AnglersChannel

Abu Garcia Zata Reels and Combos Return With All New Look and Upgraded Performance

Elevate Your Fishing Experience with the Latest Zata Low Profile/Spinning Reels and Combos from Abu Garcia

COLUMBIA, S.C. (June 27, 2023) – Abu Garcia, a leading brand in fishing gear and equipment, is proud to announce the release of the updated Abu Garcia Zata Low Profile Baitcasting Reels, Spinning Reels and Combos. Designed to offer anglers the perfect combination of sleek aesthetics and top-notch performance, the Zata series has been refreshed for 2023 with bold new cosmetics, enhanced features as well as LTD edition combos with adjusted cosmetics and colorways.

Zata Low Profile Casting Reels
The Zata Low Profile casting reels are built to impress with their outstanding functionality and durability. Featuring a graphite frame and side plates, these reels are lightweight yet incredibly strong. The 10 stainless steel ball bearings and one roller bearing ensure smooth operation, while the Carbon Matrix drag system provides consistent drag pressure across the entire range, guaranteeing a reliable and controlled fishing experience. With the inclusion of the Duragear brass gear, the Zata Low Profile casting reels offer extended gear life. Furthermore, the Infini brake system allows for almost limitless adjustability, enabling anglers to tackle any fishing situation with ease. The Zata Low Profile casting reels come in 6.6:1 and 7.1:1 gear ratios, available in both right-hand and left-hand configurations.

KEY FEATURES:
• 10 stainless steel ball bearings + 1 roller bearing provides smooth operation
• Graphite frame and side plates
• Carbon Matri drag system provides smooth, consistent drag pressure across the entire drag range
• Duragear brass gear for extended gear life
• Infini brake system allows almost limitless adjustability to handle any fishing situation
• 6.6:1 & 7.1:1 gear ratios in RH & LH

MSRP: $189.95
Available: October 2023

Zata Spinning Reels
For spinning enthusiasts, the Zata Spinning Reels deliver exceptional performance. With a lightweight aluminum frame, these reels offer a perfect balance between strength and agility. Equipped with 10 stainless steel ball bearings and one roller bearing, the Zata Spinning Reels provide smooth operation and enhance the overall fishing experience. The Rocket Line Management System and Rocket spool lip design offer better control of all types of fishing lines, ensuring accurate and controlled casts. Available in sizes 2000, 3000, and 3500, the Zata pinning Reels cater to a variety of fishing preferences and requirements.

KEY FEATURES:
• 10 stainless-steel ball bearings + 1 roller bearing provides smooth operation
• Lightweight aluminum frame
• Rocket Line Management System & Rocket spool lip design provide better control of all types of fishing lines
• Sizes: 2000, 3000, 3500

MSRP: $189.95
Available: October 2023

Zata LP/SP Combos
In addition to the impressive reels, Abu Garcia is also introducing the Zata Rod/Reel Combos. These combos feature a 24 Ton Graphite Blank for optimal sensitivity and strength, ensuring anglers can detect even the slightest of bites. Stainless steel guides offer smooth line movement, minimizing friction and maximizing casting distance. The 7-foot MH Baitcast Combos are available in right-hand and left-hand configurations, while the 7-foot M Spinning Combos provide versatility for different fishing styles. For those seeking a unique touch, the Zata LTD Combos feature gender-neutral cosmetics, making them appealing to all anglers. The Zata LTD Combos include a 7-foot MH Baitcast Combo and a 7-foot M Spinning Combo.

KEY FEATURES:
• 24 Ton Graphite Blank
• Stainless Steel Guides
• Zata Baitcast & Baitcast LTD Combos: 7’ MH
• Zata Spinning Combos: 6’10” ML and 7’ M
• Zata Spinning LTD Combos: 7’ M

MSRP: $229.95
Available: October 2023

by AnglersChannel

Flipping the RELiON Lithium Battery Switch - Part Two: On the Water

By Danny Blandford

In early June I flipped the switch on Relion Lithium batteries and you can read about that here. Since the install I’ve been able to sneak in about 40 hours on the water…a handful of short pre-fishing days, two LONG days, and two tournament days. Cumulatively, the tournament results were “meh”, but that was the angler, not the equipment that lead to those mediocre results. The electrical equipment, on the other hand, performed flawlessly.

My Observations

Long days and tournament days are the ones that test your equipment, so I started right there, with a solid 6 am to 6 pm fishing day, fishing with my original bass fishing mentor, Dad.

We managed to capture a couple along the way

It was windy and we spent the first half of the day on the main lake with the bow into the wind, the foot on the trolling motor, and the screens on. I was using live sonar on the bow, as well as mapping and 2D/side-scan sonar running nonstop. One thing that jumped out at me was how little current drop I noticed. My bow screens consistently showed 13.0 V (volts). On occasion, I’d see a dip to 12.9 V, but any time I fired up the outboard to move, I’d drop the trolling motor on the next spot to see it right back at 13.0 V.

The second half of the day Pops and I headed “up the river”, a narrower stump-filled upper reach of the lake. Being that I hadn’t been up there in quite some time, I spent a lot of the time covering water on the trolling motor, dialed to anywhere from 20% to 60% for the remainder of the day…still with all electronics going full bore.

The fishing picked up and the batteries stayed strong. One thing that jumped out at me regarding trolling power is that I didn’t see that speed dial creeping up as the day wore on.

A setting of 20% on my Minn Kota is the sweet spot for moving about and fishing my style; it’s extremely quiet there and it’s a comfortable pace to pick apart targets and make plenty of casts. Prior to switching to the Relions, I’d have to bump that up to as high as 50% for the same speed that 20% would give me at the start of the day. With the new setup, I was at the 20% setting when I started and I was STILL at 20% at the end of the day.

Day 1 on the water was a success. We ended up stumbling on to a few good fish and the Relion Lithium certainly passed the tests. No voltage drop was noticed over 12 hours on either the RB100HP cranking battery or the RB100 trolling motor batteries.

End-of-the-Day Testing

The first thing I wanted to see was the voltage, so I used a multi-meter directly on the batteries, and just like the graphs said, they were still giving 13+ volts after a nearly daylight-to-dark fishing excursion.

Regardless of the punishment, I've yet to see less than 13 V!

I was impressed, but then I was really impressed when I plugged up the Dual Pro Professional Series Charger. My batteries were at 50% discharge, but still giving me 100% to the devices that relied on them.

After a long day on the water, two things were in order, a good charge for the boat and a good meal for the anglers. Ironically, they both took about the same time. After testing, we plugged in the boat, packed the rods and graphs inside for safekeeping, and went to dinner. Dinner did take a while, but when we returned a few hours later, I was shocked to see the charger showing 90% already! I went ahead and respooled a few reels, tied on a few baits for day two, and then went back out to check before bed. I had three green lights in less than 4 hours, after 12 hours on the water...now that's a good set of batteries AND a good charger!

The Weight Loss Journey

I can’t wrap the article without discussing what happens when you drop 80 pounds out of the back of an aluminum boat; I found the results surprising. Since its first day on the water with the Relions included an extra passenger and gear, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised to see the boat didn’t drop in speed or lift with Dad and his gear joining me, as a matter of fact, I got to top-end speed quicker and noticed the boat was just more “peppy”. What did surprise me was that top-end speed was basically the same as it had always been, although it used to have to just be one person to get those numbers, now I’m getting it with two. The weight savings of lithium allowed me to offset the drag created by passengers and gear with ease. I didn’t gain speed, but I could carry more at the same speeds, whereas before, more gear meant less speed.

The Light Load

Subsequent trips found me out by myself on a few occasions where I was able to check the metrics with a light load and that is where I was surprised. The boat jumped onto plane in a much shorter distance, I could get to max RPMs much quicker, and overall it felt more responsive to the throttle, but I didn’t pick up any top-end speed. My thought is removing the weight from the back has changed the balance of the boat while carrying a light load. I noticed the spray line had moved farther forward towards the bow, regardless of how much trim I used. In simplest terms, the on-pad balance of the boat was designed around a certain amount of weight in the back, in the absence of said weight; the boat rode flatter on the water. A flat running boat has more running surface experiencing friction (drag) from the water, and drag reduces speed. I "may" be able to play with props and find the best of both, but I'm certainly better off than I was.

In summary, the weight savings of lithium provided me with a better hole shot and better throttle response, and it allows the rig to carry a load better at higher speeds. It did not turn my aluminum boat into a rocket, unfortunately…but it does have some new pep in its step. I also noticed my old scum line was about an inch higher than my new scum line, so I’ve reduced my overall draft in the water.

From a power perspective, the Relion Lithium Batteries are ridiculous. You can drink from the well all day and not see a power drop. They charge quickly enough your big motor can help maintain your 12V system while running, and a great charger can bring them back to 100% in hours, not overnight.

At this point, my only concern is that I “could” theoretically run them down and I wouldn’t know I was about out of power until I was actually out of power. Since the Relions give full voltage up until the end, you don’t get those tell-tale clues that you’re running out of juice that lead-acid batteries provide.

I now clearly see the need to better monitor how much juice I’ve used, and most importantly how much juice I have left. The Dual Pro Lithium Battery Gauge and its ap will address this issue. I just need to find a good hole saw for aluminum and the courage to put one more hole in the river rig. That’s going down soon and I’ll be back to share the experience.

by AnglersChannel

Missile Baits Drops Bomba 3.5 and Adds More Spunk Shads

Salem, Va. – June 26, 2023 –Missile Baits is dropping a new bait called the Bomba 3.5 and is adding to their offerings for the Spunk Shad. The Bomba 3.5 is a is a finesse, thick, craw body worm that casts and skips like a rocket. Think combination of a Ned Rig and Senko. The bait visually looks like a crawfish with no appendages and has a hook slot in the belly for easy hook sets. The Bomba 3.5 is mostly fished Texas rigged weightless to erratically fall to the bottom while gliding, rocking, and even going away from you at times.

“The Bomba 3.5 is a simple bait but extremely deadly because of its subtle action and amazing castability. I love that you can use it on a spinning or bait casting setup, and it is basically snag resistant. It will be used by pros on tour to novices catching their first bass in a pond,” says John Crews, BASS pro angler and Missile Baits owner.

The Bomba 3.5 will come in the same 8 colors with some tried and true Missile colors but also a few brand-new colors like Candy Crushed and Green Pumpkin Diablo. The Bomba 3.5 will have 6 baits per bag for a suggested retail of $5.69. Grab the Bomba 3.5 when you need to go finesse but still want an easy bait to cast. The Bomba 3.5 should be available to ship July 24, 2023.

Missile Baits is also adding to their Spunk Shad offerings to build on theirpartnership with Hog Farmer Baits. Missile Baits will be adding the Spunk Shad 3.5 size option to the 4.5 and 5.5 in the same 6 colors plus two more Missile colors. The new colors of Bombshell and Superbug will be available in all 3 size options of the Spunk Shads. The new Spunk Shad offerings should be available to ship in September 2023.

by AnglersChannel

Jordan Lee Earns Group A Qualifying Round Win at MLF General Tire Stage Six at Lake St. Clair

Alabama Pro Catches Two-Day Total of 10 Bass Weighing 46 Pounds, 3 Ounces to Win Group A Qualifying Round – Group B Resumes Competition Tuesday

HARRISON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (June 26, 2023) – Despite the dreary, overcast weather and changing conditions, Berkley pro Jordan Lee of Cullman, Alabama , maintained the pace he set for the Group A field Monday, weighing in five bass totaling 23 pounds, 11 ounces to win the Group A Qualifying Round at the Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Tour General Tire Stage Six at Lake St. Clair Presented by John Deere Utility Vehicles . Lee’s two-day total of 46-3 earned him the Qualifying Round win by a 4-pound, 8-ounce margin over second-place pro Spencer Shuffield of Hot Springs, Arkansas, who maintained his second-place position with a two-day total of 10 scorable bass weighing 41-11.

Period 3 marked big changes for several anglers, shaking up the playing field as pros vied for big fish to move across the Toro cutline and advance to Wednesday’s Knockout Round. The biggest moves came from Wynne, Arkansas’ Mark Rose, who started the day in 17^th place and dropped down to 28^thbefore going on a third-period flurry to finish out the day in ninth. North Carolina’s Bryan Thrift also moved into the top 20 during the final period, while Takahiro Omori and Josh Butler dropped below the cutline and were eliminated from the competition.

The top 20 advancing anglers from Group A will now have an off day from competition Tuesday, while the 40 anglers competing in Qualifying Group B will complete their two-day Qualifying Round. The top 20 anglers from each group advance to Wednesday’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 on Thursday. In the 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 past two competition days have been unbelievable, and I feel really blessed,” said Lee. “Since we couldn’t practice on the Canadian side of Lake St. Clair, I came over here on a whim, just gambling. I wasn’t really sure what to expect, but it’s been a great experience.

“I caught a lot of small fish this morning but found a school of big fish late in the day, so I’m excited about moving on to the Knockout Round. These smallmouth are notorious for moving, but I’m not going into panic mode if they move. I just plan to move around and see what else we can find.”

Two hefty smallmouth – weighing 5-11 and 5-2 – anchored Lee’s 23-pound, 11-ounce total on Monday.

“The [Berkley] MaxScent always plays for smallmouth, and this week has been no different,” said Lee. “I’m throwing a drop-shot rig with a 5-inch Berkley PowerBait MaxScent Flatnose Jerk Shadon my signature 6-foot, 10-inch super finesse Abu Garcia Jordan Lee Spinning Rod, using 6-pound Berkley x5 Braid and an 8-pound Berkley Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon Leader. These fish are out a little deeper and have been feeding on perch, so they seem to like this bigger bait.”

The top 20 pros in Group A that now advance to Wednesday’s Knockout Round on Lake St. Clair are:

1^st:           Jordan Lee, Cullman, Ala., 10 bass, 46-3
2^nd:          Spencer Shuffield, Hot Springs, Ark., 10 bass, 41-11
3^rd:          Matt Becker, Ten Mile, Tenn., 10 bass, 41-3
4^th:           Greg Vinson, Wetumpka, Ala., 10 bass, 40-4
5^th:           Terry Scroggins, San Mateo, Fla., 10 bass, 38-6
6^th:           Dean Rojas, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., 10 bass, 38-3
7^th:           Cody Meyer, Star, Idaho, 10 bass, 37-13
8^th:           Brent Chapman, Lake Quivira, Kan., 10 bass, 37-10
9^th:           Mark Rose, Wynne, Ark., 10 bass, 37-7
10^th:        Alton Jones Jr., Waco, Texas, 10 bass, 37-3
11^th:        Ryan Salzman, Huntsville, Ala., 10 bass, 37-2
12^th:        Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., 10 bass, 36-13
13^th:        James Watson, Lampe, Mo., 10 bass, 36-10
14^th:        Andy Morgan, Dayton, Tenn., 10 bass, 36-7
15^th:        David Dudley, Lynchburg, Va., 10 bass, 36-6
16^th:        Marty Robinson, Lyman, S.C., 10 bass, 35-7
17^th:        Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., 10 bass, 35-6
18^th:        Cole Floyd, Leesburg, Ohio, 10 bass, 34-10
19^th:        Jonathon VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich., 10 bass, 34-9
20^th:        Adrian Avena, Vineland, N.J., 10 bass, 34-7

Eliminated from competition are:

21^st:        Josh Butler, Hayden, Ala., 10 bass, 34-0
22^nd:       Andy Montgomery, Blacksburg, S.C., 10 bass, 33-12
23^rd:       Britt Myers, Lake Wylie, S.C., 10 bass, 33-9
24^th:        Kelly Jordon, Flint, Texas, 10 bass, 33-7
25^th:        Takahiro Omori, Tokyo, Japan, 10 bass, 33-2
26^th:        Boyd Duckett, Guntersville, Ala., 10 bass, 32-14
27^th:        Randall Tharp, Port St. Joe, Fla., 10 bass, 32-10
28^th:        Wesley Strader, Spring City, Tenn., 10 bass, 32-2
29^th:        Casey Ashley, Donalds, S.C., 10 bass, 31-15
30^th:        Ott DeFoe, Blaine, Tenn., 10 bass, 31-13
31^st:        Anthony Gagliardi, Prosperity, S.C., 10 bass, 31-11
32^nd:       Fletcher Shryock, Guntersville, Ala., 10 bass, 31-2
33^rd:       Cliff Crochet, Pierre Part, La., 10 bass, 30-5
34^th:        Timmy Horton, Muscle Shoals, Ala., 10 bass, 29-5
35^th:        David Walker, Sevierville, Tenn., 10 bass, 28-13
36^th:        Roy Hawk, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., 10 bass, 28-7
37^th:        Dave Lefebre, Erie, Penn., nine bass, 26-5
38^th:        Randy Howell, Guntersville, Ala., eight bass, 25-12
39^th:        Chris Lane, Guntersville, Ala., 10 bass, 25-9
40^th:        Mitch Crane, Columbus, Miss., five bass, 12-8

A complete list of results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Lee earned Monday’s $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award with a smallmouth weighing 5 pounds, 11 ounces that he caught in Period 2 on a drop-shot rig. Berkley awards $1,000 to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass each day, and another $3,000 bonus to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass of the tournament.

The six-day event, hosted by the Detroit Sports Commission, Macomb County and Lake St. Clair Metroparks, 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.

Anglers will launch each day at 7:20 a.m. ET from Lake St. Clair Metropark, located at 31300 Metro Parkway in Harrison Township. Each day’s General Tire Takeout will be held at the Metropark, beginning at 4 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend all launch and takeout events and also encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLFNOW!® live stream and SCORETRACKER® coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

On Championship Thursday, June 29, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., MLF will welcome fans of all ages to celebrate the top 10 and crown the General Tire Stage Six at Lake St. Clair Champion at the Watch Party and Trophy Presentation. The final 10 Championship Round Bass Pro Tour anglers will be on hand at the trophy celebration to meet and greet fans, sign autographs and take selfies.

The General Tire Stage Six at Lake St. Clair Presented by John Deere Utility Vehicles features anglers 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 General Tire Stage Six at Lake St. Clair Presented by John Deere Utility Vehicles Championship Round will air as a two-hour episode starting at 7 a.m. ET, on Saturday, November 4 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 by 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.

by AnglersChannel

Springfield Father-Son Pair Sweeps Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Lake Erie

19-Year-Old Ty Fain Wins Boater Division, Father Justen Tops Strike King Co-Angler Division

SANDUSKY, Ohio (June 26, 2023) – Boater Ty Fain of Springfield, Ohio, caught a five-bass limit weighing 23 pounds, 12 ounces, Saturday to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on Lake Erie Presented by Rabid Baits. The tournament was the second event of the season for the BFL Buckeye Presented by Rabid Baits Division. Fain earned $4,610 for his victory.

“I started out fishing in 12 feet of water on a drop-shot rig and swimbaits,” said the 19-year-old angler. “Then I moved in a little shallower as the sun came out.”

Fain said he targeted large rocks, both isolated rocks and piles, in Canadian waters near Pelee Island, and his efforts resulted in “10 to 15” bites during the day – all keepers. Fain relied on Keitech swimbaits and Berkley PowerBait MaxScent Berkley Flatnose Minnows to land his smallmouth.

Fain said his familiarity with Lake Erie helped boost his confidence during the tournament, even though he didn’t feel comfortable with his final weight.

“I just fished a bunch of old history,” Fain said. “I figured it would take close to 24 pounds to the win tournament. I figured somebody would have that.

“This is pretty cool because I’m up there (Erie) all the time,” Fain added. “I really like the trophy.”

Ty’s father, Justen, won the co-angler side of Saturday’s BFL event and heaped praise on his son for his accomplishment.

“He’s a very good stick, and what he did was pretty awesome,” the elder Fain said. “I don’t know of many guys who could go out there and look at them and catch them the way he caught them today. It’s pretty awesome.

“I knew he’d be top five on the boater side,” Fain went on to say. “It feels pretty awesome to see him do it. I’m not surprised. I’m very proud of him. I think this win is the first one of many.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:

1st:        Ty Fain, Springfield, Ohio, five bass, 23-12, $4,610
2nd:       Chris Martinkovic, Hamilton, Ohio, five bass, 21-4, $3,275
3rd:       Jared Rhode, Port Clinton, Ohio, five bass, 20-12, $1,536
4th:        Steve Clapper, Port Clinton, Ohio, five bass, 20-5, $1,076
5th:        Seth Fricke, Oxford, Ohio, five bass, 20-4, $1,592
6th:        Wilson Burton, Findlay, Ohio, five bass, 20-2, $1,306 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
6th:        Corey Lindsey, Marion, Ohio, five bass, 20-2, $806
8th:        Joshua Barr, Louisville, Ohio, five bass, 19-14, $691
9th:        Jeremy Reese, Powell, Ohio, five bass, 19-12, $576
9th:        Matt Elkins, Spencerville, Ohio, five bass, 19-12, $576

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Seth Fricke of Oxford, Ohio, caught a bass that weighed 5 pounds, 6 ounces, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $670.

Justen Fain of Springfield, Ohio, won the Strike King co-angler division and a total of $2,305 Saturday, after bringing five bass to the scale that totaled 20 pounds, 14 ounces.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers finished:

1st:        Justen Fain, Springfield, Ohio, five bass, 20-14, $2,305
2nd:       Brett Warrick, Westerville, Ohio, five bass, 19-6, $1,487
3rd:       Brian Blinn, Troy, Ohio, five bass, 19-3, $768
4th:        Nick Ireland, Davison, Mich., five bass, 18-8, $538
5th:        Tyler Land, Coatsville, Ind., five bass, 17-15, $461
6th:        Terry Bucciarelli, Ypsilanti, Mich., five bass, 17-9, $773
7th:        Dennis Blakely, Norwalk, Ohio, five bass, 17-4, $384
8th:        Brian Zelinskas, Beavercreek, Ohio, five bass, 17-3, $346
9th:        Steve Sorrell, Beavercreek, Ohio, five bass, 16-14, $307
10th:     Matthew Strickland, Portsmouth, Ohio, five bass, 16-12, $269

Brett Warrick of Westerville, Ohio, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $335, catching a bass that weighed in at 5 pounds, 3 ounces – the largest co-angler catch of the day.

After two events, Chris Martinkovic of Hamilton, Ohio, leads the BFL Buckeye Presented by Rabid Baits Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 489 points, while Steve Sorrell of Beavercreek, Ohio, leads the Strike King Co-Angler Division AOY race with 492 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. 5-7 BFL Regional tournament on the Potomac River in Marbury, Maryland. Boaters will fish for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $50,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.

The 2023 Phoenix BFL Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 events throughout the season, five qualifying tournaments in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five qualifying event winners, will advance to one of six BFL Regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. The 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.

by AnglersChannel

McCaig Claims Victory at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Neely Henry Lake

Macks Wins Strike King Co-Angler Division

GADSDEN, Ala. (June 26, 2023) – Boater Mark McCaig of Oxford, Alabama, caught a five-bass limit weighing 17 pounds, 3 ounces, Saturday to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on Neely Henry Lake Presented by Southern Petroleum Services. The tournament, hosted by the City of Gadsden, was the fourth event of the season for the BFL Bama Presented by Mystik Lubricants Division. McCaig earned $12,155, including the lucrative $7,000 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus, for his victory.

“I fish Neely Henry 10 to 12 times a year in different tournaments,” said the 52-year-old McCaig. “I know the lake pretty well and only fished in practice one morning to see what things looked like.

“I started the tournament out in the grass and caught one that I weighed in,” McCaig added. “I realized the fish weren’t off the river anymore, so I started flipping a jig on the riverbanks and caught a 4½-pounder. So, I started running that.”

For the rest of his limit that he weighed, McCaig said he caught two on a square-bill crankbait and one on a jig aimed at a piece of brush. He caught five 3-pounders or better during the tournament. McCaig said his fish came spread out during the event, with his first coming at 8:30 and his last two on his last two stops.

“I saved a place down by the dam where I had caught some before, and I told my co-angler I was going to save some time to fish one little place that was a bit of a run toward the dam,” McCaig said. “I felt like there could be something there. One spot was a dock, and one was a laydown tree. I caught a 3½-pounder out of the tree, idled across to where there was a dock with a brushpile in front of it, threw a big crankbait up there and caught a 4-pounder. I ran back up to the ramp and got there with 10 or 15 minutes to go.”

Even though he had a good idea of the weight he had to weigh in, McCaig said he wasn’t confident in his chance for a win.

“It took 20 pounds in a local tournament last weekend to win here,” McCaig said. “But that’s a buddy trail, and the lake is just getting tougher and tougher this time of year. I knew that everything I had was between 3½ to 4 pounds.”

McCaig has racked up numerous tournament wins over the years, including four BFLs and one Toyota Series victory.

“My wife and I kind of have a thing,” McCaig said. “Years ago, when I started fishing, I couldn’t afford Red Lobster. We hadn’t been married long, but any time I won a tournament we ate at Red Lobster. So that’s kind of become a tradition.”

McCaig said the victory celebration dinner tradition has been going on for 33 years of marriage.

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:

1st:        Mark McCaig, Oxford, Ala., five bass, 17-3, $12,155 (includes $7,000 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
2nd:       Andrew Johnson, Glencoe, Ala., five bass, 16-2, $2,078
3rd:       Wes Logan, Springville, Ala., five bass, 15-0, $1,383
4th:        Hunter Hayes, Gadsden, Ala., five bass, 13-6, $900
4th:        Gabe Aldridge, Demopolis, Ala., five bass, 13-6, $900
6th:        Jack White, Vance, Ala., five bass, 12-10, $762
7th:        Roger Shilling, Athens, Ala., five bass, 12-6, $693
8th:        Jared Kawalec, Waterloo, Ala., five bass, 12-5, $623
9th:        Matthew Knight, Gadsden, Ala., five bass, 12-1, $519
9th:        Daniel Buswell, Jr., Fayetteville, Ga., five bass, 12-1, $519

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Roger Peebles of Atmore, Alabama, caught a bass that weighed 6 pounds, 4 ounces, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $570.

Chad Macks of Robertsdale, Alabama, won the Strike King co-angler division and a total of $2,041 Saturday, after bringing five bass to the scale that totaled 14 pounds, 2 ounces.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers finished:

1st:        Chad Macks, Robertsdale, Ala., five bass, 14-2, $2,041
2nd:       Michael McLaurin, Chickamauga, Ga., five bass, 12-1, $1,021
3rd:       Gunter Williams, Linden, Ala., five bass, 11-5, $683
4th:        Todd Mowery, Madison, Ala., five bass, 10-6, $676
5th:        Larry Franks, Jr., Wilsonville, Ala., five bass, 9-11, $408
6th:        Josh McCrimmon, Nashville, Ga., five bass, 9-10, $574
7th:        Chad Bailey, Trinity, Ala., three bass, 9-2, $620
8th:        Jonathon Cone, Riverside, Ala., four bass, 8-10, $306
9th:        Daniel Birmingham, Reform, Ala., five bass, 8-6, $241
9th:        James Lehman, Fort Walton Beach, Fla., five bass, 8-6, $241
9th:        Blake Dodson, Montevallo, Ala., five bass, 8-6, $241

Chad Bailey of Trinity, Alabama, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $280, catching a bass that weighed in at 6 pounds, 9 ounces – the largest co-angler catch of the day.

After four events, Michael Smith of Andalusia, Alabama, leads the BFL Bama Presented by Mystik Lubricants Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 938 points, while Chad Macks of Robertsdale, Alabama, leads the Strike King Co-Angler Division AOY race with 955 points.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, will qualify for the Oct. 12-14 BFL Regional tournament on Dale Hollow Lake in Byrdstown, Tennessee. Boaters will fish for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $50,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.

by AnglersChannel

McCoy Boats Big Kicker on Last Cast to Win by 1 Ounce at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Watts Bar Lake

Kent Tops Strike King Co-Angler Division

SPRING CITY, Tenn. (June 26, 2023) – Boater Kibbee McCoy of Knoxville, Tennessee, caught a three-bass limit weighing 12 pounds, 2 ounces, Saturday to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on Watts Bar Lake . The tournament, hosted by Fish Dayton/Rhea Economic & Tourism, was the fourth event of the season for the BFL Volunteer Division. Kibbee earned $7,563, including the lucrative $2,500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus, for his victory.

“I’ve been down here every Thursday and Sunday for about two and a half months, so I had kind of developed a one-two punch,” said McCoy. “I was fishing offshore, deep ledges during practice. And, also, since the mid-1980s, I’ve fished the face of that dam. So, I decided to run to the dam and fish it first thing. No luck, though, because they weren’t pulling any current.”

McCoy changed tactics and focused his efforts on deep water, but the change produced no results. He returned to the dam again and fished it this time with a Buckeye Lures Spot Remover 1/8-ounce jig head and a green-pumpkin Zoom Finesse Worm with a chartreuse-dyed tail.

“In practice, I would catch one or two that way and then leave,” McCoy said. “I knew how they positioned themselves based on how much current they were pulling. But I’ve never really caught any big fish off the dam, just some 2½- to 3-pounders.”

McCoy said he would catch a couple of bass on the face of the dam, leave to fish other spots, then return to the dam and repeat the jumping back and forth. McCoy said he caught a total of 20 fish during the course of the day, including one from a brushpile that fell for a Zoom Ol’ Monster worm.

“The last time I went back to the dam, I told my co-angler, ‘This will be our last cast, and then we’re going to have to run to weigh-in,’” McCoy said. “I flipped a Ned rig up there with a 1/10^th-ounce Z-Man (Finesse) Shroomz jig (head) and a (Z-Man) Finesse TRD and caught a 6-pound, 11-ouncer on the last cast. It replaced a 1.92 fish on my scales. Needless to say, that was a big upgrade.

“I knew that it would probably take 11 to 12 pounds to win,” McCoy added. “When I first caught that big fish, I thought it was a drum because they stay deep, and usually largemouth came up to the surface. I wasn’t going to give up on it, though. When it came up for a second time and I saw the side of it, I said, ‘That’s her right there.’ She went down again, and I said, ‘When she comes up again, put her in the net.’ I kept the pressure on and was using 10-pound braid and 8-pound Trilene fluorocarbon. She came up, the net was in the right position, and it was history.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:

1st:        Kibbee McCoy, Knoxville, Tenn., three bass, 12-2, $7,563 (includes $2,500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
2nd:       Brandon Young, Kingston, Tenn., three bass, 12-1, $2,214
3rd:       Gavin Daniels, Kingston, Tenn., three bass, 10-11, $1,478
4th:        Derick Robinson, Friendsville, Tenn., three bass, 9-2, $1,033
5th:        Tony Eckler, Lebanon, Tenn., three bass, 8-9, $849
5th:        Jacob Woods, Loudon, Tenn., three bass, 8-9, $849
7th:        Chase Henley, Kingston, Tenn., three bass, 8-6, $1,188
8th:        Joseph Tallent, Knoxville, Tenn., three bass, 8-3, $664
9th:        Rob Linkous, Rogersville, Tenn., three bass, 8-2, $590
10th:     Tommy Brown, Louisville, Tenn., three bass, 7-14, $517

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

McCoy’s big bass that weighed 6 pounds, 11 ounces, also earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $635.

Peyton Kent of McDonald, Tennessee, won the Strike King co-angler division and a total of $2,531 Saturday, after bringing three bass to the scale that totaled 9 pounds even.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers finished:

1st:        Peyton Kent, McDonald, Tenn., three bass, 9-0, $2,531
2nd:       Roger Phillips, Clinton, Tenn., three bass, 8-13, $1,107
3rd:       Joey von Hoene, Erlanger, Ky., three bass, 7-6, $738
4th:        Wesley Carroll, Wartburg, Tenn., three bass, 7-4, $917
5th:        Evan Green, Jacksboro, Tenn., three bass, 6-15, $443
6th:        Luke Shrader, Monticello, Ky., three bass, 6-11, $556
7th:        Josh Massengale, Oliver Springs, Tenn., three bass, 6-9, $369
8th:        Shaun Godsey, Decatur, Tenn., three bass, 6-8, $332
9th:        Darren Kelly, Wartburg, Tenn., three bass, 6-7, $276
9th:        Billy Joe Wheat, Evensville, Tenn., three bass, 6-7, $276

Kent also earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $317, catching a bass that weighed in at 4 pounds, 13 ounces – the largest co-angler catch of the day.

After four events, Dillon Falardeau of Hixson, Tennessee, leads the BFL Volunteer Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 915 points, while Luke Shrader of Monticello, Kentucky, leads the Strike King Co-Angler Division AOY race with 958 points.

by AnglersChannel

Poteat “Squeezes” Out Victory at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at High Rock Lake

House Wins Strike King Co-Angler Division

LEXINGTON, N.C. (June 26, 2023) – Boater Chad Poteat of Mount Airy, North Carolina, caught a five-bass limit weighing 23 pounds, 5 ounces, Saturday to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on High Rock Lake . The tournament was the fourth event of the season for the BFL North Carolina Division. Poteat earned $12,986, including the lucrative $7,000 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus, for his victory.

“The water had come up tremendously over the last few days because of the rain we’ve had,” said Poteat, who owns a lake house on High Rock Lake. “It had come down just enough to let me fish Abbott’s Creek. I removed my motor hood and windshield and a couple of graphs and was able to squeeze up under the bridge and get back in the creek where the water was stable and cleaner.”

Poteat, who said he excels in shallow water, targeted bream beds he had located a week before the tournament with a Texas-rigged Queen Tackle tungsten jig and coaxed eight keeper bites from High Rock for the day.

“I fished High Rock the week before in the Piedmont Division BFL event and finished seventh, so I knew where the fish were,” Poteat said. “I just swam a jig and pitched my worm around, and I was fortunate to get the ‘W’. God blessed me.”

After Poteat caught his third 5-pounder he thought he had a good shot at placing high in the standings.

“I had a limit in the box, then I caught my fourth 5-pounder and I said, ‘Man, I’ve got a shot at this thing,’” Poteat said. “I’ve fished a bunch of BFLs over the year, and to close the deal out on my home lake was a blessing. Plus, I got my fifth career BFL win. It is so hard to win one of these things. There are so many good fishermen nowadays.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:

1st:          Chad Poteat, Mount Airy, N.C., five bass, 23-5, $12,986 (includes $7,000 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
2nd:        David Farrington, Greensboro, N.C., five bass, 21-0, $2,383
3rd:        Ron Wolfarth, Oakboro, N.C., five bass, 15-15, $1,256
4th:         Ladd Whicker, Winston-Salem, N.C., five bass, 15-9, $879
5th:         Greg Robertson, King, N.C., five bass, 13-13, $753
6th:         Todd Harris, Lexington, N.C., five bass, 13-5, $690
7th:         Adam Flora, Red House, W.V., four bass, 13-4, $628
8th:         Robert Walser, Lexington, N.C., four bass, 13-0, $565
9th:         John Farmer, Sherrills Ford, N.C., three bass, 12-9, $502
10th:      Chris Dover, Blacksburg, S.C., five bass, 11-15, $439

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

David Farrington of Greensboro, North Carolina, caught a bass that weighed 7 pounds, 6 ounces, to earn the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $500.

Wes House of Knightdale, North Carolina, won the Strike King co-angler division and a total of $1,883 Saturday, after bringing four bass to the scale that totaled 15 pounds, 5 ounces.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers finished:

1st:          Wes House, Knightdale, N.C., four bass, 15-5, $1,883
2nd:        Lee Williams, Durham, N.C., five bass, 12-6, $942
3rd:        Hunter Alexander, China Grove, N.C., five bass, 10-15, $627
4th:         Chase Tedder, Walnut Cove, N.C., two bass, 8-2, $889
5th:         Andy Kearns, High Point, N.C.., two bass, 7-0, $361
5th:         Andrew Weaver, Clemmons, N.C., three bass, 7-0, $361
7th:         Greg Fox, Hudson, N.C., two bass, 6-15, $314
8th:         April Barrow, Salisbury, N.C., two bass, 6-9, $282
9th:         Samuel Jones, Fuquay Varina, N.C., three bass, 6-8, $251
10th:      Gregory Haverlock, Indian Trail, N.C., two bass, 6-0, $220

Chase Tedder of Walnut Cove, North Carolina, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $250, catching a bass that weighed in at 5 pounds, 9 ounces – the largest co-angler catch of the day.

After four events, Jason Barnes of Concord, North Carolina, leads the BFL North Carolina Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 945 points, while Wes House of Knightdale, North Carolina, leads the Strike King Co-Angler Division AOY race with 969 points.

by AnglersChannel

Italy’s Jacopo Gallelli Claims Victory at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at the James River

Gittings Wins Strike King Co-Angler Division

HENRICO, Va. (June 26, 2023) – Boater Jacopo Gallelli of Florence, Italy, caught a five-bass limit weighing 16 pounds, 5 ounces, Saturday to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on the James River . The tournament, hosted by Richmond Region Tourism, was the fourth event of the season for the BFL Shenandoah Division. Gallelli earned $12,463, including the lucrative $7,000 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus, for his victory.

“I practiced for this for 1½ days, and the weather was horrible,” said Gallelli, a Tackle Warehouse Invitationals Pro with five career top-10 finishes. “I made the most of it. I felt I could probably put together a decent limit.

“I basically had two situations going on,” said Gallelli, a Tackle Warehouse Invitationals pro with five career top-10 finishes. “One was fishing in the morning with a tiny swimbait and the other was fishing the same stuff – lily pads – but light punching them. In the morning you could catch them on the outside in holes between the pads with the swimbait. Then, when the sun got up, I could flip in there, but I was finesse flipping.”

Gallelli’s finesse approach consisted of lighter line, weights, hooks and small soft-plastic baits, in shad and bluegill colors. His efforts resulted in 20 keepers during the course of the tournament.

“In the mornings, fishing with the smaller hook, I lost a couple of fish,” Gallelli said. “That’s part of it when you fish with a smaller hook and a smaller bait. I lost a 3½-pound and a 4-pound fish. Losing those two big fish I thought I was done. I had a legitimate shot at 20½ pounds. So, going into the weigh-in I thought I would finish in the top 10.

“This win is very good for me,” Gallelli added. “I was starting to worry, ‘Maybe I’m not good enough.’ I came here from Italy pretending to be good enough to make a living doing this. There are days when you second-guess yourself and think you don’t belong here, so this win is so important to me. It is a real confidence injection.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:

1st:          Jacopo Gallelli, Florence, Italy, five bass, 16-5, $12,463 (includes $7,000 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
2nd:        Jeff Hamilton, Henrico, Va., five bass, 16-2, $2,232
3rd:        Brian Morgan, Maiden, N.C., five bass, 16-0, $1,489
4th:         Wayne Vaughan, Chester, Va., five bass, 15-14, $1,041
5th:         Bryan Elrod, Mechanicsville, Va., five bass, 15-5, $893
6th:         Bryce Henley, Williamsburg, Va., five bass, 15-2, $818
7th:         Brian Bersik, Chesterfield, Va., five bass, 14-12, $994
8th:         Zachary Stoupa, Prince George, Va., five bass, 14-10, $669
9th:         Bo Boltz, New Kent, Va., five bass, 13-15, $595
10th:      Scott Banton, Midlothian, Va., five bass, 13-14, $521

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Jeremy Radford of Huntly, Virginia, caught a bass that weighed 8 pounds, 4 ounces to earn the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $640.

Roland Gittings of Perryville, Maryland, won the Strike King co-angler division and a total of $2,952 Saturday, after bringing four bass to the scale that totaled 14 pounds, 11 ounces.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers finished:

1st:          Roland Gittings, Perryville, Md., four bass, 14-11, $2,952
2nd:        David Torres, Fallston, Md., five bass, 13-7, $1,116
3rd:        Kevin Gregory, Midlothian, Va., five bass, 12-10, $743
4th:         Joey Deluke, Glen Allen, Va., five bass, 12-6, $521
5th:         Brandon Miskell, Vienna, Va., five bass, 11-12, $446
6th:         Jonathan Ceaser, Maidens, Va., five bass, 11-11, $409
7th:         Keith Allen, Midland, Va., five bass, 10-12, $372
8th:         Ryan Sweeney, Secane, Pa., five bass, 10-6, $335
9th:         Carl Whipple, Manassas, Va., five bass, 10-4, $298
10th:      Philip Hornsby, Hughesville, Md., five bass, 10-0, $260

Gittings also earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $320, catching a bass that weighed in at 6 pounds, 4 ounces – the largest co-angler catch of the day.

After four events, Zachary Stoupa of Prince George, Virginia, leads the BFL Shenandoah Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 970 points, while David Deciucis of Chester, Virginia, leads the Strike King Co-Angler Division AOY race with 963 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 Norman in Huntersville, North Carolina. Boaters will fish for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $50,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.

by AnglersChannel

King University Wins MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing Tournament on Lake Champlain

PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. (June 26, 2023) – The King University duo of Landon Lawson of Jonesborough, Tennessee, and Hunter McClaskey of Elizabethton, Tennessee, won the MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI event on Lake Champlain Sunday with a five-bass limit weighing 19 pounds, 7 ounces. The victory earned the Tornados’ bass club a qualification into the 2024 MLF College Fishing National Championship.

“We blasted off and ran to our first spot and caught a 3½-pounder on the bed, then went down the bank and caught a 4-pounder on a Zara Spook and then got another 4-pounder,” Lawson said. “Then we decided to go run to two more big bed fish that we wanted to catch. So, we fired up the motor, and then the motor blew up.

“It couldn’t have blown up in a better place, because we had stayed around the inland sea all week, and that’s where it blew up,” Lawson added. “So, we trolled to a place we had caught some fish, threw the Spook, and filled our limit.”

Lawson said the King University seniors used the trolling motor for an hour and a half while trying to provoke a bedding bass to bite until the trolling motor battery died. They did catch the bedding bass and added a couple more fish that culled to boost their final weigh weight. Lawson said the team caught 13 bass during the course of the day, including 11 keepers that weighed more than three pounds each.

“Sometimes it’s just your day,” Lawson said. “As we were going along, even though it was going wrong, we knew we were on the fish to win as long as somebody didn’t bring in 21 pounds or some crazy bag. We knew we could win it, but it wasn’t the exact circumstances we wanted.”

“We won a College Fishing event last year on Smith Mountain with about the same weight,” McClaskey said. “We blew the motor at that tournament, too, so we’ve got this running joke that we might need to blow a motor to win a tournament every time.”

The top seven teams that qualified to compete at the 2024 College Fishing National Championship are:

1st: King University – Landon Lawson, Jonesborough, Tenn., and Hunter McClaskey, Elizabethton, Tenn., five bass, 19-7
2nd: University of Vermont – Joseph Buonanno, Wolcott, Vt., and Hunter Whitman, Shelburne, Vt., five bass, 18-13
3rd: Adrian College – Russel Buffa, Fenton, Mich., and Kobe Thompson, New Lexington, Ohio, five bass, 18-9
4th: State University of New York-Plattsburgh – Cody Peryea, Altona, N.Y., and Theodore Wager, Shelburne, Vt., five bass, 18-3
5th: Adrian College – Braylon Eggerding and Lucas Washburn, both of Grand Rapids, Mich., five bass, 18-1
6th: Catawba Valley Community College – Hunter Keller, Morganton, N.C., and Brendan Vinton, Braintree, Vt., five bass, 18-1
7th: Adrian College – Brady Pinwar, Midland, Mich., and Derek Rodriguez, Okemos, Mich., five bass, 18-0

Rounding out the top 10 were:

8th: Wabash Valley College – Mason Gross, Carmi, Ill., and Braden Thompson, Oblong, Ill., five bass, 17-13
9th: Lander University – Parker Lambert, Riegelsville, Pa., and Aaron Shumaker, Charlotte, N.C., five bass, 17-8
10th: Adrian College – Gerald Brumbaugh, Martinsburg, Pa., and Mitchell Straffon, Fenton, Mich., five bass, 17-8

Complete results for the entire field can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

The Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI event on Lake Champlain was hosted by the City of Plattsburgh and the Adirondack Coast Visitors Bureau. The next event for College Fishing anglers will be the Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI event on Sam Rayburn Reservoir Presented by Crock-O-Gator, Sept. 8 in Brookeland, Texas.

The 2023 MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI features college teams from across the country competing in nine regular-season tournaments. The top 12 percent of teams from each regular-season tournament advance to the 2024 Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI National Championship.

Proud sponsors of the 2023 MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI include: 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Black Rifle Coffee Company, E3, Favorite Fishing, Fox Rent a Car, General Tire, Grundens, Lawless Lures, Lew’s, Lowrance, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Wiley X and YETI.

For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular College Fishing updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

by AnglersChannel

Darrell Dodd & Danny Dulude win over $50,000 with 19.88 lbs. at TX-Shootout on Lake Fork

Lake Tawakoni: 6/25/2023

Total Entries: 164 Teams

Total Collected: $82,350

Total Payback (C&P): $80,350

Payback Percentage: 98%%

Total Fish: 275

Total Weight: 411.55 lbs

Average Weight: 1.50 lbs

Number of limits: 42

Number of zero's: 101

Top 50 finishers listed below for complete results
go to http://www.basschamps.com

Berkley Big Bass on Lake Fork
October 21 & 22

You can now register online.

Place Boat Truck Angler 1 Angler 2 Fish Big Bass Wt. Prize Amt.

1 DARRELL DODD
COMO , TX DANNY DULUDE
GRAND SALINE , TX 3 10.68 19.88

$51,200.00 with Big Bass, Garmin, and HUK Bonus

2 BRANDON DAVIS
ALBA , TX RODNEY ESCHBERGER III
VAN , TX 5 8.18 12.73

$6000.00

3 ARCHIE HAYLEY
MT VERNON , TX GAGE IVEY
WINNSBORO , TX 5 0 9.75

$4000.00

4 TERRY PEACOCK
ROYSE CITY , TX SCOTT DEAN
TERRELL , TX 5 0 9.09

$2500.00

5 DARRIN LONGORIA
MINEOLA , TX JAY BALLARD
GRAND SALINE , TX 5 0 9.06

$2000.00

6 JONATHAN LANCASTER
QUITMAN , TX JOSH PRIEST
QUITMAN , TX 5 0 9.01

$1500.00

7 COLE STILLWELL
ROCKWALL , TX JASON STILLWELL
ROCKWALL , TX 5 0 8.98

$1200.00

8 COLLIN GIACOMO
MCALESTER , OK PRESTON TURNEY
MCALESTER , OK 5 0 8.87

$1090.00

9 NICK BROWN
LINDALE , TX BYRON CHAVES
MINEOLA , TX 5 0 8.71

$1080.00

10 STEVE WRIGHT
PLANO , TX ANDREW WRIGHT
PLANO , TX 5 0 8.56

$1070.00

11 HUNTER SMITH
SULPHUR SPRINGS , TX GREGORY ALLEN
ALBA , TX 5 0 8.55

$1060.00

12 DAVID ROULSTON
ALLEN , TX CARLOS PEREZ
GARLAND , TX 5 0 8.44

$1050.00

13 JAMES MOHLER
LONGVIEW , TX KEVIN LIGI
WHITEHOUSE , TX 5 0 8.41

$1040.00

14 TOMMY MURRAY
BEDFORD , TX KEITH IVY
PONDER , TX 5 0 7.87

$1030.00

15 JACOB CALLAHAN
YANTIS , TX JIMMY CALLAHAN
YANTIS , TX 5 0 7.77

$1020.00

16 BRUCE POWELL
WINNSBORO , TX SCOTT SCROGGINS
SULPHUR SPRNGS , TX 5 0 7.75

$1010.00

17 DARRELL CAMPBELL
ALBA , TX DON PENICK
ALBA , TX 5 0 7.58

$1000.00

18 HADEN SICKLES
SULPHUR SPRINGS , TX CAMERON GRAY
SULPHUR SPRINGS , TX 5 0 7.52

$1000.00

19 LARRY LEE
YANTIS , TX RON LEE
YANTIS , TX 5 0 7.50

20 MARK RUSSELL
YANTIS , TX CAMERON FOSTER
WAGNER , OK 5 0 7.43

21 RICHARD OSBORN
CARROLLTON , TX CHRIS MCLAIN
SANGER , TX 5 0 7.32

22 TYLER SCHWEIGERT
FARMERSVILLE , TX WILLIE BUIE
LAVON , TX 5 0 7.29

23 TOGMA CHAUVIN
GREENVILLE , TX SAVANA CHAUVIN
GREENVILLE , TX 5 0 7.25

24 BYRON BIONDI
BURLESON , TX JOHN BIONDI
ARLINGTON , TX 5 0 7.22

25 BRENT CANTRELL
STREETMAN , TX CURT CULBERTSON
GODLEY , TX 5 0 7.20

26 JERROD VAUGHT
QUITMAN , TX ALEXANDER VAUGHT
QUITMAN , TX 5 0 7.08

27 JOHN REDMON
GRAND PRAIRIE , TX TOMMY REDMON
YANTIS , TX 5 0 7.03

28 MAX NWANEBU
FAIRVIEW , TX BEN BURNS
ALLEN , TX 5 0 7.02

29 WILLIAM PALMER
MIDLOTHIAN , TX JERAMIE BYRD
MIDLOTHIAN , TX 5 0 6.94

30 COREY MAPLES
SULPHUR SPRINGS , TX AARON WALKER
MT VERNON , TX 5 0 6.85

31 BRAD BARRON
TOLAR , TX NATHANIEL PRIESS
GRANBURY , TX 4 0 6.68

32 PHILLIP HOPE
KAUFMAN , TX STEPHEN HOPE
ALBA , TX 5 0 6.64

33 JARED TAYLOR
SOUTHLAKE , TX DANIEL BARNES
BELTON , TX 5 0 6.42

34 CASEY MARTZ
HIGHLAND HAVEN , TX THOMAS BIBLES
FORNEY , TX 5 0 6.40

35 ROGER RITCHIE
WICHITA FALLS , TX RICHARD RITCHIE
BENTON , AR 4 0 6.24

36 JEFF HOOD
BROWNSBORO , TX RICKY WYATT
BROWNSBORO , TX 4 0 6.20

37 GARY BELL
MABANK , TX RICHIE WHITE
SULPHUR SPRINGS , TX 5 0 6.12

38 JUSTIN PRATER
BURLESON , TX JOSH KEITHLEY
FORT WORTH , TX 4 0 5.78

39 KYLE BRYANT
CANTON , TX MARK INLOW
MABANK , TX 5 0 5.76

40 RICK JOHNSON
ROCKWALL , TX MEGAN WADE
GARLAND , TX 4 0 5.71

41 CHAD BROZOVICH
DALLAS , TX CARTER BROZOVICH
DALLAS , TX 5 0 5.68

42 CALEB ANDREWS
STERLINGTON , LA KOREY DIXON
STRONG , AR 5 0 5.61

43 TIMOTHY VERMILLION
WEATHERFORD , TX THOMAS TREVINO
WEATHERFORD , TX 4 0 5.56

44 CURTIS DANIELS
FT TOWSEN , OK WENDELL MOON
EMORY , TX 5 0 5.42

45 MATT BONFOEY
ROCKWALL , TX JEFFERY NELSON
MINEOLA , TX 5 0 5.32

46 MARC SCHILLING
CARROLLTON , TX TRINETTE CONTRERAS
CARROLLTON , TX 5 0 5.30

47 CHRIS FORD
WINNSBORO , TX TRENVER FORD
WINNSBORO , TX 5 0 5.25

48 JUSTIN ROPER
CIBOLO , TX ROBERT ROPER
CIBOLO , TX 3 0 4.63

49 TIM CLINE
SHERMAN , TX RAYMOND SMITH
WHITESBORO , TX 5 0 4.62

50 RICHARD UVA
PLANO , TX JASON UVA
PRINCETON , TX 4 0 4.35

by AnglersChannel

Minn Kota Announces New and Upgraded Line of Trolling Motors to Fit Every Angler

Minn Kota’s trusted line of bow-mount trolling motors have been re-designed to help anglers get more out of their time on the water - including QUEST, a powerful new brushless technology platform.

RACINE, Wis. (JUN 26, 2023) – Since 1934 Minn Kota has been known for developing real, fishable features that help anglers explore new water, go further, and put more fish in the boat. The best trolling motors available just got even better with a complete restage of Minn Kota’s bow-mount motor lineup and the introduction of QUEST technology. New and upgraded UltrexTM, Ulterra®, Instinct, Terrova®, Riptide Terrova®, PowerDriveTM, and Riptide PowerDriveTM bow mount trolling motors are being reintroduced with a brand new look and updated technology suite full of angler-friendly enhancements.

In addition to all the GPS navigational features anglers have come to expect from Minn Kota like Spot- Lock and Follow-the-contour, all of these new additions to the motor lineup will feature enhanced boat control tools for anglers – no matter their preferred species. Whether fresh or saltwater and regardless of skill level or pursuit, Minn Kota’s redesigned line of trolling motors has an option for any angler looking for bulletproof reliability and unmatched performance on the water.

New Features for All Bow-Mount Models:

NEW Enhanced GPS Suite Including Drift Mode to allow anglers to spend more time fishing and less time on boat control

- Drift Mode: combats current and wind by automatically adjusting speed and direction to keep the boat on a true drift. Drift Mode acts as a gps drift sock eliminating the need for cumbersome ropes or shallow water anchor paddles
- Improved Follow-the-Contour functionality: allows for better LakeMaster and CoastMaster integration to stay on the desired course.
- Dodge Mode: allows anglers to quickly leave auto navigation mode to manually steer through waves and around structures and then resume navigating without resetting their route.

Out of the Box connection to Humminbird via the One-Boat Network by including all necessary adapters required for networking without additional need for setup
One App for Everything – the One-Boat Network App can control everything on the boat from the trolling motor and shallow water anchors to the Humminbird head units

Enhanced Built-in 2D Sonar with Dual Spectrum CHIRP adds Humminbird’s unrivaled sonar clarity to every Minn Kota motor

Minn Kota QUEST Technology

Motors with QUEST technology might resemble some of Minn Kota’s most popular and trusted models, but have been completely redesigned from the ground up to tackle the toughest environments. QUEST

motors feature a dual 24 or 36 volt brushless lower unit, a carbon fiber-infused upgraded shaft and reinforced brackets and pivot points. Boasting 30% longer runtime and up to 50% more torque*, these motors are built for the most demanding anglers, helping them get out earlier, stay out later and fish in wind, waves and current that others can’t.

Minn Kota Ultrex, Ulterra, Instinct, Terrova, and Riptide Terrova motors will all now be available with QUEST technology. With available shaft lengths up to 100”, Riptide Terrova and Instinct QUEST motors were made to tackle the toughest offshore environments on bigger boats than ever before.
With improved and upgraded components such as mounts, brackets, shafts, and pivot points, the motors are built to handle the increase in power in the harshest environments. QUEST motors include an upgraded lift assist assembly for effortless stow and deployment, carbon fiber shafts with increased lengths, Auto Park to automatically turn the motor when stowing, new propellers to cut through heavy vegetation while maintaining peak power output and fewer moving parts to prevent unnecessary wear over the life of the product.

New Features for QUEST Models:

Dual 24 or 36 volt Brushless Motor with up to 30% longer runtime and 50% greater torque*
Up to 30%longer run time on a single charge provides anglers more time on the water
Up to 50% greater torque means more precise control in wind and waves and the ability to shed weeds more effectively
Redesigned and Upgraded Mount to accommodate the additional thrust and torque of the lower unit
Carbon Fiber Infused Shaft for enhanced durability while maintaining flexibility to protect the bow of an angler’s boat
Peak Performance and Efficiency from Updated Propellors which maximize torque throughout the speed range
New lift-assist assembly to make getting the motor in and out of the water effortless (select models)
Real-Time Battery Monitoring System lets anglers know time until empty at a given speed setting and prompts users to enter a power saving eco mode when batteries reach 20% charge
No Loss of Power: constant power throughout the day with no drop in motor performance as battery voltage decreases of the length of a fishing day
One-Boat Network Programmable Button: customized presets to include stow and deploy Minn Kota shallow water anchors, mark a waypoint, or engage autopilot

• QUEST Technology availability: Ultrex, Ulterra, Instinct, Terrova, Riptide Terrova

Click HERE to see the new and upgraded line of bow-mount trolling motors in action.

*Compared to 24 volt brushed motor when run at maximum speed setting

by AnglersChannel

O.H. Ivie named 2023’s Best Bass Lake by Bassmaster Magazine

O.H. Ivie Lake has claimed the top spot in the 2023 Bassmaster Magazine 100 Best Bass Lakes standings for the first time in history.

Photo courtesy of Lynn Wright/TPWD

June 26, 2023

O.H. Ivie named 2023’s Best Bass Lake by Bassmaster Magazine

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Things really are bigger in Texas and that includes the bass coming out of O.H. Ivie Lake, which claims the coveted spot atop the 2023 Bassmaster Magazine 100 Best Bass Lakes standings for the first time in history. This reservoir has stolen the spotlight over the last three years, producing an eye-popping 15 Legacy Class ShareLunker bass — a designation for fish weighing more than 13 pounds — between January and March.

Like the waters anglers love, the rankings of America’s best bass fisheries can surge or ebb, and this year’s 100 Best Bass Lakes list is a true reflection of those fluctuations.

“We are always a little surprised when going through the data how many fisheries make the rankings and then fall off, as well as by those lakes that just always make the list,” explained Bassmaster Magazine Editor-in-Chief James Hall. “Creating the rankings takes more than two months as we dig through current tournament data as well as state fishery information on stocking efforts, catch rates and angler access.

“While the fisheries may change, our goal is to point anglers toward the most productive waters so that their time is spent with rod bent. These rankings provide a bucket list of destinations for anglers.”

As for bragging rights on which state has the most fisheries in the Top 100 rankings, that title goes to Texas with a whopping 10 lakes. Right behind the Lone Star State are California and Florida, each with nine lakes on the list, followed by New York and Michigan (six).

Spectacular scenery and feisty smallmouth meet on the 50-mile stretch of the St. Lawrence River known as the 1000 Islands, which dropped one spot to No. 2 in this year’s rankings. Anglers eager to do battle with giant smallmouth can head north to the 1000 Islands region of the St. Lawrence River. History was made on the clear waters of this seaway straddling the U.S.-Canadian border during the 2022 Bassmaster Elite out of Clayton, N.Y. After four days, two anglers — Jay Przekurat and Cory Johnston — topped the 100-pound mark with solely smallmouth, a first-ever feat for the Elite Series.

While long-considered a West Coast powerhouse, No. 3 Clear Lake fell out of the top spot during the past two years but is enjoying a resurgence thanks to one of the wettest springs in history. After a multiyear drought, there is now plenty of flooded vegetation providing ideal habitat, with an abundance of baitfish keeping hungry bass well fed. Combine the opportunity to catch the limit of a lifetime with a pristine setting in California’s wine country, and you have the definition of a bucket-list fishing destination.

The rankings identify the top lakes in the nation based on head-to-head comparisons, as well as the Top 25 lakes in four geographical regions — Central, Western, Southeastern and Northeastern.

“We divide the nation into four regions and rank the lakes in each region to give anglers perspective on the fisheries they can most likely reach,” Hall explained.

Full rankings can be found in the July/August issue of Bassmaster Magazine and on Bassmaster.com.

Bassmaster Magazine’s Top 10 Best Bass Lakes of 2023

O.H. Ivie Lake, Texas
St. Lawrence River (1000 Islands), New York
Clear Lake, California
Lake Murray, South Carolina
Toledo Bend Reservoir, Louisiana/Texas
Fellsmere Reservoir/Stick Marsh/Kenansville Lake, Florida
Lake St. Clair, Michigan
Orange Lake, Florida
Lake Erie/Upper Niagara River, New York
Lake Okeechobee, Florida

Best Bass Lakes – Central Division

O.H. Ivie Lake, Texas
Toledo Bend Reservoir, Louisiana/Texas
Lake Fork, Texas
Possum Kingdom Lake, Texas
Caney Creek Reservoir, Louisiana

Best Bass Lakes – Western Division

Clear Lake, California
Lake Berryessa, California
Diamond Valley Lake, California
Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California
Lake Coeur d’Alene, Idaho

Best Bass Lakes – Northeastern Division

St. Lawrence River (1000 Islands), New York
Lake St. Clair, Michigan
Lake Erie/Upper Niagara River, New York
Burt/Mullett lakes, Michigan
Lake Champlain, New York/Vermont

Best Bass Lakes – Southeastern Division

Lake Murray, South Carolina
Fellsmere Reservoir/Stick Marsh/Kenansville Lake, Florida
Orange Lake, Florida
Lake Okeechobee, Florida
Lake Guntersville, Alabama

by AnglersChannel

Dustin Connell Cruises to Group B Lead at MLF General Tire Stage Six at Lake St. Clair Presented by John Deere Utility Vehicles

Alabama Pro Leads by 4 Ounces after Group B Day 1, Group A to Wrap Up Two-Day Qualifying Round Monday

HARRISON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (June 25, 2023) – A strong morning bite carried Favorite Fishing pro Dustin Connell through the competition day Sunday, with his five largest bass weighing 22 pounds, 13 ounces. Connell’s hefty limit earned him the Group B Day 1 lead in the Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Tour General Tire Stage Six at Lake St. Clair Presented by John Deere Utility Vehicles. Pro John Hunter of Shelbyville, Kentucky finished the day tight on Connell’s heels, weighing in five scorable smallmouth totaling 22-9, good for second place.

“It’s been a heck of a day,” said Connell. “It started out quick and we did good, which put us in a great position for the rest of the week. I found a couple new areas this afternoon, but I’ve got one little spot that’s really good and I’m just hoping that it holds out.”

Connell jumped out to an early lead Sunday, filling his limit within the first 30 minutes of competition and staying atop the SCORETRACKER® throughout the day.

“The fish are there – I mean, there are a bunch of 4- to 5-pounders there,” Connell continued. “I lost one this morning that was over 4 pounds, so hopefully that spot will be sustainable throughout the event.”

Connell spent his day targeting bass offshore with his Lowrance ActiveTarget and caught his fish on a 7-foot, 2-inch medium heavy Favorite Fishing Hex Rod, throwing a drop-shot rig on 15-pound braid.

“This is my favorite way to fish,” said Connell. “It’s just awesome watching the way the fish react to your bait. I’m hoping that the wind dies down as we get further into the event, so we can really get after it.

“Right now, the fish are down deep, stuck to the bottom. With all these waves, they just really want to hunker down low. But when the sun pops out and it gets slick, they slide up closer to the surface and you can see them a little better on your electronics.

“I don’t know how this tournament is going to be won, but I think it’s going to come down to finding a good area that you have to yourself,” Connell finished.

The 40 anglers in Group B will now have an off day on Monday, while the 40 anglers competing in Group A will wrap up their two-day Qualifying Round. Group B will finish their Qualifying Round on Tuesday.

The top 20 pros in Group B after Day 1 on Lake St. Clair are:

1^st:           Dustin Connell, Clanton, Ala., five bass, 22-13
2^nd:          John Hunter, Shelbyville, Ky., five bass, 22-9
3^rd:          Dylan Hays, Hot Springs, Ark., five bass, 20-15
4^th:           Bradley Roy, Lancaster, Ky. five bass, 20-11
5^th:           Mark Daniels Jr., Tuskegee, Ala., five bass, 20-8
6^th:           Dakota Ebare, Brookeland, Texas, five bass, 20-6
7^th:           Jeremy Lawyer, Sarcoxie, Mo., five bass, 20-5
8^th:           Alton Jones, Lorena, Texas, five bass, 20-3
9^th:           Todd Faircloth, Jasper, Texas, five bass, 19-5
10^th:        Gerald Spohrer, Gonzales, La., five bass, 19-4
11^th:        Justin Lucas, Guntersville, Ala., five bass, 19-2
12^th:        Jesse Wiggins, Addison, Ala., five bass, 18-15
13^th:        Josh Bertrand, Queen Creek, Ariz., five bass, 18-15
14^th:        Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn., five bass, 18-13
15^th:        Brett Hite, Phoenix, Ariz., five bass, 18-12
16^th:        Mark Davis, Mount Ida, Ark., five bass, 18-8
17^th:        Jeff Sprague, Wills Point, Texas, five bass, 18-4
18^th:        Kevin VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich., five bass, 18-0
19th:      Keith Poche, Pike Road, Ala., five bass, 17-15
20^th:        James Elam, Tulsa, Okla., five bass, 17-12

A complete list of results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Hunter earned the $1,000 Berkley Big Bass award after a 5-pound, 8-ounce smallmouth bit his drop shot with five minutes remaining in Period 3. Berkley awards $1,000 to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass each day, and another $3,000 bonus to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass of the tournament.

The 40 Anglers in Group A compete in their two-day qualifying round on Saturday and Monday – the 40 anglers in Group B on Sunday and Tuesday. After each two-day qualifying round is complete, the top 20 anglers from each group advance to Wednesday’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 Thursday’s Championship Round. In the 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.

by AnglersChannel

Local Pro Brett Carnright Earns First Career MLF Victory at Toyota Series at Lake Champlain

PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. (June 25, 2023) – Local pro Brett Carnright of Plattsburgh, New York, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday totaling 19 pounds, 4 ounces, to win the Toyota Series at Lake Champlain Presented by Rabid Baits. Carnright’s three-day total of 59 pounds, 11 ounces earned him his first career victory by 1½ pounds over his cousin, Ryan Latinville, also of Plattsburgh. Carnright earned $90,500 for his victory, which was the season-opening event in the Toyota Series Northern Division Presented by Rabid Baits.

When it comes to Champlain, especially during the spawn, it’s hard to talk about tournament fishing without bringing up Latinville and Carnright. Between them, they’ve raised the bar on what wins in June, and this tournament certainly fell into their wheelhouse. So, to see the cousins finish 1-2 is no surprise. Though winning with 59-11 is a little shy of some recent Champlain events, considering the time of year and the size of the field, the Carnright’s winning weight is nothing to sneeze at.

It was made possible by a quirky spring that put a lot of big fish right where Carnright needed them.

“I thought it was going to fish a little lighter, just because of where I checked the first day of practice,” Carnright said. “Then, all of a sudden, we had a huge wave come up. We had some really cold weather two weeks before the tournament, I think it shut down a wave of fish that were coming, I checked some areas where they spawn a week prior and there was no evidence of any fish spawning. We got some warm weather, calm weather, the water got hot, and fish started showing up. About a week before the tournament, we started finding some big ones. Originally, I thought 59 was going to be right there, but by the tournament, Ryan and I both thought it would take well over 60.”

Plenty of other pros tried to bed fish to contend with Carnright, but only Latinville really came close, as the others who leaned hard on sight-fishing dipped out of the picture day by day. Meanwhile, Carnright actually improved his weight on Day 2, and caught the third-biggest bag of the final day.

“What helped me the most, which I thought would hurt me the most, was there was a massive amount of clear water and dirty water shifting around the north end of the lake,” he said. “Guys were talking about not being able to see 7 feet deep, and then next day you could see 17 feet deep. I was focusing on 8 to 11 feet of water, and I was able to find all my 11-foot beds prior to the weekend. Over the weekend, we had some bad weather that muddied up the water, so all my fish were protected from people being able to see them. People were coming around me into the area of the lake I was fishing, and I kept seeing less and less boats.”

Dirtier water protected many of his fish from the prying eyes of the competition, but it did make them harder to catch. So, in addition to using a flogger, Carnright had to catch some with his ActiveTarget alone.

“Luckily for me, I had good waypoints, and I was able to utilize my electronics,” he said. “I had to catch those fish, if I don’t, I don’t win the tournament. So, I knew my best bet was to sit there with ActiveTarget and catch those fish. I was able to catch all the fish I had marked, and I actually found a few bonus ones.”

Carnright lives for the smallmouth spawn, and has put days and days into the pursuit. In good shape and willing to go up and down with a flogger all day, he’s also lucky to have a really good eye for what might be a bed.

“It’s a lot of strategy, you have to find your fish before the tournament, finding them during the tournament is really difficult,” he said. “You have to be really strategic with which fish you catch. You have to hope they’re not leaving, and during this tournament a lot of fish acted like they wanted to leave. Over the years, we’ve noticed the spawn shifts earlier into June, so when this was announced, I didn’t think it would be a spawning event. But, with the cooler weather this spring, probably the biggest wave of fish the lake had came this week.”

To catch his bed fish, Carnright used a Berkley PowerBait MaxScent Flat Worm on a drop-shot. He also used a swimbait on a 3/16-ounce head to catch postspawn fish, which was a critical piece of his strategy.

“Day 1, I had one postspawn fish and four fish that were on beds,” he said. “Day 2, I had all bed fish. Today, I had all bed fish, and I caught one postspawn fish that was the same size as my smallest fish.

“When practice started, (the postspawn) fish were easy to catch,” he said. “As the week went on, I think more guys found it. It got a lot tougher, I think a lot of guys put pressure on those fish. They would run up, look at it and not eat it. That was something I figured out before the tournament – I knew I needed something other than bed fish. It was either going to be largemouth or catching postspawn smallies. We had a huge heat wave in April, and I think a lot of smallmouth spawned then. I think those fish went postspawn and started feeding up, and I knew that would be my bonus.”

Edging out his cousin Latinville, plus good friend LaBelle, Carnright has been on the cusp a number of times. Just this spring, he led the ABA championship on the Red River before coughing up the lead. In Toyota Series past, he’s finished fourth, second and fifth on Champlain.

This week, things aligned for Carnright, and also Latinville, to do what they do best on Champlain.

“Spawning fishing is really weird, it’s more like hunting fish, rather than fishing for them,” he said. “You’re looking for them nonstop, looking at rocks, looking at the bottom, hoping you can find some cleaner water where you can see. And it always wins. There really aren’t any major tournaments in June where bed fishing isn’t the major player. So, knowing that, we have to put a lot of time into it. After the 2017 Toyota, and the next one in 2018, that’s when we really got dialed in to bed fishing. If you look at the weights from then to now, it’s astronomical. The field is also learning, but we’re able to dial it in each year better and better. We’ve been able to win some pretty big local events with heavy 21-pound bags or 22 sometimes.”

Still, despite the previous success, Carnright didn’t go into the final day thinking he’d win. With LaBelle ahead of him, he knew things would have to break right.

“Bryan Labelle has been telling me I’m gonna win this tournament since the schedule came out,” he said. “What a way to do it, there’s not a more skilled angler to beat on the final day than Bryan. I’ve been saying for years he’s the best angler to ever fish this lake, I thought the mountain was unclimbable.”

The top 10 pros on Lake Champlain finished:

1^st:          Brett Carnright, Plattsburgh, New York, 15 bass, 59-11, $90,500 (includes $35,000 Phoenix MLF Bonus)
2^nd:         Ryan Latinville, Plattsburgh, N.Y., 15 bass, 59-0, $22,000
3^rd:         Bryan Labelle, Hinesburg, Vt., 15 bass, 58-3, $15,250
4^th:         Garrett Rocamora, Lake Wales, Fla., 15 bass, 57-6, $13,250
5^th:         Ron Nelson, Berrien Springs, Mich., 15 bass, 57-1, $12,250
6^th:         Alec Morrison, Peru, N.Y., 15 bass, 56-11, $9,625
7^th:         Brayden Federer, Adrian, Mich., 15 bass, 56-10, $8,300
8^th:         Tyler Woolcott, Port Orange, Fla., 15 bass, 56-6, $7,600
9^th:         Brian Green, North Augusta, Ontario, Canada, 15 bass, 55-15, $6,300
10^th:       Kyle Hall, Granbury, Texas, 15 bass, 55-13, $4,700

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Pro Chris Adams of Shrewsbury, Vermont, took home the $500 Day 1 Berkley Big Bass award in the pro division Thursday with a largemouth weighing 4 pounds, 13 ounces. On Friday, pro Nick Radtke of Greenwood Lake, New York, earned the $500 Berkley Big Bass prize after bringing a 5-pound, 15-ounce bass to the scale.

Carnright earned an extra $35,000 as the highest finishing Phoenix MLF Bonus member. Boaters are eligible to win up to an extra $35,000 per event in each Toyota Series tournament if all requirements are met. More information on the Phoenix MLF Bonus contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.

Nicholas Veselka of Fishers, Indiana, won the Strike King Co-angler Division Saturday with a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 49 pounds, 15 ounces. Veselka took home the top prize package worth $35,400, including a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard motor.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers on Lake Champlain finished:

1^st:          Nicholas Veselka, Fishers, Ind., 15 bass, 49-15, $35,400 incl. Phoenix 518 Pro boat w/115-hp Mercury outboard
2^nd:         Randy Nelson, Granger, Ind., 15 bass, 47-7, $6,625
3^rd:         Jacob Swanson, Framingham, Mass., 15 bass, 46-13, $5,300
4^th:         Richard Bleser, Burlington, Wis., 15 bass, 46-11, $4,150
5^th:         Jeremy Vandenbosch, Lowell, Mich., 15 bass, 46-5, $3,650
6^th:         Mitchell Robinson, Landrum, S.C., 15 bass, 45-7, $3,150
7^th:         William Lisenby, Centreville, Va., 15 bass, 44-15, $2,650
8^th:         Shawn Gokey, Georgia, Vt., 15 bass, 44-14, $2,075
9^th:         Jim Jarvis, Timberville, Va., 15 bass, 43-11, $1,630
10^th:       Cory Hartfield, Centerburg, Ohio, 15 bass, 43-4, $1,390

Garrett Seppala of New Ipswich, New Hampshire, was the Berkley Big Bass $150 award winner in the Strike King co-angler division, Thursday, weighing in a 4-pound, 14-ouncer. Friday’s Day 2 $150 award went to Brenden Massa of Battle Creek, Michigan, with a 5-pound, 4-ounce bass.

With one regular-season event in the Toyota Series Northern Division now complete, Carnright leads the Northern Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 260 points, while Veska leads the Strike King Co-angler Division AOY race with 260 points.

The Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats at Lake Champlain Presented by Rabid Baits, hosted by the City of Plattsburgh and the Adirondack Coast Visitors Bureau, was the first of three regular-season events for the Toyota Series Northern Division. The next event for Toyota Series anglers will be the Toyota Series at the St. Lawrence River, Aug. 10-12, in Massena, New York. For a complete schedule of events, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.

The 2023 Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats consists of six divisions – Central, Northern, Plains, Southern, Southwestern and the Western Division Presented by Tackle Warehouse – each holding three regular-season events, along with the International and Wild Card divisions. Anglers who fish in any of the six divisions or the Wild Card division and finish in the top 25 will qualify for the no-entry-fee Toyota Series Championship for a shot at winning up to $235,000 and a qualification to REDCREST 2024. The winning Strike King co-angler at the championship earns a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard. The 2023 Toyota Series Championship will be held Nov. 2-4 on Table Rock Lake in Branson, Missouri, and is hosted by ExploreBranson.com.

Proud sponsors of the 2023 MLF Toyota Series include: 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Black Rifle Coffee Company, E3, Favorite Fishing, Fox Rent a Car, General Tire, Gill, Grundéns, Lew’s, Lowrance, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Next Gen Lithium, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Wiley X and YETI.

For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Toyota Series updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the MLF5 social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

by AnglersChannel

Minnesota’s Cambridge-Isanti Blue Jackets Edges Field by Six Ounces to Win 2023 High School Fishing National Championship

Student Anglers Zachary Piescher and Cole Semler Claim Title with Three-Day Total of Nine Bass Weighing 32-7

LA CROSSE, Wis. (June 25, 2023) – Minnesota’s Cambridge-Isanti Blue Jackets duo of Zachary Piescher of Cambridge, Minnesota, and Cole Semler, of Dalbo, Minnesota, brought a final-day three-bass limit to the scale Friday weighing 10 pounds, 12 ounces to win the 2023 High School Fishing National Championship on the Mississippi River in La Crosse, Wisconsin.

The duo’s three-day total of nine bass weighing 32 pounds, 7 ounces, earned them the victory by a slim 6-ounce margin over the runner-up, Illinois’ Kaneland High School, and earned the Cambridge-Isanti duo two $5,000 scholarships to a college of their choosing. The duo also now advances to the 2023 MLF Toyota Series Championship, held Nov. 2-4 on Table Rock Lake in Branson, Missouri, to compete as co-anglers and a shot at the top prize of a new Phoenix 518 Pro boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard.

The team from east-central Minnesota has had a variety of roadblocks in their path to overcome in order to make it to the final day, let alone to be in a position to win. After dropping a solid 9-13 on the scales on Day 1, their Day 2 went less than smooth as a variety of setbacks hindered them throughout the day. Close calls while boating, a broken fuel pump, and managing the lock schedule all made for a turbulent time, but the pair were able to scrounge up 11-14 and put themselves in real contention for the title heading into the final day, just 1-6 back from the leaders from Kaneland High School.

“For the past three days it’s been the most adrenalin I’ve ever had,” Piescher said. “Problems come with the good and the bad. We had a couple close calls out there, and then we win this when we weren’t expecting to get first – maybe second or third or whatever.”

The final day of competition got off to another rough start for Cambridge-Isanti as their fuel pump continued to throw a wrench in their tournament plans. Virtually dead in the water, help came from an unlikely source as camera boat driver Brad Wessling offered his boat so that the team could finish out their improbable Championship run.

“We just had to build and build every day,” Semler said. “(Problems) are just something you have got to overcome. First, we had our close call with another boat, then the motor won’t work well (yesterday). Then today we go to take off and it’s just nothing. Then we get permission to jump in the camera boat and things worked out. So, we are pretty lucky.”

After a quick swap and safety check, the boys and their boat captain Jeremiah Semler tore off to Pool No. 7 to chase their largemouth bite up stream. Upon arrival at their destination in Pool 7, the pair sat down and got to work, posting a limit in the first several minutes of their morning.

“We were expecting to get them, and we could almost call our cast,” Cole Semler said. “This place is something special. But, after the camera crew left especially, we calmed down a lot and were able to cull two times.”

“Brad was a lifesaver today,” Piescher said. “We wouldn’t have gotten even nearly close to top five without him. I don’t think we would have been able to catch the same quality in Pool 8.”

The High School Fishing National Championship featured 248 teams, and the top 10 teams at the 2023 High School Fishing National Championship on the Mississippi River finished:

1st: Cambridge-Isanti High School, Cambridge, Minn. – Zachary Piescher and Cole Semler, nine bass, 32-7
2nd: Kaneland High School, Maple Park, Ill. – J.D. McBroom and Carter Pjesky, nine bass, 32-1
3rd: Haughton Fishing Team, Haughton, La. – Carsen Adcock and Jase White, nine bass, 31-0
4th: Ruston High School, Ruston, La. – Rhett Anderson and Jessie Green, six bass, 28-1
5th: Piedmont Academy, Monticello, Ga. – Jaden Hoffman and Jayden Lintner, nine bass, 27-4
6th: Star City High School Anglers, Wahoo, Neb. – Ryder Kahny and Taylor Wagner, nine bass, 27-3
7th: Jackson Bass Fishing, Jackson, Mich. – Rylan Hamlin and Jack Swihart, nine bass, 26-12
8th: Hewitt-Trussville High School, Trussville, Ala. – Andrew Jones and Carson Underwood, nine bass, 26-10
9th: Saint Xavier High School, Louisville, Ky. – Miles Allen and Ethan Roths, eight bass, 26-7
10th: North Paulding High School Bass Team, Dallas, Ga. – Caleb Edwards and Blake Edwards, nine bass, 25-14

Complete results for the entire field can be found at HighSchoolFishing.org.

The 2023 High School Fishing National Championship on the Mississippi River was hosted by Explore La Crosse. MLF High School Fishing tournaments are free, two-person (team) events for students in grades 7-12 and are open to any MLF and TBF Student Angler Federation-affiliated high school club. The top 10 percent of teams at each Open event, along with the TBF High School Fishing state championships, advanced to the 2023 High School Fishing National Championship.

Proud sponsors of the 2023 MLF High School Fishing Presented by Favorite Fishing include: 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Black Rifle Coffee Company, E3, Favorite Fishing, Fox Rent a Car, General Tire, Grundens, Lawless Lures, Lew’s, Lowrance, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Wiley X and YETI.

For complete details and updated tournament information, visit HighSchoolFishing.org. For regular High School Fishing updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow High School Fishing on Facebook and on MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

by AnglersChannel

Jordan Lee Jumps to Early Lead at MLF General Tire Stage Six at Lake St. Clair Presented by John Deere Utility Vehicles

Alabama Pro Scores a Five-Fish Limit Weighing 22 Pounds, 8 Ounces to Lead After Day 1 for Group A – Group B Begins Competition Sunday

HARRISON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (June 24, 2023) – Berkley pro Jordan Lee of Cullman, Alabama weighed in 12 scorable smallmouth bass, with his best five totaling 22 pounds, 8 ounces to grab the early lead for Group A after Day 1 of the Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Tour General Tire Stage Six at Lake St. Clair Presented by John Deere Utility Vehicles. Pro Spencer Shuffield of Hot Springs, Arkansas sits 1 ounce behind Lee in second place for Group A with five scorable bass totaling 22-7.

The 40 anglers in Group A will now have an off day from competition Sunday, while the 40 anglers competing in Group B will begin their first day of competition. Group A will resume competition on Monday.

Lee started the day off with a bang, catching a 5-pound, 14-ounce smallmouth – the biggest fish of the day – in the first 10 minutes of competition to catapult into the early lead.

“I honestly expected to find a lot more schooling fish on this Canada side of Lake St. Clair, but that has not been the case,” said Lee. “I’ve basically just been practicing all day since we couldn’t fish over here during practice. I know it’s all about finding a good area, so I’ve been running around all over, bouncing here and there. The size of fish is just a little bit better over here, though, which is what I was hoping for.

“When you get around them, you catch some smaller ones, but they look healthy – they aren’t paper-thin,” Lee continued. “I also caught a couple bigger fish (today), which is key.”

Lee said his Lowrance ActiveTarget was critical to his success, and he caught his bass on several different baits, including a hair jig and drop-shot rig, a Berkley PowerBait MaxScent The Generalon a 3/8-ounce Ned Head and a Berkley PowerBait MaxScent Lil’ General.

“I’m not sure what to expect on Monday with the winds that are being forecast, but maybe the bite will be better,” said Lee. “I thought they would be a lot hungrier than they were because these fish haven’t seen a bait in a long time. The slick calm weather we’ve had today was great for being able to move around on the water, but it’s notorious for making fishing more difficult.

“If we get a little wind on Monday, I think the bite will pick up,” Lee continued. “They just weren’t firing today, but I’ll definitely take it. Maybe I can learn a little something and just take it day by day. Winning the first day doesn’t really mean a lot in the grand scheme of the tournament, but it feels great to get off to a good start.”

The top 20 pros in Group A after Day 1 on Lake St. Clair are:

1^st:           Jordan Lee, Cullman, Ala., five bass, 22-8
2^nd:          Spencer Shuffield, Hot Springs, Ark., five bass, 22-7
3^rd:          Alton Jones Jr., Waco, Texas, five bass, 21-5
4^th:           Greg Vinson, Wetumpka, Ala., five bass, 20-12
5^th:           Matt Becker, Ten Mile, Tenn., five bass, 20-9
6^th:           Ryan Salzman, Huntsville, Ala., five bass, 20-9
7^th:           Terry Scroggins, San Mateo, Fla., five bass, 20-5
8^th:           Cody Meyer, Star, Idaho, five bass, 19-11
9^th:           Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., five bass, 19-6
10^th:        David Dudley, Lynchburg, Va., five bass, 19-4
11^th:        Brent Chapman, Lake Quivira, Kan., five bass, 19-4
12^th:        Kelly Jordon, Flint, Texas, five bass, 18-14
13^th:        Fletcher Shryock, Guntersville, Ala., five bass, 18-12
14^th:        Andy Morgan, Dayton Tenn., five bass, 18-12
15^th:        Boyd Duckett, Guntersville, Ala., five bass, 18-9
16^th:        James Watson, Lampe, Mo., five bass, 18-4
17^th:        Mark Rose, Wynne, Ark., five bass, 17-13
18^th:        Randall Tharp, Port St. Joe, Fla., five bass, 17-12
19^th:        Ott DeFoe, Blaine, Tenn., five bass, 17-10
20^th:        Dean Rojas, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., five bass, 17-10

A complete list of results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.Lee’s 5-pound, 14-ounce smallmouth in Period 1 was the biggest fish of the day, earning him the first $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award of the event. Berkley awards $1,000 to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass each day, and another $3,000 bonus to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass of the tournament.

by AnglersChannel

FIU student wins Females in Fisheries conservation scholarship

Florida International University graduate student Shakira Trabelsi has won the seventh annual Noreen Clough Memorial Scholarship for Females in Fisheries.

Photo courtesy of Shakira Trabelsi

June 23, 2023

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The seventh annual Noreen Clough Memorial Scholarship for Females in Fisheries has been awarded to Florida International University grad student Shakira Trabelsi, who began fishing at a young age and considers time spent multispecies fishing throughout Florida “transformative.”

“Fishing began for me in the canal in my backyard with my dad; we would fish there regularly until his passing when I was 7 years old,” said Trabelsi. “Angling in my free time, though, created and reinforced friendships, served as a mental reset and — in a small way — pays homage to my dad.”

Trabelsi, who is currently pursuing her master’s degree in Environmental Science, is investigating the health of the economically important wild redfish throughout Florida’s estuaries to determine if pharmaceuticals are affecting the health of exposed fish. She is evaluating the extent of exposure and assessing fish health through hematological and biochemical analyses.

“Studies in laboratory settings have shown that pharmaceuticals can alter the behavior of fish and negatively impact their health, yet negative impacts to health regarding pharmaceuticals in wild fish has not been assessed,” explained Trabelsi.

After graduating in 2024, Trabelsi hopes to work for a government agency as a biologist on issues regarding water quality and fisheries conservation through an ecotoxicology perspective.

“I can only hope to have even a fraction of Noreen Clough’s tenacity, passion and determination; she truly is an inspiration to women in fisheries like me,” said Trabelsi.

Noreen Clough blazed many trails in the field of fisheries. As the first female regional director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and later as the B.A.S.S. Conservation Director, her distinguished career was dedicated to the conservation and management of fish and wildlife. Clough passed away in January 2015. As a tribute, friends and colleagues established an endowment to provide a scholarship through the Southern Division American Fisheries Society Black Bass Conservation Committee for female students working toward a career in fisheries conservation.

Applicants for the Females in Fisheries scholarship came in from women across the United States and Canada who exemplified what Clough hoped to see in future fishery scientists.

“All of the young women who applied for the Females in Fisheries scholarship have a bright future in fisheries because, in addition to their academic strengths, they are all avid anglers — and that will serve them well as they pursue professional careers,” said Gene Gilliland, B.A.S.S. Conservation Director.

Gordon Robertson, retired Vice President of Government Affairs for the American Sportfishing Association and a longtime colleague of Clough’s added, “Noreen put a high value on lessons learned from recreational fishing from both a resource understanding and appreciation perspective but also from a perspective of understanding anglers and how they think and react to resource and social issues.”

Trabelsi will be awarded a $2,000 scholarship from the Southern Division American Fisheries Society Black Bass Conservation Committee.

by AnglersChannel

Major League Fishing Shifts Takeoff Times for General Tire Stage Six

WHAT:
Major League Fishing (MLF) has shifted the takeoff time at the General Tire Stage Six at Lake St. Clair Presented by John Deere Utility Vehicles in Harrison Township, Michigan to allow more time for angler ride through prior to the start of competition.

WHEN:
Saturday, June 24 – Thursday, June 29
Takeoff: Moved up to 7:20 a.m. ET

WHERE:
Lake St. Clair Metropark
31300 Metro Parkway
Harrison Township, MI 48045

NOTES:
Morning takeoff times have been shifted from 7:30 a.m. ET to 7:20 a.m. ET at the General Tire Stage Six at Lake St. Clair Presented by John Deere Utility Vehicles to allow more time for angler ride through prior to the start of competition. Competition times and MLFNOW!® live stream times will not be affected. MLFNOW!® will break down the extended action live on all six days of competition from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app.

The six-day event, hosted by the Detroit Sports Commission , Macomb County and Lake St. Clair Metroparks , showcases 80 of the top professional bass-fishing anglers in the world competing for a total purse of more than $805,000, including a top cash prize 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.

by AnglersChannel

ChatterBait® Creators Reveal Ultra-Refined ElaZtech® Trailer

New Z-Man® ChatterSpike™ exhibits creative engineering, boosts bladed jig performance

Ladson, SC (June 22, 2023) – Ever since the Original ChatterBait® won the first of what would soon add up to dozens of tournament wins and mega stacks of cash a couple decades back, the bladed jig’s soft plastic trailer has always been along for the ride, almost an afterthought. Or, depending on the trailer’s design, maybe it’s the other way around—that the tail wags the dog. Maybe science explains it best: The tail helps maintain balance, offers counterweight and assistance with movement, and certainly, communicates a very specialized message.

To Z-Man pro and ChatterBait tactician Stephen Browning, it’s all about the hydrodynamics. Always, he leans on the blade for its flash, action and lateral-line strumming vibes. But Browning also understands the critical role of his chosen ChatterBait trailer: to provide bulk, a bit of buoyancy, baitfish profile and just enough tail-kicking animation to augment—but not overpower—the blade itself.

Bringing out all the best fish catching vibes of a ChatterBait—while simultaneously injecting extra dimensions of balance, movement and bass talk—the new Z-Man ChatterSpike™ looks and performs like it’s perfectly at home on the back of any bladed jig.

“Beyond its soft, durable ElaZtech® composition,” suggests Browning, “the coolest thing about the ChatterSpike is that it absolutely maxes out blade performance and hunting action and never gets in the way of a ChatterBait’s talents. A lot of other trailers seem to be designed without considering how their bulk, shape or action affects ChatterBlade® function.” Think of the ChatterSpike as an intelligent, highly refined trailer that brings harmony to an already catchy tune.

Streamlined and hydrodynamic at first glance, the ChatterSpike’s minimalist pintail baitfish façade embodies some impressive engineering. “To give the ChatterSpike a crisp, fluid, extra-responsive action, we sculpted it with a diamond-shaped cross section and leading edges that effortlessly slice through water and transfer energy all across the body,” explains Jose Chavez, Z-Man Director of Product Development. “To increase water displacement and quivering action though the tail section, we cut in a series of V-shaped ridges, top and bottom. This segmented posterior makes the ChatterSpike swim with a crisp, fast whipping action, side-to-side. It’s a tight but realistic range of movement that can actually be customized by the angler.”

Z-Man's 4.5" ChatterSpike introduces new ChatterBait-trailer engineering.

Viewing the bait dorsal side down reveals its series of overlapping V-shaped segments, each fortified with subtle swimming wings. “To increase its action and range of side-to-side movement, you can actually trim the wings down to size,” notes Browning. “All along, the ChatterSpike’s slender pintail wags and quivers tirelessly. When you see what this thing looks like the water and how it performs on a ChatterBait, you immediately know it’s on the money.”

Browning drills down to the delicate dynamics between bladed jig and its trailer. “Even though the ChatterSpike offers its own independent action and profile, it never disrupts the flash or vibration of a ChatterBait. So, when you’re casting a lure like the new ChatterBait Elite EVO™, the ChatterSpike provides the right balance and range of motion to maximize the blade.

“You’ve got the sweet tail wagging action on every cast. But you quickly realize, no two casts turn out exactly the same. The lure does something a little different each time. Sometimes, it runs true as can be. Other casts, the lure darts and dives; exhibits a strong zig-and-zag hunting action.

“Think of the ChatterSpike as a subtle yet energetic trailer, wispy little pintail quivering continuously. To combat heavily pressured bass, it’s certainly a more restrained, dialed-in motion and presentation than your typical soft plastic. And probably the most lifelike movement you’ve ever seen in a ChatterBait trailer. Now consider its extra soft, yet crazy-durable ElaZtech nature and you’ve got a single bait that goes on and stays put for as many bass as you can handle.”

Equipped with dorsal and ventral hook slots, the 4.5-inch ChatterSpike is easy to rig arrow-straight, fitting all bladed jigs. Beyond deployment as a ChatterBait trailer, the ChatterSpike also fits a variety of other applications, including spinnerbait/buzzbait trailer and soft jerkbait/swimbait. Innovators and leaders in the ChatterBait category it created, Z-Man offers the most comprehensive range of bladed jigs and soft plastic trailers today. Available in October, the ChatterSpike comes in ten ChatterBait matching colors, all crafted in the USA. For for more info, visit www.zmanfishing.com.

by AnglersChannel

Second Annual MLF General Tire Team Series Draft Concludes with Exciting Results

Number One Show on the Outdoor Channel Set to Return with Competition in Fall of 2023

BENTON, Ky. (June 22, 2023) – Major League Fishing (MLF), the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, announced today the results of the 2023 General Tire Team Series Draft, which took place Wednesday in Harrison Township, Michigan. During the second annual General Tire Team Series Draft, the top 27 Bass Pro Tour anglers – based on 2022 Angler of the Year (AOY) point standings – selected two additional Bass Pro Tour anglers to create 27 three-man teams that will compete over three qualifying events.

The General Tire Team Series will showcase the 80 anglers that compete on the Bass Pro Tour, joined by the next available highest-ranking 2022 MLF champion, competing as three-man teams across four events for more than $700,000 in cash payouts.

“After a successful transition from the extremely popular MLF Cup events in 2022, it was exciting to watch our Bass Pro Tour anglers work together again and strategize to create their winning lineups,” said Kathy Fennel, Executive Vice President and General Manager of MLF. “We look forward to another round of exciting programming again this fall.”

2023 General Tire Team Series Draft Results:

CAPTAIN: Josh Bertrand, TEAMMATES: Edwin Evers and Marty Robinson
CAPTAIN: Greg Vinson, TEAMMATES: Bradley Roy and David Dudley
CAPTAIN: Chris Lane, TEAMMATES: Jared Lintner and John Hunter
CAPTAIN: Wesley Strader, TEAMMATES: Scott Suggs and Matt Becker
CAPTAIN: Todd Faircloth, TEAMMATES: Jeff Sprague and Jeff Kriet
CAPTAIN: Ott DeFoe, TEAMMATES: Andy Montgomery and Brandon Coulter
CAPTAIN: Stephen Browning, TEAMMATES: Anthony Gagliardi and Keith Poche
CAPTAIN: Casey Ashley, TEAMMATES: Terry Scroggins and Jacob Wall
CAPTAIN: Jonathon VanDam, TEAMMATES: James Elam and Matt Lee
CAPTAIN: Bryan Thrift, TEAMMATES: Luke Clausen and Josh Butler
CAPTAIN: Brent Ehrler, TEAMMATES: Brett Hite and John Murray
CAPTAIN: Alton Jones Jr., TEAMMATES: Nick LeBrun and Britt Myers
CAPTAIN: Randall Tharp, TEAMMATES: Gerald Spohrer and Russ Lane
CAPTAIN: Jeremy Lawyer, TEAMMATES: Cody Meyer and Shin Fukae
CAPTAIN: Dustin Connell, TEAMMATES: Cole Floyd and Roy Hawk
CAPTAIN: Adrian Avena, TEAMMATES: Spencer Shuffield and Ryan Salzman
CAPTAIN: Andy Morgan, TEAMMATES: Fletcher Shryock and James Watson
CAPTAIN: Michael Neal, TEAMMATES: Takahiro Omori and Dean Rojas
CAPTAIN: Mark Daniels Jr., TEAMMATES: Randy Howell and Cliff Crochet
CAPTAIN: Justin Lucas, TEAMMATES: Skeet Reese and Fred Roumbanis
CAPTAIN: Zack Birge, TEAMMATES: Mark Rose and Cliff Pace
CAPTAIN: Jesse Wiggins, TEAMMATES: Kyle Hall and Gary Klein
CAPTAIN: Kevin VanDam, TEAMMATES: David Walker and Kelly Jordon
CAPTAIN: Dakota Ebare, TEAMMATES: Mitch Crane and Tommy Biffle
CAPTAIN: Alton Jones Sr., TEAMMATES: Brent Chapman and Dave Lefebre
CAPTAIN: Jordan Lee, TEAMMATES: Mark Davis and Timmy Horton

CAPTAIN: Jacob Wheeler, TEAMMATES: Dylan Hays and Boyd Duckett

For complete details and updated information on Major League Fishing and the MLF General Tire Team Series events, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

by AnglersChannel

Throwback Thursday - Bagleys - 1977

By Terry Battisti - Bass Fishing Archives

We’ve written a couple of pieces on the Jim Bagley Bait Company over the course of the last couple of years, but I personally never get tired of looking at their ads from days past. Recently I was scouring all my 1977 magazines for another piece and noticed after a while, how many ads Bagley had placed in the various magazines at the time and decided to scan them all. Here’s Bagleys – 1977

The years 1976 and ‘77 were banner years for the company due to Rick Clunn winning back-to-back Bass Masters Classics and catching some of his fish in each event on Bagley’s baits. This seems to have done a couple of things – namely provide a bunch of sales for the company which, in turn, allowed them to step up their ad campaign to sell more.

After going through nearly 75 magazines, I would say I could count on one hand the number of issues that didn’t have a Bagley ad in them. Most of those ads were the same ad placed over and over but this ad-year they really stepped up in the marketing department by designing several new ads.

Most of the ads that were placed in Bassmaster Magazine are fairly well known. It’s the ads that were placed in magazines such as American Angler, American Bass Fisherman, and National Bass that are really cool – ads I’d never seen before. Maybe you haven’t either?

The first ad, at the top of the article, is one I’d never seen. Although the baits weren’t really known as saltwater lures, you can get the gist of the ad in that the baits were little treasures. After two big wins within a year, who could argue?

That ad featured BB2s, KB2s, Honey Bs, Bang-O-Lures, Balsa Shiner, and what appears to be the full line of DBs, lead pellet in the lips to boot.

The second ad, one we’ve all seen, is of Rick Clunn and makes special note of his 1976 Classic win using the Honey B. The curious thing about the ad is Clunn reported in Bassmaster Magazine that he caught his fish on a crawdad-colored Honey B. Yet, there’s a picture of a Tennessee Shad model in the ad, model HB1-TS to be exact.

The ad reflects on Clunn’s Classic, how he was in 3^rd place on the first day but rallied the second day with a 33-pound 5-ounce sack the second day to take a commanding lead. They then state that Clunn relied heavily on the Honey B the third day to bring in another limit (16-01), win the event and break the all-time record for total weight in a Classic.

The third ad, again a Honey B ad, was showing customers that they didn’t just have to throw the shallow-running Honey B. If they needed to go a little deeper, they could fish the Diving Honey B.

This is a great ad in that it shows a number of Bagley’s color patterns complete with their model/color number. Out of that bunch of baits, my favorite color pattern was the Golden Shiner (DHB1-GOS). It mimicked the color of a certain species of crawdad we had on one of the local lakes to a tee. The fished chewed that color.

1977 Bagley's Ad featuring the Diving Honey B

The fourth ad in the mix is another ad I’d never seen and came from American Angler. It was a picture of a coloring book, opened to a page featuring a bass. The ad was featuring Jim Bagley’s new “little bass” color pattern on the new KB2, or Kill’r B II. The text says:

“Nothing could be more appealing to a largemouth bass than another bass – fingerling size. That’s why Jim Bagley has just introduced his newest color, the “little bass,” to his complete line of famous balsa wood lures. This new life-like color combined with the fantastic action of the Kill’r B II is the most taste-tempting morsel ever to swim thru a brush top. Try it…you’ll it. The bass will too!”

I have to say that the color baby bass was not in my top-5 or even my top-10 color choices. I can count on one hand the number of fish I have caught on that color over the 50 years I’ve been casting for bass. But that probably has to do with the lakes I fished. Your results may vary.

I do wish I had this coloring book – if it ever existed.

The final ad is yet another I don’t recall ever seeing. It again featured the “NEW” Kill’r B II but also another not-so-well-known bait, the new Balsa Shiner – their version of the Cordell Spot and soon-to-be popular Rattle Trap.

The writeup for the Kill’r B II says that it is a smaller brother of the 3-inch Kill’r B, or what should have been called the Kill’r B III. I need to go back and investigate whether the original Kill’r B was given a number or if that came after the advent of the KB2.

Then there’s the Balsa Shiner. Advertised as the newest in the balsa wood family, the Shiner was designed for both fresh and saltwater. The bait would dive no deeper than 2-1/2 feet and was touted as a great fats bait to be fished over grass.

As we find more Bagley ads we’ll post them up. In the meantime, if you remember one we haven’t touched upon, send us a note and let us know about it.

1977 Bagley’s ad from American Angler Magazine

by AnglersChannel

B.A.S.S. Nation Northern Regional heading to Wisconsin's Lake Winnebago

Grass-roots anglers representing 10 states will compete in the 2023 TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Northern Regional at Lake Winnebago June 28-30.

Photo by Grant Moxley/B.A.S.S.

June 21, 2023

APPLETON, Wis. — Anglers fishing the TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Northern Regional at Lake Winnebago June 28-30 will likely find both smallmouth and largemouth in a mostly post-spawn stage and 2022 Dakota Lithium Bassmaster Rookie of the Year Jay Przekurat of Stevens Point, Wis., believes finding some bigger bites will be the key to success.

The Northern Regional will feature teams from Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Anglers will take off starting at 6 a.m. CT from the Jefferson Park Boat Ramp and weigh-in will be back at the park beginning at 2 p.m. Full coverage will be available on Bassmaster.com.

At the end of the tournament, the top boater and top nonboater from each state will qualify for the 2023 TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Championshipon legendary Lake Hartwell Oct. 18-20. The winner of the Nation Championship will be crowned “Nation’s Best” and will earn a spot in the 2024 Bassmaster Elite Series field along with the use of a fully-rigged Toyota Tundra and Nitro boat.

The Top 3 anglers from the Nation Championship will also punch their ticket to the 2024 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Toyota in Tulsa, Okla.

To unlock Winnebago, anglers will need to decipher how each section of the system sets up, Przekurat said.

“That particular system, you have a lot of options,” he said. “You can fish Winnebago, which is more lake-based and wind-driven. Especially with the way the dirty water moves and the wind pushes it. There are smallmouth that get offshore on Winnebago on some of the rock structures. You kind of have to play your cards right there because they aren’t always where they are supposed to be.”

The largemouth will be up close to shore and in the canals on Winnebago and Lake Butte des Morts, as well as in some of the milfoil patches off the bank. Moving west, Lake Poygan has less rock structure but has more opportunities for largemouth with plenty of canals and shallow cover.

For Przekurat, the Wolf River provides some of the better opportunities to win.

“This time of the year, the fish up the river should be getting to their summertime areas,” he said. “They like to run up the tributaries and start to find cooler water. Especially when they get done spawning, they like to feed up on the baitfish that live up those rivers. On the lake, they start to group up and find the right wind areas. I would say the river is more consistent than Winnebago.”

The Winnebago system is also one of the only Northern fisheries with shad.

For largemouth, there will be plenty of opportunities to flip, frog and throw moving baits like a bladed jig and a swim jig around grassy areas. The system has milfoil, eelgrass and duckweed. They will also hang around docks.

The smallmouth love to eat a tube and a Ned rig around rocks, current breaks with wood, cut banks and even docks. Wind will be a major player when targeting the brown fish.

This will be the first visit to Lake Winnebago for the B.A.S.S. Nation since the 2008 season.

by AnglersChannel

Sidewalk chalk for Arey’s new dream truck

Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships

Emily Arey, wife of Team Toyota’s Matt Arey, is the executive director for the Hospice Foundation of Cleveland County, NC, near their home in Shelby, but there’s a strong chance she could turn her amazing talent for drawing images with colored sidewalk chalk into a part time profession too.

“Emily and the girls have been making “good luck” chalk drawings for me the past 10 years, and to this day, I’ve never left for a tournament that they didn’t draw one for me. It’s our thing, and it’s pretty dang special to me,” says Arey.

She and their young daughters draw an inspiring fishing related image specific to every tournament Matt heads-out to compete in, and most recently they drew one to celebrate his dream truck – a Toyota Tundra TRD Pro Series.

“I’ve been pulling boats with Toyotas since I got my driver’s license, and in recent years I’ve really dreamed of running a Tundra TRD Pro Series. I love the aggressive bold looks, and the i-Force MAX V-6 hybrid engine is a 437-horsepowertowing beast with a ton of increased torque, but I love the red interior too. Since I’m a 2003 North Carolina State grad, I call it Wolfpack Red,” grins Arey.

He plans to add some after-market speakers to his new dream rig so he can jam to country music as well as longtime favorites Matchbox Twenty and Dave Matthews. He also needs to get a new graphic wrap placed on its exterior before heading to the next Elite Series at Lake St. Clair in late July.

He says he’ll probably lean heavily on relatively new drop shot baits from Lunkerhunt called the Hover Shot and Versa Fish when he gets to St. Clair. And there’s no doubt in his mind that talented wife Emily, along with his sweet young daughters, will have drawn the perfect image of good luck wishes in sidewalk chalk on the family driveway when he points his new dream truck north to Michigan.

by AnglersChannel

Box it with the Best

DAIWA’s new system recycles plastic into premium utility tackle trays

Cypress, CA (June 21, 2023) – When the technological leader in rod and reel manufacturing introduces a commodity product, you can safely wager it’s better than the others. Such is the case with DAIWA’s new D-BOX Tackle System.

Being a DAIWA groupie, it’s time to renew your tackle utility boxes with the brand’s new premium and affordable collection. Available in two sizes (3600 and 3700) and six total configurations, DAIWA’s new D-Boxes features clear weathertight lids with four robust, tight-snapping latches to keep everything in check. Internal tabs are cut clean for instant organizing of each slot, with a total of 12 compartments in the 3600-size and 20 compartments in the 3700-size. Available in shallow, regular, and deep models.

And doing its part for the environment, DAIWA’s new D-BOX Tackle System boxes are made from 100% recycled plastic.

SHALLOW

MEDIUM

DEEP

SIZES:

DAIWA D-BOX MS-MEDIUM SHALLOW (12C/3600 Shallow Equivalent)
DAIWA D-BOX MR-MEDIUM REGULAR (12C/3600 Regular Equivalent)
DAIWA D-BOX MD-MEDIUM DEEP (12C/3600 Deep Equivalent)
DAIWA D-BOX LS-LARGE SHALLOW (20C/3700 Shallow Equivalent)
DAIWA D-BOX LR-LARGE REGULAR (20C/3700 Regular Equivalent)
DAIWA D-BOX LD-LARGE DEEP (20C/3700 Deep Equivalent)

MSRP $11.99 to $18.99

by AnglersChannel

Mid-Depth Assassin – the Berkley Dime

Berkley’s newest hard bait weapon that bass cannot resist

COLUMBIA, S.C. (Feb 7, 2023) – Berkley understands what balsa crankbaits can do to help anglers catch more fish, but also recognizes the limitations attributed to wooden baits. Building on the success of their first alternative for a flat-sided balsa crankbait with the Berkley Frittside, the team at Berkley Labs has now taken the same method of proven balsa action and durability and applied it to their newest mid-depth crankbait – the Berkley Dime.

Offering anglers the durability and performance of a plastic bait, the Dime features balsa-like action thanks to Berkley’s patented Flash Disc technology. It not only casts further due to the weight transfer system in the smaller sizes, but it tracks perfectly and features sticky sharp Fusion19 treble hooks for when it’s time to fill the boat. Rounding out the offering are first in class finishes and colorway options to match the hatch that balsa baits cannot achieve. Backed by Berkley science to help anglers catch more fish, the Dime is sure to become a go-to mid-depth crankbait at all times of year.

KEY FEATURES
• Patented Flash Disc Technology achieves balsa like action in a plastic bait
• Weight transfer system for further casting in sizes 4 and 6
• Sticky sharp Fusion19 hooks
• First in class finish and colorways unachieved by balsa baits

Sizes: 4 • 6 • 10 • 15
Colors: Red Swamp Craw • HD Brown Craw • Proper Copper • Blaze • Ghost Green Craw • Spray Tan • Special Red Craw • Ghost Red Craw • Blue Shad • Honey Shad • Killer Gill • Citrus Shad • Ghost Morning Dawn • Ghost Gill • Black Chartreuse • HD Blueback Herring • Pixie Dust • River Bream • Rootbeer Craw • Vanilla Chartreuse • Blue Chartreuse
MSRP: $10.99

Available: September 2023

by AnglersChannel

Kayak Bass Fishing…Take Two

By Danny Blandford

I’m starting to dig “back” into kayak bass fishing more and more, but I’ve had to do some homework. I bought a sit-down/sit-in “fishing” kayak as an impulse buy years ago, but the purchase missed the mark and left a lot to be desired. I love the concept, the access the kayak provides, and the simplicity it brings to bass fishing. I didn’t like the kayak…that was a huge roadblock to moving forward, so I shelved it…all of it. My first attempt has made a great birdhouse, not so much of a great fishing platform, so I’ve recently decided to revisit that project. Coming at it from a more informed perspective this time should certainly help with the results.

Fortunately, at AnglersChannel.com, we can get plugged into experts pretty quickly when we’re looking to learn more. I got a chance to chat with Old Town Kayak Pro, Anthony Garcia, of Los Angeles, CA. What an awesome conversation; two anglers from completely different environments and backgrounds, tied with the common thread of bass fishing. It was evident from the start, that Anthony’s California rivers and my local Ohio River, don’t have many parallels, but shallow water bassin’ is shallow water bassin’ regardless of locale, so we hit it off.

Anthony shared his fishing story of going from “Bait and weight” fishing with family as a kid, to getting into kayaks, then fishing kayaks and ultimately, national tournaments. Ironically, he was fresh off his first co-angler bass event, the WON Bass CA Open, on Clear Lake. He was just starting to dive into “our” world, as we were diving into his. He ended up with a 5 bass limit each day and a 15^th place finish, so I’d say kayak angling absolutely develops tournament anglers, and he knows his stuff. Curious if I will take to a kayak as well as he did to the back of the boat…

We started with the basics of boat selection. Anthony’s advice was simple, “Get in kayaks…find buddies, or stores that have demos, and get in every style you can access. What works for me is specific to me…my size, my fishing style, even where I fish dictates “why” my boat is right for me. In my case, the Old Town AutoPilot 136 was right for me”

Garcia's Old Town Sportsman AutoPilot 136

“What you’ll learn by getting in them is what style feels stable to you; stability equals comfort out there on the water. Choosing that first will set you on the right path. You can check out different brands, price points and features once you know what kind YOU like.” Although simple, it was sound advice. I had skipped step one and as a result, I felt like kayak fishing wasn’t a good fit for me…in actuality it was having my butt below the water line and sitting all day that was just too foreign to me. The opportunity to stand up and move around, like I do on the front deck of the boat is likely to make a huge difference. Old Town has a Kayak Selector, but it sounds like seat time is the next step after online research.

Simple DIY solutions to set up your boat.

The conversation drifted from which boat to which “power”. I found dealing with the paddles for positioning, while also dealing with the rods, to be cumbersome and pretty inefficient to be honest. Anthony had solutions for that as well. “Over the years, we’ve dealt with a lot of those issues, some through our own innovation…things like bungees, milk crates, and pvc tubes can help provide some creature comforts to help with on the water organization.

With my current Old Town setup, I keep 6 to 10 rods rigged and ready, have tackle storage, the whole deal. A while back, pedal drive kayaks really helped things jump forward for us bass guys by freeing up the hands and increasing our range. Now with the addition of Minn Kota Autopilot, lightweight batteries, and electronics we’re pretty set up.”

“These days, when I’m out there, I’m focused completely on fishing, not navigation”, added Garcia.

So I’m sure you’re wondering, and of course I had to ask, How Fast & How Long?? According to Anthony, his Old Town Auto Pilot 136, with a “tournament load” gets about 4 mph at full speed and could run that way for a couple of hours and he could paddle to boost that speed. “I seldom just get in and go full speed ahead, but you can cover some water. I reserve a lot of my juice for moving around throughout the day, in both moving between spots and positioning the boat for good presentations and fishing. In my longest tournament day, I covered about 14 miles, between fishing and moving around the lake.”

14 miles kind of blew my mind; I’m not sure I cover that much water some days with electric and gas at my disposal.

The power to move comes from lithium, Anthony’s is spread around, with some thought put into it. Diving into his setup, he explained, “I do a 100 Ah (Amp/hour) lithium dedicated to my trolling motor and that’s usually all I need, BUT, I run my transducers from a 54 Ah lithium that can be used for the Minn Kota if I deplete my main battery unexpectedly. The graphs themselves are powered by a small 18 Ah that I can easily swap out.”

I can see where the lithium is the way to go for kayak bass fishing, in my earlier article, Flipping the Relion Lithium Battery Switch I dropped in a Relion RB100-HP. This is the same rating as discussed by Anthony for powering his Minn Kota, and it weighed in at 27 pounds, so that’s a lot of power at minimal weight.

It was clear to me that after talking with Anthony, there are fishing kayaks and then there are FISHING kayaks. Thinking about being able to cover MILES of backwater, some that’s inaccessible to my current aluminum boat and being able to do it standing up, with electronics at my disposal has my wheels turning for sure.

In closing, special thanks to Old Town Pro, Anthony Garcia for sharing some insight I should have sought a long time ago. If you’re looking to dive a little deeper like me, the Old Town Website and their blog has some good stuff to check out.

by AnglersChannel

Abu Garcia Introduces the Zenon X Spinning Reel

The Ultimate Tool for Freshwater Anglers Who Want to Fish to Win

COLUMBIA, S.C. (June 20, 2023) – Building on the original Zenon spinning reel, Abu Garcia has added a new model to the Zenon spinning selection with the Zenon X. This new model fills the gap by offering the flexibility to fish lightweight finesse style baits while also providing the power to handle heavier baits when needed.

Building upon the success of the original Zenon spinning reel, the Zenon X features the same efficient asymmetric aluminum frame, combined with an oversized AMG2 machined aluminum gear system that delivers the perfect balance of weight, performance and durability.

“This new addition to the Zenon spinning reel lineup is a game-changer for freshwater anglers,” said Andrew Wheeler, Director of Freshwater at Abu Garcia. “The Zenon X combines lightweight design, durable construction and precision engineering to deliver a reel that excels in finesse fishing techniques while offering the versatility to handle heavier baits with ease. It’s the ultimate tool for passionate anglers seeking exceptional performance on the water.”

KEY FEATURES
• Asymmetric one piece aluminum gear box design delivers a compact reel design that is ultra lightweight
• Air fin spool design helps reduce weight
• V-Rotor design reduces start up inertia
• Carbon handle and co-molded handle knob
• AMG2 fully machined aluminum main gear gives unparalleled smoothness and durability
• 9+1 HPCR bearing system
• Rocket line management system
• Mid-arbor spool design
• 6.2:1 gear ratio
• Weight: 2000 – 6.0-ounces • 2500MS – 6.5-ounces • 3000MS – 6.6-ounces • 3500MS – 6.8-ounces

MSRP: $299.95
Available: September 2023

by AnglersChannel

Travel to El Salto to Dial in Your Crankbait Bite

By Pete Robbins - Half Past First Cast

We just returned from our annual May-June trip to Mexico’s Lake El Salto. I’ve only missed this tradition twice since 2013 – first in 2019 when I had a conflicting trip to Alaska, and second in 2020 when COVID hit. We made up for that latter missed opportunity that November by returning for two full weeks, but I hope to never miss the summertime bite again as long as I live.

That’s because it gives me the opportunity to do something I don’t get to do at home: Deep cranking. I’d guess that well over 90% of the tournaments on my home waters of the Potomac River are won in less than 6 feet of water, many of them in less than 4, and some in less than 1. By the time each new boat is a month old, I’ve banged up the bottom of my trolling motor and worn the paint off the outboard skeg. Shallow water is my comfort zone. That’s why it’s a treat to go and do something that’s out of my wheelhouse.

One of many crankbait bass from a recent trip!

We actually started going before there was a crankbait that went deep enough for some of the schools. For years, the Fat Free Shad was the gold standard down there – anything deeper and you had to use a jig or a Carolina Rig or a Texas Rig. Then came the 10XD and my mind was officially blown. You’ll need specialized gear to crank it comfortably all day (and bring some Advil), but it fires up fish like nothing else. It produced my El Salto PB in 2017, and I look forward to cranking it every year. Cranking hasn’t always been the dominant ticket for our summer trips, but it’s usually a big part of the show.

The great part of going for a week (go however long you can afford to be there, but more is always better), you can get a crash course in offshore cranking. How do different colors affect the bite? The fish usually want it super-fast, but sometimes slowing down is important, or they’ll eat it almost exclusively on the pause. There are times when the 6XD does the job as well as the 10XD, in the same areas, but there are times when one is clearly better than the other. There are times when a no-rattle bait works best, and times when a loud knocker is superior. By fishing shoulder-to-shoulder with another angler on one of the best fisheries on earth, you can figure all of that out much more quickly.

It's the same sort of education we’ve gotten at other times about the changing bite. One January the fish crushed a Chatterbait on the first day, but wouldn’t react similarly in those same areas on Day Two until we switched to a swim jig. On Day Three, we had to go even more subtle, with a plain ribbed swimbait like a Keitech or Rage Swimmer.

That’s the beauty of going to such a fertile fishery – you can work on whatever technique or techniques you desire, or just go on a “catching” trip.

I’ve been South of the Border to fish in October, November, January, February, May and June, and I can say that not all months are created equally for all techniques. For example, while we’ve had a great plopper bite on occasion in June, on this trip I caught the grand total of one topwater fish. December would be better for that. February, too. The high water months are my favorites for a swim jig and flipping heavy brush. In fact, if you live where there’s an “offseason” those are great months to fine-tune your game before local tournaments start.

If you’d like to book a trip, or inquire about the best time for a particular technique, email us. It’s fishing, so there are no guarantees, but we’ll steer you in the right direction -- as soon as our thumbs and wrists heal from all of that fast-paced cranking. We have some spots on our trip next June, but we’re happy to arrange your trip to bass fishing Disneyland at any time that suits your schedule and your preferences.

by AnglersChannel

Hatfield Hammers 20-Pound, 11-Ounce Final-Day Limit to Win MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitational T-H Marine Stop 5 at the Potomac River

Second-Year Pro Catches Biggest Limit of the Tournament on Final Day to Vault to Top of Leaderboard and Earn Top Payout of $117,500

MARBURY, Md. (June 19, 2023) – Pro Nick Hatfield of Greeneville, Tennessee, caught a five-bass limit Monday weighing 20 pounds, 11 ounces – the largest limit weighed throughout the three-day tournament – to win the MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitational T-H Marine Stop 5 at the Potomac River . Hatfield’s three-day total of 15 bass weighing 53 pounds, 12 ounces, earned him the win by a 5-pound, 3-ounce margin over Bass Pro Tour angler Cody Meyer of Star, Idaho, who finished second with a three day total of 15 bass weighing 48-9, good for the $50,000 runner-up payout.

After a Polaris Rookie of the Year win in 2021 on the Pro Circuit, Hatfield signed on to the new-look Invitationals for another go-round. After finishing 101st at Lake of the Ozarks in May, it looked like his Bass Pro Tour dreams may have gone by the wayside; but winning the Potomac vaulted him back into the Top 10 in points and may prove to be a key moment in a long career.

Starting the day in second behind Martin Villa, Hatfield knew he was close to a win. Still, the Top 10 was about as stacked as can be on the Potomac, and he also knew he needed to do more than just hold serve.

“Today I decided to scrap where I’ve been starting because it sucked yesterday,” Hatfield said. “I didn’t want to try to go in there and scrap out 14 or 15 pounds, I wanted to go for the win.”

So, he rolled into Chicamuxen Creek and started fishing in a recently opened spawning sanctuary.

“I knew it hadn’t had the pressure; I didn’t know if I could catch them in there, but I figured it hadn’t had the pressure like everywhere else,” Hatfield said. “So, I went in there and started catching them pretty quick. I got in a few areas there and caught them on a bunch of different things, but there was one little area in there that was a bream bed, and most of the big ones I caught, I caught off of it. When it went down it was pretty crazy.”

After catching a few swimming a jig and frogging in a marshy creek, Hatfield pulled out a popper as he roamed around. Things happened in a hurry after that.

“I stumbled into it as I was fishing, just going down the bank,” he said. “I threw a popper up close to the point, and one engulfed it. I kept throwing over there, and upon further inspection, after I caught some, I saw it was a bream bed. So, I actually went back to it later in the day and caught another 4-pounder off of it.”

Running bream beds has gotten a bit trendy recently, and the Top 10 definitely added them into the mix with the usual Potomac staples. For Hatfield, a big patch of spawning bluegill in Quantico Creek did a lot of the heavy lifting.
“I saw the one in Quantico the second day of practice and I saw there were a bunch of big ones swimming on it and it was easy to get bites,” Hatfield said. “I never found another one until today.

“I’d say out of 15 bass I weighed, maybe four or five came off something else,” he said. “Swimming a jig, a frog, ChatterBait, something like that. It was all on bream beds, basically.”

For his bream beds, Hatfield’s primary weapon was a wacky-rigged Yamamoto Senko with a No. 1 Hayabusa WRM929. He also mixed in a 3/8-ounce Z-Man Evergreen ChatterBait JackHammer, a 3/8-ounce Hayabusa Lil’ Schmitty Swim Jig , a popping frog and a bone Lobina Rio Rico. He used Doomsday rods for all of his techniques, opting for a 7-foot, medium-heavy model for the wacky rig.

“I’ve wanted to win one of these, I’ve tried hard,” Hatfield went on to say. “I knew that I could do it, and today just shows that I can. I can’t wait for the next one, I’m ready to go right now.”

The top 50 pros at the T-H Marine Stop 5 at the Potomac River finished:

1st:        Nick Hatfield, Greeneville, Tenn., 15 bass, 53-12, $117,500 (includes $35,000 Phoenix Bonus)
2nd:       Cody Meyer, Star, Idaho, 15 bass, 48-9, $50,000
3rd:       Eric Panzironi, Longwood, Fla., 15 bass, 48-8, $20,000
4th:        Wyatt Frankens, Corrigan, Texas, 15 bass, 46-9, $18,000
5th:        Martin Villa, Charlottesville, Va., 15 bass, 46-8, $17,000
6th:        Blake Hall, Rogersville, Ala., 15 bass, 46-1, $17,000
7th:        Andrew Loberg, Rocklin, Calif., 15 bass, 46-0, $15,000
8th:        Keith Carson, DeBary, Fla., 15 bass, 45-13, $14,000
9th:        Bryan Schmitt, Deale, Md., 15 bass, 45-12, $13,000
10th:     Kyle Weisenburger, Columbus Grove, Ohio, 15 bass, 44-11, $12,000
11th:     Pete Ponds, Madison, Miss., 15 bass, 44-8, $10,000
12th:     Jim Moynagh, Shakopee, Minn., 15 bass, 44-5, $10,000
13th:     Jordan Collom, Canyon Lake, Calif., 15 bass, 44-4, $10,000
14th:     Troy Stokes, Trenton, Mich., 15 bass, 44-1, $10,000
15th:     Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., 15 bass, 43-13, $10,000
16th:     Cody Spetz, Hollister, Mo., 15 bass, 43-12, $10,000
17th:     Flint Davis, Leesburg, Ga., 15 bass, 43-11, $10,000
18th:     Hunter Eubanks, Inman, S.C., 15 bass, 43-11, $10,000
19th:     Cole Hewett, Orange Park, Fla., 15 bass, 43-10, $10,000
20th:     Spencer Shuffield, Hot Springs, Ark., 15 bass, 43-9, $10,000
21st:      David Walker, Sevierville, Tenn., 15 bass, 43-7, $10,000
22nd:    Jeremy Southerly, Fulks Run, Va., 15 bass, 43-6, $10,000
23rd:     Robert Nakatomi, Sacramento, Calif., 15 bass, 42-14, $10,000
24th:     Jason Vance, Battle Ground, Ind., 15 bass, 42-13, $10,000
25th:     Ron Nelson, Berrien Springs, Mich., 15 bass, 42-11, $10,000
26th:     Matt Becker, Ten Mile, Tenn., 15 bass, 42-7, $10,000
27th:     Charlie Reed Jr., Gloucester, Va., 15 bass, 42-5, $10,000
28th:     Justin Cooper, Zwolle, La., 15 bass, 42-4, $10,000
29th:     Wayne Vaughan, Chester, Va., 15 bass, 42-3, $10,000
30th:     Mike McClelland, Blue Eye, Mo., 15 bass, 42-2, $10,000
31st:      Blake Felix, Warsaw, Mo., 15 bass, 42-1, $8,000
32nd:    Cody Pike, Powhatan, Va., 15 bass, 42-1, $8,000
33rd:     Michael Catt, Jacksonville, Fla., 15 bass, 41-14, $8,000
34th:     Tyler Stewart, Dubach, La., 15 bass, 41-14, $8,000
35th:     Christian Greico, Tampa, Fla., 15 bass, 41-13, $8,000
36th:     Kyle Hall, Granbury, Texas, 15 bass, 41-11, $8,000
37th:     Joe Wieberg, Freeburg, Mo., 15 bass, 41-9, $8,000
38th:     Matt Greenblatt, Port Saint Lucie, Fla., 15 bass, 41-4, $8,000
39th:     John Duarte, Middle River, Md., 15 bass, 41-2, $8,000
40th:     Marshall Robinson, Landrum, S.C., 15 bass, 40-15, $8,000
41st:      Braxton Setzer, Wetumpka, Ala., 15 bass, 40-15, $8,000
42nd:    Ramie Colson Jr., Cadiz, Ky., 15 bass, 40-10, $8,000
43rd:     Terry Olinger, Louisa, Va., 15 bass, 40-9, $8,000
44th:     Eddie Carper, Valliant, Okla., 14 bass, 39-11, $8,000
45th:     Travis Harriman, Huntsville, Ark., 15 bass, 39-4, $8,000
46th:     Austin Culbertson, Moberly, Mo., 14 bass, 39-2, $8,000
47th:     Jack Daniel Williams, Kingsport, Tenn., 15 bass, 38-4, $8,000
48th:     Drew Gill, Mount Carmel, Ill., 15 bass, 37-7, $8,000
49th:     Joshua Weaver, Macon, Ga., 15 bass, 36-15, $8,000
50th:     Kyle Minke, Lindstrom, Minn., 14 bass, 36-12, $8,000

Complete results for the entire field can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Overall, there were 247 bass weighing 663 pounds, 3 ounces caught by the 50 pros Monday. The catch included 47 five-bass limits.

The three-day tournament was hosted by the Charles County Board of Commissioners and featured a roster of 150 pro anglers competing for a top prize of up to $115,000 and an invitation to compete at REDCREST 2024. The next Tackle Warehouse Invitational event will take place July 25-27 at the Tackle Warehouse Invitational at the Mississippi River Presented by Mercury in La Crosse, Wisconsin.

In MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitational competition, the full field of 150 anglers competed in the two-day opening round on Saturday and Sunday in a traditional five-fish, weigh-in format. Only the top 50 pros based on their two-day cumulative weight advanced to the final round on Championship Monday, where they competed for the grand prize of up to $115,000, including the lucrative $35,000 Phoenix MLF Bonus for qualified anglers. The winner of the MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitational T-H Marine Stop 5 at the Potomac River was determined by the heaviest three-day cumulative weight and will now receive an invitation to compete at REDCREST 2024.

The season-long Invitational Bally Bet Angler of the Year (AOY) will also earn a berth into REDCREST and the Top 8 anglers in the season-long Invitational AOY point standings will qualify for the 2024 Bass Pro Tour. After four events in the six-event Qualifying Circuit, pro Ron Nelson of Berrien Springs, Michigan, leads the AOY race with 953 points. Charlottesville, Virginia, pro Martin Villa sits in second place with 929 points, while Keith Carson of DeBary, Florida, is in third with 911 points. Pro Michael Neal of Dayton, Tennessee, is in fourth place with 905 points, while Junction City, Wisconsin’s Matthew Stefan rounds out the top five with 874 points.

The MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitational T-H Marine Stop 5 at the Potomac River will feature live on-the-water coverage and a two-hour action-packed television show that will premiere on the CBS Sports Network on Saturday, October 28.

Proud sponsors of the 2023 MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitationals include: 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, E3, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, Fox Rent a Car, General Tire, Grundéns, Lew’s, Lowrance, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Mystik Lubricants, Onyx, Phoenix Boats, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Wiley X and YETI.

For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Tackle Warehouse Invitationals on the MLF5 social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

by AnglersChannel

Gordon Wins by Three Pounds at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Lake Dardanelle

Gooden Tops Strike King Co-Angler Division

RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. (June 19, 2023) – Boater Shawn Gordon of Russellville, Arkansas, caught a five-bass limit weighing 20 pounds, 3 ounces, Saturday to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on Lake Dardanelle. The tournament, hosted by Russellville Tourism, was the fourth event of the season for the BFL Arkie Division. Gordon earned $5,683 for his victory.

“I didn’t catch any fish until 9 o’clock,” said Gordon, who has seven top-10 finishes on Lake Dardanelle in BFL competition. “I finally caught a couple and then hopped around and fished ledges with a (unnamed) Strike King crankbait and a red worm.”

Gordon said he focused his efforts on the lower third of Dardanelle, in water ranging from eight to 15 feet deep. His efforts produced a total of nine keepers during the day.

“Later on in the day I thought I had a pretty good shot, but I really thought I had to cull one more time,” Gordon said. “So, this win feels pretty good.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:

1st:        Shawn Gordon, Russellville, Ark., five bass, 20-3, $5,683
2nd:       Sawyer Grace, Russellville, Ark., five bass, 17-3, $2,432
3rd:       Kevin Brown, Hot Springs, Ark., five bass, 16-14, $1,989 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
4th:        Jeremiah Kindy, Benton, Ark., five bass, 16-8, $1,041
5th:        Jeff Clark, Van Buren, Ark., five bass, 16-7, $1,193
6th:        Ben Burk, Norman, Okla., five bass, 15-3, $818
7th:        Brent Haggard, Sallisaw, Okla., five bass, 15-0, $994
8th:        Quincy Houchin, Mabelvale, Ark., five bass, 14-13, $669
9th:        Chris Huselton, Conway, Ark., five bass, 13-9, $595
10th:     Mike Webster, Pottsville, Ark., five bass, 13-0, $521

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Brandon Gabe of England, Arkansas, caught a largemouth that weighed 5 pounds, 2 ounces, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $640.

Koby Gooden of North Little Rock, Arkansas, won the Strike King co-angler division and a total of $2,214 Saturday, after bringing five bass to the scale that totaled 15 pounds, 9 ounces.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers finished:

1st:        Koby Gooden, North Little Rock, Ark., five bass, 15-9, $2,214
2nd:       Ron Knight, Hot Springs Village, Ark., three bass, 7-11, $1,107
3rd:       Remington Lawrence, Russellville, Ark., three bass, 6-15, $738
4th:        Caden Fuller, Waldron, Ark., five bass, 6-14, $517
5th:        Blake Defoor, Waldron, Ark., four bass, 6-13, $443
6th:        Demetric Johnson, Little Rock, Ark., five bass, 6-12, $406
7th:        Troy Speers, Malvern, Ark., two bass, 6-10, $667
7th:        Tim Bowers, Thayer, Mo., three bass, 6-10, $350
9th:        Zach Oliver, Coal Hill, Ark., three bass, 6-7, $295
10th:     Blake Smith, Benton, Ark., three bass, 6-5, $258

Troy Speers of Malvern, Arkansas, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $317, catching a largemouth that weighed in at 5 pounds, 7 ounces – the largest co-angler catch of the day.

After four events, Wayne Dixon of Morrilton, Arkansas, leads the BFL Arkie Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 962 points, while John Hankins of Atkins, Arkansas, leads the Strike King Co-Angler Division AOY race with 962 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. 5-7 BFL Regional tournament on Lake Eufaula in Eufaula, Oklahoma. Boaters will fish for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $50,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.

by AnglersChannel

Team Crockett Creek Beef Jerky Wins Inaugural General Tire Team Series Bass Pro Shops Championship Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches

Captain Jacob Wheeler Dominates Championship Round with 56 Bass Weighing 101-6 To Lead Team to Commanding Victory and Earn $300,000 Top Prize

LAKE COUNTY, Fla. (June 19, 2023) – The final episode of the Major League Fishing (MLF) General Tire Team Series Bass Pro Shops Championship Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches premiered Saturday, and Team Crockett Creek Beef Jerky, led by a 56-fish day from captain Jacob Wheeler, dominated the final day of competition to win the inaugural championship event and earn the $300,000 top prize.

Wheeler, along with teammates Jason Lambert and Dylan Hays, caught 68 scorable bass weighing 133 pounds, 4 ounces, to win the event by a huge 72-pound, 8-ounce margin. Team Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff & Pouches (Bryan Thrift, Terry Scroggins and Anthony Gagliardi) finished the event in second place with 23 scorable bass weighing 60-12, while Team Builders FirstSource (Jeff Sprague, Randall Tharp and Cliff Crochet) finished third with 24 bass weighing 49-15.

“This is unreal,” Wheeler said in his post-game interview. “I was just sitting in one spot, and when you know that you just fired up a school of bass and it is a feeding frenzy – there is nothing like it.

“This event has been so unique, and so much fun,” Wheeler continued. “The teamwork that we’ve had – Jason (Lambert) carried us in Minnesota.”

“Dylan (Hays) has been ‘Steady Eddy’ this whole time, and the last two days Wheeler has just been Wheeler,” Lambert added. “You can’t take any of these for granted. You never know if you’re going to get an opportunity to do something like this again.”

Wheeler’s unbelievable 56-fish day came via a not-yet-released prototype Rapala jerkbait called The Maverick.

“They have been working on this jerkbait for several years now, and the one thing that separates this bait from any other out there on the market is the realistic colors and its unbelievable action,” Wheeler said. “Action is everything in a jerkbait. When the fish were grouped up, I could throw this bait in there and literally make them bite. It was the reaction strike – that’s what it was all about, today. That was the juice, and that is the bait that made our team $300,000 richer.”

“I’m the only rookie in this field, today, and I definitely count this victory as the first big win of my career,” said Hays on his $100,000 payday.

“We compete all the time on the water by ourselves, but when you do click like Dylan, Jason and I have, we go out on the water and battle not individually, but as a team. And I think that is what separated us this week,” Wheeler went on to say.

The final results from the Championship Round of the General Tire Team Series Bass Pro Shops Championship Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches were:

1^st:          Team Crockett Creek, 68 bass, 133-4
*Jacob Wheeler, 56 bass, 101-6
Jason Lambert, eight bass, 21-15
Dylan Hays, four bass, 9-15
2^nd:         Team Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff & Pouches, 23 bass, 60-12
*Bryan Thrift, 10 bass, 28-8
Terry Scroggins, 10 bass, 23-1
Anthony Gagliardi, three bass, 9-3
3^rd:         Team Builders First Source, 24 bass, 49-15
*Jeff Sprague, 16 bass, 32-3
Cliff Crochet, four bass, 11-10
Randall Tharp, four bass, 6-2

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Overall, there were 115 bass weighing 243 pounds, 15 ounces caught by the nine teams during the Championship Round on Lake Apopka.

The General Tire Team Series Bass Pro Shops Championship Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches was shot over nine days in December and featured nine teams of three anglers visiting Lake County, Florida, to compete on different lakes on the Clermont Chain on each day of competition. Each day the fisheries were unknown to the anglers – they did not learn where they were competing until they arrived at the launch ramp each morning of competition.

The 2023 MLF General Tire Team Series Bass Pro Shops Championship Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches aired on the Outdoor Channel as seven, two-hour original episodes each Saturday afternoon, debuting on May 6, 2023, and running through June 17, 2023.

All seven episodes of the General Tire Team Series Bass Pro Shops Championship Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches from Lake County, Florida, are now available for viewing on the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) streaming app. The full television schedule can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Proud sponsors of the MLF General Tire Team Series include: B&W Hitches, Barbasol, Bass Cat Boats, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, Builders FirstSource, C-MAP, Crockett Creek Beef Jerky, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, Ferguson, General Tire, Knighten Industries, Kubota, Lowrance, Lucas Oil, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Optima Batteries, Phoenix Boats, Power-Pole, Rapala Baits, Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff, Star brite, T-H Marine, Toyota, USAA, and YETI.

by AnglersChannel

Bell Notches Sixth Career Win at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at High Rock Lake

Deciucis Tops Strike King Co-Angler Division

LEXINGTON, N.C. (June 19, 2023) – Boater Rodney Bell of Salisbury, North Carolina, caught a five-bass limit weighing 21 pounds, 1 ounce, Saturday to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on High Rock Lake. The tournament was the third event of the season for the BFL Piedmont Division. Bell earned $5,024 for his victory.

“I started early with a buzzbait and caught one doing that,” said Bell. “It was extremely crowded where I was, and I live on High Rock, so I switched creeks to get away from the crowd.”

Three of Bell’s six BFL wins have come on High Rock Lake, and his knowledge of the fishery, especially the mid-lake area where he fished during competition, paid off during the tournament. His relocation quickly produced a 4½-pounder and a 6-15 bass, the Berkley Big Bass of the day.

“When I caught that big one, I decided I was there for the duration of the day,” Bell said. “I settled down and fished docks and laydowns with an E&L Lures jig and a couple of bass came on a worm. I stayed shallow all day long and caught nine keepers.

“I’ve fished probably 150 of these BFL events, but it’s always special to win at home,” Bell added.

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:

1st:        Rodney Bell, Salisbury, N.C., five bass, 21-1, $5,024
2nd:       Travis Donaldson, Cleveland, N.C., five bass, 20-9, $2,197
3rd:       Ryan Powroznik, Hopewell, Va., five bass, 20-3, $1,464
4th:        Junior Roberts, Alexandria, Va., five bass, 18-4, $1,025
5th:        Evan White, Roanoke Rapids, N.C., five bass, 18-2, $879
6th:        David Wright, Lexington, N.C., five bass, 17-1, $1,775 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
7th:        Chad Poteat, Mount Airy, N.C., five bass, 16-13, $1,232
8th:        Ron Wolfarth, Oakboro, N.C., five bass, 16-3, $659
9th:        Dennis Burdette, Pembroke, Va., five bass, 15-8, $586
10th:     Ladd Whicker, Winston-Salem, N.C., four bass, 15-1, $513

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Bell also caught a bass that weighed 6 pounds, 15 ounces, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $630.

David Deciucis of Chester, Virginia, won the Strike King co-angler division and a total of $2,379 Saturday, after bringing five bass to the scale that totaled 14 pounds, 12 ounces.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers finished:

1st:        David Deciucis, Chester, Va., five bass, 14-12, $2,379
2nd:       Hank Cooke, Emporia, Va., five bass, 13-10, $907
2nd:       Cornell Badra, Clarksburg, Md., four bass, 13-10, $907
4th:        Eric Nelson, Gainesville, Va., five bass, 13-5, $509
5th:        Ben Dacey, Powhatan, Va., five bass, 12-15, $786
6th:        Matthew Noraas, Pamplin, Va., five bass, 12-1, $400
7th:        Vernon Adams, Clayton, N.C., five bass, 11-15, $363
8th:        Mekye Barnes, Raleigh, N.C., five bass, 11-14, $327
9th:        Bobby Henderson, Charlotte, N.C., two bass, 10-13, $603
10th:     Tim Privette, Jr., Wendell, N.C., five bass, 10-9, $254

Bobby Henderson of Charlotte, N.C., earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $312, catching a bass that weighed in at 6 pounds, 13 ounces – the largest co-angler catch of the day.

After three events, Evan White of Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina, leads the BFL Piedmont Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 719 points, while Timothy Kinder of Fairfax, Virginia, leads the Strike King Co-Angler Division AOY race with 720 points.

by AnglersChannel

Mallicoat Dominates Field at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Old Hickory Lake

Fitzpatrick Wins Strike King Co-Angler Division

GALLATIN, Tenn. (June 19, 2023) – Boater Joey Mallicoat of Lebanon, Tennessee, caught a five-bass limit weighing 20 pounds, 10 ounces, Saturday to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on Old Hickory Lake . The tournament, hosted by Sumner County Tourism, was the fourth event of the season for the BFL Music City Division. Mallicoat earned $12,438, including the lucrative $7,000 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus, for his victory.

“I ran down the lake and fished offshore all day,” said Mallicoat. “I caught a 4-pounder on my very first cast of the morning. I had a limit in the first 30 minutes and just culled up throughout the day.”

Mallicoat said he focused his fishing in water from Cedar Creek to the dam and used a football-head jig to target current breaks and hard spots – typical offshore fishing – seven to 15 feet deep.

“Around 12:30 I had a little over 17 pounds, and I thought I would at least have a shot at winning,” Mallicoat said.

Mallicoat said he caught a final 5-pounder with 45 minutes to go in competition to anchor his bag.

“When I caught that one, I thought somebody would really have to catch them in order to beat me,” Mallicoat said. “But there are a lot of good guys fishing out there, and I’ve seen a lot of them catch more than 20 pounds, so I knew it was possible.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:

1st:        Joey Mallicoat, Lebanon, Tenn., five bass, 20-10, $12,438 (includes $7,000 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
2nd:       Daniel Johnson, Lebanon, Tenn., five bass, 15-13, $1,859
3rd:       Tim Messer, Hendersonville, Tenn., five bass, 15-12, $1,052
3rd:       Jase Jackson, Lebanon, Tenn., five bass, 15-12, $1,052
5th:        Corey Steakley, Lebanon, Tenn., five bass, 15-2, $744
6th:        Josh Womack, Gallatin, Tenn., five bass, 14-3, $1,167
7th:        Mickey Beck, Lebanon, Tenn., five bass, 13-15, $589
7th:        Dillon Massia, Lafayette, Tenn., five bass, 13-15, $589
9th:        Tony Eckler, Lebanon, Tenn., five bass, 13-8, $496
10th:     Nick Uebelhor, Jasper, Ind., five bass, 13-6, $434

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Josh Womack of Gallatin, Tennessee, caught a bass that weighed 6 pounds, 9 ounces, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $485.

John Fitzpatrick of Baxter, Tennessee, won the Strike King co-angler division and a total of $2,101 Saturday, after bringing five bass to the scale that totaled 13 pounds, 2 ounces.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers finished:

1st:        John Fitzpatrick, Baxter, Tenn., five bass, 13-2, $2,101
2nd:       Blake Whittaker, Lenoir City, Tenn., five bass, 12-4, $929
3rd:       Gilbert Jolley, Livingston, Tenn., five bass, 10-15, $819
4th:        Mekiah Jack, Mount Juliet, Tenn., five bass, 10-10, $434
5th:        Rocky Williams, Portland, Tenn., five bass, 10-8, $372
6th:        Shane Overly, Brentwood, Tenn., five bass, 10-6, $341
7th:        John Morrison, McMinnville, Tenn., four bass, 9-15, $310
8th:        Jacob Frawley, Spring Hill, Tenn., five bass, 9-13, $279
9th:        Mark Manley, Bowling Green, Ky., four bass, 9-6, $248
10th:     Ricky England, Sparta, Tenn., four bass, 9-1, $ 217

Fitzpatrick also earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $242, catching a bass that weighed in at 5 pounds, 9 ounces – the largest co-angler catch of the day.

After four events, Dillon Massia of Lafayette, Tennessee, leads the BFL Music City Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 939 points, while Rocky Williams of Portland, Tennessee, leads the Strike King Co-Angler Division AOY race with 976 points.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, will qualify for the Oct. 12-14 BFL Regional tournament on Lake Eufaula in Eufaula, Alabama. 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.

by AnglersChannel

Funkhouser Claims Victory at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on the Ohio River at Tanners Creek

Bryant Wins Strike King Co-Angler Division

LAWRENCEBERG, Ind. (June 19, 2023) – Boater Brian Funkhouser of Bloomington, Indiana, caught a five-bass limit weighing 8 pounds, 1 ounce, Saturday to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on the Ohio River-Tanners Creek. The tournament was the third event of the season for the BFL Hoosier Division. Funkhouser earned $4,315 for his victory.

“I spent a couple of days practicing for the event and found some fry guarders,” said Funkhouser. “I found them in a couple of creeks, so I had a plan.”

Funkhouser said he caught all five of his keeper fish, in Craig’s Creek, on shallow spinnerbaits. He said he thought his hopes for a win had disappeared after he lost a quality bass.

“I lost a good one and thought I’d end up maybe in the top five,” Funkhouser said. “I didn’t think I had a chance to win after I lost that fish. It’s the river; you can’t afford to lose any of them.

“To lose that one and end up winning is awesome,” Funkhouser added. “I’ve done this for a while now, and it’s always nice to beat the caliber of guys that fish in this league.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:

1st:        Brian Funkhouser, Bloomington, Ind., five bass, 8-1, $4,315
2nd:       Doug Ruster, New Palestine, Ind., four bass, 6-4, $2,707
3rd:       Travis Spivey, Union, Ky., five bass, 6-1, $1,439
4th:        Chris Wilkinson, Farmersburg, Ind., five bass, 5-12, $1,007
5th:        Scott Bateman, Jasper, Ind., five bass, 5-11, $1,063
6th:        Jeramiah Sifers, Sellersburg, Ind., two bass, 5-9, $1,011
7th:        David Spivey, Hamilton, Ohio, three bass, 5-7, $719
8th:        Erik Sanders, Bedford, Ind., one bass, 5-6, $1,757 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
9th:        Brandon Barrett, Bloomington, Ind., four bass, 5-5, $575
10th:     Kenneth Pincombe, Hamilton, Ohio, four bass, 5-4, $503

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Erik Sanders of Bedford, Indiana, caught a bass that weighed 5 pounds, 6 ounces, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $610.

Martin Bryant of North Vernon, Indiana, won the Strike King co-angler division and a total of $2,140 Saturday, after bringing three bass to the scale that totaled 7 pounds, 4 ounces.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers finished:

1st:        Martin Bryant, North Vernon, Ind., three bass, 7-4, $2,140
2nd:       Eric Moore, Hamilton, Ohio, four bass, 6-5, $1,070
3rd:       Dan Pardue, Morgantown, Ind., four bass, 5-0, $605
3rd:       Russell Vandiver, Greenfield, Ind., four bass, 5-0, $605
5th:        Derek Jackson, New Albany, Ind., one bass, 4-15, $730
6th:        Brandon Houston, Lakeside Park, Ky., three bass, 4-6, $392
7th:        John Thomas, Quincy, Ind., one bass, 4-1, $357
8th:        Greg Marshall, Paris, Ky., two bass, 3-14, $321
9th:        Ryan Sykes, Fairfield, Ohio, two bass, 3-12, $685
10th:     Collin Hillen, Evansville, Ind., three bass, 3-8, $237
10th:     Rob Earickson, Camby, Ind., two bass, 3-8, $237

Derek Jackson of New Albany, Indiana, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $302, catching a bass that weighed in at 4 pounds, 15 ounces – the largest co-angler catch of the day.

After three events, Mike Quinlin of Mooresville, Indiana, leads the BFL Hoosier Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 730 points, while Jacob Parks of Noblesville, Indiana, leads the Strike King Co-Angler Division AOY race with 710 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.

by AnglersChannel

Meyer Bags Big Bass to Secure Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event Victory at Wolf River Chain of Lakes

Griffin Wins Strike King Co-Angler Division

WINNECONNE, Wis. (June 19, 2023) – Boater Kyle Meyer of Blaine, Minnesota, caught a five-bass limit weighing 18 pounds, 5 ounces, Saturday to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on the Wolf River Chain of Lakes. The tournament was the third event of the season for the BFL Great Lakes Division. Meyer earned $5,204 for his victory.

“I ran up to Lake Winnebago, and once I was there, I got three fish for 10 pounds,” said Meyer. “It was a good start to the day.”

Meyer said his first bass was a 3¼-pound bass that fell for a swimjig in lily pads, and a 4-pounder followed soon after. A couple of minutes later a 2¾-pounder took the jig. Meyer said his weight held with those three fish until 11 o’clock, then he relocated in search of bass to fill his limit.

“I caught two more keepers, but they were just small ones, so I knew I had to cull them,” Meyer said. “I ran back to my starting spot about noon, caught one, then ended up catching the big one, a 4-15. There was nothing special about today – just throwing a swimjig at the same stuff.

“When I caught that big one, I said, ‘Game over,’” Meyer continued. “There’s not that many 5-pounders out there. That was an absolute unicorn on this body of water.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:

1st:        Kyle Meyer, Blaine, Minn., five bass, 18-5, $5,204
2nd:       Joe Pollak, Lake Geneva, Wis., five bass, 14-4, $2,629
3rd:       Randy Oppermann, Redgranite, Wis., five bass, 14-0, $1,452
4th:        Kevin Ruh, Onalaska, Wis., five bass, 13-15, $1,517 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
5th:        Jeff Ritter, Prairie du Chien, Wis., five bass, 13-9, $872
6th:        Brad Wessling, La Crosse, Wis., five bass, 13-5, $799
7th:        Christopher Smith, North Branch, Minn., five bass, 13-3, $726
8th:        Travis Seitzinger, Lakefield, Minn., five bass, 13-2, $654
9th:        Curtis Samo, Rochelle, Ill., five bass, 13-1, $581
10th:     Tanner Bock, Davenport, Iowa, five bass, 12-11, $509

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Meyer also caught a bass that weighed 4 pounds, 15 ounces, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $625.

Gage Griffin of Lake Forest, Illinois, won the Strike King co-angler division and a total of $2,442 Saturday, after bringing five bass to the scale that totaled 15 pounds, 6 ounces.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers finished:

1st:        Gage Griffin, Lake Forest, Ill., five bass, 15-6, $2,442
2nd:       Troy Jutting, Savage, Minn., five bass, 12-6, $1,070
3rd:       Kenny Nachtman, Bellevue, Iowa, five bass, 11-8, $712
4th:        Will Ahnen, Fennimore, Wis., five bass, 10-15, $499
5th:        Michael White, Waupun, Wis., five bass, 10-12, $428
6th:        Mike Marr, Oxford, Wis., five bass, 10-10, $392
7th:        Jason von Bargen, Prior Lake, Minn., four bass, 9-13, $357
8th:        Frank Miller, Barrington, Ill., four bass, 9-0, $303
8th:        Jill Kerzisnik, Plainfield, Ill., four bass, 9-0, $303
10th:     Clifton Williams, Wood Dale, Ill., four bass, 8-15, $250

Griffin also earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $302, catching a bass that weighed in at 4 pounds, 11 ounces – the largest co-angler catch of the day.

After three events, Jeff Ritter of Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, leads the BFL Great Lakes Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 730 points, while Hertz Skaer of Holmen, Wisconsin, leads the Strike King Co-Angler Division AOY race with 725 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.

by AnglersChannel

Bass Pro Tour Pro Jeff Kriet Withdraws From Stage Six Tournament; Mike McClelland To Replace Kriet For Event

BENTON, Ky. (June 19, 2023) – Major League Fishing (MLF) announced today that Bass Pro Tour pro angler Jeff Kriet of Ardmore, Oklahoma has withdrawn from competing in the General Tire Stage Six Presented by John Deere Utility Vehicles at Lake St. Clair in Harrison Township, Michigan tournament due to personal circumstances. Kriet informed MLF that he plans to return to competition at Minn Kota Stage Seven Presented by Suzuki August 1-6.

Per MLF policy, “If an eligible Bass Pro Tour angler withdraws, declines an invitation or retires, the invitation will revert back to the next eligible Bass Pro Tour angler based on career Angler of the Year (AOY) standings average or 2022 AOY standings, whichever is higher”. Former Bass Pro Tour pro Clabion Johns was next in line but declined the Stage Six invitation. Former Bass Pro Tour pro Mike McClelland of Blue Eye, Missouri, who is currently fishing the MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitationals, was the next angler in line after Johns and has accepted the invitation to compete in the Stage Six event.

“It’s great to have an opportunity to be back in the Bass Pro Tour for Stage Six,” said McClelland. “I’ve always loved going to Lake St. Clair, and I’m especially excited to fish the catch, weigh and release format while scoring five fish.”

Participants of the Phoenix Fantasy Fishing Presented by Bally’s who have already selected Kriet will be notified via email to make an alternative selection by June 24, 2023, at 8am ET. Should a participant continue to have Kriet on their team once Stage Six begins, zero pounds will be assigned to their score.

by AnglersChannel

Virginia’s Martin Villa Leads Into Final Day at MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitational T-H Marine Stop 5 at the Potomac River

Villa Catches 19-pound, 15-ounce Limit to Bring 1-Pound, 5-Ounce Lead into Final Day – Field Cut to Final 50

MARBURY, Md. (June 18, 2023) – Warmer temperatures and a lack of wind of Sunday created a more finicky fishery for the 150 pro anglers competing on Day 2 of the MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitational T-H Marine Stop 5 at the Potomac River . Local favorite, Martin Villa of Charlottesville, Virginia, started the day in third place, but brought a limit to the scale weighing 15 pounds, 7 ounces, to jump to the top of the leaderboard and bring a 1-pound, 5-ounce lead into the final day of competition. Over the first two days of competition, Villa has weighed in 10 bass totaling 34-6.

The three-day tournament, hosted by the Charles County Board of Commissioners, features a roster of 150 pro anglers competing for a top prize of up to $115,000 and an invitation to compete at REDCREST 2024. The full field of 150 anglers concluded the two-day opening round on Sunday, with only the top 50 pros based on their two-day cumulative weight now advancing to Championship Monday.

The tournament is still up for grabs, as even 21st place has more than 30 pounds and is less than 4½ pounds back from Villa. Pro Nick Hatfield of Greeneville, Tennessee (33-1), Michael Neal of Dayton, Tennessee (32-11), Cody Spetz of Hollister, Missouri (32-9) and Deale, Maryland’s Bryan Schmitt (32-1) round out the top five competitors.

Villa has been fishing hard, banking on specific pieces of hard cover at specific times. He’s also running the tide and making a lot of effort to get on certain exact places – he checked one spot five times today before it was free of boats.

“I’m missing a grass bite – and I know it’s the 1-2 punch that you need on this fishery – let me rephrase that, the big-fish grass bite,” Villa said. “It usually revolves around the topwater, but it just seems that when the tide is high they don’t really want to hit it, and when the tide is low I’m not really trying to be in the grass, because I’ve been fishing hard cover. And the places where the better fish are, they’re pulling off of the spawn. So, there are fish coming through every day, so hopefully there are some more there tomorrow.”

Villa’s best spot is a perfect confluence of his skills.

“It’s a dominant lie,” he said. “I have one cast that in the past two days I’ve caught 20 fish off of. The worst part of it was there was another tournament boat – not ours, a local team tournament – that was on it all morning. I went five times for it, and the fifth time they were 100 yards away.”

With low tide moving back another hour on Monday, Villa isn’t going to have much time at prime time.

“I know that if I’m going to win this thing, it’s going to come down to the last couple of casts,” he said.

Of course, he could figure out the grass bite, which would make him pretty hard to handle on the final day.

“I’m going to have to search deep and think of where my starting spot is,” he said. “I do have a patch of grass up north that I got bit in, and it’s been historically good for me. I’m really confident in this patch, but the northwest wind blew it out these last two days. I fished it one day in practice, made one 15-minute pass and caught four, one that was 4 1/2. I’m hoping it calmed down enough. There is enough grass in there where it should clean out quickly, and if I can get there in the morning and catch them, I may not leave. Because typically you can sit on that school all day.”

The top 50 pros advancing to the third and final day of competition at the T-H Marine Stop 5 at the Potomac River are:

1st:        Martin Villa, Charlottesville, Va., 10 bass, 34-6
2nd:       Nick Hatfield, Greeneville, Tenn., 10 bass, 33-1
3rd:       Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., 10 bass, 32-11
4th:        Cody Spetz, Hollister, Mo., 10 bass, 32-9
5th:        Bryan Schmitt, Deale, Md., 10 bass, 32-1
6th:        Troy Stokes, Trenton, Mich., 10 bass, 31-10
7th:        Blake Hall, Rogersville, Ala., 10 bass, 31-9
8th:        Cody Meyer, Star, Idaho, 10 bass, 31-8
9th:        Flint Davis, Leesburg, Ga., 10 bass, 31-2
10th:     Kyle Weisenburger, Columbus Grove, Ohio, 10 bass, 30-15
11th:     Jim Moynagh, Shakopee, Minn., 10 bass, 30-13
12th:     Spencer Shuffield, Hot Springs, Ark., 10 bass, 30-11
13th:     Keith Carson, DeBary, Fla., 10 bass, 30-9
14th:     Andrew Loberg, Rocklin, Calif., 10 bass, 30-8
15th:     Wayne Vaughan, Chester, Va., 10 bass, 30-6
16th:     Wyatt Frankens, Corrigan, Texas, 10 bass, 30-5
17th:     David Walker, Sevierville, Tenn., 10 bass, 30-3
18th:     Austin Culbertson, Moberly, Mo., 10 bass, 30-2
19th:     Robert Nakatomi, Sacramento, Calif., 10 bass, 30-1
20th:     Pete Ponds, Madison, Miss., 10 bass, 30-1
21st:      Terry Olinger, Louisa, Va., 10 bass, 30-0
22nd:    Eric Panzironi, Longwood, Fla., 10 bass, 29-14
23rd:     Travis Harriman, Huntsville, Ark., 10 bass, 29-12
24th:     Blake Felix, Warsaw, Mo., 10 bass, 29-8
25th:     Eddie Carper, Valliant, Okla., 10 bass, 29-5
26th:     Justin Cooper, Zwolle, La., 10 bass, 29-3
27th:     Jack Daniel Williams, Kingsport, Tenn., 10 bass, 29-1
28th:     Marshall Robinson, Landrum, S.C., 10 bass, 29-0
29th:     Matt Becker, Ten Mile, Tenn., 10 bass, 28-15
30th:     Kyle Hall, Granbury, Texas, 10 bass, 28-14
31st:      John Duarte, Middle River, Md., 10 bass, 28-12
32nd:    Jordan Collom, Canyon Lake, Calif., 10 bass, 28-12
33rd:     Joshua Weaver, Macon, Ga., 10 bass, 28-11
34th:     Michael Catt, Jacksonville, Fla., 10 bass, 28-11
35th:     Joe Wieberg, Freeburg, Mo., 10 bass, 28-8
36th:     Jason Vance, Battle Ground, Ind., 10 bass, 28-7
37th:     Drew Gill, Mount Carmel, Ill., 10 bass, 28-5
38th:     Jeremy Southerly, Fulks Run, Va., 10 bass, 28-5
39th:     Cole Hewett, Orange Park, Fla., 10 bass, 28-4
40th:     Braxton Setzer, Wetumpka, Ala., 10 bass, 28-3
41st:      Mike McClelland, Blue Eye, Mo., 10 bass, 28-0
42nd:    Matt Greenblatt, Port Saint Lucie, Fla., 10 bass, 27-15
43rd:     Charlie Reed Jr., Gloucester, Va., 10 bass, 27-13
44th:     Ramie Colson Jr., Cadiz, Ky., 10 bass, 27-12
45th:     Ron Nelson, Berrien Springs, Mich., 10 bass, 27-11
46th:     Cody Pike, Powhatan, Va., 10 bass, 27-10
47th:     Tyler Stewart, Dubach, La., 10 bass, 27-10
48th:     Kyle Minke, Lindstrom, Minn., 10 bass, 27-9
49th:     Hunter Eubanks, Inman, S.C., 10 bass, 27-8
50th:     Christian Greico, Tampa, Fla., 10 bass, 27-8

Complete results for the entire field can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Pro Paul Gettys of Due West, South Carolina, earned Sunday’s $1,000 Berkley Big Bass award with a largemouth that weighed in at 6 pounds, 1 ounce.

Overall, there were 717 bass weighing 1,771 pounds, 7 ounces caught by 148 pros Sunday. The catch included 138 five-bass limits.

In MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitational competition, the full field of 150 anglers competed in the two-day opening round on Thursday and Friday in a traditional five-fish, weigh-in format. Only the top 50 pros based on their two-day cumulative weight now advance to the final round on Championship Saturday, where they will compete for the grand prize of up to $115,000, including the lucrative $35,000 Phoenix MLF Bonus for qualified anglers. The winner of the MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitational T-H Marine Stop 5 at the Potomac River will be determined by the heaviest three-day cumulative weight and will receive an invitation to compete at REDCREST 2024.

The final 50 anglers will launch Monday at 6:30 a.m. ET from Smallwood State Park, located at 2750 Sweden Point Road in Marbury, Maryland. The final weigh-in will also be held at the boat ramp daily beginning at 2:30 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend the event or follow the live on-the-water action online on MLFNOW! beginning at 7 a.m. CT at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

The MLFNOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee, Marty Stone and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action on all three days of competition from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. CT. MLF NOW!® will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app.

by AnglersChannel

Blake Hall Takes Day 1 Lead at MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitational T-H Marine Stop 5 at the Potomac River

Alabama Pro Catches 19-pound, 15-ounce Limit to Pace 150 Pros into Second Day of Competition Sunday

MARBURY, Md. (June 17, 2023) – Pro Blake Hall of Rogersville, Alabama, crossed the weigh-in stage Saturday with a five-bass limit totaling 19 pounds, 15 ounces to take the early lead after Day 1 of the MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitational T-H Marine Stop 5 at the Potomac River.

Hall will bring a slim 6-ounce lead into Day 2 of competition over Trenton, Michigan’s Troy Stokes, who weighed in a limit totaling 19-9 to land in second. Local favorite Martin Villa of Charlottesville, Virginia, brought a five-bass limit to the scale weighing 18-15 to end the day in third.

Competition resumes Sunday morning, when the full field of 150 anglers will conclude the two-day opening round. Only the top 50 pros based on their two-day cumulative weight will advance to the third and final day of competition on Monday. The three-day tournament, hosted by the Charles County Board of Commissioners, features a roster of 150 pro anglers competing for a top prize of up to $115,000 and an invitation to compete at REDCREST 2024.

“It looks good on paper, but it was pretty tough out there,” Hall said. “At 11 o’clock I only had four bass for probably seven (pounds). But I made a pretty good run to a new area and then I caught three big ones in probably 45 minutes.

“I culled one more time right before I came in,” Hall continued. “I only had one bite on that stretch in practice, though, so hopefully there is some more still around.”

Hall said that he solely fished grass all day, mixing it up between a ChatterBait, a swimjig and Texas-rigged worms.

“I’m definitely around some fish,” Hall said. “I’m paying attention to the tide, but I don’t think it’s been critical to my success or anything like that. I’m just trying to get in some good areas where there are some fish and the just grinding it out and fishing through the tide.”

Hall credited his good start to his clean fishing and decision making.

“I never lost one, today,” the Alabama pro said. “Everything that bit I got it in the boat.”

The top 20 pros after Day 1 of the T-H Marine Stop 5 at the Potomac River are:

1st:        Blake Hall, Rogersville, Ala., five bass, 19-15
2nd:       Troy Stokes, Trenton, Mich., five bass, 19-9
3rd:       Martin Villa, Charlottesville, Va., five bass, 18-15
4th:        Drew Gill, Mount Carmel, Ill., five bass, 17-4
5th:        Tommy Dickerson, Orange, Texas, five bass, 17-0
5th:        Robert Nakatomi, Sacramento, Calif., five bass, 17-0
5th:        Nick Hatfield, Greeneville, Tenn., five bass, 17-0
8th:        Cody Meyer, Star, Idaho, five bass, 16-14
8th:        Kyle Hall, Granbury, Texas, five bass, 16-14
10th:     Jim Moynagh, Shakopee, Minn., five bass, 16-10
10th:     Ryan Armstrong, Robinson, Ill., five bass, 16-10
10th:     Austin Culbertson, Moberly, Mo., five bass, 16-10
13th:     Jack Daniel Williams, Kingsport, Tenn., five bass, 16-8
14th:     Sean Anderson, Leesville, S.C., five bass, 16-6
15th:     Travis Harriman, Huntsville, Ark., five bass, 16-2
16th:     Pete Ponds, Madison, Miss., five bass, 16-1
16th:     Spike Stoker, Cisco, Texas, five bass, 16-1
18th:     Kyle Weisenburger, Columbus Grove, Ohio, five bass, 16-0
19th:     Cody Spetz, Hollister, Mo., five bass, 15-14
20th:     Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., five bass, 15-11
20th:     Matthew Stefan, Junction City, Wis., five bass, 15-11

Complete results for the entire field can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Hall earned the $1,000 Berkley Big Bass award Saturday after weighing in a largemouth that went 5 pounds, 9 ounces.

Overall, there were 731 bass weighing 1,943 pounds, 7 ounces caught by the 150 pros Saturday. The catch included 141 five-bass limits.

In MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitational competition, the full field of 150 anglers compete in the two-day opening round on Thursday and Friday in a traditional five-fish, weigh-in format. Only the top 50 pros based on their two-day cumulative weight will advance to the final round on Championship Saturday, where they will compete for the grand prize of up to $115,000, including the lucrative $35,000 Phoenix MLF Bonus for qualified anglers. The winner of the MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitational T-H Marine Stop 5 at the Potomac River will be determined by the heaviest three-day cumulative weight and will receive an invitation to compete at REDCREST 2024.

Anglers will launch each day at 6:30 a.m. ET from Smallwood State Park, located at 2750 Sweden Point Road in Marbury, Maryland. Weigh-ins will also be held at the boat ramp daily beginning at 2:30 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend the event or follow the live on-the-water action all three days of competition online on MLF NOW! beginning at 7 a.m. CT at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

by AnglersChannel

Nania finesses his way to victory at Bassmaster Open on Oklahoma’s Lake Eufaula

Joey Nania of Cropwell, Ala., has won the 2023 St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Lake Eufaula, Okla., with a three-day total of 52 pounds, 8 ounces.

Photo by Andy Crawford/B.A.S.S.

June 17, 2023

EUFAULA, Okla. — When Joey Nania saw Lake Eufaula listed on the 2023 St. Croix Bassmaster Opens schedule, he thought it would be a tournament he’d just need to survive to stay in contention for a Bassmaster Elite Series bid.

But Nania did more than just survive this week, landing a three-day total of 52 pounds, 8 ounces to win the St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Lake Eufaula, Okla. His second career Opens victory earned him a berth in the 2024 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Toyota scheduled for March 22-24 in Tulsa, Okla., along with a check for $48,800 and a $500 Garmin contingency bonus.

“If there was any concern about struggling and wanting to survive, this was the one I wanted to survive,” said Nania, who finished 13th at the 2022 Classic on Lake Hartwell. “When I got here, the lake was different from what I expected and I was happy about that. It fit my style a little bit better.

“I fished for 11 years before I won a tournament. So, it was incredible to even win one. Fishing the Classic was amazing and I’m not on the Elite Series. So, the only way for me to make it is to win. I knew if I was meant to be on that stage again, it would happen. To be a two-time winner is crazy.”

Starting the tournament in 25th place with 14-5, Nania rocketed up the leaderboard with 22-2 on the second day before adding 16-1 on Championship Saturday to claim the trophy. Nania outlasted 18-year-old Illinois pro Trey McKinney who finished second with 51-4.

In a tournament where large groups of anglers were gathered in several areas, Nania was able to separate himself by fishing to his strengths in less-pressured areas and then executing on every bite.

“Everything has to go right. I didn’t lose a fish all week,” he said. “I caught every one of them on a spinning rod on a lake where you aren’t supposed to do that. I was doing something I love to do.”

Nania focused on several offshore aspects. With both of his patterns, his best technique was a Ned-Miki rig, a shad-imitating, finesse presentation, which he built with a 3/16-ounce Z-Man Finesse Eyez jighead with a 1/0 hook and a Z-Man StreakZ 3.75 soft plastic.

He tied that to a 14-pound Vicious Tora fluorocarbon leader attached to 10-pound Vicious yellow no-fade braid main line.

“It is fairly light but sinks fast enough to get a reaction strike,” Nania explained. “It is like what Gussy (Jeff Gustafson) won the Classic on, just a little smaller.”

His best spot the first two days was an offshore hump in 22 feet of water by the dam that sat just above the thermocline. His biggest bass on Day 2, a 6 1/2-pounder, came off that hump.

“There were just a few bass out there, but they were big ones,” Nania said. “The 22-foot range is where the biggest bass on the lake were, it was just hard to get bit. The water is so clear, too, and the thermocline on the bottom end of the lake was in about 25 feet of water.”

Nania also fished 20 brushpiles a day located on points in the mouths of bays in 10 to 14 feet. Those piles were full of several different species of fish, including crappie, catfish and white bass — and when he did see a largemouth on his Garmin LiveScope, he had to tease and coax the bass into biting.

“I was really teasing the fish out of those brushpiles. I was hovering my Ned-Miki and barely winding it over the piles and creeping it over the limbs, trying to attract the bass up and out,” he said. “Once I did that, I continued to coast it away from them and hover it over them and take it away slowly. The bites were really cool. They slowly came up behind it and then just continued right through the bait super slow and gentle.”

On the final day, Nania started on a rocky bank near takeoff and calmed his nerves by catching a 2-pounder on a 6th Sense Provoke 106X jerkbait. From there, he rotated through his brushpiles and rounded up 12 pounds quickly before moving to the deep spot where he landed the majority of his big bass the first two days.

Unfortunately, he could not get any more bites in that area, and just before check-in, he moved back to the rock wall near takeoff and landed two 3 1/2-pound largemouth on a Z-Man TRD BugZ rigged weedless on a 1/6-ounce Z-Man NedlockZ jighead Ned rig that ultimately pushed him to victory.

“At the end of the day, I was grateful for 12 pounds,” he said. “I rolled up by the ramp — the pattern I fished with a Ned rig on the rocks ... that pattern worked right at the end.

“Trevor McKinney was on the point I liked the most from practice, so I pulled up on a different one. I saw something swimming in a shad ball and I threw the Ned rig out there and it started swimming off. I threw out again, and three casts later I caught another 3 1/2.”

Putting together bags of 15-7 and 19-12 the first two days, Trey McKinney caught 16-1 on the final day. But he lost two big bass under a dock late in the day that likely would have pushed him to victory.

“Today was really heartbreaking. I had quite a few opportunities and I didn’t capitalize,” he said. “I had one dock and I knew they were there and I saved them for the last hour. The second cast, I hung one and knew it was a giant. I got it halfway back to the boat and felt it stop. I looked on LiveScope and it had wrapped itself around a crossbar and broke off.”

After retying, McKinney skipped under the same dock and hooked another big bass that took the same route as the previous fish, wrapping around the crossbar before breaking the line.

While disappointing, it was McKinney’s second runner-up finish of the season and pushed him into second in the Opens Elite Qualifier points race. He also secured a $500 St, Croix Rewards check by being the highest-finishing pro using St. Croix Rods.

Matt Messer of Warfield, Ky., finished third with 47-2. Starting with 13-8 on Day 1, Messer caught 22-10 on Day 2, a bag anchored by an 8-1 largemouth that earned him $750 for Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the Tournament. He added 11-0 on the final day.

“Today was tough. I knew if it was dead slick, it would be hard for me to get bit, and when I pulled up, it was dead slick,” Messer said. “I didn’t get a bite for two hours and then the wind picked up a little bit. I caught three fast and one of them was a 3-pounder. I thought it was going to be on. But honestly, I think I just caught them all.”

As part of the Yamaha Power Pay program, sixth-place angler John Soukup of Sapulpa, Okla., took home an additional $2,000.

With four events remaining, Union City, Tenn., pro John Garrett leads the Bassmaster Opens Elite Qualifier standings with 926 points. He is followed by Trey McKinney in second with 921 points, Elite Series pro Kenta Kimura of Japan in third with 910 points, South Carolina angler JT Thompkins in fourth with 893 and Minnesota angler Keith Tuma in fifth with 878.

The top nine finishers in the EQ Division will earn invitations to the 2024 Elite Series. For full standings, visit Bassmaster.com.

2023 St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Lake Eufaula Oklahoma 6/15-6/17
Lake Eufaula, Eufaula OK.
(BOATER) Standings Day 3

Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$

1. Joey Nania Cropwell, AL 15 52-08 200 $48,800.00
Day 1: 5 14-05 Day 2: 5 22-02 Day 3: 5 16-01
2. Trey McKinney Carbondale, IL 15 51-04 199 $23,460.00
Day 1: 5 15-07 Day 2: 5 19-12 Day 3: 5 16-01
3. Matt Messer Warfield, KY 15 47-02 198 $17,310.00
Day 1: 5 13-08 Day 2: 5 22-10 Day 3: 5 11-00
4. Tyler Williams Belgrade, ME 15 47-01 197 $13,800.00
Day 1: 5 19-03 Day 2: 5 12-10 Day 3: 5 15-04
5. Trevor McKinney Benton, IL 15 46-14 196 $12,006.00
Day 1: 5 18-06 Day 2: 5 13-09 Day 3: 5 14-15
6. John Soukup Sapulpa, OK 15 46-10 195 $11,040.00
Day 1: 5 14-06 Day 2: 5 18-09 Day 3: 5 13-11
7. Robert Gee Knoxville, TN 15 45-13 194 $10,350.00
Day 1: 5 16-09 Day 2: 5 14-13 Day 3: 5 14-07
8. Tyler Lubbat Wheeling, IL 14 39-09 193 $9,660.00
Day 1: 5 16-10 Day 2: 5 14-09 Day 3: 4 08-06
9. Jason Meninger Yulee, FL 13 39-06 192 $7,590.00
Day 1: 5 17-00 Day 2: 5 15-06 Day 3: 3 07-00
10. Andrew Hargrove Moody, TX 14 39-00 191 $6,210.00
Day 1: 5 16-03 Day 2: 5 15-06 Day 3: 4 07-07
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Matt Messer Warfield, KY 08-01 $750.00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 103 745 1785-09
2 71 606 1442-04
3 7 46 124-04
----------------------------------
181 1397 3352-01

by AnglersChannel

Late big bites power Joey Nania to lead at Bassmaster Open at Oklahoma’s Lake Eufaula

Joey Nania of Cropwell, Ala., is leading after Day 2 of the 2023 St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Lake Eufaula, Okla., with a two-day total of 36 pounds, 7 ounces.

Photo by Andy Crawford/B.A.S.S.

June 16, 2023

EUFAULA, Okla. — Before the start of Day 2 of the St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Lake Eufaula, Okla., Joey Nania had not caught a bass over 5 pounds. His fortunes changed on Friday, when Nania caught his two biggest bass of the week and weighed a limit totaling 22 pounds, 2 ounces, pushing him into the lead with a two-day total of 36-7.

Finishing the first day in 25th with 14-5, the Cropwell, Ala., pro holds a 5-ounce advantage over Kentucky's Matt Messer, who landed the biggest bag of the tournament thus far Friday with 22-10.

“It was an amazing day. Everything went perfectly and God is good,” Nania said. “I caught 50 or more white bass today and 20 bass.”

Despite the cloudy, breezy conditions that lingered after thunderstorms rolled through overnight Thursday, Nania decided to pull up on a brushpile he scanned during practice and caught three keepers by 8:30 a.m., including a 2-pounder. He then added a 3-pounder at an adjacent brushpile and his fifth keeper a few minutes later, a 4-pounder he coaxed into biting.

From there, Nania ran to the lower end of the lake and found several shallow brushpiles, which produced a 4-pounder and another 3-pounder around 1 p.m. With several hours still to fish, he returned to the area where he caught several of his better bass on Day 1 and landed a 4 1/2- and a 6 1/2-pounder on back-to-back casts.

Those two bass were bigger than any he caught during the practice period.

“At that point, I was feeling grateful for what I had,” Nania said. “To catch the 4.65 and cull up to 18 pounds, I knew I had made the cut. The next cast, I set the hook and it was that giant. I saw it jump and thought it was a 4-pounder. When I got it to the boat and grabbed it, it was big and thick and perfect. It was amazing.”

Both days, Nania has caught bass in 22 feet of water on that spot, which he found with 30 minutes to go on the final practice day. While many other competitors have stacked up in the same area, Nania has only seen two other boats fishing this particular spot all week.

While the current isn’t particularly strong on Eufaula, it plays a big role on the spot. Using his Garmin LiveScope, Nania can see thousands of white bass, many of which attempt to eat his bait before it reaches the bass.

“I let the white bass bump my bait and then I let it fall down below them,” he said. “When it really locks up, I set the hook. I only caught a couple of fish doing it, but I caught two 4s yesterday and my co-angler lost a 5. There are 10 or 15 bass and 2,000 white bass.

“It’s a typical school, but I’ve never seen so many white bass and so few bass in a school.”

Entering the day in 37th place with 13-8, Messer anchored his big Day 2 bag with an 8-1 behemoth largemouth that he landed on his last cast. That bass holds the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the Tournament.

At the end of Day 1, Messer found two spots that produced big bass and with 20 minutes to go before check-in on Day 2, he stopped on one of those spots and it paid off in a big way.

“That is two days in a row. Yesterday I caught a 5 1/2 on my last cast on the same spot,” Messer said. “I had 15-10 on my scale with the five I had with a 1-12 as my small one. I was running back and decided to make two casts on this spot and caught it on the first one. I caught it on a 10-pound test on a spinning rod. It was skin hooked too.”

Messer has been fishing isolated cover in around 20 feet of water, whether that cover is a brushpile, stump or a rockpile. Often, the standout from the Kentucky Christian University bass team hasn’t been able to see the bass on his forward-facing sonar, but has been able to find the cover holding the bass with his graph.

“These aren’t places I’m going to catch a (ton),” he said. “Today, I ran to a spot and would catch one and then run back to another and catch one. I went back and forth all day.”

Carbondale, Ill., pro Trey McKinney is in third with a two-day total of 35-3. With catches of 15-7 and 19-12, the 18-year-old Opens Elite Qualifiers Division angler secured his third Top 10 finish of the season. After seeing multiple boats around his Day 1 starting spot, McKinney moved to a flat located close to a drop-off.

While he didn’t see many bass on his forward-facing sonar Thursday, he found the bass had loaded up in that area Friday.

“My co-angler and I had a blast today. We had 25-plus keepers. I turned the LiveScope on in the back for him, and we kept telling each other to get ready,” he said. “I went on the deep side of it yesterday and today I went shallow and had 13 pounds in a matter of 10 minutes.”

McKinney added he would have been in contention for biggest bag of the day as well, but he lost a bass that was at least a 4-pounder and broke off another he believed would have helped.

Japanese native Sakae Ushio secured his second Bassmaster Opens co-angler victory with a two-day total of 20-3. After landing 11-9 on Day 1, Ushio added two bass that weighed 8-10 on the final day to secure the wire-to-wire win. Along with the trophy and the $13,000 check, he claimed an extra $250 for the Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the Tournament, a 6-4 largemouth he caught on Day 2.

“I used a Geecrack Bellows Gill creature bait on a wobblehead and a Berkley MaxScent Magnum Hit Worm on a Neko rig,” he said. “It is amazing. Both days I was the leader. It made my life, I think.”

Oklahoma’s Dusty Duvall finished second with 19-11, followed by Louisiana’s Jason Fontenot in third with 16-8.

The Top 10 pros will launch from Nichols Point beginning at 6 a.m. CT and return for weigh-in beginning around 2:30 p.m. The winner will punch a ticket to the 2024 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Toyota in Tulsa. Full coverage will be available on Bassmaster.com.

2023 St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Lake Eufaula Oklahoma 6/15-6/17
Lake Eufaula, Eufaula OK.
(BOATER) Standings Day 2

Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$

1. Joey Nania Cropwell, AL 10 36-07 200
Day 1: 5 14-05 Day 2: 5 22-02
2. Matt Messer Warfield, KY 10 36-02 199
Day 1: 5 13-08 Day 2: 5 22-10
3. Trey McKinney Carbondale, IL 10 35-03 198
Day 1: 5 15-07 Day 2: 5 19-12
4. John Soukup Sapulpa, OK 10 32-15 197
Day 1: 5 14-06 Day 2: 5 18-09
5. Jason Meninger Yulee, FL 10 32-06 196
Day 1: 5 17-00 Day 2: 5 15-06
6. Trevor McKinney Benton, IL 10 31-15 195
Day 1: 5 18-06 Day 2: 5 13-09
7. Tyler Williams Belgrade, ME 10 31-13 194
Day 1: 5 19-03 Day 2: 5 12-10
8. Andrew Hargrove Moody, TX 10 31-09 193
Day 1: 5 16-03 Day 2: 5 15-06
9. Robert Gee Knoxville, TN 10 31-06 192
Day 1: 5 16-09 Day 2: 5 14-13
10. Tyler Lubbat Wheeling, IL 10 31-03 191
Day 1: 5 16-10 Day 2: 5 14-09
11. Kyle Patrick Cooperstown, NY 10 30-15 190 $5,520.00
Day 1: 5 15-05 Day 2: 5 15-10
12. Ty Faber Pagosa Springs, CO 10 30-13 189 $4,830.00
Day 1: 5 18-10 Day 2: 5 12-03
13. Jamie Bruce Kenora Ontario CANADA 10 29-13 188 $3,795.00
Day 1: 5 16-09 Day 2: 5 13-04
14. JT Thompkins Myrtle Beach, SC 10 29-10 187 $3,795.00
Day 1: 5 14-02 Day 2: 5 15-08
15. Darold Gleason Many, LA 10 29-07 186 $3,795.00
Day 1: 5 16-05 Day 2: 5 13-02
16. Kenta Kimura Osaka JAPAN 10 28-07 185 $3,795.00
Day 1: 5 16-15 Day 2: 5 11-08
17. Kurt Mitchell Milford, DE 10 28-01 184 $3,795.00
Day 1: 5 10-08 Day 2: 5 17-09
18. Todd Castledine Nacogdoches, TX 10 27-13 183 $3,795.00
Day 1: 5 11-00 Day 2: 5 16-13
19. Shaine Campbell Brookeland, TX 8 27-09 182 $3,795.00
Day 1: 5 17-12 Day 2: 3 09-13
20. Keith Tuma Brainerd, MN 10 27-08 181 $3,795.00
Day 1: 5 14-13 Day 2: 5 12-11
21. Mamoru Kagiya Amagun Aichi JAPAN 10 27-03 180 $3,450.00
Day 1: 5 13-05 Day 2: 5 13-14
22. Ben Milliken New Caney, TX 10 26-04 179 $3,450.00
Day 1: 5 17-00 Day 2: 5 09-04
23. Luke Palmer Coalgate, OK 10 25-13 178 $3,450.00
Day 1: 5 14-04 Day 2: 5 11-09
24. Jason Lambert Savannah, TN 7 25-11 177 $3,450.00
Day 1: 5 17-14 Day 2: 2 07-13
25. Logan Johnson Jasper, AL 10 25-11 176 $3,450.00
Day 1: 5 15-00 Day 2: 5 10-11
26. Kyle Austin Ridgeville, SC 10 25-11 175 $3,174.00
Day 1: 5 11-00 Day 2: 5 14-11
27. Keltyn Hendrix Maysville, OK 10 25-10 174 $3,174.00
Day 1: 5 17-15 Day 2: 5 07-11
28. Austin Cranford Norman, OK 10 25-06 173 $3,174.00
Day 1: 5 12-08 Day 2: 5 12-14
29. Kyle Metzger Pearl River, LA 10 25-04 172 $3,174.00
Day 1: 5 14-10 Day 2: 5 10-10
30. John Garrett Union City, TN 7 25-03 171 $3,174.00
Day 1: 5 18-10 Day 2: 2 06-09
31. Andrew Upshaw Hemphill, TX 10 25-00 170 $3,174.00
Day 1: 5 11-01 Day 2: 5 13-15
32. Danny McGarry Newcastle CANADA 10 25-00 169 $3,174.00
Day 1: 5 12-06 Day 2: 5 12-10
33. B.J. Usie Bourg, LA 10 24-04 168 $3,174.00
Day 1: 5 09-14 Day 2: 5 14-06
34. Cole Drummond Effingham, SC 10 24-03 167 $3,174.00
Day 1: 5 11-03 Day 2: 5 13-00
35. Chad Warren Sand Springs, OK 10 24-00 166 $3,174.00
Day 1: 5 12-00 Day 2: 5 12-00
36. Clark Reehm Elm Grove, LA 10 23-15 165 $3,174.00
Day 1: 5 13-03 Day 2: 5 10-12
37. Cody Stahl Barnsville, GA 10 23-08 164 $3,174.00
Day 1: 5 12-10 Day 2: 5 10-14
38. Matt Henry Milledgeville, GA 10 23-07 163 $3,174.00
Day 1: 5 13-12 Day 2: 5 09-11
39. Adam Rasmussen Sturgeon Bay, WI 10 23-06 162 $3,174.00
Day 1: 5 12-01 Day 2: 5 11-05
40. Wesley Gore Clanton, AL 9 23-00 161 $3,174.00
Day 1: 5 13-11 Day 2: 4 09-05
41. Hugh Cosculluela Spring, TX 10 23-00 160
Day 1: 5 10-15 Day 2: 5 12-01
42. Casey Scanlon Eldon, MO 10 22-15 159
Day 1: 5 13-10 Day 2: 5 09-05
43. Marc Schilling Carrollton, TX 8 22-14 158
Day 1: 5 14-14 Day 2: 3 08-00
44. Ish Monroe Oakdale, CA 10 22-12 157
Day 1: 5 13-01 Day 2: 5 09-11
45. Jack York Emory, TX 10 22-12 156
Day 1: 5 11-10 Day 2: 5 11-02
46. James Niggemeyer Van, TX 10 22-10 155
Day 1: 5 13-15 Day 2: 5 08-11
47. Kenny Mittelstaedt Minnetonka, MN 10 22-08 154
Day 1: 5 11-01 Day 2: 5 11-07
48. Jimmy Washam Stantonville, TN 10 22-06 153
Day 1: 5 12-03 Day 2: 5 10-03
49. Logan Parks Auburn, AL 10 22-05 152
Day 1: 5 09-03 Day 2: 5 13-02
50. Teb Jones Yalaha, MS 8 22-05 151
Day 1: 4 09-06 Day 2: 4 12-15
51. Brayden Rakes Winston Salem, NC 9 22-00 150
Day 1: 4 10-09 Day 2: 5 11-07
52. Sam George Athens, AL 7 21-12 149
Day 1: 3 10-11 Day 2: 4 11-01
53. Garrett Paquette Canton, MI 10 21-08 148
Day 1: 5 10-02 Day 2: 5 11-06
54. Michael Scalise Port Allen, LA 8 21-07 147
Day 1: 3 03-14 Day 2: 5 17-09
55. Kyle Monti Okeechobee, FL 9 21-06 146
Day 1: 4 08-05 Day 2: 5 13-01
56. Buck Mallory Lawton, MI 10 21-05 145
Day 1: 5 12-00 Day 2: 5 09-05
57. Jonathan Dietz Corry, PA 10 21-05 144
Day 1: 5 10-06 Day 2: 5 10-15
58. Justin Phillips Checotah, OK 10 21-04 143
Day 1: 5 10-11 Day 2: 5 10-09
59. Wyatt Ryan Ada, OK 9 21-03 142
Day 1: 5 13-01 Day 2: 4 08-02
60. Tucker Veronee Gilbert, SC 8 20-14 141
Day 1: 3 06-10 Day 2: 5 14-04
61. Vance Montgomery Claremore, OK 9 20-13 140
Day 1: 5 12-10 Day 2: 4 08-03
62. Dale Hightower Mannford, OK 10 20-10 139
Day 1: 5 11-00 Day 2: 5 09-10
63. Jake Maddux Birmingham, AL 8 20-07 138
Day 1: 3 08-11 Day 2: 5 11-12
64. Jack Dice Lynchburg, VA 10 20-07 137
Day 1: 5 10-08 Day 2: 5 09-15
65. Destin DeMarion Harborcreek, PA 8 20-05 136
Day 1: 5 11-03 Day 2: 3 09-02
66. Brent Shores Boise, ID 9 20-04 135
Day 1: 5 11-01 Day 2: 4 09-03
67. Bobby Lane Jr. Lakeland, FL 9 20-03 134
Day 1: 4 08-09 Day 2: 5 11-10
68. Troy O'Rourke Bentonville, AR 8 20-01 133
Day 1: 5 11-03 Day 2: 3 08-14
69. Ryan Clark Whitby Ontario CANADA 9 20-01 132
Day 1: 5 09-11 Day 2: 4 10-06
70. Brett Cannon Willis, TX 8 20-00 131
Day 1: 5 13-05 Day 2: 3 06-11
71. Billy McDonald Greenwood, IN 8 19-14 130
Day 1: 5 14-08 Day 2: 3 05-06
72. Justin Kimmel Athens, GA 8 19-14 129
Day 1: 3 08-12 Day 2: 5 11-02
73. Jason Abram Piney Flats, TN 8 19-12 128
Day 1: 3 09-02 Day 2: 5 10-10
74. Brandon McMillan Clewiston, FL 9 19-11 127
Day 1: 5 12-07 Day 2: 4 07-04
75. Derek Lehtonen Woodruff, SC 9 19-08 126
Day 1: 5 09-01 Day 2: 4 10-07
76. Stephen Browning Hot Springs, AR 8 19-04 125
Day 1: 5 12-04 Day 2: 3 07-00
77. Kazuki Kitajima Corinth, TX 8 19-02 124
Day 1: 5 13-08 Day 2: 3 05-10
78. Terry Peacock Royse City, TX 9 19-00 123
Day 1: 5 12-00 Day 2: 4 07-00
79. Zeke Gossett Pell City, AL 7 18-15 122
Day 1: 2 05-01 Day 2: 5 13-14
80. Jacob Bigelow Cecil, WI 9 18-13 121
Day 1: 5 11-08 Day 2: 4 07-05
81. Chad Grigsby Maple Grove, MN 8 18-09 120
Day 1: 5 12-01 Day 2: 3 06-08
82. Chris Blanchette Edisto Island, SC 8 18-07 119
Day 1: 5 10-01 Day 2: 3 08-06
83. Jacob Thompkins Myrtle Beach, SC 8 18-07 118
Day 1: 5 09-13 Day 2: 3 08-10
84. Blake Sylvester Plaquemine, LA 6 18-03 117
Day 1: 4 13-10 Day 2: 2 04-09
85. Tom Frink Southside, AL 10 17-14 116
Day 1: 5 08-04 Day 2: 5 09-10
86. Alex Heintze Denham Springs, LA 8 17-12 115
Day 1: 5 10-14 Day 2: 3 06-14
87. Keith Brumfield Vicksburg, MS 10 17-12 114
Day 1: 5 08-08 Day 2: 5 09-04
88. Chase Clarke Virginia Beach, VA 7 17-07 113
Day 1: 5 14-05 Day 2: 2 03-02
89. Bobby Lanham Eddyville, KY 9 17-07 112
Day 1: 5 09-05 Day 2: 4 08-02
90. Allan Nail Sand Springs, OK 10 17-07 111
Day 1: 5 09-02 Day 2: 5 08-05
91. Blake Smith Lakeland, FL 8 17-05 110
Day 1: 5 09-08 Day 2: 3 07-13
92. Chris Beaudrie Princeton, KY 8 17-03 109
Day 1: 5 09-10 Day 2: 3 07-09
93. Hunter Sales Blaine, TN 9 17-02 108
Day 1: 4 07-11 Day 2: 5 09-07
94. Joshua Teply Harrah, OK 7 17-01 107
Day 1: 3 04-07 Day 2: 4 12-10
95. Philip Roesener Choctaw, OK 8 16-12 106
Day 1: 5 10-07 Day 2: 3 06-05
96. Seiji Kato Outsu Shiga JAPAN 6 16-12 105
Day 1: 3 08-13 Day 2: 3 07-15
97. Matt Pangrac Shawnee, OK 10 16-11 104
Day 1: 5 08-06 Day 2: 5 08-05
98. Griffin Phillips Mount Olive, AL 8 16-10 103
Day 1: 5 10-11 Day 2: 3 05-15
99. Sterling Bougher Mannford, OK 8 16-05 102
Day 1: 3 06-02 Day 2: 5 10-03
100. Lafe Messer Warfield, KY 6 16-01 101
Day 1: 2 07-00 Day 2: 4 09-01
101. Logan Anderson Catawba, NC 5 15-15 100
Day 1: 4 13-12 Day 2: 1 02-03
102. Josh Hubbard Dunnellon, FL 6 15-12 99
Day 1: 5 14-00 Day 2: 1 01-12
103. Jack Tindel III Orange, TX 5 15-11 98
Day 1: 1 03-01 Day 2: 4 12-10
104. Andrew Harp Linden, TX 6 15-09 97
Day 1: 5 14-04 Day 2: 1 01-05
105. Cody Bird Granbury, TX 8 15-07 96
Day 1: 3 07-05 Day 2: 5 08-02
106. Tommy Williams Shepherdsville, KY 9 15-06 95
Day 1: 5 08-10 Day 2: 4 06-12
107. Trey Swindle Cleveland, AL 8 15-05 94
Day 1: 4 08-03 Day 2: 4 07-02
108. Evan Kung Pickering Ontario CANAD 6 15-04 93
Day 1: 5 13-05 Day 2: 1 01-15
109. Brian Post Janesville, WI 5 15-01 92
Day 1: 5 15-01 Day 2: 0 00-00
110. Tim Frederick Leesburg, FL 7 15-01 91
Day 1: 2 03-09 Day 2: 5 11-08
111. Kyle Goltz Cornell, WI 7 15-01 90
Day 1: 5 11-02 Day 2: 2 03-15
112. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 7 15-01 89
Day 1: 5 09-14 Day 2: 2 05-03
113. Kyle Gelles Pingree, ID 8 15-00 88
Day 1: 5 08-14 Day 2: 3 06-02
114. Greg Bohannan Bentonville, AR 8 14-15 87
Day 1: 4 06-04 Day 2: 4 08-11
115. Josh Bragg Fayetteville, GA 7 14-09 86
Day 1: 4 06-12 Day 2: 3 07-13
116. Brad Leuthner Victoria, MN 8 14-09 85
Day 1: 4 07-00 Day 2: 4 07-09
117. Julius Mazy Phoenix, AZ 6 14-05 84
Day 1: 5 12-13 Day 2: 1 01-08
118. Greg Vance Delhi, IA 8 14-02 83
Day 1: 5 09-06 Day 2: 3 04-12
119. Kenji Yamada Hixson, TN 7 14-02 82
Day 1: 5 08-15 Day 2: 2 05-03
120. Jim Dillard West Monroe, LA 8 13-13 81
Day 1: 3 05-15 Day 2: 5 07-14
121. Shane Lineberger Lincolnton, NC 6 13-02 80
Day 1: 4 10-02 Day 2: 2 03-00
122. Daisuke Kita Ostu Shiga JAPAN 5 13-01 79
Day 1: 4 11-02 Day 2: 1 01-15
123. Steve Morella Townshend, VT 7 13-01 78
Day 1: 4 06-13 Day 2: 3 06-04
124. Alan Barton Stillwater, OK 6 12-11 77
Day 1: 1 01-13 Day 2: 5 10-14
125. Tripp Noojin Bryant, AL 7 12-10 76
Day 1: 5 08-05 Day 2: 2 04-05
126. Robbie Latuso Gonzales, LA 5 12-06 75
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 5 12-06
127. Dane Thibodeaux Lake Charles, LA 5 12-06 74
Day 1: 2 05-01 Day 2: 3 07-05
128. Brock Belik Orchard, NE 5 12-05 73
Day 1: 5 12-05 Day 2: 0 00-00
128. Mark Watson Victoria, TX 5 12-05 73
Day 1: 5 12-05 Day 2: 0 00-00
130. Ethen Preston Tower City, ND 5 12-02 71
Day 1: 2 04-08 Day 2: 3 07-10
131. Cory Weaver Ankeny, IA 5 12-02 70
Day 1: 3 07-07 Day 2: 2 04-11
132. Steve Tennison Lexington, OK 5 12-01 69
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 5 12-01
133. Bronk Mcdaniel Alexandria, LA 6 11-15 68
Day 1: 4 08-04 Day 2: 2 03-11
134. Evan Barnes Dardanelle, AR 6 11-11 67
Day 1: 5 10-05 Day 2: 1 01-06
135. Craig Chambers Midland, NC 6 11-11 66
Day 1: 4 07-13 Day 2: 2 03-14
136. Chris Keeble Lenoir City, TN 5 11-06 65
Day 1: 1 01-15 Day 2: 4 09-07
137. Bailey Boutries Springfield, MO 6 11-06 64
Day 1: 4 07-10 Day 2: 2 03-12
138. Darrell Davis Dover, FL 5 11-02 63
Day 1: 4 08-04 Day 2: 1 02-14
139. Brandon Tallhamer Parkersburg, WV 6 11-02 62
Day 1: 2 03-12 Day 2: 4 07-06
140. Caleb Gibson Locust Grove, OK 4 10-15 61
Day 1: 3 08-01 Day 2: 1 02-14
141. Christian Shoda Homosassa, FL 4 10-14 60
Day 1: 3 08-14 Day 2: 1 02-00
142. Jason Christie Dry Creek, OK 5 10-10 59
Day 1: 5 10-10 Day 2: 0 00-00
143. Brad Hillebrandt Florien, LA 4 10-08 58
Day 1: 4 10-08 Day 2: 0 00-00
144. Scott Kerslake Okeechobee, FL 5 10-04 57
Day 1: 5 10-04 Day 2: 0 00-00
145. Taylor Watkins Clinton, TN 6 10-01 56
Day 1: 5 08-11 Day 2: 1 01-06
146. Chris Miller Spirit Lake, IA 3 10-01 55
Day 1: 2 05-08 Day 2: 1 04-09
147. Charlie Hartley Grove City, OH 4 09-13 54
Day 1: 3 08-00 Day 2: 1 01-13
148. Chris Kingree Inverness, FL 4 09-11 53
Day 1: 3 05-13 Day 2: 1 03-14
149. Danny Ramsey Trinidad, TX 5 09-08 52
Day 1: 1 01-15 Day 2: 4 07-09
150. Takayuki Koike Otsu-City JAPAN 4 09-05 51
Day 1: 1 01-12 Day 2: 3 07-09
151. Willy Dennison Willoughby Hills, OH 5 09-02 50
Day 1: 3 06-11 Day 2: 2 02-07
152. Scott Isaacs Ladonia, TX 5 09-02 49
Day 1: 3 05-12 Day 2: 2 03-06
153. Keith Brashers Rogers, AR 5 09-01 48
Day 1: 5 09-01 Day 2: 0 00-00
154. Harvey Horne Bella Vista, AR 4 09-01 47
Day 1: 3 06-13 Day 2: 1 02-04
155. Andy Beloat Montgomery, TX 4 08-13 46
Day 1: 3 07-00 Day 2: 1 01-13
156. Travis Ledford Tuttle, OK 4 08-12 45
Day 1: 1 01-12 Day 2: 3 07-00
157. Frank Williams Mountain Home, AR 4 08-09 44
Day 1: 2 05-01 Day 2: 2 03-08
158. A.J. Menssen Bloomington, IL 4 08-08 43
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 4 08-08
159. Bart Stanisz Austin, TX 3 08-07 42
Day 1: 2 04-11 Day 2: 1 03-12
160. David Perdue Wirtz, VA 4 08-06 41
Day 1: 2 05-06 Day 2: 2 03-00
161. Lance Owen Greer, SC 4 07-15 40
Day 1: 4 07-15 Day 2: 0 00-00
162. Jordan Knutson Saint Croix Falls, WI 3 07-11 39
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 07-11
163. Joey Hanna Corsicana, TX 4 07-11 38
Day 1: 3 05-13 Day 2: 1 01-14
164. Steven Caldwell Whitesboro, TX 4 07-10 37
Day 1: 1 01-08 Day 2: 3 06-02
165. Billy Smith Montgomery, TX 3 07-10 36
Day 1: 2 03-10 Day 2: 1 04-00
166. Jimmy Steed Zapata, TX 4 07-07 35
Day 1: 4 07-07 Day 2: 0 00-00
167. Joe Labarbera Montrose, PA 3 07-01 34
Day 1: 1 01-15 Day 2: 2 05-02
168. Lucas Bradley Flippin, AR 4 07-00 33
Day 1: 3 04-03 Day 2: 1 02-13
169. Wil Dieffenbauch III Hundred, WV 4 06-15 32
Day 1: 2 03-10 Day 2: 2 03-05
170. Bo Thomas Edwardsburg, MI 3 06-14 31
Day 1: 3 06-14 Day 2: 0 00-00
171. Scout Echols Monticello, AR 3 06-14 30
Day 1: 2 04-08 Day 2: 1 02-06
172. Chris Bailey Bruceville, TX 3 06-10 29
Day 1: 3 06-10 Day 2: 0 00-00
173. Louis Monetti Brielle, NJ 4 06-10 28
Day 1: 3 04-13 Day 2: 1 01-13
174. JT Russell Mc Calla, AL 4 06-06 27
Day 1: 2 03-08 Day 2: 2 02-14
175. Miles Burghoff Dayton, TN 3 06-04 26
Day 1: 3 06-04 Day 2: 0 00-00
176. Mike Mayo Athens, TX 3 05-13 25
Day 1: 3 05-13 Day 2: 0 00-00
177. Zachary Ellis Fort Worth, TX 3 05-13 24
Day 1: 1 02-06 Day 2: 2 03-07
178. Cody Detweiler Guntersville, AL 3 05-08 23
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 05-08
179. Keith Poche Pike Road, AL 3 05-03 22
Day 1: 3 05-03 Day 2: 0 00-00
180. Billy Billeaud Lafayette, LA 3 05-02 21
Day 1: 3 05-02 Day 2: 0 00-00
180. Hunter Stanley Mustang, OK 3 05-02 21
Day 1: 3 05-02 Day 2: 0 00-00
182. Chancy Walters West Des Moines, IA 2 05-00 19
Day 1: 2 05-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
183. Terry Morris Bernice, LA 3 05-00 18
Day 1: 1 01-14 Day 2: 2 03-02
184. Jason Carpenter Castle Pines, CO 2 04-08 17
Day 1: 2 04-08 Day 2: 0 00-00
185. Cory Leita Victoria, TX 2 04-06 16
Day 1: 2 04-06 Day 2: 0 00-00
186. Lucas Ragusa Gonzales, LA 2 04-04 15
Day 1: 2 04-04 Day 2: 0 00-00
187. Jaxon Sullivan Reagan, TN 2 04-02 14
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 04-02
188. Reece Tremaglio Dunkirk, MD 2 04-01 13
Day 1: 1 01-07 Day 2: 1 02-10
189. Daniel Valois Gomez Caracas FL VENEZUELA 2 03-12 12
Day 1: 1 02-05 Day 2: 1 01-07
190. Corey Stewart Lees Summit, MO 2 03-06 11
Day 1: 2 03-06 Day 2: 0 00-00
191. Brady Vernon Sterrett, AL 2 03-05 10
Day 1: 1 01-07 Day 2: 1 01-14
192. Alex Murray Lake Charles, LA 2 02-13 9
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 02-13
193. David Wootton Collierville, TN 2 02-13 8
Day 1: 1 01-07 Day 2: 1 01-06
194. Mike Surman Boca Raton, FL 1 01-14 7
Day 1: 1 01-14 Day 2: 0 00-00
195. Kevin Ledoux Choctaw, OK 1 01-13 6
Day 1: 1 01-13 Day 2: 0 00-00
196. Denny Fiedler Wabasha, MN 1 01-11 5
Day 1: 1 01-11 Day 2: 0 00-00
196. Phil Killian Solomon, AZ 1 01-11 5
Day 1: 1 01-11 Day 2: 0 00-00
198. Craig Danna West Monroe, LA 1 01-03 3
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 01-03
199. Timmy Thompkins Myrtle Beach, SC 5 00-00 2
Day 1: 5 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
200. Tyler Alderson Loveland, CO 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
200. Paul Bouvier Kingston CANADA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
200. Paul Browning Pecos, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
200. Tony Dumitras Winston, GA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
200. Curtis King Plaquemine, LA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
200. Dustin Reneau Mckinney, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
200. Chandler Stewart Canyon Lake, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
200. Jason Tibbetts Centreville, VA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 103 745 1785-09
2 71 606 1442-04
----------------------------------
174 1351 3227-13

2023 St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Lake Eufaula Oklahoma 6/15-6/17
Lake Eufaula, Eufaula OK.
(NON_BOATER) Standings Day 2

Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$

1. Sakae Ushio Tonawanda, NY 5 20-03 200 $13,623.00
Day 1: 3 11-09 Day 2: 2 08-10
2. Dusty Duvall Checotah, OK 6 19-11 199 $3,147.00
Day 1: 3 08-15 Day 2: 3 10-12
3. Jason Fontenot Lake Charles, LA 6 16-08 198 $2,360.00
Day 1: 3 06-08 Day 2: 3 10-00
4. Steven Doolittle Chelsea, OK 4 15-12 197 $1,770.00
Day 1: 2 07-01 Day 2: 2 08-11
5. Kevin Turner Sand Springs, OK 6 14-15 196 $1,652.00
Day 1: 3 09-03 Day 2: 3 05-12
6. Ken Sanders Point Blank, TX 6 14-14 195 $1,573.00
Day 1: 3 06-02 Day 2: 3 08-12
7. Skip Rayborn Hammond, LA 6 13-06 194 $1,495.00
Day 1: 3 08-06 Day 2: 3 05-00
8. Colten Hutson Edmond, OK 5 12-02 193 $1,416.00
Day 1: 3 06-15 Day 2: 2 05-03
9. Troy Enmeier Enid, OK 6 11-11 192 $1,298.00
Day 1: 3 06-03 Day 2: 3 05-08
10. Will Major Port Allen, LA 4 11-03 191 $1,180.00
Day 1: 2 03-03 Day 2: 2 08-00
11. Chad Stahl Barnesville, GA 5 11-03 190 $1,101.00
Day 1: 3 07-14 Day 2: 2 03-05
12. Jordan Lane Conroe, TX 5 11-03 189 $1,023.00
Day 1: 2 05-02 Day 2: 3 06-01
13. Jason Switzer Sapulpa, OK 5 11-00 188 $865.00
Day 1: 3 07-04 Day 2: 2 03-12
14. Jeremiah Mattox Norman, OK 6 11-00 187 $787.00
Day 1: 3 05-01 Day 2: 3 05-15
15. Wes Tull Oklahoma City, OK 5 10-11 186 $708.00
Day 1: 2 04-01 Day 2: 3 06-10
16. Ronald Young New Braunfels, TX 4 10-10 185 $629.00
Day 1: 2 06-02 Day 2: 2 04-08
17. Seth Daniel Atoka, OK 4 10-04 184 $590.00
Day 1: 3 06-07 Day 2: 1 03-13
18. Jason Barber Gun Barrel City, TX 5 10-01 183 $590.00
Day 1: 3 05-07 Day 2: 2 04-10
19. Gary Haraguchi Murfreesboro, TN 5 09-13 182 $590.00
Day 1: 3 06-01 Day 2: 2 03-12
20. Christopher Veronee Gilbert, SC 3 09-10 181 $590.00
Day 1: 3 09-10 Day 2: 0 00-00
21. Johnnie Garrett Union City, TN 4 09-10 180 $551.00
Day 1: 1 02-02 Day 2: 3 07-08
22. Dylan Johnson Miami, OK 5 09-03 179 $551.00
Day 1: 2 04-05 Day 2: 3 04-14
23. Darren Gates Macon, IL 4 09-00 178 $551.00
Day 1: 3 07-04 Day 2: 1 01-12
24. Bates Enmeier Springdale, AR 4 08-14 177 $551.00
Day 1: 1 01-15 Day 2: 3 06-15
25. Hunter Neuville New Iberia, LA 4 08-10 176 $551.00
Day 1: 1 03-08 Day 2: 3 05-02
26. Tommy Wood Sippy Downs AUSTRALIA 4 08-09 175 $472.00
Day 1: 3 07-03 Day 2: 1 01-06
27. Joseph Shaw Madison, WI 3 08-07 174 $472.00
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 08-07
28. Rick Cheatham Carterville, IL 3 08-06 173 $472.00
Day 1: 3 08-06 Day 2: 0 00-00
29. Avery Williams Murrells Inlt, SC 4 08-05 172 $472.00
Day 1: 1 02-02 Day 2: 3 06-03
30. Jim Thompson Manchester, IA 4 08-04 171 $472.00
Day 1: 3 06-08 Day 2: 1 01-12
31. Matt Molitor Canton, IL 4 08-03 170 $433.00
Day 1: 2 04-04 Day 2: 2 03-15
32. Martin Kutz Prosper, TX 5 08-02 169 $433.00
Day 1: 2 03-02 Day 2: 3 05-00
33. Butch Lansford Muskogee, OK 3 08-01 168 $433.00
Day 1: 2 05-13 Day 2: 1 02-04
34. Aubrey Herlocker Stillwater, OK 4 07-06 167 $433.00
Day 1: 1 02-04 Day 2: 3 05-02
35. Trey Gulley Alton, TX 3 07-06 166 $433.00
Day 1: 2 04-13 Day 2: 1 02-09
36. Sean Fullerton Bixby, OK 3 07-03 165 $433.00
Day 1: 1 03-11 Day 2: 2 03-08
37. Chad Morrow Weatherford, OK 3 07-01 164 $433.00
Day 1: 3 07-01 Day 2: 0 00-00
38. Adam Tims Royse City, TX 4 06-15 163 $433.00
Day 1: 1 02-00 Day 2: 3 04-15
39. Gary Bates Athens, AL 3 06-14 162 $433.00
Day 1: 1 01-12 Day 2: 2 05-02
40. Ralph Gibson Locust Grove, OK 3 06-13 161 $433.00
Day 1: 3 06-13 Day 2: 0 00-00
41. Johnny Ramos Odessa, TX 2 06-11 160
Day 1: 1 02-15 Day 2: 1 03-12
42. James Thompson Dodge City, KS 3 06-09 159
Day 1: 3 06-09 Day 2: 0 00-00
43. Charles Reed Batesville, MS 3 06-08 158
Day 1: 2 04-12 Day 2: 1 01-12
44. Erik Knutson Saint Croix Falls, WI 3 06-08 157
Day 1: 2 04-04 Day 2: 1 02-04
45. Steve Byrd Coalgate, OK 3 06-05 156
Day 1: 2 04-10 Day 2: 1 01-11
46. Nikalos Tarkington Gladewater, TX 3 05-13 155
Day 1: 1 01-08 Day 2: 2 04-05
47. Pic Dieffenbauch Jr Hundred, WV 3 05-10 154
Day 1: 2 03-02 Day 2: 1 02-08
48. Sean Obrien Mckenzie, TN 3 05-07 153
Day 1: 2 03-10 Day 2: 1 01-13
49. Jimmy Fellegy Mustang, OK 3 05-06 152
Day 1: 1 01-13 Day 2: 2 03-09
50. Dylan Mayo Athens, TX 2 05-05 151
Day 1: 1 03-11 Day 2: 1 01-10
51. AJ Jones Lutz, FL 3 05-03 150
Day 1: 1 01-10 Day 2: 2 03-09
52. Adam Boyd Humble, TX 3 05-02 149
Day 1: 2 03-07 Day 2: 1 01-11
53. John Goul Philadelphia, MS 3 05-01 148
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 05-01
54. Brandon Story Rogers, AR 2 05-00 147
Day 1: 1 02-06 Day 2: 1 02-10
55. Brian Forcier Akron, IA 2 04-15 146
Day 1: 1 02-11 Day 2: 1 02-04
56. John Higginbotham Slaughter, LA 2 04-15 145
Day 1: 1 02-06 Day 2: 1 02-09
57. Tyler Coleman Mustang, OK 2 04-14 144
Day 1: 2 04-14 Day 2: 0 00-00
58. Benjamin Demo Plymouth, MN 2 04-11 143
Day 1: 2 04-11 Day 2: 0 00-00
59. Larry Beauboeuf Bossier City, LA 2 04-09 142
Day 1: 2 04-09 Day 2: 0 00-00
60. David Booth Erin, TN 2 04-08 141
Day 1: 2 04-08 Day 2: 0 00-00
61. Gene Mitchell Stuart, OK 3 04-06 140
Day 1: 1 01-04 Day 2: 2 03-02
62. Billy James Lewis Odessa, TX 2 04-03 139
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 04-03
63. Allen Heston Pittsburg, TX 2 04-00 138
Day 1: 2 04-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
63. Craig Schmidt Prague, NE 2 04-00 138
Day 1: 2 04-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
63. Dee Sheperd Mountain View, OK 2 04-00 138
Day 1: 2 04-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
66. Gary Hall Wardville, OK 1 03-14 135
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 03-14
67. Jack Evans Bucklin, KS 2 03-12 134
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 03-12
68. David Riggs Highland, IL 2 03-11 133
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 03-11
69. Dean Krambeck Newalla, OK 2 03-11 132
Day 1: 1 01-11 Day 2: 1 02-00
70. Jimmy Brumfield Madison, MS 1 03-09 131
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 03-09
71. Mark Cowart Kearney, MO 2 03-09 130
Day 1: 1 02-15 Day 2: 1 00-10
72. Tim Neumann Crosby, TX 2 03-05 129
Day 1: 2 03-05 Day 2: 0 00-00
73. Perry See Rochester, MN 2 03-05 128
Day 1: 1 02-01 Day 2: 1 01-04
74. Jacob Collins Hillsboro, IL 1 03-04 127
Day 1: 1 03-04 Day 2: 0 00-00
75. Randy Tallhamer Brandenton, FL 2 03-03 126
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 03-03
76. Lester Wray Mcalester, OK 2 03-01 125
Day 1: 1 01-10 Day 2: 1 01-07
77. Mark Clark Crawford, MS 1 02-12 124
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 02-12
78. Chris Black Fort Worth, TX 1 02-11 123
Day 1: 1 02-11 Day 2: 0 00-00
79. Cheri Hillebrandt Ragley, LA 1 02-07 122
Day 1: 1 02-07 Day 2: 0 00-00
80. Takaaki Kojima Temecula CA JAPAN 1 02-05 121
Day 1: 1 02-05 Day 2: 0 00-00
81. Willy Becker Kansas City, MO 1 02-04 120
Day 1: 1 02-04 Day 2: 0 00-00
82. Alex Lane Ada, OK 2 02-01 119
Day 1: 2 02-01 Day 2: 0 00-00
83. Brandon Beaver Durant, OK 1 02-01 118
Day 1: 1 02-01 Day 2: 0 00-00
84. Leslie Brandenburg Springfield, MO 1 02-00 117
Day 1: 1 02-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
85. J Leblanc Greenwell Springs, LA 1 01-15 116
Day 1: 1 01-15 Day 2: 0 00-00
86. Anthony Zachery Venus, TX 2 01-14 115
Day 1: 0 -01-00 Day 2: 2 02-14
87. James Nau Spearville, KS 1 01-14 114
Day 1: 1 01-14 Day 2: 0 00-00
88. Tiffany Leal Austin, TX 1 01-13 113
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 01-13
88. Dwain Vogelpohl Cambridge, MN 1 01-13 113
Day 1: 1 01-13 Day 2: 0 00-00
90. Nick Richey Aledo, TX 1 01-12 111
Day 1: 1 01-12 Day 2: 0 00-00
91. William Schuster Oklahoma City, OK 1 01-11 110
Day 1: 1 01-11 Day 2: 0 00-00
91. Travis Turcotte Pembroke CANADA 1 01-11 110
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 01-11
93. Brian Dickirson Choctaw, OK 1 01-10 108
Day 1: 1 01-10 Day 2: 0 00-00
93. Michael Leach Shenandoah, TX 1 01-10 108
Day 1: 1 01-10 Day 2: 0 00-00
93. Tim Noyes Broken Arrow, OK 1 01-10 108
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 01-10
96. Larry Davis Gladewater, TX 1 01-09 105
Day 1: 1 01-09 Day 2: 0 00-00
97. Jody Grizzle Pocola, OK 1 01-08 104
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 01-08
97. Milton Hall Mcalester, OK 1 01-08 104
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 01-08
99. Chris Bouchikas Oktaha, OK 1 01-07 102
Day 1: 1 01-07 Day 2: 0 00-00
100. Mark Sloan Harrison, AR 1 01-05 101
Day 1: 1 01-05 Day 2: 0 00-00
101. Tanner Underwood Piedmont, OK 1 00-07 100
Day 1: 1 01-07 Day 2: 0 -01-00
102. Stephen Babcock Belton, MO 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
102. Marco Flores Topeka, KS 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
102. Chris Gaudin East Camden, AR 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
102. Dalton Harbin Choctaw, OK 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
102. Matthew Hodgkinson Oklahoma City, OK 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
102. Terry Humphrey Muskogee, OK 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
102. Kevin Mallow Kansas, OK 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
102. Mike Mattox Moore, OK 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
102. John Mckenzie Oklahoma City, OK 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
102. Bobby Paige Borger, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
102. Mike Stafford Eufaula, OK 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
102. John Stewart Lone Jack, MO 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
102. Marty Trent Dodge City, KS 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
102. Kerry Trent Dodge City, KS 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
102. Joe Tucker Osceola, MO 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
102. Justin Weil Dodge City, KS 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
102. Jerry Whitaker Dodge City, KS 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 22 155 351-00
2 19 128 279-07
----------------------------------
41 283 630-07

by AnglersChannel

American Tackle Wins!

For Immediate Release

[Oviedo, Fl, June 16^th, 2023] - American Tackle continues its tradition of leading from the front by adding the EFTTEX 2023 Best New Product Rod Component Award. This is the 13^th industry award for American Tackle which continues to innovate and push the industry forward. With the return of the EFTTEX in-person show, American Tackle was excited to be back at the largest European fishing trade show.

"We are extremely proud of our team at American Tackle," says Kevin Landers, Marketing Manager at America Tackle Company. "The team works hard daily to move the industry forward and impact fishing in general."

Gary Benney, European Branch Manager at American Tackle, attended EFTTEX and was there to accept the award on behalf of American Tackle. "I couldn't be happier to be a part of this great team," says Gary. "We work daily to make products that the fishing industry adopts, and it is the best feeling in the world to be a part of it!"

EFTTEX attracts some of the most well-known names in the industry and is also a place to meet new and emerging companies within the trade. EFTTEX is the leading European Fishing Tackle Trade Exhibition and has been the go-to Trade Show for all of Europe for over 30 years

The Hybrid reel seat offers a cutting-edge solution for carp, surf, and saltwater rods, blending composite and machined seat advantages. Its carbon machined body, 'C' channel design, lightweight locking hoods, and compatibility with high-quality reels prevent shutoff points and breakage during heavy casting. The carbon body ensures better bonding, while the aluminum rear thread and double-locking nuts provide a secure lock to prevent reel rocking.

For any questions about this event or any other events, please get in touch with:

Kevin Landers at American Tackle Co 407-706-0321 Ext. 1219

###

by AnglersChannel

More Than A Landing Net

ICAST-Winning EGO^® S2 Slider Nets & Handle Accessories Help All Anglers Succeed

Caldwell, ID (June 16, 2023) – EGO’s S2 Slider™ offers a great solution for netting all fish species—and multi-duty use as a deck/boat brush, mop, lure retriever, dock grabber, and more…

The market is flooded with landing nets, most of them cookie-cutter designs that function only as fish-dippers. And many leave a lot to be desired, what with snag-prone netting and materials that can be hard on fish intended for release.

Enter EGO®’s S2 Slider™, a modular fishing net system not only designed for netting fish, but a multitude of other tasks. The EGO S2 Slider Product System utilizes the most advanced handle extension technology on the planet.

EGO offers 30-plus interchangeable net heads, accessories, and handles; 19 combined hoop sizes and mesh types to choose from; and lastly, a two-year limited warranty on all EGO landing nets and accessories.

Looking back a few years, hardcore anglers and fishing media were so impressed with the EGO S2 Slider system that the product won ICAST’s “Best Fishing Accessory”.

“The EGO S2 Slider net system is the most versatile and easy-to-use extendable net on the market,” says veteran tournament angler and Florida/North Dakota fishing guide, Johnnie Candle.

“The extendable handle/slider system is incredibly simple and doesn’t require a lot of strength for women or young or older anglers,” continues Candle. “And I can’t tell you how having EGO’s extra, extendable handle reach to net fish saves a lot of big fish from getting off. No angler should fish without one.”

“As far as the accessories are concerned, I use the deck brush and deluxe mop attachments to clean my saltwater boat at the end of each guiding day. I don’t have to carry two handles. I just carry a net and a brush. The brush sits in the compartment until I need it, and then I just unscrew the net hoop off and attach the brush. Makes life simple.”

“When I’m guiding on Devils Lake, North Dakota, in the spring through fall, we fish around a lot of trees and brush—often with crankbaits that tend to get hung up on the wood. When I have multiple lines out with clients, losing crankbaits can hit the pocketbook quick. The EGO Lure Retriever makes retrieving Flicker Shads, Shad Raps, and expensive custom crankbaits back easy,” says Candle. “I lose a lot less tackle with the Lure Retriever.”

Candle concludes: “At the end of the day, the EGO S2 Slider net system isn’t limitless, but it’s close. It’s a great system and a well-designed net that anglers will get a lot of use out of,” concludes Candle.

EGO Fishing pro Johnnie Candle and BOB Total Country FM Outdoors radio host, Steve Struskinski, on Devils Lake, North Dakota.

About the EGO S2 Slider “System”

The EGO S2 Slider net is built around a “universal system” that features an extendable net handle for reaching boat-shy trophies—and offers a twist-on & -off system that allows interchanging net frames and net sizes/materials to match exactly what you’re fishing and where.

The options are practically limitless. EGO Fishing offers the perfect net to exactly suit the species and waters you fish. With three EGO S2 Slider Handle Sizes to choose from, you can find the perfect net for your big boat, small boat, kayak/canoe, pier or bank fishing, or wade fishing.

The EGO S2 Slider extending net handle comes in the three sizes: COMPACT, 18” – 36” handle extension; STANDARD, 29” – 60” handle extension; and for those far-reaching applications, the REACH handle, which extends from 48” to a lengthy 108”.

As far as net material construction, anglers can choose within the S2 Slider system between the following: standard Nylon, Rubber-Coated Nylon, PVC-Coated Nylon, Lightweight Rubber, Lightweight Clear Rubber, and PVC-Coated Netting with built-in fish-measuring ruler.

Net hoop sizes run the gamut—from small 14” x 16” netting; medium 17” x 19”; large 19” x 21”; 22” x 23”; to the extra-large 24” x 27”.

Beyond Netting Fish: Endless Accessories

As mentioned, the EGO S2 Slider net family is a “system” that allows use on and off the water. For example, each S2 Slider handle accepts this 8-inch EGO Deck Brush that makes cleaning up a boat at the end of the day a breeze. Same goes for the interchangeable EGO Deck Mop and Deluxe Deck Mop.

Beyond clean-up, EGO designers were smart to offer a couple other accessories worth a look at.

The first is the EGO Lure Retriever, something we could all use in the boat, especially when a custom jerkbait can run $30 these days—not to mention the rarity of some of the out-of-production “oldie but goodie” baits we throw when fishing gets tough!

And for docking or managing lines, rails, and stanchions, the EGO Boat Hook is designed to make easy work of busy work…

Rubber Netting Handle-Extending Landing Systems

Mesh Zip On/Off Netting, Handle-Extending Landing Systems

PVC-Coated Netting, Handle-Extending Landing Systems

Nylon & Rubber-Coated Nylon Netting, Handle-Extending Landing Systems

by AnglersChannel

Dirt Fishing, Water Fishing, or Both

Pure Fishing lure developer pursues two hobbies at once.

Chicago, IL (June 16, 2023) - Most people have a hobby. Some engage in two different hobbies at the same time. Few have two activities which, on the surface, look totally different, but are actually very similar. Dan Spengler has discovered that fishing and metal detecting have many overlapping areas.

Dan started metal detecting, “dirt fishing” about 30 years ago. His dad bought him a Radio Shack machine and they went to a local park to try it out. They found a pull tab. That was it, a pull tab. About 10 years ago, he decided to get a new detector and see if he could do better. Like most others who begin detecting, he tried several different brands and while Dan had success, he elevated his game with the purchase of a Minelab EQUINOX in February of 2020. And his first hunt with the ‘NOX was incredible.

Again, like many others, Dan started fishing when he was young, using old, used fishing tackle and whatever body of water was close to home. His interest grew and he actually gained a master’s degree in fisheries. His plan was to be a fish biologist. He started making his own baits when he was nine and continued through college as a hobby. He passed up a state level job as a biologist to take a position with Pure Fishing in Iowa. When asked what his actual job title and duties are, Dan replied, “My current role is Senior Project Engineer—Bait Development. My roles and responsibilities include leading the hard bait and soft bait design team. Specifically, I have been designing and developing Berkley hard baits and terminal tackle from concept to shelf for the last 13 years.”

Back to his first hunt with the EQUINOX... He was detecting an old park and found a barber quarter, barber dime, and two seated dimes along with some V nickels and Indian head pennies. Since that day, the EQUINOX 600 has been with him on all his outings. Just recently, he added a Minelab EQUINOX 900 to his arsenal and it is all he has used since. His comment on site selection for detecting was, “I hunt it all—yards, beaches, woods, and fields. However, I do about 60% old field sites, 20% private yard permissions, 10% parks, and 10% beaches.” During drought periods, he works the beaches, and in the spring and fall, when the ground is soft and wet, he returns to land hunting.

To find the best spots to detect, Dan starts by researching properties which may have had historic gatherings in the past. He looks in old newspapers, and studies aerial photographs and old plat maps. But, like fishing, he has some bad days on dream sites which for some reason never produce.

To do well fishing, the proper equipment and a good location is also necessary. When queried about the electronics he uses, Dan explained, “I have Lowrance HDS Live units on my boat. It has a 12” display up on the bow paired with Active Target (forward facing sonar) and a 9” screen by the wheel. Today’s electronics are amazing, and with GPS you know your exact location on the lake. Add the side imaging which allows you to see structure (rock piles, trees, etc.) off to the side of the boat, then you have the Active Target forward facing sonar which allows you to see fish respond to your lure in real time. It’s a huge asset for watching and observing fish behavior, particularly for a lure designer like me.”

Even with all the best equipment, a lot of research goes into his fishing trips. Dan’s goal is to fish a few new lakes a year. He studies lake topography to understand seasonal patterns of fish behavior and location. When fishing a new location, research is very important to avoid being skunked.

“My most memorable day was on a field site where I found six silver dimes, five seated and one barber in a single day,” said Dan about his top trip. “I’ve also had some amazing double digit silver days at an old park with the ‘NOX, which sniffs out silver so effectively. When I went with a friend, Mike Peschon, to an amazing beach which obviously had never been hunted, I found 18 silver coins in a single hunt, a personal record.” He said he has had great luck finding barber and seated coins, with one site producing nearly 20 seated coins over the last few seasons.

Dan Spengler, Senior Project Engineer at Pure Fishing, has been designing and developing Berkley hard baits for over 13 years. In this photo, Dan showcases a prototype Money Badger, which took over 31 different prototype configurations to approve.

Using any of the Minelab EQUINOX series detectors gives Dan the advantage of Multi-IQ technology, which allows him to search for silver, gold, or jewelry, at park, field, or beach. All Minelab VANQUISH and EQUINOX series machines offer this technology, allowing the user to hunt all metals, all soils, all the time.

Dan then mentioned his favorite kind of fishing. “My favorite type of fishing is topwater and my favorite species to pursue is smallmouth bass. By far the coolest freshwater fish out there. One of my favorite lures to fish topwater is the Berkley Choppo 75, a lure I created a few years back.”

When asked what is still on your fishing “bucket list”, he related, “I’ve fished a lot of different fisheries through the years with many great fishermen and pro-level anglers. I guess for me, it’s possibly fishing with my all-time favorite baseball player growing up, Kent Hrbek of the Minnesota Twins. I wrote him a letter to fish with me when I was nine years old and sent him a baseball card. He signed the card and it would be amazing to fish with him someday.

Working for Pure Fishing is Dan’s ultimate dream job. And he is good at it. “I think my favorite career moment was developing the Berkley Stunna with Hank Cherry. I’m a big jerkbait guy, and Hank is a legendary jerkbait fisherman. In my opinion, I believe we built the best jerkbait on the market and Hank took it next-level by winning the 2021 Bassmaster Classic championship on the Stunna months before we released it. Growing up, I never could have imagined building a bait that would win the biggest fishing tournament in the world, but we did it. Talk about a dream come true!”

While Dan of course spends a lot of time in his office designing new fishing lures, and more time on the water testing the lures, he also spends a lot of time at home working on his detecting hobby. He catalogs all key finds by site, area, and year. Everything is cataloged and artifacts and coins are put into display cases. He tallies up the total number of each coin denomination each year, and then competes with himself to break his own records on future trips or seasons.

Research is a big part of his detecting game. That’s the reason 11 of his first 13 silver coins this season started out as Barber dimes. To him, Fishing and metal detecting are all about the challenge. For him, it’s about personal best records and great days on the water or a field site. Whether chasing trophy walleye or targeting personal bests while detecting (record silver days, best V nickel days, annual records, etc.), Dan is always trying to improve his work and hobbies.

Story by Rich Creason

by AnglersChannel

Williams finds pattern to take Day 1 lead at Bassmaster Open on Oklahoma’s Lake Eufaula

Tyler Williams of Belgrade, Maine, is leading after Day 1 of the 2023 St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Lake Eufaula, Okla., with 19 pounds, 3 ounces.

Photo by Andy Crawford/B.A.S.S.

June 15, 2023

EUFAULA, Okla. — In preparation for the St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Lake Eufaula, Okla., Tyler Williams spent the previous two weeks fishing Missouri’s Lake of the Ozarks hoping to find some clues he could carry south.

Those two weeks have paid off so far as the Belgrade, Maine, pro caught 19 pounds, 3 ounces on Day 1 at Eufaula to take the lead. Colorado’s Ty Faberand Tennessee’s John Garrett, the points leader in the Opens Elite Qualifiers Division, are tied for second with 18-10.

“I don’t like losing. I want to fish as good as I can,” Williams said. “I spent two weeks at the Ozarks and won some Wednesday-nighters and did as much as I could to learn. I got to use some of that here. I’m happy I didn’t just go home.”

Using some of the lessons he learned during his two-week adventure, Williams was able to find a limit within the first hour on what he calls the biggest community hole on the lake. From there, he found similar areas and upgraded throughout the day with multiple 4-pounders.

“I know I can catch them throughout the day. It was about two every hour just fishing around,” Williams said. “I think the biggest population of fish is there and with your LiveScope, you can learn how the fish are acting and go from there.”

Using his Garmin LiveScope, Williams caught bass in 2 feet all the way out to 20 feet in cleaner sections of Lake Eufaula. He added that he has been able to fish in his comfort zone with a rotation of baits he’s confident in.

“It was whatever looked good, honestly. I was just going with my LiveScope and looking the whole time,” he said. “It didn’t show me the fish, but it showed me where to throw. It is a little tricky to scope here with how many white bass there are, but I have gotten the hang of it.”

Williams never actually fished what he believed to be his best areas on Day 1 and doesn’t know if there is the same quality of bass he caught Thursday around those areas. He does believe, however, that he can catch a limit around those areas.

Faber, meanwhile, was able to generate bites early and filled his limit in just a couple of hours. The bite slowed down around midday, but the Pagosa Springs, Colo., pro said he made a couple of key culls late.

“After practice, I was thinking if everything went right I would have 15 or 16 pounds,” he said. “I had a blessed day today and was very lucky.”

With much warmer weather moving into the area, Faber has been able to capitalize on a summertime pattern during his first-ever trip to Eufaula. Throughout the day, he estimated he caught between 10 and 12 keepers on one particular presentation.

Faber said he is milking one main area — and while he has seen plenty of competitors, no one stayed long.

“It’s not like you catch a whole bunch, but every now and then you catch a good one,” he said. “They kind of come and go and I am hunkered down and just fishing. I’m trying to make a bunch of casts and hope one of the bass goes and eats my lure.”

Similar to Faber, Garrett maximized one spot to catch his limit. The fish on this spot are very difficult to catch, the Union City, Tenn., native said, but when one does bite it is a quality bass.

He had to fish very slowly and used a variety of soft plastics.

“I pulled up at the right time,” Garrett said. “I started close by fishing shallow and went to it at 9 o’clock. The sun was out and it was hot and all of the fish were set up on it. It is the only school of bass I have seen on the entire lake. I fished there for an hour and a half and caught 10, all good fish, and I camped on it until 3.”

This specific piece of structure is just above the thermocline on the lake and there are several species set up on the spot, not just bass. He noted that bass on the spot are keying on tiny shad fry. The fry moves in and out of the area, and Garrett has found he can get more bites with a small worm when that bait is not present.

“It is the structure farthest out from the bank in the bay I’m in,” he said. “The thermocline is about 15 feet down. The bass want to be as deep as they can get and this spot is half a foot above that.

The slick, sunny conditions on Thursday positioned the bass perfectly, but with rain and storms expected to move through overnight and into the morning hours of Day 2, Garrett isn’t sure how the bass will react.

“The potential is there,” he said. “It just depends on how they set up and act with the rain and clouds tomorrow.”

Ben Milliken of New Caney, Texas, caught a 6-5 largemouth to lead the Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the Tournament standings after Day 1.

Sakae Ushio leads the co-angler standings with a three-bass limit weighing 11-9. He anchored that bag with a 4-6 that is the Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the Tournament for the co-angler division. Christopher Veronee is second with 9-10 and Kevin Turner is third with 9-3.

The full field of anglers will launch from Nichols Point beginning at 6 a.m. CT and return for weigh-in beginning at around 2:30 p.m. The Top 10 pros after the Day 2 weigh-in will compete on the final day, while the co-angler champion will be crowned at the conclusion of weigh-in Friday. Full coverage will be available on Bassmaster.com.

2023 St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Lake Eufaula Oklahoma 6/15-6/17
Lake Eufaula, Eufaula OK.
(BOATER) Standings Day 1

Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$

1. Tyler Williams Belgrade, ME 5 19-03 200
Day 1: 5 19-03
2. Ty Faber Pagosa Springs, CO 5 18-10 199
Day 1: 5 18-10
2. John Garrett Union City, TN 5 18-10 199
Day 1: 5 18-10
4. Trevor McKinney Benton, IL 5 18-06 197
Day 1: 5 18-06
5. Keltyn Hendrix Maysville, OK 5 17-15 196
Day 1: 5 17-15
6. Jason Lambert Savannah, TN 5 17-14 195
Day 1: 5 17-14
7. Shaine Campbell Brookeland, TX 5 17-12 194
Day 1: 5 17-12
8. Jason Meninger Yulee, FL 5 17-00 193
Day 1: 5 17-00
9. Ben Milliken New Caney, TX 5 17-00 192
Day 1: 5 17-00
10. Kenta Kimura Osaka JAPAN 5 16-15 191
Day 1: 5 16-15
11. Tyler Lubbat Wheeling, IL 5 16-10 190
Day 1: 5 16-10
12. Jamie Bruce Kenora Ontario CANADA 5 16-09 189
Day 1: 5 16-09
12. Robert Gee Knoxville, TN 5 16-09 189
Day 1: 5 16-09
14. Darold Gleason Many, LA 5 16-05 187
Day 1: 5 16-05
15. Andrew Hargrove Moody, TX 5 16-03 186
Day 1: 5 16-03
16. Trey McKinney Carbondale, IL 5 15-07 185
Day 1: 5 15-07
17. Kyle Patrick Cooperstown, NY 5 15-05 184
Day 1: 5 15-05
18. Brian Post Janesville, WI 5 15-01 183
Day 1: 5 15-01
19. Logan Johnson Jasper, AL 5 15-00 182
Day 1: 5 15-00
20. Marc Schilling Carrollton, TX 5 14-14 181
Day 1: 5 14-14
21. Keith Tuma Brainerd, MN 5 14-13 180
Day 1: 5 14-13
22. Kyle Metzger Pearl River, LA 5 14-10 179
Day 1: 5 14-10
23. Billy McDonald Greenwood, IN 5 14-08 178
Day 1: 5 14-08
24. John Soukup Sapulpa, OK 5 14-06 177
Day 1: 5 14-06
25. Chase Clarke Virginia Beach, VA 5 14-05 176
Day 1: 5 14-05
25. Joey Nania Cropwell, AL 5 14-05 176
Day 1: 5 14-05
27. Luke Palmer Coalgate, OK 5 14-04 174
Day 1: 5 14-04
28. Andrew Harp Linden, TX 5 14-04 173
Day 1: 5 14-04
29. JT Thompkins Myrtle Beach, SC 5 14-02 172
Day 1: 5 14-02
30. Josh Hubbard Dunnellon, FL 5 14-00 171
Day 1: 5 14-00
31. James Niggemeyer Van, TX 5 13-15 170
Day 1: 5 13-15
32. Matt Henry Milledgeville, GA 5 13-12 169
Day 1: 5 13-12
33. Logan Anderson Catawba, NC 4 13-12 168
Day 1: 4 13-12
34. Wesley Gore Clanton, AL 5 13-11 167
Day 1: 5 13-11
35. Casey Scanlon Eldon, MO 5 13-10 166
Day 1: 5 13-10
36. Blake Sylvester Plaquemine, LA 4 13-10 165
Day 1: 4 13-10
37. Kazuki Kitajima Corinth, TX 5 13-08 164
Day 1: 5 13-08
37. Matt Messer Warfield, KY 5 13-08 164
Day 1: 5 13-08
39. Brett Cannon Willis, TX 5 13-05 162
Day 1: 5 13-05
39. Mamoru Kagiya Amagun Aichi JAPAN 5 13-05 162
Day 1: 5 13-05
39. Evan Kung Pickering Ontario CANAD 5 13-05 162
Day 1: 5 13-05
42. Clark Reehm Elm Grove, LA 5 13-03 159
Day 1: 5 13-03
43. Ish Monroe Oakdale, CA 5 13-01 158
Day 1: 5 13-01
43. Wyatt Ryan Ada, OK 5 13-01 158
Day 1: 5 13-01
45. Julius Mazy Phoenix, AZ 5 12-13 156
Day 1: 5 12-13
46. Vance Montgomery Claremore, OK 5 12-10 155
Day 1: 5 12-10
46. Cody Stahl Barnsville, GA 5 12-10 155
Day 1: 5 12-10
48. Austin Cranford Norman, OK 5 12-08 153
Day 1: 5 12-08
49. Brandon McMillan Clewiston, FL 5 12-07 152
Day 1: 5 12-07
50. Danny McGarry Newcastle CANADA 5 12-06 151
Day 1: 5 12-06
51. Brock Belik Orchard, NE 5 12-05 150
Day 1: 5 12-05
51. Mark Watson Victoria, TX 5 12-05 150
Day 1: 5 12-05
53. Stephen Browning Hot Springs, AR 5 12-04 148
Day 1: 5 12-04
54. Jimmy Washam Stantonville, TN 5 12-03 147
Day 1: 5 12-03
55. Adam Rasmussen Sturgeon Bay, WI 5 12-01 146
Day 1: 5 12-01
56. Chad Grigsby Maple Grove, MN 5 12-01 145
Day 1: 5 12-01
57. Buck Mallory Lawton, MI 5 12-00 144
Day 1: 5 12-00
57. Terry Peacock Royse City, TX 5 12-00 144
Day 1: 5 12-00
57. Chad Warren Sand Springs, OK 5 12-00 144
Day 1: 5 12-00
60. Jack York Emory, TX 5 11-10 141
Day 1: 5 11-10
61. Jacob Bigelow Cecil, WI 5 11-08 140
Day 1: 5 11-08
62. Destin DeMarion Harborcreek, PA 5 11-03 139
Day 1: 5 11-03
62. Cole Drummond Effingham, SC 5 11-03 139
Day 1: 5 11-03
64. Troy O'Rourke Bentonville, AR 5 11-03 137
Day 1: 5 11-03
65. Kyle Goltz Cornell, WI 5 11-02 136
Day 1: 5 11-02
66. Daisuke Kita Ostu Shiga JAPAN 4 11-02 135
Day 1: 4 11-02
67. Brent Shores Boise, ID 5 11-01 134
Day 1: 5 11-01
67. Andrew Upshaw Hemphill, TX 5 11-01 134
Day 1: 5 11-01
69. Kenny Mittelstaedt Minnetonka, MN 5 11-01 132
Day 1: 5 11-01
70. Kyle Austin Ridgeville, SC 5 11-00 131
Day 1: 5 11-00
70. Todd Castledine Nacogdoches, TX 5 11-00 131
Day 1: 5 11-00
70. Dale Hightower Mannford, OK 5 11-00 131
Day 1: 5 11-00
73. Hugh Cosculluela Spring, TX 5 10-15 128
Day 1: 5 10-15
74. Alex Heintze Denham Springs, LA 5 10-14 127
Day 1: 5 10-14
75. Justin Phillips Checotah, OK 5 10-11 126
Day 1: 5 10-11
76. Griffin Phillips Mount Olive, AL 5 10-11 125
Day 1: 5 10-11
77. Sam George Athens, AL 3 10-11 124
Day 1: 3 10-11
78. Jason Christie Dry Creek, OK 5 10-10 123
Day 1: 5 10-10
79. Brayden Rakes Winston Salem, NC 4 10-09 122
Day 1: 4 10-09
80. Jack Dice Lynchburg, VA 5 10-08 121
Day 1: 5 10-08
80. Kurt Mitchell Milford, DE 5 10-08 121
Day 1: 5 10-08
82. Brad Hillebrandt Florien, LA 4 10-08 119
Day 1: 4 10-08
83. Philip Roesener Choctaw, OK 5 10-07 118
Day 1: 5 10-07
84. Jonathan Dietz Corry, PA 5 10-06 117
Day 1: 5 10-06
85. Evan Barnes Dardanelle, AR 5 10-05 116
Day 1: 5 10-05
86. Scott Kerslake Okeechobee, FL 5 10-04 115
Day 1: 5 10-04
87. Garrett Paquette Canton, MI 5 10-02 114
Day 1: 5 10-02
88. Shane Lineberger Lincolnton, NC 4 10-02 113
Day 1: 4 10-02
89. Chris Blanchette Edisto Island, SC 5 10-01 112
Day 1: 5 10-01
90. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 5 09-14 111
Day 1: 5 09-14
90. B.J. Usie Bourg, LA 5 09-14 111
Day 1: 5 09-14
92. Jacob Thompkins Myrtle Beach, SC 5 09-13 109
Day 1: 5 09-13
93. Ryan Clark Whitby Ontario CANADA 5 09-11 108
Day 1: 5 09-11
94. Chris Beaudrie Princeton, KY 5 09-10 107
Day 1: 5 09-10
95. Blake Smith Lakeland, FL 5 09-08 106
Day 1: 5 09-08
96. Greg Vance Delhi, IA 5 09-06 105
Day 1: 5 09-06
97. Teb Jones Yalaha, MS 4 09-06 104
Day 1: 4 09-06
98. Bobby Lanham Eddyville, KY 5 09-05 103
Day 1: 5 09-05
99. Logan Parks Auburn, AL 5 09-03 102
Day 1: 5 09-03
100. Allan Nail Sand Springs, OK 5 09-02 101
Day 1: 5 09-02
101. Jason Abram Piney Flats, TN 3 09-02 100
Day 1: 3 09-02
102. Derek Lehtonen Woodruff, SC 5 09-01 99
Day 1: 5 09-01
103. Keith Brashers Rogers, AR 5 09-01 98
Day 1: 5 09-01
104. Kenji Yamada Hixson, TN 5 08-15 97
Day 1: 5 08-15
105. Kyle Gelles Pingree, ID 5 08-14 96
Day 1: 5 08-14
106. Christian Shoda Homosassa, FL 3 08-14 95
Day 1: 3 08-14
107. Seiji Kato Outsu Shiga JAPAN 3 08-13 94
Day 1: 3 08-13
108. Justin Kimmel Athens, GA 3 08-12 93
Day 1: 3 08-12
109. Taylor Watkins Clinton, TN 5 08-11 92
Day 1: 5 08-11
110. Jake Maddux Birmingham, AL 3 08-11 91
Day 1: 3 08-11
111. Tommy Williams Shepherdsville, KY 5 08-10 90
Day 1: 5 08-10
112. Bobby Lane Jr. Lakeland, FL 4 08-09 89
Day 1: 4 08-09
113. Keith Brumfield Vicksburg, MS 5 08-08 88
Day 1: 5 08-08
114. Matt Pangrac Shawnee, OK 5 08-06 87
Day 1: 5 08-06
115. Tripp Noojin Bryant, AL 5 08-05 86
Day 1: 5 08-05
116. Kyle Monti Okeechobee, FL 4 08-05 85
Day 1: 4 08-05
117. Tom Frink Southside, AL 5 08-04 84
Day 1: 5 08-04
118. Bronk McDaniel Alexandria, LA 4 08-04 83
Day 1: 4 08-04
119. Darrell Davis Dover, FL 4 08-04 82
Day 1: 4 08-04
120. Trey Swindle Cleveland, AL 4 08-03 81
Day 1: 4 08-03
121. Caleb Gibson Locust Grove, OK 3 08-01 80
Day 1: 3 08-01
122. Charlie Hartley Grove City, OH 3 08-00 79
Day 1: 3 08-00
123. Lance Owen Greer, SC 4 07-15 78
Day 1: 4 07-15
124. Craig Chambers Midland, NC 4 07-13 77
Day 1: 4 07-13
125. Hunter Sales Blaine, TN 4 07-11 76
Day 1: 4 07-11
126. Bailey Boutries Springfield, MO 4 07-10 75
Day 1: 4 07-10
127. Jimmy Steed Zapata, TX 4 07-07 74
Day 1: 4 07-07
128. Cory Weaver Ankeny, IA 3 07-07 73
Day 1: 3 07-07
129. Cody Bird Granbury, TX 3 07-05 72
Day 1: 3 07-05
130. Brad Leuthner Victoria, MN 4 07-00 71
Day 1: 4 07-00
131. Andy Beloat Montgomery, TX 3 07-00 70
Day 1: 3 07-00
132. Lafe Messer Warfield, KY 2 07-00 69
Day 1: 2 07-00
133. Bo Thomas Edwardsburg, MI 3 06-14 68
Day 1: 3 06-14
134. Steve Morella Townshend, VT 4 06-13 67
Day 1: 4 06-13
135. Harvey Horne Bella Vista, AR 3 06-13 66
Day 1: 3 06-13
136. Josh Bragg Fayetteville, GA 4 06-12 65
Day 1: 4 06-12
137. Willy Dennison Willoughby Hills, OH 3 06-11 64
Day 1: 3 06-11
138. Chris Bailey Bruceville, TX 3 06-10 63
Day 1: 3 06-10
138. Tucker Veronee Gilbert, SC 3 06-10 63
Day 1: 3 06-10
140. Greg Bohannan Bentonville, AR 4 06-04 61
Day 1: 4 06-04
141. Miles Burghoff Dayton, TN 3 06-04 60
Day 1: 3 06-04
142. Sterling Bougher Mannford, OK 3 06-02 59
Day 1: 3 06-02
143. Jim Dillard West Monroe, LA 3 05-15 58
Day 1: 3 05-15
144. Joey Hanna Corsicana, TX 3 05-13 57
Day 1: 3 05-13
144. Chris Kingree Inverness, FL 3 05-13 57
Day 1: 3 05-13
144. Mike Mayo Athens, TX 3 05-13 57
Day 1: 3 05-13
147. Scott Isaacs Ladonia, TX 3 05-12 54
Day 1: 3 05-12
148. Chris Miller Spirit Lake, IA 2 05-08 53
Day 1: 2 05-08
149. David Perdue Wirtz, VA 2 05-06 52
Day 1: 2 05-06
150. Keith Poche Pike Road, AL 3 05-03 51
Day 1: 3 05-03
151. Billy Billeaud Lafayette, LA 3 05-02 50
Day 1: 3 05-02
151. Hunter Stanley Mustang, OK 3 05-02 50
Day 1: 3 05-02
153. Zeke Gossett Pell City, AL 2 05-01 48
Day 1: 2 05-01
153. Dane Thibodeaux Lake Charles, LA 2 05-01 48
Day 1: 2 05-01
153. Frank Williams Mountain Home, AR 2 05-01 48
Day 1: 2 05-01
156. Chancy Walters West Des Moines, IA 2 05-00 45
Day 1: 2 05-00
157. Louis Monetti Brielle, NJ 3 04-13 44
Day 1: 3 04-13
158. Bart Stanisz Austin, TX 2 04-11 43
Day 1: 2 04-11
159. Jason Carpenter Castle Pines, CO 2 04-08 42
Day 1: 2 04-08
159. Scout Echols Monticello, AR 2 04-08 42
Day 1: 2 04-08
159. Ethen Preston Tower City, ND 2 04-08 42
Day 1: 2 04-08
162. Joshua Teply Harrah, OK 3 04-07 39
Day 1: 3 04-07
163. Cory Leita Victoria, TX 2 04-06 38
Day 1: 2 04-06
164. Lucas Ragusa Gonzales, LA 2 04-04 37
Day 1: 2 04-04
165. Lucas Bradley Flippin, AR 3 04-03 36
Day 1: 3 04-03
166. Michael Scalise Port Allen, LA 3 03-14 35
Day 1: 3 03-14
167. Brandon Tallhamer Parkersburg, WV 2 03-12 34
Day 1: 2 03-12
168. Wil Dieffenbauch III Hundred, WV 2 03-10 33
Day 1: 2 03-10
168. Billy Smith Montgomery, TX 2 03-10 33
Day 1: 2 03-10
170. Tim Frederick Leesburg, FL 2 03-09 31
Day 1: 2 03-09
171. JT Russell Mc Calla, AL 2 03-08 30
Day 1: 2 03-08
172. Corey Stewart Lees Summit, MO 2 03-06 29
Day 1: 2 03-06
173. Jack Tindel III Orange, TX 1 03-01 28
Day 1: 1 03-01
174. Zachary Ellis Fort Worth, TX 1 02-06 27
Day 1: 1 02-06
175. Daniel Valois Gomez Caracas VENEZUELA 1 02-05 26
Day 1: 1 02-05
176. Chris Keeble Lenoir City, TN 1 01-15 25
Day 1: 1 01-15
176. Joe Labarbera Montrose, PA 1 01-15 25
Day 1: 1 01-15
176. Danny Ramsey Trinidad, TX 1 01-15 25
Day 1: 1 01-15
179. Terry Morris Bernice, LA 1 01-14 22
Day 1: 1 01-14
179. Mike Surman Boca Raton, FL 1 01-14 22
Day 1: 1 01-14
181. Alan Barton Stillwater, OK 1 01-13 20
Day 1: 1 01-13
181. Kevin Ledoux Choctaw, OK 1 01-13 20
Day 1: 1 01-13
183. Takayuki Koike Otsu-City JAPAN 1 01-12 18
Day 1: 1 01-12
183. Travis Ledford Tuttle, OK 1 01-12 18
Day 1: 1 01-12
185. Denny Fiedler Wabasha, MN 1 01-11 16
Day 1: 1 01-11
185. Phil Killian Solomon, AZ 1 01-11 16
Day 1: 1 01-11
187. Steven Caldwell Whitesboro, TX 1 01-08 14
Day 1: 1 01-08
188. Reece Tremaglio Dunkirk, MD 1 01-07 13
Day 1: 1 01-07
188. Brady Vernon Sterrett, AL 1 01-07 13
Day 1: 1 01-07
188. David Wootton Collierville, TN 1 01-07 13
Day 1: 1 01-07
191. Timmy Thompkins Myrtle Beach, SC 5 00-00 10
Day 1: 5 00-00
192. Tyler Alderson Loveland, CO 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
192. Paul Bouvier Kingston CANADA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
192. Paul Browning Pecos, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
192. Craig Danna West Monroe, LA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
192. Cody Detweiler Guntersville, AL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
192. Tony Dumitras Winston, GA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
192. Curtis King Plaquemine, LA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
192. Jordan Knutson Saint Croix Falls, WI 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
192. Robbie Latuso Gonzales, LA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
192. A.J. Menssen Bloomington, IL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
192. Alex Murray Lake Charles, LA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
192. Dustin Reneau Mckinney, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
192. Chandler Stewart Canyon Lake, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
192. Jaxon Sullivan Reagan, TN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
192. Steve Tennison Lexington, OK 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
192. Jason Tibbetts Centreville, VA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 103 745 1785-09
----------------------------------
103 745 1785-09

2023 St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Lake Eufaula Oklahoma 6/15-6/17
Lake Eufaula, Eufaula OK.
(NON_BOATER) Standings Day 1

Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$

1. Sakae Ushio Tonawanda, NY 3 11-09 200
Day 1: 3 11-09
2. Christopher Veronee Gilbert, SC 3 09-10 199
Day 1: 3 09-10
3. Kevin Turner Sand Springs, OK 3 09-03 198
Day 1: 3 09-03
4. Dusty Duvall Checotah, OK 3 08-15 197
Day 1: 3 08-15
5. Rick Cheatham Carterville, IL 3 08-06 196
Day 1: 3 08-06
5. Skip Rayborn Hammond, LA 3 08-06 196
Day 1: 3 08-06
7. Chad Stahl Barnesville, GA 3 07-14 194
Day 1: 3 07-14
8. Darren Gates Macon, IL 3 07-04 193
Day 1: 3 07-04
9. Jason Switzer Sapulpa, OK 3 07-04 192
Day 1: 3 07-04
10. Tommy Wood Sippy Downs AUSTRALIA 3 07-03 191
Day 1: 3 07-03
11. Chad Morrow Weatherford, OK 3 07-01 190
Day 1: 3 07-01
12. Steven Doolittle Chelsea, OK 2 07-01 189
Day 1: 2 07-01
13. Colten Hutson Edmond, OK 3 06-15 188
Day 1: 3 06-15
14. Ralph Gibson Locust Grove, OK 3 06-13 187
Day 1: 3 06-13
15. James Thompson Dodge City, KS 3 06-09 186
Day 1: 3 06-09
16. Jason Fontenot Lake Charles, LA 3 06-08 185
Day 1: 3 06-08
16. Jim Thompson Manchester, IA 3 06-08 185
Day 1: 3 06-08
18. Seth Daniel Atoka, OK 3 06-07 183
Day 1: 3 06-07
19. Troy Enmeier Enid, OK 3 06-03 182
Day 1: 3 06-03
20. Ken Sanders Point Blank, TX 3 06-02 181
Day 1: 3 06-02
21. Ronald Young New Braunfels, TX 2 06-02 180
Day 1: 2 06-02
22. Gary Haraguchi Murfreesboro, TN 3 06-01 179
Day 1: 3 06-01
23. Butch Lansford Muskogee, OK 2 05-13 178
Day 1: 2 05-13
24. Jason Barber Gun Barrel City, TX 3 05-07 177
Day 1: 3 05-07
25. Jordan Lane Conroe, TX 2 05-02 176
Day 1: 2 05-02
26. Jeremiah Mattox Norman, OK 3 05-01 175
Day 1: 3 05-01
27. Tyler Coleman Mustang, OK 2 04-14 174
Day 1: 2 04-14
28. Trey Gulley Alton, TX 2 04-13 173
Day 1: 2 04-13
29. Charles Reed Batesville, MS 2 04-12 172
Day 1: 2 04-12
30. Benjamin Demo Plymouth, MN 2 04-11 171
Day 1: 2 04-11
31. Steve Byrd Coalgate, OK 2 04-10 170
Day 1: 2 04-10
32. Larry Beauboeuf Bossier City, LA 2 04-09 169
Day 1: 2 04-09
33. David Booth Erin, TN 2 04-08 168
Day 1: 2 04-08
34. Dylan Johnson Miami, OK 2 04-05 167
Day 1: 2 04-05
35. Erik Knutson Saint Croix Falls, WI 2 04-04 166
Day 1: 2 04-04
35. Matt Molitor Canton, IL 2 04-04 166
Day 1: 2 04-04
37. Wes Tull Oklahoma City, OK 2 04-01 164
Day 1: 2 04-01
38. Allen Heston Pittsburg, TX 2 04-00 163
Day 1: 2 04-00
38. Craig Schmidt Prague, NE 2 04-00 163
Day 1: 2 04-00
38. Dee Sheperd Mountain View, OK 2 04-00 163
Day 1: 2 04-00
41. Sean Fullerton Bixby, OK 1 03-11 160
Day 1: 1 03-11
41. Dylan Mayo Athens, TX 1 03-11 160
Day 1: 1 03-11
43. Sean Obrien Mckenzie, TN 2 03-10 158
Day 1: 2 03-10
44. Hunter Neuville New Iberia, LA 1 03-08 157
Day 1: 1 03-08
45. Adam Boyd Humble, TX 2 03-07 156
Day 1: 2 03-07
46. Tim Neumann Crosby, TX 2 03-05 155
Day 1: 2 03-05
47. Jacob Collins Hillsboro, IL 1 03-04 154
Day 1: 1 03-04
48. Will Major Port Allen, LA 2 03-03 153
Day 1: 2 03-03
49. Pic Dieffenbauch Jr Hundred, WV 2 03-02 152
Day 1: 2 03-02
49. Martin Kutz Prosper, TX 2 03-02 152
Day 1: 2 03-02
51. Mark Cowart Kearney, MO 1 02-15 150
Day 1: 1 02-15
51. Johnny Ramos Odessa, TX 1 02-15 150
Day 1: 1 02-15
53. Chris Black Fort Worth, TX 1 02-11 148
Day 1: 1 02-11
53. Brian Forcier Akron, IA 1 02-11 148
Day 1: 1 02-11
55. Cheri Hillebrandt Ragley, LA 1 02-07 146
Day 1: 1 02-07
56. John Higginbotham Slaughter, LA 1 02-06 145
Day 1: 1 02-06
56. Brandon Story Rogers, AR 1 02-06 145
Day 1: 1 02-06
58. Takaaki Kojima Temecula CA JAPAN 1 02-05 143
Day 1: 1 02-05
59. Willy Becker Kansas City, MO 1 02-04 142
Day 1: 1 02-04
59. Aubrey Herlocker Stillwater, OK 1 02-04 142
Day 1: 1 02-04
61. Johnnie Garrett Union City, TN 1 02-02 140
Day 1: 1 02-02
61. Avery Williams Murrells Inlt, SC 1 02-02 140
Day 1: 1 02-02
63. Alex Lane Ada, OK 2 02-01 138
Day 1: 2 02-01
64. Brandon Beaver Durant, OK 1 02-01 137
Day 1: 1 02-01
64. Perry See Rochester, MN 1 02-01 137
Day 1: 1 02-01
66. Leslie Brandenburg Springfield, MO 1 02-00 135
Day 1: 1 02-00
66. Adam Tims Royse City, TX 1 02-00 135
Day 1: 1 02-00
68. Bates Enmeier Springdale, AR 1 01-15 133
Day 1: 1 01-15
68. J Leblanc Greenwell Springs, LA 1 01-15 133
Day 1: 1 01-15
70. James Nau Spearville, KS 1 01-14 131
Day 1: 1 01-14
71. Jimmy Fellegy Mustang, OK 1 01-13 130
Day 1: 1 01-13
71. Dwain Vogelpohl Cambridge, MN 1 01-13 130
Day 1: 1 01-13
73. Gary Bates Athens, AL 1 01-12 128
Day 1: 1 01-12
73. Nick Richey Aledo, TX 1 01-12 128
Day 1: 1 01-12
75. Dean Krambeck Newalla, OK 1 01-11 126
Day 1: 1 01-11
75. William Schuster Oklahoma City, OK 1 01-11 126
Day 1: 1 01-11
77. Brian Dickirson Choctaw, OK 1 01-10 124
Day 1: 1 01-10
77. AJ Jones Lutz, FL 1 01-10 124
Day 1: 1 01-10
77. Michael Leach Shenandoah, TX 1 01-10 124
Day 1: 1 01-10
77. Lester Wray Mcalester, OK 1 01-10 124
Day 1: 1 01-10
81. Larry Davis Gladewater, TX 1 01-09 120
Day 1: 1 01-09
82. Nikalos Tarkington Gladewater, TX 1 01-08 119
Day 1: 1 01-08
83. Chris Bouchikas Oktaha, OK 1 01-07 118
Day 1: 1 01-07
84. Tanner Underwood Piedmont, OK 1 01-07 117
Day 1: 1 01-07
85. Mark Sloan Harrison, AR 1 01-05 116
Day 1: 1 01-05
86. Gene Mitchell Stuart, OK 1 01-04 115
Day 1: 1 01-04
87. Stephen Babcock Belton, MO 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. Jimmy Brumfield Madison, MS 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. Mark Clark Crawford, MS 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. Jack Evans Bucklin, KS 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. Marco Flores Topeka, KS 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. Chris Gaudin East Camden, AR 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. John Goul Philadelphia, MS 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. Jody Grizzle Pocola, OK 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. Milton Hall Mcalester, OK 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. Gary Hall Wardville, OK 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. Dalton Harbin Choctaw, OK 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. Matthew Hodgkinson Oklahoma City, OK 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. Terry Humphrey Muskogee, OK 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. Tiffany Leal Austin, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. Billy James Lewis Odessa, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. Kevin Mallow Kansas, OK 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. Mike Mattox Moore, OK 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. John Mckenzie Oklahoma City, OK 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. Tim Noyes Broken Arrow, OK 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. Bobby Paige Borger, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. David Riggs Highland, IL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. Joseph Shaw Madison, WI 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. Mike Stafford Eufaula, OK 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. John Stewart Lone Jack, MO 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. Randy Tallhamer Brandenton, FL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. Marty Trent Dodge City, KS 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. Kerry Trent Dodge City, KS 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. Joe Tucker Osceola, MO 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. Travis Turcotte Pembroke CANADA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. Justin Weil Dodge City, KS 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. Jerry Whitaker Dodge City, KS 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
118. Anthony Zachery Venus, TX 0 -1-00 0
Day 1: 0 -01-00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 22 155 351-00
----------------------------------
22 155 351-00

by AnglersChannel

Sportsman's Warehouse Grand Opening: Wausau, WI

We had a chance to check out the all new Wausau, WI Sportsman's Warehouse, and all we can say is WOW. Over 65,000 square feet of all things outdoors! Located just blocks away from the Wisconsin River, and Bluegill Bay County Park, the fishing department was...well, stuffed to the gills.

Our very own, John Byrne, got the opportunity to catch up with Store Manager, John Shafer and talk about the area, as well as the store. Check it out below:

Want the details on the store itself? Get 'em right HERE If you can't make it to Wausau, Sportsmans.com can bring it right to you!

by AnglersChannel

MLF Bass Pro Tour General Tire Stage Six Presented by John Deere Utility Vehicles Set for Lake St. Clair

HARRISON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (June 15, 2023) – Major League Fishing (MLF) and the Bass Pro Tour, showcasing the top anglers in the sport of professional bass fishing, are set to visit Harrison Township, Michigan and Lake St. Clair next week, June 24-29, for the sixth regular-season event of the 2023 Bass Pro Tour season – the General Tire Stage Six at Lake St. Clair Presented by John Deere Utility Vehicles.

The six-day tournament, hosted by the Detroit Sports Commission, Macomb County and Lake St. Clair Metroparks, will feature a field of 80 professional anglers, including bass-fishing superstars like Kalamazoo, Michigan’s Kevin VanDam , and Jonathan VanDam, REDCREST 2023 Champion Bryan Thrift, Jordan Lee and reigning back-to-back Bally Bet Angler of the Year (AOY) Jacob Wheeler . 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.

"Macomb County is very excited to host Stage Six of the Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour on Lake St. Clair next week,” said Gerard Santoro, Macomb County Program Director of Parks and Natural Resources. “The professional anglers bring excitement to the region with this style of fishing competition, and we know that this legendary lake will not let them down."

Lake St. Clair is a familiar destination for MLF and the pro anglers that compete on the Bass Pro Tour, as the fishery has played host to numerous major bass-fishing tournaments over the years. When the Bass Pro Tour last visited the fishery in the fall of 2021, Tennessee pro Michael Nealwrapped up the first pro-level win of his career targeting smallmouth at the mouth of the Detroit River and Lake Erie with a crankbait, vibrating jig and drop-shot rig.

The upcoming event will take place much earlier in the year, marking the opening day for Michigan and Canadian bass anglers’ traditional season. Arkansas pro Spencer Shuffield, who has numerous top-10 finishes on Lake St. Clair, doesn’t seem to think that will affect the tournament.

“This is mainly going to be a post-spawn tournament, with the bass backing out to that deeper water,” said Shuffield. “Lake St. Clair is shaped like a bowl and doesn’t really have much drop, other than the shipping channel that runs through it. The bass usually spawn in 5 to 7 feet of water, but by the time of this event, most of the fish should be back out to 15 to 17 feet of water, around grass patches and things like that.

“This is going to be a huge (Garmin) LiveScope tournament,” Shuffield continued, referring to the importance of forward-facing sonar. “I expect to see a lot of guys catching fish on a drop-shot and Ned Rig, almost exclusively, but there will also be some deep jerkbaits being thrown.

“Big crankbaits can also be very effective on Lake St. Clair – like Norman (Lures Professional Edge) DD22’s, Rapala DT 16’s or (Rapala) DT Metal 20’s – crankbaits that will get down to that 16- to 18-foot-range, just cranking it out over sand and grass patches. The guys using crankbaits might not get as many bites, but they will catch really good 4½- to 5½-pound smallmouth doing that.”

Shuffield said he expects the mayfly hatch to have already taken place by the time the tournament begins and is excited for a really good event.

“I haven’t had the opportunity to fish the Canadian side of the fishery the last several times I’ve been there, and that’s where most of the really big smallmouth are, so I’m really excited to get to fish the Canadian side and revisit other areas where I’ve caught them really good in the past,” Shuffield said.

“The fishing should be wide open,” Shuffield finished. “I think it will take 20½ pounds per day to make it into the Knockout Round and probably 22½ to make the cut into the Championship Round. The winner will probably have to have 24 pounds per day to win the event overall.”

Anglers will launch each day at 7:30 a.m. ET each day from the Lake St. Clair Metropark, located at 31300 Metro Parkway in Harrison Township. Each day’s General Tire Takeout will be held at the launch location, beginning at 4 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend all launch and takeout events and also encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLFNOW!® live stream and SCORETRACKER® coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

On Championship Thursday, June 29, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. MLF will welcome fans of all ages to visit Cabela’s, located at 45959 Towne Center Boulevard in Chesterfield, Michigan to celebrate the top 10 and crown the General Tire Stage Six at Lake St. Clair Champion at the Watch Party and Trophy Presentation. The final 10 Championship Round Bass Pro Tour anglers will be on hand at the trophy celebration to meet and greet fans, sign autographs, and take selfies.

The General Tire Stage Six at Lake St. Clair Presented by John Deere Utility Vehicles 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 40 Anglers in Group A compete in their two-day qualifying round on Saturday and Monday – the 40 anglers in Group B on Sunday and Tuesday. After each two-day qualifying round is complete, the top 20 anglers from each group advance to Wednesday’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 Thursday’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.

by AnglersChannel

Mid Year Report with AC Pro Staffer Rob Digh!!

by AnglersChannel

Berkley PowerBait Nessie – Taking Glide Baits Into Uncharted Territory

COLUMBIA, S.C. (June 15, 2023) – Going where no glide bait has ever gone, the all new Berkley PowerBait Nessie allows anglers to fish a big profile bait where one has never been fished before. Giving fish a completely new look, Berkley’s new soft bodied glide bait design allows anglers to skip, slide, and cast this bait into uncharted water.

Available in three different sizes starting from 5-inch and ranging up to 9-inches, the PowerBait Nessie presents a big profile with the ability to be retrieved at various speeds and cadences due to the stabilizing fins that keep the bait running consistent at all times. Featuring a new mesh reinforced joint and hook retention clip, durability and efficiency are never in question when anglers are hunting for a big bite.

This bait opens the door for entry level anglers to fish bigger baits, as well as unlocking an entirely new and unique use of a glide bait for avid and experienced anglers. In addition, the PowerBait Nessie comes in several custom painted finishes to match any forage profile, showing fish a carbon copy of the real thing. Paired with a sticky sharp Fusion19 treble hook, anglers now have the ultimate bait to catch the fish of a lifetime.

KEY FEATURES
• Soft-bodied glide bait design featuring Berkley’s famous PowerBait flavor
• Mesh reinforced joint provides durability while allowing for free range of motion
• Stabilizing fins for consistent action
• Hook retention clip keeps treble hook secured to the body – suited for keeping the hook in place when skipping under cover
• Premium features and components for ultimate performance and durability
• Sticky sharp Fusion19 treble hook
• Custom painted forage matching finishes
• Slow sinking
• Designed in the Berkley Lab with Berkley pro Mike Iaconelli

Sizes: 5-inch • 7-inch • 9-inch
Colors: Golden Shiner • Hitch • Perch • Hickory Shad • Rainbow Trout • Shad • Voltage • Burnt Bone • Raw • Green Pumpkin

MSRP: $7.99 – 5-inch • $9.99 – 7-inch • $12.99 – 9-inch
Available: September 2023

by AnglersChannel

Throwback Thursday - Before There was 360-Imaging

By Terry Battisti - Bass Fishing Archives

As with many of the articles we post here on the Bass Fishing Archives, here’s another example of something new that really isn’t new. Before there was 360-Imaging, there was, in 1976, 360-imaging. Believe it or not.

When side-scanning sonar was “reintroduced” around 2005 by Hummingbird, the angling community again was split down the middle. As with other technological advances, some anglers said it was too much and made the art of fishing too easy. The other half embraced the technology and ran with it. Then came Hummingbird’s 360-Imaging. Now, as with any other gadget used in the industry, anglers far and wide realize the utility of side-scanning sonar but more so, they realize that these units aren’t going to make the task of catching fish any easier.

So when did 360-imaging and side-scanning sonar really come out? Well, if you look back in history it was developed in the late 40s and early 50s and was used by the Department of Defense to detect ocean-borne mines. The first functioning side-scanning sonar was developed by a German scientist by the name of Dr. Julius Hagemann while working for the U.S. Navy Mine Defense Lab in Florida. His 1954 patent went unknown to the public until 1980 when the classified project was finally released.

The interesting thing about the above paragraph is in 1976 – four years prior to the release of the classified reports – Bill Stembridge (of Flip Tail Lure fame) and Dr. Roger Woodward, developed a unit called the Aquascan, which featured the ability to see under the water in a 360-degree pattern. What I find interesting with this is if the DoD’s use of side-scan was classified, Stembridge and Woodward must have come up with the thought of this technology on their own or, heaven forbid, someone in the DoD leaked the information to a couple of fishermen who then took the technology and developed it for use in fishing.

Reading through the article in the February 1976 issue of Bassmaster Magazine, I found some interesting details about the Aquascan and thought I’d share them with you. “It can show bottom structure and fair-sized fish up to 300 feet away from the boat.” “The Unit consists of three basic parts. The transducer sends out sonar signals and receives echoes. The computer interprets the echoes and transforms them into ‘pictures’ of the objects scanned. The cathode ray tube (CRT) displays the picture.” “On a 300-foot scan, the device covers 6-3/4 acres of water per scan.”

“Bill Stembridge admits that the Aquascan has its limitations. It will not tell you exactly where a fish is located. It will show the fish to be, for example, 40 feet away at a given direction from the boat. The angler does not know if the fish is at the surface 40 feet away or several feet below the surface and much closer to the boat.”

Actual reading from the Aquascan showing fish and various forms of structure

“Aquascan will show you a 12-inch bass at 300 feet if the fish is broadside to the scan. If it is facing head-on, a larger bass can be missed.” Looking at the “images” – I hate to call them images because they aren’t true images but more like a circular line graphs – in this article, it’s safe to say it would take a lot of experience with the unit to make it of value in a bass boat. Not only that, the unit was quite large (larger than today’s side-scanning units) and difficult to place on the boats of the day.

The biggest drawback of the unit was the cost, though. At $1,000 (that’s equivalent to roughly $4,800 today) not many anglers could afford them. Today, though, it seems anglers are willing to go the extra mile when it comes to outfitting their boats with high-end electronics. Believe it or not, today’s incredible 360-Imaging by Humminbird as well as Sidescan, Downscan and forward-facing real-time imaging from all manufacturers are all byproducts of this early technology. The difference today being anglers are a lot more willing to spend more than $10k on electronics to aid in their pursuit of bass.

by AnglersChannel

Bassmaster Open-Ended Questions with Gleason, Jones, and Williams

Courtesy of Luke Stoner - Dynamic Sponsorships

Practice for the fifth stop of the 2023 St. Croix Bassmaster Open schedule has officially concluded and Opens anglers are ready to take on the behemoth that is Lake Eufaula here in central Oklahoma. Competition begins tomorrow morning here and if you aren’t an Okie, there is a good chance you won’t know a whole lot about this week’s playing field.

We caught up with longtime Opens pro and Bassmaster Classic qualifier Teb Jones, former Opens co-angler turned first-year boater Frank Williams, and Elite Series pro Darold Gleason to get an idea of what anglers experienced throughout practice this week and what fans should expect from Lake Eufaula over the next three days.

Q – Lake Eufaula is massive. It spans over 105,000 surface acres with over 800 miles of shoreline. When practicing for a tournament on a giant, relatively unknown fishery like this, do you pick an area and lock in, or do you sample multiple sections of the lake?

Teb Jones – “I fished a regional tournament here back in 2014. I went back to those same areas and tried to expand on what little I already knew about this place. So, I guess I locked in this time around.”

Darold Gleason – “Whether it’s an Elite Series event or an Open, my strategy is to sample until I have success and then hunker down in that area.”

Frank Williams – “Years ago a buddy of mine told me it’s better to spend 90% of your time learning 10% of a lake than spending 10% of your time in different areas trying to learn 90% of a lake. That has helped me ten-fold over the years. I typically try to lock in on an area.”

Q – Usually Lake Eufaula is infamous for dirty water, in terms of visibility / clarity, what is the dirtiest water you’ve seen this week and what is the cleanest?

Teb Jones – “I’ve seen everything from two-inches of clarity to over two feet. And the clarity has definitely changed for the dirtier throughout practice.”

Darold Gleason – “Honestly, I’ve ran from the dirty water all week. Anytime I saw less than six inches of visibility I left the area. The cleanest I’ve seen is around two feet, which is a great summertime clarity in my opinion.”

Frank Williams – “Gosh, I think there was almost four feet of visibility by the dam on Saturday (first day of practice), but everything has gotten dirtier as the week has gone on. Less than six inches is the dirtiest water I’ve seen.”

Q – Name two techniques you expect to play a big role for Bassmaster Open competitors this week?

Teb Jones – “I’m going to say a topwater of some kind and a shakey head.”

Darold Gleason – “Topwater and a squarebill crankbait with both be big players.”

Frank Williams – “Even with the dirty water I’ve gotta say a shakey head and a drop shot.”

Q – Based on your experiences so far if you had to give Lake Eufaula a nickname, what would it be?

Teb Jones – “Lake fast and loud – referencing the boats I saw out here this weekend.”

Darold Gleason – “Based on the weekend activities I witnessed, I’m calling this glorious pond ‘Jorts (jean shorts) and cold pops. Seems like a good place to have a big time on a Saturday.”

Frank Williams – “Garholio… I’ve seen a lot of gar with both my eyes and electronics during practice. I’m talking an impressive amount of trash fish.”

by AnglersChannel

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