Costas Key for KVD’s Monster Day on Cayuga
Courtesy of Luke Stoner - Dynamic Sponsorships
Sight fishing played a major role in Kevin VanDam’s monstrous 28-pound 1-ounce five bass limit on Cayuga Lake to kick off competition for Favorite Fishing Stage Five Presented by ATG by Wrangler. In fact, the Team Toyota pro looked at every bass he added to the SCORETRACKER with his eyes before he caught them.
VanDam was quick to give a lot of credit to his Costa Sunglasses for what he said was the best tournament day of smallmouth fishing he’s experienced throughout his illustrious 33-year career. KVD prefers Costa’s Blackfin PRO frames when sight-fishing as they block a lot of side-light, and he was rotating between two different lens colors based on the conditions and how deep the fish were bedding.
Sunrise Silver is his go to lens 95% of the time when on the water, but he also mixed in a prototype lens he is currently working on with the iconic sunglasses brand.
“I started looking for spawning and cruising fish as soon as I put my trolling motor in the water for practice,” VanDam said. “I had a feeling this tournament could be a spawning slugfest, so I committed to it almost immediately. I didn’t know it until after day one, but I think I’m seeing a lot of fish other anglers aren’t. That 100% has to be attributed to my Costa lenses. They are no-doubt the best in the game.”
Wildfires north of the border in Canada have caused an eerie layer of smoke to settle in on Cayuga Lake and many anglers commented the haze has made it tough to see into the water. Quality sunglasses are always a necessity for pro anglers, but the conditions this week have accentuated this importance.
The weights after day one speak for themselves, many anglers were able to put together an impressive day of fishing on Cayuga, but KVD’s 28-01 stood out above the rest and firmly held the first-place position. A twenty-eight-pound bag of fish is strong no matter the circumstances, but to do that in New York with five smallmouth is incredible.
“It was truly a special day,” VanDam said with a smile. “The first five fish I caught weighed over 25-pounds and I was legitimately done fishing 30 minutes into the second period. After reaching 28-pounds, I kept my eyes to the water and tried to locate as many fish over four-pounds as possible for the Knockout Round and beyond. I think I have found around fifty fish over that four-pound mark, now I just gotta see if I can catch them.”
The BPT’s catch, weigh, and release format is extremely conducive for a sight-fishing tournament as the anglers release the fish to go back to their spawning beds immediately. KVD commented that as fun as it is to catch a big bass, it’s even cooler to see them swim right back to their beds.
Along with producing best in class sunglasses for those who love the water, Costa’s popular contingency program Costa Compete + Conserve is tailor made for bass anglers. Whether you’re a pro like KVD, fish tournaments on the weekends, or a high school / college angler you can win bonus money and prizes through Compete + Conserve.
Compete + Conserve supports over 300 tournaments and is completely free to sign-up for. On top of benefitting anglers,Costa makes a cash donation to one of five program conservation partners based on the winning angler’s choosing for every single event. Visit https://www.costacompeteandconserve.com/ for more information or to get registered.
Consistent Cody Meyer Leads Early for Group B at Favorite Fishing Stage Five on Cayuga Lake Presented by ATG by Wrangler
Idaho Pro Catches Five Cookie-Cutter 5-Pound Smallmouth to Pace Group B, Group A Anglers to Wrap Qualifying Round Thursday
UNION SPRINGS, N.Y. (June 7, 2023) – Cayuga Lake is on fire. Literally, and figuratively.
The smoke blowing through upstate New York from the Canadian wildfires has created a very unique environment for the 80 pros on the Bass Pro Tour competing on Cayuga Lake this week, as many of the anglers fished Wednesday in an orange-tinted haze, with low visibility conditions. The good news is it had zero effect on the fishing, however, as Cayuga Lake showed out again and demonstrated why it is one of the premiere fisheries in the country.
Pro Cody Meyer of Star, Idaho, caught seven scorable bass Wednesday, with his best five weighing 26 pounds, 11 ounces, to lead Day 1 for Qualifying Group B of the Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Tour Favorite Fishing Stage Five on Cayuga Lake Presented by ATG by Wrangler. Pro Spencer Shuffield of Hot Springs, Arkansas , sits just 10 ounces behind Meyer in second place with five bass weighing 26-1.
The 40 anglers in Group B will now have an off day on Thursday, while the 40 anglers competing in Group A will complete their two-day Qualifying Round of competition. Group B will conclude their Qualifying Round on Friday.
Meyer came into the day with a couple of patterns in mind, but it turned out he only needed one — fishing for spawning smallmouth.
“I had a couple of smallmouth marked on beds from practice, but I really didn’t plan to focus on smallmouth all day,” Meyer said. “I thought I would catch a few spawning then move to the grass for largemouth, but the smallmouth I found were just too big to pass up.”
Meyer caught all of his scorable bass Wednesday on a drop-shot rig, using a Yamamoto Shad Shape worm on the southern end of the lake. While he was focused on spawners, it turned out that the smallmouth didn’t necessarily care about the bottom composition of where they built their beds. It was more about the general area, according to Meyer.
“I caught one on a bluff and one on a boat dock, but it was more about this 5-mile stretch of water,” Meyer said. “These fish were all massive and anchored down hard in that area. If you could find them, there was a good chance you could get them to bite.”
Meyer plans to head back out on Friday with a similar plan to make the cut.
“I want to get down south again and keep trying to look for smallmouth,” Meyer went on to say. “It was just so windy and rough today that it was really hard to go looking for them after the second period. Everyone is catching them so well right now I’m going to need another really good day just to make the cut.”
The standings for the 40 pros in Group B after Day 1 on Cayuga Lake are:
1st: Cody Meyer, Star, Idaho, five bass, 26-11
2nd: Spencer Shuffield, Hot Springs, Ark., five bass, 26-1
3rd: Dean Rojas, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., five bass, 25-10
4th: Alton Jones Jr., Waco, Texas, five bass, 24-12
5th: Jonathon VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich., five bass, 24-10
6th: Matt Becker, Ten Mile, Tenn., five bass, 24-2
7th: Chris Lane, Guntersville, Ala., five bass, 23-4
8th: David Dudley, Lynchburg, Va., five bass, 23-2
9th: Ott DeFoe, Blaine, Tenn., five bass, 22-14
10th: Casey Ashley, Donalds, S.C., five bass, 22-13
11th: Britt Myers, Lake Wylie, S.C., five bass, 21-14
12th: Cole Floyd, Leesburg, Ohio, five bass, 21-9
13th: Andy Montgomery, Blacksburg, S.C., five bass, 21-6
14th: Cliff Crochet, Pierre Part, La., five bass, 21-6
15th: Mark Rose, Wynne, Ark., five bass, 21-4
16th: Greg Vinson, Wetumpka, Ala., five bass, 21-3
17th: Adrian Avena, Vineland, N.J., five bass, 21-2
18th: Roy Hawk, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., five bass, 21-1
19th: Andy Morgan, Dayton, Tenn., five bass, 20-1
20th: Timmy Horton, Muscle Shoals, Ala., five bass, 19-11
21st: Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., five bass, 19-11
22nd: James Watson, Lampe, Mo., five bass, 19-10
23rd: Marty Robinson, Lyman, S.C., five bass, 19-5
24th: Fletcher Shryock, Guntersville, Ala., five bass, 19-2
25th: Ryan Salzman, Huntsville, Ala., five bass, 18-8
26th: Jordan Lee, Cullman, Ala., five bass, 18-4
27th: Terry Scroggins, San Mateo, Fla., five bass, 18-4
28th: Anthony Gagliardi, Prosperity, S.C., five bass, 18-0
29th: Randy Howell, Guntersville, Ala., five bass, 17-11
30th: Takahiro Omori, Tokyo, Japan, five bass, 17-10
31st: Brent Chapman, Lake Quivira, Kan., five bass, 17-7
32nd: Josh Butler, Hayden, Ala., five bass, 17-2
33rd: Boyd Duckett, Guntersville, Ala., five bass, 17-2
34th: Dave Lefebre, Erie, Pa., five bass, 17-1
35th: Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., five bass, 15-13
36th: Kelly Jordon, Flint, Texas, five bass, 15-0
37th: Randall Tharp, Port Saint Joe, Fla., five bass, 14-4
38th: Wesley Strader, Spring City, Tenn., five bass, 13-13
39th: Mitch Crane, Columbus, Miss., three bass, 12-1
40th: David Walker, Sevierville, Tenn., five bass, 11-15
A complete list of results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Overall, there were 346 scorable bass weighing 1,203 pounds, 10 ounces caught by the 40 pros Wednesday, which included 30 5-pounders and three 6-pounders.
Throwing a spinnerbait, Greg Vinson caught a 6-pound, 14-ounce largemouth in Period 3 to earn Wednesday’s $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award. 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.
The six-day bass-fishing event showcases 80 of the top professional anglers in the world, competing for a purse of more than $805,000, 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 2024, the Bass Pro Tour championship.
The 40 Anglers in Group A compete in their two-day qualifying round on Tuesday and Thursday – the 40 anglers in Group B on Wednesday and Friday. After each two-day qualifying round is complete, the top 20 anglers from each group advance to Saturday’s Knockout Round. In the Knockout Round, weights are zeroed, and the remaining 40 anglers compete to finish in the top 10 to advance to the Championship Round. In Sunday’s final day Championship Round, weight carries over from the Knockout Round and the angler with the heaviest two-day total wins the top prize of $100,000.
Anglers will launch each day at 7:30 a.m. ET each day from Frontenac Park, located at 15 Creamery Road in Union Springs. 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.
Also, as part of the event, on Saturday, June 10 and Sunday, June 11 the MLF Fan Experience will be taking place at Bass Pro Shops, located at 1579 Clark Street Road in Auburn, New York, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. MLF will welcome fans of all ages to celebrate fishing and the outdoors. Fans can hang out and watch the pros live on the MLFNOW! big screen during the MLF Watch Party. On Sunday at 5 p.m., the final 10 Championship Round Bass Pro Tour anglers will be on hand for the trophy celebration and to meet and greet fans, sign autographs, and take selfies.
The Favorite Fishing Stage Five at Cayuga Lake Presented by ATG by Wrangler features pros competing using the MLF catch, weigh, immediate-release format, with each angler’s five (5) heaviest bass per day tallied as their day’s weight. Anglers strive to catch their heaviest five fish each day, while also feeling the pressure and intensity of the live scoring SCORETRACKER® leaderboard. Minimum weights are determined individually for each competition waters that the Bass Pro Tour visits, based on the productivity, bass population and anticipated average size of fish in each fishery.
The 2023 MLF Bass Pro Tour features a field of 80 of the top professional anglers in the world competing across seven regular-season tournaments around the country, fishing for millions of dollars and valuable points to qualify for the annual General Tire Heavy Hitters all-star event and REDCREST 2024, the Bass Pro Tour championship, held March 13-17, 2024, on Lay Lake in Birmingham, Alabama.
The MLFNOW! broadcast team of Chad McKee, Marty Stone and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action live on all six days of competition from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET. MLFNOW! will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app.
Television coverage of the Favorite Fishing Stage Five at Cayuga Lake Presented by ATG by Wrangler will air as two, two-hour episodes starting at 7 a.m. ET, on Saturday, Oct. 21 and Saturday, Oct. 28 on the Discovery Channel. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morningon Discovery, with re-airings on the Outdoor Channel.
Proud sponsors of the 2023 MLF Bass Pro Tour include: 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, Ark Fishing, ATG + Wrangler, B&W Trailer Hitches, Bally Bet, Bass Cat Boats, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, Daiwa, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, Ferguson, Fox Rent A Car, General Tire, Grundéns, Humminbird, Lowrance, Minn Kota, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Power-Pole, Rapala, Star tron, T-H Marine, TORO, Toyota, U.S. Air Force, Yellowstone Bourbon, Yo-Zuri and Zoom Baits.
For complete details and updated information on Major League Fishing and the Bass Pro Tour, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
The Best of the Best
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A long-standing tradition at Daiwa’s annual North American sales meeting, the company announced it ‘Summit Award’ winners for sales achievements. Pictured here (left to right) is Daiwa’s national sales manager Gerad Cawhorn; Jackson Gillaspie with Rogers Sports Marketing, winner of the ‘Summit Dealer Development’ award; Graywood Sporting Group’s Warren McRae, winner of the ‘Summit Change Leader’ award; Greg McIntyre, principal at Graywood representing the agency as winner of the ‘Summit Rep Group’ award; Ferguson-Keller’s Jeff Allen, winner of the ‘Summit Outstanding Leadership’ award; and Daiwa USA president Carey Graves. |
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SUMMIT AWARD WINNERS RECOGNIZED AT DAIWA NATIONAL SALES MEETING |
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Cypress, CA (June 7, 2023) – With its emphasis being on new tackle introduced at ICAST and beyond, and sales strategies that this year focused on market share gains within independent tackle shops, Daiwa’s sales representatives looked forward to the company’s announcement of its achievement awards at its recent national sales meeting. Daiwa’s key recognition honors are its ‘Summit’ awards, which this year went to Jeff Allen with Ferguson-Keller Associates, Graywood Sporting Group, Jackson Gillaspie with Rogers Sports Marketing, and Warren McRae with Graywood. In being recognized with the ‘Summit Outstanding Leadership’ award, Daiwa’s regional sales manager Greg Johnson noted Jeff Allen’s personal success in growing his own accounts in tough economic times and also the assistance he provides to not only other Ferguson-Keller reps, but also other Daiwa reps groups through his responsibilities with buying groups. Allen has more than 16 of service to Daiwa in his sales and management roles with Ferguson-Keller. Noting the impact Canadian anglers and the Canada tackle market has on Daiwa’s overall business, especially in the bass fishing market over the past year, Peterborough, Ontario-based Graywood Sporting Group was honored with the ‘Summit Rep Group’ award for the overall impact from the entire rep group for its sales success across all the Canadian provinces. When presenting Graywood principal rep Greg McIntyre with the ‘Summit’ trophy, Daiwa president Carey Graves noted that with Canada now having its first Bassmaster Classic winner and its first angler recognized with a major service award from the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame, how appropriate it was for Graywood to be acknowledged in 2023 for their efforts also. The Graywood Sporting Group also won Daiwa’s rep group of the year ‘Summit’ award in 2021. |
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Daiwa USA president Carey Graves welcomes the company’s manufacturer representatives from across the U.S. and Canada to its annual North American sales meeting, taking place again at the The Dana on Mission Bay in San Diego. Graves noted in his opening remarks that Daiwa is a manufacturer first, with its main goal being to challenge the fishing tackle market with new and innovative products to attain an industry leading role. |
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Daiwa’s ‘Summit Dealer Development’ award winner Jackson Gillaspie with Rogers Sports Marketing is a “walking textbook on bass fishing, and his dealers took a quick understanding of his skill set to help them manage their Daiwa business,” said Daiwa’s Johnson. “His support abilities at the recent Bassmaster Classic with exhibiting tackle dealers brought a great deal of success to both the dealers and Daiwa’s efforts.” In being recognized with Daiwa’s ‘Summit Change Leader’ award, McRae continued the major role the Canadian fishing market has on Daiwa’s business. This award recognizes his efforts with key programs and initiatives to enhance his independent tackle retailer business with Daiwa, including added rod placement, in-store event, demo programs and quickest to market with new items. Also recognized with ‘Key Objective’ awards for specific product category sales and faster -to-market efforts include Brad Olson with Ferguson-Keller, Drake Hollander with Rogers Sports Marketing), and Ben Babbitt, Scott Byrne, and Cale Engelage all with Maschmedt & Associates. “Our ‘Summit’ and ‘Key Objective’ awards have been Daiwa’s way of recognizing both individual and group performance for what we consider above-and-beyond efforts to continually grow Daiwa market share in the U.S. and Canada,” said Daiwa’s national sales manager Gerad Cawhorn. “Our reps learned this year that is wasn’t about double-digit growth or opening more retailers, but their commitment to sustaining our business as both tackle retailers and the angling public deal with our current economic issues not only in the U.S. and Canada, but across the globe. From all of us at Daiwa, we say congratulations to not only our award winners, but also the nearly 60 other individuals with our five rep groups who proudly represent Daiwa in the marketplace.” |
Clark and Kenta Capture a Yamaha Power Pay Bonus
Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships
Clark Wendlandt can attest that if there’s any consolation to a second-place finish, a bonus from the Yamaha Power Pay program might very well be it.His fellow Elite Series pro, Kenta Kimura, will be the first to agree that one of the best parts of the program is you don’t have to win your tournament to take home a Power Pay bonus.
Just as he did at Okeechobee to begin the season, Wendlandt finished second at the Sabine River, and was awarded $2,500 from Yamaha. Kimura’s 9th place finish in Orange, Texas this past weekend was good enough for yet another of the many Power Pay checks he’s collected the past two years.
“I was running 45 miles one way to my best area this week. That’s 360 miles in just four days of competition, and I never had a hint of doubt about the reliability of my Yamaha,” said Wendlandt.
Kimura relates clearly to Wendlandt’s confidence in Yamaha’s quality.
“My favorite thing about my Yamaha is its durability. Since I switched to Yamaha two years ago, I’ve never had a breakdown,” said angler who designed the Deps squarebill crankbait he used to score his latest Top 10.
The confidence to make the long run and the knowledge that you don’t have to win the tournament to win the Yamaha Power Pay bonus are two fantastic reasons to power-up with a Yamaha and sign-up for the free Power Pay program.
In just four short years, Yamaha anglers of all levels, from college to the pros, freshwater and saltwater, redfish to walleye, have won nearly $1 Million dollars in Power Pay bonuses. You can’t win if you don’t sign up, so please visit https://yamahapowerpay.com/to get registered.
KVD Hammers 28-Pound Limit of Smallmouth to Take Early Lead at Favorite Fishing Stage Five on Cayuga Lake Presented by ATG by Wrangler
Pace, Wheeler & Evers All Catch 25+ Pound Limits to End Day Close Behind VanDam, 40 Anglers in Group B Begin Competition Tomorrow
UNION SPRINGS, N.Y. (June 6, 2023) – Just prior to the start of the 2023 Bass Pro Tour season, the winningest professional bass angler of all-time, Kalamazoo, Michigan’s Kevin VanDam, announced that he is retiring and that the 2023 season would be his last as a touring professional. The seven-event Bass Pro Tour season would be his farewell tour.
Tuesday, on Cayuga Lake, VanDam showed that he is not going away quietly.
VanDam caught 12 scorable smallmouth bass, with his best five weighing 28 pounds, 1 ounce to take the early lead in Qualifying Group A on Day 1 of the of the Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Tour Favorite Fishing Stage Five on Cayuga Lake Presented by ATG by Wrangler. Weights remain fairly tight throughout the remainder of the top 20, as 20 pounds, 1 ounce is the current mark to break inside the Toro Cutline and advance to the Knockout Round.
Pro Cliff Pace of Petal, Mississippi, had his best day of the year catching a limit weighing 25-15 to end the day in second place, while reigning Bally Bet Angler of the Year (AOY) Jacob Wheeler of Harrison, Tennessee, ended the day in third with five bass weighing 25-10. General Tire pro Edwin Evers of Talala, Oklahoma , caught 25-3 to end the day in fourth, while B&W Trailer Hitches pro Mark Davis of Mount Ida, Arkansas, rounds out the top five with five bass weighing 24-11.
The 40 anglers in Group A will now have an off day from competition on Wednesday, while the 40 anglers competing in Group B will begin their first day of competition. Group A will resume competition on Thursday.
“Today was a really good day. I got to do what I really love to do – sight-fish for smallmouth,” VanDam said in his post-game interview. “I love to fish that way, it’s something that I’ve been doing my whole life. Just put a spinning rod in my hand, grab a Ned rig, a drop-shot rig, a big tube – all of those finesse baits. A lot of the time they’ll bite on one cast, but today I really had to work for it.”
VanDam targeted spawning smallmouth with a mix of techniques and Strike King baits, including a Baby Z-Too, a Dream Shot and a Half Shell.
“This lake is a tremendous fishery and they’re all really healthy fish – they weigh so big,” VanDam said. “The good thing is it should keep getting better as the week goes on – there should be a lot more fish coming in. There is a huge population of bass in this lake, and they spawn the whole month of June up here.
“We’re off to a really good start, and hopefully we can do the same thing again on Thursday and then we’ll go from there,” VanDam went on to say. “We’re in a great position right now and I feel really good about it, but it is a long week.”
The standings for the 40 pros in Group A after Day 1 on Cayuga Lake are:
1st: Kevin VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich., five bass, 28-1
2nd: Cliff Pace, Petal, Miss., five bass, 25-15
3rd: Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn., five bass, 25-10
4th: Edwin Evers, Talala, Okla., five bass, 25-3
5th: Mark Davis, Mount Ida, Ark., five bass, 24-11
6th: Dustin Connell, Clanton, Ala., five bass, 24-6
7th: Luke Clausen, Spokane, Wash., five bass, 24-3
8th: Justin Lucas, Guntersville, Ala., five bass, 23-12
9th: Jared Lintner, Covington, Ga., five bass, 23-3
10th: Scott Suggs, Alexander, Ark., five bass, 22-15
11th: James Elam, Tulsa, Okla., five bass, 22-10
12th: Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla., five bass, 22-3
13th: Bradley Roy, Lancaster, Ky., five bass, 22-2
14th: Dylan Hays, Hot Springs, Ark., five bass, 22-1
15th: Alton Jones Sr., Lorena, Texas, five bass, 21-15
16th: Dakota Ebare, Brookeland, Texas, five bass, 21-9
17th: Mark Daniels Jr., Tuskegee, Ala., five bass, 21-8
18th: Brent Ehrler, Redlands, Calif., five bass, 21-4
19th: Jeff Sprague, Wills Point, Texas, five bass, 20-14
20th: Fred Roumbanis, Russellville, Ark., five bass, 20-1
21st: Jeremy Lawyer, Sarcoxie, Mo., five bass, 19-15
22nd: Keith Poche, Pike Road, Ala., five bass, 19-4
23rd: Russ Lane, Prattville, Ala., five bass, 19-1
24th: Jacob Wall, New Hope, Ala., five bass, 19-0
25th: Brandon Coulter, Knoxville, Tenn., five bass, 18-7
26th: Nick LeBrun, Bossier City, La., five bass, 18-3
27th: Stephen Browning, Hot Springs, Ark., five bass, 17-15
28th: Gerald Spohrer, Gonzales, La., five bass, 16-12
29th: John Hunter, Shelbyville, Ky., five bass, 16-9
30th: Jesse Wiggins, Addison, Ala., five bass, 16-9
31st: Skeet Reese, Auburn, Calif., five bass, 15-7
32nd: Shinichi Fukae, Osaka, Japan, five bass, 15-6
33rd: Todd Faircloth, Jasper, Texas, five bass, 15-4
34th: Josh Bertrand, Queen Creek, Ariz., five bass, 15-2
35th: Jeff Kriet, Ardmore, Okla., five bass, 15-1
36th: Gary Klein, Mingus, Texas, five bass, 14-11
37th: Tommy Biffle, Wagoner, Okla., five bass, 14-3
38th: Brett Hite, Phoenix, Ariz., four bass, 12-9
39th: John Murray, Spring City, Tenn., five bass, 12-8
40th: Matt Lee, Cullman, Ala., two bass, 5-13
A complete list of results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Overall, there were 444 scorable bass weighing 1,447 pounds, 2 ounces caught by the 40 pros Tuesday, which included 32 5-pounders and four 6-pounders.
Pros Dakota Ebare and Brandon Coulter tied for Tuesday’s $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award, as each weighed in a largemouth totaling 6-pounds, 9-ounces, to claim a share of the daily award. 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.
The six-day bass-fishing event showcases 80 of the top professional anglers in the world, competing for a purse of more than $805,000, 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 2024, the Bass Pro Tour championship.
The 40 Anglers in Group A compete in their two-day qualifying round on Tuesday and Thursday – the 40 anglers in Group B on Wednesday and Friday. After each two-day qualifying round is complete, the top 20 anglers from each group advance to Saturday’s Knockout Round. In the Knockout Round, weights are zeroed, and the remaining 40 anglers compete to finish in the top 10 to advance to the Championship Round. In Sunday’s final day Championship Round, weight carries over from the Knockout Round and the angler with the heaviest two-day total wins the top prize of $100,000.
Anglers will launch each day at 7:30 a.m. ET each day from Frontenac Park, located at 15 Creamery Road in Union Springs. 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.
Also, as part of the event, on Saturday, June 10 and Sunday, June 11 the MLF Fan Experience will be taking place at Bass Pro Shops, located at 1579 Clark Street Road in Auburn, New York, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. MLF will welcome fans of all ages to celebrate fishing and the outdoors. Fans can hang out and watch the pros live on the MLFNOW! big screen during the MLF Watch Party. On Sunday at 5 p.m., the final 10 Championship Round Bass Pro Tour anglers will be on hand for the trophy celebration and to meet and greet fans, sign autographs, and take selfies.
The Favorite Fishing Stage Five at Cayuga Lake Presented by ATG by Wrangler features pros competing using the MLF catch, weigh, immediate-release format, with each angler’s five (5) heaviest bass per day tallied as their day’s weight. Anglers strive to catch their heaviest five fish each day, while also feeling the pressure and intensity of the live scoring SCORETRACKER® leaderboard. Minimum weights are determined individually for each competition waters that the Bass Pro Tour visits, based on the productivity, bass population and anticipated average size of fish in each fishery.
The 2023 MLF Bass Pro Tour features a field of 80 of the top professional anglers in the world competing across seven regular-season tournaments around the country, fishing for millions of dollars and valuable points to qualify for the annual General Tire Heavy Hitters all-star event and REDCREST 2024, the Bass Pro Tour championship, held March 13-17, 2024, on Lay Lake in Birmingham, Alabama.
The MLFNOW! broadcast team of Chad McKee, Marty Stone and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action live on all six days of competition from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET. MLFNOW! will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app.
Television coverage of the Favorite Fishing Stage Five at Cayuga Lake Presented by ATG by Wrangler will air as two, two-hour episodes starting at 7 a.m. ET, on Saturday, Oct. 21 and Saturday, Oct. 28 on the Discovery Channel. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morningon Discovery, with re-airings on the Outdoor Channel.
Proud sponsors of the 2023 MLF Bass Pro Tour include: 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, Ark Fishing, ATG + Wrangler, B&W Trailer Hitches, Bally Bet, Bass Cat Boats, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, Daiwa, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, Ferguson, Fox Rent A Car, General Tire, Grundéns, Humminbird, Lowrance, Minn Kota, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Power-Pole, Rapala, Star tron, T-H Marine, TORO, Toyota, U.S. Air Force, Yellowstone Bourbon, Yo-Zuri and Zoom Baits.
For complete details and updated information on Major League Fishing and the Bass Pro Tour, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
Travel Tuesday - Is It Safe to Take a Fishing Trip to Panama?
By Hanna Robbins - Half Past First Cast
You’re considering a trip to Panama. Before putting down your deposit, you probably want to know “Is it safe?” That’s almost always the first question I get when I speak to people about traveling to Panama to fish at one of our most favorite resorts, Sport Fish Panama Island Lodge.
Look it up on any travel site and you’ll see that Panama City is considered one of the safest countries in the region. In fact, the UK’s travel advice page states that most visits to Panama are “trouble-free.”
The country has a low crime rate and strong economy, but you still need to be careful to avoid trouble. Make sure that you always have ID, as it is legally required and when paying with US currency in denominations larger than $20 you may be asked to show it and sign a register. Some places won’t even take anything over a twenty, so bring a credit card, one that doesn’t charge foreign fees. Counterfeit money is an issue in this country. Wear a money belt to avoid the infrequent pickpockets.
Now for the good news: Unlike some other countries in Central America it is safe to drink the tap water. SFPIL has nearly unlimited bottled water, but we brush our teeth from the sink. Same with the Hilton in Panama City, where we overnight on the way to the lodge.
Ladies may have particular concerns. We’re just as strong as the men, but we may be targeted. I would have no problem walking in Panama City, and certainly no issues at the lodge, but if you have concerns take measures to avoid bringing attention to yourself. Don’t wear expensive jewelry, clothing or anything that would make you stand out. No matter what, stay alert of your surroundings and stay exclusively in populated areas of town.
Panama City reminds me of a little Miami, Florida (yet, probably safer) – big buildings, cosmopolitan people, an overall happy vibe.
Now that I have taken the first steps to put your mind at ease, let’s talk about what makes the Half Past First Cast trip to Panama especially safe and simple.
Go For the All-Inclusive Panama Fishing Package
The lodge’s “Premium Package” includes pick up and drop off at the David Airport – basically you are on your own from YOUR HOME to the DAVID AIRPORT. That means you have to:
- Get through the large airport
- Transit customs and immigration
- Work out in-city transportation
- Book an overnight stay
- Purchase domestic airline tickets from Panama City to David
- If anything goes wrong, you need to solve it on your own.
By contrast, for a relatively small amount extra, the “VIP Package” covers everything once you land at the Panama City, Panama Airport.
- Diplomat service at Tocumen International Airport by English speaking agents. They meet you at the gate, take you through immigration and customs and help with your baggage
- If you arrive shortly before some of your group, they’ll plant you in a private lounge with a drink and take care of the details for you
- Transfers from the Tocumen International Airport, by English speaking drivers, to the 4-star Hilton Panama for your overnight stay
- There is an “on-call” personal travel agent to assist you if you have any issues our want assistance with dinner reservations or any other tours
- Transfers back to the airport for the domestic flight to/from David Airport and the drivers make sure everything is on time and you get to your flight before leaving the airport
- Upon arrival at the David Airport -- A SFPIL representative meets you right outside the airport door and takes you to the marina to get aboard the boats that take you to your final destination, the lodge on Isla Paridas.
Several Tripadvisor write ups stated that the Panama City, Panama (PTY) airport is huge and you could walk forever to find immigration, customs and baggage claim. You might as well pay a little more and play it safe and treat yourself.
Public transportation, including Uber, is reasonably cheap but since you are in a foreign country it may be worth a little more to take the known route and car service that can be arranged by the SFPIL advisor.
Forget something? There is a pharmacy walking distance (5 min) from the Hilton hotel and it’s “very very safe” – per Tripadvisor testimonials.
On our first trip, Pete and I had an afternoon in a new city and weren’t going to sit in the hotel room so we decided to walk, explore and observe. We found a little league baseball game going on in the center of town, people were friendly when passing by and there was even a dog park with agility equipment and the convenience stores were equivalent to the 7-Elevens we have on every corner in the US. Panama City feels like home.
No country, city, or state is completely protected from crime and each and every one of us should take precautions wherever we travel, including to the grocery store.
Pete isn’t going to take me to unsafe places. If something happened who would take care of Rooster? Take that as our endorsement of Panama as a primary place for even skittish travelers.
If you’d like to join us on our next hosted trip to Sport Fish Panama Island Lodge in May of 2024, please email me as soon as possible. I can also get you set up with a trip at any other time there is availability.
Trent Menees goes solo to win over $20k on Tawakoni. Skeeter Owners on Fork is this weekend
Place Boat Truck Angler 1 Angler 2 Fish Big Bass Wt. Prize Amt. 1 TRENT MENEES
NORTHLAKE , TXTERRY BOLLOM
FRISCO , TX5 0 21.39
$21,100.00 w/ Garmin, PowerPole, and Sure-Life 2 DON MCFARLIN
GORDENVILLE , TXJAMES FENNELL
GORDONVILLE , TX5 0 21.30
$4000.00 3 MARK MAYBEN
PLANO , TXJOHN MAYBEN
DALLAS , TX5 0 18.83
$5,750.00 with Skeeter Bonus Cash 4 CHUCK BISHOP
SANGER , TXLEVI SMITHERS
SANGER , TX5 6.60 18.75
$4,200.00 w/ Skeeter Bonus Cash , Fun n Sun Bonus 5 SHANE GRAY
PALESTINE , TXCOLETON GRAY
PALESTINE , TX5 7.40 18.62
$2,750.00 with Big Bass 6 BRANNON MCMILLAN
QUINLAN , TXGERALD BARBOUR
EAST TAWAKONI , TX5 0 18.09
$1500.00 7 JUSTIN DUBOSE
NEVADA , TXSTEVE LYNAM
SOUTHLAKE , TX5 0 17.93
$6,500.00 with James Wood Motors Bonus 8 CARL TODD JR
QUINLAN , TXJASON TODD
QUINLAN , TX5 0 16.49
$1300.00 9 CODY BURDINE
BRIDGEPORT , TXBOBBY POINTER
ALVORD , TX5 0 16.47
$1200.00 10 KEITH CULLUM
CORINTH , TXLANCE CULLUM
CORINTH , TX5 0 16.10
$1100.00 2023 North AOY 11 AARON ASHMORE
IVANHOE , TXROBERT NULL
DENISON , TX5 0 16.09
$1090.00 12 CASEY NATION
QUINLAN , TXSHAWN BURRIS
LONE OAK , TX5 0 15.68
$1080.00 13 WESLEY BARNARD
HALLSVILLE , TXANDREW SCOTT
MARSHALL , TX5 0 15.61
$1070.00 14 COLE TEMPLE
GRAPEVINE , TXDAVID DOONAN
CALDWELL , TX5 0 15.43
$1060.00 15 ARCHIE HAYLEY
MT VERNON , TXGAGE IVEY
WINNSBORO , TX5 0 15.33
$1050.00 16 KELLY FERGUSON
FATE , TXJAXON FERGUSON
FATE , TX5 6.92 15.22
$1040.00 17 CLINT YEAGER
ROCKWALL , TXNOLAN YEAGER
ROCKWALL , TX5 0 14.95
$1030.00 18 MARK SPURGIN
MCKINNEY , TXTYLER HOLMES
RICHARDSON , TX5 0 14.75
$1020.00 19 BRANDEN HOLLINGSHEAD
AZLE , TXJEREMY LAMBERT
DECATUR , TX5 0 14.56
$1,510.00 with Skeeter Bonus Cash 20 TOMMY MURRAY
BEDFORD , TXKEITH IVY
PONDER , TX5 0 14.42
$1000.00 21 CASEY MARTZ
EMORY , TXTHOMAS BIBLES
FORNEY , TX5 0 14.14
$1000.00 22 CHAD MADDUX
WYLIE , TXJAKE MEEKS
FARMERSVILLE , TX4 0 13.97
$950.00 23 DOUG BRUNDIDGE
FARMERSVILLE , TXBERNARD GUNN JR
FARMERSVILLE , TX5 0 13.89
$900.00 24 NICK BROWN
LINDALE , TXBYRON CHAVES
MINEOLA , TX5 0 13.74
$900.00 25 GENE DEVORE
SHERMAN , TXTIMOTHY SMEAL
FORT WORTH , TX5 0 13.57
$900.00 26 ROB MEDDERS
CELINA , TXROB WILSON
SHERMAN , TX5 0 13.47
$100 Fun n Sun First Out Bonus 27 JODY HOLUBEK
FORT WORTH , TXDANIEL HERRING
WATUAGA , TX5 0 13.30
28 JONATHAN LANCASTER
QUITMAN , TXJOSH PRIEST
QUITMAN , TX5 0 13.19
29 CURTIS DANIELS
ALBA , TXWENDELL MOON
EMORY , TX5 0 12.89
30 RYAN AUTERY
TERRELL , TXJAMIE WILLABY
CADDO MILLS , TX5 0 12.78
31 STEVE TRIMBLE
ATHENS , TXTREVER DYKEMA
YANTS , TX5 0 12.75
32 MIKE BURNS
LUCAS , TXROB BURNS
PLANO , TX5 0 12.49
33 DAVID BAUMANN
GREENVILLE , TXWARREN SPRAGUE
WILLS POINT , TX5 4.80 12.13
34 BRYON HARRISON
QUINLAN , TXDIRK SMITH
CADDO MILLS , TX5 0 12.06
35 RUGER LONG
TEAGUE , TXSCOOTER LONG
TEAGUE , TX5 0 11.93
36 KENT SIKES
ROANOKE , TXDARRELL CAMPBELL
ALBA , TX5 0 11.88
37 BRADY WINANS
CADDO MILLS , TXSTAN LAWING
POETRY , TX5 0 11.83
38 DAKOTA MCBRIDE
WINNSBORO , TXJEFF MCBRIDE
WINNSBORO , TX5 0 11.78
39 CODY MASON
SULPHUR SPRINGS , TXMONTECO HAWTHORNE
RICHARDSON , TX4 0 11.71
40 KY MARTIN
GRANDVIEW , TXCHRIS MOORE
ROCKWALL , TX5 0 11.56
41 KEITH CARNEY
ARLINGTON , TXKEVIN CARNEY
ARLINGTON , TX5 0 11.34
42 BILLY FOWLER
KAUFMAN , TXBRIAN BROOKE
MESQUITE , TX4 0 11.30
43 LARRY BENCH
DENISON , TXHI HILLBURN
COLBERT , OK5 0 11.28
44 PAKE SOUTH
WINNSBORO , TXKYLE EVANS
EMORY , TX5 0 11.19
45 KEITH TAYLOR
ROCKWALL , TXLARRY LADNIER
ROCKWALL , TX5 0 11.08
46 TERRY PEACOCK
ROYSE CITY , TXSCOTT DEAN
TERRELL , TX5 0 11.06
47 TREVOR ROMANS
CELINA , TXMATT MCMILLAN
FORT WORTH , TX5 0 11.05
48 KEVIN DRITSCHLER
PROSPER , TXMIKE WITHROW
CORSICANA , TX5 0 11.02
49 RANDY TURNER
GREENVILLE , TXTREY TURNER
ROYSE CITY , TX5 0 11.00
50 DREW SLOAN
SCURRY , TXNOLAN JACKSON
ROYSE CITY , TX5 0 10.93
Cates tames Possum Kingdom for a second-straight day to win Bassmaster Kayak Series event
Michael Cates of Arlington, Texas, has won the 2023 Yamaha Rightwaters Bassmaster Kayak Series powered by TourneyX at Possum Kingdom Lake with a two-day total of 210.25 inches.
Photo by Mark Cisneros/B.A.S.S.
June 4, 2023
GRAFORD, Texas — “Go west, young man!”
It’s a saying Michael Cates likely should repeat to himself, given years of good fortune on Possum Kingdom Lake — a run of luck that continued Sunday with his victory in the Yamaha Rightwaters Bassmaster Kayak Series powered by TourneyX.
Cates, a 51-year-old resident of Arlington, Texas, caught 10 bass measuring 210.25 total inches to win the derby on the 17,000-acre reservoir of the Brazos River about 90 minutes west of his home. He measured a limit of five bass for 109.75 inches on Day 1, and though his catch dropped to 100.5 inches Sunday, he had more than enough length to secure the victory.
Cates earned a cash prize of $7,846 with the win, besting 128 other anglers from around the U.S. vying for a total purse of $25,800.
Cates said he considers Lake Fork his home water and he often finds himself “heading east” from Arlington to fish there, rather than west to Possum Kingdom. But he plans on fishing more at the reservoir with a funny name and a growing reputation as one of the nation’s top bass fisheries.
“This is a special place, man,” he said. “I’m truly blessed to win and had an incredible time.”
Cates staked himself to the Day 1 lead fishing a sweet spot he found in practice — an underwater flat with steep sides where bass would bombard just about any lure he threw to the area. So good was the catching on Saturday that Cates had a pair of bass simultaneously eat his lure three different times.
He primarily used a Strike King 6XD (sexy shad) but also used a small variety of black/chartreuse crankbaits, a Carolina-rigged plum worm and even spoons to catch bass.
The spot produced again Sunday, but not until the afternoon — a wait that had Cates on edge.
“I started there, and by 10:30, I only had two sand bass, two drum and a channel cat,” he said. “So, I hit the bank and started trucking along trying to get a limit. I went into the back of a pocket, and I caught 18 fish to get into the mid-90s (inches). That allowed me to breathe again.
“Then I went back out to my original spot and culled every single one of them. The biggest was 22 inches, but they all were really nice 4- to 6-pounders.”
The secret, Cates said, was timing the arrival of gizzard shad that were bountiful Saturday. They returned Sunday afternoon, just in time for him to inch his way into the title finish.
“The sun drove the gizzard shad farther down today,” he said. “Yesterday was an anomaly. You don’t ever expect to catch ‘em like that. The whole thing was covered with gizzard shad, only about 100 yards or so across, and it happened all day long. There were all kinds of different fish just feasting on them.”
On both days, Cates positioned his kayak in about 21 to 22 feet of water and threw back to the underwater flat, letting his lure hit one of two steep embankments that quickly dropped from 10 to 20 or more feet.
“The bass were waiting for bait to bump off those spots,” he said. “If I could hit one of those ledges, I’d get bit just about every time.”
The Top 5 finishers, a quartet of Texans among them, qualified for the 2024 Yamaha Rightwaters Bassmaster Kayak Series National Championship. Besides Cates, they include Texas’ Joe Camareno, second, 202 inches, $3,542; Nebraska’s Marty Hughes, third, 196 inches, $2,340; Texas’ Matthew Scotch, fourth, 191 inches, $1,771; and Texas’ Matthew Flett, fifth, 190.5 inches, $1,664.
Texas’ Corey Geisendorff won the $500 Big Bass Award for a 24.75-inch lunker he caught on Day 1. He hooked the fish using a 12-inch, Carolina-rigged green pumpkin worm. A nearby boater with a hand scale weighed the bass, which came in at right at 9 pounds, Geisendorff said.
The derby at Possum Kingdom was the third of five stops on the Bassmaster Kayak Series this year. Additional tournaments follow on the upper Mississippi River in Lacrosse, Wis., July 8-9 and on the Susquehanna River in Lewisburg, Penn., Oct. 7-8. At each stop, anglers are earning points towards the Dakota Lithium Bassmaster Kayak Series Angler of the Year race.
Keith & Chuck Cole Catch 39.06 pounds on Day Two to Rally From 60th Place to Win The 2023 Bass Pro Shops & Cabela’s Texas Team Trail Presented by Progressive Championship on Choke Canyon Reservoir
CALLIHAM, Tx. (June 4, 2023) – After the first day of competition on Choke Canyon Reservoir, Texas Team Trail anglers Keith & Chuck Cole were sitting in 60th place after catching just 5 pounds. Contemplating going home, the team decided to go ahead and fish the final day and give it their best shot since they worked all year to make the championship event. At the end of Championship Sunday, the duo hauled in the biggest limit weighed in on the Texas Team Trail stage all year as they carried a massive five bass limit of 39.06 pounds to the scales, giving them a two-day total of 44.07 and the win. They walked away with $42,515.00 in cash and prizes, including a 2023 Nitro Z-18 powered by a Mercury Marine 150hp Pro XS.
“I don’t know what to say…. they say days like today are what you live and dream about, but the day we had on the water was beyond that”, said Mercury angler Keith Cole. “We started out the morning with an 8 pounder fishing shallow grass, and the fish just kept coming and getting bigger”.
The team qualified for the 2023 Texas Team Trail Championship after finishing in 20th place in The Progressive Team of the Year points. “We just scrapped everything and just went fun fishing today in an area we found in practice that we knew had some decent ones, but we had no idea that the bag we caught today,” reported Triton owner Chuck Cole.
The team said that they caught the majority of their fish relating to shallow grass throwing a soft swimbait.
Miles & Keith finish in Second
Day 1 leaders Austin Miles & Jacob Keith finished the tournament in second place with a total of 40.08, and for their efforts are awarded $6,615.
“Man we are excited with how we finished our tournament”, said Mercury angler Austin Miles. “Of course we wanted to win, but how can you overcome someone bringing in nearly a 40 pound bag- that’s just insane, dude. We are definitely happy with second place and look forward to getting back to Rayburn in February. The schedule next year for Texas Team Trail is awesome and we hope to get our redemption at the 2024 Championship on Toledo Bend”.
The team also tied for Power-Pole Big Bass with a 9.09 and won the Garmin Contingency Bonus. Miles & Keith reported catching most of their fish up shallow flipping a 6th Sense soft plastic.
Cecil & Castledine Take Home Third and Earn Progressive Team of the Year Honors
Russell Cecil and Todd Castledine finished the 2023 Texas Team Trail Championship in third place after catching a two day total of 34.04 and took home a check worth $3,410. The team also took home their third Progressive Texas Team Trail Team of the Year title.
“Man this really feels great, Todd and I are not only great friends and fish a lot of tournaments traveling together, but we also work so well together in the boat and that is the most critical element to being successful in team tournaments. We just, get one another,” said Sunline angler Russell Cecil. “We don’t take this for granted, those boys from Arizona had us on our toes. It takes a lot to travel that much and commit to fishing in the state of Texas against the crop of anglers we have in this state. They not only did it, but they also had us worried right up until it was announced that we had won. We tip our hats to those boys,” reported Garmin angler Todd Castledine. A complete recap of the Progressive Team of the Year standings and story will be released in the days ahead.
Power-Pole Big Bass Award was a tie with fish weighing 9.09 caught by Austin Miles & Jacob Keith and Clinton Mayfield & Terry Mayfield.
4th-10th Final Results:
4th: CHRIS ZACHRY-RANDY QUALLS – 34.01
5th: SETH KELM & JAMES WILLIAMS- 32.04
6th: CLINTON MAYFIELD & TERRY MAYFIELD- 31.09
7th: GARRETT DOKTER & COURTNEY HOBGOOD- 31.03
8th: MICHAEL MURPHREY & BOB WALTON- 30.09
9th: ZANE DRAKE & LOGAN PARSONS- 29.00
10th: WILL ANDRIE & CAMRON MILLS- 28.04
For complete 2023 Bass Pro Shops & Cabela’s Texas Team Trail presented by Progressive results, click the link: https://outdoorteamworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/2023-TXTT-Championship-Choke-Canyon_Final-Results.pdf
Mosley breaks bridesmaid streak with Bassmaster Elite Series win at Sabine River
Brock Mosley of Collinsville, Miss., has won the Folds of Honor Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River with a four-day total of 44 pounds, 3 ounces.
Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
June 4, 2023
ORANGE, Texas — Brock Mosley got the monkey off his back and put the blue trophy on his mantle.
After enduring five second-place finishes, including the 2021 Elite event at the Sabine River, the angler from Collinsville, Miss., in his eighth year on the Elite Series, tallied a four-day total of 44 pounds, 3 ounces to claim his first pro-level win at the Folds of Honor Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River.
“After five times walking off the stage and seeing my wife crying, I was starting to think it would never happen,” Mosley said with a quaking voice. “But I always said, ‘When it’s God’s timing, I’ll win one of these.’”
Mosley got off to a solid start with a 12th-place, Day 1 limit of 9-15. Despite losing two hours to a mechanical issue in the second round, he added 11-7 and took over the lead on Day 2.
On Semifinal Saturday, Mosley anchored his best effort — a five-bass limit that weighed 12-14 — with a 4 1/2-pound kicker and expanded his lead to 3-1 going into Championship Sunday. While big bites eluded him during the final round, Mosley’s limit of 9-15 pushed him past a charging Clark Wendlandt of Leander, Texas, by a margin of 2-13.
Along with the coveted Elite Series trophy, Mosley won the $100,000 top prize, pushing his career earnings with B.A.S.S. over $785,000.
“I never dreamed I’d be standing here after the practice I had,” Mosley said. “After the first day, I kinda got into a rhythm and every day I got a little more dialed in.”
Mosley’s strategy contrasted his 2021 game plan, in which the first three days saw him running 110 miles to fish in Clear Creek on Houston’s east side. He’d end up spending his final day of that event in local waters near Orange.
This time around, Mosley split his first three days between a Sabine offshoot a couple miles downriver from the takeoff site and Taylor Bayou, about 45 minutes south. His first area was an industrial waterway encompassing Orange Harbor Island with barges, seawalls and tie-up posts.
“I didn’t think it would be won in one specific area this week,” he said. “I thought this year it would be won out of a mixture of places. I didn’t feel like I could catch a big one in the Sabine River. So, every day I started (in the Harbor Island waterway) and then ran to Taylor to upgrade. You gotta have a big fish to get you to the end.”
Taylor Bayou delivered multiple culls on Days 1 and 2 but offered nothing helpful for Day 3.
“Today, when I started out with a quick limit for 8 1/2 pounds, I said, ‘I’m going to make them beat me today. I’m not going to lose it by making a long run and wasting a bunch of time.’ So, I stuck around and grinded it out.”
After enduring a mid-morning drought, Mosley admittedly struggled with his decision to ditch his Taylor Bayou trip and stick with local waters. Sensing he needed more weight and watching his fishing time dwindle, he pondered his options.
“At 11 o’clock, I was starting to question myself and I almost pulled the plug and made the run,” he said. “But I made myself stay and it wasn’t long after I caught one that helped. That calmed me down, and I ended up culling two or three times this afternoon.”
Mosley started his mornings with an old Rebel Pop-R that required retrofitting.
“I pulled it out of my tackle box and the hooks were rusted, so I changed them to Trokar treble hooks,” Mosley said. “I didn’t lose any fish on that bait.”
After the morning topwater window, he turned to a 4-inch Yamamoto Senko in black/blue and junebug. He Texas-rigged the plastic bait for flipping Taylor Bayou’s natural shorelines and rigged it on a power shot when he targeted seawalls with subsurface rails.
Placing second with 41-6, Wendlandt improved daily with weights of 10-3, 8-13, 10-6 and 12-0. Wendlandt anchored his final limit with a 4-2 that bit around 9:10 and rocketed him into the unofficial second-place spot on BassTrakk.
“When I set the hook on that fish, I said, ‘This is the one I need,’” Wendlandt recalled. “I broke one off late in the day. Where I was fishing, there were a lot of abrasions and it just happens.”
Spending most of his time in Hildebrandt Bayou, Wendlandt caught his bass on a 1/2-ounce Strike King tungsten jig with a Strike King Baby Rage Craw trailer and a 5/16-ounce Strike King spinnerbait with double Colorado blades.
Matty Wong of Honolulu, Hi., finished third with 39-8. Making his first Top 10 appearance, Wong turned in daily weights of 6-7, 13-13, 8-13 and 10-7.
Also fishing the Orange Harbor Island waters, Wong caught his fish on a Megabass Super-Z Z3 spinnerbait, a Megabass Super-Z Z2 crankbait and a flipping rig comprising a Megabass Rock Hog on a 3/0 Gamakatsu G-Finesse flipping hook with a 1/4-ounce Freedom Tungsten weight.
“When (Bassmaster Emcee Dave Mercer) announced the Top 10 on Day 3, it made me start to cry,” Wong said. “Less than two years ago, I was driving a 1991 Ranger with one working graph and one working gas tank. The fact that I get to chase these little green monsters across the nation as a job completely blows my mind.”
Mosley took home an additional $3,000 for being the highest-placing entrant in the Toyota Bonus Bucks program while Wong earned $2,000 for being the second-highest placing entrant.
As part of the Yamaha Power Pay program, Wendlandt earned an additional $2,500 as the highest-placing entrant and ninth-place angler Kenta Kimura of Japan claimed an additional $1,500 for being the second-highest placing entrant.
Day 1 leader Chad Pipkens of DeWitt, Mich., won the $2,000 Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the Tournament award with the 5-12 largemouth he caught on Day 1. Wendlandt earned the daily $1,000 Big Bass award Sunday for his 4-2. Oklahoma’s Jason Christie is still leading the field for Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the Year honors thanks to the 9-4 largemouth he caught at Lay Lake.
Pipkens also won the $2,000 VMC Monster Bag award with his opening limit of 14-7.
Clifford Pirch of Payson, Ariz., won the $1,000 BassTrakk Contingency award for the most accurate weight reporting.
Alabama pro Kyle Welcher finished seventh with 36-6 and leads the Progressive Insurance Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings with 511 points. Brandon Cobb of Greenwood, S.C., is in second with 499 points, followed by John Cox of DeBary, Fla., with 483, Tyler Rivet of Raceland, La., with 467, and Drew Cook of Cairo, Ga., with 456.
Will Davis Jr. of Sylacauga, Ala., finished 39th with 21-6 and leads the Dakota Lithium Bassmaster Rookie of the Year standings with 449 points.
2023 Folds of Honor Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River 6/1-6/4
Sabine River, Orange TX.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 4
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 20 44-03 104 $100,000.00
Day 1: 5 09-15 Day 2: 5 11-07 Day 3: 5 12-14 Day 4: 5 09-15
2. Clark Wendlandt Leander, TX 20 41-06 103 $36,000.00
Day 1: 5 10-03 Day 2: 5 08-13 Day 3: 5 10-06 Day 4: 5 12-00
3. Matty Wong Honolulu, HI 20 39-08 102 $30,000.00
Day 1: 5 06-07 Day 2: 5 13-13 Day 3: 5 08-13 Day 4: 5 10-07
4. Keith Poche Cecil, AL 20 39-00 101 $25,000.00
Day 1: 5 11-02 Day 2: 5 09-08 Day 3: 5 10-09 Day 4: 5 07-13
5. Matt Robertson Kuttawa, KY 20 37-03 100 $20,000.00
Day 1: 5 08-05 Day 2: 5 07-05 Day 3: 5 12-13 Day 4: 5 08-12
6. Hunter Shryock Ooltewah, TN 19 36-11 99 $19,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-02 Day 2: 4 05-08 Day 3: 5 08-04 Day 4: 5 09-13
7. Kyle Welcher Opelika, AL 20 36-06 98 $19,000.00
Day 1: 5 09-06 Day 2: 5 11-08 Day 3: 5 06-13 Day 4: 5 08-11
8. Alex Wetherell Middletown, CT 20 36-01 97 $17,000.00
Day 1: 5 11-09 Day 2: 5 06-02 Day 3: 5 10-02 Day 4: 5 08-04
9. Kenta Kimura Osaka JAPAN 20 35-04 96 $16,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-01 Day 2: 5 06-08 Day 3: 5 08-02 Day 4: 5 07-09
10. Chad Pipkens DeWitt, MI 20 35-00 95 $20,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-07 Day 2: 5 05-15 Day 3: 5 07-01 Day 4: 5 07-09
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1 Chad Pipkens DeWitt, MI 05-12 $1,000.00
2 David Williams Newton, NC 05-08 $1,000.00
3 Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 05-08 $1,000.00
4 Clark Wendlandt Leander, TX 04-02 $1,000.00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Chad Pipkens DeWitt, MI 05-12 $2,000.00
VMC MONSTER BAG
Chad Pipkens DeWitt, MI 14-07 $2,000.00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 88 486 720-09
2 84 473 678-05
3 41 228 360-06
4 10 50 90-13
----------------------------------
223 1237 1850-01
Miles & Keith Take Day 1 Lead at 2023 TXTT Championship
CALLIHAM, Tx. (June 3, 2023) – The 2023 Bass Pro Shops/ Cabela’s Texas Team Trail presented by Progressive Championship has completed day one. The top qualifying teams faced unexpected tough fishing conditions that included, bright blue skies, little to no wind, and hot Texas temperatures. When the scales closed after day one, the leading team had brought in a five fish limit weighing 24.11 pounds. That team is Austin Miles & Jacob Keith who have a lead of slightly more than four pounds over second place.
“We expected to catch a pretty decent bag after the practice we had. Everything started out right this morning with a quick limit in an area we know holds a lot of keeper”, said Mercury angler Austin Miles. His partner, Jacob Keith went on to report, “When the sun popped out and the wind died, we made a long run down the lake fishing off the bank and were able to upgrade”. Austin also said the majority of the teams quality fish came catching them on his Garmin LiveScope, including the unofficial Power-Pole Big Fish that weighed 9.04.
“It was truly a dream day, my partner and I both caught a big one and things just fell into place. We know this lake has a much bigger sack swimming around in it, so tomorrow we are going out with the same mindset to fish clean and put as many keepers as we can in the boat,” Austin said.
The two-day 2023 Texas Team Trail Championship winner on Choke Canyon Reservior has a potential to cash in on over $45,000 in cash and prizes for winning the event as well as earn points towards all the prizes for the Progressive Team of the Year payout that will also be awarded at the conclusion of the event.
Drake & Parson Bring in 20.06 for Second Place
Second Place after Day 1 of the 2023 Texas Team Trail Championship on Choke Canyon Reservior belongs to Zane Drake & Logan Parsons after weighing in a five fish limit totaling 20.06.
“This was not the day we expected, we left the dock thinking we could have 14 to 15 if we got the right bites. But today just went our direction and we are very blessed,” said Triton/ Mercury angler Zane Drake. The team also reported struggling the first few hours but junk fishing in the afternoon they were able to catch six keeper bites to give them their Day 1 weight.
“We caught them a little different than we did in practice, the water seemed to clean up a little more today and we were able to excel on one particular bait that we only had one of and lost. Needless to say [laughing] we are headed to Bass Pro Shops right now in San Antonio to get some more,’’ said Parsons.
Third Place Garret Dokter & Courtney Hobgood
Texas Team Trail anglers Garrett Dotor and Courntry Hobgood finished Day 1 of the 2023 Championship rounding out the Top-3 with a limit of Choke Canyon Reservior bass weighing 18.05 leaving them just over six pounds behind the leader, but Choke Canyon has a history of kicking out big limits so anything is possible on Day Two.
The leader of the Power-Pole Big Bass Award after Day 1 is Austin Miles.
4th-10th Day 1 Results:
4th: KEVIN ALLEN & BRANDON BROSSETT- 17.10
5th: EDWARD NORRIS & STEVEN FOSTER- 16.03
6th: JAKE GOODRUM & JOSEPH GOODRUM- 15.10
7th: SETH FURMANEK & ROBERT KETTNER- 15.00
8th-Tie: DAVE REDINGTON & CHAD MCCLENDON- 14.11
8th-Tie: SETH KELM & JAMES WILLIAMS- 14.11
10th: KURT LUKER & JASON STOVALL- 14.10
Official 2023 Bass Pro Shops & Cabela’s Texas Team Trail presented by Progressive Championship Day 1 Results: https://outdoorteamworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/2023-TXTT-Championship-Choke-Canyon_Day-1-Results.pdf
Progressive Team of the Year Race Heating Up but Cecil and Castledine still lead.
After Day 1 of the 2023 Texas Team Trail Championship, the second place team going into the event of Seth Furmanek & Robert Kettner gained a few places on the Team of the Year leaders Russell Cecil & Todd Castledine. Furmanek & Kettner finished Day 1 sitting in 8th place with 14.11. But Cecil & Castledine are sitting in the Top-20 after finishing Day 1 in 11th with 14.07. Tomorrow will decide who will be crowned the 2023 Progressive Team of the Year and it is a tight race!
Current 2023 Progressive Team of the Year Standings: https://outdoorteamworks.com/trail/txtt/team-of-the-year/
Mosley expands lead with his biggest catch yet in Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River
Brock Mosley of Collinsville, Miss., is leading after Day 3 of the Folds of Honor Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River with a three-day total of 34 pounds, 4 ounces.
Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
June 3, 2023
Mosley expands lead with his biggest catch yet in Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River
ORANGE, Texas — Following an upward trajectory into an enviable final-round advantage, Brock Mosley of Collinsville, Miss., leads Day 3 of the Folds of Honor Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River with a three-day total of 34 pounds, 4 ounces.
Posting his best effort of the week — a five-bass limit that weighed 12-14 — on Semifinal Saturday, Mosley heads into Championship Sunday with a lead of 3-1 over Alabama pro Keith Poche.
“It was a fun day,” Mosley said. “I caught a bunch of fish and I finally got a good bite. I just have to go out and catch 10 to 11 pounds tomorrow.”
Mosley began his third morning at a blistering pace, with a limit of 12 pounds just past 7 a.m. Boxing his first keeper — a 2-pounder — 17 minutes after the 6 a.m. takeoff, Mosley anchored his bag with a 4 1/2-pounder around 6:30.
During the first three days of the Elite’s previous trip to the Sabine in 2021, Mosley ran 110 miles to fish Clear Creek on Houston’s east side. This year, he started each morning within a couple miles of takeoff and then closed out his day looking for upgrades around reeds and pads in Taylor Bayou.
He caught his bass fishing a popper, a Texas-rigged Senko and a power shot around seawalls, barge tie-ups, laydowns and grass.
“It has worked out differently every day,” Mosley said. “The first day, I started out with a small limit (close) and then I ran over to Taylor and caught my two best fish. Friday, all my fish here were about the same size and when I ran to Taylor, I only culled up a couple of ounces.
“Today, I had that 4 1/2-pound kicker and that boosted me up. I caught six or seven in Taylor but none of them helped.”
With 14 Top 10s to his credit, Mosley has recorded five second-place finishes. In 2021, he notched back-to-back runner-up finishes at Pickwick Lake and the Sabine River.
Despite a 3-pound advantage on a fishery where big bites are scarce, Mosley said he’ll likely stay in his starting area all day and squeeze it for all its worth.
With his first Elite win just one solid limit away, Mosley said he’s motivated by the quest for redemption, as well as the desire to perform well in front of one of the largest crowds to show up for Bassmaster events.
“It would be awesome,” Mosley said. “These people here are awesome, they love us, everyone is so nice, the crowds are huge and they put on a big party.”
Poche added a third-round catch of 10-9 to his previous two limits of 11-2 and 9-8. He holds a three-day total of 31-3.
Sticking with the game plan that has served him well the previous two days, Poche started his day in a deep backwater pond linked to the Neches River by a narrow canal. Notably, the Day 3 bite was a little different from the previous two days, in which the canal produced best.
“The first two days, I fished all around that thing, but this was the first day I had a decent bite in there — it was always little rats,” Poche said. “Today, I caught three inside and one in the canal.
“The fish were up around the edge on laydowns and grass patches. Today, it was as low as it’s been since I’ve been fishing. I think that might have pulled out some of those better fish that were way tight to the bank. My first bite was my biggest one.”
Poche caught three of his pond/canal bass on a SPRO Bronzeye popping frog and one on a Texas-rigged Berkley Pit Boss. After leaving the pond, Poche finished his day in Cow Bayou where the Pit Boss produced his fifth keeper.
Despite his success, Poche said he’s contemplating a Championship Sunday change.
“I was (considering) running up the Sabine River this morning,” he said. “I may do that tomorrow. I just feel like I’m not catching enough weight. I’m doing good, but I feel like I’m scrapping and if I’m not fishing other places, I’m not getting what I need.
“I can’t continue laying on one place. I may throw up a Hail Mary and go up the Sabine. I’m here to win.”
Clark Wendlandt of Leander, Texas, is in third place with 29-6. After posting 10-3 and 8-13 the first two days, Wendlandt entered Saturday in ninth place. Adding 10-6 moved him up six spots.
“I think they’re biting better in the afternoon; I just caught my better ones in the morning,” Wendlandt said.
Wendlandt caught his fish by flipping soft plastics. He tried reaction baits but couldn’t get bit.
“I got some reaction bites earlier in the week, but in the mornings every day of the tournament, it’s been dead slick, calm and no breeze,” Wendlandt said. “The sun’s been up, there’s been (little to no) cloud cover and I just think that messes them up. They’re just not ready to chase.”
Day 1 leader Chad Pipkens of DeWitt, Mich., is in the lead for the $2,000 Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the Tournament award with the 5-12 largemouth he caught on Day 1. Clifford Pirch of Payson, Ariz., earned Saturday’s daily $1,000 Big Bass award for a 5-8.
Pipkens also leads for the VMC Monster Bag award with his opening limit of 14-7.
Alabama pro Kyle Welcher is in eighth place with 27-11 and has taken the lead in the Progressive Insurance Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings with 510 points. Brandon Cobb of Greenwood, S.C., is in second with 499 points, followed by John Cox of DeBary, Fla., with 483, Tyler Rivet of Raceland, La., with 467 and Drew Cook of Cairo, Ga., with 456.
Will Davis Jr. of Sylacauga, Ala., leads the Dakota Lithium Bassmaster Rookie of the Year standings with 449 points.
The Top 10 remaining anglers will take off at 6 a.m. CT Sunday from the City of Orange Boat Ramp. The weigh-in will be held at the ramp at 3 p.m., with the winning angler earning $100,000. FS1 will broadcast live with the leaders beginning at 7 a.m. CT with continuing coverage on Bassmaster.com.
The Folds of Honor Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River is being hosted by the Greater Orange Chamber of Commerce.
2023 Folds of Honor Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River 6/1-6/4
Sabine River, Orange TX.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 3
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 15 34-04 104
Day 1: 5 09-15 Day 2: 5 11-07 Day 3: 5 12-14
2. Keith Poche Cecil, AL 15 31-03 103
Day 1: 5 11-02 Day 2: 5 09-08 Day 3: 5 10-09
3. Clark Wendlandt Leander, TX 15 29-06 102
Day 1: 5 10-03 Day 2: 5 08-13 Day 3: 5 10-06
4. Matty Wong Honolulu, HI 15 29-01 101
Day 1: 5 06-07 Day 2: 5 13-13 Day 3: 5 08-13
5. Matt Robertson Kuttawa, KY 15 28-07 100
Day 1: 5 08-05 Day 2: 5 07-05 Day 3: 5 12-13
6. Alex Wetherell Middletown, CT 15 27-13 99
Day 1: 5 11-09 Day 2: 5 06-02 Day 3: 5 10-02
7. Kenta Kimura Osaka JAPAN 15 27-11 98
Day 1: 5 13-01 Day 2: 5 06-08 Day 3: 5 08-02
8. Kyle Welcher Opelika, AL 15 27-11 97
Day 1: 5 09-06 Day 2: 5 11-08 Day 3: 5 06-13
9. Chad Pipkens DeWitt, MI 15 27-07 96 $1,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-07 Day 2: 5 05-15 Day 3: 5 07-01
10. Hunter Shryock Ooltewah, TN 14 26-14 95
Day 1: 5 13-02 Day 2: 4 05-08 Day 3: 5 08-04
11. Jacob Powroznik North Prince George, VA 15 26-12 94 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 11-05 Day 2: 5 08-10 Day 3: 5 06-13
12. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 15 26-07 93 $11,000.00
Day 1: 5 07-08 Day 2: 5 06-12 Day 3: 5 12-03
13. Drew Benton Panama City, FL 15 26-06 92 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 06-06 Day 2: 5 07-11 Day 3: 5 12-05
14. Matt Herren Ashville, AL 15 26-01 91 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 08-15 Day 2: 5 07-09 Day 3: 5 09-09
15. Wes Logan Springville, AL 15 25-12 90 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 09-09 Day 2: 5 08-11 Day 3: 5 07-08
16. Caleb Sumrall New Iberia, LA 15 25-11 89 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 05-14 Day 2: 5 12-07 Day 3: 5 07-06
17. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 15 25-03 88 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 07-14 Day 2: 5 06-10 Day 3: 5 10-11
18. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 15 24-10 87 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 05-02 Day 2: 5 10-14 Day 3: 5 08-10
19. Kyoya Fujita Minamitsuru, Yamanashi 15 24-10 86 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 07-05 Day 2: 5 07-07 Day 3: 5 09-14
20. Austin Felix Eden Prairie, MN 15 24-09 85 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 07-01 Day 2: 5 07-10 Day 3: 5 09-14
21. Ray Hanselman Jr Del Rio, TX 15 24-09 84 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 08-09 Day 2: 5 08-05 Day 3: 5 07-11
22. David Williams Newton, NC 15 24-04 83 $11,000.00
Day 1: 5 06-01 Day 2: 5 11-11 Day 3: 5 06-08
23. Bryan New Saluda, SC 15 24-03 82 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 08-09 Day 2: 5 08-08 Day 3: 5 07-02
24. Patrick Walters Summerville, SC 15 23-15 81 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 10-15 Day 2: 5 05-09 Day 3: 5 07-07
25. Masayuki Matsushita Tokoname-Aichi JAPAN 15 23-11 80 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 09-07 Day 2: 5 06-12 Day 3: 5 07-08
26. Larry Nixon Bee Branch, AR 13 23-10 79 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 10-13 Day 2: 5 08-08 Day 3: 3 04-05
27. Joey Cifuentes III Clinton, AR 15 23-10 78 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 08-15 Day 2: 5 07-15 Day 3: 5 06-12
28. Frank Talley Temple, TX 15 23-07 77 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 08-09 Day 2: 5 08-05 Day 3: 5 06-09
29. Seth Feider New Market, MN 15 23-05 76 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 07-03 Day 2: 5 08-01 Day 3: 5 08-01
30. Mike Huff London, KY 15 23-04 75 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 10-08 Day 2: 5 06-03 Day 3: 5 06-09
31. Logan Latuso Gonzales, LA 15 23-03 74 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 08-15 Day 2: 5 06-09 Day 3: 5 07-11
32. Jason Williamson Aiken, SC 15 23-02 73 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 06-06 Day 2: 5 09-08 Day 3: 5 07-04
33. Todd Auten Lake Wylie, SC 15 22-13 72 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 05-10 Day 2: 5 08-02 Day 3: 5 09-01
34. Gregory DiPalma Millville, NJ 15 22-10 71 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 07-12 Day 2: 5 07-06 Day 3: 5 07-08
35. Bryan Schmitt Deale, MD 15 22-01 70 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 07-05 Day 2: 5 08-05 Day 3: 5 06-07
36. John Cox DeBary, FL 12 21-12 69 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 07-02 Day 2: 5 11-02 Day 3: 2 03-08
37. Lee Livesay Longview, TX 15 21-11 68 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 07-09 Day 2: 5 08-09 Day 3: 5 05-09
38. Cole Sands Calhoun, TN 15 21-10 67 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 09-02 Day 2: 5 05-09 Day 3: 5 06-15
39. Will Davis Jr Sylacauga, AL 15 21-06 66 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 05-06 Day 2: 5 10-03 Day 3: 5 05-13
40. Jay Przekurat Stevens Point, WI 15 20-09 65 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 07-12 Day 2: 5 07-04 Day 3: 5 05-09
41. Jake Whitaker Hendersonville, NC 14 20-08 64 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 07-00 Day 2: 5 10-04 Day 3: 4 03-04
42. Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 12 20-06 63 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 11-03 Day 2: 5 06-13 Day 3: 2 02-06
43. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 15 20-00 62 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 09-03 Day 2: 5 05-04 Day 3: 5 05-09
44. Bob Downey Detroit Lakes, MN 15 19-12 61 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 05-10 Day 2: 5 07-10 Day 3: 5 06-08
45. Shane LeHew Catawba, NC 12 18-12 60 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 08-02 Day 2: 5 07-04 Day 3: 2 03-06
46. Justin Atkins Florence, AL 15 18-08 59 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 05-05 Day 2: 5 08-03 Day 3: 5 05-00
47. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 13 17-09 58 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 08-01 Day 2: 5 06-06 Day 3: 3 03-02
48. Buddy Gross Chattanooga, TN 14 17-00 57 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 06-02 Day 2: 5 07-06 Day 3: 4 03-08
49. Joseph Webster Hamilton, AL 11 16-12 56 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 09-08 Day 2: 3 04-00 Day 3: 3 03-04
50. Kyle Norsetter Cottage Grove, WI 10 14-00 55 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 06-12 Day 2: 5 07-04 Day 3: 0 00-00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1 Chad Pipkens Dewitt, MI 05-12 $1,000.00
2 David Williams Newton, NC 05-08 $1,000.00
3 Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 05-08 $1,000.00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 88 486 720-09
2 84 473 678-05
3 41 228 360-06
----------------------------------
213 1187 1759-04
Mosley overcomes adversity and takes lead in Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River
Brock Mosley of Collinsville, Miss., is leading after Day 2 of the Folds of Honor Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River with a two-day total of 21 pounds, 6 ounces.
Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
June 2, 2023
Mosley overcomes adversity and takes lead in Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River
ORANGE, Texas — Despite losing about two hours of fishing time to a mechanical issue, Brock Mosley of Collinsville, Miss., tallied a two-day total of 21 pounds, 6 ounces to take the lead in the Folds of Honor Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River.
After placing 12th on Day 1 with 9-15, Mosley added a second-round limit of 11-7 on Friday. He heads into Semifinal Saturday with a half-pound lead over Kyle Welcher of Opelika, Ala., and a 3/4-pound margin over Keith Poche of Cecil, Ala.
“This place fishes a lot like how I do back home,” Mosley said. “You just put your head down and grind it out and know that you’re only going to get a handful of bites and you’re going to have to capitalize on them.”
Mosley, who finished second the last time the Elites fished the Sabine (2021), spent the first three days of that event fishing 110 miles west in the Houston area. This time, he traded that long-range game plan for a more local strategy that began on the main river within a couple miles of takeoff.
“Every year, I’ve caught them a different way,” Mosley said. “This morning I got off to a good start and then I made a long run up Taylor Bayou, but I had boat problems and had to come back in. The service crews did a good job getting me back on the water and I ended up making that long run (back up Taylor) and got some bites.
“I was kind of questioning if I had enough fuel to make the run again, so I took my time, eased over there and conserved my fuel. I got over there and realized that I still had enough fuel to make it back.”
Mosley began his day with a mix of topwater and flipping baits. Prior to his mechanical issue, he had about 10 pounds in his livewell.
“I had 8 pounds pretty quickly and then I slowly culled up,” he said. “I caught one that I lost in practice by trying to boat flip it. The fish was on a piece of structure I fished today. It looked like about the same quality.
“I have a whole other deal going in Taylor that’s different from in the Sabine. Over here, I just want to get a limit and get my day started. They just seemed to be a little better quality.”
Noting a key difference in his first two days, Mosley said Day 1 saw him lose a couple of nice bass early. Fishing clean on Day 2 propelled him to the top of the leaderboard.
Summarizing his improvement, Mosley said: “Everything just went right today, other than the boat problem.”
Welcher placed 17th on Day 1 with a limit that weighed 9-6. Adding 11-8 and climbing 15 spots to second with 20-14 was a matter of capitalizing on the right opportunities.
“Yesterday, I got two quality bites — two 2 1/2-pounders — and today I got two quality bites, but one of them just happened to be a 4-pounder,” Welcher said. “That’s the difference maker. A lot of us are catching a bunch of 1- to 1 1/4-pound fish. The person that catches two fish over 2 pounds a day stays up (high) on the leaderboard.”
Welcher said he’s catching his bass on a mix of flipping and reaction baits. He found the latter produced his best results.
“Yesterday, both of my biggest bites were on reaction baits,” he said. “Today, my 4-pounder was on a reaction bait. I caught my 3-pounder today flipping.”
Welcher said he figured out that proximity was his ally. In his mind, it is all about physics.
“I actually get really close to the bank because when you’re fishing really shallow cover and you know the fish are up there tight to the cover, I don’t want my bait to make a big splash when it hits the water,” Welcher said. “I don’t feel like fish are boat shy. I feel like they’re trolling motor shy. So, when I’m up there around those trees and grass, I want a really natural presentation.”
Poche caught a seventh-place limit of 11-2 on Day 1 and moved into third with a second-round bag that went 9-8. His two-day total was 20-10.
Employing his signature strategy of seeking secluded backwaters, Poche drove his 18-foot Gatortrax aluminum boat through a narrow passage off the Neches River, which led to an inner sanctum with 20-foot depths.
The deep water had produced good bites in practice. But today, Poche could only find quality fish on the shallow flow-through. After boating a few keepers in his backwater area, Poche moved to Cow Bayou and finished his bag.
“I like this place. It sets up well for me because I’m a shallow-water guy,” Poche said. “The tides were terrible today, so I’m so fortunate to have those fish I had. I had two good bites, but I had to run all over the place to get my limit today.”
Poche caught his fish flipping a Texas-rigged 3-inch Berkley Pit Boss.
Day 1 leader Chad Pipkens of DeWitt, Mich., is in the lead for the $2,000 Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the Tournament award with a 5-12. David Williams of Newton, N.C., earned the daily $1,000 Big Bass award for a 5-8.
Pipkens is currently in the lead for the VMC Monster Bag award with his opening-round limit of 14-7.
By placing second, Welcher took the lead in the Progressive Insurance Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings with 516 points. John Cox of DeBary, Fla., is in second with 507, while Brandon Cobb of Greenwood, S.C. — the AOY leader coming into the event — fell to third place with 499. Tyler Rivet of Raceland, La., is fourth with 467, and Will Davis, Jr. of Sylacauga, Ala., is fifth with 457.
Davis, Jr. also leads the Dakota Lithium Bassmaster Rookie of the Year standings with 457 points.
The Top 50 remaining anglers will take off Saturday at 6 a.m. CT from the City of Orange Boat Ramp. The weigh-in will be held at the ramp at 3 p.m., with only the Top 10 advancing to Championship Sunday with a chance to win the $100,000 first-place prize.
FS1 will broadcast live with the leaders beginning at 6 a.m. CT with continuing coverage on Bassmaster.com.
2023 Folds of Honor Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River 6/1-6/4
Sabine River, Orange TX.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 2
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 10 21-06 104
Day 1: 5 09-15 Day 2: 5 11-07
2. Kyle Welcher Opelika, AL 10 20-14 103
Day 1: 5 09-06 Day 2: 5 11-08
3. Keith Poche Cecil, AL 10 20-10 102
Day 1: 5 11-02 Day 2: 5 09-08
4. Chad Pipkens DeWitt, MI 10 20-06 101 $1,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-07 Day 2: 5 05-15
5. Matty Wong Honolulu, HI 10 20-04 100
Day 1: 5 06-07 Day 2: 5 13-13
6. Jacob Powroznik North Prince George, VA 10 19-15 99
Day 1: 5 11-05 Day 2: 5 08-10
7. Kenta Kimura Osaka JAPAN 10 19-09 98
Day 1: 5 13-01 Day 2: 5 06-08
8. Larry Nixon Bee Branch, AR 10 19-05 97
Day 1: 5 10-13 Day 2: 5 08-08
9. Clark Wendlandt Leander, TX 10 19-00 96
Day 1: 5 10-03 Day 2: 5 08-13
10. Hunter Shryock Ooltewah, TN 9 18-10 95
Day 1: 5 13-02 Day 2: 4 05-08
11. Caleb Sumrall New Iberia, LA 10 18-05 94
Day 1: 5 05-14 Day 2: 5 12-07
12. John Cox DeBary, FL 10 18-04 93
Day 1: 5 07-02 Day 2: 5 11-02
13. Wes Logan Springville, AL 10 18-04 92
Day 1: 5 09-09 Day 2: 5 08-11
14. Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 10 18-00 91
Day 1: 5 11-03 Day 2: 5 06-13
15. David Williams Newton, NC 10 17-12 90 $1,000.00
Day 1: 5 06-01 Day 2: 5 11-11
16. Alex Wetherell Middletown, CT 10 17-11 89
Day 1: 5 11-09 Day 2: 5 06-02
17. Jake Whitaker Hendersonville, NC 10 17-04 88
Day 1: 5 07-00 Day 2: 5 10-04
18. Bryan New Saluda, SC 10 17-01 87
Day 1: 5 08-09 Day 2: 5 08-08
19. Joey Cifuentes III Clinton, AR 10 16-14 86
Day 1: 5 08-15 Day 2: 5 07-15
20. Ray Hanselman Jr Del Rio, TX 10 16-14 85
Day 1: 5 08-09 Day 2: 5 08-05
20. Frank Talley Temple, TX 10 16-14 85
Day 1: 5 08-09 Day 2: 5 08-05
22. Mike Huff London, KY 10 16-11 83
Day 1: 5 10-08 Day 2: 5 06-03
23. Patrick Walters Eutawville, SC 10 16-08 82
Day 1: 5 10-15 Day 2: 5 05-09
24. Matt Herren Ashville, AL 10 16-08 81
Day 1: 5 08-15 Day 2: 5 07-09
25. Masayuki Matsushita Tokoname-Aichi JAPAN 10 16-03 80
Day 1: 5 09-07 Day 2: 5 06-12
26. Lee Livesay Longview, TX 10 16-02 79
Day 1: 5 07-09 Day 2: 5 08-09
27. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 10 16-00 78
Day 1: 5 05-02 Day 2: 5 10-14
28. Jason Williamson Aiken, SC 10 15-14 77
Day 1: 5 06-06 Day 2: 5 09-08
29. Matt Robertson Kuttawa, KY 10 15-10 76
Day 1: 5 08-05 Day 2: 5 07-05
29. Bryan Schmitt Deale, MD 10 15-10 76
Day 1: 5 07-05 Day 2: 5 08-05
31. Will Davis Jr Sylacauga, AL 10 15-09 74
Day 1: 5 05-06 Day 2: 5 10-03
32. Logan Latuso Gonzales, LA 10 15-08 73
Day 1: 5 08-15 Day 2: 5 06-09
33. Shane LeHew Catawba, NC 10 15-06 72
Day 1: 5 08-02 Day 2: 5 07-04
34. Seth Feider New Market, MN 10 15-04 71
Day 1: 5 07-03 Day 2: 5 08-01
35. Gregory DiPalma Millville, NJ 10 15-02 70
Day 1: 5 07-12 Day 2: 5 07-06
36. Jay Przekurat Stevens Point, WI 10 15-00 69
Day 1: 5 07-12 Day 2: 5 07-04
37. Kyoya Fujita Minamitsuru, Yamanashi 10 14-12 68
Day 1: 5 07-05 Day 2: 5 07-07
38. Cole Sands Calhoun, TN 10 14-11 67
Day 1: 5 09-02 Day 2: 5 05-09
39. Austin Felix Eden Prairie, MN 10 14-11 66
Day 1: 5 07-01 Day 2: 5 07-10
40. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 10 14-08 65
Day 1: 5 07-14 Day 2: 5 06-10
41. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 10 14-07 64
Day 1: 5 09-03 Day 2: 5 05-04
42. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 10 14-07 63
Day 1: 5 08-01 Day 2: 5 06-06
43. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 10 14-04 62
Day 1: 5 07-08 Day 2: 5 06-12
44. Drew Benton Panama City, FL 10 14-01 61
Day 1: 5 06-06 Day 2: 5 07-11
45. Kyle Norsetter Cottage Grove, WI 10 14-00 60
Day 1: 5 06-12 Day 2: 5 07-04
46. Todd Auten Lake Wylie, SC 10 13-12 59
Day 1: 5 05-10 Day 2: 5 08-02
47. Joseph Webster Hamilton, AL 8 13-08 58
Day 1: 5 09-08 Day 2: 3 04-00
48. Justin Atkins Florence, AL 10 13-08 57
Day 1: 5 05-05 Day 2: 5 08-03
49. Buddy Gross Chattanooga, TN 10 13-08 56
Day 1: 5 06-02 Day 2: 5 07-06
50. Bob Downey Detroit Lakes, MN 10 13-04 55
Day 1: 5 05-10 Day 2: 5 07-10
51. Koby Kreiger Alva, FL 10 13-03 54 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 07-14 Day 2: 5 05-05
52. Taku Ito Chiba JAPAN 9 13-01 53 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 06-13 Day 2: 4 06-04
53. Tyler Rivet Raceland, LA 10 12-15 52 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 07-08 Day 2: 5 05-07
54. Clent Davis Montevallo, AL 10 12-15 51 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 06-00 Day 2: 5 06-15
55. Hank Cherry Jr Lincolnton, NC 10 12-13 50 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 07-08 Day 2: 5 05-05
56. Jamie Hartman Newport, NY 10 12-12 49 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 05-07 Day 2: 5 07-05
57. Brad Whatley Bivins, TX 10 12-08 48 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 05-06 Day 2: 5 07-02
58. Derek Hudnall Zachary, LA 10 12-08 47 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 05-14 Day 2: 5 06-10
59. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 10 12-08 46 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 06-06 Day 2: 5 06-02
60. Josh Douglas Isle, MN 10 12-07 45 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 06-11 Day 2: 5 05-12
61. Brandon Card Salisbury, NC 10 12-06 44 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 06-09 Day 2: 5 05-13
62. Skylar Hamilton Jefferson, TN 8 12-05 43 $2,500.00
Day 1: 4 04-07 Day 2: 4 07-14
63. Chris Johnston Otonabee Ontario CANADA 10 12-05 42 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 07-00 Day 2: 5 05-05
64. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 10 12-05 41 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 05-08 Day 2: 5 06-13
65. Chris Zaldain Fort Worth, TX 9 12-03 40 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 08-05 Day 2: 4 03-14
66. Scott Canterbury Odenville, AL 10 12-03 39 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 06-10 Day 2: 5 05-09
67. Darold Gleason Many, LA 8 12-00 38 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 08-03 Day 2: 3 03-13
68. Michael Iaconelli Pittsgrove, NJ 10 11-15 37 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 07-00 Day 2: 5 04-15
69. Bryant Smith Roseville, CA 10 11-12 36 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 05-11 Day 2: 5 06-01
70. Luke Palmer Coalgate, OK 10 11-11 35 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 04-09 Day 2: 5 07-02
71. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 10 11-11 34 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 05-09 Day 2: 5 06-02
72. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 10 11-08 33 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 04-15 Day 2: 5 06-09
73. Cooper Gallant Bowmanville Ontario CAN 9 11-08 32 $2,500.00
Day 1: 4 05-06 Day 2: 5 06-02
74. Jonathan Kelley Old Forge, PA 10 11-04 31 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 06-07 Day 2: 5 04-13
75. Cory Johnston Cavan CANADA 10 11-04 30 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 06-03 Day 2: 5 05-01
76. Jason Christie Dry Creek, OK 10 11-04 29 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 06-00 Day 2: 5 05-04
77. KJ Queen Conover, NC 8 11-03 28 $2,500.00
Day 1: 3 03-05 Day 2: 5 07-14
78. Jeff Gustafson Kenora Ontario CANADA 9 11-03 27
Day 1: 4 03-14 Day 2: 5 07-05
79. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 8 11-03 26
Day 1: 3 04-00 Day 2: 5 07-03
80. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 7 11-02 25
Day 1: 5 09-08 Day 2: 2 01-10
81. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 10 11-01 24
Day 1: 5 05-08 Day 2: 5 05-09
82. Gerald Swindle Guntersville, AL 10 10-15 23
Day 1: 5 05-01 Day 2: 5 05-14
83. Pat Schlapper Eleva, WI 10 10-15 22
Day 1: 5 05-09 Day 2: 5 05-06
84. Bradley Hallman Edmond, OK 8 10-13 21
Day 1: 4 05-09 Day 2: 4 05-04
85. Drew Cook Cairo, GA 10 10-11 20
Day 1: 5 05-15 Day 2: 5 04-12
86. Caleb Kuphall Mukwonago, WI 8 10-08 19
Day 1: 3 02-11 Day 2: 5 07-13
87. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 9 10-05 18
Day 1: 5 06-03 Day 2: 4 04-02
88. Alex Redwine Blue Ash, OH 10 09-15 17
Day 1: 5 04-13 Day 2: 5 05-02
89. Marc Frazier Newnan, GA 9 09-13 16
Day 1: 5 05-15 Day 2: 4 03-14
90. Justin Hamner Northport, AL 8 09-12 15
Day 1: 3 03-00 Day 2: 5 06-12
91. Brandon Cobb Greenwood, SC 9 09-09 14
Day 1: 5 06-03 Day 2: 4 03-06
92. Ed Loughran III Richmond, VA 9 09-09 13
Day 1: 4 04-09 Day 2: 5 05-00
93. Carl Jocumsen Queensland AUSTRALIA 8 09-08 12
Day 1: 3 03-02 Day 2: 5 06-06
94. Scott Martin Clewiston, FL 7 09-02 11
Day 1: 2 01-12 Day 2: 5 07-06
95. Micah Frazier Newnan, GA 6 09-00 10
Day 1: 2 04-09 Day 2: 4 04-07
96. David Gaston Sylacauga, AL 8 08-14 9
Day 1: 5 05-13 Day 2: 3 03-01
97. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 7 08-13 8
Day 1: 5 06-09 Day 2: 2 02-04
98. Cody Huff Ava, MO 5 08-03 7
Day 1: 5 08-03 Day 2: 0 00-00
99. Gary Clouse Winchester, TN 6 07-15 6
Day 1: 5 07-00 Day 2: 1 00-15
100. Jacob Foutz Charleston, TN 6 07-06 5
Day 1: 5 05-02 Day 2: 1 02-04
101. David Fritts Lexington, NC 6 06-07 4
Day 1: 1 01-01 Day 2: 5 05-06
102. Matt Arey Shelby, NC 5 06-03 3
Day 1: 3 03-10 Day 2: 2 02-09
103. John Soukup Sapulpa, OK 3 04-06 2
Day 1: 3 04-06 Day 2: 0 00-00
104. Joshua Stracner Vandiver, AL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
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PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1 Chad Pipkens DeWitt, MI 05-12 $1,000.00
2 David Williams Newton, NC 05-08 $1,000.00
Emil Wagner Hangs on for Win at 40th Phoenix All-American Presented by T-H Marine at Lake Hartwell
Marietta Angler’s Time Spent on Lake Hartwell Pays Off With All-American Championship Title and Top Payout of $122,300
SENECA, S.C. (June 2, 2023) – Boater Emil Wagner of Marietta, Georgia, a 25-year-old bass-fishing guide on Lake Lanier who competes in the Phoenix Bass Fishing League Bulldog Division, said after Thursday’s weigh-in that he would need at least18 pounds a day, with a 20-pound limit on at least one of the days to win this week on Lake Hartwell.
On Day 1 of competition on Wednesday, Wagner posted 18 pounds, 2 ounces. He got his 20-pound limit on Thursday but fell just short of his predicted 18-pound mark on Championship Friday. However, his limit weighing 17 pounds, 7 ounces, was still enough to win the 40th annual Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American Championship on Lake Hartwell Presented by T-H Marine in Seneca, South Carolina. With the win, Wagner also earned a qualification into REDCREST 2024, Major League Fishing’s most prestigious event.
Wagner led after the second day of competition and sealed the deal Friday with a three-day total of 55 pounds, 11 ounces – a 1-pound, 5-ounce margin of victory. For his victory Wagner earned $122,300, including the lucrative $20,000 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus, and joined a list of heavy hitters such as Rick Clunn, Shaw Grigsby, Clark Wendlant, Jacob Wheeler and Jeremy Lawyer that call themselves BFL All-American Champions.
“It’s crazy,” Wagner said with a laugh. “I’ll buy dinner for anyone who wants it. That’s more money than I’ve ever had, that’s for sure.
“I’ve been waiting for this event ever since it was announced,” Wagner continued. “This is the one tournament that’s been on my mind the entire time. I put a bunch of hard work into it, and to have it pay off is unreal, especially in front of my buddies. It’s unreal.”
Wagner said he prepared for the All-American from “daylight to dark” probing the water with his graph looking for structure on banks and points.
“A lot of my better fish didn’t even come off of brush piles, which I think is what a lot of people were fishing,” Wagner said. “They were coming off of drops, really shallow, like 6 to 10 feet where it drops to 20, and they’d just be on top of the drop.”
Wagner said he used baits that mimicked blue herring, and caught every fish he weighed during the tournament on either a Sebile Swimbait, a chrome and purple 6th Sense Catwalk Topwater Walking Bait or a Texas-rigged Zoom Fluke on a 4/0 Gamakatsu worm hook . He said he fished from Green Pond Landing to the dam and “everywhere in between.” Wagner’s largemouth came from Anderson Island to Green Pond and his big spotted bass came near the dam.
“Today I put some weight on the fluke because it was so tough and they didn’t want to come up on anything,” Wagner said. “If you could twitch it and it stay a foot or two below the surface, they’d see it better, and that made them eat it.
“Any time I had wind, I threw the swimbait,” Wagner added. “But I got way less bites on it. You’d throw over 10 schools and not catch anything, but when you did catch one it was usually a good one.”
Although Wagner said he’s excited about his All-American win, he’s already looking forward to one weekend in 2024 – REDCREST on Lay Lake in Birmingham, Alabama, March 13-17, 2024.
“Obviously the money is awesome, but I’m more excited for REDCREST than anything, “Wagner said. “To get to fish against those guys – the pros on the Bass Pro Tour – that doesn’t even seem real.”
The top 10 boaters at the 2023 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American on Lake Hartwell are:
1st: Emil Wagner, Marietta, Ga., 15 bass, 55-11, $122,300 (includes $20,000 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
2nd: Matthew O’Connell, Brooks, Ga., 15 bass, 54-6, $35,500 (includes $15,000 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
3rd: Buddy Benson, Dahlonega, Ga., 15 bass, 47-10, $25,000 (includes $10,000 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
4th: Anthony Johnson, Excelsior Springs, Mo., 15 bass, 42-9, $21,000 (includes $7,000 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
5th: Jesse Wiggins, Addison, Ala., 15 bass, 41-6, $13,000
6th: Tyler Trent, Nathalie, Va., 15 bass, 39-9, $14,000 (includes $2,000 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
7th: Brian Laclair, Denton, Md., 15 bass, 38-5, $11,000
8th: Jimmy Neece, Jr., 15 bass, 37-12, $10,000
9th: Ian Leybas, McAlester, Okla., 15 bass, 37-5, $9,200
10th: Nick Ubelhor, Jasper, Ind., 13 bass, 32-10, $8,000
Full results for the entire field can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Overall, there were 48 bass weighing 121 pounds, 14 ounces caught by the final 10 boaters Friday. Nine of the final 10 boaters caught a five-bass limit.
The highest-finishing boater from each Regional Championship (including the Wild Card) at the All-American now advance to the Toyota Series Championship for a shot at winning $235,000.
The eight boaters that finished highest from their region earned an automatic qualification in to the 2023 Toyota Series Championship Presented by Simms on Table Rock Lake are:
Edward Gettys, Dover, Tenn.
Anthony Johnson, Excelsior Springs, Mo.
Brian LaClair, Denton, Md.
Jeremy Lawyer, Sarcoxie, Mo.
Ian Leybas, McAlester, Okla.
Chandler Todd, Wake Forest, N.C.
Emil Wagner, Marietta, Ga.
Jesse Wiggins, Logan, Ala.
After starting the day in ninth place, Larry Taylor of Seaford, Delaware, won the Strike King Co-angler Division Friday with a three-day total of 11 bass weighing 24 pounds, 8 ounces to earn the top prize package of $50,000. Co-angler Gary Haraguchi of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, finished runner up with a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 23 pounds, 4 ounces, good for $10,000.
“This hasn’t sunken in yet,” said Taylor, who qualified for the All-American by placing fifth at the TBF National Championship on Lake of the Ozarks. “I thought there would be another 10-pound bag today, but that’s fishing.”
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers at the 2023 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American on Lake Hartwell finished:
1st: Larry Taylor, Seaford, Del., 11 bass, 24-8, $50,000
2nd: Gary Haraguchi, Murfreesboro, Tenn., 15 bass, 23-4, $10,000
3rd: Keith Gunsauls, Dandridge, Tenn., 12 bass, 23-3, $6,000
4th: Daniel Bryant, Scott, La., 11 bass, 22-1, $5,000
5th: Brandon Bell, Starkville, Miss., 13 bass, 20-7, $4,500
6th: Aaron Calvert, Russellville, Ark., 14 bass, 19-10, $4,000
7th: Chris Wilson, Easley, S.C., 12 bass, 19-3, $3,700
8th: Joshua Jernigan, Rocky Top, Tenn., 10 bass, 16-2, $3,000
9th: Benjie Winkler, Cleveland, Ga., 10 bass, 15-8, $2,500
10th: Jerry Armstrong, Shelbyville, Tenn., 8 bass, 15-4, $2,000
Overall, there were 25 bass weighing 41 pounds, 12 ounces caught by eight the final 10 Strike King Co-anglers on Friday. Taylor and Haraguchi were the only co-anglers to bring five-bass limits to the scale on Friday.
The highest-finishing Strike King Co-angler from each Regional Championship (including the Wild Card) at the All-American advance to the Toyota Series Championship for a shot at winning $33,500.
The eight Strike King Co-anglers that finished highest from their region and earned an automatic qualification in to the 2023 Toyota Series Championship Presented by Simms on Table Rock Lake are:
Daniel Bryant, Scott, La.
Keith Gunsauls, Dandridge, Tenn.
Gary Haraguchi, Murfreesboro, Tenn.
Trent Killian, Bostic, N.C.
Shawn Overton, Coal Valley, Ill.
Larry Taylor, Seaford, Del.
Daren Tindle, Owensboro, Ky.
Benji Winkler, Cleveland, Ga.
The three-day Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American Presented by T-H Marine on Lake Hartwell was hosted by Visit Oconee SC. The event featured the nation’s best weekend grassroots anglers competing for a top prize of up to $120,000, and a top prize of $50,000 for the winning Strike King co-angler.
Television coverage of the 2023 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American will premiere November 11 on CBS Sports and the Sportsman Channel. The full television air schedule can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The full field of 49 boaters and 49 Strike King co-anglers competed on Days 1 (Wednesday) and 2 (Thursday) of the event. After two days of competition the field was cut to just the top 10 boaters and co-anglers based on two-day total cumulative weight, and the final 10 anglers competed on Championship Friday. The boater and co-angler that caught the heaviest three-day total weight earned the title of the 40th Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American Champions.
The 2022 Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine was a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, advanced to one of six Regional Championships where they competed to finish in the top six, which then advanced them to compete in the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.
Proud sponsors of the 2023 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, E3, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, General Tire, Grundéns, Gill, Lew’s, Lowrance, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Mystik Lubricants, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, Wiley X and YETI.
For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Bass Fishing League updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
2024 Texas Team Trail Schedule Announcement!
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (June 2, 2023) – With the 2023 Bass Pro Shops & Cabela's Texas Team Trail presented by Progressive season ending this weekend at Choke Canyon Reservoir, Texas Team Trail is already getting primed for another go-round as the 2024 schedule and locations was announced today.
The schedule will once again feature four regular-season events with a healthy mix of some great bass fishing lakes at the right time of the year. Throughout the 2024 season, the best team anglers in the state of Texas will battle each other, for hefty contingency bonuses, and a new boat and motor as the winning prize at each event.
The final event of the 2024 season will conclude in June with the best 75 teams from 2024 Progressive Team of the Year points competing for a new White River Marine Group brand boat and motor package, plus an additional White River Marine Group brand boat and motor package will be awarded to the 2024 Progressive Team of the Year points champion. In addition the Texas Team Trail will be expanding the Team of the Year Payout even deeper in 2024.
2024 Bass Pro Shops & Cabela's Texas Team Trail presented by Progressive schedule:
Feb 17th- Sam Rayburn
March 23rd- Sam Rayburn
April 13th- Lake Fork
May 4th- Belton Lake
June 8th & 9th- Toledo Bend *Championship*
The schedule will see stops at Rayburn twice in the early season, which has become the normal times for Texas Team Trail to be there. Then for the first time ever the trail will stop on Lake Fork for what promises to be a shootout. The last regular season stop the trail will visit Central Texas where the anglers will fish on Belton Lake which has hosted a few Texas Team Trail events in the past. After that the top 75 qualifying teams will compete on Toledo Bend for the season ending championship. It’s been several years since the Texas Team Trail has visited this famous fishery and we’re excited to be going back.
Texas Team Trail tournament director Mike Hastings commended the schedule as another great opportunity to fish one of the best team tournament trails in the nation on exceptional fisheries for a great payout, at an entry fee that hasn’t increased.
“The 2023 Texas Team Trail has been a great success, and we just can't thank the anglers and our great sponsors for helping us all have such a great year. We are excited to be crowning our 2023 TXTT Champion this week, but even more excited to unveil next year schedule to give the anglers something to start planning and look forward to".
Registration dates will be announced soon! 2024 Texas Team Trail regular season entry fees will be $250 per event and each angler membership fee is $50. Additionally, anglers have an exceptional opportunity to earn contingency bonuses based on numerous brand loyalty programs, more information about at the www.texasteamtrail.com website.
Forced to Pre-Launch!
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Tom Huynh describes his check-cashing “system” that matches Northland’s NEW Eye Candy™ Soft Plastics with Northland Tungsten Jigs |
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BEMIDJI, Minn. (June 2, 2023) – Recent exposure via tournament websites, social media, and TV has created a wildfire of interest in a brand-new line of walleye soft plastics from Northland Fishing Tackle. Aptly-named “Eye Candy™,” an extensive team of tournament pros, guides, influencers, and product designers put the paces through countless iterations of shapes and actions to provide walleye anglers with the best new soft plastics on the walleye scene. Fact: Northland Tackle’s Eye Candy™ wasn’t intended to launch yet. However, given the success Northland team pros have been fishing the baits, the company decided to ramp up production to provide anglers of all walks with the winning walleye baits. “We’ve been fishing the snot out of these plastics for over a year and feel super confident in the designs. Given what Tom Hunyh has been doing with them on the NWT and AIM trails and Jason Mitchell is doing via TV and social on the waters he visits, what Brad Hawthorne, Bro, and Nick Lindner are doing with them between Mille Lacs and the north, we knew we had to get them into the hands of walleye anglers everywhere now,” says Northland Fishing Tackle’s Marketing Director, Mike Anselmo. |
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Huynh Dials In Winnebago NWT Bite with NEW Northland Eye Candy™ Case in point, top-placing NWT/AIM tournament and Northland Tackle walleye pro, Tom Huynh, has been using Eye Candy™ since the first NWT event on the Illinois River this past March. Since, he’s used the new soft plastics to top-finishing tournament success. “The recent NWT tournament on Lake Winnebago was my first introduction to the lake. The day before I got there I looked at my maps and put a plan together, but my plan to fish the big lake soon changed. Our Airbnb was on one of the upper lakes and there was a little two-boat launch right across the street, so I used that during pre-fishing,” says Huynh. “Rather than trek over to Winnebago, I got sidetracked in a shallow, tea-colored lake attached to Winnebago by a river—and decided to look around. I caught a few random fish here and there without a pattern until I found an old river channel that looked almost like a shell bed on my SideVu. I was marking fish like crazy: catfish, drum, white bass, walleyes, and sturgeon. With that many species, running LiveScope wasn’t easy. I had to cast at every single fish I saw to gauge their reaction and figure out what they were,” notes Huynh. “After a couple of days, I learned to recognize the reactions of the white bass and drum. The two species that seemed to act about the same were catfish and walleyes. So, for every two or three 10-12 pound catfish I’d catch, I’d hook a 3-pound or better walleye. After I figured that out I was catching 5 or 6 walleyes a day during pre-fish without even entering the big lake. I knew the historical weights for Winnebago tournaments, and since what I was catching were good fish, we decided to stay there. On the Monday and Tuesday before the tournament we had between 13 and 15 pounds each day, so we figured if we could do that in the tournament we’d make the top 10,” adds Huynh. Huynh says it took him until the last day of pre-fishing to really dial in his presentation. “Basically, I used the same black Northland Eye Candy™ Grub I used on the Illinois River—actually still the same bag of baits—and threaded it on a 1/8-ounce black Northland Tungsten Jig. It just seemed to cast the right silhouette in the stained water to get bit,” divulges Huynh. |
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This isn’t the first tournament that Tom has relied on black to either win or place in the Top 10. “Every single fish I’ve caught in a tournament this year casting has been on a solid black Northland Tungsten Jig—either regular shank or short-shank. Not one fish has come on anything else. For Winnebago, I paired that Northland Eye Candy Grub in black with a black Northland Tungsten. I thought I had an extra bag of the plastics in my boat, but I left them in another tote at home, so I had to rely on the few baits I had. Luckily, they’re made of a super-tough and spongy TPE plastic that holds up to dozens of fish on just one plastic. You don’t burn through ‘em. So I had just enough to do the job. I also caught a couple fish on a minnow and Northland Tungsten, too,” laughs Huynh. “However, if it hadn’t been for the Eye Candy™ plastics and their crazy ability to hold the scent I use, I don’t think I would have been able to dial in the first two good bites of the tournament that put us into 2nd place,” adds Huynh. Huynh adds that the Winnebago NWT tournament May 17-18 was the first event this year where he and a partner were able to catch decent-size walleyes. “I ended up catching two 4’s and a 5-pounder with my other fish. It all came down to the entire system—a black Northland Tungsten jighead, the new Northland Eye Candy™ Grub in black, 10-pound high-vis Daiwa J-Braid Grand X8 to 8-pound Daiwa fluorocarbon, and a Daiwa Kage 1000 spinning reel on a Rosemore rod. The 1000 size reel keeps me from horsing big walleyes in on small jigs and hooks.” Huynh says he “couldn’t be happier” with the 2nd Place NWT finish that he ended up with, especially considering he figured out a system with no prior knowledge or experience on the Winnebago system coming into the event. Huynh cashed a $24,122 check plus a Garmin contingency award. |
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Northland Short-Shank Tungstens Crack Leech Lake ‘Eyes Following the Winnebago NWT, Huynh bee-lined to Leech Lake, Minnesota, to fish an AIM Tournament—and admits the timing was “completely out of his element” although he and co-angler Nate Wolske have a history of top finishes there. “We’d never fished Leech that early in the season,” says Hunyh. “We’d won there in the summer and knew how to seasonally pattern those fish, but cold water was completely out of our wheelhouse.” “The water was 48-49 degrees in the morning so I knew our chance of fishing plastics was fairly slim, but we did get a few bites on Eye Candy. So we switched to minnows tipped on 1/8-ounce Northland Short-Shank Jigs—again, in black,” says Huynh. Huynh notes that partner Nate Wolske hadn’t fished black Short-Shank Tungsten Jigs to date and was mystified by what happened with a simple change in jig color. “Nate turned to me and said, ‘I just don’t get it. They’ll hit these black jigs a lot quicker and way more often.’ So, we both used black Short-Shank Tungsten Jigs for every single cast of the Leech Lake Tournament—and it put us in 2nd place at the end of the event,” shares Huynh. |
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Hunyh says the difficulty was getting the big females to bite, which had been squirting eggs only a few days prior to the event. “The big girls were in a funk,” says Huynh. “They don’t come off the spawn and just start eating. They’re exhausted. So they go and stage somewhere. If something comes right at them and it’s convenient, they’ll eat it, but they’re not going to chase anything down.” Huynh explains: “So we had to slow our presentations way-way down. And the fish weren’t positioned on our electronics like they typically are. They were really close to the bottom making it hard to differentiate walleyes from rocks. Then you’d see a rock move on the screen and we’d get bit and set the hook, but a lot times the jig came back clean, no fish, even though we were fishing our typical routine. They were biting and eating so light that the dense Short-Shank Tungsten was absolutely critical, especially considering we were casting 40- to 50-feet out. With the tungsten you could actually feel the walleyes put the bait in their mouth, a sensation that would carry up through our fluoro leaders, braid, through our rods, into our reels, and up into our hands. With the tungsten—as well as the rest of our gear—we could feel those subtle bites 50 feet away,” concludes Hunyh. Currently, Northland Pro Tom Huynh is pre-fishing in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin, for the AIM National Championship Shootout to be held on Friday, June 2. You can bet Northland Tackle Eye Candy™ and Tungsten Jigs will be very much in play… |
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Lotta buzz around the Sabine
Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships
Here that? That’s not a mosquito or a cicada. That’s a huge percentage of the Bassmaster Elite Series field slinging buzzbaits in an effort to garner an above average sized bite from a Sabine River bass, and Team Toyota’s Brandon Lester is one of them.
“I learned early in my pro career that anytime we competed at a venue with the word ‘river’ in it, you’d better have a buzzbait tied on,” grins Lester.
“I don’t care if it’s the James River, Potomac River, Tennessee River or Sabine River, especially during the hot weather post-spawn events, you’d better be throwing a buzzbait,” emphasizes the highly likeable Tennessee pro.
He estimates he caught a dozen non-keeper largemouth on a buzzbait during Day 1 of the Folds of Honor Bassmaster Elite on the Sabine River, but just never got lucky enough to score a big one. However, that won’t stop him from throwing it again on Friday.
“I feel like a buzzbait gets you a bigger-than-average bite, and that’s so critical here, so I’ll definitely continue to throw it,” he says.
As far as the specifics of what he’ll throw, gold blades are for sure his favorite, and a 5/16-ounce garners more playing time than any other size. He’ll mix in a chrome blade if he knows they’re feeding heavily on shad, and he always adds a soft plastic trailer beneath the skirt.
“There’s so many people throwing buzzbaits with just a soft plastic craw or toad these days, that I feel the traditional skirt actually makes your bait look a little different, but I always add a plastic trailer, and no trailer hook,” says Lester.
Hopefully, his slightly different looking offering gets the attention of a bigger than average Sabine largemouth Friday, because one thing’s for certain, he’ll need to stand out in a crowd amid the swarm of topwater buzzers being thrown in order to separate himself from the pack and make a major leap in the standings.
Pipkens takes early lead at Bassmaster Elite event on Sabine River
Chad Pipkens of DeWitt, Mich., is leading after Day 1 of the Folds of Honor Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River with 14 pounds, 7 ounces.
Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
June 1, 2023
ORANGE, Texas — Chad Pipkens of DeWitt, Mich., broke with two of his historical patterns and sacked up a 14-pound, 7-ounce limit to lead Thursday’s opening round of the Folds of Honor Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River.
On a fishery where limits are never assumed and only 11 anglers eclipsed 10 pounds, Pipkens heads into Day 2 with a lead of 1-5 over Hunter Shryock of Ooltewah, Tenn. Suffice it to say, Pipkens has positioned himself well to end a streak he’d rather forget.
“It’s about time Sabine River!” Pipkens happily exclaimed. “I have fun at this place, but I have gotten my teeth kicked in every time I come here. This is the fifth time I’ve fished here and the good news is I think I can fish Saturday without catching a fish.
“I’m going to go out tomorrow and have some fun and try to put a few in the boat. We’ll see what happens.”
As Pipkens explained, breaking his streak of Sabine disappointment was the result of abandoning his previous preference.
“It was just a good day,” he said. “I had a good start and I was just able to mill around. That has not been the deal for me in the past. I would have three or four different areas and I would fish too quickly.
“That’s how I like to fish, but it’s not the deal in this place. You have to mill around (an area). It changes every 30 to 40 minutes and you might roll up and catch one.”
Pipkens caught his bass on a mix of reaction baits and slower presentations. Doing so produced several day-changing opportunities. Two-pound bass are welcome on the Sabine, so Pipkens was stoked to put a 5-12, a 3 and a 2 1/2 in the boat.
He said his main area has a few sweet spots that he’s cycling through and trying to get a bite every hour.
“I’m not getting a lot of bites, but there was one place that was pretty special this morning,” he said. “I caught a limit on my first spot. I caught probably half a dozen keepers. They weren’t there in practice, but they were there today.
“Outside of those sweet spots, I’m just fishing — keeping my bait wet. In years past, I tried to run too much. I didn’t fish where the fish moved to. Today, I fished where they moved to.”
Pipkens said most of that fish movement was tide related. The early morning’s combination of low light and incoming tide proved most productive. Surprisingly, his biggest fish came later in the day.
Looking ahead to Day 2, Pipkens said: “I’ll just keep my head down and stay focused. You need a bite about every hour to hour and a half.”
Shryock is in second place with 13-2. Making a bold decision to trash his pre-event work and opt for minimal running proved to be the right call.
“My practice was just a waste,” he said. “I tried to go to so many different areas and never really found something, so I stayed close and maximized my fishing time. I knew I had a long day, so I knew if I could keep my line wet for as long as possible, that was going to give me my best chance.”
Shryock said his success was predicated on being in the right place when the fish started biting. He found the morning outgoing tide most productive. Although he managed a couple of bites later in the day, all of his weight came earlier.
“I fished everything — rock, wood, grass; it didn’t matter,” Shryock said. “Basically, I fished whatever was in front of me. I just put my head down and kept fishing.
“It was mostly reaction baits that produced my weight, but I did catch a few flipping and dragging baits.”
Kenta Kimura of Osaka, Japan, is in third place with 13-1. Running about 100 miles from takeoff, he benefitted from the recent heavy rains.
“I didn’t expect this,” Kimura said. “That spot I fished was dry in practice. The rain from yesterday raised the water level. I know it’s going to be dry tomorrow, so I’m not going to do it again.
“I just tried to catch as many as I could catch because I don’t think I’m going there (on Friday).”
Describing an active day that produced 30 keepers, Kimura said he caught the majority of his fish on a Deps Evoke 1.2 squarebill. Multiple colors produced keepers, but Kimura found precision casting critical to his success.
“All of my fish were concentrated on one spot about the size of (a golf cart),” Kimura said. “That was the coolest experience I’ve had in a tournament day.
“I think current is the whole key. That’s what I’m concentrating on.”
Brandon Cobb of Greenwood, S.C., placed 60th with 6-3, but still leads the Progressive Insurance Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings with 530 points. Kyle Welcher of Opelika, Ala., is in second with 501 points, followed by Tyler Rivet of Raceland, La., with 483, John Cox of DeBary, Fla., with 476, and Drew Cook of Cairo, Ga., with 474.
Joey Cifuentes III of Clinton, Ark., is in 20th place with 8-15 and reclaimed the lead in the Dakota Lithium Bassmaster Rookie of the Year standings with 419 points. Previous ROY leader Will Davis Jr. fell to second with 407 points.
Pipkens took Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the Day honors with his 5-12 largemouth. He also currently leads for the VMC Monster Bag award with his catch of 14-7.
Friday’s takeoff is scheduled for 6 a.m. CT at the City of Orange Boat Ramp. The weigh-in will be held at the ramp at 3 p.m., with only the Top 50 anglers advancing to Championship Saturday. Bassmaster LIVE coverage starts at 7 a.m. on Bassmaster.com, Tubi and the FOX Sports digital platforms.
2023 Folds of Honor Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River 6/1-6/4
Sabine River, Orange TX.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 1
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Chad Pipkens DeWitt, MI 5 14-07 104 $1,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-07
2. Hunter Shryock Ooltewah, TN 5 13-02 103
Day 1: 5 13-02
3. Kenta Kimura Osaka JAPAN 5 13-01 102
Day 1: 5 13-01
4. Alex Wetherell Middletown, CT 5 11-09 101
Day 1: 5 11-09
5. Jacob Powroznik North Prince George, VA 5 11-05 100
Day 1: 5 11-05
6. Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 5 11-03 99
Day 1: 5 11-03
7. Keith Poche Pike Road, AL 5 11-02 98
Day 1: 5 11-02
8. Patrick Walters Eutawville, SC 5 10-15 97
Day 1: 5 10-15
9. Larry Nixon Bee Branch, AR 5 10-13 96
Day 1: 5 10-13
10. Mike Huff London, KY 5 10-08 95
Day 1: 5 10-08
11. Clark Wendlandt Leander, TX 5 10-03 94
Day 1: 5 10-03
12. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 5 09-15 93
Day 1: 5 09-15
13. Wes Logan Springville, AL 5 09-09 92
Day 1: 5 09-09
14. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 5 09-08 91
Day 1: 5 09-08
14. Joseph Webster Hamilton, AL 5 09-08 91
Day 1: 5 09-08
16. Masayuki Matsushita Tokoname-Aichi JAPAN 5 09-07 89
Day 1: 5 09-07
17. Kyle Welcher Opelika, AL 5 09-06 88
Day 1: 5 09-06
18. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 5 09-03 87
Day 1: 5 09-03
19. Cole Sands Calhoun, TN 5 09-02 86
Day 1: 5 09-02
20. Joey Cifuentes III Clinton, AR 5 08-15 85
Day 1: 5 08-15
20. Matt Herren Ashville, AL 5 08-15 85
Day 1: 5 08-15
20. Logan Latuso Gonzales, LA 5 08-15 85
Day 1: 5 08-15
23. Ray Hanselman Jr Del Rio, TX 5 08-09 82
Day 1: 5 08-09
23. Bryan New Saluda, SC 5 08-09 82
Day 1: 5 08-09
23. Frank Talley Temple, TX 5 08-09 82
Day 1: 5 08-09
26. Matt Robertson Kuttawa, KY 5 08-05 79
Day 1: 5 08-05
26. Chris Zaldain Fort Worth, TX 5 08-05 79
Day 1: 5 08-05
28. Darold Gleason Many, LA 5 08-03 77
Day 1: 5 08-03
28. Cody Huff Ava, MO 5 08-03 77
Day 1: 5 08-03
30. Shane LeHew Catawba, NC 5 08-02 75
Day 1: 5 08-02
31. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 5 08-01 74
Day 1: 5 08-01
32. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 5 07-14 73
Day 1: 5 07-14
32. Koby Kreiger Alva, FL 5 07-14 73
Day 1: 5 07-14
34. Gregory DiPalma Millville, NJ 5 07-12 71
Day 1: 5 07-12
34. Jay Przekurat Stevens Point, WI 5 07-12 71
Day 1: 5 07-12
36. Lee Livesay Longview, TX 5 07-09 69
Day 1: 5 07-09
37. Hank Cherry Jr Lincolnton, NC 5 07-08 68
Day 1: 5 07-08
37. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 5 07-08 68
Day 1: 5 07-08
37. Tyler Rivet Raceland, LA 5 07-08 68
Day 1: 5 07-08
40. Kyoya Fujita Minamitsuru, Yamanashi 5 07-05 65
Day 1: 5 07-05
40. Bryan Schmitt Deale, MD 5 07-05 65
Day 1: 5 07-05
42. Seth Feider New Market, MN 5 07-03 63
Day 1: 5 07-03
43. John Cox DeBary, FL 5 07-02 62
Day 1: 5 07-02
44. Austin Felix Eden Prairie, MN 5 07-01 61
Day 1: 5 07-01
45. Gary Clouse Winchester, TN 5 07-00 60
Day 1: 5 07-00
45. Michael Iaconelli Pittsgrove, NJ 5 07-00 60
Day 1: 5 07-00
45. Chris Johnston Otonabee Ontario CANADA 5 07-00 60
Day 1: 5 07-00
45. Jake Whitaker Hendersonville, NC 5 07-00 60
Day 1: 5 07-00
49. Taku Ito Chiba, JAPAN 5 06-13 56
Day 1: 5 06-13
50. Kyle Norsetter Cottage Grove, WI 5 06-12 55
Day 1: 5 06-12
51. Josh Douglas Isle, MN 5 06-11 54
Day 1: 5 06-11
52. Scott Canterbury Odenville, AL 5 06-10 53
Day 1: 5 06-10
53. Brandon Card Salisbury, NC 5 06-09 52
Day 1: 5 06-09
53. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 5 06-09 52
Day 1: 5 06-09
55. Jonathan Kelley Old Forge, PA 5 06-07 50
Day 1: 5 06-07
55. Matty Wong Honolulu, HI 5 06-07 50
Day 1: 5 06-07
57. Drew Benton Panama City, FL 5 06-06 48
Day 1: 5 06-06
57. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 5 06-06 48
Day 1: 5 06-06
57. Jason Williamson Aiken, SC 5 06-06 48
Day 1: 5 06-06
60. Brandon Cobb Greenwood, SC 5 06-03 45
Day 1: 5 06-03
60. Cory Johnston Cavan CANADA 5 06-03 45
Day 1: 5 06-03
60. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 5 06-03 45
Day 1: 5 06-03
63. Buddy Gross Chattanooga, TN 5 06-02 42
Day 1: 5 06-02
64. David Williams Newton, NC 5 06-01 41
Day 1: 5 06-01
65. Jason Christie Dry Creek, OK 5 06-00 40
Day 1: 5 06-00
65. Clent Davis Montevallo, AL 5 06-00 40
Day 1: 5 06-00
67. Drew Cook Cairo, GA 5 05-15 38
Day 1: 5 05-15
67. Marc Frazier Newnan, GA 5 05-15 38
Day 1: 5 05-15
69. Derek Hudnall Zachary, LA 5 05-14 36
Day 1: 5 05-14
69. Caleb Sumrall New Iberia, LA 5 05-14 36
Day 1: 5 05-14
71. David Gaston Sylacauga, AL 5 05-13 34
Day 1: 5 05-13
72. Bryant Smith Roseville, CA 5 05-11 33
Day 1: 5 05-11
73. Todd Auten Lake Wylie, SC 5 05-10 32
Day 1: 5 05-10
73. Bob Downey Detroit Lakes, MN 5 05-10 32
Day 1: 5 05-10
75. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 5 05-09 30
Day 1: 5 05-09
75. Pat Schlapper Eleva, WI 5 05-09 30
Day 1: 5 05-09
77. Bradley Hallman Edmond, OK 4 05-09 28
Day 1: 4 05-09
78. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 5 05-08 27
Day 1: 5 05-08
78. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 5 05-08 27
Day 1: 5 05-08
80. Jamie Hartman Newport, NY 5 05-07 25
Day 1: 5 05-07
81. Will Davis Jr Sylacauga, AL 5 05-06 24
Day 1: 5 05-06
81. Brad Whatley Bivins, TX 5 05-06 24
Day 1: 5 05-06
83. Cooper Gallant Bowmanville Ontario CAN 4 05-06 22
Day 1: 4 05-06
84. Justin Atkins Florence, AL 5 05-05 21
Day 1: 5 05-05
85. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 5 05-02 20
Day 1: 5 05-02
85. Jacob Foutz Charleston, TN 5 05-02 20
Day 1: 5 05-02
87. Gerald Swindle Guntersville, AL 5 05-01 18
Day 1: 5 05-01
88. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 5 04-15 17
Day 1: 5 04-15
89. Alex Redwine Blue Ash, OH 5 04-13 16
Day 1: 5 04-13
90. Luke Palmer Coalgate, OK 5 04-09 15
Day 1: 5 04-09
91. Ed Loughran III Richmond, VA 4 04-09 14
Day 1: 4 04-09
92. Micah Frazier Newnan, GA 2 04-09 13
Day 1: 2 04-09
93. Skylar Hamilton Jefferson, TN 4 04-07 12
Day 1: 4 04-07
94. John Soukup Sapulpa, OK 3 04-06 11
Day 1: 3 04-06
95. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 3 04-00 10
Day 1: 3 04-00
96. Jeff Gustafson Kenora, Ontario CANADA 4 03-14 9
Day 1: 4 03-14
97. Matt Arey Shelby, NC 3 03-10 8
Day 1: 3 03-10
98. KJ Queen Conover, NC 3 03-05 7
Day 1: 3 03-05
99. Carl Jocumsen Queensland AUSTRALIA 3 03-02 6
Day 1: 3 03-02
100. Justin Hamner Northport, AL 3 03-00 5
Day 1: 3 03-00
101. Caleb Kuphall Mukwonago, WI 3 02-11 4
Day 1: 3 02-11
102. Scott Martin Clewiston, FL 2 01-12 3
Day 1: 2 01-12
103. David Fritts Lexington, NC 1 01-01 2
Day 1: 1 01-01
104. Joshua Stracner Vandiver, AL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1 Chad Pipkens DeWitt, MI 05-12 $1,000.00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 88 486 720-09
----------------------------------
88 486 720-09
Wagner Takes Lead into Final Day of Phoenix All-American Presented by T-H Marine at Lake Hartwell
Bulldog Division Boater Catches 20-Pound, 2-Ounce Limit to Take Slim Lead of 12 Ounces, Final 10 Boaters and Co-anglers Ready for Championship Friday
SENECA, S.C. (June 1, 2023) – After the first day of competition of the 40th annual Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American Championship on Lake Hartwell Presented by T-H Marine in Seneca, South Carolina, Emil Wagner of Marietta, Georgia, sat in second place behind leader Elijah “Buddy” Benson of Dahlonega, Georgia. Wagner predicted he would need 18 pounds a day with a 20-pound limit at least one of the days to win the tournament. On Thursday, Wagner got his 20-pound weight – 20 pounds, 2 ounces to be exact – and now holds a slim 12-ounce lead going into Championship Friday.
Wagner has a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 38-4 heading into the final day of competition. Boater Matthew O’Connell of Brooks, Georgia, weighed in a two-day total of 10 bass for 37 pounds, 8 ounces to finish Day 2 in second place and easily within striking distance of the title, while Day 1 leader Benson rounds out the close top three with a two-day total of 35 pounds even.
The final 10 boaters and Strike King Co-anglers are now set, and competition will resume tomorrow morning on Championship Friday. The three-day tournament, hosted by Visit Oconee SC, showcases the nation’s best weekend grassroots anglers, and awards the winning boater a top prize of up to $120,000, and a top prize of $50,000 for the winning Strike King co-angler.
“There was a boat on my best place when I pulled up there (this morning),” said Wagner. “I hadn’t seen anyone there, so I went to another place that I found late yesterday and caught quite a few there.”
Wagner said he started culling fish when he changed locations and caught one of the fish he weighed. After a few more keepers, he boated a 4½-pound spotted bass. Wagner said at noon he hit a stretch where he caught two big largemouth within 10 minutes of each other. He estimated he hit about 40 spots during the day and caught one more spotted bass to add to his livewell late in the afternoon.
“I did the same thing today that I did yesterday – fishing offshore,” Wagner said. “I put in about seven days graphing and looking around before the cutoff and did the same thing in the official practice. I’ve just been running all the places I found.
“The fish move around a lot,” Wagner added. “I’m sure tomorrow will be different, and I’ll have to adjust.”
Second-place angler O’Connell said he hit 50 to 60 spots during the second day of competition and keyed in on one-hour bite windows or “flurries.”
“I’d cull three or four times in an hour and then go maybe an hour without culling,” O’Connell said.
O’Connell said he was mimicking Lake Hartwell’s blueback herring with topwater baits and swimbaits to fill his limit. He said he knows it will take a solid weight on Championship Friday and predicts a total 3-day weight of 55 pounds, to secure the title.
“I think Emil or Buddy will catch a big bag again,” O’Connell said.
After leading the first day of the All-American Championship, Benson chalked his slide to third place on Day 2 up to missed opportunities.
“I lost a couple of big ones and broke one off in my trolling motor,” Benson said. “I could have had at least 18 or 19 pounds. Hopefully tomorrow I can get the same bites and not break them off and get them in the boat.”
The top 10 boaters advancing to the final day of the All-American on Lake Hartwell are:
1st: Emil Wagner, Marietta, Ga., 10 bass, 38-4
2nd: Matthew O’Connell, Brooks, Ga., 10 bass, 37-8, $500
3rd: Buddy Benson, Dahlonega, Ga., 10 bass, 35-0
4th: Jesse Wiggins, Addison, Ala., 10 bass, 31-3
5th: Anthony Johnson, Excelsior Springs, Mo., 10 bass, 30-12
6th: Tyler Trent, Nathalie, Va., 10 bass, 27-10
7th: Jimmy Neece, Jr., Bristol, Tenn., 10 bass, 26-14
8th: Nick Ubelhor, Jasper, Ind., 10 bass, 26-9
9th: Brian Laclair, Denton, Md., 10 bass, 26-4
10th: Ian Leybas, McAlester, Okla., 10 bass, 25-5
Finishing in 11th through 49th are:
11th: Jeremy Lawyer, Sarcoxie, Mo., 10 bass, 25-0, $3,000
12th: Darren Ashley, Calhoun Falls, S.C., 10 bass, 24-5, $3,000
13th: Jeremy York, Conyers, Ga., 10 bass, 24-5, $3,000
14th: Tristan Abbott, Somerset, Ky., 10 bass, 23-5, $3,000
15th: Travis Harriman, Huntsville, Ark., 10 bass, 23-4, $3,000
16th: Edward Gettys, Dover, Tenn., 10 bass, 22-14, $3,000
17th: Dave Hodges, Farmington, Ark., 10 bass, 22-6, $3,000
18th: Jack Daniel Williams, Kingsport, Tenn., 10 bass, 22-5, $3,000
19th: Chandler Todd, Wake Forest, N.C., 10 bass, 22-2, $3,000
20th: Dustin Lippe, Blue Eye, Mo., 10 bass, 22-1, $3,000
21st: Grant Adams, Campbellsville, Ky., 10 bass, 21-5, $2,000
22nd: Hunter Baird, Salina, Kan., 10 bass, 21-3, $2,000
23rd: Mike Brueggen, Lacrosse, Wis., 10 bass, 20-14, $2,000
24th: Joe Anders, Easley, S.C., 10 bass, 20-14, $2,000
25th: Brian Wilson, Nancy, Ky., 10 bass, 20-12, $2,000
26th: Cade Laufenberg, Onalaska, Wis., nine bass, 20-8, $2,000
27th: Tony Eckler, Lebanon, Tenn., nine bass, 19-7, $2,000
28rd: Cody Casey, Chester, Va., 10 bass, 19-3, $2,000
29rd: Chris Atwell, Mechanicsville, Va., nine bass, 18-13, $2,000
30th: Shane Long, Willard, Mo., eight bass, 18-11, $2,000
31th: Andy Fryer, Sidney, Ohio, 10 bass, 18-5, $1,500
32nd: Keith Estes, Spring Grove, Va., 10 bass, 18-4, $1,500
33th: Jake Lee, Powell, Tenn., 10 bass, 18-1, $1,500
34th: Timothy Kelley, Irmo, S.C., 10 bass, 18-0, $1,500
35th: Chris Huselton, Conway, Ark., 10 bass, 17-14, $1,500
36th: Chris Baldwin, Lexington, N.C., 10 bass, 17-11, $1,500
37th: Kip Carter, Eatonton, Ga., 10 bass, 17-3, $1,500
38th: Trey McKinney, Carbondale, Ill., nine bass, 16-11, $1,500
39th: John Levesque, Nashua, N.H., nine bass, 16-11, $1,500
40th: Rick Taylor, Hooper, Utah, 10 bass, 16-2, $1,500
41nd: Michael Downes, S. Chesterfield, Va., 10 bass, 15-8, $1,500
42th: Chad Poteat, Mount Airy, N.C., nine bass, 14-2, $1,500
43th: Drew Boggs, Lebanon, Tenn., nine bass, 12-9, $1,500
44th: Yeej Moua, Missoula, Mont., seven bass, 12-6, $1,500
45th: Phillip Lunceford, Stigler, Okla., five bass, 10-4, $1,500
46rd: Michael Pruitt, Martinsville, Ind., eight bass, 10-3, $1,500
47st: Robert Holland, Columbia, S.C., three bass, 7-10, $1,500
48nd: Jason Lambert, Savannah, Tenn., three bass, 6-2, $1,500
49th: David McLean, Carrollton, Va., three bass, 3-13, $1,500
A full list of results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Overall, there were 232 bass weighing 505 pounds, 15 ounces caught by 49 boaters Thursday. The catch included 43 five-bass limits.
After two days of competition, co-angler Keith Gunsauls of Dandridge, Tennessee, leads the Strike King Co-angler Division at Lake Hartwell with a total of 10 bass weighing 19 pounds, 7 ounces. Gunsauls will bring a 2-pound, 6-ounce lead into Championship Friday over second-place co-angler Chris Wilson of Easley, South Carolina, who weighed in a two-day total of 10 bass totaling 17 pounds, 1 ounce.
“Neither day has been easy at all,” said Gunsauls. “It’s been claw and scratch. I had five keepers yesterday and six today, and I could get zero tomorrow. Just go out and fish hard is all I can do.”
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers advancing to the final day of competition at the All-American on Lake Hartwell are:
1st: Keith Gunsauls, Dandridge, Tenn., 10 bass, 19-7
2nd: Chris Wilson, Easley, S.C., 10 bass, 17-1
3rd: Gary Haraguchi, Murfreesboro, Tenn., 10 bass, 16-6
4th: Brandon Bell, Starkville, Miss., 10 bass, 15-14
5th: Benjie Winkler, Cleveland, Ga., 10 bass, 15-8
6th: Jerry Armstrong, Shelbyville, Tenn., eight bass, 15-4
7th: Joshua Jernigan, Rocky Top, Tenn., nine bass, 15-1
8th: Daniel Bryant, Scott, La., eight bass, 14-11
9th: Larry Taylor, Seaford, Del., six bass, 14-7
10th: Aaron Calvert, Russellville, Ark., 10 bass, 13-11
Finishing in 11th through 49th are:
11th: Chris Bunk, Sullivan, Mo., eight bass, 13-9, $1,500
12th: Daren Tindle, Owensboro, Ky., eight bass, 13-7, $1,500
13th: Trent Killian, Bostic, N.C., seven bass, 13-3, $1,750
14th: Safulla Rana, Warrenton, Va., eight bass, 12-15, $1,500
15th: Shawn Overton, Coal Valley, Ill., seven bass, 12-13, $1,500
16th: Brent Jones, Okeana, Ohio, seven bass, 11-8, $1,500
17th: Cody Carl, Lake Lotawana, Mo., six bass, 10-13, $1,500
18th: Michael Miller, Greenville, S.C., seven bass, 10-1, $1,500
19th: Bobby Simmons, Chancellor, Ala., six bass, 9-13, $1,500
20th: Eric Eden, Hartsville, Tenn., five bass, 9-10, $1,500
21st: Alan Bernicky, Joliet, Ill., six bass, 9-8, $1,000
22nd: John Walker, Log Cabin, Texas, four bass, 9-7, $1,000
23rd: Clint Horton, Falkner, Miss., six bass, 8-15, $1,000
24th: Dustin Riddle, Hiwassee, Va., six bass, 8-11, $1,000
25th: David Allen, Mableton, Ga., four bass, 8-7, $1,000
26th: Chuck Davis, Farmington, Ill., five bass, 7-13, $1,000
27th: Christopher Stites Jr., La Vergne, Tenn., six bass, 7-11, $1,000
28th: Branden Hardesty, Nineveh, Ind.., three bass, 7-10, $1,000
29th: Mekye Barnes, Raleigh, N.C., four bass, 7-3, $1,000
30th: Will Doud-Martin, Essex Junction, Vt., three bass, 7-0, $1,000
31st: Billy French, Hamilton, Ohio, five bass, 6-15, $750
32nd: Ronnie Cutshall, Piedmont, S.C., five bass, 6-13, $750
33rd: Joe Harmon, Wooster, Ohio, five bass, 6-7, $750
34th: Wayne Smelser, Wytheville, Va., three bass, 5-13, $750
35th: Brian Brecka, Alma, Wis., four bass, 5-11, $750
36th: David Deciucis, Chester, Va., three bass, 5-9, $750
37th: Bullet Helms, Charlotte, N.C., four bass, 5-5, $750
38th: John Robinson, Montpelier, Va., three bass, 5-0, $750
39th: John Hankins, Atkins, Ark., three bass, 4-14, $750
40th: Dominic Bogolo, Hamilton, Ohio, three bass, 4-11, $750
41st: Mandy Myers, Santaquin, Utah, three bass, 4-11, $750
42nd: William Chadick, Auburn, Ala., three bass, 4-8, $750
43rd: Tim Privette Jr., Wendell, N.C., two bass, 4-2, $750
44th: Brian Umstead, New Brockton, Ala., two bass, 3-14, $750
45th: Cornell Badra, Clarksburg, Md., two bass, 2-8, $750
46th: Steve Duncan, Amarillo, Texas, one bass, 2-6, $750
47th: Barry Gunter, Trafalger, Ind., two bass, 2-4, $750
48th: Marc Proctor, Gilbert, S.C., two bass, 2-0, $750
48th: Jason Anderson, Heron, Mont., two bass, 2-0, $750
Overall, there were 140 bass weighing 226 pounds, 15 ounces caught by 45 Strike King Co-anglers on Thursday. The catch included 15 five-bass limits.
The full field of 49 boaters and 49 Strike King co-anglers competed on Days 1 (Wednesday) and 2 (Thursday) of the event. Now, after two days of competition, the field is cut to just the top 10 boaters and co-anglers based on two-day total cumulative weight, and the final 10 anglers compete tomorrow on Championship Friday. The boater and co-angler that catch the heaviest three-day total weight will be crowned the 40th Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American Champions.
The final 10 boaters and Strike King Co-anglers will launch Friday morning at 6:30 a.m. ET from the Seneca Creek Boat Ramp, located at 280 Seneca Creek Road in Seneca. Weigh-in Friday will be held at the boat ramp and will begin at 2:50 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend all launch and weigh-in events and encouraged to follow the event’s online coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The 2022 Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine was a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, advanced to one of six Regional Championships where they competed to finish in the top six, which then advanced them to compete in the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.
Television coverage of the 2023 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American will premiere November 11 on CBS Sports and the Sportsman Channel. The full television air schedule can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Proud sponsors of the 2023 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, E3, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, General Tire, Grundéns, Gill, Lew’s, Lowrance, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Mystik Lubricants, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, Wiley X and YETI.
For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Bass Fishing League updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
Bassmaster College Series takes on Lay Lake for last-chance championship qualifier
College teams from around the country will compete on Lay Lake June 9-10 at the 2023 Strike King Bassmaster College Series Wild Card presented by Bass Pro Shops.
Photo by Kyle Jessie/B.A.S.S.
June 1, 2023
SHELBY COUNTY, Ala. — For the third year in a row, the Strike King Bassmaster College Series Wild Card presented by Bass Pro Shops will return to the Coosa River. This time anglers will take on Lay Lake, and Bassmaster Elite Series rookie David Gaston believes consistency will be the key to success.
“There will be a lot of mixing up of the standings from Day 1 to Day 2,” Gaston said. “If you have 15 a day, you will do really well. I’m sure there will be one or two 20-pound bags, but they can’t back that up two days in a row.”
Competition days will be June 9-10 with teams taking off from Beeswax Creek Park each day at 5:30 a.m. CT and returning to the park at 1:30 p.m. for weigh-in. Full coverage will be available on Bassmaster.com.
With the four regular-season events complete, this will be the last chance for anglers to punch their tickets to the 2023 Strike King Bassmaster College Series National Championship at Pickwick Lake presented by Bass Pro Shops August 10-12.
Lay Lake has played host to several historic moments in Bassmaster history, and earlier this year, the Elite Series made its return to the fishery that features spotted and largemouth bass. Most of these bass will be keying on shad, although the bass on the upper end of the lake will target crawfish.
When the college teams hit the water, Gaston anticipates the bass will be at the beginning of their summer patterns.
“This time of year, it is either won with all largemouth or with a good mixed bag,” Gaston said. “Unless someone figures it out around the dam and they are able to catch 15 or 16 pounds a day doing it.”
Offshore, Gaston said you will find largemouth and spotted bass in the same areas. Shallow ledges and gravel bars will be key areas, and further down south, there is standing timber and stump fields the bass will relate to.
Traditional ledge baits like football head jigs, shaky heads, big worms and crankbaits have been historically productive at the beginning of June, while LiveScope will be key to dialing in the deep timber bite.
“It isn’t real deep stuff either,” he said. “The ledges are between 3 and 6 feet on the top, so you aren’t fishing very deep.”
Depending on rainfall and water levels, the tailrace of the Logan Martin Dam could also come into play. But if low-water conditions are present, Gaston said it will be too shallow to safely navigate.
“Whether you are on the upper end of the lake or the lower end of the lake, current will play an important role,” Gaston said.
The largemouth will also gravitate to healthy willow grass, although Gaston said this can be hard to come by depending on how much lake management has sprayed. Flipping and pitching will come into play in the grass, and a frog and swim jig could also play early in the morning.
Throwback Thursday - Season at a Glance: 1970 Bass Master Trail - Part 1
By Terry Battisti - Bass Fishing Archives
Editor’s note: This is part one of a two-part series on the 1970 Bass Master Trail. Part one will cover the first three events of the season while part two will cover the last four events.
The 1970 Bass Master Trail was the third full year of Bass Master tournament competition and would be the year of a number of firsts. To start off it was the year when the Bass Master Angler of the Year would begin. Although this award didn’t offer much more than bragging rights and a nice piece of hardware, it’s become arguably the most-cherished award on any tour.
Second, it would be the first year where a single angler would win three events in the season. For those of you that know your history, I’m sure you can figure that one out pretty easily. But for those of you who either don’t remember or just don’t know, I’ll save it for later.
Third, and this would become pretty significant, was that Roland Martin would make his Bass Master tournament debut. Martin’s debut almost didn’t happen after he saw the weights posted at the Eufaula National in 1969. It took some cajoling from Ray Scott to get Martin to test the waters that year – Martin never looked back.
The 1970 Bass Master Trail would feature seven events starting in the state of Texas and finishing in Missouri. To date, it was the most tournaments held by the fledgling Bass Anglers Sportsman Society in one year. 1969 had six events and 1968 featured only four. Here’s a chronological list of the tournaments:
- January 29-31, 1970 – Toledo Bend Invitational, Many, LA
- March 19-21, 1970 – Seminole Lunker Hunt, Bainbridge, GA
- April 30 – May 2, 1970 – Rebel Invitational Ross Barnett, Jackson, MS
- June 11-13, 1970 – Lake Eufaula Henshall Memorial, Florence Landing, GA
- August 5-7, 1970 – Oklahoma National Lake Eufaula, Eufaula, OK
- September 24-26, 1970 – Texas National Sam Rayburn Reservoir, Jasper, TX
- November 12-14, 1970 – All-American Table Rock Lake, Kimberling, MO
Back in the 1970 time frame, Bassmaster Magazine was a quarterly publication. It focused on teaching anglers to be better bass fishermen. Unfortunately, its tournament coverage doesn’t provide much knowledge of the anglers other than the winners. Still, we’ll give you what we know of the events from reading the reports.
Toledo Bend Reservoir, dubbed as the “hottest bass lake in the country,” would kick off the 1970 Bass Master Trail season with 79 contestants. It’s reported that the weather had been cold but turned for the better with three “June in January days.” This played a significant role in the outcome of the event.
Local angler Mike Bono would catch his limit all three days of the tournament (45 fish total) and take the top honors with 94-04. Bono, not only knew the fish at Toledo Bend, he also knew the lake probably better than anyone in the derby, having walked the lake countless times prior to its being filled. He won the event fishing in 55 feet of water using silver jigging spoons and Fliptail worms.
For his efforts, Bono won $2000 worth of cash and prizes, which included a new Skeeter Hawk boat powered by an 85-hp Chrysler motor and a V.E.T. trailer.
In the second spot was rookie angler Roland Martin of Cross, SC with a total of 77-06. There are two things that stick out in that sentence. One, the word rookie and two, he hailed from South Carolina. Martin would show bass anglers that year he was far from a rookie and the next year he would move from South Carolina to Montgomery, AL. Martin would become somewhat of a nomad, living all over the United States in order to learn as much as he could about bass and their habits.
Third place went to B.A.S.S. veteran Gerald Blanchard (TN) with 72-10, Carlos Mayo (AR) took 4th-place honors with 70-15. Rounding out the top 5 was Elroy Krueger (TX) with 69-00.
Unfortunately, Bass Master Magazine didn’t post the results below 20th place. At this time B.A.S.S. was giving 10 points per ounce and live fish were not worth any extra points.
Tournament totals for the Toledo Bend event were 1791 bass that weighed 2715-08. Gerald Blanchard took big fish with a 7-15 largemouth.
The top 20 for the Toledo Bend Invitational are shown in the table below.
SEMINOLE LUNKER HUNT – WHO ELSE?
The title of the Spring issue of Bass Master Magazine’s Tournament Trail report says it all. “Roland Martin Bright New Star On BASS Horizon.” In his second event, Roland Martin would become B.A.S.S.’s new star. He followed up his second-place finish at Toledo Bend with a win at Seminole against 115 other pros from 19 states.
Roland Martin didn’t do it wire-to-wire by no means, though. He wasn’t even in the top 20 on the first day of the event. But on the second day, he caught the tournament’s only 15-fish limit and propelled himself into the number-1 spot. On the last day, he brought 13 bass to the scales and took top honors by over 3-1/2 pounds.
After the dust had settled, Martin weighed 32 fish for 53-14. He reported catching spawning fish in water 18 inches or less on black Mann’s Jelly worms and a local topwater bait known as a Diamond Eye Rattler made by Capt. Jim Strader. He won $2000 in cash along with Motor Guide foot-controlled trolling motor.
Second place went to R. C. Billingsley (AR) with 50-03 and third place went Howard Holmes (MO) with 48-10. In the fourth spot was veteran Bill Dance with 47-14 and the fifth spot was taken by Mac B. Greer (AL). Greer also caught big fish each day of the event, a first at the time and may still be. His big fish were 6-13, 8-05 and 8-05.
Overall, there were 1109 fish weighed for a total of 1956-02. The top 20 anglers from the Seminole Lunker Hunt are presented below.
REBEL INVITATIONAL ROSS BARNETT – DANCE ON TOP AGAIN
In 1970, AOY standings were not even a consideration. But this would change at the end of the year with what has become a bit of a controversy. If one were tracking AOY at this time, by the start of the third tournament, rookie Roland Martin leading by nearly 5000 points over 2nd-place angler Bill Dance. But Dance wouldn’t be a pushover this year. He would make Martin work for his acclaim on the trail.
The Ross Barnett tournament featured a new twist to bass tournaments with a non-professional division. From the “letters to the editor” in the 1969 and ’70 Bass Master Magazines, anglers had been complaining that the pro entry fees were too high for the weekend angler and B.A.S.S. complied by making another division. There is no mention of what the cost was for the non-pro entry or whether or not the non-pros fished with pros. Maybe someone out there knows and can clear that up for us.
The tournament report about the first two days of the event provided little information other than Bill Dance was in a “disappointing 11th place” at the start of day 3. It also mentions he had weighed “almost limits” (15 fish) the two prior days.
The last day featured nasty weather, which kept many of the anglers off the areas they’d fished the prior two days. But Dance had an ace up his sleeve. He’d located fish on both ends of the lake and on the last day caught his limit within sight of the tournament launch. His 15-fish limit that day went 33-12 and gave him a 2-03 lead over the second-place angler, New Orleans Saints Football player, Harold Hays (TX).
In all, Dance weighed 43 fish for a total of 75-12. He caught his fish on a blue plastic worm fished with the “weedless slip-sinker rig in a ditch located with his depthfinder.” It was his 5th Bass Master win at the time.
As stated previously, Harold Hays took the 2nd-place honors with 73-09 and local favorite Bob Ponds, Pete Ponds’ father) took third with 72-09. Fourth place went to Ralph Polly with 65-00 and Emmett Chiles rounded out the top 5 for the pros with 63-14.
Pete Henson (GA) won big bass with a 7-09 largemouth. He won $75 and a “Herschede Clock Company (Motor Guide) foot-controlled electric trolling motor.”
In the non-professional category, Jess Farmer (IL) took top honors with 26-15. He beat out Ron Johnson who weighed 23-03 for second. Third place went to John Stacey (OH) with 22-00 and Earl Williamson (OH) took 4th place with 21-13. The fifth spot was taken by Fred Looper (TN) 19-15. For his win, Farmer earned a 4-day trip to Dick Malloy’s Club de Pasca Novillo in Mexico along with a Lowrance Fish Lo-K-Tor, Fishthometer, a lifetime membership to B.A.S.S. and the $125 entry into the next professional tournament.
By the end of the Ross Barnett event, Dance had racked up $16,025 in B.A.S.S. winnings. The highest winnings of anyone on the Trail. He was also the first repeat champion on the same lake – he’d also won the 1968 tournament on Ross Barnett.
After the event, Dance announced that he’d be leaving the Creme Worm Company. He moved on with Charles Spence as a partner with the Strike King Lure Company.
Overall results for the event showed 129 anglers (pros and non-pros) from 18 states weighed 1617 bass for 2787-14. There were only 18 limits weighed throughout the event.
It was also stated in the tournament report that by now the public had started complaining that professional tournaments were hurting the fish populations at lakes. B.A.S.S. stated that “To further protect against the loss of young fish, the BASS tournament rules have been strengthened to ‘issue penalty points’ for any undersized fish checked in. The Society imposes a special 12-inch minimum limit on all tournament bass.”
The top 20 for the Ross Barnett event are shown in the table below. Also shown are the AOY standings through the third event of the season as far as we could figure out.
In Part Two of the Season at a Glance: 1970 Bass Master Trail we’ll talk about the second half of the season, which included the events held at Eufaula, GA, Lake Eufaula, OK, Sam Rayburn, TX and Table Rock, AR.
Why Swindle loves The Sabine and Orange, Texas
Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships
Orange, Texas, population 20,000, situated along Interstate 10 between Beaumont and Lake Charles. A blue-collar town where ship building and the lumber industry keep the bills paid, and people are absolutely crazy about bass fishing and the outdoors.
Bassmaster Elite Series weigh-in crowds have historically resembled outdoor festivals headlined by local country music stars like Tracy Byrd and Mark Chessnut back in the day. And based on the number of folks begging for a photo with Team Toyota’s Gerald Swindle in a rainstorm, as he wrapped practice Wednesday, this year will be a party along the Sabine too.
“That’s why I love it here,” smiled Swindle as rain poured down. “The guy who wins here Sunday will probably only average 10 or 11 pounds a day, but when we pull into to weigh-in, these folks don’t care how big the weights are, they just want to cheer us on,” he says.
Swindle should know. He’s been to Orange numerous times in his highly decorated career, and he gave winner Greg Hackney a darn good run for his money before finishing second here in 2018.
A slow rising tide will push dingy water back into tournament waters this week to heighten the challenge, so Swindle plans to spend a lot of time pitching a Zoom Z Craw Jr. and a 3/8-ounce black-blue Buckeye Ballin’ Out jig.
“Not every Elite Series tournament can offer up 100-pounds of bass in four days like Lake Fork or the St. Lawrence River. Don’t get me wrong, that’s cool. But so is weighing-in in front of thousands of fans,” says Swindle.
Heck, even the t-shirt he’s wearing in the photo was custom made for him by locally owned Pink Rooster Treasures. Why? Because like Swindle says, everybody in Orange loves when the Bassmaster Elite Series comes to town, and that includes the local businesses too.
Bass Fishing Archives, Half Past First Cast Newest Angler’s Channel Contributors
COLUMBIA, S.C. — The two leading websites for fishing travel and bass fishing history — Half Past First Cast and the Bass Fishing Archives — have joined Anglers Channel to provide more content opportunities for the top tournament site in the country.
“We’re excited to add Terry, Pete and Hanna to our growing AC Insider content offerings,” said Danny Blandford, Director of Business Development for Anglers Channel. “They have strong, deep backgrounds in the bass fishing world, along with cool experiences fishing for other species, and I know will provide more benefit to our site’s visitors. We’re always looking for ways to add more to Anglers Channel.”
Terry Battisti and the team at Bass Fishing Archives chronicle the history of bass fishing. It is the only site dedicated to the history of the sport. It has scads of old advertisements, catalogs, and stories from some of the biggest names with a great depth of institutional knowledge. From the big bass wars and new techniques of the West Coast to the origins of lures from small companies that grew into behemoths, Bass Fishing Archives has the details.
"When Danny approached me about a collaboration between our sites, I thought it would be a great opportunity for both the Bass Fishing Archives and the Anglers Channel," Battisti said. "It gives the Bass Fishing Archives a chance to reach a wider audience who may not know about us and gives the Anglers Channel some historical content, too.
"Our sport has a lineage that dates back to the late 1800s. Most anglers today can't even name the stars of the ‘70s and ‘80s, much less the giants from the turn of the 19th century through the 1950s. Having a platform like Anglers Channel hopefully will show the younger anglers how important the history of their sport is."
Pete and Hanna Robbins have taken Half Past First Cast to new heights with tried-and-true information about fishing-related travel including tackle, lures, apparel and more. They visit El Salto in Mexico a couple of times a year, along with other trips for saltwater species including sailfish and deepwater fish. They’ve tangled with everything from thumb-rasping smallmouth on the Niagara River and Lake Erie to muskies in the Midwest, bass across the border and more.
Their Half Past First Cast motto is, "Providing you with the tools and information to keep fishing fun and make the most of your remaining casts, through travel hacks, equipment advice, trip reports and unfiltered opinions." They seek the best operators on the best fisheries at the best times, and are keen on enjoying life experiences while also sharing them with others.
“Through my connections in the world of bass fishing, I'd seen the power of AnglersChannel and we are eager to spread our word through similar-minded outlets,” Pete said. “After nearly 20 fishing trips to Mexico, I realized no one had written extensively about how to make the most of that experience, so we set out to do that with Half Past First Cast. Also, I became a much better and much more satisfied bass angler when I started chasing other species. It made me appreciate all the things that are great about bass fishing through a decent lens.”
A trip to Panama for big tuna on giant topwater poppers almost made Robbins lose his bass-fishing soul. But it was more of an awakening than anything.
“When we came back from popping for tuna in Panama, I told Hanna that I'd sell my bass boat if I could do that 30 days a year,” he said, laughing. “Fortunately, it didn't come to that. But it made me realize that there are lots of fishing experiences I've yet to try that are on my ever-growing bucket list.
Hanna agrees, and says their goal is to help others on Anglers Channel with new information, destinations and booking the trip to get there for a successful, fun adventure.
“I love seeing some of the places we go through newcomers' eyes — introducing them not just to the fishing, but also to the culture, the food and everything we've grown to love about places like Mexico, Panama, Guatemala and Alaska,” she said. “My goal is to make your travel as easy as possible. We have trips for a variety of budgets and physical abilities, and we only work with the best of the best. I am particularly interested in getting women involved in the sport. As someone who came to fishing relatively late in life, I know that you need a mentor or two and a helping hand to get started.”
Georgia Boater Buddy Benson Leads Day 1 of Phoenix All-American Presented by T-H Marine at Lake Hartwell
Bulldog Division Angler Catches 19-Pound, 9-Ounce Limit to Take Early lead
SENECA, S.C. (May 31, 2023) – Cool weather greeted anglers Wednesday morning at Lake Hartwell and the bite started out slow, but after the scales were closed one angler stood alone atop the leaderboard at the 40th annual Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American Championship on Lake Hartwell Presented by T-H Marine in Seneca, South Carolina. Anchored by a stout 5-pound largemouth, 18-year-old boater Elijah “Buddy” Benson of Dahlonega, Georgia, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Wednesday weighing 19 pounds, 9 ounces, to jump out to the early lead.
Benson, who competes in the Bulldog Presented by Mystik Lubricants division, will start Day 2 with a slim 1-pound, 7-ounce advantage over second place boater Emil Wagner of Marietta, Georgia, who caught five bass totaling 18 pounds, 2 ounces. Of the 98 competitors – 49 boaters and 49 Strike King co-anglers – competing in the event, 50 anglers weighed in a five-bass limit.
The three-day tournament, hosted by Visit Oconee SC, showcases the nation’s best weekend grassroots anglers, and awards the winning boater a top prize of up to $120,000, and a top prize of $50,000 for the winning Strike King co-angler.
“I caught most of my fish early – before 10 o’clock – just running and gunning down the lake on brush,” said Benson, who said he fishes Hartwell a couple of times every week and calls it his home water.
Benson said he caught most of his bass on main-lake points and humps with topwater baits and a swimbait.
“The weather was perfect for what I was doing today,” Benson said. “I’m hoping I can repeat it. I’m hoping I can stay consistent at 18 plus (pounds) a day.”
Second-place angler Emil Wagner got off to a shaky start, but quickly adjusted to Hartwell’s conditions, and his day turned around with the change in approach.
“It started off super slow, and I did my typical missing fish and losing fish,” Wagner said. “I filled a limit really quick – between 8:30 and 9. Around noon I made a critical adjustment and culled out almost everything I had. I lost quite a few big ones, too. I think I know what to do for tomorrow.”
Wagner, who guides on Lake Lanier, said he spent a lot of time searching for “special” offshore spots with his graph. Those spots, along with a knowledge of Lake Hartwell, kept him within striking distance of the lead.
“I fish up here a decent bit,” Wagner said. “I wouldn’t say I’m a local, but I have fished here quite a bit. I feel really good about (tomorrow). I had some motor issues today, and as long as they don’t impair me the next two days, I think I can be pretty consistent.
“I said it would take around mid-50s to win it, so I think if I catch 18 a day and maybe catch 20 one of the days, I’ll be pretty close,” Wagner added.
The top 20 boaters after Day 1 of the All-American on Lake Hartwell are:
1st: Buddy Benson, Dahlonega, Ga., five bass, 19-9
2nd: Emil Wagner, Marietta, Ga., five bass, 18-2
3rd: Anthony Johnson, Excelsior Springs, Mo., five bass, 18-1
4th: Matthew O’Connell, Brooks, Ga., five bass, 17-4
5th: Jesse Wiggins, Addison, Ala., five bass, 14-11
6th: Tyler Trent, Nathalie, Va., five bass, 14-1
7th: Cade Laufenberg, Onalaska, Wis., five bass, 14-0
8th: Jimmy Neece, Jr., Bristol, Tenn., five bass, 13-8
9th: Nick Ubelhor, Jasper, Ind., five bass, 13-1
10th: Jeremy Lawyer, Sarcoxie, Mo., five bass, 13-0
11th: Ian Leybas, McAlester, Okla., five bass, 12-15
11th: Brian Laclair, Denton, Md., five bass, 12-15
13th: Jack Daniel Williams, Kingsport, Tenn., five bass, 12-14
14th: Jeremy York, Conyers, Ga., five bass, 12-5
15th: Andy Fryer, Sidney, Ohio, five bass, 12-3
16th: Chandler Todd, Wake Forest, N.C., five bass, 12-2
17th: Travis Harriman, Huntsville, Ark., five bass, 12-1
17th: Dave Hodges, Farmington, Ark, five bass, 12-1
19th: Edward Gettys, Dover, Tenn., five bass, 12-0
19th: Keith Estes, Spring Grove, Va., five bass, 12-0
A full list of results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Overall, there were 218 bass weighing 500 pounds, 6 ounces caught by 47 boaters Wednesday. The catch included 37 five-bass limits.
Larry Taylor of Seaford, Delaware, leads the Strike King Co-angler Division at Lake Hartwell after Day 1 with four bass weighing 11 pounds, 1 ounce. Taylor will begin Day 2 of competition on Thursday with a 1-pound, 2-ounce advantage over second-place co-angler Safulla Rana of Warrenton, Virginia, who weighed in five bass totaling 9 pounds, 15 ounces.
Taylor was paired with Day 1 third-place boater Anthony Johnson, who caught fish early in the day. Taylor, however, struggled to boat a bass until mid-morning, when he caught his first fish – a 2½-pound spotted bass.
“All day I was fan casting around,” Taylor said. “I caught my last two at the end of the day when Anthony was helping me and telling me some places to cast. The key was fishing really slow and making long casts. You also had to weed through all of the stripers – this place is full of them.
“I thought I had around 9 pounds,” Taylor added. “The big fish weighed more than I thought. We went to a shoal and I cast way up on it and caught the 5-11. It was a tough day, though.
Tylor qualified for the All-American through the TBF by winning the semifinal on his home river, the Nanticoke River in Seaford, Delaware. He then finished fifth on Lake of the Ozarks and won the Mid-Atlantic Division.
“The only reason this is even happing was because my buddy back home, Jason Vaughn, needed a co-angler to guarantee his spot as a boater in the TBF,” Taylor said. “It’s crazy to be here, and all of this is just a bonus.”
The top 20 Strike King co-anglers after Day 1 of the All-American on Lake Hartwell are:
1st: Larry Taylor, Seaford, Del., four bass, 11-1
2nd: Safulla Rana, Warrenton, Va., five bass, 9-15
3rd: Brandon Bell, Starkville, Miss., five bass, 9-10
3rd: Joshua Jernigan, Rocky Top, Tenn., five bass, 9-10
5th: Chris Bunk, Sullivan, Mo., five bass, 9-4
6th: Benjie Winkler, Cleveland, Ga., five bass, 9-2
7th: Chris Wilson, Easley, S.C., five bass, 8-14
8th: Keith Gunsauls, Dandridge, Tenn., five bass, 8-10
9th: Gary Haraguchi, Murfreesboro, Tenn., five bass, 8-7
10th: Brent Jones, Okeana, Ohio, five bass, 7-14
11th: Branden Hardesty, Nineveh, Ind., three bass, 7-10
12th: Aaron Calvert, Russellville, Ark., five bass, 7-3
12th: Daniel Bryant, Scott, La., three bass, 7-3
12th: Bobby Simmons, Chancellor, Ala., five bass, 7-3
15th: Chuck Davis, Farmington, Ill., four bass, 6-8
16th: Joe Harmon, Wooster, Ohio, five bass, 6-7
16th: Daren Tindle, Owensboro, Ky., five bass, 6-7
18th: Mekye Barnes, Raleigh, N.C., three bass, 5-9
19th: Christopher Stites Jr., La Vergne, Tenn., four bass, 5-2
20th: John Robinson, Montpelier, Va., three bass, 5-0
Overall, there were 124 bass weighing 215 pounds, 15 ounces caught by 43 Strike King co-anglers on Wednesday. The catch included 13 five-bass limits.
The full field of 49 boaters and 49 Strike King co-anglers compete on Days 1 (Wednesday) and 2 (Thursday) of the event. After two days of competition, the field is cut to just the top 10 boaters and co-anglers, based on two-day total cumulative weight, and the final 10 anglers compete on Championship Friday. The boater and co-angler that catch the heaviest three-day total weight will be crowned the 40th Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American Champions.
Anglers will launch each day at 6:30 a.m. ET from the Seneca Creek Boat Ramp, located at 280 Seneca Creek Road in Seneca. Weigh-in each day will be held at the boat ramp and will begin at 2:30 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend all launch and weigh-in events and encouraged to follow the event’s online coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The 2022 Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine was a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, advanced to one of six Regional Championships where they competed to finish in the top six, which then advanced them to compete in the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.
Television coverage of the 2023 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American will premiere November 11 on CBS Sports and the Sportsman Channel. The full television air schedule can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Proud sponsors of the 2023 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, E3, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, General Tire, Grundéns, Gill, Lew’s, Lowrance, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Mystik Lubricants, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, Wiley X and YETI.
For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Bass Fishing League updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
Stracner not fishing Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River
May 31, 2023
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Elite Series pro Josh Stracner of Vandiver, Ala., will not be fishing this week’s Folds of Honor Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River. B.A.S.S. officials have ruled him ineligible for the sixth stop of the 2023 Bassmaster Elite Series season because he is unable to secure the required Texas fishing license.
Bassmaster Elite Rule C6. IV, for Sportsmanship states: “In both official practice and competition, competitors are required to have all licenses and permits required on the tournament waters in which they fish.”
After contacting the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department in an attempt to resolve the issue, Stracner notified B.A.S.S. officials in advance of the tournament.
Major League Fishing Combines Technology and Conservation to Host Bass Pro Tour on Cayuga Lake Prior to Fishing Season Start
Unique MLF Catch-Weigh-Immediate Release Format Brings the Favorite Fishing Stage Five Presented by ATG + Wrangler to Union Springs, N.Y., June 6-11
UNION SPRINGS, N.Y. (May 30, 2023) – Major League Fishing (MLF) and the Bass Pro Tour, featuring the top professional anglers in bass fishing, is set to return to Union Springs, New York, and Cayuga Lake next week, June 6-11, for the fifth event of the 2023 Bass Pro Tour season – the Favorite Fishing Stage Five at Cayuga Lake Presented by ATG + Wrangler.
Cayuga Lake has hosted hundreds of bass tournaments over the years, including the Bass Pro Tour in 2022. However, the June timeline for this event is extremely unique. The traditional bass season officially start until June 15, yet the catch and immediate-release season runs from Dec. 1-June 14 on inland waters in New York. MLF received confirmation from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation that the Bass Pro Tour format of catch, weigh, immediate release is compliant under state guidelines.
The six-day tournament will feature a field of 80 professional anglers, including bass-fishing superstars like Kevin VanDam, REDCREST 2023 Champion Bryan Thrift, reigning back-to-back Bally Bet Angler of the Year (AOY) Jacob Wheeler, Jordan Lee, and last year’s Cayuga Lake Champion, Alabama’s Dustin Connell. They’ll be competing for a purse of more than $805,000, 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 2024, the Bass Pro Tour championship.
“The Village of Union Springs is excited and looking forward to once again hosting our friends from Major League Fishing,” said Robert Thurston, Jr, Mayor of the Village of Union Springs. “Village residents and our neighboring communities appreciate MLF for bringing some of the most talented and friendliest athletes to our community. We are looking forward to the tournament and wish all MLF anglers a safe and successful tournament.”
In June of 2022, angler Thomas Russell Jr. caught an 8-pound, 6-ounce smallmouth on Cayuga Lake to set the New York state record. Pro Dustin Connell, who won the 2022 Bass Pro Tour stop on the lake, believes Russell’s record could be in danger during the event.
“There are so many 5- to 7-pound smallmouth in there and some that are much bigger,” Connell said. “Sight fishing should be a big factor, and I wouldn’t be surprised if someone catches a new record. It will be fun – the lake is full of big bass, and most of them will be up shallow.”
Traditionally, largemouth have been the way to win, but Connell changed that mindset with his victory with smallmouth in 2022. This time, he expects a split and says both can produce a winning total.
“It’ll be a battle between the species and nobody knows how it’s going to turn out,” Connell said. “Fishing for big smallmouth may be a good option, but you can also go down a stretch and catch a bunch of largemouth. The grass should just be starting to grow, and the fishing should be incredible no matter which species you decide on.”
Anglers will launch each day at 7:30 a.m. CT each day from Frontenac Park, located at 15 Creamery Road in Union Springs. 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 MLF NOW! live stream and SCORETRACKER coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Fans are encouraged to attend Meet The Pros Night on Saturday, June 3 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Bass Pro Tour anglers will be onsite at the Bass Pro Shops, located at 1579 Clark Street Road in Auburn, New York, to meet fans, sign autographs and take photos.
Also, as part of the event, on Saturday, June 10 and Sunday, June 11 the MLF Fan Experience will be taking place at the Bass Pro Shops in Auburn from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. MLF will welcome fans of all ages to celebrate fishing and the outdoors. Fans can hang out and watch the pros live on the MLF NOW! big screen during the MLF Watch Party. On Sunday at 5 p.m., the final 10 Championship Round Bass Pro Tour anglers will be on hand for the trophy celebration and to meet and greet fans, sign autographs, and take selfies.
The Favorite Fishing Stage Five at Cayuga Lake Presented by ATG + Wrangler will feature pros competing using the MLF catch, weigh, immediate-release format, with each angler’s five (5) heaviest bass per day tallied as their day’s weight. Anglers strive to catch their heaviest five fish each day, while also feeling the pressure and intensity of the live scoring SCORETRACKER® leaderboard. Minimum weights are determined individually for each competition waters that the Bass Pro Tour visits, based on the productivity, bass population and anticipated average size of fish in each fishery.
The 2023 MLF Bass Pro Tour features a field of 80 of the top professional anglers in the world competing across seven regular-season tournaments around the country, fishing for millions of dollars and valuable points to qualify for the annual General Tire Heavy Hitters all-star event and REDCREST 2024, the Bass Pro Tour championship, held March 13-17, 2024, on Lay Lake in Birmingham, Alabama.
The 40 Anglers in Group A compete in their two-day qualifying round on Tuesday and Thursday – the 40 anglers in Group B on Wednesday and Friday. After each two-day qualifying round is complete, the top 20 anglers from each group advance to Saturday’s Knockout Round. In the Knockout Round, weights are zeroed, and the remaining 40 anglers compete to finish in the top 10 to advance to the Championship Round. In Sunday’s final day Championship Round, weight carries over from the Knockout Round and the angler with the heaviest two-day total wins the top prize of $100,000.
The MLF NOW! broadcast team of Chad McKee, Marty Stone and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action live on all six days of competition from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET. MLF NOW!® will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app.
Television coverage of the Favorite Fishing Stage Five at Cayuga Lake Presented by ATG + Wrangler will air as two, two-hour episodes starting at 7 a.m. ET, on Saturday, Oct. 21 and Saturday, Oct. 28 on the Discovery Channel. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on Discovery, with re-airings on the Outdoor Channel.
Proud sponsors of the 2023 MLF Bass Pro Tour include: 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, Ark Fishing, ATG + Wrangler, B&W Trailer Hitches, Bally Bet, Bass Cat Boats, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, Daiwa, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, Ferguson, Fox Rent A Car, General Tire, Grundéns, Humminbird, Lowrance, Minn Kota, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Power-Pole, Rapala, Star tron, T-H Marine, TORO, Toyota, U.S. Air Force, Yellowstone Bourbon, Yo-Zuri and Zoom Baits.
For complete details and updated information on Major League Fishing and the Bass Pro Tour, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
Bassmaster Kayak Series returns to Possum Kingdom
Mark Pendergraf, who won the 2021 Bassmaster Kayak Series National Championship, will be among the field at the Yamaha Rightwaters Bassmaster Kayak Series powered by TourneyX at Possum Kingdom Lake June 3-4.
Photo by Mark Cisneros/B.A.S.S.
May 30, 2023
GRAFORD, Texas — For just the second time in its young history, the Yamaha Rightwaters Bassmaster Kayak Series powered by TourneyX will head to Possum Kingdom Lake June 3-4 — and while Texas angler Mark Pendergraf thinks the bass might be in a postspawn funk when they arrive, anglers will still have the opportunity to catch big bass.
Located east of Fort Worth, Possum Kingdom flies under the radar compared to some of the other powerhouse lakes in Texas. But, as kayak anglers proved during the 2021 National Championship that Pendergraf won, Possum Kingdom has impressive numbers of lunker bass.
This will be the third of five regular-season Kayak Series events in 2023, and anglers will be competing for Dakota Lithium Bassmaster Kayak Series Angler of the Year points as well as a spot in the 2024 Bassmaster Kayak Series National Championship.
Those who fished the 2021 Championship will likely have to come up with a different strategy for this event, as that tournament was fished under high-water conditions.
Overall, Possum Kingdom is a rocky reservoir and it features all three major species of black bass. Largemouth, however, are the only species likely to help anglers win tournaments.
Compared to other reservoirs in Texas, the Brazos River impoundment is much deeper. That means the bass tend to spawn later in the year, and when kayak anglers arrive for tournament competition, they will find the lake in transition from spawn to summer patterns.
“It will be about the secondary points and docks. We are looking at the transition into the postspawn,” Pendergraf said. “There are tons of creek channels with secondary points they will stack up on and they will stack up on the boathouses on the main channel. They will be everywhere.”
With only a little bit of vegetation, the bass will mostly be set up on hard cover like docks, standing timber, bluffs and rock. As more of a postspawn event — and with different water conditions — Pendergraf anticipates the bass to be more spread out than during the 2021 event.
“The bass will still stage in the usual spots, but there won’t be the piles of fish like I and a couple of other people ran into,” Pendergraf said. “There (likely) won’t be flooding and they won’t have to tuck up under things.”
Many of the bass will be targeting gizzard shad. Those shad could be spawning depending on how the weather is trending.
Big, ribbon-tailed worms are a popular choice that time of year for anglers, as well as crankbaits and stickworms. Topwater baits like poppers will catch fish in the morning hours.
With 484 points after two regular-season events, Rus Snyders is leading the Dakota Lithium Bassmaster Kayak Series Angler of the Year standings by just one point over Nick Dyer. 2022 Bassmaster Kayak Series national champion Eric Siddiqi and Bassmaster Elite Series pro Greg DiPalma are both sitting in third place with 481 points.
The event will follow a catch-measure-release format. The live leaderboard can be found on Bassmaster.com throughout the tournament with the awards streaming live on the Bassmaster YouTube channel June 4 at 4 p.m. CT.
It's Tournament Week on Pickwick - Minn Kota Owners Tournament
If you haven't already, it's time to get registered for the first Annual Minn Kota and Humminbird Owners Tournament to be held this weekend at Pickwick Landing State Park, June 3-4, 2023.
Minn Kota and Humminbird Owners Tournament presented by Hardin County - $150,000+ Guaranteed Prizes & Payouts
2 DAY EVENT (SATURDAY & SUNDAY)
Entry Fee:
Two Day $175 | One Day $125 (Entry fees are per angler)
Start fishing time (first cast) will be announced the week of the tournament.
Click here to see rules and qualifications for entering the tournament
Location:
Pickwick Lake, Tennessee
The states of Tennessee, Alabama and Mississippi have a reciprocal agreement for fishing at Pickwick Lake. It is the anglers responsibility to know the law and acquire the correct license, based on where they plan to fish.
Tennessee License Info: https://www.tn.gov/twra/license-sales.html
Alabama License Info: https://www.outdooralabama.com/license-information
Mississippi License Info: https://www.mdwfp.com/license/
Weigh in Site:
Pickwick Landing State Park, 120 Playground Loop, Counce, TN 38326
Click here for park details.
Guaranteed Overall Grand Prize: $50,000
1st Place for the largest bass of the tournament.
Overall Prizes: $13,000+
2nd Place Overall: Minn Kota Ultrex 52" Trolling Motor.
3rd Place Overall: Minn Kota Ultrex 52" Trolling Motor.
4th Place Overall: Minn Kota Ultrex 52" Trolling Motor.
5th Place Overall: Minn Kota Ultrex 52" Trolling Motor.
Draw Prizes: $15,000+
Minn Kota, Humminbird, and Raptor draw prizes. Drawing will be Friday June 2nd at the dinner/meeting from 5-8pm. (Must be present to win draw prizes)
Guaranteed Total Hourly Paybacks: $42,350
1st: $1000, 2nd: $500, 3rd: $300, 4th: $250, 5th: $225, 6th: $200, 7th: $175, 8th: $150, 9th: $125, 10th: $100
Early Entry Prizes: $30,000+
The first 200 online two day entrants will receive a LakeMaster chip Southeast States V1 from Humminbird. A one-day entry is not eligible for the early entry prize.
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Early entry LakeMaster chips may be picked up at the dinner/meeting on Friday June 2nd from 5 – 8 PM. Chips are gone when counter on the website shows zero. We will post the date the counter goes to zero on the site. *Another angler may pick up your chip for you if you're unable to be present.
LakeMaster Chip Product Description:
LakeMaster cartography map with coverage of the Southeast region of the U.S.. These new charts feature VX technology, providing exceptional map performance and customizable color palettes. It also includes SmartStrike, chart presets, depth highlights, and shallow water highlights.
Event Registration:
Registration to fish the Event closes at 5 pm Friday June 2nd, 2023. There will be no morning registration on any days of the Event.
Pre-Tournament Meeting/Dinner:
On Friday June 2nd from 5-8 pm, We will host a dinner and meeting for all anglers. (One angler per boat must attend the meeting). Meeting will be at The Lodge at Pickwick Landing, 120 Playground Loop, Counce, TN 38326.
Eligibility:
Each boat owner (“captain”) must own either one Minn Kota product and/or one Humminbird product (trolling motor, shallow water anchor, electronics and/or battery charger). Each captain is allowed to be accompanied by up to two participants who are not owners of either a Minn Kota or Humminbird product. Each captain will be checked by a tournament official on site for such product(s).
Text System:
You may enter yourself in the text system for this event by texting the word minnkota to the number 90294. We will enter your number in the system, but some carriers block this type of message, so by entering yourself this will prevent the chance of being blocked.
Start Time:
Due to the varying times of year that we host our tournaments, we will notify every one of the start time the week of the tournament. We will notify you via text message. Start time (first cast) for each tournament will be safe light and set by the tournament director. You may launch and be on the water, but you may not begin fishing until we notify you of first cast. Please do not call our offices related to start time. We will post start fishing time on this page and text out the time the week of the event. You will also be sent a live leaderboard link once the event starts.
Weigh in Times:
All days of event. 7-8am, 8-9am, 9-10am, 10-11am, 11am-12pm, 12-1pm, 1-2pm
Lake Off Limits:
The Event off-limits time begins at 4:00 p.m. June 2nd, 2023. Participants must be off the water on or before 4:00 p.m. on the day prior to the Event and may not begin fishing until the official Event start time on the following day, which will be announced via text message the morning of the Event. The Event Lake is off-limits to fishing after 2:00 p.m. on the first day of the Event. ALL participants must follow the off-limits rules for the previous day(s), even if you're not fishing all both days of the event. Participants may return to their respective launch site by boat but are not allowed to fish or use electronics and/or other devices (including lights) or attempt to locate or mark, for the purposes of finding fish, after the off-limits time.
Permitted Fishing Waters: See map below
Pickwick Dam (North West), Bay Springs Dam (South West), Hwy 72 (South) and Wilson Dam (East). Locking at any time during the event is prohibited.
Auburn University’s Smith & Marbut Win the 2023 BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship
Hemby & Minor from Carson-Newman take 2nd, Emmanuel College anglers Campbell & Guy finish 3rd
Anderson, SC (May 26, 2023) –The 2023 BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops is in the books. The Association of Collegiate Anglers’ 18th annual National Championship awarded over $30,000 in prizes and contingencies, crowned a National Champion, and named a number one team in the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia. Tucker Smith and Hayden Marbut from 2nd ranked Auburn University take top honors with 35.24 pounds. Carson-Newman University anglers Drake Hemby and Ewing Minor finish in 2nd place, and Tyler Campbell and Parker Guy of Emmanuel College wind up in 3rd.
View the final tournament standings here.
Along with the crowning of a new National Champion, collegiate bass fishing history was made as the University of Montevallo won the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia. Montevallo becomes the first team to win college fishing’s most prestigious title three times, as well as having done so in three straight seasons. The University of Montevallo edged out 2nd ranked Auburn University by over 3,700 points and Carson-Newman University finished the season ranked 3rd.
Hundreds of college fishing’s most elite anglers competed for two days on Lake Hartwell in Anderson, SC. The early summer months present some great fish catching conditions for anglers to target both largemouth and spotted bass on this famed fishery. Following the spring spawn, the abundant bass population in Lake Hartwell was spread out in a variety of accessible areas. From schooling bass chasing herring on main lake points, to largemouth bass roaming the shallows near bream beds, fish hanging out close to docks, and even bass locked on deep structure, this field of elite anglers found success with many different patterns.
Tucker Smith and Hayden Marbut from 2nd ranked Auburn University bested the elite field of 200 teams to win the 18th BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops. Smith and Marbut keyed in on a pattern targeting both largemouth and spotted bass with a variety of baits that produced 35.24 pounds of bass over two days.
Along with the $5,000 cash prize that is awarded to 1st place, the Auburn University anglers claimed the $500 Garmin Tournament Rewards contingency bonus and the $1,000 ACA logo contingency. Smith is also registered for the Nitro Tournament Rewards, which would pay out up to an additional $8,000. All total, the duo’s earnings for the week could exceed $14,000 at the no-entry-fee ACA National Championship.
Finishing in second place at the 2023 BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops are Drake Hemby and Ewing Minor from 3rd ranked Carson-Newman University. The duo weighed in a two-day total of 33.47 pounds to finish just under a pound and a half behind first place. After sitting in 2nd place following Day 1, Hemby and Minor held serve to claim 2nd place in this prestigious National Championship event. The pair earns $2,500 cash for their finish amongst the field of close to 400 elite anglers.
Rounding out the Top 3 at the ACA’s season-ending National Championship event are Tyler Campbell and Parker Guy from Emmanuel College with a two-day total weight of 32.50 pounds. Entering Day 2 in 33rd place, Campbell and Guy weighed in a limit worth 20.89 pound to jump 30 places all the way up to third. The Top 3 finish pays out $1,500.
WALTERS WINS IT ALL ON SANTEE COOPER
Story by Justin Brouillard | Photos by Tanner & Travis Lyons
The most consistent angler all week, Patrick Walterswins the National Professional Fishing League stop number three on Santee Cooper Lakes with a total weight of 67 pounds, 12 ounces. Walters caught 22 pounds, 8 ounces on day one, 24 pounds even on day two, and a final round weight of 21 pounds, 4 ounces to seal his second NPFL victory in two years.
Go fishing and have fun. That was the mentality of Patrick Walters on his home body of water where being stubborn has cost him some good finishes in the past.
“It worked out,” said Walters. I knew the weather was going to affect us out here and I played it smart and didn’t run around like I could have. Typically, you do things on your home pond and I was not going to let that happen this week.”
Walters mixed up his approach on day one to get off to a good start but key adjustments on days two and three put him in a position to redeem himself after a tough Elite Series event earlier this spring.
“I fished mainly offshore and caught mostly post-spawn bass. Some came off brim beds but the last two days were all about the brush,” added Walters. “When the little things go right, that makes all the difference. I fished clean this week and landed some fish that had one treble hook; that is the difference in winning these bigger events.”
With a short turnaround before his next professional event, being successful on a lake he knows so much about will help his confidence going into the second half of the NPFL season.
“It feels pretty darn good; I am not going to lie,” he concluded. “Coming off the lowest of lows and a really bad event, having that good finish gets me back into it. I made the right calls, lost no fish and that was the difference.”
Walters takes home $100,000 and the National Professional Fishing League shield for his efforts this week on Santee Cooper.
Todd Goade
Making a run for his first NPFL victory, Todd Goadefinished the event on Santee Cooper Lakes in the second-place spot with a three-day total of 62 pounds, 2 ounces. Goade caught 18 pounds, 14 ounces on day one, 22 pounds on day two, and a final day weight of 21 pounds, 4 ounces for his highest finish with the NPFL.
Goade had located several productive areas in practice and continued to dial in his approach each day. With lots of excellent-looking cypress trees all over, he learned that the best trees had 3 or more feet of water on them.
“I found so many really good-looking trees but they were in 2 feet. I never got bit on any of those, and they were all on the 3-foot trees,” said Goade. “I also learned that the big fish were on the right side of the trees, and every fish I caught was sitting on that side and my line would swim out away from it.”
Goade did his work this week without forward-facing sonar and mainly relied on 2D sonar and mapping to keep in the right areas and depth and avoid extra sonar pinging to spook fish.
“I love forward-facing sonar, but I didn’t need it here and anything you can do to avoid spooking the bass is helpful,” he said. “Rather than potentially spook any fish, I just left it off all week.”
Goade is having a great season with the NPFL logging 10th place, 5th place, and now a 2nd place finish. Except for Reams, he is one to watch for as the Progressive Angler of the Year and championship becomes more in the picture.
“I am having a great year,” he added. “Looking bigger picture, the AOY and the championship, you want to keep the momentum going and keep making good decisions. Fishing is all highs and lows, and when you’re riding high, you have to ride the wave, or ‘keep rolling the hot dice’ as I like to say.”
Will Harkins
Starting the day in second place, Will Harkins caught 11 pounds, 14 ounces on day three to finish the event with a total weight of 55 pounds, 1 ounce. Harkins caught 20 pounds, 4 ounces on day one and 22 pounds, 15 ounces on day two, and with one bass shy of a limit on the final day, his brush pile pattern was enough to remain in the top five in the third-place spot.
“All my offshore timber and brush fizzled on me today but I was able to run some midrange brush piles and catch them today,” said Harkins. “I was also fishing some eel grass clumps and caught a few. 95% of this event I was staring at my Garmin Livescope; it was really fun.”
This week was the first time he had fished Santee Cooper and his highest NPFL finish is a great outcome.
“I was questioning this one coming in as I had never seen this lake, but I will take it,” he added. “I kind of wish today went better for me but I am happy with my finish and look forward to getting up North to Saginaw Bay.”
Timmy Reams
With a three-day total weight of 53 pounds, 14 ounces, Timmy Reams, the Progressive Angler of the Yearleader, did what he has done all season and found a way to stay consistent for three days. He added 16 pounds on the final day to his day one weight of 16 pounds, 6 ounces, and day two weight of 21 pounds, 8 ounces, and finishes the event in fourth place.
Coming into day one after a tough practice, Reams was not sure what to expect. After day one and seeing other guys in the top ten fishing around him, he knew the quality bass were in his area and settled down.
“On day two, I knew there were good ones and I focused on getting five bites and upgraded as much as I could,” said Reams. “Today, I told myself to go out and catch five fishing the grass and then try to catch a few key fish to upgrade.”
One of eight anglers who weighed in a five fish limit each day, Reams did what he had to do to stay atop the points race and collected yet another top ten check. This week, his focus was on grass with a spinnerbait and chatterbait and then moving to the trees to upgrade.
“I was flipping and pitching a wacky rig on the timber but it got tough with the wind,” he added. “I had to find new trees each day and it all worked out for me this week.”
On the AOY race, Reams is going to take one event at a time and take advantage when the opportunity knocks.
“You try not to think about the points, but you definitely have to plan around it. You have to pick your battles and catch fish to stay in the hunt, but also, I am fishing to win each event,” he concluded.
Kevin Martin
After catching just 13-pounds, 9 ounces on day one, Kevin Martin added 20 pounds, 13 ounces on day two and 18-pounds, 11 ounces on day three to finish in the fifth-place spot with a three-day total weight of 53-pounds, 1 ounce.
Rest of the best:
Darrel Robertson 51-0
Jesse Wise 50-15
Matt Massey 47-10
John Cox (FL) 47-1
Brad Staley 46-8
ANNOUNCEMENT: SHOWDOWN SATURDAY POSTPONED
Due to wind forecast for Saturday on Santee Cooper Lakes in Clarendon Co, the NPFL will be postponing Championship day 3 to Sunday. Forecasts show winds gusting to 40 mph with steady 20 plus. Safety of the anglers is paramount and the NPFL’s main concern. Stay tuned for more.
WALTERS TAKES OVER ON SANTEE COOPER LAKES
South Carolina angler Patrick Walters takes over the lead at Santee Cooper heading to Showdown Saturday.
Story by Justin Brouillard | Photos by Tanner & Travis Lyons
With a two-day total of 46 pounds, 8 ounces, South Carolina angler Patrick Walters takes over the lead at Santee Cooper. His 22-pound, 8-ounce day one weight had him in second place after day one, but his biggest bag of the tournament of 24-pounds even gives him a 3-pound, 5-ounce advantage going into Showdown Saturday.
Walters managed a stingy Santee Cooper and increased his bites from seven to over 12 on day two. He is rotating through several spots and baits and fishing what feels right.
“I caught them on a bunch of stuff and had a little flurry where I caught two good fish,” said Walters. “Once the cold front hit me at like one, they shut down and stopped biting.”
As for the final day, more of the same from the South Carolina angler looking to redeem himself from a less-than-stellar Elite Series event earlier in the season.
“I am going to fish a few areas tomorrow,” added Walters. “I may run across the lake and just let things develop as I have been.”
Will Harkins
Adding 22 pounds, 15 ounces to his 20-pound, 4-ounce limit on day one, Will Harkins moves into the second-place spot on Santee Cooper with a two-day weight of 43 pounds, 3 ounces.
With a goal of 20 pounds when he left the dock this morning, Harkins was unsure if he would get enough bites to hit his target weight. With one fish in the box early, he stuck with his offshore brush game and rotated through several bites to catch quality bass.
“I have still not hardly touched my main area,” said Harkins. “The wind has been bad and today was mostly plan B for me. I caught them on a variety of baits trying to fire them up and this afternoon I did cull twice on the main lake.
His plan for the final day is simple. Start where he has been fishing to get a solid limit, and then move to his main area and try to catch as many as possible.
Todd Goade
Adding 22 pounds to his day one weight of 18 pounds, 14 ounces, Todd Goade moves into the third-place spot with a two-day total of 40 pounds, 14 ounces.
Goade is fishing a mix of areas with different cover and relying on timely decisions that have been paying off. Going into the final day, he hopes to keep taking advantage of timing and expand on his four main areas.
“This week has been all about good decisions and timing,” said Goade. “I found a new area on google earth that looked like it has the right stuff and culled a couple of times in there. And, with 20 minutes left before check-in, I went back to where I lost that big fish yesterday, made the same flip, and put a 5-pounder in the boat.”
He is looking forward to the final day and plans on sampling all four of his productive areas.
“When I am in contention but not leading, it lets me fish freely, and combined with how this week has gone, I cannot wait to go again tomorrow,” he added.
Timmy Reams
The Progressive Angler of the Year leader Timmy Reamsstarted the event with a 16-pound, 6-ounce bag on day one which had him outside the top ten looking in. Reams showed his consistency by making a comeback on day two with 21-pounds, 8-ounces and moved into the fourth-place spot.
After a tough practice, Reams survived a tougher day one and continue to explore new water each day. His “whatever looks good” pattern has moved him to the top of the leaderboard and taken the pressure off for Angler of the Year.
“From yesterday to today, I just got some bigger bites,” said Reams. “That is the difference in weight. The wind is not affecting me at all so that helps, but I just explored more around places from practice and fished anything that looked good.”
“With the AOY now out of mind, I am looking forward to getting out and just going fishing.”
Quentin Cappo
With only two fish for 5 pounds on day one, Quentin Cappo dropped the “dirty thirty” on day two on Santee Cooper. His two-day total of 35 pounds has him in the fifth-place spot going into the final day.
Rest of the best:
Kevin Martin 34-6
Nick Brown 33-10
Randy Sullivan 33-5
Sheldon Collings 31-12
Darrel Robertson 31-11
Leveraging early action, Walton wins B.A.S.S. Nation Regional on Douglas
Kevin Walton of Norfolk, Va., has won the 2023 TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Southeast Regional at Douglas Lake with a three-day total of 42 pounds, 7 ounces.
Photo by Logan Crumley/B.A.S.S.
May 26, 2023
JEFFERSON COUNTY, Tenn. — Talk about a memorable debut.
Kevin Walton of Norfolk, Va., made the most of his first time fishing Douglas Lake by catching a three-day total of 42 pounds, 7 ounces to win the TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Southeast Regional at Douglas Lake.
After a Day 1 limit of 14-14 put Walton an ounce off the lead set by Jordan Card of Knoxville, Tenn., Walton stepped on the Day 2 gas pedal and caught 15-0 — the event’s biggest bag — to enter Championship Friday 1-13 ahead of Card.
His final limit of 12-9 pushed him across the finish line by the same margin over second-place Zeke Gossett of Pell City, Ala. Walton took home a top prize of $5,000.
The top boater and the top nonboater from each of the 10 participating state teams earned a spot in the TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Championship Oct. 18-20 at Lake Hartwell.
“It was better than I expected it to be because I had a horrible practice,” said Walton, who had fished only as a nonboater before this season. “This was definitely my biggest win.
“They bit pretty well today. Not the size I’ve been catching all week, but (my nonboater and I) caught a ton of fish.”
Walton did all of his work on a 150-yard upstream stretch of the French Broad River, which flows through Douglas. Positioning proved critical to extending his window of opportunity.
“The shade was key,” Walton said. “Other people were fishing the right side of the river, and the left side where I was fishing stayed shaded longer. So, the shad spawn lasted two to three hours, when the main-lake shad spawn only lasted 30 minutes (after takeoff).”
Targeting bushes in 8 to 10 feet of water, Walton mirrored his previous steps, but found the final morning offered a much more vibrant scenario. While Day 1 presented an active shad spawn, the second morning saw the baitfish gone.
Remaining in the area throughout the second day, Walton found his current-tuned river fish less keen on moving, even without baitfish present. Day 3 was game on.
“Today there was bait everywhere,” Walton said. “There were bombs going off in the bushes.”
Walton started Day 1 with a black Spro Bronzeye popping frog on 65-pound PowerPro braid. When that bait succumbed to the violent attacks, he switched to a black Booyah Pad Crasher. Each day, Walton added one of his weight fish on a Lobina Rico popper in a shad pattern.
“They didn’t want the frog moving slowly,” Walton said. “I couldn’t twitch the frog fast enough. They were coming out of the bushes and gulping it.”
Walton said he caught eight of the 15 fish he weighed out of one tree.
“I don’t know if the fish were coming out of the bay and coming to that tree, but that tree produced a bunch of fish,” Walton said. “My co-anglers caught fish on that tree and I caught the majority of mine on that tree.”
Attributing his success to trusting his spot and sticking with it through changing scenarios, Walton said his final day seemed like it was one of those meant-to-be days. With a nearly flawless performance, he left nothing significant on the water.
“I lost one fish on (Friday) that might have given me a 1/4-pound upgrade. But for the whole tournament, I never lost another fish that would have helped me.
“Usually, in those bushes you lose quite a few, but they were eating it so good they were staying pinned.”
Gossett turned in daily limits of 13-12, 12-13 and 14-1 for a tournament total of 40-10.
“I looked for a shad spawn early, but I didn’t catch anything there, so I started swimming a 3/8-ounce white Strike King Hack Attack Swim Jig with a white Strike King Rage Menace in the bushes and caught 8 to 9 pounds,” Gossett said. “After that, I spent the rest of the day out deep.”
Gossett caught most of his bass on a Strike King 6XD crankbait. He also caught keepers on a Strike King 10XD and boated his biggest Day 3 fish — approximately 4 pounds — on a 3/4-ounce Strike King football jig with a Rage Menace.
“I was reeling the swim jig pretty fast near the surface and I had to reel the crankbaits pretty fast to get them to react,” Gossett said. “The biggest thing offshore was finding the right angle. They changed all three days.”
With daily weights of 14-15, 13-2 and 11-2, Card finished third at 39-3. Despite coming up short, he said he was happy to achieve a season-long objective.
“The goal coming here was just to make that National Championship,” said Card, whose younger brother, Brandon, fishes the Bassmaster Elite Series. “To win would have been nice, but it didn’t work out.”
Card spent all day offshore and rotated through several spots. He caught his bass on Strike King 6XD and 10XD crankbaits, along with a small swimbait on a 3/8-ounce ball head.
All week, Card had been looking for fish that were closer to the bottom. Day 3 found most of his fish suspended — a more challenging scenario.
“When they’re feeding, they’re close to the bottom and they’re waiting for the bait to come by,” Card said. “When they’re suspended, they’re less aggressive.
“I did catch one suspended fish today on the swimbait, but when they’re up off the bottom, they’re a whole lot harder to catch.”
Chuck Howard of Elloree, S.C., won the $500 Big Bass award with a 5-6 he caught on Day 1.
Gossett won the $500 Garmin Tournament Rewards bonus.
Matt Summers of Gassaway, W.Va., won the nonboater division with 21-11. Catching daily limits of 6-1, 6-14 and 8-12, Summers took home the $2,500 top prize and earned a spot in the championship.
2023 TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Southeast Regional at Douglas Lake 5/24-5/26
Douglas Lake, Jefferson County TN.
(BOATER) Standings Day 3
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Kevin Walton Norfolk, VA (VA) 15 42-07 0
2. Zeke Gossett Pell City, AL (AL) 15 40-10 0
3. Jordan Card Knoxville, TN (TN) 15 39-03 0
4. Jacob Lee Lynchburg, VA (VA) 15 36-01 0
5. Brad Johnson Salem, AL (AL) 15 35-12 0
6. Dustin Hollen Buckhannon, WV (WV) 15 35-10 0
7. Chris Moody Brooks, GA (GA) 15 35-02 0
8. Gary Pope Georgetown, SC (SC) 15 35-00 0
9. Josh Oliver Ohatchee, AL (AL) 15 34-09 0
10. Mark Pierce Cadiz, KY (TN) 15 34-09 0
11. Richard Young Jr Melbourne, KY (KY) 15 33-13 0
12. Hootie Smith Cecilia, KY (KY) 15 32-09 0
13. Marc Leech Kings Mountian , NC (NC 15 32-02 0
14. Adam Richardson Littleton, NC (VA) 15 31-12 0
15. Brad Weese Petersburg, WV (VA) 15 31-10 0
16. Chuck Howard Elloree, SC (SC) 15 31-06 0
17. Dave Frost Mount Dora, FL (FL) 14 30-11 0
18. Chris Beaudrie Princeton, KY (KY) 15 30-10 0
19. Chad Dorland Dunnellon, FL (FL) 15 30-08 0
20. Chad Warnol Moss Point, MS (MS) 15 30-08 0
21. Jason Cheek Eatonton, GA (GA) 15 29-12 0
22. Jon Williams Clayton, NC (NC) 15 29-06 0
23. Mikey Batten Jr Grantsville, WV (WV) 15 29-04 0
24. Ryan West Hartsville, SC (SC) 15 28-11 0
25. Sam Jenkins Abita Springs, LA (MS) 15 27-03 0
26. Lee Byrd Jr. Pell City, AL (AL) 11 23-14 0
27. Brian Carroll Manitou, KY (KY) 10 21-06 0
28. Pat Westbrook West Union, SC (SC) 10 21-04 0
29. Corey Smith Clermont, FL (FL) 10 20-12 0
30. Travis Lugar North Chesterfield, VA 10 20-11 0
31. Chris Jones Conway, SC (SC) 10 20-10 0
32. Nick Coleman Kuttawa, KY (KY) 10 20-10 0
33. Jad Willis Jr Fountain Inn, SC (SC) 10 20-10 0
34. Keith Broyles Jackson, TN (TN) 10 20-04 0
35. James Graves III Syria, VA (VA) 10 20-04 0
36. Craig Owens Chesapeake, VA (VA) 10 20-02 0
37. Michael Belter Reidsville, NC (NC) 10 20-01 0
38. Peter Bayerle Lexington, KY (KY) 10 20-01 0
39. Jerry Shawver II Jacksonville, FL (FL) 10 19-05 0
40. Lane Bailey Granite Falls, NC (NC) 10 19-04 0
41. Michael Catt Jacksonville, FL (FL) 10 19-03 0
42. Dalton Eury Oakboro, NC (NC) 9 19-02 0
43. Eric Cerny Cumming, GA (GA) 10 18-15 0
44. David Ottman Terry, MS (MS) 10 18-14 0
45. Greg Phillips Alamo, TN (TN) 10 18-11 0
46. Gregg Fogner Conway, SC (SC) 10 18-08 0
47. Mark Jones Meadville, MS (MS) 10 18-08 0
48. Ted Milby Greensburg, KY (KY) 10 18-07 0
49. Jack White Vance, AL (AL) 10 18-07 0
50. Skipper Smith Jr Pearl, MS (MS) 10 18-06 0
51. Brian Baker Olmstead, KY (TN) 10 17-15 0
52. John Mayo Maiden, NC (NC) 10 17-15 0
53. David Morton Sugar Hill, GA (GA) 10 17-10 0
54. Ed Powell Sandyville, WV (WV) 10 17-10 0
55. Eric Silverstrim Indian Mound, TN (TN) 10 17-07 0
56. Myles Palmer Alexander City, AL (AL) 10 17-06 0
57. John Wiese Charlotte, NC (NC) 10 17-05 0
58. Brandon Pritchett Goode, AL (VA) 10 17-05 0
59. John Holtman Jr Rydal, GA (GA) 10 17-04 0
60. Reid McDowell Galivants Ferry, SC (SC 10 17-02 0
61. Nathan Dellinger Hickory, NC (NC) 10 17-00 0
62. David Presley Kingston , TN (TN) 10 17-00 0
63. Eric Holder Cumming, GA (GA) 10 17-00 0
64. Richard Meuth Henderson, KY (KY) 10 16-15 0
65. Mark Bell Fisherville, KY (KY) 9 16-13 0
66. Adam Haithcock Butner , NC (NC) 10 16-13 0
67. Daniel Jackson Townville, SC (SC) 10 16-10 0
68. Brandon Wolf Cincinnati, OH (KY) 10 16-09 0
69. Christopher Brummitt Palmetto, GA (GA) 10 16-08 0
70. Keith Glasgow Guin, AL (AL) 8 16-07 0
71. Lyle Atkins Culloden, WV (WV) 10 16-04 0
72. Andrew Vitu Alexander City, AL (AL) 10 16-01 0
73. Waine Pittman Villa Rica, GA (GA) 10 16-00 0
74. Mark Blevins Palatka, FL (FL) 10 15-14 0
75. Wil Dieffenbauch III Hundred, WV (WV) 9 15-08 0
76. Jeff Kitchens Auburn, AL (AL) 8 15-03 0
77. Johnathan Harris Moody, AL (AL) 10 15-03 0
78. David Kucish Fairmont, WV (WV) 8 15-00 0
79. Kenneth Ellis Bowman, SC (SC) 10 14-15 0
80. Caleb McCaffery Mccomb, MS (MS) 10 14-13 0
81. Sidney Ryan Bracey, VA (VA) 10 14-06 0
82. Dave Carson Burnsville, WV (WV) 10 14-04 0
83. Joel Noble Laurel, MS (MS) 9 14-03 0
84. Nick Godwin Benson, NC (NC) 9 14-03 0
85. Mel Biggs Jr Kingston, TN (TN) 9 13-11 0
86. Blaine Partee Oviedo, FL (FL) 8 13-09 0
87. Jeffery Lawson Ellisville, MS (MS) 10 13-08 0
88. Justin Durham Madison, GA (GA) 8 12-15 0
89. Abe Collins Parkersburg, WV (WV) 10 12-15 0
90. Zeke Abegg Clarksville, TN (TN) 10 12-14 0
91. Jimbo Collins Holden, WV (WV) 9 12-12 0
92. Bill Rosch Michie, TN (TN) 10 12-11 0
93. Mike Jackson San Mateo, FL (FL) 8 12-10 0
94. Richard Hodges IV Camden, NC (VA) 7 11-10 0
95. Gary Little Soso, MS (MS) 8 11-06 0
96. Brad McCarthy Columbus, GA (GA) 6 10-04 0
97. Eric Stong Apopka, FL (FL) 5 09-01 0
98. Robert Stumpe Palatka, FL (FL) 5 08-05 0
99. Christopher Childress Charleston, WV (WV) 4 06-00 0
100. Adam Brewer Ellisville, MS (MS) 4 04-02 0
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 93 482 939-07
2 83 468 871-10
3 24 125 246-10
----------------------------------
200 1075 2057-11
TEAM STANDINGS Day 3
----------------------------------
State Lbs-Oz
1 VIRGINIA 358-12
2 ALABAMA 338-14
3 SOUTH CAROLINA 336-13
4 NORTH CAROLINA 332-00
5 KENTUCKY 319-05
6 TENNESSEE 315-14
7 WEST VIRGINIA 309-11
8 GEORGIA 284-05
9 FLORIDA 271-02
10 MISSISSIPPI 257-13
INDIVIDUAL STANDINGS Day 3
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
VIRGINIA
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Kevin Walton Norfolk, VA 15 42-07 0
2 Jacob Lee Lynchburg, VA 15 36-01 0
3 Adam Richardson Littleton, NC 15 31-12 0
4 Brad Weese Petersburg, WV 15 31-10 0
5 Travis Lugar North Chesterfield, VA 10 20-11 0
6 James Graves III Syria, VA 10 20-04 0
7 Craig Owens Chesapeake, VA 10 20-02 0
8 Brandon Pritchett Goode, AL 10 17-05 0
9 Sidney Ryan Bracey, VA 10 14-06 0
10 Richard Hodges IV Camden, NC 7 11-10 0
WEST VIRGINIA
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Dustin Hollen Buckhannon, WV 15 35-10 0
2 Mikey Batten Jr Grantsville, WV 15 29-04 0
3 Ed Powell Sandyville, WV 10 17-10 0
4 Lyle Atkins Culloden, WV 10 16-04 0
5 Wil Dieffenbauch III Hundred, WV 9 15-08 0
6 David Kucish Fairmont, WV 8 15-00 0
7 Dave Carson Burnsville, WV 10 14-04 0
8 Abe Collins Parkersburg, WV 10 12-15 0
9 Jimbo Collins Holden, WV 9 12-12 0
10 Christopher Childress Charleston, WV 4 06-00 0
MISSISSIPPI
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Chad Warnol Moss Point, MS 15 30-08 0
2 Sam Jenkins Abita Springs, LA 15 27-03 0
3 David Ottman Terry, MS 10 18-14 0
4 Mark Jones Meadville, MS 10 18-08 0
5 Skipper Smith Jr Pearl, MS 10 18-06 0
6 Caleb McCaffery Mccomb, MS 10 14-13 0
7 Joel Noble Laurel, MS 9 14-03 0
8 Jeffery Lawson Ellisville, MS 10 13-08 0
9 Gary Little Soso, MS 8 11-06 0
10 Adam Brewer Ellisville, MS 4 04-02 0
GEORGIA
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Chris Moody Brooks, GA 15 35-02 0
2 Jason Cheek Eatonton, GA 15 29-12 0
3 Eric Cerny Cumming, GA 10 18-15 0
4 David Morton Sugar Hill, GA 10 17-10 0
5 John Holtman Jr Rydal, GA 10 17-04 0
6 Eric Holder Cumming, GA 10 17-00 0
7 Christopher Brummitt Palmetto, GA 10 16-08 0
8 Waine Pittman Villa Rica, GA 10 16-00 0
9 Justin Durham Madison, GA 8 12-15 0
10 Brad McCarthy Columbus, GA 6 10-04 0
SOUTH CAROLINA
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Gary Pope Georgetown, SC 15 35-00 0
2 Chuck Howard Elloree, SC 15 31-06 0
3 Ryan West Hartsville, SC 15 28-11 0
4 Pat Westbrook West Union, SC 10 21-04 0
5 Chris Jones Conway, SC 10 20-10 0
6 Jad Willis Jr Fountain Inn, SC 10 20-10 0
7 Gregg Fogner Conway, SC 10 18-08 0
8 Reid McDowell Galivants Ferry, SC 10 17-02 0
9 Daniel Jackson Townville, SC 10 16-10 0
10 Kenneth Ellis Bowman, SC 10 14-15 0
FLORIDA
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Dave Frost Mount Dora, FL 14 30-11 0
2 Chad Dorland Dunnellon, FL 15 30-08 0
3 Corey Smith Clermont, FL 10 20-12 0
4 Jerry Shawver II Jacksonville, FL 10 19-05 0
5 Michael Catt Jacksonville, FL 10 19-03 0
6 Mark Blevins Palatka, FL 10 15-14 0
7 Blaine Partee Oviedo, FL 8 13-09 0
8 Mike Jackson San Mateo, FL 8 12-10 0
9 Eric Stong Apopka, FL 5 09-01 0
10 Robert Stumpe Palatka, FL 5 08-05 0
ALABAMA
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Zeke Gossett Pell City, AL 15 40-10 0
2 Brad Johnson Salem, AL 15 35-12 0
3 Josh Oliver Ohatchee, AL 15 34-09 0
4 Lee Byrd Jr. Pell City, AL 11 23-14 0
5 Jack White Vance, AL 10 18-07 0
6 Myles Palmer Alexander City, AL 10 17-06 0
7 Keith Glasgow Guin, AL 8 16-07 0
8 Andrew Vitu Alexander City, AL 10 16-01 0
9 Jeff Kitchens Auburn, AL 8 15-03 0
10 Johnathan Harris Moody, AL 10 15-03 0
NORTH CAROLINA
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Marc Leech Kings Mountian , NC 15 32-02 0
2 Jon Williams Clayton, NC 15 29-06 0
3 Michael Belter Reidsville, NC 10 20-01 0
4 Lane Bailey Granite Falls, NC 10 19-04 0
5 Dalton Eury Oakboro, NC 9 19-02 0
6 John Mayo Maiden, NC 10 17-15 0
7 John Wiese Charlotte, NC 10 17-05 0
8 Nathan Dellinger Hickory, NC 10 17-00 0
9 Adam Haithcock Butner , NC 10 16-13 0
10 Nick Godwin Benson, NC 9 14-03 0
KENTUCKY
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Richard Young Jr Melbourne, KY 15 33-13 0
2 Hootie Smith Cecilia, KY 15 32-09 0
3 Chris Beaudrie Princeton, KY 15 30-10 0
4 Brian Carroll Manitou, KY 10 21-06 0
5 Nick Coleman Kuttawa, KY 10 20-10 0
6 Peter Bayerle Lexington, KY 10 20-01 0
7 Ted Milby Greensburg, KY 10 18-07 0
8 Richard Meuth Henderson, KY 10 16-15 0
9 Mark Bell Fisherville, KY 9 16-13 0
10 Brandon Wolf Cincinnati, OH 10 16-09 0
TENNESSEE
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Jordan Card Knoxville, TN 15 39-03 0
2 Mark Pierce Cadiz, KY 15 34-09 0
3 Keith Broyles Jackson, TN 10 20-04 0
4 Greg Phillips Alamo, TN 10 18-11 0
5 Brian Baker Olmstead, KY 10 17-15 0
6 Eric Silverstrim Indian Mound, TN 10 17-07 0
7 David Presley Kingston , TN 10 17-00 0
8 Mel Biggs Jr Kingston, TN 9 13-11 0
9 Zeke Abegg Clarksville, TN 10 12-14 0
10 Bill Rosch Michie, TN 10 12-11 0
2023 TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Southeast Regional at Douglas Lake 5/24-5/26
Douglas Lake, Jefferson County TN.
(NON_BOATER) Standings Day 3
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Matt Summers Gassaway, WV (WV) 9 21-11 0
2. Larry Witt Evington, VA (VA) 9 20-04 0
3. Tristen Boyd Monteagle, TN (TN) 9 20-04 0
4. Grant Harris Maiden, NC (NC) 9 19-06 0
5. Will Sigmon Elkview, WV (WV) 9 19-03 0
6. Zach Leech Bessemer City, NC (NC) 9 19-03 0
7. Josh Ankrom Williamstown, WV (WV) 9 19-03 0
8. Tristan Garriga Lucedale, MS (MS) 9 18-11 0
9. Dale Robertson Ponchatoula, LA (MS) 9 18-11 0
10. Edward Owens Hemingway, SC (SC) 9 18-11 0
11. Brian Hill Red House, WV (WV) 9 18-09 0
12. Richard White Alexander City, AL (AL) 9 18-05 0
13. JJ Morse Mooresville, NC (NC) 9 18-01 0
14. Bryden Mugleston Mount Juliet, TN (TN) 9 17-14 0
15. Hunter Silverstrim Indian Mound, TN (TN) 9 17-07 0
16. Claude Loftin Jacksonville, FL (FL) 9 17-07 0
17. James Crook Jr Jefferson, SC (SC) 9 16-13 0
18. Matt Luken Independence, KY (KY) 9 16-10 0
19. Brad Gandee Mcdonough, GA (GA) 9 16-05 0
20. Joshua Hall Palmyra, VA (VA) 9 16-05 0
21. Jeff Gauspohl Dayton, KY (KY) 9 16-03 0
22. Chase Martin Conover, NC (NC) 9 15-11 0
23. Geanpaolo Amendola Barbieri Fayetteville, GA (GA) 9 15-09 0
24. Michael Davis Lake Wales, FL (FL) 8 14-08 0
25. Jarrett Hughes Conway, SC (SC) 7 14-00 0
26. Curtis Gossett Pell City, AL (AL) 7 13-05 0
27. Dean Jones Eustis, FL (FL) 6 11-12 0
28. Mark Ochkie California, PA (WV) 6 11-11 0
29. Charles Anderson Grimesland, NC (NC) 6 11-07 0
30. Christopher Curvin Piedmont, AL (AL) 6 11-04 0
31. Dylan Cornelius Guin, AL (AL) 6 11-01 0
32. Randy Gibson Jr Moncks Corner, SC (SC) 6 10-12 0
33. Randy Huffman Charleston, WV (WV) 6 10-10 0
34. Kim Giddens Eclectic, AL (AL) 6 10-10 0
35. Danny Hayes Wilson, NC (NC) 6 10-09 0
36. Derek Lilley Charlotte, NC (NC) 6 10-08 0
37. Brian Guckert Chesapeake, VA (VA) 6 10-08 0
38. John Roth III Kuttawa, KY (KY) 6 10-08 0
39. James Gregg III Powhatan, VA (VA) 6 10-07 0
40. Brian Howard Andrews, SC (SC) 6 10-05 0
41. Ed Rios Clarksville, TN (TN) 6 10-04 0
42. Ethan Monk Mountain Rest, SC (SC) 6 10-03 0
42. Benjamin Sarno Canton, GA (GA) 6 10-03 0
44. Robin Rogers III Pinopolis, SC (SC) 6 10-02 0
45. Mike Burchett Pulaski, VA (VA) 5 10-01 0
46. Rich Jordan Cecilia, KY (KY) 6 10-01 0
47. Parker Brogan Moneta, VA (VA) 6 10-01 0
48. Travis Culbreth Alexander City, AL (AL) 4 09-14 0
49. Bobby Johnson Hemingway, SC (SC) 6 09-13 0
50. Ray Trudeau Saint Cloud, FL (FL) 6 09-13 0
51. Jeff Poplin Franklin, VA (VA) 6 09-09 0
52. Chris Shrader Niceville, WY (FL) 6 09-07 0
53. Jermane Robinson Louisville, KY (KY) 6 09-06 0
54. Wyatt Powell Parkersburg, WV (WV) 6 09-06 0
55. Justin Stamm Sherrills Ford, NC (NC) 5 09-05 0
56. Lucas Thornton Hoover, AL (AL) 5 09-03 0
57. Zack Lemaster Hardy, VA (VA) 6 09-03 0
58. Heath Willard Brookhaven, MS (MS) 6 09-02 0
59. Rod Gentry White House, TN (TN) 5 09-01 0
60. Tom Borish Clarksville, TN (TN) 5 09-01 0
61. Mike Goff Clendenin, WV (WV) 5 08-15 0
62. Josh Milam Elkview, WV (WV) 6 08-15 0
63. Cole Huff Youngstown, FL (FL) 6 08-13 0
64. Josh Hosford Dudley, GA (GA) 6 08-11 0
65. Johndale Robertson Ponchatoula, LA (MS) 5 08-08 0
66. Larry Carter Lucedale, MS (MS) 4 08-05 0
67. Roland Burton North Prince George, VA 6 08-05 0
68. David Oney Harrogate, TN (TN) 5 08-05 0
69. Jason Brown Salem, KY (KY) 4 08-04 0
70. Jeff Williamon Newnan, GA (GA) 5 08-03 0
71. Cole Wiliams Jackson’S Gap , AL (AL) 6 08-03 0
72. Ryan Stewart Brookhaven, GA (GA) 6 08-02 0
73. Chris Lanier Clarksville, TN (TN) 6 08-01 0
74. Beau Terrell Jr Auburn, AL (AL) 4 07-13 0
75. Sam Terry Nathalie, VA (VA) 5 07-13 0
76. Craig Monnin Cumming, GA (GA) 5 07-13 0
77. Keith Thompson Mooresville, NC (NC) 4 07-10 0
78. Evan Newell Lakeland, FL (FL) 3 07-07 0
79. Todd Mallicoat Tazewell, TN (TN) 6 07-07 0
80. Emile Gennaro Sr Wesson, MS (MS) 6 07-06 0
81. Shane Godwin Clayton, NC (NC) 4 07-01 0
82. Jayson Hooven Hudson, FL (FL) 5 07-00 0
83. Ethan Wheeler Water Valley, KY (KY) 4 06-05 0
84. Gary Ross II Rosemont, WV (WV) 6 06-05 0
85. Kourtney Funk Jamestown, KY (KY) 4 06-04 0
86. Rodger Mcpherson Jr Douglasville, GA (GA) 4 06-03 0
87. David Wheat Philadelphia, MS (MS) 5 06-03 0
88. Lee Foster Inman, SC (SC) 4 06-02 0
89. James Kilby Jr. Tifton, GA (GA) 4 06-02 0
90. Joseph Batton Moody, AL (AL) 4 05-12 0
91. Ryan Bearden Canton, GA (GA) 3 05-12 0
92. Jacob Crapyou Portsmouth, OH (KY) 4 05-07 0
93. Jeremy Willis Fountain Inn, SC (SC) 3 05-04 0
94. Jeremy Barbour Lucedale, MS (MS) 3 04-09 0
95. Cypress Robertson Ponchatoula, LA (MS) 3 04-01 0
96. Tommy Thompson Counce, TN (TN) 4 03-13 0
97. Scott LaFave Okeechobee, FL (FL) 2 03-03 0
98. Nolan Bunnell Louisville, KY (KY) 2 02-08 0
99. Teance Blackburn Vernon, FL (FL) 2 01-14 0
100. Rick Lewis Madison, MS (MS) 1 00-14 0
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 86 276 483-11
2 0 251 449-09
3 23 73 133-10
----------------------------------
109 600 1066-14
TEAM STANDINGS Day 3
----------------------------------
State Lbs-Oz
1 VIRGINIA 358-12
2 ALABAMA 338-14
3 SOUTH CAROLINA 336-13
4 NORTH CAROLINA 332-00
5 KENTUCKY 319-05
6 TENNESSEE 315-14
7 WEST VIRGINIA 309-11
8 GEORGIA 284-05
9 FLORIDA 271-02
10 MISSISSIPPI 257-13
INDIVIDUAL STANDINGS Day 3
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
VIRGINIA
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Larry Witt Evington, VA 9 20-04 0
2 Joshua Hall Palmyra, VA 9 16-05 0
3 Brian Guckert Chesapeake, VA 6 10-08 0
4 James Gregg III Powhatan, VA 6 10-07 0
5 Mike Burchett Pulaski, VA 5 10-01 0
6 Parker Brogan Moneta, VA 6 10-01 0
7 Jeff Poplin Franklin, VA 6 09-09 0
8 Zack Lemaster Hardy, VA 6 09-03 0
9 Roland Burton North Prince George, VA 6 08-05 0
10 Sam Terry Nathalie, VA 5 07-13 0
WEST VIRGINIA
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Matt Summers Gassaway, WV 9 21-11 0
2 Will Sigmon Elkview, WV 9 19-03 0
3 Josh Ankrom Williamstown, WV 9 19-03 0
4 Brian Hill Red House, WV 9 18-09 0
5 Mark Ochkie California, PA 6 11-11 0
6 Randy Huffman Charleston, WV 6 10-10 0
7 Wyatt Powell Parkersburg, WV 6 09-06 0
8 Mike Goff Clendenin, WV 5 08-15 0
9 Josh Milam Elkview, WV 6 08-15 0
10 Gary Ross II Rosemont, WV 6 06-05 0
MISSISSIPPI
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Tristan Garriga Lucedale, MS 9 18-11 0
1 Dale Robertson Ponchatoula, LA 9 18-11 0
3 Heath Willard Brookhaven, MS 6 09-02 0
4 Johndale Robertson Ponchatoula, LA 5 08-08 0
5 Larry Carter Lucedale, MS 4 08-05 0
6 Emile Gennaro Sr Wesson, MS 6 07-06 0
7 David Wheat Philadelphia, MS 5 06-03 0
8 Jeremy Barbour Lucedale, MS 3 04-09 0
9 Cypress Robertson Ponchatoula, LA 3 04-01 0
10 Rick Lewis Madison, MS 1 00-14 0
GEORGIA
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Brad Gandee Mcdonough, GA 9 16-05 0
2 Geanpaolo Amendola Barbieri Fayetteville, GA 9 15-09 0
3 Benjamin Sarno Canton, GA 6 10-03 0
4 Josh Hosford Dudley, GA 6 08-11 0
5 Jeff Williamon Newnan, GA 5 08-03 0
6 Ryan Stewart Brookhaven, GA 6 08-02 0
7 Craig Monnin Cumming, GA 5 07-13 0
8 Rodger Mcpherson Jr Douglasville, GA 4 06-03 0
9 James Kilby Jr. Tifton, GA 4 06-02 0
10 Ryan Bearden Canton, GA 3 05-12 0
SOUTH CAROLINA
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Edward Owens Hemingway, SC 9 18-11 0
2 James Crook Jr Jefferson, SC 9 16-13 0
3 Jarrett Hughes Conway, SC 7 14-00 0
4 Randy Gibson Jr Moncks Corner, SC 6 10-12 0
5 Brian Howard Andrews, SC 6 10-05 0
6 Ethan Monk Mountain Rest, SC 6 10-03 0
7 Robin Rogers III Pinopolis, SC 6 10-02 0
8 Bobby Johnson Hemingway, SC 6 09-13 0
9 Lee Foster Inman, SC 4 06-02 0
10 Jeremy Willis Fountain Inn, SC 3 05-04 0
FLORIDA
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Claude Loftin Jacksonville, FL 9 17-07 0
2 Michael Davis Lake Wales, FL 8 14-08 0
3 Dean Jones Eustis, FL 6 11-12 0
4 Ray Trudeau Saint Cloud, FL 6 09-13 0
5 Chris Shrader Niceville, WY 6 09-07 0
6 Cole Huff Youngstown, FL 6 08-13 0
7 Evan Newell Lakeland, FL 3 07-07 0
8 Jayson Hooven Hudson, FL 5 07-00 0
9 Scott LaFave Okeechobee, FL 2 03-03 0
10 Teance Blackburn Vernon, FL 2 01-14 0
ALABAMA
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Richard White Alexander City, AL 9 18-05 0
2 Curtis Gossett Pell City, AL 7 13-05 0
3 Christopher Curvin Piedmont, AL 6 11-04 0
4 Dylan Cornelius Guin, AL 6 11-01 0
5 Kim Giddens Eclectic, AL 6 10-10 0
6 Travis Culbreth Alexander City, AL 4 09-14 0
7 Lucas Thornton Hoover, AL 5 09-03 0
8 Cole Wiliams Jackson’S Gap , AL 6 08-03 0
9 Beau Terrell Jr Auburn, AL 4 07-13 0
10 Joseph Batton Moody, AL 4 05-12 0
NORTH CAROLINA
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Grant Harris Maiden, NC 9 19-06 0
2 Zach Leech Bessemer City, NC 9 19-03 0
3 JJ Morse Mooresville, NC 9 18-01 0
4 Chase Martin Conover, NC 9 15-11 0
5 Charles Anderson Grimesland, NC 6 11-07 0
6 Danny Hayes Wilson, NC 6 10-09 0
7 Derek Lilley Charlotte, NC 6 10-08 0
8 Justin Stamm Sherrills Ford, NC 5 09-05 0
9 Keith Thompson Mooresville, NC 4 07-10 0
10 Shane Godwin Clayton, NC 4 07-01 0
KENTUCKY
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Matt Luken Independence, KY 9 16-10 0
2 Jeff Gauspohl Dayton, KY 9 16-03 0
3 John Roth III Kuttawa, KY 6 10-08 0
4 Rich Jordan Cecilia, KY 6 10-01 0
5 Jermane Robinson Louisville, KY 6 09-06 0
6 Jason Brown Salem, KY 4 08-04 0
7 Ethan Wheeler Water Valley, KY 4 06-05 0
8 Kourtney Funk Jamestown, KY 4 06-04 0
9 Jacob Crapyou Portsmouth, OH 4 05-07 0
10 Nolan Bunnell Louisville, KY 2 02-08 0
TENNESSEE
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Tristen Boyd Monteagle, TN 9 20-04 0
2 Bryden Mugleston Mount Juliet, TN 9 17-14 0
3 Hunter Silverstrim Indian Mound, TN 9 17-07 0
4 Ed Rios Clarksville, TN 6 10-04 0
5 Rod Gentry White House, TN 5 09-01 0
6 Tom Borish Clarksville, TN 5 09-01 0
7 David Oney Harrogate, TN 5 08-05 0
8 Chris Lanier Clarksville, TN 6 08-01 0
9 Todd Mallicoat Tazewell, TN 6 07-07 0
10 Tommy Thompson Counce, TN 4 03-13 0
“Forget the Sales. Remember the Fallen.” with SITKA this Memorial Day
The industry leader in hunting gear once again partners with Folds of Honor to raise funds and awareness.
BOZEMAN, MT (May 25, 2023) – This Memorial Day SITKA Gear will once again hit pause on its online and retail sales and will instead honor those who paid the ultimate sacrifice by partnering with Folds of Honor, a nonprofit organization which helps provide life-changing scholarships to the spouses and children of America's fallen and disabled military.
SITKA’s “Forget the Sales. Remember the Fallen.” initiative is an important reminder that Memorial Day was created to remember and honor the legacy of Armed Forces veterans who lost their lives defending our freedom. SITKA will promote awareness, respect and gratitude on Monday, May 29th, by shutting down the SITKA Gear e-commerce site and the SITKA Depot retail store for the day and instead redirecting visitors to Folds of Honor. Last year, SITKA’s efforts and generosity resulted in eight scholarships for the families of our nation’s heroes through this important nonprofit organization.
“Memorial Day wasn’t created for buying new gear or shopping sales,” said Steve DelRosso, Business Leader and General Manager of SITKA Gear. “Last year our efforts on this day supported 8 scholarships to the family members of fallen soldiers. The lives impacted by our efforts in 2022 inspired us to continue this initiative and hopefully inspire other businesses to stand with us. So this year we’re asking everyone to help us spread the word to forget the sales and remember the fallen on this special day.”
Added Col Nick Nichols, President Folds of Honor Foundation, “Folds of Honor is proud to partner with SITKA, and we are beyond grateful for their generosity and support. As a combat veteran, I am especially proud of how SITKA honors our fallen heroes on Memorial Day by directing all of their website traffic to Folds of Honor. In their words, ’TODAY IS ABOUT THE FALLEN NOT ABOUT SALES’. Together we will ensure these military families achieve their educational dreams. Beyond thankful!”
On Memorial Day, Monday, May 29th, SITKA is asking more people to join in raising awareness for the critical work done by Folds of Honor, supporting educational opportunities for the families of fallen and disabled military members. Sharing the collaboration with others and posting about the initiative on individual and company social media channels will directly impact children of Gold Star families pursuing educational disciples supporting wild things and wild places.
To donate, please visit the SITKA Gear websiteor donate directly at Folds of Honor.
Tucker Smith and Hayden Marbut From Auburn University Take Day 1 Lead at BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship
Anderson, SC (May 25, 2023) – Day 1 of tournament competition is complete at the 18th annual BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops. College fishing’s longest-running National Championship event saw nearly 400 of the top collegiate anglers in the nation take out on to Lake Hartwell from Green Pond Landing. Teams are in search of the best five bass limits they can bring to the scales, in pursuit of a National Championship title and the coveted Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia.
Tucker Smith and Hayden Marbut, of Auburn University, staked claim to the Day 1 lead with a five bass limit weighing 21.06 lbs. Carson-Newman University anglers, Drake Hemby and Ewing Minor are in second with 19.46 lbs. Anglers Kai Barnett and Tucker Siminak, from McKendree University, weighed in 17.09 lbs. to secure third place.
181 teams, comprised of the top elite college anglers, competed on Day 1 of the tournament. Following a week of stable conditions, anglers were greeted once again by a mix of clouds and sun, with manageable winds. Anglers were able to take advantage of a variety of patterns, targeting schooling bass up shallow on a herring bite, working their way down the bank with their confidence baits, as well as using electronics to locate quality largemouth and spotted bass out over deep and shallow structure. Lake Hartwell produced enough bass to send 170 teams out of 181 teams across the stage to weigh in their catches.
The 2023 BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops is the final event of the season in the race for Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia. 23 of the nation’s Top 25 teams are on-hand to compete in this triple points event. Following Day 1 of competition, numerous boats representing the top teams are near the top of the standings. With Auburn currently in second place for school of the year, a victory here could certainly tighten the race. Current SOY leaders, University of Montevallo also has three teams inside the current Top 20, after Day 1, so the final results may come down to Friday’s competition. Following the conclusion of Day 2 weigh-in tomorrow, the ACA will finalize the points standings for this season; awarding the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia, acknowledging the Top 3 on-site at Green Pond Landing, and announcing the Top 25 ranked teams.
The full field will take off from Green Pond Landing on Friday, with the first flight starting at 6:00 AM (ET). Live blog coverage will begin first thing tomorrow morning, and live weigh-in coverage will be on Outdoor Action beginning at 2:00 PM (ET).
SHELDON COLLINGS TAKES DAY ONE LEAD AT SANTEE COOPER
Story by Justin Brouillard | Photos by Tanner & Travis Lyons
After a tough practice period, Oklahoma angler Sheldon Collings takes the lead on Santee Cooper with a day-one weight of 23 pounds, 12 ounces. Focusing his efforts shallow for most of the practice, it was a short time fishing offshore that turned his event around.
“I fished shallow and had 6 bites over three days,” said Collings. “The one area that produced gave me four keepers this morning and then I just went fishing. I fished some cypress trees that looked good and caught the big one, and then fished a creek I had located some offshore stuff and caught two more big ones there.”
Unsure about tomorrow and forecasted high winds, Collings will plan on doing more of the same by getting an early limit and moving to more isolated structure as the day progresses.
“I’ll do what feels right,” he added. “I love fishing offshore and watching them eat. When I do get bit, they are the right size.”
Patrick Walters
With plenty of history on Santee and experience fishing under tough conditions, Patrick Walters did what he does best and hunkered down in an area and just fished. His 22-pound, 8-ounce effort on day one landed him in the second-place spot with two days remaining.
“It was typical Santee for me today,” said Walters. “I only got seven bites and moved all around to catch them. I caught fish shallow, caught fish chasing bait, caught some on structure, and fished both shallow and deep.”
Walters’ plan for day two is simple.
“I will just keep fishing around where I am comfortable and do what feels right,” he added.
Will Harkins
With 20 pounds, 4 ounces on the day, Will Harkins relied on “off the wall” areas to catch his fish. He rotated through 10 or 12 keepers to cull up to his final weight and ended the day in the third-place spot.
“I found some different type of stuff in practice and I also fished shallow with not much luck,” he said. “Today, I hunkered in an area where I got a couple of bites and it worked out for me.”
With wind expected tomorrow, Harkins will keep fishing with two rods on his deck and expand on his area. He noted his is fishing very specific and is not mixing up his approach too much.
Tim Cales
With a limit weighing 19-pounds, 15 ounces, Tim Calessits in the fourth-place spot after day one on Santee Cooper
Todd Goade
Todd Goade caught a five-bass limit on day one weighing 18 pounds, 14 ounces which has him in the fifth–place spot. He spent his Sunday practice period learning how to catch five bass. The other two days, after one or two bites in an area, he put the rods down and tried to dial in other productive spots close by,
“Once I got a few bites, I was done fishing,” said Goade. “This place is like Florida where if you get bitten, you need to hunker down, and that’s exactly what I did today.”
Goade protected his area by getting a quick limit for over 17 pounds and leaving lots of productive water alone. His goal was to catch five a day and then go practice as much as he could. His one mistake on the day was making a cast he knew would be dangerous.
“I flipped in there and knew I shouldn’t have,” he said. “The boat was in the wrong position and it was just a weird angle. As soon as it hit the bottom, she ate it and I did my best but with everything the way it was, it pulled off – it was over 6 pounds.”
Goade is dialed in his approach and has two rods on deck. The first is an ARK Reinforcer 7’ 1” MH with a Gravity 7 reel, and the other is an ARK Randy Tharp King Cobra series rod and Ark Gravity 5 reel. Both were paired with Zoom worms and a 15-pound Seaguar line.
Rest of the best:
Dan Blackert 17-14
Randy Sullivan 17-12
Nick Brown 17-9
Louis Fernandes – 17-8
John Cox (FL) 17-4
Bassmaster Elite Series pros eager to capitalize on Sabine River opportunities
Orange, Texas, will host the Folds of Honor Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River June 1-4. The last Elite event in 2021 drew a total 40,107 fans to the four-day event while generating more than $2.5 million in revenue for local businesses.
Photo by Dalton Tumblin/B.A.S.S.
May 25, 2023
ORANGE, Texas — Jason Christie is looking forward to another shot at Lone Star glory, but he’s expecting significantly more resistance during the upcoming Folds of Honor Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River.
Competition days will be June 1-4 with daily takeoffs from the City of Orange Boat Ramp at 6 a.m. CT and weigh-ins each day at the ramp at 3 p.m. Full coverage will be available on Bassmaster.com.
When the Bassmaster Elite Series last visited Sabine in 2021, Christie was fishing his first season back on tour after a two-year absence. While notching a win just four events into his return gifted him a special memory he’d like to repeat, he’s mentally preparing himself for a much more challenging scenario.
“I think one thing that’s gonna throw a lot of us for a loop this time is that we’re going way later than we’ve ever been,” Christie said. “For one thing, it should be miserably hot. It’s going to be, by far, the hottest event of the year and I think the fishing is going to be different from how it has been in years past.
“We’ve always been there around the spawn. When the fish are around the spawn, they’re kind of congregated in certain areas, either going up to spawn or coming off the spawn or getting ready. This time, we’re going to be a couple of months after the spawn, so I can see the fish being spread out.”
Christie said this scenario has the potential to be one of the season’s toughest events. On the other hand, he’s wondering if the timing might so greatly disperse the fish that it spreads the field, as opposed to the typically crowded spring groupings.
With the tournament site close to the Intracoastal Waterway, Gulf of Mexico tides impact most of the eligible waters, although tidal influence decreases the farther upriver you travel. With tournament boundaries reaching up to the Toledo Bend Dam, outfall current from this major Sabine River reservoir could bring positive impacts for anyone fishing north.
“Toledo Bend is a little above what we normally are (this time of year) but not too bad,” said third-year Elite Darold Gleason, who lives and guides on Toledo Bend. “It might just make (the upper end of tournament waters) slightly dirtier, but it shouldn’t be too negative. It will probably help some anglers to have some current.”
As Christie explained, the event’s playing field, plus the Sabine’s seasonal pattern, will weigh heavily in this event’s outcome. With tournament waters comprising both sides of the Sabine, all publicly accessible tributaries (Texas side only), the Intracoastal and the Houston area, competitors have a lot of water at their disposal.
In 2021, Christie ran approximately two hours upriver to a backwater creek just below the Toledo Bend Dam. On the opposite extreme, a handful of competitors — including Mississippi pro Brock Mosley, who led Day 1 of the 2021 event and ultimately finished second — made the long run west to the Houston area.
Making the trip the first three days, Mosley ran approximately 110 miles through the Intracoastal Waterway and across Galveston Bay. Despite having to allow time for fuel stops and enduring rough water when crossing the bay on a windy Day 2, Mosley’s gamble nearly paid off. At the very least, he had his areas in Clear Creek all to himself.
Comparing the two extremes, Christie said his and Mosley’s strategies exemplified a common theme that will likely confront the entire field. Options may be many, but decisions must be cautiously made.
“The thing about that place, it’s not like a lake where you might say, ‘I’m going to run down here by the dam and fish deep and if it doesn’t work out, then I’ll run midlake and try something different,’” Christie said. “Whenever you leave the boat ramp (on the Sabine), you’re pretty much locked in to where you’re going.
“The main areas are so spread out. You run 20 minutes down the river and then you run 20 minutes up another river. It’s not like you can run out and run back and go up another place. You’re committed.”
Wherever anglers fish, competition days will likely see more quantity than quality. The Sabine River definitely holds big bass (Georgia’s Micah Frazierwon the 2021 Phoenix Boats Big Bass award with a 6-6), but those opportunities are few and far between.
“This fishery has some good ones in it, but it doesn’t seem to have a lot of them, especially when we’re confined to Texas waters,” Christie said. “A lot of the Louisiana waters have more of the marsh habitat where you’d think that probably some bigger fish could live.
“You just have to focus from start to finish, not only hoping that you’re going to get an above-average bite, but being ready for it and landing it. If you get an above-average bite, chances are you’re not going to get two of them, so you don’t want to mess that up.”
Capitalizing on day-making opportunities always bodes well, but even more so on lean fisheries like the Sabine River.
“One big bite there can swing you 50 places (in the standings),” Christie said. “You catch four keepers and you put a 4-pounder in there and that can be a big difference.”
Given the full-on summer patterns that will dominate this event, Christie expects anglers to focus on shallow wood, vegetation and docks. Predicting a 30-pound threshold to make the Top 10 and 43 pounds to win, he said spinnerbaits, topwaters, squarebills and Texas-rigged plastics will see a lot of playing time.
“By June, those fish have seen a lot of baits, they’ve seen a lot of traffic, and they’re going to be educated,” Christie said. “It’s going to be a tough event, but everybody knows that — everybody knows it’s going to be a grinder.
“This is going to be the fifth time we’ve been there, so there’s not really any secrets left. It’s gonna happen in a lot of different areas and now you’re just going to have to figure out how to out-fish those guys that are fishing the same area you’re fishing.”
Despite the “everything’s bigger in Texas” notion, it’s likely someone will fare well with finesse standbys like the venerable wacky rig or a drop shot.
Notably, 2021 saw Japanese superstar Taku Ito showcase his skill and patience by catching several of his third-place fish during the afternoon heat when the tide went slack — basically, one of bass fishing’s most challenging scenarios. While others threw moving baits in hopes of triggering reactions, Ito Neko rigged a Nories Sankaku-T-San, a T-shaped soft-plastic bait, and used painfully long presentations to coax key bites.
With the long-term forecast showing daytime highs in the upper 80s for tournament week, it’s likely that the most successful anglers will be the ones who make the right location decisions, exercise the most patience and make the most of those big-fish opportunities.
Going into the sixth event of the nine-event Elite season, Greenwood, S.C., pro Brandon Cobb leads the Progressive Insurance Bassmaster Angler of the Year race with 485 points. Georgia pro Drew Cook is second with 436 points, followed by Louisiana’s Tyler Rivet in third with 415, Florida’s John Coxin fourth with 414 and Alabama’s Kyle Welcher in fifth with 413.
Alabama rookie Will Davis Jr. — winner of the last Elite event — leads the Dakota Lithium Bassmaster Rookie of the Year race with 383 points, followed by fellow Alabama pro David Gaston in second with 369 and California pro Bryant Smith in third, also with 369.
In addition to the popular Bassmaster Outdoors Expo and daily weigh-ins, fans can enjoy four days of festivities, including live music, at the Orange County River Festival.
New for 2023, fans can enjoy predictions, conditions and live hits from the lake as part of the LIVE Preview show streaming on Bassmaster.comWednesday, May 31 at 8 a.m. CT. Bassmaster LIVE kicks off tournament coverage Thursday and Friday mornings at 7 a.m. on Bassmaster.com, Tubi and the FOX Sports platforms while FS1 will broadcast live with the tournament leaders Saturday and Sunday.
The Folds of Honor Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River is being hosted by the Greater Orange Chamber of Commerce.
Seneca and Lake Hartwell Ready for 40th Annual Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American Presented by T-H Marine
Major League Fishing’s Annual Grassroots Bass-Fishing Championship to Take Place Next Week at Seneca Creek Boat Ramp, REDCREST 2024 Qualification Up for Grabs
SENECA, S.C. (May 25, 2023) – Major League Fishing (MLF) is set to return to South Carolina, next week, May 31-June 2, for the 40th annual Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American Championship Presented by T-H Marine on Lake Hartwell. The three-day tournament, hosted by Visit Oconee SC , will showcase the nation’s best weekend grassroots anglers, and awards the winning boater a top prize of up to $120,000, and an automatic qualification into REDCREST 2024, MLF’s most prestigious event.
In addition to the automatic REDCREST qualification, the highest-finishing boaters and co-anglers from each of the seven regionals at the All-American advance to the 2023 Toyota Series Championship.
“We are very excited to have the opportunity to host the Phoenix BFL All-American in Oconee County, South Carolina on Lake Hartwell at the new Seneca Creek Boat Ramp,” said Ken Sloan, President & CEO of Visit Oconee SC. “This will be the inaugural opening of the Seneca Creek Boat Ramp, and that would not have been possible without the vision, leadership and hard work from Oconee County Parks, Recreation and Tourism and the support of the City of Seneca.
“We have worked with Major League Fishing and their BFL series on multiple events throughout the years and their professionalism is unmatched. To that end, we look forward to another successful event and our continued partnership with MLF.”
The BFL All-American championship was previously held on Lake Hartwell in 2020, however that event launched out of Anderson. The All-American often serves as a steppingstone for anglers who wish to advance to the Toyota Series, Tackle Warehouse Invitationals and ultimately the Bass Pro Tour. Former All-American champions who currently compete on the Bass Pro Tour and the Tackle Warehouse Invitationals include Shaw Grigsby (1984), Stephen Browning (1996), Jacob Wheeler (2011), Jeremy Lawyer (2016), Nick LeBrun (2018) and Connor Cunningham (2022).
“This is going to be a fun event and we’re going to see a lot of fish caught from Lake Hartwell next week,” said Bass Pro Tour angler Casey Ashley of Donalds, South Carolina. “They’ll be catching fish a lot of different ways, too. Out deep with a drop-shot rig, up shallow targeting bream beds with a topwater, and the docks will play too. It’s going to be interesting to see what patterns are strongest in this one.
“A lot of it will depend on the weather,” Ashley continued. “I think it’ll likely take a mixed bag every day – largemouth and spots. Something like working the brushpiles early, then throwing a shallow topwater during the afternoon. Or opposite – starting shallow early and then moving deep. Playing the weather is going to be the key.”
Ashley said that if he was fishing the event, he’d make sure that he had a Lucky Craft Sammy, a Zoom Super Fluke and a shaky-head rig tied on.
“I think if a guy can catch 16 or 17 pounds a day next week they’ll be right there at the end,” Ashley went on to say. “The three-day winner is going to have right around 50 to 52 pounds, I predict.”
Anglers will launch each day at 6:30 a.m. CT from the Seneca Creek Boat Ramp, located at 280 Seneca Creek Road in Seneca. Weigh-in each day will be held at the boat ramp and will begin at 2:30 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend all launch and weigh-in events and encouraged to follow the event’s online coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The full field of 49 boaters and 49 Strike King co-anglers will compete on Days 1 (Wednesday) and 2 (Thursday) of the event. After two days of competition, the field is cut to just the top 10 boaters and co-anglers, based on two-day total cumulative weight, and the final 10 anglers compete on Championship Friday. The boater and co-angler that catch the heaviest three-day total weight will be crowned the 40th Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American Champions.
The 2022 Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine was a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, advanced to one of six Regional Championships where they competed to finish in the top six, which then advanced them to compete in the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.
Television coverage of the 2023 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American will premiere November 11 on CBS Sports and the Sportsman Channel. The full television air schedule can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Proud sponsors of the 2023 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, E3, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, General Tire, Grundéns, Gill, Lew’s, Lowrance, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Mystik Lubricants, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, Wiley X and YETI.
For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Bass Fishing League updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
Throwback Thursday - The Advent of the Football Head
By Terry Battisti - Bass Fishing Archives
Along around the 2000 timeframe, I was reading an article in In-Fisherman regarding a “new style” leadhead called the Rocker Head. As I read about how this jig would rock-and-roll over rocky structures and fall straight to the bottom quickly, I thought of a jig that I’d grown up fishing and had all these same attributes. A few paragraphs into the article, I came to realize that the jig they were describing was indeed the jig that had been invented in the mid-60s in southern California – the football head.
I’d always assumed that the football head was invented by a close friend of mine, Rip Nunnery, who owned Bandit Bass Tackle. It wasn’t until I started this website and began talking to the old timers of southern California fishing lore that I found out who actually came up with the head. Recently I was talking with one of southern California’s early bass heroes, Pete Gardner, and we got on the subject of early jig fishing. Talk eventually led to the football head and that’s when he told me of Larry McCain – the person who developed the football head.
Pete gave me Larry’s contact information and I quickly called to talk with him. What transpired out of our conversation was a definite learning experience for me and I hope you enjoy reading this bit of bass fishing history.
McCain’s History
football head on the bottom left and the barrel head in the upper right. Photo Winter issue
of Western Bass Magazine.
McCain started bass fishing while in junior high school in the early 50s with close friend Don Siefert. By the time the two were in their early 20s, they’d gone from fishing Reseda Park to Lake Sherwood, another close by lake in the Valley.
By the early 60s they began meeting other bass anglers, two of which would become instrumental in their bass fishing, Norm Dye (operator at Lake Sherwood) and Bud
Walsh, the local bass expert. “Bud was the most advanced angler of all of us at the time,” McCain said. “He’d fish the lake for a month at a time and he learned so much about the structure of the lake. This was before the time of depth finders and he wouldn’t tell us anything unless we figured it out on our own first. When we got our first depthfinders, the Lowrance Green Box, it opened up everything that was going on under water. I got my first one when I was 30 years old around 1967.
“We fished a lot of jigs back in those days and Bud made a twin spin called the Jungle Bum that was a little heavier than the Shannon. He made his own molds out of potatoes. “We primarily fished pork on the jigs back then,” he said. “We used Pedigo and the only place we could get it was at Lake Isabella (about 250 miles from his home). We’d but 25 or 30 cases at a time all in black and purple.
“Around the mid-60s, Siefert and Dye began asking the local anglers if they’d be interested in starting a bass club. They got enough interest and we formed the Southern California Bass Club – or SoCal Bass. Before this time, the anglers wouldn’t talk to each other or share any of their knowledge. After forming the club, anglers began teaching each other within the club what they’d learned over the years.”
designed on a unique head and named after his daughter, Madeline or Matty. Photo Terry
Battisti.
Development of the Football Head
Other than teaching each other bass tactics, they’d also get together and make lures. “I was the only machinist in the group and because of that I’d make molds for pouring leadheads,” McCain said. “We’d get a bunch of guys to come over to my garage at night and we’d set up an assembly line for pouring. One guy would load the molds with wire weedguards and hooks, another would pour and another would pull the heads and trim them.
“One of the early molds I made was a barrel head. That mold didn’t last too long, though, because it was difficult to pull the head from the mold. That’s when I decided to taper the barrel head, in order to allow it to release from the mold easier. “I got the mold done and had the guys over for a pouring session. When the first few heads came out of the mold, one of the guys said, ‘That looks like a football.’” The name stuck. This was around 1965.
“We started fishing the head and noticed that it wobbled when it fell and when it came across the bottom. Those first heads were around 5/8 ounce, which was the most popular head size during those days.
“By the late 60s and early 70s I was making molds for Rip (Nunnery) and the Miller brothers (Mike and Dick) for their tackle companies. The Millers made a single-spin jig called The Boober and Rip had me make him a mold for his twin spin called the Double Bass Boober. Each guy wanted something slightly different in their heads and I’d make them the way they wanted. For example, some guys wanted the eye of the hook more forward in the head and others wanted eyeballs. Each configuration, especially the hook eye placement, made the jig fish differently."
McCain is now 76 years old and lives in Florida. Not only is he credited with the development of the football head, he and partner Jack Loyd were the winners of the first Western Bass Fishing Association TriState team championship in 1976. “I live in Florida now and fish whenever I can,” he said. “I just grab some worms, put them in my bag, get on my bicycle and fish pond to pond. I went out the other day and my first couple of fish were 2-pounders and then I caught a 4-1/2 and then followed that with three more 4-pounders.” Asked how he feels about his head, he said; “All these years later the football head has become a big deal. To us, it was just a jig head. It caught fish and that’s all we cared about.”
Want more history of how we got to here?? Check out Bass Fishing Archives
T-H Marine Partners with Captains For Clean Water, Pledges Donations
Partnership adds onto efforts with conservation products and event support.
Fort Myers, FL – May 25, 2023 – T-H Marine Supplies, LLC, of Huntsville, Alabama, a division of OneWater Marine (ONEW), is announcing it has partnered with Captains For Clean Water, of Fort Myers, Florida, in an expansion of its conservation initiatives. Funding for the initiative will be provided as both a flat donation and a percentage from all Atlas Awards membership proceeds.
“Captains For Clean Water is truly a remarkable force of conservation and habitat restoration,” T-H Marine CEO, Jeff Huntley said. “From the individual fishing guides who started it to the progress they’ve already made, they provide an amazing example of natural resource stewardship and we’re proud to join them.”
Beginning in 2016 when a couple fishing guides decided they had enough of poor water management practices devastating the estuaries they relied on, Captains For Clean Water was formed as a grassroots 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that fights for water resources.
Since forming, they’ve worked to unite the outdoor industry, environmental groups, the business community, and concerned citizens around science-based solutions for cleaner waterways. This laid the foundation for policies and projects that have resulted in measurable improvements in the volume and quality of fresh water flowing through estuaries along with natural habitat restoration.
“We’re super fortunate to have T-H Marine’s support,” Captains For Clean Water Co-Founder Daniel Andrews said. “We know they’ve long-demonstrated concern for the worthy cause of conservation and we’re glad to have them involved in the fight to save the Everglades.”
T-H Marine’s commitment with Captains For Clean Water is structured to be an ongoing effort where the company has dedicated 10% of all Atlas Awards Membership proceeds along with designated donations from T-H Marine’s general fund. This adds onto the company’s existing sustainability efforts that include event sponsorship, catch and release tournament products, and round-up dollars on purchases.
Known as a trusted manufacturer of fishing and boating products that can outfit a boat from TRANSOM TO TROLLING MOTOR®, T-H Marine has product lines that are available in retail stores across the globe. To see the full line, including a growing assortment of conservation-minded fishing products and gear for just about any boat, be sure to visit thmarine.com/products.
For fishing and boating tips, company news, and information about T-H Marine products that lower fish morbidity rates, visit thmarine.com/Conservation and follow T-H Marine Supplies (@thmarineteam) on social media.
BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship, presented by Bass Pro Shops - First Class Treatment on a First Class Fishery
Anderson, SC (May 24, 2023) – The nation’s top ranked college fishermen have gathered in Anderson, SC to compete for the title of National Champion. The Association of Collegiate Anglers (ACA), and their sponsors, welcomed 400 collegiate anglers, coaches, as well as top touring professionals to Green Pond Landing, on the shores of Lake Hartwell for the first time. The 18th edition of the BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship, Presented by Bass Pro Shops will kick off at 6 am Thursday, May 25, and a full field of 200 teams will fish both Thursday and Friday.
The red carpets were rolled out Wednesday night at the annual Angler & Sponsor Appreciation Banquet, thanks to the ACA and the sponsors of the Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Bass Fishing Series. Anglers were treated to a great meal, courtesy of Visit Anderson, that included a pre-game pep talk from Bass Pro Shops touring pro, Andy Montgomery. Festivities also included the royal treatment from sponsors.
The Abu Garcia “Trade-in and Trade-up” program swapped out used reels, for the all new Revo Rockets, so every angler will be hitting the water with a new reel. Sunline was also on hand, spooling up any make or model and made sure no spools left empty. Anglers were also loaded up with giveaways, from AFTCO, Bajio, Bass Pro Shops, Big Bite Baits, Bob’s Machine Shop, Denali, Garmin, Power Pole Rapala/VMC/Suffix, Spro, TH Marine, Yamaha, as well as other vendors.
Although the anglers loaded up on shore Wednesday, the support doesn’t stop there. TowBoatUS will be providing on the water support for this year’s event, and the Yamaha Service Crew and the Bass Pro Shops/White River Marine Group Service Team has the anglers covered in the event of mechanical troubles during the event. In addition, anglers also have opportunities to earn additional prizes and merchandise with programs such as the AFTCO Bank Bag program, where every bag of trash collected is worth a $25 gift card for AFTCO products.
On the line this week are two of the most prestigious titles in collegiate bass fishing. A National Champion will be crowned for the BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops, and school will be named the number one team in the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia.
College fishing’s longest-running National Championship will pay out the Top 40 places in the overall standings, as well as numerous exact place finishes. The total payout and merchandise awards for this no-entry-fee event will total over $30,000. Additional payout contingency awards include Bass Pro Shops, Ranger Cup, Triton Gold, Nitro Rewards, ACA, Yamaha PowerPay, as well as Garmin Tournament Rewards. Overall big bass for the tournament will also earn a new Power-Pole unit.
Tournament coverage will begin bright and early Thursday morning with the Live Blog on CollegiateBassChampionship.com starting prior to official takeoff. Official weigh-in will be covered live on the Outdoor Action TV app starting at 2:00 PM EST.
Folds of Honor named title sponsor of Bassmaster Elite on Sabine River
May 24, 2023
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Those who protect our freedoms and our families will take center stage when the Bassmaster Elite Series heads to Texas following Memorial Day. The Folds of Honor Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River will be held June 1-4 in Orange, Texas.
Since 2007, Folds of Honor has provided more than 44,000 life-changing scholarships totaling nearly $200 million to the spouses and children of America’s fallen or disabled military and first responders. The scholarship recipients are as diverse as the place they call home. Minority recipients represent 41% of all scholarships awarded.
“Folds of Honor takes great pride in partnering with the proud patriots of Bassmaster and the Bassmaster Elite at the Sabine River,” said Diane D. Nemecek, the Folds of Honor senior director of chapter relations. “We have a longstanding relationship with Bassmaster, and the fans have always been a tremendous support of our noble and worthy mission. This Elite Series event takes place just after Memorial Day, and we consider the timing a blessing and a salute to all veterans and service members of the armed forces. Bassmaster fans have a history and reputation built on patriotism, and anglers witness our country in its rarest form. From sunrise to sunset, outdoorsmen are able to enjoy the tranquil waters thanks to those who preserve and protect the land we hold dear.”
The extraordinary work of Folds of Honor will be highlighted at one of the Elite Series’ best-attended events.
When the Elite Series last visited Orange in 2021, the event generated more than $2.5 million in revenue for local businesses and drew a record-breaking total of 40,107 fans to four days of festivities, including live music at the Orange County River Festival, the popular Bassmaster Outdoors Expo and daily weigh-ins.
Full coverage from all four days of the Folds of Honor Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River will be available on Bassmaster.com, Tubi and the FOX Sports digital platforms. FS1 will also broadcast live with the tournament leaders on Saturday and Sunday. For more information and a viewing schedule, visit Bassmaster.com.
Potomac River primed to shine for B.A.S.S. Nation Northeast Regional
Charles County, Md., will host the 2023 TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Northeast Regional at Potomac River June 7-9.
Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
May 24, 2023
CHARLES COUNTY, Md. — Anglers qualified for the TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Northeast Regional June 7-9 will need to dial in the tide at the Potomac River — and with the right timing, Bassmaster Elite Series pro Jacob Powroznik thinks there will be plenty of opportunities to catch a winning bag.
“I think it will be awesome,” the Virginia pro said. “The fish will be just getting done with the spawn and there will be a lot of topwater and frog action along with swim jigs, ChatterBaits and flipping. It will be a really good tournament.”
The Northeast Regional will feature teams from Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont. Anglers will launch out of Smallwood State Park each day at 5:30 a.m. ET, returning at 1:30 p.m. for weigh-in. The full field will compete on Days 1 and 2, while Day 3 will feature the Top 24 boaters and nonboaters along with the top two boaters and nonboaters from each state if they are not already in the Top 24. Full coverage will be available on Bassmaster.com.
The last time the Bassmaster Tournament Trail visited eastern Maryland in 2016, Justin Lucas took home an Elite Series trophy with a winning weight of 72-14. After that event, Powroznik said the Potomac has had a couple of down years but is now on the rebound.
“The Potomac hasn’t been very good the last three years, but it has been getting better and better,” he said. “This year, there have been a lot of 22-, 23- (and) 24-pound bags weighed in there. It is coming back around, and I am anxious to see what the grass does and see how it goes.”
The tide on the Potomac has about a 2- to 4-foot tide swing, making it a little less impactful than somewhere like the Delaware River which has 7-foot swings. Still, it's enough of a change in water level to keep the bass moving.
Powroznik also points out that a certain section of the river will tend to hold the biggest population of bass, but the bass will pull up in different areas from year to year.
Much of the production in the Potomac River revolves around the amount of grass in the fishery. Powroznik believes the amount of grass in the system is back on the rise. At the moment, there is more hydrilla in the river, but milfoil tends to be the most productive type of vegetation. There is also eelgrass.
As long as the tide is moving, whether that is outgoing or incoming, the bass will bite in the grass. Rotating through baits as the water rises and falls will be key and Powroznik said there will be certain windows where the bite will be best.
“All grass is good, but some is better than others,” he said. “As long as the water is moving, you just have to figure out if they are biting on the three-hour window, the four-hour window, the five-hour window or right before slack tide. If the tide is way up, a swim jig and ChatterBait will come into play. As the tide drops, that will create mats and that’s when the frog will come into play.”
Pitching Senkos and plastic worms into the holes in the grass will also be a productive way to catch these fish.
Along with the vegetation, there is a good selection of wood cover, laydowns and docks. Low tide tends to be best for fishing these types of cover. The bass will be in more predictable places with less water around.
“The lower the tide, the better they are going to bite,” Powroznik said. “They can get somewhere that they need to be.”
The top-finishing boater and co-angler from each state represented in this tournament will earn a spot in the 2023 TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Championship on legendary Lake Hartwell Oct. 18-20.
Trust My Strengths
Bassmaster Elite Series angler and current Angler of the Year race leader Brandon Cobb joins to talk about the almost unreal start to his 2023 season and how he got to where he is today
Triple-Time Duty from EGO® Fishing
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The new Kryptek FISH/WEIGH-IN COOLER functions to keep fish lively for weigh-in, put fish on ice, and is a triple threat multiuse cooler. |
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Caldwell, ID (May 23, 2023) – You’ve heard the stories over the years. So-and-so would have won the big-money tournament if it hadn’t been for a dead fish at weigh-in. A solution to similar sad stories, EGO is proud to offer the affordable and easy-to-carry FISH/WEIGH-IN COOLER, designed from the ground up to provide a safe and friendly way for the tournament angler to transport fish to tournament weigh-ins, as well as ice fish for dinner, even chill beverages. |
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Large enough to contain a limit of bass—even kickers—EGO’s FISH/WEIGH-IN COOLER spans 21” (L) x 4” (W) x 22” (H) and weighs a mere two pounds. The Kryptek FISH/WEIGH-IN COOLER comes standard with an aerator pocket so oxygen levels in the water can be maintained to help keep fish healthy. In terms of construction, its soft but durable TPU performance fabric is the most advanced dry fabric available. You’ll love the technical feel and appreciate its strength. |
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The cooler’s lid zips shut with an advanced zipper that seals the contents and is easily opened and closed with an oversized and rugged zipper pull. There’s a handle on top, too, for a quick grab-and-go, as well as a pair of fabric side handles for humping it around when its full. You’ll also welcome the FISH/WEIGH-IN COOLER’s robust adjustable and removable shoulder sling, which features a sliding pad. Free up your hands for carrying rods and other gear. Even cooler… pardon the pun… is the product’s dual use as a soft icebox/kill bag for the day’s catch. Load with some ice before you hit the water, then spike, kill, and bleed your catch for the cleanest, blood-free fillets possible. |
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Moreover, the FISH/WEIGH-IN COOLER triple-times to house beverages, lunch, and snacks with the addition of gel cold packs or frozen water bottles. The roominess is simply impressive. So, when it’s beach or bonfire time, you already own the perfect utilitarian cooler. In summary, EGO’s FISH/WEIGH-IN COOLER transports fish live to the tournament stage, doubles as an icebox/kill bag for the fish harvest, and triples as an all-around premium food and beverage cooler. Doubt you can find a better multiuse investment… |
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FEATURES:
MSRP $189.99 Aerator not included |
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Harris Chain reels in 2023 Bassmaster Team Championship event
Florida's Harris Chain of Lakes will host the 2023 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Team Championship December 6-9.
Photo by James Overstreet/B.A.S.S.
May 23, 2023
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The 2023 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Team Championship will be held on the Harris Chain of Lakes in Leesburg, Fla.,December 6-9, filling the last spot in the 2024 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Toyota. The Harris Chain last hosted this event in 2020.
“We’re happy to welcome back the Bassmaster Team Championship to Lake County,” said Ryan Ritchie, director of Discover Lake County (Fla.). “The Harris Chain of Lakes continues to provide a thriving environment for fish and an exciting area for anglers to compete. We couldn’t be more excited to keep showing Bassmaster all there is to offer in Lake County.”
Battling for that coveted berth in the Bassmaster Classic will be the grass-roots anglers competing at the Bassmaster Team Championship. The team portion of the event will be held Dec. 6-7 and will feature anglers from across the country. The winning duo will not only win a cash prize, but they’ll also lead the charge into the Classic Fish-Off which will take place Dec. 8-9.
“As a Commissioner and a resident, I am thrilled to welcome the 2023 Bassmaster Team Championship to our community,” said Commissioner Douglas B. Shields, Lake County Board of County Commissioners. “We look forward to showcasing Lake County's natural beauty, excellent bass fishing and local hospitality to the visitors and anglers traveling for the competition.”
The Top 3 teams through Day 2 — six anglers in all — will have their weights zeroed and then compete individually in the Fish-Off. The competitor with the heaviest two-day total of the group will earn their spot in the Classic.
In 2022, that honor went to 27-year-old grounds foreman Collin Smith, who along with his 5 Alive Sunday Series teammate Brady Kimbrell, also won the team title and the $25,000 cash prize.
Since it was launched in 2014, the Team Championship has seen tremendous growth. Originally, 38 trails were signed up. That number grew to 62 trails (with more than 11,500 members) last season when the annual Team Championship drew 250 two-angler teams to South Carolina’s historic Lake Hartwell.
The Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Team Championship is being hosted by Visit Lake, the City of Leesburg and the Greater Orlando Sports Commission
ACA Championship + BIG Payouts from Nitro, Ranger, Triton Boat Brands
SAN ANTONIO, TX (May 23, 2023) – College Anglers competing in the 18th BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops will again have the opportunity to cash in on tournament contingency bonuses offered by the White River Marine Group. The Championship, part of the Association of Collegiate Anglers (ACA) series, will be contested next week on Lake Hartwell | Anderson, SC. The contingency programs available to these top anglers will be Nitro Rewards, Ranger Cup, and Triton Gold. Qualified anglers will have the chance to take home up to $8,000 in either of these three contingency bonuses, based upon their eligibility and finish in the final standings.
“These new programs are great news for tournament anglers!” 4-time Bassmaster Classic winner and 3-time Major League Fishing Cup champion Kevin VanDam said. “They’re the best contingency programs currently on the market with more eligible tournaments, higher payouts, and free to enter. They’re paying you to win!”
Find out more details about each tournament contingency program and sign up to participate at the links below:
To qualify for these bigger-than-ever cash bonus prizes, winning anglers are required to fish in a Triton, Ranger or Nitro boat that is 4 years old or newer. These contingency programs are free, meaning no entry fee is required to participate, and there is no cap on the number of winnings an angler can achieve.
White River Marine Group’s parent-company, Bass Pro Shops, and its boat brands have a long-standing history of supporting and incentivizing amateur anglers to continue to elevate the sport of fishing. In 2021, Bass Pro Shops held an amateur series tournament, the US Open National Bass Fishing Amateur Team Championships, exclusive to its boat owners with a payout of more than $4.6 million in cash and prizes.
Flagship Product Represents the Future of Boat Care
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SRD20’s Graphene Ceramic Spray Coating and Protectant infused with nanotechnology to provide ultimate performance. |
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Lafayette, LA (May 23, 2023) – It all sounds easy until you try it. Wax on, wax off. That’s the recipe for keeping boats looking showroom ready, right? Well, sort of. You do need to apply a protectant to keep your outer shell sharp and spiffy. It’s just that few boat owners realize traditional waxes require heavy elbow grease and buffing to apply properly and perform at their best – and even then, they rarely live up to expectations. |
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“It shouldn’t be hard work,” says Stewart Delcambre, founder of SRD20 boat washes and protectants that represent the future of boat care. “Most boat care products on the market lack modern technology,” explains Delcambre. “We wanted to put out something that rivaled the automobile industry in terms of ease of use, overall performance, and long-lasting protection. In short, we set out to create a line of boat cleaning and protectant products infused with cutting edge nanotechnology that works at a micro level to provide ultimate performance.” It took several years of exhaustive research, investment and laboratory testing to get the formulas just right, but the end result has been the launch of SRD20’s product line, including its increasingly popular flagship product, SRD20 Graphene Ceramic Spray Coating and Protectant. Though made available for purchase less than two years ago, the new line, which also includes SRD20 Waterless Wash & Wax with SiO2 Ceramic and SRD20 Pink Soap for Boats, is already turning heads with its ability to clean, shine and protect virtually any watercraft for months at a time while requiring minimum effort to apply. |
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According to Delcambre, the key to keeping your hull, deck and cockpit sparkling is to start with the best protectant possible. That’s where SRD20 Graphene Ceramic Spray Coating and Protectant really shines. Outperforming traditional waxes, spray ceramic polymers and sealants, its advanced liquid formulation allows it to be easily applied. Simply spray it on, spread it evenly with an applicator pad or folded microfiber, let flash, and buff dry to leave behind a protective ceramic coating that lasts for months – no hard buffing or machines required. “It really is an amazing formula,” says Delcambre. “This is your base coat of protection. It’s essentially SiO2 (silicon dioxide) mixed with graphene to create a surface protection that is more durable than typical wax. It causes a lot of beading when struck by water, and you’ll notice those beads are particularly small. It works great on fiberglass gelcoat, bass boats, aluminum boats, pontoon boats, jet skis, kayaks and more. It can be used on all parts of the hull, above or below deck, and can even be applied in full sun.” SIDEBAR: Graphene is an allotrope (different physical forms that coexist) of carbon consisting of a single layer of atoms arranged in a hexagonal lattice nanostructure. |
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It’s also easy to apply and remove. Unlike typical waxes and sealants, SRD20 Graphene Ceramic Spray Coating and Protectant doesn’t build up on itself after reapplication or leave hard-to-remove white chalk seen when applying other boat wax and polymer products. It simply shines and protects surfaces from contaminants such as salt and freshwater, acid rain, bird and spider droppings, and UV rays. You can apply it to almost any hard, non-porous surface on your boat. When you see those tiny beads of water, you’ll instantly realize it’s a big improvement. Of course, you’ll want to incorporate SRD20 Waterless Wash & Wax with SiO2 Ceramic and SRD20 Pink Soap for Boats into your maintenance routine and apply as needed throughout the boating season. Using all three products in unison provides a cleaning and protection synergy that takes a beating and keeps on shining. In the end, SRD20 products require less work to apply while providing greater protection for your investment and, ultimately, more time for fun on the water. “That,” concludes Delcambre, “is exactly the point.” |
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Iaconelli’s three favorite lures for terribly tough fisheries
Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships
Team Toyota’s Mike Iaconelli began his competitive fishing career in the early 1990s on the Delaware River where catching a 9-pound limit made you look like a superstar.
So, the recent stinginess “Ike” and other pros encountered at Lay Lake, and what is sure to be a brutally tough Sabine River at the upcoming Elite Series event in Orange, Texas, are the sort of tests he’s been preparing for and passing most of his fishing life.
“We’ve been on the Sabine during the spawn, and a 12-pound limit was great. How tough is that place going to be when we get there next week in the heat of early summer?” ponders Iaconelli.
The Sabine is sure to be the toughest test of the 2023 Bassmaster Elite Series season, and Iaconelli says the same three lures that carried him through Lay Lake to sit 7th in the Angler of the Year standings will also be in play at the Sabine.
Old school 4” French Fry
Speaking of the Delaware River, this is a lure a fellow angler named Sam showed young Iaconelli during their B.A.S.S. Nation days as amateurs on the Philadelphia-area waterway.
“The key is to put a little nail weight in the tail and rig it with a light wire hook, and make sure the flat side of the French fry is facing downward. It glides around habitat backwards like the old Flying Lure they sold on TV,” smiles Iaconelli.
Tiny black buzzbait
Perhaps the most overlooked lure in the recent Bass Fishing Hall of Fame electee’s tackle box is an inexpensive little black buzzbait with a silver blade. He’s never kept it a secret, but its subtleness seldom steals the spotlight despite the number of high finishes he’s scored with it.
“Subtle is definitely the best way to describe it, and that’s the magic of it. It’s small in size, the black color isn’t too bold, and that small silver blade gives fish that are reluctant to eat just enough flash to look like a bite-sized shad,” he reasons.
Wacky General
Lastly in Ike’s “tough to get a bite” arsenal is a 5” Berkley General rigged wacky style with a VMC weedless Neko hook. “There’s nothing new or surprising about this one, but the reason it’s so popular is because it gets bites even when fishing is brutal,” says Ike.
And that’s the name of the game. Choose lures that are subtle and sneaky, but proven to generate bites on America’s toughest fisheries, from the industrial Delaware River in Philadelphia, all the way down to the Sabine River near the Texas Gulf Coast.
Travel Tuesday - Why Should a Bass Angler Go Popping for Tuna?
By Pete Robbins - Half Past First Cast
I get it, you’re a hard-core basser. You drink Bait Fuel and breathe metalflake.
I was once in your shoes. I couldn’t think about, or even consider another species. I lived from derby to derby. All of my friends were bass anglers. It was my identity.
I was happy – but eventually, you get to a point where you’ve seen a lot and done a lot. I was never going to be Kevin VanDam, Brandon Palaniuk or even a lower-level tour pro. I was ok with that, but I needed something to fire me up about fishing again, and I found it in topwater tuna fishing.
Imagine the biggest strike you’ve ever seen on a Whopper Plopper or a Spook or a buzzbait and multiply it by a hundred. Make the fish 20 or 30 times bigger, too. And imagine acres of them blowing up everywhere. That’s my drug. I didn’t know it until I was 51 years old and had spent a lifetime chasing bass, but only after experiencing it multiple times did I realize how much it helped rekindle my love of bass fishing.
Remember the first time you found the winning tournament fish in practice? And then you drew out boat number one? Racing down the lake at 70 miles per hour, you knew you were going to have them all to yourself and it was going to be amazing. That’s the feeling I get when the captain in Panama sees birds diving on bait three miles away, yells “Hold on!” and guns the outboards to get there – heart pumping through my chest, can barely breathe, sweat behind my knees. Then you get there, and maybe you hook up on the first pop, or maybe the fish go down and you have to chase them another three or four miles, and then do it again.
After the first trip, I told my wife Hanna that I’d sell my bass boat if I could do the tuna deal 30 days out of the year. Fortunately, it didn’t come to that, but it takes a special experience to even get me to say that. Even if you’re a hard core bass-head, I guarantee this trip will reinvigorate you and help you be a better tournament angler. Here are some of the lessons that got drilled into me:
- The critical importance of making the first cast count. Even when fish seem to be feeding indiscriminately, a simple change of mood can end the frenzy. Don’t push the panic button;
- The value of matching the hatch. For the same reasons, sometimes it may look like the fish willveat anything that moves, but you’ll be surprised at how often they won’t;
- The need to master spinning gear. I know you’re a Bubbafied power angler with a trained thumb. You may not even own any spinning rods. Now that I’ve conquered big tuna, sailfish and other far more powerful species with the old eggbeater, I know what they can do. I never would have caught my PB 6.40 pound smallmouth in October of 2021 if I hadn’t gone tuna fishing first; and finally
- The need to keep fishing fresh and new. Seeing the sport through new eyes, in new places, where you may not have any expertise at all, makes it fun and keeps you mentally and physically ready. Besides, if you don’t like topwater fishing I don’t want to be your friend. I’ve caught big peacock bass in the Amazon on them, but they don’t hold a candle to a hard-charging 80 pound yellowfin.
I hope that my excitement is infectious. I’ve taken three groups of bass anglers to Panama and most have committed to go back, or are trying to figure out how to get there. If you’d like more information or want to join us in May of 2024 (PRIME POPPING SEASON) email me at [email protected] and let’s talk tuna.
Walker Hangs on for Win at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Patoka Lake
BIRDSEYE, Ind. (May 22, 2023) – Boater Chad Walker of Morgantown, Indiana, caught four bass weighing 16 pounds, 15 ounces, Saturday to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on Patoka Lake . The tournament was the second event of the season for the BFL Hoosier Division. Walker earned $5,024 for his victory.
“I had a horrible practice on Friday,” said Walker. “I fished the main lake for post-spawners and didn’t really find anything. So, on Saturday I ran up the Little Patoka as far as I could go and got on some spawners.”
Walker said he targeted grass just off the bank in 2 feet of water and flipped it with a Secret Lures Stupid Tube. The method proved good for six total bites during the day, but Walker lost two of those fish.
“I thought it would take 20 pounds to win,” Walker said. “I lost one that was easily 6 pounds right at the boat. We were getting ready to net it, and it came up and spit the tube out. When I lost it, I thought, ‘That was it.’
“This feels great, but I was nervous,” Walker added. “I’ve got three kids, and I would rank this win right up there with having children as far as how nervous I was. I was in the first flight, and I had to sit there and watch everybody weigh in. It really hasn’t even sunk in yet.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:
2nd: Brody Campbell, Oxford, Ohio, five bass, 16-1, $2,917
3rd: Kevin Meunier, Lamar, Ind., five bass, 14-9, $1,464
4th: Blake Knies, Jasper, Ind., five bass, 14-6, $1,275
5th: Dustin Davis, Richmond, Ind., five bass, 12-9, $879
6th: Chris Martinkovic, Hamilton, Ohio, three bass, 12-7, $768
6th: Russ Sproessig, Columbus, Ind., five bass, 12-7, $1,268 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
8th: Mike Quinlin, Mooresville, Ind., four bass, 12-4, $659
9th: Nick Uebelhor, Jasper, Ind., four bass, 11-13, $586
10th: Thomas Foster, Terre Haute, Ind., five bass, 11-10, $513
Walker also caught a bass weighing 5 pounds, 8 ounces to earn the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $630.
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers finished:
2nd: Chad Jackson, Indianapolis, Ind., three bass, 10-13, $1,096
3rd: Andrew Matuszak, Washington, Ind., four bass, 10-11, $730
4th: Kyle Lambeck, Santa Claus, Ind., three bass, 9-0, $512
5th: Nathaniel Hester, Indianapolis, Ind., two bass, 8-4, $439
6th: David Rector, Brazil, Ind., three bass, 8-3, $402
7th: Eric Case, Lexington, Ky., two bass, 7-3, $365
8th: Scott Standafer, Felicity, Ohio, two bass, 6-11, $329
9th: Larry Turner, Jr., Marion, Ind., two bass, 6-8, $492
10th: Derek Jackson, New Albany, Ind., two bass, 6-6, $256
After two events, Mike Quinlin of Mooresville, Indiana, leads the BFL Hoosier Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 492 points, while Andrew Matuszak of Washington, Indiana, leads the Strike King Co-Angler Division AOY race with 495 points.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, will qualify for the Oct. 19-21 BFL Regional tournament on Lake of the Ozarks in Osage Beach, Missouri. Boaters will fish for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $50,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.
The 2023 Phoenix BFL Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 events throughout the season, five qualifying tournaments in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five qualifying event winners, will advance to one of six BFL Regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. The 2023 All-American event will take place May 31-June 2, on Lake Hartwell in Seneca, South Carolina. The event is hosted by Visit Oconee SC.
Proud sponsors of the 2023 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, E3, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, General Tire, Grundéns, Gill, Lew’s, Lowrance, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Mystik Lubricants, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, Wiley X and YETI.
For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Bass Fishing League updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
