AnglersChannel

Bassmaster College Series Resumes 2020 Season On Lake Hartwell

ANDERSON, S.C. — The country’s best college anglers will resume their quest for a national championship title and Bassmaster Classic berth on Lake Hartwell when the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops competes on this South Carolina fishery Aug. 27-29.

According to Bassmaster Elite Series angler Jason Williamson, of Wagener, S.C., Lake Hartwell will produce plenty of action for the college competitors during the dog days of summer if they key on spotted bass in deep water.

“There are residential fish that live shallow around boat docks year-round,” Williamson said. “The predominant summer pattern, though, will be fishing deeper around brush or cane piles 18 to 30 feet (deep). It is a spotted bass lake, so you can catch those fish out to 40 to 50 feet.”

Williamson suggests the most productive lures for deep fish will be green pumpkin or watermelon Zoom Swamp Crawlers on drop-shot rigs, football jigs, shaky-head worms or Texas-rigged Zoom Ol’ Monster worms. “There could be some schooling activity over the cane piles, so you will need some type of herring-imitation bait, such as a topwater lure or Fluke, ready for that type of bite,” he said.

“There could be an early morning buzzbait bite that could come into play,” Williamson said. “It’ll be tropical storm season, so there could be a tropical storm, hurricane or depression, which is a game changer that time of year on these herring lakes. It could end up with three or four days of cloudy, windy weather, which really turns on a shallow bite, so you can throw a buzzbait or spinnerbait in the wind.”

College anglers running up the Seneca or Tugaloo River could catch largemouth bass on crankbaits in the dirty water or by flipping to docks and shallow wood. However, Williamson notes the lower end of the lake will produce more consistent catches throughout the three days of competition. “You could have somebody run up the river and catch a good bag one day, but it is going to be hard to duplicate that for multiple days,” Williamson said.

“There are enough big spotted bass in the lake that you could stay on the main body of the lake and fish deep for spots and catch a big bag as well,” said Williamson, who has noticed more 3 1/2- to 4-pound spotted bass in the lake lately. “It’s hard to win a one-day tournament there with just spotted bass, but in a multiday event, being consistent on the right size spotted bass that lives (on the main lake) could definitely win the tournament.

Daily takeoffs will be at 6:45 a.m. ET from Green Pond Landing in Anderson. Weigh-ins will be held back in the same location each day at 2:45 p.m. In addition to prize money for their team, the winning duo will earn a spot in the College Series National Championship. The Top 4 teams from the College Championship will earn a chance to compete for a berth in the 2021 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic at November’s Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Classic Bracket Challenge on Alabama’s Lay Lake.

The event is being hosted by Visit Anderson.

“Anderson County has done a tremendous job during this most difficult time to ensure the safety of our community, and we will extend that same effort and passion into welcoming B.A.S.S., the anglers and their families,” said Neil Paul, Executive Director of Visit Anderson. “We have been blessed with a tremendous fishery, great facilities and a very supportive fishing community, and we look forward to hosting these young anglers.”

The Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School Series presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors and the Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster Junior Series will take to Lake Hartwell’s storied waters on August 30.

by AnglersChannel

Smallmouth Hammers and ZERO Whiners

This week the Circus has the unique opportunity to talk with Smallmouth Hammer Kurt Mitchell ahead of his Day 2 in the FLW TITLE where he has a 56 pound lead. Elite Champ Bill Weidler also joins the show to talk about his career making win on St. Clair. Check it out!

by AnglersChannel

5 Pieces of Equipment to Pack for Big Water

Courtesy of Luke Stoner - Dynamic Sponsorships

Northern fisheries like the Great Lakes, Lake St. Clair, and other massive bodies of water can intimidate inexperienced anglers. The allure of tangling with big smallmouth draws bass fisherman from all over the country, but the threat of ocean-like waves and foul fall weather turns just as many away.

We caught up with Bassmaster Opens pro Trait Zaldain while her husband Chris competed on St. Clair to pick her brain on a few tips she’d have for someone making their first trip to big water. Trait does a ton of work each year introducing young anglers to bass fishing, and pushes to make the entire sport more inclusive.

It could be argued that Trait stays as busy off the water as her husband, The Zaldaingerous one, does on the water during Bassmaster Elite events. Between coordinating with sponsors, working on their burgeoning YouTube channel, helping Chris prep for the tournament, and sneaking in opportunities to prepare for her own Bassmaster Open events – it’s amazing she has time think. Trait graciously offered up five pieces of equipment she packs to help tame big water fisheries.

“Big water doesn’t have to be intimidating,” Zaldain reasoned. “As long as your equipment is in a good place and you’ve done your due diligence in preparation you will be just fine. Respect big water and it’ll respect you.”

1. Reliable boat and motor

It may sound obvious, but a trustworthy boat and a reliable outboard is Trait’s first key to enjoying a trip up north. Having the utmost confidence in her Yamaha powered Skeeter allows Trait to focus on fishing as opposed to worrying safety.

“Make sure go through your boat tightening any screws and bolts or fastening anything that needs some TLC,” Zaldain explained. “Have your outboard serviced before your trip if need be. Go over everything like a fine toothcomb. Not only will this keep you safer on the water, but it’ll give you the peace of mind knowing you’ve taken the necessary steps.”

2. A quality rain suit

The second piece of gear Trait packs is a quality rain suit like a Carhartt Storm Defender Jacket and Bibs. While a rain suit is handy for pop-up storms or rain showers, it’s just as important to wear while driving from spot to spot, as you will undoubtedly get splashed with water from wave spray. Even on sunny days Trait is sure to pack her rain suit.

3. A butt seat

While it typically gets left in the back of her truck, Trait says a butt seat for the front deck of her Skeeter is worth its weight in gold when the wind starts blowing up north. Staring at your electronics is oftentimes a necessary part of big water fishing. Having a seat to lean on while your attention is fixated on your graphs is extremely helpful while riding the waves throughout the day.

“Butt seats may not have a reputation of being cool in the bass fishing world but they are super helpful when waves get rolling,” Zaldain said. “They help you stay focused and keep you safer. Look at any Elite Series angler’s boat on days with heavy wind forecasted and I’ll guarantee you’ll see a butt seat.”

4. Foam PFD vs. inflatable PFD

Another precaution Trait takes when fishing on a massive body of water is swapping her inflatable personal floatation device (PFD) for a reliable Mustang foam life jacket. There are horror stories of the CO2 cartridges inside inflatable PFDs malfunctioning and good old-fashioned foam PFDs take that concern out of the equation. When fishing somewhere you might not be able to see land from, it’s best to not take any chances.

5. A spinning rod and a drop shot

A spinning combo rigged with a drop shot and a 10,000 Fish Yoto Worm is the final item Trait doesn’t leave home without when heading to big water. As we’ve seen in countless Bassmaster tournaments over the years, a drop shot rig is as effective of a presentation for northern smallmouth as anything available. Trait’s learned to love this technique and believes it’s a good addition to any anglers’ repertoire.

Trait’s tips are helpful whether you are considering your first trip to big water or you needed a refresher before making your yearly visit to one of these colossal, famed fisheries. Take her advice and this list into account when planning your next vacation to the land of giant smallmouth and jumbo waves.

by AnglersChannel

John Cox Leads Day Two at Tackle Warehouse TITLE presented by Toyota at Sturgeon Bay

Florida Shallow-Water Specialist Figures Out Sturgeon Bay Smallmouth to Pace Group B

STURGEON BAY, Wis. (Aug. 25, 2020) – Pro angler John Cox of DeBary, Florida, is having a heck of a week. Fresh off of a third-place finish at a major tournament on Lake St. Clair last weekend, Cox drove straight to Sturgeon Bay to compete in the Tackle Warehouse TITLE presented by Toyota, the FLW Pro Circuit Championship. Despite having absolutely no practice time for the event, Cox caught 18 bass weighing 66 pounds, 5 ounces, Tuesday to lead Group B after their first day of competition.

A group of people riding on the back of a boat

The tournament, fished using the Major League Fishing (MLF) catch-weigh-immediate release format, saw a steady stream of smallmouth bass caught by the 25 pros on the water Tuesday, with anglers catching a total of 243 bass weighing 784 pounds, 6 ounces. Pro Spencer Shuffield of Hot Springs, Arkansas, who finished the season ranked No. 2 in the Angler of the Year standings, sits in second place with 19 bass totaling 61-2 – just 5 pounds, 3 ounces behind Cox.

“Coming off of the water today, I feel like I might have had a mild heart attack,” Cox joked. “It was so intense – all the way to the last second. There was no letting up – guys were catching them, bouncing out of the lead, then back into the lead, it was incredible. I had a lot of fun today.

“When we first started, I was really worried,” Cox continued. “They started catching them, instantly. I got the first SCORETRACKER® update 15 minutes in and guys had 4- and 5-pounders already and I hadn’t even had a bite. I was thinking, ‘Uh oh… no practice. This is going to be really bad.’ But then I found something where we actually got a bite and then we just hammered down and caught everything that we could.”

Cox caught his fish Tuesday on a drop-shot rig, cycling through multiple different Berkley MaxScent baits.

“I don’t catch a lot of smallmouth, normally, but the Berkley MaxScent is definitely the key to catching a lot,” Cox said. “I was mixing it up with the Flat Worm and the Flat Nose Minnow, and I even ended up throwing the General some.

“I just tried to catch as much as I could today, because I know how much they move around and they could be gone when we get back out there,” Cox went on to say. “I really wanted to catch at least 60 pounds, so now on Thursday I’m going to have to figure out if I should go practice and fish new stuff or if I try to protect that area.

“With a day off to think about it, I’m going to be a wreck tomorrow. I’m ready to get back out there right now.”

The top 10 pros after day two (Group B) on Sturgeon Bay are:

1st: John Cox of DeBary, Fla., 18 bass, 66-5
2nd: Spencer Shuffield of Hot Springs, Ark., 19 bass, 61-2
3rd: Joey Cifuentes of Clinton, Ark., 18 bass, 60-6
4th: Matt Becker of Finleyville, Pa., 15 bass, 51-1
5th: Dylan Hays of Hot Springs, Ark., 16 bass, 49-13
6th: Wade Strelic of Alpine, Calif., 15 bass, 43-8
7th: Clark Reehm of Elm Grove, La., 11 bass, 39-14
8th: Mitch Crane of Columbus, Miss., 11 bass, 32-15
9th: Jacob Wall of New Hope, Ala., 10 bass, 32-14
10th: Christopher Brasher of Longview, Texas, 11 bass, 31-14

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Reehm caught the largest fish of the day Tuesday – a 5-pound, 11-ounce smallmouth bass. If that bass remains the largest weighed from Group B after Thursday’s competition, Reehm will take home the $500 Berkley Big Bass Award.

The Tackle Warehouse TITLE presented by Toyota, the FLW Pro Circuit Championship, is hosted by Destination Sturgeon Bay. The six-day event features the top 50 professional anglers from the 2020 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit season angling for a piece of $820,000, including the first-place prize of $200,000.

Unique to the TITLE Championship, the event is being fished using the MLF catch-weigh-immediate release format. A select group of 25 pros (Group A) will compete on Days 1 & 3 (Monday & Wednesday), with the other 25 pros (Group B) competing on Days 2 & 4 (Tuesday & Thursday). The top-10 pros from each group based on their cumulative two-day total will advance to Day 5 (Friday). Only the top 10 pros will continue on to the sixth and final day of competition Saturday, with the winner earning the inaugural Tackle Warehouse TITLE Championship Belt presented by Toyota.

Attendance is limited to anglers and essential staff and fans are encouraged to follow the event online through expanded broadcast coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com and read the daily coverage, live blogs and photos at FLWFishing.com.

The MLF NOW! broadcast team of Chad McKee, Marty Stone and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action every day of competition from 7:45 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. They’re joined by FLW Live hosts Travis Moran and Todd Hollowell, who will be reporting and providing from-the-water analysis from Sturgeon Bay.

Television coverage of the Tackle Warehouse TITLE presented by Toyota event will be showcased across six two-hour episodes, premiering at 7 p.m. EDT, Oct. 9 on the Outdoor Channel. Episodes premiere in Friday night primetime slots on the Outdoor Channel, with additional re-airings on the Outdoor Channel and the Sportsman Channel.

The 2020 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit featured a field of 150 of the top professional anglers in the world competing at six regular-season events around the country. The top 50 anglers in the Angler of the Year (AOY) standings after the six events qualified t/o compete in this event, the inaugural Tackle Warehouse TITLE presented by Toyota.

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

by AnglersChannel

Legendary Yelas went old skool at St. Clair for another Top 10

Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships

Jay Yelas launched his pro career in 1989 by living in a van as a tournament fishing vagabond when gas was $1 a gallon. Now age 54, he is truly one of professional bass fishing’s living legends.

Yelas dominated the Bassmaster Classic in 2002 en route to victory, won the Bassmaster Angler of the Year title in 2003, and was recently voted a 2020 inductee of the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame. He has notched a Top 10 B.A.S.S. finish in five different decades

At Lake St. Clair, the former Oregon State forestry major finished 9th and taught the bass fishing universe that even now in the strangest of times, it’s not all about super high-tech sonar and drop shots. Instead, Yelas proved the old skool technique of burning skirted blade baits in shallow water still gets the attention of meaty bad attitude smallmouth.

“We used to catch ‘em really good here in the 1990s by burning spinnerbaits on shallow flats, but in recent years that pattern hasn’t worked very well,” reflects Yelas. “But man, it worked this week!”

“I fished in 5 to 7-feet of water all week on a flat with scattered vegetation that had current flowing across it. I put my trolling motor on high, made a ton of casts, and burned that vibrating jig on a fast 7.5:1 Lew’s baitcasting reel, and the smallies smashed it like they did in the good old days,” grinned the Yamaha pro.

The vibrating jig known best as a Chatterbait was invented by Ron Davis Sr. in South Carolina, but it didn’t hit the market until 2004. So Yelas’s weapon of choice this past week on St. Clair wasn’t even available in those “good old days” 30 years ago. But they are now, and Yelas pays $17 a piece for them, just like you and me.

He doesn’t pay for their trailers however, as his longtime treasured sponsor Gary Yamamoto makes both a Zako swimbait style trailer, and a Zako Kicker paddle tail trailer for vibrating jigs. Yelas used both versions of the highly effective trailers on St. Clair and chose a heavy ¾ ounce vibrating jig so he could make long casts in clear water and be able to burn it back to the boat.

“I may not have won, but I’m proud of my Top 10 finish, and I’ll promise you nobody had more fun than me last week on St. Clair. That pattern is just so awesome, it’s addicting,” grins the longtime Toyota Bonus Bucks participant.

“Mark Zona watched me fish for a while out there on the water and said, “Man, Jay, you’re going old skool on us this week.” I told him, “Heck yea, I am old skool,” laughed Yelas.

by AnglersChannel

Kurt Mitchell Dominates Day One at Tackle Warehouse TITLE presented by Toyota at Sturgeon Bay

Delaware Pro Smashes 119-10 to Take Commanding 56-Pound, 10-Ounce Lead on Opening Day

STURGEON BAY, Wis. (Aug. 24, 2020) – Pro angler Kurt Mitchell of Milford, Delaware, caught a total of 33 bass weighing 119 pounds, 10 ounces, to grab the early lead Monday after day one of the Tackle Warehouse TITLE presented by Toyota, the FLW Pro Circuit Championship on Lake Michigan in Sturgeon Bay.

The tournament, fished using the Major League Fishing (MLF) catch-weigh-immediate release format, showcased Mitchell lighting up the SCORETRACKER® all day long and establishing a commanding 56-pound, 10-ounce lead over second-place pro Grae Buck of Green Lane, Pennsylvania, who caught 17 bass totaling 63 pounds even. The six-day event features the top 50 professional anglers from the 2020 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit season angling for a piece of $820,000, including the first-place prize of $200,000.

The 25 anglers that competed Monday in Group A will take Tuesday off before returning to the water on Wednesday to finish their two-day Qualifying Round. The 25 anglers in Group B will have their first day of competition Tuesday on Sturgeon Bay.

“It was just a phenomenal day for me – one of those days where nothing goes wrong and everything works like it’s supposed to,” said Mitchell, a five-year veteran of the Pro Circuit who is fishing in his second championship event. “It was my first time fishing at Sturgeon Bay, my first time fishing the MLF format, and now my first time leading a pro event after the first day.”

Mitchell said that he caught the majority of his weight from one area, a current break that he had found in practice. He caught his fish using two key baits – a drop-shot rig with a Yamamoto Shad Shape Worm and a Keitech Swimbait with a 3/8-ounce Dirty Jigs Matt Stefan Guppy Swimbait Jig Head.

“It wasn’t really anything special, just basic smallmouth tactics and baits,” Mitchell said. “I just got on some groups of fish that wanted to bite. The bigger ones seemed to come on the Keitech, but I caught more on the shad shape worm. I had no idea that I was going to catch that much.

“I’m not sure exactly what I’m going to do when I get back out there on Wednesday,” Mitchell went on to say. “I might try out some new areas, or I might just go sit on my best spot to make sure no one else fishes it. Either way, I can’t wait to get back out there.”

The top 10 pros after day one (Group A) on Sturgeon Bay are:

1^st:       Kurt Mitchell of Milford, Del., 33 bass, 119-10
2^nd:      Grae Buck of Green Lane, Pa., 17 bass, 63-0
3^rd:       Evan Barnes of Hot Springs, Ark., 20 bass, 61-10
4^th:       Casey Scanlon of Eldon, Mo., 17 bass, 57-0
5^th:       Matthew Stefan of Junction City, Wis., 14 bass, 47-1
6^th:       Greg Bohannan of Bentonville, Ark., 12 bass, 39-7
7^th:       Joshua Weaver of Macon, Ga., 12 bass, 37-1
8^th:       James Niggemeyer of Van, Texas, 10 bass, 33-4
9^th:       Troy Morrow of Eastonollee, Ga., 10 bass, 31-9
10^th:     Jon Canada of Helena, Ala., nine bass, 26-12

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Overall there were 228 bass weighing 750 pounds, 8 ounces caught by the 25 pros in Group A on Monday. Mitchell also caught the largest fish of the day – a chunky 5-pound, 10-ounce smallmouth bass.

The Tackle Warehouse TITLE presented by Toyota, the FLW Pro Circuit Championship, is hosted by Destination Sturgeon Bay. The total purse for the event is more than $820,000, including a top prize of $200,000.

Unique to the TITLE Championship, the event is being fished using the MLF catch-weigh-immediate release format. A select group of 25 pros (Group A) will compete on Days 1 & 3, with the other 25 pros (Group B) competing on Days 2 & 4. The top-10 pros from each group based on their cumulative two-day total will advance to Day 5. Only the top 10 pros will continue on to the sixth and final day of competition, with the winner earning the inaugural Tackle Warehouse TITLE Championship Belt presented by Toyota.

by AnglersChannel

“Weidler Whack’s em’ at St Clair!”

2020 St Clair Champion - Bill Weidler.jpg
Bill Weidler, of Helena, Ala., has won the 2020 YETI Bassmaster Elite at Lake St. Clair with a four-day total of 86 pounds, 7 ounces.
Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
August 23, 2020

Chance Encounter Leads Weidler To Bassmaster Elite Series Win At St. Clair

MACOMB COUNTY, Mich. — A random moment during practice led Bill Weidler to a most unexpected victory, as the Helena, Ala., angler amassed a four-day total of 86 pounds, 7 ounces to win the YETI Bassmaster Elite at Lake St. Clair.

Weidler earned $100,500 and nearly doubled his career earnings with B.A.S.S. to $204,350.

“I just stumbled across a great area in Anchor Bay, and that was my primary spot,” Weidler said. “I went through it one day in practice; it was cold and I’m an old man so I decided to pull over instead of freezing running down the lake.

“I drifted through an area and caught a limit of 26 pounds in about two hours. I had two 6-pounders, and I was like, ‘I might have found something here.’ That’s where I camped out all week.”

Focusing on a 1,000-yard area of Anchor Bay, Weidler found his bass on the hard edges of grasslines in 14 to 15 feet. Watching his Humminbird 360 for clusters of baitfish helped focus his search.

After two hours of fruitless effort, Day 4 saw Weidler catch three of his best fish between 9 and 10 a.m. He caught fish throughout the day, but two big afternoon bites — a 4-4 and his second of two 5-plus-pounders — pushed him across the finish line.

“This is incredible,” the third-year Elite Series pro said of his first career victory. “I fought and fought; I had a (bad) start to the season, and I knew I had to get some work done. I was on my knees this morning praying that I could catch them.”

Weidler caught all of his fish on a drop shot with a Strike King Baby Z-Too in the gray glimmer color. He used a 3/8-ounce weight and a No. 1 Owner drop-shot hook.

Weidler placed 17th on Day 1 with 20-8. Catching the same weight the next day put him in 13th. Day 3 saw him weigh 22-10 and earn his Championship Sunday berth in eighth place, and Sunday’s limit of 22-13 sealed the deal.

“On Days 1 and 2, I should have had about 22 or 23 both of those days and just didn’t execute,” Weidler said. “I’m lucky I didn’t miss the cut.”

Weidler admitted he did not enter the St. Clair event with great optimism, as smallmouth bass have never been his specialty. Nevertheless, he held his own against formidable Northern pros like Canada’s Cory Johnston, who placed second, along with sixth-place Chris Johnston, who won the SiteOne Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River in July with all smallmouth.

“I’m a largemouth guy; I’ve really struggled on smallmouth lakes,” Weidler said. “I grew up fishing the Coosa River and my boat really hasn’t come out of much more than 10 feet of water. I love a flipping stick and heavy line, so it was hard making the transition.

“But what I can say is that I thank the Lord for what He did for me this week because I feel He guided me where I needed to go and have the finish I had.”

Hailing from Cavan, Ontario, Cory Johnston spent his tournament in the main lake near the Canadian border and tallied 85-15. He turned in daily weights of 21-11, 21-5, 23-1 and 19-14.

Relying heavily on his Garmin LiveScope for target location, Johnston caught his bass on a drop shot with a Berkley PowerBait MaxScent Flat Worm and a Strike King Baby Z-Too, both in green pumpkin.

“I found a sunken barrel out there the first day of the tournament, and there were five bass on it,” Johnston said. “I’d throw out and pick them all off; I’d go there the next morning and pick them both off. Today, there was none there; I caught them all.”

Following his seventh- and ninth-place finishes in the past two Elite events (St. Lawrence River and Lake Champlain), Johnston has notched three consecutive Top 10s.

“That was my goal; I didn’t want to miss a Top 10 when we were up North,” Johnston said. “This is kinda my wheelhouse. I love dropping on them.”

John Cox of DeBary, Fla., led the tournament for three days but finished third with 85-12. Cox started Day 1 on Lake St. Clair, then moved to the St. Clair River where he spent the remainder of the event.

Catching all of his fish on a drop shot with a Berkley PowerBait MaxScent Flat Worm, Cox caught the event’s heaviest bag — 24-12 — on Day 1, then followed with 20-10, 20-12 and 19-10.

“Today, the bites were pretty random,” Cox said. “I caught two good ones on a seawall around midriver, then I went all the way to Lake Huron. I didn’t catch anything there, so I came back downriver and caught another good one, a 4-pounder.”

Cox hooked that last fish by a navigation marker. The smallmouth became temporarily entangled in the structure’s subsurface supports, but patience prevailed.

“When he bit, he swam right where I thought he was going to swim — right through those pilings,” Cox said. “So, I went up and took my line around it and it was a miracle I got that fish out.”

Ed Loughran III of Richmond, Va., won the Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors with a 6-5 smallmouth he caught on Day 2, earning an additional $1,000.

Cox took home $3,000 for being the highest-placing entrant in the Toyota Bonus Bucks program, and Oregon's Cody Hollen earned $2,000 for being the second-highest placing entrant.

With four events remaining on the Elite Series schedule, Texas pro Clark Wendlandt took the lead in the Bassmaster Angler of the Year race with 423 points. Rookie Taku Ito of Japan is in second place with 416 points and also leads the race for Rookie of the Year.

2020 Bassmaster Elite at Lake St. Clair 8/20-8/23
Lake St. Clair, Macomb County MI.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 4

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

1. Bill Weidler Day 1: 5 20-08 2. Cory Johnston Day 1: 5 21-11 3. John Cox Day 1: 5 24-12 4. Clark Wendlandt Day 1: 5 20-00 5. Jake Whitaker Day 1: 5 18-07 6. Chris Johnston Day 1: 5 21-11 7. Shane LeHew Day 1: 5 21-13 8. Cody Hollen Day 1: 5 19-12 9. Jay Yelas Day 1: 5 21-01 10. Taku Ito Day 1: 5 21-11 ------------------ Helena, AL 20 86-07 100 $100,500.00
Day 2: 5 20-08 Day 3: 5 22-10 Day 4: 5 22-13
Cavan CANADA 20 85-15 99 $25,000.00
Day 2: 5 21-05 Day 3: 5 23-01 Day 4: 5 19-14
Debary, FL 20 85-12 98 $21,500.00
Day 2: 5 20-10 Day 3: 5 20-12 Day 4: 5 19-10
Leander, TX 20 85-09 97 $15,000.00
Day 2: 5 24-05 Day 3: 5 20-13 Day 4: 5 20-07
Fairview, NC 20 85-02 96 $15,000.00
Day 2: 5 21-10 Day 3: 5 22-06 Day 4: 5 22-11
Peterborough Ontario CA 20 84-13 95 $15,000.00
Day 2: 5 21-03 Day 3: 5 21-02 Day 4: 5 20-13
Catawba, NC 20 84-11 94 $15,000.00
Day 2: 5 21-12 Day 3: 5 21-00 Day 4: 5 20-02
Beaverton, OR 20 84-03 93 $15,000.00
Day 2: 5 22-15 Day 3: 5 23-06 Day 4: 5 18-02
Lincoln City, OR 20 83-04 92 $15,000.00
Day 2: 5 22-14 Day 3: 5 20-01 Day 4: 5 19-04
Chiba JAPAN 20 79-12 91 $15,000.00
Day 2: 5 20-11 Day 3: 5 19-03 Day 4: 5 18-03
-----------------------------------------------------

PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1 Chris Groh Spring Grove, IL 06-00 $1,000.00
2 Ed Loughran III Richmond, VA 06-05 $1,000.00
3 John Cox Debary, FL 05-10 $1,000.00
4 John Cox Debary, FL 05-05 $500.00
4 Bill Weidler Helena, AL 05-05 $500.00

by AnglersChannel

Cox Stays With River Pattern, Retains Lead In Bassmaster Elite At Lake St. Clair

John Cox, of DeBary, Fla., is leading after Day 3 of the 2020 YETI Bassmaster Elite at Lake St. Clair with a three-day total of 66 pounds, 2 ounces.
Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
August 22, 2020

MACOMB COUNTY, Mich. — Despite a slow start, John Cox of DeBary, Fla., stuck with his game plan and caught a Day 3 limit of 20 pounds, 12 ounces to maintain his lead in the YETI Bassmaster Elite at Lake St. Clair with a three-day total of 66-2.

Cox took the Day 1 lead with 24-12 — the event’s heaviest sack — and remained on top by adding 20-10 on Friday. He is now in position to claim his first victory on the Bassmaster Elite Series in wire-to-wire fashion.

Day 1 saw Cox start by catching a solid limit on the main lake and then upgrading in the St. Clair River. Stating that the latter felt more comfortable to him, he committed all of Friday and Saturday to the river where he fished seawalls, docks and current breaks.

“It was a struggle today; I kept getting hung up and breaking off,” Cox said. “There were a few times I wanted to melt down today.

“All my early spots were getting beaten up (by local boats), but I just bounced around and had to run a lot of new stuff. Some places where I caught small ones yesterday, for some reason, I caught big ones today. It was incredible.”

Cox said the turning point came around 11:30 a.m. when he pressed the reset button. With a little under 14 pounds in his livewell, he made a key move and found the quality he needed.

“I sat down and retied everything and took a break and kind of got rolling again,” he said. “Everything was going wrong, but I kept it together and kept telling myself, ‘Just be glad that you’re here.’

“I made a few culls and caught my last big one, a 5-10, about 1:45. I was like, ‘OK, we can do this. I have a 3-pounder in the well that I need to get rid of.’ I just couldn’t get rid of it, but I was through.”

Cox caught all of his fish on a drop-shot rig with the Berkley PowerBait MaxScent Flat Worm. He had been nose-hooking his bait, but several missed bites prompted him to thread the Flat Worm onto his hook.

“That put the hook farther back in the bait, and it seemed to help,” he said.

Days 1 and 2 found Cox faring better by casting close to the seawalls. He surmised that the crawfish that had ventured ashore during the higher water earlier in the week were sliding back to their normal habitats.

“They were coughing up craws everywhere (on Days 1 and 2), but today, I didn’t have any in my livewell,” he said. “I just think they were on shad or (other baitfish).”

This would explain why some of his better fish bit farther off the walls in about 25 to 30 feet of water.

Cox said he will most likely commit to the river for Championship Sunday, but he thinks he’ll need to expand beyond the areas he has fished. He would prefer to fish closer to the seawalls, so he will look for new areas with deeper banks.

Friday and Saturday saw Cox catching a keeper largemouth. But he did not end up weighing one either day, and he noted his goal is to win an Elite event with all smallmouth.

“I put a largemouth in the well early this morning, but he was looking rough, so I pitched him over,” Cox said. “I said, ‘If I have to weigh him, I’m not going to make it anyway.’

“To win an all-smallmouth event would be the greatest accomplishment ever for me.”

Second-place Cody Hollen of Beaverton, Ore., trails Cox by just an ounce with a three-day total of 66-1. After weighing 19-12 and 22-15, the Elite rookie and reigning B.A.S.S. Nation Championship winner turned in his best performance Saturday with 23-6 but not without a struggle.

“My first spot is better when the wind is blowing on it, but without the wind this morning, there was not much there — I caught two fish,” Hollen said. “I went to my secondary spot and I said, ‘I’m going to have to lean on this spot today.’

“It doesn’t seem to matter if the wind is blowing on that spot, and I caught four fish that were 3 1/2- to 5 1/2-pounds. I went back to my starting spot and went down a little bit farther than I had been going and ended up catching another 4 1/2 off of that."

Hollen caught his fish on a Rapala DT-7 crankbait in the hot mustard color and a drop shot with a finesse worm.

Cory Johnston of Cavan, Ontario, is in third place, also with 66-1. Ties are settled by heaviest single-day weight and Hollen’s 23-6 topped Johnston’s Day 3 bag of 23-1. On Days 1 and 2, Johnston weighed 21-11 and 21-5.

“Today, the lake slicked off and that helped me spot them on my Garmin LiveScope,” Johnston said. “The other key was fishing areas that weren’t pressured because they bite a whole lot better.”

Fishing in about 15 to 17 feet of water near the Canadian border, Johnston keyed on a 500-yard stretch where he fished a drop shot with a Berkley PowerBait MaxScent Flat Worm and a Strike King Baby Z-Too.

Ed Loughran III of Richmond, Va., is in the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors with his 6-5 smallmouth.

The Top 10 remaining anglers will take off at 6:30 a.m. ET Sunday from Lake St. Clair Metropark. The weigh-in will be held back at the park at 3:10 p.m., with the winner taking home $100,000.

Live coverage of the event will be available starting at 8 a.m. on Bassmaster LIVE at Bassmaster.com with simulcasts on ESPN2 and ESPN3. Check local listings for ESPN2 times.

2020 Bassmaster Elite at Lake St. Clair 8/20-8/23
Lake St. Clair, Macomb County MI.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 3

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

1. John Cox DeBary, FL 15 66-02 100 $1,000.00
Day 1: 5 24-12 Day 2: 5 20-10 Day 3: 5 20-12
2. Cody Hollen Beaverton, OR 15 66-01 99
Day 1: 5 19-12 Day 2: 5 22-15 Day 3: 5 23-06
3. Cory Johnston Cavan CANADA 15 66-01 98
Day 1: 5 21-11 Day 2: 5 21-05 Day 3: 5 23-01
4. Clark Wendlandt Leander, TX 15 65-02 97
Day 1: 5 20-00 Day 2: 5 24-05 Day 3: 5 20-13
5. Shane LeHew Catawba, NC 15 64-09 96
Day 1: 5 21-13 Day 2: 5 21-12 Day 3: 5 21-00
6. Jay Yelas Lincoln City, OR 15 64-00 95
Day 1: 5 21-01 Day 2: 5 22-14 Day 3: 5 20-01
7. Chris Johnston Peterborough Ontario CA 15 64-00 94
Day 1: 5 21-11 Day 2: 5 21-03 Day 3: 5 21-02
8. Bill Weidler Helena, AL 15 63-10 93
Day 1: 5 20-08 Day 2: 5 20-08 Day 3: 5 22-10
9. Jake Whitaker Fairview, NC 15 62-07 92
Day 1: 5 18-07 Day 2: 5 21-10 Day 3: 5 22-06
10. Taku Ito Chiba JAPAN 15 61-09 91
Day 1: 5 21-11 Day 2: 5 20-11 Day 3: 5 19-03
11. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 15 61-05 90 $12,000.00
Day 1: 5 24-02 Day 2: 5 19-04 Day 3: 5 17-15
12. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 15 61-03 89 $12,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-00 Day 2: 5 19-04 Day 3: 5 20-15
13. Austin Felix Eden Prairie, MN 15 60-15 88 $12,000.00
Day 1: 5 20-10 Day 2: 5 21-07 Day 3: 5 18-14
14. Chad Morgenthaler Reeds Spring, MO 15 60-14 87 $12,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-10 Day 2: 5 19-10 Day 3: 5 19-10
15. Bob Downey Hudson, WI 15 60-03 86 $12,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-03 Day 2: 5 20-15 Day 3: 5 21-01
16. Destin DeMarion Grove City, PA 15 60-02 85 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-11 Day 2: 5 20-12 Day 3: 5 21-11
17. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 15 59-10 84 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-08 Day 2: 5 18-05 Day 3: 5 19-13
18. Hunter Shryock Newcomerstown, OH 15 59-10 83 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-09 Day 2: 5 20-00 Day 3: 5 21-01
19. Drew Benton Blakely, GA 15 59-04 82 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 20-09 Day 2: 5 19-10 Day 3: 5 19-01
20. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 15 58-12 81 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-15 Day 2: 5 21-06 Day 3: 5 19-07
21. Randy Sullivan Breckenridge, TX 15 58-05 80 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-10 Day 2: 5 21-07 Day 3: 5 19-04
22. Clent Davis Montevallo, AL 15 57-14 79 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-13 Day 2: 5 19-09 Day 3: 5 19-08
23. Ray Hanselman Jr Del Rio, TX 15 57-10 78 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 22-03 Day 2: 5 16-13 Day 3: 5 18-10
24. Brandon Cobb Greenwood, SC 15 57-02 77 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 20-14 Day 2: 5 15-04 Day 3: 5 21-00
25. Seth Feider New Market, MN 15 56-12 76 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 20-11 Day 2: 5 18-12 Day 3: 5 17-05
26. Drew Cook Midway, FL 15 56-05 75 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-05 Day 2: 5 21-12 Day 3: 5 18-04
27. Brandon Card Salisbury, NC 15 56-05 74 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-09 Day 2: 5 21-02 Day 3: 5 17-10
28. Tyler Carriere Youngsville, LA 15 56-02 73 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-05 Day 2: 5 20-14 Day 3: 5 17-15
29. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 15 55-07 72 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-06 Day 2: 5 21-00 Day 3: 5 19-01
30. Ed Loughran III Richmond, VA 15 54-14 71 $11,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-10 Day 2: 5 19-06 Day 3: 5 18-14
31. Brian Snowden Reeds Spring, MO 15 54-10 70 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-04 Day 2: 5 18-09 Day 3: 5 16-13
32. Micah Frazier Newnan, GA 15 54-07 69 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 20-11 Day 2: 5 16-10 Day 3: 5 17-02
33. Matt Herren Ashville, AL 15 54-04 68 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-07 Day 2: 5 19-07 Day 3: 5 17-06
34. Chris Groh Spring Grove, IL 15 53-09 67 $11,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-04 Day 2: 5 18-11 Day 3: 5 16-10
35. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 15 53-08 66 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-09 Day 2: 5 17-06 Day 3: 5 16-09
36. Derek Hudnall Denham Springs, LA 15 52-09 65 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-05 Day 2: 5 16-09 Day 3: 5 16-11
37. Todd Auten Lake Wylie, SC 15 51-14 64 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-14 Day 2: 5 19-02 Day 3: 5 15-14
38. Frank Talley Temple, TX 13 50-00 63 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-10 Day 2: 5 22-10 Day 3: 3 07-12
39. Brett Preuett Monroe, LA 13 48-06 62 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-00 Day 2: 5 20-08 Day 3: 3 09-14
40. Mike Huff Corbin, KY 14 46-14 61 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-03 Day 2: 5 20-08 Day 3: 4 09-03
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1 Chris Groh Spring Grove, IL 06-00 $1,000.00
2 Ed Loughran III Richmond, VA 06-05 $1,000.00
3 John Cox Debary, FL 05-10 $1,000.00

by AnglersChannel

Ish Monroe Wins Toyota Series Event on California Delta

California Pro Wins by More than 16 Pounds – Third-largest Margin of Victory in Toyota Series History

OAKLEY, Calif. (Aug. 21, 2020) – Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour angler Ish Monroe of Oakdale, California, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Friday weighing 21 pounds even to win the three-day Toyota Series at the California Delta tournament in Oakley, California. Monroe’s three-day total of 15 bass weighing 65-13 earned him the win by a 16-pound, 7-ounce margin – the third-largest margin of victory in Toyota Series history – over second-place angler Beau Joudrey of Oakley, California, and earned Monroe the top payout of $23,420 in the second tournament of the 2020 Toyota Series Western Division.

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"The first day, we had a slack tide in my best area, so I started on a different spot just because the tide was running," said Monroe, who earned his third career FLW victory on the California Delta. "There was some current there, and I started punching and caught them right away. I had over 20 pounds in the first hour."

Monroe fished a Missile Baits D Bomb in the PB&J color on a 5/0 or 6/0 River2Sea Ish Monroe New Jack Flippin hook and had two different weight sizes depending on where he was punching.

He punched with his signature series 8-foot heavy Daiwa Tatula Elite Series rod that he paired with an 8.1:1 Daiwa Tatula Elite Pitch/Flip reel spooled with 70-pound-test Daiwa Samurai braided line.

After sacking 21 pounds, 4 ounces on the first day, Monroe found himself in third place, and when the second day rolled around, he went right back to where he started the first day.

"Obviously, if you catch 20 pounds somewhere so fast, you’ll go back and check it out," Monroe said. "I went to that same stretch and caught one good one and a few decent ones to get me started. From there, I went to the area I wanted to fish the first day and started throwing a frog."

Monroe is known for his prowess with a frog, and he proved why again on the California Delta with some key fish, including a 7-pounder on the second day.

"I got to my spot and missed a giant," Monroe said. "About 30 feet further down the stretch, I caught that 7-pounder. I already had a 4- and 6-pounder boxed, and that's how I got that bag.”

His frog this week was yet another product that bears his name, the River2Sea Ish Monroe Phat Mat Daddy Frog in the yellow head color. He fished it on his signature series 7-foot, 4-inch heavy Daiwa Tatula Elite rod with a 7.1:1 Daiwa Tatula Elite reel spooled with 55-pound-test Daiwa Samurai braided line.

Going into the final day, Monroe had a lead of 7 pounds, but on a fishery with plenty of 10-pounders swimming around, he knew he would have to catch them again to secure the win.

"I started the day in the same general area I’d been fishing all week," said Monroe, who revealed he was in what locals refer to as the "Middle Delta" area. "I didn't fish the same exact areas, but I was close by all three days."

On the final day, he started fast and quickly caught a limit punching in water that was between 1 and 6 feet, the critical depth he targeted all week.

"Right off the bat, I had a limit," he said. "After that, I ran to my frog area and never got bit. I made another little move and caught one about 4 pounds punching and then caught one over 8 pounds and that did it."

The top 10 pros on the California Delta finished:

1st: Ish Monroe of Oakdale, Calif.., 15 bass, 65-13, $23,420

2nd: Beau Joudrey of Oakley, Calif., 15 bass, 49-6, $9,075

3rd: Mark Lassagne of Dixon, Calif., 15 bass, 46-14, $7,026

4th: Michael Caruso of Peoria, Ariz., 15 bass, 45-2, $5,855

5th: Bryant Smith of Roseville, Calif., 15 bass, 44-14, $5,269

6th: Ken Mah of Elk Grove, Calif., 14 bass, 44-7, $4,747

7th: Jon Strelic of El Cajon, Calif., 15 bass, 43-2, $4,298

8th: Logan Huntze of Discovery Bay, Calif., 15 bass, 42-0, $3,513

9th: Joe Uribe Jr. of Surprise, Ariz., 15 bass, 41-14, $2,927

10th: Tai Au of Glendale, Ariz., 15 bass, 39-15, $2,342

A complete list of results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

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

Michael Walsh of El Cajon, California, won the Co-angler Division Friday with a three-day total of 14 bass weighing 36 pounds, 7 ounces. Walsh took home the top prize package of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard motor.

The top 10 co-anglers on the California Delta finished:

1st: Michael Walsh of El Cajon, Calif., 14 bass, 36-7, Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat w/115-hp outboard

2nd: Rick Grover of Trabuco Canyon, Calif., 15 bass, 34-12, $3,063

3rd: Colby Huntze of Discovery Bay, Calif., 15 bass, 34-7, $2,451

4th: Rachel Uribe of Long Beach, Calif., 15 bass, 33-2, $2,144

5th: Casey Dunn of North Highlands, Calif., 15 bass, 32-12, $1,838

6th: Dominick Mohameds of Oakley, Calif., 15 bass, 31-11, $1,532

7th: Rommel Bagay of Concord, Calif., 15 bass, 31-8, $1,225

8th: Jacob Traba of Pacifica, Calif., 15 bass, 30-5, $1,114

9th: Troy Diatte of Salinas, Calif., 15 bass, 30-1, $919

10th: Keith Hurney of Oakley, Calif., 14 bass, 28-12, $808

The Toyota Series at the California Delta was hosted by the City of Oakley. It was the second of three regular-season tournaments in 2020 for Western Division anglers. The next events for Toyota Series anglers will take place on Sept. 2-4 – the Toyota Series at Fort Gibson Lake in Wagoner, Oklahoma, and the Toyota Series at Neely Henry Lake in Gadsden, Alabama. For a complete schedule, visit FLWFishing.com.

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

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

by AnglersChannel

Cox Commits To River, Retains Lead In Bassmaster Elite At Lake St. Clair

Bassmaster Elite at Lake St. Clair with a two-day total of 45 pounds, 6 ounces.
Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
August 21, 2020

MACOMB COUNTY, Mich. — After splitting Day 1 between the main lake and the St. Clair River, John Cox of DeBary, Fla., devoted his entire day to the latter and retained his lead in the YETI Bassmaster Elite at Lake St. Clair with a two-day total of 45-6.

“I thought about going into the lake, but I felt so comfortable in the river,” Cox said. “I feel like anytime I pitch my bait out there, I might catch a big one. I didn’t feel any need to leave, so I just hung out.”

Contrasting Day 1, Friday yielded more quantity than quality, as Cox added 20-10 to his opening round weight of 24-12 — the event’s heaviest bag so far.

“I wasn’t catching giants, but I caught way more fish today,” he said. “The key is if you run into them when they’re in one of (the key spots), you can get right quick.”

Cox started his day in the St. Clair River delta where he fished the south and middle channels. He focused his efforts on seawalls, docks and other hard structure. Current eddies from the nearby channel were essential to fish positioning.

Mirroring Day 1, Cox caught all of his fish on a drop-shot rig. His top lure for the rig was the Berkley MaxScent Flat Worm, but he also used the Berkley MaxScent Flatnose Jerk Shad.

“I stuck with the drop shot because they were eating it,” Cox said. “I think fish were just moving in and off those banks with eddies.”

Cox made a midday run farther north and fished main-river spots close to Lake Huron but found that the water was not running as swiftly as he’d expected. Abandoning that area, he returned to the delta, where he made two key culls.

“At the end of the day, there was a spot I was trying to recall where it was, but I didn’t enter into my Lowrance,” Cox said. “I had a couple of waypoints I had marked in practice so I said, ‘I wonder if it’s those waypoints?’

“I pulled in and I caught a big one and it had four or five with it, so I threw back in there and caught another big one. Those culled my two smallest fish.”

Looking ahead, Cox said he plans on sticking with the river. He still has several areas that he has not fished, and the likelihood of his previous area reloading is very good.

“I loved it today; I had so many bites and caught so many fish,” Cox said. “I’m more excited going into tomorrow than I was this morning.”

Clark Wendlandt of Leander, Texas, is in second place with 44-5. He began his day north of the community hole known as the Metro Flat and moved to a nearby spot later in the morning to preserve his main area.

Fishing a mix of crankbaits and drop shots, Wendlandt added 24-5 to the 20 pounds he weighed Thursday. Noting that his fish were not relating to any particular area, Wendlandt said he spent his day rotating between waypoints and searching for roaming schools of smallmouth.

“I started on the exact same place I did yesterday, but after that, I went someplace different,” he said. “I had decided I wasn’t going to fish in that humongous crowd. Yesterday I fished around it for the last part of the day. I just don’t think that (community hole) can hold up, there are just too many boats.”

Jay Yelas of Lincoln City, Ore., is in third place with 43-15. Fishing a broad flat with low grass and scattered cabbage, Yelas struggled through a slow morning and ended up catching most of his weight after noon. He caught most of his weight on a bladed jig with a Yamamoto Paddletail Zako trailer.

“I got fortunate and got some big ones this afternoon; my biggest was 5-3,” Yelas said. “It was sunny, not a cloud in the sky and light winds. Normally, that’s not the best time to fish moving baits, but it must be that the fish get more active and they’re feeding that time of the day."

Ed Loughran III of Richmond, Va., is in the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors with his 6-5 smallmouth.

The Top 40 remaining anglers will take off Saturday at 6:30 a.m. ET from Lake St. Clair Metropark. The weigh-in will be held at the park at 3:10 p.m.

After Saturday, only the Top 10 will advance to Championship Sunday with a chance to win the $100,000 first-place prize.

Live coverage of the event will be available starting at 8 a.m. on Bassmaster LIVE at Bassmaster.com with simulcasts on ESPN2 and ESPN3. Check local listings for ESPN2 times.

2020 Bassmaster Elite at Lake St. Clair 8/20-8/23
Lake St. Clair, Macomb County MI.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 2

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

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

PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1 Chris Groh Spring Grove, IL 06-00 $1,000.00
2 Ed Loughran III Richmond, VA 06-05 $1,000.00

by AnglersChannel

Hawkeye Swindle says, “Finders Keepers.”

Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships

Like most of us over 40, bass fishing’s funniest man, Gerald Swindle sometimes needs assistance from prescription eyewear. But when it comes to distance vision, Swindle was on par with the eyesight of a Lake St. Clair seagull during Wednesday’s final day of practice at the YETI Bassmaster Elite Series tournament.

“My videographer Shannon Wheeler was riding with me and lost his treasured Tyler Childers baseball hat his daughter got him. I spotted it barely floating in the middle of this freshwater ocean, and we recovered it. Then I looked down in the water and saw a cool looking crankbait somebody had lost,” explains the longtime Team Toyota pro.

Swindle plucked the yellow perch painted diving plug from St. Clair’s massive 275,000 surface acres, noticed it had 3’ feet of line hanging off it, and took it for safe keeping back to the house he’s renting this week 10 miles from the weigh-in.

“I showed it to Gary Clouse from Phoenix Boats, and he told me it looked a lot like the crankbait Clent Davis had shown him. So, Gary text Clent a photo of it – and sure enough it was Clent’s,” laughed Swindle. “I don’t even know what it is, other than a high dollar plug that Clent says is dang good here on St. Clair.”

So, Swindle isn’t giving it back to his fellow Alabama pro – and Davis is being a good sport about it, even though that particular lure was broken off in practice by a healthy smallmouth Davis hooked.

“I already had more overnighted to fish the rest of the tournament with,” says Davis with a grin.

Davis enters Day 2 in 27^th place, Swindle in 32^nd. And no, the unique crankbait actually never made it out of Swindle’s rod locker Thursday.

In fact, even though it would make for one heck of an end to the story, it would probably be best if the diving-billed treasure “’Ol Hawkeye” spotted is not a determining factor in the final outcome come Sunday.

But you know the age-old saying, “Finders keepers …..”

by AnglersChannel

Cox Mixes Lake And River Work To Take Lead At Bassmaster Elite At St. Clair

John Cox, of DeBary, Fla., is leading after Day 1 of the 2020 YETI Bassmaster Elite at Lake St. Clair with 24 pounds, 12 ounces.
Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
August 20, 2020

MACOMB COUNTY, Mich. — Employing a blended strategy, John Cox of DeBary, Fla., caught a five-bass limit that weighed 24 pounds, 12 ounces to take the Day 1 lead at the YETI Bassmaster Elite at Lake St. Clair.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, anglers were limited to the U.S. waters of St. Clair, the St. Clair River, Lake Huron and the upper part of the Detroit River. But the fishery still kicked out 18 bags of 20 pounds or better.

Starting his day on Lake St. Clair, Cox searched broad flats in 12 to 15 feet and caught a solid limit of smallmouth by 9 a.m. From there, he transitioned to the St. Clair River, where he made two key upgrades with a pair of 5-pound smallmouth that bolstered him to the leading weight.

“I left the lake with about 20 pounds, and then I caught two 5-pounders in the river, and then I went practicing,” said Cox, a veteran pro who is fishing his first season on the Elite Series. “On the lake, I was bouncing around a couple of grass clumps, but I don’t know about tomorrow. It was kind of rough out there, so I might just fish the river tomorrow.

“I felt more comfortable in the river, that’s for sure. The lake is not my thing. It just felt good when I was fishing in the river. I could move around and it was like ‘This looks good, I’ll stop here.’ It was kinda nice.”

On the lake, Cox rotated between three grass clumps and found his bass on the sandy perimeters. All of his fish bit drop shots with various worms.

“I went from the Berkley MaxScent Flat Worm to the Flatnose Jerk Shad; even The General when I started running low on those,” Cox said. “As long as it had the MaxScent (formula), you could sling it out there and they’d eat it.

“The drop shot also produced in the river. I wanted to throw other stuff, but I think that’s the best chance to catch a big one.”

Cox made a big run up the St. Clair River and fished near the Lake Huron inflow.

“I was just kind of fishing, drifting down with the current and just throwing at anything that looked good — docks, walls, whatever,” Cox said. “If I came to a current seam, I’d throw into it. Or if I saw one under the boat, I’d pitch out in front of it.

“I caught those two 5-pounders during a slow period. I caught one, then I went for another 45 minutes. I was catching a few small ones and then caught another big one.”

Noting that he got lucky on Lake St. Clair Thursday, Cox said he found more spots in the river than he fished — and he’s hopeful he can exploit more of the river’s potential on Day 2.

“Today was pretty amazing, but who knows what will happen tomorrow,” he said.

Trailing Cox by 10 ounces, Dave Mullins of Mt. Carmel, Tenn., is in second place with 24-2. Committing his day to Lake St. Clair, Mullins said he made a key morning move to a 5-acre area that produced all of his weight.

“I stayed a little too long and caught only one 3-pounder, but as soon as I moved a couple of miles and shut down on a place where I’d gotten some bites in practice, I started getting bit frequently,” he said. “With a west wind and bright bluebird skies, it was a perfect smallmouth day.”

Mullins mixed up his presentations between a drop shot and a Ned rig. He rigged the former with a Strike King Dream Shot, while the latter held a Z-Man Finesse TRD. All of his plastic baits were green pumpkin.

Ray Hanselman of Del Rio, Texas, is in third place with 22-3. Sticking with the 15- to 17-foot range on St. Clair, Hanselman tried to avoid congested areas, locate isolated schools of fish and stay on top of them. A mix of crankbaits and drop shots produced his bites.

“I stayed ahead of them and I didn’t pressure them too much,” Hanselman said. “In practice, it was hard to catch a 5-pounder, so when I was throwing back 4 (pounders) around noon, I knew it was time to leave.

“I found a couple of other spots and culled two more times — small culls of a few ounces. I left everything else alone and just went practicing.”

Chris Groh of Spring Grove, Ill., is in the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors with his 6-pound smallmouth.

Friday’s takeoff is scheduled for 6:30 a.m. ET at Lake St. Clair MetroPark. The weigh-in will be held at the park at 3:10 p.m.

The 85-angler field will be cut to the Top 40 after Friday’s round.

Live coverage of the event will be available starting at 7 a.m. on Bassmaster LIVE at Bassmaster.com with simulcasts on ESPN2 and ESPN3. Check local listings for ESPN2 times.

2020 Bassmaster Elite at Lake St. Clair 8/20-8/23
Lake St. Clair, Macomb County MI.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day

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

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

PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1 Chris Groh Spring Grove, IL 06-00 $1,000.00

by AnglersChannel

Delaware’s Mitchell Wins Toyota Series Northern Division Event on Lake Erie

SANDUSKY, Ohio (Aug. 20, 2020) – Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit angler Kurt Mitchell of Milford, Delaware, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Thursday weighing 15 pounds, 8 ounces to win the three-day Toyota Series at Lake Erie tournament in Sandusky, Ohio. Mitchell’s three-day total of 15 bass weighing 60-2 earned him the win by a 2-pound, 10-ounce margin over second-place angler Mike Trombly of Belleville, Michigan, and earned Mitchell the top payout of $27,706 in the second tournament of the 2020 Toyota Series Northern Division.

Today was a nail biter, I really thought I only had like 12½ pounds,” said Mitchell, who pushed his career earnings to more than $250,000. “It really hasn’t sunk in yet. Right now, I just feel relieved. I really thought I blew a 6-pound lead. That would have been horrible.

“I thought I was going to catch them today,” Mitchell continued. “The wind changed directions today, and it was really cool last night. It felt like a really high-pressure day, and they weren’t eating. I had two bites in the morning, and they were eating weird, they would sit and tap and tap a drop-shot or a Ned rig and not suck it in. It was bad, it was horrible, I lost like two or three big ones and broke off like six fish today.”

Mitchell had two primary patterns throughout the week - one was a rock jetty underwater and the other was a series of hard spots. Today, the rock jetty was almost a deal-breaker.

“The gobies were in there thick today, and the smallmouths were picking at my drop-shot just like the gobies,” says Mitchell. “So, I would really let them have it, and the gobies would take my bait right into the rocks, and if the bass would bite after, I would snap off every time.”

Mitchell’s primary bait was a drop-shot with a Yamamoto Shad Shape Worm in blue pearl silver flake in stained water and natural shad in clearer water. On days one and two, he used a 3/8- and a ½-ounce weight, but lighter wind and a tougher bite saw him downsize to a ¼-ounce weight today. Mitchell also used a Ned rig with a 1/8-ounce Picasso Rhino Ned Head and a shortened Yamamoto Senko in the crushed goby color.

Mitchell hails from Delaware, which is not really known for its smallmouth, but he’s got a real knack for the Great Lakes.

“I have a really good feel for when smallmouth get pressured,” said Mitchell. “It lets me know when to go or stay, or when to slow down. At Buffalo last year, I was throwing a (Strike King) Z Too in practice, and they were crushing it. As soon as a bunch of boats rolled into that area, they quit biting it, and I downsized my baits and ended up catching 20 pounds.

“I’m not an expert by any means, but I can usually find a couple areas and pound them out.”

The top 10 pros on Lake Erie finished:

1^st: Kurt Mitchell of Milford, Del., 15 bass, 60-2, $27,706

2^nd: Mike Trombly of Belleville, Mich., 15 bass, 57-8, $10,049

3^rd: Randy Ramsey of Burlington, Mich., 15 bass, 56-15, $7,780

4^th: Hugh Cosculleula of The Woodlands, Texas, 14 bass, 50-11, $7,483

5^th: Pat Upthagrove of Monroe, Mich., 15 bass, 48-13, $5,835

6^th: Chase Serafin of White Lake, Mich., 14 bass, 48-5, $5,186

7^th: Edward Levin of Westerville, Ohio, 15 bass, 47-6, $4,538

8^th: Justin Hicks of Roanoke, Va., 14 bass, 41-10, $3,890

9^th: Jonathan Dietz of Corry, Pa., 14 bass, 39-7, $3,242

10^th: Jason Kervin of Ramond, Maine, 12 bass, 36-15, $2,593

A complete list of results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

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

Dan Mundy of Swartz Creek, Michigan, won the Co-angler Division Thursday with a three-day total of 13 bass weighing 41 pounds, 6 ounces. Mundy took home the top prize package of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard motor.

The top 10 co-anglers on Lake Erie finished:

1^st: Dan Mundy of Swartz Creek, Mich., 13 bass, 41-6, Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat w/115-hp outboard

2^nd: Gary Haraguchi of Phoenix, Ariz., 14 bass, 39-11, $3,353

3^rd: Melinda Hays of Rogers, Ark., 14 bass, 37-14, $2,682

4^th: Edwin Bartlett of Casco, Maine, nine bass, 36-1, $2,396

5^th: Matt Hummel of Lancaster, Pa., 13 bass, 36-0, $2,012

6^th: Mike Urbania of Mentor, Ohio, 14 bass, 34-0, $1,677

7^th: Ed Keplinger of Farmersburg, Ind., 11 bass, 31-4, $1,341

8^th: Kyle Gelles of Pingree, Idaho, 13 bass, 30-14, $1,424

9^th: Brandon Cline of Wheelersburg, Ohio, 12 bass, 30-9, $1,006

10^th: Joshua Miller of Toledo, Ohio, 10 bass, 26-12, $838

The Toyota Series at Lake Erie was hosted by the City of Sandusky and the Lake Erie Shores & Islands Welcome Center. It was the second of three regular-season tournaments in 2020 for Northern Division anglers. The next events for Toyota Series anglers will take place on Sept. 2-4 – the Toyota Series at Fort Gibson Lake in Wagoner, Oklahoma, and the Toyota Series at Neely Henry Lake in Gadsden, Alabama. For a complete schedule, visit FLWFishing.com.

by AnglersChannel

Alabama Bass Trail Hires Justin Graves As Tournament Director

Decatur, Ala. (August 20, 2020) – The Alabama Bass Trail (ABT) is pleased to announce its hiring of Justin Graves, who will serve as tournament director. Graves will be responsible for working with ABT Program Director Kay Donaldson to promote the state of Alabama as a year-round fishing destination and coordinate all events held by the ABT while serving as the main contact for anglers. He will assume responsibilities on November 1, 2020.

“I am very excited to welcome Justin to the Alabama Bass Trail staff. Having worked in Division I athletics for numerous years, he is no stranger to large event logistics and execution. Justin is an avid angler who has a passion and love for the outdoors, and we are excited to see what new energy and ideas he brings to the role of tournament director,” said Program Director Kay Donaldson.

Graves comes to the ABT with 19 years of professional communications and marketing experience. He spent the previous three years working in Division I college athletics as the Director of Sports Information at Alabama A&M University. While at Alabama A&M, he served as the primary media contact for the university’s athletic programs while overseeing gameday operations for football, men and women’s basketball, women’s soccer and baseball. During 2018, he oversaw a rebranding campaign for Alabama A&M athletics, which included the redesign of the department’s website, aamusports.com. He also oversaw the operations of the Alabama A&M athletics media platforms, which includes the digital streaming of all football, men’s basketball and women’s basketball games.

Prior to arriving at Alabama A&M, Graves spent seven years as a sportswriter at The Decatur Daily and five years as the sports editor at The Cullman Times.

A Florence native and a graduate of the University of North Alabama, he is an avid outdoorsman who has fished competitively since he was a teenager in high school. He now resides in Cullman with his wife and daughter.

“I am extremely excited about this opportunity with the Alabama Bass Trail. As someone who has competed as an angler in this tournament series, I know from experience that the Alabama Bass Trail is an outstanding organization that creates millions of dollars in tourism revenue for the state of Alabama while providing its anglers an elite tournament experience. I would like to thank ABT Program Director Kay Donaldson for providing the opportunity to work with this great organization which helps promote the state’s outstanding fisheries,” said Graves.

Graves replaces Clay Baldis who resigned July 29, 2020, but will remain on contract through October 2020.

“The Alabama Bass Trail’s board of directors graciously accepted the resignation of Clay Baldis effective July 29th. We want to recognize the countless hours he dedicated to the Alabama Bass Trail and wish him well as he begins a new chapter. The Alabama Bass Trail will continue to contract with Clay through the 2020 season where he will be training the new tournament director, Justin Graves,” said ABT Board of Directors Chairwoman Thereasa Hulgan.

For more information, call Donaldson at 855.934.7425 or visit www.alabamabasstrail.org.

by AnglersChannel

Alabama’s Lay Lake To Host Rescheduled Bassmaster Eastern Open

August 20, 2020

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Lay Lake, the same storied fishery that has hosted four Bassmaster Classics, will host the Basspro.com Bassmaster Eastern Open Dec. 3-5, 2020.

This tournament replaces the Basspro.com Bassmaster Eastern Open originally scheduled for August 6-8, 2020 on Oneida Lake, in Syracuse, N.Y., on the series’ schedule. After two spring Bassmaster Opens Series tournaments were initially postponed, the Oneida tournament was due to be the Eastern Division’s second stop of the 2020 season. The Open event on Lay Lake will now cap off the Eastern Opens, which will have held tournaments on Florida’s Kissimmee Chain of Lakes, South Carolina’s Lake Hartwell and Tennessee’s Cherokee Lake.

“We want our anglers to have every opportunity to fish a full schedule as they compete for the Falcon Rods Angler of the Year title and a coveted invitation to join the Elite Series,” said Chris Bowes, Bassmaster Opens Senior Tournament Manager. “We are thankful to the local hosts who have worked so diligently with us to make this happen.”

Best known for its spotted and largemouth bass fishing, Lay Lake, a 12,000-acre Southern Company reservoir, is a top choice for anglers year-round.

The tournament is being hosted by DiscoverShelby.com, and daily takeoffs and weigh-ins will be held at Beeswax Park in Columbiana, Ala.

“Shelby County, Alabama and B.A.S.S. have a long and successful collaborative history, and we are extremely pleased Lay Lake will once again be the host of championship fishing with a Bassmaster Open,” said Shelby County Manager Chad Scroggins. “Anglers will be treated to one of the nation’s top fisheries.”

With fan interest at an all-time high and a stacked field of anglers that includes some of the sport’s biggest names, B.A.S.S. officials have expanded live coverage options and implemented new technology for the 2020 tournaments.

Beginning June 18 with the Basspro.com Bassmaster Central Open at Arkansas River, both boaters and co-anglers began using BASSTrakk for real-time updates. Fans can also follow the final-day drama by streaming Nationwide Bassmaster Opens LIVE presented by Grizzly as camera boats provide coverage of the leaders.

For a complete schedule, including all of the Basspro.com Bassmaster Opens, visit Bassmaster.com.

by AnglersChannel

Low Budget Live's Luke Dunkin to head up NPFL Live in 2021

The National Professional Fishing League Welcomes Luke Dunkin

20 August 2020 St Louis, Missouri, The National Professional Fishing League is proud to announce that Luke Dunkin of Lawrenceburg, TN, will head up the live stream broadcast team for the 2021 season. Luke will be responsible for anchoring the broadcast from our live studio. Luke will also contribute heavily to the development of the live broadcast, angler round tables and live weigh-in productions.

Luke comes to The NPFL with a lot of experience in multiple facets of the fishing industry. He worked his way up from the co-angler side of the FLW Tour and fished as a Pro from 2015-2019. Luke’s experience on tour will serve him well while commenting on the 2021 TNPFL season.

Luke is employed at TH Marine where he has worked for over 15 years. He currently holds the title of Regional Sales Manager. His insights into the business side of the industry give him a unique perspective on the day-to-day happenings around the industry.

He also has plenty of experience in front of the camera. His experience on the sets of BASS Live, FLW Live and last year’s FLW All- American allowed him to hone his craft and develop the necessary skills to carry our broadcast. Luke currently hosts the very popular Podcast called “Low Budget Live”. Luke’s endearing fans called, “Low Lifers” tune in every Monday to get Luke’s take on what’s happening around the fishing industry. He is also the ringmaster of the “Luke Dunkin’s Traveling Circus” YouTube Channel which features the popular series, "Boats and Pros”, and “Show Up and Shut Up”.

Luke is easily the clear choice for us. His personality and demeanor fit perfectly with our team. Initial meetings felt more like we were catching up after not seeing each other for a while rather than an initial meeting.

It was vital for us to find the right person who clearly understands our goals and shares our passion for growing the industry. Our only direction to Luke is for him to be himself and to go out and do what he does best. We have given Luke the proverbial keys to the on air show and we can’t wait to see him bring the Traveling Circus to the big time!

by AnglersChannel

Up and Down on Lake St Clair

Courtesy of Luke Stoner - Dynamic Sponsorships

Matt Arey was excited to get day one of the YETI Bassmaster Elite on Lake St. Clair underway, but he wasn’t hesitant to admit his three days of practice had been ‘up and down’. The Team Toyota pro explained the giant smallmouth St. Clair is known for are still here for the taking, they just seemed to be more scattered than he is used to.

“The anglers are grouped up but the smallmouth are not,” Arey said with a laugh. “It’s still the same old St. Clair, its just going to fish a little differently this time around. The big bites were random and spread out for me. On Tuesday for example the first two fish I caught were five pounds, but they came two miles apart.”

Bassmaster Elite Series competitors may be more grouped up than normal due to Canadian waters being off limits on account of COVID restrictions. While there are a plethora of great fishing opportunities on the U.S. side, “the grass is always greener on the other side” as they say.

Arey has a solid track record on this massive fishery and lucky for him most of those good finishes have come on the U.S. side of the lake. The North Carolina native is no stranger to the drifting techniques that excel on St. Clair; he just wishes the fish were a bit more concentrated than he’s experienced this week.

“It’s a mental grind knowing you need to weigh-in five bigguns a day here with the fish being so spread out,” Arey explained. “I’m sure I’ll be fishing around a bunch of other guys and I hate to use the word luck in bass fishing, but at times it does feel like luck out there. It’ll be up and down everyday in my boat I’d guess.”

Speaking of up and down, that’s what Arey expects this event to do to anglers in the Angler of the Year race. With the way St. Clair is fishing, he predicts this event could make or break positions in the points race before heading into the southern swing to close the season.

Arey current sits in 3^rd place in the Angler of the Year race and knows he needs a strong finish here to hold that position. With any luck he’ll collide with enough fat bronzebacks each day to keep himself in the AOY hunt when he hops in his Tundra following this event.

by AnglersChannel

Brandon Lester talks spicy chicken and St. Clair smallmouth

Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships

Brandon Lester has done very well in past events on Lake St. Clair, and he doesn’t hide his love of the smallmouth and the refreshing Southeast Michigan weather. The Team Toyota pro just wishes he had time to sample some of the better food offerings in the area.

Q: When somebody says the words “Lake St. Clair” – what’s the first thing that pops to mind?

Lester: That’s easy, big waves and big smallmouth!

Q: What should fans keep their eye on during this week’s Bassmaster Elite Series event?

Lester: It’s gonna be another full-blown smallmouth beatdown. I’m not sure the average smallmouth is quite as fat this year as they were last September when we were here, but it’s still going to be pretty dang impressive. Honestly, I’m not sure I’ve ever seen this place be anything short of awesome.

Q: This area is famous for a lot of great food includingdeep fried perch and Coney Island hot dogs. What’s the best thing you’ve eaten in the five days you’ve been here so far?

Lester: Oh man, I’m staying in a hotel all by myself. So I’m hurting in the good food department. It’s been all about ‘fast and easy’ the past five days. So probably a spicy chicken sandwich from Popeyes.

Q: What are you most looking forward to in this particular Bassmaster Elite event on St. Clair?

Lester: The weather, and I love catching smallmouth! We have plenty of big smallmouth at home in Tennessee, but it’s brutally hot there, and it feels like early fall here. It was 57degrees this morning when I launched.

Q: Lastly, name three lures you won’t leave the dock without Thursday morning.

Lester: An X-Zone Slammer on a drop shot, an X-Zone Ned Zone, and a crankbait that will run 12 to 15-feet deep.

by AnglersChannel

MITCHELL SWINGS INTO THE LEAD ON ERIE

August 19, 2020 by Jody White/FLWFishing.com

Day two of the Toyota Series Northern Division event on Lake Erie was tough on some, but it was a party for Kurt Mitchell. Weighing 24 pounds, 11 ounces, he moved up from second into the lead with a 44-10 total. Only the top 10 fish on the final day and they’ll have a steep hill to climb to catch Mitchell.

Complete results

“It was pretty unbelievable,” says Mitchell. “I started off the day and caught about 21 pounds in the first hour and a half. Then I left that spot, and I went to my best area, and I saw fish all over the graph. I caught one and my co-angler caught a 4, and we left it to save it for tomorrow. Then I hit one more hard spot, and caught two more and then I caught a 6-pounder, so I just came in.”

Fishing shallower hard spots in about 10 feet of water, Mitchell added to his pattern today.

“When they’re not on the hard spots, I couldn’t figure out where they are going,” says Mitchell. “Today, I drifted way off the spot, and there’s one little strip of rocks, and they’re set up right on the backside of them. That’s where they were today.”

Mitchell’s secondary rock is in about 16 feet, so still fairly shallow, but it proved to be a difference-maker today. Like on day one, a Yamamoto Shad Shape Worm on a drop-shot did damage, but today he mixed in a Ned rig as well.

Mitchell has earned over $200,000 with FLW and fished the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit for five years, but this is his best shot yet at a win.

“I feel pretty good,” says Mitchell. “The one area, it’s a big strip of rocks, it looks like an underwater jetty, and those fish stay there all day. The hard spot areas, they’re hit or miss, but I’ve got at least one spot I feel really confident in and two spots that could be really good.”

Randy Ramsey

2. Randy Ramsey – Burlington, Mich. – 38-9 (10)

In second place, Randy Ramsey is a tick more than 6 pounds behind Mitchell, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t put together a great tournament. Notably, he’s also doing it with mixed bags, having weighed some largemouths and smallmouths each day.

“I’m fishing isolated cover, kind of away from a lot of stuff,” says Ramsey. “There are so many places you can fish with hundreds of boulders and rock piles, but the stuff I’m fishing, there isn’t anything around it. Now, I’m down to three main areas and everything I’m doing is finesse – Ned rigs, and some Texas rig stuff and a finesse jig when I’m largemouth fishing.”

Running west of takeoff and staying in Erie, Ramsey is fishing some deep stuff, in about 20 feet, as well as one shallow spot in about 12 feet. Catching both species was part of the plan all along for Ramsey, and it’s allowed him to stay really consistent.

“If [Mitchell] hadn’t have busted 24 pounds today, I’d really be in the hunt,” says Ramsey. “You hope if one of the species doesn’t fire the other one does.”

Chase Serafin

3. Chase Serafin – White Lake, Mich. – 37-10 (10)

Running to the Detroit River each day, Chase Serafin just banked his second top 10 of the year in the Northern Division, but he’s facing some complications for the final day.

“I ran all the way there with no problem, then I ran out of the river and hit one spot in the mouth of the river, caught a 4-pounder, and went to take off,” says Serafin. “My motor kinda missed a step, trying to get on pad, and I couldn’t get on plane.”

Serafin ended up getting a ride back to takeoff with Scott Dobson, but his boat situation is a little in question for the final day. However it shakes out, he’s planning on running west again, but maybe not into the Detroit River.

“We ran down to the same spot I fished yesterday, and I hooked a good one on the first cast and lost it under the boat,” says Serafin, who is starting on a river ledge in the Detroit River. “Then, I caught three fish on three casts, and I thought it was going to be lights out.”

Unfortunately, it slowed down from there, until Serafin and his co-angler fired them back up. Then, Serafin went to work with a Rapala DT14 and DT20 to catch the bulk of his weight. Catching about 25 keepers, he did all he needed to stay in the top five. Still, he’s not even sure if he’ll go back to that spot tomorrow.

“I knew the high-end of that spot was 18 to 20 pounds, but in pre-practice, I found some stuff in Michigan in Erie,” says Serafin. “Now that I’ve got myself in the top 10, I might go over there and try to get five bites, because if I do, they’ll be big ones.”

Mike Trombly and Mike Mueller

4. Mike Trombly – Belleville, Mich. – 36-1 (10)

Mike Trombly, who is actually staying with Steve Clapper for the tournament, put another solid day up, but it didn’t go nearly as smoothly as day one.

“It was a very tough bite today,” says Trombly, who is running west from takeoff. “I only caught four fish in the areas where I was catching them, we definitely had to grind them out. My mian area had mudded up a little bit, hopefully tomorrow that water clears up.”

On his way back, Trombly stopped at one of the islands and plucked a 2-pounder off a boulder to fill his limit, but it still only added up to 16-9 on the day. Like on day one, he employed a tube and a Carolina-rig, but he also mixed in an umbrella rig for one fish today.

“It’s gonna be a roll of the dice,” says Trombly about his prospects for day three. “It’s a matter of whether they show. The places I’ve caught my best fish in practice, I haven’t caught one yet. They’re rock humps and rough spots, and the fish can pull up easily, but they can pull off just as easily. But I will probably run a little bit more water tomorrow, if it is calm.”

Hugh Cosculluela

5. Hugh Cosculluela – The Woodlands, Texas – 32-12 (10)

Staying pretty close to takeoff around the islands, Hugh Cosculluela has put up consistent bags to edge into the top five.

“My game plan initially was to go fish around Gull Island, but with the wind, I didn’t get out there,” says Cosculluela. “I pretty much caught all my fish around Kelley’s.”

Throwing a drop-shot and a Ned rig around boulders in 13 to 18 feet, Cosculluela is only catching six or seven fish per day, but the recent Pro Circuit event prepared him for that.

“I watched how they fished, and how many they thought were in an area,” he says. “I watched Boyd Duckett and Grae Buck fish the same hole for an hour, and I think if you find fish, there are a lot there, but I probably dropped on 10 fish today and didn’t get a single one to bite.”

Notably, Cosculluela is from Texas, and he’s really enjoying the northern summer.

“My grandparents have a house in western Michigan, and it’s a little hot in Texas,” says Cosculluela. “I think the “feels like” temperature where I live was 111° today.

Top 10 pros

1. Kurt Mitchell – Milford, De. – 44-10 (10)

2. Randy Ramsey – Burlington, Mich. – 38-9 (10)

3. Chase Serafin – White Lake, Mich. – 37-10 (10)

4. Mike Trombly – Belleville, Mich. – 36-1 (10)

5. Hugh Cosculluela – The Woodlands, Texas – 35-12 (10)

6. Eddie Levin – Westerville, Ohio – 33-8 (10)

7. Pat Upthagrove – Monroe, Mich. – 30-14 (10)

8. Jason Kervin – Raymond, Me. – 29-15 (10)

9. Justin Hicks – Roanoke, Va. – 29-13 (10)

10. Jonathan Dietz – Corry, Penn. – 29-2 (10)

Complete results

by AnglersChannel

Sumrall: St. Clair isn’t all about tubes and drop shots

Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships

Caleb Sumrall cut his bass fishing teeth on the shallow bayous of Southern Louisiana pitching soft plastic lures around cypress trees and thick vegetation – pretty much bass fishing’s polar opposite of what he’ll face this week at the YETI Bassmaster Elite on Lake St. Clair.

But the former petroleum industry supply yard worker is a quick learner – and bagged a Top 20 at his very first tournament on St. Clair last September.

Not only did he learn really fast the waves here get equally as big as the smallmouth, but he’ll also be quick to tell you it’s not all about dragging a tube or drop shot around. Instead, crankbaits are a major player on St. Clair too.

“Obviously, there’s plenty of history to prove that you can do really well, or even win tournaments here with a tube or drop shot. But it’s really hard to cover this massive body of open water, especially in practice, with just tubes and drop shots. So that’s where the beauty of a crankbait shines. I can cover a lot more water with it, and smallmouth flat-out eat crankbaits here,” explains Sumrall.

When asked why he believes St. Clair smallies have an appetite for ‘diving plugs’ he reasons it’s because they largely feed by sight, often roaming in open water looking for abundant numbers of yellow perch and gizzard shad, looking up and outward in the water column, as opposed to purely searching the bottom for crawdads or the occasional goby.

Sumrall also warns that spending too much time riding around looking at sonar screens in search of schools hanging on a ledge or drop like one might do at Guntersville, Pickwick, or Toledo Bend can be a waste of time on St. Clair.

“You typically don’t see a lot of schools on the bottom here like you do at those famous largemouth fisheries,” says Sumrall. “Here, you’re looking for really subtle changes on the bottom that might hold fish, but mostly casting to find the fish, rather than just dropping waypoints on organized schools,” says Sumrall, who trusts a Yamaha-powered Xpress aluminum boat on these big waters.

Point is, smallmouth roam and hunt, versus southern largemouth that lay and wait on the food to pass by. Hopefully, this week, St. Clair’s smallmouth will hunt down Sumrall’s Spro Fat Papa crankbait that dives 10 to 14-feet deep.

If so, look for the highly likeable pro from deep in Southern Louisiana to bag another Top 20 -- roughly a 19-hour drive from the shallow flooded cypress trees back home.

by AnglersChannel

FLW Angler of the Year and FLW Rookie of the Year in the House!

This week Chris & The Circus welcome in the 2020 FLW Tour Angler of the Year Ron Nelson & 2020 Rookie of the Year Kyle Hall to talk about their 2020 season, as crazy as its been and help preview next weeks TITLE on Sturgeon Bay. Blonde Girl Behind the Scenes Michele Eichstead is still with us for picks and the guys debate technology..... And the mystery of Fishing. Stay instinctive guys & gals, just hit play!

by AnglersChannel

Major League Fishing General Tire World Championship Wraps Production in Grand Rapids

Bass Fishing Event Completes Week-Long Shoot in Northern Minnesota with 16 Pro Anglers Competing to Win 2020 World Championship

TULSA, Okla. (Aug. 19, 2020) – Major League Fishing (MLF) recently wrapped production at the 2020 General Tire World Championship event in Grand Rapids, Minnesota.

The event, hosted by Visit Grand Rapids and filmed entirely for television broadcast, was shot over six days in late July and featured 16 of the world’s best pro anglers culminating their MLF Cup season as they compete for the top prize of $100,000 and the title of Major League Fishing General Tire World Champion. The League previously visited the area to film the 2017 MLF Summit Cup event.

“We had a fantastic, record-breaking catch when MLF visited the area in 2017, and it made the decision to return for our World Championship event a no-brainer,” said Marty Stone, Director of Event Research and Program Analyst for Major League Fishing. “There is such a great mixture of fisheries in this area. Deep-water fishing, shallow-water fishing, largemouth or smallmouth, these northern lakes seem to have it all. It was a great week of fishing for our anglers and I can’t wait to watch it all play out on the Discovery Channel later this Fall.”

The six-episode, two-hour series features the professional anglers visiting Northern Minnesota to compete on four different fisheries across the region, including Pokegama Lake, Wabana Lake, Turtle Lake, and Spider Lake. The fisheries are unknown to the anglers prior to competing. An aspect of MLF Cup competition is the anglers do not learn where they are competing until they arrive to the launch ramp each morning of competition, which makes bait selection and electronics pre-event research less of a factor in MLF Cups.

“We are so grateful to Megan Christianson at Visit Grand Rapids and legendary Minnesota Fishing Guide Tom Neustrom for all of their hard work and guidance in making the General Tire World Championship a success,” said Michael Mulone, MLF Senior Director of Events & Partnerships. “Megan and the community once again rolled out the red carpet. Tom worked tirelessly to ensure the angler and staff experience, both on and off the water, was second to none. Fans are going to be so excited to watch the action from one of America’s premier fishing destinations.”

The 16 anglers fishing in the General Tire World Championship are: Casey Ashley, Brent Ehrler, Edwin Evers, Bobby Lane, Jordan Lee, Jared Lintner, Aaron Martens, Cody Meyer, Andy Montgomery, Michael Neal, Takahiro Omori, Jacob Powroznik, Mark Rose, Jeff Sprague, Greg Vinson and Jacob Wheeler. For more information on the qualifying process, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com/MLF-101.

The General Tire World Championship, hosted by Visit Grand Rapids, will air on the Discovery Channel as six, two-hour original episodes each Saturday morning starting Oct. 10, 2020, airing from 7 to 9 a.m. EDT. The full television schedule can be found atMajorLeagueFishing.com/tv-schedule.

For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

by AnglersChannel

Perch are tops on the menu at St. Clair

Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships

Benvenuto’s Family Restaurant, Sugarbush Tavern, pick your favorite, there’s no shortage of great places around Lake St. Clair to gobble up great fried perch.

“My favorite place for fried perch is Benvenuto’s,” says Gene Gilliland, Conservation Director for B.A.S.S., and a hard-core bass angler who makes an annual pilgrimage from his home in Oklahoma to chase St. Clair’s legendary smallmouth each year with a group of good buddies.

Fact is, at St. Clair, yellow perch are the top menu item of choice not just for guys like Gilliland, but smallmouth too. “There are plenty of gobies in St. Clair, but they’re not necessarily the star of the show at St. Clair like they are on the St. Lawrence, and that’s largely because gobies eat zebra mussels which thrive on rockier bottoms, and St. Clair is largely a sandy lake bottom,” says Gilliland, who worked 32 years for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife, focusing largely on bass research.

Ironically, St. Clair was the first American fishery in which zebra mussels were discovered in 1990, and sure enough the gobies soon followed to chow down on them. But yearly populations of mussels and gobies have fluctuated, whereas natives like yellow perch, crawfish, spottail shiners, gizzard shad, and emerald shiners have remained far more prolific and consistent forage options.

“When the Bassmaster Elite Series was here in 2013 there was actually concern about the smallmouth looking so skinny, and we think it was because the goby population that our buddy Mark Zona calls “chicken wings for smallmouth” was badly depleted. It was like the smallmouth forgot how to find perch and shiners because they had become so accustomed to eating gobies for a few years prior,” grins Gilliland.

Certainly, isolated rocky areas still hold gobies on St. Clair, but open water pelagic species like perch and emerald shiners remain the daily special. And anywhere you find aquatic vegetation blended with St. Clair’s thousands of acres of sand, you’ll likely find plenty of ‘salad’ eating crawfish too.

“As a St. Clair smallmouth angler, you quickly figure out crankbaits and jerkbaits that swim through the middle of the water column are just as likely to get crushed by big smallies as bottom bouncers because these fish are used to feeding by sight in more open water situations,” explains Gilliland.

For example, Gilliland throws a Rapala DT10 crankbait in a yellow perch color that dives down to 10 feet deep over 13-feet of water, because the fish aren’t necessarily on the bottom, but instead suspended and looking for a fat perch to eat.

This week, Gilliland will work diligently on behalf of B.A.S.S. at the Bassmaster Elite Series tournament to assure excellent care of the St. Clair smallmouth he treasures, but in the evenings look for him at Benvenuto’s in Harrison Township with a plate full of fried perch.

by AnglersChannel

Alabama Bass Trail Tournament Series Sells Out, Breaks Registration Record Third Straight Year

North and south divisions sell out with a total of 450 teams.

Decatur, Ala. (August 18, 2020) – Tournament officials announce registration is closed for the 2021 Alabama Bass Trail Tournament Series (ABTTS), with all 450 of the available boat entries in the north and south divisions selling out in a record 25 minutes. The 2021 tournament series gets underway February 20.

Registration for the 2021 tournament series opened to the public August 15, 2020. According to Program Director Kay Donaldson, registration for both divisions had reached its limit within 25 minutes. In 2019, registration was full for the south division in three hours and in 17 hours for the north division.

“The near-immediate sellout validates the confidence anglers have put in the Alabama Bass Trail program. This year, we had more pre-registrations than in years past, which probably contributed to how quickly registration sold out. Thank you to the anglers, our great sponsors and host cities who are willing to invest their time and resources into the Alabama Bass Trail in 2021. We look forward to another year of outstanding competitive bass fishing in the great state of Alabama,” said Donaldson.

Teams will be traveling from nine states: Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi, Georgia, Florida, Arkansas, Kentucky, Illinois and North Carolina to compete in the 2021 tournament series. The Alabama Bass Trail creates an estimated economic impact of $4 million dollars for the state of Alabama annually.

Sanctioned by BASS (Bass Anglers Sportsman Society), the ABT Tournament Series contains two divisions, North and South, and each division is made up of five tournaments on five different lakes. The maximum number of boats for each tournament is 225. Teams must fish in all five tournaments in their respective division.

Dates and locations for the 2021 tournament series are as follows:

South Division:

February 20, 2021 Lake Martin / Hosted by the Alexander City Chamber of Commerce

March 27, 2021 Lake Eufaula / Hosted by the Eufaula-Barbour County Chamber of Commerce

April 24, 2021 Lay Lake / Hosted by the Shelby County Commission

May 8, 2021 Alabama River / Hosted by the City of Prattville Parks and Recreation

June 12, 2021 Logan Martin Lake / Hosted by the Pell City Chamber of Commerce

North Division:

February 27, 2021 Pickwick Lake / Hosted by Florence Lauderdale Tourism Board

March 13, 2021 Lake Guntersville / Hosted by the Marshall County CVB

April 10, 2021 Wheeler Lake / Hosted by Decatur Morgan County Tourism

May 15, 2021 Weiss Lake / Hosted by the Town of Leesburg

June 19, 2021 Neely Henry Lake / Hosted by the City of Gadsden

Hosted by the Chamber of Commerce of Walker County, the championship tournament will be held October 22-23, 2021, on Lewis Smith Lake.

The no-entry fee championship event will include up to 185 boats. The 185 boats are comprised of the 10 regular season winners, top 75 teams in points from both divisions that fished all five events in their respective divisions, along with the top 15 student teams, top five college teams and the top five couples teams collectively from both divisions that fished all five events in their respective division.

Each regular season tournament features a $10,000 guaranteed first place prize and pays 40 places totaling over $47,000. The no-entry fee championship will feature a $100,000 payout with a first place prize of $50,000. There is also a $5,000 bonus cash prize for Angler of the Year and $2,500 for runner-up Angler of the Year. According to Donaldson, over $580,000 in cash and prizes will be awarded when the ABT Tournament Series wraps up its season in 2021.

2021 Payout Schedule:

First place $10,000

Second place $ 5,000

Third place $ 4,000

Fourth place $ 3,000

Fifth place $ 2,000

Sixth place $ 1,500

Seventh place $ 1,100

Eighth place $ 1,100

Ninth place $ 1,100

Tenth place $ 1,100

11th – 20th $ 750 each

21st – 40th $ 500 each

2021 Championship Payout:

First place $50,000

Second place $10,000

Third place $ 5,000

Fourth place $ 4,000

Fifth place $ 3,000

Sixth place $ 2,500

Seventh place $ 2,200

Eighth place $ 2,000

Ninth place $ 1,800

Tenth place $ 1,500

11^th-15^th $ 1,200 each

16^th-25^th $ 1,100 each

Big Fish $500 daily

ABT Tournament sponsors include Phoenix Bass Boats; Bill Penney Toyota; Alabama Tourism Department; America’s First Federal Credit Union; Academy Sports & Outdoors; Garmin; T-H Marine Supplies, Inc.; Alabama Power Company; Buffalo Rock, Inc.; Jack’s; Wedowee Marine; Lews Fishing; FishNeelyHenry.com; Power-Pole; Big Bite Baits; YETI; Zone Repellents and Hydrowave. AnglersChannel will film and produce the Alabama Bass Trail television series for Fox Sports Southeast and Southern Stream Live will continue the live-streaming and video production services.

by AnglersChannel

BASS FISHING HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES TO BE HONORED WITH COMMEMORATIVE ‘CHALLENGE COINS’

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – For Immediate Release – 8.18.2020 — The five legendary anglers and sportfishing industry leaders who comprise the Class of 2020 inductees into the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame are being honored by new, limited edition Bass Fishing Hall of Fame commemorative coins bearing their names.

The newest Hall of Fame members include two Bassmaster Classic champions — Jay Yelas and the late Bryan Kerchal — along with pioneering lure designer James Heddon, fishing educator Ron Lindner, and Steve Bowman, an innovator in bass fishing media and the professional fishing competitions.

They were to have been celebrated during the annual Bass Fishing Hall of Fame Induction Banquet scheduled for September 24 in Johnny Morris’ Wonders of Wildlife Museum and Aquarium in Springfield, but the dinner was postponed until 2021 because the COVID-19 pandemic would have made travel to the event difficult for many participants.

“While it’s unfortunate that we had to postpone our 2020 induction dinner, this first-year edition of the new Bass Fishing Hall of Fame commemorative challenge coin creates a lasting tribute to both our inductees and our celebration of the sport,” said John Mazurkiewicz, president of the Hall of Fame Board of Directors. “We appreciate the efforts of our volunteer board members in making this project become a reality, and we look forward to future editions for upcoming Hall of Fame induction classes.”

Challenge coins have long been popular among military service members, law enforcement personnel and first responders, who use them to confirm membership in elite organizations or teams. They are also created to honor outstanding individuals or commemorate important events, and they are highly prized as collectible items.

In addition to having their names on the coins, the five will be enshrined in the Hall of Fame museum, which opened in November 2017 within the Wonders of Wildlife complex at the flagship Bass Pro Shops store in Springfield. They will be inducted officially into the Hall of Fame along with the Class of 2021 in festivities to be held in the fall of 2021.

The beautifully minted coins bear the names of the 2020 inductees on one side and the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame logo and mission statement on the other. The coins will not be sold but will be given free to anyone who joins or renews membership as a supporter of the Hall of Fame during the annual membership drive now through the end of the year. (Visit BassfishingHoF.com to join or obtain more information.)

Supporters have the privilege of nominating individuals for consideration as inductees into the Hall of Fame. Nominees who meet the criteria for induction and are ratified by the Board of Directors are voted on by a select panel of 30 sportfishing industry leaders, media and professional anglers.

Supporter membership dues of $25 per year, combined with proceeds from the annual induction banquet and fundraising auction, enable the Hall of Fame Board to fulfill its mission of celebrating, promoting and preserving the sport of bass fishing. The Hall of Fame auction, offering valuable prizes, one-of-a-kind items and bucket-list fishing trips, will be held online this year starting on Tuesday, September 22. More details can be found on the BFHOF website and Facebook page.

In addition, the Board is currently reviewing applications for conservation grants to benefit bass fishing resources. Winners will be announced soon.

The Bass Fishing Hall of Fame is a nonprofit organization dedicated to honoring anglers, manufacturers, innovators and media representatives who have furthered the sport of bass fishing. On display at Johnny Morris’ Wonders of Wildlife Museum and Aquarium are artifacts, photos and biographical information about the 77 Hall of Famers who have been inducted since 2001. To become a supporting member of the Hall, visit https://www.bassfishinghof.com/membership.

by AnglersChannel

YETI To Sponsor Elite Event At Lake St. Clair

August 18, 2020

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Premium outdoor brand YETI has signed on as the title sponsor for this week’s smallmouth showcase on Michigan’s Lake St. Clair, B.A.S.S. announced today. The 2020 YETI Bassmaster Elite at Lake St. Clair will be held Aug. 20-23 in Macomb County, Mich.

“We’re honored to be sponsoring this year’s Elite Series event at Lake St. Clair and supporting some of the most skilled anglers in professional bass fishing,” said Bill Neff, Vice President, Consumer Marketing at YETI. “This community has always been incredibly supportive of us, and we’re proud to show our support for them.”

YETI currently sponsors Elite Series angler Brandon Palaniuk, who came from fifth place on Championship Sunday to win the recent Bassmaster Elite at Lake Champlain.

Live coverage of the YETI Bassmaster Elite at Lake St. Clair starts Thursday, Aug. 20 at 7 a.m. EST, and fans will enjoy three ways to catch on-the-water action. In addition to insightful Bassmaster LIVE coverage on Bassmaster.com and ESPN3, all four days of the tournament will also be aired live on ESPN2. Weigh-ins will be aired on Bassmaster.com. Check local listings for ESPN2 broadcast times.

“Coverage of our three most recent tournaments on ESPN2 drew millions of sports fans to bass fishing — some for the first time,” said B.A.S.S. CEO Bruce Akin. “This summer, the public has flocked to fishing as the ideal way to responsibly reconnect with family and enjoy an escape in nature, making this the perfect time for YETI to partner with B.A.S.S. to reach an audience of outdoor enthusiasts.”

by AnglersChannel

Post Pro Circuit, Sandusky Now Readies for Toyota Series Event

SANDUSKY, Ohio (Aug. 17, 2020) – Fresh off of last week’s big Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit event at Lake Erie in Sandusky, the fishery is now set to host another bass-fishing competition this week with the Toyota Series Northern Division at Lake Erie. The three-day event, hosted by the City of Sandusky and the Lake Erie Shores & Islands Welcome Center, takes place Aug. 18-20 and will feature the region’s best bass-fishing pros and co-anglers as they cast for a top prize of up to $65,000, plus a $35,000 bonus if the winner is a qualified Phoenix Boat owner.

Anglers will take off daily at 6:30 a.m. EDT from the Shelby St. Public Boat Launch, located at 101 Shelby St., in Sandusky. Weigh-ins will also be held at the boat launch and will begin at 2:30 p.m. Attendance is limited to anglers and essential staff and fans are encouraged to follow the event online through the “FLW Live” weigh-in broadcasts and daily coverage at FLWFishing.com.

In Toyota Series regular-season competition, payouts are based on the number of participants competing in the event, scaling up for every 20 boats over 160 and scaling down for every boat below 160. With a 160-boat field, pros fish for a top prize of $40,000, plus an extra $35,000 if FLW PHOENIX BONUS qualified. Co-anglers cast for the top prize of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard (valued at $33,500). With a 260-boat field, pros fish for a top award of $65,000, plus an extra $35,000 if FLW PHOENIX BONUS qualified. Co-anglers cast for the top prize of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard (valued at $33,500) plus $5,000 cash.

by AnglersChannel

Holmen’s Shaver Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Mississippi River at Prairie du Chien

Wilton’s Fry Wins Co-angler Title

PRAIRIE DU CHIEN, Wis. (Aug. 17, 2020) – Boater Jeremiah Shaver of Holmen, Wisconsin, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 15 pounds, 7 ounces to win the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine event on the Mississippi River in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. Shaver earned $3,879. for his victory.

“I threw a black and yellow Spro Bronzeye Frog all day – I never picked up another rod,” said Shaver, who earned the first tournament win of his career. “I made a long run to the top of Pool 9. It took me about an hour and a half to get there through the lock.

“I was fishing a cheese mat – literally the most disgusting, yellow cheese mat that you’d ever seen,” Shaver continued. “I caught a limit there for around 13½ pounds and made the trip back down around 11:30 (a.m.). I had two key culls late in the day that really helped.

“The wind kind of made the bite sporadic, but I just stayed confident with the frog and didn’t put it down,” Shaver went on to say. “It’s exciting to finally get a win – it was long overdue.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:

1^st: Jeremiah Shaver of Holmen, Wis., five bass, 15-7, $3,879

2^nd: Douglas Chapin of Green Bay, Wis., five bass, 14-8, $2,440

3^rd: Mike Mertens of Mount Pleasant, Iowa, five bass, 14-3, $1,293

4^th: Ryan Doty of Galena, Ill., five bass, 13-13, $905

5^th: Travis Madrazo of Owatonna, Minn., five bass, 13-10, $1,291

6^th: Josh Ystenes of La Crosse, Wis., five bass, 13-9, $711

7^th: Kevin Ruh of Onalaska, Wis., five bass, 13-5, $647

8^th: Jordan Hirt of Glenwood, Iowa, five bass, 13-4, $582

9^th: Rick Bosshard of Hartland, Wis., five bass, 13-0, $485

9^th: Brad Wessling of Elkhorn, Wis., five bass, 13-0, $485

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Madrazo claimed the day’s Boater Big Bass Award of $515 after bringing a 5-pound bass to the scale.

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

Austin Frye of Wilton, Wisconsin, won the Co-angler Division and $1,940 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 13 pounds even.

The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:

1^st: Austin Frye of Wilton, Wis., five bass, 13-0, $1,940

2^nd: Andrew Hegerty of Colgate, Wis., five bass, 12-13, $970

3^rd: Tyler Ackerlund of Colfax, Wis., five bass, 12-5, $646

3^rd: Troy Sippl of Sussex, Wis., five bass, 12-0, $453

5^th: Chris Thomas of Milan, Ill., five bass, 11-15, $388

6^th: Douglas Ley of Janesville, Wis., five bass, 11-14, $356

7^th: Alan Bernicky of Joliet, Ill., five bass, 11-4, $523

8^th: Christopher Morgan of Greendale, Wis., five bass, 11-1, $291

9^th: Bill Borgert of Boyceville, Wis., five bass, 10-10, $259

10^th: Neil Stensland of Houston, Minn., five bass, 10-7, $226

Steve Schaefer of Palmyra, Missouri, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, weighing in at 4 pounds, 3 ounces. The catch earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $257.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on the Mississippi River in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, was the third of five qualifying tournaments in the Great Lakes division.

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

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

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American will be held Nov. 11-13 at Lake Hartwell in Anderson, South Carolina and is hosted by Visit Anderson. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division earn priority entry into the FLW Series, the pathway to the FLW Pro Circuit and ultimately the MLF Bass Pro Tour, where top pros compete with no entry fees.

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

by AnglersChannel

Bertrand Banks Toyota Bonus Bucks at Lake Erie

Courtesy of Luke Stoner - Dynamic Sponsorships

Photo Courtesy of Jody White//FLW

When it comes to finding and catching smallmouth bass, few people on this planet rival the skills of Major League Fishing pro Josh Bertrand. The ‘cool as a cucumber’ Arizona native proved this yet again at the FLW Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Super Tournament on Lake Erie with a 3^rd place finish and an extra $3,000 prize from Toyota Bonus Bucks.

Bertrand’s Tundra features a Berkley PowerBait MaxScent wrap, and it comes as no surprise that a green pumpkin MaxScent Flat Worm rigged on a dropshot was responsible for every fish he weighed in last week.

“We’ve heard it a lot this year, but the Flat Worm was absolutely crucial,” Bertrand explained. “I have 100% confidence in a Flat Worm and a dropshot for northern smallmouth. I literally never strayed from that presentation in practice or the tournament, which made me much more efficient. I was able to focus on finding fish, not weeding through different baits.”

The Berkley pro successfully milked his areas on Lake Erie for all they were worth and was happy to be making the 30-hour haul back to Arizona with a top three finish. Long drives have been a constant theme for Bertrand throughout his career, and so has towing with a Toyota Tundra.

“I’m currently driving my 3^rd Tundra and the reliability is absolutely my favorite thing about my truck,” Bertrand said. “In eight years I’ve logged close to 300,000 miles towing a boat, and I’ve literally never had a problem. I can’t explain how comforting it is to know I’m driving a reliable vehicle when cruising through the desert or in the middle of nowhere. It can’t be overstated.”

Bertrand estimates he has earned somewhere in the ballpark of $25,000 of contingency rewards from Toyota Bonus Bucks over the last eight years. But Bonus Bucks isn’t only for touring professional anglers – you can get in on the rewards, too!

As long as you drive a 2016 or newer Toyota tow vehicle, have registered (for free) for the program, and fish one of the hundreds of supported bass or walleye tournaments you are eligible for Bonus Bucks.

For program information, full lists of events, or to get registered for the program follow this link: https://www.toyotatrucksbonusbucks.com/ . If you’d rather call than click, dial (918) 742-6424 and Chip or Kendell will be happy to help you out.

by AnglersChannel

Indiana’s Wagner Wins Saturday, Idaho’s Gelles Wins Sunday at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Double-Header on Detroit River

Co-angler Division Victories go to Plainwell’s Laupp and Birch Run’s Hall

TRENTON, Mich. (Aug. 17, 2020) – It was a double-header for weekend bass anglers this past weekend in Trenton with the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on the Detroit River events.

Boater Heath Wagner of Angola, Indiana, brought a five-bass limit to the scale weighing 22 pounds, 2 ounces to win on Saturday and earn $3,794, then pro Kyle Gelles of Pingree, Idaho, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Sunday weighing 20 pounds, 14 ounces to win $4,003.

The double-header events were the third and fourth of five events in the Michigan Division presented by A.R.E. Truck Caps.

I ran to St. Clair and fished deep,” said Wagner, who earned his sixth career BFL win – all on the Detroit River and Lake St. Clair. “It took me a day to find them, but the key was using my electronics to locate them. Every fish that I caught came watching my graph.

“I caught them all on a drop-shot rig with a variety of baits – mostly Z-Man,” Wagner continued. “I fished a Z-Man TRD and a Strike King Z-Too. I even caught one on the famous Ned rig.”

The top five boaters on Saturday were:

1^st: Heath Wagner of Angola, Ind., five bass, 22-2, $3,794

2^nd: Alex Redwine of Cincinnati, Ohio, five bass, 21-14, $1,897

3^rd: Daniel Sepeck of Norwood, Ohio, five bass, 21-8, $1,265

4^th: Tom Beale of St. Clair Shores, Mich., five bass, 21-5, $885

5^th: Angel Rosario of Kalamazoo, Mich., five bass, 20-4, $727

5^th: Scott Allen of New Philadelphia, Ohio, five bass, 20-4, $727

Complete results for Saturday’s event can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Kyle Greene of Ortonville, Michigan, earned the day’s Boater Big Bass Award of $495 after bringing a 6-pound, 2-ounce bass to the scale.

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

Zach Laupp of Plainwell, Michigan, won the Co-angler Division and $1,897 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 22 pounds, 9 ounces.

The top five co-anglers on Saturday were:

1^st: Zach Laupp of Plainwell, Mich., five bass, 22-9, $1,897

2^nd: Austin Freed of Wolcottville, Ind., five bass, 19-7, $949

3^rd: Michael Lukich of Chillicothe, Ill., five bass, 18-5, $633

4^th: Mark Lyons of Marion, Ind., five bass, 18-1, $443

5^th: Trent Norman of Union, Ky., five bass, 18-0, $379

Jeff Copley of Marengo, Ohio, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, weighing in at 6 pounds, 1 ounce and earned him Saturday’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $247.

On Sunday winning boater Kyle Gelles did not go to Lake St. Clair, but instead fished the mouth of the Detroit River.

“I didn’t want to run all the way up the river today and deal with St. Clair, so I stuck tight and caught some good fish,” said Gelles, a rookie on the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit who finished the season ranked No. 55. “The key to my win was maximizing my fishing time,

“I caught my fish on a variety of baits – everything from a spybait to a tube to a drop-shot rig to a crankbait,” Gelles continued. “A lot of my big fish came on the drop-shot rig, throwing the Berkley (Powerbait Maxscent) Flat Worm. I just covered a lot of water and tried to catch the good ones.”

The top five boaters on Sunday were:

1^st: Kyle Gelles of Pingree, Idaho, five bass, 20-14, $4,003

2^nd: Mike Raber of Wolcottville, Ind., five bass, 20-2, $1,777

3^rd: Terry McWilliams of Greenfield, Ind., five bass, 20-0, $1,185

4^th: Dayton Land of Coatesville, Ind., five bass, 19-4, $829

5^th: Angel Rosario of Kalamazoo, Mich., five bass, 19-3, $711

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

Bill Crapsey of Monroe, Michigan, earned Sunday’s $455 Boater Big Bass award with a 5-pound, 8-ounce bass.

Cody Kelley of Portage, Michigan, took home an extra $500 as the highest finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member.

Zack Hall of Birch Run, Michigan, earned the win Sunday in the Co-angler Division after catching five bass weighing 22 pounds, 3 ounces. For his victory Hall earned $1,777.

The top five co-anglers Sunday finished as follows:

1^st: Zack Hall of Birch Run, Mich., five bass, 22-3, $1,777

2^nd: Logan Roller of Tremont, Ill., five bass, 19-11, $888

3^rd: Corey Gue of Huntington, W. Va., five bass, 18-2, $592

4^th: Nathan O’Hara of Warsaw, Ind., five bass, 18-0, $415

5^th: Craig Fanning of Elwood, Ill., five bass, 17-7, $355

Ken Ramsey of Cassopolis, Michigan, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, weighing in at 5 pounds, 7 ounces. The catch earned him Sunday’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $227.

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

by AnglersChannel

Ohio’s Shaffer Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Ohio River in Maysville

Louisiana’s Horne Wins Co-angler Division

MAYSVILLE, Ky. (Aug. 17, 2020) – Boater Dick Shaffer of Rockford, Ohio, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 8 pounds, 2 ounces to win the 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine event on the Ohio River in Maysville, Kentucky. For his victory, Shaffer earned a total of $3,879.

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

“It’s been a long time – my last win was in 2011 – so I feel a lot better, now,” said Shaffer, who earned his 16^th career victory in FLW competition. “I was just upriver, fishing main-river stuff. I haven’t been up in that area for four or five years, so I just went fishing blind.”

Shaffer said that he caught his fish on two baits – a Yamamoto Senkoand a Zoom Speed Craw.

“I got lucky and caught two off of one stump on back-to-back casts,” Shaffer said. “Then I saw a green tree that looked good, so I stopped and fished it. I ended up catching four fish off of it.

“Late in the day I caught a fish off of a dock that culled me up a half-pound and that one ended up making the difference and getting me the win.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:

1^st: Dick Shaffer of Rockford, Ohio, five bass, 8-2, $3,879

2^nd: Roger Hahn of Fairfield, Ohio, five bass, 7-13, $1,940

3^rd: Jamie Cunnagin of New Lebanon, Ohio, five bass, 7-7, $1,293

4^th: Brandon Cline of Wheelersburg, Ohio, four bass, 7-4, $1,405

5^th: Brody Campbell of Oxford, Ohio, five bass, 7-0, $776

6^th: Donald Sibley of Strasburg, Ohio, five bass, 6-3, $679

6^th: Ronald Nutter of Newark, Ohio, three bass, 6-3, $679

8^th: Josh Smith of Hamilton, Ohio, five bass, 6-1, $582

9^th: Benjamin Quisno of Maineville, Ohio, two bass, 5-6, $517

10^th: Brad Baldwin of Waynesville, Ohio, five bass, 5-5, $430

10^th: Pete Justice of Sharonville, Ohio, four bass, 5-5, $430

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

David Spivey of Hamilton, Ohio, claimed the day’s Boater Big Bass Award of $515 after bringing a 4-pound, 13-ounce bass to the scale.

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

Michael Horne of Dodson, Louisiana, won the Co-angler Division and $2,197 Saturday after catching two bass weighing 5 pounds, 7 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:

1^st: Michael Horne of Dodson, La., two bass, 5-7, $2,197

2^nd: Austin Brock of Liberty Township, Ohio, four bass, 5-3, $1,170

3^rd: Ryan Lancaster of Oxford, Ohio, three bass, 4-10, $646

4^th: Jordon Smith of Middletown, Ohio, three bass, 3-13, $453

5^th: Ryan Rich of Eaton, Ohio, one bass, 3-9, $372

5^th: Derrick Sadlowski of Steubenville, Ohio, two bass, 3-9, $372

7^th: Ron Weisenburger of Continental, Ohio, two bass, 3-7, $307

7^th: John Lane of Findlay, Ohio, two bass, 3-7, $307

9^th: Darrell Carroll of Independence, Ky., two bass, 3-2, $259

10^th: James Wilcox of Cincinnati, Ohio, two bass, 3-1, $465

10^th: J.R. Selke of Waynesville, Ohio, two bass, 3-1, $215

Horne also caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, weighing in at 3 pounds, 13 ounces. The catch added to his winnings as he earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $257.

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

by AnglersChannel

Maryland’s Wedding and New York’s Balachvili Earn Wins at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Double-Header on Potomac River

Co-angler Victories go to Pennsylvania’s Mellott and New Jersey’s Hutchinson

MARBURY, Md. (Aug. 17, 2020) – It was a double-header for bass anglers this past weekend in Marbury with the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine event on the Potomac River events.

Boater Robert Wedding of Welcome, Maryland, brought a five-bass limit to the scale weighing 14 pounds, 8 ounces to win on Friday and earn $3,153, then Tom Balachvili of Scarsdale, New York, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 16 pounds, 10 ounces to win $2,793.

A person holding a sign

Description automatically generated“I focused all day on the mid-river area, from Mattawoman to the Belmont area,” said Wedding. “I stayed in those two areas and bounced back and forth.”

Wedding said that he fished shallow, staying right on the grass edges.

“I was dragging a (Yamamoto) Senko, (green-pumpkin) with a 1/8-ounce Titan Tungsten pegged weight,” Wedding continued. “I also caught a few on a Dave’s Tournament Tackle swimjig (black-and-blue and green-pumpkin).”

The top five boaters on Friday were:

1st: Robert Wedding of Welcome, Md., five bass, 14-8, $3,153

2nd: Cody Pike of Powhatan, Va., five bass, 13-5, $1,919

3rd: Barton Wines of Marshall, Va., five bass, 12-12, $948

4th: Michael Sentore of Gloucester City, N.J., five bass, 12-8, $862

5th: Mike Rodevitz of Colebrook, N.H., five bass, 12-2, $568

Complete results for Friday’s event can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Wedding also earned Friday’s $315 Boater Big Bass award with a 4-pound, 8-ounce largemouth bass.

Pike took home an extra $500 as Friday’s highest finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member. Boaters are eligible to win up to an extra $7,000 per event in each Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine tournament if all requirements are met. More information on the FLW PHOENIX BONUS contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.

Jeff Mellott of Warfordsburg, Pennsylvania, earned the win in the Co-angler Division Friday after catching five bass weighing 9 pounds, 13 ounces. For his victory Mellott earned $1,419.

The top five co-anglers on Friday were:

1st: Jeff Mellott of Warfordsburg, Pa., five bass, 9-13, $1,419

2nd: Michael Burke of Breinigsville, Pa., five bass, 8-9, $710

3rd: Anthony Shanz of Selbyville, Del., two bass, 6-13, $402

4th: Devon Kitson of Montclair, N.J., three bass, 6-13, $402

5th: Dubi Mejia of Georgetown, Del., three bass, 6-7, $284

David Compton Jr. of Mount Bethel, Pennsylvania, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division Friday, weighing in at 4 pounds, 2 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $157.

On Saturday, winning boater Tom Balachvili said that he stuck to Belmont Bay.

“I spent the day in Belmont Bay, throwing a Zoom Trick Worm – sometimes on a shaky-head rig, sometimes on a drop-shot rig,” Balachvili said. “The key was the tide. I didn’t have much practice so on Friday I didn’t leave when the bite stopped, I just waited them out. On Saturday I knew when the bite was going to be on, so I was able to use my time more efficiently.”

Balachvili said that he threw two different colors on the Trick Worm – black and green-pumpkin with a chartreuse tail.

“I put my heart and soul into fishing and there is a lot more disappointment than victories,” Balachvili went on to say. “But, when the victories come, it feels amazing and makes all of the hard work worth it.’

The top five boaters on Saturday were:

1st: Tom Balachvili of Scarsdale, N.Y., five bass, 16-10, $2,793

2nd: Kermit Crowder of Matoaca, Va., five bass, 14-13, $1,597

3rd: Michael Sentore of Gloucester City, N.J., five bass, 13-15, $1,631

4th: Joseph Thompson of Coatesville, Pa., five bass, 13-12, $652

5th: Barton Wines of Marshall, Va., five bass, 11-8, $559

Complete results for Saturday’s event can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Jason Tibbetts of Centreville, Virginia, earned Saturday’s $310 Boater Big Bass award with a 5-pound, 8-ounce largemouth bass.

Sentore took home an extra $500 as the highest finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member.

Frank Hutchinson of Mullica Hill, New Jersey, earned the win in the Co-angler Division Saturday after catching four bass weighing 9 pounds, 1 ounce. For his victory Hutchinson earned $1,397.

The top five co-anglers Saturday finished as follows:

1st: Frank Hutchinson of Mullica Hill, N.J., four bass, 9-1, $1,397

2nd: Matt Hummel of Lancaster, Pa., five bass, 8-12, $698

3rd: Tim McGlenn of Welcome, Md., four bass, 7-15, $465

4th: Richard Jensen of Virginia Beach, Va., four bass, 7-11, $326

5th: Richard Favire of Alpine, N.Y., three bass, 7-6, $279

Joshua Torres of Brandywine, Maryland, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 4 pounds even. The catch earned him Saturday’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $155.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine Double-Header on the Potomac River was the third and fourth of five qualifying events in the Northeast Division.

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

by AnglersChannel

Davis Fishes Familiar Habitat For La Crosse Win

Barry Davis, of Startex, S.C., won the Huk Bassmaster B.A.S.S. Nation Kayak Series at Mississippi River powered by TourneyX presented by Abu Garcia with a five-fish limit measuring 88 inches.
Photo by B.A.S.S.
August 15, 2020

LA CROSSE, Wisc. — He was more than 700 miles from home, but Barry Davis of Startex, S.C., targeted a familiar scenario to win the Huk B.A.S.S. Nation Kayak Series at the Mississippi River powered by TourneyX presented by Abu Garcia. Davis’ five fish measured 88 inches.

Davis’ individual fish were 18 1/2, 18 1/4, 17 3/4, 17 1/4 and 16 1/4. For his achievement, he earned a $5,553 prize package of cash and merchandise.

In the third of five regular-season events, anglers were allowed to launch at any public ramp or public access area within tournament waters, which comprised of Upper Mississippi Pools 7, 8 and 9, along with any connecting creeks and canals. Fishing from a Bonafide SS127, Davis fished Pool 9 and spent his day focusing on sloughs with habitat similar to his home waters.

“I was fishing the crossover sloughs midpool all day long,” Davis said. “I was fishing 6 feet or less on cut-back banks with wood close by. The key was I found where current was in a bend that had laydowns all in it.

“With that cut-back bank, I’m familiar with fishing that because a lot of our rivers in South Carolina are about the same size as that cut-through. When I found that on Wednesday, that felt like home to me. I felt comfortable with it.”

Davis reports a fast start that yielded 12 fish in the first hour.

“I put my limit up in the first 30 minutes and upgraded my last fish just after that hour,” he said. “Everything else I caught the rest of the day was 14 to 15 inches, but I broke off a good fish late today.”

Davis caught his fish on shaky heads with Victory Tackleworks Clutch Craws in watermelon green and green pumpkin. The former was his morning color, while the latter served him better later in the day.

“I mainly used a 1/16-ounce shaky head, but I also had a 3/16-ounce rigged up for deeper water,” Davis said. “All but one of my fish came on the 1/6-ounce.”

To ensure he got on his early morning bite, Davis recently installed a Torqeedo 1103 ultralight outboard motor. The 3hp unit gave him the edge in reaching a prime area first.

“There were 13 competitors putting in where I [launched] this morning, and later in the day six of them told me they had planned to go to the area I fished,” he said. “That was my key — the drag race was won by me.”

Joey Vanyo of Lakeville, Minn., placed second with 87 inches. Fishing Pool 9, he focused on current breaks and island sand humps. Vanyo caught fish on a shad color Storm Arashi squarebill, a 3/8-ounce silver/shad Warbird spinnerbait and a Carolina-rigged black/blue Zoom Brush Hog.

“The key was I increased current and I found a ledge on the main-river channel where the bass were keying on an undercut bank,” Vanyo said. “I was using the Carolina rig in that spot.”

Brady Storrs of Gibbon, Neb., finished third with 87 inches. Ties are broken by the single largest fish, in this case a 19 3/4-incher caught by Vanyo. Storrs committed his day to Pool 7, where he did all of his work by fishing a leopard color Spro popping frog over mats.

“I caught a few fish around wood that was in the mat, but for the most part, it was just straight mat,” Storrs said. “If the mat had deeper water closer to it, I felt like there was a higher quantity of larger fish there. I was also fishing mats with a lot [of] cleaner water and I think that had them in there, too.”

Rounding out the Top 10 were Mike Elsea (86 3/4), Zach Gibbons (85 1/2), Eric Siddiqi (85 1/2), Zach Humphries (85 1/4), Lance Burris (84 3/4), Casey Reed (84 1/4) and Cody Milton (83 1/2).

For complete results, visit TourneyX.com.

The tournament was hosted by Explore La Crosse.

by AnglersChannel

Lucas Wins Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit at Lake Erie

Fresh off MLF Win at Sturgeon Bay, Alabama Pro Drop-Shots Berkley Flat Worm to Another Victory and Wins $160K in Sandusky, Ohio

SANDUSKY, Ohio (Aug. 14, 2020) – Major League Fishing (MLF) pro Justin Lucas of Guntersville, Alabama, brought a five-bass limit to the stage Friday weighing 19 pounds, 10 ounces, to win the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit at Lake Erie. Lucas’ four-day total of 20 bass weighing 79-2 gave him the victory by just one ounce over the No. 1 ranked angler in the world, second-place pro Jacob Wheeler of Harrison, Tennessee, and earned Lucas the top prize of $160,000, including the lucrative $35,000 FLW PHOENIX Bonus contingency award. The victory was the first pro-level win of Lucas’ career in FLW competition.

“I’m at a loss for words because when I went out today, I was not expecting to win,” said Lucas, who pushed his career earnings to more than $1.68 million. “I expected to go out there and try to catch a big bag., but I really felt like Wheeler and Bertrand were going to put something special together.

“Then, to only win by one ounce… I’ve had that fall the other way on me before,” Lucas continued. “Early in my career I lost by 3 ounces to Scott Martin on the Potomac River, and I really needed the money back then. It was a big deal – a $90,000 difference. And this one was even bigger – a $125,000 difference. So, for it go in my favor this time is huge.”

Lucas said that he spent most of his week targeting a big piece of sunken steel off of a shoal near Kelly Island.

“I don’t know if was a sunken boat or an old channel marker or what – I’ve been calling it the space missile all week – but the fish were using the backside of it as a current break,” Lucas said. “It wasn’t hard to stay on because it was big – like 16 feet long and 5 feet tall.”

Lucas used the same bait all week, also the same bait that he dominated the MLF Bass Pro Tour event at Sturgeon Bay with last month – a Berkley PowerBait Maxscent Flat Worm (green-pumpkin). He fished the worm on a drop-shot rig with a ½-ounce weight and an unnamed No. 2 drop-shot hook on Berkley X5 Braid Line Crystal tied to an 8-pound Trilene 100% fluorocarbon leader. His rod and reel setup was a 7-foot medium-action Abu Garcia Fantasista Premier Spinning Rod paired with a size 30 Abu Garcia REVO MGXtreme Spinning Reel.

“I really felt like I had found the right quality of fish in practice and I knew that if I could go out there and capitalize on my bites – get 5 to 7 bites a day – I could make it work,” Lucas said.

“The last two years have been a struggle. I got my butt kicked in the first four tournaments this season. So to end my season like this, cashing five checks in a row and winning this one – the most money I’ve ever won in my life – I definitely feel like I turned my entire season around,” Lucas went on to say.

The top 10 pros on Lake Erie finished:

1^st:       Justin Lucas of Guntersville, Ala., 20 bass, 79-2, $160,000
2^nd:      Jacob Wheeler of Harrison, Tenn., 20 bass, 79-1, $35,000
3^rd:       Josh Bertrand of San Tan Valley, Ariz., 20 bass, 74-10, $30,000
4^th:       Scott Dobson of Clarkston, Mich., 20 bass, 74-6, $25,000
5^th:       Spencer Shuffield of Hot Springs, Ark., 20 bass, 73-12, $22,000
6^th:       Alton Jones Jr. of Lorena, Texas, 20 bass, 72-14, $21,000
7^th:       David Dudley of Lynchburg, Va., 20 bass, 68-7, $19,000
8^th:       Jim Moynagh of Carver, Minn., 19 bass, 67-10, $18,000
9^th:       Russ Lane of Prattville, Ala., 20 bass, 66-12, $17,200
10^th:     Jason Lambert of Michie, Tenn., 15 bass, 53-3, $16,000

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

Overall there were 44 bass weighing 144 pounds, 8 ounces caught by pros Friday. Eight of the final 10 pros weighed in five-bass limits.

Television coverage of the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit at Lake Erie will premiere at 7 p.m. EDT, Sept. 25 on the Outdoor Channel. Running now through Dec. 27, FLW will air 312 hours of Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit action on the Outdoor Channel and the Sportsman Channel. Each two-hour long episode goes in-depth to break down the final rounds of each regular-season competition. Episodes premiere in Friday night primetime slots on the Outdoor Channel, with additional re-airings on the Outdoor Channel and the Sportsman Channel.

The Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Super Tournament at Lake Erie was hosted by the City of Sandusky and the Lake Erie Shores & Islands Welcome Center. The total purse for the event was more than $1.3 million, including a top prize of up to $160,000.

In Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Super Tournament competition, the full field of 187 pro anglers competed in the two-day opening rounds on Tuesday and Wednesday. The top 50 pros based on their two-day accumulated weight advanced to Thursday. Only the top 10 pros will continue competition on Championship Friday, with the winner determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from the four days of competition.

Pro Ron Nelson of Berrien Springs, Michigan, the 2019 Polaris Rookie of the Year, clinched the 2020 AOY title this week after his 34^thplace finish. Nelson will receive his entry fees paid for the entire 2021 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit season for his win.

FLW anglers are vying for valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the Tackle Warehouse FLW TITLE presented by Toyota, the Pro Circuit championship. The 2020 Tackle Warehouse FLW TITLE presented by Toyota will be held on Lake Michigan in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, Aug. 24-29.

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

by AnglersChannel

Scroggins Saves Roumbanis’ Day 3

by AnglersChannel

Giant Smallmouth Will Determine Outcome Of Bassmaster Elite Series Event At Lake St. Clair

Michigan smallmouth mecca Lake St. Clair will host the Bassmaster Elite at Lake St. Clair Aug. 20-23, 2020.

Photo by B.A.S.S.

August 13, 2020

MACOMB COUNTY, Mich. — Tucked between Lake Huron and Lake Erie, Lake St. Clair may live in the shadow of its Great Lakes neighbors, but these bountiful waters will offer plenty of opportunities when the Bassmaster Elite Series visits Aug. 20-23.

Renowned as a smallmouth powerhouse, the lake shared by the United States and Canada has a history of impressive tournament showings, including last year’s Bassmaster Angler of the Year Championship, which Minnesota pro Seth Feider won with a three-day total of 77 pounds, 15 ounces.

Daily takeoffs will be at 6:30 a.m. ET from Lake St. Clair Metro Parks in Harrison Township. Weigh-ins will be held back at the park each day at 3:10 p.m. A first-place prize of $100,000 will be on the line, along with valuable AOY points that will help anglers earn berths in the 2021 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic.

Texan Clark Wendlandt took third in that event, and he’s looking forward to another shot at the waters known by some as “the Sixth Great Lake.”

“Going by local tournament reports, I think the fishing’s going to be great,” Wendlandt said. “A lot of fish are going to be caught and I think some big weights. Seth (averaged over) 25 a day, and I think we can expect something like that.”

At 26 miles long and 24 miles wide, St. Clair covers 430 square miles. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers maintains a shipping channel that reaches about 27 feet deep, but the lake averages only about 11 feet.

Due to Canada’s COVID-19 restrictions, anglers are limited to the U.S. waters of Lake St. Clair and all connecting rivers, creeks and canals, including Lake Huron. Anglers will not be allowed to travel south of the Ambassador Bridge (Hwy. 3) spanning the Detroit River.

Wendlandt believes all of the U.S. tournament waters could be in play. Most of the anglers will disperse across St. Clair’s main body where they’ll seek isolated rockpiles with scattered weeds, sometimes a little of both. Also, channel markers, particularly their anchor chains, have been known to give up sizable smallmouth.

“I think guys that spend time in the Detroit River will have a chance, but there will be plenty of tournament waters to fish,” said Wendlandt, who currently ranks sixth in the Bassmaster AOY standings. “Lake St. Clair is just perfect for smallmouth. Gobies and maybe perch are going to be the main forage. But just like all the Great Lakes, it has come on like gangbusters since the gobies entered the system.”

An invasive species that reached the Great Lakes during the 1990s, the round goby has played a significant role in the quality of St. Clair’s smallmouth fishery. Anglers will target their fish with drop shots, tubes, Carolina rigs and crankbaits.

Variables include:

Weather — St. Clair is notorious for turning brutally rough when strong winds blow. Big waves increase running time and decrease fishing time. With drifting a common tactic, inclement weather could limit opportunities for some.

The playing field — Much of the field has fished Lake St. Clair before, but with tournament waters reduced, some will find key waypoints are no longer in play.

Lake Huron — Traversing the west side of the St. Clair River, anglers have access to Huron’s west side, in particular, the fertile Saginaw Bay area. A long run could yield opportunity with little to no competition, but it will chew up a lot of valuable fishing time. Feider said he’s not expecting a lot of Huron reports.

“St. Clair is on fire and the good stuff in Huron, with the exception of the mouth of the St. Clair River, is too far to go,” he said. “Saginaw Bay is 70 to 80 miles from the mouth of the river.”

Wherever anglers fish, the weigh-ins will likely see most bringing five-bass limits to the stage. Several are likely to break the 20-pound mark each day, and the elusive Century Club (100 pounds) is not out of the picture.

After Chris Johnston came close during his win on the St. Lawrence River in late July, a triple-digit weight would mark the first time an angler has caught 100 pounds of smallmouth in a B.A.S.S. event.

That’s no easy task. But there are only a handful of fisheries where such a feat is conceivable, and Lake St. Clair is definitely one of them.

Real-time action from the Bassmaster Elite at Lake St. Clair will be carried on Bassmaster LIVE at Bassmaster.com and ESPN3 beginning at 7 a.m. ET. Coverage will also be broadcast on ESPN2. Check your local listings for details.

by AnglersChannel

Bertrand Reclaims Lead at Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit at Lake Erie

SANDUSKY, Ohio (Aug. 13, 2020) – The stage is now set for a dramatic regular-season finale Friday at the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit at Lake Erie. The top 10 is loaded with former FLW Cup champions, Anglers of the Year, and an accomplished local pro with a vast wealth of experience on Lake Erie, the Detroit River and Lake St. Clair.

MLF pro Josh Bertrand of San Tan Valley, Arizona, who led the tournament after day one, weighed a five-bass limit Thursday totaling 22 pounds, 14 ounces to reclaim the lead with a three-day total of 62-12.

Pro Jacob Wheeler of Harrison, Tennessee, (60-9), who has finished 1^stand 2^nd in the previous two Super Tournament events, vaulted into second place after bringing in a limit weighing 22-5. Justin Lucas of Guntersville, Alabama, (59-8), Arkansas’ Spencer Shuffield (57-14) and Alton Jones Jr. of Lorena, Texas, (57-0) round out the top five. Local angler Scott Dobson of Clarkston, Michigan, (55-4) sits in sixth place.

The four-day event featured 187 of the world’s best bass-fishing professionals from FLW and Major League Fishing (MLF) angling for a piece of $1.3 million, including the first-place prize of up to $160,000.

With the field now cut to 10 and a 2-pound, 3-ounce cushion heading into the final day, Bertrand is ready to see how it all shakes out on Championship Friday.

“This morning I caught two fish early that really helped me slow down,” said Bertrand, who finished the MLF Bass Pro Tour season ranked No. 20 overall. “I had six hours to get just three more bites, and it turned out to be a great day of fishing. I even made a couple of culls, and that’s about as much as you can ask for in this tournament right now.

“Every day, as guys fall off it opens more water up,” Bertrand continued. “Yesterday, I was sharing a spot with 7 or 8 guys. Today, it was three. Tomorrow, it’ll likely be just one or two of us in the area. There is less fish, for sure, but we have the freedom to move around now and that at least gives me a chance.”

Bertrand said that his key baits and spots have remained the same all week – he’s drop-shotting a small island shoal with a Berkley PowerBait Maxscent Flat Worm.

“I’m definitely excited to be leading going into the final day,” Bertrand said. “We’ll try to get a good night’s rest and prepare for anything tomorrow. I’m hoping to go back out to the same spot and burn it up. But it could be blowing 20 miles per hour in the morning and I might be fishing for largemouth. Who knows what’ll happen, but either way I’m super excited and ready to see how it all shakes out.”

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

1^st:       Josh Bertrand of San Tan Valley, Ariz., 15 bass, 62-12
2^nd:      Jacob Wheeler of Harrison, Tenn., 15 bass, 60-9
3^rd:       Justin Lucas of Guntersville, Ala, 15 bass, 59-8
4^th:       Spencer Shuffield of Hot Springs, Ark., 15 bass, 57-14
5^th:       Alton Jones Jr. of Lorena, Texas, 15 bass, 57-0
6^th:       Scott Dobson of Clarkston, Mich., 15 bass, 55-4
7^th:       Jim Moynagh of Carver, Minn., 15 bass, 54-6
8^th:       Jason Lambert of Michie, Tenn., 15 bass, 53-3
9^th:       David Dudley of Lynchburg, Va., 15 bass, 52-11
10^th:     Russ Lane of Prattville, Ala., 15 bass, 52-2

Finishing in 11^th through 30^th are:

11^th:     John Cox of DeBary, Fla, 15 bass, 52-2, $14,000
12^th:     Grae Buck of Green Lane, Pa., 15 bass, 51-8, $14,000
13^th:     Brent Ehrler of Redlands, Calif, 15 bass, 51-4, $14,000
14^th:     Boyd Duckett of Guntersville, Ala., 14 bass, 49-14, $14,000
15^th:     Joseph Webster of Winfield, Ala., 14 bass, 49-11, $14,000
16^th:     Matt Becker of Finleyville, Pa., 15 bass, 49-4, $14,000
17^th:     Randy Howell of Guntersville, Ala., 15 bass, 49-3, $14,000
18^th:     Todd Faircloth of Jasper, Texas, 13 bass, 48-11, $14,000
19^th:     Jason Reyes of Huffman, Texas, 14 bass, 47-15, $14,000
20^th:     Jeremy Lawyer of Sarcoxie, Mo., 12 bass, 47-10, $14,000
21^st:     Cole Floyd of Leesburg, Ohio., 15 bass, 47-9, $11,000
22^nd:    Keith Poche of Pike Road, Ala., 13 bass, 47-8, $11,000
23^rd:     Fred Roumbanis of London, Ark., 14 bass, 47-4, $11,000
24^th:     Skeet Reese of Auburn, Calif., 13 bass, 45-13, $11,000
25^th:     Mitch Crane of Columbus, Miss.., 15 bass, 45-1, $11,000
26^th:     Kyle Hall of Granbury, Texas, 15 bass, 45-1, $11,000
27^th:     Jon Canada of Helena, Ala., 15 bass, 44-15, $11,000
28^th:     Jonathon VanDam of Kalamazoo, Mich., 15 bass, 44-0, $11,000
29^th:     Cliff Pace of Petal, Miss., 15 bass, 43-8, $11,000
30^th:     Joshua Weaver of Macon, Ga., 14 bass, 43-6, $11,000

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

Overall there were 181 bass weighing 567 pounds, 14 ounces caught by 44 pros Thursday. The catch included 26 five-bass limits.

The Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Super Tournament at Lake Erie is hosted by the City of Sandusky and the Lake Erie Shores & Islands Welcome Center. The total purse for the event is more than $1.3 million, including a top prize of up to $160,000.

In Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Super Tournament competition, the full field of 187 pro anglers competed in the two-day opening rounds on Tuesday and Wednesday. The top 50 pros based on their two-day accumulated weight advanced to Thursday. Now, only the top 10 pros will continue competition on Championship Friday, with the winner determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from the four days of competition.

The final 10 anglers will take off at 7 a.m. EDT Friday from the Shelby St. Public Boat Launch, located at 101 Shelby St., in Sandusky. Friday’s championship weigh-in will be held at the Paper District Marina, located at 611 W. Shoreline Drive, beginning at 4 p.m.

Attendance is limited to competing anglers and essential staff only. Fans are encouraged to forgo the daily takeoffs and weigh-ins and follow the event online through the expanded four-day “FLW Live” on-the-water broadcasts and weigh-in coverage at FLWFishing.com.

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

by AnglersChannel

AnglersChannel.com - Your #1 Tournament Resource

AnglersChannel.com is your one-stop resource for all things Tournament Bass fishing. We have the largest Tournament calendar, weekly results, podcasts and more to give you the edge in your next Tournament. Coast to coast, at any level. AnglersChannel.com, YOUR #1 Tournament Resource!

by AnglersChannel

New York Bassmaster Elite Events Reel In More Than 7 Million Viewers

Bassmaster Elite Series angler Jamie Hartman treats a live audience to one of his many fish catches during his four days on Lake Champlain.

Photo by B.A.S.S.

August 13, 2020

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Historic victories, record fish catches and dramatic finishes during back-to-back events proved to be must-watch television for sports fans as the Bassmaster Elite Series’ New York swing drew in a combined audience of 7.2 million viewers over eight days of coverage on ESPN2.

Between televised coverage on ESPN2 and the livestream on Bassmaster.com and ESPN3, fans watched more than 214 million minutes of live tournament coverage during the two events.

The action started at the SiteOne Bassmaster Elite at the St. Lawrence River, where on Day 1 of the event Paul Mueller, of Naugatuck, Conn., produced on-screen fireworks when he landed a 7-pound, 13-ounce smallmouth bass — believed to be the biggest smallmouth ever caught in an Elite Series tournament. On the final day, Mueller and Chris Johnston, of Peterborough, Ontario, battled treacherous waves and 20 mph gusts on Lake Ontario as both anglers fought to reach the 100-pound mark. After coming from behind to capture the win, Johnston fell just short of the century mark but took home the coveted blue trophy with a whopping four-day total of 20 smallmouth bass that weighed 97 pounds, 8 ounces and made history bybecoming the first Canadian to win an Elite Series tournament.

Heading into the tournament, Johnston was ready to provide anglers and fans a much-needed enthusiasm boost. “It’s been a weird year, and I think we need to be out there on the water doing what we love to do. With ESPN2 covering the events, it was a great couple of weeks for the fans watching there and on Bassmaster LIVE.”

Savvy fishing enthusiasts knew weights would be close on Lake Champlain, but with less than 3 pounds separating 10th place from first, Championship Sunday was set up perfectly for viewers craving another exciting finish. ESPN2 coverage had just kicked off for the afternoon when Idaho’s Brandon Palaniuk went on a 45-minute flurry that helped him leapfrog from fifth place to claim his fourth B.A.S.S. win.

In the midst of this action, Palaniuk took time to explain to viewers how he used electronics to locate and catch large bass, continuing the trend of explaining techniques and offering tips to new anglers that viewers have seen over the past three events and have traditionally found on Bassmaster LIVE.

“I want our broadcasts to be entertaining and educational for anglers of all levels whether it’s the first or 100th event they have watched,” said Palaniuk. “That’s why I do my best to explain what I’m seeing out there in the moment.

“With more people working from home we have more people enjoying fishing, so being able to share our tournaments with many of those people through a network like ESPN2 is huge!”

B.A.S.S. worked in conjunction with local hosts to ensure the tournaments adhered to guidelines issued by the State of New York for professional sports competitions, which included diagnostic testing as well as protocols for daily health screenings for all athletes and staff via the CrewMinders safety check platform and a host of other safety and social distancing measures. Under these guidelines, no fans or spectators could attend the tournaments.

“We are thankful to all of our local hosts as well as our partners at ESPN, who have helped B.A.S.S. safely bring the fun of competition and beauty of these fisheries into the homes of millions of fans during our three most recent tournaments,” said Bruce Akin, B.A.S.S. CEO.

The 2020 Bassmaster Elite season continues on Michigan’s Lake St. Clair Aug. 20-23, with live coverage on Bassmaster.com, ESPN2 and ESPN3. Weigh-ins will be aired on Bassmaster.com. Check local listings for ESPN2 broadcast times.

A complete schedule can be found at Bassmaster.com/tv-schedule.

by AnglersChannel

AC Insider Podcast - Jamie "The Hammer" Hartman

This week Chris and the boys welcome in Jamie "The Hammer" Hartman to the show to talk about his Elite Series season thus far and how making the decision to "go Pro" later in life has helped his journey be so successful. Michele joins the crew for the second half of the show and David gets a little out of hand. Check it out!

by AnglersChannel

Lucas Moves into Lead, Nelson Clinches AOY Title at Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit at Lake Erie

SANDUSKY, Ohio (Aug. 12, 2020) – Major League Fishing (MLF) pro Justin Lucas of Guntersville, Alabama, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Wednesday weighing 19 pounds, 14 ounces, to take the lead after day two of the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit at Lake Erie in Sandusky, Ohio. Lucas’ two-day total of 10 bass weighing 41-5 gives him a slim 3-ounce advantage heading into day three of the four-day Super Tournament that features 187 of the world’s best bass-fishing professionals from FLW and MLF angling for a piece of $1.3 million, including the first-place prize of up to $160,000.

A group of people in a boat on a body of water

Description automatically generatedThe 2016 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American Champion Jeremy Lawyer of Sarcoxie, Missouri, sits in second place, just 3 ounces behind Lucas with 41-2. Pro Alton Jones Jr. of Lorena, Texas, has a two-day total of 40-13, good for third place, while day one leader Arizona’s Josh Bertrand fell to fourth with a two-day total of 39-14. The field is now cut to 50 for Thursday’s competition with only the top 10 anglers advancing to Championship Friday.

“It looks really good on the scales, but it was not easy,” said Lucas, who won the final MLF Bass Pro Tour event of the season last month in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. “I only had seven keeper bites today, and I lost two of them. I only put five keepers in the boat and I never culled one time. So, it looks good but it was really tough to get there today.”

Lucas said that he spent the day hunting for active smallmouth that are ready to feed.

“They’re hard to find, but there are a few out there,” Lucas said. “Most of mine are coming on my 2D sonar. I think they’re attracted to the boat. I see them come up under the boat and then I drop straight down onto them. It can be awhile, between bites, though. Today it was hours.”

Lucas said that all of his fish came on a Berkley PowerBait Maxscent Flat Worm, and that he is “all in” on his spots.

“I don’t really have a backup plan,” Lucas said. “I do have one other area that I haven’t hit yet, but I don’t think the fish are as big there. I think 18 pounds would be a good bag there, but I think it’ll take 20 pounds a day to win this thing.

“I’m trying to stay away from the crowd – there just isn’t enough fish out there to go around,” Lucas went on to say. “I have a lot of confidence here in the summer, though. I know I can find some little sweet spots out there.”

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

1st: Justin Lucas of Guntersville, Ala., 10 bass, 41-5
2nd: Jeremy Lawyer of Sarcoxie, Mo., 10 bass, 41-2
3rd: Alton Jones Jr. of Lorena, Texas, 10 bass, 40-13
4th: Josh Bertrand of San Tan Valley, Ariz., 10 bass, 39-14
5th: Spencer Shuffield of Hot Springs, Ark., 10 bass, 38-11
6th: Jacob Wheeler of Harrison, Tenn., 10 bass, 38-4
7th: Todd Faircloth of Jasper, Texas, 10 bass, 37-9
8th: Scott Dobson of Clarkston, Mich., 10 bass, 37-4
9th: Fred Roumbanis of London, Ark., 10 bass, 36-5
10th: Jim Moynagh of Carver, Minn., 10 bass, 36-2
11th: Jason Reyes of Huffman, Texas, 10 bass, 35-4
12th: Randy Howell of Guntersville, Ala., 10 bass, 35-1
13th: Boyd Duckett of Guntersville, Ala., nine bass, 34-15
14th: Russ Lane of Prattville, Ala., 10 bass, 34-12
15th: Keith Poche of Pike Road, Ala., 10 bass, 34-12
16th: Joseph Webster of Winfield, Ala., 10 bass, 34-6
17th: David Dudley of Lynchburg, Va., 10 bass, 34-6
18th: Ron Nelson of Berrien Springs, Mich., 10 bass, 34-4
19th: Brent Ehrler of Redlands, Calif., 10 bass, 34-4
20th: Grae Buck of Green Lane, Pa., 10 bass, 33-11

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

Anglers were also vying for the prestigious 2020 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Angler of the Year (AOY) title that is determined by the most points accumulated over the six Pro Circuit events in 2020.

Pro Ron Nelson of Berrien Springs, Michigan, the 2019 Polaris Rookie of the Year, clinched the 2020 AOY title Wednesday, after bringing in a limit and ending the day in 18th place. Nelson can finish no worse than 50th place, which clinches the title for the Michigan pro after bringing a 73-point lead into the event. Nelson will receive his entry fees paid for the entire 2021 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit season for his win.

Nelson also won the $500 Berkley Big Bass award Wednesday in the pro division after bringing a 6pound largemouth to the scale.

Overall there were 754 bass weighing 2,206 pounds, 8 ounces caught by 174 pros Wednesday. The catch included 121 five-bass limits.

In Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Super Tournament competition, the full field of 187 pro anglers competed in the two-day opening rounds on Tuesday and Wednesday. Now, the top 50 pros based on their two-day accumulated weight advance to Thursday. Only the top 10 pros will continue competition on Championship Friday, with the winner determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from the four days of competition.

Anglers will take off at 7 a.m. EDT each day from the Shelby St. Public Boat Launch, located at 101 Shelby St., in Sandusky. The weigh-in each day will be held at the Paper District Marina, located at 611 W. Shoreline Drive, beginning at 4 p.m.

by AnglersChannel

Gleason’s Don’t Want the Party to End

Courtesy of Luke Stoner - Dynamic Sponsorships

I was leaving the Shelby Street boat launch at the conclusion of take off for day one of the final FLW Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit event of the year when I saw Randi Gleason pulling out of the parking lot.

Randi’s husband is Darold Gleason. An FLW Pro Circuit rookie and one of several anglers who came to Lake Erie on the bubble to make the Tackle Warehouse TITLE presented by Toyota. Anglers have to finish in the top 50 in points to qualify.

I’m not sure she’d admit it, but I’m fairly certain Randi was already checking FLW’s Live Leaderboard when I saw her… ten minutes after boats had launched. The Gleason’s pull no punches when it comes to their steadfast support of one another or their enthusiasm for competitive fishing.

“Say a prayer for five nice ones if you would,” Randi said emphatically. “He’s gotta catch them today so we can keep this thing going… we don’t want the party to end!”

The party Randi refers to is traveling around the country together for Darold’s professional fishing career. A full time pro bass fishing gig is something both Gleasons’ have dreamt of for years.

Darold has been a part of the fishing industry for over a decade. As a legendary guide on Toledo Bend Reservoir, as a field staff staple for Toyota Bonus Bucks, Carhartt, and Yamaha Power Pay, as a talented regional competitor, and as one of the good dudes of the sport.

So when Gleason qualified for the FLW Pro Circuit at the end of 2019, they knew what they were getting into. And they were all in.

Their 2020 season began on a high note, with great finishes at Sam Rayburn and the Harris Chain. Randi and their pup “Rowdy” enthusiastically traveled with Darold, making up team Gleason and it seemed their dream season was off to the races… until 2020 decided to throw a wrench in everyone’s plans.

The struggles began with a less-than-desired performance at Lake Martin for Gleason, who credited bad decision making en route to a triple digit finish. Followed by a global pandemic essentially shutting the world down and redefining the Gleason’s “new-normal”, as Randi is a Cystic Fibrosis patient.

Cystic Fibrosis is the most common fatal genetic disease in the United States, and puts patients at far greater risk when it comes to the effects of COVID-19. The Gleason’s love for each other is so strong they couldn’t fathom finishing the 2020 season without being attached at the hip to one another.

So days before the Lake Chickamauga event, they bought themselves a 5th wheel trailer so Randi could travel to and from FLW tournaments safely and comfortably. Darold, a long-time Toyota Bonus Bucks participant, tows his Phoenix boat with the Tundra and Randi tows the 5th wheel with her brother’s borrowed truck.

Both Darold and Randi have hearts and personalities big enough to fill Lake Erie; throw their dog Rowdy in the mix and you start to understand “the party” theme Randi referred to.

After another substandard finish at Lake Chickamauga, and shooting par on the Mississippi River, Gleason came into this event in 53rd place in the points race. And he’s certainly feeling the pressure to qualify for the Tackle Warehouse TITLE on Sturgeon Bay later this month.

“I’ve got my work cut out for me but that’s indicative of my entire career,” Gleason said before day one. “I’m sure most of my peers feel the same way, but it never comes easy for me. I feel like I always have to out work my competition. Either way, I’m grateful to have a chance to qualify this week. I’m feeling the pressure for sure, but I guess I’m prepared for it in a way.”

That pressure was only compounded by the fact this Louisiana born angler had never seen any of the Great Lakes, let alone fished them. To make matters worse he heard the whispers and dock talk of anglers saying they needed to make a 100-mile run to Lake St. Clair if they wanted to excel in this tournament.

“My poor brain was spinning in circles every night after practice,” Gleason joked. “Four days of practice sounds like a lot but it doesn’t feel that way when trying to break down a Great Lake. I decided to maximize my fishing time and not make any long runs.”

Gleason’s decision proved fruitful as he currently sits in 25thplace after weighing 16+ pounds of Lake Erie smallmouth on day one. Randi’s supportive prayers came true and their dreams live to fight another day.

If Darold can back up his day one efforts today and tomorrow the Gleason’s might have to fire up some Robert Earl Keen at the Sandusky campground, cause this party ain’t over yet!

by AnglersChannel

Arizona’s Bertrand Leads Day One of Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit at Lake Erie

SANDUSKY, Ohio (Aug. 11, 2020) – Major League Fishing (MLF) pro Josh Bertrand of Sun Tan Valley, Arizona, brought five bass to the scale Tuesday weighing 22 pounds, 6 ounces, to jump out to the early lead after day one of the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit at Lake Erie in Sandusky, Ohio. Bertrand will now bring an 8-ounce advantage into day two of the four-day Super Tournament that features 187 of the world’s best bass-fishing professionals from FLW and MLF angling for a piece of $1.3 million, including the first-place prize of up to $160,000.

The main decision facing tournament competitors Tuesday was where they wanted to fish. With Lake Erie, the Detroit River and Lake St. Clair all in play for anglers, the field was spread out, with an estimated 30 to 40 boats making the long 80-mile run from Sandusky to Lake St. Clair. Tournament leader Bertrand was not among those that made the trip – he stuck to Lake Erie and had to grind out his day on the water.

“It was pretty risky both ways you went,” said the 31-year-old Bertrand, who has career earnings of more than $710,000 “It was risky to make the long run and try to fish for numbers, and it turned out to also be risky fishing close. I was around a lot of guys that did not catch a limit today, and it was very difficult to catch five fish.”

Bertrand said that he spent his day cycling through about 15 different spots, and that he managed seven keeper bites.

“It was not an easy day of fishing, but it worked out perfectly,” Bertrand said. “Things just clicked for me. I’m not really doing anything different – just drop-shotting a Berkley (PowerBait Maxscent) Flat Worm, like everyone else. It was just one of those days that you’re really thankful for, because it all worked out.

“I don’t feel great about any of the days moving forward, because I have no idea how they’re going to go,” Bertrand went on to say. “They could all go really well like today. But it’s always tough fishing in waves. You have to do everything a bit slower and really take your time. Fighting a fish, driving your boat, pulling up to a new area – you can’t get in a rush. Slow and steady will win the race when we’re fishing the rough water.”

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

1^st:       Josh Bertrand of San Tan Valley, Ariz., five bass, 22-6
2^nd:      Boyd Duckett of Guntersville, Ala., five bass, 21-14
3^rd:       Justin Lucas of Guntersville, Ala., five bass, 21-7
4^th:       Jeremy Lawyer of Sarcoxie, Mo., five bass, 20-14
4^th:       Joseph Webster of Winfield, Ala., five bass, 20-14
6^th:       Jacob Wheeler of Harrison, Tenn., five bass, 20-6
7^th:       Gerald Spohrer of Gonzales, La., five bass, 20-0
8^th:       Tommy Dickerson of Orange, Texas, five bass, 19-13
9^th:       Kelly Jordon of Flint, Texas, five bass, 19-10
10^th:     Todd Faircloth of Jasper, Texas, five bass, 19-1

For a full list of results visit FLWFishing.com.

Dustin Connell of Clanton, Alabama, won Tuesday’s $500 Berkley Big Bass award in the pro division with a 5-pound, 14-ounce smallmouth bass.

Overall there were 767 bass weighing 2,132 pounds, 10 ounces caught by 180 pros Tuesday. The catch included 122 five-bass limits.

In Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Super Tournament competition, the full field of 187 pro anglers compete in the two-day opening round on Tuesday and Wednesday. The top 50 pros based on their two-day accumulated weight advance to Thursday. Only the top 10 pros continue competition on Championship Friday, with the winner determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from the four days of competition.

by AnglersChannel

California Delta Set to Host Toyota Series Return

OAKLEY, Calif. (Aug. 11, 2020) – The 2020 Toyota Series Western Division is set to return to competition next week in Oakley, California, with the Toyota Series event at the California Delta, Aug. 19-21. Hosted by the City of Oakley, the three-day tournament will feature a return to action for the region’s best bass-fishing pros and co-anglers as they cast for a top prize of up to $65,000, plus a $35,000 bonus if the winner is a qualified Phoenix Boat owner.

The event will be the first western tournament FLW has held since the organization paused all competition in mid-March due to the coronavirus pandemic. The tournament will be held under an abundance of caution, with limited attendance to anglers and essential tournament staff only.

“The California Delta has been fishing a little bit stingy as of late, but it’s still the Delta and the potential is always there to see the big 25+ pound limits,” said pro Blake Dyer of Walnut Creek, California, who won the Toyota Series event on the fishery in 2019. “The key to doing well in this one is going to be time management. We’ve got a shorter day, and we’re going out of Big Break Marina – not Russo’s – so it will definitely change things up a bit from last year.

“The fish are going to be set up in their typical summertime patterns,” Dyer continued. “We’re going to see a lot of fish caught on topwater and there is going to be a lot of guys punching. The tide is always a factor. It’ll be important to find areas that have some current flow, clean grass and baitfish present in the area.”

In 2019, Dyer won the event with a three-day total of 62 pounds, 13 ounces. Dyer predicted that this event will see a slight drop in the winning weight.

“I think 18 pounds a day would be pretty good, and if you could catch 20 (pounds) a day over three days, that would certainly be special,” Dyer went on to say. “That being said, anything is possible on the Delta. I’m guessing it’ll take a weight in the high 50s to win.”

Anglers will take off daily at 6:30 a.m. PDT from Big Break Marina, located at 100 Big Break Road, in Oakley. Weigh-ins will also be held at Big Break Harbor and will begin at 12:30 p.m. Attendance is limited and fans are encouraged to follow the event online through the “FLW Live” weigh-in broadcasts and daily coverage at FLWFishing.com.

by AnglersChannel

Tennessee Lakes To Host Bassmaster High School And Junior National Championships

August 10, 2020

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — National championships for the fastest-growing youth and high school fishing circuits in the country will be held on Tennessee fisheries, B.A.S.S. announced today.

The Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School Championship presented by Academy Sports + Outdoorswill return to Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley at Paris, Tenn., for the sixth time, while the Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster Junior Championship for second- through eighth-grade anglers will be held on the Carroll County 1000 Acre Recreational Lake at Huntingdon, Tenn.

“We are thrilled to continue our partnership with B.A.S.S. and once again host the Bassmaster High School Championship at Paris Landing on beautiful Kentucky Lake,” said Tara Wilson, Assistant Director of the Henry County Tourism Authority. “Kentucky Lake is undoubtedly one of the top lakes in the country for bass fishing, and we are proud to be able to showcase this fishery and welcome all the participants to Henry County.”

As many as 275 high school teams are expected to compete Oct. 22-24 for the high school championship crown. Each two-angler team is accompanied by a coach who runs the boat and can give advice on fishing techniques and patterns.

Student anglers qualify for the championship through four High School Opens.

“They are the best of the best among 13,000 high school B.A.S.S. members representing more than 1,300 high school fishing clubs nationwide,” said Hank Weldon, High School & Youth Series Senior Manager. “Young anglers have faced a variety of challenges this year, but we’re so excited to give this resilient group the opportunity to compete for a national title.”

The High School Series debuted in 2013 and has grown immensely since its inception. The program emphasizes sportsmanship, academics and a conservation ethic while giving young anglers a chance to improve and test their fishing skills in competition among their peers.

In March 2020, high school fishing took center stage at the Super Bowl of Bass Fishing when back-to-back high school national champions Grayson Morris and Tucker Smith from Briarwood Christian School alongside their boat driver, local college angler J.T. Russell, became the first high school anglers to fish alongside the pros at the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk. Smith has notched two Top 20 finishes in Bassmaster High School Series events in 2020 while Morris has moved on to compete in the college ranks.

Another growing tournament program is the Bassmaster Junior Series, which will field up to 70 teams in that group’s championship Oct. 19-20 at the Carroll County 1000 Acre Recreational Lake. As in the high school competitions, they will compete as two-angler teams accompanied by a coach.

“All roads to the Junior Bassmaster National Championship bring anglers to Carroll County, and we are excited to have these talented juniors and their families in our community,” said Brad Hurley, President of the Carroll County Chamber of Commerce. “We expect the 2020 tournament to be the best ever!”

Bethel University is hosting both tournaments in conjunction with the Carroll County Chamber of Commerce for the Junior Championship and Henry County Tourism Authority for the High School Championship.

“We are delighted to be hosting the Bassmaster High School and Junior Championships again,” said Bethel University Athletic Director Dale Kelley. “It has been a tremendous success in past years and we expect nothing less for this year's event. Bethel University, along with the Carroll County Chamber of Commerce and Henry Country Tourism Authority, will be working hand in hand to make for another successful championship event."

Each tournament will be covered on Bassmaster.com.

by AnglersChannel

Wisconsin’s Laufenberg, Illinois’ Shoraga Earn Wins at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Double-Header on Ohio River in Paducah

PADUCAH, Ky. (Aug. 10, 2020) – It was a double-header for bass anglers this past weekend in Paducah with two Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on the Ohio River events.

Boater Cade Laufenberg of Onalaska, Wisconsin, brought a five-bass limit to the scale totaling 11 pounds, 8 ounces to win Saturday’s event and $3,842, while Dan Shoraga of West Frankfort, Illinois, brought in five bass weighing 13 pounds, 4 ounces on Sunday to earn the win and $4,671.

"This is my first win away from home, so it feels so good to finally have a ‘signature’ win,” said Laufenberg, who earned his third career FLW victory. “I’ve been fishing these Illini division events to qualify for the Regional Championship in La Crosse, so to now have the automatic-qualification feels unbelievable.

“I caught them early, and had my weight by 8:30 (a.m.),” Laufenberg continued. “The river is stabilizing now, but it had been dropping and the fish were seeking the strongest current. I targeted sandbars and rock points with a drop-shot rig to catch a couple, then I threw a white Big Bite Baits tube on a jig head, just dragging it off the drops.

“I also caught a few on a Carolina rig,” Laufenberg went on to say. “The key was just mixing it up. We did a lot of different things but stayed in one area for most of the day. Most of our fish were smallmouth, but we did catch a few largemouth as well.”

The top five boaters on Saturday were:

1^st: Cade Laufenberg of Onalaska, Wis., five bass, 11-8, $3,842

2^nd: Jay Peterson of Clinton, Ill., four bass, 10-1, $1,921

3^rd: Jeremy Mull of Pawnee, Ill., four bass, 9-9, $1,792

4^th: Riley Walk of Neoga, Ill., four bass, 9-8, $789

4^th: Peyton Coleman of Paducah, Ky., three bass, 9-8, $1,289

4^th: Bobby McMullin of Pevely, Mo., four bass, 9-8, $789

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

Mull brought a 5-pound, 9-ounce bass to the scale to earn Saturday’s Boater Big Bass award of $510.

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

Amanda Black of Toledo, Illinois, won the Co-angler Division and $1,921 Saturday after catching four bass weighing 8 pounds, 10 ounces.

The top five co-anglers Saturday finished as follows:

1^st: Amanda Black of Toledo, Ill., four bass, 8-10, $1,921

2^nd: Steven Yeun of Elgin, Ill., four bass, 7-15, $960

3^rd: Eugene Kim of Lindenhurst, Ill., three bass, 7-5, $641

4^th: David Short of Royalton, Ill., three bass, 7-1, $448

5^th: Kristian Dus of Chicago, Ill., three bass, 6-6, $384

Sunday’s winner, Dan Shoraga, said that he targeted one 60-yard stretch on the Cumberland to earn his victory.

“They bit a little bit better for me on Sunday than they did on Saturday,” Shoraga said. “It was still pretty tough – I only had six bites all day, and I lost one and one was a short fish.

“I wasn’t doing anything special, just fishing below the dam with a shaky-head rig in 6 to 8 feet of water,” Shoraga continued. “I had four or five really good eddies that I just kept working, rotating through back and forth.”

The top five boaters on Sunday were:

1^st: Dan Shoraga of West Frankfort, Ill., four bass, 13-4, $4,671

2^nd: Scott Freeman of Chicago, Ill., three bass, 11-5, $2,305

3^rd: Justin Berger of Murray, Ky., four bass, 11-0, $1,224

4^th: Ryan Lewis of Glasford, Ill., five bass, 10-2, $856

5^th: Bobby McMullin of Pevely, Mo., four bass, 9-10, $734

Complete results for Sunday’s event on the Ohio River can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Ron Dickens of Doniphan, Missouri, brought a 4-pound, 3-ounce bass to the scale to win Sunday’s Boater Big Bass award of $235.

Brandon Broadway of Golconda, Illinois, was the highest-finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member on Sunday and took home the $500 contingency award.

Mike Swetland of Tamaroa, Illinois, won the Co-angler Division and $2,535 Sunday after catching a five-bass limit weighing 7 pounds, 11 ounces.

The top five co-anglers Sunday finished as follows:

1^st: Mike Swetland of Tamaroa, Ill., five bass, 7-11, $2,535

2^nd: Dale Renth of Mascoutah, Ill., three bass, 6-1, $918

3^rd: Ryan Murphy of Paris, Ill., five bass, 5-14, $612

4^th: Joe Andres of New Athens, Ill., two bass, 5-3, $428

5^th: Andy Paschedag of Worden, Ill., three bass, 5-0, $367

Dickens caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, weighing in at 4 pounds, 3 ounces. The catch earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $235.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine Double-Header on the Ohio River was the third and fourth of five qualifying events in the Illini Division.

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

by AnglersChannel

Hamilton Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on James River

Apex’s Joyce Wins Co-angler Division

HENRICO, Va. (Aug. 10, 2020) – Local boater Jeff Hamilton of Henrico, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 17 pounds, 9 ounces to win the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine event on the James River in Henrico, Virginia. Hamilton earned a total of $3,756 for his victory.

I stayed in the Chickahominy, bouncing around to a couple of different spots,” said Hamilton, who earned his first career FLW win. “I mainly rotated between a shaky-head rig and a (Z-Man Evergreen JackHammer) ChatterBait. Later in the day the clouds started blocking the sun and we had a little bit of shade, so I picked up a Pop-R and ended up culling three or four times. I also caught my biggest fish – around 5 pounds – on it.

“The key was to just keep moving,” Hamilton continued. “I was just rotating spots, letting them rest for a little bit, then I’d keep moving. The lucky 5-pounder at the end of the day helped a lot, too.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:

1^st: Jeff Hamilton of Henrico, Va., five bass, 17-9, $3,756

2^nd: Chris Daves of Spring Grove, Va., five bass, 17-3, $1,878

3^rd: Jacob Powroznik of North Prince George, Va., five bass, 16-13, $1,743

4^th: Ryan Powroznik of Hopewell, Va., five bass, 15-14, $876

5^th: Robert Ramsey of Hubert, N.C., five bass, 15-12, $751

6^th: Todd Harris of Clemmons, N.C., five bass, 15-1, $689

7^th: Chris Atwell of Mechanicsville, Va., five bass, 14-12, $626

8^th: James Wall of Greensboro, N.C., five bass, 14-5, $563

9^th: Rob Uzzle of Hampton, Va., five bass, 14-4, $1,001

10^th: Michael Coleman of South Chester, Va., five bass, 14-2, $438

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Jacob Powroznik won the day’s $490 Boater Big Bass Award after bringing a 5-pound, 7-ounce bass to the scale.

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

Keith Joyce of Apex, North Carolina, won the Co-angler Division and $1,878 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 16 pounds, 4 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:

1^st: Keith Joyce of Apex, N.C., five bass, 16-4, $1,878

2^nd: Victor Riveras of Newport News, Va., five bass, 13-6, $939

3^rd: Brad Hendrix of Greensboro, N.C., five bass, 11-2, $627

4^th: Ryan Drewery of Petersburg, Va., five bass, 10-9, $438

5^th: Nathan Grose of Summersville, W. Va., five bass, 10-8, $376

6^th: Eric Hubbard of Broad Run, Va., five bass, 10-5, $344

7^th: Tim Garner of Margo, Va., five bass, 10-0, $297

7^th: Matt Hall of Woodlawn, Va., five bass, 10-0, $297

9^th: Aaron Anders of Wake Forest, N.C., five bass, 9-12, $250

10^th: Tracy Gravely of Petersburg, Va., five bass, 9-7, $208

10^th: Doug Griles of Providence Forge, Va., five bass, 9-7, $208

Michael Baldwin Jr. of Petersburg, Virginia, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 5 pounds, 4 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award and earned $245.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on the James River was the fourth of five qualifying events in the Piedmont Division.

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

by AnglersChannel

Evansville’s Sisk Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Tournament on Ohio River in Cannelton

Columbus’ Smith Earns Co-angler Victory

CANNELTON, Ind. (Aug. 10, 2020) – Boater Marty Sisk of Evansville, Indiana, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 7 pounds, 9 ounces to win the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine event on the Ohio River in Cannelton, Indiana. For his victory, Sisk earned a total of $3,718.

Sisk was one of just two limits weighed in Saturday, as the Ohio River was fishing tough for competitors. Sisk said that he was happy to have caught five.

“I caught my first bass of the day on a spinnerbait, and the rest came flipping a black neon-colored tube,” said Sisk, who earned his sixth career FLW victory. “It was very tough, but I was happy to catch what I had.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:

1^st: Marty Sisk of Evansville, Ind., five bass, 7-9, $3,718

2^nd: Mark Dove of North Vernon, Ind., five bass, 7-5, $1,859

3^rd: Chris Wilkinson of Farmersburg, Ind., four bass, 6-4, $1,238

4^th: Jeramiah Sifers of Sellersburg, Ind., two bass, 6-1, $1,352

5^th: Kevin Meunier of Lamar, Ind., three bass, 5-11, $744

6^th: Scott Bateman of Jasper, Ind., three bass, 5-8, $682

7^th: Brandon Barker of Magnet, Ind., three bass, 4-12, $620

8^th: Shane Oxford of St. Meinrad, Ind., four bass, 4-9, $527

8^th: James White of Martinsville, Ind., four bass, 4-9, $527

10^th: Danny Abrams of Greensfork, Ind., three bass, 4-6, $434

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Sifers earned the day’s $485 Boater Big Bass award with a 4-pound, 14-ounce bass.

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

Bill Smith of Columbus, Indiana, earned the win in the Co-angler Division Saturday after catching four bass weighing 5 pounds, 14 ounces. Smith earned $1,859 for his victory.

The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:

1^st: Bill Smith of Columbus, Ind., four bass, 5-14, $1,859

2^nd: Steven Sanders of Orleans, Ind., one bass, 3-15, $1,171

3^rd: Kade Oliver of Muncie, Ind., three bass, 3-11, $619

4^th: Dustin Burton of Hamilton, Ohio, two bass, 3-8, $403

5^th: Cory Malcolm of Bremen, Ind., three bass, 3-8, $403

6^th: Charlie Kuebler of Jasper, Ind., three bass, 3-4, $341

7^th: Dan Miller of Greenwood, Ind., three bass, 2-15, $310

8^th: John Chaney of Evansville, Ind., one bass, 2-14, $279

9^th: Bo Bivins of Evansville, Ind., two bass, 2-11, $248

10^th: Conner Sevier of Fort Branch, Ind., two bass, 2-9, $217

Sanders caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 3 pounds, 15 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $242.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on the Ohio River in Cannelton was the fourth of five qualifying events in the Hoosier Division.

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

About FLW

by AnglersChannel

Bright Line and Smelly Baits Matt Lee’s Tips for Smallmouth

Courtesy of Luke Stoner - Dynamic Sponsorships

Major League Fishing pro Matt Lee may have cut his teeth fishing for largemouth and spotted bass south of the Mason-Dixon line, but the Alabama native has proven his smallmouth chops time and again throughout his professional career. Lee looks forward to the yearly northern swing, when tournament trails head north to famed bronze-bass fisheries.

Lake Erie out of Sandusky, OH is the playing field for FLW Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit anglers this week and it’s sure to come with its share of drama. Big water, big brown bass, and long runs are on the minds of all competing anglers. Lee is coming off two solid tournaments on Sturgeon Bay and the Mississippi River out of La Crosse, where smallmouth were key for both finishes.

While it sounds like the Lake Erie smallmouth have been somewhat unreliable for the Carhartt pro this week, Lee still graciously laid out two tips for catching more smallmouth that you can take to the bank.

Use bright braided line

Finesse equipment is synonymous with northern smallies like spaghetti is with meatballs. Lee is an expert with his spinning setups and doesn’t hesitate to admit they do the lion share of his heavy lifting when catching smallmouth. Lee’s first tip comes before he ever begins to decide what lure(s) he might throw; first he fills his size 30 Quantum Smoke S3 Spinning Reels with highly visible 30-lb. Seaguar Smackdown braid.

“Using a super high-vis line color is extremely helpful,” Lee said. “I’ve been using the ‘Flash Green’ color. Having a bright main line helps in multiple ways. It makes it easier for me to see what my bait is doing, and it helps me detect bites. You’ll be able to see if your bait is on the bottom or still sinking, and if your line jumped with a bite or if it’s swimming off to the side much, much easier.”

Lee always ties a Seaguar Tatsu Fluorocarbon leader to his braided main line when finesse fishing. So he still gets the sneaky, subtle advantages of fluorocarbon, while also taking advantage of the visibility, sensitivity, and durability of braid.

“I’m still young but I’m not scared to admit that bright line helps me keep eyes on it,” Lee joked. “In all seriousness, seeing what your bait is doing while it’s on the bottom is a big deal in finesse fishing. It also saves me a lot of money cause I’m only going through 8-15 feet of fluorocarbon leader line at a time instead of a whole spool.”

Add scent to your soft plastics

A second step Matt Lee takes when he knows he’s headed to battle with smallmouth is adding different scents to his soft plastic finesse baits. Its no secret smallmouth are aggressive sight feeders and locate most of their meals with their eyes. Ironically, that’s why Lee believes scents work so well on bronzebacks.

“Smallmouth might see your lure from a long way off but they don’t always just race in and eat it,” Lee explained. “I think your lure catches their attention and a lot of times they’ll come in for a closer look. That’s where adding scent is key. When that bait has natural scent flowing off of it I don’t think those smallmouth can help themselves.”

While you might not think of clear water fisheries as ideal places to start boosting soft plastics with scent, Lee conceded he only takes this step when targeting northern smallmouth. He genuinely believes this process gives him a potential edge over his competition. And when you fish against the bunch Lee does, you can’t take anything for granted.

“I must have gone through two bottles of scent adding them to my 6^th Sense Ned Fry Worms at Sturgeon Bay,” Lee admitted. “There isn’t any brand or particular flavor I live and die by, I’ve tried them all. Pro-cure, Gulp, BANG – they all seem to work. As long as you have some kind of scent for those smallmouth to key in on when they cruise by your bait, you’ll catch more fish.”

by AnglersChannel

The 2020 Bass Champs Team Championship presented by Yamaha headed to the Red River - Shreveport, LA

Courtesy of Bass Champs:

Guaranteed payback over $200,000 - details listed below

We are excited to be going back to Shreveport for the 2020 Championship.
We have made a few adjustments for this year's event.
The length limit on all fish will be 12 inches.
AOY teams will be boats 1-4 on day one, all other teams will draw
their boat #'s at registration and will go in reverse order on day 2.

Click here for Featured Lodging locations

The Red River is off-limits Monday, September 14th - Wednesday, October 6th
Official Practice Days are October 7th - 9th
(ONLY COMPETITORS ARE ALLOWED IN BOAT DURING OFFICIAL PRACTICE DAYS)
Competition days are October 10th-11th
Competition is limited to pools 3,4,& 5
Registration is from 3:00 - 5:30 PM on Friday, October 9th (at Red River Marina)
Entry fee is $320 per team
(James Wood Bonus free entry fees and Junior Discounts
are not available for Championship)
Dinner with door prizes on Friday at 6:00 PM

Marina and Tournament location:
Red River South Marina
250 Red River South Marina Road
(Use 7154 Barksdale Blvd for GPS)
Bossier City LA 71111
Phone: 318.747.9545
http://redriversouthmarinala.com

To see a map of the off-limits areas click here

5 fish limits both days - 12" length limit
* No information rule *
During the off limits period, official practice, and competition days, other than
using publicly-available information (e.g. newspaper and Internet reports)
competitors cannot solicit, receive, or gather any information via phone,
electronic devices, or any other means about locating or catching fish
on tournament waters from non-competitors. All information must be
accessed prior to official off limits periods

Fishing License: A Louisiana license is required by all anglers
and may be purchased by calling 888.765.2602.

* Anyone born after January 1^st, 1984 must have completed a “Free” Boating safety course, which can be taken on line.
This is required of boat operator only.

LAW&F web site is: http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Registration- Dinner & Banquet: Red River South Marina
Friday, October 9th, 2015
Registration: 3:00 p.m.- 5:30 p.m.
Dinner & Banquet 6:00 p.m.
Red River South Marina (There will be a large tent set up in the parking lot of the marina)

FREE DOOR PRIZES - Tickets will be handed out @ Friday Registration

Day 1 of competition
Saturday, October 10th:
Red River South Marina
Take-off at safe light - 1st flight will be due in at 3:00 PM
Boat #'s will be provided during Friday night registration
(flights will be reversed on day 2)

Day 2 of competition
Sunday, October 11th:
Red River South Marina
Take-off at safe light - 1st flight will be due in at 3:00 PM
Awards & Check distribution approximately 4:30-5:00 PM

by AnglersChannel

Dowdy & Lamb win with 3 bass for 21.10!!!

Courtesy of Extreme Bass Series Social Media

You don't always need a 5 bass limit to win. Earl Dowdy and Andrew Lamb proved that today by winning stop #7 for the Polk County Division at Lake Parker. They bested the 21 boat field with 3 bass totaling 21.10 pounds! The 9.87 pound TrophyCatch Florida kicker that anchored their bag was also the event's Big Bass. Second place went to the team of Jason Brewer and Steven Coleman with a 15.32 pound bag. Brian Stahl and Sean Larsen took third place with 14.38 pounds, followed by DrTramell Vickers and Terry Pierce with 13.16 pounds to finish in 4th.

Place	Team	Alternate	# of Fish	Big Fish	Weight	Winnings
1	Earl Dowdy & Eddie Yearry		3	9.87	21.10	$1,060.00
2	Steve Coleman & Jason Brewer		5		15.32	$420.00
3	Brian Stahl & Sean Larsen		5		14.38	$200.00
4	Trammel Vickers & Terry Pierce		5		13.16	$120.00
5	Cole Shmucker & Jacob Schmucker		5		9.79
6	Jeff Herndon & Yovani Crespo		5		9.08
7	Jason Danes & Dell Danes		5		7.58
8	Will Evans & Colby Evans	Colby Evans & Cory Vrabel	4		6.73
9	Chris Clark & Robert Cramer		2		6.29
10	Bubba Coleman & Kyle Brewer		5		5.50
11	Andrew Hall & Casey Hall		0		0.00
11	Tony Bartels & Zach Bach				0.00
11	Dave Ochs & Wayne Combs				0.00
11	Verbon Goble & Mark Krutzky				0.00
11	Chris Futrell & Jessica Young				0.00
11	Sean Clark & Tom Sell				0.00
11	Ron Dowdy & Hunter Dowdy				0.00
11	Daniel Garcia & Robert Garcia				0.00
11	Tyson Dunlap & Tyler Banniza				0.00
11	Jacob Eaton & Austin Reynolds				0.00
11	Travis Finley & Willie Finley				0.00

by AnglersChannel

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