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.

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

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

0.00

RYAN WARREN
GATESVILLE , TX

JASON DERRICK
VALLEY MILLS , TX

0.00

MATT HILL
JONESTOWN , TX

BARRY MOTT
LIBERTY HILL , TX

0.00

DAVID UNDERWOOD
WACO , TX

DENNY COPELAND
MCGREGOR , TX

0.00

ADAM MIRANDA
BROWNWOOD , TX

BRANDON BLAYLOCK
BROWNWOOD , TX

0.00

FRED CATES SR
ROCKDALE , TX

KC CARLTON
LIBERTY HILL , TX

0.00

JASON GARZA
KILLEEN , TX

PETE GARZA
KILLEEN , TX

0.00

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

AC Insider Podcast - Winners Abound!

This week Chris and the Boys welcome in the newest NPFL Angler to the show, Chris Kanute to talk about his new fishing platform and to dive a little deeper into his involvement in High School Fishing. The boys also welcome in Toyota Series Winner Josh Stracner to talk about his Eufaula win and David has a surprise in the opening segment. Check it out!

by AnglersChannel

Swindle’s Eufaula Favorites

Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships

Obviously, you would think the first thing 2-time Bassmaster Angler of the Year, Gerald Swindle would talk about in reference to Lake Eufaula would be fishing related. But in fact, Swindle’s mind quickly drifted back to his days as a framing carpenter when asked what he loves most about Lake Eufaula.

“You know man, the thing that really captures me every time I come down here is all the old homes and mansions that line the streets,” says Swindle. “I’ve traveled all over this country, and I’ve never seen any place that looks like this. You can’t help but be impressed by the master craftsmanship that went into building so many of the big old homes in this town, especially when you think about the fact they were built long before power tools came along.”

He’s right. Eufaula is famous for its Grand Antebellum and Victorian mansions that were mostly built in the 1800s by planters and town merchants when cotton was king. Not only do dozens of eye-capturing homes line streets canopied in huge live oak trees, there are roughly 700 total structures in this famous bass tournament town listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

While Eufaula is nearly a 4-hour drive from where Swindle grew up, he’s got some history here too. Fond memories actually, from simpler times when he was still framing houses and fishing the old Red Man tournament trail on a really tight budget.

“Believe it or not, my favorite memory of this place was in the early 1990s when my buddy Bradley Duke and I came down here for a Red Man tournament, piled about six of us in one cheap hotel room, and I caught 25 pounds on a buzzbait, but lost to a real good angler named Don Hogue by two ounces,” says Swindle.

Don’t be shocked if Swindle slings a buzzbait around this week too. He’s as good with the topwater known for attracting big bites as anybody in America. But like most of the 87 Elite Series anglers, he’ll focus mainly on getting the deeper offshore post-spawn bites the next few days.

“My favorite lures this week will likely be a 3/4-ounce Buckeye Ballin’ Out jig, a big Zoom Ol’ Monster worm, a Zoom Magnum Trick Worm, and a 5” Zoom swimbait on a 3/8 once head,” shares the longtime Team Toyota pro.

Oh, and one more of Swindle’s favorite things about Eufaula … alligators.

“Not only do I love the look of all the old houses in this town, but when you’re on the water here, along with the cool looking flooded cypress trees, this place offers one of the biggest populations of gators I’ve ever seen. Eufaula is just a cool place on and off the water,” smiles Swindle.

by AnglersChannel

Ehler Wins $25,000; Birge Bags Berth to the Championship:

MLF Pro Kevin VanDam advanced to Thursday's Knockout Round after an 8th Place finish. Photo: Major League Fishing / Garrick Dixon

Major League Fishing Live Action Continues on the Kissimmee Chain Wednesday with a Second $25,000 Big Bass Bonus

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 9, 2020 (Kissimmee, Fla.) Major League Fishing (MLF) Pro Zack Birge won the Qualifying Round, Group A on Kissimmee Chain in the inaugural Toyota Heavy Hitters presented by Venmo. Birge will advance directly to Friday’s Championship Round for a chance to win $200,000. California Pro Brent Ehrler won $25,000 for this Round’s Heavy Hitters big bass bonus with an eight-pound, six-ounce catch on Sunday, the first day of the competition. Matt Lee caught the most weight on Tuesday with 26 pounds, five ounces, which moved him into fifth place for this Round. 20 anglers fell below the Elimination Line and will head home with their $4,000 consolation prizes. Each angler’s score resets to zero as the top 20 Pros top advance. Competition continues tomorrow when Group B takes to the water for their second day of the Qualifying Round.

Birge grew his lead to 22 pounds to end the day in first place with a two-day total of 74 pounds, three ounces. Birge caught 20 pounds 12 ounces today, which meant that seven anglers caught more scorable weight than him, including Matt Lee, who caught themost Tuesday with 26 pounds, five ounces. Birge will advance directly to Friday’s Championship Round where he will compete against nine other anglers for the $100,000 Heavy Hitters Title and an additional $100,000 big bass bonus.

“Thank goodness; I’m advancing directly to the Final,” said Birge at the conclusion of Tuesday’s competition. “Today was a trying day start to finish. I didn’t really get on like I wanted this morning. But I get to advance directly to the Championship (Round), which was my goal.”

Despite an otherwise slow day, Daiwa Pro Brent Ehrler held his lead in the race for biggest fish caught in the two-day Qualifying Round for Group A with the eight-pound, six-ounce largemouth he landed on Sunday. The lunker scored him a $25,000 big-fish bonus. Ehrler finished in 12th place with a two-day total of 29 pounds, 15 ounces and will advance to Thursday’s Knockout Round. Upon receiving the trophy for the first Heavy Hitters bonus, Ehrler said he’s grateful and looking forward to trying for another big fish on Thursday.

“Oh, I love it!” exclaimed Ehrler when he received the trophy from MLF on-the-water correspondent Rob Newell. “I was scared all day that someone was going to catch a bigger fish, but I’m so happy for this and I can’t wait to fish the Knockout Round for a chance to win $50,000.”

Carhartt Pro Matt Lee tallied the most weight Tuesday moving him from 12th place to finish fifth with 43 pounds, seven ounces over the two-day Qualifying Round, including his biggest fish of the Round, which weighed in at five pounds, five ounces.

“Today started really slow with only two, non-scorable catches in the first Period,” recalled Lee. “I thought I could make more happen with a moving bait, but I focused on the changing conditions and adapted my strategy, which led to six fish in a row in Period 2. I’m really happy with how it ended up.”

Abu Garcia Pro Scott Suggs fell just below the Elimination Line in 21st place after catching no fish on Sunday’s first day of competition and rallying 21 pounds today, including a five-pound, eight-ounce bass midday. With only one fish caught in the third Period, Randy Howell landed a four-pound, 13-ounce largemouth with only 32 minutes left in regulation pushing Suggs out. When asked what he changed to go from zero to the seventh highest weight of the day, Suggs says he didn’t make a change in his game, the conditions changed around him.

“You can ask my (MLF) Official,” said Suggs after he returned to the ramp. “I went to the exact same place, threw the exact same thing - speed worm and magnum finesse worm in June bug - as I was at on Sunday where I caught a lot but no keepers. Today, I caught fewer fish but more quality. Luckily, I got a couple bites early, which led me to stick with it. I got some good points for the year, which is my saving grace.”

Suggs started Stage Four Heavy Hitters in 39th Place for the overall 2020 Bass Pro Tour. His finish today will help his standings in points to qualify for REDCREST, the MLF Championship, which is scheduled for February 2021 in Tulsa, Okla.

The Top Five, Toyota Heavy Hitters presented by Venmo Qualifying Round, Group A finished as follows:

Place Angler Two-Day Total Weight Two-Day Total Fish Largest Fish over Two Days
1 Zack Birge 74-03 24 5-08
2 Bryan Thrift 55-09 18 4-02
3 Jordan Lee 51-09 13 6-13
4 Gary Klein 48-04 16 5-04
5 Matt Lee 43-07 15 5-05

Kelly Jordon, John Murray, Kevin VanDam, Michael Neal, Gerald Spohrer, Casey Ashley, Brent Ehrler, Anthony Gagliardi, Wesley Strader, Justin Lucas, Jared Lintner, Jacob Wheeler, Randy Howell, Dustin Connell, and Fred Roumbanis will join Thrift, J. Lee, Klein, and M. Lee in Thursday’s Knockout Round. Group B Qualifying Round concludes Wednesday, which will round out the Knockout Round to a field of 38 Pros.

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.

The competition continues Wednesday when Group B returns for their second and last day of the Qualifying Round. The anglers who finish in 21-40th place in Group A will be eliminated, which the top 20 will advance to the Knockout Round on Thursday. The winner of Group B will earn an automatic berth to Friday’s Championship Round or the opportunity to fish in the Knockout Round and a chance to land the $50,000 big bass bonus. Major League Fishing rules indicate that if the Qualifying Round Group winner chooses to fish Knockout Round, they forfeit their automatic berth and will need to secure a top-ten finish in the Knockout Round to advance to the Championship. General Tire Pro Skeet Resse leads Group B by nearly five pounds. Mark Rose leads the $25,000 Heavy Hitters bonus with a nine-pound, two-ounce largemouth.

by AnglersChannel

FLW Cancels 2020 High School Fishing Minicamps

BENTON, Ky. (June 9, 2020) – FLW, the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, announced today the cancellation of the three High School Fishing minicamps that were to be held in conjunction with three 2020 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit events.

Traditionally a three-day summer camp held at Murray State University, FLW shifted the format to three single-day minicamps in response to the coronavirus pandemic and to allow more anglers, coaches and boat captains the opportunity to attend. However, the uncertainty created by ongoing group-size restrictions and mask requirements has made execution of the camps impractical.

FLW is committed to ensuring that the High School Fishing camps are the absolute best experience for students, parents, coaches and boat captains alike. The tournament organization is looking forward to returning in 2021 with both the traditional camp and the minicamps to provide more opportunities for young anglers to learn about bass fishing from the world’s top professionals.

For more information on future High School Fishing camps, visit FLWFishing.com/camp. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

by AnglersChannel

ESPN2 Televises Live Coverage Of Bassmaster Elite Event

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Enthusiastic fans of bass fishing — and sports fans who have missed the thrill of competition — can catch live on-the-water action from Lake Eufaula on ESPN2 when the Bassmaster Elite Series heads to this historic fishery June 10-13.

Complementing the award-winning Bassmaster LIVE coverage on Bassmaster.com and ESPN3 fans are familiar with during an Elite Series event, the DEWALT Bassmaster Elite at Lake Eufaula will also be televised live on ESPN2 beginning Wednesday, June 10, at 8 a.m. ET.

Live coverage of this highly anticipated tournament pits 87 of the top bass anglers in the world against one another as they compete for the $100,000 first-place prize and a total purse of more than $700,000.

“Lake Eufaula is one of the best fisheries in the country,” said Elite Series pro Clent Davis, of Montevallo, Ala. “We’re excited to compete again, and fans are going to love seeing big bass again.”

Schedule:

Date	Time (ET)	Event	Networks
Wed, June 10	8-11 a.m.	The DEWALT Bassmaster Elite at Lake Eufaula	ESPN2, ESPN3, Bassmaster.com
	12-2 p.m.	The DEWALT Bassmaster Elite at Lake Eufaula	ESPN2, ESPN3, Bassmaster.com
	2-3 p.m.	The DEWALT Bassmaster Elite at Lake Eufaula	ESPN3, Bassmaster.com
Thu, June 11	8-11 a.m.	The DEWALT Bassmaster Elite at Lake Eufaula	ESPN2, ESPN3, Bassmaster.com
	12-1 p.m.	The DEWALT Bassmaster Elite at Lake Eufaula	ESPN3, Bassmaster.com
	1-3 p.m.	The DEWALT Bassmaster Elite at Lake Eufaula	ESPN2, ESPN3, Bassmaster.com
Fri, June 12	8-11 a.m.	The DEWALT Bassmaster Elite at Lake Eufaula	ESPN2, ESPN3, Bassmaster.com
	12-3 p.m.	The DEWALT Bassmaster Elite at Lake Eufaula	ESPN2, ESPN3, Bassmaster.com
Sat, June 13	8-11 a.m.	The DEWALT Bassmaster Elite at Lake Eufaula	ESPN3, Bassmaster.com
	12-3 p.m.	The DEWALT Bassmaster Elite at Lake Eufaula	ESPN2, ESPN3, Bassmaster.com

For more information, visit Bassmaster.com.

by AnglersChannel

Mammoth Becomes Official Hand Sanitizer Of Bassmaster

June 9, 2020

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — As the Bassmaster Tournament Trail prepares to resume events this week, Blackbird Products Group, known for its popular Mammoth Coolers, is partnering with B.A.S.S. to help ensure fans, anglers and staff stay safe and healthy. Mammoth has signed on to make their new U.S.A.-made sanitizers the “Official Sanitizer Product of Bassmaster.”

“B.A.S.S. is committed to making our events both fun and safe for everyone involved,” said Bruce Akin, B.A.S.S. CEO. “We are so proud to have Mammoth join us to offer hand sanitizing stations at events as well as all-natural sanitizing products for anglers and staff beginning with our Bassmaster Elite event at Lake Eufaula.”

Introduced in April, Mammoth Hand Sanitizer is made in the United States with USDA Certified Organic ingredients. Formulated to meet international standards for alcohol-based hand sanitizer use in medical settings, Mammoth Hand Sanitizer is proven to kill 99.9% of germs without the harmful ingredients found in many other sanitizers.

“The Mammoth family takes great pride and satisfaction in having the opportunity to work with such a strong and conservation-driven organization as B.A.S.S.,” said Mike Hannigan, CEO of parent company Blackbird Products Group, LLC. “Mammoth looks forward to assisting B.A.S.S. in ensuring safe and enjoyable events for anglers, spectators and staff.”

In rescheduling the remainder of the 2020 season, B.A.S.S. emphasized that it will heed each state’s mandates on crowd sizes and public spaces as well as monitor federal guidelines to ensure both competition and fan activities can resume safely.

According to Bob George, Director of Sales and Marketing for Mammoth, “With our current sponsorship of veteran Elite Series angler Bill Lowen, we felt this was a natural extension and a great opportunity to introduce our sanitizer product and assist B.A.S.S. in locking down their needs for a U.S.A.-made product that has been challenging to find in the current retail environment.”

To learn more and see the complete tournament schedule, visit Bassmaster.com.

by AnglersChannel

Team Wilson/Moore Wins Texas Team Trail Presented by Bass Pro Shops & Cabela's Event on Sam Rayburn

Anglers win Nitro Z18 with a 175-horsepower Mercury outboard

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (June 9, 2020) - Kris Wilson and Harold Moore weighed 26.04 pounds to win the second regular-season event of the Texas Team Trail presented by Bass Pro Shops & Cabela's (TXTT) June 5 on Lake Sam Rayburn. The anglers won a fully rigged Nitro Z18 with a 175-horsepower Mercury outboard valued at $34,635.

This event was the first of two back-to-back tournaments 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.

Outpacing the field by more than 4 pounds, Wilson and Moore relied on a strategy of mobility. As Wilson explained, they committed to playing the numbers game.

"We ran around so much, we fished from above the 147 Bridge all the way to the south end and everywhere in between," Wilson said. "We probably fished 25 or so spots. That was pretty much our game plan; we'd pull up and try to catch the active fish on the spot and then we'd move on.

"It was a timing deal on most of these spots. The way I look at it, the more spots you hit, the more potential you have to hit one at the right time. We would run six or eight spots and not even get a bite, then we'd pull up on one and catch four or five fish."

Noting that they bagged their big fish - a 9.16 - around 10:30, Wilson said he and Moore were targeting deep drops; some in 12-14 feet, most in 28-30. The deeper spots proved most productive and yielded the majority of their 20-plus keepers.

"We spent a lot of time on the lake, several days before cutoff," Wilson said. "I graphed 13 hours a day for three days. I didn't event pick up a rod. Some spots had stumps, some had brush and then some had nothing; just slick points.

"There was a period of time when it got really slick calm and it seemed like we could get bites on some places with brush; but when we had a little bit of breeze, the slick spots, or the ones with just a little bit of rubble were better. In practice, the bigger fish were coming off the more obscure stuff - the spots where other people might overlook."

In addition to the fully rigged Nitro Z18, the team claimed $2,370 of Anglers Advantage cash and a $1,130 Big Bass award. Their total payday was $38,135.

Second-place finishers Randy Turner and Justin Morton brought 21.90 pounds to the scales. After striking out at mid-lake, the anglers opted to run north and flip the cypress trees.

"We keyed on some shady areas up in the day," said Turner. "Plus, the bream were spawning, so I think the fish were using the shade for cover, but they were able to feed under there."

Turner said he and his partner caught their three biggest fish - a 7-pounder, a 5 1/2 and a 5 - off one particular tree. They'd fish the tree, catch one, move on and fish elsewhere, then return to that magic spot and pop another good one.

Working in about 3 feet of water, Turner and Morton caught all of their weight on Texas-rigged Zoom Old Monster worms in the redbug color. They used 1/2-ounce tungsten weights and No. 5 wide gap hooks.

"You had to get your boat in a certain angle because some of the limbs were blocking your cast," Turner said. "You had to get your bait right up against the tree."

For second place, Turner and Morton earned $7,613, which included $1,738 in Anglers Advantage cash and a $250 Ranger Boats bonus.

The remaining Top 10 are Boulware/Collins (third) Phillips/Sparks (fourth); Shook/Iles (fifth): Taylor/Neugebauer (sixth); Nitschke/Bonds (seventh); Cox/Reese (eighth); Jordan/Bush (ninth); and Rambo/Clark (tenth).

The next stop for the TXTT is the championship event set for October 24-25 with the location to be announced at a later date. The Texas Team Trail presented by Bass Pro Shops & Cabela's consists of four regular-season events and a year-end championship. The championship is a two-day tournament open to teams who have fished all four regular-season events.

by AnglersChannel

Arey and other Elite Series pros logging 14-hour practice days at Eufaula

Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships

Other than the pressure to find more offshore mega-schools than 86 other top pros, perhaps the biggest challenge during practice at the DEWALT Bassmaster Elite Series tournament at Lake Eufaula is packing enough food in the boat cooler to fuel a 14-hour practice day.

“I cooked kielbasa last night for Jay Yelas, Scott Canterbury, Wes Logan and myself, and I’ve been eating the leftovers most of the day. But here it is nearly 6 o’clock in the evening, I’ve been on the water 13 hours so far, and I’m down to eating Smucker’s Uncrustables,” said Matt Arey, late Monday afternoon, near the end of the secondconsecutive 14-hour day of practice.

The official sunrise in Eufaula, Alabama this week is right around 5:30 a.m., but there’s plenty of casting light long before that. So this bunch of hyper-competitive pros are launching around 5:00 a.m. – and roughly 14 hours later – at about 7:00 p.m. – they’re finally loading it back on the trailer.

Eufaula has hosted 16 previous B.A.S.S. events, but it’s been awhile since the last one, 14 years to be exact -- and this legendary 45,000-acre reservoir that’s home to Humminbird and Mann’s Bait Company,has gotten real healthy since then.

“I think you’ll need to average 14-pounds a day just to make the Top 40 cut after two days,” says Arey. “And I also think fans are going to be pretty surprised to see 6 and 7-pounders caught shallow here. Maybe not a ton of those, but you can bet they’ll be a few of those random giants roaming shallow and eating bluegill that get caught this week.”

Fans can also count on 20-pound limits being the necessary average for the guy who eventually claims the $100,000 on Saturday afternoon, and Arey says he’ll be shocked if it’s not won away from the bank around deeper post-spawn locations.

“I’ll have spent 28 hours on the water after the first two days of practice – and 20 of those hours were spent never making a cast while riding around looking at my Lowrance units for offshore sweet spots and getting the tops of my knees sunburned,” grins Arey.

As far as lures … count on seeing plenty of big crankbaits, long plastic worms, swimbaits, and magnum-sized 6 to 8” flutter spoons being cast during Live coverage of the event on ESPN2 several hours each daybeginning Wednesday at 8:00 EST/7:00 CST.

But on Tuesday, count on Arey packing plenty of Uncrustables and raingear for another long day of practice. The kielbasa is long gone.

by AnglersChannel

Reese Rocks Period Two to End with 43 Pounds

Major League Fishing Live Action Continues on the Kissimmee Chain Tuesday with First $25,000 Big Bass Bonus

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 8, 2020 (Kissimmee, Fla.) Major League Fishing (MLF) continued with live-sports action hosting their biggest event of the year on the Kissimmee Chain. General Tire Pro Skeet Reese leads Group B after the first day of the Qualifying Round in the inaugural Toyota Heavy Hitters presented by Venmo, featuring three-quarters of a million dollars in payouts. Fellow General Tire Pro Mark Rose caught a nine-pound, two-ounce largemouth late in the third period to take the lead in Group B for the Heavy Hitters $25,000 big-fish bonus. Group A returns to the water Tuesday for the final day of their Qualifying Round where Favorite Fishing Pro Zack Birge currently holds a 17-pound lead over the rest of the field. The competition continues daily through Friday.

On Sunday MLF resumed the 2020 Bass Pro Tour season after an 80-day, mid-season pause to minimize the spread of COVID-19. Due to the socially distant nature of competitive bass fishing and the unique MLF format, MLF moved forward with live competition while other professional sports remain paused. The MLF format, which features catch, weigh, and-immediately release, eliminates a traditional weigh-in by weighing the fish on the boat and recording the cumulative weight in the proprietary SCORETRACKER® over each three period, nine-hour day.

After a scoreless first period, Skeet Reese logged 30 pounds in 65 minutes into SCORETRACKER® after moving locations and abandoning his practice. Using a Lucky Craft 1.5 square bill crankbait in copper green shad and Trilene® 15-pound fluoracarbon, Reese ended the day with 43 pounds, eight ounces on 12 total fish. When his pre-game strategy didn’t appear to pay-off in practice or Period one, Reese said he went with his gut.

“In day one of practice, I never caught a keeper; the second day, I caught five or six keepers but random stuff over 12 hours. I fished those areas again this morning and ended up frustrated with no keepers by the end of the first period,” reflected Reese. “I needed to do something different, so I headed to an area where I had seen some schooling. It was hard to get in there; I jumped a sand bar. My intuition paid off; this is a nice way to start back on the Bass Pro Tour with Heavy Hitters on Kissimmee!”

Once he took the lead in Period 2, Reese held on through the end of the competition despite a solid run by both Mark Rose and David Walker. Rose, who ended the day with 38 pounds, nine ounces, caught 25 pounds in the third period alone, including the Berkley Big Bass of the day, which tipped the scale at nine pounds, two ounces. After a slow first Period, Rose said he regrouped to gain some confidence before landing the lunker.

“I don’t know what happened there in the morning,” said Rose who only caught two scorable bass in the first period. “I needed to clear my head; so, I ran, found a new spot to make sure my timing was right, then got back out there and they bit a little more this afternoon. We definitely have our work cut out for us to try to win this round; we will see what we can do.”

Walker ended the day with the most scorable bass at 13 and a total weight of 37 pounds, five ounces, only one pound, four ounces behind Rose. Walker posited a steady catch-rate all day by switching bait and locations periodically. He landed his largest bass, which weighed four pounds, six ounces, on a crankbait in moving water at the close of Period 2.

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.

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

Place	Angler	Total Weight	Total Fish	Largest Fish
1	Skeet Reese	43-08	12	4-13
2	Mark Rose	38-09	11	9-02
3	David Walker	37-05	13	4-06
4	Jeff Kriet	25-00	8	4-12
5	David Dudley	20-12	7	4-01
6	Jonathon VanDam	20-01	7	4-15
7	James Elam	19-13	5	6-11
8	Chris Lane	19-10	6	4-12
9	Jeff Sprague	18-14	6	4-15
10	Takahiro Omori	18-06	5	4-15

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

The competition continues Tuesday when Group A returns for their second and last day of Qualifying Round. The anglers who finish in 21-40^th place in Group A will be eliminated, which the top 20 will advance to the Knockout Round on Thursday. The winner of Group A will earn an automatic berth to Friday’s Championship Round or the opportunity to fish in the Knockout Round and a chance to land the $50,000 big bass bonus. Major League Fishing rules indicate that if the Qualifying Round Group winner chooses to fish Knockout Round, they forfeit their automatic berth and will need to secure a top-ten finish in the Knockout Round to advance to the Championship. Favorite Fishing Pro Zack Birge leads Group A by 17 pounds. Brent Ehrler leads the $25,000 Heavy Hitters bonus with an eight-pound, six-ounce largemouth.

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

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).

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

McAlester’s Eldridge and Bokchito’s Burkett Earn Wins at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Double-Header on Eufaula Lake

Co-angler Division Victories Go to Kansas’ Schmidt & Claremore’s Bradfield

EUFAULA, Okla. (June 1, 2020) – It was a double-header for bass anglers this past weekend in Eufaula with the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on Eufaula 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.

Boater Heath Eldridge of McAlester, Oklahoma, brought five bass to the scale totaling 18 pounds, 1 ounce to win Saturday’s event, while boater Hayden Burkett of Bokchito, Oklahoma, brought in three bass weighing 15 pounds, 8 ounces, on Sunday to earn the win. Eldridge earned a total of $5,380 for his victory and Burkett won Sunday’s top prize of $5,779.

“I had boat issues, so I only was able to run 3 or 4 miles from takeoff,” said Eldridge, who earned his first BFL victory as a boater. “There was no wind, but there was a lot of boat traffic, so I found some current near some rip rap on bridges and that turned out to be the key area.”

Eldridge said the majority of his bass came on a shaky-head rig with a junebug-colored GrandeBass Airtail worm, but he also added a solid keeper on a shad-colored Bomber crankbait.

The top five boaters on Saturday were:

1^st: Heath Eldridge of McAlester, Okla., five bass, 18-1, $5,380

2^nd: Brandon Mosley of Choctaw, Okla., five bass, 16-13, $2,690

3^rd: Jeremy Whitson of Denison, Texas, five bass, 16-7, $1,794

4^th: Nick Kincaid of Coweta, Okla., five bass, 15-5, $1,255

5^th: Mark Johnson of Weleetka, Okla., five bass, 15-1, $1,031

5^th: Samuel Byrd of Tahlequah, Okla., five bass, 15-1, $1,031

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

Cory Carter of Muskogee, Oklahoma, brought a 5-pound, 11-ounce bass to the scale to win Saturday’s Boater Big Bass award of $855.

Justin Lillie of Edmond, Oklahoma, 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.

Chad Schmidt of Clearwater, Kansas, won the Co-angler Division and $2,690 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 13 pounds, 15 ounces.

The top five co-anglers Saturday finished as follows:

1^st: Chad Schmidt of Clearwater, Kan., five bass, 13-15, $2,690

2^nd: Billy Johnson of McAlester, Okla., five bass, 12-11, $1,345

3^rd: Randy Staton of Muskogee, Okla., five bass, 12-10, $899

4^th: Eli Brumnett of Wagoner, Okla., five bass, 12-9, $628

5^th: Bill Black of McAlester, Okla., five bass, 12-3, $538

Danny Kindle of Stilwell, Oklahoma, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division Saturday, weighing in at 4 pounds, 8 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $427.

Due to the extreme heat on Sunday, Tournament Director Robert Evans made the decision to change the format to a three-fish limit – instead of the normal five – and opened the scales at noon for anyone that wanted to weigh their fish early.

Hayden Burkett took advantage of Evans change, bringing in three bass – including the day’s big bass – right at noon and earning the win.

“I was mainly cranking them a little bit, but I also had a little dock pattern going,” said Burkett. “Everywhere I went today, I was catching them. I caught a big one out deep, and I caught a big one fishing docks.”

Burkett mentioned his crankbait of choice was a Sexy Shad-colored Strike King Series 6, but did not divulge the baits that he used on the docks.

The top five boaters on Sunday were:

1^st: Hayden Burkett of Bokchito, Okla., three bass, 15-8, $5,779

2^nd: Jeremy Whitson of Denison, Texas, three bass, 15-4, $2,507

3^rd: James Marsh of Thomas, Okla., three bass, 12-1, $1,670

4^th: Lance Williams of Billings, Mo., three bass, 11-1, $1,170

5^th: Dane Coale of Norman, Okla., three bass, 10-13, $1,003

Complete results for Sunday’s event on Dale Hollow can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Burkett brought a 7-pound, 13-ounce lunker to the scale Sunday to add to his winnings and earn the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $765.

Steve Bradfield of Claremore, Oklahoma, won the Co-angler Division and $2,474 Sunday after catching three bass weighing 8 pounds, 13 ounces.

The top five co-anglers Sunday finished as follows:

1^st: Steve Bradfield of Claremore, Okla., three bass, 8-13, $2,474

2^nd: Dalton Ross of Centerton, Ark., three bass, 8-9, $1,237

3^rd: Raymond Moody of Norman, Okla., three bass, 8-7, $824

4^th: Cody Abbott of Fort Gibson, Okla., three bass, 8-2, $536

4^th: Hunter Alsip of Chouteau, Okla., three bass, 8-2, $536

Michael Wood of Guthrie, Oklahoma caught Sunday’s largest bass in the Co-angler Division, weighing in at 5 pounds, 1 ounce. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $377.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine Double-Header on Eufaula Lake was the first and second of five qualifying events in the Okie Division.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the Okie 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

Thomas Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League on High Rock Lake, Earns Lucrative PHOENIX Bonus

Salisbury’s File Wins Co-angler Division

SALISBURY, N.C. (June 8, 2020) – Boater Jason Thomas of Lexington, North Carolina, earned the win Saturday at the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine event at High Rock Lake after bringing a five-bass limit to the scale weighing 17 pounds, 10 ounces. For his victory, Thomas earned a total of $11,794, including the lucrative $7,000 FLW PHOENIX Bonus contingency award. The victory was the first win of Thomas’ FLW career.

"I’m good friends with a lot of guys that have wins, so this is really a nice notch in my belt,” said Thomas. “I was out practicing every day this week and it was a huge advantage for me – it showed me where not to fish.”

Thomas mainly focused on the creeks of High Rock Lake during the tournament, paying special attention to Second Creek where he seemed to catch most of his fish.

“Pretty much the only creeks that I didn’t fish today were Abbott’s Creek, or up the river,” Thomas said. “I caught a few on a jig, but then things got tough and I switched to a shaky-head rig to fill out my limit.

Thomas said his jig of choice was a ½-ounce Shooter Jig with a Strike King Rage Bug trailer, and he threw a 3/8-ounce shaky-head rig with a Zoom Trick Worm.

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:

1^st: Jason Thomas of Lexington, N.C., five bass, 17-10, $11,794

2^nd: Doug Young of Salisbury, N.C, four bass, 16-11, $1,897

3^rd: Scott Henley of Randleman, N.C., five bass, 15-13, $1,265

4^th: Jack Dice of Lynchburg, Va., five bass, 15-7, $885

5^th: Robert Walser of Lexington, N.C., five bass, 13-11, $759

6^th: Mike Miller of Trinity, N.C., five bass, 13-10, $664

6^th: Rick Tilley of Moneta, Va., five bass, 13-10, $664

8^th: James Funk of Chesapeake, Va., five bass, 13-5, $569

9^th: Landon Whicker of Winston-Salem, N.C., five bass, 12-12, $506

10^th: Randall Vanlear of Madison Heights, Va., five bass, 12-10, $443

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Craig Wright of Rustburg, Virginia, claimed the day’s Boater Big Bass Award of $495 after bringing a 5-pound, 15-ounce bass to the scale.

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

Tom File of Salisbury, North Carolina, won the Co-angler Division and $1,897 Saturday after catching three bass weighing 10 pounds, 6 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:

1^st: Tom File of Salisbury, N.C., three bass, 10-6, $1,897

2^nd: Orlando Giles of Lexington, N.C., four bass, 10-5, $949

3^rd: Anthony Rife of Max Meadows, Va., three bass, 9-14, $538

3^rd: Terry Graham of Leesburg, Va., four bass, 9-14, $538

5^th: Jesse Jodon of Windber, Pa., three bass, 8-4, $379

6^th: Brandon Shaver of Albemarle, N.C., three bass, 8-0, $332

6^th: Micah Speights of Oakboro, N.C., three bass, 8-0, $332

8^th: Michael Trivette of Blackstone, Va., three bass, 7-14, $285

9^th: Barry Burford of Charlotte, N.C., two bass, 7-10, $253

10^th: David Miller of China Grove, N.C., two bass, 7-9, $221

Martin Rushing of Albemarle, North Carolina, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, weighing in at 5 pounds, 9 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $247.

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

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the Piedmont 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 Lake Lanier in Gainesville, Georgia, hosted by the Gainesville Convention & Visitors Bureau. Boaters will compete for a $60,000 prize package, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new 18-foot Phoenix bass boat with a 200-horsepower outboard.

by AnglersChannel

Cooper and West Liberty’s Adkins Earn Wins at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Double-Header on Dale Hollow Lake

Co-angler Division Wins Go to Flintville’s Gault & Stanford’s Dean

BYRDSTOWN, Tenn. (June 8, 2020) – It was a double-header for bass anglers this past weekend in Byrdstown with the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on Dale Hollow 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.

Boater Dustin Cooper of Livingston, Tennessee, brought a five-bass limit to the scale totaling 18 pounds, 3 ounces to win Saturday’s event, while Brad Adkins of West Liberty, Kentucky, brought in a limit weighing 18 pounds, 8 ounces on Sunday to earn the win. Cooper earned a total of $5,763 for his victory Saturday while Adkins won Sunday’s top prize of $5,584.

“I fished on the lower end of the lake, close to the dam,” said Cooper, who earned the first win of his career. “I was fishing offshore humps all day, throwing a Zoom Ol’ Monster worm.

“I’ve got a lot of experience here, and it paid off big for me. I know where the fish like to go in their summertime patterns and it worked out today.”

The top five boaters on Saturday were:

1^st: Dustin Cooper of Livingston, Tenn., five bass, 18-3, $5,763

2^nd: Nick Ratliff of Vine Grove, Ky., five bass, 17-13, $3,091

3^rd: Marcus Jackson of Rockwood, Tenn., five bass, 16-2, $1,216

3^rd: Blake Smith of Byrdstown, Tenn., five bass, 16-2, $1,216

3^rd: Eric Foister of Clarksville, Tenn., five bass, 16-2, $1,216

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

Ratliff brought a 5-pound, 4-ounce bass to the scale to win Saturday’s Boater Big Bass award of $710.

Seth Davis of Harrison, Tennessee, 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.

Alex Gault of Flintville, Tennessee, won the Co-angler Division and $2,381 Saturday after catching a five-bass limit weighing 15 pounds, 3 ounces.

The top five co-anglers Saturday finished as follows:

1^st: Alex Gault of Flintville, Tenn., five bass, 15-3, $2,381

2^nd: Wayne Crouch of Jamestown, Tenn., five bass, 12-11, $1,191

3^rd: Tracy Helton of London, Ky., five bass, 12-2, $673

3^rd: Bryce Shockley of Byrdstown, Tenn., five bass, 12-2, $673

5^th: Bert Kissick of Danville, Ky., five bass, 12-0, $476

Dakota Cantrell of Decherd, Tennessee, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division Saturday, weighing in at 4 pounds, 2 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $355.

On Sunday, Adkins won the event flipping a jig, throwing a Carolina rig and on a crankbait.

“I caught a big one early flipping, then it really slowed down on me,” Adkins said. “Around 11 o’clock I caught two on a Carolina rig. A little later my co-angler caught one on a drop-shot rig and when he brought that fish up, there were 40 to 50 fish right with it.

“So, I picked up a crankbait and caught them right then in a flurry. It happened quick and was magical for about 30 minutes. It was one of the same spots where I caught a few Saturday, but today it was just lights out.

“When it’s your time, it’s your time and everything just came together for me,” Adkins went on to say.

The top five boaters on Sunday were:

1^st: Brad Adkins of West Liberty, Ky., five bass, 18-8, $5,584

2^nd: Blake Smith of Byrdstown, Tenn., five bass, 16-3, $2,292

3^rd: Talmadge Marcum of McKee, Ky., five bass, 15-0, $1,529

4^th: Eric Foister of Clarksville, Tenn., five bass, 14-14, $1,070

5^th: Josh Bolen of Wayland, Ky., five bass, 13-10, $917

Complete results for Sunday’s event on Dale Hollow can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Sam Morgan of Coalmont, Tennessee, brought a 4-pound, 11-ounce bass to the scale to win Sunday’s Boater Big Bass award of $675.

William Merrick of Mount Juliet, Tennessee, was Sunday’s highest-finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member and took home an extra $500.

Jimmy Dean of Stanford, Kentucky, won the Co-angler Division and $2,292 Sunday after catching five bass weighing 15 pounds, 13 ounces.

The top five co-anglers Sunday finished as follows:

1^st: Jimmy Dean of Stanford, Ky., five bass, 15-13, $2,292

2^nd: Wayne Crouch of Jamestown, Tenn., five bass, 12-15, $1,146

3^rd: Bill Haunert of Byrdstown, Tenn., five bass, 12-9, $765

4^th: Brandon Barker of Nicholasville, Ky., five bass, 12-8, $496

4^th: Jared Rudd of Salyersville, Ky., five bass, 12-8, $496

Doug Dewar of Burlington, Kentucky, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, weighing in at 4 pounds, 3 ounces. The catch earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $337.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine Double-Header on Dale Hollow Lake was hosted by Star Point Marina & Resort. It was the second and third of five qualifying events in the Mountain Division.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the Mountain 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 & 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

Barnett Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Indian Lake

Okeana’s Jones Wins Co-angler Division

LAKEVIEW, Ohio (June 8, 2020) – Boater John Barnett of Huntsville, Ohio, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 13 pounds even to win the 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine event at Indian Lake in Lakeview, Ohio. For his victory, Barnett earned a total of $4,872.

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

“I fished on the north end of the lake, by Long Island,” said Barnett, who earned his first career FLW win. “I was punching a mixture of grass – a lot of coon tails – keying in on patches that had deeper water around it. I got most of my good bites around 3½- to 4-foot-deep, which on this lake is relatively deep.”

Although he didn’t divulge any specifics, Barnett said he punched with both beaver- and craw-type baits with ¾- and 1¼-ounce weights, cycling through different setups to see what the bass wanted.

“I found those fish two weeks ago and pretty much just expanded on my area,” Barnett went on to say. “I had a set game plan of what I wanted to do in this tournament, and everything worked out for me.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:

1^st: John Barnett of Huntsville, Ohio., five bass, 13-0, $4,872

2^nd: Brody Campbell of Oxford, Ohio, five bass, 12-13, $2,436

3^rd: Benjamin Quisno of Maineville, Ohio, five bass, 11-4, $1,623

4^th: Gaige Hennon of New Hampshire, Ohio, five bass, 11-3, $1,137

5^th: Robert Grosse of Thornville, Ohio, five bass, 11-0, $1,474

6^th: Douglas Lyon of Cincinnati, Ohio, five bass, 10-10, $893

7^th: Todd Miller of Hamilton, Ohio, five bass, 10-8, $812

8^th: Ronald Nutter of Newark, Ohio, five bass, 10-5, $731

9^th: Michael Nesbitt of St. Paris, Ohio, five bass, 10-3, $609

9^th: Brandon Cline of Wheelersburg, Ohio, five bass, 10-3, $609

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

William Redmond of Sciotoville, Ohio, claimed the day’s Boater Big Bass Award of $735 after bringing a 4-pound bass to the scale.

Grosse 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.

Brent Jones of Okeana, Ohio, won the Co-angler Division and $2,436 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 9 pounds, 4 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:

1^st: Brent Jones of Okeana, Ohio, five bass, 9-4, $2,436

2^nd: Eric Wild of Brooklyn, Mich., five bass, 8-12, $1,383

2^nd: Jefferey Shields of Covington, Ohio, five bass, 8-12, $1,016

4^th: John McKenzie of Athens, Ohio, five bass, 8-8, $568

5^th: Aaron Stahley of Batavia, Ohio, five bass, 8-7, $487

6^th: Joel Berelsman of Minster, Ohio, five bass, 7-15, $447

7^th: James Mayle of Newark, Ohio, four bass, 7-10, $406

8^th: Chris McCusker of Beaver Falls, Pa., four bass, 7-9, $345

8^th: Steve Sorrell of Beavercreek, Ohio, five bass, 7-9, $345

10^th: Jeff Gauspohl of Dayton, Ky., four bass, 7-8, $284

Wild caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, weighing in at 3 pounds, 11 ounces. The catch added to his winnings as he earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $367.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the Buckeye Division presented by A.R.E. Truck Caps based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 16-18 Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Cherokee Lake 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

Inaugural Alabama Bass Trail 100 Series Sells Out in less than Two Days

Decatur, Ala. (June 4, 2020) – Tournament officials announce registration is closed for the inaugural 2021 Alabama Bass Trail (ABT) 100 Series, with all 100 of the available boat entries selling out in 39 hours. The 2021 ABT 100 series gets underway January 9.

Registration for the 2021 ABT 100 Series opened to the public June 1, 2020, and reached its limit within 39 hours. “The Alabama Bass Trail 100 was created to continue efforts to grow the economic impacts of tourism in smaller lakeside communities. We are thrilled to have anglers, including 10 professional anglers, from 12 states competing in these events while showcasing our lakes to the world. I can't thank the anglers, sponsors and host cities enough for believing in the Alabama Bass Trail 100,” said Kay Donaldson, program director for the Alabama Bass Trail.

According to Donaldson, teams will be traveling from 12 states, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee, Florida, North Carolina, Ohio, Minnesota, Missouri, Indiana, Illinois and Texas to compete in the 2021 ABT 100 series. The Alabama Bass Trail and its tournaments create an estimated economic impact of over $3 million dollars for the state of Alabama annually.

The ABT 100 Series is open to professional and amateur anglers and features three tournaments. Tournament dates and locations for 2021 Alabama Bass Trail 100 Series:

January 9, 2021 Lay Lake / hosted by Shelby County Commission

June 5, 2021 Lake Eufaula / hosted by Eufaula-Barbour Chamber of Commerce

November 20, 2021 Lake Guntersville / hosted by Marshall County Convention and Visitors Bureau

Each tournament features a $25,000 guaranteed first place prize and pays 20 places plus a $1,000 big fish totaling $100,000.

Payout Schedule:

First place $25,000

Second place $12,500

Third place $10,000

Fourth place $ 9,000

Fifth place $ 7,500

Sixth place $ 6,000

Seventh place $ 5,000

Eighth place $ 4,000

Ninth place $ 3,000

Tenth place $ 2,000

11th – 20th $ 1,500 each

Big Fish $ 1,000

The ABT 100 Series will be televised on Fox Sports Southeast later in 2021. The weigh-in and live leaderboard will be streamed live on www.AlabamaBassTrail100.org and on Facebook at Alabama Bass Trail 100 Series.

ABT 100 Series sponsors include Phoenix Bass Boats, FishAlabama.org, Bill Penney Toyota, America’s First Federal Credit Union, American Baitworks, T-H Marine Supplies, Inc., Wedowee Marine and Garmin.

For more information, call Donaldson at 855.934.7425 or visit online at www.AlabamaBassTrail100.org, on Facebook at Alabama Bass Trail 100 Series and on Instagram at albasstrail100.

First Name	Last Name	City	State	First Name	Last Name	City	State
Lee	Holmes	Talladega	AL	Alan	Guinn	Talladega	AL
Eric	Morris	Lineville	AL	Alex	Davis	Albertville	AL
Walt	Roberts	Gautier	MS	Justin	Sward	D'iberville	MS
Gerald	Swindle	Guntersville	AL	Ryan	Anaya	Eva	AL
Steve	Hatfield	Ashland	OH	Jim	Leary	Guntersville	AL
Rusty	Mask	Dadeville	AL	Cody	Farr	Alexander City	AL
Ken	Walters	Deatsville	AL	Dallas	Weldon	Tallassee	AL
Travis	Clemen	Clarks Hill	IN	Ricky	Clemen	Lebanon	MO
Ashley	Brasher	Clanton	AL	Roger	Perkins	Verbena	AL
Shane	Meers	Rome	GA	James	Meers	Rome	GA
James	Blount	Kinsey	AL	Robert	Blount	Dothan	Al
Phillip	Dukes	Rainsville	AL	Bailey	Dukes	Rainsville	AL
David	Pair	Abbeville	AL	Chad	Wise	Dothan	AL
Teron	Prince	New hope	AL	Jeff	Stubblefield	Grant	AL
Kevin	Allman	Bryson City	NC	Jack	Tibbs	Eufaula	AL
Paul	Thornton	Laurel	MS	James	Carter	Laurel	MS
Darian	Kyle	Athens	AL	Billy	Adcock	Athens	AL
Mike	Rasco	Madison	AL	Eric	Johnson	Columbus	IN
Matthew	Adams	Oxford	AL	Jason	Borden	Union Grove	AL
James	Grogan	Fort Mitchell	AL	Ryan	Ingram	Phenix City	AL
Greg	Lamb	Birchwood	TN	Jason	Lambert	Miche	TN
Scott	Canterbury	Odenville	AL	Terry	Stevens	Marianna	FL
Jerry	Evans	Semmes	AL	Cody	Evans	Semmes	AL
Kevin	Stubblefield	Guntersville	AL	Scott	Randles	Grant	AL
Derrick	Smith	Waleksa	GA	Brian	Shook	Taylorsville	GA
Walker	Kent	Chelsea	AL	Nick	Harris	Alabaster	AL
Heath	Greene	Eufaula	AL	Ethan	Greene	Eufaula	AL
Sean	Kendrick	Calera	AL	Tommy	Leverette	Chelsea	AL
Randy	Tolbert jr	Rome	GA	Josh	Butler	Hayden	AL
Charlie	Williams	Lagrange	GA	Michael	Smith	Luthersville	GA
Wesley	Sams	Vinemont	AL	Jordan	Wiggins	Cullman	AL
Jordan	Lee	Cullman	AL	Wes	Ward	Guntersville	AL
Tim	Daily	Tuscaloosa	AL	Todd	Watkins	Berry	Al
Matthew	Fincher	Tuscumbia	AL	Jacob	Kimbrough	Florence	AL
William	Tager	Arab	AL	Ray	Baker	Madison	AL
Scott	Dondlinger	Birmingham	AL	Garrett	Warren	Hoover	AL
Dale	Manning	Scottsboro	AL	Kevin	Beasley	Hollywood	AL
Thomas	Garbacz	Cumming	GA	Frank	Spacil	Downers Grove	IL
Shane	Horton	Wilsonville	AL	Brandon	Horton	Wilsonville	AL
Wendell	Edgil	Winfield	AL	Charlie	Harris	Athens	AL
Aaron	Knott	Anoka	MN	Adam	Bartusek	Lakeville	MN
Daniel	Robison	Collinsville	AL	Brody	Robison	Collinsville	AL
Jerry	Hartline	Cedartown	GA	Robbin	Vaughn	Arley	AL
Ethan	Franklin	Hayden	AL	Hunter	Mccarty	Hayden	AL
Ronnie	Ray	Phenix City	AL	Danny	Cotney	Camp Hill	AL
Blaine	Stevens	Ozark	AL	Mark	Tindol	New Brockton	AL
Jason	Cannon	Lawrenceburg	TN	Michael	Brewer	Lawrenceburg	TN
Jackie	Flack	Cullman	AL	Ethan	Flack	Baileyton	AL
Lisa	Johnson	Centre	AL	Mike	Johnson	Centre	AL
Anthony	Goggins	Clanton	AL	Dustin	Wood	Eufaula	AL
Don	Thomas	Smith Station	Al	Scott	Flournoy	Salem	AL
Paul	Davis	Pell City	AL	Josh	Chapple	Pell City	AL
William	Davis jr.	Sylacauga	AL	Scott	Montgomery	Eufaula	AL
Philip	Junkin	Northport	AL	Joe	Bridges	Northport	AL
Ronald	Terry	Seale	AL	Taylor	Terry	Seale	AL
Taylor	Ashley	Warrior	AL	Chase	Kanute	Warrior	AL
Caleb	Mcneal	Prattville	AL	Taylor	Luna	Prattville	AL
Tim	Hurst	Oxford	AL	Mark	McCaig	Oxford	AL
Brent	Crow	Hartselle	Al	Jssse	Wiggins	Logan	AL
Jimmy	Miller	Eclectic	AL	Mark	Stillwell	Eclectic	AL
Jeston	Anderson	Mobile	Al	Lee	Carpenter	Wilmer	AL
Robert	Croxton	Lilburn	GA	Mark	Compton	Lilburn	GA
Logan	Johnson	Tuscaloosa	AL	Jeremy	Christian	Mccalla	AL
Jonathan	Collins	Vinemont	AL	Derek	Hicks	Dalton	GA
Sam	Long	Gadsden	AL	Jason	Atkins	Section	AL
Randal	Hamilton	Plantersville	AL	Randal	Hamilton	Plantersville	AL
Jace	Thompson	Opelika	AL	Thomas	Eden	Salem	AL
Clent	Davis	Montevallo	AL	Lance	Poe	Jemison	AL
Nicholas	Turner	Clanton	AL	Joe	Lay	Coker	AL
Brian	Adamson	Bowdon	GA	Ryan	Lloyd	Carrolton	GA
Matt	Henry	Milledgeville	GA	Justin	Kimmel	Athens	GA
Brain	Stiffler	Pelham	AL	Chad	Hall	Cullman	AL
Kristian	Cabarcas	Springfield	TN	Kendale	Roach	Lebanon	TN
Matt	Lee	Bremen	AL	Grant	Hopson	Bremen	AL
Jimmy	Whaley	Mcdonough	GA	Terry	Adams	Mansfield	GA
Timothy	Hatcher	Trussville	AL	Bob	Behrle	Hoover	AL
Kyle	Schuchard	Mulga	AL	Adam	Christen	Arab	AL
Morgan	Brown	Spanish Fort	AL	Michael	Roush	Mobile	AL
Justin	Lynch	Guntersville	AL	Nathan	Martin	Tuscumbia	AL
Waylon	Mullis	Duncanville	AL	Ridge	Mullis	Duncanville	AL
Mickey	Mchenry	Eatonton	GA	Kim	Carver	Milledgeville	GA
Jason	Christy	Jackson's Gap	AL	Brandon	Pritchard	Auburn	AL
John	Brown	Wedowee	AL	Trey	Sorrells	Wedowee	AL
Andy	Chappell	Warrior	AL	Johnny	McCombs	Morris	AL
Nolen	Spencer	Beechgrove	TN	Robby	Spencer	Shelbyville	TN
Matt	Allen	Lewisburg	TN	Ted	Paisley	Christana	TN
Joel	Green	Moulton	AL	Allen	Johnson	Trinity	AL
Stephen	Mcavoy	Springville	AL	Joshua	Butts	Springville	AL
Kris	Colley	Ragland	AL	Adam	Bain	Talladega	AL
John	Fredrick	Hamilton	GA	John	Lee	Cataula	GA
Lonnie	Cochran	Section	AL	Lee	Livesay	Longview	TX
Steve	Graziano	Phenix City	AL	Steve	Graziano	Phenix city	AL
Mark	Succi	Midland	GA	Frank	Bradfield	Fortson	GA
Mike	Young	Suwanee	GA	Mel	Kennedy	Cumming	GA
Eric	Daugherty	Hiram	GA	Tate	Gragg	Hiram	GA
Stephen	Perry	Montgomery	AL	Matt	Tanaka	Cecil	AL
Scott	Saucer	Frisco city	AL	William	Bean	Mccalla	AL
Bo	Quinnie	Tuscaloosa	AL	Deandrae	Kimbrough	Tuscaloosa	AL
Zachariah	Smith	Decherd	TN	Bill	Darby	Fayetteville	TN
Lavoyd	Lemmond	Decatur	AL	Zachary	Lemmond	Hillsboro	AL

by AnglersChannel

Major League Fishing Resumes Live Competition: Birge Buries the Field

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 7, 2020 (Kissimmee, Fla.) Major League Fishing (MLF) returned to live sports with their biggest event yet, Sunday on the Kissimmee Chain. Favorite Fishing pro Zack Birge leads Group A after the first day of the Qualifying Round in the inaugural Toyota Heavy Hitters presented by Venmo, which boasts $753,000 in payouts. Brent Ehrler leads Group A for the Heavy Hitters big-fish bonus with an eight-pound, six-ounce largemouth. The remaining 39 Pros (Group B) including current Bass Pro Tour leader Ott DeFoe and Florida-favorite Bobby Lane, take to the water Monday morning. The competition continues daily through Friday.

MLF resumed the 2020 Bass Pro Tour season after an 80-day, mid-season pause to minimize the spread of COVID-19. Due to the socially distant nature of competitive bass fishing and the unique MLF format, MLF moved forward with live competition while other professional sports remain paused. The MLF format, which features catch-weigh-and immediately release, eliminates a traditional weigh-in by weighing the fish on the boat and recording the cumulative weight in the proprietary SCORETRACKER® over the nine-hour day.

29-year-old Zack Birge led the field nearly the entire day after catching his first of 17 scoreable bass in the first 11 minutes of regulation. Birge finished the day with 53 pounds, seven ounces and a substantial, 17-pound lead over second place, which he said was his goal going into the round.

“I started off a little slow, but I ended strong,” said Birge. “I had two goals coming into today’s round: I wanted to have a little cushion and get some good points toward my REDCREST qualification. The only thing I missed was a big fish; but I caught a 5-8 so that’s good. It was a good day.”

Birge caught the majority of scorable fish on a Yo-Zuri 3DB Series 1.5 squarebill crankbait in gizzard shad, including his biggest fish of the day, which weighed in at 5 pounds, 8 ounces. As the day wound down on MLFNOW!, MLF sports commentator JT Kenney highlighted his surprise that Birge was one of the only anglers to focus on the creeks and currents around the lake. When asked about his strategy, Birge says he goes against the grain by following the current and his roots.

“Many people from out of state, when they fish Florida, follow what they read or hear as the ‘right thing to do in Florida,” commented Birge, who lives in Oklahoma. “But for me, since I started fishing Florida in 2015, I bring what I do in Oklahoma to Florida and that seems to work. Fish love current, so I go to the current and it worked again.”

MLF Rookie Bryan Thrift marched his way to second place finish with 12 fish totaling 36 pounds, seven ounces. Sticking with an offshore, vegetation strategy, Thrift changed up the bait to keep the fish biting racking up six on a worm in the third period alone.

“I was hoping they would bite a moving bait, something I could cover a lot of water with,” reflected Thrift. “It was about midway through the second period, I stopped being hard-headed and put the worm in the water, which resulted in quite of few bites.”

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. California Pro Brent Ehrler leads the Group A race for the biggest bass with an eight-pound-six-ounce largemouth. Ehrler caught the lunker on a six-inch Senko bait by Gary Yamamoto in black and blue color.

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

Place	Angler	Total Weight	Total Fish	Largest Fish
1	Zack Birge	52-07	17	5-08
2	Bryan Thrift	36-07	12	3-13
3	Gary Klein	31-06	11	4-02
4	John Murray	29-06	6	7-13
5	Jordan Lee	25-05	6	6-13
6	Justin Lucas	20-05	4	8-03
7	Jacob Wheeler	19-10	5	5-11
8	Casey Ashley	19-06	5	6-11
9	Kelly Jordon	17-15	7	3-02
10	Boyd Duckett	17-11	6	5-00

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

The competition continues Monday when Group B takes to the water for the first day of their Qualifying Round, which includes Florida Pros Bobby Lane and Terry Scroggins, alongside the 2020 Bass Pro Tour Points leader Ott DeFoe. MLF Pro Aaron Martens remains sidelined due to ongoing cancer treatment and will not compete, which renders the Heavy Hitters field at 79 Pros. While he will not earn points toward the 2020 Bass Pro Tour Points race, Martens’ fellow anglers did vote that he will receive an 80^th place prize, $4,000.

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

Pending no weather delays, the day begins with launch at Big Toho Marina, Kissimmee, Fla., 6:15 a.m. ETbefore 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

Vandiver’s Stracner Wins Toyota Series Tournament at Lake Eufaula

EUFAULA, Ala. (June 6, 2020) – Alabama boater Josh Stracner of Vandiver, Alabama, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 22 pounds, 3 ounces to win the three-day Toyota Series at Lake Eufaulatournament in Eufaula, Alabama. Stracner’s three-day total of 15 bass weighing 64-15 earned him the win by a 2-pound, 2-ounce margin over second-place angler Ryan Ingram of Phenix City, Alabama, and earned Stracner the top payout of $29,034 in the first tournament of the 2020 Toyota Series Southeastern Division.

This is Stracner’s fourth FLW win on Lake Eufaula – first on the Toyota Series – but midway through the day, it didn’t look like he was going to be able to pull off the come-from-behind victory after starting the day in third place.

Stracner started the day doing what he’d done the previous two days of competition – fishing deep ledges in the mid-lake area. But today, it just wasn’t happening. With 13 to 14 pounds in the livewell and a few hours left to fish, Stracner knew he needed to change up. Eventually, he shifted to fishing shallow brush – in this case 12 to 15 feet deep – which quickly proved to be the right move.

“I did not even think about it moving shallow until about 12 o’clock, and the deep stuff wasn’t working,” Stracner said. “So I went shallow and started catching a few. I caught enough that I just stayed with it the rest of the day. And right before this storm came through, I caught three good ones on back-to-back stops.”

Stracner said that he used about a half-dozen baits throughout the week to catch the winning fish. His main ledge baits on the first two days of competition were a Strike King 10XD and 6-inch Scottsboro Tackle Co. Swimbait on a Scottsboro Recon Head. Saturday, fishing brush, he caught some on a Reaction Innovations Fat Flirt Worm, and a Z-Man ChatterBait.

“I can’t believe it,” Stracner went on to say. “I never really thought I could’ve won it. I was just hoping to stay in second or third. I just had to work real hard this week. You’ve got to be on the right stuff at the right time. Everything’s got to go right, and today was just my day. That’s really all I can say. I feel very fortunate right now.”

The top 10 pros on Lake Eufaula finished:

1^st: Josh Stracner of Vandiver, Ala., 15 bass, 64-15, $29,034

2^nd: Ryan Ingram of Phenix City, Ala., 15 bass, 62-13, $10,669

3^rd: Bryan New of Belmont, N.C., 15 bass, 61-8, $8,260

4^th: Michael M. Smith, Andalusia, Ala., 15 bass, 61-2, $6,883

5^th: Shane Powell of Dothan, Ala., 15 bass, 61-0, $6,195

6^th: Josh Butler of Hayden, Ala., 15 bass, 58-0, $6,507

7^th: Scott Montgomery of Eufaula, Ala., 15 bass, 56-8, $4,899

8^th: Dustin Smith of Grand Island, Fla., 15 bass, 54-13, $4,130

9^th: Austin Lang of Kinsey, Ala., 15 bass, 53-12, $3,442

10^th: Kacy Mims of Randolph, Ala., 15 bass, 53-11, $2,753

A complete list of results can be found atFLWFishing.com.

Butler took home an extra $1,000 as the highest finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member. Boaters are eligible to win up to an extra $35,000 per event in each Toyota Series tournament if all requirements are met. More information on the FLW PHOENIX BONUS contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.

Hank Golden of Tallassee, Alabama, brought a 6-pound, 12-ounce largemouth bass to the scale Friday – the largest fish weighed by a boater in the event – to earn the day’s Big Bass award of $81.

Blake Lewis of Pace, Florida, won the Co-angler Division Saturday with a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 44 pounds, 4 ounces. Lewis took home the top prize package of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard motor.

The top 10 co-anglers on Lake Eufaula finished:

1^st: Blake Lewis of Pace, Fla., 15 bass, 44-4, Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat w/115-hp outboard

2^nd: Cal Culpepper of Hamilton, Ga., 15 bass, 43-9, $3,544

3^rd: Bryce Goff of Haines City, Fla., 15 bass, 40-14, $2,836

4^th: Chuck Laslie of Havana, Fla., 15 bass, 39-7, $2,481

5^th: Joseph Chilcott of Crestview, Fla., 13 bass, 39-1, $2,127

6^th: Daniel Corkern of Florence, Miss., 15 bass, 38-14, $1,772

7^th: Todd Beaver of Richland, Ga., 15 bass, 38-0, $1,418

8^th: Tony Muina of Wewahitchka, Fla., 13 bass, 37-8, $1,241

9^th: Alan Ray of Georgetown, Ga., 12 bass, 37-1, $1,117

10^th: Ronald Harris of Jefferson, Ga., 14 bass, 33-5, $886

Rob Lyerly of Smyrna, Georgia, weighed in the largest bass in the co-angler division on Thursday, bringing a 6-pound, 7-ounce bass to the stage. He earned the days Co-angler Big Bass award of $54.

The Toyota Series at Lake Eufaula was hosted by the Eufaula Barbour County Chamber of Commerce. It was the first of three regular-season tournaments in 2020 for Southeastern Division anglers. For a complete schedule, visit FLWFishing.com.

The Toyota Series consists of eight divisions – Central, Eastern, Northern, Plains, Southeastern, Southern, Southwestern and Western – each holding three regular-season events, along with the International division. Anglers who fish all three qualifiers in any of the eight divisions and finish in the top 25 will qualify for the no-entry-fee Toyota Series Championship for a shot at winning $235,000 cash, including a $35,000 FLW PHOENIX Bonus for qualified anglers. The winning co-angler at the championship earns a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard. The 2020 Toyota Series Championship will be held Dec. 3-5 on Lake Cumberland in Burnside, Kentucky, and is hosted by the Somerset Tourist & Convention Commission and the Burnside Tourism Commission.

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

by AnglersChannel

Smith remains in the lead at Eufaula with 50 pounds even

June 5, 2020 by Curtis Niedermier - FLWFishing.com

If you could pick which days you’d catch your two biggest limits ever on a lake, you’d probably want them to come on the first two days of a major bass tournament, right?

Well, Michael Smith can attest to just how fun it is when the dream scenario occurs. Competing in the Toyota Series Southeastern Division event at Lake Eufaula this week, the Andalusia, Ala., pro weighed in 25 pounds, 7 ounces yesterday to take the lead and backed it up with 24-9 today. His 50-pound two-day total has Smith ahead of second-place pro Scott Montgomery by 5 pounds, 9 ounces.

“It’s been a magical week,” says Smith. “Those are the two biggest bags I’ve ever weighed on Eufaula, and they were back to back. I picked the right week to figure it out. I put a lot of time in and found a lot of good places. I could’ve probably had a bigger bag. I jumped off a 4 1/2 and broke one off today that I couldn’t even get off the bottom. So, I don’t know. I’m cautiously optimistic.

“I said yesterday I had about 30 places to hit and only hit 15 to get to what I had, and I probably only hit 15 again today. I’ve still got some places that I haven’t even hit in the tournament. The places that I have been catching them I haven’t pressured at all the last two days. I’ve pulled up, caught two or three, and then left before I’ve broke the schools up.”

Smith is targeting schools of bass on offshore ledges. Today, he couldn’t even get on the four schools that were his best from yesterday. There were boats on them this morning, and he never needed them in the afternoon.

“We’re going to hit every one of them tomorrow,” he adds. “I’ve quit fishing every day at 12 because it’s hard to cull 4-pounders. Tomorrow, there’s only going to be 10 people out here, and we’re going to burn ’em to the ground.”

Smith is fishing a combination of moving baits and slower soft plastics. The moving options are working well early in the day, but he slows it down midday once the lull sets in.

He also thinks he’s got some “sneaky” places on Eufaula that his competition might not have found. That’s one explanation for why he’s catching 25 pounds a day and some of the other sticks in this tournament, all of whom seem to be sharing schools, aren’t able to keep the same pace.

“I think just having a lot of places is key,” Smith says. “And some of it is probably just being fortunate to not get in a bad rotation. If you get in a bad rotation and you’re fishing behind people all day, you’re going to be having a tough time and wondering what’s going on. I think hitting as many fresh places as you can early while they’re biting is key. Almost every one of those fish I weighed in was the first cast I made on the place that I stopped on. If you pull up and make five casts and you haven’t caught one, you need to go somewhere else. A lot of these are one-cast deals, and they’re either there or they’re not. And if a big one’s there, he’s gonna bite it.”

Top 10 pros

1. Michael M. Smith – Andalusia, Ala. – 50-0 (10)

2. Scott Montgomery – Eufaula, Ala. – 44-7 (10)

3. Josh Stracner – Vandiver, Ala. – 42-12 (10)

4. Josh Butler – Hayden, Ala. – 41-9 (10)

5. Shane Powell – Dothan, Ala. – 40-12 (10)

6. Bryan New – Belmont, N.C. – 38-14 (10)

7. Ryan Ingram – Phenix City, Ala. – 38-14 (10)

8. Austin Lang – Kinsey, Ala. – 37-13 (10)

9. Kacy Mims – Randolph, Ala. – 37-11 (10)

10. Dustin Smith – Grand Island, Fla. – 37-8 (10)

Complete results

CULPEPPER MOVES INTO CO-ANGLER LEAD

After opening up the tournament with a second-place showing yesterday, Hamilton, Ga., co-angler Cal Culpepper caught 13 pounds, 5 ounces today to move into first place. His two-day total of 31-7 has Culpepper just 1 pound, 6 ounces ahead of Alan Ray in second place.

Top 10 co-anglers

1. Cal Culpepper – Hamilton, Ga. – 31-7 (10)

2. Alan Ray – Georgetown, Ga. – 30-1 (8)

3. Tony Muina – Wewahitchka, Fla. – 29-13 (10)

4. Blake Lewis – Pace, Fla. – 28-14 (10)

5. Bryce Goff – Haines City, Fla. – 28-7 (10)

6. Joseph Chilcott – Crestview, Fla. – 26-11 (8)

7. Todd Beaver – Richland, Ga. – 26-11 (10)

8. Daniel Corkern – Florence, Miss. – 25-4 (10)

9. Chuck Laslie – Havana, Fla. – 25-2 (10)

10. Ronald Harris – Jefferson, Ga. – 23-11 (10)

Complete results

by AnglersChannel

Smith tops 25 pound limit. Leads day 1 of FLW TOYOTA Series on Eufaula

June 4, 2020 by Curtis Niedermier - FLW

It’s a 90-minute drive from Michael Smith’s Andalusia, Ala., home to Lakepoint Resort State Park where the Toyota Series Southeastern Division kicked off its season today on Lake Eufaula. That’s just close enough, says Smith, that he fishes here more than anywhere else. His understanding of how Eufaula’s bass transition from the bank to postspawn ares to the main lake really showed today while Smith put together an impressive 25-pound, 7-ounce limit to gain the day-one tournament lead.

Complete results

“I actually won a BFL here a few years ago and won a bunch of other little bit smaller events than this, so I’ve had a lot of success out here,” he says. “This isn’t really my favorite time of year, so I put in a lot of work before this tournament because I really knew I needed to. A lot of those places I found really paid off today.”

Smith says the bass in Eufaula are doing a “little bit of all of it,” meaning they’re still on the bank, transitioning to postspawn areas, setting up on summer spots, and now returning to the bank to capitalize on a mayfly hatch and spawning bluegills.

He spent part of his morning trying to find a big bite up shallow before switching gears and moving offshore. Once he made the move, Smith pounded out his 25-and-change limit by noon and then went back to the bank to “mess around” and see if he could luck into a giant. He never did.

“You couldn’t catch anything over 2 pounds [up shallow],” he says. “I kind of figured that, but there were a couple places where I thought I could get lucky and maybe catch a big one, but I didn’t.

“I don’t think I’ll fish shallow any tomorrow, but I think it was worth giving it a shot.”

Of the offshore bite, he says bass are in the “in between” range in 8 to 15 feet as well as on true river-channel ledges.

“I kind of tasted all of it today, but I’m kind of in more that mid-depth range,” Smith adds. “I did catch a few out deeper, but I’m in the mid-depth crowd catching them that are just getting out there. They seem to be the ones that are willing to bite. They just got off the bank, just got done spawning, and they’re feeding up to recuperate.”

With new fish coming to him, Smith is cautiously optimistic about his chances at a repeat performance tomorrow.

“I had about 30 places that I caught one over 4 pounds in practice, and I only had to hit about half of those today to catch what I had, and really had almost quit,” he says. “I had 22 at, like, 9 o’clock and kind of was just messing around from there. And from 9 to 12 I caught a 4 1/2 and a 5. That kicked me up to 25. So after that I was for sure done. I left a lot of stuff out there, [but don’t know] whether people hit it today. But it got to the point where I was culling almost 4-pounders, and I didn’t feel like that was a good idea for the rest of the event. I definitely left some stuff, so we’ll see if it works out.”

Top 10 pros

1. Michael M Smith – Andalusia, Ala. – 25-7 (5)

2. Josh Stracner – Vandiver, Ala. – 23-9 (5)

3. Scott Montgomery – Eufaula, Ala. – 23-5 (5)

4. Shane Powell – Dothan, Ala. – 23-0 (5)

5. Josh Bragg – Jacksonville, Ala. – 20-12 (5)

6. Laker Howell – Guntersville, Ala. – 20-5 (5)

7. Bryan New – Belmont, N.C. – 19-11 (5)

8. Clabion Johns – Social Circle, Ga. – 19-7 (5)

9. Ryan Ingram – Phenix City, Ala. – 19-4 (5)

10. Chandler Ray – Georgetown, Ga. – 19-1 (5)

Complete results

CHILCOTT SETS CO-ANGLER PACE WITH 19-2

Crestview, Fla., co-angler Joseph Chilcott had himself a big day today fishing with pro Matt Baty. Chilcott cracked 19 pounds, 2 ounces to open the event in first place with a 1-pound cushion over Cal Culpepper, setting himself up for a shot at a brand-new Phoenix bass boat.

"We started the day off shallow and weren't really getting bit, so we jumped around and hit some ledges and brush," Chilcott says. "We pretty much just went spot to spot and never really stayed anywhere too long. For me, everything just worked out perfect. I didn't lose any fish. Every fish I set the hook on came in the boat, and I just lucked up and got into some good fish. Matt's an excellent guide, obviously. It was a really good day for me."

Top 10 co-anglers

1. Joseph Chilcott – Crestview, Fla. – 19-2 (5)

2. Cal Culpepper – Hamilton, Ga. – 18-2 (5)

3. Alan Ray – Georgetown, Ga. – 17-4 (5)

3. Andrew Wade – Thomaston, Ga. – 17-4 (5)

5. Tacorrie Johnson – Columbus, Ga. – 16-7 (5)

6. Garrett Brown – Trion, Ga. – 15-14 (5)

7. Blake Lewis – Pace, Fla. – 15-11 (5)

8. Greg Bearden – Oxford, Ala. – 14-11 (5)

9. Bob Morin – Seymour, Tenn. – 14-1 (5)

10. Tony Muina – Wewahitchka, Fla. – 14-0 (5)

10. Chuck Laslie – Havana, Fla. – 14-0 (5)

Complete results

by AnglersChannel

ASA Reveals Plans for ICAST 2020 Online

ICAST Online will virtually connect the sportfishing industry this July 13 – 17

Alexandria, VA – May 29, 2020 – ICAST, the world’s largest recreational fishing trade show, has transitioned from a physical show to a virtual event with ICAST 2020 Online. The American Sportfishing Association (ASA), the show’s producer, is committed to delivering attendees and exhibitors alike an engaging, interactive online trade show experience.

The virtual trade show will take place July 13 - 17, 2020, and will offer virtual “booths” where exhibitors will showcase their products and services, host virtual press conferences, schedule live and on demand product demonstrations, set up virtual meetings with buyers and media, engage in live chat and much more.

ICAST Online will also include the always popular New Product Showcase Best of Category and Best of Show voting and awards. New for this year, verified buyers and media will vote through a password protected portal.

ICAST Online will offer both public and password-activated access to different sections of the show experience such as the online FLW ICAST Cup Bass Fishing Tournament and an interactive scavenger hunt. Also featured will be business education seminars and other interactive events for buyers, media and the angling public.

During ICAST week, ASA will host several conservation related events that will engage the recreational fishing audience with our nation’s conservation efforts and critical needs for the future.

ASA will also offer seminars, interviews and presentations that focus on the business needs of small businesses, in particular our independent retailers.

“With ICAST Online, ASA will continue to bring people and products together,” said ASA President Glenn Hughes. “This July, retail buyers, media and all show attendees will connect with product experts, manufacturing sales teams and other industry professionals to see and learn about the latest products in the fishing industry, as well as engage on issues that matter most to our industry. All online from their home or office.”

Hughes further noted, “Now, more than ever, it’s crucial that we continue to meet the needs of our angling customers. Working with our show production partners, we’re able to offer this virtual experience in an innovative 24/7 format which will have an impact across the global sportfishing industry not just during ICAST week, but long after the show is over.”

Accessing ICAST 2020 Online
The ICAST website is still the one-stop “shop” for all things ICAST. Buyers and media who registered in 2017, 2018 and 2019 will be automatically registered for the 2020 show with access to MyShowPlanner.

“The MyShowPlanner combines planning and logistics into one easy-to-use tool,” said Trade Show and Membership Vice President Blake Swango. “By creating their show account, attendees can add exhibitors and products as well as save appointments, sessions and demos to a personalized calendar. We see a huge opportunity to connect our member exhibitors with more buyers.”

Hughes concluded, “Since we can’t do it in person this year, ICAST Online will bring our community together virtually, and reach a larger audience of anglers than ever before!”

by AnglersChannel

Minn Kota® and Humminbird® One-Boat Challenge Series to be Featured on Mossy Oak Go App

RACINE, Wis. (May 27, 2020) — Many of you fish-heads have witnessed the One-Boat Challenge on the internet over the past month or so, and now it’s heading to Mossy Oak’s streaming app. This branded entertainment series from Humminbird^® and Minn Kota^®, will also debut on the Mossy Oak Go Appstarting Wednesday, May 27^th.

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

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

In addition to bragging rights, the teams battled for $10,000 in prize money to be donated to the charity of their choice. Contestants and their charity of choice include:

Tyler Anderson, Bass Fishing YouTuber – Kids Outdoor Zone
Mike Roy, Striped Bass Guide – Saltwater Guide’s Association
Seth Funt, Pelagic Fisherman – Coastal Conservation Association
Charlie Breitenbach, Inshore Fly Fisherman – Captains for Clean Water
Cameron Black, Salmon and Steelhead Guide – Hatchery Wild Coexist
Ashley Nichole Lewis, Salmon and Steelhead Guide – Brown Folks Fishing
Willie Young, NFL Defensive End – Keep America Fishing
Louie Vito, Olympic Snowboarder – Take Me Fishing

“We’ve been waiting for this moment to launch the One-Boat Challenge and we are thankful to everyone that helped to make this happen and the industry who continue to share the fun of fishing around the globe,” said Brad Henry, Minn Kota Brand Manager. “The episodes are meant to be entertaining and bring awareness to current and new consumers of the benefits of the One-Boat Network.”

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

How to watch:
You can catch the One-Boat Challenge on the Mossy Oak Go app and website at https://go.mossyoak.com/one-boat-challenge.

Other streaming options include http://www.OneBoatChallenge.com and Minn Kota’s YouTube channel, each episode chronicles the experience of a group of amateur bass anglers competing for top fishing honors on Mexico’s venerable Lake El Salto.

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

by AnglersChannel

Major League Fishing Announces Toyota as Title Sponsor of Heavy Hitters

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 3, 2020 (Tulsa, Okla.) Major League Fishing (MLF) announced today that Toyota is title sponsor for Heavy Hitters, June 7-12 on the Kissimmee Chain. Toyota Heavy Hitters presented by Venmo serves as the return event of the 2020 Bass Pro Tour and features a $745,000 purse and the full field of 80 anglers, including Team Toyota Pros Kevin VanDam, Mike Iaconelli, Terry Scroggins, and Jacob Wheeler. This sponsorship expands Toyota’s relationship with the MLF and FLW brands, which was originally announced in January and featured a variety of assets, including title for the FLW Toyota Series.

“It makes perfect sense for Toyota to title sponsor our inaugural Heavy Hitters event,” said Major League Fishing President and CEO Jim Wilburn. “As a trusted partner, Toyota embraces our league’s unique opportunity to showcase entertaining formats of competitive bass fishing that both teach trusted techniques from the best anglers in the world and invite new fans to the sport.”

“We’re looking forward to the excitement on the water with Heavy Hitters,” said Matt Ozawa, engagement marketing manager, Toyota Motor North America. “It’s a great opportunity to expand our partnership with MLF and FLW as well as support our Team Toyota anglers and engage with both new and longtime fans.”

Toyota has a history of supporting anglers and their families who depend on Toyota to tow boats safely to their favorite boat ramp – whether competing in tournaments or simply pursuing their weekend passion for fishing like more than 30 million other angling Americans.

“The greatest thing about being able to work with a company like Toyota is that they not only support anglers like me and the other Team Toyota Pros, but they also support fisherman at all levels through their Toyota Bonus Bucks program,” said MLF Pro Jacob Wheeler. “And now for them to become the title sponsor of our biggest event with hundreds of thousands of dollars in prizes, that’s huge for the sport of bass fishing.”

Originally scheduled for May 16-20 as an All-Star mid-season qualifier, Toyota Heavy Hitters presented by Venmo will take place on Lake Tohopekaliga (Toho) and the Kissimmee Chain two weeks later than originally planned, June 7-12, due to a mid-season pause to minimize the spread of COVID-19. The event features all 80 MLF Pros in a traditional six-day, Bass Pro Tour format while still offering an untraditional $745,000 purse and full-field payout. Heavy Hitters will serve as Stage Four toward the season-long Bass Pro Tour Points Championship, awarded to the angler with the most points at the conclusion of the season.

In addition to the traditional payout schedule based on finishing order, the biggest bass caught for each Group over 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.

Toyota Heavy Hitters presented by Venmo will unfold daily, June 7-12, 7 a.m. – 4 p.m. ET on MLFNOW!, the Major League Fishing app, or MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). MLF will also release six, 2-hour episodes of original programming scheduled to air later this year on the Discovery Channel, as well as a CBS special set to release in December 2020.

by AnglersChannel

DEWALT To Sponsor Elite Event At Lake Eufaula

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — As tournament fishing prepares to restart in June, power tool manufacturer DEWALT has signed on as the title sponsor for the second event of the 2020 Bassmaster Elite Series season, B.A.S.S. announced today. The 2020 DEWALT Bassmaster Elite at Lake Eufaula will be held June 10-13 in Eufaula, Ala.

“We are proud to partner with DEWALT as we get back to competition,” said Bruce Akin, B.A.S.S. CEO. “Interest in fishing is booming across our country, and enthusiastic fans of fishing will be tuning in for four days of on-the-water action. I can’t imagine a better audience for DEWALT to promote their professional-grade tools.”

According to Tony Merritt, Stanley Black & Decker Director of Global Sponsorships & Activations, “We are excited to partner with B.A.S.S. as the title sponsor of the Bassmaster Elite Series event at Lake Eufaula, Alabama. It is a great opportunity for us to promote the DEWALT brand at the highest level of professional bass fishing and reach the many anglers and fans within the sport.”

Interest and participation in fishing is enjoying tremendous growth so far this year.

While tournament anglers are eager to jump back into competitive fishing, 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.

Live coverage of the DEWALT Bassmaster Elite at Lake Eufaula starts Wednesday, June 10 at 8 a.m. EST, and for the first time, fans will enjoy three ways to catch the action. In addition to the insightful Bassmaster LIVE coverage on Bassmaster.com and ESPN3 that fans are familiar with during an Elite Series event, multiple hours will also be broadcast on ESPN2. Check listings for times.

About DEWALT
DEWALT is obsessed with how users work in the real world and is relentlessly pursuing total jobsite solutions. By incorporating its latest technology and industry innovations, DEWALT is leading the charge for the jobsite of the future. DEWALT products. GUARANTEED TOUGH®. For more information, visit www.dewalt.com or follow DEWALT on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

by AnglersChannel

AnglersChannel

Major League Fishing Live Action Continues on the Kissimmee Chain Tuesday with First $25,000 Big Bass Bonus

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