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Wheeler Reclaims Lead at Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Super Tournament at Lake Chickamauga

DAYTON, Tenn. (June 25, 2020) – Major League Fishing (MLF) pro Jacob Wheeler of Harrison, Tennessee, caught a five-bass limit weighing 27 pounds, 12 ounces Thursday to reclaim his lead in the $1.3 million Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Super-Tournament at Lake Chickamauga. Wheeler now holds a 4-pound, 13-ounce edge over his closest competitor, Jason Reyes of Huffman, Texas, heading into the fourth and final day of competition. The $1.3 million Super Tournament that featured 204 anglers competing from FLW and Major League Fishing (MLF) with a top prize of up to $160,000.

Although Wheeler’s weight on the scale was 27-12, he was credited with 25-12 after being assessed a 2-pound penalty for accidently making a cast with six fish in his livewell. After catching a 10-pound largemouth, Wheeler placed it into his livewell and quickly jumped up to make another cast. The problem was that Wheeler already had a five-bass limit. Wheeler made one cast before realizing his mistake, and did not catch a fish, but the Tennessee pro was assessed a 2-pound penalty and allowed to cull out his smallest fish.

“When you catch one that big, you get a little flustered,” Wheeler joked on the weigh-in stage. “I was so excited to make another cast. As soon as I fired it out there, I was like ‘Gosh, dang it. I’ve got six in my livewell.’ I immediately called (Tournament Director) Daniel Fennel and I knew I was getting a 2-pound penalty. I was so mad at myself for making that error, I used it to motivate myself to go out and catch even more than what I had.”

Other than the penalty, it was a near flawless day for Wheeler on the water Thursday as he caught the largest limit of the tournament. After spending the first two days of the tournament bouncing back and forth between shallow and deep water, Wheeler spent day three mainly offshore.

“It was an awesome day out there on the lake,” Wheeler said. “Yesterday I had 10 to 15 places shallow, but today I spent most of my time deep. I had some stuff in my back pocket that I was sort of saving, and I still have some stuff that I saved shallow where there should be some big ones.

“I’m going out tomorrow with the mindset that I’m going to have to catch a really big bag,” Wheeler said. “It’s so easy here for someone to catch a 10-pounder and put together a 30-pound limit, so I’ve got to catch another 20+ pounds. If I lose, I lose, and I leave it out on the water, but for me, my goal is to keep catching 20.”

The top 10 pros advancing to the final day of competition Friday on Lake Chickamauga are:

1^st:       Jacob Wheeler of Harrison, Tenn., 15 bass, 72-6
2^nd:      Jason Reyes of Huffman, Texas, 15 bass, 67-9
3^rd:       Cole Floyd of Leesburg, Ohio, 15 bass, 62-3
4^th:       Cody Meyer of Auburn, Calif., 15 bass, 57-1
5^th:       Miles Burghoff of Soddy-Daisy, Tenn., 15 bass, 55-6
6^th:       John Cox of DeBary, Fla., 15 bass, 55-1
7^th:       Alex Davis of Albertville, Ala., 15 bass, 54-11
8^th:       Joshua Weaver of Macon, Ga., 15 bass, 53-2
9^th:       David Williams of Maiden, N.C., 15 bass, 51-15
10^th:     Alton Jones of Lorena, Texas, 15 bass, 51-14

Finishing in 11^th through 30^th are:

            11^th:     Dakota Ebare of Denham Springs, La., 15 bass, 51-10, $14,000
12^th:     Spencer Shuffield of Hot Springs, Ark., 15 bass, 50-1, $14,000
13^th:     Andy Morgan of Dayton, Tenn., 15 bass, 49-2, $14,000
14^th:     Wade Strelic of Alpine, Calif., 15 bass, 48-14, $14,000
15^th:     Mark Daniels Jr. of Tuskegee, Ala., 15 bass, 48-9, $14,000
16^th:     Lendell Martin Jr. of Nacogdoches, Texas, 15 bass, 48-3, $14,000
17^th:     Kerry Milner of Bono, Ark., 15 bass, 48-1, $14,000
18^th:     Tom Monsoor of La Crosse, Wis., 15 bass, 47-11, $14,000
19^th:     Jesse Wiggins of Logan, Ala., 15 bass, 46-14, $14,000
20^th:     Fred Roumbanis of London, Ark., 15 bass, 46-10, $14,000
21^st:     Matt Greenblatt of Port Saint Lucie, Fla., 15 bass, 46-8, $11,000
22^nd:    Christopher Brasher of Longview, Texas, 15 bass, 46-7, $11,000
23^rd:     Justin Atkins of Florence, Ala., 15 bass, 46-6, $11,000
24^th:     Jason Meninger of Saint Augustine, Fla., 15 bass, 46-3, $11,000
25^th:     Jonathan Canada of Helena, Ala., 15 bass, 46-1, $11,000
26^th:     Barry Wilson of Birmingham, Ala., 15 bass, 45-15, $11,000
27^th:     Kyle Cortiana of Coweta, Okla., 15 bass, 45-14, $11,000
28^th:     Adrian Avena of Vineland, N.J., 15 bass, 45-9, $11,000
29^th:     Michael Neal of Dayton, Tenn., 15 bass, 45-9, $11,000
30^th:     Terry Scroggins of San Mateo, Fla., 15 bass, 45-5, $11,000

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

Overall there were 237 bass weighing 678 pounds, 3 ounces, caught by 50 pros Thursday. Of the final 50 pros, 44 of them were able to bring a five-bass limit to the scale.

The Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit at Lake Chickamauga is hosted by Fish Dayton and the Rhea Economic & Tourism Council.

In Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Super Tournament competition, the full field of 204 pro anglers competed in the two-day opening round on Tuesday and Wednesday. The top 50 pros based on their two-day accumulated weight advanced to Thursday. Now only the top 10 pros will continue competition on Championship Friday, with the winner determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from the four days of competition.

FLW anglers are vying for valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the Tackle Warehouse FLW TITLE presented by Toyota, the Pro Circuit championship. The 2020 Tackle Warehouse FLW TITLE presented by Toyota will be held on the St. Lawrence River in Massena, New York, Aug. 24-29.

MLF pros competing in the Pro Circuit Super Tournaments will fish for prize money only. No points will be awarded toward any championship or title to MLF competitors. Only the original Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit anglers will compete for the AOY title throughout the remainder of the season. AOY points in the final events will be awarded based on Pro Circuit anglers finishing order. The top-finishing FLW pro will receive “first-place points” regardless of where he finishes in the overall standings, and so on.

The top 10 anglers will take off at 6:30 a.m. EDT Friday from Point Park at Dayton Boat Dock, located at 185 Chickamauga Drive, in Dayton. Friday’s Championship weigh-in will also be held at Dayton Boat Dock and will begin at 3 p.m. To minimize the spread of COVID-19, attendance is limited to competing anglers and essential staff only. Fans are encouraged to forgo the daily takeoffs and weigh-ins and follow the event online through the expanded “FLW Live” broadcasts and weigh-in coverage at FLWFishing.com.

Television coverage of the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit at Lake Chickamauga will premiere at 7 p.m. EDT, Aug. 14 on the Outdoor Channel. Beginning July 3 and running through Dec. 27, FLW will air 312 hours of Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit action on the Outdoor Channel and the Sportsman Channel. Episodes have been expanded to two hours long, allowing each show to go in-depth to break down the final rounds of regular-season competition. Each episode will premiere in Friday night primetime slots on the Outdoor Channel, with additional re-airings on the Outdoor Channel and the Sportsman Channel.

The popular FLW Live on-the-water broadcast has been expanded to air on all four days of competition, featuring live action from the boats of the tournament’s top pros each day. Host Travis Moran is joined by Toyota Series pro Todd Hollowell and MLF’s Marty Stone to break down the extended action Friday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. On-the-water broadcasts will be live streamed on FLWFishing.com.

For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

by AnglersChannel

Super Derby Pod

This week Chris and the boys dive into some of the MLFLW Super Tournament action going on on Lake Chick-a-maga (Chickamauga) and welcome in newest NPFL Angler William Fletcher from Georgia to talk about his decision for 2021. Check it out!

by AnglersChannel

Texan Reyes Moves into Lead at Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Super Tournament at Lake Chickamauga

DAYTON, Tenn. (June 24, 2020) – Veteran FLW pro Jason Reyes of Huffman, Texas, caught a five-bass limit Wednesday weighing 27 pounds, 4 ounces – the largest limit weighed in the event – to capture the lead after day two of the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Super-Tournament at Lake Chickamauga with a two-day catch of 10 bass weighing 49-14. He now holds a 3-pound, 4-ounce lead in the $1.3 million Super Tournament that features 204 anglers competing from FLW and Major League Fishing (MLF).

“I caught a 7-pounder early, then I went a good stretch this morning with only that one fish,” said Reyes, who is competing in his 14^th season on FLW’s top circuit. “Finally the sun peeked out a little bit and I think that set them off. I caught around 18 bass total – probably 12 or 13 keepers – and I caught eight in the last hour.”

Reyes said that he caught his fish on three different stretches of pepper grass. He weighed in one fish yesterday on a frog, but the rest of his keepers have come on a Yamamoto Senko.

“I’m not doing anything special or fancy,” Reyes said. “They come in spurts. I’ll have a 40-minute window where I’ll catch three or four, then I’ll go an hour without one. It took me a little bit to get dialed in. They want it so slow. I’ll throw a bait in there and just hold it and they’ll walk off with it. If I pump it, or shake it at all, they won’t bite it.

“This is a huge field, with huge names – (Jacob) Wheeler, (John) Cox has won here multiple times – and it feels good to be hanging around with those guys,” Reyes said. “But I know they’re not going to let me slip. You slip and they’ll pass you. So, I’m going to need to keep plugging big sacks to have a chance to win.”

The top 20 pros after day two on Lake Chickamauga are:

1^st:       Jason Reyes of Huffman, Texas, 10 bass, 49-14
2^nd:      Jacob Wheeler of Harrison, Tenn., 10 bass, 46-10
3^rd:       Cole Floyd of Leesburg, Ohio, 10 bass, 43-14
4^th:       John Cox of DeBary, Fla., 10 bass, 41-12
5^th:       Cody Meyer of Auburn, Calif., 10 bass, 38-2
6^th:       Spencer Shuffield of Hot Springs, Ark., 10 bass, 37-15
7^th:       Dakota Ebare of Denham Springs, La., 10 bass, 37-7
8^th:       Fred Roumbanis of London, Ark., 10 bass, 36-12
9^th:       Miles Burghoff of Soddy-Daisy, Tenn., 10 bass, 35-4
10^th:     Alex Davis of Albertville, Ala., 10 bass, 35-1
11^th:     Joshua Weaver of Macon, Ga., 10 bass, 35-0
12^th:     David Williams of Maiden, N.C., 10 bass, 35-0
13^th:     Justin Lucas of Guntersville, Ala., 10 bass, 34-15
14^th:     Kyle Cortiana of Coweta, Okla., 10 bass, 34-15
15^th:     Christopher Brasher of Longview, Texas, 10 bass, 34-13
16^th:     Barry Wilson of Birmingham, Ala., 10 bass, 34-2
17^th:     Chip Harrington of Olathe, Kan., 10 bass, 33-15
18^th:     Lendell Martin Jr. of Nacogdoches, Texas, 10 bass, 33-15
19^th:     Jason Meninger of Saint Augustine, Fla., 10 bass, 33-12
20^th:     Justin Atkins of Florence, Ala., 10 bass, 33-10

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

Floyd brought the largest bass of the day, a 9-pound, 4-ounce largemouth, to the scale Wednesday to claim the day’s $500 Berkley Big Bass award.

Overall there were 945 bass weighing 2,598 pounds, 2 ounces caught by 200 pros Wednesday. The catch included 175 five-bass limits.

The Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit at Lake Chickamauga is hosted by Fish Dayton and the Rhea Economic & Tourism Council.

In Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Super-Tournament competition, the full field of 204 pro anglers competed in the two-day opening round on Tuesday and Wednesday. The top 50 pros based on their two-day accumulated weight now advance to Thursday. Only the top 10 pros will continue competition on Championship Friday, with the winner determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from the four days of competition.

MLF pros competing in the Pro Circuit “Super Tournaments” will fish for prize money only. No points will be awarded toward any championship or title to MLF competitors. Only the original Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit anglers will compete for the AOY title throughout the remainder of the season. AOY points in the final events will be awarded based on Pro Circuit anglers finishing order. The top-finishing FLW pro will receive “first-place points” regardless of where he finishes in the overall standings, and so on.

The top 50 anglers will take off at 6:30 a.m. EDT Thursday from Point Park at Dayton Boat Dock, located at 185 Chickamauga Drive, in Dayton. Weigh-in each day will also be held at Dayton Boat Dock and will begin at 3 p.m. To minimize the spread of COVID-19, attendance is limited to competing anglers and essential staff only. Fans are encouraged to forgo the daily takeoffs and weigh-ins and follow the event online through the expanded “FLW Live” broadcasts and weigh-in coverage at FLWFishing.com.

The popular FLW Live on-the-water broadcast has been expanded to air on all four days of competition, featuring live action from the boats of the tournament’s top pros each day. Host Travis Moran is joined by Toyota Series pro Todd Hollowell and MLF’s Marty Stone to break down the extended action each day from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. On-the-water broadcasts will be live streamed on FLWFishing.com, the FLW YouTube channel and the FLW Facebook page.

by AnglersChannel

Mull Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League on Lake Shelbyville

St. Louis’ Curtright Wins Co-angler Division

SHELBYVILLE, Ill. (June 23, 2020) – Boater Jeremy Mull of Pawnee, Illinois, earned the win Saturday at the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine event at Lake Shelbyville after bringing a five-bass limit to the scale weighing 16 pounds, 7 ounces. For his victory, Mull earned a total of $4,463.

“I started out fishing deep on the lower end of the lake, and we pulled up on the right spot at the right time,” said Mull, who earned his third career Bass Fishing League victory. “My co-angler caught the first two fish, then we just went to work on them. I caught them on a football jig (green-pumpkin) in 20-foot-of-water.

“The key was sticking with it all day long,” Mull went on to say. “I caught one real late – within the last 10 minutes – that culled. It was a grind, but I stuck with it all day long.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:

1^st: Jeremy Mull of Pawnee, Ill., five bass, 16-7, $4,463

2^nd: Michael Black of Toledo, Ill., five bass, 15-12, $2,232

3^rd: Todd Blakeman of Chatham, Ill., five bass, 14-11, $1,689

4^th: Mike Jackson of Moweaqua, Ill., five bass, 14-3, $1,041

5^th: Shane Haslett of Beecher City, Ill., five bass, 13-15, $893

6^th: Martin Conaughty of Fairview Heights, Ill., five bass, 13-14, $818

7^th: Matt Carroll of Hillsboro, Ill., five bass, 13-8, $744

8^th: Brian Futch of Herrin, Ill., four bass, 12-9, $1,169

9^th: Ryan Armstrong of Robinson, Ill., five bass, 12-2, $595

10^th: Ryan Lewis of Glasford, Ill., five bass, 11-0, $521

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

James Wright of Paducah, Kentucky, claimed the day’s Boater Big Bass Award of $640 after bringing a 5-pound, 13-ounce bass to the scale.

Futch 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.

William Curtright of St. Louis, Missouri, won the Co-angler Division and $2,232 Saturday after catching four bass weighing 11 pounds, 8 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:

1^st: William Liam Curtright of St. Louis, Mo., four bass, 11-8, $2,232

2^nd: Blake Hadley of Pana, Ill., five bass, 11-5, $1,116

3^rd: Arden Damberg of Wheatland, Iowa, five bass, 10-4, $743

3^rd: Jojo Johnson of Benton, Ill., five bass, 9-15, $521

5^th: Brad McElroy of Gardner, Ill., five bass, 9-7, $446

6^th: Dan Brown of Glenarm, Ill., five bass, 9-5, $409

6^th: Ryan Fancher of Olney, Ill., four bass, 9-2, $372

8^th: Barry Aumiller of O’Fallon, Mo., three bass, 7-13, $335

9^th: Ethan Fields of Breese, Ill., three bass, 7-9, $298

10^th: Timothy Nanzer of Bourbonnais, Ill., two bass, 7-7, $260

Dave Dobill of Royalton, Illinois, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, weighing in at 4 pounds, 13 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $320.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on Lake Shelbyville was the opening event of five qualifying tournaments in the Illini division.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the Illini Division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 15-17 Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on the Mississippi River in La Crosse, Wisconsin, hosted by Explore La Crosse. Boaters will compete for a $60,000 prize package, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new 18-foot Phoenix bass boat with a 200-horsepower outboard.

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 Nov. 11-13 at Lake Hartwell in Anderson, South Carolina and is hosted by Visit Anderson. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division earn priority entry into the FLW Series, the pathway to the FLW Pro Circuit and ultimately the MLF Bass Pro Tour, where top pros compete with no entry fees.

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

by AnglersChannel

Brunson Wins Saturday, Summerton’s Wolfe Wins Sunday at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Double-Header on Lake Santee Cooper

Co-angler Wins Go to Glencoe’s Moss & Landrum’s Barnette

SUMMERTON, S.C. (June 23, 2020) – It was a double-header for bass anglers this past weekend in Summerton with the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on Lake Santee Cooperevents. FLW, the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, rescheduled the events after the coronavirus pandemic forced the organization to pause competition in mid-March.

Boater Chris Brunson of Mayesville, South Carolina, brought a three-bass limit to the scale totaling 17 pounds, 7 ounces to win Saturday’s event and $3,592, while Cecil Wolfe of Summerton, South Carolina, brought in a three-bass limit weighing 16 pounds, 1 ounce on Sunday to earn the win and $3,164.

Brunson won Saturday’s event fishing in Lake Marion, above the Hwy. 95 Bridge near Jack’s Creek.

“I caught my fish in grass, with a Spro Poppin’ Frog and a Texas-rigged worm,” Brunson said. “The key was keeping an open mind and changing things up, because the fish were not where they were at last week.”

The top five boaters on Saturday were:

1^st: Chris Brunson of Mayesville, S.C., three bass, 17-7, $3,592

2^nd: Chad Cook of Cross, S.C., three bass, 14-14, $1,796

3^rd: Tim Kelley of Irmo, S.C., three bass, 14-9, $1,019

3^rd: Bo Chappell of Lake City, S.C., three bass, 14-9, $1,019

5^th: John Haas of Mount Pleasant, S.C., three bass, 14-5, $1,178

Complete results for Saturday can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Haas brought an 8-pound, 15-ounce bass to the scale to earn Saturday’s Boater Big Bass award of $460.

Jason Miles of Summerville, South Carolina, was the highest-finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member and took home an extra $500 Saturday. 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 atPhoenixBassBoats.com.

Gage Spagnola of Columbia, South Carolina, won the Co-angler Division and $1,796 Saturday after catching three bass weighing 11 pounds, 14 ounces.

The top five co-anglers Saturday finished as follows:

1^st: Gage Spagnola of Columbia, S.C., three bass, 11-14, $1,796

2^nd: Bill Hawkins of Piedmont, S.C., three bass, 10-6, $898

3^rd: Jeff Rikard of Leesville, S.C., three bass, 9-6, $598

4^th: Blake Winans of Sumter, S.C., three bass, 9-0, $419

5^th: Dylan Thompson of Myrtle Beach, S.C., two bass, 8-15, $359

On Sunday, local Summerton angler Wolfe won the event fishing in Lake Moultrie.

“I was finesse fishing, mainly with a drop-shot rig,” said Wolfe. “I was targeting stumps and brush piles using a Zoom Finesse Worm, both green-pumpkin and watermelon-red colors.

“The key was slowing down – fishing slow, and real methodical. You had to pretty much make them bite. It was really tough.”

The top five boaters on Sunday were:

1^st: Cecil Wolfe of Summerton, S.C., three bass, 16-1, $3,164

2^nd: Ronnie McCoy of Lamar, S.C., three bass, 15-0, $1,582

3^rd: Kyle Austin of Ridgeville, S.C., three bass, 14-10, $1,054

4^th: Lex Costas of Daniel Island, S.C., three bass, 14-8, $738

5^th: Freddie Gamble Jr. of Manning, S.C., three bass, 13-12, $633

Complete results for Sunday’s event on Santee Cooper can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Danny Shanz of Summerton brought a 7-pound, 2-ounce bass to the scale to win Sunday’s Boater Big Bass award of $380.

Roger Medlock of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, was Sunday’s highest-finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member and took home an extra $500.

Taylor Barnette of Landrum, South Carolina, won the Co-angler Division and $1,582 Sunday after catching a three-bass limit weighing 12 pounds, 13 ounces.

The top five co-anglers Sunday finished as follows:

1^st: Taylor Barnette of Landrum, S.C., three bass, 12-13, $1,582

2^nd: Terry Jarvis of Inman, S.C., three bass, 12-10, $981

3^rd: Thomas Robbins of Jackson, S.C., three bass, 10-4, $526

4^th: Brandon Jeffcoat of Columbia, S.C., three bass, 9-8, $369

5^th: Brian Bultman of Aiken, S.C., three bass, 8-14, $316

Jarvis caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, weighing in at 6 pounds, 10 ounces. The catch earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $190.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine Double-Header on Lake Santee Cooper was the third and fourth of five qualifying events in the South Carolina Division.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the South Carolina Division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 16-18 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Lake Cherokee in Jefferson City, Tennessee, hosted by the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce. Boaters will compete for a $60,000 prize package, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new 18-foot Phoenix bass boat with a 200-horsepower outboard.

by AnglersChannel

Grant’s Glasgow Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Lake Guntersville

Gurley’s O’Barr Wins Co-angler Division

SCOTTSBORO, Ala. (June 23, 2020) – Boater Michael Glasgow of Grant, Alabama, brought a three-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 16 pounds, 4 ounces to win the 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine event at Lake Guntersville in Scottsboro, Alabama. Glasgow earned a total of $6,261 for his victory.

“Every bite I had was on a jig,” said Glasgow, who earned his first career victory in FLW competition. “It was a brown, 3/4-ounce Strike King Football Head jig. I was sitting in about 30-feet of water, but most of my fish were coming in 12 to 15 (feet of water).

“There wasn’t a lot of current, so I was mainly just fishing hard spots,” Glasgow continued. “I started downriver, then bounced around between Goose Pond and Seibold (Creek). I culled four or five times and caught my last fish around 2:15.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:

1^st: Michael Glasgow of Grant, Ala., three bass, 16-4, $6,261

2^nd: Ethan Hunter of Harrison, Tenn., three bass, 16-0, $2,631

3^rd: A.J. Barnes of Harrison, Tenn., three bass, 14-6, $2,573

4^th: Cal Lane of Guntersville, Tenn., three bass, 13-9, $1,228

5^th: Lee Black of Danville, Tenn., three bass, 13-8, $1,052

6^th: Marshall Deakins of Dunlap, Tenn., three bass, 13-7, $965

7^th: Rick Murphy of Chickamauga, Ga., three bass, 12-13, $877

8^th: John Bailey of Resaca, Ga., three bass, 12-9, $789

9^th: Wayne Christopher of Huntsville, Ala., three bass, 12-7, $657

9^th: Lake Blasingame of Killen, Ala., three bass, 12-7, $857

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Barnes brought a 7-pound, 7-ounce bass to the scale to win the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $820.

Greg Lamb of Birchwood, Tennessee, 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.

Hayden O’Barr of Gurley, Alabama, won the Co-angler Division and $3,021 Saturday after catching three bass weighing 15 pounds, 8 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:

1^st: Hayden O’Barr of Gurley, Ala., three bass, 15-8, $3,021

2^nd: Dennis McGouirk of Carrollton, Ga., three bass, 13-13, $1,307

3^rd: Tyler Turner of Harrison, Tenn., three bass, 11-9, $872

4^th: Mason Smith of Decatur, Ala., three bass, 11-1, $610

5^th: Neil Crider of Dalton, Ga., three bass, 10-15, $523

6^th: Benjamin Fouts of Morehead, Ky., three bass, 10-4, $479

7^th: Doug Garrett of Cookeville, Tenn., three bass, 9-12, $414

7^th: Kyle Schuchard of Mulga, Ala., three bass, 9-12, $414

9^th: Wayne Kilgore of Attalla, Ala., three bass, 9-11, $327

9^th: Billy Johnson of Nashville, Tenn., three bass, 9-11, $327

O’Barr also caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 8 pounds, 2 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award and added $407 to his winnings.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the Choo Choo Division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 16-18 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Lake Cherokee in Jefferson City, Tennessee, hosted by the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce. Boaters will compete for a $60,000 prize package, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new 18-foot Phoenix bass boat with a 200-horsepower outboard.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League 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.

by AnglersChannel

Drew Benton Wins Saturday, Kyle Welcher Wins Sunday at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Double-Header on Lake Eufaula

It was a double-header for weekend bass anglers this past weekend in Eufaula with the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on Lake Eufaula events. FLW, the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, rescheduled the events after the coronavirus pandemic forced the organization to pause competition in mid-March.

Drew Benton of Blakely, Georgia brought a three-bass limit to the scale totaling 17 pounds, 8 ounces to win Saturday’s event and earn $6,473, while pro Kyle Welcher of Opelika, Alabama, brought in three bass weighing 16 pounds, 3 ounces on Sunday to earn the win and the day’s top prize of $5,498.

“These trophies are a hard to get,” said Benton, who competes on the Bassmaster Elite Series. “The BFL tournaments are stacked fields with a ton of locals. I’m new to this area, but I got my start on Lake Seminole and Lake Eufaula so to get to see everybody that I used to fish against back in the day and come out of here with a win is truly a blessing.”

Benton said that during his practice he noticed a lot of mayflies hatching, so he decided to take advantage of that during the tournament. He started up the river throwing a frog and a Bagley Knocker B topwater bait.

“I caught one really big one on topwater, then as the day went on we went down the lake towards the dam and I fished ledges,” Benton said. “I isolated the schools with my Lowrance LiveSight and caught them all on a Nichols Mini Magnum Spoon.

“If this had been a five-fish tournament, we would have been in the 24- to 25-pound range to win, but I appreciate that FLW is taking care of our resources in determining these three fish events,” Benton went on to say.

The top five boaters on Saturday were:

1^st: Drew Benton of Blakely, Ga., three bass, 17-8, $6,473

1^st: Josh Stracner of Vandiver, Ala., three bass, 17-4, $2,381

3^rd: Kevin Black of Cumming, Ga., three bass, 14-15, $1,585

4^th: Ryan Ingram of Phenix City, Ala., three bass, 14-8, $1,111

5^th: Brad Davis of Hoschton, Ga., three bass, 14-0, $953

Complete results for Saturday can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Benton brought a 6-pound, 14-ounce bass to the scale to add Saturday’s Boater Big Bass award of $710 to his winnings.

Thom Dickson of Cartersville, Georgia, won the Co-angler Division and $2,561 Saturday after catching three bass weighing 15 pounds even.

The top five co-anglers Saturday finished as follows:

1^st: Thom Dickson of Cartersville, Ga., three bass, 15-0, $2,561

2^nd: Andrew Nickeson of Valdosta, Ga., three bass, 11-4, $1,118

3^rd: William Mercer of Cumming, Ga., three bass, 10-14, $745

4^th: Luke Cocke of Valdosta, Ga., three bass, 10-9, $522

5^th: Wesley Bennett of Monroe, Ga., three bass, 9-15, $447

Dickson also caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, weighing in at 7 pounds, 2 ounces, to add the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $325 to his final payout.

On Sunday, winning boater pro Kyle Welcher said that he caught all of his fish on a topwater frog.

“On Sunday I decided to commit to the shallow bite all day and try to stay around bream beds, mayflies and the bigger fish that were up shallow,” the Alabama pro said. “I hit 50 to 60 spots, fishing from Cowikee all the way to the Dam and back. Everything that I saw that looked good, I’d pull over and fish it. I caught around 12 to 13 keepers throughout the day.

“The key was staying around the bait,” Welcher continued. “Every fish that I caught came on a frog. The water in the lake is falling a little bit each day, so I targeted shallow water, but it was deeper shallow water, if that makes sense.

“It feels good to get the win,” Welcher went on to say. “I’ve been fishing these BFL events for a while, so I’m glad I finally got one.”

The top five boaters on Sunday were:

1^st: Kyle Welcher of Opelika, Ala., three bass, 16-3, $5,498

2^nd: Austin Lang of Kinsey, Ala., three bass, 13-10, $2,249

3^rd: Michael Conley of Bainbridge, Ga., three bass, 13-0, $1,498

4^th: Jim Murray Jr. of Leesburg, Ga., three bass, 12-10, $1,050

5^th: Ethan Greene of Eufaula, Ala., three bass, 12-9, $862

5^th: Todd Classon of Camilla, Ala., three bass, 12-9, $862

Complete results for Sunday’s event on Lake Eufaula can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Steven Hunt of Lakeland, Florida, brought a 6-pound, 2-ounce bass to the scale to win Sunday’s Boater Big Bass award of $645.

Scott Montgomery of Eufaula, Alabama, was Sunday’s 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 atPhoenixBassBoats.com.

Brian Davis of Leesburg, Georgia, won the Co-angler Division and $2,140 Sunday after catching a three-bass limit weighing 11 pounds, 14 ounces.

The top five co-anglers Sunday finished as follows:

1^st: Brian Davis of Leesburg, Ga., three bass, 11-14, $2,140

2^nd: Jeff Cook of Columbus, Ga., three bass, 11-7, $1,070

3^rd: Kiwanas Andrews of Atlanta, Ga., three bass, 11-4, $712

4^th: Blake Layfield of Sparks, Ga., three bass, 11-2, $499

5^th: Skip Jackson of Eufaula, Ala., three bass, 11-1, $410

5^th: Chris Davies of Griffin, Ga., three bass, 11-1, $712

Davies caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, weighing in at 6 pounds, 14 ounces. The catch earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $302.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine Double-Header on Lake Eufaula was the second and third of five qualifying events 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 Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new 18-foot Phoenix bass boat with a 200-horsepower outboard.

by AnglersChannel

2021 Bass Pro Shops/Cabela's Big Bass Tour Schedule Announced!

Courtesy of Bigbasstour.com

We are excited to announce the schedule for the 2021 Big Bass Tour season. 2021 will feature twelve events and over $1.6 million in prizes and payouts. Due to the fact that we still have fall events remaining in 2020, registration for our 2021 events won't open until December 1st 2020.

Feb 5-7 | Harris Chain of Lakes, Florida

Feb 26-28 | Lake Conroe, Texas

March 5-7 | Lake Eufaula, Alabama

March 19-21 | Clarks Hill, Georgia

March 26-28 | Lake Norman, North Carolina

April 9-11 | Table Rock Lake, Missouri

April 23-25 | Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia

April 30-May 2 | Lake Murray, South Carolina

May 14-16 | Lake Chickamauga, Tennessee

June 4-6 | Lake Dardanelle, Arkansas

Oct 8-10 | Douglas Lake, Tennessee

Oct 15-17 | Guntersville Lake, Alabama

If you're looking for our remaining 2020 fall dates, please visit our schedule page here on the website. Save these dates!

by AnglersChannel

Wheeler Leads Day One of Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Super-Tournament at Lake Chickamauga

DAYTON, Tenn. (June 23, 2020) – Major League Fishing (MLF) pro Jacob Wheeler of Harrison, Tennessee, crossed the weigh-in stage Tuesday with a five-bass limit weighing 24 pounds, 9 ounces to lead day one of theTackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Super-Tournament at Lake Chickamauga in Dayton, Tennessee. Wheeler now holds a 1-pound, 3-ounce lead in the $1.3 million tournament that features 204 anglers competing from FLW and MLF

In these ledge tournaments, during practice you just graph and graph and find groups of fish, then on the first day of the tournament you kind of figure out what you have got,” said the 29-year-old Wheeler, who has career earnings of more than $2 million. “I hit 30 or 40 spots today, and I didn’t catch a ton of fish but I caught a decent number and was able to put together a solid bag. It was a good day.”

Wheeler said that he caught his fish in a mixture of areas. Of the five bass that he weighed in, two came offshore and three out of shallow grass.

“I had around 20 rods on the deck ready to roll today,” Wheeler said. “I caught them on two or three baits out deep and two or three different baits shallow. It was not one bait. I think this week it’s going to take a little bit of everything – a hodge-podge deal – to do well. I’m just trying to stay consistent and average about 20 pounds a day.

“It feels good to be back out on the home pond and back where I started,” Wheeler went on to say. “Even though I’m a transplant and I just moved here three years ago, I’ve been fishing this lake since I was three years old and I just seem to gel with it. But I also know that some days it leaves you scratching your head. We’ve got three more days and there is a lot of fishing left to do.”

The top 10 pros after day one on Lake Chickamauga are:

1^st:       Jacob Wheeler of Harrison, Tenn., five bass, 24-9
2^nd:      John Cox of DeBary, Fla., five bass, 23-6
3^rd:       Jason Reyes of Huffman, Texas, five bass, 22-10
4^th:       Lendell Martin Jr. of Nacogdoches, Texas, five bass, 21-9
5^th:       Justin Lucas of Guntersville, Ala., five bass, 20-3
6^th:       Joshua Weaver of Macon, Ga., five bass, 19-14
7^th:       Christopher Brasher of Longview, Texas, five bass, 18-12
8^th:       Ron Nelson of Berrien Springs, Mich., five bass, 18-8
9^th:       Kyle Cortiana of Coweta, Okla., five bass, 18-7
9^th:       Tom Monsoor of La Crosse, Wis., five bass, 18-7

For a full list of results see below.

Martin won the day's $500 Berkley Big Bass award in the pro division after bringing a largemouth weighing 9 pounds, 8 ounces to the scale.

Overall there were 959 bass weighing 2,565 pounds, 8 ounces caught by 203 pros Tuesday. The catch included 173 five-bass limits.

The Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit at Lake Chickamauga is hosted by Fish Dayton and the Rhea Economic & Tourism Council.

In Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Super-Tournament competition, the full field of 204 pro anglers compete in the two-day opening round on Tuesday and Wednesday. The top 50 pros based on their two-day accumulated weight advance to Thursday. Only the top 10 pros continue competition on Championship Friday, with the winner determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from the four days of competition.

Anglers will take off at 6:30 a.m. EDT each day from Point Park at Dayton Boat Dock, located at 185 Chickamauga Drive, in Dayton. The weigh-in each day will also be held at Dayton Boat Dock and will begin at 3 p.m. To minimize the spread of COVID-19, attendance is limited to competing anglers and essential staff only. Fans are encouraged to forgo the daily takeoffs and weigh-ins and follow the event online through the expanded “FLW Live” broadcasts and weigh-in coverage at FLWFishing.com.

The popular FLW Live on-the-water broadcast has been expanded to air on all four days of competition, featuring live action from the boats of the tournament’s top pros each day. Host Travis Moran is joined by Toyota Series pro Todd Hollowell and MLF’s Marty Stone to break down the extended action each day from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. On-the-water broadcasts will be live streamed on FLWFishing.com, the FLW YouTube channel and the FLW Facebook page.

1	JACOB WHEELER	HARRISON, TN	24 - 9 (5)	24 - 9 (5)	24 - 9 (5)	24 - 9 (5)
2	JOHN COX	DEBARY, FL	23 - 6 (5)	23 - 6 (5)	23 - 6 (5)	23 - 6 (5)
3	JASON REYES	HUFFMAN, TX	22 - 10 (5)	22 - 10 (5)	22 - 10 (5)	22 - 10 (5)
4	LENDELL MARTIN JR	NACOGDOCHES, TX	21 - 9 (5)	21 - 9 (5)	21 - 9 (5)	21 - 9 (5)	$500
5	JUSTIN LUCAS	GUNTERSVILLE, AL	20 - 3 (5)	20 - 3 (5)	20 - 3 (5)	20 - 3 (5)
6	JOSHUA WEAVER	MACON, GA	19 - 14 (5)	19 - 14 (5)	19 - 14 (5)	19 - 14 (5)
7	CHRISTOPHER BRASHER	LONGVIEW, TX	18 - 12 (5)	18 - 12 (5)	18 - 12 (5)	18 - 12 (5)
8	RON NELSON	BERRIEN SPRINGS, MI	18 - 8 (5)	18 - 8 (5)	18 - 8 (5)	18 - 8 (5)
9	KYLE CORTIANA	COWETA, OK	18 - 7 (5)	18 - 7 (5)	18 - 7 (5)	18 - 7 (5)
9	TOM MONSOOR	LA CROSSE, WI	18 - 7 (5)	18 - 7 (5)	18 - 7 (5)	18 - 7 (5)
11	ANDY MORGAN	DAYTON, TN	18 - 6 (5)	18 - 6 (5)	18 - 6 (5)	18 - 6 (5)
12	DAKOTA EBARE	DENHAM SPRINGS, LA	18 - 5 (5)	18 - 5 (5)	18 - 5 (5)	18 - 5 (5)
12	MARK DAVIS	MOUNT IDA, AR	18 - 5 (5)	18 - 5 (5)	18 - 5 (5)	18 - 5 (5)
14	MILES BURGHOFF	SODDY-DAISY, TN	18 - 4 (5)	18 - 4 (5)	18 - 4 (5)	18 - 4 (5)
14	TOM REDINGTON	ROYSE CITY, TX	18 - 4 (5)	18 - 4 (5)	18 - 4 (5)	18 - 4 (5)
16	DEAN ROJAS	LAKE HAVASU CITY, AZ	18 - 2 (5)	18 - 2 (5)	18 - 2 (5)	18 - 2 (5)
17	BRENT EHRLER	REDLANDS, CA	18 - 0 (5)	18 - 0 (5)	18 - 0 (5)	18 - 0 (5)
18	COLE FLOYD	LEESBURG, OH	17 - 12 (5)	17 - 12 (5)	17 - 12 (5)	17 - 12 (5)
19	JIMMY WASHAM	COVINGTON, TN	17 - 4 (5)	17 - 4 (5)	17 - 4 (5)	17 - 4 (5)
20	ERIC JACKSON	WALLING, TN	17 - 3 (5)	17 - 3 (5)	17 - 3 (5)	17 - 3 (5)
21	MICHAEL NEAL	DAYTON, TN	17 - 0 (5)	17 - 0 (5)	17 - 0 (5)	17 - 0 (5)
22	ALVIN SHAW	CAMDEN, SC	16 - 15 (5)	16 - 15 (5)	16 - 15 (5)	16 - 15 (5)
23	FRED ROUMBANIS	LONDON, AR	16 - 14 (5)	16 - 14 (5)	16 - 14 (5)	16 - 14 (5)
23	BRANDON MOSLEY	CHOCTAW, OK	16 - 14 (5)	16 - 14 (5)	16 - 14 (5)	16 - 14 (5)
23	BOBBY LANE	LAKELAND, FL	16 - 14 (5)	16 - 14 (5)	16 - 14 (5)	16 - 14 (5)
23	CODY MEYER	AUBURN, CA	16 - 14 (5)	16 - 14 (5)	16 - 14 (5)	16 - 14 (5)
23	DAVID GASTON	SYLACAUGA, AL	16 - 14 (5)	16 - 14 (5)	16 - 14 (5)	16 - 14 (5)
28	JUSTIN ATKINS	FLORENCE, AL	16 - 13 (5)	16 - 13 (5)	16 - 13 (5)	16 - 13 (5)
28	DAVE PARSONS	YANTIS, TX	16 - 13 (5)	16 - 13 (5)	16 - 13 (5)	16 - 13 (5)
28	ANTHONY GAGLIARDI	PROSPERITY, SC	16 - 13 (5)	16 - 13 (5)	16 - 13 (5)	16 - 13 (5)
31	CASEY ASHLEY	DONALDS, SC	16 - 11 (5)	16 - 11 (5)	16 - 11 (5)	16 - 11 (5)
32	JIM MOYNAGH	SHAKOPEE, MN	16 - 8 (5)	16 - 8 (5)	16 - 8 (5)	16 - 8 (5)
32	DAVID WILLIAMS	MAIDEN, NC	16 - 8 (5)	16 - 8 (5)	16 - 8 (5)	16 - 8 (5)
34	DAVE LEFEBRE	ERIE, PA	16 - 5 (5)	16 - 5 (5)	16 - 5 (5)	16 - 5 (5)
35	JAMES NIGGEMEYER	VAN, TX	15 - 15 (5)	15 - 15 (5)	15 - 15 (5)	15 - 15 (5)
36	JORDAN OSBORNE	LONGVIEW, TX	15 - 13 (5)	15 - 13 (5)	15 - 13 (5)	15 - 13 (5)
37	RUSSELL LANE	PRATTVILLE, AL	15 - 11 (5)	15 - 11 (5)	15 - 11 (5)	15 - 11 (5)
38	SPENCER SHUFFIELD	HOT SPRINGS, AR	15 - 7 (5)	15 - 7 (5)	15 - 7 (5)	15 - 7 (5)
39	TERRY SCROGGINS	SAN MATEO, FL	15 - 6 (5)	15 - 6 (5)	15 - 6 (5)	15 - 6 (5)
40	BILLY HINES	VACAVILLE, CA	15 - 4 (5)	15 - 4 (5)	15 - 4 (5)	15 - 4 (5)
40	JOHN MURRAY	SPRING CITY, TN	15 - 4 (5)	15 - 4 (5)	15 - 4 (5)	15 - 4 (5)
40	BRADFORD BEAVERS	SUMMERVILLE, SC	15 - 4 (5)	15 - 4 (5)	15 - 4 (5)	15 - 4 (5)
43	MATT GREENBLATT	PORT ST LUCIE, FL	14 - 15 (5)	14 - 15 (5)	14 - 15 (5)	14 - 15 (5)
44	KYLE HALL	GRANBURY, TX	14 - 14 (5)	14 - 14 (5)	14 - 14 (5)	14 - 14 (5)
45	DARREL ROBERTSON	JAY, OK	14 - 13 (5)	14 - 13 (5)	14 - 13 (5)	14 - 13 (5)
45	BARRY WILSON	BIRMINGHAM, AL	14 - 13 (5)	14 - 13 (5)	14 - 13 (5)	14 - 13 (5)
47	JOEY CIFUENTES	CLINTON, AR	14 - 12 (5)	14 - 12 (5)	14 - 12 (5)	14 - 12 (5)
48	JESSE WIGGINS	LOGAN, AL	14 - 11 (5)	14 - 11 (5)	14 - 11 (5)	14 - 11 (5)
49	JOSH BERTRAND	SAN TAN VALLEY, AZ	14 - 10 (5)	14 - 10 (5)	14 - 10 (5)	14 - 10 (5)
50	MATT REED	MADISONVILLE, TX	14 - 9 (5)	14 - 9 (5)	14 - 9 (5)	14 - 9 (5)
51	ADRIAN AVENA	VINELAND, NJ	14 - 8 (5)	14 - 8 (5)	14 - 8 (5)	14 - 8 (5)
52	KYLE GELLES	PINGREE, ID	14 - 7 (5)	14 - 7 (5)	14 - 7 (5)	14 - 7 (5)
53	ALTON JONES	LORENA, TX	14 - 6 (5)	14 - 6 (5)	14 - 6 (5)	14 - 6 (5)
54	BARRON ADAMS	MINERAL BLUFF, GA	14 - 5 (5)	14 - 5 (5)	14 - 5 (5)	14 - 5 (5)
54	COREY NEECE	BRISTOL, TN	14 - 5 (5)	14 - 5 (5)	14 - 5 (5)	14 - 5 (5)
54	TIMMY HORTON	MUSCLE SHOALS, AL	14 - 5 (5)	14 - 5 (5)	14 - 5 (5)	14 - 5 (5)
54	EVAN BARNES	HOT SPRINGS, AR	14 - 5 (5)	14 - 5 (5)	14 - 5 (5)	14 - 5 (5)
58	DAVID DUDLEY	LYNCHBURG, VA	14 - 4 (5)	14 - 4 (5)	14 - 4 (5)	14 - 4 (5)
58	MITCH CRANE	COLUMBUS, MS	14 - 4 (5)	14 - 4 (5)	14 - 4 (5)	14 - 4 (5)
58	ALEX DAVIS	ALBERTVILLE, AL	14 - 4 (5)	14 - 4 (5)	14 - 4 (5)	14 - 4 (5)
58	TRAVIS ARCHER	COVINGTON, WA	14 - 4 (5)	14 - 4 (5)	14 - 4 (5)	14 - 4 (5)
58	JACOB WALL	NEW HOPE, AL	14 - 4 (5)	14 - 4 (5)	14 - 4 (5)	14 - 4 (5)
63	MIKE SURMAN	BOCA RATON, FL	14 - 3 (5)	14 - 3 (5)	14 - 3 (5)	14 - 3 (5)
63	JAKE MORRIS	MC KEE, KY	14 - 3 (5)	14 - 3 (5)	14 - 3 (5)	14 - 3 (5)
65	KYLE WEISENBURGER	COLUMBUS GROVE, OH	13 - 15 (5)	13 - 15 (5)	13 - 15 (5)	13 - 15 (5)
66	LANE OLSON	TIGARD, OR	13 - 14 (5)	13 - 14 (5)	13 - 14 (5)	13 - 14 (5)
66	CASEY SCANLON	LAKE OZARK, MO	13 - 14 (5)	13 - 14 (5)	13 - 14 (5)	13 - 14 (5)
66	AJ SLEGONA	PINE BUSH, NY	13 - 14 (5)	13 - 14 (5)	13 - 14 (5)	13 - 14 (5)
66	JIM TUTT	LONGVIEW, TX	13 - 14 (5)	13 - 14 (5)	13 - 14 (5)	13 - 14 (5)
70	WESLEY STRADER	SPRING CITY, TN	13 - 12 (5)	13 - 12 (5)	13 - 12 (5)	13 - 12 (5)
70	JOHN VOYLES	PETERSBURG, IN	13 - 12 (5)	13 - 12 (5)	13 - 12 (5)	13 - 12 (5)
72	CODY NICHOLS	FAYETTE, AL	13 - 9 (5)	13 - 9 (5)	13 - 9 (5)	13 - 9 (5)
72	CHAD WARREN	SAND SPRINGS, OK	13 - 9 (3)	13 - 9 (3)	13 - 9 (3)	13 - 9 (3)
74	SKEET REESE	AUBURN, CA	13 - 8 (5)	13 - 8 (5)	13 - 8 (5)	13 - 8 (5)
74	EDWIN EVERS	TALALA, OK	13 - 8 (5)	13 - 8 (5)	13 - 8 (5)	13 - 8 (5)
76	DAVID WALKER	SEVIERVILLE, TN	13 - 7 (5)	13 - 7 (5)	13 - 7 (5)	13 - 7 (5)
77	PETE PONDS	MADISON, MS	13 - 6 (5)	13 - 6 (5)	13 - 6 (5)	13 - 6 (5)
78	ROBERT NAKATOMI	SACRAMENTO, CA	13 - 5 (5)	13 - 5 (5)	13 - 5 (5)	13 - 5 (5)
78	GLENN CHAPPELEAR	ACWORTH, GA	13 - 5 (5)	13 - 5 (5)	13 - 5 (5)	13 - 5 (5)
80	TERRY BOLTON	BENTON, KY	13 - 4 (5)	13 - 4 (5)	13 - 4 (5)	13 - 4 (5)
80	SCOTT WILEY	BAY MINETTE, AL	13 - 4 (5)	13 - 4 (5)	13 - 4 (5)	13 - 4 (5)
82	GARY KLEIN	MINGUS, TX	13 - 3 (5)	13 - 3 (5)	13 - 3 (5)	13 - 3 (5)
83	MATTHEW STEFAN	JUNCTION CITY, WI	13 - 2 (5)	13 - 2 (5)	13 - 2 (5)	13 - 2 (5)
83	BILLY MCCAGHREN	MAYFLOWER, AR	13 - 2 (5)	13 - 2 (5)	13 - 2 (5)	13 - 2 (5)
85	GRAE BUCK	GREEN LANE, PA	13 - 1 (5)	13 - 1 (5)	13 - 1 (5)	13 - 1 (5)
86	CHAD GRIGSBY	MAPLE GROVE, MN	13 - 0 (5)	13 - 0 (5)	13 - 0 (5)	13 - 0 (5)
87	ROGER HUGHES	BARTLESVILLE, OK	12 - 14 (5)	12 - 14 (5)	12 - 14 (5)	12 - 14 (5)
88	TIM FREDERICK	LEESBURG, FL	12 - 13 (5)	12 - 13 (5)	12 - 13 (5)	12 - 13 (5)
89	J TODD TUCKER	MOULTRIE, GA	12 - 12 (5)	12 - 12 (5)	12 - 12 (5)	12 - 12 (5)
89	KURT MITCHELL	MILFORD, DE	12 - 12 (5)	12 - 12 (5)	12 - 12 (5)	12 - 12 (5)
89	JEREMY LAWYER	SARCOXIE, MO	12 - 12 (5)	12 - 12 (5)	12 - 12 (5)	12 - 12 (5)
92	CHRIS MCCALL	PALMER, TX	12 - 11 (5)	12 - 11 (5)	12 - 11 (5)	12 - 11 (5)
92	RICHARD LOWITZKI	HAMPSHIRE, IL	12 - 11 (5)	12 - 11 (5)	12 - 11 (5)	12 - 11 (5)
94	MATT BECKER	FINLEYVILLE, PA	12 - 10 (5)	12 - 10 (5)	12 - 10 (5)	12 - 10 (5)
95	CLAYTON BATTS	BUTLER, GA	12 - 8 (5)	12 - 8 (5)	12 - 8 (5)	12 - 8 (5)
95	SCOTT ASHMORE	BROKEN ARROW, OK	12 - 8 (5)	12 - 8 (5)	12 - 8 (5)	12 - 8 (5)
97	TODD FAIRCLOTH	JASPER, TX	12 - 7 (5)	12 - 7 (5)	12 - 7 (5)	12 - 7 (5)
97	CHARLIE EVANS	BEREA, KY	12 - 7 (5)	12 - 7 (5)	12 - 7 (5)	12 - 7 (5)
97	BRYAN THRIFT	SHELBY, NC	12 - 7 (5)	12 - 7 (5)	12 - 7 (5)	12 - 7 (5)
97	DAROLD GLEASON	MANY, LA	12 - 7 (5)	12 - 7 (5)	12 - 7 (5)	12 - 7 (5)
97	CLIFF PACE	PETAL, MS	12 - 7 (5)	12 - 7 (5)	12 - 7 (5)	12 - 7 (5)
102	DERRICK SNAVELY	PINEY FLATS, TN	12 - 6 (5)	12 - 6 (5)	12 - 6 (5)	12 - 6 (5)
102	KEITH POCHE	PIKE ROAD, AL	12 - 6 (5)	12 - 6 (5)	12 - 6 (5)	12 - 6 (5)
102	JAMES BIGGS	EULESS, TX	12 - 6 (5)	12 - 6 (5)	12 - 6 (5)	12 - 6 (5)
105	KERRY MILNER	BONO, AR	12 - 5 (5)	12 - 5 (5)	12 - 5 (5)	12 - 5 (5)
105	JASON MENINGER	SAINT AUGUSTINE, FL	12 - 5 (5)	12 - 5 (5)	12 - 5 (5)	12 - 5 (5)
105	TROY MORROW	EASTANOLLEE, GA	12 - 5 (5)	12 - 5 (5)	12 - 5 (5)	12 - 5 (5)
108	JIMMY REESE	WITTER SPRINGS, CA	12 - 4 (5)	12 - 4 (5)	12 - 4 (5)	12 - 4 (5)
108	TYLER STEWART	WEST MONROE, LA	12 - 4 (5)	12 - 4 (5)	12 - 4 (5)	12 - 4 (5)
110	BAILEY BOUTRIES	DAPHNE, AL	12 - 3 (5)	12 - 3 (5)	12 - 3 (5)	12 - 3 (5)
111	JONATHAN CANADA	HELENA, AL	12 - 2 (5)	12 - 2 (5)	12 - 2 (5)	12 - 2 (5)
111	BRADLEY ROY	LANCASTER, KY	12 - 2 (5)	12 - 2 (5)	12 - 2 (5)	12 - 2 (5)
111	DUSTIN CONNELL	CLANTON, AL	12 - 2 (5)	12 - 2 (5)	12 - 2 (5)	12 - 2 (5)
111	DICKY NEWBERRY	HOUSTON, TX	12 - 2 (5)	12 - 2 (5)	12 - 2 (5)	12 - 2 (5)
115	NICK LEBRUN	BOSSIER CITY, LA	12 - 1 (5)	12 - 1 (5)	12 - 1 (5)	12 - 1 (5)
115	JAKE ORMOND	STERLINGTON, LA	12 - 1 (5)	12 - 1 (5)	12 - 1 (5)	12 - 1 (5)
115	JEFF DOBSON	BARTLESVILLE, OK	12 - 1 (5)	12 - 1 (5)	12 - 1 (5)	12 - 1 (5)
115	JARED MCMILLAN	BELLE GLADE, FL	12 - 1 (5)	12 - 1 (5)	12 - 1 (5)	12 - 1 (5)
119	BRAXTON SETZER	WETUMPKA, AL	12 - 0 (5)	12 - 0 (5)	12 - 0 (5)	12 - 0 (5)
120	WADE STRELIC	ALPINE, CA	11 - 15 (5)	11 - 15 (5)	11 - 15 (5)	11 - 15 (5)
120	T.R ANDREAS	KERRVILLE, TX	11 - 15 (5)	11 - 15 (5)	11 - 15 (5)	11 - 15 (5)
120	LANCE CRAWFORD	BROKEN BOW, OK	11 - 15 (5)	11 - 15 (5)	11 - 15 (5)	11 - 15 (5)
123	ALTON JONES JR	LORENA, TX	11 - 14 (5)	11 - 14 (5)	11 - 14 (5)	11 - 14 (5)
124	TYLER WOOLCOTT	PORT ORANGE, FL	11 - 13 (4)	11 - 13 (4)	11 - 13 (4)	11 - 13 (4)
124	TROY RODER	BROOKELAND, TX	11 - 13 (4)	11 - 13 (4)	11 - 13 (4)	11 - 13 (4)
126	MARK DANIELS JR	TUSKEGEE, AL	11 - 12 (5)	11 - 12 (5)	11 - 12 (5)	11 - 12 (5)
127	RUSTY TRANCYGIER	HAHIRA, GA	11 - 11 (5)	11 - 11 (5)	11 - 11 (5)	11 - 11 (5)
127	BILL MCDONALD	GREENWOOD, IN	11 - 11 (5)	11 - 11 (5)	11 - 11 (5)	11 - 11 (5)
129	RANDY ALLEN	GILLIAM, LA	11 - 10 (5)	11 - 10 (5)	11 - 10 (5)	11 - 10 (5)
129	JON ENGLUND	FARWELL, MN	11 - 10 (5)	11 - 10 (5)	11 - 10 (5)	11 - 10 (5)
129	KURT DOVE	DEL RIO, TX	11 - 10 (5)	11 - 10 (5)	11 - 10 (5)	11 - 10 (5)
132	RYAN SALZMAN	HUNTSVILLE, AL	11 - 9 (5)	11 - 9 (5)	11 - 9 (5)	11 - 9 (5)
133	RON FARROW	ROCK HILL, SC	11 - 8 (5)	11 - 8 (5)	11 - 8 (5)	11 - 8 (5)
134	GERALD SPOHRER	GONZALES, LA	11 - 7 (5)	11 - 7 (5)	11 - 7 (5)	11 - 7 (5)
135	SHAW GRIGSBY	GAINESVILLE, FL	11 - 5 (5)	11 - 5 (5)	11 - 5 (5)	11 - 5 (5)
135	JASON ABRAM	PINEY FLATS, TN	11 - 5 (5)	11 - 5 (5)	11 - 5 (5)	11 - 5 (5)
135	PAUL ELIAS	LAUREL, MS	11 - 5 (5)	11 - 5 (5)	11 - 5 (5)	11 - 5 (5)
135	SCOTT DOBSON	CLARKSTON, MI	11 - 5 (5)	11 - 5 (5)	11 - 5 (5)	11 - 5 (5)
135	KEVIN MEEKS	SMYRNA, TN	11 - 5 (5)	11 - 5 (5)	11 - 5 (5)	11 - 5 (5)
135	JOSH DOUGLAS	ISLE, MN	11 - 5 (5)	11 - 5 (5)	11 - 5 (5)	11 - 5 (5)
135	RUSTY SALEWSKE	ALPINE, CA	11 - 5 (5)	11 - 5 (5)	11 - 5 (5)	11 - 5 (5)
142	DYLAN HAYS	HOT SPRINGS, AR	11 - 4 (5)	11 - 4 (5)	11 - 4 (5)	11 - 4 (5)
143	BOYD DUCKETT	GUNTERSVILLE, AL	11 - 3 (5)	11 - 3 (5)	11 - 3 (5)	11 - 3 (5)
143	KELLY JORDON	FLINT, TX	11 - 3 (5)	11 - 3 (5)	11 - 3 (5)	11 - 3 (5)
145	NICK GAINEY	CHARLESTON, SC	11 - 2 (5)	11 - 2 (5)	11 - 2 (5)	11 - 2 (5)
146	GREG BOHANNAN	BENTONVILLE, AR	10 - 15 (5)	10 - 15 (5)	10 - 15 (5)	10 - 15 (5)
147	JASON LAMBERT	MICHIE, TN	10 - 14 (5)	10 - 14 (5)	10 - 14 (5)	10 - 14 (5)
147	TERRY LUEDTKE	BURTON, TX	10 - 14 (5)	10 - 14 (5)	10 - 14 (5)	10 - 14 (5)
147	PRESTON CRAIG	PHILADELPHIA, TN	10 - 14 (4)	10 - 14 (4)	10 - 14 (4)	10 - 14 (4)
150	ZACK BIRGE	BLANCHARD, OK	10 - 12 (5)	10 - 12 (5)	10 - 12 (5)	10 - 12 (5)
151	ZELL ROWLAND	MONTGOMERY, TX	10 - 11 (4)	10 - 11 (4)	10 - 11 (4)	10 - 11 (4)
152	JAMES ELAM	CLEVELAND, OK	10 - 10 (5)	10 - 10 (5)	10 - 10 (5)	10 - 10 (5)
152	BRANDON MCMILLAN	CLEWISTON, FL	10 - 10 (5)	10 - 10 (5)	10 - 10 (5)	10 - 10 (5)
154	CHIP HARRINGTON	OLATHE, KS	10 - 9 (3)	10 - 9 (3)	10 - 9 (3)	10 - 9 (3)
154	MATT LEE	BREMEN, AL	10 - 9 (5)	10 - 9 (5)	10 - 9 (5)	10 - 9 (5)
156	ANDY YOUNG	ISLE, MN	10 - 8 (5)	10 - 8 (5)	10 - 8 (5)	10 - 8 (5)
157	JONATHON VANDAM	KALAMAZOO, MI	10 - 7 (4)	10 - 7 (4)	10 - 7 (4)	10 - 7 (4)
158	JOHN HUNTER	SIMPSONVILLE, KY	10 - 6 (5)	10 - 6 (5)	10 - 6 (5)	10 - 6 (5)
158	TOMMY DICKERSON	ORANGE, TX	10 - 6 (5)	10 - 6 (5)	10 - 6 (5)	10 - 6 (5)
160	RANDY DESPINO	COLFAX, LA	10 - 5 (5)	10 - 5 (5)	10 - 5 (5)	10 - 5 (5)
161	MIKE MCCLELLAND	BLUE EYE, MO	10 - 4 (5)	10 - 4 (5)	10 - 4 (5)	10 - 4 (5)
161	LARAMY STRICKLAND	BUSHNELL, FL	10 - 4 (5)	10 - 4 (5)	10 - 4 (5)	10 - 4 (5)
163	MARK FISHER	WAUCONDA, IL	10 - 1 (2)	10 - 1 (2)	10 - 1 (2)	10 - 1 (2)
163	JORDAN LEE	CULLMAN, AL	10 - 1 (5)	10 - 1 (5)	10 - 1 (5)	10 - 1 (5)
163	BRADLEY DORTCH	ATMORE, AL	10 - 1 (3)	10 - 1 (3)	10 - 1 (3)	10 - 1 (3)
166	BRAD KNIGHT	LANCING, TN	9 - 15 (5)	9 - 15 (5)	9 - 15 (5)	9 - 15 (5)
167	HUNTER FREEMAN	MONROE, LA	9 - 14 (4)	9 - 14 (4)	9 - 14 (4)	9 - 14 (4)
167	BRITT MYERS	LAKE WYLIE, SC	9 - 14 (5)	9 - 14 (5)	9 - 14 (5)	9 - 14 (5)
167	ROB KILBY	HOT SPRINGS, AR	9 - 14 (5)	9 - 14 (5)	9 - 14 (5)	9 - 14 (5)
170	AARON BRITT	YUBA CITY, CA	9 - 13 (5)	9 - 13 (5)	9 - 13 (5)	9 - 13 (5)
171	JOSEPH WEBSTER	WINFIELD, AL	9 - 12 (5)	9 - 12 (5)	9 - 12 (5)	9 - 12 (5)
171	CAPT BLAKE SMITH	LAKELAND, FL	9 - 12 (5)	9 - 12 (5)	9 - 12 (5)	9 - 12 (5)
173	DARRELL DAVIS	DOVER, FL	9 - 9 (5)	9 - 9 (5)	9 - 9 (5)	9 - 9 (5)
173	DAVID WOOTTON	COLLIERVILLE, TN	9 - 9 (5)	9 - 9 (5)	9 - 9 (5)	9 - 9 (5)
175	JAMIE HORTON	CENTERVILLE, AL	9 - 8 (5)	9 - 8 (5)	9 - 8 (5)	9 - 8 (5)
176	JEFF KRIET	ARDMORE, OK	9 - 5 (5)	9 - 5 (5)	9 - 5 (5)	9 - 5 (5)
177	RANDY HOWELL	GUNTERSVILLE, AL	9 - 4 (5)	9 - 4 (5)	9 - 4 (5)	9 - 4 (5)
178	TYSON PATRICK	MIDLAND, TX	9 - 3 (5)	9 - 3 (5)	9 - 3 (5)	9 - 3 (5)
178	ROBERT BEHRLE	HOOVER, AL	9 - 3 (5)	9 - 3 (5)	9 - 3 (5)	9 - 3 (5)
178	CHRIS NEAU	NEW ORLEANS, LA	9 - 3 (5)	9 - 3 (5)	9 - 3 (5)	9 - 3 (5)
181	RAMIE COLSON JR	CADIZ, KY	8 - 14 (5)	8 - 14 (5)	8 - 14 (5)	8 - 14 (5)
182	JASON VANCE	BATTLE GROUND, IN	8 - 13 (4)	8 - 13 (4)	8 - 13 (4)	8 - 13 (4)
183	WOODARD CHANCE	PARIS, TX	8 - 11 (4)	8 - 11 (4)	8 - 11 (4)	8 - 11 (4)
184	DAVID PERDUE	WIRTZ, VA	8 - 6 (4)	8 - 6 (4)	8 - 6 (4)	8 - 6 (4)
185	COLBY MILLER	ELMER, LA	8 - 5 (5)	8 - 5 (5)	8 - 5 (5)	8 - 5 (5)
186	ROY HAWK	LAKE HAVASU CITY, AZ	8 - 4 (3)	8 - 4 (3)	8 - 4 (3)	8 - 4 (3)
187	SAM GEORGE	ATHENS, AL	7 - 3 (3)	7 - 3 (3)	7 - 3 (3)	7 - 3 (3)
188	ALTON WILHOIT	NOBLE, OK	7 - 0 (3)	7 - 0 (3)	7 - 0 (3)	7 - 0 (3)
188	GARY YAMAMOTO	PALESTINE, TX	7 - 0 (2)	7 - 0 (2)	7 - 0 (2)	7 - 0 (2)
188	ERIK LUZAK	FENELON FALLS, ON	7 - 0 (2)	7 - 0 (2)	7 - 0 (2)	7 - 0 (2)
191	CHARLES SIM	NEPEAN, ON	6 - 15 (4)	6 - 15 (4)	6 - 15 (4)	6 - 15 (4)
192	CLARK REEHM	ELM GROVE, LA	6 - 13 (4)	6 - 13 (4)	6 - 13 (4)	6 - 13 (4)
193	KEVIN MARTIN	CROWN CITY, OH	6 - 10 (5)	6 - 10 (5)	6 - 10 (5)	6 - 10 (5)
194	CHUCK STRATTON	CHAFFEE, MO	6 - 8 (3)	6 - 8 (3)	6 - 8 (3)	6 - 8 (3)
195	BILL HUTCHISON	BESSEMER, AL	6 - 4 (4)	6 - 4 (4)	6 - 4 (4)	6 - 4 (4)
196	BRETT HITE	PHOENIX, AZ	5 - 15 (3)	5 - 15 (3)	5 - 15 (3)	5 - 15 (3)
197	JAMES WATSON	LAMPE, MO	5 - 6 (3)	5 - 6 (3)	5 - 6 (3)	5 - 6 (3)
198	DARYL BIRON	SOUTH WINDSOR, CT	5 - 3 (4)	5 - 3 (4)	5 - 3 (4)	5 - 3 (4)
199	TONY DUMITRAS	WINSTON, GA	4 - 13 (2)	4 - 13 (2)	4 - 13 (2)	4 - 13 (2)
200	DENNIS CAMERON	TRAVELERS REST, SC	3 - 8 (3)	3 - 8 (3)	3 - 8 (3)	3 - 8 (3)
201	CHRIS WHITSON	LOUISVILLE, TN	2 - 10 (2)	2 - 10 (2)	2 - 10 (2)	2 - 10 (2)
202	DREW RATLEY	SHREVEPORT, LA	2 - 1 (1)	2 - 1 (1)	2 - 1 (1)	2 - 1 (1)
203	RYAN CHANDLER	HEBRON, IN	1 - 11 (1)	1 - 11 (1)	1 - 11 (1)	1 - 11 (1)

by AnglersChannel

Millions Watch Bassmaster Comeback On Lake Eufaula

Nearly 2.8 million viewers tuned in to watch the four-day DEWALT Bassmaster Elite Series at Lake Eufaula on ESPN2.

Photo by B.A.S.S.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 23, 2020

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The highly anticipated return of the Bassmaster Elite Series season and Buddy Gross’s dramatic final-day comeback lured in approximately 2.8 million viewers, who followed live, on-the-water action from the DEWALT Bassmaster Elite at Lake Eufaula for four days on ESPN2.

“Thanks to our longtime partner, ESPN, we were able to air more than 19 hours of real-time coverage, reaching more viewers and creating fans across the country,” said Bruce Akin, B.A.S.S. CEO. “Our Elite Series anglers reeled in big bags while also doing an incredible job taking the time to explain the sport to those who might be watching bass fishing for the first time.”

Between televised coverage on ESPN2 and the livestream on Bassmaster.com and ESPN3, fans watched more than 85 million minutes of tournament coverage.

It wasn’t difficult for everyone from enthusiastic fishing fans to complete novices to get drawn into the action at Lake Eufaula, which saw a new leader each day of the event and featured a bevy of impressive catches. On the Final Day, Gross surged from 10th place — more than 7 pounds behind leader Scott Canterbury — to take home his first Elite Series win and the $100,000 prize.

While the increased viewership is encouraging for the growth of sportfishing, it also reflects the tremendous growth in both interest and participation that fishing is enjoying so far this year.

States across the country have seen remarkable growth in fishing license sales as many seek to reconnect with their families and the outdoors. Iowa, Minnesota, Vermont and Louisiana all report more than 50% higher fishing license sales in 2020, according to their state conservation agencies. Considered a hotbed of recreational fishing, even Alabama has experienced a 37% jump in resident fishing license sales.

An hour-long episode of The Bassmasters television show featuring highlights and analysis from the Lake Eufaula tournament will air later this year on ESPN2, ESPN Classic and the Pursuit Channel. A complete 2020 tournament schedule can be found at Bassmaster.com/tv-schedule.

by AnglersChannel

The Alabama River was low but the weights were still high.

By Jason Duran

Photos By Chris Brown

Prattville AL- It was a much different Alabama River when the Alabama Bass Trail South Division began to check in for blast off on Saturday. Overnight the water levels dropped significantly… almost 4 feet. The dock talk was apparent as anglers were overheard saying, “well, this sure changes our game plan.” When all the fish were weighed, it was the team of Chris Landers and Brad Pitts that put together a surprising 18.24 pounds and took home the $10,000 check.

Brad said he wasn’t surprised by the water level changes as he has “seen it this way before and thought the fishing would be really tough.” He “thought they did really well with what the lake gave them.” The water was really stained and low. Chris said “they spent most of their day fishing creek channel swings down river using slow moving baits.” The key for them was finding points that had a few stumps on them. Brad said “it was the kind of stuff you never really knew was there until you fished it.” They both said they were surprised with their catch of 18 pounds after seeing how low the water had dropped. The team spent the day fishing jigs. The key baits for them were a couple different jigs: ½ oz Davis Baits white swim jig with a Zoom white Split Tail trailer dipped in pink, Davis baits ball head black and blue jig with a green pumpkin and blue Zoom Speed Craw trailer, a Davis Baits football head green pumpkin green ½ oz with a Zoom green pumpkin Speed Craw and a NetBait 10 inch Red Bug strait tail worm with a Spot Remover ½ oz shaky head.

The second place team of Jimmy Wood and Ken Jones made a 20 minute run south to a back water pond. Jimmy described their team as “shallow water fishermen, but when they saw the change in water, they were almost ready to pull the plug on it. That thought quickly changed when they started catching fish. In recent weeks, they fished this area, however, where they were catching fish before was now dry land. They began to fish around looking for where the fish could have moved and targeted an area with the deepest water in it. Ken said it “was about a foot of water with some stumps. The trolling motor muddied the water even more and maybe that made the fish want to stay in there.” They had a limit at 7:30 and continued to catch fish all day in that area. They caught two fish quick on a Spro Frog in Killer Gill on 60 LB PowerPro Braid and spent the rest of the day using a Reaction Innovations Man Bear Pig Texas Rigged.

Brian Adamson and Ryan Lloyd, boat number 15, made the long run south almost to the dam. The team found an area in practice with lots of mayflies and overhanging limbs in the grass. Like many other teams, they found their practice area unfishable, but they, too, decided to stick with the area and try to find the fish. They made quick work of locating the fish catching 16 pounds within the first hour. The main bait for them was a SPRO Frog in a brim color. Ryan said, “the low water really made it easier to pinpoint the fish.” They ended up locating most of their fish in shallow water around stumps and felt like the fish were really holding tight to the wood.

The top ten standings are below, and for a full list of results visit: https://www.alabamabasstrail.org/tournament-series/ar-results/

Download and listen to the ABT Podcast on your favorite Podcast app by searching for “Alabama Bass Trail Podcast.” The Podcast is released each week on Tuesday.

The sponsors of the 2020 Alabama Bass Trail include; Phoenix Bass Boats, Bill Penney Toyota, Garmin, Academy Sports & Outdoors, America’s First Federal Credit Union, Sweet Home Alabama, Alabama Tourism Department, Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association, T-H Marine Supplies, Wedowee Marine, Strike King, Buffalo Rock, Mountain Dew, Jack’s, Fish Neely Henry Lake.com, Alabama Power Company, Lew’s Fishing, Berkley, YETI, Power Pole, Big Bite Bait Company, E3 Apparel and Hydrowave.

For information about Alabama Bass Trail and for complete tournament standings visit www.alabamabasstrail.org.

by AnglersChannel

Huge Bag Lifts Jones To Bassmaster Central Open Win On Arkansas River

Chris Jones, of Bokoshe, Okla., wins the Basspro.com Bassmaster Central Open at Arkansas River with 42 pounds, 13 ounces.
Photo by James Overstreet/B.A.S.S.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 20, 2020

MUSKOGEE, Okla. — Chris Jones knew he had his work cut out for him, but he stuck to what he knows best and overcame a significant deficit to win the Basspro.com Bassmaster Central Open on the Arkansas River with a three-day total of 42 pounds, 13 ounces.

Starting Championship Saturday in eighth place, Jones’ biggest decision was whether to stay local or make the long run downriver to the Kerr Lake Pool. The latter option requires locking, which greatly diminishes a competitor’s fishing time, but this fertile reservoir’s renowned fish population often justifies the sacrifice.

After drawing the last flight on Day 1, the pro from Bokoshe, Okla., fished Kerr and placed 17th with 12-10. The next day’s reversed checkout order gave him a shorter day, so he stayed in local waters and secured a final-round spot after adding 11-3.

Championship Saturday allowed him a longer fishing day, so he returned to Kerr and locked up the win by adding a 19-pound limit — the tournament’s second-largest behind Keith Poche’s 19-5 on Day 2.

“I knew the wind was going to blow today, I knew a front was coming and I knew there was a chance to catch a giant bag [in Kerr] and I just wanted that chance,” said Jones, who earned $45,300. “I knew I was 4 pounds behind [Day 2 leader] Dale Hightower, so I knew I had to go.

“I really should have [weighed in] 24 to 25 pounds. I weighed two little fish today, but I broke my rod on a big one and lost her and had another one tied up in some grass that came off. But it was just one of those magical days. Things have to go right for you to win and it happened today.”

Although he weighed a couple of fish on a YUM Bad Mamma that he Texas-rigged on a 4/0 Owner Beast hook with a 1/4-ounce weight, Jones did most of his work with a prototype Booyah swim jig set for release in July. Targeting water willow, he fished the 3/8-ounce black/blue bait with a 3.25-inch YUM Craw Chunk trailer in black neon.

“I did what I’ve always learned to do on this river — swim a jig, swim it some more and whenever they aren’t biting, you swim it some more,” Jones said. “I had my trolling motor on 70 or 80 and we just went.”

After two days of mostly sunny conditions, Championship Saturday brought dim, overcast conditions, which favored Jones’ game plan. While fish tend to tuck into cover in brighter conditions, they’re more active throughout the low light periods.

“I’ve been waiting on this cloud cover to get here for two days and it finally showed up,” Jones said.

John Garrett of Union City, Tenn., finished second with 42-7. Garrett finished 6 ounces short of the win after self-reporting a rules violation. After catching his sixth fish, he continued fishing without culling. Tournament rules stipulate that an angler cannot continue fishing with more than five fish in the livewell.

The gaff resulted in a 2-pound penalty.

“I made a mistake, but I could not have asked for a better day,” Garrett said of his strongest performance this week. “Today, I was either going to go to Kerr and swim a jig in grass or stay [local] and try to catch release fish. I fished for about an hour and a half and hit a magic stretch where all those fish had pulled up.

“All my fish this week came on a Texas-rigged Strike King Rage Bug with a 3/8- or a 1/2-ounce Strike King Tour Grade Tungsten weight. Out here in the clear water, I was throwing green pumpkin and in Spaniard Creek, I was throwing black/blue. I got good bites and got a lot of bites.”

Hightower added 13-12 to his previous weights of 13-1 and 15-0 and finished with 41-13. Foregoing the run to Kerr in favor of maximum fishing time, the Bassmaster Elite pro from Mannford, Okla., fished about half a mile from takeoff and meticulously worked shallow wood cover with a 7-inch YUM blue fleck worm with a 1/4-ounce Wicked Weights sinker and a Sixgill straight-shank hook.

“I just fished back and forth, up and down stretches, throwing at laydowns,” Hightower said. “I had a little flurry on the spot I fished yesterday, but they just seemed to all be the same size — little cookie-cutters. But I moved around a little bit and picked up a couple of good fish later in the day after I moved across the river.”

Scott Pellegrin of Chippewa Falls, Wisc., won the Phoenix Boats Big Bass award with his 5-13 largemouth, which he caught on Day 2.

William Young of Livingston, Texas, won the co-angler division with 21-6. He caught his winning fish on a Texas-rigged green pumpkin Zoom Baby Brush Hog with the tails dyed chartreuse.

“I flipped every piece of wood I could get to and capitalized on my bites,” Young said. “My boater and I caught fish from 6 inches of water to 2 feet. I caught more fish today than the whole time I’ve been here. It was a great day.”

Young also won the Phoenix Boats Big Bass award among co-anglers with a 5-2 largemouth, which he caught in the final round.

The event is hosted by Visit Muskogee and Three Forks Harbor.

2020 Basspro.com Central Open at Arkansas River 6/18-6/20
Arkansas River, Muskogee OK.
(BOATER) Standings Day 3

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

1. Chris Jones Bokoshe, OK 15 42-13 200 $45,300.00
Day 1: 5 12-10 Day 2: 5 11-03 Day 3: 5 19-00
2. John Garrett Union City, TN 15 42-07 199 $21,760.00
Day 1: 5 15-00 Day 2: 5 11-12 Day 3: 5 15-11
3. Dale Hightower Mannford, OK 15 41-13 198 $15,360.00
Day 1: 5 15-00 Day 2: 5 13-01 Day 3: 5 13-12
4. Lee Livesay Gladewater, TX 15 41-04 197 $12,800.00
Day 1: 5 13-11 Day 2: 5 12-03 Day 3: 5 15-06
5. Cody Huff Ava, MO 15 37-03 196 $11,136.00
Day 1: 5 12-06 Day 2: 5 13-14 Day 3: 5 10-15
6. Stephen Browning Hot Springs, AR 14 36-15 195 $10,240.00
Day 1: 4 11-15 Day 2: 5 12-04 Day 3: 5 12-12
7. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 14 35-15 194 $9,600.00
Day 1: 4 09-03 Day 2: 5 13-08 Day 3: 5 13-04
8. Caleb Gibson Locust Grove, OK 13 35-13 193 $8,960.00
Day 1: 5 14-12 Day 2: 3 09-04 Day 3: 5 11-13
9. Justin Margraves Diana, TX 14 33-09 192 $7,040.00
Day 1: 5 11-09 Day 2: 4 13-03 Day 3: 5 08-13
10. Spike Stoker Stephenville, TX 14 32-11 191 $5,760.00
Day 1: 5 11-09 Day 2: 5 11-06 Day 3: 4 09-12
11. Mark Watson Midlothian, TX 10 31-01 190 $5,120.00
Day 1: 4 13-14 Day 2: 3 08-06 Day 3: 3 08-13
12. Paul Browning Pecos, TX 10 25-13 189 $4,480.00
Day 1: 4 08-08 Day 2: 4 13-11 Day 3: 2 03-10
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Scott Pellegrin Chippewa Falls, WI 05-13 $750.00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 40 487 1134-08
2 29 410 988-08
3 9 54 143-09
----------------------------------
78 951 2266-09

2020 Basspro.com Central Open at Arkansas River 6/18-6/20
Arkansas River, Muskogee OK.
(NON_BOATER) Standings Day 3

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

1. William Young Livingston, TX 6 21-06 200 $18,383.00
Day 1: 3 10-11 Day 2: 0 00-00 Day 3: 3 10-11
2. Cameron Naquin Gray, LA 7 19-04 199 $4,267.00
Day 1: 1 02-03 Day 2: 3 07-06 Day 3: 3 09-11
3. Connor Rushing Pride, LA 8 17-09 198 $3,200.00
Day 1: 3 08-09 Day 2: 2 03-02 Day 3: 3 05-14
4. Joseph Shaw Madison, WI 6 16-12 197 $2,400.00
Day 1: 1 04-00 Day 2: 3 08-04 Day 3: 2 04-08
5. Steven Hatch Long Beach, MS 6 16-02 196 $2,240.00
Day 1: 2 05-01 Day 2: 3 07-04 Day 3: 1 03-13
6. Leroy Mcdonald Jr Blanchard, OK 8 16-01 195 $2,133.00
Day 1: 2 04-08 Day 2: 3 05-01 Day 3: 3 06-08
7. David Gibson Red Oak, TX 7 15-10 194 $2,027.00
Day 1: 2 05-08 Day 2: 3 06-08 Day 3: 2 03-10
8. Albert Hudson Austin, TX 6 15-08 193 $1,920.00
Day 1: 3 06-15 Day 2: 2 06-05 Day 3: 1 02-04
9. Michael Leach Conroe, TX 7 14-03 192 $1,760.00
Day 1: 2 03-09 Day 2: 3 07-00 Day 3: 2 03-10
10. James Boyett Mountain Home, AR 5 12-09 191 $1,600.00
Day 1: 3 06-09 Day 2: 1 03-04 Day 3: 1 02-12
11. Robert Paxton Jr Flower Mound, TX 6 11-14 190 $1,493.00
Day 1: 2 05-04 Day 2: 3 04-12 Day 3: 1 01-14
12. David Booth Erin, TN 4 09-15 189 $1,387.00
Day 1: 1 02-05 Day 2: 3 07-10 Day 3: 0 00-00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
William Young Livingston, TX 05-02 $250.00

by AnglersChannel

Hightower Takes Over Lead At Bassmaster Central Open On Arkansas River

Dale Hightower, of Mannford, Okla., is leading after Day 2 of the Basspro.com Bassmaster Central Open at Arkansas River with 28 pounds, 1 ounce.

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

MUSKOGEE, Okla. — An early morning delay forced Dale Hightower to scrap his initial game plan, but the Bassmaster Elite Series pro regrouped and put together a productive Plan B that helped him take over the Day 2 lead of the Basspro.com Bassmaster Central Open on the Arkansas River.

Adding 13 pounds, 1 ounce to his Day 1 weight of 15-0 gave the Oklahoma pro a two-day total of 28-1.

“I went down to the lower pool (Kerr Lake) yesterday, but I didn’t go down there today,” Hightower said. “I got down there and there was a barge in the lock and they were turning everybody around; it didn’t look like anybody was going to get to lock.

“I just said to myself ‘It’s out for me,’ because I had an early flight and I only had about 2 1/2 to 3 hours to fish to begin with. I just got it out of my head and just went fishing up here. I’m lucky to have what I had.”

Hightower caught his fish flipping. He did the same yesterday, but today’s bites required him to replace the creature bait he used on Day 1 in Kerr with more of a finesse flipping bait.

“I just think it was the pressure on the fish,” he said. “With [a lot of] people flipping and pitching and casting at them, there’s a lot of pressure on them.”

Noting that he targeted wood cover, Hightower said he was poking back into the treacherously shallow areas for which his aluminum boat is made.

“My Xpress boat always plays a role for me,” Hightower said. “I fish shallow and that’s just how I do it. That boat gets me there, gets me over stumps and logs and stuff that I couldn’t do [in a fiberglass boat], so it has definitely played a role this week.

“I know there’s a grass bite, but after coming back from the Elite Series event on Lake Eufaula last week, I didn’t have time to find it. So, I just did what I always do here. I live about an hour and 15 minutes away, so I’m used to fishing this place and I always fish wood.”

Hightower confined himself to one stretch of bank about a quarter-mile long. Making methodical passes up and down the area enabled him to pick off a fish or two each time.

“I kinda had some sweet spots, but it was just back and forth,” he said. “Around 10:30 or 11 o’clock I had some flurries. I didn’t have a fish for a long time this morning; it took me until 10 o’clock to get my first one, but when we got rolling, we kept going.

“I think I just settled down and fished. I realized what was dealt to me and I was pretty upset about this morning. But you can get upset or make lemonade out of lemons, and that’s what we did today.”

John Garrett of Union City, Tenn., is in second place with 26-12. After sharing fourth place with Hightower on Day 1, Garrett said his day took on a different complexion.

“Me and my good friend Cody Huff had a whole area to ourselves yesterday and the fish were easy to catch; today, we had a lot of boat pressure,” Garrett said. “The water came up and spread the fish up a good bit. I struggled all day. I caught my fifth keeper at 1:30.”

Garrett caught his bass by flipping a Strike King Rage Bug and cranking a Strike King 1.5 squarebill. Focusing on shallow wood, he found an early morning bite that produced a pair of 3-pounders in his first three flips, then faced a three-hour drought before adding two more on the squarebill and ended with his late-day limit maker.

Huff trails Garrett by 8 ounces with a third-place total of 26-4. Hailing from Ava, Mo., the 2019 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series bracket champion stayed in local waters and concentrated on shallow hard cover targets where he found a mix of fry guarders and others settled into summer patterns.

“I practiced in Kerr for six days and came up here in the last half of my final practice day and I was getting more bites than I did in Kerr,” Huff said. “With the lock situation, only being able to fish for a couple of hours down there, I knew I wasn’t on them good enough to catch them in two hours.

“I liked the idea of being able to stay up here, grind and actually be able to fish for two hours. I caught them flipping and on a ChatterBait, spinnerbait and squarebill. I’m just junk fishing; catching them on whatever I come to.”

Scott Pellegrin of Chippewa Falls, Wisc., is in the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors with his 5-13 largemouth.

Albert Hudson of Austin, Texas, leads the co-angler division with 13-4. Fishing in the upper pool, he caught his fish by pitching shallow wood cover with a 5-inch watermelon red YUM Dinger rigged on a 5/0 hook with a 1/16-ounce bullet weight.

“For two days, I’ve been fishing behind pros that were throwing jigs and this rig falls a little slower than their bait,” Hudson said of his strategy. “They don’t leave you much, so you just try to find something they don’t see. It’s a lot of pitching and not a lot of catching."

Dakota Sparks of Denham Springs, La., holds the Phoenix Boats Big Bass lead among co-anglers with a 4-8.

Saturday’s takeoff is scheduled for 6 a.m. CT at Three Forks Harbor. The weigh-in will be held back at the harbor at 2 p.m. Only the Top 12 remaining anglers in each division will compete.

The event is hosted by Visit Muskogee and Three Forks Harbor.

2020 Basspro.com Central Open at Arkansas River 6/18-6/20
Arkansas River, Muskogee OK.
(BOATER) Standings Day 2

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

1. Dale Hightower Mannford, OK 10 28-01 200
Day 1: 5 15-00 Day 2: 5 13-01
2. John Garrett Union City, TN 10 26-12 199
Day 1: 5 15-00 Day 2: 5 11-12
3. Cody Huff Ava, MO 10 26-04 198
Day 1: 5 12-06 Day 2: 5 13-14
4. Lee Livesay Gladewater, TX 10 25-14 197
Day 1: 5 13-11 Day 2: 5 12-03
5. Justin Margraves Diana, TX 9 24-12 196
Day 1: 5 11-09 Day 2: 4 13-03
6. Stephen Browning Hot Springs, AR 9 24-03 195
Day 1: 4 11-15 Day 2: 5 12-04
7. Caleb Gibson Locust Grove, OK 8 24-00 194
Day 1: 5 14-12 Day 2: 3 09-04
8. Chris Jones Bokoshe, OK 10 23-13 193
Day 1: 5 12-10 Day 2: 5 11-03
9. Spike Stoker Stephenville, TX 10 22-15 192
Day 1: 5 11-09 Day 2: 5 11-06
10. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 9 22-11 191
Day 1: 4 09-03 Day 2: 5 13-08
11. Mark Watson Midlothian, TX 7 22-04 190
Day 1: 4 13-14 Day 2: 3 08-06
12. Paul Browning Pecos, TX 8 22-03 189
Day 1: 4 08-08 Day 2: 4 13-11
13. Randy Blaukat Joplin, MO 10 22-01 188 $3,520.00
Day 1: 5 13-02 Day 2: 5 08-15
14. Brad Whatley Bivins, TX 10 21-13 187 $3,520.00
Day 1: 5 11-04 Day 2: 5 10-09
15. KJ Queen Catawba, NC 8 21-05 186 $3,520.00
Day 1: 5 12-15 Day 2: 3 08-06
16. Marc Frazier Newnan, GA 8 21-01 185 $3,520.00
Day 1: 4 09-08 Day 2: 4 11-09
17. Kenta Kimura Osaka JAPAN 9 20-13 184 $3,520.00
Day 1: 4 08-06 Day 2: 5 12-07
18. Brian Potter Claremore, OK 8 20-10 183 $3,520.00
Day 1: 3 07-00 Day 2: 5 13-10
19. Larry Puckett Decatur, TX 7 20-10 182 $3,520.00
Day 1: 5 13-02 Day 2: 2 07-08
20. Dakota Ebare Bluff Dale, TX 7 20-03 181 $3,520.00
Day 1: 5 15-12 Day 2: 2 04-07
21. Mark Goines Shady Point, OK 9 20-03 180 $3,200.00
Day 1: 4 09-07 Day 2: 5 10-12
22. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 6 20-01 179 $3,200.00
Day 1: 5 18-01 Day 2: 1 02-00
23. James Biggs Euless, TX 9 20-01 178 $3,200.00
Day 1: 4 07-15 Day 2: 5 12-02
24. Logan Latuso Gonzales, LA 7 19-13 177 $3,200.00
Day 1: 2 04-12 Day 2: 5 15-01
25. Bryan New Belmont, NC 8 19-12 176 $3,200.00
Day 1: 5 11-08 Day 2: 3 08-04
26. Greg Vance Delhi, IA 8 19-07 175 $2,944.00
Day 1: 4 11-01 Day 2: 4 08-06
27. Keith Poche Pike Road, AL 5 19-05 174 $2,944.00
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 5 19-05
28. Daisuke Aoki Minamitsurugun Yamanash 7 19-00 173 $2,944.00
Day 1: 5 15-03 Day 2: 2 03-13
29. Mark Tyler Vian, OK 7 19-00 172 $2,944.00
Day 1: 2 05-14 Day 2: 5 13-02
30. Jacob Powroznik North Prince George, VA 10 18-11 171 $2,944.00
Day 1: 5 08-09 Day 2: 5 10-02
31. Billy Billeaud Lafayette, LA 9 18-08 170 $2,944.00
Day 1: 5 10-13 Day 2: 4 07-11
32. Luke Plunkett Pinson, AL 8 18-07 169 $2,944.00
Day 1: 5 10-10 Day 2: 3 07-13
33. Justin Atkins Florence, AL 9 18-05 168 $2,944.00
Day 1: 5 09-00 Day 2: 4 09-05
34. James Niggemeyer Van, TX 7 18-04 167 $2,944.00
Day 1: 5 11-04 Day 2: 2 07-00
35. Clark Reehm Elm Groove, LA 7 18-03 166 $2,944.00
Day 1: 2 05-02 Day 2: 5 13-01
36. Matthew Robertson Kuttawa, KY 8 18-03 165 $2,944.00
Day 1: 3 05-05 Day 2: 5 12-14
37. Terry Luedtke Burton, TX 7 18-01 164 $2,944.00
Day 1: 5 13-14 Day 2: 2 04-03
38. Jason Christie Park Hill, OK 7 17-11 163 $2,944.00
Day 1: 5 12-10 Day 2: 2 05-01
39. Terry Adams Berwick, LA 8 17-11 162 $2,944.00
Day 1: 4 08-08 Day 2: 4 09-03
40. Toby Hartsell Afton, OK 7 17-09 161 $2,944.00
Day 1: 2 04-02 Day 2: 5 13-07
41. Josh Bragg Jacksonville, AL 9 17-08 160
Day 1: 4 07-08 Day 2: 5 10-00
42. Brandon Mcdonald Longview, TX 7 17-07 159
Day 1: 3 08-07 Day 2: 4 09-00
43. Mike Rhinehart Atkins, AR 8 16-13 158
Day 1: 5 11-13 Day 2: 3 05-00
44. Lucas Bradley Flippin, AR 8 16-13 157
Day 1: 5 09-14 Day 2: 3 06-15
45. Austin Cranford Oklahoma City, OK 7 16-13 156
Day 1: 4 09-00 Day 2: 3 07-13
46. Gerald Swindle Guntersville, AL 7 16-12 155
Day 1: 2 03-15 Day 2: 5 12-13
47. Kyle Dorsett Odenville, AL 8 16-08 154
Day 1: 5 09-07 Day 2: 3 07-01
48. Darold Gleason Many, LA 7 16-04 153
Day 1: 5 12-06 Day 2: 2 03-14
49. Cody Bird Granbury, TX 7 16-01 152
Day 1: 4 10-03 Day 2: 3 05-14
50. Allan Nail Sand Springs, OK 6 16-00 151
Day 1: 5 13-04 Day 2: 1 02-12
51. Blake Whatley Harleton, TX 6 15-12 150
Day 1: 1 02-11 Day 2: 5 13-01
52. Rodney Richards Ardmore, OK 7 15-00 149
Day 1: 5 09-03 Day 2: 2 05-13
53. Shonn Goodwin Moore, OK 6 14-15 148
Day 1: 5 12-10 Day 2: 1 02-05
54. Steve Sennikoff Edgewood, TX 5 14-10 147
Day 1: 2 07-05 Day 2: 3 07-05
55. Joel Willert Prior Lake, MN 5 14-03 146
Day 1: 2 06-03 Day 2: 3 08-00
56. Scott Martin Clewiston, FL 6 14-01 145
Day 1: 1 01-08 Day 2: 5 12-09
57. Josh Douglas Isle, MN 7 14-01 144
Day 1: 2 04-01 Day 2: 5 10-00
58. Shawn Temple Krugerville, TX 6 13-11 143
Day 1: 2 05-04 Day 2: 4 08-07
59. Randy Sullivan Breckenridge, TX 6 13-10 142
Day 1: 5 11-03 Day 2: 1 02-07
60. Jeff Lugar Cross Junction, VA 6 13-08 141
Day 1: 5 11-03 Day 2: 1 02-05
61. Joey Nania Cropwell, AL 7 13-07 140
Day 1: 5 08-09 Day 2: 2 04-14
62. Matt Pangrac Broken Arrow, OK 6 13-01 139
Day 1: 4 08-04 Day 2: 2 04-13
63. Floyd Teat Valley Mills, TX 8 13-01 138
Day 1: 5 08-02 Day 2: 3 04-15
64. John Hunter Jr Simpsonville, KY 5 13-00 137
Day 1: 5 13-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
65. Scott Pellegrin Chippewa Falls, WI 3 12-14 136
Day 1: 2 07-01 Day 2: 1 05-13
66. Andy Ortega Odessa, TX 6 12-12 135
Day 1: 4 08-00 Day 2: 2 04-12
67. Drew Sloan Scurry, TX 6 12-11 134
Day 1: 4 08-15 Day 2: 2 03-12
68. Jeff Bridges Prosper, TX 4 12-10 133
Day 1: 3 10-10 Day 2: 1 02-00
69. Brent Homan Graham, TX 6 12-08 132
Day 1: 4 08-03 Day 2: 2 04-05
70. Justin Hallmark Bertram, TX 5 12-07 131
Day 1: 3 07-07 Day 2: 2 05-00
71. Jay Brainard Enid, OK 6 12-06 130
Day 1: 4 08-15 Day 2: 2 03-07
72. Theron Caldwell Decatur, TX 5 12-04 129
Day 1: 3 06-13 Day 2: 2 05-07
73. Greg Mansfield Olathe, KS 5 12-03 128
Day 1: 3 08-10 Day 2: 2 03-09
74. Brian Latimer Belton, SC 6 12-03 127
Day 1: 3 04-15 Day 2: 3 07-04
75. Ernie Stumpf III Frisco, TX 6 12-02 126
Day 1: 2 03-04 Day 2: 4 08-14
76. Billy McDonald Greenwood, IN 6 12-02 125
Day 1: 4 07-03 Day 2: 2 04-15
77. Terry Peacock Royse City, TX 5 12-02 124
Day 1: 3 07-03 Day 2: 2 04-15
78. Lance Crawford Broken Bow, OK 5 12-01 123
Day 1: 5 12-01 Day 2: 0 00-00
79. Cody Ryan Greaney Manchaca, TX 5 12-01 122
Day 1: 4 10-08 Day 2: 1 01-09
80. Ken Iyobe Tokoname, Aichi JAPAN 6 12-01 121
Day 1: 1 02-07 Day 2: 5 09-10
81. James Stricklin Fort Smith, AR 5 12-00 120
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 5 12-00
82. Travis Franks Lake Charles, LA 6 11-11 119
Day 1: 4 07-14 Day 2: 2 03-13
83. Randy Qualls Streetman, TX 6 11-09 118
Day 1: 5 09-02 Day 2: 1 02-07
84. Shaun Haag Montgomery, TX 6 11-09 117
Day 1: 2 03-15 Day 2: 4 07-10
85. Kylie Sparks Denham Spgs, LA 4 11-08 116
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 4 11-08
86. Greg Yates Oak Point, TX 6 11-08 115
Day 1: 1 01-14 Day 2: 5 09-10
87. Kenny Mittelstaedt Minnetonka, MN 6 11-08 114
Day 1: 3 05-08 Day 2: 3 06-00
88. Bradley Hallman Norman, OK 6 11-08 113
Day 1: 3 05-09 Day 2: 3 05-15
89. Trey Swindle Cleveland, AL 3 11-06 112
Day 1: 1 04-08 Day 2: 2 06-14
90. Marshall Hughes Hemphill, TX 6 11-04 111
Day 1: 3 06-05 Day 2: 3 04-15
91. Neels Beneke Amanzimtoti SOUTH AFRIC 5 11-04 110
Day 1: 3 05-13 Day 2: 2 05-07
92. Chandler Stewart Waco, TX 6 11-03 109
Day 1: 4 07-03 Day 2: 2 04-00
93. Denny Fiedler Wabasha, MN 4 11-02 108
Day 1: 1 04-01 Day 2: 3 07-01
94. Branden Hollingshead Azle, TX 4 10-15 107
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 4 10-15
95. Jimmy Mason Rogersville, AL 6 10-15 106
Day 1: 3 04-15 Day 2: 3 06-00
96. Steven Caldwell Whitesboro, TX 5 10-13 105
Day 1: 5 10-13 Day 2: 0 00-00
97. Hunter Denmark Saraland, AL 3 10-13 104
Day 1: 1 03-05 Day 2: 2 07-08
98. Keith Surber Longview, TX 6 10-13 103
Day 1: 4 06-11 Day 2: 2 04-02
99. Bart Stanisz Brookeland, TX 5 10-11 102
Day 1: 1 02-09 Day 2: 4 08-02
100. Wyatt Burkhalter Coker, AL 4 10-10 101
Day 1: 2 04-07 Day 2: 2 06-03
101. Dustin Reneau Mckinney, TX 3 10-04 100
Day 1: 3 10-04 Day 2: 0 00-00
102. Brian Clark Haltom City, TX 3 10-04 99
Day 1: 2 08-05 Day 2: 1 01-15
103. Tommy Williams Shepherdsville, KY 5 10-02 98
Day 1: 5 10-02 Day 2: 0 00-00
104. Larry Jenkins Leesburg, TX 4 10-01 97
Day 1: 3 08-04 Day 2: 1 01-13
105. Travis Ledford Tuttle, OK 4 09-15 96
Day 1: 1 02-09 Day 2: 3 07-06
106. Brandon Linney Tahlequah, OK 4 09-11 95
Day 1: 2 03-10 Day 2: 2 06-01
107. Justin Prisock Robinson, TX 4 09-10 94
Day 1: 3 08-00 Day 2: 1 01-10
108. Jed Holt Livingston, TX 5 09-09 93
Day 1: 4 07-15 Day 2: 1 01-10
109. Spencer Lambert West Monroe, LA 4 09-08 92
Day 1: 1 02-01 Day 2: 3 07-07
110. Brian Post Janesville, WI 4 09-03 91
Day 1: 2 04-00 Day 2: 2 05-03
111. Andy Hribar Lakeville, MN 3 09-01 90
Day 1: 1 04-14 Day 2: 2 04-03
112. Bo Keith III Haughton, LA 5 08-14 89
Day 1: 5 08-14 Day 2: 0 00-00
113. Wes Logan Springville, AL 4 08-14 88
Day 1: 1 01-08 Day 2: 3 07-06
114. Cody Bertrand Dyer, IN 4 08-12 87
Day 1: 3 07-01 Day 2: 1 01-11
115. John Nofire Tahlequah, OK 4 08-12 86
Day 1: 3 05-11 Day 2: 1 03-01
116. Teb Jones Hattiesburg, MS 3 08-12 85
Day 1: 1 03-08 Day 2: 2 05-04
117. Robert Parkison Marshall, TX 4 08-11 84
Day 1: 2 05-03 Day 2: 2 03-08
118. Edwin Baker Gilmer, TX 4 08-09 83
Day 1: 3 06-15 Day 2: 1 01-10
119. Matthew Nobile Sorrento, LA 3 08-07 82
Day 1: 2 06-07 Day 2: 1 02-00
120. Todd Castledine Nacogdoches, TX 4 08-04 81
Day 1: 3 05-14 Day 2: 1 02-06
121. Chad Mrazek Montgomery, TX 4 08-02 80
Day 1: 2 04-07 Day 2: 2 03-11
122. Chancy Walters West Des Moines, IA 4 08-01 79
Day 1: 2 00-00 Day 2: 2 08-01
123. Andrew Upshaw Tulsa, OK 4 08-00 78
Day 1: 2 03-07 Day 2: 2 04-09
124. John Vogt Boerne, TX 4 07-15 77
Day 1: 3 05-14 Day 2: 1 02-01
125. Brad Knight Lancing, TN 4 07-15 76
Day 1: 2 04-00 Day 2: 2 03-15
126. Chris Bailey Eddy, TX 2 07-12 75
Day 1: 1 04-11 Day 2: 1 03-01
127. Kazuki Kitajima Corinth, TX 4 07-06 74
Day 1: 1 01-13 Day 2: 3 05-09
128. John Hammersmith Branson, MO 3 07-05 73
Day 1: 3 07-05 Day 2: 0 00-00
129. Taylor Smith Spokane Valley, WA 4 07-04 72
Day 1: 2 03-12 Day 2: 2 03-08
130. Jake Biram Tulsa, OK 3 07-03 71
Day 1: 2 04-01 Day 2: 1 03-02
131. Trait Zaldain Fort Worth, TX 3 07-02 70
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 07-02
132. Jerod Hawkes Eagle Pass, TX 3 06-15 69
Day 1: 1 02-01 Day 2: 2 04-14
133. Allan Glasgow Ashville, AL 4 06-14 68
Day 1: 3 04-05 Day 2: 1 02-09
134. Chance Woodard Paris, TX 3 06-13 67
Day 1: 2 05-00 Day 2: 1 01-13
135. Ron Wells Claremore, OK 2 06-12 66
Day 1: 1 03-03 Day 2: 1 03-09
136. Bill McNutt Henry, IL 2 06-11 65
Day 1: 1 02-11 Day 2: 1 04-00
137. Lance Rose Pipe Creek, TX 4 06-10 64
Day 1: 4 06-10 Day 2: 0 00-00
138. Joey Cifuentes III Clinton, AR 3 06-07 63
Day 1: 3 06-07 Day 2: 0 00-00
138. Alex Heintze Denham Springs, LA 3 06-07 63
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 06-07
140. Joseph Hardy Hewitt, TX 3 06-06 61
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 06-06
141. Andrew Thomasson Dublin, VA 2 06-06 60
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 06-06
142. Garrett Rose Pipecreek, TX 3 06-03 59
Day 1: 2 04-02 Day 2: 1 02-01
143. Billy Smith Sr Montgomery, TX 2 06-01 58
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 06-01
144. Bill Watts Beaumont, TX 3 06-01 57
Day 1: 1 02-12 Day 2: 2 03-05
145. Beau Browning Hot Springs National Pa 2 06-00 56
Day 1: 1 02-04 Day 2: 1 03-12
146. Billy Cline Argyle, TX 3 05-10 55
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 05-10
147. Anthony Dumitras Winston, GA 1 05-10 54
Day 1: 1 05-10 Day 2: 0 00-00
148. Gary Hall Wardville, OK 3 05-09 53
Day 1: 2 03-11 Day 2: 1 01-14
149. Charlie Hartley Grove City, OH 3 05-07 52
Day 1: 3 05-07 Day 2: 0 00-00
150. Dalton Warrington Tishimingo , OK 2 05-06 51
Day 1: 1 02-07 Day 2: 1 02-15
151. Casey Bennett Waco, TX 2 05-04 50
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 05-04
152. Johnny Grice Arp, TX 3 05-03 49
Day 1: 2 03-06 Day 2: 1 01-13
153. James Davis Jr Ferriday, LA 3 05-02 48
Day 1: 2 03-08 Day 2: 1 01-10
154. Sheldon Collings Grove, OK 3 05-01 47
Day 1: 3 05-01 Day 2: 0 00-00
155. Cody Hahner Wausau, WI 2 04-06 46
Day 1: 2 04-06 Day 2: 0 00-00
156. Doug Vahrenberg Higginsville, MO 2 04-04 45
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 04-04
157. Cody Morrison Collinsville, TX 1 04-01 44
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 04-01
158. James Caldemeyer Gilmer, TX 2 04-01 43
Day 1: 1 02-02 Day 2: 1 01-15
159. Ricky Elliott Spring, TX 1 03-15 42
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 03-15
160. Jake Boomer Spokane Valley, WA 2 03-14 41
Day 1: 2 03-14 Day 2: 0 00-00
160. Brett King Kinta, OK 2 03-14 41
Day 1: 2 03-14 Day 2: 0 00-00
162. Marc Schilling Shady Shores, TX 2 03-14 39
Day 1: 1 01-14 Day 2: 1 02-00
163. Brad Shuflin Windsor , CO 2 03-13 38
Day 1: 1 02-00 Day 2: 1 01-13
164. Mark Hicks Glouster, OH 2 03-12 37
Day 1: 2 03-12 Day 2: 0 00-00
165. Kyle Hogg Hewitt, TX 1 03-11 36
Day 1: 1 03-11 Day 2: 0 00-00
166. Scott Siller Milwaukee, WI 2 03-08 35
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 03-08
167. Bryant Smith Roseville, CA 1 03-08 34
Day 1: 1 03-08 Day 2: 0 00-00
168. Tommy Durham Whitney, TX 2 03-06 33
Day 1: 2 03-06 Day 2: 0 00-00
169. Troy O'Rourke Bentonville, AR 1 03-06 32
Day 1: 1 03-06 Day 2: 0 00-00
170. David Gillham Heath, TX 1 03-02 31
Day 1: 1 03-02 Day 2: 0 00-00
171. Cameron Mattison Bossier City, LA 1 03-00 30
Day 1: 1 03-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
172. Jake Rossi Columbus, OH 1 02-08 29
Day 1: 1 02-08 Day 2: 0 00-00
173. Matt Looney Coweta, OK 1 02-07 28
Day 1: 1 02-07 Day 2: 0 00-00
174. Wayne Hall Cottonwood, AZ 1 02-06 27
Day 1: 1 02-06 Day 2: 0 00-00
175. Brandon Ackerson Afton, OK 1 02-04 26
Day 1: 1 02-04 Day 2: 0 00-00
176. Kevin Ledoux Choctaw, OK 1 02-03 25
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 02-03
177. RJ Chandler Jr. Vinton, LA 1 02-00 24
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 02-00
178. Zach Goutremout Chaumont, NY 1 01-15 23
Day 1: 1 01-15 Day 2: 0 00-00
178. Levi Wiget Lakewood Ranch, FL 1 01-15 23
Day 1: 1 01-15 Day 2: 0 00-00
180. Chris Johnson Edmond, OK 1 01-14 21
Day 1: 1 01-14 Day 2: 0 00-00
180. Masayuki Matsushita Tokoname-Shi JAPAN 1 01-14 21
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 01-14
180. Bruce Parsons Arbela, MO 1 01-14 21
Day 1: 1 01-14 Day 2: 0 00-00
183. Jerry Riddle Jr Summit, MS 1 01-11 18
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 01-11
184. Charles Mayberry Tahlequah, OK 1 01-09 17
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 01-09
185. Jim Dillard West Monroe, LA 1 01-08 16
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 01-08
186. Richard Ballard Sulphur, LA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
186. Caleb Black Mcalester, OK 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
186. Grant Galloway Houlka, MS 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
186. Lucas Mcdaniel Indianapolis, IN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
186. Tommy Murray Bedford, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
186. Chad Randles Elkhorn, NE 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
186. Dirk Wenzlaff Frisco, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00

by AnglersChannel

Lews Pro Greg Hackney Leads Day 1 of Central Open on Arkansas River!

Greg Hackney, of Gonzales, La., is leading after Day 1 of the Basspro.com Bassmaster Central Open at Arkansas River with 18 pounds, 1 ounce.

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

MUSKOGEE, Okla. — Louisiana pro Greg Hackney knows June isn’t exactly a generous month on the Arkansas River, but locating a key spot in practice put him in position to catch a five-bass limit that weighed 18 pounds, 1 ounce for the Day 1 lead of the Basspro.com Bassmaster Central Open.

“I didn’t get a lot of bites, but they were all good ones,” Hackney said. “I caught seven and I culled twice, but they were all quality bites. Even the ones I culled were nice ones. Honestly, I put a lot of pressure on the place because I needed to know if I needed to go back.

“I pretty much stayed on it all day long and caught everything that bit. I thought the potential was there to catch 20 pounds one day. I didn’t expect it to hold up for multiple days.”

Considering that he had about 30 competitors within sight and most were fishing techniques other than his, Hackney opted to hold his cards low. He did mention that he’s fishing a 20-yard stretch of hard bottom within a larger area.

“It’s a shallow spot that has a lot of deep water around it and lots of bait,” Hackney said. “Today, the key to this spot was [that] there was a lot of shad and they were big. I caught one big one there in practice.

“This morning, I said ‘I’ll stop and hit it and I have time to fish it, and if I decide I want to lock, I’ll have time to do both.’ I caught a big striper, then a 4-pounder pretty quick and then, by the time I needed to lock, I had three, so I spent the rest of the day grinding it.”

With his weight in the livewell by about 12:30 p.m., Hackney said he feels confident he caught most of what the spot had to offer, at least for the day. He caught his fish on moving baits and pitching baits.

“I went there thinking the reaction baits were going to be the deal, but after it was all said and done, I ended up weighing two on a reaction bait and three on a slow bait,” he said. “It was a small area, so I could fish through it pretty quickly with a reaction bait and then turn around and fish back through it with a slow bait.”

Dakota Ebare of Bluff Dale, Texas, is in second place with 15-12. Locking down to the Kerr pool proved stressful for him — even after a slow start.

“I was nervous about [the locking decision] all day,” Ebare said. “Even though I was due in at 3:40, I had it in my mind that I had to catch ‘em quick just to prove to myself that I can do it tomorrow, when I’ll have a short day.

“It took a lot of perseverance to keep the train on the tracks because that pressure got to me. I only had two fish, and while I was running to one of my best spots, I was praying for peace of mind. I pulled up to my next spot and caught my biggest one of the day — about 4 1/2 pounds.”

Noting that he missed two big-fish opportunities, Ebare said he was targeting a particular type of structure where current was key. He caught his bass on a mix of moving baits and slower presentations.

“During practice, they had been biting better in the morning and then you’d get a lull in the middle of the day, but I was very fortunate to get the quality bites I did today between 10:30 and 12,” Ebare said. “I sat at the lock for two and a half hours. I should have been fishing, but I was so nervous about getting into the lock as soon as it opened.”

Daisuke Aoki of Minamitsuru-gun Yamanashi, Japan is in third place with 15-3. Aoki devoted his fishing hours to the Neosho River, where he targeted rock and wood with a ChatterBait and a Texas-rigged beaver-style bait. Aoki said he caught fish all day, but his morning produced most of his weight.

Anthony Dumitras of Winston, Ga., is in the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors with his 5-10 largemouth.

Bassmaster Elite pros Dale Hightower and Lee Livesay fished their way into the Top 10. Hightower shares a fourth-place tie with John Garrett, while Livesay is ninth.

William Young of Livingston, Texas, leads the co-angler division with 10-11.

Dakota Sparks of Denham Springs, La., holds the Phoenix Boats Big Bass lead among co-anglers with a 4-8 largemouth.

Friday’s takeoff is scheduled for 6 a.m. CT at Three Forks Harbor. The weigh-in will be held back at the harbor at 1 p.m.

The event is hosted by Visit Muskogee and Three Forks Harbor.

TOURNAMENT STANDINGS

Place	Name	Total Fish / Weight	Day 1 Fish / Weight
1	Greg Hackney	5 / 18 - 1	5 / 18 - 1
2	Dakota Ebare	5 / 15 - 12	5 / 15 - 12
3	Daisuke Aoki	5 / 15 - 3	5 / 15 - 3
4	John Garrett	5 / 15 - 0	5 / 15 - 0
4	Dale Hightower	5 / 15 - 0	5 / 15 - 0
6	Caleb Gibson	5 / 14 - 12	5 / 14 - 12
7	Terry Luedtke	5 / 13 - 14	5 / 13 - 14
8	Mark Watson	4 / 13 - 14	4 / 13 - 14
9	Lee Livesay	5 / 13 - 11	5 / 13 - 11
10	Allan Nail	5 / 13 - 4	5 / 13 - 4
11	Randy Blaukat	5 / 13 - 2	5 / 13 - 2
11	Larry Puckett	5 / 13 - 2	5 / 13 - 2
13	John Hunter Jr	5 / 13 - 0	5 / 13 - 0
14	KJ Queen	5 / 12 - 15	5 / 12 - 15
15	Jason Christie	5 / 12 - 10	5 / 12 - 10
15	Shonn Goodwin	5 / 12 - 10	5 / 12 - 10
17	Chris Jones	5 / 12 - 10	5 / 12 - 10
18	Darold Gleason	5 / 12 - 6	5 / 12 - 6
18	Cody Huff	5 / 12 - 6	5 / 12 - 6
20	Lance Crawford	5 / 12 - 1	5 / 12 - 1
21	Stephen Browning	4 / 11 - 15	4 / 11 - 15
22	Mike Rhinehart	5 / 11 - 13	5 / 11 - 13
23	Justin Margraves	5 / 11 - 9	5 / 11 - 9
24	Spike Stoker	5 / 11 - 9	5 / 11 - 9
25	Bryan New	5 / 11 - 8	5 / 11 - 8
26	James Niggemeyer	5 / 11 - 4	5 / 11 - 4
26	Brad Whatley	5 / 11 - 4	5 / 11 - 4
28	Jeff Lugar	5 / 11 - 3	5 / 11 - 3
28	Randy Sullivan	5 / 11 - 3	5 / 11 - 3
30	Greg Vance	4 / 11 - 1	4 / 11 - 1
31	Billy Billeaud	5 / 10 - 13	5 / 10 - 13
31	Steven Caldwell	5 / 10 - 13	5 / 10 - 13
33	Luke Plunkett	5 / 10 - 10	5 / 10 - 10
34	Jeff Bridges	3 / 10 - 10	3 / 10 - 10
35	Cody Ryan Greaney	4 / 10 - 8	4 / 10 - 8
36	Dustin Reneau	3 / 10 - 4	3 / 10 - 4
37	Cody Bird	4 / 10 - 3	4 / 10 - 3
38	Tommy Williams	5 / 10 - 2	5 / 10 - 2
39	Lucas Bradley	5 / 9 - 14	5 / 9 - 14
40	Marc Frazier	4 / 9 - 8	4 / 9 - 8
41	Kyle Dorsett	5 / 9 - 7	5 / 9 - 7
42	Mark Goines	4 / 9 - 7	4 / 9 - 7
43	Rodney Richards	5 / 9 - 3	5 / 9 - 3
44	Brandon Palaniuk	4 / 9 - 3	4 / 9 - 3
45	Randy Qualls	5 / 9 - 2	5 / 9 - 2
46	Justin Atkins	5 / 9 - 0	5 / 9 - 0
47	Austin Cranford	4 / 9 - 0	4 / 9 - 0
48	Jay Brainard	4 / 8 - 15	4 / 8 - 15
48	Drew Sloan	4 / 8 - 15	4 / 8 - 15
50	Bo Keith III	5 / 8 - 14	5 / 8 - 14
51	Greg Mansfield	3 / 8 - 10	3 / 8 - 10
52	Joey Nania	5 / 8 - 9	5 / 8 - 9
52	Jacob Powroznik	5 / 8 - 9	5 / 8 - 9
54	Terry Adams	4 / 8 - 8	4 / 8 - 8
54	Paul Browning	4 / 8 - 8	4 / 8 - 8
56	Brandon Mcdonald	3 / 8 - 7	3 / 8 - 7
57	Kenta Kimura	4 / 8 - 6	4 / 8 - 6
58	Brian Clark	2 / 8 - 5	2 / 8 - 5
59	Matt Pangrac	4 / 8 - 4	4 / 8 - 4
60	Larry Jenkins	3 / 8 - 4	3 / 8 - 4
61	Brent Homan	4 / 8 - 3	4 / 8 - 3
62	Floyd Teat	5 / 8 - 2	5 / 8 - 2
63	Andy Ortega	4 / 8 - 0	4 / 8 - 0
64	Justin Prisock	3 / 8 - 0	3 / 8 - 0
65	James Biggs	4 / 7 - 15	4 / 7 - 15
65	Jed Holt	4 / 7 - 15	4 / 7 - 15
67	Travis Franks	4 / 7 - 14	4 / 7 - 14
68	Josh Bragg	4 / 7 - 8	4 / 7 - 8
69	Justin Hallmark	3 / 7 - 7	3 / 7 - 7
70	John Hammersmith	3 / 7 - 5	3 / 7 - 5
71	Steve Sennikoff	2 / 7 - 5	2 / 7 - 5
72	Billy McDonald	4 / 7 - 3	4 / 7 - 3
72	Chandler Stewart	4 / 7 - 3	4 / 7 - 3
74	Terry Peacock	3 / 7 - 3	3 / 7 - 3
75	Cody Bertrand	3 / 7 - 1	3 / 7 - 1
76	Scott Pellegrin	2 / 7 - 1	2 / 7 - 1
77	Brian Potter	3 / 7 - 0	3 / 7 - 0
78	Edwin Baker	3 / 6 - 15	3 / 6 - 15
79	Theron Caldwell	3 / 6 - 13	3 / 6 - 13
80	Keith Surber	4 / 6 - 11	4 / 6 - 11
81	Lance Rose	4 / 6 - 10	4 / 6 - 10
82	Joey Cifuentes III	3 / 6 - 7	3 / 6 - 7
83	Matthew Nobile	2 / 6 - 7	2 / 6 - 7
84	Marshall Hughes	3 / 6 - 5	3 / 6 - 5
85	Joel Willert	2 / 6 - 3	2 / 6 - 3
86	Todd Castledine	3 / 5 - 14	3 / 5 - 14
86	John Vogt	3 / 5 - 14	3 / 5 - 14
88	Mark Tyler	2 / 5 - 14	2 / 5 - 14
89	Neels Beneke	3 / 5 - 13	3 / 5 - 13
90	John Nofire	3 / 5 - 11	3 / 5 - 11
91	Anthony Dumitras	1 / 5 - 10	1 / 5 - 10
92	Bradley Hallman	3 / 5 - 9	3 / 5 - 9
93	Kenny Mittelstaedt	3 / 5 - 8	3 / 5 - 8
94	Charlie Hartley	3 / 5 - 7	3 / 5 - 7
95	Matthew Robertson	3 / 5 - 5	3 / 5 - 5
96	Shawn Temple	2 / 5 - 4	2 / 5 - 4
97	Robert Parkison	2 / 5 - 3	2 / 5 - 3
98	Clark Reehm	2 / 5 - 2	2 / 5 - 2
99	Sheldon Collings	3 / 5 - 1	3 / 5 - 1
100	Chance Woodard	2 / 5 - 0	2 / 5 - 0
101	Brian Latimer	3 / 4 - 15	3 / 4 - 15
102	Jimmy Mason	3 / 4 - 15	3 / 4 - 15
103	Andy Hribar	1 / 4 - 14	1 / 4 - 14
104	Logan Latuso	2 / 4 - 12	2 / 4 - 12
105	Chris Bailey	1 / 4 - 11	1 / 4 - 11
106	Trey Swindle	1 / 4 - 8	1 / 4 - 8
107	Wyatt Burkhalter	2 / 4 - 7	2 / 4 - 7
107	Chad Mrazek	2 / 4 - 7	2 / 4 - 7
109	Cody Hahner	2 / 4 - 6	2 / 4 - 6
110	Allan Glasgow	3 / 4 - 5	3 / 4 - 5
111	Toby Hartsell	2 / 4 - 2	2 / 4 - 2
111	Garrett Rose	2 / 4 - 2	2 / 4 - 2
113	Jake Biram	2 / 4 - 1	2 / 4 - 1
113	Josh Douglas	2 / 4 - 1	2 / 4 - 1
115	Denny Fiedler	1 / 4 - 1	1 / 4 - 1
116	Brad Knight	2 / 4 - 0	2 / 4 - 0
116	Brian Post	2 / 4 - 0	2 / 4 - 0
118	Shaun Haag	2 / 3 - 15	2 / 3 - 15
118	Gerald Swindle	2 / 3 - 15	2 / 3 - 15
120	Jake Boomer	2 / 3 - 14	2 / 3 - 14
120	Brett King	2 / 3 - 14	2 / 3 - 14
122	Mark Hicks	2 / 3 - 12	2 / 3 - 12
123	Taylor Smith	2 / 3 - 12	2 / 3 - 12
124	Gary Hall	2 / 3 - 11	2 / 3 - 11
125	Kyle Hogg	1 / 3 - 11	1 / 3 - 11
126	Brandon Linney	2 / 3 - 10	2 / 3 - 10
127	James Davis Jr	2 / 3 - 8	2 / 3 - 8
128	Teb Jones	1 / 3 - 8	1 / 3 - 8
128	Bryant Smith	1 / 3 - 8	1 / 3 - 8
130	Andrew Upshaw	2 / 3 - 7	2 / 3 - 7
131	Tommy Durham	2 / 3 - 6	2 / 3 - 6
131	Johnny Grice	2 / 3 - 6	2 / 3 - 6
133	Troy O'Rourke	1 / 3 - 6	1 / 3 - 6
134	Hunter Denmark	1 / 3 - 5	1 / 3 - 5
135	Ernie Stumpf III	2 / 3 - 4	2 / 3 - 4
136	Ron Wells	1 / 3 - 3	1 / 3 - 3
137	David Gillham	1 / 3 - 2	1 / 3 - 2
138	Cameron Mattison	1 / 3 - 0	1 / 3 - 0
139	Bill Watts	1 / 2 - 12	1 / 2 - 12
140	Bill McNutt	1 / 2 - 11	1 / 2 - 11
140	Blake Whatley	1 / 2 - 11	1 / 2 - 11
142	Travis Ledford	1 / 2 - 9	1 / 2 - 9
142	Bart Stanisz	1 / 2 - 9	1 / 2 - 9
144	Jake Rossi	1 / 2 - 8	1 / 2 - 8
145	Ken Iyobe	1 / 2 - 7	1 / 2 - 7
145	Matt Looney	1 / 2 - 7	1 / 2 - 7
145	Dalton Warrington	1 / 2 - 7	1 / 2 - 7
148	Wayne Hall	1 / 2 - 6	1 / 2 - 6
149	Brandon Ackerson	1 / 2 - 4	1 / 2 - 4
149	Beau Browning	1 / 2 - 4	1 / 2 - 4
151	James Caldemeyer	1 / 2 - 2	1 / 2 - 2
152	Jerod Hawkes	1 / 2 - 1	1 / 2 - 1
152	Spencer Lambert	1 / 2 - 1	1 / 2 - 1
154	Brad Shuflin	1 / 2 - 0	1 / 2 - 0
155	Zach Goutremout	1 / 1 - 15	1 / 1 - 15
155	Levi Wiget	1 / 1 - 15	1 / 1 - 15
157	Chris Johnson	1 / 1 - 14	1 / 1 - 14
157	Bruce Parsons	1 / 1 - 14	1 / 1 - 14
157	Marc Schilling	1 / 1 - 14	1 / 1 - 14
157	Greg Yates	1 / 1 - 14	1 / 1 - 14
161	Kazuki Kitajima	1 / 1 - 13	1 / 1 - 13
162	Wes Logan	1 / 1 - 8	1 / 1 - 8
162	Scott Martin	1 / 1 - 8	1 / 1 - 8
164	Chancy Walters	2 / 0 - 0	2 / 0
165	Richard Ballard	0 / 0 - 0	0
165	Casey Bennett	0 / 0 - 0	0
165	Caleb Black	0 / 0 - 0	0
165	RJ Chandler Jr.	0 / 0 - 0	0
165	Billy Cline	0 / 0 - 0	0
165	Jim Dillard	0 / 0 - 0	0
165	Ricky Elliott	0 / 0 - 0	0
165	Grant Galloway	0 / 0 - 0	0
165	Joseph Hardy	0 / 0 - 0	0
165	Alex Heintze	0 / 0 - 0	0
165	Branden Hollingshead	0 / 0 - 0	0
165	Kevin Ledoux	0 / 0 - 0	0
165	Masayuki Matsushita	0 / 0 - 0	0
165	Charles Mayberry	0 / 0 - 0	0
165	Lucas Mcdaniel	0 / 0 - 0	0
165	Cody Morrison	0 / 0 - 0	0
165	Tommy Murray	0 / 0 - 0	0
165	Keith Poche	0 / 0 - 0	0
165	Chad Randles	0 / 0 - 0	0
165	Jerry Riddle Jr	0 / 0 - 0	0
165	Scott Siller	0 / 0 - 0	0
165	Billy Smith Sr	0 / 0 - 0	0
165	Kylie Sparks	0 / 0 - 0	0
165	James Stricklin	0 / 0 - 0	0
165	Andrew Thomasson	0 / 0 - 0	0
165	Doug Vahrenberg	0 / 0 - 0	0
165	Dirk Wenzlaff	0 / 0 - 0	0
165	Trait Zaldain	0 / 0 - 0	0

by AnglersChannel

Cobb collects an extra $3,000

Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships

South Carolina pro Brandon Cobb was hanging around backstage at the Lake Eufaula Bassmaster Elite Series waiting to collect a fat 4^th place check from B.A.S.S., when officials from Toyota informed him his decision to buy a Tundra and register for the Bonus Bucks contingency program was worth an additional $3,000.

“Holy cow! Are you serious -- I hadn’t even thought about the Toyota Bonus Bucks today,” admitted the easy-going Cobb, who has deep ties to Lake Hartwell and founded the Clemson University college bass fishing team.

Sure enough, Cobb’s decision to trade his Dodge diesel for a Toyota Tundra paid quick dividends as a result of his high finish in Eufaula’s slugfest.

“The acceleration power of this Tundra is just as strong as my Dodge diesel was. And I’m totally serious when I tell you it’s the most comfortable truck I’ve ever towed a boat with. Even with a 6” lift kit; it rides better than any truck I’ve ever owned. And obviously being eligible for Toyota Bonus Bucks is pretty awesome too,” says Cobb, who won two Bassmaster Elite Series events in 2019.

His success on Eufaula was based on a 3-lure approach to fishing brushpiles in 6 to 12-feet of water. The top-finishing trio consisted of a 7.5” Zoom Magnum U Tail Red Bug-colored worm, a Yo Zuri 3DSDR crankbait, and a Greenfish Tackle ½ ounce swim jig.

Towing power, a super comfortable ride, and being pleasantly surprised by learning you just won Toyota Bonus Bucks cash are three really good reasons to tow with a Toyota truck if you’re a tournament bass angler.

Much like Brandon, you too can cash-in on Toyota Bonus Bucks. You just have to own or lease a 2016 or newer Toyota Truck, sign up free for Bonus Bucks, and be the highest finishing registered participant in one of the hundreds of tournaments supported by the Program. To learn more, please visit www.toyotafishing.com.

by AnglersChannel

Lake Chickamauga Readies for Return of 2020 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit

Super-Tournament to Feature 204 Pros – Including 54 Major League Fishing Anglers – Competing for $1.3 Million Purse

DAYTON, Tenn. (June 17, 2020) – After a three-month hiatus, FLW’s Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit returns June 23-26. The fourth regular-season tournament of the season – the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit at Lake Chickamauga – will launch from the Dayton Boat Dock in Dayton, Tennessee. Hosted by Fish Dayton and the Rhea Economic & Tourism Council, the lucrative tournament will feature 206 pros competing for a piece of more than $1.3 million, with a top award of $160,000.

FLW has worked closely with local hosts and public health officials at the national, state and county levels in coordinating the event. The health and safety of anglers, marshals, staff and sponsors remain the top priority. The event will be held with attendance limited to anglers and essential tournament staff only. Fans are encouraged to forgo the daily takeoffs and weigh-ins and follow the event online through the expanded four-day “FLW Live” coverage and weigh-in broadcasts at FLWFishing.com.

“Dayton and Rhea County are honored to be hosting the upcoming Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Super Tournament and are excited for competitive fishing to be back on Lake Chickamauga,” said John Bamber, Executive Director of Rhea Economic and Tourism. “We’re thankful to our partners at FLW whose planning and expertise will no doubt execute a fun event with appropriate guidelines to minimize the spread of COVID-19. Like people all over the world, we'll be watching online in order to keep the crowds to a minimum.”

Originally a field of 150 anglers, the roster was expanded to 204 after 54 Major League Fishing (MLF) anglers accepted an invitation to compete in three Super-Tournaments. MLF announced an abbreviated 2020 Bass Pro Tour schedule due to their mid-season pause related to the coronavirus and inflexible television production deadlines, which prompted FLW Executive Vice President Kathy Fennel to create the opportunity for both FLW and MLF pros. Pros competing in this event include former FLW champions Bryan Thrift, Justin Atkins, John Cox, Brad Knight, Anthony Gagliardi, Jacob Wheeler, Brent Ehrler, David Dudley and Darrel Robertson. They’ll be joined by bass-fishing superstars like Jordan Lee, Skeet Reese and the man many deem the FLW G.O.A.T. (Greatest of All Time), Andy Morgan.

“It’ll shake things up, and I’m not complaining about it at all. I’m excited to see those (MLF) guys,” said Ron Nelson, the current Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Angler of the Year (AOY) points leader. “This whole year has been upside down and changed, but I’m looking forward to having a positive rest of the season. There’s a lot of bad stuff in this country people are dealing with, and we get to go fishing and have fun and make a living.”

“The Tennessee River has taken a pounding since the start of the coronavirus, but it’s still Lake Chickamauga, and we’re going to see some big bass and some huge limits,” said local MLF pro Wesley Strader of Spring City, Tennessee, who will also be competing in the event. “Guys can cash a check fishing shallow, but the guy that wins will be fishing offshore. Everybody is well versed in electronics, so the key factors are going to be timing, rotation and the water generation schedule. I predict the four-day winner will have right around 75 pounds.”

In Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit competition, the full field of 204 pro anglers compete in the two-day opening round on Tuesday and Wednesday. The top 50 pros based on their two-day accumulated weight advance to Thursday. Only the top 10 pros continue competition on Championship Friday, with the winner determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from the four days of competition.

The popular FLW Live on-the-water broadcast has been expanded to air on all four days of competition, featuring live action from the boats of the tournament’s top pros each day. Host Travis Moran is joined by Toyota Series pro Todd Hollowell and MLF’s Marty Stone to break down the extended action each day from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. On-the-water broadcasts will be live streamed on FLWFishing.com, the FLW YouTube channel and the FLW Facebook page.

by AnglersChannel

Heavy Freakin' Hitters!

This week the boys welcome the two guys who did the most damage last week on the water. Elite Series Champ Buddy Gross joins us first to talk about his worst to first win on Eufaula and then the "Kissimmee Kid" Jordan Lee talks about his $200,000 win on the Kissimmee Chain in the BPT Heavy Hitters!!

by AnglersChannel

Major League Fishing Moves Stage Five from Lake Champlain

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 15, 2020 (Tulsa, Okla.) Major League Fishing (MLF) announced today that Bass Pro Tour Stage Five presented by Covercraft will not take place on Lake Champlain as previously announced. Earlier today Vermont Governor Phil Scott amended and reinstated Executive Order 01-20, which states that visitors must self-quarantine for 14 days upon arrival. Due to previously scheduled events, MLF pros and League staff cannot accommodate that order and will move the July event.
Subject to a successful connectivity survey to support SCORETRACKER® and MLFNOW!production, MLF will move final Stage of the 2020 Bass Pro Tour to Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. The dates remain the same, July 10-15, 2020. Exact fisheries will be shared with competitors as determined by the Tournament Director and MLF Production teams based on the pending site survey.
“While we are disappointed that we cannot have the final Stage of the 2020 Bass Pro Tour on Lake Champlain as originally planned, we understand the situation and look forward to the opportunity to showcase Vermont in the future.” said Michael Mulone, Major League Fishing Sr. Director of Events. “We appreciate Destination Sturgeon Bay helping us pull together an outstanding event under an abbreviated timeline.”

by AnglersChannel

Spearpoint Performance Hooks to Debut at ICAST 2020

PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release

Company introduces Patent Pending Hooks Designed to Eliminate Lost Fish

Visalia, Calif. - June 15, 2020 – Spearpoint Performance Hooks, a Visalia, Calif. Based manufacturer, will present two new patent pending fishing hook offerings to the marketplace at Virtual ICAST 2020 in July. The goal of the company is to provide hooks that help anglers capitalize on more of the bites they receive in a day’s fishing.

The result is the problem of lost fish being solved.

Founded by fishing partners Art Nubaryan and Erik Hennesay, the genesis of the company came from one of the most frustrating experiences in an angler’s life – lost fish. “We were fishing a bass tournament together three years ago and lost two fish within sight of the boat that would have won the event for us,” said Nubaryan. “We started talking about it and figured we could come up with something that fixed the problem; Spearpoint Performance Hooks was born.”

The pair went to work, forming a partnership, coming up with an initial design and locating manufacturing partners. After three phases of design, and two sample runs, the first two shapes in the Spearpoint Performance Hooks lineup are ready to be unleashed upon fish everywhere.

The initial offerings, The Wide Gap and GP Finesse hooks are designed to impart maximum torque and fish holding power. Both shapes feature Spearpoint’s pat. pend VGrip™ technology that helps keep fish securely fastened once the hook is set. As a result, Hennesay said that the VGrip™ works overtime for the angler. “I will tell you this, always have pliers with you; they are hard to get out by hand,” he said. “There are many times that the hook penetrates the fish’s mouth and turns and penetrates a second time. We call it a ‘stapling effect,’ because it looks like the fish’s mouth has been stapled from the outside, they really hook and hold.”

While there are more styles that will launch soon after the initial introduction, Spearpoint will launch their Wide Gap and GP Finesse versions, both in black nickel finishes, at ICAST.

The Wide Gap model features a line tie positioned in line with the hook’s needle point to produce maximum power as the point meets the fish’s mouth at hookset. Along with VGrip™ in the bend of the hook, the Spearpoint Wide Gap features a baitholder barb near the eye of the hook to help keep soft baits in place during presentations. The Wide Gap version will be available in sizes 2/0 to 5/0, will come six to a pack and will retail for $5.39.

The GP Finesse hook is uniquely designed to be the most effective finesse hook on the market. Engineered to put the eye of the hook in line with the VGrip™ for maximum torque. The GP Finesse hook helps perfectly present finesse soft plastics in Wacky Rig, Drop Shot or Neko Rig presentations, and the premium needle point will deliver the goods every time. The GP Finesse hook will be available in sizes 3 through 2/0, will also come in packs of six, and will retail for $5.19

For more information about Spearpoint Performance Hooks, visit them on their website at http://www.spearpointhooks.com and for dealer inquiries, contact Art Nubaryan at sales@spearpointhooks.com, and for Media inquiries, Erik Hennesay at team@spearpointhooks.com.

About Spearpoint Performance Hooks:
Founded by two fishing partners tired of losing fish, Spearpoint Performance hooks exists to build the ultimate fishing hooks. Designed to perform with the most popular soft plastics lures available today. Built around the pat. pend VGrip™ technology, Spearpoint Performance Hooks will perfectly present lures and provide the most secure connection between hook and fish to bring more fish in the boat. Information about Spearpoint Performance Hooks can be found on their website at http://www.spearpointhooks.com, on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/spearpoint_hooks/, and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Spearpointhooks/.

by AnglersChannel

Glen Barnes Wins Sealy Outdoors on Guntersville with 8.69 Big Fish!

1st Place - Glen Barnes of Sherwood, TN - 8.69
2nd Place - John Quaglio of Logansport, IN - 8.39
3rd Place - Carl Best of Tellico Plains, TN - 7.44
4th Place - Bruce Gross of Scottsboro, AL - 7.26
5th Place - Billy Hampton of Stevenson, AL - 7.11

by AnglersChannel

Juan Acosta Claims Victory at the WWBT Delta

Photo: Steve Adams

Courtesy of Jody Only - Westernbass.com

OAKLEY, Calif. – Following a three-month hiatus due to the California shutdown, the Wild West Bass Trail (WWBT) re-opened the 2020 Pro/Am season with the General Tire Duel on the Delta presented by the City of Oakley this past weekend.

A Delta local, Juan Acosta of Tracy, Calif. claimed the win with a tournament total of 55.37. The victory was extra-sweet for Acosta as he had just fallen short of the first-place trophy, finishing in the runner-up position, at the previous WWBT Pro/AM held at New Melones in March of this year.

“This win feels really good after that 2^nd place,” Acosta remarked. “Melones was unexpected; but it feels especially good on the Delta, because it changes so much. The Delta is a place that you never really think… oh yah, I got this.

“You can be around big fish; but winning is never a sure thing. You still have to put ‘em in the boat or someone else might be on the same fish or you might just be on the wrong tide and miss it all completely. On the Delta, you just never know!”

Acosta competed on the tidal water fishery against a 136-boat field, reeling in 19.54 on Day 1, 14.28 on Day 2 and 21.55 for Day 3. His techniques each day varied, his areas did not.

“I ran South every day, like always” he shared. “I started around some ski courses and ran all the way to Tracy Oasis and back – a big milk run all the way through.”

Acosta revealed the tide and the current as factors in his fish, with current being the most critical. He reported hitting the last of the outgo and the slack during his runs; but the first two hours of the incoming as his most productive.

REACTION KICKS IT OFF DAY ONE

“I was boat 12, one of the first ones out and it only took me about 45 minutes to catch the 19-pounds that I weighed in,” revealed Acosta. “I felt like I was just cruising. I had an early weigh-in at 2:20 p.m. and just went and practiced for the rest of the day. I was looking for a big one; but I was content with what I had and felt like I would be in contention, if I didn’t blow it.”

Acosta targeted tule walls with a homemade ChatterBait in a green pumpkin color, adding a green pumpkin creature bait trailer. He also credited a black and blue double buzz for two of his weigh fish.

Even with an early flight time, he reported catching 30 fish for the day.

JUNK FISHIN’ DAY TWO

“The next day, I did the same route; but the fish got smaller and I didn’t a big one early; so, I was scrambling around and trying to upgrade,” Acosta recalled. “Finally, about 1 p.m., I punched one about 4-pounds. After that first one, I only punched one more and that was it; but I thought that was good enough to get me into the top-10.

The lures that brought fish to the scales for Day Two were the same ChatterBait as Day One, a punch rig that consisted of a 1 ½ ounce weight with a skirtless Sweet Beav in 420 and a weightless, wacky-rigged six-inch Yamamoto Senko in green pumpkin/watermelon laminate.

“This time of year, you just got to junk fish,” said Acosta. “I had 15 rods on the boat, and you know that you just got to keep trying to figure out what they want. With the wind on the first two days and the white capping, the ChatterBait was kind of the deal.”

Acosta’s weigh in time was 5:20 p.m. for the second day; but the added time didn’t result in more catches. He counted 15 fish for the day.

PUNCHIN’ BIGGUNS FINAL DAY

After two days of winds at 20-plus MPH, the final day flattened out.

“It was still windy in Big Break; but when I got South, it was slick calm, just nothing, until a slight breeze around 10 a.m.” Acosta said. “So, I made the adjustment to a poppin’ frog. Within an hour, I had a limit; but hey were only two pounders.

“I was waiting for a tide switch to go punchin’ and took my co to try and get a limit. He didn’t; but he did get a three pounder and then we went punchin’. On my second flip, I got one like five pounds. I moved to an area where I know big ones live and that’s where I got a six and a five.”

Acosta reported punchin’ Primrose mats with 2- to 4-feet of water under them.

His fish count for the final day was approximately 10.

Acosta feels his knowledge of the area gave him the upper hand.

“My areas were 10 minutes from my house, and I have 100 spots where I know every little 10-yard stretch where a fish will be,” he shared. “That fish could be a 12-incher or a six-pounder or anything in between. So, just the rotation of hitting them all and stumbling into a good one is what works or other times, it just doesn’t pan out.

Acosta has fished the Delta for 20 years and competitively fished for the same two decades. He will pocket $18,500 for his efforts, including contingency dollars from Yamamoto and P-Line. He plans to give the money to his wife.

“The money is nice; but I don’t care about that as much as going fishing,” he said. “Even more than the fishing is the experience with my friends. A group of us, including Hunter Schlander that came in second, stay together, camp together and fish together. It’s a good group of guys and we always have a good time together and it’s such a big part of the whole experience.

Full Final Results

REST OF THE BEST | PRO TOP RESULTS

2^nd 55.14 Hunter Schlander $9,000

3^rd 54.34 Austin Wilson $7,500

4^th 52.65 John Pearl $6,700

5^th 50.86 Shane Peirson $7,660 including Big Bass dollars

CO-ANGLER TOP RESULTS

1^st 43.01 Jack Farage $9,180 including Big Bass dollars

2^nd 41.37 Martino Adra $4,680

3rd 34.44 James Rios $3,000

4th 33.34 Micheal Klemm $2,700

5^th 33.23 Jason Lazzerini $2,400

The 2020 WWBT Lucas Oil Western Classic on Clear Lake will blast off on November 13 - 15.

The WWBT debuted in 2016. The trail includes a Pro/Am circuit and two Teams circuits – one based in California and the other in Arizona.

A special thanks to all the WWBT sponsors – Bass Cat Boats, Ben Green Insurance, Bobs Machine, Buck Knives, Gary Yamamoto Custom Baits, General Tire, Genesis Graphics, Fitzgerald Fishing, Lucas Oil, Lure Lock, McMillian Fiberglass Stocks, P-Line, Power-Pole, Protect the Harvest, Super Clean, Top This Premier Accessory Outfitters, Vets 4 Hunting and Fishing and Wood Brothers Flooring.

For more information visit WildWestBassTrail.com and follow WWBT Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram

by AnglersChannel

Big Show’s Florida Fishing Fallacies

Courtesy of Luke Stoner - Dynamic Sponsorships

The beautiful Kissimmee Chain of Lakes served as the playing field for Toyota Heavy Hitters presented by Venmo this week. Some scratched their heads when they saw a Florida tournament scheduled for June, but it has proven to be the perfect fishery to host this big bass bonanza.

Florida fisheries poise a unique challenge to bass anglers, as they are truly different from any other lakes in the country. Team Toyota pro Terry “Big Show” Scroggins has called the Sunshine State home for 43 years and knows Florida bass fishing as well as anyone.

Unfortunately Scroggins didn’t have the finish he hoped for this week, but “Big Show” graciously allowed us to pick his brain on a few widely accepted Florida fishing realities that aren’t always true.

Florida is all heavy line and power fishing

When anglers envision Florida bass fishing they usually think heavy braided line, punching with a big weight, or some other power fishing technique. While these can be and often are the case, Scroggins is quick to defend finesse fishing in the sunshine state.

“It’s not all power fishing down here hammer,” Scroggins grinned. “I’ve caught a pile of fish with light line and a spinning rod in Florida throughout my career. Just like any other fishery, you have to fish the conditions and not get married to any one technique or pattern. I always have a few finesse setups at the ready. ”

Drop shots, shakey heads, neko rigs, and a split shot are a few of Scroggins’ favorite finesse techniques to have rigged in Florida. Need proof? Look no further than Mark Rose’s 9-pound 2-ounce giant he caught on a drop shot in his Qualifying Round of Heavy Hitters this week; earning himself a $25,000 Big Bass Bonus in the process.

Florida is ALL about grass

Florida bass fishing and grass are practically synonymous. It’s safe to say these lakes have as much aquatic vegetation per acre as anywhere in the world. The vastness and diversity of grass species can be overwhelming to say the least, but many anglers feel they have to target patterns in and around grass to catch bass down here.

Scroggins agrees that Florida’s famous aquatic plants are a great place for an angler to start, but 100% discounts that fishing grass is a necessity to catch bass.

“Grass is always a focal point but bass get on hard structure here, too,” Scroggins explained. “Things like shell bars, brush set by anglers, or debris blown in from hurricanes absolutely concentrates bass in Florida. I’ve won a pile of money fishing shell bars down here and guys targeting offshore brush piles are dominating Heavy Hitters this week. Never say never… even in Florida!”

The spawn is the best time to visit Florida

A final fallacy Scroggins hears from his fishing peers revolves around the ideal time for an angler to visit the Sunshine State. Usually the months of January to April – I.E. the spawn – are sought after for traveling bass fisherman.

“The spawn is a great time to catch a giant but the weather is super inconsistent that time of year,” Scroggins said. “Florida bass are extremely sensitive to the weather, and cold fronts are common around the spawn. If the weather and moon phase don’t line up just right it can get tougher than you could imagine. Florida around the spawn can be the best trip of your life, or the worst. ”

If you can stand the heat, Scroggins advises die-hard bass anglers to plan a trip in May or June. The weather is much more stable and as the Bass Pro Tour pros have proven throughout Toyota Heavy Hitters, there are plenty of eight-plus-pound bass to be caught here this time of year, too.

by AnglersChannel

Morgan and New London’s Chandler Earn Wins at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Double-Header on High Rock Lake

Co-angler Division Wins Go to Greensboro’s Hendrix & King’s Robertson

SALISBURY, N.C. (June 15, 2020) – It was a double-header for bass anglers this past weekend in Salisbury with the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on High Rock Lake events. FLW, the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, rescheduled the events after the coronavirus pandemic forced the organization to pause competition in mid-March.

Boaters Brian Morgan of Sherrills Ford, North Carolina, brought a five-bass limit to the scale weighing 22 pounds even to win Saturday’s event, while Kevin Chandler of New London, North Carolina, brought in a limit weighing 19 pounds, 3 ounces on Sunday to earn the win. Morgan earned $5,511 for his win Saturday, while Chandler won Sunday’s top prize of $4,359.

The top five boaters on Saturday were:

1^st: Brian Morgan of Sherrills Ford, " src="blob:https://anglerschannel.com/4f56ad35-5f6e-4aa2-acbb-3407500fc1f9" alt="Brian Morgan" align="right" hspace="12" v:shapes="_x0000_s1028" class="Apple-web-attachment Singleton" style="width: 4in; height: 0.1562in; opacity: 1;">N.C., five bass, 22-0, $5,511

2^nd: Greg Lahr of Fayetteville, N.C., four bass, 16-6, $2,398

3^rd: Doug Young of Salisbury, N.C., five bass, 16-0, $1,595

4^th: Lucas Hedrick of Salisbury, N.C., five bass, 15-15, $1,119

5^th: Ryan Deal of Marshville, N.C., five bass, 15-13, $959

Complete results for Saturday can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Morgan brought a 6-pound, 3-ounce bass to the scale to add Saturday’s Boater Big Bass award of $715 to his winnings.

Matt Stark of Mooresville, North Carolina, was the highest-finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member and took home an extra $500 Saturday. 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.

Brad Hendrix of Greensboro, North Carolina, won the Co-angler Division and $2,381 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 19 pounds, 5 ounces.

The top five co-anglers Saturday finished as follows:

1^st: Brad Hendrix of Greensboro, N.C., five bass, 19-5, $2,381

2^nd: Dale Surrett of Midland, N.C., five bass, 14-7, $1,191

3^rd: Greg Robertson of King, N.C., five bass, 12-15, $791

4^th: Thomas McDermott of Madison, N.C., two bass, 10-10, $911

5^th: Doug File of Salisbury, N.C., four bass, 9-3, $476

McDermott caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division Saturday, weighing in at 5 pounds, 15 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $355.

The top five boaters on Sunday were:

1^st: Kevin Chandler of New London, N.C., five bass, 19-3, $4,359

2^nd: Rodney Bell of Salisbury, N.C., five bass, 17-15, $2,179

3^rd: Jason Wilson of Lincolnton, N.C., five bass, 17-14, $1,452

4^th: Curtis Dillon of Advance, N.C., " src="blob:https://anglerschannel.com/910dd325-d3e1-42bb-8fbe-6190e3ab5535" alt="Kevin Chandler" align="right" hspace="12" v:shapes="_x0000_s1026" class="Apple-web-attachment Singleton" style="width: 4in; height: 0.1562in; opacity: 1;">five bass, 17-11, $1,017

5^th: Mike Miller of Trinity, N.C., five bass, 17-9, $872

Complete results for Sunday’s event on High Rock Lake can be found at FLWFishing.com.

David Cooke of Mooresville, North Carolina, brought a 6-pound, 3-ounce bass to the scale to win Sunday’s Boater Big Bass award of $625.

Jason Thomas of Lexington, North Carolina, was Sunday’s highest-finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member and took home an extra $500.

Greg Robertson of King, North Carolina, won the Co-angler Division and $2,179 Sunday after catching four bass weighing 11 pounds, 15 ounces.

The top five co-anglers Sunday finished as follows:

1^st: Greg Robertson of King, N.C., four bass, 11-15, $2,179

2^nd: Brandon Shaver of Albemarle, N.C., five bass, 10-3, $1,090

3^rd: Jack Pollio of Lincolnton, N.C., three bass, 9-15, $725

4^th: Orlando Giles of Lexington, N.C., three bass, 9-3, $509

5^th: Robert Jarrett of Lexington, N.C., two bass, 8-8, $748

Jarrett caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, weighing in at 5 pounds, 6 ounces. The catch earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $312.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine Double-Header on High Rock Lake was the second and third of five qualifying events in the North Carolina Division.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the North Carolina Division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 8-10 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on the James River in Richmond, Virginia, hosted by Richmond Region Tourism. Boaters will compete for a $60,000 prize package, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new 18-foot Phoenix bass boat with a 200-horsepower outboard.

by AnglersChannel

Dixon and Mabelvale’s Houchin Earn Wins at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Double-Header on Lake Dardanelle

Houchin Cleans Up, Winning Two Big Bass Awards and PHOENIX Bonus to Earn $15k+

RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. (June 15, 2020) – It was a double-header for bass anglers this past weekend in Russellville with the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on Lake Dardanelle events. FLW, the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, rescheduled the events after the coronavirus pandemic forced the organization to pause competition in mid-March.

Boater Wayne Dixon of Morrilton, Arkansas, brought three bass to the scale totaling 10 pounds, 11 ounces to win Saturday’s event and earn $5,127, but Mabelvale’s Quincy Houchin was the big winner on the weekend. Houchin finished second Saturday – good for $3,139 – then backed it up with a win on Sunday, which earned him the top prize of $12,309, including the lucrative $7,000 FLW PHOENIX Bonus contingency award.

" src="blob:https://anglerschannel.com/3ac98861-c333-4b89-bbca-615448644a49" alt="Wayne Dixon" align="right" hspace="12" v:shapes="_x0000_s1028" class="Apple-web-attachment Singleton" style="width: 4in; height: 0.1979in; opacity: 1;">Houchin also cashed the Boater Big Bass Award in both days of competition, weighing a 4-pound, 11-ouncer on Saturday to win $575 and a 5-pound, 10-ounce bass on Sunday to earn $505.

“The key was staying consistent with it,” Houchin said. “I figured out a little something – certain targets and how they lined up on the bank – and that was key this weekend.”

“The tough conditions played to my advantage,” said Dixon, who picked up his second career FLW win Saturday. “I fished on the lower end of the lake, fishing rock and brush that was 5 to 15 feet deep. I caught seven keepers on multiple different baits.”

The top five boaters on Saturday were:

1^st: Wayne Dixon of Morrilton, Ark., three bass, 10-11, $5,127

2^nd: Quincy Houchin of Mabelvale, Ark., three bass, 10-7, $3,139

3^rd: Larry Gragg of Pine Bluff, Ark., three bass, 10-1, $1,377

4^th: Travis Mosley of Benton, Ark., three bass, 9-12, $963

5^th: Jessie Clark of Bonnerdale, Ark., three bass, 9-4, $791

5^th: Justin Hake of Conway, Ark., three bass, 9-4, $791

Complete results for Saturday can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Houchin was the highest-finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member and took home an extra $500 Saturday. 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.

Randy Allen of Russellville, Arkansas, won the Co-angler Division and $2,059 Saturday after catching three bass weighing 10 pounds even.

The top five co-anglers Saturday finished as follows:

1^st: Randy Allen of Russellville, Ark., three bass, 10-0, $2,059

2^nd: Geoffrey Lancaster of Conway, Ark., three bass, 8-13, $1,030

3^rd: Bradley McDaniel of Wynne, Ark., three bass, 8-11, $969

4^th: Ethan Sutton of Hot Springs, Ark., three bass, 7-14, $480

5^th: William Davis of Booneville, Ark., three bass, 7-11, $412

Bradley McDaniel of Wynne, Arkansas, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division Saturday, weighing in at 5 pounds, 1 ounce. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $282.

On Sunday, Houchin said he caught his fish throwing a black buzzbait and flipping an unnamed black-and-blue-colored Beaver-style bait.

“I started at the same place I caught a big one on Saturday and never caught a fish,” Houchin said. “I started working my way upriver and I ended up finding them. They bit much more aggressively today (Sunday).”

" src="blob:https://anglerschannel.com/671d8f66-db24-41a2-bb88-7a4685acfadc" alt="Quincy Houchin" align="right" hspace="12" v:shapes="_x0000_s1026" class="Apple-web-attachment Singleton" style="width: 4in; height: 0.1979in; opacity: 1;">The top five boaters on Sunday were:

1^st: Quincy Houchin of Mabelvale, Ark., three bass, 13-14, $12,309

2^nd: Charles Williams of Clarksville, Ark., three bass, 10-13, $1,902

3^rd: Derek Sandlin of Mount Ida, Ark., three bass, 10-10, $1,267

4^th: Scott Hardin of Little Rock, Ark., three bass, 10-9, $888

5^th: Steve Howard of Conway, Ark., three bass, 10-5, $729

5^th: Josh Hilton of Clarksville, Ark., three bass, 10-5, $729

Complete results for Sunday’s event on Lake Dardanelle can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Houchin was also Sunday’s highest-finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member and took home an extra $7,000 for winning the tournament.

Jared Allen of Conway, Arkansas, won the Co-angler Division and $1,902 Sunday after catching three bass weighing 11 pounds, 13 ounces.

The top five co-anglers Sunday finished as follows:

1^st: Jared Allen of Conway, Ark., three bass, 11-13, $1,902

2^nd: Johnny Payne of Leslie, Ark., three bass, 11-7, $1,203

3^rd: Buck Blackwell of Pine Bluff, Ark., three bass, 10-10, $634

4^th: Alvin Williams of Hartman, Ark., three bass, 7-13, $444

4^th: Bradley McDaniel of Wynne, Ark., three bass, 7-4, $380

Payne caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, weighing in at 5 pounds, 13 ounces. The catch earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $252.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine Double-Header on Lake Dardanelle was hosted by Russellville Advertising & Promotions. It was the second and third of five qualifying events in the Arkie Division.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the Arkie 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 Table Rock Lake in Branson, Missouri, hosted by ExploreBranson.com. Boaters will compete for a $60,000 prize package, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new 18-foot Phoenix bass boat with a 200-horsepower outboard.

by AnglersChannel

Nixon and Smith Tie Saturday, Gadsden’s Hayes Wins Sunday at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Double-Header on Neely Henry Lake

Co-angler Wins Go to Florida’s Thomas & Glencoe’s Moss

GADSDEN, Ala. (June 15, 2020) – It was a double-header for bass anglers this past weekend in Gadsden with the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on Neely Henry Lake events. FLW, the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, rescheduled the events after the coronavirus pandemic forced the organization to pause competition in mid-March.

Boaters Byron Smith of Tyrone, Georgia, and Jason Nixon of Wetumpka, Alabama, both brought a five-bass limit to the scale totaling 13 pounds, 10 ounces to tie for the win at Saturday’s event, while Hunter Hayes of Gadsden, Alabama, brought in a limit weighing 14 pounds, 12 ounces on Sunday to earn the win. Nixon and Smith each earned $2,937 for their wins Saturday, while Hayes won Sunday’s top prize of $4,545.

Smith fished shallow, flipping to wood and isolated grass clumps in the mid-lake area, while Nixon used nine different rods and junk-fished his way to a solid limit. Nixon said his key bait was flipping a watermelon red flake-colored Zoom Brush Hog.

“It was a tough practice, so I just kept a bait in the water,” Nixon said. “I culled one time and caught two short fish – only eight bites all day.”

The top five boaters on Saturday were:

1^st: Jason Nixon of Wetumpka, Ala., five bass, 13-10, $3,457

1^st: Byron Smith of Tyrone, Ga., five bass, 13-10, $2,937

3^rd: Steven White of Ashville, Ala., five bass, 13-4, $1,807

4^th: Jordan Heath of Rainbow City, Ala., five bass, 13-2, $914

5^th: Geoff McKnight of Rainbow City, Ala., five bass, 12-2, $983

Complete results for Saturday can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Nixon brought a 5-pound, 3-ounce bass to the scale to add Saturday’s Boater Big Bass award of $520 to his winnings.

White was the highest-finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member and took home an extra $500 Saturday. 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 Thomas of Panama City, Florida, won the Co-angler Division and $1,958 Saturday after catching four bass weighing 10 pounds, 5 ounces.

The top five co-anglers Saturday finished as follows:

1^st: Justin Thomas of Panama City, Fla., four bass, 10-5, $1,958

2^nd: Mark Denney of Perry, Ga., five bass, 9-4, $979

3^rd: Justin Nalley of Fayetteville, Ga., four bass, 9-3, $653

4^th: Daniel Buswell Jr. of Fayetteville, Ga., five bass, 9-0, $457

5^th: Thomas Taylor Ellington of Opelika, Ala., four bass, 8-12, $392

Chris Wade of Acworth, Georgia, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division Saturday, weighing in at 4 pounds, 12 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $260.

On Sunday, Hayes went up the river targeting laydowns and openings with a crankbait to earn his victory.

“I knew how tough the grass was yesterday, so today (Sunday) I went way up the river fishing for spotted bass,” Hayes said. “I got lucky and caught a nice 4-pound largemouth and ended up filling out my limit with 2¼-pound spots.

“I caught my fish on a (Rapala) DT6 crankbait in chartreuse with a blue top,” Hayes continued. “There was no pressure up the river – I might have seen five other boats all day.”

The top five boaters on Sunday were:

1^st: Hunter Hayes of Gadsden, Ala., five bass, 14-12, $4,545

2^nd: Geoff McKnight of Rainbow City, Ala., five bass, 13-5, $1,973

3^rd: Kris Colley of Ragland, Ala., five bass, 12-8, $1,181

4^th: Jason Nixon of Wetumpka, Ala., five bass, 12-3, $827

5^th: George Crain of Cropwell, Ala., five bass, 11-15, $1,154

Complete results for Sunday’s event on Neely Henry Lake can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Crain brought a 5-pound, 1-ounce bass to the scale to win Sunday’s Boater Big Bass award of $445.

Jeff Kitchens of Auburn, Alabama, was Sunday’s highest-finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member and took home an extra $500.

Danny Moss of Glencoe, Alabama, won the Co-angler Division and $1,773 Sunday after catching a five-bass limit weighing 9 pounds, 15 ounces.

The top five co-anglers Sunday finished as follows:

1^st: Danny Moss of Glencoe, Ala., five bass, 9-15, $1,773

2^nd: Dennis Sandoval of Decatur, Ala., five bass, 9-13, $886

3^rd: Andrew Fisher of Anniston, Ala., five bass, 9-1, $591

4^th: Scott Carpenter of Childersburg, Ala., five bass, 8-4, $414

5^th: Rod Smith of Pell City, Ala., five bass, 8-1, $355

Brad Sampson of Carriere, Mississippi, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, weighing in at 5 pounds, 7 ounces. The catch earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $222.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine Double-Header on Neely Henry Lake was hosted by the City of Gadsden. It was the second and third of five qualifying events in the Bama Division.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the Bama Division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 8-10 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Lake Chickamauga in Dayton, Tennessee, hosted by the Rhea Economic and Tourism Council. Boaters will compete for a $60,000 prize package, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new 18-foot Phoenix bass boat with a 200-horsepower outboard.

by AnglersChannel

Jones Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Kentucky/Barkley Lakes

Mayfield’s Wade Wins Co-angler Division

GILBERTSVILLE, Ky. (June 15, 2020) – Boater Charles Jones of Beech Bluff, Tennessee, brought three bass to the scale Saturday weighing 12 pounds, 9 ounces to win the 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine event on Kentucky and Barkley Lakes. For his victory, Jones earned $4,385.

" src="blob:https://anglerschannel.com/6b1ff1a0-356c-4056-ad0b-19ca970e85d9" alt="A person wearing a hat and sunglasses posing for the camera Description automatically generated" align="right" hspace="12" v:shapes="Picture_x0020_2" class="Apple-web-attachment Singleton" style="width: 4in; height: 2.25in; opacity: 1;">Already in the FLW record books for his BFL win as a boater on Kentucky and Barkley Lakes in 2014, the 75-year-old Jones broke his own record and became the second-oldest angler to ever win as a boater in the BFL’s modern era. Only fellow Tennessean George Taylor of Dresden has been older – he won a BFL event in 2014 at the age of 77.

“It feels pretty good to get a win at this age,” Jones said after the weigh-in. “I had a good day – I caught everything that bit. I thought I was going to need one more good one, but it turns out that I didn’t.

“I was fishing ledges in Tennessee,” the Beech Bluff angler went on to say. “Everything I caught came on a Strike King jig with a Rage Craw trailer.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:

1^st: Charles Jones of Beech Bluff, Tenn., three bass, 12-9, $4,385

2^nd: Craig Hipsher of Benton, Ky., three bass, 10-5, $2,193

3^rd: Robert Linton of Cadiz, Ky., three bass, 9-4, $1,463

4^th: David Carroll of Manitou, Ky., three bass, 9-3, $1,023

5^th: Gary Singleton of Dickson, Tenn., two bass, 9-0, $877

6^th: David Hames of Trezevant, Tenn., three bass, 8-14, $804

7^th: Steve Freeman of Eddyville, Ky., three bass, 8-12, $731

8^th: Kevin Caskey of Madisonville, Ky., three bass, 8-5, $658

9^th: Carl Lee of Jackson, Tenn., three bass, 8-3, $585

10^th: Daniel Langton of Evansville, Ind., three bass, 8-2, $486

10^th: Doug Stamper of Wayne, W. Va., three bass, 8-2, $486

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Eric Sanders of Lexington, Kentucky, claimed the day’s Boater Big Bass Award of $620 after bringing a 6-pound bass to the scale.

Edward Gettys of Paris, Tennessee, was the highest-finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member and took home an extra $500. Boaters are eligible to win up to an extra $7,000 per event in each Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine tournament if all requirements are met. More information on the FLW PHOENIX BONUS contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.

Bobby Wade of Mayfield, Kentucky, won the Co-angler Division and $2,136 Saturday after catching three bass weighing 11 pounds, 12 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:

1^st: Bobby Wade of Mayfield, Ky., three bass, 11-12, $2,136

2^nd: William Holden of Cincinnati, Ohio, three bass, 10-13, $1,068

2^nd: Charles Richardson III of Newbern, Tenn., three bass, 9-8, $712

4^th: Greg Beam of Mount Sterling, Ky., three bass, 7-4, $498

5^th: Benton Peoples of Bardstown, Ky., three bass, 6-15, $427

6^th: Wesley Dunn of Paducah, Ky., two bass, 6-14, $392

7^th: Barry Gunter of Trafalgar, Ind., three bass, 6-11, $356

8^th: Andrew Dunford of Christopher, Ill., three bass, 6-7, $320

8^th: Greg James of Carterville, Ill., three bass, 6-5, $285

10^th: Alan Brasher of Decaturville, Tenn., two bass, 6-4, $249

Wayne Miller of Morgantown, Kentucky, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, weighing in at 5 pounds, 11 ounces. The catch earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $297.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on Kentucky and Barkley Lakes was the opening event of five qualifying tournaments in the LBL division.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the LBL Division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 8-10 Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Lake Chickamauga in Dayton, Tennessee, hosted by the Rhea Economic and Tourism Council. Boaters will compete for a $60,000 prize package, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new 18-foot Phoenix bass boat with a 200-horsepower outboard.

by AnglersChannel

Pollak Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Wolf River Chain

Stoddard’s Gray Wins Co-angler Division

WINNECONNE, Wis. (June 15, 2020) – Boater Joe Pollak of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 15 pounds, 2 ounces to win the 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine event on the Wolf River Chain of Lakes in Winneconne, Wisconsin. For his victory, Pollak earned $5,127.

A picture containing man, wearing, holding, standing Description automatically generated" align="right" hspace="12" v:shapes="Picture_x0020_2" class="Apple-web-attachment Singleton" style="width: 4in; height: 2.25in; opacity: 1;">“I went up the Wolf River and ended up catching a few fish on swimjigs,” said Pollak, who earned his third career victory in FLW competition. “I didn’t really catch them good, and it took a little bit to figure them out. Towards the end of the day I switched to a Carolina rig as I was fishing back down and upgraded a few times.

“I ended up having a few largemouth to go along with three smallmouth,” Pollak continued. “It was definitely unexpected. I was fishing for smallmouth, so when the largies popped up I was surprised.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:

1^st: Joe Pollak of Lake Geneva, Wis., five bass, 15-2, $5,127

2^nd: Clayton Reitz of Morton, Ill., five bass, 13-7, $2,064

3^rd: Mike Brueggen of La Crosse, Wis., five bass, 13-5, $1,377

4^th: Adam Hatfield of Sparta, Wis., five bass, 13-3, $963

5^th: Kyle Meyer of Blaine, Minn., five bass, 13-0, $825

6^th: Rick Miller of Eastman, Wis., five bass, 12-15, $1,332

7^th: Brian Fitzpatrick of La Crosse, Wis., five bass, 12-11, $653

7^th: Mike Kochanski of Bolingbrook, Ill., five bass, 12-11, $653

9^th: Kevin Ruh of Onalaska, Wis., five bass, 12-10, $1,016

9^th: Neal Wisinski of Stevens Point, Wis., five bass, 12-10, $516

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Miller claimed the day’s Boater Big Bass Award of $575 after bringing a 4-pound bass to the scale.

Ruh was the highest-finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member and took home an extra $500. Boaters are eligible to win up to an extra $7,000 per event in each Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine tournament if all requirements are met. More information on the FLW PHOENIX BONUS contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.

Michael Gray of Stoddard, Wisconsin, won the Co-angler Division and $2,078 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 12 pounds, 1 ounce.

The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:

1^st: Michael Gray of Stoddard, Wis., five bass, 12-1, $2,078

2^nd: Bradley Thatcher of Preston, Minn., five bass, 11-0, $1,039

2^nd: Bruce Biermann of Byron, Ill., five bass, 10-12, $691

4^th: Ed Remian of Schiller Park, Ill., five bass, 10-11, $485

5^th: Andrew Hegerty of Colgate, Wis., five bass, 9-6, $416

6^th: Jason Olson of Wisconsin Rapids, Wis., five bass, 9-2, $381

7^th: Douglas Ley of Janesville, Wis., three bass, 8-8, $346

8^th: Mike Marr of Westfield, Wis., four bass, 8-6, $312

8^th: Scott Miller of Burlington, Wis., four bass, 7-11, $277

10^th: Gregg Kizewski of Saint Germain, Wis., three bass, 6-15, $242

Alan Pierschalla of Slinger, Wisconsin, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, weighing in at 3 pounds, 12 ounces. The catch earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $285.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on the Wolf River Chain of Lakes was the opening event of five qualifying tournaments in the Great Lakes division.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the Great Lakes Division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 22-24 Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Table Rock Lake in Branson, Missouri, hosted by ExploreBranson.com. Boaters will compete for a $60,000 prize package, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new 18-foot Phoenix bass boat with a 200-horsepower outboard.

by AnglersChannel

Hortman Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Lake of the Pines

Big Sandy’s Roach Wins Co-angler Division

JEFFERSON, Texas (June 15, 2020) – Boater Brett Hortman of Natchitoches, Louisiana, earned the win at the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine event at Lake of the Pines Saturday after bringing a five-bass limit to the scale weighing 26 pounds, 11 ounces. For his victory, Hortman earned $4,315.

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

“I was mid-lake, fishing secondary points,” said Hortman, who earned the first tournament win of his FLW career. “I was mainly fishing around 10 feet of water, throwing a 5/16-ounce magnum shaky head-rig with a Zoom Magnum Trick Worm(red bug).

“The key was my Humminbird electronics,” Hortman continued. “I hadn’t been on this lake before, but I put in a lot of windshield time during practice. I pretty much idled the whole lake and the shade mapping allowed me to idle right at that depth for two days and find a couple of good schools.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:

1^st: Brett Hortman of Natchitoches, La., five bass, 26-11, $4,315

2^nd: Shane Gibson of Kilgore, Texas, five bass, 24-7, $2,157

3^rd: James Ware of Longview, Texas, five bass, 22-12, $1,939

4^th: Lamonte Loyd of Pittsburg, Texas, five bass, 21-6, $1,007

5^th: Brad Smith of Longview, Texas, five bass, 19-1, $863

6^th: Kevin Lasyone of Dry Prong, La., five bass, 18-8, $791

7^th: Blake Istre of Orange, Texas, five bass, 18-7, $719

8^th: Wyatt Frankens of Corrigan, Texas, five bass, 18-4, $611

8^th: Kyle Dragulski of Lufkin, Texas, five bass, 18-4, $1,221

10^th: Andrew Harp of Linden, Texas, five bass, 17-11, $503

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Dragulski claimed the day’s Boater Big Bass Award of $610 after bringing a 7-pound, 10-ounce largemouth to the scale.

Ware 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.

Austin Roach of Big Sandy, Texas, won the Co-angler Division and $2,1577 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 20 pounds, 6 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:

1^st: Austin Roach of Big Sandy, Texas, five bass, 20-6, $2,157

2^nd: Clarence Schwarz of Irving, Texas, five bass, 17-2, $1,079

3^rd: Ron Aulds of Choudrant, La., five bass, 16-13, $717

3^rd: Julio Garza of Houston, Texas, five bass, 15-14, $503

5^th: Chris Morris of Forest Hill, La., five bass, 15-5, $431

6^th: James Moore Jr. of Lampasas, Texas, five bass, 14-14, $396

6^th: Jake Inderman of Allen, Texas, five bass, 14-9, $360

8^th: Ty Haymon of Oakdale, La., five bass, 14-8, $324

9^th: Larry Davis of Gladewater, Texas, five bass, 14-1, $288

10^th: David Cox of Silsbee, Texas, five bass, 13-12, $252

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

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the Cowboy Division presented by A.R.E. based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 22-24 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Table Rock Lake in Branson, Missouri, hosted by Explore Branson. Boaters will compete for a $60,000 prize package, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new 18-foot Phoenix bass boat with a 200-horsepower outboard.

by AnglersChannel

Connell Claims Bonus Bucks at Toyota Heavy Hitters

Courtesy of Luke Stoner - Dynamic Sponsorships

Dustin Connell left the Big Toho Marina boat ramp with a little pep in his step after realizing he’d won another $3,000 from Toyota Bonus Bucks for his 7^th place finish at Toyota Heavy Hitters presented by Venmo on the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes in Florida.

Connell out competed several other Major League Fishing pros sharing his primary spot after tapping into a unique pattern with a soft plastic jerkbait. The Favorite Rods pro let his weightless soft jerkbait “wash” in the current to keep his presentation as natural as possible due to the fishing pressure in his area.

Connell tricked enough scoreable bass to advance through his Qualifying and Knockout Rounds. This technique has helped the former U of Alabama college fishing standout win a lot of money on the Coosa River over the years.

Hauling his boat with a Toyota tow vehicle is another thing that’s won Connell a pile of money since purchasing a Tundra in January of 2017.

“Man, I love my Tundra and I love Bonus Bucks,” Connell said with a big smile. “Pretty much my entire family drives Toyota vehicles and I couldn’t be happier that I followed suit.

“Toyota makes a super dependable truck that I can rely on everyday. I’ve put 138,000 miles on my truck, with a boat in tow for probably 100,000 of those, and I’ve never had a single problem. Tows like a dream and puts money in my pocket to boot!”

Connell estimates he’s accumulated an incredible $10,000 in winnings from the Bonus Bucks program in a little over three years as a professional angler. Fortunately for you, the rewards of Bonus Bucks are available to more than just pros like Connell; there are hundreds of sanctioned tournaments for anglers of all levels.

And you don’t have to win a tournament to take the Bonus Bucks prize; you just have to be the highest placing program participant. For more information on the program and a complete list of eligible events follow this link: https://www.toyotatrucksbonusbucks.com/. Register for FREE through the website, or you can dial (918) 742-6424, ask for Kendell or Chip, and they’ll be happy to help out.

by AnglersChannel

University of North Carolina-Charlotte Wins Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI Tournament on Smith Mountain Lake

HUDDLESTON, Va. (June 15, 2020) – The University of North Carolina-Charlotte team of Schaefer Dobbratz and Josh Cannon, both of Waxhaw, North Carolina, won the Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI at Smith Mountain Lake event Sunday with a five-bass limit weighing 16 pounds, 7 ounces. The victory earned the UNC-Charlotte bass club $2,000 and qualified them to compete in the 2021 College Fishing National Championship.

The 49ers duo won by a slim 3-ounce margin over the second-place team of Clayton Winebarger and Logan Reynolds from Virginia Tech University, who weighed in five bass totaling 16 pounds, 4 ounces. The tournament launched from Parkway Marina in Huddleston, Virginia.

The top 10 teams that advanced to the 2021 College Fishing National Championship are:

1^st: University of North Carolina-Charlotte – Schaefer Dobbratz and Josh Cannon, both of Waxhaw, N.C., five bass, 16-7, $2,000

2^nd: Virginia Tech University – Clayton Winebarger, Abingdon, Va., and Logan Reynolds, Stuart, Va., five bass, 16-4, $1,000

3^rd: Auburn University – Robbie Cruvellier, Alburgh, Vt., and Chase Clarke, Virginia Beach, Va., five bass, 16-2, $500

4^th: Adrian College – Sam Shoemaker, Martinsville, Ind., and Carter Ball, Noblesville, Ind., five bass, 15-14, $500

5^th: Radford University – Jackson Norton, Ferrum, Va., and Nicholas Brognano, Gum Spring, Va., five bass, 15-8, $500

6^th: Penn State University – Jason Zubris, Plains, Pa., and Bryce Millar, Ashburn, Va., five bass, 15-4

7^th: Ramapo College – Alex Johnson, Milltown, N.J., and Zachary Potter, Haddon Township, N.J., five bass, 15-2

8^th: East Carolina University – Austin Woody, Burlington, N.C., and Christopher Bowen, White Plains, Va., five bass, 14-3

9^th: King University – Landon Lawson, Jonesborough, Tenn., and Donavan Carson, Bristol, Va., five bass, 13-7

10^th: Liberty University – Jack Dice, Lynchburg, Va., five bass, 12-10

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

The Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI event on Smith Mountain Lake was hosted by Destination Bedford. It was the first of three regular-season qualifying tournaments for Northern Conference anglers. The next event for College Fishing anglers will be July 10 at the Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI at Fort Gibson Lake in Wagoner, Oklahoma.

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

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

About FLW

by AnglersChannel

Olivo & Rodriguez Win 20K in Bass Champs Lake Travis Event with over 18 pounds.

Place

JASON OLIVO
KYLE , TX

JOSE RODRIGUEZ
NEW BRAUNFELS , TX

4.36

18.98

$20000.00

BRIAN MATER
AUSTIN , TX

PHILLIP WARREN
AUSTIN , TX

5.21

17.03

$2500.00

HENRY GRAVES
LAGO VISTA , TX

ROBERT BUTLER
CEDAR PARK , TX

5.44

16.80

$4000.00 with Skeeter Bonus Cash

ANTHONY SKOUBY
CIBOLO , TX

TYLER STANLEY
SAN ANTONIO , TX

5.60

16.02

$1200.00

JASON BUCHANAN
BURNET , TX

TERRY KIRCUS
BURNET , TX

15.21

$1030.00

JEFF ANDERSON
AUSTIN , TX

FRANKLIN WIGET
BUDA , TX

15.06

$2020.00 with Skeeter Bonus Cash

DALE HUGHES
SAN , TX

RANDY HAVARD
SAN ANGELO , TX

14.39

$1010.00

TOM GUIDRY
NEW BRAUNFELS , TX

DUSTIN ISBELL
KINGSLAND , TX

14.03

$1000.00

RONNY MAYNARD
GEORGETOWN , TX

CHRIS BAKER
LIBERTY HILL , TX

13.68

$1400.00 with Skeeter Bonus Cash

SCOTT SMITH
HORSESHOE BAY , TX

PRESTON DANNA
MARBLE FALLS , TX

13.56

$800.00

TERRY STEVENS
HUTTO , TX

JASON HARPER
MONTGOMERY , TX

4.55

13.52

$700.00

JAMES BEAUCHAMP
SUNRISE BEACH , TX

BRENNAN FERTIG
BELLVILLE , TX

13.39

$650.00

CHARLES WHITED
SAN MARCOS , TX

TREY GROCE
DRIPPING SPRINGS , TX

13.25

$600.00

LEE BEUERSHAUSEN
MARBLE FALLS , TX

RANDY GROUNDS
HORSESHOE BAY , TX

13.24

$600.00

MALCOLM MIDDLEBROOK
ROUND ROCK , TX

ZACHARY MIDDLEBROOK
ROUND ROCK , TX

12.81

$600.00

DAVID CHILES
WACO , TX

KYLE ROWE
WACO , TX

12.74

$600.00

BRYAN COTTER
CEDAR PARK , TX

BILL GUZMAN
AUSTIN , TX

5.91

12.68

$500.00 Big Bass+Abu Garcia Bonus

CHRIS STUDINGER
KYLE , TX

JOSHUA RHODES
SAN ANTONIO , TX

12.67

MIKE RICHARDSON
THORNDALE , TX

ZACH BROWN
GEORGETOWN , TX

12.59

$5000 James Wood Motors Bonus

TIM RENEAU
RICHLAND SPINGS , TX

JUDY RENEAU
RICHLAND SPRINGS , TX

12.45

DUSTIN SMITH
LEANDER , TX

JARED SMITH
LEANDER , TX

12.01

DEAN ALEXANDER
GEORGETOWN , TX

THOMAS MARTENS
CEDAR PARK , TX

11.80

JOEY KIRKLAND
SAN ANTONIO , TX

LUPE CONTRERAS JR
SAN ANTONIO , TX

11.80

JASON MURPHREE
BLANCO , TX

ADAM AMICK
BOERNE , TX

11.76

CHANS MARTIN
COMFORT , TX

JUSTIN MADDING
ROUND ROCK , TX

11.66

KEN EVERETT
BERTRAM , TX

LARRY SMITH
LAMPASAS , TX

11.59

CHRISTOPHER SABINA
MANCHACA , TX

ROBERT SABINA
SAN ANTONIO , TX

11.36

GARY WEIMER
LEANDER , TX

JEREMIAH WAFFORD
CEDAR PARK , TX

11.34

ROLAND LOERA
AUSTIN , TX

JAMES SCOGIN
AUSTIN , TX

11.06

AJ HALL
BROWNWOOD , TX

AUDWIN HALL
BROWNWOOD , TX

10.93

CHASE MEIER
COMFORT , TX

TYLER ROY
FAIR OAKS , TX

5.33

10.85

MIKE STANFORD
MIDLAND , TX

BRADY STANFORD
MIDLAND , TX

10.80

SHAWN TAYLOR
ABILENE , TX

LON SHEFFIELD
LEANDER , TX

4.39

10.76

DONNIE ONEAL
PFLUGERVILLE , TX

MAELSTROM KIEWIET
PFLUGERVILLE , TX

10.76

BLAKE ARAPIS
BURNET , TX

CHARLES WILSON JR
BRIGGS , TX

10.61

CHARLIE YOUNG
LIBERTY HILL , TX

RONNIE ANDREWS
LIBERTY HILL , TX

5.20

10.60

JAY JOHNSON
AUSTIN , TX

EASTON JOHNSON
AUSTIN , TX

10.57

RANDY ROE
AUSTIN , TX

TY GOEBLER
BRYAN , TX

10.54

NICK LEFEBVRE
ROUND ROCK , TX

DAVE MANGELSDORF
GEORGETOWN , TX

10.49

MICHAEL WERSIG
LEANDER , TX

TOMMY POWERS
LAGO VISTA , TX

10.43

BUBBA WAMPLER
BERTRAM , TX

MIKE BECK
KINGSLAND , TX

10.32

SHANE KEESE
MEDINA , TX

RHETT WORD
MEDINA , TX

10.27

GERALD POBORIL
TEMPLE , TX

JACK POWE
KEMPNER , TX

10.21

DEVIN GIBSON
GONZALES , TX

ROBERT PRESCOTT
SEGUIN , TX

10.18

MATT CANNON
TROY , TX

JARED SIEGELER
BELTON , TX

10.05

STEVE MAGNELIA
AUSTIN , TX

MICHAEL TENNANT
PFLUGERVILLE , TX

9.92

2 Pair Amphibia Sunglasses Early Entry

HANK FRY
MARBLE FALLS , TX

TYLER FRY
SPICEWOOD , TX

9.88

CHARLES HICE
BURNET , TX

CHRISTOPHER STANLEY
MARBLE FALLS , TX

9.74

CHRIS MAY
HOCKLEY , TX

CALEB MAY
HOCKLEY , TX

9.68

BRANDON DAY
BROWNWOOD , TX

CADE WILSON
EARLY , TX

9.54

CHARLIE GANTENBEIN
SALADO , TX

JIMMY WILLOUGBY
TEMPLE , TX

9.51

MATT SCRIBNER
ROSWELL , NM

CURTIS PENNINGTON
ARTESIA , NM

9.50

COLT DIETZ
AUSTIN , TX

SAM MORROW
AUSTIN , TX

9.42

HUNTER ARTHUR
BASTROP , TX

JJ LARSON
LEANDER , TX

9.41

TULLY WILLIAMS
GATESVILLE , TX

PAT WASHBURN
GATESVILLE , TX

9.37

JOHN BROWN
LIBERTY HILL , TX

BUCK TAYLOR
GEORGETOWN , TX

9.34

DANIEL BARNES
BELTON , TX

ADRIAN BARNES
BELTON , TX

9.33

MAIKE LUNA
NOLANVILLE , TX

SHAWN JAMES
NOLANVILLE , TX

9.12

ALLEN SHELTON
FARMERS BRANCH , TX

BRAD DRAKE
IRVING , TX

9.11

FRANK CHANDLER
ROUND ROCK , TX

ISAIAH CHANDLER
ROUND ROCK , TX

8.85

KENNETH CUMMINS
SANGER , TX

JIMMY CHAPMAN
HUTTO , TX

8.79

LANCE DILLARD
LLANO , TX

BLAKE DILLARD
LLANO , TX

8.79

TODD IVINS
BOERNE , TX

BILLY MCCRARY II
TEMPLE , TX

8.73

KEITH HONEYCUTT
TEMPLE , TX

SAM JONES
ROGERS , TX

8.64

ERIC CRUMLEY
LEANDER , TX

8.37

JOHN KAPALDO
BUDA , TX

JACOB KAPALDO
KYLE , TX

8.21

PATRICK ANDERSON
BUDA , TX

DOUG HAMILTON
LAKEWAY , TX

8.19

TOM GRIDLEY
WIMBERLEY , TX

BRAD DENTON
LIBERTY HILL, TX , TX

8.03

WESTON BROWN
HOUSTON , TX

DAVID DOONAN
CALDWELL , TX

8.02

THOMAS WEIMER
CEDAR PARK , TX

BRANDON JONES
SAN ANTONIO , TX

8.02

BRANDON BRAY
MARBLE FALLS , TX

JOE BRAY
MARBLE FALLS , TX

7.79

STERLING MARTIN
COMFORT , TX

COURTNEY BEHREND
COMFORT , TX

7.40

MARIO GONZALES
MARBLE FALLS , TX

DAVID CALLAHAN
KINGSLAND , TX

7.27

KARL GOEHRING
ROUND TOP , TX

ROBERT BECK
CARMINE , TX

6.62

DAVID RUTHERFORD
ARTESIA , NM

LISA RUTHERFORD
ARTESIA , NM

6.40

W T DYSON II
LAKE DALLAS , TX

5.89

TOMMY MORENO
NEED INFO

TROY LOWERY
BROWNWOOD , TX

5.84

RUSTY REEDY
SPRING BRANCH , TX

AYDEN REEDY
SPRING BRANCH , TX

5.18

JOHN STOKES
BIG SPRING , TX

WESLEY REDDEN
COAHOMA , TX

4.65

COREY DUNCAN
LEANDER , TX

WILLIAM DUNCAN
LEANDER , TX

1.81

CRAIG CORDOVA
AUSTIN , TX

SHAWN TAMEZ
NEW BRAUNFELS , TX

0.00

CLAYTON SAATHOFF
SAN ANTONIO , TX

COLE SAATHOFF
HELOTES , TX

0.00

CHARLES SIMMONS
WACO , TX

CODY MARTIN
TAYLOR , TX

0.00

ANTHONY GOODSON
DRIFTWOOD , TX

BRANDON ODELL
KYLE , TX

0.00

MIKE GROUNDS
MARBLE FALLS , TX

MICHAEL GROUNDS
TULSA , OK

0.00

WESLEY PULLIG
WALL , TX

MASON PULLIG
WALL , TX

0.00

BILLY WALDSCHMIDT
AUSTIN , TX

0.00

JASON KILLION
MIDLAND , TX

LESLIE KILLION
MIDLAND , TX

0.00

KEVIN UNGER
SMITHVILLE , TX

TIM GOETZ
SMITHVILLE , TX

0.00

RONNIE CHARANZA
BROWNWOOD , TX

WESLEY FLETCHER
BROWNWOOD , TX

0.00

CODY GREANEY
MANCHACA , TX

MATT MOCCIA
MANCHACA , TX

0.00

LINO GUTIERREZ
COTTONWOOD WOOD SHORES , TX

RUBEN RIBERA
MARBLE FALLS , TX

0.00

GERALD MUELLER JR
HUTTO , TX

GENE FUESSEL
AUSTIN , TX

0.00

ROBERT WILBURN
KINGSLAND , TX

LILY WILBURN
KINGSLAND , TX

0.00

DON PEARSON
CEDAR PARK , TX

JUSTIN KING
BRYAN , TX

0.00

MICHAEL ZIBERT
GARDEN RIDGE , TX

0.00

CHRISTOPHER WASHINGTON
CEDAR PARK , TX

JARRID HOLENSEE
HUTTO , TX

0.00

MIKE PICKWELL
DRIPPING SPRINGS , TX

CHRISTIAN RAY
LAGO VISTA , TX

0.00

DAVID SHUSTER
GEORGETOWN , TX

CHARLES GERHART
SALADO , TX

0.00

DARRELL WUENSCHE
THRALL , TX

0.00

RANDY HIBLER
MARBLE FALLS , TX

RANDALL CHRISTIAN
TOW , TX

0.00

MARK DOREMUS
EARLY , TX

TIM MANLEY
BROWNWOOD , TX

0.00

NATHAN BYRD
MIDLOTHIAN , TX

CHAD MITCHELL
SAN ANTONIO , TX

0.00

ROBERT BROWN
ROUND ROCK , TX

CHARLES PURSELL
AUSTIN , TX

0.00

GARRIT AFMAN
NEW BRAUNFELS , TX

JUSTYN PARRISH
LAGO VISTA , TX

0.00

$500 Cash Conservation 0 Bonus

AUGUSTINE HERNANDEZ
CARRIZO SPRINGS , TX

JOSE VILLARREAL
CARRIZO SPRINGS , TX

0.00

TIM BOYES
LEAGUE CITY , TX

TROY ROGERS
LEAGUE CITY , TX

0.00

GRANT GOODNER
LAKEWAY , TX

JAMES GOODNER
BUDA , TX

0.00

CODY NIX
PLANO , TX

CORY NIX
DALLAS , TX

0.00

DUSTY FRANK
WEST POINT , TX

JOHN PRICE
LA GRANGE , TX

0.00

WILLIAM KIMBERLY
GEORGETOWN , TX

DEREK ANDERSEN
GEORGETOWN , TX

0.00

TONY FERDINANDO
SPICEWOOD , TX

SHANE LOGAN
BUDA , TX

0.00

TERRY ADAIR
ALVIN , TX

JIM KANETZKY
LLANO , TX

0.00

RICKY PIERCE
THORNDALE , TX

RHETT PIERCE
THORNDALE , TX

0.00

JOHNNY HOMANN
KYLE , TX

JAY HESS
LOCKHART , TX

0.00

DONNIE ROSS
GEORGETOWN , TX

SCOTT ROSS
GEORGETOWN , TX

0.00

DYLAN ROSS
GEORGETOWN , TX

DAMON ROSS
GEORGETOWN , TX

0.00

ALLEN GASS
LLANO , TX

JOHN RATLIFF
KINGSLAND , TX

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RYAN WARREN
GATESVILLE , TX

JASON DERRICK
VALLEY MILLS , TX

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MATT HILL
JONESTOWN , TX

BARRY MOTT
LIBERTY HILL , TX

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DAVID UNDERWOOD
WACO , TX

DENNY COPELAND
MCGREGOR , TX

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ADAM MIRANDA
BROWNWOOD , TX

BRANDON BLAYLOCK
BROWNWOOD , TX

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FRED CATES SR
ROCKDALE , TX

KC CARLTON
LIBERTY HILL , TX

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JASON GARZA
KILLEEN , TX

PETE GARZA
KILLEEN , TX

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ROY STEGER
BELTON , TX

CHET SUTTON
SALADO , TX

0.00

by AnglersChannel

North Carolina’s Madison High School Wins 2020 FLW High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing Smith Mountain Lake Open

HUDDLESTON, Va. (June 15, 2020) – North Carolina’s Madison High School duo of Ransom Boone and Russell Moore brought five bass to the scale Saturday weighing 17 pounds, 13 ounces to win the 2020FLW High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing Lake Smith Mountain Lake Open.

For their win on Smith Mountain Lake, the team now advances to the 2021 High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing National Championship.

The top 10 finishers from the event were:

1st: Madison High School, Marshall, N.C. – Ransom Boone and Russell Moore, five bass, 17-13

2nd: Holston High School, Damascus, Va. – Konnor Sweet and John Milhorne, four bass, 15-15

3rd: Blackwater River Bass Club – Broderick Luckey and Ava Luckey, both of Roanoke, Va., five bass, 13-11

4th: Holston High School, Damascus, Va. – Mason Steele & Parker Newton, four bass, 10-13

5th: Badin Bandits Fishing Team – Harrison McCall of Salisbury, N.C., and Carson Palmer of Richfield, N.C., four bass, 9-13

6th: Long Creek Anglers – Avery Doughty of Durham, N.C., and Luke Miller of Richfield, N.C., four bass, 8-14

7th: Magna Vista High School, Ridgeway, Va. – Hunter Barrow & Colin Bennett, four bass, 8-9

8th: Southwest Virginia Jr. Anglers. – Will Austin of Abingdon, Va., and Dylan Thompson of Damascus, Va., five bass, 6-1

9th: Archbishop Curley High School, Baltimore, Md. – Travis Nale and Reed Barra, both of Pasadena, Md., two bass, 5-3

10th: Hickory Grove Christian School, Charlotte, N.C. – Trent Lawson & Aaron Shumaker, one bass, 2-5

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

The event launched from the Parkway Marina in Huddleston, Virginia, and was hosted by Destination Bedford.

The 2020 FLW High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing Smith Mountain Lake Open was afree, 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 2021 High School Fishing National Championship. 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 2021 High School Fishing World Finals, held in conjunction with the National Championship. More than $2.8 million in scholarships and prizes were offered at the 2019 World Finals.

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

by AnglersChannel

McKendree University Wins 2020 Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia

Montevallo takes 2nd Place, Adrian College Finishes 3rd in School of the Year Race

FLORENCE, AL (6/11/2020) - Today marked the final day of competition in the 2019-2020 season on the Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Bass Fishing Series. With that comes the culmination of the chase for the prestigious Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia. Defending title holders McKendree University entered this week with a roughly 1,200 point lead and their sights set on winning the title in back-to-back years.

Buoyed by two Top 20 finishes this week in the BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing

Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops, McKendree locked up the School of the Year title winning by a margin of 1,000 points. "I'm just thrilled, and we're really blessed. Our goal after last year was to come back here and try for this again," said Jon Rinderer, Head Bass Fishing Coach at McKendree University. "The kids were consistent all year. We got the job done, so I'm super thrilled. Couldn't be more proud of this group of kids."

Following a strong Day 1 at the BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops, McKendree entered Day 2 with two teams inside of the Top 20. When the scales closed on Day 2, their top two teams finished in 9th & 18th. Trevor McKinney & Blake Jackson finished in 9th with 31.98 pounds, and Bailey Bleser & Nate Doty wound up in 18th at 28.72 pounds.

"You know, we were in these same shoes last year. We've had a great year this year, and our biggest thing was we wanted that feeling again," noted McKendree team member Blake Jackson. "We caught 'em again this year and we're just really blessed. If we would have slipped up in this event, the leaderboard could have made some major changes this year." McKendree University becomes the second team in the history of the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia to claim back-to-back titles.

Here is a look at the Top 25 for the 2020 Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia:

To view the complete School of the Year standings, click here. Read more.

by AnglersChannel

Valerie Dixon to Oversee American Baitworks Pro Staff, Field Staff and Special Events for American Baitworks Co.

OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss. (June 15, 2020) – Valerie Dixon has joined the team at American Baitworks Co. as Pro Staff Manager and Event Coordinator.

Dixon’s addition is another step in American Baitworks’ focus on growing awareness of the company’s fishing tackle brands; Freedom Tackle, Halo Rods, NetBait, Scum Frog, STH Bait Co. and Snag Proof. Dixon will oversee the company’s national and regional pro staff fishing teams as well as its high school and college team programs.

In addition to her role as Pro Staff Manager, Valerie will also coordinate media relations and press releases, as well as, planning and organization of American Baitworks’ special events, including ICAST, the Bassmaster Classic and writer conferences.

The Tennessee native is no stranger to the fishing tackle industry. Valerie grew up fishing Pickwick Lake and previously worked with Strike King Lures for 11 years where she managed more than 200 pro staff team members and coordinated marketing and special events for the company.

“We are extremely pleased to have the opportunity to work with Valerie and have her join our team at American Baitworks,” said Chief Marketing Officer Matt Massey. “We are actively growing our field staff and ambassador rosters to build our brand awareness and support our dealers across the country. Leveraging Valerie’s experience and talent will enable us to create a strong foundation to grow American Baitworks’ brands.”

Dixon is married to Gaspo Dixon, Owner of Gaspo’s Famous Seasoning. The couple have three children.

For more information about American Baitworks and its companies, visit www.americanbaitworks.com.

by AnglersChannel

Brittain and Springer Take the Win on Wheeler Lake with 21.84

By Jason Duran

Decatur, AL The team of Chris Brittain and Eric Springer was first in line when the scales opened at Ingalls Harbor. They dropped 21.84 pounds on the scales setting the bar high for the other 224 teams. At the close of the scales, no team came within three pounds of them. They took home the win and $10,000 on Wheeler Lake.

Fishing up the Elk River in pre-practice on Monday, Eric located a group of fish and, in about one and a half hours, he caught a 5.41 and a 3.99. He called Chis and said, “they are here!” Storms and changing conditions caused them to wonder all week if the fish would still be around come tournament day.

On Saturday, the plan was to head to Eric’s spot in the hopes the fish were still there. As they were fishing and working their way to the spot, they kept telling each other the same thing they said all week, “man, they are going to be here.” Chris made the first cast on the spot and caught a 3-pound fish. Two casts later, he caught a 5.51 pounder, and Eric followed up with a 4.65 pounder. There was a 10-minute span where they didn’t get a bite, so they decided to let it rest a little and fish close by. They came back 20 minutes later and caught a 5.35-pound fish. Chris quickly realized, “we are on our way today!” About 10 minutes later Eric caught another 3-pound fish. It was over after that because they didn’t get another bite after 9am.

The team agrees “Wheeler has been really tough and normally the fishing here is better at night this time of year.” They worked hard to take good care of their fish making sure to protect their catch. They headed back early as soon as the scales opened to be sure and put a healthy bag of fish on the scale.

Brittain and Springer described the spot as a sandbar with a hole ranging from 5 to 8 feet. They said the fish stayed in the 5 feet range early, and they were able to catch them on two baits. They used a Zoom Ultra Vibe green pumpkin Texas rig and fished on the bottom slow. This is the same bait Eric used in practice to find the fish. Chris added a Mean Mouth ½ oz. football jig in green pumpkin with a Zoom Speed Craw green pumpkin trailer. This was the bait Chris caught the big fish on.

The second place team of Chad Sykes and Michael Briggs made a short run to the Decatur Flats and quickly went to work. The team said they “had a limit and were culling before blast off was completed.” Michael said he “has fished this spot for about 15 years with a lot of good days on there, but this was by far his best tournament day on the spot.” Chad said they “practiced separately and he was really thinking it was going to be a tough day based on practice, but it was really a fun few minutes in the morning. The rest of the day went just like practice with no bite after 6 am.” They used a Bone Zara Spook on a 7-foot hammer rod and Lew’s Reel.

Alan Barrett and Tyler Caldwell finished third with 18.36. They too made a quick run expecting to catch them early fishing the flats using topwater and swimbaits. That first stop was not productive for them as “they just couldn’t get them to bite.” After a few hours they decided to make a move. Alan also said they “knew they had to get a limit if they were even going to have a chance.” They moved out to a river ledge and were able to get a 14-incher to bite. They agreed that the fishing was really tough out there, so they decided to move back to their first spot and fish the grass edges. Alan said, “Tyler is really good at finessing the fish to bite,” and that was the plan they stuck with the rest of the day. Alan and Tyler targeted the grass edge mixed in with stumps using a Ned Rig composed of a 3/16 oz. Z-Man Shroomz Head and a Z-man TRD Finesse in Green Pumpkin. Alan said a “couple times during the day they had their hearts broken when they hooked a drum thinking they had hooked a big smallmouth.” They only lost one fish, probably a 3 pounder, that could have made weigh-in a little more interesting. They were very surprised to see their weight hold for a solid third place.

The top ten standings are below for a full list of results visit: https://www.alabamabasstrail.org/tournament-series/wl-results/

Download and listen to the ABT Podcast on your favorite Podcast app by searching for “Alabama Bass Trail Podcast.” The Podcast is released each week on Tuesday.

by AnglersChannel

Gross Earns First Bassmaster Elite Series Victory On Lake Eufaula

Eufaula-Winner-Day 4.jpg
Buddy Gross, of Chickamauga, Ga., has won the 2020 DEWALT Bassmaster Elite at Lake Eufaula with a four-day total of 84 pounds, 8 ounces.
Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.

June 13, 2020

EUFAULA, Ala. — After a week of constant adjustments, everything came together perfectly for Buddy Gross on Championship Saturday.

The Bassmaster Elite Series rookie, fishing only his second event on the trail, caught a tournament-best five-bass limit that weighed 27 pounds, 11 ounces and sprang from 10th place to a victory in the DEWALT Bassmaster Elite at Lake Eufaula with a four-day total of 84-8. He earned $100,000 and one of the coveted blue trophies that comes with every Elite Series win.

Instead of the usual routine of being handed the trophy by Elite Series Tournament Director Trip Weldon, Gross received the prize onstage from his family due to strict social distancing measures in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It doesn’t get much better than that,” Gross said. “This is something you dream of as a kid because B.A.S.S. is the epitome of fishing — just the staple of the fishing world. To dream about something like this, and then for it to happen so early in my career, is amazing.”

Gross, who lives in Chickamauga, Ga., made two scouting trips to Lake Eufaula before the event. Each trip, the weather was so rough that he spent all of his time just idling around and marking brushpiles.

During those two trips, he said he marked over 300 of the man-made structures that are so prominent on the fishery.

But when he showed up for the official practice period on Sunday, some of the brush he had marked was gone — presumably washed away by flooding in the area. However, Gross said new brushpiles had already been put in place since his most recent visit.

“I didn’t want to spend time fishing phantom waypoints,” Gross said. “So, I had to start marking those places off the list where brushpiles had washed away. Then as I was doing that, I found brushpiles in places where there weren’t any back before the off-limits period just 35 or 40 days ago.

“The people in this town must be part beaver or something. I’ve never been to a place with so many brushpiles.”

Gross started his week probing the brush with a Zoom Swimmer in the Tennessee shad color and a 5-inch Natural Light Scottsboro Swimmer. That netted him just 16-14 on Day 1 and left him in 43rd place.

The next day, he made possibly his most important adjustment of the week.

“On the second day of the tournament, I switched over to a jig,” he said. “First cast, I got bit. Second cast, I got bit. It was just consecutive. Every brushpile I went to it probably increased my bites by 50 or 60 percent.”

The magic lure was a prototype bullethead jig from Nichols Lures with a green pumpkin Zoom Super Chunk trailer. It allowed him to catch 20-7 on Day 2, 19-8 on Day 3 and then the monster bag of 27-11 during Saturday’s final round.

On Saturday, another slight logistical adjustment was necessary for him to find the quality of fish he needed to jump from 10th place and surpass Alabama pro Scott Canterbury who entered the day with more than a 4-pound lead.

“I had started off fishing new brush this morning, just places I hadn’t fished,” Gross said. “On the deeper ones, I just didn’t get bit.”

Then he moved to an area with shallower brush in Pataula Creek.

“On the first shallow brushpile I fished, I hung one and lost it,” he said. “Then on the second one, I caught a 6-13 that was my biggest fish of the day. I said right then, ‘This is gonna be the deal all day.’

“My best brushpiles today were the ones in 5 1/2 to 6 feet.”

The season has been one of ironic twists for Gross.

Considered one of the best anglers on Lake Chickamauga, he was deeply disappointed when Elite Series tournaments scheduled for that fishery were cancelled in February and then again in April. He thought that might be his best chance for a win this season, but Eufaula helped take the sting out of those two curves thrown to the professional fishing world — first by flooding on the Tennessee River and then by the COVID-19 outbreak.

This week, Gross wouldn’t have even qualified for Saturday’s final Top 10 if North Carolina pro Shane LeHew hadn’t been penalized several ounces for weighing in dead fish and then 2 pounds for accidentally making a cast with six bass in his livewell.

Crazy things also happened to Gross on the water.

“The first day of the tournament, I was running brushpiles so fast that I was fishing with my lifejacket on,” he said. “I had a 7-pounder at the boat, and I reeled my lanyard up into my reel. That fish was out there jumping, so I tried to just muscle through it. All that did was make it worse.

“That fish eventually got off — and I thought [for] sure that would cost me a lot. But I guess when something is meant to be, it’s meant to be.”

Canterbury caught 19-3 and finished less than a pound back with 83-9. Georgia pro Drew Benton weighed in 24-8 — the second-biggest bag of the event — and placed third with 82-4.

Texas pro Chris Zaldain took home Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the week honors with a 7-5 largemouth.

South Carolina’s Brandon Cobb finished third, earning an additional $3,000 for being the highest-placing entrant in the Toyota Bonus Bucks program, and Jamie Hartman took home $2,000 for being the second-highest placing entrant.

2020 DEWALT Bassmaster Elite at Lake Eufaula 6/10-6/13
Lake Eufaula, Eufaula AL.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 4
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$

1. Buddy Gross Day 1: 5 16-14 2. Scott Canterbury Day 1: 5 20-12 3. Drew Benton Day 1: 5 20-12 4. Brandon Cobb Day 1: 5 19-03 5. Drew Cook Day 1: 5 18-10 6. Caleb Kuphall Day 1: 5 18-12 7. Matt Arey Day 1: 5 20-06 8. Clark Wendlandt Day 1: 5 22-00 9. Jamie Hartman Day 1: 5 21-13 10. Chris Zaldain Day 1: 5 22-02 ------------------ Chickamauga, GA 20 84-08 100 $101,000.00
Day 2: 5 20-07 Day 3: 5 19-08 Day 4: 5 27-11
Odenville, AL 20 83-09 99 $25,000.00
Day 2: 5 20-13 Day 3: 5 22-13 Day 4: 5 19-03
Blakely, GA 20 82-04 98 $20,000.00
Day 2: 5 18-12 Day 3: 5 18-04 Day 4: 5 24-08
Greenwood, SC 20 79-08 97 $15,000.00
Day 2: 5 21-00 Day 3: 5 19-05 Day 4: 5 20-00
Midway, FL 20 78-05 96 $15,000.00
Day 2: 5 18-09 Day 3: 5 22-15 Day 4: 5 18-03
Mukwonago, WI 20 77-04 95 $15,000.00
Day 2: 5 22-02 Day 3: 5 19-05 Day 4: 5 17-01
Shelby, NC 20 76-09 94 $15,000.00
Day 2: 5 22-15 Day 3: 5 16-09 Day 4: 5 16-11
Leander, TX 20 75-05 93 $15,000.00
Day 2: 5 18-12 Day 3: 5 16-05 Day 4: 5 18-04
Newport, NY 20 74-07 92 $15,000.00
Day 2: 5 17-02 Day 3: 5 20-00 Day 4: 5 15-08
Fort Worth, TX 19 70-01 91 $17,000.00
Day 2: 5 17-07 Day 3: 5 18-09 Day 4: 4 11-15
-----------------------------------------------------

PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1 Mike Huff Corbin, KY 06-12 $1,000.00
2 Chris Zaldain Fort Worth, TX 07-05 $1,000.00
3 Shane LeHew Catawba, NC 07-04 $1,000.00
4 Buddy Gross Chickamauga, GA 06-13 $1,000.00

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Chris Zaldain Fort Worth, TX 07-05 $1,000.00

by AnglersChannel

Canterbury In Position For First Career Elite Series Victory At Lake Eufaula

Scott Canterbury, of Odenville, Ala., is leading after Day 3 of the 2020 DEWALT Bassmaster Elite at Lake Eufaula with a three-day total of 64 pounds, 6 ounces.
Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 12, 2020

EUFAULA, Ala. — Back in October, Scott Canterbury was crowned Bassmaster Angler of the Year for being the most consistent professional bass angler on the planet.

That was almost nine months ago, but it seems not much has changed.

Consistency has led Canterbury to catches of more than 20 pounds the past three days and put him in the lead going into the final round of the DEWALT Bassmaster Elite at Lake Eufaula with a three-day total of 64 pounds, 6 ounces.

Friday marked his best catch yet, as he brought 22-13 to the scales to jump from third place into first with a chance to win $100,000 and his first blue winner’s trophy on the Elite Series.

“I had almost 23 pounds today and lost a big one — should have had 25 pounds,” said Canterbury, who holds more than a 4-pound lead over the rest of the field. “I lost a giant. I didn’t see it, but I know it was a big one.

“I’m not gonna complain.”

Canterbury said he came into the event expecting to catch the majority of his fish on deeper offshore structure. But during the first two days when he landed catches of 20-12 and 20-13, he bounced back and forth between the lake’s plentiful deep-water brushpiles and its abundant shallow cover.

He had enough success fishing shallow during Thursday’s second round that he actually started shallow with a frog Friday morning — and that quickly netted him a 4-pound largemouth. But he eventually moved back deep and anchored his five-bass limit with a 6-6 largemouth from a brushpile he hadn’t previously fished this week.

Though his weights have looked good, he said the fishing has still been tough.

“I only caught about eight keepers today,” said Canterbury, who’s had eight Top 20 finishes since joining the Elite Series last year. “I could go out and not catch but one tomorrow. I’m not catching many, but I’ve managed to catch some of the right ones.”

Though the shallow bite has been intriguing — and at times certainly helpful — Canterbury said the tournament is shaping up to be exactly the event he expected. He still believes the angler who wins will have caught the majority of his fish deep.

That’s where he plans to spend most of his time Saturday.

“I’m gonna have to hit some of the brushpiles that I haven’t been fishing,” he said. “They haven’t had any pressure, maybe because there haven’t been any fish on them. But I think fish are just moving out there.

“One way or another, I’m gonna be swinging hard. I want to win.”

Elite Series rookie Caleb Kuphall of Wisconsin caught 19-5 Friday to move up from fifth to second with 60-3. He’s been fishing shallow all week and intends to stay there during the first Championship Saturday of his young career.

“It’s been a grind to progressively get five 4-plus-pound bites every day, and today I wasn’t able to do it,” Kuphall said. “I actually had a 2 1/2-pounder in my bag that I would have liked to have culled.”

Like many in the field, Kuphall has been surprised by the amount of bass holding in shallow water even as the water temperature rises due to the sweltering daytime weather.

“When I got here, I was kind of thinking that it was gonna be just an offshore deal, but I idled around and really didn’t like what I found,” he said. “So, I went to the bank and apparently found something good.

“Every fish that I’ve caught has been in 4 feet of water or less, so that’s where I’m going to stay.”

Drew Cook, a noted shallow-water angler from Florida, has spent most of his time fishing offshore brushpiles this week — and it’s landed him in third place going into the final day with 60-2. In three days, he’s brought 18-10, 18-9 and 22-15 to the scales.

His Friday catch included a 6-6 and two 5-pounders.

“I’ve got a school of fish that I’ve found that I’ll probably start on in the morning,” Cook said. “But then I’ll probably end up fishing brushpiles.

“The biggest challenge is weeding through all of the 2 1/2-pounders to get the big fish you need. There are a million 2 1/2-pounders in this place. I probably caught 60 or 70 fish today.”

One wild card that will likely come into play Saturday is a large local tournament being held on the lake. Cook said that could change the plot of the event significantly.

“It’s going to affect every one of us,” Cook said. “It wouldn’t surprise me if somebody takes a left out of takeoff and runs way up the river or does something off the wall to actually win the tournament.

“Hopefully not. That’s not what I plan to do.”

The tournament concludes Saturday with the Top 10 remaining anglers taking off at 5:25 a.m. CST from Lakepoint State Park. The final weigh-in will be back at the park at 2 p.m.

Live coverage of the event will be available from 7-10 a.m. and 11 a.m.-2 p.m. on Bassmaster Live at Bassmaster.com with simulcasts on ESPN2 and ESPN3. Check local listings for ESPN2 times.

2020 DEWALT Bassmaster Elite at Lake Eufaula 6/10-6/13
Lake Eufaula, Eufaula AL.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 3

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

1. Scott Canterbury Odenville, AL 15 64-06 100
Day 1: 5 20-12 Day 2: 5 20-13 Day 3: 5 22-13
2. Caleb Kuphall Mukwonago, WI 15 60-03 99
Day 1: 5 18-12 Day 2: 5 22-02 Day 3: 5 19-05
3. Drew Cook Midway, FL 15 60-02 98
Day 1: 5 18-10 Day 2: 5 18-09 Day 3: 5 22-15
4. Matt Arey Shelby, NC 15 59-14 97
Day 1: 5 20-06 Day 2: 5 22-15 Day 3: 5 16-09
5. Brandon Cobb Greenwood, SC 15 59-08 96
Day 1: 5 19-03 Day 2: 5 21-00 Day 3: 5 19-05
6. Jamie Hartman Newport, NY 15 58-15 95
Day 1: 5 21-13 Day 2: 5 17-02 Day 3: 5 20-00
7. Chris Zaldain Fort Worth, TX 15 58-02 94 $1,000.00
Day 1: 5 22-02 Day 2: 5 17-07 Day 3: 5 18-09
8. Drew Benton Blakely, GA 15 57-12 93
Day 1: 5 20-12 Day 2: 5 18-12 Day 3: 5 18-04
9. Clark Wendlandt Leander, TX 15 57-01 92
Day 1: 5 22-00 Day 2: 5 18-12 Day 3: 5 16-05
10. Buddy Gross Chickamauga, GA 15 56-13 91
Day 1: 5 16-14 Day 2: 5 20-07 Day 3: 5 19-08
11. Shane LeHew Catawba, NC 15 56-09 90 $13,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-06 Day 2: 5 15-02 Day 3: 5 23-01
12. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 15 56-08 89 $12,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-00 Day 2: 5 16-04 Day 3: 5 21-04
13. Chad Pipkens Lansing, MI 15 56-06 88 $12,000.00
Day 1: 5 20-13 Day 2: 5 17-08 Day 3: 5 18-01
14. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 15 56-05 87 $12,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-05 Day 2: 5 19-03 Day 3: 5 18-13
15. Kyle Monti Okeechobee, FL 15 55-05 86 $12,000.00
Day 1: 5 22-15 Day 2: 5 17-00 Day 3: 5 15-06
16. Kyle Welcher Opelika, AL 15 54-03 85 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 20-03 Day 2: 5 20-15 Day 3: 5 13-01
17. Seth Feider New Market, MN 15 53-03 84 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-05 Day 2: 5 21-14 Day 3: 5 15-00
18. Hank Cherry Jr Lincolnton, NC 15 52-13 83 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-15 Day 2: 5 16-01 Day 3: 5 19-13
19. Lee Livesay Gladewater, TX 15 52-06 82 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-11 Day 2: 5 12-12 Day 3: 5 17-15
20. Patrick Walters Summerville, SC 15 52-03 81 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-07 Day 2: 5 21-01 Day 3: 5 14-11
21. Austin Felix Eden Prairie, MN 15 51-09 80 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-08 Day 2: 5 14-05 Day 3: 5 19-12
22. Garrett Paquette Canton, MI 15 51-07 79 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-07 Day 2: 5 15-13 Day 3: 5 16-03
23. Ray Hanselman Jr Del Rio, TX 15 51-07 78 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-08 Day 2: 5 17-15 Day 3: 5 17-00
24. Clent Davis Montevallo, AL 15 51-06 77 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 20-05 Day 2: 5 17-05 Day 3: 5 13-12
25. Skylar Hamilton Dandridge, TN 15 50-15 76 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-09 Day 2: 5 18-01 Day 3: 5 15-05
26. Caleb Sumrall New Iberia, LA 15 50-07 75 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-13 Day 2: 5 16-15 Day 3: 5 14-11
27. Hunter Shryock Newcomerstown, OH 15 50-06 74 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 11-13 Day 2: 5 21-08 Day 3: 5 17-01
28. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 15 49-12 73 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 23-04 Day 2: 5 16-08 Day 3: 5 10-00
29. Gerald Swindle Guntersville, AL 15 49-05 72 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-12 Day 2: 5 19-15 Day 3: 5 13-10
30. Gary Clouse Winchester, TN 15 49-05 71 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-07 Day 2: 5 16-08 Day 3: 5 13-06
31. Wes Logan Springville, AL 15 49-02 70 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-03 Day 2: 5 14-02 Day 3: 5 16-13
32. Todd Auten Lake Wylie, SC 15 48-08 69 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-15 Day 2: 5 15-01 Day 3: 5 11-08
33. John Cox Debary, FL 15 48-01 68 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-13 Day 2: 5 18-05 Day 3: 5 09-15
34. Matt Herren Ashville, AL 15 47-08 67 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-08 Day 2: 5 14-10 Day 3: 5 15-06
35. Frank Talley Temple, TX 15 46-13 66 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-00 Day 2: 5 18-02 Day 3: 5 12-11
36. Brandon Card Knoxville, TN 15 46-01 65 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-07 Day 2: 5 15-03 Day 3: 5 14-07
37. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 15 45-13 64 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-04 Day 2: 5 12-11 Day 3: 5 13-14
38. Brad Whatley Bivins, TX 15 45-02 63 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-12 Day 2: 5 15-03 Day 3: 5 11-03
39. Jake Whitaker Fairview, NC 11 43-12 62 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-02 Day 2: 5 20-08 Day 3: 1 02-02
40. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 15 43-06 61 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-08 Day 2: 5 13-04 Day 3: 5 11-10
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1 Mike Huff Corbin, KY 06-12 $1,000.00
2 Chris Zaldain Fort Worth, TX 07-05 $1,000.00
3 Shane LeHew Catawba, NC 07-04 $1,000.00

by AnglersChannel

Repeat Runaway Reels Jordan Lee a $200,000 Pay Day

Major League Fishing Wraps a Week-Long Live Event on the Kissimmee Chain after Mid-Season Pause due to COVID-19

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 12, 2020 (Kissimmee, Fla.) Major League Fishing concluded their first live event today since pausing midseason to minimize the spread of the coronavirus. 28-year-old Jordan Lee won both the Toyota Heavy Hitters presented by Venmo Title and the Berkley Big Bass Bonus for $200,000 in total winnings. This marks the second Bass Pro Tour Title for Lee on the Kissimmee Chain. MLF Rookie Bryan Thrift took second place, earning a $40,000 paycheck with a total weight of 33 pounds, three ounces. This inaugural Heavy Hitters event featured a three-pound minimum weight for scorable bass, the highest minimum scorable weight in the history of competitive bass fishing. The 2020 Bass Pro Tour season is set to continue July 10-15 on Lake Champlain.

Berkley Pro Jordan Lee scored 52 pounds, nine ounces of largemouth in a single day featuring a three-pound minimum scorable weight, the highest standard in any bass tournament. He finished 19 pounds, six ounces ahead of second place but never stopped looking for the next big bass offshore bouncing between crankbait and finesse worm. This win marks Lee’s second on the Kissimmee Chain in as many years; Lee won the inaugural Bass Pro Tour event in January 2019 on Lake Toho.

“Toho has been good to me,” said Lee as the clock wound down in the third Period. “It’s hard to find those places, it wasn’t easy; but with the right equipment, I was able to make it happen. It was pretty cool to win the first-ever event last year, and then come back. I had some good memories down here; the Kissimmee Chain has been good to me as of late.”

As the clock ran down to zero, securing his victory, a teary Lee thanked fans for tuning in.

“I want to thank our fans, everyone who have watched and supported us this week, that’s what drives us. We really, really appreciate your support,” said Lee, a resident of Cullman, Ala. “It’s been a blast out here on Toho. Thanks for tuning in; I hope you learned something. It was a dream day out here.”

Second-place finisher Bryan Thrift kept pace with Lee but found fewer scorable bass at the three-pound minimum. Thrift ended the day with seven scorable largemouth totaling 33 pounds, three ounces. While five of those were caught on a jig, Thrift told fans he approached today’s Championship Round with a three-bait strategy.

“I was fishing a lot of grass patches and isolated patches of hydrilla, so I came with a three-pronged approach today,” Thrift toldMLFNOW! viewers after lines-out. “I would brush a swim jig over the area, then hit it with a crankbait before dragging a worm through it. I caught a lot of my fish this week on a Damiki 12-inch, skinny worm that I cut down by two inches.”

After winning $25,000 earlier in the week for a nine-pound, two-ounce catch, General Tire pro Mark Rose finished third with 21 pounds, 14 ounces, 30 pounds behind Lee. The Memphis-area pro was disappointed with the results but not with his effort.

“I’m not disappointed in my performance. I felt like I fished the best I could and tried to honor God in the process,” said Rose before offering words of encouragement to fans. “I’m thankful to MLF for coming out with this Heavy Hitters deal. In this fishing game, you’ve gotta keep it in perspective: you’re going to finish at the top, the bottom, and anywhere in between. Stay focused and learn from your mistakes.”

With the added challenge of the three-pound minimum weight for scorable bass, two anglers went scoreless: Bass Fishing Hall of Famer Gary Klein and reigning MLF General Tire World Champion Jacob Wheeler. A zero-weight showcases how tough the fishing was on Toho today. Klein scored seven fish over three pounds in yesterday’s Knockout Round to make it into the Championship Round. Wheeler, who in the first rounds only had five of his 17 fish under three pounds, told MLFNOW! viewers that his score did not reflect his effort.

“I’ve been working all day, just not been getting a lot accomplished,” said Wheeler, a resident of Harrison, Tenn. “I probably caught more fish today than any other single day. I caught eight or nine two-pounders today. The big ones like to sit on isolated stuff. For me, that’s what I’ve been doing all day long, trying to get a big one.”

MLF Co-Founder Boyd Duckett, who worked with League staff to develop the Heavy Hitters format, said the three-pound minimum scorable weight is a game-changer for competitive bass fishing.

“Our Heavy Hitters event has set the bar higher than any other tournament in the history of bass fishing,” said Duckett. “Fans want to see the best pros do extraordinary things and this is the highest bar ever set in our sport.”

The Top Ten finished the Championship Round of Toyota Heavy Hitters presented by Venmo as follows:

Place Angler One-Day Total Weight One-Day Total Fish Largest Fish Today
1 Jordan Lee 52-09 12 7-04
2 Bryan Thrift 33-03 7 6-11
3 Mark Rose 21-14 5 5-01
4 Justin Lucas 19-15 5 4-05
5 Skeet Reese 17-12 5 3-13
6 Zack Birge 13-08 4 3-09
7 Dustin Connell 10-11 3 4-09
8 Adrian Avena 8-01 2 4-08
9 Gary Klein -- 0 --
10 Jacob Wheeler -- 0 --

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

In addition to the traditional payout schedule based on finishing order, Toyota Heavy Hitters presented by Venmo bonused the angler for the biggest bass caught in each Group. The two-day Qualifying Rounds (June 7-10) paid a $25,000 big bass bonus ($50,000 total) to Mark Rose and Brent Ehrler respectively. The Knockout Round on day five (June 11), featured a $50,000 big bass bonus to Michael Neal, while the Championship Round (June 12) bonused winner Jordan Lee with a $100,000 big bass bonus, on top of his Stage Title $100,000 prize.

In response to the shortened season, MLF revised the payout schedule for Toyota Heavy Hitters presented by Venmo to include all 80 anglers: 1st $100,000; 2nd $40,000; 3rd $15,000; 4th $13,000; 5th $12,000; 6th $11,000; 7th $10,000; 8th $9,000; 9th $8,000; 10th$7,000; 11th – 20th $6,000; 21st – 40th $5,000; 41st – 80th $4,000. Each competitor is guaranteed a $4,000 check.

Toyota Heavy Hitters presented by Venmo on the Kissimmee Chain will air on Discovery Channel as six, two-hour original episodes beginning August 15, 2020. For additional details, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com/tv-schedule.

Due to inflexible television production deadlines, MLF was forced to shorten the 2020 Bass Pro Tour after an 80-day, midseason pause to minimize the spread of COVID-19. MLF fans can tune-in to MLFNOW! to watch the final stage of the 2020 Bass Pro Tour July 10-15. The Evinrude Stage Five presented by Covercraft is currently scheduled on Lake Champlain, hosted Experience Vermont.

by AnglersChannel

Arey’s magical maroon zone

Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships.

Three days ago, at the end of Tuesday’s long practice day, Matt Arey said he’d be shocked if this tourney was not won ‘out deep’ – but also added fans might be surprised at the number of big 6 and 7 pound bluegill-eating bass that would be caught up shallow.

At a fast glance, that statement seems to be a bit contradictory. But actually it’s a precise reflection of the fact Arey was absolutely dialed-in to the reality this would not just be a deep-water derby, like so many thought it would.

Instead, it’s proving to be a tournament tied to deeper post spawners, with plenty of fat toads being caught from the shallows too. When Arey slapped nearly 23 pounds on the scales Day 2 to take the lead, his predictions became profoundly validated. And the 6-pounder he caught shallow put a punctuation mark on it.

Obviously, his eyes allow him to find the shallow honey holes dotted with the best visible habitat such as water willow and boat docks. But he’s been hugely dependent on his electronics to identify the best depth zones away from the bank.

“The custom color shading option on my Lowrance units have been really key this week, because I can color the precise depths around the lake on my map where most of my brushpile fish are coming from. That makes those exact depths easier to find at a fast glance,” explains Arey, who earned a degree in Agriculture Business from NC State.

When Arey says precise, he means it. He literally has the best brushpile depths identified down to about a five-foot zone he described as being colored a shade of maroon on his Lowrance units. Anything deeper or shallower than that magical maroon range seldom gets a look.

“Eufaula is fishing unbelievable. It’s gotten amazingly better the last 7 or 8 years. I’ll say right now it would give Lake Fork a run for its money. Eufaula has got to be one of the best bass lakes in the country,” says Arey.

Given the number of 5-bass limits over 20-pounds caught the past two days, it’d be hard to argue with him.

And perhaps the coolest part of this history rich 45,000-acre impoundment right now is the mix of each day’s biggest bass being caught on everything from giant flutter spoons out deep, to frogs in a foot or two of water.

Just as Arey predicted.

by AnglersChannel

"If you can’t beat ‘em, hire ‘em"

Vance McCullough

Can’t figure out how to use your mobile phone? Find a kid. It’s funny because it’s true. The younger set takes more readily to new technology than do the old dogs.

The same is true on the water. Many of our sport’s youngest competitors excel when there’s a deep bite that favors the ‘video-gaming’ approach. Well, if you can’t beat ‘em, hire ‘em. At least, for a day.

Many tournament pros, current and former, also make good money as fishing guides. In Florida, Peter Thliveros has been putting clients on double-digit bass, mostly by floating or trolling shiners. It’s the best approach for those who seriously want to catch the fish of a lifetime.

Increasingly, however, clients prize knowledge over big fish. From the famed ledges of TVA reservoirs where Ryan Salzman guides to the vast waters of Lake Erie, home to Matt Becker, these two young FLW Pro Circuit standouts and others are staying booked by conducting trips specifically designed to teach aspiring tournament anglers how to use the latest electronics or master a new technique or tactic.

While you can learn a lot by watching videos, there’s often no substitute for a real life teacher (just ask any number of students – or their parents – who have endured the recent experiments in ‘distance learning’ this year).

The COVID-19-induced downtime has kept the pros near their homes this spring. It has created a great opportunity for locals to get on the water with them and, not only catch fish, but to go to school with a pro.

The 2018 FLW Rookie of the Year, Becker is currently 2^nd in Angler of the Year points on the FLW Pro Circuit. While he continues to prove himself in competition, Becker is also proving to be a great teacher. “I’ve been staying on the water as much as I can. I’ve been running some guide trips and electronics classes.”

Even experts need to brush up now and then. Becker points to the upcoming Chickamauga event which will see a lot of fish, and a lot of anglers, on the offshore ledges. He will get some practice licks in, and maybe make a little money in the process. “I just signed up for the Toyota Series on Pickwick, which is here at the end of the month, just to get back into the swing of things – the tournament scene – and to get some more ledge-fishing experience before we head to Chickamauga.”

Becker sees the teaching/guiding trips as a way to support the companies that support tournament bass fishing. After all, it’s easier to sell graphs to people who know how to use them. “I’ve had great interest in that. I started doing it about a month ago now and it’s really taken off. I’ve been fully booked as long as the weather is decent and I can make time to get out, so I’ve always got somebody. I can go jump in their boat and dial-in their electronics for them and tell them what they’re looking at and everything, just help people get familiar with the electronics they have on their boat so they can find fish whenever they’re out on their own. I try and do everything I can to help grow the sport.”

Salzman made the FLW Cup last year. He is working hard to qualify for the championship event this season. Regardless of tournament finishes, Salzman has become a top guide on the TVA lakes of North Alabama. As soon as conditions allowed for a return to business he started guiding again. “I’ve actually been busy for about two weeks solid now which has been great,” he said in mid-May, adding that he lost more than $20,000 due to an estimated 30 cancelled guide trips from March through April.

“They come for specific trips, like to Pickwick to catch smallmouth or for the Guntersville Rat-L-Trap bite.” Avid anglers frequently book trips to learn certain techniques from touring pros such as Salzman. Some are learning the lakes that they compete on, or plan to, through a fresh set of eyes.

“I do a lot of tournament tactic training. A ton of guys want to learn about electronics. I offer electronics trips, and you also have the pre-tournament trips. Today I had a local guy. He just wanted to learn something new at the lake, and they’re spawning right now so I taught him how to sight fish, and I taught him how to throw a big swimbait.”

As for the swimbaits and glide baits, Salzman said that Guntersville bass will not only follow the lures (a common complaint when using oversized plugs) but they will readily eat them. “I caught a real big one on a glide bait today. I was throwing the Duel Hardcore Twitch’n Ninja Glider. I like to play with different baits when I’m on a guide trip. I’ll get the guys going, catching them, and I’ll throw fun things like that and if I do get a bite it’s usually a great big one. It’s fun for everyone to watch.”

Teaching such techniques is a big reason Salzman and Becker stay booked. It’s not just about catching fish. Check them out and spend a day on the water. There’s no telling what you’ll learn.

Ryan Salzman can be found at AlabamaBassGuide.com: https://alabamabassguide.com/

Salzman is active on social media as well – check out his Instagram for a good laugh.

Matt Becker lives in Finleyville, PA and can be found on all the popular social media platforms and at MattBeckerFishing.com: https://www.mattbeckerfishing.com/?fbclid=IwAR36EiTvUHLAsLpcSFYtBJ3GXlAssxc-3QY3CL-2RTyaFG3Yuy_sNh_PJ7c

by AnglersChannel

Arey Takes Lead At Bassmaster Elite Series Event On Lake Eufaula

Matt Arey, of Shelby, N.C., is leading after Day 2 of the 2020 DEWALT Bassmaster Elite at Lake Eufaula with a two-day total of 43 pounds, 5 ounces.
Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.

June 11, 2020

EUFAULA, Ala. — For the first two days of the DEWALT Bassmaster Elite at Lake Eufaula, the burning question has been, “Should I fish shallow or should I fish deep?”

At least for now, the answer seems to be, “Both.”

North Carolina pro Matt Arey caught five bass during Thursday’s second round that weighed 22 pounds, 15 ounces. Combined with his Wednesday catch of 20-6, he now has a two-day total of 43-5 and less than a 2-pound lead over his closest competition.

A combination of shallow and deep fishing has led to Arey’s success.

“I’ve started shallow both days, but I’m bouncing back and forth between the two,” he said. “That works for me. I’ve never really had a ‘strength,’ so to speak. When I started fishing professionally, I wanted to learn a little bit of everything.”

Of the 10 bass he has weighed in so far, Arey said seven came from shallow water and three came deep. Those three deeper fish bit for him Thursday, but his biggest bass during the second round — a 6-5 largemouth — came from shallow grass.

“I rolled into a spot and saw some bream instantly, and I saw this bass cruising,” Arey said. “I couldn’t tell how big it was because it was pretty far down the bank.

“But I threw my frog in there, and it got hung on a piece of grass.”

Things got better from there.

“The bass turned immediately when it heard the frog touch the water, and I twitched it really fast to get it out of that grass,” he said. “It grabbed the actual legs of the frog, pulled it down and then just sucked it right in.

“If I hadn’t been able to see the fish, I would have jerked when the frog first disappeared and probably missed it.”

Arey said it’s no real secret that his deeper fish are coming off the brushpiles that seem to dot Lake Eufaula by the thousands. But rising water — the lake is up more than 1 1/2 feet — and an abundance of shallow cover are making it hard right now to leave the shoreline.

He said he’ll likely continue bouncing back and forth for the remainder of the tournament.

“I don’t have much experience here,” he said. “But obviously, you look around the bank and you see a lot of good stuff. It can draw a man to the bank pretty easily — and with the water up like it is right now, it’s hard to resist.”

Another North Carolina pro, former Elite Series Rookie of the Year Jake Whitaker, caught 20-8 Thursday and now sits in second place with 41-10. Unlike Arey, Whitaker spent all of his time shallow Thursday — and he didn’t seem sure he’d have enough fish left to keep his momentum rolling.

“Today, I caught these fish in places where I didn’t even practice,” Whitaker said. “Three or four of the fish that I weighed in today came out of one creek. Yesterday it was the same way, but it was another creek.”

Whitaker said the creeks were similar because they were both a little deeper than surrounding tributaries.

“I’m really catching them from about a foot to 8 feet,” he said. “Brush and grass are key.

“I feel like I can find more stuff that looks like that. But I could honestly come in with nothing tomorrow and not be shocked.”

Reigning Bassmaster Angler of the Year Scott Canterbury — the Alabama angler who rooms with Arey — is in third place after catching 20-12 Wednesday and 20-13 Thursday for a total of 41-9.

Canterbury, who has vast experience on Lake Eufaula, came into the event planning to fish the lake’s famed offshore ledges. And while he’s spent much of his time offshore this week, he, too, was lured to the shallows during the latter stages of Thursday’s round.

“I haven’t been shallow during practice or during the tournament until the last hour today,” Canterbury said. “Since I know the shallow part of the lake, I spent most of practice just idling and looking offshore.

“But today, I saw a shallow place that just looked so good I thought I should try it. That’s where two of the fish I weighed in today came from — and that gives me some confidence about fishing shallow because I might have figured something out.”

Texas pro Chris Zaldain caught 17-7 and slipped from third place to 10th with 39-9. But he took the lead in the race for Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the week with a 7-5 largemouth.

After two days, it took 31-10 to make the Top 40 semifinal cut. Tennessee pro Brandon Card was the final angler to make the field.

Competition resumes Friday with the Top 40 remaining anglers taking off at 5:25 a.m. CST from Lakepoint State Park. The weigh-in will be back at the park at 2 p.m., with only the Top 10 advancing to Championship Saturday for a chance to win the $100,000 first-place prize.

Live coverage of the event will be available from 7-10 a.m. and 11 a.m.-2 p.m. on Bassmaster Live at Bassmaster.com with simulcasts on ESPN2 and ESPN3. Check local listings for ESPN2 times.

2020 DEWALT Bassmaster Elite at Lake Eufaula 6/10-6/13
Lake Eufaula, Eufaula AL.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 2

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

1. Matt Arey Shelby, NC 10 43-05 100
Day 1: 5 20-06 Day 2: 5 22-15
2. Jake Whitaker Fairview, NC 10 41-10 99
Day 1: 5 21-02 Day 2: 5 20-08
3. Scott Canterbury Odenville, AL 10 41-09 98
Day 1: 5 20-12 Day 2: 5 20-13
4. Kyle Welcher Opelika, AL 10 41-02 97
Day 1: 5 20-03 Day 2: 5 20-15
5. Caleb Kuphall Mukwonago, WI 10 40-14 96
Day 1: 5 18-12 Day 2: 5 22-02
6. Clark Wendlandt Leander, TX 10 40-12 95
Day 1: 5 22-00 Day 2: 5 18-12
7. Brandon Cobb Greenwood, SC 10 40-03 94
Day 1: 5 19-03 Day 2: 5 21-00
8. Kyle Monti Okeechobee, FL 10 39-15 93
Day 1: 5 22-15 Day 2: 5 17-00
9. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 10 39-12 92
Day 1: 5 23-04 Day 2: 5 16-08
10. Chris Zaldain Fort Worth, TX 10 39-09 91 $1,000.00
Day 1: 5 22-02 Day 2: 5 17-07
11. Drew Benton Blakely, GA 10 39-08 90
Day 1: 5 20-12 Day 2: 5 18-12
12. Jamie Hartman Newport, NY 10 38-15 89
Day 1: 5 21-13 Day 2: 5 17-02
13. Chad Pipkens Lansing, MI 10 38-05 88
Day 1: 5 20-13 Day 2: 5 17-08
14. Seth Feider New Market, MN 10 38-03 87
Day 1: 5 16-05 Day 2: 5 21-14
15. John Cox Debary, FL 10 38-02 86
Day 1: 5 19-13 Day 2: 5 18-05
16. Clent Davis Montevallo, AL 10 37-10 85
Day 1: 5 20-05 Day 2: 5 17-05
17. Patrick Walters Summerville, SC 10 37-08 84
Day 1: 5 16-07 Day 2: 5 21-01
18. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 10 37-08 83
Day 1: 5 18-05 Day 2: 5 19-03
19. Buddy Gross Chickamauga, GA 10 37-05 82
Day 1: 5 16-14 Day 2: 5 20-07
20. Drew Cook Midway, FL 10 37-03 81
Day 1: 5 18-10 Day 2: 5 18-09
21. Todd Auten Lake Wylie, SC 10 37-00 80
Day 1: 5 21-15 Day 2: 5 15-01
22. Gary Clouse Winchester, TN 10 35-15 79
Day 1: 5 19-07 Day 2: 5 16-08
23. Caleb Sumrall New Iberia, LA 10 35-12 78
Day 1: 5 18-13 Day 2: 5 16-15
24. Gerald Swindle Guntersville, AL 10 35-11 77
Day 1: 5 15-12 Day 2: 5 19-15
25. Skylar Hamilton Dandridge, TN 10 35-10 76
Day 1: 5 17-09 Day 2: 5 18-01
26. Garrett Paquette Canton, MI 10 35-04 75
Day 1: 5 19-07 Day 2: 5 15-13
27. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 10 35-04 74
Day 1: 5 19-00 Day 2: 5 16-04
28. Lee Livesay Gladewater, TX 10 34-07 73
Day 1: 5 21-11 Day 2: 5 12-12
29. Ray Hanselman Jr Del Rio, TX 10 34-07 72
Day 1: 5 16-08 Day 2: 5 17-15
30. Frank Talley Temple, TX 10 34-02 71
Day 1: 5 16-00 Day 2: 5 18-02
31. Brad Whatley Bivins, TX 10 33-15 70
Day 1: 5 18-12 Day 2: 5 15-03
32. Shane LeHew Catawba, NC 10 33-08 69
Day 1: 5 18-06 Day 2: 5 15-02
33. Hunter Shryock Newcomerstown, OH 10 33-05 68
Day 1: 5 11-13 Day 2: 5 21-08
34. Hank Cherry Jr Lincolnton, NC 10 33-00 67
Day 1: 5 16-15 Day 2: 5 16-01
35. Wes Logan Springville, AL 10 32-05 66
Day 1: 5 18-03 Day 2: 5 14-02
36. Matt Herren Ashville, AL 10 32-02 65
Day 1: 5 17-08 Day 2: 5 14-10
37. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 10 31-15 64
Day 1: 5 19-04 Day 2: 5 12-11
38. Austin Felix Eden Prairie, MN 10 31-13 63
Day 1: 5 17-08 Day 2: 5 14-05
39. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 10 31-12 62
Day 1: 5 18-08 Day 2: 5 13-04
40. Brandon Card Knoxville, TN 10 31-10 61
Day 1: 5 16-07 Day 2: 5 15-03
41. Shane Lineberger Lincolnton, NC 10 31-03 60 $7,500.00
Day 1: 5 14-06 Day 2: 5 16-13
42. Taku Ito Chiba JAPAN 10 31-02 59 $7,500.00
Day 1: 5 18-00 Day 2: 5 13-02
43. Jeff Gustafson Keewatin Ontario CANADA 10 31-02 58 $7,500.00
Day 1: 5 17-08 Day 2: 5 13-10
44. Jesse Tacoronte Kissimmee, FL 10 31-01 57 $7,500.00
Day 1: 5 15-04 Day 2: 5 15-13
45. Derek Hudnall Baton Rouge, LA 10 30-14 56 $7,500.00
Day 1: 5 15-02 Day 2: 5 15-12
46. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 10 30-12 55 $5,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-14 Day 2: 5 16-14
47. Cody Hollen Beaverton, OR 9 30-09 54 $5,000.00
Day 1: 5 20-14 Day 2: 4 09-11
48. Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 10 30-09 53 $5,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-08 Day 2: 5 13-01
49. Luke Palmer Coalgate, OK 10 30-08 52 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 13-12 Day 2: 5 16-12
50. Jason Williamson Wagener, SC 10 30-08 51 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 16-06 Day 2: 5 14-02
51. Bob Downey Hudson, WI 10 30-08 50 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 14-09 Day 2: 5 15-15
52. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 10 30-08 49 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 15-11 Day 2: 5 14-13
53. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 10 30-05 48 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 17-04 Day 2: 5 13-01
54. Quentin Cappo Prairieville, LA 10 30-02 47 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 11-11 Day 2: 5 18-07
55. Ed Loughran III Richmond, VA 10 30-01 46 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 12-15 Day 2: 5 17-02
56. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 10 30-00 45 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 16-15 Day 2: 5 13-01
57. Bill Weidler Helena, AL 10 29-15 44 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 16-09 Day 2: 5 13-06
58. Chris Groh Spring Grove, IL 10 29-12 43 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 16-06 Day 2: 5 13-06
59. Chris Johnston Peterborough Ontario CA 10 29-09 42 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 16-05 Day 2: 5 13-04
60. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 10 29-07 41 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 17-05 Day 2: 5 12-02
61. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 10 29-01 40 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 16-12 Day 2: 5 12-05
62. Bryan Schmitt Deale, MD 10 29-00 39 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 17-04 Day 2: 5 11-12
63. Greg DiPalma Millville, NJ 9 28-15 38 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 17-09 Day 2: 4 11-06
64. Carl Jocumsen Queensland TN AUSTRALIA 10 28-13 37 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 15-09 Day 2: 5 13-04
65. Mike Huff Corbin, KY 10 28-10 36 $3,500.00
Day 1: 5 18-06 Day 2: 5 10-04
66. Micah Frazier Newnan, GA 10 28-00 35 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 14-00 Day 2: 5 14-00
67. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 10 27-14 34 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 12-13 Day 2: 5 15-01
68. Cory Johnston Cavan CANADA 10 27-14 33 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 13-13 Day 2: 5 14-01
69. Rob Digh Denver, NC 10 27-09 32 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 16-08 Day 2: 5 11-01
70. Rick Morris Lake Gaston, VA 10 27-03 31 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 16-01 Day 2: 5 11-02
71. Jay Yelas Lincoln City, OR 10 26-08 30 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 13-11 Day 2: 5 12-13
72. David Fritts Lexington, NC 10 25-07 29 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 13-11 Day 2: 5 11-12
73. Destin DeMarion Grove City, PA 10 24-07 28 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 09-04 Day 2: 5 15-03
74. Koby Kreiger Alva, FL 10 24-05 27 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 11-09 Day 2: 5 12-12
75. Dale Hightower Mannford, OK 10 23-13 26 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 09-11 Day 2: 5 14-02
76. Chad Morgenthaler Reeds Spring, MO 10 23-12 25 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 12-00 Day 2: 5 11-12
77. Brian Snowden Reeds Spring, MO 10 23-09 24 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 12-00 Day 2: 5 11-09
78. Tyler Carriere Youngsville, LA 8 23-03 23 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 15-05 Day 2: 3 07-14
79. Tyler Rivet Raceland, LA 10 22-09 22 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 12-01 Day 2: 5 10-08
80. Randy Sullivan Breckenridge, TX 10 22-01 21 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 11-10 Day 2: 5 10-07
81. Harvey Horne Bella Vista, AR 9 21-15 20 $2,500.00
Day 1: 4 08-12 Day 2: 5 13-03
82. Randy Pierson Oakdale, CA 10 21-14 19 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 13-10 Day 2: 5 08-04
83. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 8 21-05 18 $2,500.00
Day 1: 3 08-03 Day 2: 5 13-02
84. Robbie Latuso Gonzales, LA 10 20-14 17 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 11-10 Day 2: 5 09-04
85. Brett Preuett Monroe, LA 8 20-04 16 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 13-04 Day 2: 3 07-00
86. Kelley Jaye Dadeville, AL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
86. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1 Mike Huff Corbin, KY 06-12 $1,000.00
2 Chris Zaldain Fort Worth, TX 07-05 $1,000.00

by AnglersChannel

Rose Wins; Neal Knocks Out Lee for $50,000

Major League Fishing Heavy Hitters Field Set for Friday's $325,000 Championship

June 11, 2020 (Kissimmee, Fla.) Major League Fishing (MLF) Pro Mark Rose won the Toyota Heavy Hitters presented by Venmo Knockout Round today in a nine-hour, action-packed, slug fest that logged over 818 pounds of scorable bass into SCORETRACKER®. In a “buzzer-beater” moment, 24th-place finisher Michael Neal knocked out Jordan Lee’s biggest catch of the day by only one ounce to win $50,000. The top eight finishers from today’s field of 38 will join Qualifying Round Winners Zack Birge and Skeet Reese in Friday’s Championship Round and compete for their share of the $325,000 remaining from this week’s $753,000 purse, including $100,000 for Friday’s Berkley Big Bass.

Rose ended the day with 52 pounds, five ounces and a comfortable seven-pound, nine-ounce lead over Dustin Connell. The General Tire pro caught 13 scorable fish today including the fifth largest bass of the day weighing seven pounds, 12 ounces. With no money on the line for winning the Round, Rose elected to stop fishing and head back to the ramp with ten minutes remaining in regulation.

“I feel good about making the top eight,” Rose relayed to MLFNOW! viewers as he traversed Lake Toho. “It’s good to be back (fishing the Bass Pro Tour). I feel blessed to have had a great day. Yesterday I lost a few; today I caught a few. I love this (MLF) format! I’m going to try to get a good night’s rest and a good meal and get up tomorrow to make a run for it.”

Favorite Fishing pro Dustin Connell ended the day in second place with 44 pounds, 12 ounces on 16 fish, the most scorable bass caught in the Knockout Round. Connell’s largest catch was four pounds, 10 ounces. He hustled throughout the day at the mouth of a creek on the Kissimmee Chain bouncing between a jerkbait and jig.

“I was using a soft jerkbait and then I was using a bandito bug made by Googan baits,” said Connell. “I was fishing current and the mouth of the creek, where fish were schooling. I fish currents at home in Alabama; I can’t stand fishing stagnant water, so I had to find moving water. I was right at home all day.”

Third place finisher Jordan Lee caught 44 pounds, nine ounces for the day, only three ounces shy of Connell, on 14 fish. Lee’s most exciting moment came midway through Period 2 at 11:20 a.m., when an eight-pound, 14-ounce lunker nearly pulled him off his boat as he set the hook. This catch put him in the lead for today’s $50,000 big fish bonus. Lee hung onto that lead for four hours, a timeline that included a 50-minute weather delay, giving him plenty of opportunity to get excited about winning the Berkley Big Bass. Michael Neal, the other 28-year-old on the Bass Pro Tour, landed an eight-pound, 15-ounce largemouth to knock Lee out of the running with only 20 minutes remaining on the clock.

“I’m pretty bummed that right there at the end there, Michael Neal beat me by one ounce,” said Lee. “All day I thought I was going to win it. Hats off to him; that’s just how it goes (in competitive bass fishing). I had a good day and I’m pretty stoked to get to be moving on. Hopefully I saved some fishing spots for the Championship Round.”

Big Bites Baits pro Neal, who finished second on Lake Okeechobee in the Favorite Fishing Stage Two presented by BassCat this past February, ended the day with three scorable bass weighing 15 pounds, 14 ounces. After a slow morning and a 50-minute weather delay, Neal landed the winning fish to earn $50,000 at 3:25 p.m. ET. MLF Official Dean Cox presented Neal with the trophy before the pair returned to the ramp.

“Thank you,” said Neal. “It was definitely a grind today, no doubt. I will gladly take this. I had four bites all day, all in the third period, including this one. I caught this on a ½-ounce vibrating jig that has a lot of miles on it. As long as one today was an 8-15, Heavy Hitters fish worth $50,000, I will take a day like this every day.”

Toyota Heavy Hitters presented by Venmo concludes Friday with the Championship Round where the top eight finishers from today’s Knockout Round will join Qualifying Round Group A winner Zack Birge and Group B winner Skeet Reese for their share of the remaining $325,000 of prize money.

The Top eight of the Toyota Heavy Hitters presented by Venmo Knockout Round finished as follows:
Place MLF Pro One-Day Total Weight One-Day Total Fish Largest Fish over Knockout Round
1 Mark Rose 52-05 13 7-12
2 Dustin Connell 44-12 16 4-10
3 Jordan Lee 41-10 13 8-14
4 Justin Lucas 40-03 13 4-12
5 Bryan Thrift 37-08 12 4-14
6 Adrian Avena 37-07 13 4-02
7 Jacob Wheeler 36-04 10 5-00
8 Gary Klein 36-03 11 4-08

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

In addition to the traditional payout schedule based on finishing order, Toyota Heavy Hitters presented by Venmo bonuses the angler for the biggest bass caught in each Group. The two-day Qualifying Rounds (June 7-10) will pay a $25,000 big bass bonus ($50,000 total), which were won by Mark Rose and Brent Ehrler respectively. The Knockout Round on day five (June 11), will feature a $50,000 big bass bonus, won today by Neal, and the Championship Round (June 12) will feature a $100,000 big bass bonus, on top of the Stage Title $100,000 prize.

Pending no weather delays, the Championship Day begins with launch at Big Toho Marina, Kissimmee, Fla., 6:15 a.m. ET before lines-in at 7:00 a.m. Period 1 ends at 9:30 a.m. Period 2 spans 9:45 a.m. until 12:15 p.m. Period 3 begins at 12:30 p.m. and lasts until day’s end at 3:00 p.m. The General Tire Takeout show airs approximately 3 – 4 p.m. ET from the water. Fans can catch all the action on MLFNOW! livestream on MajorLeagueFishing.com or download the MLF App for their Apple or GooglePlaydevice or on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV).

Toyota Heavy Hitters presented by Venmo on the Kissimmee Chain will air on Discovery Channel as six, two-hour original episodes beginning August 15. For additional details, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com/tv-schedule.

by AnglersChannel

WOODS AND PHILLIPS WIN ROUND 2 OF RAYBURN DOUBLE HEADER

BROOKELAND, TEXAS (June 11, 2020) — Persistence ranks high among the tournament angler’s requited traits and a solid stick-to-it effort by Chance Woods and Steve Phillips Jr. yielded a 25.51-pound limit that topped the June 6 Texas Team Trail presented by Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s, at Lake Sam Rayburn.

The tournament was the second of two back-to-back events held on this Angelina River reservoir. This double-header replaced the Toledo Bend and Lake Amistad qualifying events that were postponed earlier in the season due to Covid-19 restrictions.

“We didn’t have a fish in the boat until 11 o’clock,” Woods said. “Steve caught a 7-pounder, then we had two small keepers. We were grinding; we hit some stuff and zeroed, we left and went to some other stuff that had boats sitting on it.

“So we said ‘Let’s go back to where we started. Those fish have to bite.’ We pulled up there and I catch our biggest fish (an 8.57, the tournament’s second-largest). About 10 minutes later, he hangs a 6-pounder.”

This was about 1:30 and Woods recalls the moment giving him and his teammate cautious optimism. Neither angler was ready to make any assumptions, but they certainly weren’t selling themselves short.

“I thought: ‘Well, we have a shot. We’re going to be right there with them; we’re going to scare them to death.’ Then, I caught another fish that was about 3 pounds and culled a pound and a half fish.

“We figured we had 25-26 pounds. We thought we’d be right there with them because we thought the weights would be just about the same as Friday (Kris Wilson and Harold Moore won with 26.04), but we really thought that somebody would sneak in there and beat us.”

Notwithstanding their restrained optimism, Woods acknowledges a spike in enthusiasm when his partner nabbed big’n number 2.

“We got a lot of confidence after he caught the 6-pounder,” he said. “Usually, when you catch big fish like that, a lot of times, you won’t catch another one off that same water. Sometimes you’re the windshield, sometimes you’re the bug. It was just our day today. We were very blessed.”

Fishing the mid-lake area across from the event site at Umphrey’s Family Pavilion, the winners focused on deep points with laydowns in 20-25 feet. They caught their fish on 1-ounce Jig-X football jigs with green pumpkin Berkley Chigger Craw trailers a Texas-rigged watermelon red Zoom Old Monster worms Texas rigged with 3/4-ounce weights.

Woods described the key to his team’s success: “I think it was the way that we put that boat right in the middle of those points; we threw uphill and brought it downhill. The way the wind was blowing determined how we had to set up.

“We had set up on the side, we had quartered into it, we moved to the other side. We had graphed those fish, we saw them, and we had to do whatever we could to make those fish bite.”

The most tense moment of the day was bringing a cantankerous big fish to the boat. Oddly enough, their largest was not the trouble-maker.

“Our (8.57) just kinda did her thing, but that 7-pounder Steve caught at 11 o’clock was a rodeo,” Woods said. “That fish went under the boat, came up the other side, back under the boat, around the side. We thought for sure she was going to end up in the trolling motor. The big fish was really drama free; she didn’t get crazy on us.

For their efforts Woods and Phillips earned a Ranger Z519 with a 225 Mercury. In addition, they claimed $2,085 of Anglers Advantage cash. Their total payday was $52,180.

MIRE-MATSUBU second

Catching bass on football head jigs is nothing unusual, especially on Sam Rayburn. But suspended fish? That certainly wasn’t what Brannon Mire and Ben Matsubu set out to do, but when opportunity knocked in a most unconventional way, the anglers flung open the door and welcomed a second-place limit of 23.21

Here’s how it went down. Mire and Matsubu were working brush on a large flat in the lake’s north end, but when that didn’t pan out, they started graphing the ends of the flat and points where the suspected they’d find more brush. They did, indeed, find two sweet looking structures, but this is where it gets crazy.

“Ben pulls us up on the brush pile and flips a jig into it, he took he Minn Kota Ultex off Spot Lock and as the boat backed up into about 40 feet, those fish followed us out — I guess because of the shade of the boat,” Mire said.

Coming from right off their shallow presentations, the anglers were still holding rods rigged with 5/8-ounce Talon Football jigs and Yamamoto Twin Tail Big Bite Baits Cane Thumper trailers. Seeing the fish clearly on the graph, the anglers simply dropped their baits and caught their fish while they suspended about 15 feet below the boat.

“Ben caught a 10.25 (the event’s big bass) that morning, then we went shallow because we knew there was a shad spawn happening,” Mire said. “We didn’t catch anything big, so we went back out to those brush piles to duplicate that same pattern.

“We sat on those brush piles for 5-10 minutes, took the Ultrex off Spot Lock, let the wind drift us back and those fish followed us again. They stayed on the graph and we sat there and caught probably 15 fish. It was something. This a brand-new technique that we just stumbled onto.”

Odd? Yes, but who’s gonna argue with success?

For second place, Mire and Matsubu earned $8,139, which included $1,529 in Anglers Advantage cash, $1,060 for the big bass and a $250 Mercury bonus.

MADOLE-MADOLE third

Richard and Ronnie Madole didn’t catch a lot of fish, but they caught the right ones. Leveraging this quality-over-quantity outcome led them to a third-place finish with 20.94.

Fishing the upper end near the 103 Bridge, the anglers targeted a point in 11-13 feet.

“They were coming and feeding on that point early in the morning,” Richard said. “We found these fish last Saturday before cutoff. We found them at 1 o’clock; it was the last place we went to look at.

WOODS AND PHILLIPS WIN ROUND 2 OF RAYBURN DOUBLE HEADER

“We went to this spot first thing and they bit for about 30 minutes. We had a 6 1/2, a 4 1/2 and a 3 off that one spot. Then we had another spot around the bridge where we caught a 4 1/2 and a 2 1/2. We probably didn’t catch eight fish all day.”

Most of the Madoles’ bigger fish bit on a chartreuse/blue Strike King 6XD. The others bit a 3/4-ounce V&M football head with a tilapia color swimbait trailer.

For third place, the Madoles earned $3,930, which included a $500 Garmin bonus and a $250 Ranger bonus.

Boulware-Collins fourth, Wise-Bryan fifth

Clayton Boulware and Albert Collins weighed five bass worth 20.93 pounds, taking fourth place and earning $4,010. Behind them was Cody Wise and Zachary Bryan with 20.77 pounds. For fifth place, they earned $1,590.

Rest of the best

Rounding out the top 10 teams at the 2020 Texas Team Trail event on Sam Rayburn:

6th: Anthony Jones and Ed Melton — 20.72

7th: Kurt Luker and Jason Stoval — 19.92

8th: Alan Moore and Robert Davis — 19.41

9th: Jeff Randolph and Joe Byrd — 18.54

10th: Shaine Campbell and Chuck Ware — 18.47

FULL RESULTS

by AnglersChannel

Lester sorting through peanuts to find elephants

Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships

Team Toyota’s Brandon Lester isn’t having problems catching bass at the DeWALT Bassmaster Elite Series on lake Eufaula. In fact, he caught a highly respectable 19-pound limit yesterday to end Day 1 in 21^st place.

Fact is, the easy-going resident of Fayetteville, TN with the beautiful beard tends to catch ‘em everywhere he goes. He’s made the last three Bassmaster Classics in a row, and cashes a check in nearly 70% of the B.A.S.S. events he enters.

Lester’s struggle at Eufaula is having to sort through a ton of peanut-sized bass to connect with the 5-pounders you have to catch to move way up the leaderboard.

“I think I caught 43 fish yesterday to end up with the 19 pounds I brought to the scales, and at one point I know I caught 15 little ones in a row before I caught that 5-pounder,” said a slightly perplexed Lester just before Day 2 began.

He and his wife Kim, and their two daughters are staying at a friend’s home about 30 minutes from launch in the town of Baker Hill, and you can bet he spent most of his morning commute to the ramp thinking about how to make the big ones bite Thursday.

“Typically, not always, but typically, the biggest fish in a school will bite a moving bait like a crankbait or a swimbait first, versus a jig or worm. So I’ll definitely keep winding this crankbait a ton,” says Lester.

He’s certainly not short on schools to wind his plug through. He spent roughly 38 hours practicing in three days, and only fished 2 of those 38 hours. The rest of the time was spent riding around looking at his sonar screens and marking schools of bass with waypoints.

“I’ve never fished Eufaula prior to this week, but it fishes really similar to the Tennessee River impoundments I feel at home on like Guntersville, so I’ll just keep cranking until I run into a big one,” says Lester.

“If I catch one of the 7 or 8 pounders that live here, I’ll be near the top of the leaderboard real quick,” he concludes.

Don’t bet against him. The top of the leaderboard is generally a pretty familiar place for Lester.

by AnglersChannel

Lowen Stays Shallow, Takes Lead At Bassmaster Elite Series Event On Lake Eufaula

Bill Lowen, of Brookville, Ind., is leading after Day 1 of the 2020 DEWALT Bassmaster Elite at Lake Eufaula with 23 pounds, 4 ounces.
Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.

June 10, 2020

EUFAULA, Ala. — Conventional wisdom says a tournament held on Lake Eufaula during 90-degree weather in June should be won offshore on the ledges.

But Bill Lowen isn’t buying it. He never buys that anywhere B.A.S.S. takes him.

The Indiana pro who cut his teeth fishing the shallow waters of the Ohio River stayed near the shoreline during Wednesday’s opening round of the DEWALT Bassmaster Elite at Lake Eufaula and grabbed the lead with five bass that weighed 23 pounds, 4 ounces.

The tournament, which marked a return to competition for the Elite Series after a three-month break due to COVID-19, was carried live on ESPN2 — and for Lowen, it couldn’t have set up any better.

“Today was just one of those awesome days when every decision I made worked out perfectly,” Lowen said. “I fished clean, didn’t lose any fish — and yes, it’s no secret I’m fishing shallow.

“I always like to fish in my comfort zone, and if I get out there in the middle of the lake, I’m not in my comfort zone. So, I’m gonna stay shallow the rest of the week.”

Despite Lake Eufaula’s glowing history as a big-bass factory, this is the first time the Elite Series has visited the 45,000-acre Chattahoochee River fishery that runs between the Alabama and Georgia borders. This is also the first time Lowen has fished a tournament on the lake.

Because of that, he said his electronics — especially his Humminbird LakeMaster cards — played a key role in helping him find specific pieces of shallow cover. Lowen is also one of four anglers on the Elite Series who runs an Xpress aluminum boat, which he says gives him better access to the 2- to 4-foot water he keyed on all day.

Since shallow fish sometimes don’t replenish like the ones that have plenty of space to roam in deep water, Lowen only made one good pass through the area that produced most of his bass. He said he intends to be right back there Thursday.

“I didn’t want to burn ‘em because I don’t know how many are there,” he said. “I don’t feel by any means that I burned the fish that were there. I just hope I can keep running that same pattern up and down the lake.”

Lowen said there are plenty of things that keep fish shallow this time of year, including the bluegill spawn — which is underway on Eufaula — and quick access to a creek channel. He also said he believes some bass call those shallow areas home year-round.

“I’m a firm believer that there’s always resident fish, or I call them ‘shallow fish,’ that don’t even know there’s a main lake out there,” he said. “I try to find those fish everywhere we go, and I was able to stumble across some here today.”

Lowen’s catch was one of 15 bags that topped the 20-pound mark on a sweltering Day 1. His closest competition came from Kyle Monti, a third-year Elite Series pro from Florida who brought in 22-15.

Knowing Eufaula’s reputation as a ledge fishery, Monti intended to spend most of his time offshore. But a series of early events ended up sending him to the shallows as well.

“I had three schools of fish marked,” Monti said. “But there were three boats that drew out in front of me, and every one of them went right to those schools. So, I went to another offshore spot and caught a keeper and lost one. Then everything just shut down for me.

“I picked up and went shallow at about 9:30 or 10. I caught one big one and then another, and that gave me confidence to stick with it the rest of the day.”

One angler who found success in slightly deeper water was Chris Zaldain. The California native, who now lives in Texas, got off to a fast start with a limit that included two 5-pounders and wound up in third place with 22-2.

“The research I did said you need 20 to 30 pounds to hang here, depending on the time of year,” Zaldain said. “So, for three whole days of practice, I spent eight or nine hours just idling around looking for offshore structure.”

Zaldain said even though he’s fishing offshore (15 to 20 feet deep), it’s not a typical ledge bite.

“It’s not like the heavy current and 90-degree drops you see on the Tennessee River,” he said. “You’re basically just looking for offshore structure, whether it be a rockpile, a brushpile, a shellbed or whatever.

“I got off to a great start and spent the rest of the day looking — to the point that I know tomorrow what to do in the middle of the day and what not to do.”

Kentucky pro Mike Huff took the lead in the race for Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the week with a 6-12 largemouth.

Competition resumes Thursday with takeoff at 5:25 a.m. CST from Lakepoint State Park and the weigh-in back at the park at 2 p.m. After Thursday’s weigh-in, only the Top 40 anglers will advance to Friday’s semifinals.

Live coverage of the event will be available from 7-10 a.m. and 11 a.m.-2 p.m. on Bassmaster Live at Bassmaster.com with simulcasts on ESPN2 and ESPN3. Check local listings for ESPN2 times.

(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 1

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

1. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 5 23-04 100
Day 1: 5 23-04
2. Kyle Monti Okeechobee, FL 5 22-15 99
Day 1: 5 22-15
3. Chris Zaldain Fort Worth, TX 5 22-02 98
Day 1: 5 22-02
4. Clark Wendlandt Leander, TX 5 22-00 97
Day 1: 5 22-00
5. Todd Auten Lake Wylie, SC 5 21-15 96
Day 1: 5 21-15
6. Jamie Hartman Newport, NY 5 21-13 95
Day 1: 5 21-13
7. Lee Livesay Gladewater, TX 5 21-11 94
Day 1: 5 21-11
8. Jake Whitaker Fairview, NC 5 21-02 93
Day 1: 5 21-02
9. Cody Hollen Beaverton, OR 5 20-14 92
Day 1: 5 20-14
10. Chad Pipkens Lansing, MI 5 20-13 91
Day 1: 5 20-13
11. Scott Canterbury Odenville, AL 5 20-12 90
Day 1: 5 20-12
12. Drew Benton Blakely, GA 5 20-12 89
Day 1: 5 20-12
13. Matt Arey Shelby, NC 5 20-06 88
Day 1: 5 20-06
14. Clent Davis Montevallo, AL 5 20-05 87
Day 1: 5 20-05
15. Kyle Welcher Opelika, AL 5 20-03 86
Day 1: 5 20-03
16. John Cox Debary, FL 5 19-13 85
Day 1: 5 19-13
17. Gary Clouse Winchester, TN 5 19-07 84
Day 1: 5 19-07
17. Garrett Paquette Canton, MI 5 19-07 84
Day 1: 5 19-07
19. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 5 19-04 82
Day 1: 5 19-04
20. Brandon Cobb Greenwood, SC 5 19-03 81
Day 1: 5 19-03
21. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 5 19-00 80
Day 1: 5 19-00
22. Caleb Sumrall New Iberia, LA 5 18-13 79
Day 1: 5 18-13
23. Caleb Kuphall Mukwonago, WI 5 18-12 78
Day 1: 5 18-12
23. Brad Whatley Bivins, TX 5 18-12 78
Day 1: 5 18-12
25. Drew Cook Midway, FL 5 18-10 76
Day 1: 5 18-10
26. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 5 18-08 75
Day 1: 5 18-08
27. Mike Huff Corbin, KY 5 18-06 74 $1,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-06
28. Shane LeHew Catawba, NC 5 18-06 73
Day 1: 5 18-06
29. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 5 18-05 72
Day 1: 5 18-05
30. Wes Logan Springville, AL 5 18-03 71
Day 1: 5 18-03
31. Taku Ito Chiba JAPAN 5 18-00 70
Day 1: 5 18-00
32. Skylar Hamilton Dandridge, TN 5 17-09 69
Day 1: 5 17-09
33. Greg DiPalma Millville, NJ 5 17-09 68
Day 1: 5 17-09
34. Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 5 17-08 67
Day 1: 5 17-08
34. Austin Felix Eden Prairie, MN 5 17-08 67
Day 1: 5 17-08
34. Matt Herren Ashville, AL 5 17-08 67
Day 1: 5 17-08
37. Jeff Gustafson Keewatin Ontario CANADA 5 17-08 64
Day 1: 5 17-08
38. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 5 17-05 63
Day 1: 5 17-05
39. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 5 17-04 62
Day 1: 5 17-04
39. Bryan Schmitt Deale, MD 5 17-04 62
Day 1: 5 17-04
41. Hank Cherry Jr Lincolnton, NC 5 16-15 60
Day 1: 5 16-15
41. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 5 16-15 60
Day 1: 5 16-15
43. Buddy Gross Chickamauga, GA 5 16-14 58
Day 1: 5 16-14
44. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 5 16-12 57
Day 1: 5 16-12
45. Bill Weidler Helena, AL 5 16-09 56
Day 1: 5 16-09
46. Rob Digh Denver, NC 5 16-08 55
Day 1: 5 16-08
46. Ray Hanselman Jr Del Rio, TX 5 16-08 55
Day 1: 5 16-08
48. Patrick Walters Summerville, SC 5 16-07 53
Day 1: 5 16-07
49. Brandon Card Knoxville, TN 5 16-07 52
Day 1: 5 16-07
50. Chris Groh Spring Grove, IL 5 16-06 51
Day 1: 5 16-06
50. Jason Williamson Wagener, SC 5 16-06 51
Day 1: 5 16-06
52. Seth Feider New Market, MN 5 16-05 49
Day 1: 5 16-05
52. Chris Johnston Peterborough Ontario CA 5 16-05 49
Day 1: 5 16-05
54. Rick Morris Lake Gaston, VA 5 16-01 47
Day 1: 5 16-01
55. Frank Talley Temple, TX 5 16-00 46
Day 1: 5 16-00
56. Gerald Swindle Guntersville, AL 5 15-12 45
Day 1: 5 15-12
57. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 5 15-11 44
Day 1: 5 15-11
58. Carl Jocumsen Queensland TN AUSTRALIA 5 15-09 43
Day 1: 5 15-09
59. Tyler Carriere Youngsville, LA 5 15-05 42
Day 1: 5 15-05
60. Jesse Tacoronte Kissimmee, FL 5 15-04 41
Day 1: 5 15-04
61. Derek Hudnall Baton Rouge, LA 5 15-02 40
Day 1: 5 15-02
62. Bob Downey Hudson, WI 5 14-09 39
Day 1: 5 14-09
63. Shane Lineberger Lincolnton, NC 5 14-06 38
Day 1: 5 14-06
64. Micah Frazier Newnan, GA 5 14-00 37
Day 1: 5 14-00
65. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 5 13-14 36
Day 1: 5 13-14
66. Cory Johnston Cavan CANADA 5 13-13 35
Day 1: 5 13-13
67. Luke Palmer Coalgate, OK 5 13-12 34
Day 1: 5 13-12
68. David Fritts Lexington, NC 5 13-11 33
Day 1: 5 13-11
68. Jay Yelas Lincoln City, OR 5 13-11 33
Day 1: 5 13-11
70. Randy Pierson Oakdale, CA 5 13-10 31
Day 1: 5 13-10
71. Brett Preuett Monroe, LA 5 13-04 30
Day 1: 5 13-04
72. Ed Loughran III Richmond, VA 5 12-15 29
Day 1: 5 12-15
73. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 5 12-13 28
Day 1: 5 12-13
74. Tyler Rivet Raceland, LA 5 12-01 27
Day 1: 5 12-01
75. Chad Morgenthaler Reeds Spring, MO 5 12-00 26
Day 1: 5 12-00
76. Brian Snowden Reeds Spring, MO 5 12-00 25
Day 1: 5 12-00
77. Hunter Shryock Newcomerstown, OH 5 11-13 24
Day 1: 5 11-13
78. Quentin Cappo Prairieville, LA 5 11-11 23
Day 1: 5 11-11
79. Robbie Latuso Gonzales, LA 5 11-10 22
Day 1: 5 11-10
79. Randy Sullivan Breckenridge, TX 5 11-10 22
Day 1: 5 11-10
81. Koby Kreiger Alva, FL 5 11-09 20
Day 1: 5 11-09
82. Dale Hightower Mannford, OK 5 09-11 19
Day 1: 5 09-11
83. Destin DeMarion Grove City, PA 5 09-04 18
Day 1: 5 09-04
84. Harvey Horne Bella Vista, AR 4 08-12 17
Day 1: 4 08-12
85. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 3 08-03 16
Day 1: 3 08-03
86. Kelley Jaye Dadeville, AL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
86. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1 Mike Huff Corbin, KY 06-12 $1,000.00

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 83 422 1413-06
----------------------------------
83 422 1413-06

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B.A.S.S. LLC, 3500 Blue Lake Drive, Suite 330, Birmingham, AL 35243 United States

by AnglersChannel

Plano EDGE™ Specialty Boxes Lead Anglers in Creative Storage

Grand Prairie, TX (June 10, 2020) Plano continues to redefine tackle storage by giving anglers the 'EDGE' Specialty Boxes.

The EDGE line is a complete collection of storage boxes, catering to all schools of anglers and the species they pursue. Plano took the angler-approved features of the 3600 and 3700 StowAway units and challenged its research and development team to make them even better. The result is the EDGE line providing optimal storage with prolonged tackle life, increased accessibility, reduced corrosion, and maximized time on the water. Specialty Boxes are the solution to knowing where every hook and snap is located and how to find it.

The EDGE Series of boxes includes 10 new product SKUs. Four EDGE Series boxes are built for general storage in either standard, thin or deep box configurations. Six EDGE boxes are designed specifically for custom storage solutions, including terminal tackle, crankbaits, spinnerbaits, blade baits and jigs and soft plastics.

The standard features on throughout the EDGE Series include a Duraview™ crystal-clear lid and one-handed, easy-to-use latch that allows anglers to locate lures quickly. When closed, the Dri-Loc™ seal makes a water-tight barrier between the lid and the base. Also, durable, steel-pin hinges marry the lid to the EDGE's base for long-lasting use. Plano's revolutionary Rustrictor™ infused bases prevent terminal tackle and expensive baits from corroding. Further corrosion defense comes from Water Wick™ - a water-absorbing, rechargeable, desiccant divider. All EDGE boxes feature an innovative labeling system on their lids to keep anglers organized.

The EDGE Terminal box has a unique lift out retainers for weights, hooks and other small terminal tackle. The three weight retainers have a molded-in EZ label for quick identification, and they feature cushioned foam inserts to keep heavy weights from chipping or scuffing while in storage. Other clear-lid retainers provide ideal access for hooks, swivels and other small tackle items. With ultimate customization in mind, anglers can move the retainers and dividers around as they see fit. Although sleek in design, the EDGE Terminal box is built for maximum functionality. Anglers can quickly remove one or more of the internal boxes to keep frequently used items close at hand without having to access the larger EDGE Terminal box during a day on the water.

The EDGE Jig and Blade Bait box is designed to hold up to 90 jigs or bladed baits. Its unique design features movable rows or vertical dividers that grip the collar of any dressed jig or blade bait. This design keeps bucktail jigs and chatter baits in place without crushing the hair or kinking a skirt or trailer. The adjustable dividers allow you to store jigs or blade baits with trailers still attached making for quick lure changes.

The base of the EDGE Spinnerbait box has a center rail designed to hang spinnerbaits vertically. This allows spinnerbaits to dry naturally, without crushing their skirts or trailers. The box includes four sliding dividers that can be removed or adjusted as needed to provide superior customization.

The EDGE Plastics/Bulk Utility box is a large storage container that includes two removable dividers and has two large side-mounted handles. This box provides ideal storage for soft plastics and molded swimbaits. Remove the dividers, and the box could be used to store a first aid kit, tools or anything else that may be needed on the water.

The EDGE Crankbait boxes are available in two sizes. Both use Crankbait Catchers to grip and protect expensive lures and crankbaits. The extra-large, EDGE Crankbait box is perfect for storing deep running, large-lipped crankbaits. Larger crankbaits are placed tail-first and nestle among the silicone "fingers". The small EDGE Crankbait box is ideal for lipless crankbaits, low-profile search baits and spy baits. Both boxes provide infinitely customizable storage solutions for just about any hard body lure. Both Crankbait boxes keep your lure suspended above the bottom of the boxes, allowing water to run off while assisting Rustrictor in blocking rust and corrosion on expensive lures.

Product Features:
Dri-Loc™ - water-tight seal
Rustrictor™ - rust prevention infused base
DuraView™ crystal-clear lid
One-Handed latch
Water Wick™ - rechargeable water-absorbing desiccant divider
Innovative labeling system
Ribbed lid and steel-pin hinges for durability
Stackable and durable design

For more information, please visit: www.planomolding.com

by AnglersChannel

Matt Lee – Go Big or Go Home?

Courtesy of Luke Stoner - Dynamic Sponsorships

KISSIMMEE, Fla. – The field is officially set for the Knockout Round of Toyota Heavy Hitters presented by Venmo here on the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes. Carhartt pro Matt Lee finished Group A’s Qualifying Round in 5th place and is one of thirty-eight anglers competing tomorrow. On top of the opportunity to move on to Friday’s Championship Round, someone in tomorrow’s field will win an incredible $50,000 for catching the big bass of the day.

The Heavy Hitters format includes unparalleled Big Bass Bonuses for every round of competition, but the $50K and $100K Big Bass Bonus tied to the Knockout and Championship Rounds respectively, has captured Lee’s attention.

“Knowing I can earn an extra $50,000 with a single cast is hard to even wrap my mind around,” Lee said with a laugh. “It’s amazing and it’ll absolutely be on every anglers’ mind tomorrow, especially as the day wears on and some guys get too far behind on the SCORETRACKER.”

But Lee wasn’t overly concerned with catching the big bass of the day as he readied tackle for the Knockout Round; instead he was focused on catching enough scoreable bass to continue fishing and have a shot at a Bass Pro Tour trophy on Friday.

“I’m in an interesting position,” Lee explained. “I found a unique area out on the middle of Lake Toho I’ve had all to myself this week. I’ve mostly been fishing a unique squarebill crankbait (6th Sense Crush Flat 75X Crankbait) and have been catching a lot of fish out there. I’m talking like 40 fish with 14 scoreable bass over two days, but I’ve yet to catch anything over four-pounds.

“My back-up pattern has been flipping a 6th Sense Stroker Craw in thick vegetation, but it’s been way less consistent. I had zero bites flipping Sunday and only caught one on it Tuesday, but it was a 5-plus pounder. That’s been my biggest all week and I
know the opportunity to catch a giant is there.”

While there has been a plethora of big bass caught on the Kissimmee Chain this week, including multiple fish over 8-lbs, catching numbers of scoreable bass has proved difficult. It’s Florida and a big bite can happen to anyone at anytime, but concentrations of fish have been harder to come by.

The Big Bass Bonus provides an interesting new wrinkle for BPT competitors and fans alike. Does the allure of a chance at $50,000 persuade angler like Lee, whose primary area has yielded numbers of quality bass but no giants, to search for a big bite and risk going home?

“In my case… no,” Lee grinned. “My first goal is to make it to the Championship Round, so I have to start in my numbers area slinging around a crankbait and a dropshot. From there we’ll see what happens in the afternoon. If my primary area doesn’t pan out, you’ll probably see me running around the lake like I’m lost about lunchtime looking for a biggun.”

by AnglersChannel

Rose Wins $25,000; Reese Wins Group B to Skip Knockout:

Major League Fishing Live Action Continues on the Kissimmee Chain Thursday with a $50,000 Big Bass Bonus

June 10, 2020 (Kissimmee, Fla.) Major League Fishing (MLF) Pro Skeet Reese won the Qualifying Round, Group B on Kissimmee Chain in the inaugural Toyota Heavy Hitters presented by Venmo. Reese will advance directly to Friday’s Championship Round for a chance to win $200,000. General Tire Pro Mark Rose won $25,000 for this Round’s Heavy Hitters big bass bonus with a nine-pound, two-ounce catch from Monday, his first day of the competition for Group B. Bass Fishing Hall of Famer Mark Davis caught the most weight on Wednesday with 26 pounds, five ounces, which catapulted him into fourth place from 24th place after Day One. 20 anglers fell below the Elimination Line and will head home with their $4,000 consolation prizes, including local angler Bobby Lane. Each angler’s score resets to zero as the top 20 Pros top advance. Competition continues tomorrow when 38 Pros compete in the Knockout Round for one of eight remaining spots in Friday’s Championship Round.

Reese rocked Period one with seven scorable fish in the first two hours for nearly 20 pounds. He continued his Day-One strategy of using a crankbait in the creek mouth to one mile off the main lake, where he leveraged the current flow for much of the day. The General Tire pro finished with a two-day total of 20 scorable bass and a cumulative weight of 67 pounds, one ounce. With the confidence of a significant lead after the first Period, the General Tire Pro did use Periods two and three to explore new areas rather than racking up SCORETRACKER®.

“The first period was perfect; everything was clicking, the bite was on,” recalled Reese. “I was pulling away from the field. I was pretty pumped! My lead gave me the chance to relax and explore some areas I hadn’t tried yet.”

This Qualifying Round win is significant to Reese’s standings on the 2020 Bass Pro Tour Points race. The Auburn, California resident entered this event in 65th place in overall points, well below qualifying for REDCREST 2021 in Tulsa. Reese did not qualify for the inaugural REDCREST in August 2019 after a 62nd place finish overall last season.

“It’s been a tough two years of fishing, but my decision to get over that sand bar on Day One was one of the best decisions I’ve made,” remarked Reese. “I had a great run on Lake Fork during (Bass Pro Tour) Stage Three and that boosted my confidence to get back to my way of fishing. I did exactly what I wanted to do today and so hopefully I have a chance to win this thing on Friday. Stay tuned; let’s see what happens. I want one of those trophies!”

General Tire Pro Mark Rose held onto the Berkley Big Bass of the Group B Qualifying Round with the nine-pound, two-ounce largemouth he caught on Monday landing him a $25,000 bonus. Rose’s MLF Official, Dino Goode, awarded Rose his trophy at the end of the Round.

“Wow! Nice trophy,” exclaimed Rose. “What a blessing! Thank you, Lord for a big, old 9-2. I caught it on a Strike King worm. I was finessing a little bit just trying to catch a bunch of fish and I ended up catching a big one. Thank you, MLF.”

Rose finished in second place, 16 pounds behind Reese at 50 pounds, 12 ounces over two days. A slow day for most of the field, Rose picked up four bass throughout the day for a one-day weight of 12 pounds, three ounces. The Memphis-area resident will advance to the Knockout Round for a chance to win $50,000 for the Berkley Big Bass and/or one of eight spots remaining in Friday’s Championship.

Veteran angler Mark Davis rallied Wednesday to move from 24th place after the first day of Qualifying Round for Group B to finish in 4th place. The B&W Hitches Pro tallied the most scorable bass by landing 12 for 37 pounds, 11 ounces making his two-day total 44 pounds, 12 ounces. His offshore, crankbait strategy worked well for Davis all day long, which ironically was exactly what he had done in Day one will less fortune.

“Oddly enough, I caught those fish today on the same lure in the same water as I had fished on Monday,” said Davis. “Once I caught a few, I gained confidence and stuck it out.”

Local favorite, Bobby Lane, who calls the Kissimmee Chain home, fell below the elimination line in 21st place. The Pure Fishing Pro did not go down without a fight as he landed six scorable bass totaling 16 pounds, two ounces for the day and a two-day total of 23 pounds even, three pounds shy of advancing. His biggest fish of the day (three pounds, 14 ounces) came in the final minutes of regulation. Lane took the loss with grace and wished brother Chris Lane, who finished in 7th place, well as he advances into tomorrow’s Knockout Round.

“This is my home lake and it’s tough, but Chris made it and so I’m glad there’s a Lane in there,” said Lane at the end of Period 3. “I’m really glad to be back fishing (on the Bass Pro Tour). The adrenaline of catching that last one - that’s why I do this; it’s what I love.”

The Top Five, Toyota Heavy Hitters presented by Venmo Qualifying Round, Group B finished as follows:

Place Angler Two-Day Total Weight Two-Day Total Fish Largest Fish over Two Days
1 Skeet Reese 67-01 20 5-01
2 Mark Rose 50-12 15 9-02
3 Jeff Sprague 46-00 13 5-11
4 Mark Davis 44-12 15 5-13
5 David Walker 41-14 15 4-06

Russ Lane, Jonathon VanDam, Chris Lane, Adrian Avena, Takahiro Omori, Bradley Roy, Andy Morgan, Mark Daniels Jr., Fletcher Shryock, Jeff Kriet, Britt Myers, Stephen Browning, James Elam, David Dudley, and Luke Clausen will join Rose, Sprague, Davis, Walker, and the 19 qualifiers from Group A in Thursday’s Knockout Round. With a total field of 38, only eight anglers will join Reese (Group B winner) and Birge (Group A winner) in the ten-angler Championship Round on Friday, June 12.

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

In addition to the traditional payout schedule based on finishing order, Toyota Heavy Hitters presented by Venmo bonuses the angler for the biggest bass caught in each Group. The two-day Qualifying Rounds (June 7-10) will pay a $25,000 big bass bonus ($50,000 total). The Knockout Round on day five (June 11), will feature a $50,000 big bass bonus, while the Championship Round (June 12) will feature a $100,000 big bass bonus, on top of the Stage Title $100,000 prize. Despite Mark Daniels Jr. holding the lead much of the day with a 7-15, Rose’s 9-2 late in Period 3 landed him in the lead for the $25,0000 “Heavy Hitter” big fish bonus for Qualifying Round, Group B, which concludes on Wednesday.

Pending no weather delays, the day begins with launch at Big Toho Marina, Kissimmee, Fla., 6:15 a.m. ET before lines-in at 7:00 a.m. Period 1 ends at 9:30 a.m. Period 2 spans 9:45 a.m. until 12:15 p.m. Period 3 begins at 12:30 p.m. and lasts until day’s end at 3:00 p.m. The General Tire Takeout show airs approximately 3 – 4 p.m. from the water. 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 GooglePlaydevice or on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV).

by AnglersChannel

Sumrall says it’s not all about the deep bite on Eufaula

Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships

Chris Zaldain is already hovering near the top of the leaderboard on Day 1, but he picked Caleb Sumrall as a guy fans should have their eye on here at the Lake Eufaula Bassmaster Elite Series presented by DEWALT.

Sumrall might seem like an odd pick given the fact he’s known for being a shallow water vegetation assassin from the bayous of Southern Louisiana, and this derby will surely be dominated by the deep post-spawn river ledge bite that Zaldain has already capitalized on today.

But if you believe in signs – then heed Zaldain’s advice – because the only thing that broke Sumrall’s mental focus on his shallow water game was spotting a very large gator floating in the takeoff harbor at Lakepoint State Park Marina.

“Oh my gosh, look at that thing, it’s gotta be 10-feet long!” said Sumrall in the midst of our interview minutes before Day 1’s competition began.

Suddenly, Sumrall seemed to feel right at home. The former petroleum supply yard worker who has spent most of his life running around the Atchafalaya Basin has seen his share of gators – and the size of this one impressed him.

The amount of shoreline vegetation at Lake Eufaula impresses him too. “I’m definitely confident around shallow vegetation. I’ve got 11 Kistler rods on the front deck, and 9 of ‘em are rigged for shallow vegetation,” said Sumrall.

“Look, I’m not ruling out the deep bite for a minute. I spent a ton of time the past two days marking waypoints out deep, so I for sure have that in my back pocket,” says Sumrall. “But I’ll probably spend 90% of my day fishing shallow with everything from buzzbaits to punch-weighted Texas rigs.”

Sumrall says he’ll lean on roughly 15 to 20 shallow water areas, and realizes he probably won’t be able to catch five fat keepers from a single spot. But he’s also highly confident he’ll have the chance to catch the sort of 5 to 7 pounders currently roaming the shallow water gator grass and water willow jungles while chewing on spawning bluegills around Eufaula’s shoreline.

“I absolutely believe the guy who wins this tournament Saturday will have to mix the deep bite with a few good fish from the shallows,” says Sumrall.

Sumrall has got plenty of deep-water waypoints, nine rods rigged for the shallows, and a feeling of being right at home here. So while Zaldain might currently be gunning for the lead himself, don’t ignore his advice to keep your eye on Sumrall too.

by AnglersChannel

Zaldain talks ledge fishing, fantasy picks, and gators at Eufaula

Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships

This week marks the first time Carhartt pro Chris Zaldain has ever competed on Lake Eufaula. But after three long days of practice on the famed reservoir, he says he’s fired up to get started, and shares a few things fans can look forward to keeping their eyes on as competition unfolds Wednesday through Saturday on ESPN2, ESPN3 and Bassmaster.com.

Q: You’ve never been here before, what are your impressions of this history rich reservoir after three days of practice?

CZ: It’s for sure the original “OG” of ledge lakes that everybody says it is. The river channel is super defined, and more importantly, the channel is filled with twists and turns that break current and set these bass up to feed along the ledge.

Q: What percentage of all the fish weighed-in this week will be caught deeper than 10-feet of water?

CZ: I’ll say 75%, but there are bluegill spawning, so there’s definitely going to be a number of good fish caught shallow that are up there picking-off spawning bluegills.

Q: Give fans a heads-up on something to look for that might surprise them.

CZ: I think there’s a chance this big reservoir is going to fish pretty small and put a lot of anglers in a few select concentrated areas.

Q: Speaking of other anglers, who should fans have on their Rapala Bassmaster Fantasy Fishing team?

CZ: Caleb Sumrall because he’s so comfortable picking apart shallow vegetation, and there’s a ton of that here. And on the opposite end of the spectrum, Keith Combs, because he’s one of the best deep crankbait anglers on the planet.

Q: This place has plenty of alligators swimming in it, what’s the biggest one you’ve seen in practice?

CZ: I’ll guess around 9-feet long.

by AnglersChannel

Lee Calmly Visits Thump City

Courtesy of Luke Stoner - Dynamic Sponsorships

Jordan Lee may have been the final boat to leave Big Toho Marina this morning for his second competition day on the Kissimmee Chain, but that didn’t stop him from lighting up the SCORETRACKER early and often. An impressive morning flurry in “Thump City” helped Lee finish Group A’s Qualifying Round(s) in 3^rd place and qualify for Thursday’s Knockout Round in Toyota Heavy Hitters presented by Venmo.

“Thump City” is an offshore area on Lake Toho and Lee jokingly explained its name was derived from the aggressive “thump” his swimbait commonly receives when he visits this spot in the early mornings.

“I had a feeling (the spot) could end up being a special place,” Lee said. “In practice I found the area by idling and staring at my Lowrance units. I made a cast in there and immediately hook a two-pounder, but when I reeled that fish in I watched one about six-pounds try to take the bait from the little one’s mouth. That sorta thing doesn’t happen too often, so I knew it had the chance to be really good.”

Realistically, finding a special place or two seems to be somewhat common for Lee in Bass Pro Tour competition. On top of winning 2019’s inaugural BPT event, which was held on the Kissimmee Chain, Lee has amassed four more top tens and only missed qualifying for the Knockout Round twice in thirteen Bass Pro Tour tournaments. Pretty strong for an angler yet to celebrate their 30^th birthday.

Many have speculated on what makes Lee so dynamic on the water; does he think like a fish, is it a God given talent, his tireless work ethic, or as MLF color analyst Marty Stone pointed out on today’s coverage could it have something to do with Lee’s cool and calm demeanor?

In reality Lee’s success is likely due to a combination of all these things, but there is certainly something to be said for Lee’s cool-as-a-cucumber disposition. If you tuned into today’s live stream, you witnessed a perfect example to the upside of Lee’s even-keeled nature.

After leaving Big Toho Marina as boat 40 and leaning on a group of fish inhabiting “Thump City”, Lee experienced battery issues. Even though it was minor, the issue forced Lee to run his Yamaha Outboards powered Ranger Boat to the service crew back at the marina, costing him about an hour of fishing time.

Losing precious competition time is something we’ve seen spin out even the most veteran professional angler, but Lee seemed absolutely un-phased. Lee sat on the front deck and calmly waited while service techs worked on his boat. Upon returning to the water Lee bypassed “Thump City”, ran to a completely different area and promptly caught a five-pound bass. Unbe-Lee-vable.

“I try to avoid letting myself get too high or too low,” Lee explained. “Whether we like it or not, mechanical issues and things we can’t control are going to happen every so often. Throwing a fit doesn’t help anything. To be honest my personality has always been pretty even-keeled… I think it definitely helps in our sport.”

by AnglersChannel

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