Largemouth lead Loughran to Day 3 lead at Bassmaster Elite at Lake Champlain
Aug. 11, 2024
PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. — Distance makes the heart grow fonder. That was certainly the case for Ed Loughran III, who missed the previous two Bassmaster Elite Series events due to medical issues.
Loughran has returned with a vengeance this week at the Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite at Lake Champlain as the soon-to-be 54-year-old from Richmond, Va., claimed the Day 3 lead with a three-day total measuring 63 pounds, 14 ounces.
After landing a 19-1 mixed bag on Day 1, finishing the day in 38th, Loughran jumped into second with a 22-15 limit of largemouth before landing his 21-14 Day 3 limit of green fish.
“It was very painful to sit there and watch everyone fish at Wheeler and Smith Lake,” he said. “You never know how much you miss something until you aren’t able to be there. I’m happy to be back in good shape and hopefully tomorrow I’ll do the same as I did today.”
The 2021 Bassmaster Classic qualifier holds a 2-pound, 2-ounce advantage over Kentucky’s Matt Robertson while Canada’s Chris Johnston moved into third place with a three-day mark of 61-6.
Mother Nature continues to throw curveballs at the Elite pros this week. Anglers enjoyed sunny conditions on Day 1 before the remnants of Hurricane Debby brought heavy rain and wind to the area, delaying the start of Day 2 until Saturday morning.
Clouds and south winds moved into the area once again on Sunday, creating challenging fishing conditions. While weights were not as impressive as the previous two days, all 50 anglers landed a limit of bass.
Loughran has been making a run to the southern section of the lake to an area where he hasn’t seen many of his other competitors. There, he is fishing several different sweet spots in 5 to 10 feet of water that are located on a shallow rock ridge with grass on top. He has caught both smallmouth and largemouth each day, but the largemouth have been the heavier species for Loughran this week.
A homemade jig paired with a Missile Baits Craw Father trailer and a ChatterBait have produced most of his bites this week.
“It’s just a northern thing. You can do it on Oneida or any other northern lake. It is just some high spots with grass,” Loughran said. “You don’t know what you are going to catch on any given cast.”
The wind, along with a mudline and an increase in local fishing pressure created less-than-ideal conditions in Loughran’s area on Day 3.
“It started pretty slow. They were not biting my ChatterBait at all,” he said. “It was a total grind. But I know the area I’m fishing, and I know the little sweet spots. I had to share it with some locals which made it a little more difficult to try and figure out where I was going.
“I had all kinds of things going on.”
Despite the slow start, the Virginia pro slowly began adding bass to his livewell. Once a local angler moved away from one of his spots and the sun peeked out from behind the clouds, Loughran was able to line up the cast he wanted and caught his biggest bass of the day, a 5-12 largemouth.
“The wind was blowing today in a direction that is difficult for this spot,” he said. “I was rarely in the good, controlled position that I wanted to be. Right before I caught that fish I happened to get into a really good spot. The place I wanted to cast was 45 feet away, and the wind had died down, so I put my poles down and the first cast out to the sweet spot, that bass hit.
“It was a huge cull.”
As the day progressed, Loughran landed two more key bass and expanded on his area. He thinks he will need another 20-pound bag to claim his first blue trophy. Sunny conditions improve his bite, but tomorrow’s forecast calls for more clouds.
“I think they are reloading and hopefully tomorrow there is another 20- or 22-pound bag in there and hopefully I can catch it. If I catch anything less than 20 pounds, someone is going to catch me,” Loughran said. “I really need sun and I’m not going to have it tomorrow. But who knows, the weather will come and go up here.”
Robertson has gone all-in on a largemouth-only pattern that has produced bags of 20-13, 20-13 and 20-2 for a three-day total of 61-12. The Kuttawa, Ky., native has fished around shallow docks with a big Berkley flipping jighead and a hand-tied black rubber skirt. A Chigger Craw is his trailer of choice, but he has caught some using different trailers as well.
“It’s as old school as it gets,” Robertson said. “The trailer doesn’t matter. You get it in there and the first one that sees it will bite it. These fish aren’t used to seeing a jig that big.”
There hasn’t been a particular rhyme or reason as to when Robertson gets a bigger-than-average bite. Some of the smaller bass he’s caught have been in some of the backwater areas, but he also landed a 5-pounder in that same area on Day 3.
“I’m fishing what’s in front of me,” Robertson said. “I had some docks where I got bit and shook a few fish off and I caught those. I keep forgetting about some of them, because toward the end of the day I remembered I got a bite (on a particular dock). I slid that big jig under there and caught a 5-pounder.”
After landing 20-0 and 21-14 the first two days of the tournament, the wind hampered Johnston slightly on Day 3 as the Canadian caught 19-8 on Semifinal Sunday.
“I started the day decently,” he said. “I was looking to get a couple 4-pounders in the first hour and I was just getting some 3s. I grinded away and never got that kicker. The wind blew up and I couldn’t present my bait right. I did lose one or two great big ones. They weren’t biting nearly as well today as they were yesterday.”
Johnston has specifically targeted smallmouth in deep water with a jighead minnow, varying the head size on the bait depending on the depth. He has used his forward-facing sonar to watch the smallmouth move up and down in the water column to feed on perch.
“There aren’t any big groups like last year, but you’ll get in an area, and you’ll go 200 yards and see seven or eight individual fish. But not any big wolf packs,” he explained. “They are gorging on perch. They’ll be 15 feet below the surface and then go down to 50 feet where all the perch are and come back up. It’s kind of different because normally when you catch a fish in 50 feet of water you’ll have to fizz them, but they go up and down so much they are used to it.”
Ashville, Ala., pro Matt Herren earned Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the Day honors on Day 3 as he caught a largemouth weighing 5-15 while New York rookie Kyle Patrick holds Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the Tournament honors with a 6-2 largemouth he caught on Day 1.
Patrick also claimed the $1,000 BassTrakk Contingency bonus for accurate weight recording.
Day 1 leader Seth Feider holds the CrushCity Monster Bag of the Tournament with his 23-11 limit of largemouth from Thursday.
2024 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Jockey Outdoors champion Justin Hamner still holds the lead in the Progressive Insurance Bassmaster Angler of the Year race after three competition days at Lake Champlain with 671 points while Johnston moved into second with 657 points. Tennessee’s Jacob Foutz is third with 654 points, South Carolina rookie JT Thompkins is fourth with 634 points and Illinois rookie Trey McKinney is fifth with 633 points.
Thompkins leads the Dakota Lithium Elite Series Rookie of the Year race followed by McKinney in second. Tennessee’s John Garrett is third with 622 points, Alabama’s Wesley Gore is fourth with 621 points and Tyler Williams is fifth with 594 points.
The Top 10 anglers will launch from the Plattsburgh City Dock beginning at 7 a.m. ET and return for weigh-in at 3 p.m. The winner will earn the $100,000 first-place prize and a coveted blue trophy. Bassmaster LIVE will be available on Bassmaster.com from 8 a.m. ET until the start of weigh-in at 3 p.m. Weigh-in will begin shortly after and will also be streamed on Bassmaster.com.
The Adirondack Coast and City of Plattsburgh are hosting the tournament.
2024 Bassmaster Elite Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota
2024 Bassmaster Elite Series Premier Sponsors: Bass Pro Shops, Dakota Lithium, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Progressive Insurance, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha
2024 Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: AFTCO, Daiwa, Garmin, Lew's, Lowrance, Marathon, Triton Boats, VMC
About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S., which encompasses the Bassmaster tournament leagues, events and media platforms, is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting-edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 500,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), TV show, radio show, social media programs and events. For more than 50 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.
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Connect with #Bassmaster on Facebook, Instagram, Twitte
Media Contact: Chad Gay, Communications Manager, 256-424-2390, cgay@bassmaster.
2024 Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite at Lake Champlain 8/8-8/12
Lake Champlain, Plattsburg NY.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 3
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Ed Loughran III Richmond, VA 15 63-14 0 $333.00
Day 1: 5 19-01 Day 2: 5 22-15 Day 3: 5 21-14
2. Matt Robertson Kuttawa, KY 15 61-12 102
Day 1: 5 20-13 Day 2: 5 20-13 Day 3: 5 20-02
3. Chris Johnston Otonabee Ontario CANADA 15 61-06 101
Day 1: 5 20-00 Day 2: 5 21-14 Day 3: 5 19-08
4. Chris Zaldain Fort Worth, TX 15 61-04 100
Day 1: 5 21-01 Day 2: 5 21-07 Day 3: 5 18-12
5. Robert Gee Knoxville, TN 15 60-13 99
Day 1: 5 21-01 Day 2: 5 19-15 Day 3: 5 19-13
6. Jacob Foutz Charleston, TN 15 60-06 98
Day 1: 5 21-04 Day 2: 5 20-11 Day 3: 5 18-07
7. Patrick Walters Eutawville, SC 15 60-03 97
Day 1: 5 21-10 Day 2: 5 18-03 Day 3: 5 20-06
8. Will Davis Jr Sylacauga, AL 15 59-13 96
Day 1: 5 20-15 Day 2: 5 20-09 Day 3: 5 18-05
9. Cory Johnston Otonabee CANADA 15 59-12 95
Day 1: 5 19-12 Day 2: 5 20-01 Day 3: 5 19-15
10. Gregory DiPalma Millville, NJ 15 59-03 94
Day 1: 5 22-11 Day 2: 5 18-15 Day 3: 5 17-09
11. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 15 58-15 93 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-08 Day 2: 5 19-07 Day 3: 5 18-00
12. Logan Latuso Gonzales, LA 15 58-11 92 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 20-01 Day 2: 5 20-03 Day 3: 5 18-07
13. Caleb Sumrall New Iberia, LA 15 58-07 91 $10,333.00
Day 1: 5 19-07 Day 2: 5 21-11 Day 3: 5 17-05
14. Wesley Gore Clanton, AL 15 58-04 90 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-01 Day 2: 5 20-06 Day 3: 5 16-13
15. Koby Kreiger Alva, FL 15 58-04 89 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 20-08 Day 2: 5 20-03 Day 3: 5 17-09
16. Joey Cifuentes III Clinton, AR 15 57-15 88 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 20-13 Day 2: 5 18-12 Day 3: 5 18-06
17. JT Thompkins Myrtle Beach, SC 15 57-13 87 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-10 Day 2: 5 21-07 Day 3: 5 17-12
18. Jason Christie Dry Creek, OK 15 57-13 86 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-07 Day 2: 5 19-15 Day 3: 5 18-07
19. Matt Herren Ashville, AL 15 57-06 85 $11,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-00 Day 2: 5 16-11 Day 3: 5 19-11
20. Jay Przekurat Plover, WI 15 57-05 84 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 20-09 Day 2: 5 17-15 Day 3: 5 18-13
21. Cooper Gallant Bowmanville Ontario CAN 15 57-04 83 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-14 Day 2: 5 18-00 Day 3: 5 19-06
22. Seth Feider New Market, MN 15 57-03 82 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 23-11 Day 2: 5 17-01 Day 3: 5 16-07
23. Kyle Patrick Cooperstown, NY 15 57-03 81 $11,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-11 Day 2: 5 17-08 Day 3: 5 18-00
24. Tyler Williams Belgrade, ME 15 57-01 80 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-12 Day 2: 5 20-02 Day 3: 5 17-03
25. Ben Milliken New Caney, TX 15 56-14 79 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-05 Day 2: 5 19-06 Day 3: 5 19-03
26. Jordan Lee Cullman, AL 15 56-13 78 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-12 Day 2: 5 19-07 Day 3: 5 19-10
27. John Cox Debary, FL 15 56-12 77 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 20-07 Day 2: 5 16-05 Day 3: 5 20-00
28. Justin Hamner Northport, AL 15 56-11 76 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-11 Day 2: 5 19-11 Day 3: 5 17-05
29. Gerald Swindle Guntersville, AL 15 56-09 75 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-07 Day 2: 5 19-12 Day 3: 5 18-06
30. Taku Ito Dalton GA JAPAN 15 56-07 74 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-00 Day 2: 5 19-05 Day 3: 5 18-02
31. Drew Cook Cairo, GA 15 56-06 73 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-10 Day 2: 5 19-05 Day 3: 5 17-07
32. Carl Jocumsen Queensland TN AUSTRALIA 15 56-05 72 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-12 Day 2: 5 18-01 Day 3: 5 19-08
33. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 15 56-03 71 $10,333.00
Day 1: 5 17-02 Day 2: 5 20-05 Day 3: 5 18-12
34. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 15 56-00 70 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-09 Day 2: 5 20-02 Day 3: 5 17-05
35. John Garrett Union City, TN 15 55-14 69 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 20-01 Day 2: 5 17-00 Day 3: 5 18-13
36. Austin Felix Eden Prairie, MN 15 55-11 68 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 20-14 Day 2: 5 18-03 Day 3: 5 16-10
37. Bob Downey Detroit Lakes, MN 15 55-11 67 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-13 Day 2: 5 17-10 Day 3: 5 18-04
38. Bryan Schmitt Deale, MD 15 55-11 66 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-11 Day 2: 5 18-03 Day 3: 5 17-13
39. Logan Parks Auburn, AL 15 55-10 65 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-10 Day 2: 5 17-15 Day 3: 5 18-01
40. Lee Livesay Longview, TX 15 55-10 64 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-01 Day 2: 5 18-01 Day 3: 5 18-08
41. Kyle Norsetter Cottage Grove, WI 15 55-02 63 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-09 Day 2: 5 18-13 Day 3: 5 17-12
42. Trey McKinney Carbondale, IL 15 55-01 62 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-15 Day 2: 5 20-03 Day 3: 5 14-15
43. Alex Redwine Blue Ash, OH 15 55-00 61 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-13 Day 2: 5 18-11 Day 3: 5 17-08
44. Shane LeHew Catawba, NC 15 54-12 60 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-01 Day 2: 5 18-10 Day 3: 5 17-01
45. Cody Huff Ava, MO 15 54-11 59 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-15 Day 2: 5 18-07 Day 3: 5 16-05
46. Kyoya Fujita Yamanashi CA JAPAN 15 54-10 58 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-00 Day 2: 5 19-09 Day 3: 5 17-01
47. Jamie Hartman Newport, NY 15 54-05 0 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-06 Day 2: 5 18-04 Day 3: 5 17-11
48. Cole Sands Calhoun , TN 15 53-14 56 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-14 Day 2: 5 19-02 Day 3: 5 16-14
49. Brandon Cobb Greenwood, SC 15 53-11 55 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-03 Day 2: 5 18-15 Day 3: 5 16-09
50. Jacob Powroznik North Prince George, VA 15 52-11 54 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 20-06 Day 2: 5 17-14 Day 3: 5 14-07
------------------------------
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1 Kyle Patrick Cooperstown, NY 06-02 $1,000.00
2 Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 05-07 $333.33
2 Ed Loughran III Richmond, VA 05-07 $333.33
2 Caleb Sumrall New Iberia, LA 05-07 $333.33
3 Matt Herren Ashville, AL 05-15 $1,000.00
------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 100 503 1865-09
2 100 504 1789-03
3 50 250 906-12
------------------------------
250 1257 4561-08
Two-pronged approach carries Zaldain to Day 2 lead at Bassmaster Elite at Lake Champlain
Aug. 10, 2024
PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. — When the weights are as tight as they are at the Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite at Lake Champlain, Chris Zaldain knows he needs to fish for bigger-than-average bass in order to separate himself from the field.
The Fort Worth, Texas, pro applied his big-bass style of fishing to near perfection on Day 2, landing 21 pounds 7 ounces to take the lead at Lake Champlain with a two-day total of 42-8. He holds a slim lead over Ed Loughran III in second with 42-0 and third-place Jacob Foutz with 41-15.
Zaldain opened the tournament in seventh place with 21-1 and now finds himself in prime position to win his first Elite Series trophy, a title he almost claimed at this lake in 2021.
“It felt great. This place has been good to me in the past,” he said. “How do you catch bigger-than-average fish? Simply put, you have to fish for them. I’m definitely in my comfort zone.
“These fish set up just like (they did) in California where I grew up,” Zaldain continued. “They set up on the most obvious stuff,” Zaldain explained. “That single sailboat in the middle of the cove, a bridge piling, pillars, rock openings, the real obvious stuff, but that stuff gets absolutely hammered. So, you have to throw something different in there.”
The remnants of Hurricane Debby pushed through New York Friday, bringing heavy rains and wind to the area and ultimately forcing the postponement of Day 2. Mostly sunny skies prevailed today, and the Elite pros continued to put on a bass-fishing clinic, catching 100 limits and 1,789-3 total pounds.
“This place is setting up really nice after the rain we’ve had,” he said. “Rising water and moving water sets the largemouth up like no other.”
Zaldain has attacked Champlain with a two-pronged approach this week. The eight-time Classic qualifier started each day by catching 17 to 18 pounds of smallmouth in one specific area before searching for kicker largemouth later in the day. His two limits have each featured three smallmouth and two largemouth.
The smallmouth he has located are between 10 and 18 feet of water. Zaldain has mixed some “old school” smallmouth fishing with some “new school,” utilizing several dragging baits while also picking a couple of smallies off with his forward-facing sonar. Most of them are under 4 pounds, however.
“Right now, it is hard to catch a brown one over 4 pounds. I’m catching a lot between 3.65 and 3.90. But when you get a largemouth bite, they are all over 4 pounds.”
All of Zaldain’s green fish have come out of grass in 10 feet of water or less in one of four sweet spots, and the amount of current moving through the area plays an important role in how the largemouth set up in the grass. A swimbait has produced many of his larger bites.
“I’m constantly looking at the current,” Zaldain said. “I’m fishing on top of the grass as well as the edges and holes. I’m not using forward-facing sonar. I’m just reading water, reading current and reading wind.”
Zaldain filled out his limit within the first couple of hours of Day 2 before moving to his largemouth area. There, he landed a 4-pound largemouth and a 5-pounder, his two biggest bass of the day.
“That was awesome. The wind was howling on this little spot, and I had caught a couple flipping in the area,” he said. “I caught one that was a 3-pound largemouth that had a 5-pounder and a 4-pounder with it. I kept flipping and (didn’t catch anything), so I picked up my swimbait and I think I caught those two.”
While he’s caught over 21 pounds each day, Zaldain has lost several big bass — including one he believed to be close to 6 pounds today — that could have given him some separation over the field.
“I executed kind of poorly these last few days. I feel like I should be leading this thing by a lot,” he said.
After missing the last two tournaments due to health issues, Loughran finds himself in contention for his first Elite Series title. He opened the tournament in 38th with a 19-1 mixed bag before landing a 22-15 limit of largemouth on Day 2, his biggest bag ever at Lake Champlain.
“Traditionally when I come up here, it is easy for me to catch some decent smallmouth and I really struggled this week,” he said. “I’m a drop-shotter, I’m not a minnow-pinger. I caught some of those drop-shot fish on Day 1 and thought it was going to be good until Day 1.”
On Saturday, Loughran stayed in a small area of the lake with shallow vegetation where he had found both largemouth and smallmouth. The majority of his bites have come between 5 and 10 feet of water. After a little flurry early on, the bite slowed down, but a key bait change helped Loughran cull up to his final tally.
“I changed up a little and just started catching them,” he said. “I’ve got a couple other little spots close by and I haven’t touched them. So hopefully there are bass there, too.”
With bags of 21-4 and 20-11, Foutz jumped from sixth to third on Day 2. The Tennessee angler finished eighth at Lake Champlain last year and is looking to improve that showing this time around.
Foutz has been targeting pelagic smallmouth between 20 and 60 feet of water. Many of the smallmouth are in groups — some groups as small as 3 and some schools as big as 20 and 30.
“If they are grouped up, you are pretty much guaranteed a bite,” he said. “The singles are bigger ones, but they are the hardest to catch. I think I have a bait deal figured out to help trigger the bigger ones in the group to bite instead of having to weed through 3-pounders.”
After landing the majority of his weight within the first 10 minutes of Day 1, the second day started much slower for Foutz, but as the day wore on, he was able to locate several groups of smallmouth.
“I knew the fish had changed and that the wind probably moved them around,” Foutz said. “I went to an area I found late on Day 1 and trolled around and picked a nice one off here and there.”
Greg Hackney, Loughran and Caleb Sumrall split Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the Day honors on Day 2 as each caught a bass weighing 5-7 while New York rookie Kyle Patrick holds Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the Tournament honors with a 6-2 largemouth he caught on Day 1.
Day 1 leader Seth Feider holds the CrushCity Monster Bag of the Tournament with his 23-11 limit of largemouth from Thursday.
Alabama’s Justin Hamner, winner of the 2024 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Jockey Outdoors, leads the Progressive Insurance Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings with 677 points. Illinois rookie Trey McKinney is second with 660 points, followed by Tennessee’s Jacob Foutz in third with 657 points. Chris Johnston of Canada is fourth with 656 points and Missouri’s Cody Huff is fifth with 645.
McKinney leads the Dakota Lithium Elite Series Bassmaster Rookie of the Year standings with 660 points, followed by South Carolina’s JT Thompkins in second with 635 points and Alabama’s Wesley Gore in third with 627.
The Top 50 anglers will launch from the Plattsburgh City Dock beginning at 7 a.m. ET Sunday and return for weigh-in at 3 p.m. The Top 10 anglers take center stage on Championship Monday.
Coverage of the Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite at Lake Champlain will air on FS1 on Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET. Bassmaster LIVE will be streaming on Bassmaster.com each day.
The Adirondack Coast and City of Plattsburgh are hosting the tournament.
2024 Bassmaster Elite Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota
2024 Bassmaster Elite Series Premier Sponsors: Bass Pro Shops, Dakota Lithium, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Progressive Insurance, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha
2024 Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: AFTCO, Daiwa, Garmin, Lew's, Lowrance, Marathon, Triton Boats, VMC
About B.A.S.S.B.A.S.S., which encompasses the Bassmaster tournament leagues, events and media platforms, is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting-edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 500,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), TV show, radio show, social media programs and events. For more than 50 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.
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Connect with #Bassmaster on Facebook, Instagram, Twitte
Media Contact: Chad Gay, Communications Manager, 205-313-0945, cgay@bassmaster.
2024 Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite at Lake Champlain 8/8-8/12
Lake Champlain, Plattsburg NY.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 2
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Chris Zaldain Fort Worth, TX 10 42-08 103
Day 1: 5 21-01 Day 2: 5 21-07
2. Ed Loughran III Richmond, VA 10 42-00 0 $333.00
Day 1: 5 19-01 Day 2: 5 22-15
3. Jacob Foutz Charleston, TN 10 41-15 101
Day 1: 5 21-04 Day 2: 5 20-11
4. Chris Johnston Otonabee Ontario CANADA 10 41-14 100
Day 1: 5 20-00 Day 2: 5 21-14
5. Gregory DiPalma Millville, NJ 10 41-10 99
Day 1: 5 22-11 Day 2: 5 18-15
6. Matt Robertson Kuttawa, KY 10 41-10 98
Day 1: 5 20-13 Day 2: 5 20-13
7. Will Davis Jr Sylacauga, AL 10 41-08 97
Day 1: 5 20-15 Day 2: 5 20-09
8. Wesley Gore Clanton, AL 10 41-07 96
Day 1: 5 21-01 Day 2: 5 20-06
9. Caleb Sumrall New Iberia, LA 10 41-02 95 $333.00
Day 1: 5 19-07 Day 2: 5 21-11
10. Robert Gee Knoxville, TN 10 41-00 94
Day 1: 5 21-01 Day 2: 5 19-15
11. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 10 40-15 93
Day 1: 5 21-08 Day 2: 5 19-07
12. Seth Feider New Market, MN 10 40-12 92
Day 1: 5 23-11 Day 2: 5 17-01
13. Koby Kreiger Alva, FL 10 40-11 91
Day 1: 5 20-08 Day 2: 5 20-03
14. Logan Latuso Gonzales, LA 10 40-04 90
Day 1: 5 20-01 Day 2: 5 20-03
15. Trey McKinney Carbondale, IL 10 40-02 89
Day 1: 5 19-15 Day 2: 5 20-03
16. JT Thompkins Myrtle Beach, SC 10 40-01 88
Day 1: 5 18-10 Day 2: 5 21-07
17. Tyler Williams Belgrade, ME 10 39-14 87
Day 1: 5 19-12 Day 2: 5 20-02
18. Patrick Walters Eutawville, SC 10 39-13 86
Day 1: 5 21-10 Day 2: 5 18-03
19. Cory Johnston Otonabee CANADA 10 39-13 85
Day 1: 5 19-12 Day 2: 5 20-01
20. Joey Cifuentes III Clinton, AR 10 39-09 84
Day 1: 5 20-13 Day 2: 5 18-12
21. Jason Christie Dry Creek, OK 10 39-06 83
Day 1: 5 19-07 Day 2: 5 19-15
22. Justin Hamner Northport, AL 10 39-06 82
Day 1: 5 19-11 Day 2: 5 19-11
23. Kyle Patrick Cooperstown, NY 10 39-03 81 $1,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-11 Day 2: 5 17-08
24. Austin Felix Eden Prairie, MN 10 39-01 80
Day 1: 5 20-14 Day 2: 5 18-03
25. Drew Cook Cairo, GA 10 38-15 79
Day 1: 5 19-10 Day 2: 5 19-05
26. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 10 38-11 78
Day 1: 5 18-09 Day 2: 5 20-02
27. Jay Przekurat Plover, WI 10 38-08 77
Day 1: 5 20-09 Day 2: 5 17-15
28. Cody Huff Ava, MO 10 38-06 76
Day 1: 5 19-15 Day 2: 5 18-07
29. Taku Ito Dalton GA JAPAN 10 38-05 75
Day 1: 5 19-00 Day 2: 5 19-05
30. Jacob Powroznik North Prince George, VA 10 38-04 74
Day 1: 5 20-06 Day 2: 5 17-14
31. Gerald Swindle Guntersville, AL 10 38-03 73
Day 1: 5 18-07 Day 2: 5 19-12
32. Cooper Gallant Bowmanville Ontario CAN 10 37-14 72
Day 1: 5 19-14 Day 2: 5 18-00
33. Bryan Schmitt Deale, MD 10 37-14 71
Day 1: 5 19-11 Day 2: 5 18-03
34. Matt Herren Ashville, AL 10 37-11 70
Day 1: 5 21-00 Day 2: 5 16-11
35. Ben Milliken New Caney, TX 10 37-11 69
Day 1: 5 18-05 Day 2: 5 19-06
36. Shane LeHew Catawba, NC 10 37-11 68
Day 1: 5 19-01 Day 2: 5 18-10
37. Logan Parks Auburn, AL 10 37-09 67
Day 1: 5 19-10 Day 2: 5 17-15
38. Kyoya Fujita Yamanashi CA JAPAN 10 37-09 66
Day 1: 5 18-00 Day 2: 5 19-09
39. Alex Redwine Blue Ash, OH 10 37-08 65
Day 1: 5 18-13 Day 2: 5 18-11
40. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 10 37-07 64 $333.00
Day 1: 5 17-02 Day 2: 5 20-05
41. Bob Downey Detroit Lakes, MN 10 37-07 63
Day 1: 5 19-13 Day 2: 5 17-10
42. Kyle Norsetter Cottage Grove, WI 10 37-06 62
Day 1: 5 18-09 Day 2: 5 18-13
43. Jordan Lee Cullman, AL 10 37-03 61
Day 1: 5 17-12 Day 2: 5 19-07
44. Lee Livesay Longview, TX 10 37-02 60
Day 1: 5 19-01 Day 2: 5 18-01
45. Brandon Cobb Greenwood, SC 10 37-02 59
Day 1: 5 18-03 Day 2: 5 18-15
46. John Garrett Union City, TN 10 37-01 58
Day 1: 5 20-01 Day 2: 5 17-00
47. Cole Sands Calhoun , TN 10 37-00 57
Day 1: 5 17-14 Day 2: 5 19-02
48. Carl Jocumsen Queensland TN AUSTRALIA 10 36-13 56
Day 1: 5 18-12 Day 2: 5 18-01
49. John Cox Debary, FL 10 36-12 55
Day 1: 5 20-07 Day 2: 5 16-05
50. Jamie Hartman Newport, NY 10 36-10 0
Day 1: 5 18-06 Day 2: 5 18-04
51. David Gaston Sylacauga, AL 10 36-09 53 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 17-07 Day 2: 5 19-02
52. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 10 36-09 52 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 18-00 Day 2: 5 18-09
53. Pat Schlapper Eleva, WI 10 36-07 51 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 16-14 Day 2: 5 19-09
54. Jeff Gustafson Kenora, ON Ontario CANA 10 36-06 50 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 19-13 Day 2: 5 16-09
55. Kyle Welcher Valley, AL 10 36-05 49 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 18-01 Day 2: 5 18-04
56. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 10 36-03 48 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 18-01 Day 2: 5 18-02
57. Tyler Rivet Raceland, LA 10 36-00 47 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 16-00 Day 2: 5 20-00
58. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 10 35-14 46 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 18-11 Day 2: 5 17-03
59. Caleb Kuphall Mukwonago, WI 10 35-14 45 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 18-10 Day 2: 5 17-04
60. Wes Logan Springville, AL 10 35-13 44 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 20-00 Day 2: 5 15-13
61. Justin Atkins Florence, AL 10 35-12 43 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 16-05 Day 2: 5 19-07
62. Matt Arey Shelby, NC 10 35-11 42 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 18-01 Day 2: 5 17-10
63. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 10 35-10 41 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 17-10 Day 2: 5 18-00
64. Jonathan Kelley Old Forge, PA 10 35-09 40 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 17-05 Day 2: 5 18-04
65. Alex Wetherell Middletown, CT 10 35-07 39 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 18-15 Day 2: 5 16-08
66. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 10 35-07 38 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 18-02 Day 2: 5 17-05
67. Clark Wendlandt Leander, TX 10 35-03 37 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 18-09 Day 2: 5 16-10
68. Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 10 35-00 36 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 16-08 Day 2: 5 18-08
69. Timothy Dube Nashua , NH 10 34-15 35 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 18-05 Day 2: 5 16-10
70. Bryan New Leesville, SC 10 34-12 34 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 18-00 Day 2: 5 16-12
71. Matty Wong Honolulu, HI 10 34-10 33 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 18-07 Day 2: 5 16-03
72. Mike Huff London, KY 10 34-08 32
Day 1: 5 17-12 Day 2: 5 16-12
73. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 10 34-06 31
Day 1: 5 15-12 Day 2: 5 18-10
74. Hunter Shryock Ooltewah, TN 10 34-02 30
Day 1: 5 18-08 Day 2: 5 15-10
75. Drew Benton Panama City, FL 10 34-01 29
Day 1: 5 18-07 Day 2: 5 15-10
76. Brandon Card Salisbury, NC 10 34-01 28
Day 1: 5 17-15 Day 2: 5 16-02
77. Buddy Gross Chattanooga, TN 10 34-01 27
Day 1: 5 16-14 Day 2: 5 17-03
78. KJ Queen Catawba, NC 10 33-13 26
Day 1: 5 16-10 Day 2: 5 17-03
79. Michael Iaconelli Pitts Grove, NJ 10 33-10 25
Day 1: 5 18-13 Day 2: 5 14-13
80. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 10 33-07 24
Day 1: 5 15-13 Day 2: 5 17-10
81. Luke Palmer Coalgate, OK 10 33-05 23
Day 1: 5 18-00 Day 2: 5 15-05
82. Brad Whatley Bivins, TX 10 33-03 22
Day 1: 5 17-13 Day 2: 5 15-06
83. Scott Martin Clewiston, FL 10 33-02 21
Day 1: 5 17-12 Day 2: 5 15-06
84. Bryant Smith Roseville, CA 10 32-14 20
Day 1: 5 17-12 Day 2: 5 15-02
85. Marc Frazier Newnan, GA 10 32-12 19
Day 1: 5 16-13 Day 2: 5 15-15
86. Jake Whitaker Hendersonville, NC 10 32-10 18
Day 1: 5 18-05 Day 2: 5 14-05
87. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 10 32-05 17
Day 1: 5 16-08 Day 2: 5 15-13
88. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 10 32-02 16
Day 1: 5 15-12 Day 2: 5 16-06
89. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 10 32-01 15
Day 1: 5 13-01 Day 2: 5 19-00
90. Scott Canterbury Odenville, AL 10 31-13 14
Day 1: 5 18-05 Day 2: 5 13-08
91. Kenta Kimura Osaka OK JAPAN 10 31-12 13
Day 1: 5 17-00 Day 2: 5 14-12
92. Chad Pipkens Dewitt, MI 10 31-06 12
Day 1: 5 17-08 Day 2: 5 13-14
93. John Soukup Sapulpa, OK 10 31-03 11
Day 1: 5 14-00 Day 2: 5 17-03
94. Todd Auten Clover, SC 10 30-05 10
Day 1: 5 15-05 Day 2: 5 15-00
95. Joseph Webster Hamilton, AL 10 29-11 9
Day 1: 5 15-03 Day 2: 5 14-08
96. Frank Talley Belton, TX 10 29-04 8
Day 1: 5 18-00 Day 2: 5 11-04
97. Ray Hanselman Jr Del Rio, TX 10 28-08 7
Day 1: 5 14-04 Day 2: 5 14-04
98. Hank Cherry Jr Lincolnton, NC 9 27-15 6
Day 1: 5 17-12 Day 2: 4 10-03
99. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 10 27-15 5
Day 1: 5 17-02 Day 2: 5 10-13
100. Jason Williamson Aiken, SC 10 26-09 4
Day 1: 5 14-15 Day 2: 5 11-10
101. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 8 23-14 3
Day 1: 3 08-00 Day 2: 5 15-14
------------------------------
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1 Kyle Patrick Cooperstown, NY 06-02 $1,000.00
2 Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 05-07 $333.33
2 Ed Loughran III Richmond, VA 05-07 $333.33
2 Caleb Sumrall New Iberia, LA 05-07 $333.33
------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 100 503 1865-09
2 100 504 1789-03
------------------------------
200 1007 3654-12
Neal Leads Final 10 Anglers into Championship Round at MLF Bass Pro Tour Minn Kota Stage Seven Presented by Humminbird at the St. Lawrence River
Dayton, Tennessee pro catches 27 bass weighing 83-11 to lead Saturday’s Knockout Round, 10 Anglers Set for Sunday’s Final Day Championship Round
MASSENA, N.Y. (Aug. 10, 2024) – The 20 anglers contesting the Knockout Round at the Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Tour Minn Kota Stage Seven Presented by Humminbird got the full St. Lawrence River experience on Saturday — gusty wind, turbulent waters and smallmouth bass by the bunches.
With the vast majority of the field targeting the smallmouth synonymous with the fishery and the bass eager to oblige, anglers lit up SCORETRACKER® early and often. After a handful of competitors traded the top spots throughout the afternoon, Michael Neal wound up atop the leaderboard with 83 pounds, 11 ounces on 27 scorable bass. He finished 15 ounces clear of John Hunter, with Matt Becker just 1-6 back of him.
While Saturday ended with Neal atop SCORETRACKER®, his day got off to a disastrous start long before he thought about making a cast.
Shortly after midnight, a rescue squad knocked on the door of his rental house. Due to the torrential rain from Hurricane Debby, a nearby river had risen 6 to 8 feet, its waters starting to lap on the front porch of the house. The rescue squad told Neal and roommate, fellow Dayton, Tennessee, pro Andy Morgan that it might be wise to seek shelter elsewhere.
With nowhere else to stay, Neal drove to the Massena Intake Boat Launch, where anglers check in and pick up their boat officials each morning before driving to their launch ramp of choice. He tried (unsuccessfully) to sleep in his truck.
“I slept about 30 minutes, maybe,” Neal said.
While he didn’t blame the lack of sleep, once his competition day finally started, Neal struggled to get into a groove. However, he made a move in the second period and caught fire. In the span of 1 hour, 15 minutes, he stacked nine smallmouth totaling 27-10 onto SCORETRACKER®, taking the lead for the first time.
Neal’s key adjustment was focusing more on structure that created current breaks, as the wind blowing in the same direction of the current made it stronger.
“Once I started focusing on the more current-driven areas, I started getting bit a lot more consistently,” he said.
While quite a few anglers have had success targeting smallmouth in water shallow enough to see the bottom, Neal is plying deeper habitat, fishing rock anywhere from 30 to 60 feet deep. Wielding a Big Bite Baits Quarantine Craw on 7-pound Sunline Shooter fluorocarbon, he said he’s rigging the soft plastic “a little bit different.”
“I’ll get into that a little bit more tomorrow, but it seems to make a difference,” Neal said. “I’ve fished around several guys this week, seemed like I’m getting a few more bites.”
As the wind increased in strength throughout the day, Neal said it actually helped his bite — to an extent. When blowing with the current, it positions the fish more predictably. That said, it can also make for an uncomfortable day on the water and cause challenges in accurately presenting a bait, especially on light line. With winds once again forecast to blow out of the southwest and reach the teens on Championship Sunday, conditions should be similar.
Neal thinks he could have continued to fish all his spots amid Saturday’s conditions, but once he’d built a safe advantage over the cut line, he looked for some more protected water. Turns out, he found the bite just as good there, too.
“It got easy this afternoon,” Neal said. “Like, I could call my shot. When I ran back to the American side, I caught four, I think, in the last 30 minutes, and it was the first drift every time.”
Set to compete in his fifth Championship Round of 2024 and third in as many events, Neal will finish in the Top 10 for the 20th time in his Bass Pro Tour career — second only to Jacob Wheeler. He feels overdue to add a second career victory. He believes he’ll be around the fish to win, but given the number of strong smallmouth anglers in the remaining field and the number of bass in the fishery, he knows it’ll take a nearly flawless day to hoist the trophy.
“I’ll definitely be around enough, 100 percent,” he said. “How many of them I’ll get to bite, I don’t know. Where I really started catching them in the second period, I think I’ve just made two drifts there and caught them really good, and there’s way more fish there than what I’ve caught.
“The whole Top 10, anybody can win it. All it takes is landing on one stretch, one current seam that’s just loaded up that you can go back and forth all day on.”
The top 10 pros from Saturday’s Knockout Round that now advance to the final day of competition on the St. Lawrence River are:
1st: Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., 27 bass, 83-11
2nd: John Hunter, Shelbyville, Ky., 26 bass, 81-12
3rd: Matt Becker, Ten Mile, Tenn., 26 bass, 80-6
4th: Nick Hatfield, Greeneville, Tenn., 24 bass, 74-5
5th: Drew Gill, Mount Carmel, Ill., 22 bass, 69-7
6th: Chris Lane, Guntersville, Ala., 23 bass, 66-12
7th: Brent Ehrler, Redlands, Calif., 19 bass, 60-11
8th: Marty Robinson, Lyman, S.C., 19 bass, 59-5
9th: Spencer Shuffield, Hot Springs, Ark., 18 bass, 57-14
10th: Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., 19 bass, 55-10
Eliminated from competition are:
11th: Bradley Roy, Lancaster, Ky., 17 bass, 51-8, $10,000
12th: Josh Bertrand, Queen Creek, Ariz., 16 bass, 49-14, $10,000
13th: Mark Daniels, Jr., Tuskegee, Ala., 17 bass, 47-6, $10,000
14th: Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn., 15 bass, 42-14, $10,000
15th: Justin Cooper, Zwolle, La., 13 bass, 40-7, $10,000
16th: Jesse Wiggins, Addison, Ala., 13 bass, 38-12, $10,000
17th: Jason Vance, Battle Ground, Ind., 11 bass, 36-3, $10,000
18th: Jared Lintner, Covington, Ga., 10 bass, 31-11, $10,000
19th: Marshall Robinson, Landrum, S.C., nine bass, 26-8, $10,000
20th: Jonathon VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich., nine bass, 25-10, $10,000
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Overall, there were 353 bass weighing 1,080 pounds even caught by the 20 pros Saturday. The catch included 10 5-pounders, 37 4-pounders and 115 3-pounders.
Pro Justin Cooper earned Saturday’s $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award with a largemouth weighing 5 pounds, 13 ounces. Berkley awards $1,000 to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass each day, and a $3,000 bonus to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass of the tournament.
The six-day tournament, hosted by the Town of Massena, showcases 78 of the best professional anglers in the world competing for a purse of more than $805,000, with a top prize of $100,000 going to the winner.
The 39 Anglers in Group A competed in their two-day Qualifying Round on Tuesday and Thursday – the 39 anglers in Group B on Wednesday and Friday. After the two-day Qualifying Round was complete, the anglers that finished first through 10th from both groups advanced to Saturday’s Knockout Round. In the Knockout Round, weights were zeroed, and the remaining 20 anglers competed to finish in the top 10 to advance to Sunday’s Championship Round. Sunday, in the final-day Championship Round, weights are zeroed, and the highest one-day total wins the top prize of $100,000.
The final 10 anglers will depart at 6:45 a.m. ET Sunday from the Massena Intake Boat Launch, located at 1415 State Highway 131 in Massena. Anglers are allowed to trailer to any ramp of their choosing within the fishing boundaries, and competition will begin on the water at 7:30 a.m. The General Tire Takeout will be held at Massena Intake Boat Launch, beginning at 4 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend all launch and takeout events and also encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLFNOW!® live stream and SCORETRACKER® coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com .
The MLFNOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action live on Championship Sunday from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET. MLFNOW!® will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com, the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app and Rumble.
On Sunday, Aug. 11, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. MLF welcomes fans of all ages to visit the Massena Intake Boat Launch for the MLF Watch Party. Fans can watch the pros live on the MLFNOW! big screen, enjoy free food, enter to win hourly giveaways and cheer on their favorite pros. Live music will begin at 4 p.m. The first 50 kids 14 and under will receive a free rod and reel from Pure Fishing, and the final 10 Bass Pro Tour anglers competing in the Championship Round will be on hand to meet and greet fans, sign autographs and take selfies.
The Minn Kota Stage Seven at the St. Lawrence River Presented by Humminbird features anglers competing with a 2-pound minimum weight requirement for a bass to be deemed scorable. The MLF Fisheries Management Division determines minimum weights for each body of water that the Bass Pro Tour visits, based on the productivity, bass population and anticipated average size of fish in each fishery.
The 2024 Bass Pro Tour features a field of 78 of the top professional anglers in the world, competing across seven regular-season tournaments around the country, for millions of dollars and valuable points to qualify for the annual General Tire Heavy Hitters all-star event and REDCREST 2025, the Bass Pro Tour championship, set for April 3-6, 2025, on Lake Guntersville in Huntsville, Alabama.
Fishing Clash, an interactive 3D fishing simulation game that’s played by more than 80 million people worldwide, is the official AOY sponsor of the Bass Pro Tour, Tackle Warehouse Invitationals, Toyota Series and Phoenix Bass Fishing League. You can download Fishing Clash for free in the App Store and on Google Play or log on to www.fishingclash.game for more information.
Television coverage of the Minn Kota Stage Seven at the St. Lawrence River Presented by Humminbird will premiere as a two-hour episode starting at 7 a.m. ET, on Saturday, Nov. 16 on Discovery. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on Discovery, with re-airings on Outdoor Channel.
Proud sponsors of the 2024 MLF Bass Pro Tour include: Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, BUBBA, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, Garmin, General Tire, Humminbird, Lowrance, Mercury, MillerTech, Minn Kota, Mossy Oak Fishing, NITRO, Onyx, Plano, Power-Pole, PowerStop Brakes, Rapala, REDCON1, Star brite, Suzuki, Toyota, WIX Filters and U.S. Air Force.
For complete details and updated information on Major League Fishing and the Bass Pro Tour, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, X , Instagram and YouTube.
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery Channel, Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 17 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.
Lester Looking to Turn Bronze into Gold
By Luke Stoner - Dynamic Sponsorships
Team Toyota pro Brandon Lester caught over 21-lbs of smallmouth bass on day one of the Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite on Lake Champlain, which had him in 5 th place at the conclusion of the weigh-in. Lester has fished countless bodies of water throughout his life, 10-years of which have been as a touring professional angler, but Lake Champlain ranks atop them all as his absolute favorite fishery.
This unique body of water that straddles the New York-Vermont border is a 17-hour haul in the Tundra from Lester’s home in middle Tennessee, but this is one long distance
relationship that Lester is OK with.
“This place represents what bass fishing should be in my opinion,” Lester offered. “You can run down the lake and from 40-feet of water to four inches of water if you see something that looks like it should have a bass on it, it probably does. It’s such a diverse fishery, with a guy being able to be competitive in major tournaments with largemouth or smallmouth.”
This diversity that Lester is so fond of is a huge reason why dozens of his peers are quick to claim Champlain as their favorite place to bass fish as well. Not only can anglers catch heavy mixed bags of either species from these clear, fertile waters; but they can truly pick their poison when it comes to lure choices and techniques. The opportunities abound on Lake Champlain.
Though Lester has experienced a lot of success targeting largemouth here in the past, he came into this tournament solely focused on smallmouth bass. While Lester isn’t an Olympian, at least until they add bass fishing as an Olympic sport, he does believe bronze is his best chance at gold this week. Only Lester’s gold would come in the form of his second blue trophy.
“Based off last year’s Elite and what I learned in practice I felt like I could be more consistent with smallmouth,” Lester explained. “I had over 20-lbs of brown fish two of our three days in practice and I feel like that’s the number I need to hit to be competitive and give myself a chance come Championship Monday.”
Lester knew weights would be extremely tight this week and after what he saw in practice, he believed that daily 20-lb benchmark is what it would take to separate himself and keep him near the top of the leaderboard. The even-keeled pro is primarily employing Lowrance Active Target and a few finesse tactics to pick off nomadic smallies roaming the depths of Champlain.
Oddly enough, Lester has openly struggled with FFS when fishing for largemouth, at least when it comes to excelling in tournaments dominated with this approach. But it’s quite the opposite when focusing on smallmouth with the tool, as is evident by his efforts on Champlain and a top 10 finish on Lake St. Clair last year.
“I can’t really explain it, but I have a blast chasing around smallmouth with FFS,” Lester said. “I feel like I understand how to use it to catch smallies and I don’t have to fight the same mental battles I do when using FFS to target largemouth. I guess it’s probably due to how I grew up fishing for largemouth, and I don’t have that experience or history to fall back on with brown ones. Regardless, it sure is fun to come up North and catch these things with light line and Active Target.”
Thrift Wins Qualifying Round, Wheeler Clinches Third AOY Title at MLF Bass Pro Tour Minn Kota Stage Seven Presented by Humminbird at the St. Lawrence River
Wheeler finishes 10th in Qualifying Round to clinch third Angler of the Year title in four years, Thrift throws jig to pace top 10 anglers advancing to Saturday’s Knockout Round
MASSENA, N.Y. (Aug. 9, 2024) – Even the remnants of Hurricane Debby drenching the St. Lawrence River couldn’t extinguish the red-hot fishing Friday at the Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Tour Minn Kota Stage Seven Presented by Humminbird.
The 39 anglers finishing out Group B’s Qualifying Round on Friday consistently caught fish throughout the day, led by Shelby, North Carolina angler Bryan Thrift, who totaled 31 bass for 91 pounds, 6 ounces for a total of 160-3 over two days. Thrift ended the round just 4 ounces ahead of a hard charging Josh Bertrand, who wound up with 159-15.
The big winner of the day was the 10th place finisher, Harrison, Tennessee, pro Jacob Wheeler, who clinched the 2024 Fishing Clash Angler of the Year honors and the $100,000 payout – Wheeler’s third AOY title in the last four years.
In addition to the battle for the top of the group and the Angler of the Year title, there was plenty of movement on SCORETRACKER® throughout the day. Still, only two anglers below 10th place at the start of the day will advance to the Knockout Round – and both made big jumps as Covington, Georgia, pro Jared Lintner (14th to fourth) and pro Mark Daniels, Jr., of Tuskegee, Alabama, (17th to eighth) replaced Skeet Reese and Fletcher Shryock.
Thrift was firmly ahead of Group B for much of the day until Bertrand made a run and briefly passed him in the final 10 minutes. Thrift immediately added a 3-3 to take the lead for good. The North Carolina pro caught fish early and remained in control of the lead most of the day by fishing his strengths – using baitcast gear and a jig that he designed.
While other baits caught a few late fish for Thrift, a 1/2—and 3/4-ounce green pumpkin yellow Fitzgerald Fishing Bryan Thrift tungsten micro jig was his primary weapon, helping him land nearly 60 pounds in the first period alone.
"The day started really good, catching 50-something pounds," Thrift said. "That allowed me to start looking for new areas, and I spent most of the day just fishing around. I looked for new stuff and went shallow to places I hadn't fished all week."
While he caught a handful of fish on new areas in the late afternoon, Thrift is all in on a particular stretch of the massive river.
"That's where I've caught most of my fish on both days," he said of his location. "I have no idea if that’ll be good enough and don't know what the changing weather will do to them. I don't expect them to bite as well as they did today."
Ever the one to downplay his success, Thrift believes it will take big weights to make the Championship Round and thinks he'll need everything to line up for him to advance.
"I have to think it will take 60, 70 pounds to move on," he said. "I have that one main area, but don't have a lot of other stuff that's real good."
The top 10 pros in Group B that now advance to Saturday’s Knockout Round on the St. Lawrence River are:
1st: Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., 56 bass, 160-3
2nd: Josh Bertrand, Queen Creek, Ariz., 51 bass, 159-15
3rd: Spencer Shuffield, Hot Springs, Ark., 45 bass, 147-5
4th: Jared Lintner, Covington, Ga., 50 bass, 143-9
5th: Drew Gill, Mount Carmel, Ill., 48 bass, 137-11
6th: Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., 41 bass, 137-8
7th: Justin Cooper, Zwolle, La., 42 bass, 136-6
8th: Mark Daniels, Jr., Tuskegee, Ala., 45 bass, 132-8
9th: Chris Lane, Guntersville, Ala., 45 bass, 128-6
10th: Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn., 45 bass, 123-3
Eliminated from competition are:
11th: Ron Nelson, Berrien Springs, Mich., 37 bass, 111-8
12th: Brandon Coulter, Knoxville, Tenn., 34 bass, 109-13
13th: Fletcher Shryock, Guntersville, Ala., 40 bass, 108-15
14th: Skeet Reese, Auburn, Calif., 35 bass, 105-1
15th: Keith Carson, DeBary, Fla., 32 bass, 104-8
16th: John Murray, Spring City, Tenn., 34 bass, 102-13
17th: Terry Scroggins, San Mateo, Fla., 37 bass, 101-13
18th: Nick LeBrun, Bossier City, La., 33 bass, 95-12
19th: Shinichi Fukae, Osaka, Japan, 31 bass, 95-6
20th: Jeff Sprague, Wills Point, Texas, 32 bass, 95-0
21st: Martin Villa, Charlottesville, Va., 30 bass, 94-9
22nd: Casey Ashley, Donalds, S.C., 33 bass, 91-9
23rd: Wesley Strader, Spring City, Tenn., 28 bass, 86-3
24th: Cole Floyd, Leesburg, Ohio, 31 bass, 85-2
25th: Takahiro Omori, Tokyo, Japan, 28 bass, 82-11
26th: Adrian Avena, Vineland, N.J., 27 bass, 82-1
27th: Jeremy Lawyer, Sarcoxie, Mo., 26 bass, 80-6
28th: Dylan Hays, Hot Springs, Ark., 25 bass, 78-10
29th: Matt Lee, Guntersville, Ala., 25 bass, 74-1
30th: Alton Jones, Sr., Lorena, Texas, 24 bass, 73-7
31st: Andy Morgan, Dayton, Tenn., 24 bass, 71-11
32nd: Andy Montgomery, Blacksburg, S.C., 23 bass, 69-10
33rd: Ryan Salzman, Huntsville, Ala., 23 bass, 64-9
34th: Jacopo Gallelli, Florence, Italy, 19 bass, 62-0
35th: David Walker, Huntingdon, Tenn., 22 bass, 60-11
36th: Randy Howell, Guntersville, Ala., 17 bass, 50-8
37th: Gerald Spoher, Gonzales, La., 16 bass, 49-8
38th: Todd Faircloth, Jasper, Texas, 13 bass, 37-15
39th: Colby Schrumpf, Highland, Ill., 11 bass, 35-8
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Overall, there were 666 scorable bass weighing 2,004 pounds, 4 ounces caught by the 39 pros on Friday.
The Day 4 $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award went to pro John Murray of Spring City, Tennessee, who caught a 5-pound, 15-ounce largemouth bass with just nine minutes remaining in Period 3 to earn the award. It was the second largemouth bass to win the daily award this week. Berkley awards $1,000 to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass each day, and another $3,000 bonus to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass of the tournament.
The six-day tournament, hosted by the Town of Massena, showcases 78 of the best professional anglers in the world competing for a purse of more than $805,000, with a top prize of $100,000 going to the winner.
The 39 Anglers in Group A competed in their two-day Qualifying Round on Tuesday and Thursday – the 39 anglers in Group B on Wednesday and Friday. Now that each two-day Qualifying Round is complete, the anglers that finished first through 10th from both groups now advance to Saturday’s Knockout Round. In the Knockout Round, weights are zeroed, and the remaining 20 anglers compete to finish in the top 10 to advance to Sunday’s Championship Round. In the final-day Championship Round, weights are zeroed, and the highest one-day total wins the top prize of $100,000.
Anglers will depart at 6:45 a.m. ET each day from the Massena Intake Boat Launch, located at 1415 State Highway 131 in Massena. Anglers are allowed to trailer to any ramp of their choosing within the fishing boundaries, and competition will begin on the water at 7:30 a.m. Each day’s General Tire Takeout will be held at Massena Intake Boat Launch, beginning at 4 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend all launch and takeout events and also encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLFNOW!® live stream and SCORETRACKER® coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com .
The MLFNOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action live starting Thursday morning from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET. MLFNOW!® will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com, the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app and Rumble.
On Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 10-11, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. MLF welcomes fans of all ages to visit the Massena Intake Boat Launch for the MLF Watch Party. Fans can watch the pros live on the MLFNOW! big screen, enjoy free food, enter to win hourly giveaways and cheer on their favorite pros. Live music will begin each day at 4 p.m. The first 50 kids 14 and under will receive a free rod and reel from Pure Fishing each day. The final 10 Championship Round Bass Pro Tour anglers will be on hand at the trophy celebration on Championship Sunday to meet and greet fans, sign autographs and take selfies.
The Minn Kota Stage Seven at the St. Lawrence River Presented by Humminbird features anglers competing with a 2-pound minimum weight requirement for a bass to be deemed scorable. The MLF Fisheries Management Division determines minimum weights for each body of water that the Bass Pro Tour visits, based on the productivity, bass population and anticipated average size of fish in each fishery.
The 2024 Bass Pro Tour features a field of 78 of the top professional anglers in the world, competing across seven regular-season tournaments around the country, for millions of dollars and valuable points to qualify for the annual General Tire Heavy Hitters all-star event and REDCREST 2025, the Bass Pro Tour championship, set for April 3-6, 2025, on Lake Guntersville in Huntsville, Alabama.
Fishing Clash, an interactive 3D fishing simulation game that’s played by more than 80 million people worldwide, is the official AOY sponsor of the Bass Pro Tour, Tackle Warehouse Invitationals, Toyota Series and Phoenix Bass Fishing League. You can download Fishing Clash for free in the App Store and on Google Play or log on to www.fishingclash.game for more information.
Television coverage of the Minn Kota Stage Seven at the St. Lawrence River Presented by Humminbird will premiere as a two-hour episode starting at 7 a.m. ET, on Saturday, Nov. 16 on Discovery. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on Discovery, with re-airings on Outdoor Channel.
Proud sponsors of the 2024 MLF Bass Pro Tour include: Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, BUBBA, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, Garmin, General Tire, Humminbird, Lowrance, Mercury, MillerTech, Minn Kota, Mossy Oak Fishing, NITRO, Onyx, Plano, Power-Pole, PowerStop Brakes, Rapala, REDCON1, Star brite, Suzuki, Toyota, WIX Filters and U.S. Air Force.
For complete details and updated information on Major League Fishing and the Bass Pro Tour, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, X , Instagram and YouTube.
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery Channel, Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 17 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.
A New Warrior is Born
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DAIWA’s new 8-carrier SAMURAI 8 Braid battles fish with strength, toughness, and a smooth finish. |
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FOOTHILL RANCH, CA (August 2, 2024) – Hard to believe, but modern fishing was first introduced to braided line way back in 1970. Over the decades, its popularity grew alongside technological advances in available styles and brands. And DAIWA is a leader in that space. DAIWA’s original Japanese manufactured SAMURAI Braid hit the market in 2009 and quickly gained a following, especially amongst bass anglers – almost cultlike status. True fishing artisans were drawn to its strength, smoothness, and reliability. And now, DAIWA treats those ardent anglers – as well as newcomers to fishing braid – to SAMURAI 8 Braid. |
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As its name implies, SAMURAI 8 Braid is an 8-carrier braid, meaning eight exceptional microfilaments are meticulously woven together to create a superior finished product. “The tight weaving process is what makes SAMURAI 8 Braid so special,” said DAIWA Field Marketing Manager, Chris Martin. “Impressively, SAMURAI 8 Braid stays exceptionally narrow for its rated strength, and the new weaving process makes it more durable, too.” Martin noted another resulting characteristic of SAMURAI 8 Braid’s tight weave. “Abrasion resistance is greatly improved. It’s much harder to nick a line when eight individual strands perform as one.” Additionally, DAIWA added a performance coating to SAMURAI 8 Braid. “The exclusive coating really maximizes casting distance and reduces line noise. There’s so little friction as it passes through the guides,” said Martin. Another benefit of the performance coating is how it affects the sink rate. “With less friction in the water, SAMURAI 8 Braid can sink faster. That’s important for getting the most out of your crankbaits, keeping lures and rigs pinned to the bottom, and tightening the tether to smaller baits because there’s less bowing in the line.” And we can’t forget roundness. Irregular shapes with inconsistencies dog some of the braided line on the market. Those are the same ones that cut notches in your guides, too. Fortunately, SAMURAI 8 Braid comes out of the factory perfectly spherical. SAMURAI 8 Braid is available in nine weights and two spool sizes, 165-yard and 330-yard. |
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SAMURAI 8 Braid FEATURES:
MSRP $24.99 and $44.99 |
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For Daiwa’s latest color catalog and/or information on Daiwa dealers in your area, call Daiwa’s Customer Service Department at 562-375-6800 or e-mail inquiries to: [email protected]. The URL for Daiwa’s web site is daiwa.us |
MLF General Tire Heavy Hitters at the Kissimmee Chain to Premiere Saturday on Discovery
WHAT:
The Major League Fishing (MLF) General Tire Heavy Hitters Presented by Bass Pro Shops at the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes premieres this weekend on Discovery. The star-studded event, hosted by Experience Kissimmee, showcased the 30 anglers who qualified from the MLF Bass Pro Tour, competing in a six-day tournament on the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes for a purse of more than $500,000.
In addition to the top prize of $100,000, anglers also competed for Berkley Big Bass Bonuses of $10,000 for each day of the four-day Qualifying Rounds, $30,000 for the Knockout Round and an astounding $100,000 reward for the biggest bass in the Championship Round.
WHEN:
Saturday, Aug. 10, 7-9 a.m. ET
WHERE:
Discovery – New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on Discovery, with re-airings on the Outdoor Channel
NOTES:
To qualify for General Tire Heavy Hitters, the weight of an angler’s single-largest bass from each event of the seven 2023 Bass Pro Tour events was recorded. The 30 anglers with the heaviest total from those seven bass qualified to compete in this event.
The 15 Anglers in Group A and 15 anglers in Group B each compete in their qualifying round over the first four episodes. After each two-day qualifying round is complete, the top eight anglers from both groups advance to the Knockout Round. In the Knockout Round weights are zeroed, and the remaining 16 anglers compete to finish in the top 10 to advance to the final-day Championship Round. In the final-day Championship Round, weights are zeroed, and the highest one-day total took home the top prize of $100,000.
In addition to the tournament, Big Bass Bonuses are awarded in each round of competition with payouts of $10,000, $30,000 and $100,000 awarded to the single biggest fish in the Group A & B Qualifying, Knockout and Championship rounds.
For complete details and updated information on the General Tire Team Series
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery Channel, Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 17 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.
Xpress Boats Introduces Its All-New H210 Bay Boat
HOT SPRINGS, AR. August 9, 2024 - Xpress Boats proudly introduces its all-new 21-foot option to the Hyper-Lift Bay Series. The New H210 Bay from Xpress. This newly developed model is an addition to the H Bay lineup and the big brother to the popular H190 Bay. The sleek low-profile design and performance of the Hyper-Lift Hull gives this 21’ boat the look and feel like no other in the market today. The large front casting deck with 2 forward opening storage compartments and fiberglass center console with stainless grab rail and windshield leaves you plenty of floor space for your cooler and gear. The rear casting deck provides you the comfort of SeaDek pad seating on the port and starboard and the versatility of a port baitwell and starboard live-well will take care of your catch for the day whether chasing reds along the coast or hungry stripers on a freshwater lake.
“The development of the H210 Bay was to produce a boat with exceptional value and functionality of higher-priced boats. The H210 Bay is very economically friendly, but is still very functional and handles rough water like our other bay boats,” said PeeWee Strother, National Sales Manager.
This new 21-foot center console shares the same DNA as the #1 selling 20-foot aluminum bay boat on the market and will not disappoint. With a nationally advertised price of $34,995 with a Yamaha F150LC as the power source, this boat will surely exceed your expectations. Our aluminum boats maintain the highest resale value in the industry due to their attention to detail, innovative design, and unibody construction. Affordable adventure awaits!
About Xpress Boats:
Xpress Boats is a 58-year-old family-owned and operated company, built on the premise of innovation and manufacturing excellence. The “Original” all-welded aluminum boat company pioneered the use of longitudinal rib construction and injected closed-cell foam to create a unibody, superior fishing platform.
Registration Open for the 2024 AFTCO Collegiate Bass Open
San Antonio, TX (August 8, 2024) – The 2024-25 season of the Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Bass Fishing Series is the 20th anniversary for the Association of Collegiate Anglers. The second stop of this historic season, the AFTCO Collegiate Bass Open, will be contested at Lake Dardanelle in Russellville, AR on October 12-13, 2024. This ACA major tournament is a no-entry-fee, double points event which will feature media coverage on a variety of streaming platforms, live coverage, social media promotions and is nationally televised on several networks.
The no-entry-fee AFTCO Collegiate Bass Open will feature a total payout of over $20,000 in prizes and contingencies. Along with the valuable prizes, teams will be eligible to earn double points to count towards the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia. The ACA’s second event of the 2024-25 season will be a key event in determining the Top 25 teams in the nation entering the second half of the season.
Register for the AFTCO Collegiate Bass Open
“The 20th season for the ACA is a great celebration for collegiate bass fishing, our organization, and the many series partners,” said Wade Middleton, ACA Director and CarecoTV President. “As the second ACA major event of the 2024-25 season, the AFTCO Collegiate Bass Open will be a very exciting event to compete in, attend, and watch.”
In 2023, the AFTCO Collegiate Bass Open set a new attendance record for this event. Close to 500 of the top collegiate anglers, nearly 250 teams, traveled to Russellville, AR to compete at Lake Dardanelle.
“The first half of the 2024-25 season is always a great start to the fall semester for college anglers,” noted Kyle Curry, ACA Managing Director. “Central Arkansas is a beautiful area to travel to that time of year, and the fish will be positioned in high percentage areas for anglers to get a lot bites.”
As mentioned earlier, the AFTCO Collegiate Bass Open is the second event on the calendar for the ACA’s historic 20th season. From day one, the ACA has strived to bring expansive media coverage to share the achievements of the competitors on the trail, as well as provide exposure and brand awareness to the companies and products that partnered with the organization. Our goal since that first event was to provide major events without an entry fee or membership, while also providing programs to help more anglers get on the water and pursue their passions. Throughout the 2024-25 season, the ACA is excited to celebrate its 20th anniversary. This is a major milestone for the organization, student anglers, and series partners. Over the next 12 months, the ACA will be introducing new programs, promotions and features across digital media, as well as look backs at some of the great moments that have occurred over the years.
Iaconelli in His Element on Lake Champlain
By Luke Stoner - Dynamic Sponsorships
Mike Iaconelli has been a polarizing character in the world of bass fishing his entire Hall of Fame career. Most love him, some love to hate him, but regardless it is indisputable that the man is purely entertaining to watch fish. This notion was on full display on day one of the 2024 Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite on Lake Champlain.
Iaconelli had a live camera in his boat that documented his strong effort on the water, which produced a mixed bag of bass that weighed just under 19lbs, along with a few classic “Going IKE” fish catches that will leave you laughing, smiling, and wanting to go wet a line.
“I actually had a homeowner come out and check on me today because he heard my screams and thought I was dying,” Iaconelli said with a laugh. “I assured him I am just a crazy person, and I was perfectly fine. Couldn’t have been better, in fact.”
This Champlain homeowner wasn’t the first and won’t be the last person to be thrown off by Ike’s wild celebrations on the water, but his antics are 100% authentic and his
pure passion for fishing is infectious. After an uncharacteristically tough season, it’s great to see the fan-favorite Iaconelli having fun and in his element on one of his favorite bodies of water.
“This is a lake I have always liked because of the duality of the fishery,” Iaconelli explained. “The first time I fished this lake was in 1990. I was 18 years old, and I loved it t then like I love it now. You can fish your strengths here, whether that’s 30-feet of water chasing brown ones or on the bank flipping up green ones. That’s what I did today, and I had a lot of fun doing it.”
The Team Toyota pro mixed in old-school pattern fishing along with some new age technology and techniques to catch his day one weight, perfectly exemplifying the wide array of opportunities Champlain has to offer.
Iaconelli has openly struggled with mastering FFS, joking that he can see and catch fish with it, but he’s not yet able differentiate between a bass, catfish, carp, or Jimmy Hoffa on his electronics screen as efficiently as some of his competitors. Still, Iaconelli used FFS to catch a limit, including a few jumbo smallmouth, before heading shallow to fish in much the same way he did 25-years ago en route to his first professional tournament win right here on Lake Champlain in a Bassmaster Top 150 event.
Ike made several culls running this shallow water pattern and as the viewer, you could watch his confidence and enthusiasm grow with each catch. After a surprisingly bumpy ride back to the day one weigh-in that had Iaconelli grateful he had a Yamaha 250 SHO Outboard at his back to rely on, he was greeted at the docks by his wife Becky, son Vegas and daughter Stella. Putting the cherry on top to a day that has Ike eager to get back on the water.
“Man, what a fun day,” Iaconelli grinned. “Even after all these years, I still love it. The old-school in me would have loved to go today (referencing day two being postponed to inclement weather), but the old man in me is OK with it and will be ready to go tomorrow.”
Iaconelli has had an indelible impression on bass fishing and no matter what you think of him, it’s hard to argue against tournaments being more entertaining when he is in the mix.
B.A.S.S. postpones Day 2 of Bassmaster Elite at Lake Champlain
Aug. 9, 2024
PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. — After consulting with the National Weather Service, B.A.S.S. officials are postponing Day 2 of competition at the Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite at Lake Champlain due to high winds and the possibility of severe weather.
The National Weather Service predicts 15 to 25 mph sustained winds with gusts up to 30 mph early in the day increasing to gusts of up to 50 mph as the day progresses.
The full field of anglers will now compete on Saturday, with the Top 50 competing Sunday and the Top 10 advancing to Championship Monday. Lake Champlain is off limits today.
The full field will launch from the Plattsburgh City Dock beginning at 7 a.m. ET Saturday and return for weigh-in at 3 p.m.
The Adirondack Coast and City of Plattsburgh are hosting the tournament.
2024 Bassmaster Elite Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota
2024 Bassmaster Elite Series Premier Sponsors: Bass Pro Shops, Dakota Lithium, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Progressive Insurance, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha
2024 Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: AFTCO, Daiwa, Garmin, Lew's, Lowrance, Marathon, Triton Boats, VMC
About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S., which encompasses the Bassmaster tournament leagues, events and media platforms, is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting-edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 500,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), TV show, radio show, social media programs and events. For more than 50 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.
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Connect with #Bassmaster on Facebook, Instagram, Twitte
Media Contact: Chad Gay, Communications Manager, 256-424-2390, cgay@bassmaster.
Becker Coasts in Group A Qualifying Round at MLF Bass Pro Tour Minn Kota Stage Seven Presented by Humminbird at the St. Lawrence River
Reigning Angler of the Year adds 17 bass totaling 57 pounds, 4 ounces, Thursday to lead 10 anglers advancing to Knockout Round Saturday, Group B to wrap Qualifying Round Friday
MASSENA, N.Y. (Aug. 8, 2024) – When he returned to the water Thursday for Group A’s second day of qualifying at Minn Kota Stage Seven Presented by Humminbird, pro Matt Becker of Ten Mile, Tennessee, never visited a single one of the spots that produced his 100-plus pounds of smallmouth bass on Day 1, instead running all new water on the St. Lawrence River.
The result was more of the same. Becker stacked another 17 scorable bass for 57 pounds, 4 ounces onto SCORETRACKER® — despite making a clear effort not to catch too many fish from any one spot. That brought his two-day total to 163-11 and kept him atop the leaderboard, 18-14 ahead of Greeneville, Tennessee, pro Nick Hatfield.
“I definitely feel like I narrowed down the section (of the river) that I want to be in,” Becker said. “I probably added 12, 15 spots to my rotation now, and then eliminated some water as well. So, it was a very productive day.”
It’s no surprise to see Becker’s name atop the standings at an event on northern smallmouth waters. Almost exactly one year ago, he closed his rookie season on the Bass Pro Tour with a win and came from behind to claim the Angler of the Year title on Saginaw Bay. He’s won before on the St. Lawrence, too.
But Becker admitted he’s surprised himself a bit through two days on the water with how he’s catching his bass.
Becker has caught all his smallmouth on casting gear and 15-pound fluorocarbon, primarily wielding a couple of different types of jerkbaits. That’s a stark departure from the norm on clear-water smallmouth fisheries, where spinning gear and light leaders typically dominate.
“I did not see that coming when this tournament was announced,” Becker said.
While Becker didn’t anticipate running the pattern that produced his Qualifying Round win, he did note that he was hoping to utilize heavier line. Doing so allows him to spend less time fighting fish and make more casts throughout the day, which is important in the BPT’s every-fish-counts format.
“I really wanted to catch them on heavier line, whether it was spinning gear with 10- or 12-pound line or baitcasting gear with heavier equipment that I could really fight them a lot harder than with 6- or 8-pound line – you waste a lot of time fighting fish,” Becker explained. “So, I definitely looked for that in practice and kind of came with the game plan of trying to find them on a technique that I could use that heavier line. But I really didn’t expect it to be as good as it is.”
Becker wasn’t shy about saying that, if his bite holds up, he thinks he’s on the fish to win. The problem is that change feels inevitable.
For one thing, smallmouth are known for moving from one day to the next. Plus, with rain from Hurricane Debby arriving Thursday afternoon and forecast to continue through Friday, Becker knows different conditions are likely to greet him when he returns to the water on Saturday.
“There’s no telling what could happen,” Becker said. “Surely it’s going to change things. I hope I have enough experience on the river, and in those sections, I have a lot of other things if that pattern goes away. I feel like I know where the fish would go in those areas. But you just never know.”
That’s part of why Becker believes it was important to add to his repertoire of spots on Thursday. He described himself as “cautiously optimistic” entering the weekend.
“I know that I’m on the deal to win it as of today, but I don’t know if that will change going into the weekend,” he said. “I’ve got no shortage of areas to fish, that’s for sure. But again, you just never know with smallmouth. They could very easily totally change everything by Saturday.”
The top 10 pros in Group A that now advance to Saturday’s Knockout Round on the St. Lawrence River are:
1st: Matt Becker, Ten Mile, Tenn., 47 bass, 163-11
2nd: Nick Hatfield, Greeneville, Tenn., 49 bass, 144-13
3rd: Brent Ehrler, Redlands, Calif., 42 bass, 132-10
4th: Jason Vance, Battle Ground, Ind., 41 bass, 123-14
5th: Jesse Wiggins, Addison, Ala., 42 bass, 122-3
6th: Marshall Robinson, Landrum, S.C., 36 bass, 121-3
7th: Bradley Roy, Lancaster, Ky., 36 bass, 120-14
8th: Jonathon VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich., 40 bass, 117-1
9th: Marty Robinson, Lyman, S.C., 35 bass, 115-1
10th: John Hunter, Shelbyville, Ky., 36 bass, 113-1
Eliminated from competition are:
11th: James Elam, Tulsa, Okla., 33 bass, 107-6
12th: Mark Davis, Mount Ida, Ark., 34 bass, 104-15
13th: Justin Lucas, Guntersville, Ala., 32 bass, 101-11
14th: Bobby Lane, Lakeland, Fla., 35 bass, 101-4
15th: Cliff Crochet, Pierre Part, La., 36 bass, 99-9
16th: Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla., 31 bass, 97-0
17th: Ott DeFoe, Blaine, Tenn., 34 bass, 93-1
18th: Alton Jones, Jr., Waco, Texas, 33 bass, 91-14
19th: Mark Rose, Wynne, Ark., 31 bass, 87-8
20th: Brent Chapman, Lake Quivira, Kan, 27 bass, 82-4
21st: Dustin Connell, Clanton, Ala., 27 bass, 80-11
22nd: Matthew Stefan, Junction City, Wis., 29 bass, 80-4
23rd: Kelly Jordon, Flint, Texas, 26 bass, 74-2
24th: Luke Clausen, Spokane, Wash., 22 bass, 70-10
25th: David Dudley, Lynchburg, Va., 24 bass, 69-3
26th: Greg Vinson, Wetumpka, Ala., 21 bass, 66-8
27th: Jacob Wall, New Hope, Ala., 21 bass, 64-0
28th: Keith Poche, Pike Road, Ala., 19 bass, 63-4
29th: Anthony Gagliardi, Prosperity, S.C., 16 bass, 62-1
30th: Edwin Evers, Talala, Okla., 21 bass, 60-3
31st: Boyd Duckett, Guntersville, Ala., 19 bass, 59-2
32nd: Grae Buck, Green Lane, Pa., 19 bass, 58-2
33rd: Stephen Browning, Hot Springs, Ark., 21 bass, 58-2
34th: Dean Rojas, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., 18 bass, 52-13
35th: Britt Myers, Lake Wylie, S.C., 18 bass, 52-4
36th: Gary Klein, Mingus, Texas, 16 bass, 50-9
37th: Dave Lefebre, Erie, Pa., 18 bass, 49-15
38th: Scott Suggs, Alexander, Ark., 13 bass, 35-9
39th: Fred Roumbanis, Russellville, Ark., eight bass, 22-8
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Overall, there were 528 scorable bass weighing 1,607 pounds, 12 ounces caught by the 39 pros on Thursday.
Thursday’s $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award went to Pierre Part, Louisiana, pro Cliff Crochet, who weighed in a 6-pound, 7-ounce largemouth bass – the biggest bass of the week so far – that caught in Period 2. Berkley awards $1,000 to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass each day, and another $3,000 bonus to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass of the tournament.
In all likelihood, the season-long race to claim the Fishing Clash Angler of the Year crown will come to a close Friday. With both pros Alton Jones Jr. and Dustin Connell failing to make the Knockout Round in Group A, all Jacob Wheeler has to do in order to claim his third title in the past four years is finish among the top 22 anglers in Group B. He sits third after one day. Should Wheeler prevail Friday, he would not only receive the $100,000 prize but join an elite group of anglers who have won three AOY titles on national tours.
The six-day tournament, hosted by the Town of Massena, showcases 78 of the best professional anglers in the world competing for a purse of more than $805,000, with a top prize of $100,000 going to the winner.
The 39 Anglers in Group A competed in their two-day Qualifying Round on Tuesday and Thursday – the 39 anglers in Group B on Wednesday and Friday. After each two-day Qualifying Round is complete, the anglers that finish first through 10th from both groups advance to Saturday’s Knockout Round. In the Knockout Round, weights are zeroed, and the remaining 20 anglers compete to finish in the top 10 to advance to Sunday’s Championship Round. In the final-day Championship Round, weights are zeroed, and the highest one-day total wins the top prize of $100,000.
Anglers will depart at 6:45 a.m. ET each day from the Massena Intake Boat Launch, located at 1415 State Highway 131 in Massena. Anglers are allowed to trailer to any ramp of their choosing within the fishing boundaries, and competition will begin on the water at 7:30 a.m. Each day’s General Tire Takeout will be held at Massena Intake Boat Launch, beginning at 4 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend all launch and takeout events and also encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLFNOW!® live stream and SCORETRACKER® coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com .
The MLFNOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action live starting Thursday morning from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET. MLFNOW!® will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com, the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app and Rumble.
On Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 10-11, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. MLF welcomes fans of all ages to visit the Massena Intake Boat Launch for the MLF Watch Party. Fans can watch the pros live on the MLFNOW! big screen, enjoy free food, enter to win hourly giveaways and cheer on their favorite pros. Live music will begin each day at 4 p.m. The first 50 kids 14 and under will receive a free rod and reel from Pure Fishing each day. The final 10 Championship Round Bass Pro Tour anglers will be on hand at the trophy celebration on Championship Sunday to meet and greet fans, sign autographs and take selfies.
The Minn Kota Stage Seven at the St. Lawrence River Presented by Humminbird features anglers competing with a 2-pound minimum weight requirement for a bass to be deemed scorable. The MLF Fisheries Management Division determines minimum weights for each body of water that the Bass Pro Tour visits, based on the productivity, bass population and anticipated average size of fish in each fishery.
The 2024 Bass Pro Tour features a field of 78 of the top professional anglers in the world, competing across seven regular-season tournaments around the country, for millions of dollars and valuable points to qualify for the annual General Tire Heavy Hitters all-star event and REDCREST 2025, the Bass Pro Tour championship, set for April 3-6, 2025, on Lake Guntersville in Huntsville, Alabama.
Fishing Clash, an interactive 3D fishing simulation game that’s played by more than 80 million people worldwide, is the official AOY sponsor of the Bass Pro Tour, Tackle Warehouse Invitationals, Toyota Series and Phoenix Bass Fishing League. You can download Fishing Clash for free in the App Store and on Google Play or log on to www.fishingclash.game for more information.
Television coverage of the Minn Kota Stage Seven at the St. Lawrence River Presented by Humminbird will premiere as a two-hour episode starting at 7 a.m. ET, on Saturday, Nov. 16 on Discovery. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on Discovery, with re-airings on Outdoor Channel.
Proud sponsors of the 2024 MLF Bass Pro Tour include: Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, BUBBA, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, Garmin, General Tire, Humminbird, Lowrance, Mercury, MillerTech, Minn Kota, Mossy Oak Fishing, NITRO, Onyx, Plano, Power-Pole, PowerStop Brakes, Rapala, REDCON1, Star brite, Suzuki, Toyota, WIX Filters and U.S. Air Force.
For complete details and updated information on Major League Fishing and the Bass Pro Tour, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, X , Instagram and YouTube.
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery Channel, Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 17 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.
Green fish carry Feider to Day 1 lead at Bassmaster Elite at Lake Champlain
Aug. 8, 2024
PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. — Since he started coming to Lake Champlain as an Elite Series angler, Seth Feider has never caught two 5-pound largemouth in the same day.
That changed on Day 1 of the Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite at Lake Champlain as the New Market, Minn., pro landed a 6-pounder and another largemouth over 5 ½ pounds to anchor a 23-pound, 11-ounce limit of green fish that lifted him to the top of the leaderboard on Thursday.
“Those really big 5’s are super rare,” he said. “I’ve never caught two in the same day, but I did today, and they go a long way when everyone is catching 3- and 4-pound fish. I don’t know how the rest of the week will play out, but I had a really fun day.
“There’s no place I’d rather win one than on Champlain.”
On a day where 100 limits of bass were caught, 21 of which were over 20 pounds, Feider holds a 1-pound advantage over second-place Greg DiPalma and a 2-pound advantage over third-place Kyle Patrick.
It is the 2022 Angler of the Year's biggest bag ever at Lake Champlain, adding to an already impressive track record at the famed fishery in eastern New York. He has two second-place finishes in 2017 and 2020 as well as a fourth in 2021. Last year, however, Feider missed the Day-3 cut and finished a disappointing 67th.
“Last year hurt,” he said. “I have a really good track record on this lake. It fishes a lot like home, just with bigger fish. I love fishing here.”
Feider opened the morning targeting the pelagic smallmouth Lake Champlain has become known for in the last several years with his forward-facing sonar. That turned out to be a particularly frustrating venture for the veteran angler.
“They were giving me problems, so I said to hell with them, and I went bass fishing,” Feider said. “I was just sucking at ‘Scoping. I was missing my casts, landing short, not getting bit and I lost one. I had a spot (close by) that is decent for largemouth, so I’ll go catch a few of them and then come back and Scope and it won’t bother me as much when they won’t eat my minnow.”
It was a day-altering decision as Feider landed his first lunker largemouth within his first couple of casts in the area. After landing another 4-pounder, Feider fully committed to the largemouth bite and fished seven or eight different areas, three of which produced his bag. A jig and a Texas rig were his most productive baits, while his biggest bass ate a frog.
Unlike in years past, Feider has found the largemouth are more spread out than they usually are. He got bites around wood, docks, rock and grass throughout the day. Most of the 25 bass Feider landed were between 2 and 3 pounds on Day 1.
“Normally you can go to a bay and camp out. This year, there are some bays I go into to catch one bass I shook off. It’s not an endless supply,” Feider said. “It’s probably because of the high water. When they were grouped up, they were more offshore in the submergent vegetation. The high water has them doing a little bit of everything.”
The Elite pros enjoyed sun and relatively calm conditions for most of Day 1, but change is on the way as the remnants of Hurricane Debby are forecast to move through the area starting on Friday, with stormy conditions continuing through Saturday morning.
That will make life much more difficult on Feider as far as navigating the fishery.
“If it gets windy, it will be really hard for me to catch them. A lot of my stuff is protected but getting from (here to there) will be a problem,” he said.
DiPalma, meanwhile, landed his entire 22-11 limit of smallmouth in the first two hours of the day off two shallow boulders in 12 feet of water. The Millville, N.J., pro believes the crawfish population is high in the area and has seen several smallmouth spit up crawfish as he was fighting them.
He primarily used a drop shot and a jighead minnow to land his limit.
“There are definitely fish in the area. It is a niche little area, and I have it to myself,” DiPalma said. “Tomorrow, the wind is going to change and the next day it is going to change again. These are smallmouth, and they can swim away.”
Once he filled out his limit, DiPalma made a long run south to the Ticonderoga region of Lake Champlain to try and catch a 6-pound largemouth. While he caught plenty of bass, he did not land the giant bass he was looking for.
Patrick landed a 21-11 mixed bag on Day 1 to land in third place. He anchored his bag with a 6-2 largemouth, which was the Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the Day. The rookie from Cooperstown, N.Y., spent the day targeting smallmouth, landing three on the day.
But as he was moving through a section of grass in 15 to 20 feet of water, he received a surprising largemouth bite that clued him into a different bite.
“I committed to smallmouth, and I was throwing a Berkley Flat Worm and I got a largemouth bite. So, I pulled some rods out of the box and caught that 6-2 and a 4-2,” Patrick said. “It was fortunate that I ran into some largemouth.
“They were congregated in one section. It’s not like you can do that anywhere on the lake. I would have had 18 pounds if I had just smallmouth.”
A jig, a drop shot and a Damiki rig were Patrick’s three best baits on Day 1.
Alabama’s Justin Hamner, winner of 2024 the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Jockey Outdoors, leads the Progressive Insurance Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings with 669 points. Tennessee’s Jacob Foutz is second with 654 points, followed by Illinois rookie Trey McKinney in third with 652 points. Missouri’s Cody Huff is fourth with 650 points and Chris Johnston of Canada is fifth with 639.
McKinney also leads the Dakota Lithium Elite Series Bassmaster Rookie of the Year standings with 652 points, followed by Tennessee’s John Garrett in second with 638 points and Alabama’s Wesley Gore in third with 628.
The full field will launch from the Plattsburgh City Dock beginning at 7 a.m. ET Friday and return for weigh-in at 3 p.m. The field will be cut to the Top 50 anglers after the Day 2 weigh-in before the Top 10 anglers take center stage on Championship Sunday.
Coverage of the Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite at Lake Champlain will air on FS1 on Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Bassmaster LIVE will be streaming on Bassmaster.com each day.
The Adirondack Coast and City of Plattsburgh are hosting the tournament.
2024 Bassmaster Elite Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota
2024 Bassmaster Elite Series Premier Sponsors: Bass Pro Shops, Dakota Lithium, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Progressive Insurance, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha
2024 Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: AFTCO, Daiwa, Garmin, Lew's, Lowrance, Marathon, Triton Boats, VMC
About B.A.S.S.B.A.S.S., which encompasses the Bassmaster tournament leagues, events and media platforms, is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting-edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 500,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), TV show, radio show, social media programs and events. For more than 50 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.
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Connect with #Bassmaster on Facebook, Instagram, Twitte
Media Contact: Chad Gay, Communications Manager, 205-313-0945, cgay@bassmaster.
2024 Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite at Lake Champlain 8/8-8/11
Lake Champlain, Plattsburg NY.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 1
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Seth Feider New Market, MN 5 23-11 103
Day 1: 5 23-11
2. Gregory DiPalma Millville, NJ 5 22-11 102
Day 1: 5 22-11
3. Kyle Patrick Cooperstown, NY 5 21-11 101 $1,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-11
4. Patrick Walters Eutawville, SC 5 21-10 100
Day 1: 5 21-10
5. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 5 21-08 99
Day 1: 5 21-08
6. Jacob Foutz Charleston, TN 5 21-04 98
Day 1: 5 21-04
7. Robert Gee Knoxville, TN 5 21-01 97
Day 1: 5 21-01
7. Wesley Gore Clanton, AL 5 21-01 97
Day 1: 5 21-01
7. Chris Zaldain Fort Worth, TX 5 21-01 97
Day 1: 5 21-01
10. Matt Herren Ashville, AL 5 21-00 94
Day 1: 5 21-00
11. Will Davis Jr Sylacauga, AL 5 20-15 93
Day 1: 5 20-15
12. Austin Felix Eden Prairie, MN 5 20-14 92
Day 1: 5 20-14
13. Joey Cifuentes III Clinton, AR 5 20-13 91
Day 1: 5 20-13
13. Matt Robertson Kuttawa, KY 5 20-13 91
Day 1: 5 20-13
15. Jay Przekurat Plover, WI 5 20-09 89
Day 1: 5 20-09
16. Koby Kreiger Alva, FL 5 20-08 88
Day 1: 5 20-08
17. John Cox Debary, FL 5 20-07 87
Day 1: 5 20-07
18. Jacob Powroznik North Prince George, VA 5 20-06 86
Day 1: 5 20-06
19. John Garrett Union City, TN 5 20-01 85
Day 1: 5 20-01
19. Logan Latuso Gonzales, LA 5 20-01 85
Day 1: 5 20-01
21. Chris Johnston Otonabee Ontario CANADA 5 20-00 83
Day 1: 5 20-00
21. Wes Logan Springville, AL 5 20-00 83
Day 1: 5 20-00
23. Cody Huff Ava, MO 5 19-15 81
Day 1: 5 19-15
23. Trey McKinney Carbondale, IL 5 19-15 81
Day 1: 5 19-15
25. Cooper Gallant Bowmanville Ontario CAN 5 19-14 79
Day 1: 5 19-14
26. Bob Downey Detroit Lakes, MN 5 19-13 78
Day 1: 5 19-13
26. Jeff Gustafson Kenora, ON Ontario CANA 5 19-13 78
Day 1: 5 19-13
28. Cory Johnston Otonabee CANADA 5 19-12 76
Day 1: 5 19-12
28. Tyler Williams Belgrade, ME 5 19-12 76
Day 1: 5 19-12
30. Justin Hamner Northport, AL 5 19-11 74
Day 1: 5 19-11
30. Bryan Schmitt Deale, MD 5 19-11 74
Day 1: 5 19-11
32. Drew Cook Cairo, GA 5 19-10 72
Day 1: 5 19-10
32. Logan Parks Auburn, AL 5 19-10 72
Day 1: 5 19-10
34. Jason Christie Dry Creek, OK 5 19-07 70
Day 1: 5 19-07
34. Caleb Sumrall New Iberia, LA 5 19-07 70
Day 1: 5 19-07
36. Shane LeHew Catawba, NC 5 19-01 68
Day 1: 5 19-01
36. Lee Livesay Longview, TX 5 19-01 68
Day 1: 5 19-01
38. Ed Loughran III Richmond, VA 5 19-01 0
Day 1: 5 19-01
39. Taku Ito Dalton GA JAPAN 5 19-00 65
Day 1: 5 19-00
40. Alex Wetherell Middletown, CT 5 18-15 64
Day 1: 5 18-15
41. Michael Iaconelli Pitts Grove, NJ 5 18-13 63
Day 1: 5 18-13
41. Alex Redwine Blue Ash, OH 5 18-13 63
Day 1: 5 18-13
43. Carl Jocumsen Queensland TN AUSTRALIA 5 18-12 61
Day 1: 5 18-12
44. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 5 18-11 60
Day 1: 5 18-11
45. Caleb Kuphall Mukwonago, WI 5 18-10 59
Day 1: 5 18-10
45. JT Thompkins Myrtle Beach, SC 5 18-10 59
Day 1: 5 18-10
47. Kyle Norsetter Cottage Grove, WI 5 18-09 57
Day 1: 5 18-09
47. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 5 18-09 57
Day 1: 5 18-09
49. Clark Wendlandt Leander, TX 5 18-09 55
Day 1: 5 18-09
50. Hunter Shryock Ooltewah, TN 5 18-08 54
Day 1: 5 18-08
51. Drew Benton Panama City, FL 5 18-07 53
Day 1: 5 18-07
51. Gerald Swindle Guntersville, AL 5 18-07 53
Day 1: 5 18-07
51. Matty Wong Honolulu, HI 5 18-07 53
Day 1: 5 18-07
54. Jamie Hartman Newport, NY 5 18-06 0
Day 1: 5 18-06
55. Scott Canterbury Odenville, AL 5 18-05 49
Day 1: 5 18-05
55. Timothy Dube Nashua , NH 5 18-05 49
Day 1: 5 18-05
55. Ben Milliken New Caney, TX 5 18-05 49
Day 1: 5 18-05
55. Jake Whitaker Hendersonville, NC 5 18-05 49
Day 1: 5 18-05
59. Brandon Cobb Greenwood, SC 5 18-03 45
Day 1: 5 18-03
60. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 5 18-02 44
Day 1: 5 18-02
61. Matt Arey Shelby, NC 5 18-01 43
Day 1: 5 18-01
61. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 5 18-01 43
Day 1: 5 18-01
61. Kyle Welcher Valley, AL 5 18-01 43
Day 1: 5 18-01
64. Kyoya Fujita Yamanashi CA JAPAN 5 18-00 40
Day 1: 5 18-00
64. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 5 18-00 40
Day 1: 5 18-00
64. Bryan New Leesville, SC 5 18-00 40
Day 1: 5 18-00
64. Luke Palmer Coalgate, OK 5 18-00 40
Day 1: 5 18-00
64. Frank Talley Belton, TX 5 18-00 40
Day 1: 5 18-00
69. Brandon Card Salisbury, NC 5 17-15 35
Day 1: 5 17-15
70. Cole Sands Calhoun , TN 5 17-14 34
Day 1: 5 17-14
71. Brad Whatley Bivins, TX 5 17-13 33
Day 1: 5 17-13
72. Hank Cherry Jr Lincolnton, NC 5 17-12 32
Day 1: 5 17-12
72. Mike Huff London, KY 5 17-12 32
Day 1: 5 17-12
72. Jordan Lee Cullman, AL 5 17-12 32
Day 1: 5 17-12
72. Scott Martin Clewiston, FL 5 17-12 32
Day 1: 5 17-12
72. Bryant Smith Roseville, CA 5 17-12 32
Day 1: 5 17-12
77. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 5 17-10 27
Day 1: 5 17-10
78. Chad Pipkens Dewitt, MI 5 17-08 26
Day 1: 5 17-08
79. David Gaston Sylacauga, AL 5 17-07 25
Day 1: 5 17-07
80. Jonathan Kelley Old Forge, PA 5 17-05 24
Day 1: 5 17-05
81. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 5 17-02 23
Day 1: 5 17-02
81. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 5 17-02 23
Day 1: 5 17-02
83. Kenta Kimura Osaka OK JAPAN 5 17-00 21
Day 1: 5 17-00
84. Buddy Gross Chattanooga, TN 5 16-14 20
Day 1: 5 16-14
84. Pat Schlapper Eleva, WI 5 16-14 20
Day 1: 5 16-14
86. Marc Frazier Newnan, GA 5 16-13 18
Day 1: 5 16-13
87. KJ Queen Catawba, NC 5 16-10 17
Day 1: 5 16-10
88. Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 5 16-08 16
Day 1: 5 16-08
88. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 5 16-08 16
Day 1: 5 16-08
90. Justin Atkins Florence, AL 5 16-05 14
Day 1: 5 16-05
91. Tyler Rivet Raceland, LA 5 16-00 13
Day 1: 5 16-00
92. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 5 15-13 12
Day 1: 5 15-13
93. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 5 15-12 11
Day 1: 5 15-12
93. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 5 15-12 11
Day 1: 5 15-12
95. Todd Auten Clover, SC 5 15-05 9
Day 1: 5 15-05
96. Joseph Webster Hamilton, AL 5 15-03 8
Day 1: 5 15-03
97. Jason Williamson Aiken, SC 5 14-15 7
Day 1: 5 14-15
98. Ray Hanselman Jr Del Rio, TX 5 14-04 6
Day 1: 5 14-04
99. John Soukup Sapulpa, OK 5 14-00 5
Day 1: 5 14-00
100. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 5 13-01 4
Day 1: 5 13-01
101. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 3 08-00 3
Day 1: 3 08-00
Top-ranked St. Lawrence River set to host Bassmaster Elite season finale
August 8, 2024
WADDINGTON, N.Y. — Ending the 2024 season at the nation’s top-ranked fishery fosters plenty of well-established optimism, and the 101 anglers competing in the Humminbird Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River will do their best to unlock this legendary region’s bounty.
Competition days will be August 15-18 with daily takeoffs from Whitaker Park at 7 a.m. ET and weigh-ins each day at the park at 3 p.m.
Topping Bassmaster Magazine’s 2024 100 Best Bass Lakes rankings, the St. Lawrence River’s Thousand Islands region boasts the nation’s premier smallmouth bass fishing. The Elites have seen this renowned region in various weather complexions, and it never fails to deliver the goods.
“I expect it to be almost a repeat of last year; it’ll be about looking for the better pods of fish,” said third-year Elite Series pro Jay Przekurat. “The water is starting to get up to the peak summer temperatures in the upper 60s and lower 70s in the river, and in the lake you can get into the 70s.
“The water never really gets dirty there, but you want to look for water that isn’t stagnant. So, if you’re finding water temps in the upper 70s on the Great Lakes, chances are you’re in an area that doesn’t have any current. I try and look for areas that have water flowing through them, so you have the conditions you need for smallmouth.”
Suffice to say, the St. Lawrence holds a special place in Przekurat’s heart, as the Wisconsin pro secured his Dakota Lithium Bassmaster Rookie of the Year title by conquering this storied fishery in the 2022 Elite Series season finale. Notably, at 23 years and 26 days old, Przekurat became the youngest angler ever to win an Elite title at the time.
Two years later, he’s eager to see what the St. Lawrence fishery will offer. Biggest difference — the past two years saw Elites launching from Clayton, N.Y., about 10 miles from Lake Ontario, but this year, the event will run out of Waddington, N.Y., some 70-plus miles from the easternmost Great Lake.
“Obviously, this year is going to be a lot different,” Przekurat said of the long run and requisite fuel stop en route to Lake Ontario’s much-favored waters. “There will be many more factors in getting to the fish, and you’ll only have 3 to 4 hours to fish for them.
“If the conditions are so nasty that a guy cannot get out to the lake, or he gets out there, but he does not have a lot of fishing time, a guy could win in the river. Generally speaking, everyone knows you can catch 5-pounders more consistently in the lake than the river.”
Moreover, Przekurat notes how a wind opposing the river’s northeast flow can disrupt the current drifts anglers typically use to fish shoals, bars and island points. Lake Ontario’s not always cooperative, but targeting particular spots with far less current presents a more forgiving scenario.
Statistics validate these points, but about the only absolute this sport offers is that fish exit the water wet. Case in point: the last time the Elites fished out of Waddington (2021), Taku Ito won the event by fishing in the lake, while veteran Elite Series pro Bernie Schultz stayed in the river and notched a Top 10 finish.
Another one: 2020 saw Canadian Chris Johnston win his first Elite title by battling a rough Lake Ontario, while Brock Mosley spent four days in the Clayton area targeting mostly largemouth to ultimately place third. The green fish angle is another story for another time but a point worth noting should big winds enflame Ontario’s mean streak.
While Przekurat expects the usual smallmouth mix of drop shots, Ned rigs and hair jigs to handle much of the duty, he said bait selection plays second fiddle to the front-end effort.
“The biggest key is finding the fish and figuring out the right presentation,” he said. “Then you have to get to your fish (every day).”
No doubt, a rough Lake Ontario will send many back to weigh-ins with light bags and long faces. However, moderate-to-nice weather will guarantee a bronzeback beatdown with plenty of 5- to 6-pound studs crossing the stage.
Przekurat said he expects 20 to 21 pounds a day to make the Top 50 cut. The winner, he said, will probably weigh in about 97 pounds.
The next logical question: Will someone turn in a Century Club performance? This designation honors anglers who reach 100 pounds with four days of five-bass limits. Largemouth events have obviously dominated this prestigious league, but the past two St. Lawrence Elites thrust smallmouth bass into the conversation.
Two years ago, Przekurat earned his blue trophy with an all-smallmouth total of 102 pounds, 9 ounces. Technically, Chris Johnston’s older brother Cory Johnston was the first to enter the Century Club solely with brown ones, as he weighed his final limit of 28-8 (the event’s heaviest bag) before Przekurat and ultimately took second place with 100-5.
Last year, the St. Lawrence Elite saw four anglers hit the 100-pound mark. South Carolina’s Patrick Walters won with 105 pounds — setting a new weight record for a 20-fish total of all smallmouth. Chris Johnston finished second with 103-12, Kyoya Fujita took third with 102-5, and Ito was fourth with 101-7.
Will 2024 continue the trend? Not impossible, but as Przekurat points out, time constraints will make the 100-pound mark a tall hill to climb.
“I think if we have perfect conditions, someone could have 100 pounds, but it’s hard to (maintain that consistency),” he said. “A guy will have a 26-pound day, then he’ll back it up with a 23-pound day, then do that again and again.
“The key will be, can you get to your fish day after day. It’s hard to be that consistent running 70 to 80 miles. Everything has to go perfectly.”
Coverage of the Humminbird Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River will air on FS1 on Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET. Bassmaster LIVE will be streaming on Bassmaster.com all four days.
The Village of Waddington is hosting the tournament.
2024 Bassmaster Elite Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota
2024 Bassmaster Elite Series Premier Sponsors: Bass Pro Shops, Dakota Lithium, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Progressive Insurance, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha
2024 Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: AFTCO, Daiwa, Garmin, Lew's, Lowrance, Marathon, Triton Boats, VMC
About B.A.S.S.B.A.S.S., which encompasses the Bassmaster tournament leagues, events and media platforms, is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting-edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 500,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), TV show, radio show, social media programs and events. For more than 50 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.
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Connect with #Bassmaster on Facebook, Instagram, Twitte
Media Contact: Chad Gay, Communications Manager, 256-424-2390, cgay@bassmaster.
MLF Announces Lake Hamilton as Host of 2025 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American Championship
42nd annual grassroots championship to be held in Hot Springs for seventh time – most in MLF history
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. (Aug. 8, 2024) – Major League Fishing (MLF) announced Thursday that the 42nd annual Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) All-American will take place in Hot Springs, Arkansas, on Lake Hamilton. The no entry-fee tournament, scheduled for May 29-31, 2025, will showcase the nation’s best grassroots weekend anglers and offer a top prize of up to $120,000 cash to the winner.
The three-day tournament is hosted by Visit Hot Springs and the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism. This event will mark the seventh All-American to be held in Hot Springs, and the sixth on Lake Hamilton – both MLF records for the most times a city and fishery have hosted the event. The championship was previously held on Lake Hamilton in 2000, 2001, 2004, 2008 and 2022, and on DeGray Lake in 2010.
“Hot Springs is pleased beyond words to bring the Phoenix BFL All-American Championship back to our city for the seventh time,” said Steve Arrison, Visit Hot Springs CEO. “The last Championship we hosted was in 2022, and we can’t wait to welcome these world-class weekend bass anglers back to Hot Springs. Our city knows how to show competitors a great time on Lake Hamilton and a great time in their off-the-lake hours, too.
“Our thanks go out to the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism for their assistance in bringing the All-American back to Hot Springs,” Arrison continued. “The Championship will focus national attention on the unrivaled outdoor recreation we enjoy here in Hot Springs and The Natural State. We’re already starting to get ready, and we’re excited to welcome them in May 2025.”
“We’re thrilled to announce our return to Hot Springs and Lake Hamilton in 2025 for the biggest grassroots bass-fishing championship in the world,” said Kathy Fennel, MLF Executive Vice president and General Manager. “We’ve held numerous major events in Hot Springs, and it’s an ideal location for us. From the fishery, to our partners at Visit Hot Springs and the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism, to the incredible fan support that we always receive there – we’re so excited and can’t wait to see everyone again in 2025.”
Since it’s humble beginnings in 1983, the Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine circuit is widely credited with opening competitive bass fishing to the masses. It serves as a steppingstone for anglers who wish to advance to the Toyota Series, Tackle Warehouse Invitationals and ultimately the Bass Pro Tour. Former All-American champions who currently compete on the Bass Pro Tour and the Tackle Warehouse Invitationals include Shaw Grigsby (1984), Stephen Browning (1996), Jacob Wheeler (2011), Jeremy Lawyer (2016), Nick LeBrun (2018) and Connor Cunningham (2022).
The 2024 Phoenix BFL Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 events throughout the season and five qualifying tournaments in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five qualifying event winners, will advance to one of six BFL Regional tournaments where they compete to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American.
The complete schedule and rules for the 2025 Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine season will be announced this fall.
Proud sponsors of the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 7Brew, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, E3, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, General Tire, GSM Outdoors, Lew’s, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, PowerStop Brakes, REDCON1, Strike King, Suzuki, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, WIX Filters and YETI.
For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Bass Fishing League updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery Channel, Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 17 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.
Arey Weighs in on Champlain and Champy
By Luke Stoner - Dynamic Sponsorships
Team Toyota pro Matt Arey is spoiled by the three most important women in his life with chalk art before he leaves his Shelby, North Carolina home to head to the next Bassmaster Elite Series event. Before this week’s Lake Champlain derby his wife Emily and daughters Reese and Wren’s masterpiece featured lyrics from Jay-Z’s song “Empire State of Mind” and their favorite legendary lake monster, “Champy”.
These chalk drawings may have started as doodles a few years ago when his girls were younger, but they’ve turned into full blown works of art as of late. Arey hopes to paint his own kind of masterpiece on Lake Champlain in the form of heavy limits of smallmouth bass. We caught up with Arey at takeoff on day one to get his plans and expectations for the second to last stop of the Elite Series season.
Q – You’re having another strong season in 2024, currently sitting in 19 th place in the AOY race, what is your goal coming into Lake Champlain?
Arey – “My goal for every Elite event is to make the top 50 cut. Fishing on Saturday means getting paid and racking up points for the AOY race and Classic cut. I can worry about winning after I make day three. My goal for Lake Champlain specifically is to lock up a Classic berth, which I believe I can do by making the top 50 cut. That would allow me to go have some fun on the St. Lawrence River.”
Q – We know from dock talk and past events that the weights will be extremely tight this week. What’s the difference between a “good one” and “too small” on Champlain right now?
Arey – “That line is razor thin on this fishery… it seems like three to three-and-a-half pounders are pretty easy to catch and won’t do a whole lot for you. But a heavy three pounder, like 3.75-lbs is money, and a four-plus-pound bass is gold. A few ounces per fish will make all the difference this week.”
Q – What percentage of anglers in the top 10 will be targeting smallmouth bass this week, versus largemouth or a mixed bag?
Arey – “I would say the top 10 will be dominated by guys targeting smallmouth again (referencing the 2023 Elite on Champlain). I do think the winner will have a mixed bag, or at least bring in a few big largemouth over four days. I’d say eight out of ten will target smallies exclusively with the other two having a mixed bag. 80% smallmouth, 20% mixed, and 0% targeting only largemouth.”
Q – What are two lures you think will play a big role in this tournament …and part two, how would you go about catching the local legend Champ (or Champy), the star of your girls’ sidewalk art?
Arey – “For bass I’m going with a pinging a jighead minnow using FFS, and a compact jig for bass on the bottom.”
“Haha! For Champy, I think I’d soak a 24-ounce raw T-bone steak on the biggest treble hook they make. I’ve been looking for him all week with my Lowrance Active Target but to my daughter’s dismay I haven’t found him yet. Emily (his wife) told the girls about the legend of Champ a couple years ago and it’s always the topic of conversation when we come to Champlain.”
Rookie Drew Gill Leads Day 1 for Group B at MLF Bass Pro Tour Minn Kota Stage Seven Presented by Humminbird at the St. Lawrence River
Illinois pro catches 36 smallmouth weighing 100-4 to jump out to early lead for Group B, Group A to wrap Qualifying Round Thursday
MASSENA, N.Y. (Aug. 7, 2024) – Bass Pro Tour angler Drew Gill of Mount Carmel, Illinois, has enjoyed a lot of memorable days on the water during his rapid rise through the tournament ranks. The Bass Pro Tour rookie has two wins this season — one at Stage Five on the Chowan River and one at the Tackle Warehouse Invitationals season opener on Sam Rayburn Reservoir — and has finished in the Top 10 eight times in 11 total events across those two circuits.
But Gill’s first day of competition at the Minn Kota Stage Seven at the St. Lawrence River Presented by Humminbird earned a special place in his memory bank. Gill racked up 36 scorable bass for 100 pounds, 4 ounces. That has him atop SCORETRACKER® after the first day of qualifying for Group B, 16 pounds, 6 ounces, ahead of Hot Springs, Arkansas’ Spencer Shuffield.
“If you want to rank the level of fun, it’s like not even on the grading scale,” Gill said. “It’s like S-Tier levels of fun. It is absolutely a blast. I think today was probably the most fun day of smallmouth fishing I’ve ever had in a tournament.”
Gill was far from the only angler to stack up a gaudy total on the fruitful fishery. As was also the case for Group A’s first day on the water, it took more than 58 pounds to claim a spot in the Top 10, and nine anglers crossed the 60-pound mark.
Gill admitted that it can feel at times like catching bass on the St. Lawrence is easy. In some ways, though, that actually makes strategy more stressful for the pros, as they have to be just about perfect in order to keep up with the pace.
While some anglers (like Shuffield, who boated eight smallmouth of 4 pounds or heavier) targeted a bigger average size, and a few even amassed strong totals of all or mostly largemouth, Gill’s gameplan focused on maximizing his catch rate. He started fishing right at “lines in” and only spent about 20 minutes of his day running his Mercury. His resulting tally of 36 scorable bass (35 of them being smallmouth) bested his next-closest competitor by seven and marked the most fish he’s boated in a day of competition this season.
“Time management and keeping the pace is the most important thing in a slugfest tournament,” Gill said. “And the best way to keep that pace is to make the run time as manageable as possible. ... Just making decisions that are really time-management conscientious and focusing on maximizing fishing time, because every interaction you have with a fish here can be a 3- to 5-pound smallmouth.”
While Gill noted that his catch count could have been even higher had he not lost nine or 10 scorable bites, he’s excited by the fact that he maintained his rapid rate despite sampling several different areas and techniques. A forward-facing sonar guru who can often be spotted with just a handful of rods on his front deck, Gill said that’s not the case this week. He caught bass from as little as 5 feet of water to as deep as 54. He also found a new stretch of productive water during Period 3 that he’d never fished before and caught nearly 20 pounds off it in 22 minutes.
Gill believes having multiple options at his disposal will be key as the fishery evolves throughout the event.
“This is not one of those tournaments where you’ve got primary stuff and you’ve got some stuff in your back pocket,” he said. “Dude, you’ve got to be in all the pockets in this tournament. Front pockets, back pockets, side pockets, all the pockets, because if you’re not firing on all cylinders, you’re getting left behind.”
Gill will look to add to his repertoire of areas and techniques when he returns to the water Friday. With more than 45 pounds of cushion over 11th place, he can use the day as extra practice in advance of the Knockout Round. And with northern smallmouth known for their transient nature plus stormy weather from Hurricane Debby forecast to arrive this weekend, Gill knows he’ll need to adapt if he wants to add another trophy to his rapidly growing collection.
“Now that we’ve given ourselves a little bit of a head start, I’m looking forward to the time to expand the strategy,” he said. “I’m going to go expand on it, hopefully go find a few more areas, keep an eye on the stuff I’m fishing and try to prepare for the weekend.”
The top 20 pros in Group B after Day 1 on the St. Lawrence River are:
1st: Drew Gill, Mount Carmel, Ill., 36 bass, 100-4
2nd: Spencer Shuffield, Hot Springs, Ark., 24 bass, 83-14
3rd: Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn., 29 bass, 74-5
4th: Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., 25 bass, 68-13
5th: Fletcher Shryock, Guntersville, Ala., 23 bass, 65-6
6th: Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., 19 bass, 64-3
7th: Skeet Reese, Auburn, Calif., 20 bass, 63-7
8th: Justin Cooper, Zwolle, La., 18 bass, 61-10
9th: Josh Bertrand, Queen Creek, Ariz., 21 bass, 60-14
10th: Chris Lane, Guntersville, Ala., 22 bass, 59-2
11th: John Murray, Spring City, Tenn., 17 bass, 54-10
12th: Keith Carson, DeBary, Fla., 17 bass, 54-3
13th: Ron Nelson, Berrien Springs, Mich., 18 bass, 53-5
14th: Jared Lintner, Covington, Ga., 19 bass, 52-13
15th: Martin Villa, Charlottesville, Va., 17 bass, 52-12
16th: Adrian Avena, Vineland, N.J., 17 bass, 49-2
17th: Mark Daniels, Jr., Tuskegee, Ala., 16 bass, 48-4
18th: Alton Jones, Sr., Lorena, Texas, 15 bass, 47-4
19th: Jeremy Lawyer, Sarcoxie, Mo., 15 bass, 43-3
20th: Jeff Sprague, Wills Point, Texas, 14 bass, 41-1
A complete list of results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Overall, there were 592 scorable bass weighing 1,763 pounds, 10 ounces caught by the 39 pros Wednesday.
The Day 2 $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award went to pro Spencer Shuffield of Hot Springs, Arkansas, who weighed in a chunky 6-pound smallmouth that he caught in Period 3. Berkley awards $1,000 to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass each day, and another $3,000 bonus to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass of the tournament.
Pro Jacob Wheeler of Harrison, Tennessee, entered Stage Seven needing only to advance to the Knockout Round to clinch his third Fishing Clash Angler of the Year title in the past four years. He’s off to a strong start.
Wheeler totaled 74-5 on 29 bass, which has him third in Group B. He’s nearly 20 pounds clear of 11th place. One more day like that and Wheeler will join a select group of anglers to win three AOY crowns on national tours. Should he falter, Waco, Texas’ Alton Jones, Jr. would be best positioned to take advantage, as he entered the regular-season finale 19 points behind Wheeler.
The six-day tournament, hosted by the Town of Massena, showcases 78 of the best professional anglers in the world competing for a purse of more than $805,000, with a top prize of $100,000 going to the winner.
The 39 Anglers in Group A compete in their two-day Qualifying Round on Tuesday and Thursday – the 39 anglers in Group B on Wednesday and Friday. After each two-day Qualifying Round is complete, the anglers that finish first through 10th from both groups advance to Saturday’s Knockout Round. In the Knockout Round, weights are zeroed, and the remaining 20 anglers compete to finish in the top 10 to advance to Sunday’s Championship Round. In the final-day Championship Round, weights are zeroed, and the highest one-day total wins the top prize of $100,000.
Anglers will depart at 6:45 a.m. ET each day from the Massena Intake Boat Launch, located at 1415 State Highway 131 in Massena. Anglers are allowed to trailer to any ramp of their choosing within the fishing boundaries, and competition will begin on the water at 7:30 a.m. Each day’s General Tire Takeout will be held at Massena Intake Boat Launch, beginning at 4 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend all launch and takeout events and also encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLFNOW!® live stream and SCORETRACKER® coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com .
The MLFNOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action live starting Thursday morning from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET. MLFNOW!® will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com, the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app and Rumble.
On Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 10-11, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. MLF welcomes fans of all ages to visit the Massena Intake Boat Launch for the MLF Watch Party. Fans can watch the pros live on the MLFNOW! big screen, enjoy free food, enter to win hourly giveaways and cheer on their favorite pros. Live music will begin each day at 4 p.m. The first 50 kids 14 and under will receive a free rod and reel from Pure Fishing each day. The final 10 Championship Round Bass Pro Tour anglers will be on hand at the trophy celebration on Championship Sunday to meet and greet fans, sign autographs and take selfies.
The Minn Kota Stage Seven at the St. Lawrence River Presented by Humminbird features anglers competing with a 2-pound minimum weight requirement for a bass to be deemed scorable. The MLF Fisheries Management Division determines minimum weights for each body of water that the Bass Pro Tour visits, based on the productivity, bass population and anticipated average size of fish in each fishery.
The 2024 Bass Pro Tour features a field of 78 of the top professional anglers in the world, competing across seven regular-season tournaments around the country, for millions of dollars and valuable points to qualify for the annual General Tire Heavy Hitters all-star event and REDCREST 2025, the Bass Pro Tour championship, set for April 3-6, 2025, on Lake Guntersville in Huntsville, Alabama.
Fishing Clash, an interactive 3D fishing simulation game that’s played by more than 80 million people worldwide, is the official AOY sponsor of the Bass Pro Tour, Tackle Warehouse Invitationals, Toyota Series and Phoenix Bass Fishing League. You can download Fishing Clash for free in the App Store and on Google Play or log on to www.fishingclash.game for more information.
Television coverage of the Minn Kota Stage Seven at the St. Lawrence River Presented by Humminbird will premiere as a two-hour episode starting at 7 a.m. ET, on Saturday, Nov. 16 on Discovery. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on Discovery, with re-airings on Outdoor Channel.
Proud sponsors of the 2024 MLF Bass Pro Tour include: Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, BUBBA, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, Garmin, General Tire, Humminbird, Lowrance, Mercury, MillerTech, Minn Kota, Mossy Oak Fishing, NITRO, Onyx, Plano, Power-Pole, PowerStop Brakes, Rapala, REDCON1, Star brite, Suzuki, Toyota, WIX Filters and U.S. Air Force.
For complete details and updated information on Major League Fishing and the Bass Pro Tour, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, X , Instagram and YouTube.
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery Channel, Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 17 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.
Humminbird and Minn Kota Pros Looking for GOLD at the Final Two Events of 2024
With the 2024 Bassmaster Elite Series rapidly coming to an end, Humminbird and Minn Kota Pros Kyle Patrick, Chad Pipkens, and Greg Dipalma are hoping for a strong showing on the Northern Swing.
RACINE, Wisc. (Aug. 6, 2024) – The “Northern Swing” in the fishing world is a highly anticipated stretch as the grueling season comes to a close. Anglers vying for a Bassmaster Classic qualification are trying to make a move in the final events and the thought of big smallmouth and cooler temperatures becomes increasingly appealing to anglers.
Two tournaments remain in the 2024 Elite Series season: Lake Champlain and the St. Lawrence River, both in New York, and both set to deliver on quality smallmouth and largemouth bass. The Minn Kota® and Humminbird® anglers are gearing up to finish the season strong on these world-class fisheries, where many have had significant success in previous years. These expansive lakes in the Northeast are prone to high winds and big swells, making the need for the best and toughest gear, as well as high-quality mapping, essential.
Elite Series anglers Chad Pipkins, Greg DiPalma, and Kyle Patrick are all experienced in the North and have found success fishing the smallmouth-rich waters of Lake Champlain, the St. Lawrence River, and Lake Ontario, equipped with the best products for success.
The original Ultrex™, released in 2017, quickly became a go-to motor for anglers. In 2023, Minn Kota introduced the updated and refreshed Ultrex QUEST™, featuring a sturdier platform with increased torque and efficiency. This new model is crucial for anglers who rely on their equipment to perform in rough waters. Pairing the Ultrex QUEST with Humminbird’s One-Boat Network® provides unmatched benefits, unlike anything else on the market.
“The new Minn Kota Ultrex QUEST has been an invaluable tool this year competing in the Elite Series,” said Pipkens. “Being able to keep my trolling motor on 80-90% during 15+ hour practice days while covering water will be crucial during the Northern tournaments. Being able to Spot-Lock in 3+ foot waves and stay in one place while not having to worry about drifting off the spot are small details we take for granted, but I could not fish without.”
Key components of the One-Boat Network, alongside the Ultrex QUEST, are Humminbird Lakemaster® VX Mapping and MEGA 360 Imaging®, each crucial for angler success, especially in the North. Lakemaster VX mapping allows anglers to use depth shading and depth highlights to develop patterns and understand bottom composition, making it easier to find the key spots they are looking for. Accurate mapping is critical when trying to break down the vast waters of Lake Champlain and the St. Lawrence River.
“My Lakemaster VX Mapping is by far the most important piece of the puzzle when trying to break down large bodies of water in the North,” said DiPalma. “Finding subtle changes in contour lines helps me locate areas that hold bigger than average size fish like hard spots, rock piles, depressions, or current breaks. Lakemaster provides a look under the water’s surface and paints an accurate picture of how the lake sets up, which helps me learn what the fish are doing throughout practice and during the tournament.”
With the Elite series transitioning to Northern fisheries for the last two events of the year, structure plays an important role when locating schools of fish. Pairing Humminbird MEGA Live Imaging® with Humminbird MEGA 360 helps anglers see every minor detail that others might pass over. MEGA 360 displays a clear image of the bottom and unlocks key areas where large fish are holding.
Elite Series Rookie Kyle Patrick explained, “With forward facing sonar you will never get the picture and clarity that you do using MEGA 360. When fishing a grass flat, I use it to find holes in the grass, little points, hard spots and rock piles that you would never be able to see with forward facing sonar. When I see someone without a MEGA 360 on their boat, I automatically know I have an advantage over the competition.”
As the final two tournaments approach, anglers are gearing up for intense competitions to close out the 2024 season. Lake Champlain and the St. Lawrence River are storied fisheries where many anglers have prior tournament experience. They will put their equipment to the test, hoping for a strong finish to their season.
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About Johnson Outdoors
JOHNSON OUTDOORS FISHING is comprised of the Humminbird®, Minn Kota® and Cannon® brands. Humminbird is a leading global innovator and manufacturer of marine electronics products including fish finders, multifunction displays, autopilots, ice flashers, and premium cartography products. Minn Kota is the world’s leading manufacturer of electric trolling motors, as well as a complete line of shallow water anchors, battery chargers and marine accessories. Cannon is the leader in controlled-depth fishing and includes a full line of downrigger products and accessories.JOHNSON OUTDOORS is a leading global outdoor recreation company that inspires more people to experience the awe of the great outdoors with innovative, top-quality products. The company designs, manufactures and markets a portfolio of winning, consumer-preferred brands across four categories: Watercraft, Fishing, Diving and Camping.
Visit Johnson Outdoors at www.johnsonoutdoors.com
Media Contacts:
Ben Anderson: (612) 655-1122 or [email protected]
Justin Brouillard: (802) 342-2078 or [email protected]
Eight Points Out with MDJ
By Luke Stoner - Dynamic Sponsorships
Mark Daniels Jr. came into Minn Kota Stage Seven presented by Humminbird on the St. Lawrence River in 45th place in the 2024 Angler of the Year standings, needing to find a way to fish himself into the top 40 to qualify for the 2025 REDCREST in his home state of Alabama. Qualifying for REDCREST is the goal for every Bass Pro Tour competitor each year, and for better or worse it serves as a benchmark for a ‘successful’ season for most pros.
Of course, a season’s success is measured on far more than just points and qualifications, but for MDJ and many of his peers, an opportunity to win REDCREST and the $300K purse along with it is the goal post they are working towards each year on the Bass Pro Tour.
“Jacob (Wheeler) is a pretty much a math genius and he crunched the numbers for me; it looks like I am exactly eight points out of the REDCREST right now,” Daniels Jr. explained. “In the grand scheme of things, eight points is nothing, that could be one key fish throughout the season. One bite! But when you’re on the outside looking in, eight points is substantial. I’m trying not to stress out too bad, but this is an important event.”
MDJ categorizes his 2024 season thus far as a rocky year, with some ups and a few more downs than he’d like. This is Mark’s 11th year as a professional angler, at this point in his career he knows the peaks and valleys are a very real part of tournament fishing.
If we turn the calendar back to last year, MDJ found himself in a very similar spot. He had a subpar season by his own standards but was able to rally in the back half of the schedule - including back-to-back top 10s to finish the year – and qualified for 2024 REDCREST in 39th place. He’s been in this pressure-cooker of a position before, which has helped him prepare mentally for this event.
“Bass fishing at this level is so much more mental than people realize man,” MDJ said. “This whole season has been a mental battle for me. It’s not the techniques or equipment that I struggle with… it’s mindset and decision making more than anything else. I’ve been thinking a lot about my mentality this week.
“I know all I can do is catch as much as I can, and everything will pretty much fix itself. You can’t practice any different or fish to make up eight points, you have to go fish as hard as possible and try to hang as many fish on the SCORETRACKER as you can. That’s how I’m approaching the St Lawrence River and I’m fired up to get going.”
Your favorite fishing websites may not have a whole lot of how-to articles on this topic, but managing your mindset is something anglers at the highest level are constantly working on. Momentum is a buzzword amongst pundits and it absolutely has a huge influence in professional fishing, and whether it’s positive or negative, momentum starts with your attitude.
Instead of hyper-focusing on the eight points he needs to make up, MDJ is thinking only about the next bite. The next two-pound (or bigger) bass that will get him closer to his ultimate goal of another Championship opportunity and meeting his standards of a successful season.
Tackle Store Wisdom with Terry Scroggins
Nearly every good fishing trip includes a visit to the local tackle shop. As a kid, stopping at the bait shop to pick up a box of nightcrawlers or a dozen wax worms on the way to the pond was as much a part of fishing as stringing up your pole and tying on a hook. The smell of minnow tanks, stink bait, and soft plastics has nostalgia linked to it for most fishermen that usually brings along a boat load of good memories.
Major League Fishing pro Terry Scroggins is well-known for being a tackle tinkerer and making a lot of the baits he fishes with on the Bass Pro Tour in his garage, but “Big Show” loves stopping into old-school tackle stores just the same. Even if that means hopping in his Toyota Tundra and driving 90-minutes each way like he did during his off-day for Minn Kota Stage Seven on the St. Lawrence River.
“I always find one reason or another to go spend money at a tackle store,” Scroggins said with a laugh. “Like most people these days, I order 95% of what I need online on Bass Pro Shops website or other online retailers, but there is no replacing a trip to a local bait and tackle store. “Especially when we come north. Anglers love New York because we get a lot of bites and catch a lot of fish, which means we go through a lot of baits, and weights in my case this week.”
Scroggins made the three-hour roundtrip drive from his Air BnB outside of Massena to the 1000 Island Bait Store for a basket full of drop shot weights, a few bags of soft plastics, and a couple bonus lures that caught his eye. In the process he shot the bull with a dozen locals and put a smile on every one of their faces before taking his treasures to his truck. 
What may sound like a waste of time to some was a chance to support a local store, make a few new friends and learn a thing or two for the Team Toyota pro. Bass Pro Tour competitors cannot accept information from anyone outside the tournament, but that doesn’t mean they can’t take notice of local tackle trends.
“Make no mistake, pro anglers are paying close attention when they walk into a tackle store,” Scroggins explained. “When you look at a wall of baits and you see a peg that’s almost empty, you can bet fish have been biting that bait. On the flip side, I get excited if I’m catching them on a certain lure or technique in practice and I notice no one else is buying it (that lure). It gives me a little confidence that I may have something all to myself.”
Big Show recalled one such summertime tournament where he was using deep diving crankbaits to catch offshore bass. In practice he found he was getting the most bites on a plug with a purple back and white underside, not exactly a staple color in the world of deep crankbaits. “I went to a popular tackle store the night before the tournament and they had like 20 of
the exact color I was looking for. I’m talking two pegs fully stocked, not even one missing. I figured I was either onto something or I was an idiot, so I bought every one they had. I got a top ten in that event and used those crankbaits to catch every fish,” Scroggins recalled with a smile.
Scroggins’ practice has him feeling optimistic, as he hopes for a similar payoff from his tackle store trek this week on the St. Lawrence River.
Becker Takes Big Lead Early at Major League Fishing Minn Kota Stage Seven Presented by Humminbird at the St. Lawrence River Inbox
Reigning Angler of the Year catches 30 smallmouth weighing 106-7 to take 26-pound lead in Group A – Group B to begin competition Wednesday
MASSENA, N.Y. (Aug. 6, 2024) – High expectations greeted the Bass Pro Tour field as it launched onto the St. Lawrence River for Minn Kota Stage Seven Presented by Humminbird. During the first day of qualifying for Group A, the famed smallmouth factory didn’t disappoint.
Fish hit SCORETRACKER® in both impressive size and numbers, with 16 anglers eclipsing the 50-pound mark. Leading the charge was reigning Fishing Clash Angler of the Year Matt Becker of Ten Mile, Tennessee, who landed 30 scorable smallmouth for 106 pounds, 7 ounces — easily enough to claim the top spot on the leaderboard, 26-2 ahead of pro Nick Hatfield of Greeneville, Tennessee, in second place.
“This place is incredible,” Becker said of the St. Lawrence River. “Just the amount of smallmouth in there is absolutely insane.”
With the Bass Pro Tour’s every-fish-counts scoring format bringing a unique wrinkle to this popular tournament venue, one of the primary questions competitors had to answer was how much to prioritize quantity of bass versus quality.
Becker went ahead and led the way in both categories. Not only were his 30 scorable bass the most caught by any angler Tuesday, he also earned an extra $1,000 by catching quality – namely a 5-pound, 8-ounce smallmouth that earned him the Berkley Big Bass on the day. That was one of nine smallmouth he boated that weighed at least 4 pounds.
With bites not hard to come by for most of the field, Becker said searching for bigger fish was central to his strategy.
“That’s kind of what I focused on, I wanted to catch that better quality,” he said. “You’re going to always get the bites, but if you’re around that better quality, you can rack up the weight in a hurry. So, that’s what I kind of focused on was areas where I know I can get a little bit better quality, and it worked out perfect today.”
Becker triggered the fish in those areas by “doing things a little bit different” than most of his competitors. While he didn’t want to reveal many details, he said he stumbled on this presentation during a past Toyota Series event on the St. Lawrence and expanded on it during practice. He thinks standing out from the heavy tournament traffic on the river helped generate some of those bigger bites.
“It’s a really, super unique deal, and I really don’t think anybody else is fishing the way I am as far as presenting their bait,” Becker said. “So, I’m excited about it, for sure.”
Becker started the day strong, racking up 23-5 on eight fish in the first hour after lines in. After hovering near the top of the standings for the rest of the morning, he separated himself from the pack with a furious flurry between 12:50 and 1:50 p.m. During that hour (which included a 15-minute period break), Becker boated nine fish totaling 36-11.
“It was the right place at the right time, and it was fresh — nobody had fished there yet today,” he said. “I could pretty much call my shot for about that hour there. And there was a lot more there with them that, once I caught a couple, they kind of got spooked. So, I'm definitely excited about revisiting some of those areas.”
With more than 50 pounds between his total and that of 11th-place angler Oklahoma pro Zack Birge, Becker plans to use Group A’s second day of qualifying to explore new water. He thinks having that opportunity will be important as he tries to keep tabs on the river’s dynamic brown bass.
“In my experience on this river, the fish are constantly changing, so staying on top of them is really key,” he said. “I felt like I was pretty dialed in today, but two days from now or by the weekend for the Knockout Round, things could be totally different.”
With his spots in REDCREST 2025 and Heavy Hitters now assured, Becker has adopted a win-or-bust mindset for the regular-season finale. He knows how to close the season with a flourish, having won both Stage Seven on Saginaw Bay and clinched the Angler of the Year award in the final event of 2023. He’s also won a Toyota Series event that launched out of the St. Lawrence in 2017.
That experience combined with his strong start has him cautiously optimistic about his chances of contending for a second straight walk-off win.
“I’m as confident as ever with this place and what I’m doing,” Becker said. “I feel like I have it really dialed in right now, and I could literally just call my shot today. But, like I mentioned, the smallmouth like to change. These Northern fisheries, they have such a short summer that one week of time is a huge amount of time in their summer pattern, so things change really fast. But I feel good about today, and I feel like I have enough experience here that I should be able to make the right adjustments going into the weekend.”
The top 20 pros in Group A after Day 1 on the St. Lawrence River are:
1st: Matt Becker, Ten Mile, Tenn., 30 bass, 106-7
2nd: Nick Hatfield, Greeneville, Tenn., 26 bass, 80-6
3rd: Brent Ehrler, Redlands, Calif., 25 bass, 77-4
4th: Mark Davis, Mount Ida, Ark., 22 bass, 70-13
5th: Marshall Robinson, Landrum, S.C., 20 bass, 66-12
6th: Marty Robinson, Lyman, S.C., 19 bass, 65-5
7th: Jonathon VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich., 21 bass, 60-6
8th: Jason Vance, Battle Ground, Ind., 21 bass, 60-1
9th: James Elam, Tulsa, Okla., 19 bass, 58-12
10th: Alton Jones, Jr., Waco, Texas, 20 bass, 58-0
11th: Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla., 18 bass, 56-2
12th: Jesse Wiggins, Addison, Ala., 20. bass, 56-0
13th: Bobby Lane, Lakeland, Fla., 18 bass, 54-2
14th: Greg Vinson, Wetumpka, Ala., 16 bass, 53-9
15th: John Hunter, Shelbyville, Ky., 17 bass, 53-6
16th: Dustin Connell, Clanton, Ala., 17 bass, 50-13
17th: Cliff Crochet, Pierre Part, La, 20 bass, 49-3
18th: Justin Lucas, Guntersville, Ala., 17 bass, 48-4
19th: Bradley Roy, Lancaster, Ky., 15 bass, 47-10
20th: Kelly Jordon, Flint, Texas, 16 bass, 45-6
A complete list of results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Becker earned the Day 1 $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award Tuesday with a 5-pound, 8-ounce smallmouth that he caught in Period 2. Berkley awards $1,000 to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass each day, and another $3,000 bonus to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass of the tournament.
By the end of this week, the season-long battle for the Fishing Clash Angler of the Year title and the $100,000 that comes with it will have a winner. Two of the remaining contenders took to the water in Group A in pro Alton Jones, Jr. of Waco Texas, and Clanton, Alabama’s Dustin Connell . While both are in the mix to qualify for the Knockout Round, and thus keep their hopes alive of claiming the trophy, they each have some work to do — and will need some help from points leader Jacob Wheeler of Harrison, Tennessee.
After the first day of qualifying, Jones sits 10th in Group A with 58-0. Connell isn’t far behind him with 50-13, which has him 16th. With Jones entering Stage Seven 19 points back of Wheeler in the season-long standings and Connell another 16 behind him, both anglers almost certainly need to make the Knockout Round to have a shot at catching Wheeler. They’ll also need Wheeler to finish outside of the Top 20 for the first time in his past 11 regular-season BPT events. Wheeler will take to the water with Group B on Wednesday.
The 39 Anglers in Group A compete in their two-day Qualifying Round on Tuesday and Thursday – the 39 anglers in Group B on Wednesday and Friday. After each two-day Qualifying Round is complete, the anglers that finish first through 10th from both groups advance to Saturday’s Knockout Round. In the Knockout Round, weights are zeroed, and the remaining 20 anglers compete to finish in the top 10 to advance to Sunday’s Championship Round. In the final-day Championship Round, weights are zeroed, and the highest one-day total wins the top prize of $100,000.
Anglers will depart at 6:45 a.m. ET each day from the Massena Intake Boat Launch, located at 1415 State Highway 131 in Massena. Anglers are allowed to trailer to any ramp of their choosing within the fishing boundaries, and competition will begin on the water at 7:30 a.m. Each day’s General Tire Takeout will be held at Massena Intake Boat Launch, beginning at 4 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend all launch and takeout events and also encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLFNOW!® live stream and SCORETRACKER® coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com .
The MLFNOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action live on the final four days of competition from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET. MLFNOW!® will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com, the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app and Rumble.
On Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 10-11, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. MLF welcomes fans of all ages to visit the Massena Intake Boat Launch for the MLF Watch Party. Fans can watch the pros live on the MLFNOW! big screen, enjoy free food, enter to win hourly giveaways and cheer on their favorite pros. Live music will begin each day at 4 p.m. The first 50 kids 14 and under will receive a free rod and reel from Pure Fishing each day. The final 10 Championship Round Bass Pro Tour anglers will be on hand at the trophy celebration on Championship Sunday to meet and greet fans, sign autographs and take selfies.
The Minn Kota Stage Seven at the St. Lawrence River Presented by Humminbird will feature anglers competing with a 2-pound minimum weight requirement for a bass to be deemed scorable. The MLF Fisheries Management Division determines minimum weights for each body of water that the Bass Pro Tour visits, based on the productivity, bass population and anticipated average size of fish in each fishery.
The 2024 Bass Pro Tour features a field of 78 of the top professional anglers in the world, competing across seven regular-season tournaments around the country, for millions of dollars and valuable points to qualify for the annual General Tire Heavy Hitters all-star event and REDCREST 2025, the Bass Pro Tour championship, set for April 3-6, 2025, on Lake Guntersville in Huntsville, Alabama.
Fishing Clash, an interactive 3D fishing simulation game that’s played by more than 80 million people worldwide, is the official AOY sponsor of the Bass Pro Tour, Tackle Warehouse Invitationals, Toyota Series and Phoenix Bass Fishing League. You can download Fishing Clash for free in the App Store and on Google Play or log on to www.fishingclash.game for more information.
Television coverage of the Minn Kota Stage Seven at the St. Lawrence River Presented by Humminbird will premiere as a two-hour episode starting at 7 a.m. ET, on Saturday, Nov. 16 on Discovery. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on Discovery, with re-airings on Outdoor Channel.
Proud sponsors of the 2024 MLF Bass Pro Tour include: Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, BUBBA, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, Garmin, General Tire, Humminbird, Lowrance, Mercury, MillerTech, Minn Kota, Mossy Oak Fishing, NITRO, Onyx, Plano, Power-Pole, PowerStop Brakes, Rapala, REDCON1, StarBrite, Suzuki, Toyota, WIX Filters and U.S. Air Force.
For complete details and updated information on Major League Fishing and the Bass Pro Tour, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, X , Instagram and YouTube.
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery Channel, Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 17 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.
AC Insider Podcast - Vexus Boats Pro, Keith Carson
The guys had the chance to catch up with Vexus Boats Pro, Keith Carson fresh off his Tacklewarehouse Invitational win on the Detroit River. Listen in as Keith talks about begrudgingly accepting the role of forward facing sonar and how it lead to his first victory. It's a fresh perspective on the debate of the year...FFS...and how it fits into today's tournament game plans. Give a listen, you'll be glad you did!
NPFL Brings on Ken Duke to Spearhead Media and Comms Efforts
WILKESVILLE, Ohio, August 6, 2024 — The National Professional Fishing League today announced that it has contracted with longtime industry media professional Ken Duke to lead its media and communications efforts. Duke previously served as senior editor of B.A.S.S. Publications and as managing editor of Fishing Tackle Retailer. In addition, he has authored two books on bass fishing and currently hosts several bass fishing podcasts, including NPFL’s “Round Table.”
Duke’s title will be “Media and Communications Coordinator.” “We’re excited to be working with Ken,” said NPFL President Brad Fuller. “He has the experience and knowledge to help our team reach greater heights, grow our fan base, and foster our relationships with sponsors, advertisers and other stakeholders. After four years of developing our tournament efforts, we’re ready to put additional focus on media, which is ultimately how we reach our audience.”
Having worked with B.A.S.S., Major League Fishing, FLW, and Game & Fish Magazine as a content creator and editor, Duke is excited by the prospect of contributing to the NPFL’s content platforms and communications efforts.
“I’ve been watching and admiring the NPFL since it held its first tournaments in 2021,” said Duke. “They’ve come a long way in a short time and have a field of anglers that combines youth and experience, tremendous accomplishments and great potential. NPFL has the best angler relations I’ve ever witnessed and an extraordinarily talented staff. I truly admire them as people and as professionals, and I’m looking forward to contributing in any way I can.”
In addition to creating content and fostering communications, Duke looks forward to working with NPFL on industry relations. “I’ve always enjoyed the relationships I’ve had within the fishing industry, and I’m excited about finding ways to work with existing and new sponsors. NPFL is moving in a great direction and offers a new and unique option for any company interested in growing its market share in the fishing world.”
About the National Professional Fishing League
The National Professional Fishing League debuted in March of 2021 as an angler-centric fishing tour dedicated to the highest principles of competition, fair play, and sportsmanship. Our goal is to bring the best anglers together to compete at the highest level and with the highest ethics and standards and to share their skills and passion with the bass fishing community.
Learn more at TheNationalProfessionalFishingLeague.com or by contacting Ken Duke at [email protected].
Pinckney’s Sitko Earns Seventh Career Win at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Lake Erie Presented by Suzuki Marine
Marion’s Wilson Tops Strike King Co-Angler Division
SANDUSKY, Ohio (Aug. 5, 2024) – Boater Michael Sitko of Pinckney, Michigan, caught a five-bass limit weighing 25 pounds, 8 ounces, Saturday to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on Lake Erie Presented by Suzuki Marine . The tournament was the fourth event of the season for the BFL Buckeye Division. Sitko earned $12,143, including the lucrative $7,000 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus, for his victory.
After a recent Phoenix Bass Fishing League win on the Detroit River, Sitko is finishing out the season on a bit of a hot streak, posting his seventh career win and his second victory in the past four weeks.
“This has been pretty incredible,” Sitko said. “I don’t expect it, ever, and I don’t know how long it’s going to last, but it’s pretty amazing right now.
“I made a big run to the north shore of the lake, about 37 miles one way, which wasn’t too bad,” Sitko continued. “I targeted some isolated breaks on the bottom, boulders and other stuff up that way.”
Sitko said he caught all his fish on drop-shot rigs with a Berkley Powerbait Maxscent Flat Worm and Berkley Powerbait Maxscent Flatnose Minnow and said his key to winning was his mindset and patience.
“I pulled up to my first spot and my co-angler caught a 4-pounder on his first cast,” Sitko said. “I broke off a 5-pounder, caught my biggest fish, then lost two more – but I didn’t freak out.
“That bite dried up and I just slowly worked my way around, culling up throughout the day, and it all worked out in my favor.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:
1st: Michael Sitko, Pinckney, Mich., five bass, 25-8, $12,143 (includes $7,000 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
2nd: Grant Gallagher, Fremont, Ohio, five bass, 23-3, $2,249
3rd: Joshua Barr, Louisville, Ohio, five bass, 21-10, $1,798
4th: Cody Dawson, Mount Vernon, Ohio, five bass, 21-8, $1,050
5th: Mike Trombly, Belleville, Mich., five bass, 21-2, $900
6th: Hunter Colwell, Sidney, Ohio, five bass, 20-11, $825
7th: Jarrett Martin, Mansfield, Ohio, five bass, 19-14, $750
8th: Brody Campbell, Oxford, Ohio, five bass, 19-7, $675
9th: Pat Upthagrove, Monroe, Mich., five bass, 19-6, $600
10th: Jeffrey Yost, Lima, Ohio, five bass, 19-0, $525
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Sitko caught a bass that weighed 6 pounds, 6 ounces, to earn the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $645.
Bryan Wilson of Marion, Ohio, won the Strike King co-angler division and $2,571 Saturday, after bringing five bass to the scale that totaled 19 pounds, 14 ounces.
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers finished:
1st: Bryan Wilson, Marion, Ohio, five bass, 19-14, $2,571
2nd: Joe Yocum, Strawberry Plains, Tenn., five bass, 15-14, $1,125
3rd: Jim Feathers, Vermilion, Ohio, four bass, 14-0, $752
4th: Jacob Alltop, Lewistown, Ohio, four bass, 13-10, $525
5th: Jordan Smith, Middletown, Ohio, four bass, 13-5, $431
5th: Anthony Bell Jr., Cincinnati, Ohio, five bass, 13-5, $431
7th: Dan Goforth, Monroe, Ohio, five bass, 13-3, $375
8th: Brent Jones, Okeana, Ohio, five bass, 12-4, $337
9th: Brian Zelinskas, Beavercreek, Ohio, five bass, 12-2, $300
10th: Brett Warrick, Powell, Ohio, five bass, 11-14, $262
Wilson earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $322, catching a bass that weighed in at 5 pounds, 8 ounces – the largest co-angler catch of the day.
After four events, Sean Wieda of Alexandria, Kentucky, leads the BFL Buckeye Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 964 points, while Brent Jones of Okeana, Ohio, leads the Strike King Co-Angler Division AOY race with 927 points.
The next event for BFL Buckeye Division anglers will be held Sept. 14-15, at Indian Lake in Lakeview, Ohio. To register for the event as a boater or a co-angler, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com or call (270)-252-1000.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, will qualify for the Oct. 3-5 BFL Regional tournament on Kerr Lake in Henderson, North Carolina. Boaters will fish for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $50,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard.
The 2024 Phoenix BFL Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 events throughout the season, five qualifying tournaments in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five qualifying event winners, will advance to one of six BFL 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 BFL All-American.
Proud sponsors of the 2024 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 7Brew, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, E3, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, General Tire, GSM Outdoors, Lew’s, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, PowerStop Brakes, REDCON1, Strike King, Suzuki, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, WIX Filters and YETI.
For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Bass Fishing League updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery Channel, Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 17 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.
Lynch Station’s Brummett Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at James River
HENRICO, Va. (Aug. 5, 2024) – Boater Chris Brummett of Lynch Station, Virginia, caught a five-bass limit weighing 18 pounds, 14 ounces, Saturday to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on the James River . Hosted by Richmond Region Tourism, the tournament was the fourth event of the season for the BFL Piedmont Division. Brummett earned $4,305 for his victory.
“It was a good day,” said Brummett, who is celebrating his second Phoenix BFL victory this year. “I made a long run to my primary area and started off the competition with a 4-pounder that I caught on a dropshot rig.
“That was a good start, and I filled my limit in about 30 minutes or so after that first fish,” Brummett continued. “Once I had my limit, I started concentrating on finding big fish with a buzzbait and culled two good ones.
“The tide was out, so the fish were sucked up tight to that grass edge. I caught the rest of my fish – plus a pile of keepers – all on a dropshot rig, along a grass edge.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:
1st: Chris Brummett, Lynch Station, Va., five bass, 18-14, $4,305
2nd: Christopher Wingfield, Richmond, Va., five bass, 17-4, $1,753
3rd: Chaz Carrington, Suffolk, Va., five bass, 16-8, $1,169
4th: Jonathan Bailey, Peterstown, W.V., five bass, 16-3, $818
5th: Brian Bersik, Chesterfield, Va., five bass, 15-13, $701
6th: Brian Laclair, Denton, Md., five bass, 15-3, $643
7th: Eric Picucci, Midlothian, Va., five bass, 15-0, $584
8th: Jeff Miskell, Vienna, Va., five bass, 14-15, $526
9th: Ryan Lachniet, Gum Spring, Va., five bass, 14-12, $467
10th: Ed Milton, Chester, Va., five bass, 14-9, $409
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Shannon Breeding of Moneta, Virginia, caught a bass that weighed 6 pounds even to earn the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $440.
Phillip Ragland Jr. of Rustburg, Virginia, won the Strike King co-angler division and $2,500 Saturday, after bringing five bass to the scale that totaled 17 pounds, 7 ounces.
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers finished:
1st: Phillip Ragland Jr., Rustburg, Va., five bass, 17-7, $2,500
2nd: Jean Lacerte, Elm City, N.C., five bass, 14-6, $866
3rd: Robert Wedding, Welcome, Md., five bass, 14-4, $577
4th: Travis Owens, Hurt, Va., five bass, 13-0, $404
5th: David Williams, Fredericksburg, Va., five bass, 11-3, $347
6th: Richard Williams, Sutherland, Va., five bass, 10-15, $318
7th: Cornell Badra, Clarksburg, Md., five bass, 10-14, $289
8th: Bryson Giles, Bedford, Va., five bass, 10-8, $260
9th: William Lane, Midlothian, Va., five bass, 10-4, $231
10th: Dustin Wilhelm, Buena Vista, Va., five bass, 10-3, $202
Ragland Jr. also earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $217, catching a bass that weighed in at 6 pounds, 11 ounces – the largest co-angler catch of the day.
After four events, Jonathan Bailey of Peterstown, West Virginia, leads the BFL Piedmont Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 956 points, while Dustin Riddle of Hiwassee, Virginia, leads the Strike King Co-Angler Division AOY race with 962 points.
The next event for BFL Piedmont Division anglers will be held Sept. 21-22, at Kerr Lake in Henderson, North Carolina. To register for the event as a boater or a co-angler, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com or call (270)-252-1000.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, will qualify for the Oct. 17-19 BFL Regional tournament on Clark’s Hill Lake in Appling, Georgia. Boaters will fish for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $50,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard.
The 2024 Phoenix BFL Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 events throughout the season, five qualifying tournaments in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five qualifying event winners, will advance to one of six BFL 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 BFL All-American.
Proud sponsors of the 2024 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 7Brew, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, E3, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, General Tire, GSM Outdoors, Lew’s, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, PowerStop Brakes, REDCON1, Strike King, Suzuki, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, WIX Filters and YETI.
For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Bass Fishing League updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery Channel, Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 17 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.
Key kickers lift Pickett County to victory at Bassmaster High School National Championship
Aug. 3, 2024
Key kickers lift Pickett County to victory at Bassmaster High School National Championship
DAYTON, Tenn. — Rex Reagan and Max Moody have come close to winning high school tournaments before, missing out on victories by mere ounces. But this week, the rising sophomores at Pickett County High left little doubt about who would be hoisting the trophy this week at Chickamauga Lake.
Boasting a three-day total of 43 pounds, 3 ounces, Reagan and Moody won the Strike King Bassmaster High School National Championship presented by Bill Dance Signature Lakes, earning more than $10,000 in scholarship money in their home state.
“I’ve been second a bunch,” Reagan said. “I’ve been right there, ounces away. Two drops of water (away). It is unreal. I can’t believe I’m here holding this trophy.”
Opening the tournament in 119th place with a three-bass limit measuring 6-3, the duo landed a tournament-high 21-5 on Day 2 to jump into the lead before landing 15-11 on the final day to secure the victory.
Hailing from the Tennessee side of Dale Hollow Reservoir, Reagan and Moody landed 8-pounders each of the last two days, including an 8-3 on Day 2 and an 8-1 on the final day.
“It just feels good to be here,” Moody said. “We are proud that we made it here and made everyone back home proud and put us on the map. This is our first high school win together and it will feel good going into next season with a big win like this.”
Before the cutoff for the High School Championship, Reagan competed in the Bill Dance Signature Lakes Giant Bass Open in June, which allowed him to see how the bass were setting up.
Running toward the south end of Chickamauga Lake every day, Reagan and Moody targeted brushpiles between 10 and 15 feet of water in current-driven areas. If the current wasn’t moving fast enough, the bass would roam away from the brush, making them difficult to find.
Once the current started moving, around midday on the final two days, the bass would set up behind the brush and use it as an ambush point. That was when Reagan and Moody could make those bass bite using a 4 1/2-inch Hog Farmer Spunk Shad rigged on a Queen Tackle tungsten jighead as well as a 6-inch morning dawn Roboworm rigged on a drop shot.
“We fished a lot of places with a lot of brush. But about 12 o’clock they would start firing,” Reagan said. “I knew I could catch them again today if they set up right, and they did. When that current pushes, they get behind something. That was really key.”
On the final day, Reagan and Moody were able to land some smaller bass on a drop shot, but the morning was slow until about noon.
“They fired later in the day,” Reagan said. “That Hog Farmer Spunk Shad, I love that bait. It is a great bait. I can see the Queen Tackle tungsten jighead better on my LiveScope. I threw that bait in there and man, it smoked it. That was that 8-pounder, and that put us at about 12 pounds.”
Moody was on net duty for that 8-pounder, and he knew the second Reagan set the hook it was the bass they needed.
“It is crazy to watch him lean into one and hear that drag scream. It is a sight to see,” Moody said. “You know you better net that thing, or he’s going to be mad.”
With an hour to go before check-in, Reagan and Moody hooked into a 5-pounder, lifting them to their final tally for the day.
“We knew we were sitting good then,” Reagan said.
Jack Swihart and Rylan Hamlin from Jackson High School in southern Michigan finished second with a three-day total of 37-7. Opening the tournament in eighth with a limit weighing 13-4, they dropped to ninth on Day 2 with a 9-8 showing before jumping up the leaderboard the final day with 14-11.
“We gave it our all today. We caught the biggest bag we caught all week, and it didn’t shake out our way,” Swihart said.
The tournament was their first trip to Chickamauga Lake, and the duo focused their efforts on several different offshore elements. Forward-facing sonar was a big key to their success.
“Every day we were fishing a little bit of everything and throwing quite a few different baits,” Hamlin said. “We had multiple ledges, brushpiles, weed patches and wood and caught some roaming fish. We were running multiple different spots. We didn’t catch a whole bunch suspended, but being able to make accurate casts with (forward-facing sonar) on the weed patches and brushpiles was huge.”
The duo opened the morning by throwing topwater baits, landing a quality bass to get the momentum rolling. From there, they targeted ledges and caught a 7-3 largemouth before making one more key cull just before check-in.
With bags of 15-12, 11-5 and 10-5, Fisher Anaya from Brewer High School finished third with a three-day total of 37-6. Anaya spent most of the week using his forward-facing sonar to target individual largemouth with a Rapala CrushCity Freeloader. He also targeted several schools of bass with a Rapala DT-16.
“The majority of my fish were coming out of springs. I was looking for individual fish sitting inside the springs. The ledges would run out and make a big hole, and they would be sitting right in the middle of the hole. There were very few in each one, but they were all big and you would have to work your butt off to get one to actually bite your minnow.”
On the final day, Anaya located a new school of bass in more than 35 feet of water and landed a 4-pounder within the first couple of minutes of fishing. From there, he tried some of his other areas and filled out his limit. He returned to his deep school and landed a 5-pounder but lost another 5-pounder that would have lifted him to second.
“It swirled and I got it all the way to the boat, and it just came off,” he said. “Hats off to these boys. They caught them all week. It was definitely a heck of a week for me.”
Levi Stanley and Colton Hackney from the Triangle Bass Club in North Carolina claimed Big Bass of the Tournament honors with an 8-11 largemouth they landed on Day 1 of the event.
The City of Dayton hosted the tournament.
2024 Bassmaster High School Series Title Sponsor: Strike King
2024 Bassmaster High School Championship Sponsor: Bill Dance Signature Lakes
2024 Bassmaster High School Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota
2024 Bassmaster High School Series Premier Sponsors: Bass Pro Shops, Dakota Lithium, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Progressive Insurance, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha
2024 Bassmaster High School Series Supporting Sponsors: AFTCO, Daiwa, Garmin, Lew's, Lowrance, Marathon, Triton Boats, VMC
2024 Bassmaster High School Series Youth Sponsors: Seaguar, Shimano
About B.A.S.S.B.A.S.S., which encompasses the Bassmaster tournament leagues, events and media platforms, is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting-edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 500,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), TV show, radio show, social media programs and events. For more than 50 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.
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Connect with #Bassmaster on Facebook, Instagram, Twitte
Media Contact: Chad Gay, Communications Manager, 205-313-0945, cgay@bassmaster.
2024 Strike King High School Championship presented by Bill Dance Signature Lakes 8/1-8/3
Chickamauga Lake, Dayton TN.
(BOATER) Standings Day 3
Angler Club/School Pts
1. Rex Reagan - Max Moody Pickett County High School Fishi 0
Day 1: 3 06-03 Day 2: 3 21-05 Day 3: 3 15-11 Total: 9 43-03
2. Jack Swihart - Rylan Hamlin Jackson High School Bass Fishing 0
Day 1: 3 13-04 Day 2: 3 09-08 Day 3: 3 14-11 Total: 9 37-07
3. Fisher Anaya - Brewer High School - AL 0
Day 1: 3 15-12 Day 2: 3 11-05 Day 3: 3 10-05 Total: 9 37-06
4. Hunter Owens - Clayton Kelley Karns High School 0
Day 1: 3 07-07 Day 2: 3 18-05 Day 3: 3 09-01 Total: 9 34-13
5. Ragyn Mohney - Hunter Daniels Okeechobee Brahmans 0
Day 1: 3 13-12 Day 2: 3 11-04 Day 3: 3 09-10 Total: 9 34-10
6. Alex Tyler - Briley West Mckeel High School Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 3 08-09 Day 2: 3 16-11 Day 3: 3 07-14 Total: 9 33-02
7. Trevor Allen - Aaron Yavorsky Hendry County High School Bassma 0
Day 1: 3 17-08 Day 2: 2 06-06 Day 3: 3 08-06 Total: 8 32-04
8. Zach Knight - Luke Malik Gallatin High School 0
Day 1: 3 11-15 Day 2: 3 09-10 Day 3: 3 08-12 Total: 9 30-05
9. Logan Allen - Stone Grove Creekwood Hs Redhawks Fishing 0
Day 1: 3 14-13 Day 2: 3 08-05 Day 3: 3 07-02 Total: 9 30-04
10. Brody Ault - Dakota Van Weelden Frontier Falcons 0
Day 1: 2 12-14 Day 2: 1 08-05 Day 3: 2 05-09 Total: 5 26-12
11. Dawson Barnett - Jackson Padgett Benjamin Russell Anglers 0
Day 1: 3 09-01 Day 2: 3 14-00 Day 3: 1 02-06 Total: 7 25-07
12. Travis Meche - Chance Watson Rayne High Bass Club 0
Day 1: 3 09-09 Day 2: 3 12-00 Day 3: 0 00-00 Total: 6 21-09
------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 130 544 1472-07
2 110 463 1265-00
3 9 30 99-07
------------------------------
249 1037 2836-14
Tackle Warehouse Champ Carson Loves Aluminum, Laments FFS
Story by Alan McGuckin
Photo by Rob Matsuura, MLF
Highly likable Florida Pro Keith Carson never had an inch of doubt that his 20-foot aluminum Vexus® boat would deliver him safely and smoothly through big waves amid a mind-boggling 96-mile round trip run from Trenton, Michigan, to the northernmost corner of Lake Saint Clair. The Flippin, Arkansas-built vessel led him to the richest win of his career at the Tackle Warehouse Invitational on the Detroit River in late July.
However, two days later, as he drove to visit relatives in Ohio, he largely lamented that he had to use forward-facing sonar to claim the $80,000 first-place prize.
“I don’t want anybody who reads this to think for one second that I’m not grateful. I’m super grateful. I bought a home nine days before I won, and we’re about to have our first child, so the money means the world to us right now. But this win really got me thinking about the fact we’re being forced to use technology and the same basic technique to be competitive, and that concerns me a ton,” says Carson.
Carson, age 37, is by no means an old-timer, but he longs for the days when an angler’s intuition meant more than real-time images on a sonar screen, even though forward-facing sonar helped him catch every one of the 67 winning pounds he weighed in.
“I relied on it (FFS) purely because I’m tired of getting my butt whooped by it. So, I pinged a Berkley PowerBait MaxScent Jerk Shad on a medium-light 7’2” Fenwick walleye rod to catch every fish. But I’m really worried that if all the retailers are selling is spinning tackle, light line, jig heads, and plastic minnows, the sales of all other tackle are going to struggle in a big way, and that doesn’t leave the fishing industry in a healthy place,” adds Carson from a realistic perspective.
Carson says he’s absolutely certain tournament organizations are at a time of critical and necessary decision-making to help protect and preserve the fishing tackle industry, as well as the diversity of techniques that simply make the sport he dearly loves more fun.
One topic he’s not contemplating, however, is his recent decision to run an aluminum Vexus® AVX2080. “I’m mostly a shallow-water guy, and I love the way this aluminum boat performs in shallow water, but I proved it’s also totally capable of competing and winning in big water, fiberglass-dominated events like Saint Clair. I never once felt that guys running more expensive fiberglass boats had an advantage over my aluminum Vexus. Not to mention, my fuel economy was absolutely awesome on that superlong run,” says Carson.
“I chose to run a Vexus this year because I wanted to be part of an independently owned boat brand with a bright future run by guys like Keith Daffron and Randy Hopper, whose whole lives have been dedicated to building the industry’s highest quality fishing boats. They always pick up the phone and take care of me when I need them. That’s how they do business. And to be honest, this is the first season in a decade that I haven’t battled boat issues. I’m thrilled to be running a Vexus,” concludes Carson.
If only his soul felt equally at ease over the concerning impact of forward-facing sonar, his recent win would feel as cozy as the new home where he and his girlfriend, Shaylee, will soon welcome their first child.
To learn more about the Vexus culture and quality Keith Carson loves, please visit vexusboats.com.
Pickett County mounts impressive comeback to take Day 2 lead at Bassmaster High School Championship
Aug. 2, 2024
DAYTON, Tenn. — After wrapping up practice for the Strike King Bassmaster High School National Championship at Chickamauga Lake presented by Bill Dance Signature Lakes, Rex Reagan and Max Moody knew they had a chance at catching big bags of largemouth if the right conditions presented themselves.
On Day 2, those conditions came to fruition, and the Pickett County High teammates landed a three-bass limit measuring 21 pounds, 5 ounces to jump into the lead with a two-day total of 27-8.
Their Day 2 bag, which included largemouth weighing 8-3 and 7-1, is not only the big bag of the tournament, but the biggest bag caught between the two High School Championships held on Chickamauga Lake. Banks Shaw and Gage King held the previous mark, a three-bass limit of 20-11 they caught on the final day of the 2021 event.
“This feels nice. We are pretty excited. We are going to try and go out there and do it again,” Moody said.
Entering the day in 119th with 6-3, Reagan and Moody now hold a 7-ounce advantage over Fisher Anaya from Brewer High School in Alabama. Hunter Owens and Clayton Kelley from Karns High School are third with a two-day total of 25-12.
Reagan and Moody live about two hours away from Dayton, Tenn., at Dale Hollow Reservoir, but they make several trips to Chickamauga Lake every year. While the fisheries set up differently, Reagan said Dale Hollow has helped him learn how to use forward-facing sonar.
“We come here often,” Reagan said. “I know this lake okay. Not as well as some people, but I like it. It is a fun lake to come to.”
During their practice period, Reagan and Moody were able to locate quality bass using forward-facing sonar, catching 16 pounds two of their three days of practice. Their worst day of practice they only caught 8 pounds, and those were the conditions they ended up facing on Day 1.
“Yesterday they didn’t set up right, the way I wanted them to. I didn’t see them. Today they did,” Reagan said. “Something about the current didn’t set up those fish right. But today it happened. We knew in practice if they set up right we were going to catch them.”
All of the bass Reagan and Moody are seeing on forward-facing sonar are in 10 to 15 feet of water. Two baits as well as forward-facing sonar were responsible for their Day 2 catch.
“They are just sitting on top of the ledges,” Reagan said. “You can see them stacked in one spot. It is just trying to get the right one to bite. They are really random. You don’t catch that many, but we are fishing for big ones. It is not easy.”
“It is quality over quantity for sure,” Moody added.
The duo opened the morning by catching a 5-pounder, which turned out to be their smallest bass of the day. From there, they filled out their limit.
“We got kind of worried. But then he landed that 8-pounder and we got pretty excited,” Moody said.
Reagan said it was a rodeo trying to get that bass in the boat.
“It went from the trolling motor to behind the boat, back to the trolling motor and around (Moody’s) line,” he explained. “Finally, that thing came up and he got the net under it.”
From there, the Pickett County team landed the 7-pounder and checked in an hour early. If conditions are correct, Reagan and Moody expect they will have a chance at another big bag.
Meanwhile, Anaya backed up his 15-12 Day 1 mark with 11-5 to finish the day in second with a two-day total of 27-1. On Day 1, he spent most of his time using forward-facing sonar to hunt individual fish relating to stumps, brush and bait balls. While he incorporated that strategy again today, he also caught bass out of a school using worms, jigs and a scrounger head.
The morning did not start particularly well for the Alabama native, as he didn’t catch his first keeper until 11 a.m.
“I kind of scrambled around,” he said. “I went to a school I knew was there but knew weren’t very big. I caught 8 pounds there and then hopped around. The current was a lot slower today, and the wind blowing like it did today didn’t help. I couldn’t hardly stay on them.”
Around 1:30, Anaya landed two 4-pounders on back-to-back casts to bolster his bag, and knowing he probably had enough to make the final day, he went looking for new areas.
“It was tough. It looked good on paper, but if you rode around in the boat with me, you’d think he wasn’t catching them (very well).
“The weights are really up and down, so being consistent will be key,” Anaya said. “If I can catch 14 pounds tomorrow, I’ll have a good shot at it.”
Owens and Kelley also mounted a major comeback on Day 2, adding 18-5 to their 7-7 performance from the first day. The Knoxville, Tenn., anglers anchored their bag with an 8-9 largemouth, the biggest bass of Day 2. Every bass they have caught this week they saw on forward-facing sonar.
“We tried out a whole new spot today,” Kelley said. “Today was just a lot better overall.”
The duo struggled to find an open spot to start the morning but managed to catch a small limit on their second stop of the day. After adding a 4-pounder to their livewell, they rotated through several different spots before landing a 4 ½-pounder.
Then in the last hour, the Karns High School anglers landed their 8-pounder, which they believed was a catfish. They also lost another bass about the same size in the same area.
“When I hooked it, it started shaking its head so hard I thought it was a catfish,” Owens said. “But when it started coming up, I knew it had to be a big one. I put my rod tip in the water, and we ended up getting it in the boat.”
Levi Stanley and Colton Hackney from the Triangle Bass Club in North Carolina continue to hold Big Bass of the Tournament honors with an 8-11 largemouth they landed on Day 1.
The Top 12 teams will take off from Lakeshore Drive Boat Launch beginning at 6:30 a.m. ET and return for weigh-in at 2:30 p.m. ET. The winning team will earn $10,000 in scholarship money toward a college of their choice. Weigh-in will be available for livestream at 2:30 p.m.
The City of Dayton is hosting the tournament.
2024 Bassmaster High School Series Title Sponsor: Strike King
2024 Bassmaster High School Championship Sponsor: Bill Dance Signature Lakes
2024 Bassmaster High School Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota
2024 Bassmaster High School Series Premier Sponsors: Bass Pro Shops, Dakota Lithium, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Progressive Insurance, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha
2024 Bassmaster High School Series Supporting Sponsors: AFTCO, Daiwa, Garmin, Lew's, Lowrance, Marathon, Triton Boats, VMC
2024 Bassmaster High School Series Youth Sponsors: Seaguar, Shimano
About B.A.S.S.B.A.S.S., which encompasses the Bassmaster tournament leagues, events and media platforms, is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting-edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 500,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), TV show, radio show, social media programs and events. For more than 50 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.
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Media Contact: Chad Gay, Communications Manager, 205-313-0945, cgay@bassmaster.
2024 High School Championship at Lake Chickamauga 8/1-8/3
Chickamauga Lake, Dayton TN.
(BOATER) Standings Day 2
Angler Club/School Pts
1. Rex Reagan - Max Moody Pickett County High School Fishi 0
Day 1: 3 06-03 Day 2: 3 21-05 Total: 6 27-08
2. Fisher Anaya - Brewer High School - AL 0
Day 1: 3 15-12 Day 2: 3 11-05 Total: 6 27-01
3. Hunter Owens - Clayton Kelley Karns High School 0
Day 1: 3 07-07 Day 2: 3 18-05 Total: 6 25-12
4. Alex Tyler - Briley West Mckeel High School Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 3 08-09 Day 2: 3 16-11 Total: 6 25-04
5. Ragyn Mohney - Hunter Daniels Okeechobee Brahmans 0
Day 1: 3 13-12 Day 2: 3 11-04 Total: 6 25-00
6. Trevor Allen - Aaron Yavorsky Hendry County High School Bassma 0
Day 1: 3 17-08 Day 2: 2 06-06 Total: 5 23-14
7. Logan Allen - Stone Grove Creekwood Hs Redhawks Fishing 0
Day 1: 3 14-13 Day 2: 3 08-05 Total: 6 23-02
8. Dawson Barnett - Jackson Padgett Benjamin Russell Anglers 0
Day 1: 3 09-01 Day 2: 3 14-00 Total: 6 23-01
9. Jack Swihart - Rylan Hamlin Jackson High School Bass Fishing 0
Day 1: 3 13-04 Day 2: 3 09-08 Total: 6 22-12
10. Travis Meche - Chance Watson Rayne High Bass Club 0
Day 1: 3 09-09 Day 2: 3 12-00 Total: 6 21-09
11. Zach Knight - Luke Malik Gallatin High School 0
Day 1: 3 11-15 Day 2: 3 09-10 Total: 6 21-09
12. Brody Ault - Dakota Van Weelden Frontier Falcons 0
Day 1: 2 12-14 Day 2: 1 08-05 Total: 3 21-03
13. Grace Olsen - Cole Hampson Gardner S Wilmington High School 0
Day 1: 3 06-15 Day 2: 3 14-03 Total: 6 21-02
14. Justin McGee - Sadie Wallace Bibb County 0
Day 1: 3 08-10 Day 2: 3 12-03 Total: 6 20-13
15. Eli Herring - Hunter Lee Greene County Bassmasters 0
Day 1: 3 11-11 Day 2: 3 08-10 Total: 6 20-05
16. Zach Widelski - Ty Nielsen Wheaton North Bass Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 3 10-13 Day 2: 3 09-03 Total: 6 20-00
17. Connor Miller - Caleb Miller Hukeone - Home School 0
Day 1: 3 09-01 Day 2: 3 10-14 Total: 6 19-15
18. Michael Markham - Carter Davidson Tallassee High School - AL 0
Day 1: 3 09-02 Day 2: 3 10-12 Total: 6 19-14
19. Jacob Clayton - Hogan Benson Chesnee High School - SC 0
Day 1: 3 10-13 Day 2: 3 08-11 Total: 6 19-08
20. Carter Hazlett - Christian Ferguson Siegel High School 0
Day 1: 3 13-03 Day 2: 1 06-04 Total: 4 19-07
21. Logan Brown - Caleb Southerly Lake Anna Elite Anglers 0
Day 1: 3 11-04 Day 2: 3 07-15 Total: 6 19-03
22. Hunter Travis - Jameson Norris Baldwin County High School 0
Day 1: 3 11-00 Day 2: 3 08-02 Total: 6 19-02
23. Boots Burleson - Brady Mikes Lovelady Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 3 06-10 Day 2: 3 12-07 Total: 6 19-01
24. Jon Foster - Carter Simmons Bandys High School - NC 0
Day 1: 3 09-13 Day 2: 3 09-04 Total: 6 19-01
25. Nate Helmreich - Luke Farminer Freeland Bass Fishing 0
Day 1: 3 09-09 Day 2: 3 09-08 Total: 6 19-01
26. Presley Lannom - Trevor Sanford Mt. Juliet High School - TN 0
Day 1: 3 11-14 Day 2: 3 06-13 Total: 6 18-11
27. Andrew Worrall - Covington Catholic 0
Day 1: 3 10-11 Day 2: 3 08-00 Total: 6 18-11
28. Kieran Stephenson - Grady Stanley Triangle Bass Club 0
Day 1: 3 13-10 Day 2: 2 04-13 Total: 5 18-07
29. Cole Martin - Cole Mcneely Lakeside Rams Bass Club 0
Day 1: 3 06-07 Day 2: 3 12-00 Total: 6 18-07
30. Drew Fleener - Hunter Prough Chipley Bassmasters 0
Day 1: 3 16-11 Day 2: 1 01-11 Total: 4 18-06
31. Ben Tesch - Parker Sommers Bw Bassers 0
Day 1: 2 08-04 Day 2: 3 10-01 Total: 5 18-05
32. Jack Dowdy - Wyatt Galbraith Lowndes High School Lip Rippers 0
Day 1: 3 10-08 Day 2: 3 07-10 Total: 6 18-02
33. Brise Hazelton - Caden Alexander Huntington High School 0
Day 1: 3 10-14 Day 2: 3 07-02 Total: 6 18-00
34. Clay Bales - Cash Bales South Laurel High School 0
Day 1: 3 08-08 Day 2: 3 09-08 Total: 6 18-00
35. Logan Welch - Beau Beatty Bolivar Hs 0
Day 1: 3 06-15 Day 2: 3 10-14 Total: 6 17-13
36. Mitchell Robinson - Cody Abbott Byrnes High School Fishing Club 0
Day 1: 3 08-13 Day 2: 3 09-00 Total: 6 17-13
37. Levi Stanley - Colton Hackney Triangle Bass Club 0
Day 1: 3 16-03 Day 2: 1 01-06 Total: 4 17-09
38. Cooper Rouse - Ryker Reed D'iberville Hs Warrior Bass Nati 0
Day 1: 3 07-08 Day 2: 3 10-00 Total: 6 17-08
39. Joe Vaulton - Walker LaRue Alcoa Fishing Team High School 0
Day 1: 3 08-11 Day 2: 3 08-13 Total: 6 17-08
40. Austin Hayes - Traydun Freeze Roco Anglers 0
Day 1: 3 06-05 Day 2: 2 11-02 Total: 5 17-07
41. Coleman Stewart - Keenan Stewart Boyle County High School 0
Day 1: 3 09-12 Day 2: 3 07-08 Total: 6 17-04
42. Bennett Mcbride - Gavin Robinson Flower Mound Hawgsticker Bass Te 0
Day 1: 3 11-05 Day 2: 3 05-12 Total: 6 17-01
43. Nathan Moroney - Brandon Smith Rocky Mtn Bass Anglers 0
Day 1: 3 08-10 Day 2: 3 08-03 Total: 6 16-13
44. Donnie Hoskins - Blayden Mann Indian Creek Bass Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 3 07-08 Day 2: 3 09-01 Total: 6 16-09
45. James Mitchell - Brody Mitchell Grissom Hs Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 3 06-02 Day 2: 3 10-03 Total: 6 16-05
46. Michael Royals - Lane Mueller Mid-Carolina High School Bass Ma 0
Day 1: 3 09-01 Day 2: 3 07-03 Total: 6 16-04
47. Riley Durdel - Landon Titus Neoga High School 0
Day 1: 3 07-00 Day 2: 3 09-03 Total: 6 16-03
48. Holt Owens - Wyatt Shirran Midway High School - TN 0
Day 1: 3 07-09 Day 2: 3 08-09 Total: 6 16-02
49. Caden Williamson - Braden Norton Vidor Pirate Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 3 10-11 Day 2: 2 05-06 Total: 5 16-01
50. Dylan Mladick - Cooper Springsteel Team Arizona 0
Day 1: 3 09-03 Day 2: 3 06-14 Total: 6 16-01
51. Carson Falk - Trey Blackmon III Capital City High School Bass Hu 0
Day 1: 3 09-03 Day 2: 3 06-13 Total: 6 16-00
52. Dylan Sorrells - Will Shepherd Hp Bass Team 0
Day 1: 3 06-10 Day 2: 3 09-05 Total: 6 15-15
52. Hudson Windham - Matthew Hughes Capital City High School Bass Hu 0
Day 1: 3 09-05 Day 2: 3 06-10 Total: 6 15-15
54. Mason Mullins - Caden Graham Soddy Daisy High School 0
Day 1: 3 07-10 Day 2: 2 08-05 Total: 5 15-15
55. Clayburn Reed - Parker Creech Central Florida Youth Anglers - 0
Day 1: 3 09-00 Day 2: 2 06-11 Total: 5 15-11
56. Paul Baker - Ct Bass Thunder 0
Day 1: 3 08-05 Day 2: 3 07-05 Total: 6 15-10
57. Bryce Youngblood - Sulphur Fishing Team - Sulphur H 0
Day 1: 3 06-14 Day 2: 3 08-11 Total: 6 15-09
58. Carter Pjesky - JD McBroom Off The Hook High School Bassmas 0
Day 1: 2 04-04 Day 2: 3 11-04 Total: 5 15-08
59. Gray Hardy - Lawson Gamble Headland High School 0
Day 1: 3 08-13 Day 2: 3 06-11 Total: 6 15-08
60. Ty Trentham - Chase McCarter Sevier County High School 0
Day 1: 2 05-04 Day 2: 3 10-03 Total: 5 15-07
61. Jacob Berryhill - Isaac Chandler Rogersville Warriors High School 0
Day 1: 3 05-09 Day 2: 3 09-11 Total: 6 15-04
62. Hayden Barnett - Camdyn Cranfill Kingston Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 3 08-14 Day 2: 3 06-05 Total: 6 15-03
63. Cody Carboni - William Reynolds Live Oak High School Fishing Tea 0
Day 1: 3 10-12 Day 2: 1 04-04 Total: 4 15-00
64. Tanner Wolf - Eddie Hook Club Florida High School Bassmas 0
Day 1: 2 05-14 Day 2: 3 09-00 Total: 5 14-14
65. Landon Rollison - Tanner Bass Dixie Co Bass Masters High Schoo 0
Day 1: 3 12-08 Day 2: 1 02-02 Total: 4 14-10
66. Wyatt Richards - Colby Goforth Pickens County Bass Club 0
Day 1: 3 10-10 Day 2: 2 03-15 Total: 5 14-09
67. Michael Harris - Kayden Waller Mt Juliet Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 3 06-14 Day 2: 3 07-11 Total: 6 14-09
68. Roper Putnam - Jack Story Clarks Hill Hs Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 3 06-15 Day 2: 3 07-10 Total: 6 14-09
69. Mason Taylor - Wesley Kent Dekalb Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 3 07-09 Day 2: 3 07-00 Total: 6 14-09
70. Landon Myers - Bryson Bailey Alcoa Fishing Team High School 0
Day 1: 3 07-08 Day 2: 3 07-01 Total: 6 14-09
71. Aiden Behuniak - Wesley Perreault Ct Bass Thunder 0
Day 1: 3 08-12 Day 2: 3 05-12 Total: 6 14-08
72. Kaden Casey - Collin French Montgomery County High School Ba 0
Day 1: 3 07-12 Day 2: 2 06-12 Total: 5 14-08
73. Colten Dickerson - Gabe Aldrich Zeeland Fishhawx 0
Day 1: 3 08-07 Day 2: 2 05-15 Total: 5 14-06
74. Joseph Dejean - Matthew Arceneaux West Feliciana Bass Club Inc 0
Day 1: 1 03-07 Day 2: 3 10-10 Total: 4 14-01
75. Alec Hummel - Conner McClellan Southeastern Bass Anglers 0
Day 1: 3 07-04 Day 2: 2 06-13 Total: 5 14-01
76. Easton Morrow - RJ Sanger IV Lcs Viking Anglers 0
Day 1: 3 05-09 Day 2: 3 08-07 Total: 6 14-00
77. Nolan Gray - Rhyder Short Hamblen County Anglers 0
Day 1: 3 05-08 Day 2: 3 08-07 Total: 6 13-15
78. Easton Drennon - Cole Petroff Mt Juliet Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 3 08-06 Day 2: 2 05-09 Total: 5 13-15
79. Drew Turnbull - Thomas Turnbull Evangel Christian School 0
Day 1: 3 06-07 Day 2: 3 07-06 Total: 6 13-13
80. Ethan Castle - Adam Mcdougal Whitwell Hs Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 3 08-05 Day 2: 3 05-07 Total: 6 13-12
81. Ely Hagans - Cole Pennington Greenbrier Panthers 0
Day 1: 3 06-03 Day 2: 3 07-09 Total: 6 13-12
82. Jay Haynes - Landon Haynes Marion County High School - FL 0
Day 1: 3 06-05 Day 2: 3 07-01 Total: 6 13-06
83. Nathan Bennett - Carter Burdette Seminole Junior Anglers 0
Day 1: 3 06-11 Day 2: 2 06-11 Total: 5 13-06
84. Noah Varitek - Aiden Pihaylic A1 Anglers - MI 0
Day 1: 3 07-05 Day 2: 2 06-00 Total: 5 13-05
85. Kade Ellender - Caden Doucet Sulphur Fishing Team - Sulphur H 0
Day 1: 3 11-05 Day 2: 1 01-15 Total: 4 13-04
86. Colton Caskey - Brayden Pearah Riverdale Bassmasters 0
Day 1: 3 09-06 Day 2: 2 03-12 Total: 5 13-02
87. Wyatt Drawdy - Cole Drawdy Plant City Bassmasters 0
Day 1: 3 07-13 Day 2: 2 05-05 Total: 5 13-02
88. Tanner Seabolt - Finn Taylor Okeechobee Brahmans 0
Day 1: 2 03-11 Day 2: 3 09-06 Total: 5 13-01
89. Hunter Mize - Jace Anderson Little River Bass Bandits - AR 0
Day 1: 2 03-12 Day 2: 3 09-05 Total: 5 13-01
90. Nick Noyes - Tim Raducka Plainfield South High School - I 0
Day 1: 2 07-04 Day 2: 2 05-12 Total: 4 13-00
91. Brason Mack - Peyton Shields Team Arizona 0
Day 1: 3 08-15 Day 2: 2 03-14 Total: 5 12-13
92. Blake Marcum - Reece Hughes Louisa Bass Club High School 0
Day 1: 3 07-03 Day 2: 3 05-09 Total: 6 12-12
93. Thomas Newman - Frederick County Hs Bass Wrangle 0
Day 1: 3 12-11 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 3 12-11
94. Evan Smith - Garret Demery Farmington High School 0
Day 1: 3 05-07 Day 2: 3 07-04 Total: 6 12-11
95. Boone Stewart - Hendry County High School - FL 0
Day 1: 3 05-09 Day 2: 3 07-00 Total: 6 12-09
96. Hayden Buchanan - Barrett Choquette Headland Bass Team 0
Day 1: 3 08-12 Day 2: 2 03-12 Total: 5 12-08
97. Nevan Osburn - Atticus Bandy Brock High Bassmasters 0
Day 1: 1 03-13 Day 2: 3 08-10 Total: 4 12-07
98. Tucker McCoy - Ethan Hopkins Mortimer Jordan Hs Bass Club 0
Day 1: 2 03-09 Day 2: 3 08-12 Total: 5 12-05
99. Jase Sparks - Tripp Parks III Clarks Hill Hs Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 3 06-04 Day 2: 3 06-00 Total: 6 12-04
100. Finn Norsworthy - Park Place Christian Academy - M 0
Day 1: 2 03-07 Day 2: 3 08-12 Total: 5 12-03
101. James Sumrell - Hixson Bass Team 0
Day 1: 3 05-04 Day 2: 3 06-15 Total: 6 12-03
102. Blane Holcombe - Gibson Huntley Chapman High School 0
Day 1: 3 06-07 Day 2: 3 05-06 Total: 6 11-13
103. Nathan Uldrych - Adrius Stankus Carl Sandburg Eagels Bass Fishin 0
Day 1: 3 06-07 Day 2: 2 05-05 Total: 5 11-12
104. Levi Self - Carter Lee Lumpkin County Schools 0
Day 1: 1 02-00 Day 2: 3 09-10 Total: 4 11-10
105. Kaleb Winstead - Zack Hudgens Scotts Hill High School Anlgers 0
Day 1: 3 09-09 Day 2: 1 01-15 Total: 4 11-08
106. Jackson Edenfield - Hunter Harris Chiles High School Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 3 08-01 Day 2: 1 03-06 Total: 4 11-07
107. Jay Delk - Little Cypress Mauriceville Hs 0
Day 1: 2 04-09 Day 2: 3 06-11 Total: 5 11-04
108. Bradford Vandemark - Elias Hitson Eagleville Fishing Club 0
Day 1: 2 04-12 Day 2: 3 06-08 Total: 5 11-04
109. Walker Woodall - John Klanchar Trader Bills 0
Day 1: 3 06-03 Day 2: 2 05-01 Total: 5 11-04
110. Lake Johnson - Beau England Alabama Bass Academy - AL 0
Day 1: 3 09-01 Day 2: 1 02-02 Total: 4 11-03
111. Destin Morales - Livingston Parish Bassmasters 0
Day 1: 3 07-03 Day 2: 2 04-00 Total: 5 11-03
112. Owen Satterwhite - James Pinson Ldhs Anglers 0
Day 1: 3 07-14 Day 2: 2 03-04 Total: 5 11-02
113. Tyler Boston - Devin Gonzalez Columbia High School - FL 0
Day 1: 2 04-11 Day 2: 3 06-05 Total: 5 11-00
114. Colton Hembree - Tyson Browning Madison Southern 0
Day 1: 3 09-06 Day 2: 1 01-09 Total: 4 10-15
115. Connor Racine - Cole Racine Dexter High School Fishing Club 0
Day 1: 1 03-01 Day 2: 3 07-14 Total: 4 10-15
116. Garrett Hooker - Samuel Rachal Oak Hill Bass Club 0
Day 1: 2 05-05 Day 2: 3 05-10 Total: 5 10-15
117. Hayes Finch - James Lamberth Aca Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 2 05-00 Day 2: 2 05-13 Total: 4 10-13
118. Luke Collins - Laken Hudnall Hardin High School 0
Day 1: 3 05-04 Day 2: 2 05-09 Total: 5 10-13
119. Logan Parker - Hudson Howell Cherokee Bass Team 0
Day 1: 2 03-02 Day 2: 3 07-09 Total: 5 10-11
120. Grayson Goss - Wally Wolcott Lakeside Rams Bass Club 0
Day 1: 3 06-03 Day 2: 2 04-06 Total: 5 10-09
121. Zavian Smith - Lake Cumberland High School Bass 0
Day 1: 1 02-08 Day 2: 3 08-00 Total: 4 10-08
122. Jackie Hatfield - Graham Willis Alcoa Fishing Team - TN 0
Day 1: 2 04-07 Day 2: 3 06-01 Total: 5 10-08
123. Barrett Newton - Brayden Huddleston Upperman High School 0
Day 1: 2 03-01 Day 2: 3 07-06 Total: 5 10-07
124. Justin Blais - Chance Babb Glenmora High School 0
Day 1: 2 07-02 Day 2: 2 03-04 Total: 4 10-06
125. Landon Gabby - Kolby Baker Marion High School Bass Fishing 0
Day 1: 3 06-14 Day 2: 1 03-08 Total: 4 10-06
126. Lane Parker - Mitchell Tew Cherokee Bass Team 0
Day 1: 3 06-10 Day 2: 2 03-12 Total: 5 10-06
127. Nathan Mccoy - Matthew Carey Roco Anglers 0
Day 1: 1 02-09 Day 2: 3 07-09 Total: 4 10-02
128. Ashton Kuchar - Keaton Kuchar Eastern Nebraska Juniors 0
Day 1: 1 01-10 Day 2: 3 08-07 Total: 4 10-01
129. Taylor Hubert - Kaden Paprocki Porter High School 0
Day 1: 3 06-11 Day 2: 2 03-05 Total: 5 10-00
130. Chase Logue - Carter Logue Argenta Oreana High School - IL 0
Day 1: 3 07-12 Day 2: 2 02-03 Total: 5 09-15
131. Blake Loida - Landon Hogan Mahtomedi High School 0
Day 1: 2 04-02 Day 2: 3 05-13 Total: 5 09-15
132. Dylan Holcomb - Grayson Faircloth Liberty County Anglers 0
Day 1: 1 05-11 Day 2: 2 04-04 Total: 3 09-15
133. Hoyt Gull - Brooks Clevenger 0
Day 1: 2 03-07 Day 2: 3 06-07 Total: 5 09-14
134. Colton King - Sawyer King Stephenville Bass Busters 0
Day 1: 3 05-05 Day 2: 3 04-09 Total: 6 09-14
135. Mason George - Jayson Roden Albertville High School 0
Day 1: 2 03-10 Day 2: 3 06-03 Total: 5 09-13
136. Fischer Sickafoose - Austin Tolbert 0
Day 1: 1 03-11 Day 2: 2 06-02 Total: 3 09-13
137. Connor Crawford - Brody Beam Liberty County Anglers 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 09-12 Total: 3 09-12
138. Owen Ray - Turner Tharpe Rhea County Eagle Anglers 0
Day 1: 3 09-09 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 3 09-09
139. Tucker Kenney - Reed Heutz Mebass High School 0
Day 1: 2 03-05 Day 2: 3 06-01 Total: 5 09-06
140. Henry Fox - Grady Schultz Fruitport High School 0
Day 1: 1 02-02 Day 2: 3 07-02 Total: 4 09-04
141. Caleb Bartling - Toby Anderson Western Pa Student Bass Stalkers 0
Day 1: 3 09-03 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 3 09-03
142. Bryce Mcdonald - Ethan Elliott Paintsville High School 0
Day 1: 3 09-02 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 3 09-02
143. Luke Stewart - Micah Osborne Clay County Panthers 0
Day 1: 3 07-04 Day 2: 1 01-14 Total: 4 09-02
144. Landon Pierce - Korbin Neat Casey County High School 0
Day 1: 2 05-09 Day 2: 2 03-09 Total: 4 09-02
145. Zack Ramsey - Brayden Padgett Mcdowell High School Bass Fishin 0
Day 1: 2 04-10 Day 2: 2 04-08 Total: 4 09-02
146. Aiden Levis - Cullen Herron Barge Canal Bassmasters 0
Day 1: 3 07-02 Day 2: 1 01-14 Total: 4 09-00
147. Max Flatten - Sam Spies North Dakota - At Large 0
Day 1: 1 02-01 Day 2: 3 06-15 Total: 4 09-00
148. Landen Dale - Nate Floyd Jessamine County High School Eli 0
Day 1: 3 06-12 Day 2: 1 02-04 Total: 4 09-00
149. Bret Cavanaugh - Alexander Bielfeldt Reed Custer Casting Comets 0
Day 1: 3 06-04 Day 2: 1 02-12 Total: 4 09-00
150. Ethen Gardner - Hayes Boyd Aca Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 1 03-04 Day 2: 2 05-10 Total: 3 08-14
151. Jordan Werner - Markus Avalos Nevada Bass Anglers 0
Day 1: 3 08-12 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 3 08-12
152. Colby Kessinger - Club Florida High School Bassmas 0
Day 1: 3 08-11 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 3 08-11
153. Jake Gluszek - Maxsim Hughen Nj Hs Club 0
Day 1: 2 05-07 Day 2: 1 03-03 Total: 3 08-10
154. Brady Talbot - Hunter King Live Oak High School Fishing Tea 0
Day 1: 2 03-03 Day 2: 3 05-06 Total: 5 08-09
155. Tripp Tamasi III - Matthew Johnson Greenbrier High School 0
Day 1: 1 02-04 Day 2: 3 06-04 Total: 4 08-08
156. Bryson Osment - Lohgan Gosnell Byrnes High School Fishing Club 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 08-06 Total: 3 08-06
157. Nick Siebert - Brantson Komnick Olympia Anglers 0
Day 1: 2 08-06 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 2 08-06
158. Nick Parrish - Chris Parrish Brunswick Academy Vikings 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 08-05 Total: 3 08-05
159. Deaton Leblanc - Christian Goins Denham Springs High School - LA 0
Day 1: 3 06-08 Day 2: 1 01-13 Total: 4 08-05
160. Carson Tithof - Maverick Hardebeck Grand Haven High School 0
Day 1: 2 04-06 Day 2: 2 03-13 Total: 4 08-03
161. Evan Goering - Brayden Henry Buhler High School Crusaders 0
Day 1: 2 06-04 Day 2: 1 01-14 Total: 3 08-02
162. Brodie Gibson - Noah Mentz Knight Fishing Anglers 0
Day 1: 1 02-05 Day 2: 3 05-13 Total: 4 08-02
163. Bennett Fontenot - Braxton Speyrer Port Barre High School - LA 0
Day 1: 2 04-13 Day 2: 2 03-05 Total: 4 08-02
164. Kyler Smith - Tripp Pitts Pendleton Bass Fanactics 0
Day 1: 1 03-06 Day 2: 2 04-12 Total: 3 08-02
165. Bryson Gurley - Ethan Evatt Palmetto High Bass Fishing 0
Day 1: 3 08-01 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 3 08-01
166. Gavin Seewald - Tate Turner Hoover High School 0
Day 1: 1 04-14 Day 2: 1 03-03 Total: 2 08-01
167. Dominick Andux - Peyton Faber Tampa Bay Junior Bass Club - FL 0
Day 1: 2 03-13 Day 2: 1 04-03 Total: 3 08-00
168. Joe Childs - Hunter Duracz Track And Channel Youth 0
Day 1: 1 01-10 Day 2: 3 06-05 Total: 4 07-15
169. Hunter Hightower - Jake Bennett Brookeland Isd Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 3 07-13 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 3 07-13
170. Colin Wise - Emmitt Grubbs Boyle County High School 0
Day 1: 3 05-13 Day 2: 1 02-00 Total: 4 07-13
171. William Alsip - Isaac Alsip South Laurel High School 0
Day 1: 3 07-12 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 3 07-12
172. Luke England - Cole Rountree Baldwin County High School 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 07-12 Total: 2 07-12
173. Brody Brinson - Greer Gammon Mt Juliet Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 2 03-05 Day 2: 2 04-04 Total: 4 07-09
174. Jacob Godwin - Eli French Magnolia Bassmasters 0
Day 1: 1 02-00 Day 2: 1 05-08 Total: 2 07-08
175. Camden Randall - James Roop Mt Pleasant High School Bass Tea 0
Day 1: 1 02-08 Day 2: 1 05-00 Total: 2 07-08
176. Parker Batts - Brody Jones Jefferson County Patriot Anglers 0
Day 1: 3 07-06 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 3 07-06
176. Ridge Faircloth - Chaff Foran Liberty County Anglers 0
Day 1: 3 07-06 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 3 07-06
178. Milam Mcillwain - Landon Lewis Creekwood Hs Redhawks Fishing 0
Day 1: 1 01-12 Day 2: 3 05-10 Total: 4 07-06
179. Jackson Daugherty - James Lane Kingston High School - TN 0
Day 1: 1 02-01 Day 2: 3 05-05 Total: 4 07-06
180. Cody Keith - Mc Stewart Oak Grove High School Bass Club 0
Day 1: 2 04-09 Day 2: 1 02-13 Total: 3 07-06
181. Evan Mccormick - Kj Jamison Edwardsville High School 0
Day 1: 1 02-07 Day 2: 2 04-14 Total: 3 07-05
182. Jacob Vinson - Hunter Teichelman Anson High School Bass Fishing 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 07-03 Total: 3 07-03
183. Brody Cochran - Cole Joy Southside Bass Commanders 0
Day 1: 3 04-13 Day 2: 1 02-06 Total: 4 07-03
184. Aiden Hamblin - Austin Brown Pilot Point Bearcats Bass Team 0
Day 1: 3 07-01 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 3 07-01
185. Elliott Ward - Olivia Mauldin Grace Christian Academy Rams 0
Day 1: 3 07-00 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 3 07-00
185. Pate Willis - Ryan Moore Ark-La-Tex Bassmaster High Schoo 0
Day 1: 3 07-00 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 3 07-00
187. Griffin Gaston - Rankin Williams Lee Scott Academy 0
Day 1: 3 06-14 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 3 06-14
188. Tanner Moulton - Peyton Sargent Upper Valley Weekend Warriors 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 06-12 Total: 3 06-12
189. Ridge Mabile - Evan Aucoin Assumption Mustangs Bass Club 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 06-11 Total: 3 06-11
190. Sadler Harrison - Hayes Jones Athens Anglers 0
Day 1: 3 06-10 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 3 06-10
191. Hunter Sanders - Zane Cobb Trader Bills 0
Day 1: 1 03-11 Day 2: 1 02-13 Total: 2 06-08
192. Nick Claussen - Hagen Keen Central Florida Youth Anglers 0
Day 1: 2 04-05 Day 2: 1 02-02 Total: 3 06-07
193. Nick Herrman - Kyle Herrman Capital City High School Bass Cl 0
Day 1: 2 03-04 Day 2: 2 03-00 Total: 4 06-04
194. Brody Musser - Gavin Lytton Swva Bassin 0
Day 1: 1 06-02 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 1 06-02
195. Collin Tate - William Guidry Rayne High Bass Club 0
Day 1: 1 04-00 Day 2: 1 02-02 Total: 2 06-02
196. Logan Ethington - Dylan Teater Jessamine County High School - K 0
Day 1: 1 03-03 Day 2: 1 02-14 Total: 2 06-01
197. DJ Aucoin - Alex Landry Assumption Mustangs Bass Club 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 05-15 Total: 3 05-15
197. Carter Cunningham - Landon Glander Dawson County High Fishing Club 0
Day 1: 3 05-15 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 3 05-15
199. Jackson Pruett - Banks Davis Chesnee High School Fishing Club 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 05-13 Total: 3 05-13
200. Cole Russell - Jackson Bennett Anderson County Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 3 05-12 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 3 05-12
201. Hudson Tritch - Braydon Cullum Crowleys Ridge Christian Homesch 0
Day 1: 1 02-06 Day 2: 1 03-06 Total: 2 05-12
202. Andrew Mailer - Kaleb Walton White Bear Lake 0
Day 1: 1 02-09 Day 2: 1 03-03 Total: 2 05-12
203. Jared Coates - Than Hunt Jr Mass Nation High School - Hs 0
Day 1: 1 01-12 Day 2: 1 03-15 Total: 2 05-11
204. Brady Horton - Rhett Horton Greenbrier Panthers 0
Day 1: 2 03-12 Day 2: 1 01-15 Total: 3 05-11
205. Griffin Ralph - Kaleb Snow Lakeside Rams Bass Club 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 05-10 Total: 3 05-10
206. Nick Kavanagh - Jacob Metz Chisago Lakes High School 0
Day 1: 2 03-09 Day 2: 1 02-01 Total: 3 05-10
207. Trevor Kilbern - Aaron Zakrie 0
Day 1: 2 03-07 Day 2: 1 02-01 Total: 3 05-08
208. Landon Rhine - Gabe Morrow Arkansas Youth Anglers 0
Day 1: 1 01-11 Day 2: 2 03-09 Total: 3 05-04
209. Hunter Bolt - Zander Morton Hctc Hs Fishing 0
Day 1: 2 05-02 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 2 05-02
210. Gabriel Castellano - Ean Williams Sand Springs Sandites 0
Day 1: 1 01-14 Day 2: 2 03-04 Total: 3 05-02
211. Mitchell Henderson - Joseph Frierson Laurence Manning Academy SC 0
Day 1: 1 01-14 Day 2: 1 03-04 Total: 2 05-02
212. Porter Morrison - Brayden Morgan Catholic High School Fishing 0
Day 1: 1 03-00 Day 2: 1 01-14 Total: 2 04-14
213. Brayson Claunch - Boyle County High School 0
Day 1: 2 04-11 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 2 04-11
214. Tayson Hathorn - Tristin Hathorn Arkansas Youth Anglers 0
Day 1: 2 04-06 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 2 04-06
214. Cole Richerson - Kayden Bickett Taylor County Cardinals 0
Day 1: 2 04-06 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 2 04-06
216. Liam Plautz - John Wall Stevenson High School Bass Fishi 0
Day 1: 1 02-12 Day 2: 1 01-09 Total: 2 04-05
217. Waylin Hardison - Jax Poole Jackson County Homeschool 0
Day 1: 2 04-04 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 2 04-04
218. Dannon Garber - Colton Wiles Mecklenburg High School Anglers 0
Day 1: 2 04-03 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 2 04-03
218. Dyson Weaver - Hayden Davidson Creek Wood Red Hawks 0
Day 1: 2 04-03 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 2 04-03
220. Elijah Coleman - Will Dombroskas Montgomery County High School Ba 0
Day 1: 1 04-03 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 1 04-03
221. Troy Jamieson - Tristan Kruczek Kawartha Hs Bassmasters 0
Day 1: 1 02-04 Day 2: 1 01-13 Total: 2 04-01
222. Josh Talley - Matthew Roper 0
Day 1: 1 01-14 Day 2: 1 02-01 Total: 2 03-15
223. Tyler Covington - Brantley Tate Walker High School 0
Day 1: 2 03-13 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 2 03-13
224. Davis Barnett - Jackson Fuller 0
Day 1: 2 03-12 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 2 03-12
225. Mason Wampler - Rhea County Eagle Anglers 0
Day 1: 1 01-08 Day 2: 1 02-02 Total: 2 03-10
226. Ridge Hurley - Samuel Bierworth Port City Junior Bass Masters 0
Day 1: 1 01-09 Day 2: 1 02-00 Total: 2 03-09
227. Kaden Tomblin - Jakob Fullerton Southern Garrett Bass Slayer 0
Day 1: 1 02-00 Day 2: 1 01-07 Total: 2 03-07
228. Tyler Schumacher - Alex Avery Eureka Wildcats Fishing Team - M 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 03-04 Total: 1 03-04
229. Jenkins Andrews - Ben Sanders Laurence Manning Academy 0
Day 1: 1 03-02 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 1 03-02
230. Nolan Holloway - Jackson Fanning Morgan County Bass Club 0
Day 1: 1 03-00 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 1 03-00
231. Evin Moore - Bridger Jones Haywood Anglers 0
Day 1: 3 02-14 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 3 02-14
232. Drake Pfeiffer - Rochester Bass Club 0
Day 1: 1 02-14 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 1 02-14
233. Harlyn Nelson - Jake Lovingood Alcoa Fishing Team High School 0
Day 1: 1 02-08 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 1 02-08
234. Jonathan Willhite - Brock Hutcheson Wild West Bassmasters 0
Day 1: 1 02-07 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 1 02-07
235. Karson Denton - Drake Miller Splendora High School 0
Day 1: 1 02-06 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 1 02-06
236. Jaxon Thomas - Zaydin Wooten Ark-La-Tex Bassmaster High Schoo 0
Day 1: 1 02-03 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 1 02-03
237. Cade Fontenot - Jerry Rouyea St. Amant High Bass Club 0
Day 1: 1 02-02 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 1 02-02
238. Jackson Long - Dylan Langley Olympia Anglers 0
Day 1: 1 02-00 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 1 02-00
238. Conner Wharton - Nicholas Farmer Lake Anna Elite Anglers 0
Day 1: 1 02-00 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 1 02-00
240. Alex Meland - Carter Michalek Eastern Iowa Jr Bassmasters 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 01-15 Total: 1 01-15
241. Mason Aldridge - Gavin Harden Coal City High School 0
Day 1: 1 01-13 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 1 01-13
242. Cameron Prokop - Sophia Janulis Plainfield South High School - I 0
Day 1: 1 01-12 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 1 01-12
243. Sarah Brekke - Troy Brown Wild West Bassmasters 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 01-10 Total: 1 01-10
243. Judd Byrd - Samuel Nicholas Oak Grove High School Bass Club 0
Day 1: 1 01-10 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 1 01-10
245. Bryce Alfrey - Hayden Arvin George Rogers Clark High School 0
Day 1: 1 01-07 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 1 01-07
246. Kylan Mantooth - Caden Davis Coffee County High School - TN 0
Day 1: 1 01-05 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 1 01-05
247. Byron Ellis - Kyzer Gordon Henry County High School Anglers 0
Day 1: 1 01-03 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 1 01-03
248. Kael Moore - Bryce Norton Cedar Falls Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 2 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 2 00-00
249. Adam Bartlett - Ethan Hooper Aurora Central Catholic 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
249. Caleb Cook - Eastside Elites - MI 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
249. Ross Deters - Dawson Hoene Teutopolis High School 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
249. Dean Dieball - Blake Canelli Black Swamp High School Fishing 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
249. Lucas Gatewood - Mason Tarlton Anson Anglers 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
249. Lainie Holbert - Sarah Swindle Riverside High School Bass Fishi 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
249. Gunnar Johnson - Reid Fragnito Hill-Murray High School 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
249. Jonah Johnson - Carson Smith Pickett County High School Fishi 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
249. Olevir Johnson - Allen Moore Oldham Co High School Bass Team 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
249. Jackson Knight - Eli Painter Bradley Central Bears 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
249. Caleb Logue - Hayden Reynolds Bainbridge High School Bass Cats 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
249. Chase Messner - Gavin O'donnell Holy Family - MN 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
249. Braun Nalder - Holdyn Higley 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
249. Oliver Neumann - Wyatt Feigum Zimmerman Thunder - MN 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
249. Joseph Phegley - Deacon Ledford North Augusta High School Fishin 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
249. Tate Reynolds - Blane Smith Russell County High School - KY 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
249. Brayden Rivest - Andrew Crawford Off the Hook Jr Bassmasters - IL 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
249. Caleb Roblin - Jordan Sibley Denham Springs High School 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
249. Aden Russelburg - Carter Nelson Cincinnati Youth Bass Club Sr 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
249. Tanner Russell - Daniel Lowhorn Mt. Juliet High School - TN 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
249. Austin Short - Jacob Greenwood Trhs Devildog Anglers - Traveler 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
249. Vincent Smith - Keegan Kennedy Clovis High Bassmasters 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
249. Rowan Stengel - Colin Zwolinski Minooka Anglers Club 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
249. Drew Turner - John Beasley Sand Springs Sandites 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 130 544 1472-07
2 110 463 1265-00
------------------------------
240 1007 2737-07
MLF Unveils Details for 2024 General Tire Team Series Presented by Bass Pro Shops
Two-man teams will compete for total purse of more than $720,000 this fall, all six days of competition for each event will be livestreamed on MLFNOW!
BENTON, Ky. (Aug. 2, 2024) – Major League Fishing (MLF) announced Thursday the details for the 2024 General Tire Team Series Presented by Bass Pro Shops, which kicks off August 25-30.
The 2024 General Tire Team Series is comprised of four events, featuring two-man teams of Bass Pro Tour pros competing from the same boat, and working together to claim part of a season purse of more than $720,000.
For the first time ever, the 2024 General Tire Team Series will be livestreamed daily, meaning every cast and every catch will be covered live and fans can watch teammates work together to break down a brand new body of water in real time.
“It will be exciting to watch our Bass Pro Tour anglers strategize and work together to find and catch the winning bass, live on the water,” said Kathy Fennel, MLF Executive Vice President and General Manager. “With the dynamic of two-man teams fishing from the same boat, and livestream coverage of every moment, we’re thrilled to offer fans a never-before-seen front row seat to the action and drama that the General Tire Team Series creates.”
Fans will have an inside look as teammates like 2022 Team Series Champion Jacob Wheeler and two-time REDCREST Champion Dustin Connell join forces on Team Kubota to compete against Team Star Tron, comprised of pro Jacob Wall and 2022 REDCREST Champion Bobby Lane, or Team Knighten Industries, made up of pros Wesley Strader and Scott Suggs – two-thirds of the winning team from the 2023 Team Series.
“This type of team event is the most relatable way to fish,” Wheeler said of the new format. “Team tournaments are literally what got me started in bass fishing, just those weeknight tournaments with your buddies. That’s some of the most fun fishing.
“Out of everyone in the field, I’ve had the most experience fishing with Dustin, so we’re looking forward to working together,” Wheeler continued. “There will definitely be some shenanigans, but it’s going to be a lot of fun and I’m beyond excited.”
A short promotional video which covers the main changes to the 2024 General Tire Team Series can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Each General Tire Team Series event will feature 12 two-man teams, divided into three groups as they enter the one-day Elimination Rounds. The top two teams from each of the three Elimination Rounds will advance to the Knockout Rounds on Days 4 and 5. The top two teams from each Knockout Round will then move on to the Championship Round on Day 6, where the final four teams compete for that Cup Championship.
The first 2024 Team Series draft took place in May, where 24 team captains – based on 2024 Fishing Clash Angler of the Year (AOY) standings after the first four Bass Pro Tour events – drafted a teammate. Those 24 teams will compete in the first two events, the Challenge Cup (Aug. 25-30) and the Heritage Cup (Sept. 15-20).
Once the final Bass Pro Tour event has been completed, 24 new team captains will be selected based on AOY rankings from the last four Bass Pro Tour tournaments; those captains will draft a teammate for the final two Team Series events, the Patriot Cup (Oct. 24-29), and the Summit Cup (Nov. 17-22).
The B&W Trailer Hitches Challenge Cup Presented by Toyota is the first of the four-event series and will take place August 25-30 in Erie, Pennsylvania.
In keeping with traditional MLF Cup protocols, the host city is not revealed to Team Series anglers until one month prior to each event. All fishable waters within 60 miles of that city become off limits to anglers, and the competitors will discover where they’re competing only after arriving at the boat ramp on the morning of competition. Fans watching the MLFNOW! livestream will find out the fishery right along with the anglers and watch all the action unfold live as teams work together and share their knowledge to break down each fishery in real time.
The MLFNOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action live all six days of competition at the Challenge Cup from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. ET. MLFNOW!® will be livestreamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com, the MLF and MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) apps and on Rumble.
The 12 teams that will compete in the General Tire Team Series B&W Trailer Hitches Challenge Cup Presented by Toyota in Erie, Pennsylvania, Aug. 25-30 are:
Team 7 Brew Drive Thru Coffee:
Adrian Avena, Vineland, N.J.
Mark Daniels Jr., Tuskegee, Ala.
Team B&W Trailer Hitches:
Matt Becker, Ten Mile, Tenn.
Spencer Shuffield, Hot Springs, Ark.
Team Builders FirstSource:
Dean Rojas, Lake Havasu City, Ariz.
Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn.
Team Coign:
Drew Gill, Mount Carmel, Ill.
Matt Stefan, Junction City, Wis.
Team Ferguson:
Nick Lebrun, Bossier City, La.
Gerald Spohrer, Gonzales, La.
Team Knighten Industries:
Wesley Strader, Spring City, Tenn.
Scott Suggs, Alexander, Ark.
Team Kubota:
Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn.
Dustin Connell, Clanton, Ala.
Team REDCON1:
Cole Floyd, Leesburg, Ohio
Andy Morgan, Dayton, Tenn.
Team Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff & Pouches:
Luke Clausen, Spokane, Wash.
John Hunter, Shelbyville, Ky.
Team Star Tron:
Jacob Wall, New Hope, Ala.
Bobby Lane, Lakeland, Fla.
Team U.S. Air Force:
Anthony Gagliardi, Prosperity, S.C.
Stephen Browning, Hot Springs, Ark.
Team WIX Filters:
Ron Nelson, Berrien Springs, Mich.
Keith Carson, DeBary, Fla.
The complete 2024 General Tire Team Series Challenge Cup Bracket can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The MLF General Tire Team Series B&W Trailer Hitches Challenge Cup Presented by Toyota will air on Outdoor Channel as six two-hour original episodes each Saturday afternoon starting January 4, 2025, airing from 2 to 4 p.m. EDT. The complete television schedule for the 2024 General Tire Team Series on Outdoor Channel will be posted at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Proud sponsors of the MLF General Tire Team Series
For complete details and updated information on the General Tire Team Series
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery Channel, Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 17 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.
LIVETARGET’S NEW ICT CRAW UNLIKE ANY OTHER
The ubiquitous crayfish, serving as a quintessential prey item for bass populations from Florida to California, assumes a pivotal role in many anglers’ pursuits. From pre-spawn to post-pawn, the all-new LIVETARGET Craw represents a significant advancement in the realm of creature baits, distinguishing itself through its unparalleled capacity to elicit strikes from largemouth and smallmouth bass across various habitats.
Leveraging state-of-the-art Injected Core Technology (ICT), the LIVETARGET Craw heralds a transformative departure from conventional soft-plastic lure design. This innovative technology seamlessly integrates lifelike anatomical features—such as a segmented body replete with intricate textures and ridges, augmented by meticulously rendered claws, legs, and even the discernibly sharp eyestalk—within a dynamic inner core. The unique injection laminate process further enhances the inner core with intricately layered metallic hues encapsulated within a robust, transparent exoskeleton.
The fusion of a detailed inner core with a translucent outer layer not only provides the LIVETARGET Craw with exceptional realism but also ensures its superior functionality. ICT guarantees that the lure exhibits unmatched action, enticing bass with its natural appearance under conditions of sparse natural forage, heightened angler pressure, or when fish are conditioned to specific bait presentations.
Available in two sizes—2.8 inches and 3.8 inches—the LIVETARGET Craw offers unparalleled versatility in depth, speed control, and fishability. Rigging this ultra-realistic craw imitation is both straightforward and versatile, facilitating effortless hook concealment and optimal hook penetration upon a strike. Featuring a body of optimal thickness to securely accommodate a heavy-gauge flipping hook, yet not impeding hooksets, the lure’s unique appendages induce pronounced kicking and quivering motions with minimal angler input, mirroring the sedentary and defensive postures innate to live crayfish, whether punched, jigged, or presented on a Texas rig. Moreover, its distinctive profile permits anglers to rig it with the tail folded under the hook, enhancing displacement during retrieval and providing a flat surface for accommodating a bullet weight or jighead.
Whether navigating a secluded pond or a sprawling reservoir, astute anglers are advised to vigilantly monitor their line as it falls. On the descent, the bait takes a defensive posture with the claws rising and waving as it sinks. A sudden jump or twitch in the slack line often heralds a strike, as the LIVETARGET Craw is frequently intercepted before reaching the substrate.
With its combination of ICT inner core and exoskeleton, the LIVETARGET Craw epitomizes a harmonious blend of softness and durability, capable of withstanding repeated catches without tearing or compromising its vibrant coloration. Available in twelve distinct color variations and two size options, the LIVETARGET Craw stands unrivaled in its realism and attraction.
Pair the 2.8 with a 2/0 Mustad AlphaPoint Assault Wide Gap hook and the 3.8 with a 5/0. Sold unrigged with a MSRP of $7. 99 .
Craw Features
• Injected Core Technology
• Ultra-Realistic Profile
• Advanced Multi-color Injected Laminate
• Sizes: 2.8 inch, 3.8 inch
• Package Count: 2.8 inch – 5, 3.8 inch – 6
• 12 colors
LIVETARGET LAUNCHES INTO WORMS, BRINGING ATTRACTIVE INNOVATION
ICT Worms
LIVETARGET as a leader in lure development, consistently pushes the boundaries of innovation to elevate the angling experience across a wide range of fisheries. For 2024, LIVETARGET
proudly introduces a revolutionary line of dynamic soft-plastic worms. These expertly crafted worms provide the perfect shape, balance, and adaptable hook placement modern fishermen needed to entice and deceive wary bass. While their shapes may seem familiar, these worms stand out due to a groundbreaking blend of softness, durability, buoyancy, and action, achieved through meticulous engineering and cutting-edge materials science.
Employing Injected Core Technology (ICT), the LIVETARGET family of worms herald a paradigm shift in traditional soft plastic lure design. This advanced technology integrates a unique injection laminate process enhancing the inner core with intricate, multi-colored metallic layers encapsulated within a translucent, durable exoskeleton. The three-dimensional effect generated by ICT allows light to refract throughout the entire lure, significantly enhancing its lifelike appearance underwater. Utilizing different densities of salt and PVC material in the inner core and exoskeleton ensure that the lures remain soft yet durable, providing an optimized sink rate that is highly effective for various finesse techniques.
Stick Worm
The Stick Worm, the softest of LIVETARGET’s newest worm profiles, is designed to excel in various fishing techniques. The 5- and 6-inch versions are ideal for Texas, or wacky rigging, featuring a reduced salt content in the inner core to achieve a slow to medium sink rate. This slower descent keeps the bait in the strike zone longer. Its ribbed body and cylindrical shape taper sharply to the tail, providing a distinctive shimmy on slack line, setting it apart from traditional fast-sinking stick worms.
For NED rigging enthusiasts, the 3- and 4-inch Stick Worms stand perfectly upright and exhibit a pronounced quiver in the tail, thanks to their saltless composition which enhances buoyancy.
When paired with a mushroom or ball head, these worms display an enticing shaking, dragging, or hopping motion. The LIVETARGET Stick Worm is available in eight distinct color variations and four size options, sold unrigged with a MSRP of $6.99, 8 -10 per pack.
Straight Tail Worm
The Straight Tail Worm, distinguished by its slender head and tapered body that narrows before expanding into a bulbous tail, offers exceptional action and stands as the stiffest among
LIVETARGET’s new worm profiles. Available in three sizes—4.5 inches, 5.5 inches, and 6.5 inches—this modern straight tail worm showcases remarkable versatility. When rigged Texas-style with a Mustad AlphaPoint Tak-Offset hook, it proves effective in heavy cover and also excels in targeting fish near the bottom or mid-water column with shaky head or drop shot rigs. The worm’s elongated shape responds dynamically to minimal rod tip movements, enhancing hook penetration and reducing the likelihood of missed fish due to its slim profile.
Unlike many soft plastic worms heavily impregnated with salt, which compromises durability, the Straight Tail Worm excludes salt completely. This design achieves a slow to medium sink rate while maintaining a soft and durable exoskeleton. The LIVETARGET Straight Tail Worm is available in eight vibrant, fade-resistant colors and three sizes, sold unrigged with an MSRP of $6.99 for a 10-pack.
Finesse Worm
The Finesse Worm stands out with its thicker body, gradually tapering from head to tail like a baseball bat. This design adds subtle bulk to the traditional finesse profile. Through strategic manipulation of hook placement and weight distribution, the presentation of this bait undergoes significant transformation. When rigged weightless on a Texas rig with a Mustad AlphaPoint Tak-Offset hook, the Finesse Worm excels in surface presentations, offering stealth and mobility. Adding a bullet weight allows for presentations along the bottom and through dense cover. Drop shotting also proves highly effective, as the angler’s subtle manipulation of the weight produces an enticing action that appeals to wary bass in clear water or pressured fisheries.
Unlike many soft plastic worms heavily laden with salt, which can compromise durability, the Finesse Worm features none at all. This unique composition results in a slow to medium sink rate while maintaining a soft yet durable texture. The LIVETARGET Finesse Worm is available in eight fade-resistant colors—four classics and four innovative options—and three sizes. They are sold unrigged in packs of ten, with a suggested retail price of $6.99.
LIVETARGET LEANS INTO ICT FOR NEW SUNFISH SWIMBAIT
The bond between bass and bedding panfish is one deeply ingrained in the angler’s lexicon. This timeless predator-prey interaction undergoes a transformative redefinition courtesy of the all-new LIVETARGET Sunfish, which pioneers innovative lure development by seamlessly melding unparalleled realism with exceptional functionality.
The LIVETARGET Sunfish introduces a paradigm shift in traditional swimbait design through its utilization of state-of-the-art Injected Core Technology (ICT). This cutting-edge approach integrates lifelike anatomical features—comprising realistic eyes, precisely sculpted scales, fins, lateral line, and body profile—within a dynamic inner core. Employing an advanced injection laminate process, ICT enriches the inner core with intricate, multi-colored metallic layers ensconced within a clear, robust exoskeleton. The three-dimensional effect generated by ICT allows light to refract throughout the entire lure, significantly enhancing its lifelike appearance underwater.
The combination of a richly detailed inner core and a translucent outer layer ensures that the LIVETARGET Sunfish not only achieves exceptional realism but also maintains superior functionality. ICT guarantees that the lure delivers unmatched action in the water, attracting big bass with its size, natural appearance and movement.
Available in three sizes—3.3 inch, 3.8 inch, 4.3 inch—the LIVETARGET Sunfish offers unparalleled versatility in depth, speed control, and fishability. Though it’s not a giant swimbait, this soft plastic is definitely a big fish pattern. While it excels at covering open water, it is particularly adept at dissecting areas believed to hold big fish. Central to its superior action is the unique oscillator tail, molded from a transparent exoskeleton. This design imparts a fluid side-to-side swimming motion and rhythmic tail beat without compromising the lure’s natural appearance. Encased in this transparent shell, the inner core perfectly mimics a pesky panfish, ensuring that bass focus on the authentic profile of the bait rather than the action-enerating oscillator tail.
Rigging the LIVETARGET Sunfish is both straightforward and efficient, thanks to features such as a split belly and dorsal fin, which allow for effortless hook concealment and optimal penetration upon a strike. The hook slot on the back facilitates a weedless presentation, enabling anglers to skip the lure under docks, overhangs, and laydowns with minimal snagging risk.
Thoughtful design initiatives accommodate various rigging options, including a jighead or twist-lock extra wide gap worm hook, which virtually disappear within the body cavity, ensuring both secure attachment and optimal presentation.
With its combination of ICT inner core and exoskeleton the LIVETARGET Sunfish is both soft and durable, capable of withstanding repeated catches without tearing or losing its vibrant coloration. Available in eight colors and three sizes to perfectly match the bluegill, sunfish and other small panfish that bass love to eat, this swimbait boasts unmatched realism and is best paired with a jighead or 6/0 – 10/0 AlphaPoint Assault Wide Gap hook. Sold unrigged with a MSRP of $9. 99 .
Sunfish Features
• Injected Core Technology
• Ultra-Realistic Profile
• Advanced Multi-color Injected Laminate
• Sizes: 3.3 inch, 3.8 inch, 4.3 inch
• Package Count: 3.3-inch – 4, 3.8-inch – 3, 4.3-inch – 2
• 8 colors
Masterclass Training: Fishing a Spinnerbait at Night
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Mullet Made for Bass
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Instant Demand Expands Range |
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Northland® Fishing Tackle adds colors and sizes to summer’s hottest hit, the Minnesota Mullet |
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BEMIDJI, Minn. (July 31, 2024) – Hair jigs have been a bass secret for years, with some companies even offering their own commercial versions of what top-finishers secretly tie on when it’s time for a kicker fish. The problem? Most largemouth-intended bass hair jigs are too stiff, with more feathers than fluff. Northland took the opposite approach, creating a jig that has all the best attributes of a tiny marabou jig for rod-whipping giant bronzebacks (which Northland also makes) and combined it with a classic bucktail hair jig design. Yes, the new Northland Minnesota Mullet has loft – and lots of it, for fishing everything from shallow water, over summer weed tops, to open water where largemouths go crazy eating young-of-the-year and even larger panfish. The Minnesota Mullet is a big, flowing, hovering, water pushing machine. The big hair features a synthetic fiber material that creates a breathing, lifelike appearance in the water while also providing flotation to the jig. This will allow you to hover the bait over flats, weed beds, and suspended fish while pulsing the hair, and its tantalizing back feathers tease big bass and other predator fish to absolutely annihilate the bait. |
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SEXY SHAD |
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BLACK |
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PURPLE SHAD |
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SHAD |
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And shortly after the release of the Minnesota Mullet, Northland comes with four new patterns and sizes. “Calls came quick to add black and sexy shad,” said Northland Marketing Manager, Charlie Peterson. Sexy shad is simply a bass staple, its blue-based rainbow hues blended with white. Black is increasingly popular, too, its natural silhouette intriguing to bass. Moreover, black is a frequent choice for anglers fishing in murky water and during lowlight periods, even nighttime hours. Purple has become one of the hottest hues in bass fishing, spawning Northland’s new Minnesota Mullet in Purple Shad. Finally, Northland added Smelt to the collection. The naturalistic pattern mimics numbers of different baitfish species. New sizes include 3/8- and 5/8-ounce Minnesota Mullets. “The new 3/8-ounce size will be hugely effective in shallow water, depths under 5-feet,” said Peterson. “Likewise, the heavier 5/8-ounce size makes the Minnesota Mullet effective down to 20-feet or more.” Northland lure designer, Sam Larsen, offers: “Most of the best fish-catching baits are simple in design. We took that direction with the Minnesota Mullet, which is made of three materials on a premium Northland Elite Series Mimic Jighead with 60-degree upward hook-bend and heavy wire for solid hooksets. We utilized a unique, synthetic fiber with a lot of loft, buoyancy, and flow; a couple chicken feathers off the back that undulate like a trailer; and just the right amount of tinsel. Then you have the thread tied farther back on the jig hook shank so it’s really streamlined.” “Especially in the upper Midwest, tournament bass anglers are going to town fishing big hair jigs for bigger bass. We knew we could create a better jig to use in the same manner in-the-know anglers have been doing for the past several years. There’s really nothing like it, especially given that we added an entire extra step to the jig production process by applying vertical lines to the material to give it an even greater forage-matching appeal. These baits look like the real thing that big bass eat,” continues Larsen. “There is no other bass hair jig that hangs, pauses, breathes, and sheds water so easily, while remaining easy to fish. It gives the right suspending action while having a lot of material to push water—notify big bass of its presence—and really stimulate their lateral lines.” |
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ABOUT THE NORTHLAND MINNESOTA MULLET Born in the state of hockey, the Minnesota Mullet is a big, flowing, hovering, water pushing machine. This big hair jig features a synthetic fiber material that creates a breathing, lifelike appearance in the water while also providing flotation to the jig. This will allow you to hover the bait over flats, weed beds and suspended fish while pulsing the hair, and its tantalizing back feather that teases big bass and other predator fish to absolutely swallow it! Currently available in ½- and ¾ ounce with other weights to follow soon. Right now, there are four forage-mimicking colors include Perch, Crappie, White, and Green Bluegill, with a bunch of additional patterns coming down the pipeline. MSRP: $14.99. “In my opinion, the Northland Minnesota Mullet is a lot more than a midsummer, open water bait,” says winning bass pro, Noah Schultz. “I’ve been fishing ‘em since ice-out throughout the Midwest—everywhere from a foot of water out, through old reeds and cattails, and obviously, out deeper through weed flats and weed edges now. And, of course, it will come into play in open water when those fish move out. Right now, I’m fishing them around bluegill beds during the spawn, and then I’ll be fishing them over coontail and through cattails.” |
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WHITE |
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CRAPPIE |
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PERCH |
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GREEN BLUEGILL |
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“The way I fish them primarily I call ‘floating’ – I just straight-retrieve the Minnesota Mullet over the weed tips and if I feel a weed tick, rip it a little bit,” adds Schultz. As far as rock and deeper water, he’ll let the jig drop to the bottom and then swim along the bottom, occasionally twitching it to get hairs moving. “Its success comes from its subtlety and how the Minnesota Mullet breathes, floats, and hovers in the water unlike a lot of bass hair jigs. Then you add the Elite Series Mimic Jig, and it stays level in the water column and the pointed nose gets through the grass like a rubber swim jig.” Schultz has caught lots of tournament bass on it recently – including some top 2 and 3 finishes. “It’s a good kicker bait. The MN Mullet generates some big fish bites when you need ‘em most.” |
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Right bites produce early lead at Bassmaster High School National Championship
Aug. 1, 2024
DAYTON, Tenn. — It doesn’t get much better than fishing the Bassmaster Classic. But 2024 Classic competitor Aaron Yavorsky and his partner Trevor Allen find themselves on top of the biggest stage of youth bass fishing after Day 1 of the Strike King Bassmaster High School National Championship presented by Bill Dance Signature Lakes at Chickamauga Lake.
The Hendry County High School Bassmasters team landed a three-bass limit weighing 17 pounds, 8 ounces, anchoring their bag with a 7-15 largemouth. They hold a 13-ounce advantage over fellow Floridians Drew Fleener and Hunter Prough from the Chipley Bassmasters.
“We only got four or five bites all day, but they were the right ones,” said Yavorsky, who won the 2023 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Team Championship at the Harris Chain. “After the Classic, I’ve felt like I wanted to do this for a living. So, I’ve been trying to get better and better. I’ve been to this tournament all four years of my high school career, and this is the tournament I really want to win. It is what we fish the high school program for. Coming here and doing well the first day is definitely something different.”
While fog delayed the start of the event, many teams enjoyed a productive day of fishing as 130 teams caught three-bass limits in the August heat and more than 1,470 pounds of bass hit the scales. The heat will stick around on Day 2 with an increased chance of showers and thunderstorms.
Last year at Lake Hartwell, Yavorsky missed the final-day cut by just a couple of ounces, but he finds himself in great position to make the cut this year. Not only is it Allen’s first time to fish Chickamauga, it is the first time he has qualified for the National Championship.
“It is a very good way to start,” he said.
The Hendry County duo focused their efforts on current-driven offshore areas. After practice, they didn’t know the exact potential of their areas, but knew the caliber of largemouth that inhabits Chickamauga Lake.
“I knew this type of bag was possible, but with how our practice went, it was kind of iffy. We thought we would have to luck into something. We did get a little lucky, I feel like, by just pulling into the right area at the right time.”
The morning started in frustrating fashion, as Yavorsky and Allen struggled to find an area without other competitors.
“It was pretty slow this morning,” Yavorsky said. “A storm came through, and it seemed like the fish started biting then.”
The duo proceeded to land the nearly 8-pounder, which Yavorsky thought was a drum by looking at it on his Garmin LiveScope.
“I saw the fish down there and was a little unsure if it was a bass just based on how it looked on the screen,” he said. “I threw in there anyway because it was the only thing that was there. I saw more come up with it and knew it was a bass then. It took a minute or two to get that one in, and that was our first good fish. It really keyed us in, and it was haywire from there.
“I think we were doing a little something different.”
From there, the duo filled out their limit quickly. There were several keys to the spot, including the presence of baitfish and hard bottom. Some of what they are fishing reminds Yavorksy of the Harris Chain of Lakes, where he won the Team Championship last December.
“We probably finished out around 10:30,” Allen said. “All of our fish came from one spot. There was a lot of grass there, and cooler water temperatures. It was about 70 degrees. We were in around 12 to 15 feet.”
Yavorsky and Allen know there are more big bass in the area, but getting them to bite is a different story. Yavorsky said it’s just a matter of timing.
“Getting them to bite is the key thing,” he said. “We are just going to have to sit there until a bite window opens or run around and find something else.”
Hailing from the Lake Seminole region of Florida, Fleener and Prough knew they would be able to catch bass but weren’t sure how many big bass would show up on Day 1. Luckily, they caught three of the right size to land in second after one day of competition. Their Lake Seminole tactics have helped them narrow down a pattern.
“It is pretty similar; we like it,” Prough said. “It is definitely stuff we are used to.”
Fleener and Prough opened the morning with several smaller catches before landing a 4-pounder, bolstering their bag.
“That gave us a booster,” Prough said. “We caught some more small ones, and we were kind of on the nervous side.”
The duo then moved out to deeper water where Prough landed a 7-pounder. After another lull, they moved to another deep area and landed a 5-pounder at around 9 a.m. Prough added they lost several more bass that would have increased their daily total, so they will employ the same strategy on Day 2.
The Triangle Bass Club team of Colton Hackney and Levi Stanley caught 16-3 to finish the day in third place. The North Carolina anglers — Hackney from the Chowan River area and Stanley from the Raleigh area — also landed the Big Bass of the Day, an 8-11 lunker largemouth.
Three different areas produced fish for Stanley and Prough. Stanley said they have been using forward-facing sonar to find areas that are holding bass. Once they find them, however, they don’t target individual bass.
“At one point we just turned our electronics completely off,” Stanley said. “We at least know the bass are there.”
The morning started relatively well, as Stanley landed a 5-pounder and a 2-pounder as well as some smaller bass that did not make the team. After the morning flurry, the bite slowed down tremendously until the afternoon when Hackney hooked into the nearly 9-pound largemouth, his new personal best, with 15 minutes to go before check-in time.
“I thought I was hung up, and then what I was hung up on started moving and shaking around,” Hackney said. “I just held on for dear life.”
The full field of 272 teams will launch from Lakeshore Drive Boat Launch beginning at 6:30 a.m. ET and will return for weigh-in starting at 2:30 p.m. The field will be cut to the Top 12 teams following the Day 2 weigh-in.
The City of Dayton is hosting the event.
About B.A.S.S.B.A.S.S., which encompasses the Bassmaster tournament leagues, events and media platforms, is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting-edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 500,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), TV show, radio show, social media programs and events. For more than 50 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.
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Connect with #Bassmaster on Facebook, Instagram, Twitte
Media Contact: Chad Gay, Communications Manager, 205-313-0945, cgay@bassmaster.
2024 High School Championship at Lake Chickamauga 8/1-8/3
Chickamauga Lake, Dayton TN.
(BOATER) Standings Day 1
Angler Club/School Pts
1. Trevor Allen - Aaron Yavorsky Hendry County High School Bassma 0
Day 1: 3 17-08 Total: 3 17-08
2. Drew Fleener - Hunter Prough Chipley Bassmasters 0
Day 1: 3 16-11 Total: 3 16-11
3. Levi Stanley - Colton Hackney Triangle Bass Club 0
Day 1: 3 16-03 Total: 3 16-03
4. Fisher Anaya - Brewer High School - AL 0
Day 1: 3 15-12 Total: 3 15-12
5. Logan Allen - Stone Grove Creekwood Hs Redhawks Fishing 0
Day 1: 3 14-13 Total: 3 14-13
6. Ragyn Mohney - Hunter Daniels Okeechobee Brahmans 0
Day 1: 3 13-12 Total: 3 13-12
7. Kieran Stephenson - Grady Stanley Triangle Bass Club 0
Day 1: 3 13-10 Total: 3 13-10
8. Jack Swihart - Rylan Hamlin Jackson High School Bass Fishing 0
Day 1: 3 13-04 Total: 3 13-04
9. Carter Hazlett - Christian Ferguson Siegel High School 0
Day 1: 3 13-03 Total: 3 13-03
10. Brody Ault - Dakota Van Weelden Frontier Falcons 0
Day 1: 2 12-14 Total: 2 12-14
11. Thomas Newman - Frederick County Hs Bass Wrangle 0
Day 1: 3 12-11 Total: 3 12-11
12. Landon Rollison - Tanner Bass Dixie Co Bass Masters High Schoo 0
Day 1: 3 12-08 Total: 3 12-08
13. Zach Knight - Luke Malik Gallatin High School 0
Day 1: 3 11-15 Total: 3 11-15
14. Presley Lannom - Trevor Sanford Mt. Juliet High School - TN 0
Day 1: 3 11-14 Total: 3 11-14
15. Eli Herring - Hunter Lee Greene County Bassmasters 0
Day 1: 3 11-11 Total: 3 11-11
16. Kade Ellender - Caden Doucet Sulphur Fishing Team - Sulphur H 0
Day 1: 3 11-05 Total: 3 11-05
16. Bennett Mcbride - Gavin Robinson Flower Mound Hawgsticker Bass Te 0
Day 1: 3 11-05 Total: 3 11-05
18. Logan Brown - Caleb Southerly Lake Anna Elite Anglers 0
Day 1: 3 11-04 Total: 3 11-04
19. Hunter Travis - Jameson Norris Baldwin County High School 0
Day 1: 3 11-00 Total: 3 11-00
20. Brise Hazelton - Caden Alexander Huntington High School 0
Day 1: 3 10-14 Total: 3 10-14
21. Jacob Clayton - Hogan Benson Chesnee High School - SC 0
Day 1: 3 10-13 Total: 3 10-13
21. Zach Widelski - Ty Nielsen Wheaton North Bass Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 3 10-13 Total: 3 10-13
23. Cody Carboni - William Reynolds Live Oak High School Fishing Tea 0
Day 1: 3 10-12 Total: 3 10-12
24. Caden Williamson - Braden Norton Vidor Pirate Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 3 10-11 Total: 3 10-11
24. Andrew Worrall - Covington Catholic 0
Day 1: 3 10-11 Total: 3 10-11
26. Wyatt Richards - Colby Goforth Pickens County Bass Club 0
Day 1: 3 10-10 Total: 3 10-10
27. Jack Dowdy - Wyatt Galbraith Lowndes High School Lip Rippers 0
Day 1: 3 10-08 Total: 3 10-08
28. Jon Foster - Carter Simmons Bandys High School - NC 0
Day 1: 3 09-13 Total: 3 09-13
29. Coleman Stewart - Keenan Stewart Boyle County High School 0
Day 1: 3 09-12 Total: 3 09-12
30. Nate Helmreich - Luke Farminer Freeland Bass Fishing 0
Day 1: 3 09-09 Total: 3 09-09
30. Travis Meche - Chance Watson Rayne High Bass Club 0
Day 1: 3 09-09 Total: 3 09-09
30. Owen Ray - Turner Tharpe Rhea County Eagle Anglers 0
Day 1: 3 09-09 Total: 3 09-09
30. Kaleb Winstead - Zack Hudgens Scotts Hill High School Anlgers 0
Day 1: 3 09-09 Total: 3 09-09
34. Colton Caskey - Brayden Pearah Riverdale Bassmasters 0
Day 1: 3 09-06 Total: 3 09-06
34. Colton Hembree - Tyson Browning Madison Southern 0
Day 1: 3 09-06 Total: 3 09-06
36. Hudson Windham - Matthew Hughes Capital City High School Bass Hu 0
Day 1: 3 09-05 Total: 3 09-05
37. Caleb Bartling - Toby Anderson Western Pa Student Bass Stalkers 0
Day 1: 3 09-03 Total: 3 09-03
37. Carson Falk - Trey Blackmon III Capital City High School Bass Hu 0
Day 1: 3 09-03 Total: 3 09-03
37. Dylan Mladick - Cooper Springsteel Team Arizona 0
Day 1: 3 09-03 Total: 3 09-03
40. Michael Markham - Carter Davidson Tallassee High School - AL 0
Day 1: 3 09-02 Total: 3 09-02
40. Bryce Mcdonald - Ethan Elliott Paintsville High School 0
Day 1: 3 09-02 Total: 3 09-02
42. Dawson Barnett - Jackson Padgett Benjamin Russell Anglers 0
Day 1: 3 09-01 Total: 3 09-01
42. Lake Johnson - Beau England Alabama Bass Academy - AL 0
Day 1: 3 09-01 Total: 3 09-01
42. Connor Miller - Caleb Miller Hukeone - Home School 0
Day 1: 3 09-01 Total: 3 09-01
45. Michael Royals - Lane Mueller Mid-Carolina High School Bass Ma 0
Day 1: 3 09-01 Total: 3 09-01
46. Clayburn Reed - Parker Creech Central Florida Youth Anglers - 0
Day 1: 3 09-00 Total: 3 09-00
47. Brason Mack - Peyton Shields Team Arizona 0
Day 1: 3 08-15 Total: 3 08-15
48. Hayden Barnett - Camdyn Cranfill Kingston Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 3 08-14 Total: 3 08-14
49. Gray Hardy - Lawson Gamble Headland High School 0
Day 1: 3 08-13 Total: 3 08-13
49. Mitchell Robinson - Cody Abbott Byrnes High School Fishing Club 0
Day 1: 3 08-13 Total: 3 08-13
51. Aiden Behuniak - Wesley Perreault Ct Bass Thunder 0
Day 1: 3 08-12 Total: 3 08-12
51. Hayden Buchanan - Barrett Choquette Headland Bass Team 0
Day 1: 3 08-12 Total: 3 08-12
51. Jordan Werner - Markus Avalos Nevada Bass Anglers 0
Day 1: 3 08-12 Total: 3 08-12
54. Colby Kessinger - Club Florida High School Bassmas 0
Day 1: 3 08-11 Total: 3 08-11
54. Joe Vaulton - Walker LaRue Alcoa Fishing Team High School 0
Day 1: 3 08-11 Total: 3 08-11
56. Justin McGee - Sadie Wallace Bibb County 0
Day 1: 3 08-10 Total: 3 08-10
56. Nathan Moroney - Brandon Smith Rocky Mtn Bass Anglers 0
Day 1: 3 08-10 Total: 3 08-10
58. Alex Tyler - Briley West Mckeel High School Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 3 08-09 Total: 3 08-09
59. Clay Bales - Cash Bales South Laurel High School 0
Day 1: 3 08-08 Total: 3 08-08
60. Colten Dickerson - Gabe Aldrich Zeeland Fishhawx 0
Day 1: 3 08-07 Total: 3 08-07
61. Easton Drennon - Cole Petroff Mt Juliet Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 3 08-06 Total: 3 08-06
62. Nick Siebert - Brantson Komnick Olympia Anglers 0
Day 1: 2 08-06 Total: 2 08-06
63. Paul Baker - Ct Bass Thunder 0
Day 1: 3 08-05 Total: 3 08-05
63. Ethan Castle - Adam Mcdougal Whitwell Hs Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 3 08-05 Total: 3 08-05
65. Ben Tesch - Parker Sommers Bw Bassers 0
Day 1: 2 08-04 Total: 2 08-04
66. Jackson Edenfield - Hunter Harris Chiles High School Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 3 08-01 Total: 3 08-01
66. Bryson Gurley - Ethan Evatt Palmetto High Bass Fishing 0
Day 1: 3 08-01 Total: 3 08-01
68. Owen Satterwhite - James Pinson Ldhs Anglers 0
Day 1: 3 07-14 Total: 3 07-14
69. Wyatt Drawdy - Cole Drawdy Plant City Bassmasters 0
Day 1: 3 07-13 Total: 3 07-13
69. Hunter Hightower - Jake Bennett Brookeland Isd Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 3 07-13 Total: 3 07-13
71. William Alsip - Isaac Alsip South Laurel High School 0
Day 1: 3 07-12 Total: 3 07-12
71. Kaden Casey - Collin French Montgomery County High School Ba 0
Day 1: 3 07-12 Total: 3 07-12
71. Chase Logue - Carter Logue Argenta Oreana High School - IL 0
Day 1: 3 07-12 Total: 3 07-12
74. Mason Mullins - Caden Graham Soddy Daisy High School 0
Day 1: 3 07-10 Total: 3 07-10
75. Holt Owens - Wyatt Shirran Midway High School - TN 0
Day 1: 3 07-09 Total: 3 07-09
75. Mason Taylor - Wesley Kent Dekalb Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 3 07-09 Total: 3 07-09
77. Cooper Rouse - Ryker Reed D'iberville Hs Warrior Bass Nati 0
Day 1: 3 07-08 Total: 3 07-08
78. Donnie Hoskins - Blayden Mann Indian Creek Bass Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 3 07-08 Total: 3 07-08
78. Landon Myers - Bryson Bailey Alcoa Fishing Team High School 0
Day 1: 3 07-08 Total: 3 07-08
80. Hunter Owens - Clayton Kelley Karns High School 0
Day 1: 3 07-07 Total: 3 07-07
81. Parker Batts - Brody Jones Jefferson County Patriot Anglers 0
Day 1: 3 07-06 Total: 3 07-06
81. Ridge Faircloth - Chaff Foran Liberty County Anglers 0
Day 1: 3 07-06 Total: 3 07-06
83. Noah Varitek - Aiden Pihaylic A1 Anglers - MI 0
Day 1: 3 07-05 Total: 3 07-05
84. Alec Hummel - Conner McClellan Southeastern Bass Anglers 0
Day 1: 3 07-04 Total: 3 07-04
84. Luke Stewart - Micah Osborne Clay County Panthers 0
Day 1: 3 07-04 Total: 3 07-04
86. Nick Noyes - Tim Raducka Plainfield South High School - I 0
Day 1: 2 07-04 Total: 2 07-04
87. Blake Marcum - Reece Hughes Louisa Bass Club High School 0
Day 1: 3 07-03 Total: 3 07-03
87. Destin Morales - Livingston Parish Bassmasters 0
Day 1: 3 07-03 Total: 3 07-03
89. Aiden Levis - Cullen Herron Barge Canal Bassmasters 0
Day 1: 3 07-02 Total: 3 07-02
90. Justin Blais - Chance Babb Glenmora High School 0
Day 1: 2 07-02 Total: 2 07-02
91. Aiden Hamblin - Austin Brown Pilot Point Bearcats Bass Team 0
Day 1: 3 07-01 Total: 3 07-01
92. Elliott Ward - Olivia Mauldin Grace Christian Academy Rams 0
Day 1: 3 07-00 Total: 3 07-00
92. Pate Willis - Ryan Moore Ark-La-Tex Bassmaster High Schoo 0
Day 1: 3 07-00 Total: 3 07-00
94. Riley Durdel - Landon Titus Neoga High School 0
Day 1: 3 07-00 Total: 3 07-00
95. Grace Olsen - Cole Hampson Gardner S Wilmington High School 0
Day 1: 3 06-15 Total: 3 06-15
95. Roper Putnam - Jack Story Clarks Hill Hs Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 3 06-15 Total: 3 06-15
95. Logan Welch - Beau Beatty Bolivar Hs 0
Day 1: 3 06-15 Total: 3 06-15
98. Landon Gabby - Kolby Baker Marion High School Bass Fishing 0
Day 1: 3 06-14 Total: 3 06-14
98. Griffin Gaston - Rankin Williams Lee Scott Academy 0
Day 1: 3 06-14 Total: 3 06-14
98. Michael Harris - Kayden Waller Mt Juliet Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 3 06-14 Total: 3 06-14
98. Bryce Youngblood - Sulphur Fishing Team - Sulphur H 0
Day 1: 3 06-14 Total: 3 06-14
102. Landen Dale - Nate Floyd Jessamine County High School Eli 0
Day 1: 3 06-12 Total: 3 06-12
103. Taylor Hubert - Kaden Paprocki Porter High School 0
Day 1: 3 06-11 Total: 3 06-11
104. Nathan Bennett - Carter Burdette Seminole Junior Anglers 0
Day 1: 3 06-11 Total: 3 06-11
105. Boots Burleson - Brady Mikes Lovelady Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 3 06-10 Total: 3 06-10
105. Sadler Harrison - Hayes Jones Athens Anglers 0
Day 1: 3 06-10 Total: 3 06-10
105. Lane Parker - Mitchell Tew Cherokee Bass Team 0
Day 1: 3 06-10 Total: 3 06-10
105. Dylan Sorrells - Will Shepherd Hp Bass Team 0
Day 1: 3 06-10 Total: 3 06-10
109. Deaton Leblanc - Christian Goins Denham Springs High School - LA 0
Day 1: 3 06-08 Total: 3 06-08
110. Blane Holcombe - Gibson Huntley Chapman High School 0
Day 1: 3 06-07 Total: 3 06-07
110. Drew Turnbull - Thomas Turnbull Evangel Christian School 0
Day 1: 3 06-07 Total: 3 06-07
110. Nathan Uldrych - Adrius Stankus Carl Sandburg Eagels Bass Fishin 0
Day 1: 3 06-07 Total: 3 06-07
113. Cole Martin - Cole Mcneely Lakeside Rams Bass Club 0
Day 1: 3 06-07 Total: 3 06-07
114. Austin Hayes - Traydun Freeze Roco Anglers 0
Day 1: 3 06-05 Total: 3 06-05
114. Jay Haynes - Landon Haynes Marion County High School - FL 0
Day 1: 3 06-05 Total: 3 06-05
116. Bret Cavanaugh - Alexander Bielfeldt Reed Custer Casting Comets 0
Day 1: 3 06-04 Total: 3 06-04
116. Jase Sparks - Tripp Parks III Clarks Hill Hs Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 3 06-04 Total: 3 06-04
118. Evan Goering - Brayden Henry Buhler High School Crusaders 0
Day 1: 2 06-04 Total: 2 06-04
119. Grayson Goss - Wally Wolcott Lakeside Rams Bass Club 0
Day 1: 3 06-03 Total: 3 06-03
119. Ely Hagans - Cole Pennington Greenbrier Panthers 0
Day 1: 3 06-03 Total: 3 06-03
119. Rex Reagan - Max Moody Pickett County High School Fishi 0
Day 1: 3 06-03 Total: 3 06-03
119. Walker Woodall - John Klanchar Trader Bills 0
Day 1: 3 06-03 Total: 3 06-03
123. James Mitchell - Brody Mitchell Grissom Hs Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 3 06-02 Total: 3 06-02
124. Brody Musser - Gavin Lytton Swva Bassin 0
Day 1: 1 06-02 Total: 1 06-02
125. Carter Cunningham - Landon Glander Dawson County High Fishing Club 0
Day 1: 3 05-15 Total: 3 05-15
126. Tanner Wolf - Eddie Hook Club Florida High School Bassmas 0
Day 1: 2 05-14 Total: 2 05-14
127. Colin Wise - Emmitt Grubbs Boyle County High School 0
Day 1: 3 05-13 Total: 3 05-13
128. Cole Russell - Jackson Bennett Anderson County Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 3 05-12 Total: 3 05-12
129. Dylan Holcomb - Grayson Faircloth Liberty County Anglers 0
Day 1: 1 05-11 Total: 1 05-11
130. Jacob Berryhill - Isaac Chandler Rogersville Warriors High School 0
Day 1: 3 05-09 Total: 3 05-09
130. Easton Morrow - RJ Sanger IV Lcs Viking Anglers 0
Day 1: 3 05-09 Total: 3 05-09
130. Boone Stewart - Hendry County High School - FL 0
Day 1: 3 05-09 Total: 3 05-09
133. Landon Pierce - Korbin Neat Casey County High School 0
Day 1: 2 05-09 Total: 2 05-09
134. Nolan Gray - Rhyder Short Hamblen County Anglers 0
Day 1: 3 05-08 Total: 3 05-08
135. Evan Smith - Garret Demery Farmington High School 0
Day 1: 3 05-07 Total: 3 05-07
136. Jake Gluszek - Maxsim Hughen Nj Hs Club 0
Day 1: 2 05-07 Total: 2 05-07
137. Colton King - Sawyer King Stephenville Bass Busters 0
Day 1: 3 05-05 Total: 3 05-05
138. Garrett Hooker - Samuel Rachal Oak Hill Bass Club 0
Day 1: 2 05-05 Total: 2 05-05
139. Luke Collins - Laken Hudnall Hardin High School 0
Day 1: 3 05-04 Total: 3 05-04
139. James Sumrell - Hixson Bass Team 0
Day 1: 3 05-04 Total: 3 05-04
141. Ty Trentham - Chase McCarter Sevier County High School 0
Day 1: 2 05-04 Total: 2 05-04
142. Hunter Bolt - Zander Morton Hctc Hs Fishing 0
Day 1: 2 05-02 Total: 2 05-02
143. Hayes Finch - James Lamberth Aca Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 2 05-00 Total: 2 05-00
144. Gavin Seewald - Tate Turner Hoover High School 0
Day 1: 1 04-14 Total: 1 04-14
145. Brody Cochran - Cole Joy Southside Bass Commanders 0
Day 1: 3 04-13 Total: 3 04-13
146. Bennett Fontenot - Braxton Speyrer Port Barre High School - LA 0
Day 1: 2 04-13 Total: 2 04-13
147. Bradford Vandemark - Elias Hitson Eagleville Fishing Club 0
Day 1: 2 04-12 Total: 2 04-12
148. Tyler Boston - Devin Gonzalez Columbia High School - FL 0
Day 1: 2 04-11 Total: 2 04-11
149. Brayson Claunch - Boyle County High School 0
Day 1: 2 04-11 Total: 2 04-11
150. Zack Ramsey - Brayden Padgett Mcdowell High School Bass Fishin 0
Day 1: 2 04-10 Total: 2 04-10
151. Jay Delk - Little Cypress Mauriceville Hs 0
Day 1: 2 04-09 Total: 2 04-09
151. Cody Keith - Mc Stewart Oak Grove High School Bass Club 0
Day 1: 2 04-09 Total: 2 04-09
153. Jackie Hatfield - Graham Willis Alcoa Fishing Team - TN 0
Day 1: 2 04-07 Total: 2 04-07
154. Tayson Hathorn - Tristin Hathorn Arkansas Youth Anglers 0
Day 1: 2 04-06 Total: 2 04-06
154. Cole Richerson - Kayden Bickett Taylor County Cardinals 0
Day 1: 2 04-06 Total: 2 04-06
154. Carson Tithof - Maverick Hardebeck Grand Haven High School 0
Day 1: 2 04-06 Total: 2 04-06
157. Nick Claussen - Hagen Keen Central Florida Youth Anglers 0
Day 1: 2 04-05 Total: 2 04-05
158. Waylin Hardison - Jax Poole Jackson County Homeschool 0
Day 1: 2 04-04 Total: 2 04-04
158. Carter Pjesky - JD McBroom Off The Hook High School Bassmas 0
Day 1: 2 04-04 Total: 2 04-04
160. Dannon Garber - Colton Wiles Mecklenburg High School Anglers 0
Day 1: 2 04-03 Total: 2 04-03
160. Dyson Weaver - Hayden Davidson Creek Wood Red Hawks 0
Day 1: 2 04-03 Total: 2 04-03
162. Elijah Coleman - Will Dombroskas Montgomery County High School Ba 0
Day 1: 1 04-03 Total: 1 04-03
163. Blake Loida - Landon Hogan Mahtomedi High School 0
Day 1: 2 04-02 Total: 2 04-02
164. Collin Tate - William Guidry Rayne High Bass Club 0
Day 1: 1 04-00 Total: 1 04-00
165. Dominick Andux - Peyton Faber Tampa Bay Junior Bass Club - FL 0
Day 1: 2 03-13 Total: 2 03-13
165. Tyler Covington - Brantley Tate Walker High School 0
Day 1: 2 03-13 Total: 2 03-13
167. Nevan Osburn - Atticus Bandy Brock High Bassmasters 0
Day 1: 1 03-13 Total: 1 03-13
168. Davis Barnett - Jackson Fuller 0
Day 1: 2 03-12 Total: 2 03-12
168. Brady Horton - Rhett Horton Greenbrier Panthers 0
Day 1: 2 03-12 Total: 2 03-12
168. Hunter Mize - Jace Anderson Little River Bass Bandits - AR 0
Day 1: 2 03-12 Total: 2 03-12
171. Tanner Seabolt - Finn Taylor Okeechobee Brahmans 0
Day 1: 2 03-11 Total: 2 03-11
172. Hunter Sanders - Zane Cobb Trader Bills 0
Day 1: 1 03-11 Total: 1 03-11
172. Fischer Sickafoose - Austin Tolbert 0
Day 1: 1 03-11 Total: 1 03-11
174. Mason George - Jayson Roden Albertville High School 0
Day 1: 2 03-10 Total: 2 03-10
175. Nick Kavanagh - Jacob Metz Chisago Lakes High School 0
Day 1: 2 03-09 Total: 2 03-09
175. Tucker McCoy - Ethan Hopkins Mortimer Jordan Hs Bass Club 0
Day 1: 2 03-09 Total: 2 03-09
177. Hoyt Gull - Brooks Clevenger 0
Day 1: 2 03-07 Total: 2 03-07
177. Trevor Kilbern - Aaron Zakrie 0
Day 1: 2 03-07 Total: 2 03-07
177. Finn Norsworthy - Park Place Christian Academy - M 0
Day 1: 2 03-07 Total: 2 03-07
180. Joseph Dejean - Matthew Arceneaux West Feliciana Bass Club Inc 0
Day 1: 1 03-07 Total: 1 03-07
181. Kyler Smith - Tripp Pitts Pendleton Bass Fanactics 0
Day 1: 1 03-06 Total: 1 03-06
182. Brody Brinson - Greer Gammon Mt Juliet Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 2 03-05 Total: 2 03-05
182. Tucker Kenney - Reed Heutz Mebass High School 0
Day 1: 2 03-05 Total: 2 03-05
184. Nick Herrman - Kyle Herrman Capital City High School Bass Cl 0
Day 1: 2 03-04 Total: 2 03-04
185. Ethen Gardner - Hayes Boyd Aca Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 1 03-04 Total: 1 03-04
186. Brady Talbot - Hunter King Live Oak High School Fishing Tea 0
Day 1: 2 03-03 Total: 2 03-03
187. Logan Ethington - Dylan Teater Jessamine County High School - K 0
Day 1: 1 03-03 Total: 1 03-03
188. Logan Parker - Hudson Howell Cherokee Bass Team 0
Day 1: 2 03-02 Total: 2 03-02
189. Jenkins Andrews - Ben Sanders Laurence Manning Academy 0
Day 1: 1 03-02 Total: 1 03-02
190. Barrett Newton - Brayden Huddleston Upperman High School 0
Day 1: 2 03-01 Total: 2 03-01
191. Connor Racine - Cole Racine Dexter High School Fishing Club 0
Day 1: 1 03-01 Total: 1 03-01
192. Nolan Holloway - Jackson Fanning Morgan County Bass Club 0
Day 1: 1 03-00 Total: 1 03-00
192. Porter Morrison - Brayden Morgan Catholic High School Fishing 0
Day 1: 1 03-00 Total: 1 03-00
194. Evin Moore - Bridger Jones Haywood Anglers 0
Day 1: 3 02-14 Total: 3 02-14
195. Drake Pfeiffer - Rochester Bass Club 0
Day 1: 1 02-14 Total: 1 02-14
196. Liam Plautz - John Wall Stevenson High School Bass Fishi 0
Day 1: 1 02-12 Total: 1 02-12
197. Andrew Mailer - Kaleb Walton White Bear Lake 0
Day 1: 1 02-09 Total: 1 02-09
197. Nathan Mccoy - Matthew Carey Roco Anglers 0
Day 1: 1 02-09 Total: 1 02-09
199. Harlyn Nelson - Jake Lovingood Alcoa Fishing Team High School 0
Day 1: 1 02-08 Total: 1 02-08
199. Camden Randall - James Roop Mt Pleasant High School Bass Tea 0
Day 1: 1 02-08 Total: 1 02-08
199. Zavian Smith - Lake Cumberland High School Bass 0
Day 1: 1 02-08 Total: 1 02-08
202. Evan Mccormick - Kj Jamison Edwardsville High School 0
Day 1: 1 02-07 Total: 1 02-07
202. Jonathan Willhite - Brock Hutcheson Wild West Bassmasters 0
Day 1: 1 02-07 Total: 1 02-07
204. Karson Denton - Drake Miller Splendora High School 0
Day 1: 1 02-06 Total: 1 02-06
204. Hudson Tritch - Braydon Cullum Crowleys Ridge Christian Homesch 0
Day 1: 1 02-06 Total: 1 02-06
206. Brodie Gibson - Noah Mentz Knight Fishing Anglers 0
Day 1: 1 02-05 Total: 1 02-05
207. Troy Jamieson - Tristan Kruczek Kawartha Hs Bassmasters 0
Day 1: 1 02-04 Total: 1 02-04
207. Tripp Tamasi III - Matthew Johnson Greenbrier High School 0
Day 1: 1 02-04 Total: 1 02-04
209. Jaxon Thomas - Zaydin Wooten Ark-La-Tex Bassmaster High Schoo 0
Day 1: 1 02-03 Total: 1 02-03
210. Cade Fontenot - Jerry Rouyea St. Amant High Bass Club 0
Day 1: 1 02-02 Total: 1 02-02
210. Henry Fox - Grady Schultz Fruitport High School 0
Day 1: 1 02-02 Total: 1 02-02
212. Jackson Daugherty - James Lane Kingston High School - TN 0
Day 1: 1 02-01 Total: 1 02-01
212. Max Flatten - Sam Spies North Dakota - At Large 0
Day 1: 1 02-01 Total: 1 02-01
214. Levi Self - Carter Lee Lumpkin County Schools 0
Day 1: 1 02-00 Total: 1 02-00
214. Jacob Godwin - Eli French Magnolia Bassmasters 0
Day 1: 1 02-00 Total: 1 02-00
214. Jackson Long - Dylan Langley Olympia Anglers 0
Day 1: 1 02-00 Total: 1 02-00
214. Kaden Tomblin - Jakob Fullerton Southern Garrett Bass Slayer 0
Day 1: 1 02-00 Total: 1 02-00
214. Conner Wharton - Nicholas Farmer Lake Anna Elite Anglers 0
Day 1: 1 02-00 Total: 1 02-00
219. Gabriel Castellano - Ean Williams Sand Springs Sandites 0
Day 1: 1 01-14 Total: 1 01-14
219. Mitchell Henderson - Joseph Frierson Laurence Manning Academy SC 0
Day 1: 1 01-14 Total: 1 01-14
219. Josh Talley - Matthew Roper 0
Day 1: 1 01-14 Total: 1 01-14
222. Mason Aldridge - Gavin Harden Coal City High School 0
Day 1: 1 01-13 Total: 1 01-13
223. Jared Coates - Than Hunt Jr Mass Nation High School - Hs 0
Day 1: 1 01-12 Total: 1 01-12
223. Milam Mcillwain - Landon Lewis Creekwood Hs Redhawks Fishing 0
Day 1: 1 01-12 Total: 1 01-12
223. Cameron Prokop - Sophia Janulis Plainfield South High School - I 0
Day 1: 1 01-12 Total: 1 01-12
226. Landon Rhine - Gabe Morrow Arkansas Youth Anglers 0
Day 1: 1 01-11 Total: 1 01-11
227. Judd Byrd - Samuel Nicholas Oak Grove High School Bass Club 0
Day 1: 1 01-10 Total: 1 01-10
227. Joe Childs - Hunter Duracz Track And Channel Youth 0
Day 1: 1 01-10 Total: 1 01-10
227. Ashton Kuchar - Keaton Kuchar Eastern Nebraska Juniors 0
Day 1: 1 01-10 Total: 1 01-10
230. Ridge Hurley - Samuel Bierworth Port City Junior Bass Masters 0
Day 1: 1 01-09 Total: 1 01-09
231. Mason Wampler - Rhea County Eagle Anglers 0
Day 1: 1 01-08 Total: 1 01-08
232. Bryce Alfrey - Hayden Arvin George Rogers Clark High School 0
Day 1: 1 01-07 Total: 1 01-07
233. Kylan Mantooth - Caden Davis Coffee County High School - TN 0
Day 1: 1 01-05 Total: 1 01-05
234. Byron Ellis - Kyzer Gordon Henry County High School Anglers 0
Day 1: 1 01-03 Total: 1 01-03
235. Kael Moore - Bryce Norton Cedar Falls Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 2 00-00 Total: 2 00-00
236. DJ Aucoin - Alex Landry Assumption Mustangs Bass Club 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
236. Adam Bartlett - Ethan Hooper Aurora Central Catholic 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
236. Sarah Brekke - Troy Brown Wild West Bassmasters 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
236. Caleb Cook - Eastside Elites - MI 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
236. Connor Crawford - Brody Beam Liberty County Anglers 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
236. Ross Deters - Dawson Hoene Teutopolis High School 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
236. Dean Dieball - Blake Canelli Black Swamp High School Fishing 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
236. Luke England - Cole Rountree Baldwin County High School 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
236. Lucas Gatewood - Mason Tarlton Anson Anglers 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
236. Lainie Holbert - Sarah Swindle Riverside High School Bass Fishi 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
236. Gunnar Johnson - Reid Fragnito Hill-Murray High School 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
236. Jonah Johnson - Carson Smith Pickett County High School Fishi 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
236. Olevir Johnson - Allen Moore Oldham Co High School Bass Team 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
236. Jackson Knight - Eli Painter Bradley Central Bears 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
236. Caleb Logue - Hayden Reynolds Bainbridge High School Bass Cats 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
236. Ridge Mabile - Evan Aucoin Assumption Mustangs Bass Club 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
236. Alex Meland - Carter Michalek Eastern Iowa Jr Bassmasters 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
236. Chase Messner - Gavin O'donnell Holy Family - MN 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
236. Tanner Moulton - Peyton Sargent Upper Valley Weekend Warriors 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
236. Braun Nalder - Holdyn Higley 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
236. Oliver Neumann - Wyatt Feigum Zimmerman Thunder - MN 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
236. Bryson Osment - Lohgan Gosnell Byrnes High School Fishing Club 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
236. Nick Parrish - Chris Parrish Brunswick Academy Vikings 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
236. Joseph Phegley - Deacon Ledford North Augusta High School Fishin 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
236. Jackson Pruett - Banks Davis Chesnee High School Fishing Club 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
236. Griffin Ralph - Kaleb Snow Lakeside Rams Bass Club 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
236. Tate Reynolds - Blane Smith Russell County High School - KY 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
236. Brayden Rivest - Andrew Crawford Off the Hook Jr Bassmasters - IL 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
236. Caleb Roblin - Jordan Sibley Denham Springs High School 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
236. Aden Russelburg - Carter Nelson Cincinnati Youth Bass Club Sr 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
236. Tanner Russell - Daniel Lowhorn Mt. Juliet High School - TN 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
236. Tyler Schumacher - Alex Avery Eureka Wildcats Fishing Team - M 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
236. Austin Short - Jacob Greenwood Trhs Devildog Anglers - Traveler 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
236. Vincent Smith - Keegan Kennedy Clovis High Bassmasters 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
236. Rowan Stengel - Colin Zwolinski Minooka Anglers Club 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
236. Drew Turner - John Beasley Sand Springs Sandites 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
236. Jacob Vinson - Hunter Teichelman Anson High School Bass Fishing 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 130 544 1472-07
------------------------------
130 544 1472-07
LIVETARGET RELEASES NEW SHAD THAT SWIMS AS GOOD AS IT LOOKS
Big bass are perpetually in search of an easy meal, and a shad often fits this role perfectly. This predator-prey dynamic is a timeless pursuit that the all-new LIVETARGET Shad redefines through innovative lure development combining unmatched realism with exceptional functionality.
Employing state-of-the-art Injected Core Technology (ICT), the LIVETARGET Shad heralds a paradigm shift in traditional swimbait design. This advanced technology integrates realistic anatomical features—such as lifelike eyes, precisely sculpted scales, fins, lateral line, and body profile—into a dynamic inner core. The unique injection laminate process enhances the inner core with intricate, multi-colored metallic layers encapsulated within a clear, durable exoskeleton. The three-dimensional effect generated by ICT allows light to refract throughout the entire lure, significantly enhancing its lifelike appearance underwater.
The meticulous combination of a richly detailed inner core and a translucent outer layer ensures that the LIVETARGET Shad not only achieves exceptional realism but also maintains superior functionality. ICT guarantees that the lure delivers unmatched action in the water, attracting oversized bass with its natural appearance and movement.
Available in three sizes—4.5 inches, 5.5 inches, and 6.5 inches—the LIVETARGET Shad offers unparalleled versatility in depth, speed control, and fishability. While it excels at covering open water, it is particularly adept at dissecting areas believed to hold big fish. Central to its superior action is the unique oscillator tail, molded from a transparent exoskeleton. This design imparts a fluid side-to-side swimming motion and a complementary head wobble without compromising the lure’s natural appearance. Encased in this transparent shell, the inner core perfectly mimics a live shad, ensuring that bass focus on the authentic profile of the baitfish rather than the action-generating oscillator tail.
Rigging the LIVETARGET Shad is both straightforward and efficient, thanks to features such as a split belly and dorsal fin, which allow for effortless hook concealment and optimal penetration upon a strike. The hook slot on the back facilitates a weedless presentation, enabling anglers to skip the lure under docks, overhangs, and laydowns with minimal snagging risk. The open mouth design accommodates a twist-lock, and a keel-weighted swimbait hook fits snugly in the belly cavity, ensuring secure attachment and optimal presentation.
With its combination of ICT inner core and exoskeleton the LIVETARGET Shad is both soft and durable, capable of withstanding repeated catches without tearing or losing its vibrant coloration.
Available in eight colors and three sizes, this shad-imitating swimbait boasts unmatched realism and is best paired with a 6/0 to 12/0 Mustad AlphaPoint Infiltrator Weighted Swim Hook. Sold unrigged with a MSRP of $9. 99 .
Shad Features
• Injected Core Technology
• Ultra-Realistic Profile
• Advanced Multi-color Injected Laminate
• Sizes: 4.5 inch, 5.5 inch, 6.5 inch
• Package Count: 4.5 inch – 3, 5.5-inch – 3, 6.5-inch – 2
• 8 colors
LIVETARGET INTRODUCES THE FERRARI OF FROGS
Freestyle Frog 2.0
Many fishermen target the outskirts of dense vegetation to avoid constantly clearing hooks of weed and debris. However, the biggest bass typically hunker down in the thickest cover. Flourishing vegetation can make some bass seem unreachable, but the all-new LIVETARGET Freestyle Frog 2.0 delivers the perfect profile, buoyancy, action, and weedless rigging that
anglers need to excel in these challenging environments.
The Freestyle Frog features LIVETARGET’s Injected Core Technology (ICT), which represents a paradigm shift in soft-plastic lure development. This unique injection laminate process creates a detailed, anatomically accurate frog profile with multi-colored metallic hues encased in a translucent exoskeleton. This combination not only enhances the lure’s realism but also ensures unmatched action and durability.
Amid its lifelike profile, one of the standout features of the Freestyle Frog is its buoyancy. Unlike hollow-body frog lures that can take on water and sink after repeated casting, the
Freestyle Frog remains on the water’s surface. This natural buoyancy enhances the lure’s action at any retrieval speed, with legs that kick and stride with every twitch of the rod tip.
Though primarily designed as a topwater lure, the Freestyle Frog is extremely versatile. It combines the excitement of a surface bait with the search capabilities of a buzzbait and the weedless advantages of a Texas-rigged soft plastic. Whether you’re flipping it toward lily pads or laydowns along shorelines, skipping it under docks, or striding it across open water, the Freestyle Frog proves equally appealing to bass in various scenarios.
When targeting largemouth in close quarters, most anglers first reach for the 2- or 2.5-inch Freestyle Frog because it attracts bass of all sizes. By holding the rod tip high and slowly turning the reel handle, the frog strides effortlessly across the surface. Alternatively, you can pop and pause the Freestyle Frog, letting its lifelike legs quiver at rest while nearby bass contemplate the best angle of attack. For those strictly targeting larger fish or fishing in windy, choppy waters, the 3-inch Freestyle Frog is ideal. Its clear exoskeleton provides the advantage of a bigger bait with a smaller profile, presenting a noticeable target for bass without spooking them with an overly bulky appearance.
Equipped with a single hook in the belly, the Freestyle Frog lands upright and rests flat after each cast. Upon a strike, the one-piece hollow body compresses easily, ensuring effective hook sets not typical of traditional frog lures. The combination of the inner core and exoskeleton creates a lure that is both supple and durable, capable of withstanding repeated catches without tearing or losing its vibrant coloration.
Available in eleven colors and three sizes, the Freestyle Frog pairs best with 4/0, 5/0, or 6/0 EWG Mustad Infiltrator hooks and can also be used with a double-prong hook. Sold unrigged,
the Freestyle Frog has an MSRP of $9. 99 , making it a valuable addition to any angler’s tackle box.
Freestyle Frog 2.0 Features
• Injected Core Technology
• Ultra-Realistic Profile
• Advanced Multi-color Injected Laminate
• Sizes: 2 inch, 2.5 inch, 3 inch
• Package Count: 2 inch – 3, 2.5-inch – 3, 3-inch – 5
• 11 colors
Expect anglers to target pelagic smallmouth at Bassmaster Elite at Lake Champlain
Aug. 2, 2024
PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. — Summertime is in full swing in upstate New York, which means the Elite Series pros will have ample opportunity to catch big bags of bass during the 2024 Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite at Lake Champlain.
Tournament days are scheduled for Aug. 8-11 with daily takeoffs set for 7 a.m. ET at the Plattsburgh City Marina. Anglers will return for weigh-in beginning at 3 p.m. The full field of pros will compete the first two days before the Top 50 anglers fish on Day 3. The Top 10 anglers after the third day will compete on Championship Sunday.
Lake Champlain has become a regular stop for the Bassmaster Elite Series. Kyoya Fujita won last year’s edition with a total of 86 pounds, 12 ounces by using his forward-facing sonar to catch pelagic smallmouth.
Tackle Warehouse Elite Qualifiers division pro Zach Goutremout believes this year’s event will be won in the same fashion.
“Honestly, I think it will be similar to last year. Since (Garmin LiveScope) came out, it has changed the way people fish the lake. Scoping roaming fish out there chasing bait is probably how it is going to go down. Somebody might get a day or two out of some largemouth. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Day 1 leader with largemouth, but I don’t think that can last four days.”
Over the last several years, the smallmouth bite has become increasingly productive on Lake Champlain with the help of forward-facing technology. Anglers are better able to target the group of smallmouth that roam the deep-water areas in search of baitfish.
These smallmouth chase alewives as well as white and yellow perch in open water. Similarly to past events, Goutremout thinks the Inland Sea region of the lake will see plenty of fishing pressure from the Elite pros.
With an unusually warm and stormy spring and summer, the smallies have been done spawning for months and are in a full summer pattern.
“A lot of it is alewives,” Goutremout said. “Nine times out of 10 it is going to go down in the Inland Sea. For whatever reason, it seems like the bigger fish tend to come out of there.”
Alewives are plentiful, but Goutremout thinks an angler who can find some perch eaters to themselves will have a slight advantage.
“If someone can find a group of bass they have a little more to themselves, that will be important,” he said. “A lot of times if you can find the perch eaters, they tend to weigh a little more than the smallies feeding up on alewives.”
The more “traditional” smallmouth bite occurs around rock and boulders in the mid-depth range, where anglers can drag Carolina rigs, drop shots and Ned rigs.
While smallmouth will be the favorite species to target, there are indications a largemouth bite could play out as well. While heavy winds made smallmouth fishing difficult, multiple 20-pound bags of green fish were weighed in at the Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Qualifier presented by Lowrance at the end of July, including a 24-5 limit that led Day 1.
Mark Burgess weighed in all largemouth each day and caught 21-15 and 22-12 the final two days to secure the victory in that event. Higher-than-normal water levels allowed him to execute a flipping bite toward the Canadian border.
Several other anglers mentioned staying on the north side of the lake instead of making the run down to Ticonderoga, a historically popular largemouth destination on the lake.
“I was in my total comfort zone this week,” Burgess stated. “I had a flipping stick almost the whole time with a little bit of ChatterBaiting and square-billing. I just made the right decisions each day.”
Docks, marinas and various types of vegetation hold largemouth on Lake Champlain, and flipping baits, ChatterBaits and swim jigs have all been productive presentations in past events.
Regardless, Goutremout believes it will take close to 22 pounds a day to claim the blue trophy in this tournament.
2024 Bassmaster Classic champion Justin Hamner leads the Progressive Insurance Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings with 595 points through seven events. Illinois rookie Trey McKinney is second with 571 points, followed by Missouri’s Cody Huff in third with 569 points, Canada’s Chris Johnston in fourth with 556 points and Tennessee’s Jacob Foutz in fifth with 556 points.
McKinney leads the Dakota Lithium Bassmaster Rookie of the Year race with 571 points, followed by Tennessee’s John Garrett in second with 553 points, South Carolina’s JT Thompkins in third with 547 points, Alabama’s Wesley Gore in fourth with 531 points and Maine’s Tyler Williams in fifth with 514 points.
Coverage of the Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite at Lake Champlain will air on FS1 on Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Bassmaster LIVE will be streaming on Bassmaster.com all four days.
The Adirondack Coast and City of Plattsburgh are hosting the tournament.
2024 Bassmaster Elite Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota
2024 Bassmaster Elite Series Premier Sponsors: Bass Pro Shops, Dakota Lithium, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Progressive Insurance, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha
2024 Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: AFTCO, Daiwa, Garmin, Lew's, Lowrance, Marathon, Triton Boats, VMC
About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S., which encompasses the Bassmaster tournament leagues, events and media platforms, is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting-edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 500,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), TV show, radio show, social media programs and events. For more than 50 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.
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Media Contact: Chad Gay, Communications Manager, 205-313-0945, cgay@bassmaster.
MLF Announces Multi-Year Sponsorship Renewal with Brunswick Corporation to Showcase Mercury Marine and Lowrance Brands
BENTON, Ky. (July 31, 2024) – Major League Fishing (MLF), the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, and Brunswick Corporation, the global leader in marine recreation, announced today a multiyear sponsorship renewal. The renewal ensures that longtime MLF sponsors Mercury Marine and Lowrance continue as official sponsors of the MLF Bass Pro Tour, General Tire Team Series and Major League Fishing Heavy Hitters all-star event.
Lowrance and Mercury Marine both became sponsors of MLF first in 2011, when they signed on as original sponsors of the very first MLF Challenge Cup on Lake Amistad, which featured only 24 professional anglers.
“Sponsorship renewals with brands that are deep-rooted in our sport, like Lowrance and Mercury Marine, are a testament to the benefits and ROI that our partners receive when aligning with Major League Fishing,” said Jim Wilburn. “Both brands share MLF’s strategic vision and goals – prioritizing innovation and a commitment to their anglers. The teams at both Mercury and Lowrance have been incredible supporters of MLF over the years, and we are excited to continue to build on our relationships with them in the years to come.”
In addition to remaining an official sponsor of all Major League Fishing and MLF5 circuits, Lowrance and Mercury will each be named the presenting sponsor of a yet-to-be-determined Bass Pro Tour Stage in 2025 and receive prominent exposure as premium exhibitors at the REDCREST 2025 and REDCREST 2026 Outdoor Sports Expos.
Also as a part of the renewal, the Lowrance Ghost® trolling motor and C-MAP® – the premium mapping solution for anglers looking for accurate and quality data – will also retain a prominent presence across numerous MLF media platforms, including all Bass Pro Tour and General Tire Team Series television programming and livestreams, MLF’s social media outlets, website, and featured logo placement on angler boats and jerseys in the General Tire Team Series and Heavy Hitters events.
For additional information about MLF, its tournaments and sponsors, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. To learn more about Lowrance and its tournament-winning fish-finding technology, visit Lowrance.com. For more information on Mercury Marine visit MercuryMarine.com.
About Lowrance
Lowrance® is part of Navico Group, a division of Brunswick Corporation (NYSE: BC), and has been a leader in marine electronics and sonar technology since first inventing the original consumer fishfinder in 1957. It features a brand portfolio that is dedicated to helping anglers find and catch more fish, and includes the industry-leading HDS PRO® , Elite FS™, HOOK® Reveal™ Chartplotters & Fishfinders, ActiveTarget® 2 and Active Imaging™ HD Sonar and Lowrance Ghost™ and Recon™ Trolling Motors. Lowrance is distributed in more than 100 countries worldwide. More information is available at lowrance.com.
About Mercury Marine
Headquartered in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, Mercury Marine® is the world’s leading manufacturer of recreational marine propulsion engines. A division of Brunswick Corporation (NYSE: BC), Mercury provides engines, boats, services and parts for recreational, commercial and government marine applications. Mercury empowers boaters with products that are easy to use, extremely reliable and backed by the most dedicated customer support in the world. The company’s industry-leading brand portfolio includes Mercury outboard engines, Mercury MerCruiser® sterndrive and inboard packages, Mercury propellers, Mercury inflatable boats, Mercury SmartCraft® electronics, Land 'N' Sea marine parts distribution and Mercury and Quicksilver® parts and oils. More information is available at MercuryMarine.com.
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery Channel, Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 17 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.
Jasper’s Uebelhor Earns Third Career MLF Win at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Lake Monroe
Noblesville’s Bohland Tops Strike King Co-Angler Division
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (July 29, 2024) – Boater Nick Uebelhor of Jasper, Indiana, caught a five-bass limit weighing 15 pounds, 12 ounces, Saturday to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on Lake Monroe . The tournament was the fourth event of the season for the BFL Hoosier Division. Uebelhor earned $6,294, including the lucrative $2,500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus, for his victory.
“I ended up fishing the slow side (part of the lake restricted to idle speed only) today and ended up catching them on a jig,” Uebelhor said. “The key to my win was definitely my big fish. I had one that was 5 pounds, 6 ounces, I think. And that really put me over the top.”
Uebelhor got his start competing with MLF at the Abu Garcia College Fishing level in 2012. Since 2016, he’s been a consistent angler at the BFL level, logging seven top-20 AOY finishes in various divisions, competing in nine BFL regionals and making the All-American twice. But this is his first BFL win since 2018, when he took home the trophy on Patoka Lake.
“It feels pretty good,” Uebelhor said. “It’s been six years since I’ve won one of these, and I’m glad to end up winning another one.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:
1st: Nick Uebelhor, Jasper, Ind., five bass, 15-12, $6,294 (includes $2,500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
2nd: John Melton, Trafalgar, Ind., five bass, 11-15, $1,897
3rd: Jamil Abdullah, Indianapolis, Ind., five bass, 11-9, $1,265
4th: Mike Quinlin, Mooresville, Ind., four bass, 11-4, $1,185
5th: Chris Abrell, Terre Haute, Ind., five bass, 11-00, $759
6th: John Webb, Martinsville, Ind., four bass, 10-11, $696
7th: Blake Knies, Jasper, Ind., five bass, 10-6, $632
8th: Jordan Nauert, Fillmore, Ind., three bass, 9-6, $569
9th: Dick Shaffer, Rockford, Ohio, two bass, 8-15, $1,001
10th: Levi Mullins, Nineveh, Ind., four bass, 8-14, $443
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Dick Shaffer of Rockford, Ohio, caught a bass that weighed 5 pounds, 10 ounces, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $495.
Mason Bohland of Noblesville, Indiana, won the Strike King co-angler division and $1,878 Saturday, after bringing three bass to the scale that totaled 8 pounds, 6 ounces.
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers finished:
1st: Mason Bohland, Noblesville, Ind., three bass, 8-6, $1,878
2nd: Trey Gault, Trafalgar, Ind., three bass, 7-9, $939
3rd: Tommy Pritchard, Bargersville, Ind., two bass, 7-1, $1,022
4th: Zion Dunaway, Campbellsburg, Ind., three bass, 6-15, $438
5th: Ryan Cannon, Indianapolis, Ind., three bass, 6-14, $376
6th: Allen Dozier, Aurora, Ill., two bass, 6-6, $344
7th: Conner McClellan, Coatsville, Ind., three bass, 5-15, $313
8th: Jarrod Pickel, Indianapolis, Ind., two bass, 5-10, $266
8th: Austin Beckman, Terre Haute, Ind., three bass, 5-10, $266
10th: Carl Bowser, Indianapolis, Ind., three bass, 5-4, $219
Tommy Pritchard of Bargersville, Indiana, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $245, catching a bass that weighed in at 5 pounds, 6 ounces – the largest co-angler catch of the day.
After four events, John Melton of Corydon, Indiana, leads the Fishing Clash Hoosier Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 926 points, while Ryan Cannon of Indianapolis, Indiana, leads the Fishing Clash Hoosier Division Co-Angler of the Year race with 955 points.
The next event for BFL Hoosier Division anglers will be held Sept. 28-29, on the Ohio River at Tanners Creek in Lawrenceburg, Indiana. To register for the event as a boater or a co-angler, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com or call (270)-252-1000.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, will qualify for the Oct. 10-12 BFL Regional tournament on Pools 13-17 of the Mississippi River in Quad Cities, Illinois. Boaters will fish for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $50,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard.
The 2024 Phoenix BFL Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 events throughout the season, five qualifying tournaments in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five qualifying event winners, will advance to one of six BFL 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 BFL All-American.
Proud sponsors of the 2024 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 7Brew, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, E3, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, General Tire, GSM Outdoors, Lew’s, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, PowerStop Brakes, REDCON1, Strike King, Suzuki, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, WIX Filters and YETI.
For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Bass Fishing League updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery Channel, Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 17 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.
Martin Villa Earns Second Career Win at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at James River Presented by Suzuki Marine
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Boater winner pro Martin Villa of Charlottesville, Virginia, and Strike-King co-angler winner David Deciucis of Chester, Virginia.
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| Chester’s Deciucis Tops Strike King Co-Angler Division
HENRICO, Va. (July 29, 2024) – Pro Martin Villa of Charlottesville, Virginia, caught a five-bass limit weighing 19 pounds, 15 ounces, Saturday to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on the James River Presented by Suzuki Marine . Hosted by Richmond Region Tourism, the tournament was the fourth event of the season for the BFL Shenandoah Division. Villa earned $4,938 for his victory. Villa, who competes at the sport’s top level – the MLF Bass Pro Tour (BPT) – competed in the BPT General Tire Stage Six on the James River at the end of June. Unfortunately, that tournament didn’t go quite as he’d hoped. Villa finished 61st. He was proud to turn things around and win the BFL event on the James on Saturday. “It was an awesome day today,” he said. “It was sunny and 85 degrees, and they bit as soon as I showed up. “I was blessed to be here today. I really am grateful for this because I really wanted a chance at redemption from my last finish here. You know when you bring a bunch of Bass Pro Tour guys here to your home, you’ve either got to catch them or you’re gonna get your teeth kicked in. So, I got a little shot at redemption here.” Understandably, Villa was tight-lipped about his winning pattern, given that the tournament was on his home lake. “I just did the same thing I did in the BPT,” Villa added. “They were just big today and small a month ago.” The top 10 boaters finished the tournament: 1st: Martin Villa, Charlottesville, Va., five bass, 19-15, $4,938 Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com. Brandon Casey of Chester, Virginia, caught a bass that weighed 6 pounds, 11 ounces, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $745.
David Deciucis of Chester, Virginia, won the Strike King co-angler division and $2,469 Saturday, after bringing five bass to the scale that totaled 15 pounds, 8 ounces. The top 10 Strike King co-anglers finished: 1st: David Deciucis, Chester, Va., five bass, 15-8, $2,469 Phillip Arnold of Powhatan, Virginia earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $372, catching a bass that weighed in at 5 pounds, 10 ounces – the largest co-angler catch of the day. After four events, Chris Brummett of Lynch Station, Virginia, leads the Fishing Clash Shenandoah Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 980 points, while David Williams of Fredericksburg, Virginia, leads the Fishing Clash Shenandoah Division Co-Angler of the Year race with 912 points. The next event for BFL Shenandoah Division anglers will be held Sept. 7-8, at the James River in Henrico, Virginia. To register for the event as a boater or a co-angler, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com or call (270)-252-1000. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, will qualify for the Oct. 3-5 BFL Regional tournament on Kerr Lake in Henderson, North Carolina. Boaters will fish for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $50,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard. The 2024 Phoenix BFL Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 events throughout the season, five qualifying tournaments in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five qualifying event winners, will advance to one of six BFL 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 BFL All-American. Proud sponsors of the 2024 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 7Brew, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, E3, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, General Tire, GSM Outdoors, Lew’s, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, PowerStop Brakes, REDCON1, Strike King, Suzuki, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, WIX Filters and YETI. For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Bass Fishing League updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. About Major League Fishing |
Minor wins first Bassmaster Kayak Series title at Susquehanna River
July 28, 2024
LEWISBURG, Pa. — Last summer, Ewing Minor helped one of his friends celebrate their birthday by taking a trip to the Susquehanna River. The conditions he fished then helped Minor dial in the winning smallmouth strategy this week at the Yamaha Rightwaters Bassmaster Kayak Series at Susquehanna River scored by TourneyX.
With a two-day total of 187.75 inches, the Virginia angler secured his first Kayak Series victory and earned the top prize of $11,694. Just a quarter of an inch separated Minor from second-place Kristine Fischer, who landed a two-day total of 187.50 inches.
“I think this is the largest kayak tournament I’ve ever fished, so that is really cool. The blue trophy is one that I didn’t have, and I just wanted to have one of the top three. So, this will be a really nice addition to the collection.”
While this is Minor’s first victory in a Bassmaster event, it adds to a long list of accomplishments he’s accrued in the kayak fishing world. Prior to this event, the Carson-Newman University angler had won several Hobie Bass Open Series events and nearly won Angler of the Year in 2021. He will also compete in the Strike King Bassmaster College National Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops at Lake Hartwell next month.
Minor believes the Susquehanna River is the best river in the country, and there’s certainly a strong case to be made after this weekend. In total, 2,463 bass were caught in the two-day event and 52 bags over 90 inches were submitted to TourneyX.
Since his first trip to the Susquehanna in 2021, which resulted in a second-place finish at a Hobie BOS event, Minor has made a point to fish the river every year. When he arrived for practice, conditions of the river matched up almost perfectly with what he experienced the previous summer.
“That week was very close to the water clarity and water level it is right now,” he said. “I feel like that trip last summer really helped me out.”
With the water rising from recent rains, Minor struggled to find consistency in practice and was not dialed in until about the first hour of Day 1.
“The water was rising, and I was a step behind the bass the whole time. I never really caught up to them until Day 1. They pushed up a lot further than I expected. But on Day 1, I just kept pushing up into shallower water, and I eventually found them in inches of water. But it was kind of tough to figure out what stage they were in each day.”
Minor decided to fish the section of the river he was most familiar with, which features a diverse selection of grass, wood, rock, shade and different speeds of current. Slower-to-moderate current proved to be the most productive, but not one type of cover was more productive than another.
While the first hour of fishing was a struggle on Day 1, he moved into shallower water as the morning progressed and began catching quality smallies on a ¼-ounce buzzbait with a Strike King Rage Menace trailer. An unnamed wake bait was also a key presentation.
“I had a buzzbait tied on that I bought at the tackle store the night before. I hadn’t thrown it in practice, and I started throwing it inside of the grass islands and started catching a bunch. I lost a bunch of fish yesterday, too. But once I started getting on that I kept running it. Once the sun came out, they stopped biting on the islands, and I stuck to the shade lines.”
Entering the final day in 14th place with 93.5 inches, Minor found the buzzbait bite was not as productive to open Day 2. With an increase in fishing pressure around the islands, he decided to motor up the river in search of fresh real estate. On his way, he landed a 19.5-inch smallmouth — his biggest bass of the tournament — on a Berkley Choppo 120.
“I was just fan casting. It was completely random. I wasn’t targeting anything,” he said.
Once he reached an area without any other competitors, Minor targeted rock, wood, shade and grass to fill out the rest of his bag, which included another 19-incher as well as three smallmouth over 18 inches.
“I didn’t have much of a pattern today. I was just fishing what looked good and cleaning up the leftovers,” he said.
Fischer opened the tournament in fifth place with 94.75 inches before moving into the runner-up position on the final day with a 92.75-inch limit of smallmouth.
“This river has always clicked for me. It has always made sense. I think I’ve fished six tournaments here now and cut checks in all of them,” Fischer said. “I practiced for two days and had great days.”
Knowing some of her better areas would likely receive a lot of fishing pressure, the BassmastHER ambassador fished the southern section of eligible water. While she planned to fish around 15 different spots, trolling motor issues both days of the tournament limited her range.
Fischer made the most of it, however, landing a smallmouth 20 inches or better each day of the event. She landed the majority of her bass using an unnamed glide bait as well as a 6-inch Berkley Cull Shad.
“What I figured out was, the majority of the competitors wouldn’t make a cast at the water I was fishing,” she said. “Shade is big. The fish really utilize the shade, a lot of times shallower than people realize. I was working everything pretty fast. I was fishing the Cull Shad in slower flats deeper than 3 feet. Anything shallower than that, I was fishing the wake bait.”
With bags of 93.5 inches and 93.75 inches, Mickey Pfortsch finished third with a two-day total of 187.25 inches.
“I did not expect to get third place,” Pfortsch said. “Day 2 was definitely a lot tougher. I looked at some of the scores from the past and saw that you are never out of it if you did well on Day 1 because Day 2 is always a struggle no matter what the conditions are.”
Pfortsch’s best day of practice was Wednesday, but when the water rose, he had to make several adjustments to his gameplan. Throughout the tournament, the Pennsylvania angler threw a Boogerman buzzbait and a black Berkley Choppo around shade lines and whitewater areas.
“I must have fished 75 (whitewater areas) and caught two fish. But those two fish are 20.75 inches and 20 inches. Each day was really tough. Day 1 I think I had 91 inches by 7 a.m. and didn’t upgrade again until 1:25 p.m. Day 2 was pretty much the same way. All 10 of my fish were caught on topwater.”
Brandon Palmer of Loveland, Ohio, claimed Big Bass of the Tournament honors with the 21-inch smallmouth he landed on Day 1.
The Susquehanna River Valley Visitors Bureau hosted the tournament.
A full list of results from the Yamaha Rightwaters Bassmaster Kayak Series at Susquehanna River scored by TourneyX can be found here.
2024 Bassmaster Kayak Series Title Sponsor: Yamaha Rightwaters2024 Bassmaster Kayak Series Partner: MotorGuide, YakGear2024 Bassmaster Kayak Series Angler of the Year Sponsor: Dakota Lithium
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Media Contact: Chad Gay, Communications Manager, 205-313-0945, cgay@bassmaster.
Soddy Daisy squeaks out victory at Bassmaster Junior National Championship
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Florida’s Keith Carson Wins Tackle Warehouse Invitational Stop 6 at Detroit River Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches
DeBary, Florida pro catches final-day limit of 22 pounds, 8 ounces to win by 10-ounce margin and take home the top prize of $80,000
DETROIT (July 28, 2024) – The Major League Fishing (MLF) Tackle Warehouse Invitational Stop 6 Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches at the Detroit River was a wild one from start to finish, with big weights, lots of movement in the points standings, and a tightly contested chase for the win. In the end, pro Keith Carson of DeBary, Florida, put it all together for three days to earn his first MLF win as a pro with a three-day total of 67 pounds, 6 ounces. For the win, Carson earned $80,000 and a ticket to REDCREST 2025. Finishing runner-up, rookie pro Alec Morrison of Peru, New York, weighed 66-12, and though he could not clinch the win, he did earn both the Fishing Clash Angler of the Year and Polaris Rookie of the Year titles.
A childhood friend of fellow pro John Cox, who is noted for eschewing forward-facing sonar and remining quite successful, you wouldn’t exactly peg Carson as a player on St. Clair. At home cruising the shallows, hood up and shades on, Carson prefers to look at the bass with his eyes, not a transducer. But this week, he bucked the theory that only young kids are good with a screen and proved that he could use his dedication and fishing skills to win at all angles of the game.
“I started Scopin’ in ’21, and I was fair with it, but my rule was I would always use it for smallmouth, and largemouth I wouldn’t use it at all,” Carson said. “I started learning that you kind of have to use it all the time.”
This winter at Toledo Bend, Carson finished 67th in the BPT season-opener, which was an inauspicious start to a lackluster rookie campaign on MLF’s top tour. Fast forward six months or so, and that event may have been responsible for this win.
“I found the same fish [Jacob] Wheeler did,” Carson recalled. “So, we both start there Day 1. Before lines-in, I see Wheeler racing around in his boat, and I know he’s looking for one. So, I start racing around, I figured that was what you do. I didn’t even own a jighead minnow at Toledo Bend, so, I was throwing a drop-shot to suspended fish. I was racing a drop-shot to them and they wouldn’t eat it. Wheeler caught like 96 pounds, and I caught 15 pounds. I took that day as a lesson. I watched him most of the day, because I knew it would help in the future. I’ve been practicing it, learning it. It’s a hell of a tool, to be honest.”
At St. Clair, Carson fished like a minnow veteran, adjusting his presentations, reading fish with Lowrance ActiveTarget and maintaining a level of consistency that nobody else matched. His primary setup was a 7-foot, 2-inch Fenwick World Class walleye rod, a 3000-size Abu Garcia Zenon reel, 8-pound Berkley FireLine, a 10-pound Berkley Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon leader, and a 5.3-gram jighead with a Berkley PowerBait MaxScent Jerk Shad.
“The best thing was actually to cast past them and bring it up to them in a natural presentation, but it got really hard because they wouldn’t stay in the frame – like they’d be swimming to the side,” Carson explained. “So, the best thing turned out to be to hit them on the head, and the splash of the water would call them up – it was so shallow, like 10 or 12 feet.
“A lot of times, it would splash the water, and they would eat it off the top, only a foot or two deep, when they were really feeding. If they didn’t eat it, I’d start swimming it, and I’d keep it four to five feet above their head and they’d come up and eat it. I noticed if I let it get too close to their head, they didn’t want to bite it, I had to keep it way above them, and they’d come, and I’d start going a little bit faster and they’d eat it.”
From the sounds of it, Carson may have won just about any tournament on the system this week. His practice was so good that his roommate, fellow pro Alex Davis said “hands down, you’re going to win,” after the report.
“Everywhere I went, every day of practice, I caught like 25 pounds,” Carson said. “I went to Erie, I caught like 26, I went to Anchor Bay the next day, I caught 25, and my next five after 25 weighed almost 24 – everything was huge, anywhere I went. It wasn’t one spot, I’d try over here, catch a 5, try over there, catch a 5. Every now and then, you just can’t make a wrong decision.”
In the tournament, he even got some bites that he shouldn’t have, with fish following his minnow boatside and then miraculously eating.
“The 4-12 I caught today, I made a perfect cast, and it followed my minnow all the way to the trolling motor and it swam down – I dropped it on its head, and it swam up and ate it under the trolling motor,” Carson said. “All week, they’d follow it to the trolling motor and I couldn’t get them to bite. I had another, it followed it to the boat, and I flipped it to him and let it sit on the bottom, and it ate it off the bottom like a worm.”
Fishing in Anchor Bay, which was crowded in general, Carson stayed out of the crowds, and sometimes went 20 minutes or so without seeing a fish – he was chasing fewer, but better-quality bass. When the two sand areas he had focused his efforts at on Day 1 and Day 2 failed to produce on Day 3, he relocated his fish with relative ease.
“I had two general areas that were really good, and neither of them were producing,” he explained. “So, I just trolled around them, maybe they’re swimming around them, you know? And I ran into a stretch – I caught a 5, a 4, one almost 5 and then a 4-7 in a 50-yard stretch – they had moved there and I found it.”
Running to Anchor Bay every day and taking his time getting back, Carson fished a nearly perfect event, even down to the decision he didn’t make on the final morning.
“I almost went to Erie today, but something told me not to, so I went back,” he said. “I almost went to Erie to try to catch 25 or 26 pounds, but something told me not to, to go back to where I was and stay steady. So, I did, and it turned out.”
With a baby on the way in October, and having bought a new house last week, the win really couldn’t have come at a better time for Carson.
The top 30 pros at the Tackle Warehouse Invitational Stop 6 on the Detroit River Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches finished:
1st: Keith Carson, DeBary, Fla., 15 bass, 67-6, $80,000
2nd: Alec Morrison, Peru, N.Y., 15 bass, 66-12, $50,000
3rd: Adrian Avena, Marmora, N.J., 15 bass, 66-10, $20,000
4th: Kyle Hall, Granbury, Texas, 15 bass, 64-13, $18,000
5th: Jon Canada, Helena, Ala., 15 bass, 64-8, $17,000
6th: Nick LeBrun, Bossier City, La., 15 bass, 64-6, $16,000
7th: Jaden Parrish, Liberty, Texas, 15 bass, 64-3, $15,000
8th: Cory Johnston, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, 15 bass, 63-15, $14,000
9th: Jack Daniel Williams, Kingsport, Tenn., 15 bass, 62-10, $13,000
10th: Robby Lefere, Jackson, Mich., 15 bass, 62-5, $12,000
11th: Brad Jelinek, Lincoln, Mo., 15 bass, 62-3, $11,000
12th: Colby Dark, West Monroe, La., 15 bass, 62-3, $10,250
13th: Mitchell Robinson, Landrum, S.C., 15 bass, 61-12, $10,000
14th: Lane Olson, Jackson, Mich., 15 bass, 61-10, $10,000
15th: Colby Miller, Elmer, La., 15 bass, 61-5, $10,000
16th: Andrew Nordbye, Guntersville, Ala., 15 bass, 60-13, $10,000
17th: Cameron Mattison, Benton, La., 15 bass, 60-7, $10,000
18th: John Cox, DeBary, Fla., 15 bass, 60-5, $10,000
19th: John Hunter, Shelbyville, Ky., 15 bass, 60-2, $10,000
20th: Scott Dobson, Clarkston, Mich., 15 bass, 59-14, $10,000
21st: Mark Condron, Murfreesboro, Tenn., 15 bass, 59-6, $10,000
22nd: Chase Serafin, White Lake, Mich., 15 bass, 59-6, $10,000
23rd: Jeremy Gordon, Rutledge, Tenn., 15 bass, 59-1, $10,000
24th: Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn., 15 bass, 59-0, $10,000
25th: Jake Lawrence, Buchanan, Tenn., 15 bass, 58-8, $10,000
26th: Jordan Wiggins, Cullman, Ala., 15 bass, 58-5, $10,000
27th: Jesse Wiggins, Logan, Ala., 15 bass, 57-13, $10,000
28th: Terry Olinger, Louisa, Va., 15 bass, 57-9, $10,000
29th: Connor Cunningham, Springfield, Mo., 14 bass, 55-14, $10,000
30th: Chris Groh, Spring Grove, Ill., 14 bass, 54-5, $10,000
Complete results for the entire field can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Overall, there were 148 bass weighing 585 pounds, 7 ounces caught by the final 30 pros Sunday. Of the 30 final day competitors, 28 brought a five-bass limit to the scale.
While rookie pro Alec Morrison came up 10 ounces short of winning Stop 6 Presented by B&W Hitches on the Detroit River, he’ll return to New York with an impressive hardware haul. After besting Jake Lawrence by 17 points in the season-long AOY competition, Morrison received the $50,000 AOY prize from Fishing Clash as well as a berth to REDCREST 2025 on Lake Guntersville. For winning Polaris Rookie of the Year, Morrison will also receive a new Polaris UTV plus an invitation to join the Bass Pro Tour — Major League Fishing’s top circuit — in 2025.
With all six Tackle Warehouse Invitational tournaments now complete, the top five pros based on AOY rank now will receive invitations to compete in the 2025 Bass Pro Tour. The five pros that qualify are:
1st: Alec Morrison, Peru Springs, N.Y.
2nd: Jake Lawrence, Buchanan, Tenn.
3rd: Colby Miller, Elmer, La.
4th: Jaden Parrish, Liberty, Texas
5th: Marshall Hughes, Hemphill, Texas
The three-day tournament, hosted by the Detroit Sports Commission, featured a field of professional anglers competing for a top prize of up to $115,000 and an invitation to compete at REDCREST 2025. The full field of anglers competed in the two-day opening round on Friday and Saturday in a five-fish, weigh-in format. Only the top 30 pros, based on their two-day cumulative weight, advanced to the final round on Championship Sunday, where they competed for the grand prize of up to $115,000.
The winner of the Tackle Warehouse Invitational Stop 6 at the Detroit River Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches was determined by the heaviest three-day cumulative weight and now receives an invitation to compete at REDCREST 2025 on Lake Guntersville in Huntsville, Alabama.
Television coverage of the MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitationals Stop 6 at the Detroit River Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches will air as a two-hour episode, premiering at 9 a.m. ET, on Saturday, Nov. 9 on CBS Sports Network.
Proud sponsors of the 2024 MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitationals include: 7Brew, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, E3 Sports Apparel, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, General Tire, Lew’s, Mercury, Mossy Oak Fishing, Onyx, Phoenix Boats, Polaris, Power-Pole, PowerStop Brakes, REDCON1, Strike King, Suzuki, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, WIX Filters and YETI.
For complete details and updated information on Major League Fishing and the Tackle Warehouse Invitationals, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Tackle Warehouse Invitational updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the MLF5 social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery Channel, Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 17 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.
Florida Pro Keith Carson Leads After Day 1 at Tackle Warehouse Invitational Stop 6 at Detroit River Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches
DETROIT (July 26, 2024) – With most of the contenders (but not all) making the trek to Lake St. Clair on Day 1 of Stop 6 Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches at the Detroit River, the standings are packed tight as you’d expect in a smallmouth event. Leading the way, pro Keith Carson of DeBary, Florida, tallied 22 pounds, 15 ounces, and pro Alec Morrison of Peru, New York, is an ounce back with 22-14. Behind the leaders, Jon Canada, Jacob Wheeler and Jesse Wiggins all weighed more than 22 pounds, which has set the stage for a fantastic weekend of action.
Notable Friday, with both tournament-specific and Fishing Clash Angler of the Year implications on the line, Morrison was assessed a 2-pound penalty for making a cast with six fish in the livewell. Though he doesn’t have much higher to climb in the standings, you never know when 2 pounds could come in handy.
The full field of pros will conclude the two-day opening round on Saturday, with only the top 30 pros based on their two-day cumulative weight advancing to Championship Sunday. The three-day tournament, hosted by the Detroit Sports Commission, features a roster of professional anglers competing for a top prize of up to $115,000 and an invitation to compete at REDCREST 2025.
Running to St. Clair and hunting smallmouth with Lowrance ActiveTarget, tournament leader Keith Carson put together a fantastic day of smallmouth fishing.
“I found in practice that the big ones seem to be all by themselves,” explained Carson. “If you get in schools, you’re catching 3s and 4s; if you get out and see one every once in a while, they’re all over 4, every one of them. I’m just out there roaming around. I don’t have a single spot anywhere. I’ve got an area where there’s some perch, and there seems to be bass around them. But you really have to search and move a lot. I’m only seeing one fish every 20 minutes or so.”
Culling multiple 4-pounders on the day, Carson did most of his damage with a drop-shot and a Berkley PowerBait MaxScent Flat Worm or a minnow.
While some folks reported that the fish were very difficult to trick in practice, Carson ran pretty good percentages today.
“I love smallmouth fishing. There’s something about them, I’ve been able to find bigger ones and figure out the structure almost everywhere,” said Carson. “Every day in practice and today, I’ll get a flurry where I catch three in a row, and then I’ll get three in a row that won’t bite it or will nip it or get the tail. So, it’s about 50 percent, I’d say.”
Carson is mired in a pretty tough rookie season on the Bass Pro Tour, but his Invitationals performance has been strong, as it usually is. With a couple more good days, he could be heading to the season finale at the St. Lawrence with some serious smallmouth mojo.
The top 20 pros after Day 1 on the Detroit River are:
1st: Keith Carson, DeBary, Fla., five bass, 22-15
2nd: Alec Morrison, Peru, N.Y., five bass, 22-14
3rd: Jon Canada, Helena, Ala., five bass, 22-12
4th: Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn., five bass, 22-6
5th: Jesse Wiggins, Logan, Ala., five bass, 22-3
6th: Scott Dobson, Clarkston, Mich., five bass, 21-15
6th: Matteo Turano, Puryear, Tenn., five bass, 21-15
8th: Connor Cunningham, Springfield, Mo., five bass, 21-14
9th: John Cox, DeBary, Fla., five bass, 21-12
9th: Troy Stokes, Trenton, Mich., five bass, 21-12
11th: Brad Jelinek, Lincoln, Mo., five bass, 21-10
12th: Colby Dark, West Monroe, La., five bass, 21-9
13th: Jeremy Gordon, Rutledge, Tenn., five bass, 21-8
14th: Adrian Avena, Marmora, N.J., five bass, 21-7
14th: Robby Lefere, Jackson, Mich., five bass, 21-7
14th: Brock Reinkemeyer, Warsaw, Mo., five bass, 21-7
17th: Nick LeBrun, Bossier City, La., five bass, 21-5
18th: Justin Atkins, Florence, Ala., five bass, 21-4
19th: Chris Groh, Spring Grove, Ill., five bass, 21-0
19th: Jaden Parrish, Liberty, Texas, five bass, 21-0
19th: Mitchell Robinson, Landrum, S.C., five bass, 21-0
Complete results for the entire field can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Pro Brad Jelinek of Lincoln, Missouri, earned the Day 1 $1,000 Berkley Big Bass award Friday with a bass that weighed in at 5 pounds, 8 ounces.
Overall, there were 672 bass weighing 2,357 pounds 14 ounces caught by 137 pros Friday. The catch included 130 five-bass limits.
In Tackle Warehouse Invitational competition, the full field of anglers compete in the two-day opening round on Friday and Saturday in a five-fish, weigh-in format. Only the top 30 pros, based on their two-day cumulative weight, advance to the final round on Championship Sunday, where they will compete for the grand prize of up to $115,000. The winner of the Tackle Warehouse Invitational Stop 6 at the Detroit River Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches will be determined by the heaviest three-day cumulative weight and will receive an invitation to compete at REDCREST 2025 on Lake Guntersville in Huntsville, Alabama.
Anglers will launch at 6:30 a.m. ET each day from Elizabeth Park, located at 202 Grosse Ile Parkway in Trenton, Michigan. Weigh-ins will also be held at the park and will begin at 2:30 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend all launch and weigh-in events and also encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLFNOW!® live stream and coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The MLFNOW! broadcast team of Chad McKee and Rob Newell will break down the extended action live each day of competition from 7:30 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. ET. MLFNOW! will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) and Rumble apps.
Television coverage of the MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitationals Stop 6 at the Detroit River Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches will air as a two-hour episode, premiering at 9 a.m. ET, on Saturday, Nov. 9 on CBS Sports Network.
Proud sponsors of the 2024 MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitationals include: 7Brew, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, E3 Sports Apparel, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, General Tire, Lew’s, Mercury, Mossy Oak Fishing, Onyx, Phoenix Boats, Polaris, Power-Pole, PowerStop Brakes, REDCON1, Strike King, Suzuki, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, WIX Filters and YETI.
For complete details and updated information on Major League Fishing and the Tackle Warehouse Invitationals, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Tackle Warehouse Invitational updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the MLF5 social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery Channel, Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 17 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.
Soddy Daisy duo claims Day 1 lead at Bassmaster Junior National Championship
July 26, 2024
DAYTON, Tenn. — William Collins and Kyler Jenkins from Soddy Daisy Junior High bass team took advantage of their home-field advantage at the Bassmaster Junior National Championship at Chickamauga Lake by catching a three-bass limit weighing 14 pounds, 4 ounces to take the Day 1 lead.
The High Country Bass Anglers duo of Hannah Sage and Tanner Ortega are second with 12-12 and Tayson Stiehl from the Winner Junior Bassmasters is third with 11-3. On the day, 50 teams achieved limits, and more than 100 teams caught at least one keeper bass.
“I feel pretty amazing right now,” Collins said. “Today was a really fun day. I’m pretty excited for tomorrow. I’ve been praying about it. We had our bite (dialed in) between two practice days. The third day we pretty much eliminated water.”
The rising freshmen live five minutes from the nearest boat ramp, which has provided them ample opportunity to get out on the water and hone their skills. Fishing close to home also allowed Jenkins to make it to football practice immediately after weigh-in.
“It is fishing pretty well for us right now,” Collins said. “I’ve been having good trip after good trip, so I can’t really complain.”
While their first spot didn’t pan out quite like they hoped, Collins and Jenkins landed their biggest bass of the day at the second stop, a 6-14 that turned out to be Collins’ personal best largemouth.
“I threw beside a clump of grass and caught that (big one),” Collins said. “I was pretty much jumping up and down when I caught it. It bit right beside the boat. I set the hook and (Jenkins) netted it really quickly.”
From there, the duo landed four bass over 3 pounds to upgrade to their final tally.
The Soddy Daisy anglers have several different patterns working in their favor, and Collins said he and Jenkins used eight or nine different baits throughout the day.
Knowing how many big bass are in Chickamauga Lake, Collins said he and Jenkins will likely have to repeat their impressive Day 1 performance in order to claim the victory.
“Tomorrow we are going to shoot for 15 pounds,” Collins said.
The full field of 129 teams will launch from the Dayton Boat Dock beginning at 6:30 a.m. ET and return for weigh-in at 2:30 p.m., and the winning team will be crowned at the conclusion of weigh-in.
The City of Dayton is hosting the tournament.
About B.A.S.S.B.A.S.S., which encompasses the Bassmaster tournament leagues, events and media platforms, is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting-edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 500,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), TV show, radio show, social media programs and events. For more than 50 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.
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Connect with #Bassmaster on Facebook, Instagram, Twitte
Media Contact: Chad Gay, Communications Manager, 205-313-0945, cgay@bassmaster.
2024 Bassmaster Junior Championship 7/26-7/27
Chickamauga Lake, Dayton TN.
(BOATER) Standings Day 1
Angler Club/School Pts
1. William Collins - Kyler Jenkins Soddy Daisy Jr High 0
Day 1: 3 14-04 Total: 3 14-04
2. Hannah Sage - Tanner Ortega High Country Bass Anglers 0
Day 1: 3 12-12 Total: 3 12-12
3. Tayson Stiehl - Winner Junior Bassmasters 0
Day 1: 3 11-03 Total: 3 11-03
4. Lane Lewis - Grady Peterson Iowa Youth Fishing League - IA 0
Day 1: 3 10-09 Total: 3 10-09
5. Grahm Singerhouse - Andres Solorzano Stillwater Junior 0
Day 1: 3 10-08 Total: 3 10-08
6. Joseph Childers - Bray Youngblood Swla Jr Anglers 0
Day 1: 3 10-06 Total: 3 10-06
7. Drew Mcclellan - Noah Hiott Indiana Junior Bassmasters 0
Day 1: 3 10-03 Total: 3 10-03
8. Damian Gumm - Brock Stevens 0
Day 1: 3 09-14 Total: 3 09-14
9. Larson Morgan - John Balcerzak Southlake Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 3 09-11 Total: 3 09-11
10. Conner Tate - Sawyer Knickerbocker Vermillion Junior Anglers 0
Day 1: 3 09-09 Total: 3 09-09
11. Carson Stevens - Wesley Osuna Franklin County Jr Bass Team - T 0
Day 1: 3 09-07 Total: 3 09-07
12. Jack Kennedy - Brentley West Mulberry Bassmasters Jr Anglers 0
Day 1: 3 09-03 Total: 3 09-03
12. Blake Richardson - Bentley Richardson Southern Outcast Jr 0
Day 1: 3 09-03 Total: 3 09-03
14. Kipton Hall - Wyatt Parker Baldwin County Hs Juniors Fishin 0
Day 1: 3 08-13 Total: 3 08-13
15. Sawyer Adams - Colton Talbert Gilbert Jr Bass Anglers 0
Day 1: 3 08-12 Total: 3 08-12
16. Bo Hollen - Ari Clark Mon Valley Junior Bassmasters - 0
Day 1: 3 08-12 Total: 3 08-12
17. Brody Allen - Caden Harris Hendry County Junior Bassmater 0
Day 1: 3 08-11 Total: 3 08-11
18. Easton Dickens - Eli Stevens New River Bassmasters 0
Day 1: 3 08-11 Total: 3 08-11
19. Bennett Bullard - Kei Blaylock Trader Bills 0
Day 1: 3 08-09 Total: 3 08-09
19. Fisher Williams - Blaine Chastain Bolivar Hs 0
Day 1: 3 08-09 Total: 3 08-09
21. Liam Holze - John Price Off the Hook Jr Bassmasters - IL 0
Day 1: 3 08-08 Total: 3 08-08
22. Lem Tate - Baylor Mccuiston Pine Grove High School 0
Day 1: 3 08-07 Total: 3 08-07
23. Parker Smith - Carson Randan Scotts Hill High School Anglers 0
Day 1: 3 08-06 Total: 3 08-06
24. Hudson Clark - Jackson Leath Sumner County Jr Bass Team - TN 0
Day 1: 3 08-05 Total: 3 08-05
24. Knox White - Grayson Sanford Mt. Juliet Fishing - Juniors 0
Day 1: 3 08-05 Total: 3 08-05
26. Max Daniel - Carter Oufnac Parkview Baptist Jr School Bass 0
Day 1: 3 08-04 Total: 3 08-04
26. Piers Picou - Jaxon Plaisance Central Catholic - LA 0
Day 1: 3 08-04 Total: 3 08-04
28. Cooper Taylor - Gage West Lowndes Jr Viking Lip Rippers 0
Day 1: 3 08-02 Total: 3 08-02
29. Reed Crisman - Will Crisman Mecklenburg High School Junior A 0
Day 1: 3 08-00 Total: 3 08-00
30. Elijah Booker - Bayler Cooksey Mt. Juliet Fishing - Juniors 0
Day 1: 3 07-12 Total: 3 07-12
31. Cash Rath - Parker Clennon Arkansas Youth Anglers Junior 0
Day 1: 3 07-11 Total: 3 07-11
32. Braydon Scott - Bentley Keeter Pickett County Elementary Fishin 0
Day 1: 3 07-10 Total: 3 07-10
33. Brady Wells - Dakota Gordon Bath County Juniors 0
Day 1: 3 07-08 Total: 3 07-08
34. Mitchell Boles - Nixon Melton Clay County Junior Anglers 0
Day 1: 3 07-05 Total: 3 07-05
34. Isaiah Crockett - Eli Milam Southern WV Jr Bassmasters - WV 0
Day 1: 3 07-05 Total: 3 07-05
36. Boston Werner - Northeast Wisconsin Bass - WI 0
Day 1: 3 07-04 Total: 3 07-04
37. Crews Mcferrin - Karns Jr High School 0
Day 1: 3 07-03 Total: 3 07-03
38. Holt Harmon - Memphis Howard Central Lion Fishing 0
Day 1: 3 07-01 Total: 3 07-01
39. Brayden Griffin - Willis Junior Basskats 0
Day 1: 2 07-01 Total: 2 07-01
40. Tucker Burr - Logan Herbst Anoka Ramsey Jr Bassers 0
Day 1: 3 06-13 Total: 3 06-13
41. Cole Watkins - Luke Delaney Jr. Southwest Bassmasters-Denham 0
Day 1: 3 06-12 Total: 3 06-12
42. Avery Schmitt - Maddox Hanson Eastern Iowa Jr. Bassmasters 0
Day 1: 3 06-09 Total: 3 06-09
43. Joseph Eskew - Nathan Banach Off The Hook Jr. Bassmasters 0
Day 1: 3 06-08 Total: 3 06-08
44. Kannon Sample - Samuel Shuford Sc Lower State Jr Bass Club 0
Day 1: 3 06-07 Total: 3 06-07
44. Maddox Shaffer - Myles Shaffer Junior Garrett Bass Slayers 0
Day 1: 3 06-07 Total: 3 06-07
46. Brady Almand - Jaxon Martin Tennessee Valley Jr Bass Club 0
Day 1: 3 06-05 Total: 3 06-05
47. Kerry Johnson - Mavrick Grove Creekwood Hs Redhawks Fishing 0
Day 1: 3 06-03 Total: 3 06-03
47. Beckett Kraft - Sullivan Kraft Port City Junior Bass Masters 0
Day 1: 3 06-03 Total: 3 06-03
47. Caleb Terrazas - Rylan Emerson Phoenix Junior Bassmasters 0
Day 1: 3 06-03 Total: 3 06-03
50. Gunner Robbins - Drew Smith Livingston Academy Junior Bassma 0
Day 1: 3 05-15 Total: 3 05-15
51. Brantley Pennington - Ethan Hill Central Arkansas Junior Bassmast 0
Day 1: 2 05-12 Total: 2 05-12
52. Grant Klein - Elijah Marziano New Hampshire Jr. Bassmasters 0
Day 1: 2 05-08 Total: 2 05-08
53. Cameron Bougher - Levi White Mannford High School Bass Fishin 0
Day 1: 2 05-05 Total: 2 05-05
53. Asher Hart - Camden Baker Hartley's Hawgs Piglets 0
Day 1: 2 05-05 Total: 2 05-05
55. Kannon Wood - Gulf Port High School 0
Day 1: 2 04-15 Total: 2 04-15
56. Dean Austin - Caleb Moore Off The Hook Jr. Bassmasters 0
Day 1: 2 04-13 Total: 2 04-13
57. James Boquet - Landon Grabert Houma Christian Jr Bass Club 0
Day 1: 2 04-12 Total: 2 04-12
58. Hunter Brakefield - Landon White Mt. Juliet Fishing - Juniors 0
Day 1: 1 04-12 Total: 1 04-12
59. Logan Carmichael - Finn Mahoney Kawartha Hs Bassmasters 0
Day 1: 2 04-11 Total: 2 04-11
60. Brady Gunkle - Quintin Bergey Junior Wildcats 0
Day 1: 1 04-09 Total: 1 04-09
61. Gary Allen Underwood - Jeremiah Underwood Hamblen County Anglers Juniors 0
Day 1: 2 04-07 Total: 2 04-07
62. Bryant Atwood - Matthew Balden Vidor Pirate Jr Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 2 04-06 Total: 2 04-06
63. Tyler Nelson - Saw Reynolds Bandys Fishing Team Juniors 0
Day 1: 2 04-04 Total: 2 04-04
64. Hayden Vanwinkle - Kendal Ward Rocky Mtn Bass Anglers 0
Day 1: 2 04-01 Total: 2 04-01
65. Coy Cassady - Ryan Crane Wateree Anglers Club 0
Day 1: 2 04-00 Total: 2 04-00
66. Gage Wright - Braxton Bogdansky Sc Upper State Bass Club 0
Day 1: 1 03-15 Total: 1 03-15
67. Brock Davis - Kaine Smith Bolivar Hs 0
Day 1: 1 03-14 Total: 1 03-14
68. Hunter Beach - Austin Jefferson Fighting Fishsticks Jr. Bass Clu 0
Day 1: 2 03-13 Total: 2 03-13
69. Halton Howard - Garrett Westfall Arkansas Youth Anglers Junior 0
Day 1: 2 03-11 Total: 2 03-11
70. Landon Emmons - Conner Emmons Franklin County Jr Bass 0
Day 1: 2 03-08 Total: 2 03-08
71. Carson Beal - Tripp Bearden Abilene Wylie Junior Bass 0
Day 1: 2 03-07 Total: 2 03-07
71. Levi Snowball - Zachary Mcalister Cincinnati Youth Bass Club Jr 0
Day 1: 2 03-07 Total: 2 03-07
73. Brayden Jenner - Tatum Ceccorulli St. Martin Bassmasters 0
Day 1: 1 03-07 Total: 1 03-07
74. Eben Bolding - Mason Carter Trhs Devildog Anglers Travelers 0
Day 1: 2 03-03 Total: 2 03-03
75. Jaxson Beard - Landon Vaughn Pendleton High School Fishing Te 0
Day 1: 1 03-00 Total: 1 03-00
76. Cason Curry - Jaxon Curry Rocky Mtn Bass Anglers 0
Day 1: 1 02-14 Total: 1 02-14
76. Kenny Simonis - Peter Riker Fruitport High School 0
Day 1: 1 02-14 Total: 1 02-14
78. Coleman Hampel - Landon Tatum Lumpkin County Schools 0
Day 1: 1 02-13 Total: 1 02-13
79. Olivia King - Harper Krohn D'iberville Hs Warrior Bass Nati 0
Day 1: 1 02-10 Total: 1 02-10
79. Mason Samson - Reed Orzechowski NH Junior Bassmasters - NH 0
Day 1: 1 02-10 Total: 1 02-10
79. Carsen Sands - Owen Chittenden Grand Haven High School 0
Day 1: 1 02-10 Total: 1 02-10
82. Dylin Mizell - Bossier Parish High School Bass 0
Day 1: 1 02-06 Total: 1 02-06
82. Kort Roberts - Katera Roberts Junior Keystone Bassmasters 0
Day 1: 1 02-06 Total: 1 02-06
82. Brantley Todd - Owen Goss Piedmont Youth Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 1 02-06 Total: 1 02-06
85. Austin Buttrick - Weston Hamrick Cleveland County Bass Anglers 0
Day 1: 1 02-05 Total: 1 02-05
86. Drake Walls - Hunter Shrader Mid Florida Youth Anglers Jr 0
Day 1: 1 02-03 Total: 1 02-03
86. Conner White - Drake Highsmith Junior Keystone Bassmasters 0
Day 1: 1 02-03 Total: 1 02-03
88. Wally Peer Iv - Tanner Muzyk Bass Nation Juniors 0
Day 1: 1 02-03 Total: 1 02-03
89. Greyson Harper - Garreson Currie Topeka Jr Hawgs 0
Day 1: 1 02-02 Total: 1 02-02
89. Deacon Keefe - Brayden Blair Reeths Puffer High School Fishin 0
Day 1: 1 02-02 Total: 1 02-02
89. Bentley Wright - Staten Whitecotton Buckhorn Bass Fishing 0
Day 1: 1 02-02 Total: 1 02-02
92. Harlow Bryant - Huxley Bryant Tarkington Youth Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 1 02-01 Total: 1 02-01
92. Tristan Stewart - DJ Johnson III Mt. Pleasant Junior Bass Team - 0
Day 1: 1 02-01 Total: 1 02-01
94. Brayen Barnhill - Reed Abrams 757 Bass 0
Day 1: 1 02-00 Total: 1 02-00
94. Jaxon Sparks - Colby Peoples Clarks Hill Youth Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 1 02-00 Total: 1 02-00
96. Johnathon Harris - Maci Golden West Greene High School 0
Day 1: 1 01-15 Total: 1 01-15
97. Bryson Hannem - Jayse Ordahl Bloomington Juniors 0
Day 1: 1 01-14 Total: 1 01-14
97. Burke Sorenson - Braden Royse Eureka Youth Club 0
Day 1: 1 01-14 Total: 1 01-14
99. Eastin Gilliland - Gunnar Freeman Lone Star Jr Bassmasters - TX 0
Day 1: 1 01-13 Total: 1 01-13
99. Grifinn Thomas-Hamm - Tahlen Thomas-Hamm Southside Junior Anglers 0
Day 1: 1 01-13 Total: 1 01-13
101. Logan Dunham - Braeden Walker Fighting Fishsticks Jr. Bass Clu 0
Day 1: 1 01-10 Total: 1 01-10
102. Ben Johnston - Sam Bucala Federation Nation Jr. Bassmaster 0
Day 1: 1 00-10 Total: 1 00-10
103. James Barkley - Nikolas Foster New Hampshire Jr. Bassmasters 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
103. Anna Brown - Coleman Moore Loudon Redskins Jr Bass Team - T 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
103. Gavin Brubaker - Hunter Haines Susquehanna Valley Jr Fishing Te 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
103. Korben Burgess - Mack Josey Cleveland County Bass Anglers 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
103. Rachel Burks - Clay County Anglers - TN 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
103. Quinn Cancellieri - Kingston Bartley Denver Jr Bassmasters 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
103. Quinn Cook - Michael Basile Off The Hook Jr. Bassmasters 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
103. Blaine Davis - Bo Pearson Liberty County Junior Anglers 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
103. Tucker Fratz - Rowan Rikhye Junior Garrett Bass Slayers 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
103. Elijah Hart - Marlon Gammon Hartley's Hawgs Piglets 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
103. Dixon Heflin - Toby Potts Bedford County Youth Bass Club - 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
103. Kaden Henderson - Nickolas Tinkle Arkansas Youth Anglers - AR 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
103. Heston Hoffman - Samuel Holland Topeka Jr Hawgs 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
103. Hunter Hogan - Chase Hogan Avonworth Middle School 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
103. Jake Jaracy - Jack Jaracy Bass Lightning 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
103. Buddy Malone - Avren Wells Topeka Jr Hawgs 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
103. Brayden Marcum - Tyler Goble Cardinal Youth Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
103. Kylan Martin - Ryder Ginter Montgomery County High School Ba 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
103. Mackenzie Muntz - Jacob Muntz Black Swamp High School Fishing 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
103. Jake Ray - Max Stewart Live Oak Jr Eagles 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
103. Walker Sawyer - Ashbi Sawyer Payette River Jr. Bassmasters 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
103. Jaxon Schmidt - Brayden Savage Junior Garrett Bass Slayers 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
103. Jake Sidney - Luke Sidney Phoenix Junior Bassmasters 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
103. Graham Streeter - Jackson Reed Indiana Junior Bassmasters 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
103. Kale Temple - Easton Kelley Hart County High School Anglers 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
103. Tristan Topa - Caleb Robert Port City Junior Bass Masters 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
103. Oliver Williams - Corvin Katzban Eagleton Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 49 220 581-08
------------------------------
49 220 581-08
High-risk, high-reward strategy pays off for Burgess at B.A.S.S. Nation Qualifier at Lake Champlain
July 26, 2024
PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. — Everything about Mark Burgess’ strategy for the Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Qualifier at Lake Champlain presented by Lowrance was high risk, but the risk was well worth the reward as the Massachusetts angler claimed the victory with a three-day total of 62 pounds, 1 ounce.
A former Elite Series angler, Burgess caught bags of 17-6, 21-15 and then 22-12 on the final day to edge out Dan Tavilla by 15 ounces. Along with the victory, Burgess earned $8,793 and qualified for the 2024 Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Championship presented by Lowrance at Grand Lake, putting him one step closer to achieving the dream of fishing the Bassmaster Classic.
“I’m amazed, really. When I signed up for this tournament, I knew (Garmin) LiveScope would play for smallmouth, and that’s not my deal. I was in my total comfort zone this week. I had a flipping stick almost the whole time with a little bit of ChatterBaiting and square billing. I just made the right decisions each day.
“I’m so stoked. This is my best Bassmaster event ever.”
Burgess has been fishing Lake Champlain since the 1990s when he flew a plane over the Ticonderoga region of the lake to locate milfoil beds. This week, Burgess was about as far from Ticonderoga as he possibly could be, instead making a long run north towards the Canadian border.
Heavy rain before the event lifted the lake levels 2 feet higher than normal, and with dirtier water than normal to go along with it, Burgess decided to focus on the shallows and targeted a mix of laydowns, milfoil and docks.
It was one magic tree, however, that produced the majority of his bass. This specific laydown sits mostly on the bank, but the water has created a void where the bass sit to ambush prey, and Burgess used that to his advantage.
“It’s in a deep creek, but this tree is on the bank,” he explained. “The waves have washed out the area under the tree, so even though it looks like it is in the mud, there is a hollow spot under the tree. That is where the fish lay, right on the edge of the drop.”
His best bait was a YUM Wooly Hawg Craw rigged on a 4/0 VMC heavy-duty flipping hook and a ⅜-ounce weight. In clearer water, he used a green pumpkin color and dyed the tails orange. Black neon was his choice of color in dirtier water.
He also caught several key fish on a ChatterBait and an old-school Lucky Craft RC 1.5 squarebill. All of the bass he brought to weigh-in were largemouth, but he did land several quality smallmouth, as well.
Not only did Burgess have to fight the wind and waves to reach his area, but he had to battle through a variety of mechanical issues all week. On the final day, his navigation lights at the bow of the boat malfunctioned, so his co-angler downloaded an app to his phone and then taped his phone to the trolling motor so they could take off on time.
After landing in 33rd after Day 1, Burgess knew he was within range of qualifying for the Nation Championship, but an impressive Day 2 bag anchored by a 6-4 largemouth lifted him into contention for the final day.
“Days 1 and 2 started really rough. I had two big fish pull off on the first day. I set my sights on 20th at that point and putting the biggest bag I could put together in the boat. The second day I didn’t have a fish until 9 a.m. I was starting to spin out a little bit but realized you don’t get these opportunities very often.”
After not catching a bass off the laydown to start Day 2, Burgess returned later in the morning and filled out his limit, including the 6-4 largemouth. Later in the day, he caught a 5-pounder off a set of docks he had only seen 2-pounders on in practice.
On the final day, the wind slowed down, and Burgess was able to move around much easier. He started on the magic laydown and filled out another quality limit before running to several other key pieces of cover and a row of docks to upgrade his bag.
“I went straight to the juice, and it was a good decision because another competitor, an absolute hammer on this lake, was basically fishing the same stuff. I got to it first. I was culling by the time he arrived. I had the start of a good bag there, around 19 pounds.”
After taking the Day 2 lead, Tavilla fell to second on the final day with a total of 61-2. He opened the tournament with 21-2 before landing 19-14 on the second day and 20-2 on Championship Friday.
“I have fished against Mark since I started bass fishing in 2009,” Tavilla said. “He deserves this. He has put the time in and has done it forever. He got the big largemouth for sure. I’m happy for him.”
The boater from Portsmouth, N.H., scoured the Inland Sea for pelagic smallmouth that were chasing groups of white and yellow perch as well as alewives in 25 to 40 feet of water outside of a boulder ridge. Using his forward-facing sonar, Tavilla pitched a ¼-ounce tungsten ball-head jig rigged with a 5-inch Deps Sakamata Shad to the bait balls.
At the end of each day, Tavilla would fish for largemouth and landed two quality green fish using a ChatterBait.
The final day started well for Tavilla, but he could not find a 5-pounder to bolster his limit.
“It was fast and furious this morning, but the size wasn’t as consistent,” he said. “There were more 3-pounders today. I caught a 4-5 pretty early on and then I had to grind after that. The first two or three hours I probably caught 12 bass. I caught a bonus fish on a Carolina rig.”
With bags of 20-14, 18-9 and 20-9, University of Montevallo senior Jacob Swanson finished third with a three-day total of 60-0. The Framingham, Mass., angler split his time between smallmouth and largemouth this week. With his forward-facing sonar, Swanson found smallmouth chasing bait in 35 feet of water and used a Z-Man Scented Jerk ShadZ on either a ¼-ounce or ⅛-ounce jighead to catch those bass.
He searched for largemouth by tossing a ⅜-ounce jig paired with a Strike King Rage Menace trailer around docks and rock. As the tournament progressed, the largemouth bite became increasingly more reliable.
Day 1 leader Frankie Appaluccio landed the Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the Tournament, a 6-15 largemouth he caught the first day.
Craig Morris won the $200 Garmin Rewards Trolling Motor contingency and Justin Yenter earned a $300 Garmin Rewards Electronics bonus.
By catching three-bass limits of 7-14, 12-9 and 12-5, Rob Ross won the nonboater division with a three-day total of 32-12. Guiseppe Andreoli finished second with a total of 31-14 and Ernest Weathersby finished third with 31-4.
Sophon Chhoeun landed the Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the Day on Championship Friday, a 5-3.
All 40 final day competitors punched tickets to the 2024 Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Championship presented by Lowrance at Grand Lake scheduled for Nov. 6-8.
The winner of that event will earn the title of Nation’s Best and will earn an invite to the 2025 Bassmaster Elite Series plus a spot in the 2025 Bassmaster Classic. The second- and third-place finishers at the Nation Championship will also compete in the 2025 Bassmaster Classic.
The Adirondack Coast hosted the tournament.
2024 Bassmaster Nation Series Title Sponsor: Mercury
2024 Bassmaster Nation Series Presenting Sponsor: Lowrance
2024 Bassmaster Nation Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota
2024 Bassmaster Nation Series Premier Sponsors: Bass Pro Shops, Dakota Lithium, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Progressive Insurance, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha
2024 Bassmaster Nation Series Supporting Sponsors: AFTCO, Daiwa, Garmin, Lew's, Lowrance, Marathon, Triton Boats, VMC
2024 Bassmaster Nation Series Youth Sponsors: Seaguar, Shimano
About B.A.S.S.B.A.S.S., which encompasses the Bassmaster tournament leagues, events and media platforms, is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting-edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 500,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), TV show, radio show, social media programs and events. For more than 50 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.
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Media Contact: Chad Gay, Communications Manager, 205-313-0945, cgay@bassmaster.
2024 Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Qualifier at Lake Champlain presented by Lowrance 7/24-7/26
Lake Champlain, Plattsburgh NY.
(BOATER) Standings Day 3
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Mark Burgess Norton, MA 15 62-01 0 $8,793.00
Day 1: 5 17-06 Day 2: 5 21-15 Day 3: 5 22-12
2. Dan Tavilla Portsmouth, NH 15 61-02 0 $4,271.00
Day 1: 5 21-02 Day 2: 5 19-14 Day 3: 5 20-02
3. Jacob Swanson Framingham, MA 15 60-00 0 $3,015.00
Day 1: 5 20-14 Day 2: 5 18-09 Day 3: 5 20-09
4. Matt Pangrac Shawnee, OK 15 58-03 0 $2,780.00
Day 1: 5 20-07 Day 2: 5 16-06 Day 3: 5 21-06
5. J Judd Saint Albans, VT 15 58-01 0 $2,186.00
Day 1: 5 20-05 Day 2: 5 20-01 Day 3: 5 17-11
6. Jonathan Carter Portland, ME 15 56-13 0 $2,010.00
Day 1: 5 18-04 Day 2: 5 18-09 Day 3: 5 20-00
7. Frankie Appaluccio Ogdensburg, NJ 15 56-09 0 $1,884.00
Day 1: 5 24-05 Day 2: 5 16-03 Day 3: 5 16-01
8. Cody Peryea Altona, NY 15 56-08 0 $1,759.00
Day 1: 5 20-13 Day 2: 5 16-07 Day 3: 5 19-04
9. Robert Williamson II Gorham, ME 15 56-08 0 $1,530.00
Day 1: 5 20-00 Day 2: 5 20-00 Day 3: 5 16-08
10. Jay Walls Milford, DE 15 56-04 0 $1,131.00
Day 1: 5 18-08 Day 2: 5 18-05 Day 3: 5 19-07
11. Connor Jacob Auburn, AL 15 56-04 0 $1,005.00
Day 1: 5 19-02 Day 2: 5 18-14 Day 3: 5 18-04
12. Scott Robert Greene, ME 15 55-11 0 $975.00
Day 1: 5 16-02 Day 2: 5 19-06 Day 3: 5 20-03
13. Justin Yenter Stevens Point, WI 15 55-01 0 $991.00
Day 1: 5 18-14 Day 2: 5 19-02 Day 3: 5 17-01
14. Jed Worthington Eden Mills, VT 15 55-00 0 $691.00
Day 1: 5 18-06 Day 2: 5 17-09 Day 3: 5 19-01
15. Craig Morris Frankford, DE 15 54-03 0 $891.00
Day 1: 5 22-04 Day 2: 5 18-11 Day 3: 5 13-04
16. Joseph Tefft Fort Edward, NY 15 53-15 0 $691.00
Day 1: 5 17-14 Day 2: 5 17-15 Day 3: 5 18-02
17. Chase Loftus Iowa City, IA 15 53-06 0 $691.00
Day 1: 5 18-04 Day 2: 5 20-03 Day 3: 5 14-15
18. Anthony Lorefice Jr Johnson City, NY 15 51-11 0 $691.00
Day 1: 5 20-08 Day 2: 5 16-10 Day 3: 5 14-09
19. Ty Austin Rush, NY 15 49-14 0 $691.00
Day 1: 5 19-07 Day 2: 5 16-02 Day 3: 5 14-05
20. David Mathieu Woodstock, CT 15 49-04 0 $691.00
Day 1: 5 18-12 Day 2: 5 17-02 Day 3: 5 13-06
------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 126 648 1993-11
2 101 546 1705-14
3 20 100 356-14
------------------------------
247 1294 4056-07
2024 Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Qualifier at Lake Champlain presented by Lowrance 7/24-7/26
Lake Champlain, Plattsburgh NY.
(NON_BOATER) Standings Day 3
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Rob Ross Hopedale, MA 9 32-12 0 $3,500.00
Day 1: 3 07-14 Day 2: 3 12-09 Day 3: 3 12-05
2. Guiseppe Andreoli Foster, RI 9 31-14 0 $2,000.00
Day 1: 3 10-13 Day 2: 3 11-03 Day 3: 3 09-14
3. Ernest Weathersby Leominster, MA 9 31-04 0 $1,000.00
Day 1: 3 12-03 Day 2: 3 09-09 Day 3: 3 09-08
4. Sophon Chhoeun Fall River, MA 9 31-02 0 $926.00
Day 1: 3 10-03 Day 2: 3 09-15 Day 3: 3 11-00
5. Grant Fry Bay City, MI 9 31-00 0 $685.00
Day 1: 3 09-04 Day 2: 3 12-02 Day 3: 3 09-10
6. Jacob Muir Milford, DE 9 31-00 0 $575.00
Day 1: 3 08-15 Day 2: 3 10-11 Day 3: 3 11-06
7. Josh Giran Elizabeth, PA 9 30-04 0 $514.00
Day 1: 3 12-06 Day 2: 3 09-03 Day 3: 3 08-11
8. Stephen Sanders New Britain, CT 9 30-01 0 $480.00
Day 1: 3 08-10 Day 2: 3 11-03 Day 3: 3 10-04
9. Conner Petropoulos South Portland, ME 9 29-02 0 $450.00
Day 1: 3 08-06 Day 2: 3 12-00 Day 3: 3 08-12
10. Travis Rockett Intervale, NH 9 28-15 0 $400.00
Day 1: 3 09-09 Day 2: 3 08-07 Day 3: 3 10-15
11. Jake Minch Stevens Point, WI 9 28-03 0 $400.00
Day 1: 3 08-09 Day 2: 3 10-00 Day 3: 3 09-10
12. Vic Brown II Glen Burnie, MD 9 27-11 0 $350.00
Day 1: 3 07-06 Day 2: 3 11-07 Day 3: 3 08-14
13. Dave Reed Westminster, MD 9 27-08 0 $300.00
Day 1: 3 07-10 Day 2: 3 10-11 Day 3: 3 09-03
14. Wes Vyverberg Rochester, NY 9 27-08 0 $300.00
Day 1: 3 06-12 Day 2: 3 10-10 Day 3: 3 10-02
15. Mike Wotanowski Lake Hopatcong, NJ 9 26-15 0 $250.00
Day 1: 3 08-09 Day 2: 3 09-00 Day 3: 3 09-06
16. Robert Rull Jr Coventry, RI 9 26-08 0 $250.00
Day 1: 3 10-13 Day 2: 3 07-06 Day 3: 3 08-05
17. Joe Devoe Aberdeen, MD 9 26-04 0 $250.00
Day 1: 3 11-04 Day 2: 3 07-02 Day 3: 3 07-14
18. Brian Marino Vineland, NJ 8 25-09 0 $250.00
Day 1: 3 08-02 Day 2: 3 11-04 Day 3: 2 06-03
19. Dylan Stowe Weybridge, VT 9 25-09 0 $250.00
Day 1: 3 08-14 Day 2: 3 10-14 Day 3: 3 05-13
20. JT Fitzgerald Lincoln, DE 9 23-06 0 $250.00
Day 1: 3 10-02 Day 2: 3 07-08 Day 3: 3 05-12
------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 54 210 557-15
2 61 203 581-07
3 19 59 183-07
------------------------------
134 472 1322-13
MLF Announces 2025 Tackle Warehouse Invitationals Schedule, New Invitationals Championship
BENTON, Ky. (July 26, 2024) – Major League Fishing (MLF) announced Friday the 2025 Tackle Warehouse Invitationals schedule, highlighted by the addition of a no-entry-fee championship featuring a $135,000 top award and a REDCREST 2026 berth for the winner.
The 2025 Tackle Warehouse Invitationals will showcase 150 pros competing across six regular-season stops for a season-long purse of more than $4.3 million and valuable points to qualify for the new Tackle Warehouse Invitationals Championship and ultimately an invitation to compete on the 2026 Bass Pro Tour.
Each Invitational will feature anglers competing over three days in a five-fish, weigh-in format for a top award of up to $115,000. The top pro from the point standings at the end of the season will win the Fishing Clash Angler of the Year title and $50,000, while the top five pros qualify for the 2026 Bass Pro Tour and the top 50 pros advance to the new Tackle Warehouse Invitationals Championship.
“We at Tackle Warehouse are very excited about the addition of a championship event for the 2025 Tackle Warehouse Invitationals. It’s a great goal and incentive for Invitationals anglers to work towards all year, and really completes the TWI circuit,” said Tackle Warehouse’s Joey Reggio. “We can't wait to join with MLF in crowning the winner of the very first Tackle Warehouse Invitationals Championship in 2025.”
The Tackle Warehouse Invitationals Championship, set for Sept. 5-7, 2025, on the Mississippi River in La Crosse, Wisconsin, will feature a $522,000 purse with a top award of $135,000 and every angler guaranteed at least $5,000.
“We’re excited to announce our 2025 schedule and the addition of the Invitationals Championship,” said Kevin Hunt, Senior Director of Tournament Operations of the Tackle Warehouse Invitationals. “The Invitationals are the only way into the Bass Pro Tour, and the competitiveness and intensity that comes in the race for those five spots has created some extraordinary moments over the first two years. We look forward to another great season on some incredible fisheries and can’t wait to watch how 2025 shakes out.”
Every day of Tackle Warehouse Invitational competition will be broadcast live on MLFNOW! at MajorLeagueFishing.com and streamed to the Major League Fishing app, MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) and Rumble app. Each tournament will also be televised on CBS Sports.
Invitations for the 2025 season will be sent to qualified anglers following Stop 6 on the Detroit River, which wraps up the 2024 season on Sunday.
2025 MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitationals Schedule:
Feb. 21- 23 Stop 1 at the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes Kissimmee, Fla.
Hosted by Experience Kissimmee
March 14-16 Stop 2 at Lake Hartwell Anderson, S.C.
Hosted by Visit Anderson
April 15-17 Stop 3 at Smith Lake Cullman, Ala.
Hosted by Visit Cullman, Alabama
May 9-11 Stop 4 at Pickwick Lake Counce, Tenn.
Hosted by the Explore Pickwick Lake/Hardin County Tourism
June 20-22 Stop 5 at the James River Richmond, Va.
Hosted by Richmond Region Tourism
July 25-27 Stop 6 at the St. Lawrence River Massena, N.Y.
Hosted by the Town of Massena
Sept. 5-7 Invitationals Championship at the Mississippi River La Crosse, Wis.
Hosted by Explore La Crosse
Payouts:
Qualifiers 1-6
Place
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11-20 10,000
21-30
31-50
Berkley Big Bass – Day 1 1,000
Berkley Big Bass – Day 2 1,000
Entry Fee: $5,500 per tournament
Tackle Warehouse Invitationals Championship
Place
1
+ REDCREST 2026
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11-20
21-30
31-50
Berkley Big Bass – Day 1 1,000
Berkley Big Bass – Day 2 1,000
No Entry Fee
Proud sponsors of the MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitationals include: 7 Brew, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, E3 Sports Apparel, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, General Tire, Lew’s, Mercury, Mossy Oak Fishing, Onyx, Phoenix Boats, Polaris, Power-Pole, PowerStop Brakes, REDCON1, Strike King, Suzuki, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, WIX Filters and YETI.
For complete details and updated information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Tackle Warehouse Invitationals on the MLF5 social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery Channel, Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 17 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.
MLF Bass Pro Tour Set for 2024 Season Finale with Minn Kota Stage Seven at St. Lawrence River Presented by Humminbird
MASSENA, N.Y. (July 25, 2024) – The Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Tour is set to wrap the 2024 season of the Bass Pro Tour next, week, Aug. 6-11, in Massena, New York, with the seventh and final event of the year – the Minn Kota Stage Seven at the St. Lawrence River Presented by Humminbird.
The six-day event, hosted by the Town of Massena, will feature a field of 78 professional anglers, including superstars like Ott DeFoe, Jacob Wheeler, REDCREST 2024 Champion Dustin Connell and reigning Fishing Clash Angler of the Year (AOY) Matt Becker. They’ll be competing for a season-long purse of $3.9 million – including a top prize of $100,000 at the St. Lawrence River – and valuable AOY points in hopes of qualifying for the General Tire Heavy Hitters all-star event and REDCREST 2025, the Bass Pro Tour championship.
The tournament will showcase the MLF catch, weigh, immediate-release format, in which anglers catch as much weight as they can each day, while also feeling the pressure and intensity of the SCORETRACKER® leaderboard. The tournament will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com, the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app, and Rumble.
“We are pleased to host Major League Fishing again this year for the 2024 Bass Pro Tour,” said Don Meissner, Director of Tourism for the Town of Massena. “This promises to be one of the most exciting events that the town of Massena has had the good fortune to bring to the folks in northern New York. Our partnership with MLF and their key personnel continues to provide great benefit and promise to the community and all of the North Country.”
The St. Lawrence River has hosted hundreds of MLF (and FLW) tournaments over the years, but this event will mark just the second time that the venue has hosted the Bass Pro Tour, MLF’s top circuit. When the Bass Pro Tour last visited Massena in 2021, pro Jacob Wheeler of Harrison, Tennessee, caught a final-day Championship Round total of 35 bass weighing 129 pounds even to win by an impressive 28-pound, 10-ounce margin over his nearest competitor, pro Jeff Sprague of Wills Point, Texas.
“I was able to spend three days there at the St. Lawrence River before it went off limits, and the fishery is just incredible,” said pro Spencer Shuffield of Hot Springs, Arkansas, who won the 2022 Tackle Warehouse TITLE championship event on the St. Lawrence River and will be among the 78 competitors. “That place has so many 4-to 5-pound smallmouth. I expect the weights to be really big – I’ll be interested to see the numbers after we wrap up, but I’m willing to bet the average fish that is weighed in averages 3-12 to 3-15.
“It’s also a really good largemouth fishery, but you just can’t compete against the smallmouth over the multiple days,” Shuffield continued. “I think the (Garmin Live)scope guys will dominate again, but the river is a little bit tricky. With the current, the fish suck down to the rocks so tight it can be really hard to see them on your electronics. So, there will be a lot of fish caught dragging with the current – Carolina rigs, drop-shot rigs and Ned rigs.”
With so many accolades on the line – Fishing Clash Angler of the Year, REDCREST 2025 and Heavy Hitters qualifications, requalification into the 2025 Bass Pro Tour – the final event of the year on the St. Lawrence River is sure to be a nail-biter.
“It’s just an awesome fishery – one of my favorite places in the country, no doubt,” Shuffield went on to say. “I think on the final day, you’re going to need to catch at least 140 to 160 pounds to have a chance. It’s going to be a smallmouth smash fest, and a great event to wrap up the season.”
Anglers will launch at 7:30 a.m. ET each day from the Massena Intake Boat Launch, located at 1415 State Highway 131 in Massena. Each day’s General Tire Takeout will be held at the launch, beginning at 4 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend all launch and takeout events and also encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLFNOW!® live stream and SCORETRACKER® coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com .
In addition to the competition, numerous events held in conjunction with the tournament will be taking place around the North Country during the week. On Friday, Aug. 2, pro Dave Lefebre and his band, The Band 814, in conjunction with Fish Massena, NY presents: The Break Every Chain Live Concert Series, a powerful night of praise, worship and testimony at the Massena Town Beach. Additional Bass Pro Tour anglers scheduled to appear at the concert include Alton Jones, Jr., Alton Jones, Sr., Nick LeBrun and Ott DeFoe. Gates open at 7:30 p.m., and the concert starts at 8 p.m.
On Monday, Aug. 5, the MLF pros will participate in the Johnson Outdoors Clean Earth Challenge, from 4 to 5 p.m. at the Massena Intake Boat Launch. The National Wildlife Federation and Johnson Outdoors teamed up to launch the Clean Earth Challenge in 2022 to inspire people to get outdoors and take simple conservation actions to help preserve and restore the outdoor spaces we all love. The pros will spend their time collecting trash and debris from the Massena Intake Boat Launch and surrounding areas, with a post-clean up weigh-in taking place to determine how much trash and debris was collected during the challenge. In addition to the pros, MLF staff in Benton, Kentucky, will also participate in the challenge, collecting trash and debris from the Kentucky Dam Marina.
On Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 10-11, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. MLF welcomes fans of all ages to visit the Massena Intake Boat Launch for the MLF Watch Party. Fans can watch the pros live on the MLFNOW! big screen, enjoy free food, enter to win hourly giveaways and cheer on their favorite pros. Live music will begin each day at 4 p.m. The first 50 kids 14 and under will receive a free rod and reel from Pure Fishing each day. The final 10 Championship Round Bass Pro Tour anglers will be on hand at the trophy celebration on Championship Sunday to meet and greet fans, sign autographs and take selfies.
The Minn Kota Stage Seven at the St. Lawrence River will feature anglers competing with a 2-pound minimum weight requirement for a bass to be deemed scorable. The MLF Fisheries Management Division determines minimum weights for each body of water that the Bass Pro Tour visits, based on the productivity, bass population and anticipated average size of fish in each fishery.
The 2024 Bass Pro Tour features a field of 78 of the top professional anglers in the world, competing across seven regular-season tournaments around the country, for millions of dollars and valuable points to qualify for the annual General Tire Heavy Hitters all-star event and REDCREST 2025, the Bass Pro Tour championship, set for April 3-6, 2025 on Lake Guntersville in Huntsville, Alabama.
The 39 Anglers in Group A compete in their two-day Qualifying Round on Tuesday and Thursday – the 39 anglers in Group B on Wednesday and Friday. After each two-day Qualifying Round is complete, the anglers that finish first through 10th from both groups advance to Saturday’s Knockout Round. In the Knockout Round, weights are zeroed, and the remaining 20 anglers compete to finish in the top 10 to advance to Sunday’s Championship Round. In the final-day Championship Round, weights are zeroed, and the highest one-day total wins the top prize of $100,000.
The MLFNOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action live on the final four days of competition from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET. MLFNOW!® will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app.
Television coverage of the Minn Kota Stage Seven at the St. Lawrence River will premiere as a two-hour episode starting at 7 a.m. ET, on Saturday, Nov. 16 on Discovery. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on Discovery, with re-airings on Outdoor Channel.
Proud sponsors of the 2024 MLF Bass Pro Tour include: Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, BUBBA, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, Garmin, General Tire, Humminbird, Lowrance, Mercury, MillerTech, Minn Kota, Mossy Oak Fishing, NITRO, Onyx, Plano, Power-Pole, PowerStop Brakes, Rapala, REDCON1, StarBrite, Suzuki, Toyota, WIX Filters and U.S. Air Force.
For complete details and updated information on Major League Fishing and the Bass Pro Tour, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube.
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery Channel, Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 17 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.
Big-water persistence vaults Tavilla to lead in B.A.S.S. Nation Qualifier at Lake Champlain
July 25, 2024
PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. — Despite windy and wavy conditions this week, Dan Tavilla has stuck to his smallmouth gameplan and the persistence has paid off as the New Hampshire angler leads the Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Qualifier at Lake Champlain presented by Lowrance with a two-day total of 41-0.
Opening the tournament in third place with a 21-2 limit of mostly smallmouth, Tavilla landed 19-14 on Day 2 to move into the lead. His lead is slim, however, as Delaware’s Craig Morris is just an ounce behind in second place and Day 1 leader Frankie Appaluccio is third with 40-8.
Not only is Tavilla in contention for the victory, he also qualified for his first B.A.S.S. Nation Championship which will be held at Grand Lake in November.
“I thought I was on 18 to 19 (pounds) a day, and that was in optimal conditions. I think the wind has been a little too much this week,” he said. “I caught more 4-pound smallmouth than I thought I would catch yesterday. I wasn’t catching three 4-pound smallmouth in practice. So, if things went well, I thought I would be around 19 pounds a day.”
Changing conditions and wind direction made for a much tougher day of fishing for the field of 138 boats. Only four bags of 20 pounds or better were caught by boaters and only 101 limits crossed the weigh-in stage, down from 126 on Day 1.
While the wind forced many anglers to target largemouth in this tournament, Tavilla has focused much of his attention on several areas within the Inland Sea region of Lake Champlain, catching smallmouth that are keying in on a variety of bait anywhere from 20 to 45 feet of water.
“My best days of practice were on big wind days,” he explained. “I know there is a general consensus that smallmouth like sun, but I don’t mind a little bit of clouds, and I definitely don’t mind a little bit of wind. There is obviously a point where it gets to be too much.”
Along with alewives, Tavilla has seen smallmouth around both yellow and white perch, but the wind positions the bait differently every day. Two baits have caught the bulk of his weight this week.
“When you get a little shallower, there are perch, and when you get a little deeper the alewives show up,” he said. “There’s a little bit of a secret to what is different.”
While smallmouth have been consistent for Tavilla, he has caught one critical largemouth each afternoon of the event.
Tavilla started in the spot that yielded the majority of his Day 1 weight but did not find the same quality Thursday. While he caught several smaller bass, only one 3½-pounder made his final bag on Day 2. A change in wind direction also made fishing more difficult as the morning progressed, so he decided to check several of his backup areas.
“I couldn’t really present the bait properly at that point,” he said.
After landing a 4-pounder in what he called a community area, he moved to an area he found on Sunday of practice and found the area was loaded with bait.
“I’m just going around looking for pods of bait. When there is enough bait, there is always bass,” he said. “The wind positions the bait differently each day, and you have to find where the wind has put the bait.”
Things have gone well for the most part this week, but Tavilla did lose a 5-pounder at the boat that would have given him a little cushion heading into the final day. The wind is set to shift once again on Friday, which has him somewhat concerned about his best areas.
“I’m a little worried about the wind. The two spots I really want to fish are going to be exposed,” he said. “But I will say, I was running to largemouth at the end of the day and I saw a pod of birds going crazy. I stopped for a couple minutes and caught two bass really quick. It is protected from the northwest wind. I’m hopeful that's a spot I can catch some fish on.”
Morris suffered a disappointing end to his Delaware Nation season just prior to this event. He finished tied for first in the state standings but lost the automatic bid to the Nation Championship via a tiebreaker. This week, he redeemed himself in a big way.
With bags of largemouth weighing 22-4 and 18-11, the Ocean City, Del., native is sitting in second place for the tournament with 40-15, punching his ticket to the Nation Championship in the process.
After catching around 150 bass on Day 1, Morris returned to his primary area on the northern end of Lake Champlain, but the change in wind direction made it more difficult for him to stealthily navigate the area.
“Once the wind started blowing, the bite got a lot tougher. Every time we had lulls in the wind, we would catch four or five,” he explained. “It was challenging to move in that area quietly. We had 2-foot waves coming in there at times today, so I was always on the trolling motor. It’s not super deep, so it's making a lot of noise.”
Still, Morris landed around 25 total bass on the day using one key moving bait, which he feels is mimicking the forage. He has found the quality largemouth in a specific depth range and relating to one particular type of vegetation. There is still plenty of life in the area. Morris caught several smaller smallmouth, a 30-inch walleye as well as white and yellow perch.
“I probably filled out a limit in the first 20 minutes or so doing the same thing as yesterday,” Morris said. “It was definitely not as good as yesterday as far as the quantity of bites. I feel like they were hitting the bait with their mouth closed, and I caught some with the hook outside of the mouth. It wasn’t as good of a bite. I lost one around 1 o’clock that really cost me because it was a 4½- to 5-pounder.”
Mark Burgess caught the Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the Day, a 6-4 largemouth that helped lift him into fifth place for the tournament. It wasn’t enough to unseat Appaluccio’s 6-15 largemouth from Day 1 for Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the Tournament honors.
With bags of 10-13 and 11-3, Guiseppe Andreoli moved into the lead in the nonboater division with a two-day total of 22-0. Ernest Weathersby follows in second with a total of 21-12 and Josh Giran is third with 21-9. Massachusetts angler Michael Schrader landed the Big Bass of the Tournament so far amongst nonboaters on Day 2, a 5-5.
The Top 20 boaters and nonboaters after today’s weigh-in will launch from Plattsburgh City Marina beginning at 6 a.m. ET and return for weigh-in at 2 p.m. Those 40 anglers also punched their tickets to the Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Championship presented by Lowrance scheduled for Grand Lake Nov. 6-8.
The winner of that event will earn the title of Nation’s Best and will earn an invite to the 2025 Bassmaster Elite Series plus a spot in the 2025 Bassmaster Classic. The second and third place finishers at the Nation Championship will also compete in the 2025 Bassmaster Classic.
The Adirondack Coast is hosting the tournament.
2024 Bassmaster Nation Series Title Sponsor: Mercury
2024 Bassmaster Nation Series Presenting Sponsor: Lowrance
2024 Bassmaster Nation Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota
2024 Bassmaster Nation Series Premier Sponsors: Bass Pro Shops, Dakota Lithium, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Progressive Insurance, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha
2024 Bassmaster Nation Series Supporting Sponsors: AFTCO, Daiwa, Garmin, Lew's, Lowrance, Marathon, Triton Boats, VMC
2024 Bassmaster Nation Series Youth Sponsors: Seaguar, Shimano
About B.A.S.S.B.A.S.S., which encompasses the Bassmaster tournament leagues, events and media platforms, is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting-edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 500,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), TV show, radio show, social media programs and events. For more than 50 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.
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Media Contact: Chad Gay, Communications Manager, 205-313-0945, cgay@bassmaster.
2024 Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Qualifier at Lake Champlain presented by Lowrance 7/24-7/26
Lake Champlain, Plattsburgh NY.
(BOATER) Standings Day 2
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Dan Tavilla Portsmouth, NH 10 41-00 0
Day 1: 5 21-02 Day 2: 5 19-14
2. Craig Morris Ocean City, DE 10 40-15 0
Day 1: 5 22-04 Day 2: 5 18-11
3. Frankie Appaluccio Ogdensburg, NJ 10 40-08 0
Day 1: 5 24-05 Day 2: 5 16-03
4. J Judd Saint Albans, VT 10 40-06 0
Day 1: 5 20-05 Day 2: 5 20-01
5. Robert Williamson II Gorham, ME 10 40-00 0
Day 1: 5 20-00 Day 2: 5 20-00
6. Jacob Swanson Framingham, MA 10 39-07 0
Day 1: 5 20-14 Day 2: 5 18-09
7. Mark Burgess Norton, MA 10 39-05 0
Day 1: 5 17-06 Day 2: 5 21-15
8. Chase Loftus Iowa City, IA 10 38-07 0
Day 1: 5 18-04 Day 2: 5 20-03
9. Justin Yenter Stevens Point, WI 10 38-00 0
Day 1: 5 18-14 Day 2: 5 19-02
10. Connor Jacob Auburn, AL 10 38-00 0
Day 1: 5 19-02 Day 2: 5 18-14
11. Cody Peryea Altona, NY 10 37-04 0
Day 1: 5 20-13 Day 2: 5 16-07
12. Anthony Lorefice Jr Johnson City, NY 10 37-02 0
Day 1: 5 20-08 Day 2: 5 16-10
13. Matt Pangrac Shawnee, OK 10 36-13 0
Day 1: 5 20-07 Day 2: 5 16-06
14. Jonathan Carter Portland, ME 10 36-13 0
Day 1: 5 18-04 Day 2: 5 18-09
15. Jay Walls Milford, DE 10 36-13 0
Day 1: 5 18-08 Day 2: 5 18-05
16. Jed Worthington Eden Mills, VT 10 35-15 0
Day 1: 5 18-06 Day 2: 5 17-09
17. David Mathieu Woodstock, CT 10 35-14 0
Day 1: 5 18-12 Day 2: 5 17-02
18. Joseph Tefft Fort Edward, NY 10 35-13 0
Day 1: 5 17-14 Day 2: 5 17-15
19. Ty Austin Rush, NY 10 35-09 0
Day 1: 5 19-07 Day 2: 5 16-02
20. Scott Robert Greene, ME 10 35-08 0
Day 1: 5 16-02 Day 2: 5 19-06
21. Joshua Smith Coventry, RI 10 35-07 0 $628.00
Day 1: 5 20-07 Day 2: 5 15-00
22. Mark Hogan Milford, DE 10 35-06 0 $628.00
Day 1: 5 17-10 Day 2: 5 17-12
23. Brian La Clair Denton, MD 10 35-03 0 $628.00
Day 1: 5 18-06 Day 2: 5 16-13
24. Bret Winegardner Swanton, MD 10 35-02 0 $628.00
Day 1: 5 18-02 Day 2: 5 17-00
25. Brandon Mosley Harrah, OK 10 34-15 0 $628.00
Day 1: 5 16-00 Day 2: 5 18-15
26. Rich Ortiz Fort Ann, NY 10 34-12 0 $628.00
Day 1: 5 19-07 Day 2: 5 15-05
27. Daniel Gray Butler, PA 10 34-12 0 $578.00
Day 1: 5 19-05 Day 2: 5 15-07
28. Mikey Mello Jr Manville, RI 10 34-10 0 $578.00
Day 1: 5 17-08 Day 2: 5 17-02
29. Jared Leicht Millville, NJ 10 34-05 0 $578.00
Day 1: 5 14-06 Day 2: 5 19-15
30. Matthew Lazor Evans City, PA 10 34-03 0 $578.00
Day 1: 5 17-06 Day 2: 5 16-13
31. Cam Sterritt Newfields, NH 10 34-02 0 $578.00
Day 1: 5 17-04 Day 2: 5 16-14
32. Louis Monetti Brielle, NJ 10 34-00 0 $578.00
Day 1: 5 14-11 Day 2: 5 19-05
33. Corey Gillis Ayer, MA 10 33-12 0 $578.00
Day 1: 5 15-09 Day 2: 5 18-03
34. Travis Lepage Lewiston, ME 10 33-11 0 $578.00
Day 1: 5 16-04 Day 2: 5 17-07
35. Colin Gaudette Saint Albans, VT 10 33-06 0 $578.00
Day 1: 5 15-14 Day 2: 5 17-08
36. Randy Huffman Charleston, WV 10 33-05 0 $578.00
Day 1: 5 16-09 Day 2: 5 16-12
37. Casey Baroffio Northfield, VT 10 33-04 0 $578.00
Day 1: 5 15-04 Day 2: 5 18-00
38. Brennan Chuprinko Flanders, NJ 10 33-03 0 $578.00
Day 1: 5 18-07 Day 2: 5 14-12
39. Max Meister Atco, NJ 10 32-15 0 $578.00
Day 1: 5 14-13 Day 2: 5 18-02
40. Jacob Marcantonio Moosup, CT 10 32-14 0 $578.00
Day 1: 5 14-07 Day 2: 5 18-07
41. Phil Curtis Rosseau ONTARIO CANADA 10 32-13 0
Day 1: 5 16-03 Day 2: 5 16-10
42. Robert Bordeaux III Williston, VT 10 32-12 0
Day 1: 5 15-02 Day 2: 5 17-10
43. Steven Griffith Schellsburg, PA 10 32-10 0
Day 1: 5 15-10 Day 2: 5 17-00
44. Josh Cotier Clinton, MA 10 32-09 0
Day 1: 5 16-15 Day 2: 5 15-10
45. Fabian Rodriguez Ocean City, MD 10 32-07 0
Day 1: 5 17-06 Day 2: 5 15-01
46. Anthony Dulac Harpswell, ME 10 32-06 0
Day 1: 5 17-06 Day 2: 5 15-00
47. Trevor Topken Hickory, NC 10 32-04 0
Day 1: 5 16-04 Day 2: 5 16-00
48. John Fitzgerald Salisbury, VT 10 32-02 0
Day 1: 5 14-05 Day 2: 5 17-13
49. Keith Poulin Lisbon, ME 10 31-09 0
Day 1: 5 17-10 Day 2: 5 13-15
50. Bradley Baxter Willshire, OH 10 31-07 0
Day 1: 5 16-00 Day 2: 5 15-07
51. Keith Aucoin Hollis Center, ME 10 31-05 0
Day 1: 5 14-01 Day 2: 5 17-04
52. Joe McClosky Swanton, MD 10 31-04 0
Day 1: 5 16-05 Day 2: 5 14-15
53. Tim Dubuc Bowdoinham, ME 10 31-02 0
Day 1: 5 13-02 Day 2: 5 18-00
54. Martin Osborne Glen Burnie, MD 10 31-00 0
Day 1: 5 15-05 Day 2: 5 15-11
55. Paul Baker New Fairfield, CT 9 30-15 0
Day 1: 5 18-10 Day 2: 4 12-05
56. Sheron Brown Sr Leominster, MA 10 30-13 0
Day 1: 5 16-05 Day 2: 5 14-08
57. Brian Hensley Edwardsburg, MI 10 30-09 0
Day 1: 5 11-06 Day 2: 5 19-03
58. David Torres II Fallston, MD 9 30-08 0
Day 1: 5 20-02 Day 2: 4 10-06
59. Thomas Waltz St. Albans, VT 9 30-08 0
Day 1: 4 13-07 Day 2: 5 17-01
60. Steve Wilson East Waterboro, ME 10 30-03 0
Day 1: 5 14-06 Day 2: 5 15-13
61. Johnathan Sheehan Lynn, MA 10 30-02 0
Day 1: 5 14-04 Day 2: 5 15-14
62. Eric Low Buxton, ME 10 30-00 0
Day 1: 5 13-15 Day 2: 5 16-01
63. Carson Forrester Chambersburg, PA 10 30-00 0
Day 1: 5 15-04 Day 2: 5 14-12
64. Kevin Clark Westport, MA 10 29-11 0
Day 1: 5 15-15 Day 2: 5 13-12
65. Jeffrey Patch Rutland, VT 10 29-11 0
Day 1: 5 14-06 Day 2: 5 15-05
66. Brent Valere Mississauga CANADA 10 29-10 0
Day 1: 5 15-07 Day 2: 5 14-03
67. Dennis Rocheford Pembroke, NH 10 29-06 0
Day 1: 5 14-01 Day 2: 5 15-05
68. John Mayo Maiden, NC 10 29-02 0
Day 1: 5 15-05 Day 2: 5 13-13
69. Ed Powell Sandyville, WV 10 29-01 0
Day 1: 5 13-11 Day 2: 5 15-06
70. Andrew Sams Easton, MD 10 28-13 0
Day 1: 5 13-06 Day 2: 5 15-07
71. Matt Mosby Dryden, MI 10 28-13 0
Day 1: 5 14-03 Day 2: 5 14-10
72. Nausori Osasa Grand Isle, VT 10 28-11 0
Day 1: 5 12-14 Day 2: 5 15-13
73. Randy Kukral Chagrin Falls, OH 10 28-11 0
Day 1: 5 13-03 Day 2: 5 15-08
74. John Rottman Dudley, MA 10 28-10 0
Day 1: 5 14-10 Day 2: 5 14-00
75. Ross Bartolo Caesarea CANADA 10 28-07 0
Day 1: 5 14-13 Day 2: 5 13-10
76. Woody McKechnie Lynn , MA 10 28-06 0
Day 1: 5 10-11 Day 2: 5 17-11
77. Jason Muir Milford, DE 10 28-06 0
Day 1: 5 14-12 Day 2: 5 13-10
78. Tony Despot II Monroeville, PA 10 28-01 0
Day 1: 5 11-14 Day 2: 5 16-03
79. Trevor Poulin Nashua, NH 10 28-01 0
Day 1: 5 13-01 Day 2: 5 15-00
80. Craig Castro North Attleboro, MA 10 28-00 0
Day 1: 5 12-12 Day 2: 5 15-04
81. Jeff Jensen Beech Creek, PA 10 28-00 0
Day 1: 5 13-07 Day 2: 5 14-09
82. RJ Ricci Cranston, RI 10 27-15 0
Day 1: 5 14-04 Day 2: 5 13-11
83. Scott Rondeau Charlestown, RI 10 27-14 0
Day 1: 5 14-08 Day 2: 5 13-06
84. Peter Owen Jr Barnstead, NH 10 27-10 0
Day 1: 5 13-04 Day 2: 5 14-06
85. Randy Elliott Severn, MD 10 27-09 0
Day 1: 5 12-05 Day 2: 5 15-04
86. Brian Wisniewski Allentown, PA 10 27-09 0
Day 1: 5 14-13 Day 2: 5 12-12
87. Dylan Dew Valencia , PA 8 27-05 0
Day 1: 5 19-00 Day 2: 3 08-05
88. Chris Guncheon Warwick, RI 8 26-13 0
Day 1: 5 19-05 Day 2: 3 07-08
89. Mason Phillpotts Fenton, MI 10 26-13 0
Day 1: 5 14-13 Day 2: 5 12-00
90. Scott Kerslake Okeechobee, FL 10 26-11 0
Day 1: 5 14-09 Day 2: 5 12-02
91. Dylan Minch Stevens Point, WI 9 26-11 0
Day 1: 4 12-10 Day 2: 5 14-01
92. TJ McKenzie Andrews, SC 10 26-07 0
Day 1: 5 16-13 Day 2: 5 09-10
93. Chris Washinger Chambersburg, PA 10 26-06 0
Day 1: 5 14-05 Day 2: 5 12-01
94. Jeffrey Davis Jr Wendell, NC 10 26-05 0
Day 1: 5 16-06 Day 2: 5 09-15
95. Austin Littler Camden, NY 9 26-05 0
Day 1: 5 14-13 Day 2: 4 11-08
96. Ryan Smith Galloway, NJ 9 26-01 0
Day 1: 5 15-07 Day 2: 4 10-10
97. John Roth Lawrenceburg, IN 10 26-01 0
Day 1: 5 13-06 Day 2: 5 12-11
98. Stefan Lillios Loudon, NH 9 26-00 0
Day 1: 4 09-12 Day 2: 5 16-04
99. Mike Morris Dover, DE 10 25-14 0
Day 1: 5 11-05 Day 2: 5 14-09
100. Clayton Grimm Mechanic Falls, ME 10 25-01 0
Day 1: 5 09-07 Day 2: 5 15-10
101. Michael Trimarchi Peabody, MA 10 24-11 0
Day 1: 5 15-01 Day 2: 5 09-10
102. Butch Marietta Jr Hunker, PA 9 24-04 0
Day 1: 5 14-04 Day 2: 4 10-00
103. Steven Kotvas Apollo, PA 10 24-00 0
Day 1: 5 12-06 Day 2: 5 11-10
104. Arthur Magurn Lunenburg, MA 8 23-13 0
Day 1: 3 07-12 Day 2: 5 16-01
105. Nick Lepone Fieldsboro, NJ 10 23-09 0
Day 1: 5 11-05 Day 2: 5 12-04
106. Ben Hale Rowley, MA 9 23-01 0
Day 1: 5 16-02 Day 2: 4 06-15
107. Robert Batchelder Jr Mechanicville, NY 10 23-01 0
Day 1: 5 13-11 Day 2: 5 09-06
108. Jeremy Sadowski Voluntown, CT 9 22-13 0
Day 1: 5 12-11 Day 2: 4 10-02
109. Roger LaFlamme Jr Lyman, ME 10 22-11 0
Day 1: 5 09-07 Day 2: 5 13-04
110. Tony Kibler Milford, DE 9 20-12 0
Day 1: 5 11-01 Day 2: 4 09-11
111. Derek Severns Carnegie, PA 8 20-01 0
Day 1: 3 07-01 Day 2: 5 13-00
112. Addison Kelly Queensbury, NY 5 18-10 0
Day 1: 5 18-10 Day 2: 0 00-00
113. Chris Ogan Bixby, OK 8 15-04 0
Day 1: 5 12-01 Day 2: 3 03-03
114. Darryl Halbert Enoree, SC 5 14-14 0
Day 1: 5 14-14 Day 2: 0 00-00
115. Michael Adams Portland, ME 5 14-12 0
Day 1: 5 14-12 Day 2: 0 00-00
116. Robert Ramasci Wakefield, MA 5 14-11 0
Day 1: 5 14-11 Day 2: 0 00-00
116. Jeff Salmon Mechanicsville, VA 5 14-11 0
Day 1: 5 14-11 Day 2: 0 00-00
118. Chris Groman Whiting, VT 5 14-07 0
Day 1: 5 14-07 Day 2: 0 00-00
119. Ed Lapierre Lebanon, ME 5 13-09 0
Day 1: 5 13-09 Day 2: 0 00-00
120. David Maiorano Durham, CT 5 13-05 0
Day 1: 5 13-05 Day 2: 0 00-00
121. Evan Poroznik Nestleton Station Ontar 5 12-13 0
Day 1: 5 12-13 Day 2: 0 00-00
122. Kevin Wilkes Ballston Lake,, NY 5 12-07 0
Day 1: 5 12-07 Day 2: 0 00-00
123. Erick Markstaller New Milford, CT 5 12-04 0
Day 1: 5 12-04 Day 2: 0 00-00
124. Frank Ramsey Spring Grove, IL 5 12-01 0
Day 1: 5 12-01 Day 2: 0 00-00
125. Robert Smith Farmington, ME 5 11-11 0
Day 1: 5 11-11 Day 2: 0 00-00
126. Jeffrey Perron South Berwick, ME 5 11-10 0
Day 1: 5 11-10 Day 2: 0 00-00
127. Neal Wisinski Stevens Point, WI 5 11-09 0
Day 1: 5 11-09 Day 2: 0 00-00
128. Kirk Smith Edmond, OK 5 11-02 0
Day 1: 5 11-02 Day 2: 0 00-00
129. Chris McCarthy Woonsocket, RI 5 10-00 0
Day 1: 5 10-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
130. William Barrett Bridgewater, MA 5 09-11 0
Day 1: 5 09-11 Day 2: 0 00-00
131. Cameron Creamer Bremen, ME 5 08-09 0
Day 1: 5 08-09 Day 2: 0 00-00
132. Steve Deguzis Bristol, CT 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
132. Henry Fristik Blandford, MA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
132. Josh Giroldi Beachville CANADA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
132. Eric Johnson Kingston, MA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
132. Alex Legg Milford, DE 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
132. Joe Raposo North Dighton, MA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
132. Craig Rexford Grand Isle, VT 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 126 648 1993-11
2 101 546 1705-14
------------------------------
227 1194 3699-09
2024 Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Qualifier at Lake Champlain presented by Lowrance 7/24-7/26
Lake Champlain, Plattsburgh NY.
(NON_BOATER) Standings Day 2
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Guiseppe Andreoli Foster, RI 6 22-00 0
Day 1: 3 10-13 Day 2: 3 11-03
2. Ernest Weathersby Leominster, MA 6 21-12 0
Day 1: 3 12-03 Day 2: 3 09-09
3. Josh Giran Elizabeth, PA 6 21-09 0
Day 1: 3 12-06 Day 2: 3 09-03
4. Grant Fry Bay City, MI 6 21-06 0
Day 1: 3 09-04 Day 2: 3 12-02
5. Rob Ross Hopedale, MA 6 20-07 0
Day 1: 3 07-14 Day 2: 3 12-09
6. Conner Petropoulos South Portland, ME 6 20-06 0
Day 1: 3 08-06 Day 2: 3 12-00
7. Sophon Chhoeun Fall River, MA 6 20-02 0
Day 1: 3 10-03 Day 2: 3 09-15
8. Stephen Sanders New Britain, CT 6 19-13 0
Day 1: 3 08-10 Day 2: 3 11-03
9. Dylan Stowe Weybridge, VT 6 19-12 0
Day 1: 3 08-14 Day 2: 3 10-14
10. Jacob Muir Milford, DE 6 19-10 0
Day 1: 3 08-15 Day 2: 3 10-11
11. Brian Marino Vineland, NJ 6 19-06 0
Day 1: 3 08-02 Day 2: 3 11-04
12. Vic Brown II Glen Burnie, MD 6 18-13 0
Day 1: 3 07-06 Day 2: 3 11-07
13. Jake Minch Stevens Point, WI 6 18-09 0
Day 1: 3 08-09 Day 2: 3 10-00
14. Joe Devoe Aberdeen, MD 6 18-06 0
Day 1: 3 11-04 Day 2: 3 07-02
15. Dave Reed Westminster, MD 6 18-05 0
Day 1: 3 07-10 Day 2: 3 10-11
16. Robert Rull Jr Coventry, RI 6 18-03 0
Day 1: 3 10-13 Day 2: 3 07-06
17. Travis Rockett Intervale, NH 6 18-00 0
Day 1: 3 09-09 Day 2: 3 08-07
18. JT Fitzgerald Lincoln, DE 6 17-10 0
Day 1: 3 10-02 Day 2: 3 07-08
19. Mike Wotanowski Lake Hopatcong, NJ 6 17-09 0
Day 1: 3 08-09 Day 2: 3 09-00
20. Wes Vyverberg Rochester, NY 6 17-06 0
Day 1: 3 06-12 Day 2: 3 10-10
21. Zachary Catoe Lancaster, SC 6 17-01 0 $250.00
Day 1: 3 10-03 Day 2: 3 06-14
22. Jeff Lin Natick, MA 6 17-01 0 $250.00
Day 1: 3 08-09 Day 2: 3 08-08
23. Joe Sodora Garfield, NJ 6 17-00 0 $250.00
Day 1: 3 09-02 Day 2: 3 07-14
24. Dale Libby Buxton, ME 6 16-12 0 $250.00
Day 1: 3 08-15 Day 2: 3 07-13
25. Jp Harrell Chevy Chase, MD 5 16-09 0 $250.00
Day 1: 2 04-13 Day 2: 3 11-12
26. Matt Belmore Indian Lake, NY 5 16-07 0 $250.00
Day 1: 2 05-05 Day 2: 3 11-02
27. Jacob Nicholson Burlington, MA 6 16-02 0 $250.00
Day 1: 3 09-15 Day 2: 3 06-03
28. Kendry Jerez Paterson, NJ 6 16-00 0 $250.00
Day 1: 3 07-01 Day 2: 3 08-15
29. Scott Shrewsbury Rocky Mount, NC 5 15-14 0 $250.00
Day 1: 2 04-07 Day 2: 3 11-07
30. Robert Mccoy Mount Airy, MD 6 15-09 0 $250.00
Day 1: 3 09-11 Day 2: 3 05-14
31. Craig Winegardner West River, MD 5 15-06 0
Day 1: 2 06-01 Day 2: 3 09-05
32. Cole Wessner Southgate, KY 6 15-05 0
Day 1: 3 05-01 Day 2: 3 10-04
33. Brad Dekraai Epsom, NH 6 15-03 0
Day 1: 3 07-07 Day 2: 3 07-12
34. Michael Griffiths Cherry Tree, PA 6 15-03 0
Day 1: 3 07-10 Day 2: 3 07-09
35. Frank Campisi Londonderry, NH 5 14-13 0
Day 1: 3 09-05 Day 2: 2 05-08
36. Zach Queeney Atco, NJ 6 14-11 0
Day 1: 3 07-01 Day 2: 3 07-10
37. Chris Newton Whitesboro, NY 5 14-08 0
Day 1: 2 07-10 Day 2: 3 06-14
38. Michael Schrader North Attleboro, MA 6 14-06 0
Day 1: 3 04-05 Day 2: 3 10-01
39. Garrett Sicely Albany, VT 4 14-02 0
Day 1: 3 09-12 Day 2: 1 04-06
40. Michael Hunt Watertown, NY 5 14-00 0
Day 1: 3 10-11 Day 2: 2 03-05
41. Jimmy Eney Baltimore, MD 5 14-00 0
Day 1: 2 04-11 Day 2: 3 09-05
42. Michael Stewart Wrentham, MA 6 13-14 0
Day 1: 3 08-03 Day 2: 3 05-11
43. Roger Stahl JR Ogdensburg, NY 6 12-12 0
Day 1: 3 07-01 Day 2: 3 05-11
44. John Nichols Milford, DE 5 12-11 0
Day 1: 2 04-05 Day 2: 3 08-06
45. Tommy Kopach Gansevoort, NY 6 12-10 0
Day 1: 3 06-06 Day 2: 3 06-04
46. Andrew Dick Wilmington, DE 6 12-09 0
Day 1: 3 06-01 Day 2: 3 06-08
47. Steven Dorsey Warwick, RI 4 12-07 0
Day 1: 3 09-07 Day 2: 1 03-00
48. Frank Moore Topsham, ME 5 12-07 0
Day 1: 3 06-10 Day 2: 2 05-13
49. David Evans Memphis, NY 6 12-03 0
Day 1: 3 06-12 Day 2: 3 05-07
50. John Hritsko Northern Cambria, PA 4 11-15 0
Day 1: 1 02-15 Day 2: 3 09-00
51. Michael Caudle Taunton, MA 5 11-14 0
Day 1: 2 05-06 Day 2: 3 06-08
52. Kevin Waden Melrose, MA 5 11-09 0
Day 1: 2 02-13 Day 2: 3 08-12
53. Jeffrey Graiff Vineland, NJ 5 11-06 0
Day 1: 2 02-14 Day 2: 3 08-08
54. James Blue Canton, MA 4 11-03 0
Day 1: 1 03-04 Day 2: 3 07-15
55. David Pfeiffer Milton Mills, NH 4 11-02 0
Day 1: 1 03-12 Day 2: 3 07-06
56. Lyn England Danbury, NH 4 10-14 0
Day 1: 3 08-02 Day 2: 1 02-12
57. Ben Hilfrank Falmouth, ME 4 10-11 0
Day 1: 3 08-02 Day 2: 1 02-09
58. Corey Thornton Mcgraw, NY 5 10-07 0
Day 1: 3 06-09 Day 2: 2 03-14
59. Bryce Poulin Lisbon, ME 3 10-05 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 10-05
60. Jesse Manning Athol, MA 5 10-05 0
Day 1: 3 04-11 Day 2: 2 05-10
61. Mike King Lisbon, ME 4 10-02 0
Day 1: 1 01-08 Day 2: 3 08-10
62. Michael Briggs N Providence, RI 3 09-15 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 09-15
63. Evan Young Hancock, ME 4 09-13 0
Day 1: 1 02-02 Day 2: 3 07-11
64. Frank Wisneski North Haven, CT 4 09-13 0
Day 1: 3 06-12 Day 2: 1 03-01
65. Ricardo Cruz New York, NY 5 09-05 0
Day 1: 3 06-14 Day 2: 2 02-07
66. Warren Cooper Utopia CANADA 3 09-01 0
Day 1: 3 09-01 Day 2: 0 00-00
67. Jim Short Ocean Pines, MD 3 09-01 0
Day 1: 2 05-11 Day 2: 1 03-06
68. Frank Daniels Dover, DE 3 09-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 09-00
69. Randy Marshall Sr. Belgrade, ME 3 08-05 0
Day 1: 3 08-05 Day 2: 0 00-00
70. Angela Mayo Maiden, NC 4 08-05 0
Day 1: 1 00-14 Day 2: 3 07-07
71. Tim Jensen Phelps, NY 3 08-04 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 08-04
72. Jim Kline Hagerstown, MD 4 08-04 0
Day 1: 1 00-15 Day 2: 3 07-05
73. Mark Ramquar Dundalk, MD 5 08-04 0
Day 1: 2 02-11 Day 2: 3 05-09
74. Jim D'Ambra Hanover, MA 3 08-01 0
Day 1: 3 08-01 Day 2: 0 00-00
75. David Fletcher Paterson, NJ 4 08-01 0
Day 1: 1 00-13 Day 2: 3 07-04
76. Philip Sheehan Lynn, MA 3 07-15 0
Day 1: 3 07-15 Day 2: 0 00-00
77. Steven Davis Dover, PA 4 07-03 0
Day 1: 1 01-09 Day 2: 3 05-10
78. Gary Rondeau Charlestown, RI 3 07-00 0
Day 1: 3 07-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
79. Zachary Grose Huntingdon, PA 3 06-11 0
Day 1: 1 01-13 Day 2: 2 04-14
80. Olivia Baroffio Burlington, VT 3 06-05 0
Day 1: 3 06-05 Day 2: 0 00-00
81. Scott Suckman Hudson Falls, NY 2 06-04 0
Day 1: 2 06-04 Day 2: 0 00-00
82. Dwayne Turnage Hollis, ME 2 05-06 0
Day 1: 2 05-06 Day 2: 0 00-00
83. Darryl Hunt Haddonfield, NJ 2 05-02 0
Day 1: 2 05-02 Day 2: 0 00-00
84. Joseph Raguzin Carmel, NY 2 03-15 0
Day 1: 2 03-15 Day 2: 0 00-00
85. Stanley Gshinsky Pittsburgh, PA 1 03-13 0
Day 1: 1 03-13 Day 2: 0 00-00
86. Scott Himmelfarb Poolesville, MD 2 03-03 0
Day 1: 2 03-03 Day 2: 0 00-00
87. Jerry Brown Jr Hagerstown, MD 2 02-06 0
Day 1: 2 02-06 Day 2: 0 00-00
88. Mark Wisinski Stevenson Point, WI 1 02-05 0
Day 1: 1 02-05 Day 2: 0 00-00
89. Skip Hinkley Richmond, ME 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
89. Devon Kitson Montclair , NJ 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
89. Justin Mccarthy Tiverton, RI 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
89. Lewis Mendall Winthrop, MA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
89. Dave Metivier Gray, ME 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 54 210 557-15
2 61 203 581-07
------------------------------
115 413 1139-06
BoatUS Foundation Opens Grant Program for $7.5M Effort to Remove Abandoned and Derelict Vessels (ADVs) from Nation’s Waterways
- Body of water from which the debris will be removed
- The purpose of the project and the planned steps to complete it
- Anticipated outcomes of the project on the environment and the community
- How diversity, equity, justice and inclusion will be part of the project
- Project budget and expenses to be covered by the grant funding
- Authorizations and/or permits needed to complete the work
