AFTCO Releases Breakwater Waterproof Gloves
Fall Fishing can bring some of the best fishing of the entire season, but with that great fishing comes the need to stay comfortable in cold and wet fall weather. No matter what your choice of species or tackle is, having warm hands is the key to a successful day. While big, bulky waterproof gloves can keep your hands warm, they often make it challenging to operate baitcast or spinning tackle. On the other hand, thin gloves offer dexterity but fail to keep your hands warm and dry. AFTCO has solved that challenge with the new Breakwater gloves, and they will make your fall fishing drier and warmer. The Breakwater waterproof fishing gloves are made with a 100% waterproof membrane to keep water out and comfort locked in. They are soft to the touch on the outside and very comfortable from a 4-way stretch fabric construction. This gives your hands the ability to move and easily operate spinning or baitcast reels. These gloves allow you to feather your baitcast reel to make any cast or finesse spin the lightest line on a spinning reel. The palms and insides of the fingers have a tacky finish that provides extraordinary grip on any surface in the wettest of conditions. While soft and flexible on the outside, the construction inside the Breakwater glove features a 100% waterproof membrane to ensure your hands stay dry, no matter how much it rains or storms.
Effective use of electronics when fishing or boating has never been more important, and the Breakwater gloves optimize your efficiency with your electronics in bad weather with touch screen compatible fingertips on the thumbs and index fingers of each glove.
No more having to take your gloves off to make an electronics adjustment or send a text on your phone. The Breakwater gloves have arrived just in time for fall and winter fishing and are available in three sizes: medium, large, and x-large.
AFTCO angler Mark Zona tested these gloves last fall and winter and was impressed by the performance he found with the Breakwater gloves in cold and wet weather. “If my hands get cold in harsh conditions, I’m done. After testing the Breakwater gloves, being cold or wet is zero concern. Two words—warm and dry!!!”, said Mark Zona.
Product URL: https://www.aftco.com/products/breakwater-waterproof-fishing-gloves
About AFTCO
Family-owned and operated, the American Fishing Tackle Company (AFTCO) represents unparalleled quality, performance, and reliability when it matters most. Worn across the globe, AFTCO's performance fishing clothing and fishing rain gear is designed to handle the harshest elements. Whether you're a tournament bass angler looking to stay dry in a late fall downpour, or an offshore weekend warrior seeking protection from the sun's harmful UV rays, AFTCO keeps you fishing comfortably.
AFTCO reflects a legacy of firsts. From former company Chairman Milt Shedd's pioneering conservation achievements, to the invention of the roller guide and the introduction of the world's first pair of true fishing shorts, AFTCO provides conservation leadership and innovative products proven to deliver performance on the water. Our passion for the outdoors goes beyond our product offering because of an unwavering commitment to help protect our fishing resources and angler rights. Through our 10% Pledge to Protect and Conserve, your purchase of any AFTCO product directly supports conservation initiatives.
Press Contact:
Denny Le
Marketing Manager
denny@aftco.com
Over 250 Teams Set to Compete at Lake Dardanelle for the AFTCO Collegiate Bass Open
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Sophisticated Swimbait
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Ever Green’s new Last Ace 140 Swim sets new highwater mark in the swimbait category. |
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FOOTHILL RANCH, CA (October 4, 2024) – Fish aren’t getting any dumber. We can only imagine how fish must’ve hammered the first spoons and crude hardbaits that were developed in the late 1800’s. Since, manufacturers, along with their sophisticated prototyping and production technologies, have efforted to stay in front of getting, shall we say, busted by the fish. Swimbaits are one of the more recent bait-styles trying to keep ahead of the fish universe’s learning curve. Characteristics include baitfish silhouettes; mix of authentic and agitating patterns; and a seductively nonchalant motion that makes fish think, “you gotta be kidding me.” Fact is, though, fish – bass in particular – have been seeing this same old movie for over a decade. Subsequently, to win back their attention, even a swimbait design demands improved authenticity. And that’s precisely what Ever Green has done with their new Last Ace 140 Swim. |
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At 5.5-inches, the Last Ace 140 Swim falls just within the ‘big swimbait’ category. And it’s a warranted designation, too, as the realistic swimbait caters to bass of all pedigrees. (Although everyone knows swimbaits are especially deadly on monster fish.) “The larger profile of the Last Ace 140 Swim provides that special caloric motivation for a big bass to attempt its next meal,” said DAIWA Field Marketing Manager, Chris Martin, with a hint of darkness in his voice. Several features make Ever Green’s Lace Ace 140 Swim a standout amongst swimbaits, but it’s line-through design leads the list. It sports an internal harness in the head to guide an angler’s leader easily through the bait and onto the provided Ever Green custom black nickel plated treble hook, which was specifically chosen to maximize the natural presentation, while providing the best possible hook-up ratio. The line through design removes any leverage the fish might have against a traditional fixed hook, which can be shaken loose during battle. |
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The Last Ace 140 Swim performs best as a “chuck and wind” slow-rolling bait in the upper- and mid- water column. Nail weights can be added behind the internal harness for bottom rolling, too. The Last Ace 140 Swim’s saltless formula produces a durable lure that’s supple enough to create lifelike action on a slow roll or fast retrieve. Diverse and detailed colorways enhance the lures attractiveness, while its pronounced 3D eyes provide realism and an easily identifiable target for bass. Its enhanced cosmetics are finished with accurate and textured fins. |
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SHURAU |
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BABY SHAD |
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GREY GHOST |
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WAKASAGI |
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AYU |
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OIKAWA |
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KETABASS |
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Ever Green Last Ace 140 Swim FEATURES and SPECIFICATIONS:
SIZE: 5.5-inches COLORS: Oikawa, Keta Bass, Shirauo, Baby Shad, Gray Ghost, Ayu, and Wakasagi MSRP $15.99 |
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For Daiwa’s latest color catalog and/or information on Daiwa dealers in your area, call Daiwa’s Customer Service Department at 562-375-6800 or e-mail inquiries to: CSR@Daiwa.com. The URL for Daiwa’s web site is daiwa.us |
Unified Pros Announces Addition to its Advisory Board, Brett Wetterich
Scottsboro, AL (October 9, 2024) – Unified Pros announced today the third addition to its Athlete Advisory Board, retired PGA Tour Professional, Brett Wetterich. The advisory board will consist of a representative from the NFL, MLB, NBA, PGA and the professional fishing world. Retired NFL defensive tackle, Bill Maas and retired MLB pitcher, Josh Beckett have previously been announced as board members.
Brett Wetterich played on The PGA Tour from 2000-2010 and led the Masters Tournament at the halfway point in 2007. Wetterich draws the connection between the sports of golf and fishing saying “It’s not hard to understand why so many pro golfers also love to fish. The pace, strategy and individual nature of both sports are very similar. Unified Pros will undoubtedly draw many professional golfers looking for a fun and productive way to spend their time off the course.”
Unified Pros is a nonprofit alliance of professional athletes. Through sanctioned competitions, charity events, and membership, the organization aims to elevate a love for outdoor competition while raising awareness for fisheries, habitats, and their continued conservation. Unified Pros envisions an inclusive world where athletes collaborate and compete in the outdoor arena to create transformative experiences that make a lasting impact on individuals, communities, professional athletes, and the sport of bass fishing.
Through collaborative partnerships with esteemed organizations such as the Major League Fishing Anglers Association (MLFAA), Bassmaster Professional Anglers, National Professional Fishing league (NPFL), NFL Professional Players Association (NFLPA), MLB Players Association (MLBPA), NBA Players Association (NBAPA), and Professional Golfers Association (PGA), Unified Pros aims to create Pro-Pro events that bring together professionals from various sports disciplines in unique and competitive formats. These events will not only offer major payouts to winners, but also serve as platforms to raise awareness for outdoor activities and conservation efforts.
By harnessing the collective influence of these athletic associations, Unified Pros envision creating extraordinary experiences that unite athletes, build camaraderie, and promote the importance of preserving our outdoors and fisheries.
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Susan S. Carothers
Unified Pros
Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Tournament to Visit Watts Bar Lake
Rhea County to Host 200 Boaters and Co-anglers from Four BFL Divisions Competing for Spot in 2025 BFL All-American, Top Prize of $60,000
SPRING CITY, Tenn. (Oct. 8, 2024) – The Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine’s Choo Choo, Music City, Piedmont and Volunteer divisions will wrap up their 2024 season in Spring City, Tennessee, next week, Oct. 17-19, with the Phoenix BFL Presented by T-H Marine Regional Event at Watts Bar Lake Presented by recteq . The tournament was previously slated for Clarks Hill Lake in Appling, Georgia, but was shifted to Watts Bar Lake due to recent storm damage.
Hosted by the Rhea County Department of Tourism – Fish Spring City, the three-day regional tournament will feature the top 45 boaters and co-anglers plus tournament winners from all four divisions, battling it out for a top prize of $60,000, including a Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard and $10,000, along with lucrative contingency awards, including up to an additional $7,000 Phoenix MLF Bonus. Strike King co-anglers will compete for a top prize of $50,000, including a Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard. Winners will be determined by the heaviest three-day catch.
The top six finishers in each regional will qualify for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American. The highest finishing boater from each division will also receive a $1,000 bonus and the highest finishing co-angler from each division will receive a $500 bonus.
Bass Pro Tour angler Wesley Strader of Spring City, Tennessee, said the tournament is shaping up to be a great event.
“Watts Bar Lake has been a little slow the last couple years, but it’s been fishing really good throughout the spring, summer and fall this year,” said Strader. “The fish have been fat and healthy, so the fishery is looking really good.”
While recent weather conditions due to Hurricanes Helene and Milton have adversely affected several MLF tournaments over the past week or so, forcing cancellations and venue changes for multiple events, Strader said Watts Bar Lake is just beginning to see the effects of Mother Nature’s latest wrath.
“The runoff from the rains in North Carolina and upper East Tennessee have finally gotten to us, so anglers can expect to see a lot of muddy water,” said Strader. “The lake just turned to solid mud, except for off the main channel. That main channel will still be muddy, but fishable. I expect to see a lot of grass fishing and a lot of guys throwing a frog, as well as spinnerbaits, ChatterBaits and buzzbaits throughout the event.
“They’re running a lot of water out of the dam and have been for a while,” Strader continued. “With another hurricane on the approach, I’m sure they will continue letting water out for a while, which will impact the fishery and the way fish are setting up.”
Strader said he believes it will take at least 28 pounds for anglers to advance to the final day but expects a 16-pound average per day to take home the win.
Anglers will launch at 7:30 a.m. ET each morning from the Spring City Boat Ramp, located at 417 Toestring Valley Road, in Spring City. Weigh-ins will also be held at the ramp and will begin at 3:30 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend the event or follow the action online through the “MLF Live” weigh-in broadcasts at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The 2024 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine consisted of 24-divisions devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season and five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, advance to one of six Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regionals. The 2025 BFL All-American will be held May 29-31 at Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and is hosted by Visit Hot Springs and the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism.
The top boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division will also earn priority entry into the Toyota Series, the pathway to the Tackle Warehouse Invitationals and ultimately the Bass Pro Tour.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Proud sponsors of the 2024 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 7 Brew Coffee, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, E3, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, General Tire, GSM Outdoors, Lew’s, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, PowerStop Brakes, REDCON1, Strike King, Suzuki, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, WIX Filters and YETI.
For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Bass Fishing League updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery Channel, Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 17 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.
Texarkana’s Wright Patman Lake Set for Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Tournament
200 Qualified Boaters and Strike King Co-anglers Ready to Compete for Spot in 2025 BFL All-American, Top Prize of $60,000
TEXARKANA, Texas (Oct. 8, 2024) – The Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine’s Arkie, Cowboy, Mississippi and Okie divisions are set to close out the 2024 season next week, Oct. 17-19, in Texarkana, Texas with the Phoenix BFL Presented by T-H Marine Regional Tournament on Wright Patman Lake.
The three-day event, hosted by the City of Texarkana, Texas, will feature the top 45 boaters and co-anglers plus tournament winners from all four divisions, fishing for a top prize of $60,000, including a Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard and $10,000, along with lucrative contingency awards, including up to an additional $7,000 Phoenix MLF Bonus. Strike King co-anglers will compete for a top prize of $50,000, including a Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard. Winners will be determined by the heaviest three-day catch.
The top six finishers in each regional will qualify for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the 42nd annual BFL All-American. The highest finishing boater from each division will also receive a $1,000 bonus and the highest finishing co-angler from each division will receive a $500 bonus.
“Wright Patman is a pretty good-sized lake, but it fishes relatively small when the water is at normal pool, which is where it’s at now,” said pro Jim Tutt of Longview, Texas, who has 34 career top-10 finishes in MLF competition. “Generally, the lake is well known for water levels being high all the time – like 10, 15, 20-foot high, all the time. But they built a new bridge last year, and they’ve been working on a few things here and there and the water has been at normal pool for the last year, which is kind of unusual.
“There are basically two different fishing styles available,” Tutt continued. “You’ve got the lower lake, and then the upper lake which is the Sulfur River and the Sulfur River flats up there where it comes into the lake. There are a lot of great areas to target, but it can be very difficult place to navigate. There are a lot of hidden stumps and timber – I hit something the other day on the main lake in 18 foot of water and knocked my skeg off. So, everyone is going to need to be very cautious while boating. But it’s going to be a really fun tournament.”
Tutt said that he expects typical fall patterns to be in play for competitors.
“I’m definitely going to have a buzzbait tied on,” Tutt said. “I’ll also have a small, shallow-diving squarebill crankbait, something to flip – maybe a (Zoom) Baby Brush Hog – and a spinnerbait. I like to keep it simple, but I think all of those baits will be players in this one.
“We’ve got a cool spell coming – we’re getting down into the 50s this week, which should turn on the fishing some more. I think if a guy can catch in the high 13 or 14 for two days, he’ll do pretty good and will probably make the top 12 to fish the final day. But I definitely think it could take up to 20 pounds a day to win this one.”
Anglers will launch at 7:30 a.m. CT each morning from the Sportsman’s Cove boat ramp, located at 850 Sportsman’s Cove Road in Texarkana. Weigh-ins will also be held at the boat ramp and will begin at 3:30 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend the event or follow the action online through the “MLF Live” weigh-in broadcasts at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The 2024 Phoenix BFL Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 events throughout the season, five qualifying tournaments in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five qualifying event winners, will advance to one of six BFL Regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. The 2025 BFL All-American will take place May 29-31, 2025, at Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and is hosted by hosted by Visit Hot Springs and the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism.
The top boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division also earn priority entry into the Toyota Series, the pathway to the Tackle Warehouse Invitationals and ultimately the Bass Pro Tour.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Proud sponsors of the 2024 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 7 Brew Coffee, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, E3, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, General Tire, GSM Outdoors, Lew’s, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, PowerStop Brakes, REDCON1, Strike King, Suzuki, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, WIX Filters and YETI.
For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Bass Fishing League updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery Channel, Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 17 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.
Card’s on Solid Ground at High Rock
Story by Alan McGuckin
Watching his buddy Steve Summer of Rock Outdoors in Lexington, North Carolina, catch a limit of Buggs Island bass on a golden-shiner-colored spinnerbait “they weren’t supposed to bite” might have been the confirmational moment in Vexus® Pro Brandon Card’s life to tell him sometimes it’s wise to step outside of your ordinary comfort zone.
Card and his wife, Kelly, left his native Northeast Tennessee, near Norris Lake, and moved five hours east to High Rock Lake, much closer to her family. Ironically, their home is within a few long casts on High Rock’s Second Creek, where Bryan Kerchal won the 1994 Bassmaster Classic.
“I actually got to meet Bryan’s parents at a B.A.S.S. Nation Championship I went to as a fan in Knoxville. I’ll always be a Bryan Kerchal fan, so living near the boat docks where he won the Classic on a red shad worm is pretty special to me,” says Card, a seven-time Classic qualifier.
Also, near and dear to the 38-year-old veteran pro’s heart is the way all the folks at Rock Outdoors have treated him like family and made him and Kelly feel at home.
“I can’t express how grateful I am for the fact that everyone at Rock Outdoors treated a guy from Tennessee as though I’d lived here forever. From the owner, Steve, to Jerry Davis to Austin in their service department, they all have been a huge blessing. They even helped carry boxes into our new home when we moved,” smiles Card.
He had a very similar feeling a couple of years ago after a visit to Flippin, Arkansas, as he studied which brand of boat he wanted to compete from going forward.
“When I visited the Vexus factory in Flippin for the very first time, Keith Daffron and all the great people who build their boats treated me like I’d been there forever. When you combine that feeling with the smoothest riding bass boat on the planet, it’s hard not to be extremely grateful to be running a Vexus, especially when competing in big waves at places like Champlain, Lake Ontario, and Toledo Bend,” says Card.
To learn more about the high-performance Vexus seats with integrated AirWave® suspension systems and all the other premium features of Brandon’s VX21, please visit vexusboats.com.
Travel Tuesday - NOW is the Time to Book Your Summer Alaska Fishing Trip
By Pete Robbins - Half Past First Cast
Right now, you may be turning your attention away from summer pursuits as the days get shorter. In all likelihood, though, you have it better than the good people of Alaska. The darkness far outweighs the light for them during the coming cold winter months. If they didn’t have seasonal affective disorder before they moved there, they probably have it now.
Despite that tale of woe, you should be thinking about next year's trip to Alaska now. If you haven’t already been, I cannot stress enough that a trip to the 49th State is America’s version of going on safari within our own borders. It’s a tremendous opportunity and experience for outdoorsmen and outdoorswomen, people who love nature, and travelers who want to be awed every day. Critically, for most of us the travel season there is short – essentially June through August – and that makes it imperative to plan your trip as early as possible. There are several factors at play:
The first is TIMING. If you want to catch a particular type of salmon, or to be able to keep a certain species of saltwater fish, you’re at the mercy of the regs and the runs. If they’re not there, you can’t catch them, and if they’re not legal you can’t keep them. If you need specific date ranges, act sooner rather than later.
The second factor is PRICING. Everything is expensive up there, from hotels to bottled water to beer to gas. As you get closer to your scheduled dates, things may go up, they may go down, but by having essentials (e.g., rental car, hotels) on the books (and cancellable) you avoid shell shock at a later type.
Third, there’s SCARCITY. Not just at the lodges and among the guides – although the best and most popular among them also seem to get booked up earlier and earlier every year – but also among those commodities listed above. Since the pandemic, there have been a limited number of rental cars up there. At a certain point, you may not be able to get one at any price. Lock that sucker in before you get left in the dust, because if you arrive there and can’t find one you’re out of luck.
From a practical standpoint, it also makes sense to get moving now. You’ll want to block out the time to get there, get back, and get around to different places during your stay. It’s a big place, and while intrastate travel is not difficult, it may be time-consuming. Extend the visit as long as possible. You’ll be glad that you did.
Additionally, if (like us) you’re not an experienced fly angler and you intend to try it, it might make sense to practice your casting or take a lesson before you go. It’ll mean less wasted time on the water.
From a practical perspective, whether you’re doing a complete DIY road camping adventure or the highest end bespoke lodge experience possible, you’ll want to have the proper amount of money allocated so that you don’t feel you had to sacrifice in any way. This gives you the lead time to make sure that everything is covered.
While several different airlines serve Anchorage and Juneau, and we’ve used at least four, Alaska Airlines seems to have a lot of great deals, including BOGO options. Sign up for their email newsletter and get ready to pounce once you have dates in mind. Even if they’re not your preferred carrier, start monitoring the airline that serves your needs best and be sure to have your frequent flier accounts humming.
Finally, if you have flexibility, consider going on the edges of the “traditional” season. Some of the saltwater charters offer discounts in May, and on the Naknek River many of the biggest (30”+) rainbows come after Labor Day. Everything else will likely be less expensive and less congested, too.
If you’d like to book a trip to Bear Trail Lodge or a saltwater charter, or you’d like other advice about an Alaska visit, feel free to email us at fishmore@halfpastfirstcast.com any time. We can’t wait to go back – we’re already planning our next couple of trips.
MLF BFL Regional Tournament on Santee Cooper Shifted to Two-Day Event
WHAT:
The Major League Fishing (MLF) Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine Regional tournament on Santee Cooper, scheduled for Oct. 10-12, will now be a two-day event due to the wind forecast provided by the National Weather Service for Thursday.
The full field of boaters and Strike King co-anglers will now compete on both Friday and Saturday, with Thursday designated as an off-limits day. The winners will be determined by heaviest two-day cumulative weight.
WHEN:
Saturday-Sunday, Oct. 11-12
Takeoff: 7:30 a.m. ET
Weigh-in: 3:30 p.m. ET
WHERE:
John C. Land III Landing, 4404 Greenall Road, Summerton, S.C.
NOTES:
Hosted by the Clarendon County Chamber of Commerce, the regional tournament will feature the top 45 boaters and co-anglers plus tournament winners from the 2024 BFL Bama, Bulldog, Gator and North Carolina divisions, competing for a top prize of $60,000, including a Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard and $10,000, along with lucrative contingency awards, including up to an additional $7,000 Phoenix MLF Bonus. Strike King co-anglers will compete for a top prize of $50,000, including a Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard. Winners will be determined by the heaviest two-day catch.
The top six finishers will qualify for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Phoenix BFL All-American. The highest finishing boater from each division will also receive a $1,000 bonus and the highest finishing co-angler from each division will receive a $500 bonus.
The 2024 Phoenix BFL Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 events throughout the season, five qualifying tournaments in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five qualifying event winners, will advance to one of six BFL Regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the 2025 BFL All-American. The 2025 BFL All-American will take place May 29-31, 2025, at Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and is hosted by hosted by Visit Hot Springs and the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism.
Proud sponsors of the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 7 Brew Coffee, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, E3, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, General Tire, GSM Outdoors, Lew’s, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, PowerStop Brakes, REDCON1, Strike King, Suzuki, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, WIX Filters and YETI.
For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Bass Fishing League updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery Channel, Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 17 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.
Mooresville’s Monti Posts Second Career Win at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional on Kerr Lake
Ohioan Sykes Tops Strike King Co-Angler Division
HENDERSON, N.C. (Oct. 7, 2024) – Boater Jake Monti of Mooresville, North Carolina, caught a three-day total of 14 bass weighing 38 pounds, 12 ounces, to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine Regional on Kerr Lake . The tournament, which was hosted by the Vance County Tourism Development Authority, concluded Saturday. For his win, Monti earned a prize package valued at $63,429, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200hp Mercury or Suzuki outboard, $10,000, and the lucrative $2,500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus.
The Kerr Lake event served as Regional championship for BFL Region 2. The field included the top 45 boaters and co-anglers based on point standings, plus each of the tournament winners, from the 2024 Buckeye, Northeast, Shenandoah and South Carolina divisions. The top six boaters and co-anglers in the Regional have qualified for the 2025 BFL All-American, which will be held on Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas, May 29-31.
It was an up-and-down … then-back-up-again tournament for Monti. He opened with a 21-pound limit that was easily the biggest stringer of the event. But on day two, Monti slipped, weighing just four bass for 6 pounds, 5 ounces. Though Monti was able to hang onto his lead on day two, Ohio’s Chris Martinkovic cut the distance, getting within 2 pounds of the leader.
On day three, Monti scrapped everything he’d been fishing to that point and was able to pull together 11 pounds, 7 ounces to close out a wire-to-wire win by a margin of 1 pound, 7 ounces over fellow North Carolinian Logan Anderson. Reflecting on the experience, the 21-year-old Abu Garcia MLF College Fishing competitor and local business owner admitted it was his own stubbornness that caused such a stressful swing on day two.
“In practice, I’d found a couple areas that had fish that were wolf-packing shallow,” Monti said. “Day one of the tournament, I went back there in those same areas, and they were there big time. I had 21 pounds in about an hour all within about a hundred-yard section.”
Monti caught those fish flipping a 1/2-ounce Queen Tackle jig. Assuming the fish would stay in the area, Monti left early, thinking he was preserving his best spot for day two.
“Day two, I go back, and I re-fished that area and didn’t have a single bite,” he said. “I caught one bass off a willow tree at like 10 o’clock. At 12, I was still sitting on one bass, and that’s when I went back into Nutbush (Creek) and just started flipping a little area that at the end of day one I found a couple bites in. I ended up putting three more in the boat.”
After weighing just the four keepers on day two, Monti decided he needed to make an adjustment. He swapped rods, tackle, areas and tactics.
“I ended up going out deep (Saturday), fishing schooling fish. I threw a bait in 30 feet with LiveScope, using a Queen Tackle Rollin head. And I caught a really big spot early that got me up to a little over 11 pounds. I stuck with that throughout the day and got what I needed.
“I wish I would’ve adjusted sooner and I wouldn’t have made it so stressful. I was just stubborn,” added Monti, who qualified from the South Carolina Division. “I thought there were fish in that area because I laid off them on day one. I caught what I caught and got out of there early and thought there’d be some left, but that was not the case.”
With a tough lesson behind him, Monti is now looking ahead to the 2025 All-American, grassroots bass fishing’s biggest event.
“It’s awesome,” he said of his shot at the All-American. “I don’t really have any words for it yet. It honestly hasn’t set in. I’m so tired from fishing so hard the last couple days, and my nerves are shot from yesterday. I’m ready to be there.”
The top six boaters who qualified to fish the 2025 Phoenix BFL All-American are:
1st: Jake Monti, Mooresville, N.C., 14 bass, 38-12, $63,429 (includes $2,500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
2nd: Logan Anderson, Sherrills Ford, N.C., 15 bass, 37-9, $10,929
3rd: Billy Shelton III, La Crosse, Va., 12 bass, 35-11, $5,967
4th: Tyler Campbell, Martin, Ga., 15 bass, 35-6, $2,979
5th: Chris Baldwin, Lexington, N.C., 13 bass, 34-3, $2,111
6th: Brandon Pritchett, Goode, Va., 15 bass, 34-2, $1,787
Rounding out the top 12 boaters were:
7th: Chris Martinkovic, Hamilton, Ohio, 14 bass, 34-1, $2,589
8th: Jason Shipton, Muncy, Pa., 14 bass, 32-13, $2,390
9th: Chuck Cunningham, Duncan, S.C., 14 bass, 32-6, $1,191
10th: Seth Fricke, Oxford, Ohio, 14 bass, 29-12, $1,092
11th: Mark Tornai, Fredericksburg, Va., 12 bass, 28-1, $993
12th: Rodney Bell, Salisbury, N.C., 10 bass, 26-11, $993
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The top four boaters from each division that earned a $1,000 bonus for placing highest in the event were:
Buckeye: Chris Martinkovic, Hamilton, Ohio, 7th Place, $1,000
Northeast: Jason Shipton, Muncy, Pa., 8th Place, $1,000
Shenandoah: Billy Shelton III, La Crosse, Va., 3rd Place, $1,000
South Carolina: Logan Anderson., 2nd Place $1,000
Monti caught a bass that weighed 7 pounds, 1 ounce, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $1,000.
Ryan Sykes of Fairfield, Ohio, won the Strike King co-angler division Saturday, after bringing a three-day total of 10 bass to the scale that weighed 22 pounds, 7 ounces. His $50,400 prize package included a new Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200hp Mercury or Suzuki outboard.
The top six Strike King co-anglers who now qualify for the 2025 Phoenix BFL All-American are:
1st: Ryan Sykes, Fairfield, Ohio, 10 bass, 22-7, $50,400
2nd: Riley Smallwood, Shallotte, N.C., 11 bass, 22-4, $5,471
3rd: Richard Williams, Sutherland, Va., nine bass, 21-13, $3,482
4th: Shaquille Freeman, Farmville, Va., nine bass, 21-1, $1,491
5th: Cornell Badra, Clarksburg, Md., 11 bass, 20-11, $994
6th: Scott Standafer , Felicity, Ohio, 10 bass, 20-5, $1,395
Rounding out the top 12 Strike King co-anglers are:
7th: Thomas Pennell III, Boiling Springs, S.C., nine bass, 19-8, $795
8th: Mekye Barnes, Knightdale, N.C., eight bass, 17-6, $696
9th: Jeff Bender, Glenshaw, Pa., eight bass, 16-15, $596
10th: Kevin Walton, Norfolk, Va., seven bass, 16-8, $547
11th: Tony Toombs, Drakes Branch, Va., six bass, 16-6, $497
12th: Todd Huntley, Inman, S.C., six bass, 14-4, $497
The top four Strike King co-anglers from each division that earned a $500 bonus for placing highest in the event were:
Buckeye: Scott Standafer, Felecity, Ohio, 6th Place, $500
Northeast: Michael Bell, Ogdensburg, N.Y., 17th Place, $500
Shenandoah: Richard Williams, Sutherland, Va., 3rd Place, $500
South Carolina: Riley Smallwood, Shallotte, N.C., 2nd Place $500
Richard Williams of Sutherland, Virginia, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $500, catching a bass that weighed in at 5 pounds, 9 ounces – the largest co-angler catch of the tournament.
The 2024 Phoenix BFL Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 events throughout the season, five qualifying tournaments in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five qualifying event winners, will advance to one of six BFL Regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. The 2025 BFL All-American will take place May 29-31, 2025, at Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and is hosted by hosted by Visit Hot Springs and the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism.
Proud sponsors of the 2024 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 7 Brew Coffee, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, E3, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, General Tire, GSM Outdoors, Lew’s, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, PowerStop Brakes, REDCON1, Strike King, Suzuki, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, WIX Filters and YETI.
For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Bass Fishing League updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery Channel, Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 17 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.
Puryear’s Turano Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional on Pickwick Lake
Missouri’s Montgomery Tops Strike King Co-Angler Division
COUNCE, Tenn. (Oct. 7, 2024) – Boater Matteo Turano of Puryear, Tennessee, caught a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 78 pounds, 5 ounces, to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine Regional on Pickwick Lake . The tournament, which was hosted by the Hardin County Convention & Visitors Bureau, concluded Saturday. For his win, Turano earned a prize package valued at $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200hp Mercury or Suzuki outboard and $10,000.
The Pickwick Lake event served as Regional championship for BFL Region 1. The field included the top 45 boaters and co-anglers based on point standings, plus each of the tournament winners, from the 2024 LBL, Mountain, Ozark and Savannah River divisions. The top six boaters and co-anglers from the Regional now qualify for the 2025 BFL All-American, which will be held on Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas, May 29-31.
For the anglers at the top of the standings, it was a slugfest on Pickwick. The water was rising and the current was heavy, and the Regional anglers who figured out the bite went to work. Two anglers averaged more than 25 pounds per day, four caught more than 70 in three days and 11 cracked the 50-pound mark.
“It was insane,” said Turano, who earned his first career victory. “I was not expecting that. I knew the weights were going to be big, but that was a lot. I had no idea I could do that for three days.”
Turano caught his fish primarily with a Buckeye Lures G-Stroll Jighead and a minnow-style soft plastic. While his winning strategy revolved around Garmin LiveScope, he wasn’t looking at every fish. Turano used the technology to spot any kind of cover or structure that was deflecting the heavy current flowing down the Tennessee River. He fished in less than 10 feet in the mornings then 12 to 14 feet in the middle of the day.
“I wouldn’t even see the fish all the time,” Turano said. “Sometimes the fish were behind a rock or a big piece of concrete or something, just lying on the bottom. So I was just casting to structure. They would come up and eat it. A big part of landing these big fish was using my 7-7 Phenix Feather series rod.”
Turano got off to a hot start on Thursday. His first fish was a 5-pound smallmouth that bit on a current seam. He went on to land 20 pounds by about 9 a.m. and eventually culled out his last 4-pounder with plenty of time to spare. Final tally: 26 pounds, 10 ounces.
On Friday, Turano went back to the current seam where he began on day one. The flow had changed, and so had the fishing.
“By 11 o’clock, I still didn’t have a keeper in the boat. Didn’t even have a bite yet,” he said.
Turano kept grinding, putting his minnow in front of fish until he finally got a bite. Then another and another. Then his luck totally changed.
“I switched to a tree and caught a 6-6 and another over 5,” he said. “I think by 11:30 I was sitting on like 25 pounds. I went from zero to 25 in like 30 minutes. I don’t know what changed, but they just started biting.”
By the time the action was done, Turano had the tournament’s biggest limit – 27 pounds, 12 ounces. On day three, everything went right once again.
“I think I had a limit by 8:30, but it was kind of a smaller limit,” Turano said. “All of my fish I’ve been catching this week, the average was like 4 or 5 pounds. I knew today (Saturday), when I was catching some smaller fish, I had probably fished my areas too much.”
He adjusted by running new water, including a spot he’d found in practice but was yet to ever fish. There, he caught a 5-pound smallmouth to cull out a 2-pounder. Soon after, he caught a 5 1/2-pound fish. And that was it.
The 22-year-old employee of A.C.S. Marine – a Phoenix Boats dealer in Paris, Tennessee – earned his way to a BFL Regional win and a shot at the All-American.
“I’m so excited for that,” he said. “It’s gonna be my first All-American. I can’t wait to go down there and fish.”
The top six boaters that qualified for the 2025 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American were:
1st: Matteo Turano, Puryear, Tenn., 15 bass, 78-5, $60,000
2nd: Harbor Lovin, New Concord, Ky., 15 bass, 75-1, $11,000
3rd: Matt O’Connell, Brooks, Ga., 15 bass, 73-5, $7,925 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
4th: Jake Lawrence, Buchanan, Tenn., 15 bass, 70-2, $3,000
5th: Trent Suratt, Lawrenceburg, Tenn., 15 bass, 69-8, $3,000
6th: Clint Knight, Lewisburg, Ky., 15 bass, 63-11, $1,800
Rounding out the top 12 boaters were:
7th: Eli Lubbehusen, Huntingburg, Ind., 15 bass, 60-7, $1,600
8th: Ryan Kirkpatrick, Benton, Ky., 14 bass, 56-5, $1,400
9th: Grant Meisenhelter, Decatur, Ill., 13 bass, 55-13, $1,200
10th: Spencer Sato, Gainesville, Ga., 15 bass, 54-6, $1,100
11th: Levi Kohl, Edinburg, Ill., 13 bass, 53-6, $1,000
12th: Clayton Ellis, Saltillo, Miss., 10 bass, 38-3, $1,000
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The top four boaters from each division that earned a $1,000 bonus for placing highest in the event were:
LBL: Harbor Lovin, New Concord, Ky., 2nd Place, $1,000
Mountain: Trent Suratt, Lawrenceburg, Tenn., 5th Place, $1,000
Ozark: Dillon Statler, Galena, Mo., 23rd Place, $1,000
Savannah River: Matt O’Connell, Brooks, Ga., 3rd Place $1,000
Matt O’Connell of Brooks, Georgia, caught a bass that weighed 7 pounds, 8 ounces, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $1,000.
Gabe Montgomery of Jackson, Missouri, won the Strike King co-angler division on Saturday. His $50,000 prize package included a new Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200hp Mercury or Suzuki outboard.
The top six Strike King co-anglers that now advance to the 2025 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American are:
1st: Gabe Montgomery, Jackson, Mo., nine bass, 27-14, $50,000
2nd: Wes Proctor, Manhattan, Kan., seven bass, 18-14, $5,500
3rd: Barrett Washburn, Dexter, Ky., six bass, 18-5, $3,000
4th: Chris Medlin, Dumas, Miss., seven bass, 17-15, $1,500
5th: Noah Gurkin, Pelzer, S.C., five bass, 17-11, $2,000
6th: Levi Allgeier, Bardstown, Ky., six bass, 16-6, $1,400
Rounding out the top 12 Strike King co-anglers are:
7th: Barry Gunter, Trafalger, Ind., five bass, 16-3, $800
8th: Dennis Taylor, Murray, Ky., five bass, 14-14, $700
9th: Jerry North II, Tree Way, Tenn., five bass, 14-5, $600
10th: Dan Marin, Appling, Ga., six bass, 14-4, $550
11th: Javon Booker, Beaver Dam, Ky., five bass, 12-15, $500
12th: Dustin Miller, Sparland, Ill., four bass, 10-4, $500
The top four Strike King Co-anglers from each division that earned a $500 bonus for placing highest in the event were:
LBL: Barrett Washburn, Dexter, Ky., 3rd Place, $500
Mountain: Levi Allgeier, Bardstown, Ky., 6th Place, $500
Ozark: Wes Proctor, Manhattan, Kan., 2nd Place, $500
Savannah River: Noah Gurkin, Pelzer, S.C., 5th Place $500
Noah Gurkin of Pelzer, South Carolina, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $500, catching a bass that weighed in at 5 pounds, 14 ounces – the largest co-angler catch of the tournament.
The 2024 Phoenix BFL Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 events throughout the season, five qualifying tournaments in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five qualifying event winners, will advance to one of six BFL Regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. The 2025 BFL All-American will take place May 29-31, 2025, at Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and is hosted by hosted by Visit Hot Springs and the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism.
Proud sponsors of the 2024 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 7 Brew Coffee, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, E3, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, General Tire, GSM Outdoors, Lew’s, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, PowerStop Brakes, REDCON1, Strike King, Suzuki, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, WIX Filters and YETI.
For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Bass Fishing League updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery Channel, Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 17 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.
Final Bassmaster Open event of season set for Alabama’s Lake Martin
ALEXANDER CITY, Ala. — Approximately 200 anglers had their sights set on South Carolina’s Lake Hartwell for the final St. Croix Bassmaster Open presented by SEVIIN tournament of 2024.
Unfortunately for those in the Anderson, S.C., area, and so many others throughout the eastern United States, Hurricane Helene paid a visit, as well.
The massive Category 4 storm made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend area but ravaged states as far north as West Virginia as it made its destructive romp up the East Coast. In the end, dozens of lives were lost and untold billions in damages were incurred.
And though it was on the edge of Helene, Green Pond Landing at Lake Hartwell (where takeoff and weigh-ins for the final Open tournament of 2024 were to be held) wasn’t without damage. Given the circumstances, as well as the difficulty with finding key resources such as fuel and electricity throughout the southeastern U.S., B.A.S.S. made the decision to move the tournament.
In an effort to respect the resources and be sensitive to the difficulties storms have created in the Lake Hartwell area, the pros now are headed to Alabama where they’ll close the Opens season Oct. 10-12 at the St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Lake Martin presented by SEVIIN.
Martin lies just northwest of Montgomery, near the Alabama/Georgia state line. It’s a 44,000-acre reservoir of the Tallapoosa River that’s not dissimilar from Hartwell. Anglers can find healthy populations of both largemouth and spotted bass in both, and there’s forage to chase (primarily blueback herring and some threadfin shad). There are ample docks and brushpiles for bass to cluster around as well, giving competitors ready-made habitat to search for the best bites.
Bassmaster Elite Series pro Will Davis, Jr., who lives in Sylacauga, Ala., about 30 miles from Lake Martin, had been looking forward to fishing at Lake Hartwell again after successfully defending his B.A.S.S. Nation title last season on Hartwell to become the first-ever back-to-back B.A.S.S. Nation champion.
However, the Alabama pro is just as comfortable at Martin. His family had a cabin on Lake Martin when he was a teenager, and he spent many an afternoon chasing bass on the lake. He only fishes Martin a couple of times a year now, though, so he doesn’t consider himself as much a home-water expert as some others in the field.
He noted the similarities between the two fisheries, but said the lakes do fish differently, at least in his experience.
“Bass fishing at Martin will challenge the best of the best,” Davis said. “You can pattern the fish there, but finding the pattern can be hard to find. You’ll have to do a lot of different deals. It could be bass on the docks one day, then on brushpiles tomorrow. Or you could be in 8 inches of water one day and fishing rocks the next day.
“The trick really is lucking out and catching a good one,” Davis said.
That could make the Open at Martin a power-fishing game, which plays to the run-and-gun style. Davis, 32, is perfectly fine with that — it’s what he does just about every place he fishes, anyway.
“I like the way it’s set up right now,” he said. “And I have a history there. Still, you have to catch ’em. The place can burn you if you’re not careful. It’s a very random place. I mean, you can catch them up the lake, down the lake, anywhere in between. You just don’t know until you see what it’s like when we get there.”
About 200 pros and 130 co-anglers were expected to compete at Hartwell, though that number dipped, no doubt, due to the widespread destruction Helene brought to the heart of America’s bass-fishing communities in the southeastern U.S. Total registration figures at Lake Martin were not available at the time of this writing.
Regardless of how many anglers are able to make Martin, nine Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers (EQ) competitors are guaranteed to earn invites to the 2025 Elite Series following the derby. The Top 9 in the points standings will be announced after the Martin Open.
The EQ Angler of the Year will win $45,000 — the same amount as entry fees into the 2025 Elite Series. The next nine in the points race also will split $65,000 in additional EQ prize money.
The winner at Martin could earn as much as $50,000 cash, depending upon the number of pros that compete. A cash prize of up to $17,000 will go to the top co-angler.
The tournament will begin at 6:30 a.m. CT with weigh-ins scheduled for 2:30 p.m., both at Wind Creek State Park, located at 4325 Alabama Highway 128 in Alexander City, Ala. Live coverage will air on FS1 Thursday and Friday from 8 a.m.-noon ET and on Saturday from 8-11 a.m. Additional stories, photos and analyses can be found throughout the tournament on Bassmaster.com.
Lake Martin-Tallapoosa Country Tourism and Alexander City are hosting the event.
2024 Bassmaster Opens Series Title Sponsor: St. Croix
2024 Bassmaster Opens Series Presenting Sponsor: SEVIIN
2024 Bassmaster Opens Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota
2024 Bassmaster Opens Series Premier Sponsors: Bass Pro Shops, Dakota Lithium, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Progressive Insurance, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha
2024 Bassmaster Opens Series Supporting Sponsors: AFTCO, Daiwa, Garmin, Lew's, Lowrance, Marathon, Triton Boats, VMC
About B.A.S.S.B.A.S.S., which encompasses the Bassmaster tournament leagues, events and media platforms, is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting-edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 500,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), TV show, radio show, social media programs and events. For more than 50 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.
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Media Contact: Chad Gay, Communications Manager, 205-313-0945, cgay@bassmaster.
MLF Announces Entry Dates for 2025 Tackle Warehouse Invitationals, Toyota Series, Phoenix Bass Fishing League, Abu Garcia College Fishing and High School Fishing Programs
BENTON, Ky. (Oct. 4, 2024) – Major League Fishing (MLF) announced today the entry dates for the 2025 Tackle Warehouse Invitationals, Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats, Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine, Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI and Abu Garcia High School Fishing presented by Tackle Warehouse circuits.
Tackle Warehouse Invitationals:
With national coverage on CBS Sports, daily livestreams on MLFNOW!, a top prize of $115,000 (including a $35,000 Phoenix MLF Bonus) at each qualifier, $50,000 Angler of the Year award and a new no-entry-fee championship, the Tackle Warehouse Invitationals serve as a high-stakes platform for anglers that aspire to compete on the Bass Pro Tour in 2026. There, they will compete among a select group of 50 professionals for the sport's most substantial rewards. This week, invitations were sent to the following anglers:
- The top 75 pros from the 2024 Tackle Warehouse Invitational Angler of the Year standings
- Top five pros from each U.S. division of the 2024 Toyota Series
- 2024 BFL All-American Champion boater-division winner
- 2024 TBF National Championship boater-division winner
- Highest finishing pro from the International division at the 2023 Toyota Series Championship
- Bass Pro Tour pros who did not requalify for the 2025 Bass Pro Tour season
The entry deadline for these anglers to secure their invitation is Nov. 4, 2024
Entries from 2024 Tackle Warehouse Invitational anglers outside the top 75 will be accepted Nov. 5, 2024, followed by entries from 2025 Bass Pro Tour anglers on Nov. 6, 2024, and entries from the top 25 pros from each U.S. division of the 2024 Toyota Series on Nov. 7, 2024.
Anglers must enter all six 2025 Invitationals and pay deposits by 5 p.m. CDT on their assigned entry date in order to secure their invitation to compete. Any remaining spots will be filled by open invitation to MLF members beginning Nov. 8, 2024, with priority given to anglers fishing all six Invitationals. All other priority is based on time and date of entry. Entries must be made by calling MLF at 270.252.1000.
The complete 2025 Tackle Warehouse Invitational schedule, rules and payouts are available online at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats:
The Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats offers the largest payouts for the lowest entry fees of any national tournament trail. Anglers have the opportunity to fish close to home for sizable awards and advancement to the nationally televised and livestreamed Toyota Series Championship, where pros fish for a top prize of $235,000, including a lucrative $35,000 Phoenix MLF Bonus, and co-anglers compete for a $33,500 Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat powered by a 115-horsepower outboard.
The winning pro at the 2025 Toyota Series Championship qualifies for REDCREST 2026 for the chance to win $300,000, and the highest-finishing pro from each division (including the Wild Card) at the Toyota Series Championship receives a $10,000 bonus.
The 2025 Toyota Series Championship, hosted by the City of Grove and the Grove Convention and Tourism Bureau, will be held Nov. 6-8 at Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees in Grove, Oklahoma. The championship field will feature the top 25 pros and co-anglers from each of the five U.S. Toyota Series divisions and the Wild Card division plus tournament winners; the highest finishing boater and co-angler from each of the six Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine Regionals and the TBF from the BFL All-American; the top three teams from the Abu Garcia College Fishing National Championship; the High School Fishing National Champions; the TBF National Champions; and up to three pros and co-anglers from each MLF International country.
Every Toyota Series tournament will feature livestreamed weigh-in coverage and the Toyota Series Championship will be nationally televised on CBS Sports with a full day of MLFNOW! livestreaming on the last day of competition.
The top five pros from each U.S. division in Angler of the Year standings earn priority entry for the MLF Invitationals. If a top-five pro declines his or her bid or earns qualification through the Invitationals or Bass Pro Tour, the next eligible pro qualifies. This process continues through the top 10 pros in each division.
Entry fees are unchanged for 2025 at $1,700 per tournament for pros and $550 per tournament for co-anglers. Anglers can register for the 2025 Toyota Series at MajorLeagueFishing.com or by calling 270.252.1000, beginning at 8 a.m. CDT on the dates listed below:
- Entries from the top 25 pros and co-anglers and tournament winners from each division of the 2024 Toyota Series and the top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division of the 2024 Phoenix Bass Fishing League – plus the winner of each 2024 Bass Fishing League tournament (who paid an entry fee for all five tournaments in a division and fished at least two tournaments in the same division) and the top 10 anglers from the 2024 College Fishing National Championship – will be accepted beginning November 11. These anglers have until November 25 to secure their priority entry position.
- Phoenix boat owners with current registrations or confirmation of a boat order who will use their Phoenix boat in Toyota Series competition may enter beginning November 26.
- Anglers who fished a full division of the 2024 Toyota Series or a full division of the 2024 Bass Fishing League may enter beginning November 27.
- TBF members may enter beginning December 2.
- All other entries will be accepted beginning December 3.
The complete 2025 Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats schedule, rules and payouts are available online at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine:
The Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine is the sport’s premier grassroots tournament circuit for weekend anglers, maintaining the best payouts and advancement opportunities for the lowest entry fees available in the sport.
MLF added six Regionals to the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine schedule to ensure anglers can fish closer to home, on lakes they know and love. The league also doubled the number of prize boats in the Boater Division from six to 12, giving boaters twice the opportunities to win a $50,000 Phoenix boat powered by a 200-horsepower outboard. For co-anglers, each Regional features a new $20,000 first-place cash award. Doubling the number of Regionals allows 65 boaters and co-anglers to qualify from each division – up from 50 in 2024 – while simultaneously reducing the field size in each Regional from 200 to 130 boats.
With advancement opportunities to the All-American, Toyota Series Championship and REDCREST for a shot at winning top awards of $120,000, $235,000 and $300,000, respectively, there has never been a better time to fish the Phoenix Bass Fishing League.
New in 2025, MLF has limited the use of forward-facing and 360-degree sonar transducers to two per boat to help level the playing field. MLF has also eliminated boat on boat draws by giving boaters and co-anglers priority for entering together. Unlike years past, MLF will not confirm anglers beyond a balanced field.
For co-anglers, MLF also leveled the playing field with a new three-fish limit to make everyone more competitive.
The Phoenix MLF Bonus contingency award will continue for the 2025 season, enhancing payouts from $500 to $7,000 for registered Phoenix boat owners in every qualifier, Super Tournament and Regional, an additional $20,000 in the All-American, and $35,000 in the Toyota Series Championship.
Each qualifying tournament will continue to offer a top boater award of up to $13,000, including a $7,000 Phoenix MLF Bonus, and a top Strike King co-angler award of $3,000. Top awards jump up to $16,000 for boaters, including a $7,000 Phoenix MLF Bonus, and $4,500 for Strike King co-anglers in super tournaments.
Entry fees will largely remain the same in 2025 – $220 per boater and $110 per co-angler for one-day qualifying tournaments, $330 per boater and $165 per co-angler in two-day Super Tournaments, and $350 per boater and $175 per co-angler in Regional events.
The Wild Card will maintain its $13,000 top boater award, including Phoenix MLF Bonus, and a top co-angler award of $3,000. Anglers who enter all five events in a division, fish two or more events in the division and are not already advancing to the All-American qualify for the Wild Card. The top three boaters and co-anglers from each Regional and the Wild Card advance to the All-American.
Anglers can register for the 2025 Phoenix Bass Fishing League at MajorLeagueFishing.com or by calling 270.252.1000, beginning at 8 a.m. CDT on the dates listed below:
- Nov. 29, 2024 – Phoenix boat owner and TBF priority registration (all divisions).
- Dec. 2, 2024 – Bama, Choo Choo, Cowboy, Gator and Savannah River.
- Dec. 3, 2024 – Arkie, Bulldog, North Carolina, South Carolina and Volunteer.
- Dec. 4, 2024 – LBL, Mississippi, Okie, Ozark and Piedmont.
- Dec. 5, 2024 – Great Lakes, Hoosier, Mountain, Music City and Shenandoah.
- Dec. 6, 2024 – Buckeye, Illini, Michigan and Northeast.
The complete 2025 Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine schedule, rules and payouts are available online at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI:
The winning team at the 2025 Abu Garcia College Fishing National Championship will receive $43,500, including a $33,500 Phoenix 518 Pro powered by a 115-horsepower outboard and $10,000. The winning team also advances to the 2025 Toyota Series Championship to compete as pros for a shot at winning as much as $235,000. The highest finishing team member at the Toyota Series Championship advances to REDCREST 2026. The runner-up at the 2025 College Fishing National Championship will receive a $33,500 Phoenix 518 Pro powered by a 115-horsepower outboard. That team will also advance to the 2025 Toyota Series Championship to compete as pros. Third place at the 2025 National Championship will receive $4,000 and advance to the 2025 Toyota Series Championship to compete as co-anglers for the chance to win a $33,500 Phoenix 518 Pro powered by a 115-horsepower outboard. Fourth and fifth place will receive $3,000 and $2,000, respectively, with sixth through 10th receiving $1,000 each.
Each angler finishing in the top 10 at the 2025 College Fishing National Championship will receive priority entry into the 2026 Toyota Series, the pathway to the MLF Invitationals and the Bass Pro Tour. Every tournament will feature livestreamed weigh-in coverage and the National Championship will receive national television coverage on CBS Sports while the final day streams live on MLFNOW!.
Abu Garcia College Fishing teams can compete in up to six qualifying tournaments around the country. The top 15% of teams from each event will advance to the following year’s College Fishing National Championship.
Registration for the 2025 season opens at 8 a.m. CDT on Dec. 9, 2024. Fields are capped at 250 boats per tournament, so teams are encouraged to enter at their earliest opportunity. Teams can register at MajorLeagueFishing.com or by calling 270.252.1000. The entry fee is unchanged at $100 per team.
The complete 2025 Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI schedule, rules and payouts are available online at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
MLF High School Fishing Presented by Tackle Warehouse:
The 2025 MLF Abu Garcia High School Fishing Presented by Tackle Warehouse circuit will feature teams competing in five Opens held in conjunction with Abu Garcia College Fishing events so students and parents can network with prospective college teams and coaches during college weigh-ins. MLF High School Fishing Opens are two-person (team) events for students in grades 7-12 and open to any Student Angler Federation (SAF)-affiliated high school club in the United States. The top 10% of teams in each tournament advance to the High School Fishing National Championship. Tournaments held on or before March 29, 2025, advance teams to the 2025 National Championship. Tournaments held after March 29, 2025, advance teams to the 2026 National Championship.
Both members of the winning team at the 2025 High School Fishing National Championship, held simultaneously with the TBF High School Fishing World Finals, are guaranteed $5,000 scholarships to the school of their choice, plus the opportunity to compete for a share of more than $3 million in scholarships and prizes. The 2025 High School Fishing National Champions will also advance to the 2025 Toyota Series Championship to compete as co-anglers on national television for a Phoenix 518 Pro powered by a 115-horsepower outboard.
Registration for the 2025 MLF High School Fishing Opens will begin at 8 a.m. CDT on Dec. 9, 2024. Teams can register at MajorLeagueFishing.com or by calling 270.252.1000. There is no entry fee for high school anglers to compete in any MLF or TBF High School Fishing tournament. Both anglers must, however, be a member of the Student Angler Federation (SAF). There is no limit to the number of teams accepted into a tournament from each school or club, but the maximum field size is 250 boats. Teams are encouraged to enter at their earliest opportunity.
The complete 2025 Abu Garcia High School Fishing schedule, rules and payouts are available online at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
MLF High School Fishing Camp:
The highly successful MLF High School Fishing Camp for students and parents will be held June 25-28, 2025 at Murray State University in Murray, Kentucky, in conjunction with the Bass Pro Tour on Kentucky Lake. The three-day camp experience immerses passionate young anglers and coaches into the world of bass fishing. Students and coaches learn techniques from top MLF pros in small groups and receive a glimpse into the inner workings of the fishing industry through interaction with MLF staff and special guests. Registration for the 2025 MLF High School Fishing Camp will begin at 8 a.m. CT on Nov. 18, 2024. Visit MajorLeagueFishing.com/camp for details and registration.
For complete details and updated tournament information on all MLF circuits, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Major League Fishing updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery Channel, Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 17 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.
B.A.S.S. announces winners of 2024 Bassmaster Fantasy Fishing games
Oct. 4, 2024
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — B.A.S.S. has announced the 2024 winners of the Rapala Bassmaster Fantasy Fishing Challenge and the Falcon Rods Bassmaster Drain the Lake Fantasy Fishing Challenge, the Bassmaster Fantasy Fishing companion games to the Bassmaster Elite Series.
More than 32,000 players picked their lineup of fantasy anglers for each Elite Series event as well as the 2024 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Jockey Outdoors, and two contestants stood above the rest at the end of the season.
William Knight, winner of the Rapala Bassmaster Fantasy Fishing Challenge, claimed the top spot and a $15,000 Bass Pro Shops gift card, a $500 Bass Pro Shops gift card (B.A.S.S. member bonus), $5,000 cash, a Rapala prize package including a hat, shirt and lures and a trip to the 2025 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic in Fort Worth, Texas, March 21-23, 2025. The total prize package has a value of $21,500.
“Winning Fantasy Fishing is awesome, and I’m headed to Bass Pro Shops soon,” said the Fantasy Fishing winner from Nashville, Tenn. “My strategy consisted of angler momentum, the weather forecast and water conditions.
“The keys to winning are doing your research and being lucky,” Knight added with a laugh.
Jenesa Balaski, the Falcon Rods Bassmaster Drain the Lake Fantasy Fishing Challenge winner, took home the first-place prize, including a $2,500 Bass Pro Shops gift card, a $500 Bass Pro Shops gift card (B.A.S.S. member bonus) and a fishing trip package for one person to fish with Elite Series angler Luke Palmer in Oklahoma. The total prize package has a value of $4,050.
“This feels pretty amazing,” said the Drain the Lake player from International Falls, Minn. “We play a small league within our friends … that’s how I got involved. I never thought I would win the entire league.
“I live in northern Minnesota, and I save the Northern guys for the Northern lakes,” Balaski added. “I grew up loving to fish and have learned more and more about bass fishing over the last few years … I do research on the lakes and where the guys come from as well.”
Rapala Bassmaster Fantasy Fishing Challenge players register for free at Bassmasterfantasy.com, set their “buckets” to assemble their team of five Elite anglers per event and earn points based on their fantasy anglers’ performance during the tournaments.
Falcon Rods Bassmaster Drain the Lake Fantasy Fishing Challenge contestants register for free at Bassmasterfantasy.com, then select eight anglers for each event. Again, players earn points based on their fantasy anglers’ performance during the tournament. Drain the Lake, however, has a twist: You can only use any given angler once during the season, so players must make their picks wisely based on an angler’s strengths and weaknesses on the individual tournament bodies of water.
Connect with #Bassmaster on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok.
About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S., which encompasses the Bassmaster tournament leagues, events and media platforms, is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting-edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 500,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), TV show, radio show, social media programs and events. For more than 50 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.
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Media Contact: Chad Gay, B.A.S.S. Communications Manager, 205-313-0945, cgay@bassmaster.com
Carson-Newman Moves to Top Spot for Bass Pro Shops School of the Year
Bethel University ranked 2nd, and LSU-Shreveport is in 3rd
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University of Florida and University of Tennessee Go Head to Head at Inaugural Abu Garcia College Rivalry Tournament
Competition set for Monday, Oct. 7, livestreamed from 8:20 a.m. to 1:10 p.m. ET on MajorLeagueFishing.com
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (Oct. 3, 2024) – The University of Florida’s collegiate bass fishing team will be traveling to Fort Loudoun Lake in Knoxville, Tennessee on October 7 to compete against the University of Tennessee in the first ever Abu Garcia College Rivalry Tournament. This one-of-a-kind event, scheduled during the week of the highly anticipated Tennessee vs. Florida college football matchup, will highlight the competitive nature of the universities’ fishing clubs in a live head-to-head matchup that will be livestreamed by Major League Fishing. The College Rivalry Tournament was created to drive home the Abu Garcia brand sentiment of ‘Fish to Win’ while promoting the future of fishing.
Florida versus Tennessee is one of college football’s most heated and exciting rivalries. What better way to kick off a great college football rivalry week than pitting the fishing teams against each other in a head-to-head bass fishing battle that is being live streamed for the world of sports to watch and enjoy? In this event, Abu Garcia, in partnership with the University of Tennessee Athletics, aims to elevate the experience for college anglers by celebrating them as athletes.
“We have been looking forward to this event for a very long time,” said Marc Kempter, Abu Garcia’s Vice President of Marketing Communications. “The Abu Garcia brand cares deeply about the future generation of fishing and has for a long time supported the high school and college fishing ranks. This event is another spectacle we are adding to the list of efforts to give back to student anglers. This should be a very exciting event for the teams competing, fans watching and for each school to get behind as they lead up to a fun college football rivalry game in Knoxville.”
By combining the excitement of college football with the thrill of competitive fishing, Abu Garcia seeks to promote the future of fishing to a broader audience. The unique collaboration between Abu Garcia, Major League Fishing, the University of Tennessee and the University of Florida ensures that the college anglers will be recognized as athletes, gaining the attention they deserve.
MLF pro Brandon Coulter of Knoxville, Tennessee, is a University of Tennessee alumni and has been involved with the university for the past 35 years.
“I’m really excited to be a part of this event and to donate my time and resources to make it the best it can be,” said Coulter. “Anglers being involved in fishing at this level is awesome and the University of Florida is one of our main rivals, so this is the perfect game to launch this rivalry event.
“We’re looking forward to giving these anglers the opportunity to be more widely recognized as collegiate athletes in their industry, and hope this is a catalyst to get more students involved,” Coulter continued. “Abu Garcia has put a lot of time and resources toward this event and our mission is to give these student athletes as close to the same ‘college game-day experience’ as their fellow college athletes have in other athletic programs.”
Abu Garcia’s College Rivalry Tournament Details:
• Teams: Both universities will field two boats with two collegiate anglers per boat (4 boats, 8 anglers total)
• Format: Every Fish Counts - winner will be the team with the heaviest overall weight. Tournament day will consist of four quarters of competition with three 5-minute breaks in between.
• Event Schedule:
First Quarter: 8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
Second Quarter: 9:35 a.m. – 10:35 a.m.
Third Quarter: 10:50 a.m. – 11:50 p.m.
Fourth (Final) Quarter: 11:55 p.m. – 12:55 p.m.
• Prize: The victorious team will take home a $5,000 cash prize courtesy of Abu Garcia and claim bragging rights in this first-ever fishing showdown between the schools.
• Livestream: The event will be streamed live on MLFNOW! from 8:20 a.m. to 1:10 p.m. ET on MajorLeagueFishing.com.
In addition to the competition on the water, Abu Garcia is partnering with the University of Tennessee Athletics, the City of Knoxville, local radio stations and television outlets to promote this inaugural event. To enhance the pre-game excitement and draw in anglers and football fans alike, Abu Garcia has planned several high-profile activities to take place on Saturday, October 12 at Vol Village:
• Fan Experience: Abu Garcia will host a special Fan Zone in Vol Village featuring meet-and-greets with the collegiate bass anglers, pro tournament anglers, a showcase of the tournament trophy and an exciting Abu Garcia product display, complete with swag giveaways for visitors.
• Celebrity Appearance: Fans can expect an appearance from Tennessee alum and current NFL quarterback Josh Dobbs, adding an extra layer of excitement to the weekend’s festivities.
To learn more about Abu Garcia rods and reels, click here.
For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular College Fishing updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
About Pure Fishing
Pure Fishing is a collection of the world’s favorite fishing brands. Every day, all around the world, someone experiences the joy of catching a fish with one of our products. From gear for epic battles at sea to a relaxing day with family at the lake, our portfolio includes the most recognized and admired brands in fishing tackle, lures, rods, reels and storage. Abu Garcia, Berkley, DAM, Fenwick, Fin-Nor, Frabill, Greys, Hardy, Hodgman, Johnson, JRC, Madcat, Mitchell, Penn, Pflueger, Plano, Prologic, Savage Gear, Shakespeare, SpiderWire, Stren, Ugly Stik and Van Staal.
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery Channel, Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 17 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.
NPFL Returning to St. Johns River for Season Finale
DELAND, Fla. — The National Professional Fishing League and the West Volusia Tourism Advertising Authority are excited to announce that the NPFL will complete its 2024 season on the St. Johns River out of DeLand, Florida, December 11-13.
An earlier tournament was scheduled for the St. Johns out of DeLand in September but was canceled due to Hurricane Helene.
“The cancelation was inevitable because of the weather, but we’re thrilled that schedules aligned so that we can visit DeLand in December and fish the tournament we hoped to complete earlier,” explained NPFL president Brad Fuller. “The people of DeLand and the representatives of the West Volusia Tourism Advertising Authority have been so accommodating and welcoming that we wanted to do everything possible to get back there quickly. This is a great opportunity to do exactly that.”
“We have a busy schedule of events in Central Florida,” said Georgia Turner, Executive Director of the West Volusia Tourism Advertising Authority, local host for the event, “but were able to find a window of opportunity to host the tournament. We enjoy a wonderful relationship with the NPFL and have a serious commitment to fishing and anglers. It’s going to be a great event.”
About the National Professional Fishing League
The National Professional Fishing League (NPFL) was founded to bring competitive fishing to a broader audience and offer anglers a platform to compete at the highest level. The NPFL is committed to fostering integrity, competition, and innovation in the sport, providing anglers and fans alike with an exciting and unique experience.
Media Contact: Ken Duke — (407) 574-1898 or ken@tnpfl.com.
MLF Announces Schedule, Rules for 2025 Abu Garcia College Fishing and High School Fishing Circuits
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BENTON, Ky. (Oct. 2, 2024) – Major League Fishing (MLF) announced today the 2025 schedules and rules for the Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI and the Abu Garcia High School Fishing Presented by Tackle Warehouse seasons. Both circuits offer prizes, scholarships and advancement opportunities to the 2025 Toyota Series Championship for qualified teams, and for college anglers, a shot to compete against the world’s best pros for a $300,000 top prize at REDCREST 2026.
“This is always one of the most exciting days of the year for MLF – when we get to roll out our College Fishing and High School Fishing schedules for the coming year,” said Kevin Hunt, MLF Senior Director of Tournament Operations for College and High School Fishing. “Our 2025 schedule is one of the best we’ve ever offered and we’re really looking forward to making a return to some great, historical fisheries next season. Kentucky-Barkley Lakes, for example: After a successful Tackle Warehouse Invitational event there this year, we’re extremely excited to bring our college and high school fishing teams back to our ‘home’ waters in Kentucky next March. “These tournaments provide excellent platforms for high school and collegiate anglers to demonstrate their skills and passion for the sport and showcase their talent on a national stage. We’re anticipating a memorable, diverse season and can’t wait to see what our young anglers can do on these fisheries.” The 2025 MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing schedule consists of six qualifying tournaments around the country, culminating in the Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI National Championship Presented by Lowrance on Wheeler Lake in Decatur, Alabama. The top 15% of teams from each event will advance to the 2026 College Fishing National Championship. The 2025 MLF Abu Garcia High School Fishing circuit will feature teams competing in five Opens, held in conjunction with Abu Garcia College Fishing events to allow students and parents to network with prospective college representatives during the event. Abu Garcia High School Fishing Opens are two-person (team) events for students in grades 7-12, and open to any Student Angler Federation (SAF)-affiliated high school club in the United States. The top 10% of teams in each tournament advance to the High School Fishing National Championship. Starting in 2025, all boats across all MLF circuits will be limited to the use of two forward-facing or 360-degree sonar transducers in any combination. Additionally, no bow-mounted screen may extend vertically more than 18 inches off the surface of the front deck at its highest point when the boat is on plane, and no screen mounted at the console may extend vertically more than 25 inches off the surface of the driver’s seat. To create a more level playing field for up-and-coming student anglers and reinforce the learning of traditional bass-fishing techniques, use of forward-facing and 360-degree sonar will not be allowed in Abu Garcia High School Fishing competition. Its use will not, however, be restricted during practice. 2025 MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI Schedule: Feb. 14 Lake Seminole Bainbridge, Ga. |
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2025 MLF Abu Garcia High School Fishing Opens Presented by Tackle Warehouse Schedule:
Feb. 15 Lake Seminole Bainbridge, Ga. For complete rules and details for the 2025 Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI circuit, click here. For complete rules and details for the 2025 Abu Garcia High School Fishing Presented by Tackle Warehouse circuit, click here. Entries for both circuits will be accepted starting December 9. Students can enter online at MajorLeagueFishing.com or by calling 270.252.1000. For regular College and High School Fishing updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube . About Major League Fishing |
Santee Cooper Lakes Set to Host Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Tournament
Clarendon County to Host 200 Boaters and Co-anglers from Four BFL Divisions Competing for Spot in 2025 BFL All-American, Top Prize of $60,000
CLARENDON COUNTY, S.C. (Oct. 1, 2024) – The Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine’s Bama, Bulldog, Gator and North Carolina divisions will wrap up their 2024 season in Clarendon County, South Carolina, next week, Oct. 10-12 with the Phoenix BFL Presented by T-H Marine Regional Event at Santee Cooper Lakes.
Hosted by the Clarendon County Chamber of Commerce, the three-day regional tournament will feature the top 45 boaters and co-anglers plus tournament winners from all four divisions, battling it out for a top prize of $60,000, including a Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard and $10,000, along with lucrative contingency awards, including up to an additional $7,000 Phoenix MLF Bonus. Strike King co-anglers will compete for a top prize of $50,000, including a Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard. Winners will be determined by the heaviest three-day catch.
The top six finishers in each regional will qualify for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Phoenix BFL All-American. The highest finishing boater from each division will also receive a $1,000 bonus and the highest finishing co-angler from each division will receive a $500 bonus.
Bass Pro Tour angler Bryan Thrift of Shelby, North Carolina, said he expects to see some really good fishing during the event, especially if the weather stays stable.
“Santee was fishing a little tough when I was there for the Toyota Series in September, but we were still in that late summer transition pattern,” said Thrift. “The fishery is moving into fall patterns, and I look for it to be really good as we move into October.”
With the southeast portion of the country currently reeling from the effects of Hurricane Helene, Thrift said the changing water conditions will be the biggest wild card during the tournament.
“I’m sure they’ve dropped the water level to prepare for that influx of water coming from upstate North and South Carolina, and that’s going to affect the fishery,” said Thrift. “There are going to be a lot of things at play there and I expect there to be a lot of color in the water. Santee has a lot of grass in it right now and the fish seem to be grouped up. If you can find them, there’s usually more than one around.
“It’s all going to depend on the effects of the hurricane runoff and how much of the upper lake is in play,” Thrift continued. “With that much water coming down through the river system and coming into the upper end of Lake Marion, you could have a good portion of Lake Marion that’s essentially unfishable.”
While the weather may influence water conditions on the fishery, Thrift said fans and anglers can expect to see some fun, fall power-fishing throughout the event.
“With the rain, I expect a ChatterBait to play big time – maybe the Z-Man Big Blade ChatterBait or the new Z-Man Tungsten ChatterBait Elite EVO ,” said Thrift. “I expect we’ll also see guys flipping a jig and throwing topwater baits. I feel like that will be the concentration for most guys, throwing topwater or ChatterBaits around that grass and trying to capitalize on a couple big bites each day. You’re not going to get a lot of bites every day at Santee, but if you can figure out how to get 8 to 10 bites per day, you’re going to do very well and have some big bags.”
Thrift said he expects it will take an average of 20 to 25 pounds per day to take home the win.
“You could see someone with a big 27- to 30-pound bag one day and a couple lower 20-pound days, but it’s definitely going to take at least a 20-pound average to win,” Thrift finished.
Anglers will launch at 7:30 a.m. ET each morning from John C. Land III Landing, located at 4404 Greenall Road, in Summerton, South Carolina. Weigh-ins will also be held at the landing and will begin at 3:30 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend the event or follow the action online through the “MLF Live” weigh-in broadcasts at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The 2024 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine consisted of 24-divisions devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season and five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, advance to one of six Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regionals. The 2025 BFL All-American will be held May 29-31 at Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and is hosted by Visit Hot Springs and the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism.
The top boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division will also earn priority entry into the Toyota Series, the pathway to the Tackle Warehouse Invitationals and ultimately the Bass Pro Tour.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Proud sponsors of the 2024 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 7Brew, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, E3, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, General Tire, GSM Outdoors, Lew’s, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, PowerStop Brakes, REDCON1, Strike King, Suzuki, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, WIX Filters and YETI.
For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Bass Fishing League updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery Channel, Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 17 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.
Quad Cities Ready to Host Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Tournament on Mississippi River
200 Boaters and Strike King Co-anglers from Four BFL Divisions Qualify for Event to Compete for Spot in 2025 BFL All-American, Top Prize of $60,000
ROCK ISLAND, Ill. (Oct. 1, 2024) – The Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine’s Great Lakes, Hoosier, Illini and Michigan divisions will close out the 2024 season next week, Oct. 10-12, in the Quad Cities with the Phoenix BFL Presented by T-H Marine Regional Tournament on the Mississippi River.
Hosted by Visit Quad Cities, the three-day regional tournament will feature the top 45 boaters and co-anglers plus tournament winners from all four divisions, battling it out on Pools 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 for a top prize of $60,000, including a Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard and $10,000, along with lucrative contingency awards, including up to an additional $7,000 Phoenix MLF Bonus. Strike King co-anglers will compete for a top prize of $50,000, including a Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard. Winners will be determined by the heaviest three-day catch.
The top six finishers in each regional will qualify for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the 42nd annual BFL All-American. The highest finishing boater from each division will also receive a $1,000 bonus and the highest finishing co-angler from each division will receive a $500 bonus.
“This is going to be an interesting tournament,” said Great Lakes boater division Angler of the Year (AOY) Jeff Ritter of Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. “Pool 13 fishes very similar to up north – lots of grass and lily pads and stuff, but the rest of the pools are basically, from what I can see, hard-cover, current-based rock voids and wing dams. And I think the sandbars will come into play. It’s a lot different than what we’re used to fishing on the upper pools.”
Ritter said that he thinks the key to finishing well in this tournament will be moving around to find the ‘off-the-wall’ areas.
“I think being able to cover a lot of water and finding something that isn’t super obvious – the sneaky little spots,” Ritter said. “Maybe some underwater rock, or some way out of the way timber up in a slough where nobody else is fishing – finding those fish is going to be the key. And having enough areas to find fresh fish each day.”
Ritter doesn’t expect forward-facing sonar to play much of a role in this tournament, as he says that he thinks most of the fish will be caught shallow in this event.
“On this part of the Mississippi, everything is going to fish relatively shallow,” Ritter said. “I’m thinking we’ll see a (Z-Man) ChatterBaits, spinnerbaits and some good old-fashioned flipping jigs tied on a lot of rods next week.
“If a guy can have three days of 14 to 15 pounds a day for three days, they’ll be right there at the end,” Ritter went on to say. “That might even be a little bit on the high side, from what I’ve seen. But I think if you can bring 45 pounds to the scale, you’ll definitely be taking home that trophy.”
Anglers will launch at 7 a.m. CT each morning from the Sunset Park Public Boat Ramp, located at 10 31st Ave. in Rock Island, Illinois. Weigh-ins will also be held at the boat ramp and will begin at 3 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend the event or follow the action online through the “MLF Live” weigh-in broadcasts at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The 2024 Phoenix BFL Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 events throughout the season, five qualifying tournaments in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five qualifying event winners, will advance to one of six BFL Regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. The 2025 BFL All-American will take place May 29-31, 2025, at Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and is hosted by hosted by Visit Hot Springs and the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism.
The top boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division also earn priority entry into the Toyota Series, the pathway to the Tackle Warehouse Invitationals and ultimately the Bass Pro Tour.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Proud sponsors of the 2024 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 7Brew, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, E3, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, General Tire, GSM Outdoors, Lew’s, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, PowerStop Brakes, REDCON1, Strike King, Suzuki, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, WIX Filters and YETI.
For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Bass Fishing League updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery Channel, Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 17 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.
MLF Shifts BFL Regional Tournament to Tennessee’s Watts Bar Lake
WHAT:
The Major League Fishing (MLF) Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine Regional Tournament on Clarks Hill Lake, set for Oct. 17-19, has been moved to Watts Bar Lake due to recent storm damage.
WHEN:
Oct. 17-19
WHERE:
Spring City Boat Ramp
417 Toestring Valley Road
Spring City, Tenn. 37321
NOTES:
Hosted by the Rhea County Department of Tourism - Fish Spring City, the three-day regional tournament will feature the top 45 boaters and co-anglers plus tournament winners from the BFL Choo Choo, Music City, Piedmont and Volunteer divisions, competing for a top prize of $60,000, including a Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard and $10,000, along with lucrative contingency awards, including up to an additional $7,000 Phoenix MLF Bonus. Strike King co-anglers will compete for a top prize of $50,000, including a Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard. Winners will be determined by the heaviest three-day catch.
The top six finishers will qualify for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the 42nd annual BFL All-American. The highest finishing boater from each division will also receive a $1,000 bonus and the highest finishing co-angler from each division will receive a $500 bonus.
The 2024 Phoenix BFL Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 events throughout the season, five qualifying tournaments in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five qualifying event winners, will advance to one of six BFL Regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the 2025 BFL All-American. The 2025 BFL All-American will take place May 29-31, 2025, at Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and is hosted by hosted by Visit Hot Springs and the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism.
Proud sponsors of the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 7Brew, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, E3, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, General Tire, GSM Outdoors, Lew’s, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, PowerStop Brakes, REDCON1, Strike King, Suzuki, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, WIX Filters and YETI.
For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Bass Fishing League updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery Channel, Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 17 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.
Register for the AFTCO Collegiate Bass Open
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Travel Tuesday – A Trip to the Cutting Edge of Trophy Bass – Red Hills Fishery
By Danny Blandford - AC Insider
We’re doing Travel Tuesday a little different this week; we’re taking you behind the scenes with us to the forefront of TROPHY bass production.
Being an AC Insider certainly has some perks! Vance and I recently had the chance to tag along on a Strike King “outing” to the outskirts of paradise for a bass fisherman. For security purposes, we’ll just call it Lake X…approximately 300 acres of flooded timber and vegetation straddling the Florida and Georgia border, loaded with forage, very little fishing pressure, AND stocked with some “special” bass.
Lake X has been the proving ground for the early stages of a project we’re highlighting in this series, called Titan Bass. The Titan Bass project, by Red Hills Fishery, is the intersection of science, technology, research and bassin’ passion. With a claim to fame of, “Breaking Bass Barriers and Elevating Bass Angling Through Genetics”, we just had to go check it all out first hand.
Now before anyone goes off the deep end thinking about nightmares like Frankenfish, Teenage Mutant Ninja Bass, or some other finned freak of nature, hear us out. Think of this more like pedigree breeding of certain working dogs, done in a way to enhance desirable traits and characteristics. Red Hills isn’t making a “new” kind of bass, it’s making the existing bass even better! (More on Pedigreed Breeding)
We’ve seen a version of this succeed already with the Texas ShareLunker program, where fish that have exhibited trophy characteristics are collected by the state and used for “broodstock” …essentially adult fished collected to make baby fish with “some” of the same genes. The Texas program has proven successful, but it's based on learning a fish is a trophy specimen, only after it’s shown itself as such. What if we could tell a two-inch bass was likely to grow into something spectacular…or better yet what if we could ensure that for an entire school of bass being stocked?
This is where the science of the Titan Bass comes into play…staff at Red Hills Fisheries in partnership with the Center for Aquaculture Technologies compiled MILLIONS of data points regarding trophy potential in Florida bass. As of today’s writing, they’ve located 12 confirmed genetic markers, with a 13th currently being validated, each tied to overall growth potential. These markets and selective breeding are all part of the Titan Maxx line of fish.
Now these markers can pertain to both how fast bass grow, as well as their ultimate size. Ironically, it is often males that grow the “fastest” but the females grow the “biggest” so traditional methods of selecting the bass that are growing the fastest can actually work against your goals of growing big fish. With genetic testing methods, you can not only end up with BIG fish, but you can get them to that size quicker. (More on Genetics)
I heard client stories of bass that were putting on 3 pounds per year! Obviously, growth rates vary by location, the amount of food available, etc, but 2 pounds per year “used” to be a tough benchmark to obtain anywhere and one pound could be considered good.
Now I can already hear the drumbeats of the high fence versus free range whitetail war in the distance, but I think this is different. Don’t get me wrong, Red Hills absolutely wants to sell fish to individuals who want the best fish they can get, but their goal is to make it available everywhere and elevate fishing for everyone. These aren’t an “elite” quarry, or reserved for the privileged. They are simply working to breed a better bass…something aggressive, hardy, and capable of being that “fish of a lifetime”, which will be different for everyone. These fish are still the same species, just “optimized” for the characteristics we enjoy!
Red Hills has already been in collaboration with multiple state agencies and fisheries programs, including the State of Arkansas Game and Fish, as well as other state agencies throughout the southeast. Bringing genetic testing and genetic data abilities to the state level will help managers enrich their own fish populations with quality genetics and healthier fisheries for everyone to enjoy.
There are genetic tissue sample kits available from Red Hills that allow anyone to collect samples, including private pond owners. They mail you a kit, you collect your specimens according to their instructions, and return the samples. You’ll end up with a report that can tell you about the genetic diversity in your lake or pond, as well as make recommendations on how to supplement it with new stockings.
I’m sure many states, including my own, will be slow to respond to something like this, but fortunately, as an individual pond owner, I can reach out to Red Hills Fisheries myself. They have various distributors that they work with, and they can also ship direct, so I can get the appropriate testing and Titan Bass right here in Indiana right now! Notice, I did say “Northern” Titan Bass.
The Titan Bass program has identified these desirable traits for each of the species of bass and has bred them with the genetic integrity of their respective species, i.e. Northern and Florida Strains. They do also offer an F1 hybrid, which is a female Florida Titan Bass crossed with a Northern Titan male. Unfortunately, I’m just north of their recommended climate, so although tempting, anything “Florida” simply aren’t the best choice for me.
As far as my own pond project, we’re actually still in the “prep” phase and not quite ready to offer some Titan Bass a good home. After decades of throwing the bass back so they could get bigger, we ended up with a bass crowded and stunted population of bass, a general lack of cover, and an overall unhealthy bass fishery in need of rejuvenation.
The easy to do physical things have already started. We drew the lake down last winter and added spawning gravel and lots of fresh habitat, spent this past season harvesting bass, adding additional shoreline cover, and we’ll be doing a heavy bluegill stocking this fall and again in early spring. Our goal is to add Titan bass in late March so that the new fingerlings can feed on the existing bass and bluegill fry starting in May with a competitive advantage. Once their home, it’ll be all about keeping them fed!
I’m not sure we can afford all the forage required to grow multiple double digits in my area, but I’m sure excited to get started on the journey! Stay tuned for some fall fish management updates and “sample collection” soon. We’ll be working on that bass crowding issue and finding out just how closely related all my little scrub bass actually are!
To learn more, visit Titanbass.com, and/or give them a call!
NPFL Application Process Now Open!
WILKESVILLE, Ohio, October 1, 2024—The National Professional Fishing League is now accepting applications for the 2025 season. Anglers who wish to be part of the 130-angler field can now complete the application form. Anglers currently on the NPFL roster do not need to reapply, but they must notify the NPFL in writing of their intention to participate in 2025. The application and notification periods end on October 31, 2024.
“We have one more event in the 2024 season,” says league president Brad Fuller, “but we’re already excited about 2025. We look forward to assembling a talented field of 130 anglers and to visiting a variety of diverse fisheries over half a dozen states covering spring, summer, and fall. It’s going to be a true test of the best for the men and women who believe they’re up to the challenge and ready to join the fastest-growing top-level tournament circuit out there."
The 2025 season will feature six regular season tournaments plus the 2025 NPFL Championship. Each event will challenge and showcase the skills of every angler. The NPFL’s dedication to maintaining a level playing field ensures that all participants — from seasoned pros to emerging talents — have an equal opportunity to succeed.
The full 2025 schedule will be announced before the application period closes.
The NPFL made news in September when it became the first major tour to restrict the use of real-time imaging units (commonly referred to as “forward-facing sonar”). Beginning with the 2025 season, such technology is prohibited in NPFL competition. This prohibition does not apply to the 2025 NPFL Championship, for which anglers are currently qualifying under previously established rules.
"We want to work with the anglers who are ready to test themselves under the very highest standards of tournament competition, tradition, and integrity,” Fuller adds. “We’re looking forward to the return of many anglers who have fished with us and become like family, and we’re excited to add new anglers that will help us grow even better and stronger."
Applicants must commit to a locked field and agree to participate in all six regular-season events. This ensures a committed group of anglers for the entire season. Choosing the right anglers for the field is critical to the NPFL’s mission.
“We take our selection process very seriously,” Fuller says. “We interview each angler before they’re selected. No one is automatically accepted into the league just because they have an impressive tournament résumé or a lot of sponsors. The sooner an angler applies, the sooner we can complete our vetting process. We’re not just looking for excellent anglers. We want excellent people who are passionate about the sport — people who share our commitment and vision.”
About the National Professional Fishing League
The National Professional Fishing League was founded to bring competitive fishing to a broader audience and offer anglers a platform to compete at the highest level. The NPFL is committed to fostering integrity, competition, and innovation in the sport, providing anglers and fans alike with an exciting and unique experience.
For more information, visit our website.
Final St. Croix Open presented by SEVIIN moves to Lake Martin, Alabama
MEDIA ALERT
Final St. Croix Open presented by SEVIIN moves to Lake Martin, Alabama
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Due to the extreme flooding and damage caused by the remnants of Hurricane Helene, the final St. Croix Open presented by SEVIIN will be moved to Lake Martin, Alabama. The final event of the season, which will qualify nine anglers from the Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers to the Bassmaster Elite Series, was scheduled for South Carolina’s Lake Hartwell on Oct. 10-12. Massive flooding in the area has created dangerous lake conditions, power outages and gas shortages across the state. In an effort to respect the resources and be sensitive to the difficulties storms have created in the area, B.A.S.S. officials have decided to change venues. Alabama’s Lake Martin will now host the final event of the season. This 44,000-acre reservoir located on the Tallapoosa River has not hosted a major B.A.S.S. event since 2018.
The no-information rule for competitors for Lake Martin will go into effect immediately. More details will be released as soon as they are finalized.
MEDIA CONTACT: Chad Gay, B.A.S.S. Communications Manager, c: 256-424-2390, cgay@bassmaster.
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Register For 2024 Media Credentials
Akins Chugs his way to victory at Bassmaster College Classic Bracket on Tims Ford Lake
Sept. 30, 2024
Winchester, Tenn. — It was a slow, but steady pace for Dylan Akins on the final day of the Bassmaster College Classic Bracket presented by Lew’s at Tims Ford Lake, but it was just the type of day the Emmanuel University graduate needed to earn the top prize.
With a daily total of 14 pounds, 12 ounces, Akins defeated his head-to-head opponent Aaron Jagdfeld (12-12) to earn the victory and a spot in the 2025 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic at Lake Ray Roberts in Fort Worth, Texas. Not only will the Georgia native compete in the Classic, he also earned paid entry into the 2025 St. Croix Bassmaster Opens with the use of a fully rigged Nitro Boat and Toyota Tundra.
“I’m pretty speechless,” Akins said. “I knew it was going to be close, but I had no idea. I’m feeling really blessed right now.”
The Bracket victory puts a bow on what was a special season for Akins. He and partner Chase Carey earned 2024 Bassmaster College Series overall Team of the Year honors with a third-place finish in the Lunkers Division standings and then a Top 10 finish at the Strike King Bassmaster College National Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops at Lake Hartwell.
“It has been amazing,” he said. “Chase and I have always been really consistent, but we had a little better finish than average and put them all together. Coming here and having to put a whole string of good days together was crazy.”
Using some of the lessons he has learned on his home waters of Lake Lanier, Akins targeted suspended smallmouth and largemouth that were feeding on threadfin shad. He saw groups of bass all the way down to 50 feet of water, but the bass hanging around in the top section of the water column ate the best.
While a Strike King 3X Z-Too rigged on a 3/16-ounce jighead landed some key bass, a STORM Chug Bug triggered the majority of his bites, especially from the smallmouth swimming just under the surface. He discovered that bite during his practice period when more bass than not did not swim to his Damiki presentation.
After getting several bites, Akins figured it could be the bait that separated him from the other eight competitors.
“Say the bass are 10 feet down; it would take a second to call them up. Unlike a walking bait, the Chug Bug makes a big splash,” Akins explained. “I could keep it in the same spot and work it repeatedly. It triggers a schooling-type deal. The bigger ones would come up and follow it for a second and eventually take it.
“It was one of the most fun topwater bites I’ve been on. The lake was awesome.”
After practice, Akins felt he had a chance to make the final day but wasn’t sure if his primary areas held enough bass to win the whole tournament. As the event progressed, he was able to expand and find several new areas that held keeper bass.
On Hurricane Helene-shortened Day 1, Akins landed 14-4 to land in second before landing 16-0 on Day 2 to advance to the bracket rounds and claim the overall No. 1 seed with a two-day total of 30-4. Then on Day 3, Akins caught 16-7 to narrowly advance past Andrew Blanton, who caught 16-3 in the shallows.
While a light mist fell early in the day, Akins and Jagdfeld fished in calm and cloudy conditions. Akins caught his first keeper in the first hour but suffered a long lull after that.
“Other days, it was like every fish I threw at was crazy. The weather had them (feeding),” he said. “I was seeing so many fish not even close to the surface, or they would come up and nip the bait. For the first three or four hours, I was thinking it was going to be a long day and just hoping for a limit.”
As the day progressed, Akins explored some new water and located one stretch that held quality smallmouth. There, he filled out a limit and made several key culls.
“I saw some surface activity and went over there and expanded on it,” Akins said. “That creek was really good to me. In the afternoon they were going crazy.”
Jagdfeld caught plenty of smallmouth on the final day, but many of them fell below the 18-inch keeper limit, leaving the Adrian College graduate scrambling toward the end of the day. Along with a jighead minnow, Jagdfeld threw a Pop-R and a Spook.
After being stuck on three bass most of the day, Jagdfeld made a late rally to fill his limit and cull, but it wouldn’t be enough to beat Akins.
The Tennessee Department of Tourist Development and local businesses hosted the tournament.
2024 Bassmaster College Series Title Sponsor: Strike King
2024 Bassmaster College Series Presenting Sponsor: Bass Pro Shops
2024 Bassmaster College Classic Bracket Presenting Sponsor: Lew's
2024 Bassmaster College Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota
2024 Bassmaster College Series Premier Sponsors: Dakota Lithium, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Progressive Insurance, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha
2024 Bassmaster College Series Supporting Sponsors: AFTCO, Daiwa, Garmin, Lew's, Lowarance, Marathon, Triton Boats, VMC
2024 Bassmaster College Series Youth Sponsors: Seaguar, Shimano
Connect with #Bassmaster on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok.
About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S., which encompasses the Bassmaster tournament leagues, events and media platforms, is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting-edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 500,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), TV show, radio show, social media programs and events. For more than 50 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.
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Media Contact: Chad Gay, B.A.S.S. Communications Manager, 205-313-0945, cgay@bassmaster.com
2024 Strike King College Bracket Presented by Bass Pro Shops and Lew's 9/27-9/30
Tim Ford's Lake, Winchester TN.
(BOATER) Standings Day 4
Angler Club/School Pts
1. Dylan Akins - Emmanuel University 0
Day 1: 5 14-04 Day 2: 5 16-00 Day 3: 5 16-07 Day 4: 5 14-12 Total: 5 14-12
2. Aaron Jagdfeld - Adrian College 0
Day 1: 5 14-13 Day 2: 5 14-05 Day 3: 5 12-03 Day 4: 5 12-12 Total: 5 12-12
------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 2 26 76-12
2 5 31 93-00
3 3 18 52-00
4 2 10 27-08
------------------------------
12 85 249-04
Ohio’s Shaffer Earns 17th Career Win at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Super Tournament on the Ohio River at Tanners Creek
Middletown’s Barker Tops Strike King Co-Angler Division
LAWRENCEBURG, Ind. (Sept. 30, 2024) – Boater Dick Shaffer of Rockford, Ohio, caught a two-day total of six bass weighing 16 pounds, 5 ounces, to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine Super Tournament on the Ohio River at Tanners Creek . The tournament, which concluded Sunday, was the fifth and final event of the season for the BFL Hoosier Division. Shaffer earned $5,714 for his victory.
No doubt about it, Shaffer is a BFL legend in the Hoosier and Buckeye divisions. He now has 17 wins in his MLF career, with most of them coming at the BFL level. He’s also made four All-American Championship appearances. If he’s on the roster in a weekend derby in Ohio or Indiana, you can bet he’s going to contend.
Shaffer credits his latest win with not putting any pressure on himself.
“I’m not going to the Regional because I’m going duck hunting that week in North Dakota,” he said. “I decided the last day to sign up for it, and when I saw the weather, I cancelled my motel for the night before because I knew what I was going to do. The way the weather was (for practice), I wasn’t going fishing in the rain. I knew the way the weather was supposed to be (in the tournament), it was going to be a main-river bite.
“There was no pressure. I wasn’t fishing for points. I knew if they bit I had a better-than-average chance to win.”
Shaffer had the fish on each day to weigh a limit but couldn’t get five to the boat. He weighed three smallmouth bass for 8-15 on day one and a mixed bag of one largemouth, one spotted bass and one smallmouth for 7-6 on day two.
The biggest factor in Shaffer’s approach was having prime conditions for the smallmouth bass to bite. With the weather turned gloomy and some stain in the water (the water had come up about 3 feet), he knew the smallmouth bass would be positioned on current breaks and ready to bite, and each day he weighed in a good one, including a 5-pound, 9-ounce fish that earned him the Berkley Big Bass award of $637.
“I caught ’em on just a little bit of everything,” Shaffer added. “I caught ’em dragging a craw around some. I caught some on a buzz bait. I caught ’em on a (Yamamoto) Senko. I caught some off rocks, some off wood, some off barges. I was just basically junk-fishing, just fishing what looked good.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:
1st: Dick Shaffer, Rockford, Ohio, six bass, 16-5, $5,714
2nd: Doug Ruster, New Palestine, Ind., 10 bass, 13-10, $2,839
3rd: Dave Wood, Charlestown, Ind., seven bass, 12-0, $1,694
4th: Tim Adams, Burlington, Ky., eight bass, 11-1, $1,685 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
5th: Aaron Stahley, Batavia, Ohio, six bass, 10-15, $1,015
6th: Jamie Cunnagin, New Lebanon, Ohio, six bass, 10-12, $1,056
7th: Caleb Carnes, Guston, Ky., eight bass, 10-12, $846
8th: Jeffery Johnson, Austin, Ind., seven bass, 10-7, $762
9th: Todd Hensley, New Albany, Ind., six bass, 10-1, $677
10th: Jordan Nauert, Fillmore, Ind., six bass, 9-6, $592
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Shaffer caught a bass that weighed 5 pounds, 9 ounces, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $637.
Ken Barker of Middletown, Ohio, won the Strike King co-angler division and $2,563 Sunday, after bringing a two-day total of five bass to the scale that weighed 8 pounds, 5 ounces.
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers finished:
1st: Ken Barker, Middletown, Ohio, five bass, 8-5, $2,563
2nd: Brian Zelinskas, Beavercreek, Ohio, four bass, 7-12, $1,438
3rd: Dylan Grace, Scottsburg, Ind., six bass, 7-6, $953
4th: Ryan Cannon, Indianapolis, Ind., five bass, 6-13, $598
5th: Brandon Houston, Lakeside Park, Ky., five bass, 6-13, $513
6th: Adler Odle, Willow Springs, Mo., four bass, 6-7, $470
7th: Steven Wells, North Vernon, Ind., three bass, 6-3, $427
8th: Jordan Loveless, Beech Grove, Ind., five bass, 6-3, $384
9th: Kade Oliver, Muncie, Ind., five bass, 5-12, $342
10th: Tyler Sloan, Gas City, Ind., three bass, 5-6, $299
Hagen Conley of Florence, Kentucky, and Brian Zelinskas of Beavercreek, Ohio, tied for the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award, each catching a bass that weighed in at 2 pounds, 11 ounces – the largest co-angler catch of the tournament. They each took home $157 for their share of the prize.
At the conclusion of the tournament, John Melton of Corydon, Indiana, was crowned the Fishing Clash Hoosier Division Angler of the Year (AOY) with 1,289 points and was awarded the $1,000 payout, while Ryan Cannon of Indianapolis, Indiana, won the Fishing Clash Hoosier Division Co-angler of the Year race with 1,327 points and earned the $500 prize.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, have qualified for the Oct. 10-12 BFL Regional tournament on Pools 13-17 of the Mississippi River in Quad Cities, Illinois. Boaters will fish for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $50,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard.
The 2024 Phoenix BFL Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 events throughout the season, five qualifying tournaments in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five qualifying event winners, will advance to one of six BFL Regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. The 2025 BFL All-American will take place May 29-31, 2025, at Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and is hosted by hosted by Visit Hot Springs and the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism.
Proud sponsors of the 2024 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 7Brew, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, E3, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, General Tire, GSM Outdoors, Lew’s, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, PowerStop Brakes, REDCON1, Strike King, Suzuki, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, WIX Filters and YETI.
For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Bass Fishing League updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery Channel, Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 17 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.
Greensboro’s Inman Posts Fifth Career Win at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Super Tournament at Lake Norman
Elm City’s Lacerte Tops Strike King Co-Angler Division
MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Sept. 30, 2024) – Boater Mark Inman of Greensboro, North Carolina, caught a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 30 pounds, 7 ounces, to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine Super Tournament on Lake Norman . The tournament, which concluded Sunday, was the fifth and final event of the season for the BFL North Carolina Division. Inman earned $7,340, including the lucrative $2,500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus, for his victory.
After a tough start to practice, Inman got a tip from a friend that helped him eventually piece together a productive pattern fishing a mix of a jig, shaky head and topwater. The key was running and gunning so he could get in front of new fish throughout the tournament.
“Once I learned the pattern, I gave it about 10, 15 minutes on a stretch of shoreline, and if I didn’t get bit I’d just crank up and go somewhere new,” said Inman, who weighed in 12 pounds, 6 ounces on day one.
Heavy rains at the end of the week certainly impacted the bite, as Inman eventually found himself hunting clean water on Sunday. The other key was being around baitfish.
“It wasn’t muddy when I started (on Saturday),” he said. “I caught about 12, 13 fish, but I only caught seven or eight keepers. Then today (Sunday), I started in an area that was close to it (where he fished Saturday), and I ended up losing a couple. I started looking down at the water, and I thought, they don’t eat good in this fresh water. I’ve got to move.
“I went to another place I caught fish yesterday and never got a bite. I told that my co-angler we’re going fishing. My daddy always said, ‘When your stuff gets burned up, you go fishing.’ That’s what I did today, and the good Lord blessed me. Everything just went right. I caught about 30 keepers.”
That impressive catch of 30 keepers included a big kicker that bit at around 11 o’clock. Inman thought he might’ve had it won at that point. Turns out, it wouldn’t have been enough. Thankfully, he landed a 3-plus-pounder late in the day, which culled him up to 18 pounds, 1 ounce – easily the biggest bag of the tournament – for the win.
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:
1st: Mark Inman, Greensboro, N.C., 10 bass, 30-7, $7,340 (includes $2,500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
2nd: Isaac Ledford, Dallas, N.C., 10 bass, 29-1, $2,270
3rd: Kaden Buchmann, Mooresville, N.C., 10 bass, 26-7, $1,515
4th: Mark Davis, Bear Creek, N.C., 10 bass, 25-12, $1,059
5th: David Bright, Mooresville, N.C., 10 bass, 25-9, $1,033
6th: Rob Digh, Denver, N.C., 10 bass, 25-7, $832
7th: Michael Campbell, Pineville, S.C., 10 bass, 24-15, $1,289
8th: Lucas Murphy, West Columbia, S.C., 10 bass, 24-14, $681
9th: Scott Hamrick, Denver, N.C., 10 bass, 24-9, $605
10th: Jake Monti, Mooresville, N.C., 10 bass, 24-5, $530
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Michael Campbell of Pineville, South Carolina, caught a bass that weighed 4 pounds, 7 ounces, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $532.
Jean Lacerte of Elm City, North Carolina, won the Strike King co-angler division and $2,270 Sunday, after bringing a two-day total of 10 bass to the scale that weighed 22 pounds, 2 ounces.
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers finished:
1st: Jean Lacerte, Elm City, N.C., 10 bass, 22-2, $2,270
2nd: Jason Hinger, Timberlake, N.C., 10 bass, 21-0, $1,385
3rd: Eric Stanbery, Lewisville, N.C., 10 bass, 20-5, $757
4th: David Deciucis, Chester, Va., 10 bass, 20-2, $796
5th: Jerry Morris, Charlotte, N.C., 10 bass, 19-10, $454
6th: Greg Mauldin II, Archdale, N.C., nine bass, 19-2, $416
7th: Hunter Alexander, China Grove, N.C., 10 bass, 18-10, $378
8th: Arthur Harris, York, S.C., 10 bass, 18-9, $341
9th: Adam Radovic, Brecksville, Ohio, eight bass, 17-12, $303
10th: Hunter Carpenter, Lincolnton, N.C., nine bass, 16-15, $265
David Deciucis of Chester, Virginia, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $266, catching a bass that weighed in at 3 pounds, 4 ounces – the largest co-angler catch of the tournament.
At the conclusion of the tournament, Scott Hamrick of Denver, North Carolina, was crowned the Fishing Clash North Carolina Division Angler of the Year (AOY) and earned the $1,000 payout with 1,320 points, while Lacerte, the co-angler tournament winner, also sewed up the Fishing Clash North Carolina Division Co-angler of the Year race with 1,338 points to take home the $500 prize.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, have qualified for the Oct. 10-12 BFL Regional tournament on Santee Cooper Lakes in Clarendon County, South Carolina. Boaters will fish for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $50,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard.
The 2024 Phoenix BFL Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 events throughout the season, five qualifying tournaments in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five qualifying event winners, will advance to one of six BFL Regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. The 2025 BFL All-American will take place May 29-31, 2025, at Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and is hosted by hosted by Visit Hot Springs and the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism.
Proud sponsors of the 2024 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 7Brew, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, E3, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, General Tire, GSM Outdoors, Lew’s, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, PowerStop Brakes, REDCON1, Strike King, Suzuki, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, WIX Filters and YETI.
For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Bass Fishing League updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery Channel, Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 17 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.
Tennessee’s Suratt Posts Fifth Career Win at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Super Tournament at Wheeler Lake
Georgia’s Hill Tops Strike King Co-Angler Division
ROGERSVILLE, Ala. (Sept. 30, 2024) – Boater Trent Suratt of Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, caught a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 37 pounds, 8 ounces, to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine Super Tournament on Wheeler Lake . The tournament, which concluded Sunday, was hosted by Florence-Lauderdale Tourism. It was the fifth and final event of the season for the BFL Choo Choo Division. Suratt earned $4,465 for his victory.
Suratt didn’t practice for the tournament, but based on the rainy conditions, he knew there’d be gates open on Guntersville Dam, which would position the fish on rock piles in the current. So he knew fishing the tailrace would probably contend for the win, as it often does on the Tennessee River. Yet, he actually started the tournament by running down to First Creek.
“I didn’t have but like 9 pounds (at 9 a.m.),” he said. “I knew I wasn’t going to win down there, so I just struck out toward the dam, got up there and caught them all within about 15 minutes. Then I stayed up there and beat on ’em today (Sunday). I just had one little rock pile that I caught all of them on.”
In two days, Suratt weighed in a mix of four smallmouth and six largemouth bass. He caught his winning fish on an undisclosed swimbait.
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:
1st: Trent Suratt, Lawrenceburg, Tenn., 10 bass, 37-8, $4,465
2nd: Jimmy Carruth, Madison, Ala., 10 bass, 31-0, $2,233
3rd: Corey McMullen, Gurley, Ala., 10 bass, 30-3, $1,998
4th: Harry Peyton II, Guntersville, Ala., 10 bass, 29-11, $1,542 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
5th: Jesse Wiggins, Addison, Ala., 10 bass, 27-12, $893
6th: Kent Ware, Guntersville, Ala., 10 bass, 27-12, $819
7th: Alan McCoy, Blountsville, Ala., 10 bass, 27-4, $744
8th: Daniel Davis, Albertville, Ala., 10 bass, 26-15, $670
9th: Donny Beck, Killen, Ala., 10 bass, 25-4, $595
10th: Jason Henson, Rome, Ga., 10 bass, 23-13, $821
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Corey McMullen of Gurley, Alabama, caught a bass that weighed 6 pounds, 5 ounces, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $510.
Tony Hill of Chatsworth, Georgia, won the Strike King co-angler division and $2,233 Sunday, after bringing a two-day total of 10 bass to the scale that weighed 23 pounds, 3 ounces.
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers finished:
1st: Tony Hill, Chatsworth, Ga., 10 bass, 23-3, $2,233
2nd: Brandon Bell, Starkville, Miss., 10 bass, 20-0, $1,116
3rd: Red Calvert, Perdido Key, Fla., 10 bass, 19-8, $844
4th: Brian Carroll, Glencoe, Ala., nine bass, 19-6, $521
5th: Todd Mowery, Madison, Ala., 10 bass, 18-1, $447
6th: Frank Mackin, State Line, Miss., nine bass, 17-13, $409
7th: Jonathan Craig, Madison, Ala., nine bass, 17-2, $372
8th: Ethan Wheeler, Water Valley, Ky., eight bass, 16-8, $335
9th: Richard Bailey, Florence, Ala., seven bass, 16-4, $298
10th: Mekiah Jack, Mount Juliet, Tenn., eight bass, 14-9, $260
Alvis (Slick) Jones of Muscle Shoals, Alabama, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $255, catching a bass that weighed in at 5 pounds, 1 ounce – the largest co-angler catch of the tournament.
At the conclusion of the tournament, Dillon Falardeau of Hixson, Tennessee, was crowned the Fishing Clash Choo Choo Division Angler of the Year (AOY) with 1,289 points and earned the $1,000 prize, while Todd Mowery of Madison, Alabama, won the Fishing Clash Choo Choo Division Co-angler of the Year race with 1,324 points and took home the $500 payout.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, have qualified for the Oct. 17-19 BFL Regional tournament on Clarks Hill Lake in Appling, Georgia. Boaters will fish for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $50,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard.
The 2024 Phoenix BFL Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 events throughout the season, five qualifying tournaments in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five qualifying event winners, will advance to one of six BFL Regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. The 2025 BFL All-American will take place May 29-31, 2025, at Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and is hosted by hosted by Visit Hot Springs and the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism.
Proud sponsors of the 2024 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 7Brew, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, E3, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, General Tire, GSM Outdoors, Lew’s, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, PowerStop Brakes, REDCON1, Strike King, Suzuki, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, WIX Filters and YETI.
For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Bass Fishing League updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery Channel, Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 17 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.
Louisiana’s Sulphur High School Wins MLF Abu Garcia High School Fishing Open on Sam Rayburn Reservoir Presented by Simms
BROOKELAND, Texas. (Sept. 30, 2024) – The MLF High School Fishing team of Jackson and Carter Lanclos of Sulphur, Louisiana, representing Sulphur High School, brought five bass to the scale weighing 15 pounds, 5 ounces to win the MLF Abu Garcia High School Fishing Presented by Tackle Warehouse Open at Sam Rayburn Reservoir Presented by Simms.
A field of 58 teams competed Saturday in the no-entry fee tournament, which was hosted by the Jasper County Development District. In MLF High School Fishing competition, the top 10 percent of teams competing advance to the High School Fishing National Championship.
The top five teams that advanced to the 2025 High School Fishing National Championship are:
1st: Sulphur High School, Sulphur, La., Jackson Lanclos and Carter Lanclos, five bass, 15-5
2nd: Alexandria Senior High School, Alexandria, La., Corbin Dunn and Clint Turrentine, five bass, 13-11
3rd: Sulphur High School, Sulphur, La., Orin Byrd and Sydnee Byrd, five bass, 13-9
4th: Sulphur High School, Sulphur, La., Justin Ackel and Gavin Burnett, five bass, 13-8
5th: Huntington High School, Huntington, Texas, Caden Alexander and Brise Hazelton, five bass, 13-8
Rounding out the top 10 teams were:
6th: Sulphur High School, Sulphur, La., Bodhi Trahan and Bryce Youngblood, five bass, 12-7
7th: Highland Park, Dallas, Texas, Carson Falk and Dylan Sorrells, five bass, 12-5
8th: D’Arbonne Woods Charter School, Farmerville, La., Bradley Herring and Ethan Thrash, five bass, 12-5
9th: Vidor Pirate Fishing Team, Vidor, Texas, Braden Norton and Caden Williamson, four bass, 12-5
10th: Kats Fishing Team, Conroe, Texas, Brayden Griffin and Austin Sponseller, five bass, 12-3
Complete results from the event can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
MLF Abu Garcia High School Fishing presented by Tackle Warehouse tournaments are free, two-person (team) events for students in grades 7-12 and are open to any MLF and TBF Student Angler Federation-affiliated high school club. The top 10 percent of teams at each Open event, along with the TBF High School Fishing state championships, advance to the High School Fishing National Championship.
The 2025 Abu Garcia High School Fishing National Championship & World Finals will take place June 25-28, 2025, at Grand Lake o’ the Cherokees in Grove, Oklahoma. The High School Fishing National Champions each receive a $5,000 college scholarship to the school of their choice and advance to the 2025 MLF Toyota Series Championship to compete as co-anglers.
Proud sponsors of the 2024 MLF Abu Garcia High School Fishing Presented by Tackle Warehouse include: 7Brew, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, E3, Epic Baits, General Tire, GSM Outdoors, Lew’s, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Suzuki, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota and YETI.
For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular High School Fishing updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery Channel, Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 13 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.
Stephen F. Austin University Wins MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing Tournament on Sam Rayburn Reservoir Presented by Suzuki Marine
BROOKELAND, Texas (Sept. 30, 2024) – The Stephen F. Austin State University duo of Ben Burns of Lucas, Texas, and Grant Pursifull of Princeton, Texas, won the MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI event on Sam Rayburn Reservoir Presented by Suzuki Marine Friday with a five-bass limit weighing 26 pounds, 5 ounces. The victory earned the Lumberjacks’ bass club $2,000 and a qualification into the 2025 MLF College Fishing National Championship.
“I’ve been fishing out here a lot the last two months,” Burns said. “I had a lot of good schools located. We rolled up to our first one, and it didn’t really work out. We ended up catching one good one there. Then we ran around to smaller schools and ended up filling our limit pretty quick.”
The Lumberjacks started off the day throwing a 6th Sense Crush 500DD crankbait on isolated hard spots offshore. They rotated through about 30 schools.
“That was by about 11,” Burns added. “We had a decent little limit, about 15 or 16 pounds. From 11 to 1, it gave us the opportunity to go throw a big 6th Sense Draw and Juggle Minnow and catch some good ones around timber and brush just kind of ‘LiveScoping’ around.”
By switching up tactics, Burns, a junior business major, and Pursifull, a freshman construction management major, only got four more bites, but it was a crucial move to target bigger bass and cull up to their winning weight.
“I think just moving fast and covering water really (was the key),” Burns said. “Hitting as much stuff as we could.”
The top 10 teams finished:
1st: Stephen F. Austin University – Ben Burns, Lucas, Texas, and Grant Pursifull, Princeton, Texas, five bass, 26-5, $2,000
2nd: Wabash Valley College – Sam Ausbrooks, Loogootee, Ind., and Elijah Jaime, Auburn, Mich., five bass, 23-12, $1,000
3rd: Bethel University – Coleman Bingham, Greenville, Ky., and Brayden Wilson, Piedmont, Mo., five bass, 20-7, $700
4th: Tarleton State – Stephenville – Karson Denton, Splendora, Texas, and Hayden Hurst, Stephenville, Texas, five bass, 19-7, $600
5th: LSU Shreveport – Barrett Bennefield, San Augustine, Texas, and Mason McCormick, Shreveport, La., five bass, 19-7, $500
6th: Texas A&M – Clay Jenkins, Lumberton, Texas, and Sid Wallace, San Angelo, Texas, five bass, 18-14
7th: LSU Shreveport – Grayson Bonfils, Baton Rouge, La., and Nevan Osburn, Lipan, Texas, five bass, 18-11
8th: Texas A&M – Hunter Hernandez, Spring, Texas, and Riley Meinke, Austin, Texas, five bass, 18-7
9th: Bethel University – Colby Carrier, Skowhegan, Maine, and Justin Frey, Landisburg, Pa., five bass, 17-1
10th: Southeastern Louisiana University – Rylan Meyers, Loranger, Louisiana, and Chance Shelby, Denim Springs, Louisiana, five bass, 17-9
A total of 22 teams - the top 12% - at Sam Rayburn qualified to compete at the 2025 College Fishing National Championship. The full list of National Championship Qualifiers and results for the entire field can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI event on Sam Rayburn Reservoir was hosted by the Jasper County Development District. The next tournament for MLF College Fishing anglers will be the Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI event on Lake Chickamauga, Oct. 18 in Dayton, Tennessee.
The 2024 MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI season features college teams from across the country competing in nine regular-season tournaments. The top 12 percent of teams from each regular-season tournament advance to the 2025 Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI National Championship. The 2025 Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI National Championship will be held on Wheeler Lake in Decatur, Alabama from April 9–11, 2025. The tournament is presented by Decatur Morgan County Tourism
Proud sponsors of the 2024 MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI include: 7Brew, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, E3, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, General Tire, GSM Outdoors, Lew’s, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Suzuki, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota and YETI.
For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular College Fishing updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery Channel, Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 17 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.
New Truck Cap Designs from LEER Group for 2024 Toyota Tacoma & Tundra
ELKHART, IN, U.S.A. - September 30, 2024 – LEER Group is proud to showcase bold, fresh truck cap designs for the 2024 Toyota Tacoma. As truck body designs evolve, these new LEER Group caps for the Tacoma raise the bar on innovation and style.
LEER Group has long had outdoorsmen and women covered when it comes to keeping equipment protected, organized, and secure in their truck bed. With the rapidly changing environment of automotive design, LEER Group has been hard at work developing new products to highlight your tow-vehicles’ design, as well as enhancing the look and functionality of your truck. The newly released product line for the 2024 Tacoma and latest generation of Toyota Tundra exemplifies this effort as leaders in the truck accessories industry.
Jeff Hickey, the chief design engineer, has been instrumental in driving new custom cap designs for LEER®, Century®, and SnugTop® to fit the 2024 Tacoma. Jeff commented, “Many people see their vehicle as an expression of themselves, and our products should be an extension of that thinking to create products that resonate with personal expression, making vehicles and accessories that stand out in a crowd.”
The LEER Group Design Team has created head-turning fiberglass caps that echo the style lines of the new Tacoma. Jeff said, “We pushed the boundaries with this new styling based on customers’ feedback, suggesting the industry is ready for new life.”
These new Tacoma caps embrace a bold, new direction in the marketplace. While continuing to offer added storage space, security, and peace of mind for anglers and outdoorsmen who need to keep their expensive gear protected.
LEER Group has a full line of products for the 2024 Toyota Tacoma and 2024 Toyota Tundra, including aluminum caps, rolling, folding and retractable truck bed covers, and sliding cargo trays in addition to fiberglass truck caps to protect, store and organize your valuable gear.
For more information, visit LEER.com, CenturyCaps.com, Snugtop.com, contact an Authorized LEER Group Retailer, or reach out to Luke@Dynamicsponsorships.com for help getting your truck covered by LEER.
About LEER Group
Leer Group is North America’s largest manufacturer and supplier of fiberglass and aluminum truck caps, tonneau covers and truck accessories. These recreational and commercial/fleet products include LEER®, SnugTop®, Century®, Pace-Edwards by LEER®, BEDSLIDE®, LLC, State Wide Aluminum, Inc. and SE-GI brands. Headquartered in Indiana, LEER Group has manufacturing plants in Indiana, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Washington, and Mexico, along with more than 1,300 independent dealers across North America. LEER Group is a Business Unit of J.B. Poindexter & Co. (JBPCO), a larger, privately held portfolio of manufacturing businesses that provide premier transportation goods and services. For more information visit LEER.com, SnugTop.com, CenturyCaps.com, Pace-Edwards.com or BEDSLIDE.com.
The Leer Group has been a business unit of JBPCO since 1987. For over 36 years, JBPCO has invested heavily in its people, processes, and facilities to make sure that LEER remains a world-class organization and the #1 manufacturer of fiberglass and aluminum truck caps, tonneau covers and accessories in North America. Expect to see more updates focused on enhancing Leer Group’s team, capacity and products for today and the future.
Cherokee Lake Named Host for 2024 Phoenix Bass Fishing League Wild Card Tournament
FLORENCE, Ala. (Sept. 30, 2024) – Major League Fishing (MLF) announced Sunday that Tennessee’s Cherokee Lake has been selected to host the 2024 Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine Wild Card, which will take place in Jefferson County, Tennessee, Oct. 25-26. The two-day event, hosted by Visit Jefferson County TN, will launch from the TVA Cherokee Dam Launch in Jefferson City.
In order to be eligible to fish the Wild Card, anglers must have entered all five events within a Phoenix Bass Fishing League division during the 2024 season, fished at least two of them and not qualify for a regular Regional.
Anglers will take off from the TVA Cherokee Dam Launch, located on Renfro Road in Jefferson City, at 8 a.m. ET each day of competition. Weigh-ins will be held at the marina both days beginning at 4 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend the event or follow the action online through the “MLF Live” weigh-in broadcasts at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The full field competes both days at the Phoenix Bass Fishing League Wild Card, with winners determined by the heaviest two-day catch. The top six boaters and top six Strike King co-anglers will advance to the 2025 Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine All-American, held on Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas, May 29-31, 2025, and is hosted by Visit Hot Springs and the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism.
There will be no off-limits period prior to the pretournament meeting for the Wild Card. No contestant may be on tournament waters for the purpose of locating bass or potential fishing waters after the start of the pretournament meeting except during tournament hours.
Entry for the Phoenix Bass Fishing League Wild Card is now open and runs through Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024, at 6 p.m. CT. Anglers can enter by phone at 270.252.1000 on online at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The 2024 Phoenix BFL Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 events throughout the season, five qualifying tournaments in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five qualifying event winners, will advance to one of six BFL Regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American.
Proud sponsors of the 2024 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 7Brew, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, E3, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, General Tire, GSM Outdoors, Lew’s, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, PowerStop Brakes, REDCON1, Strike King, Suzuki, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, WIX Filters and YETI.
For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Bass Fishing League updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery Channel, Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 17 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.
Georgia Pro Jared Lintner Wins MLF Toyota Series at Lake of the Ozarks
OSAGE BEACH, Mo. (Sept. 29, 2024) – Pro Jared Lintner of Covington, Georgia, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 15 pounds, 15 ounces to win the Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats at Lake of the Ozarks Presented by Suzuki Marine and earn the top payout of $38,289. Over the three days of competition Lintner weighed in 15 bass totaling 51-8 to earn the win by a 3-pound, 14-ounce margin over Dennis Berhorst of Holts Summit, Missouri, who finished second with a three-day total of 47-10, good for $15,837.
Three things you can count on in an early-fall tournament on Missouri’s Lake of the Ozarks: the bite might be inconsistent to tough, the lake’s multitude of docks will probably play a key role and the winner must avoid any costly one-day fumbles.
Check, check, and check for the Georgia pro, who made the most of an inconsistent fall bite at Lake of the Ozarks by running a wide-open, “hit and run” dock pattern for three days at the Plains Division season finale, wrapping up his first career Toyota Series win.
“We moved out here to be closer to lakes like these,” Lintner said as he accepted the trophy, referring to his move from Central California to Georgia two years ago. “Living where we do now, I can see a tournament like this on the schedule and go ‘Oh, I think I’ll fish that.’ I like fishing all of these Ozarks lakes, but I couldn’t really jump into tournaments like this living in California.”
The California transplant’s consistency was key at Lake of the Ozarks as he followed up a 16-3 first day with 19-6 on Day 2 and 15-15 on Saturday. Berhorst’s 19-4 on Saturday was the second-biggest bag of the event and followed up 16-3 on Day 2, but he only caught 12-3 on Day 1. Newcomb’s tournament was similar: 17-15, 16-15 and 12-15.
Lintner earned the nickname “The Milkman” when he worked as a dairy-delivery driver around his home in Arroyo Grande, California, before committing to a full-time pro career. His approach on Lake of the Ozarks lived up to his nickname – the Tackle Warehouse pro spent all three days with both his big motor and trolling motor warmed up at all times, running “at least 40 or 50 docks a day” in search of docks where he believed he could catch better-than-average fish.
“I covered a ton of water every day, looking for real specific docks,” Lintner said. “I wanted docks that were close to a main lake point and were somewhat isolated. If there were a bunch of docks together, that wasn’t the deal for me. I was looking for real specific areas where there was one, maybe two, docks in a quarter-mile stretch. And the bigger the dock the better.”
Lintner’s dock attack turned up 16-3 on Day 1, good enough for third place, most of it on a 5/16-ounce ARK Wes Logan Swim Jig in blue magic with a white Zoom Z Craw trailer, and a 1/2-ounce ARK Randall Tharp Flipping Jig in old-school brown. He spent that evening poring over the maps on his Garmin EchoMAP Ultra 2 in search of more isolated docks to add to his expanding collection of waypoints.
Day 2 brought clouds and shade on his docks, which Linter exploited with a 1/2-ounce Z-Man Evergreen ChatterBait Jack Hammer (white/gold blade) with a white Yamamoto Zako trailer and the same ARK swim jig.
“Eighty percent of the water I ran every day was brand new,” Lintner said. “I’d pull up the map and zoom in on docks that looked like what I wanted, and I’d just spent the day running to those docks. That was a key for me in having consistent weights – the volume of docks I ran. I caught a ton of fish every day – probably 50 a day – but only had five to seven keepers a day. Getting those keeper bites was hard, but I think running all new water really helped me. There wasn’t really any reason why a 3 1/2- or 4-pounder would show up, I couldn’t replicate it. I had to just keep fishing as many docks as I could.”
Lintner returned to the reaction baits on the final day, weighing all but one fish on the ChatterBait and swim jig (but catching his biggest fish on the flipping jig).
“I’ve picked up that dock deal over the years fishing all of these lakes around here: Bull Shoals, Table Rock, Lake of the Ozarks,” Lintner said. “It’s something I knew coming into this week, and I caught fish at all kinds of depths doing it. I caught some as shallow as a foot and a half deep, and some where my boat was in 55 feet of water.”
The top 10 pros on Lake of the Ozarks finished:
1st: Jared Lintner, Covington, Ga., 15 bass, 51-8, $38,289
2nd: Dennis Berhorst, Holts Summit, Mo., 15 bass, 47-10, $15,837 (includes $1,000 Phoenix MLF Bonus)
3rd: Andy Newcomb, Camdenton, Mo., 15 bass, 47-8, $11,787
4th: Brock Reinkemeyer, Warsaw, Mo., 14 bass, 43-12, $9,822
5th: Casey Scanlon, Eldon, Mo., 15 bass, 43-10, $8,615
6th: Chris Digino, Dallas, Texas, 15 bass, 42-11, $7,658
7th: Jake Lawrence, Buchanan, Tenn., 15 bass, 42-10, $6,701
8th: Corbin Bailey, Camdenton, Mo., 14 bass, 42-6, $5,743
9th: Jason Moppin, Cross Timbers, Mo., 14 bass, 39-12, $4,786
10th: Lawson Hibdon, Versailles, Mo., 15 bass, 39-6, $3,829
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Pros Brock Reinkemeyer of Warsaw, Missouri, and Jason Sandidge of Centerton, Arkansas, tied for the Berkley Big Bass award in the pro division Thursday, each catching a largemouth weighing 6 pounds, 2 ounces, to take home $250. On Friday, pro Aaron Johnson of Shreveport, Louisiana, earned the $500 Berkley Big Bass prize after bringing a 6-pound, 1-ounce largemouth bass to the scale.
Berhorst took home an extra $1,000 as the highest finishing Phoenix MLF Bonus member. Boaters are eligible to win up to an extra $35,000 per event in each Toyota Series tournament if all requirements are met. More information on the Phoenix MLF Bonus contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.
Mason Chambers of Galena, Missouri, won the Strike King Co-angler Division Saturday with a three-day total of 10 bass weighing 30 pounds, 3 ounces. Chambers took home the top prize package worth $33,500, including a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard motor.
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers on Lake of the Ozarks finished:
1st: Mason Chambers, Galena, Mo., 10 bass, 30-3, Phoenix 518 Pro boat w/115-hp outboard
2nd: Shane Kuehn, Bennington, Neb., six bass, 21-7, $4,804
3rd: Albert (Skip) Rayborn, Hammond, La., nine bass, 21-0, $3,843
4th: William Hoffert, Columbia, Mo., eight bass, 18-4, $3,363
5th: Charley Slaton, Valliant, Okla., seven bass, 17-12, $2,882
6th: William Koerber, Phillipsburg, Mo., seven bass, 17-2, $2,402
7th: Clayton Hale, Grove, Okla., eight bass, 16-14, $2,071
8th: Dennis Meyer, Branson West, Mo., six bass, 16-3, $1,681
9th: Les Brandenburg, Springfield, Mo., six bass, 15-13, $1,441
10th: Kenny Miller, Fulton, Mo., seven bass, 15-9, $1,201
Dennis Young of Olathe, Kansas, was the Berkley Big Bass $150 award winner in the Strike King co-angler division, Thursday, with a 6-pound, 6-ounce bass, while the Day 2 $150 award went to Mason Chambers of Galena, Missouri, with a 4-pound, 14-ounce fish.
With all three regular-season events in the Toyota Series Plains Division now complete, pro Jake Lawrence of Buchanan, Tennessee, was crowned the Fishing Clash Plains Division Angler of the Year (AOY), earning the AOY payout of $5,000 with 773 points, while Dennis Young of Olathe, Kansas, was named the Strike King Co-angler of the year with 739 points, taking home the $2,000 prize.
The Toyota Series at Lake of the Ozarks, hosted by the Tri-County Lodging Association, was the third and final regular-season event for the Toyota Series Plains Division. The next event for Toyota Series anglers will be the Toyota Series Championship at Wheeler Lake – hosted by the Huntsville Sports Commission – Nov. 7-9, in Huntsville, Alabama. For a complete schedule of events, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The 2024 Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats consists of six divisions – Central, Northern, Plains, Southern, Southwestern and the Western Division Presented by Tackle Warehouse – each holding three regular-season events, along with the International and Wild Card divisions. Anglers who fish in any of the six divisions or the Wild Card division and finish in the top 25 will qualify for the no-entry-fee Toyota Series Championship for a shot at winning up to $235,000 and a qualification to REDCREST 2025. The winning Strike King co-angler at the championship earns a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard.
Proud sponsors of the 2024 MLF Toyota Series include: 7Brew, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, E3, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, FX Custom Rods, General Tire, Lew’s, Mercury, Mossy Oak Fishing, Onyx, Phoenix Boats, Polaris, Power-Pole, REDCON1, Simms, Strike King, Suzuki Marine, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, WIX Filters and YETI.
For complete details and updated information on Major League Fishing and the Toyota Series, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Tackle Warehouse Invitational updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the MLF5 social media outlets at Facebook , Instagram and YouTube.
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery Channel, Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 17 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.
Jagdfeld, Akins advance to finals at Bassmaster College Classic Bracket on Tims Ford Lake
Sept. 29, 2024
Winchester, Tenn. — Dylan Akins enjoyed his best day yet at Tims Ford Lake, landing 16 pounds, 7 ounces — the heaviest bag of the tournament so far — on Day 3 of the Bassmaster College Classic Bracket presented by Lew’s.
Still, there were some anxious moments at weigh-in as the Emmanuel University angler arrived at check-in and realized his head-to-head opponent Andrew Blanton of Lander University had also caught an impressive bag of bass on Day 3.
Blanton fell just 4 ounces short with 16-3, allowing Akins to take a sigh of relief and advance to Championship Monday. He will be joined by Adrian College graduate Aaron Jagdfeld, who caught 12-3 to advance past Caleb Hudson of University of South Carolina-Union (7-3).
“I was feeling pretty optimistic because I had caught a decent sack,” Akins said. “So, I was thinking, if I want to have a chance tomorrow, I don’t know if I can keep grinding on these fish. So, I made a move to a different section of the lake to try and cull up there. I got to weigh-in and realized it was going to be close. I saw he had those two big largemouth.
“Luckily, I slid through. It was nerve-wracking.”
Weights will zero again tomorrow and Akins and Jagdfeld will compete head-to-head for a spot in the 2025 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic at Lake Ray Roberts along with paid entries into the 2025 St. Croix Bassmaster Opens with use of a fully rigged Nitro boat and Toyota Tundra.
A light rain continued to fall over Tims Ford as the remnants of Hurricane Helene continued to swirl around the area. But as the conditions have stabilized, the bite has continued to improve for the Emmanuel University graduate.
“Today was the best day I’ve had,” Akins said. “I fished a couple of new areas I found, which helped a lot. I had some key bass off of those areas. Hopefully tomorrow will be the same, too. The weather is kind of moving out of here, so there’s a chance it could completely change.”
Thus far, Akins has been targeting both smallmouth and largemouth in the southwestern section of the lake. The majority of the bass he’s caught have been feeding around suspended bait balls, but he landed one of his bigger bass on Day 3 in shallower water.
“If I see them around bait, then I’m throwing at them,” Akins said. “Today, every fish for a little while was trying to eat. If I saw them shallow or out on bait, I would throw over there and try to get them to eat the topwater.”
Garmin LiveScope has helped him locate these groups of threadfin shad, and has also allowed him to observe where the bass are sitting in the water column. Akins has seen bass swimming and suspended anywhere from just under the surface to as deep as 50 feet.
The bass located in the top 15 feet of the water column are more willing to bite a topwater, but he’ll drop a bait to the bass if they are deeper. Several groups of bass have moved quickly up and down in the water column, which has shocked Akins.
“I can sit there and watch a school of bass that is 50 feet down all of sudden swim up and get right under the surface like they are ready to feed,” he said. “What is even crazier, I know people catch largemouth shallow ... I have caught some of my biggest largemouth here in 40 feet of water. It blows my mind that they will (rise and fall) so much. The smallmouth will swim everywhere, but the schools of largemouth I’m seeing are swimming twice as fast.”
It was a wet start for Akins, but not because of the rain. While fighting a bass, Akins slipped on the gunnel of the boat and fell into the lake. He did, however, manage to land that bass and proceeded to fill out his limit.
“The first bass I caught kept and from there I filled my limit pretty fast. That hasn’t happened the last few days. I would get stuck on four for a while. After that, I had a flurry that lasted until about 10 or 11. It slowed down from there. I noticed a lot of bass starting to not react the same way.”
Jagdfeld, meanwhile, suffered his worst day of fishing since arriving at Tims Ford. Despite losing several bass early in the morning, he was able to land a respectable limit by midmorning, but the way the bass bit today has him a bit worried about his chances for the final day.
“It is good to be here, but I want to win it all,” Jagdfeld said. “I have no clue what I’m going to do tomorrow. I’m completely out of fish. But I’m going to fish free tomorrow and go bassin’. I’m going to act like I’ve never been here before.”
Throughout the first three days, the Adrian College angler has moved between two large areas of the lake searching for bass feeding on threadfin. He has landed a mix of smallmouth and largemouth with two baits, including a topwater popper and a minnow-style bait.
Like Akins, Jagdfeld has found that bass swimming higher in the water column are more willing to bite.
“Most of the bass I’m catching are within 10 feet of the surface over 15 to 100 feet of water,” Jagdfeld said. “That’s why I’m able to catch them on topwater. I switched from a Spook to a Pop-R today. I’ve seen big schools down in 30 to 50 feet of water, but it is really hard to get to them and they are hard to get to bite anyway.”
When he arrived at his starting spot on Day 3, Jagdfeld discovered the bass in the area were in an odd mode.
“I didn’t connect with the first four or five bass that blew up on my topwater. I made some mistakes. Tried to boat flip some bass I shouldn’t have,” Jagdfeld said. “I was able to grind it out and hit a few stretches that had them. I never had a big bite.”
Jagdfeld suspects the bass are starting to transition to their fall patterns, and with the rise in water levels from the tropical rains, he thinks he will have to make a drastic change in strategy.
“With the water coming up, and now that it is stabilizing, I probably will fish shallow. I haven’t done it much all week. When we first got here, there were a lot more fish on the main lake. The bait is still there, but the bass aren’t there in the numbers they were when we first got here.”
Jagdfeld and Akins will launch from Tims Ford Marina at 6:20 a.m. CT and return for weigh-in at 2:30 p.m. Live coverage on Bassmaster.com will begin at 7 a.m. and continue until 2 p.m.
The Tennessee Department of Tourist Development and local businesses are hosting the tournament.
2024 Bassmaster College Series Title Sponsor: Strike King
2024 Bassmaster College Series Presenting Sponsor: Bass Pro Shops
2024 Bassmaster College Classic Bracket Presenting Sponsor: Lew's
2024 Bassmaster College Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota
2024 Bassmaster College Series Premier Sponsors: Dakota Lithium, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Progressive Insurance, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha
2024 Bassmaster College Series Supporting Sponsors: AFTCO, Daiwa, Garmin, Lew's, Lowarance, Marathon, Triton Boats, VMC
2024 Bassmaster College Series Youth Sponsors: Seaguar, Shimano
Connect with #Bassmaster on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok.
About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S., which encompasses the Bassmaster tournament leagues, events and media platforms, is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting-edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 500,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), TV show, radio show, social media programs and events. For more than 50 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.
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Media Contact: Chad Gay, B.A.S.S. Communications Manager, 205-313-0945, cgay@bassmaster.com
2024 Strike King College Bracket Presented by Bass Pro Shops and Lew's 9/27-9/30
Tim Ford's Lake, Winchester TN.
(BOATER) Standings Day 3
Angler Club/School Pts
1. Dylan Akins - Emmanuel University 0
Day 1: 5 14-04 Day 2: 5 16-00 Day 3: 5 16-07 Total: 5 16-07
2. Andrew Blanton - Lander University 0
Day 1: 2 06-03 Day 2: 5 14-11 Day 3: 5 16-03 Total: 5 16-03
3. Aaron Jagdfeld - Adrian College 0
Day 1: 5 14-13 Day 2: 5 14-05 Day 3: 5 12-03 Total: 5 12-03
4. Caleb Hudson - University of South Carolina - U 0
Day 1: 4 12-12 Day 2: 5 14-05 Day 3: 3 07-03 Total: 3 07-03
------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 2 26 76-12
2 5 31 93-00
3 3 18 52-00
------------------------------
10 75 221-12
Akins overcomes early miscue to lead the way on Day 2 at Bassmaster College Classic Bracket on Tims Ford Lake
Sept. 28, 2024
Winchester, Tenn. — Knowing a full day of fishing was ahead, Emmanuel University’s Dylan Akins knew he would have to take advantage of every quality bite he received on Day 2 of the Bassmaster College Classic Bracket presented by Lew’s to advance.
By landing the tournament’s biggest bag so far, Akins did just that.
With a two-day total of 30 pounds, 4 ounces, Akins finished at the top of the leaderboard on Day 2 and earned the No. 1 seed heading into the bracket portion of the event. Adrian College angler Aaron Jagdfeld earned the No. 2 seed with 29-2 while Caleb Hudson from the University of South Carolina-Union will be the third seed with 27-1. Lander University’s Andrew Blanton claimed the fourth and final seed with 20-14.
Weights will reset, and Akins will go head-to-head against Blanton on Semifinal Sunday while Jagdfeld will face off against Hudson. The winner of the head-to-head matchups will advance to Championship Monday and the overall victor will claim a spot in the 2025 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented By Jockey Outdoors at Lake Ray Roberts along with paid entry into the 2025 St. Croix Bassmaster Opens.
“I’m feeling kind of confident, but I don’t have the backing like I did yesterday,” Akins said. “I think you are going to have to burn it to the ground every day. It is going to be interesting to see what the weights are when we are pushing our stuff.”
The remnants of Hurricane Helene shortened the first day of the tournament, and while rain and wind persisted on Saturday, the eight competitors were able to launch on time and enjoyed a full day of fishing.
Akins landed 14-4 on Day 1 before catching a tournament best 16-0 on the second day of competition. Along with a morning bite, he feels conditions have stabilized enough to improve the bite across the lake today.
“Today they seemed a little more active and I think you saw that in people’s bags today,” Akins explained. “Tomorrow is supposed to be about the same, so it will be interesting to see if they keep biting like this, shut down or if it gets even better.”
Tims Ford reminds the recent college graduate and Bassmaster Team of the Year champion of the upper end of his home lake of Lake Lanier, which has helped him break down the lake this week. The river sections of Lanier are full of threadfin, which is the prominent baitfish in Tims Ford as well.
Several different patterns have played out for Akins so far this week. No one thing has been better than another, but he has narrowed his rotation down to four key baits.
“I’ll go through a stretch and fish a pattern,” he said. “I’ve been mixing in a little of everything. I’m mixing it up shallow and deep. Everything I’m fishing is kind of similar, but I haven’t seen a correlation between them.”
With how deep Tims Ford generally is, Akins added it hasn’t been super difficult to switch between his deep and shallow patterns. While he has caught a largemouth or two each day, Akins has landed mostly smallmouth.
“You can see the bank, and then you can pan over with (forward-facing sonar) and there it’s as deep as 80 feet of water,” he said. “You can fish shallow points and then deep stuff; you never really know where they will be.”
After landing everything he flipped in the boat on Day 1, Akins started Day 2 by misjudging a boat flip and losing a key bass. He recovered nicely, though, landing four keeper bass before hitting a lull later in the morning.
“Today off the rip, I tried to flip one and it hit off the gunnel,” he said. “That hurt, but I pushed through it, and I knew I had to catch a limit to make it to the next day.”
The four remaining anglers will launch from Tims Ford Marina beginning at 6:20 a.m. CT on Sunday and return for weigh-in at 2:30 p.m. Live coverage will begin on FS1 at 8 a.m. ET and continue through 11 a.m. before moving over to Bassmaster.com at noon.
The Tennessee Department of Tourist Development and local businesses are hosting the tournament.
2024 Bassmaster College Series Title Sponsor: Strike King
2024 Bassmaster College Series Presenting Sponsor: Bass Pro Shops
2024 Bassmaster College Classic Bracket Presenting Sponsor: Lew's
2024 Bassmaster College Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota
2024 Bassmaster College Series Premier Sponsors: Dakota Lithium, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Progressive Insurance, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha
2024 Bassmaster College Series Supporting Sponsors: AFTCO, Daiwa, Garmin, Lew's, Lowarance, Marathon, Triton Boats, VMC
2024 Bassmaster College Series Youth Sponsors: Seaguar, Shimano
Connect with #Bassmaster on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok.
About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S., which encompasses the Bassmaster tournament leagues, events and media platforms, is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting-edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 500,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), TV show, radio show, social media programs and events. For more than 50 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.
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Media Contact: Chad Gay, B.A.S.S. Communications Manager, 205-313-0945, cgay@bassmaster.com
2024 Strike King College Bracket Presented by Bass Pro Shops and Lew's 9/27-9/30
Tim Ford's Lake, Winchester TN.
(BOATER) Standings Day 2
Angler Club/School Pts
1. Dylan Akins - Emmanuel University 0
Day 1: 5 14-04 Day 2: 5 16-00 Total: 10 30-04
2. Aaron Jagdfeld - Adrian College 0
Day 1: 5 14-13 Day 2: 5 14-05 Total: 10 29-02
3. Caleb Hudson - University of South Carolina - U 0
Day 1: 4 12-12 Day 2: 5 14-05 Total: 9 27-01
4. Andrew Blanton - Lander University 0
Day 1: 2 06-03 Day 2: 5 14-11 Total: 7 20-14
5. Garrett Smith - Lander University 0
Day 1: 2 05-09 Day 2: 5 14-14 Total: 7 20-07
6. Chase Carey - Emmanuel University 0
Day 1: 3 08-04 Day 2: 4 11-03 Total: 7 19-07
7. Tanner Hadden - University of South Carolina - U 0
Day 1: 3 08-09 Day 2: 2 07-10 Total: 5 16-03
8. Elliot Wielgopolski - Adrian College 0
Day 1: 2 06-06 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 2 06-06
------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 2 26 76-12
2 5 31 93-00
------------------------------
7 57 169-12
BFL Super Tournament on Cherokee Lake Cancelled
WHAT:
The Major League Fishing (MLF) Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine Volunteer Division two-day Super Tournament on Cherokee Lake, scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 28 and Sunday, Sept. 29, has been cancelled due to rapidly rising waters.
MLF and tournament officials are reviewing options regarding a potential rescheduling and more information will be released very soon.
NOTES:
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on final point standings, along with the winners of each qualifying event, will qualify for the Oct. 17-19 BFL Regional tournament on Clarks Hill Lake in Appling, Georgia. Boaters will fish for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $50,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard.
The 2024 Phoenix BFL Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 events throughout the season, five qualifying tournaments in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five qualifying event winners, will advance to one of six BFL Regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the 2025 BFL All-American. The 2025 BFL All-American will take place May 29-31, 2025, at Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and is hosted by hosted by Visit Hot Springs and the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism.
Proud sponsors of the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 7Brew, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, E3, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, General Tire, GSM Outdoors, Lew’s, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, PowerStop Brakes, REDCON1, Strike King, Suzuki, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, WIX Filters and YETI.
For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Bass Fishing League updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery Channel, Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 17 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.
Big Bass Tour | Douglas Lake Event Rescheduled to November 1-3, 2024
Due to the recent flooding in East Tennessee and Western North Carolina, and the resulting infrastructure failures over the last 24 hours, Tour officials have decided, in consultation with local authorities and host partners, to reschedule the Douglas Lake event to November 1-3, 2024.
All entries will automatically be moved to the new dates, and online registration will remain open as usual. If you are unable to attend the rescheduled date, your entry can be transferred to the 2025 Big Bass Tour event. To make this change, please email info@bigbasstour.com with your name, details, and the event you wish to transfer to. Please note that we will not process changes over the phone.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone in the region who's been impacted.
Bass Fishing Hall of Fame welcomes five new members and unveils venue expansion
Arbogast, McKinnis, Reese, Williams, Zona enshrined; Clunn collects Murski award
SPRINGFIELD, Mo.— For Immediate Release — Sept. 27, 2024 — To the three bullies on the bridge, Mark Zona has a message for you: Bass fishing is cooler than you’ll ever be.
It has perhaps never been as cool as it was Thursday evening at the White River Conference Center as the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame welcomed the 2024 induction class of Fred Arbogast, Mike McKinnis, Skeet Reese, Alfred Williams and Zona.
Zona’s poignant acceptance speech punctuated a memorable and historic evening by telling the story of what, at the time, was the biggest bass of his life. Zona recalled being heckled by three teenage boys who were perched on a small bridge overlooking the area he was fishing.
“You’re a loser. You’re a dork. You’re not gonna catch anything,” they heckled as Zona did his best to ignore them.
“Just give me a bite so I can shut them up,” he remembers thinking.
With the peanut gallery looking on, a 10-year-old Zona made another cast under the bridge and watched his line jump as a fish inhaled his pre-rigged plastic worm.
“I got ‘em,” he said. “I got ‘em!”
He landed the fish – a smallmouth – put it on his stringer and headed home, bullies in his wake, triumphant and steadfast in his love of fishing.
“All I wanted was for those three bullies to understand that bass fishing’s cool,” Zona said while holding a replica mount of the fish in his left hand.
With 23 other Hall of Fame inductees scattered throughout the crowd, the longtime Bassmaster television and Bassmaster Live analyst and host of “Zona’s Awesome Fishing Show” spoke about the opportunity that arose from a meeting at the 2005 Bassmaster Classic that allowed him to transition from tournament angler to television personality.
“Bassmaster has been a part of my life,” said Zona, who retired from his analyst role after the 2024 Elite Series season. “It was so long before I worked there but the opportunity and the group that I worked with, I took pride in that. I still take pride in that. And even though I’m not going to sit in that seat any more on Bassmaster Live, I’m there. Bassmaster is my life. It’s my family’s life.”
The induction ceremony was the culmination of the Hall’s Celebrate Bass Fishing Week, which also featured a week-long silent auction which helped raise funds that will be used toward the Hall’s conservation grants and scholarship programs.
"It was such a great evening at the White River Conference where we celebrated our 2024 Hall of Fame inductees,” said Hall of Fame president John Mazurkiewicz, “It was also a great, diverse crowd from across the bass fishing world between pro anglers, industry executives, high school and college anglers as well as a room full of blue jackets. We were thrilled to see so many Hall of Fame inductees on hand, including some who were attending for the first time. It was a great evening and on behalf of the entire Board of Directors, a massive thank you to the team at Wonders of Wildlife and Johnny Morris for the support they offer which allows us to provide a fun and exciting evening celebrating the sport of bass fishing.”
The night also allowed the Hall of Fame to unveil its newly-expanded venue located within Johnny Morris’ Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium, featuring 300 square feet of new space and displays. The new layout now ensures all WOW visitors will funnel through the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame and be able to explore the artifacts and history of the sport that are on display.
“I was feeling so blessed to be downstairs [in the Hall of Fame] and look at the pictures and scrapbooks of memories and how blessed we’ve all been to spend a good part of our lives around the great sport of fishing,” said Morris.
In addition, Hall of Famer Rick Clunn, whose Bassmaster tournament career spanned six decades and more than 500 events, was given the Ray Murski Lifetime Achievement Award. Clunn is just the third recipient of the award, joining Ray Scott (2013) and Morris (2017).
Williams began fishing bass tournaments after returning from Vietnam, often as the only Black competitor – and won more than his share. He won the 1983 Bassmaster Classic divisional qualifier at Ross Barnett Reservoir, his home waters, to clinch a spot in the 1983 Classic at the Ohio River, the first African-American to do so. He finished 10th out of 42 contenders, placing ahead of fellow Hall of Famers Hank Parker, Clunn, Denny Brauer and Roland Martin.
“Since it was announced I was going to be inducted, I’ve gotten calls from people I hadn’t heard from in 30, 35 years to congratulate me on this achievement,” Williams said. “It truly is an honor for me to be standing here tonight. They’ve said I’m a trailblazer. I didn’t start out to be a trailblazer. I just started on a trail and it got to be blazing, I guess.”
Williams also recalled his affiliation with Snag Proof Lure Company, which produced some of the first floating frog style lures. Williams made modifications to the bait, such as adding skirted legs and even weights to alter how it sat on the surface.
“All of the fishermen in here now all know that all of the frogs are based on that concept,” he added.” I don’t care what brand it is, it’s based on that concept we came up with at Snag Proof. People didn’t really believe it until they saw it in action.”
Early in his career, Reese helped lead a generation of West Coast anglers who parlayed their regional success into lengthy careers on the national bass fishing scene. Once there, he displayed a unique flair and personality that helped him stand out on and off the water.
In 1997, he won two regional Red Man tournaments, a West Coast Bass event and the Bassmaster Western Invitational Angler of The Year title, the latter of which earned Reese a spot in the Bassmaster Top 150 field and a berth in the 1998 Bassmaster Classic, thus kicking off his career as a national tour pro.
From there, he built one of the most impressive résumés of his era. It includes eight B.A.S.S. victories, including the 2009 Bassmaster Classic and five Elite Series triumphs. He also claimed the 2007 Elite Series AOY title. He’s added three Major League Fishing wins since 2018 and his career earnings of $4.09 million between B.A.S.S. and MLF puts him among the top 5 all-time in the sport.
“I’m really here doing this right now,” Reese said as he looked out at a packed banquet hall. “I look out over this room and I see so many people that influenced the sport and without them we wouldn’t be here today. So, for me to be on stage and be recognized it’s not something I dreamed of doing. I never thought this would happen to me. I was just a kid from California who loved to catch fish. To be up here and be doing this right now is really humbling. I’m grateful and thankful for the opportunity to be up here and be part of history.
“Who would have thought some little toe-haired kid from northern California was going to make black and yellow popular and bring a Bassmaster Classic title back to California.
While Reese was a star on the water, McKinnis and the team at JM Associates, the production company founded by his late father, Jerry, provided the television platform where those stars took shape and connected with fans and viewers around the world.
McKinnis and Co. transformed the way fishing fans consume content around the sport. His productions of one-off fishing tournament programs in the mid-1900s attracted the attention of ESPN, which tapped JM to launch the network’s coverage of the then-new FLW Tour in 1996. In 2015, McKinnis helped shepherd in a new era in tournament coverage when the Bassmaster Classic was live-streamed to the world on Bassmaster.com.
The breakthrough production was an immediate success and helped spawn an era during which live broadcasts of on-the-water action have become the norm across the sport as has live coverage of Bassmaster events on Fox Sports networks – all under McKinnis’ watch.
In typical television producer form, though, McKinnis deflected credit to his colleagues over the years at JM Associates.
“Let me get through the list of the shoulders that I’ve been standing on all these years,” he said before rattling off a roster of editors, engineers, camera operators, executives, on-air hosts and his father, Jerry.
Among those mentioned was longtime editor David Lipke, who’s worked alongside McKinnis for nearly a quarter century.
“If you’ve seen some highlight footage of bass anglers over the last 24 years and it made you want to get up and go fishing, there’s a 95 percent chance that guy cut the footage,” McKinnis said. “I’m standing up here getting this honor, but he and all of these people that I’m talking about are the reason.
“None of us would be here without my best friend, my dad, Jerry McKinnis. I am unbelievably proud to be up here and be honored like this with him. It’s just crazy awesome. To know that the Hall of Fame holds me in this high regard means the world to me.”
Arbogast will be remembered as one of the most creative innovators of fishing lures the sport has ever seen. Born in 1894 in Akron, Ohio, he made a name for himself in distance casting competitions before delving into lure design and utilizing new materials in the 1930s. While seeking an alternative to the labor-intensive feather and hair dressings for his bass baits, he hit upon the idea of rubber skirts, drawing on his experience working for Goodyear and B.F. Goodrich in his hometown since high school.
He called his creation the Hula Skirt, and he used it on his Hawaiian Wiggler (a precursor to the buzzbait), Hula Popper and Hula Dancer. His skirt design led to the use of rubber and other materials to make pliable skirts for a multitude of lures still popular today. By the time of his sudden, premature death in 1947, at the age of 53, Arbogast had designed nearly a dozen deadly bass baits, including the iconic Jitterbug.
During the ceremony, PRADCO presented the Hall of Fame with a check for $12,000, which represents the proceeds from the sale of a limited-edition series of Jitterbugs that were made to commemorate Arbogast’s induction.
If you missed the induction ceremony, click here to watch the induction program. The 2025 Bass Fishing Hall of Fame induction ceremony is scheduled for Sept. 25, 2025, in Springfield, Mo.
About the BFHOF -- The Bass Fishing Hall of Fame is a nonprofit organization led by a volunteer board of directors and is dedicated to celebrating, promoting and preserving the sport of bass fishing. Since 2017, the Hall’s inductees and memorabilia representing the history of bass fishing is showcased in Johnny Morris’ Wonders of Wildlife Museum and Aquarium in Springfield, Missouri, where it has rapidly become a popular destination. For more information about the Hall, its mission, and to become a supporting member, visit www.BassFishingHOF.com, or contact BFHOF executive director Barbara Bowman at bbowman@bassfishinghof.com.
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Barbara Bowman
Executive Director
BassFishingHOF.com
P.O. Box 26584
Little Rock, AR 72221
501-541-6660
We are dedicated to celebrating, promoting and preserving the sport of bass fishing
Be Social - @BassFishingHOF
Jagdfeld paces the field at Bassmaster College Classic Bracket on Tims Ford Lake
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B.A.S.S. announces College, High School and Junior schedules for 2025
Sept. 27, 2024
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — B.A.S.S. officials today announced the 2025 schedule for the Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Strike King Bassmaster High School Series and Junior Series tournament circuits, and the slate features some of the best competition bass lakes in the country for young anglers to showcase their talent.
“Tournament fishing at the student level is continuing to boom in popularity,” said Glenn Cale, B.A.S.S. tournament manager for the College, High School and Junior Series. “From the college level to the junior level, B.A.S.S. continues to provide even more opportunities for young anglers to compete on some of the best bodies of water in the country.
“Today’s anglers are honing their skills at an early age,” Cale went on to say. “This schedule will be a fun one for the up-and-coming anglers and their families. We will visit some of the most popular fisheries in the United States. Some of these anglers will revisit them many times during their tournament career.”
The Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops features a two-division format with three tour stops each — the Legends Trail and the Lunkers Trail.
The Legends Trail kicks off the season Jan. 22-23 at Harris Chain of Lakes in Leesburg, Fla., travels to Smith Lake in Cullman, Ala., Feb. 26-27 and makes a final stop at Lake Eufaula in Eufaula, Okla., April 2-3.
The Lunkers Trail begins competition at Lake Okeechobee in Clewiston, Fla., Jan. 29-30, then Buggs Island in Mecklenburg County, N.C., April 30-May 1, before ending the regular season at Chickamauga Lake in Dayton, Tenn., May 30-31.
College anglers will be competing for points in the Bassmaster College Team of the Year standings to qualify for both the Strike King Bassmaster College National Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops and the Bassmaster College Classic Bracket presented by Lew’s which will result in a Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic berth for one lucky angler.
Second grade through 12th grade anglers will compete in four regular-season events held in conjunction with several of the college events. Those young anglers will gain valuable tournament-fishing experience on some of the country’s best bass waters. The one-day High School and Junior tournaments will kick off Jan. 26 at Harris Chain of Lakes, followed by stops at Smith Lake on March 2, Lake Tenkiller on March 30 and Buggs Island on May 4.
The College Series and High School Series events will be capped at 250 boats. Each high school event will also include a field of up to 50 boats for competitors ranging from second to eighth grade as part of the Bassmaster Junior Series.
Online registration for the College Series' Legends Trail will open Oct. 22 at 3 p.m. CT, followed by the Lunkers Trail registration which will open Oct. 29 at 3 p.m. Single-event entry will open Nov. 5 at 3 p.m.
Registration for the High School Series will open online Dec. 3 at 3 p.m. and Junior Series registration will open Dec. 10 at 3 p.m.
For more information visit Bassmaster.com.
2025 Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops Schedule
Legends Trail
January 22-23, Harris Chain of Lakes, Leesburg, Fla.
February 26-27, Smith Lake, Cullman, Ala.
April 2-3, Lake Eufaula, Eufaula, Okla.
Lunkers Trail
January 29-30, Lake Okeechobee, Clewiston, Fla.
April 30- May 1, Buggs Island, Mecklenburg County, N.C.
May 30-31, Chickamauga Lake, Dayton, Tenn.
2025 Strike King Bassmaster High School and Junior Series Schedule
January 26, Harris Chain of Lakes, Leesburg, Fla.
March 2, Smith Lake, Cullman Ala.
March 30, Lake Tenkiller, Cookson, Okla.
May 4, Buggs Island, Mecklenburg County, N.C.
2024 Bassmaster College Series Title Sponsor: Strike King
2024 Bassmaster College Series Presenting Sponsor: Bass Pro Shops
2024 Bassmaster College Classic Bracket Presenting Sponsor: Lew's
2024 Bassmaster College Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota
2024 Bassmaster College Series Premier Sponsors: Dakota Lithium, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Progressive Insurance, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha
2024 Bassmaster College Series Supporting Sponsors: AFTCO, Daiwa, Garmin, Lew's, Lowarance, Marathon, Triton Boats, VMC
2024 Bassmaster College Series Youth Sponsors: Seaguar, Shimano
2024 Bassmaster High School
2024 Bassmaster High School Combine Gear Partners: Lew's, Strike King
2024 Bassmaster Youth Sponsors: Seaguar, Shimano
About B.A.S.S.B.A.S.S., which encompasses the Bassmaster tournament leagues, events and media platforms, is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting-edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 500,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), TV show, radio show, social media programs and events. For more than 50 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.
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Connect with #Bassmaster on Facebook, Instagram, Twitte
Media Contact: Chad Gay, Communications Manager, 205-313-0945, cgay@bassmaster.
Bassmaster Elite Series welcomes Legendary qualifiers Pace, Howell back to field
Sept. 26, 2024
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — B.A.S.S. tournament officials today announced former Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic champions Randy Howell and Cliff Pace will rejoin the ranks of Elite anglers in 2025 via Legends invitations. Two Legends spots opened with the retirement of Rick Clunn and the fact that all current Elite anglers with Legends eligibility requalified via Elite Series requalification criteria.
“We are excited to welcome back two legends to the Bassmaster Elites,” said Lisa Talmadge, tournament director for the Elite Series. “We can’t wait to see the incredible moments they’ll bring. Here’s to celebrating their legacy and the excitement of what’s to come.”
Howell’s career has spanned four decades, and he has amassed more than $1.9 million in earnings, four wins including the 2014 Bassmaster Classic and posted 37 Top 10 finishes and 125 Top 30 finishes while finishing in the money 173 times.
“It’s really great to have the opportunity to come back and continue my journey with B.A.S.S. again at 51 years old,” the Guntersville, Ala., angler said. “I fished a lot of years with B.A.S.S., and winning the Classic changed my life and helped make a great career for me. I am definitely looking forward to getting back to weighing in on the Bassmaster stage as well as the Classic stage, hopefully.
“I’ve worked every Classic the past few years I’ve been away and sat and watched every Classic winner and it always makes me emotional,” Howell added. “This past year I sat and watched Justin Hamner win it. I know the difference it makes in an angler’s career and what a big deal it was for him, and I thought, ‘I’ve got to get back and win another Classic.’ And that’s my goal now: to win a second one.”
Howell said his son, Laker, fished the 2024 St. Croix Bassmaster Opens presented by SEVIIN to try to earn his way to the 2025 Elite Series.
"For Laker to get to the Elites and for us to have a chance to fish a Classic together … that would be a dream come true,” Howell said.
Pace has totaled more than $1.6 million while recording three wins including the 2013 Bassmaster Classic. The Ovett, Miss., angler has also notched 29 Top 10 finishes and finished in the money 105 times in 155 total tournaments.
Pace fished the 2024 Bassmaster Opens in an attempt to qualify for the 2025 Elite Series. However, he said he is thankful for the opportunity to rejoin the circuit as a Legends qualifier.
“I would have loved to do it on my own merit, but I’m thankful to get in with the exemption,” Pace said. “I’m really happy to be coming back. There are a lot of things about the Elites I missed. B.A.S.S. is the organization I’ve loved fishing with, and growing up all my heroes fished with B.A.S.S., and it’s just where I want to be. There are a lot of trails that offer anglers a chance to compete, but I feel B.A.S.S. has the best platform.
“All my friends on social media said I’m right back where I belong,” Pace added. “I’m excited to be back and I’m ready to get started. I’m looking forward to seeing how the season unfolds.”
Anglers earn one Legends point for each Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic victory and one point for each Progressive Insurance Bassmaster Angler of the Year title. According to Elite Series rules, up to two Legends qualifiers can be added to the Elite field per season. Although other former Elite Series pros inquired about the Legends exemption, Howell and Pace received their Legends invitations based upon having one Legends point, fishing the Bassmaster Opens and having the most career B.A.S.S. events fished. No spots are being cut from the 2025 Elite field to make room for the Legends qualifiers.
2024 Bassmaster Elite Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota
2024 Bassmaster Elite Series Premier Sponsors: Bass Pro Shops, Dakota Lithium, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Progressive Insurance, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha
2024 Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: AFTCO, Daiwa, Garmin, Lew's, Lowrance, Marathon, Triton Boats, VMC
About B.A.S.S.B.A.S.S., which encompasses the Bassmaster tournament leagues, events and media platforms, is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting-edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 500,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), TV show, radio show, social media programs and events. For more than 50 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.
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Connect with #Bassmaster on Facebook, Instagram, Twitte
Media Contact: Chad Gay, Communications Manager, 205-313-0945, cgay@bassmaster.
New format for Opens, Elite Qualifier Series announced
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MLF Cancels Phoenix Bass Fishing League Super Tournament at Lake Okeechobee Due to Hurricane Helene
WHAT:
Major League Fishing (MLF) announced today that the Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Super Tournament at Lake Okeechobee, scheduled for Sept. 28-29, has been cancelled due to Hurricane Helene.
The tournament was the fifth and final regular-season event for the Gator Division. With no opportunity to reschedule the tournament prior to the division’s Oct. 10-12 Regional on Santee Cooper Lakes, Gator Division anglers will advance to the regional based on standings from the four qualifiers that have been completed. Anglers who have entered and paid entry fees for the super tournament will be refunded.
NOTES:
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the four tournament winners of each qualifying event, will qualify for the Oct. 10-12 BFL Regional tournament on Santee Cooper Lakes in Clarendon County, South Carolina. Boaters will fish for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $50,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard.
The 2024 Phoenix BFL Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 events throughout the season, five qualifying tournaments in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five qualifying event winners, will advance to one of six BFL Regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. The 2025 BFL All-American will take place May 29-31, 2025, at Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and is hosted by hosted by Visit Hot Springs and the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism.
For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Bass Fishing League updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube .
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery Channel, Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 17 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.
Pickwick Lake Set to Host Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Tournament
Pickwick Lake to Host 200 Boaters and Co-anglers from Four BFL Divisions Competing for Spot in 2025 BFL All-American, Top Prize of $60,000
COUNCE, Tenn. (Sept. 24, 2024) – The Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine’s LBL, Mountain, Ozark and Savannah River divisions will wrap up their 2024 season in Counce, Tennessee, next week, Oct. 3-5, with the Phoenix BFL Presented by T-H Marine Regional Event at Pickwick Lake.
Hosted by the Hardin County Convention and Visitors Bureau, the three-day regional tournament will feature the top 45 boaters and co-anglers plus tournament winners from all four divisions, battling it out for a top prize of $60,000, including a Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard and $10,000, along with lucrative contingency awards, including up to an additional $7,000 Phoenix MLF Bonus. Strike King co-anglers will compete for a top prize of $50,000, including a Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard. Winners will be determined by the heaviest three-day catch.
The top six finishers in each regional will qualify for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American. The highest finishing boater from each division will also receive a $1,000 bonus and the highest finishing co-angler from each division will receive a $500 bonus.
Dylan Nutt of Nashville, Tennessee, is a junior at the University of North Alabama and currently fishes in the Abu Garcia College Fishing and Phoenix Bass Fishing League circuits. Nutt won the Phoenix BFL Super Tournament on Pickwick Lake this past Sunday and said anglers are in for a great event.
“The fish are really spread out right now, so fishing’s a bit tougher,” said Nutt. “That’s not what you’re used to seeing on Pickwick in May or June, but I still think we’ll see high weights at the top of the leaderboard this time of year. There are some big ones in the lake and even with it being tough, some people are going to figure it out.”
Nutt said he expects to see a variety of patterns in play throughout the event.
“I think we’ll see guys catching fish on Carolina rigs, football jigs and shaky-head rigs,” said Nutt. “But you’ll see other anglers targeting fish that are chasing shad. We’re early in the fall transition and a lot of the fish are starting to feed on baitfish, so you’re going to see a lot of guys catching them on swimbaits, topwater jigs, lipless crankbaits and stuff like that that are shad imitators.”
Although the bite may be tough, Nutt said he expects to see all three species in play.
“There will definitely be a lot of largemouth and smallmouth weighed in, but there’s also the opportunity for guys to catch some big spotted bass,” said Nutt. “I think it will take a 15- to 20-pound bag all three days to be in the top 10 and probably will take 67 to 75 pounds to win.”
Anglers will launch at 7 a.m. CT each morning from Pickwick Landing State Park, located at 120 Playground Loop, in Counce. Weigh-ins will also be held at the State Park and will begin at 3 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend the event or follow the action online through the “MLF Live” weigh-in broadcasts at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The 2024 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine consisted of 24-divisions devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season and five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, advance to one of six Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regionals. The 2025 BFL All-American will be held May 29-31 at Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and is hosted by Visit Hot Springs and the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism.
The top boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division will also earn priority entry into the Toyota Series, the pathway to the Tackle Warehouse Invitationals and ultimately the Bass Pro Tour.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Proud sponsors of the 2024 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 7Brew, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, E3, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, General Tire, GSM Outdoors, Lew’s, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, PowerStop Brakes, REDCON1, Strike King, Suzuki, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, WIX Filters and YETI.
For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Bass Fishing League updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery Channel, Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 17 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.
Kerr Lake Set to Host Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Tournament
North Carolina-Virginia Reservoir Set to Host 200 Boaters and Strike King Co-anglers from Four BFL Divisions Competing for Spot in 2025 BFL All-American, Top Prize of $60,000
HENDERSON, N.C. (Sept. 24, 2024) – The Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine’s Buckeye, Northeast, Shenandoah and South Carolina divisions will close out the 2024 season in Henderson, North Carolina, Oct. 3-5, with the Phoenix BFL Presented by T-H Marine Regional Tournament at Kerr Lake.
Hosted by the Vance County Tourism Development Authority, the three-day regional tournament will feature the top 45 boaters and co-anglers plus tournament winners from all four divisions, battling it out for a top prize of $60,000, including a Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard and $10,000, along with lucrative contingency awards, including up to an additional $7,000 Phoenix MLF Bonus. Strike King co-anglers will compete for a top prize of $50,000, including a Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard. Winners will be determined by the heaviest three-day catch.
The top six finishers in each regional will qualify for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the 42nd annual BFL All-American. The highest finishing boater from each division will also receive a $1,000 bonus and the highest finishing co-angler from each division will receive a $500 bonus.
“This Regional tournament is going to be a good one to follow, because I think MLF is hitting is at just the right time,” said local pro Derik Hudson of Concord, Virginia, who has eight top-10 finishes on Kerr Lake – including a victory in last year’s 2023 BFL Super-Tournament. “This past weekend the water temperatures will still very high – 77 to 79 degrees. But we’re at that time of the year where the fall transition is coming soon. I think in this one the fish are going to be spread out – shallow and deep – and guys are going to be able to catch them fishing their strengths.”
Hudson said that he expects forward-facing sonar to play a large role in this tournament, but he does think that an angler can compete to win strictly by fishing shallow.
“There is a ton of shad in the lake right now, and out deep those fish are going to be keyed in on the shad,” Hudson said. “The majority of fish seem to still be out offshore, but lately it seems like the bigger fish are moving shallow and being caught on transition banks, stumpy points and on rock. That’s what makes this one so interesting – they’re going to hit it right in the middle of the fall transition and it’s still really anybody’s ballgame.”
When Hudson won the BFL Super Tournament on Kerr Lake last year, he weighed in limits totaling 16- and 15- pounds and his 31-pound total won by nearly a 5-pound margin. He expects weights to be down a little bit in this Regional tournament due to the fall transition.
“I feel like if you catch if you catch 13 to 14 pounds a day, you're going to be sitting really good,” Hudson went on to say. “But, like we just saw this last weekend in the Super Tournament, if you get on that right roll offshore or on the bank, the lake has 18 or 19 right around the corner. So, I would say to shoot to stay right in the middle. If you shoot for 15 a day, that'll be a great day for anybody. But know that 18 to 19 (pounds) is still out there somewhere.”
Anglers will launch at 7 a.m. ET each morning from the Nutbrush Bridge Access at the Kerr Lake State Recreation Area, located at 115 Jack Wade Farm Road, in Henderson, North Carolina. Weigh-ins will also be held at the landing and will begin at 3 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend the event or follow the action online through the “MLF Live” weigh-in broadcasts at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The 2024 Phoenix BFL Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 events throughout the season, five qualifying tournaments in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five qualifying event winners, will advance to one of six BFL Regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. The 2025 BFL All-American will take place May 29-31, 2025, at Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and is hosted by hosted by Visit Hot Springs and the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism.
The top boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division also earn priority entry into the Toyota Series, the pathway to the Tackle Warehouse Invitationals and ultimately the Bass Pro Tour. For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Proud sponsors of the 2024 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 7Brew, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, E3, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, General Tire, GSM Outdoors, Lew’s, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, PowerStop Brakes, REDCON1, Strike King, Suzuki, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, WIX Filters and YETI.
For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Bass Fishing League updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery Channel, Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 17 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.
Ken Mah Blows Out BAM Pro Tour, Winning by More Than 12 Pounds at Thermalito
Colby Pearson Prevails as Inaugural Angler of the Year
by Jody Only
OROVILLE, Calif. – The final day of the season-ending bass battle of the BAM Pro Tour concluded today as Ken Mah of Elk Grove, Calif. cruised to a blowout win at the Thermalito Afterbay with a five-fish limit that tipped the scales at 29.82 pounds, outpacing the runner-up by more than 12 pounds. Mah’s effort earned him a $12,073 payday.
“Today was crazy,” said Mah, reflecting on his second major victory at the Oroville fishery. “I’m humbled, I’m blessed, and I’m thankful. It’s so hard to win even one of these multi-day events. It’s crazy to win anywhere, even once, but to win here again – I’m speechless.”
Mah qualified for Championship Sunday with the second-heaviest weight of 32.69 pounds, accumulated over the first two days of fishing. Blasting off with a leaderboard reset to zero, the top 10 anglers launched for their final limit to determine the winner. Fish management was a key part of Mah’s strategy.
“The first day I fished a ChatterBait with a Big Bite Baits Kamikaze Swimon trailer,” he said. “It wasn’t easy, but I caught them fairly early, and once I reached my target weight, I was able to fish more freely.”
A finicky bite on Day Three forced Mah to adjust for his Clear Lake-sized bag. He credited the River2Sea Phat Mat Daddy frog and a flippin’ stick for the big bites.
“I glued a 1-ounce weight and 80-pound Sunline braid to a 7’11” Loomis flippin’ stick and went to work,” he said.
His flippin’ plastics included both a YoMama and College Craw from Big Bite Baits, along with a Missile Baits Craw Father. A specific, slow retrieve with a subtle shake after bottom contact was essential for Mah's success.
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NPFL Cancels St. Johns River Event
DELAND, Fla. — The National Professional Fishing League and the West Volusia Visitor Center have canceled Stop #5 of the 2024 NPFL season on the St. Johns River out of DeLand, Florida, due to potential dangerous weather conditions.
The decision was made after tournament, state and local officials consulted with the National Weather Service and the National Hurricane Center and determined that imminent weather conditions are likely to make boating and travel unsafe.
“Our commitment is to the safety and well-being of our anglers,” said NPFL president Brad Fuller. “We take that commitment very seriously and believe that the forecasted weather presents a threat that’s too great to risk.”
Georgia Turner, Executive Director of the West Volusia Visitor Center, local host for the event, agreed adding, “We look forward to hosting the NPFL under more favorable conditions in the future. It’s not often that weather threatens our activities here, but when it does, we take it very seriously. Canceling the tournament is in the best interest of all concerned.”
About the National Professional Fishing League
The National Professional Fishing League (NPFL) was founded to bring competitive fishing to a broader audience and offer anglers a platform to compete at the highest level. The NPFL is committed to fostering integrity, competition, and innovation in the sport, providing anglers and fans alike with an exciting and unique experience.
Media Contact: Ken Duke — (407) 574-1898 or ken@tnpfl.com.
B.A.S.S. LLC names Phillip Johnson Chief Operating Officer
Sept. 23, 2024
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — B.A.S.S., the world’s largest fishing organization, today announced the promotion of Executive Vice President Phillip Johnson to Chief Operating Officer. For the past two years, Johnson has steered the organization’s content strategy, advertising, events, marketing and communications. Now, he will also assume management responsibilities of the Bassmaster Tournament operations as well as focus on new processes to improve and expand total business operations.
“I am pleased to announce the promotion of Phillip Johnson to Chief Operating Officer, B.A.S.S. LLC,” said B.A.S.S. CEO Chase Anderson. “I have known and worked with Phillip for well over a decade. He has been a trusted executive for the Anderson Companies for 17 years, at one time leading a department of more than 7,000 associates. I have been very impressed with Phillip’s work at B.A.S.S. as he has spearheaded the reorganization of business operations.
“Phillip’s leadership and collaborative approach to working with our associates and customers is taking our company to a new level,” Anderson added. “Phillip’s new expanded role will give him management responsibilities over our operations, and I’m confident we will continue to evolve with an ‘outside-in’ culture and maintain our position of strength and leadership in our industry.”
Johnson’s 25 years of experience in sales and operations management will prove vital to B.A.S.S., as the organization continues to focus on growing the sport and more completely engaging current participants and fans. He will continue to play a crucial part of ad and sponsorship sales, events and content, and has also played a vital role in building the organization's relationship with FOX Sports, which recently led to a contract renewal with increased coverage that has the potential to deliver the biggest audience the sport has ever seen.
About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S., which encompasses the Bassmaster tournament leagues, events and media platforms, is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting-edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 500,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), TV show, radio show, social media programs and events. For more than 50 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.
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Connect with #Bassmaster on Facebook, Instagram, Twitte
Media Contact: Chad Gay, Communications Manager, 205-313-0945, cgay@bassmaster.
Onalaska’s Ruh Has Big Second Day to Win Phoenix Bass Fishing League Super Tournament at Mississippi River in La Crosse
Illinois’ Griffin Tops Strike King Co-Angler Division
LA CROSSE, Wis. (Sept. 23, 2024) – Boater Kevin Ruh of Onalaska, Wisconsin, caught a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 40 pounds, 7 ounces, to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine Super Tournament on the Mississippi River in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The tournament, which concluded Sunday, was hosted by Explore La Crosse. It was the fifth and final event of the season for the BFL Great Lakes Division. Ruh earned $7,577, including the lucrative $2,500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus, for his victory.
In a way, Ruh owes his tournament win to a misfortunate situation at a Mississippi River lock on day two. More accurately, it was the way he made the most of the situation that made the difference.
But first, Ruh started the tournament by locking down from Pool 8 to Pool 9 on day one.
“My first spot was pretty good,” he said. “I caught a big bag, which allowed me to save a lot of fish down there. So, I locked up. I had some good stuff going on 8. I ran that and culled a little bit on pool 8.”
That “good stuff” on Pool 8 was a frog bite that helped Ruh cull past 18 pounds to get in the hunt. Sunday morning is when things got interesting. When he got to the lock, Ruh – and others – got stopped by a barge.
“We were told we could get down at about 8:30, so I had time for a couple stops,” he said. “So, I stopped on a place. It was just right place, right time, on something I saved the first day. I thought it could be pretty good. I caught a 5-pounder on my first cast.”
From there, Ruh hammered the fish, putting up a 22-pound, 4-ounce limit in about 20 minutes.
“It was a good morning flurry,” he said, putting it lightly. “It was windy this morning out of the north, and it was something I’ve got history with. I knew how those fish were setting up. I thought there could be a good bag there. You can’t imagine catching 22 pounds on the spot, but typically when you blow out a tournament or have a real big bag in a tournament, it’s off a magic spot – one spot – and it’s the right place at the right time.”
Ruh admitted that the barge actually helped him. Since other top competitors weren’t able to get through until about 11 a.m., they lost enough fishing time to open the door for him to make a move up the standings. He also thanked his co-angler, Will Ahnen, for being patient while Ruh fished his program in the morning. Ahnen finished fourth.
Not surprisingly, Ruh was tight-lipped about the exact pattern he fished in the morning. He only said that it was the same pattern each day. Ruh is not done competing on the river this fall and believes it could be a winner again – maybe even at the regional event coming up on the Mississippi River in Quad Cities, Illinois.
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:
1st: Kevin Ruh, Onalaska, Wis., 10 bass, 40-7, $7,577 (includes $2,500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
2nd: Clayton Weber, West Salem, Wis., 10 bass, 35-0, $2,539
3rd: Tony Puelz, Garnavillo, Iowa, 10 bass, 34-10, $2,331
4th: Adam Crigger, Le Claire, Iowa, 10 bass, 34-2, $1,185
5th: Tom Monsoor, La Crosse, Wis., 10 bass, 32-13, $1,315
6th: Nick Trim, Galesville, Wis., 10 bass, 32-11, $931
7th: Mike Brueggen, La Crosse, Wis., 10 bass, 32-9, $846
8th: Glenn Walker, Savage, Minn., 10 bass, 32-6, $762
9th: Jacob Erickson, Onalaska, Wis., 10 bass, 31-9, $677
10th: Cade Laufenberg, Onalaska, Wis., 10 bass, 31-3, $592
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Tony Puelz of Garnavillo, Iowa, caught a bass that weighed 5 pounds, 12 ounces, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $637.
Gage Griffin of Lake Forest, Illinois, won the Strike King co-angler division and $2,539 Sunday, after bringing a two-day total of 10 bass to the scale that weighed 30 pounds, 1 ounce.
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers finished:
1st: Gage Griffin, Lake Forest, Ill., 10 bass, 30-1, $2,539
2nd: Blake Miller, Cedar Falls, Iowa, 10 bass, 28-8, $1,419
3rd: Jamie Gomez, Holmen, Wis., 10 bass, 27-14, $846
4th: Will Ahnen, Fennimore, Wis., 10 bass, 27-7, $592
5th: Jason Swanson, Waterloo, Iowa, 10 bass, 25-7, $508
6th: Richard Conrad, Arcadia, Wis., 10 bass, 25-0, $565
7th: Lee Lewis, Ontario, Wis., 10 bass, 23-14, $423
8th: Timothy Wittren, Ontario, Wis., eight bass, 22-12, $381
9th: Dan McAdams, Reedsburg, Wis., eight bass, 20-12, $339
10th: Nick Kramersmeier, Johnston, Iowa, 10 bass, 20-10, $296
Jessie Pollard of Whitehall, Wisconsin, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $319, catching a bass that weighed in at 4 pounds, 3 ounces – the largest co-angler catch of the tournament.
At the conclusion of the tournament, Jeff Ritter of Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, was crowned the Fishing Clash Great Lakes Division Angler of the Year (AOY) with 1,311 points and took home the $1,000 payout, while Jason Olson of Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin, won the Fishing Clash Great Lakes Division Co-angler of the Year race with 1,307 points and earned the $500 award.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, have qualified for the Oct. 10-12 BFL Regional tournament on Pools 13-17 of the Mississippi River in Quad Cities, Illinois. Boaters will fish for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $50,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard.
The 2024 Phoenix BFL Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 events throughout the season, five qualifying tournaments in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five qualifying event winners, will advance to one of six BFL Regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. The 2025 BFL All-American will take place May 29-31, 2025, at Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and is hosted by hosted by Visit Hot Springs and the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism.
Proud sponsors of the 2024 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 7Brew, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, E3, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, General Tire, GSM Outdoors, Lew’s, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, PowerStop Brakes, REDCON1, Strike King, Suzuki, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, WIX Filters and YETI.
For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Bass Fishing League updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery Channel, Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 17 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.
Oldfield’s Marler Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Super Tournament at Bull Shoals Lake
Salem’s Guiltner Tops Strike King Co-Angler Division
BULL SHOALS, Ark. (Sept. 23, 2024) – Boater Wyatt Marler of Oldfield, Missouri, caught a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 33 pounds, 1 ounce, to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine Super Tournament on Bull Shoals Lake . The tournament, which concluded Sunday, was the fifth and final event of the season for the BFL Arkie Division. Marler earned $5,817 for his victory.
Marler’s winning pattern was a one-two punch.
“I caught a lot of my fish deep on a 6th Sense 1/2- and 3/4-ounce jig, and then the rest were shallow, all mid-lake,” he said.
Marler started each day on his deep fish. He targeted “big runoff points” with rock in about 25 to 30 feet of water. His jig was the 6th Sense Divine Hybrid Jig with a 6th Sense Congo Craw trailer.
When he slid up shallow, Marler didn’t go far. He moved to adjacent flat pockets where he slung a River2Sea Whopper Plopper. It’s a popular fall pattern in the Ozarks, and that bite got better as the day went on.
“Yesterday (Saturday), I had 16 pounds by 9:30, and I actually went and tried to help my co-angler the rest of the day and just kind of left my fish alone for the next day,” Marler said. “Then today (Sunday) I probably caught 40 keepers. I caught a lot of fish. It was a fun day.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:
1st: Wyatt Marler, Oldfield, Mo., 10 bass, 33-1, $5,817
2nd: Connor Crafton, Paragould, Ark., 10 bass, 31-0, $2,909
3rd: Les Brandenburg, Springfield, Mo., 10 bass, 27-8, $3,011
4th: Cody Huff, Ava, Mo., 10 bass, 26-6, $1,357
5th: Dustin Blevins, Harrison, Ark., 10 bass, 24-7, $1,163
6th: Cloys Warren, Tuckerman, Ark., 10 bass, 23-13, $1,066
7th: Scott Hardin, Little Rock, Ark., nine bass, 23-10, $970
8th: Drew Tabor, Harrison, Ark., 10 bass, 23-0, $873
9th: Colton Welch, Leola, Ark., 10 bass, 22-10, $1,276 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
10th: Cameron Rhodes, Higden, Ark., 10 bass, 22-4, $679
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Les Brandenburg of Springfield, Missouri, caught a bass that weighed 5 pounds even and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $772.
Wade Guiltner of Salem, Arkansas, won the Strike King co-angler division and $2,909 Sunday, after bringing a two-day total of seven bass to the scale that weighed 17 pounds, 8 ounces.
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers finished:
1st: Wade Guiltner, Salem, Ark., seven bass, 17-8, $2,909
2nd: Zachary Ramsey, Little Rock, Ark., seven bass, 17-1, $1,454
3rd: Brock Tabor, Harrison, Ark., seven bass, 14-7, $970
4th: Isaiah Vickers, Sherwood, Ark., seven bass, 14-5, $679
5th: Jackson Roumbanis, Russellville, Ark., five bass, 11-8, $582
6th: Jonathan Dotson, Dover, Ark., six bass, 11-5, $533
7th: Michael Shinstine, Springdale, Ark., five bass, 10-13, $485
8th: BJ Davis, Mountain Home, Ark., five bass, 10-13, $436
9th: Don Billiot, Hot Springs Village, Ark., four bass, 9-8, $388
10th: James Edmonds, Hot Springs Village, Ark., four bass, 9-6, $339
Hayden Vavak of Piggott, Arkansas, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $386, catching a bass that weighed in at 4 pounds, 9 ounces – the largest co-angler catch of the tournament.
At the conclusion of the tournament, Chris Darby of Hot Springs, Arkansas, was crowned the Fishing Clash Arkie Division Angler of the Year (AOY) with 1,315 points and earned the $1,000 prize, while Jonathan Dotson of Dover, Arkansas, won the Fishing Clash Arkie Division Co-angler of the Year race with 1,316 points and earned the $500 prize.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, have qualified for the Oct. 17-19 BFL Regional tournament on Wright Patman Lake in Texarkana, Texas. Boaters will fish for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $50,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard.
The 2024 Phoenix BFL Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 events throughout the season, five qualifying tournaments in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five qualifying event winners, will advance to one of six BFL Regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. The 2025 BFL All-American will take place May 29-31, 2025, at Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and is hosted by hosted by Visit Hot Springs and the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism.
Proud sponsors of the 2024 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 7Brew, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, E3, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, General Tire, GSM Outdoors, Lew’s, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, PowerStop Brakes, REDCON1, Strike King, Suzuki, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, WIX Filters and YETI.
For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Bass Fishing League updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery Channel, Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 17 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.