HUK Adds Pro's for 2020 Roster
Fishing Apparel Manufacturer Expands Presence in MLF, BASS, High School and Regional Tournaments
Charleston, SC (February 11, 2020) – Huk, a leading manufacturer of performance fishing apparel, is expanding its presence in competitive freshwater fishing. In concert with Huk’s values of making the best gear for all anglers, the brand has invested in adding team members from various professional and amateur tournament trails to supplement its current roster of bass fishing pros.
This year’s lineup of Huk pros include previous team members Ott DeFoe, Greg Hackney, Jacob Powrzonik, Clif Crochet, Brock Mosley, and Brad Knight. Along with these veteran anglers, this year’s lineup of Huk pros includes top performers as well as up and comers from the Bassmaster Elite, MLF, and FLW Pro Circuits. Huk is extremely excited to add Bassmaster Elite anglers Drew Benton, Brandon Lester, Lee Livesay, Tyler Rivet, and Shane Lineberger in addition to FLW Pro Circuit anglers Tyler Stewart, Kyle Hall, and Jake Morris. Bryan Thrift will be competing for Huk on the MLF circuit, and he is sure to be a huge threat there as he has been on the FLW Tour in the past. Numerous other regional amateurs and high school anglers will be competing under the Huk name this year. A few key regional additions include Jason Bonds, Chris Jones and Joe Uribe Jr, who compete regionally in FLW Series events as well as numerous team and individual events in their home states of Texas, Oklahoma and Arizona.
“This season’s team will be the most diversified group we’ve ever had, representing Huk across all the major tours as well as regional trails,” states Melinda Hays, Freshwater Community Manager for Huk. “We’re really proud of all the support and encouragement we’ve received from recreational and amateur anglers over the years. We’re fired up to be able to help them achieve their competitive goals on all levels.”
In addition to the expansion of the team, Huk is also sponsoring numerous additional tournament trails in 2020. Much like the new team anglers, these new trails represent Huk’s commitment to being a part of all anglers’ journeys. At this time, the brand is the title sponsor of the Huk TTO Team Trail and the Huk Bassmaster Kayak Series. Additional sponsorships include numerous regional high school series, youth trails and regional amateur events such as Sealy’s Big Bass Splash, the Southeast Texas High School Fishing Association tournaments and the Wild West Bass Trail.
“The amateur trails represent the vast majority of competitive anglers in this country, so it only makes sense to expand our 2020 team,” said Pete Angle, Chief Marketing Officer for Marolina, parent company of Huk and Nomad Hunting. “Our next great bass fishing icons will likely come from the current generation of high school competitors, so supporting these relationships now and in the future aligns perfectly with Huk’s values of making the best gear for all anglers.”
Huk has plans to support additional tournament trails and add even more anglers to the team in 2020. With an evolved product line for the spring/summer and fall collections, and an increased presence in the competitive world, there should be no shortage of exciting news coming from Huk this year.
For more information about Huk Gear, please visit www.hukgear.com.
South Forsyth High School Wins 2020 FLW High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing Lake Seminole Open
BAINBRIDGE, Ga. (Feb. 10, 2020) – The South Forsyth High School duo of Brett Morlanne and Michael Landernaeu, both of Cumming, Georgia, brought four bass to the scale Saturday weighing 12 pounds, 5 ounces to win the 2020 FLW High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing Lake Seminole Open.
A field of 29 teams competed in the no-entry fee tournament, which launched from the Bainbridge Earle May Boat Basin. The tournament was hosted by the Bainbridge Convention and Visitors Bureau. In FLW and TBF High School Fishing competition, the top 10-percent of teams competing advance to the High School Fishing National Championship.
The top two teams on Lake Seminole that advanced to the 2020 High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing National Championship were:
1st: South Forsyth High School, Cumming, Ga. – Brett Morlanne and Michael Landernaeu, four bass, 12-5
2nd: Bainbridge High School, Bainbridge, Ga. – Brock Lewis and Gage Sellars, five bass, 12-2
Rounding out the top 10 were:
3rd: Bainbridge High School, Bainbridge, Ga. – Caleb Reynolds and Lex Thompson, four bass, 11-8
4th: Bainbridge High School, Bainbridge, Ga. – Shane Dill and Bowynn Brown, five bass, 9-11
5th: Double Trouble Bass Team – Brunson Fain, Donalsonville, Ga., and Jackson Conley, Bainbridge, Ga., four bass, 7-13
6th: Brookwood High School, Snellville, Ga. – Ben Sanders and Levi Singletary, five bass, 7-5
7th: Brevard High School, Brevard, N.C. – Matthew Case and Andrew Howell, three bass, 7-5
8th: Bainbridge High School, Bainbridge, Ga. – Gunner Thomas and Brody Thomas, three bass, 6-11
9th: North South Anglers – Brandon Martin, Lula, Ga., and Parker Guy, Ocilla, Ga., three bass, 5-10
10th: Harris County High School, Hamilton, Ga. – Cole Reynolds and Colby Koon, two bass, 5-6
Complete results from the event can be found at FLWFishing.com.
The 2020 FLW High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing Lake Seminole 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. At the 2019 World Finals more than $150,000 in scholarships and prizes were awarded.
Full schedules and the latest announcements are available at HighSchoolFishing.org and FLWFishing.com.
Buford, Georgia’s Dover Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Tournament on Lake Keowee
Gainesville’s Grizzle Wins Co-angler Division
WALHALLA, S.C. (Feb. 10, 2020) – Boater Randy Dover of Buford, Georgia, brought five to the scale Saturday totaling 15 pounds, 10 ounces to win the 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine event at Lake Keowee in Seneca, South Carolina. For his victory, Dover earned a total of $5,627.
Weather was a factor for the Savannah River division anglers, as cold, snowy conditions hampered a lot of plans and strategies for competitors. Dover said that he did the majority of his damage close to Seneca, only a mile to a mile and a half from takeoff.
“The places that I caught them in practice really got stained, so I had to move out to clearer water,” said Dover, who earned his first career victory in just his third career Phoenix Bass Fishing League event. “I ended up catching them on roadbeds and ditches.”
Dover said his two key baits throughout the day were a Ned rig and a shaky-head rig.
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:
1st: Randy Dover of Buford, Ga., five bass, 15-10, $5,627
2nd: Tim Watson of Martin, Ga., five bass, 13-4, $2,345
3rd: Jimmy Gooch of Jefferson, Ga., five bass, 13-4, $2,345
4th: Jason Johnson of Dawsonville, Ga., five bass, 13-1, $1,813
5th: Jeremy Strong of Elberton, Ga., five bass, 12-11, $1,125
6th: Jayme Rampey of Liberty, S.C., five bass, 12-9, $1,942
7th: Jody Holland of Clermont, Ga., five bass, 12-0, $938
8th: Bo Price of Seneca, S.C., five bass, 11-14, $797
9th: Russell Clark of Abbeville, S.C., five bass, 11-14, $797
10th: Tyler Thompson of Easley, S.C., five bass, 11-11, $623
10th: Brad Benfield of Demorest, Ga., five bass, 11-11, $623
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Rampey brought a 5-pound, 7-ounce bass to the scale to win the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $910.
For the second week in a row, boater Jason Johnson was 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.
Harold Grizzle of Gainesville, Georgia, won the Co-angler Division and $3,268 Saturday after catching a five-bass limit weighing 17 pounds, 6 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:
1st: Harold Grizzle of Gainesville, Ga., five bass, 17-6, $3,268
2nd: Fisher Rodgers of Camden, S.C., five bass, 12-6, $1,407
3rd: Sawyer Redmond of Easley, S.C., five bass, 11-5, $938
4th: Wendell Grantham of Athens, Ga., five bass, 10-14, $656
5th: Bruce Faulkner of Seneca, S.C., five bass, 10-10, $563
6th: Will White of Wake Forest, N.C., five bass, 10-9, $516
7th: Stephen McCoy of Walhalla, S.C., five bass, 10-4, $469
8th: Chris Wilson of Easley, S.C., five bass, 10-2, $572
9th: John Wilson of Six Mile, S.C., five bass, 9-11, $351
9th: Wesley Wilson of Cornelia, Ga., three bass, 9-11, $351
Grizzle also caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, weighing in at 7 pounds, 10 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $455.
The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on Lake Keowee was hosted by Visit Oconee. It was the first of five qualifying events in the Savannah River Division.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the Savannah River Division 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.
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.
Bethel University Finishes Top Three Teams at Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI Season Opener on Lake Seminole
BAINBRIDGE, Ga. (Feb. 10, 2020) – The Bethel University duo of Brad Ableman of Latham, New York, and Wilson Smith of Southaven, Mississippi, won the Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI at Lake Seminole Friday with a five-bass limit weighing 19 pounds, 1 ounce. The victory earned the Wildcats’ bass club $2,000 and qualified them to compete in the 2021 FLW College Fishing National Championship.
It was an impressive event for the Bethel University fishing club, as the school placed three teams in the top three spots – and were the only three teams to catch a limit weighing more than 15 pounds. The tournament launched from the Earle May Boat Bain in Bainbridge, Georgia.
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 presented by Lowrance. Per FLW rules, additional teams qualify for the National Championship if the field size in regular-season events exceeds 100 boats. A field of 140 teams competed at Lake Seminole, so 14 teams now advance to the Championship.
The top 14 teams that advanced to the 2021 College Fishing National Championship are:
1st: Bethel University – Brad Ableman, Latham, N.Y., and Wilson Smith, Southaven, Miss., five bass, 19-1, $2,000
2nd: Bethel University – Dax Ewart, Humboldt, Tenn., and Kyle Palmer, Estill Springs, Tenn., five bass, 16-13, $1,000
3rd: Bethel University – Dakota Pierce and Cody Huff, both of Ava, Mo., five bass, 15-1, $500
4th: Pearl River Community College – Dylan Herrington and Tanner Gregory, both of Picayune, Miss., five bass, 13-15, $500
5th: Troy University – Evan Rice and Dillon Butcher, both of Troy, Ala., five bass, 12-15, $500
6th: Georgetown College – Blake Quinn, Danville, Ky., and Dillon Sizemore, Georgetown, Ky., five bass, 12-12
7th: University of Montevallo – Hunter Ward, Rockford, Ala., and Solomon Glenn, Lakeville, Minn., five bass, 12-9
8th: Bryan College – Thaddeus Simerly, Talbot, Tenn., and Ethan Shaw, Carmel, Ind., three bass, 12-9
9th: Florida State University – Loc Cassida and Nick Whibbs, both of Pensacola, Fla., five bass, 12-8
10th: University of Montevallo – Weston Hollar, Dadeville, Ala., and Wesley Gore, Clanton, Ala., five bass, 11-4
11th: Kennesaw State University – Garrett Guinan, Marietta, Ga., and Jake Haggerty, Woodstock, Ga., five bass, 11-3
12th: University of Montevallo – Bradley Martin, Chelsea, Ala., and Jack Baron, Montevallo, Ala., five bass, 11-3
13th: Bryan College – Conner DiMauro, Dayton, Tenn., and Cole Sands, Calhoun, Tenn., four bass, 11-1
14th: Polk State College – Justin Bun, Lake Alfred, Fla., and Kyle Brewer, Dundee, Fla., five bass, 10-14
Complete results for the entire field can be found at FLWFishing.com.
The Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI event on Lake Seminole was hosted by the Bainbridge Convention and Visitors Bureau. It was the first of three regular-season qualifying tournament for Southeastern Conference anglers and the first College Fishing event of 2020. The next event for College Fishing anglers will be the 2020 Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI National Championship on the Harris Chain of Lakes presented by Lowrance in Leesburg, Florida, Feb. 26-28, which will showcase college teams that qualified from the 2019 regular season.
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.
Both members of the winning team at the 2020 Abu Garcia College Fishing National Championship will advance to the 2020 Toyota Series Championship where they will compete for a top prize of $200,000. Both members of the second, third and fourth-place teams will advance to the 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American to compete as boaters where they are guaranteed $1,500 plus a shot at winning the top prize of $100,000. Both members of the fifth and sixth-place teams advance to the 2020 All-American to compete as co-anglers where they are guaranteed $750 plus a shot at winning $50,000.
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.
Cape Coral’s Littich Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Lake Okeechobee
Bradenton’s Hibbs Wins Co-angler Division
CLEWISTON, Fla. (Feb. 10, 2020) – Boater Thomas Littich of Cape Coral, Florida, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 23 pounds, 14 ounces to win the 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine event at Lake Okeechobee in Clewiston, Florida. For his victory, Littich earned a total of $7,220, including a $2,500 FLW PHOENIX BONUS contingency award.
The tournament was the second of five events in the Gator Division presented by A.R.E. Truck Caps.
“I’ve fished these tournaments for six years, and this is the first time that I’ve gotten to hold one of these fancy winner trophies up,” said Littich, who was fishing in his 36th career Bass Fishing League event. “The feeling that I got when I knew I had the win was absolutely awesome.
“I started my day up north, near the Monkey Box area, then I ended up around Observation Shoal,” Littich continued. “Those were the two main areas that I fished. I bounced to one spot about halfway down the shoal, then came back in at the end of the day.”
Littich said that he caught his fish on a variety of baits. His first bass – a 7-pounder – came on a Z-Man ChatterBait. An hour and a half later, Littich boated a 6-pounder on a black and blue-colored Yamamoto Senko. Another key bite came late in the day flipping a Gambler Burner Craw with a 3/8-ounce weight.
“The key was not getting out of my own head,” Littich went on to say. “It was a very slow bite this morning, so I had to take my time and not get worried.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:
1st: Thomas Littich of Cape Coral, Fla., five bass, 23-14, $7,220
2nd: Jerry Stalvey Jr. of Palatka, Fla., five bass, 22-15, $3,055
3rd: Jared McMillan of Belle Glade, Fla., five bass, 19-7, $1,574
4th: Mike Vititoe of Lakeworth, Fla., five bass, 17-3, $1,101
5th: Mike Davis of Alachua, Fla., five bass, 17-0, $944
6th: Alex Terescenko of West Palm Beach, Fla., five bass, 15-14, $865
7th: Christopher Hunter of Hilliard, Fla., five bass, 15-11, $787
8th: Garrett Thomas of Mulberry, Fla., five bass, 15-0, $708
9th: Jared Howell of Hilliard, Fla., five bass, 14-13, $629
10th: Cedric Perry of Cross City, Fla., five bass, 14-12, $551
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Stalvey Jr. brought an 8-pound, 13-ounce bass to the scale to win the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $695.
Littich took home an extra $2,500 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.
Timothy Hibbs of Bradenton, Florida, won the Co-angler Division and $2,510 Saturday after catching a five-bass limit weighing 15 pounds, 7 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:
1st: Timothy Hibbs of Bradenton, Fla., five bass, 15-7, $2,510
2nd: Moses Wilson of Clewiston, Fla., five bass, 13-13, $1,180
3rd: Brandon Prophitt of Orlando, Fla., five bass, 12-13, $787
4th: Bryan Ray of Lake Leelanau, Mich., five bass, 12-12, $551
5th: Scott Farnham of Port St. Lucie, Fla., five bass, 10-5, $472
6th: Jay McNamara of Issaquah, Wash., five bass, 9-14, $433
7th: David Wickham of Fruitland Park, Fla., five bass, 9-13, $373
7th: Jason Gonzalez of Loxahatchee, Fla., five bass, 9-13, $473
9th: Joshua Tackett of Orange City, Fla., five bass, 9-9, $295
9th: Sean Wiggins of Pinellas Park, Fla., five bass, 9-9, $295
Vidal Melendrez of Miami, Florida caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 6 pounds, 12 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $347.
The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on Lake Okeechobee was hosted by the Hendry County Tourism Development Council.
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.
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.
World Champion Wheeler Retains Lead, Advances Directly to the Championship: 38-Angler Knockout Round Set for Tuesday
“I’m going to have to change up a couple things going into the Championship Round,” said Wheeler. “Today was a tough day; I just could not get those fish to bite; I could literally see them and not get them to bite.”
The drama of B&W Hitches Stage One presented by Power-Pole unfolded live on MLFNOW! as the field changed with each catch. Mike Iaconelli kicked off the day with a six-pound-13-ounce largemouth only six minutes after lines in. He went on to catch two more over five pounds (23-03 total), rising from 40th place and zero pounds on Saturday to 18th place today, thus securing a spot in the Knockout Round on Tuesday.
“Just goes to show you, never give up,” reflected Iaconelli during his interview on the General Tire Takeout as he returned to the ramp. “To be able to salvage the points to fish another day, that is a good thing.”
Randall Tharp contributed to today’s storyline as he narrowed the gap to within eight ounces. In the final minutes, Tharp caught what turned out to be an un-scorable bass just shy of the two-pound minimum required per MLF rules preventing him from taking the lead.
“I wasn’t planning on exerting myself much today but ended up fishing pretty hard in Period 3,” Tharp said. “For about an hour, I was one bite away from winning the round.”
Instead of getting a day off and an automatic berth to the Championship Round, Tharp will head back to Lake Eufaula for Tuesday’s Knockout Round.
“I have enough history here that I would rather have the day off, but that day of fishing tomorrow could be an asset to stay on top of what the fish are doing,” Tharp believes. “I’m just thankful I put a little heat on Wheeler, that last hour had to be nerve-wracking for him.”
2019 Bass Pro Tour Points Champion Edwin Evers snuck over the elimination line toward the end of Period 3 into 19th place after catching a six-pound-10-ounce largemouth with less than 20 minutes to go. He finished the Qualifying Round in 18th place with 22 pounds, 12 ounces after ending Saturday (day one) with only one, two-pound catch.
The Top Ten of the Qualifying Round, Group B finished day two as follows:
| Place | Angler | Total 2-Day Weight | Day Two Weight Total | Largest Fish of Day Two |
| 1 | Jacob Wheeler | 51-06 | 9-01 | 3-08 |
| 2 | Randall Tharp | 50-14 | 23-01 | 5-08 |
| 3 | Mike McClelland | 42-01 | 24-11 | 6-10 |
| 4 | Ott DeFoe | 39-01 | 25-07 | 6-06 |
| 5 | Bobby Lane | 38-13 | 13-02 | 4-02 |
| 6 | Wesley Strader | 38-09 | 6-03 | 3-13 |
| 7 | James Watson | 31-09 | 9-13 | 3-14 |
| 8 | David Dudley | 31-08 | 8-09 | 3-01 |
| 9 | Michael Neal | 31-07 | 13-07 | 4-11 |
| 10 | Adrian Avena | 20-02 | 16-10 | 4-07 |
For complete results, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com, Bass Pro Tour, Results.
Daiwa Pro Ish Monroe landed today’s Berkley Big Bass weighing in at seven pounds, two ounces. Monroe finished 34th overall and will not advance into the Knockout Round but will favor well this Stage toward his Heavy Hitters qualifying weight. MLF Heavy Hitters presented by Venmo brings together the 30 anglers with the heaviest “virtual bags” after five Stages of the Bass Pro Tour. Anglers will compete for over $750,000 in prizes including a Berkley Big Bass payout ranging from $25,000 to $100,000 per day. Heavy Hitters takes place on the Kissimmee Chain (Fla.) May 16-20, 2020.
Today’s event concluded the Qualifying Round of the B&W Hitches Stage One presented by Power-Pole. Two anglers advanced directly into the Championship Round on Wednesday: Bryan Thrift, winner of Group A and Jacob Wheeler, winner of Group B. The remaining eight spots in the Championship Round will be determined in Tuesday’s Knockout Round, in which the anglers who finished in places 2-20 will compete in a field of 38 for the top eight spots.
The 38 anglers competing in the Knockout Round include:
Andy Morgan
Todd Faircloth
Chris Lane
Brent Ehrler
Mark Rose
Josh Bertrand
Jacob Powroznik
Jeff Sprague
Brent Chapman
Greg Hackney
Alton Jones, Jr.
Anthony Gagliardi
Scott Suggs
Brandon Coulter
Britt Myers
Andy Montgomery
Jordan Lee
Aaron Martens
Randall Tharp
Mike McClelland
Ott DeFoe
Bobby Lane
Wesley Strader
James Watson
David Dudley
Michael Neal
Adrian Avena
Dustin Connell
Fletcher Shyrock
Luke Claussen
Kevin VanDam
Justin Atkins
Takahiro Omori
Brett Hite
Mike Iaconelli
Edwin Evers
Jesse Wiggins
Tuesday’s Knockout Round begins with launch 7-7:30 a.m. 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.
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).
BOWMAN OVERCOMES CONDITIONS TO TOP GUNTERSVILLE FIELD
Courtesy of Alabama BASS Nation - Greg McCain
Difficult weather and water conditions greeted Alabama B.A.S.S. Nation anglers on Lake Guntersville Saturday (Feb. 8) in the year’s first qualifying tournament for the state grassroots circuit.
As usual, select ABN fishermen didn’t let a little adversity detract from their opportunities to catch fish. Talladega angler Chester “Jabo” Bowman, in fact, said he consistently caught keepers all day long, including a couple of late culls that allowed him to overtake the early leaders in the tournament.
When he finished the brutal day of fishing, Bowman (Shotgun Sports Supply) weighed 20.46 lbs. of Guntersville bass, including a 6.34 largemouth, and bested a field of 63 boaters in the event staged out of Goose Pond near Scottsboro. He finished almost exactly a pound ahead of second-place boater Ryan Walters (Lake Guntersville Bassmasters), who brought in a 19.45 limit.
Keith Glasgow (Winfield Bassmasters) and Francis Beard (Neely Henry Bassmasters) tied for third with 18.53.
Among co-anglers, Mark Edmonds (Carbon Hill Bass Club) caught easily the best three-fish limit. It weighed 10.10 lbs. and topped second-place finisher Randy Sparks (Belgreen Bass Club), who had 8.69.
Beard boated the Academy Sports + Outdoors Big Fish with a 7.18 largemouth. He caught the fish on a bladed jig.
Cold temperatures and pre-dawn snow made conditions miserable before launch, and a snow/rain mix lingered into the mid-morning hours. Although the skies cleared later in the day, winds built and contributed to the difficult fishing conditions. Despite the extreme weather, combined with high, muddy water from rain and snow from the days leading up to the tournament, the bass bit well for some anglers in the opening stages of the tournament. That bite fizzled for some when the precipitation quit while others said that a hint of sun about mid-morning triggered a short feeding period.
Bowman, however, said he caught at least a dozen keepers during the course of the day. He boxed a good limit early, including a four-pounder on the second cast, on a Bill Lewis squarebill near the mouth of Seibold Creek. He continued to pound his main area in Seibold, located in the mid-lake area west of Scottsboro, and made several key culls late.
“I didn’t really know what I had,”
Bowman said.
“I thought maybe 17 or 18 pounds. But they weighed a little heavy. They were in really good shape.”
The game-changer came at about 1:30, when he enticed his big fish to hit a homemade vibrating jig. The bass struck on a short line near the boat, but Bowman managed to keep it hooked up. The catch culled a keeper from his earlier limit, and Bowman upgraded with another key bass on the same lure not long before making the run back to Scottsboro.
“That vibrating jig doesn’t run like a regular one like a Jackhammer,”
Bowman said.
“It’s got a little wider wobble that the fish seem to like.”
Walters, the second-place finisher, said he did most of his damage before noon, particularly in the mid-morning feeding period.
“It was a tough day, especially in the snow earlier,”
said Walters, a Huntsville resident who was fishing his first ABN event.
“When it started sprinkling rain about 8:30, it seemed to turn the fish on. That’s when I did most of my damage.”
Walters caught his first fish on an outer grass line in the mid-lake area. He said the bass seemed to move shallower through the morning but then disappeared on him for the rest of the day. He caught all of his limit on a bladed jig.
Edmonds, fishing with fellow Carbon Hill Bass Club member Jim Nelder, said he caught his three-fish limit “on a moving bait” in a “mid-lake area about three miles down the river.” He later told ABN president Eddie Plemons during the awards ceremony that he caught the fish on a Rat-L-Trap lipless crankbait. His biggest largemouth weighed 4.66.
Rounding out the top 10 in the boater division were Josh Bragg (Wiregrass Bassmasters, 18.40); Keith Hester (Shoals Fishers of Men, 15.04); Roy Galbraith (Winfield Bassmasters, 13.48); Jeff Warren (Belgreen Bass Club, 13.21); Josh Dees (Birmingham Bass Club, 13.06); and Dennis Hatton (Belgreen Bass Club, 12.10).
Among the co-anglers, Kyron Jones (Birmingham Bass Club, 7.26) followed Edmonds and Sparks in the standings. Remaining top 10 finishers were Donny Davis (Belgreen Bass Club, 6.71); Logan Ryan (Coosa Valley Bassmasters, 6.60); Colby Bendall (Belgreen Bass Club, 6.56); Dale Norred (Lake Tuscaloosa Bassmasters, 6.51); Lee Hanvey (Lee County Bass Club, 6.26); Wade Mitchell (Coosa River Anglers, 5.75); and William Elston Jr. (Blue-Eye Bassmasters, 5.23).
Other winners at the Guntersville event included Dees and Jones, who took the team title. Their combined weight of 20.32 lbs. topped the field of registered team competitors.
In addition to individual boater and co-angler competition, the ABN allows anglers to pair up with the top teams earning spots at the year-end state championship. The top five team finishers from each qualifying tournament will be eligible for the state championship, scheduled for Nov. 6-7 on Lake Eufaula. Last year, the top four teams out of the state championship on Lake Guntersville advanced to the Toyota Bonus Bucks Team Championship held on Lake Hartwell, S.C.
The teams of Glasgow and McCain Merchant (Winfield Bassmasters) and Beard and Chris Curvin (Neely Henry Bassmasters) tied for second with 18.53 with that total all coming from the boaters. Other team qualifiers were Bragg and Burt Lancaster (Wiregrass Bassmasters) and Nelder and Edmonds.
A final winner came from the Fishin’ 4 A Cure (F4AC) participants. Davis finished as the top finisher among those signed up for F4AC. Competitors pay an optional $25 per tournament to F4AC, and the money goes to help combat childhood diseases at Children’s of Alabama in Birmingham. Airport Marine and Office Partners are the F4AC sponsors.
At the pre-tournament meeting held Friday night at the Comfort Inn in Scottsboro, Plemons thanked all the organization’s sponsors, including several new ones this year. Among the new sponsors are Halo Rods and Radicull Culling Devices.
Other sponsors who support various ABN circuits include Davis Bait Co., George Paint and Body, Academy, Airport Marine, Office Partners, Motivated Movers, Triton Boats, Mercury, Motor Guide, Lowrance, NetBait, Shell, Hammer Rods, Daiwa, Shelby County, StrikeZone Lure Co., Charlie’s BBQ, the Rod Glove, T-H Marine, Power-Pole, and Alabama Hosting.
The ABN heads to Lake Eufaula for its March qualifier with others to follow at Lake Martin in April and Lake Neely Henry in May. Top individuals and teams compete to earn a spot in November’s state championship. Qualifiers are open to any member of a B.A.S.S. affiliated club. The full schedule and registration information is found on the ABN website.
More Tournament Photos can be found at https://flic.kr/s/aHsmLhYxgt
Greg McCain is a freelance writer with hundreds of credits in various print and digital publications. In addition to producing photos and content for this website, he is a regular contributor to Alabama Outdoor News (AON) magazine and CrappieNow digital magazine. He is a member of the Belgreen Bass Club, an ABN chapter near Russellville.
Mueller’s Final-Day Audible Leads To Bassmaster Elite Series Win On St. Johns
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PALATKA, Fla. — Paul Mueller’s crucial decision delivered a key fish on Championship Monday that propelled the Connecticut angler to a three-day total of 47 pounds, 6 ounces and what he described as a most unlikely victory at the AFTCO Bassmaster Elite at Florida’s St. Johns River.
After grinding most of the day in Trout Creek, about 25 miles downriver from Palatka, Mueller called an audible and relocated to nearby 6-Mile Creek where he had found a key stretch of pads with 25 feet of water.
Punching this thick vegetation with a craw bait rigged on a 4/0 Strike King Hack Attack hook with a 1-ounce weight yielded a 6-11 bass — the day’s largest — that dramatically changed his outcome.
“That was the horse that brought me here, no doubt about it,” said Mueller, who earned $101,000 for his second career Elite Series victory. “A big bite is the best thing you can have on the final day. I knew I was leading, but I got off to such a bad start, throughout the entire day, I didn’t think I had enough.
“All day long, I never felt like I had a shot. It wasn’t easy today, but when it’s God’s will, everything works out.”
Mueller kept himself in contention throughout the event by remaining consistent. He placed second on Day 1 with 20-8 and took over the lead a day later by adding 16-2.
During Monday’s final round, Mueller fell short of a limit by one fish, but four bass that weighed 10-12 were enough to deliver the win by a 3-2 margin.
All three days, Mueller punched pads when he found sufficient water for prespawn staging fish to move into the cover. His punching bite consistently improved later in the day, as the week’s tide schedule brought higher water to the relatively shallow pads in the afternoon.
With wind advisories from the National Weather Service postponing the tournament’s official start by two days, B.A.S.S. officials shortened the event to three days total instead of four. The final day’s shorter schedule afforded Mueller a smaller window of the rising tide, so moving to the deep spot in 6-Mile Creek allowed him his shot at a big bass suspending beneath the cover.
He also caught fish on a 1/2-ounce green pumpkin Strike King Hack Attack swim jig with a junebug color Zoom Ultra Vibe Speed Craw trailer.
Mueller, who finished 62nd at last year’s St. Johns Elite tournament, said he was pleased to fare better this time — particularly considering the significant difference between the mostly shallow Florida fishery and the deep, clear waters he considers his specialty.
“I don’t feel like this is a place that sets up to fish my strength,” Mueller said. “When I looked at this year’s schedule, there were tournaments where I said ‘I may have a chance to win that,’ and then there were tournaments where I thought: ‘Man, I just hope I have a good finish.’ This was one of them.
“This is not my style of fishing, so it’s amazing that I caught enough weight to win here.”
John Crews of Salem, Va., rose four spots to finish second with 44-4. Crews caught 16-13 on Day 1, 15-5 on Day 2 and finished with 12-2 on Monday. He earned $25,000.
Crews, who placed fifth at last year’s St. Johns event, caught his fish on a 1/2-ounce Z-Man Jackhammer ChatterBait trailed with a 3.5-inch Missile Baits Shockwave swimbait and a new Missile Baits Quiver worm, which he used on a drop-shot rig and wacky style. He anchored his day with a 4-13.
“Today, I could hardly get bit on anything slow; everything was on the reaction bait,” Crews said. “I used a bluegill-colored ChatterBait when it was cloudy, and then I switched over to a black and blue. I used a shrapnel-colored trailer — it’s kind of a bluegill color — with both.”
Day 1 leader Kelley Jaye of Dadeville, Ala., slipped a couple of spots to finish third with 41-10. With daily weights of 21-7, 14-3 and 6-0, Jaye earned $21,000.
The jerkbait guru mostly stuck with his signature technique, catching the majority of his fish on a Berkley Skinny Cutter. He also caught a Day 3 keeper on a Texas-rigged Berkley MaxScent General stickworm.
“Where I was fishing was like 6 to 7 feet when the water was up during practice, but it dropped down to 4 feet during the tournament,” Jaye said. “That Skinny Cutter doesn’t go very deep so it allowed me to keep off the bottom."
Kyle Welcher of Opelika, Ala., earned $1,000 for Phoenix Big Bass of the week with his 10-1 largemouth.
Mueller also took home $3,000 for being the highest-placing entrant in the Toyota Bonus Bucks program, and John Crews took home $2.000 for being the second-highest placing entrant.
2020 AFTCO Bassmaster Elite At St. Johns River Title Sponsor: AFTCO 2020 Bassmaster Elite Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota 2020 Bassmaster Elite Series Premier Sponsors: Abu Garcia, Berkley, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Skeeter Boats, Talon, Triton Boats, Yamaha 2020 Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: Bass Pro Shops, Carhartt, Garmin, HUK Performance Fishing, Mossy Oak Fishing, Rapala 2020 AFTCO Bassmaster Elite At St. Johns River Local Hosts: Putnam County Tourist Development Council and Putnam County Chamber of Commerce About B.A.S.S. 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. -30- Media Contact: Emily Harley, B.A.S.S. Communications Manager, 205-313-0945, [email protected] |
| 2020 AFTCO Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River 2/8-2/11 St. Johns River, Palatka FL. (PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 3 Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$ 1. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 14 47-06 100 $101,000.00 11. Buddy Gross Chickamauga, GA 12 36-10 90 $12,000.00 Day 1: 5 15-05 Day 2: 5 15-14 Day 3: 2 05-07 12. Harvey Horne Bella Vista, AR 14 36-00 89 $12,000.00 Day 1: 4 08-07 Day 2: 5 17-08 Day 3: 5 10-01 13. Robbie Latuso Gonzales, LA 15 35-11 88 $12,000.00 Day 1: 5 17-05 Day 2: 5 08-08 Day 3: 5 09-14 14. Jamie Hartman Newport, NY 15 34-14 87 $12,000.00 Day 1: 5 07-14 Day 2: 5 18-05 Day 3: 5 08-11 15. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 15 34-13 86 $12,000.00 Day 1: 5 10-05 Day 2: 5 15-06 Day 3: 5 09-02 16. Clark Wendlandt Leander, TX 11 33-10 85 $10,000.00 Day 1: 5 20-00 Day 2: 4 08-03 Day 3: 2 05-07 17. Todd Auten Lake Wylie, SC 13 32-12 84 $10,000.00 Day 1: 5 17-11 Day 2: 5 09-09 Day 3: 3 05-08 18. Drew Cook Midway, FL 13 32-06 83 $10,000.00 Day 1: 5 09-10 Day 2: 5 17-14 Day 3: 3 04-14 19. Jay Yelas Lincoln City, OR 13 32-02 82 $10,000.00 Day 1: 5 13-15 Day 2: 5 14-01 Day 3: 3 04-02 20. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 8 27-14 81 $10,000.00 Day 1: 5 19-00 Day 2: 3 08-14 Day 3: 0 00-00 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS ----------------------------------------------------------------------- |
Academy Sports + Outdoors to offer free freshwater fishing licenses with purchase ahead of 2020 Bassmaster Classic
Academy Sports + Outdoors, a sports, outdoors and recreation lifestyle retailer, dedicated to making it easier for everyone to enjoy more sports and outdoor fun, has announced a special, limited-time offer to promote the sport of freshwater fishing in Alabama ahead of the 2020 Bassmaster Classic. From February 10th-16th, customers can receive a free Alabama Resident Freshwater Recreational Fishing License with any purchase of $25 or more at any Academy Sports + Outdoors store in Alabama. Customers will need to request their free license during check out to redeem the offer.
“Academy Sports + Outdoors is excited to make it easier to get on the water by offering this special deal to Alabama anglers,” said Larry Roberts, Academy Sports + Outdoors senior vice president and general merchandising manager of outdoor. “Whether you’re competing in the upcoming 2020 Bassmaster Classic or trying out the sport for the first time, Academy has the products and expertise for anglers of every level to help reel in a big catch and make their time on the water a fun experience.”
Academy is the title sponsor of the upcoming Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk, where 53 of the world’s best freshwater 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 strong 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.
Offer Terms
Offer valid 2/10/2020-2/16/2020 for Alabama residents for a free state of Alabama freshwater fishing license only with minimum in-store purchase at any Alabama Academy Sports + Outdoors retail store. Minimum purchase is pre-tax. Cannot be combined with a price match. Cannot be combined with other offers, discounts, or coupons. Not valid for saltwater, hunting or combo licenses; not valid on Hot Deals, clearance, gift cards, sales tax, shipping & handling, exchanges, store credit or previous purchases. If you return a portion of your purchase, a portion of the discount will be lost. No cash value, no cash back. Void if altered, reproduced, transferred, auctioned or sold, and where prohibited. Additional exclusions and restrictions may apply. Selection, prices, offers, and exclusions may vary online and by store. No rain checks. Academy Sports + Outdoors reserves the right to limit quantities. This offer is subject to change, alteration, or termination by Academy Sports + Outdoors at its sole discretion. To obtain a freshwater fishing license, you must be able to present a valid ID and meet all requirements as set forth by applicable state and local statutes, rules and regulations.
Donnie O'Neal & Maelstrom Kiewiet Win over $20,000 in BassChamps Lake Belton event with 14.36 lbs
| Place | Boat | Truck | Angler 1 | Angler 2 | Fish | Big Bass | Wt. | Prize Amt. | |
| 1 |  |
DONNIE ONEAL PFLUGERVILLE , TX |
MAELSTROM KIEWIET PFLUGERVILLE , TX |
5 | 0 | 14.36 |
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| 2 |  |
KY MARTIN GRANDVIEW , TX |
DAVID CARLOCK JOSHUA , TX |
5 | 0 | 14.07 |
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| 3 | KEITH HONEYCUTT TEMPLE , TX |
SAM JONES ROGERS , TX |
5 | 5.95 | 13.61 |
|
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| 4 | ANTHONY SKOUBY CIBOLO , TX |
TYLER STANLEY SAN ANTONIO , TX |
5 | 4.31 | 13.58 |
|
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| 5 | RANDY HIBLER MARBLE FALLS , TX |
RANDALL CHRISTIAN TOW , TX |
5 | 0 | 12.55 |
|
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| 6 |  |
CRIS TATUM BELTON , TX |
JUSTIN TATUM BELTON , TX |
4 | 0 | 12.01 |
|
||
| 7 | TERRY STEVENS HUTTO , TX |
JASON HARPER MONTGOMERY , TX |
5 | 0 | 11.57 |
|
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| 8 | |
RAY TOMASITS LEANDER , TX |
CARY LAUDADIO AUSTIN , TX |
4 | 5.74 | 11.26 |
|
||
| 9 | |
KEVIN STUART BELTON , TX |
LOGAN DRAKE BELTON , TX |
5 | 0 | 10.92 |
|
||
| 10 | JASON METZGAR CHINA SPRING , TX |
JUSTIN RADCLIFF CHINA SPRING , TX |
5 | 0 | 10.66 |
|
|||
| 11 | LOWELL BENNETT HEWITT , TX |
LANDEN BENNETT HEWITT , TX |
4 | 5.88 | 10.58 |
|
|||
| 12 | |
JERAD POOL KINGSLAND , TX |
TRAVIS COCKERHAM BARTLETT , TX |
5 | 0 | 10.57 |
|
||
| 13 |  |
MARK BIONDI SR BURLESON , TX |
MARK BIONDI JR BURLESON , TX |
5 | 0 | 10.50 |
|
||
| 14 | |
BRYAN FINCH BELTON , TX |
ZACHARY FITZHUGH PENELOPE , TX |
5 | 0 | 10.43 |
|
||
| 15 | |
BRIAN MATER AUSTIN , TX |
PHILLIP WARREN AUSTIN , TX |
5 | 0 | 10.42 |
|
||
| 16 | |
TOM GRIDLEY WIMBERLEY , TX |
BRAD DENTON ROUND ROCK , TX |
5 | 0 | 10.17 |
|
||
| 17 | WILLIAM BLAINE SAN ANGELO , TX |
DUSTIN WALTON ABILENE , TX |
5 | 0 | 10.00 |
|
|||
| 18 | RYAN WARREN GATESVILLE , TX |
JASON DERRICK VALLEY MILLS , TX |
5 | 0 | 9.97 |
|
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| 19 | |
|
WESTON BROWN HOUSTON , TX |
DAVID DOONAN CALDWELL , TX |
5 | 0 | 9.85 |
|
|
| 20 | |
PATRICK ANDERSON BUDA , TX |
DOUG HAMILTON LAKEWAY , TX |
5 | 0 | 9.59 |
|
||
| 21 | |
MARK DOREMUS EARLY , TX |
TIM MANLEY BROWNWOOD , TX |
5 | 0 | 9.46 |
|
||
| 22 | JOHN RILEY KILLEEN , TX |
ANDY FOULKROD HARKER HEIGHTS , TX |
5 | 0 | 9.16 |
|
|||
| 23 | GRAYSON HONEYCUTT TEMPLE , TX |
DAKOTA COOK KATY , TX |
5 | 0 | 9.15 |
|
|||
| 24 | |
|
BRANDON DAY BROWNWOOD , TX |
CADE WILSON EARLY , TX |
5 | 0 | 8.78 |
|
|
| 25 | |
MIKE LUNA NOLANVILLE , TX |
SHAWN JAMES KILLEEN , TX |
5 | 0 | 8.36 |
|
||
| 26 | |
DALE READ LEANDER , TX |
JAKE READ LEANDER , TX |
5 | 0 | 8.31 |
|
||
| 27 | JUSTIN BULLARD CRAWFORD , TX |
CASEY BENNETT GATESVILLE , TX |
5 | 0 | 7.86 |
|
|||
| 28 | |
CODY GREANEY MANCHACA , TX |
MATT MOCCIA MANCHACA , TX |
4 | 0 | 7.76 |
|
||
| 29 | |
CHARLIE GANTENBEIN SALADO , TX |
JIMMY WILLOUGHBY TEMPLE , TX |
3 | 4.44 | 7.73 |
|
||
| 30 | |
MICHAEL WALDROP AUSTIN , TX |
5 | 0 | 7.69 |
|
|||
| 31 | |
|
TODD IVINS BOERNE , TX |
BILLY MCCRARY II TEMPLE , TX |
4 | 0 | 7.47 |
|
|
| 32 | |
BRANDON BRAY MARBLE FALLS , TX |
JOE BRAY MARBLE FALLS , TX |
2 | 0 | 7.35 |
|
||
| 33 | |
JASON WILLIAMS NEW BRAUNFELS , TX |
JEREMY WRIGHT SAN ANTONIO , TX |
4 | 0 | 7.30 |
|
||
| 34 | |
BJ CAROTHERS GATESVILLE , TX |
THOMAS WELLS JR TEMPLE , TX |
4 | 0 | 7.10 |
|
||
| 35 | KENNETH MCDONNEL GRANGER , TX |
GREGORY BURRIS FRIENDSWOOD , TX |
3 | 0 | 7.04 |
|
|||
| 36 | DEVIN GIBSON GONZALES , TX |
ROBERT PRESCOTT SEGUIN , TX |
4 | 0 | 6.90 |
|
|||
| 37 | JUSTIN BROUGHTON GRANBURY , TX |
STEVE PETERSON DEVINE , TX |
3 | 0 | 6.82 |
|
|||
| 38 | DAVID UNDERWOOD WACO , TX |
DENNY COPELAND MCGREGOR , TX |
3 | 0 | 6.44 |
|
|||
| 39 | JOHN BROWN LIBERTY HILL , TX |
BUCK TAYLOR GEORGETOWN , TX |
3 | 0 | 6.16 |
|
|||
| 40 | |
DAVID RUTHERFORD ARTESIA , NM |
LISA RUTHERFORD ARTESIA , NM |
4 | 0 | 6.04 |
|
||
| 41 | |
DANIEL BARNES BELTON , TX |
ADRIAN BARNES BELTON , TX |
4 | 0 | 6.03 |
|
||
| 42 | JAMES HESTER SALADO , TX |
RYAN LOHR JASPER , TX |
4 | 0 | 5.93 |
|
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| 43 | |
TULLY WILLIAMS GATESVILLE , TX |
JOE ANDERSON GATESVILLE , TX |
4 | 0 | 5.78 |
|
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| 44 | |
RONNY MAYNARD GEORGETOWN , TX |
CHRIS BAKER LIBERTY HILL , TX |
4 | 0 | 5.73 |
|
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| 45 | |
JOHN STOKES BIG SPRING , TX |
WESLEY REDDEN COAHOMA , TX |
3 | 0 | 5.36 |
|
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| 45 | DUSTY FRANK WEST POINT , TX |
JOHN PRICE LA GRANGE , TX |
3 | 0 | 5.36 |
|
|||
| 47 | |
BRIAN BUSTILLOZ BELTON , TX |
CODY RANDOLPH TEMPLE , TX |
3 | 0 | 5.18 |
|
||
| 48 | |
|
ALLEN SHELTON FARMERS BRANCH , TX |
BRAD DRAKE IRVING , TX |
1 | 5.07 | 5.07 |
|
|
| 49 | |
RICHARD GILL EDMOND , OK |
2 | 0 | 5.01 |
|
|||
| 50 | |
NICK LEFEBVRE ROUND ROCK , TX |
DAVE MANGELSDORF GEORGETOWN , TX |
3 | 0 | 4.98 |
|
||
| 51 | |
GARY WEIMER LEANDER , TX |
JEREMIAH WAFFORD CEDAR PARK , TX |
2 | 0 | 4.96 |
|
||
| 52 | CHASE MEIER COMFORT , TX |
TYLER ROY FAIR OAKS , TX |
3 | 0 | 4.95 |
|
|||
| 53 | ERIC CRUMLEY LEANDER , TX |
GARRETT KOSLAN AUSTIN , TX |
3 | 0 | 4.66 |
|
|||
| 54 | BLAKE ARAPIS BURNET , TX |
CHARLES WILSON JR BRIGGS , TX |
2 | 0 | 4.48 |
|
|||
| 55 | |
CHARLES MEREDITH JR DRIPPING SPRINGS , TX |
BLAIR COBBLE LAGO VISTA , TX |
3 | 0 | 4.40 |
|
||
| 56 | WILLIAM KIMBERLY GEORGETOWN , TX |
DEREK ANDERSEN GEORGETOWN , TX |
3 | 0 | 4.39 |
|
|||
| 57 | NICK BROWN LINDALE , TX |
CHAD THEDFORD TYLER , TX |
3 | 0 | 4.36 |
|
|||
| 58 | LINO GUTTIRREZ COTTONWOOD WOOD SHORES , TX |
RUBEN RIBERA MARBLE FALLS , TX |
2 | 0 | 4.14 |
|
|||
| 59 | |
|
ADAM MIRANDA BROWNWOOD , TX |
BRANDON BLAYLOCK BROWNWOOD , TX |
2 | 0 | 4.10 |
|
|
| 60 | |
|
AJ HALL BROWNWOOD , TX |
AUDWIN HALL BROWNWOOD , TX |
1 | 4.01 | 4.01 |
|
|
| 61 | |
JAMES BEAUCHAMP SUNRISE BEACH , TX |
BRENNAN FERTIG BAY CITY , TX |
1 | 0 | 3.97 |
|
||
| 62 | |
|
CHANS MARTIN FAIR OAKS RANCH , TX |
JUSTIN MADDING ROUND ROCK , TX |
2 | 0 | 3.93 |
|
|
| 63 | |
TIM MABRAY BELTON , TX |
1 | 3.83 | 3.83 |
|
|||
| 64 | |
DAVID LINDLEY SUNRISE , TX |
AUSTIN DUNAVANT KINGSLAND , TX |
2 | 0 | 3.77 |
|
||
| 65 | COLT DIETZ AUSTIN , TX |
SAM MORROW AUSTIN , TX |
2 | 0 | 3.73 |
|
|||
| 66 | |
|
LEE BEUERSHAUSEN MARBLE FALLS , TX |
RANDY GROUNDS HORSESHOE BAY , TX |
2 | 0 | 3.69 |
|
|
| 67 | LANCE BROWN MOODY , TX |
KYLE GOAD BRUCEVILLE , TX |
3 | 0 | 3.67 |
|
|||
| 68 | SCOTT BLAKELY KILLEEN , TX |
PAOLO PIKE KILLEEN , TX |
1 | 0 | 3.54 |
|
|||
| 69 | BEN BLAINE ABILENE , TX |
JONATHAN CLICK CHRISTOVAL , TX |
2 | 0 | 3.47 |
|
|||
| 70 | ROBERT WILBURN KINGSLAND , TX |
LILY WILBURN KINGSLAND , TX |
1 | 0 | 3.38 |
|
|||
| 71 | |
DON PEARSON CEDAR PARK , TX |
JUSTIN KING BRYAN , TX |
1 | 0 | 3.26 |
|
||
| 72 | |
HEATH HARDAWAY KINGSLAND , TX |
WILLIAM HAMMES KINGSLAND , TX |
2 | 0 | 3.21 |
|
||
| 73 | CHARLES WHITED SAN MARCOS , TX |
TREY GROCE DRIPPING SPRINGS , TX |
2 | 0 | 3.04 |
|
|||
| 74 | JASON OLIVO KYLE , TX |
BOBBY ACOSTA NEW BRAUNFELS , TX |
2 | 0 | 3.02 |
|
|||
| 75 | |
|
MIKE RICHARDSON THORNDALE , TX |
ZACH BROWN GEORGETOWN , TX |
2 | 0 | 3.01 |
|
|
| 76 | KENNETH LEINBERGER CLOVIS , NM |
TABETHA LEINBERGER CLOVIS , NM |
2 | 0 | 2.99 |
|
|||
| 77 | MATT SCRIBNER ROSWELL , NM |
CURTIS PENNINGTON ARTESIA , NM |
2 | 0 | 2.97 |
|
|||
| 78 | |
JASON BUCHANAN BURNET , TX |
TERRY KIRCUS BURNET , TX |
1 | 0 | 2.86 |
|
||
| 79 | |
DAVID CHILES WACO , TX |
KYLE ROWE WACO , TX |
2 | 0 | 2.72 |
|
||
| 80 | KARL GOEHRING ROUND TOP , TX |
ROBERT BECK CARMINE , TX |
1 | 0 | 2.09 |
|
|||
| 81 | JOEY KIRKLAND SAN ANTONIO , TX |
LUPE CONTRERAS JR SAN ANTONIO , TX |
1 | 0 | 2.05 |
|
|||
| 82 | |
TONY FERDINANDO SPICEWOOD , TX |
SHANE LOGAN BUDA , TX |
1 | 0 | 1.97 |
|
||
| 82 | MICHAEL VASQUEZ TEMPLE , TX |
MATTHEW VASQUEZ SPRING , TX |
1 | 0 | 1.97 |
|
|||
| 84 | ROBERT ROWLAND BELTON , TX |
HARRY PAYNE KEMPNER , TX |
1 | 0 | 1.93 |
|
|||
| 85 | |
ANDREW MILLER LOS LUMAS , NM |
GARY MILLS RIO RANCHO , NM |
1 | 0 | 1.92 |
|
||
| 86 | ERIC WASHBURN GATESVILLE , TX |
ZANE WASHBURN GATESVILLE , TX |
1 | 0 | 1.65 |
|
|||
| 87 | KEVIN COTLONG BOERNE , TX |
CORVIS LITTLETON SAN ANTONIO , TX |
1 | 0 | 1.63 |
|
|||
| 88 | |
TIM DOEGE NEW BRAUNFELS , TX |
KENNY HENZE BULVERDE , TX |
1 | 0 | 1.60 |
|
||
| 89 | |
ROLAND LOERA AUSTIN , TX |
JAMES SCOGIN AUSTIN , TX |
1 | 0 | 1.45 |
|
||
| 90 | |
HENRY GRAVES LAGO VISTA , TX |
ROBERT BAKER CEDAR PARK , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 90 | IRA LYNN ADKINS , TX |
TREVOR ROGGE SAN ANTONIO , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 90 | MICHAEL ZIBERT GARDEN RIDGE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||||
| 90 | CHRISTOPHER WASHINGTON CEDAR PARK , TX |
JARRID HOLENSEE HUTTO , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 90 | BUBBA WAMPLER BERTRAM , TX |
MIKE BECK KINGSLAND , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 90 | |
JASON RANFT NEW BRAUNSFELS , TX |
DARRYL RANFT SEQUIN , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 90 | |
JOHN GILBERT JR LEANDER , TX |
RONALD GOERDEL HUNTSVILLE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 90 | KYLE TATUM BELTON , TX |
DAMON PEREZ NOLANVILLE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 90 | MIKE MONTANEZ LORENA , TX |
KENNY ROBERSON BRUCEVILLE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 90 | |
JACK MEREDITH BELTON , TX |
STEVEN BREAZEALE AUSTIN , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 90 | TOMMY MORENO SAN SABA , TX |
TROY LOWERY BROWNWOOD , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 90 | |
DALE HUGHES GRANBURY , TX |
RANDY HAVARD SAN ANGELO , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 90 | |
CHRIS STUDINGER SAN ANTONIO , TX |
JOSHUA RHODES SAN ANTONIO , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 90 | |
CHARLES SIMMONS WACO , TX |
L J CASTILLO WACO , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 90 | |
LANCE ROBELIA WACO , TX |
DENIS SCHMEDTHORST WACO , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 90 | GUS DUNCAN PURMELA , TX |
MICHAEL WERSIG LEANDER , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 90 | |
GERALD MUELLER JR HUTTO , TX |
GENE FUESSEL AUSTIN , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 90 | |
RANDALL KIRKES KILLEEN , TX |
CAL SOMERVILLE KILLEEN , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 90 | BROOKS SHUTT ROUND ROCK , TX |
MICHAEL DAMRON AUSTIN , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 90 | |
DUSTIN BARFIELD BELTON , TX |
NATHAN MATTHEWS TROY , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 90 | DUSTIN GRICE VALLEY MILLS , TX |
JOHNNY GRICE EARLY , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 90 | STEPHEN SHEPHERD BELTON , TX |
TYLER SHEPHERD BELTON , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 90 | TERRY ADAIR ALVIN , TX |
JIM KANETZKY BURNET , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 90 | JOHN KAPALDO BUDA , TX |
JACOB KAPALDO KYLE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 90 | |
GREG GILLUM PLANO , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 90 | |
ROBERT KESSLER SPRING , TX |
RUSSELL KESSLER LA VERNIA , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 90 | JACK MORSE OGLESBY , TX |
JEFFREY MORSE GATESVILLE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 90 | JASON STAFFORD BURNET , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||||
| 90 | RICKY PIERCE THORNDALE , TX |
RHETT PIERCE THORNDALE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 90 | BRIAN HUGHES TAYLOR , TX |
MIKE HARMAN BASTROP , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 90 | WILL JONES PIPE CREEK , TX |
CASTULO ESCALANTE PIPE CREEK , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 90 | CASS ESCALANTE PIPE CREEK , TX |
DONNA ESCALANTE PIPE CREEK , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 90 | |
KENNETH WITEK STOCKDALE , TX |
JEFFERY HUNTER UNIVERSAL CITY , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 90 | |
MATT HILL JONESTOWN , TX |
BARRY MOTT LIBERTY HILL , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 90 | |
FRED CATES SR ROCKDALE , TX |
KC CARLTON LIBERTY HILL , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 90 | |
JASON GARZA KILLEEN , TX |
PETE GARZA KILLEEN , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 90 | |
DARRELL MIKULEC BELTON , TX |
JUSTIN ROGERS KILLEEN , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 90 | GERALD POBORIL TEMPLE , TX |
JACK POWE KEMPNER , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 90 | MATT CANNON TROY , TX |
JARED SIEGELER BELTON , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 90 | |
JAY STIDHAM CHINA SPRINGS , TX |
STEVEN SCHONEWOLF BELTON , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 90 | |
DARRELL WUENSCHE THRALL , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 90 | |
ANTHONY GOODSON DRIFTWOOD , TX |
NOAH GOODSON DRIFTWOOD , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 90 | RICHARD KELSEY BELTON , TX |
ANTHONY KELSEY BELTON , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 90 | |
SKYLER CAROTHERS GATESVILLE , TX |
CANYON CAROTHERS GATESVILLE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 90 | REX WHEELER BELTON , TX |
BRUCE DAVIS KEMPNER , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 90 | |
|
RONNY ANTHONY SALADO , TX |
WAYNE ANTHONY KILLEEN , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|
| 90 | LANDON DENTON ALMOGORDO , NM |
JERRY DENTON ALMOGORDO , NM |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 90 | |
DAVID SHUSTER GEORGETOWN , TX |
CHARLES GERHART SALADO , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 90 | CHRIS LEANARD | MICHAEL PROVENZANO BELTON , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 90 | CHRIS WOEHL CEDAR PARK , TX |
CHRIS CLEMENTS ROUND ROCK , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 90 | TOM GUIDRY NEW BRAUNFELS , TX |
DUSTIN ISBELL KINGSLAND , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 90 | JASON KILLION MIDLAND , TX |
KIRBY KILLION BELTON , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 90 | MIKE PICKWELL DRIPPING SPRINGS , TX |
CHRISTIAN RAY LAGO VISTA , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 90 | |
JAMES DISLER LEANDER , TX |
DAVID DISLER CONROE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 90 | ADAM HOLLENBACH SHINER , TX |
JOSHUA COX EARLY , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 90 | CALEB RAMM SALADO , TX |
COLTON ZAHN TEMPLE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 90 | DANNY LANGLEY BELTON , TX |
BRET STAFFORD TEMPLE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 90 | CALVIN BALCH PORTER , TX |
FLOYD BALCH WACO , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 90 | DONNIE ROSS GEORGETOWN , TX |
SCOTT ROSS GEORGETOWN , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 90 | |
DYLAN ROSS LEXINGTON , TX |
DAMON ROSS GEORGETOWN , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 90 | |
ALLEN GASS LLANO , TX |
JOHN RATLIFF KINGSLAND , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 90 | TIMOTHY STACK AUSTIN , TX |
BRETT ORLICH LEANDER , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 90 | |
WAYLON REYNOLDS JARALES , NM |
JOSEPH WISNESKI PORTOLES , NM |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 90 | KENNETH CUMMINS PAIGE , TX |
JIMMY CHAPMAN HUTTO , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 90 | JOHNNY HOMANN KYLE , TX |
JAY HESS LOCKHART , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 90 | |
RONALD SISK RIO VISTA , TX |
JOHNNY MATTHEWS LAGUNA PARK , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 90 | |
LANCE DILLARD LLANO , TX |
BLAKE DILLARD LLANO , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 90 | |
RODNEY THOMPSON HARKER HEIGHTS , TX |
HERMAN GEORGE BELTON , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 90 | |
THOMAS WEIMER ROUND ROCK , TX |
BRANDON JONES SAN ANTONIO , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 90 | BRYAN COTTER CEDAR PARK , TX |
BILL GUZMAN AUSTIN , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 90 | |
ROY STEGER BELTON , TX |
CHET SUTTON SALADO , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 90 | |
|
JOHN BYLER SOUTHLAKE , TX |
JOHN BYLER SOUTHLAKE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|
| 90 | |
|
STERLING MARTIN BEEVILLE , TX |
COURTNEY BEHREND COMFORT , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|
| 90 | BYRON BIONDI KENNEDALE , TX |
JASON GREENFIELD KENNEDALE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 90 | |
|
RONNIE CHARANZA BROWNWOOD , TX |
WESLEY FLETCHER BROWNWOOD , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|
| 90 | |
JAMES CANTWELL KINGSLAND , TX |
TOM CANTWELL LAGRANGE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 90 | |
DWAYNE KINLEY AUSTIN , TX |
LEVAR JENKINS AUSTIN , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 90 | WILL RAMIREZ GEORGE WEST , TX |
MARTY SORRELLS HEBBRONVILLE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 90 | |
CHARLES HICE BURNET , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 90 | |
DEAN ALEXANDER GEORGETOWN , TX |
THOMAS MARTENS CEDAR PARK , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 90 | STEVE MAGNELIA AUSTIN , TX |
MICHAEL TENNANT PFLUGERVILLE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 90 | COLE TEMPLE KELLER , TX |
TYLER BRADFIELD COLLEGE STATION , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
Bassmaster Elite Series Chickamauga Event Rescheduled for Late March
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 10, 2020 Bassmaster Elite Series Event At Chickamauga Lake Moved To March BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Due to high waters, flooding conditions and a forecast calling for continued heavy rain in the region, B.A.S.S. officials announced today they will postpone the Bassmaster Elite at Chickamauga Lake originally scheduled for later this week.
The second stop of the 2020 Bassmaster Elite Series season is now scheduled to be held on the Dayton, Tenn., fishery March 19-22.
“We have been in close communication with local authorities and our hosts in Tennessee about the current flooding as well as the forecast,” said Bruce Akin, B.A.S.S. CEO. “After careful discussions, it was apparent that the best decision was to postpone the tournament and festivities.”
The National Weather Service is predicting widespread severe thunderstorms across Tennessee and much of the Southeast on Wednesday with additional moderate to major river flooding over the next seven days.
“Extreme heavy rainfall and runoff is causing elevated river conditions all across the Tennessee Valley,” said James Everett from TVA River Management. “These are much higher than normal flows and flow rates coming from the dams, which can increase boating hazards.”
According to local law enforcement, much of the venue where the tournament was to be held is currently flooded and road closures are expected.
“It was smart for B.A.S.S. to postpone the tournament until conditions are better,” said Rhea Sheriff Mike Neal. “The combination of parking issues and road closures would make it unsafe for fans and everyone involved, especially if we get the additional rain forecasted.”
When the event kicks off in March, the field will launch from Dayton Boat Dock with weigh-ins and the Bassmaster Outdoors Expo being held at Point Park. |
Bass Pro Tour Rookie Bryan Thrift Wins Group A and Advances Directly to the Championship
Photo credit - Garrick Dixon - MLF
February 9, 2020 (Eufaula, Ala.) Bass Pro Tour Rookie Bryan Thrift won Qualifying Round Group A of the B&W Hitches Stage One presented by Power-Pole to become the first automatic Championship Berth in MLF history. Alabama resident Greg Vinson rose 18 places to finish in second. Chris Lane, who held the lead in Group A for nearly five periods, fell to fifth overall with a two-day total of 38 pounds, two ounces. Overall the third day kept everyone guessing despite the sunny skies and warmer temperatures.
On a slightly tougher fishing day on Lake Eufaula, Bryan Thrift showed he could compete well in this new-to-him format with an impressive two-day total and commanding march into first over Chris Lane. Thrift took control of the top spot with the Berkley Big Bass of the Day, which weighed in at six pounds, three ounces, shortly after Period 3 began. In the last 80 minutes of the day, he added five more bass to his total including one at five pounds, five ounces. Thrift said his late-day success was a surprise.
“I did a lot better than I expected at the end,” Thrift admitted. “It started so slow, and I only had four fish between the first two periods.
“I’m not getting enough bites to have a pattern,” he added. “I’m running different stuff and throwing different baits; there’s no way I can know what is going to work.”
Thrift earned the Phoenix Boats Daily Leader award for his ten bass weighing in at 34 pounds, six ounces. Perhaps most exciting, Thrift receives the benefit of a “Championship Berth,” which guarantees him a $12,000 minimum payday. New for 2020, the winners of each Group (A and B) automatically advance to the final, Championship Round, and do not need to fish the Knockout Round. The remaining 19 anglers from each Group (A and B) will fish Tuesday for one of the remaining eight spots in the Championship Round.
Alabama resident Greg Vinson rose steadily up the SCORETRACKER® from 20th place to second. His success stemmed from the fact that he caught more scoreable bass on the day with 12, including one just shy of five pounds at four pounds, 15 ounces. Vinson eluded to how stressful it can be for an angler to find himself mid-round on the “elimination line.” The elimination line refers to the top 20 places on SCORETRACKER® who advance and the bottom 20 who are eliminated from a Stage of the Bass Pro Tour.
“I came in as the ‘bubble boy,’ and I was sweating it,” Vinson said. “With the tough fishing conditions, you never know. I locked into something a little different today, and it was fun.”
Chris Lane finished day one of the 2020 Bass Pro Tour B&W Hitches Stage One presented by Power-Pole at the top of the SCORETRACKER® with 35-pounds, 12-ounces representing nine bass. However, day two proved to be a completely different ballgame. Lane caught one scorable bass in Period 1 and then remained scoreless the rest of the day. His lead coming into day two provided him a secure position in fifth place for the Qualifying Round, Group A.
The Top Ten of the Qualifying Round, Group A finished day two as follows:
| Place | Angler | Total 2-Day Weight | Total Day Two Weight | Largest Fish of Day Two |
| 1 | Bryan Thrift | 54-01 | 34-06 | 6-03 |
| 2 | Greg Vinson | 42-11 | 32-08 | 4-15 |
| 3 | Andy Morgan | 41-10 | 30-15 | 5-13 |
| 4 | Todd Faircloth | 40-02 | 14-05 | 3-10 |
| 5 | Chris Lane | 38-02 | 2-06 | 2-06 |
| 6 | Brent Ehrler | 37-06 | 19-08 | 6-02 |
| 7 | Mark Rose | 31-11 | 17-03 | 4-08 |
| 8 | Josh Bertrand | 31-04 | 4-14 | 4-14 |
| 9 | Jacob Powroznik | 30-09 | 18-13 | 5-06 |
| 10 | Jeff Sprague | 27-09 | 10-01 | 4-10 |
For complete results, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com, Bass Pro Tour, Results.
Lane was not the only angler to experience a tough day on the water. Stephen Browning started the day in 11th but fell to 23rd, while Boyd Duckett slipped from 13th to 25th. Mark Daniels, Jr. began on the bubble with Vinson at 19th and fell to 24th. While Andy Montgomery moved from 22nd to 18th. While in the other direction, Alton Jones, Jr. rose from 26th to 13th and Brent Chapman leapt from 28th to 11th place.
The Qualifying Round continues Monday with Group B, currently led by 2019 Major League Fishing (MLF) World Champion Jacob Wheeler. Wesley Strader stands in second place with Randall Tharp, Bobby Lane, and MLF Rookie David Dudley rounding out the top five. Defending 2019 Points Champion and REDCREST presented by Venmo Champion, Edwin Evers sits in 36thplace and Kevin VanDam hopes to hold onto his 13th place to advance to the Knockout Round. The SCORETRACKER® resets to zero for the Knockout Round making it a new game going into Tuesday’s Knockout Round and Wednesday’s Championship Final.
Tuesday’s Qualifying Round, Group B, day two begins with launch 7-7:30 a.m. 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.
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).
Lester Saves Season on Day Two of St. Johns
Courtesy of Luke Stoner - Dynamic Sponsorships
Day one of the 2020 Bassmaster Elite Series season was one Brandon Lester would rather forget. The even-keeled Tennessee pro failed to catch a keeper bass for only the second time in his professional career yesterday. While ending the day with a dreaded “goose egg” stung, Lester was able to put the day behind him when he weighed an impressive 19-lb 14-ounce limit on a fickle St. Johns River today.
Team Toyota’s Brandon Lester has been a model of consistency throughout his career and has typically performed extremely well on the St. Johns, but Lester explained the difference between a good day and a terrible day is razor thin on this body of water.
“Poor decision making was what bit me yesterday,“ Lester explained. “On a tidal fishery like the St. Johns River, every single decision is magnified. I got in a bad rotation (in reference to the tide) yesterday and it is already a grind out there. I literally only had one bite all day, and I lost it.”
Lester was understandably upset after such an uncharacteristically tough day, but instead of dwelling on the negative he hopped in his Tundra with his family and put the day behind him.
Finishing the first Elite Series event at the bottom of the leaderboard would have handicapped Lester’s 2020 season in a way he didn’t even want to consider. Fortunately, Lester knew Florida’s St. Johns River is the kind of fishery that could produce a big comeback.
“I had a sneaky suspicion the failing water and cold front pulled the bass out of the shallows in the canals I was fishing,” Lester grinned. “I rigged up a X-Zone Lures Muscle Back Craw on a 4/0 Mustad Flippin Hook with a ¼-ounce weight and went to work. The fish had pulled out to any hard targets (like wood, laydowns, etc.) towards the mouth of the canals.”
Lester’s big bag on day two not only helped erase a lackluster first day from his mind, but also salvaged a $10,000 check, a bunch of AOY points, and potentially his entire year.
“Today was so incredibly important for my season,” said a relieved Lester. “Two of my biggest goals are to qualify for the 2021 Bassmaster Classic, and have a shot at the Angler of the Year title at the end of this season. If I struggled again today I could have all but kissed both of those goals goodbye. I am extremely grateful.”
Mueller Takes Narrow Lead At Bassmaster Elite Series Event On St. Johns River
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| 2020 AFTCO Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River 2/8-2/11 St. Johns River, Palatka FL. (PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 2 Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$ 1. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 10 36-10 100 |
Wheeler Leads Group B after a Chilly Day on Lake Eufaula
February 8, 2020 (Eufaula, Ala.) Jacob Wheeler, 2019 General Tire World Champion, assumed the lead from Bobby Lane early in day two of the 2020 Bass Pro Tour and never looked back, finishing in first place with 15 scorable bass totaling 42 pounds, five ounces. The B&W Hitches Stage Two presented by Power-Pole opened for the anglers in Group B on Lake Eufaula with chilly temperatures in the mid-30s and rain throughout the day. Wesley Strader finished second with nine fish totaling 36 pounds, six ounces. Justin Atkins earned the Berkley Big Bass of the Day award with a six-pound, 13-ounce largemouth bass, while MLF Rookie David Dudley rose to fifth by the end of the day.
Indiana native (Tennessee resident) Jacob Wheeler caught Floridian Bobby Lane, brother to Group A leader Chris Lane, at 9:30 a.m. Fishing a mainly offshore pattern with a variety of tactics, the Academy Sports Pro went against the grain in a tournament where most of the other anglers were beating the bank and targeting shallow cover.
“Today was a great day, and I was fortunate to catch them on a rotation of baits, but I’m still trying to figure out what’s going on the lake,” Wheeler said. “You have to keep an open mind because each day is unique this time of year, and you have to start over every morning.”
Fellow Tennessean Wesley Strader finished second by a spread of six pounds, one ounce and the only angler within striking distance of Wheeler. The 48-year-old angler with a rich history of FLW wins before joining the Bass Pro Tour in 2018 found that the high water impacted his ability to advance further.
“It was a really good day, but it could have been even better,” Strader admitted. “I wish the water would drop a little bit because that will pull some more fish out of the thick cover, and I think I can get more bites doing what I’m doing.”
MLF Rookie David Dudley showed that he can compete well in all fishing formats by finishing in fifth place with six bass totaling 22 pounds, 15 ounces. Today was the first day Dudley competed using the catch-weigh-immediately release format and rules.
“It was a fun day,” recapped Dudley. “I loved the SCORETRACKER® and kept telling my official all day to give me another update. I like hearing that people are catching or not catching fish, because it helps me process my day.”
Despite remaining scoreless until Period 3, Kevin VanDam rallied to finish 13th overall with four fish weighing in at 13 pounds, 11 ounces.
The Top Ten of Day One, Qualifying Group B finished as follows:
| Place | Angler | Total Weight | Total Fish | Largest Fish |
| 1 | Jacob Wheeler | 42-05 | 15 | 4-04 |
| 2 | Wesley Strader | 36-06 | 9 | 5-14 |
| 3 | Randall Tharp | 27-13 | 6 | 5-01 |
| 4 | Bobby Lane | 25-11 | 9 | 5-01 |
| 5 | David Dudley | 22-15 | 6 | 5-14 |
| 6 | James Watson | 21-12 | 6 | 5-05 |
| 7 | Fletcher Shryock | 21-04 | 7 | 4-09 |
| 8 | Dustin Connell | 19-03 | 6 | 6-02 |
| 9 | Michael Neal | 18-00 | 5 | 4-10 |
| 10 | Mike McClelland | 17-06 | 6 | 3-10 |
For complete results, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com, Bass Pro Tour, Results.
The competition continues Sunday as Group A returns to finish the Qualifying Round. Chris Lane hopes to retain his lead and earn the automatic Championship Berth. New for 2020, the winner of each Group in the Qualifying Round advances directly to Wednesday’s Championship Round. The weather forecast calls for a slightly warmer day calling for a high of 65-degrees-Farenheit with no rain in the forecast.
The day begins with launch 7:15 a.m.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.
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).
Jaye Relies On Experience To Claim Day 1 Lead In Bassmaster Elite At St. Johns River
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Alabama Resident Chris Lane Leaps Ahead in Day One
February 7, 2020 (Tulsa, Okla.) Alabama resident Chris Lane finished day one of the 2020 Bass Pro Tour B&W Hitches Stage One presented by Power-Pole at the top of the SCORETRACKER® with 35-pounds, 12-ounces representing nine bass. Weather over recent days on Lake Eufuala played a factor in today’s competition as the excessive rain, wind, and lightning led to rising lake levels and muddy water conditions. Josh Bertrand finished in second with seven total bass weighing in at 26-pounds, six ounces. Brandon Coulter caught the Berkley Big Bass of the day, which weighed in at seven pounds, 14 ounces.
Chris Lane took an early lead in Period 1 by catching the first bass of the 2020 Bass Pro Tour at 8:09 a.m. local time. The Power-Pole pro had eight fish for 33 pounds, nine ounces – a more than four-pound average – at the conclusion of that first period. Despite a drought in Period 2 and only one fish in Period 3, Lane held his lead throughout the day. Included in his total were fish that weighed five pounds, 11 ounces and five pounds, 7 ounces, respectively.
“That was a great first period,” exclaimed Lane. “(In Period 3), I found an area late in the day with some clear water, and I made the mistake of not going there soon enough in the day. I look forward to getting back there (Sunday).”
32-year-old Josh Bertrand of moved from fifth place to end the day at second despite a slower start in Period 1 than others. His largest bass of the day weighed in at six pounds, 10 ounces and landed two others over four pounds. The Berkley pro who lives in Arizona didn’t know what to expect today and indicated that he hopes better weather in coming days may help hasten the pace of the game.
“We have some better weather coming so it might bust wide open,” said Bertrand, when asked about returning on Sunday to Lake Eufaula for his second Qualifying Day.
The Top Ten of Day One, Qualifying Group A finished as follows:
| Place | Angler | Total Weight | Total Fish | Largest Fish |
| 1 | Chris Lane | 35-12 | 9 | 5-11 |
| 2 | Josh Bertrand | 26-06 | 7 | 6-10 |
| 3 | Todd Faircloth | 25-13 | 6 | 5-08 |
| 4 | Bryan Thrift | 19-11 | 7 | 3-13 |
| 5 | Greg Hackney | 19-08 | 5 | 5-07 |
| 6 | Anthony Gagliardi | 19-08 | 4 | 6-04 |
| 7 | Brent Ehrler | 17-14 | 5 | 5-15 |
| 8 | Jeff Sprague | 17-08 | 6 | 3-13 |
| 9 | Brandon Coulter | 16-04 | 3 | 7-14 |
| 10 | Mark Rose | 14-08 | 5 | 3-14 |
For complete results, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com, Bass Pro Tour, Results.
The Qualifying Round continues Saturday with Group B, which includes Edwin Evers, 2019 Points Champion and REDCREST presented by Venmo Champion, fishing greats Kevin VanDam and Mike Iaconelli, as well as 2019 Major League Fishing (MLF) World Champion Jacob Wheeler and MLF Rookie David Dudley. The weather forecast calls for a slightly warmer day calling for a high of 57-degrees-Farenheit and scattered showers midday.
The day begins with launch 6-6:30 a.m. before lines-in at 7:00 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.
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).
About the Bass Pro Tour:
The Bass Pro Tour began in 2019 and features 80 of the best professional anglers in the world, including Kevin VanDam, Edwin Evers, Aaron Martens, Mike Iaconelli, Jordan Lee, and Skeet Reese. Each stage includes six days of competition using the Major League Fishing, catch-weigh-and-immediately-release format, where every bass over a variable minimum weight, which is two pounds on Lake Eufaula for Stage One, toward a cumulative weight total for the day. Variable minimum weights are determined by fishery akin to a golf course handicap. The field of 80 anglers is divided into two groups of 40 to compete on days one and two respectively for the Shotgun Round. On days three and four, the Elimination Round culls the field based on a combined 2-day total weight from each angler’s Shotgun and Elimination Round. The top 20 anglers from each group in the Elimination Round (40 total) advance to the Knockout Round on day five, which determines who will compete on that final day, the Championship Round, for the Stage title and $100,000.
Each of Eight Stages of the Bass Pro Tour have the following payout schedule: 1st $100,000; 2nd $42,000; 3rd $30,000; 4th$24,000; 5th $18,000; 6th $16,800; 7th $15,600; 8th $14,400; 9th $13,200; 10th $12,000; 11th – 40th $6,000; Big Bass Daily $1,000; Big Bass Overall $1,000.
In addition to the economic impact on a host community, Major League Fishing showcases the region through their award-winning, live and linear programming. Each Stage of the Bass Pro Tour is broadcast live on the Major League Fishing app, MyOutdoorTV (MOTV), and majorleaguefishing.com, totaling more than 325 hours of original programming. Fans can follow the fast-paced nature of the MLF format as it unfolds on the live leaderboard through “SCORETRACKER® updates.” Highlights from each Stage of the 2020 Bass Pro Tour will air on Discovery Network beginning in July 2020 and Sportsman Channel in early 2021.
“MLF offers the strongest broadcast presence in the industry to fans and sponsors,” said Jim Wilburn, President and CEO of Major League Fishing. “And with these lakes planned for this coming Bass Pro Tour, we know 2020 will be our best year yet as we continue to capture a broad audience of both longtime fishing fans and those new to the sport, thanks to our fast-paced, fan-friendly format,”
About Major League Fishing
Founded in 2011, Major League Fishing (MLF) brings the high-intensity sport of competitive bass fishing into America’s living rooms on Outdoor Channel, Discovery, CBS, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network, Sportsman Channel, and on-demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). The Bass Pro Tour consists of eight events and a championship streamed live on www.MajorLeagueFishing.com and MOTV.
In late 2019 MLF acquired FLW, which expands their portfolio to include the world’s largest grassroots fishing organization, including the strongest five-fish format professional bass fishing tour, the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit, as well as the Toyota Series, Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine, and Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI, and High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing.
For more information on the league and anglers, visit www.MajorLeagueFishing.com and follow MLF on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Off Days - The good and Bad with Brandon Lester
Courtesy of Luke Stoner - Dynamic Sponsorships
The start of the 2020 Bassmaster Elite Series season has been delayed this week here on the St. Johns River in Palatka, Florida due to two a couple dreaded cancelled competition days. While “off days” aren’t exactly celebrated in this line of work, that doesn’t mean the glass isn’t half full.
Make no mistake; there are approximately zero Elite Series pros that want to have tournament days cancelled throughout their season. These guys are fishermen and they make their living on the water. But, pros like Team Toyota’s Brandon Lester know there is a good and a bad side to everything.
The Good – quality time with family and friends.
Lester, his wife Kimberly, and their daughters Shiloh & Leann have taken full advantage of the two “off days” this week. Spending precious time together and seeing what the area has to offer.
“We’ve been having a great time,” Lester said with a smile. “Yesterday I loaded them up in the Tundra and we drove to St. Augustine to see the Fountain of Youth and learn some history about that area. Then today we headed to Blue Springs State Park and the girls saw their first manatee up close! They had a ball.”
Lester stays impressively controlled whether he just landed a giant bass, is on camera for an interview, or is hanging out with fans. But he couldn’t hide his happiness when talking about the down time spent with his family the past two days. And that right there will always be far more important than any fishing tournament.
The Bad – the concern of losing touch with the fish and it’s mentally taxing.
While Lester’s girls have helped him find the good in a somewhat negative situation, the humble Tennessee native isn’t naïve enough to completely ignore the bad in having competition delayed.
“This is the first event of the year and we (the anglers) want to have a strong first event, for ourselves and for the fans,” Lester said. “There are a lot of emotions coming into the tournament season after a long time off and the very last thing I wanted was to not be fishing these first two days. With that being said, I definitely think B.A.S.S. made the right call.”
With a wind advisory being declared for the area and 40+ mph wind gusts being the norm over the past two days, there is no doubt the B.A.S.S. tournament staff made the right decision. Safety of the anglers, their marshals, and the B.A.S.S. camera crews on the water is paramount. Still,Lester would be lying if he said he wasn’t thinking about how the bass are changing.
“Man, this time of year bass are moving every single day,” Lester said as he looked over the St. Johns River. “Down here in Florida, they want to get up shallow and spawn. Things could literally be changing by the hour. We haven’t been on the water since Tuesday, so I absolutely worry about losing touch with the fish I found in practice.”
The good news for everyone is the wind is finally calming. The Elite Series competitors will have to deal with a major cold-front on the heels of this weather system, but with any luck they’ll be kicking off the 2020 season with a bang at the Palatka City Dock and Ramp tomorrow afternoon.
Zaldain Working Towards a Win
Courtesy of Luke Stoner - Dynamic Sponsorships
When day one of Bassmaster Elite Series competition on the St Johns River was called off this morning due to high and dangerous winds, most pro anglers took advantage of the “off-day” by resting. Some went fishing on non-tournament waters, others caught up on social media content, and plenty spent the day taking it easy. Not Chris Zaldain.
Around lunchtime I found last year’s Angler of the Year runner-up rocking a Carhartt t-shirt and a power drill in the boat yard. Fine-tuning his Humminbird electronics with service crewmembers before heading home to meticulously work on tackle.
“After nine years as a professional angler, I know my way around a toolbox,” Zaldain said with a laugh. “Equipment malfunctions are a reality of being a professional angler when you travel and push your equipment as much as we do. I’ve learned the best way to diagnose problems and give myself every possible minute of fishing time is to know my boat in and out; bow to stern.”
After watching Zaldain tinker for a few minutes, it was obvious he wasn’t embellishing. It turns out Zaldain has taken to rigging his own Skeeter Boat the past several years in order to be as knowledgeable as possible about his equipment. From his Yamaha Outboard to his Minn Kota trolling motor and every accessory in between, Zaldain is able to troubleshoot common issues so he can maximize his fishing time.
Paying attention to detail in all facets of fishing is partially what has helped Zaldain become the angler he is today. The California born pro who now resides in Texas had an absolutely red hot 2019 season. With three 2nd place Elite Series finishes, along with two more top 10s bookended by narrowly missing the Toyota Angler of the Year title.
But don’t expect Zaldain to revel in his past accomplishments, the freshly signed Carhartt sponsored pro has his sights set looking forward.
“What happened in 2019 is old news,” Zaldain explained. “Don’t get me wrong, it was an awesome year and I am extremely grateful for it, but it is in the history books. Now I feel like I’ve got to work twice as hard to put myself in a similar position at the end of this season. I need to come out hungrier.”
A harder working and hungrier Zaldain is a scary thought for his fellow Elite Series competitors. The trajectory of Zaldain’s career the past few years has been nothing short of impressive and he shows no signs of slowing down.
“This year the goal is some hardware,” Zaldain said. “I won’t lie, coming in 2nd four different times last year stung. This year I want to collect some trophies! An Elite Series championship or the Angler of the Year title would be incredible, but the Classic trophy outweighs them all for me. I already can’t wait for this year’s 50th Bassmaster Classic in Alabama. It’s going to be an awesome tournament.”
Whether or not Zaldain hoists a trophy overhead throughout the season won’t be due to a lack of effort. He works as hard as anyone both on and off the water, and maintains the right attitude while doing so. Tomorrow marks Zaldain’s first day back on the job for the 2020 season and the first step toward his yearlong goal.
Strong Winds Force Another Delay in Elite Series Opener
For the second day, strong winds have forced B.A.S.S. Officials to cancel a day of competition and the start of the 2020 Elite Series season. According to BASS the National Weather Service has called for a Wind advisory until 2:00pm today.
UPDATE: 8:46am - Courtesy of BASS
The Bassmaster Elite Series Outdoors Expo will be open at 2 p.m. ET on Friday at Palatka Riverfront Park. Fans will be able to meet their favorite Elite Series pros for autographs, photos and to share stories.
Competition in the AFTCO Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River is expected to resume Saturday morning, when the field of 88 anglers launches at 7:15 a.m. ET from Palatka City Dock and Boat Ramp. Weigh-ins will be held at 3:30 p.m. ET at Palatka Riverfront Park. The full field will compete Saturday and Sunday.
The current plan is to complete the tournament on Monday, when anglers will fish a shortened competition day. Launch on Monday will be at 6:45 a.m. ET and the weigh-in will be held at 2:00 p.m. ET.
UPDATE 9:47am
Top 20 To Fish Monday At Bassmaster Elite Series Event On St. Johns River
PALATKA, Fla. — After high-wind advisories forced the cancellation of the first two days of the AFTCO Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River, B.A.S.S. officials have adjusted plans and announced the Top 20 will fish a shortened competition day on Monday, Feb. 10.
Takeoff on Monday will be at 6:45 a.m. ET from Palatka City Dock and Boat Ramp, and the weigh-in will be held at Palatka Riverfront Park at 2 p.m.
The full field of 88 anglers will fish Saturday and Sunday. On those two days, anglers will launch from Palatka City Dock and Boat Ramp at 7:15 a.m. ET. Weigh-ins will be held at 3:15 p.m. ET at Palatka Riverfront Park.
From Florida, the Elites head to Dayton, Tenn., for the Bassmaster Elite Series at Chickamauga Lake. Competition on Chickamauga will continue as scheduled Feb. 14-17.
AC Insider Rookie Podcast - Two Elite Rookie with a Rare Day Off
With a rare day off prior to their first Elite series tournament, Rookies Wes Logan and Cody Hollen chat with Professor Duran about how it feels to be an Elite Series Rookie. Check it out!
B.A.S.S. Cancels Day 1 of St. Johns Elite Event - Top 10 to Fish MONDAY! - Updated
February 6, 2020
PALATKA, Fla. — B.A.S.S. officials made a decision to cancel the first day of competition on the St. Johns River today after the National Weather Service (NWS) issued a wind advisory making the fishery unsafe for boaters. The wind advisory is calling for winds 15-25 m.p.h. with guests over 40.
“Safety for our anglers and marshals is our primary concern,” said Trip Weldon, Bassmaster Elite Series Tournament Director. “We have been monitoring the weather closely, and had discussions with NWS last night and this morning to see if the weather situation would change.
“Beginning this morning and into the afternoon, the wind was just going to be too high to safely be on the water.”
Competition in the AFTCO Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River is expected to resume Friday morning, when the field of 88 anglers launches at 7:15 a.m. from Palatka Riverfront Park.
February 6, 2020
St. Johns Top 10 To Fish Monday At Bassmaster Elite Event
PALATKA, Fla. — After a high-wind advisory forced postponement of the first day of the AFTCO Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River, B.A.S.S. officials announced that the Top 10 would fish a shortened competition day on Monday, Feb. 10. Launch on Monday will be at 6:45 a.m. ET from Palatka City Dock and Boat Ramp, and the weigh-in will be held at the Palatka Riverfront Park at 2:00 p.m. ET.
The full field of 88 anglers will fish Friday and Saturday. The field will be cut to the Top 40 on Sunday. On those three days, anglers will takeoff from Palatka City Dock and Boat Ramp at 7:15 a.m. ET. Weigh-ins will be held at 3:15 p.m. ET at Palatka Riverfront Park.
From Florida, the Elites head to Dayton, Tenn., for the Bassmaster Elite Series at Chickamauga Lake. Competition on Chickamauga Lake will continue as scheduled Feb. 14-17.
Weights and Weather Predictions with Arey, Sumrall, and Lester
The 2020 Bassmaster Elite Series season officially kicks off tomorrow morning here on the St. Johns River in Palatka, Florida. Last year’s season opening tournament on this very same fishery proved to be a big bass bonanza, but the Elite Series anglers were singing a different tune for this weeks derby. Reports of the St. Johns being “tough” and “a grinder” were widely discussed.
While Bassmaster Elite Series pros are famous for sandbagging about their practice days, one thing they all have on their minds for this week’s tournament is weather. The forecast for Thursday through Sunday has a little bit of everything. With high winds and sunshine on Thursday, followed by rain and a substantial cold front moving in Friday.
It’s no secret Florida bass behavior is extremely susceptible to changes in the weather, so we asked Team Toyota pros Brandon Lester and Matt Arey along with Carhartt pro Caleb Sumrall what to expect.
Q: How will the erratic and inconsistent weather affect this four-day event?
Caleb Sumrall: “Weather is everything this week. These Florida fish are trying to get shallow and spawn, but the weather dictates when they’ll do it. The guy who wins this event will likely have to change what they are doing every single day. You’re going to have to play the conditions and make fast, confident decisions.”
Matt Arey: “Florida fish are constantly on the move this time of year. I think the changing weather will put a lot more fish in transition areas than usual, which makes staying on them tough. The weather each day will dictate where guys need to focus their efforts, and I’m guessing it’ll change day by day.”
Brandon Lester: “Thursdays forecast (high winds) will make boat positioning and sight fishing extremely difficult, which is usually what dominates the tournament after day 1 on this fishery. After that, we’ve got a cold front which will make the fishing all around tougher in my opinion. The weather is going to have a big affect for sure.”
Q: How much weight per day will it take to make the top 12 this week?
Caleb Sumrall: “I’m going to say 16-lbs. a day will be good this week.”
Matt Arey: “17-lbs. per day… realistically probably more.”
Brandon Lester: “15-lbs a day.”
Swindles Starting Fresh
Courtesy of Luke Stoner with Dynamic Sponsorships
Team Toyota pro Gerald Swindle was one of the final boats to pull up to the Palatka City Dock and Boat Ramp as the last light faded Tuesday night, marking the end of the Elite Series official practice for the Aftco Bassmaster Elite onthe St. Johns River. As always, his faithful wife LeAnn (aka “LuLu”) was waiting in the Tundra to help expedite the boat loading process.
The two time Bassmaster Angler of the Year is starting out his 2020 fishing seasons with plenty of change, and both Swindles agree they are starting this year fresh.
“Man I am coming at this season with a whole new perspective,” Swindle said with blatant honesty. “I’ll be straight up with you – 2019 was a tough year on me, tough year on both of us (referring to LuLu). With that being said, I think last year has allowed me to appreciate my career more.”
Its often said that good times are made better after experiencing some not-so-good times; and it’s true. For better or for worse it seems to take a few nasty days of rain, wind, or cold for us to truly appreciate the warm sunny days. You can dwell on or complain about those not-so-good days and let that negativity find rent in your head, or you can use the adversity as a lesson.
Swindle returned to the Bassmaster Elite Series this year and is entering into his 23rd year of fishing professionallywith optimism and focus. His passion for fishing and competing still burns as bright today as it did twenty-three years ago, and Swindle believes he is more driven this year than ever.
“I can focus better now than I could at the start of my career,” Swindle explained. “I embrace the grinder’s mentality nowadays in tournaments when that may have spun me out 20 years ago. Now I can keep my head down, fish my strengths, and stay on target for the full day. Sounds simple but that right there is important.”
The “G-Man” is coming into this season with a few performance-related goals as always, but different this year are a couple well-defined ambitions he and LuLu have that are bigger than “just fishing”. Swindle may be bass fishing’s funniest man, but those who know and follow himhave seen his genuine, reflective, and serious side, too.
“My number one goal for the year… Be Happy,” Swindle said sincerely. “LeAnn and I talked a lot about it this off-season and had time to think about it in a deer stand. Being happy is most important for both of us.
“Goal number two is to build relationships and try to be a positive role model for some of the younger Elite Series guys this year. I feel like I have a responsibility to help guys coming up on the off-the-water side of fishing. No one taught me the business side of this gig when I started. No one told me where to stay or the best places to eat when we roll into a new town. I want to lend a helping hand with those kinds of things.”
Swindle’s personality and on-the-water accomplishmentsput him in rarified air in the bass fishing history books, but he’s not done yet. With a renewed appreciation and focus on things like being happy, staying confident, and elevating his peers --his 23rd year of chasing bass may just be his best one yet.
Longtime Florida Pro Peter T previews this weeks Bassmaster Elite Series on the St. Johns River
Vance McCullough
Peter Thliveros is among the most successful tournament pros to ever come from North Florida. A native of the St Johns River, ‘Peter T’ has left the tournament business to his son, Nick and now spends time guiding on the big river that will host this weeks Bassmaster Elite Series tournament.
While he would be a great guide for anybody wanting to catch big Florida bass or our nearby saltwater species, today Thliveros is helping to guide my expectations for this week’s event. “I could be wrong, but my gut says 18 pounds a day will win it.
“Tough bite. The water temp is hovering around 60 degrees because the nights have still been cool. And that front that’s coming will not only cool the water, but the wind from it will eliminate a lot of the places these guys may want to fish.”
Specifically, Thliveros is thinking of a nice stand of eel grass on the east side of Lake George near the area where Cliff Pirch made the final cut last year. “A southwest wind is going to trash that area. You won’t even be able to fish it. It ain’t too calm out there today,” he says on the eve of competition. With an average depth of only 10 feet across its 72-square miles, Lake George blows up big waves in a hurry.
So, just find grass on the west side of the lake, right? “There is no vegetation,” except for the aforementioned patch. On the whole lake.
The veteran pro thinks we may see some nice stringers from the Astor area tucked away south of the big lake and hidden from harsh winds. Locals have reported seeing beautiful pads fields down there this winter amid the no-wake zones and manatee speed zones that slow travel through the area. Adding to the adventuresome run, anglers will have to negotiate any rough water that may arise on the 13-mile length of Lake George, whitecapped waves eating away at the tournament clock as they pound boat, rider and gear, the occasional blast of cold water spraying across the bow.
Famed springs along the west shore of Lake George will not be lonely places. “They’ll have all the boats they can hold. After the bedding fish get picked off it might slow down in there, but they’ll give up whatever they have to offer,” notes Thliveros. The spring-fed runs hold a constant water temperature near 70 degrees regardless of weather and water temperatures on the main lake.
Will the weather stack fish along productive main river shell bars that give up so many bass throughout the seasons? “This can be a tough time of year for that,” notes Thliveros. “You can’t count on those fish being there for four days. I remember a tournament where I caught them for two days offshore and then, after that bite died, I went to a canal and I was like ‘where did all these fish come from?’. They can leave those shell bars in hours. Every fish out there, just gone.
“But with this weather, they may not go right to the bank either. They may just be in limbo – not really deep anymore, but not yet shallow either. Hard to find. They’re going to be close to where they want to go, but maybe not on the beds yet.”
Look for spinnerbaits, bladed jigs, crankbaits – lipless or otherwise – to play a role this week. Worms always work well when things get slow in Florida.
As the expected cold front makes it way through the region, winds will blow form all directions on the compass rose. The highest, as brisk as 20 mph, will come late Thursday and throughout competition hours Friday, mainly from the southwest and west. A friendly blow from the east should greet anglers who make the cut and fish this weekend. The 40 pros who launch Saturday morning will likely do so in near-freezing temperatures. The final 10 contestants should enjoy a mild warm up of about 10 degrees on Sunday, setting up what may be the 2nd-most productive day of the tournament, tomorrow’s sight-fish-fueled opening round likely being the heaviest.
Thliveros made a couple of interesting picks with respect to guys we should watch this week.
“Cliff Prince might be able to put it together for 3 or 4 days because he knows those shell bars so well.” Prince is a local favorite which makes him a measuring stick of sorts. His experience on the river, coupled with how he does in this event, will give onlookers a good idea as to how well the St Johns itself is performing lately.
Then there’s the wildcard.
“Seth Feider. He was dropshoting in 20 feet last year. Nobody fishes that way down here. It’s not typical shell bar fishing. He targeted suspended fish, and some on bottom, in water deeper than we, locals, ever fish for them here – in 18-to-20 feet of water. Those are some of those ‘limbo’ fish that aren’t where they’re supposed to be.”
Last year the Elite Series hit the river just right and Rick Clunn took another St Johns Elite Series title with 98 pounds, 14 ounces – 34-14 of it coming on the final day. This year doesn’t promise quite such a show, but hoards of big bass live here and the fish could make massive moves, as could our anglers, any given hour of the event.
Stay tuned!
St. Johns River Readies for Toyota FLW Series Tournament
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: PALATKA, Fla. (Feb. 4, 2020) – The 2020 Toyota Series will continue their season next week at the St. Johns River, Feb. 13-15, with the Toyota Series at the St. Johns River. Hosted by the Putnam County Tourist Development Council, the three-day tournament will feature the best regional bass-fishing pros and co-anglers casting for a top prize of up to $65,000, plus a $35,000 bonus if the winner is a qualified Phoenix Boat owner.
“I think that with the way the weather is setting up, we’re going to hit this one just right,” said legendary pro angler Peter Thliveros of Saint Augustine, Florida, who has 13 top-10 finishes in FLW competition and more than $620,000 in career earnings. “It’s going to be optimum conditions for the spawn – 80-degree temperatures being forecast, a moon phase earlier that week – I think the water temperatures will really jump up and we’re going to see a mass movement of fish to the bank.
“That being said, we’re probably going to see some really impressive limits over the first few days of the event,” Thliveros continued. “The key is going to be sight fish and it’s one of those deals where it won’t be predictable. It’ll be happening as the tournament progresses and a guy that is on nothing can all of a sudden be in the right place at the right time and just stumble on to them.”
With a spawn tournament primarily on the radar, Thliveros expects anglers preferred soft-plastic of choice to be the key bait – craws, creature baits, tubes and worms. He also predicted that some fish would be caught on swimbaits and topwater baits throughout the week.
“Not all of the fish will spawn at one time, so I could see spinnerbaits and ChatterBaits playing a role as well,” he said.
“I predict that the winner will likely have between 60 to 65 pounds,” the Florida pro went on to say. “I expect a couple of guys will bust big limits – 20 to 25 pounds, maybe even 28 one day – and they’ll have a couple of solid limits to go with it. There are so many factors that go into a three-day tournament, and going into the last day the final outcome will likely not be obvious.”
Anglers will take off from Palatka Riverfront Park, located at 100 Memorial Parkway in Palatka at 7 a.m. EDT each day of competition. The weigh-ins will be held each day at Palatka Riverfront Park beginning at 3 p.m. All takeoffs and weigh-ins are free and open to the public.
In Toyota Series regular-season competition, payouts are based on the number of participants competing in the event, scaling up for every 20 boats over 160 and scaling down for every boat below 160. With a full field, pros will fish for a top prize of up to $65,000, plus an extra $35,000 if FLW PHOENIX BONUS qualified. Co-anglers will cast for the top prize of a brand new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard (valued at more than $30,000).
The Toyota Series consists of eight divisions – Central, Eastern, Northern, Plains, Southeastern, Southern, Southwestern and Western – each holding three regular-season events, along with the International division. Anglers who fish all three qualifiers in any of the eight divisions and finish in the top 25 will qualify for the no-entry-fee Toyota Series Championship for a shot at winning $200,000 cash, plus lucrative contingency bonuses. The winning co-angler at the championship earns a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard. The 2020 Toyota Series Championship is being held Nov. 5-7 on Lake Cumberland in Burnside, Kentucky, and is hosted by the Somerset Tourist & Convention Commission and the Burnside Tourism Commission.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Toyota Series on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
SPORTSMAN'S WAREHOUSE ANNOUNCES 3 NEW STORE LOCATIONS
WEST JORDAN, Utah, Jan. 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Sportsman's Warehouse Holdings, Inc. ("Sportsman's" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: SPWH), www.sportsmans.com, today announced plans to open new stores in Parker, Colorado, Brentwood, California and Corona, California this year. Local residents in these locations will soon be able to experience the Company's well-known, high level of customer service and quality, brand-name hunting, fishing, camping, shooting, apparel, and footwear merchandise in person at each store.
"As we continue to grow our brand and business, we are excited to expand our presence in Colorado and California. We look forward to offering our huge selection of high-quality merchandise, backed by our guaranteed, everyday low prices and local expertise to three new communities in these states," stated Jon Barker, Sportsman's CEO. "While we continue to expand in northern California with our Brentwood location, our new store in Corona will be our first store in Southern California. After the grand opening celebrations, we will have a total of 13 stores in California and 7 in Colorado."
These new stores are planned to open in 2020: Parker in February, Brentwood in August and Corona in October. Soon, local residents in these markets will be able to:
- Access an assortment of over 60,000 region-specific items accompanied by unsurpassed levels of customer service;
- Have fun and learn new skills with unique workshops, demonstrations and seminars for the entire family; and
- Enjoy grand opening celebrations with giveaways, doorbuster sales and more!
"While other competitors de-emphasize or exit the space, Sportsman's continues to opportunistically open new stores and grow our business through both ecommerce and store locations. We look forward to serving these communities through providing outstanding gear and exceptional service to inspire outdoor memories," continued Barker.
The three new locations in Parker, Brentwood and Corona are Sportsman's first announced store openings in 2020 with additional openings likely to be announced in the near future. Including the three new locations, Sportsman's will have a total of 107 stores in 27 states.
For more information about Sportsman's Warehouse, visit www.sportsmans.com.
ABT Podcast Featuring Cody Huff and Bassmasters Ronnie Moore!
This week the boys welcome in two time Toledo Bend Champ Cody Huff to the show to talk about his College Win two weeks ago and his Toyota FLW Series Win last week on Toledo Bend! Chris sits down with Bassmaster's Ronnie Moore at Grosse Savanne and of course we have plenty of mischief left in the show!
Humminbird® and Minn Kota® Expand Pro Roster for 2020 Bassmaster Elite Series
RACINE, Wis., February 4, 2020 – As the Bassmaster Elite Series kicks off the 2020 season this Thursday with the first event on the St. John’s River, Humminbird® and Minn Kota® announce a significant expansion to the team, adding 14 new pros to their list of sponsored Elite Series anglers.
New to the pro team are Patrick Walters, Greg DiPalma, Garrett Paquette, Buddy Gross, Ray Hanselman, Lee Livesay, Luke Palmer, Mike Huff, Bob Downey, Brad Whatley, Bill Weidler, Ed Loughran, Wes Logan and Chris Groh.
The new pro team members join Chris Zaldain, Matt Herren, Gerald Swindle, Brandon Palaniuk, Keith Combs, Seth Feider, Bill Lowen, Chad Pipkens, Jeff “Gussy” Gustafson, Carl Jocumsen, Koby Kreiger, Harvey Horne and Dale Hightower as anglers who will be tapping into the power of the One-Boat Network™ this season. Utilizing best in class technologies including Humminbird MEGA 360 Imaging™, the industry-leading Minn Kota Ultrex™, Lakemaster® mapping and Talon shallow water anchors and unmatched connectivity across these products will put these competitors at the top of their game as they tackle nine diverse fisheries over the course of the season.
“This group of anglers represents some of the best of the best, including proven Angler of the Year champions and young guns alike,” said Tim Price, Humminbird and Minn Kota Field Promotions Manager. “Combining their talents with best technology in the game is a recipe for success and we can’t wait to see how the season shapes up.”
Similar to last year, these anglers will be running Humminbird electronics, a Minn Kota Ultrex trolling motor and Talon shallow water anchors. Continuing its legacy of innovation, Minn Kota debuted the Built-In MEGA Side Imaging® in its Ultrex trolling motors last fall which allows anglers to run their boats confidently, while seeing the clearest, most precise images of structure and fish in real-time directly below and to either side of their boat.
The Minn Kota Ultrex changed the way anglers approach boat control by combining Spot-Lock™ – a GPS anchoring system with unparalleled accuracy – with power steering in an intuitive and responsive heel-toe foot pedal.
New for the 2020 season, anglers can spend more time fishing the most productive water and see fish more clearly with Humminbird’s MEGA 360 Imaging. MEGA 360 Imaging provides sonar clarity more than three-times traditional 455 kHz frequencies and is the only sonar option that gives a high-resolution 360-degree view around the boat and is integrated to allow full use of the trolling motor. MEGA 360 Imaging delivers a unique tool to see around the boat while fishing, which can be used simultaneously with Spot-Lock and other Minn Kota boat control features without interfering with sonar returns.
For more information visit www.humminbird.com or www.minnkotamotors.com.
COX, HOWELL JOIN T-H MARINE IN 2020 PRO STAFF ANNOUNCEMENT
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Hible & Christian win TTZ Lake Travis event with 19 even!
| PL | ANGLER 1 | ANGLER 2 | FISH | BIG BASS | WT | PRIZE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | RANDY HIBLER | RANDALL CHRISTIAN | 5 | 19.00 | $10,000 + 1st Place Side Pot $2,750 | |
| 2 | JJ LARSON | JASON LARSON | 5 | 7.41 | 18.39 | $5,000 |
| 3 | BYRON ALBRECHT | MIKE JOHNSON | 5 | 17.11 | $3,500 + 2nd Place Side Pot $1,100 | |
| 4 | TERRY HALL | LYNN PIERCE | 5 | 17.04 | $2,250 + 3rd Place Side Pot $825 | |
| 5 | TERRY WILLIAMS JR | BILLY WALDSCHMIDT | 5 | 15.82 | $1,750 | |
| 6 | BRIAN BUSTILLOZ | CODY RANDOLPH | 5 | 7.45 | 15.50 | $1,500 + $1900 BIG BASS + 4th Place Side Pot $550 |
| 7 | ROBERT BUCHANAN | 5 | 14.83 | $1,250 | ||
| 8 | DONNIE ROSS | DAMON ROSS | 5 | 5.39 | 14.63 | $1,000 |
| 9 | SHAWN TAMEZ | CRAIG CORDOVA | 5 | 14.59 | $800 | |
| 10 | DEREK TAYLOR | JOHN-MICHAEL DUNAWAY | 5 | 5.92 | 14.32 | $700 |
| 11 | TONY FERDINANDO | SHANE LOGAN | 5 | 14.21 | $600 + 5th Place Side Pot $275 | |
| 12 | SETH FISHER | MARION KOPF | 5 | 6.47 | 14.18 | $550 |
| 13 | DENNIS BECK | MICHAEL BECK | 5 | 13.77 | $500 | |
| 14 | JAKE KENNAMER | CARSON CONKLIN | 5 | 13.71 | $450 | |
| 15 | TODD IVINS | SCOTT SMITH | 5 | 13.65 | $425 | |
| 16 | CLINT MAREK | CODY GARRETT | 5 | 13.60 | $400 | |
| 17 | CHRIS WILKINSON | MASON WILKINSON(Y) | 4 | 13.25 | $375 | |
| 18 | DUSTIN SMITH | JARED SMITH | 5 | 12.96 | $350 | |
| 19 | JOHN WARDEN | CHARLES DORTCH | 5 | 12.60 | $325 | |
| 20 | JASON MURPHREE | PATRICK AMICK | 5 | 6.48 | 12.36 | $300 |
| 21 | HAL GATEWOOD | RYAN KACZMAREK | 5 | 12.32 | ||
| 21 | TRAVIS COCKERHAM | LOGAN CLARK | 5 | 12.32 | ||
| 23 | RAY TOMASITS | CARY LAUDADIO | 5 | 12.18 | ||
| 24 | DIRK AMAN | DANIEL WESSMAN | 5 | 12.03 | ||
| 25 | JASON OLIVO | JOEY RODRIGUEZ | 5 | 12.01 | ||
| 26 | MATT HILL | BARRY MOTT | 5 | 11.93 | ||
| 27 | JOHNNY RAY | JASON TRUITT | 5 | 11.86 | ||
| 28 | MARK RIBERA | RICK RIBERA | 5 | 11.82 | ||
| 28 | DEVIN GIBSON | BOB PRESCOTT | 5 | 11.82 | ||
| 30 | DON GORDON | JAMES ROBERTS | 5 | 11.79 | ||
| 31 | DONNIE O'NEAL | BILLY MCCRARY II | 5 | 11.78 | ||
| 32 | BILL MCANN | WAYLON PAPST | 5 | 11.52 | ||
| 33 | DEAN ALEXANDER | ADRIAN SANCHEZ | 5 | 11.50 | ||
| 34 | WILL BERNHARD | DARYL PRICE | 5 | 11.48 | ||
| 34 | TREY GROCE | JOE BILL HALE | 5 | 11.48 | ||
| 34 | PHILIP THOMPSON | THOMAS HOWE | 5 | 11.48 | ||
| 37 | BRYAN SCOTT | TYLER TORWICK | 5 | 11.46 | ||
| 38 | JIMMY CHAPMAN | KENNETH CUMMINS | 5 | 11.44 | ||
| 39 | GARRETT HENNIG | BRANDON MCQUEEN | 5 | 11.36 | ||
| 40 | STEVE MAGNELIA | CLINT ROBERTSON | 5 | 11.27 | ||
| 40 | ALLEN GASS | JOHN RATLIFF | 5 | 11.27 | ||
| 42 | BRIAN MATER | PHIL WARREN | 5 | 11.12 | ||
| 43 | GARY JOHNSON | MIKE SODEN | 5 | 11.10 | ||
| 44 | BRETT ORLICH | GARY FERGUSON | 5 | 11.08 | ||
| 45 | CONNER ISELT | JOSH SOROKA | 5 | 11.07 | ||
| 46 | JAMES CANTWELL | DONNA CANTWELL | 5 | 11.05 | ||
| 47 | JUSTIN STEWART | BRODE PICKENS | 5 | 11.03 | ||
| 48 | DALE READ | JIM SUNVISON | 5 | 10.96 | ||
| 48 | EDDIE PELFREY | JACKY ROBERTS | 5 | 10.96 | ||
| 48 | BRENT SMITH | RANDY FESLER | 5 | 10.96 | ||
| 51 | GARY WEIMER | JEREMIAH WAFFORD | 5 | 10.89 | ||
| 52 | JEFF HAGER | DAVID PEMBERTON | 5 | 10.85 | ||
| 53 | HUNTER PRICE | WYATT RAE | 5 | 10.84 | ||
| 54 | DAVID BUECHE | 5 | 10.82 | |||
| 55 | JAYSON KISSELBURG | DEAN GOLMON | 5 | 10.80 | ||
| 56 | KELLEY MAULDIN | LOYD WARD | 5 | 10.77 | ||
| 57 | JOSH LASSETER | ROBERT MILLER | 5 | 10.75 | ||
| 58 | JAMES WHITE | WAYNE ALBERTHAL | 5 | 10.74 | ||
| 58 | MICHAEL MASTERS | ROBERT MASTERS | 5 | 10.74 | ||
| 60 | STERLING MARTIN | JUSTIN MADDING | 5 | 10.73 | ||
| 61 | BUBBA WAMPLER | HANK FRY | 5 | 10.67 | ||
| 61 | MICHAEL WERSIG | 5 | 10.67 | |||
| 63 | RYAN BODE | BLAKE STASIUNAS | 5 | 10.62 | ||
| 64 | CHARLES WHITED | BRENDAN KENNELL | 5 | 10.53 | ||
| 65 | KEN EVERETT | LARRY SMITH | 5 | 10.51 | ||
| 66 | STAN KAMINSKI | CODY BAILEY | 5 | 10.40 | ||
| 67 | JEFF ACHILLES | PHILIP HENDERSON | 5 | 10.31 | ||
| 68 | JUSTIN HUMMEL | LEONARD DEBRASKA | 5 | 10.28 | ||
| 69 | DAVID REID | ROBBIE THORSTEINSON | 5 | 10.17 | ||
| 70 | CHRISTOPHER WASHINGTON | JARRID HOHENSEE | 5 | 10.08 | ||
| 70 | LANCE DILLARD | BLAKE DILLARD | 5 | 10.08 | ||
| 72 | JARROD SANDERS | MICHAEL WALDROP | 5 | 10.06 | ||
| 73 | STEVE BAILEY | CHRIS BREWTON | 5 | 10.03 | ||
| 74 | KEITH VERDECANNA | CLIFF HOLDER | 5 | 9.97 | ||
| 75 | ROBERT ETHERIDGE | COLTON ETHERIDGE | 5 | 9.96 | ||
| 76 | SPENCER SCHNEIDER | BRIAN HUGHES | 5 | 9.93 | ||
| 77 | MICHAEL ATKINS | BRINTON HASKINS | 5 | 9.90 | ||
| 78 | BRANDON BRAY | JESSE FRY | 5 | 9.83 | ||
| 79 | DANIEL ABERNATHY | DAVID LINDLEY | 5 | 9.82 | ||
| 80 | RANDALL BEAUCHAMP | REGINA BEAUCHAMP | 5 | 9.79 | ||
| 81 | DEREK MCNABB | KYLE JENKINS | 5 | 9.75 | ||
| 82 | JAMIE SLAYDEN | BRANDON HOUSTON | 5 | 9.74 | ||
| 83 | JR BRIANT | JAMES DEISO | 5 | 9.69 | ||
| 84 | PHILLIP MASSOLETTI | NOEL LOWE | 5 | 9.62 | ||
| 85 | SHAWN MARKGRAFF | TRENT BLAKE | 5 | 9.61 | ||
| 86 | TOBY TUCKER | GARRETT WILKINS | 5 | 9.60 | ||
| 87 | DARREL ROUTON | JACK CULBREATH | 5 | 9.46 | ||
| 88 | PRESTON DANNA | PHILLIP WALKER | 5 | 9.44 | ||
| 89 | RONNY MAYNARD | ERIC CRUMLEY | 5 | 9.40 | ||
| 90 | JASON PATUREAU | LOUIE MALLERNEE | 5 | 9.29 | ||
| 91 | DAVID SCHWERTNER | DAVID RIDLEY III | 5 | 9.26 | ||
| 92 | DENNIS WHITED JR | MAX KIPP | 5 | 9.15 | ||
| 93 | JAY JOHNSON | EASTON JOHNSON | 5 | 9.14 | ||
| 94 | LEONARD PHILIPP | HUNTER ARTHUR | 5 | 8.97 | ||
| 95 | BRAD DENTON | TOM GRIDLEY | 5 | 8.88 | ||
| 96 | DOUG GEORGE | MERLE GEORGE | 5 | 8.72 | ||
| 97 | JEFFREY HUNTER | JASPER HUNTER(Y) | 5 | 8.64 | ||
| 98 | BRANDON JONES | THOMAS WEIMER | 5 | 8.61 | ||
| 98 | TOM PURSELL | MATT PURYEAR | 5 | 8.61 | ||
| 100 | RICHIE LAND | SCOTT ROSS | 5 | 8.58 | ||
| 100 | JOHN HAND | JERAD POOL | 5 | 8.58 | ||
| 102 | JUSTYN PARRISH | GARRIT AFMAN | 5 | 8.55 | ||
| 102 | COLT DIETZ | HEATH GRANT | 5 | 8.55 | ||
| 104 | BLAIR COBBLE | RAEANN COBBLE | 5 | 8.54 | ||
| 105 | MIKE HARMAN | WESLEY MCCLAIN | 5 | 8.49 | ||
| 106 | CODY BARCHENGER | HERMAN GEORGE | 4 | 8.27 | ||
| 106 | JASON BUCHANAN | TERRY KIRCUS | 5 | 8.27 | ||
| 108 | KENNETH FAIRLY | JUSTIN WISIAN | 5 | 8.19 | ||
| 109 | TRAVIS DAUGHERTY | COLTON BEAN(Y) | 3 | 8.09 | ||
| 110 | MICKEY SANDERS | ROGER MEEK | 5 | 8.05 | ||
| 110 | NATHEN LABAY | BRANDON BUSSELL | 4 | 8.05 | ||
| 112 | DANIEL BARNES | ADRIAN BARNES | 5 | 7.97 | ||
| 113 | CHAD KALLINA | ERIC JOHNSON | 5 | 7.90 | ||
| 114 | STEPHEN MALINA | TRAVIS PROFFITT | 4 | 7.85 | ||
| 115 | DUSTAN OUSTAD | CHRIS HOOTEN | 4 | 7.82 | ||
| 116 | MATTHEW HATHAWAY | THOMAS MYERS | 4 | 7.62 | ||
| 117 | RANDY GROUNDS | LEE BEUERSHAUSEN | 3 | 7.58 | ||
| 118 | AUSTIN QUIET | BRIAN ARABIE | 4 | 7.57 | ||
| 119 | JAMES DORTCH | CLINTON HOLSTINE | 4 | 7.43 | ||
| 120 | RANDALL GARCIA | 4 | 7.24 | |||
| 121 | JOSEPH GONZALES | CHRIS NEWBERG | 4 | 7.14 | ||
| 122 | KEVIN THRESS | JUSTIN MAY | 5 | 7.00 | ||
| 123 | RONNIE WISDOM | JAMES WILKINSON | 4 | 6.88 | ||
| 124 | CHRIS BERTELSON | QUINN VANCE | 4 | 6.84 | ||
| 125 | DAVID ACHILLES | JOHN MILLS | 4 | 6.77 | ||
| 126 | LANDRE WILSON | JIM WILSON | 5 | 6.74 | ||
| 127 | GROVER CHAMBLISS | RONALD YOUNG | 4 | 6.65 | ||
| 128 | CRIS TATUM | JUSTIN TATUM | 4 | 5.89 | ||
| 129 | RICK HAMILTON | TONY MALDONADO | 2 | 5.78 | ||
| 130 | TOM GUIDRY | DUSTIN ISBELL | 3 | 5.22 | ||
| 131 | BRYAN RICHARDS | MAT KEVIL | 2 | 5.18 | ||
| 132 | DAVID MILLER | JOSH BALADEZ | 2 | 5.16 | ||
| 133 | DAVID STEPHENS | BILL KIMBERLY | 3 | 5.15 | ||
| 134 | SHAE SEALE | LARRY HOLYBEE | 2 | 5.03 | ||
| 135 | JOHN HALLEY | JAMES SCOTT | 3 | 4.90 | ||
| 136 | STEVE THIEL | GEORGE CASTLEBERRY | 3 | 4.79 | ||
| 137 | JASON RANFT | JEREMY ANZVALDE | 3 | 4.76 | ||
| 138 | MATT RUSSELL | DEAN JONES | 3 | 4.49 | ||
| 139 | PHILLIP SMITH | HAYDEN SMITH(Y) | 2 | 3.77 | ||
| 140 | MATTHEW WHITTINGTON | DAVE MANGELSDORF | 2 | 3.58 | ||
| 141 | MICHAEL KILE | BRIAN KILE | 2 | 3.34 | ||
| 142 | CASEY COLLINS | CALEB COLLINS(Y) | 1 | 2.26 | ||
| 143 | ZACHRY AKERS | WILLIAM JACOBSEN | 1 | 1.54 | ||
| 144 | DILLON KOPACZ | JUSTIN DAVIS | 1 | 1.49 | ||
| 145 | JAMES JONES | LINCOHN JONES(Y) | ||||
| 145 | MIKE PICKWELL | FRANK WIGET | ||||
| 145 | DAVID HICKS | |||||
| 145 | JOE LOOZE | DYLAN LOOZE | ||||
| 145 | STEVEN KIRKWOOD | |||||
| 145 | ANTHONY RIBERA | |||||
| 145 | NORM WILSON JR | NORM WILSON SR | ||||
| 145 | CHRIS CONNER | CHUCK BROOKE | ||||
| 145 | JOHNNY ALLEN | DANIEL GIBSON | ||||
| 145 | CHARLES YOUNG | RONNIE ANDREWS | ||||
| 145 | DARRELL WUENSCHE | |||||
| 145 | BRYAN COTTER | JUSTIN FISHER | ||||
| 145 | ROBBIE BEARDMORE | ROBERT BEARDMORE | ||||
| 145 | CHUCK WARE | CODY FRAISER | ||||
| 145 | CJ OATES | DERON MUELLER JR | ||||
| 145 | BLAYNE THOMPSON | DANIEL MCCUE | ||||
| 145 | RICK LOWE | BRONWYN LOWE | ||||
| 145 | FRED CATES | MARK COLLIER | ||||
| 145 | TONY THOMPSON | KYLE FORD | ||||
| 145 | JOHN KAPALDO | DONNIE WEBER | ||||
| 145 | JAMES HESTER | NEAL CHILDERS | ||||
| 145 | LEE BENTON | CODY SMITH | ||||
| 145 | JOE DUCK | LORNE DORNAK | ||||
| 145 | RUSTY REEDY | STEVE MAPLES | ||||
| 145 | JAY FRAZIER | JOE BRAY | ||||
| 145 | DEE WILLS | DEWAYNE HARNED | ||||
| 145 | JOHN WEBBER | COREY MARTENSON | ||||
| 145 | GRANT GOODNER | JAMES GOODNER | ||||
| 145 | KAENA FREITAS | ANDY ZAVALA | ||||
| 145 | CRAIG BULLOCK | DAVID BARATZ | ||||
| 145 | EVAN COLEMAN | SAM STONE | ||||
| 145 | NATHAN BOWERS | HUNTER OWENS | ||||
| 145 | ANTHONY SKOUBY | BOBBY ACOSTA | ||||
| 145 | ANDY TOLLEY | TYLER TOLLEY | ||||
| 145 | BLAKE ARAPIS | GLENN WILSON | ||||
| 145 | CODY HAMER | MIKE HAMER | ||||
| 145 | DEREK KURYKENDALL | FORREST WILSON | ||||
| 145 | MICHAEL ZIBERT | KIMBERLY ZIBERT | ||||
| 145 | BRANDON ODELL | SAM CASTRO | ||||
| 145 | MYLES SCHOPFER | MYLES SCHOPFER JR(Y) | ||||
| 145 | MARIO GOMEZ | JOSH MCGUIRE | ||||
| 145 | MATT FORBIS | TYLER FORBIS(Y) | ||||
| 145 | DAVID HESSKEW | NICK CASTLEBERRY | ||||
| 145 | AUSTIN CRANFORD | SHYAN STALLINGS | ||||
| 145 | MARK HARMON | JERRY HARMON | Mark Harmon Shimano Loyalty Winner | |||
| 145 | JOEY MARTIN | GREG MEHAFFEY | Pre-Registration Winner- Shimano Curado Rod Joey Martin-Shimano Loyalty Winner |
Mark Mueck and Kaden Mueck Win Inaugural Outlaw Team Series event with over 24 pounds!
Congratulations to the father-son team of Mark Mueck and Kaden Mueck for bringing in 24.06 lbs and taking home $11,000. We also added $6,100 to The Outlaw Team Series Championship Fund.
1st Place - Mark Mueck & Kaden Mueck 24.06 lbs
2nd Place - Bryan Lohr & Harold Moore 22.53 lbs
3rd Place - Danny Iles & Brian Shook 22.12 lbs
4th Place - Cory Rambo & Rusty Clark 21.64 lbs
5th Place - Norman Land & Travis Moore 19.45 lbs
6th Place - Kevin Lasyone & Jim Dillard 18.98 lbs
Full Results can be found here:
Garmin® signs multiyear deal to sponsor Bassmaster Tournament Trail
OLATHE, Kan./Feb. 4, 2020/Business Wire – Garmin International, Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ:GRMN), the world’s leading marine electronics manufacturer1, today announced it has signed a three-year deal to become a sponsor of the Bassmaster Tournament Trail, beginning with the first Bassmaster Elite Series event on the St. Johns River in Palatka, Fla., Feb. 6-9, 2020.
“Garmin is proud to be a supporting sponsor of B.A.S.S. and further strengthen our continued relationship with this iconic fishing brand,” said Dave Dunn, Garmin director of marine sales.
“We are deeply committed to the freshwater fishing industry, and the Bassmaster Tournament Trail is a great place for us to showcase our award-winning products and technologies to anglers of all ages and skill levels.”
Garmin will be a supporting sponsor for the Bassmaster Elite Series, Basspro.com Bassmaster Opens 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 and the grass-roots TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation regional and championship tournaments. As a sponsor, Garmin will have an opportunity to engage with avid fans during the Bassmaster Outdoors Expo at Elite events and live weigh-ins for other trail series tournaments.
“B.A.S.S. fans and anglers are not only enthusiastic about fishing and boating, they genuinely enjoy spending time outdoors,” said Bruce Akin, B.A.S.S. CEO. “That makes Garmin a natural fit to team with our tournament series to reach an audience that is passionate about living an active lifestyle.”
The relationship between Garmin and B.A.S.S. is already strong, with 18 members of the Garmin national pro team competing on the 2020 Bassmaster Elite Series, ranging from veteran anglers Todd Auten and Clark Wendlandt to newcomer Bryan Schmitt.
Garmin was recently named Manufacturer of the Year for the fifth consecutive year by the National Marine Electronics Association (NMEA), an honor given to the most recognized marine electronics company for support of products in the field. Garmin’s portfolio includes some of the industry’s most sophisticated chartplotters and touchscreen multifunction displays, sonar technology, high-definition radar, autopilots, high-resolution mapping, sailing instrumentation, audio, entertainment and other products and services that are known for innovation, reliability, and ease-of-use. Other Garmin marine brands include Navionics®, Fusion® and EmpirBus™.
For more than 30 years, Garmin has pioneered new GPS navigation and wireless devices and applications that are designed for people who live an active lifestyle. Garmin serves five primary business units, including automotive, aviation, fitness, marine, and outdoor recreation. For more information, visit Garmin's virtual pressroom at garmin.com/newsroom, contact the Media Relations department at 913-397-8200, or follow us at facebook.com/garmin, twitter.com/garminnews, or youtube.com/garmin.
Unpredictable Florida Weather Will Be A Factor In Bassmaster Elite Series Opener
January 31, 2020
PALATKA, Fla. — The St. Johns River is a fertile fishery with proven big-bass potential, but local Bassmaster Elite Series pro Cliff Prince said the fishery will provide a challenging chessboard when the Elites kick off their 2020 season there.
Competition days will be Thursday through Sunday, with daily takeoffs from Palatka City Dock and Boat Ramp at 7:15 a.m. ET. Weigh-ins will be held at 3:15 p.m. at Palatka Riverfront Park.
Grass will play a role — or more specifically, the lack thereof. Historically, the St. Johns has held lush fields of eelgrass, but the majority of this thin-bladed vegetation fell victim to a one-two punch delivered in 2017 when Hurricane Irma ripped up existing grass and dumped a massive volume of water into the system. Dark outflows from local swamps blocked sunlight and impeded regeneration.
The habitat picture was also dire last February when the Elite Series opened its season on the St. Johns. But the event benefitted from a major meteorological whip cracking, and B.A.S.S. legend Rick Clunnclaimed his 16th Bassmaster victory with an astounding 98 pounds, 14 ounces.
Prince says weather patterns may sway the script again.
“Last year, we had the perfect storm of conditions,” said Prince, who lives in Palatka and considers the St. Johns his home fishery. “We had a month of really cold weather and then all of a sudden, we had a week of 80 degrees. If the forecast holds, I don’t foresee another scenario like that.
“We are going to have a full moon on Saturday of the tournament, so you know there’s going to be some big females pulling up (shallow) somewhere. It’s just a matter of how many and who can capitalize on that.”
Stretching 310 miles from its marshy headwaters in Lower Indian River County to its Atlantic Ocean exit through Jacksonville’s Mayport Inlet, the St. Johns is Florida’s longest and its only north-flowing river. Fed mostly be storm water and natural springs, the St. Johns’ low flow rate of 0.3 mph classifies it as a “lazy” river.
That being said, the St. Johns’ coastal connection also makes it a partially tidal fishery. As Prince notes, daily ebb and flow fluctuates the water level in 72-square-mile Lake George — the most commonly fished pool, located south of the tournament’s takeoff and weigh-in site — and nearby Crescent Lake.
Noting that the lack of eelgrass will make the St. Johns fish small, Prince said the one significant patch on the east side of Lake George may be less productive than normal.
“The wind’s supposed to blow out of the west for a week, so that patch of grass is going to get (disrupted),” he said.
While the primary habitat source may be lacking, the St. Johns River and its major pools offer several viable options. Offshore shell bars often hold staging prespawners, while laydowns, stumps and loads of docks provide substantial targets.
“There’s a lot more vegetation — pads, hyacinth, pennywort — south of Lake George,” Prince said. “I don’t go down there a lot, just because of the no-wake zones and (manatee) speed zones, but some guys may capitalize on that.”
In the floating vegetation, flipping/punching beaver-style baits will produce. Similarly, dock and laydown fish like those Texas rigs and jigs. For searching open water, Prince suggests lipless baits, spinnerbaits, bladed jigs and topwaters.
A full field of 88 anglers will fish the first two days, with only the Top 40 making it to Saturday’s semifinal round. Only the Top 10 remaining anglers will advance to Championship Sunday with a chance to win the $100,000 first-place prize.
Prince said he expects 15 pounds a day to make the Top 10 Championship Sunday cut, but fireworks are never far away.
“If you look back in the history of the Elites visiting the St. Johns, the person that wins always has a 28- to 31-pound bag,” Prince said. “Somebody’s going to run into three big ones in a day — somebody always does.”
The AFTCO Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River is being hosted by the Putnam County Chamber of Commerce.
Johnson Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Lake Lanier
Gainesville’s Thompson Wins Co-angler Division
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: GAINESVILLE, Ga. (Feb. 3, 2020) – Boater Jason Johnson of Dawsonville, Georgia, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 19 pounds, 1 ounce to win the 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine at Lake Lanier in Gainesville, Georgia. For his victory, Johnson earned a total of $13,596, including the lucrative $7,000 FLW PHOENIX Bonus contingency award. The victory was the first win of Johnson’s FLW career.
“I’ve been close in the Bass Fishing League events several time, and it feels great to finally get a win,” said Johnson, who earned his first victory after eight prior top-10 finishes in FLW competition. “It’s even sweeter with the new Phoenix contingency award. It made for a really good payday.”
Johnson said that he spent his tournament day fishing on the south end of the lake, near the Buford Dam. He targeted timberlines in 35 to 50 feet of water – where the timber met off of a point or hump – and had 12 bites all day, landing nine.
“It was pretty much Lanier staples – a shaky-head and drop-shot rig,” he said. “I’ve fished quite a few local tournaments over the past couple of weekends and I just got lucky that the fish have been there every week and are staying in their wintertime patterns.”
Johnson said his key drop-shot rig was a hologram dawn-colored Zoom Z3 original worm, as he caught three of his five keepers by dropping the bait directly to them after seeing them on his Lowrance units. He also added a few fish on a Georgia Blade ½-ounce green-pumpkin-colored jig and a ½-ounce SpotSticker Underspin with an albino-colored Zoom Fluke Jr.
“I’m signed up for all of the Savannah River division events as well,” Johnson went on to say. “I’m looking forward to fishing at Lake Keowee next weekend and I’m going to try my best to qualify for that BFL Regional tournament on Lanier in October.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:
1st: Jason Johnson of Dawsonville, Ga., five bass, 19-1, $6,596
2nd: Mitchell Mullins of Gainesville, Ga., five bass, 18-11, $2,798
3rd: Nathan Ragsdale of Athens, Ga., five bass, 17-10, $1,867
4th: Joe Eubanks of Marietta, Ga., five bass, 17-8, $1,306
5th: Jason Densmore of Dawsonville, Ga., five bass, 16-13, $1,119
6th: Clabion Johns of Social Circle, Ga., five bass, 16-10, $1,931
7th: Rusty Evans of Roswell, Ga., five bass, 16-3, $933
8th: Jerry Brumfield of Cumming, Ga., five bass, 16-1, $839
9th: Phil Johnson of Alpharetta, Ga., five bass, 15-11, $746
10th: Brad Wiley of Alto, Ga., five bass, 15-8, $653
Complete results can be found at FLWFishzing.com.
Johns brought a 5-pound, 2-ounce bass to the scale to win the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $905.
Johnson took home an extra $7,000 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.
Justin Thompson of Gainesville, Georgia, won the Co-angler Division and $2,798 Saturday after catching a five-bass limit weighing 14 pounds, 8 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:
1st: Justin Thompson of Gainesville, Ga., five bass, 14-8, $2,798
2nd: David Quintero of Flowery Branch, Ga., five bass, 14-7, $1,851
3rd: David Uselton of McDonough, Ga., five bass, 14-5, $931
4th: William Mercer of Cumming, Ga., five bass, 14-0, $653
5th: Tyler Pendley of Jasper, Ga., five bass, 13-4, $560
6th: Brent Thomas of Cleveland, Ga., five bass, 13-0, $513
7th: Kyle Rogers of Cleveland, Ga., five bass, 12-13, $466
8th: Levon Fattal of Suwanee, Ga., five bass, 12-7, $420
9th: Tim Greene of Loganville, Ga., five bass, 12-4, $373
10th: Nicholas Ray of Milledgeville, Ga., five bass, 11-15, $326
Quintero caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 4 pounds, 12 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $452.
The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on Lake Lanier was hosted by the Gainesville Convention & Visitors Bureau. It was the opening event of five qualifying tournaments in the Bulldog division.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the Bulldog 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 18-foot Phoenix bass boat with a 200-horsepower 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.
Date Change Announced For Bassmaster Open At Lake Hartwell
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 3, 2020
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Officials announced a schedule change today for the 2020 Basspro.com Bassmaster Eastern Open on Lake Hartwell in Anderson, S.C. This three-day event has been moved to Sept. 23-25 to accommodate the Clemson University football schedule, which was released last week.
The Eastern Division points race and the Elite Series berths that go with it will be on the line when anglers launch onto the storied waters of Lake Hartwell in Anderson, S.C. — site of three previous Bassmaster Classics and six major B.A.S.S. events.
“The decision to move dates, while not easy, was made in the best interest of the anglers,” said Neil Paul, Executive Director of Visit Anderson, which is hosting the Basspro.com Bassmaster Eastern Open on Lake Hartwell. “Our commitment is to provide the best experience for the competitors and their families during their time in our community, and this change will allow us to provide that experience.”
While always popular and competitive, the Bassmaster Opens have garnered even deeper interest in 2020 as massive changes in the pro fishing industry have many of sportfishing’s biggest names — like Anderson’s-own Brian Latimer, Scott Martin, Randy Blaukat and Andrew Upshaw — competing in all eight Opens this year to try and earn a coveted spot in the Bassmaster Elite Series.
“It’s the most interesting dynamic we’ve ever had for the Opens — and without a doubt, the toughest field we’ve ever had,” said Chris Bowes, tournament director for the Bassmaster Opens. “Maybe the best thing about it is that there’s a young kid out there right now, ready to fish these events. He’s looking at the list, seeing all these big names and he’s not scared one bit. He’s just ready for the challenge.”
In addition to the event payout of $250,400 (based on a field of 150 anglers), anglers in both the pro and nonboater divisions will be competing for Falcon Rods Bassmaster Angler of the Year points. The AOY award comes with a $10,000 prize for the overall points winner in the pro division. The top co-angler will earn entry fees into the 2021 Basspro.com Bassmaster Opens division of his or her choice — a value of approximately $7,200.
Missouri’s Huff Wins Toyota Series Season Opener on Toledo Bend Reservoir
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: MANY, La. (Feb. 1, 2020) – Boater Cody Huff of Ava, Missouri – a standout collegiate angler for Bethel University – brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday totaling 17 pounds, 15 ounces to win the three-day Toyota Series at Toledo Bend Reservoir. Huff’s three-day total of 15 bass weighing 61-11 gave him the win by a commanding 7-pound, 11-ounce margin and earned him a payout of $35,395 in the season opening Toyota Series event.
Huff has had a pretty good run on Toledo Bend over the last two weeks. First, he and Bethel University partner Dakota Pierce won the Bassmaster College Series event on Toledo Bend last week. After driving home to drop Pierce off, Huff returned earlier this week for another round on the Sabine River impoundment. Three more days of fishing later, he locked up the first FLW win of his career.
The Missouri angler played a simple game plan throughout both the college event and the Toyota Series event – fish like he would back home in the Ozarks with a jigging spoon for suspended fish. However, he didn’t come south with that game plan in mind.
“The fish were shallower early last week in the mouths of the creeks, but when that cold front hit, it moved them,” said Huff, who was competing in his ninth event as a boater on the Toyota Series. “The first day of the college tournament we caught them close to the creeks, the second day halfway out and the third day out in the main river channel.”
That wave of fish movement is almost exactly how things shook out this week. The bait and bass pushed halfway back towards the creeks from the river channel over the first two days. On the final day, Huff had to scramble around to relocate the fish back near the main channel.
Working three primary areas from Cypress Bend Park down to just north of Housen Bay, Huff spent the majority of his time in anywhere from 40 to 70 feet of water scanning with his electronics to stay with the bait and the bass. Suspended bass were the target and the higher they sat in the water, the easier they were to catch.
“From 11 o’clock on those bass started to group up and that’s when you could really catch them,” the 22-year-old pro said. “Whenever you’d see them in that 15- to 30-foot range, they’re catchable. When they get below that they’re not really feeding, but when they’re up in and around that bait you can catch them.”
Even though sun would help to group the bass up, the bright skies on Saturday had Huff scrambling for a bite with two hours to go. Having only a small spotted bass and keeper largemouth in the box shortly after noon, Huff was beginning to wonder if his luck had run out.
“I thought today was the perfect conditions and I was going to stroke them,” he said. “I pulled up to two of my best places and there wasn’t a ball of bait within a mile. The best place had them good for the last two weeks, and they were gone. I checked it four or five times today and they never pulled up.”
Once the day got nice and the wind calmed down, Huff revisited a spot he checked in the morning.
“With two hours to go I catch a 3-pounder and see there is a mega-school down there,” said Huff. “One of the biggest schools I’ve seen all week. I flipped back and only one fish comes to meet my spoon out of the school and follows it for three or four jerks and about that time I lock up and it’s an 8-8. I got a limit and with about 30 minutes left my trolling motor batteries were so dead that my foot pedal wouldn’t even move on my Ultrex, so I came in.”
One rod is all Huff needed on Toledo Bend and a 7/8-ounce jigging spoon was the ticket. He threw it on a 6-foot, 8-inch Johnny Morris Signature Series rod with a 7.8:1 Johnny Morris Signature Series reel spooled up with 12-pound Sufix Advance Fluorocarbon line.
The top 10 pros on Toledo Bend Reservoir finished:
1st: Cody Huff, Ava, Mo., 15 bass, 61-11, $35,395
2nd: David Curtis, Trinity, Texas, 15 bass, 54-0, $14,134
3rd: Matthew Boyt, Converse, La., 15 bass, 50-13, $10,168
4th: Stephen Johnston, Hemphill, Texas, 15 bass, 49-7, $8,589
5th: Justin O’Brian Cooper, Zwolle, La., 15 bass, 49-3, $7,626
6th: Chris Lewis, Longview, Texas, 15 bass, 48-14, $6,779
7th: Darold Gleason, Many, La., 15 bass, 48-11, $5,932
8th: Benjamin Gulett, Converse, La., 15 bass, 46-11, $5,084
9th: Cody Pitt, Many, La., 13 bass, 41-4, $4,237
10th: Phil Marks, Dallas, Texas, 12 bass, 38-10, $3,389
A complete list of results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Johnston brought a mammoth bass to the scale Thursday weighing 10 pounds, 7 ounces, to earn the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $115.
Robert Kessler of Spring, Texas, won the Co-angler Division Saturday with a three-day total of 13 bass weighing 36 pounds, 13 ounces. For his win, Kessler took home the top prize package of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard motor, worth $27,000.
The top 10 co-anglers on Toledo Bend Reservoir finished:
1st: Robert Kessler, Spring, Texas, 13 bass, 36-13, $27,077
2nd: Hugh Rose, Davis, Okla., 14 bass, 33-7, $4,313
3rd: Dustin Robinson, Glendale, Ariz., 14 bass, 33-5, $3,450
4th: Rusty Harvey, Lumberton, Texas, 12 bass, 33-2, $3,019
5th: Aubrey Hyde, Winnfield, La., 10 bass, 27-11, $2,588
6th: Lane Haymond, Cave Springs, Ark., 11 bass, 27-7, $2,156
7th: Rick Parker, Kaufman, Texas, 11 bass, 27-5, $1,925
8th: Brian Bayless, Porter, Texas, 11 bass, 26-8, $1,510
9th: Anthony Templeton, Beckville, Texas, 11 bass, 25-9, $1,294
10th: Sam Sharp, Hillsboro, Ala., seven bass, 21-12, $1,078
Kessler also caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the Co-angler Division Friday, a fish weighing 8 pounds, 13 ounces. He earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $77.
The Toyota Series on Toledo Bend Reservoir was hosted by the Sabine Parish Tourist Commission. It was the first of three regular-season tournaments in 2020 for Southwestern Division anglers. The next tournament for Toyota Series anglers will be the Southern Division opener – the Toyota Series at the St. Johns River, held Feb. 13-15 in Palatka, Florida. For a complete schedule, visit FLWFishing.com.
The Toyota Series consists of eight divisions – Central, Eastern, Northern, Plains, Southeastern, Southern, Southwestern and Western – each holding three regular-season events, along with the International division. Anglers who fish all three qualifiers in any of the eight divisions and finish in the top 25 will qualify for the no-entry-fee Toyota Series Championship for a shot at winning $200,000 cash, plus lucrative contingency bonuses. The winning co-angler at the championship earns a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard. The 2020 Toyota Series Championship is being held Nov. 5-7 on Lake Cumberland in Burnside, Kentucky, and is hosted by the Somerset Tourist & Convention Commission and the Burnside Tourism Commission.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Toyota Series on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
Robertson Scores Big On Final Day To Win B.A.S.S. Nation On Okeechobee
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Huff Leads FLW Series event on Toledo Bend
January 31, 2020 by Kyle Wood - Courtesy of FLWfishing.com
Last week, the Bethel University angler won the Bassmaster College Series event on Toledo with his partner Dakota Peirce. And after heading to back to Tennessee to drop off Pierce, Huff hightailed it back to Toledo Bend and picked up right where he left off.
The only pro to weigh back-to-back 20-pound bags, Huff put 23 pounds, 6 ounces on the scale on day two and has a 7-8 lead over local guide Justin Cooper who sits in second with 36-4 total. With 43-12 overall, Huff appears to be cruising toward the win in the first Toyota Series Southwestern Division event of the year. Going into the final day, Huff certainly seems to have a handle on things, but you can never count a comeback out on Toledo Bend – a 30-pound bag is always just around the corner for someone.
Huff’s main program involves staring at his electronics offshore until he marks suspended bass chasing shad. He won’t make a cast with his jigging spoon until he marks fish, so he’s not winning any award for most casts made this week, but he has been making the most of his opportunities. It also doesn’t hurt that he’s fishing comfortable – similar to how he would back in the Ozarks.
“It’s something I’ve grown up around,” Huff says of chasing suspended fish. “It’s what everyone does at home in the wintertime when the bait goes deep. This isn’t the deepest I’ve ever caught them, they’re suspended over deep water, but not really that deep. A lot of them are from 20 to 40 feet. But at Table Rock you could go there now and catch one from 70 to 90 feet.
“I’m not casting unless I’m casting at fish. Today I probably caught 12 keepers, maybe 15,” says Huff. “Not a crazy amount, but enough. But I’m around a lot of fish and I’m seeing a lot of fish, so I’m hopeful for another day of it.”
Throughout the college event and this tournament, Huff has relied on consistent good bites. Not the 8- to 10-pound fish that swim in Toledo, but instead a good supply of 4- to 6-pounders. Yesterday the fish didn’t setup how he needs them until the afternoon, but today he got the ball rolling early.
“As soon as I pulled up this morning the bait was already where it’s supposed to be, but the bass were still spread out,” he adds. “But it didn’t take them long to group up like they should and by 9 or 10 o’clock they grouped up and bit a little better today for me. They were where they are supposed to be and were still there when I left.
“The first big bite I got today was around 11 o’clock and the next big one was close to 1 o’clock. Then I culled with a 4-pounder on my last cast and came in a little early hoping to save the rest for tomorrow.”
While the locals behind Huff are utilizing a wealth of knowledge on this lake coupled with years of experience, Huff has been hunkering down in a few areas where he knows big bass swim because of the amount of bait in the areas.
“I know I’m around giants; I’ve caught three big ones the last two days in the same area and I see what’s with them,” says Huff. “I know there’s more big ones with them. It’s a big area, so I’m not sitting in the spot, I’m just moving around a lot in the same area.”
With one day to go, Huff is excited to get back out and see if Toledo Bend can be kind to him for one more day and put an incredible ribbon on a fantastic week of fishing.
So, is this his favorite lake now?
“Not yet, but I’ll let you know tomorrow afternoon around 3 o’clock.”
Top 10 pros
1. Cody Huff – Ava, Mo. – 43-12 (10)
2. Justin Cooper – Zwolle, La. – 36-4 (10)
3. Stephen Johnston – Hemphill, Texas – 35-10 (10)
4. Phil Marks – Dallas, Texas – 34-8 (10)
5. Matthew Boyt – Converse, La. – 34-0 (10)
6. Darold Gleason – Many, La. – 33-7 (10)
7. Cody Pitt – Many, La. – 33-4 (10)
8. Benjamin Gulett – Converse, La. – 33-4 (10)
9. David Curtis – Trinity, Texas – 32-0 (10)
10. Chris Lewis – Longview, Texas – 31-12 (10)
Hyde takes co-angler lead
For his first FLW tournament, Aubrey Hyde of Winnfield, La., is holding his own. Hyde caught a limit worth 12 pounds, 9 ounces on day one to sit in sixth-place. Today, he found a kicker bite and that bumped his day-two bag to 15-2 with 27-11 overall. Heading into the final round, he holds a 1-pound lead over Robert Kessler.
Consistency has been a key for Hyde this week, but his big bite today really helped push him into the lead.
“Thanks to my boater and thank God for that big fish,” Hyde says. “I’ve been praying.”
Paired with Jack Covas today, Hyde was able to capitalize on an offshore bite.
“Jack is a real nice guy and he showed me how to catch these fish today, otherwise I wouldn’t have had a clue," says Hyde. "Most all my fish have come offshore from 18- to 40-foot deep. Today, they wanted something small, like a little swimbait, drop-shot, Carolina rig or an underspin. I’ve never fished this deep, but I’ve learned a lot this week and I like fishing deep now.”
With one day to go, Hyde is looking to go one for one in his FLW tournament career. Though, he’s not too worried about the win just yet. He’s just happy to be here.
“A friend of mine, Benjamin Gullett, talked me in to coming out here and trying this out and I’m glad I did.”
Top 10 co-anglers
1. Aubrey Hyde – Winnfield, La. – 27-11 (10)
2. Robert Kessler – Spring, Texas – 26-11 (8)
3. Lane Haymond – Cave Springs, Ark. – 25-11 (10)
4. Brian Bayless – Porter, Texas – 24-4 (10)
5. Hugh Rose – Davis, Okla. – 22-13 (9)
6. Rick Parker – Kaufman, Texas – 21-14 (8)
7. Sam Sharp – Hillsboro, Ala. – 21-12 (7)
8. Dustin Robinson – Glendale, Ariz. – 21-7 (9)
9. Anthony Templeton – Beckville, Texas – 20-5 (9)
10. Rusty Harvey – Lumberton, Texas – 20-0 (7)
Perspective by Ott DeFoe
2019 Classic Champ has decided to address questions regarding his Classic Win and the defense of his title. This story was sent to AnglersChannel.com from Ott Defoe.
“perspective.” Merriam-Webster.com (noun): the capacity to view things in their true relations or relative importance.
Perspective—that’s the word for 2019. We—Jennie and I—developed a whole new perspective last year that we have carried into 2020. We learned so much in 2019.
One thing we learned is that there are a lot of fishing fans out there. There are fans of television icons Bill Dance, Roland Martin, and Jimmy Houston, as well as fans of The Bass Pros on Outdoor Channel and my television show—The Hunt for Monster Bass. There are fans of the Bassmaster Classic and certainly fans of Major League Fishing.
Times are great in fishing these days for anglers, fans, and companies. We can all watch more fishing programming than ever. When I was recovering from heart surgery last year, I got to watch every minute of the Bass Pro Tour event on Lake Winnebago. I learned a lot, and I found it very entertaining, too. I watched my friends competing over at Bassmaster during my recovery time as well.
So many people have reached out and offered congratulations on the Classic win as well as prayers and support for the heart surgery and recovery. Honestly, the heart surgery response was the biggest outpouring of support of all. That fact changed our perspective. Bass fishing fans are some of the finest people who walk the earth.
One question that has been hanging out there is whether or not I’ll be fishing the Bassmaster Classic on Guntersville this year.
I will not be fishing. It is not any single tournament organization’s fault, either. It was ultimately my decision. When we chose to fish the Bass Pro Tour instead of the Elite Series, we knew this would be the last Classic I would qualify for. Per B.A.S.S. rules, you must fish the Elite Series in order to receive your automatic berth for the next year.
Not fishing it this year makes me appreciate the win in Knoxville even more. I can always say I won it. My name will be on the trophy from here on out.
But you know what?—trophies fade. Titles lose importance. People forget. Money gets spent. Accolades become ancient history. I’m reminded of a passage from the book of Matthew, chapter 6.
“But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.”
There will be a new Classic winner this year. I know for a fact that it’s a career-changer. My hope is we will grow the Bass Pro Tour’s championship to be a career-changer as well. That will take some time and a lot of effort, but we are excited to have the opportunity to be along for the journey.
I plan to be in Birmingham to hand off the trophy. When Jordan Lee handed it to me, he said two things –“this thing is heavy, and throw away your phone.” It was indeed heavy, but I decided to hang onto my phone. I’ve met a lot of great people this year and had a lot of great conversations, both in-person and on that phone.
I’ll be at the Expo on Sunday and welcome anyone to stop by and say hello.
11:00 a.m. – Bass Pro Shops/Nitro
12:00 p.m. – Mercury
1:00 p.m. – Humminbird/Minn Kota
2:00 p.m. – Mossy Oak
In a year filled with blessings, gaining more perspective was the biggest one of 2019.
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33
JOHNSTON IN FRONT IN FLW SERIES AT TOLEDO BEND
Courtesy of FLWfishing.com
January 30, 2020
Toledo Bend isn’t fishing like its normal self at the moment, but it still kicked out some solid bags to start the Toyota Series Southwestern Division season opener. With the lack of grass and low water (it’s down several feet due to recent work on the dam), word on the street was that local knowledge would really shine through this week – and so far that’s holding true.
Hemphill, Texas, pro and regional hammer Stephen Johnston sacked up 23 pounds, 8 ounces worth of Toledo Bend bass to take the early lead, thanks in large part to the 10-7 kicker he caught this afternoon.
“When you put a 10 in and throw a 2.4 out, it’s a game-changer all the way around,” Johnston says of his day-one big bass. “I really struggled all day. I didn’t have a bunch of opportunities. I knew it was going to be tough to start with.
“These fish got up there shallow and got comfortable until it started raining last week, and the water temperature has fallen and they just don’t want to bite, but they’re sitting there.”
While the majority of the field fished the offshore bite away from the bank, as did Johnston, the leader also tried to keep the shallow bite honest. And though he didn’t catch many fish, he showed that there is enough potential close to the bank to make a run at his second Toyota Series title.
“I’m running and gunning,” Johnston adds. “I fished 15, 18 spots today and just didn’t get many bites. I only caught seven keepers all day.
“I caught some in 3 foot and I caught some in 14, so there’s no rhyme or reason. I’m going to have to re-run water tomorrow. I had 25 sticks on the front deck, and I’m just chunking and winding.”
With Johnston’s years of experience on Toledo Bend, including eight top 10s in FLW competition, he knows to take it day by day – especially with the caliber of anglers in the field and the size of the bass that call Toledo home.
“No matter what, when it comes back down to it, having that 10-pounder makes a day.”
Top 10 pros
1. Stephen Johnston – Hemphill, Texas – 23-8 (5)
2. Matthew Boyt – Converse, La. – 20-13 (5)
3. Darold Gleason – Many, La. – 20-10 (5)
4. Cody Huff – Ava, Mo. – 20-6 (5)
5. Jim Dillard – West Monroe, La. – 19-5 (5)
6. Justin O’Brian Cooper – Zwolle, La. – 18-10 (5)
7. Billy Hurt – Spring Creek, Tenn. – 18-0 (5)
8. Benjamin Gulett – Converse, La. – 17-6 (5)
9. Jacopo Gallelli – Florence, Italy – 16-6 (5)
10. Ryan Pinkston – Center, Texas – 16-4 (5)
SHARP LEADS CO-ANGLERS
Having never been to Toledo Bend before this week seems to be the lucky charm for Sam Sharp of Hillsboro, Ala., who hauled in 17 pounds, 11 ounces to take the early co-angler lead.
Paired with pro Benjamin Gulett – who also sacked up 17 pounds – Sharp fished offshore the entire day and says he wouldn’t have had it any other way.
“I love structure fishing,” says Sharp. “It’s my favorite thing to do. I was fortunate to fish with Benjamin today, who’s a local, and we had a good time. I culled probably at least four times today.
“This is my first trip here, but I came out here because I have a friend who lives close by, and I figured why not come see him and we could fish together on his home lake. It’s been a fun trip.”
Top 10 co-anglers
1. Sam Sharp – Hillsboro, Ala. – 17-11 (5)
2. Leroy Green – Anderson, Texas – 14-10 (5)
3. Lane Haymond – Cave Springs, Ark. – 13-14 (5)
4. Almonzo Hillard – Arkadelphia, Ark. – 13-6 (5)
5. Dean Krambeck – Newalla, Okla. – 12-13 (5)
6. Aubrey Hyde – Winnfield, La. – 12-9 (5)
7. Dustin Robinson – Glendale, Ariz. – 12-6 (5)
8. Edward Yao – The Woodlands, Texas – 12-4 (3)
9. Brian Bayless – Porter, Texas – 12-3 (5)
10. Kip Passant – Lake Charles, La. – 12-0 (5)
Florida Takes B.A.S.S. Nation Team Title On Lake Okeechobee
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B.A.S.S. LLC, 3500 Blue Lake Drive, Suite 330, Birmingham, AL 35243 United States
Post Rayburn FLW Rookie Talk
This week Professor Duran welcomes in FLW Tour Rookies Mitch Crane and Jake Ormond to talk about their first tase of the FLW Pro Circuit last week on Sam Rayburn and their goals for the 2020 season.
Toyota Announces Sponsorship of Major League Fishing and Fishing League Worldwide Multi-year partnership kicks off this month.
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Grosse Savanne Part 1..... with a High Kick!
This week Chris joins the gang from Lake Charles, Louisiana where he is attending a media event and has the opportunity for a sit down with BPT Pro Greg Hackney and Elite Series sophomore Quentin Cappo. David takes over the Bass wrap up and more! Stay Tuned!
Parrish’s James Swindle Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Lake Guntersville
Kentucky’s Fouts Wins Co-angler Division
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: SCOTTSBORO, Ala. (Jan. 27, 2020) – Boater James Swindle of Parrish, Alabama, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 20 pounds, 7 ounces to top 223 boats and win the 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine at Lake Guntersville in Scottsville, Alabama. Swindle earned $6,000 for his victory.
“This is awesome,” said Swindle, who earned his first career win in Bass Fishing League competition. “My dad has fished in BFL tournaments since I can remember, and I’ve seen him bring home a couple of trophies over the years. So to get one of my own is pretty special, and I’m so proud to be bringing this home.”
Swindle said that he spent the day fishing up past the B.B. Comer Bridge, because he knew that the fishing pressure would not be as bad. One a tough day where most anglers had to scramble to catch a limit, Swindle boated more than 40 keepers throughout the day.
“I commited to a jig and a crankbait for most of the day,” Swindle said. “I had some deeper stuff and some shallow stuff, but most of my fish came from 6-foot of water. My key bait was a green-pumpkin-colored structure jig with a twin-tail grub trailer.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:
1st: James Swindle of Parrish, Ala., five bass, 20-7, $6,000
2nd: Will Robinson of Columbia, Tenn., five bass, 18-14, $3,000
3rd: Jordan Wiggins of Cullman, Ala., five bass, 17-11, $1,574
3rd: Matt Adams of Oxford, Ala., five bass, 17-11, $1,101
3rd: Brad Harmon of Ringgold, Ga., three bass, 17-11, $944
6th: Gavin Ainslie of Harrison, Tenn., five bass, 17-9, $865
7th: Cassidy Evans of Auburn, Ala., five bass, 17-1, $787
8th: Derek Miller of Grant, Ala., five bass, 17-0, $708
8th: Will Yelverton of Hazel Green, Ala., five bass, 17-0, $629
10th: Terry Tucker of Gadsden, Ala., five bass, 16-12, $551
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Rick Williams of Decatur, Alabama, brought a 7-pound, 6-ounce largemouth to the scale to win the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $1,000.
Jim Leary of Guntersville, Alabama, 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.
Benjamin Fouts of Morehead, Kentucky, won the Co-angler Division and $3,000 Saturday after catching a five-bass limit weighing 17 pounds, 1 ounce.
The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:
1st: Benjamin Fouts of Morehead, Ky., five bass, 17-1, $3,000
2nd: Tony Pendley of Oakman, Ala., five bass, 16-14, $1,500
3rd: Bruce Stanley of Jasper, Ala., five bass, 16-9, $1,000
4th: Brian Martin of Ranburne, Ala., five bass, 15-10, $700
5th: Jacob Daily of Chattanooga, Tenn., five bass, 15-2, $600
6th: Randy Hill of Athens, Ala., five bass, 14-12, $550
7th: Shane Browder of Lynnville, Ind., four bass, 14-3, $500
8th: Christian Greico of Tampa, Fla., four bass, 13-15, $450
9th: Roger King of Killeen, Texas, five bass, 13-10, $400
10th: Lynn Spears, Athens, Tenn., five bass, 13-7, $350
Chase Fleeman of Summertown, Tennessee, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 8 pounds, 3 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $500.
The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on Lake Guntersville was hosted by the Mountain Lakes Chamber of Commerce. It was the opening event of five qualifying tournaments in the Choo Choo division.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the Choo Choo 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 18-foot Phoenix bass boat with a 200-horsepower 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.
Carhartt to Support Hard-Working Anglers Caleb Sumrall, Chris Zaldain and Trait Zaldain
Dearborn, Mich. (January 27, 2020) – As part of its continued support of the sport, Carhartt announced today the addition of Bassmaster Elite Series pros Caleb Sumrall and Chris Zaldain to their team, along with Trait Zaldain, a longtime competitor in the Bassmaster Open series.
Sumrall, a former oil industry supply yard worker, became one of bass fishing’s all-time dream come true stories in 2017. The husband and father of two young children went from the stressful concerns of being laid-off in the Southern Louisiana petroleum industry to a B.A.S.S. National Champion, earning a $40,000 cash prize, and an invitation to become a Bassmaster Elite Series pro.
The highly personable Iberia, LA pro has since leveraged his pro angling opportunity to the fullest with six Top 30 finishes in 2019 that sends him back to the Bassmaster Classic for the second time, and builds great promise for his still young career.
Speaking of making the most of an opportunity, few pros in the world converted a promising fishing career into one of best in the business last year more so than California native, turned part time Texas cattle farmer, Chris Zaldain.
Zaldain notched three super-impressive, yet somewhat heartbreaking second place finishes in 2019, and qualified for his fifth Bassmaster Classic – an event he nearly won last year. He makes hard work the common fiber to all he does, whether challenging for an Elite Series win or managing Black Angus near his Fort Worth home.
However, Chris is not the only Zaldain who fishes. His wife Trait was raised by an avid angling father, and was already competing in B.A.S.S. tournaments when she and Chris met. Trait has worked diligently to further her tournament fishing career, while inspiring other females to become involved in fishing.
Carhartt has been recognized as America’s leading workwear brand since 1889, but many may not know the iconic brand has been an avid supporter of bass fishing for the past eight years. In fact, its hats, raingear, shirts and more have become the outdoor clothing of choice for passionate college anglers and those who enjoy trading their toolbox for a tacklebox, no matter the season.
“We’re excited to welcome these world-class anglers to the Carhartt family,” said Brian Spiro, Manager of Partnerships and Influencer Marketing at Carhartt. “We know they will outwork them all, just as our rugged gear does for our consumers every day, either on the job or off.”
Hard work, honesty, and a passion for fishing are just a few of the characteristics these anglers share with 30 million other Americans, and Carhartt is excited to be a part of their 2020 season.
About Carhartt, Inc.
Established in 1889, Carhartt is a global premium workwear brand with a rich heritage of developing rugged products for workers on and off the job. Headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, with more than 5,500 associates worldwide, Carhartt is family-owned and managed by the descendants of the company’s founder, Hamilton Carhartt. For more information, visit www.Carhartt.com.
