Seasonality to offer another shade of Harris Chain’s complexion for Bassmaster Elite Series event
LEESBURG, Fla. — A familiar face with a different mood; that’s a fair summary of the forthcoming Lowrance Bassmaster Elite at the Harris Chain of Lakes. And by “mood,” we make no suggestion for good or for ill; just different.
Competition days will be April 11-14 with daily takeoffs from Venetian Gardens (Ski Beach) at 7 a.m. ET and weigh-ins each day back at Ski Beach at 3 p.m.
The Elite Series last visited the Harris Chain Feb. 17-20, 2022. That event saw a mix of seasonal techniques, with Tennessee pro Buddy Gross capitalizing on a prespawn pattern to catch a four-day winning total of 77 pounds, 11 ounces.
This time around, Elite veteran Bernie Schultz believes heavy sacks are still possible, but competitors likely will have to work harder to find them. That’s simply a function of seasonality. While 2022 was a prespawn/spawn event, this year’s Elite will mostly likely revolve around different scenarios.
“I think fish will be largely postspawn and scattered,” said Schultz, who hails from Gainesville, Fla. “I think there will be a lot of bass guarding fry (recently hatched baby bass).
“Bigger postspawn females should have moved into thicker cover offshore. Where is anyone’s guess. It could be on brushpiles, mussel beds or deeper grass.”
Schultz expects many of the competitors to gravitate toward the deeper grass and the better shellbars. As he points out, several of the lakes hold brushpiles with “history” — an established local pattern. These sweet spots won’t be lonely, so boat draw often determines who gets first crack.
“I think (most) guys will be relegated to the bank, because I don’t think those offshore spots will be productive this close after the spawn,” Schultz said.
That being said, those fishing the bank for fry guarders will throw a mix of topwaters, wacky worms, swim jigs, lipless crankbaits and swimming worms. For the offshore options, Carolina rigs, drop shots, crankbaits, bladed jigs and jerkbaits will do most of the work.
Always the wild card for spring events, Florida-strain largemouth bass are known for their broader spawning season. Unlike northern largemouth in upper latitudes, where sharply defined seasonal weather places now-or-never constraints on the fish, Florida bass have been known to spawn throughout the year — more so in the state’s southern end, but also to some degree through the Florida’s central region.
Weather and water temperature set the stage, with full and, to a lesser degree, new moons triggering any shoreward movements. The most recent full moon was March 25, with a new moon falling two days before the tournament commences.
All things considered, if the weather and water temperatures hold stable, isolated bed fishing opportunities could be present. In all likelihood, though, that will not play a significant role in the winning game plan.
Covering approximately 75,000 total acres, the Harris Chain comprises Lake Harris, Little Lake Harris, Lake Griffin, Lake Eustis, Lake Dora, Lake Beauclair, Lake Carlton, Lake Yale and Lake Apopka. With Yale the only unconnected lake, each has its own characteristics and appeals and, while Schultz believes the entire chain may be in play, he suspects the event will ultimately see a couple of particular water bodies dominate.
Inter-lake travel always presents time management challenges, especially when running to Griffin or Apopka, both of which require locking. From the takeoff site on Harris’ northwest corner, running to Griffin requires northeast passage into Lake Eustis via the Dead River, then a northwestern run up Haynes Creek and passage through the Burrell Lock.
Reaching Lake Apopka starts with the same run to Eustis and then a southeastern ride through the Dora Canal into its namesake lake. From there, anglers run across Dora to a small canal on the east side, which links to Beauclair, from which the Apopka-Beauclair Canal connects to the chain’s southernmost lake — the 30,900-acre Apopka.
As Schultz notes, an abundance of shallow vegetation and a large number of quality- to trophy-size bass has traditionally made Apopka the distant gem that tempts hopeful anglers into making the approximately two-hour run. If the gamble pays off, fortunes are made quickly. But if the plan does not come together, it’s a long ride back to weigh-in.
With Apopka and Griffin, time management must also consider lock schedules. Both the Burrell Lock (Haynes Creek) and the Apopka-Beauclair lock are relatively small passages — 28 x 66 feet and 15 x 60 feet, respectively — so waiting on lock cycles often slows the journey, coming and going.
“I think Apopka will be the best option for those wanting to fish the bank (due to) high concentration of fish per acre and it gets less pressure,” Schultz said. “The problem is dealing with the lock. It only holds a few boats, it’s tedious, and it can be aggravating getting through that lock.
“The same thing could be the case for Griffin. That lake has a lot of offshore grass, but if a lot of people go, that could create a backup in the lock.”
Based on seasonality and recent tournament results, Schultz expects 14 to 15 pounds a day will earn a spot in the final round’s Top 10 field. Weights are likely to fluctuate considerably this time of year, but Schultz estimates an average of 18 a day will win.
Ultimately, he believes proximity may turn out to be a competitor’s greatest asset.
“I think the guy that can find them close, or relatively close, without having to lock and maximizing his fishing time might have the best strategy,” Schultz said. “I think the (winning) potential is there for all of the lakes, but it’s going to take something that’s overlooked.
“I doubt a guy is going to be able to win in a highly pressured area. He’ll have to have something, or a couple of patterns to himself where he can exercise those patterns without a lot of competition.”
Bassmaster LIVE will be streaming on Bassmaster.com all four days, and coverage will also be available on FS1 on Saturday and Sunday.
The event is being hosted by the Greater Orlando Sports Commission.
About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S., which encompasses the Bassmaster tournament leagues, events and media platforms, is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting-edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 500,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), TV show, radio show, social media programs and events. For more than 50 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.
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Connect with #Bassmaster on Facebook, Instagram, Twitte
Media Contact: Chad Gay, Communications Manager, 865-201-6458, cgay@bassmaster.
Chris Johnston Goes Wire to Wire to Claim the First Victory of the Touring Anglers Association
Photo Credit: Shane Durrance
Gainesville, GA (April 4, 2024) – After opening the event with back-to-back bags over 24 lbs., Bassmaster Pro Chris Johnston weighed his lightest limit of the event at 16.50 lbs., but his 65.38 lbs. total was more than enough to win the inaugural Touring Anglers Association event on Lake Lanier. Forty-seven anglers competed in what is billed as the “World’s Largest Jackpot Tournament,” and rightfully so. Johnston took home a first-place prize of $65,000 for the win and an additional $5,000 for the event’s largest bass, at 8.11 lbs.
Ironically, it took both hands to hold his cash stuffed envelopes, which so many weekend anglers strive to leave the lake with. When asked about the prize on stage, Johnston responded, “We get envelopes of cash back home in Canada, but they aren’t worth NEAR what these are! What a great event and a great time we’ve had here on Lake Lanier this week.”
David Williams brought in the only bag over 20 lbs. on the final day, with a five bass limit good for 22.64 lbs. He was also the only angler to see his weights increase each day of the three-day event. That impressive haul was enough to move him from 5th to 2nd, garnering him a $30,000 payday. According to Williams, “I had a phenomenal week, and absolutely loved the format of the event, everything went really well on and off the water.”
Rising star, Emil Wagner also made a solid run on the final day, improving his standing from 4th to 3rd, with a catch of 19.59 lbs., earning a check of $25,000. Wagner targeted spawning spotted bass exclusively, looking on shallow flat points, and giving credit to a shaky head and Berkley General for doing all the work. Wagner added, “This was a super fun event and I can’t wait for the next one!”
Cold and windy conditions did a number on the shallow bass and made it tough on many of the competitors that had faired so well with them on the first two days. Bassmaster Pro, Drew Cook managed a five bass limit of 16.76 lbs., sliding down from 2nd to 4th. Major League Fishing Pro, Jared Lintner also lost a little ground to the conditions, weighing his lightest bag at 16.25 lbs. and rounding out the Top Five, yet still earning a check for $15,000.
Finishers 6th through 12th were as follows:
- Corey Johnston 57.21 lbs. - $10,000
- Cazwell Anderson 56.39 lbs. - $10,000
- Jeff Gustafson 53.84 lbs. - $10,000
- Rob Jordan 52.86 lbs. - $10,000
- Joey Cifuentes 52.42 lbs. - $10,000
- William Fletcher 51.41 lbs. - $10,000
- Jimmy Millsaps 49.54 lbs. - $10,000
Full results can be found at: https://touringanglersassociation.com/leaderboard/
About TAA:
TAA is focused on a limited technology, high-stakes event, with low overhead and 100% payback, similar to the local “derbies” many fans of fishing are longing for. The entry fee is $5,000 and the competition is stout, with many Bassmaster and Major League Fishing touring pros, as well as local aces, going head-to-head for a big payday. More details can be found at: https://touringanglersassociation.com/
Autism Awareness Month Highlighted by Two Autistic Caretaker Giveaway Trips
Salem, Va. – April 4, 2024 – April is Autism Awareness Month! John Crews and the bass fishing world will take advantage of this opportunity by giving away two getaway trips of their choice to caretakers of autistic people donated by the Winners Travel Foundation. Autism Awareness Month represents an excellent opportunity to promote autism awareness, autism acceptance, and to draw attention to the tens of thousands that deal autism everyday. The giveaway trips are the highlight of the month along with autism puzzle decals on BASS Elite anglers boats and lots of auction items going to autism charities.
Pro bass angler, John Crews, explains, “We have had an amazing run of various Autism Awareness Month activities over the last 12 plus years but we have never done anything for caretakers. Partnering with the Winners Travel Foundation will allow us to highlight those caretakers and actually get to give away two dream vacations of their choice. We will also do
plenty of various fundraising for various charities too.”
To nominate a caretaker, which can be for another person or yourself, go to https://missilebaits.store/pages/autism-awareness-month-getaway-trips-presented-by-winners-travel and fill out the application. Nominations will be accepted until April 22 and the winners will be announced April 30 th . A panel of various people will choose the winners. The trips
will be for a caretaker plus a guest and will be up to the caretaker as to the destination within the continental United States.
Like in previous years, the BASS Elite anglers will have the opportunity to show their support for autism awareness by putting autism puzzle themed fish decals on their boats. Also, there will be numerous auction items on eBay later this month with all proceeds going to various autism charities. Lastly, anyone can get the autism puzzle themed fish decals with autism bracelets for $10 plus shipping at https://missilebaits.store/products/autism-awarness with all the proceeds going to Blue Ridge Autism and Achievement Center.
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Contact: John Crews
PO Box 1045
Salem, VA 24153
Phone: (855-466-5738)
MLF Bass Pro Tour PowerStop Brakes Stage Three Presented by Mercury Set for Dale Hollow Lake
BYRDSTOWN, Tenn. (April 3, 2024) – The Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Tour is set to visit Dale Hollow Lake in Byrdstown, Tennessee, next week, April 9-14, for the third event of the 2024 season – the PowerStop Brakes Stage Three at Dale Hollow Lake Presented by Mercury.
The six-day tournament, hosted by the Byrdstown-Pickett County Chamber of Commerce & Bill Dance Signature Lakes, will feature a field of 79 professional anglers, including two-time REDCREST Champion Dustin Connell of Clanton, Alabama (2021 & 2024) and Tennessee superstars like Ott DeFoe of Blaine, Tennessee, Jacob Wheeler of Harrison, Tennessee, and reigning Angler of the Year (AOY) Matt Becker of Ten Mile, Tennessee. They’ll be competing for a purse of $659,000, including a top payout of $100,000 and valuable Angler of the Year (AOY) points in hopes of qualifying for the General Tire Heavy Hitters all-star event and REDCREST 2025, the Bass Pro Tour championship.
“On behalf of the Byrdstown-Pickett County Chamber of Commerce, Pickett County Government and the Town of Byrdstown, we are very proud and excited to host the upcoming MLF Bass Pro Tour tournament April 9-14,” said Billy K. Robbins, Executive Director of Byrdstown-Pickett County Chamber of Commerce. “We hope it will be a very successful event for the anglers and a great introduction for all the people visiting to be able to experience our community first-hand.”
The tournament will feature the MLF catch, weigh, immediate-release format, in which anglers catch as much weight as they can each day, while also feeling the pressure and intensity of the SCORETRACKER® leaderboard. The tournament is being filmed for broadcast later this year on Discovery.
“We’re excited to welcome Major League Fishing’s Bass Pro Tour to legendary Dale Hollow Lake, Tennessee,” said Dennis Tumlin, Chief Customer Officer at Tennessee Department of Tourist Development. “The timing for this event is perfect to showcase what an amazing fishery we have, and we believe it will show why Dale Hollow was recently named one of Tennessee’s 14 Bill Dance Signature Lakes. If you’re looking for a legendary fishing trip, endorsed by Mr. Bill Dance himself, we hope that you too will make time to come experience Tennessee’s Dale Hollow Lake for yourself.”
Spring City, Tennessee pro Wesley Strader said he’s fished Dale Hollow Lake his entire life, and it’s one of the “hidden gems” in the state of Tennessee.
“Dale Hollow is noted for its world-class smallmouth fishing,” said Strader, “But about 15 years ago some really good largemouth started setting in as well, so we can expect to see a lot of mixed bags of smallmouth and largemouth in this event.
“It’s been one of the best lakes in Tennessee for the past several years, as far as catching a lot of bass, and heavy weights,” Strader continued. “The largemouth are what has impressed me the last few years. Guys have been catching over 20-pound-bags of largemouth in the spring and in the fall.”
Strader said he expects to see some bass trying to come up to spawn during the event, but figures there will be a lot still waiting and in transition.
“It’s kind of a question as to how this thing is going to be won,” said Strader. “I’m not sure if ‘scoping will come into play or not, but it should be a really good tournament.
“I expect to see a lot of topwater baits, swimbaits, trick worms, drop-shot rigs, and typical smallmouth baits, as well as shaky heads and jigs to target largemouth – just your typical springtime players.”
Strader said he feels the event can be won anywhere on the fishery.
“Some sections may turn on more quickly than others, but it can definitely be won anywhere on the lake,” Strader explained. “I’ve never fished all you can catch there, so it’s hard to say how many fish can actually be brought in per day.
“I know Becker won a BFL tournament there with over 22 pounds, and 50th place was 17 pounds in a five-bass-limit event, so the weights should be pretty heavy. I’m going to guess it will take a solid 50 pounds to make it through to the next round.”
Although the fishery has hosted numerous MLF bass tournaments over the years, this event will mark the first time that the MLF top circuit – the Bass Pro Tour – has visited Dale Hollow Lake.
“I’m really excited to see this format go to a lake like this,” said Strader. “With the slot limit for smallmouth, this is a unique event. Typically, smallmouth would be out of play due to the slot limit, but with this format, and the 2-pound minimum for scoreable bass, the smallmouth will definitely be in play.”
Anglers will launch at 7:30 a.m. CT each day from Sunset Marina and Resort, located at 2040 Sunset Dock Road in Monroe. Each day’s General Tire Takeout will be held at the park, beginning at 4 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend all launch and takeout events and also encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLFNOW!® live stream and SCORETRACKER® coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
On Saturday and Sunday, April 13-14, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. MLF welcomes fans of all ages to visit Sunset Marina and Resort for the MLF Watch Party. Fans can watch the pros live on the MLFNOW! big screen, enjoy free food, enter to win hourly giveaways and cheer on their favorite pros. The first 50 kids 14 and under will receive a free rod and reel from Pure Fishing each day. The final 10 Championship Round Bass Pro Tour anglers will be on hand at the trophy celebration on Championship Sunday to meet and greet fans, sign autographs and take selfies.
The PowerStop Brakes Stage Three at Dale Hollow Lake Presented by Mercury will feature anglers competing with a 2-pound minimum weight requirement for a bass to be deemed scorable. The MLF Fisheries Management Division determines minimum weights for each body of water that the Bass Pro Tour visits, based on the productivity, bass population and anticipated average size of fish in each fishery.
The Bass Pro Tour features a field of 79 of the top professional anglers in the world, competing across seven regular-season tournaments around the country, for millions of dollars and valuable points to qualify for the annual General Tire Heavy Hitters all-star event and the REDCREST 2025 championship.
The 40 Anglers in Group A compete in their two-day Qualifying Round on Tuesday and Thursday – the 39 anglers in Group B on Wednesday and Friday. After each two-day Qualifying Round is complete, the anglers that finish first through 10th from both groups advance to Saturday’s Knockout Round. In the Knockout Round, weights are zeroed, and the remaining 20 anglers compete to finish in the top 10 to advance to Sunday’s Championship Round. In the final-day Championship Round, weights are zeroed, and the highest one-day total wins the top prize of $100,000.
The MLFNOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action live on the final four days of competition from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CT. MLFNOW!® will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app.
Television coverage of the PowerStop Brakes Stage Three at Dale Hollow Lake Presented by Mercury Knockout Round will air as a two-hour episode starting at 7 a.m. ET, on Saturday, Oct. 5 on Discovery, with the Championship Round premiering on Oct. 6. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on Discovery, with re-airings on Outdoor Channel.
Proud sponsors of the 2024 MLF Bass Pro Tour include: Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, BUBBA, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, Garmin, General Tire, Humminbird, Lowrance, Mercury, MillerTech, Minn Kota, Mossy Oak Fishing, NITRO, Onyx, Plano, Power-Pole, Rapala, StarBrite, Suzuki, Toyota and U.S. Air Force.
For complete details and updated information on Major League Fishing and the Bass Pro Tour, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube.
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery Channel, Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 17 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.
Big kicker lifts Johnson to Day 1 lead at B.A.S.S. Nation Qualifier at Arkansas River
Muskogee, Okla. — Persevering an agonizingly slow start, Chris Johnson kept his head in the game until favorable conditions allowed him to sack up a five-bass limit of 19 pounds, 6 ounces to lead Day 1 of the Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Qualifier at the Arkansas River presented by Lowrance.
Hailing from Farmington, Ark., Johnson anchored his leading catch with a hulking largemouth that weighed 5-15. He heads into the second round with a lead of 1-5 over Jeff Clark of Van Buren, Ark.
“That big fish helped massively,” Johnson said. “That’s a total gift on this river.
“I only caught five fish today. I had three others that were in the 3-pound class and one that was right at 15 inches.”
Johnson said he caught his big fish at noon. Prior to that he had a few missed bites; a frustration he attributes to the shivering, windy morning. Improving weather and river hydrology got things moving in the right direction.
“I think a lot of it had to do with the river began to rise midday and the sunshine — that made it happen,” Johnson said. “It was cold this morning; about 45 degrees at takeoff. All the fish came from noon on.”
Noting that he was targeting prespawn bass, Johnson said he struggled with the day’s blustery conditions.
“I really fought the wind all day long,” Johnson said. “I had to fish really, really slowly. I think these fish are trying to move up to spawn and it was hard to hold my boat in position to fish for them.”
Johnson said he fished a few miles upriver from takeoff and fished something he described as unique in that region of the river. He basically targeted main-river structure — classic prespawn staging spots in 1 to 3 1/2 feet of water — but his specific zone comprised something with distinct appeal.
Johnson said the area where he caught his bass is something of an anomaly, so he opted to keep the details guarded.
Johnson said his big fish was his first catch. That bass, he said, brought a lightbulb moment.
“I got into a little area, and caught that big one and then three others pretty quickly,” he said. “It was just grinding all day, but once I got that bite, it clued me in on what I needed to be doing.
“I was catching them on a bait I like to use back home. The key was slow, methodical presentations.”
Johnson said his ideal Day 2 game plan would find him right back where he took the first-round lead. However, he realizes he may need to consider his options.
“I’m really concerned with pressure tomorrow,” Johnson said. “A lot of the anglers aren’t going to want to go to Kerr Reservoir tomorrow, especially if they didn’t do well there today.
“Unfortunately, this area of the river doesn’t have many spots like the one I’m fishing and it can’t handle much pressure. You can’t put three boats in there. That may be a major factor."
Clark is in second place with 18-1, and Hunter Litchfield of Macomb, Ill., is in third with 17-11.
Johnson is in the lead for Big Bass with his 5-15.
Kevin Turner of Sand Springs, Okla., leads the co-angler division with 11-12.
Mike Estrada of Belen, N.M., holds the Big Bass lead among co-anglers with a 4-14.
In the second qualifying event in the new B.A.S.S. Nation format, the Top 20 anglers will qualify for the 2024 Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Championship presented by Lowrance, scheduled for Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees in Grove, Okla., Nov. 6-8.
Thursday’s takeoff is scheduled for 7 a.m. CT at Three Forks Harbor. The weigh-in will be held at the harbor at 3 p.m.
The tournament is being hosted by Visit Muskogee.
2024 Bassmaster Nation Series Title Sponsor: Mercury
2024 Bassmaster Nation Series Presenting Sponsor: Lowrance
2024 Bassmaster Nation Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota
2024 Bassmaster Nation Series Premier Sponsors: Bass Pro Shops, Dakota Lithium, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Progressive Insurance, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha
2024 Bassmaster Nation Series Supporting Sponsors: AFTCO, Daiwa, Garmin, Lew's, Lowrance, Marathon, Triton Boats, VMC
2024 Bassmaster Nation Series Youth Sponsors: Seaguar, Shimano
About B.A.S.S.B.A.S.S., which encompasses the Bassmaster tournament leagues, events and media platforms, is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting-edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 500,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), TV show, radio show, social media programs and events. For more than 50 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.
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Connect with #Bassmaster on Facebook, Instagram, Twitte
Media Contact: Chad Gay, Communications Manager, 865-201-6458, cgay@bassmaster.
2024 Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Qualifier at Arkansas River presented by Lowrance 4/3-4/5 Arkansas River, Muskogee OK. (BOATER) Standings Day 1
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$ 1. Chris Johnson Farmington, AR 5 19-06 0 Day 1: 5 19-06 2. Jeff Clark Van Buren, AR 5 18-01 0 Day 1: 5 18-01 3. Hunter Litchfield Macomb, IL 5 17-11 0 Day 1: 5 17-11 4. Bradley Sullivan Shawnee, OK 5 16-12 0 Day 1: 5 16-12 5. Brett King Kinta, OK 5 16-10 0 Day 1: 5 16-10 6. Blake Capps Muskogee, OK 5 16-01 0 Day 1: 5 16-01 7. Brandon Morton San Tan Valley, AZ 5 16-00 0 Day 1: 5 16-00 8. Chad Schmidt Clearwater, KS 5 15-12 0 Day 1: 5 15-12 9. Jeremy Norris Ama, LA 5 14-05 0 Day 1: 5 14-05 9. Jesse Parks Goodyear, AZ 5 14-05 0 Day 1: 5 14-05 11. Scotty Pennington Crossett, AR 5 14-00 0 Day 1: 5 14-00 12. Dalton Ross Centerton, AR 5 13-13 0 Day 1: 5 13-13 13. Chris Jones Bokoshe, OK 5 13-11 0 Day 1: 5 13-11 13. Lane Kindle Stilwell, OK 5 13-11 0 Day 1: 5 13-11 15. John Clayman III Dover, TN 5 13-10 0 Day 1: 5 13-10 16. Greg Vance Delhi, IA 5 13-07 0 Day 1: 5 13-07 17. Mike Rhinehart Pottsville, AR 5 12-13 0 Day 1: 5 12-13 18. Nic Conger Fort Smith, AR 5 12-12 0 Day 1: 5 12-12 18. Jesse Jordan Stilwel, KS 5 12-12 0 Day 1: 5 12-12 20. Dale Hightower Mannford, OK 5 12-09 0 Day 1: 5 12-09 20. Chance Woodard Paris, TX 5 12-09 0 Day 1: 5 12-09 22. Ben Burk Norman, OK 5 12-02 0 Day 1: 5 12-02 22. Kazuki Kitajima Corinth, TX 5 12-02 0 Day 1: 5 12-02 24. Corey Stewart III Lees Summit, MO 5 11-14 0 Day 1: 5 11-14 25. Scott Dooley Ashland, MO 5 11-13 0 Day 1: 5 11-13 26. Tony Baldridge Oklahoma City, OK 5 11-10 0 Day 1: 5 11-10 27. Alex Torkleson Coweta, OK 5 11-06 0 Day 1: 5 11-06 28. Marc Caldwell Rifle, CO 5 11-00 0 Day 1: 5 11-00 29. Chad Poulsen Longview, TX 5 10-15 0 Day 1: 5 10-15 30. Randy Campbell Tijeras, NM 4 10-15 0 Day 1: 4 10-15 30. Cole Findley Forsyth, MO 4 10-15 0 Day 1: 4 10-15 32. Michael Louviere New Iberia, LA 4 10-12 0 Day 1: 4 10-12 33. Brent Breznik Borger, TX 4 10-07 0 Day 1: 4 10-07 34. Joseph Sanderson Channahon, IL 3 10-04 0 Day 1: 3 10-04 35. Steven Caldwell Whitesboro, TX 4 10-03 0 Day 1: 4 10-03 36. Hunter King North Platte, NE 5 10-01 0 Day 1: 5 10-01 37. Casey Welch Aurora, CO 4 10-00 0 Day 1: 4 10-00 38. Jake Capps Muskogee, OK 4 09-15 0 Day 1: 4 09-15 39. Jared Miller Norman, OK 3 09-15 0 Day 1: 3 09-15 40. Corey Smith Perry, OK 4 09-11 0 Day 1: 4 09-11 41. Tye Grissom Austin, TX 3 09-10 0 Day 1: 3 09-10 42. Adam Hollingsworth La Vergne, TN 5 09-05 0 Day 1: 5 09-05 43. Ryan Latch Lafayette, LA 4 09-01 0 Day 1: 4 09-01 44. Tony Halford Perkins, OK 5 09-00 0 Day 1: 5 09-00 45. Mike Hill Carlsbad, NM 4 09-00 0 Day 1: 4 09-00 46. Rodney Copeland Sallisaw, OK 3 08-15 0 Day 1: 3 08-15 47. Steve Wilson Union City, TN 4 08-14 0 Day 1: 4 08-14 48. Josh Cruse Pocahontas, AR 3 08-14 0 Day 1: 3 08-14 49. Steve Lund Cave Creek, AZ 5 08-13 0 Day 1: 5 08-13 50. Greg Yates Oak Point, TX 4 08-13 0 Day 1: 4 08-13 51. Robert Capps Muskogee, OK 2 08-13 0 Day 1: 2 08-13 52. Grayson Morrow San Angelo, TX 3 08-11 0 Day 1: 3 08-11 53. Brock Enmeier Bixby, OK 4 08-10 0 Day 1: 4 08-10 54. Connor Jacob Auburn, AL 3 08-09 0 Day 1: 3 08-09 55. Billy Elbert Reeds Spring, MO 3 08-07 0 Day 1: 3 08-07 56. Shawn Clark Afton, OK 4 08-02 0 Day 1: 4 08-02 57. Brian Hickey Pueblo, CO 3 08-01 0 Day 1: 3 08-01 58. Cole Tullis Peculior, MO 3 07-14 0 Day 1: 3 07-14 59. Christopher Dollard Mountain Home, AR 2 07-14 0 Day 1: 2 07-14 60. David Bishop Gilbert, AZ 3 07-13 0 Day 1: 3 07-13 60. Jeremy Fuentes Carlsbad, NM 3 07-13 0 Day 1: 3 07-13 62. Jon Harshbarger Kaufman, TX 4 07-10 0 Day 1: 4 07-10 63. Sam Mitchell Kiowa, OK 2 07-10 0 Day 1: 2 07-10 64. Matthew Adamson Farmington, NM 3 07-09 0 Day 1: 3 07-09 64. Brandon Soliz Robert Lee, TX 3 07-09 0 Day 1: 3 07-09 64. Shawn St Pierre Paulina, LA 3 07-09 0 Day 1: 3 07-09 64. Jason Westrip Crane, MO 3 07-09 0 Day 1: 3 07-09 68. Matthew Abeyta Albuquerque, NM 2 07-09 0 Day 1: 2 07-09 69. John Hammersmith Branson, MO 3 07-04 0 Day 1: 3 07-04 69. Drew Porto III Greenbrier, AR 3 07-04 0 Day 1: 3 07-04 71. Samuel Collins Surprise , AZ 3 07-00 0 Day 1: 3 07-00 71. Tim McSorley Underwood, IA 3 07-00 0 Day 1: 3 07-00 73. Jess Stewart Brock, NE 3 06-15 0 Day 1: 3 06-15 74. Richard Vizcarra Peoria, AZ 3 06-13 0 Day 1: 3 06-13 75. Justin Russell El Dorado, KS 3 06-12 0 Day 1: 3 06-12 76. Mike Harris Cowgill, MO 2 06-07 0 Day 1: 2 06-07 77. Gunner West Spiro, OK 3 06-06 0 Day 1: 3 06-06 78. Jamie Carson Greenwood, AR 2 06-06 0 Day 1: 2 06-06 79. Paul Morley Kaysville, UT 2 06-04 0 Day 1: 2 06-04 80. Marin Marinov Broomfield, CO 3 06-02 0 Day 1: 3 06-02 81. Shannon Green Lebanon, MO 3 06-00 0 Day 1: 3 06-00 82. Tommy Abel Inola, OK 2 05-15 0 Day 1: 2 05-15 82. Hal Pinho Jr Patterson, LA 2 05-15 0 Day 1: 2 05-15 84. Kris Lee Coweta, OK 2 05-14 0 Day 1: 2 05-14 85. Dustin Berry Dayton, TX 3 05-12 0 Day 1: 3 05-12 86. Trevor Rogge Canyon Lake, TX 2 05-12 0 Day 1: 2 05-12 87. Reese David Sand Springs, OK 3 05-11 0 Day 1: 3 05-11 88. Austin Abadie Saint Amant, LA 2 05-11 0 Day 1: 2 05-11 88. Ted Daniels St. Louis, MO 2 05-11 0 Day 1: 2 05-11 88. Daniel Vine Page, AZ 2 05-11 0 Day 1: 2 05-11 91. Jay Beffa Festus, MO 2 05-10 0 Day 1: 2 05-10 91. Eric Stong Apopka, FL 2 05-10 0 Day 1: 2 05-10 93. Nathan Cummings Peoria, AZ 2 05-09 0 Day 1: 2 05-09 93. Robert Degraffenreid Oklahoma Cty, OK 2 05-09 0 Day 1: 2 05-09 95. Kelley Hudson Graham, TX 3 05-08 0 Day 1: 3 05-08 96. Cory Leita Victoria, TX 2 05-08 0 Day 1: 2 05-08 97. Kris Bosley Amarillo, TX 3 05-07 0 Day 1: 3 05-07 98. Stephanie Hemphill - Pellerin Village Mills, TX 2 05-06 0 Day 1: 2 05-06 99. Rick Mason Phoenix, AZ 2 05-04 0 Day 1: 2 05-04 100. Luke Plunkett Pinson, AL 3 05-01 0 Day 1: 3 05-01 101. Boyd Gautreau Saint Amant, LA 2 05-01 0 Day 1: 2 05-01 102. Hunter Neuville New Iberia, LA 3 05-00 0 Day 1: 3 05-00 103. Ryan Heavener Tulsa, OK 2 04-12 0 Day 1: 2 04-12 104. Cameron Tull Norman, OK 2 04-11 0 Day 1: 2 04-11 105. Kyle Caldwell Marshfield, MO 2 04-11 0 Day 1: 2 04-11 106. David Henderson Great Bend, KS 2 04-10 0 Day 1: 2 04-10 107. George Carroll Guyton, GA 2 04-09 0 Day 1: 2 04-09 108. Troy Stinson Peyton, CO 2 04-08 0 Day 1: 2 04-08 109. Keith Harmoney Hays, KS 1 04-07 0 Day 1: 1 04-07 110. Brian Stangel Albuquerque, NM 2 04-06 0 Day 1: 2 04-06 111. Michael Furgerson Tulsa, OK 1 04-06 0 Day 1: 1 04-06 112. Chris Ogan Bixby, OK 2 04-05 0 Day 1: 2 04-05 113. Randy Fleeman Copperas Cove, TX 2 04-04 0 Day 1: 2 04-04 114. Dennis Carroll Ashland, NE 2 04-03 0 Day 1: 2 04-03 115. Kevin Late Maynard, AR 2 04-02 0 Day 1: 2 04-02 116. Bill Gaddis Afton, OK 1 04-02 0 Day 1: 1 04-02 117. Mick Fenn Grove, OK 2 04-00 0 Day 1: 2 04-00 118. Kevin Slate Eufaula, OK 1 03-15 0 Day 1: 1 03-15 119. Lance Goodfellow Wagoner, OK 2 03-13 0 Day 1: 2 03-13 119. Jacob Sepeda Paradise, TX 2 03-13 0 Day 1: 2 03-13 121. Adam Condito Alamogordo, NM 1 03-13 0 Day 1: 1 03-13 122. Bill Brown Grand Junction, CO 2 03-11 0 Day 1: 2 03-11 123. Ryan Webb El Dorado, AR 1 03-10 0 Day 1: 1 03-10 124. Cole Buser Pullman, WA 2 03-08 0 Day 1: 2 03-08 125. Jason Clark Bixby, OK 1 03-07 0 Day 1: 1 03-07 126. Zack Holwerda Wittmann, AZ 1 03-06 0 Day 1: 1 03-06 127. Mark Warren Kiowa, CO 1 03-02 0 Day 1: 1 03-02 128. Rickey York Cherokee Village, AR 1 03-01 0 Day 1: 1 03-01 129. Joe Conway Colorado Springs, CO 1 02-15 0 Day 1: 1 02-15 129. Bob Glasgow Omaha, NE 1 02-15 0 Day 1: 1 02-15 131. Jerry Pape Bella Vista, AR 1 02-12 0 Day 1: 1 02-12 132. Mark Vote Omaha, NE 1 02-11 0 Day 1: 1 02-11 133. Carey Goldberg Colorado Springs, CO 1 02-10 0 Day 1: 1 02-10 134. Dallas Cole Omaha, NE 1 02-06 0 Day 1: 1 02-06 135. Andrew Wren Wylie, TX 1 02-03 0 Day 1: 1 02-03 136. Jaron Cooper Sutherland, NE 1 02-02 0 Day 1: 1 02-02 136. Larry Krueger Colorado Springs, CO 1 02-02 0 Day 1: 1 02-02 138. Jacob Bruener Douglass, TX 1 02-01 0 Day 1: 1 02-01 139. Matt Dobson Edmond, OK 1 02-00 0 Day 1: 1 02-00 140. Mark Williams Carrolton, TX 1 02-00 0 Day 1: 1 02-00 141. Travis Ledford Tuttle, OK 1 01-15 0 Day 1: 1 01-15 141. Ronnie Provence Canehill, AR 1 01-15 0 Day 1: 1 01-15 141. Daniel Rodriquez New Braunfels, TX 1 01-15 0 Day 1: 1 01-15 144. Joseph Gamboa Elephant Butte, NM 1 01-13 0 Day 1: 1 01-13 144. Don Glick Zurich, KS 1 01-13 0 Day 1: 1 01-13 144. Brandon Pedigo Lawton, OK 1 01-13 0 Day 1: 1 01-13 144. Jay Spencer Lincoln, NE 1 01-13 0 Day 1: 1 01-13 148. Pam Horne Bella Vista, AR 1 01-12 0 Day 1: 1 01-12 148. Royce Scheetz Lubbock, TX 1 01-12 0 Day 1: 1 01-12 150. Jon Stewart Grove, OK 1 01-11 0 Day 1: 1 01-11 151. Jacob Altman Edgewood, TX 1 01-10 0 Day 1: 1 01-10 152. Joshua Bauer Great Bend, KS 1 01-09 0 Day 1: 1 01-09 153. Jason Switzer Sapulpa, OK 1 01-08 0 Day 1: 1 01-08 154. Dave Garrett Trinidad, CO 1 01-05 0 Day 1: 1 01-05 155. Brandon Ackerson Afton, OK 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 155. Keith Allen Okemah, OK 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 155. Nicholas Ault Gravois Mills, MO 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 155. Matthew Barnes Schertz, TX 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 155. Brock Bila Ozark, MO 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 155. Paul Browning Monahans, TX 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 155. Nickalas Butler Lawrence, KS 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 155. Glenn Connors Springfield, MO 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 155. Shelby Crites Jr Bearden, AR 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 155. Ronnie Duncan Hampton, AR 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 155. Richard Everest Hobbs, NM 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 155. Kevin Flurry Roland, OK 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 155. Ronald Giebel Penrose, CO 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 155. Will Hughes Nashville, TN 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 155. Mark Jenkins Ville Platte, LA 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 155. Gerald Kimzey Willcox, AZ 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 155. Jared Knuth Wahoo, NE 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 155. Mike Leibhart North Platte, NE 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 155. Jim Lopez Littleton, CO 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 155. Jeremy Loud New Castle, CO 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 155. John Madison Yukon, OK 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 155. Doug McClung Prairieville, LA 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 155. Tom McGovern Warsaw, MO 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 155. Brandon Moss Blanchard, OK 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 155. Gregory Oehring Lees Summit, MO 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 155. Sam Page Moab, UT 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 155. Dashon Peck The Colony, TX 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 155. Jared Pittman Avondale, AZ 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 155. Jeff Richards Colorado Spgs, CO 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 155. Tanner Richardson Wilson, TX 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 155. Connor Santos Fountain, CO 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 155. Curry Schaubhut Hester, LA 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 155. Dick Smith Oklahoma City, OK 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 155. Hunter Stanley Mustang, OK 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 155. Ron Strickland Pueblo West, CO 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 155. Chris Torkleson Sand Springs, OK 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 155. Dalton Warrington Tishimingo , OK 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 155. Bruce White La Ward, TX 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 155. Richard Wilson Lubbock, TX 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 155. Michael Wooten Cross Plains, TN 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 ------------------------------------------------------------ ----------- Totals Day #Limits #Fish Weight 1 33 433 1112-01 ------------------------------ ---- 33 433 1112-01
Consistency Keeps Chris Johnston in the Lead at the TAA Event on Lake Lanier
Photo Credit: Shane Durrance
Gainesville, GA (April 3, 2024) – Forty-seven top level anglers continued to battle it out on Lake Lanier for the newly formed Touring Anglers Association (TAA) inaugural tournament. Sight fishing dominated the event on Day 1, but Mother Nature made it tougher on most of the field on Day 2. Although overnight storms, and strong winds affected a good portion of the lake on Wednesday; Bassmaster Elite Series Pro, Chris Johnston, was able to widen his lead with 24.13 lbs.
According to Johnston, “It was another great day on Lanier, but today I was able to get a BIG fish to go with my others.” The big fish he referred to was actually the Big Bass of the tournament, at 8.11 lbs., netting him a $5,000 bonus for the largest bass caught by the full field of competitors. Johnston’s total is now 48.88 lbs., giving him over a six and half pound lead on fellow Elite Series Pro, Drew Cook of Georgia.
Cook was able to climb from 6th place, to second, with the day’s second heaviest bag at 21.59 lbs. and a total of 42.33 lbs. Drew, like many of his competitors spent the day shallow and using his eyes to his advantage. “I was able to cover a lot of water looking specifically for those big females and I was able to run into a few today. I’ve also found a few more for tomorrow, so I’m looking forward to getting back out there,” added Cook.
Major League Fishing Pro, Jared Lintner had a tougher Day 2, dropping a spot to third place, but still within ounces of Cook and well within reach of the top, with a total of 42 lbs. According to Lintner, “My fish moved in behind a lot of bushes and I had a blast cracking those big fish and dragging them out of all that cover!”
The Top 12 fish tomorrow and the list includes:
- Chris Johnston 48.88 lbs.
- Drew Cook 42.33 lbs.
- Jared Lintner 42.00 lbs.
- Emil Wagner 40.26 lbs.
- David Williams 39.15 lbs.
- Joey Cifuentes 39.13 lbs.
- Rob Jordan 38.84 lbs.
- Corey Johnston 38.34 lbs.
- Caswell Anderson 36.86 lbs.
- Jeff Gustafson 36.69 lbs.
- William Fletcher 35.87 lbs.
- Jimmy Millsaps 35.53 lbs.
Full results of Day 1 can be found at: https://touringanglersassociation.com/leaderboard/
Everyone fishing the Final Day is guaranteed at least $10,000 in prize money, but big catches can earn big bucks in the 100% payout format. The winning angler will take home $65,000. Full payouts can be found at: https://touringanglersassociation.com/
Anglers will take off at 7 am EST and they are due to check in at 3 pm EST, with the weigh-in and live stream to follow, courtesy of Bass365. They have also collaborated with key industry media partners to make sure fans can see the weigh-ins of this historic event. Fans can tune in by following any of the platforms below on Facebook.
Bass365: https://www.facebook.com/basseast1
AnglersChannel.com: https://www.facebook.com/anglerschannel
AdvancedAngler.com: https://www.facebook.com/AdvancedAngler
Fish North Georgia: https://www.facebook.com/groups/fishnorthgeorgia
About TAA:
TAA is focused on a limited technology, high-stakes event, with low overhead and 100% payback, similar to the local “derbies” many fans of fishing are longing for. The entry fee is $5,000 and the competition is stout, with many Bassmaster and Major League Fishing touring pros, as well as local aces, going head-to-head for a big payday. More details can be found at: https://touringanglersassociation.com/
Chris Johnston Leads the Inaugural Touring Anglers Association Event on Lake Lanier
(Photo Credit: Shane Durrance)
Gainesville, GA (April 2, 2024) – Forty-seven top level anglers convened on Lake Lanier for the newly formed Touring Anglers Association (TAA) inaugural tournament. After nothing more than a four hour “ride around” practice period, Chris Johnston, Bassmaster Elite Series Pro, came out on top with an impressive 5 fish limit weighing 24.75 lbs. Johnston wasn’t ready to give up all the details, but his impressive bag came shallow with key fish bites flipping some “light stuff” and throwing a swimbait. Right on Johnston’s heels is Major League Fishing Pro, Jared Lintner, with an equally impressive 24.73 lbs. Lintner found success early, stopping on the biggest bass he seen in practice and adding it to his limit right out of the gate. His 7.41 lbs. kicker anchored his bag and was good for the Daily Big Bass and positioned him right near the top of the leaderboard.
Sight fishing dominated Day 1, but storms are forecasted for the area Tuesday night, and Wednesday’s forecast isn’t exactly ideal for those who are “looking” for big fish. The Top 8 anglers all cracked the 20-pound mark, and the Top 12, after Day 2, will move on to the Final Round on Thursday. The Top 12 is currently rounded out by Allen Armour, who weighed a 5 bass limit for 19.00. With several fish in the 5-to-7-pound range weighed on Day 1, anglers have an opportunity to make up a lot of ground with a good Day 2. Full results of Day 1 can be found at: https://touringanglersassociation.com/leaderboard/
Anglers are expected to take off each morning at 7 am EST and they are due to check in at 3 pm EST, with the weigh-in and live stream to follow. Those who make the final day will have an observer, which can include an eliminated competitor, in the boat with them throughout Thursday’s final day.
Although there will be no live coverage from the water, Bass365, has collaborated with key industry media partners to make sure fans can see the weigh-ins of this historic event.
Bass365 has called on AnglersChannel.com, AdvancedAngler.com, as well as the Fish North Georgia Facebook Group to assist in broadcasting the live stream of the daily weigh-ins to over 180,000 possible viewers. Each Facebook page will be hosting the stream on all three days of competition. Collectively across all social platforms, this group has the ability to reach over a quarter of a million fans of fishing for this inaugural event.
Fans can tune in by following any, or all, of the platforms below on Facebook.
Bass365: https://www.facebook.com/basseast1
AnglersChannel.com: https://www.facebook.com/anglerschannel
AdvancedAngler.com: https://www.facebook.com/AdvancedAngler
Fish North Georgia: https://www.facebook.com/groups/fishnorthgeorgia
About TAA:
TAA is focused on a limited technology, high-stakes event, with low overhead and 100% payback, similar to the local “derbies” many fans of fishing are longing for. The entry fee is $5,000 and the competition is stout, with many Bassmaster and Major League Fishing touring pros, as well as local aces, going head-to-head for a six-figure payday. More details can be found at: https://touringanglersassociation.com/
Travel Tuesday - The Worst Thing You Can Do Before a Fishing Vacation
By Pete Robbins - Half Past First Cast
Bassmaster and Marathon extend partnership for 2024 season
April 2, 2024
Bassmaster and Marathon extend partnership for 2024 season
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — B.A.S.S. and Marathon, the retail brand of Ohio-based Marathon Petroleum Corporation (MPC), with more than 6,000 stations nationwide, have announced the extension of their relationship for the 2024 season, officials announced today. The brand will continue to serve as the title sponsor for Bassmaster Studios and as a supporting sponsor for the Bassmaster Tournament Trail.
“We couldn’t be more excited to extend our sponsorship with B.A.S.S., a partnership that continues to be a win-win for both brands,” said Amber Metzgar, Brand Marketing & Performance Manager at Marathon Petroleum. “We look forward to the upcoming tournament season, which brings together some of the world’s best anglers.”
As a supporting sponsor of the Bassmaster Tournament Trail, Marathon will be heavily featured during the award-winning Bassmaster LIVE show. The show, which is broadcast on FS1 and streamed on Bassmaster.com and the FOX Sports digital platforms, is hosted from the Marathon Bassmaster Studios. In 2023, avid fishing fans watched more than 166 million minutes of Bassmaster LIVE coverage and — after two 2024 Elite tournaments — viewership has already reached a record-breaking pace.
Additionally, Marathon will enjoy exposure in Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times magazines and across various social media platforms. Among the Marathon-sponsored content will be “Peak Performance” interviews, which will focus on the pros’ winning ways and aim to help anglers of all levels improve their own techniques.
“We are proud to continue to grow our partnership with Marathon,” said B.A.S.S. CEO Chase Anderson. “It’s a natural fit for both parties, and anglers and fans alike find confidence in the Marathon brand and retail outlets while on the road traveling to their favorite fishing destinations.”
About Marathon Petroleum Corporation
Marathon Petroleum Corporation (MPC) is a leading, integrated, downstream energy company headquartered in Findlay, Ohio. The company operates the nation’s largest refining system. MPC’s marketing system includes branded locations across the United States, including Marathon brand retail outlets. MPC also owns the general partner and majority limited partner interest in MPLX LP, a midstream company that owns and operates gathering, processing, and fractionation assets, as well as crude oil and light product transportation and logistics infrastructure. More information is available at marathonpetroleum.com.
About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S., which encompasses the Bassmaster tournament leagues, events and media platforms, is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 500,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), TV show, radio show, social media programs and events. For more than 50 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.
The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Bassmaster Elite Series, St. Croix Bassmaster Opens Series presented by SEVIIN, Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Qualifier Series presented by Lowrance, Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Strike King Bassmaster High School Series, Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Team Championship, Yamaha Rightwaters Bassmaster Kayak Series scored by TourneyX, Yamaha Bassmaster Redfish Cup Championship presented by Skeeter and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Jockey Outdoors.
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Connect with #Bassmaster on Facebook, Instagram, Twitte
Media Contact: Chad Gay, Communications Manager, 865-201-6458, cgay@bassmaster.com
Huff Fished Shallow for $7,500 Toyota Bonus
Cody Huff’s third place finish in the 2024 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Jockey Outdoors won him an additional $7,500 of Toyota Bonus Bucks for being the highest placing angler driving an eligible Toyota tow-vehicle. With the Classic being held on Grand Lake in northeastern Oklahoma, the rising Elite Series star was on many pundits’ list to do well.
Huff was born and raised in Ava, Missouri, just a couple of hours east of Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees and has a lot of experience fishing – and winning on - Ozark reservoirs like Table Rock and Bull Shoals. More than familiarity with fishing in this region of the country, Huff was an early adopter of forward-facing-sonar technology and is extremely adept with this style of fishing, which was expected to play a major role in the 2024 Classic outcome.
Instead of electronics and finesse tactics, Huff relied on a ½-ounce Missile Baits jig and a Rapala OG Tiny flat-sided crankbait in five feet of water or less en route to his best Classic finish to date. Showcasing the fact that this former college fishing standout can catch bass with the best of them regardless of fishing style or depth range.
“I guess I’m kinda known for catching them with FFS, but I grew up fishing down the bank with a jig and a crankbait,” Huff said with a smile. “I’m glad I was able to show that in a big event, well, the biggest event of our season. Believe it or not I had never fished Grand Lake before practicing for this tournament, but going down the shoreline fishing visible cover each day made it feel just like springtime back home.”
Brush piles around docks and super-shallow laydowns in the backs of creeks were a focal point for Huff and his one-two power fishing punch all three days of the event. Huff is an alumni of the Bassmaster College Series Classic bracket champion program, where he won rights to a leased Toyota Tundra and Nitro Z20 Bass Boat along with the opportunity to fish in the 2020 Bassmaster Classic as a college student.
After winning not one but two MLF Toyota Series titles that year, Huff went out and bought his very own Tundra before he “graduated” from the college champion program and turned his leased truck in. He said reciprocating the support Toyota gives to the fishing industry is one of the best decisions he’s ever made and hasn’t looked back since.
“The Bonus Bucks program is incredible, but I’ll be completely honest what made me buy my first Tundra in 2020 was simply the reliability,” Huff explained. “Whether it’s my 2020 or the 2022 Tundra I bought last year, I’ve never had a single mechanical issue. It’s just something I don’t have to worry about, which is a huge burden off my mind. “I mean even for the Classic, our family stayed in Tulsa, so I was driving 90 minutes each way, morning and night, all week long. I never once stressed about my tow vehicle. I just jumped in the truck, put on cruise control, and tried to get my mind right to win a tournament. This truck tows my boat like it’s not there and wins me bonus money to boot.”
What’s even better is you don’t have to compete in the Classic or win “Happy Gilmore” checks like Cody Huff to reap the rewards of Toyota’s popular fishing contingency program. Bonus Bucks pays out on hundreds of bass tournament to anglers of all levels, you just must tow your boat with a 2020 or newer Toyota tow vehicle.
For more information, a full list of events, or to register today follow this link: https://www.toyotatrucksbonusbucks.com/.
Skeet Reese Opens Reese Fishing
Bass Fishing Hall of Fame Inductee Launches Rod Line and Retail Website
AUBURN, Calif. – April 2, 2024 –– The name Skeet Reese has long been synonymous with trendsetting and excellence. Since beginning his career in the Pro-Am tournaments of the Western United States decades ago, and into the national scene in the late 1990’s, Reese has been an angler who prided himself on excellence on an off the water. The Northern California pro has earned himself a reputation as one of the most recognized anglers in the sport, as a tireless worker, a marketing and promotions leader and a skilled Champion who excels as an angler and businessman.
With a competitive career that includes 11 Tour Level victories, 82 top 10 finishes, a Bassmaster Angler of the Year crown in 2007 and a Bassmaster Classic title in 2009, Reese has pocketed more than $3.8 million in career earnings. As impressive as his competition record is, his contributions to the fishing business rival that. Known for being instrumental in the growth of his partners, Reese is focusing his business acumen on building a new company, Reese Fishing, which will bring products that will provide self-designed products to fishing consumers.
Beginning with new lines of fishing rods, Reese announces a new website http://reesefishing.com, and the launch of two new fishing rod lines that are a culmination of his experience and commitment to excellence. “I’ve been fortunate to work with some great companies and to be a part of some great products in the past,” said Reese. “But with Reese Fishing, I have an opportunity to do things exactly the way I want and produce products that meet the standards I expect.”
Reese Fishing rods will initially consist of two series, NEXT 1 and NEXT 2, with the NEXT 1 series being the first to be available in the store. NEXT 1 is based off of the Skeet Reese Rods of the past but engineered to a higher degree. “This series is based on the top sellers from my previous projects, but we have taken steps to make sure they are better in every way,” said. Reese. “Every component of the NEXT 1 series has been carefully selected for feel and performance, and if we couldn’t find what I wanted, I worked to design and build them myself.”
NEXT 1 is available in eight models that will give anglers a rod for each core technique they may encounter on the water, and many of the specialized techniques as well. NEXT 1 will be available in the now famous Reese Yellow blank finish, and for those who said they would prefer something less visible. “Each NEXT 1 model has its own name and personality based on the techniques they are designed for,” said Reese. “We wanted to carry on the tradition of the yellow blank that so many customers loved, but others told us they would prefer them to be black, so each model is available in two colors to give everyone a choice.”
Soon to be released on the website will be NEXT 2, a series which Reese called the most advanced fishing rods he has experienced to date in his career. “NEXT 2 is my masterpiece to this point. I’ve designed exclusive reel seats and engineered our exclusive carbon fiber handles to integrate with them,” he said. “I’ve worked to combine the latest in technology and the best graphite and resins we could get to build this series. I’m confident that when you fish NEXT 2, you’re going to LOVE them.”
Reese said that he has poured nearly two years into the company and its products; his intent is to offer the end user extreme performance at a great value. “This journey has taken a lot longer than I anticipated because I wanted every little detail of these series to be perfect,” he said. “My challenge was to make sure that we came out with the best product possible, and I think that goal has been met. Our NEXT 1 and NEXT 2 series are so different but so amazing in their ways, and I can’t wait to hear what anglers have to say after they fish them.”
NEXT 1 rods retail for $139 and are currently available at https://reesefishing.com/product-category/fishing-rods/next-1/ NEXT 2 will feature a full lineup of technique specific models and will be available soon. Reese Fishing rods will be backed by Reese Fishing’s warranties, for details, visit https://reesefishing.com/warranty-information/
NEXT 1 is currently available with an introductory offer of buy two get 10-percent off and 15-percent off when you purchase three or more.
In addition to the Reese Fishing rod brands, Reese Fishing will also be offering Kastking Skeet Reese Icon reels, hardbaits from Lucky Craft and soft plastic baits by Berkley. Keep checking the website for updates and inventory announcements.
About Reese Fishing
A product of more than 40 years of competitive and fishing industry excellence, Reese Fishing is the brainchild of Bass Fishing Hall of Fame inductee Skeet Reese. The Auburn, Calif. pro, being one of the most successful anglers in the fishing industry with over 40 years of experience, knows what real anglers want and need to be successful on the water. built alongside his wife and daughters, the goal is to instill our passion for the outdoors. The goal of Reese Fishing products is to help customers be inspired to explore what the outdoors has to offer; Reese Fishing strives for the best overall performance on the water.
Find Reese Fishing online at http://reesefishing.com, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ReeseFishing and Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/reesefishing3/. Or by contacting them at info@reesefishing.com.
Multiple Media Outlets Partner with Bass365 to Cover the Inaugural Touring Anglers Association Event
Gainesville, GA (April 1, 2024) – The newly formed Touring Anglers Association (TAA) is hosting their inaugural tournament this week on the storied Lake Lanier. TAA is focused on a limited technology, high-stakes event, with low overhead and 100% payback, similar to the local “derbies” many fans of fishing are longing for. The entry fee is $5,000 and the competition will be stout, with many Bassmaster and Major League Fishing touring pros, going head-to-head for a six-figure payday. More details can be found at: https://touringanglersassociation.com/
The event kicks off with a boat and equipment check, that includes no pre-loaded or stored waypoints, no forward-facing sonar, and no 360-degree sonar. Anglers will get a four-hour ride around Lake Lanier on Monday, April 1 from 1 to 5 pm. During that time, anglers may create their own waypoints, but they cannot do ANY fishing during this “practice” period.
Competitors will hit the water Tuesday morning, fishing with limited knowledge and the goal of seeing who can quickly unlock the secrets to Lake Lanier, based on an instinctual approach that many fans are longing to see return. The full field will fish both days, with a cut to the Top 12 on the final day. Those who make the final day will have an observer, which can include an eliminated competitor, in the boat with them throughout the final day.
Despite TAA not having their own onsite media coverage, Ricky Bodsford of Bass365, has collaborated with key industry media partners to make sure fans can see this historic event.
According to Bodsford, “At Bass365 we pride ourselves at making nearly every blast off and weigh-in in professional bass fishing every year. I personally wanted to be on hand to potentially see history in the making, and with a few key industry partnerships, we can stream the weigh-in and reach hundreds of thousands of bass fishing fans.”
Bass365 has called on AnglersChannel.com, AdvancedAngler.com, and well as the Fish North Georgia Facebook Group to assist in broadcasting the live stream of the daily weigh-ins to over 180,000 possible viewers. Each Facebook page will be hosting the stream on all three days of competition. Collectively across all social platforms, this group has the ability to reach over a quarter of a million fans of fishing for this inaugural event.
Bass365: https://www.facebook.com/basseast1
AnglersChannel.com: https://www.facebook.com/anglerschannel
AdvancedAngler.com: https://www.facebook.com/anglerschannel
Fish North Georgia: https://www.facebook.com/groups/fishnorthgeorgia
Fans can tune in by following any, or all, of the above platforms on Facebook. They should expect to see some of the biggest names in bass fishing competing in a way that the weekend anglers can identify with. Anglers are expected to take off each morning and 7 am EST and they are due to check in at 3 pm EST, with the weigh-in and live stream to follow.
Major League Fishing suspends James Watson
BENTON, Ky. – Major League Fishing announced Friday that Bass Pro Tour angler James Watson has been suspended for multiple violations of the standards outlined in the 2024 Major League Fishing Angler and League Participation Agreement and the 2024 Professional Bass Tour Talent and Promotion Agreement.
Watson’s invitation to compete on the Bass Pro Tour has been revoked and he is prohibited from fishing any Major League Fishing-sanctioned tournaments while serving his suspension. Watson’s suspension began on March 29, 2024, and will continue through Dec. 31, 2025. Watson may reapply to compete in MLF tournaments beginning with the 2026 season.
The vacancy created by Watson’s suspension from the Bass Pro Tour will not be filled. The 2024 season will continue with 79 anglers. There are no changes to the 2024 Bass Pro Tour payouts or structure.
Fishin' Tip Friday with Luke Palmer - The Wind is Your Friend
High winds can hamper your efforts to sightfish for shallow spawning bass and can even cause difficulty for those using forward-facing sonar to locate fish offshore. But winds will blow
and you need to know how to adjust, even how to take advantage, when they do.
Bassmaster Elite Series Pro Luke Palmer hails from Oklahoma where the winds howl more often than not. Following a solid performance in the recent Bassmaster Classic which saw changing conditions including some windy weather, Palmer offered this advice:
“Wind can be your friend. When it gets slick calm, it makes it really tough, so I’m gonna go ahead and try to find some wind, whether it be just a little bit of ripple or something that’s blowing really hard, I’m gonna really go and look for points. Points are a bigtime thing. That wind is pushing up there. It’s pushing shad. It’s pushing bait. It’s turning that water up. That
allows those fish to feel more secure up there. When there’s wind, they’re up there feeding. When it’s calm, they’re up there probably just hanging out, not wanting to bite. I’m gonna go find those windy points, secondary points, something that’s got wind on it. That way I can pick up a spinnerbait, a crankbait, something moving so I can cover water. If they’re active, they’re going to bite those moving baits a lot better in that wind.”
Arkansas River poised to shine during B.A.S.S. Nation Qualifier
March 28, 2024
Arkansas River poised to shine during B.A.S.S. Nation Qualifier
MUSKOGEE, Okla. — The Arkansas River has been a familiar and fantastic destination for B.A.S.S., but Chris Jones, a former qualifier for the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Jockey Outdoors, believes the river is destined to shine even brighter during the 2024 Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Qualifier at Arkansas River presented by Lowrance.
“This past year, the fishing was about as good as it’s ever been, and that just set up a phenomenal spring,” the Bokoshe, Okla., native said.
Tournament days are scheduled for April 3-5. Competitors will take off from Three Forks Harbor at 7 a.m. CT and return for weigh-in each day at 3 p.m. This is the second qualifying event in the new Nation format, and the Top 20 anglers will punch their tickets to the 2024 Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Championship presented by Lowrance, which is scheduled for Grand Lake in Grove, Okla., Nov. 6-8.
The Arkansas River has proven to be a challenging venue. Fluctuating water levels have been a puzzle in the past, and should anglers choose to lock into Kerr Reservoir, barge traffic may end a promising tournament too early.
“It is 100% a gamble to go to Kerr all three days,” said Jones, who won the 2020 Bassmaster Open on the river. “It can be won up North too. I don’t fish up there much, but in the spring, there are a lot of key backwaters up there. Tommy (Biffle) won (an Open and an Elite) up there. It can be won up or down.”
With that said, Jones said this section of the Arkansas River is fishing better than it ever has been and that is largely due to the increased coverage of hydrilla and coontail.
“The wildcard on this place is, we’ve gotten so much good hydrilla and coontail in the last couple of years,” Jones said. “I’m 44 and I’ve fished here since I was a kid and this is the most grass I’ve ever seen in it.”
Largemouth are the primary species to target and there could be bass in all three stages of the spawning cycle, depending on the weather conditions. That will allow anglers to spread out across the entire playing field, especially if the water stays clean.
“Usually by then, there are some postspawn bass, there’s a lot of prespawn bass and then some on the beds,” Jones said. “That will start on the full moon of March and will last until May.
“The grass will open up a lot more spawning areas. There will be a lot of clean-water areas that have never been like that before. It will fish differently. This river has changed a lot in the last three or four years.”
Along with the grass, hard cover like stumps and laydowns will play a factor, as well as current breaks and eddies. Water willow and lily pads are also prominent features on the river and pads in particular provide quality spawning habitat.
The majority of bass will be caught in less than 8 feet of water, Jones believes, which means traditional shallow-water presentations will be prominent. Soft plastics like Yum Dingers, tubes and lizards will be key pitching and flipping baits, while Booyah Covert spinnerbaits and Mobster Swim Jigs will excel as well.
“It will be river baits 101,” Jones said.
The tournament is being hosted by Visit Muskogee.
2024 Bassmaster Nation Series Title Sponsor: Mercury
2024 Bassmaster Nation Series Presenting Sponsor: Lowrance
2024 Bassmaster Nation Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota
2024 Bassmaster Nation Series Premier Sponsors: Bass Pro Shops, Dakota Lithium, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Progressive Insurance, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha
2024 Bassmaster Nation Series Supporting Sponsors: AFTCO, Daiwa, Garmin, Lew's, Lowrance, Marathon, Triton Boats, VMC
2024 Bassmaster Nation Series Youth Sponsors: Seaguar, Shimano
About B.A.S.S.B.A.S.S., which encompasses the Bassmaster tournament leagues, events and media platforms, is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting-edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 500,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), TV show, radio show, social media programs and events. For more than 50 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.
BOATING/FISHING: Boat Care Hacks
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Beyond the Shine |
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Unique ways anglers are using SRD20 products to keep their boats in tip-top shape |
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Lafayette, LA (March 27, 2024) – Another very exciting Bassmaster Classic is behind us, hopefully pulling anglers off the couch and onto the water for springtime bass bites. Farther south—and along both coasts—inshore and blue water anglers are doing what they do the entire calendar year, whether that means reds and seatrout or pelagics offshore. No matter where or what you fish for, boating anglers all have one thing in common: How best to keep their investment looking good for the long haul. There are countless cleaning products on store shelves, but only a handful specifically designed for marine use. That’s where SRD20 comes in – a complete “system” of cleaning and protective formulas designed to meet the boat care needs of anglers wherever they fish. Besides use as a complete system to clean and protect your boat stem-to-stern, some anglers have found unique applications for SRD20 products that the innovators didn’t even intend. |
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A Typical Bass Boat With several top finishes under his belt, collegiate bass angler, Evan Waggener, will be fishing the MLF Toyota Series this summer with plans to pursue professional bass fishing. “I run an older 2008 Nitro Z9, which I’ve taken care of to make it neat, tidy, and looking new,” says Waggener. “Before every tournament I’ll do a deep clean with SRD20 Pink Soap followed by spraying SRD20 Graphene on the exterior to protect it while I’m on the road. Then, when I get off the water after a practice or tournament day, I’ll use their Waterless Wash & Wax to remove any grime from the day.” Besides spraying Graphene on his boat exterior, he also uses it on his outboard to get rid of and prevent water spots. |
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“A lot of times when you’re tournament fishing and you set the boat down quickly, you get splashes on the back of the outboard. The Graphene keeps those water spots from showing up at the end of the day.” Waggener adds: “But for my trolling motor, I use SRD20’s Vinyl Protectant. I run a Minn Kota Ultrex and I like to treat the side plates, foot pedal, and motor head to keep everything looking brand new. I’ve also started treating the motor shaft with it, which makes it nice and slick and keeps it from fading in the sun, especially the area around my forward-facing sonar. I also use the Vinyl Protectant on my boat seats and the plastic trim pieces that you’ll find on most bass boats, which will fade over time.” |
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Inshore & Offshore Use Destin, Florida Fishing Captain of the Year 2020, Capt. Mark Hotze, runs both near shore and offshore trips via 30A Light Tackle Fishing Charters. Prior to settling down in Florida, Hotze fished around the world—from Japan to Puerto Rico—amassing a vast angling skillset that focuses on fishing saltwater with light tackle. “Seems like the fishing changes every six weeks or so, and we concentrate on whatever the best bite is. I’m out every day in my Everglades 243 center console, and the water down here is very tannic, so most boats develop a solid brown line on them at the water level. I like to pull up to the gas station with a big, shiny white boat.” |
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Prior to discovering SRD20, Capt. Hotze said he used “a lot of other waxes and a big rotary buffer and really went at it to the point it was hard holding on to the buffer.” “With SRD20 Graphene, you just spray it on and wipe it off. In a matter of minutes, I was impressed how even the rough, beat-up spots came out looking good. Then I'll follow up with the Waterless Wash & Wax. It might take a month for it to get really dirty now, so it protects, too. Like a lot of anglers, I used to stand at the boat ramp every day with a big bucket of soap and really brush the whole boat down. I hardly ever give it a freshwater rinse now.” “And if I'm really lazy,” adds Hotze, “when I’m waiting to fill the boat up with 50 to 60 gallons of gas, I'll go around looking for that little brown line and clean it with the Waterless Wash and Wax as I’m filling up.” |
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A Vinyl Protectant application to Capt. Hotze's trolling motor shaft makes for a silky deployment. |
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Besides the Graphene and Waterless Wash & Wax, Hotze’s also a fan of the Vinyl Protectant—not only for his cushions—but to keep his Minn Kota Riptide trolling motor looking and deploying at its best. “Besides treating every square inch of the trolling motor, the application to the shaft keeps it looking new and makes it much easier to deploy, it really shoots out after application” Capt. Hotze concludes: “The Vinyl Protectant is great for cleaning stuff around the boat like where the vinyl and rubber meets the glass of my console, which can get squeaky and fade over time. I coat the track of the windshield with the Vinyl Protectant and I’m good.” |
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2024 AFTCO x B.A.S.S. Conservation Grant Deadline
SANTA ANA, Ca., March 27, 2024 – As the deadline of March 31st, 2024 draws near, B.A.S.S. Nation Clubs are reminded to submit their applications for the AFTCO x B.A.S.S. Nation Conservation Grant Program. This initiative, continuing its support for conservation endeavors nationwide, aims to provide essential funds to approved freshwater bass conservation projects proposed by B.A.S.S. Nation clubs.
Launched in 2018, the Conservation Grant Program has been instrumental in the aid of numerous conservation projects, thanks to the generous contributions from AFTCO. With a total contribution exceeding $120,000 in grants to date, this partnership underscores a shared commitment to preserving and enhancing local fisheries.
The collaborative efforts between AFTCO and B.A.S.S. Nation Conservation have significantly advanced community and youth-oriented conservation initiatives. By fostering these projects, both organizations align with their overarching goals of environmental stewardship and community engagement.
B.A.S.S. Nation Clubs are urged to finalize and submit their applications before the approaching deadline. This presents an invaluable opportunity to secure funding and make a tangible difference in freshwater bass conservation efforts across the nation.
You can submit your conservation proposal HERE. The deadline for entries is March 31, 2024. Proposals will be judged by a panel that includes representatives from B.A.S.S. and AFTCO. Please direct any questions to Gene Gilliland at ggilliland@bassmaster.com.
About AFTCO
Family-owned and operated by three generations of the Shedd family, the American Fishing Tackle Company (AFTCO) represents unparalleled quality, performance, and reliability when it counts most. Worn across the globe, AFTCO’s fishing clothing is designed to handle the harshest elements. AFTCO products are field tested from our Southern California offices where many of our core saltwater fishing tackle products are still proudly handcrafted and manufactured in our U.S. based machine shop. Marine conservation has been a brand focus since 1973. Through our 10% Pledge to Protect and Conserve, we give 10% of profits back to causes for the resource and angling rights.
Costa's PRO Series complete with addition of Whitetip PRO
JUPITER, Fla. (March 27, 2024) – Costa Sunglasses, manufacturer of the first color-enhancing all-polarized glass sunglass lens, redesigns a legacy favorite with the launch of Whitetip PRO. Completing the lineup of seven best-selling performance frames, Whitetip PRO diversifies the PRO portfolio, which now includes a variety of styles and fits across Costa’s most technical line of products.
Celebrating the 10th anniversary of the best-selling Whitetip, the Whitetip PRO features a more modern design with added performance features - while still giving a nod to its well-loved predecessor. Whitetip PRO keeps the same proportions, coming in as the smallest PRO model, while adding updated aesthetic and performance features for the modern angler. These include six updated technical features to keep your frames locked in place when the water gets rough, reduce fogging to keep your vision clear and redirect sweat so you can focus on what’s most important - catching fish.
“The PRO series represents our top-of-the-line frames for those who need the best of the best for long days on the water,” says Jed Larkin, Brand Marketing Director, Costa Sunglasses. “Since we launched the series in 2021 with Blackfin PRO and Fantail PRO, it has been a best-performing series. We’ve worked closely with our pros and guides to fine-tune every detail and engineer a frame that meets the needs for our community. And now, with the addition of Whitetip PRO, we have a PRO frame for everyone - including Costa and MLF pro Casey Ashley, who you will regularly see out on the tournament circuit rocking Whitetip PRO and the entire PRO Series.”
Whitetip PRO is equipped with Costa's cutting-edge polarized 580® glass lens technology, providing exceptional clarity and color enhancement. These scratch-resistant lenses effectively reduce haze and blur, while boosting essential colors for superior definition. Built with Costa's proprietary Bio-Resin, Whitetip PRO is also lightweight and maintains the durability necessary for long days on the water. Costa’s use of Bio-Resin is a part of its Kick Plastic program, a Costa owned initiative to help reduce the amount of single-use plastic finding its way into our waterways.
Starting at $264, Whitetip PRO is currently available at local dealers and Costasunglasses.com. For more information about Costa’s complete collection of award-winning performance, optical and lifestyle frames, visit Costasunglasses.com.
About Costa Sunglasses
More than 40 years ago, a group of anglers created Costa Sunglasses to stand up to the harsh light, unforgiving salt and rough conditions of a day at sea. The gear they made was up to the task, and it’s been on the water ever since. Today, Costa combines its superior 580® lens technology with unparalleled fit and durability to make the highest-quality sunglasses and prescription eyewear for adventures on the water. Committed to protecting the watery world it calls home, sustainability and conservation is woven throughout everything they do. From building products made of responsible materials, to Costa-owned initiatives like Kick Plastic® and #OneCoast, and its partnerships with 40+ mission-aligned conservation organizations, Costa inspires its community to help protect the earth’s resources and #SeeWhatsOutThere. Find out more on Costa’s website and join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter at @CostaSunglasses.
Adam Rasmussen Stops by the Vexus® Plant
They say nobody remembers the guy who finished 2nd.
But we do.
All of us at Vexus couldn’t be more proud of our treasured friend, Adam Rasmussen, the so called “walleye guide” from Sturgeon Bay, who nearly won the Bassmaster Classic.
When the winds came sweeping down the Oklahoma plains on the final two days of the Bassmaster Classic, Rasmussen never flinched in the face of Grand Lake’s big waves.
Instead, he placed his confidence in a boat he knows is built to stand up to bass fishing’s biggest challenges better than any vessel out there.
He caught big limits while the winds gusted to 30 mph and nearly blew the doors off bass fishing’s biggest event.
You put pride in our hearts and goosebumps on our skin, Adam.
So much so, we’ll remember it for a really long time.
AC Insider Podcast - REDCREST Champ - Dustin Connell
The guys are back in the studio and they've caught with TWO TIME REDCREST winner, Dustin Connell. They talk about the event, DC's humble beginnings, and they open a can of worms...or two. Tune in and give a listen...a few passion buttons get pushed and it's a GOOD ONE!
Montevallo’s Cory and Sledge win Bassmaster College Classic on Keystone Lake
SAND SPRINGS, Okla. — With a team from the University of Montevallo in the lead and only one other team (also from Montevallo) yet to weigh in, the Falcons already were guaranteed winners in the Strike King Bassmaster College Classic presented by Bass Pro Shops.
Tyler Cory and Scott Sledge emerged victoriously with the five-bass, 22-pound limit they sacked Sunday on Keystone Lake. The last of nine teams in the tournament to weigh in, they knocked Montevallo teammates James Willoughby and Nick Dumke from atop the standings, dropping them to second with an 18-3 limit.
The dramatic ending took place at Tulsa’s BOK Center prior to the final day of the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Jockey Outdoors. The thousands of fishing faithful inside the arena sent up a roar of cheers for Cory and Sledge, who thanked the throngs for sharing the experience with them.
“This is just incredible,” said Sledge, a 22-year-old senior from Greenwood, Ind. “You dream about this opportunity. And in front of this crowd — Tulsa really showed up.”
So did the Cory-Sledge duo.
“We started today at a place not far from takeoff that we figured was gonna get blown out early with all this wind,” Cory said. “We left there about 7:45 (a.m.) with a limit, one of them almost a 4-pounder. So, we knew we had one keeper there. Then we ran up the lake to some creeks we fished in practice. Then it was a matter of just picking away at them. We got one here and there. It wasn’t fast.”
The pair fished channel swings and banks in up to 6 feet of water. They didn’t use LiveScope technology, either, preferring to “throw at the places that looked like they should have fish,” Cory said. He fished from the front of the boat, leaning on a shallow-diving jerkbait that imitated the shad in abundance at Keystone. Sledge followed with a shad-colored 1/2-ounce War Eagle spinnerbait with a gold Colorado blade and a silver willow blade. He paired it with a 3-inch Keitech swimbait that was also shad color.
“I was working it as slowly as a I could, maybe a foot off the bottom,” he said.
Cory and Sledge qualified for the Bassmaster College Classic after finishing second in the 2023 Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops Team of the Year standings, behind Montevallo teammates Dumke and Easton Fothergill. Fothergill, of course, won the Bassmaster College Classic Bracket in October and fished in the Bassmaster Classic this week.
Cory and Sledge said winning the College Classic tournament on Sunday helped dull the pain of the second-place finish in last year’s TOY standings.
“We knew the Team of the Year race was probably gonna come down to us and Easton and Nick,” Cory said. “They’re two of the best in college fishing right now, so to lose to them wasn’t anything too hard to swallow. But you only get so many opportunities. To win something like this makes up for it.”
Sledge agreed.
“This is a different feeling, really,” he said. “It feels bigger, winning in front of all these people, hearing that crowd.”
Cory and Sledge began fishing together as freshmen at Montevallo. Both 22 years old and seniors, they know their successful college run is nearing its end. They both hope to land jobs in the fishing industry upon graduation and eventually try to fish the St. Croix Bassmaster Opens presented by SEVIIN and beyond.
But on Sunday, they preferred to relish the Bassmaster College Classic win.
“Scott’s the best co-angler you can ask for,” said Cory, who hails from Amherst, Wis. “Three or four that we weighed in today were his. He played cleanup back there today and that’s usually how it is. We work well as a team.”
“We’re always thinking the same thing on the boat,” said Sledge, a Greenwood, Ind., native. “He’ll say something and I’ll say, ‘I was just about to say that.’ I couldn’t ask for better from my time fishing with him.”
Montevallo had three of the nine teams in Sunday’s competition. Tandems qualified by finishing first or second in a 2023 Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops event. The Team of the Year and the defending champions also took part.
Logan Barrett and Luke Glasgow of Mississippi State University placed third with 17-11. Hayden Marbut and Tucker Smith of Auburn University were fourth with 16-11, and John Mark Berry and Blake Bullock of Blue Mountain Christian University were fifth with 14-3.
About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S., which encompasses the Bassmaster tournament leagues, events and media platforms, is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting-edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 500,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), TV show, radio show, social media programs and events. For more than 50 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.
The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Bassmaster Elite Series, St. Croix Bassmaster Opens Series presented by SEVIIN, Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Qualifier Series presented by Lowrance, Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Strike King Bassmaster High School Series, Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Team Championship, Yamaha Rightwaters Bassmaster Kayak Series scored by TourneyX, Yamaha Bassmaster Redfish Cup Championship presented by Skeeter and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Jockey Outdoors.
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Connect with #Bassmaster on Facebook, Instagram, Twitte
Media Contact: Mandy Pascal, Managing Editor, 205-313-0955, mpascal@bassmaster.com
2024 College Classic Keystone Lake 3/24-3/24
Keystone Lake, Sand Springs OK.
(BOATER) Standings Day 1
Angler Club/School Pts
1. Tyler Cory - Scott Sledge University of Montevallo 0
Day 1: 5 22-00 Total: 5 22-00
2. James Willoughby - Nick Dumke University of Montevallo 0
Day 1: 5 18-03 Total: 5 18-03
3. Logan Barrett - Luke Glasgow Mississippi State University 0
Day 1: 5 17-11 Total: 5 17-11
4. Hayden Marbut - Tucker Smith Auburn University 0
Day 1: 5 16-11 Total: 5 16-11
5. John Mark Berry - Blake Bullock Blue Mountain Christian Universi 0
Day 1: 5 14-03 Total: 5 14-03
6. Dalton Head - Peyton Harris University of Montevallo 0
Day 1: 5 12-10 Total: 5 12-10
7. Cole Holloway - Brandon Martin Emmanuel University 0
Day 1: 5 11-15 Total: 5 11-15
8. Tyler Flacke - Aric Szambelan Missouri State University 0
Day 1: 3 10-04 Total: 3 10-04
9. Dale Hansard - Jacksonville State University 0
Day 1: 1 02-04 Total: 1 02-04
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Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 7 39 125-13
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7 39 125-13
Hamner completes wire-to-wire Bassmaster Classic victory on Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees
TULSA, Okla. — When most anglers win the Super Bowl of Bass Fishing, they at least pretend like it came as the biggest surprise of their lives.
But not Justin Hamner.
The fourth-year Bassmaster Elite Series pro from Northport, Ala., said openly that he “just had a feeling” coming into this year’s Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Jockey Outdoors that he was going to win — and in three days on Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees, he turned that feeling into a hard-core reality.
Hamner completed an assault on B.A.S.S. history with a Championship Sunday limit of five bass that weighed 15 pounds, 13 ounces, and pushed his three-day total to 58-3. He became only the 10th angler in the 54-year history of the event to lead all three days.
“I have no idea what’s been going on, but this past month has been pretty dang good,” said Hamner, who earned $300,000 and the coveted Ray Scott trophy. “I can’t explain it, but I really did feel like I had a good chance to win.”
That feeling wasn’t exactly reinforced during a tough practice when Hamner said the best bass he caught was a 3-pounder. But he started the tournament on the spot where he caught that fish and used a shad-colored, deep-diving jerkbait to put together a limit that weighed 22-6 and gave him the Day 1 lead.
He went back there for Day 2. But, just like in practice, he couldn’t replicate a pattern and was forced to redirect.
“The wind was blowing a ton of bait into the pocket I was fishing,” he said. “When all of that bait got in there, those fish were keyed in on the bait and they wouldn’t bite my jerkbait. I couldn’t make them bite it, and I still can’t really explain it.”
That’s when Hamner relocated again and started using Garmin LiveScope to target largemouth in brushpiles. He quickly caught two 5-pounders that pushed him to a 20-pound limit and helped him maintain the lead going into the final day.
Despite being in the most visible spot a professional angler can hold, Hamner said he never got nervous until around 1 p.m. on Championship Sunday. At that point, he said he lost four big bass, but he couldn’t say if nerves caused him to lose the fish or if losing the fish caused the nerves.
“The first two didn’t bother me at all,” he said. “I still had that calm feeling. But around 1 o’clock, the fish changed and wouldn’t even react. I don’t know what caused what. There’s just no telling what was going through my mind because the pressure was finally starting to get to me.”
Despite his troubles, Hamner’s limit of 15-13 helped him hold off Wisconsin angler Adam Rasmussen who made a hard charge with 18-5 on the final day but finished almost 3 pounds back with 55-4.
“My father taught me not to talk about myself, so it’s gonna be hard for me to get used to calling myself the Bassmaster Classic champion,” said Hamner, who finished 14th and third in the first two Elite Series events of the year in February. “But it’s been an amazing month.”
Hamner said he hadn’t thought about where he’ll put the massive Ray Scott trophy. Instead, he said he’s more worried about moving out of the double-wide trailer he’s living in — something that should be easier to do with the $350,000 he’s won over the past two months.
Something else that will likely be easier for the 33-year-old is promoting his sponsors.
Though he was coy about which brand of deep-diving jerkbait he used this week, he said he added No. 6 Duo Realis treble hooks — and since they were made from a heavy wire, they helped the bait sink a little further. He stuck with Yo-Zuri T7 Premium Fluorocarbon all week, using 12-pound test when he was around lighter cover and 14-pound test around thicker brush.
He used a variety of high-speed baitcasting reels, all on 7-foot Halo Scott Canterbury Series medium-heavy cranking rods.
One of the biggest keys to his success, he said, was adding scent from the BaitFuel Hardbait Stick.
“It’s the new stick that they came out with that you can actually apply to the hard bait,” he said. “I had like six fish follow my jerkbait today. I would stop and put that stuff on and then catch them. There’s no doubt in my mind it makes a huge difference.
“It was like immediate. The whole school would come up chasing it, but they wouldn’t eat it. I put that on there and the first one that would come up would eat it.”
Hamner described his cadence with the jerkbait as “weird.”
“I change it up a lot — so much that my friends make fun of me,” he said. “I let Garmin LiveScope tell me in real time how the fish are reacting to the bait.
“The key, to me, is figuring out what speed they want the bait — and today, they wanted it faster.”
When all the talk of rods, reels and baits was done, Hamner summed up his amazing week with a question.
“What just happened?” he asked. “I always thought this lake set up the way I like to fish. It’s like Lake Tuscaloosa back home. You can’t do the same thing twice on that lake either. Maybe that helped me this week — maybe. I honestly just can’t explain it.
“But, like I said, I had a great feeling coming into the week.”
Florida angler Aaron Yavorsky, who turned 18 last week and now holds the record as the youngest angler ever to take part in the Classic, earned the $2,500 Mercury Big Bass of the Tournament prize with the 6-12 largemouth that he caught on Saturday.
The Rapala CrushCity Monster Bag of the Week was the 22-6 bag caught by Hamner on Day 1. That earned him an extra $7,000.
Hamner also earned the $20,000 Yamaha Power Pay award for being the highest-placing eligible entrant.
Alabama pro Will Davis Jr. won the $1,000 BassTrakk Contingency Prize for listing his weight for the week as accurately as anyone in the field.
2024 Bassmaster Classic Title Sponsor: Bass Pro Shops
2024 Bassmaster Classic
2024 Bassmaster Classic Platinum Sponsor: Toyota
2024 Bassmaster Classic
2024 Bassmaster Classic
2024 Bassmaster Classic Local Partner: SCHEELS
2024 Bassmaster Classic Youth Forum Sponsor: U.S. Army
2024 Bassmaster Classic Go Outside Experience Sponsor: Mountain Dew
2024 Bassmaster Classic Tailgate Title Sponsor: Bass Pro Shops
2024 Bassmaster Classic Tailgate Presenting Sponsor: Yokohama Tire
2024 Bassmaster Classic Celebrity Pro-Am Title Sponsor: Progressive
2024 Bassmaster Classic Celebrity Pro-Am Presenting Sponsor: Bass Pro Shops
2024 Bassmaster Classic Host: Tulsa Sports Commission
About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S., which encompasses the Bassmaster tournament leagues, events and media platforms, is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting-edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 500,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), TV show, radio show, social media programs and events. For more than 50 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.
The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Bassmaster Elite Series, St. Croix Bassmaster Opens Series presented by SEVIIN, Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Qualifier Series presented by Lowrance, Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Strike King Bassmaster High School Series, Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Team Championship, Yamaha Rightwaters Bassmaster Kayak Series scored by TourneyX, Yamaha Bassmaster Redfish Cup Championship presented by Skeeter and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Jockey Outdoors.
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Connect with #Bassmaster on Facebook, Instagram, Twitte
Media Contact: Mandy Pascal, Managing Editor, 205-313-0955, mpascal@bassmaster.com
2024 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Jockey Outdoors 3/22-3/24
Grand Lake O' the Cherokees, Tulsa/Grove OK.
(ANGLER) Standings Day 3
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Justin Hamner Northport, AL 15 58-03 0 $307,000.00
Day 1: 5 22-06 Day 2: 5 20-00 Day 3: 5 15-13
2. Adam Rasmussen Sturgeon Bay, WI 15 55-04 0 $50,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-05 Day 2: 5 17-10 Day 3: 5 18-05
3. Cody Huff Ava, MO 15 50-07 0 $40,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-02 Day 2: 5 15-02 Day 3: 5 14-03
4. Jay Przekurat Plover, WI 15 50-01 0 $30,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-05 Day 2: 5 14-02 Day 3: 5 17-10
5. Lee Livesay Longview, TX 15 49-11 0 $25,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-15 Day 2: 5 14-02 Day 3: 5 16-10
6. Cory Johnston Otonabee CANADA 15 49-06 0 $22,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-15 Day 2: 5 16-09 Day 3: 5 19-14
7. Kyle Patrick Cooperstown, NY 15 49-04 0 $21,500.00
Day 1: 5 15-13 Day 2: 5 15-08 Day 3: 5 17-15
8. Hank Cherry Jr Lincolnton, NC 15 49-04 0 $21,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-08 Day 2: 5 17-03 Day 3: 5 15-09
9. Shane LeHew Catawba, NC 15 48-15 0 $21,500.00
Day 1: 5 16-03 Day 2: 5 13-13 Day 3: 5 18-15
10. Taku Ito Dalton GA JAPAN 15 48-05 0 $20,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-09 Day 2: 5 17-10 Day 3: 5 16-02
11. Kyoya Fujita Yamanashi CA JAPAN 15 48-00 0 $15,000.00
Day 1: 5 10-13 Day 2: 5 19-01 Day 3: 5 18-02
12. Cooper Gallant Bowmanville Ontario CAN 15 47-12 0 $15,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-14 Day 2: 5 19-05 Day 3: 5 14-09
13. Bryant Smith Roseville, CA 15 46-09 0 $15,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-10 Day 2: 5 14-11 Day 3: 5 17-04
14. Brandon Card Salisbury, NC 15 46-08 0 $15,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-14 Day 2: 5 21-06 Day 3: 5 12-04
15. Matt Arey Shelby, NC 15 46-04 0 $15,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-03 Day 2: 5 16-07 Day 3: 5 16-10
16. Easton Fothergill Grand Rapids , MN 15 45-03 0 $13,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-13 Day 2: 5 17-02 Day 3: 5 15-04
17. Jason Christie Dry Creek, OK 15 44-09 0 $13,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-01 Day 2: 5 18-02 Day 3: 5 13-06
18. Kyle Welcher Valley, AL 15 44-02 0 $13,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-08 Day 2: 5 16-04 Day 3: 5 14-06
19. Brandon Cobb Greenwood, SC 15 43-10 0 $13,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-07 Day 2: 5 13-12 Day 3: 5 14-07
20. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 15 43-08 0 $13,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-06 Day 2: 5 14-00 Day 3: 5 14-02
21. Luke Palmer Coalgate, OK 15 43-02 0 $14,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-10 Day 2: 5 14-04 Day 3: 5 13-04
22. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 15 42-02 0 $13,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-07 Day 2: 5 17-00 Day 3: 5 11-11
23. Matt Robertson Kuttawa, KY 13 42-01 0 $13,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-08 Day 2: 5 15-03 Day 3: 3 10-06
24. Bryan Schmitt Deale, MD 15 42-01 0 $13,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-07 Day 2: 5 14-15 Day 3: 5 12-11
25. Chris Johnston Otonabee Ontario CANADA 15 42-00 0 $13,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-02 Day 2: 5 14-04 Day 3: 5 12-10
------------------------------
BIG BASS
Day
1 Luke Palmer Coalgate, OK 06-05 $1,000.00
2 Aaron Yavorsky Palm Harbor, FL 06-12 $1,000.00
3 Shane LeHew Catawba, NC 06-07 $1,000.00
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MERCURY BIG BASS
Aaron Yavorsky Palm Harbor, FL 06-12 $2,500.00
CRUSHCITY MONSTER BAG
Justin Hamner Northport, AL 22-06 $7,000.00
------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 54 272 774-07
2 53 273 786-15
3 24 123 382-00
------------------------------
131 668 1943-06
Louisiana’s Adcock and White take Bassmaster High School Classic title
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Gregory takes Kayak Series Championship victory at Tenkiller
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. — Drew Gregory won the Yamaha Rightwaters Bassmaster Kayak Series Championship scored by TourneyX on Thursday, but he had to wait a full day, and a few additional hours for good measure, before his victory was confirmed.
That’s because the championship’s big reveal was saved for Friday and the throng of fishing fans gathered at the BOK Center in Tulsa for Day 1 of the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Jockey Outdoors.
Gregory, a 44-year-old resident of Kent, Ohio, clinched the championship with a total of 10 bass measuring 180.5 inches during the derby held Wednesday and Thursday on Tenkiller Lake. Competitors could slip into Tenkiller from any approved launch on the 13,000-acre fishery, located about 90 miles east of Tulsa.
“There’s a lot of anxiety waiting more than 24 hours to know if you’ve won or not,” Gregory said. “I didn’t sleep too well last night. Some people told me I was ahead when the (TourneyX results page) was turned off (on Bassmaster.com) an hour before Day 2 ended. But you still don’t know. I’ve been in tournaments before where the guy who wins didn’t have phone service and couldn’t enter his fish. So, he goes from looking like he has nothing to being the winner.
“I was hoping it didn’t happen like that here, and when it didn’t, it was a big relief. It’s just a great rush of excitement.”
Gregory collected $25,000, part of a $56,350 total cash purse split among the Top 16 anglers in the tournament. In all, 164 competitors representing 30 states and Canada took part. They qualified by either placing in the Top 5 from any Bassmaster Kayak Series tournament in 2023, by finishing among the Top 50 in the 2023 Dakota Lithium Bassmaster Kayak Series Angler of the Year points race or by placing in the top 10% of B.A.S.S. Nation state kayak championships. The field also included last year’s champion, Tennessee’s Rus Snyders.
After close finishes in previous championships, Gregory closed the deal on Tenkiller. He caught 90 inches on Wednesday, which was good enough for fourth place. He fished a slough on the northern end of Tenkiller with a Z-Man CrossEyeZ Power Finesse Jig and a Z-Man Pro CrawZ trailer in the green pumpkin color. His catch came early, and some key late upgrades got him within 2.75 inches of Day 1 leader Guillermo Gonzalez, who led Day 1 with 92.75 inches.
“By the time I left that slough, I had five fish, all of them over 16 inches,” Gregory said. “One of those was a 19 3/4-inch fish, and it was still early. So, I felt pretty good from the start.”
Gregory was strong again on Day 2, starting with a 22-inch largemouth that was the Big Bass of the Tournament and good for an additional $500.
“Catching the fish of the tournament early is a great feeling,” he said. “I started in that same slough for it, but as I made my way up the slough, the water was getting more clear, more shallow, and I got worried again. I caught a couple of spotted bass to get me to four fish, and the fifth came on a Bass Mafia Daingerous Swimbait.
“I threw it against a log in the river and she hammered it,” he said, speaking about the 21.25-inch smallmouth that completed his Day 2 limit.
Gonzalez, of Fort Worth, Texas, finished second with 178.25 inches — good for $9,000. Bennett Nall, of Anderson, S.C., placed third with the same total length. Gonzalez, 33, won the second-place tiebreaker with his opening-day haul, one of the biggest of the tournament.
“The fish were congregated around bait and they put the feedbags on,” Gonzalez said. “If you could find the bait, you caught feeding fish really quick.”
Gonzalez used a white Megabass Magdraft 6-inch swimbait to catch his best bass — one rigged with a treble hook for shallow-water bites and another with a heavy-belly weight to spark deep-water bites. He said all but one of his bass on Tenkiller were largemouth, and they bit in anywhere from 5 to 40 feet of water.
“It was the pattern,” he said. “I knew I was getting bigger bites than most people with that big swimbait.”
Nall, a 20-year-old Clemson student, won $5,000. He fished concrete blocks only yards from where he launched on Day 1. When that bite disappeared on Day 2, he moved to a different launch, found similar structure and caught another limit there.
He finished with 90.75 inches on Wednesday and 87.5 on Day 2. He used a shad-colored Fluke for his best catches, working the lure over the fish and drawing them away from the blocks where they’d eventually bite.
“It’s a whole new pattern to me,” he said. “Most people don’t look around the boat ramps, but sometimes they can be some of your most productive areas.”
California’s Damian Thao finished fourth (177.25 inches), and Missouri’s Lance Burris placed fifth (173 inches).
The event was hosted by Explore Cherokee County, Oklahoma, Tour Tahlequah and the Greater Tenkiller Area Association.
Official results for this tournament can be found here.
2024 Bassmaster Kayak Series Title Sponsor: Yamaha Rightwaters2024 Bassmaster Kayak Series Partner: MotorGuide, YakGear2024 Bassmaster Kayak Series Angler of the Year Sponsor: Dakota Lithium
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Hamner stays calm and redirects to maintain Bassmaster Classic lead on Grand Lake
TULSA, Okla. — Since practice began last week, Alabama pro Justin Hamner says he hasn’t been able to duplicate two patterns from one day to the next.
That trend continued Saturday, but it doesn’t seem to be affecting him adversely.
Hamner caught yet another five-bass limit that weighed 20 pounds and increased his two-day total to 42 pounds, 6 ounces, to maintain the lead in the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Jockey Outdoors on Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees.
Hamner, who has seemed strangely calm all week, said his only plan for Championship Sunday is to “win the Bassmaster Classic.” Beyond that, he isn’t sure what he’ll be doing once the tournament resumes.
“The dream is going pretty good so far, but we’ve still got one more day,” said Hamner, who is fishing only his second career Classic. “I had to do something totally different today than what I did on the first day of the tournament. The area I started in this morning had completely changed, and I left there around 10 or 10:30 (a.m.).
“In my new spot, I immediately caught three big ones and left there.”
Hamner had been hoping that increased winds would improve his bite. But on Saturday, he said it actually hurt him and forced him to change his plans.
“Yesterday, when I caught all of those fish in those creeks, there was zero bait,” he said. “Today, the wind actually blew directly into those creeks and the fish were more active. They were feeding on the bait, but I could not get those fish to bite.
“It was the weirdest thing and I have no explanation for it.”
The forecast for Championship Sunday calls for 20 to 30 mph winds with occasional gusts up to 40 mph. Hamner said he plans to start on the same brushpiles where he caught his best fish Saturday — and if that doesn’t work, he’ll redirect on the fly once again.
“It’s been a weird feeling all week,” he said. “As soon as I get on the water, I’m not feeling any pressure. I’m playing with geese, catching big bass and having fun. I plan to do that tomorrow — and win the Bassmaster Classic.”
Hamner’s closest competitor at the end of Day 2 was Wisconsin pro Adam Rasmussen with 36-15. A famed walleye guide turned bass pro, Rasmussen said the high winds on Sunday could help him simply by making things tough for the rest of the crowd.
“Where I’m from, I certainly know how to hold the boat really well in high winds,” said Rasmussen, who guides mainly on Sturgeon Bay. “I think that could cause some guys to stumble a little bit.”
Rasmussen said he has one point that’s been “really special” all week, and he plans to milk it for all it’s worth Sunday.
“I’ve gone to it four or five times a day, and almost every time I’ve gone back to it, I’ve gotten bit,” he said. “I might roll in there first thing tomorrow morning, and if I get some bites, I might just pole down on it — just sit on it and see what I can do.”
Entering the day with more than a 5-pound deficit, Rasmussen said he plans to “swing for the fences” to try and win the $300,000 first-place prize. He thinks it will take 23 to 24 pounds — and maybe even a little luck in the form of Hamner struggling — but he knows the big weight is out there.
“When I came to pre-practice here, I had a 29-pound day,” he said. “So, I know what lives here. This is Grand Lake; it has giants. I just have to go catch them.”
Missouri pro Cody Huff caught 15-2 Saturday and fell slightly from second place to third with a two-day mark of 36-4. He rests in a logjam of anglers within striking distance, including Brandon Card (34-4), Hank Cherry (33-11), Cooper Gallant (33-3) and Lee Livesay (33-1).
“It was a complete turnaround for me today,” Huff said. “All the areas that had worked really well for me yesterday, the water temperature had dropped like 8 or 9 degrees with that real cold night. The shad weren’t up, the bass weren’t up. It was just a ghost town.”
A third-year Elite who lists Bassmaster legend Rick Clunn as one of his mentors, Huff didn’t have a bass in his livewell at 11 a.m. But he adjusted and kept himself in contention for the Classic trophy.
“I got on another deal and caught what I caught and broke off another good fish,” Huff said. “With my main pattern toasted, I just had to go fishing and figure them out again. That’s this lake. It’s gonna be that way again tomorrow because it’s gonna look like a new lake again.”
Florida angler Aaron Yavorsky, who turned 18 last week and now holds the record as the youngest angler ever to take part in the Classic, had Big Bass of the Day on Saturday with a 6-12 largemouth. He currently holds the lead for Mercury Big Bass of the Tournament.
The Top 25 remaining anglers will take off at 7:15 a.m. CT Sunday from Wolf Creek Park and Boating Facility, with the final weigh-in scheduled for approximately 5:00 p.m. at the BOK Center in downtown Tulsa. Door will open at 3:15 p.m., with the Strike King Bassmaster College Classic presented by Bass Pro Shops weigh-in to be held at 3:35 p.m. The winning Classic angler will earn $300,000 and the most-coveted trophy in pro fishing, the Ray Scott trophy.
Click here for a full list of how to watch the event online and on television.
Click here for a full list of Classic events, including the annual Bassmaster Classic Outdoors Expo presented by GSM Outdoors.
2024 Bassmaster Classic Title Sponsor: Bass Pro Shops
2024 Bassmaster Classic
2024 Bassmaster Classic Platinum Sponsor: Toyota
2024 Bassmaster Classic
2024 Bassmaster Classic
2024 Bassmaster Classic Local Partner: SCHEELS
2024 Bassmaster Classic Youth Forum Sponsor: U.S. Army
2024 Bassmaster Classic Go Outside Experience Sponsor: Mountain Dew
2024 Bassmaster Classic Tailgate Title Sponsor: Bass Pro Shops
2024 Bassmaster Classic Tailgate Presenting Sponsor: Yokohama Tire
2024 Bassmaster Classic Celebrity Pro-Am Title Sponsor: Progressive
2024 Bassmaster Classic Celebrity Pro-Am Presenting Sponsor: Bass Pro Shops
2024 Bassmaster Classic Host: Tulsa Sports Commission
About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S., which encompasses the Bassmaster tournament leagues, events and media platforms, is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting-edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 500,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), TV show, radio show, social media programs and events. For more than 50 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.
The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Bassmaster Elite Series, St. Croix Bassmaster Opens Series presented by SEVIIN, Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Qualifier Series presented by Lowrance, Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Strike King Bassmaster High School Series, Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Team Championship, Yamaha Rightwaters Bassmaster Kayak Series scored by TourneyX, Yamaha Bassmaster Redfish Cup Championship presented by Skeeter and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Jockey Outdoors.
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Connect with #Bassmaster on Facebook, Instagram, Twitte
Media Contact: Mandy Pascal, Managing Editor, 205-313-0955, mpascal@bassmaster.com
2024 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Jockey Outdoors 3/22-3/24
Grand Lake O' the Cherokees, Tulsa/Grove OK.
(ANGLER) Standings Day 2
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Justin Hamner Northport, AL 10 42-06 0
Day 1: 5 22-06 Day 2: 5 20-00
2. Adam Rasmussen Sturgeon Bay, WI 10 36-15 0
Day 1: 5 19-05 Day 2: 5 17-10
3. Cody Huff Ava, MO 10 36-04 0
Day 1: 5 21-02 Day 2: 5 15-02
4. Brandon Card Salisbury, NC 10 34-04 0
Day 1: 5 12-14 Day 2: 5 21-06
5. Hank Cherry Jr Lincolnton, NC 10 33-11 0
Day 1: 5 16-08 Day 2: 5 17-03
6. Cooper Gallant Bowmanville Ontario CAN 10 33-03 0
Day 1: 5 13-14 Day 2: 5 19-05
7. Lee Livesay Longview, TX 10 33-01 0
Day 1: 5 18-15 Day 2: 5 14-02
8. Jay Przekurat Plover, WI 10 32-07 0
Day 1: 5 18-05 Day 2: 5 14-02
9. Taku Ito Dalton GA JAPAN 10 32-03 0
Day 1: 5 14-09 Day 2: 5 17-10
10. Matt Robertson Kuttawa, KY 10 31-11 0
Day 1: 5 16-08 Day 2: 5 15-03
11. Kyle Patrick Cooperstown, NY 10 31-05 0
Day 1: 5 15-13 Day 2: 5 15-08
12. Jason Christie Dry Creek, OK 10 31-03 0
Day 1: 5 13-01 Day 2: 5 18-02
13. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 10 30-07 0
Day 1: 5 13-07 Day 2: 5 17-00
14. Shane LeHew Catawba, NC 10 30-00 0
Day 1: 5 16-03 Day 2: 5 13-13
15. Easton Fothergill Grand Rapids , MN 10 29-15 0
Day 1: 5 12-13 Day 2: 5 17-02
16. Kyoya Fujita Yamanashi CA JAPAN 10 29-14 0
Day 1: 5 10-13 Day 2: 5 19-01
17. Luke Palmer Coalgate, OK 10 29-14 0
Day 1: 5 15-10 Day 2: 5 14-04
18. Kyle Welcher Valley, AL 10 29-12 0
Day 1: 5 13-08 Day 2: 5 16-04
19. Matt Arey Shelby, NC 10 29-10 0
Day 1: 5 13-03 Day 2: 5 16-07
20. Cory Johnston Otonabee CANADA 10 29-08 0
Day 1: 5 12-15 Day 2: 5 16-09
21. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 10 29-06 0
Day 1: 5 15-06 Day 2: 5 14-00
22. Chris Johnston Otonabee Ontario CANADA 10 29-06 0
Day 1: 5 15-02 Day 2: 5 14-04
23. Bryan Schmitt Deale, MD 10 29-06 0
Day 1: 5 14-07 Day 2: 5 14-15
24. Bryant Smith Roseville, CA 10 29-05 0
Day 1: 5 14-10 Day 2: 5 14-11
25. Brandon Cobb Greenwood, SC 10 29-03 0
Day 1: 5 15-07 Day 2: 5 13-12
26. Drew Benton Panama City, FL 10 29-03 0
Day 1: 5 14-12 Day 2: 5 14-07
27. Tyler Williams Belgrade, ME 10 29-01 0
Day 1: 5 16-07 Day 2: 5 12-10
28. Clark Wendlandt Leander, TX 10 28-11 0
Day 1: 5 13-01 Day 2: 5 15-10
29. Justin Barnes Ellaville, GA 10 28-10 0
Day 1: 5 15-00 Day 2: 5 13-10
30. Patrick Walters Eutawville, SC 10 28-02 0
Day 1: 5 10-10 Day 2: 5 17-08
31. Jeff Gustafson Kenora, ON Ontario CANA 10 27-12 0
Day 1: 5 13-13 Day 2: 5 13-15
32. Hunter Shryock Ooltewah, TN 10 27-11 0
Day 1: 5 14-01 Day 2: 5 13-10
33. John Cox Debary, FL 10 27-09 0
Day 1: 5 16-14 Day 2: 5 10-11
34. Cole Sands Calhoun , TN 10 27-04 0
Day 1: 5 11-15 Day 2: 5 15-05
35. Joey Nania Cropwell, AL 10 27-03 0
Day 1: 5 14-06 Day 2: 5 12-13
36. Timothy Dube Nashua , NH 10 27-01 0
Day 1: 5 14-05 Day 2: 5 12-12
37. Will Davis Jr Sylacauga, AL 10 26-15 0
Day 1: 5 16-03 Day 2: 5 10-12
38. Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 9 26-14 0
Day 1: 5 15-02 Day 2: 4 11-12
39. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 10 26-11 0
Day 1: 5 12-05 Day 2: 5 14-06
40. Kenta Kimura Osaka OK JAPAN 10 26-08 0
Day 1: 5 14-00 Day 2: 5 12-08
41. Joey Cifuentes III Clinton, AR 10 26-01 0
Day 1: 5 13-07 Day 2: 5 12-10
42. David Gaston Sylacauga, AL 10 26-00 0
Day 1: 5 15-05 Day 2: 5 10-11
43. Tyler Rivet Raceland, LA 10 24-11 0
Day 1: 5 11-05 Day 2: 5 13-06
44. Aaron Yavorsky Palm Harbor, FL 10 24-10 0
Day 1: 5 11-01 Day 2: 5 13-09
45. Carl Jocumsen Queensland TN AUSTRALIA 10 24-05 0
Day 1: 5 10-14 Day 2: 5 13-07
46. Austin Felix Eden Prairie, MN 9 24-01 0
Day 1: 5 11-03 Day 2: 4 12-14
47. Drew Cook Cairo, GA 10 23-12 0
Day 1: 5 13-01 Day 2: 5 10-11
48. Pat Schlapper Eleva, WI 10 23-09 0
Day 1: 5 13-05 Day 2: 5 10-04
49. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 10 23-09 0
Day 1: 5 12-11 Day 2: 5 10-14
50. Ben Milliken New Caney, TX 10 22-13 0
Day 1: 5 12-00 Day 2: 5 10-13
51. Powell Kemp IV Scotland Neck, NC 10 22-05 0
Day 1: 5 12-10 Day 2: 5 09-11
52. Matt Messer Warfield, KY 10 21-00 0
Day 1: 5 12-00 Day 2: 5 09-00
53. Jacob Powroznik North Prince George, VA 10 20-04 0
Day 1: 5 09-10 Day 2: 5 10-10
54. Josh Wiesner Fon du Lac, WI 5 16-10 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 5 16-10
55. Scott Canterbury Odenville, AL 7 15-14 0
Day 1: 2 03-13 Day 2: 5 12-01
56. Bob Downey Detroit Lakes, MN 5 12-08 0
Day 1: 5 12-08 Day 2: 0 00-00
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Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 54 272 774-07
2 53 273 786-15
------------------------------
107 545 1561-06
Laidback Hamner brings in big bag, grabs first-day lead at Bassmaster Classic on Grand Lake
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Limited Edition Jitterbugs to Commemorate Fred Arbogast’s Hall of Fame Induction
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – For Immediate Release – Mar. 22, 2024 – The Jitterbug was among Fred Arbogast’s signature creations and now a few iconic anglers are putting their signature on the Jitterbug as part of a collaborative effort to mark Arbogast’s election this year to the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame.
To commemorate Arbogast’s induction, PRADCO, which took ownership of the Arbogast brand in 1997, will produce a limited-edition version of the Arbogast Jitterbug with proceeds from their sale to benefit the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame. Approximately 1,200 lures will be produced in four custom colors. There will be a series of 300 baits autographed by Hall of Famer Bill Dance, 300 baits autographed by current Elite Series angler Jason Christie and 300 baits autographed by Hall of Famer Kevin VanDam. Another 300 baits will feature the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame logo.
The majority of lures will be sold through PRADCO’s online store at Lurenet.com while several sets will be auctioned off as part of Celebrate Bass Fishing Week in September, which culminates with the annual Hall of Fame induction banquet on Sept. 26 at Johnny Morris’ Wonders of Wildlife National Aquarium and Wildlife Museum in Springfield, Mo. Arbogast will be inducted along with Mike McKinnis, Skeet Reese, Alfred Williams and Mark Zona.
“This will be a very limited and special collection opportunity for anyone who is passionate about bass fishing or fishing lures,” Stanton added. “I can’t think of another series where you’ll have lures with designs and autographs by the most famous bass fisherman of all time in Bill Dance, the best tournament angler of all time in KVD and one of the top current anglers in 2022 Bassmaster Classic champ Jason Christie.”
This initiative will also feature a rare occurrence – cooperation between two fierce competitors in the tackle category. While VanDam has long been sponsored by Strike King, he was given permission to lend his name and support to the effort to honor Arbogast’s memory and contributions to the sport.
“To me, this shows how the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame brings the industry together to promote the lifestyle of bass fishing. While we are in a very competitive business environment, I think it’s commendable that the team at Rather Outdoors and Strike King wanted to participate in this project for the Hall of Fame,” said Bruce Stanton, the vice president and general manager for PRADCO’s fishing division and current vice president and president-elect of the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame. “We really appreciate KVD and the management team at Strike King – Rocky Kalsow, the President of Rather Outdoors North America, and Ken Eubanks, the CEO of Rather Outdoors – getting on board. I can’t think of another project where the top tournament pro of all time would lend his signature and credibility to a competitor’s product to support a non-profit organization.”
Released in 1939, the Jitterbug is unquestionably one of the most popular fishing lures of all-time, a testament to Arbogast’s creative vision. By attaching the cupped portion of two kitchen spoons to the end of a piece of a wooden broomstick, then placing hooks along the bottom, he was able to fashion one of the ultimate topwater baits because of its wobbling and plopping action.
“This is such an exciting thing to be a part of,” VanDam said. “We’re all competitive when it comes to selling baits, but when an opportunity like this comes along to honor a legend like Fred Arbogast and knowing the proceeds will benefit a great organization like the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame, we set those competitive elements aside.”
Additional details about the design of the special edition Jitterbugs will be released in the coming months.
For more information about Arbogast and rest of the Class of 2024 and other inductees, click here.
Bettering the “Bait Finesse” Fishing
DAIWA’s "pixy" PX BF70 baitcaster provides supreme performance in an ultralight, palmable package.
FOOTHILL RANCH, CA (March 22, 2024) – Just when you thought every conceivable freshwater fishing technique was a, “been there, done that,” something novel comes along. Such is the case with “Bait Finesse,” aka BF.
Like many hyper-techy methods, BF has Japanese origins. The allied Asian nation supports a robust number of anglers who pursue bass on a limited number of freshwater resources. Consequently, the fish, being under pressure, are warier and less likely to accept conventional North American bass baits like flamboyant spinnerbaits, aggressive topwaters, upsized crankbaits, and such.
So, to combat these challenging conditions, the Japanese developed BF. And like other specialized Japanese techniques and baits – dropshotting, spybaits, Senko worms, etc. – it’s come ashore to North American waters.
The baseline for BF is presenting smaller, more natural baits with the same authority achieved via their larger counterparts. To do so requires the downsizing of gear without sacrificing performance. And that necessitates specialized baitcasting gear.
The good news is that a dedicated BF baitcasting reel is now available stateside: DAIWA’s new PX BF70.
“It’s ninja fishing,” said DAIWA Marketing Manager about BF. “Think of those stealthy anglers who fish small lakes, ponds, streams, and canals. They travel light, and fish small and technically. BF is gaining momentum with this crowd.”
At the epicenter of Bait Finesse is a small, palmable, high-performance, baitcasting reel. “We wanted to eliminate as much weight as possible, while retaining impeccable performance,” said Mills about the design of the compact PX BF70. “The spool, for example, weighs only 8.4 grams (.30 ounces). We even used micro ball-bearings and an A7075 aircraft grade aluminum drive gear. Every little reduction in weight matters for micro fishing.”
The PX BF70’s featherweight, precision spool is constructed of the same exceptionally thin, yet durable A7075 aircraft grade aluminum and requires minimal inertia to initiate. “An exceptionally light spool is required to cast such small lures,” said Mills. How small? BF bassers throw tiny hair jigs, inline spinners, and miniature jerkbaits, like DAIWA’s 2-inch Dr. Minnow.
Mills added, “The PX BF70 also features an aluminum frame and sideplates. Aluminum eliminates even more weight while adding strength and durability.”
Casting distance and accuracy are key to Bait Finesse. Casts aren’t long – 20 to 50-feet – but relative to the lightness of the lures, it can seem like a million miles. The DAIWA PX BF70 was engineered to operate in that space, and with unparalleled accuracy.
Mills talked about spooling up your PX BF70: “The reel isn’t intended to hold a ton of line, maybe 50-yards of straight fluorocarbon or a 100-yards of light braid. Rather, it’s built to manage a small amount of line with exactness.” Mills says BF calls for 4- to 10-lb. test in a superline – like J-Braid Grand x8 – with a 2- to 8-lb. J-Fluoro fluorocarbon leader.
Besides pitch-and-retrieve baits like micro crankbaits and inline spinners, Mills says BF applies to dropshotting, as well as Neko, Ned, and Wacky Rigging. Essentially, all your favorite finesse bassing techniques can be further refined.
But BF isn’t limited to bass fishing. The system has been embraced by trout anglers walking the banks of ponds and wading streams. An alternative to spinning gear, select trout anglers like the feel, control, and distance BF baitcasters provide.
And it doesn’t end there… The panfish possibilities are endless. Big, spring, spawning-sized crappies operating around timber require surgical strikes. Same for hunting bluegills in weed pockets. You get the idea…
The new PX BF70 includes other signature DAIWA technologies:
T-Wing System (TWS)
The revolutionary system addresses the issue of traditional line guide/level-wind structures that constrict line flow by utilizing a T-shaped line guide that is larger, wider, and less restricted. TWS allows line to exit freely from the spool with minimal line angle and friction to reduce line noise and backlash and deliver more accurate and longer casts.
Ultimate Tournament Drag (UTD)
A drag system that combines low inertia with maximum fish stopping power. UTD utilizes advanced carbon washers, alloy, and stainless steel drag plates with specially formulated grease for supreme smoothness.
Zero Adjuster
Fine tuning the factory setting is breeze with the Zero Adjuster, which provides precise control over spool tension, accommodating various lure weights and fishing conditions with a simple dial on the non-handle side.
DAIWA PX BF70 FEATURES:
- Aluminum frame and sideplates
- A7075 aircraft aluminum grade drive gear
- Extreme finesse A7075 AIR spool
- Micro ball-bearings
- T-Wing System (TWS)
- Ultimate Tournament Drag (UTD)
- 90mm Swept Handle
$349.99
BASSMASTER CLASSIC EXPO SPECIALS
For Daiwa’s latest color catalog and/or information on Daiwa dealers in your area, call Daiwa’s Customer Service Department at 562-375-6800 or e-mail inquiries to: CSR@Daiwa.com. The URL for Daiwa’s web site is daiwa.us
100% chance Jocumsen and Huff will cast classic shallow lures on Grand
By Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships
There’s good news for Bassmaster Classic fans who haven’t jumped on board the forward-facing sonar train. At least two of pro fishing’s brightest young stars say there’s a 100-percent chance they’ll cast shallow crankbaits, spinnerbaits, and an old school black and blue jig on Grand Lake.
With Grand Lake pool elevation at 742-feet above sea level, that doesn’t leave a lot of shoreline bushes or willow trees flooded, but water temps are right around 60, it’s late March in Northeast Oklahoma, and both pros say that simply equates to quality largemouth moving shallower each day toward the spawn.
All that leads to using time-proven shallow power fishing lures.
Carl Jocumsen, the beloved Australian, who actually spent three years living in Bixby, OK, learned years ago that a squarebill crankbait like Rapala’s Rocco is a staple on Grand, and says it should hunt successfully in water depths of around 4-feet this weekend.
“You can also bet I’ll be throwing a Bassman spinnerbait. They’re actually my longest running sponsor, but most serious anglers would agree, that a spinnerbait has probably caught more bass on Grand Lake the past 50 years, than any other lure, so it’s kind of a no-brainer,” says the Yamaha pro.
Cody Huff, who hails from nearby Ava, MO, knows Grand pretty well, and is also known as one of America’s most accomplished forward-facing sonar users. He’s won nearly half-a-million dollars with the much-debated technology, but says if he wins this weekend on Grand, it will likely be on a Rapala OG Tiny crankbait.
“It’s like a little miniature 4-wheel drive, but it’s also subtle enough to get bit when other shallow crankbaits won’t,” says the easy-going Toyota Bonus Bucks member.
When asked why he also chose a big jig when water levels aren’t flooding much habitat, he didn’t hesitate.
“It’s simple, they still eat a jig at Grand Lake in the springtime, and anytime I encounter an isolated log or piece of shallow cover, that’s the bait I want handy,” Huff explains with confidence.
So, there you have it, bass fans, in a world clouded by debate over technology even young anglers know there’s still a place for spinnerbaits, shallow cranks, and jigs.
In fact, Jocumsen and Huff agree there’s a 100-percent chance this 54 th Bassmaster Classic is one of them.
MLF’s Fisheries Management Division Improves Logan Martin Lake with Events in Conjunction with REDCREST 2024
CROPWELL, Ala. (March 21, 2024) – Alabama anglers and fishing enthusiasts that enjoy Logan Martin Lake might notice their lakeshore a little bit cleaner, and the fish a little healthier over the coming weeks.
On Saturday morning, while the top 20 anglers competed on Lay Lake at Major League Fishing’s (MLF) Bass Pro Shops REDCREST 2024 Powered by OPTIMA Lithium, the MLF Fisheries Management Division, MLF staff, Bass Pro Tour anglers Gary Klein and Grae Buck, and Alabama Power staff kicked off the Renew Our Rivers – Lake Logan Martin (Coosa River) weeklong clean up.
Alabama Power’s Environmental Affairs Specialist Mike Clelland captained their clean up barge to secluded areas of the lake with angler volunteers while the MLF staff and FMD led the clean up on the shoreline of Pell City Lakeside Park.
“It’s outstanding to see the effort this community puts into keeping their lake beautiful, and I’m humbled to be a small part of this kick-off event” said Bass Pro Tour angler Grae Buck.
At the end of the morning the cleanup teams met and offloaded the barge full of trash at the city dumpsters that were provided for the week-long event.
Then, after the REDCREST championship event wrapped up on Sunday night, the MLF FMD was right back to work on Monday morning.
On Monday, the FMD, MLF staff, Klein, Alabama Power Environmental Affairs employees, and local volunteers built and deployed artificial fish habitat into Lake Logan Martin from Lakeside Park in Pell City at the Minn Kota Habitat Restoration Project Supported by KVD Foundation and MossBack Fish Habitat.
A REDCREST tradition with Minn Kota, the KVD Foundation, and MossBack Fish Habitat , the MLF FMD provides the local host community with a habitat restoration project following MLF’s most prestigious event. The project started with a generous donation of $5,000 from the KVD Foundation, which was then matched by MossBack Fish Habitat. The two groups combined to provide Alabama Power with $10,000 in artificial habitat product. Before the habitat hit the water it was on display all weekend long at the MLF Outdoors Sports Expo for fans to see in the Minn Kota MossBack Fish Habitat Experience booth.
The habitat was weighed down using anchoring materials supplied by Lowe’s (Store No. 1737) in Leeds, Alabama. The products were deployed using two habitat barges owned and operated by Alabama Power.
Kevin VanDam said about the project “We are extremely proud to provide our third consecutive year of support with the KVD Foundation at REDCREST and showcase Minn Kota’s continual commitment to the bass fishing community and habitat restoration.”
The waypoint of each habitat location will be made available by Alabama Power on their website, as well as on the Shorelines mobile app. Visit AlabamaPower.com to read more about the 25 years of conservation work completed by Alabama Power.
Alabama Power’s commitment to Alabama waterways is unparalleled. They started their conservation efforts with the Coosa River clean up in 2000. Over the past 24 years, the program has evolved into the nation’s largest river clean-up program, now known as Renew our Rivers. Since its inception, 16 million pounds of trash have been collected by more than 120,000 volunteers.
To learn more about Renew Our Rivers visit APCShorelines.com, or download the Alabama Power Shorelines App. To view the schedule for all upcoming Renew our River events, visit https://apcshorelines.com/recreation/renew-our-rivers.
For complete details and updated information on the Major League Fishing FMD, the Bass Pro Tour and REDCREST 2024, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery Channel, Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 17 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.
Easy Easton Ready for the Classic Stage
By Luke Stoner - Dynamic Sponsorships
Even at the ripe age of 21-years young, Easton Fothergill is about as even-keeled and easy-going as a bass angler gets. Fothergill is college fishing’s representative in the 2024 Bassmaster Classic after coming out on top of the gauntlet that is the College Bassmaster Classic bracket in the fall of 2023.
As the bracket champion, Easton won a year lease for a 2023 Toyota Tundra and Nitro Z20 wrapped in his school colors, paid entry fees into all nine Bassmaster Opens as an EQ qualifier, and a spot in bass fishing’s biggest tournament. The University of Montevallo angler has proved unflappable whether he’s fishing college events, competing at the Opens level, or even having emergency brain surgery just weeks before the Classic Bracket last fall. Fothergill grew up in Minnesota before moving to Alabama for school, perhaps his cold-blooded nature comes from his northern roots. That being said, Fothergill admitted he’s feeling his nerves a bit now that he’s navigating the pressure-cooker that is the Bassmaster Classic week.
“Honestly I’ve felt very normal until I drove into downtown Tulsa for our first round of meetings on Tuesday… now it’s all kind of hitting me,” Fothergill said. “Grand is a big, pretty lake and with only 50 of us fishing it felt like I was practicing for any old tournament. But to drive into a big city for a tournament registration felt very not normal. “Then we toured the giant BOK Arena today before Media Day, a place I normally would only go to see a big concert or something, and to think I will be weighing in inside of there tomorrow… it’s crazy.”
“Crazy” is an accurate descriptor when comparing the jam-packed Classic schedule to any other tournament or experience Fothergill has under his belt. But Fothergill is still far from rattled. He’s proven his poise already this year through three events in the Bassmaster Open EQs, where he currently sits in fifth place of the points race among some of the biggest names in bass fishing.
After describing his practice as “decent”, not too great and not too bad, Fothergill heads into the biggest tournament of his young life riding the well-balanced wave he seemingly always maintains. His demeanor and fishing abilities continue to impress to the point it would surprise few to see Fothergill near the top of the leaderboard throughout the weekend.
“This week has made me realize why this is such a hard tournament to do well in,” Fothergill said. “With how much the fish change and move this time of year, our practice mixed in with multiple off days means a lot of what I saw (in practice) might not mean a whole lot. I’m just trying to enjoy the experience while staying focused on doing well inv the tournament. I’m going to start in an area I have confidence in and hope the fish help me decide the rest.”
Arey’s only missing one trophy
By Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorship
If Matt Arey’s boat number at this year’s Bassmaster Classic is any indication of good things to come, then #22 might just lead to first place. Arey is the ultimate ‘girl dad’ and his two
young daughters love Taylor Swift’s hit song “22”. Arey admits his soul’s still not over dancing as a bridesmaid following his second-place finish to buddy, Hank Cherry at the Bassmaster Classic in Fort Worth three years ago. But the North Carolina angler’s track record of Top 5 finishes on Grand Lake are astonishing enough to make him a strong favorite to finally touch the first-place trophy that’s eluded him thus far.
In FLW Costa series events on Grand Lake, he bagged a 2 nd , 3 rd , and 4 th place finish between 2015 and 2017, but much like the Bassmaster Classic, never quite secured a victory.
“Those three finishes were a mix of mostly bed fishing, but also moving slow with a jig in the pre-spawn. I just feel at home in Ozark area lakes because you can visually read the shoreline transitions without depending on forward-facing sonar. Grand Lake, much like Beaver Lake, is a pattern-oriented lake, and I like that. Emily and I built our home using my winnings on Beaver Lake,” smiles the Team Toyota angler.
Arey’s track-record as a pro is tough to rival, 15-straight end of the year championships, including five straight Classics since joining the Elite Series, but still a win has escaped him like
a blackjack oak leaf being blown by the March winds that come sweeping down the Oklahoma plains.
“I’ve had some very, very, special weeks on Grand Lake, but not quite special enough,” laments Arey hours before the start of the 54 th Bassmaster Classic.
A consummate professional and fantastic family man, it’s hard not to root for Arey to finally put his hands-on pro bass fishing’s most coveted trophy. If he does, count on Taylor Swift’s
song “22” to be a part of the music played at the Champion’s Toast party Sunday night in Tulsa.
Hover Missile Launch, Classic Exclusives, and More
Salem, Va. – March 19, 2024 –Missile Baits is launching the new Hover Missile jig heads to capitalize on the red-hot mid-strolling technique for catching suspended bass. Available in three hook sizes with multiple weights to choose from, the missile shaped weight is centered on the hook shank for an erratic horizontal fall. Missile Baits produced a run of hand tied rubber skirts by Greenfish Tackle on their popular Mini Flip and Head Banger jigs only available at the 2024 Bassmaster Classic. Missile Baits is also now selling loose silicone skirts from their mini and full-size skirt line ups.
“FFS techniques are really taking off and the tackle use is just now evolving. Built around a high quality Gamakatsu hook, the Hover Missile is a functional way to rig a soft plastic minnow bait like the Spunk Shad and fish for those bass in the middle of the water column. After the action, the slickest part is the toothpick and hole so it prevents the bait from twisting on the hook,” says John Crews, Missile Baits owner and professional bass angler.
The Hover Missile (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sv9QgoVh0es) addresses a tricky technique with a functionally designed jig head. The high quality 90-degree jig hook helps the bait have the erratic and drifting action when paired with the missile shaped weight along the hook shank. A patented anchoring hole in the top fin of the missile weight allows a toothpick to be inserted through your bait and the hole, so your bait does not twist. Simply clip off the exposed part of the toothpick and the bait is locked into place. The #1 size hook comes in 1/32, 1/16, and 1/8 ounce sizes. The 2/0 hook comes in 1/16, 1/8, and 3/16 ounce sizes. 2/0 and #1 hook sizes come in three packs for a retail price of $5.99. The 4/0 hook comes in 1/4 and 3/8 ounce sizes, which come in two packs for a $5.69 retail price.
The 2024 Bassmaster Classic in Tulsa is going to be the place the public can first purchase the Hover Missiles and the HTR (Hand Tied Rubber) series by Greenfish Tackle of Mini Flip and Head Banger jigs. Two sizes and four colors of the Mini Flips including Green Pumpkin and Bruiser will be available. Two sizes and two colors of the Head Bangers including PB&J will be available. The HTR jigs will sell for $6.99 each. Also available at the Classic and at all retailers are the new Mini Skirts and Full Skirts from Missile Baits. They feature 3 packs of the double banded mini or full-sized silicone skirts from the Ike’s series of jigs for a retail price of $4.69. A variety of colors are offered in both the Mini and Full Skirts.
# # #
MISSILE BAITS is a small company dedicated to creating SERIOUS soft plastic baits to help anglers catch more fish. The designs are straight off the top-level professional bass tour. Based in Salem, Virginia, MISSILE BAITS works relentlessly to make the best baits, show their customers how to use them, and stay on the cutting edge of bass fishing. Founded in January 2012, new products and videos will continue to be launched. Log onto www.MISSILEBAITS.com for videos, tips, forums, and more.
For information: www.MISSILEBAITS.com, or
Contact: John Crews at
MISSILE BAITS
Phone: (855) HOOKSET (855-466-5738)
www.MISSILEBAITS.com
Classic Underdog Rasmussen Looks to Continue Championship Domination With Humminbird and Minn Kota
Humminbird and Minn Kota pro Adam Rasmussen looks to complete the underdog story and continue the championship domination at the 2024 Bassmaster Classic.
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Eat Like a Champion at Casa Vieja Lodge
By Pete Robbins - Half Past First Cast
Old Town® Introduces Limited Edition AutoPilot
The Old Town Sportsman AutoPilot remains the pinnacle watercraft for hands-free fishing. Anglers can command this high-tech kayak using the i-Pilot remote with just the touch of a thumb. The fully integrated 45lb thrust saltwater-ready motor leverages Minn Kota’s Spot-Lock technology, enabling anglers to motor to their fishing spot faster and virtually anchor with the push of a button. The AutoPilot comes complete with tournament-ready features, including a thru-hull wiring kit, catch tray channels, shallow water anchor mount, flush mount rod holders, and XL rudder designed for improved boat control in forward or reverse. Additionally, consumers can rest assured knowing all Old Town® boats are built on a legacy of quality and innovation and manufactured in Maine, USA.
For more information on Old Town® and where to find a Limited Edition Fire Tiger kayak, visit oldtownwatercraft.johnsonoutdoors.com.
JOHNSON OUTDOORS is a leading global innovator of outdoor recreation equipment and technologies that inspire more people to experience the awe of the great outdoors. The company designs, manufactures and markets a portfolio of winning, consumer-preferred brands across four categories: Watercraft Recreation, Fishing, Diving and Camping. Johnson Outdoors' iconic brands include: Old Town® canoes and kayaks; Carlisle® paddles; Minn Kota® trolling motors, shallow water anchors and battery chargers; Cannon® downriggers; Humminbird® marine electronics and charts; SCUBAPRO® dive equipment; Jetboil® outdoor cooking systems; and, Eureka!®camping and hiking equipment. Visit Johnson Outdoors at http://www.johnsonoutdoors.com
Visit Old Town Watercraft at http://oldtownwatercraft.johnsonoutdoors.com/
What’s Gussy’s Gameplan?
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Plug & Play Rigging for Today’s Advanced Trolling Motors
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Connect-Ease® 2.0 PRO Trolling Connection Kits provide anglers with reliable, plug & play rigging systems (w/onboard charging) for today’s newest trolling motors & lithium or AGM batteries |
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PRIOR LAKE, MN (March 18, 2024) – For anglers running today’s newest brushed or brushless, direct-drive, and more powerful 12-, 24-, and 36-volt bow-mount trolling motors, Connect-Ease® is proud to introduce the Connect-Ease 2.0 PRO Trolling Motor Connection Kit w/Onboard Charging, which features heavier-duty 6-gauge wire and many other engineering advances. For 36-volt trolling motors like the new Minn Kota QUEST Series, Garmin Force Kraken, Lowrance GHOST, Power-Pole MOVE, MotorGuide Tour Pro, and Rhodan models, the Connect-Ease 2.0 36V Series PRO Trolling Motor Connection Kit W/Onboard Charging is incredibly easy-to-install, protects your investment, and offers peace of mind while fishing mission-critical, tournament or big water situations. But you don’t have to be a pro angler to utilize the new Connect-Ease 2.0 kit—any angler or boater who simply wants his boat or pontoon to work perfectly every time on the water—will benefit from a Connect-Ease 2.0 Pro Trolling Motor Connection Kit w/Onboard Charging. |
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What’s Included: NEW Connect-Ease 2.0 (RCE36VPRO) 36V Trolling Motor/Charger Kit The Connect-Ease 2.0 PRO 36V Trolling Motor/Charger Kit includes three 12-volt battery series connections and charger leads to connect both your bow-mount trolling motor and onboard charger. While the components could be considered over-engineered, Connect-Ease 2.0’s mission was to provide a no-fail power distribution network no matter what kind of on-the-water situations you encounter, from fishing the Great Lakes or heavy current river fisheries to a weekend off work relaxing on the pontoon or skiff. Fact: Believe it or not, but a lot of boat manufacturers, dealers, and riggers do not use marine-grade wire. On the contrary, every Connect-Ease 2.0 PRO 36V Series Pro Trolling Motor Connection Kit w/Onboard Charging includes thick, efficient, and long-lasting 6-gauge (AWG) marine-grade tinned copper wire and components that protect from corrosion, electrolysis, and fatigue due to boat vibration and flexing in waves and wind. Heavy-duty insulation offers additional heat, cold, abrasion, and vibration resistance. In fact, Connect-Ease 6-gauge (AWG) marine-grade wire exceeds all UL 1426 U.S. Coast Guard Charter Boat and ABYC standards, something we didn’t have to do, but did. While it cost us more at the onset, we built-these professional components into the new kit because we wanted all anglers and boaters to benefit from the same, pro-grade materials we use in our own 36-volt trolling motor rigging for problem-free operation in critical fishing and boating situations—from big league bass/walleye tournaments to hard-earned time-off-work. Additionally, the Connect-Ease 2.0 36V Series PRO Trolling Motor Connection Kit w/Onboard Charging includes a 60 amp Resettable Circuit Breaker and Negative Connection Block with direct connection leads and heat-shrinkable butt splices to quickly and securely connect the kit to chargers manufactured by Minn Kota, NoCo, PowerPole, Battery Tender, Dakota Lithium and countless others. |
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The end result for the angler/boater? You’ll never have to worry about your 36-volt trolling motor being powered correctly again with Connect-Ease 2.0 PRO. Whether you’re running standard or new, high-output Minn Kota QUEST, Garmin Force Kraken, Lowrance Ghost, Power-Pole MOVE, or MotorGuide Tour Grade 24- and 36-volt trolling motors, what you get with the Connect-Ease 2.0 Pro Trolling Motor Connection Kits w/Onboard Charging is pure, clean power from your batteries to the trolling motor and charger, end of story. For anglers running 24V trolling motors, the Connect-Ease 2.0 PRO 24V Pro Trolling Motor Kit (RCE24VPROCHK) offers similar advantages with onboard charging and lithium compatibility. Talking specs, both the new Connect-Ease 2.0 24V and 36V Series PRO Trolling Motor Connection Kits w/Onboard Charging will distribute and manage up to 150 amps of power. |
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Whether you’re going to rig a new boat, re-rig an older boat, or seek out marine professionals to help you switch out trolling motor batteries, power distribution, and marine electronics for the season, Connect-Ease products promise problem-free operation of today’s latest and greatest, from today’s more powerful and advanced trolling motors to forward-facing sonar technologies. We like to say: “More time fishing, less time rigging.” |
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Coiling, Springing, and Bass are Waiting
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DAIWA EVER GREEN introduces new 12-inch version of Japanese-borne worm perfect for clear water conditions and pressured bass. |
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FOOTHILL RANCH, CA (March 18, 2024) – Launched in 2023, the original 8-inch Bow Worm Noodle quickly grew in popularity. And now, adding four additional inches of coiling and springing, the new 12-inch Bow Worm Noodle – first available at the upcoming 2024 Bassmaster Classic Expo – is sure to please even more anglers…and bigger bass. Although a full foot-long, it’s not another Floridian “speed worm” design. Quite the opposite. The EVER GREEN Bow Worm Noodle is intended for fishing weightless, wacky, Neko, or via dropshot. For example, when rigged wacky-style or on a dropshot hook, the Bow Worm Noodle undulates and coils with the slightest movement of the rod, the ultra-thin diameter soft plastic pulsing and writhing like a real nightcrawler. Add any amount of current and it’s even more lifelike. Besides its slinking movement, the Bow Worm Noodle features an EVER GREEN-formulated “Special Formula” scent comprised of real shrimp, squid, and baitfish impregnated into the salt-heavy plastic, thus encouraging more bites and bass to hang onto the artificial offering longer. |
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SPECIAL MIMIZU |
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NATURAL EEL |
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DARK PLUM |
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GREEN PUMPKIN BLACK FLAKE |
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“This original 8-incher has been huge for us,” said DAIWA Marketing Manager, Marc Mills. “The interest gained serious momentum through word-of-mouth and social media. Bass anglers are catching lots of fish—and some big ones—on these worms.” Mills continued: “Unlike most worm designs that are thick, the Bow Worm Noodle is thin, like spaghetti. You can fish them a lot of different ways, but it really comes to life nose-hooked with #4 Mustad light-wire Mosquito hook on a dropshot. Most worms just kind of sit there and maybe move a little bit. The Bow Worm Noodle rolls and flips on top of itself. Bounce your dropshot off a rock and the Bow Worm Noodle will roll up on itself, then extend again,” offers Mills. “All I can say is it’s money. You can catch everything from average-size fish to Southern California 10- to 12-pounders. When a bass eats it, the worm rolls up in its mouth just like a real worm. They’re awesome—and nobody’s making these. I’m super pumped.” Looking for the next hot bait for extremely tough conditions like clear waters and highly-pressured lakes? Look no further than the new EVER GREEN Bow Worm Noodle. Available in #01 Green Pumpkin BK; #11 Dark Plum; #90 Natural Eel; and #135 Special Mimizu. MSRP $10.99 per pack |
Fishing Channel Swings in Pre Spawn
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DAIWA: Betting on Your Bass Fishing Success
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New Zillion technique-specific rod series being introduced at the Bassmaster Classic Expo |
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FOOTHILL RANCH, CA (March 15, 2024) – With unique rod technology features from the blanks to the the reel seat, DAIWA is putting the odds in your favor for a successful day targeting bass with its new 16-model Zillion bass rod series, being debuted at the upcoming Bassmaster Classic Expo on March 22-24, 2024 and now being shipped to tackle dealers throughout the U.S. and Canada. The 16-model Zillion rod lineup includes four casting and two spinning models built on DAIWA’s ‘Flex Light’ fiberglass blanks primarily for use with lures retrieved with constant tension, and seven casting and three spinning rods featuring DAIWA’s proprietary SVF Nanoplus technology blank construction, for slack line, bottom contact, and power fishing techniques. |
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A rod series is designed to pair with the right DAIWA Zillion reel – be it the Zillion 10.0 SV TW for flipping/pitching and burning lipless cranks, the Zillion SV TW 100 series offered in three different gear ratios, or the Zillion TW HD 150 when the situation calls for heavier mono or braid and more line capacity, all the new Zillion rods feature DAIWA’s cutting-edge Carbon MQ grip butt section. “Anglers will quickly notice the unique look of all the Zillion rods with our Carbon MG grip and then the advantage of this design when put to use,” said Chris Martin, DAIWA’s field marketing specialist and an avid bass angler. “This design feature allows exceptional energy transfer through all contact points on the rod for outstanding sensitivity – up to 26% more sensitive than EVA or cork grip rods – allowing anglers to be more aware of what their lure and fish are doing beneath the surface,” explains Martin, “plus the reduced rod weight achieved with the Carbon MQ grips mean reduced fatigue from all-day casting and retrieving efforts, plus more comfort and control.” |
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Putting focus on the lures and techniques anglers use to target bass, DAIWA’s rod development staff designed two different rod blank concepts in the construction of Zillion bass rods. The six ‘Flex Light’ rods offer more forgiving, more flexible attributes when using lures that are retrieved with a more constant retrieve, such as bladed jigs, jerkbaits, spinnerbaits, and crankbaits. “With the use of DAIWA’s GLATECH fiberglass in the blank construction, we’re able to offer the forgiving rod performance needed with these types of lures,” Martin said. “They’ll absorb a powerful hookset without pulling the hook due to the Flex-Light blank design.” Martin notes the 6’10” Zillion 6101MHRB-FL casting rod will be a favorite for using bladed jigs, where anglers will get the needed casting distance, but with an under 7-foot length that can provide more accurate casts. He adds the 7-foot Zillion 701MLMRB-FL is the ‘versatile’ rod in the ‘Flex-Light’ lineup that works well with many types of moving baits. |
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DAIWA’s standard flex Zillion rods feature models for a wide assortment of bass fishing techniques, from skipping docks, pitching and flipping, flinging A-rigs, casting swim jigs or working frogs, along with bottom contact drop shots, Ned and wacky rigs, shakey heads, and other finesse needs. Martin notes the Zillion 661MXB casting rod – nicknamed the ‘skipping special’ – can thoroughly take advantage of the ‘SV’ feature within the Zillion baitcasting reels, which allows the spool design to interact with the braking system to provide maximum control and ease of use. “This can be the ideal rod/reel set-up for anglers who usually avoid the fish-catching advantages of skipping baits due to struggling with the technique,” Martin said. “There's no reason to get frustrated while bass fishing when you put the right reel and rod together to master any technique called for.” |
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So, what’s the right Zillion bass rod for you? While Martin says there’s a Zillion rod for most technique-specific situations, “check out the ‘multi-purpose’ Zillion 731MHFB to gauge how the rod feels in your hand, your comfort with Carbon MQ rear grip, and the overall lightweight feel from blank construction and our use of the DAIWA’s exclusive Air Sensor reel seat. We think you can elevate your bass fishing experience to new heights.” Within the Zillion lineup, all 16 rods feature DAIWA’s Air Sensor Seat that transfers even the slightest rod tip vibration to the anglers’ hand to further enhance sensitivity, plus Fuji’s K Alconite Guide system to ensures durability and smooth line management. The 10 standard flex graphite blank Zillion with SVF Nanoplus technology for exceptional strength and responsiveness, also include X45 blank construction technology to reduce rod twist for more accurate and longer casts. Now being shipped to tackle dealers as a prelude to their formal introduction in Tulsa, Okla. at the Bassmaster Classic Expo – the new Zillion rods will only be available from shops in the U.S. and Canada. All the Zillion rods retail for $329.99 (USD). |
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Zillion FEATURES:
MSRP $349.99 NOW SHIPPING! |
CONSERVATION: "America's Salmon Forest"
Take a journey into Alaska's Tongass National Forest where krill put the pink in salmon and brown bear tap into the annual spawning run.
Forestville, WI (March 18, 2024) – From the tiniest of aquatic life to the largest creatures in the ocean, all are connected by a giant food web. In Alaska’s Tongass National Forest, this is no exception. With species like salmon that connect their food web to freshwater species and saltwater species, this can get a little confusing! Untangle this web with us as we learn how all species are connected, and how the health of these ecosystems are managed by the US Forest Service!
Educational partners include the Future Angler Foundation, Trout Unlimited, and the US Forest Service.
Wagoner’s Eli Brumnett Posts Second Career Win at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Lake Eufaula
Wagoner’s Lane Tops Strike King Co-Angler Division
EUFAULA, Okla. (March 18, 2024) – Boater Eli Brumnett of Wagoner, Oklahoma, caught a five-bass limit weighing 19 pounds, 15 ounces, Saturday to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on Lake Eufaula . Hosted by Vision Eufaula, the tournament was the second event of the season for the BFL Okie Division. Brumnett earned $11,046, including the lucrative $7,000 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus, for his victory.
For Brumnett, one of the keys to his win was following the mudline on Eufaula – the result of heavy rains earlier in the week.
“I think they (the fish) relate to it,” the 25-year-old plumber said. “I’ve always followed the mudline. I never go past it. I feel like that mudline pushes those fish out, and I’ve just always followed it. And I seem to get a better-quality bite on it.”
In practice, he caught a 6 1/2-pounder off a dock near the mudline midway back in a creek, but he knew the muddy runoff would continue advancing out toward the main lake.
“I ended up starting there (the creek where he practiced) along with about 30 other boats,” he said. “I caught one 5-pounder and couldn’t get another bite. So I ran to another spot, and I basically just followed the mudline out. Those fish were sitting right on the mudline. I had one more spot and caught all my weight in one spot on a jig and an A-rig.”
According to Brumnett, who competes in the Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine and the Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats, the second spot was right at the mouth of a creek. It was actually not the exact spot he had planned to fish. When he got to his target area, there were two boats already sitting there. So, he slid over to a nearby spot and wound up catching a 4-pounder within a few casts.
For the next three and a half hours, he worked back and forth along a 40-yard stretch, fishing just 2 to 5 feet deep.
Brumnett caught fish on a homemade football jig with a Living Rubber skirt and a Stealth Lures Stealth Rig – an umbrella rig – with Keitech 3.8 Swing Impact FAT Swimbaits in the crystal shad color.
“At first, I was throwing 1/16-ounce heads on my A-rig,” he said. “I noticed I got a lot of followers, and whenever I started to speed it up those fish would react to it a lot better and bite. So then I switched to 1/8-ounce heads. I was throwing it up in that shallower water and I was burning it back. I was keeping my bait 6 to 8 inches under the water’s surface.”
Having the right equipment also was key. Brumnett used his Garmin LiveScope system, not to spot and catch fish, but to make sure his bait was staying off the bottom in the shallow water. Plus, he credited his batteries as an important part of his success.
“(I relied on my) PowerHouse Lithium batteries for keeping me going on that three-and-a-half-hour-long stretch. I left all my graphs on all day and never had to sleep ’em.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:
1st: Eli Brumnett, Wagoner, Okla., five bass, 19-15, $11,046 (includes $7,000 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
2nd: Jeff Edwards, Sand Springs, Okla., five bass, 19-3, $2,578
3rd: Justin Phillips, Checotah, Okla., five bass, 17-9, $1,348
4th: Brett Brumnett, Wagoner, Okla., five bass, 16-12, $944
5th: Shawn Mote, Ardmore, Okla., five bass, 15-14, $809
6th: Kollin Crawford, Broken Bow, Okla., five bass, 15-4, $742
7th: Chris M. Jones, Bokoshe, Okla., five bass, 15-3, $640
7th: Bradley Sullivan, Shawnee, Okla., five bass, 15-3, $640
9th: Wesley Bissett, Broken Arrow, Okla., five bass, 14-15, $539
10th: Camden Kozikoski, Edmond, Okla., five bass, 14-4, $772
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Jeff Edwards of Sand Springs, Oklahoma, caught a bass that weighed 6 pounds, 9 ounces, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $555.
Kaleb O’Brien of Wagoner, Oklahoma, won the Strike King co-angler division and $2,023 Saturday, after bringing five bass to the scale that totaled 18 pounds, 2 ounces.
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers finished:
1st: Kaleb O’Brien, Wagoner, Okla., five bass, 18-2, $2,023
2nd: J.R. Pickett, Rose Hill, Kan., four bass, 12-8, $1,011
3rd: Bruce Jordan, Muldrow, Okla., four bass, 11-1, $674
4th: Brandon Pickett, Sherman, Texas, five bass, 10-11, $472
5th: Justin Nobles, Owasso, Okla., five bass, 10-8, $405
6th: Dennis Buck, Joplin, Mo., four bass, 9-11, $371
7th: Marco Flores, Topeka, Kan., three bass, 9-9, $337
8th: Wes Ledbetter, Coweta, Okla., five bass, 9-4, $303
9th: Paul Rider, Oklahoma City, Okla., three bass, 9-3, $270
10th: Brianna Batton, Norman, Okla., three bass, 8-13, $236
Paul Lane of Wagoner, Oklahoma, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $277, catching a bass that weighed in at 5 pounds, 15 ounces – the largest co-angler catch of the day.
After two events, Shawn Mote of Ardmore, Oklahoma, leads the Fishing Clash Okie Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 493 points, while Alan Hill of Ada, Oklahoma, leads the Fishing Clash Okie Division Strike King Co-Angler of the Year race with 479 points.
The next event for BFL Okie Division anglers will be held April 27, at Fort Gibson Lake in Wagoner, Oklahoma. To register for the event as a boater or a co-angler, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com or call (270)-252-1000.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, will qualify for the Oct. 17-19 BFL Regional tournament on Wright Patman Lake in Texarkana, Texas. Boaters will fish for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $50,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard.
The 2024 Phoenix BFL Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 events throughout the season, five qualifying tournaments in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five qualifying event winners, will advance to one of six BFL Regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American.
Proud sponsors of the 2024 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 7Brew, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, E3, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, General Tire, GSM Outdoors, Lew’s, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Suzuki, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota and YETI.
For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Bass Fishing League updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery Channel, Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 17 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.
Dustin Connell Wins Major League Fishing’s Bass Pro Shops REDCREST 2024 Powered by OPTIMA Lithium on Lay Lake
Clanton, Alabama’s Dustin Connell becomes first angler to earn two REDCREST Championship Titles, earns top payout of $300,000
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (March 17, 2024) – Just about every day in the 13 months since Major League Fishing announced that Bass Pro Shops REDCREST 2024 Powered by OPTIMA Lithium would take place on Lay Lake, Dustin Connell has thought about what it would be like to taste victory at the Coosa River impoundment where he grew up fishing.
But in all his dreaming, scheming and practicing, the Clanton, Alabama, native didn’t envision this.
Connell routed the rest of the Championship Round field Sunday, stacking 28 scorable bass for 83 pounds on SCORETRACKER® – more than 30 pounds better than runner-up Alton Jones, Jr. of Waco, Texas. The dominant performance earned Connell $300,000 and made him the first ever two-time winner of the Bass Pro Tour’s championship event.
It wasn’t just his margin of victory that surprised Connell but how he made it happen. As recently as Saturday evening, he planned to spend the final day fishing current seams in the riverine portion of the reservoir, as he had during the Knockout Round. But at the last minute, he called an audible, opting to start on the lower end of the lake targeting suspended, schooling spotted bass. One of several clutch decisions he made over the four-day event, doing so led to Connell landing on a pile of unpressured bass and unleashing an avalanche that buried the rest of the Top 10.
“This tournament has been on my radar ever since they announced it last year,” Connell said. “I’m like, ‘Oh man, I gotta win that one. That’s a great opportunity. I gotta win that one.’ And I won it today unexpectedly. I didn’t know that many [were] in there. They just moved in there.”
Competing on a fishery that an angler knows well comes with obvious advantages. Connell put his lifetime of experience on the Coosa River to use all week – knowing how baitfish and bass would behave amid the heavy current that rolled through Lay Lake, where bass would set up in that current, the best baits to trigger bites.
But there’s a reason so many anglers talk about the “home-lake curse”: Remembering places and ways one has caught fish in the past can get in the way of finding the best way to do so at the present.
Connell wasn't immune to the pull of history, but he made it a point to base his decisions about where to fish on what he saw on the water, not where he’d found success before.
“When I’m running down the river, I’ve caught ‘em on so many different places, and I’m like, golly, I need to stop, I need to stop,” Connell said. “But I told myself before I fished this tournament, I said, ‘I’m going to fish this lake like I would any other one, not run off of history.’ I wanted to fish it brand new. And I did all week. I did really, really good practicing and just trying to find new areas.”
Key for Connell was turning over every possible stone to discover what could be the winning area. Not only during practice but also the two-day Qualifying Round, he visited every section of the lake, switching between techniques – shaking a jighead minnow for suspended fish, swimming a jig in grass, rolling a spinnerbait around laydowns, plying current seams with a scrounger head.
His thorough approach paid off on the second day of qualifying, when Connell found what would become his winning spot. Friday afternoon, he pulled into a bay off the main lake that featured two depressions where bass were chasing schools of shad. He caught just one 4-pounder there, but the number of baitfish present led him to mentally flag the area.
“The two depressions harbor the bait, and the fish swim around those depressions and feed on all the bait,” he explained. “And it’s just like their home place. It’s the deepest water in that bay, and the big spots just roam out there and chase that bait. And in the past, I’ve caught them in there. I’ve caught them on a jerkbait, I've seen them schooling in there. And I knew that they lived in there. I’ve caught them there a bunch of times, but not to that extent.”
Finding the area was one thing, but it took a series of clutch calls for Connell to find himself back there on Championship Day. Even as he arrived at the launch ramp Sunday morning, he was torn between returning to the river, where he’d caught more than 52 pounds of scorable bass the day prior, or joining the forward-facing sonar crowd in the lower lake. Feeling like his urge to fish current stemmed at least in part from nostalgia, he settled on starting the day chasing schooling fish, then running upriver in the afternoon, when the bite had been better the past two days (if need be).
“I said, I can catch 50-something pounds – maybe 60 (in the river),” Connell said. “I can’t catch 75 up there, no way. And I thought it was going to take 70, 72 pounds total (to win), because I figured they would catch a lot of fish. I said, ‘I’m going to go down, start down here and then work my way up.’ ... Well, I never got to go upriver.”
Connell’s first stop was the main-lake area that had accounted for most of the forward-facing sonar success all week – half of the 10-angler field started Sunday morning within sight of one another. Whether due to pressure or those bass heading to the bank to spawn, it quickly became apparent that the bite had dried up.
After feeling several fish short-strike his bait, Connell became the first to leave. He first stopped in a nearby pocket before hitting the bay where he’d caught the 4-pounder two days prior. Before even dropping his trolling motor into the water, he knew he’d found something special.
“I rolled up, and as soon as I set the boat down, I saw bait on my 2D (sonar), and I said, ‘Dude, we’re about to catch ‘em,’” Connell said. “‘They’ve got to be here; all the bait’s in here.’ And this low-light conditions had all that bait up shallow, and they were there.”
Connell began Period 2 in second place, 6-7 back of Berrien Springs, Michigan pro Ron Nelson. Within the first 15 minutes, he boated back-to-back 4-pounders to take the lead. From there, the rout was on. In a 70-minute span, he put 10 scorable bass on the scale, adding 29-4 to his total and extending his cushion to more than 20 pounds. By noon, he’d already reset the bar for the best single day of the week.
He didn’t just catch fish in bulk quantities, either. Connell landed 14 spotted bass of 3 pounds or bigger and three over 4 pounds. In all, he piled on 41-12 on 14 fish during Period 2, all of them eating a new minnow-style soft plastic from Rapala CrushCity called a Mooch Minnow. The bait is slated for public release at ICAST this summer.
“That bait is the perfect size, and it has two small tabs at the back of that creates a small, subtle swimming action,” Connell explained. “And instead of it just being straight-tailed, that little action, man, it really gets them going. I caught every bass I weighed in today on that bait. And it’s made out of TPE, and you can catch like 20 fish on [each one].”
Competing amid familiar surroundings with family and friends in attendance made for an emotional week for Connell. Even before he launched Sunday, he found himself tearing up, thinking about his journey from fishing Lay Lake out of an aluminum boat as a kid to returning as one of the most accomplished pros in the world.
“I’ve been shook up all day,” Connell said. “I was crying this morning at the boat ramp. This lake is very sentimental to me – the whole Coosa River system. I grew up fishing that way, fishing those lakes and catching those big spotted bass, and it just meant a lot.”
During the final minutes of Period 3, the tears returned, as his massive lead offered Connell a rare chance to soak in the win and what it meant in real time. He reminisced about catching Lay Lake spotted bass on topwaters with his brother – who was among the contingent to greet him at the boat ramp after his win – about asking his mother to drive him to the lake so he could fish from a canoe.
In some ways, this triumph – even with its lucrative first-place paycheck – is nothing new for Connell. He’s won REDCREST before, in 2021 at Lake Eufaula. It’s his sixth Bass Pro Tour win and his second in the past six weeks after he engineered a similar final-day beatdown at Stage One on Toledo Bend.
But making another fond memory on the Coosa River and celebrating in person with some of the people who got him into fishing make this victory particularly sweet. Connell doesn’t think he could have made the winning decisions without his support system.
“I think I’ve just started to mature as an angler and understand how things happen and just be very methodical about things,” he said. “I guess, getting older, I just slow down a little bit more, just kind of analyze everything. Used to be I would freak out, run around and just make bad decisions. Now, decision-making is good, it’s solid. I’m in a good place. I have great sponsors. And when you’ve got that kind of support behind you, you can settle down.”
The top 10 pros at Bass Pro Shops REDCREST 2024 Powered by OPTIMA Lithium at Lay Lake are:
1st: Dustin Connell, Clanton, Ala., 28 bass, 83-0, $300,000
2nd: Alton Jones, Jr., Waco, Texas, 19 bass, 52-2, $50,000
3rd: Ron Nelson, Berrien Springs, Mich., 12 bass, 39-9, $40,000
4th: Takahiro Omori, Tokyo, Japan, 13 bass, 36-11, $28,000
5th: Jesse Wiggins, Addison, Ala., 12 bass, 32-8, $25,000
6th: Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn., 11 bass, 29-13, $20,000
7th: Gerald Spohrer, Gonzales, La., 11 bass, 29-9, $18,000
8th: Cole Floyd, Leesburg, Ohio, 10 bass, 25-15, $16,000
9th: Nick Hatfield, Greeneville, Tenn., nine bass, 24-2, $14,500
10th: Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., seven bass, 18-1, $12,500
A complete list of results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Overall, there were 132 scorable bass weighing 371 pounds, 6 ounces caught by the final 10 pros Sunday. Throughout the entire four-day event, the 50 REDCREST 2024 competitors caught a total of 1,038 scorable bass weighing 2,283 pounds, 3 ounces.
Pro Ron Nelson of Berrien Springs, Michigan, earned Sunday’s $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award with a 5-pound, 3-ounce spotted bass that he caught on a swimbait in Period 1. Power-Pole pro Chris Lane earned the $3,000 Berkley Big Bass Bonus for weighing in the heaviest bass of the event – a 7-pound, 1-ounce spotted bass that he caught on Day 2 of competition.
Bass Pro Shops REDCREST 2024 Powered by OPTIMA Lithium on Lay Lake was hosted by the Greater Birmingham Convention & Visitors Bureau, and showcased the top 40 professional anglers from the 2023 Bass Pro Tour, along with the top champions and finishers across all MLF circuits.
Television coverage of REDCREST 2024 Powered by OPTIMA Lithium will be showcased across two, two-hour episodes, premiering at 7 a.m. ET, on Saturday, July 6 and July 13 on Discovery Channel. Starting in July 2024, MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on Discovery Channel, with re-airings on Outdoor Channel.
Proud sponsors of the 2024 MLF Bass Pro Tour include: Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, BUBBA, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, Garmin, General Tire, Humminbird, Lowrance, Mercury, MillerTech, Minn Kota, Mossy Oak Fishing, NITRO, Onyx, Plano, Power-Pole, Rapala, StarBrite, Suzuki, Toyota and U.S. Air Force.
For complete details and updated information on Major League Fishing and the Bass Pro Tour, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube.
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery Channel, Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 17 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.
Smallmouth and largemouth in play at Kayak Championship on Tenkiller
March 17, 2024
Smallmouth and largemouth in play at Kayak Championship on Tenkiller
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. — Qualified kayak anglers from around the country will gather in eastern Oklahoma to compete in the Yamaha Rightwaters Bassmaster Kayak Series Championship scored by TourneyX, and Oklahoma’s own Jim Baird believes there will be plenty of opportunities to catch both smallmouth and largemouth.
“We should be able to smack them,” Baird said. “It all depends on how much rain we get. I expect there to be good numbers of bass caught. There will be a few big bass caught.”
Tournament days are scheduled for March 20-21 in conjunction with the weeklong celebration surrounding the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Jockey Outdoors, and anglers will be able to launch from any approved public launch on the lake. The top finishers will be honored on the Classic stage at the BOK Center in Tulsa before Friday’s Day 1 weigh-in.
While its appearances on the Bassmaster schedule are limited, events held on Tenkiller have certainly been memorable. In 2018, Cody Huff and Bethel University partner Garrett Enders won a College National Championship there. The next year, Carl Jocumsen notched his first career Elite Series victory on the fishery.
Both of those events were held in the summer or early fall. But this time, kayak anglers will be dealing with a moody Oklahoma spring, which could bring any type of weather. The long-range forecast currently calls for daytime highs in the 70s, nighttime lows in the 40s and rain each day.
“Weather will be a huge part of this,” Baird said. “In a normal, mild season, water levels will be a little above normal and it will be stained to clear. It will be clear near the dam. The Illinois River can get pretty wild with not a lot of rain.”
Baird anticipates the bass will already be entering the prespawn phase. The smallmouth tend to set up on steeper banks and bluff walls. The river section could also yield big smallmouth bites if the water is high enough.
Largemouth, meanwhile, will be found around some of the flooded timber Tenkiller has to offer, as well as brushpiles and islands. If the water rises, buckbrush and bushes will provide flipping and pitching opportunities.
Spotted bass also inhabit the lake, but Baird views them as more of a nuisance and doesn’t expect them to factor.
“The largemouth will for sure be in prespawn, while the smallmouth may be a little behind,” Baird said. “They tend to spawn later. I think there will probably be more smallmouth caught.”
With bass in the prespawn mode, Baird said he anticipates a jerkbait being a key lure for the top finishers as well as a jig or a soft plastic.
“The jerkbait is probably going to be the biggest player,” he said. “That’s typical for anywhere really this time of the year.”
The field is made up of qualifiers from the 2023 Yamaha Rightwaters Bassmaster Kayak Series scored by TourneyX regular season. The winner will pocket $54,000.
The event is being hosted by Explore Cherokee County, Oklahoma, Tour Tahlequah and the Greater Tenkiller Area Association.
2024 Bassmaster Kayak Series Title Sponsor: Yamaha Rightwaters2024 Bassmaster Kayak Series Partner: MotorGuide, YakGear2024 Bassmaster Kayak Series Angler of the Year Sponsor: Dakota Lithium
Auburn Claims Fishing Version of “Iron Bowl” with ‘College Fishing Faceoff Presented by This Is Alabama’ Win over Alabama
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (March 17, 2024) – Two Alabama staples are bass fishing and college football. While the Bass Pro Shops REDCREST Powered by OPTIMA Lithium was taking place Saturday on Lay Lake, a friendly in-state rivalry combining two of Alabama's favorite pastimes was happening one lake up the Coosa River.
The Auburn University and University of Alabama bass fishing teams competed for bragging rights in their own Iron Bowl on Logan Martin Lake at the Abu Garcia College Fishing Faceoff Presented by This Is Alabama.
It was a close finish, but Auburn pulled away in the fourth quarter and won with a total of 68 pounds, 7 ounces for their two-boat team to Alabama’s 52-8. The College Faceoff was contested under MLF’s catch/weigh/release format, with officials on each boat and a minimum weight of 1-8 for a scorable bass.
Auburn’s four-man team consisted of Sam Harvey and Hayden Marbut in one boat and Blake Milligan and Carson Maddux in the second boat. Both schools wore headsets identical to those in the General Tire Team Series and communicated throughout the day.
"We talked together all day long and had a good time. It was a lot of fun," said Marbut, winner of a recent Toyota Series on Lake Guntersville. "We were fishing the same things and communicating about it to stay on the same page. All of us were throwing a Berkley Powerbait Maxscent Flatnose Minnow on a Damiki rig in any shad color. It didn't matter which one we were using.
Even though Logan Martin’s bass are itching to spawn, the Auburn duos decided to stick with this approach in open water.
"The bass are on the bank spawning, but there are still a bunch of fish out in the creek mouths, drains, and backs of little pockets," Marbut said. "We were both targeting bait balls and using forward-facing sonar to catch our fish. We caught a bunch, probably 60 in our boat, and only one in three was big enough to count; you just had to weed through them to get a scoreable."
Harvey and Marbut boated 37-14 on 19 bass and Milligan and Maddux added 30-9 for their 13 scoreable bass.
Alabama's team consisted of Hayden O'Barr and Cooper Gilroy catching 21 bass for 40-5 in one boat and Patrick McMurray and Dillan Dolvera boating six for 12-3 in the other.
This was the first taste of the SCORETRACKER® pressure for several of the anglers, and they enjoyed the competition.
"It got really close there for awhile before we pulled away at the end," Marbut said. "I've fished that format for a couple of different events, but fishing under this format with an official was a blast. It was intense all day and full speed ahead from the minute we started."
The Iron Bowl football series dates back to 1893 and has 88 meetings in total. The budding bass fishing rivalry has a long way to go to match that, but both teams enjoyed the friendly competition.
"It's not nearly as big as the football rivalry, but we tried to have some fun with it," Marbut said. "We know a lot of those guys and compete against them in different events. I hope we can do another one of these sometime."
Proud sponsors of the 2024 MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI include: 7Brew, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, E3, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, General Tire, GSM Outdoors, Lew’s, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Suzuki, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota and YETI.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular MLF College Fishing updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the MLF5 social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery Channel, Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 17 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.
Field of 10 Anglers Set for Championship Sunday at Major League Fishing’s Bass Pro Shops REDCREST 2024 Powered by OPTIMA Lithium on Lay Lake
Clanton, Alabama’s Dustin Connell catches 18 bass weighing 52-15 to lead top 10 anglers into final day of competition
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (March 16, 2024) – The Knockout Round at Bass Pro Shops REDCREST Powered by OPTIMA Lithium turned into a no-holds-barred melee. It didn’t matter whether anglers were chasing spotted bass with forward-facing sonar, beating the bank or dissecting current, the bite caught fire across Lay Lake, with the top spot on SCORETRACKER® and the weight needed to qualify for Sunday’s Championship Round fluctuating all day as a result.
Ultimately, Dustin Connell of Clanton, Alabama, wound up atop the leaderboard with 18 scorable bass for 52 pounds, 15 ounces. Connell bailed on his main-lake area where he caught most of his fish during the Qualifying Round, instead opting to run up the river and fish beneath the Logan Martin dam. He started slow, spending the first two periods below the cut line, before making an adjustment and boating 10 spotted bass for 29 pounds even in the final period. He finished just 1 ounce ahead of Gonzales, Louisiana’s Gerald Spohrer , who ended the day in second place.
Meanwhile, after 39-1 across two days proved enough to qualify for the Knockout Round, it took nearly as much Saturday alone to earn a spot in the Top 10 and a shot at the $300,000 first-place paycheck. Nick Hatfield claimed the 10th and final spot with 38-14, 1-8 ahead of BFL All-American champion Emil Wagner. University of Montevallo angler Dalton Head narrowly missed extending his dream event another day as well, finishing 12th.
Connell has emerged as a vocal proponent of forward-facing sonar, and for good reason. The technology played a role in each of his five previous Bass Pro Tour wins, including Stage One this year on Toledo Bend. But this week, on a lake he grew up fishing without modern electronics, he’s making it a point to try and win old school.
“I don’t want this tournament to get won, on my home lake, ‘Scoping,” he said. “I’m going to do my best to save it.”
Connell believed his best chance to find bass in the same numbers as those anglers using live sonar would be in the turbulent tailrace at the upper end of this week’s playing field. Finding the morning bite slow there surprised him; he was the last angler in the field to post a scorable bass.
“That first period was just brutal," Connell said. “There was no doubt in my mind that I was going to get some bites here and there, but the speed at which I was going to get a bite was just slow. I mean, it was just dead.”
Knowing he needed to make a move to keep pace with the cut line, Connell resisted the temptation to run to the lower end of the lake, instead moving about 10 miles downriver to a current seam shortly after the start of the third period. It didn’t take long for the decision to pay off.
During a 32-minute flurry from 1:37-2:09 p.m., Connell used a Rapala CrushCity Freeloader on a scrounger head to haul in seven scorable bass and leap from outside the Top 10 into the lead. Not even getting his line tangled in his clip-on microphone could slow him down.
“I pulled up on a place and stomped ‘em, right off the rip,” Connell said. “And then I was like, okay, we’re good.”
Lay Lake continues to showcase its diversity, with five distinct patterns producing spots in the Top 10. However, Connell believes the championship will boil down to a battle between anglers fishing current up the river and those using forward-facing sonar to chase schooling spotted bass at the lower end of the main lake.
The Knockout Round results support that assessment. Connell wasn’t the only angler in the river to catch fire late. Berrien Springs, Michigan pro Ron Nelson, who hunkered down in a honey hole just beneath the Logan Martin dam spillway, also started the third period outside the Top 10. Like Connell, he stacked 10 scorable bass on SCORETRACKER® in the final 2½ hours, climbing all the way to third. Spohrer did all his damage in the current, too.
While those three ended up claiming the top spots in the Knockout Round, that might have had something to do with the fact that the most proficient anglers using forward-facing sonar caught their weight early before intentionally backing off the throttle. Michael Neal, Cole Floyd and Jacob Wheeler all spent much of the day in the top five. Neal has looked particularly in tune with the roaming fish, leading after Day 1 of qualifying and after each of the first two periods Saturday.
"I feel like I’ve pretty much led the tournament all the way through even though I haven’t technically been at the top of the leaderboard, just because I’ve quit every day,” Neal said. “But tomorrow, there’s no quitting. We’re going to burn it to the ground.”
Connell acknowledged that Neal and company will be tough to beat. He also noted that the generation at Logan Martin dam is scheduled to change Sunday, which might reposition his fish.
Still, he’s “all-in on the river.” Predicting it will take more than 50 pounds to hoist the trophy, he doubts he can catch as many fish as his lower-lake competition but hopes to make up for it with a bigger average.
“I’m trying to catch big ones,” he said. “I want to catch big spots. That’s why we come here.”
Another variable that could favor Connell’s approach is having less company nearby. Neal, Wheeler, Floyd, Hatfield and Alton Jones Jr. are all scanning the same section of the lake, often within sight of one another. While a few of the anglers who occupied that same zone during the first three days of competition missed the cut, the fish have to be feeling the pressure.
Meanwhile, Connell didn’t see another angler near his Saturday afternoon spot. Even if someone else has stopped by, he said, the dynamic nature of river fishing means the fish probably won’t be caught with the same presentation.
“I’m in a section of the river I don’t think is getting a lot of pressure,” Connell said. “And tomorrow, the water schedule is supposed to change some, so it’s going to change the whole deal. It’s going to mix up a lot of things.”
Connell admitted that there’s a chance he’s being too stubborn. But whether it’s because he’s already experienced a REDCREST win, taking home the trophy at Lake Eufaula in 2021, or because of his many memories catching spotted bass out of Coosa River current, he doesn’t just want to add another title to his resume. He wants to do it his way.
“It’s very sentimental to me to have a chance at a major, major tournament at one of my home waters that I’ve always fished, but I worry if I’m being too stubborn or not,” Connell said. “So, it’s back and forth. I don’t mind going down there and ‘Scoping, but it would mean way more to me if I won it doing what I’m doing.”
The top 10 pros that made the cut and will advance to Championship Sunday on Lay Lake are:
1st: Dustin Connell, Clanton, Ala., 18 bass, 52-15
2nd: Gerald Spohrer, Gonzales, La., 20 bass, 52-14
3rd: Ron Nelson, Berrien Springs, Mich., 17 bass, 51-12
4th: Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., 18 bass, 48-12
5th: Alton Jones, Jr., Waco, Texas, 19 bass, 46-8
6th: Cole Floyd, Leesburg, Ohio, 17 bass, 45-14
7th: Takahiro Omori, Tokyo, Japan, 17 bass, 44-15
8th: Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn., 17 bass, 44-6
9th: Jesse Wiggins, Addison, Ala., 17 bass, 42-13
10th: Nick Hatfield, Greeneville, Tenn., 14 bass, 38-14
Finishing in 11th through 20th place are:
11th: Emil Wagner, Marietta, Ga., 14 bass, 37-6
12th: Dalton Head, Moody, Ala., 13 bass, 33-12
13th: John Cox, DeBary, Fla., 10 bass, 32-6
14th: Anthony Gagliardi, Prosperity, S.C., 10 bass, 26-12
15th: Keith Poche, Pike Road, Ala., eight bass, 24-12
16th: Greg Vinson, Wetumpka, Ala., nine bass, 24-4
17th: Nick LeBrun, Bossier City, La., seven bass, 18-1
18th: Ryan Salzman, Huntsville, Ala., six bass, 16-15
19th: Cliff Pace, Petal, Miss., five bass, 14-10
20th: Jonathon VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich., four bass, 11-2
A complete list of results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Overall, there were 260 scorable bass weighing 709 pounds, 11 ounces caught by the 20 pros Saturday.
Cox won the $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award Saturday with a 5-pound, 6-ounce largemouth bass that he sight-fished off of a bed on a wacky-rigged worm in Period 1. Berkley awards $1,000 to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass each day, and a $3,000 bonus to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass of the tournament. Chris Lane’s 7-pound, 1-ounce spotted bass that he weighed on Day 2 is currently the biggest bass weighed in the competition thus far.
All 50 Anglers competed on Days 1 (Thursday) and 2 (Friday) of the event. After two days of competition, the field was cut to just the top 20 based on two-day total cumulative weight. Weights were zeroed, and the top 20 anglers competed on Day 3 (Saturday). Only the top 10 anglers now advance to the fourth and final day of competition. Weights are zeroed again for Sunday’s championship round, and the winner is determined by the heaviest one-day total cumulative weight, with the victor earning the top prize of $300,000 and the REDCREST 2024 trophy.
The General Tire Take Off Ceremony will begin each morning at 6:15 a.m. on Championship Sunday at Beeswax Landing, located at 245 Beeswax Park Road in Columbiana, Alabama. The final 10 anglers will depart at 7 a.m. and return after competition ends at 3:30 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend all launch events and also encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLF NOW!® live stream and SCORETRACKER® coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
In conjunction with the event, the FREE, family-friendly REDCREST Outdoor Sports Expo will also take place Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day at the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex, located at 2100 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd. N., in Birmingham. Fishing and outdoor enthusiasts will have the opportunity to visit numerous booths and vendors, showcasing the latest and greatest in fishing, boating and the outdoors. The biggest names in the outdoor industry will be on hand, including the professional anglers that compete on the Bass Pro Tour and legends of the sport.
Children are welcome to visit and play in the MLF Kids Zone, plus meet Skye & Marshall from PAW Patrol. Throughout the day there will be giveaways and prizes, including signed MLF angler jerseys, rods and reels, gift cards, and more. On Sunday one lucky attendee will walk away with a brand new 2024 Toyota Tacoma truck. Fans must be present to win the Tacoma grand prize. For more information on the MLF Outdoor Sports Expo, visit REDCRESTExpo.com.
The 2023 Bass Pro Tour featured a field of 80 of the top professional anglers in the world competing across seven regular-season tournaments around the country. The top 40 anglers in the Angler of the Year (AOY) standings after the seven events qualified to compete in REDCREST 2024 Powered by OPTIMA Lithium.
The MLFNOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action live on Championship Sunday from 7:15 a.m. to 4 p.m. CT. MLFNOW!® will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app.
Television coverage of REDCREST 2024 Powered by OPTIMA Lithium will be showcased across two, two-hour episodes, premiering at 7 a.m. ET, on Saturday, July 6 and July 13 on Discovery Channel. Starting in July 2024, MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on Discovery Channel, with re-airings on Outdoor Channel.
Proud sponsors of the 2024 MLF Bass Pro Tour include: Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, BUBBA, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, Garmin, General Tire, Humminbird, Lowrance, Mercury, MillerTech, Minn Kota, Mossy Oak Fishing, NITRO, Onyx, Plano, Power-Pole, Rapala, StarBrite, Suzuki, Toyota and U.S. Air Force.
For complete details and updated information on Major League Fishing and the Bass Pro Tour, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube.
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery Channel, Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 17 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.
VanDam’s emotional last launch
While Kevin VanDam laid sleeping in a downtown Birmingham hotel room Thursday night, his bride, best friend, and business partner, Sherry couldn’t close her eyes. She knew that Friday might very well be his very last day to compete on bass fishing’s biggest stage, and so she began to write.
Her words flowed like the Coosa River he’d won the 2010 Classic on, the same body of water that may serve as his final playing field today, if he can’t pull off a miraculous fish-catching frenzy. They were sentences filled with gratitude for all the sport had given their family, and the treasured friends and fans his phenomenal 33-years as a pro had granted them.
Mostly, they were sentences filled with admiration and love. “I truly can’t believe today may be the last day our family is together at one of his tournaments. It’s all the boys have ever known, and practically all Kevin and I have known, as he started his pro journey just three years after we started dating,” she posted to social media.
When her husband awoke five hour later to begin the one-hour drive alone to Lay Lake, she read her words to him, and he responded, “You just about flooded my contacts right out of my eyes.”
Kevin’s not much of a crier, but the finality of 33-years on tour hit harder Friday morning than the line of thunderstorms that rolled across Alabama shortly after blast-off. As is always the case, he obliged one interview request after another with class and kindness, while tied to the dock, with one exception, for the first time in the 28 richly blessed years I’ve had the honor of covering him, he stopped to wipe tears from his 56-year-old eyes.
“Sherry’s text was heavy. As has been the case for 33 years, I’m focused on the tournament, while she’s seeing the bigger picture, and when she read those words summing up this life we’ve lived for three decades, it hit me really hard this morning,” says VanDam.
“We’re well aware of what an incredible life this sport has given us, but just like all pro bass fishing families, there are tons of ups and downs, time away from home, just a lot of sacrifice. But it’s been a blast,” he adds.
“Names in the tournament standings change over time, but what doesn’t change is the friendships we’ve made with so many other pros, as well as fishing industry people like Trip Weldon, Kathy Fennel, and all the media and writers who have befriended us, the list goes on and on. Those friendships are what we get to hold on to,” he reflects.
After a really tough day on the water Thursday, VanDam said he planned to just take it all in today. So, in perfectly fitting fashion, while the rest of the field headed to the main lake, he hooked a left, and made his first cast in the exact same five acres of water, back in Beeswax Creek where he won the 2010 Bassmaster Classic.
Only this morning, perhaps his corneas were a bit more saturated than 14 years ago.
Toad Talk brings MDJ perspective
Team Toyota’s Mark Daniels Jr. did not have a great start to the 2024 REDCREST Championship on Lay Lake, Alabama. The Tuskegee University grad managed just three scorable bass, but a late afternoon conversation with his onboard MLF official put life in proper perspective.
“We all have bad days. I fished the way I wanted to, without forward-facing sonar, searching for shallow spawners with a wacky-rigged Senko. Practice was decent. But today, they weren’t having it. I feel pretty clueless right now, but I feel like my official, Bob put life in proper perspective at the end of the day,” says Daniels.
A full day on the water shared between a top pro angler and a ride-along official can certainly yield fellowship if the two are mutually receptive to meaningful conversation, and that’s exactly what precipitated between “MDJ” and Roswell, GA-based MLF official Bob Hubbard.
“With only 20 minutes left in this tough day, Bob was sharing how his 22-year-old son was forced to overcome a ton of adversity when an athletic injury changed the course of his life. He told me that fishing basically became a life raft for his son, and at that very moment, a bass smashed this black toad on the surface,” explains Daniels.
Neither Bear Bryant nor Nick Saban could have convinced Daniels or Hubbard the perfectly timed topwater bite to punctuate the life-changing feeling fishing gives us, was purely a coincidence. It was a goosebump-raising moment that both men easily labeled the best part of a tough day on the Coosa River.
“That bite put it all in perspective. This sport helped save Bob’s 22-year-old son in many ways. I just need to go out and have fun Friday, with a clear perspective on why I’m here in the first place,” concludes Daniels.
Funny how a plastic toad became the catalyst to the best moment on an otherwise tough day for the highly likeable Toyota pro.
Michael Neal Takes Day 1 Lead at Major League Fishing’s Bass Pro Shops REDCREST 2024 Powered by OPTIMA Lithium on Lay Lake
Tennessee pro boats 21 bass weighing 52-9 to take early lead after day 1, full field of 50 anglers to compete again Friday
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (March 14, 2024) – In the days leading up to Bass Pro Shops REDCREST 2024 Powered by OPTIMA Lithium, no one seemed to know what to expect from Lay Lake. While it’s normal for competitors to keep coy prior to lines in, the air of mystery felt real this time – Kevin VanDam even reported that he took the water on Day 1 with 43 rods rigged and ready.
Through one day, at least, the answer has been lots of bass, particularly offshore on the main lake. The 50-angler field accounted for 362 total scorable bass, with 20 pros topping the 20-pound mark. And even though air temperatures climbed into the 80s Thursday and water hit the 60s, spotted bass chasing bait in the main channel on the lower end of the reservoir produced much of that weight, with more than half of the Top 10, including the Day 1 leader, pro Michael Neal of Dayton, Tennessee, roaming the same stretch.
Neal stacked 21 scorable bass weighing 52 pounds, 9 ounces on SCORETRACKER®, giving him an 8-pound, 3-ounce lead over Dalton Head of Moody, Alabama. The 21-year-old University of Montevallo angler put his local knowledge to good use, creating plenty of distance between himself and the cut line and even climbing to the top of the standings at one point. Pro Anthony Gagliardi of Prosperity, South Carolina, who fished within sight of Neal for much of the day, sits in third with 38-13, just 13 ounces clear of Coosa River local pro Dustin Connell of Clanton, Alabama, who ended the day in fourth.
While many of the top performers Thursday employed similar approaches, that could change as the weather, water clarity and current all remain in flux. Connell even went so far as to predict that using forward-facing sonar to target suspended fish will not win. And with weights set to zero twice before a champion is crowned, the event is still wide open.
Link to Hi-Res Photo of Day 1 Leader Michael Neal
Link to HD Video – Fish-Catch Highlights of REDCREST 2024 Day 1 on Lay Lake
Link to Photo Gallery of REDCREST 2024 Day 1 Afternoon Highlights
For about the first six hours of competition, Neal never cranked up his Mercury. He spent that entire time milling around in an area on the main lake, spinning rod in hand, scanning for spotted bass.
It didn’t take long to see why he started in that area, which he found the final day of practice, and spent so much time hunkered there. During a 30-minute flurry that started around 8 a.m., he boated seven scorable bass that weighed a combined 17-10, vaulting to the top of SCORETRACKER® in the process.
Neal described his approach as typical late winter/early spring spotted bass fishing: find the baitfish, find the bass.
“They focus their whole life around bait besides when they go to spawn, and that’s what I’ve been doing is just focusing on bait,” he explained. “It doesn’t really matter how deep it is or where it’s really located; just the more bait the better.”
Yesteryear’s conventional wisdom would have suggested that, with the water temperature in the 60s, it was time to beat the bank. And while we did see a few anglers sight-fishing for spawning bass Thursday, Neal believes the healthy population of Alabama bass in Lay Lake spawn later than their largemouth counterparts, especially given the amount of current that’s been rolling through the reservoir recently.
“I went to the bank and tried to make them be on the bank, kind of like everybody else did, and just didn’t get any bites,” Neal said. “And the ones I did were just real little. It’s just a matter of listening to what the fish have got to say and not worrying a whole lot about what the weather’s telling you. You’ve just got to fish where they are and let them tell you what they’re doing.
“I think these spots will be spawning way after the largemouth here. I think they wait on like no current and things like that to spawn on the river, and they just haven’t had those options yet.”
While Neal said he could have put more weight on SCORETRACKER® – he went into practice mode with about 90 minutes left in Period 3, once he hit the 50-pound mark – he doesn’t think he can ride his starting spot to a championship. For one thing, he’s concerned about the number of other anglers in the area. Neal plans to use the second day of qualifying to try to find a less-popular school.
“I've got some other places I can go run, and I’ve pretty much got a full day tomorrow to go try and find some other stuff, too,” he said. “Just gotta be smart with how I play the day tomorrow to try and find some fresh stuff.”
There’s also a weather change in the forecast, with thunderstorms expected Friday. While Neal doesn’t think that will have too great an impact on the fish he’s targeting – of all the bass in the reservoir, they should be the most stable – he said there’s a chance it stirs up the pollen that has collected in the water. Pollen has proved to be the enemy of ‘Scopers, clouding their screens and making it difficult to identify fish.
“It wasn’t bad – like, I didn’t really notice it to start,” Neal said of the pollen Thursday. “But as the day went on, it got worse and worse. But we’re supposed to have like an inch of rain tomorrow, so it’s going to change. Whether it makes it better or worse with the pollen, I don’t know, but it’ll be one or the other.”
While he hopes to find new fish Friday, Neal doesn’t plan to veer too drastically from his game plan. He’s fully committed to targeting spotted bass on the lower end of Lay Lake.
“I’m going to do some shallow stuff, but I’m not going largemouth fishing at all,” he said. “I’m going to go in some pockets and fish some places where I feel like spots would spawn and stuff, but I’m going to go to the same area of the lake and kind of put all my eggs in one basket and hope for the best.”
The standings after Day 1 on Lay Lake are:
1st: Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., 21 bass, 52-9
2nd: Dalton Head, Moody, Ala., 17 bass, 44-6
3rd: Anthony Gagliardi, Prosperity, S.C., 15 bass, 38-13
4th: Dustin Connell, Clanton, Ala., 16 bass, 38-0
5th: Ryan Salzman, Huntsville, Ala., 10 bass, 35-11
6th: Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn., 15 bass, 35-9
7th: Ron Nelson, Berrien Springs, Mich., 13 bass, 33-14
8th: Cole Floyd, Leesburg, Ohio, 13 bass, 32-1
9th: Keith Poche, Pike Road, Ala., 10 bass, 31-0
10th: Nick Hatfield, Greeneville, Tenn., 11 bass, 29-2
11th: Jonathon VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich., nine bass, 26-11
12th: John Cox, DeBary, Fla., 10 bass, 26-9
13th: Alton Jones, Jr., Waco, Texas, 10 bass, 25-12
14th: Greg Vinson, Wetumpka, Ala., nine bass, 25-1
15th: Jesse Wiggins, Addison, Ala., 10 bass, 24-6
16th: Gerald Spohrer, Gonzales, La., nine bass, 22-15
17th: Matt Becker, Ten Mile, Tenn., seven bass, 22-9
18th: Ott DeFoe, Blaine, Tenn., eight bass, 21-14
19th: Todd Faircloth, Jasper, Texas, eight bass, 21-4
20th: Matthew Stefan, Junction City, Wis., eight bass, 20-11
21st: Bradley Roy, Lancaster, Ky., eight bass, 19-11
22nd: Jeremy Lawyer, Sarcoxie, Mo., eight bass, 18-15
23rd: Spencer Shuffield, Hot Springs, Ark., seven bass, 18-14
24th: Dakota Ebare, Brookeland, Texas, six bass, 17-15
25th: Nick LeBrun, Bossier City, La., six bass, 17-5
26th: Takahiro Omori, Tokyo, Japan, six bass, 16-8
27th: Adrian Avena, Vineland, N.J., six bass, 16-6
28th: John Hunter, Shelbyville, Ky., six bass, 15-6
29th: Alton Jones, Lorena, Texas, six bass, 14-14
30th: Cliff Pace, Petal, Miss., five bass, 14-12
31st: Dylan Hays, Hot Springs, Ark., five bass, 14-5
32nd: Cody Meyer, Star, Idaho, five bass, 13-12
33rd: David Dudley, Lynchburg, Va., five bass, 13-11
34th: Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., four bass, 13-8
35th: Brent Ehrler, Redlands, Calif., five bass, 13-2
36th: Justin Lucas, Guntersville, Ala., five bass, 13-1
37th: Joshua Weaver, Macon, Ga., four bass, 11-15
38th: Mark Rose, Wynne, Ark., five bass, 11-6
39th: Jordan Lee, Cullman, Ala., three bass, 10-8
40th: Emil Wagner, Marietta, Ga., four bass, 10-4
41st: Mark Daniels, Jr., Tuskegee, Ala., three bass, 9-2
42nd: Andy Morgan, Dayton, Tenn., three bass, 8-12
43rd: Jeff Sprague, Wills Point, Texas, three bass, 8-9
44th: Josh Butler, Hayden, Ala., three bass, 7-8
45th: Edwin Evers, Talala, Okla., three bass, 7-0
46th: Kelly Jordon, Flint, Texas, three bass, 6-5
47th: Chad Mrazek, Montgomery, Texas, two bass, 5-12
48th: Chris Lane, Guntersville, Ala., two bass, 4-4
49th: Kevin VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich., one bass, 3-8
50th: Andy Montgomery, Blacksburg, S.C., one bass, 3-2
Overall, there were 362 scorable bass weighing 968 pounds, 13 ounces caught by the 50 pros Thursday.
Salzman earned Thursday’s $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award with a 5-pound, 10-ounce spotted bass that he caught on a squarebill crankbait in Period 1. Berkley awards $1,000 to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass each day, and a $3,000 bonus to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass of the tournament.
All 50 Anglers will compete on Days 1 (Thursday) and 2 (Friday) of the event. After two days of competition, the field is cut to just the top 20 based on two-day total cumulative weight. Weights are zeroed, and the top 20 anglers compete on Day 3 (Saturday). Only the top 10 anglers advance to the fourth and final day of competition. Weights are zeroed again for the final-day championship round, and the winner is determined by the heaviest one-day total cumulative weight, with the victor earning the top prize of $300,000 and the REDCREST 2024 trophy.
The General Tire Take Off Ceremony will begin each morning at 6:15 a.m. each day of competition at Beeswax Landing, located at 245 Beeswax Park Road in Columbiana, Alabama. Anglers will depart at 7 a.m. each day and return after competition ends at 3:30 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend all launch events and also encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLF NOW!® live stream and SCORETRACKER® coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
In conjunction with the event, the FREE, family-friendly REDCREST Outdoor Sports Expo will also take place throughout the weekend, March 15-17 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day at the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex, located at 2100 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd. N., in Birmingham. Fishing and outdoor enthusiasts will have the opportunity to visit numerous booths and vendors, showcasing the latest and greatest in fishing, boating and the outdoors. The biggest names in the outdoor industry will be on hand, including the professional anglers that compete on the Bass Pro Tour and legends of the sport.
Children are welcome to visit and play in the MLF Kids Zone, plus meet Skye & Marshall from PAW Patrol. Throughout the day there will be giveaways and prizes, including signed MLF angler jerseys, rods and reels, gift cards, and more. On Sunday one lucky attendee will walk away with a brand new 2024 Toyota Tacoma truck. Fans must be present to win the Tacoma grand prize. For more information on the MLF Outdoor Sports Expo, visit REDCRESTExpo.com.
The 2023 Bass Pro Tour featured a field of 80 of the top professional anglers in the world competing across seven regular-season tournaments around the country. The top 40 anglers in the Angler of the Year (AOY) standings after the seven events qualified to compete in REDCREST 2024 Presented by OPTIMA Lithium.
The MLFNOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action live on the final four days of competition from 7:15 a.m. to 4 p.m. CT. MLFNOW!® will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app.
Television coverage of REDCREST 2024 Presented by OPTIMA Lithium will be showcased across two, two-hour episodes, premiering at 7 a.m. ET, on Saturday, July 6 and July 13 on Discovery Channel. Starting in July 2024, MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on Discovery Channel, with re-airings on Outdoor Channel.
Proud sponsors of the 2024 MLF Bass Pro Tour include: Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, BUBBA, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, Garmin, General Tire, Humminbird, Lowrance, Mercury, MillerTech, Minn Kota, Mossy Oak Fishing, NITRO, Onyx, Plano, Power-Pole, Rapala, StarBrite, Suzuki, Toyota and U.S. Air Force.
For complete details and updated information on Major League Fishing and the Bass Pro Tour, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube.
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery Channel, Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 17 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.
The Apex in Hardcore Fishing Wear
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Best fabrics and components, intelligent design, and brutal testing lead to Whitewater Fishing’s Great Lakes™ Pro Jacket and Bibs. |
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MUSKEGON, Mich. (March 13, 2024) – You don’t hear much about the field testing that goes into bringing products to market. It’s either buried as a footnote in a new product release or not mentioned at all. (Shamefully, consumers conduct final testing on some products being rushed to market.) The polar-opposite is true when NEXUS Outdoors and Whitewater Fishing president, Aaron Ambur, was queried about the new Great Lakes Pro Jacket and Bibs. He begins by plugging the field testing. “We tested sample after sample of the Great Lakes Pro with real anglers and our pro staff to get it right. They’d provide feedback and we’d make tweaks. In fact, the final design was tested on the water for 60-days before we were convinced it was perfect. When you are at this level of precision, it is all about the small details.” Even though recent to the scene, Whitewater Fishing represents a 100-year heritage of developing premium apparel for the outdoors, all products rigorously tested in the woods or on the water. |
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“The new Great Lakes Pro is our most technically designed and fabricated rain jacket and bib so far,” says Ambur. “For the angler who wants that one suit that will do it all during midwinter on the river, full-on ice fishing, or spring and fall fishing anywhere for anything, this is the suit.” “In a couple words: it’s clean and streamlined,” says Ambur. “And you get a level of stretch unprecedented in a 3-layer suit, while still being lightweight, durable, and athletic in form and function. The Great Lakes Pro Jacket and Bib is our team’s two-year product development effort designing the ultimate foul-weather fishing suit for hardcore anglers.” The centerpiece of the suit is Whitewater’s durable and proprietary 3-layer design, which consists of an exterior fabric, laminate, and light internal fabric layer. The deluxe 3-layer fabric earned Great Lakes Pro a 20k waterproof rating, meaning the fabric can endure 20,000 mm (ANSI standards) of water before any moisture gets through – that’s extreme waterproofing. (For reference, a 5,000 mm rating is the lowest a garment can have to be considered rainproof.) Moreover, the same 3-layer fabric is windproof, to keep you warm on cold, wind-cutting days. Combined, it’s battle armor for the wickedest weather. |
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Likewise, the Great Lakes Pro is remarkably breathable. Again, Whitewater being driven by honest numbers, the suit’s breathability rates 30,000g/m² - an exceptional rank. On the water, that means the Great Lakes Pro lets moisture escape while relentlessly keeping wind and water out. By moving body generated moisture out, you will not hold onto your sweat, which can be the starting point for getting cold. “From the first days of spraying Camp Dry on everything to what’s happening today, I’ve been there,” said Ambur, who has 30 years the outdoors soft goods industry, knowing industry guidelines, specifications, and ratings like the back of his hand. “With the Great Lakes Pro, I was beta testing our first production samples in long, cold showers at home. My wife thought I was crazy. But I wanted to find out if we were really getting it right before any of our pros took it out on the ice and water. Not to mention all the on-water days our external group of Whitewater Pros had testing and beating up the suit to ensure we were ready for launch.” Ambur continues: “All I can say is we got it right, and it’s our own special sauce, unlike anything competitors are doing with waterproofing and functional design engineering.” |
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Part of that functional design equation is solving for maximum mobility, yet not sacrificing on durability, which is delivered with the Great Lakes Pro’s poly/spandex 4-way stretch shell. The first generation of extreme weather outerwear entered the fishing scene in the 1990’s. Although many suits were indeed waterproof, they draped over your body like a heavy tarp and constructed like a one-ton truck. Movement was severely restricted. You’d literally get tired fishing in it, your body struggling against the suit’s resistance. Inversely, Whitewater’s 4-way stretch fabric moves with you on every cast, kneel, and across the deck, remaining comfortable all day long. Today, mobility is key and the Great Lakes Pro delivers. Additionally, precision fabric cuts work in concert with the 4-way stretch fabric to advance range of motion, every cut stitched and taped for waterproofness and durability. |
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Smart and specialized features adorn every inch of the Great Lakes Pro Jacket. Leading the pack is a higher hood collar that extends just below the nose, so when anglers are running full-tilt to spots down lake, the water and wind doesn’t hit their face. Several professional bass and walleye anglers asked for this unique feature. The jacket’s three-piece hood is also equipped with multiple adjustment points and a stiff brim. Critical to keeping wind and water out, anglers can customize the hood’s fit to form a facial fortress. No quality was spared when Whitewater selected zippers, either. The jacket sports an AquaGuard® Waterproof two-way main zipper. A pair of hand pockets, chest pocket, and inside pocket are also sealed and opened with AquaGuard two-way zippers. Other elements include hook and loop cuff adjustments on the sleeves, reflective material for safety, D-Rings thoughtfully positioned for a kill-switch and trolling motor FOB, and cinch at the bottom hem for customizing fit. |
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The Great Lakes Pro Bibs are equally intellectualized for fishing. First, you’ll appreciate the comfortable and easily adjustable shoulder straps. A key detail being the addition of silicon grip to keep the straps on your shoulders, not slipping down your arms. At the waist, a pair of high strength, molded hook and loop adjusters can be tightened above your hips to further personalize fit. Bringing the waist in reduces pull on your shoulders and accentuates range of motion. The same AquaGuard two-way zippers advance performance of the bibs, including the main zipper, six storage pockets, and legs. The function of the leg zippers was well conceived, too, as they open all the way to the waist, offering easy on and off, even with footwear. Further accoutrements include adjustments at the bottom hem to accommodate a range of footwear, D-Rings thoughtfully positioned for a kill-switch and trolling motor FOB, and reflective tape for visibility. Whether you’re climbing the ladder of quality in raingear, or want to start with the best, Whitewater’s new Great Lakes Pro Jacket and Bibs will prove you made a great choice. |
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Great Lake Pro JACKET Features:
MSRP $349.99 |
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Great Lakes Pro BIBS Features:
MSRP $349.99 For more information, or to order, visit whitewaterfish.com. |