Bad Boy Mowers Named Exclusive Mower of MLF BIG5 and Presenting Sponsor of Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit

Leading Mower Manufacturer Expands on Three-Year Partnership with Major League Fishing

TULSA, Okla. (Feb. 3, 2021) – Major League Fishing (MLF) announced today that Bad Boy Mowers, a U.S.-based leading manufacturer of zero-turn mowers, accessories and options, has been named the Exclusive Mower of the MLF BIG5 and the presenting sponsor of the 2021 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit. Bad Boy Mowers’ legacy of patented innovations has set the standard for accessibility, comfort and quality for the past 15 years to develop classic, American-made muscle from the turf up and creates the ideal partnership with the cutting-edge MLF brand.

“Bad Boy Mowers is proud to sponsor the 2021 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit and to be named the Exclusive Mower of the MLF BIG5,” said Lennie Foree, marketing director of Bad Boy Mowers. “We had a fantastic response to our partnership with MLF in its inaugural year and we’re excited to be involved and grow with the sport even more in 2021.”

The 26th season of the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit will feature six regular-season tournaments showcasing the best anglers in the world competing for up to $135,000 in a five-biggest-fish format on top bass fisheries at peak times.

“We are excited to expand our partnership with Bad Boy Mowers into the Pro Circuit and the MLF BIG5 arm of the company,” said Kathy Fennel, MLF executive vice president and general manager. “Bad Boy Mowers is known for building some of the strongest, best-performing machines on the planet – much like our competitively-driven tournament anglers – and we look forward to continuing to build this mutually beneficial partnership throughout the upcoming year.”

The 2021 season culminates in the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit TITLE presented by Toyota, Aug. 17-22 on the Mississippi River in La Crosse, Wisconsin, where the top 50 pros will compete for as much as $235,000.

For more information about MLF, their tournaments and sponsors, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. To learn more about Bad Boy Mowers, visit BadBoyMowers.com . For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit presented by Bad Boy Mowers on the MLF BIG5 social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter , Instagram and YouTube.

About Bad Boy Mowers
Bad Boy Mowers Inc., is a nationally recognized, leading manufacturer of zero-turn mowers. Featuring all-steel welded and fabricated construction with the most innovation, power and comfort, we’re also the biggest value in zero-turn mowers. With our patented EZ-Ride suspension systems, full operator adjustments for a perfect fit and heavier decks, we deliver the most comfortable mowing with the best cut quality for the lawn care pro and demanding homeowner.

Each and every employee, from the front desk to our own transportation department, has made Bad Boy Mowers the fastest growing zero-turn mower manufacturer in the country. Every mower is built by skilled craftsmen, utilizing the very latest manufacturing equipment and technologies, many developed right in-house. Our reputation rests on a Bad Boy Mower’s dependable ruggedness, power, reliability and ease to operate and maintain. With more than 830 employees, Bad Boy Mowers continues to lead in innovation and deliver value across the entire product line and are sold through a nationwide dealer network.

by AnglersChannel

TH-MARINE RENEWS SPONSORSHIP OF TEXAS TEAM TRAIL

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (February 3, 2021) – The Texas Team Trail (TXTT) presented by Bass Pro Shops & Cabela’s announces the renewal of the sponsorship of TH-Marine for the upcoming TXTT 2021 season. The TXTT kicks off February 20 on Sam Rayburn.

“T-H Marine offer some of the best brands in the fishing industry,” said TXTT Tournament Director Mike Hastings. “From boat lighting and jack plates to tackle management and boat security, T-H Marine has the products anglers need to win on tour. We are glad to have them return and continue our longtime partnership.”

T-H Marine has been serving the recreational boating industry since 1975. During those 46 years, T-H Marine has been a true innovator and leader in designing and manufacturing the highest quality boat parts and accessories. T-H Marine has grown from a three-person company, manufacturing a few parts, to a 200-plus-employee conglomerate of three companies, manufacturing thousands of different products.

Participating anglers of the TH-Marine Atlas Awards can earn up to $1,200 in cash or $3,000 in store credit. By signing up and paying the annual due of $29.99, anglers will receive a free TH-Marine hat and two decals. Participating anglers that win or are the highest-finishing angler at sanctioned events will win cash or store credit with amounts depending upon what TH-Marine products were used during the tournament. To sign up for the TH-Marine Atlas Awards and learn more information on payouts, please visit https://thmarinesupplies.com/pages/atlas-awards-info.

The Texas Team Trail presented by Bass Pro Shops & Cabela’s consists of three regular-season events and a year-end championship. The championship is a two-day tournament open to teams who have fished all four regular-season events.

2021 TXTT scheduled events:

February 20 – Sam Rayburn

March 27 – Amistad Reservoir

May 8 – Sam Rayburn

Championship

June 5-6 – Lake Whitney

by AnglersChannel

AC Insider Podcast - A show that will "Make ya Grin"

This week Chris & the boys welcome a check-in from Elite Series Rookie Darold Gleason all the way from Florida as he prepares for next weeks Elite Series kick off and then Derek "Money" Mundy joins the show for the second time this month to talk about his GIANT(s) on Rayburn in last weeks Toyota Derby!

by AnglersChannel

Frabill Signs as Official Landing Net of MLF BIG5

Performance-Driven Gear Company Joins Forces with MLF To Expand Conservation Efforts

TULSA, Okla. (Feb. 2, 2021) – Major League Fishing (MLF) announced today that Frabill, a trusted provider of high-quality, performance-driven fishing products, has partnered with MLF as the Official Landing Net of the MLF BIG5 for the 2021 season. The partnership aligns the conservation mindset of MLF with the tools provided by Frabill in an effort to continue to conserve and enhance natural resources at fisheries across the nation.

“Frabill is committed to conservation and has created a series of nets designed to land more fish and help ensure a healthy release,” said Chris Russell, Frabill Fishing marketing director. “It makes perfect sense to partner with MLF to show anglers how effective and useful having a quality net in their boat can be. Frabill is proud to sponsor all the highs and lows that make MLF the most exhilarating angling action to hit television screens worldwide, including the white-knuckle moments where winning fish are boated.”

As the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, MLF BIG5 provides anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money across five tournament circuits featuring a five-biggest-fish format, including the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit, Toyota Series, Phoenix Bass Fishing League, Abu Garcia College Fishing and High School Fishing.

Frabill will provide each Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit angler with an Ultralight Conservation Net, specifically designed to allow anglers to net a fish with one hand and fit easily into most boat lockers for effortless storage.

“We’re honored to bring Frabill into the fold as the Official Landing Net of the MLF BIG5 for the 2021 season,” said Jim Wilburn, MLF President and CEO. “In addition to helping to conserve our natural resources, utilizing a Frabill net tips the odds for our pro anglers, ensuring their winning fish isn’t lost in the final moments and allowing those fish to add to the excitement and drama that continues the legacy of Major League Fishing as the strongest fishing show on network television.”

MLF’s award-winning network television airings on CBS, Discovery, Outdoor Channel and Sportsman Channel, along with the MLF NOW! live stream on MajorLeagueFishing.com, will also feature the Daily Scoop presented by Frabill, highlighting an impactful moment where a Frabill net is utilized by an MLF angler to land a fish that moves them significantly up the board on the MLF SCORETRACKER.

In addition, fans can log onto MLF BIG5 social media outlets for ‘Tackle Tuesdays’ and enter to win exciting Frabill products throughout the 2021 season.

For more information about MLF, their tournaments and sponsors, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. To learn more about Frabill, visit Frabill.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the MLF BIG5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

About Frabill
Frabill believes truly mastering a skill requires two things: preparation and repetition. Anglers generally don’t have a problem with practicing; however, finding the right gear that performs when they need it most is never a given. That’s where Frabill comes in.

Since 1938, Frabill has been trusted to position anglers for success. From bait management solutions, to ice shelters, to landing nets, they provide a robust collection of high-quality, performance-driven products to help anglers reach their fishing goals. Whether they are seeking records or memories, Frabill is there to create experiences that are not just enjoyable, but truly unforgettable.

by AnglersChannel

Plano's College of Bass with KVD Debuts this Week!

Grand Prairie, TX (February 2, 2021) Starting this week, Plano and bass fishing legend Kevin VanDam are giving anglers a crash course in catching more, and bigger bass.

Anglers across the country can tune in to Plano Fishing's Facebook page or Kevin's Facebook page to get tips, tricks, and techniques from Kevin VanDam and other seasoned pros live. And don't worry if you miss the broadcast, the College of Bass will be available on YouTube and many other social media platforms even after the live event.

Starting on February 3rd and for eight straight weeks, anglers can tune in and learn the secrets of one of bass fishing's most successful pros by watching theCollege of Bass. KVD is joined each week by co-host Steve Pennaz, and a variety of special guests that provide even more insight into all things fishing. Experts include Brent Chapman, Skeet Reese, Ott Defoe and many more of today's best anglers. Watch live to learn about fish behavior, tackle, tactics, and equipment to help you get an edge over the competition, straight from the experts.

Join Kevin, Steve, and special guests Brent Chapman and Skeet Reese live this week on February 3rd at 7 pm central time to learn their secrets for early season bass fishing. Interact with the pros as they share their most successful techniques to capitalize on the pre-spawn bite. With three distinct perspectives and fishing styles you can't help but learn insider tricks to help you catch more fish at the start of the season.

Episode 2 airs on February 10th, with special guest Ott Defoe giving advice on how to find hidden, untapped patterns on your home waters. Ott, the 2019 Bassmaster Classic Champion brings a Tennessee river system approach to finding fish and these three experts will discuss how anyone can improve their fish locating skills, You'll catch more bass with proven techniques and advice from these experts.

College Of Bass with Plano Pro, Kevin VanDam.

Catch all eight episodes live, when they air, to ask questions directly to some of professional fishing's greatest anglers and qualify for your chance to win a weekly prize pack worth over $250.00. Or, tune in later to catch up on all the great tips, tricks, and fishing know how to make you more productive out on the water. If you are looking for an edge, you can attend Plano's College of Bass with KVD by clicking over to Plano Fishing's Facebook page. We'll see you there.

For more information, please visit: https://www.planomolding.com/collegeofbass

by AnglersChannel

Previewing Toyota Series Lake Toho Event - Wild Weather Ride

Vance McCullough

The MLFBig5 Toyota Series Southern Division begins its 2021 season in Kissimmee, Florida, home to more roller coasters than any other region on Earth. This week you can add another wild ride to the list – the weather.

Always a major factor in Florida tournaments, a passing cold front chilled the area just as anglers began official practice. Temperatures, which dipped into the 30’s on a sunny Tuesday morning, will steadily climb to a high pushing 80 degrees during Saturday’s final competition round. Increasing cloudiness and southern winds throughout the week, expected to blow in excess of 15 mph Friday, could dampen the sight bite during later competition rounds as popular south-facing spawning banks normally protected from typical north winds, could get muddied from the southern blow.

Adjustments will be required of the more than 200 boaters and as many co-anglers. “We have real good numbers this year,” said MLF’s Joe Opager, via phone, enjoying a 10-degree day in Minnesota. “Everybody loves Kissimmee, loves Lake Toho.” The number of anglers is definitely up over last year’s Toyota Series opener and the weights should be as well.

The warmup should push a wave of bass to the banks where they will join fish that have been up there since the full moon in late January. This makes a moving target of the fish population in the Kissimmee Chain. Anglers who find wads of prespawn females choking a Redeye Shad in offshore hydrilla midweek may find the cupboards bare on game day. Even veteran Florida pros are often amazed, or disappointed, at how fast the offshore bite can dry up when bass here decide to charge the shallows.

The flipping bite under thick mats can also evaporate quickly as big females fan out to join bucks on the beds in more open water when temps warm rapidly this time of year.

So, sight fishing should play well, right? Yes. And no. Wednesday offers the best chance during practice to locate beds. Thursday, the first competition day, will be good too for those who catch an early limit and then go looking for promising spots to return to during the cloudier 2^nd round on Friday. By Saturday, most of the bedding fish will be hard to see even if they haven’t been caught already.

Enter the ‘winding’ bite - lures that can be used to cover water and draw fish that under warm, cloudy, breezy skies such as those forecast for Saturday, should be willing to chase anything that will fit in their mouths. A Chatterbait will be deadly in areas that allow it, but offerings of a more weedless nature will prove more efficient in many places. I’m looking at you, weightless Big EZ, Skinny Dipper and Xzone Swammer 5.5-inch, and . . . is it too early in the year to throw a toad?

While the winner may have to shift gears from sight fishing to winding, there is one approach that could carry an angler to the winner’s circle without much adjustment throughout the week - blind casting to bedded bass. JT Kinney won a big derby on Kissimmee a couple of years back, locating several dozen beds in huge, nondescript pad fields by practicing without a hook and marking the spot on his GPS every time his lure got picked up. During competition he returned and pitched a Texas-rigged Gambler Fat Ace, black and blue, to the same spots where he knew many of the bass would still be spawning, unseen, on the pad roots. It’s a slow approach that would be a total waste of time if an angler didn’t already know that fish might be present in the very specific spot he had just pitched to. It works because, in February, bass will take a week or more to complete the spawning rituals that might only keep them predictably positioned overnight in the warmer waters of May.

Of course, there is a handful of talented sticks who keep things even simpler and take their chances, rain or shine, by punching a small craw or beaver through surface mats behind a wrecking ball of tungsten - likely the most consistent way to find big bass any given day on the Kissimmee Chain. These hardheaded flippers are always a threat to win but have picked the pockets of many visiting pros even when coming up short of hoisting the big trophy. Mat punching is a bare knuckles brawl on a long rod and short line as thrilling as any ride at a nearby theme park.

This Toyota Series event promises to thrill anglers and onlookers. It will likely be won shallow regardless of the mix of techniques involved. Keep in mind that successful bass fishing in Florida usually boils down to finding the right location, not a pattern, and there is a handful of tactics to pick from once an angler finds the fish.

Finding quality fish, abundant though they may be, can be tricky on the sprawling chain that hides its bounty over several lakes and their disjointed 70,000 acres that feel much larger than that. A long run down the shotgun straight, chunk rock lined Kissimmee River south of the lock on 18,900-acre Lake Toho takes anglers to Cypress Lake’s 4,900 acres where the Hatchineha Canal will lead them to a corner of ‘Lake Hatch’, most of its 6,600 acres lying to the northwest. A little further south, over an hour now from the launch in the town of Kissimmee, they’ll enter Lake Kissimmee. If the 35,000-acre Kissimmee doesn’t offer enough options, relatively small Tiger Lake awaits via the scenic confines of Tiger Creek featuring hairpin turns to rival those on Mister Toad’s Wild Ride. For the truly adventuresome, there’s Lake Rosalie, a sort of ‘end of the rainbow’ that may or may not hold a pot of bass fishing gold. Tourney action around here usually centers on Toho and Kissimmee, perhaps because they comprise the vast majority of water in the chain, if for no other reason.

Keep your eye on this roller coaster of a bass tournament as the Southern Division of the Toyota Series kicks off this week in Central Florida, a most amusing place.

by AnglersChannel

Smiley Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League on Lake Chickamauga

Jacksboro’s Roberts Wins Strike King Co-Angler Division

DAYTON, Tenn. (Feb. 2, 2021) – Boater Tim Smiley of White Pine, Tennessee, won the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine at Lake Chickamauga in Dayton, Tennessee. Smiley earned $7,441 for his victory at the event, hosted by Fish Dayton and the Rhea Economic and Tourism Council.

TOP 10 RESULTS

RANK	BOATER NAME/HOMETOWN	BASS	WEIGHT	AWARD
1^st	Tim Smiley of White Pine, Tenn.	5	25-5	$7,441
2^nd	Justin Botts of Bluff City, Tenn.	5	22-10	$2,775
3^rd	Chris Dodson of Spring City, Tenn.	5	22-8	$1,846
4^th	Tim Saylor of Johnson City, Tenn.	4	20-4	$1,295
5^th	Chad Ball of Damascus, Va.	5	20-0	$1,310
6^th	Mickey Beck of Lebanon, Tenn.	5	19-6	$1,018
7^th	Jerry Shepard of Lebanon, Va.	5	16-10	$925
8^th	Wayne Norman of Jacksboro, Tenn.	4	16-6	$833
9^th	Blake Gideon of Cleveland, Tenn.	3	16-1	$740
10^th	Seth Davis of Harrison, Tenn.	5	15-10	$1,148

RANK	STRIKE KING CO-ANGLER NAME/HOMETOWN	BASS	WEIGHT	AWARD
1^st	Seth Roberts of Jacksboro, Tenn.	5	24-12	$2,775
2^nd	Andy McNeel of Soddy Daisy, Tenn.	4	13-6	$1,388
3^rd	Cody Moore of Ooltewah, Tenn.	4	12-4	$924
4^th	Curtis Crooke of Washburn, Tenn.	2	12-1	$848
5^th	George E. Stoeppel of Spring City, Tenn.	3	11-6	$555
6^th	Tim Godsey of Chickamauga, Ga.	4	11-0	$509
7^th	Raymond Hanlon of Chattanooga, Tenn.	5	10-10	$463
8^th	Lynn Spears of Athens, Tenn.	4	9-8	$416
9^th	Jordan Loveless of Indianapolis, Ind.	5	9-5	$370
10^th	Cameron Crider of Dwale, Ky.	3	9-1	$324

CONTINGENCY AWARDS

AWARD	NAME	CONTINGENCY	PAYOUT
Boater Berkley Big Bass	Tim Smiley of White Pine, Tenn.	10-pound, 6-ounce bass	$890
Strike King Co-Angler Berkley Big Bass	Justyn Potter of McRoberts, Ky.	8-pound, 14-ounce bass	$455
Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus	Seth Davis of Harrison, Tenn.	Eligible Phoenix Boat*	$500

* Boaters are eligible to win up to an extra $7,000 per event in each Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine tournament if all requirements are met. More information on the Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.

WINNING BAITS

ANGLER	BAIT	COLOR
Boater	BOOYAH Hard Knocker lipless crankbait	Not Specified
Strike King Co-Angler	Queen Tackle 1/2-ounce tungsten jig	Not Specified

2021 QUALIFICATION OPPORTUNITIES

EVENT	DATE	LOCATION	HOST
Volunteer Division – Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championship	Oct. 14-16	Lake Murray, Columbia, S.C.	Capital City/Lake Murray Country Regional Tourism Board
Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American	June 3-5	Douglas Lake, Dandridge, Tenn.	Jefferson County Department of Tourism

The 2021 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championships. Boaters will compete for a $60,000 prize package, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while Strike King co-anglers will fish for a new Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.

The top six finishers in each regional will then qualify for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.

The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division will also earn priority entry into the Toyota Series, the pathway to the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit and ultimately the MLF Bass Pro Tour.

For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram , and YouTube.

by AnglersChannel

Griffith Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League on Lake Eufaula

Vance’s Craver Wins Strike King Co-Angler Division

EUFAULA, Ala. (Feb. 1, 2021) – Boater Donald Griffith of Robertsdale, Alabama, won the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine at Lake Eufaula in Eufaula, Alabama. Griffith earned $5,627 for his victory at the event, hosted by the Eufaula Barbour County Chamber of Commerce.

TOP 10 RESULTS

RANK	BOATER NAME/HOMETOWN	BASS	WEIGHT	AWARD
1^st	Donald Griffith of Robertsdale, Ala.	5	18-11	$5,627
2^nd	Terry Stevens of Marianna, Fla.	5	18-8	$2,813
3^rd	Ryan Ingram of Phenix City, Ala.	5	18-5	$1,877
4^th	Chris Hensley of Marbury, Ala.	5	17-10	$1,813
5^th	Dale Tomazin of Gainesville, Ga.	5	17-2	$2,035
6^th	Jeremy Green of Gadsden, Ala.	4	17-0	$1,032
7^th	Sean Bierman of Wewahitchka, Fla.	5	16-13	$938
8^th	Michael M. Smith of Andalusia, Ala.	5	16-5	$797
8^th	Austin Swindle of Parrish, Ala.	5	16-5	$797
10^th	James Swindle of Parrish, Ala.	5	15-11	$623
10^th	Mark McCaig of Oxford, Ala.	5	15-11	$623

RANK	STRIKE KING CO-ANGLER NAME/HOMETOWN	BASS	WEIGHT	AWARD
1^st	Jesse Craver of Vance, Ala.	5	15-8	$2,813
2^nd	Scott Noles of Woodland, Ala.	5	10-15	$1,407
3^rd	Justin Girdner of Wetumpka, Ala.	5	10-11	$938
4^th	Jonathan Barksdale of Armuchee, Ga.	5	10-5	$656
5^th	Terry Harper of Ranburne, Ala.	5	10-4	$563
6^th	Austin Navarre of Carriere, Miss.	4	10-2	$516
7^th	O’Brien Brown of Pinson, Ala.	5	9-12	$469
8^th	Robert Slaton of Marietta, Ga.	5	9-8	$422
9^th	Tommy Nichols of Fayette, Ala.	5	9-6	$375
10^th	Cameron McBride of Newnan, Ga.	3	9-3	$328

CONTINGENCY AWARDS

AWARD	NAME	CONTINGENCY	PAYOUT
Boater Berkley Big BasS	Dale Tomazin of Gainesville, Ga.	6-pound, 13-ounce bass	$910
Strike King Co-Angler Berkley Big Bass	Daniel Buswell Jr. of Fayetteville, Ga.	6-pound, 12-ounce bass	$455
Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus	Chris Hensley of Marbury, Ala.	Eligible Phoenix Boat*	$500

WINNING BAITS

ANGLER	BAIT	COLOR	TYPE OF COVER	DEPTH
Boater	Did Not Divulge	N/A	N/A	N/A
Strike King Co-Angler	Spinnerbait	White	N/A	5 to 8 Feet

2021 QUALIFICATION OPPORTUNITIES

EVENT	DATE	LOCATION	HOST
Bama Division – Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championship	Oct. 7-9	Wheeler Lake, Decatur, Ala.	Decatur Morgan County Tourism
Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American	June 3-5	Douglas Lake, Dandridge, Tenn.	Jefferson County Department of Tourism

The top six finishers in each regional will then qualify for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.

For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.

by AnglersChannel

Bass Pro Shops Announce U.S. Open National Bass Fishing Amateur Team Championships

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Bass Pro Shops today announced a new era in the sport of fishing with the introduction of the Johnny Morris Bass Pro Shops U.S. Open National Bass Fishing Amateur Team Championships. Noted conservationist and Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris had a dream to create “the ultimate owner’s appreciation event” while benefitting conservation. The first-of-its-kind tournament invites owners of Tracker, Ranger, Nitro, Triton, Sun Tracker, Tahoe and MAKO brand boats to compete in two-person teams. With proceeds benefitting conservation and the future of fishing, the event is being created exclusively for amateurs including serious weekend tournament anglers, parents, grandparents, and youngsters, giving everyday anglers, friends, and families the chance to win big!

• The prize totals are staggering: Competitors will be rewarded with a total guaranteed purse value of $4.3 million. The national championship team wins a $1 million cash prize – the largest cash payout of any single freshwater fishing tournament in history. Conservation wins too, with a minimum of $1 million going to improve fish habitat.
• Build your own team with a fishing buddy or family member: Registration is open exclusively for amateur anglers, creating a thrilling opportunity for families and friends from all walks of life to compete together on the water. To help grow the sport, regional and international qualifier events will feature division payouts for youth, family teams, all-female teams, veterans, and more. Additional prizes will be offered for the biggest bass and other categories that add to the collective excitement. Johnny is awarding one lucky junior angler (ages 11 – 18) a $250,000 scholarship toward a conservation-related area of study. Events will offer fun for the whole family with activities and entertainment. Rewarding customer loyalty and supporting conservation: As a thank you to loyal customers, the event is open to owners of the world’s foremost boat brands
– Tracker, Ranger, Nitro, Triton, Sun Tracker, Tahoe and MAKO brands. For over 50 years, these celebrated brands have come to represent the #1 best-selling boats in North America. Along the way, they made first-time boat ownership more affordable for thousands of families.

Anglers to compete for the ultimate prize with the biggest audience in
fishing history airing live internationally on NBC
Following a series of regional qualifying tournaments starting this spring, 350 two-person teams will compete in an internationally broadcast championship finale this fall at Big Cedar Lodge on famed Table Rock Lake. The competition will also include international teams from around the world including Japan, Spain, Germany, Romania, Mexico and Holland.
Celebrating Bass Pro Shops’ Origins
On the eve of our 50th Anniversary, the championship brings Bass Pro Shops back to its birthplace in the beautiful Ozark mountains of Missouri. Prior to founding the beloved outdoor brand in the back of his father’s liquor store in 1972, avid young angler Johnny Morris grew up float fishing on Ozarks rivers and later, Table Rock Lake, before spending five years competing on the professional bass circuit, which continues to have a profound impact on his life.
“Fishing in the first national BASS tournament on Table Rock Lake in 1970 rewarded me with friends for life and served as my inspiration to start Bass Pro Shops. Fishing on the BASS Tournament Circuit also helped keep us abreast of the latest emerging trends in fishing and enabled me to stay closely connected to our customers. And without our loyal customers and industry-leading independent boat dealers, we simply wouldn’t be here today. This tournament is our way of giving thanks and rewarding our customers with the chance to land the catch of a lifetime. Beyond offering the ultimate prize in fishing, we’re excited to celebrate our heritage, raise funds for conservation, and have some big fun with people who love fishing as much as we do,” said Johnny Morris.
Morris underscored, “We are also very grateful to our network of independent boat dealers. Their passion and support for helping get so many anglers and families out on the water has made this dream possible.”
Entry and Qualifying Process
In an effort to provide the widest opportunities for participation, there are three ways anglers can qualify for a chance to compete in the national championship event:

by AnglersChannel

Toyota Series to Host Event on Lake Toho

The Toyota Series presented by A.R.E. Southern Division will kick off its 2021 season with a tournament next week in Kissimmee, Florida, Feb. 4-6, with the Toyota Series presented by A.R.E. at Lake Toho presented by Googan Baits . Hosted by Experience Kissimmee and the Kissimmee Sports Commission, the three-day tournament will feature the region’s best bass-fishing pros and Strike King co-anglers casting for a top prize of up to $65,000, plus an additional $35,000 bonus if the winner is a qualified Phoenix Boat owner.

Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit angler Tyler Woolcott of Port Orange, Florida has an intimate knowledge of Toho and the surrounding waters, finishing in 10^th place when the FLW Tour hit Toho in 2019.

“Toho and Kissimmee are always going to be big hitters,” Woolcott said. “You’ll have the random shell bar or flipping bite in Cypress or Hatch, but Toho and Kissimmee are always the big guys.”

Woolcott said a winning weight depends significantly on the weather, but even in the cold, these lakes are primed to produce.

“If it sets up perfectly, I believe it could take up to 80 pounds to win,” Woolcott said. “Minimum, I think it will take 60 pounds to win. It’s starting to get really good now – when it’s cold, you can still catch big bags flipping, so even if the conditions aren’t great, I expect we’ll see good weights.”

When it comes to Florida fishing, the weather dictates the patterns in play to a degree, but there are also a handful of baits that work regardless of the conditions in the Sunshine State.

“If it’s cold, you’ll have offshore hydrilla, rattle baits and vibrating jigs in play,” Woolcott continued. “A 13 Fishing Magic Man is what I like to throw. And you’ll be able to drag a worm slow, like a 13 Fishing Big Squirm.

“If it’s warm, you’ll be able to do anything you want up shallow,” Woolcott added. “You can throw a worm, wind or flip. If the weather is right and they’re spawning, the 13 Fishing Bubble Butt is an awesome bait. It’s a Senko-style bait with an air pocket in the tail and it’s perfect for bed fishing.”

Anglers will take off daily at 7 a.m. ET from Big Toho Marina in Kissimmee. Weigh-ins will also be held at the marina and will begin at 3 p.m. Attendance is limited to competing anglers and essential staff only. Fans are encouraged to follow the event online through the “MLF Live” weigh-in broadcasts and daily coverage at 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 $40,000, plus an extra $35,000 if Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus qualified. Strike King co-anglers cast for the top prize of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard (valued at $33,500). With a 260-boat field, pros fish for a top award of $65,000, plus an extra $35,000 if Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus qualified. Strike King co-anglers cast for the top prize of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard (valued at $33,500) plus $5,000 cash.

The 2021 Toyota Series presented by A.R.E. consists of six divisions – Central, Northern, Plains, Southern, Southwestern and Western – each holding three regular-season events, along with the International division. Anglers who fish all three qualifiers in any of the eight divisions and finish in the top 25 will qualify for the no-entry-fee Toyota Series presented by A.R.E. Championship for a shot at winning $235,000 cash, including a $35,000 Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus for qualified anglers. The winning Strike King co-angler at the championship earns a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard. The 2021 Toyota Series Championship presented by A.R.E. will be held Oct. 28-30 on Pickwick Lake in Counce, Tennessee, and is hosted by the Hardin County Convention and Visitors Bureau.

For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Toyota Series presented by A.R.E. on the MLF BIG5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

by AnglersChannel

DERON MUELLER JR & CAMERON OATES TOP 173 TEAMS ON LAKE TRAVIS!

PL	ANGLER 1	ANGLER 2	FISH	BIG BASS	WEIGHT	PRIZE
1	DERON MUELLER JR	CAMERON OATES	5	8.11	18.10	$10,000 + $1,730 Big Bass
2	LARRY SMITH	KEN EVERETT	5	6.78	17.11	$5,000
3	JASON OLIVO	JOEY RODRIGUEZ	5	5.35	16.39	$2,500
4	SCOTT ROSS	GLENN RUCKEL	5	4.99	15.65	$1,750
5	TOMMY POWERS	TOMMY POWERS SR	5		15.40	$1,500
6	DANIEL BARNES	ADRIAN BARNES	5		15.34	$1,250
7	STEPHEN MALINA	TRAVIS PROFFITT	5		14.73	$1,000
8	HUNTER AMIDON	TANNER PATTESON	5		14.02	$900
9	MICHAEL WALDROP	JARROD SANDERS	5		13.42	$800
10	CHASE PARKS	AUSTIN DAVIS	5		13.40	$700
11	CHARLES WHITED	TREY GROCE	5		13.36	$600
12	MATT CANNON	JARED SIEGELER	5		13.09	$500
13	BARRY DODD	MATTHEW HATHAWAY	5		13.07	$450
14	CHRIS STUDINGER	JOSHUA RHODES	5		13.00	$400
15	JAMES SCOGIN	ROLAND LOERA	5		12.93	$375
16	JOSEPH HARDY	NATHAN DONNELL	5		12.91	$350
17	TERRY KIRCUS	JASON BUCHANAN	5		12.85	$325
18	JAYSON KISSELBURG	DEAN GOLMON	5		12.48	$300
19	MALCOLM MIDDLEBROOK	ZACHARY MIDDLEBROOK	5		12.39
20	JAMES ROLLINS	GRANT GALE(Y)	5		12.32
21	JUSTIN MADDING	STERLING MARTIN	5		11.81
22	VINCENT SANTOS	CARL RALSTON(Y)	5		11.58
23	JEFF ANDERSON	FRANK WIGET	5		11.51
24	RUBEN RIBERA	LINO GUTIERREZ	5		11.49
24	DAMON ROSS	DONNIE ROSS	5		11.49
26	DONNIE WEBER	JOHN KAPALDO	5		11.28
27	JASON SELGERT	GRANT LANGMORE	5		11.16
28	MARIO GONZALES	JR BRIANT	5		10.99
29	BRIAN MATER	ROBERT BUTLER	5		10.88
30	DALE READ	JIM SUNVISON	5		10.43
30	BILLY MCCRARY II	DONNIE O'NEAL	5		10.43
32	ADAM CLARK	CALEB GLOMB	5		10.41
33	DENNIS BECK	JONATHAN SHOLTIS	5		10.02
34	CHRIS SABINA	BOB SABINA	5		10.01
35	HOLLY ROBERSON	JUSTIN MAY	5		9.94
36	BRANDON JONES	THOMAS WEIMER	4		9.63
37	JASON LARSON	JJ LARSON	5		9.62
38	BILL MCANN	WAYLON PAPST	5		9.55
39	LANCE DILLARD	JACKSON DILLARD(Y)	5		9.52
40	GARY FRIEDEL	NOBLE SESSIONS	5		9.50
41	MIKE JOHNSON	BYRON ALBRECHT	5		9.44
42	JUSTIN FISHER	CHANTZ REED(Y)	5		9.43
43	CRAIG CORDOVA	BILLY WALDSCHMIDT	5		9.36
44	BRAD HAAS	RICHIE LAND	5		9.31
45	BRYCE MILLER	CARSON ROBERTS	5		9.26
46	STEVE MAGNELIA	CLINT ROBERTSON	5		9.23
47	JARAD GOHLKE	RYAN CRAWFORD	5		9.08
48	SPENCER SCHNEIDER	BRIAN HUGHES	4		8.97
49	JAMIE SLAYDEN	COLT SLAYDEN	5		8.91
50	RANDY HIBLER	RANDALL CHRISTIAN	4		8.90
51	RUSSELL TRUITT	CHRISTY TRUITT	5		8.87
52	BLAIR COBBLE	TERRY COBBLE	5		8.86
53	ANWAR SANDERS	DOYLE THOMPSON	5		8.81
54	NICK SULLIVAN	TRENT ERXLEBEN	5		8.78
55	MIKE PICKWELL	CHUCK EBBINGHAUS	4		8.77
56	DAVID REID	JUSTIN WOJCIK	5		8.74
57	BOBBY AMIDON	MICHAEL ROBERTS	5		8.68
58	JOHN SYER		5		8.67
59	DENNIS WHITED	MAX KIPP	4		8.56
60	CARY LAUDADIO	RAY TOMASITS	5		8.39
61	JESSE FRY	BRANDON BRAY	5		8.26
62	BEN STRIPLING	JORDAN WRIGHT	5		8.25
63	ROBERT HARRISON	MATT RODGERS	4		8.20
64	TYLER FRY	HANK FRY	5		8.08
65	JASON MURPHREE	RUSTY REEDY	5		8.06
66	GARY WEIMER	JEREMIAH WAFFORD	5		8.00
67	CHARLES YOUNG		5		7.80
68	FELLER SMITH	DYLAN CROWNOVER	3		7.61
69	ADRIAN SANCHEZ	DEAN ALEXANDER	5		7.56
70	JAY JOHNSON	EASTON JOHNSON	4		7.49
71	ANDY ARMENDARIZ SR		4		7.44
72	SCOTT EDMONDS	TREY WEBB	4		7.35
73	WILL BERNHARD	DARYL PRICE	5		7.30
74	JUSTIN HUMMEL	BRITTNEY HUMMEL(Y)	4		7.19
75	RICHARD EDWARDS		4		7.16
76	CRUZ ISAAC III	KOBE ISAAC	4		7.04
77	BILL KIMBERLY		4		6.79
78	ROBERT BUCHANAN	ALVIN DURAN	3		6.61
79	QUINN VANCE	CHRIS BERTELSON	4		6.58
79	SEAN CLAMPITT	AARON GILBERT	4		6.58
81	MYLES SCHOPFER	MYLES SCHOPFER JR(Y)	2		6.55
82	ROBBIE BEARDMORE	RUSSELL FELTS	2		6.01
83	DAVID PELATA	RORY HAECKER	3		5.74
84	COLT DIETZ	JOHN WARDEN	2		5.63
85	ROBERT ETHERIDGE	COLTON ETHERIDGE	3		5.45
86	SHAWN MARKGRAFF	DENISE MARKGRAF	3		5.39
87	PATRICK ANDERSON	DOUG HAMILTON	3		5.25
88	JAMES JONES	SOREN HANSEN	2		4.84
89	LEE BENTON		1		4.54
90	RANDALL BEAUCHAMP	REGINA BEAUCHAMP	2		4.32
91	FRANK MALES	EDEN MALES	2		4.11
92	HEATH GRANT	ROBERT MILLER	1		3.41
93	LEE BEUERSHAUSEN	RANDY GROUNDS	2		3.14
94	CHRIS DRYMALLA	JOHN REICH	2		2.78
95	DAVID WENCIL	MICHAEL GLYNN	2		2.47	Shoreline Decal $250 Fuel Card Winners
96	SETH FISHER	MARION KOPF	1		2.25
97	MIKE MCEACHEM	JOSEPH KENNEDY	1		2.23
98	TROY BOLDWYN	MARK FOWLER	1		2.14
99	JASON RANFT	MATT TALLAS				Pre-Registration Prize Giveaway Winners! Shimano Clarus Rods
99	TYE GRISSOM	KENNETH RESTANI
99	MATT RUSSELL	DEAN JONES
99	WILL CURLEE	COLE STEVENS
99	GROVER CHAMBLISS	RICKEY GRAHAM
99	PAUL SCHROEDER	BRAD ANKRUM
99	ZAC WASHBURN	ETHAN DALTON
99	DIRK AMAN	DANIEL WESSMAN
99	CARY DECUIR	RANDALL FRY
99	JUSTIN ROGERS	TYLER FONSECA
99	BLAKE ROBERSON	LES COPELAND
99	MATTHEW DODD	GARY DAVIS
99	DENA VINES	DEBBIE MARSHALL
99	ELMER OWENS	LARRY OWENS
99	STEVE THIEL	GEORGE CASTLEBERRY
99	ANIBAL GUZMAN	LUIS GUZMAN
99	RYAN WARREN	JASON DERRICK
99	WYATT RAE	JAMES RAE
99	TERRY HALL	LYNN PIERCE
99	AUSTIN QUIET	BRIAN ARABIE
99	RYAN BODE	JOHN JARAMILLO
99	STEVEN KIRKWOOD
99	CADE WILSON	BRANDON DAY
99	ANTHONY GOODSON	TRAVIS DAUGHERTY
99	NORM WILSON SR	NORM WILSON JR
99	PAUL NEELY	RICK NEELY
99	STEPHEN SCHORCK	CAYLIN RICE
99	THOMAS HILL	DAVE TOTEDO
99	PHILIP HENDERSON	JEFF ACHILLES
99	RONNY MAYNARD	ERIC CRUMLEY
99	CHUCK WARE	CODY FRAISER
99	STAN KAMINSKI	KENT HARRIS
99	DAVID WILSON	JIM WILSON
99	KAENA FREITAS	ANDY ZAVALA
99	MARK RIBERA	RICK RIBERA
99	ROBERT KNIGHT	KYLE DERN
99	JEFFREY JONES	DANIEL JANDREY
99	JOHN MILLS	DAVID ACHILLES
99	DON GORDON	JAMES ROBERTS
99	ALLEN GASS	JOHN RATLIFF
99	ANDY TOLLEY	TYLER TOLLEY
99	KYLE JENKINS	CARLOS DELAFUENTE
99	BRYAN RICHARDS	MAT KEVIL
99	BRYAN COTTER	BILL GUZMAN
99	DARRELL WUENSCHE
99	CASEY MARTZ	TERRELL FRANKLIN
99	CODY SMITH	CHUCK SMITH
99	BUBBA WAMPLER	RONNIE ANDREWS
99	DAVID PEMBERTON	JEFF HAGER
99	JOE BRAY	CHRIS BRAY
99	JOE LOOZE	DYLAN LOOZE
99	JAMES HESTER	NEAL CHILDERS
99	DARREL ROUTON	JACK CULBREATH
99	CLINT MAREK	CODY GARRETT
99	KYLE FORD	TONY THOMPSON
99	JAMES GOODNER	GRANT GOODNER
99	GENE FUESSEL	GERALD MUELLER
99	BLAKE STASIUNAS	CHARLES DORTCH
99	CHARLES HICE	CHRISTOPHER STANLEY
99	GARRETT GOETTEE	HUGH KELLER
99	COREY MARTENSON
99	EDDIE PELFREY
99	DUSTIN SMITH	JARED SMITH
99	MICHAEL ATKINS	JAMES HENRY
99	JOSH LASSETER	GERARD RUMSEY
99	CRAIG BULLOCK	DAVID BARATZ
99	GARRETT SHEPPERD	GREG SHEPPERD
99	CHRISTOPHER WASHINGTON
99	ROBERT NUERNBERG	AYDEN REEDY(Y)
99	JOHNNY ZUNKER	WADE MEHAFFEY
99	ANDREW SWEET	PHILLIP DOUBEK
99	GREG MEHAFFEY	JOEY MARTIN
99	STEVE MAPLES	JENNIFER MAPLES
99	MICKEY SANDERS	ROGER MEEK

by AnglersChannel

Zona’s 3 thoughts: Mud scratchers, mustangs and ‘rookies’

Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships -

To say I’m a little pumped for the 2021 Bassmaster Elite Series season to start would be like saying I was sort of into hair bands back in the early 90s.

Look, I’m going to give you three thoughts I’ve been wrestling in recent days. Some of them actually came from a dream while I slept, and others are purely as factual as Warrant’s “Cherry Pie” album being their highest-selling record ever.

Thought #1 – Just like we’ve been doing for like 53 years now, we have a tendency to study the upcoming schedule and think about how it’ll play out. And let me tell you, friends – this one is going to play out really, really, shallow. I’ll go out on a limb here and say we haven’t seen an Elite Series schedule this rich with derbies that could be won in less than 10-feet of water in a decade. And anytime we’re able to have a contest where dudes are scratchin mud to catch five fat ones each day it is absolutely “fan-o-licious” for our loyal Bassmaster Live viewers.

Thought #2 – I had a dream the other night that I swear was influenced by my battle with Covid last month, because I’ve had some really bizarre dreams recently. But anyhow, I dreamt the 2021 Bassmaster Classic was more like a rock concert than a bass tournament, and not only did Seth Feider become our 51^st Classic Champion – but ready for this? – Dave Mercer appeared on stage as one-half Canadian emcee, and the lower half of him was a mustang, like a centaur in Greek mythology. If any of this comes true, count on an absolute bash beyond our wildest imagination once we get to Fort Worth in June.

Thought #3 – Some people don’t like to talk about it, but there are two guys in this Elite Series field full of very talented new rookies that are licking their chops to get started, and both of them put their guts on the line last year in the Bassmaster Opens to earn their way back to the Elites.

One lives at Lake Tenkiller in Eastern Oklahoma, and the other chap is a hunting buddy of mine from Gonzales, Louisiana, and if you’ll go back and reference Thought #1 about this schedule being shallow water friendly, it’s time to admit Christie and Hackney will both make a run at winning the 2021 Bassmaster Angler of the Year title.

That’s all I’ve got. Zackers and I are out. He and I have a lot to do before the fellas make their first cast on the St. Johns River to start the Elite Series season on February 11^th, but don’t think for a minute we won’t be rockin to “I Saw Red” and “Blind Faith” while we’re gettin’ our work done.

by AnglersChannel

Mundy wins Toyota Series on Sam Rayburn with over 70 pounds! -Updated

Broaddus Angler Weighs in Second-Biggest Limit in Toyota Series History
BROOKELAND, Texas (Jan. 31, 2021) – Toyota Series angler Derek Mundy of Broaddus, Texas, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 18 pounds, 7 ounces to win the three-day Toyota Series presented by A.R.E. at Sam Rayburn Reservoir presented by Berkley in Brookeland, Texas. Mundy’s three-day total of 15 bass weighing 70-11 earned him the win by a 14-pound margin over second-place angler Jason Bonds of Lufkin, Texas and earned Mundy the top payout of $44,150 in the first tournament of the 2021 Toyota Series Southwestern Division.

The Broaddus, Texas angler started off the year by crushing 40 pounds, 10 ounces – with an 11-10 kicker – to win a Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine event on Sam Rayburn just a few weeks ago. In just under a month, Mundy became the only angler alive with two of the top 10 biggest single-day weights in MLF history.

Mundy said he caught fish from grass during the tournament, but all of his big fish, including a massive 13-10 kicker on Friday – the third-largest bass ever weighed by a pro in Toyota Series history – came from offshore.

“I was throwing [a lipless crankbait] in grass to try and bail me out when I couldn’t catch them offshore,” Mundy said. “They like a red ‘trap on Rayburn and you can catch a big bag with it.

“But all of my big fish came from hard spots in little transition areas,” he continued. “I fished probably five or six throughout the week. Sometimes I’d rotate through the same ones trying to catch them when they’d set up right. When we get hard winds like we had on Saturday they get up off the bottom and like to roam around and chase gizzard shad.

“Toward the end of the day, I knew I needed to pull something out of the hat,” Mundy said. “So, I picked up my No. 1 confidence bait for this time of year and that 10-pounder bit on my last cast.”

That confidence bait was a Strike King 8XD. Mundy said he builds his own rods and opts for Lew’s Super Duty Wide Speed Spool reels for his big crankbaits, throwing anything from 15- to 20-pound-test fluorocarbon line, depending on what depth he’s trying to target.

Fishing the tournament out of a borrowed boat due to a blown motor on his, Mundy said he was hoping to make a little money to be able to pay for the engine. With over $50,000 in winnings this month, that shouldn’t be much of an issue.

“That should get me [a motor] and still leave me with a little money to play with,” he laughed. “This is amazing. It really is.”
The top 10 pros on the Sam Rayburn Reservoir finished:

1^st:       Derek Mundy of Broaddus, Texas, 15 bass, 70-11, $44,150
2^nd:      Jason Bonds of Lufkin, Texas, 12 bass, 56-11, $17,000
3^rd:       Aaron Johnson of Shreveport, La., 15 bass, 52-11, $12,750
4^th:       Jason Conn of Anna, Texas, 15 bass, 51-9, $10,900
5^th:       Jeff Reynolds of Calera, Okla., 15 bass, 49-13, $9,750
6^th:       Garrett Hilton of China, Texas, 15 bass, 45-7, $8,375
7^th:       Jeff Sprague of Point, Texas, 15 bass, 45-2, $7,300
8^th:       Lowell Bennett of Hewitt, Texas, 14 bass, 44-9, $6,300
9^th:       Kevin Lasyone of Dry Prong, La., 15 bass, 41-3, $5,300
10^th:     Brandon Flowers of Baytown, Texas, 13 bass, 40-10, $4,200

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

Pro Dicky Newberry of Houston, Texas took home an extra $1,000 as the highest finishing Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus member. Boaters are eligible to win up to an extra $35,000 per event in each Toyota Series tournament if all requirements are met. More information on the Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.

Kelsey Ray of Joplin, Missouri won the Strike King Co-angler Division Saturday with a three-day total of 14 bass weighing 36 pounds, 12 ounces. Ray took home the top prize package of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard motor.
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers on the Sam Rayburn Reservoir finished:

1^st:       Kelsey Ray of Joplin, Mo., 14 bass, 36-12, Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat w/115-hp outboard
2^nd:      Cody Wise of Chireno, Texas, 13 bass, 34-11, $5,375
3^rd:       Zack Freeman of Russellville, Ark., 15 bass, 33-15, $4,300
4^th:       Phil Smith of Orange, Texas, 15 bass, 33-12, $3,650
5^th:       Josh Clark of Chester, Texas, 15 bass, 33-08, $3,150
6^th:       Michael Hebert of Lafayette, La., 15 bass, 32-15, $2,650
7^th:       Gilbert Herald of Pittsburg, Texas, 11 bass, 32-02, $2,150
8^th:       Heath Ard of Silsbee, Texas, 12 bass, 31-05, $1,825
9^th:       John Goebel of Lumberton, Texas, 11 bass, 29-13, $1,530
10^th:     Justin Garza of San Angelo, Texas, 12 bass, 29-05, $1,290

The Toyota Series at Sam Rayburn was presented by Berkley and was hosted by the Jasper-Lake Sam Rayburn Chamber of Commerce. It was the first of three regular-season tournaments in 2021 for Southwestern Division anglers. The next event for Toyota Series anglers will take place on Feb. 4-6 – the Toyota Series at Lake Toho presented by Googan Baits in Kissimmee, Florida. For a complete schedule, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.

The 2021 Toyota Series Championship presented by A.R.E. will be held Oct. 28-30 on Pickwick Lake in Counce, Tennessee, and is hosted by the Hardin County Convention and Visitors Bureau.

From Majorleagufishing.com

Derek Mundy is the hottest stick on Rayburn right now. Photo by Kory Savage.

JANUARY 30, 2021 • KYLE WOOD • TOYOTA SERIES

Derek Mundy has been firing on all cylinders since the calendar rolled over to 2021. He started the year off by crushing 40 pounds, 10 ounces (with an 11-10 kicker) to win a Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine event on Sam Rayburn just a few weeks ago. So, it’s only fitting that he would end the month in the same fashion.

Mundy’s Day Two Pattern

Complete Results

Derek Mundy weighed two bass over 10 pounds this week.

Mundy nearly hit the 40-pound mark yet again this week en route to his first Toyota Series presented by A.R.E. win of his career. Weighing 12-13 on day one of the event – which was presented by Berkley – Mundy dropped 39-7 on the scale Friday to easily climb from a tie at 59th to first. That bag included a massive 13-10 kicker that gave him more than a 12-pound cushion over second-place heading into the final round. Today, things were slow for Mundy, but with a small limit and time running out he landed a 10-pounder to more than seal the deal.

So, if January wasn’t Mundy’s favorite month before, it certainly has to be now.

“January used to be the month I always hated,” Mundy jokes. “I did. With a passion. But starting last year I started getting in the groove of things and studied some things and my fishing partner and I come up with some things and stuff to try and it’s worked out.”

Doing his homework has paid off, but it’s still hard to beat good ol’ time on the water.

“Oh, golly, it’s a bunch of time spent on the lake,” Mundy says of dialing-in late-winter bass. “I can’t tell you how many hours I’ve spent on the water this January, but it’s a bunch. That’s probably a better question for my wife.”

Swinging for the fence may be an overused term in the bass fishing world, but it certainly fits for Mundy. While many anglers in the field this week were drawn to the drains and lush hydrilla found throughout the lake, Mundy knew he had to keep some offshore stuff honest, especially after his first day didn’t pan out how he hoped.

Derek Mundy spent some of his tournament fishing grass.

The Broaddus, Texas pro did spend some time fishing grass and caught fishing from it during the tournament, but all of his big fish came offshore.

“I was throwing [a lipless crankbait] in grass to try and bail me out when I couldn’t catch them offshore,” Mundy says. “They like a red ‘trap on Rayburn and you can catch a big bag doing it.

“But all of my big fish came from hard spots in little transition areas,” he says. “I fished probably five or six throughout the week. Sometimes I’d rotate through the same ones trying to catch them when they’d set up right. When we get them old hard winds like we had today they don’t set up right. They’ll get up off the bottom and they like to roam around and chase them gizzard shad.”

Today, Mundy spent a few hours offshore early to try and capitalize on a good morning bite, but abandoned it to fish grass to try to get a limit. With a very small limit in the boat, he ran back to his starting spot to finish the day and finally connected with the key bite he was hoping for.

Derek Mundy’s confidence offshore bait is a Strike King 8XD.

“I sat there and drug a Carolina rig around when I went back. Getting towards the end, I thought I needed to pull something out of the hat,” Mundy says. “So, I picked up my No. 1 confidence bait for this time of year and that 10-pounder bit on my last cast.”

That confidence bait is a Strike King 8XD. He builds his own rods and opts for Lew’s Super Duty Wide Speed Spool reels for his big crankbaits. As far as line goes, he throws anything from 15- to 20-pound-test fluorocarbon depending on what depth he’s trying to target.

Fishing the tournament out of a borrowed boat due to a blown motor on his, Mundy was hoping to make a little money to be able to pay for the engine. With over $50,000 in winnings this month, that shouldn’t be much of an issue.

“That ought to get me [a motor] and a still have little money to play with anyway,” he laughs. “This is amazing. It really is.”

Ray Takes Strike King Co-Angler Win on Rayburn

Image for Ray Takes Strike King Co-Angler Win on Rayburn

JANUARY 30, 2021 • KYLE WOOD • TOYOTA SERIES

Fishing in his first MLF event, Kelsey Ray of Joplin, Missouri, won the Strike King co-angler title in the Toyota Series presented by A.R.E. event. His winning total was 36 pounds, 12 ounces. The top co-angler prize for the event, which was presented by Berkley, was a brand new Phoenix bass boat package.

Complete Results

Winning Pro Pattern

“My cousin Marco Vaca fishes the pro side and he’s been telling me to do this for a couple years,” Ray says of committing to fishing as a co-angler. “And my wife has given me a lot of support for it, too.”

Never falling outside of the top 10, Ray got the ball rolling on day one with a limit worth 14-11 to sit in sixth. He’d catch another, yet smaller, limit (9-4) on day two to slide up to third. Today, fishing with Jason Conn, Ray weighed the biggest bag on the co-angler side despite not bringing in a limit. Weighing 12-13 with four bass, it was more than enough to give him the W.

“I had great pros all three days and that’s what we did in practice,” Ray says. “It was basically a ChatterBait, a lipless crankbait and a flat-sided crankbait all week.”

Using an “ol’ faithful” Rayburn red XCalibur One Knocker lipless crankbait and a black and red Z-Man ChatterBait Jack Hammer all week, Ray was in his element.

“I’d rather be power fishing up shallow,” Ray says. “Anything from about 2 foot of water to 8 foot of water is about where we caught ‘em.”

Hailing from Missouri, Ray doesn’t make it Rayburn often, but the fact he could get the win here means a lot to him.

“This is my second trip down here, and my first co-angler event, so it’s awesome,” says Ray. “I love this lake. Big bass. A lot of grass; it’s awesome.”

by AnglersChannel

Mundy Blasts 39-7 to Take the Lead at Sam Rayburn

Derek Mundy poses with his 13-pounder shortly before weighing his fish. Photo by Kyle Wood.

JANUARY 29, 2021 • KYLE WOOD • TOYOTA SERIES

Derek Mundy is in the midst of one of the best months of fishing in history. Back at the beginning of January, Mundy weighed 40 pounds, 10 ounces to win the season-opening Phoenix Bass Fishing League event on Sam Rayburn with the fourth-largest single-day bag in MLF history. This week, in the Toyota Series presented by A.R.E. event, Mundy tallied a pedestrian 12-13 on day one. On day two of the Southwestern Division event, which is presented by Berkley, Mundy dropped 39-7 on the scale to rocket into first place with a 52-4 total.

Complete Results

Top 5 Patterns

His bag is the second biggest in Toyota Series history, and his 13-10 kicker is the third-largest bass ever weighed by a pro in Toyota Series history. Additionally, in just under a month, Mundy has become the only angler alive with two of the top 10 biggest single-day weights in MLF history, knocking out one of Greg Hackney’s giant Falcon Lake bags to do it.

Mundy and family pose with his giant bag.

“I don’t think the first [40-pound bag] has sunk in yet,” Mundy laughs. “It’s been unreal, for sure. You don’t have no control how big they’ll be down there.”

Things started off tough for Mundy, who is fishing out of a borrowed boat thanks to a blown motor on his. On day one, Mundy ran a good portion of his juice to only scrape together 12 pounds. Big bites eluded him on Thursday, but obviously, that changed today.

“I ran my best stuff yesterday, and I completely forgot about the spot I caught them today until I got back to the ramp,” Mundy says. “So, I thought I’d start there today and it all happened quick. My third cast I caught that 13-pounder and then I doubled a few casts later with my next biggest two.

“That big one came up shaking her head and I knew she had the bait good because I couldn’t see it. All I saw was mouth and I was like, ‘Oh my goodness.’ I didn’t realize she was that big. If she would have come off I would have never said it was a 13-pounder.”

After a fast start, things cooled off in a hurry. Knowing his big start could get him to Saturday if he filled his limit, Mundy headed to the grass.

“I started hustling every grass line I felt like I could get a bite on as fast as I could,” says Mundy. “I fished that until about noon and only had one fish that barely beat the ruler.”

So, Mundy decided to dip back to his offshore honey hole if nobody else was around. Once there, Mundy quickly caught his limit fish and culled his line-burner.

“I actually caught a 4-pounder after that, but I knew those were fish I’d need tomorrow,” says Mundy. “So, I talked it over with my co-angler and he was cool with it, so we came in early.”

With two polar opposite days behind him, Mundy knows his 12-5 lead over Jason Bonds isn’t safe. Still, things are working for Mundy and he’s not ready to get off the ride just yet.

“I feel like I know what it takes to do well [this time of year on Rayburn], but it is hard, hard, hard,” Mundy says. “I actually like the summer better because I feel like I can fish a tournament then without even practicing and do good, and I’m not trying to come off bragging. But this time of year is hard work. A lot of daylight to dark type stuff.

“I’m not scared to zero at all and you can’t be to come out here and expect to win,” says Mundy. “You can’t be conservative on Rayburn at all. You gotta go for bigguns and swing for the fences all day. It’d be amazing to win because I just bought a brand new motor for my boat and it’d be nice to have a little money to cover that.”

Heath Ard has been steady through two days.

Ard Moves Into Strike King Co-Angler Lead

After catching 15 pounds, 3 ounces on day one, Heath Ardof Silsbee, Texas put together another limit worth 11-7 on day two to take a 2-2 lead heading into Saturday. With Rayburn being a bit stingy for anglers in the back of the boat, Ard is more than happy with how things have gone so far.

“Man, it was pretty awesome today for me,” Ard says. “I couldn’t have drawn a better partner. [Nick Diberardino] was asking me if I had a preference for what I wanted to fish. Dude, he’s awesome. We didn’t catch a lot of fish, but I caught five. If it hadn’t been for him I don’t know if I’d be where I am today.”

Tomorrow, Ard will be paired with Derek Mundy, so he’ll certainly be around some fish. Now, he just needs one more solid day of fishing to close it out.

“It’s gonna be a grind tomorrow, but I just hope we have good weather and everybody stays safe,” says Ard. “I’m just blessed to be here; it’s awesome.”

Complete Results

by AnglersChannel

Ebare Sets the Pace in Sam Rayburn Toyota Series Event

JANUARY 28, 2021 • KYLE WOOD • TOYOTA SERIES

Weighing an even 23 pounds, Dakota Ebare set the pace on day one of the Toyota Series presented by A.R.E. on Sam Rayburn. Day one of the event, which is presented by Berkley, saw more than 190 pros and Strike King co-anglers take to the water. Oddly enough, Ebare almost wasn’t one of them.

Complete Results

Top Five Patterns

The Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit pro’s original plan was to skip this event in order to head to Lake Okeechobee to pre-practice for the first Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit presented by Bad Boy Mowers event of the season in a few weeks. However, a dentist appointment and final boat preparations kept that plan from coming together, so he signed up.

With only a day of practice, Ebare didn’t find much of anything. But with as much experience as he has on Rayburn and a bit of good timing, Ebare got the 2021 season started off on the right foot.

“I had probably 16 pounds this morning, but one of them was a spotted bass that was a line-burner,” Ebare says. “Then it got really tough and I fished my butt off and didn’t get a lot of bites. I just kept scratching and looking for something new since I didn’t get much time to practice for this and have been breaking in my boat. I really just spent the day practicing.”

Like most good anglers, Ebare didn’t let history make decisions for him today. He checked some areas he’s found success in the past, but still let the conditions lead him to fish.

“You gotta take into consideration the condition of the lake and what it’s current deal is,” Ebare says. “This isn’t a lake like Grand Lake where the water level fluctuates, but it’s always the same rock. Here, you’ve got grass that’s here sometimes and gone sometimes. This year the grass is really good and it’s accounting for a lot of the fish that are being caught.

“The fish aren’t really wanting to be deep. I mean, there are some out there; there’s always some out there. I caught an 11-pounder here in 24 foot of water on a 10XD and the lake was 10 foot high in mid-March. I mean, every fish was spawning up by a tree, but I was in a river channel. So, there’s always fish deep, but the grass is so healthy right now and there’s a lot of bait in it and that’s where a lot of fish want to be.”

Dakota Ebare caught a limit in a jiffy this morning.

While Ebare may not necessarily have a pattern he’s running, he does have an idea of where to set the boat down and start casting.

“I’m running areas that set up right historically, but I’m taking into consideration where the grass is best and that’s where I want to stay at,” he says.

Two lost fish may have cost Ebare the chance at a megabag on Rayburn, but he isn’t letting that get to him. Tomorrow he plans to keep practicing and not get caught up with how well things went today.

“I’m excited about tomorrow, but you know it’s a new day and there are no guarantees,” Ebare says. “I could go out there and have 10 pounds easily. We’ll see what the weather does and just go fishing again.”

Top 10 Pros

1. Dakota Ebare – Denham Springs, La. – 23-0 (5)

2. Jason Conn – Anna, Texas – 21-6 (5)

3. Jeff Sprague – Point, Texas – 21-3 (5)

4. Jeff Reynolds – Calera, Okla. – 20-14 (5)

5. Brandon Flowers – Baytown, Texas – 20-11 (5)

6. Lowell Bennett – Hewitt, Texas – 20-5 (5)

6. Rick Harris – Del Rio, Texas – 20-5 (5)

8. Garrett Hilton – China, Texas – 18-12 (5)

9. Jeff Bridges – Prosper, Texas – 18-7 (5)

10. Justin Sowell – Silsbee, Texas – 18-3 (5)

Complete Results

Goebel Takes Strike King Co-Angler Lead

Limits weren’t the easiest thing to come by from the back of the boat, but John Goebel pieced 18 pounds, 4 ounces together to take the lead in the Strike King Co-Angler division.

“It was really a grind for me fishing out of the back of the boat,” Goebel says. “I was fortunate to get some real good bites. I fished real clean today and feel blessed to just be able to get out on the water.”

Fishing with pro Tim Reneau, Goebel stuck to his own style of fishing and it paid off. Especially when he caught a 7-pounder to anchor his bag.

“I caught the big one midday, just after lunch,” Goebel explains. “I figured as the day went on and it started warming we were going to get better bites.”

Top 10 Co-Anglers

1. John Goebel – Lumberton, Texas – 18-4 (5)

2. Brad Ridgeway – The Woodlands, Texas – 18-1 (5)

3. Paul Hedrick – Andrews, Texas – 16-15 (5)

4. Zack Nick – Lufkin, Texas – 15-6 (5)

5. Heath Ard – Silsbee, Texas – 15-3 (5)

6. Kelsey Ray – Joplin, Mo. – 14-11 (5)

7. Curtis Biram – Tulsa, Okla. – 14-5 (5)

8. Michael Sharp – Calera, Okla. – 13-5 (5)

9. Travis Pattillo – Zavalla, Texas – 12-10 (5)

10. Hank Williams – Claremore, Okla. – 12-8 (5)

Complete Results

by AnglersChannel

Graduation Day

College Angler and past Classic Qualifier Cody Huff joins Jason this week to talk about making the move from College and The Toyota Series to the Big Leagues on the MLF Pro Circuit. Check it out!

by AnglersChannel

A.R.E. Renews Partnership with Major League Fishing

Leading Truck Cap and Cover Brand Signs on as Presenting Sponsor of 2021 Toyota Series

TULSA, Okla. (Jan. 28, 2021) – Major League Fishing (MLF) announced today that A.R.E. Truck Caps, a U.S.-based leading manufacturer of fiberglass and aluminum truck caps and covers, has signed on as the presenting sponsor of the 2021 Toyota Series. With six divisions across the nation and nearly $6.3 million up for grabs, the 2021 Toyota Series presented by A.R.E. offers the biggest payouts for the lowest entry fees of any national tournament trail.

“I am very pleased that A.R.E will be the presenting sponsor of the 2021 Toyota Series tournament season,” said Kristina Coburn, A.R.E. marketing manager. “We have partnered with Major League Fishing for several years and are thrilled for the opportunity to align with MLF to this level. We look forward to seeing what the anglers have in store for us this year, throughout each division.”

As the largest single brand manufacturer of truck caps and hard tonneau covers in the nation, A.R.E. has spent over 50 years dedicated to manufacturing truck caps as well as creating unique solutions to preserve the lifestyle of the outdoor enthusiast.

“We are excited to expand our partnership with A.R.E.,” said Kathy Fennel, MLF executive vice president and general manager. “A.R.E. is known for producing the highest quality caps and covers, and they are the perfect company to pair with the determination, desire and grit of our loyal Toyota Series anglers. We are anticipating not only a great season, but a beneficial alliance between the brands.”

The Toyota Series presented by A.R.E. kicks off the 2021 season this week with the Toyota Series at Sam Rayburn Reservoir in Brookeland, Texas, Jan. 28-30.

The 2021 Toyota Series presented by A.R.E. consists of six divisions – each holding three regular-season events – and the opportunity to qualify for the no-entry-fee Toyota Series presented by A.R.E. Championship for a shot at winning $235,000 cash, including a $35,000 Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus for qualified anglers. The winning co-angler at the championship earns a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard.
The 2021 Toyota Series Championship presented by A.R.E. will be held Oct. 28-30 on Pickwick Lake in Counce, Tennessee, and is hosted by the Hardin County Convention and Visitors Bureau.

For more information about MLF, their tournaments and sponsors, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. To learn more about A.R.E., visit 4are.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Toyota Series presented by A.R.E. on the MLF BIG5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

About A.R.E.

A.R.E., a Truck Hero company, headquartered in Massillon, OH, manufactures premium truck caps, truck bed covers, and truck accessories, and is a respected brand by outdoor enthusiasts. For over 50 years, A.R.E. has been covering truck beds with the most innovative, highest quality products, while specifically leading the industry in single-piece fiberglass truck toppers. With various products like the CX Revo that takes truck caps to the next level and the DoubleCover, the industry’s only truck bed cover to both lift and retract, A.R.E. is committed to manufacturing one-of-a-kind truck bed solutions to meet truck owners’ unique needs.

With a focus to live outside of industry norms, A.R.E. partners with authorized truck accessory dealers that share this same focus and spread innovation across the United States and Canada. A.R.E. takes pride in the fact that they have more than 600 experienced authorized dealers, guaranteeing there is an A.R.E. upfitter nearby to provide truck owners with protective truck bed caps and quality customer support.
A.R.E. and adventure go hand in hand. Truck caps, covers, and accessories are the perfect companion for that truck owner hauling precious cargo to that next body of water they are about to tackle, to that mountain they are going to climb, or to that hike they are about to conquer. Whether you use your truck bed cover for travel, work, or adventure, A.R.E. can outfit your truck for life.

by AnglersChannel

Huk Named Exclusive Apparel Sponsor of MLF BIG5

Industry Leader in Outdoor Apparel Expands on Five-Year Partnership with Major League Fishing

TULSA, Okla. (Jan. 27, 2021) – Major League Fishing (MLF) announced today that Huk, an industry leader in performance fishing apparel, has signed on as the Exclusive Apparel of the MLF BIG5 for the 2021 season. This expanded partnership aligns the country’s top anglers and their fans with Huk, a brand known for exceptional, functional and technical clothing to anglers and enthusiasts of all ages.

As the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, MLF provides anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money across five tournament circuits featuring a five-biggest-fish format, including the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit, Toyota Series, Phoenix Bass Fishing League, Abu Garcia College Fishing and High School Fishing.

“Marolina Outdoor is excited about our partnership with the Major League Fishing BIG5,” said Pete Angle, CMO of Marolina Outdoor Inc. “Aside from sharing many common goals like new angler recruitment and access to outdoor recreational opportunities, both brands are committed to showcasing the authentic passion for bass fishing and innovation. We look forward to the 2021 MLF BIG5 tournament season and the exciting opportunity to engage with all followers of our partnered brands.”

The MLF award-winning network television airings on CBS, Discovery, Outdoor Channel, Sportsman Channel and more, along with the MLF NOW! live stream on MajorLeagueFishing.com, create the perfect platform to showcase the high-quality variety of shirts, shorts, pants, accessories and outerwear apparel offered by Huk to anglers and fans across the nation.

“Huk has been a great partner of MLF for five years and we are happy that they have continued their partnership with us on the BIG5 side of our company,” said Jim Wilburn, MLF president and CEO. “These are exciting times in bass fishing and we are thrilled to bring Huk into the fold of our extensive tournament network and the thousands of anglers that fish the MLF BIG5 circuits.”

For more information about MLF, their tournaments and sponsors, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. To learn more about Huk, visit HukGear.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the MLF BIG5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

by AnglersChannel

AC Insider Podcast - "Where I need to be"

This week Chris and the boys welcome in Elite Series Newcomer THE Jason Christie to the show to talk about his return to the Elite Series and what he's looking forward to the most.

by AnglersChannel

T-H Marine Selects Chris Drahman for Sales and Marketing Leadership

Huntsville, AL – January 27, 2021 – T-H Marine Supplies, Inc., of Huntsville, Alabama, announces that it has selected Chris Drahman for the position of National Sales and Marketing Manager. In this role, Chris will put his considerable experience to work in meeting the needs of T-H Marine's customers, identifying business development opportunities, leading T-H Marine's sales strategies, and growing the company's brand. He will work alongside T-H Marine's veteran VP of Sales and Marketing, Greg Buie.

“I've had the pleasure of knowing T-H Marine and many members of their team for more than 20 years and it’s truly an honor to join them,” Chris Drahman said. “Few companies can compare when it comes to innovative product development, dedication to taking care of their customers, and having a game plan and a desire to continue their robust growth. They made joining an easy decision and I look forward to contributing for many years to come.”

Before his recent work in the world of marine components, Chris had over 14 years working for T-H Marine's OEM and distributor sales reps at William F. Miller & Associates. Now, as T-H Marine's National Sales and Marketing Manager, Chris will be leveraging his sales and sales leadership experience, his work history in the marine industry, and his strong ability to drive new business development and expansions into new markets.

“We are pleased to welcome Chris Drahman to the team!” T-H Marine President and CEO, Jeff Huntley said. “We have known Chris for many years and he is exactly what you expect from a true sales professional — a great fit with our boating-centric culture and our aggressive business attitude. With over 25 years of sales roles in the industry, he brings a lot of knowledge, experience, and relationships to the table.

"T-H Marine is building our next generation of executive-level leaders and Chris is a big part of that plan coming into place. We are very excited about the future as we continue to outpace industry growth and we are proud to have Chris’ horsepower to help push that dynamic growth, both organically and through acquisitions.”

Imbued by T-H Marine's commitment to supplying boaters with the gear they need, from TRANSOM TO TROLLING MOTOR®, Chris will work to ensure that the brand thrives across its various sales channels. With his experience in the marine industry, his long-standing familiarity with T-H Marine, and his love of the water, Chris brings a solid foundation to his new role.

“T-H Marine has always had a motto that 'Fridays are for Fishing', fostering an appreciation for why the company exists,” Chris added. “Especially as it is interwoven with a love of being outdoors and my own passion for saltwater fishing, I look forward to reinforcing T-H Marine's ability to put current products to the test, produce ideas for new products, and make the boating and fishing experience even better for everyone."

Now including more products for an even wider variety of boats, check out the full range of T-H Marine's growing product line at thmarine.com/products. For tips about T-H Marine products, company news, and more, including information to improve your boating and fishing experience, follow T-H Marine Supplies (@thmarineteam) on social media.

by AnglersChannel

Yamaha Expands Power Pay Program

Broadens Eligibility Requirements, Adds New Tournaments to 2021 Season

KENNESAW, Ga. – Jan. 27, 2021 — Yamaha Marine today announced the expansion of Power Pay, a contingency program that provides a cash bonus to Yamaha anglers who place in sanctioned salt and freshwater tournaments. For the 2021 season, Yamaha adds 68 new competitive fishing events, enhances the payout bonus amounts and broadens the eligibility requirements to eligible anglers who own a Yamaha outboard with a warranty start date within the 60 months prior to registering for Power Pay.

“The rules no longer require Power Pay anglers to be the original outboard owners. Now, Power Pay eligibility is open to second, third and even fourth Yamaha owners as long as the outboard has been warranty registered within the stated time,” said Connor Megan, Senior Regional Marketing Specialist, Yamaha Marine Engine Systems. “The first year of the program was a tremendous success with hundreds of qualified anglers winning nearly $140,000 in Power Pay bonus money despite the difficult situations created by COVID-19. We think 2021 will be even bigger.”

Introduced in the fall of 2019, Power Pay gives anglers the opportunity to receive compensation for running eligible Yamaha outboards. Eligible anglers running Yamaha outboards can sign up for the program by visiting yamahapowerpay.com. All applicants are required to accept and adhere to the Yamaha Angler Code of Ethics before completing the registration for the program. Once registered, the highest placing angler in specified Power Pay sanctioned tournaments that meets all eligibility requirements will be compensated by Yamaha accordingly.

New tournaments for 2021 include the MLF Bass Pro Tour, Bass Champs Texas, Carolina Bass Challenge, Texas Team Trail^®, Nichols Team Series Oklahoma, Phoenix BFL Regionals, EFL™ Redfish Contender Series and EFL™ Redfish Tour. Additional eligible Power Pay tournaments and trails include the Bassmaster Classic^®, Bassmaster^® Angler of the Year, Bassmaster Opens, B.A.S.S. Nation^®, Bassmaster Elites, Bassmaster College Series, Bassmaster High School series, A.B.A. Bass Pro Shops^®Open Series, Alabama Bass Trail, MWC, The National Walleye Tour^®, AIM^® Walleye, Kingfish Cup and Flatsmasters^®.

For more information and complete terms and conditions about Power Pay, visit yamahapowerpay.com. Some restrictions apply. Void where prohibited by law.

Yamaha Marine products are marketed throughout the United States and around the world. Yamaha Marine Engine Systems, based in Kennesaw, Ga., supports its 2,000 U.S. dealers and boat builders with marketing, training and parts for Yamaha’s full line of products and strives to be the industry leader in reliability, technology and customer service. Yamaha Marine is the only outboard brand to have earned NMMA^®’s C.S.I. Customer Satisfaction Index award every year since its inception. Visit www.yamahaoutboards.com.

by AnglersChannel

Bassmaster Host Davy Hite Joins The 13 Fishing Family

For Davy Hite, friends, family and fishing have always been in the same boat. Often, quite literally. So when a business merger married his Rapala friends into the 13 Fishing family, the Bassmaster TV co-host was excited to get welcomed aboard as well.

“It’s just a great opportunity to take a company like Rapala, that’s been a leader in our industry for many, many years and so successful, and combine them with 13 Fishing’s young, enthusiastic, and very good product designers and engineers,” says Hite, referencing a 2019 deal in which Rapala VMC purchased a minority stake in 13 Fishing’s parent company. “I just know the future is going to be great for 13 Fishing. And I just hope I can make it even better.”

A longtime star on Rapala’s Pro Team – his career highlights include winning the 1999 Bassmaster Classic and 1997 and 2002 Bassmaster Angler of the Year titles – Hite is excited to “get in on the leading edge of the future of 13 Fishing.” He will fish exclusively with, promote and help design 13 Fishing rods and reels, which Rapala now distributes outside the U.S. Hite’s pro-team liaison at both Rapala and 13 Fishing is Dan Quinn, who wears marketing hats for both companies.

“I’ve had the pleasure of working with Davy for many years and know that he brings a lot to the table,” Quinn says. “I mean, come on, he’s literally a living legend! He brings a long list of accolades and with that comes a lot of experience, which will be invaluable in helping promotion and product development for 13 Fishing. We are beyond excited to welcome Davy to the 13 Fishing family, the future is very bright!”

When It Comes To Hammers, He's A Sledge.

“Davy Hite is an established winner and welcome addition to the 13 Fishing stable,” says 13 Fishing’s marketing coordinator Reid Miller. “Like a champion thoroughbred, Hite has earned the respect of anglers far wide by proving he can lead the pack at the highest level of the sport. Davey has always been a stud, and he understands the importance of performance and reliability and with that he brings a wealth of experience to our team. We’re excited to partner with him to deliver the finest equipment for fishing.”

Hite’s Bassmaster tournament highlights also include eight first-place finishes, 14 Classic appearances, and 45 Top 10 finishes. In 2017, he left behind competition to begin co-hosting Bassmaster’s Elite Series LIVE webcasts and cable TV shows. That doesn’t mean he quit fishing, however.

“I get asked a lot ‘Are you still fishing?’” Hite says, laughing. “And honestly, I’m fishing as much or more as I was in all my years fishing Bassmaster.”

These days, Hite enjoys fishing with one of his grown sons, Payton (the other, Parker, is an Army Captain deployed in Germany), some high school buddies “I’ve fished off and on with my whole life” and his brother-in-law Scott Martin, a South Carolina stick and one-time Classic competitor with whom he fished team tournaments early in his career.

Seeing 13 Fishing logos on stickers, hats and hoodies “all over the country the last few years” first caught Hite’s attention. Glowing reviews from respected Bassmaster anglers then led him to try and like 13 Fishing rods and reels.

“The cool thing about my new job is all of these fishermen will share information with me now about new products, but when I was their competitor, they weren’t so eager to do so,” Hite says. “And that’s part of how I learned about what a good company 13 Fishing is. I started talking to a few people who use their rods and reels and they all had great comments.

“I can talk with guys about products they’re using, and they’ll talk straight with me,” Hite continues. “So if I get good reviews from them, it will spark my curiosity. So I went and played around with some 13 Fishing products and saw that for a young company they had a lot of really good stuff.”

Hite praises 13 Fishing’s product line for including quality rods and reels in both high-end and economical categories. “It’s a well-rounded line-up, from mid-range to upper-range product,” he says.

by AnglersChannel

CLASSIC WINNER TAKAHIRO OMORI JOINS BASS CAT TEAM

New addition strengthens strategic partnership with Japan’s SDG Marine

MOUNTAIN HOME, Ark. (January 25th, 2020) – Bass Cat Boats, a leading manufacturer of tournament-ready, high-performance bass boats, has added veteran Bass Pro Tour competitor Takahiro Omori, winner of the 2004 Bassmaster Classic, to the company’s national pro team. This will bolster an already stout staff with the first and only international pro to win one of bass fishing’s major championships.

“They have supported Major League Fishing since day one,” Omori said. “On top of that, it gave me the opportunity to strengthen my relationship with Showa Denki Group (SDG) Marine, Japan’s leading bass boat dealer. It’s important to promote Bass Cat to Japanese anglers, and my boat will be wrapped to feature SDG’s logo.”

In his decorated career with Bassmaster, Omori won seven events, including the 2004 Classic on South Carolina’s Lake Wylie, one of the 12 Classics in which he competed. He was also a two-tour pro for many years. He qualified for seven Forrest Wood Cups and claimed a 2001 Tour victory on Alabama’s Lake Martin. Since moving to Major League Fishing, he’s added another major title to his list by winning the 2020 MLF Summit Cup at Lake of the Ozarks.

“I first met Takahiro while fishing the Bassmaster Invitationals in the early 1990s,” said Bass Cat President Rick Pierce. “It was obvious then that he had the drive and talent to experience exceptional success and he has fully met those expectations. We are proud to have him join the family.”

Omori will run a Cougar FTD powered by a Yamaha outboard on the Bass Pro Tour in 2021. “The floor plan fits my style, but what I really like about it is that it’s fast and floats higher in the water than other boats, so I can get into skinny water places. I talked a lot to Kelly Jordon and Shin Fukae and they agreed it was the perfect boat for the way I like to fish.”

Kevin Short, Bass Cat’s Pro Staff Director and Head of International Sales, was thrilled to add an angler who is highly respected on multiple continents. “Japan represents a huge opportunity for us, and SDG is a remarkably aggressive and innovative company,” Short said. “The beauty of it is that Takahiro’s influence is so widespread, and his accomplishments are so notable, that it’s like getting two pros in one.”

by AnglersChannel

Heck and Berthelot win Outlaw Outdoors Team Series with over 29 pounds!

Outlaw Teams Series #1

January 23, 2021

Umphrey Pavilion

1st Place - Hayden Heck & Kenneth Berthelot 29.29 lbs $10,000

2nd Place - Anthony Waguspack & Jimmy Lloyd 26.17 lbs $4,000

3rd Place - Colby Fergeson & Hunter Sanders 24.06 lbs $3,200

4th Place - Eric Brigman 23.77 lbs $2,600

5th Place - Mark Mueck & Kaden Mueck 22.73 lbs $2,300

6th Place - Joe Wilkerson & Daniel Toups 22.53 lbs $2,000

Big Bass - Hayden Heck & Kenneth Berthelot 10.27 lbs $1,000

by AnglersChannel

Why Brandon Lester chooses a jig over all other winter lures

Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships

See the Alabama Rig near Bassmaster Elite Series pro Brandon Lester’s left hand in the photo? It’s the only one he owns. Like literally, he owns one A-Rig, and you’re looking at it.

And while he’s got plenty of proven cold water crankbaits laying there too, every lure in the universe plays second fiddle to a jig on the coldest days of winter for the easy-going Tennessee pro who is closing in on $1 Million in career earnings after just seven years as a full-time pro.

“I realize a lot of guys have come to depend on an Alabama Rig in the dead of winter, but we’re not allowed to use it in Bassmaster Opens or Elites. So there’s no reason for me to get dependent on it when I’m fishing around home at this time of year,” says the Team Toyota pro.

“And honestly, I believe with all my heart, when you’re throwing a jig at this time of year, you’re giving yourself a shot to catch the biggest fish in the lake,” he says.

Bringing the Heat with the Z Train

His recent appearance on “Zona’s Awesome Fishing Show” epitomizes this point. The air temp was 18 degrees the day they filmed on Dale Hollow Lake, water temps were 42, and dragging a football jig brought the heat on quality fish more than any other lure the two tied on.

“We could catch fish on a Ned Rig that day, and probably could have caught some on a crankbait too. But the football jig was hands-down the key to Zona and I catching all our bigger fish,” he recalls.

Biggest Bass of Lester’s Life

However, Lester’s proof of a jig’s frigid water prowess is certainly not limited to his day filming with Zona. Each New Year’s Eve, he and a good buddy make a trip to Nickajack Lake – and it was on that tradition rich trip last year that Lester believes he caught the biggest bass of his life – on a jig of course.

“I had just gotten a brand-new boat. We didn’t even have my graphs mounted yet, let alone have a scale in the boat. I caught a 7-pounder first on a jig, and then caught one that I know was over 10-pounds, which would easily make it the biggest bass of my life,” says Lester.

Callin’ bull on hibernating crawfish

While schools of shad, and specifically, the weak and dying specimens within the school, often become the focal point of the bass’ cold weather dinner menu, crawdads remain a major player too. Lester simply doesn’t buy the dormant crawdad theory. “I’ve had guys tell me crawdads are so dormant in winter that they aren’t a factor for bass. That’s absolute bull! I’ve caught way too many bass in 45-degree water with crawdad pinchers sticking out of their gullets to ever rule out a jig,” he says emphatically.

Lester’s two favorite winter jigs

The skirted jewels he leans on most are pretty simple. First, he never varies far from the colors brown or green pumpkin, and secondly, one of his winter jigs will always be a ½-ounce SpotSticker flipping jig featuring a brown living rubber skirt and a meaty 5/0 Mustad hook. This is the jig that gets pitched to thicker shoreline habitat, and he emphasizes the merits of living rubber skirts in cold water.

The other jig is a football jig. If he’s dragging it on the bottom in less than 15-feet of water, he uses a ½ ounce model. Sometimes, however, bait balls and other desirable sonar images seem to be out in the 15 to 30-foot-deep zone. In that case, when going deeper, he ties a ¾-ounce model to his 15-pound Vicious fluorocarbon. He nearly always dresses his football jig with a craw-style trailer as shown in the photo.

Bama rigs, jerkbaits, and flat-sided cranks all have their mid-winter merits, but for Brandon Lester, jigs are the true trophy chaser when water temps are in the 40s. “All I can tell you is some of the most memorable and biggest bass I’ve ever caught in my life have come in the middle of winter, and all of them bit a jig.”

by AnglersChannel

Lake Eufaula Lands 2021 Bassmaster Team Championship Event

Photo by Shane Durrance/B.A.S.S.

January 22, 2021

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The last spot in the 2022 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk will be filled on historic Lake Eufaula as this Alabama fishery hosts the Bassmaster Team Championship and Classic Fish-Off Dec. 8-11, 2021.

Battling for that coveted berth in the Bassmaster Classic will be the grassroots anglers competing at the Bassmaster Team Championship. The team portion of the event will be held Dec. 8-9 and will feature anglers from across the country — 32 states in 2020. The winning duo will not only win a cash prize, but they’ll also lead the charge into the Classic Fish-Off which will take place Dec. 10-11.

The top three teams through Day 2 — six anglers in all — will have their weights zeroed and then compete individually in the Fish-Off. The competitor with the heaviest two-day total of the group will earn their spot in the Classic.

In 2020, that honor went to Jordan Wiggins, a 29-year-old Cullman, Ala., resident whose older brother Jesse notched a third-place finish in the 2019 Classic.

“What a wonderful way to end a year,” says Ann Sparks, Tourism and Main Street Executive Director for the City of Eufaula. “We are thrilled to be hosting the Bassmaster Team Championship and showing off what Lake Eufaula has to offer! Most anglers have fished our great lake, but we are excited to show off our changes and improvements to our beautiful town.”

B.A.S.S. has visited Lake Eufaula 17 times for major events, including an Elite Series tournament last year that was broadcast live to an audience of more than 2.8 million. The town itself — with a statue declaring Eufaula as the “Big Bass Capital of the World” — is known throughout the fishing industry as the hometown of legendary angler and lure designer Tom Mann. It’s the home of Mann’s Bait Company and the Johnson Outdoors location where Humminbird electronics are produced.

In addition to the Team Championship event, Lake Eufaula will also host the Bassmaster B.A.S.S. Nation Kayak Series powered by TourneyX on May 1.

by AnglersChannel

Its a Family Tradition - with Lawson Hibdon

This week Chris welcomes in MLF Pro Circuit Pro Lawson Hibdon to the Rookie Podcast to talk about following in his Grandfather's, the late Guido Hibdon and his Dad, Dion Hibdon's footsteps and competing on the Pro Level. Check it out!

by AnglersChannel

ABU GARCIA SEEKS INPUT NAMING TOP 100 FISHING LOCATIONS

Company kicks off 100th anniversary celebration by paying homage to the best U.S. fishing waters and is soliciting input from Abu Garcia loyalists.

COLUMBIA, S.C. (Jan. 21, 2021) — Abu Garcia is celebrating a century of innovation and epic fishing in 2021 by asking fans around the country to weigh in on the Top-100 fisheries in the United States.

The list, which could include anything from backyard streams to sprawling lakes and everything in between, will celebrate the best freshwater fishing this country has to offer and introduce anglers of all levels to well-known big-fish locations as well as hidden gems.

Anglers can submit their favorite fisheries for consideration, explain why they top their list and share photos of their favorite honey holes through January 25. The final list will be released in phases, beginning in late February. The detailed results will be available online for avid anglers to explore their next fishing destination as they look ahead to the next century of fishing with Abu Garcia.

To learn more about Abu Garcia’s 100th anniversary and cast your vote by January 25, visit www.abugarcia.com.

by AnglersChannel

XZone adds NEW Adrenaline Craw and Adrenaline Bug Jr to their line-up

4.25” Adrenaline Craw

The new X Zone Pro Series Adrenaline Craw is the brain child of one of the hottest anglers on earth; Brandon Palaniuk!!

This exciting new bait is fresh for 2021! The super aggressive claws produce unbelievable action . Use alone for great swimming action, tip your jig with it to give great water disturbance or add it to your chatter bait for what will be unmatched performance. Floating Claws are also featured on this bait! Never has a bait with such aggressive attributes been offered with floating claws. Perfect presentation, every time!

Use what Palaniuk uses and get the 4.25" Adrenaline Craw!

3.5” Adrenaline Bug Jr

Like its bigger brother , the 4" Adrenaline Bug, the NEW 3.5" Adrenaline Bug Jr. is designed to provide a great creature bait presentation that bass love! The floating qualities found in this bait make it 100% NEDable.

The soft, body and floating claws make this bait irresistible to bass. Once they feel this soft bait in their mouth - they will not let go. The specialized plastic, super fine salt and scent infused formula used to make the Adrenaline Bug allows the claws to float at rest for a time, mimicking the defensive stance of a real crayfish. All of these exceptional features produce a creature bait that swims, hops and undulates in the water creating a NEW unique sonic signature and vibration that BASS LOVE!!!

The Adrenaline Bug Jr is extremely versatile. It is available in 12 proven fish catching colors to cover a wide variety of applications, including flipping, pitching and punching.

by AnglersChannel

Nominations Now Open For 2021 Class Of Bassmaster High School All-Americans

Jan. 21, 2021

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — B.A.S.S. is seeking nominations for the best and brightest high school bass anglers in the country.

The Bassmaster High School All-American Fishing Team presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors recognizes the 12 most outstanding high school anglers in the nation. The program is designed to reward young athletes for their performance in tournaments, leadership in their communities and involvement in conservation efforts.

Applications for the team, which is now in its seventh year, will be accepted today through Feb. 22.

To be considered, a student must be nominated by a parent, coach, teacher or other school official. Students currently enrolled in grades 10 through 12 with a current grade point average of 2.5 or higher are eligible.

Judges will select up to two student anglers in each state. These All-State Fishing Team members will become semifinalists in the selection of the 12-member Bassmaster High School All-American Fishing Team presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors. Criteria include success in high school fishing tournaments and involvement in conservation efforts and other community service activities.

The anglers chosen will compete in a one-day Bassmaster High School All-American Tournament to be held in conjunction with the 2021 Bassmaster Elite at Neely Henry Lake which will be held May 6-9 — one of nine regular-season Bassmaster Elite Series tournaments being held this year. Elite Series anglers will serve as “coaches” for the student anglers in the one-day fishing event near Gadsden, Ala. The high school standouts and Elite Series coaches will be honored before the weigh-in crowd.

“The continued growth and success our High School All-American program has had over the past seven years is amazing,” said Hank Weldon, senior manager of the Bassmaster High School program. “We are so proud to offer a platform that not only recognizes successful student athletes on their accomplishments on the water, but on their academic success and community involvement as well. We can’t wait to see what this 2021 class of anglers has in store.”

All students who compete in high school fishing events are eligible, regardless if they are affiliated with B.A.S.S. or another fishing organization.

Notices have been sent to youth fishing directors of the B.A.S.S. Nation and other organizations, as well as leaders of state high school fishing programs. Adults can nominate students by filling out an online form at Bassmaster.com/allamerican. Nominations must be submitted before midnight on Feb. 22. Please send all questions to [email protected].

by AnglersChannel

BASS FISHING HALL OF FAME ADDS SIX BOARD MEMBERS

All Volunteer Board Dedicated to Celebrating, Promoting and Preserving the Sport of Bass Fishing

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – For Immediate Release – 1/21/21 – The Bass Fishing Hall of Fame has added six members to its Board of Directors to begin serving a three-year term in January 2021, leading the organization into its next steps of growth on the heels of a highly-successful recent effort to expand and increase the Hall’s outreach and impact. The new members include:

Todd Ceisner, Associate Publisher of In-Fisherman;
Kathy Fennel, Executive Vice President and COO for Major League Fishing;
Matt Pangrac, Freelance journalist and tournament angler;
Tim Price, Freshwater Field Promotions Manager for Johnson Outdoors Marine Group; and
Bruce Stanton, Vice President and General Manager of PRADCO Fishing.

Restaurant executive Clifton Rutledge, a distinguished former member of the board, returns to serve another term.

“This is an impressive group, and we are thrilled to have every one of them,” said Bass Fishing Hall of Fame President John Mazurkiewicz “Each of our new Board members bring a distinct skill set to assist us in our mission of celebrating, promoting and preserving the sport of bass fishing. We are an all-volunteer ‘working board’ and we pride ourselves on the fact that our leadership encompasses all of the major tours, media outlets and sectors of the industry.”

In addition to Mazurkiewicz, owner of Catalyst Marketing Services, a PR/media relations firm focusing on the recreational fishing industry, the Board’s executive committee includes Vice Presidents Daren Cole with Blue Heron Communications, a fishing/hunting-focused marketing firm, and Tim Carini, sales director at B.A.S.S, along with Treasurer Donald Howell, President & CFO of Southern Sky Aviation. Barbara Bowman serves as the Executive Director. Other Board members include Daiwa’s Curt Arakawa, B.A.S.S. Angler Relations manager Steve Bowman, pro bass angler Guy Eaker, Sr., B.A.S.S. conservation director Gene Gilliland, Wired2Fish CEO Todd Hammill, TH Marine’s Bill Huntley , fishing industry consultant Melinda Mize-Hays, noted bass fishing/travel writer Pete Robbins, and AFTCO president Casey Shedd.

Longtime Bassmaster editor Dave Precht retired from the Board at the end of 2020 after more than a decade of service. All of the members thank him for his extended service and hope that he will continue to guide the Hall’s path informally.

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, Missouri, where it has rapidly become a popular destination.

by AnglersChannel

Cody Huff – Graduating from College Fishing

Courtesy of Luke Stoner - Dynamic Sponsorships

After a successful season in tournament competition along with an unpredictable and challenging year off the water, Cody Huff’s reign as the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Bracket Champion has officially come to an end. Huff turned in his Bethel University wrapped rig last week and a new Toyota Tundra-Nitro Boat combo is being prepared for the 2021 college champ, Trevor McKinney.

Looking back on the year, Cody Huff has a lot to be proud of. Not only did he do an excellent job representing his school, himself, and college fishing on the biggest stages in bass fishing, he also had one of the best on-the-water performance records in the history of this program.

With anglers like Jordan Lee, Matt Lee, Andrew Upshaw, and Brett Pruett (to name a few) coming up through the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Classic Bracket program… that’s high praise.

The 2020 season wasn’t what Huff expected, largely due to the global COVID-19 Pandemic, but the 23-year old Bethel University student certainly made the most of a chaotic year.

After starting the year off with back-to-back victories on Toledo Bend Reservoir, Huff became the first college fishing representative to make it to Day 3 of the Bassmaster Classic since Jordan Lee. Huff had a solid 2020 Bassmaster Opens campaign and bookended his season with a second FLW Toyota Series victory on Table Rock Lake in early November.

“In a lot of ways I’d like to forget 2020 like most folks, but from a fishing standpoint I am extremely thankful,” Huff said. “From both an equipment and financial standpoint this year was a massive opportunity for me. For the first time in my fishing career I couldn’t use equipment as an excuse. From my baits and electronics, to my boat and tow vehicle, I was able to use the best of the best.”

Like most of his college fishing peers, Huff had always made due with any limitations in his equipment prior to becoming the 2020 Carhartt College Series Classic representative. He took full advantage of the opportunity this program provided, thanks to both his performance on the water and how he carried himself when not competing.

Huff finished his year by locking up sponsor support for his 2021 tournament season before purchasing a 2020 Toyota Tundra of his own so he could be eligible for Toyota Bonus Bucks in 2021 and have a tow vehicle he could depend on.

With Bass Pro Shops serving as his title sponsor Huff will compete on the Major League Fishing Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit as well as at least one Bassmaster Opens division this year, representing many of the same companies he worked with in 2020. While competing in his first season as a professional fisherman, Huff will complete a few remaining online classes to earn his diploma from Bethel University.

“It really is a dream come true,” Huff said with a smile. “I’ll be competing against guys I’ve been watching on TV since I was a little kid. I don’t think it has really hit me yet… I’m just extremely grateful for everything I learned last year. I wouldn’t be in this position without the support of Bassmaster, Carhartt, Bass Pro Shops, or Toyota.”

There’s no doubt about it, Cody Huff is a special talent with a bright future. His obvious skill for catching bass better than the competition will continue to serve him well in this sport; but his Midwestern roots, even-keeled attitude, and respectful nature put Huff at the top of our list of young anglers to watch.

by AnglersChannel

MLF Postpones Upcoming Lake Shasta Tournaments

REDDING, Calif. (Jan. 20, 2021) – Major League Fishing (MLF) announced today the postponement of three tournaments scheduled for Jan. 28-31 on Lake Shasta in Redding, California. The decision was made after MLF officials learned of new travel restrictions implemented by the Shasta-Trinity National Forest Service in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The new restrictions prevent anglers who are traveling from more than 120 miles away from competing in the event.

The MLF events that have been postponed are:

Jan. 28-30: Toyota Series presented by A.R.E. Western Division at Lake Shasta
Jan. 30: Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI at Lake Shasta
Jan. 31: High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing at Lake Shasta

Rescheduled dates for these three events will be announced as soon as possible.

Being an inherently socially distant sport, the vast majority of 2021 tournaments will continue as scheduled, operating under COVID-19 protocols to safeguard the health and well-being of all involved. MLF will continue to follow the suggestions and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, public health professionals and permitting agencies.

For complete details and updated information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF BIG5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

by AnglersChannel

"Godzilla is my Spirit Animal"

Thats right, Chris and the boys welcome in Elite Series "Newcomer" Greg Hackney to this weeks show to talk about the effort made to prequalify for the Bassmaster Elite Series.

by AnglersChannel

Arey: How to choose jig size

Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships

Choosing jig sizes can cause as much contemplation as a burger joint drive-thru lane. Do you get the single patty from the value side of the menu to conserve fat calories and cash, or do you go all-in and get the double burger with bacon to leave you gut-stuffed and grinning?

Both serve a purpose, but like bass fishing jigs, one must choose the right-sized meal for the conditions at hand – and sometimes that’s a struggle. Thanks to Team Toyota’s Matt Arey, picking the perfect sized portion just got a whole lot easier.

“I let two primary rules lead me to picking the right-sized jig,” says Arey. “First, am I fishing a multi-species lake with spotted bass, smallmouth and largemouth like Table Rock, or are we on a body of water like Lake Fork, where it’s all about big largemouth? And also, I let weather dictate my jig of choice.”

If all three species are present, Arey often opts for the bite-sized 5/16- or 7/16-ounce finesse jig, but if it’s all about fat largemouth, he’ll tie on the full-sized ½ or 5/8 bulkier version.

“If I’m flipping flooded bushes or laydowns – I like to “yo-yo” the jig a little bit to keep it in a very small strike zone for a second or two, and the bulkier jig helps me do that easier. Even if I’m pitching or skipping docks, I still choose the bigger jig, but I may downsize the trailer to make it skip easier,” says the devout family man from Shelby, NC.

When it comes to weather’s dictation of Arey’s selection, it boils down to bigger is better when weather is stable, but when the bottom falls out in the form a harsh cold front, finesse wins the day.

If he’s dragging the little jig on a clean secondary point in greater than 15-feet of water, he may drop down to 12-pound line, but most of the time, it’s tied to 15-pound P-Line fluorocarbon.

When it comes to color, he keeps it extremely simple, choosing a shade of green pumpkin on all sizes of jigs 95% of the time, opting only for black/blue if the water’s exceptionally dirty.

Like all great anglers, Arey knows it’s the appetite of the bass based on species and weather that matters way more than his own when choosing the right jig. But dang, a Baconator™ does sound good right now.

by AnglersChannel

Toyota Series to Kick Off 2021 Southwestern Division on Sam Rayburn Reservoir

Multiple Patterns Expected to Be in Play for Competitors Descending on East Texas Reservoir

BROOKELAND, Texas (Jan. 19, 2021) – The Toyota Series presented by A.R.E. Southwestern Division will kick off the 2021 season with a tournament next week in Brookeland, Texas, Jan. 28-30, with the Toyota Series presented by A.R.E. at Sam Rayburn Reservoir. Hosted by the Jasper-Lake Sam Rayburn Chamber of Commerce, the three-day tournament will feature the region’s best bass-fishing pros and co-anglers on some of the best bass water in the country, casting for a top prize of up to $65,000, plus an additional $35,000 bonus if the winner is a qualified Phoenix Boat owner. Anglers will also be competing for qualification opportunities to the Toyota Series Championship and a chance to win up to $235,000.

Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit angler and accomplished Sam Rayburn pro Dicky Newberry of Houston, Texas, said he is expecting good things from the famed fishery at the end of January.

“We’ve had a lot of rain and the lake is coming up,” Newberry said. “We have a little color in the water and the creeks are kind of trashed, but the lake is in good shape with a lot of healthy fish, which is what you expect this time of year.”

By the end of next week, Newberry said some fish will begin to push shallow to stage in preparation for the spawn. Because of that, he expects there to be a little bit of everything to fish for during this tournament.

“Big stringers are going to come from the outside on the clay, drops and ridges,” he said. “That’s where those big ones are living right now. There’s also a pad stem bite and we might have water up in the bushes by then, so that could be going on – but that’s the thing about Rayburn, it’s got a little bit of everything.”

While fishing deep may produce the biggest limits of the event, Newberry said he isn’t ready to write off anything up shallow. Despite the lake kicking out a 40-pound limit a few weeks prior, he said he felt like 57 to 60 pounds should be the benchmark for a winning weight.

“It can be won in any of those patterns, or a combination of them,” said Newberry. “There’s just so many fish. Even though Rayburn gets a lot of pressure, it still takes over 20 to win single-day tournaments, and sometimes, 30 or 40. But I predict it will take around 60 pounds to win this one.”

Anglers will take off daily at 7 a.m. CT from the Umphrey Family Pavilion in Brookeland. Weigh-ins will also be held at the Umphrey Family Pavilion and will begin at 3 p.m. Attendance is limited to competing anglers and essential staff only. Fans are encouraged to follow the event online through the “MLF Live” weigh-in broadcasts and daily coverage at 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 $40,000, plus an extra $35,000 if Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus qualified. Co-anglers cast for the top prize of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard (valued at $33,500). With a 260-boat field, pros fish for a top award of $65,000, plus an extra $35,000 if Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus qualified. Co-anglers cast for the top prize of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard (valued at $33,500) plus $5,000 cash.

The 2021 Toyota Series presented by A.R.E. consists of six divisions – Central, Northern, Plains, Southern, Southwestern and Western – each holding three regular-season events, along with the International division. Anglers who fish all three qualifiers in any of the eight divisions and finish in the top 25 will qualify for the no-entry-fee Toyota Series presented by A.R.E. Championship for a shot at winning $235,000 cash, including a $35,000 Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus for qualified anglers. The winning co-angler at the championship earns a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard.

The 2021 Toyota Series Championship presented by A.R.E. will be held Oct. 28-30 on Pickwick Lake in Counce, Tennessee, and is hosted by the Hardin County Convention and Visitors Bureau.

by AnglersChannel

Toyota Series to Kick Off 2021 Season Opener on Lake Shasta

REDDING, Calif. (Jan. 19, 2021) – The Toyota Series presented by A.R.E. Western Division will kick off the 2021 season with a tournament next week in Redding, California, Jan. 28-30, with the Toyota Series presented by A.R.E. at Lake Shasta. Hosted by the Redding Convention and Visitors Bureau, the three-day tournament will feature the region’s best bass-fishing pros and co-anglers casting for a top prize of up to $65,000, plus an additional $35,000 bonus if the winner is a qualified Phoenix Boat owner.

“This is going to be an interesting tournament,” said Toyota Series angler Jason Milligan of Cottonwood, California. “The water took longer to cool off this year and due to that, the bait and fish aren’t really grouped up like they typically would be. The water is also a lot clearer than usual. We generally see green-colored water but it’s like desert clear right now – you can see down 15 feet in some spots.”

Milligan said things can change quickly though on the mountain reservoir and with a week to go before the event and weather between now and then, it’s likely the conditions will change.

“There’s a lot of bait in 45 to 65 feet right now,” Milligan added. “You can catch fish out there, but they’re small. There’s still a ton of fish in the lake, but it’ll be different than in years past – getting some rain and color in the lake should help. These western reservoirs fluctuate a lot. If we stay on a dropping trend the fish won’t move up, but if the lake stabilizes or comes up, it’ll be like a light switch.

“I expect this event will be tougher than usual for Shasta, but it’s still one of the places we broke records at not too long ago, so I’m excited to see what happens.”

Anglers will take off daily at 7:30 a.m. PT from the Bridge Bay Resort in Redding. Weigh-ins will also be held at the Bridge Bay Resort and will begin at 3:30 p.m. Attendance is limited to competing anglers and essential staff only. Fans are encouraged to follow the event online through the “MLF Live” weigh-in broadcasts and daily coverage at 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 $40,000, plus an extra $35,000 if Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus qualified. Co-anglers cast for the top prize of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard (valued at $33,500). With a 260-boat field, pros fish for a top award of $65,000, plus an extra $35,000 if Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus qualified. Co-anglers cast for the top prize of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard (valued at $33,500) plus $5,000 cash.

The 2021 Toyota Series presented by A.R.E. consists of six divisions – Central, Northern, Plains, Southern, Southwestern and Western – each holding three regular-season events, along with the International division. Anglers who fish all three qualifiers in any of the eight divisions and finish in the top 25 will qualify for the no-entry-fee Toyota Series presented by A.R.E. Championship for a shot at winning $235,000 cash, including a $35,000 Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus for qualified anglers. The winning co-angler at the championship earns a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard. The 2021 Toyota Series Championship presented by A.R.E. will be held Oct. 28-30 on Pickwick Lake in Counce, Tennessee, and is hosted by the Hardin County Convention and Visitors Bureau.

by AnglersChannel

13 Fishing Partners with Major League Fishing

Premier Fishing Gear Company Named Presenting Sponsor of First Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Event of the Year

January 14, 2021 (Tulsa, Okla.) Major League Fishing (MLF) announced today that 13 Fishing has signed on as the presenting sponsor of the 2021 season-opening Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit presented by Bad Boy Mowers at Lake Okeechobee, Feb. 11-14. In its 26^th season of professional competition and the second year since the acquisition by MLF, the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit is professional bass fishing’s premier five-fish limit tournament series, showcasing a field of 166 of the top bass anglers in the world competing for up to $135,000 at each regular-season tournament and up to $235,000 at the Tackle Warehouse TITLE, the Pro Circuit championship.

“We are thrilled to welcome 13 Fishing to the MLF sponsor family,” said Jim Wilburn, MLF President and CEO. “As an angler-centric league, MLF aligns perfectly with 13 Fishing in putting our professional anglers and their needs at the forefront of the sport, both on and off the water.”

The 2021 MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit will feature 154 two-hour airings on network television, in a run that includes 24 airings on Outdoor Channel and 130 airings on Sportsman Channel, for a total of 308 hours of programming.

“We are extremely excited to partner with Major League Fishing in 2021,” said Ben Alcocer, 13 Fishing Marketing Director. “As one of the fastest growing brands in the fishing industry it only makes sense that we partner with such a prestigious tournament series and media powerhouse. Seeing our professional anglers like Ron Nelson (Pro Circuit 2020 Angler of the Year) not only compete, but win, using our product on one of the most competitive stages in the world is what it’s all about.”

For more information about MLF, their tournaments and sponsors, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. To learn more about 13 Fishing, visit 13Fishing.com.

by AnglersChannel

Lucky Hat Leads High School Angler’s Family to $10,000

Courtesy of Dynamic Sponsorships

KENNESAW, Ga. – Jan. 19, 2021 - High school angler Hunter Keller understands his mom, Ashley, and dad, Dusty, need to live within the family’s financial means - but they’ve always done all they can to support Hunter’s love of competitive bass fishing.

Rather than buy a pricey fiberglass boat, they chose a tough 18-foot aluminum boat powered by a 115-horsepower Yamaha V MAX SHO®. It’s a decision that recently paid back $10,000 in Yamaha Power Pay contingency money after Hunter’s dad, Dusty, registered for the Yamaha Power Pay program.

“When Mom got the email confirming our sixth place finish at the high school national championship was good enough for a $10,000 Yamaha Power Pay bonus, she was screaming and in tears of joy. She’s my biggest fan,” said Hunter. “Dad read about the new Yamaha Power Pay program right after it launched, and knew we had to make sure we signed up and thank goodness we did.”

A self-described baseball hat collector, 17-year old Keller from North Carolina says the Yamaha hat that came in the mail after his dad registered for Power Pay played a major role in their success at the 2020 Mossy Oak® National Championship on Kentucky Lake in late October 2020.

He and partner Daniel Brackett, with dad Dusty as their boat captain, stayed purposely close to the Paris Landing launch and weigh-in area in their smaller vessel, and used a 3/8-ounce fish head dressed with a Keitech® Fat Swing Impact to catch the majority of their three-day weight.

“I took like a dozen hats to that tournament, and the night before, I was studying which one I’d wear to start the tournament and chose the Yamaha Power Pay hat. Once my partner Daniel and I finished sixth, I never took it off. Then I won the next two tournaments I fished in that hat,” recounted Keller.

The fact is, Hunter probably spent more time laboring over what hat to wear than what outboard they’d buy. “We knew we wanted a Yamaha and wouldn’t have bought a boat without a Yamaha on the transom. Now, after this $10,000 Power Pay bonus, there’s no doubt. We’ll never own a boat without a Yamaha,” concludes the up-and-coming fishing talent who will attend Erskine College® on a fishing scholarship next year.

The great thing about the Yamaha Power Pay program is anglers don’t have to win tournaments to take home Power Pay cash. Anglers simply have to be the highest finishing registered participant in a Power Pay supported tournament. Power Pay is not just for bass anglers, it also includes eligible saltwater, walleye, high school and college anglers (over the age of 18) through hundreds of events.

For more information, complete terms and conditions or to register for Yamaha Power Pay, visit yamahapowerpay.com or email Chip with questions at [email protected].

by AnglersChannel

Tackle HD Partners with Trophy Bass Company in Exclusive License Agreement

St. Clair, Mo., January 13, 2021 – REP Outdoor Group, LLC and Tackle HD announced, effective January 13, it has reached an exclusive license agreement to manufacture, distribute, and sell Trophy Bass Company products.

Tackle HD, a REP Outdoor Group company, produces and markets the Worldwide Buzzer, HD Swimmer, Original Hi-Def Craw, Hellgrammite, and Mega-Mite. Among other products, Trophy Bass Company is best known for the Ozark Flash Spinnerbait, as well as the Trophy Pro, Trophy Swim, and Trophy Finesse Jigs.

“I appreciate the opportunity Casey Scanlon, Travis Perret, and Justin Russell have entrusted in the partnership with our organization,” said Troy Nogosek, President of REP Outdoor Group, LLC. “The partnership completes a winter long product expansion and adds the Trophy Bass tournament-grade brand to our family. During the past few months, we have brought our soft plastic production in-house and invested in injection molding machines and added several new molds to produce brand new Tackle HD branded soft plastic products. In addition, we have developed a new line of hard baits and accessories to be launched early Spring 2021. We’re very excited to have Casey and his team pushing the Trophy Bass brand into more lure categories in 2021.”

“Justin, Travis and I are excited to partner with REP Outdoor Group and Tackle HD to help grow Trophy Bass Company,” said FLW pro Casey Scanlon. Scanlon has over half a million dollars in tournament winnings for his career. “The last four years we have worked hard to bring a high-quality premium product with the best components to tournament fishermen. Our baits have accounted for numerous tournament wins from anglers at all levels and the Trophy Swim Jig helped me win the FLW tournament on Lake Champlain in 2019. This partnership will allow Trophy Bass Company to expand nationally allowing tournament anglers from around the country the opportunity to use our baits. We are super excited for what the future holds.”

About Trophy Bass Company

Trophy Bass Company, LLC was founded by Casey Scanlon, Travis Perret, and Justin Russell and headquartered in Overland Park, KS. They specialize in tournament level fishing tackle that has quickly been recognized as proven winners. All products are made to the highest standards and with top of the line components. It is the home of the #1 selling spinnerbait in the Ozarks, The Ozark Flash. Trophy Bass Company makes tackle that tournament anglers can rely on to put fish in the boat when money is on the line. Find more info at www.TrophyBassCompany.com

About REP Outdoor Group, LLC

REP Outdoor Group, LLC, a division of Harvest Sporting Group, Inc. was founded in 1996 and has offices in St. Clair and St. Louis – Missouri. REP Outdoor Group owns Rivers Edge Products, an outdoor gift company, and Tackle HD, the makers of the original Hi-Def Craw.

by AnglersChannel

Swindle Signs With 13 Fishing, Buckle Up!

Elite Series competitor Gerald Swindle now fishes exclusively with 13 Fishing rods and reels. 13 Fishing’s unique combination of cool-factor and functionality attracted Swindle to sign with the brand. “First off, the rods and reels are lights-out,” says Swindle, Bassmaster Angler of the Year in 2004 and 2016. “But also, I like the 13 image – it’s got a little swagger to it.

Noting Swindle’s “big personality,” 13 Fishing Marketing Director Ben Alcocer says Swindle “is a perfect fit” for the “bold” brand and that “his abilities on the water and his product insight really can't be overstated.”

Swindle’s Bassmaster highlights, in addition to his AOY titles, include 18 Classic appearances and 55 Top 10 finishes.

“It’s a great match,” Alcocer says. “We're very excited to work with Gerald to continue to create innovative products and help him bring home wins.”

Swindle praised 13 Fishing’s product line for including quality rods and reels in both high-end and economical categories.

“Dude, I’m telling ya, for the price of some of these rods and reels, they’re as good as any I’ve ever fished with,” Swindle says. “So, I’m just as happy with a $125 to $150 rod as I am with a $400 rod.”

“I’ve fished with the $125 to $150 rods, and they’re light for the dollar but just don’t break.” Swindle continues. I tell the guys at 13 that, and they laugh and say, ‘If Swindle can’t break ‘em, no one can!’ If I can’t break ‘em, you’re getting zero customer returns.”

Having purchased a minority stake in 13 Fishing’s parent company in 2019, Rapala VMC distributes 13 Fishing products outside the U.S.

Swindle is also a Rapala pro. His pro-team liaison at both Rapala and 13 Fishing is Dan Quinn, who wears marketing hats at both companies.

“Gerald is as good as they get and is one of the very best at catching bass, but just as importantly, he works just as hard off the water,” Quinn says. “Whether it’s filming, doing photo shoots, designing and testing products, his product knowledge and communication are top-level.”

“The fishing world better buckle up for this,” Quinn says. “It’s gonna be a fun ride!”

‘Mean and Elegant’ Concept Z SLD Reel

Swindle is so enthusiastic about 13 Fishing’s Gen II Concept Z SLD baitcasting reel, he’s convinced his wife to paint her vintage truck to match its gun-metal-grey sheen.

“We’re stripping it down to paint it and it’s going to be the same color as that reel,” Swindle says. “That’ how much I like that reel. It looks mean and elegant at the same time.”

LeAnn’s truck, a 1986 square-body Chevy with an LS1 Corvette motor, is undeniably cool. As are she and her fast-talking, quick-witted, square-brim-hatted, designer-jean-wearing husband, one of the Bassmaster Elite Series’ most popular – and colorful – characters. So it likely surprised no one when Swindle signed with 13 Fishing, angling’s coolest brand.

“13 Fishing is a stylish, cool brand, and that’s very appealing to me where I’m at in my career,” Swindle says. “With that image, it’s a lot easier to relate to people who are in their 20s, who are in college. They get into the brand. They like the way everything is ‘murdered out,’ as they call it. And that appeals to the people that I run around with.”

Swindle was impressed with 13’s Gen II Concept Z SLD reel’s performance the moment he picked it up.

“When I put that thing in my hand I knew this is where I want to be,” Swindle says. “If this brand is going in this direction, this fast, with this great of equipment, I want to be there.”

In addition to low-friction centrifugal braking, the Z SLD features 13’s innovative new SLIDE magnetic cast-control system, which is located in the perfect place for anglers to adjust without missing a single cast. You can use it to control casting downwind and then upwind on alternating casts with a flick of the thumb.

“That Slide’s legit,” Swindle says. “I mean, you turn into the wind, push it up – and it steadies the cast.”

Additionally, the Z SLD features zero-corrosion CZB bearings and an advanced-polymer drag system within a rock-solid “Cast Iron Carbon” frame and side plates. And it looks cool – SWINDEL-LEVEL COOL. “It’s got that swagger, it’s got that drip,” he says.

“When you put that reel on your rod, that combo’s got a lot of deck appeal,” Swindle explains. “When that rod and reel is laying on my front deck, I’ve seen people walk all the way across the parking lot and pick it up – 20 rods laying there, and they’ll walk right to that one and pick it up. That’s the ‘drip’ – that’s the deck appeal that draws people in.”

Rods Have ‘Right Feel’ and ‘Right Bend’

Of the 13 Fishing rods he’s fished with so far, Swindle especially likes a 7-foot, 3-inch medium-heavy Omen Black casting rod with an extra-fast tip.

“The tip on those rods just felt right – great for skipping a jig,” he says. “You don’t want a rod that’s too stiff. You’ve got to have a little tip to make an accurate cast. But you also gotta to have 80-percent backbone for when you get a big fish hooked up. That rod has that. When I picked it up, I said, ‘This is perfect.’”

Long respected as the OG of the 13 Fishing lineup, Omen Black-series rods continue to lead 13’s domination of the new school. Available in lengths, actions and powers that cover techniques both current and emerging, every stick in the tournament-proven series features Japanese 36 Ton Toray blanks with Poly Vector Graphite technology. Those innovations make Omen rods lighter and more sensitive without sacrificing durability.

“We have the right feel, the right bend in these rods,” Swindle says. “If the rod’s too stiff, you’re going to lose a lot of fish, you’re going to miss a lot of fish. If the rod’s too limber, you’re going to jump off a bunch of fish.”

Helping design new rods is something is Swindle really enjoys.

“I love having direct input with the guys’ who make the product. To be able make a difference and help with rods means we can build something together,” he says. “For where I’m at, dude, this is perfect.

“It’s so cool, because when you’re talking to guys at 13, you’re talking to guys that fish all the time,” he says. “I’m not talking to an engineer that’s never been on a boat. These guys fish – and they’re hammers. They can catch ‘em. So when you make that conversation, that connection, they know what you’re looking for.”

“I’m looking at the new stuff coming and this is exactly what we need,” Swindle says. “We can kind of ‘do the homework’ for everybody, so people don’t struggle when they come in the store and they know what they’re going in there to get.”

Swindle is looking forward to a “super, super soft” baitcasting rod with a “really parabolic” bend for fishing his Rapala DT-6 and DT-10 crankbaits. “Because you can truly overpower your crankbaits if you get too stiff of a rod,” he explains. “I want a rod that has a nice forgiveness to it – a nice feel – but has a little ‘meat’ on it. Because if you’re ripping that bait out of the grass, you want the bottom part of it to be kind of beefy.”

He is also looking forward also to a “perfect rod” for launching deep-diving Rapala DT-20 crankbaits “a long, long ways – really let ‘em fly.” It will feature a fast-action tip “you can load” and a slightly longer-than-average handle. He’s also working on numerous upcoming projects with technique specific applications in mind.

by AnglersChannel

Jeff Michels win Wild West Shasta event with two day-23 pound total!

Courtesy of Wildwestbasstrail.com By David A. Brown

REDDING, Calif. — When the big guns failed to deliver, APEX Cup angler Jeff Michels shifted gears and sacked up a Day-2 limit of 11.91 pounds and won the Wild West Bass Trail Superclean Showdown Pro/Am on Lake Shasta. with a two-day total of 23.45. For his effort, Michels earned a $25,000 first-place award.

The event was originally scheduled for three days, but an unforeseen complication involving local regulations postponed the start to Friday.

Hailing from Lakehead, Calif., Michels placed second on Day 1 with 11.54. Spending his tournament in the McCloud and Sacramento River arms, he fished a two-pronged game plan in which he looked for big bites early on a 10-inch Hog Hunter Magnum Trout swimbait and then finessed his spots with 5-inch Senkosin natural shad, baby bass and green pumpkin black flake colors on a 3/32-ounce finesse head.

Same as Day 1, Michels fished hard spots on muddy banks from 5 to 30 feet. After missing a few big swimbait opportunities, he caught all of his weight fish on the Senko.

Michels noted that his best action came far up the Sacramento arm where a lack of shad made crawfish and trout imitations the right call. He caught good numbers both days, but a late-day kicker on Day 2 pushed him over the finish line.

“I caught a key fish today — a 4.15 — around 3:30,” Michels said. “I was sweating it. I had a little bit of time left and I had a ton of confidence in that area. I just stuck in that one area and ground it out.

“I just got a couple key bites both days. Coming into this event, I was only catching 8 to 8 1/2 pounds a day. I found one school of fish and I just stuck with them. I had a 1/4-mile stretch of the Sacramento and I was working both sides of the channel, so it was a 1/2-mile loop.”

Michels said the warming trend that arrived right before the tournament made the fish more active. Also, recent rains helped Shasta regain some of its water level deficit (approximately 105 feet below full pool) and Michels believes this further benefitted his cause.

“When this lake starts coming up, fish start coming to the bank,” he said. “It positions them so you can catch them. That was a big key to my victory.”

Michels also lauded the impact of his recently installed Garmin Panoptix.

“That technology is amazing,” he said. “It will show you fish, so you look down at your trolling motor arrow and you know exactly where to cast and how deep the fish are. It’s a game changer.”

Bryant Smith of Roseville, Calif. finished second with 21.95. Mounting a significant comeback, Smith rose from 55th place by adding 13.83 to the 8.12 he caught on Day 1.

“I think the biggest thing was the sun came out today and positioned the fish where I could catch them and they weren’t so scattered,” Smith said. “It seems like yesterday with the clouds and the rain those fish weren’t really setting up; they were cruising around.”

Fishing the main lake, the McCloud arm and the Sacramento arm, Smith bounced around to fish points and drains. His strategy involved playing the numbers game and trying to hit as many big fish spots as he could.

“I had a 6.06 and a 3-pounder on the same point,” Smith said. “They were almost on back-to-back casts. That was a great way for it to go down.”

Smith caught his fish on a 3/16-ounce brown shaky head with a green pumpkin Strike King Fat Baby Finesse worm and Neko-rigged green pumpkin stick bait with a 3/32-ounce Dobyns nail weight and No. 1 Gamakatsu Split shot/dropshot hook.

Cliff King of Ione, Calif. placed third with 20.85. Fishing main lake cuts in about 30 feet, he posted daily weights of 10.09 and 10.76.

King caught all of his fish on a Z-Man FattyZ (The Deal color) on a Ned head. He started out with a 5/32-ounce, but went to a 3/32-ounce when fishing action decreased. Dead sticking the bait proved most productive.

“I started out running and gunning, but when the bite got tougher, I started going back to my best spots,” King said. “I started making a milk run of six different areas.”

Thaddeus Vinson of Medford, Or. won the amateur division with 19.27. After catching 8.3 on Day 1, he added 10.97 today and earned a $10,000 top prize.

Spending time in the main lake, as well as the McCloud, Sacramento and Pit River arms, he caught his fish on a Steelhead Slammer spinner with the single hook replaced by a feathered treble and a Neko-rigged green pumpkin black flake Senko with a 1/16-ounce nail weight.

“Today’s wind made the spinner productive,” Vinson said. “I had all my weight by 10 a.m. When it slicked off, I threw the Senko and got bit, but everything I weighted came on that spinner.”

Click for Complete Results

by AnglersChannel

Register Now for Strike King Big Bass Challenge Tournaments

Lexington, S.C.–January 18, 2021–In December 2020, Rather Outdoorsannouncedthe formation of a brand-new series of big bassformattournamentsfor2021. The new series named “Strike King Big Bass Challenge”will feature four stand-alone events on some of thenation’s premierfisheriesin separate geographical regions. The series will consist ofone-day events each with four two-hour weigh-in periods and guaranteed payouts based on field size.

Strike King is excited to introducethisnew series of events that will allow anglers of every level to compete in a fun atmosphere that will bebothchallenging and rewarding. Hardcore tournament anglers, weekend warriors and anyone that is a fan of fishing, fun and prizes all have the opportunity to take home cash and/or great prizes from a great list of companies. In a big bass format tournament, it only takes one fish to win!

Each Strike King Big Bass Challenge will guarantee a minimum $7,500 total cash payout based upon a 100-angler field, with growing payoutsas entry numbers increase. Each event will feature a one-day format with four weigh-in periods of two hours. Every two-hour weigh period will pay out five places for the five biggest bass in that period. On top of that, every angler that weighs in a fish will be entered into that period’s drawing for thousands of dollars worth in product prizesfrom Strike King, Lew’s, LucasOil, Mammoth Coolers and Black Rifle Coffee Co.

Minimum Payout Each Period

1 st$750.00

2nd $450.00

3rd $300.00

4th $225.00

5th $150.00

The heaviestbass weighed during the day will receive the grand prize –a “total boat makeover” prize package voucher for $5,000 worth of Lew’s and Strike King product. Second place overall will receive a Mammoth Ranger 65 Cooler valued at $349.99, with third and fourth place overall each receiving a MammothPathfinder 30 Zip Top Soft-Sided Cooler valued at $199.99.

The first 100 anglers registered for each event will receive a free Lew’s rod valued at $49.99, which will be available for pickup at the Pro Night, onsite registrationand rules briefingeventthe afternoon/eveningprior to the event.This is where registered anglersand other fishing fanswill have the opportunity to meet nationally known Strike Kingand Lew’stournament pros from the MLF Bass Pro Tour, MLF Pro Circuit and Bassmaster Elite Series.

Rather Outdoors’ Vice President of Marketing, Jason Mckee said that the team at Strike King is extremely excited about launching this new series of events in 2021. “While we recognize there are a multitude of tournament trails out there for anglers, our goal behind the Big Bass Challenge events isto bring anglers together in a manner that isopen and available to anyone, no matter his/her experience level,” said McKee. “Ultimately, we want the opportunity to share our passion as anglers with our consumers, get to

know them, and present yet another opportunity for them to get on the water. We’re extremely excited about these events and consider it an honor to be ableto create more opportunities on the water for fellow anglers.”Anglers may register now atwww.strikeking.com, where they will also find rule sheets and info sheets for each specific event.The 2021 Strike King Big Bass Challenge schedule is as follows:Sam Rayburn Reservoir –February 7, 2021 Umphrey PavilionJasper, TXLake Murray –March 14, 2021Dreher Island State ParkProsperity, SCCalifornia Delta –May 22, 2021(updated date)Russo's MarinaBethel Island, CATable Rock Lake –June 5, 2021 (updated date)Port of KimberlingKimberling City, MO

by AnglersChannel

World Finals Champs Prepare for 2021 High School Season

For Tucker Veronee and Landon Gramling of Gilbert High School’s Bass Fishing Team, the new year could not come fast enough. This dynamic duo is the defending High School Fishing World Finals Champion, and they will attempt to make history in 2021 by becoming the first team to ever win the event twice. A very lofty goal by any standard as this event brings together the bestof the best in High School fishing to the tune of well over 300 teams each year. And since this year’s event comes back to their home state of South Carolina and the legendary Lake Hartwell, the pair have their sights set on making history.

Tucker and Landon’s story is typical of the large majority of High School students and teams across the country who are truly hoping that the new year will let them get back to something close to normal. That means back to their team meetings, club events and tournament trails where they can enjoy the camaraderie and excitement that competitive fishing brings to everyone. “We used to meet fairly often to discuss upcoming tournaments but with the COVID-19crisis we have had to shift our routine to large group text messages and just meeting at the ramp on the days of our events” echoed the pair.

For Tucker, who is a senior this year at Gilbert, fishing is ingrained in his life as his parents own JC’s Outdoors in Gilbert, South Carolina. The newly built and expanded store has become one ofthe premier spots for outdoorsmen and women around Lake Murray and the surrounding area. Being around the store daily gives him exposure to almost every make, model and brand of fishing equipment offered. When asked about some of his favorite go-to baits and equipment he sites his Lew’s BB1 reel and the Strike King Rage Bug trailers as top shelf in his tackle collection.

For Landon, a junior this year, the story is very similar as his father is the general manager of JC’s Outdoors and he has spent more than his fair share of time in the store as well. Combine that with the fact that these young stars simply love to fish, and you have the recipe for a great team which they demonstrated last year by winning the World Finals in Wisconsin on the mighty Mississippi river.

When asked about their experience there which included the excitement of a very slim 3 oz margin of victory, the pair both said it was one of the absolute most exciting times of their lives. “We want to go through that again and we plan on getting up to Lake Hartwell several times this year and learning the lake better” stated Gramling. “We have a good friend who fishes for ClemsonUniversity and we are going to pick his brain and do as much homework as we can” added Veronee. “Fortunately for me I grew up fishing the Savannah River Chain with my grandparents, so I have fished Hartwell many times. We will put a lot of time into studying the lake and gaining as much information as we can. I guarantee you we will be ready to go!”

As with many teams across the country, the new year has schedules being set, changed and set again depending on the COVID-19situation in their respective areas. The Gilbert pair plan on fishing the High School Bass Challenge trail in lower South Carolina as well the TBF/MLF and Bass Opens that they can get to before the World Finals kicks off in Anderson, SC in June 28th.For both Lew’s and Strike King, the new year also brings with it the hope of getting back to something close to normal. The company hasjust opened its 2021 Freshman Scholarship Program which is available to all seniors who will be graduating in 2021. This program awards five $5,000 scholarships to deserving applicants who apply through the Lews.com or StrikeKing.com websites. They also offer their ever-popular High School Grant program and Academic Buying programs which are set to reopen at a later date this summer.

“Our entire industry has had a trying yet fruitful year and our company is no different” stated Lew’s& Strike King Field Activation DirectorTony Mehrl. “We are committed to helping both High School and College anglers across the country have access to some of the best equipment on the market and we plan to have all of our high school and college support programs back to full strength as soon as possible” added Mehrl.In 2020, the company issued over 120 equipment grants to High School Teams and trails across the country despite the complications caused by the pandemic. As for Landon Gramling and Tucker Veronee, you can restassured that this well-focused pair will have their sights set on taking full advantage of all of these programs as well as making history at Lake Hartwell in 2021!

by AnglersChannel

Lew’s & Strike King Proud to Offer Freshman Scholarships

Lexington, S.C. (January 18, 2021) –

Supporting youth and the future of our sport has been at the core of our brands since their inception. This effort has been supported in many fashions throughout our history. The most notable is the highly successful Mach High School Program, which has enabled Lew’s to support many high school bass clubs across the country. In addition, Strike King is, and has always been, a proud sponsor of numerous high school and college fishing teams and events.

To ensure success of this mission, the Lew’s & Strike King brands will continue to use a fully functional Field Activation Team that heads up our nationwide efforts to support and equip youth anglers. These efforts have helped us lay the foundation for one of our most exciting developments to date. To further support our youth anglers and thank them for carrying the love and passion for fishing, we are excited to bring back the Lew’s & Strike King Freshman Scholarship Program for 2021! “We acknowledge and embrace our youth as the future of fishing. We proudly accept the opportunity to help them carry on this tradition that so many of us count as a passion in our own lives and families.

Our organization is honored to invest in our youth through this program and feel like it is our obligation to ensurethat just as it was passed down to us, the love of fishing is passed on to future generations.”commentsRocky Kalsow, N.A. Presidentof Rather Outdoors. The Lew’s & Strike King Freshman Scholarship Program is designed for graduating High School seniorswho will be advancing their secondary education at an accredited two or four-year institution.

There is no stipulation on the field of study and those planning on attending Technical schools are welcome to apply as well as conventional Colleges and Universities. Lew’s & Strike King will fund up to five scholarships with a $5,000 maximum contribution for each recipient. Those interested must complete theapplication which is available on the Lew’s website. We are proudly partnering with the Future FishermanFoundation in the screening and processing of all applications. More information and the actual application can be found on www.lews.com.

by AnglersChannel

Coon & Graham win BassChamps Falcon Lake event with over 27 pounds!

Place

MIKE COON
KERRVILLE , TX

WESLEY GRAHAM
EMORY , TX

8.37

27.88

$26,600 w JamesWood, Powerpole, THMarine, SureLife

TIM FLOWERS
MIDLAND , TX

BRIAN ANKRUM
HONDO , TX

19.86

$4250 with Skeeter Bonus Cash and Boerne Marine Ca

ALFONSO HERRERA
ALAMOGORDO , NM

ALEJANDRO RAMIREZ
ALMOGORDO , NM

9.21

17.28

$2100 with Skeeter Bonus Cash

WESLEY PULLIG
WALL , TX

MASON PULLIG
WALL , TX

15.18

$1000.00

BILL GARZA JR
FLORESVILLE , TX

GABRIELLE GARZA
FLORESVILLE , TX

15.02

$1300 with Skeeter Bonus Cash

MARK BIONDI JR
BURLESON , TX

MARK BIONDI SR
BURLESON , TX

14.73

$2750 with Spark Energy Bonus

RANDY DIXON
BORGER , TX

STEPHEN WINTER
MIDLAND , TX

11.60

$700.00

ELENO BALBOA JR
DEL RIO , TX

ELENO BALBOA III
DEL RIO , TX

9.24

11.42

$1400 with Big Bass and AbuGarcia Bonus

BILLY BREWER
BRUCEVILLE , TX

L J CASTILLO
WACO , TX

11.40

$700.00

CLIFF BROWN
HARKER HEIGHTS , TX

JOHN RILEY
KILLEEN , TX

11.33

$600.00

JIMMY STEED
ZAPATA , TX

CHARLIE HARALSON
DEL RIO , TX

11.07

$500.00

WILLIAM BLAINE
SAN ANGELO , TX

ROSS JEWELL
SAN ANGELO , TX

9.74

$500.00

VICTOR MARTINEZ
LAREDO , TX

9.70

$500.00

MITCH GOODALL
BOERNE , TX

FOY OSBURN
BOERNE , TX

8.24

$500.00

STUART JEFFREY
ABILENE , TX

FRANK MIXON
ABILENE , TX

8.11

STEVE CARAWAY
KERRVILLE , TX

DON STEHLING
KERRVILLE , TX

7.88

CRAWFORD BRANTLEY
GROVE , OK

TIM BROADFOOT
ABILENE , TX

6.80

MATT RIGBY
HELOTES , TX

LANE RIGBY
HELOTES , TX

6.78

KYLE KELLER
RIO MEDINA , TX

JOSHUA SPENCER
SAN ANTONIO , TX

5.43

RAYMOND NEWTON
JUNCTION , TX

STEVEN CRAVEY
JUNCTION , TX

4.11

CRAIG PRYOR
SEGUIN , TX

CAROL ROBERSON
SEGUIN , TX

4.02

RICHARD DRAKE
FAIR OAKS RANCH , TX

CHRISTOPHER EYHORN
SAN ANTONIO , TX

3.94

JESSE FLAKE
JEWETT , TX

3.73

THOMAS DAVILA
MIDLAND , TX

ROGER MONTEJANO
DEL RIO , TX

3.36

CHARLIE FORSTER
CENTER POINT , TX

MIKE BINGHAM
KERRVILLE , TX

3.10

RICHARD CREMO
LAREDO , TX

ROBERTO GONZALEZ
LAREDO , TX

3.05

FREDDY SANCHEZ
LAREDO , TX

FREDDY SANCHEZ JR
LAREDO , TX

2.76

RICK SCHEEN
AUSTIN , TX

MIKE HARMAN
BASTROP , TX

2.55

ZACH BIBB
FAIR OAKS RANCH , TX

BRENDON KENNELL
BOERNE , TX

2.02

CHAD BLACK
CANYON LAKE , TX

CHUCK BLACK
LOGAN , NM

2.01

RICARDO CARRILLOL
LAREDO , TX

SUSAN CARRILLO
LAREDO , TX

1.98

AL LOPEZ
CLYDE , TX

ANTHONY CAMPBELL
ABILENE , TX

0.00

JOSE MEDRANO
DEL RIO , TX

DOLORES ROBLES
DEL RIO , TX

0.00

ZACHARY WYMER
MCKINNEY , TX

DAVID WYMER
HALTOM CITY , TX

0.00

ROBERT LOPEZ
DEL RIO , TX

JEFF BUTTERS
DEL RIO , TX

0.00

JONATHAN CLICK
CHRISTOVAL , TX

BEN BLAINE
GOLDWAITE , TX

0.00

WILLIAM BRASHER
BRONTE , TX

WENDY HALL
BRONTE , TX

0.00

ARLEN HAUSCHILD
SEGUIN , TX

CHRISTOPHER HAUSCHILD
CANYON LAKE , TX

0.00

ROBERT GARZA
LAREDO , TX

TONY ALANIZ
LAREDO , TX

0.00

BUFORD ESTEP JR
THREE RIVERS , TX

CLIF HUNTER
THREE RIVERS , TX

0.00

LEE LEONARD
MARTINDALE , TX

SCOTT BRONDER
FALLS CITY , TX

0.00

CHRIS WEAVER
LAWTON , OK

CHRIS STONE
SAN ANTONIO , TX

0.00

BRIAN HALL
BRONTE , TX

JACOB BECK
STERLING CITY , TX

0.00

MIKE KATZER
KYLE , TX

DAVID IMMEL
BOERNE , TX

0.00

JUSTIN BROUGHTON
GRANBURY , TX

STEVE PETERSON
DEVINE , TX

0.00

RICHARD BACON
BASILE , LA

SPEEDY COLLETT
ZAPATA , TX

0.00

JIMMY SHELTON
DUBLIN , TX

CHARLES WHITED
SAN MARCOS , TX

0.00

DAVID LAINE
HORSESHOE BAY , TX

WILLIAM FESLER
LAMPASAS , TX

0.00

BRIAN FLEMING JR
SAN ANTONIO , TX

MIKE FLEMING
NEW BRAUNFELS , TX

0.00

KIMBERLY SUBIA
TAFT , TX

JAMES GRIMLEY
TAFT , TX

0.00

SCOTTY VILLINES
POCA , AR

DAN SCHOONVELD
SAN ANTONIO , TX

0.00

CHAD THEDFORD
TYLER , TX

NICK BROWN
LINDALE , TX

0.00

DEREK KARL
EDNA , TX

BRYAN JACOBS
YOAKUM , TX

0.00

ADAM PEREIRA
SEGUIN , TX

MIKE LANE
SEGUIN , TX

0.00

CHRIS SNYDER
CIBOLO , TX

STEVE WADE
SAN ANTONIO , TX

0.00

JOSEPH TOMPKINS
BOERNE , TX

DEBBIE TOMPKINS
BOERNE , TX

0.00

CORY LEITA
VICTORIA , TX

BRUCE WHITE
LA WARD , TX

0.00

JOHN FORSTER
CENTER POINT , TX

CLAYTON FORSTER
CENTER POINT , TX

0.00

Abu Garcia Reel Early Entry Bonus

TOMMY LACKEY
CENTER POINT , TX

CODY LACKEY
CENTER POINT , TX

0.00

DARRELL GARZA
PLEASANTON , TX

JEREMY WIGGINS
PLEASANTON , TX

0.00

DRAKE WEHRS
TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES , NM

ERIC HALE
TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES , NM

0.00

RICK SHOCK
VICTORIA , TX

TED SPRENCEL
PORT LAVACA , TX

0.00

BUBBA HARALSON
DEL RIO , TX

JERRY GREEN
BRECKENRIDGE , TX

0.00

CRAIG CRIM
VICTORIA , TX

DANIEL RODRIGUEZ
NEW BRAUNFELS , TX

0.00

RUSSELL GETSCHMANN
VICTORIA , TX

COLTON GETSCHMANN
VICTORIA , TX

0.00

CLAYTON WOODS
ANDREWS , TX

0.00

BOBBY BURKEEN
CARLSBAD , NM

BRANDON BURKEEN
CARLSBAD , NM

0.00

DAVID UNDERWOOD
WACO , TX

CHARLES SIMMONS
WACO , TX

0.00

ALLEN SHELTON
FARMERS BRANCH , TX

FORREST WILSON
SPRING BRANCH , TX

0.00

CODY ROBERSON
EMORY , TX

DON BAILEY
SAN ANTONIO , TX

0.00

SCOTTY GALBREAITH
WEATHERFORD , TX

JASON GALBREAITH
BURLESON , TX

0.00

MIKE RICHARDSON
THORNDALE , TX

RANDY CADDELL
ANDREWS , TX

0.00

KENNETH FAIRLY
LOCKHART , TX

TOMMY LAW
TYE , TX

0.00

TIM BLANCHETTE
BLESSING , TX

TOMMIE COLLIER
VICTORIA , TX

0.00

TOM CAUTHEN
INGRAM , TX

RONNY GAZAWAY
KERRVILLE , TX

0.00

KYLE WIEDENFELD
BOERNE , TX

KADEN WIEDENFELD
BOERNE , TX

0.00

DEVIN GIBSON
GONZALES , TX

ROBERT PRESCOTT
SEGUIN , TX

0.00

GEORGE ESCAMILLA
SAN ANTONIO , TX

BRANDON KITCHENS
CANYON LAKE , TX

0.00

KEVIN UNGER
SMITHVILLE , TX

TIM GOETZ
SMITHVILLE , TX

0.00

KENNETH LAND
EDNA , TX

RAYMOND ZETKA
EDNA , TX

0.00

MIKE PERKINS
DALLAS , TX

STAN GERZENYI
DEL RIO , TX

0.00

ROBERT BALBOA
DEL RIO , TX

DANNY PUENTE JR
DEL RIO , TX

0.00

RAUL ESPARZA
SAN ANTONIO , TX

JOSEPH HURLEY
SAN ANTONIO , TX

0.00

JEFFREY PIEL
CANYON LAKE , TX

KASEN PIEL
CANYON LAKE , TX

0.00

BUDDY BOONE
SAN ANTONIO , TX

RALPH CELEDON
ALAMO , TX

0.00

IGNACIO SANCHEZ
CAMPWOOD , TX

ACE SANCHEZ
CAMPWOOD , TX

0.00

BRENT SMITH
BERTRAM , TX

BRETT ORLICH
LEANDER , TX

0.00

TOM LANPHER
SEGUIN , TX

PAUL RODRIGUEZ
SAN ANTONIO , TX

0.00

DAVID MORENO
LAREDO , TX

JOSE AVILA
LAREDO , TX

0.00

IGNACIO GUTIERREZ
LAREDO , TX

ROBERT FRAUSTO
LAREDO , TX

0.00

EDDIE LERO
BRYAN , TX

TERRY WIESE
BRYAN , TX

0.00

CHANCE HUNDLEY
CASTROVILLE , TX

CODY HUNDLEY
RIO MEDINA , TX

0.00

DUSTY FRANK
WEST POINT , TX

JOHN PRICE
LA GRANGE , TX

0.00

MATIAS YDROGO III
LAREDO , TX

RUBEN QUINTANA
LAREDO , TX

0.00

IRA LYNN
ADKINS , TX

TREVOR ROGGE
CANYON LAKE , TX

0.00

JOSE GONZALEZ
LAREDO , TX

VICTOR GONZALEZ
LAREDO , TX

0.00

JOSE SAUCEDO
UVALDE , TX

JONATHAN JONES
DEL RIO , TX

0.00

SERGIO HERRERA
LAREDO , TX

VICTOR GARZA
LAREDO , TX

0.00

RUSTY REEDY
SPRING BRANCH , TX

AYDEN REEDY
SPRING BRANCH , TX

0.00

MIKE BATES
CANYON LAKE , TX

GERALD DELAFUENTE
CASTROVILLE , TX

0.00

KENNETH WITEK
SAN ANTONIO , TX

ERIC TAUER
NEW BRAUNFELS , TX

0.00

ANDRES FLORES
LAREDO , TX

FRANCISCO GONZALEZ
LAREDO , TX

0.00

STEVE WILSON
FREDERICKSBURG , TX

RAMIRO REYES
HEBRONVILLE , TX

0.00

MIKE REID
NEED INFO

MICHAEL REID
ANDREWS , TX

0.00

WAYNE JACKSON
RIO FRIO , TX

JASON SCHNEEMANN
D'HANIS , TX

0.00

by AnglersChannel

AC Rookie Podcast - "Now or Never with Tai Au"

On the latest AC Insider Rookie Podcast, Chris catches up with MLF Big 5 Pro Circuit Rookie Tai Au as he prepares for his Pro Circuit debut. Based in Glendale, Arizona, Tai has literally come from nothing in the last 10 years to winning two Toyota Series events and qualifying his way into the Pro Circuit. Find out more about Arizona's Tai Au, right here.

by AnglersChannel

Carl Jocumsen - New Year, New Opportunities

Carl Jocumsen - Bassmaster Elite Series Pro

2021 has kicked off to a crazy busy start for Kayla and me. I have been competing since I was 16 years old and this will be my 11^th year here in the states. Just like for anyone out there, it’s been a tough road and you just have to keep pushing forward, breaking down barriers and for me I have this goal or vision in my mind on where I want to get to. These past few years have really been humbling for me, to have the opportunity to have companies who’ve you’ve looked up to and their products you use and trust, to have them reach out and want to work with me and support me. Like I said before, crazy humbling.

Those that know me, know that I am an extremely loyal person, and I don't like changing sponsors. The majority of my sponsors have been with me for over 10 years, some over 20 years, and I'm proud of that. The fun part to me is working with a company who listens to their pro-staff and takes the input we give them and utilizes that. We are on the water every day and when a company really wants and values your input, that’s a company I want to align with.

One of my biggest moves this year will be moving into a new Falcon bass boat. The last 5 years with BassCat has been incredible, but it was my decision to move into a little bigger boat and into something that I believe was going to help me in my career going forward. They are a family-owned company, with a great product and the ride in the boat is just awesome, so it made sense for me and my career to make this move.

Another move for me this year is the welcome addition of both Rapala and XZone lures. Both products I have used over my career and products I truly have confidence in to help me catch more fish. The XZone Slammer is one bait that had been kind of a secret for a long time, especially up north and I caught onto it pretty quickly and the fish just love it. Most of their products I have been using for a while now, Brandon (Palaniuk) had turned me on to a few of their newer products that he helped design and I quickly saw how I could utilize them in my arsenal. One neat upgrade is putting a swammer on a chatterbait, the difference in the action was incredible. Another thing XZone does, is it gives me a lot of options for my soft plastics, especially for jig trailers. The craws with the floating claws, the chunks, the adrenaline bug, I’m excited to dial those into my jig game because I do change my trailers a lot and I like options because jig fishing is an important part of my arsenal. The XZone stuff is something you should really check out. Great people and the products are awesome.

Over my career I’ve probably never been more excited to get a season started. With the new boat, rigging up the new Humminbird and MinnKota stuff, getting all my tackle organized and being prepared to not have a single excuse when we kick off next month in Florida. I’m ready to go!

Carl Jocumsen is the first ever Australian angler to qualify for the Bassmaster Elite Series. In fact, he has done so twice. Qualifying in both 2014 and 2018. Jocumsen won his first Elite Series event in 2019.

by AnglersChannel

The Waters of Opportunity

This Week Chris & the boys welcome in NPFL and BASS Opens Pro Joel Willert to the show to talk about his move from FLW last year and why he chose to fish the NPFL Inaugural season & all 3 divisions of the Bassmaster Opens in 2021.

by AnglersChannel

B.A.S.S. Officially Announces 2021 Bassmaster Elite Series Field

Bryan New of Belmont, N.C., who won the Falcon Rods Bassmaster Opens Angler of the Year title, is one of 13 new anglers on the 2021 Bassmaster Elite Series.

Photo by James Overstreet/B.A.S.S.

January 12, 2021

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — A reworked 2020 Bassmaster Elite Series season drew millions of enthusiastic fans to live broadcasts as the Elites became one of the only major sports to complete their full schedule, so it is no surprise that the full field is eager to resume competition. When the Elite Series takes to the St. Johns River to launch the 2021 season in February, the roster will feature 101 anglers.

B.A.S.S. announced the field for the 2021 Elite Series today, and every angler from the 2020 roster is returning, along with 12 qualifiers from the Basspro.com Bassmaster Opens and the TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation champion.

“To have all of the guys back from last year says a lot about the positive momentum we have with the Bassmaster Elite Series,” said B.A.S.S. CEO Bruce Akin. “The reaction to last season was overwhelmingly positive from sponsors and fans. While they may not have always been able to join us lakeside for weigh-ins, B.A.S.S. fans cheered on each big moment while watching live coverage and encouraged their favorite anglers with messages on social media. We’re looking forward to adding 13 incredibly talented anglers into the mix.”

The list of returnees will include the legendary Clark Wendlandt, who fished a brilliant season to secure his first Bassmaster Angler of the Year title to go along with three FLW AOY crowns. Also returning are the six first-time Elite Series champions from 2020: Buddy Gross, Chris Johnston, Lee Livesay, Frank Talley, Patrick Walters and Bill Weidler.

They will be joined by a talented crop of rookies that includes Bryan New of Belmont, N.C., who won the Falcon Rods Bassmaster Opens Angler of the Year title, along with overall qualifiers Marc Frazier of Newnan, Ga., and Matt Robertson of Kuttawa, Ky. The rookie anglers who qualified through the Central Opens are Darold Gleason of Many, La., and Kenta Kimura of Osaka, Japan. Justin Hamner of Northport, Ala., KJ Queen of Catawba, N.C., and Joshua Stracner of Vandiver, Ala., all qualified through the Eastern Opens and round out the rookie class.

Pat Schlapper of Eleva, Wis., will also join the rookie class after winning the TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Championship on Pickwick Lake in November but also earned an invitation via his Top 4 finish in Eastern Opens points.

Four additional anglers who qualified through the Opens Series points standings are joining the Elite field; however, any angler who has combined earnings of at least $500,000 with B.A.S.S. and FLW is not considered a rookie.

Scott Martin of Clewiston, Fla., earned an Elite Series invitation through the Eastern Opens division; however, while this will be his first season on the Elite Series, he will not be eligible for the 2021 Rookie of the Year race.

Instead, Martin will join Justin Atkins, Jason Christie and Greg Hackney as established anglers competing on the Elite Series. Atkins (No. 2 in Opens AOY points), Christie (No. 1 in Eastern Opens points) and Hackney (No. 2 in Eastern Opens points) all fished another pro circuit in 2020. Both Christie and Hackney have competed on the Elite Series previously, combining for six Elite event wins and an AOY title.

The 2021 Elite Series schedule will begin Feb. 11-14 with the AFTCO Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River in Palatka, Fla. From there, it will wind through six states for nine events as anglers compete for cash and prizes and attempt to qualify for the 2022 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk. For the first time in history, every Bassmaster Elite Series event as well as the Bassmaster Classic will feature live television coverage on the FOX Sports platforms.

Each tournament will begin with the full field of anglers on Days 1 and 2 before the field is cut to 50 for the semifinal round on Day 3. Only the Top 10 remaining anglers will fish the final day of each event with a $100,000 first-place prize on the line.

“Momentum is a powerful thing in any business or sport,” Akin said. “We built a lot of momentum over the last two seasons, and we have a field of anglers who will help us keep it going this year.”

2021 Bassmaster Elite Series Field

1. Matt Arey, Shelby, N.C.
2. Justin Atkins, Florence, Ala.
3. Todd Auten, Lake Wylie, S.C.
4. Drew Benton, Blakely, Ga.
5. Stetson Blaylock, Benton, Ark.
6. Scott Canterbury, Odenville, Ala.
7. Quentin Cappo, Prairieville, La.
8. Brandon Card, Salisbury, N.C.
9. Tyler Carriere, Youngsville, La.
10. Hank Cherry, Lincolnton, N.C.
11. Jason Christie, Park Hill, Okla.
12. Gary Clouse, Winchester, Tenn.
13. Rick Clunn, Ava, Mo.
14. Brandon Cobb, Greenwood, S.C.
15. Keith Combs, Huntington, Texas
16. Drew Cook, Cairo, Ga.
17. John Cox, DeBary, Fla.
18. John Crews, Salem, Va.
19. Clent Davis, Montevallo, Ala.
20. Destin DeMarion, Grove City, Pa.
21. Rob Digh, Denver, N.C.
22. Greg DiPalma, Millville, N.J.
23. Bob Downey, Hudson, Wis.
24. Seth Feider, New Market, Minn.
25. Austin Felix, Eden Prairie, Minn.
26. Marc Frazier, Newnan, Ga.
27. Micah Frazier, Newnan, Ga.
28. David Fritts, Lexington, N.C.
29. Darold Gleason, Many, La.
30. Chris Groh, Spring Grove, Ill.
31. Buddy Gross, Chickamauga, Ga.
32. Jeff Gustafson, Keewatin, Ontario, Canada
33. Greg Hackney, Gonzales, La.
34. Skylar Hamilton, Dandridge, Tenn.
35. Justin Hamner, Northport, Ala.
36. Ray Hanselman Jr., Del Rio, Texas
37. Jamie Hartman, Greenbrier, Ark.
38. Matt Herren, Ashville, Ala.
39. Dale Hightower, Mannford, Okla.
40. Cody Hollen, Beaverton, Ore.
41. Harvey Horne, Bella Vista, Ark.
42. Derek Hudnall, Denham Springs, La.
43. Mike Huff, Corbin, Ky.
44. Taku Ito, Okegawa, Japan
45. Kelley Jaye, Dadeville, Ala.
46. Carl Jocumsen, Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia
47. Chris Johnston, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
48. Cory Johnston, Cavan, Ontario, Canada
49. Steve Kennedy, Auburn, Ala.
50. Kenta Kimura, Osaka, Japan
51. Koby Kreiger, Alva, Fla.
52. Caleb Kuphall, Mukwonago, Wis.
53. Robbie Latuso, Gonzales, La.
54. Shane LeHew, Catawba, N.C.
55. Brandon Lester, Fayetteville, Tenn.
56. Shane Lineberger, Lincolnton, N.C.
57. Lee Livesay, Longview, Texas
58. Wes Logan, Springville, Ala.
59. Ed Loughran III, Richmond, Va.
60. Bill Lowen, Brookville, Ind.
61. Scott Martin, Clewiston, Fla.
62. Mark Menendez, Paducah, Ky.
63. Yusuke Miyazaki, Forney, Texas
64. Kyle Monti, Okeechobee, Fla.
65. Chad Morgenthaler, Reeds Spring, Mo.
66. Rick Morris, Virginia Beach, Va.
67. Brock Mosley, Collinsville, Miss.
68. Paul Mueller, Naugatuck, Conn.
69. David Mullins, Mt. Carmel, Tenn.
70. Bryan New, Belmont, N.C.
71. Brandon Palaniuk, Rathdrum, Idaho
72. Luke Palmer, Coalgate, Okla.
73. Garrett Paquette, Canton, Mich.
74. Randy Pierson, Oakdale, Calif.
75. Chad Pipkens, DeWitt, Mich.
76. Clifford Pirch, Payson, Ariz.
77. Brett Preuett, Monroe, La.
78. Cliff Prince, Palatka, Fla.
79. KJ Queen, Catawba, N.C.
80. Tyler Rivet, Raceland, La.
81. Matt Robertson, Kuttawa, Ky.
82. Pat Schlapper, Eleva, Wis.
83. Bryan Schmitt, Deale, Md.
84. Bernie Schultz, Gainesville, Fla.
85. Hunter Shryock, Newcomerstown, Ohio
86. Brian Snowden, Reeds Spring, Mo.
87. Joshua Stracner, Vandiver, Ala.
88. Randy Sullivan, Breckenridge, Texas
89. Caleb Sumrall, New Iberia, La.
90. Gerald Swindle, Guntersville, Ala.
91. Jesse Tacoronte, Orlando, Fla.
92. Frank Talley, Temple, Texas
93. Patrick Walters, Summerville, S.C.
94. Bill Weidler, Helena, Ala.
95. Kyle Welcher, Opelika, Ala.
96. Clark Wendlandt, Leander, Texas
97. Brad Whatley, Bivins, Texas
98. Jake Whitaker, Fairview, N.C.
99. Jason Williamson, Wagener, S.C.
100. Jay Yelas, Lincoln City, Ore.
101. Chris Zaldain, Fort Worth, Texas

by AnglersChannel

Zaldain: Bend the hook for better swimbait success

Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships

The Megabass Magdraft rigged swimbaits Chris Zaldain uses most frequently to catch super-sized largemouth range in price from $13 to $25 each. Yet, the first thing he’ll tell you to do is bend one of the three shanks on the factory treble hook out to nearly 90-degrees, and then use your pliers to squeeze the other two shanks closer to one another.

“Obviously, every facet of these baits is designed with meticulous detail and innovation, including the hook they come rigged with, but there’s two great reasons to straighten the one shank to nearly 90-degrees,” says the San Jose native who now calls Fort Worth home.

“First, by straightening it out and then reinserting it in the body, it stays anchored in the belly of the bait way better when it splashes down at the end of a long cast. And secondly, when I skip it around and under docks, it stays anchored way better too,” he explains.

Zaldain’s habit of using pliers to squeeze the two remaining exposed hooks closer is a reflection of years spent casting these favorite lures. And experience has taught him he lands more fish when the two exposed hooks are squeezed tighter to one another.

Fact is, he’s won a million bucks fishing professionally, cashing a check in a super-impressive 72% of the B.A.S.S. events he’s competed in, and he’ll unapologetically tell you if conditions allowed, he throw a Magdraft swimbait nearly every day. Thankfully for all us wanting to learn more, his gracious advice doesn’t stop at how to bend the hooks.

Just out of sight, and barely get the tail wagging

“Just like Jimmy Houston taught us all to retrieve a spinnerbait just deep enough to where you could barely see it flash, the same rule pretty much applies to swimbaits,” says Zaldain. “And as far as the speed of retrieve, you want to wind it just barely fast enough to get the tail wagging – no faster, no slower.”

Throw it at the most obvious stuff

You might think fishing pressure and a subsequently educated population of largemouth has ruled out most of the obvious forms of habitat such as bridge pilings, primary points, or that lone isolated dock that sticks out like a sore thumb – but Zaldain makes a great point about exactly why you should never pass those places up with a swimbait.

“Those places still hold fish, and while they may not bite a lot of baits on those spots, the thing you have to remember is the fish that live on that obvious stuff are seeing very few if any 6” or 8” swimbaits.”

CZ’s swimbait gear

When throwing his tournament favorite 6” Magdraft, he ties it to 15-pound fluorocarbon on a 7.1:1 reel and a 7” 2” jig pitching rod. But when he beefs up to the 8” version, his line and rod size follow – choosing 25-pound fluorocarbon and beefier a 7’ 6” flipping stick.

Don’t make the biggest mistake

When asked what the biggest mistake most people make with swimbaits, Zaldain didn’t have to think about it.

“People make five or six casts with it and set it back down. You gotta fish it, man. If you throw it long enough, there’s a real good chance you’ll get bit by the size of fish that’ll forever change your approach to this sport we love.”

by AnglersChannel

AnglersChannel

Ray Takes Strike King Co-Angler Win on Rayburn

JOIN THE CIRCUS

Get everything Bass Fishing from Anglers Channel, straight to your inbox.

About

AC

Resources