AnglersChannel

Arkansas Kayak Pro Cody Milton Tops Lake Fork Field With Over 100 Inches Of Bass

March 14, 2020

ALBA, Texas — It’s a fact that a 20-pound five-bass limit is a benchmark among tournament anglers, and the same can be said for a combined 100 inches for the same number of bass caught from a kayak.

Arkansas angler Cody Milton bested the 145-kayak field with a five-bass limit measuring 100 1/2 inches at the 2020 Huk Bassmaster B.A.S.S. Nation Kayak Series powered by TourneyX presented by Abu Garcia at famed Texas big-bass factory Lake Fork.

Milton, 26, caught every one of his fish sight fishing.

“If there was ever a tournament set up for a kayaker, this was it,” Milton said. “When I started pre-fishing, I found the motherlode of spawning bass in 8 to 12 inches of water. I was 40 to 50 yards inside of where a standard bass boat could access. They were watching me catch my fish wishing they could access the same water, but it just wasn’t possible. If it weren’t for my NuCanoe Pursuit, or any kayak for that matter, I wouldn’t have enjoyed the day I did.”

Milton launched from the 515 West bridge area, and made a short run to his fishing location. He leaned on previous experience at Lake Fork that he had acquired from years competing and fishing on the lake — and also what he learned from his father.

“The second check I ever cashed in a tournament was in 2001 at Lake Fork, I was only a kid,” he said. “I’ve spent more time on this lake than I do on the lakes near where I live in Arkansas.

“I caught each bass on a Texas-rigged Strike King Rage Bug in black and blue wired onto a 4/0 Owner Jungle Flippin’ Hook beneath a 1/8-ounce bullet weight. The water was pretty dirty and the bass were super finnicky, so I had to make a perfect flip, then swim it into the bed for the fish to even consider eating it.”

His NuCanoe Pursuit has some unique features, but the modifications he implemented made it perfect for sight fishing at Lake Fork.

“I have a MotorGuide Xi3 rigged on the front with a wireless foot pedal, and it is powered by Dakota Lithium batteries,” he said. “I also have a Power-Pole Micro Anchor on the back, which was absolutely critical to keeping my boat in place while I fished for each bass. I couldn’t have been successful without it.”

Milton said he stood on the seat and fished out of the back of the boat because that position allowed him to be as close to the bedded bass as possible without spooking them.

“Three of my biggest fish were all bedded within sight of each other,” Milton said. “I did make a mile and a half run to what I figured was a 7-pounder, and probably would have measured 21 to 22 inches, but it never bit after a long effort.”

Milton’s top five bass measured 22 3/4, 20 1/4, 20, 19 1/4 and 18 1/4 inches for a total of 100 1/2 inches. His limit topped second place by nearly 3 inches. His performance earned him the winner’s trophy and the $7,000 first-place paycheck out of a total purse of $30,000 paid to the field.

Rounding out the Top 10 were Dan Krispinsky (97 3/4), Chad Dagley (95), Jeremiah Smith (94 3/4), Lance Burris (94 1/2), Rolando Nandin (93 3/4), Richie McMichael (93), Jeff Isham (92 1/2), Sean Acord (91 3/4) and Brady Storrs (91 1/2).

For complete results, visit TourneyX.com.

The tournament was hosted by Lake Fork Marina.

by AnglersChannel

MLF Records and Rallies on Lake Fork: Atkins Breaks Christie's Record; Neal Rallies in the Third to Sneak into First Place

March 14, 2020 (Lake Fork, Texas) 40 Pro anglers (Group B) competed on Lake Fork in the Bass Pro Tour General Tire Stage Three presented by TrueTimber. Justin Atkins broke the record for the largest bass caught in Major League Fishing and Bass Pro Tour histories less than 24 hours after Jason Christie set it. Brandon Coulter led the field for much of the day only to slip into second place in the last seven minutes of the day. Michael Neal came from behind in Period Three with a 35-pound, 10-fish run to end the day in first place. Group A returns to the water Sunday for their second and final day of the Qualifying Round; the bottom 20 will be eliminated.

Alabama-resident Justin Atkins gave himself a belated 30th-birthday present on Lake Fork today by catching the largest bass in the history of both MLF and the Bass Pro Tour. Weighing in at 10 pounds, eight ounces, a personal best for Atkins, this fish beat Christie’s catch by 4 ounces, less than 24 hours later.

“Look at this guy,” exclaimed Atkins moments after he calmly set the hook in a fashion resembling the experience of a Pro twice his age.

“It will not last a day or two,” said Christie, in an interview late Friday after catching the first record-breaker of this Stage. “I’m looking forward to getting back out there.”

Atkins won the Berkley Big Bass of the Day for Saturday and receives $1,000.

Brandon Coulter took over the lead from Dave Lefebre early in Period Two thanks to a steady stream of significant catches, including his big bass of the day weighing in at nine pounds, five ounces with 45 minutes left in the second. 49-year-old Coulter looked like he would end the day in first place until fellow Tennessean Michael Neal rallied, rising into the Top Ten with a 10-fish, 35-pound-10-ounce run in Period Three. With seven minutes remaining on the day, Neal caught a three-pound-eight-ounce largemouth to take the lead by one pound.

“Sneaky Mikey,” commented Coulter as the clock wound down to lines-out for the day. “Congratulations Michael; I wanted to win that Round bad. We had a good day and I will be back out on Monday working to win and skip the Knockout Round.”

The Top Ten of Day One, Qualifying Group B finished as follows:

Place Angler Total Weight Total Fish Largest Fish
1 Michael Neal 57-00 16 6-14
2 Brandon Coulter 56-00 14 9-05
3 Justin Atkins 51-00 9 10-08
4 James Watson 49-12 14 5-10
5 Wesley Strader 43-03 14 4-08
6 Kelly Jordon 42-00 13 4-00
7 Kevin VanDam 39-12 12 5-03
8 Todd Faircloth 39-08 10 5-04
9 Bryan Thrift 38-14 11 5-04
10 Brent Chapman 37-09 10 7-01

For complete results, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com, Bass Pro Tour, Results.

The competition continues Sunday when Group A returns to the water for their final day of the Qualifying Round. Mark Daniels, Jr. is currently in the lead with 84 pounds, 15 ounces. Texas Pro Jeff Sprague sits in second place 12 pounds behind Daniels. The angler with the highest two-day cumulative total wins and the bottom 20 anglers will be eliminated. The weather forecast suggests thunderstorms may hinder the competition midday. Bass Pro Tour Tournament Director Aaron Beshears will consider safety over competition every time.

“We continuously monitor weather on the entire body of water to determine the safest situation for the anglers and MLF staff,” said Beshears.

Pending no weather delays, the day begins with launch at Oak Ridge Marina, Quitman, Texas, 9:15 a.m. CT before lines-in at 10:00 a.m. Period 1 ends at 12:30 p.m. Period 2 spans 12:45 p.m. until 3:15 p.m. Period 3 begins at 3:30 p.m. and lasts until day’s end at 6:00 p.m. The General Tire Takeout show airs approximately 6:15–7:15 p.m. as anglers return to the ramp.

Fans can catch all the action every day of competition on MLFNOW! livestream on MajorLeagueFishing.com or download the MLF App for your Apple or GooglePlay device or on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV).

by AnglersChannel

GHSA Postpones High School Fishing GHSA Cup Event in Response to Coronavirus Pandemic

THOMASTON, Ga. (March 13, 2020) – The Georgia High School Association (GHSA) in conjunction with FLW and The Bass Federation (TBF), announced today the postponement of the GHSA Cup – a special kickoff tournament held for GHSA-member schools originally scheduled for March 21 at Lake Oconee in Buckhead, Georgia, in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The event will be rescheduled for a later date.

Earlier this month the organizations announced that Georgia had become the fifth state to partner with FLW and TBF in offering bass fishing as a sanctioned high school sport starting with the 2020-2021 school year.

Bass fishing is a co-ed sport allowing young men and women to compete side-by-side. There is no designated season, thus allowing students to compete year-round in both GHSA-sanctioned events and non-sanctioned tournaments. GHSA competition comprises four State Qualifying tournaments held in different areas of the state beginning in January of each year with the State Championship to be held in March or April. The schedule will be published every July/August of the new school year.

FLW, TBF and the GHSA recommends that everyone follow the recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) on everyday prevention of viral infection, which include:

Stay home when sick or living with a sick person.
Cover the nose and mouth when sneezing or coughing.
Wash hands often with soap and water.
Routinely clean frequently touched surfaces and objects.
Limit face-to-face contact.
Consult a healthcare provider as needed.

For the latest information about the GHSA Cup, or for details, rules, and future schedule announcements, visitGHSA.net and the GHSA Bass Fishing homepage.

For regular High School Fishing updates, photos, tournament news and more from across the country, visit HighSchoolFishing.org and follow SAF on Facebook. You can follow the latest news from FLW High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing atFLWFishing.com and FLW’s social media outlets atFacebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

by AnglersChannel

LHSAA Cancels High School Fishing Regional Tournaments in Response to Coronavirus Pandemic

BATON ROUGE, La. (March 13, 2020) – The Louisiana High School Athletic Association (LHSAA) in conjunction with FLW and The Bass Federation (TBF), announced today the cancellation of three High School Fishing Regional Tournaments scheduled for Saturday, March 14 in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Regional Tournaments that have been canceled are:

Region 1 – Caney Lake in Chatham, La.
Region 3 – Atchafalaya Basin in Berwick, La.
Region 4 – Bayou Segnette in Westwego, La.

All high school teams that were registered to compete in the events will automatically advance to the LHSAA State Championship tournament. The full LHSAA bass fishing rules can be found here. The LHSAA State competition originally scheduled for April 3-4 on Cross Lake in Shreveport, Louisiana, will be rescheduled so as not to conflict with the statewide Louisiana school closings through April 13 that were announced earlier today.

Decisions regarding future events will be made in the coming weeks as LHSAA, FLW and TBF monitor the situation with COVID-19 under the guidance of medical and Public Health professionals. The decision was made to safeguard the health and well-being of all involved.

FLW, TBF and the LHSAA recommend that everyone follow the recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) on everyday prevention of viral infection, which include:

Stay home when sick or living with a sick person.
Cover the nose and mouth when sneezing or coughing.
Wash hands often with soap and water.
Routinely clean frequently touched surfaces and objects.
Limit face-to-face contact.
Consult a healthcare provider as needed.

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

by AnglersChannel

FLW Postpones College Fishing and High School Fishing Events in Response to Coronavirus Pandemic

FLW Postpones Abu Garcia College Fishing and High School Fishing Events in Response to Coronavirus Pandemic

BENTON, Ky. (March 13, 2020) – FLW, the world’s largest tournament fishing organization, announced today the cancellation and postponement of multiple Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI and High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing events due to travel restrictions implemented by universities and high schools nationwide in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Abu Garcia College Fishing and High School Fishing events that have been canceled or postponed are:

March 14 – College Fishing Western Conference on Lake Havasu – CANCELED
March 15 – High School Fishing Open and State Championship on Lake Havasu – CANCELED
March 17-18 – College Fishing Open on Kentucky Lake – POSTPONED, will be rescheduled

While the vast majority of tournaments will continue as scheduled, FLW, along with Major League Fishing (MLF), announced yesterday the suspension of all public gatherings associated with their events through April 12, 2020, in response to the pandemic. Public gatherings include all fan meet-n-greets associated with the Bass Pro Tour, and the attendance of fans and non-essential staff at all FLW tournaments, including weigh-ins.

Decisions regarding future events will be made in the coming weeks as the leagues monitor the situation with COVID-19 under the guidance of medical and Public Health professionals. The decision was made to safeguard the health and well-being of all involved.

FLW and MLF recommends that everyone follow the recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) on everyday prevention of viral infection, which include:

Stay home when sick or living with a sick person.
Cover the nose and mouth when sneezing or coughing.
Wash hands often with soap and water.
Routinely clean frequently touched surfaces and objects.
Limit face-to-face contact.
Consult a healthcare provider as needed.

by AnglersChannel

Bassmaster Elite Series Event At Chickamauga Lake Postponed Amid COVID-19 Concerns

March 13, 2020

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Due to public health concerns surrounding the Coronavirus (COVID-19), B.A.S.S. officials announced today they will postpone the Bassmaster Elite at Chickamauga Lake originally scheduled to be held on the Dayton, Tenn., fishery March 19-22.

“Any time we are forced to postpone a tournament it is disappointing to our anglers, fans, sponsors and staff,” said Bruce Akin, B.A.S.S. CEO. “The anglers want to fish this incredible lake, where we have enjoyed amazing fan support over the years. After careful discussions though, it was apparent that the best decision was to postpone the tournament and festivities.”

The decision comes after the number of Tennesseans infected with the coronavirus doubled to 18, and Gov. Bill Lee declared a state of emergency on Thursday. The CDC has also recommended that those at higher risk for contracting the disease or those who may have been exposed to COVID-19 should avoid crowds and events to help prevent the spread of the virus. This has prompted other outdoor sports, including NASCAR, MLB and the PGA, to postpone or cancel events.

B.A.S.S. is monitoring the situation with local public officials and following precautions and advice outlined by the CDC and World Health Organization as they evaluate upcoming events. A new tournament date will be announced in the future.

by AnglersChannel

Auten Awarded $2,500 Toyota Bonus Bucks

Luke Stoner - Dynamic Sponsorships

Garmin pro Todd Auten hadn’t competed in a Bassmaster Classic since February of 2008, so he went ahead and made his presence known at the 50^th Annual Academy Sports + Outdoors Classic presented by Huk last weekend on Lake Guntersville. Auten rallied to finish in second place behind Hank Cherry thanks to a 20-pound 10-ounce limit of fish on Championship Sunday.

Finishing second in a major event like the Classic has its own special sting to it, but Auten admitted the disappointment was lessened when he saw Kendell of Dynamic Sponsorships holding his $2,500 “Happy Gilmore” Toyota Bonus Bucks check during the post-Classic press conference for finishing as the second highest placing participant.

The Lake Wylie, South Carolina pro has been a Toyota Bonus Bucks member since his last Classic appearance over 12 years ago and in that time has racked up a pile of money through the popular contingency program.

“I absolutely love towing with a Toyota Tundra,” Auten said humbly. “To me, they are the most dependable trucks on the market and I simply don’t have to worry about them. I have owned several and leased my last two Tundras; I have had fewer issues with these vehicles than anything else I’ve ever owned.”

Both first and second place finishers in this year’s Bassmaster Classic drive a Toyota and were awarded extra earnings, but Auten reminds us that an angler can lease an eligible Toyota tow-vehicle and still qualify for the Bonus Bucks program. As long as the vehicle is 2016 or newer, is owned or leased under your name, you compete in one of the myriad of supported tournaments and are among the highest placing participants you can earn Bonus Bucks.

For more information on the program, including a full list of events or to get yourself registered, follow this link: https://www.toyotatrucksbonusbucks.com/ . Or call (918) 742-6424, ask for Kendell or Chip and they’ll get you taken care of.

by AnglersChannel

Major League Fishing and FLW Suspend Public Gatherings:

Events through April 12, 2020 Affected

Thursday, March 12, 2020 (Tulsa, Okla.) Major League Fishing and FLW announced the suspension of all public gatherings associated with their events through April 12, 2020 in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The decision was made to safeguard the health and well-being of all involved. Public gatherings include all fan meet-n-greets associated with the Bass Pro Tour, and the attendance of fans and non-essential staff at all FLW tournaments, including weigh-ins. Due to the nature of competitive bass fishing, the league will continue to host tournaments for participating anglers. Decisions regarding future events will be made in the coming weeks as the league monitors the situation with COVID-19 under the guidance of medical and Public Health professionals.

“We’re taking these proactive measures to ensure the health and safety of our anglers, volunteers, fans, and staff,” said Jim Wilburn, MLF President and CEO. “As a unique outdoor sport where competitors have limited interaction, we feel that we can continue to host tournaments under an abundance of caution. Should circumstances change around a particular event, we will alert those competitors and volunteers directly involved with as much notice as possible.”

Public appearances of the MLF Pros associated with Stages Three and Four of the Bass Pro Tour will not take place. Fans are encouraged to remain home and watch their favorite anglers on MLFNOW! rather than gathering in person.

Events cancelled include the following:

Friday, Mar. 13, 2020, MLF All Access - Angler Appearances at Neon Moon, Yantis, Texas
Saturday, Mar. 14, 2020, MLF All Access - Student Angler Clinic at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center, Athens, Texas
Sunday, Mar. 15, 2020, MLF All Access - Crawfish Boil, Neon Moon, Yantis, Texas
Friday, Apr. 3 - Sunday, Apr. 5, 2020, MLF Midway, Garner, N.C.

Attendance at all FLW weigh-ins will be limited to essential staff and immediate family. Considering the breadth and scope of FLW tournaments across the continental U.S.A, the league feels this decision is in the best interest of public health including volunteers, anglers, fans, and staff. Events affected by this weigh-in attendance restriction include:

Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit at Lake Martin, March 19-22, 2020
Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit at Cherokee Lake, April 2-5, 2020

Toyota Series Southern Division at Lake Okeechobee, March 12-14, 2020
Toyota Series Western Division at Lake Havasu, March 12-14, 2020
Toyota Series Plains Division at Lake of the Ozarks, March 26-28, 2020
Toyota Series Southeastern Division at Wheeler Lake, March 26-28, 2020
Toyota Series Southwestern Division at Fort Gibson Lake, April 8-10, 2020

All weigh-ins associated with Phoenix Bass Fishing League, Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI, and FLW High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing tournaments held between March 12th and April 12th will also be affected by limited attendance. Only essential staff and immediate family will be able to attend.

“We appreciate the understanding and cooperation of our anglers, sponsors, and fans,” commented Kathy Fennel, FLW Executive Vice President and General Manager. “We realize that fan attendance at these weigh-ins is a highlight of our events, however based on the current understanding of how the COVID-19- is progressing in the United States, we feel everyone’s health and safety must outweigh the inevitable disappointment.”

In addition to addressing fan involvement, Major League Fishing will continue to assess the impact of COVID-19 and take the advice and mandates set forth by local, state, and national health officials to address the potential impact events will have on competitors, volunteers, and staff. Cancellations or postponements of tournaments and competitions will be announced directly to the registered anglers, school officials, and confirmed volunteers as needed.

MLF and FLW recommends that everyone follow the recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) on everyday prevention of viral infection, which include:
Stay home when sick or living with a sick person.
Cover the nose and mouth when sneezing or coughing.
Wash hands often with soap and water.
Routinely clean frequently touched surfaces and objects.
Limit face-to-face contact.
Consult a healthcare provider as needed.

by AnglersChannel

Humminbird® and Minn Kota® Launch One-Boat Challenge Web Series

RACINE, Wis. (March 12, 2020) — “The One-Boat Challenge,” the first branded entertainment series from Humminbird® and Minn Kota®, will debut on March 19 with the first of four episodes. Available through both Minn Kota’s YouTube channel and at www.OneBoatChallenge.com, each episode chronicles the experience of a group of amateur bass anglers competing for top fishing honors on Mexico’s venerable Lake El Salto.

Utilizing the technological advantages of the One-Boat Network™, which combines Humminbird electronics, Minn Kota trolling motors and Talon shallow-water anchors into a single, integrated system, the eight competitors compete on the famed Mexican bass fishery using One-Boat Network-equipped Vexus boats to see which team can catch the most — or the biggest — fish. While competition winners reap rewards and gain immunity, losing teams receive penalties and face early elimination from the competition.

The reality TV-style competition took place at Anglers Inn on Lake El Salto, a proven big-bass lake surrounded by the picturesque Sierra Madre Mountains of Sinaloa, Mexico. Two-angler teams faced a series of challenges testing their fishing skills, their ability to think on their feet and adapt to changes, as well as their technical savvy with the One-Boat Network. For the entirety of the competition, anglers relied on Humminbird SOLIX® units, MEGA Imaging®, LakeMaster® mapping, Talon shallow water anchors and a Minn Kota Ultrex™ trolling motor to help them locate and catch some of the most famous black bass in the world.

In addition to bragging rights, the teams battled for $10,000 in prize money to be donated to the charity of their choice. Contestants and their charity of choice include:
Tyler Anderson, Bass Fishing YouTuber – Kids Outdoor Zone
Mike Roy, Striped Bass Guide – Saltwater Guide’s Association
Seth Funt, Pelagic Fisherman – Coastal Conservation Association
Charlie Breitenbach, Inshore Fly Fisherman – Captains for Clean Water
Cameron Black, Salmon and Steelhead Guide – Hatchery Wild Coexist
Ashley Nichole Lewis, Salmon and Steelhead Guide – Brown Folks Fishing
Willie Young, NFL Defensive End – Keep America Fishing
Louie Vito, Olympic Snowboarder – Take Me Fishing
“We’ve been waiting for this moment to launch the One-Boat Challenge and we are thankful to everyone that helped to make this happen,” said Brad Henry, Minn Kota Brand Manager. “The episodes are meant to be entertaining and bring awareness to current and new consumers of the benefits of the One-Boat Network.”

The teams were outfitted with gear from some of fishing’s most esteemed brands, including AFTCO, Angler’s Inn, Abu Garcia, Berkley, Gerber, Old Town Kayak, Rapala, Plano, Shimano, St. Croix Rods, StrikeKing and VMC. Vexus Boats, rigged with the One-Boat Network, were towed by Toyota USA trucks and SUVs throughout the competition.

Beginning on March 19, episodes will release on OneBoatChallenge.com and Minn Kota’s YouTube channel. There will be four episodes highlighting the ups and downs of the competition as well as key features and benefits of the One-Boat Network, which will be released on the following Thursdays.
March 19 – Opening Ceremony
March 26 – Go Time
April 2 – Uncharted Territories
April 9 – The Big One
Follow along with the series by tracking #ONEBOATCHALLENGE and watch all the episodes at www.OneBoatChallenge.com.

For more information visit www.humminbird.com or www.minnkotamotors.com.

by AnglersChannel

2020 Bassmaster Classic Draws Biggest Crowd In Alabama History

A total of 122,814 fans, the biggest crowd in Alabama Classic history, attended Classic Week activities at venues around the state. Festivities concluded Sunday night, when Hank Cherry won the 2020 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk.

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

March 12, 2020
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The 2020 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Hukmarked the 13th time the iconic event has been held in Alabama and shattered previous attendance records, B.A.S.S. officials announced today.

The total Classic Week attendance of 122,814 was recorded at a variety of activities across Alabama, including the Bassmaster Classic Outdoors Expo in Birmingham, daily takeoffs on Lake Guntersville and the inaugural Huk Bassmaster B.A.S.S. Nation Kayak Series powered by TourneyX presented by Abu Garcia on Logan Martin Lake in Pell City.

This attendance number is 35% higher than the previous state record set in 2014, and the fourth-highest attended Bassmaster Classic in the event’s 50-year history.

“This record-breaking attendance would not have been possible without the loyalty of our incredible Bassmaster fans and the partnerships between B.A.S.S. and our sponsors, exhibitors, the media and our host communities in Birmingham and Marshall County,” said B.A.S.S. CEO Bruce Akin. “We’re thankful for the hard work of the entire B.A.S.S. family and our great volunteers who made this Classic such a success.”

In addition to the daily weigh-ins, the hands-on Bass Pro Shops Get Hooked On Fishing children’s area and Bassmaster Classic Outdoors Expo held at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex, large crowds attended the takeoffs each morning at Civitan Park on the shores of Lake Guntersville.

“We were thrilled with the support and crowd that turned out each morning at Civitan Park,” said Katy Norton, President of the Marshall County Convention and Visitors Bureau. “We want to thank our out-of-town guests and invite them back to Lake Guntersville to fish and enjoy one of Alabama's great natural attractions.”

A new event this year, the Bassmaster Classic Kickoff Party benefiting Children’s of Alabama, featured live music and fireworks and enabled fans to mingle with anglers on Thursday evening.

Fans also tuned in from afar to watch the action on Bassmaster LIVE — which established new records with a 23% increase in minutes watched — and follow the event on Bassmaster.com. The website was visited more than 1.8 million times by fans from 168 countries, including Brazil, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, South Africa, Switzerland and Zimbabwe, while social media engagement was up 253% over the 2019 Classic.

Classic Week culminated in crowning a new world champion of bass fishing as Hank Cherry, of Lincolnton, N.C., won the three-day tournament with a total of 65 pounds, 5 ounces and put the exclamation point on a dominant wire-to-wire victory.

Economic impact for the week is expected to top $25 million and will be announced once the calculations are completed by the local hosts.

by AnglersChannel

The Champ is Here!!!!

This week the boys are back from the Bassmaster's Classic and while 2 of the 4 are sick as dogs, the show must go on. The boys welcome in 2020 Bassmaster Classic Champ Hank Cherry to talk about winning the 50th Bassmaster's Classic! Chris gets on a stump over some FB comments and more!!

by AnglersChannel

Bradley, Greene Survive Boat Trouble To Win Bassmaster High School Series On Smith

Rylan Greene and Alex Bradley of Chapman (S.C.) High School win the 2020 Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School Series at Smith Lake presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors with with 12 pounds, 11 ounces.
Photo by Emily Hand/B.A.S.S.

March 1, 2020

CULLMAN, Ala. — In their first high school tournament outside the state of South Carolina, Alex Bradley and Rylan Greene of Chapman High School caught five bass that weighed 12 pounds, 11 ounces Sunday to take home the title at the Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School Series at Smith Lake presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors.

“It’s very exciting, this is unbelievable,” Bradley said.

Bradley and Greene edged out Brody Hopper and Landon Franks from Cullman High School by an ounce for the victory. The duo sat on the hot seat for most of the afternoon, and Bradley said he was thinking each bag might be the one to knock them off.

With the tournament victory, Bradley and Greene claimed a spot in the 2020 Bassmaster High School Series National Championship. They also secured a spot in the 2020 Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School Classic on Lay Lake presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors on March 7 and the weigh-in on the Bassmaster Classic stage in Birmingham.

The duo used their experiences on their home lake, Lake Hartwell, to guide them through the tournament day.

“We were out there today and Alex goes, ‘This reminds me of Lake Hartwell,’” Greene said. “That’s sort of what we took it as and went with it.”

The week did not start out promising for Bradley and Greene, however, as motor problems limited practice time Friday morning.

Bradley’s father, Mark, who also served as the duo’s boat captain for the event, actually tried to talk them into going home. But they wouldn’t have it. “They don’t ever give up,” Mark said. “Through all the problems, their confidence was unbelievable. They are just happy to be fishing. It’s unbelievable how calm they stay and they don’t ever give up.”

After Bradley and Greene decided to stay for the tournament, Mark took the boat to Fredrick’s Marine and fixed the fuel pump among other things. With a properly working motor, they took off on Sunday morning and headed to the first spot they found on Friday and caught all of their bass off that one spot — three spotted bass and two largemouth, in 20 to 30 feet of water.

“We caught them mainly on a Senko, but we caught a few on a drop shot and underspin,” Bradley said. “I was dragging the Senko and then deadsticking it, and that’s when they would bite it.”

Hopper and Franks did not practice prior to tournament day, but managed to catch four keepers for 12-10 to achieve their goal of qualifying for the National Championship. They also claimed the Phoenix Boats Big Bass with a 4-14.

Franks said they utilized Ned rigs much of the day, and also caught several good fish around brush and docks using ChatterBaits.

“I honestly didn’t think we would finish Top 5,” Hopper said. “We surprised ourselves. This lake is my backyard, so this is where we come the majority of the time. We knew we could scrounge up a couple fish.”

Eli Stevenson and Ben Freeman from Grundy County High School finished third with 11-15 and joined 25 other teams in qualifying for the 2020 National Championship.

Sunday’s tournament was hosted by the Cullman Area Chamber of Commerce

2020 HS Open Stop Smith Lake 3/1-3/1
Smith Lake, Cullman AL.
(BOATER) Standings Day 1

Angler Club/School Pts

1. Alex Bradley - Rylan Greene Chapman High School 0
Day 1: 5 12-11 Total: 5 12-11
2. Brody Hopper - Landon Franks Cullman High School 0
Day 1: 4 12-10 Total: 4 12-10
3. Eli Stevenson - Ben Freeman Grundy County High School Bass T 0
Day 1: 5 11-15 Total: 5 11-15
4. Garrett White - Tanner Mcclain Rhea County Eagle Anglers 0
Day 1: 5 10-10 Total: 5 10-10
5. AJ McGee - Austin Anz bibb county 0
Day 1: 5 10-02 Total: 5 10-02
6. Bracyn Sullivan - Tyler Crews Scotts Hill High School 0
Day 1: 5 09-15 Total: 5 09-15
7. Fischer Barber - Wells Johnson Heritage Christian Academy 0
Day 1: 4 09-14 Total: 4 09-14
8. Harrison Terry - Luke Clifton Dickson County High School 0
Day 1: 5 09-12 Total: 5 09-12
9. Dylan Breaux - Gage Boquet Lafourche Bassmaster 0
Day 1: 3 09-04 Total: 3 09-04
10. Tyler Finley - Hunter Jones Mount Pleasant 0
Day 1: 5 09-03 Total: 5 09-03
11. Caz Anderson - Griffin Hopkins Chatuge Anglers 0
Day 1: 3 09-03 Total: 3 09-03
12. Parker Brooks - Jonathan Horne Harris County HS 0
Day 1: 5 09-01 Total: 5 09-01
13. Tucker Smith - Hayden Marbut Briarwood Christian School 0
Day 1: 4 08-13 Total: 4 08-13
14. Tanner Barclay - Aj Widgeon Scottsboro BassCats 0
Day 1: 4 08-12 Total: 4 08-12
14. Ethan Franklin - Jesse Franklin Corner High School 0
Day 1: 4 08-12 Total: 4 08-12
16. Jeremy Hunter Odom - Canyon Odom Baldwin County HS 0
Day 1: 4 08-10 Total: 4 08-10
17. Brooks Anderson - David Britt Mt. Bethel Christian Academy 0
Day 1: 3 08-06 Total: 3 08-06
18. Cason Causey - Sam Westall Riley's Catch 0
Day 1: 4 08-02 Total: 4 08-02
19. Hayden Short - Archer Smith Burgin High School 0
Day 1: 3 08-01 Total: 3 08-01
20. Dalton Bailey - Hayden Stockett Lenoir City high School Bass clu 0
Day 1: 4 07-10 Total: 4 07-10
21. Jake Krauth - Hunter Weaver Franklin County Junior Bass 0
Day 1: 3 07-10 Total: 3 07-10
22. Ethan Swindall - Sam Schmitz Collierville High School and 901 0
Day 1: 3 07-06 Total: 3 07-06
23. Brennan Fox - Colin King Marion High School- IL 0
Day 1: 4 07-03 Total: 4 07-03
24. Ryan Baker - Joshua Hughes Camden Central High school 0
Day 1: 3 07-03 Total: 3 07-03
25. Colby Brown - Blake Handley Hayden High School 0
Day 1: 4 07-02 Total: 4 07-02
26. Brody Robison - Levi Cox Sand Rock Wildcats 0
Day 1: 3 07-02 Total: 3 07-02
27. Wynn Reed - Carter Cooper Scottsboro Junior BassCats 0
Day 1: 3 07-01 Total: 3 07-01
28. Keegan Jones - Chase Clark Hillcrest High School 0
Day 1: 3 06-14 Total: 3 06-14
28. Konner West - Brice Williams Chapman High School 0
Day 1: 3 06-14 Total: 3 06-14
30. Cameron Pruitt - Isaac Kidd Casey County High School- KY 0
Day 1: 3 06-13 Total: 3 06-13
30. Tanner Shaw - Tanner Koontz Mount Vernon HS 0
Day 1: 3 06-13 Total: 3 06-13
32. Brandon Berry - Hunter Bright Helena Bass Club 0
Day 1: 4 06-12 Total: 4 06-12
33. Nathan Reynolds - Connor Polk Backwoods Bassin 0
Day 1: 3 06-10 Total: 3 06-10
34. Bryar Chambers - Levi Harris Fairview High School 0
Day 1: 3 06-08 Total: 3 06-08
35. Ryan Thomas - Cole Holloway Morgan County High School 0
Day 1: 3 06-07 Total: 3 06-07
36. Aaron Cherry - Hudson Choquette Headland Bass Team 0
Day 1: 3 06-04 Total: 3 06-04
37. Cy Lambert - Houston Smith Cullman HS 0
Day 1: 3 06-03 Total: 3 06-03
38. Reece Nixon - Caden Gilley Soddy Daisy HS 0
Day 1: 3 06-02 Total: 3 06-02
39. Kenny Eddings - Hunter Gothard Hueytown Student Anglers 0
Day 1: 2 06-00 Total: 2 06-00
40. Nick Staub - Braden Lewis 901 High School 0
Day 1: 3 05-15 Total: 3 05-15
41. Mason Daniell - Nick Hodges Moody Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 3 05-14 Total: 3 05-14
42. Cole Rankin - Josh Lee Karns High School 0
Day 1: 3 05-13 Total: 3 05-13
43. Hunter Brewer - Kade Suratt Lawrence County High School 0
Day 1: 2 05-13 Total: 2 05-13
44. Tanner English - Evan Dunn Bibb County 0
Day 1: 2 05-11 Total: 2 05-11
45. Houston Snell - Austin Kelly Rehobeth High School 0
Day 1: 3 05-10 Total: 3 05-10
46. Dakota Stewart - Scott Lemmler Central High School 0
Day 1: 2 05-09 Total: 2 05-09
47. Jace McNutt - Tuscaloosa County High School 0
Day 1: 2 05-07 Total: 2 05-07
48. Jon David Bedford - Walker Brown Lawrence County 0
Day 1: 2 05-00 Total: 2 05-00
49. Connor Mclaughlin - Barclay Butler Scottsboro BassCats 0
Day 1: 2 05-00 Total: 2 05-00
49. Gavin Monk - Hunter Embrey Hanceville High 0
Day 1: 2 05-00 Total: 2 05-00
51. BJ Collins - Owen Jenkins Chatuge Anglers-NC 0
Day 1: 3 04-15 Total: 3 04-15
51. Matthew Pitcher - Rein Golubjatnikov Pittsford 0
Day 1: 3 04-15 Total: 3 04-15
53. Joseph Wilson - Spencer Cothran chapman pathers 0
Day 1: 2 04-13 Total: 2 04-13
54. Tanner Hadden - Caleb Hudson Greenbrier High School 0
Day 1: 3 04-11 Total: 3 04-11
55. Braden Watson - Allen Baxter Rehobeth High School 0
Day 1: 2 04-11 Total: 2 04-11
56. Matthew Writesman - Connor Burnett AL-Hayden HS 0
Day 1: 2 04-08 Total: 2 04-08
57. Evan Gonsalves - Matthew Windsor Clarks hill Youth Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 2 04-07 Total: 2 04-07
58. Cody Hammond - Taylor Brown Rehobeth HS 0
Day 1: 2 04-07 Total: 2 04-07
58. Tyler Starkley - Jacob Hodge Greenbrier High School 0
Day 1: 2 04-07 Total: 2 04-07
60. Riley Christensen - Jeffrey Lotierzo Riley's Catch- NC 0
Day 1: 2 04-04 Total: 2 04-04
60. Jake Fondren - Andrew Young Bibb County Bass Club 0
Day 1: 2 04-04 Total: 2 04-04
62. Caleb Bridges - Zachary Elliott Mt. Juliet High School Fishing 0
Day 1: 2 04-01 Total: 2 04-01
62. Dylan Nutt - Carter Nutt Backwoods Bassin 0
Day 1: 2 04-01 Total: 2 04-01
64. Caiden Galbreath - Ashlyn Shedd West Point High School 0
Day 1: 2 04-00 Total: 2 04-00
65. Jaden Silas - Lane Harrell Denham springs freshman high 0
Day 1: 2 03-15 Total: 2 03-15
66. Jacob Gravett - Karson Rider Signal Mountain 0
Day 1: 2 03-14 Total: 2 03-14
67. Hagan Marlin - Dylan Ingram Lee-Scott Fishing 0
Day 1: 2 03-13 Total: 2 03-13
67. Gage Starks - Sawyer Williams Henry County High School- TN 0
Day 1: 2 03-13 Total: 2 03-13
67. Jordan Thomas - Cole Reid Hayden 0
Day 1: 2 03-13 Total: 2 03-13
70. Jacob Davidson - Owen Chamberlain Mt. Juliet 0
Day 1: 2 03-12 Total: 2 03-12
70. Owen Spurlock - Landon Phillips Soddy Daisy High School 0
Day 1: 2 03-12 Total: 2 03-12
72. Elizabeth Eastman - Porter Savarese Fairhope High School 0
Day 1: 2 03-11 Total: 2 03-11
73. Kaden Cornelius - Jesse Blackmon Good Hope Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 1 03-10 Total: 1 03-10
73. Zane O'Domirok - John Thompson Lenoir City High School- TN 0
Day 1: 1 03-10 Total: 1 03-10
75. Walker Price - Austin Wallace Moody Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 2 03-07 Total: 2 03-07
76. Andrew Davis - Cal McInnis Headland High School 0
Day 1: 1 03-07 Total: 1 03-07
76. Kade Jennings - Tristan Crawford Hayden High School 0
Day 1: 1 03-07 Total: 1 03-07
78. Luke Miller - Jacob Tullier central high school 0
Day 1: 2 03-06 Total: 2 03-06
79. Andrew Weaver - Braxton Ekes Cold Springs High School 0
Day 1: 2 03-06 Total: 2 03-06
80. Eli Chambers - Connor Handley Vinemont High School 0
Day 1: 2 03-05 Total: 2 03-05
80. Jake Griggs - Lucas Miller 0
Day 1: 2 03-05 Total: 2 03-05
80. Zeb Lambert - Hayden Winn Cullman High School 0
Day 1: 2 03-05 Total: 2 03-05
83. Levi Thibodaux - Holdyn Delatte Lafourche Bassmaster 0
Day 1: 1 03-05 Total: 1 03-05
84. Connor Clark - Elijah Page Good Hope Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 2 03-04 Total: 2 03-04
85. Dj Arias - Ayden Braddy Rehobeth High School 0
Day 1: 1 03-04 Total: 1 03-04
86. Noah Ray - Kyler smith Tullahoma High School- TN 0
Day 1: 1 03-02 Total: 1 03-02
87. Jake Hoover - Drew Thompson Dickson County High School 0
Day 1: 2 02-15 Total: 2 02-15
88. Grant Olsen - Ryan Olsen Gardner south wilminton high sch 0
Day 1: 1 02-13 Total: 1 02-13
89. Alexis Grandstaff - James Quinlivan Headland Bass Team 0
Day 1: 1 02-12 Total: 1 02-12
89. Jeb Quick - Caleb Quick Hanceville High 0
Day 1: 1 02-12 Total: 1 02-12
89. Alyssa Taylor - Reid Burns Walker Valley High School-TN 0
Day 1: 1 02-12 Total: 1 02-12
92. Jimmy Oguin - Austin Oldfield Mt. Juliet Fishing Club- TN 0
Day 1: 1 02-11 Total: 1 02-11
93. Andon Goins - Blake Wheat Rhea County High School 0
Day 1: 1 02-10 Total: 1 02-10
94. Jacob Damron - Hunter Palmer Tullahoma City Schools 0
Day 1: 1 02-09 Total: 1 02-09
94. JP Johnson - Della Hand Vinemont HS 0
Day 1: 1 02-09 Total: 1 02-09
94. Caemon Metcalf - Hayden Buchanan Headland HS 0
Day 1: 1 02-09 Total: 1 02-09
94. Ethan Moore - Lane Parker Cullman High School 0
Day 1: 1 02-09 Total: 1 02-09
98. Gunner Mccluskey - Josh Rhodes Hillcrest 0
Day 1: 1 02-08 Total: 1 02-08
99. Jacob Clark - Logan Kirkland Rehobeth HS 0
Day 1: 1 02-07 Total: 1 02-07
99. Braden Leffew - Brady Raines York Agricultural Institute- TN 0
Day 1: 1 02-07 Total: 1 02-07
99. Gavin Totherow - Josh Willis Whitwell 0
Day 1: 1 02-07 Total: 1 02-07
102. Josh Foshee - Lance Roberts Mortimer Jordan 0
Day 1: 1 02-06 Total: 1 02-06
103. Addison Gunter - Tracy Richardson Scottsboro Junior BassCats 0
Day 1: 1 02-05 Total: 1 02-05
103. Tyan Massengale - Logan Evans Soddy Daisy High School 0
Day 1: 1 02-05 Total: 1 02-05
103. Chase Mccarter - Sevier County High School 0
Day 1: 1 02-05 Total: 1 02-05
103. Jordan Turner - Garrett Whitehead Eufaula High School 0
Day 1: 1 02-05 Total: 1 02-05
107. Nicholas Boggs - Brady Howard Louisa Bass Club HS Fishing Tea 0
Day 1: 1 02-04 Total: 1 02-04
107. Doston Putman - Bobbi Johnson Good Hope High School 0
Day 1: 1 02-04 Total: 1 02-04
107. Justin Robbins - Payton Rains Fentress County Bass Club- TN 0
Day 1: 1 02-04 Total: 1 02-04
110. Hunter Freeman - Wyatt Tomlin Cold Springs Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 1 02-03 Total: 1 02-03
111. Dylan Johnson - Noah Widick Sequatchie County 0
Day 1: 1 02-02 Total: 1 02-02
111. John Montooth - Katie Nelson Livingston Acedemy 0
Day 1: 1 02-02 Total: 1 02-02
111. Tucker Pendergrass - Lucas Roberts Livingston Academy 0
Day 1: 1 02-02 Total: 1 02-02
114. Caden Acree - Will Cain Marietta Bassmaster II 0
Day 1: 1 02-01 Total: 1 02-01
114. Nick Fox - Ross Webster Harris Coounty High School 0
Day 1: 1 02-01 Total: 1 02-01
114. Ben Hester - Mason Caldwell Rhea County Eagle Anglers 0
Day 1: 1 02-01 Total: 1 02-01
114. Luke Iles - Blake Peterson Ascension Anglers 0
Day 1: 1 02-01 Total: 1 02-01
114. Luke Troutman - Cole DeFoe Cullman High School 0
Day 1: 1 02-01 Total: 1 02-01
114. Brentyn Wheat - Cody Georgel Livingston Parish Bassmasters 0
Day 1: 1 02-01 Total: 1 02-01
120. Moss Mcgee - Jack Poole Vestavia Hills High School 0
Day 1: 1 02-00 Total: 1 02-00
120. Cameron Thompson - Grant West Scottsboro Junior BassCats 0
Day 1: 1 02-00 Total: 1 02-00
122. Kolby Clark - Landon Grider Scottsboro BassCats 0
Day 1: 1 01-15 Total: 1 01-15
122. Hayden Crosthwaite - Landen Dale West Jessamine High School 0
Day 1: 1 01-15 Total: 1 01-15
122. Drake Hemby - Whitwell HS 0
Day 1: 1 01-15 Total: 1 01-15
122. Jaxon Sullivan - Spencer Chase Milholen Scotts Hill High School Anglers 0
Day 1: 1 01-15 Total: 1 01-15
126. Dj Drake - Austin Jones Franklin County High School- TN 0
Day 1: 1 01-14 Total: 1 01-14
126. Nick Hamilton - Dylan Pittman Whitwell High School 0
Day 1: 1 01-14 Total: 1 01-14
126. Reece Keeney - Bryce Moder Northeast Wisconsin Bass 0
Day 1: 1 01-14 Total: 1 01-14
126. Dylan Stokes - Keaton Mills Wilson Central High School- TN 0
Day 1: 1 01-14 Total: 1 01-14
130. Taylor Campbell - Lanie Guffey Buckhorn High School 0
Day 1: 1 01-13 Total: 1 01-13
130. Trace Johnson - Blake Lundy East Hickman HS 0
Day 1: 1 01-13 Total: 1 01-13
130. Cameron LeBron - Henry Cook Cullman High School 0
Day 1: 1 01-13 Total: 1 01-13
130. Hogan Mabury - Robbie Meggs Tuscaloosa Co HS 0
Day 1: 1 01-13 Total: 1 01-13
130. Fletcher Phillips - Will Phillips Gardendale High School 0
Day 1: 1 01-13 Total: 1 01-13
130. Chandler Pruett - Braden Wilson Scotts Hill Student Anglers 0
Day 1: 1 01-13 Total: 1 01-13
130. Logan Weeks - Lewie Soli Hayden HS 0
Day 1: 1 01-13 Total: 1 01-13
130. Jacob Young - Ethan Brooks Bradley Central HS 0
Day 1: 1 01-13 Total: 1 01-13
138. Kai Barnett - Justin Straate Shelby County High School 0
Day 1: 1 01-12 Total: 1 01-12
138. Hudson Tinnell - Kolby Harris Helena High School 0
Day 1: 1 01-12 Total: 1 01-12
140. Chance Bryars - Noah Bryars Baldwin County High School 0
Day 1: 1 01-11 Total: 1 01-11
140. Ryan Dennis - Jake Guffey Soddy Daisy High School 0
Day 1: 1 01-11 Total: 1 01-11
140. Ryhan Fox - Isaac Irvin Galatia High School 0
Day 1: 1 01-11 Total: 1 01-11
140. Peter West - Zach Knight Gallatin 0
Day 1: 1 01-11 Total: 1 01-11
144. Buckner Anderson - Greyson Widgeon Scottsboro Junior BassCats 0
Day 1: 1 01-10 Total: 1 01-10
144. Brady Duncan - Mason Huddleston Mt. Juliet High School 0
Day 1: 1 01-10 Total: 1 01-10
144. Devon Dvorak - Jacob Nekvinda Eastern Iowa Bassmasters- IA 0
Day 1: 1 01-10 Total: 1 01-10
144. Cayden Reily - Evan Maddie Central High School 0
Day 1: 1 01-10 Total: 1 01-10
144. Laindree Richardson - Lucas Wielt Benton Bass Fishing-IL 0
Day 1: 1 01-10 Total: 1 01-10
144. Tanner Shelton - Parker Vaughn Hayden High School 0
Day 1: 1 01-10 Total: 1 01-10
144. Landon Surrett - Eli Allison Ninety Six High School 0
Day 1: 1 01-10 Total: 1 01-10
151. Matthew Brault - Jackson Salley South Florence High School 0
Day 1: 1 01-09 Total: 1 01-09
151. William Cothran - Ryan Cothran Mt. Pleasant 0
Day 1: 1 01-09 Total: 1 01-09
151. Brandon Iles - Colton Parten Rhea County Eagle Anglers- TN 0
Day 1: 1 01-09 Total: 1 01-09
151. Mason Taylor - Dylan Green Hayden High School 0
Day 1: 1 01-09 Total: 1 01-09
155. Victoria Lemmler - Emma Simon Central High School 0
Day 1: 1 01-08 Total: 1 01-08
156. Ryan Smith - Dalton Caldwell Mortimer Jordan Bass Club 0
Day 1: 1 01-07 Total: 1 01-07
157. Jack Alexander - Colledge Elliott Mountain Brook High School 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Collin Allison - Copelin Prewitt Vestavia high school 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Lou Ayers - Chas Nesmith Cullman High School 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Kolton Bagwell - Mason George Albertville High School 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Brayden Batchelor - Micah Holliman Clarks Hill Youth Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Eli Bennefield - John Converse Hanceville High 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Jordan Bentley - Jacob Raymond Hanceville High 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Austin Birdsong - Jd Hoyt Mount Juliet Fishing 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Clent Blackwood - Hunter Clay 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Brady Brasington - Aiden Sowell Headland HS 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Tristan Burroughs - Gabe Jenkins MGM Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Rylie Burt - Mason Kerr Franklin County 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Jeffrey Chapman - Jake Ellis MGM Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Connor Chenault - Hudson Montgomery George Rogers Clark 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Noah Coleman - Luke Coleman Oneonta 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Wyatt Cornett - Seth Deburlet George Rogers Clark High School 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Christopher Daniels - Justin Kanute York County High School Anglers 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Logan Dixon - Morgan Newton Greenbrier High School 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Briar Dodson - Chris Fallon Gardendale Rockets 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Miller Dowling - Chandlar Hollingsworth American Christian Academy 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Alexander Dunaway - Avery Brown GRC HS 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Colby Dupuy - Brennyn Hebert Central HS 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Hunter Edwards - Cooper Shepard Buckhorn High School 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. TJ Edwards - Houston Vaiden North Mississippi Anglers 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Michael Evans - Spencer Minter Whitwell High School 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Trevor Ezell - Austin Mitchell Hillcrest High School 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Preston Freeman - Matthew Cole MGM Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Mason Gay - Brodie Curvin Vinemont HS 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Mason Gibbs - Jack Tanner Soddy Daisy High School 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Jonathan Giddens - Grayden Garner Guntersville High School 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Clay Gough - Mccaden Skeens George Rogers Clark 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Lucas Griffice - Ethan Nix Hueytown High 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Jacob Guillory - Shelbi Crocker Hillcrest High School 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Logan Guy - Brennan Simoneaux Central HS 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Sam Hatcher - Tyler Crowell Muscle Shoals 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Reagan Hershman - Tristen Boyd Coffee County Raider Academy 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Kaden Hillman - Andrew Hunt Hazard High School Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Jackson Holbert - Avery Johnson Riverside High School 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Kolby Holcomb - Bryan Martin Walker Valley 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Brennen Howard - Logan Turner White Plains High School 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Jackson Isbell - Dalton Head Moody High 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Lucas Keller - Nathan Muse George Rogers Clark 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Mark Kershaw - Chance Konrad YCHSA 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Brent Key - Hunter Canova Lenoir City High School 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Reece Knight - Drew Shankles Albertville High School 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Colby Koon - Cole Reynolds Harris County High School 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Manning Larkins - Matthew Isbell Hueytown High School 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Noe Liles - Jake Sparks Fairhope HS 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Seth Loggins - Briley Mattox Good Hope Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Will Lowery - Brody Taylor Cullman High School 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Benjamin Marling - Alex Perry Helena High School 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Caleb Maybrey - Kole Palmer Franklin County High School- TN 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Zac Mccaw - Braxton Williams Cullman High School 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Tucker McCoy - Ethan Hopkins Mortimer Jordan Bass Club 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Dalton Mckenzie - Aaron Thornburg MGM Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Daniel Meadows - Parker Price Mortimer Jordan Bass Club 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Daniel Moon - Zachary Helton Karns Jr. High 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Ridge Mullis - Garrison Palmer Hillcrest High School- AL 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Trayton Overton - Slade Beasley Mortimer Jordan Bass Club 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. James Clark Parrish - Jack West Cullman High School 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Asher Peters - Gracie Herbold Headland Bass Team 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Allen Powe - Jonathan Combs George Rogers Clark High School- 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Nathan Powell - Whitwell High School 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Hunter Presley - James Gravitte Rhea County High School 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Evan Ramsey - Zachary Coleman Baldwin County 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Jon Raper - Braxton Williams Tuscaloosa County High School 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. James Riggs - Aaron Riggs Mt Pleasant HS 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Asa Robertson - Matthew Vandagriff Warren County High School Pionee 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Marshal Robinson - Mitchell Robinson Byrnes Rebels Fishing 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Evan Salter - Jacob Rice Hueytown High School 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Chad Salyer III - Lofton Livingston York County High School Anglers 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Gavin Schmitz - Addison Sikes Saraland High School Fishing Tea 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Tanner Scruggs - Storm Cline Anderson Co. 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Ethan Simon - Central High School 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Cole Sims - Harrison Prince Hayden High School 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. JC Sivley - Skyler Stevens Helena High School 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Davian Smith - Weston Walker Eufaula High School 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Jt Smith - Tyler Chapman MGM Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Evan Smith - Dalton Herring Guntersville Youth Bass Club 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Dylan Smith - cody jewell Cold Springs 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Cody Smith - Nathan Ferrell Soddy Daisy High School 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Blake Stephenson - Gavin Gilbert Clarks Hill Youth Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Timber Stokes - Jaylen Uline Mortimer Jordan Bass Club 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Rhett Stottlemire - Noah Ferrell Soddy Daisy High School 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Kendrick Terrell - Clay Holloway Hillcrest High School 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Garrett Thomas - Caleb Seynour Walker High School-LA 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Brady Underwood - Trace Montgomery Corner High School Bass Fishing 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Garrison Walker - Cannon Brewer 901 High School Bass Club 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Carson Walker - Randal Griffice Hueytown Student Anglers 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Lili Waters - Cloe Waters Cold Springs High School 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Nathan Webster - Jayden Taylor Hueytown Student Anglers 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Brandon Williams - Hunter Williams Baldwin County High School 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Colton Williams - Landon Graham Good Hope Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Ryan Wood - Colton Buckelew Hanceville HS 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
157. Canon Ybarra - Chase Fluty Beech high school 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00

by AnglersChannel

Georgia’s Hicks Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Lake Chickamauga

Chattanooga’s Bradford Wins Co-angler Division

HIXSON, Tenn. (March 9, 2020) – Boater Derek Hicks of Rocky Face, Georgia, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 22 pounds, 10 ounces to win the 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine event at Lake Chickamauga in Hixson, Tennessee. Hicks earned a total of $5,519 for his victory.

image005.jpg“Lake Chickamauga is my home waters, so it feels pretty nice to get a win here,” said Hicks, who earned his second career victory in Bass Fishing League competition. “I fished the lower end of the lake all the way to above Dayton – about 25 different spots in that 20-mile stretch.

“I was targeting shallow rock – 1½- to 3-feet-deep,” Hicks continued. I caught my fish on three baits – a 5/8-ounce Stan Sloan Zorro Bango Blade spinnerbait, a Sonny McFarland Flat-Shad crankbait and a homemade 5/8-ounce brown jig.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:

1st: Derek Hicks of Rocky Face, Ga., five bass, 22-10, $5,519

2nd: Seth Davis of Harrison, Tenn., five bass, 21-4, $4,345

3rd: Justin Freeman of Dayton, Tenn., five bass, 19-0, $1,837

4th: Steve Barnes of Harrison, Tenn., five bass, 18-3, $1,288

5th: Brian Hatfield of Spring City, Tenn., five bass, 18-2, $1,104

6th: Chase Henley of Kingston, Tenn., five bass, 17-11, $1,012

7th: Brian Elder of Locust Grove, Ga., five bass, 17-8, $920

8th: Derrick Blake of Rockwood, Tenn., five bass, 17-5, $782

8th: Kevin Drake of Cleveland, Tenn., five bass, 17-5, $782

10th: Jay Fagan of Lebanon, Tenn., five bass, 16-15, $644

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Davis brought an 8-pound, 7-ounce bass to the scale to win the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $885.

Davis also took home an extra $500 as the highest finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member. 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 FLW PHOENIX BONUS contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.

Jeff Bradford of Chattanooga, Tennessee, won the Co-angler Division and $2,760 Saturday after catching a five-bass limit weighing 21 pounds, 1 ounce.

The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:

1st: Jeff Bradford of Chattanooga, Tenn., five bass, 21-1, $2,760

2nd: Adam Godsey of Harriman, Tenn., five bass, 14-15, $1,380

3rd: Joshua Jernigan of Rocky Top, Tenn., five bass, 14-1, $918

4th: Elliott Gault of Leesburg, Ala., four bass, 12-15, $644

5th: Wayne Hancock of Cumming, Ga., three bass, 12-12, $552

6th: Thomas Pierce of Calhoun, Ga., two bass, 12-11, $506

7th: Tony Pendley of Oakman, Ala., five bass, 12-7, $460

8th: Ryan Wallace of Odenville, Ala., three bass, 10-8, $564

9th: Shane Browder of Lynnville, Ind., four bass, 9-4, $368

10th: Gene Delk of Georgetown, Tenn., three bass, 9-2, $322

Adam Hickman of Caledonia, Mississippi, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 8 pounds even. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $442.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the Choo Choo Division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 16-18 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Lake Cherokee in Jefferson City, Tennessee, hosted by the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce. 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 co-anglers will fish for a new 18-foot Phoenix bass boat with a 200-horsepower outboard.

The 2020 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 co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American will be held April 30 through May 2 at Lake Hartwell in Anderson, South Carolina and is hosted by Visit Anderson. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division earn priority entry into the FLW Series, the pathway to the FLW Pro Circuit and ultimately the MLF Bass Pro Tour, where top pros compete with no entry fees.

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

by AnglersChannel

Bradenton’s Batson Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Lake Toho

South Carolina’s Hall Wins Co-angler Division

KISSIMMEE, Fla. (March 10, 2020) – Boater Clay Batson of Bradenton, Florida, brought a huge five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 34 pounds, 8 ounces to win the 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine event at Lake Toho in Kissimmee, Florida. For his victory, Batson earned a total of $4,740.

A person wearing a green shirt

Description automatically generatedThe tournament was the third of five events in the Gator Division presented by A.R.E. Truck Caps.

“I was fishing on the north end of Lake Toho,” said Batson, who earned his first career victory in FLW competition. “Targeting hyacinth mats mixed in with pads, flipping a black and blue-colored Missile Baits D-Bomb with a 1¼-ounce weight.

“The key to my victory was that the mats and pads had to be adjacent to open lanes,” Batson continued. “The fish were using those access lanes as highways. All my fish were females that were staging for the spawn. The heavy cover had to be up next to an access lane.”

The Florida angler said that a positive attitude kept his mind in check and was a big factor in his win.

“It’s been a very tough year, but I just kept practicing and grinding and knew that one day, my luck would change. Today, it all came together,” Batson went on to say. “I didn’t lose any fish fishing that thick cover – that is rare. I got them all in the boat and it was a blessed day. I’ve been doing this a long time and always wanted to get one of these wins. It feels awesome.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:

1st: Clay Batson of Bradenton, Fla., five bass, 34-8, $4,740

2nd: Marlon Crowder of Tampa, Fla., five bass, 24-15, $2,000

3rd: Thomas Clark of Wildwood, Fla., five bass, 20-14, $1,334

4th: Trevor Brown of Deltona, Fla., five bass, 18-11, $933

5th: Arthur Jackson of Kissimmee, Fla., five bass, 16-11, $800

6th: Blaine Partee of Oviedo, Fla., five bass, 15-2, $833

7th: Dan Blanchard of Kissimmee, Fla., five bass, 15-1, $667

8th: Anthony Ford of New Smyrna, Fla., five bass, 14-11, $600

9th: Robert Crosnoe of Inverness, Fla., five bass, 13-15, $533

10th: Kyle Gelles of Pingree, Idaho, five bass, 13-8, $467

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Batson’s big 11-pound, 6-ounce kicker also won the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $540.

Eddie Carper of Valliant, Oklahoma, took home an extra $500 as the highest finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member. 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 FLW PHOENIX BONUS contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.

Sean Hall of North Augusta, South Carolina, won the Co-angler Division and $2,000 Saturday after catching a five-bass limit weighing 14 pounds, 6 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:

1st: Sean Hall of North Augusta, S.C., five bass, 14-6, $2,000

2nd: Alan Clayton of Live Oak, Fla., five bass, 13-13, $1,000

3rd: Mike Tucker of Yalaha, Fla., five bass, 13-0, $666

4th: Steve Proctor of Minneola, Fla., four bass, 11-6, $467

5th: Dale Tomlinson of Lake Worth, Fla., four bass, 10-15, $550

6th: Wesley Hall of Glen St. Mary, Fla., five bass, 10-10, $367

7th: Charles Owens of Rockledge, Fla., five bass, 9-12, $333

8th: Aymon Wilcox of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., five bass, 9-11, $300

9th: Jason Suvak of Lauderhill, Fla., five bass, 9-10, $267

10th: Steve Smith of Jacksonville, Fla., four bass, 9-9, $233

Ryan Meyer of Orlando, Florida caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 8 pounds, 2 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $270.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on Lake Toho was hosted by Experience Kissimmee.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the Gator Division presented by A.R.E. based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 22-24 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Lake Lanier in Gainesville, Georgia, hosted by the Gainesville Convention & Visitors Bureau. 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 co-anglers will fish for a new 18-foot Phoenix bass boat with a 200-horsepower outboard.

by AnglersChannel

Oklahoma’s Ketchum High School Wins 2020 FLW High School Fishing Table Rock Lake Open

BRANSON, Mo. (March 9, 2020) – Oklahoma’s Ketchum High School duo of Parker Still and Austin Chandler brought five bass to the scale Saturday weighing 18 pounds even to win the 2020 FLW High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing Lake Table Rock Lake Open.

image004.jpgThe top six teams on Table Rock Lake that advanced to the 2020 High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing National Championship were:

1st: Ketchum High School, Ketchum, Okla. – Parker Still and Austin Chandler, five bass, 18-0

2nd: Kick-Back Bass Club – Garret Torres, Overland Park, Kan., and Sam Myers, Shawnee, Kan., five bass, 16-9

3rd: Timberland High School, Wentzville, Mo. – Sam Webert and Kyle Hopping, five bass, 16-7

4th: Ketchum High School, Ketchum, Okla. – Tyler Lake and Jesse Woodward, five bass, 15-3

5th: Carthage High School, Carthage, Mo. – Colson Brust and Tristan Beck, five bass, 14-2

6th: Camdenton High School, Camdenton, Mo. – Reece Waters and Caden Kowal, five bass, 13-2

Rounding out the top 10 were:

7th: Dunlap High School, Dunlap, Ill. – Brock Blazier and Nicholas Hands, five bass, 12-6

8th: Trigg County High School, Cadiz, Ky. – Hunter Shelton and Jordan Hampton, five bass, 12-6

9th: Bolivar High School, Bolivar, Mo. – John Hubbert and Andrew Johnson, five bass, 12-0

10th: Fair Grove High School, Fair Grove, Mo. – Wyatt Montle and Grant Dohle, four bass, 11-8

Complete results from the event can be found at FLWFishing.com.

A field of 61 teams competed in the no-entry fee tournament, which launched from the Table Rock State Park Marina. The tournament was hosted by Explore Branson.

The 2020 FLW High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing Table Rock Lake Open was a free, two-person (team) event for students in grades 7-12 and open to any FLW and Student Angler Federation-affiliated high school club. The top 10 percent of teams at each Open event along with the TBF High School Fishing state championships will advance to the 2020 High School Fishing National Championship on the Mississippi River in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The High School Fishing national champions will each receive a $5,000 college scholarship to the school of their choice.

In addition to the High School Fishing National Championship, all High School Fishing anglers nationwide automatically qualify for the world’s largest open high school bass tournament, the 2020 High School Fishing World Finals, held in conjunction with the National Championship. More than $2.8 million in scholarships and prizes were offered at the 2019 World Finals.

Full schedules and the latest announcements are available at HighSchoolFishing.org and FLWFishing.com.

by AnglersChannel

Ridgeville’s Austin Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Clarks Hill Lake

Hollywood’s Hoy Wins Co-angler Division

MCCORMICK, S.C. (March 10, 2020) – Boater Kyle Austin of Ridgeville, South Carolina, brought five bass to the scale totaling 13 pounds, 15 ounces to win the 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine event at Clarks Hill Lake Saturday in McCormick, South Carolina. For his victory, Austin earned $3,426.

A person holding a sign

Description automatically generated“I was fishing mainly on the bottom end of the lake, fishing a mixture of muddy and clean water,” said Austin, who earned his first career victory in FLW competition. “I was trying to find creeks that were muddy at the base but had clean water in the backs.

“I was catching them a few different ways,” Austin continued. “I caught two in the morning out deep, then a couple up shallow and a couple off boat ramps – I was just kind of hodge-podging around.

“My first two fish came on a Carolina rig with a black Zoom Lizard, with a chartreuse tail. Two of my fish came on a Treeshaker spinnerbait and one came on a Treeshaker bladed jig. I caught a few non-keepers on a Rat-L-Trap.

“The key to my victory was probably just fishing my style of fishing,” Austin went on to say. “I like to not be on anything. I like to drive as fast as I can down the lake and fish whatever looks good.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:

1st: Kyle Austin of Ridgeville, S.C., five bass, 13-15, $3,426

2nd: Jeff Bailey of Inman, S.C., three bass, 13-7, $1,713

3rd: Nick Gant of Myrtle Beach, S.C., five bass, 11-14, $1,141

4th: Brayden Rakes of Winston-Salem, N.C., four bass, 11-3, $799

5th: Nelson Walker of Manning, S.C., five bass, 9-9, $685

6th: Charles Cannington of Moncks Corner, S.C., five bass, 9-8, $828

7th: Timmy Thompkins of Myrtle Beach, S.C., five bass, 9-6, $514

7th: Michael Campbell of Pineville, S.C., five bass, 9-6, $514

7th: Ross Burns of Columbia, S.C., five bass, 9-6, $614

10th: Jerry Pelfrey of Laurens, S.C., three bass, 9-1, $400

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Roger Farr of Little Mountain, South Carolina, took home an extra $500 as the highest finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member. 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 FLW PHOENIX BONUS contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.

Robbie Mills of Appling, Georgia, brought a 6-pound, 14-ounce bass to the scale to win the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $430.

Jack Daniel Hoy of Hollywood, South Carolina, won the Co-angler Division and $1,928 Saturday after catching a five-bass limit weighing 13 pounds, 15 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:

1st: Jack Daniel Hoy of Hollywood, S.C., five bass, 21-2, $1,928

2nd: Casey Griffith of Guyton, Ga., four bass, 10-11, $1,006

3rd: Taylor Barnette of Landrum, S.C., three bass, 9-11, $485

3rd: John Joyce II of Inman, S.C., five bass, 9-11, $485

5th: Lonnie Drusch of Sumter, S.C., five bass, 8-10, $443

6th: Brian Ruppe of Irmo, S.C., four bass, 8-4, $314

7th: Stephen Britt of Chapin, S.C., five bass, 8-2, $285

8th: Danny Bickley of Chapin, S.C., five bass, 6-15, $257

9th: Travis Ruff of Connelly Springs, N.C., three bass, 6-14, $228

10th: Terry Coleman of Sumter, S.C., five bass, 6-10, $200

Hoy also earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $215 after bringing a bass weighing 6 pounds, 13 ounces to the scale.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on Clarks Hill Lake was the second of five events in the South Carolina Division.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the South Carolina Division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 16-18 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Lake Cherokee in Jefferson City, Tennessee, hosted by the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce. 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 co-anglers will fish for a new 18-foot Phoenix bass boat with a 200-horsepower outboard.

by AnglersChannel

Ohio’s Haunert Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Dale Hollow Reservoir

West Virginia’s Sansom Wins Co-angler Division

BYRDSTOWN, Tenn. (March 10, 2020) – Boater Andrew Haunert of Blue Ash, Ohio, brought a five-bass limit to the scale weighing 19 pounds, 10 ounces to win the 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine event at Dale Hollow Reservoir in Byrdstown, Tennessee. For his victory, Haunert earned a total of $5,103.

A person holding a fish

Description automatically generatedThe tournament was the first of five events in the Music City Division presented by A.R.E. Truck Caps.

“It feels awesome to get the win. I just got a new boat – it’s actually Hank Parker’s old Ranger – and hopefully it continues to bring me good luck,” said Haunert, who earned his first career victory in FLW competition.

“I caught my fish mid-lake, and I stayed there all day throwing a jig,” Haunert continued. “I was fishing in 15 to 20 feet of water, and I pretty much grinded it out in the same spot all day. I kept leaving them and then coming back, and it kept producing.”

Haunert said he caught his fish on a ½-ounce Stan Sloan’s Zorro jig with a Zoom Twin Tail trailer.

“The key was persistence – I knew the fish weren’t biting everywhere, so I stayed in the water that I knew was productive and just kept at it.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:

1st: Andrew Haunert of Blue Ash, Ohio, five bass, 19-10, $5,103

2nd: Scott Brummett of Brentwood, Tenn., five bass, 17-15, $2,232

3rd: Hunter Bouldin of McMinnville, Tenn., five bass, 17-0, $1,489

4th: J.B. King of Byrdstown, Tenn., five bass, 15-15, $1,041

5th: Jimmy Gayhart of Sadieville, Ky, five bass, 15-7, $855

5th: Tim McDonald of Prestonsburg, Ky, five bass, 15-7, $855

7th: Brian Copeland of Rickman, Tenn., five bass, 14-15, $744

8th: Jayson Johnson of Smithville, Tenn., five bass, 14-14, $632

8th: Robert Reagan of Byrdstown, Tenn., five bass, 14-14, $632

10th: Josh Tramel of Smithville, Tenn, five bass, 14-12, $721

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Haunert also earned the day’s $640 Boater Big Bass award with his largest fish, a 5-pound, 1-ounce bass.

Eric Moore of Union, Kentucky, took home an extra $500 as the highest finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member. 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 FLW PHOENIX BONUS contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.

Mick Sansom of Salt Rock, West Virginia earned the win in the Co-angler Division Saturday after catching a five-bass limit weighing 14 pounds, 6 ounces. Sansom earned $2,197 for his victory.

The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:

1st: Mick Sansom of Salt Rock, W.Va., five bass, 14-6, $2,197

1st: Brandon Barker of Nancy, Ky., five bass, 13-6, $1,098

3rd: Douglas Lyon of Cincinnati, Ohio, five bass, 13-5, $733

4th: Lucas Devere of Berea, Ky., five bass, 12-4, $513

5th: Brad Goetz of Montello, Wis., five bass, 11-14, $439

6th: Ryan Mealer of Spring Hill, Tenn., four bass, 11-11, $403

7th: Brian Gentry of Smyrna, Tenn., five bass, 11-9, $366

8th: Matthew Poss of Smithville, Tenn., five bass, 11-3, $330

9th: Timothy Ernst of Winchester, Ky., four bass, 10-14, $293

10th: Bill Haunert of Byrdstown, Tenn., four bass, 10-11, $256

Joe Gentry of Gallatin, Tennessee, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 5 pounds, 2 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $315.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on Dale Hollow Reservoir was hosted by Star Point Resort.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the Music City Division presented by A.R.E. based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 22-24 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Lake Lanier in Gainesville, Georgia, hosted by the Gainesville Convention and Visitors Bureau. 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 co-anglers will fish for a new 18-foot Phoenix bass boat with a 200-horsepower outboard.

by AnglersChannel

Brandon’s Coker Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Tournament on Ross Barnett Reservoir

West Point’s Armstrong Wins Co-angler Division

BRANDON, Miss. (March 10, 2020) – Local boater Clyde Coker of Brandon, brought five bass to the scale Saturday totaling 16 pounds, 13 ounces to win the 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine event at Ross Barnett Reservoir in Brandon, Mississippi. For his victory, Coker earned a total of $4,315.

A picture containing person

Description automatically generated“The water temperatures had dropped, so I started out throwing a spinnerbait in the morning,” said Coker, who earned his first career victory in FLW competition. “I caught a bunch of short fish, then switched over to a ChatterBait.

“When the wind picked up and the sun came out they wouldn’t hit the ChatterBait anymore, so I started swimming a jig and that is what the majority of my fish came on.”

Coker said he was mainly fishing main-lake flats in 3 feet of water. His jig of choice was a green-pumpkin and orange-colored Blacks Custom jig. He used a twin-tailed trailer with the tails dyed chartreuse.

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:

1st: Clyde Coker of Brandon, Miss., five bass, 16-13, $4,315

2nd: Taurian Parks of Clinton, Miss., three bass, 11-7, $2,157

3rd: Joel Barber of Brandon, Miss., five bass, 11-2, $1,439

4th: Andy Graves of Clarksdale, Miss., two bass, 10-9, $1,617

5th: Mike Jones of Brandon, Miss., four bass, 9-15, $1,063

6th: Andy Coy of Corinth, Miss., four bass, 9-4, $1,291

7th: Lloyd Pickett Jr. of Bartlett, Tenn., two bass, 9-2, $683

7th: Gary Caruso of Baton Rouge, La., two bass, 9-2, $683

9th: Darrell Hunter of Lena, Miss., two bass, 8-13, $575

10th: Bryant Adam of Madison, Miss., three bass, 8-8, $503

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Graves brought a 6-pound, 4-ounce bass to the scale to win the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $610.

Coy was the highest-finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member and took home an extra $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 FLW PHOENIX BONUS contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.

Eddie Armstrong of West Point, Mississippi, won the Co-angler Division and $2,157 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 17 pounds, 10 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:

1st: Eddie Armstrong of West Point, Miss., five bass, 17-10, $2,157

2nd: Desmond Champion of El Dorado, Ark., three bass, 13-5, $1,384

3rd: David Hug of Collierville, Tenn., four bass, 11-7, $717

4th: Louie Parkman Jr. of Brandon, Miss., three bass, 8-0, $503

5th: Daniel Corkern of Florence, Miss., two bass, 7-2, $581

6th: Tim Davis of Laurel, Miss., two bass, 7-1, $396

7th: Joel Ross of Brandon, Miss., two bass, 6-14, $460

8th: Chris Godfrey of Columbus, Miss., two bass, 6-8, $324

9th: Chris Bray of Southaven, Miss., two bass, 5-12, $288

10th: Tyler Patterson of Tupelo, Miss., one bass, 5-11, $252

Champion caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, weighing in at 7 pounds, 15 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $305.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on Ross Barnett Reservoir was the first of five qualifying events in the Mississippi Division.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the Mississippi Division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 8-10 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Lake Chickamauga in Dayton, Tennessee, hosted by the Rhea Economic and Tourism Council. 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 co-anglers will fish for a new 18-foot Phoenix bass boat with a 200-horsepower outboard.

by AnglersChannel

Western Michigan University Wins Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI Tournament on Table Rock Lake

BRANSON, Mo. (March 9, 2020) – The Western Michigan University duo of Joshua Lopez of Kalamazoo, Michigan, and John Neubauer of Decatur, Michigan, won the Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI at Table Rock Lake Friday with a five-bass limit weighing 18 pounds, 5 ounces. The victory earned the Broncos’ bass club $2,000 and qualified them to compete in the 2021 FLW College Fishing National Championship.

image004.jpgThe Western Michigan team won by a narrow 3-ounce margin over the second-place duo of Tad Deatherage and Caleb Romazon from the University of Central Missouri, who weighed in five bass totaling 18 pounds, 3 ounces. The tournament launched from the Table Rock Lake State Park Marina in Branson, Missouri.

The top 10 teams from each division’s three regular-season tournaments advance to the 2021 Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI College Championship. Per FLW rules, additional teams qualify for the National Championship if the field size in regular-season events exceeds 100 boats. A field of 130 teams competed at Table Rock Lake, so 13 teams now advance to the Championship.

The top 13 teams that advanced to the 2021 College Fishing National Championship are:

1st: Western Michigan University – Joshua Lopez, Kalamazoo, Mich., and John Neubauer, Decatur, Mich., five bass, 18-5, $2,000

2nd: University of Central Missouri – Tad Deatherage, Concordia, Mo., and Caleb Romazon, Excelsior Springs, Mo., five bass, 18-2, $1,000

3rd: University of Wisconsin – Michael East, Chilton, Wis., and Dustin Li, Madison, Wis., five bass, 17-11, $500

4th: University of Louisiana-Monroe – Jacob Andrews, Monroe, La., and Taylor Kolb, West Monroe, La., five bass, 16-9, $500

5th: University of Missouri – Jonathan Hardy, Columbia, Mo., and David Goddard, Bowling Green, Mo., five bass, 15-15, $500

6th: University of Central Missouri – Tyler Bartlett, Lees Summit, Mo., and Kyler Waisner, Greenwood, Mo., five bass, 15-15

7th: University of Missouri – Justin Luetkemeyer and Joshua Luetkemeyer, both of Chesterfield, Mo., five bass, 15-12

8th: Arkansas Tech University – Tristan Weaver, Sage, Ark., and Cole Lamb, Melbourne, Ark., five bass, 15-10

9th: Eastern Kentucky University – Leighton Hensley, Salyersville, Ky., and Josh Boone, Richmond, Ky., five bass, 15-5

10th: Missouri Western State University – Kody Mazur and Gaige Blanton, both of Saint Joseph, Mo., five bass, 15-5

11th: Kansas State University – Brett Halstead, Riley, Kan., and Kyle Simmons, Leonardville, Kan., five bass, 15-4

12th: Kansas State University – Hunter French, Manhattan, Kan., and Brianna Wagoner, Kansas City, Mo., five bass, 15-4

13th: McKendree University – Tyler Christy, Bolingbrook, Ill., and Trey Schroeder, Crestwood, Mo., five bass, 15-0

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

The Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI event on Table Rock Lake was hosted by Explore Branson. It was the first of three regular-season qualifying tournaments for Central Conference anglers. The next event for College Fishing anglers will be on March 17-18 at the annual Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI OPEN at Kentucky Lake.

Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI teams compete in regular-season qualifying tournaments in one of five conferences – Central, Northern, Southern, Southeastern and Western. The top ten teams from each division’s three regular-season tournaments and the top 20 teams from the annual Abu Garcia College Fishing Open advance to the following year’s Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI National Championship.

For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

by AnglersChannel

Glass & Manuel Win Bass Champs Sam Rayburn Event with over 24 pounds!

Place

GEORGE GLASS
DERRIDER , LA

TRENT MANUEL
ORANGE , TX

24.53

$20000.00

JASON MOOREHEAD
JASPER , TX

CHARLES SHOFNER JR
JASPER , TX

23.42

$5400.00

SAM HUCKABEE
SHREVEPORT , LA

TOBY JOHNSON
BOSSIER , LA

21.50

$4400.00

NATHAN STROUP
WILLIS , TX

WELSEY JOHNSON
WILLIS , TX

21.34

$3400.00

ROBERT DAVIS
LUFKIN , TX

ALAN MOORE
LUFKIN , TX

20.94

$2700.00

ERIC BRIGMAN
BRYAN , TX

HAROLD MOORE
CALDWELL , TX

8.42

20.44

$4800.00 with $2500 Skeeter Bonus Cash

JACOB JOHNSON
LAKE CHARLES , LA

SHANE CORMIER
RAGLEY , LA

19.84

$1500.00

ROY GEESEY
CROWLEY , LA

JEFFRY NICKEL
CROWLEY , LA

19.75

$1400.00

JEFF BRIDGES
PROSPER , TX

KEVIN WALKER JR
BUNA , TX

19.53

$1300.00

RALPH DUPUY
GROVES , TX

BRYANT RODRIGUES
PORT NECHES , TX

8.73

19.40

$1200.00

PERRY CLARK
POINT BLANK , TX

KASEN CLARK
POINTBLANK , TX

10.79

19.26

$1100.00 + $1000.00 Big Bass

ERIC WILSON
MARSHALL , TX

HOWARD WILSON
NACOGDOCHES , TX

8.62

19.09

$2290.00 with $1000 Skeeter Bonus cash, $200 Berkl

JIMMY DUCK III
CENTER , LA

BENJI DUMAS
MINDEN , LA

19.02

$1580.00 with $500 Skeeter Bonus Cash

CHARLES HICKMAN
HUNTINGTON , TX

TERRY HICKMAN
KINGWOOD , TX

8.42

18.93

$1070.00

CHRIS ROMANO
ORANGE , TX

STUART WELCH JR
ORANGE , TX

8.29

18.78

$1060.00

CHRIS CLEMENS
LUFKIN , TX

DALLAS COLE
LEESVILLE , LA

18.54

$1050.00

PHIL ADDISON
BAYTOWN , TX

DEAN WOOD
NEDERLAND , TX

18.47

$6040.00 with James Wood Motors Bonus

JOHN MADDOX
LUFKIN , TX

JEFFERY WISE
LUFKIN , TX

18.43

$1030.00

WESLEY BAXLEY
CYPRESS , TX

MACKENZIE GREEN
CYPRESS , TX

7.44

18.24

$1020.00

TOMMY HILL JR
PINELAND , TX

BUBBA FRAZIER
PINELAND , TX

18.02

$1010.00

MATT MORRIS
SHREVEPORT , LA

BILLY GASTON
SHREVEPORT , TX

17.92

$1000.00

MARK MARTIN
VIDOR , TX

JIMMY MOORE
ORANGE , TX

8.68

17.80

$1000.00

ANDRE MARTIN
LENA , LA

GLEN FREEMAN
ZWOLLE , LA

17.55

$1000.00

CHRIS HUEBEL
NEDERLAND , TX

DON GOULD
MAURICEVILLE , TX

17.52

$1000.00

JAMES BOUDREAUX
IOWA , LA

GREGORY GUIDRY
SULPHUR , LA

17.39

$1000.00

COLLIN BODE
CONROE , TX

JACKSON CARRELL
BEDIOS , TX

17.39

$1000.00

KRIS WILSON
MONTGOMERY , TX

BRYAN LOHR
LUMBERTON , TX

17.33

$1000.00

LANCE DUFF
LUMBERTON , TX

COLE COSTLOW
LIBERTY , TX

17.29

$1000.00

DAVE REDINGTON
WINNSBORO , TX

LEE SANDERS
HILLSBORO , TX

17.28

$1000.00

NATHAN BYRD
MIDLOTHIAN , TX

JOE BYRD
SPRING , TX

17.16

$1000.00

MICHAEL LAFLEUR
ORANGEFIELD , TX

CASEY BURLEIGH
ORANGE , TX

17.13

$1000.00

JOSPEH NORRIS
BOSSIER CITY , LA

BARTON BLAKELOCK
WAELDER , TX

16.90

$1000.00

ADAM DUNN
HOUSTON , TX

JOSHUA WARE
NEW CANEY , TX

7.68

16.75

$1000.00

CHARLIE BROWN III
FLINT , TX

BARRET ROBINSON
JASPER , TX

16.74

$1000.00

MICHAEL DORCZ
HUFFMAN , TX

MATTHEW DORCZ
HUFFMAN , TX

16.66

LARRY DEAN
HUMBLE , TX

DENNIS GAU
MAGNOLIA , TX

16.56

JACOB ROOT
BROOKELAND , TX

BRYAN LANDERS
BROOKELAND , TX

16.45

JOHNNY VINES
GROVES , TX

SHANNON PRICE
PORT ARTHUR , TX

16.36

OSCAR LANGELE JR
MANY , LA

JAMES CAMPISE
ORANGE , TX

16.28

KURTICE FLOYD
NEWTON , TX

RYAN WESTBROOK
JASPER , TX

16.22

JIM PROTHRO
GILMER , TX

TOMMY MORRISON
GRANBURY , TX

16.19

LARRY WEPPLER
HOUSTON , TX

DENNIS FIKES
HOUSTON , TX

16.17

MARTIN ELSHOUT
ABITA SPRINGS , LA

MARK PRICE
RUSTON , LA

16.16

JOSH DUNAWAY
SULPHUR , LA

ROBERT BLAND
LAKE CHARLES , LA

16.03

MARKUS ELDER
NEW WAVERLY , TX

ROBERT MIKES
SHINER , TX

15.89

LARRY COTTEN
HUFFMAN , TX

NICK DIBERARDINO
JASPER , TX

15.88

WILLIAM WALKER
JENA , LA

SAMUEL CANOE
GEORGETOWN , LA

15.79

PHILIP HANKS
BUNA , TX

RODNEY SAMMONS
BUNA , TX

15.52

ROY ANDERSON
KOUNTZE , TX

LANE ANDERSON
KOUNTZE , TX

7.19

15.40

BILL STARK
EVADALE , TX

DAVID MORGAN
SILSBEE , TX

15.36

JERE BICE
LAKE CHARLES , LA

MICHAEL MCDONALD
IOWA , LA

15.29

SCOTT DEAN
TERRELL , TX

TERRY PEACOCK
ROYSE CITY , TX

15.28

$100 Berkley Cast for Cash

SHELBY SHAW
HUNTSVILLE , TX

WESLEY LEWIS
KIRBYVILLE , TX

15.14

EASTON HEIGLEY
BROOKELAND , TX

BLAKE SCHROEDER
WHITEHOUSE , TX

15.06

ANDREW GOLDEN
CENTER , TX

JOHN BARRERA
MILAM , TX

15.05

GENE BAGLEY
BEAUMONT , TX

MITCH STEPHENSON
BEAUMONT , TX

14.96

JAMES NITSCHKE
WILLIS , TX

JASON BONDS
LUFKIN , TX

14.94

GERALD MITCHELL
JENA , LA

JASON LEBRUN
CHOUDRANT , LA

14.94

RUSSELL CECIL
WILLIS , TX

TODD CASTLEDINE
NACOGDOCHES , TX

14.83

JACK TINDEL III
ORANGE , TX

DALTON SOLIZ
ORANGE , TX

14.77

JONATHAN SIMON
ORANGE , TX

COREY STANLEY
ORANGE , TX

14.75

MIKE SOLIZ
ORANGE , TX

EDDIE CHOATE
BEAUMONT , TX

14.65

JASON MOORE
BUNA , TX

JOHN SINGLETARY
FRED , TX

14.63

CLAY DARDEAU
RAGLEY , LA

CRAIG BEAN
LAKE CHARLES , LA

14.62

KIRK LELEUX
KIRBYVILLE , TX

ROGER JOHNSON JR
VIDOR , TX

14.55

CHRIS HARVEY
JASPER , TX

RUSTY HARVEY
LUMBERTON , TX

14.55

SCOOTER CLARK
CENTER , TX

RYAN PINKSTON
CENTER , TX

14.51

JODY GOODRUM
DAYTON , TX

JAKE GOODRUM
CLEVELAND , TX

14.47

DON DICKERSON
PINEVILLE , LA

JASON FOUNTAIN
PINEVILLE , LA

14.45

JEDIDAH HOLT
LIVINGSTON , TX

CODY MILLER
LIVINGSTON , TX

14.44

MATHEW ARMAND
HESSMER , LA

JARRED WILLIAMS
BUNKIE , LA

14.35

SAMMY CHRISTIAN
LUMBERTON , TX

ALLAN SHIVERS
JASPER , TX

14.30

DEREK MONG
MANY , LA

CD MONG
MANY , LA

14.29

AUSTIN MILAM
PORT NECHES , TX

KOLTON CLARK
NEDERLAND , TX

14.26

EDWARD LACOSTE
HEMPHILL , TX

CHRIS NEWMAN
HEMPHILL , TX

14.22

MARK WILKINSON
LUMBERTON , TX

LELAND NELSON
BEAUMONT , TX

14.19

ERIC PLEDGER
TIMPSON , TX

WILLIAM LLOYD
SHELBYVILLE , TX

14.11

BEN SOUTH
JASPER , TX

BRYAN SOUTH
JASPER , TX

14.07

CHRIS EAVES
PORTER , TX

ROBERT SCOTT
KINGWOOD , TX

13.91

KENNETH CATES
ZAVALLA , TX

RODNEY SPIVEY
OAKHURST , TX

13.87

CLINT KIRBY
LUFKIN , TX

ANDREW KIRBY
LUFKIN , TX

13.84

CORY RAMBO
ORANGE , TX

RUSTY CLARK
SAM RAYBURN , TX

13.78

SHANNON FRICK
HEMPHILL , TX

GARY FRICK
HEMPHILL , TX

6.59

13.78

JOSH BENSEMA
WILLIS , TX

ZACHARY PICKLE
COLLEGE STATION , TX

13.74

KEITH HAWKINS
LAKE PROVIDENCE , LA

J. DUCK HAWKINS
IRVING , TX

13.58

HEATH CROCKER
CALHOUN , LA

JUSTIN WEBB
CALHOUN , LA

13.54

CODY BROWN
SARATOGA , TX

ROY BROWN JR
SARATOGA , TX

13.44

SHAWN ONEAL
DRY PRONG , LA

RYAN HEBERT
COLFAX , LA

13.30

TONY BOREL
GROVES , TX

CADE FALLER
GROVES , TX

13.22

KEITH DELANEY
POLLOCK , LA

TED PATE
ALEXANDRIA , LA

13.11

SHANNON HALE
NACOGDOCHES , TX

TODD NEWMAN
NACOGDOCHES , TX

13.08

CRAIG MASSEY
HOUSTON , TX

SCOTT HOLIFIELD
GRAND BAY , AL

13.06

BOBBY VICE
GROVES , TX

RICKY GUY
HUMBLE , TX

12.81

ROBERT NAQUIN JR
DEVILLE , LA

STEPHEN TRAIL
RECTOR , AR

12.77

JOHN WALKER
BROOKELAND , TX

KIRK MCCARTY
BROOKELAND , TX

12.75

JUSTIN CHILDRESS
MANSFIELD , LA

ROY LOVE JR
STONEWALL , LA

12.57

DANNY LASHLEY
BOYCE , LA

MICHAEL IVEY
OTIS , LA

12.44

DOUG MCCAIN
LAKE CHARLES , LA

MASON MCCAIN
LAKE CHARLES , LA

12.28

DUSTIN GUNSTREAM
VIDOR , TX

PRUITT PERKINS
ORANGE , TX

12.25

100

NICK MASSEY
NACOGDOCHES , TX

JARED MEADE
STONEWALL , LA

12.08

101

MATTHEW LEE
NORTH RICHLAND HILLS , TX

CHRIS BAUGH
PROSPER , TX

12.03

102

RICHARD BODIN
ORANGE , TX

JASON BODIN
ORANGE , TX

11.97

103

CLINT FOUNTAIN
KIRBYVILLE , TX

ASHLEY ADAMS
BUNA , TX

11.95

104

JAMES DAVIS JR
FERRIDAY , LA

CEDRIC JACKSON SR
FERRIDAY , LA

11.93

105

CODY NAQUIN
THIBODAUX , LA

BLAKE NAQUIN
THIBODAUX , LA

11.84

106

ROBERT VANZANDT
MONTGOMERY , TX

JOE DAW
MONTGOMERY , TX

11.78

107

MATTHEW WRIGHT
ORANGE , TX

CAMERON MALLETT
BUNA , TX

11.66

108

CHAD SENSAT
LAKE CHARLES , LA

KYLE REED
SCOTT , LA

11.63

109

JEREMY LEMMONS
TOMBALL , TX

MIKE TAYLOR
JASPER , TX

11.59

110

CADE DURIO
LAKE CHARLES , LA

JOHN DURIO
HEMPHILL , TX

11.38

111

BOB SIGNORIN
OAKHURST , TX

TRAVIS SIGNORIN
WILLIS , TX

6.81

11.31

112

LARRY ODSTRCIL
SHEPHERD , TX

DANIEL NEEDHAM
NEW CANEY , TX

11.07

113

ANDREW FATERKOWSKI
MONTGOMERY , TX

BILLY DRIGGERS
HUNTSVILLE , TX

11.04

114

JADEN PARRISH
LIBERTY , TX

CODY PARRISH
LIBERTY , TX

11.00

115

NORMAN LAND
CLEVELAND , TX

TRAVIS MOORE
CLEVELAND , TX

10.62

116

COLBY BASCO
CHENEYVILLE , LA

DEREK BASCO
CHENEYVILLE , LA

10.61

117

DAVID GORE
KOUNTZE , TX

JUSTIN SOWELL
SILSBEE , TX

10.56

118

CHRIS GABLE
BILOXI , MS

STEPHEN RAMSEY
DIBERVILLE , MS

10.23

119

BRAD DEAL
SPRING , TX

STEVE UBERNOSKY
HOUSTON , TX

10.07

120

COLE BREWER
LEESVILLE , LA

ROB RICHARDS
SPRING , TX

9.98

121

KEVIN MASON
COLDSPRING , TX

8.94

122

JOHN HIGHTOWER
BROOKELAND , TX

ROBERT CHRISMAN
WHITEHOUSE , TX

8.40

123

ROBERT MORE
LEESVILLE , LA

JERRY COUTEE
MONTGOMERY , LA

7.65

124

RICHARD GILL
EDMOND , OK

DALE BEST
BROOKELAND , TX

7.45

125

LAMARCUS MCCRAY
HOUSTON , TX

JAMES ROZELL
HOUSTON , TX

0.00

125

DANIEL HICKMAN
HUNTINGTON , TX

PATRICK GAMMILL
LUFKIN , TX

0.00

125

JESSE FLOYD
NEDERLAND , TX

RODY GUY
LUMBERTON , TX

0.00

125

RICKY MADOLE
MANY , LA

RONNIE MADOLE
SHREVEPORT , LA

0.00

125

RICKEY ELLIOTT
SPRING , TX

JOHNNY GRICE
ARP , TX

0.00

125

CHRIS MCCLAIN
NEED INFO

PERRY NELMS
ORANGE , TX

0.00

125

BUBBA NUGENT
POLLOCK , LA

DANA NUGENT
GEORGETOWN , LA

0.00

125

MICHAEL RISINGER
WEST MONROE , LA

SONTUS MITCHELL
RUSTON , LA

0.00

125

IVAN DAIGS
RUSTON , LA

RANDY BRANCH
RUSTON , LA

0.00

125

BILL DAIGLE
LAFAYETTE , LA

ANDRE CHAPMAN
CHURCH POINT , LA

0.00

125

BRANDON DAVIDSON
LITTLE ELM , TX

JIM FURR
HEMPHILL , TX

0.00

$500 Conservation Bonus

125

BLAKE HARVEY
VIDOR , TX

CODY CLARK
BUNA , TX

0.00

125

BOB VOTE
KINGWOOD , TX

ANDY VOTE
KINGWOOD , TX

0.00

125

ALLEN SHELTON
FARMERS BRANCH , TX

STRIDER BROWNING
TIMPSON , TX

0.00

125

CHANCE ARCENEAUX
LAKE CHARLES , LA

DWIGHT ABSHIRE
SANTA FE , TX

0.00

125

CHRIS LEWIS
LONGVIEW , TX

KEITH JONES
WHITE OAK , TX

0.00

125

SHAWN VERINSKY
LUMBERTON , TX

BLAKE COLE
ORANGE , TX

0.00

125

JASON BAKER
CROSBY , TX

CADE CORMIER
HUFFMAN , TX

0.00

125

STEFAN CLOEREN
ORANGE , TX

SCOTT GULLER
ORANGE , TX

0.00

125

HAYDEN HECK
LUFKIN , TX

KEN BERTHELOT
LUFKIN , TX

0.00

125

DONALD HARMESON
HAUGHTON , LA

STEVEN KENNON
HAUGHTON , LA

0.00

125

CHRIS LEWIS
TRENTON , TX

BOBBY LYNN
RICHARDSON , TX

0.00

125

MATTHEW BENEFIELD
HUFFMAN , TX

LARRY BENEFIELD
HUFFMAN , TX

0.00

125

BRIAN SHOOK
CHINA , TX

JOHN ILES
LUFKIN , TX

0.00

125

COREY HARMON
ORANGE , TX

JESSE JOHNSON
PORT NECHES , TX

0.00

125

BRYAN CARETHERS
SILSBEE , TX

JUSTIN HOLMES
LUMBERTON , TX

0.00

125

KEN SMITH
DALLAS , TX

KEVIN LASYONE
DRY PRONG , LA

0.00

125

BRADLEY PAGE
FRIENDSWOOD , TX

JOHN NEMECEK
FRIENDSWOOD , TX

0.00

125

BRANNON MIRE
BLOUSSARD , LA

DENNIS NARCISSE
ST MARTINVILLE , LA

0.00

125

KEVIN WOLFORD
ORANGE , TX

PATRICK RAINEY
VIDOR , TX

0.00

125

DANNY BENNETT
HUNTSVILLE , TX

NEIL CLEMENTS
PASADENA , TX

0.00

125

JOEL MAYFIELD
PERKINSTON , MS

RYAN PATTERSON
PASCAGOULA , MS

0.00

125

CLAYTON BOULWARE
ZAVALLA , TX

ALBERT COLLINS
NACOGDOCHES , TX

0.00

125

CODY CLARK
HERMPHILL , TX

CODY JORDAN
HEMPHILL , TX

0.00

125

DERRICK LABORDE
HESSMER , LA

RAYFORD LABORDE
HESSMER , LA

0.00

125

ERIC PHILLIPS
KERENS , TX

KYLE MIERS
MALAKOFF , TX

0.00

125

BLAYNE PREJEAN
CARENCRO , LA

DRAKE MENARD
CARENCRO , LA

0.00

125

WESLEY DAWSON
CHESTER , TX

TEDDY CLOIDE
VIDOR , TX

0.00

125

JESSE SHERLOCK
NEW CANEY , TX

DERRIN RIDDICK
KINGWOOD , TX

0.00

125

WILL CARSTENS
ALEXANDRIA , LA

ROSS BRYANT
ALEXANDRIA , LA

0.00

125

MALCOLM WILLIAMS
BRONSON , TX

STEVE SMART
BRONSON , TX

0.00

125

TOBY JONES
STONEWALL , LA

CARL JONES
DAYTON , TX

0.00

125

TREY BURFORD
GLOSTER , LA

CHARLES YOUNG
GRAND CANE , LA

0.00

125

TERRY STEVENS
HUTTO , TX

JASON HARPER
MONTGOMERY , TX

0.00

125

JODY HOLT
JASPER , TX

RAYMOND BALCEROWICZ
CROSBY , TX

0.00

125

DOUG PERKINS
PORTER , TX

BRAD HENSLEY
CLEVELAND , TX

0.00

125

RONALD RISENHOOVER
LUFKIN , TX

LARRY GREEN
LUFKIN , TX

0.00

125

DALE BOREN
FORT WORTH , TX

RICK SCOTT
HUMBLE , TX

0.00

125

SEAN MECHE
LAKE CHARLES , LA

RODNEY OWENS
RAGLEY , LA

0.00

125

DONNIE MARTIN
JOAQUIN , TX

MATTHEW JONES
HUMBLE , TX

0.00

125

IKE STEPHENS
SIMPSON , LA

LEE BROWN
LEESVILLE , LA

0.00

125

MATTHEW DELANEY
POLLOCK , LA

MATTHEW NUGENT
DRY PRONG , LA

0.00

125

JOSEPH DUHON
SULPHUR , LA

KENNETH CONSTANCE JR
LAKE CHARLES , LA

0.00

125

YARRI SCHREIBVOGEL
BROOKLAND , TX

0.00

125

GREG GREEN
LUMBERTON , TX

RICHARD WAGNON
JASPER , TX

0.00

125

KENNY COBB
HODGE , LA

BOBBY LOGAN
COUSHATTA , LA

0.00

125

RAY BECK
BROOKELAND , TX

CJ NICHOLS
ALEXANDRIA , LA

0.00

125

BRADLEY HILLEBRANDT
RAGLEY , LA

JORDAN BREAUX
SULPHUR , LA

0.00

125

DUANE PITTMAN
PRAIRIEVILLE , LA

DWIGHT MINOGUE
KEITHVILLE , LA

0.00

125

CLINT WEST
BEAUMONT , TX

NATHAN PRINE
BUNA , TX

0.00

125

PAUL BATMAN
SILSBEE , TX

ANTHONY SHARP
VILLAGE MILLS , TX

0.00

125

CLINT WADE
HUNTSVILLE , TX

STACY SPRIGGS
HUNTSVILLE , TX

0.00

125

JARED DEAN
HUNTINGTON , TX

JOHN BRANDENBURG
HUNTINGTON , TX

0.00

125

RICKY COLLINS
WOODVILLE , TX

JOHNNY MCKEE
WOODVILLE , TX

0.00

125

MICHAEL BREWTON
NACOGDOCHES , TX

LARRY PEACHER
BENTLEY , LA

0.00

125

GREG OSTERTAG
MT VERNON , TX

BRENT EDWARDS
MIDLOTHIAN , TX

0.00

125

ERIC HUNT
BUNA , TX

STEVEN MOORHEAD
JASPER , TX

0.00

125

CHAD KEMP
BRIDGE CITY , TX

BRENT KEMP
ORANGE , TX

0.00

125

HAROLD ALLEN
SHELBYVILLE , TX

MATT LOETSCHER
MANY , LA

0.00

125

PHILIP CRELIA
CENTER , TX

TJ GOODWYN
CENTER , TX

0.00

125

CHAD PRIMOS
SHREVEPORT , LA

BRIAN HEADRICK
DEBERRY , TX

0.00

125

MIKE WINSLOW
NEWCANEY , TX

JAMES MINEAR
MANY , LA

0.00

125

THOMAS STEVENS
GROVES , TX

JASON STEVENS
NEW ORLEANS , TX

0.00

125

TOMMY WOODARD
CONROE , TX

DUNDE HARRIS
MAGNOLIA , TX

0.00

125

ROBBIE JOHNSON
GOODRICH , TX

JARROD CLARK
SANTA FE , TX

0.00

125

ARCHIE DORE II
NATCHITOCHES , LA

SYLVAN BARNES
NATCHITOCHES , LA

0.00

125

MIKE EDWARDS
ETOILE , TX

MIKE GREER
DERIDDER , LA

0.00

125

DONNIE PICKARD
BRIDGE CITY , TX

ALAN ASHBY
ORANGE , TX

0.00

125

DEREK MACKEY
TYLER , TX

ALEJANDRO GUISCARDO
THE WOODLANDS , TX

0.00

125

RICKY CRUZ
NATCHEZ , LA

0.00

125

CHRIS GALLENDER
VILLAGE MILLS , TX

DOUGLAS SCHYSM
RAGLEY , LA

0.00

125

LARRY BYRD
LAKE CHARLES , LA

TRAVIS BROUSSARD
LAKE CHARLES , LA

0.00

125

DEAN LEWIS
BOSSIER , LA

JOHNNY COSTELLO
BOSSIER CITY , LA

0.00

125

TYLER WALKER
BURTON , TX

STEVEN WALKER
BURTON , TX

0.00

125

DENNIS COURTNEY
LAKE CHARLES , LA

GRADY MAYEAUX
RAGLEY , LA

0.00

125

RICKY BLANKINSHIP
MANY , LA

DAVID CURTIS
BROOKLAND , TX

0.00

125

WARREN CONNER
MAGNOLIA , TX

MIKE HANKS
HEMPHILL , TX

0.00

125

JEFF LANE
PORT NECHES , TX

KENNETH CONKLE
PORT NECHES , TX

0.00

125

SCOTT BARNETT
MANSFIELD , TX

TUCKER BARNETT
MANSFIELD , TX

0.00

125

JERRY HAYES
SUGARLAND , TX

CHANDLER HAYES
SUGARLAND , TX

0.00

125

WILLIAM SPILLER
BASTROP , TX

LANDON STOBBS
WELLBORN , TX

0.00

125

DYLAN WILLIAMS
KOUNTZ , TX

GREGORY WILLIAMS
FLORIN , LA

0.00

125

JOHN FROESE
SEMINOLE , TX

ABRAHAM HARMS
SEMINOLE , TX

0.00

125

LOGAN HOLLYFIELD
SILSBEE , TX

BRAIDEN BURFORD
VIDOR , TX

0.00

125

MIKE GODEAUX
BUNA , TX

CARLOS MUDD
VIDOR , TX

0.00

125

CODY PITT
MANY , LA

DALEIGLA PITT
MANY , LA

0.00

125

SKEETER FOWLER
GRAND SALINE , TX

0.00

125

HUNTER MARSHALL
BEAUMONT , TX

CODY SIRMONS
BROOKELAND , TX

0.00

125

RANDY DEARMAN
ONALASKA , TX

0.00

125

KENNY COOPER
BROOKELAND , TX

MARK CAPLES
JASPER , TX

0.00

125

CHRISTOPHER WADE
CANTON , TX

ARCHIE WADE
CANTON , TX

0.00

125

TRAVIS FRANKS
LAKE CHARLES , LA

LAWTON ROYER
DWQUINCY , LA

0.00

125

JUSTIN MORTON
ETOILE , TX

JAMES JARED
ETOILE , TX

0.00

125

CHUCK NAOMI
BRANCH , LA

RICHIE OLIVIER
CHURCH POINT , LA

0.00

125

ADAM PENN
SHREVEPORT , LA

FRANK CANIZARO JR
MANSFIELD , TX

0.00

125

JERREL PRINGLE
HEMPHILL , TX

KEITH KEELE
TENAHA , TX

0.00

125

MELVIN DUNN
ORANGE , TX

DOMINIQUE POLLUARD
NEED INFO

0.00

125

MICHAEL COMEAUX
ORANGE , TX

JODY SMITH
ARNAUDVILLE , LA

0.00

125

STEVE PHILLIPS
DIBOLL , TX

JOHN SPENCER IV
ETOILE , TX

0.00

125

TIM WILCOXSON
ROCKWALL , TX

ERIC ELDER
SUNNYVALE , TX

0.00

125

STEVEN BURGAY
TIMPSON , TX

CHANDLER BURGAY
TIMPSON , TX

0.00

125

JIMMY LLOYD
LUMBERTON , TX

ROBERT CRUSE
LUMBERTON , TX

0.00

125

JESSE MOODY
APPLE SPRINGS , TX

WILLIAM BAIRD
NEED INFO

0.00

125

DAVID BOWLEY JR
LUFKIN , TX

BILLY BOWLEY
CYPRESS , TX

0.00

125

RODNEY DOTSON
BROOKELAND , TX

LINDY HADLEY
BROOKELAND , TX

0.00

125

RAY LASSIEGNE
BROOKELAND , TX

PAT CASCIO
BROOKELAND , TX

0.00

125

TED PRIESING
DALLAS , TX

VIRGIL CHANEY
JASPER , TX

0.00

125

MASON GUIN
DECATUR , TX

MATHEW PORTER
HUFFMAN , TX

0.00

125

GARY DENTON
ORANGE , TX

BRAYDEN COLEMAN
VIDOR , TX

0.00

125

CHAD MRAZEK
MONTOGOMERY , TX

WYATT FRANKENS
CORRIGAN , TX

0.00

125

RIVER LEE
NORMANGEE , TX

CARTER WILLIAMS
LUFKIN , TX

0.00

125

CHARLES ABSHIRE
IOWA , LA

0.00

125

ANTHONY GABRYSCH JR
ALVIN , TX

TRAVIS BUCKLEY
ALVIN , TX

0.00

125

PHIL MARKS
DALLAS , TX

BRET STAFFORD
TEMPLE , TX

0.00

125

DUSTY WOOD
STONEWALL , LA

BEAU LOUGHMAN
MANSURA , LA

0.00

125

MIKE LOTT
MONTGOMERY , TX

JIMMY ROZELLE JR
PORTER , TX

0.00

125

TANNER ENGLAND
LINDSAY , OK

0.00

125

ED MELTON
HOUSTON , TX

ANTHONY JONES
WILLIS , TX

0.00

125

CHRISTOPHER GORDON
CLARENCE , LA

DENNIS MORGAN II
NATCHITOCHES , LA

0.00

125

MATTHEW TOTTEN
EVADALE , TX

BILLY NICHOLS
EVADALE , TX

0.00

125

CADE RUDIGER
MANSFIELD , TX

COOPER THOR
MANSFIELD , TX

0.00

125

RICHARD STEPHENS
HINESTON , LA

STEVE WILSON
BOYCE , LA

0.00

by AnglersChannel

MLF Releases Early Heavy Hitters Standings after Two Stages of the Bass Pro Tour:

Top 30 after Five Stages advance to compete for nearly $750,000 in winnings

March 5, 2020 (Tulsa, Okla.) Major League Fishing released standings for Heavy Hitters presented by Venmo following the first two Stages of the Bass Pro Tour. Jordan Lee leads the field with a two-stage weight of 14 pounds, seven ounces. Dave Lefebre leapt to third place after a nine-pound catch on Lake Okeechobee during the Favorite Fishing Stage Two presented by Bass Cat. Brent Chapman, who led the field at the end of B&W Hitches Stage One presented by Power Pole on Lake Eufaula with his eight-pound-15-ounce catch, fell to number four after only scoring a four-pound-two-ounce largemouth on Lake Okeechobee.

Click here for complete standings.

As previously announced, MLF will track each angler’s heaviest fish from each of the first five Stages of the Bass Pro Tour. The 30 Pros with the heaviest “virtual bag” after the first five Stages of the Bass Pro Tour will compete on the Kissimmee Chain, May 16-20, 2020 for $745,000 in winnings, including $100,000 top prize and a second $100,000 for the heaviest fish on the last day. Heavy Hitters presented by Venmo is hosted by Experience Kissimmee.

To qualify for Heavy Hitters Presented by Venmo, the weight of an angler’s single largest bass from each of the first five Stages of the Bass Pro Tour will be recorded. For example, if an angler’s heaviest fish in Stage One is 7 pounds; in Stage Two, 5 pounds; in Stage Three, 9 pounds; in Stage Four, 8 pounds; and in Stage Five, 6 pounds, that angler’s qualifying weight will be 35 pounds. The 30 anglers from the 80-angler field of the Bass Pro Tour with the highest cumulative weight across five stages earn a spot to compete in MLF’s Heavy Hitters.

The five-day tournament format will parallel REDCREST, featuring a 30-angler Qualifying Round on Days One and Two. The Top 20 anglers at the end of the two-day total qualify into a Knockout Round (Days Three and Four). The Top five anglers from each of days three and four will qualify into the 10-angler Championship Round (Day Five).

Scoreable bass vary each round. Shotgun and Elimination Rounds will score one pound or higher. For the Knockout Round, Major League Fishing will test a two-pound minimum for scoreable bass. In the Championship Round, MLF will test a three-pound minimum on scoreable bass on the Kissimmee Chain.

The full field of 30 anglers will receive a minimum payout of $6,000 and the tournament winner will earn $100,000. In addition to the championship purse, anglers will have the opportunity to earn a daily bonus for their biggest bass of the day based on the following graduating scale: Day One $25,000; Day Two $25,000; Day Three $50,000; Day Four $50,000; Day Five (Championship Day) $100,000. The five-day payout totals $745,000 for MLF Heavy Hitters.

The Bass Pro Tour continues next week, March 13-18, 2020, with the General Tire Stage Three presented by TrueTimber on Lake Fork (Texas). Each day begins with launch 7:15 a.m. local time before lines-in at 8:00 a.m. Period 1 ends at 10:30 a.m. Period 2 spans 10:45 a.m. until 1:15 p.m. Period 3 begins at 1:30 p.m. and lasts until day’s end at 4:00 p.m. The General Tire Takeout show airs approximately 4:15 – 5:15 p.m. as anglers return to the ramp and interact with fans.

Fans can catch all the action every day of competition on MLFNOW! livestream on MajorLeagueFishing.com or download the MLF App for your Apple or GooglePlay device or on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV).

by AnglersChannel

Georgia to Sanction Bass Fishing as Official High School Sport

Georgia High School Association Partners with FLW and TBF To Offer Co-Ed Sport with Four Events and State Championship

THOMASTON, Ga. (March 4, 2020) – FLW, the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, The Bass Federation (TBF), the nation’s largest grassroots fishing organization, and the Georgia High School Association (GHSA), announced today that Georgia has become the fifth state to partner with FLW and TBF in offering bass fishing as a sanctioned high school sport starting with the 2020-2021 school year.

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Description automatically generatedBass fishing is a co-ed sport allowing young men and women to compete side-by-side. There is no designated season, thus allowing students to compete year-round in both GHSA-sanctioned events and non-sanctioned tournaments. GHSA competition comprises four State Qualifying tournaments held in different areas of the state beginning in January of each year with the State Championship to be held in March or April. The schedule will be published every July/August of the new school year.

“We are excited to partner with FLW and TBF for the addition of bass fishing as an official activity for the Georgia High School Association,” said Kevin Giddens, Associate Director for the GHSA. “With the growth of youth bass fishing, we are proud to offer this activity for student anglers enrolled in our member schools and to provide them with the opportunity to win a Georgia High School Association State Championship. We look forward to seeing who will hoist the first championship trophy in the Spring of 2021. We thank FLW and TBF for their vision and promotion of high school fishing.”

Georgia is the fifth state to partner with FLW and TBF to offer High School Fishing as a sanctioned high school sport, joining Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana and Mississippi.

“High School Fishing is an incredible way for schools to connect with students,” said Dave Washburn, FLW Vice President of Operations. “It instills a sense of pride and belonging that so many students are missing today. It gives students a reason to get good grades and provides a competitive outlet for those who may not have the opportunity in other sports. The positive impact it has on tens of thousands of students each year is immeasurable, and we are proud to work in partnership with TBF and GHSA to provide this opportunity to students throughout Georgia.”

A special kickoff tournament – the GHSA Cup – will be held for GHSA-member schools March 21 at Lake Oconee in Buckhead, Georgia. The free event will be held at Sugar Creek Marina and is open to all Student Angler Federation (SAF) teams at GHSA-member schools in Georgia. All teams must register online at HighSchoolFishing.org by 8 a.m. CST on Wednesday, March 18. SAF membership, which is $25 per student per year, includes both FLW and TBF membership and provides all team insurance. Every student also receives a digital subscription to FLW Bass Fishing magazine and access to online training courses from TBF.

“The Student Anglers Federation is honored that GHSA has chosen to partner with us and our partners in fishing at FLW to help conduct and promote High School Fishing to their student body as an official sport,” said Robert Cartlidge, TBF President. “History has shown us again and again that the high school fishing program can turn a young student’s grades and life around. So together with GHSA, FLW and TBF/SAF if we can do that with just one young person anywhere in Georgia, and at the same time give all Georgia students a reason to get outside into the outdoors, then the program will be a success in my opinion.”

For more information about the GHSA Cup, or for details, rules, and future schedule announcements, visit GHSA.net and the GHSA Bass Fishing homepage.

For regular High School Fishing updates, photos, tournament news and more from across the country, visit HighSchoolFishing.org and follow SAF on Facebook. You can follow the latest news from FLW High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing at FLWFishing.com and FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

by AnglersChannel

Tennessee Team Wins High School Classic

March 7, 2020

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Matthew Vandagriff and Asa Robertson relied on tactics that work for them back home in middle Tennessee to win the Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School Classic presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors held Saturday on Alabama’s Lay Lake.

Vandagriff and Robertson, seniors at Warren County High School in McMinnville, caught a five-bass limit that weighed 13 pounds, 15 ounces to outfish the runner-up team by 9 ounces.

After a slow practice, the Warren County anglers were unsure how they would spend the tournament day.

“At 10 o’ clock we didn’t have a fish in the livewell,” said Vandagriff. “We had tried just about everything and nothing worked.”

Except for a Rapala DT6 crankbait. The 2-inch, 3/8-ounce lure is designed specifically to run about 6 feet deep. The lure was an ideal choice because it matched the strike zone where they had greatest success.

“We tied it on and immediately started catching keepers,” said Robertson.

They focused on secondary points in 3 to 5 feet of water.

“That’s what we do this time of the year back home in Tennessee,” added Robertson. “So, there was no reason not to do it.”

Riley Underwood and Chandler Holt of Briarwood Christian School took second with 13-6. The team from Birmingham found success using a shaky head rig in shallow water.

Andon Goins and Blake Wheat, fishing for Tennessee’s Rhea County High School, finished third with 13-5. Fourth place went to Caz Anderson and Griffin Hopkins of Chatuge High School with 9-13.

Teams weighed in at Legacy Arena prior to the Saturday weigh-in of the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk.

Competing were the top high school teams from the 2019 season, and the Top 2 teams from the series event on Smith Lake held March 1.

The tournament was hosted by Discover Shelby County.
2020 Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School Series presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors Title Sponsor: Mossy Oak Fishing

2020 Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School Series presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors Presenting Sponsor: Academy Sports + Outdoors

2020 Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School Series presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors Platinum Sponsor: Toyota

2020 Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School Series presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors Premier Sponsors: Abu Garcia, Berkley, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Skeeter Boats, Ranger Boats, Talon, Yamaha

2020 Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School Series presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors Supporting Sponsors: Bass Pro Shops, Garmin, Carhartt, HUK Performance Fishing, Mossy Oak Fishing, Rapala, TNT Fireworks

About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S. is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 515,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), television show (The Bassmasters on ESPN2 and The Pursuit Channel), radio show (Bassmaster Radio), social media programs and events. For more than 50 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.

The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Bassmaster Elite Series, Basspro.com Bassmaster Opens Series, TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Series, Carhartt Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School Series presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors, Bassmaster Team Championship, new Huk Bassmaster B.A.S.S. Nation Kayak Series powered by TourneyX presented by Abu Garcia and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk.

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Media Contact: Emily Harley, B.A.S.S. Communications Manager, 205-313-0945, [email protected]

2020 Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School Classic presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors 3/7-3/7
Lay Lake, Birmingham AL.
(BOATER) Standings Day 1

Angler Club/School Pts

1. Asa Robertson - Matthew Vandagriff Warren County High School Pionee 0
Day 1: 5 13-15 Total: 5 13-15
2. Riley Underwood - Chandler Holt Briarwood Christian 0
Day 1: 5 13-06 Total: 5 13-06
3. Andon Goins - Blake Wheat Rhea County High School 0
Day 1: 5 13-05 Total: 5 13-05
4. Caz Anderson - Griffin Hopkins Chatuge Anglers 0
Day 1: 5 09-13 Total: 5 09-13
5. Colby Badeaux - Tyler Jordan Live Oak High School 0
Day 1: 5 08-08 Total: 5 08-08
6. John Walley - Justin Duke Satsuma High School-AL 0
Day 1: 4 08-08 Total: 4 08-08
7. Brody Robison - Levi Cox Sand Rock Wildcats 0
Day 1: 3 08-00 Total: 3 08-00
8. Westin Moss - Josh Willis Whitwell High School-TN 0
Day 1: 2 06-06 Total: 2 06-06
9. Tyler Finley - Hunter Jones Mount Pleasant 0
Day 1: 2 04-09 Total: 2 04-09
10. Braden McNamara - Mike Abbott Hartley's Hawgs 0
Day 1: 2 04-07 Total: 2 04-07
11. Mercedes Ellis - Gage Sherrod Henry County High School 0
Day 1: 1 03-09 Total: 1 03-09
12. Alex Bradley - Rylan Green Chapman High School 0
Day 1: 2 03-04 Total: 2 03-04
13. Tyner Redden - Hayes Grooms Greenbrier High School 0
Day 1: 1 03-02 Total: 1 03-02
14. Brody Hopper - Landon Franks Cullman High School 0
Day 1: 1 01-08 Total: 1 01-08

by AnglersChannel

Jacksonville State University Wins College Classic On Lay Lake

March 8, 2020

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Despite a slow start, Zeke Gossett and Lucas Smith capitalized on a morning flurry that yielded a five-bass limit of 17 pounds, 4 ounces, which led the Jacksonville State University bass fishing team to victory in the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops on Lay Lake.

Gossett, a senior majoring in parks and recreation, and Smith, a freshman business management major, fished the lake’s south end and targeted main-current seams. Their first half hour was frustratingly fruitless, but then the bite ignited and the winners boxed their weight by 9:30 a.m.

“At one place where we actually caught three of our keepers, we ended up catching four more in a row and we had to stop fishing to cull,” Gossett said. “That kind of hurt us because the school was fired up, but we couldn’t figure out which one to cull.

“We hit a flurry — I caught two in a row, then he caught two in a row. It was crazy. Our biggest one today was a 3-13. Our smallest was barely 3 pounds.”

Gossett and Smith alternated between 1/2-ounce Z-Man Jack Hammer ChatterBaits with Reaction Innovations Little Dipper trailers and those same Skinny Dippers rigged on 1/2-ounce swimbait heads.

“Some places were better for the ChatterBait and some places were better for the swimbait,” Gossett said. “Anywhere the ChatterBait would get hung up a lot, we’d throw the swimbait.”

Smith said being at the right place at the right time was key. Strategic site selection was also an important element of their game plan.

“There were two feeding windows; one at 7 and one about 9:30,” he said. “After 9:30, we didn’t cull anymore.

“The current definitely played a role, for sure. We targeted spotted bass because the current was so strong and we knew we could catch them in the current breaks.”

Gossett said today’s victory was particularly gratifying, given its redemptive backstory. During his sophomore year, his team fell short in what he considered an ideal scenario.

“We had a tournament back in 2016 on Lay Lake in June, which is my favorite time of year, and we absolutely bombed,” Gossett said. “I put in a lot of hard work practicing for this tournament and it paid off.”

The tournament was hosted by Discover Shelby County.

Media Contact: Emily Harley, B.A.S.S. Communications Manager, 205-313-0945, [email protected]

Request 2020 media credentials

2020 Carhartt Bassmaster College Classic presented by Bass Pro Shops 3/8-3/8
Lay Lake, Birmingham AL.
(BOATER) Standings Day 1Angler Club/School Pts

1. Zeke Gossett - Lucas Smith Jacksonville State 0
Day 1: 5 17-04 Total: 5 17-04
2. Cole Sands - Jake Lee Bryan College- TN 0
Day 1: 5 15-05 Total: 5 15-05
3. Tyler Vanbrandt - Grant Gallagher Adrian College 0
Day 1: 5 12-07 Total: 5 12-07
4. Jacob Harris - Nicholas Moore Southeast Missouri State Univers 0
Day 1: 5 12-03 Total: 5 12-03
5. Dax Ewart - KJ Queen Bethel University- TN 0
Day 1: 4 10-11 Total: 4 10-11
6. Carter McNeil - Cole Floyd Bethel University- TN 0
Day 1: 4 10-04 Total: 4 10-04
7. Braden Perry - Aidan England Carson-Newman University 0
Day 1: 5 10-03 Total: 5 10-03
8. Michael Childers - Landon Nelson Calhoun Community College 0
Day 1: 4 09-05 Total: 4 09-05
9. Ethan Jones - Andrew Althoff Mckendree UNiversity 0
Day 1: 3 09-01 Total: 3 09-01
10. Logan Parks - Cody Griffith Auburn University 0
Day 1: 1 05-00 Total: 1 05-00
11. Jacob Pfundt - Emil Wagner Ole Miss 0
Day 1: 2 02-05 Total: 2 02-05
12. Brian Linder - Nathan Thompson MINNESOTA STATE Mankato 0
Day 1: 1 01-15 Total: 1 01-15
13. Bailey Fain - Preston Kendrick Bryan College 0
Day 1: 1 01-13 Total: 1 01-13

by AnglersChannel

Toyota Bonus Bucks Cherry on top for Classic Champ

Dynamic Sponsorships

Hank Cherry led the 2020 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk wire-to-wire en route to hoisting bass fishing’s most coveted trophy Sunday night in Birmingham, Alabama. Along with the $300,000 Bassmaster Classic purse, Cherry will receive an additional $7,500 from Toyota Bonus Bucks.

Cherry primarily employed a Megabass jerkbait to target one of Lake Guntersville’s famous causeways to catch the majority of his fish throughout the event, and has long relied on Toyota Tundras as a tow-vehicle during his 13-year professional career.

“I’ve think owned about a hundred Toyotas at this point,” joked an elated Cherry. “They are the most reliable tow-vehicle I have ever owned. No doubt about it. Whenever I crank up my Tundra I know it’s going to get me where I need to go, and it’ll pull whatever I need it to.”

Cherry first qualified for the Bassmaster Elite Series in 2013, but he’s been reaping the rewards of Toyota’s popular contingency program since his days as a Bassmaster Opens competitor. You don’t have to be a professional fisherman and certainly don’t have to win a Classic to earn money through the program.

As long as you drive a 2016 or newer Toyota truck, sign up for the free program, and are the highest registered participant in one of the hundreds of tournaments supported by the program you can earn Bonus Bucks.

For a full list of events, more detailed program information, or to get registered head to: www.toyotatrucksbonusbucks.com . If you’d rather call than click, dial (918) 742-6424 and Kendell or Chip will be happy to help.

by AnglersChannel

Cherry's New Era Following Classic Win

Jason Duran - AnglersChannel.com

Vance McCullough

Hank Cherry had led both days 1 and 2 leading into Championship Sunday of the 50thBassmaster Classic on Lake Guntersville. He had come close to hoisting the hardware before. Seven years prior, while fishing Grand Lake in Oklahoma, Cherry lost a big bass that would have netted him the life-changing title.

Instead it was the loss that changed his life. “I don’t think it haunted me,” shared Cherry, “I think it fueled my fire. It just wasn’t my time. This time it was.”

A little past high noon on the final day of the 50th Bassmaster Classic Hank Cherry landed abig bass and closed out the win. “I’ve been waiting seven years for that bite,” he declared.

“I’m sorry, I’m mesmerized by the names on this thing,” said a distracted Cherry while staring at his Classic trophy during his press conference – the Champion’s press conference.

“Th best part about this is I don’t ever have to hear Dave Mercer bring it up again,” laughed Cherry, referring to the lost fish from years past. “That is done. It is a new day.”

In a tournament that featured more grass than a Grateful Dead concert, Cherry keyed mostly on rock, adding a few keepers the first day from an inside grass line that meandered 300 yards across a shallow flat.

To pluck the winning fish from the chilled, running waters of Lake Guntersville Cherry relied on a small assortment of lures: “4 on a jig, 4 on Jackhammers, that’s eight, 1 big one on a crankbait, the rest on a jerkbait.”

To get specific, Cherry’s jig was his own Hank Cherry Signature Series Jig from Picasso in green pumpkin with a matching Berkley MaxScent Chunk trailer.

His Jerkbait was a Vision 110+1 in the French pearl OB color. He swapped out the factory trebles to weight the lure and says many of his fish ate the bait as it sank slowly.

But it could be said that Cherry won the Classic when he took control on Friday by throwing a Z-Man Jack Hammer ChatterBait to sack 29 pounds, 3 ounces during a blustery opening round. He believes he depleted all the fish out of the shallow area that served him well on Day 1, but the causeway replenished on a regular basis.

And the crankbait that duped a big fish when he needed it? Cherry described it as a generic LuhrJensen Speed Trap in an orange color he said was called ‘mud pig’.

Did Cherry’s practice have any bearing on his tournament success? “With the exception of the grass flat and five casts on the causeway, I never fished anything that I practiced. Just fishing the conditions. When I realized the first day that the whole field had given me the runway, that I just needed to capitalize on what was there.

“Historically, that Brown’s Creek causeway holds some of the biggest fish in the lake.”

As Brown’s Creek encompasses acres of prime spawning habitat, it’s a major draw for early springtime bass. “Everything that’s there has to go through it, they follow the rocks back to spawn. Once they’re through thy go back in the same direction,” said Cherry of the small bridge that bisects a mile of riprap, forming four distinct corners in the process. “There have been multiple 35-and-40-pound bags caught off those corners. I just did not fish the corners because, historically, like I said, that’s what everybody targets. I looked for odds and ends, places where rocks were falling off, maybe little high spots off the riprap. I’d marked them with my LiveScope. That’s how I would get the fish off them.”

In February and March, bass will stage on the riprap along the causeway while water temps climb from the 40’s into the low 60’s. Come May, you may not get a bite around thecauseway. Cherry found a very sweet spotamong the monotonous line of boulders that stretched to the near horizon. The trick with that spot is that an angler can catch a fish but then has to let the area settle for at least 10 minutes before approaching again. Maybe the bass need time to reposition on the cover, maybe the commotion makes them wary on a lake that experiences some of the greatest fishing pressure on the planet, but repeat casts will be fruitless unless an angler picks off single fish, resting the spot for a while between casts.Patience paid off for Cherry.

But then, when you’ve waited seven years, what’s a few minutes?

by AnglersChannel

Hank Cherry Dominates From Start To Finish At 50th Bassmaster Classic

Hank Cherry, of Lincolnton, N.C., has won the 2020 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk with 65 pounds, 5 ounces.

Photo by Gary Tramontina/B.A.S.S.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 8, 2020

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Across the country, there are thousands of ultra-talented bass anglers who would have loved to compete in this week’s 50th Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk.

Only 53 got the opportunity — and from start to finish, there was no doubt which one of them owned the event.

Hank Cherry, a 46-year-old pro from Lincolnton, N.C., and an eight-year veteran of the Bassmaster Elite Series, caught five bass on Championship Sunday that weighed 19 pounds, 8 ounces. It gave him a three-day total of 65-5 and put the exclamation point on a dominant wire-to-wire victory that netted him a $307,500 first-place prize.

The competition was held at historic Lake Guntersville, but Cherry’s raw emotion shined through most back at the final weigh-in, which was held at Legacy Arena inside the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex.

“I talked to (fellow competitor) Paul Mueller in the boatyard, and he told me the devil was gonna try to get in my head today,” Cherry said. “He said just tell the devil to get out of your boat. He said tell him you don’t have time for him.

“That’s what I did. I caught my first fish and then I lost a big one. I could hear those voices in my head, but I didn’t listen to them. I just went and caught four more.”

This was the fifth Classic appearance for Cherry, and he had come close to hoisting the trophy once before — back in 2013 on Oklahoma’s Grand Lake, when he came in third after losing a key fish on jerkbait.

That same lure was one of his weapons of choice this week during three days of fishing that saw him catch 29-3, 16-10 and 19-8.

He did most of his damage during Friday’s first round with a Z-Man Jack Hammer ChatterBait. The bait allowed him to cut through a strong wind on his way to a tournament-best bag that featured a pair of 7-2 largemouth.

On Days 2 and 3, he relied mostly on his own Hank Cherry Signature Series Jig from Picasso in green pumpkin with a matching Berkley MaxScent Chunk trailer and the jerkbait — a Megabass 110+1 in the French pearl OB color. He replaced the factory hooks on the jerkbait with Berkley Fusion EWG No. 5s.

“I changed the hooks out to make it sink just the right way,” Cherry said. “About 90 percent of the fish I caught would be when it was directly falling. I had it heavy enough that I could see it falling, and if I saw one following it, I could watch them kill it.”

Cherry suffered an arm injury on Day 1 that he said may have limited the amount of running he did the rest of the week. But the major factor in his limited travel, he said, was the wind that blew hard on Lake Guntersville for most of the tournament.

He spent practically the whole event fishing one causeway and one grass flat.

“I never put gas in the boat all week,” Cherry said. “Y’all know me. If it’s windy, I’m not going to be making a lot of long runs — and anyway, I just didn’t need to.”

Cherry said Garmin LiveScope allowed him to keep track of the giant schools of gizzard shad that were drawing fish to the area. He also said a solid understanding of the way bass use causeways helped him catch big limits each day.

“Everybody has a misconception about those causeways,” Cherry said. “They think they should just fish the four corners. But bass use those causeways like highways. When they’re coming in, they come through the causeways and go down the rocks and to the back. Then they go exactly the same route when they come back out.

“That Garmin LiveScope just made them easy pickings.”

The win brought Cherry’s career earnings with B.A.S.S. to $934,500. He now has three career victories and 10 Top 10 finishes.

Perhaps more important than any statistic, however, was the fact that he exorcised some old demons that had lingered in the back of his mind since his near miss at Grand in 2013.

“When I caught that biggest bass on a jerkbait (Sunday), I felt some redemption,” he said. “I’ve learned a lot — and I’m still learning. I learned from this event how to handle the situation when you start with a big lead and have to protect it. I learned that your body will do wild things when you need that last fish to seal the deal, but you have to work through it.

“Those kinds of things make for an amazing feeling — and once it sinks in that I won this thing, I think that will be the most amazing feeling of all.”

South Carolina pro Todd Auten finished second with 58-10, and Arkansas angler Stetson Blaylock was third with 58-1.

Hank Cherry added an additional $7,500 to his winnings for being the highest-placing eligible angler in the Toyota Bonus Bucks program. Todd Auten was awarded an additional $2,500 for being the second-highest placing eligible angler in the Toyota Bonus Bucks program.

Virginia pro John Crews took the Berkley Big Bass award for the day with a 6-10 largemouth. But the Berkley Big Bass award for the week went to Auten for the 7-9 he caught on Day 1.

Lake Guntersville, Birmingham AL.

(ANGLER) Standings Day 3

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

1. Hank Cherry Jr Lincolnton, NC 15 65-05 0 $300,000.00
Day 1: 5 29-03 Day 2: 5 16-10 Day 3: 5 19-08
2. Todd Auten Lake Wylie, SC 15 58-10 0 $52,500.00
Day 1: 5 20-00 Day 2: 5 18-00 Day 3: 5 20-10
3. Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 15 58-01 0 $40,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-05 Day 2: 5 19-04 Day 3: 5 20-08
4. Seth Feider New Market, MN 15 54-00 0 $30,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-10 Day 2: 5 15-09 Day 3: 5 21-13
5. Micah Frazier Newnan, GA 15 54-00 0 $25,000.00
Day 1: 5 20-00 Day 2: 5 16-00 Day 3: 5 18-00
6. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 15 53-13 0 $22,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-08 Day 2: 5 16-11 Day 3: 5 15-10
7. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 15 53-09 0 $21,500.00
Day 1: 5 20-15 Day 2: 5 20-01 Day 3: 5 12-09
8. Lee Livesay Gladewater, TX 15 52-12 0 $21,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-02 Day 2: 5 16-13 Day 3: 5 21-13
9. Brandon Card Knoxville, TN 15 50-04 0 $20,500.00
Day 1: 5 17-11 Day 2: 5 19-07 Day 3: 5 13-02
10. Matt Herren Ashville, AL 15 49-05 0 $20,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-12 Day 2: 5 14-00 Day 3: 5 16-09
11. Jason Williamson Wagener, SC 15 48-14 0 $15,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-03 Day 2: 5 16-00 Day 3: 5 14-11
12. Skylar Hamilton Dandridge, TN 14 48-02 0 $15,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-11 Day 2: 4 11-00 Day 3: 5 17-07
13. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 14 48-00 0 $15,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-08 Day 2: 5 16-13 Day 3: 4 12-11
14. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 13 45-15 0 $15,000.00
Day 1: 3 07-12 Day 2: 5 23-10 Day 3: 5 14-09
15. Luke Palmer Coalgate, OK 15 45-02 0 $15,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-09 Day 2: 5 17-08 Day 3: 5 13-01
16. Chris Zaldain Fort Worth, TX 15 44-11 0 $13,000.00
Day 1: 5 10-08 Day 2: 5 15-10 Day 3: 5 18-09
17. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 13 44-10 0 $13,000.00
Day 1: 3 11-10 Day 2: 5 19-06 Day 3: 5 13-10
18. Clent Davis Montevallo, AL 13 44-09 0 $13,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-08 Day 2: 4 08-10 Day 3: 4 14-07
19. Caleb Kuphall Mukwonago, WI 14 44-06 0 $13,000.00
Day 1: 4 14-01 Day 2: 5 12-15 Day 3: 5 17-06
20. Grae Buck Green Lane, PA 11 44-01 0 $13,000.00
Day 1: 2 13-06 Day 2: 4 12-07 Day 3: 5 18-04
21. John Cox Debary, FL 14 44-00 0 $13,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-02 Day 2: 4 14-12 Day 3: 5 14-02
22. Drew Cook Midway, FL 15 42-15 0 $13,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-06 Day 2: 5 12-10 Day 3: 5 14-15
23. Greg DiPalma Millville, NJ 11 34-09 0 $13,000.00
Day 1: 4 15-03 Day 2: 4 11-07 Day 3: 3 07-15
24. Cody Huff Ava, MO 11 33-06 0 $13,000.00
Day 1: 4 12-13 Day 2: 5 13-12 Day 3: 2 06-13
25. Hunter Shryock Newcomerstown, OH 9 27-13 0 $13,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-06 Day 2: 3 07-11 Day 3: 1 01-12
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
BERKLEY BIG BASS
Todd Auten Lake Wylie, SC 07-09 $2,500.00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

by AnglersChannel

Sportsmans Warehouse Bassmaster Classic Day 2 Wrap-up

by AnglersChannel

Cherry maintains grasp on Classic lead heading into Championship Sunday

Vance McCullough

Hank Cherry is focused. “The only thing that’s been on my mind for the last two hours is making sure I have batteries for tomorrow. I’m ready to go right now. What’s gonna happen is gonna happen. I’m just ready for it to happen.”

Cherry says he will sleep well tonight “As soon as I eat dinner and play with my kids.”

Cherry defended his lead with another solid limit from the same areas that served him well on Day 1 but says even though he knows fish are still there, if they don’t cooperate, he will not die on the causeway. “I have stuff that I practiced that I haven’t even ventured to yet. I haven’t had the need to yet. Until I get some sign or have no bites, I’m not going to run off.”

Cherry has cycled between Jigs, bladed jigs, a squarebill crankbait and a jerkbait – lures he’s used to comb the entire length of the Brown’s Creek Causeway as well as a 400-yard grass flat.

Brandon Lester has matured as an angler and now he’s poised to make a run at the Classic title. The biggest lesson he’s learned so far in his career? “I have learned that it does no good to get frantic on the water. If you start rushing, getting in hurry, you’ll fish right over the top of them. Keep a good pace. Keep a level head. It’s hard to do. It’s the 2nd day of the Classic and I’ve got 9 pounds at 11 or 12 o’clock and I pull up on those docks and it happened.”

The docks Lester spoke of set the backdrop for what will be a most-remembered Classic moment. He horsed a couple of big bass over a rope and swung them into his boat. Statistically, Lester should have lost those fish. But when fortune smiles on you, you’ve got to like your chances going forward. Is this Brandon Lester’s Classic? “I’m hoping so. That’s the kind of thing that you have to have happen. All I can do is all I can do. It’s just great to have a chance.”

John Crews has followed the script laid out by most anglers heading into this tournament: a strong start, maybe 20 pounds, and a solid 2ndround, something in the high teens. Now if he can just sack 30 pounds tomorrow. Crews has no idea where that sack may come from. He’s just going to hustle and keep an open mind. “Where do I need to fish and what do I need to throw? The last two days I had no idea what was gonna work. Where I caught ‘em the first day, I didn’t get a bite there today. So I had to change it up and catch ‘em in a new area, and I’m expecting not to catch anything in that area tomorrow and I’ll have to go find some other new area.”

Gotta love a solid game plan.

Whoever takes the trophy on Championship Sunday will do so amid a talented field of anglers.

“Hey, these whippersnappers can catch ‘em,” says Mark Menendez about the field he competed with in the 50th Bassmaster Classic this week on Lake Guntersville. “They are very talented anglers. They are very skilled in what they do. I think one of things that makes them as deadly as they are is their preparation. These guys work on their computer, they’re looking at Google Earth, they’re looking at their map cards. They do a lot of research that cuts their search down quickly.

“These names at this Classic, you’re going to hear them many, many times in the future.”

Day Two is often referred to as ‘moving day’. Stetson Blaylock embraced the concept, “I made some moves today.” Blaylock didn’t change areas or tactics, but he feels he dialed-in a little better with respect to timing – the critical decisions regarding when an angler should fish which spot, when he should head to the next.

He also fine-tuned his retrieve angle to fit the conditions, a ‘move’ that resulted in far fewer bites, but a slightly bigger bag. “Didn’t adjust hardly at all, just some angles because the wind changed directions on us, but the same areas produced the bites again today. It was definitely slower. I’m hoping the warmer weather tomorrow, and not getting as cold tonight, will keep some fish up and ready to go. A little warm weather and they’ll start to make some moves.”

He’s excited to be fishing on Sunday. “I want to be consistent, do the best can and try to hang in there. That’s what I’m going to do tomorrow.”

Mike Huff didn’t catch them. Zeroed on Day Two of the Bassmaster Classic. In front of the whole bass fishing world. But that’s just it, in Huff’s opinion. In front of the whole world. Not many guys can say they did anything in front of such an audience. “If you’re a fisherman you’re going to have bad days. Just to make it here is a big accomplishment. I wanted to do good, but at the end of the day, when you’re fishing the Classic there’s no such thing as a bad day.” Huff, who would get carded trying to buy non-alcoholic beer, shared a laugh with the crowd when he rode into Legacy Arena with an oversized fake mustache.

All kidding aside, Huff is already focused on making the 2021 Classic. “The big thing is to learn from it. I’m going to fish next season just as hard and try to get back to next season’s Classic.”

by AnglersChannel

A Chance at $50K from Yamaha Power Pay

Courtesy of Luke Stoner - Dynamic Sponsorships

The 50^th Bassmaster Classic^® is officially underway on Lake Guntersville, Ala. Fifty-three anglers will give everything they have over the weekend for their chance at $300,000 and a place in bass fishing history. Also on anglers’ minds this week is Yamaha Power Pay.

Yamaha’s new Power Pay contingency program, which launched in the fall of 2019, provides cash bonuses to anglers who place highest in sanctioned salt and freshwater tournaments. This week at the Bassmaster Classic Yamaha Marine could possibly award $50,000 to the highest finishing Power Pay participant; winning the event isn’t a necessity, the angler just has to finish in the top 33 percent of the field.

Darold Gleason and Whitney Stephens are two anglers vying for the $50,000 Yamaha Power Pay bonus. Both anglers qualified for the Classic by winning one of the 2019 Bassmaster Opens events.

Q - What does it mean to have Yamaha Marine launch the Power Pay program and put up such incredible payout opportunities for a myriad of events, including the Bassmaster Classic?

Gleason: “To have a company like Yamaha show this kind of support to our industry is just incredible. It’s definitely made an impression on me, and a lot of other anglers. In fact, this week I’ve had a lot of anglers who aren’t running Yamaha outboards tell me they will be after hearing about the program and the generous payouts.”

Stephens: “It’s awesome to have a chance at a bonus prize of that kind of money. It almost turns this week into two-tournaments-in-one, in my opinion. I already loved my Yamaha outboard, but the Power Pay program has taken that to a whole new level.”

Q - Yamaha Power Pay isn’t only available to the pros; Bassmaster Opens, FLW Toyota Series, select team tournament trails, saltwater, college and even high school anglers are all eligible for bonus earnings. What would you say to someone with a qualified motor that hasn’t signed up yet?

Gleason: “You’d have to be crazy to not sign up! It’s a great way to earn money for running an industry-leading piece of equipment that you need to have anyway. Even more so, the program is still in its early stages, and with all the different events eligible for payouts, there are a lot of opportunities to make some money with Power Pay right now.”

Stephens: “You’ve got to get signed up! I mean look - you don’t have to win a tournament, you don’t have to buy anything separate, and I guarantee you can find a tournament that’s sanctioned that you’d like to enter. You could get paid to fish. What are you waiting for?”

Q – Do you have one maintenance tip you’d give fellow anglers to get the best performance out of their Yamaha outboards?

Gleason: “I don’t do anything special and I’ve had absolutely zero issues with mine. Just keep up with your basic maintenance and you’ll be fine. Change your engine and lower unit oils every 100 hours or so and your Yamaha will run like a dream.”

Stephens: “I like to change my oil at around 20 hours for the first time when I get a new Yamaha broken in. Do that, and you’ll have no issues ever, as far as I’m concerned. There’s not a more reliable motor on the market.”

For more information on Power Pay, complete terms and conditions or to register, visit yamahapowerpay.com or call Chip at (918) 742-6424.

by AnglersChannel

Classic Day One Wrap Up

by AnglersChannel

Cherry spoiled the plot

Vance McCullough

Hank Cherry leads Day 1 of the 2020 Bassmaster Classic with 29 pounds, 3 ounces of Lake Guntersville Bass, good for a lead of 7-11 over John Crews and Clent Davis who are tied for 2nd with 21-8 apiece.

Brandon Lester holds 4th with 20-15. Todd Auten and Micah Frazier share 5th place with 20 pounds-even.

This was supposed to be the slowest day of the tournament, conditions improving through Sunday. Anglers were trying to survive this round, make a move on Saturday and then maybe somebody would bust a 30-pound sack to take the trophy with some last day heroics.

Cherry spoiled the plot.

It may still only take a weight in the low 60’s to win. If so, Cherry is almost halfway home. And he hasn’t touched his choicest stuff yet. “I had to make a decision to follow my head or follow my heart,” said Cherry on stage. Afterward, he elaborated, “I listened to my head instead of trying to be the hero and go do something I’m not comfortable with. The wind made me totally change my game plan up and I decided I wasn’t gonna beat the waves. I was going to spend my time fishing. Fishing a place nobody else wanted to fish but I have some history, knew that I could catch some fish there. I capitalized. They were there.”

One of the questions coming in to this Classic was whether grass would produce the win, or would the Guntersville’s miles of riprap and bridges do so. It seems like the grass camp is winning. Except for Cherry who pounded riprap with a number of different baits, including the jerkbaits he’s known for.

Grass on the outside edge in 6 feet, grass along drains leading to spawning areas, grass out in the middle of big, nondescript flats – it seems like everybody has his own grass pattern and they are catching fish on it. Except, of course Cherry.

The guys tied for

As wind lessens each day the guys say they plan to move around more. Today’s conditions served the purpose of forcing much of the field to save their favorite spots. “I would say that’s accurate,” said Frazier, noting that he felt fortunate to have the 20 pounds he weighed today and that tomorrow he will run some of his ‘better’ stuff that was unfishable today. “I’m cautiously excited. Throwing a moving bait on grass in Guntersville, you can catch a big bag. And it doesn’t take long. You can catch five 5-pounders in one pass.”

Lester may leave his “big eelgrass flat with a couple of sweet spots” for a different reason. “My third fish was a 7-6. That’s a really goodstart to your day,” but “That one area, I just don’t feel like they’ve set up there. There’s more potential there than what I caught today. I know there is. There’s been a lot of money won in that area.”

Crews bailed on his primary area early today. “I caught a limit there in 10 minutes and then went an hour without catching any. I had a pattern that I thought was going to be better than it was but then those grass fish were bigger than I thought they were going to be.”

Crews’s experience indicates that grass may be the best bet as the tourney goes on.

Todd Auten did the grass thing as well, but he did something that made him feel at home too. The Carolina angler fished a few docks. “I fell into the Guntersville groove with rattle baits and Chatterbaits. You can’t beat that here. But I do love to fish docks and they get on the docks here. Some. I will be trying a few more tomorrow.”

Auten said floating grass makes it difficult to fish the offshore in places, one reason he’d like to establish the dock bite.

A couple of guys have a shot even though they failed to catch a limit. Grae Buck is the most extreme case. He brought two fish to the stage. They weighed over 13 pounds. He says he lost one other good fish. If he can put it together tomorrow . . . “I think I figured out what to look for. It’s going to be a lot of cranking and hope I come across 5 of them tomorrow instead of 2. I’m going try to expand on the pattern. Buck found his fish on rocks and stumps which could make him dangerous since he is doing something off the main pattern and should, therefore, have more water to himself. If he can make it work.

by AnglersChannel

Davis wins first-ever Bassmaster Kayak event

Vance McCullough

“It’s unreal,” chuckled Jim Davis moments after being crowned the first-ever Bassmaster Kayak tournament champion. But a solid trophy and a $10,000 prize check proved Davis was not dreaming.

Asked to recall his winning aggregate length he said, “I don’t know. After they said I won, I just sort of tuned out. It was over 87 inches.” It was 87.75, exactly a win 3-inch margin of victory against a field of 222 anglers, the top of the leaderboard stacked with 84-inch efforts, the field peppered with some of the best-known names in the kayak angling sport.

To have those anglers come together under the Bassmaster umbrella means a lot to Davis. “We’ve been waiting for it for a long time. There are some other leagues out there, but we’ve been waiting for the one that takes it to that next level. (Bassmaster) has been around a long time on the boat side with all the other tournaments so they absolutely can elevate this sport.”

Logan Martin Lake was cold, wet and getting wetter. Prolonged heavy rain prompted flash flood warnings from local authorities. The anglers responded with 58 limits, 15 of them in excess of 80 inches.

Nobody capitalized on the conditions better than Davis. “I sat on a spot half the size of this room for 7 hours; never quit throwing,” he said from the press conference room beneath Legacy Arena in Birmingham where the 50^th Bassmaster Classic Day 1 weigh in was about to begin. “I pulled in there, on the 3^rd cast I caught an 18-and-three-quarter-incher. I knew they were there. The small ones had been moving in and out of there, I’d been catching those. I knew the big ones were in there so I just sat there and waited for them to come back. I think they just cycled in and out with the current, back in behind the rocks.

“There were some windows. One time, I probably caught 6 or 7 in 15 minutes, and some other times I sat there and threw for an hour and never caught anything but rocks.”

Logan Martin is fed by the Coosa River, renowned for producing bunches of very big, very mean spotted bass. A guy can easily win a tourney with just spotted bass here. Davis had a mixed bag. “I had 3 largemouth and 2 spots. I don’t know how many nice largemouth I lost.” The 3 he caught went 20, 19, and 18.75 inches, the pair of 15-inch spots bookending his 5-fish limit.

What was so attractive about Davis’s winning spot that he would camp there all day? Some type of piscatorial gold mine only visible via expensive electronics? “It was in a foot-and-a-half of water up in a creek. It was a hump. I think it was an ambush point for them and they were feeding up before they went on up in the creek. It was just a big mud flat and there were some rocks that came in off the bank, out into the water. They were sitting behind that and they’d run out into the current and feed.”

Davis, from Knoxville, TN, had never seen the lake. At ground level. “Google Earth. Google Earth is what got me to the spot.”

His on-water practice time was limited to 4 hours the day before.

As for lure choice: “We’d found baitfish the day before that were about 3 inches long. The only thing I had in my box that was close to that was a Storm spybait. I threw that up over the rocks and boom!”

Color didn’t make a difference. “I started out with silver with a black back and I had a sexy shad. I think they were keying on that vibration.”

Line choice is always simple for Davis. “I only throw mono. Talk to the guys I fish with, I throw 12-pound Big Game in grass, pads.”

A 6’6” medium action Johnny Morris CarbonLite rod and Lew’s Speed Spool reel rounded out Davis’s setup.

All of us who love to fish have a friend or family member to thank for the introduction to the pastime. For Davis, it’s a shop owner back home in Kingston TN. “Frontier Outdoors. Firearms, kayaks, fishing. He’s the one who got me into kayak tournament fishing.”

Derby day called for foul weather gear. Davis keeps dry in boots and waders from Chota.

An Old Town PDL works for Davis. “I’m not a fan of the trolling motors yet. The PDL is a big kayak but it’s small enough that you can still paddle it, so when I fish grass, I just flip the motor drive up and paddle around the grass.” Not that there was any grass to paddle around on Logan Martin. Just plenty of green cash to roll around in.

by AnglersChannel

What 50th Classic Competitors Listened to on the Morning Drive

Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships

The epicenter of the 50^th annual Bassmaster Classic is in downtown Birmingham, but fishing is taking place 1 hour and 20 minutes away at famed Lake Guntersville.

While a few anglers are staying near the lake, many are making the long drive back and forth each day, so Alan McGuckin of Dynamic Sponsorships caught up with several of them on the launch ramp minutes prior to Day 1 competition, and asked what they listened to on their Tundra’s stereo en route to the start of bass fishing’s biggest event.

Caleb Sumrall – “DMX and Lil Wayne.”

Skylar Hamilton - “Halsey – kinda like the modern day Blondie.”

Jamie Hartman – “I didn’t listen music, my buddy Ed Burch is here to serve as my driver this week, so he and I just chatted.”

Hank Cherry – “I listened to everything from hip hop to country, just trying to stay relaxed.”

Grae Buck – “I was listening to rock & roll on Sirius XM’s Lithium and Turbo channels.”

Keith Combs – “Jason Aldean’s song We Back.”

Cody Huff – “Lots of Hank Williams Jr.”

Cliff Prince – “Shoot, the only thing I could listen to was her,” joked Prince about his sweet wife Kelley of 21 years, who taped a good luck 5 of hearts playing card to the storage lid of his boat once they arrived in Guntersville to symbolize the five fat keeper bass she hopes he’ll catch today.

by AnglersChannel

Classic Media Day Gallery

54 of the best anglers in the world gathered today for the 50th Annual Bassmaster Classic Media Day, preparing for blast off on day 1 Friday morning.

by AnglersChannel

Classic Breakdown - Are you ready?

Vance McCullough

The one thing that nobody knows, that I know, because I fish this lake a lot,” began Matt Herren, before looking over his shoulder, lowering his voice, and apparently still guarding some of the secret for himself, “ . . . tomorrow, I can only tell ya, somebody finds that situation, it will be a heck of a beat down. I caught a 9.74 in water about that deep,” said the Alabama angler, arms spread - not far apart - to illustrate that the fish had come from very shallow water.

Herren noted rising water temps during practice. “It went from about 48 to 52 degrees. They want to go. The only thing is, between all the rain, all the changes, the water keeps falling out, everything is so spun-out, they’re just kindahung up.”

“I think they actually move on the hour,” noted Hank Cherry.

Techniques are as plentiful as the eel grass on Guntersville right now. Crankbaits, traps, bladed jigs, jig jigs – take your pick. The jerkbait was mentioned surprisingly often. More often, it was seen in an open rod locker but not mentioned. The silence speaks volumes.

Cherry had no problem talking about it. Then again, everybody expects him to throw the jerkbait anyway so no harm in spilling the worst-kept secret at the 2020 Bassmaster Classic. “I am going to do it. I’m not going to be able to rely on it the whole time, but I am definitely going to throw it. I haven’t been getting a lot of bites but the ones I’m getting are the right ones so yeah, it’s definitely going to be a player. Not just for me but for other people too.”

Cherry says a lot depends on how fish position themselves. “If he’s buried down in the grass, three feet deep, he won’t come up for it. If you can get it front of them, they’ll eat it. Sunshine will get them up.”

The forecast calls for increasing sun as the tournament progresses.

Camping, anyone? Herren says it will be important to pick a good area and sit tight, waiting for what might be brief bite windows to open up. Cherry agrees. “The guy that sits still and waits on them, that’s going to be the guy that capitalizes. I think patience is going to be a big thing.”

Anglers are excited to get on the water tomorrow. Fish are bunched into big groups which can be easy to miss but which, if found, could make a man famous in a matter of minutes.

Bass on the ‘Big G’ are shallow. So a bank-robber such as John Cox should feel right at home, right? Not so fast. “Everybody’s like ‘you catch ‘em shallow here’ and you do, but your ‘shallow’ here is still a hundred yards from the bank,” smiles Cox. “It’s a different kind of shallow.” Cox is looking for typical prespawn funnels that lead fish onto and off of flats as the water moves up and down; heats up and cools off. He’s searching for a spot similar to the hump he found on Lake Sam Rayburn last month when he won the first FLW Pro Tour event of the year.

He is still in search mode, but Cox found a good starting point. “I did get into one area. I looked at it on the map and it looked right. I made three casts and caught a three-and-a-half. I wanted to feel around it a little more, but I want it to be fresh when I get there Day One. I want to learn it as the tournament goes on. I didn’t want to get too caught up with right where they were at that point in time.” Cox then admitted that he simply likes surprises. “I’m going to come back and find out tomorrow.”

His tendency to live in the moment may be Cox’s greatest strength as an angler. It will serve him well this week as the lake and its fish undergo constant changes.

Other anglers are hoping things don’t change too much. “I’ll know real quick whether I’m in trouble or I’m in the fish,” said Drew Benton. “The last day of practice I rolled into an area and I made six casts in six different directions and I had six bites. I’m pretty excited to go fishing.”

Another young pro who is excited to go fishing on Friday is Drew Cook, your 2019 Bassmaster Rookie of the Year. “I have a good track record here. I like Guntersville a lot and Guntersville likes me a lot. This lake helped me make the Elite Series. I was very disappointed with my finish here in last year’s Elite tournament. My fault. It was June, I spent the whole practice idling, looking, never made a cast. Then I caught every fish in less than six feet of water in the derby.”

Cook is hoping the lake that helped him establish a career will help him take it to the next level. “This could change my life.”

Paul Mueller almost won it all on Guntersville in 2014. His Day Two effort was worth over 32 pounds. With a sub-ten-pound first round, Mueller eventually finished a pound behind Randy Howell. A pound. And $255,000.

This time around Mueller seeks consistency, along with outstanding weights. “If somebody could be consistent with big bags each day, I think they’ll have a very good shot at it. I can tell you, from being out here in practice, it has not been easy.”

Having won last month’s Elite Series opener on the St Johns River, Mueller isn’t feeling any momentum going into the Classic. “I’m not one to buy in to the momentum thing. Every tournament is its own challenge. Obviously, this is a very challenging event, with all the weather change, with all the rain. When it changes, you have to change with it, make the adjustments necessary when the time comes.”

The bites may be slow in coming but the rewards will be big. Brock Moseley has considerable experience on Guntersville and he expects the pros to put on a great weigh in show each day for the thousands of fans at LegacyArena in Birmingham as well as millions more following via internet. “Just for what this time of year should bring, we should have some heavy, heavy weights even though it’s not easy to get bit.”

Mosely said what everybody is thinking: “If I can get to Sunday.” Anglers expect conditions to improve each day as the Classic unfolds, meaning those who make it to Sunday’s championship round have the best shot at blowing it out with a megabag and taking the trophy.

The key is to stay on the pace the first two days. Herren prepping tackle, his favorite Kistler flippin’ stick across his lap, bites off a tungsten weight and Spicy Beaver and shakes his head, “Lord, let me get to Sunday, close enough to catch ‘em (the competition and the fish). Let it go up to 65 degrees and sunny in the afternoon and I’ll take my chances.”

by AnglersChannel

Robinson wins Toyota Series event on Hartwell

March 5, 2020 by Phillip Gentry

Marty Robinson saw his day-one lead drop from nearly three pounds to just 1 pounds, 5 ounces after day two. On Championship Thursday, though, the MLF Bass Pro Tour pro did enough to finish the job with an 11-10 stringer for a three-day total of 47-4 to edge out Derrick Bridges for the win.

With the win, the Lyman, S.C., pro earns his first Toyota Series victory and his third across all FLW competition.

Complete results

Robinson said at the beginning of the event that he could sure use a win, if for no other reason than to boost his morale after a dismal start to his MLF Bass Pro Tour season. He certainly got that boost today.

Robinson had to go home earlier than he wanted to from Lake Eufaula because the weather turned bad and messed up most of the water he intended to fish. Two weeks later, it was the same deal on Lake Okeechobee when the weather turned bad and his fishing went south.

“I haven’t been fishing bad; I just made some bad decisions that cost me in the tournaments,” he admits. “I was glad we had this deal with FLW now where I could go back home and fish the tournament at Hartwell. I just needed some time to go catch some spotted bass and get my head straight.”

He may not have gotten his wish with the spotted bass, especially on day one when he weighed in a bag of all largemouths that weighed 21-1, but he got the morale boost he was after with the biggest bag of the event. Hartwell is close enough to home that he was comfortable with how he would fish it, regardless of whether or not he considers it his true “home lake.”

“Even back when I fished the [Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine] circuit a lot, Hartwell had always been a hit-or-miss lake for me,” he says. “I could cut a check, but it was the most confusing lake because there are so many patterns that will work on this lake and it fishes so big. Since then, I’ve figured Hartwell out a little better and understand what areas hold better fish and when. Like I said, this week, the first week of March, has always been my favorite time to fish Hartwell.”

Marty Robinson

To get the job done, Robinson had to figure out which parts of his experience would play this week. The pattern he found did the trick.

“My main pattern was working the ditches down the lake first thing in the morning,” he explains. “I’d hit those with a 3/8-ounce Buckeye Lures Su-Spin and a 1/2-ounce Ballin’ Out jig with a Zoom Creepy Crawler in green pumpkin and get my limit. The bass would hang out in those ditches following the herring after the herring piled in there overnight.”

Robinson’s early-morning ditch pattern held out, just barely, through three days of fishing. He also used the same baits to fish a lot of the secondary points about three-quarters of the way back in the creeks. He found some better fish, too, including a 5-pound kicker largemouth he caught working a couple stretches of docks. Robinson found those fish hanging off the front of docks that had 10 to 12 feet of water off the front end. He didn’t have to fish under the docks due to the mostly inclement weather that moved across the area for the duration of the tournament and kept fish in the mood to roam a bit and not stick so tight to cover.

While working primarily tributaries on the Georgia side of the lake from Andersonville Island south to the dam, spotted bass began showing up in his bag on days two and three. The spots were mixed in with the largemouth and were hanging pretty close to hard clay and rock bottom, again in the 10- to 12-foot range.

“I managed to catch my limit in the ditches on the last day, but the bite was dwindling out,” he says. “I found out this morning another boat was fishing those same ditches, so I had to beat them up pretty bad to get a limit today.

“The herring just weren’t in there this morning like they have been. I don’t know if it was because of the cold weather overnight. They just weren’t there, even though the current flow picked up. Normally, both the herring and the bass like the current flow in those ditches, but it also brought in a little dirty water.”

Robinson had a little bit of a backup plan by moving midway up the Tugaloo River and working docks and points that helped him on day two and also helped him cull a couple fish on day three.

The MLF pro feels the sporadic wind and rain, which was moderately heavy on the first and last days, helped his fishing much more than the milder weather on the second day. He was not sure if cooler weather on day three actually hurt his fish as much as it seemed to hurt the rest of the remaining 10 anglers on the last day.

While the weather both helped and hurt his bite at times – and while other anglers may have griped a bit about fishing all week in the rain – Robinson isn’t complaining.

Marty Robinson

“The weather wasn’t ideal and today with the rain and all; it was downright cold,” he says. “The most important thing is I got heated seats in this Phoenix and that come into play. It kept my butt warm and my mind sharp. I’ll tell you something else: The boat ran great. That helps when you get there first and ain’t got to worry about nobody beating you to your hole. That helps a lot.”

After being sponsored by Skeeter Boats and Yamaha Marine for much of his pro career, Robinson made the switch this season to a Phoenix and Mercury combination and credits his Phoenix 920 Elite and Mercury Pro XS four stroke with helping him get this win.

As for the rest of his equipment, Robinson has very specific setups for the baits that helped earn him the victory. He used a Castaway Rods Taranis Carbon Extreme 7-foot medium-heavy rod paired with a Lew’s Custom Pro Speed Spool SLP(6.8:1 ratio) reel spooled with 15-pound-test P-Line fluorocarbon to fish the Su-Spin. He worked the Ballin’ Out jig on a 7-foot heavy Castaway Rods Invicta II casting rod with the same reel and line.

Robinson was thrilled to win at Hartwell in front of a very respectable mid-week crowd full of people who stood in the rain to watch the results. That number included his two sons Mitchell and Marshall, and his wife Iris.

“It was great to fish with a lot of my buddies that I grew up fishing against,” he says. “To me, this deal is a little more laid-back. I get to hang out with old fishing buddies I may not have seen in a while and we get to go out to dinner together and just have fun.”

Of course, it’s always more fun when you can get a win, too.

Top 10 Pros

1. Marty Robinson – Lyman, S.C. – 47-4 (15) – $66,665

2. Derrick Bridges – Greenville, S.C. – 45-12 (15) – $11,689

3. David Williams – Maiden, N.C. – 45-5 (14) – $9,049

4. Cameron Lineback – Mount Airy, N.C. – 42-3 (15) – $8,041

5. Jayme Rampey – Liberty, S.C. – 41-13 (15) – $6,787

6. Cody Pike – Powhatan, Va. – 40-3 (15) – $6,128

7. Rob Digh – Denver, N.C. – 38-15 (15) – $5,279

8. Thomas Guthke – Townville, S.C. – 35-7 (15) – $4,775

9. Trent Palmer – Cumming, Ga. – 35-7 (15) – $3,771

10. Kerry Partain – Elberton, Ga. – 34-15 (15) – $3,016

Complete results

by AnglersChannel

Zaldain and Sumrall talk Classic Craziness

Courtesy of Luke Stoner - Dynamic Sponsorships

Tomorrow morning marks the official start of the 50^th Bassmaster Classic on Lake Guntersville and the chance to turn a lifelong dream into reality for someone in the 53-angler field. Classic competitors have battled rain, wind, infamous Guntersville boat traffic, and a restless off-the-water schedule this week. They have officially earned their opportunity to go fishing.

As Classic Media Day was coming to a close, we caught up with Carhartt Elite Series pros Caleb Sumrall and Chris Zaldain to get some last minute insight before they finished their tackle prep and headed to the lake.

Q – What’s the hardest thing about the Bassmaster Classic to deal with, both on and off the water?

Zaldain – “Following the jam-packed agenda is by far the most difficult thing off the water. Our days are planned down to the minute with different events and functions this week, and staying focused on the real reason we are all here is tough. It’s a big time distraction for sure.”

“On the water I’d say all the boat traffic. The Bassmaster Classic is the biggest event in bass fishing, so the competition is more intense and spectator boat traffic is ramped up, too.”

Sumrall – “Off the water it’s easy… time spent away from fishing. The Bassmaster Classic week is hectic so trying to stay mentally focused on fishing with all the hoopla is difficult.

“On the water… I’m not sure really. I guess we’ll find out tomorrow!”

Q – What’s one thing you do in your preparation to try and set yourself apart from the competition?

Zaldain – “I try to be as meticulous as possible with all my equipment. I ensure everything is brand new and ready to go. From my boat to my hooks – it all needs to be in the best shape possible.”

Sumrall – “Running. Getting as many miles in leading up to this event got me feeling right mentally and physically. In my mind I want to be working harder than all my competition, I feel like it gives me an edge.”

Q- It’s been a volatile weather week in Alabama, will tomorrow be a ball cap or a beanie type of morning?

Zaldain – “Well we’re going to be facing a strong north wind and a cold-front, so it’ll definitely be a Carhartt beanie type of morning. I’m sure I’ll be thankful for all my Carhartt layers in the morning.”

Sumrall – “It’s going to be a Carhartt A18 beanie entire day as far as I’m concerned! Heck it’ll be a Carhartt base layers day, too. Us Louisiana boys don’t like this cold weather!”

Q – What breakfast meal is going to be key to your success tomorrow?

Zaldain – “I keep it simple. Just one apple Nutrigrain bar and a banana. Then I’ll be snacking hard throughout the day.”

Sumrall – “Everything I can get my hands on. I am a big breakfast guy… I’m going to say I’ll eat about 3 breakfast burritos and a couple bananas. The last thing I want to think at 10:00am is ‘I’m hungry’.”

by AnglersChannel

Mustad Supports Competitive Student Anglers with Major Discount Program

Competitive high school and collegiate fishing has grown exponentially over the past 5 years, making the sport one of the fastest growing programs in the nation. Because Mustad recognizes the crucial role these youth play as our next generation of anglers and the future ambassadors of our sport, Mustad is excited to launch the “Mustad Student Angler Program,” built specifically to offer both high school and collegiate clubs 50% off retail pricing on all Mustad products.

“The new Mustad Student Angler Program will enable these young competitive fishermen to gain access to significantly reduced pricing on all Mustad products. From the best-selling KVD series hooks to the newly released tungsten series, I believe this program will help support hundreds, even thousands of young anglers across the nations,” says Kevin VanDam, Major League Fishing Professional and Mustad Fishing Ambassador.

While the Mustad Student Angler Program helps student athletes significantly reduce costs, it also provides them with a competitive edge on the water, as the discount applies to all professional-tour-level Mustad products including Mustad KVD Elite Trebles—hooks responsible for propelling Kevin VanDam to the top of the leaderboards year after year—as well as the Grip Pin, the game-changing NEKO hook, in addition to the new Mustad Tungsten Weights launching soon. To download Mustad’s full catalog, visit https://spaces.hightail.com/receive/sewXnViQm9

“High school and collegiate competitive fishing programs have helped to develop a true growth system for professional fishing’s brightest young athletes. The professional experience these young athletes gain through competitive fishing significantly boosts their abilities to not only become successful in professional anglers, but serves them well in their personal professional careers,” says President Jordan Davis for Mustad Americas.

For complete details on the high school program, visit https://www.expertvoice.com/mustadhighschoolangler/

For complete details on the college program, visit https://www.expertvoice.com/mustadcollegeangler/

by AnglersChannel

Ranger Boats Returns to B.A.S.S. as Premier Sponsor

FLIPPIN, Ark. — Ranger Boats today announced it is returning as a Premier Sponsor for B.A.S.S., fittingly as the 50th Anniversary of the sport’s marquee event, the Bassmaster Classic, kicks off this week on Lake Guntersville.

The partnership extends to the Bassmaster Classic, Bassmaster Elite Series, Bassmaster Opens Series, Bassmaster College Series, Bassmaster High School Series as well as the grass-roots B.A.S.S Nation regional tournaments.

Ranger and B.A.S.S. enjoyed parallel growth in the 1960s and 1970s as tournament fishing came of age. While B.A.S.S. set the standard for tournament bass fishing, Ranger pioneered many boat design innovations that are now industry standards. In 2015, Ranger joined White River Marine Group, part of the Bass Pro Shops family. Today, these iconic outdoor brands are coming full circle to promote bass fishing, angler safety, conservation and preserve the heritage of enjoying the outdoors for generations to come.

“Ranger Boats was there in the beginning when B.A.S.S. first became the leading tournament trail for bass anglers,” said noted conservationist and Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris, a five-time Bassmaster Classic qualifier. “Since being named the ‘official Bassmaster Classic boat’ in 1972, Ranger and B.A.S.S. enjoyed a strong partnership growing the sport of fishing. We are excited to return Ranger to its roots and help inspire the next generation to get on the water.”

Reinforcing Ranger’s legacy of innovation, the brand is also set to introduce industry-first technology with the incorporation of lithium batteries as standard equipment on select models. Bassmaster Classic attendees can learn more by visiting the Ranger booth at the Bassmaster Classic Outdoors Expo this week in Birmingham.

“Ranger Boats and B.A.S.S. were founded at the same time and have provided much of the foundation for modern-day bass fishing,” said B.A.S.S. CEO Bruce Akin. “We are thrilled to have Ranger onboard with B.A.S.S. as we prepare for the next 50 years of growing the sport of fishing and reaching the world’s most avid bass anglers.”

To learn more about Ranger Boats and B.A.S.S. please visit Rangerboats.com and Bassmaster.com.

by AnglersChannel

Academy Sports + Outdoors Announces SEC Legend, Marlon Davidson, as Fishing Tournament Winner

KATY, Texas (March 4th, 2020) Academy Sports + Outdoorsheld its celebrity fishing tournament this week ahead of the 50th Bassmaster Classic in Birmingham, Alabama. Southeastern Conference (SEC) legends and members of the bass community hit the water to battle for the top spot with former Auburn defensive end Marlon Davidson’s team edging out the competition to take home the title. The winning team presented the YMCA of Greater Birmingham with a scholarship and product donations including sporting equipment, Onyx life jackets and other water safety equipment for the youth organization’s summer camps.

SEC Network and ESPN reporter Laura Rutledge kicked off theevent on the Coosa River in Gadsden Wednesday morning. The six teams of two were led by pro bass anglers who worked hard to put their teams on fish and the most weight on their score cards in some extremely tough conditions. Teams had to deal with rising water, rain showers and changing temperaturesthat put even the most seasoned angler’s abilities to the test.

Davidson reeled in the winning spotted bass weighing in at 3.5 lbs. on a H2O Xpress Lipless LCR Crankbait for his team. Hislate-morning catch put his partners, Dan O’Sullivan and local fishing pro Tracey Robinson, in the lead resulting in a first-placefinish at the 2020 Academy Sports + Outdoors Celebrity Tournament.

This year’s field of anglers included SEC Network broadcaster Greg McElroy, 2020 NFL draft prospect and former Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Jake Fromm, past Cowboys defensive lineman and SEC Network analyst Marcus Spears, and former Texas A&M quarterback Trevor Knight. These legends joinedAcademy pro Jacob Wheeler and Duck Commander Justin Martin along with other members of the bass community at the event. Video and images from the day are available below.

Academy is the title sponsor of the upcoming Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk, where 53 of the world’s best bass anglers will compete on the storied waters of Alabama’s Lake Guntersville.

Academy Sports + Outdoors has 15 locations across the state of Alabama, where customers can find a wide assortment of fishing products including rods and reels, baits, lures, fish finders, tackle, storage, waders, kayaks, sunglasses, fishing apparel, footwear and more. For store locations and to shop Academy’s selection of fishing products, customers can visit academy.com.

by AnglersChannel

Evans’ Jeane Jr. Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Toledo Bend

Trout’s Pearson Wins Co-angler Division

ZWOLLE, La. (March 2, 2020) – Boater George Jeane Jr. of Evans, Louisiana, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 24 pounds, 2 ounces to win the 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine event at Toledo Bend Reservoir in Zwolle, Louisiana. For his victory, Jeane earned a total of $5,911.

The tournament was the third of five events in the Cowboy Division presented by A.R.E. Truck Caps.

“I was in the mid-lake area, fishing ditches and drains with standing timber in it,” said Jeane, who pushed his career earnings to more than $310,000 in FLW competition. “I started off catching them on a sexy blueback herring-colored (Strike King) 10XD, than I went to a P.J.’s jig and a Carolina-rigged 6-inch lizard.

“The key was definitely the 6-pound, 14-ounce kicker that I caught later in the day,” Jeane went on to say. “It’s been awhile since I won one of these. I’ve had a Tour-level win, a Series win, and now this is my second BFL win. It feels good.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:

1st: George Jeane Jr. of Evans, La., five bass, 24-2, $5,911

2nd: Dwight Abshire of Santa Fe, Texas, five bass, 19-6, $2,561

3rd: Bart Stanisz of Brookeland, Texas, five bass, 17-8, $1,705

4th: John LaFitte of Keithville, La., five bass, 17-0, $1,195

5th: Josh Champagne of Breaux Bridge, La., five bass, 16-9, $1.024

6th: Leon Stone of Carthage, Texas, five bass, 16-5, $939

7th: Scotty Villines of Ponca, Ark., five bass, 15-9, $854

8th: Daniel Blanton of Huntington, Texas, five bass, 15-6, $725

8th: Jim Dillard of West Monroe, La., five bass, 15-6, $725

10th: Kyle Dragulski of Lufkin, Texas, five bass, 15-5, $598

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Jeane’s 6-pound, 14-ounce kicker was also the largest bass weighed on the day and earned him the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $790.

Dicky Newberry of Houston, Texas, took home an extra $500 as the highest finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member. 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 FLW PHOENIX BONUS contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.

Travis Pearson of Trout, Louisiana, won the Co-angler Division and $2,561 Saturday after catching a five-bass limit weighing 12 pounds, 13 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:

1st: Travis Pearson of Trout, La., five bass, 12-13, $2,561

2nd: Grayson Honeycutt of Temple, Texas, five bass, 12-7, $1,280

3rd: Loren Rives of Austin, Texas, four bass, 12-2, $854

4th: Brandt Dillon of Houston, Texas, four bass, 11-12, $598

5th: Randy Hitt of Belton, Texas, four bass, 10-12, $512

6th: Ken Ford of Benton, Ark., five bass, 10-10, $469

7th: Jordan Ebarb of Stonewall, La., five bass, 10-7, $427

7th: Cody Laird of Goodrich, Texas, five bass, 10-3, $384

9th: Ron Aulds of Choudrant, La., five bass, 10-2, $341

9th: Bradley Mock of Ragley, La., five bass, 10-1, $299

Don Johnson of Lufkin, Texas caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 6 pounds, 3 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $395.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the Cowboy Division presented by A.R.E. based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 22-24 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Table Rock Lake in Branson, Missouri, hosted by Explore Branson. 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 co-anglers will fish for a new 18-foot Phoenix bass boat with a 200-horsepower outboard.

by AnglersChannel

Kayak Anglers Face Tough Test of the Best at First-Ever Bassmaster Tourney

Vance McCullough

With a $10,000 top prize, Bassmaster has attracted 222 of the nation’s best kayak anglers to compete in the first-ever Bassmaster Kayak tournament on Logan Martin Lake.

Competition will take place on Thursday, one day before the Bassmaster Classic kicks off on nearby Guntersville Lake.

Encompassing about 17,000 at full pool, Logan Martin is not a huge lake to start with. Factor in the lake level, which authorities have held at around 460 feet in spite of flash flood warnings in the area, and the playing field shrinks even more this time of year – full summer pool is around 465.

Will the lake fish small? Well, there may be ‘log jams’ at some launch ramps. “The biggest problem with this lake is the access,” said Jody Queen, fresh off a KBF Pro Tour win. So how does an angler separate from the pack? “Fortunately,” notes Queen, “I have a Torqeedo so I found some water about 3 miles from the ramp. I will have my Side scan on and go cover about 6 or 7 miles tomorrow.”

To pull away from the pack on the leaderboard, if not the water, “Flukemaster” Gene Jensen of YouTube fame plans to be more hardheaded than the fish – or at least, the competition. “I marked 93 stumps on my fishfinder on Tuesday and I’m going to hit all 93 of them before the day is over.” It’s a hurry-up and wait approach for Jensen who used his Raymarine Element’s side scanning feature to mark all those stumps. “As muddy as the water has gotten in the last couple of days, they’re going to pull in tight to cover and they’re not going to go anywhere. The guy that will make 15-to-20 casts to the same piece of cover until he hits the fish in the nose, that’s gonna be the guy that’s gonna be catching them. Everybody else is going to be scrambling.”

Clint Henderson won the FLW Kayak tournament held in conjunction with Cup last August. He hopes to ‘unify’ the title with a B.A.S.S. win this week. He notes the difficulty of fishing against such a big field, but more so the difficult conditions. “We’re all going to deal with high, muddy water. I feel like I’m prepared for that. I’m prepared for it to be crowded too,” chuckled the champ. Henderson is no stranger to fishing in this region. “I’m gonna stick to my strengths; stuff that I know works on the Coosa River when it’s muddy like this.”

The Coosa River is famous for the big, mean spotted bass that swim there. They can produce a tournament win. Henderson is looking for mixed results, as far as species are concerned. “It’s going to take a mixed stringer to win, I think everybody will have a limit of spots, but it’s going to take a kicker or two, largemouth, to take it home.”

One angler who’s going all-in on the bigmouth bite is Kristine Fischer. Among the hottest kayak pros on the planet since last May. Fischer landed a pair of 11-plus-pounders last month. She won’t find that on Logan Martin, but the lady betting on largemouth for the win this week. “I’m gonna tell you right now I’m going for largemouth. I think a lot of anglers can play their strengths on this one. I definitely found my strength. It’s in a small area. I think it’s probably going to get a lot of pressure, so I’m just going to go fishing.”

While Fischer prefers two-day events which “eliminate luck,” she will scorch the earth as she moves during Thursday’s lone competition round. “The nice thing about it is you can burn your spot to the ground. Here, you’re going to want to do that. It will be interesting.”

Queen noted he will watch his electronics, but he expects to find a bunch of bass up in the dirt. “If I see a school of spots, I’ll throw at them, but there are a lot of bass up shallow.”

Consensus is the fish are shallow, but the bites may come slow – a true test of the best. Somebody will outrun, or simply outfish, the crowd.

by AnglersChannel

Matt Arey Talks Official Classic Practice Day with Alan McGuckin

Dynamic Sponsorships Alan McGuckin talks with Team Toyota's Matt Arey about how he planned to attack todays Official Practice Day.

by AnglersChannel

Lew’s and Strike King Pros Attack 50th Bassmaster Classic Seven Team Members vie for Historic Title on Lake Guntersville this Week

Springfield, Mo. – March 4, 2020 – As the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by HUK kicks off in Alabama this week at Lake Guntersville, seven members of the Lew’s and / or Strike King pro staff will be attempting to hoist the trophy at this historic 50^th Bassmaster Classic at Birmingham’s BJCC Legacy Arena on Sunday, March 8.

Team members that will be representing the brands will be: Shelby, N.C. pro Matt Arey, fishing his first, Josh Busby from Rogersville, Ark., who won the Bassmaster Team Championship in December at Lake Hartwell, Keith Combs, of Huntington, Tex., in his eighth Classic appearance, fellow Texan, from Del Rio, Ray Hanselman, will be making his first appearance. Bill Lowen, of Brookville, Ind. will be appearing in his 10^th Bassmaster Classic, and will be joined by Paducah, Kent. Pro Mark Menendez, who is fishing his sixth.

Rounding out the team’s appearances in the Classic is Team Lew’s pro Paul Mueller from Naugatauk, Conn., who set the one-day Bassmaster Classic weight record with 32, pounds, 3 ounces on day two of the 2014 Bassmaster Classic at Lake Guntersville en-route to finishing second place in the event.

Having just completed their practice periods, the bite at Guntersville hasn’t been particularly easy; however, Menendez said to expect decent weights. “The bites haven’t been coming in big numbers this week, but once you find them, they are quality fish,” he said. “It’s going to take some work to pull this thing off, but I’m going to stick my nose in it and go after it; it’s the most important event in our sport, and I’m happy to be here.”

One of the lures that shined in the 2014 Bassmaster Classic was the Strike King Red Eyed Shad lipless crankbait; and that particular category of lures will likely play a role in this year’s event as well. Along with it, a Strike King Thunder Cricket, spinnerbaits like the Premier and Premier Plus models should shine, as will some of the jigs offered by Strike King.

Along with the team members competing in this 50^th Bassmaster Classic, other team members will be in the Lew’s and Strike King booths at the Bassmaster Classic Expo Friday through Sunday at the Birmingham- Jefferson Convention Center.

Please take the time to visit with the pros, get autographs and photographs with them and see the newest products from Lew’s and Strike King; like the new Custom Lite baitcasting reels and the newly engineered Custom Speed Stick series of rods and the new Tour Grade fishing line in booth number 2141. For complete Bassmaster Classic info visit -https://www.bassmaster.com/news/attend-2020-academy-sports-outdoors-bassmaster-classic-presented-huk.

by AnglersChannel

A.R.E. ACCESSORIES EXPANDS CX CLASSIC TRUCK CAP OFFERING WITH APPLICATION FOR THE JEEP GLADIATOR

The CX Classic Marks the First Fiberglass Truck Cap Available for the Jeep Gladiator in the Aftermarket Accessories Industry

MASSILLON, OH, March 4, 2020 – A.R.E.® Accessories, a Truck Hero® company, and leading fiberglass truck caps and hard truck bed covers manufacturer, today announced the expansion of the CX Classic truck cap product line with an application for the Jeep® Gladiator.

The A.R.E. CX Classic is the first aftermarket fiberglass truck cap available for the 2020 Jeep Gladiator and comes standard with a host of premium features. The CX Classic features factory paint matching, a front picture window, a half slider screened side window and a single t-lock heavy-duty rear door.

This truck cap is highly customizable with over a dozen options catering to an individual’s specific needs, including the popular OTR Option. The OTR Option replaces factory paint matching with a UV resistant LINE-X spray-on protective coating which increases strength in high stress areas while adding an attractive, rugged appearance.

Featured Customization Capabilities:

LINE-X Coated (OTR Option)
Yakima JetStream and Core Bar Roof Rack Systems
Interior Headliner
LED Encased Rope Light

The CX Classic is made in America and backed by a limited lifetime warranty. See warranty for full details. The CX Classic is available for purchase through one of A.R.E.’s 650 authorized dealers throughout North America.

by AnglersChannel

Classic Countdown with Mark Menendez!

This week the boys welcome in 6 time Classic Qualifier Mr. Mark Menendez to talk about the Classic, the changes in competition at BASS and his 20 year plus career in Professional Bass Fishing. Check it out!

by AnglersChannel

From Counting Quarters, to the Classic

Courtesy of Luke Stoner - Dynamic Sponsorships

It’s good to be Carhartt Bassmaster College Series competitor Cody Huff right now.

Back in August of 2019, Huff won the College Series Classic Bracket on Watts Bar and earned a ticket to compete in the 50^th Bassmaster Classic on historic Lake Guntersville this week. Along with a Classic qualification Huff’s win secured a fully rigged, brand new Nitro Z20 bass boat and 2020 Toyota Tundra that are both wrapped in his Alma Mater’s colors.

“Man I can’t tell you how much of a blessing this past 6 months has been,” Huff said humbly. “Bass fishing in general, but specifically college fishing has 100% changed my life. It’s opened so many doors and given me opportunities I could have never dreamed of.”

Huff has had an incredible college fishing career, studying Business at Bethel University in northwest Tennessee while simultaneously chasing bass around the country at an impressively high level. And it’s safe to say the start of Huff’s 2020 season has raised the bar a notch or two.

This 22-year-old aspiring professional angler has competed in three major tournaments in 2020 and has yet to finish below third place. Huff posted a wire-to-wire victory in the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series event on Toledo Bend in January, and immediately followed it up with another win in the FLW Toyota Series on the same fishery. He then added a 3^rd place finish on Lake Seminole in an FLW College Fishing regional last month.

It’s safe to say Cody Huff is one heck of a fisherman with some serious momentum. But don’t let reading all these accomplishments give you the idea Huff has had his opportunities handed over on a silver platter. This humble young man from Ava, Missouri won’t come right out and tell you, but he has scratched and clawed his way up the proverbial bass fishing ladder.

“Financial struggles is something I’ve always dealt with when it comes to bass fishing,” Huff said honestly. “My parents are extremely supportive and help whenever they can, but funding my fishing dream has always meant work. I’d mow neighbors’ lawns or work on my great Uncle’s farm bailing hay, brush hogging, and anything else that needed done to make a little money. Whatever I scrounged up would go towards fishing in one way or another.

“I can remember my buddy Dalton and I literally scraping up quarters in our trucks so we’d have enough money to pay an entry fee one time. We realized when we got to the lake we didn’t know if we’d have enough gas to get home, but we got lucky and won it! Fishing has definitely helped me make my way, too. Seems like I was always able to find a way to have just enough cash to fish the next weekend, which was all I really cared about.”

Huff’s recent on the water success has afforded him the ability to not be so concerned with his finances, but his mental state remains the same. He is calm and he is hungry, which is a dangerous combination. While the rest of the world may not have some college kid high on their list of favorites, Huff is absolutely fishing this tournament to win.

There has been one Carhartt College B.A.S.S. angler given the opportunity to compete in the Bassmaster Classic since 2012, and the best finish ever posted by a college fisherman was sixth place. That was back in 2014 by some kid named Jordan Lee, coincidentally also on Lake Guntersville.

Records are made to be broken and Huff has as good a chance as any of his predecessors; but whether he comes in first place or last place Huff is already a success story and deserving of all the good fortune that comes his way. #OutWorkThemAll #OutFishThemAll

by AnglersChannel

Lester and Arey talk treble hooks, $300K, and Classic memories

Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorhips

Q: What are you most excited about going into this Classic?

Lester: It’s close to home, so I’ll have a ton of family and friends here. I want to do well for them, even more than for myself.

Arey: It’s my first Classic! It’s my childhood dream come true!

Q: What’s your biggest concern going into this Classic?

Lester: We’re in the center of the bass fishing universe, local fishing pressure and boat traffic will impact the outcome of this tournament.

Arey: I hate to say it – but local fishing pressure.

Q: B.A.S.S. is calling this “The Year of the Fan.” We’re all fans at heart. What’s your favorite Classic memory prior to becoming a competitor in this great event.

Lester: Ironically, the last Classic they had at Guntersville. It was 2014, witnessing that first-hand as a fan lit the fire in me, and the next year, I qualified to compete in it.

Arey: The 2004 Classic on Lake Wylie. I was about 22 years old, and my buddy and I followed the competitors on the water.

Q: What’s most likely to be playing on your Tundra’s speakers on your way to the ramp Friday morning, on Day 1 of competition?

Lester: Probably Blackberry Smoke or Cross Canadian Ragweed.

Arey: LANCO’s song “Rival.”

Q: What percentage of the bass you weigh-in this week will be caught on lures featuring treble hooks?

Lester: 60%

Arey: 30%

Q: What might you buy first if you win the $300,000 first place prize?

Lester: I’d love to buy land to hunt on, and build our forever home on ittoo.

Arey: I’d invest it in my retirement funds.

by AnglersChannel

Gleasons catch a pre-Classic miracle

Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships

Two years ago, Toyota Bonus Bucks member, Darold Gleason was a successful full-time fishing guide on Toledo Bend, competing in Bassmaster Open events, chasing dreams of a pro career, and more than anything, refusing to accept the claims of medical experts, who said the love of his life might not live past her early 40s.

The often-comical Gleason - who refers to big bass as “ocean ponies” - wasn’t being naïve or living in a dream world – he’s just never been willing to accept what the textbooks had to say. He refused to ever adopt a mindset that Cystic Fibrosis -- the most common fatal genetic disease in the United States – would steal his and Randi’s dreams, by stepping on her lung function.

Instead, he and Randi have chosen to achieve every goal they’ve shared since high school with a tenacious firepower that would make the spark plugs in his 250 horsepower Yamaha proud.

So just prior to the 2018 Bassmaster Classic on Lake Hartwell, when the National Cystic Fibrosis Foundation asked Randi to be a spokesperson for their “Until It’s Done” campaign, Darold reached out to his fishing friends to help raise money and awareness by selling gray bracelets.

His closest friend, Caleb Sumrall spearheaded the effort. Others like Brandon Palaniuk and Casey Ashley joined in, and even eventual Classic champ, Jordan Lee wore one while hoisting the trophy. Sponsors, fishing guide clients, and many other generous souls also bought and wore the bracelets to raise money for research in Randi’s honor, which eventually totaled more than $10,000.

Still, after 2018’s admirable research fundraiser, just like so many annual fundraisers each year before, Randi then age 34, still had no promise of life much past 40.

“My mom has been doing CF fundraisers every year of my life, and my greatest fear was that all the people who gave their hard-earned money might never get to see it make a true difference,” says Randi, a highly successful Mary Kay cosmetics senior sales director, with six hard earned pink Cadillacs to her credit, despite a lifetime of daily breathing treatments, and more than 25 hospital stays.

Then came 2019, and honestly, there are no adequate words to describe the manner in which miracles both big and small began to take place in Team Gleason’s universe.

In February, Darold won a weather-challenged Bassmaster Central Open on Toledo Bend, and punched a ticket to this week’s Bassmaster Classic – a dream so many can relate to – and one he had carried in his heart since roaming the court as a meekly paid junior high school basketball coach and teacher.

Then, in the months that followed his dream-come-true win, came whispers of a possible life changing ‘miracle drug’ for Cystic Fibrosis patients. Finally on October 21, 2019, those whispers turned into joyous shouts of reality when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Trikafta – the first triple combination pharmaceutical to treat lifetime patients like Randi.

“Six days after I started taking Trikafta, I slept through the night without coughing, and didn’t wake up desperate for a breathing treatment for the first time in my entire life,” says Randi.

Still, twice daily are the chest physical therapy treatments in which Darold takes his hands best known for cranking up “ocean ponies” -- to instead pound on Randi’s upper torso in an effort to dislodge the mucus attempting to drown her lungs.

The same medical community that once doubted CF patients could make it to age 45, is now warning folks like Randi to thicken their retirement funds, as Trikafta promises in miraculous fashion to extend their lives for decades.

“Sharing the miracle of Trikafta with so many people, including those in the fishing community, who gave their money in hopes of making a difference, is my biggest joy,” says a deeply grateful Randi. “And I’ll also tell you, I take those two pills each morning, and one each night, in honor of all those that had CF, but never lived long enough to know the miracle of this drug,” she adds.

Hours before he makes his first cast at the Classic’s $300,000 first place prize, Darold clearly has life in perfect perspective. “This is the biggest tournament in bass fishing, and performing great this week would be a powerful career changer,” he says. “But nothing that happens this week, or in any fishing tournament for that matter, will ever be greater than the value of simply having Randi with me.”

by AnglersChannel

Arkansas’ Blevins Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Table Rock Lake

Kansas City’s Ladehoff Wins Co-angler Division

KIMBERLING CITY, Mo. (March 2, 2020) – Boater Dustin Blevins of Harrison, Arkansas, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 19 pounds, 5 ounces to win the 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine event at Table Rock Lake in Kimberling City, Missouri. For his victory, Blevins earned a total of $7,000.

The tournament was the first of five events in the Ozark Division presented by Tournament Anglers Group.

“I caught all of my fish today on an Alabama rig and a Strike King Coffee Tube,” said Blevins, who earned the first win of his FLW career. “I weighed in two black bass on the A-rig and three smallmouth on the tube.”

Blevins said his tube of choice was a green pumpkin-melon-colored 3½ inch Strike King Coffee Tube, and he used sexy shad-colored Keitech 3.3 swimbaits on his Alabama rig.

“I was fishing a 15- to 20-minute run from takeoff – near Shell Knob – running windy gravel points, fishing in 25 to 30 foot of water. The smallmouth were in 15 feet,” Blevins said.

“I’ve been so close to winning before,” Blevins went on to say. “I’ve finished second and had a couple of third place finishes, so it feels good to finally get one.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:

1^st: Dustin Blevins of Harrison, Ark., five bass, 19-5, $7,000

2^nd: Shawn Kowal of Linn Creek, Mo., five bass, 18-15, $4,000

3^rd: Dustin Lippe of Lampe, Mo., five bass, 18-6, $2,500

4^th: Ben Verhoef of Osage Beach, Mo., five bass, 18-0, $1,400

5^th: Roger Fitzpatrick of Eldon, Mo., five bass, 17-11, $1,200

6^th: Mike Gold of Billings, Mont., five bass, 17-7, $1,100

7^th: Rick Johnston of Webb City, Mo., five bass, 17-4, $1,000

8^th: Tyler Stewart of Mount Vernon, Mo., five bass, 16-15, $850

9^th: Brock Reinkemeyer of Lone Jack, Mo., five bass, 16-15, $850

10^th: Adam Boehle of Warrenton, Mo., five bass, 16-13, $700

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Kowal brought a 7-pound, 1-ounce bass to the scale to win the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $1,000.

Lippe took home an extra $500 as the highest finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member. 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 FLW PHOENIX BONUS contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.

Troy Ladehoff of Kansas City, Missouri, won the Co-angler Division and $3,000 Saturday after catching a five-bass limit weighing 18 pounds, 14 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:

1^st: Troy Ladehoff of Kansas City, Mo., five bass, 18-14, $3,000

2^nd: Alan Bernicky of Joliet, Ill., five bass, 15-5, $1,650

3^rd: Zach Wilson of Kansas City, Kan., four bass, 13-2, $1,000

4^th: Christian Singer of Bunceton, Mo., four bass, 12-15, $1,200

5^th: Rob Melendez of Bourbonnais, Ill., five bass, 12-4, $600

6^th: Dennis Kube of Arnold, Mo., five bass, 11-5, $550

7^th: Joseph Lay of Gardner, Kan., five bass, 11-1, $500

7^th: Zachery Hanzlik of Basehor, Kan., four bass, 10-12, $450

9^th: Jacob Wade of Mountain Grove, Mo., five bass, 10-8, $400

9^th: Chris Gebhardt of Columbia, Mo., four bass, 10-7, $350

Singer caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 5 pounds, 15 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $500.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the Ozark Division presented by the Tournament Anglers Group based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 15-17 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on the Mississippi River in La Crosse, Wisconsin, hosted by the Explore La Crosse. 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 co-anglers will fish for a new 18-foot Phoenix bass boat with a 200-horsepower outboard.

by AnglersChannel

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