AnglersChannel

Shreveport-Bossier City, Louisiana, Revealed as Venue for Major League Fishing’s Fishing Clash Team Series Summit Cup

SHREVEPORT-BOSSIER CITY, La. (Oct. 2, 2025) – Major League Fishing (MLF), the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, announced today that Shreveport-Bossier City, Louisiana, will be the location for the fourth and final event of the 2025 Fishing Clash Team Series Presented by Bass Pro Shops season – the Bass Pro Shops Summit Cup, Sunday, Nov. 16, through Friday, Nov. 21.

The Bass Pro Shops Summit Cup is a six-day competition hosted by the Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission. In keeping with traditional MLF Cup protocols all fishable waters within 60 miles of Shreveport-Bossier City, Louisiana, are now off limits to competing anglers. The competition waters for each day are top secret and only revealed to the anglers when they arrive at the boat ramp each morning. Anglers are driven directly to the day’s competition area launch ramp by their officials.

The Fishing Clash Team Series features four Cup events in 2025 – the Challenge, Heritage, Patriot and Summit Cups – each showcasing 12 two-man teams of Bass Pro Tour anglers competing for a share of $560,000 in prize money.

All six days of competition will be streamed live on MLFNOW!, starting at 9 a.m. CT with every catch, cast and strategic decision unfolding in real-time as teams break down unfamiliar waters and adapt together on the fly. The final period of each day of competition will be broadcast live from 1:30-4 p.m. CT on RFD-TV, and each event will also be featured in a series of six original, two-hour episodes set to premiere on Outdoor Channel in the first quarter of 2026.

The 12 teams that will compete in the Summit Cup in Shreveport-Bossier City, Louisiana, Nov. 16-21 are:

Team Kubota:
Cole Floyd, Leesburg, Ohio
Nick Hatfield, Greeneville, Tenn.

Team Fishing Clash:
Ron Nelson, Berrien Springs, Mich.
Keith Carson, DeBary, Fla.

Team BUBBA:
Wesley Strader, Spring City, Tenn.
Brent Chapman, Lake Quivira, Kan.

Team Ferguson:
Justin Lucas, Guntersville, Ala.
Brent Ehrler, Redlands, Calif.

Team 7Brew:
Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla.
Keith Poche, Pike Road, Ala.

Team O’Reilly Auto Parts:
Adrian Avena, Vineland, N.J.
Mark Daniels Jr., Tuskegee, Ala.

Team Knighten:
Spencer Shuffield, Hot Springs, Ark.
Matt Becker, Ten Mile, Tenn.

Team Star brite:
Jacob Wall, New Hope, Ala.
Bobby Lane, Lakeland, Fla.

Team Smokey Mountain:
Britt Myers, Lake Wylie, S.C.
Terry Scroggins, San Mateo, Fla.

Team Lucas Oil:
Drew Gill, Mount Carmel, Ill.
Marshall Robinson, Landrum, S.C.

Team B&W Trailer Hitches:
Todd Faircloth, Jasper, Texas
Nick LeBrun, Bossier City, La.

Team YETI:
Jeff Sprague, Wills Point, Texas
Fred Roumbanis, Russellville, Ark.

Fans can follow the action live on MajorLeagueFishing.com, the MLF and MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) apps and Rumble, with hosts Chad McKee and J.T. Kenney breaking down every minute of competition on MLFNOW!.

Proud sponsors of the 2025 MLF Team Series include: 7Brew Coffee, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Bass Boat Technologies, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, BUBBA, E3 Sport Apparel, Epic Baits, Ferguson, Fishing Clash, Knighten Industries, Kubota, Lowrance, Lucas Oil, Mercury, NITRO Boats, Onyx, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Power-Pole, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Smokey Mountain Caffeinated Pouches, Star brite, Toyota, YETI and Zenni.

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

About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery, Discovery+, Discovery GO, Animal Planet, Outdoor Channel, VICE, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network, RFD-TV and Game & Fish TV, and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 20 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.

by AnglersChannel

First Three Anglers Named to the ACA’s 2025-26 Collegiate All-Academic Team

SAN ANTONIO, TX (October 1, 2025) – The Association of Collegiate Anglers recently contested its first event of the 2025-26 season on the Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Bass Fishing Series. With the first event of the new season, the ACA named the first three anglers of the 2025-26 campaign to its collegiate All-Academic Team presented by Yamaha.

Here are the three anglers that were selected:

Evan Sutton – McKendree University

Jason Riley – SIU-Carbondale

River Eubanks – University of Montevallo

Last year, during its historic 20^th season, the ACA introduced the collegiate All-Academic Team presented by Yamaha. This is an honor and award created to reward anglers for their success in the classroom. Competitive success in fishing is achieved through time spent on the water, and as college students…these anglers work diligently to maintain their coursework and excel academically.

At each ACA event, a total of three anglers are named to the All-Academic Team presented by Yamaha. By the end of the year, 12 anglers will have received this prestigious distinction. Each angler will receive a scholarship, on behalf of the ACA and Yamaha, for their nomination to the All-Academic Team presented by Yamaha.

During the Angler & Sponsor Banquet that takes place the Wednesday before the start of the Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops, the ACA will select one of those 12 anglers as the Academic All-American presented by Yamaha. Last season, Harmon Marien from McKendree University was the first-ever recipient of this award.

Fellow teammate Evan Sutton, also from McKendree University, was one of the three nominees announced at the Bass Pro Shops Big Bass Bash presented by Berkley. Evan is a Graduate Student who earned a Bachelor’s Degree in both Mathematics & Computational Science and is now pursuing a Master’s Degree in Cyber Defense. Evan is said to be a determined, hard-working, self-taught angler that is perceptive, honest, witty, and good-natured.

Another angler to be selected to the All-Academic Team presented by Yamaha is River Eubanks from the University of Montevallo. River is a senior majoring in business. River is said to be an intelligent young man who is always on top of everything that he is involved with. He is majoring in Business and just completed an internship this past summer in Washington D.C. as he worked for Safari Club International as a Government Affairs intern.

Jason Riley from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale was also one of three nominees to be selected to the ACA’s collegiate All-Academic Team presented by Yamaha. He is a senior majoring in Industrial Management and Applied Sciences Engineering, with a minor in Construction Management. Jason has served as the president of the Saluki Bassers fishing team, where he exhibits great skills as a student leader and fisherman.

The ACA’s next event will be the AFTCO Collegiate Bass Open at Lake Dardanelle in Russellville, AR. Three more anglers will be named to the All-Academic Team presented by Yamaha at that tournament. Nominate a deserving angler here.

by AnglersChannel

Abbondanza squeaks out Kayak Series Angler of the Year title

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Entering the 2025 Newport Bassmaster Kayak Series presented by Native Watercraft season, Abby Abbondanza’s goal was to achieve a level of consistency worthy of winning Dakota Lithium Bassmaster Kayak Series Angler of the Year.

Mission accomplished.

Abbondanza earned AOY honors and the $5,000 first-place prize by collecting 733 points in his three-best events of the six-tournament season, ultimately winning the total inches tiebreaker over New Hampshire’s Jake Angulas with 541 inches in his three best events.

“With the field we have, it is pretty humbling. There are so many sticks on this circuit,” he said. “Wins are few and far between. I have focused more on being consistent and not worrying about winning. My goal this year was to achieve AOY, and to make it happen, there’s a lot of moving parts.

“I had honestly already congratulated Jake on winning AOY, because I thought he had won the tiebreaker,” he added. “I ended up winning by 20 inches. One bass. I was shocked when he called my name. Such a blessing.”

The Greensburg, Pa., angler earned three Top 10s during the 2025 season starting with a sixth-place finish at the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes in February.

“I found some fish in a canal and it was like they had never seen a lure before,” he said.

Following a 37th at Dale Hollow, Abbondanza finished 10th at Lake Tenkiller before wrapping up the season with a 56th at Lake Champlain and then a fourth at the Toledo Bend season finale.

Abbondanza learned how to bass fish on smallmouth dominated fisheries like Lake Erie where finesse tactics usually resulted in success. His style of fishing has changed over the last several years, becoming more of a power fisherman than a finesse angler.

Several different styles of fishery showed up on the Kayak Series schedule this year, but one bait consistently generated big bites for Abbondanza. Whether he was fishing grass at the Kissimmee Chain or flooded bushes at Tenkiller, a 3/8-ounce Z-Man Tungsten ChatterBait Elite EVO paired with a Z-Man RaZor ShadZ trailer was his confidence lure.

“I fish a ChatterBait 95 percent of the time. It is like a glidebait, you have to keep it in your hands. You’ll get the five bites you need if you keep throwing it,” he said. “The knock is a little different than the JackHammer and the head on the bait is flat with two ridges, so when it hits wood or rock it will skip up instead of rolling over.”

His AOY season wouldn’t have been possible without several late day rallies.

“Almost every tournament I caught a bass in the last five minutes that was key,” he said.

With only an hour left on Day 2 at Tenkiller, Abbondanza found himself struggling to generate bites with a shaky head. He switched to his trusty ChatterBait and caught several key bass to lift him into tenth place.

The fishing was unusually tough at Toledo Bend, and Abbondanza struggled to generate bites in the morning hours, but one key observation turned his tournament around on Day 1.

“It was challenging,” he said. “I didn’t have a fish until 10 o’clock. Around then, I saw a crawfish that was dark green with bright red pinchers. I changed the colors of my ChatterBait to match that and caught 19 bass in four and a half hours.”

Then on Day 2, he landed the most important bass of his year, a 21.5-incher that helped him jump up the leaderboard and proved to be the difference in the AOY race.

“I caught that fish at about 11 o’clock and it was the key fish that helped me win it,” he said. “That was the last big fish I caught during the day.”

2022 Angler of the Year Drew Gregory wrapped up the season in third with 726 points followed by Virginia’s Ewing Minor in fourth, also with 726 points while Connecticut’s Ryan Nye finished fifth with 722 points. Guillermo Gonzales, Jody Queen, Joshua Sharp, Garrett Morgan and Derek Brundle rounded out the Top 10.

The Top 50 finishers in the points race claimed a spot in the 2026 Kayak Series National Championship that will be held in conjunction with the 2026 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour in Knoxville. Details of that event will be announced at a later date.

2025 Bassmaster Kayak Series Title Sponsor: Newport

2025 Bassmaster Kayak Series Presenting Sponsor: Native Watercraft2025 Bassmaster Kayak Series Angler of the Year Sponsor: Dakota Lithium

About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S., which encompasses the Bassmaster tournament leagues, events and media platforms, is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting-edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), TV show, radio show, social media programs and events. For more than 50 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.

The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series, St. Croix Bassmaster Opens Series presented by SEVIIN, Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Qualifier Series presented by Lowrance, Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Strike King Bassmaster High School Series, TNT Fireworks Bassmaster Team Championship, Newport Bassmaster Kayak Series presented by Native Watercraft, Yamaha Bassmaster Redfish Cup Championship presented by Skeeter and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour.

by AnglersChannel

MillerTech Expands Sponsorship of Major League Fishing, Named Presenting Sponsor of Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit

BENTON, Ky. (Sept. 30, 2025) – Major League Fishing (MLF), the world’s largest tournament fishing organization, announced today that MillerTech Energy has renewed its sponsorship agreement with the organization and expanded their agreement into a multi-year partnership that now encompasses all MLF circuits, including being named the presenting sponsor of the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit. The new multi-year deal strengthens MillerTech’s status as an Official Sponsor of MLF while continuing several high-profile assets across the league’s premier events and enhancing Pro Circuit payouts.

As part of the agreement, the Pro Circuit will now be titled the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by MillerTech Energy. MillerTech’s presence will also extend across the MLF Bass Pro Tour, REDCREST, Heavy Hitters and Team Series, highlighted by the popular “MillerTech Time Clock” feature during live broadcasts. The company will also maintain its footprint at the annual REDCREST Outdoor Sports Expo and expand digital, broadcast and social media activations throughout the season.

“We are proud to continue our partnership with Major League Fishing and excited to expand into the presenting sponsorship of the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit,” said Lester Miller, owner of MillerTech Energy. “Our company was built on performance, reliability and customer service, and those values align perfectly with the passion and dedication of MLF anglers and fans.”

MillerTech, based in Middlefield, Ohio, is an American-owned and Amish-owned company specializing in lithium marine batteries with a 10-year warranty. The company also produces RV and golf cart batteries, LED lighting, and battery chargers and supports anglers across both the Bass Pro Tour and Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit. Beyond fishing, MillerTech is also active in NASCAR with both race and driver partnerships.

With the expanded partnership comes additional opportunity for Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit anglers with payouts jumping to $10,000 for 11th through 50th in the 150-angler field – the highest of any professional circuit outside of the Bass Pro Tour. While payouts will increase, entry fees will remain at $5,500 per event based on requests from a broad coalition of Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit anglers. This will provide higher payouts across the board and allows MLF to limit participation to touring pros fishing the entire six stop season once the field reaches a minimum of 124 anglers. At that point, only Bass Pro Tour anglers will be allowed to enter fewer than six Stops. Visit MajorLeagueFishing.com for full 2026 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit presented by MillerTech Energy details.

“Continuing to elevate the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit is a key focus for us, and MillerTech’s investment allowed us to deliver meaningful increases across the board in partnership with, and at the request of, our dedicated Pro Circuit anglers,” said Kathy Fennel, MLF Executive Vice President and General Manager. “This renewal shows MillerTech’s commitment not only to the sport but also to the anglers and fans who make it possible.”

For more information on MillerTech Energy, visit MillerTechEnergy.com. For complete details and updated information on Major League Fishing, its tournaments and sponsors, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube.

About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery Channel, Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 20 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.

by AnglersChannel

NPFL Amends “No Info” Rule

WILKESVILLE, Ohio—The National Professional Fishing League today announced it is amending Rule 4, the “No Information Rule,” so as to reduce the no-information period—which previously began on January 1 of each year—to begin 30 days before official practice begins on scheduled tournament waters. The revised rule will be in effect for the 2026 NPFL season.

“The so-called ‘no-information rule’ has long been a challenge in all tournament competitions and for every tournament organization,” said NPFL president Brad Fuller. “Decades ago, before the internet and all the means of communication available at our fingertips today, it was a challenge, and that challenge is even more burdensome now. Polygraph examinations and other truth-detection methods certainly help, but it’s impractical on a league-level to test every competitor, and prohibiting the gathering of information for months or the better part of a year creates another problem that’s just as big in the marketplace.

“We want our anglers to be ‘out there,’ meeting with and talking to the fans. The anglers want that, too. Just as importantly, their sponsors want it. It’s why they support the pros. But if the pros have to worry about having a casual conversation at a gas pump or in a tackle shop because someone makes an offhand comment about a favorite lure or worm color, it’s gone too far, and it only serves to make our sport less accessible and fan friendly.”

The NPFL’s revised “no information rule” will prohibit competitors from obtaining illicit information about locating or catching fish from tournament waters within 30 days of the date of official practice for each respective event.

“We’re optimistic that this rule change will foster angler, fan, and sponsor relations and ultimately grow our great sport,” Fuller added. “We also believe it will add to the integrity of the sport and our competitions. Those goals are always at the forefront of what we do and why we do it. We hope the other leagues will follow suit. The refinement of rules like this one is not a competition between organizations. It’s a way we can all make things better and serve our sport.”

About the National Professional Fishing League

The National Professional Fishing League debuted in March of 2021 as an angler-centric fishing tour dedicated to the highest principles of competition, fair play, and sportsmanship. Our goal is to bring the best anglers together to compete at the highest level and with the highest ethics and standards and to share their skills and passion with the bass fishing community.

Learn more at TheNationalProfessionalFishingLeague.com or by contacting Ken Duke at ken@tnpfl.com or (407) 574-1898.

by AnglersChannel

Berlinsky dominates College Classic Bracket at Watauga Lake

CARTER COUNTY, Tenn. — The final day of the Bassmaster College Classic Bracket at Watauga Lake presented by Lew’s was easily the most stressful day on the water in Tripp Berlinsky’s life. But it resulted in the biggest moment of his young career so far.

With a final day limit weighing 17 pounds, 11 ounces, Berlinsky became the first University of North Alabama angler to win the prestigious title, besting his UNA partner Bryce Dimauro by 2-5 to earn a spot in the 2026 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour in Knoxville this upcoming March. He also earned paid entry into the 2026 St. Croix Bassmaster Opens presented by SEVIIN with the use of a fully-rigged Toyota Tundra and Nitro Boat for the season.

“I’m not sure it has fully hit me yet. I’m really stoked,” he said. “I still don’t really believe I’m going to the Classic. I’m so honored to be a part of that. It is crazy to think that me in college is going to fish the biggest tournament in fishing. It feels like an idea, not reality.”

Throughout the week in east Tennessee, Berlinsky focused on several shallow-water zones where big smallmouth were feeding on crawfish and bluegill. Most of the bass he caught were around a clay bottom with a mix of rock in less than 10 feet of water.

“I spent 99 percent of my time fishing,” he said. “I didn’t run around a whole lot. I fished about a 3-mile stretch and picked apart about 80 percent of that bank.”

After starting the week with 20 rods on the deck, two baits caught the majority of his bass the final few days of competition. A 5.25- and 6.75-inch alewife-colored Beast Coast Seduce Minnow rigged on a 3/16-ounce Picasso jighead was his best presentation. Using forward-facing sonar, he could see the smallies chase down his bait.

He also caught several key bass on a weightless prototype dice bait from Stealth Lures. He rigged it on a No. 1 BKK drop-shot hook.

“They would come up to the surface to eat it,” Berlinsky said. “Other bass I would lead them and let them discover the bait. Once they discovered it, they would go crazy.”

From the get-go, Berlinsky found himself in the driver’s seat and managed his areas accordingly. Opening the tournament with 19-14 allowed Berlinsky to use the second day as another practice day, landing 15-15 to claim the No. 1 seed in the head-to-head portion of the tournament. Then in the semifinal round, Berlinsky caught 20-10 (the biggest bag of the week) to glide past No. 4 seed Garrett Smith from Lander University.

The final day, however, was anything but easy.

“I still saw a lot of fish – the most I’ve seen all week actually – but they could feel the pressure,” Berlinsky explained. “I was mind-blown about what the fish were doing. It seemed like they were hitting the bait with their mouths closed. I had one big bass hit it four times in one cast and never eat it.”

It took most of the foggy morning for Berlinsky to fill out his initial limit of 13 pounds in his best area. But after catching several smallies that did not help his limit, Berlinsky decided to move to a different stretch of bank, a decision that paid off with several more 3-pounders.

“That ended up being my saving grace. I made two culls there,” he said. “I left there at 2 o’clock and ran over to my starting spot. I burned around and finally got a 3.44 to eat my bait, which gave me a boost. But I definitely felt I fell short.”

Dimauro struggled as well, but as the day progressed, he was slowly able to chip into Berlinsky’s lead but could not find another kicker to push him into the lead.

“Bryce is an amazing fisherman, and he did an amazing job this week. He was one fish away and if we had another hour to fish, I think he would have beat me,” Berlinsky said. “It was a bittersweet moment. Obviously, it was the biggest win of my career and provides the biggest opportunities for me. But at the same time, he’s my best friend and it was tough to see him not get that chance.”

The 2025 Overall Team of the Year duo started their junior years this August and will have two more opportunities to reach the Bracket again.

Carter County Tourism hosted the tournament.

Giving Back

About this time a year ago, east Tennessee was in the middle of a crisis as Hurricane Helene ravaged the region with severe winds and historic flooding. Driving around this week, Berlinsky said you largely couldn’t tell Helene had passed through Carter County, but the stories from the locals and the trees snapped in half on the lake shore were a humbling reminder.

“A lot of people have been displaced and still don’t have their houses back,” Berlinsky said. “I couldn’t imagine that.”

With that in mind, Berlinsky donated his entire $7,500 cash prize to Carter County, so it could be used to further recover from the devastation of Helene.

“I thought it was the right thing to do,” he said. “The mayor (Patty Woodby) said she appreciated it and I think it will go to a really good cause. Their community is strong, and they would like to be open for business again. It really is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been in my life.”

2025 Bassmaster College Series Title Sponsor: Strike King

2025 Bassmaster College Series Presenting Sponsor: Bass Pro Shops

2025 Bassmaster College Classic Bracket Presenting Sponsor: Lew's

2025 Bassmaster College Series Platinum Sponsor: Progressive, Toyota
2025 Bassmaster College Series Premier Sponsors: Dakota Lithium, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha
2025 Bassmaster College Series Supporting Sponsors: AFTCO, Daiwa, Garmin, Lew's, Lowrance, Triton Boats, VMC, Yokohama

2025 Bassmaster College Series Youth Sponsors: Seaguar, Shimano

About B.A.S.S.

B.A.S.S., which encompasses the Bassmaster tournament leagues, events and media platforms, is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting-edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), TV show, radio show, social media programs and events. For more than 50 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.

The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series, St. Croix Bassmaster Opens Series presented by SEVIIN, Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers presented by Bass Pro Shops, Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Qualifier Series presented by Lowrance, Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Strike King Bassmaster High School Series, Bassmaster Junior Series, TNT Fireworks Bassmaster Team Championship, Newport Bassmaster Kayak Series presented by Native Watercraft, Bassmaster College Kayak Series, Yamaha Bassmaster Redfish Cup Championship presented by Skeeter and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour.

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Connect with #Bassmaster on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok.

Media Contact: Mandy Pascal, Communications Manager, 334-414-8677, mpascal@bassmaster.com

2025 Strike King Bassmaster College Series Presented by Bass Pro Shops/Lew's - College Bracket 9/26-9/29
Watauga Lake, Carter County TN.
(BOATER) Standings Day 4

Angler Club/School Pts

1. Tripp Berlinsky - University of North Alabama 0
Day 1: 5 19-14 Day 2: 5 15-15 Day 3: 5 20-10 Day 4: 5 17-11 Total: 5 17-11
2. Bryce Dimauro - University of North Alabama 0
Day 1: 5 12-09 Day 2: 5 18-01 Day 3: 5 15-02 Day 4: 5 15-06 Total: 5 15-06
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 7 37 112-07
2 7 37 104-06
3 3 19 55-15
4 2 10 33-01
----------------------------------
19 103 305-13

by AnglersChannel

Bass Fishing HOF Inducts Three New Members

Hopper, Lamb, Shakespeare Jr. Enshrinement Punctuates Hall’s 25th Anniversary

SPRINGFIELD, Mo.— For Immediate Release — Sept 29, 2025 —The Bass Fishing Hall of Fame welcomed its newest induction class on Thursday, Sept. 25, as the Hall capped off its 25th anniversary celebration and annual Celebrate Bass Fishing Week with a memorable ceremony at the White River Conference Center.

With the enshrinement of Randy Hopper, Craig Lamb and William Shakespeare, Jr., the Hall’s inductee roster now stands at 103 members.

Through sponsorships, proceeds from a silent and live auction, and donations, the Hall generated approximately $200,000 that it will utilize to enhance the Hall of Fame space within Johnny Morris Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium. The funds also will support the Hall’s philanthropic efforts through its scholarships and conservation grants. In addition, officials from lure company PRADCO presented the Hall of Fame with a check for $22,500, representing proceeds from the sale of commemorative custom lures honoring the living members of the first Hall of Fame induction class.

“Looking around the ballroom during our induction dinner and ceremony, I was in complete awe in what has become an event that celebrates everything that is good about the bass fishing world,” said outgoing Hall of Fame board president John Mazurkiewicz. “From the 23 inductees in attendance sporting their blue jackets, industry leaders taking off their corporate hats to share a meal and drinks together, to seeing the future of our sport with members of various college bass fishing teams interacting with legends like Kevin VanDam, Hank Parker, Gary Klein and so many more was extra special.

“It’s been a highlight of my 40-plus year career in the fishing industry to serve on the Hall of Fame board and in the role as president over the past six years to see that this organization continues to enhance its mission of celebrating, promoting, and preserving the sport of bass fishing.”

Hopper is a visionary and innovative force in the boat building business and worked under and alongside Forrest L. Wood in establishing Ranger Boats as a premier brand in the fiberglass bass boat category before helping launch Vexus Boats in 2017. A humble family man from Flippin, Ark., Hopper recalled during his induction speech that upon being informed that he would be inducted alongside Lamb, a longtime friend, and Shakespeare, he briefly confused the latter with the legendary playwright.

“I remembered back to an old teacher I had in English literature … I wasn’t a very good student,” Hopper said jokingly. “I was gel coating at night at Ranger back then and I was not interested in what William (Shakespeare) or anybody else had to say. I had another thing on my mind.”

He then cited a note left in his yearbook by that literature teacher.

“I can’t remember what any of my friends wrote,” Hopper said, “but I can remember clearly what Mrs. Briggs wrote and it went exactly like this: ‘Randy, I’ve enjoyed working with you what few times you’ve chosen to work.’”

While Hopper wasn’t much for the classroom, his best work was done bringing ideas to life that improved the performance of bass boats and made life on the water easier for anglers, both novice and competitive. In working his way up from teenage laborer to president and CEO of Ranger Boats, Hopper left his fingerprints on many bass boat features that are now standard across the industry. Among them: He helped design the first aerated livewells for bass boats in 1973, making catch-and-release fishing tournaments a reality.

“I haven’t done anything really extraordinary in my career except I’ve been around some real extraordinary people,” Hopper said.

Hopper went to work full-time when he was 15 years old after his father’s passing. He called a man who was a fishing guide at the boat dock his father used to work at on the White River. The man told Hopper to stop by his factory after school the next day.

“I walked in that night – my first night at Ranger Boats – and here’s a guy sitting behind an old Army surplus desk with a blue denim jacket on and a felt cowboy hat,” Hopper said.

That man was Forrest L. Wood, the founder of Ranger Boats.

“I thought about that many times,” Hopper said. “What he should’ve said was, ‘Come back when you’re 18 and I’ll see if I can still use you.’ But that’s not what he said for whatever reason. So for the next 46 years, I had the opportunity to work right alongside that man. What a pleasure it was.”

Lamb has been a fixture around the tournament scene for decades either in a media role or a tournament operations capacity. He, too, worked alongside Wood early in his career, filling myriad roles at Ranger Boats.

“I became a man in Flippin, Ark.,” Lamb said.

That led to his getting involved with the production of “The Bassmasters” television show in the mid-1980s. He later moved to the tournament operations side with B.A.S.S., helping execute the made-for-TV Megabucks hole-format event and managing the Western Division, which expanded the sport’s reach beyond the Southeast and offered a pathway to Bassmaster stardom for some of the West’s best bass anglers.

“This blue jacket I’m wearing is a tribute to role models and mentors,” Lamb said. “I would not be here without any of them.”

Lamb recalled a letter he sent to legendary angler Rick Clunn, now a fellow Hall of Famer, when he was 15 years old. He still remembers receiving a two-page handwritten response from the four-time Bassmaster Classic winner.

“Not a single fishing tip,” Lamb said. “Instead, it was filled with words of encouragement and to expect setbacks and never accept failure. Be yourself and do your best.”

So taken with the tournament scene as a youngster, Lamb was allowed to travel with Hank Parker, another Hall of Famer, during his spring and summer breaks from school.

“I was just that starstruck teenager showing up at the tournaments trying to find a career,” Lamb said. “I had no idea what I was doing or where I was going. I had no clue and no connection to it.

“I got to meet the very people who put me where I am today and I had no idea it was going to be that way. It’s fantastic.”

Shakespeare Jr. was a pioneer in the fishing tackle in the late 1800s through the mid-1900s. Among other things, he introduced the level-wind reel then secured a patent for the world’s first fiberglass fishing rod. The Shakespeare Company also produced ground-breaking baits invented by its founder before expanding into other categories. Shakespeare passed away in 1950, but Shakespeare brand is still a force in fishing today as an affordable option for anglers of all skill levels.

Brand manager Adam Campbell accepted Shakespeare’s plaque on behalf Pure Fishing, the parent company of Shakespeare.

If you missed the induction ceremony, click here to watch the induction program and speeches. The 2026 Bass Fishing Hall of Fame induction ceremony is scheduled for Sept. 24, 2026, in Springfield, Mo.

For more information on the accomplishments of the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame Class of 2025, click here.

ABOUT THE BFHOF

The Bass Fishing Hall of Fame is a nonprofit organization led by a volunteer board of directors and is dedicated to celebrating, promoting and preserving the sport of bass fishing. Since 2017, the Hall’s inductees and memorabilia representing the history of bass fishing is showcased in Johnny Morris’ Wonders of Wildlife Museum and Aquarium in Springfield, Mo., where it has rapidly become a popular destination.

For more information about the Hall, its mission, and to become a supporting member, visit www.BassFishingHOF.com or contact BFHOF executive director Barbara Bowman at bbowman@bassfishinghof.com.

by AnglersChannel

Register for the AFTCO Collegiate Bass Open

San Antonio, TX (September 26, 2025) – The second event of the 2025-26 season on the Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Bass Fishing Series will be the AFTCO Collegiate Bass Open. Set to be contested at Lake Dardanelle in Russellville, AR on October 11-12, 2025, this ACA major tournament is a no-entry-fee, double points event which will feature media coverage on a variety of streaming platforms, live coverage, social media promotions and is nationally televised on several networks.

The no-entry-fee AFTCO Collegiate Bass Open will feature a total payout of over $20,000 in prizes and contingencies. Along with the valuable prizes, teams will be eligible to earn double points to count towards the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia. The ACA’s second event of the 2025-26 season will be a key event in determining the Top 25 teams in the nation entering the second half of the season.

AFTCO is the title sponsor of this ACA major event, and has been for many years now. AFTCO’s support of fishing and the longevity of this sport is evident in everything the company does. Through the company’s 10% Pledge to Protect & Conserve, as well as a variety of conservation efforts, AFTCO works to preserve fisheries for future generations to continue to enjoy.

Anglers competing at the AFTCO Collegiate Bass Open will have the opportunity to participate in the AFTCO Bank Bag Program. Student anglers are encouraged to fill the yellow Bank Bags with trash from around the lake and park area. Upon returning the filled Bank Bag to an ACA staff member, the angler will receive a $25 AFTCO gift card.

The AFTCO Collegiate Bass Open will be a nationally televised event that results in the production and airing of two full length episodes highlighting the event, tournament coverage, and promoting AFTCO’s conservation efforts. A full live blog will be maintained throughout the tournament, live stream of weigh-in each day and more!

by AnglersChannel

North Carolina’s Buchmann Records Unexpected Win at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Lake Hartwell

South Carolina’s Henderson Tops Co-Angler Division

ANDERSON, S.C. (Sept. 29, 2025) – Boater Kaden Buchmann of Troutman, North Carolina, caught a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 36 pounds, 7 ounces, to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on Lake Hartwell. The tournament, hosted by Visit Anderson, was the fifth and final event of the season for the BFL Savannah River Division. Buchmann earned $5,814 for his victory.

Buchmann said he didn’t practice much for the two-day event. Buchmann had never posted a top-10 finish at Lake Hartwell and said he didn’t have high expectations for the tournament.

“This didn’t happen like I figured it would,” said Buchmann. “I had 6 pounds the first day at 9 or 10 o’clock. Then I caught a couple of good ones, lost a couple and kind of pulled my way up, and before I knew it, I was sitting at 17 or 18 pounds. I thought, ‘Dang, I didn’t expect this to happen today.’

“I didn’t fish very clean Saturday, but it was a much better day for me,” Buchmann went on to say about the two-day tournament. “The bass were way more active.”

Buchmann said a change in weather played a big factor for him in the tournament on Sunday. Saturday’s skies were cloudy, there wasn’t much wind and a bit of rain made for a better bite. Sunday was sunny and windy, and his bite slowed significantly.

Buchmann used a combination of observing banks, maps and contours to put together a plan to fish “anything that looked good.”

“I didn’t catch one anywhere I’d caught one before until this weekend,” Buchmann said. “I just went fishing.”

Buchmann’s key baits included a ½-ounce Muffin Top jig, a Shane’s Baits buzzbait and a Queen Tackle jighead.

“I caught one that went about 6 pounds around lunch time, and I thought, ‘Well, that was a nice boost,’” Buchmann said. “I thought I had a pretty good shot overall because of how my first day went. Then I caught one about 3½ pounds with an hour to go. I felt really good then.

“This feels unbelievable,” Buchmann added with a laugh. “I was not expecting a win at Hartwell this year at all.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:

1st:        Kaden Buchmann, Troutman, N.C., 10 bass, 36-7, $5,814
2nd:      Chase Carey, Hoschton, Ga., 10 bass, 34-3, $3,039
3rd:       Greg Glouse, Liberty, S.C., 10 bass, 30-1, $1,694
4th:        Lane Parker, Waleska, Ga., 10 bass, 30-0, $1,185
5th:        Troy Harris, Watkinsville, Ga., 10 bass, 29-7, $1,015
6th:        Brad Benfield, Demorest, Ga., 10 bass, 29-4, $1,431 (includes $500 Phoenix Bonus)
7th:        Jayme Rampey, Liberty, S.C., 10 bass, 28-13, $846
8th:        Hunter Dill, Travelers Rest, S.C., 10 bass, 28-6, $762
9th:        Keaton Owens, Inman, S.C., 10 bass, 28-3, $677
10th:     Bradley Day, Anderson, S.C., 10 bass, 27-1, $592

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Buchmann caught a bass that weighed 4 pounds, 11 ounces, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $637.

Kevin Henderson of Honea Path, South Carolina, won the co-angler division and $2,539 Sunday, after bringing six bass to the scale that totaled 16 pounds, 1 ounce.

The top 10 co-anglers finished:

1st:        Kevin Henderson Honea Path, S.C., six bass, 16-1, $2,539
2nd:      Jeff Rikard, Leesville, S.C., six bass, 13-13, $1,269
3rd:       Dusty Wood, Belton, S.C., six bass, 13-13, $846
4th:        Thomas Pennell III, Boiling Springs, S.C., six bass, 13-3, $911
5th:        Chris Wilson, Easley, S.C., six bass, 12-8, $508
6th:        Ronnie Cutshall, Piedmont, S.C., six bass, 11-12, $465
7th:        Dwayne Parton, Anderson, S.C., six bass, 11-7, $423
8th:        Corey Veal, Royston, Ga., six bass, 11-6, $381
9th:        Benjie Winkler, Cleveland, Ga., six bass, 11-2, $339
10th:     Bryan Ramey, Easley, S.C., six bass, 10-0, $296

Thomas Pennell III of Boiling Springs, South Carolina, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $319, catching a bass that weighed in at 4 pounds, 12 ounces.

With all five events in the division now complete, boater Lane Parker of Waleska, Georgia, won the Fishing Clash Savannah River Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 1,335 points and earned the $1,000 prize, while Chase Gurkin of Simpsonville, South Carolina, won the Fishing Clash Savannah River Division Co-Angler of the Year race with 1,306 points and earned the $500 payout.

The top 60 boaters and co-anglers in the division based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, will qualify for the Oct. 10-11 BFL Regional tournament on Lake Murray in Columbia, South Carolina. Boaters will fish for a top award of a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard worth $50,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $20,000.

The 2025 Phoenix BFL Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 134 events throughout the season, five qualifying tournaments in each division. The top 60 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five qualifying tournament winners, will advance to one of 12 BFL Regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top three, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American.

Proud sponsors of the 2025 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 7Brew, Abu Garcia, Athletic Brewing, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, Deep Dive App, E3 Sport Apparel, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, Grizzly, Humminbird, Lew’s, Li Time Batteries, Mercury, Minn Kota, Mossy Oak, Mystik Lubricants, Onyx, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Phoenix Boats, Polaris, Power-Pole, Precision Sonar, Strike King, Suzuki Marine, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, WIX Filters and YETI.

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

by AnglersChannel

Carson-Newman University Extends Its Lead in the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia

SAN ANTONIO, TX (September 29, 2026) – The Association of Collegiate Anglers’ first double points event of the season to count towards the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia was recently contested. More than 630 anglers competed in the Bass Pro Shops Big Bass Bash presented by Berkley for more than $40,000 in prizes and contingencies, as well as valuable points. More than 50 different schools were on-hand, and 1^stplace awarded 1,750 points.

Top ranked Carson-Newman University earned the second most points of any team to compete at Kentucky Lake and extend its 1^st place lead. The University of Montevallo moves up to 2^nd, and Adrian College drops down to 3^rd.

Carson-Newman entered the Bass Pro Shops Big Bass Bash presented by Berkley in 1^stplace. The team from Jefferson City, TN had a 310 point lead in the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia after the first standings update of the 2025-26 campaign. Following the first ACA double points event of the season, they now lead 2^nd place by 985 points.

Anglers from Carson-Newman earned the 2^nd most points (3,410) of any school to compete at Kentucky Lake, behind 10^th ranked Tarleton State University (3,430). Carson-Newman’s two highest-placing fish finished in 4^th and 7^th overall. Alex Gore finished in 4^th with 6.39 pounds, and Joe Vaulton weighed in a bass going 6.06 pounds to claim 7^th.

23 of the current Top 25 ranked teams competed at the Bass Pro Shops Big Bass Bash presented by Berkley. 14 of the Top 25 ranked teams in the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia improved their ranking from the previous update. Here is a look at several of those teams that made significant moves:

5) Blue Mountain Christian University – Previously Ranked 15^th

8) Drury University – Previously Ranked 17^th

9) Murray State College – Previously Ranked 18^th

10) Tarleton State University – Previously ranked 25^th

11) Bethel University – Previously Ranked 22^nd

13) McKendree University – Previously ranked 19^th

View the complete updated rankings here.

Three teams moved up into the Top 25 after previously being ranked on the outside looking in. Wabash Valley College moved from 28^th up to 12^th. Dallas Baptist University climbed 12 spots from 27^th to 15^th, and Purdue University goes from 32^nd to 17^th.

The next ACA double points event will be the AFTCO Collegiate Bass Open at Lake Dardanelle in Russellville, AR on October 11-12. Several regional and major events will happen prior to that event. Look for another points update to be released before competition begins at Lake Dardanelle.

by AnglersChannel

Lufkin’s Heck Paces Field for Victory at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Sam Rayburn Reservoir Presented by Strike King

Louisiana’s Lanclos Tops Co-Angler Division

BROOKELAND, Texas (Sept. 29, 2025) – Boater Hayden Heck of Lufkin, Texas, caught a total of 10 bass weighing 52 pounds, 7 ounces, over two days to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on Sam Rayburn Reservoir Presented by Strike King. The tournament, hosted by the Jasper County Development District, was the fifth and final event of the season for the BFL Cowboy Division. Heck earned $4,882 for his victory.

“On Day 1 I started out running around,” Heck said. “It had been a cool night, so I thought the cranking bite would be pretty good. It’s a little early on Rayburn for them to get going like that, but I started out cranking and had a good bag by 9 o’clock. And then after that, it got really tough.”

Heck said the brushpile bite had been good to him during practice, so he focused his efforts on that bite.

“That was not happening,” Heck said. “So pretty much, by 11 o’clock the bite was pretty off for me.”

Somewhat discouraged, and bothered by a back pain issue, Heck weighed in early. Heck said his plan for Sunday was to try cranking early again.

“My first cast Sunday I caught a 4- or 5-pounder,” Heck said. “We ran the other spots I was catching them on the day before and didn’t catch anything doing that, so then I just started running brushpiles.”

The switch turned out to be the right move, as Heck said he hit 40 to 50 brushpiles Sunday to catch “a few good ones.”

“In the shape I was in, hurting with the back pain, I said, ‘However it ends, it’s how it’s going to be,’” said Heck, who had chalked up four BFL wins prior to the two-day event. “I was able to fish longer Sunday and was happy to have what I had. I figured I would finish in the top five.

“With Rayburn you just never know,” Heck added. “Somebody’s going to come out and bust a 30-pound limit. I was happy it worked out the way it did, but I sure didn’t think I had this thing wrapped up.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:

1st: Hayden Heck, Lufkin, Texas, 10 bass, 52-7, $4,882
2nd: Wyatt Frankens, Corrigan, Texas, 10 bass, 49-5, $3,041
3rd: James Laramore, Vidor, Texas, 10 bass, 46-2, $1,625
4th:     Zane Parker, Kingwood, Texas, 10 bass, 45-13, $1,139
5th:     Kade Hillestad, Grayson, La., 10 bass, 45-1, $976
6th:     Zack Fogle, Longview, Texas, 10 bass, 44-10, $1,495 (includes $500 Phoenix Bonus)
7th:     Evan Howe, Keatchie, La., 10 bass, 43-15, $814
8th:     Clayton Boulware, Zavalla, Texas, 10 bass, 42-4, $732
9th:     Tater Reynolds, Florien, La., 10 bass, 40-13, $651
10th: Cord Rawls, Call, Texas, 10 bass, 39-3, $570

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Wyatt Frankens of Corrigan, Texas, caught a bass that weighed 8 pounds, 1 ounce, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $600.

Carter Lanclos of Sulphur, Louisiana, won the co-angler division and $2,491 Sunday, after bringing six bass to the scale that totaled 16 pounds, 15 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers finished:

1st: Carter Lanclos, Sulphur, La., six bass, 16-15, $2,491
2nd: J.T. Turner, Minden, La., five bass, 16-0, $1,320
3rd: Ben Barker, Porter, Texas, four bass, 15-11, $814
4th:     Floyd Frankens, Corrigan, Texas, six bass, 15-7, $570
5th:     Jordan Lane, Conroe, Texas, six bass, 14-6, $488
6th:     Jay Ferguson, Houston, Texas, six bass, 13-10, $447
7th:     Bobby Spangenberg, Montgomery, Texas, six bass, 13-4, $407
8th:     Demarcus Armstrong, Pittsburg, Texas, five bass, 12-10, $366
9th:     Jacob Smith, Frisco, Texas, five bass, 12-8, $325
10th: Brad Poole, Roanoke, Texas, six bass, 12-8, $285

Rick Habarka of Conway, Arkansas, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $300, catching a bass that weighed in at 6 pounds even.

With all five events in the division now complete, boater Zane Parker of Kingwood, Texas, won the Fishing Clash Cowboy Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 1,336 points and earned the $1,000 prize, while Leavitt Hamilton of Gonzales, Louisiana, won the Fishing Clash Cowboy Division Co-Angler of the Year race with 1,306 points and earned the $500 payout.

The top 60 boaters and co-anglers in the division based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, will qualify for the Oct. 24-25 BFL Regional tournament on Lake Eufaula in Eufaula, Oklahoma. Boaters will fish for a top award of a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard worth $50,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $20,000.

by AnglersChannel

Farmington’s Vaal Gets Helping Hand for Close Win at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Kentucky-Barkley Lake

Indiana’s Evans Tops Co-Angler Division

GILBERTSVILLE, Ky. (Sept. 29, 2025) – Boater Dustin Vaal of Farmington, Kentucky, caught a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 35 pounds, 5 ounces, to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on Kentucky-Barkley Lake. The tournament, hosted by Kentucky Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau, was the fifth and final event of the season for the BFL LBL Division. Vaal earned $4,975 for his victory.

Vaal said he found something in practice that allowed him to keep his tournament approach simple.

“Friday, during practice, I got lucky at the end of the day and found a spot that was loaded with fish,” Vaal said. “I spent my tournament rotating four spots and caught my fish on a topwater, a Carolina rig and a jerkbait. I essentially just did a big circle in 3 to 6 feet of water that broke off into deeper water. That’s where the majority of my fish were.”

Vaal said he focused on the main-river area, from the Paris bridge to Leatherwood to the US 60/KY 80 bridges. Vaal said his efforts accounted for 12 keepers on Saturday and “nine or 10” Sunday. Vaal also had big bites both days to boost his weights, including the Boater Berkley Big Bass that weighed 5-6 Saturday.

As simple as his approach was, Vaal’s tournament win didn’t come without drama.

Around 1 o’clock Sunday, Vaal tried to start his boat, but nothing electrical worked. He tried switching batteries to no avail. After contacting the tournament director, Vaal called his best friend, third-place finisher Justin Berger, who picked him up and took him to weigh-in.

“If it wasn’t for Justin, this win wouldn’t have happened,” Vaal said. “When you’re meant to win a tournament, weird things happen during the day. This is my third BFL win, and every single one of them it seems that something out of your control has happened. But if it’s meant to be, it happens.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:

1st: Dustin Vaal, Farmington, Ky., 10 bass, 35-5, $4,975
2nd: Clint Knight, Russellville, Ky., 10 bass, 34-15, $2,333
3rd: Justin Berger, Murray, Ky., 10 bass, 30-3, $1,488
4th:     Sam Boss, Paducah, Ky., 10 bass, 29-4, $1,042
5th:     Brady Bickers, Carrollton, Ky., eight bass, 28-4, $893
6th:     Stephen Barga, Benton, Ky., nine bass, 24-8, $819
7th:     Cody Santel, Benton, Ky., eight bass, 21-0, $744
8th:     William Merrick, Wartrace, Tenn., nine bass, 20-8, $1,170 (includes $500 Phoenix Bonus)
9th: Richard Meuth, Henderson, Ky., seven bass, 20-7, $595
10th: Caden Crutchfield, Stamping Ground, Ky., eight bass, 19-9, $521

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Vaal caught a bass that weighed 5 pounds, 6 ounces, and also earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $510.

Stan Evans of Newburgh, Indiana, won the co-angler division and $2,233 Sunday, after bringing six bass to the scale that totaled 17 pounds, 14 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers finished:

1st: Stan Evans, Newburgh, Ind., six bass, 17-14, $2,233
2nd: Jeff Johnston, Nashville, Tenn., five bass, 15-6, $1,371
3rd: Gary Huber II, Saint Charles, Mo., five bass, 13-3, $744
4th:     Ben Wade, South Fulton, Tenn., four bass, 13-3, $521
5th:     Kyle Cavitt, Paducah, Ky., four bass, 12-7, $497
6th:     Sam McReynolds, Kevil, Ky., five bass, 12-6, $409
7th:     James Phillips, West Point, Ky., two bass, 7-15, $372
8th:     Barry Gunter, Trafalgar, Ind., three bass, 7-2, $335
9th:     Frank Haysley, Louisville, Ky., three bass, 7-2, $298
10th: Marcus Mann, Benton, Ky., three bass, 6-14, $360

Jeff Johnston of Nashville, Tennessee, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $255, catching a bass that weighed in at 4 pounds, 14 ounces.

With all five events in the division now complete, boater Clint Knight of Russellville, Kentucky, won the Fishing Clash LBL Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 1,361 points and earned the $1,000 prize, while Marcus Mann of Benton, Kentucky, won the Fishing Clash LBL Division Co-Angler of the Year race with 1,304 points and earned the $500 payout.

The top 60 boaters and co-anglers in the division based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, will qualify for the Oct. 24-25 BFL Regional tournament on Dale Hollow Lake in Byrdstown, Tennessee. Boaters will fish for a top award of a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard worth $50,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $20,000.

by AnglersChannel

Alabama’s Mitchell Pulls Off Slim Win at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Pickwick Lake

Mississippi’s Lockhart Takes Co-Angler Division

IUKA, Miss. (Sept. 29, 2025) – Boater Jackson Mitchell of Sylvan Springs, Alabama, caught a total of 10 bass weighing 44 pounds, 2 ounces, over two days to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on Pickwick Lake . The tournament was the fifth and final event of the season for the BFL Mississippi Division. Mitchell earned $6,965, including a $2,500 Phoenix Bonus, for his victory.

“I focused on main-river shallow bars during practice and threw a Heddon Zara Spook over them,” Mitchell said. “We had a cold front come through the night before the tournament, and it took those fish from 2 to 3 feet of water and put them out in deeper water.

“I ended up LiveScoping them with a minnow and jerkbait,” Mitchell added. “Saturday just went right. Sunday, I lost three big ones, but I ended up culling two times an hour before weigh-in.”

Mitchell said he approached the weigh-in stage convinced he didn’t have enough to win.

“I thought someone would come in with 23 or 24 pounds today,” Mitchell said. “Weights were tight, man. It just came down to five ounces.”

Mitchell won a BFL event as a co-angler in 2022 at age 16 at Lake Guntersville and was thrilled to get his first victory as a boater.

“This feels awesome,” Mitchell continued. “I’ve dreamed of winning a BFL as a boater since I won three years ago, and this just feels great. I had a bad tournament here last year, and it’s good to get it done.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:

1st:        Jackson Mitchell, Sylvan Springs, Ala., 10 bass, 44-2, $6,965 (includes $2,500 Phoenix Bonus)
2nd:      Chandler Howell, Guntown, Miss., 10 bass, 43-13, $2,743
3rd:       Banks Shaw, Harrison, Tenn., 10 bass, 43-7, $1,488
4th:        Matteo Turano, Puryear, Tenn., 10 bass, 41-5, $1,142
5th:        Clayton Ellis, Saltillo, Miss., 10 bass, 40-14, $1,393
6th:        Dustin Blasengame, Booneville, Miss., 10 bass, 40-11, $819
7th:        Kaden Casey, Clarksville, Tenn., 10 bass, 37-9, $744
8th:        Deandre Allen, Tupelo, Miss., 10 bass, 36-7, $670
9th:        Preston Kolisek, Loretto, Tenn., 10 bass, 35-11, $595
10th:     Hunter Brewer, Lawrenceburg, Tenn., 10 bass, 35-6, $521

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Chandler Howell of Guntown, Mississippi, caught a bass that weighed 6 pounds even and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $510.

Andy Lockhart of Amory, Mississippi, won the co-angler division and $2,233 Sunday, after bringing six bass to the scale that totaled 17 pounds, 13 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers finished:

1st:        Andy Lockhart, Amory, Miss., six bass, 17-13, $2,233
2nd:      Terry Bennett, Oxford, Miss., six bass, 17-11, $1,166
3rd:       Zach Hedges, Utica, Ky., five bass, 17-0, $744
4th:        Eric White, Vinemont, Ala., four bass, 14-7, $776
5th:        Dalton Starnes, Louisville, Miss., four bass, 13-2, $447
6th:        Wade Mitchell, Woodland, Miss., four bass, 12-4, $409
7th:        Nathan Brewer, Lawrenceburg, Tenn., five bass, 11-10, $372
8th:        Reggie Thornton, Columbus, Miss., four bass, 9-11, $335
9th:        Carson Cook, Fulton, Miss., three bass, 8-11, $298
10th:     William Walsh, Bon Aqua, Tenn., three bass, 8-7, $260

Eric White of Vinemont, Alabama, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $255, catching a bass that weighed in at 5 pounds, 13 ounces.

With all five events in the division now complete, boater Luke Glasgow of Guin, Alabama, won the Fishing Clash Mississippi Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 1,309 points and earned the $1,000 prize, while Steve Hammack of Caledonia, Mississippi, won the Fishing Clash Mississippi Division Co-Angler of the Year race with 1,243 points and earned the $500 payout.

The top 60 boaters and co-anglers in the division based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, will qualify for the Oct. 10-11 BFL Regional tournament on Kentucky-Barkley Lake in Buchanan, Tennessee. Boaters will fish for a top award of a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard worth $50,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $20,000.

by AnglersChannel

Green Cove Springs’ Stalvey Holds Off Field for Victory at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at St. Johns River

Florida’s Bass Claims Co-Angler Division

PALATKA, Fla. (Sept. 29, 2025) – Boater Parker Stalvey of Green Cove Springs, Florida, caught a total of 10 bass weighing 46 pounds, 7 ounces, over two days to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on St. Johns River . The tournament, hosted by Putnam County Tourist Development Council, was the fifth and final event of the season for the BFL Gator Division. Stalvey earned $5,237 for his victory.

As usual, tides proved to be the major factor on the St. Johns River, and Stalvey was tuned in to them and adjusted as necessary to capitalize on the changing conditions the water presented to earn his first BFL trophy.

“Saturday, I started north and caught them decent, probably 12 to 13 pounds by 10 o’clock,” said Stalvey, who earned his first career victory in BFL competition after two prior third-place finishes as well as a runner-up effort. “The tide was headed out pretty strong by that time, so I went south and started following the tide.

“I got around the Seven Sisters area and pulled up on a school of fish,” Stalvey added. “It was game on at that point.”

Stalvey said he caught fish early on a Heddon Zara Spook and a popping bait fished near the bank, then as the day progressed, he moved into 8 to 10 feet of water and fished a crankbait on current swings near docks or anything else fish were setting up on.

Stalvey said Sunday he tried to duplicate his first day’s success with the same pattern, but the tide was coming from the opposite direction, and he couldn’t get fish to bite. He moved south to the Crescent Lake area where the tide was coming in.

“As soon as I shut down, they were biting pretty good,” Stalvey said. “I had my weight by 11:30 or 12 o’clock.

“I told my co-angler, ‘If I can get them to bite on this brush pile, I feel like we’ll be sitting pretty,’” Stalvey added. “Then I caught a 5-pounder and one 4-pounder. I felt pretty good about it then.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:

1st:        Parker Stalvey, Green Cove Springs, Fla., 10 bass, 46-7, $5,237
2nd:      Cody Morgan, Green Cove Springs, Fla., 10 bass, 43-11, $2,569
3rd:       Austin Black, East Palatka, Fla., 10 bass, 42-8, $1,712
4th:        John Mobley, Macclenny, Fla., 10 bass, 32-10, $1,199
5th:        Wendell Burke, Cross City, Fla., 10 bass, 32-8, $1,027
6th:        Steven Eastman, Eustis, Fla., 10 bass, 27-9, $942
7th:        Chris Keith, Alachua, Fla., 10 bass, 27-7, $856
8th:        Kenton Linthout, Cape Coral, Fla., nine bass, 27-6, $771
9th:        Kyle Fox, Lakeland, Fla., seven bass, 26-11, $1,330
10th:     Ryan Lewis, Deland, Fla., 10 bass, 26-3, $599

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Kyle Fox of Lakeland, Florida, caught a bass that weighed 9 pounds, 10 ounces, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $645.

Dana Bass of Miami, Florida, won the co-angler division and $2,569 Sunday, after bringing six bass to the scale that totaled 16 pounds, 9 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers finished:

1st:        Dana Bass, Miami, Fla., six bass, 16-9, $2,569
2nd:      David Jones, Umatilla, Fla., six bass, 14-5, $1,284
3rd:       Danny Hinton, Saint Cloud, Fla., six bass, 13-7, $858
4th:        Hunter Kaiser, Lakeland, Fla., five bass, 12-13, $971
5th:        Conner Herring, Old Town, Fla., six bass, 12-11, $514
6th:        Pat Herolt, Citrus Springs, Fla., five bass, 11-11, $471
7th:        Robert Linthout, Cape Coral, Fla., five bass, 11-0, $428
8th:        Adrian Davies, Cocoa, Fla., five bass, 10-9, $385
9th:        Chris Nickle, Sanford, Fla, three bass, 9-9, $442
10th:     Michael Robel, Bradenton, Fla., three bass, 9-7, $300

Hunter Kaiser of Lakeland, Florida, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $322, catching a bass that weighed in at 6 pounds, 5 ounces.

With all five events in the division now complete, boater Dylan Quilatan of Windermere, Florida, won the Fishing Clash Gator Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 1,348 points and earned the $1,000 prize, while David Jones of Umatilla, Florida, won the Fishing Clash Gator Division Co-Angler of the Year race with 1,298 points and earned the $500 payout.

The top 60 boaters and co-anglers in the division based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, will qualify for the Oct. 17-18 BFL Regional tournament on Lake Seminole in Bainbridge, Georgia. Boaters will fish for a top award of a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard worth $50,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $20,000.

by AnglersChannel

Canterbury Closes the Door at NPFL on Logan Martin

Story by Justin Brouillard | Photos by Tanner & Travis Lyons

Alabama angler Scott Canterbury wins his second NPFL event of the season, capping off a stellar 2025 with a $100,000 payday in his home state, at a place he loves to fish, especially in the fall. What is meant to be will be, they say, and Canterbury proved it this week. After a decent Day One, he kicked off the event with 13-15, putting him in the top five.

He added his biggest bag of the event on Day Two, weighing 17-5, and moved into the lead going into Showdown Saturday. This morning, he left the docks as boat one, leading the field, and had his toughest day of the week. His 10-1 limit was enough to edge Tennessee angler Brandon Perkins by just 6 ounces, capping an emotional finish.

Canterbury also took home big bass honors with his Day Two lunker. The 6-4 came in the midst of running a stretch of deep spots, where Canterbury has a lot of history. “I used to fish that brush pile back in the day before technology, triangulating myself to fish it. I cast in, had no idea there was a fish there, had no idea he was looking at my bait, and when I set the hook I had no idea how big it was—just like I grew up fishing,” he said.

Canterbury Brings It Home

Under tough summer/fall conditions, a big bite is hard to come by, but his magical Day Two was the sealing moment of the week, moving the Alabama angler into the lead and putting him in position to win his second event of 2025.

After a tough practice, in which he sampled the entire lake, he landed on some deeper spots on the south end that ended up producing the majority of his weight. Knowing so much about Logan Martin, he learned quickly where it might go down—but he didn’t know it would be him.

“It was pretty tough in practice,” he said. “On Day One, I fished down the lake shallow, and it wasn’t great. Day Two I went up the river, where I finished sixth in an open a handful of years back, and I did okay, but of the 32 fish I caught, nothing was over 2-6.”

On the final day of practice on Tuesday, he returned to the south end and checked some deep spots. His plan worked, and the few bites he got were better quality fish. On Day One, knowing what the game plan was, he fished a plethora of places he never touched in practice, and in his words, he “survived” and was in good position.

“On Day Two, it really was the day that won me the tournament,” he said. “I caught that 6-4, and I caught another 4-pound fish. Those are difference maker bites and they gave me the cushion I needed. Today, I fished a combination of shallow and deep. Aside from losing one nice fish on a swim jig this morning on a dock, I fished clean.”

Winning two major events in one season is a blessing, no matter how far an angler is into their career. Despite tough conditions and the fish being caught in between summer and fall transitions, Canterbury feels blessed.

“The good Lord blessed me for sure, and frankly this whole year and my whole life. When it is your turn, it really is just how it works. Fishing as a pro is tough, and you miss a lot of family time when your family is young. My daughter is older now, and to win some of these when she is older is special. Logan Martin is one of the reasons I signed up for the NPFL this year—it is my home water, and it is special to me. Douglas was a bonus, but this one was icing on the cake,” he concluded.

Perkins Climbs to Second

Perkins is no stranger to winning on the NPFL, and he was extremely close again this week. With just 6 ounces of margin behind, it was a dead fish issue that cost the Tennessee angler on the final day. Rallying with some nice fish to start the morning, Perkins put a one-pound spotted bass in his livewell, filling out his limit. A half-hour later, as he went to cull, he realized the bass had died and he was unable to cull the small fish – he knew he might be in trouble.

“The fish ended up being 0.87 pounds after the penalty, and it cost me,” he said. “At that point, I thought I was fishing for third or fourth place, but now looking back, it was a costly penalty, and I caught several bigger fish but was unable to cull. That cost me the win.”

Despite the issue, finishing the season in second place—and unofficially securing a spot in the Championship, giving him a chance to defend his 2024 victory—is still a strong outcome. Perkins is a dock fishing expert and fished very well under tough conditions. Rotating in some topwater and spinnerbaits early in the days, it was a magic dock that kept him near the top all week.

“I had one dock, at the mouth of a good creek, and I caught some of my best fish on it every day this week,” he said. “I never weighed in a four-pounder, but I fished it multiple times every day and caught some really nice fish. I hooked one first thing this morning and lost it, and I know it was another good one.”

With pressure on the lake and lots of anglers targeting docks, Perkins had to fish differently, like he generally does, and out fish other anglers in the same areas. Getting his jig into places others may not have, and focusing more on the retrieve, he was able to get bites around competitors.

“I had a fun week, and hopefully I will squeak into the Championship,” he said. “I knew coming in I needed a top five, and I did it. I always fish for the win and never fish safe. I was in the bag line with Scott this afternoon, and we got to talking. If I had known it was going to be so close, I may have done a few things differently.”

Walters Wins Progressive AOY

South Carolina angler Patrick Walters also finished in third place with a three-day total of 39-15, and more importantly, claimed the 2025 Progressive Angler of the Year title, coming from 7 points back to overtake last year’s AOY winner, Kyle Welcher, by just one point. Welcher, who had not finished an event worse than 16th all season, finished 11^th this week with 36-3, capping off his second-place AOY campaign.

Top Ten:
Scott Canterbury 41-5
Brandon Perkins 40-15
Patrick Walters 39-15
Buddy Gross 39-12
Jesse Wise 39-6
Brandon Cobb 38-15
Jason Burroughs 37-12
JT Russell 37-11
Matt Herren 37-6
Hunter Baughman 36-3

by AnglersChannel

Howell seals the deal at Toledo Bend

HEMPHILL, Texas — With a newborn and a 3-year-old at home, Bryan Howell wasn’t totally sure he was going to be able to fish the Newport Bassmaster Kayak Series at Toledo Bend presented by Native Watercraft.

He made it work and made the most of his limited practice time.

Howell earned the victory at Toledo Bend with a two-day total of 179 inches, earning the $7,600 first-place prize and a trip to the 2026 Bassmaster Kayak Series National Championship. The Dallas/Fort Worth area resident opened the tournament in the lead with 92.25 inches before adding 85.75 inches on the final day to take home the trophy.

“I barely got any practice. I was lucky to be here honestly,” Howell said. “I knew I had to fish this one. It’s a Texas lake that has grass, and I’m pretty good on these types of lakes.”

Targeting submerged grass turned out to be the key to success for Howell on Day 1 with the majority of his bites coming between 4 and 8 feet of water. He used a multitude of presentations, including a buzzbait, walking topwater and a Z-Man JackHammer.

During his limited practice, Howell caught plenty of smaller keepers, but one 20-incher keyed him in to his best area.

“I liked the look of the area,” he said. “I started there first thing on Day 1 and right off the bat I started catching them.”

Howell caught plenty of bass throughout Day 1, but the bite was much tougher to figure out on Day 2, but a strategy change turned his day around.

“I was struggling hard until the afternoon,” he explained. “I finally decided to go punch instead of the (moving bait) deal. I started getting into them pretty much immediately. I ended up catching a 19.75 out of there and a bunch of other good ones.”

Hailing from Franklin, Tenn., Joshua Sharp notched his second Top 15 of the 2025 season. He spent most of his time fishing backwater ponds and creeks, and settled on a starting area after landing two 20-inchers during practice on Wednesday. He landed 86.75 inches on Day 1 before catching 90 inches on the final day.

“I caught them all day today,” Sharp said.

A ChatterBait and a frog were his two best presentations while also adding a speed worm into the mix from time to time.

Arkansas’ Geovanny Cazares finished third with 172.25 inches targeting schools of bass around wood and timber. After seeing several fish nipping at his minnow, he cut down his minnow so the bass had a better chance of getting the hook when they bit the bait.

Pennsylvania’s Abby Abbondanza finished fourth with 171 inches and Seth Taylor rounded out the Top 5 with 168.75 inches.

Florida’s Cristopher Blanco had arguably the most impressive performance of Day 2, landing a 101.25 inches on the day. That limit was anchored by a massive 26-inch largemouth that earned Big Bass of the Tournament honors.

All anglers earned points towards the Dakota Lithium Bassmaster Kayak Series Angler of the Year race, the results of which will be announced later this week. The Top 50 anglers in points will receive invites to the Kayak Series Championship to be held in conjunction with the 2026 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic at the Tennessee River presented by Under Armour in Knoxville, Tenn., in March.

The final results of the Newport Bassmaster Kayak Series at Toledo Bend presented by Native Watercraft can be found here.

This event was hosted by the Sabine County Chamber of Commerce.

2025 Bassmaster Kayak Series Title Sponsor: Newport

2025 Bassmaster Kayak Series Presenting Sponsor: Native Watercraft2025 Bassmaster Kayak Series Angler of the Year Sponsor: Dakota Lithium

by AnglersChannel

Berlinsky dominates Day 3 at Watauga Lake

CARTER COUNTY, Tenn. — Watauga Lake is quickly becoming Tripp Berlinsky’s favorite fishery in the country, and for good reason.

Berlinsky had his best day yet during the semifinal round of the Bassmaster College Classic Bracket presented by Lew’s, landing 20 pounds, 10 ounces to win his head-to-head matchup against Lander University’s Garrett Smith, who caught just four bass for 9-14.

“This is one of the most gorgeous lakes I’ve ever been to, if not the most beautiful,” he said. “If you don’t like catching smallmouth, I don’t know what you love.”

Joining Berlinsky in the final round is partner Bryce Dimauro, who landed 15-2 to advance past Stephen F. Austin’s Ben Burns (10-5), guaranteeing UNA’s first Bracket title in school history. Now, the duo that won the Overall Team of Year race will go head-to-head for a spot in the 2026 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour.

“Knowing we are both going fishing tomorrow is a really cool feeling,” Berlinsky said. “He’s a great fisherman.”

After boat problems hampered him during practice, Berlinsky earned the No. 1 seed by landing limits weighing 19-14 and 15-15 during the opening rounds, capitalizing on the early morning bite window both days.

On Sunday, however, it took Berlinsky a little longer to get in a rhythm, landing some smaller keepers before losing a big smallmouth early in the day. He broke the ice with a 4 1/2-pound smallmouth followed by a 5-pound smallie.

“(After losing the big one) I turned around and fished back down the same stretch and put two big ones in the boat. That got me fired up. I was able to go fish some similar stuff and catch some 3’s. I made a couple culls on stuff I haven’t fished at all yet.”

Berlinsky has dialed in a shallow-water pattern throughout his week in east Tennessee. With water temperatures still in the low to mid 70s, he has found the better-quality smallmouth are feeding on crawfish and bream in 10 feet of water or less.

In his best area, the most activity has been around a clay bottom with rock mixed in and used that knowledge to find other promising areas on the lake.

“It seems to be the right bottom that holds the crawfish,” Berlinsky said. “The rock has to be in the water. The smallmouth seem to be on the hunt looking for those crawfish.”

Two baits have caught most of his bass this week, a jighead minnow and a lighter reaction style bait. Even in the shallow water, Berlinsky is throwing his minnow on a 3/16-ounce head. He hasn’t been able to pick up the smallmouth on his forward-facing sonar until they are about 40 feet from his boat.

“It is heavier than most people would imagine, but these smallmouth are aggressive and they want to hunt something down,” he explained. “I’m in a little dirtier water, so I’m throwing a brighter-colored minnow so they can see it. Once they see it, I get it moving away from them and they come and hunt it down.”

Dimauro, meanwhile, has rebounded nicely from a tough Day 1 that saw him catch 12-9. He reached the semifinal round by landing the biggest bag of Day 2, 18-1, and then putting together a solid limit in the head-to-head round.

“Day 1 wasn’t very good,” he said. “I stuck with my area on Day 2 and it worked out. Even today was difficult. I missed a lot of big fish today too. The biggest thing was staying in it mentally.”

The two anglers will launch tomorrow at 7 a.m. ET from Cove Ridge Marina and Resort and return for weigh-in at 3 p.m. The winner will advance to the 2026 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour in Knoxville and will earn entry into the 2026 St. Croix Bassmaster Opens presented by SEVIIN with the use of a fully-rigged Nitro Boat and Toyota Tundra.

This event is being hosted by Carter County Tourism.

2025 Bassmaster College Series Title Sponsor: Strike King

2025 Bassmaster College Series Presenting Sponsor: Bass Pro Shops

2025 Bassmaster College Classic Bracket Presenting Sponsor: Lew's

2025 Bassmaster College Series Youth Sponsors: Seaguar, Shimano

About B.A.S.S.

The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series, St. Croix Bassmaster Opens Series presented by SEVIIN, Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers presented by Bass Pro Shops, Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Qualifier Series presented by Lowrance, Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Strike King Bassmaster High School Series, Bassmaster Junior Series, TNT Fireworks Bassmaster Team Championship, Newport Bassmaster Kayak Series presented by Native Watercraft, Bassmaster College Kayak Series, Yamaha Bassmaster Redfish Cup Championship presented by Skeeter and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour.

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Connect with #Bassmaster on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok.

Media Contact: Mandy Pascal, Communications Manager, 334-414-8677, mpascal@bassmaster.com

2025 Strike King Bassmaster College Series Presented by Bass Pro Shops/Lew's - College Bracket 9/26-9/29
Watauga Lake, Carter County TN.
(BOATER) Standings Day 3

Angler Club/School Pts

1. Tripp Berlinsky - University of North Alabama 0
Day 1: 5 19-14 Day 2: 5 15-15 Day 3: 5 20-10 Total: 5 20-10
2. Bryce Dimauro - University of North Alabama 0
Day 1: 5 12-09 Day 2: 5 18-01 Day 3: 5 15-02 Total: 5 15-02
3. Ben Burns - Stephen F Austin State Universit 0
Day 1: 5 15-06 Day 2: 5 15-02 Day 3: 5 10-05 Total: 5 10-05
4. Garrett Smith - Lander University 0
Day 1: 5 17-12 Day 2: 5 11-13 Day 3: 4 09-14 Total: 4 09-14
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 7 37 112-07
2 7 37 104-06
3 3 19 55-15
----------------------------------
17 93 272-12

by AnglersChannel

Travis Fox Sneaks Up on Toyota Series Win at Lake of the Ozarks

OSAGE BEACH, Mo. (Sept. 28, 2025) – As usual, the final day of the Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats Plains Division event on Lake of the Ozarks was a doozy. With increased boat traffic and the third consecutive day of fishing pressure taking a toll, weights are seldom predictable on the final day at the big lake. Travis Fox, however, didn’t let any of the uncertainly get to him.

The Arkansas pro tallied 17 pounds, 10 ounces on the final day to move up from fourth for the win with 49-10. Fox pockets just over $36,000 for his first MLF win above the Phoenix Bass Fishing League level after more than 150 events.

Finishing second, Michael Harlin was also very consistent, but faltered a little on the final day to finish with 47-12.
In the Fishing Clash Angler of the Year race, Roger Fitzpatrick came out ahead by 2 points, with Brad Jelinek finishing runner-up and Drew Gill finishing third. The top 25 pros and co-anglers have now locked in their qualifications to the Toyota Series Championship this fall on Grand Lake.

Fox got on the right program very fast, and then rode it out throughout the event, never biting off more than he could chew, and relying on a good zone and a few key docks to get the job done.

“I mixed it up: I fished out deep some, I fished shallow some, but I really was fishing the docks,” Fox said. “I was in Cancun in Mexico last week, and our flights got messed up on the way back and my practice got shortened. I caught three 4-pounders the first day of practice in a few hours, so I knew what area was doing good. I started focusing on that area, finding docks with brush. I knew a lot of people were fishing the backs of docks, and I’d mix in the VMC HD Swim Jig doing that. Whenever I got a bite doing that, it would be a dandy.”

Fox caught plenty of fish on Day 1, but after that, he needed to grind for every bite.

“The first day, I fished with (co-angler) Scott Parsons, and we absolutely wrecked ‘em,” he said. “We caught a lot of fish, both of us. The second day, I had just six keepers, and today I had seven or eight. The big fish, all but one of them came out of the same places every time.”

Fox relied on some standards for Lake of the Ozarks to catch his fish: a ½-ounce VMC HD Swim Jig in a shad pattern, a worm on a 5/16-ounce VMC Rugby Jig, and a green pumpkin Zoom Brush Hog with a ½-ounce VMC Tungsten Worm Weight. Across the board, he used 13 Fishing rods and reels, and Suffix line.

Fox was able to stay consistent every day, and landed just enough key bites to do it.

“I knew I couldn’t beat these locals with a giant bag, but I thought I could catch a 4-pounder or two a day, and in the fall that’s pretty strong,” he said.

Fox has a long history with MLF (much of it accumulated in the FLW era). Almost a winner quite a few times, Fox had a good run on the FLW Tour, and nearly won the Forrest Wood Cup in 2017. Winning a big one was probably overdue for Fox, and he got it done on a place near and dear to his heart.

“It feels pretty good,’ he said. “I’ve got a lot of history on this lake, it’s where I started cutting my teeth, fishing BFLs and pro-ams. So, it’s special to win on a lake that I grew up competing on. My mom and my aunt drove up every day and watched the weigh-in, so that’s pretty special too. I’ve got a lot of other friends here I met through life’s journeys, and a lot of them are here and rooting for me. It’s pretty cool.”

The top 10 pros at the Toyota Series at Lake of the Ozarks finished:

1st:        Travis Fox, Rogers, Ark., 15 bass, 49-10, $36,639
2nd:       Michael Harlin, Sunrise Beach, Mo., 15 bass, 47-12, $14,197
3rd:       Roger Fitzpatrick, Eldon, Mo., 15 bass, 47-2, $11,242
4th:        Shane Long, Willard, Mo., 15 bass, 46-8, $9,160
5th:        Tyler Weberg, Eugene, Mo., 15 bass, 46-3, $8,244
6th:        Andy Newcomb, Camdenton, Mo., 15 bass, 45-14, $8,328
7th:        Cole McFarland, Lake Ozark, Mo., 15 bass, 44-15, $6,412
8th:        Hayden O’Barr, Scottsboro, Ala., 15 bass, 44-9, $5,496
9th:        Corey Cook, Osage Beach, Mo., 15 bass, 44-0, $4,580
10th:     Cory Steckler, Rocky Mount, Mo., 15 bass, 43-13, $3,664

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Pro Charlie Weyer of Branson West, Missouri, earned Thursday’s $500 Berkley Big Bass Award with a bass weighing 5 pounds, 5 ounces, while pro Anthony Johnson of Excelsior Springs, Missouri, won Friday’s $500 Berkley Big Bass, weighing in a 5-pound, 10-ouncer to earn the $500 award.

Mike Mueller of Elkhorn, Nebraska, won the co-angler division Saturday at Lake of the Ozarks with a three-day total of 13 bass weighing 35 pounds, 4 ounces. Mueller earned the top co-angler prize package worth $33,500, including a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard motor.

The top 10 co-anglers at the Toyota Series at Lake of the Ozarks finished:

1st:        Mike Mueller, Elkhorn, Neb., 13 bass, 35-4, Phoenix 518 Pro boat w/115-hp Mercury outboard
2nd:       Scott Parsons, Rogers, Ark., 14 bass, 33-9, $4,623
3rd:       Noah Dickneite, Freeburg, Mo., 14 bass, 30-8, $3,699
4th:        Alan Bernicky, Dardanelle, Ark., 14 bass, 28-8, $3,336
5th:        Mark Cowart, Kearney, Mo., 12 bass, 27-13, $2,774
6th:        Yusuke Takahashi, Inahshiki, Japan, 12 bass, 27-7, $2,312
7th:        Joe Lee, Midlothian, Texas, 11 bass, 27-1, $1,849
8th:        Mason Chambers, Galena, Mo., 12 bass, 26-1, $1,618
9th:        Takaaki Kojima, Temecula, Calif., 10 bass, 25-6, $1,387
10th:     Jason Swanson, Waterloo, Iowa, 12 bass, 25-5, $1,1156

Co-angler Jonathan Hopper of Springdale, Arkansas, earned the first Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of the week on Thursday with a 5-pound, 12-ounce bass to earn the $150 prize, while Friday’s Day 2 $150 co-angler award went to Christopher Fierce of Dixon, Missouri, who weighed in a bass totaling 5 pounds, 13 ounces.

The Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats at Lake of the Ozarks was hosted by the Tri-County Lodging Association. It was the third and final regular-season tournament for the Toyota Series Plains Division. The final event of the season for Toyota Series anglers will be the Toyota Series Championship, Nov. 6-8, at Grand Lake in Grove, Oklahoma. For a complete schedule of events, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.

The 2025 Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats consists of five divisions – Central, Northern, Plains, Southern and the Southwestern – each holding three regular-season events, along with the International and Wild Card divisions. Anglers who fish in any of the five 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 2026. The winning co-angler at the championship earns a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard. The 2025 Toyota Series Championship will be held Nov. 6-8 on Grand Lake in Grove, Oklahoma, and is hosted by the City of Grove Convention & Tourism Bureau.

Proud sponsors of the 2025 MLF Toyota Series include: 7Brew, Abu Garcia, Athletic Brewing, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, Deep Dive App, E3 Sport Apparel, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, Grizzly, Humminbird, Lew’s, Mercury, Minn Kota, Mossy Oak, Onyx, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Phoenix Boats, Polaris, Power-Pole, Precision Sonar, Strike King, Suzuki Marine, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, WIX Filters 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.

About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery Channel, Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 20 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.

by AnglersChannel

Local knowledge moves Canterbury into the lead going into Showdown Saturday.

After two days, Logan Martin is feeling the pressure, but the anglers who have remained consistent have moved to the top—and adding a big bite doesn’t hurt. That’s exactly what Alabama angler Scott Canterbury did to move several spots from fifth into the lead, with a two-day total weight of 31-4, over two pounds ahead of South Carolina angler Brandon Cobb.

Canterbury started Day One with 13-15, and he was on track for a similar weight today until it happened. Adding the event’s biggest bass of the tournament, 6-4, definitely helped, and his 17-4 Day Two limit is proof. Both Canterbury and Brandon Cobb have figured out how to catch a quality average fish, but one big bite changes the game.

“The place I caught the big one today, I mean maybe not 6-4, but I have caught a handful of 5-pounders in my life there,” he said. “And that’s part of it. I’m confident that every place I put my boat, it’s just a matter of putting the bait in front of one.”

In third, 2024 NPFL Championship winner Brandon Perkins added 14-7 to his Day One weight of 13-6, keeping consistent over two days. Behind Perkins, Hunter Baughman added 14-8 on Day Two to jump into fourth. Day One leader Ron Farrow had a slower day, but his 9-2 limit is still enough to keep him in contention, rounding out the top five.

Canterbury Cruises to First

With his best day on Day Two, Canterbury feels right at home on Logan Martin. He is making good decisions, and his time on the water gives him confidence to fish how he wants—using a few different baits, but most importantly, a Dirty Jigs jig.

“It’s fall out here, but not quite all the way,” he said. “I may catch one on a shallow dock and then catch one on an 18-foot drop-off—it’s junk fishing 101. Local knowledge is paying off for sure. Sometimes it all comes together, and it worked out today.”

Despite a big day, the morning was tough. By 11 AM, it was a struggle, but the afternoon bite paid off. Canterbury culled twice at the end of the day close by the launch ramp. It can happen anywhere on the lake, but it’s hard to repeat, and that’s why he never caught a bass in the same areas on Day One.

“In a few weeks, you’d be able to run around on walls and such and catch them day over day, but there aren’t many up there now,” he added. “If you catch one shallow, you may as well not even go back. There are a ton of bass in this lake, and the longer day tomorrow is going to help too. I’m excited for Showdown Saturday.”

Cobb Slides to Second

Without a true big bite, it’s hard to do well on Logan Martin multiple days in a row. We saw Canterbury climb to the lead with a 6-pound bite, but for Cobb, it’s been about finding better-quality average fish. His Day One weight of 15-6 got things moving in the right direction, and on Day Two, he found fish in a completely different area of the lake. His ability to adapt kept him in the hunt, and his 13-4 bag moved him up the leaderboard. His two-day weight of 28-10 has him 2-10 back from Canterbury going into the final day.

“I think more than anything, Logan Martin just sets up for me to find fish,” he said. “Similar to a lake back home (in SC), if I’m not catching them, I’m likely going to find them. Today I only caught one fish where I caught them yesterday, and most of everything else came from new places.”

As seen on Live Coverage, Cobb’s main focus was on boat docks, and he credits his years of dock fishing experience to knowing which ones to target. The biggest spotted bass relate to a certain type of dock, and Cobb is confident he can run around and find them.

“More of it, I think, the type of dock is more important than the location on these spotted bass lakes,” he said. “Whether it’s 10-foot or in the mud, these big spotted bass will get on them. The other thing that hurt me a little today is that I checked in a little earlier. Yesterday I caught my two biggest ones after 3 PM.”

Over two days, he has weighed in only two largemouth—but not for a lack of trying. In practice, he spent time learning how to find the bigger green fish and just didn’t feel comfortable fishing for them when he could catch quality spots. As for baits, Cobb is keeping it simple, fishing a jig and a few new Zoom baits.

“In the morning, I’m getting some on a Greenfish Tackle Toad Toter Buzz with a Zoom Toad, and then it’s a new Neko worm by Zoom, the Thick Trick, and I’m mixing in a 3/8-ounce jig with a Zoom Z-Craw Jr.”

Quick AOY Update

With Kyle Welcher and Patrick Walters tied after two days in ninth place, Welcher maintains a narrow lead. Coming in, Welcher held a 7-point lead, and so far, it remains the same.

Top Ten:
Scott Canterbury 31-4
Brandon Cobb 28-10
Brandon Perkins 27-13
Hunter Baughman 26-13
Ron Farrow 26-12
Matt Herren 26-7
Buddy Gross 25-6
Jesse Wise 25-6
Patrick Walters 25-2
Kyle Welcher 25-2

by AnglersChannel

Productive morning leads Berlinsky to the top on Day 1 at Watauga Lake

CARTER COUNTY, Tenn. — Tripp Berlinksy opened the 2025 Bassmaster College Classic Bracket at Watauga Lake presented by Lew’s with a bang, landing a mixed bag of primarily smallmouth weighing 19 pounds, 14 ounces to pace the eight-angler field on Day 1.

Anchoring his bag with a 4 1/2-pound bronze-back, the University of North Alabama sophomore holds a 2-2 advantage over Lander’s Garrett Smith. More importantly at this juncture, he holds a more than 5-pound advantage over fifth-place Zach Helton, the first man out of the cut if the tournament ended today.

At the end of tomorrow’s second round, the Top 4 anglers will advance to the Bracket, where they will go head-to-head for a spot in Monday’s Championship round.

The timing of his day couldn’t have worked out any better. Berlinsky was hampered by battery issues in his boat during his practice for the 2025 Bassmaster College Classic Bracket presented by Lew’s, so much so that his parents made a trip to east Tennessee with new batteries.

His first cast landed over a dock cable, but it also resulted in his first keeper of the day. Berlinsky proceeded to fill out most of his limit in the first two hours of the day, allowing him to spend the next six hours practicing for the next three days. The last several minutes of the afternoon yielded a quality largemouth that made the trip back to weigh-in.

“I only got an hour and a half of practice the second day of practice,” he said. “Being able to go and practice today was huge for me. I was able to get out there and explore instead of only worrying about catching them.”

Using his forward-facing sonar, Berlinsky has identified a specific bottom composition the bass are utilizing as well as areas of the lake where the forage is gathering. Two baits trigger all his bites on Day 1.

Although his Day 1 tally wouldn’t show it, Berlinsky noticed the abundant sunshine seemed to hurt his bite as the day went along.

“I don’t think anyone else is doing it, so I think that is part of the reason I’m having success with it,” he said. “They are anywhere from 2 feet of water to 10 feet of water.”

With a significant lead over the fourth and fifth place anglers, Berlinsky is afforded quite a bit of wiggle room on Day 2 and hopes to take advantage of the cushion he has built.

“My plan is to put together 14 or 15 pounds tomorrow to make sure I make it to the third day,” he said. “You are never safe, but I want to catch a decent limit and hopefully find some bigger bass.”

Smith is second with 17-12 followed by Stephen F. Austin’s Ben Burns in third with 15-6 and Lander’s Andrew Blanton in fourth with 15-3. Helton is currently the first man out with 14-9 followed by Carson-Newman’s Blake Wheat in sixth with 13-14, UNA’s Bryce Dimauro in seventh with 12-9 and SFA’s Grant Pursiful in eighth with 3-4.

All eight competitors will return to the water starting at 7 a.m. ET at Cove Ridge Marina and Resort. Weigh-in will begin at approximately 3 p.m. The Top 4 anglers at the conclusion of Day 2 will advance to Semifinal Sunday, which will be a bracket style tournament. The No. 1 seeded angler will go head-to-head against the No. 4 seeded angler while No. 2 will compete against No. 3.

The winners of those head-to-head matches will face off in the finals and the winner will advance to the 2026 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour and will earn entry into the 2026 St. Croix Bassmaster Opens presented by SEVIIN with the use of a fully-rigged Nitro Boat and Toyota Tundra.

This event is being hosted by Carter County Tourism.

2025 Bassmaster College Series Title Sponsor: Strike King

2025 Bassmaster College Series Presenting Sponsor: Bass Pro Shops

2025 Bassmaster College Classic Bracket Presenting Sponsor: Lew's

2025 Bassmaster College Series Youth Sponsors: Seaguar, Shimano

About B.A.S.S.

The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series, St. Croix Bassmaster Opens Series presented by SEVIIN, Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers presented by Bass Pro Shops, Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Qualifier Series presented by Lowrance, Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Strike King Bassmaster High School Series, Bassmaster Junior Series, TNT Fireworks Bassmaster Team Championship, Newport Bassmaster Kayak Series presented by Native Watercraft, Bassmaster College Kayak Series, Yamaha Bassmaster Redfish Cup Championship presented by Skeeter and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour.

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Connect with #Bassmaster on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok.

Media Contact: Mandy Pascal, Communications Manager, 334-414-8677, mpascal@bassmaster.com

2025 Strike King Bassmaster College Series Presented by Bass Pro Shops/Lew's - College Bracket 9/26-9/29
Watauga Lake, Carter County TN.
(BOATER) Standings Day 1

Angler Club/School Pts

1. Tripp Berlinsky - University of North Alabama 0
Day 1: 5 19-14 Total: 5 19-14
2. Garrett Smith - Lander University 0
Day 1: 5 17-12 Total: 5 17-12
3. Ben Burns - Stephen F Austin State Universit 0
Day 1: 5 15-06 Total: 5 15-06
4. Andrew Blanton - Lander University 0
Day 1: 5 15-03 Total: 5 15-03
5. Zach Helton - Carson-Newman University 0
Day 1: 5 14-09 Total: 5 14-09
6. Blake Wheat - Carson-Newman University 0
Day 1: 5 13-14 Total: 5 13-14
7. Bryce Dimauro - University of North Alabama 0
Day 1: 5 12-09 Total: 5 12-09
8. Grant Pursifull - Stephen F Austin State Universit 0
Day 1: 2 03-04 Total: 2 03-04
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 7 37 112-07
----------------------------------
7 37 112-07

by AnglersChannel

Jared Mizell from 25th Ranked Tarleton State Claims G2 Gemini Jerseys Contingency Bonus

SAN ANTONIO, TX (September 26, 2025) – Each no-entry-fee Association of Collegiate Anglers event on the Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Bass Fishing Series pays out tens of thousands of dollars in prizes and contingencies. This includes at the ACA’s latest major tournament on Kentucky Lake, the Bass Pro Shops Big Bass Bash presented by Berkley. One of the many contingencies awarded was the G2 Gemini Jerseys Tournament Contingency Bonus.

Jared Mizell from 25^th ranked Tarleton State University, the overall winner of the tournament, was the highest-placing angler wearing a G2 Gemini jersey. The contingency bonus paid out a $100 G2 Gemini credit.

Mizell weighed in a largemouth bass that tipped the scales at 7.93 pounds on Day 1 of tournament competition at Kentucky Lake. That fish bested the next biggest bass weighed in by more than a pound.

The G2 Gemini Jerseys tournament contingency bonus is available at all ACA events during the 2025 season. The highest finishing angler/team, where one or both anglers are wearing a G2 Gemini Jersey, at each of the four ACA events in 2025 will receive a G2 Gemini Jerseys gift card. In the case when the highest-finishing G2 Gemini Jersey wearer is a two-angler team, each angler wearing a G2 Gemini Jersey will receive a $100 Gemini gift card, for a total payout of up to $200. If the highest-placing finisher wearing a G2 Gemini Jersey is an individual angler, that angler will receive a $100 gift card.

Here are the remaining events that will be eligible for the G2 Gemini Tournament Contingency Bonus in 2025:

AFTCO Collegiate Bass Open – Lake Dardanelle – October 11-12, 2025

The ACA also offers a contingency bonus for anglers wearing the Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Bass Fishing Series logo on their jerseys. Learn more about the contingency program here, and download the ACA logo at this link.

by AnglersChannel

B.A.S.S. mourns death of Campbellsville University angler

HEMPHILL, Texas — B.A.S.S. confirmed today that Campbellsville University angler Peyton Hughes has died following a search on Toledo Bend Reservoir in Texas. Hughes had been reported missing Sept. 24 after failing to arrive at a designated meeting place while pre-practicing for the Bassmaster Kayak Series event scheduled for Sept. 27–28.

Authorities were notified by Hughes’ travel partner when he did not return as planned. Officers with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department began a search and subsequently located his kayak. Search teams representing multiple agencies from both Texas and Louisiana recovered Hughes from the water this morning, shortly after resuming their efforts. The investigation by TPWD is ongoing.

“Our entire B.A.S.S. family is heartbroken by the loss of Peyton Hughes,” said Chase Anderson, CEO of B.A.S.S. “Peyton was a passionate and talented young angler with a bright future ahead of him. We extend our deepest condolences to his family, friends, teammates and the Campbellsville University community. Peyton's family will be in our thoughts and prayers during this devastating time.”

About B.A.S.S.

The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series, St. Croix Bassmaster Opens Series presented by SEVIIN, Nitro Boats Elite Qualifiers Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Qualifier Series presented by Lowrance, Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Strike King Bassmaster High School Series, Bassmaster Junior Series, TNT Fireworks Bassmaster Team Championship, Newport Bassmaster Kayak Series presented by Native Watercraft, Bassmaster College Kayak Series, Yamaha Bassmaster Redfish Cup Championship presented by Skeeter and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour.

by AnglersChannel

10 Anglers Earn Automatic Qualification into the 2026 Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops

SAN ANTONIO, TX (September 25, 2025) – The Bass Pro Shops Big Bass Bash presented by Berkley, the Association of Collegiate Anglers’ first event of the 2025-26 season, was contested at Kentucky Lake this past weekend. Each of the Top 10 finishing anglers in this tournament earned automatic qualification into the 2026 Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops.

Here is a look at the Top 10 in the final tournament standings:

Jared Mizell – Tarleton State University
Hunter King – Blue Mountain Christian University
Braylon Eggerding – Adrian College
Alex Gore – Carson-Newman University
Dalton DeFelice – University of Montevallo
Harrison McCall – Lander University
Joe Vaulton – Carson-Newman University
Kase Kramer – Tarleton State University
Preston Anderson – Bethel University
Dawson Lynch – Tarleton State University

Seven different teams had an angler place in the Top 10. Only two schools had more than one angler inside of the Top 10. Tarleton State University had the most of anyone with three, and Carson-Newman earned two automatic qualification spots.

The 2026 Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops is set to take place at Pickwick Lake in Florence, AL on May 21-22. This will mark the ACA’s 21^stNational Championship event. To view the complete qualification criteria for that tournament, click here.

by AnglersChannel

EQ anglers set for challenging Wheeler conditions

DECATUR, Ala. — Fueled by optimism and driven by potentially career-changing rewards, anglers competing in the Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifier at Wheeler Lake presented by Bass Pro Shops will, no doubt, do so with high hopes.

Ask Will Davis Jr. and he’ll point to a version of that premise as a key success component.

Competition days will be October 2-4 with daily takeoffs from Ingalls Harbor at 7 a.m. CT and weigh-ins each day back at the harbor at 3 p.m.

As to Davis’ advice, the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series pro from Sylacauga, Ala., expects the heralded Decatur Flats to play the same prominent role they play in most major events on this Tennessee River reservoir. Stretching roughly from the Interstate 65 bridge downriver to the Tennessee Valley Authority Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant, this vast shallow-water swath presents a labyrinth of drains, ditches, shellbars and other current breaks, all sitting fairly close to the main-river channel.

The only downside is that this area’s reputation for productivity is no secret, so fishing pressure is assumed. As Davis explained, the requisite strategy goes right to the heart of the matter.

“October anywhere in the South can be very challenging,” Davis said. “The fish have been pressured all year, they get keyed in on little-bitty baitfish and they’re already educated.

“The key to that place is finding a special high spot, where they can catch them on a (topwater) early.”

Davis noted that the early morning hours typically find shad dimpling over various bottom rises where they’re easy targets for bass. Within a couple hours of daybreak, the baitfish will bunch up and hold closer to those high spots.

Davis suggests flipping these areas with a Texas-rigged black and blue beaver-style bait. Other options include jerkbaits, crankbaits, swim jigs, shaky heads and drop shots.

Proximity to the river channel enhances the Decatur Flats’ appeal, in terms of access and current washing. The latter, Davis notes, may not factor as prominently for this event.

“We haven’t had a lot of rain, so there’s not a lot of current,” he said. “The water is pretty clear (due to the lack of inflow), but it’s stained in some areas because there’s not a lot of grass on the Decatur Flats.

“The water temperature is 75 to 80 degrees, depending on where you’re at and how deep you are.”

That’s still pretty warm, but shortening daylight periods and longer nights signal a seasonal shifting. Winter’s leanness means minimal feeding, so the tournament will find most of the fish ready to eat. The smaller threadfin shad and tiny minnows fill a lot of bellies this time of year, but super-sized meals are also available.

“If you can find those gizzard-shad eaters, you can get right in a hurry,” Davis said. “The gizzards like to run more on points just like (blueback) herring lakes. They run in packs, but when a big gizzard branches off, they get eaten. I’d throw swimbaits like the Spro KGB for the gizzard eaters.”

About 60 river miles separate Guntersville and Wheeler dams, but Davis believes the winning fish will come from somewhere between the Decatur Flats and First Creek, downriver from Browns Ferry. This section includes the Elk River, Wheeler’s major tributary, where spinnerbaits and flipping efforts could produce kicker bites.

Beyond his predicted zone, Davis said the tournament could see intrepid types running up to the Guntersville Dam tailrace. At the top end of Wheeler Lake, this zone of turbulent water creates a prime feeding scenario for largemouth and smallmouth.

Addressing the risky proposition, Davis said: “It’s a long run and you might have a good day or two with topwaters and swimbaits, but I don’t think you can do it three days in a row.”

The Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers Series comprises three events — also including the series opener at Upstate New York’s Lake Champlain (Sept. 18-20) and the finale at Florida’s renowned Lake Okeechobee (Nov. 13-15). The field largely comprises top performers from the St. Croix Bassmaster Opens presented by SEVIIN, along with Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series anglers seeking to requalify.

After four events each, Opens Divisions 1 and 2 determined their Top 50 points finishers, who are competing alongside Elite Series pros and the Top 3 finishers from the 2024 Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Championship presented by Lowrance. Divisional points are zeroed, and the Top 10 in the EQ points standings after the final event will receive invitations to fish the 2026 Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series.

Along with a cash prize, each EQ winner receives an invitation to fish the 2026 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armor, March 13-15 at the Tennessee River in Knoxville, Tenn. Notably, if an EQ winner is already qualified for the Classic through the Elite Series’ Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year points standings, the Classic invitation will go to the highest-ranking Elite angler outside the cut.

The first EQ at Lake Champlain saw this exact occurrence, as first-year Elite Series pro Emil Wagner notched his first Bassmaster victory. This moved Elite veteran John Crews into the 2026 Classic field.

Given the seasonal scenario, Davis offered this prediction: “To make the (Day 3) cut, I think it’s going to take 16 pounds a day and probably a three-day total of 50 to 54 (pounds) to win. You can be consistent, but I think a guy is going to need two good ones — 4 1/2 to 5 pounds — a day.”

Coverage of the Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifier at Wheeler Lake presented by Bass Pro Shops can be found on Bassmaster.com each day. Live coverage of Championship Saturday will be streamed on Bassmaster.com as well as the Roku Sports Channel from 7-10 a.m. ET and 11 a.m. -2 p.m.

This event is being hosted by Decatur Morgan County Tourism.

2025 Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers Series Title Sponsor: Nitro Boats

2025 Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers Series Presenting Sponsor: Bass Pro Shops

2025 Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers Series Platinum Sponsors: Progressive, Toyota
2025 Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers Series Premier Sponsors: Bass Pro Shops, Dakota Lithium, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha
2025 Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers Series Supporting Sponsors: AFTCO, Daiwa, Garmin, Lew's, Lowrance, Triton Boats, VMC, Yokohama

About B.A.S.S.

The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series, St. Croix Bassmaster Opens Series presented by SEVIIN, Nitro Boats Elite Qualifiers Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Qualifier Series presented by Lowrance, Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Strike King Bassmaster High School Series, Bassmaster Junior Series, TNT Fireworks Bassmaster Team Championship, Newport Bassmaster Kayak Series presented by Native Watercraft, Bassmaster College Kayak Series, Yamaha Bassmaster Redfish Cup Championship presented by Skeeter and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour.

by AnglersChannel

B.A.S.S. announces 2026 schedules for College, High School and Junior Series

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Young anglers will get the chance to fish some of the country’s most legendary bass fisheries and emerging trophy lakes as B.A.S.S. announces the 2026 Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Strike King Bassmaster High School Series and Bassmaster Junior Series schedules. The College Series season will once again feature both the Legends Trail and the Lunkers Trail, spotlighting iconic lakes and big-bass waters while offering a pathway for youth and collegiate anglers to grow within the sport.

“I’m really excited about the 2026 schedule, especially with a couple of new bodies of water we’ll be fishing this season,” said Glenn Cale, B.A.S.S. tournament manager for the College, High School and Junior Series. “A new season means fresh water and fresh chances. I challenge every angler: rise early, cast hard and let the season tell your story. Good luck and tight lines!”

The Legends Trail will showcase some of the sport’s most historic venues. Lake Toho in Kissimmee, Fla., has long been considered one of the premier trophy bass lakes in the country, and Sam Rayburn Reservoir in Texas is a perennial favorite on Bassmaster’s 100 Best Bass Lakes list. The trail will conclude at Kerr Reservoir in Oklahoma, a fishery that rewards versatility with its mix of structure and cover.

Meanwhile, the Lunkers Trail highlights lakes famous for producing giant bass. The season will begin on Florida’s Lake Okeechobee, one of the most recognized big-bass factories in the world. Anglers will then head to South Carolina’s Santee Cooper Lakes, which recently ranked No. 7 on Bassmaster’s 2025 100 Best Bass Lakes list, before finishing at Virginia’s James River, a tidal system that adds a unique and challenging element to the season.

The High School and Junior Series will share a four-event schedule that takes competitors from Florida grass lakes to massive Texas reservoirs before heading to Santee Cooper for a springtime slugfest and finally wrapping up at Oklahoma’s Kerr Reservoir. Each stop offers a distinct test of skill, from flipping heavy cover to finessing clear-water smallmouth.

“We are absolutely thrilled to be a part of the 2026 Bassmaster College, High School and Junior schedule,” said Jane Powell, executive director of Santee Cooper Country. “The Santee Cooper Lakes were named No. 7 on Bassmaster’s 100 Best Bass Lakes list this year, so these young anglers should really enjoy their time here fishing and hopefully catch a personal best. We are looking forward to seeing them here this spring.”

“Along with our partners at Experience Kissimmee, we are proud to welcome the College, High School and Junior Series to the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes for the very first time,” said President & CEO of the Greater Orlando Sports Commission Jason Siegel. “This collaboration highlights our commitment to showcasing Osceola County and Central Florida as world-class sports destinations, and we are excited to provide the anglers and fans with an unforgettable experience on one of the country’s most renowned fisheries.”

“Hosting the College, High School and Junior B.A.S.S. tournaments is going to be an incredible experience for our entire community,” said Gena Woods, executive director of the Oklahoma Ozarks Tourism Association. “Getting to watch these young anglers compete with such skill, passion and sportsmanship reminds us why the future of this sport is so bright. Beyond the excitement on the water, the event will bring a tremendous economic boost to our local businesses, restaurants and lodging — a benefit that will be felt long after the final weigh-in. We are proud to play a part in creating memories that will inspire the next generation of bass fishing champions.”

“We are excited to welcome the Bassmaster College, High School and Junior Series to Kissimmee, alongside our partners at the Greater Orlando Sports Commission,” said Executive Director of the Kissimmee Sports Commission Jessica Beers. “The Kissimmee Chain of Lakes is a world-renowned bass fishing spot and has produced numerous prize-winning bass that keep anglers coming back again and again. We love hosting anglers and spectators in our destination. They help support our local community and businesses.”

The Bassmaster College, High School and Junior Series continue to spotlight the sport’s brightest young talent while providing unforgettable opportunities on world-class fisheries. Events are covered live on Bassmaster.com and across B.A.S.S. social and digital platforms.

2026 College Series Legends Trail

Jan. 22-23 — Lake Toho, Kissimmee, Fla.
Feb. 25-26 — Sam Rayburn Reservoir, Jasper County, Texas
April 29-30 — Kerr Reservoir, Sallisaw, Okla.

2026 College Series Lunkers Trail

Jan. 28-29 — Lake Okeechobee, Okeechobee, Fla.
April 8-9 — Santee Cooper Lakes, Clarendon County, S.C.
May 29-30 — James River, Richmond, Va.

2026 High School/Junior Series Schedule

Jan. 18 — Lake Toho, Kissimmee, Fla.
March 1 — Sam Rayburn Reservoir, Jasper County, Texas
April 12 — Santee Cooper Lakes, Clarendon County, S.C.
May 3 — Kerr Reservoir, Sallisaw, Okla.

Registration Dates

Legends Trail — Oct. 28, 2025, at 2 p.m. CT
Lunkers Trail — Nov. 4, 2025, at 2 p.m. CT
Single-event entry — Nov. 11, 2025, at 2 p.m. CT
High School — Dec. 2, 2025, at 2 p.m. CT
Junior — Dec. 9, 2025, at 2 p.m. CT

2025 Bassmaster College Series Title Sponsor: Strike King

2025 Bassmaster College Series Presenting Sponsor: Bass Pro Shops

2025 Bassmaster College Classic Bracket Presenting Sponsor: Lew's

2025 Bassmaster College Series Youth Sponsors: Seaguar, Shimano

2025 Bassmaster High School Series Title Sponsor: Strike King

2025 Bassmaster High School Series Platinum Sponsor: Progressive, Toyota
2025 Bassmaster High School Series Premier Sponsors: Bass Pro Shops, Dakota Lithium, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha
2025 Bassmaster High School Series Supporting Sponsors: AFTCO, Daiwa, Garmin, Lew's, Lowrance, Marathon, Triton Boats, VMC, Yokohama

2025 Bassmaster High School Series Youth Sponsors: Seaguar, Shimano

About B.A.S.S.

The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series, St. Croix Bassmaster Opens Series presented by SEVIIN, Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Qualifier Series presented by Lowrance, Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Strike King Bassmaster High School Series, Bassmaster Junior Series, TNT Fireworks Bassmaster Team Championship, Newport Bassmaster Kayak Series presented by Native Watercraft, Bassmaster College Kayak Series, Yamaha Bassmaster Redfish Cup Championship presented by Skeeter and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour.

by AnglersChannel

Major League Fishing Announces Bass Pro Tour Payout Structure Enhancements for 2026

BENTON, Ky. (Sept. 24, 2025) – Major League Fishing (MLF), the world's largest tournament-fishing organization, announced today significant enhancements to the payout structure of the Bass Pro Tour for the 2026 season. The adjustments, driven by angler feedback, mark another step in establishing the Bass Pro Tour as the most competitive and rewarding circuit in professional bass fishing.

Next season, the Bass Pro Tour roster will feature 51 anglers, creating the most exclusive and challenging field in the history of the sport. With the most accomplished lineup ever assembled, every cast, every fish and every decision will carry even greater weight.

For 2026, MLF is expanding the cut line at each event. Previously, the top 20 anglers advanced from the Qualifying Round to the Knockout Round and Championship Round, with the round winner advancing directly to the Championship Round. Beginning next season, the top 25 anglers will advance – the round winner continuing to advance directly to the Championship Round, while 24 advance to the Knockout Round.

The shift means that every angler who reaches the Knockout Round will also finish “in the money.”

Another notable change comes at the top and bottom of the payout scale. In 2025, event champions earned $150,000, with the last checks paying $10,000. For 2026, the anglers voted to adjust the distribution:

First place will pay $125,000 – still the sport’s most lucrative top prize.
The $25,000 difference has been redistributed to boost the “last checks.”
Anglers finishing 21st through 25th place will now earn $15,000 each – the highest minimum payouts ever awarded in pro bass fishing.

“This was an angler decision,” said MLF President and CEO Boyd Duckett. “The group wanted to make sure that if you make the cut, you’re rewarded in a meaningful way. The additional $5,000 to each spot at the bottom of the payout is unprecedented in our sport and shows the anglers’ commitment to sustainability and growth.”

MLF is also investing more directly into its anglers’ success. Beginning in 2026, MLF is adding an additional $250,000 to payouts for a total league contribution of more than $74,000 per angler, by far the sport’s largest, and a direct result of MLF’s strategic shift to a 50-angler field of the world’s top pros.

The full 2026 Bass Pro Tour roster will be announced in October. With the new structure in place, the circuit is positioned to continue the momentum from a tremendous 2025 season and deliver the toughest competition and most rewarding paydays in professional bass fishing history in 2026.

For complete details and updated information on Major League Fishing and the Bass Pro Tour, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube.

About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery, Discovery+, Discovery GO, Animal Planet, Outdoor Channel, VICE, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network and Game & Fish TV, and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 20 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.

by AnglersChannel

A Hall of Fame friendship built from boat sketches over burgers

Legendary fishing boat designer Randy Hopper of Vexus, and longtime bass fishing media man, Craig Lamb of B.A.S.S. will both be inducted in the prestigious Bass Fishing Hall of Fame on September 25th, an honor made even more special by the fact they met 43 years ago when Lamb’s earliest memories of Hopper were formed over cheeseburger lunches at the iconic White Sands diner in Cotter, AR, near Flippin.

“I was the new kid just trying to make myself useful at the boat plant, and I’ll never forget going to lunch with Randy and the guys. Randy would turn over the place mat under his cheeseburger and sketch some idea he had for the next bass boat into an absolute work of art, and carry it back to the plant to his draftsman’s table,” smiled Lamb on a visit to Vexus®, while in town for the Bassmaster Open earlier this year on Norfork Lake.

Lamb stopped to tour the state-of-the-art Vexus® boat building facility, but spent the first hour in Hopper’s office reminiscing about the four years he spent in Flippin in the mid 1980s. Mostly, they laughed aloud about the many characters they worked with four decades ago, including Forrest L. Wood, his brother Mickey Wood, and former Bassmaster Harry ‘n’ Charlie cartoon series contributor, Cliff Shelby.

“I was so young and naïve, I arrived in Flippin thinking I was gonna settle into a fancy desk, but I couldn’t find the desk,” says Lamb. “That’s because we didn’t give you a desk,” laughed Hopper. “Instead we just tossed you a set of truck keys and told you to deliver two boats to a fast approaching boat dealer show 1,400 miles away in Las Vegas.”

Lamb did just that, took the keys, headed west alone to Vegas, delivered the boats safely, and unknowingly, began a 40-year journey to a Bass Fishing Hall of Fame career. A path that’s included serving as Forrest Wood’s tournament boat caddy, Ray Scott’s ‘ghost writer’ in Bassmaster Magazine, Assistant Tournament Director for B.A.S.S., and a guiding light to the legendary Nashville Network, that was once home to The Bassmasters TV show and Bill Dance Outdoors.

Hopper who still works passionately as a leader for Vexus, touching all facets of the business from innovative hull designs to enhancing retail dealer relationships, is credited with being the brains behind many of the features we now simply take for granted in today’s modern fishing boats.

From aerated livewells to rear fiberglass transoms tough enough to tote today’s heavy outboards, Hopper has had a serious hand in their innovations, including the use of infused composite construction for stronger glass-to-resin ratios, minimal emissions, and repeatable consistency, when building a fiberglass fishing boat.

“Randy’s passion and fascination with boat building is the same in 2025 as it was in 1982,” says Lamb. “What I learned from him is to always be looking for ways to improve on what you’ve already achieved. The goal is to constantly improve by working beside people who feed off your energy. You see it throughout the factory at Vexus. Those folks don’t see anything as impossible, they just find ways to invent their own solutions,” Lamb explains.

Hopper and Lamb -- mutual respect, friendship, and a constant passion-driven perseverance to be the best in their respective professions that began over cheeseburgers near Flippin in 1982, and will soon culminate in their induction into the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame on the same September evening in Springfield, MO.

To learn more about the Vexus Boats Randy Hopper helps create, please visit https://vexusboats.com/.

by AnglersChannel

Evansville’s Deal Paces Pack by Almost Three Pounds to Take Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Ohio River

Ohio’s Moorman Claims Co-Angler Division

LAWRENCEBURG, Ind. (Sept. 22, 2025) – Boater Ryan Deal of Evansville, Indiana, caught a total of 10 bass weighing 18 pounds, 5 ounces, over two days to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on the Ohio River-Tanners Creek. The tournament was the fifth and final event of the season for the BFL Hoosier Division. Deal earned $6,190 for his victory.

“I fished in creeks both days and stayed out of the main river,” said Deal. “I caught nine keepers Saturday on a spinnerbait, and eight or nine keepers Sunday on a spinnerbait as well. So, creeks both days and mostly spinnerbait fish did it for me.”

Deal said in addition to the spinnerbait, soft plastics accounted for some bass in his weigh-in bag in an area he ran to, 15 miles downriver from takeoff.

Saturday Deal had a limit and a kicker bass near four pounds, and he knew he would probably be sitting in the top three after weigh-in. A better-quality bite on Sunday took some of the pressure off him, and he took a 1-pound lead into Sunday.

“I knew I had a really good shot at winning if I had a good day to back up my first day,” Deal said. “A 1-pound lead-* is a lot on the Ohio River. And it worked out well.

“Wins are few and far between,” said Deal, who notched his fourth career BFL win. “I’ve had 55 top-10s and made the All-American four times, so I’ve had a good career. But even with all of that success, wins are still few and far between. So, it feels great when you get one.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:

1st:        Ryan Deal, Evansville, Ind., 10 bass, 18-5, $6,190
2nd:      Chris Wilkinson, Farmersburg, Ind., 10 bass, 15-8, $2,845
3rd:       Pete Justice, Sharonville, Ohio, 10 bass, 15-2, $1,897
4th:        Doug Ruster, New Palestine, Ind., 10 bass, 14-5, $1,328
5th:        Adrian Urso, Union, Ky., seven bass, 13-11, $1,238
6th:        Pat White, Ameila, Ohio, eight bass, 13-11, $1,043
7th:        Tony Collins, Dayton, Ohio, 10 bass, 13-10, $1,448 (includes $500 Phoenix Bonus)
8th:        Nick Uebelhor, Jasper, Ind., 10 bass, 13-10, $853
9th:        Michael Nesbitt, St. Paris, Ohio, 10 bass, 13-7, $759
10th:     Blake Knies, Jasper, Ind., nine bass, 12-7, $664

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Chad Mrazek of Montgomery, Texas, caught a bass that weighed 4 pounds, 7 ounces, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $742.

Jeff Moorman of Liberty Township, Ohio, won the co-angler division and $3,095 Sunday, after bringing six bass to the scale that totaled 7 pounds, 14 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers finished:

1st:        Jeff Moorman, Liberty Township, Ohio, six bass, 7-14, $3,095
2nd:      Gary Higgins, Bloomfield, Ind., six bass, 7-6, $1,422
3rd:       Brad Hostetler Sr., Nineveh, Ind., four bass, 7-2, $948
4th:        Adam Troyer, Brownsburg, Ind., four bass, 7-0, $1,035
5th:        Billy French, Hamilton, Ohio, four bass, 6-15, $569
6th:        Jeffrey Smith, West Chester, Ohio, five bass, 6-12, $522
7th:        Nickolas Myers, Zionsville, Ind., four bass, 6-10, $474
8th:        Nathaniel Hester, Indianapolis, Ind., five bass, 6-4, $427
9th:        Michael Stevenson, Leitchfield, Ky., four bass, 5-13, $379
10th:     Dan Pardue, Morgantown, Ind., five bass, 5-11, $382

Adam Troyer of Brownsburg, Indiana, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $371, catching a bass that weighed in at 3 pounds, 7 ounces.

With all five events in the division now complete, boater Chris Wilkinson of Farmersburg, Indiana, won the Fishing Clash Hoosier Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 1,327 points and earned the $1,000 prize, while Derek Jackson of New Albany, Indiana, won the Fishing Clash Hoosier Division Co-Angler of the Year race with 1,243 points and earned the $500 payout.

The top 60 boaters and co-anglers in the division based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, will qualify for the Oct. 10-11 BFL Regional tournament on Kentucky-Barkley Lake in Buchanan, Tennessee. Boaters will fish for a top award of a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard worth $50,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $20,000.

by AnglersChannel

Pennsylvania’s Kauffman Nabs Slim 1-ounce Win at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Potomac River

Maryland’s Hornsby Tops Co-Angler Division

MARBURY, Md. (Sept. 22, 2025) – Boater Josh Kauffman of Marysville, Pennsylvania, caught a total of 10 bass weighing 29 pounds, 13 ounces, over two days to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on the Potomac River . The tournament, hosted by the Charles County Recreation, Parks, and Tourism, was the fifth and final event of the season for the BFL Northeast Division. Kauffman earned $7,509, including a $2,500 Phoenix Bonus, for his victory.

“The Potomac is really finicky right now,” Kauffman said. “You could catch a good amount of fish, but getting anything above a pound and a half was difficult. I really just tried to cover as much water as possible. You have to factor in the tide wherever you go, and I just focused on areas where I found better quality fish – even if I got only one bite in a spot in practice, I ran there during the tournament. It really just came down to getting the bigger and better-than-average bite.”

Kauffman, who stayed in the D.C. area for bass, said moving baits such as crankbaits, spinnerbaits, buzzbaits and a swim jig were key for him.

“I had to just keep covering water,” Kauffman said. “That was the name of the game. Really, I was just junk fishing a lot of high-percentage areas, just hoping I could get one here and there.”

Kauffman entered the second day of competition in ninth place and had his work cut out for him on Day 2.

“I knew I really had to catch a good bag to even have a shot (at winning),” Kauffman said. “So, I decided to change it up a little bit and I ran some new water I didn’t even fish Saturday. Sunday morning, I found an area where they were really active, and I had 13½ pounds in 15 minutes. It was every other cast for 45 minutes.

“That really calmed me down, which was really important,” Kauffman added. “I just needed a couple more good bites, and I was able to get them with a 4¼- and a 4½-pounder.

Kauffman said toward the end of the day he was just shy of 16 pounds and felt he still needed one more quality bite to finish the tournament strongly.

“I made a long run into an area where I caught a 5-pounder in practice, and started fishing,” Kauffman said. “Sure enough, I made one cast shallow, started reeling it back, and one smoked it. It was a 4¼.

“The key to my win is I fished very cleanly, which hardly ever happens,” Kauffman added. “It’s like when it’s your time, it’s your time.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:

1st:        Josh Kauffman, Marysville, Pa., 10 bass, 29-13, $7,509 (includes $2,500 Phoenix Bonus)
2nd:      Aaron Dixon, Bel Alton, Md., 10 bass, 29-12, $2,466
3rd:       Jason Burger, Bridgeton, N.J., 10 bass, 28-8, $1,577
4th:        Conor Cahill, Audubon, N.J., 10 bass, 27-12, $1,104
5th:        Todd Langford, Great Falls, Va., 10 bass, 26-10, $946
6th:        Brandon Pyles, Middletown, Md., 10 bass, 26-10, $868
7th:        Teimuraz Balachvili, Scarsdale, N.Y., 10 bass, 25-11, $789
8th:        Joshua Lewis, Rockville, Md., 10 bass, 24-4, $710
9th:        Jerry Vitiello, Verona, N.J., 10 bass, 24-4, $631
10th:     Logan Kaplon, Rural Valley, Pa., 10 bass, 23-2, $702

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Kauffman and Fred Aldridge of Brandystation, Virginia, each caught a bass that weighed 4 pounds, 8 ounces, to split the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $554.

Philip Hornsby of Hughesville, Maryland, won the co-angler division and $2,366 Sunday, after bringing six bass to the scale that totaled 19 pounds, 2 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers finished:

1st:        Philip Hornsby, Hughesville, Md., six bass, 19-2, $2,366
2nd:      Robert Wedding, Welcome, Md., six bass, 16-4, $1,460
3rd:       Jarrett Albert, Dillsburg, Pa., six bass, 15-6, $790
4th:        Randall Given, Laurel, Del., six bass, 15-1, $552
5th:        Mike Wotanowski, Lake Hopatcong, N.J., six bass, 14-1, $473
6th:        Jordan Petterson, Harbeson, Del., six bass, 13-5, $434
7th:        Joseph Amberg Jr., Hawley, Pa., six bass, 13-3, $394
8th:        Chuck Nale, Marydel, Md., six bass, 13-1, $405
9th:        Leon Deatrick, Orrtanna, Pa., six bass, 11-13, $315
10th:     Hampton Robinson, Bealeton, Va., six bass, 11-13, $276

Robert Wedding of Welcome, Maryland, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $277 with a bass that weighed in at 4 pounds, 14 ounces.

With all five events in the division now complete, boater Teimuraz Balachvili of Scarsdale, New York, won the Fishing Clash Northeast Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 1,304 points and earned the $1,000 prize, while Joseph Amberg Jr. of Hawley, Pennsylvania, won the Fishing Clash Northeast Division Co-Angler of the Year race with 1,312 points and earned the $500 payout.

The top 60 boaters and co-anglers in the division based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, will qualify for the Oct. 3-4 BFL Regional tournament on the James River in Richmond, Viriginia. Boaters will fish for a top award of a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard worth $50,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $20,000.

by AnglersChannel

Mena’s Rose Gets Particular With Jig for Win at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Lake Hamilton

Arkansas’ Jones Tops Co-Angler Division

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. (Sept. 22, 2025) – Boater Austin Rose of Mena, Arkansas, caught a total of 10 bass weighing 27 pounds, 3 ounces, over two days to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on Lake Hamilton. The tournament was the fifth and final event of the season for the BFL Arkie Division. Rose earned $12,177, including a $7,000 Phoenix Bonus, for his victory.

Rose said he discovered a “pretty substantial pattern” in practice leading up to the tournament when he found a jig bite using a homemade jig. That pattern, as it turns out, was also very specific, according to Rose.

“Every fish that I found was on a break line running east to west, and the fish were on the north side of the break,” Rose said. “The south side of it wasn’t near as good as the north side. It also had to be on the first 100 yards of the break facing the main lake.”

Rose said he targeted bass in 8 to 15 feet of water around brush, stumps and docks in practice.

“On the first day of the tournament, it got really tough for me,” Rose said. “Right out of the gate I lost two that were over 4 pounds. I figured that would end up biting me in the end, but it didn’t end up hurting me too bad. Then, before weigh-in, I lost one pushing 5 pounds.”

Rose said Sunday he broke off two bass but had three substantial culls in the last 30 minutes of competition.

I caught two of those late and told my co-angler, ‘I really wish I had those two from yesterday.’ I just needed a kicker – a 5-pounder. And then I got that bite and ended up breaking it off.

“It was a pretty fun day on the water,” Rose said. “Not clean fishing, but I ended up getting it done.

“This is a life-long dream of mine, a big win for me,” Rose added. “This is my first year fishing as a boater, and it hasn’t really sunk in yet.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:

1st:        Austin Rose, Mena, Ark., 10 bass, 27-3, $12,177 (includes $7,000 Phoenix Bonus)
2nd:      Chris Cusick, Hot Springs, Ark., 10 bass, 24-10, $2,539
3rd:       Dylan Hays, Hot Springs, Ark., 10 bass, 24-9, $1,694
4th:        Cody Burke, Greenbrier, Ark., 10 bass, 24-6, $1,185
5th:        Bryce Boatright, Sheridan, Ark., 10 bass, 23-8, $1,015
6th:        Lance Freeman, Hot Springs, Ark., 10 bass, 23-5, $931
7th:        Justin Bean, Benton, Ark., 10 bass, 22-11, $846
8th:        Samuel Mitchell, Kiowa, Okla., 10 bass, 21-8, $762
9th:        Zach Ward, Cabot, Ark., 10 bass, 21-7, $1,314
10th:     Carl Cole, Little Rock, Ark., 10 bass, 21-1, $592

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Zach Ward of Cabot, Arkansas, caught a bass that weighed 4 pounds, 6 ounces, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $637.

Jody Jones of Harvey, Arkansas, won the co-angler division and $2,858 Sunday, after bringing six bass to the scale that totaled 12 pounds, 2 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers finished:

1st:        Jody Jones, Harvey, Ark., six bass, 12-2, $2,858
2nd:      Eian Odle, Willow Springs, Mo., six bass, 12-1, $1,269
3rd:       Blake Defoor, Waldron, Ark., six bass, 11-5, $896
4th:        Mark King, Gurdon, Ark., six bass, 11-0, $592
5th:        Randy Allen, Russellville, Ark., six bass, 8-13, $508
6th:        Demarcus Armstrong, Pittsburg, Texas, six bass, 8-12, $465
7th:        John McCullar, Benton, Ark., five bass, 8-7, $423
8th:        Eli Garrison, Ward, Ark., five bass, 8-6, $381
9th:        Michael Lucas, Forrest City, Ark., four bass, 7-9, $339
10th:     Johnny Crider, Fulton, Ark., five bass, 6-9, $296

Jody Jones of Harvey, Arkansas, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $319, catching a bass that weighed in at 4 pounds, 4 ounces.

With all five events in the division now complete, boater Brian Bean of Hot Springs, Arkansas, won the Fishing Clash Arkie Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 1,312 points and earned the $1,000 prize, while Eli Garrison of Ward, Arkansas, won the Fishing Clash Arkie Division Co-Angler of the Year race with 1,310 points and earned the $500 payout.

by AnglersChannel

Virginia’s Rock Holds Off Field for Victory at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Watts Bar

Virginia’s Lyons Claims Co-Angler Division

SPRING CITY, Tenn. (Sept. 22, 2025) – Boater Matthew Rock of Bristol, Virginia, caught a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 34 pounds, 2 ounces, to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on Watts Bar . The tournament, hosted by the Rhea County Department of Tourism - Fish Spring City, was the fifth and final event of the season for the BFL Volunteer Division. Rock earned $4,604 for his victory.

Rock said he targeted main-river channel swings in 25 to 35 feet of water using LiveScope. He said the fish weren’t structure related and there was no rhyme or reason to the catches.

“I found an area in practice – about a 300-yard stretch – and I just sat there until about 10:30 Saturday and caught all of my weight there. Then I just went running around practicing for the next day,” said Rock. “I went back there Sunday and caught four, but the fish had left, so I relocated and caught my fifth keeper at 2:40.”

Rock said he used a Big Huey Lures custom minnow and a Big Huey Lures custom jighead to boat his bass from the channel swings. Saturday, he boated “nine or 10” keepers, and only five Sunday, but they were the right five to secure his first BFL win as a boater.

“When I caught that fifth keeper Sunday, I knew the rest of the boys would have to really catch them to beat me,” Rock said. “I wasn’t going to just let them have it.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:

1st:        Matthew Rock, Bristol, Va., 10 bass, 34-2, $4,604
2nd:      Bryce McDonald, Paintsville, Ky., 10 bass, 31-15, $2,452
3rd:       Jeremy Gordon, Rutledge, Tenn., 10 bass, 31-0, $2,036 (includes $500 Phoenix Bonus)
4th:        Turner Tharpe, Dayton, Tenn., 10 bass, 30-13, $1,074
5th:        Michael Morrison, Stamping Ground, Ky., 10 bass, 30-4, $1,461
6th:        Corey Neece, Bristol, Tenn., 10 bass, 30-2, $844
7th:        Jeffery Moore, Harriman, Tenn., 10 bass, 29-12, $767
8th:        Terry Ford, Harriman, Tenn., 10 bass, 28-8, $691
9th:        Josh Lee, Powell, Tenn., 10 bass, 28-4, $614
10th:     Camdyn Cranfill, Dayton, Tenn., 10 bass, 28-4, $537

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Michael Morrison of Stamping Ground, Kentucky, caught a bass that weighed 4 pounds, 1 ounce, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $540.

Chuck Lyons of Riner, Virginia, won the co-angler division and $2,572 Sunday, after bringing five bass to the scale that totaled 13 pounds, 3 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers finished:

1st:        Chuck Lyons, Riner, Va., five bass, 13-3, $2,572
2nd:      Christopher Davis, Huntsville, Ala., four bass, 10-15, $1,151
3rd:       Dewayne Drummonds, Gray, Ky., four bass, 10-0, $767
4th:        Konnor Sweet, Abingdon, Va., four bass, 9-5, $537
5th:        Kasey Hunley, Sharps Chapel, Tenn., three bass, 9-3, $460
6th:        Billy Joe Wheat, Evensville, Tenn., four bass, 8-13, $422
7th:        Steve Ouellette, Knoxville, Tenn., four bass, 7-15, $384
8th:        Luke Shrader, Monticello, Ky., three bass, 7-8, $395
9th:        Howard Smith, Hamilton, Ohio, three bass, 6-9, $307
10th:     Don Carmack, Middlesboro, Ky., two bass, 5-7, $269

Lyons also earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $270, catching a bass that weighed in at 3 pounds, 6 ounces.

With all five events in the division now complete, boater Jeremy Gordon of Rutledge, Tennessee, won the Fishing Clash Volunteer Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 1,360 points and earned the $1,000 prize, while Kasey Hunley of Sharps Chapel, Tennessee, won the Fishing Clash Volunteer Division Co-Angler of the Year race with 1,335 points and earned the $500 payout.

The top 60 boaters and co-anglers in the division based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, will qualify for the Oct. 24-25 BFL Regional tournament on Dale Hollow Lake in Byrdstown, Tennessee. Boaters will fish for a top award of a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard worth $50,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $20,000.

by AnglersChannel

Louisiana’s Stevens Edges Field to Win at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Lake Guntersville

Alabama’s McBride Tops Co-Angler Division

SCOTTSBORO, Ala. (Sept. 22, 2025) – Boater Walt Stevens of Bernice, Louisiana, caught a total of 10 bass weighing 45 pounds, 4 ounces, over two days to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on Lake Guntersville . The tournament, hosted by the Mountain Lakes Chamber of Commerce, was the fifth and final event of the season for the BFL Choo Choo Division. Stevens earned $6,242 for his victory.

Stevens’ tournament didn’t start out exactly as he’d hoped.

“On Day 1 I went to an area and immediately lost a couple of 5-pounders,” said Stevens, who managed to weigh in 22 pounds, 10 ounces both days of competition. “I had one fish in the boat at 10:30. I pulled up on another spot and basically caught all of my fish on one stretch in about 45 minutes to cull up to 22-10.”

Stevens said he made a crucial cull at 2:45 when he pulled up to a grass mat and punched through it for a 4-pounder and then he headed to Day 1 weigh-in.

Stevens started out Sunday where he caught most of his fish the first day, but it didn’t pan out. He relocated to a secondary spot and quickly lost two large fish. His luck changed, however, and he caught all of his second day’s weight of 22-10 there.

“I caught two 4-pounders on almost back-to-back casts,” Stevens said. “At that point I knew I was close to the same weight I had on Day 1, but I was 3 pounds out of the lead after the first day. I thought the leaders would have to stumble pretty good for me to catch up. I felt like I needed 26 to 27 to secure a win.

“When I caught those two 4-pounders I thought I could at least maintain third place,” Stevens added. “(Tournament director) Alan (Gray) told me on stage I needed 22-9 to take over the lead, and when he said I had 22-10 I just couldn’t believe it.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:

1st:        Walt Stevens, Bernice, La., 10 bass, 45-4, $6,242
2nd:      Hayden Marbut, Grant, Ala., 10 bass, 45-2, $3,621 (includes $500 Phoenix Bonus)
3rd:       Evan Chandler, Rainsville, Ala., 10 bass, 44-1, $2,082
4th:        Freddy Palmer, Estill Springs, Tenn., 10 bass, 43-2, $2,326
5th:        Logan Dyar, Cleveland, Ala., 10 bass, 42-5, $1,248
6th:        Matteo Turano, Puryear, Tenn., 10 bass, 41-2, $1,244
7th:        Lake Johnson, Trinity, Ala., 10 bass, 41-2, $1,040
8th:        Matthew Tucker, Huntsville, Ala., 10 bass, 37-6, $936
9th:        Fisher Heard, Rogersville, Ala., 10 bass, 37-4, $832
10th:     Bryar Chambers, Cullman, Ala., 10 bass, 37-4, $728

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Freddy Palmer of Estill Springs, Tennessee, caught a bass that weighed 7 pounds, 3 ounces, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $870.

Todd McBride of Huntsville, Alabama, won the co-angler division and $3,309 Sunday, after bringing a two-day total of six bass to the scale that totaled 20 pounds, 15 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers finished:

1st:        Todd McBride, Huntsville, Ala., six bass, 20-15, $3,309
2nd:      Todd Mowery, Madison, Ala., six bass, 20-11, $1,547
3rd:       Justin Stephenson, Jasper, Ala., six bass, 17-12, $1,029
4th:        Garrett Warren, Hoover, Ala., six bass, 17-10, $722
5th:        Tyson Giesbrecht, Gurley, Ala., six bass, 17-8, $619
6th:        Tommy Pritchard, Bargersville, Ind., six bass, 17-1, $617
7th:        Rex Henry, Hixson, Tenn., five bass, 16-15, $516
8th:        Mekiah Jack, Mount Juliet, Tenn., five bass, 16-7, $464
9th:        Charles Goss, Rossville, Ga., six bass, 16-5, $413
10th:     Paul Stidham, Cullman, Ala., six bass, 15-15, $361

Todd McBride of Huntsville, Alabama, and David Marr of Cleveland, Tennessee, each caught a bass weighing 5-10 to split the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $430.

With all five events in the division now complete, boater Keith Miller of Scottsboro, Alabama, won the Fishing Clash Choo Choo Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 1,281 points and earned the $1,000 prize, while Paul Stidham of Cullman, Alabama, won the Fishing Clash Choo Choo Division Co-Angler of the Year race with 1,319 points and earned the $500 payout.

The top 60 boaters and co-anglers in the division based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, will qualify for the Oct. 10-11 BFL Regional tournament on Logan Martin Lake in Lincoln, Alabama. Boaters will fish for a top award of a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard worth $50,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $20,000.

by AnglersChannel

Missile Baits Names Ryan Escutia as New Director of Sales

Salem, VA – September 22, 2025 – Missile Baits, a leading innovator in bass fishing tackle, is proud to announce the hiring of Ryan Escutia as its new Director of Sales. Escutia will spearhead sales strategy, dealer relationships, and growth initiatives to further solidify Missile Baits’ position as one of the most trusted brands in the fishing industry.

Escutia brings a proven track record of leadership and sales growth in the fishing and outdoor recreation space. With years of experience building strong customer partnerships and delivering results, he is well-positioned to expand Missile Baits’ reach across domestic and international markets.

“We are thrilled to welcome Ryan to the Missile Baits team,” said John Crews, President of Missile Baits. “His passion for bass fishing, combined with his professional sales expertise, makes him a perfect fit to lead our sales efforts. As we continue to grow, Ryan’s leadership will help us better serve our retail partners and anglers everywhere.”

In his new role, Escutia will focus on strengthening distribution channels, supporting retail and wholesale partners, and driving new opportunities for product expansion. His appointment underscores Missile Baits’ commitment to building strong relationships and delivering high-quality, performance-driven baits to the fishing community.

“I’m honored to join Missile Baits at such an exciting time,” said Ryan Escutia. “The company has built an incredible reputation for innovation and quality, and I look forward to helping expand that reach and continuing to deliver products that anglers trust.”

About Missile Baits
Founded by professional angler John Crews, Missile Baits is committed to delivering innovative, high-quality soft plastics and terminal tackle that meet the needs of serious anglers. With products designed by pros and tested on tour, Missile Baits continues to be a leader in performance and design.

For more information or media inquiries, please contact:
info@missilebaits.com | (855) HOOKSET (466-5738)

by AnglersChannel

Tarleton State’s Jared Mizell Wins the Bass Pro Shops Big Bass Bash presented by Berkley

PARIS, TN (September 21, 2025) – The 2025 Bass Pro Shops Big Bass Bash presented by Berkley is now complete. More than 630 of the nation’s best college anglers competed again today on Kentucky Lake in Henry County and Paris, TN. Day 2 awarded 40 prizes for top places, as well as Overall Big Bass, contributing to the more than $40,000 in prizes and contingencies awarded at this no-entry-fee, nationally televised, double points event.

The start of tournament action this morning was delayed due to lightning and weather in the area. Due to the delay, sessions one and two were combined to award prizes to the Top 20 biggest fish. Alex Gore from top ranked Carson-Newman won the session presented by Bob’s Machine Shop and Abu Garcia with a bass weighing 6.39 pounds. The session victory awarded him a 10” Bob’s Machine Shop jack plate and $300 Bass Pro Shops gift card.

Session 3 today was presented by Berkley. Top prize for the final session paid out a $1,000 Bass Pro Shops gift card, Abu Garcia Revo 5 X LP reel, and Berkley baits. Dalton DeFelice from 3rd ranked University of Montevallo took top honors with a bass weighing 6.29 pounds.

Following the conclusion of weigh-in for the final session, Overall Big Bass was awarded. Jared Mizell from 25th ranked Tarleton State University won the event with a bass weighing 7.93 pounds. Top prize paid out a new Power-Pole, $1,000 Bass Pro Shops gift card, TurtleBox speaker, Bob’s Machine Shop 6” jack plate, Bajio sunglasses, and a Trailer Valet drop hitch. Jared also earned the $250 ACA logo contingency, $500 Garmin Tournament Rewards, and $100 G2 Gemini tournament contingency bonus. All total, including the $1,500 Garmin credit he received on Day 1, Jared tallied over $7,000 in prizes and contingencies.

View the final results.

Along with the valuable prizes and contingencies, Jared earns 1,750 points to count towards Tarleton State’s points total for the 2025-26 Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia. Tarleton State placed three anglers in the Top 10 of the overall tournament standings, with their two biggest fish placing 1st and 8th.

Top ranked Carson-Newman’s top finishing teams placed 4th and 7th overall. The first ACA double points event of the season will have a great impact on the standings for the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia, as many teams earned valuable points at Kentucky Lake this weekend. The ACA will update the points standings later this week.

The ACA would also like to thank the host site of Henry County and Paris, TN, as well as the team at Paris Landing State Park for their assistance and support this weekend!

by AnglersChannel

Wheeler & MDJ Earn Come-from-Behind Victory at Knighten Industries Heritage Cup

Team O’Reilly Auto Parts catches 43 bass weighing 65 pounds, 8 ounces, to top leaderboard and win Fishing Clash Team Series Heritage Cup

MINOCQUA, Wis. (Sept. 19, 2025) – Team O’Reilly Auto Parts’ Jacob Wheeler of Harrison, Tennessee, and Mark Daniels Jr. of Tuskegee, Alabama, delivered a thrilling come-from-behind performance Friday to capture the Knighten Industries Heritage Cup Presented by Bass Boat Technologies on Wisconsin’s Tomahawk Lake. Down more than 11 pounds with just over an hour remaining, the longtime friends rallied to boat 43 bass weighing 65 pounds, 8 ounces, overtaking Team Star Tron (Drew Gill and Marshall Robinson) in the closing minutes to earn the victory.

The win marked Wheeler and Daniels’ first Team Series title as teammates and showcased the resilience and chemistry that made them one of the most dangerous pairings in the 2025 Fishing Clash Team Series Presented by Bass Pro Shops season.

The O’Reilly Auto Parts duo began Championship Day testing shallow boat docks for largemouth but quickly realized the bite wasn’t sustainable.

“About an hour in, I told Mark, ‘We’ve got to get away from these largemouth and go chase smallmouth,’” Wheeler said. “Thankfully, the fish gave us a clue, and we were able to adjust, lock in on that pattern and just keep building momentum.”

Daniels credited the mid-day switch as the turning point.

“Jacob recognized early that the dock deal wasn’t going to pan out, and that was huge,” Daniels said. “We made the decision to leave at the right time, expand and chase smallmouth. If we had stayed even 15 minutes longer, we might not be standing here as champions.”

Both anglers leaned heavily on finesse tactics, with Wheeler targeting offshore smallmouth while Daniels mixed in largemouth from grass edges late in the day.

“Mark made some great calls in that final stretch,” Wheeler added. “He caught the last three bass of the tournament, and that was the winning margin. Teamwork really did make the dream work today.”

“It’s not every day you get to fish side by side with your best friend,” he said. “We’ve practiced together and fished against each other plenty, but to share a boat in competition and win a Cup like this – on my birthday week, no less – that’s just special.”

After the final seconds ticked off SCORETRACKER®, Wheeler and Daniels hoisted the Heritage Cup trophies together.

“This has been an absolute honor,” Wheeler said. “To win it with Mark, in comeback fashion, makes it that much sweeter.”

The final four teams at the Knighten Industries Heritage Cup Presented by Bass Boat Technologies finished:

1st:        Team O’Reilly Auto Parts, 43 bass, 65-8
Mark Daniels Jr., Tuskegee, Ala., 16 bass, 24-1
Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn., 27 bass, 41-7
2nd:       Team Star Tron, 43 bass, 60-12
Drew Gill, Mount Carmel, Ill., 23 bass, 31-1
Marshall Robinson, Landrum, S.C., 20 bass, 29-11
3rd:       Team Fishing Clash, 24 bass, 36-6
Keith Carson, DeBary, Fla., seven bass, 9-13
Luke Clausen, Spokane, Wash., 17 bass, 26-9
4th:        Team BUBBA, 22 bass, 33-4
Ott DeFoe, Blaine, Tenn., 11 bass, 16-7
Andy Montgomery, Blacksburg, S.C., 11 bass, 16-13

Complete results from the event can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Overall, there were 132 bass weighing 195 pounds, 14 ounces caught by the final four teams in Friday’s Championship Round on Tomahawk Lake. Team BUBBA pro Andy Montgomery caught a largemouth bass that weighed 3 pounds, 3 ounces and was the Berkley Big Bass of the day.

The Knighten Industries Heritage Cup Presented by Bass Boat Technologies was the second of four Fishing Clash Team Series Presented by Bass Pro Shops event of the 2025 season. It was hosted by the Minocqua Area Visitors Bureau and took place over six days in Minocqua, Wisconsin. Competition waters for each day were top-secret and only revealed to the anglers when they arrived at the boat ramp each morning.

The Heritage Cup featured 12 two-man teams divided into three groups as they entered the one-day Elimination Round matches. Each of the three Elimination Round matches featured four new teams, with the top two teams from each match of the Elimination Round advancing to the Knockout Round on Days 4 & 5. In the Knockout Rounds, three teams competed each day, with the top two teams from each Knockout Round match moving on to the Championship Round on Day 6. In Friday’s Day 6 Championship Round, the final four teams competed in a one-day shootout with the heaviest one-day weight named the winner of the 2025 Knighten Industries Heritage Cup Presented by Bass Boat Technologies.

Television coverage of the MLF Fishing Clash Team Series Knighten Industries Heritage Cup Presented by Bass Boat Technologies will premiere on Outdoor Channel as six two-hour original episodes each Saturday afternoon starting Feb. 14, 2026. The complete television schedule for the Fishing Clash Team Series on Outdoor Channel will be posted at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Proud sponsors of the MLF Fishing Clash Team Series include: 7Brew Coffee, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Bass Boat Technologies, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, BUBBA, E3 Sport Apparel, Epic Baits, Ferguson, Fishing Clash, Knighten Industries, Kubota, Lowrance, Lucas Oil, Mercury, NITRO Boats, Onyx, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Power-Pole, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Smokey Mountain Caffeinated Pouches, Star brite, Toyota, YETI and Zenni.

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

by AnglersChannel

Wagner makes all the right moves, wins EQ at Lake Champlain

PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. — Before the Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifier at Lake Champlain presented by Bass Pro Shops even started, Emil Wagner was telling anyone who would listen how much he loves this lake.

Now that the tournament is complete, he can shout it even louder.

Wagner, a 27-year-old Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series pro, topped the 105-angler field with a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 69 pounds, 2 ounces. That’s the heaviest three-day winning total on Champlain in B.A.S.S. history, which is saying a lot given how frequently B.A.S.S. has visited this 278,000-acre mammoth fishery that forms a large portion of the New York/Vermont border.

Because Wagner is already qualified for next year’s Elites, he was one of 10 anglers in the field who wasn’t eligible to earn EQ points at Champlain. He made the 20-plus hour journey from Marietta, Ga., because he enjoys fishing Champlain more than any other tournament water in the world. There was also a $58,049 check awaiting the winner, which Wagner happily pocketed after hoisting the first Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifier presented by Bass Pro Shops trophy aloft Saturday afternoon at Plattsburgh Boat Basin on the Champlain shore.

“I asked my buddies when we were on the way up here, ‘Why are we driving this far to fish this tournament,’” Wagner said. “We all just love catching smallmouth … This place is the absolute best.”

Wagner climbed atop the leaderboard on Day 2 after catching a 23-9 limit, which tied for second heaviest of the derby. Combined with the 22-2 he caught on Day 1, he entered Championship Saturday with 45-11 and a mere 2-ounce lead over Day 1 leader Matt Messer.

Wagner caught 23-7 on Saturday to pull away from Messer, who caught 22-12 on the final day and finished second overall with 68-5.

The 23-year-old native of Warfield, Ky., said finishing second was bittersweet, but he was happy to leave Champlain with a full 95 EQ points. That puts him atop the EQ standings with two of the three EQ events to go — at Alabama’s Wheeler Lake on Oct. 2-4 and Florida’s Lake Okeechobee on Nov. 13-15. The Top 10 in the EQ points standings when those events are complete will earn invites into the 2026 Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series.

“You always want to win, and it does sting a little when you get second place,” Messer said. “But I’m happy with it. Making the Elites is my main goal and I got a great start in the points. Hopefully I have two good tournaments in front of me.”

Both Wagner and Messer targeted Champlain’s storied smallmouth bass this week, but their approaches were a bit different. Messer ran dozens of miles each day and settled into different spots on the giant lake each day. He grabbed the lead on Thursday with a 23-9 limit and followed with 22 pounds to put himself within reach of the tournament title.

Wagner, meanwhile, targeted the same 1-mile stretch of Champlain each day, catching more than 50 smallmouth bass both Thursday and Friday. The spot didn’t produce anywhere near that number of bites on Saturday, so Wagner had to move to keep himself in contention.

“I think I caught 25 (that weighed) over four pounds yesterday on that spot, and they just were all gone today,” Wagner said. “I was freaking out a little bit, so I made the big adjustment. I had no other choice. Then I caught three really good ones in the new spot and that’s what won the tournament for me.”

Wagner’s initial hotspot saw bass suspended in about 15 to 30 feet of water with a bottom of 50 to 60 feet. He suspects continued wind gusts higher than 20 mph scattered the fish in that area, forcing him to relocate. Saturday’s best bites came from over a sand flat about 7 feet below Champlain’s clear water. A dramatic drop down to about 40 feet was the perfect place for the smallies to ambush the minnows and alewife that were in abundance this week.

Wagner said the situation was very similar to when fishing for spotted bass back home.

“They were sitting right on the edge of that sand,” he said. “It really did feel like I was ditch fishing for spots back home. They get on the same deal, on hard break lines, on a minnow. You had to work it, keep it high over their heads. If I got the bait too close, they wouldn’t bite.”

Wagner said he caught bass primarily with a 3/8-ounce unpainted jighead on the first two days, and he switched to a 1/4-ounce jig (green pumpkin) on Saturday when he swapped locations. He caught all his fish on a 7-foot, 1-inch Fenwick medium spinning rod with an Abu Garcia 3000 spinning reel. He also used 10-pound X5 Berkley braided line with a 12-pound Trilene leader.

“I was boat flipping 4-pounders all week with that set-up,” he said. “It was an amazing time.”

Most in the field of 105 hammered the smallies on Champlain, which put the Phoenix Boats Cutline at 42-10 after Friday’s weigh-in. The Top 10 anglers competed on Championship Saturday and behind Wagner and Messer, they finished, third, Georgia’s Paul Marks, 64-15; fourth, Georgia’s Cody Stahl, 64-14; fifth, Tennessee’s Sam Hanggi, 64-7; sixth, Tennessee’s Christian Nash, 63-15; seventh, Pennsylvania’s Grae Buck, 62-13; eighth, Michigan’s Aaron Jagdfeld, 62-13; ninth, Michigan’s Garrett Paquette, 62-9; and 10th, Alabama’s Russ Lane, 60-9.

Of the Top 10 anglers at Champlain, only Wagner and Marks were not eligible for EQ points, as they already are Elite Series anglers and fished Champlain for the competition and chance at a big paycheck. The Top 40 anglers split a cash purse of $294,000, with the Top 10 pocketing more than $165,000 of that total.

North Carolina’s Ryan Broughman caught a 6-pounder on Friday to win the Phoenix Boats Big Bass Award and the $500 prize that goes with it.

EQ anglers who win one of this year’s three qualifying events also earn a berth in the 2026 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour when it’s held in Knoxville on the Tennessee River in March. Because Wagner already qualified for the Classic through the 2025 Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings, the berth from Champlain goes to veteran Elite Series pro John Crews, who was the highest remaining angler in the points race yet to qualify.

The Top 50 anglers in the points in both Division 1 and 2 of this year’s St. Croix Bassmaster Opens presented by SEVIIN qualified for the Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers Series presented by Bass Pro Shops. Elite Series anglers were eligible to compete, as well, as were the Top 3 anglers in the 2024 Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Championship presented by Lowrance.

This event was hosted by The Adirondack Coast.

2025 Bassmaster Opens Series Title Sponsor: St. Croix

2025 Bassmaster Opens Series Presenting Sponsor: SEVIIN

2025 Bassmaster Opens Series Platinum Sponsors: Progressive, Toyota
2025 Bassmaster Opens Series Premier Sponsors: Bass Pro Shops, Dakota Lithium, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha
2025 Bassmaster Opens Series Supporting Sponsors: AFTCO, Daiwa, Garmin, Lew's, Lowrance, Triton Boats, VMC, Yokohama

About B.A.S.S.

The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series, St. Croix Bassmaster Opens Series presented by SEVIIN, Nitro Boats Elite Qualifiers Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Qualifier Series presented by Lowrance, Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Strike King Bassmaster High School Series, Bassmaster Junior Series, TNT Fireworks Bassmaster Team Championship, Newport Bassmaster Kayak Series presented by Native Watercraft, Bassmaster College Kayak Series, Yamaha Bassmaster Redfish Cup Championship presented by Skeeter and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour.

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Connect with #Bassmaster on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok.

Media Contact: Mandy Pascal, Communications Manager, 334-414-8677, m pascal@bassmaster.com

2025 Nitro Bassmaster Elite Qualifier at Lake Champlain presented by Bass Pro Shops 9/18-9/20
Lake Champlain, Plattsburgh NY.
(BOATER) Standings Day 3

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

1. Emil Wagner Marietta, GA 15 69-02 0 $58,049.00
Day 1: 5 22-02 Day 2: 5 23-09 Day 3: 5 23-07
2. Matt Messer Warfield, KY 15 68-05 95 $17,073.00
Day 1: 5 23-09 Day 2: 5 22-00 Day 3: 5 22-12
3. Paul Marks Cumming, GA 15 64-15 0 $13,658.00
Day 1: 5 20-07 Day 2: 5 23-11 Day 3: 5 20-13
4. Cody Stahl Barnsville, GA 15 64-14 94 $12,975.00
Day 1: 5 22-00 Day 2: 5 21-01 Day 3: 5 21-13
5. Sam Hanggi Knoxville, TN 15 64-07 93 $12,292.00
Day 1: 5 22-08 Day 2: 5 20-06 Day 3: 5 21-09
6. Christian Nash Allons, TN 15 63-15 92 $11,609.00
Day 1: 5 22-13 Day 2: 5 20-00 Day 3: 5 21-02
7. Grae Buck Green Lane, PA 15 62-13 91 $10,926.00
Day 1: 5 23-08 Day 2: 5 19-13 Day 3: 5 19-08
8. Aaron Jagdfeld Rochester Hills, MI 15 62-13 90 $10,243.00
Day 1: 5 21-00 Day 2: 5 21-14 Day 3: 5 19-15
9. Garrett Paquette Canton, MI 15 62-09 89 $9,560.00
Day 1: 5 21-04 Day 2: 5 21-12 Day 3: 5 19-09
10. Russ Lane Prattville, AL 15 60-09 88 $8,878.00
Day 1: 5 22-09 Day 2: 5 20-09 Day 3: 5 17-07
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
BIG BASS OF TOURNAMENT
Ryan Broughman Corapeake, NC 06-00 $500.00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 103 520 1996-01
2 101 512 1967-14
3 10 50 207-15
----------------------------------
214 1082 4171-14

by AnglersChannel

Toledo Bend to host Kayak Series finale

HEMPHILL, Texas — The 2025 Newport Bassmaster Kayak Series presented by Native Watercraft is coming to a close, and there is no better way to finish the season than with a big-bass showdown at historic Toledo Bend Reservoir. While late summer conditions will likely still be present, Texas kayak angler Jeff Isham expects the bass to be moving shallower as the days get shorter.

“Hopefully temperatures will be dropping,” Isham said. “My expectation is that the bass will be moving up shallower to target baitfish. Somebody somewhere will be on some big fish.”

Tournament days are scheduled for Sept. 27 and 28 with tournament headquarters located in Hemphill, Texas. This will be the final chance for anglers to earn points toward the 2025 Dakota Lithium Bassmaster Kayak Series Angler of the Year race and qualify for the 2026 Newport Bassmaster Kayak Series National Championship presented by Native Watercraft to be held in conjunction with the 2026 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour next March.

“There are a handful of community areas that tend to attract a lot of people,” Isham, who sits in the Top 30 in AOY points, said. “The good thing about this time of year, and it being Toledo, [is that] whatever your strong suit is you should be able to find bass there. The lake is so huge that people should be able to spread out.”

Toledo Bend has surged back to national prominence over the last several seasons, with big bags and lunker largemouth being weighed in almost every week, especially during the springtime. Bassmaster last visited the massive Sabine River reservoir in February 2024, when Kyoya Fujita claimed his second career Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series victory with over 100 pounds of largemouth.

Part of the resurgence of the lake is increased coverage of hydrilla in the lake. Isham expects that will play a big role in this tournament but isn’t sure exactly which areas of the lake will hold the most productive vegetation in this tournament. Standing timber will also be an important piece of cover the bass will use this time of year. Isham will target that with a Texas-rigged worm.

“My favorite thing to do is fish timber, either standing timber or laydowns,” Isham said. “There is lots of that in Toledo, and it should be a factor.”

Isham said topwater walking baits, ChatterBaits and jigs will also be popular choices amongst the field of anglers.

This event is being hosted by the Sabine County Chamber of Commerce.

2025 Bassmaster Kayak Series Title Sponsor: Newport

2025 Bassmaster Kayak Series Presenting Sponsor: Native Watercraft2025 Bassmaster Kayak Series Angler of the Year Sponsor: Dakota Lithium

by AnglersChannel

Wheeler/Daniels and Gill/Robinson Final Two Teams to Advance to Championship Round at Knighten Industries Heritage Cup

Team O’Reilly Auto Parts flips jigs to pace final Knockout Round match with 55 bass totaling 88 pounds, 11 ounces, final four teams set for Friday’s Championship Round

MINOCQUA, Wis. (Sept. 18, 2025) – In commanding fashion, Team O’Reilly Auto Parts – Jacob Wheeler and Mark Daniels Jr. – locked up their spot in the Championship Round of the Knighten Industries Heritage Cup Presented by Bass Boat Technologies with a wire-to-wire victory on Big Arbor Vitae Lake. The duo stacked up 55 scorable bass for 88 pounds, 11 ounces, cruising past the competition by more than 34 pounds in Knockout Round Match 2 at the second event of the 2025 Major League Fishing (MLF) Fishing Clash Team Series.

Team Star Tron, made up of Drew Gill and Marshall Robinson , kept pace early with a productive topwater bite, mixing in both largemouth and smallmouth before transitioning to wood and docks in the afternoon. Their 54-9 total wasn’t enough to challenge Team O’Reilly Auto Parts for the win, but it was more than enough to secure the second qualifying spot.

For Team Ferguson (Nick LeBrun and Marty Robinson ), the day was a struggle from start to finish. After an opening bite near a culvert pipe, they never established a steady rhythm and finished with just 16-6 on the day. A late rally around boat docks produced a few fish, but it was too little, too late, and Team Ferguson was eliminated from the competiton.

Wheeler led all anglers with 46 pounds, 3 ounces on SCORETRACKER®, and both anglers credited a back-to-basics approach for the dominant showing.

“Today was another solid day for us,” Wheeler said. “We just went old school. Flipping a jig around docks and shallow cover was the number one thing and where we got the majority of our bites today. Mark would throw the wacky worm when the fish got a little more pressured, but the jig carried us. Hopefully we can keep that momentum rolling into the Championship Round.”

Daniels agreed, noting that their quick adjustment set the tone.

“The jig was a big player on Day 1 on Minocqua Lake, so we knew we’d probably get bites. Big Arbor Vitae didn’t have near the number of docks on it, so we were a little worried about that at first,” Daniels said. “But we were the first boats to get on them, and we started catching them right off the bat. We just rolled with that, even circled back to the same docks later with different baits and got a few more bites. I’ll tell you what – 20-pound fluorocarbon line, a flipping stick and a jig – it doesn’t get any better than that.”

“We got some work to do tomorrow,” Wheeler added. “I'm looking forward to getting back out there on the water and seeing where they put us for the Championship Round.”

“If it's half as good as this place was, we’ll be alright,” Daniels agreed. “I feel like this whole area up here is great, though. Tons of fish. When we get up north, there are so many lakes, especially in Wisconsin and Minnesota, that don’t get the pressure we see down south. These suckers fight.”

The pair admitted they worked hard to unlock the offshore bite but found more consistency up shallow.

“We tried hard to find a group in that offshore grass this morning, and we picked off a few,” Daniels said. “The quality is better out there, to be honest. But in this game, every fish counts, and we just couldn’t find a group of them.”

Wheeler echoed the sentiment, noting their late adjustments.

“They definitely weren’t wadded up out there like we needed them to be to make something happen, and we never really found that one mystical group of bass,” he said. “Toward the end of the third period we ran some more grass lines quickly, just trying to check the temperature of some hard cover and laydowns, too.”

With their win, Wheeler and Daniels know what’s ahead – strong competition and a lake that may fish very differently. Despite the margin of victory, Wheeler and Daniels know they can’t let off the gas with the championship on the line.

“I know Ott and Andy – if there’s an opportunity to be fishing docks tomorrow, they’re going to be fishing docks,” Wheeler said. “We’ll be doing that too, and I’m sure Drew and Marshall are going to try to stay out there wide. So, we’re just keeping our minds open and our options available as we go into the Championship Round.”

The top two teams from Knockout Round Match 2 at the Knighten Industries Heritage Cup Presented by Bass Boat Technologies that now advance to Friday’s Championship Round are:

1st: Team O’Reilly Auto Parts, 55 bass, 88-11
Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn., 30 bass, 46-3
Mark Daniels Jr., Tuskegee, Ala., 25 bass, 42-8
2nd: Team Star Tron, 29 bass, 54-9
Drew Gill, Mount Carmel, Ill., 16 bass, 32-7
Marshall Robinson, Landrum, S.C., 13 bass, 22-2

Eliminated from competition are:

3rd: Team Ferguson, 11 bass, 16-6
Nick LeBrun, Bossier City, La., eight bass, 13-1
Marty Robinson, Lyman, S.C., three bass, 3-5

Complete results from throughout the week can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Overall, there were 95 bass weighing 159 pounds, 10 ounces caught by the three teams in Knockout Round Match 2 Thursday on Big Arbor Vitae Lake. Team Star Tron pro Drew Gill caught the Berkley Big Bass of the day – a smallmouth weighing 4 pounds, 5 ounces.

The final four teams that will compete in Friday’s final-day Championship Round at the Knighten Industries Heritage Cup Presented by Bass Boat Technologies are:

Team BUBBA:
Ott DeFoe, Blaine, Tenn.
Andy Montgomery, Blacksburg, S.C.

Team Fishing Clash:
Luke Clausen, Spokane, Wash.
Keith Carson, DeBary, Fla.

Team O’Reilly Auto Parts:
Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn.
Mark Daniels Jr., Tuskegee, Ala.,

Team Star Tron:
Drew Gill, Mount Carmel, Ill.
Mark Daniels Jr., Tuskegee, Ala.

The Knighten Industries Heritage Cup Presented by Bass Boat Technologies is hosted by the Minocqua Area Visitors Bureau and takes place over six days in Minocqua, Wisconsin . The competition water for each day is top-secret and is only revealed to the anglers when they arrive at the boat ramp each morning. Anglers are driven directly to the day’s competition area launch ramp by their officials. Competition begins on the water at 8:45 a.m.

The MLFNOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action live on Championship Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. CT. MLFNOW!® is live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com, the MLF and MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) apps, RFD-TV Now, Game & Fish TV and Rumble. The final period of every day of competition of the 2025 Fishing Clash Team Series is broadcast live on RFD-TV, from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. CT.

The Heritage Cup featured 12 two-man teams divided into three groups as they entered the one-day Elimination Round matches. Each of the three Elimination Round matches featured four new teams, with the top two teams from each match of the Elimination Round advancing to the Knockout Round on Days 4 & 5. In the Knockout Rounds, three teams competed each day, with the top two teams from each Knockout Round match now moving on to the Championship Round on Day 6. In Friday’s Day 6 Championship Round, the final four teams will compete in a one-day shootout to determine which team will win the 2025 Knighten Industries Heritage Cup Presented by Bass Boat Technologies.

The MLF Fishing Clash Team Series Presented by Bass Pro Shops will feature four Cup events in 2025 – the Challenge, Heritage, Patriot and Summit Cups – with 12 two-man teams of Bass Pro Tour anglers competing for a share of $560,000 in prize money. Teams were formed through a selection process, where 48 team captains – based on Fishing Clash Angler of the Year (AOY) standings throughout the 2025 Bass Pro Tour season – selected a teammate. Teams will compete throughout the fall of 2025.

The MLF Fishing Clash Team Series Knighten Industries Heritage Cup Presented by Bass Boat Technologies will also air on Outdoor Channel as six two-hour original episodes each Saturday afternoon starting Feb. 14, 2026. The complete television schedule for the Fishing Clash Team Series on Outdoor Channel will be posted at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

by AnglersChannel

Messer chases smallmouth to Elite Qualifier lead at Lake Champlain

PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. — Matt Messer wasn’t necessarily joking when he said he can’t catch smallmouth bass.

But Thursday, on Day 1 of the Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifier at Lake Champlain presented by Bass Pro Shops, Messer pounded the lake’s legendary smallmouth population, eventually weighing a five-bass limit for 23 pounds, 9 ounces on a blustery day here in the far northeast corner of the Empire State.

Messer, a 23-year-old native of Warfield, Ky., is a self-confessed sucker for largemouth bass, so his success with Champlain’s smallies surprised him.

“I had over 20 pounds (of smallmouth bass) at about 10 o’clock this morning and then caught two bigger ones late,” Messer said. “It was a pretty consistent bite all day. I culled out like eight 4-pounders today … I saw some stuff in practice but didn’t have a set spot to go to, so I was kind of bouncing around this morning. But I landed on ’em big time this morning and I didn’t leave ’em there … I got every bite I could. It was a fun day.”

So fun, in fact, that Messer never had to look for the largemouth he figured he’d need to get a solid start to the 2025 Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers Series. Instead, he focused on an area measuring about 1 1/2 miles long and hammered the smallies from the start on Thursday. He said his best bites came from pairs and trios of smallmouth bass suspended throughout Champlain’s water column.

The weather is expected to change some overnight, with temperatures dropping from the lower 70s on Thursday to the 50s for much of the fishing time on Friday. Sustained winds of 10-15 mph are expected to blow from the north, as well, which could scatter bass and the bait they’re chasing on Champlain.

No matter, Messer said. He’ll stick with what put him in the pole position on Day 1.

“I tried to catch largemouth all during practice (and got nothing,)” he said. “I don’t know how these boys are doing it. I love largemouth fishing, but I can’t catch ’em here. So, I’m sticking with the smallmouth.”

Grae Buck, a 35-year-old pro from Green Lake, Pa., finished Day 1 with a 23-8 limit, only an ounce behind Messer’s total.

“It was the best day I’ve ever had on Champlain,” Buck said. “Everything went right.”

Like Messer, Buck started on the smallmouth bite and had a limit within an hour after take-off. That allowed him to spend much of the day “headhunting” for largemouth bass, and unlike the guy he’s trailing, Buck built his bag on largemouth. His 5-11 was the Phoenix Boats Big Bass on Thursday but he also bagged another 5-pound largemouth and added a 5-pound smallmouth to his mix.

“I found two good largemouth that put me over the top today,” he said. “I don’t know if I can do it again tomorrow, but we’re gonna’ try. It was the perfect start to the EQs. I know Champlain better than the other places we’re going, so I wanted to make it count this week.”

Until Thursday, though, Buck said he’s not had great success at this 278,000-acre mammoth lake straddling the New York/Vermont border.

“I’ve fished here a lot … cashed checks here,” he said. “But I’ve never had a Top 10 here. I spent a lot of time here before the off-limit (period) and tried to get really dialed in. One of the areas (I found in pre-fishing) really paid off today.”

Rounding out the Top 5 on Day 1 of the tournament are Tennessee’s Christian Nash with 22-13; local favorite Alec Morrison, of Peru, N.Y., with 22-10; and Alabama veteran Russ Lane right behind with 22-9.

A total of 105 pros are competing on Champlain, with 97 of them in the EQ field. The 10 atop the points standings following the season’s three EQ tournaments will earn an invitation into the 2026 Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series. The other two EQ tournaments in 2025 are scheduled for Alabama’s Wheeler Lake Oct. 2-4 and Florida’s Lake Okeechobee Nov. 13-15.

In addition to first-place checks of some $58,000, the three winners will earn spots in the 2026 Bass Pros Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour when it’s held in Knoxville on the Tennessee River in March.

The 10 pros at Champlain who aren’t in the EQ group are fishing for a Classic berth and part of $294,000 to be split among the Top 40 anglers in the field.

The Top 50 anglers in the points in both Division 1 and 2 of this year’s Opens qualified for the EQs. The circuit also was open to any 2025 Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series pro as well as the Top 3 anglers in the 2024 Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Championship presented by Lowrance.

Day 2 of the Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifier at Lake Champlain presented by Bass Pro Shops takes off at 7 a.m. ET Friday from the Plattsburgh Boat Basin. Weigh-in will begin at 3 p.m. ET from the same location. The field will be cut to the Top 10 on Saturday for the final day of fishing.

Coverage of the Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifier at Lake Champlain presented by Bass Pro Shops can be found on Bassmaster.com each day. Live coverage of Championship Saturday will be streamed on Bassmaster.com as well as the Roku Sports Channel from 7-10 a.m. ET and 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.

This event is being hosted by The Adirondack Coast.

2025 Bassmaster Opens Series Title Sponsor: St. Croix

2025 Bassmaster Opens Series Presenting Sponsor: SEVIIN

About B.A.S.S.

The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series, St. Croix Bassmaster Opens Series presented by SEVIIN, Nitro Boats Elite Qualifiers Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Qualifier Series presented by Lowrance, Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Strike King Bassmaster High School Series, Bassmaster Junior Series, TNT Fireworks Bassmaster Team Championship, Newport Bassmaster Kayak Series presented by Native Watercraft, Bassmaster College Kayak Series, Yamaha Bassmaster Redfish Cup Championship presented by Skeeter and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour.

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Connect with #Bassmaster on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok.

Media Contact: Mandy Pascal, Communications Manager, 334-414-8677, m pascal@bassmaster.com

2025 Nitro Bassmaster Elite Qualifier at Lake Champlain presented by Bass Pro Shops 9/18-9/20
Lake Champlain, Plattsburgh NY.
(BOATER) Standings Day 1

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

1. Matt Messer Warfield, KY 5 23-09 95
Day 1: 5 23-09
2. Grae Buck Green Lane, PA 5 23-08 94
Day 1: 5 23-08
3. Christian Nash Allons, TN 5 22-13 93
Day 1: 5 22-13
4. Alec Morrison Peru, NY 5 22-10 92
Day 1: 5 22-10
5. Russ Lane Prattville, AL 5 22-09 91
Day 1: 5 22-09
6. Sam Hanggi Knoxville, TN 5 22-08 90
Day 1: 5 22-08
7. Ethan Fields Carlyle, IL 5 22-07 89
Day 1: 5 22-07
8. Emil Wagner Marietta, GA 5 22-02 0
Day 1: 5 22-02
9. Cody Stahl Barnsville, GA 5 22-00 88
Day 1: 5 22-00
10. Matt Adams Guntersville, AL 5 21-13 87
Day 1: 5 21-13
10. Austin Cranford Moore, OK 5 21-13 86
Day 1: 5 21-13
10. Jace Lindsay Beckville, TX 5 21-13 85
Day 1: 5 21-13
13. Fisher Anaya Eva, AL 5 21-11 84
Day 1: 5 21-11
14. Dylan Akins Flowery Branch, GA 5 21-05 83
Day 1: 5 21-05
15. Bobby Bakewell Orlando, FL 5 21-04 82
Day 1: 5 21-04
15. Garrett Paquette Canton, MI 5 21-04 81
Day 1: 5 21-04
17. Cameron Mattison Benton, LA 5 21-03 80
Day 1: 5 21-03
18. Timothy Dube Nashua , NH 5 21-02 79
Day 1: 5 21-02
18. Trey Schroeder Theodosia, MO 5 21-02 78
Day 1: 5 21-02
20. Aaron Jagdfeld Rochester Hills, MI 5 21-00 77
Day 1: 5 21-00
20. Jack York Emory, TX 5 21-00 76
Day 1: 5 21-00
22. Bo Thomas Edwardsburg, MI 5 20-15 75
Day 1: 5 20-15
23. Tai Au Glendale, AZ 5 20-14 74
Day 1: 5 20-14
24. Connor Jacob Peoria, IL 5 20-13 73
Day 1: 5 20-13
24. Riley Nielsen Salt Lake City, UT 5 20-13 72
Day 1: 5 20-13
24. Jaden Parrish Liberty, TX 5 20-13 71
Day 1: 5 20-13
24. Jimmy Washam Stantonville, TN 5 20-13 70
Day 1: 5 20-13
28. Brock Reinkemeyer Warsaw, MO 5 20-11 69
Day 1: 5 20-11
29. Ed Loughran III Richmond, VA 5 20-10 68
Day 1: 5 20-10
29. Lane Olson Forest Grove, OR 5 20-10 67
Day 1: 5 20-10
31. Tristan McCormick Bon Aqua, TN 5 20-09 66
Day 1: 5 20-09
32. Ryan Lachniet Gum Spring, VA 5 20-08 65
Day 1: 5 20-08
33. Paul Marks Cumming, GA 5 20-07 0
Day 1: 5 20-07
33. Aaron Yavorsky Palm Harbor, FL 5 20-07 64
Day 1: 5 20-07
35. Brad Jelinek Lincoln, MO 5 20-05 63
Day 1: 5 20-05
36. Jack Dice Lynchburg, VA 5 20-04 62
Day 1: 5 20-04
36. Danny McGarry Newcastle CANADA 5 20-04 61
Day 1: 5 20-04
38. Michael Corbishley Raleigh, NC 5 20-03 60
Day 1: 5 20-03
38. Colby Dark West Monroe, LA 5 20-03 59
Day 1: 5 20-03
40. Hayden Gaddis Dandridge, TN 5 20-02 58
Day 1: 5 20-02
40. Bailey Gay Union, KY 5 20-02 57
Day 1: 5 20-02
40. Michael Neal Dayton, TN 5 20-02 56
Day 1: 5 20-02
43. Seth Feider Elko New Market, MN 5 20-01 0
Day 1: 5 20-01
44. Dillon Harrell New Caney, TX 5 20-00 55
Day 1: 5 20-00
44. Ryan Salzman Huntsville, AL 5 20-00 54
Day 1: 5 20-00
44. Pake South Winnsboro, TX 5 20-00 53
Day 1: 5 20-00
47. Brandon Coulter Knoxville, TN 5 19-14 52
Day 1: 5 19-14
47. Parker Guy Ocilla, GA 5 19-14 51
Day 1: 5 19-14
47. Tucker Smith Birmingham, AL 5 19-14 0
Day 1: 5 19-14
50. Wyatt Marler Oldfield, MO 5 19-10 50
Day 1: 5 19-10
51. Joey Nania Cropwell, AL 5 19-08 49
Day 1: 5 19-08
51. Alex Wetherell Middletown, CT 5 19-08 48
Day 1: 5 19-08
53. Tyler Campbell Martin, GA 5 19-07 47
Day 1: 5 19-07
54. Buddy Benson Dahlonega, GA 5 19-04 46
Day 1: 5 19-04
54. Beau Browning Hot Springs National Pa 5 19-04 0
Day 1: 5 19-04
54. Andrew Loberg Guntersville, AL 5 19-04 0
Day 1: 5 19-04
57. Bailey Bleser Burlington, WI 5 19-03 45
Day 1: 5 19-03
58. Erik Brztowski Lemont, IL 5 19-02 44
Day 1: 5 19-02
58. Caleb Hudson Lincolnton, GA 5 19-02 43
Day 1: 5 19-02
60. Kyle Austin Ridgeville, SC 5 19-01 42
Day 1: 5 19-01
60. Chad Pipkens Dewitt, MI 5 19-01 41
Day 1: 5 19-01
62. Matt Baker Glenwood, AR 5 19-00 40
Day 1: 5 19-00
62. Tanner Hadden Appling, GA 5 19-00 39
Day 1: 5 19-00
62. Brady Vernon Sterrett, AL 5 19-00 38
Day 1: 5 19-00
65. Yui Aoki Minamitsurugun JAPAN 5 18-15 37
Day 1: 5 18-15
65. Chris Beaudrie Princeton, KY 5 18-15 36
Day 1: 5 18-15
65. Ty Faber Pagosa Springs, CO 5 18-15 35
Day 1: 5 18-15
65. Ian Waterer East Selkirk CANADA 5 18-15 34
Day 1: 5 18-15
69. Evan Kung Pickering Ontario CANAD 5 18-15 0
Day 1: 5 18-15
70. Cole Drummond Effingham, SC 5 18-14 33
Day 1: 5 18-14
70. River Lee Diboll, TX 5 18-14 32
Day 1: 5 18-14
70. Tommy Wood Peregian Springs AUSTRA 5 18-14 31
Day 1: 5 18-14
73. Casey Scanlon Eldon, MO 5 18-14 30
Day 1: 5 18-14
74. Robert Gee Knoxville, TN 5 18-12 0
Day 1: 5 18-12
75. Lucas Murphy West Columbia, MI 5 18-09 29
Day 1: 5 18-09
76. Andrew Behnke Fond Du Lac, WI 5 18-08 28
Day 1: 5 18-08
76. Zach Goutremout Chaumont, NY 5 18-08 27
Day 1: 5 18-08
78. Bryan Schmitt Deale, MD 5 18-07 0
Day 1: 5 18-07
79. Christian Ostrander Turlock, CA 5 18-06 26
Day 1: 5 18-06
80. Blaine Bunney Claremore, OK 5 18-02 25
Day 1: 5 18-02
81. Dillon Falardeau Hixson, TN 5 18-01 24
Day 1: 5 18-01
82. Blake Smith Lakeland, FL 5 18-00 23
Day 1: 5 18-00
83. Lucas Lindsay Auburn , AL 5 17-12 22
Day 1: 5 17-12
84. Bryan Partak Marseilles, IL 5 17-10 21
Day 1: 5 17-10
84. Nic Rand Paw Paw, MI 5 17-10 20
Day 1: 5 17-10
86. Evan Cox-VanVliet Loveland, CO 5 17-08 19
Day 1: 5 17-08
87. Trey Swindle Cleveland, AL 5 17-03 18
Day 1: 5 17-03
88. Casey Smith Victor, NY 5 17-02 17
Day 1: 5 17-02
89. Clint Knight Russellville, KY 5 17-00 16
Day 1: 5 17-00
90. Chase Clarke Virginia Beach, VA 5 16-15 15
Day 1: 5 16-15
91. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 5 16-11 14
Day 1: 5 16-11
92. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 5 16-09 13
Day 1: 5 16-09
93. James Chandler Liberty, TX 5 16-04 12
Day 1: 5 16-04
94. Billy Gilbert Hamburg, NY 5 15-15 0
Day 1: 5 15-15
95. Stephen Browning Hot Springs, AR 5 15-07 11
Day 1: 5 15-07
96. Chris Hellebuyck White Lake, MI 5 15-01 10
Day 1: 5 15-01
97. Adam Rasmussen Sturgeon Bay, WI 5 14-13 9
Day 1: 5 14-13
98. Brandon McMillan Clewiston, FL 5 14-10 8
Day 1: 5 14-10
99. Chris Blanchette Chapin, SC 5 14-00 7
Day 1: 5 14-00
100. Bryson Osteen Live Oak, FL 5 13-10 6
Day 1: 5 13-10
101. John Duvall Madison, GA 5 13-00 5
Day 1: 5 13-00
102. Joe Wieberg Freeburg, MO 5 12-12 4
Day 1: 5 12-12
103. Brian Post Janesville, WI 5 11-03 3
Day 1: 5 11-03
104. Laker Howell Guntersville, AL 3 10-04 2
Day 1: 3 10-04
105. Ryan Broughman Corapeake, NC 2 02-09 1
Day 1: 2 02-09
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 103 520 1996-01
----------------------------------
103 520 1996-01

by AnglersChannel

MLF’s Bass Pro Tour Suzuki Marine Stage 2 Presented by YETI at Harris Chain of Lakes to Premiere Saturday on Discovery

WHAT:
The Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Tour Suzuki Marine Stage 2 Presented by YETI at the Harris Chain of Lakes, filmed earlier this year in Leesburg, Florida, will premiere Saturday on Discovery. The four-day event, hosted by Discover Lake County Florida , showcased 66 of the top professional anglers in the world, competing for a purse of $650,000, including a top payout of $150,000 and valuable Angler of the Year (AOY) points in hopes of qualifying for the General Tire Heavy Hitters all-star event and REDCREST 2026, the Bass Pro Tour championship.

WHEN:
Saturday, Sept. 20, 7-9 a.m. ET

WHERE:
Discovery Channel – New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on Discovery, with re-airings on the Outdoor Channel

NOTES:
Television coverage of the Suzuki Marine Stage 2 at the Harris Chain of Lakes Presented by YETI will premiere as a two-hour episode on Saturday, Sept. 20, with the final-day Championship Round premiering the following Saturday on Sept. 27.

The full field of anglers compete in the two-day Qualifying Round on Days 1 and 2. After the two-day Qualifying Round is complete, the pro with the heaviest two-day total will advance directly to the Championship Round. Anglers that finish 2nd through 20th will advance to the Knockout Round. In the Knockout Round, weights are zeroed, and the anglers compete to finish in the top nine to advance to the Championship Round. In the final-day Championship Round, weights are zeroed, and the highest one-day total wins the top prize of $150,000.

The 2025 Bass Pro Tour features a field of 66 of the top professional anglers in the world, competing across seven regular-season tournaments around the country, for millions of dollars and valuable points to qualify for the annual Heavy Hitters all-star event and the REDCREST 2026 championship.

Proud sponsors of the MLF Bass Pro Tour include: 7Brew Coffee, Abu Garcia, Athletic Brewing Co., Bass Force, B&W Trailer Hitches, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, BUBBA, E3 Sport Apparel, Fishing Clash, Grizzly, Lowrance, Mercury, MillerTech, NITRO Boats, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Power-Pole, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Star brite, Suzuki Marine, Toyota and Zenni.

About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery, Discovery+, Discovery GO, Animal Planet, Outdoor Channel, VICE, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network and Game & Fish TV, and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 20 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.

by AnglersChannel

Bass Fishing Hall of Fame Kicks Off Ceremony Events

CELEBRATE BASS FISHING WEEK’ SILENT AUCTION KICKS OFF BASS FISHING HALL OF FAME’S 2025 INDUCTION CEREMONY EVENTS

SPRINGFIELD, MO – Sept. 18, 2025 – A much anticipated opportunity for bass fishing enthusiasts in the U.S. and Canada to support the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame’s mission kicks off on Sunday, September 21 at 5 p.m. EST when the organization’s annual ‘Celebrate Bass Fishing Week’ online silent auction, presented by Major League Fishing, goes live at https://one.bidpal.net/bfhof/welcome.

With exclusive gear, fishing and hunting experiences, and memorabilia for bass anglers and anyone interested in the outdoors, the auction proceeds are used in part for the Hall of Fame’s exciting induction ceremony activities taking place at Johnny Morris’ Wonders of Wildlife Museum & Aquarium and White River Conference Center on Thursday, Sept. 25. That evening’s events will include the plaque unveiling and jacket ceremony for the new inductees presented by Phoenix Boats within the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame venue space. Bass boat innovator Randy Hopper, noted journalist Craig Lamb, and the late legendary tackle maker Wiliam Shakespeare, Jr. will be formally inducted into the Hall as the Class of 2025.

For those familiar with the ‘Celebrate Bass Fishing Week’ auction, you can expect to find opportunities to bid on fishing trips and experiences of a lifetime, such as smallmouth action on the St. Lawrence River, targeting ShareLunker lineage largemouth from Bois d’Arc Reservoir in north Texas, trout fishing on the White River in Arkansas, kayak bass fishing in Alabama, and even crappie fishing with ‘Mr. Crappie’ himself, Wally Marshall, on a private lake in east Texas.

There’s also a bucket list trip for any bass angler who also enjoys saltwater fishing and wants to experience topwater fishing for tuna at Sport Fish Panama Island Lodge. The special bonus on that – you’ll be joined on the trip by 2024 Bass Fishing Hall of Fame inductee Skeet Reese.

New to the auction this year is the opportunity to have a virtual meet-up (i.e. Zoom call) to talk everything and anything about bass fishing with some of the best pro anglers in the sport, including Hall of Famers Rick Clunn, Gary Klein, Hank Parker, Kevin VanDam, along with current stars from the Major League Fishing and Bassmaster trails, including Jacob Wheeler and Trey McKinney. All of these special opportunities can be used for a bass club or other organization wanting to make the virtual event part of an evening meeting.

Upwards of 50 tournament-worn fishing jerseys from both MLF and B.A.S.S. top tier circuits will be up for auction. You’ll also find rods, reels, line/braid, lures and fishing accessories from many of the leading bass tackle brands, including PRADCO, Daiwa, Rapala, Rather Outdoors, AFTCO, TFO Rods, Sunline, Bajio, BUBBA, St. Croix, Bull Shad Lures, Island Optics, Shimano, 13 Fishing, SPRO, Megabass, Juice’s Jigs, Costa, and more.

If you need anything for fall hunting, there are items from Moultrie, Summit Stands, FORLOH Apparel, and Woodhaven Custom Calls. There are even some very special fishing and ski trip adventures in the Canadian Rockies.

“We make it a point with our ‘Celebrate Bass Fishing Week’ online auction to have items that will appeal to the interest and pocketbooks for any bass angler,” said Bass Fishing HOF Board President John Mazurkiewicz. “Since the Hall’s permanent home was established at Wonders of Wildlife in 2017, the Hall has invested nearly $400,000 on various programming, including on-going enhancements to our venue, our conservation grants to enhance bass fishing conducted by bass clubs nationwide and in Canada and our scholarship program to assist high school and college students in degree programs focusing on natural resources and fishery management.

The Bass Fishing HOF Board wants to acknowledge the support it has received from across the bass fishing world. Directly related to ‘Celebrate Bass Fishing Week’ and our induction event activities , “we could not do it without the assistance from our presenting sponsors – MLF, Phoenix Boats and induction dinner sponsor B.A.S.S., along with Bass Cat Boats, PRADCO, Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s, Wired2Fish, AFTCO, GSM Outdoors, Rapala, Daiwa, Rather Outdoors, Pro-Guide Batteries, Visit Anderson, Sunline, Bass Forecast, Yeti, and Costa,” Mazurkiewicz said. “All these firms and organizations go a step above in supporting the Hall’s mission of celebrating, promoting and preserving the sport of bass fishing.”

To participate in the Bass Fishing HOF’s annual ‘Celebrate Bass Fishing Week’ online auction, visit https://one.bidpal.net/bfhof/welcome.

###
About the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame
Celebrating its 25th year, the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame is a nonprofit organization led by a volunteer board of directors, dedicated to celebrating, promoting, and preserving the sport of bass fishing. The Hall’s inductees and historical memorabilia are showcased in Johnny Morris’ Wonders of Wildlife Museum and Aquarium in Springfield, Missouri. For more information about the road to induction, the Hall’s impact on the community, or to get involved, visit www.BassFishingHOF.com.

or contact BFHOF executive director Barbara Bowman at bbowman@bassfishinghof.com.

by AnglersChannel

MLF Announces Schedules for 2026 Abu Garcia College Fishing and High School Fishing Circuits

BENTON, Ky. (Sept. 18, 2025) – Major League Fishing (MLF) announced today the schedules for the 2026 Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI and the Abu Garcia High School Fishing Presented by Tackle Warehouse seasons. Both circuits will continue to offer prizes, scholarships and advancement opportunities to the 2026 Toyota Series Championship for qualified teams, and for college anglers, an opportunity to compete against the world’s best pros at REDCREST for a top prize of $300,000.

“Our goal is always to provide the very best competitive opportunities for student anglers, and our 2026 schedules definitely achieve that,” said Kevin Hunt, MLF Senior Director of Tournament Operations for College and High School Fishing. “From Lake Seminole and Lake Eufaula in the spring to Guntersville and Cherokee Lake in the fall, these lineups give student-anglers a true tour of some iconic fisheries and will allow them to develop the skills needed to compete at the next level.”

The 2026 Abu Garcia College Fishing season kicks off Feb. 12-14 with the National Championship at Lake Murray, hosted by the Capital City Lake Murray Country Regional Tourism Board and showcasing the top teams from the 2025 season. The regular season then kicks off, consisting of six qualifying tournaments around the country. The top 15% of teams from each regular-season event will qualify for the 2027 College Fishing National Championship.

“We’re thrilled to welcome the Abu Garcia College Fishing National Championship to Lake Murray,” said Amy Hoffman, Interim President of the Capital City Lake Murray Country Regional Tourism Board. “Events like this not only showcase our beautiful waters but also bring a tremendous economic boost to our four-county region. From hotels and restaurants to our local shops and attractions, a fishing tournament of this scale supports jobs, drives tourism and highlights Lake Murray as a premier destination for both anglers and visitors alike.”

2026 Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI Schedule:
Feb. 12-14          NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP at Lake Murray Columbia, S.C.
Feb. 20                 Lake Seminole                                                                  Bainbridge, Ga.
March 13            Lake Eufaula Eufaula, Ala.
April 10               Table Rock Lake Branson, Mo.
June 28 (Sun.) Potomac River Marbury, Md.
Sept. 25               Lake Guntersville Guntersville, Ala.
Oct. 23                  Cherokee Lake                                                                 Jefferson City, Tenn.

The 2026 Abu Garcia High School Fishing circuit will feature teams competing in five events, held in conjunction with Abu Garcia College Fishing events to allow students and parents to network with prospective college coaches and anglers during the event. Abu Garcia High School Fishing Opens are two-person (team) events for students in grades 7-12, and open to any Student Angler Federation (SAF)-affiliated high school club in the United States. The top 10% of teams in each tournament will qualify to compete at the High School Fishing National Championship.

2026 Abu Garcia High School Fishing Opens Presented by Tackle Warehouse Schedule:
Feb. 21 Lake Seminole Bainbridge, Ga.
March 14            Lake Eufaula                                                                                     Eufaula, Ala.
April 11               Table Rock Lake Branson, Mo.
June 24-26         NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP at Lake Cumberland Jamestown, Ky.
Sept. 26 Lake Guntersville Guntersville, Ala.
Oct. 24 Cherokee Lake Jefferson City, Tenn.

There are no changes to the rules governing forward facing and 360-degree sonar. It will not be restricted in Abu Garcia College Fishing events. It will continue to be prohibited in the Abu Garcia High School Fishing Opens. Its use is, however, allowed in the National Championship that runs concurrently with The Bass Federation’s World Finals. College Fishing and High School Fishing entries will be accepted for Phoenix boat owners beginning Nov. 7, 2025. Entries from the general public will be accepted beginning Nov. 10, 2025. Enter at MajorLeagueFishing.com or by calling 270.252.1000.

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

by AnglersChannel

More Than 630 College Anglers Set to Open New Season at Kentucky Lake for the Bass Pro Shops Big Bass Bash

SAN ANTONIO, TX (September 17, 2025) – The first event of the 2025-26 season for the Association of Collegiate Anglers is the Bass Pro Shops Big Bass Bash presented by Berkley. This no-entry-fee, nationally televised, double points event will be contested at Kentucky Lake in Henry County and Paris, TN on September 20-21. Over 630 anglers, including 22 of the Top 25 ranked teams in the ACA Pre-Season Poll, are set to compete for more than $40,000 in prizes and contingencies, as well as double points to count towards the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia. This major tournament will feature media coverage on a variety of streaming platforms, live coverage, social media promotions and is nationally televised on several networks.

The Bass Pro Shops Big Bass Bash presented by Berkley is a two-day big bass format event that will pay out a total of 80 places, Overall Big Bass, and several exact weight bonuses. On Day 1 of tournament competition, there will be four weigh-in sessions. Those sessions will close at 9:00 AM, 11:00 AM, 1:00 PM, and 3:00 PM. Each session will pay out prizes to the Top 10 biggest bass. Day 1 sessions are presented by these sponsors: Session 1 – Engel Coolers, Session 2 – MillerTech, Session 3 – Bass Pro Shops, and Session 4 – Garmin.

Day 2 of tournament competition will be comprised of three weigh-in sessions. Those sessions will close at 9:30 AM, 11:30 AM, and 1:30 PM. Tournament competition concludes earlier on Sunday afternoon to allow anglers time to travel and return to campus for classes on Monday. The first two sessions of Day 2 will pay out the Top 10 biggest bass. Day 2 Session 3 will award prizes to the Top 20 biggest bass weighed in during that session. Day 2 sessions are presented by these sponsors: Session 1 – Abu Garcia, Session 2 – Bob’s Machine shop, Session 3 – Berkley Fishing.

Following the conclusion of weigh-in on Day 2, the overall tournament standings will be finalized, and first place will be awarded the “Overall Big Bass” title for the event. First place will pay out close to $5,000 in additional prizes.

View the complete prize list here.

Anglers will be eligible for thousands of dollars in contingency and bonus payouts during the first event of the ACA’s 21^stseason at Kentucky Lake. View the list of contingency programs available to anglers at this link. All total, the Bass Pro Shops Big Bass Bash presented by Berkley will award well over $40,000 in prizes and contingencies.

The Top 10 finishing anglers in the overall event standings will earn automatic qualification into the 2026 Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops at Pickwick Lake next May. View the complete Championship qualification criteria .

Along with the valuable prizes and contingencies up for grabs, the Bass Pro Shops Big Bass Bash presented by Berkley is an ACA double points event. Schools will be eligible to earn points for their two highest-placing fish inside of the Top 150 in the overall event standings. First place will be awarded 1,750 points. Bass fishing clubs/teams that are able to place two fish high up in the standings will be able to earn 3,000 plus points. 22 of the Top 25 teams in the ACA’s annual Pre-Season Poll are set to compete at Kentucky Lake this upcoming weekend. An updated points standings will be released prior to the start of the event.

The presenting sponsor for this event is Berkley Fishing. On the second day of tournament competition, anglers will be permitted to use only Berkley baits. Read the Official Rules to view the complete details. The ACA recently published a feature article highlighting Berkley baits that could be key for success at Kentucky Lake. Check out that article at this link.

With school starting back up and fall weather beginning to set in, it’s a great time to be out on the water and kick off a new season on the Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Bass Fishing Series. The host site for this event is Kentucky Lake in Henry County and Paris, TN. The ACA has been contesting major events here for well over 10 years. The host community and fishery provide a great back drop for this major college fishing event. Read a complete lake preview article here.

The ACA will provide live coverage of the Bass Pro Shops Big Bass Bash presented by Berkley at Kentucky Lake in Paris, TN. Live weigh-in, for both days of tournament competition, will be streamed on the ACA website. The tournament live blog will begin on Friday with the final day of Official Practice and run through the conclusion of Day 2 of tournament competition. The live blog, along with live weigh-in, a live leaderboard, recap articles, photos and more can be found on the ACA website.

by AnglersChannel

Team BUBBA Tops Thrilling Knockout Round on Big Arbor Vitae Lake at Knighten Industries Heritage Cup

All three teams catch more than 109 pounds, Knockout Round Match 2 set for Thursday

MINOCQUA, Wis. (Sept. 17, 2025) – In what many would argue was the most dramatic day in MLF Fishing Clash Team Series history, Team BUBBA’s Ott DeFoe and Andy Montgomery stormed from third place in the final minutes to win the Knockout Round on Big Arbor Vitae Lake at the Knighten Industries Heritage Cup Presented by Bass Boat Technologies.

With just 17 minutes remaining, the top three teams were separated by only 5 pounds, setting up a nail-biting finish that had fans and anglers alike on edge. Team Fishing Clash (Keith Carson and Luke Clausen) sat in the lead at 109 pounds, 1 ounce, with Team 7Brew (Keith Poche and Zack Birge) close behind at 105-11 and Team BUBBA at 104-4. In the closing stretch, Team BUBBA landed six of the final seven scorable bass to surge into first, ultimately holding off Fishing Clash for the top spot by fewer than 3 pounds.

The top two teams – Team BUBBA and Team Fishing Clash – now advance to Friday’s Championship Round, while Team 7Brew Coffee was eliminated after all three teams topped the 100-pound mark.

DeFoe anchored the day with 48 scorable bass, including a 3-pound, 11-ounce kicker that proved pivotal. Both DeFoe and Montgomery leaned on a compact, 3/8-ounce jig paired with soft-plastic trailers, adjusting their approach when their usual wacky worm and Thunder Cricket patterns failed to produce.

“I don’t know the last time that I’ve caught more bass than that,” DeFoe said. “It was an incredible day of bass fishing. But interesting too – you couldn’t just catch them on everything. It was definitely a flipping deal, and we are lucky that we figured it out pretty quickly.”

Montgomery said that adjustment was the key difference.

“Normally Ott is behind me with a wacky worm while I go with the jig, but today those fish weren’t feeding high at all,” Montgomery said. “They wouldn’t take the wacky worm, and they’d hardly touch the (Strike King) Thunder Cricket. They wanted that jig down on the bottom. Once we figured that out, we just kept catching them. By far, that’s the hardest day we’ve ever had, but also one of the most fun.”

The emotional roller coaster of the day was evident in the final moments, as Montgomery and DeFoe realized they had completed the comeback.

“Oh my gosh, I feel like we just won everything,” an exhausted Montgomery said moments after lines out. “That was 6 hours of all-out fishing. If you couldn’t tell, catching 100 pounds of bass is a lot of work – and everybody was doing it.”

“That was so much fun and so stressful,” DeFoe added with a laugh. “If you want to come fun-fish somewhere, this is definitely the place to do it – just don’t bring a SCORETRACKER®.”

Team Fishing Clash also kept the pressure on all day, ultimately securing the second advancing slot by just over 2 pounds. Carson and Clausen leaned on a one-two punch of a compact jig and a weightless wacky rig, targeting boat docks early before shifting to wood cover as the day progressed.

Clausen’s steady production was critical, and his 2-pound, 4-ounce bass with 12 minutes remaining provided the final margin that sent Fishing Clash through to the Championship Round. Together, the duo boated 65 scorable bass for 111 pounds, 5 ounces, fending off a late charge from Team 7Brew Coffee to punch their ticket to Friday.

The top two teams from Knockout Round Match 1 at the Knighten Industries Heritage Cup Presented by Bass Boat Technologies that now advance to Friday’s Championship Round are:

1st: Team BUBBA, 73 bass, 114-4
Ott DeFoe, Blaine, Tenn., 48 bass, 74-7
Andy Montgomery, Blacksburg, S.C., 25 bass, 39-13
2nd: Team Fishing Clash, 65 bass, 111-5
Keith Carson, DeBary, Fla., 23 bass, 36-8
Luke Clausen, Spokane, Wash., 42 bass, 74-13

Eliminated from competition are:

3rd: Team 7Brew Coffee, 64 bass, 109-4
Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla., 22 bass, 33-8
Keith Poche, Pike Road, Ala., 42 bass, 75-12

Complete results from throughout the week can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Overall there were 202 bass weighing 334 pounds, 13 ounces caught by the three teams in Knockout Round Match 1 Wednesday on Big Arbor Vitae Lake. Team Fishing Clash pro Luke Clausen caught a largemouth weighing 3 pounds, 15 ounces that was the Berkley Big Bass of the day.

The three teams that will compete in Knockout Round Match 2 Thursday at the Knighten Industries Heritage Cup Presented by Bass Boat Technologies are:

Team Ferguson:
Nick LeBrun, Bossier City, La.
Marty Robinson, Lyman, S.C.

Team O’Reilly Auto Parts
Mark Daniels Jr., Tuskegee, Ala.
Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn.

Team Star Tron:
Drew Gill, Mount Carmel, Ill.
Marshall Robinson, Landrum, S.C.

The Knighten Industries Heritage Cup Presented by Bass Boat Technologies is hosted by the Minocqua Area Visitors Bureau and takes place over six days in Minocqua, Wisconsin. The competition water for each day is top-secret and is only revealed to the anglers when they arrive at the boat ramp each morning. Anglers are driven directly to the day’s competition area launch ramp by their officials. Competition begins on the water at 8:45 a.m.

The MLFNOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action live every day of competition from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. CT. MLFNOW!® is live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com, the MLF and MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) apps, RFD-TV Now, Game & Fish TV and Rumble. The final period of every day of competition of the 2025 Fishing Clash Team Series is broadcast live on RFD-TV, from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. CT.

The Heritage Cup featured 12 two-man teams divided into three groups as they entered the one-day Elimination Round matches. Each of the three Elimination Round matches featured four new teams, with the top two teams from each match of the Elimination Round advancing to the Knockout Round on Days 4 & 5. In the Knockout Rounds, three teams compete each day, with the top two teams from each Knockout Round match moving on to the Championship Round on Day 6. In Friday’s Day 6 Championship Round, the final four teams will compete in a one-day shootout to determine which team will win the 2025 Knighten Industries Heritage Cup Presented by Bass Boat Technologies.

The MLF Fishing Clash Team Series Presented by Bass Pro Shops features four Cup events in 2025 – the Challenge, Heritage, Patriot, and Summit Cups – with 12 two-man teams of Bass Pro Tour anglers competing for a share of $560,000 in prize money. Teams were formed through a selection process, where 48 team captains – based on Fishing Clash Angler of the Year (AOY) standings throughout the 2025 Bass Pro Tour season – selected a teammate. Teams will compete throughout the fall of 2025.

by AnglersChannel

B.A.S.S. announces field for 2025 Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers Series

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — B.A.S.S. officials have announced the talented field of anglers set to compete in the 2025 Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers (EQ) Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, the proving ground where competitors battle for a coveted berth on the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series.

The lineup features a mix of rising stars, seasoned veterans and international competitors, representing a wide range of regions and fishing backgrounds. Anglers will compete across the three-event EQ schedule for a chance to advance to bass fishing’s highest level.

“The inaugural EQ field is incredibly talented and diverse,” said Hank Weldon, executive director of tournaments. “From young up-and-comers to Elite Series veterans looking to requalify, the competition will be fierce. Every stop will test their versatility and consistency, and fans are going to see incredible storylines unfold as these anglers chase their Elite dreams.”

The winner of each Elite Qualifier event will receive a berth to the coveted 2026 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour. The Top 10 anglers in EQ Angler of the Year points after the final tournament will receive an invitation to the 2026 Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series.

The Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifier at Lake Champlain presented by Bass Pro Shops kicks off Sept. 18-20 at 7 a.m. ET with weigh-ins to follow at 3 p.m. ET each day.

2025 Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers Series Field

Matt Adams — Guntersville, Ala.
Dylan Akins — Flowery Branch, Ga.
Fisher Anaya — Eva, Ala.
Yui Aoki — Minamitsuru-gun, Japan
Tai Au — Glendale, Ariz.
Kyle Austin — Ridgeville, S.C.
Matt Baker — Glenwood, Ark.
Bobby Bakewell — Orlando, Fla.
Chris Beaudrie — Princeton, Ky.
Andrew Behnke — Fond du Lac, Wis.
Buddy Benson — Dahlonega, Ga.
Chris Blanchette — Edisto Island, S.C.
Bailey Bleser — Burlington, Wis.
Ryan Broughman — Corapeake, N.C.
Beau Browning — Hot Springs, Ark.
Stephen Browning — Hot Springs, Ark.
Erik Brztowski — Lemont, Ill.
Grae Buck — Green Lane, Pa.
Blaine Bunney — Claremore, Okla.
Tyler Campbell — Martin, Ga.
James Chandler — Liberty, Texas
Chase Clarke — Virginia Beach, Va.
Michael Corbishley — Raleigh, N.C.
Brandon Coulter — Knoxville, Tenn.
Evan Cox-VanVliet — Loveland, Colo.
Austin Cranford — Moore, Okla.
Colby Dark — West Monroe, La.
Jack Dice — Lynchburg, Va.
Cole Drummond — Effingham, S.C.
Tim Dube — Nashua, N.H.
John Duvall — Madison, Ga.
Ty Faber — Pagosa Springs, Colo.
Dillon Falardeau — Hixson, Tenn.
Ethan Fields — Carlyle, Ill.
Hayden Gaddis — Dandridge, Tenn.
Bailey Gay — Union, Ky.
Robert Gee — Knoxville, Tenn.
Zachary Goutremout — Chaumont, N.Y.
Parker Guy — Appling, Ga.
Tanner Hadden — Appling, Ga.
Sam Hanggi — Knoxville, Tenn.
Dillon Harrell — New Caney, Texas
Chris Hellebuyck — White Lake, Mich.
Laker Howell — Guntersville, Ala.
Caleb Hudson — Lincolnton, Ga.
Connor Jacob — Guntersville, Ala.
Aaron Jagdfeld — Rochester Hills, Mich.
Brad Jelinek — Lincoln, Mo.
Clint Knight — Russellville, Ky.
Ryan Lachniet — Gum Spring, Va.
Russ Lane — Prattville, Ala.
River Lee — Diboll, Texas
Jace Lindsay — Beckville, Texas
Lucas Lindsay — Auburn, Ala.
Ed Loughran III — Richmond, Va.
Wyatt Marler — Oldfield, Mo.
Cameron Mattison — Benton, La.
Tristan McCormick — Bon Aqua, Tenn.
Danny McGarry — Newcastle, Ontario, Canada
Brandon McMillan — Clewiston, Fla.
Mark Menendez — Paducah, Ky.
Matt Messer — Warfield, Ky.
Alec Morrison — Peru, N.Y.
Paul Mueller — Naugatuck, Conn.
Lucas Murphy — West Columbia, S.C.
Joey Nania — Cropwell, Ala.
Christian Nash — Allons, Tenn.
Michael Neal — Dayton, Tenn.
Riley Nielsen — Salt Lake City, Utah
Lane Olson — Forest Grove, Ore.
Bryson Osteen — Live Oak, Fla.
Christian Ostrander — Turlock, Calif.
Garrett Paquette — Canton, Mich.
Jaden Parrish — Liberty, Texas
Bryan Partak — Marseilles, Ill.
Chad Pipkens — DeWitt, Mich.
Brian Post — Janesville, Wis.
Nic Rand — Paw Paw, Mich.
Adam Rasmussen — Sturgeon Bay, Wis.
Brock Reinkemeyer — Warsaw, Mo.
Ryan Salzman — Huntsville, Ala.
Casey Scanlon — Eldon, Mo.
Trey Schroeder — Theodosia, Mo.
Blake Smith — Lakeland, Fla.
Casey Smith — Victor, N.Y.
Pake South — Winnsboro, Texas
Cody Stahl — Barnsville, Ga.
Trey Swindle — Cleveland, Ala.
Bo Thomas — Edwardsburg, Mich.
Brady Vernon — Sterrett, Ala.
Jimmy Washam — Stantonville, Tenn.
Ian Waterer — East Selkirk, Manitoba, Canada
Alex Wetherell — Middletown, Conn.
Joe Wieberg — Freeburg, Mo.
Tommy Wood — Peregian Springs, Australia
Aaron Yavorsky — Palm Harbor, Fla.
Jack York — Emory, Texas

The EQs will test anglers across diverse fisheries, with competition streamed live on Bassmaster.com and Roku and covered across B.A.S.S. social, digital and print platforms.

About B.A.S.S.

The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series, St. Croix Bassmaster Opens Series presented by SEVIIN, Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Qualifier Series presented by Lowrance, Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Strike King Bassmaster High School Series, Bassmaster Junior Series, TNT Fireworks Bassmaster Team Championship, Newport Bassmaster Kayak Series presented by Native Watercraft, Bassmaster College Kayak Series, Yamaha Bassmaster Redfish Cup Championship presented by Skeeter and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour.

by AnglersChannel

B.A.S.S. announces 2026 B.A.S.S. Nation schedule featuring iconic fisheries

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — B.A.S.S. has unveiled the 2026 Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation presented by Lowrance schedule, with four qualifying events on some of the country’s most renowned fisheries and a championship location to be announced at a later date. The B.A.S.S. Nation trail offers everyday anglers the opportunity to fish their way from the grass-roots level to the biggest stage in bass fishing: the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour.

“The 2026 B.A.S.S. Nation Regional Championship schedule brings together some of the most iconic and competitive fisheries in the country,” said GL Compton, B.A.S.S. Nation tournament manager. “Each regional will not only test our anglers’ skills in different conditions, but also create great opportunities for our host communities to showcase their passion for bass fishing.”

The trail begins April 10-12 on Cherokee Lake in Jefferson City, Tenn., a deep, clear reservoir nestled in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains. Known for its strong populations of both largemouth and smallmouth bass, Cherokee offers challenging conditions that reward versatility and precision.

From there, competition shifts to Toledo Bend Reservoir in Many, La., April 22-24. As one of the largest man-made reservoirs in the country, Toledo Bend has long been a bucket-list destination for bass anglers. With thousands of acres of hydrilla and abundant cover, it consistently produces heavy bags and record-class bass.

The Mississippi River at La Crosse, Wis., May 8-10, offers an entirely different challenge. Anglers will navigate backwaters, wing dams and current-driven main-river channels, where shallow-water power fishing and adaptability are often the keys to success.

The regular-season finale will be held July 31-Aug. 2 on Lake Champlain in Plattsburgh, N.Y. Nestled along the Adirondack Coast, Champlain is revered for its world-class smallmouth fishing and the chance for anglers to also chase trophy largemouth. With breathtaking scenery and big weights expected, it’s a fitting capstone to the 2026 Nation season.

Local communities are gearing up to welcome anglers and fans alike.

“Jefferson County is proud to host the 2026 Bassmaster B.A.S.S. Nation Series on the beautiful waters of Cherokee Lake,” said Jefferson County Director of Tourism Lauren Hurdle. “As one of our most cherished natural resources, Cherokee Lake is recognized nationwide for its exceptional bass fishing and stunning scenery. We look forward to welcoming anglers, their families and fans from across the country, and to sharing both our world-class fishing and the warm Southern hospitality that make our community so special.”

“We’re thrilled to welcome the 2026 B.A.S.S. Nation event to the Adirondack Coast,” said Alyssa Senecal, Assistant Director of Tourism & Marketing at the Adirondack Coast Visitors Bureau. “The City of Plattsburgh and our entire region are passionate about fishing and outdoor recreation, and hosting anglers from across the country showcases not only the world-class bass fishing on Lake Champlain but also the warm hospitality and stunning scenery that make this area unforgettable.”

Through the B.A.S.S. Nation program, grass-roots anglers have the opportunity to advance from their local clubs to regional championships, then to the Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Championship presented by Lowrance. From there, top performers can earn a berth in the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series and the legendary Bassmaster Classic, proving that the dream of going “from the club to the Classic” is alive and well in 2026.

2026 B.A.S.S. Nation Schedule
• April 10-12 — Cherokee Lake, Jefferson City, Tenn.
• April 22-24 — Toledo Bend, Many, La.
• May 8-10 — Mississippi River, La Crosse, Wis.
• July 31-Aug. 2 — Lake Champlain, Plattsburgh, N.Y.
* B.A.S.S. Nation Championship — To be announced

Registration Dates
• State Nation Early Entry Codes — Jan. 6, 2026 at 9 a.m. CT
• State Nation members zoned for each Qualifier — Jan. 13, 2026 at 9 a.m. CT
• All Nation members — Jan. 20, 2026 at 9 a.m. CT

2025 B.A.S.S. Nation Series Title Sponsor: Mercury

2025 B.A.S.S. Nation Series Presenting Sponsor: Lowrance

2025 B.A.S.S. Nation Series Platinum Sponsors: Progressive, Toyota
2025 B.A.S.S. Nation Series Premier Sponsors: Bass Pro Shops, Dakota Lithium, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha
2025 B.A.S.S. Nation Series Supporting Sponsors: AFTCO, Daiwa, Garmin, Lew's, Lowrance, Triton Boats, VMC, Yokohama

About B.A.S.S.

The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series, St. Croix Bassmaster Opens Series presented by SEVIIN, Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifier Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Qualifier Series presented by Lowrance, Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Strike King Bassmaster High School Series, Bassmaster Junior Series, TNT Fireworks Bassmaster Team Championship, Newport Bassmaster Kayak Series presented by Native Watercraft, Bassmaster College Kayak Series, Yamaha Bassmaster Redfish Cup Championship presented by Skeeter and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour.

by AnglersChannel

Kentucky Lake Set to Be Playing Field for Bass Pro Shops Big Bass Bash presented by Berkley

SAN ANTONIO, TX (September 16, 2025) –In just a few days, the Association of Collegiate Anglers will begin its 21st season of the Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Bass Fishing Series. The Bass Pro Shops Big Bass Bash presented by Berkley is set to take place at Kentucky Lake in Henry County and Paris, TN on September 20-21. Over 630 anglers are registered to compete in the event, including 22 of the Top 25 ranked teams in the ACA’s annual Pre-Season Poll for the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia. In this article, we will highlight the lake and conditions leading up to this tournament.

Kentucky Lake is located in the northwest part of Tennessee. Construction began in 1938 and was completed in 1944. The fishery features over 2,000 miles of shoreline and about 160,000 acres of water. Minimum winter elevation is 354 ft., and the lake is currently just under 356 ft.

Over the years, the ACA has hosted many major college events at this Tennessee River fishery. Kentucky Lake offers an abundant amount of shoreline cover, offshore structure, and more for fish to be found. During this time of the year, bass will be spread across all of these high percentage areas.

Rocky shorelines will be one of the key areas for anglers to target during tournament competition. Bass will use these places as transition areas to move up into the creeks as they chase baitfish. Working moving baits and topwater lures around these places will warrant bites.

Other shallow cover will include flooded timber. Soaking a soft plastic bait around wooded cover could be a way to catch the winning fish. Shallow wood cover offers high percentage areas for anglers to find quality fish in easy to target areas. The wood cover provides both shade and an ambush point for bass to take advantage of.

Offshore structure and areas along the main river channel could also play a key factor. For bass still in the late summer/early fall stage, they will still be hanging out in the deeper, cooler water. Early in the morning, as bass are feeding on bait, a topwater lure worked along main river bars will be a technique anglers utilize. Once the sun gets up and temperatures warm, bass will move and position on deeper structure. A variety of crankbaits, swimbaits, and soft plastics will pay off in this scenario.

Leading up to the event, weather patterns are looking fairly stable. High temperatures are expected to be around 90 degrees, with nightly lows averaging in the mid-60’s. A mix of clouds and sun will greet these college anglers out on Kentucky Lake. Sizing up those conditions and the fish behavior will be the key to unlocking the code to catching what could end up being the overall winning fish at the Bass Pro Shops Big Bass Bash presented by Berkley.

Weigh-in will be streamed live throughout both complete days of tournament competition. That stream can be viewed both on the ACA website and the free Outdoor Action TV streaming service.

by AnglersChannel

Announcing The Top 5 Ranked Teams Entering the 2025-26 Season for Bass Pro Shops School of the Year

San Antonio, TX (September 16, 2025) – A new season of the Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Bass Fishing Series begins in approximately one week. Leading up to the start of that season, the Association of Collegiate Anglers is announcing the results to its annual Pre-Season Poll for the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia. To this point, we’ve revealed teams ranked 6-25. Today, the Top 5 teams will be announced, as voted upon by coaches, anglers, and media representatives.

1) University of Montevallo

2) Carson-Newman University

3) University of North Alabama

4) McKendree University

5) LSU-Shreveport

1) University of Montevallo

For the fourth time in five years, the University of Montevallo has been voted as number one in the ACA’s annual Pre-Season Poll. Montevallo was voted in 2nd overall in 2023.

Over each of the past five seasons, Montevallo has re-written the history books for collegiate fishing. From 2021-2025, the University of Montevallo has finished each season ranked number one to win the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia. Only two other programs have ever claimed the title multiple times, as UNA McKendree have each won it twice.

2) Carson-Newman University

Checking in at 2nd in the 2025 ACA Pre-Season Poll is Carson-Newman University. This marks Carson-Newman’s highest-ever ranking entering a new season.

2021: 3rd

2022: 4th

2023: 4th

2024: 3rd

Last season, Carson-Newman finished ranked 3rd in the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia. That marks three straight seasons in which the team from Tennessee has ended the year ranked 3rd. Carson-Newman has yet to claim the title, ending the year ranked number one in college fishing’s only all-encompassing National Rankings system. They will be looking to start strong at the Bass Pro Shops Big Bass Bash presented by Berkley next week as they chase that first-ever title.

3) University of North Alabama

The University of North Alabama is picked 3rd overall in the ACA Pre-Season Poll. Like Carson-Newman ahead of them, this marks the highest-ever ranking entering a new season for UNA. In terms of the Pre-Season Poll, UNA has moved up in the rankings each year.

2021: 20th

2022: 11th

2023: T-8th

2024: 6th

As was mentioned earlier in this article, the University of North Alabama is a past winner of the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia. The team from Florence, AL finished the year ranked number one in 2014 and 2015. If they were to finish this season ranked number one, UNA would join Montevallo as the only programs to win this prestigious title three or more times.

4) McKendree University

McKendree University has been voted 4th in the 2025 Pre-Season Poll. Since the inception of the Pre-Season Poll, McKendree has been selected inside of the Top 5 each time.

2021: 4th

2022: 3rd

2023: 5th

2024: 2nd

After being selected 2nd overall in the 2024 Pre-Season Poll, they finished the 2024-25 season ranked 4th in the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia. That makes for 11 years in a row in which McKendree has ended the season in the Top 10 for college fishing’s only all-encompassing National Rankings system.

McKendree University has won the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia twice (2019, 2020). Like UNA ahead of them, with a win this season…McKendree would become just the second team ever to claim the title three or more times.

5) LSU-Shreveport

Rounding out the Top 5 in this rankings reveal is LSU-Shreveport. This marks the first time in which LSUS has been selected in the Top 5 of the ACA’s annual Pre-Season Poll. LSUS has now been voted in the Top 25 entering a new season four times.

2022: 24th

2023: 15th

2024: 9th

LSUS finished last season ranked 7th in the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia. Like Carson-Newman, who was also featured in this article, LSUS is in search of its first title in college fishing’s only all-encompassing National Rankings system this season.

by AnglersChannel

DeFoe/Montgomery and Gill/Robinson Advance after Elimination Round Match 2 at Knighten Industries Heritage Cup Presented by Bass Boat Technologies

Team BUBBA (DeFoe/Montgomery) catches 38 scorable bass totaling 56-1 to win Elimination Round Match 2, top two teams move on to Knockout Round

MINOCQUA, Wis. (Sept. 15, 2025) – The defending champions were at it again as Day 2 of the Knighten Industries Heritage Cup Presented by Bass Boat Technologies continued on Monday . Team BUBBA – Bass Pro Tour standouts Ott DeFoe and Andy Montgomery – looked every bit like the duo that hoisted the Heritage Cup trophy in Neenah, Wisconsin last season, cruising through Elimination Match 2 to end the competition day with 56 pounds, 1 ounce of scorable bass. Their steady performance on Minocqua Lake not only secured the win but also sent a clear message that they remain the team to beat at the second event of the 2025 Major League Fishing (MLF) Fishing Clash Team Series.

“That’s got to be the least stressful day of fishing I’ve ever had on the Team Series,” DeFoe said. “We got in a good area right away, caught them on the docks, and really just settled in. After that, we spent most of the last period practicing and looking for more water, which is always important in this format.”

Montgomery echoed the comfort of fishing to their strengths.

“We only caught one scorable bass after we left that first stretch, but it didn’t matter,” Montgomery said. “That spot was everything. If we had to pick one thing to do when we came up here, it was exactly this – fishing boat docks with a wacky worm and a jig.

“Ott’s throwing his Bass Pro Shops Wacky Stik-O, and I’m skipping a Strike King jig with a Strike King Rage Bug. It’s a one-two punch that works.”

DeFoe leaned into the details of the winning setup.

“That’s just a deadly combination for us,” he said. “I can skip that Wacky Stik-O way up under a dock, and Andy can hit every angle with his jig. Between the two of us, we’re efficient and we cover water. When you get in the right area and they’re biting, it just works.”

While Team BUBBA left little doubt about their advancement, the real drama came down to the wire between Team Star Tron and Team Knighten Industries. Marshall Robinson carried the load in the final period for Star Tron, boating seven scorable bass for 14 pounds to push their total to 41-7 and edge out Knighten by just 2 pounds, 4 ounces.

Drew Gill’s consistency and Robinson’s late surge gave Team Star Tron the second advancing spot, while Team Knighten Industries – last year’s Challenge Cup winners Matt Becker and Spencer Shuffield – fell just short despite a furious comeback in the third period.

The Knighten Industries duo found a productive offshore milfoil stretch and caught four bass in the final seven minutes but ultimately ran out of time.

“We got on them late, and we almost pulled it off,” Shuffield said. “That’s the way this format goes – every ounce matters. We just needed one more bite.”

For Team Kubota’s Nick Hatfield and Cole Floyd, the day never quite came together. After an early attempt in the grass fizzled, they shifted to docks but struggled to generate consistent bites, finishing in fourth and heading home.

In the end, the day belonged to the veterans from Team BUBBA, who combined for 38 scorable bass and showed the same chemistry that carried them to victory in Wisconsin last year.

“We complement each other really well and together we can keep them biting,” Montgomery said.

“We’ve won with this formula before, and it gives us confidence moving forward,” DeFoe added. “Now it’s about finding the next good stretch and keeping the momentum rolling.”

The top two teams from Elimination Round Match 2 at the Knighten Industries Heritage Cup Presented by Bass Boat Technologies that now advance to the Knockout Round are:

1st: Team BUBBA, 38 bass, 56-1
Ott DeFoe, Blaine, Tenn., 22 bass, 31-9
Andy Montgomery, Blacksburg, S.C., 16 bass, 24-8
2nd: Team Star Tron, 23 bass, 41-7
Drew Gill, Mount Carmel, Ill., 12 bass, 19-11
Marshall Robinson, Landrum, S.C., 11 bass, 21-12

Eliminated from competition are:

3rd: Team Knighten Industries, 26 bass, 39-3
Matt Becker, Ten Mile, Tenn., 14 bass, 19-13
Spencer Shuffield, Hot Springs, Ark., 12 bass, 19-6
4th: Team Kubota, 15 bass, 20-11
Cole Floyd, Leesburg, Ohio, five bass, 6-10
Nick Hatfield, Greeneville, Tenn., 10 bass, 14-1

Complete results from throughout the week can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Overall, there were 102 bass weighing 157 pounds, 6 ounces caught by the four teams in Elimination Round Match 2 on Lake Minocqua. Team BUBBA pro Andy Montgomery caught the Berkley Big Bass of the day – a largemouth weighing 3 pounds, 2 ounces.

The four teams that will compete Tuesday in Elimination Round Match 3 at the Knighten Industries Heritage Cup Presented by Bass Boat Technologies are:

Team 7Brew Coffee:
Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla.
Keith Poche, Pike Road, Ala.

Team B&W Trailer Hitches:
Todd Faircloth, Jasper, Texas
Jared Lintner, Covington, Ga.

Team O’Reilly Auto Parts:
Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn.
Mark Daniels Jr., Tuskegee, Ala.

Team Smokey Mountain:
Terry Scroggins, San Mateo, Fla.
Casey Ashley, Donalds, S.C.

The Heritage Cup features 12 two-man teams divided into three groups as they enter the one-day Elimination Round matches. Each of the three Elimination Round matches will feature four new teams, with the top two teams from each match of the Elimination Round advancing to the Knockout Round on Days 4 & 5. In the Knockout Rounds, three teams compete each day, with the top two teams from each Knockout Round match moving on to the Championship Round on Day 6. In Friday’s Day 6 Championship Round, the final four teams will compete in a one-day shootout to determine which team will win the 2025 Knighten Industries Heritage Cup Presented by Bass Boat Technologies.

The MLF Fishing Clash Team Series Presented by Bass Pro Shops will feature four Cup events in 2025 – the Challenge, Heritage, Patriot, and Summit Cups – with 12 two-man teams of Bass Pro Tour anglers competing for a share of $560,000 in prize money. Teams were formed through a selection process, where 48 team captains – based on Fishing Clash Angler of the Year (AOY) standings throughout the 2025 Bass Pro Tour season – selected a teammate. Teams will compete throughout the fall of 2025.

by AnglersChannel

Hamilton’s Martinkovic Earns Career Win No. 6 at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Mosquito Lake Presented by Lew’s

Ohio’s Sykes Tops Co-Angler Division

CORTLAND, Ohio (Sept. 15, 2025) – Boater Chris Martinkovic of Hamilton, Ohio, caught a total of 10 bass weighing 30 pounds, 5 ounces, over two days to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine at Mosquito Lake Presented by Lew’s. The tournament was the fifth and final event of the season for the BFL Buckeye Division. Martinkovic earned $5,782 for his victory.

Martinkovic’s winning game plan was less about finding a secret spot and more about avoiding the crowd. With Mosquito Lake only about 14 miles long and heavy fishing pressure from the field, he focused on covering water and targeting overlooked stretches.

“I just tried to go where all the other boats weren’t,” Martinkovic said. “It’s a small lake, so I wanted to stay away from the pressure.”

His approach turned into a classic case of junk fishing, rotating through multiple techniques depending on the cover in front of him. Milfoil, lily pads and grass beds all played a role, and Martinkovic mixed a frog, a ChatterBait, and a flipping jig to trigger bites.

“Frogging and flipping a jig in the pads was probably the most productive for me,” he explained. “But I caught some key fish on a ChatterBait, too. It was all kind of mixed in.”

The pattern delivered steady action throughout the weekend, with Martinkovic boating an estimated 25 keepers on Day 1 and another 15 on Championship Sunday, despite a two-hour fog delay.

“The first day was definitely better for me, both in numbers and size,” he said. “Day 2 was tougher, and losing a 4-pounder really hurt because I ended up weighing one that was only about a pound and a half.”

Even with the missed opportunity, Martinkovic felt he had a chance at the win as weigh-in approached.

“When I lost that big one, I thought I might have lost the tournament right there,” he admitted. “But I also knew I had a good shot with what I had.”

The victory was especially meaningful for Martinkovic, as after a five-year stretch of BFL wins each season, he went through a bit of a drought as his last win was 2017.

“It feels good, because I’ve probably had 10 second-place finishes in the last five years,” he said. “It felt like I’ve been the king of second place. These wins are so hard to come by — everything’s got to go just right. To finally get it done after eight years feels great.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:

1st:        Chris Martinkovic, Joplin, Hamilton, Ohio, 10 bass, 30-5, $5,782
2nd:      Dan Moran, London, Ohio, 10 bass, 28-4, $2,341
3rd:       Mervin Miller, Sugarcreek, Ohio, 10 bass, 25-8, $2,124
4th:        Brandon Smith, Mason, Ohio, 10 bass, 25-6, $1,092
5th:        Zak Wiseman, Macedonia, Ohio, 10 bass, 23-7, $936
6th:        Nick Morgan, Gallipolis, Ohio, 10 bass, 23-3, $1,108
7th:        Dave Fricke, Hamilton, Ohio, 10 bass, 22-9, $780
8th:        Joel Berelsman, Minster, Ohio, 10 bass, 21-9, $702
9th:        Richard Knoll, Pittsburgh, Pa., 10 bass, 21-2, $624
10th:     Mike Blake, Carrollton, Ohio, 10 bass, 20-13, $1,046 (includes $500 Phoenix Bonus)

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Mervin Miller of Sugarcreek, Ohio, caught a bass that weighed 5 pounds, 12 ounces, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $562.

Ryan Sykes of Hamilton, Ohio, won the co-angler division and $2,922 after bringing six bass to the scales that totaled 20 pounds, 8 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers finished:

1st:        Ryan Sykes, Hamilton, Ohio, six bass, 8-6, $1,504
2nd:      Steven Logan, Hugo, Okla., five bass, 8-6, $1,504
3rd:       Markus Mills, Norman, Okla., six bass, 8-4, $668
4th:        Mason Eudy, Muskogee, Okla., six bass, 8-2, $468
5th:        Bryan Schuster, Oklahoma City, Okla., six bass, 7-14, $401
6th:        Mark Johnson, Weleetka, Okla., four bass, 7-12, $351
7th:        Ryan Doel, Springfield, Mo., five bass, 7-12, $351
8th:        Fred Fielder, Afton, Okla., five bass, 7-11, $284
9th:        Robert Shedrick, Blanchard, Okla., six bass, 7-11, $284
10th:     Berton Pritchett, Gentry, Ark., six bass, 7-10, $234

Sykes also earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $281, catching a bass that weighed in at 5 pounds, 2 ounces.

With all five events in the division now complete, boater Chris Martinkovic of Hamilton, Ohio, clinched the Fishing Clash Buckeye Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 1,350 points and earned the $1,000 prize, while Ryan Sykes of Hamilton, Ohio, won the Fishing Clash Buckeye Division Co-Angler of the Year race with 1,292 points and earned the $500 payout.

The top 60 boaters and co-anglers in the division based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, will qualify for the Oct. 3-4 BFL Regional tournament on Lake Erie in Sandusky, Ohio. Boaters will fish for a top award of a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard worth $50,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $20,000.

by AnglersChannel

Adrian College Claims Title at MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing Tournament on the Potomac River Presented by Columbia PFG

MARBURY, Md. (Sept. 15, 2025) – The Adrian College duo of Ryan Kahut, and Brady Osborn, won the MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI event on the Potomac River Presented by Columbia PFG Sunday with a five-bass limit weighing 14 pounds, 11 ounces. The victory earned the school’s bass club a qualification into the 2026 MLF College Fishing National Championship.

Adrian College showed up strong for the event, as three of the top four spots in the tournament were claimed by Bulldog anglers. Kahut and Osborn, both sophomores, sealed the deal with an approach that took them to an out-of-the-way bite.

“We had found some fish kind of far away in the back of a creek at a marina,” Osborn said. “We figured there would be no one there, so we decided to go back there. It was a 15-minute run and a 30-minute idle to the back of the creek. We fished the marina for about three hours, but we really caught all of them in the first hour on a drop-shot on the marina posts.”

Osbourn said the key bait on the drop-shot rig was an Aaron’s Morning Dawn-colored Roboworm. The setup accounted for nine keepers during the day.

“It was kind of tough, but we were able to get those quality bites,” Osborn said.

Osborn said he figured that 14 pounds would get the duo qualified for the 2026 MLF College Fishing National Championship but didn’t think it was enough to win the Potomac event.

“We figured it would take 15 to 16 pounds to win it,” Osborn said. “We’re very ecstatic with this win and how the teams all placed.”

The top six teams that now qualify to compete in the 2026 MLF College Fishing National Championship are:

1st: Adrian College – Ryan Kahut, Brighton, Mich., and Brady Osborn, Fishers, Ind., five bass, 14-11
2nd: Adrian College – Braylon Eggerding, Grand Rapids, Mich., and Brady Pinwar, Midland, Mich., five bass, 13-7
3rd: Oklahoma State University – Nevan Osburn, Lipan, Texas, five bass, 12-15
4th: Adrian College – Derek Rodriguez, Okemos, Mich., and Nicholas Seitz, Maumee, Ohio, five bass, 12-14
5th: The Apprentice School – Jeremy Harmon, Capron, Va., and Caleb Russell, Disputanta, Ga., five bass, 12-14
6th: University of Rio Grande – Cameron Burgess, Hamilton, Ohio, and Tyler Eggers, Jackson, Ohio, five bass, 12-8

Rounding out the top 10 were:

7th: University of Pikeville – Aaron Mills, Tomahawk, Ky., and Seth Shular, Whittier, N.C., five bass, 12-6
8th: University of South Carolina –Jacob Buzin, Downington, Pa., and Finley Maher, Weston, Mass., five bass, 12-2
9th: Youngstown State University – Jake Campbell, Stroudsburg, Pa., and Richard Hassel II, Austintown, Ohio, five bass, 12-0
10th: University of Pikeville – Carson Holbrook, Prestonburg, Ky., and Silas Jones, Kalispell, Mont., five bass, 11-12

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

The Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI event on the Potomac River Presented by Columbia PFG was hosted by the Charles County Board of Commissioners. The next tournament for MLF College Fishing anglers will be the Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI event on Pickwick Lake Presented by Columbia PFG, October 3, in Florence, Alabama.

The 2025 MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI season features college teams from across the country competing in six regular-season open tournaments. The top 15 percent of teams from each regular-season tournament advance to the 2026 Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI National Championship.

Proud sponsors of the 2025 MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI include: 7Brew Coffee, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, Columbia PFG, Deep Dive App, E3 Sports Apparel, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, Humminbird, Lew’s, Mercury, Minn Kota, Mossy Oak, Onyx, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Phoenix Boats, Polaris, Power-Pole, Precision Sonar, Strike King, Suzuki Marine, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota , WIX Filters and YETI.

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

About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery Channel, Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 20 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.

by AnglersChannel

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