe, Ga., five bass, 14-10, $455
9th: Weston Parker, Mansfield, Ga., five bass, 14-10, $455
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
John Kitchens of Cumming, Georgia, caught a bass that weighed 6 pounds, 4 ounces, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $475.
James Griffin of Pelham, Georgia, won the co-angler division and $2,057 Saturday, after bringing three bass to the scale that totaled 14 pounds, 9 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers finished:
1st: James Griffin, Pelham, Ga., three bass, 14-9, $2,057
2nd: Robert Holliday, White Plains, Ga., three bass, 11-1, $910
3rd: Jerry Bryant, Douglas, Ga., three bass, 10-8, $607
4th: Scott Williams, Canton, Ga., three bass, 10-5, $525
5th: Luther Jackson, Byron, Ga., three bass, 9-9, $364
6th: Robert Ash, Buford, Ga., three bass, 9-6, $334
7th: Clifford Avery, Bonaire, Ga., three bass, 9-2, $303
8th: David Gibson, Atlanta, Ga., three bass, 8-13, $273
9th: Justin Guck, Winder, Ga., three bass, 8-9, $243
10th: Rowen Vandergriff, Covington, Ga., three bass, 8-7, $212
Griffin also earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $237, catching a bass that weighed in at 6 pounds, 15 ounces – the largest co-angler catch of the day.
After two events, Michael Wilder of Lizella, Georgia, now leads the Fishing Clash Bulldog Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 482 points, while David Gibson of Atlanta, Georgia, leads the Fishing Clash Bulldog Division Co-Angler of the Year race with 486 points.
The next event for BFL Bulldog Division anglers will be held May 3, at Lake Eufaula out of Eufaula, 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. 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.
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 Sports 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.
Guntersville’s Hester Posts Third Career Win at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Wheeler Lake
Rome’s Singleton Tops Co-Angler Division
ROGERSVILLE, Ala. (March 31, 2025) – Boater Alex Hester of Guntersville, Alabama, caught a five-bass limit weighing 23 pounds, 9 ounces, Saturday to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on Wheeler Lake . The tournament was the third event of the season for the BFL Choo Choo Division. Hester earned $3,514 for his victory.
“I didn’t have any practice for this tournament, so I really just went fishing like I would do anytime this time of year, looking for prespawn bass,” Hester said. “I fished some deep banks, some shallow banks and came to the conclusion that I was catching them better on steeper banks. Luckily Wheeler is a lake that patterns really well, so I just stuck to the pattern that developed early and stuck with it the rest of the day.”
Some of those steeper banks were located adjacent to spawning grounds, but Hester said that wasn’t a must-have scenario. He also described his bites as coming in waves – two or three here, one there, etc.
“With enough repetition and strong efforts, it just worked out throughout the course of the day,” he said. “Honestly, it was just one of those days, you know? I just made the right decisions. It just worked out right.”
Hester caught his fish on a spinnerbait, a couple of crankbaits and a football jig using a handful of Dobyns Champion XP and Champion XP Glass rods – the model 704C for the spinnerbait, 705CB Glass and 736CB Glass for his crankbaits, and 735C for the football jig.
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:
1st: Alex Hester, Guntersville, Ala., five bass, 23-9, $3,514
2nd: Sam Morgan, Coalmont, Tenn., five bass, 19-11, $1,757
3rd: Chad Hall, Cullman, Ala., five bass, 17-15, $1,622
4th: Jeff Knight, Cleveland, Tenn., five bass, 17-9, $820
5th: Trent Adkins, East Bernstadt, Ky., five bass, 16-0, $673
5th: Jennings Earnest, Athens, Ala., five bass, 16-0, $673
7th: James Johnson, Trinity, Ala., five bass, 15-15, $586
8th: Cason Sanchez, Fayetteville, Tenn., five bass, 15-10, $527
9th: Jonathan Poole, Trinity, Ala., five bass, 15-3, $469
10th: Kenneth Grover, Decatur, Ala., five bass, 15-2, $410
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Chad Hall of Cullman, Alabama, caught a bass that weighed 6 pounds, 14 ounces, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $450.
Alex Singleton of Rome, Georgia, won the co-angler division and $1,757 Saturday, after bringing three bass to the scale that totaled 13 pounds, 6 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers finished:
1st: Alex Singleton, Rome, Ga., three bass, 13-6, $1,757
2nd: Paul Stidham, Cullman, Ala., three bass, 12-15, $879
3rd: Danny Lankford, Athens, Tenn., three bass, 11-8, $810
4th: Belinda Towry, Lawrenceburg, Tenn., three bass, 11-5, $410
5th: Tommy Pritchard, Bargersville, Ind., three bass, 11-1, $351
6th: Brian Haworth, Sparta, Tenn., three bass, 10-14, $322
7th: David Wiley, Greenbrier, Tenn., three bass, 9-12, $293
8th: Ross Turner, Kingston, Ga., three bass, 9-8, $364
9th: Todd McBride, Huntsville, Ala., three bass, 9-5, $234
10th: Larry Franks Jr., Wilsonville, Ala., three bass, 9-3, $205
Danny Lankford of Athens, Tennessee, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $225, catching a bass that weighed in at 5 pounds, 15 ounces – the largest co-angler catch of the day.
After three events, Mike Lowry of Hixson, Tennessee now leads the Fishing Clash Choo Choo Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 722 points, while Paul Stidham of Cullman, Alabama, leads the Fishing Clash Choo Choo Division Co-Angler of the Year race with 703 points.
The next event for BFL Choo Choo Division anglers will be held May 17, at Lake Guntersville out of Scottsboro, 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.
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 Sports 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.
Muhlenberg County High School Wins MLF Abu Garcia High School Fishing Presented by Tackle Warehouse Open on Kentucky-Barkley Lakes
GILBERTSVILLE, Ky. (March 31, 2025) – The MLF High School Fishing team of Levi Simms and Karson Stone, representing Muhlenberg County High School-West Campus, brought five bass to the scale Saturday weighing 18 pounds, 3 ounces to win the MLF Abu Garcia High School Fishing Presented by Tackle Warehouse Open at Kentucky-Barkley Lakes Presented by Columbia PFG in Gilbertsville, Kentucky.
A field of 81 teams competed in the no-entry fee tournament, which was hosted by the Kentucky Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau. In MLF High School Fishing competition, the top 10 percent of teams competing advance to the High School Fishing National Championship.
The top eight teams that advance to the 2025 High School Fishing National Championship are:
1st: Muhlenberg County High School-West Campus, Greenville, Ky. – Levi Simms and Karson Stone, five bass, 18-3
2nd: Central High School Bass Club, Burlington, Ill. – Ben Chesney and Austin Lee, four bass, 14-7
3rd: Marshall County High School, Benton, Ky. – Drake Fooshee and Carson Lovett, five bass, 14-6
4th: Trinity Whitesville High School, Whitesville, Ky. – Brady Mcbrayer and Nathan Wathen, four bass, 13-15
5th: Camdenton (Mo) High School – Corbin Bailey and Kaden Messina, four bass, 12-9
6th: Trinity Whitesville High School, Whitesville, Ky. – Carson Fitzgerald and Easton Pedley, five bass, 12-6
7th: Calloway County High School, Murray, Ky. – Evan Geurin and Reagan Newton, four bass, 12-2
8th: Kokosing Valley Junior Anglers, Mount Vernon, Ohio – Caleb Inverso and Sylas Mizer, four bass, 11-5
Rounding out the top 10 teams were:
9th: Muhlenberg County High School-West Campus, Greenville, Ky. – Obadiah Melton and Clayton Shelton, four bass, 10-6
10th: Nazareth Academy, La Grange Park, Ill. – Emmett Bleskin and Brennon Hauser, four bass, 10-2
Complete results from the event can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
MLF Abu Garcia High School Fishing presented by Tackle Warehouse tournaments are free, two-person (team) events for students in grades 7-12 and are open to any MLF and TBF Student Angler Federation-affiliated high school club. The top 10 percent of teams at each Open event, along with the TBF High School Fishing state championships, advance to the High School Fishing National Championship. Tournaments held on or before March 29, 2025, advance teams to the 2025 National Championship. Tournaments held after March 29, 2025, advance teams to the 2026 National Championship.
The 2025 Abu Garcia High School Fishing National Championship & World Finals events will take place June 25-27, at Grand Lake in Grove, Oklahoma. The High School Fishing National Champions each receive a $5,000 college scholarship to the school of their choice and advance to the 2025 MLF Toyota Series Championship to compete as co-anglers.
Proud sponsors of the 2025 MLF Abu Garcia High School Fishing Presented by Tackle Warehouse include: 7Brew Coffee, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, Deep Dive App, E3 Sports Apparel, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, 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 tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular High School Fishing 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.
University of North Alabama Wins by 2 Ounces at MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing Tournament on Kentucky-Barkley Lakes Presented by Columbia PFG
GILBERTSVILLE, Ky. (March 31, 2025) – The University of North Alabama duo of Gage King of Birchwood, Tennessee, and Banks Shaw of Harrison, Tennessee, won the MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI event on Kentucky-Barkley Lakes Presented by Columbia PFG Friday with a five-bass limit weighing 21 pounds, 8 ounces. The victory earned the Lions’ bass club $2,000 and a qualification into the 2026 MLF College Fishing National Championship.
The UNA team put live sonar to work all day to get the win on the big Tennessee River impoundment.
“We kind of just caught fish on the main lake that were just kind of swimming around,” Shaw said. “They weren’t really relating to anything at all. I guess you could say somewhat relating to bait, but all we really did was kind of filter through the suspended junk fish that were with them. Which was kind of hard to do because there was a lot of pollen in the water, and it was really hard to see.”
Their strategy was simple: Stay up north, where they found better quality largemouth bass, and stay on the trolling motor all day. It only produced about 12 bites – but they were the right ones. Shaw and King weighed a limit of four largemouth bass and one smallmouth. They caught their fish primarily on Megabass Vision 110 jerkbaits.
“It seemed like it was kind of just constant throughout the day, but it was never three or four bites all the sudden,” Shaw added. “It was a slow grind for sure.”
The top 10 teams finished:
1st: University of North Alabama – Gage King, Birchwood, Tenn., and Banks Shaw, Harrison, Tenn., five bass, 21-8, $2,000
2nd: Murray State University – Max Newkirk, Louisville, Ky., five bass, 21-6, $1,000
3rd: Murray State University – Ty Reynolds, Salem, Ill., five bass, 20-13, $700
4th: Murray State University – Will Gordon, Athens, Ill., and Drew Morgan, Murray, Ky., five bass, 20-8, $600
5th: University of North Alabama – Dylan Nutt and Carter Nutt, Nashville, Tenn., five bass, 20-0, $500
6th: Wabash Valley College – Dalton Phelps, Bloomington, Ill., and Peyton Rose, Flora, Ill., five bass, 19-6
7th: Troy University – Ridge Faircloth, Bristol, Fla., and Max Hondorp, Pace, Fla., five bass, 19-5
8th: Carson-Newman University –Cason Price, Littleton, N.C., and Joe Vaulton, Knoxville, Tenn., five bass, 19-2
9th: Carson-Newman University – Alex Gore, Dandridge, Tenn., and Colby Reece, Dandridge, Tenn., five bass, 18-15
10th: Carson-Newman University – Drake Hemby, Brentwood, Tenn., and Szymon Piton, Orland Park, Ill., five bass, 18-4
The full list of National Championship Qualifiers and complete results for the entire field can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI event on Kentucky-Barkley Lakes Presented by Columbia PFG was hosted by the Kentucky Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau. The next tournament for MLF College Fishing anglers will be the Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI event on the Potomac River Presented by Columbia PFG, September 14 in Marbury, Maryland.
The 2025 MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI season features college teams from across the country competing in six regular-season open tournaments. The top 15 percent of teams from each regular-season tournament advance to the 2026 Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI National Championship.
Proud sponsors of the 2025 MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI include: 7Brew Coffee, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, Deep Dive App, E3 Sports Apparel, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, 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 tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular College Fishing 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.
Gill Grabs Toyota Bonus Bucks at MLF Bass Pro Tour Stage 3 on Lake Murray
Courtesy of Dynamic Sponsorships / Photo: MLF
Drew Gill made waves in Stage 3 of the Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour on Lake Murray in South Carolina, bringing home a victory that left a mark on the competition. The talented angler secured a win that not only added another title to his growing list of accomplishments but also earned him $3,000 of extra cash through the Toyota Bonus Bucks contingency program.
For anyone who has followed the Bass Pro Tour, it’s clear this victory is a testament to Drew’s ability to perform under pressure. Stage 3 proved to be a real test for Gill but in true competitive spirit, he emerged on top.
“Right now, I feel like there’s nobody you’d rather beat in a tournament than Jacob Wheeler, but you definitely don’t want him chasing you,” Gill said with a chuckle. “We were neck-and-neck, and I respect his ability so much. To beat him is awesome because nobody in the sport is fishing stronger than him. It was a super stressful tournament, especially on the last day of competition.”
This reference to the high-level competition Gill faced highlights the constant mental and physical battle that anglers face in these high-stakes events.
Fishing the docks at Lake Murray
For Drew, Lake Murray presented a unique challenge. The clear waters meant that fish were often aware of their surroundings, making it necessary to employ precision tactics and a lot of patience. The key to his success was in dock fishing; an approach that required perfect timing, long casts and a bit of finesse.
“I had a very specific dock deal I was fishing during my normal fishing time without forward-facing sonar,” Gill said. “I needed the sunshine. They’d get right in the core of the dock floats. I could fish every dock with one cast and cover a lot of water. It was very efficient. When we’re fishing ‘blind’, how can you be super effective but still efficient? This pattern was the answer for me.”
For Drew, efficiency is paramount, especially when fish are acting fickle. The docks provided an excellent opportunity for a quick bite but also demanded total concentration and precision. However, the weather wasn’t always in his favor.
“I felt just okay about my odds on the last day, and it just got really hard to do because of the overcast conditions,” Gill said. “The lowlight conditions made them more spread out on the docks, which made me less efficient as a result.”
As any seasoned angler knows, weather plays a pivotal role in the behavior of fish and that overcast day made his normally efficient pattern far more difficult to execute.
Well-educated fish posed a challenge
Fishing on Lake Murray is never a simple task, but somehow Gill made magic happen.
“It wasn’t a super tough tournament, but it also wasn’t great,” Gill said. “If every fish in Lake Murray bit, it might be the best largemouth lake in the country because the average size is incredible. But they’re really smart and hard to catch—you can go from getting a lot of bites to no bites very quickly.”
The water clarity and abundance of wary fish on Lake Murray proved to be a challenge but Gill was able to outfox the competition.
“The clear water makes it very tough,” Gill said. “They know when your boat’s around. It was dock fishing but you had to keep your distance and skip docks from 60 feet away. If you hit a dock float with your cast, you’re done with that dock and they’re not going to eat.”
Despite the difficulty, Lake Murray is unique for its population of quality bass.
“In terms of population, I’ve never been on a lake that has that many 3-5 pounders in it,” Gill said. “There’s no dead water. It’s almost like you can’t run away from the bass.”
Toyota Bonus Bucks Nets Gill an extra $3,000
What makes Drew’s victory even sweeter is the additional boost provided by the Toyota Bonus Bucks program.
“I won $3,000 with Bonus Bucks,” Gill said. “I’ve been driving my Tundra for a little over a year and it was the first new vehicle I’ve ever had. Choosing a Tundra in the sport we compete in—it’s a no-brainer. It’s an awesome truck and turns heads everywhere I go. It’s comfortable riding, I love the features, and it has a lot to offer. Bonus Bucks is just the cherry on top.”
The impact of the Toyota Bonus Bucks program has been significant for Drew, who’s seen the benefits over the past two seasons.
“In the last two seasons, I’ve won around $30,000 with it. You simply cannot beat that.”
Looking ahead to 2025 REDCREST on Guntersville
While Drew’s victory on Lake Murray was a well-deserved triumph, his focus quickly turned to the next challenge: Lake Guntersville. Known for its world-class fishing, Guntersville is an intimidating venue where the competition only intensifies.
“I’m looking forward to Guntersville but it’s a lot to think about and you know you’re going to have to catch them at a blistering pace,” Gill said, acknowledging the spectacular recent weights on the famed bass fishery. “That lake is fishing incredible right now. There will be absolutely no time to relax.”
With so much on the line in every tournament, Drew’s mindset and preparation are crucial to his continued success. His victory at Stage 3 proves that he’s more than capable of performing at the highest level. It’s clear that his sights are set on pushing himself even further as the tour moves forward.
Power fishing lifts Gartman and Starr to victory at Tenkiller
March 30, 2025
COOKSON, Okla. — There have been days when Connor Gartman and Blake Starr believed they were in line to win a tournament, only to finish second or third to a team with a kicker bass.
The Arkansas Youth Anglers duo sealed the deal this time at the Strike King Bassmaster High School Series at Lake Tenkiller, landing a five-bass limit weighing 18 pounds, 3 ounces. They anchored their winning catch with a 5-pound largemouth.
“This feels amazing,” Gartman said. “I’ve been one good bite away in many tournaments. We caught our kicker today, and we had four good ones to go with it. We did it the way we like to — power fishing. It was windy and cloudy, perfect conditions for it.”
Fellow Arkansas Youth Anglers Tayson Hathorn and Tristin Hathorn finished second in the 78-boat field with 16-7 and landed the Big Bass of the Day, a 5-2 bass. Cale Compton and Adam Reed from the Moore High School Fishing Club finished third with 16-3.
Clouds and wind prevailed in eastern Oklahoma on Sunday, but plenty of bass were caught on Lake Tenkiller. Forty-seven teams caught a limit of bass during the one-day tournament and nearly 699 pounds were brought to the scales.
Hailing from central Arkansas, Gartman and Starr have been fishing together since the seventh grade but had never fished Lake Tenkiller prior to this week. After spending plenty of time looking at Google Earth, it didn’t take long for them to get comfortable.
“We’ve gotten comfortable with being uncomfortable,” Starr said. “This week was the best practice we’ve ever had. We had 19 or 20 pounds in practice and today it just happened for us.”
Two areas with prominent points produced the bulk of their weight during the tournament. They tossed a ½-ounce football jig paired with either a Strike King Rage Craw or a Strike King Menace trailer, but their best bites came using a 6-inch Megabass Magdraft swimbait.
Gartman and Starr would position the boat so one of them could toss the football jig into deeper water and the other could throw the swimbait in shallow water.
“We kept the boat in 14 feet of water,” Starr said. “We tried to position it so we could parallel the bank with the Magdraft and then get the football jig into the deeper water. It really worked out. We were on as windy of a bank as we could get with as big of rock as we could find.”
“With that Magdraft, I had it in no more than 5 feet of water,” Gartman added.
While they caught quality smallmouth in practice, the duo landed mostly largemouth on tournament day.
They filled out their limit around 10 a.m., which allowed them to pick up their “big-fish baits” later in the day. The Magdraft produced a 3-pounder and their 5-pounder, which rounded out their bag and lifted them to victory.
The Top 8 teams punched their tickets to the 2025 Strike King Bassmaster High School National Championship at Clarks Hill Reservoir, which is scheduled for July 31-Aug. 2. Teams will have one final chance to qualify at Buggs Island in Virginia on May 4.
The tournament was hosted by the Oklahoma Ozarks Tourism Association.
2025 Bassmaster High School Series Title Sponsor: Strike King
2025 Bassmaster High School Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota
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
2025 Bassmaster High School Series Supporting Sponsors: AFTCO, Daiwa, Garmin, Lew's, Lowrance, Marathon, Triton Boats, VMC
2025 Bassmaster High School Series Youth Sponsors: Seaguar, Shimano
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 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.
17-Year-Old Dylan Quilatan Wins Again at Harris Chain – Dominates Toyota Series at the Harris Chain of Lakes Presented by Suzuki Marine
LEESBURG, Fla. (March 30, 2025) – Dylan Quilatan of Windermere, Florida, didn’t miss a beat this week in the Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats Southern Division event at the Harris Chain. At just 17 years old, Quilatan weighed 83 pounds, 8 ounces over three days of fishing, punctuating the event with 33-6 on Day 2, which he sandwiched with bags in the mid-20s. With the win, the high school senior becomes the second youngest angler to win a Toyota Series event as a pro, pocketing $39,055 for his efforts.
From a weight perspective, Quilatan’s total is the heaviest three-day Toyota Series winning weight ever for a Florida event and the fifth heaviest three-day Toyota Series weight overall. Oddly enough, there have been three 80-pound winning totals this year, all weighed by folks named Dylan, as Dylan Nutt has accomplished the feat twice already this year on the Tennessee River. Notably, Quilatan stopped fishing around 11 o’clock Saturday to help his co-angler Benton Peoples get a limit, which could have cost him a shot at some even higher heights.
Fishing second, pro Bobby Bakewell of Orlando, Florida, hammered out 70-10 – ordinarily a phenomenal week on the Harris Chain. In third, Montgomery, Texas’ Chad Mrazek averaged over 20 pounds a day with a 62-5 total.
Fishing a large flat in Lake Beauclair, Quilatan mined the area for three days, as well as in the two Phoenix Bass Fishing League events he fished over the previous weekend, one of which he won. No two days of fishing were the same, and according to the young angler, putting the odds in his favor was key – every day necessitated slight adjustments.
“There were postspawn fish coming out, new fish every day, but there wasn’t that many,” Quilatan detailed. “There were two different things going on, or two different size grades. There was 1- to 3-pounders chasing threadfin, and I could catch those on a Neko rig pretty easily. Just drop it on their head. They’d either be singles or they’d be schooled up on a shell bed or a grass patch or they’d just be a single fish in a bait ball. It was different every day. Today, it was single fish in a bait ball.”
The larger grade of fish were perhaps more interesting.
“There were 4- to 10-pounders that were doing something different every day too,” Quilatan said. “Those fish key in on gizzard shad, and some of them I could get to bite the Neko. Probably 20% of them. And I tried on every fish because I have a 100% hookup ratio on a Neko. And if I couldn’t get them to bite that, then I’d throw a swimbait, and that would really get their attention. But every day was different, whether they were set up on isolated patches of grass, or they were set up on a grass edge. Whether they were just sitting on silt, or if it was sand, if it was 10 feet or if it was 7 feet.”
To put the odds in his favor, Quilatan made a real effort to stay in areas that were rich with baitfish. His reasoning being that the fish there would bite a little better and be in more of a feeding mood.
“I fished around boats the whole time, but I don’t think anybody was as analytical as I was about all the baitfish and how fish were setting up,” he said. “I think they were just putting their trolling motor down and going, which works, but it was better for me to find a little pattern inside the pattern every day. And I caught them in every single corner of that lake and keyed in on something a little different every day.”
For baits, Quilatan used an X Zone Deception Worm with a 1/16-ounce nail weight and a Ryugi Talisman hook. He also used a 7-inch No Live Bait Needed K-Tail with a ¾-ounce head to tempt the bigger fish. He threw everything on rods he built with components from Get Bit Outdoors.
The worm did a lot of Quilatan’s damage, but it wasn’t easy to catch the bigger ones.
“The key with that for the big ones was to leave it sitting there for, like, sometimes, three or four minutes,” he said. “They would swim off and come back. And it was all about presenting the bait without it going straight on their head. All the dumb fish in that lake are relocated to Harris or Eustace in a tournament. So, all the big fish in there are super smart. They’re super educated. So, I’m constantly taking my time.
“Whenever I get an opportunity at a big one, I’ll throw the worm in first, cast a little bit past it, whatever direction it’s going. And if it bites it, that’s great. If it doesn’t, I’ll hit it with the swimbait. And I could kind of just tell from their body posture, if they almost bite it, I’ll cast a few more times. I caught a lot of big ones doing that. I something just triggers them after a while and some of them just swim off and maybe you catch them the next day.”
Though the margin makes it look easy, Quilatan fished his heart out every day, and at times on Day 3, he thought he was tapped out.
“I didn’t get to sleep last night at all,” he said. “I slept, like, 2 hours. I woke up at 2 a.m., and I was like, ‘is this real?’ This morning, I got out there, I started fishing, and, I couldn’t even make a straight cast. I was like ‘Dylan, you’ve got to get it together.’”
Considering he stopped fishing seriously with 25 pounds in the ‘well before noon, Quilatan evidently got it together.
“Coming into today, you know, I knew however it shaped out, I didn’t have anything to prove,” he said. “I already know that I can hang with these guys, and I just wanted to know I could give it my best three days in a row. And I did. And all the glory goes to God.”
The top 10 pros at the Toyota Series at the Harris Chain of Lakes finished:
1st: Dylan Quilatan, Windermere, Fla., 15 bass, 83-8, $39,055
2nd: Robert Bakewell, Orlando, Fla., 15 bass, 70-10, $15,634
3rd: Chad Mrazek, Montgomery, Texas, 15 bass, 62-5, $12,717 (includes $1,000 Phoenix Bonus)
4th: Justin Barnes, Ellaville, Ga., 15 bass, 56-6, $9,764
5th: Kyle Cortiana, Broken Arrow, Okla., 15 bass, 54-3, $8,787
6th: John Kremer, Orange City, Fla., 15 bass, 53-8, $7,811
7th: Flint Davis, Leesburg, Ga., 15 bass, 53-1, $6,835
8th: Brody Campbell, Oxford, Ohio, 15 bass, 52-5, $5,858
9th: Parker Knudsen, Minnetonka, Minn., 15 bass, 50-12, $4,882
10th: Tracen Phillips, Lake Placid, Fla., 15 bass, 50-1, $3,906
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Pro Steve Lopez of Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, earned Thursday’s Day 1 $500 Berkley Big Bass Award with a bass weighing 7 pounds, 9 ounces, while tournament-runner-up Robert Bakewell earned the $500 Berkley Big Bass on Friday with a 9-pound, 11-ounce bass to earn the $500 prize.
Inyokern, California’s Elijah Soto, won the co-angler division Saturday with a three-day total of 14 bass weighing 43 pounds, 5 ounces. Soto 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 the Harris Chain of Lakes finished:
1st: Elijah Soto, Inyokern, Calif., 14 bass, 43-5, Phoenix 518 Pro boat w/115-hp Mercury outboard
2nd: Benton Peoples, Bardstown, Ky., 15 bass, 41-6, $4,900
3rd: Jason Wiley, Swainsboro, Ga., 15 bass, 40-9, $3,920
4th: Myles Tallada, Peru, N.Y., 15 bass, 36-4, $3,430
5th: John Stahl, Land O’ Lakes, Fla., 12 bass, 35-5, $2,940
6th: James Cobbs, Vinemont, Ala., 15 bass, 34-10, $2,450
7th: Jeremy Bouldin, Kings Mountain, N.C., 15 bass, 34-6, $1,960
8th: Evrett Hunter, Nokomis, Fla., 15 bass, 34-5, $1,715
9th: Brady Lunsmann, Citrus Springs, Fla., 15 bass, 33-14, $1,470
10th: Cameron Debity, Boca Raton, Fla., 15 bass, 33-4, $1,225
Co-angler Jack Taft of Winter Garden, Florida, earned Thursday’s Day 1 Berkley Big Bass co-angler award after bringing a 5-pound, 11-ounce bass to the scale to win the $150 prize, while Friday’s $150 co-angler award on Day 2 went to David White of Winter Garden, Florida, who weighed in a 9-pound, 7-ounce largemouth.
The Toyota Series at the Harris Chain of Lakes Presented by Suzuki Marine was hosted by Discover Lake County, Florida. It was the second of three regular-season tournament for the Toyota Series Southern Division. The third and final event for the Toyota Series Southern Division regular season will be April 24-26 – The Toyota Series at Lake Seminole in Bainbridge, Georgia. For a complete schedule of events, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.
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 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, 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.
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.
Abu Garcia College Fishing 2025 National Championship Presented by Columbia PFG Set for Wheeler Lake
DECATUR, Ala. (March 28, 2025) – Some of the best collegiate bass-fishing anglers from across the country will be visiting Decatur, Alabama, and Wheeler Lake next week, April 9-11, for the 2024 Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI National Championship at Wheeler Lake Presented by Columbia PFG.
Hosted by Decatur Morgan County Tourism, the 16th annual College Fishing National Championship will feature 137 teams of the nation’s best collegiate anglers competing for a $43,500 prize package, including a new Phoenix 518 pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard, an additional $10,000 and the chance to advance to the 2025 Toyota Series Championship and REDCREST 2026 – MLF’s most prestigious championship – to fish for top prizes of $235,000 and $300,000, respectively.
“We are ecstatic to welcome the 2025 Abu Garcia College Fishing National Championship to Decatur and watch 137 of the best college fishing teams battle it out on Wheeler Lake for three days,” said Don Dukemineer, Director of Sports Development for Decatur Morgan County Tourism. “Through our continued outstanding partnership with Major League Fishing, we cherish the opportunity to host this event and know the excitement will be contagious for every student-athlete as they showcase their skills on one the best lakes in the country. Our goal is to make sure their experience is second to none during their time in our community, and we can’t wait to witness the action unfold and see who walks away as the 2025 National Champions!”
Both members of the winning team and the runners-up at the 2025 Abu Garcia College Fishing National Championship will advance to the 2025 Toyota Series Championship where they will compete as pros for a top prize of up to $235,000. The winning team’s highest finishing team member at the Toyota Series Championship will advance to REDCREST 2025 to compete against the world’s best pros for the sport’s top prize of $300,000.
Both members of the third-place team at the College Fishing National Championship will advance to the 2025 Toyota Series Championship to compete as co-anglers for a shot at winning a $33,500 Phoenix 518 pro with a 115-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard.
The sprawling Tennessee River fishery is known for its diversity, and according to University of North Alabama angler Carson Calvert, it’s setting up to test just about every skill in the book.
“This is going to be my second national championship, and it feels pretty special with Wheeler Lake being basically just down the road,” said Calvert, who finished 58th in last year’s championship. “The Tennessee River lakes all share a lot of characteristics – current, bars, staging areas – so we’ve just been trying to dial in how Wheeler specifically is setting up.”
With the event falling during the spring transition, anglers should be prepared to chase bass in all phases of the spawn.
“I’m thinking we’ll see prespawn, spawning, and post-spawn fish,” Calvert said. “That’ll let guys do a little bit of everything, which makes it really interesting.”
Key tactics, according to Calvert, will include skipping docks, fishing visible cover, and targeting bass in bushes if water levels are up. And yes – forward-facing sonar will definitely play a role.
“We’ll for sure have a Neko rig and a Damiki rig tied on,” he added. “It’s hard to beat that setup this time of year when you’re chasing fish with forward sonar.”
As for what it’ll take to win, Calvert predicts that consistent, solid bags will be key.
“I think if you can average 18 or 19 pounds a day, you’ll be right there in it,” he said. “That would put you around 57 pounds over three days, which I think could win it.”
With a mix of shallow and offshore bites, Wheeler Lake is primed to produce a high-stakes, high-action championship—exactly the kind of event worthy of crowning college fishing’s next national champion.
Anglers will take off from Ingalls Harbor, located at 701 Market St. NW, in Decatur at 7 a.m. CT each day of competition. Weigh-ins will be held at the Harbor starting at 3 p.m. and will be livestreamed daily. Fans are welcome to attend the event or tune in to the weigh-in and follow the online coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The 2024 MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI season featured college teams from across the country competing in nine regular-season tournaments. The top 12 percent of teams from each regular-season tournament qualified to compete in the 2025 Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI National Championship
Proud sponsors of the 2025 MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI include: 7Brew Coffee, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, Deep Dive App, E3 Sports Apparel, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, 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 tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular College Fishing 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.
Pickwick Lake Primed for Phenomenal Springtime Slugfest
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Easton (BEASTon) Banks Bonus Bucks
In less than one year’s time, Easton Fothergill went from representing the Bassmaster College Series in the 2024 Classic, to the summit of professional bass fishing. Winning the 2025 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour in record-breaking fashion on Lake Ray Roberts.
Not only was it nearly unbelievable to see a 22-year-old phenom from Minnesota break the Classic weight record held by none other than the legend KVD; it can’t be overstated how important and inspiring Easton’s victory will be for the next generation of anglers who aspire to make it to the professional level.
Fothergill was one of six anglers who qualified for their first Classic through the Bassmaster College Classic Bracket competing on Ray Roberts. Six guys out of 56 Classic qualifiers came through this same arduous avenue that sends just one angler to the Classic each year. That is truly incredible and proves that this program is a fruitful training ground for young anglers who intend to become full-time professionals.
Fothergill, like every Classic Bracket champion, won his chance to drive a brand-new Toyota Tundra wrapped in his alma-mater’s colors last year and compete in the Bassmaster Open EQs. The Montevallo University standout took full advantage of the opportunity, winning not one but two Opens and clinching the Opens EQ points title.
The day after Easton won his first Open on Lake Eufaula in Oklahoma, I got a phone call from the newly crowned Open champion, asking if there was any way he could go ahead and buy the truck he was currently driving.
“I knew a week into driving the 2024 Tundra that I loved it and wanted to buy it, but I was fresh out of college and a new truck wasn’t exactly in my budget.” Fothergill said with a laugh. “I had owned a 2011 Tundra up until that point and it was the perfect college fishing truck. Solid, reliable, and it earned me some extra cash through Bonus Bucks at the college level.
“After I won the first Open and had some money in my bank account, I knew I had to figure out a way to buy this truck. I wanted to be driving a new Tundra following 2024, and here was my chance.”
That decision was a no-brainer for Toyota as well, too, who opted to sell Fothergill the truck and work with him as an Elite Series rookie to promote the Bonus Bucks program. What could be a better testament to the product than Fothergill purchasing the very tow-vehicle he won rights to through the College Bracket program?
Well, how about Fothergill winning the Bassmaster Classic the following year while driving his newly purchased Tundra. Earning himself a $10,000 payout from Toyota Bonus Bucks and putting an exclamation point on this tale of Easton’s Tundra.
“To drive a new Tundra and work with a company like Toyota the past year has been a dream come true,” Fothergill said. “I may be young, but I know that it’s important to try and align yourself with brands who support the sport. There is no better example of that than Toyota. They support tournament anglers of all levels. I’m proud to drive a Tundra.”
To learn how you can cash-in on Toyota Bonus Bucks rewards like the new Classic champion, visit this link www.toyotatrucksbonusbucks.com/. Bonus Bucks is free to register for and supports over 620 tournaments, with opportunities to earn bonus money whether you fish team, college, walleye, kayak tournaments and more.
Norfork set to host Bassmaster Open for prespawn showdown
March 26, 2025
MOUNTAIN HOME, Ark. — Tournament consistency generally requires deep thinking; while such analytic intensity will certainly help those competing in the 2025 St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Norfork Lake presented by SEVIIN, success likely will follow the shallow-minded.
Competition days will be April 3-5 with daily takeoffs from Buzzard Roost Boat Dock at 6:45 a.m. CT and weigh-ins each day at the same location at 2:45 p.m.
With Norfork’s water level at 553.6 feet (a little more than a foot and a half above full pool), flooded brush will offer appealing bass habitat. Beyond that, Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series pro Joey Cifuentes III said he’s not looking for much of the event to involve deep water.
“We catch them shallow on our (Ozark) lakes year-round, but with the water temperature rising (57 degrees a week before the event), there will be some pulling up and swimming around,” Cifuentes said. “They won’t necessarily be spawning yet, but they’ll be up there getting some sun and warming their eggs.
“Some guys will catch them in full-blown winter/early spring mode. But even that’s not very deep — probably 10 feet or less.”
Built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from 1941 to 1944, this impoundment of the Norfork River (a White River tributary) covers 22,000 surface acres. As Cifuentes describes, tournament waters offer a diversity of bass-friendly habitat.
“Norfork is a typical highland reservoir with steep banks, rock, timber and buckbrush all up and down the bank,” he said. “You also have some stumps, docks and bridge structure.”
Consistent with most Ozark lakes, Norfork’s lower (deeper) end holds the clearest water, while the upper reaches find more staining. That’s primarily due to the inflowing creeks, which flush out rainwater runoff — a key point to consider, should tournament week receive any significant precipitation.
“Water clarity will be a major factor, so most guys will find them eating better in that stained water,” Cifuentes said. “If it’s slicked-off calm and no wind, you can get bit in the clear water early, but up in the day it becomes very hard to get bit.
“The fish tend to be bigger fish on the lower end, so maybe you try to get a couple big bites early and then move up the lake to fish in that stained water. I think you’ll see a lot of guys with one big fish and then four good ones.”
Cifuentes said he’s expecting mostly a prespawn tournament, but a solid stretch of warm weather preceding the event could trigger a round of early spawning. Local weather will see a brief cooldown a couple of days before competition begins, but the warmth will return by game time.
According to Cifuentes, various reaction baits like mid-depth crankbaits, squarebills, swimbaits, glidebaits, spinnerbaits and jerkbaits will likely do most of the heavy lifting. That being said, flipping, pitching and dropping techniques will also come into play.
“If they happen to pull up shallow, you could see a guy catch them really good on a jig,” Cifuentes said. “Off the bank, the jighead minnow is going to be a good player. Offshore, that’s probably gonna be the dominant pattern, but you could see some fish pulling up on staging places like bluff ends, where a football jig could come into play.”
Cifuentes said precise positioning will be based on daily conditions, as anglers will carefully monitor water temperature and wind speed/direction. That being said, he believes the lower end has the greatest potential to produce the lion’s share of the winning weight.
“You’re gonna have a guy fish in that clear water early, but then he can go up in the stained water in that first creek up from the dam,” Cifuentes said. “A guy can win with a combination of places in the lower third. There’s a lot of diversity in that lower end.
“Norfork’s gonna fish small, so you’re gonna have a lot of guys fishing around other guys.”
Species diversity will further ensure a dynamic event. As Cifuentes notes, 3-pound spotted bass swim these waters, but most of the tournament weights will comprise a mix of smallmouth and largemouth.
“There are big fish on this lake; I’ve seen guys weigh 24- to 25-pound bags,” he said. “It’s kind of a freak thing, so you’re not gonna see anyone do that two days in a row. If a guy has a 20-plus-pound bag and then backs it up with two days of (at least) 15, he’ll have a good shot at winning.”
Cifuentes said he expects two daily bags of 17 pounds to make the Top 10 cut, while a three-day average of 18 or more will win the trophy.
Bassmaster LIVE will stream the final day’s action on Bassmaster.com and the Roku Sports Channel will air coverage on Saturday from 7:30 to 10:30 a.m. ET and from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Stay up-to-date on all tournament coverage at Bassmaster.com/how-to-
The City of Mountain Home, Arkansas is hosting the event.
2025 Bassmaster Opens Series Title Sponsor: St. Croix
2025 Bassmaster Opens Series Presenting Sponsor: SEVIIN
2025 Bassmaster Opens Series Platinum Sponsors: Progressive, Toyota
2025 Bassmaster Opens 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 Opens Series Supporting Sponsors: AFTCO, Daiwa, Garmin, Lew's, Lowrance, Triton Boats, VMC, Yokohama
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.
Fothergill Boats $20,000 Yamaha Power Pay Bonus
With less than thirty minutes of fishing time left on the final day of the 2025 Bass Pro ShopsÒ Bassmaster ClassicÒ presented by Under ArmourÒ, Easton Fothergill only had four keeper bass in his Skeeter livewells and could feel the weight of the bass fishing world building on his shoulders.
The 22-year-old Elite Series rookie started the day with a sizeable lead after weighing in the biggest bag of the tournament on day two, but keepers proved tough to come by on Championship Sunday. Fothergill stayed focused and performed under pressure, with poise well beyond his years, catching an 8-pound Lake Ray Roberts monster to fill out his limit.
That last fish put the final touches on a record-breaking Classic victory and made his childhood dreams come true.
“I’ve always been a believer that more tournaments are won in the last five minutes than the first five minutes, which is why having confidence in your motor is so important at this level,” Fothergill said. “Five minutes after catching my final keeper, I pulled the trolling motor and ran back to check in with only minutes to spare. I have the added confidence to push it to the last minute with a V6 V MAX SHOÒ 250 behind me. That made all the difference this week.”
Fothergill’s Classic victory, and really every aspect of his professional career to this point, have felt meant to be. Whether it was overcoming emergency brain surgery just seven weeks before winning Bassmaster’s College Classic Bracket to qualify for the 2024 Classic, his incredible campaign in the Bassmaster Opens last year, or starting the 2025 season with two of the worst finishes of his young life before becoming a Bassmaster ClassicÒ champion; Hollywood screenwriters couldn’t script a better story.
What’s even better than his incredible bass fishing talent is the fact that Fothergill is a rock-solid human being off the water. He’s respectful, humble, grounded in gratitude, and surrounded by a supportive family. All this adds up to equal a young man that will without a doubt continue to notch wins both personally and professionally.
Along with the most coveted trophy in bass fishing, Fothergill also claimed the $20,000 bonus from Yamaha Power Pay for finishing higher than other anglers running a Yamaha motor in the Classic field.
“When you consider the Power Pay contingency on top of Yamaha’s reliability, it really is a win-win for tournament anglers,” Fothergill explained. “Power Pay rewards anglers of all levels, not just pros, so you are really missing out if you haven’t looked into it. I’m super happy to win the Power Pay bonus, and it’s been an honor working with whole team at Yamaha.”
To learn more about Yamaha’s popular contingency program, including a full list of supported events and payouts, visit https://yamahapowerpay.com/.
Major League Fishing Announces 2024 Bass Pro Shops and Toyota Sweepstakes Winners
| MLF Bass Pro Shops and Toyota Sweepstakes winners Mary Schabdach of Marco Island, Florida, showing off her 2024 Toyota Tacoma and Walter James of Braselton, Georgia, holding up the key to his 2025 Nitro Z19. |
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BENTON, Ky. (March 25, 2025) – Two lucky winners of Major League Fishing’s (MLF) sweepstakes have walked away with life-changing prizes, thanks to their good fortune and dedication to the fishing community. MLF is proud to highlight the winners of the 2024 Bass Pro Shops Nitro Z19 Sweepstakes and the 2024 Toyota Tacoma & More Sweepstakes, and their unforgettable experiences with the process.
For over 15 years, Walter James, a dedicated bass fisherman from Braselton, Georgia, has entered MLF sweepstakes, hoping for a chance at winning a major prize. After entering the Bass Pro Shops Nitro Z19 sweepstakes a dozen times, he was thrilled to learn that his efforts had finally paid off. “I was in the truck with my brother when I saw the email, and at first, I didn’t believe it was legit,” said James. “We both laughed about it for a while, but then I called the sweepstakes number and called MLF and was shocked to confirm I’d actually won it!”
As a dedicated angler who competes in the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) and has fished tournaments with his brother for years, winning this prize was a dream come true, and James is excited for the opportunity to put the new Nitro Z19 to good use. “I’ve been watching pros like Kevin VanDam (KVD) and Jacob Wheeler for years,” he added. “You can’t keep Wheeler out of the top 10 no matter where you go. It’s unbelievable! I can only dream of being half the angler those guys are.” The Bass Pro Shops Nitro Z19 sweepstakes began February 28 of 2024 and ran through the conclusion of the Bass Pro Tour Stage Seven event at the St. Lawrence River. The sweepstakes included the grand prize Nitro Z19 with Mercury outboard motor and trailer, valued at $49,995 and runner-up prizes from Ascend and Champion Power Equipment. Around the same time, Mary Schabdach, a retired fishing enthusiast from Marco Island, Florida, had a similarly thrilling experience after entering the MLF Toyota Tacoma & More sweepstakes each day. The sweepstakes – which began on June 3 and ended on September 11 – included a chance to win a Toyota Tacoma TRD Off-Road vehicle, valued at $47,000, as well as runner-up prizes from General Tire, Bubba, Rapala and Onyx, and an additional 100 daily prize winners. Schabdach said when she got the email notification that she’d won the 2024 Toyota Tacoma, she could hardly believe her luck. “I was so excited—I had to pinch myself,” said Schabdach, whose new white Tacoma, featuring sleek black highlights, has been turning heads on the road. “It’s been such a joy to drive. Just the other day, a group of guys here in Florida for spring break stopped me to say how much they loved the truck! “My mom and I drove about 500 miles on our first road trip with it. It was such a pleasure to drive, and we felt very safe in the Tacoma.” Both winners had high praise for the MLF team who helped guide them through the sweepstakes process. “My contact at MLF kept in touch with me the whole time to ensure everything was taken care of and ran smoothly,” said Schabdach. “The entire experience was easy and seamless from start to finish.” For James, his newfound Nitro Z19 marks the culmination of years of participating in MLF sweepstakes. As he looks forward to getting back out on the water, he encourages other anglers to enter to win. “I’m living proof that it doesn’t matter how old you are, you can still win,” said the 79-year-old tournament angler. “It’s easy to sign up, doesn’t cost a thing and you never know – you might walk away with the next grand prize.” Fans can go online to enter the MLF Bass Pro Shops Nitro Z19 Sweepstakes, currently underway at MajorLeagueFishing.com. The grand prize winner will receive a brand-new Nitro Z19, with runner-up prizes including an Ascend Sit on Top Kayak and Champion Power Equipment. The MLF Bass Pro Shops Nitro Z19 Sweepstakes is open now through September 11. For more information on current Major League Fishing sweepstakes opportunities, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com/promos. For complete details and updated information about Major League Fishing, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, X , Instagram and YouTube. About Major League Fishing |
Reagan, Bouldin Tie for Win at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Dale Hollow Lake Presented by Suzuki Marine
Kingsport’s Legassie Tops Co-Angler Division
BYRDSTOWN, Tenn. (March 24, 2025) – Boaters Lucas Reagan of Byrdstown, Tennessee, and Hunter Bouldin of McMinnville, Tennessee, tied for the win in the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on Dale Hollow Lake Presented by Suzuki Marine on Sunday. They both caught five-bass limits weighing 21 pounds, 3 ounces, and each earned $2,233 for their share of the victory. The tournament, hosted by Star Point Resort, was the second event of the season for the BFL Music City Division.
Not surprisingly, the joint winners at Dale Hollow caught all of their fish using forward-facing sonar. The technology has dominated on the clear mountain reservoir over the last few years, as local anglers continue to expertly refine how to use it to catch suspended largemouth bass. Reagan and Bouldin were the most effective and efficient at adapting to the conditions on Sunday.
For Reagan, that meant abandoning his starting areas down the lake because of heavy winds, and then abandoning his backup water up the lake because it was blown out by muddy water. With Plans A and B both a flop, he went into “practice mode” and wound up catching his fish from a couple of areas he hadn’t even checked until the tournament. His primary lures were a Berkley Stunna 112+2 jerkbait and a Queen Tackle tungsten jighead with a Zoom Fluke .
“I had to find places the wind wasn’t blowing into really hard, where I could make decent casts on them, and some areas that weren’t just completely mud,” Reagan said.
Reagan tracked down enough fish to put together a pretty solid limit in the morning. Midday, his bite slowed until he applied some old-fashioned outdoors knowhow.
“Later in the day I looked across the lake. I was in a really windy area,” Reagan said. “I looked over at just a little pocket and I saw like four or five loons sitting there, and it was really calm. I thought, ‘There’ll be some bait there.’ I ran over and ended up making my last cull around 2:30. It was a 4.07 (pound bass). And I lost one more.”
Bouldin’s day started off much quicker. He caught a limit in the first 30 minutes.
“Then for whatever reason, where I was on that stretch, it was like they got kicked in the head,” Bouldin said. “They just quit. I made one more stop and there wasn’t really anything on it. So I ran around to this pocket in the Wolf (River), and there were fish suspended everywhere. I caught a 5-10, and then just a couple minutes later I caught two 4-pounders almost back to back.”
After his flurry, Bouldin figures he had 20 pounds by 10 o’clock. He made one last cull and lost a fish that might’ve gotten him the outright win. His catch came on a Burtek Tackle Wrangler soft-plastic minnow and a Rapala Crush City Freeloader.
Bouldin shouted out his buddy, Steven Heady, who did all the electronics rigging on Bouldin’s boat. Heady’s expertise ensured Bouldin would have clean power and the clearest, crispest sonar returns.
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:
1st: Lucas Reagan, Byrdstown, Tenn., five bass, 21-3, $2,233
1st: Hunter Bouldin, McMinnville, Tenn., five bass, 21-3, $2,233
3rd: Isaac Peavyhouse, Jamestown, Tenn., five bass, 21-1, $843
3rd: Christian Nash, Allons, Tenn., five bass, 21-1, $843
5th: Bryce McDonald, Paintsville, Ky., five bass, 20-13, $595
6th: Tanner Rich, Byrdstown, Tenn., five bass, 20-2, $546
7th: Wyatt Pearman, Hodgenville, Ky. five bass, 19-4, $496
8th: Gavin Cloutier, Jonesborough, Tenn., five bass, 19-3, $947 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
9th: Logan Vicars, Corinth, Ky., five bass, 18-13, $372
9th: Nathan Reynolds, Nashville, Tenn., five bass, 18-13, $372
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Brady Duncan of Lebanon, Tennessee, caught a bass that weighed 6 pounds, 11 ounces, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $340.
Thomas Doc Legassie of Kingsport, Tennessee, won the co-angler division and $1,498 Sunday, after bringing three bass to the scale that totaled 10 pounds, 11 ounces.
The top 11 co-anglers finished:
1st: Thomas Doc Legassie, Kingsport, Tenn., three bass, 10-11, $1,489
2nd: Gary Haraguchi, Murfreesboro, Tenn., three bass, 10-2, $914
3rd: Joshua Cloutier, Glasgow, Ky., three bass, 9-7, $497
4th: Parker Burgess, Granville, Tenn., three bass, 9-3, $347
5th: Lucas Brown, Albany, Ky., three bass, 9-2, $298
6th: Tommy Pritchard, Bargersville, Ind., three bass, 9-1, $273
7th: Pop Catalin, Cookeville, Tenn., three bass, 8-15, $248
8th: Bobby Hannah, Brandon, Miss., three bass, 8-10, $323
9th: Wayne Crouch, Jamestown, Tenn., three bass, 8-6, $198
10th: Cole Mann, Crossville, Tenn., three bass, 8-4, $165
10th: Darryl Lee, Portland, Tenn., three bass, 8-4, $165
Gary Haraguchi of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $170, catching a bass that weighed in at 4 pounds, 13 ounces – the largest co-angler catch of the day.
After two events, Gavin Cloutier of Jonesborough, Tennessee, now leads the Fishing Clash Music City Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 492 points, while Tommy Pritchard of Bargersville, Indiana, leads the Fishing Clash Music City Division Co-Angler of the Year race with 494 points.
The next event for BFL Music City Division anglers will be held April 26, at Center Hill Lake in Sparta, Tennessee. 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 Douglas Lake in Dandridge, 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.
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 Sports 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.
Claremore’s Martin Posts Fourth Career Win at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Lake Eufaula
Muskogee’s Eudy Tops Co-Angler Division
EUFAULA, Okla. (March 24, 2025) – Boater T.J. Martin of Claremore, Oklahoma, caught a five-bass limit weighing 23 pounds, 11 ounces, Saturday to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine at Lake Eufaula . The tournament, hosted by Vision Eufaula, was the second event of the season for the BFL Okie Division. Martin earned $11,925, including the lucrative $7,000 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus, for his victory.
Martin and his co-angler, Mason Eudy of Muskogee, Oklahoma, shared a pretty awesome day together on Lake Eufaula. They both won their respective divisions, and they both caught giant bass that earned them some extra prize money. Martin landed a 10-pound, 9-ounce fish that earned him the Berkley Big Bass award and $610 on the boater side, while Eudy weighed in a 9-pound, 11-ounce fish that won the $305 Berkley Big Bass award on the co-angler side.
“This morning, it wasn’t fast by any means,” Martin said. “But the first fish I caught was that 10-pounder. And then it just kind of went from there. I think I wound up catching about 10 or 12 keepers today. And then my co-angler wound up winning also. He had a 9 3/4. It was a really cool day. We figured it up and for five we would’ve had 32 or 33 pounds (if they were sharing weight).”
The duo spent the day running a pattern that Martin figured out on Thursday during practice. He was dialed in on a particular type of rock, to the point he could almost call his shot anywhere he found the juice.
Martin caught most of his winning fish on an umbrella rig with swimbaits and custom jigheads from his own tackle shop – Martin Outdoors & Tackle in Owasso, Oklahoma. He also caught a couple on a Deps Sakamata Shad.
“My Garmin LiveScope was key for sure,” he added. “The key was you had to put the bait almost on the bank and just drag it back. The fish were super spooky because the area I was fishing was getting a lot of pressure. I couldn’t leave the scope on them. When I’d see them, I’d cast over there a good ways past them and then take the scope off of them (while working the umbrella rig back). They’ve definitely gotten used to the scope shining on them, especially in these lakes that have multiple tournaments a weekend. I think that was definitely a key.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:
1st: T.J. Martin, Claremore, Okla., five bass, 23-11, $11,925 (includes $7,000 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
2nd: Nick Kincaid, Brookeland, Texas, five bass, 19-8, $2,157
3rd: Ronnie Allen, Chouteau, Okla., five bass, 18-14, $1,439
4th: Brett Brumnett, Wagoner, Okla., five bass, 17-8, $1,007
5th: Darin Anderson, Sand Springs, Okla., five bass, 17-5, $863
6th: Zane Johnson, Owasso, Okla., five bass, 17-4, $791
7th: Preston Cook, Miami, Okla., five bass, 17-2, $719
8th: Tate Brumnett, Wagoner, Okla., five bass, 17-0, $647
9th: William Gaddis, Afton, Okla., five bass, 15-8, $575
10th: Michael Furgerson, Tulsa, Okla., five bass, 15-3, $503
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Mason Eudy of Muskogee, Oklahoma, won the co-angler division and $2,462 Saturday, after bringing three bass to the scale that totaled 16 pounds, 8 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers finished:
1st: Mason Eudy, Muskogee, Okla., three bass, 16-8, $2,462
2nd: Mitch Baskett, Yukon, Okla., three bass, 12-11, $1,079
3rd: Cody Torkleson, Sand Springs, Okla., three bass, 11-0, $717
4th: Micah Phillips, Fort Gibson, Okla., three bass, 10-9, $503
5th: Mark Taylor, Oklahoma City, Okla., three bass, 9-8, $531
6th: Riley Motrych, Shawnee, Okla., three bass, 9-4, $396
7th: Jeff Corriveau, Owasso, Okla., three bass, 7-8, $360
8th: JD Smith, Carthage, Mo., three bass, 7-1, $324
9th: Porky Roberts, Morris, Okla., two bass, 6-11, $288
10th: Robert Joslin, Fort Smith, Ark., two bass, 6-7, $252
After two events, Ronnie Allen of Chouteau, Oklahoma, now leads the Fishing Clash Okie Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 498 points, while Robert Joslin of Fort Smith, Arkansas, leads the Fishing Clash Okie Division Co-Angler of the Year race with 480 points.
The next event for BFL Okie Division anglers will be held May 10, at Broken Bow Lake out of Broken Bow, 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 Sports 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.
Winter Springs’ Bloom Earns Second Career Win at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Harris Chain of Lakes
| Gator Division anglers enjoy first Abu Garcia “Fishing 4 Free!” promotion of the season with gift packs awarded to every competitor
LEESBURG, Fla. (March 24, 2025) – Boater Joey Bloom of Winter Springs, Florida, caught a five-bass limit weighing 24 pounds, 14 ounces, Sunday to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on the Harris Chain of Lakes. The tournament, hosted by Discover Lake County Florida, was the fourth event of the season for the BFL Gator Division. Bloom earned $4,584 for his victory. The Gator Division fished a doubleheader this weekend, starting with a regularly scheduled event on Saturday. They fished again on Sunday in what was actually a makeup event for a tournament that was previously postponed. Bloom finished fifth in Saturday’s tournament with 19 pounds, 5 ounces. The difference in his win on Sunday was all about conditions. “Today was good,” he said. “I started off just fishing around, and I ended up catching a quick limit for about 8 pounds, just fishing shallow Kissimmee Grass around docks. The biggest thing for me today on why I did so good was the wind. The wind ended up pushing all the bait up all the way to the bank. I was able to throw a Senko and a little swim jig and ended up catching some pretty decent fish and culled all the way to 19 pounds. Then I ended up leaving an area and pulled up to another Kissimmee Grass stretch and caught a 7-pounder flipping. And that brought me up to almost 25 pounds.” In Saturday’s event, the lack of wind had the bait and the bass scattered. It also affected another critter that Bloom keyed on to dial in the areas with the most bait. “There was a shad spawn that happened during practice, and I knew that there were some bigger fish eating the shad,” Bloom said. “So I just keyed in on the areas where I saw all the white birds. Wherever I saw the white birds is where it really seemed to be going down for me. Yesterday (Saturday), the white birds were scattered all over the place. They weren’t really eating anything. They were just kind of sitting in the bushes. Today they were standing in the water eating all the bait, and the bass were coming up. I was able to get some bigger bites on the swim jig and flipping.” Bloom’s key baits were a white Dirty Jigs No-Jack Swim Jig, a Yamamoto Senko and a Rapala Crush City Bronco Bug. The top 10 boaters finished the tournament: 1st: Joey Bloom, Winter Springs, Fla., five bass, 24-14, $4,584 Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com. |
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Sunday’s event also marked the first Phoenix Bass Fishing League division to enjoy the Abu Garcia “Fishing 4 FREE!” promotion. Every angler competing Sunday in the fourth Gator division event of the season received an Abu Garcia gift pack valued at $230 for boaters and $180 for co-anglers – a value that exceeded the entry for the tournament. Anglers received their Abu Garcia gift boxes at the event, and in addition also received a code for 25% off an order at AbuGarcia.com.
Josh Hubbard of Dunnellon, Florida, caught a bass that weighed 6 pounds, 15 ounces, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $675.
Tanner Scarborough of Winter Haven, Florida, won the co-angler division and $2,292 Sunday, after bringing three bass to the scale that totaled 13 pounds, 12 ounces. The top 10 co-anglers finished: 1st: Tanner Scarborough, Winter Haven, Fla., three bass, 13-12, $2,292 Christopher Freeman of Eustis, Florida, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $337, catching a bass that weighed in at 8 pounds, 15 ounces – the largest co-angler catch of the day. After four events, Dylan Quilatan of Windermere, Florida, now leads the Fishing Clash Gator Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 990 points, while Preston Williams of Tallahassee, Florida, leads the Fishing Clash Gator Division Co-Angler of the Year race with 935 points. The next event for BFL Gator Division anglers will be held Sept. 27-28, at the St. Johns River in Palatka, 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. 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 Sports 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 |
Lily’s Grubb Grabs First Win at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Dale Hollow Lake
Bowling Green’s Hayles Tops Co-Angler Division
BYRDSTOWN, Tenn. (March 24, 2025) – Boater Branden Grubb of Lily, Kentucky, caught a five-bass limit weighing 21 pounds, 2 ounces, Saturday to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on Dale Hollow Lake. The tournament, hosted by Star Point Marina & Resort, was the second event of the season for the BFL Mountain Division. Grubb earned $3,296 for his victory.
“I’m on cloud nine right now,” Grubb said after getting his trophy. “It’s my first win, so I’m just happy. You beat these guys in the Mountain Division, you’ve really done something.”
Grubb has spent enough time on Dale Hollow this year to stay on the fish throughout their spring transitions. Building on his recent history, he found the lake’s largemouth bass in prespawn staging areas.
“I just have been really fortunate to be around them this spring,” he added. “I caught all of ’em on forward-facing sonar with a jighead minnow. These fish at Dale Hollow are notorious for following the bait, and they migrate with the wind. You kind of find spawning hollows or spawning areas that have wind blowing into them, and if the bait shows up there the fish are right with them. You just have to find where the quality is at that time.”
Grubb located a handful of areas in practice where he felt he could catch the right quality. However, his first spot was a bust. Turbid water, which he felt was possibly caused by algae, pollen or both, made it tough to see fish on the sonar. Grubb admits he got a little spun out at first, but he settled back in once he got to his second area.
“It ended up going down really quick,” he said. “Blastoff was at 7, and I had a limit by 8:15. I ended up culling and getting pretty close to what I weighed in by 9:30.”
As pumped as Grubb was about getting the win, he wanted to make sure he shared the credit with a friend in the fishing industry – Dewayne Wilson of Dixie Custom Rods.
“He makes an awesome forward-facing rod,” Grubb said. “It’s the 3B Outdoors Tightline Special. That’s what I caught all my fish on today. He’s just a really good guy that’s got a lifetime warranty on his rods.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:
1st: Branden Grubb, Lily, Ky., five bass, 21-2, $3,296
2nd: Lucas Reagan, Byrdstown, Tenn., five bass, 20-15, $1,648
3rd: Lee Stephens, Columbia, Ky., five bass, 20-12, $1,099
4th: Bradley Roy, Lancaster, Ky., five bass, 20-10, $769
5th: Tanner Rich, Byrdstown, Tenn., five bass, 20-6, $659
6th: Gavin Cloutier, Jonesborough, Tenn., five bass, 20-4, $1,104 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
7th: Blake Smith, Byrdstown, Tenn., five bass, 19-15, $549
8th: Wyatt Pearman, Hodgenville, Ky., five bass, 19-10, $494
9th: Logan Cherry, Alvaton, Ky., five bass, 19-9, $412
9th: Garret Moon, Albany, Ky., five bass, 19-9, $412
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Jason Smith of Union, Kentucky, caught a bass that weighed 6 pounds, 12 ounces, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $405.
Drew Hayles of Bowling Green, Kentucky, won the co-angler division and $1,648 Saturday, after bringing three bass to the scale that totaled 11 pounds, 6 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers finished:
1st: Drew Hayles, Bowling Green, Ky., three bass, 11-6, $1,648
2nd: Mark Redman, Scottsville, Ky., three bass, 9-14, $824
3rd: Kade Oliver, Muncie, Ind., three bass, 9-11, $549
4th: Caleb Edgerton, Dayton, Ohio, three bass, 9-4, $485
5th: Dylan Reed, London, Ky., three bass, 8-15, $330
6th: Connor Doyle, Yukon, Okla., three bass, 8-14, $302
7th: Joseph Bezold, California, Ky., three bass, 8-8, $275
8th: Nate Raleigh, Ft Thomas, Ky., three bass, 8-6, $247
9th: Hans Schreyer, Sarasota, Fla., three bass, 7-15, $206
9th: Allen Neal, Whitley City, Ky., three bass, 7-15, $206
Devereaux Adams of Powder Springs, Georgia, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $202, catching a bass that weighed in at 4 pounds, 11 ounces – the largest co-angler catch of the day.
After two events, Lucas Reagan of Byrdstown, Tennessee, now leads the Fishing Clash Mountain Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 496 points, while Caleb Edgerton of Dayton, Ohio, leads the Fishing Clash Mountain Division Co-Angler of the Year race with 489 points.
The next event for BFL Mountain Division anglers will be held May 17, at Cherokee Lake in Jefferson City, Tennessee. 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 Douglas Lake in Dandridge, 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.
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 Sports 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.
17-Year-Old Dylan Quilatan Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Harris Chain of Lakes
Winter Garden’s Saratt Tops Co-Angler Division
LEESBURG, Fla. (March 24, 2025) – Boater Dylan Quilatan of Windermere, Florida, caught a five-bass limit weighing 27 pounds, 1 ounce, Saturday to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on the Harris Chain of Lakes. The tournament, hosted by Discover Lake County Florida, was the third event of the season for the BFL Gator Division. Quilatan earned $4,796 for his victory.
As a 17-year-old, Quilatan is far from a traditional BFL angler. And his age is only the beginning of what sets him apart. The young gun grew up with parents who don’t fish, in a place that is anything but a bass fishing hotbed – New York City.
Living in the Big Apple for most of his life, Quilatan had an interest in fishing but got a late start – though he did actually catch his first fish in Central Park. It wasn’t until his family relocated to Florida that Quilatan was able to pour his energy into exploring his curiosity about bass fishing.
“We moved down here five years ago, and I started fishing tournaments after we got a boat,” he said. “I’ve learned everything myself from spending time on the water and doing my own research. My dad doesn’t fish at all. I watch a lot of pro tournaments, live streams and the replays. I mean, I spend so much time behind the steering wheel idling and so much time trying to learn how to fish shallow. I just spend a lot of time out here, and it’s starting to pay off.”
Quilatan’s interest in the sport is much more than a hobby. He wants to become a pro one day and is already coordinating his educational pursuits to support his fishing pursuits.
“I’m a senior in high school,” he said. “This is my second year doing the BFLs, and, you know, I sacrifice a lot for this. I do online school so I can fish as much as possible.”
That includes competing in Abu Garcia MLF High School Fishing tournaments and other prep leagues, where he’s already won some big events. Plus, Quilatan is fishing the full Toyota Series Southern Division for the first time this season.
Last year, fishing the BFL Gator Division as a rookie, he finished fifth in the Fishing Clash Angler of the Year (AOY) standings. This season, his goal is to win AOY – and he’s well on his way. Quilatan finished second in the opener at Lake Okeechobee, seventh at Lake Toho, got the win Saturday at Harris Chain and then finished fourth on Sunday at the Harris Chain in a tournament held as a makeup for an event that was previously postponed. He’s now firmly in the AOY lead by a margin of 60 points over second place with just one event left to fish.
Now, he’s eyeing his next big step.
“I’ve committed to Carson-Newman University,” Quilatan said. “I was thinking of taking a year after I graduate to try to quality for a pro circuit, but I decided that college was the better option. The reason I don’t really want to try to jump into any kind of pro circuit right now is because the fishing in Florida doesn’t really translate to a lot of the lakes we’d go to. So just going there blind, coming from Florida, I’d be at a pretty big disadvantage. That’s why I’m going to college at Carson-Newman in Tennessee – to gain experience in all kinds of fisheries.”
That level of maturity and focus was a big part of his success at Saturday’s BFL event on the Harris Chain. Quilatan caught a bass on his very first cast of the morning. Then it slowed down dramatically. At 10 a.m., he had a tiny limit for about 4 pounds.
At 10:30, Quilatan thought he was about to turn the day around. He caught his biggest bass – a 7 1/2-pounder – and thought he’d figured out a pattern to catch a big limit. It just never materialized. He tried expanding on that bite until there were just 30 minutes left to fish. Knowing he needed to adjust, Quilatan made a move.
“I decided to run to another lake and caught most of my weight in the last 20 minutes of fishing,” he said. “I caught a 6.7 (pound bass) on my last cast, and I came in with less than two minutes left. I think the biggest key was just staying mentally focused. I live here, and the fish on the Harris Chain are always moving. So you really just have to be able to adjust to the conditions.”
With tournaments coming up on his home fishery, Quilatan declined to say too much about how he caught his fish Saturday. Regardless, for a teenager with huge aspirations, catching them last minute and validating his instincts goes a long way toward building confidence that he’s on the right path in fishing.
“Just to come away with the win means the world to me,” he added. “It’s all paying off, but you know I just want to thank my parents, my sponsors and the good Lord for guiding me in my decisions during the week.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:
1st: Dylan Quilatan, Windermere, Fla., five bass, 27-1, $4,796
2nd: Kennie Steverson, Umatilla, Fla., five bass, 22-5, $2,898 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
3rd: Finn Taylor, Lake Placid, Fla., five bass, 21-15, $1,595
4th: Gary Armstrong, Sorrento, Fla., five bass, 19-7, $1,119
5th: Joey Bloom, Winter Springs, Fla., five bass, 19-5, $959
6th: Parker Stalvey, Green Cove Springs, Fla., five bass, 18-14, $879
7th: Stephen Williams, Green Cove Springs, Fla., five bass, 18-10, $799
8th: Steven Eastman, Eustis, Fla., five bass, 18-7, $719
9th: Lance Pemble, Leesburg, Fla., five bass, 18-6, $639
10th: Marshall Tommie, Okeechobee, Fla., five bass, 17-12, $560
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Nathan Vick of Archer, Florida, caught a bass that weighed 8 pounds, 14 ounces, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $715.
Leandro Saratt of Winter Garden, Florida, won the co-angler division and $2,398 Saturday, after bringing three bass to the scale that totaled 15 pounds, 11 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers finished:
1st: Leandro Saratt, Winter Garden, Fla., three bass, 15-11, $2,398
2nd: Aymon Wilcox, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., three bass, 14-8, $1,199
3rd: Mark Ortel, Punta Gorda, Fla., three bass, 13-1, $795
4th: Dana Bass, Miami, Fla., three bass, 12-7, $560
5th: Mark Fields, Oviedo, Fla., three bass, 11-9, $460
5th: Jimmy (James) Bass, Ocala, Fla., three bass, 11-9, $460
7th: Wayman Mobley, Miami, Fla., three bass, 10-12, $400
8th: Ryan O’Donnell, Cocoa, Fla., three bass, 10-11, $360
9th: Chris Nickle, Sanford, Fla., three bass, 10-9, $400
9th: Terry Weaver, New Smyrna Beach, Fla., three bass, 10-9, $300
Marlei Hunt of Wesley Chapel, Florida, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $357, catching a bass that weighed in at 7 pounds, 13 ounces – the largest co-angler catch of the day.
The BFL Gator Division anglers competed again on Sunday to make up an event that was previously postponed. With the third and fourth events of the season in the books, Dylan Quilatan of Windermere, Florida, now leads the Fishing Clash Gator Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 990 points, while Preston Williams of Tallahassee, Florida, leads the Fishing Clash Gator Division Co-Angler of the Year race with 935 points.
The next time the Gator Division squares off will be the Super Tournament – the division’s season finale – on the St. Johns River in Palatka, Florida, on September 27-28. 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.
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 Sports 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.
Lancaster’s Sims Gets the Win at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Lake Wylie
Knightdale’s Barnes Tops Co-Angler Division
YORK, S.C. (March 23, 2025) – Boater Chad Sims of Lancaster, South Carolina, caught a five-bass limit weighing 18 pounds Saturday to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on Lake Wylie . The tournament, hosted by Visit York County, was the second event of the season for the BFL North Carolina Division. Sims earned $10,641, including the lucrative $7,000 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus, for his victory.
According to Sims, this was a long overdue win.
“I’ve been knocking on the door of these things for so long, and it seemed like every time something bad would happen,” he said. “I’d lose a fish here or there. Man, you have no idea … I mean, this is not my first win, but this is my first win in the BFLs. Being known around where we’re from as being a pretty good fisherman and you can’t win one of them? It couldn’t come at a better time.”
In practice on Wednesday, Sims caught a big bag “doing something that most locals to Wylie know about,” though he didn’t provide any more details than that. Then on Thursday, a cold front came through and changed the conditions. By Friday, he wasn’t able to repeat his performance and got just one bite.
“But I still knew it was going to warm up, so I knew it still might work,” he said. “Fast forward to today, I started closer to the ramp. There was a big tournament there about a month ago, and there were a lot of release fish. I started there and caught a 5-pounder. I left there and went straight upriver and kind of just did the rest with a jig.”
The 5-pounder came fishing shallow. Once he went upriver, Sims figured out a key depth range – not too deep and not too shallow. And regarding that Lake Wylie “local pattern,” he was able to catch his two biggest bass using that technique.
Yet the real turning point in his victory came on a particular piece of cover where he experienced both heartbreak and elation.
“Man, I lost a 6-pounder toward about 12 o’clock or so,” he said. “I lost a 6-pounder at the boat, and it was on kind of like a pole sitting out in the middle of nowhere. I went back to that pole three or four times throughout the day, and there was a bunch of fish on it. And finally at the end of the day I was able to coax another one into biting. That was what gave me the win right there because I culled like a pound.”
Reflecting on his win, Sims offered a big thank you to Tournament Director Steve Sizemore and the rest of the crew.
“You can’t ask for a better tournament director,” he added.
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:
1st: Chad Sims, Lancaster, S.C., five bass, 18-00, $10,641 (includes $7,000 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
2nd: Britt Myers Jr., Lake Wylie, S.C., five bass, 17-13, $1,820
3rd: Travis Donaldson, Cleveland, N.C., five bass, 16-13, $1,032
3rd: William Bond, Moncks Corner, S.C., five bass, 16-13, $1,032
5th: Michael Webster, Gastonia, N.C., five bass, 16-9, $728
6th: Michael Stephens, Gastonia, N.C., five bass, 16-7, $668
7th: Cole Huskins, Gastonia, N.C., five bass, 15-12, $607
8th: Kevin Chandler, New London, N.C., five bass, 14-13, $546
9th: Tanner Schultz, Lexington, S.C., five bass, 14-10, $485
10th: Aaron Digh, Maiden, N.C., five bass, 14-4, $425
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Jason Damico of Cramerton, North Carolina caught a bass that weighed 5 pounds, 13 ounces, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $475.
Mekye Barnes of Knightdale, North Carolina, won the co-angler division and $1,816 Saturday, after bringing three bass to the scale that totaled 9 pounds, 7 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers finished:
1st: Mekye Barnes, Knightdale, N.C., three bass, 9-7, $1,816
2nd: Travis Ruff, Connelly Springs, N.C., three bass, 9-6, $908
3rd: Kevin Farley, Landrum, S.C., three bass, 8-11, $515
3rd: Tommy Swicegood, Salisbury, N.C., three bass, 8-11, $747
5th: Dale Surrett, Midland, N.C., three bass, 8-3, $448
5th: Phillip Ragland Jr., Rustburg, Va., three bass, 8-3, $448
7th: Jim Freeland, Youngsville, N.C., three bass, 7-14, $303
8th: Jared Jones, Denver, N.C., three bass, 7-0, $257
8th: Victor Cuevas, Supply, N.C., three bass, 7-0, $257
10th: Scott McKay, New London, N.C., three bass, 6-15, $212
Tommy Swicegood of Salisbury, North Carolina, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $232, catching a bass that weighed in at 5 pounds – the largest co-angler catch of the day.
After two events, Chad Sims of Lancaster, South Carolina, leads the Fishing Clash North Carolina Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 493 points, while Kevin Farley of Landrum, South Carolina, leads the Fishing Clash North Carolina Division Co-Angler of the Year race with 498 points.
The next event for BFL North Carolina Division anglers will be held April 12, at High Rock Lake in Lexington, 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.
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 Sports 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.
Fothergill breaks records, makes history with Bassmaster Classic win
FORT WORTH, Texas — Nineteen months ago, Easton Fothergill was lying on a gurney in an Alabama hospital, awaiting surgery to remove an infected abscess from his brain.
Sunday afternoon, in front of thousands of fans at Dickies Arena, Fothergill stood tall as champion of the 2025 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour.
Fothergill, a 22-year-old native of Grand Rapids, Minn., finished the three-day event on Lake Ray Roberts with a total of 15 bass for 76 pounds, 15 ounces. It was the biggest winning weight in the 55-year history of the most prestigious fishing tournament in the world and was exactly 8 1/2 pounds more than the nearest competitor in the field of 56 anglers. Fothergill is also the second-youngest champion in Bassmaster Classic history (only Stanley Mitchell who won the 1981 Classic at 21 was younger.)
For most anglers, the Ray Scott Trophy and a $300,000 check are the biggest prizes to accompany a Classic victory. But for Fothergill, just being able to compete in the Classic was the ultimate prize. He said every feeling was heightened given his very real brush with mortality less than two years ago.
“It’s indescribable, the trajectory of my life since that first bad moment,” Fothergill said. “Everything has come true that I’ve ever wanted. It’s pretty crazy.”
Fothergill fished with confidence on Lake Ray Roberts, having to switch spots and techniques every day of the tournament. The versatility was necessary as Day 1 was extremely windy, Day 2 was calm, and Championship Sunday was somewhere in between. Rising temperatures started the spawn on Ray Roberts, too, and bass were scattered across the 23,950-acre reservoir as they began moving to shallow water.
As Fothergill would find out, that made getting bites difficult on Ray Roberts. The difference for him was he was able to get big bites every day, something most of his peers couldn’t do.
“Eighty percent of my catches this week came on a 3/32-ounce Neko rig (red bug),” he said. “I caught a couple on an off-white jerkbait, too, but I had confidence in the Neko in the (slightly stained) water.”
Fothergill’s most important catch of the week came mid-afternoon Championship Sunday and with only four bass in his livewell, at that. He spotted a fat bass suspended near a tree in the back of a slough. He went back to the Neko rig, casting delicately to not spook the bass. He said he “lost four baits to that tree within 10 minutes. I just broke them off rather than spook that fish … The funny thing was she swam out and wasn’t even interested in the bait. But then she turned back and just ignited on it.
“I was scared (of losing) at 1 o’clock and with only four fish,” he said. “But that was the fish that got it for me.”
It was another moment in a stretch of unexpected twists in Fothergill’s young life.
Only weeks after his brain surgery in August 2023, he won the 2023 Bassmaster College Bracket presented by Lew’s on Kansas’ Milford Lake. That earned him a spot in last year’s Classic on Oklahoma’s Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees, where he finished 16th. His hot streak continued with wins in two Bassmaster Opens last year, and that performance got him an invitation to fish the 2025 Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series, as well as a berth in this year’s Classic on Ray Roberts.
He stumbled out the gate of the 2025 Elites, finishing 93rd and 101st in the pair of Florida derbies to start the season.
But those less-than-stellar finishes didn’t deter Fothergill. He found his groove on the Coosa River in Alabama, where he retreated and gathered himself between the Florida swing and the Classic. He’s familiar with the Coosa from his time competing for the University of Montevallo and catching fish there settled his nerves.
He started with a bang at the Classic, catching 24-15 on Day 1 (good for third place) and followed with a tournament-high 29-6 on Day 2. That gave him a commanding lead of 8 1/2 pounds, which is exactly the cushion he finished with on Championship Sunday. He caught 22-10 on Day 3, including the 8-pounder, which was the Mercury Big Bass of the Day.
Local favorite Lee Livesay, who hails from Longview, Texas, some 170 miles from Ray Roberts, closed the gap early Sunday and tied Fothergill atop the leaderboard with 58-5 each. The pair traded blows throughout the late morning until Livesay’s bite went slack. That’s when Day 1 leader Trey McKinney ratcheted up pressure on Fothergill.
McKinney, a 20-year-old from Carbondale, Ill., and the 2024 Dakota Lithium Elite Series Rookie of the Year, was in sixth place coming into Championship Sunday. He shot into third place mid-morning courtesy of a fat 7-11 largemouth that put him only 1 pound behind Fothergill and Livesay. By 1 p.m., McKinney was alone in second place, though he still trailed Fothergill by 6-5. He narrowed the gap in a hurry, however, with his fifth keeper — a 6-pounder that put him 2-5 behind the leader.
But Fothergill slammed the door with his 8-pounder, only his fifth keeper of the day.
It was a fitting way to win the sport’s biggest tournament, as it changed the narrative for the young ace from the North Star State. He’s said before he felt others saw him as a hyper-talented angler who had the terrible misfortune of having to undergo brain surgery.
But now, “Classic champion” will precede any other description of him.
“I appreciate everything in life much more now,” he said. “I’m definitely a stronger person.”
McKinney wound up closest to Fothergill with 68-7 over three days. Livesay placed third with 66-10. Rounding out the Super Six are, fourth, Tennessee’s Hunter Shryock 64-14; fifth, Canada’s Cory Johnston, 58-7; and sixth, Florida’s John Cox, 56-13.
John Garrett was the first person outside the cut to 25 for the final day of 55th Bassmaster Classic, but the 8-12 he caught on Day 1 remained the Mercury Big Bass until the end, earning the Tennessee pro $2,500. Fellow Tennessean Brandon Lester hooked the heavy (8-6) on Day 2 and Fothergill’s 8-1 was biggest Day 3, earning both anglers $1,000 prizes.
Fothergill also took home an additional $10,000 for being the highest-placing entrant in the Toyota Bonus Bucks program, while Cox earned $5,000 for being the second-highest placing entrant.
As part of the Yamaha Power Pay program, Fothergill earned an additional $20,000 while Lester claimed an additional $3,000 for being the second-highest placing entrant.
The Fort Worth Sports Commission hosted the event.
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 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.
Fothergill snags 29-6 bag to take commanding lead at Bassmaster Classic
| March 22, 2025
The 22-year-old native of Grand Rapids, Minn., entered Day 2 of the Classic in third place, less than two pounds out of the lead. He had high hopes for Saturday morning, but it didn’t start out exactly as he planned, with only one bass in his livewell at 10 a.m. Then, what he called “the 180” started — and what a turnaround it was. Between 10:28 a.m. and 11:31 a.m., Fothergill caught three hogs that added a whopping 19-10 to his total. He finished the day with a limit of five bass weighing 29-6, giving him a two-day total of 54-5, exactly 8 1/2 pounds more than his nearest competitor. No lead is too big, but the Classic compass clearly points to the young ace from the North Star State. And barring a complete collapse on Championship Sunday, coupled with one of his closest competitors yanking a huge sack of bass, Fothergill is a day away from winning the Ray Scott Bassmaster Classic Trophy and the $300,000 prize that goes with it. Fothergill used sonar electronics to pinpoint his best bass. His flurry began when a jerkbait yielded a 6-13 cruising near the water’s surface. A 5-13 followed a half-hour later and 20 minutes after that, the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series rookie dropped the hammer on a 7-pound hog. There was no doubt Fothergill realized the significance of the moment as he hoisted that fat bass for nearby spectator boats to see. “We’ve got a shot to win tomorrow, boys,” he told the camera operator aboard his boat, his rapid breathing and quivering voice audible through the words of confidence. Fothergill said a key adjustment was vital to his big swing on Saturday. “All week long it’s been extremely windy and the fish I’ve been catching have been at the base of trees, at the bottom, on the rockpiles,” he said. “Today, they were suspended. A lot of the fish I caught were about 2 feet to 6 inches under the water. They were on the surface … I caught that first one on a jerkbait, but ultimately, I’ve been throwing a 3/32-ounce Neko (rig) all week long and today I went to a 1/32-ounce Neko. I was basically throwing it on their heads, but the key was to throw it extremely soft. That’s how high up they were. I had to make no splash, be super stealthy.” Fothergill’s propensity to boat big bass was on display Friday, as well, when he caught fish weighing 6-4 and 6-8. He finished Day 1 in third place with 24-15, putting him only 1-15 behind Day 1 leader Trey McKinney. Following with the heaviest bag of the tournament was huge, but Fothergill knows there’s plenty of work to be done if he’s to win the 55th edition of the world’s most prestigious fishing tournament. “I’ve got to do my best to block (that lead) out,” he said. “We’re in Texas. All I can do is go catch the five biggest ones and see what happens.” Canadian pro Cory Johnston entered the day in second place and remains there with 45-13. He said Ray Roberts’ bass are preparing to spawn, which compels him to fish staging areas and target feisty bass looking to get to shallow beds. “I think I had six bites today,” he said. “Nothing was easy, but I think I figured something out today. I’m looking forward to getting back out there.” Johnston said warmer water temperatures (61.5 degrees where he was fishing mid-afternoon) could help produce big bags on Sunday. “100 percent, they want to spawn,” he said. “They’re ready and they’re coming … I caught all my fish shallow today, 2 feet, 3 feet. I’m just reeling moving baits. If I could see them better, I’d love to fish the spawn. But the water is still a little dingy. I think prespawn is the way to win.” Tennessee’s Hunter Shryock is third with 44-13. He only had three fish for eight pounds until a switch in strategy drew him back into the championship fray. Shryock finished Day 2 with a 23-1 bag. “I had to slow down and start flipping, which really hadn’t shown itself all week,” he said. “(It could have been) the water clearing up. The water may have dropped a little bit. Whatever the reason … I was able to salvage the day … I caught a 7-10 and a 6 in the last hour and a half that obviously catapulted me. I feel like I could catch five of those the way things were going.” Lee Livesay, a Longview, Texas, resident and one of the pre-tournament favorites, is in fourth place with 44-9 heading into Championship Sunday. He caught 21-9 on Friday to follow a 23-pound bag on Day 1. His main lures on Saturday included a pink ChatterBait (with a pink trailer), as well as a 6th Sense Texas-rigged Whale he reeled through milfoil on Ray Roberts. “I’ll do about the same thing tomorrow, but I want to find a fresh group of fish,” Livesay said. “You can’t go doing anything crazy. I’ll open up a couple new areas, try a couple new techniques. But I know the deal. I have to get lucky and have a couple of those 6-pounders eat. And a couple other guys have to stumble.” Livesay likes his chances, despite trailing Fothergill by nearly 10 pounds. “It’s Texas and it’s my backyard,” he said. “You never know what happens on the last day.” Florida veteran John Cox is in fifth place with 44-8. McKinney, the 20-year-old phenom from Carbondale, Ill., who led Day 1 with 26-9, dropped to sixth overall after managing a 15-13 limit on Saturday. The cutline was 28-15. Tennessee pro John Garrett, who leads the Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year points race, finished just outside the cut with 27-8 over two days. He did, however, maintain his lead on the $2,500 Mercury Big Bass prize with the 8-12 largemouth he caught Friday. Fellow Tennessean Brandon Lester won $1,000 for having the big bass (8-6) on Saturday. The final takeoff of the 2025 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour is scheduled for 7:30 a.m. CT from Isle du Bois at Lake Ray Roberts State Park in Pilot Point, Texas. The final weigh-in will begin at 5 p.m. at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth. Takeoffs are scheduled for 7:30 a.m. CT from Isle du Bois at Lake Ray Roberts State Park in Pilot Point, Texas. Weigh-ins begin at 5 p.m. at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth. The Fort Worth Sports Commission is hosting the event. 2025 Bassmaster Classic Title Sponsor: Bass Pro Shops
2025 Bassmaster Classic Presenting Sponsor: Under Armour
2025 Bassmaster Classic Platinum Sponsor: Toyota, Progressive
2025 Bassmaster Classic Premier Sponsors: Bass Pro Shops, Dakota Lithium, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Progressive, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha
2025 Bassmaster Classic Outdoors Expo Presenting Sponsor: GSM Outdoors
2025 Bassmaster Classic Local Partners: Mountain Dew, Anderson Merchandisers, BDS, Cavender's, MAXAM Tire, TNT Fireworks, Busch Light
2025 Bassmaster Classic Youth Forum Sponsor: U.S. Army
2025 Bassmaster Classic Weigh-In Sponsor: Yokohama Tire
2025 Bassmaster Classic Kickoff Party Title Sponsor: Cavender's
2025 Bassmaster Classic Kickoff Party Presenting Sponsor: Resistol
2025 Bassmaster Classic Tailgate Title Sponsor: Progressive
2025 Bassmaster Classic Tailgate Presenting Sponsor: Lippert
2025 Bassmaster Classic Celebrity Pro-Am Title Sponsor: Progressive
2025 Bassmaster Classic Celebrity Pro-Am Presenting Sponsor: Yokohama Tire
2025 Bassmaster Classic Host: Fort Worth Sports Commission
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 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. -30- Connect with #Bassmaster on Facebook, Instagram, Twitte Media Contact: Chad Gay, Communications Manager, 205-313-0945, cgay@bassmaster. |
| 2025 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour 3/21-3/23 Lake Ray Roberts, Fort Worth TX. (ANGLER) Standings Day 2 Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$ 1. Easton Fothergill Grand Rapids , MN 10 54-05 0 BIG BASS ------------------------------ |
McKinney overcomes early nerves to take Day 1 Classic lead
| March 21, 2025
Though conventional wisdom says don’t ever change what’s working, McKinney’s hype song might as well be “The Kids are Alright” by The Who, because things are, indeed, quite alright for the whiz kid from Carbondale, Ill. McKinney, who celebrated his 20th birthday only last month, holds the Day 1 lead in the world’s most-celebrated fishing tournament. His limit of five bass totaled 26-9 and gave him a 1-pound cushion over Canada’s Cory Johnston, who’s in second with 25-9. Rounding out the Top 5 in the 56-angler field are, third, Minnesota’s Easton Fothergill, 24-15; fourth, Wisconsin’s Jay Przekurat, 23-7; and fifth, Texas pro Lee Livesay (who many pundits consider the favorite here,) with 23-0. The entire field will fish again Saturday, and the Top 25 anglers will make Sunday’s cut, with the winner pocketing $300,000 cash. McKinney’s performance in B.A.S.S. events has belied his youth from the start. At 18, he finished second in the Bassmaster Opens EQ standings and became the youngest angler ever to qualify for the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series. He took the Elites by storm, too, winning Dakota Lithium Bassmaster Elite Series Rookie of the Year honors in 2024 and finishing second in the Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings. McKinney started his first Classic with a bang, too, when he hooked a 7-pounder just after 9 a.m. He admitted his nerves were getting the best of him before he hooked that big fish. “I could hardly breathe for a while,” McKinney said. “It was a disaster. I was throwing in trees, throwing in bushes, getting hung up. But you catch a 7-pounder and that makes everything alright. At that point, I knew I just needed to get four more bites. Whether we’re leading it or we’re close, it didn’t matter. What mattered was I didn’t lose it on the first day.” McKinney’s next two catches (a 5-pounder and a 4-8) gave him 16 1/2 pounds and the tournament lead just after 10 a.m. He rounded out his bag with a pair of 4-12 bass caught just after noon. McKinney’s sonar electronics malfunctioned about 1 p.m. on Friday after running through some big waves on the lake, which roiled under steady 15-20 mph winds. But with 26 pounds already in the livewell, McKinney knew he’d put himself in position to make a run at the 55th annual Bassmaster Classic title. He said he’ll continue looking for “fresh ones” — bass that haven’t been fished over in days and perhaps are moving toward shore to spawn. “It’s the end of March,” he said. “They’re coming at some point, whether it’s to spawn or coming to the trees I’m fishing. Some fish are going to be moving around. I want the ones that haven’t seen a bait every five minutes.” Johnston, who finished third in the 2024 AOY standings courtesy of two Elite Series wins, was right behind McKinney with a robust 25-9 limit. He said he’s found a pattern rotating into different water depths and searching for specific cover. He pounded more than 20 different spots Friday on Ray Roberts and expects to do more of the same on Day 2. “Whenever I can find the right cover, I feel like they’ll bite,” Johnston said. “They’re all tight to cover, right on the bottom. I’m not gonna leave any fish out there tomorrow … I didn’t back off today. I went looking for a lot of new water today. I pulled what I could.” Fothergill is third with 24-15 and like McKinney, is accustomed to the spotlight of early success. He finished 16th at last year’s Classic on Oklahoma’s Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees as a 21-year-old, and he notched a pair of Bassmaster Open victories later in 2024. It was a continuation of Fothergill’s memorable 2023 season when he won the Bassmaster College Classic Bracket while a student at the University of Montevallo (Ala.). “It definitely helps, being here at the Classic last year,” he said. “There’s much less nerves this year … I have a lot better understanding of what to expect.” Fothergill caught two of the heaviest bass weighed Friday, including a 6-4 in the morning and a 6-8 just past noon. He said he’s spotting big fish with his electronics, though he’s working hard to excite bites. “I have a pretty good pattern going, fishing four different areas in various places on the lake” he said. “I tried to practice pretty strategically, knowing the wind was going to blow all week long. I had two places out of the wind today and I only hit one of them. That was my goal, to save one of those spots for tomorrow.” Tennessee pro John Garrett, who leads the 2025 Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year points race, caught the Mercury Big Bass on Friday — an 8-12 largemouth. He’s in 21st place with 16-13. Takeoffs are scheduled for 7:30 a.m. CT from Isle du Bois at Lake Ray Roberts State Park in Pilot Point, Texas. Weigh-ins begin at 5 p.m. at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth. The Fort Worth Sports Commission is hosting the event. 2025 Bassmaster Classic Title Sponsor: Bass Pro Shops
2025 Bassmaster Classic Presenting Sponsor: Under Armour
2025 Bassmaster Classic Platinum Sponsor: Toyota, Progressive
2025 Bassmaster Classic Premier Sponsors: Bass Pro Shops, Dakota Lithium, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Progressive, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha
2025 Bassmaster Classic Outdoors Expo Presenting Sponsor: GSM Outdoors
2025 Bassmaster Classic Local Partners: Mountain Dew, Anderson Merchandisers, BDS, Cavender's, MAXAM Tire, TNT Fireworks, Busch Light
2025 Bassmaster Classic Youth Forum Sponsor: U.S. Army
2025 Bassmaster Classic Weigh-In Sponsor: Yokohama Tire
2025 Bassmaster Classic Kickoff Party Title Sponsor: Cavender's
2025 Bassmaster Classic Kickoff Party Presenting Sponsor: Resistol
2025 Bassmaster Classic Tailgate Title Sponsor: Progressive
2025 Bassmaster Classic Tailgate Presenting Sponsor: Lippert
2025 Bassmaster Classic Celebrity Pro-Am Title Sponsor: Progressive
2025 Bassmaster Classic Celebrity Pro-Am Presenting Sponsor: Yokohama Tire
2025 Bassmaster Classic Host: Fort Worth Sports Commission
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 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. -30- Connect with #Bassmaster on Facebook, Instagram, Twitte Media Contact: Chad Gay, Communications Manager, 205-313-0945, cgay@bassmaster. |
|
2025 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour 3/21-3/23 Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$ 1. Trey McKinney Carbondale, IL 5 26-09 0 BIG BASS ------------------------------ |
2024 class of High School All-Americans honored on Bassmaster Classic stage
March 21, 2025
FORT WORTH, Texas — The 2024 Bassmaster High School All-American Fishing Team were treated to a trip to Dickies Arena to be recognized on the 2025 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour stage ahead of the Day 1 weigh-in. This is the first time in the program’s history the All-American class has been honored on the Classic stage.
For the past decade, the Bassmaster High School All-American Fishing Team has recognized and celebrated the top high school anglers across the country. These student-athletes demonstrate outstanding performance on the water, dedication to conservation efforts and commitment to their communities. The 2024 class of 12 talented anglers continued this tradition of excellence and were recognized for this incredible achievement.
Since its inception, the Bassmaster High School All-American program has launched the careers of numerous anglers who have competed at the highest levels, including the St. Croix Bassmaster Opens presented by SEVIIN, Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series and even the prestigious Bassmaster Classic. These young anglers are the future of the sport, inspiring upcoming generations through their skill and dedication.
This year, nearly 300 applications were submitted from 31 states. From this talented pool, 45 students were named Bassmaster All-State Anglers, with the final 12 honorees selected based on their tournament success, conservation initiatives and community service efforts. This year, each All-American was awarded a B.A.S.S. Life Membership.
Meet the 2024 Bassmaster High School All-American Team
Carsen Adcock – Haughton, La.
A junior at Haughton High School, Adcock has four wins, including the 2023 Bassmaster High School Series event on the Red River and the North Louisiana B.A.S.S. Nation event on Toledo Bend. His commitment to community service includes involvement in local churches and lake cleanup initiatives. Academically, he maintains a 3.81 GPA while excelling in multiple extracurricular activities.
Elijah Coleman – Mount Sterling, Ky.
Coleman, a senior at Montgomery County High School, secured three wins, including the 2024 High School Fishing World Finals and National Championship. He has a passion for conservation, assisting Kentucky Fish and Wildlife in habitat restoration, and maintains a 4.0 GPA while balancing an advanced course load.
Max Flatten – Watertown, S.D.
Flatten, a senior at Watertown High School, boasts three wins, including the South Dakota TBF High School State Championship (back-to-back years). He is actively involved in community outreach programs, including Sportsmen Against Hunger and local bass fishing clubs, all while maintaining a 3.35 GPA.
Rylan Hamlin – Jackson, Mich.
Hamlin’s dominance includes 24 wins, highlighted by the 2024 Michigan B.A.S.S. Nation High School State Championship. His passion for mentorship and conservation extends beyond competition, and he balances his dedication to fishing with a 3.59 GPA.
Kyle Herrman – Topeka, Kan.
A senior at Jefferson West High School, Herrman has earned four wins and has qualified for the Bassmaster High School National Championship three times. He actively mentors youth anglers and participates in lake improvement projects while maintaining a 4.0 GPA.
Nicholas Herrman – Topeka, Kan.
The twin brother of Kyle, Nicholas boasts five tournament wins, including the 2024 Kansas TBF High School State Championship. He volunteers in youth fishing programs and maintains a 4.0 GPA, excelling in academics and athletics.
Presley Lannom – Lebanon, Tenn.
Lannom, a junior, secured seven wins, including the 2023 Tennessee B.A.S.S. Nation High School event on Douglas Lake. He is a leader in conservation efforts and maintains a 3.62 GPA while running a podcast featuring professional anglers.
Kael Moore – Cedar Falls, Iowa
Moore, a junior at Cedar Falls High School, has seven wins, including the Iowa High School Bass Team Championship. A multi-sport athlete, he founded his school’s bass team and maintains a 4.0 GPA.
Tanner Moulton – Enfield, N.H.
Moulton, a senior, has nine wins, including the 2023 NHIAA State Championship. He is a student-athlete leader involved in multiple sports and community outreach programs, maintaining a 3.7 GPA.
Grace Olsen – Gardner, Ill.
Olsen, a senior, has one win and eight Top 5 finishes, qualifying her to compete in Zimbabwe with the USAngling USA Bass High School Youth Team. She excels in leadership and community service, maintaining a 3.56 GPA.
Dylan Sorrells – Dallas, Texas
Sorrells has six wins, including the THSBA event on Lake Lewisville, and is the THSBA Metro Division Angler of the Year. He dedicates over 300 hours to youth fishing education and maintains a 3.43 GPA.
Joe Vaulton – Knoxville, Tenn.
Vaulton, a senior, has eight wins and two Angler of the Year titles. He is heavily involved in conservation, tournament fundraising, and mentorship programs while maintaining a 4.2 GPA.
Congratulations to the 2024 Bassmaster High School All-American Team.
2025 Bassmaster High School Series Title Sponsor: Strike King
2025 Bassmaster High School Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota
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
2025 Bassmaster High School Series Supporting Sponsors: AFTCO, Daiwa, Garmin, Lew's, Lowrance, Marathon, Triton Boats, VMC
2025 Bassmaster High School Series Youth Sponsors: Seaguar, Shimano
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 500,000-member 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.
Hammond makes all the right adjustments to win Kayak Championship
March 21, 2025
YANTIS, Texas — Nothing went as planned for North Carolina’s Wyatt Hammond during the 2025 Yamaha Rightwaters Bassmaster Kayak Series Championship scored by TourneyX. Fortunately, every adjustment he made produced big largemouth bass.
The Fayetteville, N.C., angler landed a 111.25-inch limit to win the coveted trophy, filling his limit with four bass measuring 22 inches or better along with one 21.75-incher during the 11 hour, one-day shootout.
It is Hammonds biggest tournament limit ever.
“This is unreal. Absolutely wild,” he said. “It wasn’t until midday when I started really catching fish and thinking I had a shot. One thing would happen, and I would shake it off and go to the next. Looking back, keeping my head in the game the entire time is what got me here.
“It seemed like every time I set the hook it was a 20-incher.”
Georgia’s Joshua Diehl finished second with 106.75 inches followed by South Carolina’s Bennett Nall, also with 106.75 inches.
Originally scheduled as a two-day tournament, high winds forced the cancellation of the first day of the tournament, forcing a one-day, 11-hour shootout on Thursday. The anglers made the most of their extended day, with 16 anglers reaching the 100-inch mark or better and 39 anglers landing 90 inches or better.
Hammond has fished in Texas only one other time — last fall at Caddo Lake. Nothing from that experience assisted him this week. He instead elected to target the types of hard cover that he finds success with around in his home state. Docks, a pond dam, riprap and rock were all key pieces of cover.
“Luckily, I got away from the trees, which is what I was trying to do. I wanted hard cover. Docks, points, stuff we fish in North Carolina,” Hammond explained.
A 3/8-ounce homemade jig paired with a Berkley MaxScent Creature Hawg caught all of the bass in his final bag. Humminbird Mega LIVE imaging helped Hammond make pinpoint casts to the docks bigger bass were holding on.
“I had a lot of fish following glidebaits and following ChatterBaits,” Hammond said. “I could see them on Mega LIVE following those baits. Everyone on Fork is throwing minnows, glidebaits and jerkbaits, so I wanted to throw something different that they hadn’t seen a lot. They hadn’t eaten it all week until yesterday. I told some people I didn’t think these bass ate anything being dragged across the bottom. But on tournament day, they ate something being dragged on the bottom.”
Throughout the day, Hammond was forced to make several pivots, but each turned into something better than he could have expected.
“Pulling up to a pocket and having someone sitting in there and being like, ‘Okay it’s no problem, I’ll fish over here in the meantime,’ and then catching an 8-pounder is crazy,” he said. “Then a boat drives over your spot, and you move on and find a brand-new school with 30 minutes left before lines-out and catch an 8-pounder; It is awesome.”
After practice, Hammond planned on tossing a ChatterBait in drains, but the first spot he pulled up to had a boat fishing it. He moved to his next spot and landed a 21-incher within his first couple of casts. He then caught two 20-inchers and knew things could play out how he wanted to.
He filled out an impressive limit measuring over 106 inches, and while he caught multiple 18-, 19- and 20-inch bass, he wasn’t able to cull up to his final tally until late in the day when he stumbled on that new school of bass. He landed an 8-pounder during that flurry to clinch the victory.
Everything he caught was in 8 feet of water or less.
After a horrendous practice and a trailer breakdown, Diehl anchored his 106.75-inch limit with a 23.50-inch largemouth.
“I have no regrets,” he said. “This was an amazing experience. It ranks in the Top 5 of all my performances. This is a dream come true. My goal was just to walk across the stage. Leaving with second place, I’m happy to be here.”
The Georgia angler experienced one of the most unusual ChatterBait bites in the Glade area of the lake. Fishing a drain with stumps in 2 to 4 feet of water, Diehl would pitch his Z-Man ChatterBait Elite Evo to the stump, drop it, and lightly shake it.
The bass would eat it and then sit next to the cover with the bait in its mouth.
“I started finding more bucks when I was following the drain. As I went back, I was seeing more and more bass relating to the ditch itself,” he said. “I continued to scan, and I made a cast towards a piece of timber, and I got hung up at the top of it. I dragged it through and when I did that, I let it drop to fix some line, and a fish sat on it. That was a 22.5. That’s when I realized they wanted it slow.”
Hailing from Anderson, S.C., Nall experienced the best hour of fishing in his life during this tournament, landing everything in his final 106.75-inch limit in the final moments of the tournament.
“It was the most magical day of fishing or even an hour of fishing I’ve experienced in my life,” he said. “I knew I had to find something really special.”
He landed just one keeper bass in practice; Nall was just hoping to score one bass in the tournament. With three hours left he looked at the leaderboard and saw the crazy totals, and knew hungry prespawners would be his key.
“The only way I knew how to do that was to chuck and wind a Rat-L-Trap,” Nall said. “I did that on clay points with a channel swing pushing up against it. One particular point, I pulled up to it and caught a 21 1/2 the first cast. I came back and made the same cast again and caught a 21 1/4. The next 20 to 30 minutes, I caught five over 20.”
A Rapala lipless crankbait was his key bait, mostly because it was the last lipless bait left in his tacklebox.
Ewing Minor anchored his fourth-place 106.25-inch limit with the Big Bass of the Tournament, a 24.25-inch largemouth he landed on a jerkbait.
The Top 14 finishers cashed a check.
Full results from the 2025 Yamaha Rightwaters Bassmaster Kayak Series Championship scored by TourneyX can be found here.
The Wood County Economic Development Commission hosted the event.
2025 Bassmaster Kayak Championship Sponsor: Yamaha Rightwaters
2025 Bassmaster Kayak Series Title Sponsor: Newport
2025 Bassmaster Kayak Series Presenting Sponsor: Native Watercraft2025 Bassmaster Kayak Series Angler of the Year Sponsor: Dakota Lithium
Limited edition legacy lures released at Bassmaster Classic
Heddon, Cordell, Norman lures commemorate 25th anniversary of Bass Fishing Hall of Fame
Ft. Worth, Texas — A series of limited-edition lures bearing the autographs of five members of the inaugural Bass Fishing Hall of Fame induction class will soon be available for sale to lure collectors and fans of the sport.
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Matt Arey Has a Score to Settle with Ray Roberts
The last time the Bassmaster Classic was held in Fort Worth, Matt Arey was one of the last two anglers on the stage inside Dickie’s Arena. Arey sat in the hot-seat, as eventual champion Hank Cherry weighed his fish, besting the Team Toyota pro by less than two pounds. Arey is a consummate professional, and he congratulated his friend Hank, before walking off the stage shaking his head at what might have been.
Arey is not afraid to admit coming in second place in the Bassmaster Classic hurt. It hurt bad. The North Carolina native licked his wounds and promptly put the pain of his second place behind him, using it as motivation to get back to the Classic and put himself in position to win this event once again.
This morning Arey idled out of Isle Du Bois State Park with a clean slate, getting another shot at Lake Ray Roberts after coming ever so close to hoisting bass fishing’s biggest trophy in the summer of 2021.
“Ray Roberts may be the same lake that we fished in 2021, but this tournament is a whole different animal,” Arey explained. “The water level was six-feet higher, and we competed the 2021 Classic in June due to COVID restrictions. I was flipping and frogging flooded bushes. I’ll still be power fishing this week, but there isn’t a flooded bush to be found on Ray Roberts right now. The only similarity is how I’m approaching this event, with only one goal… to win.”
You might think that would be Arey’s goal in every event he competes in, but the truth is, it’s not. You see, Arey is a realest and extremely analytical. He approaches tournament bass fishing like a calculated businessman versus a gambler. His main goal in regular season Elite events is to cash checks, stack up solid points, and make championship events.
Obviously if the opportunity presents itself to content for a win, Arey will take more risks, but for the most part he is perfectly fine with consistency instead of the “hero or zero” mentality. You may criticize this mindset, but you can’t argue it has worked out for the even-keeled tournament veteran.
The 2025 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour is Arey’s sixth straight Classic appearance, and if you factor in his time at FLW before coming to B.A.S.S. this is his 15th straight championship event. The proof is in the pudding. Arey’s system works.
But Arey knows the Classic is not like a regular season event. Points do not matter here, only prizes. He makes a deliberate effort to change how he practices and approaches this event. Aiming for a win and nothing else.
“I literally do not care if I finish second or 50th this week, if it’s not a win it doesn’t matter,” Arey said. “I’ve learned the hard way that no one remembers who finishes runner up in this event. With a win or bust mentality, it’s hard to be satisfied with practice for this tournament, but I think fans are in for a show this weekend. It’s March in Texas with a warming trend… big things are going to happen.”
Hopefully Arey is one of the anglers who makes big things happen and puts on a show for fishing fans here in Fort Worth. Several members of the Arey family will be among the packed crowd inside Dickie’s Arena. Led by his wife and #1 teammate, Emily, Arey’s family supports and cheers him on regardless of his on the water performance.
“This tournament is very special for my family,” Arey said emotionally. “They know what this event means. They were there and helped pick me up back in 2021 after it felt like I got kicked in the gut by one of the bulls they have down at the historic Stockyards. Family is everything to us, and I can’t tell you how much it means to have their unwavering support.”
Yamaha Power Pay Pick Three from Classic Media Day
It’s media day at the 2025 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour and the anxious excitement from anglers, fans, and media alike is tangible. The Classic is unlike any other bass tournament and with the start of the event just a few hours away, the collective mood of the competitors is changing as the weight of the opportunity in front becomes more and more real.
The volatile wind and weather this week have added an element of the unknown for Classic competitors, as they prepare to compete for $300,000 and a life-changing trophy. There is an additional $20,000 on the line for anglers running a Yamaha Outboard in the Classic through the Yamaha Power Pay program. Which rewards anglers who compete in one of the over 500 supported tournaments and are the highest finishing person (or team) running an eligible Yamaha motor.
We caught up with Yamaha pros Carl Jocumsen, Justin Atkins, and defending champion Justin Hamner to gain a little insight of their thoughts and gameplans going into the Classic.
Q – What are three lures / techniques you expect to play a role on Ray Roberts this weekend?
Jocumsen – “Big swimbait for sure, a big jig, and a spinnerbait.”
Atkins – “A squarebill crankbait, a bigger swimbait like a Berkley Cull Shad, and a flipping jig.”
Hamner – “A jerkbait, a crankbait, and a neko worm if the wind would ever lay down a bit.”
Q – What are the three ‘loudest’ variables running through your mind going into day one of the Classic tomorrow?
Jocumsen – “Rotation of areas, terms of dealing with other competitors. Managing the wind, in terms of travel time between spots. And then timing, in terms of decision making on when to focus deep versus shallow. Those three are taking up some brain space this week.”
Atkins – “Wind, wind, and wind. Nah, wind is definitely number one, but fishing pressure and getting away from the crowd is another. Lastly is time management. It’s going to be tough to move around the lake tomorrow, so time management will be key.”
Hamner – Number one, the wind. The wind has been difficult for everyone this week. Number two, where I’m going to eat dinner at each night. Number three, has been trying to find good sweet tea. I’m a Milo’s man, usually, and it’s been tough to find.”
Q – Pick two anglers you expect to do well and a third who is your pick to win the 2025 Classic.
Jocumsen – “Lee Livesay and Jordan Lee are two anglers I expect to do well. Then I’m picking myself to win. Always bet on yourself!”
Atkins – “Pat Schlapper is going to win this thing. I’m calling it. Then I’d say Zaldain and Livesay are on the short list to do well. They are locals, after all.”
Hamner – “I’m going to win this thing and go back-to-back. Then I’d pick Lee Livesay for his local advantage and Patty (Patrick) Walters because he always catches them.”
Q – What are you going to spend the $20,000 Yamaha Power Pay bonus on if you win it Sunday?
Jocumsen – “Man, that would be nice! I’d take my wife (Kayla) on a holiday. We’d take a trip to the beach, somewhere we haven’t been.”
Atkins – “If I was smart that money would go into a retirement fund, but realistically it would probably go into a deer hunting lease or two… and a new bow and arrow.”
Hamner – “Last year we used our Yamaha money to pay for a trip to Disney World. It was a blast, man, so we’d go back there. A Disney World trip and maybe a new pair of tennis shoes.”
5 Classic questions with Vexus pro John Cox
Q: “Bassmaster Classic Week” is pressure packed and super busy, but what’s been the most fun part of your week so far.
JC: Figuring out how to get bites in practice. Seriously, beyond all the sponsor dinners and stuff, the simple reward of figuring out how to get bites never stops being a blast.
Q: How would you summarize Lake Ray Roberts for fans?
JC: Fans can expect to see a lot of 4 to 6-pound fish weighed-in and have fun with the fact this lake is very capable of showcasing bass over 10-pounds.
Q: Tell fans three baits you know you’ll have tied on to begin the 2025 Bassmaster Classic on Lake Ray Roberts.
JC: A 1/2 -ounce Berkley Power Blade spinnerbait. A thin-sided rattling bait called the Berkley Jack, and a Berkley Frittside 5.
Q: What will be the biggest challenge in this Bassmaster Classic?
JC: That’s easy, dealing with the insane gusting winds that have been crazy through practice and will continue to blow through the Classic.
Q: How has your Vexus AVX 2100 aluminum performed in 40-50 mph gusts this week?
JC: Amazingly well. Big winds bring big waves, and most aluminum boats don’t do well in absorbing the shock of those rides like this Vexus does. There’s no rattling or banging, and it’s got those awesome AirWave® pedestal seats, so I feel super comfortable being able to go where I want to fish.
Crawford, Wagner get last laugh with win at Bassmaster Classic Celebrity Pro-Am
March 19, 2025
FORT WORTH, Texas — Comedian and actor Lavell Crawford and Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series rookie Emil Wagner teamed up to win the 2nd annual Progressive Bassmaster Classic Celebrity Pro-Am driven by Yokohama Tire to kick off the extravaganza of activities that surround the 2025 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour in Fort Worth, Texas.
“I called (the win) … I called it,” Crawford said. “You got to think things into existence if you want it. I had a great time. It was so fun. Emil’s a great kid and we had a good time out there on the water.
“They said I didn’t catch anything, but hey, man, I put in work. I would have caught them if they had bit my line, that’s all I can say,” Crawford laughed.
The team won a set of Yokohama tires and a $2,500 Bass Pro Shops gift card.
The Pro-Am boasted a wide variety of celebrity guests, ranging from NFL, NASCAR, WWE and Olympic athletes to musicians, actors, comedians and other celebrities. The star-studded field teamed with a host of pro anglers, including pros from the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series and the St. Croix Bassmaster Opens presented by SEVIIN, in kicking off Classic week events.
The Pro-Am celebrates the meteoric rise of competitive fishing in pop culture and featured teams of celebrities matched with some of the world’s best anglers.
The celebrity guests featured included:
- Social media influencer and reigning Bassmaster Classic Pro-Am champion Hood Fishing Entertainment
- Barstool Sports talent/host Sydnie Wells
- Tennessee Titans defensive linebacker Jeffery Simmons
- Baltimore Ravens guard Ben Cleveland
- Three-time Olympic gold medalist for shot put and discus Ryan Crouser
- NASCAR Cup Series driver Ross Chastain
- Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen
- Social media personality Justin Chiasson (Stalekracker)
- Comedian and actor Lavell Crawford
- U.S Marine Veteran & Medal of Honor recipient Dakota Meyer
- BlacktipH content creator/designer Jake Jorgensen
- Bluegrass music artist Billy Strings
- Southern Methodist University Head Football Coach Rhett Lashlee
- Los Angeles Rams offensive lineman Kevin Dotson
- 8-year NFL veteran Barkevious Mingo
- WWE Superstar Bron Breakker
- WWE Superstar Tony D’Angelo
- TV personality Heavy D (Diesel Brothers)
- TV personality Diesel Dave (Diesel Brothers)
- Canadian TV personality Pat Roach (Trailer Park Boys)
- Dallas Cowboys linebacker Damone Clark
- 12-year NFL veteran Trent Cole
Celebrities in the Pro-Am were paired with some of the biggest names in bass fishing, including:
- 50-year Bassmaster pro and four-time Bassmaster Classic champion Rick Clunn
- 30-year Bassmaster pro and Bassmaster Classic champion Mike Iaconelli
- Two-time Bassmaster Angler of the Year and 20-time Bassmaster Classic qualifier Gerald Swindle
- Bassmaster Elite Series rookie Andrew Loberg
- Two-time Bassmaster Elite Series champion and Bassmaster Rookie of the Year Joey Cifuentes
- Two-time Bassmaster High School All-American Tucker Smith
- Sixteen-time Bassmaster Classic qualifier and Bassmaster Classic champion Randy Howell
- 2021 B.A.S.S. Nation champion Matty Wong
- Two-time Bassmaster Opens champion and Bassmaster Team Championship champion Matt Robertson
- 2021 Bassmaster Northern Opens Angler of the Year Jonathan Kelley
- Three-time Elite Series champion Steve Kennedy
- Bassmaster Elite Series rookie Emil Wagner
- Two-time Bassmaster Angler of the Year and six-time Bassmaster Elite Series champion Brandon Palaniuk
- Bassmaster Elite Series champion Luke Palmer
- Two-time Bassmaster Elite Series champion Bill Lowen
- Three-time Bassmaster Opens champion Stephen Browning
- Bassmaster Opens champion Cliff Crochet
- Bassmaster Elite Series rookie and Bassmaster College Series champion Beau Browning
- Bassmaster Elite Series rookie Paul Marks
- Bassmaster Elite Series newcomer and seven-year professional angler Dakota Ebare
- Bassmaster Opens champion and Bassmaster College Classic Bracket champion Tristan McCormick
- Bassmaster Opens pro and BassmastHER ambassador Anastasia Patterson
The pairings for the 2025 Bassmaster Classic Progressive Celebrity Pro-Am driven by Yokohama Tire were:
- Dakota Ebare and Hood Fishing Entertainment
- Joey Cifuentes and Ben Cleveland
- Tucker Smith and Sydnie Wells
- Rick Clunn and Ross Chastain
- Gerald Swindle and Dakota Meyer
- Mike Iaconelli and Billy Strings
- Matty Wong and Diesel Dave (Diesel Brothers)
- Matt Robertson and Tony D’Angelo
- Jonathan Kelley and Jake Jorgensen
- Steve Kennedy and Rhett Lashlee
- Brandon Palaniuk and Heavy D (Diesel Brothers)
- Luke Palmer and Pat Roach (Trailer Park Boys)
- Bill Lowen and Bron Breakker
- Cliff Crochet and Justin Chiasson (Stalekracker)
- Beau Browning and Ryan Crouser
- Emil Wagner and Lavell Crawford
- Paul Marks and Kevin Dotson
- Andrew Loberg and Barkevious Mingo
- Randy Howell and Jeffery Simmons
- Stephen Browning and Trent Cole
- Tristan McCormick and Patrick Queen
- Anastasia Patterson and Damone Clark
Coverage of the 2025 Bassmaster Classic Progressive Celebrity Pro-Am driven by Yokohama Tire will be presented on The Roku Channel on April 5.
2025 Bassmaster Classic Progressive Celebrity Pro-Am Driven by Yokohama 3/19-3/19
Eagle Mountain Lake , Fort Worth TX.
Team
1. Emil Wagner - Lavell Crawford
Day 1: 2 12-09 Total: 2 12-09
2. Brandon Palaniuk - Heavy D
Day 1: 1 10-12 Total: 1 10-12
3. Beau Browning - Ryan Crouser
Day 1: 4 09-15 Total: 4 09-15
4. Steve Kennedy - Rhett Lashlee
Day 1: 2 09-15 Total: 2 09-15
5. Joey Cifuentes III - Ben Cleveland
Day 1: 3 08-10 Total: 3 08-10
6. Rick Clunn - Ross Chastain
Day 1: 4 06-09 Total: 4 06-09
7. Jonathan Kelley - Jake Jorgensen
Day 1: 2 06-00 Total: 2 06-00
8. Randy Howell - Jeffrey Simmons
Day 1: 2 05-01 Total: 2 05-01
9. Dakota Ebare - Hood Fishing Entertainment
Day 1: 2 05-00 Total: 2 05-00
10. Cliff Crochet - Stalekracker
Day 1: 1 04-08 Total: 1 04-08
11. Matty Wong - Diesel Dave
Day 1: 2 03-15 Total: 2 03-15
12. Paul Marks - Kevin Dotson
Day 1: 2 03-14 Total: 2 03-14
13. Tucker Smith - Sydnie Wells
Day 1: 1 03-09 Total: 1 03-09
14. Stephen Browning - Trent Cole
Day 1: 1 03-00 Total: 1 03-00
14. Michael Iaconelli - Billy Strings
Day 1: 1 03-00 Total: 1 03-00
16. Andrew Loberg - Barkevious Mingo
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
16. Bill Lowen - Bronson Steiner
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
16. Tristan McCormick - Patrick Queen
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
16. Luke Palmer - Pat Roach
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
16. Anastasia Patterson - Damone Clark
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
16. Matt Robertson - Tony D'Angelo
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
16. Gerald Swindle - Dakota Meyer
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
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Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 0 30 96-05
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0 30 96-05
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Progressive provides insurance for personal and commercial autos and trucks, motorcycles, boats, recreational vehicles and homes; it is the second-largest personal auto insurer in the country, a leading seller of commercial auto, motorcycle, boat and RV insurance, and one of the top 15 homeowners insurance carriers.
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About Yokohama Tire Corporation
Yokohama Tire Corporation is the North American manufacturing and marketing arm of Tokyo, Japan-based The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., a global manufacturing and sales company of premium tires since 1917. Servicing an extensive sales network throughout the U.S., Yokohama Tire Corporation is a leader in technology, innovation, sustainable manufacturing and environmentally conscious products. The company’s complete product line includes tires for high-performance, light truck, passenger car, and commercial truck and bus. For more information on Yokohama’s broad product line, visit yokohamatire.com and yok
Yokohama is a strong supporter of the tire care and safety guidelines established by the U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association and the National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration. Details can be found at the “Tires 101” section at yokohamatire.com.
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 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.
$10,000 Bonus on the Line from Toyota
Anglers competing in the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour now have 10,000 more reasons to tow their boats with a Toyota this week in Fort Worth. $10,000 will be up for grabs for the highest finishing Classic competitor driving a 2021 or newer Toyota tow vehicle through Toyota’s popular contingency program “Bonus Bucks”.
This payout has increased for the 2025 Classic, up from $7,500 in past years. Also new for 2025, the second and third highest finishing Classic competitors driving a Toyota will earn $5,000 and $3,000 payments, respectively.
Elite Series pro John Cox has capitalized on Bonus Bucks rewards numerous times throughout his 14-years as a full-time professional fisherman and has his eyes on the prize this week.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to win quite a bit of money through Bonus Bucks and I want to get my hands on this ‘Happy Gilmore’ check,” Cox joked. “Last year I was the second highest Toyota driver in the Classic and the first highest in REDCREST. I actually used that money on a down payment for my new Tundra this year, which was so nice. I’ve been handing down my old trucks to my kids, cause they are all driving now, so we just keep adding them to the family.”
He and his wife, Melissa, have a driveway full of Toyota tow-vehicles at their Florida home and value the added opportunity from Toyota as well as the brand’s steadfast support of tournament bass fishing. Melissa has spent plenty of time behind the wheel of her husband’s trucks, as she often has had to serve as John’s driver and teammate, helping him manage a famously jam-packed tournament schedule.
“We love the trucks, and I definitely love the extra bonuses,” Melissa Cox said. “We have four Toyotas in our driveway at home, three Tundras and a 4Runner. Obviously, Toyota isn’t a sponsor of John’s but through Bonus Bucks we’ve really felt the love from the brand, and everyone feels like family.”
When questioned what they’d spend this year’s increased Classic Bonus Bucks payout on if they were to win it, Cox was quick to consider a high-dollar cleaning service for his fishing-tackle-filled garage. What Cox lacks in tackle organization, he makes up for with humor and his uncanny ability to catch bass in shallow water and notch top finishes regardless of the fishery or time of year.
While Cox was quick to admit he did not have a stellar practice on Lake Ray Roberts, it would surprise no one to see his name near the top of the leaderboard as the 56th annual Super Bowl of Bass Fishing plays out.
Toyota Bonus Bucks rewards far more than just Classic competitors. With over 620 supported tournaments, including team trails, college and even kayak events, you can reap the rewards of Bonus Bucks just like the pros. To learn more or see a full list of tournaments head to: www.toyotatrucksbonusbucks.com/events.
Superior Small Storage
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Based on angler demand, DAIWA adds new smaller sizes to the D-BOX series |
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FOOTHILL RANCH, CA (March 18, 2025) – Slap a logo on something and call it day. Perhaps fine for some, but that’s not the DAIWA way… Last season, DAIWA introduced the D-BOX series, and it was an instant hit. Now, the innovative fishing company is introducing the 2025 D-BOX series, consisting of four smaller models. Not your average fishing utility box, DAIWA’s D-BOX features a clear lid for quick identification of its contents. That same durable lid is sealed shut with four robust latch closures. Speaking of sealing, all sizes also include rubber gasket rimming on the inside of the lid to keep the contents weathertight, free from moisture intrusion. As a result of its sealed status, when locked shut, DAIWA’s D-VEC utility boxes float! Accidentally drop it in the drink and it’ll bob on the surface for retrieval. A unique addition to the array of smaller D-BOX collection is the new Small Shallow Universal model that features a slotted silicon panel that’s perfect for the organization of jigheads, small pre-rigged swimbaits, hair jigs, among dozens of other applications. The slotted silicone is resistant to tearing and helps make sure hook points aren’t compromised. D-BOX FEATURES:
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2025 D-BOX Small Shallow Universal (SSU)
MSRP $21.99 |
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MSRP $13.99 |
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MSRP $13.99 |
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MSRP $15.99 |
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For DAIWA’s latest color catalog and/or information on DAIWA dealers in your area, call DAIWA’s Customer Service Department at 562-375-6800 or e-mail inquiries to: CSR@DAIWA.com. The URL for DAIWA’s web site is daiwa.us |
MLF Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats to Visit Harris Chain of Lakes
LEESBURG, Fla. (March 18, 2025) – Event No. 2 of the Major League Fishing (MLF) Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats Southern division is scheduled to take place next week, March 27-29, in Leesburg, Florida – the Toyota Series at the Harris Chain of Lakes Presented by Suzuki Marine.
The three-day tournament, hosted by Discover Lake County, Florida, 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.
Pro Tyler Sheppard of Yulee, Florida, knows the Harris Chain well, with seven top-10 finishes – including a BFL win in 2023 and a 6th-place finish in the 2024 Toyota Series event. But this time, Sheppard brings a little extra inspiration – he just became a father, welcoming his newborn son home from the hospital on Monday.
“It’s been a whirlwind,” Sheppard said. “He was born on Friday, and it’s been incredible. I’m running on about no sleep, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Hopefully, I can carry some of that ‘dad energy’ into the tournament.”
Sheppard expects this event to showcase a variety of patterns across the Harris Chain, with anglers able to fish to their strengths.
“There are going to be prespawn, spawning, and postspawn fish, so it’s wide open,” he said. “The grass is always a player, and if you find the right group of fish, it can carry you for three days. But there are also plenty of opportunities for big fish on crankbaits or swimbaits, especially in the lower lakes like Apopka.”
The decision to run to Lake Apopka will be critical for some, as it’s known for producing big limits but comes with the risk of limited fishing time.
“It’s a gamble with the locks, but it’s a place where you don’t need long to get right if you can make it work,” Sheppard added.
On his deck, Sheppard plans to keep Florida staples tied on, including a 6th Sense Divine Swim Jig for grass fishing and a bladed jig for targeting bigger bites.
“If there’s a flipping bite for spawners, a 6th Sense Creature bait will also come into play,” he said.
As for what it will take to win, Sheppard believes consistency will be key.
“I’d say 67 to 70 pounds over three days will probably get it done,” he predicted. “It’s Florida, so you’ll need at least one big day, but you also have to back it up with solid limits.”
Anglers will begin each day at 7:30 a.m. ET, launching from the Ski Beach at the Venetian Gardens, located at 201 E. Lake Harris Drive in Leesburg. Weigh-ins will take place at the same location, starting at 3:30 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. Strike King 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. Strike King co-anglers cast 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 Strike King 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 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, 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.
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.
Texas natives Golding, Marks chosen as recipients of Bass Fishing Hall of Fame’s Meritorious Service Award
SPRINGFIELD, Mo.— For Immediate Release — Mar. 18, 2025 — When talk begins to center around the significant figures in the history of Texas bass fishing, no conversation is complete without a mention and nod to Earl Golding and Phil Marks.
Both were proud Texans whose vast contributions to the sport made them easy choices to receive the Meritorious Service Award from the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame. Golding was a Waco-based sportswriter who is credited with starting the first competitive bass tournament while Marks played a pivotal role in developing numerous tournament-proven baits for Strike King that turned into top sellers.
Both Golding and Marks will be honored posthumously at a Hall of Fame function Thursday, March 20 in Fort Worth, Texas. They are the sixth and seventh recipients, respectively, of the MSA.
“Learning more about these two gentlemen through our Board’s process in honoring them with the Meritorious Service Award allowed me to gain a deeper appreciation for the impact they had and still have on the sport of bass fishing,” said BFHOF Board President John Mazurkiewicz. “It will be the Board’s honor to celebrate this special recognition with Earl’s and Phil’s family, friends and industry associates in their home state of Texas at one the biggest annual events in the bass fishing world.”
When the late bass fishing legend and Hall of Famer Ray Scott recognizes you by saying "Earl … without a doubt should be considered a forefather of competitive bass fishing," millions of bass angler deserve to know more about Golding.
He began his career at the Waco (Texas) Tribune-Herald as a sports reporter in 1949 and began covering Texas’ flourishing hunting and fishing scenes a year later. In 1955, he hatched the idea of a fishing tournament to be sponsored by the newspaper as a way to determine who was the best bass angler in the state. Held at the newly-impounded Lake Whitney, the invitation-only tournament was the first of its kind not only in Texas, but in the nation. Seventy-five anglers were invited and 73 showed up to fish.
As word of the tournament spread, Golding received letters from anglers across the state expressing interest in competing the following year. In response, Golding instituted an open format, and the event has been going strong ever since. This year’s Texas State Bass Tournament, as it’s presently known, is scheduled for April 26-27 at Toledo Bend Reservoir. The event will mark its 70th anniversary in 2026. It is believed to be the world’s oldest “open” bass fishing competition and has maintained the tradition of awarding the tournament champion only a commemorative wall plaque that carries the inscription “Winner of the State Tournament”. There is no cash payout.
Golding, with support from his wife, Martha, served as the tournament director for 25 years and did so without receiving any compensation. In 1998, Golding was the fifth inductee in the Texas Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame. He passed away in 2007 at age 81.
While Golding created the tournament framework for anglers to scratch their competitive itch, Marks spearheaded the development of baits that helped anglers from all backgrounds catch more fish.
Marks was a proud graduate of Texas A&M and spent his professional life in the fishing industry. He served as Strike King’s head of research and development and vice president of sales for many years. He collaborated with key pro anglers to design and refine baits that helped win numerous titles at every level of tournament angling. From Bassmaster Classic titles, Bassmaster and FLW Angler of the Year titles and numerous wins across the Bassmaster, FLW and MLF circuits and events worldwide, Marks helped solidify Strike King’s status as a premier lure manufacturer. It’s difficult to truly measure Marks’ influence and accomplishments within the fishing industry.
“Phil Marks was instrumental in the success of Strike King in many ways,” said former Strike King president John Barns. “Not only was he a talented and innovative lure designer, he was also very involved in selling Strike King products to several of our largest accounts nationwide. He was an incredible fisherman as well, winning countless tournaments, many times using lures that he designed. Phil was bigger than life in the fishing industry and had close relationships with many professional fishermen and industry leaders. He was loved and respected by all. His mark on the industry will be felt for years to come.”
One of his signature creations was the Strike King 10 XD crankbait, which he introduced to the world during his victory at the 2012 Sam Rayburn FLW Tour Open. He used a prototype version of the bait, along with other Strike King lures, to amass 82 pounds over four days, including a 32-pound, 12-ounce limit on the final day. That win and the exposure it created for the 10 XD catapulted the lure to one of the all-time winningest baits in major tournament history.
Outside of his business pursuits and his passion for the outdoors, Marks was a devoted family man, coaching sports teams for his children and sharing his passion for life with family and friends. He passed away at age 55 in 2020.
“The best words I have to describe Phil is that he uniquely embodied everything that is right about the fishing industry and this lifestyle we’re all so passionate about,” said Ken Eubanks, CEO of Rather Outdoors, Strike King’s parent company. “Phil was unique, genuine and authentic in everything he did, both within his profession, and his life overall. He is deeply missed, and I consider him a truly irreplaceable part of our company, and my life, along with the many other lives he’s touched over the years.”
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The Bass Fishing Hall of Fame is a nonprofit organization led by a volunteer board of directors and is dedicated to celebrating, promoting and preserving the sport of bass fishing. Since 2017, the Hall’s inductees and memorabilia representing the history of bass fishing have been showcased in Johnny Morris’ Wonders of Wildlife Museum and Aquarium in Springfield, Mo., where it has rapidly become a popular destination. Bass Fishing Hall of Fame induction ceremonies are held annually on the last Thursday in September at the White River Conference Center inside Wonders of Wildlife. For more information about the Hall, its mission, and to become a supporting member, visit www.BassFishingHOF.com, or contact BFHOF executive director Barbara Bowman at bbowman@bassfishinghof.com.
Huff Laments Recent Weather Trends, Looking forward to Better Fishing
Courtesy of Dynamic Sponsorships / Photo Credit: Andy Crawford, Bassmaster
Toyota Bonus Bucks pro Cody Huff has battled severe weather and increased fishing pressure to have a chance in the Bassmaster Classic.
If you’ve been watching television or your weather apps the past few days, you’re likely aware of the severe storms that moved through much of the country. It has been a struggle for everyone, and the Bassmaster Classic qualifiers have been both sympathetic and empathetic.
Toyota Bonus Bucks pro Cody Huff is one of the young phenoms in this sport and with high hopes and a large paycheck on the line, he’s reporting a tough practice due to the weather conditions.
“Practice was brutally tough on me and I’m not posturing or anything of the sort,” Huff said. “I’m struggling to get bites whether they’re big, small or somewhere in the middle. You would think this would be a good time of year to fish because everything is lining up perfect and the water is warming. You kind of have your choice between 50-degree pre-spawn bass and 60-degree spawning bass. It lines up for a slugfest because we all know this lake has big ones, but ‘how many’ is the important question.”
The perceived scarcity of quality fish has many anglers worried but Huff remains steadfast in his approach. Although the weather was a big-time factor the first few days of practice, the young Ozarks angler is trying his best to stick to his plan as Mother Nature allows.
“The first day of practice was absolutely crazy,” Huff said. “The wind and waves were definitely wild, but the biggest issue was the inability to efficiently navigate the lake. It’s hard to move around and explore a new fishery you don’t really know anything about. But there’s always a silver lining—these conditions have made me settle down a little more and run less on my big motor, which means I get to keep the trolling motor down and fish more. We are definitely being tested by the elements this week.”
With Huff coming from the Bull Shoals and Table Rock region, there are a few unexpected similarities between his home waters and Lake Ray Roberts, and he is optimistic about the possibilities ahead.
“There are a couple of ways this fishery is similar to where I’m used to fishing,” Huff said. “There’s a little rock, which is key during the pre-spawn period because they hold heat. There’s standing timber, with which I’m also familiar. This place reminds me of Grand Lake or The Ozarks except without all of the docks. I will say, it has a lot of catfish and eerily similar water color which puts the fish—all species—in shallower water than you’d expect."
Huff thinks things may play out different than what most pundits have predicted. The Classic may not be full of electric fish catches but if people tune in throughout the day, he seriously thinks there may be a chance of watching rare history occur.
“Whether I catch ‘em on forward-facing sonar or in six inches of water, I’d really rather find a group of fish somewhere but I’m not sure if that dream will come true or not,” Huff said. “I might have to pick them off one at a time, but I’m absolutely prepared to do it. I think this tournament might be won by someone who doesn’t have a five-fish limit during a day of competition. They seriously might get four to seven bites a day and survive with that because they’ll be giants. But man, if you run into the right offshore school, it could be a runaway-type of tournament.”
According to old industry nomenclature, the wind is apparently your friend. But with such extreme conditions and water clarity changes, the fishable areas of the lake have been greatly condensed which is leading to crowded water and possibly increased fishing pressure.
“This is a smaller lake to begin with,” Huff said. “And when you add prominent wind coming from a certain direction, it gets even smaller. Every little cut you turn into has six or seven boats in it and you don’t want to encroach on anyone’s area, so it’s a little challenging to find water. But I’m going to continue working my hardest to do this thing with the utmost respect. I have faith in myself.”
Regardless of the high winds and spring storms, the Toyota Bonus Bucks pro has a plan to conquer this week’s puzzle. But can he put it together? That’s the all-important question.
New Daiwa Tatula - Your Everyday Workhorse
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New 2025 TATULA 150 baitcaster masters multiple applications and is rife with DAIWA’s progressive reel technologies. |
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FOOTHILL RANCH, CA (March 16, 2025) – Slap the name TATULA on a rod or reel and it sells. Why? Because for over a decade, anglers have gotten more than they paid for and consequently keep coming back to the well. And it’s because of this legacy-of-trust that DAIWA only labels it TATULA when they’re certain the rod or reel will exceed expectations, especially given the affordability. This template proves positive in the new 2025 TATULA 150 baitcasting reel. |
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A multipurpose weapon, the perfectly-palmable TATULA 150 aces numbers of the most popular bass fishing techniques. “Truthfully, the reel is great for crankbaits, frogs, topwaters, ChatterBaits, and bladed jigs,” said DAIWA Field Marketing Manager, Chris Martin. The bedrock of TATULA 150’s exceptional performance is DAIWA’s Long Cast (LC) Concept. “It’s in the name,” said Martin. “The advanced 36mm A7075 spool and its braking system were specifically developed to maximize casting distance. Martin continued, “the spool inductor extends into the magnetic field of the braking system for most of the cast to stabilize the spool and prevent backlash. Once the spool is stabilized and slows, the inductor moves away from the magnetic field and frees the spool to extend casting distance.” “This type of braking system is critical for anglers throwing non-aerodynamic lures that surge during the cast due to air-resistance. Baits like frogs with long leg appendages, buzzbaits, and even crankbaits are much easier to cast with our Long Cast Concept.” |
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Application-wise, the TATULA 150 is lights-out for deep cranking, effectively managing modern baits that are reaching depths never imagined. The (5.3:1) TATULA 150 yields a slow and powerful retrieve to bring billed-baits to their maximum depth effortlessly. What’s more, the TATULA 150’s HYPERDRIVE® system delivers unparalleled smoothness while retrieving crankbaits and more, thanks to its three-point gear contact within the HYPERDRIVE® DIGIGEAR™ system. Not only is smoothness improved, but the three-point contact between the gear teeth spreads the load across more surface area, extending gear-life. An extended 100mm handle also improves angler comfort and leverage in these applications. |
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2025 TATULA 150 KEY FEATURES & TECHNOLOGIES: LONG CAST (LC) CONCEPT The aggregate of DAIWA baitcasting technologies to maximize casting distance and minimize backlash. MAGFORCE-Z DAIWA’s proprietary magnetic braking system that utilizes a moveable rotor on the 36mm A7075 spool to automatically adjust braking pressure based on the spool speed. This results in long and smooth casts and prevents overruns and backlash. HYPERDRIVE® ARMED HOUSING A distortion-proof aluminum frame steadfastly houses the gear unit within the reel body. The concept comprises a combination of different manufacturing techniques, which considerably improve the functioning and lifespan of the reel. HYPERDRIVE® DIGIGEAR™ Technology that makes the gear teeth more efficient at transferring power, resulting in a smoother, more powerful gear set that also reduces gear noise. The gears are also strengthened by larger teeth in the traction wheel. And, the gearing has three points of contact – most gearing has only two – which maintains contact between the gear teeth, creating silky performance and a longer gear life. HYPERDRIVE® TOUGH CLUTCH The clutch mechanics have been optimized to remain safely in position even on hard casts. |
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T-WING SYSTEM (TWS) An innovative “T” shaped mechanical aperture that the line passes through when casting and retrieving baits, which allows the line to flow freely, reducing friction and sharp angles that slow line flow. TWS is unique to DAIWA baitcasting reels. ULTIMATE TOURNAMENT DRAG (UTD) The sophisticated drag system uses carbon washers, alloy, stainless steel drag plates, and special lubricant to provide smooth performance. UTD prevents sticking when dragging starts and stable drag for the duration of fighting a fish. ZERO ADJUSTER The spool tension knob comes ideally preset at the factory to match the model and reduce backlash when casting into the wind or with lighter lures. However, anglers can fine tune the spool tension to their personal preferences. 100mm SWEPT HANDLE The increased torque turns the barrel with greater ease and provides more cranking power. MSRP $199.99 |
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DuraSafe Launches New G-Cradle Brackets That Fit BBT Mounts
Brackets Work With Garmin® ECHOMAP™ Ultra Models Mounted in Bass Boat Technology Mounts
New Berlin, WI – DuraSafe, the leader in innovative security solutions for anglers, is excited to announce the launch of its new G-Cradle Bracket, designed to fit Bass Boat Technology (BBT) mounts. Unlike standard mounts, BBT mounts are thicker and require a wider G-Cradle bracket—so DuraSafe has stepped up to deliver a highly requested solution!
Anglers using Garmin ECHOMAP Ultra 10" and 12" models with BBT mounting systems can now secure their graphs with DuraSafe’s new G-Cradle Bracket—along with the popular E-LOCK® for ultimate protection.
While the original DuraSafe G-Cradle Bracket is designed to work with Garmin’s provided mounting bracket for ECHOMAP Ultra models, this new version expands compatibility to fit one of the most popular aftermarket gimbal mounting systems—BBT mounts.
The G-Cradle Bracket is a game-changer when it comes to securing Garmin ECHOMAP Ultra graphs. These units attach using a cradle with a quick-release mechanism, which, when disengaged, allows the faceplate to be easily removed—and stolen. By installing the G-Cradle Bracket along with DuraSafe’s E-LOCKs, the release mechanism is blocked, preventing theft and ensuring peace of mind on and off the water.
Beyond security, the G-Cradle Bracket also provides added stability. For those concerned about accidental disconnection, it can be used with Garmin’s factory gimbal knobs to prevent the faceplate from unintentionally popping out of the Garmin cradle.
For more information about DuraSafe’s complete line of G-Cradle Brackets and other innovative security solutions, visit www.durasafelocks.com. Proudly made in the USA. Patent pending.
About DuraSafe:
DuraSafe is the leading manufacturer of innovative security products for outdoor enthusiasts. Specializing in lock solutions for the marine industry, DuraSafe ensures that anglers and boaters can focus on what they love without worrying about theft. Proudly made in the USA, DuraSafe products are designed with durability and convenience in mind.
For more information, visit www.durasafelocks.com