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Montgomery Clinches the Knockout Round on Lake Fork:

Field of 10 Reset to Zero in the Fight for $100,000 on Lake Athens Wednesday
March 17, 2020 (Lake Fork, Texas) Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour on Lake Fork, Texas brought sports excitement to fans around the world as 38 Pro anglers fought for eight spots in Wednesday’s Championship Round. South Carolina-resident Andy Montgomery emerged victorious in today’s Knockout Round with a one-day total of 45 pounds, nine ounces. Alton Jones, Jr. held the lead for much of the third period ultimately finishing in second place. MLF Rookie Bryan Thrift secured a spot in his second out of three Championship Round after catching the Berkley Big Bass of the day late in the third Period. Wednesday’s Championship Round on Lake Athens features the top eight anglers from today’s Knockout Round and the winners of the Qualifying Round, Mark Daniels, Jr. and Brandon Coulter in a battle for most weight the $100,000 top prize. Coverage begins at 9:45 a.m. central time on MLFNOW!

Andy Montgomery steadily caught scoreable fish all day long ended up with both the most fish caught and the most weight to win the Round. The Clemson grad caught four in the first period including his largest, a six-pound-seven-ounce largemouth as the clock wound down to the first break. While his six-fish run in the second period kept Montgomery at the top of the SCORETRACKER®, it was the fish weighing five pounds, 14 ounces to start the third period that push him into the lead over Alton Jones, Jr.

“I won … I won!” exclaimed Montgomery as the Official called lines-out to end the day. “I didn’t win any more money, but I wanted to win, and I won. I get to fish Lake Athens tomorrow so we’re going to Athens!”

Waco-resident Alton Jones Jr., who led for a good portion of the late second and third period, finished three pounds even behind the leader with 42 pounds, nine ounces. Jones caught his largest fish of the day, weighing five pounds, eight ounces, on his first cast at 10:02 a.m. Two more five-pounders in the second period and six scorable bass in the third period secured his position in the Championship Round. The youngest angler on the Bass Pro Tour (age 27), Jones credits his pre-event routine and use of technology for preparing him for the tough competition.

“The biggest thing that I do to prepare is to study maps on my Garmin,” said Jones. “I really put in the hours to find the details of the lake. The other thing I use a lot, especially for a shallow lake like Fork is Google Earth; you can really see things in the satellite photos that you might not otherwise notice.”

New to the Bass Pro Tour in 2020, Thrift hurdled himself into the top eight with 30 minutes left in the day by catching a nine-pound-eight-ounce largemouth. While Thrift’s nine other fish of the day kept him in the hunt, it was the Berkley Big Bass of the Day that secured him 5th place and a chance to compete on Lake Athens tomorrow for $100,000. The 40-year-old Damiki Pro won the FLW Cup in 2019 and has earned over $3 million in earnings making it no wonder he’s a contender on the Bass Pro Tour.

The top eight of the Knockout Round, who will join Group A Qualifying Round winner Mark Daniels Jr. and Group B Qualifying Round winner Brandon Coulter, include:

Place Angler Knockout Round Total Weight Knockout Round Total Bass Knockout Round Largest Bass
1 Andy Montgomery 45-09 13 6-07
2 Alton Jones, Jr. 42-09 11 5-08
3 Keith Poche 42-01 13 4-14
4 Justin Atkins 41-11 11 8-06
5 Bryan Thrift 38-06 10 9-08
6 Brent Chapman 37-06 11 7-04
7 Jeff Sprague 35-11 10 4-12
8 Ott DeFoe 34-05 10 5-01

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

The competition concludes Wednesday with the Championship Round where ten anglers compete for the General Tire Stage Three presented by TrueTimber Title and $100,000 top prize on Lake Athens.

Pending no weather delays, the day begins with launch at Lake Athens Marina, Athens, Texas at 9:30 a.m. CST before lines-in at 10:00 a.m. Period 1 ends at 12:30 p.m. Period 2 spans 12:45 until 3:15 p.m. Period 3 begins at 3:30 p.m. and lasts until day’s end at 6:00 p.m. The General Tire Takeout, including the trophy presentation, airs approximately 6:15 – 7:15 p.m. as anglers return to the ramp and talk through their strategies and equipment from the day.

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

by AnglersChannel

Black and Kinney win Rodeheaver Tourney with over 24 pounds!

Vance McCullough

The 5th Annual Rodeheaver Boys’ Ranch Benefit Bass Tournament commenced on Florida’s St Johns River Saturday, March 14. The fishing was good and the fund-raising efforts went well.

Austin Black of San Mateo and Wyatt Kinney of Bunnell won the event’s top prize of $7,500 with a 5-fish limit that weighed 24.28 pounds, minus a dead fish penalty of a half-pound that put their official total weight at 23.78.

Eric Roberts and Chris Cercy won $1,000 for bringing in the bog bass of the day, a specimen that weighed 9.68 pounds.

Greg Walker of Palatka Daily News said, “There were a lot of fish caught, for sure.” A fixture in the Palatka bass tournament scene, Walker was on hand for the festivities and fellowship.

This year’s event drew 167 teams in support of the Rodeheaver Ranch which provides a wholesome home environment with a program for social, educational, vocational, and spiritual development for up to 50 boys who, because of parental death, desertion, divorce, disability, or general dysfunction, are at-risk or insecure.

Rodeheaver Boys Ranch does not receive any government money and functions as a residential childcare facility providing total care for the boys who make the ranch their home.  The Ranch is not a summer or day camp, a detention center or an institution for the mentally impaired. Rodeheaver Boys Ranch functions as a lively structured community.

by AnglersChannel

Alabama Team Wins 33rd Bass Cat Owners Invitational

Tommy McGuff and Bobby Taylor of Alabama won the 33rd Bass Cat Owners Invitational on Lewis Smith Lake in Alabama, topping 224 other teams to take the first-place prize boat, a new Bass Cat Sabre FTD and Bass Cat Trailer. They were in second place after Day One with 13.68 pounds, just a tenth of a pound behind the leaders, but made a charge on Day Two with 12.57 to claim the victory by a razor-thin margin of 0.62 pounds.

First Place - “I bought a Bass Cat so that I could be first, not last,” McGuff said, and indeed his 2010 Puma FTD led the pair to victory, a day before his 41st birthday. They fish Smith frequently, but McGuff noted that “sometimes the hardest lakes to fish are the ones that are close to you.”

They burned substantial amounts of gas during practice, running history and new water until they found a single pocket holding a substantial amount of herring. “As the week went on, they weren’t spawning yet, but they were moving in the pocket getting ready,” McGuff explained. “The herring were in the exact same spot every time we went in there.”

It was an early morning bite, and the lengthy fog delay on Day One hurt them. They had to scramble to some main lake areas to fill out a limit, but on Day Two the herring paid off and they had four of their keepers in the livewell in the first hour. After that they could “hunt for one good fish.”

Their key bait was the same one that Bass Cat pro Hank Cherry used last week to win the 50th Bassmaster Classic, a Megabass Ito Vision 110+1 jerkbait, except they used a different color: M-Shad.

“That bait was the key,” McGuff said. “We were fishing in 6 to 8 feet of water, and not only can you make long casts with it, but it digs deeper than most jerkbaits. You can get down in that range with many crankbaits, but not many jerkbaits. We’d crank it down to get it to the bottom, and then when we’d get it there we wouldn’t jerk it hard. We just made very soft jerks with pauses.”

McGuff said that he wouldn’t have any other boat than a Bass Cat, and now he has two of them.

“I feel like Bass Cat is the best of all worlds,” he said. “I love the performance of it, and if you ever have a problem with it, they go above and beyond to help everybody out.

Second Place - Alex Barbour and Paul Driscoll made the long drive from northern Illinois to fish not only their first Owners Invitational, but also their first event on Smith.

“It set up completely different from what we find on the lakes we fish at home, mostly in southern Wisconsin,” Barbour said. “We weren’t on much of anything all week.”

Early in practice, they caught 12 short fish for every keeper, but gradually they worked up a shallow water bite with bladed jigs and spinnerbaits around flooded bushes. While the fog delay didn’t help them, it forced them to commit to one key bank, and even though the water was falling out of the bushes, the fish remained. On the first day they caught a limit relatively quickly and culled, but on Day Two they found a boat camped on their best stretch. They scrambled to catch one keeper nearly before moving onto similar spots to add several more. When they came back to their best pocket late in the day, they were able to cull twice, but ultimately fell less than a pound short of the win.

Their key baits were a Z-Man Jack Hammer and a War Eagle spinnerbait. Barbour fished a chartreuse and white Jack Hammer with a white Reaction Innovations Little Dipper, and Driscoll fished a black and orange Jack Hammer with a matching Yamamoto Zako.

Barbour’s 2016 Cougar FTD is his first Bass Cat, and he loves the way it rides and appreciates “the incredibly stable platform.”

Third Place - Veteran touring pro Bill Chapman of West Virginia and partner Ryan Bowman suffered through a tough practice before switching gears and ending up 3rd overall with 22.91.

“We burned a lot of gas looking,” Chapman said. “And we ended up finding some big spots deep on the main lake, but then on Thursday afternoon we hit some shallow, dirty water and I caught a 5 and a 6 in just a few minutes.” With the short day on Friday, they chose the shallow option where they could cover water more quickly, and that carried them through the tournament.

Their key technique was flipping a Missile Baits D-Bomb, developed by fellow BCB pro John Crews.

“On the first day, I was using the Bruiser color,” Chapman said. “On Day two I caught one on that, and then the rest on green pumpkin with a little bit of orange. That was the color of the jig I was using for those big spots.”

Chapman estimates that he’s had “10 or 11” Bass Cats in his career, but for the first time in many years he didn’t change boats this year, instead electing to keep his 2019 Lynx.

“For me it’s the perfect boat,” he explained. “It’s a wider body. I absolutely love the width of it.”

Grand Prize - Mitchell Kriger of Muskegon, Michigan won the grand prize of a fully rigged Puma FTD in the random drawing. He and his father-in-law, Peter Zykstra, fishing out of the latter’s 1998 Jaguar, finished 32nd overall in the event, but still took home the biggest prize.

“I don’t know what to say,” Kriger said. “I’d never fished down there before and never won anything like that before. It didn’t really hit me until I pulled into the driveway. I still can’t believe it.”

Notes

• The overall payout amounted to an amazing 527% of entry fees.
• The 6.51-pound big bass of the tournament was weighed in on Day Two by the 7th place team of Randall Kramer and Tanner Huckstep.
• The 1.70-pound big crappie of the tournament was weighed in on Day Two by the team of Michael Haley and Daniel Brown.
• The 17.50-pound big striped bass of the tournament was weighed in on Day Two by the team of Kyle Carden and Joe Laseter.
• Lee Black won the lucky rubber duck drawing and received a Mercury 150HP outboard.

Sponsors – The Walker County Chamber of Commerce, Mercury Marine, Strike King Lures and Tour Line, Lew’s Rods and Reels, Minn Kota Trolling Motors, Humminbird, Attwood and Siren Marine

Bass Cat President, Rick Pierce, expressed appreciation for the continuing support of the anglers, the sponsors and the host Chamber of Commerce for their continuing support and hospitality despite the concerns caused by the coronavirus.

“Once again, the Bass Cat family showed their true colors by showing up in numbers and adhering to several unusual practices to promote good health and hygiene,” he said. “Our sponsors including Strike King, Lew’s and Mercury never wavered in their support, and the Chamber of Commerce of Walker County really rolled out the red carpet, despite everyone’s questions. They made sure we could have a top-notch event while still ensuring safety and for that we are exceptionally thankful.”

Visit the BCB OI EVENT PAGE for more information.

by AnglersChannel

Steckler Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Lake of the Ozarks

Oronogo’s Moss Wins Co-angler Division

OSAGE BEACH, Mo. (March 16, 2020) – Boater Cory Steckler of Rocky Mount, Missouri, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 18 pounds, 7 ounces to win the 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine event at Lake of the Ozarks in Osage Beach, Missouri. For his victory, Steckler earned a total of $13,457, including the lucrative $7,000 FLW PHOENIX Bonus contingency award. The victory was the second win of Steckler’s FLW career.

A person wearing a uniform

Description automatically generatedThe tournament was the second of five events in the Ozark Division presented by Tournament Anglers Group (TAG).

“It feels amazing – my Phoenix boat is the best boat out there and it’s amazing to win this much money,” said Steckler, who in addition to his $13,457 payout also took home an extra $5,000 as part of the TAG contingency program.

“Water clarity was everything,” Steckler continued. “I basically threw a Megabass Vision 110 jerkbait (Table Rock Shad) all day long. All my fish came in the mouth of Gravois Creek.

“I had just five keepers total,” Steckler went on to say. “I tried to throw an umbrella rig, but I never got bumped on it. I had eight bites – two came off and the other was a drum or something like that. I was just happy they were biting the jerkbait.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:

1st: Cory Steckler of Rocky Mount, Mo., five bass, 18-7, $13,457

2nd: Don Beckley of Linn Creek, Mo., five bass, 14-12, $2,728

3rd: Ben Verhoef of Osage Beach, Mo., five bass, 14-0, $1,819

4th: Adam Boehloe of Warrenton, Mo., five bass, 13-12, $1,182

4th: Kyle Alsop of Overland Park, Kan., three bass, 13-12, $1,182

6th: Ben McCord of Sergeant Bluff, Iowa, five bass, 13-4, $1,000

7th: Wes Endicott of Joplin, Mo., five bass, 13-0, $864

7th: Rob Bueltmann of Osage Beach, Mo., five bass, 13-0, $864

9th: Dennis Berhorst of Holts Summit, Mo., five bass, 12-15, $728

10th: Bill Edwards of Nixa, Mo., three bass, 12-9, $637

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Dennis Harmon of Camdenton, Missouri, brought a 6-pound, 4-ounce bass to the scale to win the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $875.

Steckler 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.

Jeff Moss of Oronogo, Missouri, won the Co-angler Division and $2,878 Saturday after catching a five-bass limit weighing 11 pounds, 13 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:

1st: Jeff Moss of Oronogo, Mo., five bass, 11-13, $2,878

2nd: Jon Cordray of House Springs, Mo., three bass, 11-6, $1,801

3rd: Joshua Brassard of Nixa, Mo., two bass, 10-5, $911

4th: Steven Galczynski of DeSoto, Mo., four bass, 10-0, $637

5th: Ron Brake of Sullivan, Mo., three bass, 8-13, $546

6th: Noah Dickneite of Freeburg, Mo., four bass, 8-12, $477

6th: Alan Bernicky of Joliet, Ill., three bass, 8-12, $577

8th: Michael Dempsey of Wentzville, Mo., two bass, 8-8, $409

9th: Richard Rouse of House Springs, Mo., three bass, 8-7, $364

10th: Rick McGuire of Monroe City, Mo., two bass, 7-3, $318

Cordray caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 7 pounds, 2 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $437.

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

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.

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

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

by AnglersChannel

Graham Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Dale Hollow Reservoir

Helton Wins Co-angler Division

BYRDSTOWN, Tenn. (March 16, 2020) – Boater Brett Graham of Cold Spring, Kentucky, brought a five-bass limit to the scale weighing 18 pounds, 11 ounces to win the 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine Mountain division opener at Dale Hollow Reservoir in Byrdstown, Tennessee. For his victory, Graham earned a total of $6,000.

" src="blob:https://anglerschannel.com/81ee0e25-144c-4216-baab-1ec93c94b459" alt="A person 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;">“I caught most of my fish mid-lake, dragging a homemade green-pumpkin jig with a craw trailer out deep,” said Graham, who earned his third career victory in BFL competition. “The key was really slowing down and working the areas. I only caught five keeper fish all day, but I had confidence in the areas and I really had to milk them for all they were worth.

“I was stuck on four fish right up until the very end of the day,” Graham continued. “I fished a spot that I hadn’t been to at all and ended up catching my last keeper with about 20 minutes left to check in.

“The last year has been pretty tough, but it feels good to get back in the groove and remember what I can do and put together a good tournament.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:

1^st:       Brett Graham of Cold Spring, Ky., five bass, 18-11, $6,000

2^nd:      Adam Militana of Saluda, N.C., five bass, 17-10, $3,000

3^rd:       Shane Sloan of Knoxville, Tenn., five bass, 16-13, $2,000

4^th:       Kendall Robinson of Lexington, Ky., five bass, 16-12, $1,400

5^th:       J.R. Stalcup of Albany, Ky., five bass, 16-10, $1,150

5^th:       Jimmy Gayhart of Sadieville, Ky., five bass, 16-10, $1,150

7^th:       Ben Stacy of Cincinnati, Ohio, five bass, 16-8, $1,000

8^th:       Christian Nickles of Clintwood, Va., five bass, 16-5, $1,400

9^th:       Drew Boggs of Lebanon, Tenn., five bass, 16-1, $1,000

10^th:     Dathan Jones of Harrodsburg, Ky, five bass, 15-12, $700

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Brent Butler of Vonore, Tennessee earned the day’s $1,000 Boater Big Bass award with his largest fish, a 5-pound, 13-ounce bass.

Nickles 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.

Tracy Helton of London, Kentucky, earned the win in the Co-angler Division Saturday after catching a five-bass limit weighing 17 pounds, 15 ounces. Helton earned $3,000 for his victory.

The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:

1^st:       Tracy Helton of London, Ky., five bass, 17-15, $3,000

1^st:       Patrick Crawley of Burkesville, Ky., five bass, 15-14, $1,500

3^rd:       Randy Wilson of Murfreesboro, Tenn., five bass, 15-9, $1,150

4^th:       Scottie Cook of Hustonville, Ky., five bass, 14-14, $700

5^th:       Brandin Carey of Harrodsburg, Ky., five bass, 13-15, $600

6^th:       Doug Dewar of Burlington, Ky., four bass, 13-1, $550

7^th:       Brandon Lake of Berea, Ky., five bass, 12-11, $500

8^th:       Robert Pillow of Campbellsville, Ky., five bass, 12-4, $450

9^th:       Garry Collins of Russell Springs, Ky., four bass, 12-1, $400

10^th:     Luke Smith of Florence, Ky., four bass, 11-15, $350

Jared Rudd of Salyersville, Kentucky, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 5 pounds, 12 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $500.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on Dale Hollow Reservoir was hosted by Star Point Resort. The tournament was the first of five events in 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 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.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.

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

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

by AnglersChannel

Dice Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Smith Mountain Lake

Grottoe’s Melendez Wins Co-angler Division

HUDDLESTON, Va. (March 16, 2020) – Boater Jack Dice of Lynchburg, Virginia, brought a five-bass limit to the scale weighing 22 pounds even to win the 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine event at Smith Mountain Lake in Huddleston, Virginia. For his victory, Dice earned a total of $5,246.

A person wearing a hat

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

“I started my day in the upper lake in the Roanoke River arm, near the bridge, but I was really just killing time until later in the afternoon when the sun was going to warm up the lake,” said Dice, who earned his first career victory in FLW competition. “My best area was actually in Craddock Creek, and I ran there for the second half of the day and caught most of my fish there.”

Dice said that the key to his victory was fishing in north-facing pockets. He said the sun had been warming those pockets faster than the rest of the lake and it had the fish pulling up shallow.

“Where the water was warmest was important, but another key factor was timing,” Dice said. “I’d been out practicing the last two days and the day before the event I didn’t have a keeper until 12:30. I figured that any fish that I caught earlier in the day was a bonus.”

Dice targeted laydowns and floating docks with a wacky-rigged 5-inch Yamamoto Senko (green-pumpkin) and a 6-inch Megabass Magdraft swimbait.

“I fished so hard, I’m exhausted,” Dice went on to say. “I’ve wanted to win a tournament so badly. I’ve won the Angler of the Year (AOY) title a few times, but I’ve never won a single tournament before. It feels awesome to finally get one.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:

1st: Jack Dice of Lynchburg, Va., five bass, 22-0, $5,246

2nd: Cavin Young of Prince George, Va., five bass, 20-1, $2,623

3rd: Steve Colgin of Lanexa, Va., five bass, 18-15, $2,452

4th: Frank Ippoliti of Mercersburg, Pa., five bass, 18-13, $1,177

5th: Thomas Wooten of Huddleston, Va., five bass, 18-8, $1,009

6th: Justin Hicks of Roanoke, Va., five bass, 18-7, $925

7th: Chad Pilson of Bassett, Va., five bass, 17-9, $1,341

8th: Wayne Dorman of Louisa, Va., five bass, 17-4, $757

9th: Kevin Chandler of New London, N.C., five bass, 16-14, $673

10th: Peter Yanni of Gaithersburg, Md., five bass, 16-9, $589

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Colgin also earned the day’s $770 Boater Big Bass award with his largest fish, a 7-pound bass.

Pilson 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.

Costas Melendez of Grottoes, Virginia, earned the win in the Co-angler Division Saturday after catching a five-bass limit weighing 16 pounds, 2 ounces. Melendez earned $2,523 for his victory.

The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:

1st: Costas Melendez of Grottoes, Va., five bass, 16-2, $2,523

2nd: David Mills of Moneta, Va., five bass, 14-2, $1,262

3rd: Matthew Noraas of Pamplin, Va., five bass, 14-1, $841

4th: Victor Auriemma of Baltimore, Md., five bass, 13-11, $589

5th: Brian Byrd of Roanoke, Va., three bass, 13-4, $505

6th: Scott Howard of Bedford, Va., five bass, 12-10, $463

7th: Timothy Kinder of Manassas, Va., five bass, 12-7, $571

8th: Pat Kendrick of Bumpass, Va., four bass, 12-1, $378

9th: Eric Gifford of Colonial Beach, Va., three bass, 11-12, $721

10th: Ricky Grant of Callands, Va., five bass, 10-4, $294

Gifford caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 6 pounds, 4 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $385.

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

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

by AnglersChannel

Daniels Earns Championship Berth with 111-15

20 Anglers Eliminated as Group A Qualifying Round Ends
March 15, 2020 (Lake Fork, Texas) Major League Fishing Pros weathered a slower day on Lake Fork during the General Tire Stage Three presented by TrueTimber. Mark Daniels, Jr., who started the day with a 12-pound lead over the rest of the field, won Group A Qualifying Round and earned a berth to Wednesday’s Championship Round. Jeff Sprague and Jason Christie battled for second place throughout the day with Sprague edging out Christie in Period Three. 32-year-old Josh Bertrand began the day in 23rd place and caught 43 pounds, six ounces to rise to finish in 7th place. Anglers who finished in 2nd through 20th places will start-over in Tuesday’s Knockout Round when weights begin at zero in hopes to be among the top eight (out of 38) anglers to advance.

Mark Daniels, Jr. (MDJ to fans and friends) began the day in first place with a 12-pound-three-ounce lead over Jeff Sprague. Despite catching three fish over five pounds, Daniels’ lead fell to five pounds, 11 ounces but he remained in first place. His two-day total ended at 111 pounds, 15 ounces. Daniels faced mechanical issues late in the third Period that kept him from fishing for nearly an hour before MLF arrived with a replacement boat. The 38-year-old from Tuskeegee (Ala.) won Group A and will bypass Tuesday’s Knockout Round to advance to Wednesday’s Championship where he will earn a minimum of $12,000 and have a chance to win the $100,000 top prize.

Sprague, who claims Fork as his “home lake,” began and ended Sunday in second place but battled with Jason Christie throughout the day as the two worked to win the Group A Qualifying Round. Sprague came out strong 19 minutes into Period One with his first fish weighing in at six pounds, four ounces - his biggest fish of the day. Christie answered that catch with two bass in the next 10 minutes weighing a combined total of 10 pounds, three ounces. Ultimately Sprague out-caught Christie with a six-pound bass late in the third period which secured him a five-pound lead and second place.

“Today was the same as the first day just alot less bites,” said Christie from his boat shortly after lines out. “On Tuesday in the Knockout Round, the best bet for me is to start where I’ve been starting and then I will fish all new water, which everyone will do. Sometimes you have to just put your elbows out and fish.”

Bertrand began the day below the elimination line in 23rd place with 38 pounds, 13 ounces - 46 pounds out of first place. With a four-pound-one-ounce largemouth 14 minutes into today’s competition, Bertrand began steady 43-pound, 16-place march up the leaderboard catching at least one scoreable bass each hour until the last hour of the day. A resident of Queen Creek, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix, the Berkley Pro has one major win and 13 top ten finishes on his career stats.

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

Place Angler 2-Day Qualifying Round Total 2-Day Total Fish Largest Fish
1 Mark Daniels, Jr. 111-15 31 7-05
2 Jeff Sprague 106-04 29 6-05
3 Jason Christie 97-11 25 10-04
4 Keith Poche 89-10 28 9-09
5 Greg Hackney 87-11 25 8-12
6 Andy Morgan 86-09 23 7-04
7 Josh Bertrand 82-03 22 7-01
8 Bobby Lane 80-03 25 8-03
9 Ott DeFoe 79-10 27 5-14
10 Greg Vinson 79-10 21 8-03

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. Michael Neal, who took a one-pound lead over Brandon Coulter with only seven minutes left in the day, will work to stave off Brandon Coulter and Justin Atkins. Atkins holds the league and tour records at 10 pounds, 8 ounces. Monday’s weather forecast shows slightly warmer temperatures and overcast with a high of 66.

Group B Qualifying Round Day Two begins with launch at Oak Ridge Marina, Quitman, Texas, 9:15 a.m. CT before lines-in at 10:00 a.m. Period 1 ends at 12:30 p.m. Period 2 spans 12:45 p.m. until 3:15 p.m. Period 3 begins at 3:30 p.m. and lasts until day’s end at 6:00 p.m. The General Tire Takeout show airs approximately 6:15–7:15 p.m. as anglers return to the ramp.

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

by AnglersChannel

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

Chattanooga’s Bradford Wins Co-angler Division

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

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

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

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

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

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

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

The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.

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

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

by AnglersChannel

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

Hollywood’s Hoy Wins Co-angler Division

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

A person holding a sign

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

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

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

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

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

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

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

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

The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.

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

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

by AnglersChannel

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

West Virginia’s Sansom Wins Co-angler Division

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

A person holding a fish

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

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

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

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

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

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

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

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

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

The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.

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

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

by AnglersChannel

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

by AnglersChannel