AnglersChannel

Unleash the Gremlin

Z-Man® pro Brian ‘B.Lat’ Latimer gets tricky with gnarly new creature bait

Ladson, SC (July 6, 2023) – Traditional creature baits exhibit three stand-out qualities: They crash through grass and kick around in woodcover like a wrecking ball. The baits elicit big bites in heavy cover. And if they’re made from run of the mill plastisol, one or two bass are all you get before adding another shredded bait to the scrap heap.

A quick glance at the new Z-Man® Gremlin™ might mislead you to believe it’s like other baits in the category. But comparisons to every other creature end at the superficial level, as the Gremlin’s next-level anatomy reveals all kinds of sneaky-valuable bass catching talents. Built for off-road, heavy cover flipping and punching, the new Gremlin is equally effective on a Carolina rig, swimjig or swing head jig—or a gnarly looking trailer on the back of a ChatterBait® bladed jig.

“Too many creature baits flap super aggressively, all offering more or less the same general action,” notes Z-Man pro Brian “B.Lat” Latimer. “Bass, especially those 5- and 7-pound kickers, get conditioned to these same repetitive movements. It’s why one goal in designing the Gremlin was to create a refined, less aggressive tail action. The bait’s body and appendages have been contoured to perform at a high level, especially during summer and fall when tons of anglers are all targeting the same bass.

“We knew, of course, that injecting the bait with ElaZtech® would solve the durability issue,” notes the YouTube rockstar. “I mean, who wouldn’t rather catch a dozen or more bass on a single bait versus switching it out every few fish? Awesome. But then, we took the game one step beyond our regular homebrewed ElaZtech recipe.”

Stretching the properties of the next-gen superplastic material it conjured nearly twenty years ago, Z-Man boosted the Gremlin with a brand-new soft plastics formulation. “In the past, one of the challenges with ElaZtech has been that it’s so soft that when you flip the baits in heavy cover, the hook can punch through the body too easily,” B.Lat explains. “Super excited to say the Gremlin is the first bait composed of Z-Man’s new ElaZtech Flipping Formula—perfected for heavy cover, combat style fishing.”

To allow the hook to quickly penetrate the material on a hookset yet remain fully weedless throughout the retrieve, the advanced Flipping Formula was developed right in Z-Man’s U.S. based laboratory. “Concepting, sculpting and pouring baits right in our South Carolina labs lets us perfect every element of bait-building, hands-on, as opposed to struggling to communicate with secondary agents across the ocean,” affirms Jose Chavez, Z-Man Director of Product Development.

“The new Flipping material is even tougher than our regular ElaZtech formula, yet it still holds the hookpoint in check during the retrieve. Makes Texas rigging much easier, too. And you’ll notice the Gremlin still feels extra soft and fishes as freely and fluidly as other ElaZtech baits, but in a sturdier formula that’s perfectly suited to flipping grass and brush with a big hook and heavy tungsten weight.”

Z-Man's Gremlin features a new ElaZtech 'Flipping Formula' for optimized Texas rigging and hook penetration.

Zooming in on the Gremlin’s anatomy, Chavez calls attention to several purpose-driven elements. “The bait was built with a nice meaty body and polygonal shaped core that holds the hookpoint securely, even when you drag it through heavy cover. The material itself is tougher, yet the bait’s ribbed torso yields a soft texture, compressing easily inside a bass’ jaws. The deep-cut ribs increase water displacement, and trap and exude air bubbles for even more underwater presence.”

Examination of the Gremlin’s twin tails reveals attributes not possible with traditional PVC. “Connection points between torso and legs are razor thin by intent,” notes Chavez. “This allows for a very specific, consistent action. You’ll notice the two side flappers, too, which help align the legs, keeping them spread apart without sticking together—a common complaint with traditional creatures. You can also detach the flappers, which give the legs a much more aggressive, flaring action. Essentially, the side arms dictate the bait’s activity level, which can be customized by the angler.”

“One key to the Gremlin’s bass catching success lies in its subtle, curly tail action,” adds B.Lat. “You want to retrieve the bait with more of a slow swim, as opposed to hopping it along bottom. Swim and stop. Those little tails continuously churn and spiral—more like tiny, subtle twisters than broad, thumping grubs. These refined little tail twitches send all the right signals to heavily pressured bass, just enough vibration to attract attention without sending up red flags.”

Chavez points to bonus bait-crafting sorcery. “See how the legs start off extra thin at the base of the torso and then contour and transition to a thicker ‘knee’ section? In concert with the bait’s wings—or side flappers—this adjustment holds the legs and tail perfectly streamlined and aerodynamic; prevents the material from elongating for nice smooth casts and silent touch downs.”

Like all ElaZtech baits, the Gremlin augments every presentation with its natural buoyancy. “Bass absolutely crush the bait as it slow glides on the fall, tails subtly spiraling,” B.Lat explains. “But the buoyancy also produces a nice consistent, fluid action as you swim and let it skate. You get a ton of bites as the Gremlin slowly glides on the fall. So, I like to max out the glide effect by going light as possible, often using an 1/8- to ¼-ounce weight. Really gives the bait more visibility; lets fish see it coming and detect it from a distance.

“All I can say is, if you think the bait works on a Texas or Carolina rig, try it on a ChatterBait. That combo looks plain nasty.”

Designed by Z-Man pro Brian “B.Lat” Latimer, the 4.5” Gremlin presents bass with a bulky, creature bait profile and refined, action-driven anatomy. Constructed from new ElaZtech Flipping Formulation, the Gremlin offers enhanced durability with optimal hook penetration. Offered in 8 color schemes, hand-picked by B.Lat himself, the Gremlin will be available in October. MSRP $4.99 per 4-pack. www.zmanfishing.com.

by AnglersChannel

PLANO ICE HUNTER 3600 TACKLE BAG

The newest addition to Plano’s Ice Hunter line is purpose-built for ice anglers with both new and proven features.

COLUMBIA, S.C. (Jul 5, 2023) — Ice anglers rejoice! The Plano Ice Hunter 3600 Tackle Bag delivers a unique, water-resistant storage solution for all of the gear you need on hard water. It’s equipped with a water-resistant, rechargeable lithium-ion LED light, quick-access jig compartment, customizable storage, and more.

The Ice Hunter comes with three Plano 3600 StowAway Utility Boxes and features a customizable interior with a removable divider for maximum control over storing your gear. The waterproof molded base with non-slip rubber feet will keep your bag dry while the quick-access EVA foam ice jig compartment provides safe and easy access for bait changes when the bite is hot. In addition, the external tool holder makes accessing your gear quick and convenient.

Key Features
• Removable LED light rotates 180 degrees (charger included)
• IPX4 water-resistant, rechargeable lithium-ion LED light
• LED light features 4 modes – 2 working modes, a solid red light and an SOS blinking red light
• Quick-access EVA foam jig compartment
• Waterproof molded base with non-slip rubber feet
• External tool hanger to store commonly used tools
• Adjustable internal divider to customize storage
• Includes (3) Plano 3600 StowAway Utility Boxes

MSRP: $99.99
Available: September 2023

by AnglersChannel

INTRODUCING THE ALL-NEW HARDY MARKSMAN Z FLY ROD

Redefining Performance in Saltwater Fishing

COLUMBIA, S.C. (July 5, 2023) – Just in time for those saltwater flats trips, the Hardy Marksman Z Fly Rod is a groundbreaking addition to our premier saltwater rod range. This innovative rod leverages the latest in performance materials to deliver a level of strength, reduced weight, and durability unmatched in the market.

The Hardy Marksman Z Fly Rod is designed to be an angler's ally in the unpredictable and varied challenges of the saltwater environment. From calm, early morning runs to windy afternoons, the Hardy Marksman Z ensures an optimal cast, even from an unstable platform.

This rod is designed with a unique blend of feel, power, and recovery, resulting in a product that promises an unrivaled fishing experience. As a hundred pounds of chrome goes airborne, or as six pounds of silver leaves the flat as if fired from a gun, you can be confident that the Marksman Z in your hand can do the job and, of course, the adrenaline rush is guaranteed.

This exceptional blend of characteristics was brought to life through a collaborative design process. In partnership with some of the world's finest saltwater guides, seasoned anglers, and industry legends, we've crafted the Hardy Marksman Z to be the perfect tool for your perfect moment in salt. Built with Sintrix FLT that is applied to an updated mandrel design, the Marksman Z was created with a strong butt section that gives you increased lifting power in the lower section of the rod making it strong enough to pull big fish from cover yet extremely light in the hand.

The Hardy Marksman Z Fly Rod stands up to the most demanding saltwater conditions, offering the reliability needed for everything from Gold Cups to Grand Slams and a thousand different challenges in between. Regardless of the changing tides or shifting winds, the Hardy Marksman Z is your steadfast companion in the saltwater world.

"We're delighted to introduce the Hardy Marksman Z, the newest addition to our superior range of fishing rods," said Jim Murphy, Director of Fly Fishing for Hardy. "Our goal is to provide anglers with the best possible equipment that can stand up to any condition, and we believe the Hardy Marksman Z Fly Rod exemplifies this commitment."

Features:

Sintrix FLT on an updated mandrel design
Increased lifting power in the lower section
Reduced overall in-hand weight
Easy to load yet fast tip recovery for more accurate casts under pressured situations
Hybrid ring specification that blends durability and practicality using both Cerecoil and recoil stripper guides
Aluminum uplocking reel seat with easy to grip locking nuts to ensure a solid reel fit

MSRP: Starting at $995
Available: September 2023

by AnglersChannel

Small Baits, Bite Detection and the Short Rod Crusade

New Z-Man® Drew’s Ultimate Ned Rig Rods blend primo rod-crafting with whispers of retro finesse

Ladson, SC (July 3, 2023) – Before and after local fishing forays, circa the 1960s, a cadre of exceptional Midwestern anglers gathered to shoot the breeze down at Ray Fincke’s old Kansas City tackle shop. Fincke’s resembled a lot of other family-owned baitshops of the time—truckloads of lures, rods, livebait and other angling essentials all crammed into a cozy little space. Imagine the good-natured razzing, the exchange of breakthrough angling ideas that must have passed, as Ned Kehde, Chuck Woods, Guido Hibdon, Drew Reese and other architects of Midwest finesse (aka Ned rig fishing) sipped coffee and spent hard-earned dollars on the latest and greatest tackle.

A generation later, the legendary Ned and Drew have been joined by thousands of their closest friends—successful Ned rig fans from all over the planet. To this day, they continue innovating fish-catching products (Reese was co-creator of Z-Man’s celebrated Finesse TRD™, TRD TicklerZ™ and Finesse ShroomZ™.) And now, in concert with Z-Man, Reese has perfected Drew’s Ultimate Ned Rig Rods—the first true-to-technique tools built with the highest-grade blanks, components and rod-building wizardry available.

Fist bumps to the original heroes of Midwest finesse style angling—and in celebration of its longtime friendship with these great anglers— Z-Man has merged the past and future of Ned rigging into a singular series of light-line, finesse lure spinning rods. Designed by Reese himself, Drew’s Ultimate Ned Rig Rods merge the original art of Midwest finesse with impeccable rod-building brilliance.

Tennessee handles reduce weight, while allowing anglers to customize the rod's balance point and reel position.

Two medium-light power / fast action models include a 5’4” (4- to 8-pound test) and 5’10” (4- to 10-pound test) rod, each epitomizing an emerging trend toward shorter, lighter, ultra-precise spinning rods. The quill-like rods weigh a mere 1.75-ounces and 2.2-ounces, respectively.

“There’s an undeniable joy in fishing shorter, feather-light, super-efficient spinning tackle,” notes Reese, among the first anglers to tap the power ElaZtech® baits for bass. “I think we’re already seeing a renaissance in true light-line, finesse bait style fishing. As fishing pressure intensifies—and folks discover they just want to detect more bites and keep catching fish— this movement will only grow. It’s why, in part, we built these sweet little rods to bring out all the best advantages of Ned rigging for bass and a host of other species.”

Founded on elite-grade carbon fiber blanks, Drew’s Ultimate Ned Rig Rods integrate Toray 12K High Modulus Fibers with a modulus value of 50 million, resulting in superlative tensile strength exceeding 640 Ksi. Skeletal, super lightweight SSR guides with stainless steel frames and double swaged stainless-steel inserts enhance line flow, while bolstering strength and durability. A premium cork Tennessee handle greatly reduces rod weight, increases sensitivity and allows for user-customized reel placement to optimize rod balance.

“Anglers who see a Tennessee handle today might scratch their heads,” admits Reese. “But experiencing a rod’s true performance can’t be fully realized until you’ve found the precise balance point, or fulcrum, between rod and reel. We chose a cork Tennessee handle because it’s many times lighter and ten times more sensitive than traditional reel seats. The rod’s handle allows each angler to maximize comfort and sensitivity by customizing reel placement on the sweet spot. For me, it’s a 2000 size Daiwa, positioned just forward from the handle’s center. Couple strips of electrical tape work nicely, providing a secure, low-profile grip that fits comfortably in your hand.

“In order to achieve the same balance with a 7-foot rod, by contrast, you’d need to extend the butt section by two feet, and that adds extra, unnecessary weight to the rod.”

Countering inevitable questions about shorter rod lengths in the face of the “longer/better” movement, Reese makes a compelling case for weight, sensitivity and lure control. “These might be the first sub-6-foot spinning rods in a generation,” he notes. “But pick one up and you’ll immediately wonder why you’ve been weighed down by 7-footers for so long.

“Many of these ideas on the merits of shorter, lighter rods came from Ray Fincke, the legendary tackle shop man, who gave us all a local gathering place to exchange ideas and spin yarns,” recalls Reese. “Back in the 1980s, Ray designed two such rods for one of the top rod companies in America. These were brilliant, light line tools for the time, overshadowed today by the hundreds of heavier, longer models. But I never strayed far from Ray’s ideas on rod design, which started me on this quest to build on his ideas and produce a pair of truly exceptional finesse rods.

“The overarching idea is that creating a superior sense of feel is all about rod weight and length. A shorter, super-light blank simply puts you in closer contact with your lure and the fish. It’s an almost intimate connection. Like your hand is in a direct conversation with your lure. It’s right there, and each move of the rodtip transmits straight to the lure and back to your fingertips again. Now reduce the rod’s weight by several ounces and you effectively trim so much unnecessary baggage between your fingertips and the lure.

“Imagine, every little twitch of the rodtip moves the bait a short precise distance. It’s almost a 1-to-1 relationship. Whereas the same maneuvers with longer 7-foot sticks tend to move the lure much greater distances, often to the detriment of a precise presentation. Now add a light, low-stretch braided line to one of these shorter precision rods and you’re suddenly detecting more strikes than you can imagine.

Legendary Ned rig pioneer Drew Reese contends shorter, lighter rods provide next-level bite detection.

“Almost everyone who’s sampled these rods says the same thing. Suddenly, they’re feeling everything. They’re immediately detecting exactly what theirlure is doing, where it goes and the intensity or hesitancy with which different fish bite.”

On a recent trip to Lake Michigan, Reese caught six bass over 5 pounds and forty over 4 pounds—all on 4-pound test braid, 1/10- and 1/15-ounce Finesse ShroomZ™ jigheads and his favorite TRD series baits. “The rod-line-lure combo allowed easy 40-yard casts, and I never lost a fish. I lent my friend Bill Ward (son of the legendary Virgil Ward) a couple of the rods, and he caught a bunch of lake trout with 3/8-ounce jigs, easily detecting every bite, even in 80 feet of water. Later, at Truman Lake, he outfished his son 7 walleyes to 0 with the rods. When he finally lent one to his son, he quickly detected four strikes in a row. While these rods certainly shine for crappie and walleye, they truly bring out all the best advantages of Ned rigging for bass.”

Reese hints that anglers wielding longer, heavier spinning rods— even with relatively light lines—only detect a fraction of the strikes—especially the subtle inhale-and-spit or ‘soft-mouthing’ variety. “You might sacrifice a few feet in casting distance versus a 7-foot rod, but you’ll offset that with a major increase in accuracy, putting the bait exactly where you want it. And in terms of bite detection, it’s not even a contest.”

Ned rig namesake Ned Kehde, who’s been field testing Drew’s rods for over a year, concurs with his old friend, expressing spontaneous joy over what he calls a renaissance in his finesse fishing endeavors. “As an outdoor writer, after decades of riding along with topnotch tournament anglers, it occurred to me that these rods won’t appeal to the competitive bass crowd. But for everyday folks who simply like to feel every bite and headshake and catch tons of bass or whatever is biting, Drew’s Rods are going to add a wonderful element of joy to their fishing.

“It’s funny, I used to refer to my style of fishing as ‘no-feel,’” Kehde admits. “But Drew’s rods have changed that to feel everything.” (Check out Ned’s in-depth article on the short rod trend at Wired2Fish.com.)

Reese reveals his favorite rod / line / lure combinations:

Drew's 5’4” – 4-pound test Fireline – 1/15-ounce Finesse ShroomZ with Finesse TRD or Finesse ShadZ™; 1/10-ounce Finesse ShroomZ with TRD TicklerZ

Drew's 5’10” – 4-pound test Fireline – 3/16-, ¼- or 3/8-ounce jigs with Finesse ShadZ, Slim SwimZ™, Jerk ShadZ™

Melding cutting-edge rod crafting with whispers of retro finesse, each element of Drew’s Ultimate Ned Rig Rods has been carefully customized and perfected by Reese, with extensive field testing by Ned Kehde himself. The first true-to-technique rod series designed precisely for light lures and lines, fine-wire hooks and exceptional bite detection, Drew’s rods were built to skyrocket daily catch-rates into the hundreds.

Available in August, Drew’s Ultimate Ned Rig Rods feature a two-year limited warranty, MSRP $169.99 (5’4”) and $179.99 (5’10”).

by AnglersChannel

American Hero Camo Family Receives New Look, Features

Columbia, S.C. – June 28, 2023 – Donning a new Hero Cam camo pattern, the new American Hero Camo family of reels and combos have been updated and upgraded with a new look and new features. Crafted with the American warrior in mind, Lew’s American Hero Camo tackle delivers on all fronts – from looks to performance.

“The American Hero program from Lew's not only offers great gear at great prices, but funds also generated from these products have created opportunities to get our veterans on the water as a means to cope and find peace of mind,” shares Jamey Caldwell, Sergeant Major (Retired) and Professional Angler.

The American Hero Camo baitcast combos feature a new, lower profile reel and one-piece graphite frame and sideplate design. Built to last, the reel features high strength solid brass Speed Gears®, a premium 6-bearing system containing stainless steel double shielded ball bearings, and an externally adjustable Magnetic Control System (MCS). The powerful American Hero Camo baitcast combo has an IM7, 1-piece graphite blank to provide the structural strength and lightweight flexibility that anglers demand and a split-grip EVA rod handle with embossed American Hero logo.

Delivering trusted Lew’s performance, the American Hero Camo spinning combos have spinning reels constructed with a solid, one-piece graphite frame, housing a 6-bearing system with stainless steel double shielded ball bearings for seamless casting day in and day out. With overall refreshed rods and actions, the new American Hero spinning combo features an IM7, 2-piece graphite blank with split-grip EVA handles with embossed American Hero logo. “As a retired combat veteran myself, I couldn't be more honored to be a part of a program that has stood behind veterans for so many years now,” says Caldwell.

MSRP:

Baitcast reels: $79.99
Spinning reels: $49.99
Baitcast combos: $119.99
Spinning combos: $84.99

by AnglersChannel

Team Lew’s Releases Redesigned, Lightweight Custom Lite Rods

Columbia, S.C. – June 28, 2023 – The team at Lew’s has worked to fine tune actions, grips, and blank materials to create the new line of Custom Lite Rods, with a specific focus on extremely lightweight components. The lineup includes 20 casting models and eight spinning models, including two BFS style casting actions designed for fishing light line and lightweight baits, such as small swimbaits, jerkbaits, ned rigs, and shakey heads on casting tackle.

“I had a blast testing and tweaking these new rods with the guys at Lew's. We've got a ton of great actions that are perfect for the way I fish,” shares Mark Zona, host of Zona's Awesome Fishing Show and co-host of Bassmaster Live.

All Custom Lite Rods have HM85 graphite blanks for sensitivity and stainless-steel guides with titanium oxide inserts for durability, with spinning rods featuring a new Comfort Plus ergonomic reel seat designed in partnership with Zona and casting rods featuring a Full Contact reel seat for direct blank contact while fishing. The new Custom Lites have split grip handles with Lew's exclusive Winn® Dri-Tac Ultra ProWeave™ Grips for all day comfort and control.

“The new Comfort Plus reel seat on these spinning rods is perfect, it's just the way I want it. It might be the most comfortable handle I've used through the years!" says Zona.

The new Custom Lite Rods pair perfectly with Custom Lite Baitcast Reel, Custom Lite SS Baitcast Reel (best with BFS action rods), and the Custom Lite Spinning Reel.

MSRP: $149.99-$179.99

by AnglersChannel

Team Lew’s Releases Lighter HyperMag Baitcast Reel

Columbia, S.C. – June 28, 2023 – Continuing to push the limits of innovation and performance, Team Lew’s has redesigned the HyperMag baitcast reel to enhance not only function, but experience. The HyperMag has been upgraded to include the P2 Super Pinion® double bearing supported pinion gear, offering a better gear mesh for smoothness and extended gear life. The ergonomic one-piece magnesium frame and C40 carbon sideplates are strong and extremely lightweight, with the reel weighing in at only 5.2 oz. The “barely-there” feel of this reel is ever-present, giving anglers the comfort and control they desire.

The new features don’t stop there – the recessed brake adjustment dial contributes to the low-profile design, the Speed Knot™ quick line attachment spool enables easy and quick line attachment, and the JDM-style Winn® handle knobs provide outstanding grip and comfort. In line with the original, the new HyperMag has a 4-pin SpeedCast® externally Adjustable Centrifugal Brake (ACB) system, 11 bearing system, Speed Keeper® hook keeper, and Speed Dial® line indicator, bringing all of the best features together in one of Lew’s lightest, most efficient baitcast reel to date.

The HyperMag reel is very heavily utilized by tournament pros and avid bass anglers, making this one of the most highly sought after Lew’s reels. “What I love about the HyperMag is you feel like it's not even there – it becomes part of you, if you know what I mean. It's just right,” shares Greg Hackney, Professional Angler in the Bassmaster Elite Series.

MSRP: $349.99

by AnglersChannel

Strike King Releases New Sexy Shad 2.0, Adds More Color Options to Hybrid Hunter Family

Columbia, SC – Strike King launches the new Sexy Shad 2.0 and adds 10 new colors to the Hybrid Hunter family. Sexy Shad, a staple color in many anglers’ arsenal, has been redesigned to enhance the eye-catching, fish-attracting effect of the original Sexy Shad. A new twist on an old favorite, Sexy Shad 2.0 is available in hard baits, spinnerbaits, jigs, and soft plastics.

“I remember working with the team in 2008 to design the original Sexy Shad color. We set the standard for the Sexy Shad color you see across the industry. And now we have set the standard again!” says Kevin VanDam, MLF Bass Pro Tour Angler.

The best grass crankbait in the industry, Hybrid Hunter, now has 10 new color options for anglers to “match the hatch” in any environment. The Hybrid Hunter is known for having a loud internal rattle system and is incredibly buoyant, allowing you to rip through grass and other cover to stay in the strike zone longer. The team at Strike King worked meticulously to hand pick legendary Strike King colors for this expansion as well as design some totally new colors, like Ghost Herring or Ghost Gill, that would excel in the Hybrid Hunter. The 10 new colors are available in all Hybrid Hunter models – junior and standard sizes in both shallow and diving models.

MSRP:

Sexy Shad 2.0: $4.99-$17.99
Hybrid Hunter: $9.99

by AnglersChannel

Strike King Releases New Crankbait Designed by KVD and Todd Castledine

Columbia, S.C. – June 28, 2023 – Delivering a wide wobble action in a bite-sized, 1.5 profile, Strike King's new Gravel
Dawg grinds through rock, wood, and grass better than any medium-diving crank bait in its class. Strike King pros Todd
Castledine and Kevin VanDam worked diligently to design the ideal, “go to” crankbait for anglers across the country.

“I can't wait for the world to get to know this crankbait. I have been fishing prototype versions of the Gravel Dawg for
over a year and I knew right away that it was going to be special!" says Kevin VanDam, MLF Bass ProTour Angler. “It runs
true through all types of cover – rock, brush, grass. Nothing stops the Gravel Dawg!”

The Gravel Dawg comes in two different versions – the Gravel Dawg 8 and Gravel Dawg 10. Both sizes keep the same
body profile and size, but the bill changes between the two to achieve different diving depths. These baits will have you
covered in the 5-10 ft. range throughout all parts of the country. We recommend grabbing your favorite Lew’s medium
diving crankbait rod and going to work with the all-new Gravel Dawg.

“Those new craw patterns are going to excel in the Gravel Dawg. We work with one of the most talented custom lure
painters in the world when we develop new colors, and these are a work of art. We added in a few new shad patterns as
well, to really round out the color assortment for year-round success in every situation!” says VanDam.

MSRP: $9.99

by AnglersChannel

Strike King Expands Legendary Jerkbait Selection with New KVD Elite, Sinking Series

Columbia, S.C. – June 28, 2023 – Adding depth to an already robust jerkbait collection, Strike King introduces the new
KVD J300 Deep Sinking Jerkbait and an even wider color selection to the KVD Elite Jerkbait line up.
The KVD Elite Jerkbait is tournament ready right out of the package with upgraded Mustad Triple Grip hooks and
premium paint finishes. It maintains the action of the legendary Strike King jerkbaits.

“I am really excited to bring my KVD Elite Jerkbait series into the 200 and 300 Deep bodies. We spent a lot of time
tweaking these colors to make them the best they could be. With my signature Mustad Triple Grip Hooks already on the
baits, these are tournament winners right out of the package!” says Kevin VanDam, MLF Bass Pro Tour Angler.

The new KVD J300 Deep Sinking Jerkbait allows you to fish a jerkbait in depths that no other jerkbait can get to. Watch it
sink down on your forward-facing sonar until it gets to the depth you desire, then start ripping it back to the boat and
watch the fish go crazy. The jerkbait is weighted perfectly to sink nearly 0.5-feet per second and maintains the amazing
erratic action of the standard KVD 300 Deep Jerkbait.

“I’ve spent a lot of time playing with the KVD J300 Deep Sinking Jerkbait and utilizing weights to allow me to fish deeper.
We've added some weight to the new KVD J300 Deep Sinking Jerkbait without compromising the action of the lure. I can
watch it sink right down to fish on my Humminbird LIVE that I could never reach with a jerkbait... until now!” says Mark
Zona, host of Zona's Awesome Fishing Show and co-host of Bassmaster Live.

MSRP:

KVD Elite J200 & J300: $14.99
KVD J300 Deep Sinking Jerkbait: $11.99

by AnglersChannel

Lew’s Releases New Tournament Grade MACH Jacked Combos

Columbia, S.C. – June 28, 2023 – Take your passion for the chase one step further with the new MACH Jacked combos. MACH Jacked combos are the most premium, tournament-quality combos ever offered from MACH – available in spinning and baitcast models.

“These combos are truly the best combos the market has ever seen. Extremely lightweight, extremely sensitive. Take them to fish a derby this Saturday from a bass boat or kayak or be locked and loaded to tackle a local pond,” shares Tony
Mehrl, Brand Manager for Lew's.

Delivering heightened precision and control, the baitcast combos feature a premium 10-bearing system with stainless steel double shielded ball bearings, a Multi-Setting Brake system (MSB) with internally adjustable centrifugal braking pins and externally adjustable magnetic braking, and come available in five bass-focused, tournament level lengths and actions for avid anglers.

The spinning combos provide unquestionable performance with a premium 10-bearing system, lightweight C40 carbon rotor with one piece bail, an extremely smooth drag system, and a new Comfort Plus ergonomic spinning reel seat, available in three bass-focused, tournament level lengths and actions for weekend warriors and fierce competitors alike.

Both spinning and baitcast combos are built with extremely lightweight Tanso Tech reel frames and HM50 rod blanks with Winn® Dri-Tac Ultra ProWeave™ split grip rod handles and reel handle knobs, providing the texture and appearance of carbon weave matched with the extreme comfort and feel of Winn Ultra material.

“I promise you, the reels used in these combos will stand up against the best out there on the market. They are extremely lightweight, extremely smooth, and are up to the task in really any scenario. They're ready to roll,” Mehrl says.

MSRP:

Spinning: $249.99
Baitcast: $259.99

by AnglersChannel

New Bitsy Family Adds Additional Size Options to Popular Strike King Baits

Columbia, S.C. – June 28, 2023 – Strike King releases the new Bitsy family, a line up of four popular Strike King baits now
available in a “bitsy” size. Anglers can find some of their favorite Strike King baits – like the Sexy Dawg, KVD Splash, Red
Eyed Shad – in a super small finesse profile that will catch fish from coast-to-coast, anywhere there is water.

“We built these baits with one goal in mind – to offer a lineup of baits that anglers at every level can use to catch a ton
of fish,” says Lucas Murphy, Strike King Brand Manager. The Bitsy family provides a finesse profile that can be more
efficient at triggering finicky bites. The team at Strike King ensured that all Bitsy lures were built to provide all the same
benefits as the originals, just in a smaller package. “Everyone gets excited when they get their hands on the new Bitsy
products. We made sure that they match the quality and action of their full-sized siblings,” Murphy shares.

The full Bitsy family includes the Bitsy Dawg, Bitsy Splash, Bitsy Red Eyed Shad, Bitsy Jerkbait and Bitsy Spinner which is
available in 1/16 oz., 1/8 oz., 1/4 oz., and 3/8 oz. Not only will these help anglers catch a boatload of bass, but countless
other species have been falling victim to these new Bitsy products. Bass, trout, panfish – no fish is safe when Bitsy rolls
into town!

MSRP:

Bitsy Spinner: $3.99
All other Bitsy products: $5.99

by AnglersChannel

Strike King Releases New, More Efficient S11 “Spotlight” Yellow Lenses for Enhanced Visibility

Columbia, S.C. – June 28, 2023 – Strike King releases the S11 “Spotlight” Yellow lens color, agreed upon to be the most effective color for identifying movement and structure under the water, especially in dim conditions. Strike King’s new Spotlight Yellow lenses are the absolute #1 pick among Strike King Pro Staff during the entire year. S11 polarization with the yellow mirror finish work together to function as a “spotlight” for anglers to see further beneath the water than any other lens color. These lenses are extremely impactful when fishing in low light conditions, whether early in the morning, late in the evening, or during cloudy afternoons. The Spotlight Yellow bi-gradient lens is available in two frame colors, matte gray or matte black, and in four different frame styles – Pickwick, Okeechobee, Caddo, and the new Eutaw. The solid, matte-colored frames assist in blocking out outside light and glare, enhancing the effectiveness of the glasses.

“I will use this 'Spotlight' Yellow lens 90% of the time. Whether you are actually looking at the fish, or just looking for cover beneath the surface that the fish may be holding on, looking through these lenses is similar to shining a ‘spotlight’ on them – they can't hide,” says Greg Hackney, Professional Angler in the Bassmaster Elite Series.

Look and fish like a pro without breaking the bank – S11 “Spotlight” Yellow glasses are available in any frame for $39.99.

MSRP: $39.99

by AnglersChannel

Strike King Adds to Their Legendary Rage Tail Plastics Line Up

Columbia, S.C. – June 28, 2023 – The Rage Hawk and the Rage Luau Craw are the newest additions to the long line of Rage Tail Plastics from Strike King. Rage products are commonly identified by the patented Rage appendages found on the arms and claws of the products. Both the Rage Hawk and Rage Luau Craw build upon the traditional Rage style to push the limits of innovation and entice more bites.

Rage Hawk is 3.25” and features a super compact profile, with two Rage arms extending from the side of the bait. It is able to fit up to a 5/0 hook in its smaller body style, increasing hook up ratios and presenting fish with the perfect, snack-sized bite for finicky bass. “The Rage Hawk packs a big punch. It's an awesome option for when you're getting a lot of short strikes or just want to show them something different,” says Andy Montgomery, MLF Bass Pro Professional Angler.

Rage Luau Craw is built from the body of the most famous craw-shaped soft bait in the world – Strike King’s Rage Craw. With the addition of a soft plastic skirt to the tip of the Rage Craw, the team at Strike King successfully designed the first “luau-style” soft bait of its kind, surprising fish with something they’ve never seen before. “[Rage] Luau Craw was built to party, if you know what I mean. You can pitch it, flip it, Texas rig it... it has no limits,” says Greg Hackney, Bassmaster Elite Series Professional Angler.

Along with the introduction of Rage Hawk and Rage Luau Craw, Strike King has also released the popular Rage Scounbug in a bulkier size. “In my opinion, the Scounbug is the perfect soft plastic bait for every application... period. You can pitch it, flip it, cast it, Carolina rig it, and man is it good as a jig/swim jig trailer!” says Mark Rose.

A perfect match for any Rage Tail soft plastic, Strike King also introduces the new Tour Grade Rage Swimmin’ Head is built with an exceptional keeper to hold your soft bait in place. The lower keeper extends the weight of the jighead throughout the belly of the swimbait, allowing the bait to swim perfectly horizontal with the surface of the water. “I spend a lot of time with a swimbait in my hand – specifically a Rage Swimmer. We built this head to be the ultimate Rage Swimmer jighead,” says Tristan McCormick, Professional Angler.

MSRP:

Rage Plastics: $6.99
Tour Grade Rage Swimmin’ Head: $5.99 for pack of 3

by AnglersChannel

Wiesner claims B.A.S.S. Nation Northern Regional win on home waters of Winnebago

Josh Wiesner of Fon du Lac, Wis., has won the 2023 TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Northern Regional at Lake Winnebago with a three-day total of 44 pounds, 3 ounces.

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

June 30, 2023

MENASHA, Wis. — The TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Northern Regional at Lake Winnebago was a challenge for every competitor, but hometown angler Josh Wiesner figured out the finicky smallmouth bite the best.

Wiesner, who lives in Oakfield, near the southern shore of Lake Winnebago, caught a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 44 pounds, 3 ounces. It was a hard-earned victory that came with a $6,000 prize, part of a $40,650 total cash purse divvied among the best of the week’s competitors.

Wiesner bagged a limit of 14-2 on Friday, which followed his earlier limits of 15-2 and 14-15. He took the lead on Day 2 and slammed the door with authority on Friday, finishing the derby more than 5 1/2 pounds ahead of his nearest competitor.

Wiesner acknowledged Winnebago can be stingy at times, but the 45-year-old angler said the wind that blew Friday helped his cause.

“When I pre-fished on Sunday, the wind was blowing and the fish were biting,” he said. “I had a limit in less than an hour today. It was 6:54 a.m. It was only 8 pounds, but I lost a couple 3-pounders right next to the boat … and I hadn’t lost any fish like that in the tournament otherwise. Then the wind kicked up and I told my partner we’d start clobbering them, and we did.”

Wiesner estimated he had 40 bites on Friday, though not all of them were keepers. Still, his output was better than some who didn’t have that many bites the entire tournament.

Wiesner said his best bites came around rocks in anywhere from 4 to 9 feet of water. His main lures were a 2 3/4-inch tube bait (green pumpkin/orange flake) and a Bass Assassin Skunk Ape (also green pumpkin).

“They were feeding on crawfish and shiners,” Wiesner said. “I could see them on the Garmin LiveScope and would watch the fish eat the bait. About half the time it happened when the lure was still falling. The other half, I’d shake the line and one would grab it and take off.”

Wiesner’s win earned him a spot in the 2023 TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Championship on Lake Hartwell on Oct. 18-20 in South Carolina. It’ll be his first trip to the Nation title event.

He said he’s primarily competed in walleye events in more than 25 years of tournament fishing, so to win a B.A.S.S. Nation tournament against some of the best anglers from 10 different states was a statement victory.

“It’s exciting to take the bass thing to the next level,” he said. “This is something different for me and it could be the next part of my journey.”

The tournament featured 100 competitors in both angler and co-angler fields, with the field trimmed to the Top 26 in each on Friday. The Top 10 in both divisions advanced to October’s championship on Hartwell.

Rounding out the Top 5 in the angler division were second, South Dakota’s Troy Diede, 38-10, $3,000; third, Ohio’s B.J. Baxter, 38-8, $2,000; fourth, Minnesota’s Jay Swanson, 38-2, $1,500; and Wisconsin’s Lonnie Peterson, 37-10, $1,000.

Robert Swem, of Buchanan, Mich., won the Phoenix Boats Big Bass award of $500 for the 4-9 he caught Thursday. Wiesner won an additional $500 for being the highest-placing angler using Garmin electronics.

Tyler Guthmiller, a Yankton, S.D., resident who qualified through the South Dakota B.A.S.S. Nation, won the co-angler championship with eight bass totaling 20-14. He collected a $2,750 cash prize for the win.

Top 5 co-anglers at Winnebago were, second, Wisconsin’s Bryan Schumacher, 19-1, $1,500; third, Wisconsin’s Dylan Esselman, 18-12, $1,000; fourth, Minnesota’s Miles Lausch, 15-13, $600; and fifth, Indiana’s Carl Bowser, 15-7, $500.

Nebraska’s Leray Anderson II caught a 3-13 on Day 1 to claim a $250 prize for Phoenix Boats Big Bass among co-anglers.

This week’s tournament was the first B.A.S.S. Nation visit to Lake Winnebago since 2008 and the fourth of five regular-season Nation stops in 2023, following tournaments on the Arkansas River in Oklahoma, Douglas Lake in Tennessee and the Potomoc River in Maryland. The fifth will be held on Arizona’s Lake Powell on Aug. 30-Sept 1., followed by the championship on Hartwell.

The Top 3 anglers from the Nation Championship will win spots in the 2024 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Toyota when it’s held March 22-24 on Grand Lake O’ The Cherokees in Tulsa, Okla. The winner at Hartwell also will earn a berth into the 2024 Bassmaster Elite Series as well as use of a fully-rigged, Nation’s Best Toyota Tundra truck and Nitro boat.

The tournament was hosted by the Fox Cities Convention and Visitors Bureau.

2023 B.A.S.S. Nation Title Sponsor: TNT Fireworks

2023 B.A.S.S. Nation Platinum Sponsor: Toyota
2023 B.A.S.S. Nation Premier Sponsors: Bass Pro Shops, Dakota Lithium, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Progressive Insurance, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha
2023 B.A.S.S. Nation Supporting Sponsors: AFTCO, Daiwa, Garmin, Lew's, Marathon, Triton Boats, VMC

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

About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S., which encompasses the Bassmaster tournament leagues, events and media platforms, is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting-edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 500,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), TV show, radio show, social media programs and events. For more than 50 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.

The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Bassmaster Elite Series, St. Croix Bassmaster Opens Series, TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Series, Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Strike King Bassmaster High School Series presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors, Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Team Championship, Yamaha Rightwaters Bassmaster Kayak Series powered by TourneyX, Yamaha Bassmaster Redfish Cup Championship presented by Skeeter and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Toyota.

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Media Contact: Emily Harley, B.A.S.S. Communications Manager, 205-313-0945, eharley@bassmaster.com

2023 TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation

2023 TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Northern Regional 6/28-6/30
Lake Winnebago, Menasha WI.
(BOATER) Standings Day 3

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

1. Josh Wiesner Fon du Lac, WI (WI) 15 44-03 0
2. Troy Diede Sioux Falls, SD (SD) 15 38-10 0
3. BJ Baxter Willshire, OH (OH) 15 38-08 0
4. Jay Swanson Lakeville, MN (MN) 14 38-02 0
5. Lonnie Peterson Chippewa Falls, WI (WI) 15 37-10 0
6. Brian Hensley Edwardsburg, MI (IN) 14 37-06 0
7. Taylor Umland Carlock, IL (IL) 14 36-09 0
8. Justin Kohl Hastings, NE (SD) 15 36-06 0
9. Bill Baker Winnebago, IL (IL) 15 35-11 0
10. Curtis Samo Rochelle, IL (IL) 15 35-01 0
11. Adam Hamann Prairie Du Chien, IA (I 12 34-02 0
12. Casey Morgan Byron, IL (IL) 15 34-02 0
13. Nic Rand Kalamazoo, MI (MI) 14 33-08 0
14. Casey Hoffman New London, WI (WI) 15 33-07 0
15. Troy Kilgas Combined Locks, WI (WI) 14 32-07 0
16. Brock Gullixon Lola, WI (WI) 14 32-00 0
17. Dan Mohn Lansing, IA (IA) 13 31-05 0
18. Joseph Sanderson Channahon, IL (IL) 14 31-03 0
19. Ryan Koehn-Lofts Ada, MI (MI) 13 31-02 0
20. Dan Welsh Elko New Mrkt, MN (MN) 11 29-05 0
21. Blake Knies Jasper, IN (IN) 12 29-01 0
22. Tyler Darling Rapid City, SD (ND) 12 24-14 0
23. Jerry Pape Bella Vista, AR (NE) 12 23-05 0
24. Joe May Luverne, MN (ND) 11 21-05 0
25. Andrew Behnke Fond Du Lac, WI (WI) 10 19-15 0
26. Andrew Paulsen Marion, IA (IA) 8 19-08 0
27. Robert Hime Odessa, MO (NE) 10 19-07 0
28. Scott Cremeans Albany, OH (OH) 10 18-13 0
29. Brian Perzentka Oshkosh, WI (WI) 9 18-10 0
30. Shane Peters Shelbyville, IN (IN) 10 18-10 0
31. Denny Cook Auburn, IN (MI) 8 18-08 0
32. Adam Crigger Le Claire, IA (IA) 7 18-03 0
33. Jim Blumenstein Bolingbrook, IL (IL) 8 17-02 0
34. Robert Swem Buchanan, MI (MI) 7 17-01 0
35. Brad Norris Hudson, IL (IL) 7 17-00 0
36. Bob Bayless Indianapolis, IN (IN) 9 16-10 0
37. Michael Rubino Hoffman Est, IL (IL) 8 16-07 0
38. Justin Schneider New London, MN (MN) 6 16-02 0
39. Eric Ritter Albertville, MN (MN) 9 16-01 0
40. Brian Bengtson Bloomington, MN (MN) 9 15-13 0
41. Monty Fralick Martin, SD (SD) 6 15-08 0
42. Kyle Waller Thornville, OH (OH) 6 15-06 0
43. Jeremiah Acton Shelbyville, MI (MI) 9 15-05 0
44. Matt Reagan Allendale, MI (MI) 8 15-02 0
45. Jeremy Tenwalde Fort Jennings, OH (OH) 6 15-00 0
46. Jesse Weener Holland, MI (MI) 8 14-11 0
47. Tom Forrester Solsberry, IN (IN) 7 14-07 0
48. Mike Obal Jr Springfield, NE (NE) 7 14-06 0
49. Rick Sawyer Albion, IN (MI) 6 14-02 0
50. Jason Citta Hershey, NE (NE) 7 13-14 0
51. Mathew Bertram Worthington, OH (OH) 5 13-07 0
52. Donald Roberts Bellville, OH (OH) 6 13-03 0
53. Brock Belik Orchard, NE (SD) 6 12-15 0
54. Kobie Koenig Cohassett, MN (MN) 6 12-13 0
55. Justin Rowe New Auburn, WI (WI) 6 12-11 0
56. Tyler Wolf Creston, IA (NE) 5 12-09 0
57. Kevin Schleeter Fort Jennings, OH (OH) 6 12-07 0
58. Bryan Close Fairbank, IA (IA) 6 12-01 0
59. Peter Tuls Grand Haven, MI (MI) 6 11-15 0
60. Daniel Fabiano Maple Grove, MN (MN) 6 11-14 0
61. Tanner Bock Davenport, IA (IA) 6 11-10 0
62. Allex Conner Delaware, OH (OH) 5 11-03 0
63. Eugene Sherman Hartland, WI (WI) 5 11-02 0
64. Blake Albertson BLOOMINGTON, IN (IN) 5 10-15 0
65. Shane Stiehl Pierre, SD (SD) 5 10-09 0
66. Grant Farmer Aberdeen, SD (ND) 4 10-05 0
67. Mark Nies Cannelton, IN (IN) 5 10-04 0
68. Andy Toft Canton, SD (SD) 5 10-00 0
69. Lance Jensen Saint Francis, MN (MN) 5 10-00 0
70. Ben Stacy Cincinnati, OH (OH) 5 09-14 0
71. John Wadsworth Killdeer, ND (ND) 4 09-02 0
72. Owen Hentschel Traverse City, MI (MI) 5 08-12 0
73. Kyle Pohjola Oshkosh, WI (WI) 5 08-04 0
74. Danny Ryan Jr Louisville, KY (OH) 5 08-03 0
75. Tom Logue Tyndall, SD (SD) 3 08-01 0
76. Ed Bauer Mooresville, IN (IN) 4 08-00 0
77. Chris Brokman Council Bluffs, IA (NE) 4 07-15 0
78. Dave McCoy Plattsmouth, NE (NE) 4 07-14 0
79. Harry Ladner Jr Estelline, SD (ND) 3 07-11 0
80. Jeff Smith Avon, IN (IN) 4 07-07 0
81. Jason Boswell Corning, IA (NE) 3 07-04 0
82. Thomas Reding Papillion, NE (NE) 3 07-03 0
83. Nicholas King Tinley Park, IL (IL) 3 07-02 0
84. Justin Hill Center City, MN (MN) 3 06-15 0
85. Bryce Hauf Winner, SD (SD) 3 06-14 0
86. George Brown Camby, IN (IN) 3 06-10 0
87. Cody Oberfoell Marion, IA (IA) 3 06-05 0
87. Bob Slama Harrisburg, SD (SD) 3 06-05 0
89. Jared Knuth Wahoo, NE (NE) 3 06-01 0
90. Mike Towe Braidwood, IL (IL) 3 05-14 0
91. Ross Olson Brooten, MN (MN) 3 05-00 0
92. Aaron Faulk Long Grove, IA (IA) 2 04-05 0
93. Joe Moyer Dubuque, IA (IA) 2 04-00 0
94. Collin Tweten Decorah, IA (IA) 2 03-15 0
95. Tony Reinbold Timber Lake, SD (ND) 2 03-13 0
96. Michael Messall Bismarck, ND (ND) 2 03-07 0
97. Casey Briggs Highmore, SD (ND) 2 03-04 0
98. Justin Welch Sioux Falls, SD (ND) 1 01-11 0
99. Aaron Coe Lake Benton, MN (ND) 0 -1-00 0
99. Cliff Van Beek Canistota, SD (SD) 0 -1-00 0
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 36 336 751-08
2 35 286 631-06
3 15 107 255-03
----------------------------------
86 729 1638-01

TEAM STANDINGS Day 3
----------------------------------
State Lbs-Oz
1 WISCONSIN 318-13
2 ILLINOIS 317-04
3 INDIANA 240-04
4 MINNESOTA 228-15
5 MICHIGAN 223-06
6 OHIO 212-06
7 IOWA 202-14
8 NEBRASKA 200-01
9 SOUTH DAKOTA 182-08
10 NORTH DAKOTA 168-07

INDIVIDUAL STANDINGS Day 3
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

IOWA
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Adam Hamann Prairie Du Chien, IA 12 34-02 0
2 Dan Mohn Lansing, IA 13 31-05 0
3 Andrew Paulsen Marion, IA 8 19-08 0
4 Adam Crigger Le Claire, IA 7 18-03 0
5 Bryan Close Fairbank, IA 6 12-01 0
6 Tanner Bock Davenport, IA 6 11-10 0
7 Cody Oberfoell Marion, IA 3 06-05 0
8 Aaron Faulk Long Grove, IA 2 04-05 0
9 Joe Moyer Dubuque, IA 2 04-00 0
10 Collin Tweten Decorah, IA 2 03-15 0

ILLINOIS
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Taylor Umland Carlock, IL 14 36-09 0
2 Bill Baker Winnebago, IL 15 35-11 0
3 Curtis Samo Rochelle, IL 15 35-01 0
4 Casey Morgan Byron, IL 15 34-02 0
5 Joseph Sanderson Channahon, IL 14 31-03 0
6 Jim Blumenstein Bolingbrook, IL 8 17-02 0
7 Brad Norris Hudson, IL 7 17-00 0
8 Michael Rubino Hoffman Est, IL 8 16-07 0
9 Nicholas King Tinley Park, IL 3 07-02 0
10 Mike Towe Braidwood, IL 3 05-14 0

INDIANA
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Brian Hensley Edwardsburg, MI 14 37-06 0
2 Blake Knies Jasper, IN 12 29-01 0
3 Shane Peters Shelbyville, IN 10 18-10 0
4 Bob Bayless Indianapolis, IN 9 16-10 0
5 Tom Forrester Solsberry, IN 7 14-07 0
6 Blake Albertson BLOOMINGTON, IN 5 10-15 0
7 Mark Nies Cannelton, IN 5 10-04 0
8 Ed Bauer Mooresville, IN 4 08-00 0
9 Jeff Smith Avon, IN 4 07-07 0
10 George Brown Camby, IN 3 06-10 0

MICHIGAN
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Nic Rand Kalamazoo, MI 14 33-08 0
2 Ryan Koehn-Lofts Ada, MI 13 31-02 0
3 Denny Cook Auburn, IN 8 18-08 0
4 Robert Swem Buchanan, MI 7 17-01 0
5 Jeremiah Acton Shelbyville, MI 9 15-05 0
6 Matt Reagan Allendale, MI 8 15-02 0
7 Jesse Weener Holland, MI 8 14-11 0
8 Rick Sawyer Albion, IN 6 14-02 0
9 Peter Tuls Grand Haven, MI 6 11-15 0
10 Owen Hentschel Traverse City, MI 5 08-12 0

MINNESOTA
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Jay Swanson Lakeville, MN 14 38-02 0
2 Dan Welsh Elko New Mrkt, MN 11 29-05 0
3 Justin Schneider New London, MN 6 16-02 0
4 Eric Ritter Albertville, MN 9 16-01 0
5 Brian Bengtson Bloomington, MN 9 15-13 0
6 Kobie Koenig Cohassett, MN 6 12-13 0
7 Daniel Fabiano Maple Grove, MN 6 11-14 0
8 Lance Jensen Saint Francis, MN 5 10-00 0
9 Justin Hill Center City, MN 3 06-15 0
10 Ross Olson Brooten, MN 3 05-00 0

OHIO
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 BJ Baxter Willshire, OH 15 38-08 0
2 Scott Cremeans Albany, OH 10 18-13 0
3 Kyle Waller Thornville, OH 6 15-06 0
4 Jeremy Tenwalde Fort Jennings, OH 6 15-00 0
5 Mathew Bertram Worthington, OH 5 13-07 0
6 Donald Roberts Bellville, OH 6 13-03 0
7 Kevin Schleeter Fort Jennings, OH 6 12-07 0
8 Allex Conner Delaware, OH 5 11-03 0
9 Ben Stacy Cincinnati, OH 5 09-14 0
10 Danny Ryan Jr Louisville, KY 5 08-03 0

SOUTH DAKOTA
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Troy Diede Sioux Falls, SD 15 38-10 0
2 Justin Kohl Hastings, NE 15 36-06 0
3 Monty Fralick Martin, SD 6 15-08 0
4 Brock Belik Orchard, NE 6 12-15 0
5 Shane Stiehl Pierre, SD 5 10-09 0
6 Andy Toft Canton, SD 5 10-00 0
7 Tom Logue Tyndall, SD 3 08-01 0
8 Bryce Hauf Winner, SD 3 06-14 0
9 Bob Slama Harrisburg, SD 3 06-05 0
10 Cliff Van Beek Canistota, SD 0 -1-00 0

WISCONSIN
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Josh Wiesner Fon du Lac, WI 15 44-03 0
2 Lonnie Peterson Chippewa Falls, WI 15 37-10 0
3 Casey Hoffman New London, WI 15 33-07 0
4 Troy Kilgas Combined Locks, WI 14 32-07 0
5 Brock Gullixon Lola, WI 14 32-00 0
6 Andrew Behnke Fond Du Lac, WI 10 19-15 0
7 Brian Perzentka Oshkosh, WI 9 18-10 0
8 Justin Rowe New Auburn, WI 6 12-11 0
9 Eugene Sherman Hartland, WI 5 11-02 0
10 Kyle Pohjola Oshkosh, WI 5 08-04 0

NEBRASKA
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Jerry Pape Bella Vista, AR 12 23-05 0
2 Robert Hime Odessa, MO 10 19-07 0
3 Mike Obal Jr Springfield, NE 7 14-06 0
4 Jason Citta Hershey, NE 7 13-14 0
5 Tyler Wolf Creston, IA 5 12-09 0
6 Chris Brokman Council Bluffs, IA 4 07-15 0
7 Dave McCoy Plattsmouth, NE 4 07-14 0
8 Jason Boswell Corning, IA 3 07-04 0
9 Thomas Reding Papillion, NE 3 07-03 0
10 Jared Knuth Wahoo, NE 3 06-01 0

NORTH DAKOTA
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Tyler Darling Rapid City, SD 12 24-14 0
2 Joe May Luverne, MN 11 21-05 0
3 Grant Farmer Aberdeen, SD 4 10-05 0
4 John Wadsworth Killdeer, ND 4 09-02 0
5 Harry Ladner Jr Estelline, SD 3 07-11 0
6 Tony Reinbold Timber Lake, SD 2 03-13 0
7 Michael Messall Bismarck, ND 2 03-07 0
8 Casey Briggs Highmore, SD 2 03-04 0
9 Justin Welch Sioux Falls, SD 1 01-11 0
10 Aaron Coe Lake Benton, MN 0 -1-00 0

2023 TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Northern Regional 6/28-6/30
Lake Winnebago, Menasha WI.
(NON_BOATER) Standings Day 3

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

1. Tyler Guthmiller Yankton, SD (ND) 8 20-14 0
2. Bryan Schumacher Sparta, WI (WI) 9 19-01 0
3. Dylan Esselman Appleton, WI (WI) 8 16-12 0
4. Miles Lausch Lakeville, MN (MN) 8 15-13 0
5. Carl Bowser Indianapolis, IN (IN) 7 15-07 0
6. Alex Ellerbrock Sugar Grove, IL (IL) 6 15-04 0
7. Chris Rhodes Eaton, IN (IN) 7 15-03 0
8. Will Presley Jr Grove City, OH (OH) 7 14-12 0
9. Cameron Welch Raymore, MO (ND) 6 14-07 0
10. Hunter Frederickson Redford, MI (MI) 7 14-05 0
11. Perry See Rochester, MN (MN) 7 14-01 0
12. Blake Macumber Elkhorn, NE (NE) 6 13-04 0
13. Shon Smith Dubois, IN (IN) 6 12-14 0
14. Alan Bernicky Joliet, IL (IL) 6 12-04 0
15. Dennis Davis Avon, IN (IN) 6 12-03 0
16. Wes Gehrt Bloomington, IL (IL) 5 12-01 0
17. Leray Anderson II Crofton, NE (SD) 4 11-04 0
18. Alfonso Garcia Jr Mccook, NE (NE) 5 11-04 0
19. Braden Fairbanks Grove City, OH (OH) 5 11-02 0
20. AJ Mende Bellevue, NE (NE) 5 11-00 0
21. Cory Lorts Sharpsville, IN (IN) 5 10-08 0
22. Cordell Wadsworth Killdeer, ND (ND) 5 10-07 0
23. Jerry Duncklee Fayette, IA (IA) 5 10-01 0
24. Shawn Van Gerpen Sioux Falls, SD (SD) 5 09-05 0
25. Bryan Freyermuth Muscatine, IA (IA) 4 09-02 0
26. Larry Sallis Herculaneum, MO (NE) 4 08-06 0
27. John Peterson Norfolk, NE (NE) 4 08-05 0
28. Ryan Etringer Wrightstown, WI (WI) 4 08-00 0
29. Charles Capehart Olathe, KS (NE) 4 07-15 0
30. Ted Prisbe Harsens Island, MI (MI 4 07-12 0
31. Dustin Hartzer Mc Cook, NE (NE) 4 07-11 0
32. Kris Lewis Cicero, IN (IN) 4 07-09 0
33. Eddie Gad Braidwood, IL (IL) 4 07-06 0
34. Colten Didion Mount Vernon, OH (OH) 3 07-04 0
35. Lenny Beatty Sandwich, IL (IL) 3 07-03 0
36. Jacob Lange Marion, IA (IA) 3 07-01 0
37. Paul Reinbold Gladstone, ND (ND) 3 07-01 0
38. Wyatt Stout Winona, MN (WI) 4 06-15 0
39. Bobby May Marshall, MN (ND) 3 06-13 0
40. Dalton Krueger Watertown, SD (ND) 3 06-12 0
41. Austin Moore Washburn, IL (IL) 3 06-06 0
42. David Hentschel Traverse City, MI (MI) 3 06-06 0
43. Kristopher Gaertner Morris, IL (IL) 2 06-03 0
44. Ben Rand Kalamazoo, MI (MI) 3 06-03 0
45. Matt Ploof Coon Rapids, MN (MN) 3 06-02 0
46. Adam Schirmer Lakefield, MN (ND) 3 06-02 0
47. Jimmy Wolverton Fridley, MN (MN) 3 06-00 0
48. Kenny Nachtman Bellevue, IA (IA) 3 06-00 0
49. Tim Garner Carol Stream, IL (IL) 3 05-15 0
50. Jody Adkins Navarre, OH (OH) 4 05-15 0
51. Russell Smith IV Green Bay, WI (WI) 3 05-11 0
52. George Cavers Carlos, MN (MN) 3 05-11 0
53. Mark Borchers Akron, IA (NE) 2 05-11 0
54. Coleton Usher Atkins, IA (IA) 3 05-10 0
55. Tanner Albrecht Lonsdale, MN (MN) 3 05-10 0
56. Zackary Ekberg Rapid City, SD (ND) 2 05-10 0
57. Dave Rahrig Delphos, OH (OH) 3 05-09 0
58. Matteo Turano Puryear, TN (IL) 2 05-08 0
59. Patrick Stradal Minneapolis, MN (MN) 3 05-03 0
60. Mark Folsom Waterville, IA (IA) 2 05-02 0
61. Billy Ray Plattsmouth, NE (NE) 2 05-00 0
62. Ryan Schell Baraboo, WI (WI) 3 04-14 0
63. Justin Shepard Lansing, IA (IA) 2 04-11 0
64. Donald Merryfield Des Moines, IA (IA) 2 04-10 0
65. Ryan Kriegel Delphos, OH (OH) 2 04-06 0
66. Rylen Coe Lake Benton, MN (ND) 2 04-01 0
67. Allen Howard Cincinnati, OH (OH) 2 03-15 0
68. Jason Thomas Farmington, MN (MN) 2 03-15 0
69. Ryan Volquardsen Creighton, NE (SD) 2 03-11 0
70. Tim Flaherty Sarasota, FL (WI) 2 03-07 0
71. Joseph Klym West Bloomfield, MI (MI 2 03-01 0
72. Rodney Pieper Yankton, SD (SD) 3 03-00 0
73. Keith Ringger Hudson, IL (IL) 1 02-15 0
74. Dillon Sears Mason City, IA (IA) 2 02-13 0
75. Jordan Brown Broken Arrow, OK (SD) 1 02-12 0
75. James Maynard Marysville, OH (OH) 1 02-12 0
77. Ty Kenyon Dodgeville, WI (IA) 1 02-06 0
78. Logan Stensrud Rogers, MN (MN) 1 02-04 0
79. Todd Seeger Roseville, MN (MN) 1 02-03 0
80. Michael Cook Auburn, IN (MI) 1 02-00 0
80. Elias Smith Jasper, IN (IN) 1 02-00 0
82. Jeff Korb Omaha, NE (SD) 1 01-15 0
83. Nick Schommer Milwaukee, WI (WI) 1 01-14 0
83. Owen Worthington Kenosha, WI (WI) 1 01-14 0
85. Brett Feenstra Jenison, MI (MI) 1 01-13 0
85. Bradley Hostetler Bargersville, IN (IN) 1 01-13 0
87. Rob Campbell III Martinsville, IN (IN) 1 01-12 0
87. Angela Messall Bismarck, ND (ND) 1 01-12 0
87. Brian Wilson Interlochen, MI (MI) 1 01-12 0
90. Paul Huse Omaha, NE (NE) 1 01-11 0
90. Brandon Logue Greenwood, NE (SD) 1 01-11 0
92. Scott Pitlick Pierre, SD (SD) 1 01-10 0
93. Travis Scholz Lizton, IN (IN) 1 01-09 0
94. Craig Cottam Hastings, NE (SD) 1 01-08 0
94. Loran Moore Yankton, SD (SD) 1 01-08 0
96. Al Evans Jr Urbana, OH (OH) 1 00-11 0
97. Paul Andorfer Albion , IN (MI) 0 00-00 0
97. Kaleb Parsell Caro, MI (MI) 0 00-00 0
97. Phillip Rummel Jr Mount Vernon, OH (OH) 0 00-00 0
97. Colin Yohe Chippewa Falls, WI (WI) 0 00-00 0
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 21 128 268-12
2 24 149 316-11
3 5 36 71-06
----------------------------------
50 313 656-13

INDIVIDUAL STANDINGS Day 3
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

IOWA
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Jerry Duncklee Fayette, IA 5 10-01 0
2 Bryan Freyermuth Muscatine, IA 4 09-02 0
3 Jacob Lange Marion, IA 3 07-01 0
4 Kenny Nachtman Bellevue, IA 3 06-00 0
5 Coleton Usher Atkins, IA 3 05-10 0
6 Mark Folsom Waterville, IA 2 05-02 0
7 Justin Shepard Lansing, IA 2 04-11 0
8 Donald Merryfield Des Moines, IA 2 04-10 0
9 Dillon Sears Mason City, IA 2 02-13 0
10 Ty Kenyon Dodgeville, WI 1 02-06 0

ILLINOIS
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Alex Ellerbrock Sugar Grove, IL 6 15-04 0
2 Alan Bernicky Joliet, IL 6 12-04 0
3 Wes Gehrt Bloomington, IL 5 12-01 0
4 Eddie Gad Braidwood, IL 4 07-06 0
5 Lenny Beatty Sandwich, IL 3 07-03 0
6 Austin Moore Washburn, IL 3 06-06 0
7 Kristopher Gaertner Morris, IL 2 06-03 0
8 Tim Garner Carol Stream, IL 3 05-15 0
9 Matteo Turano Puryear, TN 2 05-08 0
10 Keith Ringger Hudson, IL 1 02-15 0

INDIANA
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Carl Bowser Indianapolis, IN 7 15-07 0
2 Chris Rhodes Eaton, IN 7 15-03 0
3 Shon Smith Dubois, IN 6 12-14 0
4 Dennis Davis Avon, IN 6 12-03 0
5 Cory Lorts Sharpsville, IN 5 10-08 0
6 Kris Lewis Cicero, IN 4 07-09 0
7 Elias Smith Jasper, IN 1 02-00 0
8 Bradley Hostetler Bargersville, IN 1 01-13 0
9 Rob Campbell III Martinsville, IN 1 01-12 0
10 Travis Scholz Lizton, IN 1 01-09 0

MICHIGAN
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Hunter Frederickson Redford, MI 7 14-05 0
2 Ted Prisbe Harsens Island, MI 4 07-12 0
3 David Hentschel Traverse City, MI 3 06-06 0
4 Ben Rand Kalamazoo, MI 3 06-03 0
5 Joseph Klym West Bloomfield, MI 2 03-01 0
6 Michael Cook Auburn, IN 1 02-00 0
7 Brett Feenstra Jenison, MI 1 01-13 0
8 Brian Wilson Interlochen, MI 1 01-12 0
9 Paul Andorfer Albion , IN 0 00-00 0
9 Kaleb Parsell Caro, MI 0 00-00 0

MINNESOTA
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Miles Lausch Lakeville, MN 8 15-13 0
2 Perry See Rochester, MN 7 14-01 0
3 Matt Ploof Coon Rapids, MN 3 06-02 0
4 Jimmy Wolverton Fridley, MN 3 06-00 0
5 George Cavers Carlos, MN 3 05-11 0
6 Tanner Albrecht Lonsdale, MN 3 05-10 0
7 Patrick Stradal Minneapolis, MN 3 05-03 0
8 Jason Thomas Farmington, MN 2 03-15 0
9 Logan Stensrud Rogers, MN 1 02-04 0
10 Todd Seeger Roseville, MN 1 02-03 0

OHIO
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Will Presley Jr Grove City, OH 7 14-12 0
2 Braden Fairbanks Grove City, OH 5 11-02 0
3 Colten Didion Mount Vernon, OH 3 07-04 0
4 Jody Adkins Navarre, OH 4 05-15 0
5 Dave Rahrig Delphos, OH 3 05-09 0
6 Ryan Kriegel Delphos, OH 2 04-06 0
7 Allen Howard Cincinnati, OH 2 03-15 0
8 James Maynard Marysville, OH 1 02-12 0
9 Al Evans Jr Urbana, OH 1 00-11 0
10 Phillip Rummel Jr Mount Vernon, OH 0 00-00 0

SOUTH DAKOTA
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Leray Anderson II Crofton, NE 4 11-04 0
2 Shawn Van Gerpen Sioux Falls, SD 5 09-05 0
3 Ryan Volquardsen Creighton, NE 2 03-11 0
4 Rodney Pieper Yankton, SD 3 03-00 0
5 Jordan Brown Broken Arrow, OK 1 02-12 0
6 Jeff Korb Omaha, NE 1 01-15 0
7 Brandon Logue Greenwood, NE 1 01-11 0
8 Scott Pitlick Pierre, SD 1 01-10 0
9 Craig Cottam Hastings, NE 1 01-08 0
9 Loran Moore Yankton, SD 1 01-08 0

WISCONSIN
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Bryan Schumacher Sparta, WI 9 19-01 0
2 Dylan Esselman Appleton, WI 8 16-12 0
3 Ryan Etringer Wrightstown, WI 4 08-00 0
4 Wyatt Stout Winona, MN 4 06-15 0
5 Russell Smith IV Green Bay, WI 3 05-11 0
6 Ryan Schell Baraboo, WI 3 04-14 0
7 Tim Flaherty Sarasota, FL 2 03-07 0
8 Nick Schommer Milwaukee, WI 1 01-14 0
8 Owen Worthington Kenosha, WI 1 01-14 0
10 Colin Yohe Chippewa Falls, WI 0 00-00 0

NEBRASKA
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Blake Macumber Elkhorn, NE 6 13-04 0
2 Alfonso Garcia Jr Mccook, NE 5 11-04 0
3 AJ Mende Bellevue, NE 5 11-00 0
4 Larry Sallis Herculaneum, MO 4 08-06 0
5 John Peterson Norfolk, NE 4 08-05 0
6 Charles Capehart Olathe, KS 4 07-15 0
7 Dustin Hartzer Mc Cook, NE 4 07-11 0
8 Mark Borchers Akron, IA 2 05-11 0
9 Billy Ray Plattsmouth, NE 2 05-00 0
10 Paul Huse Omaha, NE 1 01-11 0

NORTH DAKOTA
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Tyler Guthmiller Yankton, SD 8 20-14 0
2 Cameron Welch Raymore, MO 6 14-07 0
3 Cordell Wadsworth Killdeer, ND 5 10-07 0
4 Paul Reinbold Gladstone, ND 3 07-01 0
5 Bobby May Marshall, MN 3 06-13 0
6 Dalton Krueger Watertown, SD 3 06-12 0
7 Adam Schirmer Lakefield, MN 3 06-02 0
8 Zackary Ekberg Rapid City, SD 2 05-10 0
9 Rylen Coe Lake Benton, MN 2 04-01 0
10 Angela Messall Bismarck, ND 1 01-12 0

by AnglersChannel

Season Five of Major League Fishing’s Bass Pro Tour to Premiere Saturday on Discovery Channel

Fifth Season of Major League Fishing’s Bass Pro Tour Set to Premiere on Discovery Channel with REDCREST 2023 at Lake Norman Presented by Shore Lunch, New Episodes Premiere Every Saturday from 7-9 a.m. ET

BENTON, Ky. (June 30, 2023) – The fifth season of Major League Fishing’s (MLF) Bass Pro Tour is set to premiere tomorrow, July 1, at 7 a.m. ET with a two-hour episode on the Discovery Channel.

The MLF Bass Pro Tour features a field of 80 of the top professional anglers in the world competing across seven regular-season tournaments around the country, fishing for millions of dollars and valuable points to qualify for the annual General Tire Heavy Hitters all-star event and REDCREST 2024, the Bass Pro Tour championship, March 13-17, 2024, on Lay Lake in Birmingham, Alabama.

The first two-hour episode of Major League Fishing premiering Saturday will feature the Knockout Round from REDCREST 2023 Presented by Shore Lunch at North Carolina’s Lake Norman, the Bass Pro Tour Championship. Each week a new episode will premiere on Discovery Channel, through mid-November.

The complete air schedule for the 2023 Bass Pro Tour on the Discovery Channel is:

- July 1         REDCREST 2023 Presented by Shore Lunch on Lake Norman Knockout Round
- July 8         REDCREST 2023 Presented by Shore Lunch on Lake Norman Championship Round
- July 15      B&W Trailer Hitches Stage One at the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes Presented by Grundéns Knockout Round
- July 22      B&W Trailer Hitches Stage One at the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes Presented by Grundéns Championship Round
- July 29      NO EPISODE – DISCOVERY CHANNEL SHARK WEEK
- Aug. 5        General Tire Heavy Hitters Presented by Bass Pro Shops in Monroe, Louisiana, Qualifying Round Group A – Day 1
- Aug. 12      General Tire Heavy Hitters Presented by Bass Pro Shops in Monroe, Louisiana, Qualifying Round Group B – Day 1
- Aug. 19      General Tire Heavy Hitters Presented by Bass Pro Shops in Monroe, Louisiana, Qualifying Round Group A – Day 2
- Aug. 26      General Tire Heavy Hitters Presented by Bass Pro Shops in Monroe, Louisiana, Qualifying Round Group B – Day 2
- Sept. 2       General Tire Heavy Hitters Presented by Bass Pro Shops in Monroe, Louisiana, Knockout Round
- Sept. 9       General Tire Heavy Hitters Presented by Bass Pro Shops in Monroe, Louisiana, Championship Round
- Sept. 16     U.S. Air Force Stage Two at Cherokee & Douglas Lakes Presented by Power-Pole Knockout Round
- Sept. 23     U.S. Air Force Stage Two at Cherokee & Douglas Lakes Presented by Power-Pole Championship Round
- Sept. 30     Fox Rent A Car Stage Three at Lake Murray Presented by Mercury Knockout Round
- Oct. 1         Fox Rent A Car Stage Three at Lake Murray Presented by Mercury Championship Round
- Oct. 7         Toro Stage Four at Lake Guntersville Presented by Bass Cat Boats Knockout Round
- Oct. 14       Toro Stage Four at Lake Guntersville Presented by Bass Cat Boats Championship Round
- Oct. 21       Favorite Fishing Stage Five at Cayuga Lake Presented by ATG by Wrangler Knockout Round
- Oct. 28       Bass Boat Technologies Stage Five at Cayuga Lake Presented by ATG by Wrangler Championship Round
- Nov. 4        General Tire Stage Six at Lake St. Clair Presented by John Deere Utility Vehicles Championship Round
- Nov. 11     Minn Kota Stage Seven at Saginaw Bay Presented by Suzuki Championship Round

The full television schedule can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Proud sponsors of the 2023 MLF Bass Pro Tour include: 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, Ark Fishing, ATG by Wrangler, B&W Trailer Hitches, Bally Bet, Bass Cat Boats, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, Daiwa, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, Ferguson, Fox Rent A Car, General Tire, Grundéns, Humminbird, Lowrance, Minn Kota, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Power-Pole, Rapala, Star tron, T-H Marine, TORO, Toyota, U.S. Air Force, Yellowstone Bourbon, Yo-Zuri and Zoom Baits.

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

by AnglersChannel

Kayak Bass Fishing - Honing In on the Right Kayak

By Danny Blandford

In my research on kayak selection, I had the opportunity to catch up with another Old Town kayak pro, Casey Reed, of Virginia. Casey, like me, had started kayak bass fishing in a sit-in fishing “style” kayak he picked up at big box store. Also like in my experience, it left a lot to be desired. The difference was Casey went to work on improving his setup with a DIY approach and got hooked on kayaks and the sport of kayak bass fishing. With close to a decade of experience under his belt, some of which included tournament directing, I’d landed on a wealth of knowledge for the project.

Personally, I’m not ready to go “all in”…so I got the details on basics, but I took the opportunity to learn about a “professional” rig as well.

I started my questioning with my first hang-up…electric or pedal? I know I don’t want to deal with the paddles all the time, so it has to be one or the other; that much I’m sure of. Casey has the Old Town Autopilot 136, just like the one in my previous interview with Anthony Garcia. Both anglers swear by the benefits of Autopilot, but Casey offered up a great tip.

“You can always start with a pedal drive and then add a bow mount trolling motor in the future…lots of guys go that route and they end up with the best of both worlds.” Now that was something that made sense to me - start out as a peddler and “if” I need to do something different in the future, I’ve got options. Casey went on to add, “Today’s kayaks are strong and durable and there are lots of options for mounting with backing plates, and nut and washer set-ups that make for solid connections should you want to add an electric motor later.”

Apparently adding a bow-mount trolling motor "later" is a thing and a quick internet search and I find all kinds of examples, so that is a win for me. I love to have options and I hadn't given any consideration to that kind of setup. I'm a Minn Kota guy and they have several options that would work well with a little rigging.

We got into electronics and the story was the same. You don’t “need” any, but you can have about anything you want. To make that point, I introduce Casey’s rig.

Minn Kota Autopilot trolling motor
2 Humminbird Helix 10’s
Humminbird Mega Live & Humminbird Mega 360
2 Power Pole Micros
135 amp/hr lithium trolling motor battery
(4) 23 amp/hr lithium for electronics
Minn Kota 2 bank charger
Oh…and a backup paddle!

Talk about loaded up…wow. Casey and I crunched some quick numbers and we came up with a tournament load of about 300 “ish” pounds including him and his gear. The boat is rated for up to a “usable weight” of 502 lbs, so he could still carry more. He pointed out that with scupper plugs and one-way valves, he stays dry and comfortable all day, and has no problem fishing sitting or standing, which is a huge must for me. Being able to stand up and pitch and flip to shoreline cover has been one of the biggest motivators in this search and the

With a rig like that, a trailer is a must for Casey, he was quick to add, “After a 12-hour day on the water, the last thing I want to do is wrestle my kayak. I load it onto my trailer and pull it with a Honda Passport. Fishing three national trails, I cover some miles at this point in my career, but it didn’t start that way. As a matter of fact, when I first got into kayak fishing, a Toyota Camry was my official tow vehicle.”

Personally, for me, I’m thinking most of my fishing will be done within miles of the house and probably won’t be twelve-hour trips, so I’m most likely to wrestle, not trailer. I think the truck bed will be a fine first hauler for the time being.

As far as the kayak, I’m definitely honing in on the right choice. I think a 12-footer would fit my needs and I want to peddle, not paddle, and I want to be able to go electric at some point. The Old Town 120 series is where I need to be and there are a few models to think through, but a couple of interviews have led me to a can’t lose decision. I have to give a big shout-out to the Old Town Team for helping me navigate the process!

With a little luck, I’ll have some kayak fish pics as a follow-up soon!

by AnglersChannel

Kokopelli To Launch New Fishing-Specific Inflatable Kayak At ICAST

Packraft innovator to unveil multiple new boats for 2024.

June 30, 2023 (Denver, Colo.) — Kokopelli has been creating the most lightweight and packable packrafts, inflatable kayaks and stand-up paddleboards since 2012. This season, the brand is unveiling an entirely new boat for 2024 designed with the angler in mind, the Kaster. Be the first to see this innovative, inflatable kayak in person at ICAST along with an array of new boats and products.

“We are excited to unveil the Kokopelli Kaster at ICAST next month,” said Jeff Popp, GM and Director of Product at Kokopelli. “Our customers have been using our packrafts for fishing since our inception. With that said, we wanted to bring the brand’s unique and trusted approach to lightweight, packable and portable characteristics to the angling world with a fishing-specific platform. The result is the ultimate inflatable boat for your next fishing adventure.”

New For 2024:

• The Kokopelli Kaster is the newest product for 2024. The Kaster is designed utilizing the brands Platte-Plus inflatable kayak platform but enhanced to make it fishing-specific. It’s built like a tank with tons of features yet still weighs less than 30lbs. The Kaster features 5 Universal Scotty Mounts for rod holders and other accessories, 2000 denier PVC reinforced nylon in high abrasion areas and a high-pressure drops-stitch floor for rigidity and enhanced tracking . The boat has been widened to increase stability and will come standard with a 6-inch seat riser for improved sight lines and comfort while paddling. Like all of Kokopelli’s inflatable kayaks, the Kaster will come with everything needed to get on the water from boat, to pump, to paddles and carry bag.

• The XPD, one of Kokopelli’s best-selling boats, gets a significant upgrade for the 2024 season. The new XPD will drop nearly 4lbs of weight while maintaining the same trusted durability and maneuverability customers have come to expect from the boat. With this weight reduction comes an even smaller pack size yet a roomier cockpit. The 2024 XPD will be available in two colors, Sage Green and Granite Sand, and come standard with everything you need to get on the water, including a drybag backpack for storage and carrying, 4-piece breakdown paddle, pump, removable tracking fin and inflatable seat.

• The Utility Deck is a new product that will be launching in 2024 and intended to help the paddling world make better use of time on the water. It’s a multi-use, drop-stitch construction pad that can easily attach to the bow of boats via four attachment straps. The Utility Deck features one side of molded EVA foam for traction for a fur friend, and the other side features multi-use FidLock® and Scotty Mounts for a variety of uses.

Additionally, Kokopelli will also be exhibiting an array of other crafts for getting on the water. They include:

Chasm-Lite: The lightest and most packable full-size paddleboard on the market at just 12.9 lbs. Launched with the brands most successful Kickstarter to date and is now a mainstay in the brands lineup. The Chasm-Lite easily fits beneath a standard aircraft seat and comes with everything needed to get you on the water, including a carbon fiber shaft paddle.
Twain-Lite: New for 2023 and recently launched, the Twain-Lite is a “1.5 person” packraft aimed at packrafters who need a bit more room for gear, kids or fur friends. An extended water line and optional tracking fin enhance the Twain-Lite’s capabilities for long days on the lake, and it’s only 8.7lb. weight means it packs down to a surprisingly small size.
Rogue-Lite: The quintessential packraft and what essentially “started it all.” The Rogue-Lite comes in a variety of iterations and serves beginner to advanced paddlers alike. All Rogue models are built with a TPU construction. Optional variations of the models include one with a removable spray deck, and the Rogue-Lite X made of Kevlar reinforced TPU. The base Rogue-Lite weighs just 6 lbs.
Nirvana and Recon — The current whitewater options from Kokopelli are based on the same engineering architecture, yet constructed with two different materials that serve whitewater enthusiasts. The Recon, the burlier of the two, is made from 1000d PVC construction. The Nirvana is constructed from a TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) material and is a lighter and more packable whitewater option. Both boats are available in spray deck and self-bailing models.

Kokopelli will be at the On The Water Product Demo Day event (Tuesday, July 11 from 10 am to 2 pm), where you can take one of the above craft out on the pond. In the convention center, you can find the Kokopelli at Booth 4360.

For more information on Kokopelli, visit https://kokopelli.com/

by AnglersChannel

Smallmouth 'Snackables'

New Z-Man® TRD GobyZ™ transcends traditional goby baits with next-level action, buoyancy and toughness

Ladson, SC (June 30, 2023) – Bass lead charmed lives. Unlike humans, they’re obliged to eat whatever bugs them. Consider bass and their mortal enemy, the round goby— those ubiquitous underwater invaders that harass smallmouth nests by the dozen, gulping bass eggs like Skittles. Helps explain why smallmouths and predators of all species exhibit unquenchable appetites for the pudgy little pests—and why gamefish balloon to impressive proportions by way of an endless goby buffet.

A natural enticement for bass in goby-rich environments—Great Lakes and beyond—the new 2.4-inch TRD GobyZ™ reinforces Z-Man’s trendsetting finesse bait lineup with a surprisingly adaptable shape. Poured with extra malleable, 10X Tough ElaZtech®, the TRD GobyZ compresses as easily as the live version, meaning bass snap and don’t let go. Yet even after dozens of aggressive attacks, a single one of these runt-sized swimbaits is no worse for wear. That’s the ElaZtech advantage, those difference making rewards that separate the TRD GobyZ from all other goby-imitating swimbaits in existence—optimal combinations of softness, action and all-day durability.

“Although it almost perfectly mimics a snack-sized round goby, the new TRD GobyZ is also an incredibly versatile finesse bait,” notes Z-Man pro Grae Buck, whose Pennsylvania homebase puts him a cast from lakes Ontario, Erie and other bass and goby rich environments. “Put the bait on a Pro ShroomZ™ or my favorite Ned jighead, the Football NedZ™, for an enticing bottom-crawling, slow swimming presentation. The bait’s natural buoyancy gives it a nice leisurely spiral and glide on the drop. Smallmouths always react to this slow-spiraling action, like a tube only with way more visual realism and allure.

“What’s really cool is that after letting the bait freefall, you’ll pick up slack and often detect the tug of a bass already hanging on.”

Z-Man's new 2.4" Ned rig-sized TRD GobyZ.

Beyond the bait’s powerful Ned rig apps, Buck has also been toying with another sneaky trick, shockingly effective when the bottom is filthy with gobies by the dozen. “The TRD GobyZ’ buoyant ElaZtech body makes it crazy effective on a dropshot, too,” believes Buck. “Even though gobies don’t often swim more than an inch or two above bottom, suspending this bait on a dropshot has been absolutely crushing giant smallmouths for me. The dropshot gives the bait a different presence. Maybe looks more vulnerable to the bass. It’s especially effective when bass aren’t as aggressive or when they’re inundated with scores of the live baitfish, and you need your bait to stand out from the hoards.”

Even on lakes without gobies, Buck notes, bass see and feed on all kinds of bottom-dwelling species—from gobies to sculpin, darters to bullheads, willow cats to perch. The TRD GobyZ’ lazy-kicking paddle tail wags with subtle yet lifelike swimming action, even at ultra-slow retrieve speeds, suggestive of all kinds of structure-hugging prey. “We’ve fished the TRD GobyZ on lakes where bass have never seen a goby. Doesn’t matter. In all kinds of lakes and reservoirs, bass of every species are chowing down on this bait with amazing aggression.”

Sculpted with a broad, portly body and flat underside, the TRD GobyZ traverses its way across sand and rocky substrate like a 4x4—buoyant ElaZtech body halting its rate of fall while keeping it free from snags. The bait’s flat belly also allows it to nap comfortably on the lake floor, just like a goby does, buoyant tail slightly elevated for visibility. True-to-life anatomy includes protruding eyeballs, elongated pectoral, dorsal and anal fins and a flattened, round caudal fin/paddletail that delivers subtle, natural swimming motions at any retrieve speed.

The versatile TRD GobyZ shines on a dropshot rig, Finesse BulletZ or Football NedZ jighead (L-to-R).

“Whether you throw this cool little finesse bait on a Ned jig or a dropshot, its authentic, squishy body and natural buoyancy give you a lot of confidence—and for good reason,” notes Buck. “Typically, I like to fish the TRD GobyZ with a drag and stop retrieve. Gobies don’t really swim. They just tail-kick—almost like a tadpole— and crawl along the bottom, stop and go. But I also occasionally like to jerk or hop it 6 inches and pause. Try to dart it side-to-side. And when you stop, the bait uses its buoyancy to elevate just slightly, triggering bites even after a 10 to 20 second rest.

“If you fish the Great Lakes or even if your home waters lack gobies entirely . . . the TRD GobyZ always seems to induce bites. For Ned rig and dropshot fans, the new bait adds a gnarly new dimension to an already proven Z-Man finesse system. Compact swimbait. Bottom dwelling critter. And an undeniable bass catcher.”

Enabled by its ultra-soft ElaZtech body, the Ned-rig-friendly TRD GobyZ swimbait matches the texture and action of a live round goby, while also mimicking other bottom-dwelling forage. Available in October, the 2.4” TRD GobyZ features ten potent colors, including natural goby/earth tones and stand-out patterns for sight fishing. MSRP $4.99 per 6-pack. For more information, visit www.zmanfishing.com.

by AnglersChannel

Berkley “Culls” PowerBait CullShad Swimbait, Offering Consumers Free Replacement Bait

To ensure quality and customer satisfaction, Berkley rewards anglers with replacement baits at no cost

COLUMBIA, S.C. (June 30, 2023) – In Spring 2023, Berkley Fishing introduced the CullShad to a great deal of fanfare and success among top-tier tournament anglers. After releasing the first batch of product to retailers, the quality assurance team at the company identified that this run of product did not live up to the company’s high standards and the Berkley promise to help anglers catch more fish. The issues include inconsistencies in the bait’s hardness and some deformities, both of which have negatively compromised the bait’s action which does not allow it to work as designed.

Berkley’s commitment remains to provide anglers with scientifically-backed baits that surpass expectations, so the company is enacting a plan to get a new batch of properly manufactured baits in the hands of anglers as quickly as possible.

To accomplish this, anyone who has purchased a CullShad is being asked to help the company “cull” them. Berkley will replace any purchased CullShad at no cost with one that performs as it should. There is no need to return anything but rather follow these simple and straightforward instructions to receive a replacement CullShad in the same color and size that meets the high standards established in the design process:

1) Take a picture of your CullShad(s) on or next to a piece of paper detailing your name and the date you’re submitting the photo.

2) Visit www.berkley-fishing.com/cullshad-replacement or use the QR code below to initiate the replacement process and upload your photo.

3) Fill in the required information and click submit. You should receive a confirmation email from Berkley.

4) All replacement requests must be received by July 31, 2023.

5) Replacement CullShad(s) will be shipped by the end of August.

The team at Berkley has identified the cause of the issues and are already in production of the next round of baits that meet our stringent standards. By the end of August, the new round of baits will be sent to consumers to replace the previously released baits and we will resume shipping to retailers.

"We take great pride in the Berkley CullShad and firmly support its innovative design, which provides consumers with a fresh perspective on swimbaits," said Berkley’s Senior Vice President of Marketing, Jon Schlosser. "We have a responsibility to anglers nationwide to guarantee that each product performs according to its intended design. Therefore, we are proactively taking steps to address the concerns related to the CullShad by implementing a replacement program for affected customers, aiming to ensure their utmost satisfaction in light of the inconsistencies found within the first batch of baits."

Our commitment to our customers and anglers is to continue to develop and introduce the world’s best baits. We appreciate your help ensuring that only the best CullShads survive.

by AnglersChannel

McKinney Maximizes Dollar with Contingencies

Courtesy of Luke Stoner - Dynamic Sponsorships

Opens EQ pro Trevor McKinney added an extra $1,500 to his pockets from Toyota Bonus Bucks thanks to his 5th place finish in the St. Croix Bassmaster Open on Lake Eufaula. This marks the third time McKinney has earned added money in 2023 Opens competition from Toyota’s popular contingency program.

“I’m trying to pay for my truck with Bonus Bucks,” McKinney said with a smile. “In the last two years alone, I’ve made $8,500 from the program. You really can’t beat that. Toyota supports the industry, supports the anglers, and they make a heck of a tow vehicle… if you fish competitively, why wouldn’t you drive one and try to win free money?”

His rewards from Eufaula where he finished 5th, and Wheeler Lake where he ended up in 13th, highlight the fact that you don’t have to win a tournament to earn Bonus Bucks, you just have the be the highest finishing angler driving a 2019 or newer Toyota tow vehicle.

McKinney’s currently driving a 2020 Tundra, a truck he bought after spending a year as the Bassmaster College Series Bracket Champion in 2021. For winning the College Classic Bracket, the McKendree University graduate won a spot in the 2021 Bassmaster Classic on Ray Roberts as well as full use of a Toyota Tundra, Nitro Boat, and paid entry fees to all nine Bassmaster Opens.

After putting 30,000+ miles on the truck in 2021, the always respectful McKinney started toying with the idea of buying his program vehicle. It was the biggest purchase of his young life at that time, but McKinney was able to make it work and never looked back.

“Buying that truck was honestly one of the best decisions I’ve made in my career,” McKinney said. “I never could afford a newer truck in high school or college, even though I traveled to fish a lot, but after driving this Tundra during my year as the College Champion I felt spoiled. I loved it and knew I couldn’t go back to a beater tow-vehicle. I needed a reliable truck if I was going to fish the Opens, and I wanted to keep driving a Toyota. It’s been a blessing.”

The former college fishing standout hails from Illinois but has an impressive track record in Oklahoma. He’s won a pair of college tournaments in the Sooner state, one on Grand Lake and another on Lake Hudson, and while he had never fished Lake Eufaula before, McKinney was excited when he saw this event on the schedule.

McKinney employed a dropshot and forward-facing-sonar to catch his fish in six to fifteen feet of water on Lake Eufaula to notch his first top ten of the 2023 season. Along with Bonus Bucks, McKinney cashed in on an additional $1,000 from Costa’s Compete + Conserve program for being the highest finishing angler wearing Costa Sunglasses.

McKinney may only be twenty-five years young, but he’s learned that supporting companies with impactful contingency programs helps his dollar go a little farther while competing on the Bassmaster Opens Trail. To get registered (for free!) or for more information regarding Toyota’s or Costa’s contingency programs, follow these links:

Toyota Bonus Bucks - https://www.toyotatrucksbonusbucks.com/overview

Costa Compete + Conserve - https://www.costacompeteandconserve.com/

by AnglersChannel

Anglers Channel Bass Wrap Up Show, Brought to you by Sportsman’s Warehouse, adds the Pursuit Channel

Columbia, SC (June 30, 2023) - The Anglers Channel Bass Wrap Up show, brought to you by Sportsman's Warehouse, continues to grow its distribution with the addition of the Pursuit Channel, starting January 2024. The 14^th season of the show will still debut on Discovery with Saturday airings in the fall of 2023 for the fifth consecutive year. The program will then move to Pursuit for multiple airings per week, throughout the first quarter and beyond. The Anglers Channel Bass Wrap Up show is an informative recap of professional, amateur, and grassroots-level bass fishing tournaments across the country. Bringing tournament trails of all sizes to the spotlight, by capturing the anglers who fish and finish well in these events. The program also mixes in informative segments on new techniques, new products, and share useful information to help the weekend angler learn about all things fishing.

Since 2008 Pursuit has been delivering extensive high-quality outdoor content to millions of viewers unserved by any other full-time outdoor network. The unique basic tier package delivery with the major satellite distributors, plus major recent additions in the cable sector, provides access to an audience that is ripe with outdoorsmen and women for its content partners. In addition to joining the network, The Anglers Channel Bass Wrap Up show will also be featured on Pursuit’s digital platforms. Look for The Anglers Channel Bass Wrap Up program beginning in 2nd quarter 2024 on the Pursuit UP streaming channel available to over 90 million users, or available 24/7 on Pursuit UP’s VOD/App platforms.

According to Danny Blandford, AC Director of Business Development, “Moving our program to Pursuit in the first quarter of 2024 will be another milestone in the growth of our Anglers Channel platform. The weekend premiers with Discovery deliver a vast reach and the additional airings with Pursuit will help us reach up to 30 million additional households. It will be great to see our program and partners featured alongside so many popular outdoor television programs during the peak fishing television season on Pursuit. We look forward to showing our program to viewers who may not have seen us on the Discovery Network in years past.”

The 2023/24 season of the AnglersChannel Bass Wrap Up Show, Presented by Sportsman’s Warehouse, will kick off again this fall with highlights from the Bassmaster Classic, the Inaugural Minn Kota/Humminbird Owners Tournament, as well regional events, fishing tips, and much more. If you want to catch the action as it unfolds this summer, visit www.AnglersChannel.com, and be sure to follow along on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.

About AnglersChannel.com

AnglersChannel.com multimedia platform combines the web, social media platforms, podcasts, on-site event coverage and The Anglers Channel Bass Wrap Up Show on Discovery and Pursuit to bring you the No. 1 resource in tournament bass fishing. Anglers Channel features the web’s most robust tournament database, used by thousands of anglers daily, including schedules, results and searchable details by body of water. Anglers Channel also delivers industry news as it happens, along with coverage of all tournament bass fishing, from BASS and Major League Fishing to the weekend warriors. Visit Anglers Channel via the web, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok.

About Pursuit

Pursuit Media, LLC, the industry leader in total home and user delivery, has its linear feed Pursuit Channel, active nationally to 30+ million homes via DIRECTV, AT&T U-verse HD, DISH Network, Sling TV HD, Comcast Xfinity, Fios by Verizon HD, Centurylink Prism HD, Cox Communication HD and the National Cable Television Cooperative (NCTC). PursuitUP, is active to 90+ million users through Samsung’s TV Plus, Sinclair’s STIRR, Xumo, Glewed TV, Vidgo, Kloud TV, Select TV, TCL Smart TVs, Plex, and many more. Additionally, PursuitUP’s VOD library is readily available online to anyone at pursuituptv.com, or by downloading the PursuitUP app available on most devices.

For more information contact Danny Blandford at Danny@anglerschannel.com

by AnglersChannel

Alabama’s Jordan Lee Earns Third Career MLF Bass Pro Tour Win at General Tire Stage Six at Lake St. Clair

Berkley Pro Goes Wire-to-Wire Catching a Five-Bass-Limit Weighing 23-4 on Final Day to Earn Third Bass Pro Tour Win and Top Award of $100,000

HARRISON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (June 29, 2023) – Championship Thursday on Lake St. Clair started off with a bang, with Berkley pro Jordan Lee of Cullman, Alabama , taking advantage of the early morning bite to put together a five-bass limit weighing 23 pounds, 4 ounces to earn his third Bass Pro Tour win and the top award of $100,000 at the Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Tour General Tire Stage Six at Lake St. Clair Presented by John Deere Utility Vehicles . Lee’s two-day Knockout and Championship Round total of 10 bass weighing 47-13 earned him the win by a 1-pound, 3-ounce margin over second-place finisher Alton Jones Jr. of Waco, Texas, who weighed in 23 pounds, 8 ounces Thursday to finish the event with a two-day total of 46-10, his second runner-up finish this season.

Lee also went wire-to-wire on Berkley Big Bass Awards, claiming the award each day he competed throughout the event and winning $1,000 both days of the Qualifying Round, $1,000 during both the Knockout and Championship Rounds and the $3,000 Berkley Big Bass award for the overall largest bass of the event, with his 6-pound, 7-ounce smallmouth that was weighed Wednesday during the Knockout Round.

The Alabama pro whipped up his 23-4 limit on Championship Thursday within the first two hours of competition yet was able to maintain the top position throughout the day despite never upgrading his fish in the second or third period.

“Before I came up here, I knew I wanted to fish on the Canadian side of Lake St. Clair, primarily around the Bell River Hump area,” said Lee. “Tournaments have been won over there, historically, so I felt like it was worth the risk to commit to that for the week, despite not being able to practice over there.

“I bounced around a bit during the first part of the event, but not so much the last two days,” Lee continued. “In practice I was looking for grass clumps and grass lines, but once I started actually fishing, that didn’t seem to be the deal.

“My main area just had a smooth bottom, and the fish were just hanging out there. There wasn’t anything on the map that pointed out fish might be there, but I spent some time scoping around with my Lowrance ActiveTarget and started seeing some fish that clued me in. It just happened to be the winning area.

“I found a couple places that didn’t pay off and others where I didn’t catch anything, but my first fish of the tournament was almost 6 pounds, and that just started me off on the right path,” Lee continued. “I pulled up to my main spot this morning, and the fish weren’t in the area where I had been catching them. They’re notorious for moving out here, so I was a bit worried, but they’d only moved about 200 yards away. Once I found them it was game on. I caught a couple over five pounds early on and those two fish were really the difference makers.”

Lee’s limit of 23-4 included a pair of 5-pounders weighing 5-4 and 5-10.

“Those big bites were definitely key throughout this entire week,” said Lee. “I was getting a couple of them per day, and they were all in different places, so it was just meant to be.”

Lee caught most of his fish throwing a 5-inch Berkley PowerBait MaxScent Flatnose Jerk Shad on a drop-shot rig.

“I did well here during a tournament in 2017, throwing a big, fluke-style bait, so I always think about that when I come here,” said Lee. “That 5-inch Berkley Jerk Shad is a little bit bigger than a flatworm or other typical smallmouth baits; but smallmouth on Lake St. Clair eat big stuff, and I saw the giant perch they were spitting up all week, so I knew I wouldn’t scare them off with a bigger bait.”

This victory marks Lee’s first Bass Pro Tour win since 2020, when he went on a season flurry to win Stage One, the Heavy Hitters all-star event and the 2020 Bass Pro Tour Angler of the Year (AOY) title.

“St. Clair is an awesome fishery, and I was looking forward to fishing it, but I never would have dreamed I’d win this event coming into it,” finished an emotional Lee. “You always hope for the win, every tournament, but I sure wasn’t expecting it. God has really blessed me and my family and this has just been a really special week.”

The top 10 pros from the General Tire Stage Six on Lake St. Clair Presented by John Deere Utility Vehicles finished:

1^st:           Jordan Lee, Cullman, Ala., 10 bass, 47-13, $100,000
2^nd:          Alton Jones Jr., Waco, Texas, 10 bass, 46-10, $45,000
3^rd:          Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn., 10 bass, 43-12, $38,000
4^th:           Jesse Wiggins, Addison, Ala., 10 bass, 43-4, $32,000
5^th:           Terry Scroggins, San Mateo, Fla., 10 bass, 42-14, $30,000
6^th:           Mark Daniels Jr., Tuskegee, Ala., 10 bass, 42-8, $26,000
7^th:           Mark Rose, Wynne, Ark., 10 bass, 42-2, $23,000
8^th:           Gary Klein, Mingus, Texas, 10 bass, 41-1, $21,000
9^th:           John Hunter, Shelbyville, Ky., 10 bass, 39-9, $19,000
10^th:        Josh Bertrand, Queen Creek, Ariz., 10 bass, 37-11, $16,000

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

The General Tire Stage Six at Lake St. Clair Presented by John Deere Utility Vehicles features anglers competing using the MLF catch, weigh, immediate-release format, with each angler’s five (5) heaviest bass per day tallied as their day’s weight. Anglers strive to catch their heaviest five fish each day, while also feeling the pressure and intensity of the live scoring SCORETRACKER® leaderboard. Minimum weights are determined individually for each competition waters that the Bass Pro Tour visits, based on the productivity, bass population and anticipated average size of fish in each fishery.

The six-day event, hosted by the Detroit Sports Commission, Macomb County and Lake St. Clair Metroparks, showcases 80 of the top professional anglers in the world, competing for a purse of more than $805,000, including a top payout of $100,000 and valuable Angler of the Year (AOY) points in hopes of qualifying for the General Tire Heavy Hitters All-Star event and REDCREST 2024, the Bass Pro Tour championship.

Television coverage of the General Tire Stage Six at Lake St. Clair Presented by John Deere Utility Vehicles Championship Round will air as a two-hour episode starting at 7 a.m. ET, on Saturday, November 4 on the Discovery Channel. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on Discovery, with re-airings on the Outdoor Channel.

The 2023 MLF Bass Pro Tour features a field of 80 of the top professional anglers in the world competing across seven regular-season tournaments around the country, fishing for millions of dollars and valuable points to qualify for the annual General Tire Heavy Hitters all-star event and REDCREST 2024, the Bass Pro Tour championship, held March 13-17, 2024, on Lay Lake in Birmingham, Alabama.

by AnglersChannel

Summer showdown on tap for Bassmaster Kayak tournament at La Crosse

The Yamaha Rightwaters Bassmaster Kayak Series powered by TourneyX will be held July 8-9 on the Mississippi River.

Photo by Kara Wattunen/B.A.S.S.

June 29, 2023

LA CROSSE, Wis. — For the second time in three seasons, the Yamaha Rightwaters Bassmaster Kayak Series powered by TourneyX heads north to fish the Upper Mississippi River, and Bassmaster Kayak Series angler Benjamin Wagner of Calmar, Iowa, believes there will be plenty of options for anglers to capitalize on both smallmouth and largemouth.

Competition days are scheduled for July 8-9 on Pools 7, 8 and 9 of the Mississippi River. The live leaderboard can be found on Bassmaster.comthroughout the tournament, with the awards ceremony streaming live on the Bassmaster YouTube channel July 9 at 4 p.m. CT.

This section of river has witnessed several exciting moments in Bassmaster history. Just last year, Bryan Schmitt won an Elite Series event with 63 pounds, 4 ounces.

In the first Bassmaster Kayak Series event on the river in 2021, an event held in September, Jim Davis won the one-day tournament with 85.5 inches.

So far this year, the Upper Mississippi River has experienced rainy and stormy weather. At the beginning of May, the water was 7 feet over normal. Wagner anticipates the water should be back close to normal by the time anglers arrive for practice barring another significant rain event.

“With it starting high this spring, I’m not exactly sure how it will play or if it will get down to normal,” Wagner said. “Last year was the first full year we’ve had a normal year on these pools for about eight years. Most other years the water is higher than what they consider normal. Last year, everyone kept commenting on how low the water was, but it was right at normal.”

The three pools of the Upper Mississippi River in play for this event feature an abundance of shallow grass, milfoil, eelgrass and duckweed for the most part, as well as hard cover like riprap, laydowns and wing dams.

Both smallmouth and largemouth call the river home, and Wagner believes anglers who target either species will have a chance at the victory. Largemouth tend to weigh more than smallmouth, but smallmouth tend to be long and skinny, which helps in a tournament judged by total inches of bass.

Both species will be in their summer patterns.

“The one cool thing about the Mississippi River is (that) last year during a tournament one guy was drop shotting in 15 feet of water for smallmouth and another guy was catching largemouth in 2 feet of water on a Carolina rig. They can be about anywhere, and any technique can play,” Wagner said.

The smallmouth will mostly stick to the main-river areas around hard cover like wing dams and rock. Crankbaits, drop shots, topwaters and jigs tend to be the best-producing baits.

“Below the dams you will have current, and other places on the main channel you will have plenty of current, deep water and breaks,” he said.

The largemouth, meanwhile, will gravitate to the grass, and anglers will be able to catch them on a frog, swim jig, ChatterBait or flipping bait.

“I wouldn’t rule anything out,” Wagner said.

With 727 points after three regular-season events, Nick Dyer is leading the Dakota Lithium Bassmaster Kayak Series Angler of the Year standings by just nine points over 2022 Bassmaster Kayak Series national champion Eric Siddiqi. Joshua Diehl, who took home a kayak series trophy in 2021, sits third in the standings with 697 points.

by AnglersChannel

Lock Down Your Soft Plastics

Z-Man® forges ElaZtech®-embracing ZWG™ Weighted Swimbait hook

Ladson, SC (June 29, 2023) – If anglers have learned anything about ElaZtech®—that seemingly extra-terrestrial superplastic formula endowed with unmatched softness, action and longevity—it’s that bait performance rises to another level when married to the right specialized hook or jighead. What catches more Ned rig bass than a Finesse TRD™ / Finesse ShroomZ™ combo? Or ensnares more saltwater slams than a DieZel MinnowZ™ swimbait on a DieZel Eye™ jighead? Sure, ElaZtech shines on traditional hooks, too. But when a Z-Man bait-and-hook unite to create a cohesive fish catching system, lure movement and maxed out fish-per-bait ratios ascend to incomparable heights of awesome.

Creating a next level softbait-to-hook tandem, Z-Man’s new ZWG™ Weighted Swimbait Hookaligns, grips and holds ElaZtech and other conventional soft plastics, cast after cast. Completely customized and forged to spec, the ZWG hook eases softbait rigging, locking baits into place with specialized “keepers” fore and aft. For ballast and dead-on alignment, a slim-profile weight rides the hook shank. Weights such as “1/8” or “3/16” are clearly marked and stamped into the lead, offering easy identification for strategic hook selection.

“We’re constantly looking for ways to improve the angler’s on-the-water experience, simplifying the rigging process, elevating bait performance and helping extend the life of a single ElaZtech bait—even beyond its already-bulletproof nature,” notes Jose Chavez, Z-Man Director of Product Development. “The new ZWG hook immediately boosts angler success, simply by shortening rigging time and effort, keeping baits locked perfectly in place for the long haul.”

Z-Man engineered its new ZWG Swimbait Hook to maximize hookset success.

To position the hookpoint perfectly straight and parallel to a chosen softbait, a low-vis silicone bead pins the hook bend flush to the bait. The bead effectively eliminates the requirement to Texpose-rig the bait, freeing the angler to Texas/weedless rig or Texpose, if they prefer. The specialized “sticky” bead grasps and pins the bait in place, maintaining a natural, optimal presentation at all times.

Stationed on the neck of the eyelet, a molded plastic keeper with a sharp, conical barb further eases ElaZtech rigging, locking the bait’s nose securely, nice and tight to the eye. Together, the specialized keeper combo boosts hookup ratios and prevents baits from sliding down the hook, should you miss a strike. The dual keeper system holds the bait’s head and body tight to the hook, preventing bait movement during critical stages of your presentation.

Zeroing in on the lethal weapon itself, the ZWG features a dual-tapered hook point that perpetually maintains its wicked-sharpness. The business end begins with a traditional taper, transitioning to acute angled razor edges that preserve penetration integrity. Custom forged from heavy-duty steel and finished with corrosion resistant black nickel plating, the hook’s advanced mechanics functionally close the rigging circle with select soft plastics presentations.

Paddletail swimbaits like the new Mulletron™ and Scented PaddlerZ™, soft jerks like the Scented Jerk ShadZ™ and specialized shapes like the Turbo FattyZ™ and GOAT™ series are all comfortably at home on a ZWG. Or, use your imagination for even more killer combinations.

The ZWG Hook positions swimbaits perpetually arrow-straight and aligned for optimal presentations.

“Everyone knows the incredible advantages of ElaZtech superplastics,” notes Z-Man pro and MLF competitor David Walker. “But put a bait like the DieZel MinnowZ or even a topwater bait like the GOAT ToadZ™ on a ZWG hook and their performance and longevity become undeniable.

“Not only does this cool new hook ease and shorten your rigging time,” notes Walker, “its specialized keepers lock and hold baits arrow-straight, every time. No sliding down the hook or wasted time continuously repositioning the hookpoint on weedless rigged baits. This is a high-level hook design that brings out the best in your favorite ElaZtech baits—extending their lifespans even more, if that’s possible.”

“The ZWG hook reflects the fact that Z-Man really listened to the needs of hardcore anglers,” suggests Captain C.A. Richardson, Z-Man pro angler and host of FlatsClassTV. “The keepers are strategically and smartly designed to lock both the nose and midsection of the bait tight to steel. They’re completely hidden inside the bait, making the hook very snag resistant and preventing it from picking up grass. The keel weight is also positioned slightly forward, toward the hook eye, yielding longer ‘weight-forward’ casts.

“Easy ID of hook weight also lets me quickly match my ZWG to the water depth and conditions,” adds Richardson. “Just today, way up in skinny water, we boated a 30-inch Snook, ‘tickling the belly’ of a Mulletron swimbait with a 1/16-ounce ZWG.

“Finally, no more digging around for other generic hooks that simply don’t bring out the best in ElaZtech superplastics or even traditional softbaits.”

Available in 3/0 (1/16-, 1/8-, 3/16-ounce), 4/0 (1/16-, 1/8-, 3/16-ounce) and 5/0 (1/8-, 3/16-, ¼-ounce) sizes, the new ZWG Weighted Swimbait Hook creates a secure, linear softbait connection—and creates endless, innovative bait-and-hook possibilities. 3-packs of the ZWG hooks (MSRP $6.49 per pack) will be available in October. For more information, visit zmanfishing.com.

by AnglersChannel

Throwback Thursday - Quest for the World Record

By Terry Battisti - Bass Fishing Archives

The bass fishing world was rocked on June 23, 1973, when southern California resident Dave Zimmerlee caught the first fish weighing more than 20 pounds since George Perry set the record 42 years earlier at Montgomery Lake, Ga.

Tiny 183-acre Lake Miramar yielded the then-California record. Weighing in at 20-15, the fish dwarfed the existing record of 17-14 caught by James Bates of out of Lake Murray one year earlier.

James bates with his 17-04 Florida bass taken out of Lake Murray San Diego in July 1974.

In 1959, the California Department of Fish and Game joined forces with the Florida Fish and Wildlife to transport and release 20,000 Florida bass fingerlings into San Diego’s Upper Otay reservoir. Upper Otay would act as the brood pond for the Floridas which would then be transplanted into area lakes. The Floridas were chosen because they exhibited a growth rate almost twice as fast as their northern brethren and City Parks officials wanted a fish that would offer a sustainable population for its patrons.

Little did they know what would happen in the near future.

By 1965, the 12-year-old state record of 10-03 had been broken with a 10-10 Florida. The record was again broken in ’66 with a 13-00, in ’68 with a 13-07, in ’69 with a 15-04 and again in 71 with a 16-11. San Diego was on the map as being a likely place for the world record to be broken.

The 1971 record fish, caught by Randall Danio, has some interesting information regarding the catch. He was reportedly fishing for trout at Lake Miramar with a spinner when the big fish ate.

Then, in July of 1972, James Bates caught the next state record, as mentioned above. This fish was the first of the last three state records actually caught by a bass fisherman – the others being caught by trout anglers. He caught his fish on a Grape Mann’s Jelly worm.

California State biologist Larry Bottroff, who was instrumental in the planting of the Florida bass in California’s waters, shed some light on the explosion of trophy largemouth in the state in the Sept/Oct 1972 issue of Bass Master Magazine. Here is an excerpt from that interview with writer Chuck Garrison.

“I believe there are bass of 18 and 19 pounds in some of these waters now! I also believe bass of this size will be taken by 1975. Possibly sooner. The largest I have observed weighed 17-03 and was only 10 years old. The condition of some 12-year-old Floridas I have observed is good. It appears as though they will live four or five more years. If they do and remain in good condition, 20 pound plus bass might become a reality! Time will tell.”

Then came June, 1973.

Dave Zimmerlee poses with his California State Record largemouth bass and his rinky-dink rod and reel. Photo from the cover of Bass master magazine 1973 Sept/Oct Issue.

Dave Zimmerlee had never fished Miramar before that fateful day. He had just relocated to San Diego from Missouri after being in school and the military for eight years. While in Missouri, he had become a bass angler having taken a 12-04 out of Bull Shoals reservoir. Little did he know his next trophy would cause such a stir.

Zimmerlee reported that he hadn’t had any luck fishing the shore in the morning and around noon decided to go rent a boat from the concession. Here are his words from an interview that was printed in the Sept/Oct 1973 issue of Bass Master Magazine, as written by Chuck Garrison.

“… I went up and got a boat and went and fished about three different spots. I got a few little bass but threw them back. Then I started to move up to another spot with the boat and I saw this big fish swimming in the water.”

He dropped the anchor and threw a live nightcrawler at the fish – and it ate it.

The rest is history.

Larry Bottroff was again interviewed for an article published in the 1974 Bass Master Fishing Annual, this time by writer Myron R. Fischer, called Quest for a SUPER BASS. This time Bottroff was again asked why he thought the San Diego lakes produced such giant fish. In Fischer’s words, here was the answer:

“An interesting sidelight, is the fact that fertility of both [Lake] Miramar and [Lake] Murray is low. Bass have attained their size and condition, due to their feeding on trout.”

An interesting fact considering Bottroff, only a year earlier, stated in an interview with Garrison the main diet of the San Diego Floridas was threadfin shad.

Since this time California has produced nine documented largemouths over the 20-pound mark. One of those fish, nicknamed Dotty, was caught at least 5 times by anglers including Jed Dickerson and Mac Weakley – of which three of those catches the fish weighed over 20 pounds. The last time, of course, Dotty weighed an astonishing 25-01 but was released because she was unintentionally snagged.

Although biologists and anglers predicted the world record bass would come from some San Diego lake in the 70s, it didn’t happen. Throughout the 80s and 90s the prediction was still being made. Many anglers got close but it wasn’t until 2009 the record would again be challenged and this time broken.

Manabu Kurita’s world record tying largemouth.

The fish didn’t get caught in one of the “usual” lakes guessed by experts, either. The record was broken 77 years to the day later by Japanese big-fish hunter Manabu Kurita from Lake Biwa, Japan. So much for the odds.

by AnglersChannel

Alabama’s Jordan Lee Leads Top Ten to Championship Round at MLF General Tire Stage Six

Cullman Pro Catches Five-Bass-Limit Weighing 24-9 to Lead Knockout Round on Lake St. Clair, Final 10 Anglers Set for Championship Thursday in the Competition for $100,000

HARRISON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (June 28, 2023) – Berkley pro Jordan Lee of Cullman, Alabama caught 23 scorable bass Wednesday – his best five weighing 24 pounds, 9 ounces – to lead the Knockout Round and advance with the final 10 anglers to the final day of competition at the Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Tour General Tire Stage Six at Lake St. Clair Presented by John Deere Utility Vehicles.

Lee quickly rose to the top of the leaderboard early in Period 1 and never looked back. His five-fish limit weighing 24-9 gives him a 1-pound, 7-ounce cushion over pro Alton Jones Jr. of Waco, Texas,who ended the day with a five-bass-limit weighing 23-2, good for second place. General Tire pro Mark Rose of Wynne, Arkansas, sits in third place with a limit weighing 22-14, while Texas pro Gary Klein finished the day in fourth with 22-11. Reigning Bally Bet Angler of the Year (AOY) Jacob Wheeler of Harrison, Tennessee, weighed in five bass totaling 22 pounds, 2 ounces to round out the top five.

Wednesday’s Knockout Round was the closest Knockout Round finish in the history of the Bass Pro Tour, featuring six moves in and out of the top 10 in the final hour and ending with a three-way tie on either side of the Toro Cutline, in ninth, tenth and eleventh place. The tiebreaker is decided by each angler’s heaviest bass of the day.

Berkley pro Josh Bertrand of Queen Creek, Arizona made the biggest move on the leaderboard in the final minutes of Period 3, catching a clutch 5-11 smallmouth that moved him from 19^thplace into the top 10, to finish the day in seventh. Five-pound smallies were key in the Knockout Round, with nine of the top 10 pros finishing the day with at least one 5-pound kicker in their five-fish limit.

The final 10 anglers are now set, and competition resumes Thursday morning with the Championship Round. In the Championship Round, weight carries over from the Knockout Round and the angler with the heaviest two-day total will win the top prize of $100,000.

Lee has been atop the leaderboard every day he’s competed in the event thus far, and it seems he is on the hunt for his first Bass Pro Tour win since 2020.

“We put ourselves in good position today, we just need a big bag tomorrow,” said Lee. “I stopped where I thought the bass were going to be first thing this morning, and they were stacked up. I was throwing a drop-shot rig with a 5-inch Berkley PowerBait MaxScent Flatnose Jerk Shad at a depth of 17 feet. I’ve noticed the fish have been spitting up big perch all day long, so that’s what I’m trying to mimic with this bait, and it’s worked really well.”

Lee said he is targeting smallmouth bass and grassy edges in the mid-section of Lake St. Clair, using his Lowrance ActiveTarget.

“I’m just looking for grass edges and fish, then throwing my bait in that direction,” said Lee. “Once it gets to the bottom, they’re eating it up.”

For the third time in three days of competition during this event, Lee captured Berkley Big Bass honors, with a 6-pound, 7-ounce smallmouth – the biggest bass of the event thus far – on a drop-shot rig in the second period.

“I mixed it up a little today by throwing a 3/8-ounce Ned Head with a Berkley PowerBait MaxScent Lil’ General and that’s what I caught the 6-7 on,” Lee said. “That fish was definitely one of the top five best smallmouth I’ve ever caught.”

The brown fish weighing 6-7 earned Lee Wednesday’s $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award and is the first time in Bass Pro Tour history that an angler has won the award in both days of the Qualifying Round and in the Knockout Round. Berkley awards $1,000 to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass each day, and another $3,000 bonus to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass of the tournament.

“I’m just going to keep trying to find the right fish,” said Lee. “That’s the key on Lake St. Clair, getting around a little better quality, bigger than average fish, and we’ve got to do that one more day.”

The top 10 pros from Wednesday’s Knockout Round that now advance to Thursday’s Championship Round on Lake St. Clair are:

1^st:           Jordan Lee, Cullman, Ala., five bass, 24-9
2^nd:          Alton Jones, Jr., Waco, Texas, five bass, 23-2
3^rd:          Mark Rose, Wynne, Ark., five bass, 22-14
4^th:           Gary Klein, Mingus, Texas, five bass, 22-11
5^th:           Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn., five bass, 22-2
6^th:           Mark Daniels Jr., Tuskegee, Ala., five bass, 21-14
7^th:           Josh Bertrand, Queen Creek, Ariz., five bass, 21-10
8^th:           Jesse Wiggins, Addison, Ala., five bass, 21-8
9^th:           Terry Scroggins, San Mateo, Fla., five bass, 21-4
10^th:        John Hunter, Shelbyville, Ky., five bass, 21-4

Finishing in 11^th through 40^th place are:

11^th:        Justin Lucas, Guntersville, Ala., five bass, 21-4
12^th:        Dustin Connell, Clanton, Ala., five bass, 21-3
13^th:        Scott Suggs, Alexander, Ark., five bass, 21-0
14^th:        Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., five bass, 20-11
15^th:        Spencer Shuffield, Hot Springs, Ark., five bass, 20-2
16^th:        Jonathon VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich., five bass, 19-13
17^th:        Matt Becker, Ten Mile, Tenn., five bass, 19-12
18^th:        Gerald Spohrer, Gonzales, La., five bass, 19-7
19^th:        Bradley Roy, Lancaster, Ky., five bass, 19-7
20^th:        Cole Floyd, Leesburg, Ohio, five bass, 19-4
21^st:        Kevin VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich., five bass, 18-7
22^nd:       Greg Vinson, Wetumpka, Ala., five bass, 18-7
23^rd:       Jeremy Lawyer, Sarcoxie, Mo., five bass, 18-5
24^th:        Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., five bass, 18-2
25^th:        Mark Davis, Mount Ida, Ark., five bass, 17-13
26^th:        Jeff Sprague, Wills Point, Texs, five bass, 17-12
27^th:        Cliff Pace, Petal, Miss., five bass, 17-12
28^th:        David Dudley, Lynchburg, Va., five bass, 17-9
29^th:        Dylan Hays, Hot Springs, Ark., five bass, 17-3
30^th:        Dean Rojas, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., five bass, 17-2
31^st:        Marty Robinson, Lyman, S.C., five bass, 16-5
32^nd:       Jacob Wall, New Hope, Ala., five bass, 16-4
33^rd:       Cody Meyer, Star, Idaho, five bass, 16-3
34^th:        Ryan Salzman, Huntsville, Ala., five bass, 16-2
35^th:        Adrian Avena, Vineland, N.J., five bass, 15-8
36^th:        James Watson, Lampe, Mo., five bass, 15-0
37^th:        Brent Chapman, Lake Quivira, Kan., five bass, 14-8
38^th:        Fred Roumbanis, Russellville, Ark., five bass, 14-5
39^th:        Brett Hite, Phoenix, Ariz., five bass, 14-4
40^th:        Andy Morgan, Dayton, Tenn., five bass, 11-11

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

The 40 Anglers in Group A competed in their two-day qualifying round on Saturday and Monday – the 40 anglers in Group B on Sunday and Tuesday. The top 20 anglers from each group advanced to Wednesday’s Knockout Round, where weights were zeroed, and the remaining 40 anglers competed to finish in the top 10 and advance to the Championship Round. In Thursday’s Championship Round, weight carries over from the Knockout Round and the angler with the heaviest two-day total wins the top prize of $100,000.

The final 10 anglers will launch Thursday at 7:20 a.m. ET from Lake St. Clair Metropark, located at 31300 Metro Parkway in Harrison Township. The General Tire Takeout will be held at the Metropark, beginning at 4 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend all launch and takeout events and also encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLFNOW!® live stream and SCORETRACKER® coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

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

The MLFNOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee, Marty Stone and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action live on Championship Thursday from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET. MLFNOW!® will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app.

by AnglersChannel

American Tackle Continues to Redefine Fishing Rod Handles

[Oviedo, Fl, June 28^th, 2023] – Today marks the launch of the Tsuka 2, a groundbreaking advancement in fishing rod handles that redefines the angling experience. Designed for discerning anglers and forward-thinking rod designers, the Tsuka 2 pushes the boundaries of carbon handle technology, offering unprecedented possibilities.

Key Features:

Blow-molded Forged Carbon Fiber construction: Delivering unparalleled durability and performance.
Molded rubber end cap: Providing added protection for your valuable gear.
Extreme strength-to-weight ratio: An astonishingly lightweight 1 oz. Single-piece construction without sacrificing toughness.
Ergonomic trigger handle: Ensuring enhanced comfort and control during extended fishing sessions.
CCT (Compressed Carbon Technology) hood: Incorporating state-of-the-art technology for unmatched reliability.
Forged Carbon fiber foregrip with aluminum trim: Combining a sleek, functional, and stylish design to elevate your angling experience.

The Tsuka 2 promises to revolutionize the world of fishing rod handles by merging innovation with practicality, paving the way for the future of fishing.

About American Tackle: American Tackle is a leading innovator in the fishing industry, dedicated to designing and manufacturing high-quality, state-of-the-art fishing gear for enthusiasts and professionals alike. With a focus on exceptional performance and user-friendly designs, American Tackle continues to set new standards in the world of fishing.

by AnglersChannel

Fin-Nor Eyewear Adds Rx Program to 25 Sunglass Models

Fin-Nor joins the prescription market with their angler-built eyewear technology

Columbia, SC (June 28, 2023) - Fin-Nor, leader of angler innovation and technology, is thrilled to announce the new Rx program for their high-end performance sunglasses, purpose-built for anglers and the outdoor lifestyle. This marks the first step into the prescription eyewear market since launching their sunglasses in February 2022.

Fin-Nor performance sunglasses are engineered to withstand the elements and barriers faced on the water daily. Now anglers needing corrective vision can take advantage of this premium eyewear technology through the new Fin-Nor Rx program that will support progressive or single vision prescriptions, with options in the polycarbonate lenses for all 25 models with 193 total style/frame color/lens options to choose from. Prescription lenses will feature the breakthrough Lateral Line™ technology, the most innovative lens technology for people who spend time on the water. This lens technology enhances your vision through distortion-free color, unmatched sharpness, and premium polarization.

Fin-Nor prescription sunglasses use the most advanced digital surfacing technology, lending a more accurate prescription while adding clarity to your vision. The proprietary Lateral Line™ lens technology offers a balanced approach to color enhancement that intensifies primary colors without color distortion. It creates a more natural and realistic experience that limits eye fatigue and makes it easier for the brain to quickly identify and process the view on and beneath the water's surface. Fin-Nor lenses cut through glare, eliminating confusing light and optimizing visibility in aquatic environments; they also reduce blue light transmittance, allowing your vision to cut through mist and haze like no other.

Additional Fin-Nor Rx Program Features:

Front and Backside hydrophobic/oleophobic coating
Superior optical grade backside AR coating
Authentic "Fin-Nor Rx" laser-etched logo
100% UV protection
Uncompromised 100% polarization

Fin-Nor's lightweight frames use advanced, eco-friendly materials designed for all-day comfort and engineered for proper airflow. The performance frames feature an innovative venting system, built-in shields for light management, adjustable nose pads, and spring hinges for flexibility and fit.

by AnglersChannel

Body Piercings and Plastics Surgery

New Z-Man® Rattle-Snaker® wires ElaZtech® and all soft plastics with fish-attracting sound

Ladson, SC (June 28, 2023) – Among all the extra-terrestrial benefits of Z-Man ElaZtech baits, their enigmatic ability to “self-heal”—even after numerous strike lacerations and hook stabs—unlocks some rather valuable bait-rigging mods. Stick a hook into a GOAT™, Turbo CrawZ™ or Jerk ShadZ™ two, three . . . ten different times. Catch a dozen big redfish or fifty largemouth bass. Re-rig the same “used” bait time and time again with next to no damage. ElaZtech is so tough it’s been known to occasionally outlast the hook. Crazy, right?

These same magical self-healing properties make superplastics ideal vehicles for numerous creative hacks—perhaps none more exciting than implanting them with fish-attracting rattles or auxiliary weights. That’s where an impressive little tool known as the Rattle-Snaker® emerges from your tacklebox.

Adding the benefits of sound attraction to any soft plastic bait, the Z-Man Rattle-Snaker effortlessly implants tiny rattles in a quick, safe two-step process. Its patented tool design allows for precision insertion of rattles— or tungsten weights— into bait bodies via a stainless-steel insertion needle and pushrod. Simply insert the tool’s point into the bait’s tail, head or torso. Place a rattle inside the tool’s hollow needle. Implant it in place with the pushrod and you’re immediately wired for fish-attracting sound.

Several years ago, recognizing the value of amplifying his favorite ElaZtech baits with maraca-like vibes, Rattle-Snaker inventor Oliver Green endeavored to engineer a turnkey fishing tool. “I knew if I could contrive a device capable of injecting a rattle into my favorite soft plastic baits, it could be a pretty big deal,” notes Green, an inshore saltwater specialist from southeast Florida.

“I found plenty of rattles, but amazingly, no one was making a tool capable of injecting them into soft plastics, let alone those tougher-to-penetrate superplastics. I knew the tool needed to work with ElaZtech, both because the baits catch so many fish and because the material seals back up and has a way of essentially vapor-locking the rattle inside its body.”

While on “COVID sabbatical,” Green found the time to begin work on his ingenious idea. “Initially, I tried a BBQ injector needle, which provided a starting ground,” he recalls. “From there, I refined things down to an oversized hypodermic needle, which worked slightly better. Finally, I chanced upon exactly what I needed among body piercing supplies, which helped inspire my final design.

“I built the first few Rattle-Snakers with wood handles and immediately gave them to some of my fishing friends. I learned right off that saltwater, freshwater and especially bass anglers were going to be just as excited to get their hands on this tool.”

Further refinements followed. And eventually, a finalized, patented invention emerged. Within months, professional anglers, including MLF/Bass Pro Tour angler Luke Clausen and numerous YouTube influencers were singing the Rattle-Snaker’s praises.

Once the Rattle-Snaker implants an ElaZtech bait, the rattle stays put indefinitely.

“The Rattle-Snaker is one of the coolest new fishing tools I’ve seen,” affirms Clausen, who’s used the tool to implant rattles and small tungsten cylinders into everything from a Ned rigged Finesse TRD™ to a DieZel MinnowZ™ swimbait and a Hella CrawZ™ jig trailer. “Inject your ElaZtech baits with one or more of these little rattles and you benefit from subtle but palpable sound attraction, especially important when imitating a crayfish or other bottom-oriented prey.

“What’s really awesome about the Rattle-Snaker is that once the rattle is inside the bait, it stays put.”

Adds Green: “I have one Neko rigged ElaZtech bait I’ve been using for two years, and the rattles are still intact. Even if a big snook or redfish crushes the rattles inside the bait, I can still simply inject it with a new replacement rattle. One of my bass angling buddies rigs his speed worms with up to 4 rattles per bait. No doubt, experimentation will inspire some pretty cool rigging tricks.”

Equipped with a surgical steel grade needle protected by a silicone needle guard, the Z-Man Rattle-Snaker (available in October - MSRP $12.99) works with all soft plastic baits and for fresh- or saltwater use. Packaged with 10 glass rattles, the Rattle-Snaker features built-in rattle storage or tungsten weights – coming soon. Replacement rattle 10-packs are also available at www.zmanfishing.com.

by AnglersChannel

PLANO EDGE 3700 JERKBAIT BOX

The newest Plano EDGE box is designed with the same performance features that consumers have come to enjoy made specifically for jerkbaits.

COLUMBIA, S.C. (June 28, 2023) — Building on the award-winning Plano EDGE product line, the new 3700 Jerkbait Box was designed to protect, store and extend the life of your favorite jerkbaits. Answering the call from consumers, the new 3700 Jerkbait Box continues to expand upon the Plano EDGE storage solution that avid anglers have come to rely on.

“The Plano EDGE product line delivers a premium storage solution for avid anglers, and we’re excited to offer a new bait-specific utility box for jerkbaits. The design of the new Jerkbait Box incorporates industry-leading innovation to protect the significant investment that anglers make in these baits to protect their finish, hooks, and action,” said Matt Spafford, Director, Category for Plano.

With space to store up to 20 jerkbaits, the Plano EDGE 3700 Jerkbait Box delivers proven EDGE features, including an ultra-clear lid and EZ label system for quick tackle identification, a one-handed latch for easy access, and Rustrictor technology to prevent rust and corrosion. The 3700 Jerkbait Box includes a Dri-Loc o-ring seal to keep water out and comes in a 3700 size designed to fit in 3700-size tackle bags. Through rigorous testing in real-life situations, the new Plano EDGE 3700 Jerkbait Box has been purpose-built with the avid angler in mind.

Key Features
• Designed to store up to 20 jerkbaits
• EZ label system for organization and ultra-clear lid for identification of contents
• Rustrictor and Water Wick technology with 360-degree rust and moisture preventative protection
• Constructed with steel pin hinges and a one-hand latch for secure opening/closing
• 14” L x 9” W x 1.88” H

MSRP: $49.99
Available: September 2023

by AnglersChannel

B.A.S.S. launches new members-only area of website

June 28, 2023

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — B.A.S.S., the worldwide authority on bass fishing, is launching a new members-only area of its website with exclusive discounts, access to B.A.S.S.’s ultra-popular archived television shows, pro tips and more. The move comes as a direct response to requests voiced by the organization’s 500,000 members.

“In recent surveys, exclusive discounts and members-only content topped the list of most sought-after benefits for B.A.S.S. members,” said Chris Sheppard, B.A.S.S. membership director. “We listened and partnered with our sponsors to provide extra value on fishing-related purchases, opened the vault to look into B.A.S.S. history and added exclusive tips and techniques to create a members-only section of Bassmaster.com that increases the value of a B.A.S.S. membership.”

In addition to the exclusive web content and discounts from B.A.S.S. sponsors and some of fishing’s biggest brands, the annual membership to B.A.S.S. includes a subscription to the renowned Bassmaster Magazine, Rapala Bassmaster Fantasy Fishing bonus prizes, tournament eligibility and automatic entry to prize giveaways throughout the year. Plus, members are eligible to join the B.A.S.S. Nation and compete in B.A.S.S. Nation tournaments. The B.A.S.S. Nation is a global network of locally organized clubs whose members participate in and support a range of activities, including conservation initiatives, youth programs and tournaments, with the opportunity for three members to advance as far as the iconic Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Toyota.

Fishing fans can join B.A.S.S., renew their membership or learn more about valuable member benefits at Bassmaster.com/b-a-s-s-membership-faqs.

by AnglersChannel

Feed big largemouth oversized lures for more summer fun

East Texas bass fishing legend Stephen Johnston doesn’t always carry an inflatable innertube and a fruity drink on the spacious front deck of his Vexus, but when it comes to having summer fun with trophy-sized summer largemouth, he’s never without big plastic worms and deep diving crankbaits.

Fisheries biologist and Bass Fishing Hall of Famer, Gene Gilliland,explains that Johnston is wisely appealing to a big largemouth’s warm water appetite. “Bass are cold-blooded critters, so in the summer, when water temperatures are at their peak, a bass' metabolism is ramped up as high as it gets all year, and that demands a lot of food intake,” says Gilliland.

“Furthermore, Mother Nature programs predators for efficiency. So,eating a big meal is more efficient than burning a lot of calories whilechasing down lots of smaller forage items,” he explains.

First, let the thermocline help you find them

Before you can feed them a big worm or oversized crank, you gotta find them, and Johnston says today’s electronics will easily show a horizontal band of ‘pepper’ across the screen representing the thermocline. This is where a major change in water temperature and oxygen levels exist as you go deeper in the water column.

“There’s hardly any oxygen below a summer thermocline. So, for example, if you see the thermocline is 20-feet deep, then you want to target fish-holding spots a few feet shallower, around 16 or 17 feet deep, because there’s obviously no need to dredge around where there’s no oxygen,” says Johnston, who appreciates the super-wide front deck of his Vexus VX21 that allows him to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with two clients as they line up precise casts on schools of fish he’s located.

Serve the big worm first, and use a ½-ounce sinker

Oversized worms and deep diving crankbaits are often served together like backyard burgers and potato salad during summer, but Johnston says it’s wise to offer a school of hungry largemouth the worm first, because fish hooked on a big crankbait sometimes pull loose, and that spooks the rest of the fish in the school from biting. However, bass seldom come unbuttoned on a plastic worm.

“The one thing I do a little different when fishing a big worm is use a ½-ounce sinker instead of a 3/8 or 5/16. I want that heavier weight to help me get their attention by creating a bigger disturbance on the bottom of the lake,” says Johnston.

Be properly equipped for deep crankin’

Crankbaits that dive to a max depth of around 15-feet or less, and weigh less than an ounce, can be thrown on 12 pound line, but when stepping up to the mega-sized deep divers like Strike King’s 10 XD, which weighs a hefty 2-ounces, and can consistently reach depths of 20-feet or more, you’d better be throwing it on at least 18-pound Sunline Sniper fluorocarbon.

A really long cast is absolutely critical to achieving maximum depth and keeping the lure at that depth for a long period of time. That’s best achieved by utilizing a rod at least 7’ 6” in length with plenty of flex to allow you to ‘sling’ it. Johnston’s deep cranking rod of choice is a Shimano Zodias glass casting rod.

So, don’t be intimidated by the bigger baits preferred by the high metabolic rates of hot weather bass. First, find the thermocline, and then feed ‘em the sort of oversized treat that appeals to them in the same way you’re likely fond of a burger on the grill and a refreshing beverage amid the year’s warmest months.

by AnglersChannel

Introducing the New Ultrex QUEST: a Trolling Motor Built for the Harshest Environments

Ultrex QUEST gives anglers everything they love about Ultrex with an updated brushless design to tackle the most punishing conditions

RACINE, Wis. (June 28, 2023) – Fishing’s most trusted trolling motor has been reimagined to help anglers get out earlier, stay out later and fish in places others can’t. The new QUEST series of dual 24 or 36 volt brushless trolling motors was designed for anglers who demand the best from their equipment – even in the harshest environments. With a programmable foot pedal, re-engineered motor and mount, more advanced GPS functionality than ever and even an eco mode to extend battery life, the new Ultrex was specifically designed for bass anglers and the areas they fish.

The Ultrex line features both traditional brushed options as well as the upgraded QUEST variations. Every new Ultrex model features an updated and integrated GPS-enabled navigation system which is fully compatible with Humminbird fish finders without the need for additional steps or cables. The change simplifies the product line and allows for Humminbird connectivity right out of the box. Anglers who opt for a QUEST model will benefit from the added torque and runtime of the new brushless technology platform as well.

New Features for All Ultrex Models:

NEW Enhanced GPS Suite Including Drift Mode to allow anglers to spend more time fishing and less time on boat control
o Drift Mode: combats current and wind by automatically adjusting speed and direction to keep the boat on a true drift. Drift Mode acts as a gps drift sock eliminating the need for cumbersome ropes or shallow water anchor paddles
Out of the Box connection to Humminbird via the One-Boat Network by including all necessary adapters required for networking without additional need for setup
One App for Everything – the One-Boat Network App can control everything on the boat from the trolling motor and shallow water anchors to the Humminbird head units
Enhanced Built-in 2D Sonar with Dual Spectrum CHIRP adds Humminbird’s unrivaled sonar clarity to every Minn Kota motor

Minn Kota Ultrex QUEST

QUEST models of Ultrex include all of the same updates as brushed options with the addition of an all new technology platform - QUEST. These dual 24 or 36 volt brushless motors boast 30% longer runtime on a given charge and up to 50% greater torque.* QUEST gives anglers everything they love about Ultrex with a more robust and powerful brushless motor capable of enduring the most punishing environments.

New Features for Ultrex QUEST Models:

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

MSRP for brushed models: $2999.99-$3499.99

MSRP for QUEST Models: $3699.99-$4199.99

Available: July 1

*Compared to 24 volt brushed motor at maximum speed setting

by AnglersChannel

Dustin Connell Wins Group B Qualifying Round at MLF General Tire Stage Six at Lake St. Clair

Weights Now Zeroed, Top 20 Anglers from Each Group Combine to Compete in Wednesday’s Knockout Round

HARRISON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (June 27, 2023) – Favorite Fishing pro Dustin Connell of Clanton, Alabama , maintained his position atop the leaderboard, catching a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 45 pounds, 9 ounces, to lead Group B and win Tuesday’s Qualifying Round at the Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Tour General Tire Stage Six at Lake St. Clair Presented by John Deere Utility Vehicles .

The remaining 40 anglers – the top 20 from each group – now advance to Wednesday’s Knockout Round, where weights are zeroed, and the anglers compete to finish in the top 10 to advance to the Championship Round on Thursday. Weights will carry over from the Knockout Round into the Championship Round, which will feature the final 10 anglers competing for the heaviest two-day cumulative total and the top prize of $100,000.

“It’s been a good two days, but now the real derby starts,” said Connell. “I was able to practice and look around a lot today, but it’s strictly business now. I’ve done great in the Qualifying Rounds this season, but I haven’t done too well in the Knockout Round. I have a feeling that might change in this event though.”

Connell spent the day bouncing around various places on the lower section of Lake St. Clair using his Lowrance ActiveTarget. He said he found a new area – and two new schools of fish – where he expects to find some big ones.

“I’m on such a big area and that’s played out well for me,” said Connell. “I’m able to get away from everyone else and there hasn’t been a single boat in sight, which just makes it better. Hopefully the weather lays down on Wednesday, because if it does, a lot of these fish will slide up off the bottom and that will make it easier to see them and catch them.”

Connell’s five-fish limit on Tuesday included a group of 4-pounders and a 5-pound, 7-ounce kicker fish that he weighed in during Period 2. He caught all of his fish on his 7-foot, 2-inch medium heavy Favorite Fishing Hex Rod, throwing a Googan Baits Rattlin’ Ned on a 3/8-ounce drop-shot rig, using 15-pound braid and a 12-pound Seaguar Gold Label Fluorocarbon Leader.

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

1^st:           Dustin Connell, Clanton, Ala., 10 bass, 45-9
2^nd:          Mark Daniels Jr., Tuskegee, Ala., 10 bass, 42-5
3^rd:          Mark Davis, Mount Ida, Ark., 10 bass, 41-4
4^th:           Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn., 10 bass, 40-6
5^th:           John Hunter, Shelbyville, Ky., 10 bass, 40-1
6^th:           Bradley Roy, Lancaster, Ky., 10 bass, 39-11
7^th:           Jesse Wiggins, Addison, Ala., 10 bass, 39-11
8^th:           Kevin VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich., 10 bass, 38-14
9^th:           Gerald Spohrer, Gonzales, La., 10 bass, 38-5
10^th:        Josh Bertrand, Queen Creek, Ariz., 10 bass, 38-3
11^th:        Jeremy Lawyer, Sarcoxie, Mo., 10 bass, 38-2
12^th:        Dylan Hays, Hot Springs, Ark., 10 bass, 38-1
13^th:        Jeff Sprague, Wills Point, Texas, 10 bass, 37-4
14^th:        Justin Lucas, Guntersville, Ala., 10 bass, 36-14
15^th:        Cliff Pace, Petal, Miss., 10 bass, 36-9
16^th:        Brett Hite, Phoenix, Ariz., 10 bass, 36-0
17^th:        Fred Roumbanis, Russellville, Ark., 10 bass, 35-7
18^th:        Scott Suggs, Alexander, Ark., 10 bass, 35-1
19^th:        Gary Klein, Mingus, Texas, 10 bass, 34-13
20^th:        Jacob Wall, New Hope, Ala., 10 bass, 34-5

Eliminated from competition are:

21^st:        Keith Poche, Pike Road, Ala., 10 bass, 34-4
22^nd:       Shin Fukae, Osaka, Japan, 10 bass, 34-4
23^rd:       John Murray, Spring City, Tenn., 10 bass, 34-1
24^th:        Alton Jones, Lorena, Texas, 10 bass, 34-0
25^th:        Brent Ehrler, Redlands, Calif., 10 bass, 33-15
26^th:        James Elam, Tulsa, Okla., 10 bass, 33-12
27^th:        Nick LeBrun, Bossier City, La., 10 bass, 33-10
28^th:        Edwin Evers, Talala, Okla., 10 bass, 33-10
29^th:        Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla., 10 bass, 32-5
30^th:        Mike McClelland, Blue Eye, Mo., 10 bass, 32-4
31^st:        Brandon Coulter, Knoxville, Tenn., 10 bass, 31-4
32^nd:       Skeet Reese, Auburn, Calif., 10 bass, 30-3
33^rd:       Luke Clausen, Spokane, Wash., 10 bass, 30-1
34^th:        Matt Lee, Cullman, Ala., 10 bass, 29-9
35^th:        Russ Lane, Prattville, Ala., 10 bass, 28-12
36^th:        Jared Lintner, Covington, Ga., 10 bass, 28-12
37^th:        Dakota Ebare, Brookeland, Texas, eight bass, 28-7
38^th:        Todd Faircloth, Jasper, Texas, eight bass, 27-14
39^th:        Tommy Biffle, Wagoner, Okla., 10 bass, 27-8
40^th:        Stephen Browning, Hot Springs, Ark., 10 bass, 24-11

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

Tuesday’s $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award was awarded to pro Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Michigan, who weighed in a 6-pound, 2-ounce smallmouth – the biggest bass of the event thus far – which bit a jerkbait in Period 2. Berkley awards $1,000 to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass each day, and another $3,000 bonus to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass of the tournament.

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

The MLFNOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee, Marty Stone and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action live on all six days of competition from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET. MLFNOW!® will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app.

by AnglersChannel

Amazing Performance, Shocking Price

WHITEWATER Fishing’s Lightweight Tech Hoodie and Long Sleeve Tech Shirt wear and fish like comparable tops twice their price.

By Maynard Lee

MUSKEGON, Mich. (June 27, 2023) – $34.99 is a scary price for a fishing shirt. Typically, you wouldn’t expect much. Or, you’d simply thump past it on the rack looking for a better build, different brand. That’s certainly the case with knockoff fishing shirts and private labels. You get what you pay for.

But, quite astonishingly, that isn’t the case with WHITEWATER Fishing’s Lightweight Tech Hoodie and Long Sleeve Tech Shirt. Now before my spiel, I solemnly swear having owned and fished both for over a year. That entails too many fishing adventures to tally and dozens of washings, often ending days with fish blood and Frank’s hot sauce on the fabric.

CYAN BLUE

GLACIER GREY

Let’s start with a bit about use. Lightweight performance fishing shirts provide comfortable and versatile protection from the sun’s harmful rays while wicking moisture to keep warm-weather anglers cool during the heat of the hunt. But many so-called fishing tech shirts have a downside. It’s called permastink. The lightweight polyester material, which forms the fabrics that perform so well in warm temperatures has a very small pore structure that can trap and tightly grip bacteria and odor molecules. Once trapped, these odors can be difficult or impossible to remove, even with repeated washings.

WHITEWATER Fishing’s Long-Sleeve Tech Shirt and Lightweight Tech Hoodie deliver a triple dose of technology to keeps anglers dry, protected from solar radiation, and smelling fresh. Their 100% polyester interlock fabric yields supreme, next-to-skin comfort, while wicking perspiration to keep you comfy and dry. UPF 30 provides both UVA and UVB skin protection that effectively blocks over 96% of ultraviolet radiation. Finally, an antimicrobial treatment controls and prevents odors, including the permastink that can infiltrate untreated polyester garments.

The stretchy material is like witchcraft, too. Silky smooth to the touch. And it maintains its athletic fit after numberless wearing and washing. Functions like another layer of skin, one that protects you from the sun and draws moisture away.

In these economic times when every purchase is under scrutiny, these top-shelf fishing shirts pass the performance and practicality tests.

SKYLINE

LAGOON

FEATURES:

100% Polyester interlock fabric
Moisture wicking for comfort and fast drying
UPF 30 solar protection
Antimicrobial treatment controls and prevents odors
Tailored fit for comfort and mobility
Available in five sizes, men’s SM-3X
Long Sleeve Tech Shirt available in Lagoon and Skyline
Lightweight Tech Hoodie available in Blue and Gray

Long Sleeve Tech Shirt MSRP $29.99

Lightweight Tech Hoodie MSRP $34.99

by AnglersChannel

St. Clair Smallmouth Snacks

Courtesy of Luke Stoner - Dynamic Sponsorships

Photo - Garrick Dixon/Major League Fishing

Terry Scroggins is headed to the Knockout Round tomorrow after finishing in 5th place of Group A for General Tire Stage Six on Lake St. Clair with a two-day weight of over 38-lbs. Like many anglers in the field, Scroggins is employing a dropshot to catch his weight while bouncing in the steady waves this fishery is famous for.

Big Show’s primary area is on the Canadian side, and he is fishing around a lot of other anglers, both Bass Pro Tour competitors and locals. While his fishing technique and area may not be abnormally unique, Scroggins has figured out a few subtle tackle changes he believes have been key this week.

“I’m feeding them a little snack instead of the main-course meal,” Scroggins said. “With St. Clair having so many big fish in it, most of us started throwing bigger plastics the last few times we’ve come here. But I’ve downsized my rig and it seems like I’m getting more bites than the anglers around me.

“Normally I use the 4.25-inch Berkley Maxscent Flatworm on St. Clair, but all my fish came on the smaller 3.6-inch size, and I’ve gone down to a ¼-ounce weight on my dropshot versus the 3/8-ounce (or heavier) that most of the other guys are throwing.”

These adjustments may not sound too significant, but Scroggins stresses that subtleties are critical when it comes to smallmouth. As a fan watching live coverage, it can seem as though about every angler in the field is doing the same exact thing in a smallie slugfest. The pros will most likely be offshore, looking at their electronics, and dragging around something on a spinning rod. There are exceptions, but these elements are generally the norm, and to the untrained eye it can appear almost monotonous.

But the subtle distinctions of line size, jighead or dropshot weight size, soft plastic profile, and the depth range an angler invests their time in makes all the difference for tournaments like Stage Six on St. Clair. Dropping down is size comes with a cost, especially when fighting three-foot waves, but the results can be worth it.

“The wind has been blowing pretty good this week and it’s been a pain to fish a lighter weight in these conditions,” Scroggins explained. “But it pays to show the fish something different. Sometimes it’s the opposite and it’s best to show fish something bigger than they are used to seeing, but this week a smaller profile and lighter weight have helped me put more weight on the SCORETRACKER.”

Scroggins is also varying his leader lengths on his dropshots to give pressured smallmouth a different look throughout the day, and they are all strung up on a custom built 6’10” DS822-MHX Drop Shot Rod from Mud Hole Custom Tackle. This is Big Show’s go-to spinning rod for just about every application, whether he’s skipping wacky rigs for Florida largemouth or dragging a dropshot for a Michigan smallmouth.

Scroggins will be joined by Team Toyota colleagues Kevin VanDam and Mark Daniels Jr. in the Knockout Round, where they’ll all keep their foot on the gas in hopes of claiming a Bass Pro Tour trophy to ride home with in their Tundras. Follow the action starting at 8 a.m. ET tomorrow morning on MajorLeagueFishing.com.

by AnglersChannel

Allen Hayes and Danny Bishop win ABT Wheeler Lake with 23.23

By Jason Duran

The final stop of the ABT 2023 regular season was held at Wheeler Lake in Decatur. 225 teams from the north division competed for the top prize of $10,000. In this final event, numerous factors were at stake including the AOY points race where the top 9 teams qualified to fish the BASS Team Championship and the top 75 move on to fish the ABT Championship. Teams reported tough fishing in practice, but the team of Allen Hayes and Danny Bishop caught 23.23 for the win lapping field by over two pounds to win $10,000.

Allen and Danny blasted off as boat number 216. Due to the high boat number, they were “hoping that no one would be in our area when we got there.” When they showed up to their area, they were surprised no one else was there, so they quickly went to work. On their second cast, they both caught a fish; one weighed 2-pounds, and the other was over 4-pounds. They were able to spend all their fishing time in that area. They describedthe area as a “river channel ledge that was holding fish because of a hard spot.” They found the area using side scan in practice and noticed there was an abundance of bait in the area. Other fishermen came to the area throughout the day, however, they were there first and were able to hold their ground and protect the area. They started out early with a topwater and crankbait, but quickly realized they needed to make a bait change because it seemed like the fish “didn’t really want to chase the bait.” They made a change to Texas rigged large worms and creature baits in June bug and green pumpkin color. Once they made the change, they were able to fill out their limit and upgrade it to 23.23- pounds. Once they reached that weight, they decided to head back and do their best to protect their fish. They arrived back at the landing 4.5 hours early and waited for the scales to open at 1:30. They weighed in as the first team and lead wire to wire over a very tough ABT field. With this win, they collected the $10,000 payday and automatically qualified for the ABT Championship.

The second-place team of Walker Brown and Sloan Pennington caught 20.65. The team shared, “we caught several small ones in practice, and if we stayed in and around Decatur and the grass,we could get bit. We just never caught any big ones. We spent two and half days looking around for hard spots that should be holding big fish this time of year. On tournament day, we knew we were going to stay in the grass all day.” The first cast of the day they used a “Zoom Ol Monster worm. We cast it all over the Decatur Flats. The goal was to spend time covering lots of water with the trolling motor. We only cranked the big motor twice,but we probably covered three miles on the trolling motor today. We also used a Buck Eye Mop Jig. We never could find the kicker fish; our biggest was 4.25. We were looking for one over 5 pounds. We tried to fish our own water and fish for fish that had not seen as many baits hopefully. We have struggled some this year, so this second place feels good.” With this finish, they collected $5,000 and moved in to 58th place in AOY which qualifies them to fish the ABT Championship.

The third-place team of Bryan Dowdy and Kyle Lewellen caught 18.65. “We put a lot practice time into this event. This lake has been our nemesis; we have never cashed a check here,so we put in the time to find some fish. We put together three patterns. We found some deep fish, some creek fish and some dirt shallow fish. Today we weighed in half our bag from deep and half from dirt shallow. We started out this morning on a deeper spot using a worm and spinnerbait. We really had to wait this morning for the fish to bite, but when they did, we caught a 3-pounder, a 4 –pounder, and 3.80 on back-to-back casts. The first six fish we caught gave us 17-pounds. From there, we went dirt shallow targeting wood and lily pads using a frog and a Jig.“This finish moves them into 6th place in the AOY standing and qualifies them to fish the BASS Team Championship and the ABT Championship. They collected a $3,000 ABT check, a $500 Garmin bonus, and a $2,500 Phoenix Boats payday.

The top ten standings are below for a complete list of standings please visit: https://www.alabamabasstrail.org/wheeler-lake/results/

John Kellett and Zeke Gossett claim the title of Anglers of the Year for the North Division and also qualify with the other top 9 teams to fish the BASS Team Championship:

PLACEANGLERSPOINTS

1John Kellett/Zeke Gossett1021

2Michael Wooley/Joe Wooley992

3Mark Mccaig/Tim Hurst979

4Shane Meers/James Meers975

5Wesley Sams/Jordan Wiggins969

6Bryan Dowdy/Kyle Lewellen968

7Damien Willis/Tyler Kiker967

8Justin Bussey/Ben Webb960

9Craig Daniel /Jackie Flack940

Download and listen to the ABT Podcast on your favorite Podcast app by searching for “Alabama Bass Trail Podcast.” The Podcast is released each week on Tuesday.

For Live coverage from this event and others visit https://www.youtube.com/@alabamabasstrailtv

by AnglersChannel

Nightwave Marine Digital Night Vision Camera is True Boating Innovation

SIONYX Brings Dark Room Experience to ICAST 2023

Beverly, MASS. (June 27, 2023). The SIONYX Nightwave marine digital night vision camera has been the talk of the marine community since its launch in late 2022, giving anglers and boaters night vision in color at an accessible price. Featuring new upgrades this season, boaters can not only view its video directly from a boat's MFD, but the camera can now WiFi stream video to a tablet or phone with the SIONYX app and to a computer via USB connection. With additional colors added this year, Nightwave is set to introduce the upgrades at ICAST 2023 and is entered in the New Product Showcase within the Electronics category.

“ICAST attendees will be able to experience Nightwave’s low-light vision capabilities for themselves in our dark room at the SIONYX booth, #2005,” Says Michael Hauser, Global Maritime Sales Manager for SIONYX. “There will be no doubt in anyone’s mind after seeing it in action that this new technology for boaters and fishermen will be a major upgrade to how they operate at night.”

SIONYX is changing the night vision landscape with its proprietary digital night vision technology. Nightwave is a first-of-its-kind color digital night vision camera built around SIONYX's patented Black Silicon CMOS sensor that offers unparalleled <1 millilux moonless starlight sensitivity. This advanced technology displays high-resolution color images and videos with exceptional clarity, allowing boaters to experience heightened visual acuity at night. Unlike thermal imaging, which relies on temperature gradients to create images, digital night vision employs state-of-the-art sensors and advanced image processing algorithms to capture detailed and vibrant visuals, showcasing an impressive level of color accuracy, contrast, and depth perception. By providing a true-to-life representation of the scene, Nightwave offers superior object recognition capabilities in the darkness of night. With Nightwave, now mariners of all levels can spot obstacles and debris in moonless starlight without white light or expensive thermal cameras.

Navigating in low-light conditions can be a daunting task for any fisherman. Nightwave's 44-degree, stable field of view significantly enhances situational awareness, enabling you to spot unexpected markers, vessels, and land formations with remarkable clarity. This wide field of view ensures that no details escape your attention, making navigation in the dark more accessible than ever before. Whether you need to locate specific fishing ground before dawn or find your way back to the shore post-sunset, Nightwave provides the visual aid you need for a smooth and safe journey.

The Nightwave camera has a rugged marine-grade housing with an IP67 rating that protects against water, sand, salt, and dust. The camera is dry nitrogen purged to prevent lens fogging, so you can safely use it in inclement weather conditions. Nightwave offers flexible installation options, so you can permanently mount it or use a temporary ¼”-20 mount for a temporary or portable setup. The camera is compatible with most major brand MFDs, so you can view video using your existing electronics, over WiFi through the SIONYX mobile app, or to a computer via USB connection. Stay connected and in control of your movement, no matter where you are on the water.

With SIONYX Nightwave, seeing in the dark is your new superpower. Extend your day on the water and get home safe. Nightwave takes the darkness out of the night.

Nightwave is available in (new) black, white, and gray options for $1995 MSRP. For more information, please click here.

Notable features include:

<1MLX moonless starlight sensitivity: allows mariners to see well beyond human eyesight and detect a man-sized object at 170 meters.
Stable 44-degree field of view: increases situational awareness to spot unexpected obstacles, debris, markers, vessels, and more.
Convenient installation flexibility: permanent mounting hardware is included, as well as a standard 1/4”-20 mount interface. Nightwave can be oriented ball-up or ball-down to meet any challenging mounting requirements.
Up-to-date performance: the latest firmware and software releases are always available through the SIONYX mobile app.

by AnglersChannel

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

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

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

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

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

MSRP: $189.95
Available: October 2023

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

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

MSRP: $189.95
Available: October 2023

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

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

MSRP: $229.95
Available: October 2023

by AnglersChannel

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

By Danny Blandford

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

My Observations

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

We managed to capture a couple along the way

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

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

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

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

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

End-of-the-Day Testing

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

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

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

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

The Weight Loss Journey

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

The Light Load

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

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

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

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

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

by AnglersChannel

Missile Baits Drops Bomba 3.5 and Adds More Spunk Shads

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

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

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

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

by AnglersChannel

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

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

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

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

The top 20 advancing anglers from Group A will now have an off day from competition Tuesday, while the 40 anglers competing in Qualifying Group B will complete their two-day Qualifying Round. The top 20 anglers from each group advance to Wednesday’s Knockout Round. In the Knockout Round, weights are zeroed, and the remaining 40 anglers compete to finish in the top 10 to advance to the Championship Round on Thursday. In the final day Championship Round, weight carries over from the Knockout Round and the angler with the heaviest two-day total wins the top prize of $100,000.

“The past two competition days have been unbelievable, and I feel really blessed,” said Lee. “Since we couldn’t practice on the Canadian side of Lake St. Clair, I came over here on a whim, just gambling. I wasn’t really sure what to expect, but it’s been a great experience.

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

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

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

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

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

Eliminated from competition are:

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

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

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

by AnglersChannel

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:

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

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

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

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

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers finished:

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

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

After two events, Chris Martinkovic of Hamilton, Ohio, leads the BFL Buckeye Presented by Rabid Baits Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 489 points, while Steve Sorrell of Beavercreek, Ohio, leads the Strike King Co-Angler Division AOY race with 492 points.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, will qualify for the Oct. 5-7 BFL Regional tournament on the Potomac River in Marbury, Maryland. Boaters will fish for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $50,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.

The 2023 Phoenix BFL Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 events throughout the season, five qualifying tournaments in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five qualifying event winners, will advance to one of six BFL Regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. The 2023 All-American event will take place May 31-June 2, on Lake Hartwell in Seneca, South Carolina. The event is hosted by Visit Oconee SC.

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

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

by AnglersChannel

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

Macks Wins Strike King Co-Angler Division

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:

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

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

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

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

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers finished:

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

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

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

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

by AnglersChannel

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

Kent Tops Strike King Co-Angler Division

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:

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

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

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

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

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers finished:

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

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

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

by AnglersChannel

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

House Wins Strike King Co-Angler Division

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

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

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

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

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

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

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:

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

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

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

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

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers finished:

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

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

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

by AnglersChannel

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

Gittings Wins Strike King Co-Angler Division

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

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

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

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

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

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

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:

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

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

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

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

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers finished:

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

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

After four events, Zachary Stoupa of Prince George, Virginia, leads the BFL Shenandoah Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 970 points, while David Deciucis of Chester, Virginia, leads the Strike King Co-Angler Division AOY race with 963 points.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, will qualify for the Oct. 19-21 BFL Regional tournament on Lake Norman in Huntersville, North Carolina. Boaters will fish for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $50,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.

by AnglersChannel

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rounding out the top 10 were:

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

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

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

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

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

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

by AnglersChannel

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

Lake Tawakoni: 6/25/2023

Total Entries: 164 Teams

Total Collected: $82,350

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

Payback Percentage: 98%%

Total Fish: 275

Total Weight: 411.55 lbs

Average Weight: 1.50 lbs

Number of limits: 42

Number of zero's: 101

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

Berkley Big Bass on Lake Fork
October 21 & 22

You can now register online.

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

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

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

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

$6000.00

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

$4000.00

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

$2500.00

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

$2000.00

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

$1500.00

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

$1200.00

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

$1090.00

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

$1080.00

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

$1070.00

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

$1060.00

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

$1050.00

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

$1040.00

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

$1030.00

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

$1020.00

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

$1010.00

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

$1000.00

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

$1000.00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

by AnglersChannel

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

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

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

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

New Features for All Bow-Mount Models:

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

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

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

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

Minn Kota QUEST Technology

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

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

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

New Features for QUEST Models:

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