FLW ANNOUNCES SCHEDULE, RULES AND ENTRY DATES FOR 2020 HIGH SCHOOL FISHING SEASON
Both Members of Winning Team at the High School Fishing National Championship Advance to the FLW Series Championship to Compete as Co-anglers
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: BENTON, Ky. (Dec. 5, 2019) – Today FLW (Fishing League Worldwide) announced the schedule, rules and entry dates for the 2020 FLW High School Fishing season. New for 2020, the winning team (two anglers) at the National Championship will both advance to the 2020 FLW Series Championship to compete as co-anglers and fish for the top prize of $30,000, in addition to each receiving a $5,000 scholarship to a school of their choice.
“We are extremely excited to announce our plans for the 2020 season, and I am confident that it will be the most successful High School Fishing season yet,” said Kevin Hunt, FLW Senior Director of Tournament Operations, College and High School. “The fact that both anglers from the National Championship winning team will now advance to the FLW Series to compete as co-anglers alongside some of the top anglers from around the world is a great reward for the young anglers. I’m confident that our High School Fishing anglers will be very excited with this new opportunity.”
Registration for the 2020 FLW High School Fishing season is now open. Teams can register atFLWFishing.com or by calling 270.252.1000. There is no entry fee for high school anglers to compete in any FLW or TBF High School Fishing tournament, however both anglers must be a member of the Student Angler Federation (SAF). The $25 SAF membership fee includes membership to both FLW and The Bass Federation (TBF) and eligibility to fish any Student Angler Federation tournament, including FLW High School Fishing events, TBF State Championships and TBF Challenge tournaments. Membership can be purchased at FLWFishing.com or HighSchoolFishing.org.
FLW High School Fishing tournaments are two-person (team) events for students in grades 7-12, and open to any SAF-affiliated high school club in the United States. The top 10-percent of each FLW High School, TBF State Championship and TBF Challenge tournament held prior to June 8, 2020, will advance to the 2020 High School Fishing National Championship held in conjunction with the High School Fishing World Finals June 23-27 on the Mississippi River in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Launched by TBF in 2010, the World Finals is the world’s largest open high school bass tournament. At the 2019 World Finals and National Championship anglers competed for more than $2.8 million in scholarships and prizes.
The majority of FLW High School Fishing tournaments are held on Saturdays, following an FLW College Fishing tournaments that take place on Fridays. This allows high school anglers the opportunity to network with prospective college fishing teams and coaches to help them decide if and where they would like to start their collegiate fishing career.
2020 FLW High School Fishing Schedule:
- Feb. 8 Lake Seminole Bainbridge, Ga.
- March 7 Table Rock Lake Branson, Mo.
- March 15 Lake Havasu Lake Havasu City, Ariz.
- March 28 Fort Gibson Lake Wagoner, Okla.
- April 18 Smith Mountain Lake Huddleston, Va.
- April 25 Lake Guntersville Guntersville, Ala.
- May 3 California Delta Bethel Island, Calif.
- May 30 Mississippi River La Crosse, Wis.
- Aug. 1 Lake Erie Sandusky, Ohio
- Sept. 12 Ohio River Paducah, Ky.
- Sept. 26 Chesapeake Bay Edgewood, Md.
- Sept. 27 Clear Lake Lakeport, Calif.
- Oct. 3 Ouachita River Monroe, La.
- Oct. 17 Lake Hartwell Anderson, S.C.
- Nov. 14 Sam Rayburn Reservoir Brookeland, Texas
2020 FLW/TBF High School Fishing National Championship & World Finals
- June 23-27 Mississippi River La Crosse, Wis.
Complete rules for the 2020 FLW High School Fishing circuit can be found online at FLWFishing.com.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow FLW High School Fishing on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
PHOENIX BOATS SIGNS AS EXCLUSIVE BOAT SPONSOR FOR FLW
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: BENTON, Ky. (Dec. 4, 2019) FLW (Fishing League Worldwide) announced Tuesday that it has reached a sponsorship agreement with Phoenix Boats, a leading boat manufacturer known for innovation, performance and an angler-centric business approach. Effective immediately, Phoenix will assume title sponsorship of the FLW Bass Fishing League, which recently announced decreased entry fees to offer grassroots anglers the best payouts at the lowest cost available. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
“The partnership with FLW and the Bass Fishing League is a perfect fit for Phoenix Boats,” said Gary Clouse, President of Phoenix Boats. “I know from personal experience from fishing my first BFL in 1981 and many more since that the FLW platform delivers a great angler experience at each of their 128 tournaments. That alone makes this a perfect fit for Phoenix.”
“Phoenix Boats is the only boat company whose co-Founder and current President is also a Pro Angler,” said Teresa Johnson, Chief Operating Officer of Phoenix Boats. “We focus on building a product from an angler’s perspective and are extremely invested in the sport of tournament bass fishing.”
The Phoenix Bass Fishing League includes 24 divisions devoted to weekend anglers with five tournaments in each division plus six no-entry-fee regional championships, a no-entry-fee wild card championship and the prestigious no-entry-fee All-American that pays $100,000 to the winning boater and $50,000 to the winning co-angler. The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American will be held April 30 through May 2 at Lake Hartwell in Anderson, South Carolina. The highest-finishing boater and co-angler from each regional championship and the wild card at the All-American also qualify for the 2020 FLW Series Championship where pros compete for a $200,000 first-place award and co-anglers fish for a new Phoenix bass boat. 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.
“We built our company around delivering a positive customer experience, and FLW is a natural fit with that. FLW tournaments are known for their family-type feel, and they have always treated their fans, customers and employees with respect and genuine care, and that is really important to us. We know that anglers will have a great experience fishing the Phoenix Bass Fishing League,” said Clouse.
A professional angler since 1982, Phoenix President Gary Clouse first worked in Customer Service and Sales for Stratos Boats before becoming the National Sales Manager for Triton Boats in 1996. He returned to Stratos as President in 2001 and worked for six years before launching Phoenix Boats in 2007 alongside his colleague Teresa Johnson – all while maintaining his career as a pro angler. Clouse’s unique background of marine sales, customer service and proven leadership in the bass boat market have earned Phoenix Boats a reputation for their high-quality, innovative, angler-focused bass boats with an unmatched customer service experience.
In addition to its title sponsorship, Phoenix Boats will also receive exposure across all FLW platforms, including the FLW Pro Circuit, FLW Series, FLW College Fishing and FLW High School Fishing, on-site activation, FLWFishing.com, FLW Live on-the-water and weigh-in streams, social media, FLW Bass Fishing magazine and the Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show, which will air 312 hours of programming in 2020 on the Outdoor Channel and the Sportsman Channel.
“FLW is excited to start our partnership with Phoenix, a brand known for its performance, reliability and commitment to tournament anglers,” said Kathy Fennel, FLW Executive Vice President and General Manager. “The team at Phoenix is committed to expanding the sport at the grassroots level, and we look forward to building on this mutually beneficial partnership to do exactly that.”
Registration for the 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League opens Dec. 9 at 8 a.m. Central time. Visit FLWFishing.com for complete details. The season kicks off Jan. 4 at Sam Rayburn Reservoir in Brookeland, Texas.
Details on a lucrative enhanced Phoenix First Flight contingency program for FLW anglers will be announced soon.
Bassmaster Team Championship On Hartwell To Determine Final Classic Spot
December 4, 2019
ANDERSON, S.C. — The Bassmaster Team Championship is obviously one of the most important tournaments on the schedule each year because a pair of anglers will be crowned the top team after a year’s worth of team trail events from around the world.
But what truly makes the Team Championship such a hotly contested derby is that one angler is going to grab the last spot in the 2020 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk.
The race for the 53rd and final spot in the 2020 Bassmaster Classic begins Dec. 11 on Lake Hartwell in the northwest corner of South Carolina, and bass fishing fans can expect the finest team trail anglers in the country to be gunning for glory during full days on one of America’s foremost fisheries.
The team portion of the event will be held Dec. 11-12 and will feature anglers from 30 states and several foreign countries. The winning duo will win a $20,000 Nitro/Mercury cash prize and handsome trophies to commemorate the accomplishment, but they’ll also lead the charge into the Classic Fish-Off which will take place Dec. 13-14.
The top three teams through Day 2 — six anglers in all — will have their weights zeroed and then compete individually in the Fish-Off. The competitor with the heaviest two-day total of the group will nab the final coveted berth in the historic 50th Bassmaster Classic, which will be held March 6-8, 2020 on Lake Guntersville in Alabama. Weigh-ins will take place daily at the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex in downtown Birmingham.
B.A.S.S. Nation Director Jon Stewart said any tournament that has a spot in the Classic on the line is a big event. But the chance to fish in the 50th installment of what has is known as the “Super Bowl of Bass Fishing” brings added luster.
“That whole Classic week next March is going to be a celebration of our sport and all of its history,” Stewart said. “It’s going to be amazing. For anyone to be a part of that is going to be really, really special. I’m sure it’s going to be on the minds of many of the anglers competing on Lake Hartwell in the Bassmaster Team Championship. The Classic is what everyone shoots for, and they’ll have a chance to get there if they do well.”
The tandems set to battle on Hartwell have been tested through a series of qualifying tournaments on their respective team trails from around the globe. Stewart said there were between 10,000 and 11,000 anglers vying for a spot in the Team Championship, which is a record number for B.A.S.S.
“The way these anglers are qualifying through the trails, it’s impressive,” Stewart said. “The grass roots of our sport is excelling. It’s as strong as ever before.”
William Samples of South Boston, Va., and Charles Purcell of Townsville, N.C., teamed to win the 2018 Bassmaster Team Championship on Florida’ Harris Chain of Lakes last December. Matthew Robertson of Kuttawa, Ky., won the Classic Fish-Off and finished 47th of 52 anglers competing in the 49th Bassmaster Classic on the Tennessee River in Knoxville, Tenn.
Daily take-offs and weigh-ins during the Bassmaster Team Championship will be held at Green Pond Landing in Anderson, S.C.
The event is sponsored by Visit Anderson.
Follow all the action on Bassmaster.com.
More Females in Fishing
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Traditions Media recruits two of the brightest young talents in the fishing industry |
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Minneapolis, MN (December 4, 2019) – Traditions Media, a pioneering provider of fishing-, hunting- and outdoors-focused public relations, media buying, and digital/social marketing strategy is proud to announce the onboarding of two exceptional talents, Kristine Fischer and Lee Rose Koza. Both have joined the marketing team under the guidance of Dena Vick, Director of Fishing and Marine Marketing Strategy and Communications. “These two accomplished women have already established themselves as successful and respected tournament anglers and solid influencers,” says Traditions Media co-owner, Leslie Sundahl. “The fact that they want to leverage their authentic fishing skills and knowledge through communications is good for the industry and good for our clients here at Traditions Media. Women are one of the fastest-growing segments of the fishing population, but remain largely underserved in media coverage. We’re proud to help provide a platform for their voices, keyboards, and knowledge, and welcome Kristine and Lee Rose to the Traditions Media family.” Kristine Fischer, who got underway with Traditions Media in October, works side by side with Dena implementing advertising strategies and delivering and tracking creative materials on behalf of several of the agency’s clients. |
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Kristine, a familiar fishing face on social media, worked at a major sporting goods retailer for five years before chasing her dream to live a freer lifestyle, while still being engaged in the outdoors industry. She left her fulltime job to pursue a career in competitive angling. Kristine now travels the country with her fiancé fishing in national kayak bass tournaments (Hobie Bass Open Series and Kayak Bass Federation), freelance writing, generating engaging social media content… and now providing valuable support to Traditions Media. Results prove Kristine’s potency in competitive kayak angling; she earned three national-level victories and a runner-up in 2019 and claims the title of being the first women to qualify for the Hobie Fishing Worlds. Kristine is also co-founder of the Women’s Worldwide Fishing Federation (WWFF), an organization created to empower and educate women to get out and participate in the sport. Lee Rose Koza, a communications major at Carson-Newman University and a proud member of the Carson-Newman Eagle Anglers, also joins the Traditions Media team. Lee Rose, as an intern, will be aiding Dena with media buying, in addition to developing and managing social media for Traditions Media clients. An avid angler, Lee Rose earned several first-place tournament wins fishing the Georgia Bass Nation 2018-2019 season, even claiming Angler of the Year. Recently, she and her teammate Maddux Walters earned second place out of 216 boats on Lake Hartwell in the FLW College Southeastern Open, claiming a spot in the 2020 Yeti FLW College Fishing National Championship. Lee Rose also works with youth fishing camps to help children learn the sport of fishing. |
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Dena Vick and Lee Rose Koza |
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Aspiring for a career in the industry, Lee Rose wants to “learn the business of fishing, versus just learning how to keep fishing better.” Vick, a well-known fishing-industry veteran, has become a respected mentor to women who have what it takes to advance in the adapting, but still-male-dominated fishing biz. She gives specific thanks for being introduced to Kristine and Lee Rose: “Randy Hamilton, Regional Area Manager for St. Croix Rod encouraged both women to reach out to me. After meeting and learning more about them and their goals, I invited both to work with me at ICAST this past July. Their professionalism, work ethic and knowledge of the sport and business was impressive. Bringing them on was a no brainer,” says Dena. “It’s refreshing to work with women who share my passion for fishing. In these roles, both can grow their communications and marketing careers while still pursuing tournament fishing dreams. Traditions Media has developed positions that allow for their growth in competitive angling while simultaneously learning the business side of the sport,” she adds. Others in the industry share Vick’s enthusiasm, while applauding her, Traditions Media and other companies for having the foresight to seek out hires that speak to recreational fishing’s increasing diversity. |
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Lee Rose Koza |
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“Over the last several years, women have increasingly made up a larger percentage of fishing participants overall, so it doesn’t surprise me that they’re making waves in the industry too,” said Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation (RBFF) SVP of Marketing & Communications, Stephanie Vatalaro. “Here at RBFF we like to say, ‘The Water is Open to Everyone,’ and I truly believe that having a diverse mix of fishing-industry talent that includes women and other non-traditional groups will give us the insight we need to help shape the future of the sport.” Today, we have a new generation of young anglers with sharp marketing minds that, like me, dreamt of a career in the fishing industry. An increasing number of them happen to be women, which is a great thing,” Dena says. “Traditions Media is very fortunate to have reeled in two of the best.” |
"The Heart wants what the Heart wants."
Its a busy week here at AC and the boys welcome in BASS Elite Series Pro's Brandon Palaniuk and Gerald Swindle to talk about their move back to the Elites and how hard that decision was to make. Chris goes off on the whole sheep and wolf debate......
Major League Fishing Adds "Heavy Hitters" to the 2020 Bass Pro Tour Schedule
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 3, 2019 (Tulsa, Okla.) Major League Fishing announces an original tournament, “Heavy Hitters,” on the Kissimmee Chain Lakes in Kissimmee, Florida, May 16-20, 2020 featuring nearly three- quarters of a million dollars in event payouts. This special event, the first of its kind, extends the Bass Pro Tour to nine events. The Bass Pro Tour began in 2019 and features 80 of the best professional anglers in the world, including Kevin VanDam, Edwin Evers, Aaron Martens, Mike Iaconelli, Jordan Lee, and Skeet Reese.
To qualify for Heavy Hitters, the weight of an angler’s single largest bass from each of the first five Stages of the Bass Pro Tour will be recorded. For example, if an angler’s heaviest fish in Stage One is 7 pounds; in Stage Two, 5 pounds; in Stage Three, 9 pounds; in Stage Four 8 pounds; and in Stage Five 6 pounds, that angler’s qualifying weight will be 35 pounds. The 30 anglers from the 80-angler field of the Bass Pro Tour with the highest cumulative weight across five stages earn a spot to compete in MLF’s Heavy Hitters.
“We’re always looking for opportunities to experiment with formats so we can discover new ways to present the sport of competitive bass fishing,” remarked Jim Wilburn, President and CEO of Major League Fishing. “As a young, angler-centric league, MLF strives to take notice of what’s happening in our industry and invent entertaining events that both teach trusted techniques from the best anglers in the world and invite new fans to the sport.”
The five-day tournament format will parallel REDCREST, featuring a 30-angler Shotgun Round (day one) and a 30-angler Elimination Round (day two). The top 20 anglers at the end of the two-day total qualify into a Knockout Round (days three and four). The top five anglers from each of days three and four will qualify into the 10-angler Championship Round (day five). Scorable bass vary each round. Shotgun and Elimination Rounds will score 1 pound or higher. For the Knockout Round, Major League Fishing will test a 2-pound minimum for scorable bass. In the Championship Round, MLF will test a t3-pound minimum on scorable bass on the Kissimmee Chain Lakes.
The full field of 30 anglers will receive a minimum payout of $6,000 and the tournament winner will earn $100,000. In addition to the championship purse, anglers will have the opportunity to earn a daily bonus for their biggest bass of the day based on the following graduating scale: Day One $25,000; Day Two $25,000; Day Three $50,000; Day Four $50,000; Day Five (Championship Day) $100,000. The five-day payout totals $745,000 for MLF Heavy Hitters.
Major League Fishing will live stream Heavy Hitters from Kissimmee, Fla. and produce original programming for Discovery as a part of the Bass Pro Tour television lineup.
Stage Five moves to Grand Lake
With the addition of MLF Heavy Hitters, Stage Five of the Bass Pro Tour will move to Grand Lake o’ the Cherokees, April 24-29, 2019, launching from the Wolf Creek Boat Ramp in Grove, Okla. Each stage of the Bass Pro Tour includes six days of competition using the Major League Fishing, catch-weigh-and-immediately-release format, where every bass over 1 pound counts toward a cumulative weight total for the day. The field of 80 anglers is divided into two groups of 40 to compete on days one and two respectively for the Shotgun Round. On days three and four, the Elimination Round culls the field based on a combined two-day total weight from each angler’s Shotgun and Elimination Round. The top 20 anglers from each group in the Elimination Round (40 total) advance to the Knockout Round on day five, which determines who will compete on that final day, the Championship Round, for the Stage title and $100,000.
The 2020 Bass Pro Tour begins on Lake Eufaula (Ala.) on February 7th and ends on Lake Champlain (Vt.) in late July. Each Stage of the Bass Pro Tour is broadcast live on the Major League Fishing app, MyOutdoorTV (MOTV), and majorleaguefishing.com, totaling more than 325 hours of original programming. Fans can follow the fast-paced nature of the MLF format as it unfolds on the live leaderboard through “SCORETRACKER® updates.” Highlights from each Stage of the 2020 Bass Pro Tour will air on Discovery Network beginning in July 2020 and Sportsman Channel in early 2021.
Major League Fishing Announces the 2020 Bass Pro Tour Field
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, November 27, 2019 (Tulsa, Okla.) Major League Fishing (MLF) announced today the 2020 Bass Pro Tour field. The roster includes 78 returning anglers, including 2019 Points and REDCREST Champion Edwin Evers and General Tire World Champion Jacob Wheeler, as well as Kevin VanDam, Mike Iaconelli, Jordan Lee, and Skeet Reese. 2020 welcomes two new additions: 2019 FLW Tour Angler of the Year David Dudley and 2019 Forrest Wood Cup Winner Bryan Thrift. 2019 Bass Pro Tour competitors Gerald Swindle and Brandon Palaniuk will not return in 2020.
“We’re tremendously excited to begin the 2020 Bass Pro Tour,” said Jim Wilburn, MLF President and CEO. “Our initial goals of growing the sport of competitive bass fishing through an angler-centric league and tour continue to manifest itself with these exceptional pros.”
The following professional anglers will compete on the 2020 Bass Pro Tour: Casey Ashley, Justin Akins, Adrian Avena, Josh Bertrand, Tommy Biffle, Zach Birge, Stephen Browning, Brent Chapman, Jason Christie, Luke Clausen, Dustin Connell, Brandon Coulter, Cliff Crochet, Mark Daniels Jr., Mark Davis, Ott DeFoe, Boyd Duckett, David Dudley, Brent Ehrler, James Elam, Paul Elias, Edwin Evers, Todd Faircloth, Shin Fukae, Anthony Gagliardi, Shaw Grigsby, Greg Hackney, Roy Hawk, Brett Hite, Timmy Horton, Randy Howell, Mike Iaconelli, Alton Jones, Alton Jones Jr., Kelly Jordon, Gary Klein, Jeff Kriet, Jason Lambert, Bobby Lane, Chris Lane, Russ Lane, Jordan Lee, Matt Lee, Dave Lefebre, Jared Lintner, Justin Lucas, Aaron Martens, Mike McClelland, Cody Meyer, Ish Monroe, Andy Montgomery, Andy Morgan, John Murray, Britt Myers, Michael Neal, Takahiro Omori, Cliff Pace, Keith Poche, Jacob Powroznik, Skeet Reese, Marty Robinson, Dean Rojas, Mark Rose, Fred Roumbanis, Bradley Roy, Terry Scoggins, Fletcher Shryock, Gerald Spohrer, Jeff Sprague, Wesley Strader, Scott Suggs, Randall Tharp, Bryan Thrift, Kevin VanDam, Jonathan VanDam, Greg Vinson, David Walker, James Watson, Jacob Wheeler, Jesse Wiggins
David Dudley joins the MLF Bass Pro Tour following an exceptional 2019 as the FLW Tour Angler of the Year. Dudley who has earned just over $4 million in his 25-year professional career ($3.8 million at FLW, which makes him the league’s all-time highest earner) – became the only angler in FLW history to win four AOY trophies when he finished the 2019 season with 1,250 points.
Dudley has accumulated 53 career Top 10s and nine tour-level wins. Two of those wins came on fisheries on which he will compete in the 2020 Bass Pro Tour: Lake Champlain and Lake Okeechobee.
2020 will mark his 26th year as a professional angler and he said the opportunity to push himself to new levels drove his decision to make the move. “I’m motivated to start a new chapter and set new goals for myself on the Bass Pro Tour,” reflected Dudley. “This format will present some new challenges and opportunities for me to grow as an angler; I will have to practice hard this winter to compete, which makes me both nervous and excited - feelings on which I thrive as a competitor.”
Bryan Thrift enters the Bass Pro Tour after what some consider to be the five most successful years for a professional bass angler. In 2019 he filled out his already impressive trophy case with one piece of hardware he was missing: the 2019 Forrest Wood Cup. That August win brought Thrift’s tour-level career win total to 12, boosted his list of Top 10s to 68 (the most in FLW history), and pushed him over the $3 million in career winnings.
Thrift has put together 25 Top 10s since 2013, including 18 Top 5s. He owns four wins on fisheries where he will compete on the 2020 Bass Pro Tour (Lake Champlain, Lake Okeechobee and Lake Eufaula x 2).
“Moving to the Bass Pro Tour is an exciting opportunity that I feel grateful to have earned,” said Thrift. “Featuring the top pros in the world and no entry fee, this is THE professional league, akin to other pro sports leagues like NFL and Major League Baseball; those athletes don’t pay entry fees. I’m excited and nervous to see what I can accomplish on the (MLF) Bass Pro Tour.”
Gerald Swindle resigned his position on the Bass Pro Tour in an effort to take a different direction and focus his time on his family. “I’m looking forward to finding personal happiness as I compete with my nephew at the beginning of his career,” commented Swindle. “It’s a promise that I made to my brother and I’m grateful to have the opportunity to spend this last quarter of my career fulfilling that promise.”
Swindle finished 42nd in the points standings in the 2019 Bass ProTour with 333 points, missing a REDQUEST qualification by 28 points. He advanced to the Knockout Round three times during the season in Stages One, Five, and Six, and qualified for the MLF Patriot Cup.
Brandon Palaniuk resigned from the Bass ProTour in hopes of pursuing lifelong career goals. “These types of decisions are never easy,” reflected Palaniuk. “I want to thank the entire MLF staff, boat officials, and especially the anglers for 2019. I have learned a ton about many things, mostly myself, and the reality is that I have some goals outside of the Bass Pro Tour.”
Palaniuk finished the 2019 Bass Pro Tour season 27th in Points Championship standings with 371 points, qualifying for REDCREST. Palaniuk finished ninth in that event on the Mississippi River, marking his third Top 10 of the season, after he finishing second at Stage Seven on Table Rock Lake and ninth at Stage Four on Lake Chickamauga.
“On behalf of all the anglers on the Bass Pro Tour, we wish Gerald and Brandon great success in their careers,” commented Boyd Duckett, Board Chair of the MLF Anglers Association, the non-profit players association for Bass Pro Tour anglers. “Roster changes are commonplace in professional sports and bass fishing is no exception. We’re thrilled to welcome Bryan and David to our ranks and look forward to a competitive and exciting 2020 Bass Pro Tour.”
The 2020 Bass Pro Tour begins on Lake Eufaula (Ala.) on February 7th and ends on Lake Champlain (Vt.) in late July. Each Stage of the Bass Pro Tour is broadcast live on the Major League Fishing app, MyOutdoorTV (MOTV), and majorleaguefishing.com, totaling more than 325 hours of original programming. Fans can follow the fast-paced nature of the MLF format as it unfolds on the live leaderboard through “SCORETRACKER® updates.” Highlights from each Stage of the 2020 Bass Pro Tour will air on Discovery Network beginning in July 2020 and Sportsman Channel in early 2021.
“2020 is the second year of this new beginning of professional bass fishing,” exclaimed MLF Pro Greg Hackney. “Stage one of the Bass Pro Tour kicks off at Lake Eufaula in southern Alabama with both lots of giant bass and the best fisherman on the planet. Giddy-up!”
The Bass Pro Tour began in 2019 and features 80 of the best professional anglers in the world, including Kevin VanDam, Edwin Evers, Aaron Martens, Mike Iaconelli, Jordan Lee, and Skeet Reese. Each stage includes six days of competition using the Major League Fishing, catch-weigh-and-immediately-release format, where every bass over one-pound counts toward a cumulative weight total for the day. The field of 80 anglers is divided into two groups of 40 to compete on days one and two respectively for the Shotgun Round. On days three and four, the Elimination Round culls the field based on a combined 2-day total weight from each angler’s Shotgun and Elimination Round. The top 20 anglers from each group in the Elimination Round (40 total) advance to the Knockout Round on day five, which determines who will compete on that final day, the Championship Round, for the Stage title and $100,000.
Buckeye Partners with Clay Dyer for 2020
Press Release:
Buckeye Lures is thrilled to partner with Clay Dyer as one of the Buckeye Pro staffers. Clay’s incredible skill set and motivational speaking is like none other in the industry. He is a dedicated, extremely talented, Christ loving fisherman that is known throughout the industry. His talents on and off the water make it a perfect fit to partner with Buckeye Lures. By: Justin Altman, Owner Buckeye Lures
Clay Dyer on partnering with Buckeye Lures:
Being blessed to be a professional angler for over 20 years, I rely on my equipment on a daily basis to help keep me at the top of my game. I’ve used Buckeye Lures for many years because of their quality, attention to detail in every aspect and because they’ll flat out catch bass. When Justin Altman at Buckeye Lures contacted me about joining their team, I knew instantly with their Christian, family values it was a win, win for both of us. A true company that’s getting young folks involved in fishing. I’m excited to be a part of having input on product development and striving to continually improve an absolutely incredible brand and product. It was absolutely a yes for my wife, Kim and I, to partner with such an incredible company. We are truly blessed and honored to partner with Buckeye Lures in 2020 going forward!
Clay Dyer was born on May 23, 1978, without any lower limbs, no arm on the left side and a partial arm on the right. However, these limitations did not dampen his determination and positive spirit.
Clay began fishing at age 5. A natural competitiveness became evident early. Clay never allowed his physical disabilities to be an obstacle and began competing in fishing tournaments at age 15. He fished with FLW from 2000 to 2010 and began his career with BASS in 2012.
Clay spends the majority of his time sharing his life experiences through motivational and leadership presentations to various companies, charities and churches. Clay currently fishes the Bassmaster Opens Series and select charity events, and is passionate about helping special needs kids.
Clay’s television appearances include ESPN, Fox, CNN Headline News, Versus, the Outdoor Channel, Fox Sports South, the 700 Club and CBS. Published articles about Clay have appeared in USA Today, Newsweek, Bassmaster, FLW Outdoors Magazine, and many more.
Open Mic Night, Thanksgiving and Iron Bowl Week!
On this Thanksgiving week episode, Chris and Jason continue thier old school ways and open the show up to loyal listener Matt Lazenby to discuss an email he sent in a few weeks ago and his opinion on B.A.S.S., FLW, MLF and MLFLW. Its a great show full of thanks and Jason Costa Countdown to Black Friday Deals!
What the Anglers are Saying - About the new MLFLW
Vance McCullough
“I’ve got nothing to say,” said an agitated David Dudley. “Everybody keeps calling me, wanting to know what I think about it. I don’t know enough to think anything yet. There’s nothing to say.”
The question that rubbed the usually talkative and often opinionated Dudley the wrong way was this: ‘How do you feel about the acquisition of FLW by Major League Fishing?’
The transaction has created a new entity – MLFLW.
“This is not a hostile takeover,” said MLF Co-Founder and Board Director Boyd Duckett.
Indeed, the FLW anglers provided some feedback and were accommodated by the new ownership. FLW Tour pros will fish their familiar 5-fish format with a live weigh in for all competition days during the regular season instead of the proposed split wherein they would have fished a couple of days under the 5-fish format and two more days under the weigh-‘em-all-and-immediately-release-them format used by MLF.
Another sticky issue for FLW Pro Circuit anglers was the initial ruling that their jerseys would have to adhere to the MLF template. In other words, two-thirds of the space would be covered in MLF logos, not those of the anglers who now need to sell more sponsorships in order to pay higher entry fees. Again, MLF listened. “That was a great show of good faith on their part,” said 2015 Forrest Wood Cup Champion Brad Knight.
Greatly increased visibility, primarily in the form of TV time, seems to be the big plus offered by MLFLW to the incoming FLW Tour veterans. So, rescinding the jersey rule was a good call as that jersey real estate, at least in theory, just became more valuable.
Still, anglers are cautiously optimistic about the new opportunities that may be afforded by the merger. Many still have questions.
“They’re selling a lot of promises,” said Knight. “Most people have a wait-and-see approach about it.
“The television time slot is good. It’s hard (for individual anglers) to sell ad space though, and until you monetize that, it’s all just numbers on a piece of paper.”
Knight appreciates that he and his peers will be able to rep their own sponsors all four days of each event in 2020. “On the good side, there are no logo restrictions anymore.”
The increased visibility brings added value. Still, Knight is doing the math. It doesn’t yet add up the way he would like. Payouts have gotten smaller over the years and the championship prize pot has taken another hit from the $300,000 awarded to Cup winners in recent years to the $200,000 top prize at stake in the 2020 MLFLW championship.
“Any time you have an entry fee increase, that’s alarming,” said Knight. “And I’ve got to pay $40,000 to go to work? I don’t see how that works. There’s got to be a direct correlation between what I pay and the payout or something.
“When I first started fishing the FLW Tour there were 6 events and I paid $4,000 per tournament - $24,000. First place paid $200,000, 2nd place was $100,000. Seventy-fifth place was $10,000. So, we have not gone in that direction.
“We’ll have to wait and see if it is worth it or not. They’re saying it is. You’d think it would be.”
Once fishing commences in 2020 Knight will be back in a good place, mentally, during competition. “My day to day activity doesn’t change. We still have a 5-fish limit. My job doesn’t change.
“The biggest thing to me is, I want to see if we can monetize this increased television time with a non-endemic sponsor base. That’s obviously the goal. The bottom line is this: the tournament expenses have outgrown what the (fishing) industry can support. The only hope you have is to add new companies from outside. And (MLF is) getting eyeballs. They have the stats to back that up.
“Again, until you can sell a deal and actually have money in your pocket, all that stuff is just numbers on paper.
“They’re giving anglers a chance to make that happen, from the grass roots level – the high school all the way to the Bass Pro Tour in a clear, defined path to get there. That can’t be bad, so the sky’s the limit. You just have to hope we all pull the rope in the right direction and take it to the next level.”
Fellow Cup Champion John Cox echoes some of Knight’s concerns. “Any time there’s any kind of change it’s always scary but we’ve got to hope it will all work out for the better with MLF buying FLW. Who knows what will happen, I mean, I don’t know,” chuckled the affable FLW Tour veteran.
If Knight is concerned with operating expenses, Cox should be doubly so. He announced in a recent article on AnglersChannel.com that he will fish both, the FLW Pro Circuit and the Bassmaster Elite Series in 2020. His entry fees will total approximately $82,000.
“I’m just thrilled that I’ve got a lot of different options as far as where I can fish,” said Cox. I’m excited about it.”
As for efforts by MLFLW to prove that it is an organization ‘by the anglers, for the anglers’ Cox said, “What I’ve seen so far, they’re trying to do everything they can to keep all the FLW anglers happy the best they can. I do notice. To be willing to change that format from the way they do it, I mean, that’s their whole deal,” said Cox in reference to the decision to feature a 5-fish limit and live weigh in all 4 days at FLW Pro events. “I thought that was huge. They said ‘we’ve got a bunch of guys that are not used to that format yet. Let’s let them do what they want to do, like they’ve been doing, and get everybody on board and ease them into that format’. I thought that was pretty nice.
“And Major League Fishing, they could have cut us down to like, 30 guys but they didn’t want to cut everybody out of the tournaments so they’re keeping 150 boats. I feel like that shows that they’re not wanting to just hang everybody out.
“Everybody’s so worked up about it, but I think down the road it’s going to get better and better and everybody will kind of grow into it.”
As is Knight, Cox is disappointed at the lower top prize for the eventual MLFLW Champion - $100,000 right off the top. “It just sucks that that money is not there. It does, honestly. But I think, once we see how the TV time is and the sponsors start seeing it, I think we will be able to eventually get some more money once we start seeing more TV time.”
Cautiously optimistic.
"Unfinished Family Business" with B.A.S.S. Opens Anglers Scott Martin
On a special episode Chris and Jason welcome in Ranger Boats Pro Scott Martin to talk about the tough decision he recently made regarding his 2020 Fishing Season and his career.
FLW ANNOUNCES SCHEDULE, RULES AND ENTRY DATE FOR 2020 FLW COLLEGE FISHING PRESENTED BY YETI
Winning Team at FLW College Fishing National Championship Advances to the FLW Series Championship to Compete as Pros, Second, Third and Fourth-place Teams Advance to the BFL All-American to Compete as Boaters
BENTON, Ky. (Nov. 21, 2019) – Fishing League Worldwide (FLW) announced Thursday the schedule, rules and entry dates for the 2020 FLW College Fishing presented by YETI season, highlighted by the FLW College Fishing National Championship on the Harris Chain of Lakes in Leesburg, Florida, and advancement opportunities for anglers to compete in the Bass Fishing League (BFL) All-American and the FLW Series Championship. All teams also now have the freedom to add as many nonconference tournaments to their schedule as they like.
" src="blob:https://anglerschannel.com/194b078d-915c-4c28-8223-c333893ddda9" alt="image006.jpg" width="288" align="right" hspace="12" v:shapes="Picture_x0020_2" class="Apple-web-attachment Singleton" style="opacity: 1;">Both members of the winning team at the 2020 FLW College Fishing National Championship will advance to the 2020 FLW Series Championship where they will compete for a top prize of $200,000. Both members of the second, third and fourth-place teams will advance to the 2020 BFL All-American to compete as boaters where they are guaranteed $1,500 plus a shot at winning the top prize of $100,000. Both members of the fifth and sixth-place teams advance to the 2020 All-American to compete as co-anglers where they are guaranteed $750 plus a shot at winning $50,000. Additionally, each angler finishing in the top 10 at the 2020 National Championship receives priority entry into the 2021 FLW Series.
Each regular-season tournament, the FLW College Fishing Open and the FLW College Fishing National Championship will feature FLW Live weigh-in coverage. The National Championship will also receive national television coverage.
FLW will continue to recognize top performing schools with FLW College Fishing School of the Year titles, awarded to the top overall school of the season as well as the top school from each of five conferences. Schools earn points based on their top two teams in each tournament. The school with the most points in each conference and overall at the end of the season win. School of the Year points are only awarded for in-conference tournaments.
“Opening up conferences for participation by nonconference teams was a request several schools had this season, so we are glad to extend this opportunity to all teams in 2020,” said Kevin Hunt, FLW Senior Director of Tournament Operations, College and High School. “This change will allow teams the opportunity to travel and fish incredible lakes and rivers that are not in their conference. It also gives teams more chances to qualify for the National Championship while maintaining the prestige of our conference and overall School of the Year titles.”
Registration for teams wanting to compete in the 2020 FLW College Fishing tournaments is now open. Teams can register at FLWFishing.comor by calling 270.252.1000. The entry fee is unchanged for 2020 at $75 per team for teams entering prior to onsite check-in. The onsite entry fee is $100 per team.
FLW College Fishing teams compete in three regular-season qualifying tournaments in one of five conferences – Central, Northern, Southern, Southeastern and Western. The top ten teams from each division’s three regular-season tournaments and the top 20 teams from the annual FLW College Fishing Open advance to the following year’s FLW College Fishing National Championship. Additional teams qualify for the National Championship if the field size in regular-season events exceeds 100 boats or 200 boats in the Open. The 2020 FLW College Fishing National Championship is on the Harris Chain of Lakes in Leesburg, Florida, Feb. 26-28, and is hosted by Lake County, Florida.
FLW College Fishing tournaments in the Central, Northern, Southern and Southeastern conferences will continue to be held on Fridays to allow colleges to network with prospective students participating in FLW’s increasingly popular Bass Pro Shops High School Fishing Opens held Saturday in conjunction with each tournament. Western conference tournaments will take place on Saturdays with High School Fishing tournaments following on Sundays.
2020 FLW College Fishing presented by YETI Schedule:
FLW College Fishing Open
- March 17-18 Kentucky Lake Gilbertsville, Ky.
Central Conference
- March 6 Table Rock Lake Branson, Mo.
- May 29 Mississippi River La Crosse, Wis.
- Sept. 11 Ohio River Paducah, Ky.
Northern Conference
- April 17 Smith Mountain Lake Huddleston, Va.
- July 31 Lake Erie Sandusky, Ohio
- Sept. 25 Chesapeake Bay Edgewood, Md.
Southeastern Conference
- Feb. 7 Lake Seminole Bainbridge, Ga.
- April 24 Lake Guntersville Guntersville, Ala.
- Oct. 16 Lake Hartwell Anderson, S.C.
Southern Conference
- March 27 Fort Gibson Lake Wagoner, Okla.
- Oct. 2 Ouachita River Monroe, La.
- Nov. 13 Sam Rayburn Reservoir Brookeland, Texas
Western Conference
- March 14 Lake Havasu Lake Havasu City, Ariz.
- May 2 California Delta Bethel Island, Calif.
- Sept. 26 Clear Lake Lakeport, Calif.
FLW College Fishing National Championship
- Feb. 26-28 Harris Chain of Lakes Leesburg, Fla.
2020 FLW College Fishing presented by YETI Payouts:
FLW College Fishing Open
(Open to teams from all conferences)
Place Club
1 $30,000 premium 17-foot bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard
Top 20 teams advance to the 2021 National Championship. One additional team advances for every 10 teams over 200 competing.
Qualifiers
(Open to teams from all conferences. Nonconference teams do not earn School of the Year points.)
Place Club
1 $2,000
2 1,000
3 500
4 500
5 500
Top 10 teams advance to the 2021 National Championship. One additional team advances for every 10 teams over 100 competing.
2020 National Championship – No Entry Fee
Place Club + Anglers
1 $30,000 premium 17-foot bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard + 2020 FLW Series Championship entries
2 5,000 + 2020 BFL All-American as boaters
3 4,000 + 2020 BFL All-American as boaters
4 3,000 + 2020 BFL All-American as boaters
5 2,000 + 2020 BFL All-American as co-anglers
6 2020 BFL All-American as co-anglers
Complete rules for the 2020 FLW College Fishing presented by YETI program can be found online at FLWFishing.com.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow FLW College Fishing on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
New Pure Fishing President Named
Fishing Industry Veteran Dave Bulthuis Announced as New President of North America for Pure Fishing®
COLUMBIA, S.C. (November 20, 2019) – Pure Fishing® named Dave Bulthuis the New President of North America this week. Bulthuis is the former Vice President of Sales for Costa Sunglasses, where he served in a number of capacities since 2003. A long-time champion of the sport and industry of fishing, Bulthuis has been retained to further establish meaningful relationships with key North American stakeholders including customers, industry associations and governmental agencies.
Bulthuis was honored in October 2018 with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Sportfishing Association (ASA) during the organization's annual summit, in recognition of his extraordinary leadership and lifelong commitment to sportfishing. He has served on ASA’s board of directors for eight years, including a stint as Chairman of the Board in 2015 and 2016.
Prior to sixteen years at Costa, Bulthuis served as Director of Sales for several brands in the outdoor industry, including Fin-Nor Fishing Tackle, Jones and Company and several independent rep groups.
“I’ve been fortunate to have an incredible career in the fishing industry and worked on some initiatives that I’m extremely proud of,” explained Bulthuis. “Bringing those experiences to bear for one of the most iconic companies in the world at this time of growth and change gives me renewed excitement about what I can contribute to this sport I love so deeply.”
This new position will see Bulthuis taking over accountability for Pure Fishing’s sales and customer marketing efforts across North America. Within this role, he will continue fostering valuable relationships across organizations that can help fuel growth for the company, its stable of brands and the industry as a whole. Additionally, Bulthuis will champion the company’s conservation efforts, leveraging his passion for sustainable fisheries that aligns with Pure Fishing’s commitment to clean water and conservation.
“Adding Dave to the team at this time is exciting for me and the entire team at Pure Fishing,” Said Harlan Kent, CEO of Pure Fishing. “He is a proven, committed leader in this industry who has worked hard to establish and foster relationships that I believe will be invaluable as we rebuild momentum as the leading fishing company in the world.”
Bulthuis will begin his role at Pure Fishing on December 2, 2019 and will be based at the company’s headquarters in Columbia, South Carolina.
Lake Fork Announced As Site For 2020 Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest
November 20, 2019
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Earlier this year, B.A.S.S. announced the bulk of its 2020 Bassmaster Elite Series schedule with a clear emphasis on visiting fisheries that hold giant bass.
On that front, they saved the absolute best for last.
An already amazing schedule was finalized today when B.A.S.S. announced that Lake Fork — the Texas fishery that produced a pair of four-day weights over 100 pounds last year — will again serve as the venue for the 2020 Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest benefiting Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
The tournament will be held June 5-9 on the Sabine River Basin with daily weigh-ins and festivities at the Sabine River Authority headquarters on the shoreline of Lake Fork in Quitman, Texas. South Carolina angler Brandon Cobb claimed the Texas Fest title last year with a four-day total of 20 bass that weighed 114 pounds.
“That was the most amazing four days of fishing I’ve ever had,” said Cobb, who received one of B.A.S.S.’s coveted Century Belts for topping the 100-pound mark, along with Michigan’s Garrett Paquette, who placed second with 101-15. “When you set the hook at Lake Fork, you never know what you’re in for. I’ve wanted to go back there since the moment we rolled out of town.”
Cobb, whose catch for the week included an 11-pound, 1-ounce monster largemouth, earned $125,000 as his winner’s share of the event’s $1 million total purse. He also received a Toyota Tundra pickup truck for weighing the heaviest bass of the event.
That same incredible purse will be in place next year.
“You can look at the weights from last year and understand pretty easily why we’re going back to Lake Fork,” said B.A.S.S. CEO Bruce Akin. “It’s obviously one of the premier fisheries in the country.
“That, combined with the partnerships we have with Gulf States Toyota, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and several other fantastic area groups makes it an event that everyone at B.A.S.S. is looking forward to — and one that we believe fans of the sport will really enjoy.”
Cindy Hamrick, Vice President of Marketing for Gulf States Toyota, echoed Akin’s excitement.
“We are proud to once again present the Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest benefiting Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, which showcases the great Texas outdoors,” Hamrick said. “Our continued partnership with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department allows them to offer the Toyota ShareLunker Program and a number of youth and urban outreach programs.”
Wood County, Texas, Judge Lucy Hebron, who has helped with efforts to bring the event back to Fork, said several groups have worked hard to make it a reality.
“We would not be able to host the tournament this year were it not for the efforts of (General Manager) David Montagne and the wonderful folks at the Sabine River Authority,” Hebron said. “We truly appreciate all their hard work to make this happen.
“We also appreciate the help of our friends in the City of Quitman and the Quitman Economic Development Corporation, who are generously providing assistance for the tournament.”
Lake Fork presents a unique set of challenges for a bass tournament using a traditional format because of its slot limit. Anglers are required to release bass that measure between 16 and 24 inches, and may only bring in one bass per day that measures more than 24 inches long.
To comply with the slot limit regulation, B.A.S.S. will work with TPWD to once again use the “catch-weigh-immediate release” format that was used for the first time at the Toyota Texas Bass Classic at Lake Fork in 2007.
A judge in each angler’s boat will weigh and record the official weight of each bass caught. The bass will be immediately released, except for one fish over the slot, which can be taken back to the Texas Fest weigh-in stage to show off to fans.
Last year, when Cobb caught his 11-1 giant, he already had an 8-13 in his livewell that was released.
“That’s the only time in my life I can remember letting almost a 9-pounder go during a tournament,” Cobb said. “But those regulations are what have made that lake so great — and I think the format is a lot of fun at a place like Fork.”
As in past years, the full field of Elite Series anglers will fish Friday and Saturday, June 5-6. Anglers will take a break Sunday, June 7, for special Fan Appreciation Day festivities, including a TPWD Outdoors Adventures area, Bassmaster University seminars, the Bassmaster Outdoors Expo and the annual Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster High School All-American Fishing Team Tournament.
The Top 40 remaining anglers, based on heaviest weight, will return to the water for the semifinal round on Monday, June 8. Then the Top 10 will compete on Championship Tuesday, June 9.
Constructed as a water supply reservoir, Lake Fork is owned and operated by the Sabine River Authority of Texas. Impounded in 1980, Fork holds the state bass record of 18.18 pounds, it produced 30 of Texas’ Top 50 largemouth bass and seven of the Top 10. It dominates the list of Texas lakes that have produced 13-pound “Legacy” bass entered in the Toyota ShareLunker program. Fork has yielded more than 260 “teen” bass over the years and roughly 45% of the total ShareLunker Legacy entries statewide.
“In addition to its crucial importance as a major water supply reservoir for the east Texas area, Lake Fork has earned a global reputation as a premier largemouth bass fishery. Thanks to the longstanding partnership between the SRA and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Lake Fork Reservoir continues to positively impact our local and regional economies while providing a high quality, dependable supply of surface water,” said David Montagne, Executive Vice President and General Manager of the Sabine River Authority of Texas.
“The SRA is proud to collaborate with other local entities, including Wood County, Wood County Economic Development Commission, the City of Quitman and the City of Quitman Economic Development Commission to host the Bassmaster Elite Series Tournament benefiting the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.”
The event will be covered in real time on Bassmaster LIVE with programming on Bassmaster.com and ESPN3 and in an episode of The Bassmasters television program to be aired later on ESPN2, ESPN Classic and The Pursuit Channel.
2020 Bassmaster Elite Series schedule:
Feb. 6-9, St. Johns River, Palatka, Fla.
Feb. 14-17, Chickamauga Lake, Dayton, Tenn.
March 6-8, Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk, Lake Guntersville, Birmingham, Ala.
April 2-5, Lake Eufaula, Eufaula, Ala.
April 16-19, Santee Cooper Lakes, Manning, S.C.
May 29-June 1, Sabine River, Orange, Texas
June 5-9, Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest benefiting Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Lake Fork, Quitman, Texas
July 23-26, St. Lawrence River, Waddington, N.Y.
July 30-Aug. 2, Lake Champlain, Plattsburgh, N.Y.
Aug. 13-16, Elite makeup date
Aug. 20-23, Lake St. Clair, Macomb County, Mich.
Back to Basics
This week Chris and Jason go OG on the Podcast as they run solo for the first time in a while and do a quick show talking with MLF Pro Randy Howell about the 2019 BPT Season, what's ahead and his upcoming Kings Home Boat Giveaway this weekend. Check it out!
Cashion Fishing Rods Customer Appreciation Day this Saturday
Courtesy of Cashion Fishing Rods
Cashion Fishing Rods is proud to announce a Customer Appreciation Day and BBQ Lunch Fundraiser for the Baptist Children’s Homes of NC on Friday November 22, 2019 from 11a to 5p. Cashion Fishing Rods manufacturing facility will be open to the public for the opportunity to experience how Cashion Fishing Rods are made. Cashion Crew members John Crews, James Watson, Fat Cat Newton, Rob Digh, and David Williams will be in attendance at the Cashion Customer Appreciation Day and available to the public and members of the media. Cashion Rods will provide a BBQ lunch and 100% of lunch donations will go to the Baptist Children’s Home of NC. The schedule of events will include carbon rolling and rod building demonstrations, along with contest opportunities to compete against the pros.
What: Cashion Fishing Rods Customer Appreciation Day
Why: BBQ Lunch Fundraiser for Baptist Children’s Homes of NC, 100% of Lunch Donations go the Baptist Children’s Home of NC
When: Friday Nov 22, 2019, 11a – 5p
Where: Cashion Fishing Rods, 3915 Hawkins Ave, Sanford, NC 27330
Randy Howell Kings Home Boat Giveaway
Major League Fishing names Beshears Tournament Director
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday, November 15, 2019 (Tulsa, Okla.) Major League Fishing (MLF) announced today that Aaron Beshears has accepted the position of Tournament Director for the Bass Pro Tour and MLF Cup events. Shortly after joining MLF in 2014 as a volunteer Official, Beshears was promoted to Lead Official in 2015. In late 2018 Beshears was one of the league’s first hires as MLF launched the Bass Pro Tour serving as Manager of Competition Crew Recruiting and Training throughout its inaugural year.
“Aaron did a fantastic job of recruiting, training, and deploying our battalion of League Officials,’ reflected Todd Walker, Senior Director of Operations for MLF. “With what seemed like an impossible task due to the shortened timeline, he turned into a huge success on which we will build for years to come, making him the perfect choice for this new role.”
Prior to joining MLF, Beshears retired from a 20-year career in law enforcement in 2010. His love for bass fishing, which began as a child in Oklahoma and Arkansas, led him to Major League Fishing where their conservation-friendly format appealed to him as a weekend tournament angler himself. When not at work, Aaron enjoys cooking barbeque with his wife Candice and their two children, Morghan and Taryn.
About Major League Fishing
Founded in 2011, Major League Fishing (MLF) brings the high-intensity sport of competitive bass fishing into America’s living rooms on Outdoor Channel, Discovery, CBS, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network, Sportsman Channel, and on-demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). The Bass Pro Tour consists of eight events and a championship streamed live on www.MajorLeagueFishing.com and MOTV.
MLF recently acquired Fishing League Worldwide (FLW), which expands their portfolio to include the largest grassroots fishing organization, including the strongest five-fish format professional bass fishing tour, the FLW Pro Circuit (formerly FLW Tour), as well as the FLW Series, FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL), and high school and college tournament circuits.
FLW ANNOUNCES DETAILS FOR 2020 FLW PRO CIRCUIT
TULSA, Okla. (Nov. 18, 2019) – Fishing League Worldwide (FLW), announced today the full details, including rules, entry dates, schedules and the location for the 2020 Championship. The circuit will feature a field of 150 pro anglers competing across seven regular-season tournaments, which culminate to the FLW TITLE. A new event, the TITLE will showcase the top 50 pros from the FLW Pro Circuit regular season as they compete for an $820,000 purse.
The seven regular-season events will operate under a four-day, five-bass limit format with a full field of 150 anglers competing on days one and two. The field will cut to the top 30 on day three, and then the top 10 will advance to the championship round on day four.
In the FLW TITLE, anglers will compete using the Major League Fishing catch, weigh, and instantly release format. The TITLE field will divide into two groups of 25 (Group A and B) whereas Group A competes on days one and three and Group B competes on days two and four. Based on the cumulative two-day weight total, the top ten from each Group (field of 20) will advance to day five. The top 10 pros after day five will advance to the sixth and final day of competition for the opportunity to become the inaugural FLW TITLE Champion with a top prize of $200,000.
2020 FLW Pro Circuit Schedule:
- Jan. 23-26 Sam Rayburn Reservoir Brookeland, Texas
Hosted by the Jasper County Development District
- Feb. 20-23 Harris Chain of Lakes Leesburg, Fla.
Hosted by Lake County, Fla.
- March 19-22 Lake Martin Alexander City, Ala.
Hosted by the Alexander City Chamber of Commerce
- April 2-5 Cherokee Lake Jefferson City, Tenn.
Hosted by the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce
- April 23-26 Lake Hartwell Anderson, S.C.
Hosted by Visit Anderson
- May 14-17 Lake Dardanelle Russellville, Ark.
Hosted by the Russellville Advertising & Promotion Commission
- June 27-30* Detroit River Trenton, Mich.
Hosted by the Detroit Sports Commission
*Saturday-Tuesday event
2020 FLW TITLE Championship:
- Aug. 8-13 St. Lawrence River Massena, N.Y.
Hosted by the Town of Massena
The 2020 FLW Pro Circuit schedule, along with complete details, rules and payouts for the season can be found online at FLWFishing.com.
Each FLW Pro Circuit regular-season tournament will feature FLW Live on-the-water coverage with five cameras on the final two days. The FLW TITLE championship will feature live on-the-water coverage with 10 cameras on the final two days. Each regular-season tournament will also be featured in a two-hour television episode while the FLW TITLE championship will be featured in six two-hour episodes. Each episode will air on the Outdoor Channel and the Sportsman Channel in 2020 for a total of 312 hours of programing featuring FLW Pro Circuit anglers. Every weigh-in will be streamed live on FLWFishing.com.
FLW also announced that fans can apply for the 2020 FLW Pro Circuit Marshal VIP Experience beginning Friday, Nov. 22. Early registration for fans who participated as Marshals in 2019 is now open. A limited number of Marshal opportunities are available at each 2020 regular-season FLW Pro Circuit stop. If selected as a Marshal, fans will be treated to a VIP cookout and seminar with FLW Pro Circuit pros on the day before the tournament, plus behind-the-scenes access throughout the event. Marshals will also receive exclusive FLW Pro Circuit clothing and play a vital role in live coverage of the tournament by verifying the pro’s catch and relaying information to FLW editors. The Marshals won’t be fishing, but they’ll be in the middle of the action. It’s a VIP experience like no other for only $100 per tournament. Marshals can also win cash awards based on the combined weight of the pros they are paired with in the two-day opening round – as much as $2,500 at every tournament.
Anglers have qualified for the 2020 FLW Pro Circuit field of 150 pros based on the criteria outlined in the 2019 FLW Tour rules. Invitations will be sent to these anglers, and they will have until December 2, 2019, to pay their deposit and secure their entry. If an angler declines his or her invitation, FLW will extend an invitation to the next eligible angler from the 2019 FLW Tour standings.
For complete details and updated information on the FLW Pro Circuit visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the FLW Pro Circuit on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
New Idaho Catch and Release Record Largemouth Caught!
New Catch & Release state record!
From IDFG:
JJ Schillinger shows off a 25-inch, 9.7 lb largemouth bass.
Congratulations to JJ Schillinger of Post Falls, Idaho on landing a new catch-and-release record largemouth bass. As an avid bass fisherman, JJ was competing in the Panhandle Bass Anglers Fall Open tournament on October 19, when he hooked the 25-inch bass in Cave Lake.
IDFG
#NorthIdahoNews
B.A.S.S. Announces New National Tournament Series For Kayak Anglers
November 14, 2019
B.A.S.S. Announces New National Tournament Series For Kayak Anglers
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The popularity of kayak fishing is at an all-time high, just one of the reasons B.A.S.S., the world’s largest fishing organization, has formed a new tournament trail aimed specifically at kayaking enthusiasts.
Today, B.A.S.S. officials announced the schedule for the inaugural Huk Bassmaster B.A.S.S. Nation Kayak Series powered by TourneyX presented by Abu Garcia. The trail will feature five regular-season events in 2020 on well-known bass fisheries across the country with a championship to be held in conjunction with the 2021 Academy Outdoors + Sports Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk.
“You don’t have to look very hard these days to find a kayak in the bed of a truck or strapped to the roof of a SUV,” said Bruce Akin, CEO of B.A.S.S. “People are bass fishing from kayaks all over the world — and they’re doing it everywhere from big lakes and rivers to small creeks and ponds.
“With this new trail, we wanted to give those anglers an opportunity to show what they can do from a small craft.”
The inaugural tournament will be held in conjunction with the 50th edition of the Bassmaster Classic on Logan Martin Lake in Pell City, Ala., on March 5. Classic competition kicks-off on nearby Lake Guntersville the next morning. Other events will be held on Lake Fork in Lake Fork Marina, Texas (March 14), Chickamauga Lake in Dayton, Tenn. (May 23), the Mississippi River in La Crosse, Wis. (Aug. 15) and Clear Lake in Lakeport, Calif. (Aug. 29).
Entry fees for all of the events will be $250, and each will pay 30 places. Based on a full field of 150 kayaks, the total purse for each event will be $30,000.
“Huk is proud to work with B.A.S.S. on this exciting new tournament series designed to push the limits of kayak fishing,” said Melinda Hays, Freshwater Community Manager for Huk. “Bass fishing is an integral part of our DNA here at Huk and we endeavor to inspire anglers to explore their home waters by kayak.”
In addition to title sponsor Huk and presenting sponsor Abu Garcia, the kayak series is partnering with Old Town for the inaugural season.
“Abu Garcia is always looking for a way to connect with passionate anglers,” said Jon Schlosser, VP of marketing for Abu Garcia. “With so many people fishing for bass from kayaks now, this was the perfect partnership, allowing our brand to help serve a growing segment in the sportfishing community.”
Instead of a standard weigh-in that uses scales to measure pounds and ounces, anglers will practice “catch, photograph and release” to determine the standings.
When an angler catches a bass, he or she will photograph the fish lying on a standard-issue measuring board and submit the photo through a special mobile app provided by TourneyX. The boards will measure each fish in inches down to a quarter of an inch, and the angler with the longest five-bass limit will win.
“There will be certain criteria for the photograph to be deemed a valid photograph,” B.A.S.S. Nation Director Jon Stewart said. “It will have to show the fish’s nose touching a certain part of the board and the fish’s tail touching a line. It will also have to show the identifying mark on the board that is specific to that tournament.”
Once the photograph is submitted via the TourneyX app, a tournament director and judges will deem them legal or not and enter an official length. A real-time leaderboard will be available online during the tournament until an hour before weigh-in.
“This is pretty standard procedure for kayak tournament fishing,” Stewart said. “In fact, most tournament trails use this very same app when hosting kayak events.”
The Bassmaster B.A.S.S. Nation Kayak Series Championship will be held in conjunction with the 2021 Bassmaster Classic at a site to be determined. The top finishers from the kayak season will be recognized during Classic festivities.
“It’s just one more opportunity for bass anglers,” Stewart said. “That’s what we’re all about.”
Registration is now open online HERE
Anglers must be a B.A.S.S. member to sign up.
2020 Huk Bassmaster B.A.S.S. Nation Kayak Series powered by TourneyX presented by Abu Garcia
March 5, Lake Logan Martin, Pell City, Ala.
March 14, Lake Fork, Lake Fork Marina, Texas
May 23, Chickamauga Lake, Dayton, Tenn.
Aug. 15, Mississippi River, La Crosse, Wis.
Aug. 29, Clear Lake, Lakeport, Calif.
About Huk Performance Fishing
Fueled by youthful anglers across the U.S seeking a brand with their same attitude and passion, Huk exploded onto the fishing scene in 2014 and has since become the fastest growing brand in the sport. Huk appeals to anglers across all disciplines with its energetic vibe and its focus on bringing new color, style and technology to the outdoor community. Based in Charleston, SC, at the confluence of three major rivers and a stone’s throw from the Atlantic Ocean, Huk enjoys a dizzying array of sportfishing opportunities that help shape and mold its purpose-built fishing brand. For more information, go to www.hukgear.com
About Pure Fishing, Inc.
Pure Fishing is a leading global provider of fishing tackle, lures, rods and reels with a portfolio of brands that includes Abu Garcia®, All Star®, Berkley®, Chub®, Fenwick®, Greys®, Hardy®, Hodgman®, Johnson™, JRC®, Mitchell®, Penn®, Pflueger®, Sebile®, Shakespeare®, SpiderWire®, Stren®, and Ugly Stik®. Additional information can be found at www.purefishing.com.
About TourneyX
TourneyX is the leading real-time CPR tournament management system. We utilize a Catch-Photo-Release (CPR) system where anglers catch, photograph and submit their fish via the TourneyX PRO app, then safely release their catch. TourneyX has been hosting tournaments since March 2015, and currently has 34,500 registered anglers. For more information, go to http://tourneyx.com
About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S. is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 510,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), television show (The Bassmasters on ESPN2 and The Pursuit Channel), radio show (Bassmaster Radio), social media programs and events. For more than 50 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.
The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Bassmaster Elite Series, Basspro.com Bassmaster Opens Series, TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Series, Carhartt Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School Series presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors, Bassmaster Team Championship, new Huk Bassmaster B.A.S.S. Nation Kayak Series powered by TourneyX presented by Abu Garcia and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk.
The BASS Nation Recap with Champ Cody Hollen!
This week the boys welcome in TNT Fireworks BASS Nation Champ Cody Hollen from Beaverton, Oregon to talk about his recent win on Lake Hartwell in the BASS Nation Championship. The win qualified him for the Classic and the Elites for 2020! Chris tries to stay off the MLFLW stump, but just can't do it.
SOUTH CAROLINA’S MILLER WINS T-H MARINE FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE WILD CARD TOURNAMENT ON KENTUCKY/BARKLEY LAKES
Missouri’s Hammond Grabs Co-angler Title
GILBERTSVILLE, Ky. (Nov. 11, 2019) – Boater Michael Miller of Greenville, South Carolina, caught a two-day cumulative total of 10 bass weighing 31 pounds even to win the no-entry fee T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Wild Card tournament on Kentucky and Barkley lakes. For his efforts, Miller earned one of the final berths into the 2020 BFL All-American Championship.
" src="blob:https://anglerschannel.com/138a3583-d61c-43b3-a3d0-1b93dbe67935" alt="image004.jpg" width="288" align="right" hspace="12" v:shapes="Picture_x0020_2" class="Apple-web-attachment Singleton" style="opacity: 1;">The BFL Wild Card tournament is a last-chance shot at the All-American for BFL anglers that didn’t qualify for a Regional Championship.
“I did not see that coming,” said Miller, a former FLW College Fishing angler who competed for Furman University. “I had a pretty decent practice and I thought I might be able to catch a good one each day. Maybe two. I certainly didn’t see 15 pounds coming two days in a row.”
Miller caught his fish targeting two different places on the north end of the lake, never fishing more than 10 miles south of the dam.
“I caught them pretty much out of two areas,” Miller said. “One produced real well on Friday, and I caught all my weight on the other spot on Saturday.”
On day one, Miller said he caught five largemouth with an umbrella rig and a shaky-head rig targeting a wind-blown riprap bank with deeper water. Casting right at the bank, he fished 7 to 12 feet deep. His second area was a big windblown flat that was about 5 feet deep. He caught three largemouth and two smallmouth there on Saturday.
“On Friday at the end of the day, I saw a 4-pounder come out of the water chasing a gizzard shad on that flat. I didn’t catch it, but I decided to start there the next day,” said Miller. “It was just a big flat, probably the size of two football fields, and it had isolated stuff on it – rock piles, stake beds and some dark spots. You’d run your bait across the top or drag it through and every once in a while you’d get a quality bite.”
Miller’s key bait on the flat was a structure jig.
“I caught a small one Saturday morning, and I thought that fish probably got me to the All-American. Then, a little later, I caught a few more, including a 4-11,” says Miller. “At that point I thought I had the tournament won, so I spent the rest of the day trying to help my co-angler out. When I got in, everyone was talking about an 18-pound bag of smallmouth, and as I was loading my fish I was sure I didn’t have enough.”
The 18-pound bag of smallmouth belonged to Illinois’ Brian Futch, who weighed in a five-bass limit totaling 18 pounds, 5 ounces. Alas, it was just a bit short, as Miller had enough to earn the victory by a razor-thin 1-ounce margin.
“I put a lot of work in to make this All-American,” Miller went on to say. “I live about 30 minutes up the road from Lake Hartwell, and I made it in 2018 as a co-angler. It is without a doubt the best tournament I’ve ever been to. It’s so much fun to be there, and now I’ve got a chance to go and do really well.”
The top six boaters that qualified for the 2020 BFL All-American were:
1st: Michael Miller, Greenville, S.C., 10 bass, 31-0, $2,483
2nd: Brian Futch, Herrin, Ill., 10 bass, 30-15, $1,323
3rd: Bryan Dowdy, Florence, Ala., 10 bass, 23-13, $772
4th: Toby Corn, Calvert City, Ky., five bass, 15-12
5th: Will White, Wake Forest, N.C., eight bass, 14-11
6th: Harold Buchmeier, Gilbertsville, Ky., five bass, 11-9
Rounding out the top-10 boaters were:
7th: Joey Schmidt, Hickory, Ky., four bass, 11-6, $694
8th: Walter James, Braselton, Ga., five bass, 10-12
9th: Rick Bowen, Jackson, Tenn., four bass, 10-10, $617
10th: James Davis, Hollywood, Fla., five bass, 10-6
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Futch caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the Boater Division Saturday, a fish weighing 5 pounds, 5 ounces, which earned him the day’s Boater Big Bass Award of $81.
Walter Hammond of Lee’s Summit, Missouri, won the Co-angler Division with a two-day cumulative of three bass weighing 11 pounds, 14 ounces.
The top six co-anglers that qualified for the 2020 BFL All-American were:
1st: Walter Hammond, Lee’s Summit, Mo., three bass, 11-14, $1,295
2nd: Charles Dellard, Burleson, Texas, three bass, 9-14, $822
3rd: Chad Cartwright, Benton, Ky., four bass, 9-8, $470
4th: Bryan Barnard, Harrison, Ark., three bass, 8-2, $378
5th: Shawn Kemper, Iberia, Mo., two bass, 7-12
6th: Leo Reiter, Greenup, Ill., two bass, 7-0, $336
Rounding out the top-10 co-anglers were:
7th: Daniel Robinson, Atlanta, Ga., two bass, 7-0
8th: David Lambert, Middletown, Ohio, two bass, 6-12, $354
9th: Todd Blakeman, Chatham, Ill., three bass, 6-7, $269
10th: Jon Dailey, Kingston, Tenn., three bass, 6-3
Hammond also caught the heaviest bass of the tournament in the Co-angler Division Saturday, a fish weighing 5 pounds, 4 ounces, which earned him the day’s Co-Angler Big Bass Award of $52.
The T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League Wild Card tournament on Kentucky and Barkley lakes was hosted by the Kentucky Lake Convention and Visitor’s Bureau.
The 2019 BFL 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 BFL All-American. The 2020 BFL All-American will be held April 30-May 2 at Lake Hartwell in Anderson, South Carolina, and is hosted by Visit Anderson. Top performers in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the FLW Tour.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
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Hollen Relies On Lipless Crankbait To Win B.A.S.S. Nation Championship At Lake Hartwell
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ABA Toho Division Reconfigured, New Okeechobee Division added
Athens, AL – American Bass Anglers announced today a new Bass Pro Shops Fishing Tour division on Lake Okeechobee. The new division (104) will be directed by Donald McMasters Jr and has scheduled events beginning in late December.
The new division will run all of its divisional events out of Okeetanie Campground located on the northwest corner of the lake on the canal that connects Kissimmee River with Okeechobee at 10430 State Road 78 W, Okeechobee, Florida 34974.
You can contact the director at (561)714-3491. Anglers can register for all ABA events online or by calling the ABA office at (256)232-0406.
2020 Okeechobee Schedule
| Date: | Lake | Ramp/Register |
| 12/28/2019 | Okeechobee | Okeetantie Campground |
| 01/18/2020 | Okeechobee | Okeetantie Campground |
| 02/22/2020 | Okeechobee | Okeetantie Campground |
| 04/11/2020 | Okeechobee | Okeetantie Campground |
| 05/02/2020 | Okeechobee | Okeetantie Campground |
| 06/20/2020 | Okeechobee | Okeetantie Campground |
| 07/25-26/2020 | Okeechobee | Okeetantie Campground |
Central Florida Divisions Reconfigured
In 2019 Lake Toho hosted two Bass Pro Shops Fishing Tour divisions. In 2020 these two divisions have been combined into one division (Bass Pro Shops Fishing Tour division 21).
Frank Derylak will be the director and will host events out of both Kissimmee City Ramp and Southport. This will provide anglers events out of both the north and the southern portions of Lake Toho.
The newly configured division will host its first tournament next Saturday on 11/16 out of Kissimmee City Park.
You can contact the director at (407)709-1632. Anglers can register for all ABA events online or by calling the ABA office at (256)232-0406.
Division 21 2020 Schedule
| Date | Lake | Ramp/Register |
| 11/16/2019 | Toho | Kissimmee City Ramp |
| 12/14/2019 | Toho | Kissimmee City Ramp |
| 01/18/2020 | Toho | Southport |
| 02/08/2020 | Toho | Kissimmee City Ramp |
| 03/14/2020 | Toho | Southport |
| 04/18/2020 | Toho | Kissimmee City Ramp |
| 05/09/2020 | Toho | Southport |
| 06/06/2020 | Toho | Kissimmee City Ramp |
| 07/11/2020 | Toho | Southport |
| 08/01-02/2020 | Toho | Kissimmee City Ramp |
Entry Fee for the Bass Pro Shops Fishing Tour are $70 for Divisional one-day events and $140 for Divisional Championships. Anglers may register online or call (256)232-0406.
On the Bass Pro Shops Fishing Tour you can just show up the morning of the tournament and register. New and Renewing members are not charged the $5 onsite late fee as well as active military, life members and visiting ABA directors.
The 2020 Bass Pro Shops Fishing Tour Rules are available online at (LINK)
All boaters fishing any American Bass Anglers are required to have a minimum of $100,000 in boat liability insurance with randoms checks are performed at all ABA events.
For more information about the Bass Pro Shops Fishing Tour visit www.AmericanBassAnglers.com
2020 Bass Pro Shops National Championship will be held on Old Hickory Lake in Gallatin, Tennessee the week of October 18 - 23.
South African Varkevisser Grabs Lead At B.A.S.S. Nation Championship On Lake Hartwell
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Costa® Sunglasses Unveils Diego As Most Advanced Performance Frame to Date
Daytona Beach, Fla. – November 7, 2019 – Costa® Sunglasses, long-committed to creating the highest quality performance sunglasses for the most discerning watermen and women, used those very people as inspiration to create the new Diego frame. Constructed to keep you on the water longer, Diego is the most feature-laden, highly engineered frame the company has ever produced.
Named for the diverse and dynamic fisheries around San Diego, California, the Diego frame is up to the task whether chasing Yellowtail or the mighty Bluefin. Simply stated, this next evolution in eyewear is performance perfected—designed with capability in every detail:
- Innovative vented hinge system to maximize airflow and maximize comfort
- Vented nose pads reduce fogging
- Integrated top and side shields block light
- Sweat management system cools and wicks away moisture
- Flexible and keeper-ready temple tips enhance fit
“At Costa, we put our all into every frame we create, and we strive to bring innovation into our performance collection with each new design,” said John Sanchez, vice president of product development at Costa Sunglasses. “Our team doesn’t just live for the water, we come to life on the water and that’s exactly why we created Diego. This high-tech frame was over engineered to provide maximum-performance features to keep even the most hardcore adventurers on the water longer.”
Diego features Costa color-enhancing 580® lens technology in both Lightwave® glass and impact-resistant polycarbonate, which provides 100 percent UV protection and polarization. This patented 580 lens technology selectively filters out harsh yellow light for superior contrast and definition while absorbing high-energy blue light to cut haze and enhance sharpness. In addition, Costa lens technology reduces glare and eye fatigue, and its Lightwave glass is 20 percent thinner and 22 percent lighter than average polarized glass.
Diego is a large fit and comes in three frame colors, including Matte Black, Matte Midnight Blue and Matte Gray. The new style ranges in price from $199 to $279 depending on lens selection. For more information on Diego and the full line of Costa sunglasses, visit CostaSunglasses.com.
Belik Takes Lead At Opening Round Of B.A.S.S. Nation Championship On Lake Hartwell
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Two Tour Pro, Costa Champ & the loss of a Fishing Pioneer
This week Chris, Jason and the boys welcome in newly announced two-tour Pro John Cox to discuss the details and answers the hard questions as to why he has committed to both BASS and FLW Tours for 2020. Jason also talks to 2019 Costa Champ, Strike King, Lew's Pro Andrew Upshaw! Turn it up, we are comin' atcha!
What DeFoe, Scroggins, and Swindle did when nobody was watching
Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorhips
I was walking across a dark and wet parking lot a couple Saturday nights ago at Picwick Lake when I saw current Bassmaster Classic Champ, Ott DeFoe dang near standing on his head in the battery compartment of a boat he didn’t own. Next to “Otter” was 2-time Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year, Gerald Swindle. And beside Swindle, was his longtime buddy and $2 Million career prize money winner, Terry “Big Show” Scroggins.
The three very well-known pros had just finished making 450 amateur anglers feel like superstars at the 8th Annual Toyota Bonus Bucks tournament registration dinner and rules meeting. That’s where they discovered one team’s chance to participate the next morning was seriously threatened by the sort of marine wiring issues we’ve all dealt with.
“Gerald asked us how our day was in the registration line. We told him we’d lost all electrical power, been towed back to the ramp in the cold rain, and might not get to fish. He asked if we could go get the boat back at the house we were renting, and bring it back to the ramp for he and “Big Show” to try and fix,” says, Derrick Gray, team fishing partner of the boat’s owner, Jason Forsgren.
Gray, a career Air Force man and Tennessee Game Warden admits Swindle’s unbelievably generous offer blew him away and covered him in goosebumps of gratefulness.
He and Forsgren were quick to take Swindle up on his offer, and immediately upon their return with the troubled boat, DeFoe jumped in to help Swindle and Scroggins by targeting all the wiring in the battery compartment. Swindle became chief tool supplier, running back and forth to his Tundra’s toolbox, and Scroggins phoned for even more help in the form of hardworking Triton Boats technician, Kevin Davenport.
“Scroggins eventually climbed up under the driver’s console and figured out how to restore power to the outboard. But we had to improvise and limp through the tournament with portable navigation lights and a livewell pump we bought at Academy Sports later that night,” says Gray.
They did more than limp. Fact is, Gray and Forsgren caught an admirable 11 pounds, and finished barely out of the money by dragging a 3/8-ounce jig on the floor of the famed Tennessee River. Gray and Forsgren are both Toyota Tundra owners, and say they’ll be back for more Bonus Bucks Owners tournaments in the future.
“This was our third Bonus Bucks event to fish together. We love ‘em because there’s no entry fee, which expands our travel budget so we can bring the wives, rent a house, and make a mini vacation out of it. If you own a Toyota and you’re registered for Bonus Bucks – fishing in this annual event is a no-brainer in my opinion,” says Gray.
If it’s true the character of a man is best judged by what he does when nobody’s looking – then I’m glad I was there to see DeFoe, Scroggins and Swindle doing what most might never expect them to do. All I could do was hold a flashlight, marvel at their mechanical abilities, snap a photo, and make notes knowing this kind of goodness deserved to be shared.
The Big Bass Tour Special Edition
On this special episode of the AC Insider Podcast, Chris spends time at Big Bass Tour World Headquarters in Dallas, TX on opening day of 2020 Registration for the Big Bass Tour. Joined by Tournament Director Scott Gordon, Angler Experience Supervisor Greg Yates, BBT Angler Brayden Rakes and of the course the one and only KVD, This show is all about BIG BASS!
BPT Angler John Murray on Catching More Fall Bass!
Vance McCullough
Autumn. What a glorious time to be on the water. A camo-clad army of would-be anglers has headed to the woods and many of us have turned more than a little of our time and attention to football. You have more water to yourself and the bass are crushing spinnerbaits, crankbaits and topwaters.
Unless they aren’t.
Let’s be honest for a moment. As an outdoors writer, I’m supposed to sell you on this grand scene where bass fishing amid the blazing tones of turning leaves is the most fun you can have with your clothes on.
It can be.
But fall fishing can also be downright frustrating at times.
Let’s take a lesson from a pro who excels under conditions that challenge most of us. Originally from Arizona, Major League Fishing Pro John Murray has been getting his mail in East Tennessee for a couple of years now but he acquired his reputation, and his skills, as a talented finesse angler in the big desert lakes out West.
“Twelve months of the year, 24 hours a day, I’ve always got a dropshot rigged,” shares Murray. “Even on days that they’re eating the paint off a spinnerbait or something in the morning, sometimes by eleven o’clock you’re scratching.”
Murray’s go-to technique has produced in a variety of theatres. “I’ve won tournaments on Toledo Bend, the James River, different places, and the dropshot has been a key to those wins. It’s a great back up for when you have 3 good ones and just need 2 more. It’s always got a place in my fishing, especially in the fall because it’s so versatile I can catch them shallow or deep on it, depending how the fishing is going that day.”
Though it can be productive any time, Murray most often turns to the subtle tactic when the action slows. “In the fall, you usually have a feeding window, whether it’s in the early morning or maybe the afternoon, but then there are other times when they’re just not doing anything, but if you put a dropshot in their face, you’ll get a bite or two.
“I’ll put it in a different gear. Instead of running the trolling motor on high and running down grass lines or the bank, I’ll just take the foot off the trolling motor and start fishing the dropshot.
“It doesn’t matter. I don’t care if I’m flipping, I can throw a dropshot in there as well as anything else. If I’m in 60 feet of water with a jig or a spoon, I can throw a dropshot there. There’s no place that I’m fishing that I can’t catch them on a dropshot if it gets a little tough.”
In a departure from the ‘video game’ technique used by many dropshoters, Murray seldom goes vertical with his worm in autumn. “Even out on deep structure, I’m usually casting and dragging it uphill. I really like an uphill drag in the fall. Even when grass fishing, I’ll make a long cast. I tend to use a light weight in grass and swim it a little more. It’s a real finesse-looking bait coming through the water. I will let it settle in any holes or along the edge of grass. There’s not as much vertical fishing in the fall as in the winter or summer.”
Murray will pick the low-hanging fruit with fast-moving lures before mopping up. “If I’m fishing way out on a piece of a ridge and they’re eating a crankbait out there and they’re killing it in the morning and then they stop, that dropshot is the first thing going back out there to catch those last few. That’s also a big deal in the grass. You find an outer edge that has some fish on it with a reaction bait and you can come through a second time throwing a dropshot and catch a couple more that you wouldn’t have caught on those reaction baits.”
Some days a dropshot is Murray’s primary choice from the beginning. “Two things really push me that way. One is a lot of sun - bright, bright weather where you’ve got good visibility and you just can’t fool them with the reaction baits.
“The other is a lack of wind. You get a real calm, sunny day, I’ll probably go to a dropshot a lot faster than if it’s a windy day or a cloudy day. Usually on those low visibility days I’ll stick with a reaction bait because you can fool them just as well with that, but calm, sunny - I’m going to pick that dropshot up pretty quick.”
While many of us ask what bait the bass are chasing in autumn, Murray looks inward for the answer. “I’m always a confidence guy. My confidence here on the Tennessee River is usually a redbug color. It’s got the green fleck and the red hue. It’s got the crawdad colors. It’s got the shininess for a shad.” (Who - besides John Murray - knew ‘shininess’ was a word?)
“I’m not that big on color changing my day. I feel like, if I have the right bait and present it correctly, I’m going to catch them.”
While Murray notes that Gene Larew makes great shad colors, he relies heavily on redbug and the Sooner Run color for most situations. He’s comfortable with that slim color selection and, given his experience, that’s saying a lot.
As for lure shape and size, “I’m pretty much a 6-inch Gene Larew Tattletail guy. That’s the worm I designed. It’s got a swimming tail. It’s not a paddle tail and it’s not a straight tail. It’s got a little vibration to it, a little movement to it but it’s subtle.
“I will upsize to the 8-inch sometimes if I’m out in deeper water, looking for a bigger fish. Sometimes I’ll pinch a couple inches off and get down to 4 inches if I’m fishing out West where I want a smaller profile bait, but a 6-inch Tattle Tail pretty much covers all my fishing year-round.”
Rigging matters.
“I like it weedless because I’ll throw it anywhere. I don’t want to have an open hook and then come across a brush pile and I can’t throw it in there. I’m using a little offset light wire Gamakatsu hook and Texas-rigging it 90% of the time.
“The biggest thing for me is length of leader. I’ve seen that make a huge difference. My general starting size is 8-to-10-inches of leader off the bottom. Now, sometimes when it’s cold or the water gets a little dingy I’ll lower that down to a 3-or-4-inch leader, just off the bottom, and sometimes when the water is clear I like a long leader like 2-and-3-feet off the bottom because those fish tend to roam a little more in that clear water. Usually 10 inches is a good start and if I feel anything is off, I’ll change my leader length a little bit; try a different one.”
When imparting action to his worm, Murray is a drag. “I’m pulling it with a steady pull. I’m not a real big shaker. I don’t usually shake the rod tip. The only exception would be if there are spotted bass. I will shake the rod tip more then, but for largemouth or smallmouth I just like a steady drag. I just want that thing swimming like a minnow would, just swimming through. If it’s warmer I might start swimming it longer, might start reeling it slow, but if there’s any sort of fall weather I’ll probably let it settle. Just settle. Sometimes I’ll dead stick it and then pick it up again and drag it.”
The dragging action is a reason Murray likes to work uphill. “You’ve got that bottom contact. You can feel ‘oh, I’m coming into rocks now. I should get bit’ type of deal.”
Murray achieves that bottom contact with anything from a 3/16 to a 1/2 oz. tungsten weight, the heavy sinker generally getting the call in 40-plus feet of water. “If I’m throwing into shallow grass, I’m throwing a 3/16 or maybe even 1/8 ounce sometimes. A quarter ounce will cover most things. If a guy just wanted to have one dropshot weight, a quarter ounce would cover it.
“I use an 8-pound Gamma fluorocarbon leader. That’s a little heavy for where I grew up but here you need it because you can catch a 7-pounder any time on a dropshot.”
Murray attaches 5 feet of fluoro to 20-lb Gamma braid via a surgeon’s knot or a small swivel. He then ties the hook to the fluoro and forms his drop leader.
As stated, he will fish heavy cover with this finesse tactic, so his rod choice matches accordingly. “I use a 7’1” Enigma rod with a 3000-size spinning reel on it. Just a simple Enigma rod but I’ll use a medium action to medium-heavy rod. You see a lot of guys dropshoting with willow branches – real wimpy rods. I don’t want to. I use those for crappie rods. I’m fishing Texas-rigged most of the time, so I do want to have some power. I’m not setting the hook like you would with a Texas rig, but I’m reeling and pulling in and you want a rod with some stoutness to get that hookset.”
Deep water, where hooksets are more challenging on light line, and cold water may cause Murray to use an open hook on the nose of his worm. Otherwise, it’s the Texas rig, and not just for its weedless ways. “Fall time, I’ll almost never have an open hook. It’s more about boating fish. Sometimes those open hooks get every fish and sometimes you lose half of them – like, every big smallmouth you hook on them. A little, light Texas rig hook, you’ve got ‘em; you’ve got them pinned and they’re coming in the boat.”
Enjoy those fall feeding blitzes with fast lures but when the bite slows down, do the same and put John Murray’s tips to good use.
Jerry McKinnis, former B.A.S.S. co-owner, founder of JM Associates, and a legend in the fishing industry, passed away - Updated
Former B.A.S.S. Co-Owner, Outdoor Television Pioneer Jerry McKinnis Passes Away
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Jerry McKinnis, former B.A.S.S. co-owner, founder of JM Associates, and a legend in the fishing industry, passed away early Sunday morning. The 82-year-old McKinnis had been in the hospital for six weeks, dealing with an injury and infection sustained on a fishing trip in Wyoming.
McKinnis, along with Don Logan and Jim Copeland, purchased B.A.S.S. from ESPN in 2010, and then sold controlling interest in the organization to Anderson Media in 2017. He was the leader of JM Associates, producing award-winning television and Internet shows about fishing and the outdoors. McKinnis was also the beloved host of the television series The Fishin' Hole, which ran on ESPN for 44 years.
McKinnis was a member of the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame, the National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame and the International Game Fish Association Hall of Fame.
“Jerry was a true friend of the angler,” said Bruce Akin, CEO of B.A.S.S. “He contributed so much to the sport of fishing, extending all the way from his days on The Fishin' Hole through his ownership of B.A.S.S.”
McKinnis and his partners hired Akin to lead the 500,000-member fishing organization shortly after they acquired it.
“Jerry was one of the most passionate people I’ve ever known as it relates to the world of bass fishing,” said Logan. “I don’t think I ever met anyone who spent more time than Jerry did thinking about how to make B.A.S.S. and bass fishing better — better for the anglers, better for the fans and members, and better for the sponsors.
“We came from very different backgrounds and totally different perspectives, but we always were able to reach common ground on any issue or problem we faced. He was not only a business partner, but he was also a true friend.”
A pioneer in outdoors television, McKinnis and his JM Associates production team took over production of the long-running television program The Bassmasters for B.A.S.S. and ESPN in 2001. Prior to that he helped create the FLW Tour and ESPN’s Great Outdoor Games, and he later developed the Redfish Cup and the Madfin Shark Series.
McKinnis was dedicated to bringing new participants into the sport of bass fishing. He held the first collegiate bass fishing championship and was instrumental in the creation of B.A.S.S.’s Carhartt Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops and the Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School Series presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors.
Bassmaster.com will have addition information on funeral arrangements in the coming days.
OKLAHOMA’S UPSHAW WINS COSTA FLW SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP ON LAKE CUMBERLAND
Missouri’s Chad Allison Claims Co-angler Title, $35k Prize Package
BURNSIDE, Ky. (Nov. 2, 2019) – Strike King pro Andrew Upshaw of Tulsa, Oklahoma, brought a five-bass limit to the stage weighing 12 pounds, 15 ounces, Saturday to claim the title of 2019 FLW Series Champion at the Costa FLW Series Championship on Lake Cumberland. Upshaw, with a three-day total of 15 bass for 42 pounds, 15 ounces, won by a 1-pound, 10-ounce margin over second-place angler Rob Burns of Plano, Texas, who caught a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 41-5. Upshaw led the championship tournament on the final two days of competition and took home the top prize of $50,000 plus a $2,500 Mercury Marine contingency bonus.
Saturday’s final weigh-in marked the finale of the 2019 FLW Series, which featured thousands of anglers from across the globe competing in 15 events across three divisions.
Upshaw said that his main pattern that he figured out was targeting main-lake transition bluffs that, “Had to have the river-channel swing on it. Not just a transition, but a swing.” He had found 15 different spots, from Conley Bottom down.
“This lake is absolutely full of smallmouth and I’ve always said that if you’re not catching them consistently, then you’re not doing the right thing,” Upshaw said. “So, during practice, I’d just run around and find areas where I was consistently finding a bunch of bites. I had about 15 spots – some of them didn’t ever fire like they did in practice, but some did better.”
Upshaw mentioned four baits as catching most of his fish this week. He caught a couple of bass each on a buzzbait, a football-head jig and a Ned rig – a Strike King Ned Ocho worm (green-pumpkin) with a 1/8-ounce Gene Larew Ned Rig Pighead. He said the majority of his keepers came on a 3/8- and 1/2-ounce Strike King Bitsy Flip Jig with a Strike King Baby Rage Craw (green-pumpkin).
“The first day they were eating it on the drop,” Upshaw said. “As soon as you flipped it up there they were just swimming off with it, right on the bank. Yesterday they kind of shifted out a little bit, and today they were even deeper.
“I was fishing the jig anywhere between 5 and 14 feet. I’d let it free fall on slack line and then let it just gradually fall down the bluff. I feathered it all the way down and that’s when they’d eat it. It was a timing deal – anytime between 10 (a.m.) and 3 (p.m.) is when they would really bite.
“I love catching fish, and I absolutely love these Kentucky and Tennessee smallmouth,” Upshaw went on to say. “They are the best, and they’ve made me a lot of money this year. I’ve been to Lake Cumberland a couple of times on Tour and fell in love with it. I couldn’t be happier to win again, on this lake.”
The top 10 pros at the 2019 Costa FLW Series Championship on Lake Cumberland finished:
1st: Strike King pro Andrew Upshaw, Tulsa, Okla., 15 bass, 42-15, $52,500
2nd: Rob Burns, Plano, Texas, 15 bass, 41-5, $25,200
3rd: Matt Pangrac, Broken Arrow, Okla., 14 bass, 38-6, $20,100
4th: Luke Plunkett, Pinson, Ala., 15 bass, 36-9, $15,000
5th: Travis Manson, Conshohocken, Pa., 14 bass, 35-1, $10,000
6th: Rusty Salewske, Alpine, Calif., 13 bass, 33-10, $8,000
7th: Laramy Strickland, Bushnell, Fla., 11 bass, 31-6, $7,000
8th: Steve Floyd, Leesburg, Ohio, 13 bass, 30-6, $8,000
9th: Brent Algeo, Ozark, Mo., 12 bass, 28-7, $5,000
10th: David Valdivia, Norwalk, Calif., nine bass, 24-1, $4,500
Full results for the entire field can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Co-angler Chad Allison of Carl Junction, Missouri, weighed in four bass totaling 11 pounds, 3 ounces, Saturday to win the top co-angler prize of $30,200, including a new Ranger Z175 with a 115-horsepower outboard, with a three-day total of nine bass weighing 24-10. Second place went to co-angler Mason Roach of Conroe, Texas, who weighed in a three-day total of nine bass weighing 21-5, good for $12,650.
The top 10 co-anglers at the 2019 Costa FLW Series Championship on Lake Cumberland finished:
1st: Chad Allison, Carl Junction, Mo., nine bass, 24-10, Ranger Z175 with a 115-horsepower outboard
2nd: Mason Roach, Conroe, Texas, nine bass, 21-5, $12,650
3rd: Justin Leet, Bartlett, Tenn., eight bass, 19-0, $10,500
4th: Jason Clark, Bixby, Okla., eight bass, 17-11, $7,500
5th: Scotty Walton, Yukon, Okla., seven bass, 16-14, $5,000
6th: Michael Catt, Jacksonville, Fla., seven bass, 16-12, $4,000
7th: Dustin Robinson, Glendale, Ariz., seven bass, 15-12, $3,500
8th: Josh Lockard, Somerset, Ky., seven bass, 15-7, $3,000
9th: Zack Freeman, Russellville, Ark., six bass, 14-9, $2,550
10th: Brian Campbell, Oxford, Ohio, six bass, 14-0, $2,250
The 2019 Costa FLW Series Championship at Lake Cumberland was hosted by the Somerset Tourist & Convention Commission and the Burnside Tourism Commission. The three-day, no entry fee tournament featured a field of 386 boaters and co-anglers from across the five U.S. FLW Series divisions and multiple international anglers from countries that compete in the FLW Series.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Costa FLW Series on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
UPSHAW LEADS AT DAY TWO OF COSTA FLW SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP ON LAKE CUMBERLAND
Texan Rob Burns Just 1-pound, 13 Ounces Back Going Into Final Day
BURNSIDE, Ky. (Nov. 1, 2019) – Strike King pro Andrew Upshaw of Tulsa, Oklahoma, crossed the stage Friday with a five-bass limit weighing 15 pounds, 1 ounce, for a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 30 pounds even, to lead after Day Two of the Costa FLW Series Championship on Lake Cumberland. Upshaw now holds a 1-pound, 13-ounce lead over pro Rob Burns of Plano, Texas, who weighed five bass totaling 14-10 – for a two-day total of 10 bass for 28-3 – in the FLW Series championship event that featured 193 boaters and co-anglers competing a top cash award of up to $100,000 on the pro side, including the keys to a new Ranger Z518L boat with a 200-horsepower outboard.
The field is now cut to just the top 10 boaters and co-anglers for the final day of competition in the no-entry fee bass-fishing championship, hosted by the Somerset Tourist & Convention Commission and the Burnside Tourism Commission, that featured the top 40 professionals and top 40 co-anglers from each of five U.S. FLW Series divisions, plus two pros and two co-anglers from each international country that competes in the FLW Series.
“I love smallmouth and I love fishing these types of Kentucky reservoirs – Lake Cumberland and Lake Cherokee,” said Upshaw, who earned the first FLW Tour victory of his career earlier this season on Lake Cherokee. “I feel like I have a pretty good understanding right now on how the fish are set up on cover, and that is helping me a lot.”
Upshaw said that he caught around 18 keepers today, with his first bite coming around 9:45 a.m.
“I knew that the first hour and a half was going to be slow,” Upshaw said. “The way I’m fishing, it’s a timing thing. I had to be there at the exact right time. It’s not necessarily a spot, though. I’m running a pattern. I found three or four other areas today that had them on it.”
Although Upshaw did not mention any specific baits that he threw on Day Two, he did say that he caught them Thursday on a buzzbait, a Ned rig and a jig. He thinks that the fish are actually already moving into their wintertime patterns.
“The way the fish are setting up, it’s almost more of a wintertime pattern than fall,” he said. “I’m fishing really slowly and thoroughly and that is a big key. I’m just keeping a couple of rods in my hand and just going fishing. I have a lot of confidence from how they’re setting up.
“I don’t think I’m going to have any problems tomorrow,” Upshaw went on to say. “If I can just go out there and put my head down and go fishing, I think I’ll be fine.”
The top 10 pros that advanced to the final day of competition on Lake Cumberland are:
1st: Strike King pro Andrew Upshaw, Tulsa, Okla., 10 bass, 30-0
2nd: Rob Burns, Plano, Texas, 10 bass, 28-3
3rd: Matt Pangrac, Broken Arrow, Okla., 10 bass, 26-8
4th: Steve Floyd, Leesburg, Ohio, 10 bass, 25-11
5th: Rusty Salewske, Alpine, Calif., 10 bass, 25-7
6th: Laramy Strickland, Bushnell, Fla., nine bass, 24-13
7th: Luke Plunkett, Pinson, Ala., 10 bass, 24-11
7th: Brent Algeo, Ozark, Mo., nine bass, 24-10
9th: Travis Manson, Conshohocken, Pa., 10 bass, 24-8
10th: David Valdivia, Norwalk, Calif., nine bass, 24-1
Full results for the entire field can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Mason Roach of Conroe, Texas, added to his lead in the co-angler division with four bass weighing 8 pounds, 2 ounces. His two-day total of nine bass totaling 21-5 gives him a strong 4-pound, 10-ounce lead over Jason Clark of Bixby, Oklahoma, who has weighed eight bass totaling 17-11, good for second place. Co-anglers are casting for a top prize of $35,000, including a new Ranger Z175 with a 115-horsepower outboard.
The top 10 co-anglers that will fish the final day on Lake Cumberland are:
1st: Mason Roach, Conroe, Texas, nine bass, 21-5
2nd: Jason Clark, Bixby, Okla., eight bass, 17-11
3rd: Scotty Walton, Yukon, Okla., seven bass, 16-14
4th: Justin Leet, Bartlett, Tenn., seven bass, 16-6
5th: Dustin Robinson, Glendale, Ariz., seven bass, 15-12
6th: Josh Lockard, Somerset, Ky., seven bass, 15-7
7th: Michael Catt, Jacksonville, Fla., six bass, 14-13
8th: Zack Freeman, Russellville, Ark., six bass, 14-9
9th: Brian Campbell, Oxford, Ohio, six bass, 14-0
10th: Chad Allison, Carl Junction, Mo., five bass, 13-7
The final 10 boaters and co-anglers will take off from General Burnside Island State Park, located at 8801 S. Hwy. 27 in Burnside, at 8 a.m. EDT Saturday. Saturday’s Championship weigh-in will be held at the State Park beginning at 4 p.m. All takeoff and weigh-ins are free and open to the public.
The popular FLW Live on-the-water program will air on Saturday featuring live action from the boats of the tournament’s top pros each day. Host Travis Moran will be joined by four-time FLW Tour Angler of the Year, Polaris pro David Dudley to break down the extended action from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. On-the-water broadcasts will be live streamed on FLWFishing.com, the FLW YouTube channel and the FLW Facebook page.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Costa FLW Series on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
ZIMBABWE ANGLER COUSENS LEADS DAY ONE OF COSTA FLW SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP ON LAKE CUMBERLAND
Sacramento’s Nakatomi Just 3 Ounces Behind in Second Place
BURNSIDE, Ky. (Oct. 31, 2019) – A tournament field of 193 boats – each featuring a pro and a co-angler – began their three-day competition for a top cash award of $100,000 at the Costa FLW Series Championship on Lake Cumberland, in Burnside, Kentucky, Thursday. The no-entry fee bass-fishing championship, hosted by the Somerset Tourist & Convention Commission and the Burnside Tourism Commission, features the top 40 professionals and top 40 co-anglers from each of five U.S. FLW Series divisions, plus two pros and two co-anglers from each international country that competes in the FLW Series.
International angler Roger Cousens of Harare, Zimbabwe, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 17 pounds, 2 ounces to take the early lead after Day One of the three day event. Cousens now holds a slim 3-ounce, lead over pro Robert Nakatomi of Sacramento, California, who caught five bass weighing 16 pounds, 15 ounces, good for second place.
Cousens competed in the U.S. a few times in the 1990s, but the Evinrude and Mercury outboard technician has never fished a pro-level event with as much on the line as this one. Cousens’ limit that he weighed in Thursday included a mix bag of largemouths and smallmouths.
“It feels fantastic right now,” Cousens said. “It’s pretty hard to believe that I’m leading a tournament of this caliber with this number of anglers. It’s pretty amazing.”
Cousens said he’s a big-bass specialist, which he’s proven in his last two FLW events. To qualify for this week’s championship, he weighed in more than 100 pounds in three days of fishing at the FLW Zimbabwe Championship.
Thursday, despite miserable, rainy, windy weather, he caught a better quality of bass than many of his competitors.
“I fish for big fish back home,” Cousens said. “My game plan is not to go and catch five little fish. I go and throw big baits, and I want to catch five big fish. I fish a lot of tournaments back home, and it’s paid off over the years; just going for big fish.
“A bass is a bass,” he continued. “I brought my style of fishing from home. When I was preparing to come here, I looked at the lake on Google Earth and spent a lot of time studying it. I purposely did not look at any sort of fishing hints. I just wanted to come here with a totally open mind and just do my own thing. My practice was tough, but I caught a couple of nice fish and left the areas immediately. As soon as I’d catch a fish I’d leave. I went back to those areas today, and they panned out.”
Though he caught most of his fish in one area today, Cousens said he does have a pattern that’s working. He was able to get a couple of key bites on the way back to the ramp in the afternoon. He’s admittedly uncertain of what to expect from Cumberland tomorrow, when wind and rain will be replaced with sunshine, slick-calm water and temperatures that might dip below freezing in the morning, but he’s still confident in his ability to get big bites.
The top 20 pros after Day One on Lake Cumberland are:
1st : Roger Cousens, Harare, Zimbabwe, five bass, 17-2
2nd: Robert Nakamoti, Sacramento, Calif., five bass, 16-15
3rd: Shawn Kowal, Linn Creek, Mo., five bass, 15-7
4th: Mike Casada, Stearns, Ky., five bass, 15-0
5th: Andrew Upshaw, Tulsa, Okla., five bass, 14-15
6th: Steve Floyd, Leesburg, Ohio, five bass, 14-13
7th: Bass Pro Shops pro Casey Scanlon, Lake Ozark, Mo., five bass, 14-5
7th: Luke Plunkett, Pinson, Ala., five bass, 14-5
9th: Kurt Mitchell, Milford, Del., Sarcoxie, Mo., five bass, 14-2
10th: Michael Wooley, Booneville, Miss., five bass, 14-1
11th: Dakota Ebare, Denham Springs, La., five bass, 14-0
11th: Brennon McCord, West Frankfort, Ill., five bass, 14-0
13th: David Valdivia, Norwalk, Calif., five bass, 13-12
14th: Costa pro Todd Castledine, Nacogdoches, Texas, five bass, 13-9
14th: Rob Burns, Plano, Texas, five bass, 13-9
14th: Bradley Hallman, Norman, Okla., five bass, 13-9
17th: Rusty Salewske, Alpine, Calif., five bass, 13-8
18th: Daniel Urbino, Bliss, N.Y., five bass, 13-7
19th: Andrew Loberg, Rocklin, Calif., five bass, 13-5
20th: Jason Vance, Battle Ground, Ind., five bass, 13-3
For a full list of results visitFLWFishing.com.
Mason Roach of Conroe, Texas, leads the co-angler division with five bass weighing 13 pounds, 3 ounces, followed by Zack Freeman of Russellville, Arkansas, who weighed five bass totaling 12-12, good for second place. Co-anglers are casting for a top prize of $35,000, including a new Ranger Z175 with a 115-horsepower outboard.
The top 20 co-anglers after Day One on Lake Cumberland are:
1st: Mason Roach, Conroe, Texas, five bass, 13-3
2nd: Zack Freeman, Russellville, Ark., five bass, 12-12
3rd: Joe Tucker, Osceola, Mo., four bass, 9-7
4th: Mike Power, Conroe, Texas, four bass, 9-2
5th: Spencer Sato, Warner Robins, Ga., five bass, 8-15
6th: Jim Hippensteel, Rochester, Ind., three bass, 8-13
7th: Zach Barnes, Chickamauga, Ga., five bass, 8-9
8th: William Puduski, Portsmouth, N.H., five bass, 8-8
9th: Chad Allison, Carl Junction, Mo., three bass, 8-6
10th: Casey Dunn, North Highlands, Calif., three bass, 8-0
11th: Jason Clark, Bixby, Okla., four bass, 7-13
12th: Robert Derr, Hawkins, Texas, four bass, 7-10
13th: James Lamons, Thomasville, Ga., three bass, 7-6
14th: Erick Fernengel, Lake Waukomis, Mo., four bass, 7-4
14th: Jim Short, Ocean Pines, Md., three bass, 7-4
14th: Wes Proctor, Manhattan, Kan., three bass, 7-4
17th: Dustin Robinson, Glendale, Ariz., three bass, 7-2
17th: Brandon Jones, London, Ky., three bass, 7-2
17th: Austin Archer, Anniston, Ala., two bass, 7-2
17th: Leo Reiter, Greenup, Ill., four bass, 7-2
Anglers will take off from the General Burnside Island State Park, located at 8801 S. Hwy. 27 in Burnside, at 8 a.m. EDT each morning. Each day’s weigh-in will be held at the State Park beginning at 4 p.m. All takeoff and weigh-ins are free and open to the public.
The popular FLW Live on-the-water program will air on Friday and Saturday – Days Two and Three of the event – featuring live action from the boats of the tournament’s top pros each day. Host Travis Moran will be joined by four-time FLW Tour Angler of the Year, Polaris pro David Dudley to break down the extended action each day from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. On-the-water broadcasts will be live streamed onFLWFishing.com , the FLW YouTube channel and the FLW Facebook page.
For complete details and updated information visitFLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Costa FLW Series on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram andYouTube.
Al McCulloch with The National Professional Fishing League
In a special podcast episode, Chris and Jason welcome in owner/founder of The National Professional Fishing League to talk details about the new league that will kick off in March of 2021. The boys break it down, check it out and see of the TNPFL is right for you.
Major League Fishing Announces the 2020 Bass Pro Tour Schedule
October 31, 2019 (Tulsa, Okla.) Major League Fishing (MLF) announced today the 2020 Bass Pro Tour schedule and locations. A collection of eight Stages, the Bass Pro Tour 2020 season will begin Feb. 7 on Lake Eufaula in Eufaula, Ala. and conclude on Jul. 26 on Lake Champlain in Burlington, Vt.
| Stage | Date | Lake | City | Community Host |
| One | Feb. 7-12 | Lake Eufaula | Eufaula, Ala. | Eufaula Barbour Chamber of Commerce |
| Two | Feb. 21-26 | Lake Okeechobee | Okeechobee, Fla. | Okeechobee County Tourism Development Council |
| Three | Mar. 13-18 | Lake Fork | Emory, Texas | Lake Fork Area Chamber of Commerce |
| Four | Apr. 3-8 | Jordan Lake, Falls Lake, and Shearon Harris Reservoir | Raleigh, N.C. | Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance |
| Five | May 15-20 | Kissimmee Chain | Kissimmee, Fla. | Experience Kissimmee |
| Six | Jun. 5-10 | Lake Winnebago, Lake Butte des Morts, and Green Lake | Neenah, Wis. | Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau |
| Seven | Jun. 26-Jul. 1 | St. Lawrence River | Ogdensburg, N.Y. | St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce and the City of Ogdensburg |
| Eight | Jul. 21-26 | Lake Champlain | Burlington, Vt. | Experience Vermont |
“This schedule is stocked with great fisheries and destinations,” remarked Michael Mulone, Senior Director of Events of Major League Fishing. “Working with the MLF angler advisory board and these outstanding community hosts, we have built an exciting 2020 schedule that will most benefit our fans.”
The Bass Pro Tour began in 2019 and features 80 of the best professional anglers in the world, including Kevin VanDam, Edwin Evers, Aaron Martens, Mike Iaconelli, Jordan Lee, and Skeet Reese. Each stage includes six days of competition using the Major League Fishing, catch-weigh-and-immediately-release format, where every bass over one-pound counts toward a cumulative weight total for the day. The field of 80 anglers is divided into two groups of 40 to compete on days one and two respectively for the Shotgun Round. On days three and four, the Elimination Round culls the field based on a combined 2-day total weight from each angler’s Shotgun and Elimination Round. The top 20 anglers from each group in the Elimination Round (40 total) advance to the Knockout Round on day five, which determines who will compete on that final day, the Championship Round, for the Stage title and $100,000.
In addition to the economic impact on a host community, Major League Fishing showcases the region through their award-winning, live and linear programming. Each Stage of the Bass Pro Tour is broadcast live on the Major League Fishing app, MyOutdoorTV (MOTV), and majorleaguefishing.com, totaling more than 325 hours of original programming. Fans can follow the fast-paced nature of the MLF format as it unfolds on the live leaderboard through “SCORETRACKER® updates.” Highlights from each Stage of the 2020 Bass Pro Tour will air on Discovery Network beginning in July 2020 and Sportsman Channel in early 2021.
“MLF offers the strongest broadcast presence in the industry to fans and sponsors,” said Jim Wilburn, President and CEO of Major League Fishing. “And with these lakes planned for this coming Bass Pro Tour, we know 2020 will be our best year yet as we continue to capture a broad audience of both longtime fishing fans and those new to the sport, thanks to our fast-paced, fan-friendly format,”
Acquisitions, New Tours and Fall Fishing with Z-Train!"
Chris is back from vacay and ready to tackle all the news going around in the bass fishing tournament world. From the MLFLW, to the National Professional Fishing League to more! Z-Train, Mark Zona talks about the 2019 Elite Season and Fall Fishing! Check it out!
John Cox to fish both Elites and FLW Pro Circuits in 2020
Vance McCullough - AnglersChannel.com
Photo Courtesy of FLW
John Cox has made a career of doing things nobody else will.
It’s been a great career, including a Forrest Wood Cup win among other trophies and cash that has piled up.
To say he goes his own way is only part of the story. Cox often makes a way where others don’t see one. He will put his aluminum Crestliner boat in places others can’t take their fiberglass rigs. If he has a transducer on his vessel, it’s usually lying on the back deck, having been knocked off by some shallow obstacle Cox had to hurdle. ‘Beauty marks’ commonly adorn his boat after the first practice session of the year.
But the guy can fish.
He double qualified for an invitation to fish the Bassmaster Elite Series in 2020 via his high standing in the Bassmaster Central and Eastern Opens trails in 2019.
Which begs the question: In 2020 should Cox, an FLW Tour veteran, fish on the newly formed FLW Pro Circuit now owned by Major League Fishing - or accept his spot on the Bassmaster Elite Series?
His answer to his latest quandary is classic Cox. “Yes.” To both.
“I’m just gonna go ahead and fish both of them,” said Cox. “I’m going to fish the FLW Circuit and the Elite Series and drop about $82,000 in entry fees and see what happens.”
The two schedules present a couple of conflicts. “I’ll have to make a decision in April whether I’m going to fish the Bassmaster Elite on Eufaula or the FLW on Cherokee. Also, the FLW Championship, if I go to the Elite tournament on the St. Lawrence River, I’ll be in the off limits for that championship, so I’ll be out of it too. But, bottom line, I can at least fish 6 of the 7 FLW tournaments.”
That’s as clear as the picture gets for now. The details are as muddy as a backwater Cox has plowed with his lower unit in search of fish.
He figures the highest he can finish in the FLW standings without full participation would be 51st place. The top 50 guys get to fish the championship.
Then there’s the question of whether points are awarded for fishing the championship. “There are a lot of unknowns about how they’re going to do it. If they don’t take points through the championship, then whatever place I finish will be my points for that year, so I might be able to get better than 51st, but if I’m not allowed to do the championship and they do points through the championship . . .”
The method of awarding points will affect his trajectory in the MLF organization for years as the league recently clarified that it will wait 2 seasons and average each angler’s points totals to determine who the top 10 pros are. At the end of the 2021 season, those top 10 anglers will be invited to join the Bass Pro Tour in 2022.
Prior to that, however, only the top 110 FLW pros at the end of 2020 will be invited back to the FLW Pro Circuit for 2021 in the first place.
Nobody, including Cox, knows where he will ultimately end up in 2022. But then, his focus is much more dialed-in on the short term.
“I think we’re going to find out stuff as it goes so I feel like the best thing for me to do is to jump in both (tours) and make the decision in April, when I have to decide on one or the other.”
Cox has his work cut out - not just to qualify for the FLW Pro Circuit and possibly the BPT, or the Elite Series, but just to turn a profit.
“I know a few people are going to get mad, but I’ve got to look at it as ‘where am I going to make the most money for the time and effort I’m putting in?’.”
Speaking of putting in the time and effort, it’s business as usual for Cox. “I’m already fishing that many tournaments, fishing both sets of the Opens, or if I would have picked up a Costa schedule and an Opens schedule, so I figured I might as well go all in and have a chance to win $100,000 at each event and, hopefully, cash a 10-grand check most of the time.”
Even if he cuts a bunch of those checks, Cox might still barely break even. He laughs at the thought, “I figure I’m going to have invested, staying in crappy hotels and eating Taco Bell, I’m going to have something like $136,000 invested in the season next year. As long as I come out winning two-and-a-quarter or two-fifty I’ll feel good.”
This is just another example of Cox doing things others won’t. “There are 5 of us who have the option to join the Elite Series and fish the FLW Pro Circuit too. I talked to the other guys and they said they aren’t going to.”
A few FLW guys will be defecting to the Elite Series. “A lot of the guys are like ‘I’m going to the Elites’ and they’re making that jump right away. I want to keep my options open and let it all play out. I’m not a fan of jumping on the new stuff right away. I’m still running the old trolling motor. I don’t use the electric steering one yet. I kind of wait things out, let all the bugs work out.”
Cox will be one to watch in 2020 not just because he can catch fish, but also because of the craft he’s going to catch them from. “So. B.A.S.S. isn’t going to let me swap boats when we go up North, which really sucks, so I’m running a walleye boat the entire season. A deep V. I’m sure after the first couple of tourneys go down everybody’s gonna be like ‘it’s unfair’ because I can’t even touch the water from my front deck it’s so high up. I’m like, six-and-a-half-feet tall now when I’m standing on the front of it. The downside is, when you get a fish hung up in the lily pads, you’ve got to get that fish all the way back to the middle part of the boat and get down in the floor to reach the water. So when you’re buried up, there’s no driving to it with the trolling motor and reaching it from the front. You’ll go right in.”
We’re in for an interesting 2020 tournament season and Cox has as big an interest as anybody. “I’m going to try it and if I don’t make any money, whatever, you know, I’ll regroup for the following year.
“But I feel good about it.”
Skeeter Boats/Yamaha Outboards and Bass Champs renew partnership through 2022, adding more guaranteed incentive bonus cash and marking 21 years with Bass Champs.
Haslet, Texas - Skeeter Boats Extends Agreement with Bass Champs another three (3) years following the release of the all new FXR boat. The continued partnership offers anglers the countries leading team tournament trail while incentivizing the competitors that own the leading boat brand, Skeeter. The agreement includes Bass Champs Title Sponsorship exclusivity, Skeeter Owners Tournament, TV show and exclusive branding on all marketing materials.
We have enjoyed the partnership with Bass Champs for the last 18 years and look forward to continuing for many years to come. Bass Champs continues to lead the country in providing the most popular, richest, guaranteed grass roots tournaments for the weekend angler in the United States. In doing so, we can showcase our latest and greatest as we strive to continue to build the best boat on the water. We are excited to showcase our new FXR model in 2020 and are certain that anglers will be impressed with the detail that goes into every one of our boats, but particularly this years newest addition, paired with the Yamaha VF250LA.
Jeff Stone, Senior Vice President, Skeeter Products
Eat. Sleep. Fish. For over 70 years, Skeeter boats have focused on just that. No other brand has done it better and no one has been more revolutionary in the bass boat market. Skeeters passion for producing an incredible boat is evident with every detail of the all-new FXR. The new 2020 Skeeter FXR was designed to create more room, promote even better fish-ability, and increase stability while including more features than ever before. Anglers will find two models including the FXR20 and FXR21 both powered by the proven Yamaha V MAX SHO 250 four-stroke outboard.
Skeeter will offer a new bonus program at every Bass Champs regular season event in 2020. The 3 highest finishing teams in a qualified Skeeter boat will win Skeeter bonus cash! The first highest finisher in a qualified Skeeter will win $2000, the second will win $1500 and the third will win $500. To win, anglers must be fishing in a Qualified Skeeter boat combined with a Yamaha motor with an original purchase date within the last 3 years. If that isnt awesome enough, make sure to carry a signed business card from any Skeeter dealer and the first team to weigh in an exact even weight will win a $250 bonus!
Skeeter/Yamaha have been incredible partners for many years. We are thrilled to extend that relationship and we cant wait to showcase this new FXR! Skeeter continues to WOW us each year with the attention to detail they put into every boat and we couldnt be more excited to see these new boats on the water competing this coming year. In addition, they are offering an unprecedented bonus program for the top 3 qualified finishers at Bass Champs events.
-Chad Potts, President of Bass Champs
Skeeter Bass Champs continues to over-deliver year after year with the best payouts, incentives and most professionally run events for amateur anglers. There is no better tournament trail to fish with the chance at some serious cash! Again in 2020, Skeeter Bass Champs is offering a guaranteed 1st place of $20,000 cash at every regular season event along with the opportunity to make additional cash with the Skeeter bonus program as well as many other incentives. Bass Champs will again be hosting the "Richest Guaranteed Open Team Tournament in the World," the Techron TX Shootout on Lake Sam Rayburn with a top prize of $50,000 Cash along with a $10,000 bonus if the winner is in a qualified Skeeter! The Skeeter Owners Tournament and the Big bass events will be even bigger and better in 2020.
Skeeter Bass Champs is the number one team tournament trail in the nation awarding the largest paybacks in the country, over $2.5 Million. Providing a safe, honest and enjoyable place for anglers of all levels to compete for huge payouts, Bass Champs has been THE trail to fish in Texas for over 20 years.
For more information on Skeeter Boats, visit SkeeterBoats.com.
For more information on Yamaha Motors, visit yamahaoutboards.com
For More information on Bass Champs or to register for tournaments, visit BassChamps.com or call (817) 439-3274.
Bass Champs paying out millions to weekend anglers in 2020!
2020 Skeeter Bass Champs schedule of events:
January 11, Sam Rayburn - $20,000 Guaranteed for 1st Place
January 18, Falcon - $20,000 Guaranteed for 1st Place
February 15, Toledo Bend - $20,000 Guaranteed for 1st Place
February 22, Amistad - $20,000 Guaranteed for 1st Place
February 29, Fork - $20,000 Guaranteed for 1st Place
March 7, Rayburn - $20,000 Guaranteed for 1st Place
March 14, LBJ - $20,000 Guaranteed for 1st Place
March 10, Rayburn - $20,000 Guaranteed for 1st Place
March 22, (Sunday) Mega Bass on Lake Fork - $20,000 Guaranteed EVERY HOUR + Skeeter Boat
March 28, Falcon - $20,000 Guaranteed for 1st Place
April 4, Cedar Creek - $20,000 Guaranteed for 1st Place
April 18, Travis - $20,000 Guaranteed for 1st Place
April 25, Amistad - $20,000 Guaranteed for 1st Place
May 2, Texoma - $20,000 Guaranteed for 1st Place
May 9, Toledo Bend - $20,000 Guaranteed for 1st Place
May 16, LBJ - $20,000 Guaranteed for 1st Place
June 6, Ray Roberts - $20,000 Guaranteed for 1st Place
June 12-14, Skeeter Owners Fork
June 28, (Sunday) TX Shootout Sam Rayburn - $50,000 Guaranteed for 1st Place
October 10-11, Team Championship T.B.A. - Over $200,000 Guaranteed
October 17-18, Berkley Big Bass Fork - Win 2 Skeeter Boats
Payback details, rules, and additional information is available on basschamps.com
Bradley Roy’s 7th Annual High School Open presented by Covercraft draws record field
Jamestown, Kentucky
High school fishing is a big deal in Kentucky. 200 teams converging on Lake Cumberland in Jamestown, KY to compete in the 7th Annual Bradley Roy High School Open presented by Covercraft, is proof of that.
177 high school teams and 23 junior teams (6-8 grade) competed October 11-12, making it the largest high school event on record in Kentucky.
The event was moved from Herrington Lake to the larger, more spacious Cumberland this year. The tournament is an officially-sanctioned high school event by the Kentucky Bass Nation and kicked off the 2019-20 season for many of the teams. The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources provided a release truck and allowed for a special, one-day size limit waiver so 12-inch smallmouth, largemouth, and spotted bass could be weighed-in.
Two spots in the 2020 Bassmaster High School National Championship were awarded to Saturday’s top finishers: Andrew Haney and Blake Marcrum (Cardinal Fishing Team) and Micah Adams and Chase Rawlins (Estill County). The winners weighed a mixed-bag totaling 12.09 pounds. The big fish of the event, a 4.29 largemouth, was caught by junior anglers Zachary Hayes and Jase Greenwood of Oldham County.
Immediately following the weigh-in was when a twist came and really ramped up the intensity. Roy gathered the top five teams and immediately cut off any information gathering from other teams in the event. He then began preparing all teams for a fish-off on Sunday.
The remaining teams were housed at the Lake Cumberland State Park Lodge and geared up for Major League Fishing-style tournament the next day. Each team was assigned boat officials trained by Roy who utilized manual score sheets and MLF-supplied scales. Bradley convened the group at the boat ramp on Sunday morning and provided a map of the boundary lines.
Teams were given thirty minutes to scout out the fishable water and “Lines In” began at 7am. Scoretracker Live was setup by Major League Fishing and fans followed the scoring live. Roy streamed commentary on his Facebook page as he covered the morning action. The teams fished two 2.5 hour sessions with a fifteen-minute break in between.
True to MLF form, the winner was decided in the final minutes of action. After all five boat officials had reported in, the team of Will Carnes and Jason Denney were crowned the champions on the water. They held off the Estill County team of Micah Adams and Chase Rawlins by just two ounces.
The top team members were each offered $10,000 scholarships to attend Campbellsville University by head coach Pete Hedgepath. Significant scholarships for all teams were made possible by Covercraft, First Southern National Bank, The Cain Pole, A Few Good Men Fishing Tournament, LCR Contracting, City of Jamestown, Angler’s Outpost and Marine, and Land Big Fish.
Additional prizes from sponsors of the event and Bradley Roy included: Mud Hole Custom Tackle, Triton Boats, Gruv, Solar Bat, D&L Tackle, Cabin Creek, Seaguar, and Whitetail Heaven Outfitters.
“There are so many aspects of this event that stand out in my mind; the number of boats, the quality of anglers, the new venue Lake Cumberland, the addition of the catch, weigh, release day on Sunday, but the one that stands out the most is the addition of college scholarships. Winning these Campbellsville University scholarships is a life-changing event for the winning team. The investment these sponsors made in providing scholarships for all of the top teams is a huge deal and I am so excited to look back in a few years and see how it helped these student anglers,” said Roy.
“We are proud to support high school fishing and this great event. To see students, coaches, volunteers, and the community so excited to be a part of a tournament like this is just awesome,” said Jeff Jegelewicz, Director Marketing at Covercraft.
“We were thrilled to host this event and so excited about the event having 200 boats. We are proud of our lake here and how ‘large’ it fishes for tournaments of this magnitude. We’re also excited to announce the 8thAnnual Bradley Roy High School Open presented by Covercraft will again be hosted here by the city of Jamestown, Kentucky with the date to be determined,” Nick Shearer, Russell County Chamber of Commerce.
Yamaha Marine Announces Unprecedented Payout Amounts for Power Pay Contingency Program
KENNESAW, Ga. - Oct. 29, 2019 — On the heels of launching Yamaha Power Pay, the first contingency program for Yamaha-powered anglers, Yamaha Marine announced today unprecedented cash bonus opportunities for anglers competing in B.A.S.S.® tournaments.
During the 2020 B.A.S.S. season, Power Pay registered anglers, not currently under a supported contract with Yamaha, have the opportunity to earn the following bonus amounts for the highest place finish in the following tournaments:
- $50,000 for the 2020 Bassmaster® Classic
- $20,000 for 2020 Angler of the Year
- $10,000 for 2020 B.A.S.S. Nation®
- $10,000 for the 2020 B.A.S.S. College Championship
- $10,000 for the 2020 B.A.S.S. High School Championship
“The potential to get paid for running Yamaha power during the 2020 B.A.S.S. tournament season is tremendous,” said David Ittner, Tournaments, Sponsorships and Pro Staff Manager, Yamaha Marine. “Power Pay allows Yamaha to support more anglers than ever before on a grassroots level. For competing anglers nationwide running Yamaha outboards five years or newer, this program is a win-win.”
Yamaha Power Pay yamahapowerpay.com, gives anglers not currently under a supported contract with Yamaha or its subsidiaries the opportunity to receive compensation for running Yamaha outboards during fresh and saltwater sanctioned tournaments. Eligible anglers running eligible Yamaha outboards within the stated criteria can sign up for the program by visiting yamahapowerpay.com. All applicants are required to accept and adhere to the Yamaha Angler Code of Ethics before completing the registration for the program. Once registered, the highest placing angler in specified Power Pay sanctioned tournaments that meets all eligibility requirements will be compensated by Yamaha accordingly.
“I’ve been fishing competitively for 28 years, and I’ve never seen a more supportive contingency program from the most reliable outboard company in the market,” said Yamaha Pro Angler Mark Menendez. “I wish Power Pay had been around when I got started. The extra momentum created by cash incentive opportunities can make a big difference for many anglers running Yamaha power.”
Some of the popular eligible Power Pay trails include the Bassmaster Classic, Bassmaster Angler of the Year, Bassmaster Opens, B.A.S.S.® Nation, Bassmaster Elites, Bassmaster College Series, Bassmaster High School Series, A.B.A. Ram Open Series, Alabama Bass Trail, Bass Champs, MWC, The National Walleye Tour®, AIM® Walleye, Kingfish Cup, Flatsmasters and HT3 Redfish.
For more information and complete terms and conditions about Power Pay, visit yamahapowerpay.com. Some restrictions apply. Void where prohibited by law.
Yamaha Marine products are marketed throughout the United States and around the world. Yamaha Marine Engine Systems, based in Kennesaw, Ga., supports its 2,000 U.S. dealers and boat builders with marketing, training and parts for Yamaha’s full line of products and strives to be the industry leader in reliability, technology and customer service. Yamaha Marine is the only outboard brand to have earned NMMA®’s C.S.I. Customer Satisfaction Index award every year since its inception. Visit www.yamahaoutboards.com.
Big Bass Junior Championship Crowns 2019 Champ
The one-day competition culminated the 2019 online tournament aimed at young anglers in high school and college. Cold and rainy weather conditions added to the challenges the anglers faced as they fished in waters they had never fished before.
“I’m honored to represent New Jersey and bring this win home for the entire state,” said an excited Elmore, who can be followed at www.reelmaxlife.com. “Fishing is a family tradition for us, and my Dad taught me all about how to catch bass.”
“I want to break down the traditional walls and get more anglers fishing,” said Bill
Siemantel, BBJC tournament director. “There is no need for expensive equipment. This is grassroots fishing at its finest, allowing young anglers at all skill levels to compete on a
national stage and have fun.”
Elmore, of Egg Harbor Township, took home a 2019 Bass Cat Margay bass boat fully equipped with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard engine, Lowrance electronics, Motorguide trolling motor, a peacock bass fishing trip to Brazil’s Amazon River staying at the Anglers Inn International lodge along with an appearance on “Stihl’s Reel in the Outdoors with Joe Thomas” to be aired on the Outdoor Channel. Competitors won nearly $400,000 in prizes including college scholarships, boat electronics, fishing tackle and fishing apparel and gear.
“Bill Siemantel called me and explained the BBJC event and the barriers he wanted to
break down to get more kids fishing. I immediately said count me in,” said James Hall, editor-in-chief of B.A.S.S. Publications.
“This event has given Bass Cat Boats the opportunity to give back to our sport,” said Bass Cat Boats’ Dallas Hodges. “We want to make sure that we pass on the passion and the environmental concerns of fishing. This is a catch-and-release, single-fish event and is a wonderful format that brings young anglers together from across the nation to Idaho at the Willows Club. It’s amazing, and we are excited about it.”
For more information about the Big Bass Junior Championship go to www.bigbassjuniorchampionship.com.
BREAKING NEWS: THE NATIONAL PROFESSIONAL FISHING LEAGUE TO LAUNCH IN 2021
The National Professional Fishing League ownership group is proud to announce the launch of a new angler centric tour in March of 2021. “THE NATIONAL PROFESSIONAL FISHING LEAGUE”. Our focus is to bring simplicity back to professional bass fishing. One lake, 125 anglers, three days of fishing the heaviest combined three day weight wins. The full field will compete on all three days. One in three anglers will get paid.
*125 angler field with a two-year contract; includes an
option for a third year
*No requalification for the first three years.
*Six qualifying tournaments, two spring, two summer
and two fall. $5,000 entry fee per event.
*NO ENTRY FEE National PFL Championship.
*Live Stream all three days, on the water. Live in-studio
commentator and live weigh-ins.
*Trailered weigh-ins; pull right up to the stage
showcasing your rig and sponsors.
*Angler committee comprised of active anglers will
liaison directly with the ownership group and the
tournament director. This ensures the angler always
has a seat at the table
PAYOUTS
Our goal is to make this a lucrative endeavor for those professionals who also hold (FAMILY) down a full-time job. We encourage anglers to fish as many other circuits as they desire. To the max extent possible, our schedule will be deconflicted from Bass Opens. Payouts have been vetted through 65 prominent anglers. They spoke and we listened! At their request, the top end of the payout bracket was distributed down. This ensures more anglers make a profit at each event:
*Half a million dollars in payouts.
*One in three anglers paid.
*No Entry Fee Championship with a minimum of
$250,000 in payouts
QUALIFYING EVENTS
1st $50,000 5th $14,000
2nd $30,000 6th – 25th $10,000
3rd $20,000 26th -44th $9,000
4th $15,000
CHAMPIONSHIP (TOP 25 in points) NO ENTRY FEE
1st $50,000 5th $14,000 9th $7,000
2nd $30,000 6th $12,000 10th $6,000
3rd $20,000 7th $10,000 11th -25th $5,000
4th $18,000 8th $8,000
OWNERSHIP GROUP
Majority Owner: Al McCulloch,
Second Majority Owner: Brad and Michele Fuller
Minority Owner: Paul Benson
We want to emphasize that this is a starting point. We are currently in negotiations with endemic and non-endemic sponsors. Our goal is to build an enduring tour with the anglers and their families at the forefront. Our sponsorship goals go deeper than dollars. We are striving for partners that share our values and our passion for the outdoors. This strategy gives us a certain amount of freedom to put the anglers first and build a trail that gets back to what the founders of bass fishing intended it to be!!
As revenue is added, our intention is to meet the below goals:
*$100,000 to each of the qualifying event winners.
*$500,000 to the Winner of the National Championship
*$100,000 to Angler of the year (determined by points)
*Pay one out of two anglers by year three
The field will be capped at 125 anglers. We are finalizing the rules, contract and expect them to be ready in the next 5 days. If you are interested in joining the field or just gathering more information, please reach out to one of the contacts listed below.
ROGER FITZPATRICK WINS T-H MARINE BFL REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP ON GRAND LAKE
Maryland Heights’ Clark Wins Co-angler Division
GROVE, Okla. (Oct. 28, 2019) – Boater Roger Fitzpatrick of Eldon, Missouri, brought a three-day total of 15 bass to the scale weighing 50 pounds, 15 ounces, to win the no-entry fee T-H Marine FLW BFL Regional Championship on Grand Lake Saturday. For the win, Fitzpatrick earned $70,200, including a new Ranger Z518L with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Evinrude outboard and automatic entry into the 2020 BFL All-American Championship, April 30-May 2, at Lake Hartwell.
“I had a very good practice coming into the event and I really felt like I was dialed in,” said Fitzpatrick, who picked up his eighth career BFL win – second this season. “It was very sunny throughout my practice days, and I was targeting any shade – shade from trees, corners of docks, basically anything shallow that had a shade line. I caught quite a few good fish in practice and expected to do very well.
“When the tournament rolled around, there was no shade,” Fitzpatrick continued. “I had no targets to throw at, but I fished in the same areas. I noticed on my graph pretty early that a lot of fish were suspended in right around 6 feet of water. So, I backed off and slowrolled an Omega Genesis Ti spinnerbait. I caught a 3½-pounder and a 6½-pounder early, and that set the tone. Around 11 (a.m.) or 12 (p.m.) the fish moved up shallow, and I stuck with them. I had a dream day on day one – I caught at least three limits of fish and all came on the spinnerbait.”
After weighing in a big 24-pound, 12-ounce limit on day one the bite slowed down considerably for Fitzpatrick on days two and three.
“On the second and third day, the numbers and quantity went down – I only caught 8 to 10 fish each day,” Fitzpatrick said. “It reminded me a lot of springtime bass fishing in dirty water. The males were up shallow, but the females were still out. I threw an Omega Rapture vibrating jig with a smaller BioSpawn ExosSwim swimbait, and I really had to crawl it – painstakingly slow. Everything had to be slow, they did not want it on the bottom.”
Fitzpatrick threw the Rapture for most of the second day of competition to add a limit weighing 13 pounds, 10 ounces. On the third and final day of competition, Fitzpatrick had to audible again – this time to an Omega swimjig with a white BioSpawn ExoSwim swimbait – to add a limit weighing 12 pounds, 9 ounces and seal up his victory.
“The baits were the key,” Fitzpatrick went on to say. “The last day the sun popped out, and I was able to use the shade lines as a target. I love the Omega swimjig because it skips like a flat rock. I could put it underneath the tables, or way back in the shade.
“I just won the BFL Super-Tournament on Lake of the Ozarks last month, so to come away with another win is surprising and an absolutely great way to end the season.”
The top six boaters that qualified for the 2020 BFL All-American were:
1st: Roger Fitzpatrick, Eldon, Mo., 15 bass, 50-15, $20,200 + Ranger Z518L w/200-horsepower outboard
2nd: Chris Macy, Diamond, Mo., 15 bass, 47-1, $10,100
3rd: Dennis Berhorst, Holts Summit, Mo., 15 bass, 47-0, $5,000
4th: Dustin Lippe, Lampe, Mo., 15 bass, 44-13, $3,000
5th: Shawn Kowal, Linn Creek, Mo., 15 bass, 43-10, $2,000
6th: Andy Newcomb, Camdenton, Mo., 15 bass, 43-7, $1,800
Rounding out the top-10 boaters were:
7th: Wade Ramsey, Choctaw, Okla., 15 bass, 42-15, $1,600
8th: Terry Holsapple, Greenup, Ill., 15 bass, 42-10, $2,400
9th: Jason Beem, Gravette, Ark., 14 bass, 42-7, $1,200
10th: Lance Williams, Billings, Mo., 14 bass, 41-3, $1,000
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Spencer Clark of Maryland Heights, Missouri, weighed in 14 bass over three days totaling 33 pounds, 3 ounces to win the top prize package of $50,000, including a new Ranger Z518L with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Evinrude outboard.
The top six co-anglers that qualified for the 2020 BFL All-American were:
1st: Spencer Clark, Maryland Heights, Mo., 14 bass, 33-3, Ranger Z518L w/200-horsepower outboard
2nd: Andrew Wooley, Little Rock, Ark., 13 bass, 32-6, $5,200
3rd: Clark Moore, Nacogdoches, Texas, 11 bass, 27-6, $2,550
4th: Jeff Turner, Plainfield, Ill., nine bass, 23-4, $1,500
5th: Jim Budde, Waterloo, Ill., eight bass, 21-13, $1,000
6th: Larry Rothweil, Saint Charles, Mo., 10 bass, 20-5, $900
Rounding out the top-10 co-anglers were:
7th: Stan Harris, Searcy, Ark., nine bass, 20-0, $800
8th: Bruce Thompson, Roland, Ark., eight bass, 19-13, $700
9th: Julio Garza, Houston, Texas, seven bass, 19-10, $600
10th: Shaun Avery, Plainfield, Ill., nine bass, 19-6, $500
The T-H Marine FLW BFL Regional Championship on Grand Lake was hosted by the City of Grove. It featured the top pros and co-anglers from the Arkie (Arkansas), Cowboy (Texas-Louisiana), Illini (Illinois), and Ozark (Missouri) divisions.
The 2019 BFL 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 BFL All-American. The 2020 BFL All-American will be held April 30-May 2 at Lake Hartwell in Anderson, South Carolina, and is hosted by Visit Anderson. Top performers in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the FLW Tour.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
B.A.S.S. Announces 2020 Schedules For College And High School Circuits
October 25, 2019
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Young anglers across the country can officially start marking their calendars after B.A.S.S. officials announced the 2020 schedules for the organization’s college and high school series Friday.
The ground-breaking youth circuits, which have helped reshape the direction of competitive angling for the better part of a decade, will each include four regular-season events, plus a season-ending championship.
Due to the soaring popularity of the trails, the field size will again be capped at 250 boats for both college and high school. Each high school event will also include a field of up to 50 Junior boats for competitors ranging from second to eighth grade.
“When you consider that we’ve had to cap the field size to keep the tournaments from being too big, that tells you all you need to know about the popularity of fishing at the college and high school levels,” said Hank Weldon, Tournament Director for B.A.S.S.’s College, High School and Junior Series. “There are thousands of young anglers who are hungry to compete — and as we’ve seen with so many former college and high school anglers now competing at the highest levels of bass fishing, it’s changing the sport from top to bottom.”
The Carhartt Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops will begin Jan. 23-25 on Toledo Bend Reservoir in Many, La. It will then include three more springtime events on Smith Lake in Cullman, Ala. (Feb. 27-29), Lake Hartwell in Anderson S.C. (March 26-28) and Lake Cumberland in Russell County, Ky. (May 6-8).
The trail’s championship will be a summertime event on a northern fishery, but the exact date and location will not be announced until a later date. The Top 4 teams in the championship advance to the College Classic Bracket for an opportunity to earn a berth in the 2021 Bassmaster Classic.
Evidence of college fishing’s effect on the upper reaches of professional angling were evident this year with Brandon Cobb, a former member of the Clemson University fishing team, winning two Bassmaster Elite Series events. Also, 15 of the 2019 season’s 75 Elite Series pros fished for college programs.
“That’s one of the many benefits of the College Series,” Weldon said. “Anglers who want to fish professionally get to see a lot of different lakes under a lot of different conditions — and do it all while fishing against the best competition out there.
“Success on the college level is the perfect next step toward becoming a pro.”
The Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School Series presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors will also include four regular-season events. The one-day events will be Jan. 26 on Toledo Bend Reservoir, March 1 on Smith Lake, May 9 on Lake Cumberland and June 20 on a northern fishery to be announced soon.
The college and high school events on Smith Lake will help kickoff festivities for the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk on Lake Guntersville, Ala., which is scheduled for March 6-8 with weigh-ins in Birmingham. The 2020 Bassmaster Classic, the 50th, will see 2019 College Classic Bracket champion Cody Huff of Bethel University competing against qualifiers from the Elite Series as well as Basspro.com Bassmaster Opens, Bassmaster Team and TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation champions.
“We are excited to welcome back the B.A.S.S. College series to Smith Lake for 2020,” said Roger Steele, Director of Tourism for the Cullman Area Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Center. “We’re also thrilled to welcome for the first time the B.A.S.S. High School series to our area and look forward to introducing this group of students to the hospitality of Cullman County.
“Our community was so impressed by the friendliness and professionalism of the B.A.S.S. staff and participating anglers from last year’s event that we are more than happy to welcome everyone back for an even better year in 2020.”
The date and location for the High School Championship will be announced at a later time.
“We couldn’t be happier with the schedule we’ve put together,” Weldon said. “From Day 1, the Junior, High School and College Series have been about opportunity — and this schedule gives young anglers a chance to experience some of the best fisheries in the country.”
Online registration for the High School and Junior Series will open Nov. 12. Registration for the College Series will open Nov. 19. For more information, visit Bassmaster.com.
2020 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops
Jan. 23-25, Toledo Bend Reservoir, Many, La.
Feb. 27-29, Smith Lake, Cullman, Ala.
March 26-28, Lake Hartwell, Anderson, S.C.
May 6-8, Lake Cumberland, Russell County, Ky.
2020 Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School Series presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors
Jan. 26, Toledo Bend Reservoir, Many, La.
March 1, Smith Lake, Cullman, Ala.
May 9, Lake Cumberland, Russell County, Ky.
June 20, TBD
Smallmouth win Toyota Bonus Bucks tourney
Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships
Zach Tubbs and Austin Weaver make their living as utility linemen, and the two proved they were hard-wired to Pickwick’s legendary smallmouth population with a dominating 5-bass limit that weighed 22 pounds 13 ounces to win the 8th annual Toyota Bonus Bucks Owners event in Florence, AL.
They won the 200-boat tournament by four pounds, relying on tons of time on the water that yielded more than 20 honey holes. They hauled home a $5,000 check in the no entry fee, prize rich, event that guarantees a paycheck to the Top 30 teams in which only one team member is required to be a registered Toyota Bonus Bucks member.
“We covered more than 60 miles of water and hit 20 to 30 spots to catch our limit,” said Weaver. “There’s so many awesome fishermen on Pickwick that very few secret holes remain, so you have to hit a ton of them and cover lots of water to catch five good ones.”
Their lure selection was a one-two punch consisting of topwater baits up shallow, and a heavy ¾-ounce War Eagle spinnerbait in 18 feet of water with blades matched to the size of Pickwick’s shad.
When asked what he loved most about his 2016 Toyota 4Runner, Tubbs replied, “It’s a comfortable ride, but mostly, I love the fact I’ve put 70,000 miles on it and it’s never been in the shop for a repair.”
Tubbs and Weaver certainly weren’t the only winners on the shores of the Tennessee River. Three teams were randomly drawn for $500 cash reward from Toyota, the 31st place team got the LEER Truck Caps “Lucky Dog” prize of $750, and the two teams that tied for 15th place each received a $500 Bass Pro Shops gift cards. Plus, Tyler Mayhew took home a $500 Carhartt prize pack for catching the event’s biggest bass that weighed 6 pounds 4 ounces.
Two full days of rain, strong winds, and changing temps prior to Sunday’s competition made the event challenging to anglers and organizers, but after the last bass was weighed, hundreds of loyal Toyota owners who love bass fishing drove home with an electric grin.
Wesley Sams and Jordan Wiggins Claim 2019 Alabama Bass Trail Championship Crown
by Dan O’Sullivan
Pair Moves from 13th place to victory on Day Two
October 26, 2019 – Scottsboro, Ala. – The weather managed to throw several monkey wrenches into everyone’s plans at the 2019 Alabama Bass Trail Championship event at Lake Guntersville out of Scottsboro, Alabama’s Goose Pond Colony. With driving rains, falling water temperatures and heavy winds the theme for the event, no amount of prognosticating could predict the final outcome.
Along with the crapshoot of conditions, no amount of home field advantage could guarantee that anyone would play the favorites to win the Phoenix 819 Pro, 200 horsepower powered, Garmin and T-H Marine accessorized prize package; valued at more than $50,000.
As it turned out, the Smith Lake expert team of Wesley Sams and Jordan Wiggins brought their experience and a never say die attitude to move from 13th place on day one to leap to the lead and take the win with a total weight of 34.26 pounds. “This is absolutely amazing,” the longtime team pronounced. “This (winning a boat) is something we’ve wanted to do for a very long time, and it’s absolutely amazing to be standing here having won this event.”
The win didn’t come easily. The weather made fishing tough on most of the field, however, when the weights are relatively low, there is room for a team to make up ground, and other teams to stumble. That scenario played out perfectly, as day one leaders Joe McElroy and Chase Freeman couldn’t mimic their 22.10 pound limit, and the majority of the top teams stumbled, leaving the door open for Sams and Wiggins.
The pair produced 16.34 pounds on day one, then added 17.92 pounds on the final day to jump to the lead, then hold serve as the final 10 anglers came to the scales. They reported making long runs to the area around the Highway 431 bridge in the town of Guntersville, and catching the majority of their fish in one stretch. “We caught nine of our 10 fish that we weighed in one 50-yard stretch,” they said. “We caught most of them on Green Pumpkin Shad Jackhammers with matching Yamamoto Zako swimbaits as trailers. We also caught a few fish on a 5-inch white Zoom swimbait rigged on a belly weighted hook, retrieved across the grass.”
The pair was visibly shocked with their finish, but knew they had a chance at the start of the day. “We can’t believe this, but at the same time, knew there was a chance when we left this morning,” they reported. “This is something we’ve wanted for so long and it feels absolutely amazing to be standing here now knowing we’ve won – it’s just absolutely amazing.”
The team of Mark Meyer and Ty Campbell made the most remarkable move of the day, catching 20.20 pounds and leaping from 33rd place to finish second for the event with 33.75 pounds. The pair said that they figured out their best pattern late on day one. “We caught our fish on bladed jigs and spinnerbaits around docks that had green grass on them,” they said. “We’re obviously very happy with how today went, but if we would have figured it out a little earlier, we might have done better yesterday. But, we did the best we could today, and gave ourselves a chance. We’re pleased with the result, and happy for Wesley and Jordan. We’re from the same area, so it’s cool to see them win.” Meyer and Campbell earned $5,000 for the event.
Despite their hiccup on day two, McElroy and Freeman managed to finish the event in third place on the strength of their heavy day one bag – which included the 6.85-pound Mountain Dew Big Bass of the event. That $500 bonus, and their fourth place prize earned tem $4500 in earnings for the weekend. The father / son team of Kyle and Luke Glasgow produced consecutive 16-pound limits to finish fourth with 32.61 pounds; earning $3,000. They narrowly edged out Greg and Jeremy Tomlin, who earned $2500 in fifth place with 32.51 pounds.
Top 10 finishers are below, for complete standings go to: https://www.alabamabasstrail.org/tournament-series/lg-results/
| Place | Team | Day One Weight | Day Two Weight | Total Weight | Penalty | Big Fish | Winnings |
| 1 | Wesley Sams / Jordan Wiggins | 16.34 | 17.92 | 34.26 | 5.77 | 2019 Phoenix 819, 200HP Outboard, Garmin Electronics, T-H Marine Accessories | |
| 2 | Mark Meyer / Ty Campbell | 13.55 | 20.20 | 33.75 | 5.00 | $5,000 | |
| 3 | Joe McElroy / Chayse Freeman | 22.10 | 11.29 | 33.39 | 6.85 | $4,000 | |
| 4 | Kyle Glasgow / Luke Glasgow | 16.49 | 16.20 | 32.69 | 4.62 | $3,000 | |
| 5 | Greg Tomlin / Jeremy Tomlin | 16.42 | 16.09 | 32.51 | $2,500 | ||
| 6 | Josh Butler / Randy Tolbert Jr. | 16.73 | 15.30 | 32.03 | $2,000 | ||
| 7 | Brannon Hurst / Mike Freeman | 17.56 | 13.21 | 30.77 | $1,800 | ||
| 8 | Sam Long / Jason Atkins | 16.79 | 13.96 | 30.75 | $1,700 | ||
| 9 | Mark Mott / Justin Mott | 13.95 | 16.45 | 30.40 | $1,600 | ||
| 10 | Rickey Campbell / Chris Webb | 11.50 | 18.89 | 30.39 | 1.00 | $1,400 |
MAJOR LEAGUE FISHING AND FLW ANNOUNCE EXPANDED 2020 FLW SERIES AND T-H MARINE BFL DETAILS, SCHEDULES, ENTRY DATES, AND ADVANCEMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Enhancements Include New Lower Entry Fees, Increased Payout Percentages and $200,000 FLW Series Championship Award
TULSA, Okla. (Oct. 24, 2019) – Major League Fishing (MLF) and Fishing League Worldwide (FLW) announced today the expanded 2020 FLW Series and T-H Marine Bass Fishing League (BFL) details, schedules, rules, entry fees and payouts, highlighted by lower entry fees in both circuits and an expanded FLW Series schedule, along with upping the championship payout to $200,000 for first place and adding $10,000 bonuses for the highest-finishing pro from each of the eight U.S. FLW Series divisions and the International division.
The 2020 FLW Series season will consist of three events in eight divisions, up from five divisions in 2019. Anglers that fish all three qualifiers in any of the eight divisions and finish in the top 25 will qualify for the no-entry-fee FLW Series Championship for a shot at winning $200,000 cash, plus lucrative contingency bonuses. The winning co-angler at the championship earns a $30,000 17-foot bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard. The new win-and-you’re-in format guarantees that anglers are never out of contention to qualify for the Championship, too. Fish all three qualifiers in a division and win a tournament, and they’ll be on their way to the Championship. FLW Series entry fees have been reduced to $1,700 pro and $550 co-angler per tournament, while top payouts in each event remain $40,000 for pros and a $30,000 17-foot bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard for co-anglers. As field sizes increase, so do payouts, with top awards reaching $65,000 pro and $35,000 co-angler at 260 boats, and awards of $2,000 pro and $550 co-angler extending through 65th place. Complete payout details are listed below.
MLF and FLW are also rolling back entry fees in the T-H Marine BFL to give grassroots anglers – the heart and soul of the bass fishing community – the best payouts at the lowest cost available anywhere. Entry fees are now just $200 per boater and $100 per co-angler for one-day qualifiers and $300 per boater and $150 per co-angler for two-day Super Tournaments – the lowest levels since 2014. While entry fees have been lowered, BFL payouts remain the same as 2019 with boaters fishing for top awards of $6,000 plus contingency bonuses in each one-day qualifier and $9,000 plus contingency bonuses in each two-day Super Tournament. Co-anglers fish for top awards of $3,000 plus contingency bonuses in each one-day qualifier and $4,500 plus contingency bonuses in each two-day Super Tournament. Anglers also have the opportunity to qualify for six no-entry-fee regional championships with top awards of $60,000 boater and $50,000 co-angler, a no-entry-fee Wild Card regional, the no-entry-fee All-American with top awards of $100,000 boater and $50,000 co-angler, and even the FLW Series Championship with top awards of $200,000 pro/boater and $30,000 co-angler. Complete payout details are listed below.
“Major League Fishing was founded by tournament anglers, so we are an angler-driven league,” said Boyd Duckett, MLF co-founder and board director. “We respect and value the loyal FLW Series and BFL anglers, and we are very excited to announce the enhancements to what was already the best grassroots organization on the planet. I am confident that the anglers will be extremely satisfied with both the FLW Series and BFL circuits moving forward.”
The BFL is the stepping stone to the FLW Series, which is now the pathway to the new 150-angler FLW Pro Circuit and ultimately MLF’s Bass Pro Tour, where 80 of the world’s top pros compete with no entry fees. The FLW Series and BFL also put anglers in front of the sport’s largest fan base, with coverage on FLWFishing.com, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter reaching more than 1 million fans each month.
Earlier this month, MLF announced an agreement to acquire FLW. This deal, which brings together the largest grassroots organization in the world with the best pro anglers in the world, is expected to close in the coming days.
"It’s the best of both worlds for FLW anglers – what you’ve come to know and expect from FLW, now with the power of Major League Fishing behind us," said Kathy Fennel, FLW President of Operations. "We are proud of the fact that no other organization offers higher rewards for lower entry fees.”
Complete details, schedules, rules and more for the 2020 FLW Series can be found online at FLWFishing.com.
Registration for the 2020 FLW Series season opens Oct. 28, 2019, for the top 40 pros and co-anglers from each division of the 2019 FLW Series, the top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division of the 2019 BFL, the winner of each 2019 BFL tournament who paid an entry fee for all five tournaments in a division and fished at least two tournaments in the same division. These anglers have until Nov. 4, 2019, to secure their priority entry. Ranger boat owners may register beginning Nov. 5, 2019. Anglers who fished a full division of the 2019 FLW Series or 2019 BFL can register beginning Nov. 6, 2019, followed by Triton and Nitro boat owners Nov. 7, 2019. TBF members can register Nov. 8, 2019. All other entries will be accepted beginning Nov. 11, 2019. Register by calling 270.252.1000 or online at FLWFishing.com.
The complete 2020 T-H Marine BFL schedule, along with details, rules and payouts for the BFL season can be found online at FLWFishing.com.
Anglers can register for the 2020 T-H Marine BFL season at FLWFishing.com or by calling 270.252.1000 on the dates listed below:
- December 9, 2019 – Hoosier, Michigan, Music City and Volunteer
- December 10, 2019 – Bulldog, Cowboy, Great Lakes, Illini and Mississippi
- December 11, 2019 – Bama, Buckeye, Choo Choo, Mountain and Ozark
- December 12, 2019 – Arkie, LBL, North Carolina, Northeast and Okie
- December 13, 2019 – Gator, Piedmont, Savannah River, Shenandoah and South Carolina
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the FLW Series and the BFL on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
Interviews, photos, logos and a Google map of the FLW Series tournaments are available on request.
2020 FLW Series Schedule:
Central Division
Feb. 27-29 Lake Chickamauga – Dayton, Tenn.
April 16-18 Dale Hollow Lake – Monroe, Tenn.
May 28-30 Pickwick Lake – Florence, Ala.
Eastern Division
March 3-5* Lake Hartwell – Seneca, S.C.
April 30-May 2 Lake Norman – Huntersville, N.C.
Sept. 10-12 Potomac River – Marbury, Md.
Northern Division
July 16-18 Lake Champlain – Plattsburgh, N.Y.
Aug. 20-22 St. Lawrence River – Massena, N.Y.
Sept. 17-19 Detroit River – Trenton, Mich.
Plains Division
March 26-28 Lake of the Ozarks – Osage Beach, Mo.
May 7-9 Table Rock Lake – Branson, Mo.
Sept. 17-19 Lake Dardanelle – Russellville, Ark.
Southeastern Division
March 26-28 Wheeler Lake – Decatur, Ala.
May 7-9 Lake Neely Henry – Gadsden, Ala.
June 4-6 Lake Eufaula – Eufaula, Ala.
Southern Division
Feb. 13-15 St. John's River – Palatka, Fla.
March 12-14 Lake Okeechobee – Clewiston, Fla.
April 16-18 Lake Seminole – Bainbridge, Ga.
Southwestern Division
Jan. 30-Feb. 1 Toledo Bend Reservoir – Many, La.
April 8-10** Fort Gibson Lake – Wagoner, Okla.
Oct. 15-17 Sam Rayburn Reservoir – Brookeland, Texas
Western Division
March 12-14 Lake Havasu – Lake Havasu City, Ariz.
April 30-May 2 California Delta – Bethel Island, Calif.
Sept. 24-26 Clear Lake – Lakeport, Calif.
FLW Series Championship
Nov 5-7 TBA, watch FLWFishing.com for details
* Tuesday – Thursday event
** Wednesday – Friday event
2020 FLW Series Payouts*:
160 Boat Qualifying Event:
Place Pro Co-angler
1 $40,000 $30,000 premium 17-foot bass
boat with 115 HP outboard
2 15,500 5,000
3 12,000 4,000
4 10,000 3,500
5 9,000 3,000
6 8,000 2,500
7 7,000 2,000
8 6,000 1,750
9 5,000 1,500
10 4,000 1,250
11 3,750 1,000
12 3,500 1,000
13-15 3,000 1,000
16-20 3,000 800
21-25 2,750 700
26-30 2,500 600
31-40 2,000 550
Big Bass 300 200
Entry Fee $1,700 $550
260 Boat Qualifying Event:
Place Pro Co-angler
1 $65,000 $30,000 premium 17-foot bass
Boat with 115 HP outboard + $5,000
2 27,500 8,000
3 18,000 6,500
4 16,000 5,000
5 15,000 4,500
6 11,500 3,750
7 10,000 3,250
8 8,500 2,500
9 7,500 1,800
10 5,500 1,600
11 5,000 1,200
12 4,250 1,200
13 3,750 1,200
14 3,750 1,200
15 3,750 1,200
16-20 3,750 1,000
21-25 3,000 850
26-30 2,700 800
31-40 2,350 725
41-45 2,300 700
46-50 2,250 675
51-55 2,200 600
56-60 2,100 570
61-65 2,000 550
Big Bass 300 200
Entry Fee $1,700 $550
*Payback is based on the number of paid entries for each tournament, scaling up for every 20 boats over 160 and scaling down for every boat below 160.
FLW Series Championship:
Place Pro Co-angler
1 $200,000 $30,000 premium 17-foot bass
boat with 115 HP outboard
2 40,000 12,500
3 30,000 10,000
4 25,000 7,500
5 20,000 5,000
6 14,000 4,000
7 13,000 3,500
8 12,000 3,000
9 11,000 2,500
10 10,000 2,000
11-15 4,500 1,500
16-20 3,500 1,000
21-25 3,000 900
26-30 2,500 800
31-40 2,000 700
Central Bonus 10,000
Eastern Bonus 10,000
Northern Bonus 10,000
Plains Bonus 10,000
Southeastern Bonus 10,000
Southern Bonus 10,000
Southwestern Bonus 10,000
Western Bonus 10,000
International Bonus 10,000
2020 T-H Marine BFL Payouts**:
Qualifying Event:
Place Boater Co-angler
1 $6,000 $3,000
2 3,000 1,500
3 2,000 1,000
4 1,400 700
5 1,200 600
6 1,100 550
7 1,000 500
8 900 450
9 800 400
10 700 350
11 630 315
12 580 290
13 560 280
14 530 265
15 500 250
16 480 240
17 460 230
18 440 220
19 420 210
20 400 200
21 390 195
22 380 190
23 370 185
24 360 180
25 350 175
26 340 170
27 330 165
28 320 160
29 310 155
30 300 150
31 290 145
32 280 140
33 270 135
34 260 130
35 250 125
36 240 120
37 230 115
38 220 110
39 210 105
40 200 100
Big Bass 1,000 500
Entry Fee $200 $100
BFL Super Tournament:
Place Boater Co-angler
1 $9,000 $4,500
2 4,500 2,250
3 3,000 1,500
4 2,100 1,050
5 1,800 900
6 1,650 825
7 1,500 750
8 1,350 675
9 1,200 600
10 1,050 525
11 950 475
12 870 435
13 840 420
14 800 400
15 750 375
16 720 360
17 690 345
18 660 330
19 630 315
20 600 300
21 590 295
22 570 285
23 560 280
24 540 270
25 530 265
26 510 255
27 500 250
28 480 240
29 460 �� 230
30 450 225
31 430 215
32 420 210
33 400 200
34 390 195
35 370 185
36 360 180
37 340 170
38 330 165
39 310 155
40 300 150
Big Bass 1,500 750
Entry Fee $300 $150
BFL Regional Championship:
Place Boater Co-angler
1 $60,000 * $50,000 *
2 $10,000 * $5,000 *
3 5,000 * 2,500 *
4 3,000 * 1,500 *
5 2,000 * 1,000 *
6 1,800 * 900 *
7 1,600 800
8 1,400 700
9 1,200 600
10-12 1,000 500
13-15 600 300
16-20 500 250
21-24 400 200
1st place boater receives a premium 18-foot bass boat with 200 HP outboard and $10,000
1st place co-angler receives a premium 18-foot bass boat with 200 HP outboard
Boat and engine brand details available at FLWFishing.com
* Top six boaters and co-anglers advance to the All-American
BFL All-American:
Place Boater Co-angler
1 $100,000 $50,000
2 20,000 10,000
3 15,000 6,000
4 14,000 5,000
5 13,000 4,500
6 12,000 4,000
7 11,000 3,500
8 10,000 3,000
9 9,000 2,500
10 8,000 2,000
11-20 3,000 1,500
-
- -30 2,000 1,000
31-55 1,500 750
The highest-finishing boater and co-angler from each Regional Championship (including the Wild Card) at the All-American advance to the FLW Series Championship for a shot at winning $200,000 and $30,000, respectively.
**Payback is based on the number of paid entries for each tournament.
About Major League Fishing
Founded in 2011, Major League Fishing (MLF) brings the high-intensity sport of competitive bass fishing into America’s living rooms on Outdoor Channel, Discovery, CBS, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network, Sportsman Channel and on-demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). New for 2019, the Bass Pro Tour consists of eight events and a championship streamed live onwww.MajorLeagueFishing.com and MOTV. MLF uses the entertaining and conservation-friendly catch, weigh and immediate-release format where every scorable bass counts and the winner is the angler with the highest cumulative weight.
For more information on the league and anglers, visit www.majorleaguefishing.com and follow MLF on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
About FLW
FLW is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, providing anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money in 2019 across five tournament circuits. Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, with offices in Minneapolis, FLW and their partners conduct more than 290 bass-fishing tournaments annually around the world, including the United States, Canada, China, Italy, South Korea, Mexico, Namibia, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, and Zimbabwe. FLW tournament fishing can be seen on the Emmy-nominated “FLW" television show while FLW Bass Fishing magazine delivers cutting-edge tips from top pros. For more information visit FLWFishing.com and follow FLW at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.