MLF Toyota Series Set to Close Out Northern Division with Event at Potomac River
MARBURY, Md. (Sept. 12, 2023) – The Major League Fishing (MLF) Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats is set to return to Marbury, Maryland, and the Potomac River next week, Sept. 21-23, for the third and final event in the Toyota Series Northern Division Presented by Rabid Baits – the Toyota Series at the Potomac River Presented by Rabid Baits.
The three-day tournament, hosted by the Charles County Board of Commissioners, will feature a roster of the region’s best bass-fishing pros and Strike King co-anglers competing for a top prize of up to $100,000 in the pro division and a new Phoenix 518 Pro boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard motor in the co-angler division.
“I feel like we’ll see some big bags in this tournament but putting it together for three days in a row is going to be the biggest challenge,” said MLF pro Martin Villa of Charlottesville, Virginia, who has two top-10 finishes – including a 4th place showing last year – at the Potomac River. “From everything that I’ve been hearing, the fishing is going to be a little bit tougher on the river this year.
“This time of year it always toughens up, but this year we’ve had a lot of late summer heat and we haven’t had much rain, so the river has high salinity,” Villa continued. “This means that some of the grass will really be blooming out, and some of it will already be dying off. I don’t think you’re going to be able to win this tournament one way, or off of one spot.”
Villa said that he expects he’ll be using his Douglas Bladed Swimjig rod and his Douglas Punching rods extensively, as swimjigs and punching baits will be strong players. He also mentioned that he will have a couple of topwater baits tied on, including a frog.
“It’s going to be a pretty standard September tournament on the Potomac… just a little bit tougher,” Villa went on to say. “If a guy can catch 13 to 14 pounds a day, he’ll do very well. I think if someone can catch 45 pounds over three days, they’ll walk away with it.”
Anglers will launch at 7 a.m. ET each day from Smallwood State Park, located at 2750 Sweden Point Road in Marbury. Weigh-ins will also be held at the State Park and will begin at 3 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend and encouraged to follow the event online through the “MLF Live” weigh-in broadcasts and daily coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
In Toyota Series regular-season competition, payouts are based on the number of participants competing in the event, scaling up for every 20 boats over 160 and scaling down for every boat below 160. With a 160-boat field, pros fish for a top prize of $40,000, plus an extra $35,000 if Phoenix MLF Bonus qualified. Strike King co-anglers cast for the top prize of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard (valued at $33,500). With a 260-boat field, pros fish for a top award of $65,000, plus an extra $35,000 if Phoenix MLF Bonus qualified. Strike King co-anglers cast for the top prize of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard (valued at $33,500) plus $5,000 cash.
The 2023 Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats consists of six divisions – Central, Northern Division Presented by Rabid Baits, 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 2024. The winning Strike King co-angler at the championship earns a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard. The 2023 Toyota Series Championship will be held Nov. 2-4 on Table Rock Lake in Branson, Missouri, and is hosted by ExploreBranson.com.
Proud sponsors of the 2023 MLF Toyota Series include: 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Black Rifle Coffee Company, E3, Favorite Fishing, Fox Rent a Car, General Tire, Gill, Grundéns, Lew’s, Lowrance, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Next Gen Lithium, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Wiley X and YETI.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Toyota Series updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the MLF5 social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
MLF Pro Matt Becker Secures Major League Fishing’s 2023 Angler Of the Year Title
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Epic Baits Designed by Becker Propel Him to the Coveted AOY Title Imagine chasing an Angler Of the Year (AOY) title all season, and waiting until the final minutes of the last tournament of the season before realizing you not only won the last event, but also the coveted MLF Bass Pro Tour AOY title you’d been chasing all year! Quite an achievement amidst a rousing chase amongst the top anglers on tour. Matt Becker’s recent 2023 MLF Bass Pro Tour Angler of the Year title didn’t come without some added stress. It came down to the last minute of the last event before he felt that the AOY title was secured. As Becker explains, “It wasn’t until I could see on the score tracker as the time clock ran down that I had finally won”. Becker’s primary concern going into the last MLF event was that he didn’t necessarily control his own destiny, relaying, “I really wasn’t in control of the outcome because no matter how high I finished, if Jacob Wheeler finished 4th place or higher, he would win the AOY. I really couldn’t relax and let my guard down and it really didn’t even hit me that I’d actually won until we were driving back to the boat ramp”. |
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As if that weren’t stressful enough, legendary angler Kevin Van Dam was finishing his pro career on a tear in that last event, racking up heavy bags of smallmouth bass to make a late surge for a storybook ending of winning his last event. As time expired on the tournament and the season, Becker not only held off Van Dam to secure the win at the Minn Kota Stage Seven presented by Suzuki event on Saginaw Bay, but he had the coveted AOY title in his pocket, as well. Prior to the start of the season, Becker reviewed the schedule. He felt like many of the events fit his wheelhouse. “I really liked the schedule right off the bat, especially the events that were up north, like St. Claire, Cayuga, and Saginaw Bay. I had experience on most of the lakes, so I felt like it set up well for my style of fishing”. “The one event I was most concerned about was the Kissimmee Chain in Florida because Florida lakes are just so hit or miss. It was my worst event of the season, but still landed a 47th-place finish.” If there was a key technique during his 2023 AOY run, it was the drop shot, as he fished it both shallow and deep throughout the year. “The drop shot was the most impactful technique for me all season. I put it into play in 5 of the 7 events, and the Epic tungsten tear drop shot weight was what I used in all of them. I like the ¼, ⅜, and ½ oz, depending upon the situation. I caught a lot of spawners on the drop shot but mostly fished it out on deep drop-offs and ledges. It’s such a versatile technique that you can use a drop shot all over the lake. I generally prefer to fish offshore, so that’s what I usually look for, but the drop shot played a factor from the bank to the middle of the lake for me in ‘23”. |
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When fishing the drop shot for smallmouths, Becker prefers the Yamamoto Shad Shape worm, relying on his own custom color when presenting to smallmouth, Becker’s Magic Juice. As he explains, “That color is available exclusively at FishUSA.comand I used it a lot at Saginaw, Bay, and Cayuga to catch smallmouths on beds. I really like the profile of the Shad Shape Worm for smallmouths. For largemouths, I’ll typically go with a longer profile like the Yamamoto Pro Senko”. The other lure Becker relied upon during his AOY run was the Epic Compact Swim Jig. As he describes, “There were a few key fish at Saginaw Bay on the Epic Compact Swim Jig, but that jig also accounted for some good fish for me at Kissimmee”. The Epic Compact Swim Jig has a strong 3/0-4/0 Gamakatsu hook with a 30-degree angle, giving the jig a smaller, more weedless profile that comes through heavy cover well, be it wood or vegetation. Black Back Shad and Bone Crusher are the two colors Becker utilized for his swim jig catches in ‘23. The 2024 Bass Pro Tour dates have already been announced and you can bet Matt Becker will have drop shot and swim jig in hand for most every event on the schedule. |
MASSIVE Outdoors Online Auction
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Online Auction Includes Bucket List Trips, Fishing/Hunting Gear, and Much More |
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Rogers, Minn. (September 12, 2023) — MN-FISH is proud to announce the “World’s Greatest Fishing & Hunting Auction.” This online-only auction boasts more than 40 items, including one-of-a-kind experiences, outdoor gear and much more! Bidding starts at 10:00 a.m. CST, Tuesday, September 12, at MN-FISH.com and closes Sunday, September 17, at 9:00 PM CST. All funds raised will support MN-FISH’s legislative work. Earlier this year, MN-FISH helped secure an historic $98.1 million state investment benefitting Minnesota anglers. The funding will help modernize the state’s aging fish hatcheries and boat accesses, as well as improve shorefishing opportunities for urban anglers, fight the live bait shortage and expansion of Invasive carp in the state, and more. |
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Per MN-FISH president Ron Schara: “We made some huge advances in influencing the state’s allocation of funds to improve fishing infrastructure, but our work is far from done and proceeds from this auction are dedicated to continuing our efforts at the legislature and DNR.” Along those lines, MN-Fish has been working diligently with its growing community of supporters, everyone from state anglers, bait shops, manufacturers, outdoor TV/radio/social media personalities, fishing guides, manufacturers, to bring a unified voice to St. Paul to the benefit of state anglers across all ages, genders, and ethnicities. |
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“What better way to raise funds than by bringing together Minnesota anglers and other outdoor enthusiasts, guides, manufacturers and others who care about the future of Minnesota fishing. Their support of MN-FISH is what gives us the strength to get things done in St. Paul,” said Mark Holsten, MN-FISH Executive Director and former DNR commissioner. “This auction just proves how much Minnesota’s natural resources mean to Minnesotans and others across the country who travel here to fish,” said MN-FISH board member Steve Pennaz. “This auction will not only help raise funds to continue MN-FISH work, it also offers enthusiasts experiences that are not available anywhere else. |
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Here are just a few MN-Fish Auction Items Include (updates being made daily):
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“We’re very grateful for support on all sides,” said MN-Fish executive director Mark Holsten. “Since its launch, the main goal of MN-FISH has been to improve the quality of fishing throughout the state. From day one, several members of the state’s fishing community have volunteered to bring anglers’ voices to the Capitol through non-profit MN-FISH, and it is working.” “Governor Walz and Commissioner Strommen listened to what our collective voices had to say—and they’ve responded in a huge way. This is a great moment that demonstrates policy makers’ commitment to making sure Minnesota’s reputation as one of the top recreational fishing states in the nation continues to hold true." |
BASS FISHING HOF TO HONOR ‘23 INDUCTEES – KICKS OFF ‘CELEBRATE BASS FISHING WEEK’ LATER THIS MONTH
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – For Immediate Release – September 11, 2023 – The Bass Fishing Hall of Fame invites anyone who has a passion for the sport of bass fishing to its ‘Celebrate Bass Fishing Week’ activities. The week of activities will culminate on Thursday, September 28th with an induction ceremony honoring Glen Andrews for his early tournament efforts, the late Bruce Holt for his work on modern-day bass rod development and expanding the bass fishing world, and accomplished pro bass angler Michael Iaconelli for his impact on the sport. They will be formally enshrined into the Hall that evening at Johnny Morris’ Wonders of Wildlife Museum & Aquarium. The activities on September 28th include a special plaque-unveiling ceremony sponsored by Phoenix Boats within the Hall’s venue at WOW, a meet and greet reception with past inductees, dinner sponsored by B.A.S.S. at the White River Conference Center, followed by acceptance speeches by inductees or their family representatives.
“Since the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame established a home within Wonders of Wildlife in 2017, the Hall’s annual induction ceremony and all of our activities surrounding it have become a prominent event in the sportfishing world,” said BFHOF Board President John Mazurkiewicz. “Not only do past Hall inductees, current pro anglers on the B.A.S.S. and MLF circuits, and many of the leading fishing and marine brands support the event, our efforts in growing the prominence of the Hall because of it has enabled the HOF Board to do more in supporting conservation projects to benefit bass fishing and bass anglers. We’ve also been able to encourage high school and college students to pursue fishery management careers with our scholarship program. Our past and new Hall inductees can take credit that their efforts in the sport of bass fishing will only help it continue to grow.”
To support the Hall’s ‘Celebrate – Promote – Preserve’ mission in the bass fishing world, along with honoring Andrews, Holt, and Iaconelli for their efforts in the sport, anglers throughout the U.S. and Canada can participate in its ‘Celebrate Bass Fishing’ online auction sponsored by Major League Fishing starting on Friday, September 22nd (https://bit.ly/AuctionHOF). Here’s just a short list of some of the major items up for bid:
- ‘Bucket List’ fishing trip with bass fishing legend and HOF’er Bill Dance.
- Tournament jerseys from leading professional bass anglers.
- Original artwork from noted fishing/wildlife illustrator Doug Schermer.
- Fishing trips with leading MLF pro anglers including BFHOF inductees Tommy Biffle and Mark Davis, reigning Bass Pro Tour Angler-of-the-Year and Rookie-of-the-Year Matt Becker, Skeet Reese, Mark Rose, Jeremy Lawyer, Roy Hawk, Jacob Wall, Ryan Salzman, Fred Roumbanis, Jonathon VanDam, Alex Davis, and Kyle Hall, along with 2023 Bassmaster Classic winner ‘Gussy’ Gustafson, and Brandon Palaniuk among others.
- Rods, reels and lures from leading brands including Daiwa, Strike King, Lew’s, PRADCO brands, Rapala, Big Bite Baits, SPRO, Sunline, St. Croix, Shimano, Googan Baits, Bass Mafia, American Tackle, Mustad, Abu Garcia, Berkley, Plano, Falcon Rods, Trika, and Bizz Baits.
- Technical fishing clothing from AFTCO, Simms, HUK, and Marsh Wear, plus apparel from Mossy Oak, Toyota and Mercury Marine.
- Coolers and drinkware from PacBak, Yeti, Igloo, and Dometic.
- Fishing adventures including big bass action and a gator hunt at Grosse Savanne Resort in Louisiana, smallmouth bass fishing trips on Lake St. Clair, the St. Lawrence River and Cayuga Lake, and snakehead fishing on the Potomac River with Fat Cat Newton,
- Unique tour packages from the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio and the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, along with a VIP experience at an upcoming Whiskey Myers concert.
- Hunting items from Burris Optics, Sig Sauer, Summit Treestands, Moultrie, and more.
The online auction can be accessed by bass fishing enthusiasts throughout the U.S. and Canada on their smartphones by texting bfhof to 243-725 or BidPal.net/bfhof
The Bass Fishing Hall of Fame wishes to acknowledge the generous financial support provided by presenting sponsors B.A.S.S., Major League Fishing, Phoenix Boats; gold sponsors Bass Pro Shops/Cabela’s, PRADCO Outdoor Brands, Wired2fish and; silver sponsors AFTCO, Daiwa, Rapala, Rather Outdoors, and Shimano; and bronze sponsors St. Croix, Simms Fishing, Sunline, Bass Fishing Archives, Yamaha Marine, and Costa Compete & Conserve.
A limited number of tickets to the HOF induction ceremonies and dinner remain available until Friday, September 22nd , or until the White River Conference Center facility reaches its capacity limits. To purchase tickets and/or tables – visit bidpal.net/bfhof - or contact Barbara Bowman at [email protected] or call 501.541.6601.
Louisiana’s Riverdale Academy Bassmasters Wins MLF High School Fishing Open Tournament on Sam Rayburn Reservoir
A field of 49 teams competed 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 four teams that advanced to the 2024 High School Fishing National Championship are:
2nd: Hornbeck High School, Hornbeck, La. – Brayden Jett and Carter Ward, two bass, 11-4
3rd: East Beauregard High School, DeRidder, La. – Collin Nortman and Dalton Watson, five bass, 11-3
4th: Highland Park High School, Dallas, Texas – Cullum Brown and Dylan Sorrells, five bass, 11-2
6th: Melissa High School, Melissa, Texas – Camden Sarrett and Andrew Waters, five bass, 10-3
7th: Ruston High School, Ruston, La. – Zachary McMillan and Ethan Thrash, five bass, 9-3
8th: Broken Bow High School, Broken Bow, La. – Levi Lawrence and Aaron Willis, five bass, 8-14
9th: Caldwell Parish High School, Columbia, La. – Courtney Martinez and Jackson McClanahan, four bass, 8-14
10th: McCracken County High School, Paducah, Ky. – Nick Hayes and Harley Valerius, five bass, 8-13
MLF High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing 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 2024 High School Fishing National Championship.
The High School Fishing National Champions each receive a $5,000 college scholarship to the school of their choice and advance to the 2024 MLF Toyota Series Championship to compete as co-anglers.
Proud sponsors of the 2023 MLF High School Fishing Presented by Favorite Fishing include: 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Black Rifle Coffee Company, E3, Favorite Fishing, Fox Rent a Car, General Tire, Grundens, Lawless Lures, Lew’s, Lowrance, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Wiley X 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.
LSU-Shreveport Wins MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing Tournament on Sam Rayburn Reservoir
“Our morning spot didn’t really work out,” said Tew. “We caught two little ones there. We had a bunch of brush piles we were going to run throughout the day, so we ended up hitting them pretty early.”
Tew said the team targeted brush piles in 15 to 20 feet of water in the San Augustine Park area of Rayburn, and fished their targets slowly with a Zoom Magnum Trick Worm on a shaky-head rig. Their tactic produced eight bass during the tournament – all keepers.
“We caught a 5-pounder and a 6-pounder when we got to our first brush piles,” Tew said. “We kind of beat around for the fifth fish and finally caught it. We weeded through a bunch of 2-pounders, and about 11 o’clock we went back to where we caught the two big ones and caught a 6½-pounder.
“It felt good to start the season off with a win, and it’s a real credit to the whole team - my teammates and our coach, as well as my family,” Tew added.
The teams that qualified to compete at the 2024 College Fishing National Championship are:
2nd: McKendree University – Grant Olsen, Gardner, Ill., and Evan Sutton, Highland, Ill., five bass, 18-5, $1,000
3rd: Tarleton State-Stephenville – Sam Semper, Parker, Texas, five bass, 17-2, $700
4th: Tarleton State-Stephenville – Clayton Easter and Trevor Easter, both of Morgan, Texas, five bass, 17-0, $600
5th: Arkansas Tech University – Kanon Harmon, Benton, Ark., and Cody McEntire, Walnut Ridge, Ark., five bass, 16-3, $500
6th: Louisiana Tech University – Colby Dark, West Monroe, La., five bass, 15-5
7th: Tarleton State-Stephenville – Garett Cadenhead, Fort Worth, Texas, and Jared Mizell, Pearland, Texas, five bass, 14-12
8th: Northeastern State University-Tahlequah – Grayson Hudson, Keifer, Okla., and Matthew Huffman, Park Hill, Okla., five bass, 14-11
9th: Texas A&M – Reid Farris, Adkins, Texas, and Sid Wallace, San Angelo, Texas, five bass, 14-5
10th: Stephen F. Austin – Ben Burns, Lucas, Texas, and Ian Nash, Melissa, Texas, five bass, 14-4
The Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI event on Sam Rayburn Reservoir was hosted by the Jasper County Development District. The next event for College Fishing anglers will be the Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI event on Lake Hartwell, Oct. 27 in Anderson, South Carolina.
The 2023 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 2024 Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI National Championship.
Proud sponsors of the 2023 MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI include: 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Black Rifle Coffee Company, E3, Favorite Fishing, Fox Rent a Car, General Tire, Grundens, Lawless Lures, Lew’s, Lowrance, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Wiley X 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
Hudson Posts Long-Awaited Victory at Two-Day Phoenix Bass Fishing League Super Tournament on Kerr Lake
HENDERSON, N.C. (Sept. 11, 2023) – Boater Derik Hudson of Concord, Virginia, caught 10 bass weighing 31 pounds, 10 ounces, to win the two-day MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on Kerr Lake in Henderson, North Carolina. The tournament was the fifth and final regular-season event for the Phoenix Bass Fishing League Piedmont Division. Hudson earned $7,017 for his victory.
“I got to practice Friday, but I didn’t find anything that was really awesome,” said Hudson, who has posted 22 top-10 finishes in MLF events. “I know this place fishes tough, so I felt good that I found some fish.
“On the first day, I went to a spot and caught three fish, one of which was a 3½-pound spotted bass,” Hudson added. “I was headed up the lake and saw fish bust in front of me. I felt the Lord was leading me there, so I turned around and caught just about all of my 16 pounds the first day on that spot – a spot I had never fished before.”
Hudson said he returned to the same spot on the second day of competition, but it produced no bass. He didn’t panic; he relied on his faith to keep him calm. His next spot produced the 15 pounds he weighed Sunday.
Hudson said he fished mid-lake – from the dam to just above Rudd’s Creek Recreation area – and targeted bass with a Missile Baits Magic Worm in the Missile Morning color on a drop-shot rig. A Heddon Zara Spook and soft jerkbaits were also key baits for Hudson.
“Anything is possible on Kerr Lake, but when I culled my last bass, I knew someone would have to really catch them to beat me,” Hudson said. “If I finished second, third or fourth, I could not have complained about this tournament. I had a phenomenal two days of fishing.
“I’ve heard so many stories of ‘when it’s your time it’s your time,’” Hudson added. “The Lord provided. To fish 100 tournaments with MLF and then win the 101st … to finally get that win … wow. It’s amazing.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
2nd: Brandon Gray, Bullock, N.C., 10 bass, 26-15, $2,759
3rd: Bryan Elrod, Mechanicsville, Va., 10 bass, 26-7, $1,839
4th: Tommy Jones, Salisbury, N.C., 10 bass, 26-4, $1,287
5th: Tyler Trent, Nathalie, Va., 10 bass, 26-3, $1,603 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
6th: Michael Birr, Franklinton, N.C., 10 bass, 26-0, $1,012
7th: Chad Poteat, Mount Airy, N.C., 10 bass, 25-10, $1,500
8th: Tyler Purcell, Townsville, N.C., 10 bass, 23-12, $828
9th: Richard Hodges, Jr., Camden, N.C., eight bass, 23-11, $736
10th: Logan Odum, Lumberton, N.C., nine bass, 21-13, $644
Steven Lahr of Port Charlotte, Florida, had a bass that weighed 6 pounds, 7 ounces that was the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $720.
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:
2nd: Dustin Riddle, Hiwassee, Va., nine bass, 19-8, $1,379
3rd: Robert Wedding, Welcome, Md., six bass, 17-0, $1,469
4th: Tim Privette Jr., Wendell, N.C., six bass, 15-7, $644
5th: Cornell Badra, Clarksburg, Md., five bass, 13-2, $552
6th: Wes House, Knightdale, N.C., six bass, 12-13, $506
7th: Tony Toombs, Drakes Branch, Va., six bass, 12-11, $460
8th: Craig Ferguson, Emporia, Va., six bass, 11-10, $414
9th: Kristofer Goin, Farmville, Va., six bass, 11-5, $368
10th: Bud Amend, Pleasant Garden, N.C., five bass, 10-10, $322
With the regular season now complete, boater Evan White of Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina, won the 2023 Bass Fishing League Piedmont Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with a five-event total of 1,328 points to earn the $1,000 boater AOY award. Robert Wedding of Welcome, Maryland, won the 2023 Strike King Co-Angler Piedmont Division AOY race with 1,333 points and earned the $500 Strike King Co-angler of the Year award.
Now, the top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will advance to compete in the Oct. 5-7 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on the Potomac River in Marbury, Maryland. Boaters will fish for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury 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 outboard.
The 2023 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 top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division will also earn priority entry into the MLF Toyota Series, the pathway to the MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitationals and ultimately the MLF Bass Pro Tour.
Proud sponsors of the 2023 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, E3, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, General Tire, Grundéns, Gill, Lew’s, Lowrance, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Mystik Lubricants, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, Wiley X 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.
Lawrence Dominates Two-Day Phoenix Bass Fishing League Super Tournament on Pickwick Lake
IUKA, Miss. (Sept. 11, 2023) – Boater Jake Lawrence of Paris, Tennessee, caught 10 bass weighing 51 pounds, 2 ounces, to win the two-day MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on Pickwick Lake in Iuka, Mississippi, by more than 20 pounds over the second-place finisher. The tournament was the fifth and final regular-season event for the Bass Fishing League Mississippi Division. Lawrence earned $5,690 for his victory.
Lawrence’s 20-pound, 11-ounce margin of victory was the second-largest winning margin in BFL history. Only Anthony Sharp’s 21-5 margin at Sam Rayburn Reservoir in 2020 was higher.
“It’s well known that Pickwick is fishing tough,” Lawrence said. “These fish are somewhere; they don’t just disappear. In my mind, when you have a big tournament with this caliber of anglers in it, and the weights are low, we’re just not fishing around them. So, I came into this with an open mind and tried not to fish like I generally do. And that’s what led me to the pattern I eventually ended up fishing. It was focused on where the bait was.”
Lawrence said he caught bass in depths from 5 feet to 28 feet in various locations, but one factor remained constant – the bass were found where baitfish were present.
“You just have to cover a lot of water in a situation like that,” Lawrence said. “It’s tough to put a finger on where you even start like that. I just put the trolling motor down and it just kind of led me to what it was. It wasn’t one specific area.”
Lawrence said he fished water from Bear Creek to the dam, but did not focus on a particular or recurring feature or pattern. His bait of choice was a 4-inch Jenko Fishing Booty Shaker Swimbaitin no particular color.
“It seemed like I could catch every 3.20- to 3.80-pound fish in the lake, but when I finally came across a 5-pounder he would just follow my swimbait until he got to the trolling motor,” Lawrence said. “There was an acre or two out there where the bait was just kind of hanging out. And you could find those little zones, and they would be packed. There was no specific target; I was out there hunting and pecking.”
Lawrence posted a Toyota Series win at Kentucky-Barkley Lakes in April and has finished first in other local tournaments this year as well.
“It’s been a fun year,” Lawrence said. “I’m looking forward to the future.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
2nd: Banks Shaw, Harrison, Tenn., 10 bass, 30-7, $2,845
3rd: Chaz McMahan, Saint Joseph, Tenn., 10 bass, 28-13, $1,897
4th: Justin Bussey, Fulton, Miss., 10 bass, 28-10, $1,328
5th: Charles Watts, Corinth, Miss., 10 bass, 28-3, $1,138
6th: Trent Suratt, Lawrenceburg, Tenn., 10 bass, 27-11, $1,043
7th: Ty Cox, Iuka, Miss., nine bass, 27-10, $948
8th: Justin Atkins, Florence, Ala., nine bass, 27-8, $853
9th: Carl Lovett, Mt. Pleasant, Tenn., nine bass, 27-3, $759
10th: Monty Yeager, Florence, Ala., nine bass, 25-10, $664
Larry Jenkins of Memphis, Tennessee, had a bass that weighed 5 pounds, 11 ounces that was the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $742.
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:
2nd: Johnny Suratt, Lawrenceburg, Tenn., eight bass, 20-5, $1,299
3rd: Scott Kirk, Houston, Miss., seven bass, 19-2, $867
4th: Daniel Corkern, Florence, Miss., six bass, 18-10, $956
5th: Vernon Hearn, Lena, Miss., four bass, 13-6, $520
6th: C.J. Holbrook, Smithville, Miss., four bass, 13-0, $476
7th: Lewis Ritchie, Bogalusa, La., five bass, 11-3, $433
8th: Nathan Moore, Coffeeville, Miss., six bass, 10-14, $390
9th: Todd South, Florence, Ala., three bass, 9-5, $346
10th: Reggie Thornton, Columbus, Miss., three bass, 8-12, $303
With the regular season now complete, boater Taurian Parks of Clinton, Mississippi, won the 2023 Bass Fishing League Mississippi Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with a five-event total of 1,273 points to earn the $1,000 boater AOY award. Hunter Averett of Carriere, Mississippi, won the 2023 Strike King Co-Angler Mississippi Division AOY race with 1,321 points and earned the $500 Strike King Co-angler of the Year award.
Now, the top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will advance to compete in the Oct. 5-7 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Lake Eufaula in Eufaula, Oklahoma. Boaters will fish for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury 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 outboard.
The 2023 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 top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division will also earn priority entry into the MLF Toyota Series, the pathway to the MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitationals and ultimately the MLF Bass Pro Tour.
Proud sponsors of the 2023 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, E3, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, General Tire, Grundéns, Gill, Lew’s, Lowrance, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Mystik Lubricants, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, Wiley X 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.
Thompson Adapts to Conditions, Wins Two-Day Phoenix Bass Fishing League Super Tournament on the St. Lawrence River
MASSENA, N.Y. (Sept. 11, 2023) – Boater Joseph Thompson of Coatesville, Pennsylvania, caught 10 bass weighing 44 pounds, 5 ounces, to win the two-day MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on the St. Lawrence River in Massena, New York. The tournament was the fifth and final regular-season event for the Bass Fishing League Northeast Division. Thompson earned $12,806 for his victory, including the lucrative $7,000 Phoenix MLF contingency bonus.
“The conditions on the days of competition for the tournament were unlike any of the practice days,” Thompson said. “Practice was sunny, with good wind direction, and then the tournament was overcast with a northeast wind. It really backed the current up. It had fish positioned a little differently, and the first couple of hours each morning it took me a bit to figure it out and see how they had repositioned.”
Thompson said he didn’t land his first bass Sunday until 10 a.m., and caught most of his weigh fish between 10 and 1 p.m. He fished the Brockville area and relied primarily on a Carolina rig and a drop-shot rig for his bass around steep ledges off points in 30 feet of water.
Thompson entered the Super Tournament needing the win to secure his second-consecutive Northeast Division Angler of the Year title.
“I thought I was going to be a little short when it was all said and done, to be honest with you,” Thompson said. “I was surprised when I won.
“The win feels so good,” Thompson added. “The caliber of fishermen in the BFLs is unbelievable. Everywhere you go it’s the best of the local guys fishing in them. It’s an unbelievable talent pool.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
2nd: Ethan Carr, Massena, N.Y., 10 bass, 41-0, $2,403
3rd: Kent Compo, Brasherfalls, N.Y., 10 bass, 40-15, $1,603
4th: Lane Olson, Forest Grove, Ore., 10 bass, 40-10, $1,121
5th: Christopher Sperling, Cato, N.Y., 10 bass, 40-2, $961
6th: Clay Reece, Lexington, Ky., 10 bass, 39-12, $881
7th: Brett Carnright, Plattsburgh, N.Y., 10 bass, 38-10, $1,378
8th: Douglas Reed, Bridgeton, N.J., 10 bass, 38-8, $721
9th: Ethan McMahon, Swanton, Vt., nine bass, 38-4, $641
10th: Jonathan Robla, Lisbon, N.Y., 10 bass, 37-11, $561
Brett Carnright of Plattsburgh, New York, had a bass that weighed 5 pounds, 10 ounces that was the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $577.
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:
2nd: Eric Baba, Plainville, Ct., 10 bass, 35-10, $1,186
3rd: Justin Harant, Havertown, Pa., 10 bass, 35-9, $792
4th: Matt Hummel, Dillsburg, Pa., 10 bass, 35-4, $838
5th: Cory Germano, Staatsburg, N.Y., 10 bass, 32-5, $624
6th: Michael Bahnweg, Union Dale, Pa., nine bass, 29-9, $435
7th: John Alexander, Mt. Airy, Md., nine bass, 29-8, $395
8th: Jimmy Papineau, Staatsburg, N.Y., 10 bass, 29-1, $356
9th: Alexandre Jelev, Petawawa, Ont., 10 bass, 27-14, $316
10th: Avery Shoemaker, Oakwood, Ga., 10 bass, 27-0, $277
With the regular season now complete, boater Joseph Thompson of Coatesville, Pennsylvania, won the 2023 Bass Fishing League Northeast Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with a five-event total of 1,274 points to earn the $1,000 boater AOY award. Michael Bahnweg of Union Dale, Pennsylvania, won the 2023 Strike King Co-Angler Northeast Division AOY race with 1,281 points and earned the $500 Strike King Co-angler of the Year award.
Now, the top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will advance to compete in the Oct. 5-7 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on the Potomac River in Marbury, Maryland. Boaters will fish for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury 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 outboard.
The 2023 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 top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division will also earn priority entry into the MLF Toyota Series, the pathway to the MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitationals and ultimately the MLF Bass Pro Tour.
Proud sponsors of the 2023 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, E3, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, General Tire, Grundéns, Gill, Lew’s, Lowrance, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Mystik Lubricants, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, Wiley X 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.
Redwine Wins Two-Day Phoenix Bass Fishing League Super Tournament on Lake Erie
SANDUSKY, Ohio (Sept. 11, 2023) – Boater Alex Redwine of Cincinnati, Ohio, caught 10 bass weighing 43 pounds, 9 ounces, to win the two-day MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on Lake Erie Presented by Rabid Baits in Sandusky, Ohio. The tournament was the fifth and final regular-season event for the Bass Fishing League Buckeye Division Presented by Rabid Baits. Redwine earned $6,121 for his victory.
“I didn’t really know how the first day was going to go, because it was very windy,” said Redwine. “There was a lot of north wind making 4- and 5-foot waves, and it took me a while to get to my area where I was fishing. Once I got there, I was able to bounce around three places where I caught key fish.
“Day 2 was a lot calmer and there wasn’t as much sun, which made the bite a little more difficult,” Redwine went on to say. “I was still around the right size of fish; I just couldn’t get them to bite as well. I did find one new area where I caught two or three key fish.”
Redwine said he focused his efforts on an island and fished 15 to 25 feet deep and targeted patches of rock or isolated boulders where baitfish were present. He said he switched between a Ned rig and a drop-shot rig to catch his bass.
“I thought once I got over 20 pounds that I had a pretty good shot at winning and guys would have to really catch them to beat me,” Redwine said. “The guy that came in second by one ounce, Jeremy, is a long-time best friend of mine, so that was pretty cool for us to finish 1-2. We’ve both put a lot of time on the water here, and for us to both do really good was just awesome.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
2nd: Jeremy Reese, Powell, Ohio, 10 bass, 43-8, $3,560 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
3rd: Dick Parker, Lorain, Ohio, 10 bass, 40-3, $2,291
4th: Sean Wieda, Alexandria, Ky., 10 bass, 36-14, $1,428
5th: Wilson Burton, Findlay, Ohio., 10 bass, 34-5, $1,724
6th: Chris King, South Amherst, Ohio, 10 bass, 33-15, $1,122
7th: Lawrence Clontz, Trenton, Ohio, 10 bass, 33-11, $1,020
8th: Dan Fry, Marysville, Ohio, 10 bass, 29-0, $2,088
9th: Bob Logan, Waynesfield, Ohio, 10 bass, 28-5, $816
10th: Dakota Stiltner, Sheffield Lake, Ohio, 10 bass, 28-0, $714
Dan Fry of Marysville, Ohio, had a bass that weighed 5 pounds, 1 ounce that was the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $840.
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:
2nd: Tyler Land, Coatsville, Ind., 10 bass, 33-4, $1,530
3rd: Dayton Land, Coatsville, Ind., 10 bass, 27-8, $1,020
4th: Adam Radovic, Brecksville, Ohio, 10 bass, 24-11, $714
5th: Logan Kaplon, Rural Valley, Pa., 10 bass, 23-14, $612
6th: Terry Bucciarelli, Ypsilanti, Mich., nine bass, 22-14, $1,331
7th: Drew Crawford, Knightstown, Ind., 10 bass, 22-12, $510
8th: Walter Hammond, Lees Summit, Mo., eight bass, 21-12, $659
9th: Colten Didion, Port Clinton, Ohio, nine bass, 21-6, $408
10th: Dylan Sibley, Strasburg, Ohio, six bass, 21-2, $357
With the regular season now complete, boater Chris Martinkovic of Hamilton, Ohio, won the 2023 Bass Fishing League Buckeye Division Presented by Rabid Baits Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with a five-event total of 1,266 points to earn the $1,000 boater AOY award. Steve Sorrell of Beavercreek, Ohio, won the 2023 Strike King Co-Angler Buckeye Division Presented by Rabid Baits AOY race with 1,276 points and earned the $500 Strike King Co-angler of the Year award.
Now, the top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will advance to compete in the Oct. 5-7 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on the Potomac River in Marbury, Maryland. Boaters will fish for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury 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 outboard.
The 2023 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 top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division will also earn priority entry into the MLF Toyota Series, the pathway to the MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitationals and ultimately the MLF Bass Pro Tour.
Proud sponsors of the 2023 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, E3, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, General Tire, Grundéns, Gill, Lew’s, Lowrance, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Mystik Lubricants, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, Wiley X 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.
19-Year-Old Lachniet Posts Second Victory at Two-Day Phoenix Bass Fishing League Super Tournament on Dale Hollow Lake
BYRDSTOWN, Tenn. (Sept. 11, 2023) – Boater Ryan Lachniet of Gum Spring, Virginia, caught six bass weighing 25 pounds, 5 ounces, to win the two-day MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on Dale Hollow Lake in Byrdstown, Tennessee. The tournament was the fifth and final regular-season event for the Bass Fishing League Mountain Division. Lachniet earned $5,387 for his victory.
“This was a good tournament for me,” said the 19-year-old Lachniet, who now has two BFL wins under his belt. “Sunday, at 8 o’clock, I caught a big smallmouth that weighed 4-14. I knew that if I could catch just two more 4-pounders I would probably win it. It took all day, but I eventually caught those two 4s.”
Lachniet said he focused the majority of his fishing near Sulphur Creek Resort and targeted suspended fish with a 3.3-inch Keitech Swing Impact FAT Swimbait. Lachniet said his method produced 25 to 30 bass between 2½ and 4 pounds each day of the tournament.
“Once I culled out a 3½-pounder with a 4-1, I was pretty confident,” Lachniet said. “I knew it was going to be close, but I was hoping I had enough.
“This win is pretty awesome,” Lachniet added. “I’ve been fishing BFLs for two years now and fished my first one when I was 17 on the James River.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
2nd: Jacob Woods, Louden, Tenn., six bass, 24-12, $2,694
3rd: Evan Fields, Shelbyville, Ky., six bass, 24-9, $1,795
4th: Ryan Davidson, Branchland, W.V., six bass, 24-6, $2,637 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
5th: Tanner Rich, Byrdstown, Tenn., six bass, 23-7, $1,077
6th: Tony Eckler, Lebanon, Tenn., six bass, 22-15, $988
7th: Isaac Peavyhouse, Jamestown, Tenn., six bass, 22-8, $898
8th: Bailey Gay, Union, Ky., six bass, 22-2, $808
9th: Christian Nash, Allons, Tenn., six bass, 21-10, $718
10th: Andrew Napier, Fisherville, Ky., six bass, 21-7, $628
Mark Towe of Gallatin, Tennessee, had a bass that weighed 6 pounds, 9 ounces that was the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $690.
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:
2nd: Barry King, Liberty, Ky., five bass, 14-9, $1,332
3rd: Billy Hughes, Eubank, Ky., five bass, 13-15, $889
4th: Nicole Abrams, Greenfork, Ind., five bass, 13-8, $622
5th: Andrew Devere, Paint Lick, Ky., six bass, 13-5, $533
6th: Allen Neal, Whitley City, Ky., five bass, 13-1, $488
7th: Garret Moon, Albany, Ky., four bass, 12-13, $444
8th: Keith Bridges, Spring City, Tenn., four bass, 11-2, $400
9th: Teddy Baggett, Nashville, Tenn., five bass, 10-8, $355
10th: Pop Catalin, Cookeville, Tenn., three bass, 9-8, $311
With the regular season now complete, boater Christian Nash of Allons, Tennessee, won the 2023 Bass Fishing League Mountain Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with a five-event total of 1,320 points to earn the $1,000 boater AOY award. Allen Neal of Whitley City, Kentucky, won the 2023 Strike King Co-Angler Mountain Division AOY race with 1,288 points and earned the $500 Strike King Co-angler of the Year award.
Now, the top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will advance to compete in the Oct. 19-21 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Lake Norman in Huntersville, North Carolina. Boaters will fish for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury 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 outboard.
The 2023 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 top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division will also earn priority entry into the MLF Toyota Series, the pathway to the MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitationals and ultimately the MLF Bass Pro Tour.
Proud sponsors of the 2023 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, E3, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, General Tire, Grundéns, Gill, Lew’s, Lowrance, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Mystik Lubricants, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, Wiley X 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.
Tassi Keeps Calm, Fishes On for Win at Two-Day Phoenix Bass Fishing League Super Tournament on Grand Lake
GROVE, Okla. (Sept. 11, 2023) – Boater Scott Tassi of Arma, Kansas, caught 10 bass weighing 36 pounds, 10 ounces, to win the two-day MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on Grand Lake in Grove, Oklahoma. The tournament was the fifth and final regular-season event for the Bass Fishing League Okie Division Presented by Mystik Lubricants. Tassi earned $8,735 for his victory.
“I found some fish shallow on topwater and squarebill crankbaits during practice Thursday and Friday, but nothing great,” Tassi said. “It was just scrounging up five fish a day.”
Tassi received a late boat draw for the tournament, and said his starting spots were taken, so he started out running his shallow pattern where he could. With only one fish at 9:30 Saturday morning, Tassi said his approach just wasn’t working out for the tournament.
“I just had to punt, basically,” Tassi said. “I had to go back to where I’d caught a few fish offshore in practice, but that wasn’t something that I thought would be viable. At 1 o’clock Saturday I still had just one fish. So, I thought, ‘I’ve got to go big, or I’m going home.’”
Tassi said he stumbled onto something on his mid-lake offshore spots. Something good enough for a good limit both Saturday and Sunday, in fact. While most of his bass fell for a ¾-ounce Motion Fishing Company Football Jig, Tassi said he caught a few on a worm in stained water in 12 to 17 feet of water.
“I think the biggest key for me this weekend was just being patient,” Tassi said. “Instead of pulling up and throwing 15 or 20 casts and saying, ‘No, they’re not here,’ I stuck with it and ground it out. I knew if I calmed down and fished slowly it would happen.
“It was very stressful and very eventful,” Tassi added. “If you fish, you know two-day tournaments are hard to win, and three-day tournaments are near impossible to win on just a couple of schools of fish. Everything just worked out right. They bit, and everything that bit I got into the boat. It just turns out that where I had caught one fish in practice turned out to be the mother lode.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
2nd: Joshua Tepley, Harrah, Okla., 10 bass, 29-2, $3,652
3rd: Bradley Sullivan, Shawnee, Okla., 10 bass, 26-10, $2,433
4th: Andy Newcomb, Camdenton, Mo., 10 bass, 26-9, $2,504 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
5th: Andy Carroll, Greenwood, Ark., 10 bass, 25-11, $1,461
6th: Brian Thurber, Siloam Springs, Ark., nine bass, 25-3, $1,339
7th: Dalton Warrington, Tishomingo, Okla., 10 bass, 25-2, $1,217
8th: Dennis Berhost, Summit, Mo., 10 bass, 24-10, $1,096
9th: T.J. Martin, Claremore, Okla., 10 bass, 24-8, $974
10th: Caleb Black, McAlester, Okla., 10 bass, 24-7, $852
Tassi also had a bass that weighed 5 pounds, 7 ounces that was the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $1,102.
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:
2nd: Justin Parchman, Oologah, Okla., eight bass, 19-15, $1,813
3rd: Kaleb O’Brien, Wagoner, Okla., seven bass, 19-5, $1,209
4th: Wesley Bissett, Broken Arrow, Okla., eight bass, 18-3, $846
5th: J.P. Northcutt, Grove, Okla., seven bass, 17-6, $725
6th: Blake Denny, Crowder, Okla., eight bass, 17-2, $665
7th: Michael Shinstine, Springdale, Ark., eight bass, 17-1, $604
8th: Brock Krohne, Belton, Mo., seven bass, 16-5, $544
9th: Timothy Cartwright, Sand Springs, Okla., seven bass, 16-4, $484
10th: Patrick Weir, Park Hill, Okla., seven bass, 15-12, $423
With the regular season now complete, boater T.J. Martin of Claremore, Oklahoma, won the 2023 Bass Fishing League Okie Division Presented by Mystik Lubricants Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with a five-event total of 1,286 points to earn the $1,000 boater AOY award. Danny Giacomo of McAlester, Oklahoma, won the 2023 Strike King Co-Angler Okie Division Presented by Mystik Lubricants AOY race with 1,237 points and earned the $500 Strike King Co-angler of the Year award.
Now, the top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will advance to compete in the Oct. 19-21 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Lake of the Ozarks in Osage Beach, Missouri. Boaters will fish for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury 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 outboard.
The 2023 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 top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division will also earn priority entry into the MLF Toyota Series, the pathway to the MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitationals and ultimately the MLF Bass Pro Tour.
Proud sponsors of the 2023 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, E3, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, General Tire, Grundéns, Gill, Lew’s, Lowrance, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Mystik Lubricants, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, Wiley X 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.
Bassmaster High School Combine connects students and college fishing coaches
High school anglers from 22 states will participate in the Skeeter Bassmaster High School Combine Sept. 15-17 in Decatur, Ala.
September 8, 2023
DECATUR, Ala. — After the first two events generated more than $4.5 million in scholarship offers, 112 anglers from 22 states hope to continue that trend by reeling in big-time offers from college coaches when the third annual Skeeter Bassmaster High School Combine kicks off on Sept. 15. The three-day event will be held on Wheeler Lake in Decatur, Ala.
“B.A.S.S. is constantly looking for ways to grow the High School and College platforms and give young anglers opportunities to excel not only in the sport, but also in the industry,” said Glenn Cale, B.A.S.S. tournament manager for the College, High School and Junior Series. “This has truly become the preeminent event for colleges looking to find and recruit talent from across the U.S.”
The opportunity to meet individually with prospective anglers and evaluate talent from a wider swath of the country is critical for coaches.
“There is no way — even in a two- or three-year span — that a high school angler could visit, in person, all the universities that are brought to them at the High School Combine essentially in one location, in one weekend,” said Coach Todd Gill of Illinois' Wabash Valley College. “Likewise, universities are provided an opportunity to sell their college and all it has to offer to anglers who might not otherwise be considering their program.”
Anglers like Jonathan Waschek, a junior from Apple Valley, Minn., are taking full advantage of having coaches in one location to advance their college search and test themselves against championship-caliber competition.
“We live up in Minnesota, so we would have to travel a lot to meet this many coaches at the colleges,” said Waschek. “This is a way to introduce myself to several coaches, learn about programs in one trip ... and narrow down the list of colleges I want to look at this fall. I’ve enjoyed the tournament fishing experience and the opportunity to compete with other students from around my state, but look forward to the opportunity to use what I’ve learned to compete in new parts of the country.”
At the High School Combine, anglers will perform multiple tasks — Casting Distance, Technical and Casting Accuracy — to show their skill set not only on the water, but also to display their knowledge of the sport as a whole. Each of the disciplines will operate on a point system and will be timed by an official judge. After the first day, colleges will have the opportunity to select anglers for a “second look” where they can further explore everything that angler has to offer and see if they would be the perfect fit for their fishing program.
“I will be looking for positive attitudes and how the kids interact with each other. Team dynamic is very crucial to success. I'm looking for anglers that complement my program, not hinder it,” said Campbellsville University Coach Tony Miracle. “I want anglers that work hard to be successful, so good grades are very important to me. It tells me that they take pride in their lives. That turns into pride for your team. Wins mean nothing to me ... I look for consistency. Top 20 finishes will get you qualified for Nationals; the more teams you have at Nationals the better your chance to win.”
Similarly, the student anglers are hoping to leverage time at the Combine to determine where they want to spend the next stage of their careers.
“Currently, I have dialogue with around 10 programs. The Combine is a great opportunity to meet coaches in person and start the process of determining where I fit from a goal and cultural perspective. I’m hoping to find three to five programs that are a good fit for me and start building a relationship with the coaches and team members so I can make an informed decision,” said Dylan Sorrells of Dallas, Texas, who finished in the Top 20 at the 2023 Strike King Bassmaster High School National Championship presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors. “I’m excited to test my technical skills against serious anglers who plan to pursue fishing in college. As a junior, it allows me to compare my skills against some of the best and provides feedback on what I need to improve on over the next two years.”
The following schools have committed to participating in the Bassmaster High School Combine:
- Auburn University (Auburn, Ala.)
- Bethel University (McKenzie, Tenn.)
- Blue Mountain Christian University (Blue Mountain, Miss.)
- Bryan College (Dayton, Tenn.)
- Campbellsville University (Campbellsville, Ky.)
- Carson-Newman University (Jefferson City, Tenn.)
- Catawba Valley Community College (Hickory, N.C.)
- Dallas Baptist University (Dallas, Texas)
- Drury University (Springfield, Mo.)
- East Texas Baptist University (Marshall, Texas)
- Emmanuel University (Franklin Springs, Ga.)
- Erskine College (Due West, S.C.)
- Faulkner University (Montgomery, Ala.)
- Kentucky Christian University (Grayson, Ky.)
- Lander University (Greenwood, S.C.)
- Louisiana State University Shreveport (Shreveport, La.)
- Murray State College (Tishomingo, Okla.)
- Southeastern University (Lakeland, Fla.)
- Troy University (Troy, Ala.)
- University of Alabama (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
- University of Florida (Gainesville, Fla.)
- University of Montevallo (Montevallo, Ala.)
- University of North Alabama (Florence, Ala.)
- Wabash Valley College (Mt. Carmel, Ill.)
- Webber International University (Babson Park, Fla.)
The 2023 Skeeter Bassmaster High School Combine is being hosted by Decatur Morgan County Tourism.
Proclaiming the Significance of NPAA
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Mark Copley knows the Rather Outdoors’ fishing brands reap the rewards of investing in NPAA. |
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Forestville, WI (September 8, 2023) – The fishing industry has a select group of folks that “everybody knows”. Rather Outdoors Mark Copley is one of them. Just visit the Rather Outdoors booth at ICAST. Copley is swarmed with media, pros, and upstarts who want to be on the inside looking out. His fishing industry journey began 17-years ago with Strike King, in August of 2007, when Copley was tapped to produce television’s Strike King’s Pro Team Journal, which airs to this day under the title Pro Team Journal, and folds in Rather’s family brands Lew’s and Strike King. In his production capacity, Copley managed three unique television shows, including a program dedicated to Academy Outdoors. Copley climbed the corporate ladder at Strike King, and was named Marketing Manager in 2011, a position he held until 2018 when Strike King was sold to Peak Rock Investments, who also had purchased Lew’s and Hunters Specialties, eventually leading to the formation of Rather Outdoors and piling up of several other fishing brands, to include Mr. Crappie, Salmo, and others. In 2019, Copley became Director of Pro Staff and Media Relations for all the North American brands. And in 2020, he added the assignment of Tradeshow Manager, which he maintains with proficiency to this day. |
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Introduction to NPAA Strike King stormed the walleye market in 2016. With decades of momentum in the bass fishing market, Copley knew Strike King needed new weaponry to make a mark with walleye anglers. That’s when he met Pat…Pat Neu, President of NPAA. “I really got to know Pat, and appreciated all NPAA was doing for the walleye market,” said Copley. “So, in 2016, Strike King joined as a Silver Partner. It was a real no-brainer for us.” “Mark immediately saw the value in aligning their brands with an organization that was working to help angler influencers become better at promoting themselves, the sport and their sponsors products on and off the water,” said Neu. Copley continued: “NPAA is all about getting product in the right hands – the individual members. These guys and gals aren’t your everyday anglers – they make a living from fishing and are very influential. There’s no better way for a company to get products used by anglers of influence.” “It’s a win-win for us. We utilize a channel to sell our products at a discount to fishing professionals, and they get a deal just by being an NPAA member. Think about it. If a guide or tournament angler had to pay full price all the time, running a profitable business would be nearly impossible.” |
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NPAA is also able to distribute Rather Outdoors’ content. “With NPAA’s weekly NewsBLAST and other member communications, we can share product and company news instantly, and with the right people,” said Copley. Copley came in with walleyes on the brain, but quickly realized NPAA’s multispecies reach. “I know NPAA started as a group of professional walleye anglers, but it’s become so much more. Members include professional bass anglers, saltwater guides, muskie and ice fishing maniacs, and about every category of professional angler out there.” “Companies are missing sales and not connecting with legitimate influencers if they don’t support NPAA. And for the individual pros and student anglers out there, if you’re not a member, you’re passing up on amazing deals from some of fishing’s biggest brands. $100 a year for a Pro and $50 for Student Anglers. Seriously? That’s a steal...” concluded Copley. Neu adds, “The partnership that the NPAA has developed with the team at Rather Outdoors is one of many meaningful and long-term partnerships that the NPAA has established. We rarely lose a partner, and our exceptionally large list of partners continues to grow because the value of a partnership with NPAA is one of the best marketing spends in the industry. We thank all our partners for their support and look forward to continuing to develop more long-term partnerships within the industry.” |
Top Fall Bass Fishing Tips
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WHITEWATER® pro staffer B.A.S.S. Elite angler, Jay Przekurat, talks tactics and tech for more bass this coming fall season. |
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By Jim Edlund |
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MUSKEGON, Mich. (September 7, 2023) – The last hurrah has faded into another marked-up calendar. Lakes, rivers, and reservoirs have quieted down. The party barges and annoying personal watercraft are gone, a Natty Light box the only remnants of another raucous Labor Day. Good thing, too, there’s nothing like trying to fish during party-time, every primary and secondary point, sandbar, and island anchored up with a bunch of Kenny Powers look-alikes blasting Motley Crew and “Baby Got Back” from hot-rodded, marine-rigged stereos, tattooed cousins and girlfriends/wives slurping ungodly, boozy concoctions out of giant travel glasses with bendy straws. With summer over and cooler temps finally in the forecast, now is the time to start talking fall bass patterns. That said, we gave B.A.S.S. Elite WHITEWATER pro, Jay Przekurat, a call. He’s always a wealth of green fish information. The youngest pro bass angler to ever win a B.A.S.S. Elite event, 23-year-old Wisconsin-based Jay Przekurat took home top honors in 2022 with the heaviest bag of smallmouths ever weighed in a B.A.S.S. event. |
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The Fall River Bass Bite “Come fall and the rivers start cooling off, typically marked by a few rainfalls and colder nights. It’s during this time that I like to say rivers ‘turnover’. The fish just start biting. They get into an active mood because they know winter is coming,” says the young Przekurat. “To prep for fall I get all my moving baits organized: topwaters, swim jigs, crankbaits, A-rigs—basically any moving, reaction-bite based bait. On rivers, late summer through winter is the best time to be on the water because fish know winter is coming and they put on the feedbag.” Besides moving baits that rock the upper two-thirds of the water column, Przekurat also makes sure he has plenty of baits to work bottom. As the water gets progressively colder, bass key into bottom-dwelling forage, so you can find Jay slinging a lot of Texas Rigged soft plastics and tubes, too. “On rivers, bass will focus on baitfish earlier in the fall and then transition to feeding on crawfish and other bottom critters. They get lazier as the water gets colder. That’s when I switch over from cranks, swim jigs, and all that to Texas Rigs and tubes,” notes Przekurat. |
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Fish-Holding River Structure: Fall “The main deal is rock, but sand and wood holds a lot of bass, too. Current seams, obviously. And more than rock, which gets hit hard by lots of anglers, I like to find wood and sand. Bass will group up on sand, especially if there’s a current break around that’s holding food. Ideally, I want to find that straight riverbank with sand and wood. And that’s more so with smallies. You can find largies all the way from the creek mouths to the vary backs of the creek arms. I’m constantly looking for green vegetaition, like eelgrass and milfoil, wood, all that visual stuff. So, I’m generally flipping isolated cover for largemouths, whether it’s with a Texas Rig or swimming a jig.” In terms of specific locations, Jay spent his youth exploring the Wolf River and Mississippi River systems. “I really like Mississippi Pools 5, 5A, 7, and 9 for fishing river largemouths. 7 is probably the best for numbers, but you can put together a 20-pound bag together there, too. Fall Bass on Reservoirs Przekurat says a lot of anglers fish too shallow on reservoirs in autumn. “Look for fish grouping up offshore. You can find some largemouths shallow but the smallies especially will generally stay a little bit deeper.” That’s when Jay pulls out Alabama rigs, swimbaits, and tubes. Basically, you’re going to break out the tackle you used in the spring. Moving baits are key to catching fall bass in reservoirs, just like in rivers. Fish are starting to get active and starting to feed. Spinnerbaits and ChatterBaits can produce, too. And you’d be surprised, fall bass will rise to eat topwater plugs and buzzbaits, too, even if the water temps are in the high-50s to lower 60s.” Natural Lakes in Autumn For the most part, bass will return shallow in fall. They won’t be as shallow as they are on rivers, but you’ll still find ‘em in some skinny water. Investigate bays, docks, etc. “So, I’m fishing fall bass in natural lakes shallow. Remember, bass are bluegill eaters, so they’re cruising around remaining green weeds and isolated structure looking for food. I’ll keep an eye out for good, green grass all the way up to ice up in the north” |
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Jay’s 3 Must-Have Bass Set-Ups 1) Texas Rig Rod & Reel: “I use a 7’3” Lew’s Pro rod paired with a Lew’s Custom baitcasting reel and 30- to 50-pound braid. And I’ll fish anything from a ¼- to ½-ounce bullet weight depending on the situation. 99% of the time I have a Rage Bug tied on in one or two colors. I like a blue craw, but often switch to black and blue if the water is dirty. I keep it simple.” 2) Alabama Rig Rod & Reel: “I like rolling A-rigs slow and deep along bottom in fall, something most guys don’t do. I use a 7’11” Lew’s baitcasting rod, a 5.2:1 low gear ratio Lew’s baitcaster, and heavier fluorocarbon to keep the bait deeper and invisible. In terms of baits, I like the Strike King Tour Grade Bladed Titanium Umbrella A-Rig rigged with 1/8-ounce jig heads threaded with Strike King Rage Swimmers. I’ll use 3.25” plastics on the inner arms and 3.75” on the jig arm in the back, sticking to standard shad colors, nothing crazy.” 3) Swim Jig Rod & Reel: “I fish swim jigs on a 7’3” Lew’s medium-heavy power baitcasting rod paired with a Lew’s Custom Pro Reel spooled with 15- to 17-pound fluorocarbon. In terms of jig weight, it’s usually a ¼- to 5/16-ounce Strike King Tour Grade swim jig threaded with a Striking Menace, which is my favorite trailer. In terms of color, I’m throwing white or green pumpkin; occasionally black and blue if the water has lots of stain to it. But falls bass are eating baitfish, bluegills, or crawfish, so green pumpkin and white pretty much covers all the bases.” |
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Dressing For Cold Conditions Fall fishing weather—whether you’re chasing bass like Jay, river walleyes, steelhead or salmon, or other species—can be completely unpredictable with frequent snow, rain, sleet, and wind—as well as sub-freezing temps. Along those lines, we asked Jay what he’ll be wearing to keep his mind on fishing—and not how to stay warm and dry—at the upcoming Classic on the Tennessee River. “I’m going to have everything on. I’ll be wearing the WHITEWATER Softshell Tamer Jacket and Bib on when it’s not raining and the heavy-duty, water-repellant WHITEWATER Buoy Fishing Hoodie on underneath that. I love the Tamer jacket and bib. You can throw it on, and it doesn’t even feel like you’re wearing bibs. And it keeps you warm all day,” remarks Przekurat. He continues: “When it’s raining, I’ll have the WHITEWATER Great Lakes Jacket and Bib on, so it’s going to be a back-and-forth between that and the Tamer. I’ll definitely have the hoodieon 100% of the time because it doesn’t look like it’s going to crack 60-degrees up until tournament day and even then, the morning is projected to be 40-degrees.” |
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WHITEWATER Tamer Softshell Jacket
MSRP: $219.99 (SM-3XL) |
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MSRP: $219.99 (SM-3XL) |
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WHITEWATER Buoy Fishing Hoodie
MSRP: $99.99 (SM-3XL) |
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MSRP: $269.99 (SM-3X) |
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MSRP: $269.99 (SM-3X) |
Watts Bar likely to test anglers as Bassmaster Open comes to Tennessee
Kingston, Tenn., will host the 2023 St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Watts Bar Reservoir Sept. 14-16.
Photo courtesy Michael Murphy/AJM Aerial Photography
September 7, 2023
KINGSTON, Tenn. — There will be opportunities to be had, but absolutely none to be squandered. As Elite Series pro Mark Menendez said, the St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Watts Bar Reservoir will likely test competitors’ patience and persistence.
Competition days will be Sept. 14-16 with daily takeoffs from Kingston Boat Ramp at 7:15 a.m. ET and weigh-ins each day back at the ramp at 3:15 p.m.Full coverage will be available on Bassmaster.com with FS1 broadcasting live with the leaders on Saturday morning beginning at 8 a.m.
“You’ll have to be a very clever angler to do well (in this event),” said Menendez, who hails from Paducah, Ky. “As a general rule, in September, the Tennessee River is a very difficult place to fish.
“We’re not really in fall yet, and we’re not really in summer still. We’re in those in-between dog days, so you’re going to have those fish that are lingering because of those warmer water temperatures. But we’ve also had a few cool nights so that early push of baitfish is going to pull some fish shallow.”
Menendez attributes the challenging circumstances to the dynamics of a pre-transitional period that’s typically short on consistency. With no one pattern likely to dominate, the weigh-ins might feature many talking of “junk fishing” their way to limits.
“You have fish that will be scattered from 12 inches to 30 feet. The only advantage to Watts Bar is that river section,” Menendez said. “It may hold the quantity of fish a little shallower, as rivers tend to do.
“It’s going to be stingy. I think a limit will be a prize possession. A 3 1/2-pounder is good quality on that lake. You get a 3 1/2-pounder and fill out with 2-pounders, that’s going to be a solid bag. Five-pounders are gold on that lake.”
The final event in Division 3 will take place on the second reservoir on the Tennessee River — one down from Fort Loudoun where the 2023 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Toyota was held March 24-26. With 39,090 surface acres, Watts Bar stands a couple of inches below full pool a week before the event begins.
As Menendez points out, the entirety of tournament waters will be in play, so competitors can scatter from creeks and major tributaries like the Clinch and Emory rivers to the river and main-lake waters. Fortunately, water level should remain fairly stable throughout the event.
Menendez said anglers will likely find visibility of 18 to 24 inches on the upper end of Watts Bar, with clear waters — possibly as much as 36 inches — on the deeper, lower end. Rainfall can always impact this, but with good numbers of largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass, competitors will have options.
Notably, the tournament’s 15-inch minimum size limit will keep all three species in play, but the latter two will play secondary roles. Someone could always boost their bag with a hefty smallmouth, but Menendez doesn’t expect to see the brown fish make as prominent a showing as they did when Canadian standout Jeff Gustafson earned his first Classic title back in March.
“I have seen tournaments on Watts Bar where the spotted bass have shown up, so there is a smattering population,” Menendez said. “I would say the smallmouth would be between 20% and 30% of the catches, and the rest will be largemouth.
“It can be day-to-day (with largemouth and smallmouth activity). We’re prone to start getting some major storms in the Southeast, and if we have a hurricane or a major low-pressure system come through, the fishing should be pretty good.”
Conversely, Menendez said the bluebird conditions of a postfrontal day will shrink the playing field, as fish will pull tight to big rocks, stumps and other cover. This is where forward-facing sonar can play a key role in helping anglers identify fish and fine-tune their targeting.
Productive baits will range from topwaters in the early mornings, to crankbaits, Flukes and lots of bottom-contact presentations such as jigs, shaky heads, Carolina rigs and big, Texas-rigged worms. Whatever the choice, success will hinge on execution.
“You’re going to have a tournament where the anglers are going to have to be resourceful,” Menendez said. “This is not going to be one of those where you’re going to get a lot of spare bites this time of year.”
Expecting 23 to 24 pounds to make the Top 10 cut and 43 to 45 for the win, Menendez believes mobility could be one of the key strategy points. Fishing pressure plus summer’s slim pickings tends to dispel the one-spot notion.
“I think you’re going to need to have a milk run of 25 to 40 bass condominiums,” Menendez said. “And if you get an opportunity, you’d better make the most of it."
South Carolina’s JT Thompkins leads the Bassmaster Opens Elite Qualifiers standings with 1,087 points. Bassmaster Elite Series pro Kenta Kimura of Osaka, Japan, is second with 1,080, followed by John Garrett of Union City, Tenn., with 1,067, Trey McKinney of Carbondale, Ill., with 1,034 and Robert Gee of Knoxville, Tenn., with 1,018.
Only anglers who fish all nine Opens this season are eligible for the Elite Qualifiers Division. After the final three Opens of the year, the top nine eligible anglers will receive invitations to fish the 2024 Bassmaster Elite Series. Complete standings are available at Bassmaster.com.
2024 Bassmaster college and youth schedules offer championship-caliber competition on America’s best lakes
Talented anglers from second grade through college will enjoy a taste of high-level competition on some of the country's best lakes through the Bassmaster College, High School and Junior tournament circuits.
Photo by Dalton Tumblin/B.A.S.S.
September 7, 2023
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — B.A.S.S. officials have unveiled the 2024 schedule for their College, High School and Junior tournament circuits, which give thousands of young anglers a taste of high-level competition on some of the country’s best bass lakes.
The Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops recently announced a new two-division format with three tour stops each, which helps meet the booming demand for college teams to compete. There will now be more priority placed on the Bassmaster College Team of the Year standings to qualify for both the National Championship and the College Classic Bracket presented by Lew's.
“Over the past few years, college fishing has surged in popularity,” said Glenn Cale, tournament manager for the College, High School and Junior Series. “This new format opens avenues for more teams to compete while also prioritizing a team’s overall body of work throughout the season and rewarding a strong National Championship showing.”
The Legends Trail kicks off Jan. 26-27 on Lake Murray, named the country’s fourth-best bass lake on Bassmaster Magazine’s 2023 100 Best Bass Lakes list. From there, the College Series will visit Kentucky Lake April 18-19 and wrap up on Michigan’s Saginaw Bay — No. 19 in the Northeastern Division’s Best Bass Lakes list — on June 6-7.
The Lunkers Trail will start the season on Georgia’s Clarks Hill Reservoir Feb. 1-2 and head to Douglas Lake March 7-8 before concluding the regular season on Sam Rayburn Reservoir — No. 8 in the Central Division’s Best Bass Lakes list — May 16-17.
Second-grade through high school students will enjoy an opportunity to compete on challenging and fun fisheries next spring during four regular-season events held in conjunction with several of the college stops. The one-day Strike King Bassmaster High School Series presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors and the Junior Series tournaments will kick off Feb. 4 on Clark’s Hill Reservoir, followed by stops on Douglas Lake on March 10, Sam Rayburn Reservoir on May 19 and Saginaw Bay on June 9.
“We’re really pleased with this schedule,” said Cale. “It is fun for both the anglers and their families to explore some of the country’s historic fisheries and the communities surrounding them. These waters have hosted more than 74 major B.A.S.S. events, so, while these anglers might be young, there’s a good chance that they’ll do battle on these lakes for the rest of their competitive careers.”
Field size will again 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.
Registration dates for the Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Strike King Bassmaster High School Series presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors and Bassmaster Junior Series are set to be released later this fall. For more information, visit Bassmaster.com.
2024 Bassmaster College Series Schedule
Legends Trail
January 26-27, Lake Murray, Columbia, S.C.
April 18-19, Kentucky Lake, Paris, Tenn.
June 6-7, Saginaw Bay, Bay City, Mich.
Lunkers Trail
February 1-2, Clarks Hill Reservoir, Columbia County, Ga.
March 7-8, Douglas Lake, Jefferson, Tenn.
May 16-17, Sam Rayburn Reservoir, Jasper, Texas
2024 Bassmaster High School & Junior Series Schedule
February 4, Clarks Hill Reservoir, Columbia County, Ga.
March 10, Douglas Lake, Jefferson, Tenn.
May 19, Sam Rayburn Reservoir, Jasper, Texas
June 9, Saginaw Bay, Bay City, Mich.
Major League Fishing Announces Schedule for 2024 Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats
“We’re thrilled to announce the 2024 Toyota Series schedule to competitors and fans and feel confident that we’re hitting some of the best fisheries in the country at great times of the year,” said Mark McWha, MLF Tournament Director. “We’re looking forward to seeing some really big weights at some of these events and are anticipating a great 2024 season.”
Also revealed Thursday was the location for the 2024 Toyota Series Championship, which will be held Nov. 7-9, 2024, on Wheeler Lake in Huntsville, Alabama.
“Located in the heart of bass fishing, we’re proud to host the Toyota Series Championship in Huntsville at Ditto Landing,” said Mac McCutcheon, Madison County Commission Chairman. “We look forward to welcoming the competitors to our area and providing a memorable championship experience on the Tennessee River.”
2024 MLF Toyota Series Schedule:
Central Division
Feb. 14-16 Lake Guntersville Scottsboro, Ala.
Hosted by the Mountain Lakes Chamber of Commerce
April 4-6 Smith Lake Cullman, Ala.
Hosted by the Cullman County Tourism Bureau
May 2-4 Lake Chickamauga Dayton, Tenn.
Hosted by Fish Dayton – Rhea Economic & Tourism Council
Northern Division
June 5-7 Potomac River Marbury, Md.
Hosted by the Charles County Board of Commissioners
July 11-13 Lake Champlain Plattsburgh, N.Y.
Hosted by the City of Plattsburgh and the Adirondack Coast Visitors Bureau
Aug. 22-24 St. Lawrence River Massena, N.Y.
Hosted by the Town of Massena
Plains Division
March 7-9 Kentucky Lake Calvert City, Ky.
Hosted by the Kentucky Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau
April 11-13 Grand Lake Grove, Okla.
Hosted by the City of Grove and the Grove Convention and Tourism Bureau
Sept. 26-28 Lake of the Ozarks Osage Beach, Mo.
Hosted by the Tri-County Lodging Association
Southern Division
January 25-27 Lake Okeechobee Clewiston, Fla.
Hosted by the Hendry County Tourism Development Council
March 19-21 Harris Chain of Lakes Leesburg, Fla.
Hosted by Visit Lake County, Fla.
Sept. 12-14 Santee Cooper Lakes Clarendon County, S.C.
Hosted by the Clarendon County Chamber of Commerce
Southwestern Division
Feb. 21-23 Sam Rayburn Reservoir Brookeland, Texas
Hosted by the Jasper – Lake Sam Rayburn Area Chamber of Commerce
March 26-28 Toledo Bend Reservoir Many, La.
Hosted by Toledo Bend Lake Country
May 16-18 Lake Eufaula Eufaula, Okla.
Hosted by Vision Eufaula
Western Division Presented by Tackle Warehouse
March 6-8 Clear Lake Lakeport, Calif.
Hosted by Konocti Vista Casino Resort and Marina
May 2-4 Lake Havasu Lake Havasu City, Ariz.
Hosted by Go Lake Havasu
June 5-7 California Delta Oakley, Calif.
Hosted by the City of Oakley
Toyota Series Championship
Nov. 7-9 Wheeler Lake Huntsville, Ala.
Hosted by the Huntsville/Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau, the Madison County Commission and the Huntsville Sports Commission
Full program rules and details for the 2024 MLF Toyota Series will be announced later this year.
For complete details and updated information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Toyota Series on the MLF5 social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube .
Fall Power Fishing with Cliff Crochet
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B.A.S.S. announces 2024 Bassmaster Elite Series schedule with nine events in six states
The 2024 Bassmaster Elite Series schedule features nine events across six states.
Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
September 6, 2023
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — For the first time since 2018, the Bassmaster Elite Series won’t be kicking off its season in Florida, opting instead to open its 2024 slate at the big-bass factory of Toledo Bend Reservoir on the Louisiana/Texas border Feb. 22-25.
B.A.S.S. officials made that announcement Wednesday, along with the entirety of a nine-tournament schedule that will span six states and visit fisheries that have ranked among the best in the United States, both recently and historically.
CEO Chase Anderson said that, with the 2023 season in the books, B.A.S.S. is anxious to tackle what is certain to be an action-packed 2024 lineup.
“We just finished one of our best seasons ever only two weeks ago, and it is already time to start marking your calendar for another incredible year,” Anderson said. “Anyone who follows and celebrates the sport of bass fishing will recognize the lakes on this schedule as some of the best fisheries anywhere, and we could not be more excited to get it started with the top anglers in the world competing on bass fishing’s biggest stage.”
The opener on Toledo Bend will take place out of Many, La., and will mark the 19th time B.A.S.S. has held a major event on the fishery that ranked sixth overall on Bassmaster Magazine’s annual 100 Best Bass Lakes list. The gigantic fishery, which covers 185,000 acres across two states, has topped the list of 100 Best Bass Lakes twice in the past (2015, 2016).
B.A.S.S. last visited Toledo Bend this past April for a St. Croix Bassmaster Open that was won by Texas pro Ben Milliken with a three-day total of 77 pounds, 14 ounces — a mark that would have put him well on pace for a 100-pound performance and a century belt in a four-day competition.
From Toledo Bend, the Elites will travel just west to another of the nation’s big-bass capitals, Lake Fork, which placed third in the Central Division of Bassmaster Magazine’s 2023 100 Best Bass Lakes list. The Elites will fish out of a newly built facility in Yantis, Texas, Feb. 29-March 3, with the same catch-weigh-release format that has produced Century Club performances the last four times B.A.S.S. has visited the 27,264-acre impoundment. Brandon Cobb (2019), Patrick Walters (2020) and Lee Livesay (2021, 2022) all topped the 100-pound mark with their victories there.
“The Sabine River Authority is excited to host the upcoming Bassmaster Elite Series at SRA’s new Caney Point Recreation Area on Lake Fork Reservoir,” said David Montagne, SRA general manager. “This new facility was developed to attract major tournaments and bring enhanced recreational opportunities to Lake Fork enthusiasts.”
After a pause in the schedule for the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Toyota in Tulsa, Okla., on Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees March 22-24, the 2024 Elite slate will make its annual trip to the Sunshine State — a little later than usual — with tournaments on the Harris Chain of Lakes (April 11-14, Leesburg, Fla.) and the St. Johns River (April 18-21, Palatka, Fla.).
B.A.S.S. has made 42 combined visits to those fisheries for major tournaments, but the timing of these events should make different strategies and techniques viable beyond the tried-and-true sight-fishing methods that have ruled earlier events in years past. Tennessee pro Buddy Gross won with 77-11 the last time B.A.S.S. visited the Harris Chain for an Elite event, and Virginia’s John Crews won with the last Elite on the St. Johns with 75-4 — both in 2022.
The Elites will leave Florida and travel north to South Carolina for a return visit to Lake Murray — a fishery that provided one of the more entertaining events on the 2023 schedule, with Florida pro Drew Benton catching 87 pounds for the victory. The sprawling 50,000-acre lake placed fourth overall on Bassmaster Magazine’s list of 100 Best Bass Lakes after producing 49 limits of 20 pounds or more. The 2024 Lake Murray event will be held May 9-12near Columbia, S.C.
From there, it’ll be on to Alabama for a pair of events on two vastly different fisheries.
A trip to Wheeler Lake in Decatur, Ala., June 13-16, will see anglers vying for mixed bags of largemouth and smallmouth on the 67,070-acre Tennessee River fishery that has hosted 13 major B.A.S.S. events. Most recently, Wisconsin pro Adam Rasmussen won a Bassmaster Open on Wheeler in May with a three-day total of 54-15.
The event will be held out of Ingalls Harbor, a first-class facility that covers 27 acres.
“We are thrilled that Decatur, Ingalls Harbor and Wheeler Lake will be included in the 2024 Elite schedule,” said Don Dukemineer, director of sports development for Decatur Morgan County Tourism. “Decatur has not hosted an Elite since 2016, and we are ready to work with B.A.S.S. to return the energy, passion and excitement of the event to our community and fishing fans throughout north Alabama.
“Ingalls Harbor has been described as the ‘perfect location’ by tournament organizers, and we tend to agree. The opportunity to host will strengthen our continued partnership with B.A.S.S. in helping to spotlight the amazing capabilities the facility offers. Hosting the top anglers from across the country will be a big benefit to Decatur-Morgan County, and we can’t wait to welcome them in 2024.”
After targeting largemouth and smallmouth on Wheeler, the Elites will head to Lewis Smith Lake in Cullman, Ala., June 27-30, for an event where big spotted bass are likely to play a key role. Smith has always been known for numbers of spots, but the size of its bass has increased greatly in recent years due to the presence of blueback herring as their main food source.
B.A.S.S. has visited Smith 11 times for major events, with Virginia pro Jacob Powroznik most recently winning an Open there in 2021 with 37-9. However, this will be the first time the Elite Series has visited the deep, clear fishery that covers 21,200 acres.
“Visit Cullman, the City of Cullman and Cullman County are excited to be hosting the first Bassmaster Elite on Lewis Smith Lake,” said Hugh A. Stump III, tourism director for the Cullman County Tourism Bureau. “A partnership with B.A.S.S. gives us a chance to showcase our wonderful fishery, Smith Lake Park and our Cullman community.”
With the Progressive Insurance Bassmaster Angler of the Year and Dakota Lithium Bassmaster Rookie of the Year races coming down the home stretch, the Elites will once again finish their season in New York with events on Lake Champlain in Plattsburgh, N.Y., Aug. 8-11, and the St. Lawrence River in Waddington, N.Y., Aug. 15-18.
Champlain, which is known for good populations of largemouth and smallmouth, showed out on the smallmouth front this year as Japanese rookie Kyoya Fujita won with a four-day limit of brown fish that weighed 86-12 in August. The 2024 tournament will mark the 16th major B.A.S.S. event on this scenic 271,000-acre fishery that separates New York and Vermont.
Fans of the sport no doubt still have this year’s St. Lawrence River event fresh in their minds since just two weeks ago Walters won the 2023 season finale there with a 105-pound total that stands as the biggest four-day limit of smallmouth ever weighed in for B.A.S.S. competition. The fabulous event, which marked the 25th major visit for B.A.S.S. to the St. Lawrence, produced four century belts, and the Top 10 all finished with at least 90 pounds.
The St. Lawrence ranked second overall on Bassmaster Magazine’s 100 Best Bass Lakes list this year after topping the list in 2019 and 2022.
“Watching anglers catch gigantic bags of smallmouth is a great way to end any season,” said Lisa Talmadge, Bassmaster Elite Series tournament director. “Our anglers are the best in the world, and by the time we reach the St. Lawrence to finish up, any one of them could be sitting in position to win Angler of the Year.
“As it was this year, it’ll be a great end to a great season.”
Since the start of the year, more than 10.4 million viewers have watched Bassmaster coverage on the FOX networks and, once again, fans in 2024 can catch all nine Bassmaster Elite Series events as well as Bassmaster Classic live television coverage on the FOX Sports platforms.
For complete coverage of the Elite Series, visit Bassmaster.com.
2024 Bassmaster Elite Series Schedule
Feb. 22-25, Many, La., Toledo Bend Reservoir
Feb. 29-March 3, Yantis, Texas, Lake Fork
March 22-24, Bassmaster Classic, Tulsa, Okla., Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees
April 11-14, Leesburg, Fla., Harris Chain of Lakes
April 18-21, Palatka, Fla., St. Johns River
May 9-12, Columbia, S.C., Lake Murray
June 13-16, Decatur, Ala., Wheeler Lake
June 27-30, Cullman, Ala., Smith Lake
Aug. 8-11, Plattsburgh, N.Y., Lake Champlain
Aug. 15-18, Waddington, N.Y., St. Lawrence River
2 Lures Lester Loves for September
Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships
Team Toyota’s Brandon Lester endured more stress in the final days of August than a lone goby surrounded by a school of fat smallmouth.
Three days after learning he probably would not qualify for the Bassmaster Classic for only the second time in his fantastic 10-year career, his mega-cute young daughter was hospitalized for a horrible stomach virus, and then, just hours after she began to heal, his father was hospitalized over serious pulmonary concerns.
So, here’s to hoping September brings far more smiles, and some time on the water to decompress for Lester. One thing’s for certain, the next time he launches his boat, there will be two time-proven topwaters tied on.
“No matter where you live, September signifies the first month of fall. It’s that time of year when we get our first cool nights, and lots of things start kicking into a bit of a different gear. To me, that means you better key on baitfish imitators and a trolling motor that’s in fairly constant forward motion,” says Lester.
Covering water with baits that appeal to bass looking skyward is the key, so Lester chooses a buzzbait and Super Spook Jr. as two lures all bass anglers should try during the calendar’s ninth month.
Buzzbait
“A lot of folks don’t realize it, but bluegill will spawn several times each summer. So, you still have a lot of them in the shallows in September, and a 5/16-ounce gold-bladed buzzbait appeals well to bass that are up there eating them,” he says.
Lester likes a skirt to bulk up his buzzbaits during the colder water pre-spawn, but in autumn, he prefers a sleeker-bodied toad trailer, tied to 60-pound Vicious No Fade braided line, and uses a rod with a generous amount of flex in the tip.
Super Spook Jr.
This 3.5” topwater is as much Lester’s favorite surface lure as Peerless Price was Peyton Manning’s favorite receiver during the Volunteers’ undefeated 1998 season.
“It’s been my confidence bait for 20 years. It’s the perfect size, with a sound that can call ‘em up to the surface, and when I decorate it with #4 Mustad treble hooks, they seldom miss it,” smiles the bearded country music lover.
He also uses braid for his main line with this topwater too. However, he warns that you should tie a short monofilament leader to its nose, because braid has a tendency to tangle on the front treble hook if you don’t use a monofilament leader.
Be it explosive bites on either the buzzbait or Super Spook Jr., let’s just hope September brings far better days than late August did for the highly likeable family man from Fayetteville, Tennessee. If you’ll take his topwater advice, there’s a strong chance you’ll have a healthy start to your autumn days on the water too.
Problem-Solving Landing Net Handles
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EGO Fishing helps anglers choose the right tool for the job, whether it’s an EGO S1 Genesis or EGO S2 Slider Net Handle. |
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Caldwell, ID (September 5, 2023) – Landing nets line the high-aisles of big box and independent retailers. So, how does an angler choose the right net? With various hoop sizes, net materials – as well as myriad handle types available – it can be difficult to choose the perfect landing net. Good thing for Idaho, USA-based fishing accessories designer and manufactuer, EGO Fishing. EGO offers two primary landing net handle types, each suited for a specific type of fishing. The first, the EGO S1 Genesis™, is a mid-priced net that features a handle, which detaches from a chosen net hoop. While it doesn’t extend, it does float. The Genesis family comprises five handle lengths for a variety of fishing applications: 6-inch; 13-inch; 25-inch; 31-inch; and 55-inch. |
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The second, the EGO S2 Slider™, is an exceptional net family that offers five extendable handle lengths. With sales that qualify the model as the “#1 Landing Net System On The Planet”, many anglers start with other EGO models and upgrade to the EGO S2 Slider over time. Besides options to choose exactly the right handle length for your application and species, EGO’s proprietary detachable/modular net handle system makes for much easier storage than fixed-handle nets. The Slider family comprises three handle lengths for a variety of fishing applications: 18-inch (extends to 36-inches); 29-inch (extends to 60-inches); and REACH 48-inch (extends to 108-inches). S2 Slider net handles also accommodate other tools besides a landing net hoop and nettings. Simply unscrew your net and attach an EGO 8-inch Deck Brush or Deluxe EGO Deck Mop to clean your boat at the end of a good fishing day. |
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Benefits: EGO Fishing Modular Landing Net Regardless of boat size, the detachable handle found on both the EGO S1 Genesis™ and EGO S2 Slider™ means you can reduce the footprint of the entire net by detaching into two pieces. And, if you're traveling—or having to move from one location to another —being able to detach the handle from the net hoop allows the angler to store the hoop and handle in onboard boat lockers. Let’s face it: space is always at a premium no matter the size of the boat. Besides the commonsense storage benefits of the EGO modular platform, the net’s design also allows you to customize for different fish species. One day you might be fishing bass, and the next day you’re onto walleyes. With EGO Fishing’s S1 Genesis net platform, it’s as simple as owning two different net hoops and the same handle. You don’t need two different landing nets, just two different hoops that can be swapped out in seconds. |
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Popular Model(s) #1 In the walleye and saltwater fishing markets, 29-inch (extends to 60-inches) EGO S2 Slider is extremely popular. Anglers can reach out over the motor and allow quick and efficient scoops of fish far out from the back of the boat. It’s a win-win for everyone – more smiling face photos with big fish, as well as eaters dropped into the ‘well or icebox. |
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Popular Model #2 More anglers are discovering the fun and excellent table fare involved chasing Kokanee salmon. According to Idaho-based EGO Fishing Founder (and Kokanee nut), Grant Corbett, “Kokanee anglers love the 48-inch handle because they can extend it way out past whatever boat they’re fishing from; even from shore. As soon as the fish surfaces, anglers can net it. Since Kokanee salmon have notoriously soft mouths and the fact they go crazy as soon as they see the boat—getting a net under them is imperative. So, as soon as the fish surfaces, you can net it, which is basically impossible with anything under a 48-inch handle.” But the same applies to other smaller gamefish, too. Net reach simply equates to more boated fish. Period. Corbett concludes: “We hear it all the time. There are a lot of anglers who have told us that the fish came off the hook in the air but they were able to reach out with the net because it extends so far, catch the fish in the air, and capture it for photos or the table before the fish escapes. That’s pretty cool.” |
Sportsman's Warehouse Grand Opening - Cape Coral, FL
AC Insider, Vance McCullough takes a road trip to Florida's newest Sportsman's Warehouse location. Surrounded by popular fishing locales such as Boca Grande, Pine Island, and other Gulf treasures, the Sportsman's Warehouse Cape Coral has everything for that "Salt Life". In addition, the location has plenty of freshwater supplies for the inland guys, and impressive hunting and shooting departments top it all off. For all the details on the new addition, click here and be sure to c heck out what the Store Managers had to say about the area.
https://youtu.be/UJo65jrzIjE
SEVIIN GF Series Baitcasting Reels Available Now
Park Falls, WI – Backed by seven decades of design and manufacturing expertise, industry-leading customer service, and unbroken private ownership by the Schluter family dating back to 1977, SEVIIN reels are meticulously engineered and purpose-built to help anglers conquer every species on every piece of water on the planet. Wherever and however you fish, SEVIIN reels help create better experiences by enhancing your abilities, never holding you back.
A foundational offering in SEVIIN’s inaugural product launch for 2024, GF Series baitcasting reels deliver an optimal balance of castability, smoothness, and comfort. Each of six available GF models is packed with features, meticulously engineered and crafted to optimize performance without sacrificing durability. Introduced at ICAST 2023 in July, SEVIIN GF Series reels are available to anglers at SEVIIN dealers and online beginning September 1.
“GF Series reels were conceived to provide anglers with smooth, reliable, and failsafe performance that exceeds their $120 price point,” says SEVIIN Reels Product Manager, Robert Woods. “Components that increase performance in GF reels include a 4+1 stainless-steel bearing system – the two bearings on the spool shaft being Japanese stainless steel – and carbon and stainless-steel drag componentry. These features alone result in noticeably smooth casting, retrieves, and drag operation. Hardened brass pinion and drive gears offer great gear feel and excellent durability,” Woods continues, adding that GF Series reels also feel light, comfortable, and solid in the hand. “GF reels feature ported aluminum spools and carbon fiber handles to minimize weight, while a strong, one-piece graphite frame and side plates yield excellent rigidity that further enhances the satisfying way GF reels feel and perform. Anglers will also appreciate GF’s micro-adjustable magnetic cast control that makes it easy to dial-in maximum casting performance depending on the specific line and lure they’re using.”
MLF Bass Pro Tour angler, Jesse Wiggins, is one of several SEVIIN Analytical Pro-Team members who tested and provided input on the GF Series’ design. “I’ve been able to fish the GF reels and test them over the past couple of months, and my initial impressions are really positive,” he says. “These reels are easy to set up, fast and simple to tune, and will cast a mile. I’ve also been really surprised at how smooth they are – both the gears and the drag,” Wiggins adds. “I really notice it compared to some of the other casting reels I own and use at this price level. I also like how the drag adjustment clicks like a spinning reel so it’s easy to make and keep track of small adjustments, while the line memo indicator dial helps me keep track of what line is on each reel.”
SEVIIN Analytical Pro Team member, Matt Frazier of California, says feel and versatility are two hallmarks of the GF Series that anglers are going to appreciate. “We’re fishing straight braid out here on the Delta, make a lot of casts, and are very hard on reels,” he says. “Right out of the box, the size and feel of the GF is just right. It’s got a bit smaller frame and a little larger handle, which is ideal for what we do out here. These reels have plenty of power and speed. I love the texture and matte finish; it makes it really easy and comfortable to grip and just feels exceptionally solid. The castability of these reels is insane,” Frazier adds. “I throw a lot of 3XP and other small, light crankbaits and they cast effortlessly, and it’s the same with the larger swimbaits. The GF handles everything very well with the versatility to go small or big depending on how you set it up. For a $120-class reel this reel kills it. Anglers will feel the quality immediately. It feels solid, smooth, and bulletproof.”
SEVIIN’s GF Series consists of six low-profile baitcasting models in three available gear ratios with right-hand and left-hand retrieve configurations.
SEVIIN GF Series Low-Profile Baitcasting Reel Features
• One-piece graphite frame and side covers
• 4 + 1 stainless steel bearing system
• 32MM forged aluminum spool holds 110 yards of 12-lb. mono or 100 yards of 30-lb. braid
• Custom designed carbon fiber handle with EVA grips
• Multi-stack carbon fiber / stainless steel drag system
• Micro-adjustable magnetic cast control
• Precision-hobbed hard brass pinion and drive gear
• Line memo indicator dial
• One-year warranty backed by no-questions-asked accelerated replacement program
• Designed in Park Falls, Wisconsin, U.S.A.
• Retail price $120
SEVIIN GF Series Low-Profile Baitcasting Reel Models
• GFC166-L – LH retrieve, 6.6:1 gear ratio, 19 lbs. max drag, 7.3 oz. / Retail $120
• GFC166-R – RH retrieve, 6.6:1 gear ratio, 19 lbs. max drag, 7.3 oz. / Retail $120
• GFC173-L – LH retrieve, 7.3:1 gear ratio, 17 lbs. max drag, 7.3 oz. / Retail $120
• GFC173-R – RH retrieve, 7.3:1 gear ratio, 17 lbs. max drag, 7.3 oz. / Retail $120
• GFC181-L – LH retrieve, 8.1:1 gear ratio, 15 lbs. max drag, 7.3 oz. / Retail $120
• GFC181-R – RH retrieve, 8.1:1 gear ratio, 15 lbs. max drag, 7.3 oz. / Retail $120
As a company, SEVIIN is committed to the highest standards of customer service, with all service calls, emails, questions, and other inquiries fielded by our team of dedicated customer-service representatives in Park Falls, Wisconsin, USA. Like all SEVIIN reels, new GF Series reels are backed by SEVIIN’s accelerated, no-questions-asked, one-year return and replacement policy for any SEVIIN reel owner who registers their reel after purchase.
No matter the fishing situation or technique, there’s a SEVIIN GF Series reel delivering the perfect balance of castability, smoothness, versatility, and comfort. Each model is loaded with features that are engineered to optimize performance without sacrificing durability.
New SEVIIN GF Series Low-Profile Baitcasting Reels are available for purchase at SEVIIN dealers worldwide and online at seviinreels.com.
Interested in becoming a SEVIIN dealer? Email [email protected].
About SEVIIN Reels
Wherever and however you fish, the reel in your hand should help create better experiences. Born from St. Croix’s seven decades of design and manufacturing expertise, industry-leading customer service, and unbroken private ownership by the Schluter family dating back to 1977, SEVIIN reels are meticulously engineered and purpose-built to help anglers conquer every species on every piece of water on the planet. SEVIIN focuses on reels and reels only, designing and crafting products that improve the angling experience, regardless of the rods anglers choose. Seven seas, seven continents, seven days a week, SEVIIN reels are fueled by a collective love of fishing surpassed only by a passion to deliver the most reliable and advanced reels on the water. Learn more at seviinreels.com
Andrachick stays consistent to win B.A.S.S. Nation Western Regional at Lake Powell
Sean Andrachick of Marion, Mont., has won the 2023 TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Western Regional at Lake Powell with a three-day total of 30 pounds, 12 ounces.
Photo by Chase Sansom/B.A.S.S.
September 1, 2023
PAGE, Ariz. — Coming into the TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Western Regional at Lake Powell, Sean Andrachick’s main goal was to catch a limit each day to help Team Montana compete in the team competition.
Not only did Andrachick secure limits each day, he found the winning group of bass. With a three-day total of 30 pounds, 12 ounces, the Marion, Mont., boater took home the victory, edging Idaho’s Jess Pottenger by 1-4.
After landing in second the first two days with 11-0 and 10-14, Andrachick caught 8-14 on the final day to jump into the top spot. It is not only his first-ever victory in a Regional, but also the first time Andrachick has qualified for the TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Championship.
“I’m pretty excited,” said Andrachick, who also earned the $500 Garmin Rewards bonus. “I have fished these for so long and this is pretty surreal for me. I’m surprised and blown away by the whole thing. I really didn’t think much about winning. I felt like I was going to come down and try to get the team a win. I never thought I would take the whole thing.”
A local to Noxon Reservoir, Andrachick has been to Lake Powell several times in the past, including in 2006 when the Montana state team won the team competition.
In his search for limit fillers, Andrachick located two main areas that held bass. Both areas featured chunk-rock points with brush and tumbleweed mixed in. There were also big balls of shad in his areas as well, which he could see with his eyes and on Garmin LiveScope.
His starting spot featured mostly largemouth in 5 to 10 feet of water, and he was able to catch the majority of his green fish on a Lucky Craft Gunfish walking bait.
“I caught most of my bass off stuff that most people weren’t fishing,” he said. “People were fishing the backs of the coves and all my fish were out in front of all of that. I was probably a third of the way back. I had a morning topwater bite and caught my kicker fish that way.”
As soon as the sun rose over the canyon, he moved to his second location where he caught mostly smallmouth in anywhere from 5 to 20 feet of water with a small Keitech swimbait in the smallmouth magic color on a drop-shot rig. He also used a Berkley Flatworm and a 3-inch Yamamoto Senko in smoke purple.
His biggest smallmouth was over 3 pounds.
“The bigger smallmouth would come later in the afternoon, especially with the sun,” he said. “Those smallmouth will start roaming around and eating when the sun comes up. When you find the right spot, you can sit there and pick them off.”
Sun and some wind prevailed the first two days and Andrachick caught several limits of bass both days. On Day 3, a morning storm system rolled through and left cloudy conditions in its wake, which changed his bite.
Even still, he filled his limit within the first three hours of fishing and made several more culls throughout the day.
“I was catching three limits a day pretty consistently and today, it was really tough,” he said. “There were a few fish in my box that were small that normally I would have culled out. Today I caught almost all of my smallmouth on topwater, which normally would have been a largemouth bite.”
In his first time fishing a Nation Regional as a boater, Pottenger qualified for the Nation Championship with a three-day total of 29-8. The Harrison, Idaho, native was one of the few anglers who improved his catch each day, landing bags of 8-10, 10-5 and 10-9.
Using mostly a topwater walking bait and a fluke, Pottenger targeted pockets with a mix of rock and brush. He caught a mix of smallmouth and largemouth.
A local to Lake Powell, Riley Nielsen of Murray, Utah, finished third with 29-3 with daily limits weighing 10-10, 8-11 and 9-14. Nielsen focused on flats with little drops where the smallmouth were waiting for shad.
He used mostly a topwater walking bait the first two days before switching to a drop shot on the final day.
Idaho’s Zach Taylor earned $500 for catching the Big Bass of the Tournament, a 4-12.
Arizona’s Hayden Spradling won the nonboater division with a three-day total of 18-11. California’s Kin Pui Wong finished second with 17-5 and Arizona’s Brandon Kahoun finished third with 17-5.
Arizona’s Eric Hammer caught the Big Bass of Tournament for nonboaters, a 4-4, which earned him a $250 bonus.
The top boater and nonboater from each state qualified for the 2023 TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Championship at Lake Hartwell scheduled for Oct. 18-20. The winner of that event will be crowned Nation’s Best and will earn an invitation to the 2024 Bassmaster Elite Series as well as a spot in the 2024 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Toyota.
The winner will also have use of a fully rigged Nitro Boat and Toyota Tundra.
The second and third-place anglers in the Nation Championship will also punch their tickets to the Classic and will receive full paid entry into the 2024 St. Croix Bassmaster Opens Elite Qualifiers format.
2023 TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Western Regional 8/30-9/1
Lake Powell, Page AZ.
(BOATER) Standings Day 3
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Sean Andrachick Marion, MT (MT) 15 30-12 0
2. Jess Pottenger Harrison, ID (ID) 15 29-08 0
3. Riley Nielsen Murray, UT (UT) 15 29-03 0
4. Austin Johnson Noxon, MT (MT) 15 28-11 0
5. Cody Steckel Las Vegas, NV (NV) 15 28-01 0
6. Frankie Mueller Kingman, AZ (AZ) 15 27-13 0
7. Zach Taylor Kimberly, ID (WY) 15 26-10 0
8. Cody Hollen Beaverton, OR (OR) 15 26-10 0
9. Jason Hickey Weiser, ID (ID) 15 26-08 0
10. Austin Bonjour Templeton, CA (CA) 15 26-07 0
11. Jay Burford Glide, OR (OR) 15 25-07 0
12. Brent Becker Henderson, NV (NV) 15 24-15 0
13. Steve Lund Cave Creek, AZ (AZ) 15 24-14 0
14. Cory Kerber Madera, CA (CA) 15 24-09 0
15. Trevor Tippetts La Verkin, UT (UT) 15 24-06 0
16. Ty Faber Pagosa Springs, CO (UT) 15 24-01 0
17. Bill Brown Grand Junction, CO (UT) 14 23-03 0
18. Keegan Graves Meridian, ID (ID) 14 21-13 0
19. Ken Day Kennewick, WA (WA) 12 16-12 0
20. Kody Johnson Florence, AZ (AZ) 10 16-08 0
21. John Fuqua Payson, AZ (AZ) 10 16-06 0
22. Wyatt Moore Bakersfield, CA (CA) 10 16-05 0
23. Tim Wells Clovis, CA (CA) 10 16-04 0
24. Rodney Ryza Homedale, ID (WY) 10 15-14 0
25. Noukhue Vang Fresno, CA (CA) 10 15-13 0
26. Justyn Palmer Careywood, ID (ID) 10 15-13 0
27. Jason Crone Kalispell, MT (MT) 10 15-10 0
28. Justin Kerr Lake Havasu, AZ (NV) 10 15-10 0
29. Randy Pierson Oakdale, CA (CA) 10 15-01 0
30. Brent Shores Boise, ID (WY) 10 14-15 0
31. Trace Myers Santaquin, UT (UT) 9 14-15 0
32. Jesse Parks Goodyear, AZ (AZ) 10 14-13 0
33. Nathan Cummings Peoria, AZ (AZ) 10 14-10 0
34. Timmy Wells II Fresno, CA (CA) 9 14-09 0
35. Darren Wilson Las Vegas, NV (NV) 10 14-08 0
36. Matthew Adamson Farmington, NM (UT) 10 14-07 0
37. Nathan Towes Bakersfield, CA (CA) 10 14-06 0
38. Josh Ragan Post Falls, ID (ID) 10 14-04 0
39. Justin Hicks Gunnison, CO (UT) 10 14-01 0
40. Jake Boomer Spokane Valley, WA (MT) 10 14-00 0
41. Jeff Ball Pendleton, OR (OR) 10 13-15 0
42. Tom Nokes Riverton, UT (UT) 8 13-13 0
43. Cody Kurz Oxnard, CA (CA) 9 13-12 0
44. Scott Gregory West Richland, WA (WA) 10 13-10 0
45. Clif Gallagher Saint George, UT (WY) 9 13-09 0
46. Tony McCalmant Rathdrum, ID (ID) 10 13-06 0
47. Karl Okerman Jr Sandpoint, ID (MT) 10 13-04 0
48. Ryan Yamagata Las Vegas, NV (NV) 7 13-01 0
49. Anthony Mello Coeur D Alene, ID (ID) 9 12-12 0
50. Jordon Gregory West Richland, WA (WA) 10 12-11 0
51. Wesley Tanner Post Falls, ID (MT) 9 12-03 0
52. Eric Inman West Jordan, UT (UT) 10 12-03 0
53. Mike Steckel Las Vegas, NV (NV) 10 12-02 0
54. Kalib Lund Yuma, AZ (AZ) 4 11-14 0
55. Jeff Baird Washington, UT (NV) 9 11-13 0
56. Jon Hickey Nampa, ID (ID) 7 11-11 0
57. Bob Mcwilliams Helena, MT (MT) 9 11-10 0
58. Brian Bolander Scottsdale, AZ (AZ) 9 11-09 0
59. Cody Pierson Pocatello, ID (WY) 10 11-02 0
60. Curtis Reno Hayden, ID (ID) 7 11-01 0
61. Kevin Wiggins Winterheaven, NV (NV) 9 10-15 0
62. Joe Johnson Orem, UT (WY) 8 10-13 0
63. Brandon Morton San Tan Valley, AZ (AZ) 10 09-15 0
64. Mat Cole Hayden, ID (ID) 7 09-15 0
65. Robert Christensen Wallace, ID (MT) 6 09-11 0
66. Dan Jordan Camas, WA (OR) 8 09-11 0
67. Taylor Hulstrom Kellogg, ID (MT) 7 09-06 0
68. Ron Wiseman Jr Pendleton, OR (OR) 7 08-08 0
69. Jacob Russell Tucson, AZ (AZ) 9 08-07 0
70. Mike Dominick Alberton, MT (MT) 6 08-00 0
71. Chris Lambert Olympia, WA (WA) 5 07-15 0
72. Tracy Dursteler Blackfoot, ID (WY) 9 07-03 0
73. Justin Soppe Middleton, ID (WY) 6 07-03 0
74. Jonathan Schuyler Las Vegas, NV (NV) 4 06-10 0
75. Robert Maddox Henderson, NV (NV) 6 06-06 0
76. Rickey Hamilton West Richland, WA (WA) 4 05-07 0
77. Sam Page Moab, UT (UT) 3 03-11 0
78. Mike Alvarez Clovis, CA (CA) 2 03-10 0
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Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 59 350 527-10
2 57 340 525-13
3 16 90 149-15
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132 780 1203-06
TEAM STANDINGS Day 3
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State Lbs-Oz
1 UTAH 270-13
2 ARIZONA 247-07
3 IDAHO 246-04
4 CALIFORNIA 243-01
5 NEVADA 224-06
6 MONTANA 216-03
7 WYOMING 186-04
8 OREGON 121-12
9 WASHINGTON 86-01
INDIVIDUAL STANDINGS Day 3
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WASHINGTON
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Ken Day Kennewick, WA 12 16-12 0
2 Scott Gregory West Richland, WA 10 13-10 0
3 Jordon Gregory West Richland, WA 10 12-11 0
4 Chris Lambert Olympia, WA 5 07-15 0
5 Rickey Hamilton West Richland, WA 4 05-07 0
IDAHO
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Jess Pottenger Harrison, ID 15 29-08 0
2 Jason Hickey Weiser, ID 15 26-08 0
3 Keegan Graves Meridian, ID 14 21-13 0
4 Justyn Palmer Careywood, ID 10 15-13 0
5 Josh Ragan Post Falls, ID 10 14-04 0
6 Tony McCalmant Rathdrum, ID 10 13-06 0
7 Anthony Mello Coeur D Alene, ID 9 12-12 0
8 Jon Hickey Nampa, ID 7 11-11 0
9 Curtis Reno Hayden, ID 7 11-01 0
10 Mat Cole Hayden, ID 7 09-15 0
OREGON
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Cody Hollen Beaverton, OR 15 26-10 0
2 Jay Burford Glide, OR 15 25-07 0
3 Jeff Ball Pendleton, OR 10 13-15 0
4 Dan Jordan Camas, WA 8 09-11 0
5 Ron Wiseman Jr Pendleton, OR 7 08-08 0
ARIZONA
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Frankie Mueller Kingman, AZ 15 27-13 0
2 Steve Lund Cave Creek, AZ 15 24-14 0
3 Kody Johnson Florence, AZ 10 16-08 0
4 John Fuqua Payson, AZ 10 16-06 0
5 Jesse Parks Goodyear, AZ 10 14-13 0
6 Nathan Cummings Peoria, AZ 10 14-10 0
7 Kalib Lund Yuma, AZ 4 11-14 0
8 Brian Bolander Scottsdale, AZ 9 11-09 0
9 Brandon Morton San Tan Valley, AZ 10 09-15 0
10 Jacob Russell Tucson, AZ 9 08-07 0
WYOMING
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Zach Taylor Kimberly, ID 15 26-10 0
2 Rodney Ryza Homedale, ID 10 15-14 0
3 Brent Shores Boise, ID 10 14-15 0
4 Clif Gallagher Saint George, UT 9 13-09 0
5 Cody Pierson Pocatello, ID 10 11-02 0
6 Joe Johnson Orem, UT 8 10-13 0
7 Tracy Dursteler Blackfoot, ID 9 07-03 0
8 Justin Soppe Middleton, ID 6 07-03 0
CALIFORNIA
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Austin Bonjour Templeton, CA 15 26-07 0
2 Cory Kerber Madera, CA 15 24-09 0
3 Wyatt Moore Bakersfield, CA 10 16-05 0
4 Tim Wells Clovis, CA 10 16-04 0
5 Noukhue Vang Fresno, CA 10 15-13 0
6 Randy Pierson Oakdale, CA 10 15-01 0
7 Timmy Wells II Fresno, CA 9 14-09 0
8 Nathan Towes Bakersfield, CA 10 14-06 0
9 Cody Kurz Oxnard, CA 9 13-12 0
10 Mike Alvarez Clovis, CA 2 03-10 0
MONTANA
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Sean Andrachick Marion, MT 15 30-12 0
2 Austin Johnson Noxon, MT 15 28-11 0
3 Jason Crone Kalispell, MT 10 15-10 0
4 Jake Boomer Spokane Valley, WA 10 14-00 0
5 Karl Okerman Jr Sandpoint, ID 10 13-04 0
6 Wesley Tanner Post Falls, ID 9 12-03 0
7 Bob Mcwilliams Helena, MT 9 11-10 0
8 Robert Christensen Wallace, ID 6 09-11 0
9 Taylor Hulstrom Kellogg, ID 7 09-06 0
10 Mike Dominick Alberton, MT 6 08-00 0
UTAH
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Riley Nielsen Murray, UT 15 29-03 0
2 Trevor Tippetts La Verkin, UT 15 24-06 0
3 Ty Faber Pagosa Springs, CO 15 24-01 0
4 Bill Brown Grand Junction, CO 14 23-03 0
5 Trace Myers Santaquin, UT 9 14-15 0
6 Matthew Adamson Farmington, NM 10 14-07 0
7 Justin Hicks Gunnison, CO 10 14-01 0
8 Tom Nokes Riverton, UT 8 13-13 0
9 Eric Inman West Jordan, UT 10 12-03 0
10 Sam Page Moab, UT 3 03-11 0
NEVADA
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Cody Steckel Las Vegas, NV 15 28-01 0
2 Brent Becker Henderson, NV 15 24-15 0
3 Justin Kerr Lake Havasu, AZ 10 15-10 0
4 Darren Wilson Las Vegas, NV 10 14-08 0
5 Ryan Yamagata Las Vegas, NV 7 13-01 0
6 Mike Steckel Las Vegas, NV 10 12-02 0
7 Jeff Baird Washington, UT 9 11-13 0
8 Kevin Wiggins Winterheaven, NV 9 10-15 0
9 Jonathan Schuyler Las Vegas, NV 4 06-10 0
10 Robert Maddox Henderson, NV 6 06-06 0
2023 TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Western Regional 8/30-9/1
Lake Powell, Page AZ.
(NON_BOATER) Standings Day 3
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Hayden Spradling Gilbert, AZ (AZ) 9 18-11 0
2. Kin Pui Wong Bakersfield, CA (CA) 9 17-05 0
3. Brandon Kahoun Scottsdale, AZ (AZ) 9 17-05 0
4. Eric Hammer Peoria, AZ (AZ) 9 17-04 0
5. Christian Hanson Rathdrum, ID (ID) 9 16-07 0
6. Greg Pink Montrose, CO (UT) 9 15-08 0
7. Hunter Loveless American Fork, UT (UT) 9 15-06 0
8. Dean Yamagata Las Vegas, NV (NV) 9 15-04 0
9. Andrew Sayles Middleton, ID (WY) 9 15-01 0
10. Haden Ryza Homedale, ID (WY) 9 14-12 0
11. Dez Ruffin Tukwila, WA (WA) 9 14-10 0
12. Zac Ortiz Kaysville, UT (UT) 8 13-13 0
13. Billy Ricker Clinton, UT (UT) 9 13-05 0
14. Travis Darrough Round Mountain, NV (NV) 9 13-04 0
15. Bubba Romero Moorpark, CA (CA) 9 13-03 0
16. Dave Roberts Sisters, OR (OR) 9 13-00 0
17. Grant Aumiller Danville, KY (MT) 7 12-07 0
18. Anthony Ocamica Middleton, ID (ID) 7 10-04 0
19. Kong Moua Sacramento, CA (CA) 6 09-07 0
20. Dustin Medlock Post Falls, ID (MT) 6 09-03 0
21. Cesar Gomez Fullerton, CA (CA) 6 09-01 0
22. Collin Gleason Star Valley Ranch, WY ( 6 08-15 0
23. Jake Hansen Bozeman, MT (MT) 6 08-15 0
24. Rick Mclenon South Jordan, UT (UT) 6 08-12 0
25. Hunter Bower Coeur D Alene, ID (MT) 6 08-09 0
26. Gary Abshire Fruitland, ID (WY) 5 08-07 0
27. Jared Raynor Dalton Gardens, ID (ID) 6 08-05 0
28. Andy Bliss Bonners Ferry, ID (ID) 6 08-05 0
29. Katie Tanner Post Falls, ID (MT) 6 08-04 0
30. Ron Christiensen Las Vegas, NV (NV) 5 08-03 0
31. Andrew Jayne Coeur D Alene, ID (ID) 6 08-01 0
32. Aaron Marich Heron, MT (MT) 6 07-15 0
33. Craig Miller Las Vegas, NV (NV) 6 07-13 0
34. David Bertsch Harrison, ID (ID) 6 07-12 0
35. Tyler Wipf West Richland, WA (WA) 4 07-11 0
36. Dillon Garcia Hanford, CA (CA) 5 07-11 0
37. Bill See III Park City, UT (WY) 6 07-11 0
38. Jordan Schwartzkopf El Mirage, AZ (AZ) 6 07-09 0
39. Sean Sullivan Henderson, NV (NV) 4 07-08 0
40. Garrett Newberry Lake Havasu City, AZ (A 6 07-08 0
41. Ronald Slack Pahrump, NV (NV) 6 07-08 0
42. Clay Williams Athol, ID (ID) 5 07-07 0
43. Walter Haltom Malad City, ID (UT) 6 07-06 0
44. Mandy Myers Santa Quin, UT (OR) 5 07-06 0
45. Steve Larsen Henderson, NV (NV) 6 07-05 0
46. Austin Tate Herriman, UT (WY) 4 07-03 0
47. Nick Dulleck Roseville, CA (CA) 5 07-03 0
48. J.D. White Hayden, ID (ID) 6 07-01 0
49. Doc Ismail Las Vegas, NV (NV) 5 06-14 0
50. Kenny Keovilayphone Taylorsville, UT (UT) 5 06-12 0
51. Travis Kunz Kuna, ID (WY) 6 06-11 0
52. Andy Mcintyre Henderson, NV (NV) 5 06-10 0
53. Charles Adams Roseburg, OR (OR) 6 06-10 0
54. Jake Morrison Phoenix, AZ (AZ) 5 06-09 0
55. Jerry Lake Cottage Grove, OR (OR) 5 06-07 0
56. Rick Culver Taylor, UT (UT) 5 06-03 0
57. Thomas Edwards Gilbert, AZ (AZ) 5 05-15 0
58. Terry Peterson West Jordan, UT (UT) 4 05-13 0
59. Rachel Uribe San Diego, CA (CA) 4 05-11 0
60. David Childress Bakersfield, CA (CA) 5 05-06 0
61. Todd Brimhall Lehi, UT (WY) 4 05-04 0
62. Jason Lee Phoenix, AZ (AZ) 4 05-04 0
63. Easton Clark West Richland, WA (WA) 4 05-00 0
64. Steven Mair Heber City, UT (WY) 4 04-15 0
65. AJ MacVittie Coeur D Alene, ID (ID) 4 04-13 0
66. David Bentley Florence, MT (MT) 4 04-10 0
67. Greg Hadden Pendleton, OR (OR) 3 04-02 0
68. Gary Speed Groveland, CA (CA) 3 04-00 0
69. Dave Ballou Santaquin, UT (UT) 4 04-00 0
70. Aldo Acevedo North Hollywood, CA (CA 3 03-06 0
71. Christopher Wilson Tucson, AZ (AZ) 3 03-06 0
72. Dick Coffey Pasco, WA (WA) 2 02-05 0
73. Preston Littleeagle Kalispell, MT (MT) 1 01-12 0
74. Quincy Grupenhoff Clancy, MT (MT) 4 01-05 0
75. Tristin Sampson Peoria, AZ (AZ) 1 01-03 0
76. Michael Dart Payette, ID (ID) 1 01-02 0
77. Paul Aznarez Las Vegas, NV (NV) 0 00-00 0
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 59 201 282-04
2 52 183 271-10
3 16 50 84-15
----------------------------------
127 434 638-13
TEAM STANDINGS Day 3
----------------------------------
State Lbs-Oz
1 UTAH 270-13
2 ARIZONA 247-07
3 IDAHO 246-04
4 CALIFORNIA 243-01
5 NEVADA 224-06
6 MONTANA 216-03
7 WYOMING 186-04
8 OREGON 121-12
9 WASHINGTON 86-01
INDIVIDUAL STANDINGS Day 3
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
WASHINGTON
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Dez Ruffin Tukwila, WA 9 14-10 0
2 Tyler Wipf West Richland, WA 4 07-11 0
3 Easton Clark West Richland, WA 4 05-00 0
4 Dick Coffey Pasco, WA 2 02-05 0
IDAHO
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Christian Hanson Rathdrum, ID 9 16-07 0
2 Anthony Ocamica Middleton, ID 7 10-04 0
3 Jared Raynor Dalton Gardens, ID 6 08-05 0
4 Andy Bliss Bonners Ferry, ID 6 08-05 0
5 Andrew Jayne Coeur D Alene, ID 6 08-01 0
6 David Bertsch Harrison, ID 6 07-12 0
7 Clay Williams Athol, ID 5 07-07 0
8 J.D. White Hayden, ID 6 07-01 0
9 AJ MacVittie Coeur D Alene, ID 4 04-13 0
10 Michael Dart Payette, ID 1 01-02 0
OREGON
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Dave Roberts Sisters, OR 9 13-00 0
2 Mandy Myers Santa Quin, UT 5 07-06 0
3 Charles Adams Roseburg, OR 6 06-10 0
4 Jerry Lake Cottage Grove, OR 5 06-07 0
5 Greg Hadden Pendleton, OR 3 04-02 0
ARIZONA
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Hayden Spradling Gilbert, AZ 9 18-11 0
2 Brandon Kahoun Scottsdale, AZ 9 17-05 0
3 Eric Hammer Peoria, AZ 9 17-04 0
4 Jordan Schwartzkopf El Mirage, AZ 6 07-09 0
5 Garrett Newberry Lake Havasu City, AZ 6 07-08 0
6 Jake Morrison Phoenix, AZ 5 06-09 0
7 Thomas Edwards Gilbert, AZ 5 05-15 0
8 Jason Lee Phoenix, AZ 4 05-04 0
9 Christopher Wilson Tucson, AZ 3 03-06 0
10 Tristin Sampson Peoria, AZ 1 01-03 0
WYOMING
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Andrew Sayles Middleton, ID 9 15-01 0
2 Haden Ryza Homedale, ID 9 14-12 0
3 Collin Gleason Star Valley Ranch, WY 6 08-15 0
4 Gary Abshire Fruitland, ID 5 08-07 0
5 Bill See III Park City, UT 6 07-11 0
6 Austin Tate Herriman, UT 4 07-03 0
7 Travis Kunz Kuna, ID 6 06-11 0
8 Todd Brimhall Lehi, UT 4 05-04 0
9 Steven Mair Heber City, UT 4 04-15 0
CALIFORNIA
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Kin Pui Wong Bakersfield, CA 9 17-05 0
2 Bubba Romero Moorpark, CA 9 13-03 0
3 Kong Moua Sacramento, CA 6 09-07 0
4 Cesar Gomez Fullerton, CA 6 09-01 0
5 Dillon Garcia Hanford, CA 5 07-11 0
6 Nick Dulleck Roseville, CA 5 07-03 0
7 Rachel Uribe San Diego, CA 4 05-11 0
8 David Childress Bakersfield, CA 5 05-06 0
9 Gary Speed Groveland, CA 3 04-00 0
10 Aldo Acevedo North Hollywood, CA 3 03-06 0
MONTANA
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Grant Aumiller Danville, KY 7 12-07 0
2 Dustin Medlock Post Falls, ID 6 09-03 0
3 Jake Hansen Bozeman, MT 6 08-15 0
4 Hunter Bower Coeur D Alene, ID 6 08-09 0
5 Katie Tanner Post Falls, ID 6 08-04 0
6 Aaron Marich Heron, MT 6 07-15 0
7 David Bentley Florence, MT 4 04-10 0
8 Preston Littleeagle Kalispell, MT 1 01-12 0
9 Quincy Grupenhoff Clancy, MT 4 01-05 0
UTAH
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Greg Pink Montrose, CO 9 15-08 0
2 Hunter Loveless American Fork, UT 9 15-06 0
3 Zac Ortiz Kaysville, UT 8 13-13 0
4 Billy Ricker Clinton, UT 9 13-05 0
5 Rick Mclenon South Jordan, UT 6 08-12 0
6 Walter Haltom Malad City, ID 6 07-06 0
7 Kenny Keovilayphone Taylorsville, UT 5 06-12 0
8 Rick Culver Taylor, UT 5 06-03 0
9 Terry Peterson West Jordan, UT 4 05-13 0
10 Dave Ballou Santaquin, UT 4 04-00 0
NEVADA
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Dean Yamagata Las Vegas, NV 9 15-04 0
2 Travis Darrough Round Mountain, NV 9 13-04 0
3 Ron Christiensen Las Vegas, NV 5 08-03 0
4 Craig Miller Las Vegas, NV 6 07-13 0
5 Sean Sullivan Henderson, NV 4 07-08 0
6 Ronald Slack Pahrump, NV 6 07-08 0
7 Steve Larsen Henderson, NV 6 07-05 0
8 Doc Ismail Las Vegas, NV 5 06-14 0
9 Andy Mcintyre Henderson, NV 5 06-10 0
10 Paul Aznarez Las Vegas, NV 0 00-00 0
Fishin' Tip Friday - Bill Dance on the Slip Sinker
Bill Dance: An All-time Great Angler on an All-time Great Technique
By Vance McCullough
The old ‘rubber worm’ as we often called them back in the day, will catch bass year-round but it really shines during the dog days of summer when nothing else seems to work.
Following is Bill Dance’s best tip on how to catch bass any time, anywhere with Texas-rigged soft plastics:
Bill Dance wrote the book – literally – on worm fishing. Published by Bass Anglers Sportsman Society of America in 1973. “It was titled ‘There He Is’,” notes Dance, “because when you feel a bass pick up the worm, that’s what you say.”
While Dance nods to improvements in equipment and materials – tungsten weights, lighter, stiffer rods, advanced lines and hooks – he notes that a couple of things have not changed. First is the effectiveness of what has come to be known as the Texas rig, which Dance still calls the ‘slip sinker rig’.
The other constant is the need to pay attention and s-l-o-w down. Years before Dance would catch the first bass ever boated in a Bassmaster tournament on a worm, he met a man named Stan Mason, a crop duster pilot from Hughes, Arkansas. Dance recalls that day on the shore of Horseshoe Lake in the 1950’s. “Stan asked, ‘you fish the slip sinker rig?’. I said, ‘what’s that?’. He put a few sinkers in my hand, and I asked, ‘well, how do you fish this?’ He looked at my boat in the parking lot and said, leave that here and come fishing with me’. I did.
“If I learned one thing that day, Stan taught me, ‘If you think you’re fishing slow, fish slower’.
“We were fishing, and Stan looked at me and said, ‘what did I tell you?’ ‘Fish slower,’ I said. ‘Then why aren’t you doing it? You’re hard-headed!’.” Dance laughs at the memory. He laughs harder about what happened next.
“I tossed that worm between a couple of cypress trees and let it sink. Then I felt ‘thunk!’ I caught a 3-pound bass. I went crazy! I peed my pants three times!”
“If you think you’re fishing slow, fish slower,” – Stan Mason, via Bill Dance
Joey Cifuentes III Sees Top Honors: Takes Home the 2023 Elite Series Rookie of the Year Award
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Revolutionize Your Water Safety with Kryptek x Bluestorm PFDs
Eagle, Idaho – Kryptek, the leading provider of high-performance camouflage gear, is excited to announce a groundbreaking partnership with Bluestorm, the innovative water safety equipment company. This collaboration aims to revolutionize the personal flotation device (PFD) market by introducing the most comfortable and stylish PFDs ever created.
Combining Kryptek's expertise in camouflage patterns with Bluestorm's dedication to safety, the new line of PFDs offers outdoor enthusiasts the perfect blend of functionality and fashion. Whether you're an avid angler, a passionate kayaker, or simply enjoy spending time on the water, these PFDs will enhance your experience and keep you safe.
What sets these PFDs apart is the incorporation of Kryptek's cutting-edge camo patterns. Designed with meticulous attention to detail, these patterns seamlessly blend into any environment, making you virtually invisible.
In addition to their unparalleled aesthetics, the Kryptek and Bluestorm PFDs prioritize comfort. Made from premium materials and featuring ergonomic designs, these PFDs ensure a snug fit without sacrificing mobility. Whether you're casting a fishing line, shouldering your favorite waterfowl shotgun, or paddling through rough waters, you can trust that these PFDs will stay securely in place, allowing you to focus on your adventure.
As the market leaders in their respective fields, Kryptek and Bluestorm are committed to pushing the boundaries of innovation. With this partnership, they have not only created a product that meets the highest industry standards but also one that exceeds customer expectations. Get ready to experience the ultimate combination of comfort, style, and safety with the new Kryptek and Bluestorm PFDs.
Walters Credits Mustache for Victory and Yamaha Power Pay Bonus
Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships
Patrick Walters drove his Yamaha-powered bass boat further each day across Lake Ontario than most folks drive on their morning commute to the office. He pushed his 250-horsepower V MAX SHO® to the limits across Lake Ontario for four days to set an all-time B.A.S.S. record of 105-pounds of tournament winning smallmouth, to net a $100,000 victory,and a $4,000 bonus from the Yamaha Power Pay program.
“I never had a mechanical issue this week, and I have never had an issue with my outboard this entire Elite Series season,” said Walters, moments after winning the third coveted blue trophy of his young career.
The South Carolina pro says he once considered himself pretty weak at the northern smallmouth fishing game, but worked hard to improve, and subsequently, is most proud of the fact he claimed victory in a portion of the pro fishing world where he once struggled.
Every one of the “bronzebacks” that comprised his record-setting weight bit a drop shot rig, often times tipped with a Megabass Hazedong Shad. However, he jokes the new-look mustache he sported through three recent smallmouth derbies might have contained a bit of fish attracting magic of its own.
“What an incredible week. A Bassmaster® Century Belt, a blue trophy, a hundred-thousand bucks, and a Yamaha Power Pay bonus. The only bad thing is I gotta shave the mustache off for my wife Emily,” he laughed.
Losing a bit of upper lip fuzz is surely a minor sacrifice for the amount of incredible prosperity he experienced at work this past week on Lake Ontario near Clayton, N.Y., and heprovided proof that if you fish tournaments and run a Yamaha, it’s definitely worth taking a few minutes to sign up for Power Pay, by visiting https://yamahapowerpay.com/.
Deep Dive with Matt Becker - Dropshots
We caught up with BPT Angler of the Year Matt Becker. He credits the dropshot with his recent AOY title, so we took a deep dive on the technique that put him on top. We talk line, hooks, rods, and techniques to help you improve your dropshot game! Check it out!
https://youtu.be/xOjVzFizZ2A
Travel Tuesday - What is the Best Time to Go on a Fishing Trip?
By Pete Robbins
Well, duh. The best time to go on a fishing trip is “any time you can.”
But that maxim doesn’t tell the whole story. Our plan has always been to fish “the best places at the best times.” Of course, fishing is an inexact science with no guarantees. Even at the purported best times, under the assumed best conditions, it can be a struggle. On other occasions, when it’s expected to be tough, you can load the boat. To our way of thinking, by stacking the odds in our favor – best places, best outfitters/guides, best times, and so forth – we maximize our chances of success.
But perhaps you can’t or won’t go at the generally-accepted optimal times. Maybe the tuna fishing in a certain location is best from April through June, and that’s the heart of your bass tournament season. Or perhaps you know that the St. Clair muskies are fattest in the late fall, but you can’t handle the thought of casting a “Pounder” all day as sleet pours down.
How do you know whether it makes sense to spend your hard-earned cash (and energy and vacation time) to go during an off-peak period?
Rule Number One: Do Your Research
When it comes time to plan a trip, figure out what you want to catch and how you want to catch them. If your goal is a sockeye salmon on a dry fly, make sure: (a) that the salmon will be in the river at that time; (b) that the season will be open; and (c) that they will be feeding in your desired manner. Obviously, the more flexible that you are, the better. Some simple internet research should answer your most basic questions. Beyond that, call a guide or outfitter and ask blunt questions – don’t ask for guarantees, but rather the type of inquiries that will help you make an informed decision.
Rule Number Two: You Can’t Catch Them When They’re Not There
As noted above, certain fish are migratory and won’t be in notoriously prime fisheries during certain months. You can fish for them at that time, I suppose, but you ain’t going to catch any. Or they could be lethargic in a manner that makes fishing vastly subpar. If a guide or outfitter does not operate during certain stretches of time, there’s likely a reason for that. One corollary to this is that just because certain conditions don’t exist doesn’t mean that the species won’t bite. Several years back we went ice fishing for big brown trout in Milwaukee Harbor. When the ice goes away, you can’t catch them that way, but you can certainly chase them with other tactics.
Rule Number Three: You define success
Again, the more flexible you are, the better. Our April and November trips to Sport Fish Panama Island Lodge were similar in more ways than not, but there were some key differences. For example, the average tuna size was much bigger in November, but we caught a much higher percentage on poppers in April. If you cared more about size, the first trip might’ve been a bust. If you cared more about topwater fishing the second trip might have been a bust. Fortunately we just cared about action, so we were thrilled both times but your mileage might vary.
Even after following those rules, you still have to differentiate between different trips to the same place.
Again, get on the phone or on the web and figure this stuff out. A guide or lodge looking to fill a calendar might not give you the straight skinny (or they might tell the truth and you won’t believe them), but there are other places to get information. Look for YouTube videos or TripAdvisor reports from the month/s in question. Call a fishing travel agent who deals with multiple properties and ask what it’s like during the time that you are available and interested in going.
Sometimes, the unlikely nature of fishing success will make your preferred dates a non-starter. At other times, there may be a complicating factor – for example, the fishing might still be just as good, but you can expect daily rains or heavy but non-threatening winds. If you can legitimately withstand those conditions without losing any level of enjoyment, by all means go ahead.
Occasionally outfitters or lodges will run “off season” specials. Again, figure out if that’s because the fishing is going to suck, or because there’s some other reason that keeps people away. If it’s the latter, you can save a chunk of change, or squeeze more easily into your preferred days of the week. That’s a win on multiple levels.
If indeed you determine that only “prime dates” will do, remember that at any established and top-producing operation those dates can fill up a year or two in advance. Make your reservations early. Then again, just because you can’t get on the calendar early doesn’t mean you can’t go fishing. Just don’t compromise unnecessarily on an expensive, bucket list trip.
One final note: If there are preferred dates or date ranges that you’d like to travel, and they’re filled up by the time you get on the list, don’t hesitate to call back occasionally and see if there have been any cancellations. Don’t be annoying about it, but let them know that you’re ready to get on a plane at the drop of a hat.
We’re here to help you figure out the best time or times for you to go on the trip of a lifetime. Check out Half Past First Cast or email us and let’s figure out where you should go next!
SIONYX Announces Acquisition of Amigen and New Chief Technology Officer
BEVERLY, Mass. (Aug 29, 2023) Silicon-based photonics company SIONYX announced the acquisition of American Imaging Engineering (Amigen), a premier thermal imaging system provider, expanding the limits of what’s possible in the imaging technology and night vision markets. The move adds the founder and President of Amigen, Jeffrey Lee, as Chief Technology Officer of SIONYX’s commercial products division. Jeff is a product visionary who has led many of the industry’s most impactful thermal imaging innovations in his over 20 years of category growth.
SIONYX has led the charge of designing and implementing innovative products in the nascent digital night vision market, leveraging their proprietary ultra-low-light CMOS image sensor technology to dramatically enhance the performance of light sensing devices commonly used in consumer, industrial, medical, and defense-related applications. SIONYX’s acquisition of Amigen signifies new possibilities in the imaging technology industry.
“Our mission at SIONYX has always been to create innovative low-light products that help professionals and enthusiasts do more in the dark,” said Robert Pignataro, General Manager of the Commercial Product Division of SIONYX. “Bringing Amigen’s proprietary software in-house at SIONYX will allow for further development and integration into a wider range of markets and provide a wealth of sophisticated options for our customers.”
Drawing on extensive expertise, Amigen has a proven track record developing a diverse range of products thanks to its digital imaging fusion software, which fuses thermal with visible sensors for direct view and low-power systems. Amigen’s technology has found successful applications in defense, sporting/hunting, and related markets that benefit from night vision. The acquisition will pave the way for accelerated product design and development of integrated color digital and thermal night vision technologies and products. The accomplished Amigen team will bolster SIONYX’s product development unit, contributing a wealth of industry insight and proficiency in integrating fused thermal imaging solutions.
“The entire organization and I are enthusiastic about this merger,” said Jeff Lee, CTO of SIONYX. “We envision a future where digital and thermal night vision becomes as ubiquitous as the mobile phone camera. Our combined technologies, talents, and resources will empower us to bring our game-changing technologies to market faster. Our night vision product solutions highlight the best of consumer functionality and military performance, making our customers’ jobs and daily lives safer and easier.”
All Amigen and SIONYX customers and partners can expect a seamless transition and continued dedication to delivering high-performance imaging solutions. The acquisition and future developments at SIONYX will continue creating inventive products that allow the human eye to be more well-equipped and prepared for any adventure or mission.
Heck Wins Two-Day Phoenix Bass Fishing League Super Tournament on Sam Rayburn Reservoir
Smith Claims Strike King Co-Angler Division
BROOKELAND, Texas (Aug. 28, 2023) – Boater Hayden Heck of Lufkin, Texas, caught six bass weighing 36 pounds, 4 ounces, to win the two-day MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on Sam Rayburn Reservoir in Brookeland, Texas. The tournament, which was fished with a three-bass daily limit, was the fifth and final regular-season event for the Bass Fishing League Cowboy Division. Heck earned $14,704 for his victory, including the lucrative $7,000 Phoenix MLF contingency bonus.
“We started off each day looking for fish and fishing brushpiles,” Heck said. “We caught some on a big worm and a jig, and others came on a Double Z Custom Lures Swayback Swimmer, which is a small 4-inch swimbait we were using for suspended fish just hanging around.
“We spent a lot of time just scoping around trying to pick off single fish,” Heck added. “We were looking in 20 to 25 feet of water since the surface temperature is ridiculous right now.”
Heck said his fishing was better Saturday – he caught more fish and they bit better – while Sunday was tougher. Heck said he didn’t catch any quality fish after 10 a.m. He said he could see good fish, but they kept their mouths shut.
“It was a good tournament, and I can’t complain,” Heck said. “I had 15 pounds or so by mid-morning Sunday, and I really thought it would take a total weight of 30 to 32 pounds to win. I got a little lucky and got a few bigger fish to bring that weight up.
“This is the second BFL I’ve ever fished, and it feels really good to win one of the two-day ones,” Heck added. “I fished my first one in January. I’ve been out of town for almost two months, but I got back and had a little time to look around, saw some good fish, and decided to jump in the tournament. So, this is awesome.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
2nd: Zane Parker, Kingwood, Texas, six bass, 31-0, $3,352
3rd: Derek Mundy, Broaddus, Texas, six bass, 28-2, $2,233
4th: Wesley Baxley, Cypress, Texas, six bass, 26-1, $1,564
5th: Hank Harrison, Nacogdoches, Texas, six bass, 23-2, $1,341
6th: Tommy Loving, Cypress, Texas, six bass, 22-0, $1,229
7th: Thomas McMillan, Choudrant, La., six bass, 21-7, $1,117
8th: Kevin Lasyone, Dry Prong, La., six bass, 20-14, $1,006
9th: John Ellender, Lake Charles, La., six bass, 20-5, $894
10th: Colby Bryant, Houston, Texas, six bass, 20-5, $782
2nd: Gary Lachance, Austin, Texas, five bass, 17-12, $1,676
3rd: Jesse Rawls, Lorena, Texas, six bass, 17-5, $1,117
4th: Michael Mooney, Diana, Texas, six bass, 16-13, $782
5th: William Hadraba, Willow Springs, Ill., six bass, 16-1, $670
6th: Stephen Crumpler II, Bloomburg, Texas, six bass, 15-2, $615
7th: Zach Moran, Waco, Texas, six bass, 15-0, $559
8th: David Laine, Bryan, Texas, five bass, 14-3, $503
9th: Nick Stanislaus, Porter, Texas, six bass, 13-15, $647
10th: Ben Faucheaux, Natchitoches, La., six bass, 13-14, $391
Now, the top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will advance to compete in the Oct. 5-7 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Lake Eufaula in Eufaula, Oklahoma. Boaters will fish for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury 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 outboard.
The 2023 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 top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division will also earn priority entry into the MLF Toyota Series, the pathway to the MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit and ultimately the MLF Bass Pro Tour.
Proud sponsors of the 2023 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, E3, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, General Tire, Grundéns, Gill, Lew’s, Lowrance, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Mystik Lubricants, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, Wiley X 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.
Marks Rides Early Bite to Win Two-Day Phoenix Bass Fishing League Super Tournament on Lake Lanier Presented by Harrison Oil Company
GAINESVILLE, Ga. (Aug. 28, 2023) – Boater Paul Marks of Cumming, Georgia, caught six bass weighing 25 pounds, 7 ounces, to win the two-day MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on Lake Lanier Presented by Harrison Oil Company in Gainesville, Georgia. The tournament, which featured a three-bass daily limit, was the fifth and final regular-season event for the Bass Fishing League Bulldog Division Presented by Mystik Lubricants. Marks earned $13,871 for his victory, including the lucrative $7,000 Phoenix MLF contingency bonus.
After Marks ended his first day of competition in second place, he said Day 2 didn’t start off like he had hoped.
“I had a flat tire on my truck Sunday morning, and then I got pulled over on the way to the ramp,” Marks said. “I didn’t get a ticket, though. And then I ran all the way down the lake to the south end, and then when I left my first spot, I slung an ear on my prop. So, I had to change the prop out. After I got all of that out of the way, I caught all my fish within 30 minutes.”
Marks said the early bite was key for him, and on both days he caught his large fish early. When the big bite turned off for him mid-morning, he still caught fish, but he was unable to cull the rest of the day.
Marks said he targeted bass in 20 to 50 feet of water near Browns Bridge on a Damiki rig with a Picasso Speed Drop Jig Head with a small minnow-imitating plastic bait.
“Sunday, I caught a 5-pounder right after I caught a 4½-pounder and a 3½-pounder, and I kind of thought it was over at that point,” Marks said. “I fished my heart out the rest of the day.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
2nd: Mikey Bart, Flowery Branch, Ga., six bass, 23-15, $3,436
3rd: Ty Overmyer, Dawsonville, Ga., six bass, 23-12, $2,290
4th: Emil Wagner, Marietta, Ga., six bass, 23-11, $1,903
5th: Dalton Tankersley, Copperhill, Tenn., six bass, 23-2, $1,374
6th: Roger Vinson, Oakwood, Ga., six bass, 22-13, $1,260
7th: Caz Anderson, Haysville, N.C., six bass, 21-12, $1,145
8th: Weston Parker, Mansfield, Ga., six bass, 21-5, $1,031
9th: Matthew O’Connell, Brooks, Ga., six bass, 21-3, $1,166
10th: Wesley Griner, Cumming, Ga., six bass, 21-2, $802
Kevin Black of Cumming, Georgia, had a bass that weighed 5 pounds, 6 ounces that was the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $1,012.
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:
2nd: Zachary Archer, Cumming, Ga., five bass, 14-5, $1,718
3rd: Tyler Mangum, Canton, Ga., five bass, 13-14, $1,145
4th: Scott Sayasing, Grantville, Ga., five bass, 13-13, $1,308
5th: Cliff Humphreys, Candler, N.C., five bass, 13-11, $687
6th: Harold Grizzle, Gainesville, Ga., six bass, 13-8, $630
7th: Demetrice Collins, Thomson, Ga., four bass, 11-11, $573
8th: Greg Glouse, Liberty, S,C., four bass, 11-6, $715
9th: Jake Staley, Cumming, Ga., four bass, 11-0, $458
10th: Ben Brisbois, Gainesville, Ga., five bass, 10-14, $401
With the regular season now complete, boater Matthew O’Connell of Brooks, Georgia, won the 2023 Bass Fishing League Bulldog Division Presented by Mystik Lubricants Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with a five-event total of 1,305 points to earn the $1,000 boater AOY award. Tyler Mangum of Canton, Georgia, won the 2023 Strike King Co-Angler Bulldog Division Presented by Mystik Lubricants AOY race with 1,296 points and earned the $500 Strike King Co-angler of the Year award.
Now, the top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will advance to compete in the Oct. 19-21 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Lake Norman in Huntersville, North Carolina. Boaters will fish for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury 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 outboard.
The 2023 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 top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division will also earn priority entry into the MLF Toyota Series, the pathway to the MLF Invitationals and ultimately the MLF Bass Pro Tour.
Proud sponsors of the 2023 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, E3, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, General Tire, Grundéns, Gill, Lew’s, Lowrance, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Mystik Lubricants, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, Wiley X 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.
Malas Claims Victory at Two-Day Phoenix Bass Fishing League Super Tournament on the Ohio River at Tanners Creek
LAWRENCEBURG, Ind. (Aug. 28, 2023) – Boater Chris Malas of Cincinnati, Ohio, caught nine bass weighing 14 pounds, 8 ounces, to win the two-day MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on the Ohio River at Tanner’s Creek in Lawrenceburg, Indiana. The tournament was the fifth and final regular-season event for the Bass Fishing League Hoosier Division. Malas earned $5,997 for his victory.
“On Day 1 I made a long run to fish the main river,” Malas said. “I was on some smallmouth, and I hammered them. I caught 14 keepers and culled a bunch of times. I caught them mainly on topwaters and dragging finesse stuff around – a Ned rig.”
Malas said the second day of competition was a little bit different than the first, because when he made his run to his spot, he approached a swimming competition that was being held and authorities had the waters blocked for the safety of the swimming event. Malas said he fished around Cincinnati until 9:15 a.m., and managed to catch a nice spotted bass, before the sheriff allowed boats to proceed.
Malas said the river had risen a foot and his smallmouth were nowhere to be found when he finally arrived at his Day 1 spot, but he did manage to figure out a spotted bass pattern to add three more keepers. Malas said he has a habit of underestimating his total weight and didn’t even think he had a chance at posting a win.
“I was in the weigh-in line and looking at (Chris) Martinkovic in front of me thinking, ‘Well, he’s got me,’” Malas said. “I weighed in and looked at the scale and was surprised. One of my spots was way bigger than I thought it was. It was like a 3-pounder. I walked off the stage and the last guy to weigh in said, ‘Good job, dude. You just won it.’ And I was like, ‘Holy crap!’ So, that was pretty cool.
“It feels insane to win,” Malas continued. “The money and the trophy are cool, but to beat that caliber of guys who fish there is better than anything because those guys are good.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Chris Malas, Cincinnati, Ohio, nine bass, 14-8, $5,997
4th: Chris Martinkovic, Hamilton, Ohio, 10 bass, 13-9, $1,599
5th: Tony Collins, Dayton, Ohio, 10 bass, 12-13, $1,199
6th: Dale Teaney, Williamsburg, Ohio, 10 bass, 12-11, $1,100
7th: Jamie Cunnagin, New Lebanon, Ohio, seven bass, 12-6, $1,000
8th: John Viox, Hebron, Ky., nine bass, 12-6, $900
9th: John Melton, Corydon, Ind., eight bass, 11-13, $800
10th: Travis Spivey, Union, Ky., nine bass, 11-10, $700
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Jason Wood of Connersville, Indiana, had a bass that weighed 4 pounds, 14 ounces that was the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $810.
Derek Jackson of New Albany, Indiana, won the Strike King Co-angler Division and $2,999 Sunday after catching a two-day total of eight bass weighing 10 pounds, 5 ounces.
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:
1st: Derek Jackson, New Albany, Ind., eight bass, 10-5, $2,999
2nd: Ryan Sykes, Fairfield, Ohio, six bass, 8-11, $1,899
3rd: John Thomas, Quincy, Ind., seven bass, 8-0, $996
4th: Joe Gorham, Indianapolis, Ind., six bass, 7-15, $700
5th: Greg Roberts, Columbus, Ind., four bass, 7-12, $600
6th: Branden Hardesty, Nineveh, Ind., six bass, 7-8, $550
7th: Rod Yoder, West Lafayette, Ind., five bass, 7-7, $500
8th: Brian Liming, Dillsboro, Ind., five bass, 6-14, $450
9th: Fred Fox, Batavia, Ohio, five bass, 6-10, $400
10th: Mark Bouchie, Evansville, Ind., five bass, 6-9, $350
Jeremy Aslinger of Richmond, Indiana, caught the largest bass in the Strike King Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 3 pounds, 9 ounces. The catch earned him the Berkley Big Bass Co-angler award of $405.
With the regular season now complete, boater Travis Spivey of Union, Kentucky, won the 2023 Bass Fishing League Hoosier Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with a five-event total of 1,325 points to earn the $1,000 boater AOY award. Joe Gorham of Indianapolis, Indiana, won the 2023 Strike King Co-Angler Hoosier Division AOY race with 1,301 points and earned the $500 Strike King Co-angler of the Year award.
Now, the top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will advance to compete in the Oct. 19-21 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Lake of the Ozarks in Osage Beach, Missouri. Boaters will fish for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury 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 outboard.
The 2023 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 top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division will also earn priority entry into the MLF Toyota Series, the pathway to the MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit and ultimately the MLF Bass Pro Tour.
Proud sponsors of the 2023 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, E3, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, General Tire, Grundéns, Gill, Lew’s, Lowrance, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Mystik Lubricants, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, Wiley X 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.
Sitko Posts Fifth Career Win at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Detroit River
Bucciarelli Tops Strike King Co-Angler Division
TRENTON, Mich. (Aug. 28, 2023) – Boater Michael Sitko of Pinckney, Michigan, caught a five-bass limit weighing 24 pounds, 15 ounces, Saturday to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on the Detroit River . The tournament was the fourth event of the season for the BFL Michigan Division. Sitko earned $12,146, including the lucrative $7,000 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus, for his victory.
Sitko now has five career Major League Fishing wins on the Detroit River, including four BFL victories and one Toyota Series title.
“I can’t explain how good it feels to get this win, because the guys competing in this are so good,” said Sitko, who made a run to fish Lake Erie’s isolated rock humps in 18 to 22 feet of water. “You have guys that guide out here daily, and they’re just so good. This never gets old, and I can’t wait to win the next one.”
Sitko said he caught around 10 keepers during the course of the day on a drop-shot rig tipped with a tube. The majority of his fish came late in the morning, and he didn’t cull a fish after that.
“I did have one that jumped off later in the day that I thought would have helped, but I ended up not needing it,” Sitko said. “I truly thought that fish was going to cost me.
“There’s never a point in this division when you think you’re going to win,” Sitko added. “I’ve had tournaments where I’ve had really big bags and not won because you get 26-pound bags from Erie a lot. This group of anglers is just so good.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:
1st: Michael Sitko, Pinckney, Mich., five bass, 24-15, $12,146 (includes $7,000 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
2nd: Pat Upthagrove, Monroe, Mich., five bass, 23-3, $2,793
3rd: Nolan Mandel, Harrison Township, Mich., five bass, 22-7, $1,309
4th: Scott Cooke, Marengo, Ohio, five bass, 21-6, $916
5th: Aaron Jagdfeld, Rochester, Mich., five bass, 21-4, $785
6th: Jared Rhode, Port Clinton, Ohio, five bass, 21-0, $720
7th: Jeremy Reese, Powell, Ohio, five bass, 20-13, $654
8th: Wilson Burton, Findlay, Ohio, five bass, 20-9, $589
9th: Noah Stauffer, Gowen, Mich., five bass, 20-8, $523
10th: Angel Rosario, Kalamazoo, Mich., five bass, 19-12, $458
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Pat Upthagrove of Monroe, Michigan, caught a bass that weighed 6 pounds, 4 ounces, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $530.
Terry Bucciarelli of Ypsilanti, Michigan, won the Strike King co-angler division and $2,778 Saturday, after bringing five bass to the scale that totaled 21 pounds, 6 ounces.
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers finished:
1st: Terry Bucciarelli, Ypsilanti, Mich., five bass, 21-6, $2,778
2nd: Joe Nega, Chicago, Ill., five bass, 19-15, $1,181
3rd: Bill Lass, Caledonia, Mich., five bass, 19-13, $655
4th: Tyler Land, Coatsville, Ind., five bass, 19-0, $458
5th: Cory Yoder, Goshen, Ind., five bass, 18-9, $393
6th: Mike Eldridge, Blairsville, Penn., five bass, 18-2, $360
7th: Keishaun Clemons, Richmond, Ind., five bass, 17-13, $310
7th: Joe Westphal, Lapeer, Mich., five bass, 17-13, $310
9th: Emmanuel Schwartz, Colon, Mich., five bass, 17-12, $245
9th: Ahsten Lynch, Waynesville, Ohio, five bass, 17-12, $245
Bucciarelli also earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $265, catching a bass that weighed in at 5 pounds, 6 ounces – the largest co-angler catch of the day.
After four events, Patrick Goodman of Sturgis, Michigan, leads the BFL Michigan Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 972 points, while Gavin Weted of Adrian, Michigan, leads the Strike King Co-Angler Division AOY race with 937 points.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, will qualify for the Oct. 12-14 BFL Regional tournament on Dale Hollow Lake in Byrdstown, Tennessee. Boaters will fish for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury 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 outboard.
The 2023 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 2023 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, E3, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, General Tire, Grundéns, Gill, Lew’s, Lowrance, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Mystik Lubricants, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, Wiley X 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.
Walters conquers smallmouth to win Bassmaster Elite Series event at St. Lawrence River
Patrick Walters of Summerville, S.C., has won the Minn Kota Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River with a four-day total of 105 pounds.
Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
August 27, 2023
CLAYTON, N.Y. — Safe to say, Patrick Walters now loves northern smallmouth bass.
Overcoming what he had previously considered one of his few limitations, the fifth-year pro from Summerville, S.C., caught the heaviest 20-fish total of smallmouth in Bassmaster history — 105 pounds — and won the Minn Kota Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River.
“I used to not be able to catch 17 pounds on this river when 25 pounds a day was still good,” Walters said. “That’s what means the world to me — how bad I truly was at it and to come back and catch (over) 100 pounds of smallmouth and win.
“This one means more than my first Elite win (Lake Fork, 2020). I could not do it without my family — my mom and dad here and my wife back home. My wife’s grandfather passed away during last week’s tournament at Lake Champlain. I felt like he was with me throughout this week.”
Along with the $100,000 top prize, Walters received an automatic berth into the 2024 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Toyota scheduled for Tulsa, Okla., in March. He also received his third Bassmaster century belt, which recognizes a 20-bass total of 100 pounds or more.
Turning in daily weights of 24-14, 27-3, 28-5 — Day 3’s heaviest bag — and 24-10, Walters edged Canadian superstar Chris Johnston by 1-4.
Walters earned his first Century Club belt in his 2020 victory at Lake Fork and added another one the following year with a second-place finish at Fork. With this week’s performance, Walters became the first angler in Bassmaster history to break the 100-pound mark with largemouth and smallmouth bass.
Walters had identified key areas in Canadian waters, about an hour from the river mouth. But when Day 1 brought strong southerly winds and extremely rough water, he decided to fish the St. Lawrence River. Doing so allowed his main area to rest, and the fish proved very dependable when he returned.
Walters spent most of the next three days on his initial target area near Prince Edward Point. There, he fished a drop shot with a Megabass Hazedong and a Berkley MaxScent Flatnose Minnow.
After a good start to Championship Sunday, Walters made a key move that sealed his victory.
“I had 21 pounds at 1:30 and I came all the way back to the U.S. side and caught two 4-pounders in the last 30 minutes. I think that was the nail in the coffin,” Walters said. “It was a tough week, but I had an amazing time.”
Hailing from Otonabee, Ontario, Johnston started strong with a Day 1 limit of 28-3 and then kept himself near the top with limits of 24-11, 25-2 and 25-12. Johnston, who won the 2020 Elite at the St. Lawrence, earned his first century belt for his four-day, second-place total of 103-12.
“It’s getting harder and harder to win this event,” Johnston said of his home waters. “I had a huge advantage seven or eight years ago. I used to catch them all shallow. They were my pets; I basically named them.
“Now, they’ve changed and gone offshore. Then Garmin LiveScope (forward-facing sonar) came out and it really leveled the playing field.”
Fishing points and shoals in Lake Ontario, Johnston caught his fish on a drop shot with a SPRO CJ Smasher. He varied his weight and leader sizes to coax difficult fish.
Notably, Johnston’s brother Cory was the first Bassmaster angler to break 100 pounds with all smallmouth in his second-place finish at last year’s St. Lawrence event.
Kyoya Fujita, who makes his home in Minamitsuru, Yamanashi, Japan, finished third and also claimed his first century belt with his tournament total of 102-5. His daily weights were 24-10, 26-15, 25 and 25-12.
Devoting the majority of his time to the Canadian waters of Lake Ontario, Fujita caught his fish on a drop shot. He alternated between a 3-inch Jackall RV-Bug, a Jackall Crosstail Shad and a 4.5-inch Jackall Yammy. He trimmed the latter to about 3 inches.
“The key was finesse shaking the drop shot,” Fujita said. “I caught fish all day.”
In addition to Walters locking up the tournament title Sunday, Joey Cifuentes III of Clinton, Ark., won the Dakota Lithium Bassmaster Rookie of the Year title with 698 points. His amazing season included two Elite wins, at Lake Seminole and Lake St. Clair.
Cifuentes, who placed 17th at the St. Lawrence, finished one point ahead of Fujita, who won the previous Elite event at Lake Champlain.
“I was a little stressed watching Bassmaster LIVE today to see how (Fujita) was doing,” Cifuentes said. “He is an extremely good angler, so there was a little bit of stress, but it ended up (well).”
Fujita won the $1,000 Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the Day award for his 6-2. Kenta Kimura of Osaka, Japan, won the $2,000 award for the Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the Week for the 7-pounder he caught on Saturday. Jason Christie claimed a $10,000 bonus for catching the Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the Year — a 9-4 Lay Lake largemouth.
Kimura also took home an additional $3,000 for being the highest-placing entrant in the Toyota Bonus Bucks program, while Matty Wong of Honolulu, Hawaii, earned $2,000 for being the second-highest placing entrant.
As part of the Yamaha Power Pay program, Walters earned an additional $4,000 and former St. Lawrence champion Taku Ito of Japan claimed an additional $1,500 for being the second-highest placing entrant.
Wes Logan of Springville, Ala., won the $1,000 BassTrakk Contingency award for the most accurate weight reporting.
Bryant Smith of Roseville, Calif., won the $2,000 VMC Monster Bag of the Event with the 29-5 limit he caught Thursday.
Kyle Welcher of Opelika, Ala., won the Progressive Insurance Bassmaster Angler of the Year title with 752 points. Brandon Cobb of Greenwood, S.C., finished second with 728, followed by Walters with 717, Drew Cook of Cairo, Ga., with 712 and Cifuentes III with 698.
2023 Minn Kota Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River 8/24-8/27
St. Lawrence River, Clayton NY.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 4
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Patrick Walters Summerville, SC 20 105-00 104 $130,000.00
Day 1: 5 24-14 Day 2: 5 27-03 Day 3: 5 28-05 Day 4: 5 24-10
2. Chris Johnston Otonabee Ontario CANADA 20 103-12 103 $45,000.00
Day 1: 5 28-03 Day 2: 5 24-11 Day 3: 5 25-02 Day 4: 5 25-12
3. Kyoya Fujita Minamitsuru, Yamanashi 20 102-05 102 $50,000.00
Day 1: 5 24-10 Day 2: 5 26-15 Day 3: 5 25-00 Day 4: 5 25-12
4. Taku Ito Chiba JAPAN 20 101-07 101 $30,000.00
Day 1: 5 24-14 Day 2: 5 27-07 Day 3: 5 22-13 Day 4: 5 26-05
5. Kyle Welcher Opelika, AL 20 99-12 100 $121,000.00
Day 1: 5 25-10 Day 2: 5 27-12 Day 3: 5 25-15 Day 4: 5 20-07
6. Cory Johnston Cavan CANADA 20 96-00 99 $29,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-14 Day 2: 5 27-04 Day 3: 5 25-00 Day 4: 5 23-14
7. Kenta Kimura Osaka JAPAN 20 95-10 98 $31,000.00
Day 1: 5 25-12 Day 2: 5 21-04 Day 3: 5 27-09 Day 4: 5 21-01
8. Justin Hamner Northport, AL 20 95-06 97 $27,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-12 Day 2: 5 23-03 Day 3: 5 25-05 Day 4: 5 25-02
9. Matty Wong Honolulu, HI 20 94-04 96 $16,000.00
Day 1: 5 25-10 Day 2: 5 20-09 Day 3: 5 22-15 Day 4: 5 25-02
10. Scott Martin Clewiston, FL 20 90-05 95 $15,000.00
Day 1: 5 24-07 Day 2: 5 22-06 Day 3: 5 22-03 Day 4: 5 21-05
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1 Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 06-11 $1,000.00
2 Kyle Welcher Opelika, AL 06-08 $1,000.00
3 Kenta Kimura Osaka JAPAN 07-00 $1,000.00
4 Kyoya Fujita Minamitsuru, Yamanashi JAPAN06-02 $1,000.00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Kenta Kimura Osaka JAPAN 07-00 $2,000.00
VMC MONSTER BAG
Bryant Smith Roseville, CA 29-05 $2,000.00
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Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 101 509 2012-10
2 99 499 2100-08
3 49 249 1084-12
4 10 50 239-06
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259 1307 5437-04
Cifuentes secures Bassmaster Rookie of the Year title
Joey Cifuentes III of Clinton, Ark., has won the 2023 Dakota Lithium Bassmaster Rookie of the Year points race.
Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
August 27, 2023
CLAYTON, N.Y. — Despite some anxious moments on the final day of the Bassmaster Elite Series season, “The Cowboy” rode off into the sunset with some major new hardware to admire.
With a total of 698 points, Joey Cifuentes III secured the Dakota Lithium Bassmaster Rookie of the Year title, holding off a hard-charging Kyoya Fujita for the prestigious honor.
Not only did Cifuentes earn the $10,000 top prize, he finished fifth in the Progressive Insurance Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings and will compete in his first Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Toyota in Tulsa next March.
“It was one of my goals coming into this year,” Cifuentes said. “It is a really tough thing to do, but I am really proud of myself. I fished really well and made the right decisions. It feels really good.”
The Clinton, Ark., pro entered the Minn Kota Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River with a 15-point lead over Fujita, who has won four AOY titles in his home country of Japan. That lead dwindled as the event progressed and Fujita qualified for Championship Sunday.
Cifuentes, who finished 17th, had to watch the final day from the sidelines but knew Fujita would have to win it all to unseat him as ROY.
“I watched it a little bit. I wasn’t really nervous. I knew he had to have 27 or 28 pounds, something really big, to win,” Cifuentes said. “The kid is phenomenal. Who knows what he is going to do in the future as well as the other anglers in the class. I can’t believe I pulled it off.”
The 2023 rookie class was one of the most impressive in recent memory. Cifuentes won two Elite Series events, while Fujita and Will Davis Jr. each won one. In total, six rookies will fish in the 2024 Classic at Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees with the potential for a seventh, depending on how the rest of the St. Croix Bassmaster Opens season plays out.
Trusting his instincts and good decision making carried Cifuentes, a former FLW Tour pro, throughout the year. Fear did not factor into the equation.
“I wasn’t afraid to fail and trusted my instincts,” he said. “That is how guys win Angler of the Year and Rookie of the Year. I fished to win several tournaments and succeed.”
Cifuentes showed he would be a player for both ROY and AOY early on, finishing 19th at the season opener on Lake Okeechobee before notching his first Elite Series victory at Lake Seminole.
“That boosted my confidence, which was huge,” he said. “You go into the Elite Series not knowing what to expect. I didn’t know if I could compete with these guys. I made a Top 20 at Okeechobee and thought I could do this, and then I won. It takes a lot of weight off your shoulders.”
Although he stumbled during the Carolina swing with a 92nd-place finish at Murray and a 58th at Santee Cooper, Cifuentes notched back-to-back Top 30s at Lay Lake and the Sabine River to wrap up the Southern schedule.
“I just tried to put everything in the past,” Cifuentes said. “If there was one place I felt like I didn’t have a lot of confidence, it was those two tournaments. I’ve never done well at Murray for some reason, and I had never been to Santee Cooper. You have to forget about it and move on to the next one. I just kind of rolled with it and tried to bounce back and stay positive.”
Cifuentes opened the Northern swing with an impressive victory at Lake St. Clair by fishing a largely unpressured area in Canadian waters. On the final day, Cifuentes watched as a 5-pound smallmouth he hooked jumped in his boat unassisted and knew at that moment the stars had aligned.
“I’ve never had a fish jump in the boat like that. That moment right there was pretty special,” he said.
Even still, the Arkansas pro had to sweat out the final two events, as Fujita won at Lake Champlain while Cifuentes barely missed the Championship Sunday cut in 11th. Then at the St. Lawrence, Fujita again made the final day, but Cifuentes’ 17th-place finish was enough to lock down the trophy.
“There was so much pressure,” Cifuentes said. “I was thinking about it. This is a really good thing to go through because it would be similar to trying to win AOY. This last tournament, I was proud of myself for going out there and doing the job and did well enough to pull it out.”
As he waits for the 2024 Elite Series schedule to be released, Cifuentes will turn his attention to his very first Classic, which will be held only four hours from his house on Grand Lake. He has several tournaments under his belt on the historic fishery and will have plenty of time to pre-practice before the lake goes off-limits.
2023 Bassmaster Classic Champ, Jeff “Gussy” Gustafson, Lands New Title Sponsorship
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Northland Fishing Tackle and longtime ally Jeff “Gussy” Gustafson ink long-term deal. |
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BEMIDJI, Minn. (August 27, 2023) – When Northland Fishing Tackle founder John Peterson first fished against Jeff Gustafson at the Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship in the mid-2000’s, he had no idea they would become lifelong friends. Looking even farther ahead, Peterson never would have dreamed “Gussy” would also develop as a world-class angler and go on to win the 2023 Bassmaster Classic. Today, Peterson is proud to know that the relationship between Northland and Jeff “Gussy” Gustafson’s is growing faster and better than ever. |
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Seeking to bolster this relationship, Northland is proud to announce that starting with the 2024 season, the company will act as Gussy’s title sponsor in all B.A.S.S. events moving forward into the years ahead. Northland President/CEO, Gregg Wollner, relates: “We are very excited for this opportunity to grow our business and partner with Gussy as his presenting sponsor. This is more of a partnership between family members than it is a business arrangement. Jeff's relationship with Northland and our founder John Peterson goes back more than 20 years. We look forward to bringing great new products to the bass fishing market for years to come. Gussy and Northland are both at the top of their game right now, and we will do great things together." |
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Northland President/CEO Gregg Wollner, Jeff "Gussy" Gustafson, and Northland founder John Peterson. |
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Along the lines of offering more bass-centric bait designs vis-à-vis Gussy’s recommendations, Northland has already invited input from the influential bass angler that brought products to retailers and consumers in 2023, with more to come in 2024. For example, Gustafson’s input was utilized when Northland came to market earlier this year with the new Elite Series of jigheads featuring Gamakatsu hooks, as well as the popular Finesse Football Head, Nedster, Weedless Nedster, and Weedless Wacky Jig. For 2024, anglers will discover an all-new Marabou Jig and Bassmaster Elite-winning Smeltinator Jig. |
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Northland has produced the best walleye and panfish jigs for almost 50 years and now the company is aggressively expanding into the bass fishing market. Northland’s relationship with Gustafson cements the company’s commitment to creating the best bass jigs and lures as the company moves along this trajectory. In 2024, anglers will see a lot of media, video, and other great content coming out from Northland via native social media feeds as well as a relationship with media partner, B.A.S.S. and Bassmaster.com. 2023 Bassmaster Classic Champion, Jeff “Gussy” Gustafson, concludes: “I’m really, really excited about this relationship. As title sponsor, this allows me to work with Northland on an entirely new level, helping blaze a trail through bass fishing with new ideas in bait designs to meet today’s highly-technical tactics. We’ve already kicked around some groundbreaking bait design ideas. I can hardly wait to bring these to anglers everywhere. Of course, it helps that I’m working with a company whose baits I’ve been using since I was young. This is an extension of what was already a strong family relationship.” |
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Photo courtesy of B.A.S.S. |
Walters takes over Day 3 lead in Bassmaster Elite Series event at the St. Lawrence River
Patrick Walters of Summerville, S.C., is leading after Day 3 of the Minn Kota Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River with a three-day total of 80 pounds, 6 ounces.
Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
August 26, 2023
CLAYTON, N.Y. — Patrick Walters had a solid game plan, but calling a Day 1 audible ultimately allowed him to reach the three-day total of 80 pounds, 6 ounces that leads the Minn Kota Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River.
“I threw back a 5-2 and a 5-3 today,” said Walters, a Summerville, S.C., native vying for his fifth B.A.S.S. win. “When I culled those fish, I knew I’d have a great day and it was time to head to the hill.”
Walters started strong with a Day 1 limit of 24-14, then added 27-3 on Friday. Semifinal Saturday saw him catch 28-5 — his best bag so far and the event’s second-heaviest catch. He heads into Championship Sunday with a 1-1 advantage over Kyle Welcher.
Hailing from Opelika, Ala., Welcher locked up the Progressive Insurance Bassmaster Angler of the Year title Saturday. The award comes with a $100,000 first-place prize.
“I really can’t even believe it’s true just yet,” Welcher said in his trademark measured tone. “This is going to be my proudest moment in fishing for a long time.”
Days 2 and 3 saw Walters making an hour-long run into Lake Ontario, where he targeted unpressured fish over shoals on the Canadian side. When Day 1 brought strong southerly winds and 6- to 8-foot waves, Walters decided to forgo the rough ride and fish at the mouth of the St. Lawrence.
Doing so gave his spot a rest and when Walters fished there the next two days, he caught his fish quickly. That allowed him time to locate other spots, some of which contributed to his limits.
“I got lucky this week with the wind blowing the first day of the tournament,” Walters said. “I didn’t run to the lake and I caught 24-14, which is way bigger than I thought I’d catch. I was just trying to catch 20 pounds.
“That saved me from going to my fish in the lake. After I fished that spot, I found new areas there and culled up two big ones late in the afternoon. If I had gone there (on Day 1), I wouldn’t have been able to (expand).”
Walters said he had his Day 2 weight by 10:30 a.m. On Semifinal Saturday, he had 25 pounds by 11 a.m. and found two key upgrades in new areas.
Walters, who claimed his first Elite Series win in 2020 at Lake Fork in Texas, said he has made methodical laps around his key spots this week, catching all of his bass on a drop shot.
“I was using forward-facing sonar and trying to pick out key fish,” Walters said. “There are a lot of fish in the area and if you catch every single fish, that takes up a lot of time.
“It felt good to hunker down on them. Today was the biggest bag of smallmouth I’ve ever caught.”
Turning in daily limits of 25-10, 27-12 and 25-15, Welcher sits in second place with 79-5.
For three days, Welcher made a long run into Lake Ontario to fish the Prince Edward Point area. He knew Day 1 would deliver a beating. But coming into the event atop the AOY standings, he was determined to do all he could to close the deal.
“I had a slim lead coming into this tournament, so I came in thinking AOY still had to be won, and I wasn’t going to do anything to lay up,” Welcher said. “I was going to take the big risk.
“I would rather lose taking a big risk and trying to win, than play it safe and lose. I’d never get over it. I took that big risk and that’s definitely what saved my week.”
Welcher is fishing scattered rock in 20 to 25 feet and catching all of his bass on a drop shot with a 1/4- to 3/8-ounce weight.
Chris Johnston of Otonabee, Ontario, is in third with 78 pounds. Placing third on Day 1 with 28-3, Johnston added a second-round limit of 24-11 and moved up one spot. His third-round limit weighed 25-2.
After the second day’s weigh-ins, Johnston lamented the issue of dealing with more quantity than quality. Returning to the same area of Lake Ontario’s Canadian waters, he faced that scenario again on Semifinal Saturday.
“I caught a lot of fish and, normally when you’re catching a lot of fish in the areas I’m fishing, you get high 4- and 5-pounders, but I didn’t get the quality today,” said Johnston, who won the 2020 Elite event at the St. Lawrence. “I got two nice kickers today, but I had three 4 1/2-pounders. I’m not very happy weighing in 4 1/2-pounders on this fishery.”
Johnston is catching his fish on a drop shot with a SPRO CJ Smasher. Varying his weight and leader sizes has occasionally helped convince a stubborn fish.
Kenta Kimura of Osaka, Japan, won the $1,000 Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the Day award Saturday for his 7-0. That fish also now leads the race for Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the Week
Bryant Smith of Roseville, Calif., holds the lead for VMC Monster Bag of the Event with the 29-5 limit he caught Thursday.
While Welcher locked up the 2023 Angler of the Year title, the final standings will be determined Sunday. Brandon Cobb of Greenwood, S.C., currently sits in second with 728 points. Walters is in third with 717, followed by Drew Cook of Cairo, Ga., with 712 and Joey Cifuentes III of Clinton, Ark., with 698.
Cifuentes leads the Dakota Lithium Bassmaster Rookie of the Year standings with 698 points, followed by Japanese pro Kyoya Fujita with 696. Cifuentes wrapped up the event in 17th place; however, Fujita made the Top 10 and the ROY trophy will be awarded Sunday.
The Top 10 remaining pros will take off at 7 a.m. ET Sunday from the Antique Boat Museum. The weigh-in will be held at the museum at 3 p.m., with the winner earning $100,000 and an automatic berth in the 2024 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Toyota.
FS1 will broadcast live with the leaders beginning at 8 a.m. with continuing coverage on Bassmaster.com.
2023 Minn Kota Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River 8/24-8/27
St. Lawrence River, Clayton NY.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 3
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Patrick Walters Summerville, SC 15 80-06 104
Day 1: 5 24-14 Day 2: 5 27-03 Day 3: 5 28-05
2. Kyle Welcher Opelika, AL 15 79-05 103 $1,000.00
Day 1: 5 25-10 Day 2: 5 27-12 Day 3: 5 25-15
3. Chris Johnston Otonabee Ontario CANADA 15 78-00 102
Day 1: 5 28-03 Day 2: 5 24-11 Day 3: 5 25-02
4. Kyoya Fujita Minamitsuru, Yamanashi 15 76-09 101
Day 1: 5 24-10 Day 2: 5 26-15 Day 3: 5 25-00
5. Taku Ito Chiba JAPAN 15 75-02 100
Day 1: 5 24-14 Day 2: 5 27-07 Day 3: 5 22-13
6. Kenta Kimura Osaka JAPAN 15 74-09 99 $1,000.00
Day 1: 5 25-12 Day 2: 5 21-04 Day 3: 5 27-09
7. Cory Johnston Cavan CANADA 15 72-02 98
Day 1: 5 19-14 Day 2: 5 27-04 Day 3: 5 25-00
8. Justin Hamner Northport, AL 15 70-04 97
Day 1: 5 21-12 Day 2: 5 23-03 Day 3: 5 25-05
9. Matty Wong Honolulu, HI 15 69-02 96
Day 1: 5 25-10 Day 2: 5 20-09 Day 3: 5 22-15
10. Scott Martin Clewiston, FL 15 69-00 95
Day 1: 5 24-07 Day 2: 5 22-06 Day 3: 5 22-03
11. Luke Palmer Coalgate, OK 15 68-12 94 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 25-06 Day 2: 5 23-05 Day 3: 5 20-01
12. Matt Robertson Kuttawa, KY 15 68-08 93 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 22-09 Day 2: 5 23-13 Day 3: 5 22-02
13. Chris Zaldain Fort Worth, TX 15 68-04 92 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 22-04 Day 2: 5 24-13 Day 3: 5 21-03
14. Cody Huff Ava, MO 15 68-02 91 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 22-01 Day 2: 5 19-13 Day 3: 5 26-04
15. Drew Cook Cairo, GA 15 68-02 90 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 20-06 Day 2: 5 23-07 Day 3: 5 24-05
16. Tyler Rivet Raceland, LA 15 67-15 89 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 24-01 Day 2: 5 23-12 Day 3: 5 20-02
17. Joey Cifuentes III Clinton, AR 15 67-15 88 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 23-07 Day 2: 5 23-02 Day 3: 5 21-06
18. Cooper Gallant Bowmanville Ontario CAN 15 67-14 87 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 26-12 Day 2: 5 21-09 Day 3: 5 19-09
19. Austin Felix Eden Prairie, MN 15 67-03 86 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-06 Day 2: 5 23-03 Day 3: 5 25-10
20. Clent Davis Montevallo, AL 15 66-15 85 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 23-09 Day 2: 5 22-02 Day 3: 5 21-04
21. Gregory DiPalma Millville, NJ 15 66-10 84 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-11 Day 2: 5 24-13 Day 3: 5 20-02
22. Josh Douglas Isle, MN 15 66-09 83 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 22-11 Day 2: 5 18-07 Day 3: 5 25-07
23. Brandon Cobb Greenwood, SC 15 66-09 82 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 24-07 Day 2: 5 20-07 Day 3: 5 21-11
24. Jay Przekurat Stevens Point, WI 15 66-06 81 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 23-15 Day 2: 5 19-04 Day 3: 5 23-03
25. Pat Schlapper Eleva, WI 15 66-06 80 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 22-12 Day 2: 5 21-03 Day 3: 5 22-07
26. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 15 65-15 79 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 20-06 Day 2: 5 22-13 Day 3: 5 22-12
27. Bryant Smith Roseville, CA 15 65-14 78 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 29-05 Day 2: 5 19-04 Day 3: 5 17-05
28. Alex Redwine Blue Ash, OH 15 65-12 77 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 23-03 Day 2: 5 20-11 Day 3: 5 21-14
29. Bryan Schmitt Deale, MD 15 65-04 76 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-15 Day 2: 5 24-07 Day 3: 5 21-14
30. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 15 65-03 75 $11,000.00
Day 1: 5 25-04 Day 2: 5 20-07 Day 3: 5 19-08
31. Jacob Powroznik North Prince George, VA 15 65-03 74 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-14 Day 2: 5 22-15 Day 3: 5 23-06
32. Bryan New Saluda, SC 15 64-14 73 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-13 Day 2: 5 23-09 Day 3: 5 22-08
33. Ed Loughran III Richmond, VA 15 64-13 72 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-12 Day 2: 5 22-15 Day 3: 5 22-02
34. KJ Queen Conover, NC 15 64-06 71 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-00 Day 2: 5 23-08 Day 3: 5 19-14
35. Gerald Swindle Guntersville, AL 15 64-06 70 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-15 Day 2: 5 19-12 Day 3: 5 22-11
36. Cole Sands Calhoun, TN 15 63-09 69 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 22-10 Day 2: 5 21-02 Day 3: 5 19-13
37. Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 15 63-09 68 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 20-11 Day 2: 5 22-09 Day 3: 5 20-05
38. Brandon Card Salisbury, NC 15 63-08 67 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-10 Day 2: 5 23-10 Day 3: 5 22-04
39. Masayuki Matsushita Tokoname-Aichi JAPAN 15 63-03 66 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-14 Day 2: 5 24-04 Day 3: 5 21-01
40. Joseph Webster Hamilton, AL 15 63-03 65 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-02 Day 2: 5 19-12 Day 3: 5 22-05
41. Kyle Norsetter Cottage Grove, WI 15 62-13 64 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 22-08 Day 2: 5 19-13 Day 3: 5 20-08
42. Jacob Foutz Charleston, TN 15 62-11 63 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-03 Day 2: 5 23-10 Day 3: 5 17-14
43. Bob Downey Detroit Lakes, MN 15 62-08 62 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 22-09 Day 2: 5 19-07 Day 3: 5 20-08
44. Will Davis Jr Sylacauga, AL 15 62-06 61 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-03 Day 2: 5 21-01 Day 3: 5 20-02
45. Alex Wetherell Middletown, CT 15 61-08 60 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-06 Day 2: 5 22-09 Day 3: 5 20-09
46. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 15 61-05 59 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-02 Day 2: 5 24-03 Day 3: 5 19-00
47. John Cox DeBary, FL 14 61-01 58 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 23-10 Day 2: 5 24-04 Day 3: 4 13-03
48. Scott Canterbury Odenville, AL 15 60-15 57 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-14 Day 2: 5 20-12 Day 3: 5 18-05
49. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 15 60-13 56 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 23-11 Day 2: 5 25-03 Day 3: 5 11-15
50. David Gaston Sylacauga, AL 15 60-11 55 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 22-03 Day 2: 5 20-05 Day 3: 5 18-03
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PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1 Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 06-11 $1,000.00
2 Kyle Welcher Opelika, AL 06-08 $1,000.00
3 Kenta Kimura Osaka JAPAN 07-00 $1,000.00
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Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 101 509 2012-10
2 99 499 2100-08
3 49 249 1084-12
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249 1257 5197-14
Welcher saves the best for last, claims Bassmaster Angler of the Year title
Kyle Welcher of Opelika, Ala., has won the 2023 Progressive Insurance Bassmaster Angler of the Year title.
Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
August 26, 2023
CLAYTON, N.Y. — After a season of incredible consistency, Kyle Welcher saved his best for last.
Welcher is currently in second place with 79 pounds, 5 ounces at the Minn Kota Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River — and by guaranteeing himself at least a Top 10 finish, he locked up the Progressive Insurance Bassmaster Angler of the Year title.
A fourth-year Elite from Opelika, Ala., Welcher outlasted South Carolina pros Brandon Cobb and Patrick Walters to win the AOY title and the $100,000 prize that comes with it.
Official point totals will be determined after the Day 4 weigh-in.
“I don’t think it has really set in yet. I can’t believe it is true yet,” Welcher said. “It is my biggest accomplishment so far. I’m super proud of it and I feel like it will be a good kickstarter.”
The title comes after a disappointing 2022 season that saw Welcher finish 69th in AOY points, well outside of the cut for the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Toyota. While he didn’t necessarily change his approach, Welcher said he found ways to execute and find consistency.
“I always feel like I work as hard as I possibly can,” he said. “Last year was no different. I worked as hard as I felt was humanly possible, I just had bad results. I put in the same amount of work this year, I just had better results.”
While Louisiana’s Tyler Rivet started the season as the AOY leader, it was Welcher and Cobb who duked it out for the top spot most of the year. Entering the St. Lawrence River event, only six points separated the two anglers, and Welcher was able to maximize his area in Lake Ontario to take the title.
His performance at the St. Lawrence River wouldn’t have been possible without a daring run into Lake Ontario on Day 1 of the event. Heavy winds created giant waves across the Great Lake, but Welcher knew if he wanted to win the event or AOY, he needed to make the run.
It worked out as Welcher has caught over 25 pounds in the area each day so far.
“I had a slim lead coming into this and I really came into it thinking that AOY still had to be won,” Welcher said. “I wasn’t going to do anything to lay up. I was going to take the big risk. I would rather lose taking a big risk trying to win than to play it safe and lose. I would never get over it. I took a big risk and it was what saved my week.”
Once he reached the 20-pound mark on Saturday, Welcher knew he had sealed the deal.
Welcher is used to making big gambles. As highlighted in the past, he is a former professional poker player. He played cash games, which reward consistency over big wins. He used some of the same concepts he learned from poker to achieve this title.
“They are both games of incomplete information where you have to make educated guesses to do well. They are very similar as far as decision making,” Welcher said.
The now three-time Classic qualifier made every Day 3 cut during the 2023 season. His first three finishes of 13th, 15th and 18th at Okeechobee, Seminole and Murray, respectively, indicated he could keep himself in contention for AOY.
Okeechobee, in particular, fished to Welcher’s strengths and he was able to cover tons of water.
“After those three, I thought if I could keep it up I would have a shot at AOY,” he said. “That was the point where I knew I needed to keep working hard, go pre-practice and do my research.”
While he finished 41st at Santee Cooper, Welcher then notched a 25th at Lay Lake and then a seventh-place finish at the Sabine River.
In the past, the Northern swing has not been kind to Welcher, but this season was his best in smallmouth country.
“(Before the Northern swing) I was trying to figure out how I could be the most efficient with my electronics, baits, rods, reels, everything so that I could find the smallmouth as fast as possible and catch as many as possible,” Welcher said. “I put a lot of time and effort into figuring out the most efficient way to catch the most numbers of smallmouth I could out of an area in eight hours.”
Welcher finished Day 1 in 39th place at St. Clair, but Day 2 was his most trying of the season. As much of the field was catching 20-pound stringers, Welcher struggled most of the day but managed to land 18-14 on Day 2 to stay above the cut line.
“I had to keep making adjustments and moving spots,” he explained. “I ended up catching 19 pounds, but that wasn’t very good for that tournament. Getting through that day was very tough.”
With a 44th at St. Clair, he then finished 25th at Lake Champlain and is squarely in contention at to win at the St. Lawrence River with one day remaining.
Welcher will be vying for his first Elite Series trophy — and to win it, he will not only have to chase down Walters, the leader, but also fend off both Chris and Cory Johnston as well as Taku Ito and Kyoya Fujita, all noted smallmouth masters.
“I found a couple schools of really big fish. It is a long run to get to them, but they are better than average as far as quality goes,” Welcher said. “I am catching quite a few 5-pounders as opposed to 4-pounders. That makes a big difference in this tournament.”
Welcher and the rest of the Bassmaster Elite Series field will wrap up the season Sunday. FS1 will broadcast live with the leaders beginning at 8 a.m. ETand full coverage will be available on Bassmaster.com.
Welcher takes Day 2 lead in Bassmaster Elite Series event at St. Lawrence River
Kyle Welcher of Opelika, Ala., is leading after Day 2 of the Minn Kota Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River with a two-day total of 53 pounds, 6 ounces.
Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
August 25, 2023
CLAYTON, N.Y. — If you’re going to have a superlative moment, do it when there’s a lot on the line.
Following that sentiment, Kyle Welcher of Opelika, Ala., sacked up the biggest bag of smallmouth bass he’s ever caught and surged into the lead on Day 2 of the Minn Kota Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River with a total weight of 53 pounds, 6 ounces.
“Today was an absolutely phenomenal day,” said Welcher, who also leads the Progressive Insurance Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings. “That was, by far, the best day of smallmouth fishing I’ve ever had. Yesterday was my second-best day of smallmouth fishing.
“There’s still two days to go. It’s fun to catch them really well, but it’s like the saying, ‘What a difference a day makes.’ I’m just going to try to make good adjustments, stay on top of the fish and catch them.”
After tying Matty Wong of Honolulu, Hawaii, for fifth place on Day 1 with 25-10, Welcher added 27-12 — the second day’s biggest bag. He anchored his Day 2 bag with the day’s biggest bass — a 6-8.
Heading into Semifinal Saturday, Welcher holds an 8-ounce lead over Canadian superstar Chris Johnston, who won the 2020 Bassmaster Elite at the St.Lawrence River.
Along with the $100,000 first-place prize and the coveted blue trophy, the final event of the season will award a berth in the 2024 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Toyota scheduled for March 22-24 in Tulsa, Okla. Welcher said that positioning himself well for the AOY title and a Classic qualification follows his season goals.
“That’s been the plan all year, from the first tournament,” he said. “I’m going to do everything I can to make that plan come to fruition.”
Generally repeating his Day 1 strategy, Welcher swung hard and made a long run to Canadian waters. His bites started early, but amassing his big limit took most of the morning.
“I think the pressure from me sitting on them affected them,” Welcher said. “When I first got there this morning, I caught three or four really quickly, and then I kept going up and down the same stretch and could tell, by the hour, they were getting smarter.”
Welcher said his main area had two stretches of 100 and 120 yards, where he fished scattered rock in 20 to 25 feet. Welcher caught all of his bass on a drop shot. Strategic weight selection was essential to his success.
“I’m trying to throw the lightest weight that I can get away with because, from what I have found, a big smallmouth wants to come up and get a bait,” Welcher said. “They don’t like to get it off the bottom.
“Especially if there are two or three of them there, I feel like the biggest one likes to come up. So, I like to have (a weight) that sinks slower.
“I use a 1/4-ounce if I’m in over 20 feet and if I’m out past 25, I’ll throw a 3/8, just because it’s hard to hit them in the wind.”
The light to moderate winds of Day 2 dramatically contrasted the opening round’s blustery complexion. With strong Southeast winds roiling Lake Ontario, Welcher faced a rough, soaking ride through waves of 6-plus feet.
“It was a lot easier to navigate today, but I had some boat issues, so the ride today was actually scarier,” Welcher said. “I just had more time to fish the good areas today.”
Hailing from Otonabee, Ontario, Johnston is in second place with 52-14. After weighing 28-3 on Day 1, he added a second-round limit of 24-11.
“I’m looking forward to getting back out there,” Johnston said. “I know (no one) is going to feel bad for me, but it was a little tougher day today. I caught lots of fish, but they were all 3 to 4 pounds.
“It’s hard to complain about that, but tomorrow, I could go to those spots and there could be 5s and 6s. You never know about that. I’m usually cursed with one bad day on this place and hopefully, today was my bad day.”
Johnston fished some of the spots he worked on Day 1 and then ran new water. Targeting a mix of rockpiles and breaks in 12 to 25 feet, he caught most of his fish on a drop shot with a SPRO CJ Smasher.
Taku Ito of Chiba, Japan, is in third place with 52-5. After placing ninth on Day 1 with 24-14, Ito added 27-7 — Day 2’s second-heaviest catch (behind Welcher).
Ito, who won the 2021 Elite Series event at the St. Lawrence, said he focused on one spot in Lake Ontario. Taking advantage of the day’s relatively calm conditions, Ito made an hour-long run and found a congregation of heavyweights.
“I fished an area with many 5-pounders, 6-pounders,” Ito said. “Yesterday, I fished in 15 feet. Today, I fished in 25 feet.
“Yesterday, there was too much wind, so (not many) bites. Today, I got more bites. I’m a little bit worried about all this change.”
Ito said he caught his bass on a drop shot and a Neko rig. He enhanced his soft plastics with a Japanese scent formula.
Welcher won the $1,000 Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the Day award for his 6-8. Paul Mueller of Naugatuck, Conn., still leads the race for Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the Week with the 6-11 he caught on Day 1.
Bryant Smith of Roseville, Calif., holds the lead for VMC Monster Bag of the event with the 29-5 limit he caught Thursday.
Welcher leads the Progressive Insurance Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings with 756 points. Brandon Cobb of Greenwood, S.C., is in second with 728, followed by Patrick Walters of Summerville, S.C., with 714, Drew Cook of Cairo, Ga., with 699 and Joey Cifuentes III of Clinton, Ark., with 699.
Cifuentes leads the Dakota Lithium Bassmaster Rookie of the Year standings with 699 points, followed by Japanese pro Kyoya Fujita with 695.
Saturday’s takeoff is scheduled for 7 a.m. ET at the Antique Boat Museum. The weigh-in will be held at the museum at 3 p.m., with only the Top 10 anglers advancing to Championship Sunday for a chance at the $100,000 first-place prize and automatic Classic berth. FS1 will broadcast live with the leaders beginning at 8 a.m. with continuing coverage on Bassmaster.com.
2023 Minn Kota Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River 8/24-8/27
St. Lawrence River, Clayton NY.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 2
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Kyle Welcher Opelika, AL 10 53-06 104 $1,000.00
Day 1: 5 25-10 Day 2: 5 27-12
2. Chris Johnston Otonabee Ontario CANADA 10 52-14 103
Day 1: 5 28-03 Day 2: 5 24-11
3. Taku Ito Chiba JAPAN 10 52-05 102
Day 1: 5 24-14 Day 2: 5 27-07
4. Patrick Walters Summerville, SC 10 52-01 101
Day 1: 5 24-14 Day 2: 5 27-03
5. Kyoya Fujita Minamitsuru, Yamanashi 10 51-09 100
Day 1: 5 24-10 Day 2: 5 26-15
6. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 10 48-14 99
Day 1: 5 23-11 Day 2: 5 25-03
7. Luke Palmer Coalgate, OK 10 48-11 98
Day 1: 5 25-06 Day 2: 5 23-05
8. Bryant Smith Roseville, CA 10 48-09 97
Day 1: 5 29-05 Day 2: 5 19-04
9. Cooper Gallant Bowmanville Ontario CAN 10 48-05 96
Day 1: 5 26-12 Day 2: 5 21-09
10. John Cox DeBary, FL 10 47-14 95
Day 1: 5 23-10 Day 2: 5 24-04
11. Tyler Rivet Raceland, LA 10 47-13 94
Day 1: 5 24-01 Day 2: 5 23-12
12. Cory Johnston Cavan CANADA 10 47-02 93
Day 1: 5 19-14 Day 2: 5 27-04
13. Chris Zaldain Fort Worth, TX 10 47-01 92
Day 1: 5 22-04 Day 2: 5 24-13
14. Kenta Kimura Osaka JAPAN 10 47-00 91
Day 1: 5 25-12 Day 2: 5 21-04
15. Scott Martin Clewiston, FL 10 46-13 90
Day 1: 5 24-07 Day 2: 5 22-06
16. Joey Cifuentes III Clinton, AR 10 46-09 89
Day 1: 5 23-07 Day 2: 5 23-02
17. Gregory DiPalma Millville, NJ 10 46-08 88
Day 1: 5 21-11 Day 2: 5 24-13
18. Matt Robertson Kuttawa, KY 10 46-06 87
Day 1: 5 22-09 Day 2: 5 23-13
19. Matty Wong Honolulu, HI 10 46-03 86
Day 1: 5 25-10 Day 2: 5 20-09
20. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 10 45-11 85 $1,000.00
Day 1: 5 25-04 Day 2: 5 20-07
21. Clent Davis Montevallo, AL 10 45-11 84
Day 1: 5 23-09 Day 2: 5 22-02
22. Justin Hamner Northport, AL 10 44-15 83
Day 1: 5 21-12 Day 2: 5 23-03
23. Brandon Cobb Greenwood, SC 10 44-14 82
Day 1: 5 24-07 Day 2: 5 20-07
24. Jacob Foutz Charleston, TN 10 44-13 81
Day 1: 5 21-03 Day 2: 5 23-10
25. KJ Queen Conover, NC 10 44-08 80
Day 1: 5 21-00 Day 2: 5 23-08
26. Pat Schlapper Eleva, WI 10 43-15 79
Day 1: 5 22-12 Day 2: 5 21-03
27. Alex Redwine Blue Ash, OH 10 43-14 78
Day 1: 5 23-03 Day 2: 5 20-11
28. Drew Cook Cairo, GA 10 43-13 77
Day 1: 5 20-06 Day 2: 5 23-07
29. Cole Sands Calhoun, TN 10 43-12 76
Day 1: 5 22-10 Day 2: 5 21-02
30. Bryan Schmitt Deale, MD 10 43-06 75
Day 1: 5 18-15 Day 2: 5 24-07
31. Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 10 43-04 74
Day 1: 5 20-11 Day 2: 5 22-09
32. Jay Przekurat Stevens Point, WI 10 43-03 73
Day 1: 5 23-15 Day 2: 5 19-04
33. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 10 43-03 72
Day 1: 5 20-06 Day 2: 5 22-13
34. Ed Loughran III Richmond, VA 10 42-11 71
Day 1: 5 19-12 Day 2: 5 22-15
35. Scott Canterbury Odenville, AL 10 42-10 70
Day 1: 5 21-14 Day 2: 5 20-12
36. David Gaston Sylacauga, AL 10 42-08 69
Day 1: 5 22-03 Day 2: 5 20-05
37. Bryan New Saluda, SC 10 42-06 68
Day 1: 5 18-13 Day 2: 5 23-09
38. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 10 42-05 67
Day 1: 5 18-02 Day 2: 5 24-03
39. Kyle Norsetter Cottage Grove, WI 10 42-05 66
Day 1: 5 22-08 Day 2: 5 19-13
40. Will Davis Jr Sylacauga, AL 10 42-04 65
Day 1: 5 21-03 Day 2: 5 21-01
41. Masayuki Matsushita Tokoname-Aichi JAPAN 10 42-02 64
Day 1: 5 17-14 Day 2: 5 24-04
42. Bob Downey Detroit Lakes, MN 10 42-00 63
Day 1: 5 22-09 Day 2: 5 19-07
43. Cody Huff Ava, MO 10 41-14 62
Day 1: 5 22-01 Day 2: 5 19-13
44. Jacob Powroznik North Prince George, VA 10 41-13 61
Day 1: 5 18-14 Day 2: 5 22-15
45. Gerald Swindle Guntersville, AL 10 41-11 60
Day 1: 5 21-15 Day 2: 5 19-12
46. Austin Felix Eden Prairie, MN 10 41-09 59
Day 1: 5 18-06 Day 2: 5 23-03
47. Brandon Card Salisbury, NC 10 41-04 58
Day 1: 5 17-10 Day 2: 5 23-10
48. Josh Douglas Isle, MN 10 41-02 57 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 22-11 Day 2: 5 18-07
49. Alex Wetherell Middletown, CT 10 40-15 56 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-06 Day 2: 5 22-09
50. Joseph Webster Hamilton, AL 10 40-14 55 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-02 Day 2: 5 19-12
51. Jeff Gustafson Kenora, Ontario CANADA 10 40-11 54 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 19-08 Day 2: 5 21-03
52. Ray Hanselman Jr Del Rio, TX 10 40-09 53 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 20-15 Day 2: 5 19-10
53. Jonathan Kelley Old Forge, PA 10 40-04 52 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 17-00 Day 2: 5 23-04
54. Drew Benton Panama City, FL 10 40-03 51 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 18-05 Day 2: 5 21-14
55. Justin Atkins Florence, AL 10 39-14 50 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 17-10 Day 2: 5 22-04
56. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 10 39-12 49 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 20-05 Day 2: 5 19-07
57. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 10 39-11 48 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 19-00 Day 2: 5 20-11
58. Shane LeHew Catawba, NC 10 39-04 47 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 18-00 Day 2: 5 21-04
59. John Soukup Sapulpa, OK 10 39-04 46 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 18-04 Day 2: 5 21-00
60. Jake Whitaker Hendersonville, NC 10 39-03 45 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 18-00 Day 2: 5 21-03
61. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 10 38-15 44 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 21-05 Day 2: 5 17-10
62. Todd Auten Lake Wylie, SC 10 38-14 43 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 20-13 Day 2: 5 18-01
63. Frank Talley Temple, TX 10 38-14 42 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 19-01 Day 2: 5 19-13
64. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 10 38-14 41 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 19-09 Day 2: 5 19-05
65. Lee Livesay Longview, TX 10 38-09 40 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 15-00 Day 2: 5 23-09
66. Buddy Gross Chattanooga, TN 10 38-09 39 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 17-02 Day 2: 5 21-07
67. Wes Logan Springville, AL 10 38-08 38 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 20-07 Day 2: 5 18-01
68. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 10 38-08 37 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 20-00 Day 2: 5 18-08
69. Logan Latuso Gonzales, LA 10 38-03 36 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 19-15 Day 2: 5 18-04
70. Clark Wendlandt Leander, TX 10 38-02 35 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 20-04 Day 2: 5 17-14
71. Mike Huff London, KY 10 38-00 34 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 16-13 Day 2: 5 21-03
72. Matt Herren Ashville, AL 10 38-00 33 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 18-03 Day 2: 5 19-13
73. David Williams Newton, NC 10 37-10 32 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 19-15 Day 2: 5 17-11
74. David Fritts Lexington, NC 10 37-10 31
Day 1: 5 19-01 Day 2: 5 18-09
75. Hank Cherry Jr Lincolnton, NC 10 37-09 30
Day 1: 5 14-12 Day 2: 5 22-13
76. Chad Pipkens DeWitt, MI 10 37-07 29
Day 1: 5 18-12 Day 2: 5 18-11
77. Gary Clouse Winchester, TN 10 37-06 28
Day 1: 5 19-09 Day 2: 5 17-13
78. Matt Arey Shelby, NC 10 37-05 27
Day 1: 5 16-01 Day 2: 5 21-04
79. Michael Iaconelli Pittsgrove, NJ 10 37-02 26
Day 1: 5 17-04 Day 2: 5 19-14
80. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 10 37-02 25
Day 1: 5 19-01 Day 2: 5 18-01
81. Jason Christie Dry Creek, OK 10 36-15 24
Day 1: 5 14-14 Day 2: 5 22-01
82. Seth Feider New Market, MN 10 35-13 23
Day 1: 5 18-05 Day 2: 5 17-08
83. Marc Frazier Newnan, GA 10 35-09 22
Day 1: 5 14-11 Day 2: 5 20-14
84. Caleb Sumrall New Iberia, LA 10 35-09 21
Day 1: 5 16-15 Day 2: 5 18-10
85. Micah Frazier Newnan, GA 10 35-06 20
Day 1: 5 20-06 Day 2: 5 15-00
86. Jason Williamson Aiken, SC 10 34-10 19
Day 1: 5 15-06 Day 2: 5 19-04
87. Carl Jocumsen Queensland AUSTRALIA 10 34-06 18
Day 1: 5 18-08 Day 2: 5 15-14
88. Jamie Hartman Newport, NY 10 34-01 17
Day 1: 5 18-01 Day 2: 5 16-00
89. Hunter Shryock Ooltewah, TN 10 33-13 16
Day 1: 5 11-07 Day 2: 5 22-06
90. Derek Hudnall Zachary, LA 10 33-10 15
Day 1: 5 14-05 Day 2: 5 19-05
91. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 10 33-09 14
Day 1: 5 11-04 Day 2: 5 22-05
92. Brad Whatley Bivins, TX 10 33-08 13
Day 1: 5 16-07 Day 2: 5 17-01
93. Skylar Hamilton Jefferson, TN 10 33-06 12
Day 1: 5 11-06 Day 2: 5 22-00
94. Larry Nixon Bee Branch, AR 9 31-13 11
Day 1: 5 18-07 Day 2: 4 13-06
95. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 10 31-13 10
Day 1: 5 14-08 Day 2: 5 17-05
96. Caleb Kuphall Mukwonago, WI 10 30-11 9
Day 1: 5 16-05 Day 2: 5 14-06
97. Darold Gleason Many, LA 10 30-01 8
Day 1: 5 14-03 Day 2: 5 15-14
98. Bradley Hallman Edmond, OK 10 29-13 7
Day 1: 5 11-12 Day 2: 5 18-01
99. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 10 29-04 6
Day 1: 5 12-09 Day 2: 5 16-11
100. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 9 27-06 5
Day 1: 4 05-05 Day 2: 5 22-01
101. Koby Kreiger Alva, FL 5 18-13 4
Day 1: 5 18-13 Day 2: 0 00-00
102. Keith Poche Cecil, AL 5 16-05 3
Day 1: 5 16-05 Day 2: 0 00-00
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PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1 Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 06-11 $1,000.00
2 Kyle Welcher Opelika, AL 06-08 $1,000.00
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Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 101 509 2012-10
2 99 499 2100-08
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200 1008 4113-02
Bassmaster Classic 2023 Winning Bait Now Licensed, Branded, and Distributed by Northland Fishing Tackle
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Northland and Bass Tactics founder, Bryan Gustafson, agree on exclusive deal for streamlined manufacturing, sales, marketing, and distribution of Gussy’s 2023 Classic-winning bait. |
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BEMIDJI, Minn. (August 25, 2023) – The 2023 Bassmaster Classic wasn’t the first time that Jeff “Gussy” Gustafson had stacked big weights and solid limits of smallmouth bass on the Tennessee River out of Knoxville, Tennessee. Back in March of 2021, Gussy first put the “moping” technique to use, sinking Kenora, Ontario-designed Smeltinator Jigs to fill his ‘well for weigh-in at the 2021 Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite. Over two years ago, Gussy went wire-to-wire for all four days of the event, weighing 63 pounds, besting second place by an impressive seven pounds. Gussy trailered home to the far north with over $100,000 in his pocket. |
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Word of the “moping” technique traveled quickly through social wires, sending serious bassers on the hunt for Gussy’s favored jig head—Bass Tactics’ Smeltinator Jig. Two years later and Gussy did it again ‘moping’ suspended smallmouths with the Smeltinator Jigh on forward facing, proving the money method for a Bassmaster Classic title, the $300K payout and honors as the top bass stick on the planet. |
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The Smeltinator is hardly new to the fishing scene. The jig and the moping technique has been dominating the Canadian tournament scene for a decade. Gussy, Northland Fishing Tackle founder John Peterson, Canadian professional angler Jamie Bruce, and Bryan Gustafson of Bass Tactics have won many tournaments and cashed big checks at events like the Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship and the Kenora Bass Invitational using the Smeltinator Jig and the moping technique. The “Moping” technique involves fishing a fluke or minnow style plastic on the Smeltinator Jig and the Smeltinator Underspin Jig over the top of deep suspending smallmouth bass. The design of the jig allows the bait to hang perfectly horizontal like a real shiner, smelt or minnow. These suspending smallmouths are “feeding up” on these schools of baitfish. Hanging the Smeltinator above actively feeding fish has proven to provide big bites and big tournament weights. |
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Smeltinator Jig |
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As in-the-know bassheads around the world will tell you, getting your hands on Bass Tactics Smeltinator jigs hasn’t been easy, with the small, Kenora, Ontario-based tackle company barely keeping up to product demand. With a relationship that goes back 20 years, Gustafson’s sponsor Northland Fishing Tackle talked seriously with both Gussy and Bass Tactics founder, Bryan Gustafson (no relation), to join forces and push product development, production, marketing, and sales into a much bigger realm. Thus, Northland Fishing Tackle is proud to announce that the company has a licensing agreement with Bryan Gustafson and Bass Tactics to produce, distribute and sell the Smeltinator and Smeltinator Underspin Jigs under the Northland Fishing Tackle brand name. |
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Northland founder John Peterson, Jeff "Gussy" Gustafson, and Smeltinator creator Bryan Gustafson. |
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Northland Fishing Tackle Marketing Director, Mike Anselmo, notes: “I couldn’t be happier with the deal we worked out with Bryan Gustafson to take over the production, distribution and sales of the Smeltinator Jig. The molds, manufacturing, and overall design will remain exactly the same, but will now fall under the Northland Fishing Tackle banner. Bryan Gustafson has a winner on his hands with the Smeltinator. We will step in and make sure that the availability and supply will keep up with the growing demand. That said, in just a short time, anglers across the globe will have no issues getting their hands on these outstanding jigs.” |
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Major League Fishing Announces 2024 Tackle Warehouse Invitationals Schedule
BENTON, Ky. (Aug., 25, 2023) – Major League Fishing (MLF) announced today the 2024 Tackle Warehouse Invitationals schedule, which will feature six regular-season stops, and showcase 150 of the best anglers in the world competing for hundreds of thousands of dollars across some of the top bass fisheries in the United States.
MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitational anglers will compete over three days in a five-fish, weigh-in format. In addition to lucrative prize money, the winner of each of the six Invitationals will receive an invitation to compete in REDCREST 2025, Major League Fishing’s most prestigious tournament. The season-long Invitational Angler of the Year (AOY) will also earn a berth into REDCREST 2025, for a total of seven REDCREST qualification opportunities throughout the season.
“Our team has compiled a fantastic schedule for 2024 with a lineup of premier fisheries and intense competition,” said Kevin Hunt, MLF Senior Tournament Director. “Our carefully selected venues promise to deliver big limits, intense showdowns and unforgettable moments. We are excited to see who will rise to the challenge and etch their names in angling history.”
Top pros in Tackle Warehouse Invitational AOY standings at the end of the season will receive an invitation to compete in the 2025 Bass Pro Tour.
2024 MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitational Schedule:
Feb. 9-11 Stop 1 at Sam Rayburn Reservoir Brookeland, Texas
Hosted by the Jasper County Development District
March 1-3 Stop 2 at West Point Lake LaGrange, Ga.
Hosted by Visit LaGrange
April 19-21 Stop 3 at Kentucky Lake Calvert City, Ky.
Hosted by the Kentucky Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau
May 10-12 Stop 4 at Lake Eufaula Eufaula, Ala.
Hosted by the Eufaula Barbour County Chamber of Commerce
June 15-17 Stop 5 at Lake Champlain Plattsburgh, N.Y.
Hosted by the City of Plattsburgh & Adirondack Coast Visitors Bureau
July 26-28 Stop 6 at Detroit River Trenton, Mich.
Hosted by the Detroit Sports Commission
Full program rules and details for the 2024 MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitationals will be announced later this year.
For complete details and updated information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Tackle Warehouse Invitationals on the MLF5 social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
Smith’s record-setting weight leads Day 1 of the Bassmaster Elite Series event at the St. Lawrence River
Bryant Smith of Roseville, Calif., is leading after Day 1 of the Minn Kota Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River with 29 pounds, 5 ounces.
Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
August 24, 2023
CLAYTON, N.Y. — Momentum matters, and three days after notching the second Top 10 of his career, Bryant Smith kept his season rolling in a major way.
The rookie from Roseville, Calif., weighed in the heaviest single-day, all-smallmouth catch in Bassmaster history Thursday — a 29-pound, 5-ounce limit that leads Day 1 of the Minn Kota Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River.
“I have no words,” Smith said. “That was insane. That was probably the best day I’ll ever have smallmouth fishing, especially in a tournament. And to do it on the final event of the Elite Series; that’s unbelievable.
“I didn’t really have a goal weight this morning. I had a really good day on Wednesday (the final day of practice). My best five weighed (approximately) 32 pounds. I’m looking forward to going back out tomorrow.”
Smith said he had his limit by 9:30 a.m. and reached his final weight a couple hours later. Anchoring his bag with a 6-9, he holds a lead of 1-2 over Canadian standout Chris Johnston, who won the 2020 St. Lawrence Elite.
Fishing near the mouth of the St. Lawrence River, Smith targeted a spot he found in practice. He caught most of his bass on a drop shot with a Strike King 3X Baby Z-Too and a 1/2-ounce weight.
Smith said his spot was nothing special, except for the large group of hefty smallmouth it’s housing.
“It just has fish,” Smith said. “I fished a bunch of similar stuff and I could not get bit. I don’t know how many are left there, but I’m going to try and find out.”
Despite his record-setting performance, Smith lamented what he described as a random bite. With the day’s strong winds whipping local waters into 5- and 6-foot waves, boat control proved challenging.
“A 52-inch shaft on my Lowrance Ghost trolling motor was key to keeping that forward-facing sonar transducer and the whole trolling motor in the water,” Smith said. “I was trying to take my time, trying to be patient.
“I probably only got seven or eight bites. I know I’m around the right ones.”
While the St. Lawrence presents a different scenario from Lake Champlain, carrying forth the smallmouth focus fueled Smith’s fire.
“I’m just fishing with confidence,” he said. “I proved to myself (at the Champlain event) that I can compete against these guys with smallmouth. It gave me a big boost of confidence coming into this event.
“I’m not going to say I’m the best smallmouth fisherman in the world, but I got fortunate that I found a really, really good spot and we’ll see if holds out.”
Hailing from Otonabee, Ontario, Johnston is in second place with 28-3. Looking at the day’s forecast, Johnston set what he thought was a reasonable goal for such a blustery day. A quick start and then a key move allowed him to crush that goal.
“Going out today, I thought, ‘If I can just get 22 to 23 pounds, I can get through this windy day and then, hopefully, tomorrow I can run and gun and go for a big bag,’” he said. “Turns out, I got it today. So, hopefully, I can keep it going.”
Johnston said his day yielded a surprising opportunity he did not find during practice. Starting in Lake Ontario, he put together a solid limit and then headed into the river, where he found big fish on one of his spots.
“I’ve caught some there in the past, but I haven’t caught them there in a couple of years,” Johnston said. “I started pulling into some protected waters and I thought, ‘I’m just going to pull in here.’
“I had 26 pounds at the time and I was very happy, but I thought, ‘I’ve caught many 6s in this area; maybe I can get one here.’ I got a 6 and two 5s.”
Noting that he caught his smallmouth on a drop shot with a SPRO CJ Smasher, Johnston said he’ll work his big-fish spot into his Day 2 rotation.
“I located something pretty special today, but these things have tails and they know how to swim. I might have to relocate them tomorrow, but I’m going to have fun,” he said.
Cooper Gallant of Bowmanville, Ontario, is in third place with 26-12. With a 6-5 anchoring his catch, Gallant said his day turned out much better than he’d anticipated.
“I had the worst practice ever,” Gallant said. “I was kinda stressing a little bit last night, but I woke up this morning and felt good. I got out to the lake and got a few good bites.
“I’m looking forward to getting back out there tomorrow. It’s going to be a little (calmer). Today was pretty gnarly.”
Gallant caught his bass on a drop shot and what he described as a bottom-contact bait. Close attention to his forward-facing sonar was essential for picking out smallmouth hugging the bottom.
“It can be difficult, especially when you’re (Garmin) LiveScoping them,” Gallant said. “If they’re tight to the bottom, it can be very difficult. I was fortunate. A lot of the ones I caught today were 2 to 3 feet off the bottom, so I was able to see them — even if the waves were rocking and rolling.
“The second they’d get a few inches off the bottom and they were mixed in with rocks and boulders, they’re very hard to see.”
Paul Mueller of Naugatuck, Conn., won the $1,000 Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the day award for his 6-11.
Kyle Welcher of Opelika, Ala., leads the Progressive Insurance Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings with 752 points. Brandon Cobb of Greenwood, S.C., is in second with 739, followed by Patrick Walters of Summerville, S.C., with 709, Jay Przekurat of Stevens Point, Wis., with 706 and Joey Cifuentes III of Clinton, Ark., with 696.
Cifuentes leads the Dakota Lithium Bassmaster Rookie of the Year standings with 696, followed by Japan’s Kyoya Fujita with 689.
Friday’s takeoff is scheduled for 7 a.m. ET at the Antique Boat Museum. The weigh-in will be held at the museum at 3 p.m., with only the Top 50 anglers advancing to Semifinal Saturday. Bassmaster LIVE kicks off tournament coverage at 8 a.m. on Bassmaster.com, Tubi and the FOX Sports platforms.
2023 Minn Kota Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River 8/24-8/27
St. Lawrence River, Clayton NY.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 1
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Bryant Smith Roseville, CA 5 29-05 104
Day 1: 5 29-05
2. Chris Johnston Otonabee Ontario CANADA 5 28-03 103
Day 1: 5 28-03
3. Cooper Gallant Bowmanville Ontario CAN 5 26-12 102
Day 1: 5 26-12
4. Kenta Kimura Osaka JAPAN 5 25-12 101
Day 1: 5 25-12
5. Kyle Welcher Opelika, AL 5 25-10 100
Day 1: 5 25-10
5. Matty Wong Honolulu, HI 5 25-10 100
Day 1: 5 25-10
7. Luke Palmer Coalgate, OK 5 25-06 98
Day 1: 5 25-06
8. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 5 25-04 97 $1,000.00
Day 1: 5 25-04
9. Taku Ito Chiba, JAPAN 5 24-14 96
Day 1: 5 24-14
9. Patrick Walters Summerville, SC 5 24-14 96
Day 1: 5 24-14
11. Kyoya Fujita Minamitsuru, Yamanashi 5 24-10 94
Day 1: 5 24-10
12. Brandon Cobb Greenwood, SC 5 24-07 93
Day 1: 5 24-07
12. Scott Martin Clewiston, FL 5 24-07 93
Day 1: 5 24-07
14. Tyler Rivet Raceland, LA 5 24-01 91
Day 1: 5 24-01
15. Jay Przekurat Stevens Point, WI 5 23-15 90
Day 1: 5 23-15
16. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 5 23-11 89
Day 1: 5 23-11
17. John Cox DeBary, FL 5 23-10 88
Day 1: 5 23-10
18. Clent Davis Montevallo, AL 5 23-09 87
Day 1: 5 23-09
19. Joey Cifuentes III Clinton, AR 5 23-07 86
Day 1: 5 23-07
20. Alex Redwine Blue Ash, OH 5 23-03 85
Day 1: 5 23-03
21. Pat Schlapper Eleva, WI 5 22-12 84
Day 1: 5 22-12
22. Josh Douglas Isle, MN 5 22-11 83
Day 1: 5 22-11
23. Cole Sands Calhoun, TN 5 22-10 82
Day 1: 5 22-10
24. Matt Robertson Kuttawa, KY 5 22-09 81
Day 1: 5 22-09
25. Bob Downey Detroit Lakes, MN 5 22-09 80
Day 1: 5 22-09
26. Kyle Norsetter Cottage Grove, WI 5 22-08 79
Day 1: 5 22-08
27. Chris Zaldain Fort Worth, TX 5 22-04 78
Day 1: 5 22-04
28. David Gaston Sylacauga, AL 5 22-03 77
Day 1: 5 22-03
29. Cody Huff Ava, MO 5 22-01 76
Day 1: 5 22-01
30. Gerald Swindle Guntersville, AL 5 21-15 75
Day 1: 5 21-15
31. Scott Canterbury Odenville, AL 5 21-14 74
Day 1: 5 21-14
32. Justin Hamner Northport, AL 5 21-12 73
Day 1: 5 21-12
33. Gregory DiPalma Millville, NJ 5 21-11 72
Day 1: 5 21-11
34. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 5 21-05 71
Day 1: 5 21-05
35. Will Davis Jr Sylacauga, AL 5 21-03 70
Day 1: 5 21-03
35. Jacob Foutz Charleston, TN 5 21-03 70
Day 1: 5 21-03
37. Joseph Webster Hamilton, AL 5 21-02 68
Day 1: 5 21-02
38. KJ Queen Conover, NC 5 21-00 67
Day 1: 5 21-00
39. Ray Hanselman Jr Del Rio, TX 5 20-15 66
Day 1: 5 20-15
40. Todd Auten Lake Wylie, SC 5 20-13 65
Day 1: 5 20-13
41. Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 5 20-11 64
Day 1: 5 20-11
42. Wes Logan Springville, AL 5 20-07 63
Day 1: 5 20-07
43. Drew Cook Cairo, GA 5 20-06 62
Day 1: 5 20-06
43. Micah Frazier Newnan, GA 5 20-06 62
Day 1: 5 20-06
45. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 5 20-06 60
Day 1: 5 20-06
46. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 5 20-05 59
Day 1: 5 20-05
47. Clark Wendlandt Leander, TX 5 20-04 58
Day 1: 5 20-04
48. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 5 20-00 57
Day 1: 5 20-00
49. Logan Latuso Gonzales, LA 5 19-15 56
Day 1: 5 19-15
49. David Williams Newton, NC 5 19-15 56
Day 1: 5 19-15
51. Cory Johnston Cavan CANADA 5 19-14 54
Day 1: 5 19-14
52. Ed Loughran III Richmond, VA 5 19-12 53
Day 1: 5 19-12
53. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 5 19-09 52
Day 1: 5 19-09
54. Gary Clouse Winchester, TN 5 19-09 51
Day 1: 5 19-09
55. Jeff Gustafson Kenora, Ontario CANADA 5 19-08 50
Day 1: 5 19-08
56. David Fritts Lexington, NC 5 19-01 49
Day 1: 5 19-01
56. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 5 19-01 49
Day 1: 5 19-01
56. Frank Talley Temple, TX 5 19-01 49
Day 1: 5 19-01
59. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 5 19-00 46
Day 1: 5 19-00
60. Bryan Schmitt Deale, MD 5 18-15 45
Day 1: 5 18-15
61. Jacob Powroznik North Prince George, VA 5 18-14 44
Day 1: 5 18-14
62. Koby Kreiger Alva, FL 5 18-13 43
Day 1: 5 18-13
62. Bryan New Saluda, SC 5 18-13 43
Day 1: 5 18-13
64. Chad Pipkens DeWitt, MI 5 18-12 41
Day 1: 5 18-12
65. Carl Jocumsen Queensland AUSTRALIA 5 18-08 40
Day 1: 5 18-08
66. Larry Nixon Bee Branch, AR 5 18-07 39
Day 1: 5 18-07
67. Austin Felix Eden Prairie, MN 5 18-06 38
Day 1: 5 18-06
67. Alex Wetherell Middletown, CT 5 18-06 38
Day 1: 5 18-06
69. Drew Benton Panama City, FL 5 18-05 36
Day 1: 5 18-05
69. Seth Feider New Market, MN 5 18-05 36
Day 1: 5 18-05
71. John Soukup Sapulpa, OK 5 18-04 34
Day 1: 5 18-04
72. Matt Herren Ashville, AL 5 18-03 33
Day 1: 5 18-03
73. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 5 18-02 32
Day 1: 5 18-02
74. Jamie Hartman Newport, NY 5 18-01 31
Day 1: 5 18-01
75. Jake Whitaker Hendersonville, NC 5 18-00 30
Day 1: 5 18-00
76. Shane LeHew Catawba, NC 5 18-00 29
Day 1: 5 18-00
77. Masayuki Matsushita Tokoname-Aichi JAPAN 5 17-14 28
Day 1: 5 17-14
78. Justin Atkins Florence, AL 5 17-10 27
Day 1: 5 17-10
78. Brandon Card Salisbury, NC 5 17-10 27
Day 1: 5 17-10
80. Michael Iaconelli Pittsgrove, NJ 5 17-04 25
Day 1: 5 17-04
81. Buddy Gross Chattanooga, TN 5 17-02 24
Day 1: 5 17-02
82. Jonathan Kelley Old Forge, PA 5 17-00 23
Day 1: 5 17-00
83. Caleb Sumrall New Iberia, LA 5 16-15 22
Day 1: 5 16-15
84. Mike Huff London, KY 5 16-13 21
Day 1: 5 16-13
85. Brad Whatley Bivins, TX 5 16-07 20
Day 1: 5 16-07
86. Caleb Kuphall Mukwonago, WI 5 16-05 19
Day 1: 5 16-05
86. Keith Poche Cecil, AL 5 16-05 19
Day 1: 5 16-05
88. Matt Arey Shelby, NC 5 16-01 17
Day 1: 5 16-01
89. Jason Williamson Aiken, SC 5 15-06 16
Day 1: 5 15-06
90. Lee Livesay Longview, TX 5 15-00 15
Day 1: 5 15-00
91. Jason Christie Dry Creek, OK 5 14-14 14
Day 1: 5 14-14
92. Hank Cherry Jr Lincolnton, NC 5 14-12 13
Day 1: 5 14-12
93. Marc Frazier Newnan, GA 5 14-11 12
Day 1: 5 14-11
94. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 5 14-08 11
Day 1: 5 14-08
95. Derek Hudnall Zachary, LA 5 14-05 10
Day 1: 5 14-05
96. Darold Gleason Many, LA 5 14-03 9
Day 1: 5 14-03
97. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 5 12-09 8
Day 1: 5 12-09
98. Bradley Hallman Edmond, OK 5 11-12 7
Day 1: 5 11-12
99. Hunter Shryock Ooltewah, TN 5 11-07 6
Day 1: 5 11-07
100. Skylar Hamilton Jefferson, TN 5 11-06 5
Day 1: 5 11-06
101. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 5 11-04 4
Day 1: 5 11-04
102. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 4 05-05 3
Day 1: 4 05-05
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1 Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 06-11 $1,000.00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 101 509 2012-10
----------------------------------
101 509 2012-10
MLF Announces Dates & Locations for 2024 Bass Pro Tour
BENTON, Ky. (Aug. 24, 2023) – Major League Fishing (MLF) announced today the schedule for the sixth season of professional bass fishing’s most competitive circuit – the 2024 Bass Pro Shops Bass Pro Tour. The 2024 season will showcase the world’s top professional bass anglers competing across seven regular-season tournaments for millions of dollars, valuable points in the Bally Bet Angler of the Year race, and qualification into REDCREST 2025 and the General Tire Heavy Hitters all-star event.
“We are proud to roll out a schedule with seven new destinations that have never before hosted a Bass Pro Tour event,” said Kathy Fennel, MLF Executive Vice President & General Manager. “Our MLF tournaments create exciting and compelling content for our fans and sponsors. This schedule shines a light on some locations that haven’t hosted a major bass-fishing tournament in some time. The stage is set for a very exciting 2024 season.”
2024 MLF Bass Pro Tour Schedule:
Jan. 30- Feb. 4 Stage One at Toledo Bend Many, La.
Hosted by Toledo Bend Lake Country
Feb. 20-25 Stage Two at Santee Cooper Lakes Clarendon County, S.C.
Hosted by the Clarendon County Chamber of Commerce
March 14-17 REDCREST 2024 at Lay Lake Birmingham, Ala.
Hosted by the Greater Birmingham Convention & Visitors Bureau
April 9-14 Stage Three at Dale Hollow Lake Byrdstown, Tenn.
Hosted by the Byrdstown-Pickett County Chamber of Commerce
April 30- May 5 Stage Four at Lake Eufaula Eufaula, Okla.
Hosted by Vision Eufaula
May 18-23 General Tire Heavy Hitters at Kissimmee Chain Kissimmee, Fla.
Hosted by the Kissimmee Sports Commission
June 4-9 Stage Five at the Chowan River Edenton, N.C.
Hosted by the Town of Edenton, the Chowan County Tourism Development Authority and Harbor Towns Cruises
June 25-30 Stage Six at the James River Richmond, Va.
Hosted by Richmond Region Tourism
Aug. 6-11 Stage Seven at the St. Lawrence River Massena, N.Y.
Hosted by the Town of Massena
Each stage of the 2024 Bass Pro Tour features six days of competition using the catch, weigh, immediate-release format, broadcast live on MLFNOW! and streamed to the Major League Fishing app, MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app, and at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
MLF also announced today that to better align with the REDCREST Outdoor Sports Expo, the REDCREST 2024 competition will be a four-day event. The tournament is scheduled for March 14-17, on Lay Lake in Alabama. The free, family friendly REDCREST Outdoor Sports Expo will be held in Birmingham, March 15-17. In addition, the full 2024 Bass Pro Tour roster will be announced later this fall, and the 2024 MLF Bass Pro Tour, REDCREST and General Tire Heavy Hitters, will air on Discovery Channel beginning in July 2024.
For complete details and updated information on Major League Fishing and the Bass Pro Tour, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
AC Insider Extra - St. Lawrence River Elite Series
We've partnered up with Bass365 to bring in some AC Insider "Extras" for these last two Bassmaster Elite Series Events. Last week we had plenty of extras featured on our social platforms. If you want the deets on the Lake Champlain Smallmouth Smackdown, click HERE. As always, Greg Hackney's preview was a hit on TikTok so we asked for another How's Hack Gonna Attack This. We've started adding these pieces as YouTube Shorts, so if you haven't subscribed to our channel yet...DO IT! Stay tuned all week for more tidbits and give us a follow on: Facebook Instagram TikTok YouTube and sign up for our newsletter Here.
Lester’s grillin’ up a Classic qualification
Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships
Team Toyota’s Brandon Lester finds himself in an unfamiliar position as the last event of the 2023 Bassmaster Elite Series begins on the St. Lawrence River at Clayton, NY. He’s only missed one Bassmaster Classic in a consistently impressive 10 seasons on tour, but if the Classic started next week, he’d be the first angler outside the qualification line.
So, Wednesday night he turned to therapeutic grilling on the deck of a rental home overlooking Cedar Point State Park boat ramp to ease the stress, not far from where the St. Lawrence River meets massive Lake Ontario.
Locally grown sweet corn and an ample supply of chicken thighs dashed with Montreal chicken seasoning anchored the healthy offering.
“My wife Kim says grilling is my therapy, and Lord knows I need it right now,” grins the ever-pleasant Tennessee angler. “At home I’ve got two Traeger grills and a Weber. I use the Traegers to smoke BBQ, and the Weber offers that irreplaceable charcoal flavor when I do steaks and burgers,” he says.
However, if Lester’s going to qualify for the 2024 Bassmaster Classic in Tulsa, Oklahoma, his ability to get cooking on Lake Ontario is a bit of a pressure-cooker this week.
He landed a 5 pound 6 ounce beast in practice to get his confidence simmering, but he knows that anything short of 22-pounds on Day 1 may not get the job done on this world-class fishery where 20-pound daily limits of smallmouth are simply par for the course.
“I’ll focus on Lake Ontario versus the St. Lawrence River, simply because I can analyze key places on Ontario with more confidence. But I won’t lie, if the wind blows greater than 15 mph, those waves will make it really hard to use forward facing sonar because your transducer is bobbing like a cork,” he explains.
Plus, a recent Bassmaster Open and a Toyota Series event both restricted anglers to only fishing in the river, so the river fish have been pounded far more than Ontario’s beefy population.
The first lure he’ll throw will be a 3/8-ounce drop shot with hopes the winds will stay reasonable and that a 5-bass limit well north of 20-pounds will fill his livewells. In much the same manner a platter of perfectly cooked chicken thighs filled his belly on the eve of one of the most pressure-cooked derbies of his still young but savory career.
Powell primed to shine for B.A.S.S. Nation Western Regional
Grass-roots anglers representing nine states will compete in the 2023 TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Western Regional at Lake Powell Aug. 30-Sept. 1.
Photo by Grant Moxley/B.A.S.S.
August 23, 2023
PAGE, Ariz. — With water levels rising and bass beginning to school, anglers who will be competing at the 2023 TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Western Regional at Lake Powell Aug. 30-Sept. 1 are hitting the fishery at a great time, according to Utah B.A.S.S. Nation president Rick Culver.
“It is a great time of the year to be there,” Culver said. “To me, this is the most dynamic and diverse fishery in the West. It is like no place I have ever fished. The fishing has gotten better every year for the past four or five years even with the low water. It is still going to be hot, but it is a healthy fishery.”
Stretching nearly 186 miles through Utah and into Arizona, the Colorado River impoundment is the second-largest reservoir in the country and provides a scenic background for the final Nation Regional of the season.
The Western Regional will feature teams from Arizona, California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. Anglers will take off starting at 6:10 a.m. MT from the Stateline Boat Ramp and weigh-in will be back at the ramp beginning at 2:10 p.m. Full coverage will be available on Bassmaster.com.
The last Bassmaster event held on Lake Powell was in 2000, an Arizona Invitational that was won with 25 pounds, 8 ounces. Much has changed since then, leaving a lot of unknowns for anglers across the country.
With much-needed rain and snowfall along the path of the Colorado River over the winter, Lake Powell has risen over 50 feet already this year, and Culver anticipated that will only improve the bite. Anglers will be surrounded by high canyon walls as they run and fish.
“It is a desert lake with gin-clear water at that end of the lake,” Culver said. “We are still in a drought, but it has come up 53 feet this year. It is higher than it was at any point last year.”
Lake Powell features both smallmouth and largemouth, and both species will be roaming in schools and wolf packs looking to feed on shad. Anglers will be able to target some of these bass by finding schooling stripers.
“Guys are going to see some epic boils from the striper,” Culver said. “Everything should be schooling up, and there will be wolf packs of smallmouth starting to chase the baitfish. The striper will be busting gizzards. So, if you find the bait, you will find the striper and then the bass.”
The shad will move back toward the back of the canyon pockets, Culver said, and the bass will be located in the pockets on flats and secondary points. A lot of the bass early in the morning will be in 10 feet of water or less, and topwaters like buzzbaits and walking baits will be big players.
“They are going to be feeding and feeding hard, and as long as there is a little chop and the wind isn’t excessive, it will just be a matter of finding the right stuff,” he said. “The water is so clear, but the fish don’t care.”
With the water level rising, Culver anticipates that vegetation, tamarisk and sage brush that haven’t been in the water for years will come into play.
There is also plenty of deeper water, and a drop shot often comes into play on Lake Powell’s deeper points and humps.
There are plenty of opportunities to find bass close to takeoff, but depending on wind and boat traffic, anglers will have opportunities to make long runs up to Bullfrog Bay and up the San Juan arm as well.
The top-finishing boater and nonboater from each state will punch their ticket to the TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Championship at Lake Hartwellscheduled for Oct. 18-20. The winner will earn the title of Nation’s Best and receive an invitation to the 2024 Bassmaster Elite Series. The Top 3 finishers will head to Tulsa, Okla., for the 2024 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Toyota.
Bonus Bucks for new baby Esther
Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships
The truck cab of young bass fishing superstar Cody Huff’s Toyota Tundra looks a lot different on recent trips to Bassmaster Elite Series events. It’s now jam-packed with newborn baby essentials including diaper bags, quilts, infant nutrition formula, and a car seat for sweet baby Esther, born just three months ago.
In fact, about an hour before he challenged for the win on Lake Champlain, Esther and Cody’s wife Kira could be seen pacing the nearby boat ramp parking lot, logging lots of steps to ward off stress as daddy battled to within ounces of victory all day long, before eventually finishing third.
His high finish was good enough for a $30,000 paycheck from B.A.S.S. and a $3,000 bonus as a registered member in the Toyota Bonus Bucks program, as a result of his phenomenal prowess with forward facing sonar technology and a 3/8-ounce VMC Sleek Jig, tipped with a realistic soft plastic trailer.
Like the beefy Champlain smallmouth that jerked his fluorocarbon line all week, the 26-year-old Huff describes the Tundra he bought as a “pullin’ Jesse” with a transmission that never skips a beat, and improved fuel economy too.
All of which added up to $33,000 worth of baby formula, diapers, and perhaps the start of a 529 tax-advantage college savings plan for his daughter Esther.
To cash-in on Toyota Bonus Bucks like Cody, Kira and Esther, please visit https://www.toyotatrucksbonusbucks.com/.
