THE BASS TANK REFRESHES OLD VISION WITH NEW OWNERSHIP
The Bass Tank, one of the largest authorized Dealers for Garmin and Lowrance in the U.S.A, is pleased to announce that an agreement has been reached for Scott Palmer to become the sole owner of the company.
The company has built a well-known reputation, rooted in helping customers with their fishing electronics and providing expert technical support.
“Looking ahead, I am excited about the future and where our team is going to take us. I’ve always looked at us as a customer service company that just happens to sell products, and I truly do look forward to getting back to those roots,” Palmer stated.
The company will be releasing new opportunities, for all fisherman wanting to get the most out of their electronics, in the coming months that will help accomplish these goals.
Palmer concluded, “I am passionate about giving our past customers the support they deserve, as well gaining the trust of future customers. I absolutely love to catch fish, but I equally, if not more, want to see my customers catch fish.”
The Bass Tank specialises in retailing and installing marine electronics and accessories, and was founded and staffed with fishermen and outdoorsmen.
Iaconelli: All about baitfish at Murray Elite
Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships
We can’t be sure why Mike Iaconelli returned to the ramp at dark following a long day of practice on Lake Murray with one dead shad and one dead blueback herring in his boat. But one thing’s for certain, he’s very much in touch with how bait will largely determine where and how bass will be caught in this tournament.
Lake Murray is fishing extremely well right now. Fans should expect to see numerous limits over 17 pounds weighed-in, and it’s likely that Elite Series pros will need to average 18 pounds a day to take home a Top 10 finish, but blueback herring still remain an often-perplexing piece of the puzzle.
“First off, I’m not sure why they’re called blueback herring, because to me their backs look brown,” laughs Iaconelli. “They’re a blessing because they make such awesome forage for growing big bass, but a curse because they’re always moving, which makes finding the bass that feed on them a constant challenge,” he explains.
Iaconelli says he’s seen bluebacks as shallow as five feet where so many of them are spawning on Murray right now, but also as deep as 30-feet. So, it’s anybodys guess as to where they’ll show up in the midst of a tournament day, but wind is highly influential in determining which of the hundreds of flat clay points they’ll show-up on.
While bluebacks will be talked about excessively this week, Iaconelli is wise enough to realize they’re not the only baitfish Murray’s bass will be chowing down.
“Just about everything in this lake seems to be in some phase of the spawn right now, including largemouth and bluebacks, but also shad. So, while the bluebacks are kind of the star of the show here, you can’t ignore the importance of shad too,” emphasizes Iaconelli.
That said, the recent Bass Fishing Hall of Fame electee is tying on numerous lures to imitate both species of bait.
“I’ve got an entire tackle tray full of lures designed to look like blueback herring, and a soft jerk bait is a proven winner on this lake, but when I’m around shad, I’ll pick up something like this Rapala OG Tiny crankbait to better imitate them,” he explains.
Practice is going well for the Team Toyota pro. He’s dialed-in Murray’s bass and the forage they feed on. In fact, if Iaconelli had a spirit animal this week, it’d be a Lake Murray baitfish. That awful smell on his hands proves it.
Lure Masters Signs Exclusive MLF Licensing Agreement to Run MLF Fishing Tournaments in Central Europe
Sixteen Countries Now Operating MLF Fishing Tournaments, Including New Additions Austria, Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, Netherlands and Switzerland
BENTON, Ky. (April 19, 2023) – Major League Fishing (MLF), the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, announced an exclusive licensing agreement today with Lure Masters, a European tournament-fishing organization dedicated to providing top-notch tournament experiences for anglers of all skill levels, to provide anglers in six countries the opportunity to compete in MLF-sanctioned fishing tournaments in 2023.
MLF Central Europe will run a series of tournaments that advance anglers, who are citizens or permanent residents of the host countries, to the International Division at the MLF Toyota Series Championship beginning in 2023. One angler from Central Europe will compete as a pro, with MLF providing a fully-rigged boat, and one angler will compete as a Strike King co-angler.
MLF Central Europe will operate under the direction of Christian Biereth, CEO of Lure Masters.
"We are thrilled to join forces with Major League Fishing and bring in their world-class tournament and broadcasting experience to enhance tournament fishing in our region," said Biereth. "Our passion for fishing and commitment to providing top-notch experiences for our competitors aligns perfectly with MLF's mission, and we are eager to bring this unique experience to the anglers of Central Europe."
The top pro award at the Toyota Series Championship is $200,000, with an additional $35,000 Phoenix MLF Bonus for qualified anglers, and the top Strike King co-angler award is a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard. The highest finishing pro from the International Division at the Toyota Series Championship will also be awarded a $10,000 bonus as well as qualification into the Tackle Warehouse Invitationals.
"We are excited to welcome Lure Masters to the MLF family and bring our innovative tournament format to the passionate anglers of Central Europe," said Dave Washburn, Vice President of Operations at Major League Fishing. “Lure Masters' expertise and commitment to delivering exceptional fishing experiences make them the perfect partner to help us grow the sport and bring MLF's fast-paced competition to even more fans."
For complete details and updated information on Major League Fishing and our international partners, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
MLF Phoenix BFL Great Lakes Division Opener on Mississippi River in La Crosse Postponed Due to River Flooding
WHAT:
The Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine (BFL) Great Lakes Division tournament on the Mississippi River in La Crosse, scheduled for Sat. April 29, has been postponed to Sunday, May 21, due to the flooding from the river and ramp closures. All launch and weigh-in locations and times will remain the same.
WHEN:
Sunday, May 21
Takeoff: 6 a.m. CT
Weigh-In: 2 p.m. CT
WHERE:
West Copeland & Clinton Boat Ramp, Northside Beach Road, La Crosse, Wis.
NOTES:
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each Great Lakes Division qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 19-21 Phoenix BFL Regional on Lake of the Ozarks in Osage Beach, Missouri.
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.
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.
Lake Murray Mauler
The winner of the Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour Stop 3 on Lake Murray, Anthony Gagliardi, provides the details on how he was able to manhandle the competition and defend home turf.
B.A.S.S. names top student athletes to 2023 Bassmaster High School All-State Fishing Team
April 18, 2023
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Fifty-two of the most outstanding high school anglers from across the country have been named to the 2023 Bassmaster High School All-State Fishing Team presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors.
The students were selected for the honor based on their success in bass tournament competition, academic achievement and leadership in conservation and community service.
To be considered for the All-State Fishing Team, a student must have been nominated by a parent, coach, teacher or other school official. Students enrolled in grades 10-12 with a current-year grade point average of 2.5 or higher were eligible.
B.A.S.S. received over 300 nominations from across the nation. From these, judges selected 52 student anglers from 30 states to make the All-State Fishing Team. Additionally, 42 students received Honorable Mentions recognizing them for their tournament success as well as community service and academic achievement.
“Congratulations to all 52 anglers on being selected to be a part of the 2023 Bassmaster High School All-State Fishing Team as well as our 42 Honorable Mentions,” said Glenn Cale, B.A.S.S. Nation Tournament Manager — College, High School and Junior. “It’s always impressive to see the accolades of each applicant. Every parent and angler should be very proud of joining the team.”
A second panel of judges will review the nominations of the 52 All-State team members and select the 12 members of the 2023 Bassmaster High School All-American Fishing Team presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors. As in All-State judging, criteria include success in high school fishing tournaments, involvement in conservation efforts and other community service activities.
The 12 finalists will compete in a one-day Bassmaster High School All-American Bass Tournament presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors, which will be held during the Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River scheduled for June 1-4 in Orange, Texas.
Elite Series anglers will serve as teammates and “coaches” of the student anglers in the tournament. The high school standouts will be honored on the main stage at the weigh-in.
Below is the list of the 52 All-State anglers and 42 Honorable Mentions, in order by state:
Alabama
Triton Graham, Citronelle
Avery Padgett, Elba
Fisher Anaya, Eva (Honorable Mention)
Breanna Arnold, Cullman (Honorable Mention)
James Quinlivan, Headland (Honorable Mention)
Jake Woodward, Birmingham (Honorable Mention)
Arizona
Jeff Giffen, Phoenix
Arkansas
Ely Hagans, Scotland
Cole Martin, Hot Springs
Brady Horton, Clinton (Honorable Mention)
Garrett Ring, Greenbrier (Honorable Mention)
California
Logan Howarter, San Diego
Florida
Bryce DiMauro, Longwood
Evan Newell, Lakeland
Drew Bradstreet, Lutz (Honorable Mention)
Cody Morgan, Jacksonville (Honorable Mention)
Syler Prince, Palatka (Honorable Mention)
Georgia
Peyton Dunn, Fitzgerald
Gage Sellars, Bainbridge
Branton Champion, Richmond Hill (Honorable Mention)
Gabriel Clark, Ellerslie (Honorable Mention)
Will Hart, Danielsville (Honorable Mention)
Cooper Moon, Cartersville (Honorable Mention)
Illinois
Brett Mouw, Joliet
Hunter Petrovic, Minooka
Trevor Wilburn, Pulaski (Honorable Mention)
Zach Wolfe, Mokena (Honorable Mention)
Indiana
Braci Ault, Brookston
Ryan Seitz, Fishers (Honorable Mention)
Iowa
Evan Powell, Norwalk
Matthew Melvin, Libertyville
Kansas
Colton Hutchinson, Bonner Springs
Cydney Hutchinson, Bonner Springs
Lucas Sheafer, Louisburg (Honorable Mention)
Kentucky
Jake Mattingly, Stanford
Hayden Short, Harrodsburg
Michael “Hunter” Flynn, Irvine (Honorable Mention)
Louisiana
Garrett Hooker, Boyce
Jase White, Haughton
Baylen Guy, Breaux Bridge (Honorable Mention)
Hunter Hamilton, Baton Rouge (Honorable Mention)
Tanner Meyer, Mermentau (Honorable Mention)
Tyler Morris, Port Allen (Honorable Mention)
Maine
Brody Loiko, Vassalboro
Michigan
Gus Dietrich, Oxford
Rylan Hamlin, Jackson
Ephraim Cretsinger, Jackson (Honorable Mention)
Colten Dickerson, Zeeland (Honorable Mention)
Brayden Ruckman, Freeland (Honorable Mention)
Minnesota
Katherine Wedes, Excelsior
Noah Wells, Esko
Jaydon Manteufel, Fergus Falls (Honorable Mention)
Jonathan Waschek, Apple Valley (Honorable Mention)
Mississippi
Phillip Herring, Richton
Missouri
Alex Avery, West Plains
Jace McMasters, Reeds Spring
Brock Rogers, Bradleyville (Honorable Mention)
Ryan Thompson, Ava (Honorable Mention)
New Hampshire
Andrew Hebert, Litchfield
Cameron Yates, New Durham
Alex Gross, Jefferson (Honorable Mention)
New Jersey
Nicholas DellaPorta, Pequannock
New York
Connor Bell, Lisbon
Logan Wood, Adams Center
North Carolina
Garrett Christy, Salisbury
BJ Collins, Robbinsville
Hunter Alexander, China Grove (Honorable Mention)
Jarrett Barfield, Rocky Mount (Honorable Mention)
Coleman Self, Shelby (Honorable Mention)
Ohio
Brayden Hoehn, Saint Marys
Braden McNamara, Delaware
Oklahoma
Zack Cooper, Tahlequah
Pennsylvania
Nolan Fernandez, Mechanicsburg
Luke Rokavec, Mifflinburg
Ayden Cowan, Breezewood (Honorable Mention)
South Carolina
Kaleb Butts, Anderson
Luke McGuffin, Iva
Michael Gammons, North Charleston (Honorable Mention)
Anna Kay, Anderson (Honorable Mention)
Tennessee
Easton Drennon, Lebanon
Carson Holbert, Louisville
Zach Knight, Gallatin (Honorable Mention)
Ty Trentham, Sevierville (Honorable Mention)
Texas
Jacob Longlois, Orange
Zane Parker, Kingwood
Garry “Trace” Antunes, Henderson (Honorable Mention)
Karson Denton, Splendora (Honorable Mention)
Kaden Mueck, Livingston (Honorable Mention)
Dylan Sorrells, Dallas (Honorable Mention)
Virginia
Hunter Barrow, Ridgeway
Logan Buttolph, Doswell
West Virginia
Mason Grose, Nettie
Wisconsin
Hayden Fry, Brookfield
Julian Gallmeier, Neenah
Lake Chickamauga Set to Host MLF Toyota Series Central Division Season Finale
DAYTON, Tenn. (April 18, 2023) – The Major League Fishing (MLF) Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats is set to return to the Dayton Boat Dock and Dayton, Tennessee, next week, April 25-27, for the Toyota Series at Lake Chickamauga . Hosted by Fish Dayton and the Rhea Economic & Tourism Council, the three-day tournament is the third and final regular-season event in the Toyota Series Central Division.
“As of this week, the water levels are still really down – they haven’t filled it up yet – and it’s almost like a different lake right now,” said Bass Pro Tour pro John Murray of Spring City, Tennessee. “The water is warm, and the conditions are right, but we haven’t seen that big wave of fish move up to spawn, yet. There are definitely some on beds, but the big ones wait until the water comes up to full pool, and that is going to be the biggest factor in this tournament.”
“Overall, the lake is fishing really good,” Murray continued. “My son fished a big High School tournament there last weekend, and it took 25 pounds to win. So we’re going to see plenty of mid-20-pound limits. The key is being consistent – popping one big bag, and then backing it up with some solid limits.”
Murray said that anglers should expect to see fish caught in all three phases of the spawn.
“If the lake comes up to full pool, that’ll change everything,” Murray said. “Wacky-rigged (Yamamoto) Senkos, swimbaits and a big glidebait or MagDraft-type swimbaits will be strong, and if the water stays down I also think a ChatterBait will play – covering the grass in 3- to 5-feet of water.”
After two regular-season events in the Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats Central Division, Trent Suratt of Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, leads the Central Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 481 points, while Alan Hults of Gautier, Mississippi, leads the Strike King Co-angler Division AOY race with 508 points.
Anglers will launch each day at 7 a.m. ET from the Dayton Boat Dock, located at 175 Lakeshore Street in Dayton. Weigh-ins will also be held at the boat dock and will begin at 3 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend and encouraged to follow the event online through the “MLF Live” weigh-in broadcasts and daily coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
In Toyota Series regular-season competition, payouts are based on the number of participants competing in the event, scaling up for every 20 boats over 160 and scaling down for every boat below 160. With a 160-boat field, pros fish for a top prize of $40,000, plus an extra $35,000 if Phoenix MLF Bonus qualified. Strike King co-anglers cast for the top prize of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard (valued at $33,500). With a 260-boat field, pros fish for a top award of $65,000, plus an extra $35,000 if Phoenix MLF Bonus qualified. Strike King co-anglers cast for the top prize of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard (valued at $33,500) plus $5,000 cash.
The 2023 Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats consists of six divisions – Central, Northern, Plains, Southern, Southwestern and the Western Division Presented by Tackle Warehouse – each holding three regular-season events, along with the International and Wild Card divisions. Anglers who fish in any of the six divisions or the Wild Card division and finish in the top 25 will qualify for the no-entry-fee Toyota Series Championship for a shot at winning up to $235,000 and a qualification to REDCREST V. The winning Strike King co-angler at the championship earns a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard. The 2023 Toyota Series Championship will be held Nov. 2-4 on Table Rock Lake in Branson, Missouri, and is hosted by ExploreBranson.com.
Proud sponsors of the 2023 MLF Toyota Series include: 4WP, 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Black Rifle Coffee Company, E3, Favorite Fishing, Fox Rent a Car, General Tire, Gill, Grundéns, Lew’s, Lowrance, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Next Gen Lithium, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Wiley X and YETI.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Toyota Series updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the MLF5 social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
One Bass for $100K?! Major League Fishing’s General Tire Heavy Hitters Event Set to Hit Caney Creek and Bussey Brake Next Week
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MLF’s Bass Pro Tour All-Star Event to Showcase 30 Top Pro Anglers Targeting Monster Bass Over Six Days for Huge Payouts and Daily Big Bass Bonuses of Up to $100K
MONROE-WEST MONROE, La. (April 18, 2023) – Major League Fishing (MLF), the world’s largest tournament fishing organization, is set to return to northwest Louisiana next week, April 24-29, for the fourth-annual General Tire Heavy Hitters Presented by Bass Pro Shops at Caney Creek Reservoir & Bussey Brake . The first five days of competition will be held at Caney Creek Reservoir, but on the sixth and final day the final 10 competitors will compete on Bussey Brake. The General Tire Heavy Hitters all-star event, hosted by Discover Monroe-West Monroe and the Louisiana Office of Tourism, will showcase the 30 pros that qualified from the 2022 Bass Pro Tour season competing in a no-entry-fee tournament for a purse of more than $500,000, with a top prize of $100,000 to the winner. Anglers will also be awarded Big Bass Bonuses during the competition that pay out $25,000, $50,000, and $100,000 to the single biggest bass in the Qualifying, Knockout and Championship rounds. “We are excited to work in partnership with the Louisiana Office of Tourism once again to host one of Major League Fishing’s premier tournaments,” said Alana Cooper, Discover Monroe-West Monroe President/CEO. “The excitement and fun of having the world’s best professional fisherman in our area competing for the largest bass showcases the regions diverse fisheries, our great outdoors and spotlights reasons to visit Monroe-West Monroe and Northeast Louisiana. We look forward to a great week of competition and fantastic fishing.” |
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To qualify for General Tire Heavy Hitters, the weight of an angler’s single-largest bass from each event of the seven 2022 Bass Pro Tour events was recorded. The 30 anglers with the heaviest total from those seven bass qualified to compete in this event.
Although he failed to qualify this year, pro Ott DeFoe of Blaine, Tennessee, was the event winner last season, earning the top prize of $100,000 on Texas’ Lake Palestine. Waco, Texas, pro Alton Jones, Jr. , was the big winner, however, as the Texas pro finished fifth, but earned the Big Bass Bonuses in both the Knockout and Champion Rounds to earn a total of $165,000 in winnings. “Last year’s event was magical. I just love the format of this tournament, and I love hunting big fish,” said Jones, who will be among the 30 competitors in this event. “It’s what I do for fun in the offseason – I love to target one big fish. Hopefully this year I’ll get a chance to compete on Bussey Brake. All money aside, I just want to fish there because of the quality of fish that live there. It looks so fun.” The Bass Pro Tour visited Caney Creek and Bussey Brake to open the season last year, in a tournament in early February. In that event, pro Randy Howell of Guntersville, Alabama, set a new Bass Pro Tour record in the Knockout Round on Caney Creek for largest bass ever weighed – a 10-pound, 14-ounce brute. The very next day, Howell broke his own record, catching a 12-pound, 11-ounce behemoth on Bussey Brake. “I was excited to see this event when the schedule was announced, and I pray that I can make it to the final day,” Howell said of a chance to beat his record. “We were there in February, and it was freezing. I can only imagine how good it will be with warmer weather, throwing topwaters around those bushes.” “Caney is a great lake, and the grass was just starting to grow the last time we were there,” Howell continued. “Later in the year, it should be much healthier, and the fish should be done spawning and feeding up. I can see big topwaters, swimbaits and a bladed jig catching some big bass.” “I’m so happy to be in this one – we think about this tournament every single day during the regular season,” said pro Josh Bertrand of Queen Creek, Arizona. “Our championship, REDCREST, is great, but this is an event that you don’t want to miss. It’s the most fun tournament we fish all year. One swing of the rod and you can cash a huge check and it’s such a blast to be a part of that.” Anglers will launch each day at 7:30 a.m. CT. The Qualifying and Knockout Rounds, Days 1-5, will launch from Caney Creek Hooks Marina, located at 400 Spillway Road in Chatham, Louisiana.The final 10 anglers competing in the Championship Round will launch from Bonner Ferry Road, located five miles northwest of Bastrop off of Highway 593. Fans are welcome to attend all launch and takeout events and also encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLF NOW!® live stream and SCORETRACKER® coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com. On Championship Saturday, April 29, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. MLF will welcome fans of all ages to visit the Bussey Brake boat ramp located at 5373 Boat Dock Road in Bastrop, to celebrate the top 10 and crown the 2023 General Tire Heavy Hitters Champion at the Watch Party and Trophy Presentation. The final 10 Heavy Hitters Championship Round Bass Pro Tour anglers will be on hand at the trophy celebration to meet and greet fans, sign autographs, and take selfies. Different from the Bass Pro Tour regular-season events, this tournament will feature anglers competing using the MLF catch, weigh, immediate-release format in which anglers catch as many scorable bass and as much weight as they can each day, while also feeling the pressure and intensity of the SCORETRACKER® leaderboard. A bass must meet the 2-pound minimum weight requirement for a bass to be deemed scorable in the Qualifying and Knockout Rounds, but for the final day Championship Round a bass must weigh at least 3 pounds to be deemed scorable. The 15 Anglers in Group A compete in their two-day qualifying round on Monday and Wednesday – the 15 anglers in Group B on Tuesday and Thursday. After each two-day qualifying round is complete, the top eight anglers from both groups advance to Thursday’s Knockout Round. In the Knockout Round weights are zeroed, and the remaining 16 anglers compete to finish in the top 10 to advance to the Championship Round. In Saturday’s final day Championship Round, weights carry over from the Knockout Round and the highest two-day total wins. In addition to the tournament, Big Bass Bonuses are awarded in each round of competition with payouts of $25,000, $50,000 and $100,000 awarded to the single biggest fish in the Qualifying, Knockout and Championship rounds. The 30 anglers that will be competing in the General Tire Heavy Hitters 2023 All-Star Event Caney Creek Reservoir and Bussey Brake are: Group A: Group B: The MLF NOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee, Marty Stone and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action on all six days of competition from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CT. MLF NOW!® will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app. Television coverage of the General Tire Heavy Hitters 2023 Presented by Bass Pro Shops will be showcased across six two-hour episodes, premiering at 7 a.m. ET, Aug. 5 and running each Saturday through Sept. 9 on Discovery. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on the Discovery Channel, with additional re-airings on the Outdoor Channel. Each two-hour long reality-based episode goes in-depth to break down each day of competition. Proud sponsors of the 2023 MLF General Tire Heavy Hitters Event include: Abu Garcia, B&W Hitches, Bally Bet, Bass Cat Boats, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, Builders First Source, Ferguson, Fox Rent A Car, General Tire, Kubota, Lowrance, Lucas Oil, Mercury, Mossy Oak, NITRO Boats, Onyx, Phoenix Boats, Plano, Power-Pole, Shore Lunch, StarBrite, Sqwincher, T-H Marine, Toyota, United States Air Force, Yellowstone Bourbon and YETI. 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. |
Stop #3 at Ray Roberts to be a Trailered Event
Bassmaster College Series returns to James River
Richmond, Va., will host the 2023 Strike King Bassmaster College Series at James River presented by Bass Pro Shops April 21-22.
Photo by B.A.S.S.
April 18, 2023
RICHMOND, Va. — For the first time since 2016, the Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops will head to eastern Virginia to take on the mighty James River April 21-22, and Bassmaster Elite Series pro and Richmond resident Ed Loughran III expects giant bags to be caught.
“It should be a very good tournament. It should be very easy to catch fish,” Loughran said. “It wouldn’t shock me to see the winning weight being close to 50 pounds. There just are too many big fish rolling around and so many 2- to 4-pounders in the river system that someone will catch them. You will see a couple of really big fish caught. There should be several in the 7- to 9-pound category.
“It should be fun for everyone coming here; even if they don’t know the place.”
With 110 miles of the lower James River, as well as several other river systems that flow into the James, there will be plenty of room for the 275-boat field to spread out throughout the vast tidal system.
“There are fish from one end to the other,” Loughran said. “You can stay within a mile of the ramp, you can run all the way to the Chickahominy Dam, which is 60-some miles, and you can fish anywhere in between. You can go up the Appomattox River. There is so much water to fish and there are bass in all of it.”
Last year, the St. Croix Bassmaster Opens showed off just how good the fishery can be in the spring. During that three-day event, 10 bags over 20 pounds were brought to the scales with a multitude of limits surpassing the 15-pound mark.
With the potential for bass being in all three stages of the spawn, Loughran expects the College Series event to have that same feel.
“They should be pretty close to spawning,” he said. “It depends on how warm it is. There will be some spawning. I’m not sure if it will be every fish. It will be similar to last year. There are very few times I have been able to sight fish. Usually, you are blind fishing in those spawning areas. It has to be kind of out of the current or they could be adjacent to those spawning areas.”
Not only will there be plenty of water to cover, there are several different cover options anglers will need to pick apart. The river is full of cypress trees and other wood cover along with lily pads and docks. On the upper section of the river, there are several old gravel and sand pits that can be accessed.
“All but two of them are accessible, but fish go in there to spawn so people can go in there and drag stuff or throw shaky heads and wacky worms,” Loughran said. “That is all within a couple miles of the ramp.”
There are a variety of baits that could play, depending on how the spawn sets up. Creature baits like a Missile Baits D Bomb or a Zoom Brush Hog will be good options, as well as Senko-style worms. 2022 James River Open champion Kenta Kimura utilized a crankbait and a buzzbait to win and a big swimbait could potentially play as well.
A full field of 275 teams representing colleges from around the country will launch from Osborne Park and Boat Landing at 7:10 a.m. ET and return for weigh-in at 3:10 p.m. Full coverage will be available on Bassmaster.com.
Benjie Seaborn and Johnathan Seaborn with 22.19 win Neely Henry ABT
By Jason Duran
The Alabama Bass Trail North Division made stop number three of five at Lake Neely Henry. The halfway point in the season makes anglers start paying attention to the Angler of the Year points race. Teams wanting to qualify for the ABT Championship must finish in the top 75 to qualify. The top 12 teams will also qualify to fish the Bassmaster Team Championship. Team are working hard to make all those events and looking to get the win here at Neely Henry.
Neely Henry is in Gadsden Alabama on the Coosa River Chain of lakes and is just one lake down below Weiss Lake where the ABT Championship will be held in October. In the days leading up to this event teams were reporting catching fish in practice and expecting the fishing to be good.
The team of winning team of Benjie Seaborn and Johnathan Seaborn helped show everyone what Neely Henry Is capable of producing. When the Scales closed on Saturday they were one of three teams weighing in limits of over 20 pounds. To make things event better, they caught a kicker fish of 8.29. The biggest fish of the event. “ We caught that fish in the middle of the day and culled out a fish that was less than a pound and a half” said the team.
The team shared, “There are so many good fishermen in the ABT and there are no guarantees in this event even with 20 pounds we still felt like we needed one more big bite. Practice for us was terrible. On Wednesday during practice, we made the run down river to fish the lower end. It didn’t take us long down there to realize we got to do something else because this is not going to work down here. Upriver was way more productive for us and we saw more fish on this end the lake in practice. With the water dropping we knew the mid lake was going to hold more fish and more water in those conditions. WE caught several two pounders off the bed today, but it could have been a lot better if the water would not have dropped. In practice on Friday, we saw many five pounders on the bed that would have been easy to catch before the water dropped. We spend a lot of time targeting bed fish that we didn’t catch. We caught all our fish using a Zoom Fluke in a few different colors including white. The Berkley Lil’ Trooper was also a productive bait for us. Rotating though about four areas we caught about 15 fish all day. We came in second here a few years ago and lost a five pounder just before weighing in and lost the tournament by a half a pound. It was probably the worst feeling to have a $5,000 check in my pocket. We have fished the ABT since the beginning and have had multiple top ten finishes.” Today they doubled their previous second place winnings and took home a $10,000 pay day. With this win they automatically punch their ticket to the ABT Championship.
The team of Bradley Jones Broox Goza finished in Second place with 20.99. The team shared, “For us the fish were really biting well in practice. Today we were boat 53 and we got the pick of where we wanted to go and it just didn’t cooperate at our first stop. We started on a stretch of bank grass swimming a jig and frog and flipping. Once the fog lifted, we spent some time sight fishing and physically looking at them. We caught 20 fish all day and 10 of those were over 3 pounds probably culled out 13-15 pounds. Neely Henry has some really good fish. We both live on Weiss Lake and Neely Henry just has the better fishing right now. Finishing second is hard but to an 8.29 big fish makes it somewhat bitter sweet; one because it’s probably the biggest fish on the lake and second it is just a fluke chance anyone catches it but if it was just a six pounder we would have won this event.” With their second-place finish they collect a $5000 pay check for a Saturday of fishing. The team has their eyes set on making the ABT championship and getting back to their home on Weiss Lake and get the win. Though they are thankful for the finish today “for us I would have rather had the win on Weiss that the second-place finish today.”
Adam Bain Kris Colley take third-place with 20.04. Former ABT Championship Winners and 2nd place in the ABT 100 here at Neely Henry and Kris won a Pickwick event Solo. The team shared, “It was a tough day fishing for us we didn’t catch a lot of fish but we caught the better size fish today. We spent practice trying to find sight fish and had a few located and today we went to the area down lake and spend the day there fishing for them. We caught about 10 fish today. The water dropped up here on the upper end but for us on the lower end the water came up a little. We saw more fish in practice than we did today. However, today saw some new fish had moved into stage up. We spend the day flipping a smorgasbord of plastic baits in green pumpkin. Ever fish seemed to want a little something different We did have a fish that was about 6-pounds that we were just unable to catch after about two hours and it would have culled up a 3-pound fish that would have for sure moved us up the leader board. They collected a $4000 pay day and a AmFirst highest finisher bonus of $2000.
The top five standings are below for a complete list of standings please visit:
https://www.alabamabasstrail.org/neely-henry-lake/results/
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
The sponsors of the 2023 Alabama Bass Trail include: Phoenix Boats, Academy Sports, Alabama Power, America’s First Federal Credit Union, American Trailer Rental Group, BAJIO, Big Bite Baits, Bill Penney Automotive, Black Rifle Coffee Company, Anheuser – Bush, Inc., E3 Sports Apparel, Fish Neely Henry Lake.com, Garmin, Jack’s, Lew’s, Mtn Dew, Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association, Power-Pole, Strike King, Sweet Home Alabama, T-H Marine, Yamaha, YETI Coolers.
Cade Wilson & Brandon Day win over $20,000 with 20.44 lbs. On Belton Studinger & Rhodes win Central AOY
Lake Belton: 4/15/2023
Total Entries: 145 Teams Total Collected: $47,260 Total Payback (C&P): $51,150 Payback Percentage: 108% Total Fish: 526 Total Weight: 1,188 lbs Average Weight: 2.25 lbs Number of limits: 99 Number of zero's: 35 Top 50 finishers listed below for complete results
go to http://www.basschamps.com
Place Boat Truck Angler 1 Angler 2 Fish Big Bass Wt. Prize Amt. 1 CADE WILSON
EARLY , TXBRANDON DAY
BROWNWOOD , TX5 0 20.44
$20,200.00 with Sure-Life Bonus 2 MICHAEL WERSIG
LEANDER , TXLAWRENCE ARROYO
LEANDER , TX5 0 17.91
$3,000.00 with Garmin Bonus 3 CHRIS STUDINGER
NEW BRAUNFELS , TXJOSHUA RHODES
SAN ANTONIO , TX5 7.77 17.19
$1800.00 4 JUD HARRIS
WACO , TXHAYDEN GRIMM
WACO , TX5 0 16.69
$1200.00 5 GARRETT HENNIG
TEMPLE , TXBRANDON MCQUEEN
TEMPLE , TX5 0 16.55
$8,650.00 w/ Skeeter Bonus , JamesWood Motor Bonus 6 ZANE WASHBURN
GATESVILLE , TXERIC WASHBURN
GATESVILLE , TX5 0 15.74
$1040.00 7 LEE BEUERSHAUSEN
MARBLE FALLS , TXRANDY GROUNDS
HORSESHOE BAY , TX5 0 15.43
$2,030.00 with Skeeter Bonus Cash 8 GENE FUESSEL
AUSTIN , TXGERALD MUELLER JR
HUTTO , TX5 8.39 15.27
$1,720.00 with Techron and Big Bass 9 DALE READ
LEANDER , TXJAKE READ
LEANDER , TX5 0 15.05
$1010.00 10 RANDY HIBLER
MARBLE FALLS , TXRANDALL CHRISTIAN
TOW , TX5 0 14.70
$1000.00 11 ROBERT BUTLER
CEDAR PARK , TXMATTHEW BUTLER
FORNEY , TX5 0 14.24
$1,500.00 with Skeeter Bonus Cash 12 TULLY WILLIAMS
GATESVILLE , TXRYAN CRAWFORD
GATESVILLE , TX5 0 13.88
$1000.00 13 TREY GROCE
DRIPPING SPRINGS , TXCHARLES WHITED
SAN MARCOS , TX5 0 13.87
$950.00 14 RAY TOMASITS
LEANDER , TXLUKE TOMASITS
LEANDER , TX5 0 13.83
$900.00 15 MATT HILL
JONESTOWN , TXBARRY MOTT
GEORGETOWN , TX5 0 13.71
$900.00 16 TERRY KIRCUS
BURNET , TXJASON BUCHANAN
BURNET , TX5 5.55 13.49
$850.00 17 DAVID HOGGE
NOLANVILLE , TXSISTO SALINAS JR
TROY , TX5 0 13.40
$800.00 18 DAVID WENCIL
BUCHANAN DAM , TXJEFF WHITEHEAD
SLATON , TX5 0 13.38
$800.00 19 LOWELL BENNETT
HEWITT , TXCHARLES REAGAN
THORNTON , TX5 0 13.26
$400.00 19 JOHNNY MATTHEWS
CHINA SPRING , TXKYLE GOODWIN
VALLEY MILLS , TX5 0 13.26
$400.00 21 JUSTIN MAY
LEANDER , TXKEVIN THRESS
GEORGETOWN , TX5 0 13.04
22 JEREMIAH WAFFORD
CEDAR PARK , TXGARY WEIMER
LEANDER , TX5 0 12.99
23 REX WHEELER
BELTON , TXWILL DAVENPORT
AUSTIN , TX5 0 12.91
24 JIMMY WILLOUGHBY
TROY , TXSTACEY PLOUGH
LITTLE RIVER ACADEMY , TX5 0 12.90
25 TRAVIS COCKERHAM
BARTLETT , TXIRA FREDENRICK
CEDAR PARK , TX5 7.01 12.80
26 ANDER MEINE
KILLEEN , TXJORDAN FELKNER
LAMPASAS , TX5 0 12.73
27 BRANDON GEESLIN
MOODY , TXCHARLOTTE GEESLIN
MOODY , TX5 0 12.61
28 WILL ANDRIE
CHINA SPRINGS , TX5 0 12.47
29 ROY STEGER
BELTON , TXCHET SUTTON
SALADO , TX5 5.55 12.45
30 JASON OLIVO
KYLE , TXJOEY RODRIGUEZ
NEW BRAUNFELS , TX5 5.29 12.31
31 SKYLER CAROTHERS
GATESVILLE , TXCANYON CAROTHERS
GATESVILLE , TX5 0 12.29
32 PATRICK ANDERSON
BUDA , TXDOUG HAMILTON
SPICEWOOD , TX5 0 12.10
33 CHRIS CLEMENTS
ROUND ROCK , TXCHRIS WOEHL
CEDAR PARK , TX5 0 12.07
34 LUCAS LARSON
HUTTO , TXLARRY LARSON
ROUND ROCK , TX5 0 12.04
35 DAVID UNDERWOOD
WACO , TXCHARLES SIMMONS
WACO , TX5 0 12.00
36 MATT CANNON
TROY , TXJARED SIEGELER
BELTON , TX5 0 11.87
37 GERALD POBORIL
TEMPLE , TXJACK POWE
KEMPNER , TX5 0 11.85
37 CHARLES GERHART
SALADO , TXDAVID SHUSTER
GEORGETOWN , TX5 0 11.85
39 DANIEL BARNES
BELTON , TX5 0 11.75
40 PAUL NEELY
LAMPASAS , TXBEAU BRISTOW
BURNET , TX5 0 11.70
41 JAYSON KISSELBURG
BURNET , TXLEE EVANS
LIBERTY HILL , TX5 0 11.67
42 JACOB FROESE
BELTON , TXCALEB RAMM
SALADO , TX5 4.96 11.64
42 TYLER FONSECA
BULVERDE , TXEFRAIN LOZANO
KILLEEN , TX5 0 11.64
44 DEAN ALEXANDER
GEORGETOWN , TXTHOMAS MARTENS
CEDAR PARK , TX5 0 11.58
45 JASON METZGAR
CHINA SPRING , TXCHRIS SPANOS
CRAWFORD , TX5 0 11.53
46 COLT SLAYDEN
LEANDER , TXBRANDON HOUSTON
GEORGETOWN , TX5 0 11.52
47 CHARLIE GANTENBEIN
TEMPLE , TXJAY STIDHAM
CHINA SPRING , TX5 0 11.47
48 BRIAN BUSTILLOZ
BELTON , TXCLINT WRIGHT
BELTON , TX5 0 11.46
49 BJ CAROTHERS
GATESVILLE , TXTHOMAS WELLS JR
TEMPLE , TX5 0 11.31
50 JOSH WALLACE
WIMBERLEY , TXTODD GOLD
WIMBERLEY , TX5 0 11.24
Williams Edges Field for Win at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Table Rock Lake
Brown Claims Strike King Co-Angler Division Victory
KIMBERLING CITY, Mo. (April 17, 2023) – Boater Clint Williams of Fayetteville, Arkansas, caught a five-bass limit weighing 18 pounds, 6 ounces, Saturday to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on Table Rock Lake . The tournament was the third event of the season for the BFL Ozark Division. Williams, a veteran MLF angler, notched his first career win across various levels of competition and earned $4,806 for his victory.
“I sight-fished in the morning, and caught a decent limit doing that,” said Williams. “Then I hit a spot where I knew there was a shad ball and caught two good culls on a swimbait.”
Williams said he caught about a dozen keepers during the tournament by fishing from the tournament takeoff location at the Port of Kimberling Marina and Resort to the dam. He relied on a 4.3-inch electric shad-colored Keitech Swimbait, as well as a variety of soft-plastic baits when he was sight fishing.
“I thought I needed one more really good bite for the win,” Williams said. “With five minutes left to fish, I pushed myself for all I was worth to catch that last good one. Then, I had some motor problems heading back and made it to weigh-in with 30 seconds to go. It was a nerve-wracking day. But when it’s your day, it’s your day.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:
1st: Clint Williams, Fayetteville, Ark., five bass, 18-6, $4,806
2nd: Cole Findley, Forsyth, Mo., five bass, 18-3, $2,903 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
3rd: Aaron Stanphill, Bella Vista, Ark., five bass, 18-1, $1,605
4th: Derek Felton, Willard, Mo., five bass, 17-15, $1,121
5th: Dustin Blevins, Harrison, Ark., five bass, 17-13, $961
6th: Shane Long, Willard, Mo., five bass, 17-12, $881
7th: Bobby Roberts, Lotawana, Mo., five bass, 17-9, $801
8th: Jeffrey Barrickman, Forsyth, Mo., five bass, 17-0, $721
9th: Wesley Rogers, Thayer, Mo., five bass, 16-14, $641
10th: Shawn Kowal, Linn Creek, Mo., five bass, 16-3, $561
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Brandon Ackerson of Afton, Oklahoma, caught a bass that weighed 5 pounds, 1 ounce, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $725.
Jason Brown of Miami, Oklahoma, won the Strike King co-angler division and a total of $2,403 Saturday, after bringing five bass to the scale that totaled 13 pounds, 13 ounces.
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers finished:
1st: Jason Brown, Miami, Okla., five bass, 13-13, $2,403
2nd: Alan Bernicky, Joliet, Ill., five bass, 13-11, $1,751
3rd: Ben Peters, Bennington, Neb., four bass, 12-1, $806
4th: Jeremy White, Dittmer, Mo., five bass, 11-15, $561
5th: Joe Tucker, Osceola, Mo., five bass, 11-14, $481
6th: Brian Huber, Saint Charles, Mo., five bass, 11-13, $441
7th: Tim Sisco, Fair Grove, Mo., five bass, 11-9, $400
8th: Aaron Stross, Joplin, Mo., five bass, 11-8, $360
9th: Shawn Kemper, Iberia, Mo., five bass, 11-7, $320
10th: Donald Pailer, Arnold, Mo., four bass, 11-4, $280
Kelsey Ray of Joplin, Missouri, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $362, catching a bass that weighed in at 4 pounds, 6 ounces – the largest co-angler catch of the day.
After three events, Kyle Kitts of Joplin, Missouri, leads the BFL Ozark Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 716 points, while Adler Odle of Willow Springs, Missouri, leads the Strike King Co-Angler Division AOY race with 697 points.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, will qualify for the Oct. 5-7 BFL Regional tournament on Lake Eufaula in Eufaula, Oklahoma. Boaters will fish for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $50,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.
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: 4WP, 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.
Kirkpatrick Proves “Junk” is Enough for Victory at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Kentucky-Barkley Lakes
Chumbler Wins Strike King Co-Angler Division
GILBERTSVILLE, Ky. (April 17, 2023) – Boater Ryan Kirkpatrick of Benton, Kentucky, caught a five-bass limit weighing 17 pounds, 6 ounces, Saturday to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on Kentucky-Barkley Lakes . The tournament, hosted by the Kentucky Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau, was the third event of the season for the BFL LBL Division. Kirkpatrick earned $5,463 for his victory.
“I pulled up to my first spot and was surprised there was nobody there,” said Kirkpatrick. “I caught four fish by 8 o’clock, which, in my opinion, was bonus fish, because I didn’t think I’d be able to get on that spot.”
Kirkpatrick said he relocated, caught his fifth fish to fill his limit, then settled in and went “junk fishing” on spots he had caught fish previously, from Moors Resort and Marina to Kenlake State Resort Park.
“I just junked it up, and it ended up being a pretty special day,” Kirkpatrick said. “That’s just how I grew up fishing, and that’s my style of fishing – junk fishing.”
Kirkpatrick said his approach to tournament fishing consists of hitting as many spots as he can with whatever baits it takes to have five quality bass at the end of the day. He said his bait arsenal for the competition included a spinnerbait, swimbait, swim jig, and soft plastics both flipped and dragged on whatever he deemed might hold a fish. Kirkpatrick said his approach landed eight to 10 keepers during the tournament.
“I had 13 rods on the deck when I started,” Kirkpatrick said. “I threw every one of them at least a handful of times.
“It was just one here and there pretty much all day long,” Kirkpatrick added. “I hoped I’d just get enough weight to get a top-5 finish for a trophy. I didn’t really think I had enough weight to win until they actually handed me the trophy.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:
1st: Ryan Kirkpatrick, Benton, Ky., five bass, 17-6, $5,463
2nd: Stephen Barga, Benton, Ky., five bass, 15-8, $2,232
3rd: David Carroll, Manitou, Ky., five bass, 15-3, $1,489
4th: Ethan Fields, Breese, Ill., five bass, 14-14, $1,041
5th: Clint Knight, Lewisburg, Ky., five bass, 14-11, $1,093
6th: Kevin Caskey, Madisonville, Ky., five bass, 14-10, $818
7th: Harry Barber, Earlington, Ky., five bass, 14-9, $744
8th: Sam Moll, Hershey, Pa., five bass, 14-6, $669
9th: Drew Lynch, Paducah, Ky., five bass, 14-4, $595
10th: Brady Bickers, Carrollton, Ky., five bass, 14-2, $521
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Jeff McCarnan of Henderson, Kentucky, caught a bass that weighed 5 pounds, 4 ounces, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $640.
Matt Chumbler of Carbondale, Illinois, won the Strike King co-angler division and a total of $2,214 Saturday, after bringing five bass to the scale that totaled 14 pounds, 15 ounces.
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers finished:
1st: Matt Chumbler, Carbondale, Ill., five bass, 14-15, $2,214
2nd: John Lovin, Fayetteville, Ohio, five bass, 13-10, $1,107
3rd: Levi Allgeier, Bardstown, Ky., five bass, 11-14, $738
4th: Ron Robinson, Pittsburg, Ill., five bass, 11-10, $517
5th: David Hoheisel, Westerville, Ohio, four bass, 9-14, $443
6th: Anthony Bell Jr., Cincinnati, Ohio, four bass, 9-7, $387
6th: Cayman Wilhelmus, Boonville, Ind., three bass, 9-7, $387
8th: Carl Oelker, Greenbrier, Tenn., four bass, 9-5, $332
9th: Barrett Washburn, Benton, Ky., three bass, 9-4, $295
10th: Brendan Murphy, Cape Girardeau, Mo., three bass, 9-1, $258
Michael Blumer of Louisville, Kentucky, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $317, catching a bass that weighed in at 6 pounds, 5 ounces – the largest co-angler catch of the day.
After three events, Stephen Barga of Benton, Kentucky, leads the BFL LBL Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 747 points, while Sean O’Brien of McKenzie, Tennessee, leads the Strike King Co-Angler Division AOY race with 713 points.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, will qualify for the Oct. 19-21 BFL Regional tournament on Lake of the Ozarks in Osage Beach, Missouri. Boaters will fish for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $50,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.
The 2023 Phoenix BFL Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 events throughout the season, five qualifying tournaments in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five qualifying event winners, will advance to one of six BFL Regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. The 2023 All-American event will take place May 31-June 2, on Lake Hartwell in Seneca, South Carolina. The event is hosted by Visit Oconee SC.
Proud sponsors of the 2023 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 4WP, 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.
Bowen Gets Long-Awaited Win at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Norris Lake
Bays Notches Strike King Co-Angler Division Victory
ANDERSONVILLE, Tenn. (April 17, 2023) – Boater Travis Bowen of Duffield, Virginia, caught a five-bass limit weighing 15 pounds, 6 ounces, Saturday to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on Norris Lake. The tournament was the second event of the season for the BFL Volunteer Division. Bowen earned $5,434 for his victory.
“I only got to practice for this tournament for four hours,” said Bowen. “Those four hours told me where not to fish. So, I got on Google Earth the night before the tournament, picked a couple of new spots, and the good Lord blessed me and led me to the right area. That’s all there is to it.”
Bowen, who focused on the lower end of the Clinch River, said his first fish of the day was a 4-pound, 10-ounce largemouth that fell for a Megabass Magdraft Swimbait. He then switched to a green-pumpkin and red-colored Zoom Trick Worm for the rest of the day. Bowen said every fish he caught, except for one, came on the same 200-yard stretch of bank.
“I fished that same stretch of bank back and forth for 3½ hours,” Bowen said. “Every time I’d go down it, I’d catch a fish or two. I tried fishing for smallmouth and got on a good smallmouth bite, but they were all short fish.
“I knew I had a decent bag, but I didn’t think I had the bag to win,” Bowen added. “As I headed back to weigh-in I decided to stop in a cut-through and throw out a spinnerbait, because the water was dingy from all the boat traffic. I caught an 18¼-inch smallmouth that culled out my smallest largemouth.”
Bowen said his first career BFL win was very special to him, especially given his tournament fishing path.
“I took a 12-year fishing retirement,” said Bowen. “After the 2009 season, I gave it up to coach my son in baseball and football from Little League through high school. After he graduated, I decided it was time to start fishing again. So, this win has been a long time coming, and it feels great.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:
1st: Travis Bowen, Duffield, Va., five bass, 15-6, $5,434
2nd: Christian Nash, Allons, Tenn., five bass, 13-13, $3,007 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
3rd: Seth Fricke, Oxford, Ohio, five bass, 13-12, $1,670
4th: Dillon Falardeau, Hixson, Tenn., five bass, 13-10, $1,170
5th: Justin Beeler, Luttrell, Tenn., five bass, 13-8, $1,303
6th: Ryan Davidson, Branchland, W. Va., five bass, 12-15, $919
7th: Justin McGaha, Knoxville, Tenn., five bass, 12-12, $1,086
8th: Landon Lawson, Jonesborough, Tenn., five bass, 12-11, $752
9th: Jeremy Smith, Antioch, Tenn., five bass, 12-10, $668
10th: Ken Vicchio, Bluff City, Tenn., five bass, 12-9, $585
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
David Mundy of Dandridge, Tennessee, caught a bass that weighed 6 pounds even and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $765.
Lenny Bays of Dayton, Kentucky, won the Strike King co-angler division and a total of $2,305 Saturday, after bringing five bass to the scale that totaled 11 pounds, 14 ounces.
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers finished:
1st: Lenny Bays, Dayton, Ky., five bass, 11-14, $2,305
2nd: Dewayne Drummonds, Gray, Ky., five bass, 9-12, $1,152
3rd: Josh Massengale, Oliver Springs, Tenn., five bass, 9-3, $768
4th: Matthew Faulkner, Corbin, Ky., three bass, 8-10, $538
5th: Tanner Huckstep, Chattanooga, Tenn., five bass, 8-7, $461
6th: Perry Dawson, Rockwood, Tenn., five bass, 8-2, $423
7th: Bonnie Johnson, Madisonville, Tenn., three bass, 8-0, $719
8th: Josh Smith, Siler, Ky., four bass, 7-10, $346
9th: Cody Stokes, Ooltewah, Tenn., four bass, 7-8, $307
10th: Andrew Rogers, Bristol, Tenn., three bass, 7-5, $269
Bonnie Johnson of Madisonville, Tennessee, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $335, catching a bass that weighed in at 4 pounds, 5 ounces – the largest co-angler catch of the day.
After two events, Dillon Falardeau of Hixson, Tennessee, leads the BFL Volunteer Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 496 points, while Lenny Bays of Dayton, Kentucky, leads the Strike King Co-Angler Division AOY race with 495 points.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, will qualify for the Oct. 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.
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: 4WP, 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.
Huskins Claims Victory With Slow, Methodical Approach at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Smith Mountain Lake
Gray Tops Strike King Co-Angler Division
HUDDLESTON, Va. (April 17, 2023) – Boater Cole Huskins of Gastonia, North Carolina, caught a five-bass limit weighing 22 pounds, 14 ounces, Saturday to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on Smith Mountain Lake. The tournament was the second event of the season for the BFL Shenandoah Division. Huskins earned $4,915 for his victory.
“Friday in practice I had a 6-pounder bite, and I swam her off,” said Huskins. “I didn’t let her get the hook. So, for the tournament, I ran to her first thing and caught her on a shaky-head rig. And that was how my day just started rolling.
“I caught the fish that weighed 6 pounds, then ones that went 3- and a 2¾-pounds in the first 25 minutes of the tournament,” Huskins added. “I think I had 17 pounds before 8:30, and that just put me in a calm mindset the rest of the day. I knew I was around the creek that had the big fish, and I just kept making the right decisions and kept my head down and fished.”
Huskins said the bass he encountered would not react to moving baits, but they could not resist a shaky-head rig, a small worm or a wacky-rigged worm. He estimates he caught between 45 and 50 bass during the tournament, including two smallmouth that weighed more than 3 pounds but wouldn’t help his overall weight.
“The fish I was catching weren’t locked on the bed,” Huskins said. “The female was just guarding the bed. So, I would catch the buck, then the female would think he wasn’t doing his job, I guess, and I would catch the female next.
“It was just an incredible day,” Huskins added. “When I got to around 19 pounds, I thought maybe a win could happen. Then I culled up to 21 pounds. And then I caught a 4 ½-pounder on a wacky worm near a walkway and culled a 3-pounder. That was my winning fish.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:
1st: Cole Huskins, Gastonia, N.C., five bass, 22-14, $4,915
2nd: Junior Roberts, Alexandria, Va., five bass, 22-5, $2,458
3rd: Shane Mills, Union Hall, Va., five bass, 21-9, $1,640
4th: Phil Witmer, Huddleston, Va., five bass, 21-8, $1,147
5th: Cullen Hoover, Chesterfield, Va., five bass, 20-11, $983
6th: Chris Baldwin, Lexington, N.C., five bass, 20-4, $1,571
7th: Luke Nichols, Union Hall, Va., five bass, 20-2, $819
8th: Myles Paugh, Aurora, W.V., five bass, 19-15, $737
9th: Zach Peaslee, Draper, Va., five bass, 19-13, $655
10th: Joe Wilkerson, Vienna, Va., five bass, 19-12, $1,073 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Blake Miles of Prince George, Virginia, caught a bass that weighed 7 pounds, 13 ounces, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $750.
Dylan Gray of Goode, Virginia, won the Strike King co-angler division and a total of $2,453 Saturday, after bringing five bass to the scale that totaled 18 pounds, 1 ounce.
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers finished:
1st: Dylan Gray, Goode, Va., five bass, 18-1, $2,453
2nd: Chris Jackson, Jeffersonton, Va., five bass, 17-6, $1,226
3rd: Todd Hurst, Copper Hill, Va., five bass, 17-2, $1,186
4th: Brandon Miskell, Vienna, Va., five bass, 15-1, $572
5th: Jesse Ketchum, Columbia, Md., five bass, 14-6, $491
6th: Dwayne Downey, Covington, Va., five bass, 13-8, $450
7th: Eric Nelson, Gainesville, Va., five bass, 13-6, $409
8th: Scott Howard, Bedford, Va., five bass, 13-1, $368
9th: Michael Garrett, Buena Vista, Va., five bass, 12-14, $327
10th: Mekye Barnes, Raleigh, N.C., five bass, 12-7, $286
Todd Hurst of Copper Hill, Virginia, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $370, catching a bass that weighed in at 6 pounds, 10 ounces – the largest co-angler catch of the day.
After two events, Zachary Stoupa of Prince George, Virginia, leads the BFL Shenandoah Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 479 points, while David Deciucis of Chester, Virginia, leads the Strike King Co-Angler Division AOY race with 483 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.
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: 4WP, 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.
Early Lunkers Lead Haines City’s Harris to Victory at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Harris Chain of Lakes
Ebey Wins Strike King Co-Angler Division
LEESBURG, Fla. (April 17, 2023) – Boater Ben Harris of Haines City, Florida, caught a five-bass limit weighing 25 pounds, 4 ounces, Saturday to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on the Harris Chain of Lakes . The tournament, hosted by Visit Lake County, Florida, was the fourth event of the season for the BFL Gator Division. Harris earned $5,658 for his first MLF victory.
“I started out pretty quickly in the morning fishing a Bridgemaster stickbait and caught two that weighed 7 pounds,” said Harris, who began his tournament day fishing in Little Lake Harris. “I just tried to fill my limit after that and culled a few fish here and there.”
Harris said he caught around 20 keepers during the tournament, mostly by flipping outside grass lines with a Bridgemaster Medlock Lil’ Chub. Harris said for the most part the tournament pressure was taken off of him after he caught his two 7-pounders early.
“Around lunchtime, as I was culling up, I thought to myself, ‘Man, if I could just get one more good bite I would have a shot at winning,’” Harris said. “Normally it takes about 28 pounds to win, so I was really surprised when I won it with 25 pounds.
“This win has been a while coming,” Harris continued. “I’ve been in a bit of a slump for a while, so this has really picked it up for me. It feels awesome.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:
1st: Ben Harris, Haines City, Fla., five bass, 25-4, $5,658
2nd: Tyler Sheppard, Yulee, Fla., five bass, 22-15, $2,829
3rd: Kennie Steverson, Umatilla, Fla., five bass, 22-9, $2,386 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
4th: Stephen Williams, Green Cove Springs, Fla., five bass, 22-4, $1,320
5th: Sean Wooten, Umatilla, Fla., five bass, 21-12, $1,132
6th: Doug Walker, Okeechobee, Fla., five bass, 21-4, $1,952
7th: Mark Staton, Astatula, Fla., five bass, 19-11, $943
8th: Dave Thomas, Casselberry, Fla., five bass, 19-4, $801
8th: Joey Bloom, Winter Springs, Fla., five bass, 19-4, $801
10th: Mason Boylan, Grant Valkaria, Fla., five bass, 19-3, $660
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Doug Walker of Okeechobee, Florida, caught a largemouth that weighed 9 pounds, 1 ounce, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $915.
James Ebey of Ocala, Florida, won the Strike King co-angler division and a total of $2,829 Saturday, after bringing five bass to the scale that totaled 19 pounds, 10 ounces.
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers finished:
1st: James Ebey of Ocala, Fla., five bass, 19-10, $2,829
2nd: Pat Herolt, Citrus Springs, Fla., five bass, 18-7, $1,871
3rd: Dean Haughey, Babson Park, Fla., five bass, 17-2, $945
4th: David White, Winter Garden, Fla., five bass, 17-1, $660
5th: Robert Chase Burlew, Inverness, Fla., five bass, 16-4, $566
6th: Matt Anderson, Lakeland, Fla., five bass, 16-1, $519
7th: Steven Obester, Palatka, Fla., four bass, 16-0, $621
8th: Zachary Dunavant, St. Augustine, Fla., five bass, 15-10, $424
9th: Adam Sangster, Sanford, Fla., five bass, 14-3, $377
10th: Travis Clark, Morven, Ga., four bass, 14-1, $330
Pat Herolt of Citrus Springs, Florida, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $457, catching a largemouth that weighed in at 9 pounds, 3 ounces – the largest co-angler catch of the day.
After four events, Brandon Medlock of Lake Placid, Florida, leads the BFL Gator Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 938 points, while Tyler Nekolny of Coral Springs, Florida, leads the Strike King Co-Angler Division AOY race with 940 points.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, will qualify for the Oct. 12-14 BFL Regional tournament on Lake Eufaula in Eufaula, Alabama. Boaters will fish for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $50,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.
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: 4WP, 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.
Parker Gets Home Water Win at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Lake Oconee
Gresens and Collins Tie for Strike King Co-Angler Division Title
BUCKHEAD, Ga. (April 17, 2023) – Boater Weston Parker of Mansfield, Georgia, caught a five-bass limit weighing 18 pounds, 1 ounce, Saturday to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on Lake Oconee Presented by Brown Oil Company . The tournament was the third event of the season for the BFL Bulldog Division Presented by Mystik Lubricants. Parker earned $10,279, including the lucrative $5,000 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus, for his victory.
“I found a shad spawn and caught a big fish early on a spinnerbait,” said Parker, who notched his first career BFL win on his home lake. “I just kept covering water and kept catching them throughout the day.”
Parker said he caught 10 to 12 keepers throughout the course of the tournament on flat, chunk rock banks that held spawning shad. He alternated between a spinnerbait and a topwater frog to boat his limit. He said he focused the spinnerbait on chunk rock and the frog any time he came across any type of cover.
“I lost two good fish early in the morning and told myself at 1 o’clock, ‘Weston, you’ve done it again. You’ve come close to winning big and messed it up,’” Parker said. “But it ended up working out for me.
“This feels awesome,” Parker added. “I’ve won some tournaments on Oconee before, but this is the first time I’ve won something this big. I’m ecstatic.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:
1st: Weston Parker, Mansfield, Ga., five bass, 18-1, $10,279 (includes $5,000 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
2nd: Jody Holland, Clermont, Ga., five bass, 17-13, $2,140
3rd: Brad Stalnaker, Eatonton, Ga., five bass, 16-13, $1,426
4th: Danny Hall, Ellijay, Ga., five bass, 16-2, $998
5th: Ryan Frisch, Eatonton, Ga., five bass, 15-13, $856
6th: Scott Hayes, Wedowee, Ala., five bass, 15-12, $985
7th: Will Thomas, Madison, Ga., five bass, 15-7, $713
8th: Troy Harris, Watkinsville, Ga., five bass, 14-13, $642
9th: Justin Durham, Madison, Ga., five bass, 14-11, $791
10th: Mark Burns, Good Hope, Ga., five bass, 14-5, $499
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Brandon Hightower of Molena, Georgia, caught a bass that weighed 6 pounds, 3 ounces, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $605.
Nicholas Gresens of Tucker, Georgia, and Demetrice Collins of Thomson, Georgia, ended the tournament tied atop the Strike King co-angler division leaderboard, and each won a total of $1,605 Saturday, after bringing five bass each to the scale that totaled 11 pounds, 6 ounces.
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers finished:
1st: Nicholas Gresens, Tucker, Ga., five bass, 11-6, $1,605
1st: Demetrice Collins, Thomson, Ga., five bass, 11-6, $1,605
3rd: Devin Higginbotham, Madison, Ga., five bass, 10-4, $712
4th: Dennis McGouirk, Carrollton, Ga., three bass, 9-12, $801
5th: Robert McNear, Warner Robins, Ga., three bass, 9-11, $428
6th: Adam Johnson, Duluth, Ga., five bass, 8-14, $392
7th: Zachary Archer, Cumming, Ga., three bass, 8-12, $357
8th: Baylor Whitfield, Lagrange, Ga., five bass, 8-8, $321
9th: Brody Bowen, Cleveland, Ga., four bass, 8-2, $267
9th: Ashley Klaus, Thomson, Ga., five bass, 8-2, $267
Dennis McGouirk of Carrollton, Georgia, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $302, catching a bass that weighed in at 5 pounds, 10 ounces – the largest co-angler catch of the day.
After three events, Matthew O’Connell of Brooks, Georgia, leads the BFL Bulldog Division Presented by Mystik Lubricants Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 689 points, while Tony Stevens of Monroe, Georgia, leads the Strike King Co-Angler Division AOY race with 694 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.
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: 4WP, 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.
Wily Veteran Kelly Jordon Catches 22½ Pound Limit on Final Day to Win Tackle Warehouse Invitationals Epic Baits Stop 3 on Lake Eufaula Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches
Texas Pro Weighs in Largest Limit of Tournament Sunday to Earn Top Prize of $80,000
EUFAULA, Okla. (April 16, 2023) – Pro Kelly Jordon of Flint, Texas, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Sunday weighing 22 pounds, 9 ounces – the largest limit weighed in the three-day event – to vault to the top of the leaderboard and win the MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitational Epic Baits Stop 3 at Lake Eufaula Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches and the top prize of $83,500. Jordon’s three-day total of 15 bass weighing 57-3 earned him the victory by a 2-pound, 14-ounce margin over second-place finisher Drew Gill of Mount Carmel, Illinois, who caught 15 bass weighing 54-5, good for $50,000.
Jordon did a lot of internet work pre-tournament, which paid off with his winning spot at the bottom end of the lake and most of his good places elsewhere.
“I found a lot of stuff (on the web),” Jordon said. “I could run all over this lake and catch fish, I like to fish how this lake is fishing right now.”
As for his key areas, Jordon concentrated on a couple of subtle areas in 3 to 6 feet of water – places that quality fish could stage slightly off the beaten track.
“It’s a secondary point that has rock on it, that’s outside of sand,” he said of his best spot. “You wouldn’t know there’s a rock point, I looked for it, a lot of Google Earth – I found several deals like that.”
As for catching the fish this week, Jordon kept it pretty simple. A Lucky Craft Fat CB BDS 2 did damage, as well as a ½-ounce vibrating jig with a Lake Fork Live Magic Shad.
Jordon started the day Sunday in fourth place, but he knew that he wasn’t out of contention. With the caliber of fish biting, he knew that a comeback was definitely possible.
“I had a pretty good practice, I had a lot of stuff everywhere,” Jordon said. “The first day, I used it to see what I had. I ran all my stuff, I like to do that, I like to mark my trees.
“I thought I could catch them pretty good in Longtown Creek, and I ended up catching a 7-pound limit. I ran some other stuff; finally caught a 3-pounder, and tried to expand. But, my end goal was to fish my special stuff, and I waited until other people left, and caught five fish there, and they culled all my other fish.”
As soon as he caught five for 16-11 off his juice, Jordon got the heck out of Dodge so others wouldn’t see him on it.
“(Leaving early) was not real smart, going into today, I had a 6-pound deficit,” he said. “I made a really bad mental mistake.”
It ended up not costing him, and he rode his pattern to victory.
“Today, I just started there,” Jordon said. “I knew there were big fish there, that I could catch 20 pounds. The wind was ripping, and there were giant waves rolling in. I’m almost surprised I caught what I did. I only caught five down there, and I only caught three on my juice.”
Though he may have had the event sealed before the final fish, Jordon made a last-minute stop on two more little rock patches and caught one more upgrade to put the exclamation mark on the day.
“I had an opportunity to get in this tournament, I figured it would be fabulous fishing, and dadgum it was. Today was so good, it just rolled my way all day, to win this event, I don’t even know what to say, it was just a blessed day.”
The top 50 pros at the Tackle Warehouse Invitational Epic Baits Stop 3 at Lake Eufaula finished:
1st: Kelly Jordon, Flint, Texas, 15 bass, 57-3, $83,500
2nd: Drew Gill, Mount Carmel, Ill., 15 bass, 54-5, $50,000
3rd: Ron Nelson, Berrien Springs, Mich., 15 bass, 52-4, $20,000
4th: Scotty Villines, Ponca, Ark., 15 bass, 50-5, $18,200
5th: Cody Spetz, Hollister, Mo., 15 bass, 49-3, $17,000
6th: Braxton Setzer, Wetumpka, Ala., 15 bass, 48-6, $16,300
7th: Tai Au, Glendale, Ariz., 15 bass, 47-0, $15,000
8th: Jeff Reynolds, Calera, Okla., 15 bass, 45-10, $14,000
9th: Shonn Goodwin, Moore, Okla., 15 bass, 45-6, $13,000
10th: Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., 15 bass, 44-0, $12,000
11th: Jaden Parrish, Liberty, Texas, 14 bass, 43-6, $10,000
12th: Phillip Dutra, Guntersville, Ala., 15 bass, 43-5, $10,000
13th: Grae Buck, Green Lane, Penn., 15 bass, 43-4, $10,000
14th: Clayton Batts, Butler, Ga, 15 bass, 42-14, $10,000
15th: Martin Villa, Charlottesville, Va., 15 bass, 42-14, $10,000
16th: Hunter Mills, Mayfield, Ky., 15 bass, 42-11, $10,000
17th: Travis Harriman, Huntsville, Ark., 15 bass, 41-14, $10,000
18th: Terry Olinger, Louisa, Va., 14 bass, 41-13, $10,000
19th: Chris Jones, Bokoshe, Okla., 15 bass, 41-9, $10,000
20th: Chad Mrazek, Montgomery, Texas, 15 bass, 41-7, $10,000
21st: Matthew Stefan, Junction City, Wis., 15 bass, 41-3, $10,000
22nd: Michael Harlin, Sunrise Beach, Mo., 15 bass, 40-12, $10,000
23rd: Brock Reinkemeyer, Warsaw, Mo., 14 bass, 40-12, $10,000
24th: Blake Hall, Rogersville, Ala., 13 bass, 40-9, $10,000
25th: Brandon Mosley, Harrah, Okla., 15 bass, 40-6, $10,000
26th: Lance Crawford, Broken Bow, Okla., 15 bass, 39-12, $10,000
27th: Robby Frashier, Carrollton, Ga., 15 bass, 39-10, $10,000
28th: Colby Schrumpf, Highland, Ill., 15 bass, 39-9, $10,000
29th: Randy Despino, Colfax, La., 14 bass, 39-5, $10,000
30th: Connor Cunningham, Springfield, Mo., 13 bass, 39-5, $10,000
31st: Andrew Behnke, Fond du Lac, Wis., 11 bass, 39-4, $8,000
32nd: Blake Martin, Dardanelle, Ark., 14 bass, 39-4, $9,000
33rd: Keith Carson, DeBary, Fla., 13 bass, 37-14, $8,000
34th: Kyle Schutta, Forest Lake, Minn., 13 bass, 37-6, $8,000
35th: Kyle Cortiana, Broken Arrow, Okla., 15 bass, 37-2, $8,000
36th: John Cox, DeBary, Fla., 12 bass, 36-11, $8,000
37th: Wyatt Frankens, Corrigan, Texas, 13 bass, 36-7, $8,000
38th: Mark Fisher, Wauconda, Ill, 13 bass, 36-6, $8,000
39th: Laker Howell, Guntersville, Ala., 14 bass, 36-5, $8,000
40th: Hunter Eubanks, Inman, S.C., 12 bass, 36-4, $8,000
41st: Blake Felix, Warsaw, Mo., 12 bass, 35-5, $8,000
42nd: Andrew Nordbye, Guntersville, Ala., 13 bass, 35-0, $8,000
43rd: Jimmy Reese, Witter Springs, Calif., 14 bass, 34-5, $8,000
44th: Jordan Hirt, Glenwood, Ind., 11 bass, 34-1, $8,000
45th: Danny Shanz, Summerton, S.C., 12 bass, 33-12, $8,000
46th: Cody Pike, Powhatan, Va., 11 bass, 33-7, $8,000
47th: Drew Boggs, Lebanon, Tenn., 10 bass, 32-0, $8,000
48th: Jim Moynagh, Shakopee, Minn., 12 bass, 30-15, $8,000
49th: Kyle Palmer, Winchester, Tenn., 11 bass, 30-3, $8,000
50th: J.D. Chandler, Liberty, Texas, 12 bass, 29-15, $8,000
Complete results for the entire field can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Overall, there were 196 bass weighing 495 pounds, 7 ounces caught by 49 pros Sunday. The catch included 27 five-bass limits.
The three-day tournament, hosted by the Eufaula Area Chamber of Commerce, featured a roster of 150 anglers competing for a top prize of up to $115,000 and an invitation to compete at REDCREST 2024. The next Tackle Warehouse Invitational event will take place May 4-6 at the Tackle Warehouse Invitational Phoenix Stop 4 on Lake of the Ozarks in Osage Beach, Missouri.
In MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitational competition, the full field of 150 anglers competed in the two-day opening round on Friday and Saturday in a traditional five-fish, weigh-in format. Only the top 50 pros based on their two-day cumulative weight advanced to the final round on Championship Sunday, where they competed for the grand prize of up to $115,000, including the lucrative $35,000 Phoenix MLF Bonus for qualified anglers. The winner of the MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitational Epic Baits Stop 3 at Lake Eufaula Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches was determined by the heaviest three-day cumulative weight and will receive an invitation to compete at REDCREST 2024.
The season-long Invitational Bally Bet Angler of the Year (AOY) will also earn a berth into REDCREST and the Top 8 anglers in the season-long Invitational AOY point standings will qualify for the 2024 Bass Pro Tour. After three events down in the six-event Qualifying Circuit, pro Ron Nelson of Berrien Springs, Michigan, leads the AOY race with 581 points. Junction City, Wisconsin, pro Matthew Stefan sits in second place with 544 points, while pros Colby Schrumpf of Highland, Illinois, and Martin Villa of Charlottesville, Virginia are tied for third with 541 points. Pro Michael Harlin of Sunrise Beach, Missouri, rounds out the top 5 with 540 points.
The MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitational Epic Baits Stop 3 at Lake Eufaula Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches will feature a two-hour television broadcast that will premiere on the CBS Sports Network on Saturday, Oct. 14th.
Proud sponsors of the 2023 MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitationals include: 4WP, 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, E3, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, Fox Rent a Car, General Tire, Grundéns, Lew’s, Lowrance, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix Boats, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Wiley X and YETI.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Tackle Warehouse Invitationals on the MLF5 social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
Consistency leads Brannan to victory in Bassmaster Kayak Series event on Lake Hartwell
Lowell Brannan of Honea Path, S.C., has won the 2023 Yamaha Rightwaters Bassmaster Kayak Series powered by TourneyX at Lake Hartwell with a two-day total of 183.5 inches.
Photo by Mark Cisneros/B.A.S.S.
April 16, 2023
ANDERSON, S.C. — As a resident of Upstate South Carolina, Lowell Brannan has spent many days on Lake Hartwell. But the two days he spent fishing the Yamaha Rightwaters Bassmaster Kayak Series powered by TourneyX might have been his best two yet.
With a two-day total of 183.5 inches — 92 inches on Day 1 and 91.5 on Day 2 — Brannan secured the victory on his home waters. Jamie Koza finished second with 181.25 inches and Tom Kazmierski finished third with 180.5.
Along with a beautiful blue trophy, Brannan earned $10,000.
“I’m really at a loss for words,” he said. “I felt like I could do well at Hartwell, but I never really thought I could win it because it is so inconsistent. It means a lot to me. I have won on Hartwell before, but not on this level. To compete with these guys and gals and to come away with a trophy means a lot.”
Knowing most of the field was going to hunt for spawning bass in the shallows, Brannan decided to stay on the main lake and target spotted bass that were keying on the blueback herring spawn that is getting underway.
Using a Luhr Jensen Speed Trap squarebill and a 3-inch swimbait, he slowly and methodically worked his way around a specific set of points, including some that were just bare clay. Then on the final day, Brannan noticed that points with bigger boulders were the most productive.
“I went with a more consistent pattern,” he said. “I would rake them over with a squarebill crankbait and get the fish sort of stirred up. If they bite it, good. If they didn’t, I would go back over it with the swimbait.”
The first day of the tournament was calm and sunny. But when storms and wind moved in on the final day, Brannan said the 360 Drive on his Hobie Pro Angler 14 was crucial for getting perfect boat positioning in less-than-ideal conditions.
While many anglers will shy away from where bass boats have just fished, Brannan used the boat traffic to his advantage. When the boats would crank up and go, he would quickly move to where they just left and usually end up catching a couple of bass.
“There is a lot of boat pressure here,” he said. “I choose my windows and when the boats take off, I shoot over there as fast as I can. A lot of the boaters fish the points wrong. They bring the boat right up on the point before they come off plane.
“They spook a lot of the fish. Then they power up there with the trolling motor, spin around a couple of times and take off. What they have done is scattered all that bait. As soon as they leave, the bait is trying to get back together on the point and that is when the bass come in and attack them.”
Although the idea was to catch spotted bass, some largemouth were mixed in.
“A lot of people want to fish Hartwell super fast,” he explained. “They feel like that is the only way the spotted bass will bite. Sometimes if you slow the approach, the largemouth will cruise through there sort of lazy and eat the herring the spotted bass have injured.”
On Day 1, the bite was consistent and he was able to catch around 25 bass throughout the day to cull to 92 inches with his best five. Sunday was a little slower, but he still caught close to 15 bass, including a 20.25-inch largemouth.
North Carolina angler Jeremy Heath caught a 25-inch behemoth largemouth on the final day to take home the Big Bass of the Tournament award.
All 163 competitors this week earned points toward the Dakota Lithium Angler of the Year race. Those standings will be updated on Bassmaster.comlater this week.
Ron Nelson Takes Day 2 Lead at Epic Baits Stop 3 on Lake Eufaula Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches
Berrien Springs Pro Catches Two-Day Total of 10 Bass Weighing 40 Pounds, 6 Ounces to Overtake Lead – Top 50 Advance to Championship Sunday
EUFAULA, Okla. (April 15, 2023) – After another blustery day of fighting Oklahoma wind, pro Ron Nelson of Berrien Springs, Michigan , weighed a five-bass limit totaling 20 pounds, 2 ounces Saturday to take the Day 2 lead at the MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitational Epic Baits Stop 3 at Lake Eufaula Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches. Nelson’s two-day total of 40 pounds, 6 ounces gives him a 4-pound lead over pro Cody Spetz of Hollister, Missouri, who caught a five-bass limit weighing 14-12 to move into second place.
The three-day tournament, hosted by the Eufaula Area Chamber of Commerce, features a roster of 150 anglers competing for a top prize of up to $115,000 and an invitation to compete at REDCREST 2024. The full field of 150 anglers concluded the two-day opening round on Saturday, with only the top 50 pros based on their two-day cumulative weight advancing to Championship Sunday.
The blustery conditions on Saturday had anglers across the rocky Oklahoma reservoir working to pivot and adjust their game plan, as the bite slowed and movement across the fishery became more calculated.
“It’s all about having a good time, and we had a good time today, but it didn’t work out easy this morning,” said Nelson. “My starting spot where I caught them on Day 1 was covered up by another angler, so I had to make some adjustments.
“I had a few ‘feel good’ fish by late morning – a couple 1½- to 2-pounders that I caught on beds – but I knew I’d need more,” Nelson continued. “I decided not to take the rough beating in this wind just to have five fish in the box, so I decided to run up the lake a little way and go bed-fishing.”
That decision provided Nelson the kicker fish that catapulted him into the top spot going into the final day of competition.
“The first pocket we rolled into had a couple of empty beds, but then I spotted a decent fish,” said Nelson. “I pitched at her a few times, and realized she was probably under 3 pounds, but I still wanted her.
“That was such a neat bite because she sat and watched as the bait floated down. I shook it once and I saw her tail come out of the water, and then she just smashed it. I set the hook on her and realized she was a big one.”
That “three-pounder” grew into a 6-pound, 5-ounce bass.
“Today was all about adjustments, grit and grinding,” said Nelson. “My last cull came the same way. I went into a little pocket and found a clay point. I threw a football jig in there and caught my third biggest fish on the first cast.”
While Nelson is known to be calm, cool and collected on the water, he admitted he got a little hyped during the competition day.
“After I caught that big fish today, I went to retie and realized I was actually shaking – and I don’t ever get shook up – but I was struggling to retie that bait,” Nelson said, laughing. “I culled out a line-burner for that bigger fish, so it was a mega-cull and that was so fun.”
While winning the current tournament is always a target for competing pros, the 2020 winner of the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit AOY said he’s got his eye on another one of those trophies.
“There’s a lot of pressure on us right now, with the AOY race underway, so we’re working hard,” continued Nelson. “But that competition and desire to win that title again is what makes it fun.”
The top 50 pros advancing to Championship Sunday on Lake Eufaula are:
1st: Ron Nelson, Berrien Springs, Mich., 10 bass, 40-6
2nd: Cody Spetz, Hollister, Mo., 10 bass, 36-6
3rd: Jeff Reynolds, Calera, Okla., 10 bass, 35-5
4th: Kelly Jordon, Flint, Texas, 10 bass, 34-10
5th: Drew Gill, Mount Carmel, Ill., 10 bass, 34-8
6th: Blake Hall, Rogersville, Ala., 10 bass, 34-3
7th: Scotty Villines, Ponca, Ark., 10 bass, 34-2
8th: Braxton Setzer, Wetumpka, Ala., 10 bass, 33-13
9th: Clayton Batts, Butler, Ga, 10 bass, 33-10
10th: Shonn Goodwin, Moore, Okla., 10 bass, 32-11
11th: Keith Carson, DeBary, Fla., 10 bass, 32-3
12th: Tai Au, Glendale, Ariz., 10 bass, 32-1
13th: Drew Boggs, Lebanon, Tenn., 10 bass, 32-0
14th: Andrew Behnke, Fond Du Lac, Wis., nine bass, 31-15
15th: Blake Felix, Warsaw, Mo., 10 bass, 31-3
16th: Terry Olinger, Louisa, Va., nine bass, 31-2
17th: John Cox, DeBary, Fla., 10 bass, 31-0
18th: Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., 10 bass, 30-15
19th: Jordan Hirt, Glenwood, Ind., 10 bass, 30-14
20th: Mark Fisher, Wauconda, Ill, 10 bass, 30-4
21st: Brandon Mosley, Harrah, Okla., 10 bass, 30-1
22nd: Blake Martin, Dardanelle, Ark., 10 bass, 29-14
23rd: Wyatt Frankens, Corrigan, Texas, 10 bass, 29-14
24th: Grae Buck, Green Lane, Penn., 10 bass, 29-12
25th: Michael Harlin, Sunrise Beach, Mo., 10 bass, 29-11
26th: Danny Shanz, Summerton, S.C., 10 bass, 29-10
27th: Kyle Cortiana, Broken Arrow, Okla., 10 bass, 29-10
28th: Randy Despino, Colfax, La., 10 bass, 29-9
29th: Phillip Dutra, Guntersville, Ala., 10 bass, 29-9
30th: Jaden Parrish, Liberty, Texas, 10 bass, 29-5
31st: Matthew Stefan, Junction City, Wis., 10 bass, 29-5
32nd: Robby Frashier, Carrollton, Ga., 10 bass, 29-5
33rd: Andrew Nordbye, Guntersville, Ala., 10 bass, 29-2
34th: Chris Jones, Bokoshe, Okla., 10 bass, 29-1
35th: Hunter Eubanks, Inman, S.C., nine bass, 29-1
36th: Laker Howell, Guntersville, Ala., 10 bass, 28-13
37th: Travis Harriman, Huntsville, Ark., 10 bass, 28-11
38th: Martin Villa, Charlottesville, Va., 10 bass, 28-9
39th: Chad Mrazek, Montgomery, Texas, 10 bass, 28-8
40th: Kyle Palmer, Winchester, Tenn., 10 bass, 28-6
41st: Hunter Mills, Mayfield, Ky., 10 bass, 28-4
42nd: Brock Reinkemeyer, Warsaw, Mo., nine bass, 28-2
43rd: Cody Pike, Powhatan, Va., nine bass, 28-1
44th: Connor Cunningham, Springfield, Mo., nine bass, 28-1
45th: Colby Schrumpf, Highland, Ill., 10 bass, 27-13
46th: Kyle Schutta, Forest Lake, Minn., 10 bass, 27-12
47th: Lance Crawford, Broken Bow, Okla., 10 bass, 27-10
48th: Jimmy Reese, Witter Springs, Calif., 10 bass, 27-5
49th: JD Chandler, Liberty, Texas, 10 bass, 27-4
50th: Jim Moynagh, Shakopee, Minn., 10 bass, 27-2
Complete results for the entire field can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Pro Blake Martin of Dardanelle, Arkansas, earned Saturday’s $1,000 Berkley Big Bass award with a bass that weighed 7 pounds, 11 ounces.
In MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitational competition, the full field of 150 anglers competed in the two-day opening round on Friday and Saturday in a traditional five-fish, weigh-in format. Only the top 50 pros based on their two-day cumulative weight advance to the final round on Championship Sunday, where they will compete for the grand prize of up to $115,000, including the lucrative $35,000 Phoenix MLF Bonus for qualified anglers. The winner of the MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitational Epic Baits Stop 3 at Lake Eufaula Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches will be determined by the heaviest three-day cumulative weight and will receive an invitation to compete at REDCREST 2024.
The final 50 anglers will take off at 7 a.m. CT on Championship Sunday, from the Peter’s Point South Point Dock Boat Ramp, located on Dabbs Road in Eufaula. Weigh-in and trophy presentation will also be held at the boat ramp Sunday beginning at 3 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend the event or follow the live on-the-water action online on MLF NOW! beginning at 7:30 a.m. CT at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The MLF NOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee, Marty Stone and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action on Championship Sunday from 7:15 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. ET. MLF NOW!® will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app.
The MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitational Epic Baits Stop 3 at Lake Eufaula Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches will feature a two-hour action-packed television broadcast that will premiere on the CBS Sports Network on Saturday, Oct. 14th.
Proud sponsors of the 2023 MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitationals include: 4WP, 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, E3, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, Fox Rent a Car, General Tire, Grundéns, Lew’s, Lowrance, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix Boats, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Wiley X and YETI.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Tackle Warehouse Invitationals on the MLF5 social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
Florida's Falk and Blackmon lift the trophy at Bassmaster High School Series event on Chickamauga
Carson Falk and Trey Blackmon III of Florida's Capital City Bass Hunters have won the Strike King Bassmaster High School Series at Chickamauga Lake presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors with 25 pounds, 3 ounces.
Photo by Kyle Jessie/B.A.S.S.
April 15, 2023
Florida's Falk and Blackmon lift the trophy at Bassmaster High School Series event on Chickamauga
DAYTON, Tenn. — A beautiful spring day on famed Chickamauga Lake became even better for the Florida team of Carson Falk and Trey Blackmon III of Capital City Bass Hunters. In front of a large crowd, the dynamic duo was able weigh a five-bass limit of 25 pounds, 3 ounces to best a huge field of talented high school anglers at the 2023 Strike King Bassmaster High School Series at Chickamauga Lake presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors.
Although it was an eight-hour drive from the Tallahassee, Fla., area, the pair was able to find water that looked and fished similarly to Lake Seminole, their home lake.
“We started off on a bed fish this morning that we figured was around 4 1/2 pounds but we eventually had to leave it,” said 15-year-old Falk. “We stayed in the lower portion of the lake all day because it just set up perfectly for what we’re best at. It had clear water, stumps and grass which is a perfect combination.”
During practice, Falk and Blackmon used large swimbaits like the Megabass Magdraft and Bass Mafia Daingerous. The big bass would follow the swimbaits out of the grass and as soon as the bass showed themselves, the anglers would quickly get the swimbaits back into the boat and mark a GPS waypoint in order to return on tournament day.
“They were eating big crappie while also spawning on those grass flats,” Falk said. “We used your typical grass baits such as bladed jigs to catch the fish that previously followed our big baits. The conditions lined up perfectly and we were able to fish with our favorite baits and had a blast.”
In second place, 17-year-old anglers Logan Withrow and Braden Crumley of Chilhowee Bassmasters in Charleston, Tenn., had a five-bass limit weighing 18-2. They credited a mid-morning move for their impressive finish.
“Initially, we ran all the way below Watts Bar Dam and fished for three hours without a bite,” Withrow said. “We decided to head back down the lake toward Harrison Bay and that was the move that made the difference. We stopped on a bluff and caught two 5-pounders on a custom-made bluegill-colored jig and the rest of our keepers came on a drop shot and wacky rig.”
Living just 20 miles from Chickamauga, the team has plenty of experience on their local waters.
“We’re familiar with this lake, but it’s still important to make adjustments every day,” Withrow said. “To be able to come out and fish our home waters and have such a great tournament is an awesome feeling. This is the highest finish of our high school career and we are thrilled.”
Rounding out the Top 5 teams were, third, Brody Kellum and Carson Thompson of Georgia's Franklin County High School with 16-9; fourth, Brady Vest and Brody Hopper of Cullman (Ala.) High School with 16-8; and fifth, former Bassmaster Junior Series champions Lainie Holbert and Sarah Swindle of Riverside High School in Tenn., with 16-5.
The Big Bass of the Tournament — a 9-3 largemouth — was caught by Jonathan Fann and Gunter Pitts of Tennessee's Cannon County High School.
2023 Strike King Bassmaster High School Series presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors 4/15-4/15
Chickamauga Lake, Dayton TN.
(BOATER) Standings Day 1
Angler Club/School Pts
1. Carson Falk - Trey Blackmon III Capital City Bass Hunters - FL 0
Day 1: 5 25-03 Total: 5 25-03
2. Logan Withrow - Braden Crumley Chilhowee Bassmasters - TN 0
Day 1: 5 18-02 Total: 5 18-02
3. Brody Kellum - Carson Thompson Franklin County High School - GA 0
Day 1: 5 16-09 Total: 5 16-09
4. Brady Vest - Brody Hopper Cullman High School - AL 0
Day 1: 5 16-08 Total: 5 16-08
5. Lainie Holbert - Sarah Swindle Riverside High School - TN 0
Day 1: 5 16-05 Total: 5 16-05
6. Hayden Barnett - Will Bacon Jr. Kingston High School - TN 0
Day 1: 5 14-07 Total: 5 14-07
7. Chris Fallon - Briar Dodson Gardendale High School - AL 0
Day 1: 5 14-06 Total: 5 14-06
8. Jacob Baugh - Brody Berninger Skyline High School - AL 0
Day 1: 5 14-03 Total: 5 14-03
9. Jonathan Fann - Gunter Pitts Cannon County High School - TN 0
Day 1: 3 13-14 Total: 3 13-14
10. C.J. Stanley - Colton Parten Rhea County High School - TN 0
Day 1: 5 13-08 Total: 5 13-08
11. John Cooper - Gabriel Avalos Scotts Hill Student Anglers - TN 0
Day 1: 5 13-07 Total: 5 13-07
12. Rex Reagan - Max Moody Pickett County High School - TN 0
Day 1: 4 13-07 Total: 4 13-07
13. hunter Brewer - Ethan Tedder Lawrence County High School - TN 0
Day 1: 5 13-06 Total: 5 13-06
14. Ty Trentham - Chase Mccarter Sevier County High School - TN 0
Day 1: 5 13-05 Total: 5 13-05
15. Tanner Mason - Matthew Mason DAR High School - AL 0
Day 1: 5 13-03 Total: 5 13-03
16. Peter West - Zach Knight Gallatin High School - TN 0
Day 1: 5 13-00 Total: 5 13-00
17. Brady Horton - Hayden Black Greenbrier High School - AR 0
Day 1: 5 12-10 Total: 5 12-10
18. Max Himmel - Tyler Morris Catholic High School of Baton Ro 0
Day 1: 5 12-10 Total: 5 12-10
19. Charly Hutson - Chloe Wisniewski Tennessee Valley Bass Club 0
Day 1: 5 12-07 Total: 5 12-07
20. Jackie Hatfield - Alcoa Fishing Team - TN 0
Day 1: 4 12-07 Total: 4 12-07
21. Luke Salvail - Tyler Seikel Grissom High School - AL 0
Day 1: 5 12-03 Total: 5 12-03
22. Richard Johnson - Alan Hamilton Lakeland High School - FL 0
Day 1: 5 12-02 Total: 5 12-02
23. Carson Holbert - Owen Stamm Eagleton College and Career Acad 0
Day 1: 5 12-01 Total: 5 12-01
24. Jack Pickett - Luke Baugh Skyline High School - AL 0
Day 1: 5 12-00 Total: 5 12-00
25. Brody Jones - Parker Batts Jefferson County High School - T 0
Day 1: 3 11-13 Total: 3 11-13
26. Jake Woodward - Lucas Mast Evangel Christian School - AL 0
Day 1: 5 11-12 Total: 5 11-12
27. Hunter Thomas - Lane Lipscomb Chesnee High School - SC 0
Day 1: 5 11-11 Total: 5 11-11
28. Greer Gammon - Mt. Juliet High School - TN 0
Day 1: 4 11-11 Total: 4 11-11
29. Andon Goins - Izack Hancock Sale Creek High School - TN 0
Day 1: 4 11-09 Total: 4 11-09
30. Jake Lovingood - Harlyn Nelson Alcoa Fishing Team - TN 0
Day 1: 5 11-07 Total: 5 11-07
31. Owen Ray - Camdyn Cranfill Rhea County High School - TN 0
Day 1: 4 11-03 Total: 4 11-03
32. Presley Lannom - Trevor Sanford Mt. Juliet High School - TN 0
Day 1: 5 11-02 Total: 5 11-02
33. Kayden Waller - Michael Harris Mt. Juliet High School - TN 0
Day 1: 5 11-01 Total: 5 11-01
34. Dax Dang - Cohen Reed Hixson High School - TN 0
Day 1: 5 10-13 Total: 5 10-13
35. Carson Howell - Talen Ashworth Mt. Pleasant High School - TN 0
Day 1: 5 10-11 Total: 5 10-11
36. Drew Bradstreet - Kamden Bradstreet Bradstreet Homeschool - FL 0
Day 1: 5 10-07 Total: 5 10-07
37. Mason Mullins - Caden Graham Soddy Daisy High School - TN 0
Day 1: 5 10-05 Total: 5 10-05
38. Turner Tharpe - Blake James Rhea County High School - TN 0
Day 1: 5 10-04 Total: 5 10-04
39. Carter Pjesky - JD McBroom Kaneland High School - IL 0
Day 1: 5 10-02 Total: 5 10-02
40. Connor Kennedy - Jaylee Coates Mid Florida Youth Anglers - FL 0
Day 1: 5 09-15 Total: 5 09-15
41. Peyton Mixon - Grayson Cooke Alabama Bass Academy - AL 0
Day 1: 5 09-14 Total: 5 09-14
42. Landon Myers - Luke Morris Alcoa Fishing Team - TN 0
Day 1: 3 09-14 Total: 3 09-14
43. Jordan Guest - Landon Guest Skyline High School - AL 0
Day 1: 5 09-12 Total: 5 09-12
44. Landon Rollison - Bridget Mathis Dixie County High School - FL 0
Day 1: 5 09-11 Total: 5 09-11
45. Holt Owens - Rylan Brewer Midway High School - TN 0
Day 1: 4 09-10 Total: 4 09-10
46. Jack Varnado - Dylan Johnson Denham Springs High School - LA 0
Day 1: 4 09-02 Total: 4 09-02
47. Brody Mitchell - James Mitchell Grissom High School - AL 0
Day 1: 5 08-12 Total: 5 08-12
48. Trevor Wilburn - Kagen Hill Century High School - IL 0
Day 1: 2 08-11 Total: 2 08-11
49. Hollis Rose - Grant Arnold Jefferson County High School - T 0
Day 1: 4 08-09 Total: 4 08-09
50. Avery Johnson - Drake Middleton Riverside High School - TN 0
Day 1: 3 08-05 Total: 3 08-05
51. Noah Carruth - Ty Carruth Alabama Bass Academy - AL 0
Day 1: 4 08-04 Total: 4 08-04
52. Justin Robbins - Jordan Garrett Fentress County High School - TN 0
Day 1: 3 08-01 Total: 3 08-01
53. Corbin Bornstein - Thomas James Lipscomb Academy - TN 0
Day 1: 5 08-00 Total: 5 08-00
54. Hayden Buchanan - Barrett Choquette Headland High School - AL 0
Day 1: 5 07-14 Total: 5 07-14
55. Carter Cunningham - Landon Glander Dawson County - GA 0
Day 1: 4 07-12 Total: 4 07-12
56. Hayden Hammond - Coleman Self RoCo Anglers - NC 0
Day 1: 4 07-11 Total: 4 07-11
57. Nick Herrman - Kyle Herrman Capital City High School - KS 0
Day 1: 3 07-11 Total: 3 07-11
58. Jameson Pursley - Hayden Spears Warren County High School - TN 0
Day 1: 4 07-09 Total: 4 07-09
59. Cole Wampler - Mason Wampler Rhea County High School - TN 0
Day 1: 3 07-08 Total: 3 07-08
60. Luke Malik - Ashton Ozolins Sumner County Bass Team - TN 0
Day 1: 2 07-08 Total: 2 07-08
61. Caden Schilling - Slade Jones Hixson High School - TN 0
Day 1: 3 07-04 Total: 3 07-04
62. Dallas Rucker - Sawyer Reagan Hixson High School - TN 0
Day 1: 5 07-01 Total: 5 07-01
63. Jacob Clayton - Hogan Benson Chesnee High School - SC 0
Day 1: 4 07-01 Total: 4 07-01
64. Milam Mcillwain - Landon Lewis Creekwood High School - TN 0
Day 1: 1 07-01 Total: 1 07-01
65. Jackson Rollins - Caleb Edwards Alabama Bass Academy - AL 0
Day 1: 3 06-15 Total: 3 06-15
66. Fletcher Brasington - Mo Katz IV Headland High School - AL 0
Day 1: 4 06-14 Total: 4 06-14
67. James Sumrell - Brody Harp Hixon Bass Team - TN 0
Day 1: 5 06-13 Total: 5 06-13
68. Dylan Freeman - Kameron Johnson Gallatin High School - TN 0
Day 1: 3 06-10 Total: 3 06-10
69. Marshall Nesheim - Matthew Melvin Iowa Youth Fishing League - IA 0
Day 1: 2 06-04 Total: 2 06-04
70. Rooksby Gordon - Fisher Deason American Christian Academy - AL 0
Day 1: 4 06-03 Total: 4 06-03
71. Walker LaRue - Joe Vaulton Alcoa Fishing Team - TN 0
Day 1: 3 06-03 Total: 3 06-03
72. Kruze Clayton - Evan Smithler Meigs County High School - TN 0
Day 1: 4 06-01 Total: 4 06-01
73. Tyler Martin - Blake Rogers Sequatchie County High School - 0
Day 1: 5 06-00 Total: 5 06-00
74. Skipper Stallings - Simon Stafford Evangel Christian School - AL 0
Day 1: 4 06-00 Total: 4 06-00
75. Charles Rucker - Anthony Rimback Hixson High School - TN 0
Day 1: 4 05-15 Total: 4 05-15
76. Alex Gore - Colby Reece Jefferson County High School - T 0
Day 1: 3 05-14 Total: 3 05-14
76. Cooper Lumpkin - Colson Smith American Christian Academy - AL 0
Day 1: 3 05-14 Total: 3 05-14
78. Mason Singleton - Ethan Tatum Burgin Bulldogs - KY 0
Day 1: 3 05-13 Total: 3 05-13
79. Makenzie Bailey - Dalton Bailey Winter Springs High School - FL 0
Day 1: 2 05-13 Total: 2 05-13
80. Carter Elliott - Bristol Callahan Meigs County High School - TN 0
Day 1: 2 05-08 Total: 2 05-08
80. Clayburn Reed - Pasco High School - FL 0
Day 1: 2 05-08 Total: 2 05-08
82. Ezra Marks - Evan Marks Rockwood High School - TN 0
Day 1: 2 05-04 Total: 2 05-04
83. Caden Stevens - Hunter Crittenden Franklin County High School - TN 0
Day 1: 3 05-03 Total: 3 05-03
84. Bennett Matheny - Dylan Brower Huntsville Bass Anglers - AL 0
Day 1: 3 05-01 Total: 3 05-01
85. Bryson Bailey - Caden Miles Gibbs High School - TN 0
Day 1: 1 05-00 Total: 1 05-00
85. Tristan Light - Karns High School (9280) 0
Day 1: 1 05-00 Total: 1 05-00
87. Konner Allen - Tristan Henry 901 Bass Club - TN 0
Day 1: 3 04-15 Total: 3 04-15
88. Matthew Ahrens - David Gamble III Sale Creek High School - TN 0
Day 1: 5 04-10 Total: 5 04-10
89. Ben Puckett - Jesse Klutts Henry County High School - TN 0
Day 1: 2 04-09 Total: 2 04-09
90. Alex Townsend - Drew Hardin Camden Central High School - TN 0
Day 1: 2 04-08 Total: 2 04-08
91. Chris Hackle - Wyatt Wright Dixie County High School - FL 0
Day 1: 2 04-06 Total: 2 04-06
92. Blake Smith - Caleb Mccord Arkansas Youth Anglers - AR 0
Day 1: 2 04-05 Total: 2 04-05
92. Talon Stone - Hayden Jennette Benton County Bass Anglers - TN 0
Day 1: 2 04-05 Total: 2 04-05
94. Fysher Hayes - William Gay Beech High School - TN 0
Day 1: 1 04-05 Total: 1 04-05
95. Logan Wood - Gavin Fuller Oneida Lake High School - NY 0
Day 1: 2 04-04 Total: 2 04-04
96. Jackson Farmer - Tanner Sullivan Seymour High School - TN 0
Day 1: 2 04-03 Total: 2 04-03
96. Blair Sinks - Peyton Jones Warren County Anglers - TN 0
Day 1: 2 04-03 Total: 2 04-03
98. Emma Simon - Central High School - LA 0
Day 1: 2 04-02 Total: 2 04-02
98. Huntlee York - Colton Smith Arkansas Youth Anglers - AR 0
Day 1: 2 04-02 Total: 2 04-02
100. Wayland Adkisson - Clay George BGA High School - TN 0
Day 1: 2 04-01 Total: 2 04-01
101. John Mullins - Jayden Douglas Eagleville Fishing Club - TN 0
Day 1: 4 04-00 Total: 4 04-00
102. Colton Atchley - Loudon High School - TN 0
Day 1: 1 04-00 Total: 1 04-00
103. Jack Sharpe - Gavin Crick Sumner County Bass Team - TN 0
Day 1: 2 03-14 Total: 2 03-14
104. Wade Steelman - Vincent Johnson Sumner County High School - TN 0
Day 1: 3 03-11 Total: 3 03-11
105. Camden Randall - James Roop Mt. Pleasant High School - TN 0
Day 1: 2 03-11 Total: 2 03-11
106. Evan Conn - Collin Allison Vestavia Hills High School - AL 0
Day 1: 2 03-09 Total: 2 03-09
107. Braylon Carden - Noah Higdon Beulah High School - AL 0
Day 1: 2 03-08 Total: 2 03-08
108. Jett Smith - Maddox Morgan Bledsoe County High School - TN 0
Day 1: 2 03-07 Total: 2 03-07
109. Austin Clevinger - Gavin Keith Central High School - VA 0
Day 1: 1 03-06 Total: 1 03-06
110. Wyatt Downs - Brayden Huddleston Upperman High School - TN 0
Day 1: 2 03-02 Total: 2 03-02
111. Heith Hutson - Benjamin Carty Mt. Pleasant High School - TN 0
Day 1: 2 02-15 Total: 2 02-15
112. William Robertson - Jonah Stiner Meigs County High School - TN 0
Day 1: 1 02-15 Total: 1 02-15
113. Annie Lassiter - Logan Evans Soddy Daisy High School - TN 0
Day 1: 2 02-14 Total: 2 02-14
113. Max Russell - Cameron Townsend Loudon High School - TN 0
Day 1: 2 02-14 Total: 2 02-14
115. Jack Mcillwain - Dyson Weaver Creekwood High School - TN 0
Day 1: 1 02-12 Total: 1 02-12
116. Hunter Woody - Austin Johnson Columbia Central High School - T 0
Day 1: 2 02-11 Total: 2 02-11
117. Gavin Harvey - Chris Hoskins Meigs County High School - TN 0
Day 1: 2 02-09 Total: 2 02-09
118. Nick Keith Jr. - Jagger Wells Munford High School - AL 0
Day 1: 1 02-09 Total: 1 02-09
118. Daniel Lowhorn - Wade Mackie Monterey High School - TN 0
Day 1: 1 02-09 Total: 1 02-09
120. Easton Drennon - Zeb Major Mt. Juliet High School - TN 0
Day 1: 2 02-05 Total: 2 02-05
121. Brentlea Rodgers - Bailee Coffelt Sale Creek High School - TN 0
Day 1: 2 02-05 Total: 2 02-05
122. Grant Nore - Landon Main Iowa Youth Fishing League - IA 0
Day 1: 1 02-05 Total: 1 02-05
123. Jackson Daugherty - James Lane Kingston High School - TN 0
Day 1: 1 02-02 Total: 1 02-02
123. Brennan Starr - Jack Myers Nassau Christian Bass Club - FL 0
Day 1: 1 02-02 Total: 1 02-02
125. Sam Carson - Jackson Lewis 901 Bass Club - TN 0
Day 1: 1 02-01 Total: 1 02-01
125. Mason Taylor - Wesley Kent Dekalb Fishing Team - TN 0
Day 1: 1 02-01 Total: 1 02-01
127. Brody Brinson - Isaiah Mussnug Sumner County Bass Team - TN 0
Day 1: 1 02-00 Total: 1 02-00
127. Jenna Morrow - Hannah Kempton Wayne County - KY 0
Day 1: 1 02-00 Total: 1 02-00
127. Aaron Ward - Braylin Day Soddy Daisy High School - TN 0
Day 1: 1 02-00 Total: 1 02-00
127. Carson Winn - Jake Krauth Franklin High School - TN 0
Day 1: 1 02-00 Total: 1 02-00
131. Brad Brown - Max Clabough Loudon High School - TN 0
Day 1: 1 01-15 Total: 1 01-15
131. Morgan Buchanan - Landen Wyatt Vienna High School - IL 0
Day 1: 1 01-15 Total: 1 01-15
133. Barrett Newton - Landon Krauss Upperman High School - TN 0
Day 1: 1 01-14 Total: 1 01-14
133. Cole Sampson - Zacharie Faulkner Vienna High School - IL 0
Day 1: 1 01-14 Total: 1 01-14
135. Will Hadley - Andrew Dauber Hartley's Hawgs - OH 0
Day 1: 1 01-13 Total: 1 01-13
135. Harrison Helms - Samuel Green Meigs County High School - TN 0
Day 1: 1 01-13 Total: 1 01-13
137. Tanner Russell - Hunter Hodges Mt. Juliet High School - TN 0
Day 1: 2 01-12 Total: 2 01-12
138. Clay Bales - Jaydon Jones South Laurel High School - KY 0
Day 1: 1 01-12 Total: 1 01-12
138. Brayden Cranford - Owen Jordan Sumner County Bass Team - TN 0
Day 1: 1 01-12 Total: 1 01-12
140. Breanna Nutt - Addison Howell Mt. Pleasant High School - TN 0
Day 1: 1 01-12 Total: 1 01-12
141. Trey Richardson - Reid Luckett Free State Bass - MD 0
Day 1: 1 01-10 Total: 1 01-10
142. Eli Rich - Lance Burchett Clay County High School - TN 0
Day 1: 1 01-08 Total: 1 01-08
143. Brantley Mckinney - Phillip Dodson Burgin Bulldogs - KY 0
Day 1: 1 01-08 Total: 1 01-08
144. Justin Payne - Alcoa high school (9197) 0
Day 1: 1 01-05 Total: 1 01-05
145. Elijah Hamilton - Johnathan Welch East Hickman Fishing - TN 0
Day 1: 1 01-05 Total: 1 01-05
146. Colten Dickerson - Gabe Aldrich Fishhawx - MI 0
Day 1: 1 01-00 Total: 1 01-00
146. Riley North - Karson Peterman Rehobeth High School - AL 0
Day 1: 1 01-00 Total: 1 01-00
148. Eli Dix - Blake Kuhnkey Grissom High School - AL 0
Day 1: 1 00-15 Total: 1 00-15
149. Hasten Waggoner - Jaxon Humphrey Dekalb Fishing Team - TN 0
Day 1: 1 00-13 Total: 1 00-13
150. Caleb Baird - Eli Baird Portland High School - TN 0
Day 1: 1 00-00 Total: 1 00-00
151. Mikey Abbott - Braden McNamara Hartley's Hawgs - OH 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
151. Cody Adams - Barron Ellis Chiles High School - FL 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
151. Buckner Anderson - Greyson Widgeon Scottsboro High School - AL 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
151. Colden Baker - Jaylin White Wateree Anglers - SC 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
151. Jackson Barger - Jayden Jarnigan Sevier County High School - TN 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
151. Isaac Bauer - Cason Ewing Cullman High School - AL 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
151. Jacob Berryhill - Landon Davis Cherokee Chiefs Fishing Club - T 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
151. Randall Blankenship - Hunter Carroll Meigs County High School - TN 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
151. Brent Boehman - Kylan Mantooth Coffee County High School - TN 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
151. Christian Bradford - Dakota Jones Franklin County High School - TN 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
151. Dylan Brown - Sale Creek High School - TN 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
151. Thomas Calligaris - Kaide Scheer 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
151. Kaden Casey - Collin French Montgomery County High School - 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
151. Bates Cimba - Stephen Wickson St. Xavier High School - KY 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
151. Drayke Clayton - Spencer Lovett Mt. Pleasant High School - TN 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
151. John James Coco - Wesley Macdonald Oak Mountain High School - AL 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
151. Brogan Collins - Jake Waddell Soddy Daisy High School - TN 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
151. Jamison Conyer - Brendan Brown Gallatin High School - TN 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
151. Derek Davis - Connor Jaco Mt. Pleasant High School - TN 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
151. Carson DeBord - Daniel Rogers Sequatchie County High School - 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
151. Daylin Doak - Brooks Putnam Mt. Juliet High School - TN 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
151. Jed Draper - Kaden King Franklin County High School - TN 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
151. Dawson Ettinger - Asheton Forsyth Clay County High School - FL 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
151. Caleb Farley - Garrett Wessels Monterey High School - TN 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
151. Peyton Fickey - Rylee Lemons Rockwood High School - TN 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
151. Jack Fitzgerald - Landen Manning Mt. Pleasant High School - TN 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
151. Max Flatten - Sam Spies Glacial Lakes High School - SD 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
151. Skylar Foxx - Braxton Foxx Loudon High School - TN 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
151. Gavin Gault - Matthew Crawford Madison High School - NC 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
151. Gracie Gregory - Trent Allen George Jenkins High School - FL 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
151. Holden Harris - Elijah Myers Grundy County High School - TN 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
151. Maggie Harris - Gracie Marion Sumner County Bass Team - TN 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
151. Gavin Henry - Jessie Weaver Grundy County High School - TN 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
151. Justin Holloway - Ethan Webb Ariton High School - AL 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
151. Keaton Hope - Nicholas Kimla Rockwood High School (9941) 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
151. Levi Huffstetler - Carson Weber Alcoa Fishing Team - TN 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
151. Ian Irvin - Joey Westernburger Galatia High School - IL 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
151. Jackson Jacobs - Grundy County High School - TN 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
151. Austin Kelly - Chase Woodham Rehobeth High School - AL 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
151. Nate Kern - Karson Baird Galatia High School - IL 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
151. Logan Kirkland - Robert Turner Rehobeth High School - AL 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
151. Connor Koch - Hudson Windham Capital City Bass Hunters - FL 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
151. Gaige Lunsford - Robert Ayers Meigs County High School - TN 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
151. Noah Lusk - Trent Myers Grundy County High School - TN 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
151. Michael Markham - Carter Davidson Tallassee High School - AL 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
151. Langston Martin - Ellie Martin Lee County Anglers - AL 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
151. Caleb Martinez - Logan Carter Lincoln County High School - TN 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
151. Charlie Mathis - Braden Sullivan Dixie County High School - FL 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
151. Kobi May - Cayden Haney Jefferson County High School - T 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
151. Jacob McCurdy - Christopher Naugher Piedmont High School - AL 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
151. Ricky McNeely - Blane Fairbanks Meigs County High School - TN 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
151. Cameron Messer - Hunter Norris Halls High School - TN 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
151. Adyn Middlebrooks - Cason Motter Grissom High School - AL 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
151. Cameron Neeley - Rusty Forester Heritage High School - TN 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
151. Oliver Neumann - Jacob Wold Zimmerman Thunder - MN 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
151. Palmer Norris - Lucas Pace Scottsboro High School - AL 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
151. Luke Outlaw - Ariton Bass Team - AL 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
151. Dylan Owens - Brody Shepherd Rehobeth High School - AL 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
151. Kaleb Page - Kasen Page Coffee County High School - TN 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
151. Peyton Perry - Aden Hardin Benton County Bass Anglers - TN 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
151. Kara Preston - Alexander Britt Columbia Central High School - T 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
151. Jeremiah Roan - Will Mobbs Mt. Pleasant High School - TN 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
151. Lane Roddy - Colton Myers Gallatin High School - TN 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
151. Landon Rousseau - Skyline High School - AL 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
151. Landon Scott - Jackson Moody Pickett County High School - TN 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
151. Kenny Smith - Joshua Lalonde Soddy Daisy High School - TN 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
151. Jeffery Stewart - Jonathan Holloway Monterey High School - TN 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
151. Zachary Taylor - Jackson Stringer Walker Valley High School - TN 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
151. Bryce Tucker - Bledsoe County High School - TN 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
151. Justin Waggener - Eli Pauley Burgin Bulldogs - KY 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
151. Braxton Wall - Levi Ivy Arkansas Youth Anglers - AR 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
151. Connor Watts - Parker Myers Rehobeth High School - AL 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
151. Donovan Wellman - Culley Mcdowell Warren County High School - TN 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
151. Grant West - Lydia West Scottsboro High School - AL 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
151. Sailor Whitehead - Riley's Catch - NC 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
151. Lawton Williams - Eli Cooke Cleveland County - NC 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
151. Matthew Wilson - Grady Mcclendon Holy Spirit Tuscaloosa - AL 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
151. Evan Wood - Taedem Ashworth Mt. Pleasant High School - TN 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
229. Spencer Cox - Patrick Middleton Halls High School - TN 0
Day 1: 1 -00-01 Total: 1 -0-01
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
BIG BASS OF TOURN
Jonathan Fann Woodbury, TN 09-03 $0.00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 43 448 1019-14
----------------------------------
43 448 1019-14
Milliken completes dominant wire-to-wire victory at Bassmaster Open on Toledo Bend
Ben Milliken of New Caney, Texas, has won the 2023 St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Toledo Bend with a three-day total of 77 pounds, 14 ounces.
Photo by Andy Crawford/B.A.S.S.
April 15, 2023
MANY, La. — Despite the “anything can happen” banter around Cypress Bend Park, everyone knew Ben Milliken had the St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Toledo Bend well in hand heading into Championship Saturday.
In fact, “Will he win?” was less a question than “How big will his margin of victory be?”
The 33-year-old New Caney, Texas, resident answered those questions and more on Saturday after a history-making romp across this fabled fishery.
Milliken won with 77 pounds, 14 ounces, the third-largest total in a three-day Open in B.A.S.S. history, trailing only Gerald Swindle (who caught 80-13 over three days on Lake Toho in 2011) and Cory Johnston (who had an even 78 pounds at 1000 Islands in 2021.) Milliken’s win was decisive, with a 10-9 cushion between him and Trey McKinney, who finished second with 67-5.
Milliken collected a first-place cash prize of more than $52,000, part of a $285,000 total purse split among the Top 40 of 223 anglers entered in the boater division at Toledo Bend. The win also secured him a berth in the 2024 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Toyota when it’s held next March on Oklahoma’s Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees.
“This is my dream,” Milliken said of the Classic berth. “I wasn’t expecting it this week. To have it go down this week, close to home, is unbelievable.”
Despite being a YouTube star with more than a half million people following his fishing exploits, Milliken is new to tournament fishing. He’s off to an auspicious start, with a fifth-place finish at the first Open of the year on Alabama’s Lake Eufaula and now a commanding victory at Toledo Bend.
Milliken led wire to wire on the 185,000-acre fishery that forms the north-central border between Louisiana and Texas. His 29-8 limit on Day 1 was easily the heaviest of the tournament and he followed with 26-15 on Day 2 to give himself nearly a 12-pound cushion heading into the final round.
He didn’t disappoint when the pressure was on, catching a 21-7 limit on Day 3, second only to McKinney’s 22-8.
A small armada of spectator boats followed Milliken to his favored spot, about 10 miles down the reservoir at a place locals call Indian Mounds. He fished clay points throughout the area in about 6 or 7 feet of water, throwing a variety of altered glidebaits, ranging from 7 to 15 inches in length, and natural in color to match the forage bass were eating.
The big lures proved to be the draw for The Bend’s big bass on the first two days.
“In the afternoon when the sun got out, I’d see these bigger dots show up on the LiveScope,” Milliken said of his activity on Days 1 and 2. “They were big gizzard shad, and when that collides with the big bass moving out offshore (here), things can get pretty crazy on that big glidebait.
“I caught a 7-pounder and then an 8-pounder, and I knew that was the program I wanted to go with.”
Milliken also knows big bites can be fickle and that he needed a secondary plan in case his sweet spot went sour. He found it in the form of a Carolina-rigged 6th Sense Hogwalla (green pumpkin juice) creature bait, which supplemented his catch on the first two days.
It was his go-to lure on Day 3, however, when he worked an offshore spot near Indian Mounds for his best catches.
“It stays level and horizontal on the fall,” Milliken said. “Other people were in the area with Carolina rigs, but they weren’t catching like I was.”
McKinney threw everything he could into Saturday’s final round, catching the day’s best bag. The 18-year-old Carbondale, Ill., resident was the only angler besides Milliken to catch 20-pound bags each day of the tournament. He won $25,274 for finishing second. McKinney added $500 as the highest-finishing registered pro fishing St. Croix rods thanks to the St. Croix Rod Rewards program.
McKinney fished in shallow water for most of the tournament, using a shad-colored Denny Brauer Baby Structure jig and a 5XD, both from Strike King, for his best bass. He switched to chartreuse/blue plastics on Day 3 when bright sun and temperatures in the upper 80s forced him to deeper water.
“I threw back a 3-8 for my final cull of the day,” McKinney said. “My hands are all chewed up. But this was unbelievable. I’ll never forget this tournament as long as I live.”
The $750 Phoenix Boats Big Bass Award was split between Minnesota pro Keith Tuma and Louisiana’s B.J. Usie, who both weighed a 9-8 lunker on Day 1. Milliken won the Garmin Contingency Award of $500 for posting the heaviest total weight by a competitor using Garmin electronics.
As part of the Yamaha Power Pay program, Tennessee pro John Garrett took home an additional $2,000.
A total of 169 anglers at Toledo Bend are competing in the inaugural Elite Qualifier Division, which requires them to fish in each of the nine Opens scheduled in 2023. The top nine in the EQ standings when the season is complete will earn invites to compete in the 2024 Bassmaster Elite Series.
Though it’s still very early in the season, these nine anglers now sit at the top of the EQ standings: First, Milliken with 396 points; second, Texas' Brett Cannon (396); third, Garrett (394); fourth, Georgia's Matt Henry (383); fifth, McKinney (381); sixth, Wisconsin's Jacob Bigelow (381); seventh, Alabama pro Wesley Gore (380), eighth, Tuma (368); and Georgia pro Josh Bragg (359). Complete EQ standings are available on Bassmaster.com.
Combined with the co-angler division, which concluded Friday, the tournament boasted 362 anglers competing for a total of $340,000.
2023 St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Toledo Bend 4/13-4/15
Toledo Bend Reservoir, Many LA.
(BOATER) Standings Day 3
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Ben Milliken New Caney, TX 15 77-14 200 $52,784.00
Day 1: 5 29-08 Day 2: 5 26-15 Day 3: 5 21-07
2. Trey McKinney Carbondale, IL 15 67-05 199 $25,274.00
Day 1: 5 21-12 Day 2: 5 23-01 Day 3: 5 22-08
3. Brett Cannon Willis, TX 14 56-14 198 $17,840.00
Day 1: 5 21-01 Day 2: 4 16-02 Day 3: 5 19-11
4. John Garrett Union City, TN 15 51-10 197 $14,867.00
Day 1: 5 20-13 Day 2: 5 16-09 Day 3: 5 14-04
5. Matt Henry Milledgeville, GA 15 49-14 196 $12,934.00
Day 1: 5 20-00 Day 2: 5 17-02 Day 3: 5 12-12
6. Kyle Metzger Pearl River, LA 15 49-10 195 $11,893.00
Day 1: 5 21-14 Day 2: 5 14-12 Day 3: 5 13-00
7. Casey Scanlon Eldon, MO 15 49-03 194 $11,150.00
Day 1: 5 20-06 Day 2: 5 15-06 Day 3: 5 13-07
8. Todd Castledine Nacogdoches, TX 15 48-03 193 $10,407.00
Day 1: 5 15-12 Day 2: 5 21-08 Day 3: 5 10-15
9. Jacob Bigelow Cecil, WI 15 47-11 192 $8,177.00
Day 1: 5 18-14 Day 2: 5 17-10 Day 3: 5 11-03
10. Keith Tuma Brainerd, MN 9 41-08 191 $6,940.00
Day 1: 5 27-14 Day 2: 4 13-10 Day 3: 0 00-00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
B.J. Usie Bourg, LA 09-08 $250.00
Keith Tuma Brainerd, MN 09-08 $250.00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 167 997 2751-10
2 124 829 2162-09
3 9 45 139-03
----------------------------------
300 1871 5053-06
Milliken maintains lead at Bassmaster Open on famed Toledo Bend Reservoir
Ben Milliken of New Caney, Texas, is leading after Day 2 of the 2023 St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Toledo Bend with a two-day total of 56 pounds, 7 ounces.
Photo by Andy Crawford/B.A.S.S.
April 14, 2023
Milliken maintains lead at Bassmaster Open on famed Toledo Bend Reservoir
MANY, La. — Go big or go home.
Ben Milliken will stick around a while longer, thank you very much.
Milliken, a 33-year-old New Caney, Texas, resident with a penchant for catching big bass, didn’t let up on Day 2 of the St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Toledo Bend. Milliken caught a five-bass limit of 26 pounds, 15 ounces on Friday, adding to the 29-8 sack he weighed on Day 1, and giving him a two-day total of 56-7 in this derby on the 185,000-acre reservoir that forms the border between Louisiana and his home state.
Milliken’s assault on Toledo Bend gives him nearly 12 pounds of cushion on the other nine anglers who got inside the Phoenix Boats Cutline and will fish Saturday for a first-place cash prize of over $52,000. A total of 223 anglers, 168 of them in the inaugural Elite Qualifiers Division, started this tournament with the Top 40 splitting a $285,000 cash purse.
None have been mightier than Milliken, who is throwing some giant lures at the storied reservoir’s giant bass. Milliken isn’t quite ready to discuss those lures in detail, but it is no secret he’s fond of big baits. Photographs from the water show he has got several crankbaits and swimbaits, some 8 to 12 inches long, tied onto an arsenal of rods.
“It’s not just one bait, there’s a handful of them,” he said. “This is what I do all the time. LiveScope with these big baits.”
Milliken began Day 2 in the same area he fished on Day 1, about 20 miles down the reservoir from Cypress Bend Park and in 6 to 7 feet of water. He had a limit in the livewell before 10 a.m. which allowed him more than five hours to search for additional hot spots on Toledo Bend should his sweet spot go sour for some reason.
Not that it seems likely. If anything, Milliken appears to be gaining confidence as the Open progresses.
"It’s more of a pattern than I thought before, as opposed to just an area (I need to fish),” Milliken said. “I can pretty much know exactly where they’re gonna’ be when I look at my map. So, that’s exciting.”
Milliken doesn't plan to change his approach Saturday — and why would he? Inclement weather is expected later in the day, but Milliken said his best spot is largely shielded from the wind.
If he does lose the hot hand, he’s confident he can rely on a Carolina rig to catch a limit. Given the way he’s dominated this derby, that could be enough to lock up the tournament title, no matter what his peers do.
“It’s been incredible; some of the most fun fishing of my life,” he said.
Trey McKinney, an 18-year-old fishing phenom from Carbondale, Ill., is in second place at Toledo Bend with a two-day total of 44-13. McKinney caught a 23-1 limit on Friday to follow his 21-12 a day earlier, making him the only angler besides Milliken to bag more than 20 pounds on both days.
“I’m shallow fishing and I burned a lot of my fish just to keep up today,” McKinney said. “But I saved a few areas for tomorrow. I’ve got a heavy line, and I’m flipping the center of the thickest thing you can flip in.”
Rounding out the Top 10 fishing Saturday are third, Minnesota’s Keith Tuma, 41-8; fourth, Tennessee’s John Garrett, 37-6; fifth, Texas’ Todd Castledine, 37-4; sixth, Texas’ Brett Cannon, 37-3; seventh, Georgia’s Matt Henry, 37-2; eighth, Louisiana’s Kyle Metzger, 36-10; ninth, Wisconsin’s Jacob Bigelow, 36-8; and 10th, Missouri’s Casey Scanlon, 35-12.
Each of the nine Open champions in 2023 will earn a berth in the 2024 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Toyota when it is held next March on Oklahoma’s Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees. Competitors in the Elite Qualifiers Division are required to fish in each of the nine Opens scheduled in 2023. The top nine in the EQ standings when the season is complete will earn invites to compete in the 2024 Bassmaster Elite Series.
Kerry Terrebonne, of Ponchatoula, La., won the co-angler division with a two-day total of four bass weighing 21-9. He caught three of those bass (19-4 of the total weight) on Thursday when his pro fished in the shallow water he’s accustomed to seeing in south Louisiana. When his Friday pro headed to deeper water, Terrebonne struggled, catching only one bass for 2-5. Still, it was enough to win the division and the $15,754 cash prize that accompanied it.
“That first day was special,” Terrebonne said. “Something in my brain said to throw a Rayburn Red Rat-L-Trap and it was the right call. A 9-6 hit it and that fish won it for me.”
Terrebonne collected an extra $250 for having the Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the Tournament in his division.
Rounding out the Top 5 in the co-angler field are second, Minnesota’s Parker Knudsen, 19-11; third, Oklahoma’s Steven Doolittle, 19-6; fourth, Alabama’s Brenton Godwin, 18-13; and fifth, Florida’s AJ Jones, 18-5.
A total of 139 competitors entered the co-angler division and the Top 40 split just over $54,400 in cash prizes.
The remaining 10 anglers in the derby are scheduled to take off Saturday at 6:45 a.m. CT from Cypress Bend Park. They’ll end there, too, with weigh-in scheduled for 2:45 p.m. CT.
2023 St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Toledo Bend 4/13-4/15
Toledo Bend Reservoir, Many LA.
(BOATER) Standings Day 2
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Ben Milliken New Caney, TX 10 56-07 200
Day 1: 5 29-08 Day 2: 5 26-15
2. Trey McKinney Carbondale, IL 10 44-13 199
Day 1: 5 21-12 Day 2: 5 23-01
3. Keith Tuma Brainerd, MN 9 41-08 198
Day 1: 5 27-14 Day 2: 4 13-10
4. John Garrett Union City, TN 10 37-06 197
Day 1: 5 20-13 Day 2: 5 16-09
5. Todd Castledine Nacogdoches, TX 10 37-04 196
Day 1: 5 15-12 Day 2: 5 21-08
6. Brett Cannon Willis, TX 9 37-03 195
Day 1: 5 21-01 Day 2: 4 16-02
7. Matt Henry Milledgeville, GA 10 37-02 194
Day 1: 5 20-00 Day 2: 5 17-02
8. Kyle Metzger Pearl River, LA 10 36-10 193
Day 1: 5 21-14 Day 2: 5 14-12
9. Jacob Bigelow Cecil, WI 10 36-08 192
Day 1: 5 18-14 Day 2: 5 17-10
10. Casey Scanlon Eldon, MO 10 35-12 191
Day 1: 5 20-06 Day 2: 5 15-06
11. Wesley Gore Clanton, AL 10 34-15 190 $5,947.00
Day 1: 5 17-11 Day 2: 5 17-04
12. Joey Nania Cropwell, AL 10 34-12 189 $5,203.00
Day 1: 5 18-06 Day 2: 5 16-06
13. Kyle Patrick Cooperstown, NY 10 34-06 188 $4,088.00
Day 1: 5 20-07 Day 2: 5 13-15
14. Chris Keeble Lenoir City, TN 10 33-08 187 $4,088.00
Day 1: 5 11-11 Day 2: 5 21-13
15. Brady Vernon Sterrett, AL 10 33-07 186 $4,088.00
Day 1: 5 20-07 Day 2: 5 13-00
16. Jake Maddux Birmingham, AL 10 33-03 185 $4,088.00
Day 1: 5 15-11 Day 2: 5 17-08
17. Trevor McKinney Benton, IL 10 33-03 184 $4,088.00
Day 1: 5 15-15 Day 2: 5 17-04
18. Jamie Bruce Kenora Ontario CANADA 9 33-02 183 $4,088.00
Day 1: 5 20-13 Day 2: 4 12-05
19. Justin Phillips Checotah, OK 10 32-08 182 $4,088.00
Day 1: 5 18-05 Day 2: 5 14-03
20. Jason Christie Dry Creek, OK 10 32-07 181 $4,088.00
Day 1: 5 15-12 Day 2: 5 16-11
21. Jason Abram Piney Flats, TN 10 32-02 180 $3,717.00
Day 1: 5 14-14 Day 2: 5 17-04
22. David Perdue Wirtz, VA 10 32-01 179 $3,717.00
Day 1: 5 16-14 Day 2: 5 15-03
23. Brian Post Janesville, WI 10 31-14 178 $3,717.00
Day 1: 5 18-04 Day 2: 5 13-10
24. Miles Burghoff Dayton, TN 10 31-14 177 $3,717.00
Day 1: 5 17-02 Day 2: 5 14-12
25. Adam Rasmussen Sturgeon Bay, WI 7 31-09 176 $3,717.00
Day 1: 5 26-00 Day 2: 2 05-09
26. Garrett Paquette Canton, MI 10 31-07 175 $3,419.00
Day 1: 5 20-13 Day 2: 5 10-10
27. Bo Thomas Edwardsburg, MI 10 31-07 174 $3,419.00
Day 1: 5 18-07 Day 2: 5 13-00
28. Kenta Kimura Osaka JAPAN 10 31-00 173 $3,419.00
Day 1: 5 20-15 Day 2: 5 10-01
29. Keith Poche Pike Road, AL 10 31-00 172 $3,419.00
Day 1: 5 15-12 Day 2: 5 15-04
30. Bailey Boutries Springfield, MO 10 30-13 171 $3,419.00
Day 1: 5 17-00 Day 2: 5 13-13
31. Andrew Harp Linden, TX 10 30-13 170 $3,419.00
Day 1: 5 14-15 Day 2: 5 15-14
32. JT Thompkins Myrtle Beach, SC 10 30-12 169 $3,419.00
Day 1: 5 17-11 Day 2: 5 13-01
33. Josh Bragg Fayetteville, GA 10 30-11 168 $3,419.00
Day 1: 5 20-07 Day 2: 5 10-04
34. Jack Dice Lynchburg, VA 10 30-11 167 $3,419.00
Day 1: 5 12-07 Day 2: 5 18-04
35. Darold Gleason Many, LA 10 30-10 166 $3,419.00
Day 1: 5 16-07 Day 2: 5 14-03
36. Chandler Stewart Canyon Lake, TX 10 30-09 165 $3,419.00
Day 1: 5 18-05 Day 2: 5 12-04
37. Kyle Austin Ridgeville, SC 10 30-09 164 $3,419.00
Day 1: 5 16-09 Day 2: 5 14-00
38. Jacob Thompkins Myrtle Beach, SC 10 30-05 163 $3,419.00
Day 1: 5 18-15 Day 2: 5 11-06
39. Kurt Mitchell Milford, DE 10 30-03 162 $3,419.00
Day 1: 5 16-02 Day 2: 5 14-01
40. Blake Smith Lakeland, FL 10 30-00 161 $3,419.00
Day 1: 5 17-02 Day 2: 5 12-14
41. Ish Monroe Oakdale, CA 10 29-11 160
Day 1: 5 13-10 Day 2: 5 16-01
42. Chris Kingree Inverness, FL 10 29-09 159
Day 1: 5 18-08 Day 2: 5 11-01
43. Craig Chambers Midland, NC 10 29-02 158
Day 1: 5 13-00 Day 2: 5 16-02
44. Michael Scalise Port Allen, LA 10 29-02 157
Day 1: 5 15-07 Day 2: 5 13-11
45. Blake Sylvester Plaquemine, LA 10 29-01 156
Day 1: 5 17-00 Day 2: 5 12-01
46. Luke Palmer Coalgate, OK 10 29-00 155
Day 1: 5 14-04 Day 2: 5 14-12
47. Hugh Cosculluela Spring, TX 10 28-15 154
Day 1: 5 18-00 Day 2: 5 10-15
48. Evan Kung Pickering Ontario CANAD 10 28-12 153
Day 1: 5 17-14 Day 2: 5 10-14
49. Cole Drummond Effingham, SC 10 28-11 152
Day 1: 5 18-05 Day 2: 5 10-06
50. Logan Parks Auburn, AL 10 28-08 151
Day 1: 5 10-02 Day 2: 5 18-06
51. Justin Kimmel Athens, GA 10 28-08 150
Day 1: 5 15-07 Day 2: 5 13-01
52. Greg Bohannan Bentonville, AR 10 28-07 149
Day 1: 5 18-07 Day 2: 5 10-00
53. Sam George Athens, AL 10 28-03 148
Day 1: 5 11-11 Day 2: 5 16-08
54. Tom Frink Southside, AL 10 28-03 147
Day 1: 5 13-13 Day 2: 5 14-06
55. Derek Lehtonen Woodruff, SC 10 28-01 146
Day 1: 5 12-06 Day 2: 5 15-11
56. Brandon McMillan Clewiston, FL 10 27-14 145
Day 1: 5 08-11 Day 2: 5 19-03
57. Caiden Sinclair Logan, AL 10 27-13 144
Day 1: 5 12-11 Day 2: 5 15-02
58. Paul Browning Pecos, TX 10 27-12 143
Day 1: 5 13-10 Day 2: 5 14-02
59. Jack York Emory, TX 10 27-10 142
Day 1: 5 12-11 Day 2: 5 14-15
60. Troy O'Rourke Bentonville, AR 8 27-09 141
Day 1: 5 22-04 Day 2: 3 05-05
61. B.J. Usie Bourg, LA 8 27-09 140
Day 1: 5 21-15 Day 2: 3 05-10
62. Stephen Browning Hot Springs, AR 10 27-08 139
Day 1: 5 11-09 Day 2: 5 15-15
63. Terry Peacock Royse City, TX 10 27-07 138
Day 1: 5 13-02 Day 2: 5 14-05
64. Lance Owen Greer, SC 8 27-01 137
Day 1: 4 15-08 Day 2: 4 11-09
65. Alex Heintze Denham Springs, LA 10 26-15 136
Day 1: 5 16-02 Day 2: 5 10-13
66. Shaine Campbell Brookeland, TX 10 26-14 135
Day 1: 5 13-13 Day 2: 5 13-01
67. Andrew Hargrove Moody, TX 10 26-13 134
Day 1: 5 15-13 Day 2: 5 11-00
68. Wyatt Ryan Ada, OK 10 26-11 133
Day 1: 5 11-07 Day 2: 5 15-04
69. Zeke Gossett Pell City, AL 10 26-10 132
Day 1: 5 11-00 Day 2: 5 15-10
70. Denny Fiedler Wabasha, MN 8 26-06 131
Day 1: 3 05-08 Day 2: 5 20-14
71. Danny McGarry Newcastle CANADA 10 26-05 130
Day 1: 5 15-05 Day 2: 5 11-00
72. Brandon Tallhamer Parkersburg, WV 10 26-04 129
Day 1: 5 14-00 Day 2: 5 12-04
73. Harvey Horne Bella Vista, AR 10 26-00 128
Day 1: 5 15-00 Day 2: 5 11-00
74. Kazuki Kitajima Corinth, TX 8 25-14 127
Day 1: 3 12-10 Day 2: 5 13-04
75. Taylor Watkins Clinton, TN 10 25-11 126
Day 1: 5 10-05 Day 2: 5 15-06
76. Bobby Lane Jr. Lakeland, FL 10 25-10 125
Day 1: 5 15-00 Day 2: 5 10-10
77. James Niggemeyer Van, TX 10 25-10 124
Day 1: 5 13-12 Day 2: 5 11-14
78. Dale Hightower Mannford, OK 10 25-09 123
Day 1: 5 10-14 Day 2: 5 14-11
79. Robert Gee Knoxville, TN 10 25-09 122
Day 1: 5 12-02 Day 2: 5 13-07
80. Craig Danna West Monroe, LA 10 25-07 121
Day 1: 5 15-04 Day 2: 5 10-03
81. Cody Stahl Barnsville, GA 10 25-06 120
Day 1: 5 14-10 Day 2: 5 10-12
82. Logan Johnson Jasper, AL 10 25-04 119
Day 1: 5 14-15 Day 2: 5 10-05
83. Marc Schilling Carrollton, TX 10 25-03 118
Day 1: 5 11-06 Day 2: 5 13-13
84. Bobby Lanham Eddyville, KY 10 25-03 117
Day 1: 5 13-10 Day 2: 5 11-09
85. Austin Cranford Norman, OK 10 25-03 116
Day 1: 5 13-09 Day 2: 5 11-10
86. Daisuke Kita Ostu Shiga JAPAN 9 25-02 115
Day 1: 5 12-10 Day 2: 4 12-08
87. Chris Blanchette Edisto Island, SC 10 25-00 114
Day 1: 5 13-02 Day 2: 5 11-14
88. Ryan Clark Whitby Ontario CANADA 9 25-00 113
Day 1: 5 12-11 Day 2: 4 12-05
89. Chase Clarke Virginia Beach, VA 9 25-00 112
Day 1: 4 12-07 Day 2: 5 12-09
90. Brad Leuthner Victoria, MN 9 24-13 111
Day 1: 5 17-04 Day 2: 4 07-09
91. Kyle Goltz Cornell, WI 9 24-12 110
Day 1: 5 13-15 Day 2: 4 10-13
92. Chris Beaudrie Princeton, KY 8 24-09 109
Day 1: 5 17-07 Day 2: 3 07-02
93. Alex Murray Lake Charles, LA 10 24-08 108
Day 1: 5 15-11 Day 2: 5 08-13
94. Louis Monetti Brielle, NJ 10 24-08 107
Day 1: 5 11-04 Day 2: 5 13-04
95. Jim Dillard West Monroe, LA 10 24-08 106
Day 1: 5 12-13 Day 2: 5 11-11
96. Logan Shaddix Cummings, GA 10 24-07 105
Day 1: 5 13-11 Day 2: 5 10-12
97. Kyle Gelles Pingree, ID 10 24-06 104
Day 1: 5 13-02 Day 2: 5 11-04
98. Aaron Johnson Shreveport, LA 10 24-06 103
Day 1: 5 13-00 Day 2: 5 11-06
99. Jonathan Dietz Corry, PA 10 24-05 102
Day 1: 5 11-13 Day 2: 5 12-08
100. Cory Leita Victoria, TX 8 24-01 101
Day 1: 5 12-06 Day 2: 3 11-11
101. Keith Brumfield Vicksburg, MS 10 24-01 100
Day 1: 5 11-14 Day 2: 5 12-03
102. Tyler Williams Belgrade, ME 8 23-13 99
Day 1: 5 17-05 Day 2: 3 06-08
103. Zach Goutremout Chaumont, NY 10 23-12 98
Day 1: 5 12-09 Day 2: 5 11-03
104. Kenny Mittelstaedt Minnetonka, MN 10 23-08 97
Day 1: 5 11-11 Day 2: 5 11-13
105. Jordan Knutson Saint Croix Falls, WI 10 23-04 96
Day 1: 5 11-11 Day 2: 5 11-09
106. Dane Thibodeaux Lake Charles, LA 8 23-01 95
Day 1: 3 07-11 Day 2: 5 15-06
107. Teb Jones Yalaha, MS 10 23-00 94
Day 1: 5 11-09 Day 2: 5 11-07
108. Logan Anderson Catawba, NC 10 22-15 93
Day 1: 5 10-03 Day 2: 5 12-12
109. Timmy Thompkins Myrtle Beach, SC 8 22-13 92
Day 1: 5 11-13 Day 2: 3 11-00
110. Joey Hanna Corsicana, TX 9 22-12 91
Day 1: 5 14-05 Day 2: 4 08-07
111. Chad Warren Sand Springs, OK 10 22-11 90
Day 1: 5 12-08 Day 2: 5 10-03
112. Josh Hubbard Dunnellon, FL 9 22-11 89
Day 1: 5 12-08 Day 2: 4 10-03
113. Takayuki Koike Otsu-City JAPAN 8 22-09 88
Day 1: 4 06-13 Day 2: 4 15-12
114. Jimmy Washam Stantonville, TN 8 22-08 87
Day 1: 5 11-01 Day 2: 3 11-07
115. Steve Morella Townshend, VT 9 22-05 86
Day 1: 5 10-05 Day 2: 4 12-00
116. Matt Messer Warfield, KY 9 22-04 85
Day 1: 4 13-07 Day 2: 5 08-13
117. Andrew Upshaw Hemphill, TX 10 22-04 84
Day 1: 5 11-00 Day 2: 5 11-04
118. Doug Guins Lake Charles, LA 9 22-02 83
Day 1: 4 09-11 Day 2: 5 12-07
119. Jason Lambert Savannah, TN 10 21-15 82
Day 1: 5 12-02 Day 2: 5 09-13
120. Darrell Davis Dover, FL 9 21-14 81
Day 1: 4 09-15 Day 2: 5 11-15
121. Allan Nail Sand Springs, OK 10 21-12 80
Day 1: 5 11-15 Day 2: 5 09-13
122. Marshall Halverson Altoona, IA 9 21-10 79
Day 1: 5 13-02 Day 2: 4 08-08
123. Scout Echols Monticello, AR 10 21-08 78
Day 1: 5 09-08 Day 2: 5 12-00
124. Kyle Monti Okeechobee, FL 9 21-06 77
Day 1: 4 08-08 Day 2: 5 12-14
125. Yusuke Miyazaki Forney, TX 10 21-02 76
Day 1: 5 10-04 Day 2: 5 10-14
126. Seiji Kato Outsu Shiga JAPAN 10 21-01 75
Day 1: 5 09-15 Day 2: 5 11-02
127. Jason Meninger Yulee, FL 7 20-15 74
Day 1: 2 08-06 Day 2: 5 12-09
128. Allen Brooks Canton, GA 9 20-14 73
Day 1: 5 09-04 Day 2: 4 11-10
129. Destin DeMarion Harborcreek, PA 10 20-13 72
Day 1: 5 09-13 Day 2: 5 11-00
130. Mamoru Kagiya Amagun Aichi JAPAN 8 20-11 71
Day 1: 3 08-09 Day 2: 5 12-02
131. Caleb Gibson Locust Grove, OK 9 20-10 70
Day 1: 5 13-07 Day 2: 4 07-03
132. Jon Canada Helena, AL 10 20-09 69
Day 1: 5 09-08 Day 2: 5 11-01
133. Brock Belik Orchard, NE 7 20-08 68
Day 1: 5 14-03 Day 2: 2 06-05
134. Tommy Williams Shepherdsville, KY 9 20-05 67
Day 1: 5 12-09 Day 2: 4 07-12
135. Tyrel Faber Pagosa Springs, CO 10 20-05 66
Day 1: 5 11-14 Day 2: 5 08-07
136. Billy McDonald Greenwood, IN 10 20-04 65
Day 1: 5 10-07 Day 2: 5 09-13
137. Sterling Bougher Mannford, OK 7 20-03 64
Day 1: 5 15-05 Day 2: 2 04-14
138. Larry Dean Humble, TX 7 20-01 63
Day 1: 3 07-10 Day 2: 4 12-07
139. Hunter Sales Blaine, TN 10 20-01 62
Day 1: 5 09-15 Day 2: 5 10-02
140. Clark Reehm Elm Grove, LA 10 19-14 61
Day 1: 5 12-00 Day 2: 5 07-14
141. Matt Pangrac Shawnee, OK 10 19-11 60
Day 1: 5 08-01 Day 2: 5 11-10
142. Brayden Rakes Winston Salem, NC 7 19-06 59
Day 1: 5 15-06 Day 2: 2 04-00
143. Johnny Winfree Mansfield, LA 4 19-05 58
Day 1: 2 07-04 Day 2: 2 12-01
144. Jason Tibbetts Centreville, VA 9 19-05 57
Day 1: 4 08-12 Day 2: 5 10-09
145. Cody Detweiler Guntersville, AL 9 19-04 56
Day 1: 5 13-08 Day 2: 4 05-12
146. Brock Harrison Missouri City, TX 8 19-02 55
Day 1: 5 13-02 Day 2: 3 06-00
147. Christian Shoda Homosassa, FL 8 19-00 54
Day 1: 5 12-06 Day 2: 3 06-10
148. Charlie Hartley Grove City, OH 9 19-00 53
Day 1: 5 12-04 Day 2: 4 06-12
149. JT Russell Mc Calla, AL 10 18-15 52
Day 1: 5 07-13 Day 2: 5 11-02
150. Chad Grigsby Maple Grove, MN 9 18-15 51
Day 1: 5 10-09 Day 2: 4 08-06
151. Chris Miller Spirit Lake, IA 6 18-14 50
Day 1: 5 17-07 Day 2: 1 01-07
152. Kenji Yamada Hixson, TN 8 18-14 49
Day 1: 5 12-10 Day 2: 3 06-04
153. Mike Mayo Athens, TX 7 18-13 48
Day 1: 5 15-08 Day 2: 2 03-05
154. Jimmy Steed Zapata, TX 10 18-13 47
Day 1: 5 08-06 Day 2: 5 10-07
155. Lafe Messer Warfield, KY 10 18-09 46
Day 1: 5 09-02 Day 2: 5 09-07
156. Shane Lineberger Lincolnton, NC 8 18-07 45
Day 1: 5 13-09 Day 2: 3 04-14
157. Joe Labarbera Montrose, PA 9 18-07 44
Day 1: 5 10-06 Day 2: 4 08-01
158. Jack Tindel III Orange, TX 7 18-06 43
Day 1: 2 04-14 Day 2: 5 13-08
159. David Wootton Collierville, TN 7 18-05 42
Day 1: 3 06-04 Day 2: 4 12-01
160. Danny Ramsey Trinidad, TX 8 18-05 41
Day 1: 5 10-15 Day 2: 3 07-06
161. Tim Frederick Leesburg, FL 8 18-02 40
Day 1: 5 12-14 Day 2: 3 05-04
162. Paul Bouvier Kingston CANADA 5 18-01 39
Day 1: 5 18-01 Day 2: 0 00-00
163. Julius Mazy Phoenix, AZ 7 18-00 38
Day 1: 4 10-03 Day 2: 3 07-13
164. Cody Bird Granbury, TX 9 17-15 37
Day 1: 4 06-15 Day 2: 5 11-00
165. Trey Swindle Cleveland, AL 7 16-13 36
Day 1: 5 13-07 Day 2: 2 03-06
166. Brent Shores Boise, ID 8 16-10 35
Day 1: 5 09-15 Day 2: 3 06-11
167. Ethen Preston Tower City, ND 9 16-10 34
Day 1: 5 09-05 Day 2: 4 07-05
168. Robbie Latuso Gonzales, LA 5 16-09 33
Day 1: 5 16-09 Day 2: 0 00-00
169. Mike Surman Boca Raton, FL 7 16-09 32
Day 1: 5 10-11 Day 2: 2 05-14
170. Tripp Noojin Bryant, AL 8 16-08 31
Day 1: 3 06-13 Day 2: 5 09-11
171. Billy Billeaud Lafayette, LA 5 16-06 30
Day 1: 5 16-06 Day 2: 0 00-00
172. Evan Barnes Dardanelle, AR 7 16-06 29
Day 1: 5 13-01 Day 2: 2 03-05
173. Lucas Bradley Flippin, AR 7 16-04 28
Day 1: 2 04-12 Day 2: 5 11-08
174. Kevin Ledoux Choctaw, OK 8 16-02 27
Day 1: 3 05-00 Day 2: 5 11-02
175. Matt Mollohan Batesburg, SC 7 15-13 26
Day 1: 5 10-03 Day 2: 2 05-10
176. Jaxon Sullivan Reagan, TN 5 15-11 25
Day 1: 5 15-11 Day 2: 0 00-00
177. Frank Williams Mountain Home, AR 7 15-03 24
Day 1: 5 09-09 Day 2: 2 05-10
178. Keltyn Hendrix Maysville, OK 7 14-14 23
Day 1: 4 07-09 Day 2: 3 07-05
179. Buck Mallory Lawton, MI 8 14-10 22
Day 1: 3 05-04 Day 2: 5 09-06
180. Tyler Lubbat Wheeling, IL 7 14-00 21
Day 1: 4 07-11 Day 2: 3 06-05
181. Curtis King Plaquemine, LA 6 13-09 20
Day 1: 5 11-02 Day 2: 1 02-07
182. Mark Watson Victoria, TX 5 13-06 19
Day 1: 5 13-06 Day 2: 0 00-00
183. Griffin Phillips Mount Olive, AL 6 13-05 18
Day 1: 5 10-04 Day 2: 1 03-01
184. Danger Kelly Somerset, KY 6 13-04 17
Day 1: 5 10-15 Day 2: 1 02-05
185. Scott Kerslake Okeechobee, FL 5 13-04 16
Day 1: 3 07-13 Day 2: 2 05-07
186. Travis Ledford Tuttle, OK 6 12-15 15
Day 1: 4 09-00 Day 2: 2 03-15
187. Brad Knight Lancing, TN 5 12-08 14
Day 1: 5 12-08 Day 2: 0 00-00
188. Scott Isaacs Ladonia, TX 6 12-00 13
Day 1: 3 06-04 Day 2: 3 05-12
189. Andy Beloat Montgomery, TX 7 11-14 12
Day 1: 3 04-13 Day 2: 4 07-01
190. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 5 11-09 11
Day 1: 5 11-09 Day 2: 0 00-00
191. Jeremy Bogard Wilkesboro, NC 3 11-01 10
Day 1: 2 04-03 Day 2: 1 06-14
192. Wil Dieffenbauch III Hundred, WV 6 11-00 9
Day 1: 5 08-15 Day 2: 1 02-01
193. Daniel Valois Gomez Caracas FL VENEZUELA 6 10-11 8
Day 1: 4 07-01 Day 2: 2 03-10
194. Brian Mullaney Ijamsville, MD 6 10-11 7
Day 1: 3 04-15 Day 2: 3 05-12
195. Bronk Mcdaniel Alexandria, LA 3 10-08 6
Day 1: 2 05-05 Day 2: 1 05-03
196. Zell Rowland Montgomery, TX 4 10-06 5
Day 1: 4 10-06 Day 2: 0 00-00
197. Jacob Pyles Nolensville, TN 5 10-03 4
Day 1: 5 10-03 Day 2: 0 00-00
198. Steve Tennison Lexington, OK 5 10-00 3
Day 1: 5 10-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
199. Jerry Riddle Jr Summit, MS 3 09-15 2
Day 1: 2 05-07 Day 2: 1 04-08
200. Steven Caldwell Whitesboro, TX 5 09-12 1
Day 1: 3 05-06 Day 2: 2 04-06
201. Corey Stewart III Lees Summit, MO 3 09-09 0
Day 1: 3 09-09 Day 2: 0 00-00
202. Steve Sennikoff Edgewood, TX 5 09-04 0
Day 1: 3 05-13 Day 2: 2 03-07
203. Jason Carpenter Castle Pines, CO 5 09-03 0
Day 1: 4 07-11 Day 2: 1 01-08
204. Bart Stanisz Austin, TX 5 09-02 0
Day 1: 5 09-02 Day 2: 0 00-00
205. Reece Tremaglio Dunkirk, MD 6 09-02 0
Day 1: 4 06-12 Day 2: 2 02-06
206. Eric Brigman Bryan, TX 5 08-08 0
Day 1: 5 08-08 Day 2: 0 00-00
207. Billy Smith Montgomery, TX 4 08-08 0
Day 1: 3 05-03 Day 2: 1 03-05
208. Larry Jones Calhoun, LA 5 08-01 0
Day 1: 5 08-01 Day 2: 0 00-00
209. Greg Vance Delhi, IA 3 07-15 0
Day 1: 1 02-15 Day 2: 2 05-00
210. Paul Tabisz Whitmore Lake, MI 4 07-13 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 4 07-13
211. A.J. Menssen Bloomington, IL 3 07-13 0
Day 1: 3 07-13 Day 2: 0 00-00
212. Rick Mitchell Naples, FL 6 07-10 0
Day 1: 4 07-09 Day 2: 2 00-01
213. Lucas Ragusa Gonzales, LA 3 07-07 0
Day 1: 3 07-07 Day 2: 0 00-00
214. Tony Dumitras Winston, GA 3 07-04 0
Day 1: 1 02-04 Day 2: 2 05-00
215. Cory Weaver Ankeny, IA 3 06-11 0
Day 1: 2 03-15 Day 2: 1 02-12
216. Keith Brashers Rogers, AR 3 05-09 0
Day 1: 3 05-09 Day 2: 0 00-00
217. Willy Dennison Willoughby Hills, OH 3 05-07 0
Day 1: 2 03-09 Day 2: 1 01-14
218. Brad Hillebrandt Florien, LA 2 04-10 0
Day 1: 2 04-10 Day 2: 0 00-00
219. Chris Bailey Bruceville, TX 3 04-02 0
Day 1: 3 04-02 Day 2: 0 00-00
220. Dustin Reneau Mckinney, TX 2 04-02 0
Day 1: 2 04-02 Day 2: 0 00-00
221. Phil Killian Solomon, AZ 2 03-10 0
Day 1: 2 03-10 Day 2: 0 00-00
222. Andy Williamson Lake Andes, SD 1 02-06 0
Day 1: 1 02-06 Day 2: 0 00-00
223. Chancy Walters West Des Moines, IA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 167 997 2751-10
2 124 829 2159-09
----------------------------------
291 1826 4911-03
2023 St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Toledo Bend 4/13-4/15
Toledo Bend Reservoir, Many LA.
(NON_BOATER) Standings Day 2
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Kerry Terrebonne Ponchatoula, LA 4 21-09 200 $16,004.00
Day 1: 3 19-04 Day 2: 1 02-05
2. Parker Knudsen Minnetonka, MN 6 19-11 199 $3,707.00
Day 1: 3 13-03 Day 2: 3 06-08
3. Steven Doolittle Chelsea, OK 4 19-06 198 $2,780.00
Day 1: 3 16-00 Day 2: 1 03-06
4. Brenton Godwin Montevallo, AL 6 18-13 197 $2,085.00
Day 1: 3 08-11 Day 2: 3 10-02
5. AJ Jones Lutz, FL 4 18-05 196 $1,946.00
Day 1: 3 16-04 Day 2: 1 02-01
6. Jason Barber Gun Barrel City, TX 6 18-02 195 $1,854.00
Day 1: 3 08-11 Day 2: 3 09-07
7. Stephen Wolownik Bloomingdale, MI 6 18-01 194 $1,761.00
Day 1: 3 10-10 Day 2: 3 07-07
8. Grant Moer Windthorst, TX 5 17-13 193 $1,668.00
Day 1: 3 10-07 Day 2: 2 07-06
9. Skip Rayborn Hammond, LA 6 17-06 192 $1,529.00
Day 1: 3 08-06 Day 2: 3 09-00
10. Ronald Young New Braunfels, TX 6 17-05 191 $1,390.00
Day 1: 3 08-15 Day 2: 3 08-06
11. Sakae Ushio Tonawanda, NY 6 15-15 190 $1,298.00
Day 1: 3 06-10 Day 2: 3 09-05
12. Avery Williams Murrells Inlt, SC 6 15-12 189 $1,205.00
Day 1: 3 10-10 Day 2: 3 05-02
13. Johnnie Garrett Union City, TN 6 15-08 188 $1,019.00
Day 1: 3 08-01 Day 2: 3 07-07
14. Logan Slaughter Coppell, TX 6 15-03 187 $927.00
Day 1: 3 06-12 Day 2: 3 08-07
15. Tommy Wood Sippy Downs AUSTRALIA 6 15-01 186 $834.00
Day 1: 3 07-11 Day 2: 3 07-06
16. Daryl Pool Manvel, TX 4 15-00 185 $741.00
Day 1: 3 13-09 Day 2: 1 01-07
17. Adam Boyd Humble, TX 6 14-09 184 $695.00
Day 1: 3 06-12 Day 2: 3 07-13
18. Mason Mccormick Shreveport, LA 6 14-00 183 $695.00
Day 1: 3 06-15 Day 2: 3 07-01
19. Gary Haraguchi Murfreesboro, TN 6 13-15 182 $695.00
Day 1: 3 07-14 Day 2: 3 06-01
20. Mark Sloan Harrison, AR 3 13-08 181 $695.00
Day 1: 2 11-09 Day 2: 1 01-15
21. Steve Byrd Coalgate, OK 5 13-07 180 $649.00
Day 1: 3 10-02 Day 2: 2 03-05
22. Yu Sato Okazaki Aichi JAPAN 4 13-06 179 $649.00
Day 1: 3 11-11 Day 2: 1 01-11
23. Matt Molitor Canton, IL 5 13-04 178 $649.00
Day 1: 2 06-08 Day 2: 3 06-12
24. Eddie Kidd Fort Benning, GA 5 13-03 177 $649.00
Day 1: 3 09-07 Day 2: 2 03-12
25. Ralph Gibson Locust Grove, OK 6 13-03 176 $649.00
Day 1: 3 05-15 Day 2: 3 07-04
26. Gary Hall Wardville, OK 5 13-02 175 $556.00
Day 1: 3 09-12 Day 2: 2 03-06
27. Tyler Jaskiewicz Houston, TX 6 12-13 174 $556.00
Day 1: 3 04-09 Day 2: 3 08-04
28. Hunter Neuville New Iberia, LA 5 12-12 173 $556.00
Day 1: 2 04-04 Day 2: 3 08-08
29. John Goul Philadelphia, MS 5 12-12 172 $556.00
Day 1: 3 07-05 Day 2: 2 05-07
30. Nick Richey Aledo, TX 6 12-12 171 $556.00
Day 1: 3 05-10 Day 2: 3 07-02
31. Chris Gaudin East Camden, AR 5 12-05 170 $510.00
Day 1: 2 04-07 Day 2: 3 07-14
32. Takaaki Kojima Temecula CA JAPAN 5 12-04 169 $510.00
Day 1: 2 04-13 Day 2: 3 07-07
33. Matt Rydberg Sioux Narrows Ontario C 4 11-15 168 $510.00
Day 1: 1 02-02 Day 2: 3 09-13
34. Dee Sheperd Mountain View, OK 5 11-07 167 $510.00
Day 1: 2 03-07 Day 2: 3 08-00
35. Joe Stokes Kentwood, LA 5 11-06 166 $510.00
Day 1: 3 07-05 Day 2: 2 04-01
36. Randy Tallhamer Parkersburg, FL 5 11-03 165 $510.00
Day 1: 2 04-04 Day 2: 3 06-15
37. Ronnie Ray Mckinney, TX 4 11-01 164 $510.00
Day 1: 3 08-15 Day 2: 1 02-02
38. Gene Mitchell Stuart, OK 4 10-15 163 $510.00
Day 1: 3 08-11 Day 2: 1 02-04
39. John Higginbotham Slaughter, LA 5 10-15 162 $510.00
Day 1: 2 03-10 Day 2: 3 07-05
40. Jimmy Stephens Carthage, TX 4 10-14 161 $510.00
Day 1: 3 09-01 Day 2: 1 01-13
41. Ross Bryant Alexandria, LA 5 10-12 160
Day 1: 2 03-12 Day 2: 3 07-00
42. Terry Morris Bernice, LA 6 10-12 159
Day 1: 3 05-00 Day 2: 3 05-12
43. Bill Wheelis Eros, LA 5 10-07 158
Day 1: 3 06-12 Day 2: 2 03-11
44. Rick Cheatham Carterville, IL 4 10-03 157
Day 1: 3 07-09 Day 2: 1 02-10
45. Tim Neumann Crosby, TX 3 10-00 156
Day 1: 2 08-03 Day 2: 1 01-13
46. Jesse Simpkins Minocqua, WI 5 09-15 155
Day 1: 2 03-12 Day 2: 3 06-03
47. Jayden Adrians Green Bay, WI 4 09-14 154
Day 1: 3 05-12 Day 2: 1 04-02
48. Jeff Eppinette Fort Worth, TX 4 09-14 153
Day 1: 2 04-12 Day 2: 2 05-02
49. Justin Westergreen Dahinda, IL 4 09-13 152
Day 1: 3 07-07 Day 2: 1 02-06
50. Jason Switzer Sapulpa, OK 4 09-06 151
Day 1: 3 07-08 Day 2: 1 01-14
51. Justin Suchy Shreveport, LA 4 09-05 150
Day 1: 1 01-11 Day 2: 3 07-10
52. Yua Kishimoto Osaka JORDAN 4 09-01 149
Day 1: 1 02-02 Day 2: 3 06-15
53. Cody Williams Carthage, TX 3 09-00 148
Day 1: 3 09-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
54. Billy Wells Houston, TX 4 08-14 147
Day 1: 2 04-04 Day 2: 2 04-10
55. David Zabolio Lafayette, LA 4 08-13 146
Day 1: 3 06-14 Day 2: 1 01-15
56. Trey Gulley Alton, TX 4 08-12 145
Day 1: 3 05-15 Day 2: 1 02-13
57. Mark Halverson Lawler, IA 3 08-07 144
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 08-07
58. Joe Tucker Osceola, MO 4 08-04 143
Day 1: 3 06-14 Day 2: 1 01-06
59. Pic Dieffenbauch Jr Hundred, WV 4 08-04 142
Day 1: 3 05-02 Day 2: 1 03-02
60. Todd Eppinette Downsville, LA 4 08-00 141
Day 1: 3 05-07 Day 2: 1 02-09
61. Kevin Mallow Kansas, OK 3 08-00 140
Day 1: 2 05-03 Day 2: 1 02-13
62. Rondell Joseph Manvel, TX 4 07-15 139
Day 1: 1 02-05 Day 2: 3 05-10
63. Darren Gates Macon, IL 3 07-14 138
Day 1: 3 07-14 Day 2: 0 00-00
64. Dylan Drephal Black Creek, WI 3 07-14 137
Day 1: 2 05-13 Day 2: 1 02-01
65. Jordan Lane Conroe, TX 3 07-11 136
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 07-11
66. Jon Mohon Sr Port Arthur, TX 4 07-06 135
Day 1: 3 05-10 Day 2: 1 01-12
67. Chad Stahl Barnesville, GA 4 07-06 134
Day 1: 3 05-08 Day 2: 1 01-14
68. Mark Cowart Kearney, MO 3 07-04 133
Day 1: 2 04-01 Day 2: 1 03-03
69. Benjamin Demo Plymouth, MN 3 06-15 132
Day 1: 1 02-13 Day 2: 2 04-02
70. Travis Turcotte Pembroke CANADA 3 06-11 131
Day 1: 3 06-11 Day 2: 0 00-00
71. Samuel Sharp Hillsboro, AL 2 06-10 130
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 06-10
72. Dustin Keys Nevada, MO 3 06-06 129
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 06-06
73. David Booth Erin, TN 4 06-06 128
Day 1: 3 04-09 Day 2: 1 01-13
74. Chris Dickey Waco, TX 4 06-06 127
Day 1: 1 02-00 Day 2: 3 04-06
75. Jimmy Fellegy Mustang, OK 3 06-06 126
Day 1: 2 04-02 Day 2: 1 02-04
76. Larry Davis Gladewater, TX 3 06-04 125
Day 1: 3 06-04 Day 2: 0 00-00
77. John Stewart Lone Jack, MO 2 06-02 124
Day 1: 1 03-15 Day 2: 1 02-03
78. Marian Hall Hattiesburg, MS 3 06-01 123
Day 1: 1 02-05 Day 2: 2 03-12
79. Dwain Vogelpohl Cambridge, MN 3 06-00 122
Day 1: 2 03-00 Day 2: 1 03-00
80. Clayton Lockhart Walker, LA 2 05-15 121
Day 1: 1 02-09 Day 2: 1 03-06
81. Jacob Collins Hillsboro, IL 3 05-14 120
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 05-14
82. Masaya Yamaguchi New York, NY 3 05-12 119
Day 1: 3 05-12 Day 2: 0 00-00
83. Jeremy Stockton Summit, MS 3 05-11 118
Day 1: 1 02-04 Day 2: 2 03-07
84. Brandon Hudman Carthage, TX 3 05-09 117
Day 1: 1 01-15 Day 2: 2 03-10
85. Zachary Mcdaniel Pitkin, LA 2 05-08 116
Day 1: 2 05-08 Day 2: 0 00-00
86. Ben Jezek Gainesville, TX 2 05-06 115
Day 1: 1 03-12 Day 2: 1 01-10
87. Tiffany Leal Austin, TX 2 05-05 114
Day 1: 1 03-13 Day 2: 1 01-08
88. Brian Forcier Akron, IA 3 05-05 113
Day 1: 1 01-10 Day 2: 2 03-11
89. Shigekazu Tateno Dallas, TX 2 05-02 112
Day 1: 1 02-14 Day 2: 1 02-04
90. Michael Leach Shenandoah, TX 2 05-01 111
Day 1: 2 05-01 Day 2: 0 00-00
91. Billy Limerick Chandler, TX 2 04-13 110
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 04-13
92. Gary Bates Athens, AL 2 04-12 109
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 04-12
93. John Gaumnitz Oak Ridge, LA 1 04-12 108
Day 1: 1 04-12 Day 2: 0 00-00
94. Noel Rendon Mansfield, TX 2 04-12 107
Day 1: 1 02-07 Day 2: 1 02-05
95. Duane Colvin Nederland, TX 2 04-07 106
Day 1: 2 04-07 Day 2: 0 00-00
96. Tyler Pursley Mattawan, MI 2 04-07 105
Day 1: 1 02-01 Day 2: 1 02-06
97. David Riggs Highland, IL 2 04-03 104
Day 1: 1 02-05 Day 2: 1 01-14
98. Dylan Delcambre Thibodaux, LA 5 04-01 103
Day 1: 2 04-01 Day 2: 3 00-00
99. Hunter Hamilton Baton Rouge, LA 2 03-13 102
Day 1: 2 03-13 Day 2: 0 00-00
100. Mark Shores Irving, TX 2 03-13 101
Day 1: 1 02-00 Day 2: 1 01-13
101. Joshua Spencer La Vernia, TX 2 03-12 100
Day 1: 2 03-12 Day 2: 0 00-00
102. Will Major Port Allen, LA 2 03-09 99
Day 1: 2 03-09 Day 2: 0 00-00
103. Ty Frederick Glenmora, LA 1 03-09 98
Day 1: 1 03-09 Day 2: 0 00-00
104. Ken Sanders Point Blank, TX 2 03-08 97
Day 1: 2 03-08 Day 2: 0 00-00
105. Chris Higgins Dallas, TX 1 03-08 96
Day 1: 1 03-08 Day 2: 0 00-00
106. Jim O'Connell Jr Castle Rock, CO 2 03-07 95
Day 1: 2 03-07 Day 2: 0 00-00
107. Ryan Daspin Austin, TX 2 03-07 94
Day 1: 1 01-11 Day 2: 1 01-12
108. Perry See Rochester, MN 2 03-06 93
Day 1: 2 03-06 Day 2: 0 00-00
109. Kenneth Ott Manahawkin, NJ 1 03-04 92
Day 1: 1 03-04 Day 2: 0 00-00
110. Randy Lawrence Pensacola, FL 1 03-00 91
Day 1: 1 03-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
111. Johnathan Fontenot Iowa, LA 1 02-11 90
Day 1: 1 02-11 Day 2: 0 00-00
112. Larry Beauboeuf Bossier City, LA 1 02-06 89
Day 1: 1 02-06 Day 2: 0 00-00
113. Mark Wolownik Paw Paw, MI 1 02-04 88
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 02-04
114. Jason Thompson Mandeville, LA 1 02-02 87
Day 1: 1 02-02 Day 2: 0 00-00
115. Dylan Mayo Athens, TX 1 01-15 86
Day 1: 1 01-15 Day 2: 0 00-00
116. Logan Beebe Marriottsville, MD 1 01-14 85
Day 1: 1 01-14 Day 2: 0 00-00
116. Joe Byrd Spring, TX 1 01-14 85
Day 1: 1 01-14 Day 2: 0 00-00
118. Cody Richardson Gautier, MS 1 01-13 83
Day 1: 1 01-13 Day 2: 0 00-00
119. Kevin Booty Many, LA 1 01-12 82
Day 1: 1 01-12 Day 2: 0 00-00
119. Paul Keys III Nevada, MO 1 01-12 82
Day 1: 1 01-12 Day 2: 0 00-00
121. Warren Parker Belle Chasse, LA 1 01-11 80
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 01-11
121. Kurt Ramsey Kountze, TX 1 01-11 80
Day 1: 1 01-11 Day 2: 0 00-00
123. Marco Flores Topeka, KS 1 01-10 78
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 01-10
123. Erik Knutson Saint Croix Falls, WI 1 01-10 78
Day 1: 1 01-10 Day 2: 0 00-00
125. Matthew Link Neosho, MO 1 01-09 76
Day 1: 1 01-09 Day 2: 0 00-00
126. Morgan Rhorer Lake Charles, LA 1 01-08 75
Day 1: 1 01-08 Day 2: 0 00-00
126. Todd Robertson Youngsville, LA 1 01-08 75
Day 1: 1 01-08 Day 2: 0 00-00
128. Jimmy Brumfield Madison, MS 1 00-00 73
Day 1: 1 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
129. Casey Briggs Highmore, SD 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
129. Dale Guillot New Caney, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
129. Devon Gurniak St-Lazare Manitoba CANA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
129. Allen Heston Pittsburg, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
129. Albert Hudson Austin, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
129. Harry Ramage Pasadena, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
129. Nikalos Tarkington Gladewater, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
129. Jim Upshaw Sapulpa, OK 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
129. Karl Voss Sulphur, LA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
129. Herbie Way Jr. Alexandria, LA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
129. Mike Webb Hull, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 50 246 638-04
2 37 185 431-03
----------------------------------
87 431 1069-07
Blake Hall Leads Day 1 at Epic Baits Stop 3 at Lake Eufaula Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches
Phoenix Boats Pro Catches 22-pound, 2-ounce Limit to Bring 8-ounce Lead into Second Day of Competition Saturday
EUFAULA, Okla. (April 14, 2023) – Pro Blake Hall of Rogersville, Alabama, brought a five-bass limit to the stage weighing 22 pounds, 2 ounces, Friday to take the lead after Day 1 of the MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitational Epic Baits Stop 3 at Lake Eufaula Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches. Hall will bring an 8-ounce lead into Day 2 of the competition, Saturday. Hollister, Missouri’s Cody Spetz caught five bass weighing 21-10 to end the day in second place, while Ron Nelson of Berrien Springs, Michigan, rounds out the top three with five bass weighing 20-4.
The three-day tournament, hosted by the Eufaula Area Chamber of Commerce, features a roster of 150 anglers competing for a top prize of up to $115,000 and an invitation to compete at REDCREST 2024. The full field of 150 anglers will conclude the two-day opening round on Saturday, with only the top 50 pros based on their two-day cumulative weight advancing to Championship Sunday.
Hall started his morning with a 7-pound, 2-ounce, kicker bass and then ground out his limit on a trio of baits to put together his 22-pound, 2-ounce limit.
“I thought I could catch 15 to 18 pounds today if everything went good, but then I caught that big one on my tenth cast, and that obviously helped a lot,” Hall said. “I had caught some fish in my areas during practice – a couple of 3- and 3½-pounders – but I really didn’t know what I had. Of the five that I weighed in, they came off of four different spots.
“It’s little stretches – little rocky points,” Hall continued. “Everything was on rock. And they were shallow – four of them came in less than 2 feet, and one was about 5 feet (deep).”
Hall said that he caught his fish on three different baits – a Bill Lewis MR-6 crankbait, a Bill Lewis SB-57 squarebill crankbait, and a Buckeye Lures jig.
“I’ve still got a few other areas that I never went to – I’m not sure if they’re getting fished or not,” Hall said. “Ron (Nelson) was on one place I wanted to fish, but other than that I got to fish pretty much what I wanted to, today.
“I’ve never been here before, so I really don’t know what to expect for tomorrow. I could have 8 pounds, or I could have 18. I’m just looking forward to getting back out there.”
The top 20 pros after Day 1 on Lake Eufaula are:
1st: Blake Hall, Rogersville, Ala., five bass, 22-2
2nd: Cody Spetz, Hollister, Mo., five bass, 21-10
3rd: Ron Nelson, Berrien Springs, Mich., five bass, 20-4
4th: Drew Gill, Mount Carmel, Ill., five bass, 19-12
5th: Michael Harlin, Sunrise Beach, Mo., five bass, 19-7
6th: Blake Felix, Warsaw, Mo., five bass, 19-5
7th: Brock Reinkemeyer, Warsaw, Mo., five bass, 19-3
8th: Jeff Reynolds, Calera, Okla., five bass, 19-1
9th: Braxton Setzer, Wetumpka, Ala., five bass, 18-14
10th: Cody Pike, Powhatan, Va., five bass, 18-13
11th: Joe Grafeman, Camdenton, Mo., five bass, 18-11
11th: John-Dalton Miller, Albertville, Ala., five bass, 18-7
11th: Terry Bolton, Benton, Ky., five bass, 18-5
14th: John Voyles, Petersburg, Ind., five bass, 18-4
15th: Connor Cunningham, Springfield, Mo., five bass, 18-3
16th: Danny Shanz, Summerton, S.C., five bass, 18-3
17th: Grae Buck, Green Lane, Pa., five bass, 17-11
18th: Scotty Villines, Ponca, Ark., five bass, 17-7
19th: Kyle Palmer, Winchester, Tenn., five bass, 17-2
20th: Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., five bass, 17-0
Complete results for the entire field can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Pro Andrew Nordbye of Guntersville, Alabama, earned Friday’s $1,000 Berkley Big Bass award with a bass that weighed 7 pounds, 3 ounces.
Overall, there were 651 bass weighing 1,821 pounds, 11 ounces caught by 145 pros Friday. The catch included 102 five-bass limits.
In MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitational competition, the full field of 150 anglers compete in the two-day opening round on Friday and Saturday in a traditional five-fish, weigh-in format. Only the top 50 pros based on their two-day cumulative weight will advance to the final round on Championship Sunday, where they will compete for the grand prize of up to $115,000, including the lucrative $35,000 Phoenix MLF Bonus for qualified anglers. The winner of the MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitational Epic Baits Stop 3 at Lake Eufaula Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches will be determined by the heaviest three-day cumulative weight and will receive an invitation to compete at REDCREST 2024.
Anglers will take off at 7 a.m. CT, Friday through Sunday, from the Peter’s Point South Point Dock Boat Ramp, located on Dabbs Road in Eufaula. Weigh-ins will also be held at the boat ramp daily beginning at 3 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend the event or follow the live on-the-water action all three days of competition online on MLF NOW! beginning at 7:30 a.m. CT at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The MLF NOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee, Marty Stone and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action on all three days of competition from 7:15 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. ET. MLF NOW!® will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app.
The MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitational Epic Baits Stop 3 at Lake Eufaula Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches will feature a two-hour action-packed television broadcast that will premiere on the CBS Sports Network on Saturday, Oct. 14th.
Proud sponsors of the 2023 MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitationals include: 4WP, 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, E3, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, Fox Rent a Car, General Tire, Grundéns, Lew’s, Lowrance, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix Boats, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Wiley X and YETI.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Tackle Warehouse Invitationals on the MLF5 social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
Lake Murray primed to shine as Bassmaster Elite Series visits for first time in 12 years
Bassmaster Elite Series champion Patrick Walters of nearby Summerville, S.C., will be among the field when the Bassmaster Elite Series heads to Columbia for the Marathon Bassmaster Elite at Lake Murray April 20-23.
Photo by Dalton Tumblin/B.A.S.S.
April 14, 2023
Lake Murray primed to shine as Bassmaster Elite Series visits for first time in 12 years
COLUMBIA, S.C. — A Top 10 lake in the country.
That is how Patrick Walters views Lake Murray in his home state of South Carolina.
With spring in full swing, Walters believes the Marathon Bassmaster Elite at Lake Murray will showcase just how good the central South Carolina fishery can be.
Competition days are scheduled for April 20-23, with takeoffs from Dreher Island State Park each day at 7 a.m. ET and weigh-ins back at the park each day at 3 p.m. A full field of 104 anglers will compete the first two days, with the Top 50 anglers advancing to Semifinal Saturday. The Top 10 remaining pros will compete for the blue trophy and a $100,000 first-place prize on Championship Sunday. Full coverage will be available on Bassmaster.com.
It’s been nearly 12 years since the Bassmaster Elite Series visited Columbia, S.C. In that event, Casey Ashley caught 61 pounds, 3 ounces to take home the victory. Since then, Murray has grown into an incredibly healthy bass fishery, yet it has flown largely under the radar in terms of national acclaim.
That will likely change by the end of this month.
“It has been fishing good for two or three years now,” Walters said. “In the BFL there this year, 20 pounds barely got you paid. It has been fishing really well. You aren’t going to bust 35 pounds, but there is an abundant amount of 25- to 29-pound bags. It won’t be quite like that when we are there, but it has a lot of 3- to 5-pounders in it.”
Walters said he expects the bass to be in multiple stages. They have been spawning for the past couple of weeks, but the Summerville, S.C., native hopes a brief cold snap last weekend will have pushed some of the remaining spawners back a little.
“I think it will set up really well with the little bit of cold weather,” Walters said. “A lot of fish were starting to spawn and the cold front will hopefully elongate it more. There will still be some fish spawning, but there are a good bit of fish already done. The postspawn bite is going to be good. It is going to be a good tournament.”
With the bass being in the spawn and postspawn phase, the weights may not be as heavy as they would be in a full-blown prespawn event. But 6-, 7- and even 8-pounders won’t be an uncommon sight. With the water level near full pool, it should remain stable throughout the event.
The competitors will be able to spread out and catch bass in a variety of ways. Walters believes the entire lake will play, from the east side all the way west to the Saluda and Little Saluda rivers.
“It’s not like one creek turns on,” Walters said. “The whole lake will play. Someone is going to catch them upriver. One or two people will [make the] Top 10 up there. Downlake will play. Midlake will play. It will eat a 100-boat field. The cool thing about this lake is not everyone has to be doing the same thing to make the Top 10.”
The entire fishery features plenty of docks as well as rocky banks and wood. It also has a little bit of vegetation that includes gator and willow grass, among others. Up the rivers and on the west side of the lake, shad are the prominent baitfish.
“There are big creeks and pockets up there,” Walters said. “You’ll be fishing the shad spawn and shad eaters in general. It is typically dirtier water. There are a lot of tournaments won up that way.”
As you move downlake, blueback herring start to show up and, depending on how the weather trends between now and tournament time, those herring may start their spawning rituals — and that could be the X factor of the event.
“Midlake and down is where the herring deal starts going down. It is more open, deeper water and deeper pockets. It has more of a Hartwell feel to it,” Walters said. “I think they will be starting to kick off their spawn. I think there were some up there already.”
While many of the herring lakes on the Bassmaster tournament trails feature spotted bass, largemouth dominate Murray, and Walters says they go after herring exactly like spotted bass do. If the herring spawn starts, topwater baits may come heavily into play.
“It has 97% largemouth in it,” Walters said. “They act the same way (as spotted bass), you just catch bigger fish. If they start spawning, they will spawn on shallow points and in the dirt. It’s like a normal shad spawn except they won’t spawn on grass like the shad do.”
Walters anticipated big bags will be caught, but consistency will be the key to taking home a win. If an angler can average 18 to 19 pounds a day, he believes that will put them in contention.
Louisiana pro Tyler Rivet leads the Progressive Insurance Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings after two events with 206 points. Australia’s Carl Jocumsen is second with 193 points, followed by Arkansas pro Joey Cifuentes III with 190, South Carolina’s Brandon Cobb with 187 and North Carolina’s Brandon Card with 184.
Cifuentes leads the Bassmaster Rookie of the Year race with 190 points, followed by Alabama pro Will Davis Jr. with 170 and Canada’s Cooper Gallantwith 148.
New for 2023, fans can enjoy predictions, conditions and live hits from the lake as part of the LIVE Preview show streaming on Bassmaster.comWednesday, April 19 at 9 a.m. ET. Bassmaster LIVE kicks off tournament coverage Thursday and Friday mornings at 8 a.m. on Bassmaster.com, Tubi and the FOX Sports platforms while FS1 will broadcast live with the tournament leaders on Saturday and Sunday.
The Capital City/Lake Murray Country Regional Tourism Board is hosting the tournament.
Milliken lives up to his big-fish reputation and takes lead at Bassmaster Open on Toledo Bend
Ben Milliken of New Caney, Texas, is leading after Day 1 of the 2023 St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Toledo Bend with 29 pounds, 8 ounces.
Photo by Andy Crawford/B.A.S.S.
April 13, 2023
MANY, La. — Ben Milliken is an angler who’s known for catching big bass.
He did nothing to diminish that Thursday on Day 1 of the St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Toledo Bend.
The 33-year-old New Caney, Texas, resident pounded the 185,000-acre reservoir that forms the border between Louisiana and his home state, finishing with a five-bass limit of 29 pounds, 8 ounces that gave him the early lead in this three-day tournament. A total of 223 anglers, 168 of them in the inaugural Elite Qualifiers Division, are competing this week.
Milliken, who was part of a duo that caught five bass weighing 60-pounds on O.H. Ivie Lake in Texas in early 2021, said people think of him as a "big-bait, forward-facing sonar guy," but he said versatility helped him to the top of the Toledo Bend leaderboard. It also was key to his fifth-place finish in the season's first Open last month on Alabama's Lake Eufaula, he said.
"I (dragged) offshore and cranked offshore at Eufaula," Milliken said. "I'm not going to talk a lot yet about what I did here today, but it was both LiveScoping and not looking at them.”
Whatever the method, Milliken put himself in prime position to make a run for a tournament win. It was his first time competing on the famed fishery, but he knew its reputation as a big-bass factory. He found the big ones on Thursday, with his heaviest checking in at more than 7 pounds.
"I missed four fish today bigger than the biggest one I had in my bag," he said. "It could have been a crazy-good day."
The 29-8 total certainly was encouraging, Milliken said, considering he scrapped his game plan after practice and tried something much different. He ran down the reservoir about 20 miles on Thursday — and while he said other anglers were there, he believes they're using different techniques than what vaulted him into the pole position.
"I'm doing some pretty specific stuff," he said. "It's the area, but also the presentation."
Keith Tuma, a 50-year-old resident of Brainerd, Minn., who won an Open in 2021 on Florida’s Harris Chain of Lakes, weighed a personal-best limit of five bass for 27-14 to spark his own spectacular start. His bag was anchored by another personal record — a 9-8 giant that tied for the heaviest bass caught on Day 1.
"I’m a bit worked up right now. I’m not gonna’ lie,” Tuma said, as he hoisted a pair of Toledo Bend heavies into the air for the crowd, the 9-8 in his right hand and a 7-pounder in his left.
Tuma struggled early to find his way on the massive fishery, also his first time competing on the legendary reservoir.
“I just wanted to survive,” Tuma said. “I wanted 14 or 15 pounds ... but at 10:30 this morning, I had one 14-inch fish in the boat.”
As he started working his way back up the reservoir, his fortunes changed. Tuma said he caught what he believes are spawning bass off hard-bottom spots in about 12 to 14 feet of water. Other than divulging that info, he too was tight-lipped, saying he’ll reveal more details if he makes it inside the Phoenix Boats Cutline to be one of 10 anglers to compete in Saturday’s final round.
Tuma’s 2021 victory on Harris Chain earned him a spot in the 2022 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Toyota, but he finished last among 55 competitors.
No doubt he hopes Toledo Bend is a launching pad for redemption.
“I got 100% lucky today, but I’ll take it,” he said.
Adam Rasmussen, of Sturgeon Bay, Wis., also is making his debut on Toledo Bend and is in third place with a limit of 26-0.
“I’m fishing shallower flats and I’m using my Humminbird MEGA Live,” Rasmussen said. “So, I can see them and I can pitch to them. But there are (long gaps) between bites.”
Rasmussen primarily fished an area about 15 minutes down the reservoir, looking for underwater structure.
Seventeen pros in the boater division caught more than 20 pounds, with all but two of the 223 catching at least one bass.
Kerry Terrebonne, of Ponchatoula, La., almost caught 20 pounds himself, despite being confined to a three-bass limit in the nonboater division. Terrebonne’s 19-4 total leads the 139 co-anglers. A.J. Jones, of Lutz, Fla., is second with 16-4 and Steven Doolittle of Chelsea, Okla., is third with 16-0.
Each of the nine Opens champions in 2023 will earn a berth in the 2024 Bassmaster Classic scheduled for March 22-24 in Tulsa, Okla., on Grand Lake o’ the Cherokees. Competitors in the Elite Qualifiers Division are required to fish in each of the nine Opens scheduled in 2023. The top nine in the EQs standings when the season is complete will earn invites to compete on the 2024 Bassmaster Elite Series.
Milliken’s Day 1 performance combined with his fifth-place finish at Eufaula have placed him atop the Elite Qualifiers Division standings with 396 points. He is followed by Texas pro Brett Cannon with 391 points, Tennessee’s John Garrett (388), Georgia’s Josh Bragg (379), Tuma (376), Trey McKinney of Illinois (376), Japan’s Kenta Kimura (376), Georgia’s Matt Henry (371) and Wisconsin’s Jacob Bigelow (371).
Day 2 will begin Friday at 6:45 a.m. CT and weigh-in is scheduled for 2:45 p.m., both from Cypress Bend Park. The Top 10 anglers will advance to Championship Saturday. A total of $340,000 in cash prizes will be awarded to the Top 40 competitors in each division.
The St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Toledo Bend is being hosted by the Sabine Parish Tourist & Recreation Commission and the Louisiana Office of Tourism.
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Kentucky and Barkley Lakes Set to Host MLF Toyota Series
GILBERTSVILLE, Ky. (April 13, 2023) – The Major League Fishing (MLF) Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats is set to return to Kentucky and Barkley lakes, next week, April 20-22, for the second event of the season in the Toyota Series Prairie Division – the Toyota Series at Kentucky and Barkley Lakes Presented by Jenko Fishing . The three-day tournament, hosted by the Kentucky Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau, will feature a roster of the region’s best bass-fishing pros and Strike King co-anglers competing for a top prize of up to $100,000 in the pro division and a new Phoenix 518 Pro boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard motor in the co-angler division.
“I haven’t been there in a while, but I’ve been hearing some really good things and the lake is in really good shape right now,” said Bass Pro Tour angler John Hunter of Shelbyville, Kentucky. “It’s warming up – some of the fish have already spawned, but the majority of bass seem to be just starting to move up to spawn, and this is going to be a really fun tournament.”
Hunter said that water levels lower than normal may throw a curve ball to competitors.
“Historically, this time of year, the south ends of Kentucky and Barkley are where you want to be,” Hunter said. “But, that’s when the water is at normal summer pool. And this year, it’s not yet. All the reports lately have been that the north end has dominated.
“There has also been quite the boom in the smallmouth,” Hunter continued. “I think 100% the smallmouth will play a role in this event. The water being down and not at summer pool is really going to shine a light on some other patterns and techniques than guys are used to seeing at Kentucky Lake.”
Hunter said that he expects shallow-water power-fishing to be the pattern most likely to produce success.
“I’ll be flipping any shallow wood I can find with a Googan Bandito Bug,” Hunter went on to say. “A bladed jig will play, a spinnerbait and a swimbait will all be strong. I think the winner is going to need to catch 58 to 62 pounds over three days to have a chance to win this one.”
Anglers will take off each day at 6:30 a.m. CT from the Kentucky Dam Marina, located at 466 Marina Drive, Gilbertsville, Kentucky. Weigh-ins will also be held at the marina and will begin at 2:30 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend and encouraged to follow the event online through the “MLF Live” weigh-in broadcasts and daily coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
In Toyota Series regular-season competition, payouts are based on the number of participants competing in the event, scaling up for every 20 boats over 160 and scaling down for every boat below 160. With a 160-boat field, pros fish for a top prize of $40,000, plus an extra $35,000 if Phoenix MLF Bonus qualified. Strike King co-anglers cast for the top prize of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard (valued at $33,500). With a 260-boat field, pros fish for a top award of $65,000, plus an extra $35,000 if Phoenix MLF Bonus qualified. Strike King co-anglers cast for the top prize of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard (valued at $33,500) plus $5,000 cash.
The 2023 Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats consists of six divisions – Central, Northern, Plains, Southern, Southwestern and the Western Division Presented by Tackle Warehouse – each holding three regular-season events, along with the International and Wild Card divisions. Anglers who fish in any of the six divisions or the Wild Card division and finish in the top 25 will qualify for the no-entry-fee Toyota Series Championship for a shot at winning up to $235,000 and a qualification to REDCREST 2024. The winning Strike King co-angler at the championship earns a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard. The 2023 Toyota Series Championship will be held Nov. 2-4 on Table Rock Lake in Branson, Missouri, and is hosted by ExploreBranson.com.
Proud sponsors of the 2023 MLF Toyota Series include: 4WP, 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Black Rifle Coffee Company, E3, Favorite Fishing, Fox Rent a Car, General Tire, Gill, Grundéns, Lew’s, Lowrance, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Next Gen Lithium, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Wiley X and YETI.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Toyota Series updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the MLF5 social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
MDJ - Don't Shy Away from the Struggle
Courtesy of Luke Stoner - Dynamic Sponsorships
Photo: Michael Engelemyer (Great Outdoor Studios)
At the highest level of competitive bass fishing, you hear a lot about momentum. Usually, this buzzword accompanies someone who is fishing well; an angler who gets on a roll for multiple days or even multiple tournaments in a row. Positive momentum is a very real thing in tournament fishing and as an angler it can make you feel as though you can do no wrong. Difficult decisions become easier, fishing days feel longer, and things just start to happen in your favor.
But what about the flip side of positive momentum? The tournaments where it feels like you can’t do anything right, no matter how hard you try. Fish that should come into the boat throw the hook or break your line, time flies by, and everything that can go wrong usually does. Then one bad event turns into two, and no matter much you obsess over it, you can feel the train sliding off the tracks.
In fishing we call this demoralizing phenomenon a slump, and anyone who has fished more than a handful of tournaments knows exactly what I am talking about.
Team Toyota pro Mark Daniels Jr. has proven to be one of the best anglers in the world throughout his 9-year professional career but so far, his 2023 season has been a dictionary definition of the word “slump”. MDJ put up a YouTube video this week addressing his struggles in 2023 that we could all learn from, whether you fish tournaments or not.
“No one wants to talk about the tough times on social media but one of the reasons I started a YouTube channel is to teach people. Whether we like it or not, we often learn the most through adversity,” reflected MDJ. “I’ve been on both sides of the coin in my career. I had to struggle a lot early on and I’ve been blessed to experience a lot of success the past nine years. But right now, I’m in a terrible slump and man, it sucks.”
Most anglers, even your professional heroes, treat slumps like they’re taboo. They shy away from acknowledging they are in a downturn like ignoring the negative stops it from being real. But neglecting the 3,000-lb gorilla on your back doesn’t unburden the weight from your shoulders. In fact, ignoring the issue could very well rob you of a valuable lesson and growth.
MDJ isn’t afraid to address the elephant in the room and you have to respect that. Instead of giving his followers the typical “on to the next one” response, he is showing his vulnerabilities. That takes courage. His season has been plagued with solid practices but some of the worst finishes of his career. Lost fish, mental errors, and a couple bad decisions (in retrospect) have cost him thousands of dollars and lots of points in the Bass Pro Tour AOY standings.
Fortunately for MDJ, he’s well established in his career and isn’t going anywhere. He very well may win the next tournament he fishes, and this slump will be nothing but a distant memory. But I asked MDJ what advice he would give to someone aspiring to make it to the next level of fishing who is experiencing a similar funk.
“You gotta trust the process and stay the course,” said MDJ. “Take time to reflect on the bad events, learn from them and keep going. You’ve got to tell yourself the promise land is over the next hurdle, because it very well might be. Crazy things happen in bass fishing, man, the biggest win of your career could come after a 100th place finish, or vice-versa. A lot of people will pack it up when the going gets tough, but if you’re going to make it in fishing, you can’t stop.”
There is a lot of truth and some great lessons laid within his response. Tomorrow MDJ will start competition on Lake Eufaula in central Oklahoma for the third stop of the MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitationals. He had never made a cast on the massive fishery before this week and said it seemed to be fishing super small and relatively tough throughout practice.
Not exactly the tailor made slumpbuster he may have hoped for, but regardless of how he finishes this event his mindset sets him up for success soon. No matter what you’re struggling with if you work hard, continue learning, and keep the faith you can rest assured that good days are ahead.
MLF Toyota Series Western Division Season Finale Set for California Delta
BETHEL ISLAND, Calif. (April 13, 2023) – The Major League Fishing (MLF) Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats is set to return to Russo’s Marina and Bethel Island, California, next week, April 19-21, for the Toyota Series at the California Delta Presented by Psycho Tuna . Hosted by the City of Oakley, the three-day tournament is the third and final regular-season event in the Toyota Series Western Division Presented by Tackle Warehouse.
“The (California) Delta is getting better – it’s warmed up a bit and there are a few fish spawning, but it’s still really dirty water,” said local Toyota Series pro Mark Lassagne of Dixon, California, who has three career top-10 finishes on the California Delta in MLF competition. “I still think about 70% of the Delta isn’t fishable yet – but 90% was unfishable a few weeks ago – so it’s getting a lot better. There definitely won’t be as many zeros in this tournament, and the weights will be better.
“Last month it took 11 pounds a day to make the top 25 cut and fish the final day,” Lassagne continued. “I think it’ll take at least 13 or 14 pounds a day to make the cut in this one. It’s still the California Delta – someone is going to catch 25 pounds and then back it up a couple of 20-pound limits. I predict the winning weight is going to be around 68 pounds.”
Lassagne said that the standard Delta baits will be in play.
“I’ll have a Yamamoto Senko tied on – that bait will definitely account for some big fish, especially the spawners,” Lassagne continued. “ChatterBaits will come into play – I’ll be throwing one with a (Yamamoto) Zako trailer. And then punching baits – I like the (Yamamoto) Flapping Hogs and the (Missile Baits) D-Bombs. I think smaller weights are more effective when the fish are finicky – it slows the fall, and you can get a few more bites.”
Anglers will take off each day at 6:30 a.m. PT from Russo’s Marina, located at 3995 Willow Road in Bethel Island. Weigh-ins will also be held at the marina and will begin at 2:30 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend and encouraged to follow the event online through the “MLF Live” weigh-in broadcasts and daily coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The MLF Toyota Series offers the biggest payouts for the lowest entry fees of any national tournament trail. The Toyota Series is the only Western trail that offers advancement to the no-entry-fee Toyota Series Championship, where pros fish for $235,000, including a $35,000 Phoenix MLF Bonus, and co-anglers compete for a $33,500 Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat powered by a 115 HP Mercury.
In Toyota Series regular-season competition, payouts are based on the number of participants competing in the event, scaling up for every 20 boats over 160 and scaling down for every boat below 160. With a 160-boat field, pros fish for a top prize of $40,000, plus an extra $35,000 if Phoenix MLF Bonus qualified. Strike King co-anglers cast for the top prize of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard (valued at $33,500). With a 260-boat field, pros fish for a top award of $65,000, plus an extra $35,000 if Phoenix MLF Bonus qualified. Strike King co-anglers cast for the top prize of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard (valued at $33,500) plus $5,000 cash.
The 2023 Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats consists of six divisions – Central, Northern, Plains, Southern, Southwestern and the Western Division Presented by Tackle Warehouse – each holding three regular-season events, along with the International and Wild Card divisions. Anglers who fish in any of the six divisions or the Wild Card division and finish in the top 25 will qualify for the no-entry-fee Toyota Series Championship for a shot at winning up to $235,000 and a qualification to REDCREST V. The winning Strike King co-angler at the championship earns a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard. The 2023 Toyota Series Championship will be held Nov. 2-4 on Table Rock Lake in Branson, Missouri, and is hosted by ExploreBranson.com.
Proud sponsors of the 2023 MLF Toyota Series include: 4WP, 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Black Rifle Coffee Company, E3, Favorite Fishing, Fox Rent a Car, General Tire, Gill, Grundéns, Lew’s, Lowrance, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Wiley X and YETI.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Toyota Series updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the MLF5 social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
Whataburger serves up title sponsorship for Bassmaster Elite at Lay Lake
April 13, 2023
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — For the third consecutive year, Whataburger, the Texas-based chain known for big flavors and fresh ingredients served up just like you like it, has signed on as a Bassmaster Elite Series tournament title sponsor. The 2023 Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Lay Lake will be held May 11-14 in Shelby County, Ala.
“Whataburger loves supporting local events in our communities, and we’re happy to be partnering with the Bassmaster Elite for another year,” said Jeff Altman, Whataburger’s Director of Sponsorships, Marketing & Innovation. “Lay Lake will make for an exciting competitive event with conveniently located Whataburger restaurants in Birmingham and the surrounding region.”
Two previous Whataburger-sponsored events saw hometown pros take their first Elite Series victories. At the 2021 Bassmaster Elite at Neely Henry Lake, Alabama pro Wes Logan charged from eighth place to claim the Day 3 lead at the event and held on to his Day 4 lead to win by just 1 pound, 6 ounces. While in 2022, Tennessee’s Brandon Lester slammed the door on the competition at the Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Pickwick Lake, Tenn., besting the rest of the field by more than five pounds.
Best known for its spotted and largemouth bass, the historic Lay Lake is a top choice for anglers year-round, and competitors will have the opportunity to tackle this 12,000-acre Coosa River impoundment multiple times with B.A.S.S in 2023. In addition to May’s Whataburger Bassmaster Elite event, the same storied fishery that has hosted four Bassmaster Classics will welcome the Strike King Bassmaster College Series Wild Card presented by Bass Pro Shops June 9-10 and hosted the Strike King Bassmaster High School Series presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors earlier in the year.
Live coverage of all four days of the Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Lay Lake starts Thursday, May 11 on Bassmaster.com, Tubi and the FOX Sports digital platforms. FS1 will also broadcast live with the tournament leaders beginning at 8 a.m. ET on Saturday and Sunday. For more information, visit Bassmaster.com.
Fishing fans can also discover their favorite anglers’ go-to orders and savor a taste of the Whataburger lore throughout the 2023 Elite Series season with “Whataburger Wednesdays” on the Bassmaster social media channels
Introducing Half Past First Cast!
About the Half Past First Cast Team
By Pete and Hanna Robbins
Before we get into describing ourselves, let’s answer your first question: “What the heck does ‘Half Past
First Cast’ even mean?”
There’s a pretty simple answer. By the time both of us turned 50, we’d had a lot of great fishing and travel experiences. We’d gone to Tahiti on our honeymoon, been to Lake El Salto in Mexico a bunch of times, and fished all over the US. Our careers were established and we were reasonably secure from a financial standpoint.
But that number, fifty. It hit us like a lead balloon. We were almost certainly past the midpoint of our lives, and with finite time left, we wanted to make the most of it. We were literally half past our first cast. We wanted to make the most of the casts we had
left – and we realized that there are lots of people like us. They’re out there living responsible lives, with happy families, fun vacations, and decent fishing experiences – but there could be so much more.
First, we applied the concept to our own lives – making fishing more fun, more productive, and more memorable – and as we did that we had the realization that we had a lot of good information to share. Thus we started our website.
About Pete
I come from a non-fishing family. Some distant cousins I never met were into the offshore game, but my dad has no interest. I took my brother to El Salto once and he had a great time, but I doubt he’ll ever go again. Nevertheless, it’s all I’ve ever wanted to do. I fished tournaments in my twenties and thirties, but after going to El Salto, Brazil, and Africa, I realized that I’d rather spend my limited time on the water on the best fisheries at the best times, rather than competing. You may not make the same decision,
that’s your right, but for me, it’s been mind-blowing. From Alaska to Panama to Guatemala I’ve repeatedly renewed my love of the sport.
I’m also a pretty serious outdoor writer – a Senior Writer for Bassmaster, published in dozens of other publications. I love telling stories and helping people with words. It could be recounting an experience in the Amazonian jungle, or describing how to better hook Zambian tigerfish – or just why watching a
bobber go down under the weight of a bluegill remains so much fun. Even after we “retire,” I’ll still write every day. In fact, I’ll almost certainly write more.
About Hanna
When Pete and I first met online two decades ago (!), I knew nothing about fishing. I thought he stood on a bridge all day with a bobber. I had a lot to learn. Fortunately, I’m a fast learner and hyper-competitive. There were some frustrating early days in the boat, but now I’ve caught a lot of trophy fish using the tactics and techniques I’ve learned – and I usually beat Pete.
Writing isn’t my first love, but I’m willing to endure it because I want to share this passion. Had it not been for the chance encounter with Pete, I might never have wet a line, and that seems tragic. Now I get excited to show people new places, especially women and first-time anglers. Seeing the wonders of the
world through their eyes is amazing, and along the way not only have I developed an interest in fishing, but also in how to help women best enjoy the sport, along with photography.
About Half Past First Cast
So, besides sharing our tips, tricks, and experiences, we love putting groups together to head to far-flung places around the world. It’s the people we meet that make the trips special, and we’ve developed some of our strongest lifelong friendships with people we never would have otherwise met. That’s the magic of fishing. It brings people together.
We know a lot of bass anglers who’d never consider fishing for something else, but when they join us it opens up their world. It’ll make you a better bass fisherman (or woman), a better overall angler, and it’ll expand your world in ways you’ve never before considered.
Please check out our site, and if you’d like to join us in Mexico or Alaska or Panama or Guatemala, email us at [email protected]. Even if those places aren’t on your personal bucket list, drop us a
line, and let’s talk fishing.
Watch for 10-pounders at Toledo Bend Bassmaster Open
Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships
As anglers idled out to begin Day 1 of the St. Croix Bassmaster Open on Toledo Bend Thursday morning, the magic possibility of catching a giant on any cast was more than a dream, but instead a growing reality.
Toledo Bend tournament weights are the best they’ve been in five or six seasons, and the number of giant largemouth entered into the Toledo Bend Lunker Bass program currently stands at 51 giants for the 2022-23 season, more than double what it was two years ago.
The program is coordinated by the Toledo Bend Lake Association with the goal of encouraging anglers who catch a bass weighing 10-pounds or more to have it weighed at one of several certified locations around the lake, released alive back into Toledo Bend, and then be rewarded with a fiberglass replica of their trophy catch.
Bassmaster Open anglers Frank Williams, Darold Gleason and Teb Jones were asked how many bass over 10 pounds they guessed would be weighed-in the next three days, and their answers varied from one to seven.
Williams was the most optimistic, saying seven big ones would be brought in because lake levels are up, the spawn is on, and a wide range of shallow water habitat is accessible.
Highly likeable Toledo Bend resident, former Bassmaster Open Series champion, and current Bassmaster Elite angler, Darold Gleason was less hopeful than Williams. Gleason guesses just one lunker will be brought to the scales, and his longtime best friend Teb Jones pretty much agreed, guessing just two giants will come to the scales.
“The biggest baddest mommas in the lake tend to spawn first, and we are way past that time period in my mind. So, that makes those giants a lot less accessible up shallow this week in my opinion,” explains Gleason.
Water levels have been fairly stable in recent years, allowing healthy amounts of offshore hydrilla in 8-12 feet of water to prosper, and when that happens, the entire aquatic ecosystem generally flourishes.
“There’s no doubt Toledo Bend is the best it’s been in five years, but April is a bit of a wildcard month here. Fish can be doing a wide variety of things. That makes me a little nervous, but one thing’s for sure, the 225 anglers in this field can fish their strengths and still have a legit chance to catch a Toledo Bend Lunker on any cast,” smiles Gleason.
The numbers prove he’s not wrong. The question is how many we will see added to that growing list of 51 giants for the season as this event unfolds the next three days.
Catch VanDam this weekend where he once stocked shelves
Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships
It’s doubtful anglers shopping at D & R Sports Center in Kalamazoo, Michigan back in 1979 recognized the 11-year-old kid stocking shelves would grow up to be the world’s greatest bass angler, but this coming weekend he’ll be back in the family store doing seminars at their much celebrated annual spring consumer show.
“I think it’s fair to say the annual D & R spring fishing show that’s taking place this weekend is as much a part of our family’s year as Thanksgiving, the 4th of July, and other holidays,” smiles Kevin VanDam, whose older brother Randy owns the store.
“This show is where I met all my heroes like Bill Dance, Larry Nixon, Tommy Martin and countless others when I was a teenager. And this year it’s extra special because it’s the first one we’ve had in three years since Covid hit,” reflects VanDam.
Bringing top pros in for the celebration has always been a high priority, and this year is no exception. Along with KVD, consumer guests can also learn from Josh Bertrand, Jonathon VanDam, Cory Johnston, Chris Noffsinger and Mark Zona.
Much of D & R’s success and longevity is built on treating customers like family, plus the product expertise they share with them is always a top priority too. So, this coming weekend the 4-time Bassmaster Classic Champion is especially excited to team-up with special guest Justin Freeman, a leading product designer for Humminbird, to share in-depth wisdom on how to better understand and utilize MEGA Live sonar.
“Justin will be awesome at explaining how the MEGA Live technology actually works, and of course I’ll do my best to explain how it benefits me on the water, but if somebody wants to talk to me about something more simple like a KVD 1.5 crankbait, you can bet I’m always happy to talk shallow water cranking too,” says the Team Toyota angler.
D & R Sports Center is also one of the very top fishing boat dealerships in America, and Kevin was one of the very first sales managers in their marine department when Randy added boats to the family business in 1987.
“I was about 20 years old when Randy added boats to D & R, and he made me a sales manager. But then about two years later my pro career took-off and I was gone way too much to keep working at D & R fulltime,” he explains.
“This store has always been a treasured part of my life, and I know this weekend at D & R will be super special too,” promises VanDam.
Pretty cool perspective from that kid who was hanging lures on their retail pegs at age 11 more than four decades ago.
New Website Going Live!!!
Gunpowder Inc. Announces Newly Formed Executive Leadership Team
DELAFIELD, Wis. (April 12, 2023) – Leading enthusiast lifestyle agency Gunpowder, Inc. is proud to announce its newly formed executive leadership team, which will focus on growing the business, fostering a collaborative team environment and delivering quality outcomes for clients. The move promotes Carie Breunig to Chief Operating Officer, Leah Berg to President and Caitlin Conley to Vice President of Finance. Agency Founder Ryan Chuckel will remain in the CEO role.
This leadership group is largely responsible for the agency’s substantial growth over the last three years and innovative campaign execution for Gunpowder’s impressive roster of outdoor enthusiast clients, including SITKA Gear, Pure Fishing, Academy Sports + Outdoors, Johnson Outdoors, Breeo, Uncharted Supply Co., and THOR Industries, among others.
The newly formed executive team comprises three women who have been industry and agency trailblazers. With their combined decades of experience working and recreating in the outdoors, they will continue to give women an elevated voice in the outdoor industry.
“Carie, Leah and Caitlin have been instrumental to the success of Gunpowder, and are now stepping into roles that will guide the direction of our agency over the coming years,” said Ryan Chuckel, Founder/CEO of Gunpowder. “We are establishing a more intentional approach to leadership—one that allows me to focus on growing the business while putting key leaders in position to manage the work and our people. We’ve built a phenomenal team—it’s evident in the work we do and our reputation for being one of the best marketing communications groups in the industry. With these changes we are well positioned for long-term growth.”
Chuckel has more than 25 years of experience leading strategy and idea development for some of the world's most iconic brands and companies like MillerCoors (now MolsonCoors), Wrigley, GoPro, Kraft Heinz and McDonald’s. He has spent a significant part of his career supporting “passion brands” while connecting people to the brands that care about them, their lifestyle and their passion. Whether it’s outdoor pursuits, cooking and food or home improvement and DIY activities, Ryan has poured his heart and soul into brands that live in the heart and soul of their consumer. In 2015, he started Gunpowder Inc. as an agency designed to help passion brands win in a changing media environment, where digital savvy and an agile approach are rewarded.
Breunig, COO of Gunpowder, has 24 years of marketing and communications agency experience, serving large-scale consumer brands such as Costa Sunglasses, GoPro, OPTIMA Batteries, Southwest Airlines Vacations, Cousins Subs, Schneider National, Nestle Healthcare Nutrition, THOR Industries, Pure Fishing and SITKA Gear. Her work in marketing has been diverse but has always been inspired by big ideas. From the coordination of a nationally televised fishing tournament to launching a product on a charter boat in the Channel Islands, Carie is a creative at heart who values strategic thinking combined with breakthrough ideas and flawless execution. Carie’s biggest value is her innate ability to quickly and crisply understand a client’s business needs and drive the execution of programs to success, while effectively managing internal teams.
For the past 15 years, Berg, President of Gunpowder, has built lasting relationships with clients in categories ranging from baby care, running shoes, life insurance, fishing baits and just about everything in between, serving brands such as Northwestern Mutual, Sea Ray, Saucony, P&G’s Pampers and Luvs, General Mills, and Pure Fishing. Leah has an innate ability to lead by example. She’s a thinker, a doer and a valuable client sounding board. Leah has spent much of her career in account management while also diving into strategy and creative work, developing tight-knit relationships with internal teams and combining her strategic and analytical approach with creative ideation.
VP of Finance, Conley, has spent the last 12 years helping businesses and marketing agencies run more efficiently and optimally for financial success. Her knack for problem solving and organization has been instrumental in driving business results for Gunpowder, where she has overseen accounting and business operations since 2019. She has played a pivotal role in overhauling the agency’s accounting and billing systems to facilitate and optimize business with external partners and clients. Caitlin also has implemented processes that have streamlined efficiencies across Gunpowder’s accounting department and business operations, including payables, receivables, payroll, HR/onboarding, IT and tax preparation.
The Hardy Aydon Wins 2023 Consumer Choice Award for Freshwater Fly Rod
Many freshwater fly rods were entered into the category this year, with the Hardy Aydon out-casting them all to take home the coveted Consumer’s Choice Award for Best Freshwater Fly Rod at the 2023 Fly Fishing Show. “For over 150 years Hardy has been handcrafting innovative fly gear and we were excited to enter the Aydon in the Freshwater category this year. We are proud of the craftsmanship and many hours of on-water testing that went into creating the Aydon and are happy that the angling community recognizes the hard work and dedication behind this family of rods,” said Jim Murphy, Director of Fly Fishing for Hardy.
The Aydon was meticulously tested to create the perfect blend of balance, recovery, and power. The Aydon Single-Handed rod is available in lengths from 7’ to 10’ and weights from 3 through 8. It has been carefully designed and manufactured with SINTRIX material, fitted with top quality hardware and has a purposefully designed reel seat. It comes in a convenient travel tube with a high quality rod sock. To round out the series, the Aydon is also available in Switch, Travel and Double-Handed models.
Fighting Mother Nature
This week Elite Series winner Bryan Schmitt joins to talk about his 2023 Classic performance, the daily grind and the remaining events on the schedule.
Next Gen Lithium Becomes Official Sponsor of Major League Fishing Toyota Series, Expands Tournament Rewards Contingency Program
Premier Lithium Battery and Charger Manufacturer Signs New Sponsorship Agreement for 2023 Season
BENTON, Ky. (April 11, 2023) – Major League Fishing (MLF), the world’s largest tournament fishing organization, announced today that Next Gen Lithium, a Peoria, Arizona-based manufacturer of premium lithium batteries, has agreed to a sponsorship with the organization for the 2023 season. The brand now becomes the first lithium battery to ever become an official sponsor of the MLF Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats.
Next Gen Lithium has also expanded their lucrative Next Gen Lithium Tournament Rewards contingency program to include the MLF Toyota Series events. The contingency program offers bonus cash to the highest finishing Next Gen Lithium Tournament Rewards members in every MLF Toyota Series tournament, including increased payouts in the Toyota Series Championship.
“We are very excited to bring our batteries to the MLF anglers and be a part of the Toyota Series,” said Kevin Johnson, President and CEO of Next Gen Lithium. “As a former FLW Tour angler I know what anglers need in a battery. The Toyota Series anglers are our customers, and being able to partner with the nation’s largest and best tournament organization is a no brainer. We love giving back to our anglers, and our industry-only battery contingency program is a perfect fit for MLF and reaches all levels of MLF competition. It pays to run Next Gen Lithium – we're giving away up to $500 in each Toyota Series event and $1500 at the Toyota Series Championship, just for running Next Gen Lithium batteries.”
Per terms of the sponsorship agreement, Next Gen Lithium will receive exposure through multiple MLF platforms, including prominent logo placement on all Toyota Series trailers and weigh-in stages, the MLF website and social media outlets, inclusion in tournament media and promotion, and MLF Bass Fishing Magazine.
For more information about MLF, their tournaments and sponsors, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. To learn more about Next Gen Lithium and their premium line of batteries and chargers, visit NextGenLithium.com.
Fin-Nor Launches New Lateral-LineTM Low-Light Lenses (L4)
Engineered to optimize color definition without distortion to help anglers see beneath the water surface in low-light conditions
Columbia S.C. (April 11, 2023) – Fin-Nor, a leading sport fishing technology brand, launches a new low-light lens option to eight of their angler-performance sunglass styles, featuring uncompromising polarization and distortion-free clarity that maximizes vision during dawn, dusk, or overcast days.
Outdoor conditions can be unforgiving for success while fishing. For serious anglers, choosing the right lens color could make or break a day on the water. The NEW Lateral-LineTM Low-Light (L4) lens is a high-contrast lens designed for hours when sunshine is scarce. Further evolving the Lateral LineTM lens technology, the L4 lens maximizes Visible Light Transmission (VLT) by enhancing contrast without causing color distortion.
While many brands compromise their clarity and polarization to achieve a low-light lens, Fin- Nor’s L4 lens features the best lens color with the highest VLT levels achievable without compromising polarization and vision clarity. L4 lens technology features a high-contrast copper lite lens base with an attractive blue mirror, optimizing anglers’ ability to identify structure and spot fish. Harnessing the power of premium UV protection and 100% polarization, the L4 lens blocks out negative blue light and enhances an angler’s ability to recognize contrast in color, which helps cut through glare and see below the surface in variable conditions throughout the day.
Fin-Nor performance eyewear features frame designs that allow maximum airflow and lightweight materials specially created to lessen fatigue and provide all-day comfort. All Lateral LineTM lenses feature coatings on both sides that protect against scratches and smudges, even in the harshest conditions. The new L4 lenses come in polycarbonate in eight Fin-Nor styles; Big Pine, Bouncer, Flybridge, Hells Bay, Popper, Rum Line, Tilloo, and 12/0.
Fin-Nor L4 Key Features
•High-contrast lens for spotting structure and fish below the waterline
•Optimized clarity in low-light conditions with color-enhancing accuracy
•Uncompromised 100% polarization, reduces glare and brightens shadows
•Polycarbonate lenses: Clear, lightweight, and impact resistant •Oleophobic/Hydrophobic coating on both sides of the lenses •Maximum UV Protection
•Premium 5-layer backside AR (anti-reflective) coating helps eliminate eye fatigue
Available: April 2023 MSRP: Starts at $199.00
Must-Have Fishing Accessories
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EGO® Fishing reveals legit on-the-water problem-solvers. |
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Caldwell, ID (April 11, 2023) – Whether you’re wading inshore, casting metro canals or ponds, chunking-and-winding bass from the bow, or battling big waters, we all need gear that gets the job done. While most of us spend plenty of money on rods, reels, line, tackle, and weather-capable apparel—fishing tools and accessories are sometimes an afterthought. We’ve all been there, asking fellow anglers if anybody has pliers, hook remover, or line-cutter. That’s fine when fishing with buddies, but out solo it can be a sad situation. Now add your once-in-a-lifetime landing of a trophy fish without any scale or measuring tape to validate the catch. Hard to say how many potential wall-mount replicas (and record-breakers) have been released without specs, only to survive in blurry, first-person cellphone photos and tall tales. That brings us to probably the smartest fish scale/measuring tape combo we’ve ever used. |
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Small enough to fit in any tackle pack, hoodie or shorts side pocket, the EGO® Waterproof Fishing Scale is compact, but will weigh fish topping 100 pounds (like we’ll ever need that)! And, unlike most scales, the EGO Waterproof Fishing Scale also features a flexible, retractable measuring tape not only designed for measuring fish length but works for wrapping around fish bellies for girth measurements, too. That means no carrying a tangled sewing tape measure—and you can leave the silver and yellow Stanley in the garage, too. FEATURES:
MSRP $69.99 |
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When removing needle-sharp trebles from the skin, muscle, or bone in toothy fish mouths, we’ve often wished for a better way. Even in the case of using long-handled pliers, hemostats, and forceps—the business ends aren’t designed for removing hooks—they’re intended for crimping, applying pressure, and in the case of repurposed surgical tools, well, surgery. The solution? EGO's Ultra Hook Remover specifically designed for the task of removing hooks deep from the throats of gamefish. The genius behind it is a two-finger pinching mechanism grip that extends and retracts a non-corrosive J-shaped hook grabber for easy and safe hook removal from thrashing gamefish in or out of a landing net. FEATURES:
MSRP $15.99 |
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On a scale of 1-to-10, most line-cutters barely score a 5. They fail to slice braid, leaving fray that’s difficult to work with; dull quickly; easily bend out of shape; and aren’t weaponized to open a split-ring. Conversely, EGO’s Line Cutter slices through thin and thick braids with surgical precision, stays sharp, holds its shape, and features a split-ring jaw on its tip. And you can keep the Line Cutter at the ready on an EGO Retractable Lanyard. FEATURES:
MSRP $6.99 |
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WHATABURGER AND ACADEMY SPORTS + OUTDOORS SERVE UP A FRESH COLLABORATION FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY
Hometown Favorite Anthony Gagliardi Wins Fox Rent A Car Stage Three on Lake Murray Presented by Mercury
Prosperity, South Carolina Pro Catches Five-Bass Limit Weighing 26-13 to Win by 4-Pound 11-Ounce Margin, Earn First Tour-Level Win Since 2014 and $100,000 Top Prize
COLUMBIA, S.C. (April 7, 2023) – Lake Murray has been good to professional angler Anthony Gagliardi . Coming into the event, the Prosperity, South Carolina pro had two major national wins – including the prestigious 2014 FLW Cup – and banked nearly a half of a million dollars in career tournament winnings from Lake Murray, alone. On Friday, Gagliardi added another big trophy and another $100,000 in earnings from his hometown fishery. Gagliardi caught 16 scorable bass, with his best five weighing 26 pounds, 13 ounces, to win the top prize of $100,000 at the Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Tour Fox Rent A Car Stage Three at Lake Murray Presented by Mercury.
Gagliardi’s two-day total of 10 bass weighing 47 pounds, 12 ounces, earned him the win by a 4-pound, 11-ounce margin over second-place finisher Ott DeFoe of Blaine, Tennessee, who weighed in 10 bass totaling 43-1.
“There is something about this lake, I don’t know what it is, but this lake just suits me,” Gagliardi said. “I don’t even fish it all that much – I honestly don’t – but this lake is just incredible, and I am so proud to be from here. Lake Murray showed out for everybody this week.
“If you’d have told me that I was going to be able to catch that kind of weight doing the things I was doing today, I wouldn’t have believed you,” Gagliardi continued. “I started the day out thinking I was going to fish conservatively and just try to get to 18 pounds and see what happens after that. But I caught a 5-12 early, and then the 8-pounder – just a huge, huge fish. Then it was on. This has just been a blessed day all around.”
Gagliardi spent his week targeting fish that were feeding on the blueback herring, but he did it in an unorthodox way – with a drop-shot rig keying on schools of striped bass.
“This is not how I envisioned this tournament playing out,” Gagliardi said. “The herring bite is usually the deal this time of year, and I practiced that way. But I just didn’t find the places that I felt like had big enough fish. And then I figured out the other deal, and just went with what I had.
“I was fishing points that had herring, and I was specifically looking for points that had stripers on them,” Gagliardi continued. “I slowed down and used that drop-shot so I wouldn’t have to worry about catching the stripers. A lot of times I’d throw into groups that I knew were stripers and I’d watch the drop-shot go down through them. The stripers would swim around and act real crazy, but it would get down and if there was a largemouth in that group of stripers he would bite the drop-shot.
“I was also seeing some fish on the Garmin LiveScope – individual fish, and I caught a lot that way as well, but I never thought I would have been fishing like I was today.”
Gagliardi had an extremely disappointing start to his 2023 Bass Pro Tour season, finishing tied for 79th place at the first event of the year at Stage One on Lake Toho. Now, after a 17th-place showing at Stage Two on Cherokee & Douglas Lakes and the win on Lake Murray, Gagliardi finds himself back inside the REDCREST qualification line at 27th place in the Bally Bet Angler of the Year race.
“I was really nervous about this one, from the standpoint of doing well,” Gagliardi said. “I knew the lake was going to fish really good, but this time of year, with the fish spawning, I didn’t think any local advantage was going to come into play. So I just wanted to have a good tournament and not bomb on my home lake.
“But as the tournament progressed I was able to stay consistent, and the farther into the tournament I advanced I started to devote more time to the drop-shot deal when I figured out I could get a good quality bite. And that’s what I stuck with the entire day, today.
“It’s been my time a couple of times on this lake,” Gagliardi went on to say. “That’s three major wins on this lake, and another second-place finish as well. She’s been good to me over the years, and this is just such an awesome feeling. I love this lake.”
The final 10 pros from the Fox Rent A Car Stage Three at Lake Murray Presented by Mercury finished:
1st: Anthony Gagliardi, Prosperity, S.C., 10 bass, 47-12, $100,000
2nd: Ott DeFoe, Blaine, Tenn., 10 bass, 43-1, $45,000
3rd: Brent Chapman, Lake Quivira, Kan., 10 bass, 41-6, $38,000
4th: Chris Lane, Guntersville, Ala., 10 bass, 40-15, $32,000
5th: Jonathon VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich., 10 bass, 40-6, $30,000
6th: John Hunter, Shelbyville, Ky., 10 bass, 40-0, $26,000
7th: Jeff Sprague, Wills Point, Texas, 10 bass, 37-3, $23,000
8th: Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C, 10 bass, 36-13, $21,000
9th: Andy Montgomery, Blacksburg, S.C., 10 bass, 36-0, $19,000
10th: James Watson, Lampe, Mo., nine bass, 31-11, $16,000
Full results for the entire field can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Overall, there were 106 scorable bass weighing 317 pounds, 1 ounce caught by the final 10 pros Friday.
Gagliardi also earned Friday’s Championship Round $1,000 Berkley Big Bass award with his 8-pounder on the drop-shot rig in Period 2. Fellow South Carolina pro, Andy Montgomery of Blacksburg, earned the $3,000 Berkley Big Bass award for the overall largest bass of the event with his monster 8-pound, 8-ounce largemouth that he weighed on Day 3 of competition.
After three events in the Bass Pro Tour regular season, pro Ott DeFoe of Blaine, Tennessee, is the leader in the 2023 Bass Pro Tour Bally Bet Angler of the Year (AOY) standings with 231 points. Pro Chris Lane of Guntersville, Alabama, sits in second place with 218 points, while pro Andy Morgan of Dayton, Tennessee, rounds out the top three with 202 points. Bally Bet will award $100,000 to the 2023 Bass Pro Tour Bally Bet Angler of the Year winner.
The next event for qualified Bass Pro Tour anglers will be the General Tire Heavy Hitters all-star event on Caney Creek Reservoir and Bussey Brake, April 24-29, in Monroe, Louisiana. The next regular season Bass Pro Tour event will take place next month – the Toro Stage Four Presented by Bass Cat Boats, May 16-21, at Lake Guntersville in Guntersville, Alabama.
The Fox Rent A Car Stage Three at Lake Murray Presented by Mercury featured pros competing using the MLF catch, weigh, immediate-release format, with each angler’s five (5) heaviest bass per day tallied as their day’s weight. Anglers strive to catch their heaviest five fish each day, while also feeling the pressure and intensity of the live scoring SCORETRACKER® leaderboard. Minimum weights are determined individually for each competition waters that the Bass Pro Tour visits, based on the productivity, bass population and anticipated average size of fish in each fishery.
The six-day bass-fishing event, hosted by Capital City/Lake Murray Country, showcased 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 Fox Rent A Car Stage Three at Lake Murray Presented by Mercury will air as two, two-hour episodes starting at 7 a.m. ET, on Saturday, Sept. 30 and Saturday, Oct. 7 on the Discovery Channel. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on Discovery, with re-airings on the Outdoor Channel.
Proud sponsors of the 2023 MLF Bass Pro Tour include: 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, Ark Fishing, ATG + Wrangler, B&W Trailer Hitches, Bally Bet, Bass Cat Boats, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, Daiwa, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, Ferguson, Fox Rent A Car, General Tire, Grundéns, Humminbird, Lowrance, Minn Kota, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Power-Pole, Rapala, Star tron, T-H Marine, TORO, Toyota, U.S. Air Force, Yellowstone Bourbon, Yo-Zuri and Zoom Baits.
For complete details and updated information on Major League Fishing and the Bass Pro Tour, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
Battledress for the Boat
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Whitewater Fishing’s new Buoy™ HD Fishing Hoodie is built for battle with a look and feel you’ll want to wear daily. |
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MUSKEGON, Mich. (April 7, 2023) – If fishing were a branch of the military, the hoodie would be standard issue battledress. It’s cornerstone to the look and field performance for everyday anglers and competitive professionals alike. And being so foundational to angling apparel, subpar hoodie’s need not apply. Whitewater Fishing advances the design, construction, and performance of the hoodie to new heights with the new Buoy™ HD Fishing Hoodie. |
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It begins with the Buoy™ HD Fishing Hoodie’s substantial heft and feel that exudes warmth and durability via its comfortable, heavy-duty cotton-poly blend. This perfect mixture of materials yields the comfort and warmth of cotton with the shape-keeping fit of poly. And, unlike the average hoodie that slurps up water, the Buoy HD Fishing Hoodie is DWR (Durable Water Repellant) treated to repel moisture. |
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External features are headlined by a zip closure kangaroo pouch – keep open for quick hand warming and zip shut to securely store your keys, wallet, or smartphone. Rib knit construction at the cuffs and waist yields a secure fit while preventing drafts and heat loss. And reflective tape at the front and back of the shoulders promotes angler visibility in foggy, low-light, and nighttime conditions. Lastly, an adjustable hood shock cord locks to customize fit, with or without a hat. Fishing has a new uniform. Its name is Buoy HD Fishing Hoodie by Whitewater Fishing. |
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Buoy™ HD Fishing Hoodie FEATURES:
Apparel will soon be available at select dealers but is available online NOW at whitewaterfish.com. |
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Clarksville Angler Zach King Wins MLF Toyota Series at Lake Dardanelle
RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. (April 7, 2023) – Pro Zach King of Clarksville, Arkansas brought a five-bass limit to the scale Thursday weighing 18 pounds, 10 ounces to win the Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats at Lake Dardanelle and earn the top payout of $40,000. Over the three days of competition King weighed in 15 bass totaling 55-3 to earn the win by a 5-pound, 13-ounce margin over Texas’ Todd Castledine, who finished second with a three-day total of 49-6, good for $15,500.
“I was feeling good coming into this tournament because I have a lot of local knowledge on the fishery,” said King. “I know where the bass are at and what they’re doing. The only thing I was worried about was the weather. I knew this cold front was coming but thank goodness the weatherman was wrong on the predictions. When we looked at the forecast, it was supposed to be 38 degrees on the final day, but when we woke up it was 50 degrees, which made a huge difference in the bite.
“They called for early storms and a cold front on the second day of the event, but when we woke up that morning, it was 76 degrees, and the storms hadn’t hit yet.”
Despite all the anticipated weather that was late coming to fruition, King said the event ended up being “the perfect storm” for him.
“Everything aligned just right for me in this event,” said King. “It was warm two days prior to practice and the first two days of the event, but then the cold front hit and made it tough for a lot of the anglers. Thankfully, my local knowledge paid off for me when the conditions did change.”
King said he’s a big sight-fisherman and spent most of his time upriver in the Spadra Creek region, targeting spawning fish on beds.
“Probably 97% of my fish came from me looking at them on beds,” said King. “I was throwing a watermelon red flake-colored Yum Dinger, a ¼-ounce War Eagle Spinnerbait and a 3/8-ounce Booyah Swim’n Jig on a Randall Tharp Money Maker ARK Rod with 15-pound Seaguar Line.”
The Clarksville pro said he’d finished 2nd on the Toyota Series four times over the last 10 years or so and was due for a win.
“It feels amazing, and it was so great having all of my family here with me,” said King. “I’ve lived here and fished this lake my whole life and everyone has always considered me the ‘King of Dardanelle’, so it feels good to finally solidify that with a win on my home lake.”
The top 10 pros on Lake Dardanelle finished:
2nd: Todd Castledine, Nacogdoches, Texas, 15 bass, 49-6, $15,500
3rd: Erick Hurst, Clarksville, Ark., 15 bass, 49-6, $13,000
4th: Kirk Smith, Edmond, Okla., 15 bass, 47-15, $10,200
5th: Dillon Harrell, New Haney, Texas, 15 bass, 46-1, $9,000
6th: Cole Breeden, Lebanon, Mo., 15 bass, 45-14, $8,300
7th: Matt Baker, Glenwood, Ark., 15 bass, 44-5, $7,000
8th: Keith Combs, Huntington, Texas, 15 bass, 43-3, $6,000
9th: Jeff Lugar, Princeton, Texas, 15 bass, 41-13, $5,000
10th: Steve Lopez, Oconomowoc, Wis., 15 bass, 40-12, $4,000
Pro Derick Maschmeier of Azle, Texas won the $500 Day 1 Berkley Big Bass award in the pro division Tuesday with a bass weighing 6 pounds, 6 ounces. On Wednesday, pro Evan Barnes of Dardanelle, Arkansas earned the $500 Berkley Big Bass prize after bringing a 5-pound, 12-ounce bass to the scale.
Hurst took home an extra $1,000 as the highest finishing Phoenix MLF Bonus member. Boaters are eligible to win up to an extra $35,000 per event in each Toyota Series tournament if all requirements are met. More information on the Phoenix MLF Bonus contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.
Robert Chavers of Knoxville, Arkansas went wire-to-wire to win the Strike King Co-angler Division Thursday with a three-day total of 13 bass weighing 35 pounds, 10 ounces. Chavers took home the top prize package worth $33,500, including a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard motor.
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers on Lake Dardanelle finished:
2nd: Carter Wijangco, Naperville, Ill., 13 bass, 34-8, $5,000
3rd: Brennan Cole, Altheimer, Ark., 15 bass, 33-10, $4,000
4th: Scott Parsons, Rogers, Ark., 15 bass, 31-2, $3,500
5th: Will Lancett, Jacksonville, Ark., 12 bass, 30-5, $3,000
6th: Cody McEntire, Walnut Ridge, Ark., 12 bass, 29-14, $2,500
7th: Garrett Wilson, Willis, Texas, 13 bass, 29-12, 13 bass, $2,000
8th: Mark King, Gurdon, Ark., 12 bass, 29-9, $1,750
9th: Alan Bernicky, Joliet, Ill., 11 bass, 29-2, $1,850
10th: Charles Williams, Clarksville, Ark., 13 bass, 28-13, $1,250
With two of three regular-season events in the Toyota Series Southwestern Division now complete, pro Todd Castledine of Nacogdoches, Texas leads the Southwestern Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 508 points, while Justin Swayze of Gurdon, Arkansas leads the Strike King Co-angler Division AOY race with 508 points.
The Toyota Series at Lake Dardanelle, hosted by Russellville Advertising and Promotions, was the second of three regular-season events for the Toyota Series Southwestern Division. The next event for Toyota Series anglers will be the Toyota Series at the California Delta Presented by Psycho Tuna, April 19-21, in Bethel Island, California. For a complete schedule of events, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The 2023 Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats consists of six divisions – Central, Northern, Plains, Southern, Southwestern and the Western Division Presented by Tackle Warehouse – each holding three regular-season events, along with the International and Wild Card divisions. Anglers who fish in any of the six divisions or the Wild Card division and finish in the top 25 will qualify for the no-entry-fee Toyota Series Championship for a shot at winning up to $235,000 and a qualification to REDCREST 2024. The winning Strike King co-angler at the championship earns a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard. The 2023 Toyota Series Championship will be held Nov. 2-4 on Table Rock Lake in Branson, Missouri, and is hosted by ExploreBranson.com.
Proud sponsors of the 2023 MLF Toyota Series include: 4WP, 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Black Rifle Coffee Company, E3, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, Fox Rent a Car, General Tire, Gill, Grundéns, Lew’s, Lowrance, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Next Gen Lithium, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Wiley X and YETI.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Toyota Series updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the MLF5 social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
Major League Fishing Pros and Fisheries Management Division Deploy Artificial Fish Habitat into Lake Greenwood
South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) has been collaborating with Greenwood County Lake Management (GCLM) since 2019 to improve habitat within Greenwood. Their previous permit allowed for the deployment of 300-plus individual structures at 19 sites. The GCLM team continued the project by purchasing 225 structures and provided them to registered dock owners throughout Greenwood Lake.
The MLF FMD partnered with SCDNR, and GCLM to provide the next phase of this project in 2023. The Minn Kota Habitat Restoration Project supported by Mercury Marine and MossBack Fish Habitat provided the partnership with 99 MossBack Fish Habitat products including 14 40-inch Conservation Cubes, 31 20-inch root wads, 27 60-inch Trophy Tree XL, 27 60-inch Safe Haven XL, and cinder block adaptors to make the product easy to deploy. The retail value of the habitat donated for this project is $26,200.
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(Photos courtesy of MAJOR BASS)
The three MLF angler volunteers met MLF FMD Director Steven Bardin, SCDNR Fisheries Chief Ross Self, Assistant Chief Lynn Quattro, Region 1 Biologist Amy Breedlove Chastain, SCDNR staff and GCLM staff at Lake Greenwood State Park. The volunteers built part of the MossBack habitats and deployed them under the courtesy fishing pier. SCDNR and GCLM are awaiting permitting approval to deploy the remaining structures this summer. Once complete the new habitat areas will be added to the current fish attractor map found on the SCDNR website. “I really appreciate the SCDNR and GCLM providing MossBack products to dock owners, that’s a unique program that needs to catch on nationally and I’m proud to be part of the team that’s here today ensuring the habitat work on Lake Greenwood continues,” said Vinson, a Mercury Marine and MossBack Fish Habitat pro. “This wouldn’t be possible without Mercury and MossBack’s support.” The next Minn Kota Habitat Restoration Project supported by Humminbird will be April 25 on Louisiana’s Lake Claiborne during the General Tires Heavy Hitters event. For complete details and updated information on Major League Fishing and the MLF Fisheries Management Division, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com/fisheries-management. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. |
Sprague Leads Knockout Round at Fox Rent A Car Stage Three on Lake Murray Presented by Mercury
Texas Pro Catches Five Largemouth Weighing 23 Pounds, 8 Ounces to Lead Knockout Round, Final 10 Anglers Set for Championship Friday and Shootout for $100,000
COLUMBIA, S.C. (April 6, 2023) – Pro Jeff Sprague of Wills Point, Texas, caught 13 scorable bass Thursday, with his best five weighing 23 pounds, 8 ounces, to win the Knockout Round and advance to the final day of competition at the Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Tour Fox Rent A Car Stage Three at Lake Murray Presented by Mercury.
Sprague will bring a slim 1-pound advantage over second-place pro James Watson of Lampe, Missouri, who weighed in five bass totaling 22-8 to qualify for his first career Bass Pro Tour Championship Round and end the day in second place. Bass Pro Tour rookie John Hunter of Shelbyville, Kentucky, sits in third place with five bass weighing 22-7, while Qualifying Round winner Jonathon VanDam of Kalamazoo, Michigan , weighed in five bass totaling 21-13 to finish the day in fourth. Local favorite, Prosperity, South Carolina’s Anthony Gagliardi caught five bass weighing 20-15 to round out the top five.
Weights are extremely tight – less than 4 pounds separates the entire top 10 and the tournament can be won by any of the remaining 10 anglers. Competition resumes Friday morning with the Championship Round, where weight carries over from the Knockout Round and the angler with the heaviest two-day total will win the top prize of $100,000.
“When everything goes right, everything goes right, and today it kind of came together and everything went right for me,” Sprague said in his post-game interview. “My practice was just so-so, here. A lot of fish are coming up, and they had been very skittish. But they had just gotten up there and weren’t ready. Now we’ve had a couple of warm nights, and the fish are really starting to set up and lock down. And the big females are starting to show up.
“The lake really showed out today – nearly everyone in the top 10 has 20 pounds,” Sprague continued. “It’s a tremendous fishery, but it hasn’t been as easy as it looks.”
Sprague started the third period in seventh place, then caught a 5-5 and 6-11 in a quick five-minute span at 1 p.m. to vault to the top of the leaderboard and remain there for the rest of the day. His first fish of the day came on a buzzbait, and the remaining four keepers in his limit came on soft plastics.
“I’ve caught a lot of fish this week just throwing around a wacky worm,” Sprague said. “A couple of fish, including the big fish this morning, came on a prototype reel from Summit Fishing and custom-made rods that I created bought and made through MHX Custom Rods. I made them myself, and they are great rods with great blanks. I used 20-pound fluorocarbon (line), and a little creature bait with a 3/8-ounce tungsten weight. It’s not a very pretty setup, but it really catches a lot of fish when they’re spawning. It’s basic, Fishing 101.
“I’ve said it so many times, I almost don’t want to say it again. But I want to bring that trophy back to Texas,” Sprague went on to say. “I just want go out tomorrow, fish clean, and put some big fish in the boat and have a good time. That’s what it’s all about. It’s going to be an exciting finale, no matter who wins this thing. I saw a lot today that gave me hope, so we’re going out tomorrow and going to give them heck.”
The top 10 pros from Thursday’s Knockout Round that now advance to Friday’s Championship Round on Lake Murray are:
1st: Jeff Sprague, Wills Point, Texas, five bass, 23-8
2nd: James Watson, Lampe, Mo., five bass, 22-8
3rd: John Hunter, Shelbyville, Ky., five bass, 22-7
4th: Jonathon VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich., five bass, 21-13
5th: Anthony Gagliardi, Prosperity, S.C., five bass, 20-15
6th: Brent Chapman, Lake Quivira, Kan., five bass, 20-13
7th: Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C, five bass, 20-6
8th: Andy Montgomery, Blacksburg, S.C., five bass, 20-0
9th: Chris Lane, Guntersville, Ala., five bass, 20-0
10th: Ott DeFoe, Blaine, Tenn., five bass, 19-11
Finishing in 11th through 40th are:
11th: Alton Jones, Jr., Waco, Texas, five bass, 19-9, $10,000
12th: Ryan Salzman, Huntsville, Ala., five bass, 18-15, $10,000
13th: Nick LeBrun, Bossier City, La., five bass, 18-15, $10,000
14th: Brandon Coulter, Knoxville, Tenn., five bass, 18-14, $10,000
15th: Alton Jones, Sr., Lorena, Texas, five bass, 18-13, $10,000
16th: Dakota Ebare, Brookeland, Texas, five bass, 18-12, $10,000
17th: Edwin Evers, Talala, Okla., five bass, 18-11, $10,000
18th: Andy Morgan, Dayton, Tenn., five bass, 18-9, $10,000
19th: Takahiro Omori, Tokyo, Japan, five bass, 17-13, $10,000
20th: Todd Faircloth, Jasper, Texas, five bass, 17-3, $10,000
21st: Kevin VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich., five bass, 17-2, $10,000
22nd: Keith Poche, Pike Road, Ala., five bass, 17-2, $10,000
23rd: Matt Becker, Ten Mile, Tenn., five bass, 17-1, $10,000
24th: Dave Lefebre, Erie, Pa., five bass, 16-1, $10,000
25th: Marty Robinson, Lyman, S.C., five bass, 15-15, $10,000
26th: Cole Floyd, Leesburg, Ohio, five bass, 15-8, $10,000
27th: Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., five bass, 15-3, $10,000
28th: Skeet Reese, Auburn, Calif., five bass, 15-3, $10,000
29th: Randy Howell, Guntersville, Ala., five bass, 15-1, $10,000
30th: Jared Lintner, Covington, Ga., five bass, 14-3, $10,000
31st: Gary Klein, Mingus, Texas, five bass, 14-2, $10,000
32nd: Cliff Crochet, Pierre Part, La., five bass, 14-0, $10,000
33rd: Mitch Crane, Columbus, Miss., five bass, 12-15, $10,000
34th: Dustin Connell, Clanton, Ala., five bass, 12-10, $10,000
35th: Terry Scroggins, San Mateo, Fla., five bass, 12-9, $10,000
36th: Scott Suggs, Alexander, Ark., five bass, 12-2, $10,000
37th: John Murray, Spring City, Tenn., three bass, 10-1, $10,000
38th: Dean Rojas, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., three bass, 6-0, $10,000
39th: Stephen Browning, Hot Springs, Ark., two bass, 4-13, $10,000
40th: Jeff Kriet, Ardmore, Okla., two bass, 4-9, $10,000
A complete list of results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Overall, there were 357 scorable bass weighing 1,038 pounds, 4 ounces caught by the 40 pros Thursday.
Thursday’s $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award went to pro Edwin Evers of Talala, Oklahoma, who caught a 7-pound, 4-ounce largemouth in Period 2 on a Berkley PowerBait Gilly to earn the payout. Berkley awards $1,000 to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass each day, and a $3,000 bonus to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass of the tournament.
The six-day bass-fishing event, hosted by Capital City/Lake Murray Country, showcases 80 of the top professional anglers in the world, competing for a purse of more than $805,000, including a top payout of $100,000 and valuable Angler of the Year (AOY) points in hopes of qualifying for the General Tire Heavy Hitters All-Star event and REDCREST 2024, the Bass Pro Tour championship.
The 40 Anglers in Group A competed in their two-day qualifying round on Sunday and Tuesday – the 40 anglers in Group B on Monday and Wednesday. After the two-day qualifying round, the top 20 anglers from each group advanced to Thursday’s Knockout Round. In the Knockout Round, weights were zeroed, and the remaining 40 anglers competed to finish in the top 10 to advance to the Championship Round. In the Championship Round on Friday, weight carries over from the Knockout Round and the angler with the heaviest two-day total will win the top prize of $100,000.
The final 10 anglers will launch Friday at 7:30 a.m. ET from Dreher Island State Park, located at 3677 State Park Road in Prosperity. The General Tire Takeout will be held at the launch location, beginning at 4 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend all launch and takeout events and also encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLF NOW!® live stream and SCORETRACKER® coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
On Championship Friday, April 7, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. MLF will welcome fans of all ages to visit Dreher Island State Park and celebrate the top 10 and crown the Fox Rent A Car Stage Three at Lake Murray 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 Fox Rent A Car Stage Three at Lake Murray Presented by Mercury features pros competing using the MLF catch, weigh, immediate-release format, with each angler’s five (5) heaviest bass per day tallied as their day’s weight. Anglers strive to catch their heaviest five fish each day, while also feeling the pressure and intensity of the live scoring SCORETRACKER® leaderboard. Minimum weights are determined individually for each competition waters that the Bass Pro Tour visits, based on the productivity, bass population and anticipated average size of fish in each fishery.
The 2023 MLF Bass Pro Tour features a field of 80 of the top professional anglers in the world competing across seven regular-season tournaments around the country, fishing for millions of dollars and valuable points to qualify for the annual General Tire Heavy Hitters all-star event and REDCREST 2024, the Bass Pro Tour championship, held March 13-17, 2024, on Lay Lake in Birmingham, Alabama.
The MLF NOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee, Marty Stone and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action live on all six days of competition from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET. MLF NOW!® will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app.
Television coverage of the Fox Rent A Car Stage Three at Lake Murray Presented by Mercury will air as two, two-hour episodes starting at 7 a.m. ET, on Saturday, Sept. 30 and Saturday, Oct. 7 on the Discovery Channel. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on Discovery, with re-airings on the Outdoor Channel.
Proud sponsors of the 2023 MLF Bass Pro Tour include: 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, Ark Fishing, ATG + Wrangler, B&W Trailer Hitches, Bally Bet, Bass Cat Boats, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, Daiwa, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, Ferguson, Fox Rent A Car, General Tire, Grundéns, Humminbird, Lowrance, Minn Kota, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Power-Pole, Rapala, Star tron, T-H Marine, TORO, Toyota, U.S. Air Force, Yellowstone Bourbon, Yo-Zuri and Zoom Baits.
For complete details and updated information on Major League Fishing and the Bass Pro Tour, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
Post-spawn chaos could await Bassmaster Opens pros at famed Toledo Bend Reservoir
Toledo Bend Reservoir in Many, La., will host the St. Croix Bassmaster Opens Series April 13-15.
Photo by Brenden Kanies/B.A.S.S.
April 6, 2023
MANY, La. — Shaine Campbell finished second at the St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Alabama’s Lake Eufaula back in March, which was enough to put him atop the Elite Qualifiers Division standings.
Now, as if Campbell himself designed the schedule, the Opens will swing right through his wheelhouse, stopping at Toledo Bend Reservoir on April 13-15. Anglers will take off every day at 6:45 a.m. CT from Cypress Bend Park with weigh-ins scheduled back at the park at 2:45 p.m.
It figures to be a wide-open tournament, as many on the 185,000-acre impoundment of the Sabine River tend to be. That’s partly because of the diversity of the fishery, but mostly because of the giant bucket-mouthed bass, some with double-digit weights, that have been hooked at the “The Bend” throughout the year.
Few know this as well as Campbell, who lives in Brookeland, Texas, just a 30-minute drive from the nearest Toledo Bend ramp.
“You can fish anywhere from a foot of water to 30 feet of water at Toledo Bend,” Campbell said. “You can catch bed fish, you can throw a Carolina rig out deep, you can try a crankbait. Really, you can try a little bit of everything, and I think most people will. It’ll be interesting to see what patterns guys get on.”
Campbell, 36, expects bass to be post-spawn for this derby and said he’ll target transitioning fish with hopes of landing a spot in the final round of the three-day tournament. Still, he said April can be “stingy sometimes when the bass get in a little post-spawn funk.”
Campbell suspects the winner will need a three-day total between 60 and 62 pounds. He said the deciding factor almost certainly will be the angler who catches a few lunkers like the ones that made it the top-ranked fishery in the U.S. by Bassmaster Magazine in 2015 and 2016.
“At any time, someone can catch a 9- or 10-pounder that changes everything,” he said.
Campbell said he likes the magnitude of the place, but noted the expansiveness and myriad choices to make can intimidate anglers who are accustomed to smaller bodies of water.
Still, he doesn’t expect the 171 EQ anglers (225 pro anglers total) at Toledo Bend to blink.
“Not one bit,” he said, chuckling. “Somebody had to take the EQ lead after the first Open and I’m really glad it was me. But there are some horses right behind me. I’d love to hold onto the lead in the standings until the end, but it’s a long year.”
Nine Opens tournaments are on the 2023 schedule and the top nine anglers in the Bassmaster Opens EQ points race at the end of the season will qualify for the prestigious Bassmaster Elite Series in 2024.
No matter how he finishes at Toledo Bend, Campbell already has one thing going for him before the first bass is caught.
“There’s a lot to be said for camaraderie, and I may stay over at (Toledo Bend) on tournament days,” he said. “I’m comfortable there. But you can guarantee that on practice days, I’m going home to sleep in my own bed.”
Follow all of the action on Bassmaster.com.
Minn Kota sponsors Bassmaster Elite showdown on St. Lawrence River
April 6, 2023
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Long-time B.A.S.S. partner Minn Kota is expanding their partnership for 2023 to serve as the title sponsor for a heavy showdown on the St. Lawrence River, which has once more topped Bassmaster’s list as the country’s best bass fishery in 2022. The season-ending Minn Kota Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River will be held August 24-27, and anglers will hope to match the stellar 2022 conditions that produced two historic smallmouth century belts for Jay Przekurat and Cory Johnston.
“Minn Kota is excited to be the title sponsor for the Bassmaster Elite Series event at the St. Lawrence River this coming August,” said Brad Henry, brand manager for Minn Kota. “After Humminbird and Minn Kota pro Jeff Gustafson’s Bassmaster Classic win in Knoxville, we are looking forward to heading to another great venue where our anglers have had a lot of success in the past. It will be a big year for the Minn Kota brand and we look forward to being front and center at this event.”
Gustafson became the first Canadian to win the Ray Scott Trophy at the 2023 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Toyota in late March. In the event, “Gussy” used a tactic dating back to his roots to win the coveted title in wire-to-wire fashion. Gustafson’s "moping” technique uses a Z-Man Jerk ShadZ on a 3/8-ounce Smeltinator jighead, fishing straight down for bass he could see on his Humminbird MEGA Live forward-facing sonar.
In addition to its title sponsorship of the Elite at St. Lawrence, Minn Kota is a premier sponsor of the six-circuit Bassmaster Tournament Trail and will continue garnering prime visibility in B.A.S.S. multimedia platforms, magazines and on Bassmaster LIVE, which airs on FOX, FS1, Tubi and the FOX Sports digital platforms.
Full coverage from all four days of the Minn Kota Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River will be available on Bassmaster.com and the FOX Sports digital platforms. FS1 will also broadcast live with the tournament leaders on Saturdays and Sundays. For more information, visit Bassmaster.com.
Louisiana’s “Cajun Baby” Cliff Crochet Earns Qualifying Round Win for Group B at Fox Rent A Car Stage Three on Lake Murray Presented by Mercury
Louisiana Pro Catches Two-Day Haul of 41-15 to Pace Group B and Advance, Field of 40 Set for Thursday’s Knockout Round
COLUMBIA, S.C. (April 5, 2023) – An incoming full moon on Thursday night, bright and sunny bluebird skies, and a very light wind made for extremely favorable sight-fishing conditions Wednesday to wrap up the Group B Qualifying Round at the MLF Bass Pro Tour Fox Rent A Car Stage Three at Lake Murray Presented by Mercury in Columbia, South Carolina. Pro Cliff Crochet of Pierre Part, Louisiana , had the best Qualifying Round – 10 bass weighing 41 pounds, 15 ounces, to win Group B and advance along with the top 20 finishers into Thursday’s Knockout Round.
Googan Baits pro Dustin Connell of Clanton, Alabama, who held the lead early in Period 1 before backing off his fish, caught a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 39-8 to end the Qualifying Round in second place. Day 1 leader, rookie Nick LeBrun of Bossier City, Louisiana, caught 10 bass weighing 39-2 to finish the round in third. Both held the lead for periods of time Wednesday, but both were eventually overtaken by Crochet.
The remaining 40 anglers – the top 20 from each group – now advance to Thursday’s Knockout Round, where weights are zeroed, and the anglers compete to finish in the top 10 to advance to the Championship Round on Friday. 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.
“Man, it feels a lot better being inside the cut then it does being outside the cut, when time runs out,” Crochet said in his post-game interview. “It was a perfect day, today. I started out early and caught a couple of fish, and it went down pretty good. Just chunk after chunk, and I caught the weight that I needed to move onto the Knockout Round.”
Most of Crochet’s fish on Wednesday came on a River2Sea Whopper Plopper, but he also added a keeper to his limit using a NetBait BaitFuel Infused Toad.
“One of the coolest things that happened today was that I was catching them on equipment that I helped design for some of my sponsors,” Crochet said. “The KastKing (Speed Demon Elite) Deadbolt reel, which has the lockdown drag system – that’s been a big key to how I’m catching them this week. And the new (KastKing) Hammer Braid line we got – those two products are really playing a big part for me this week.
“I caught a few more at the end of the day, and I think that may play later this week so I feel like my pattern is trending up and life is good,” Crochet went on to say. “I’m very thankful for today. I’m ready to go home, eat supper, and go to sleep so we can get after it again tomorrow.”
The top 20 pros from Group B that advance to Thursday’s Knockout Round on Lake Murray are:
1st: Cliff Crochet, Pierre Part, La., 10 bass, 41-15
2nd: Dustin Connell, Clanton, Ala., 10 bass, 39-8
3rd: Nick LeBrun, Bossier City, La., 10 bass, 39-2
4th: Ott DeFoe, Blaine, Tenn., 10 bass, 38-5
5th: Takahiro Omori, Tokyo, Japan, 10 bass, 37-9
6th: Alton Jones, Jr., Waco, Texas, 10 bass, 37-5
7th: Dave Lefebre, Erie, Pa., 10 bass, 36-3
8th: Andy Morgan, Dayton, Tenn., 10 bass, 36-3
9th: Randy Howell, Guntersville, Ala., 10 bass, 35-3
10th: Chris Lane, Guntersville, Ala., 10 bass, 35-0
11th: Ryan Salzman, Huntsville, Ala., 10 bass, 34-7
12th: Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., 10 bass, 34-4
13th: Stephen Browning, Hot Springs, Ark., 10 bass, 33-13
14th: Skeet Reese, Auburn, Calif., 10 bass, 33-12
15th: Edwin Evers, Talala, Okla., 10 bass, 33-12
16th: James Watson, Lampe, Mo, 10 bass, 33-6
17th: Kevin VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich., 10 bass, 33-3
18th: Jeff Sprague, Wills Point, Texas, 10 bass, 33-1
19th: Terry Scroggins, San Mateo, Fla., 10 bass, 32-12
20th: Dean Rojas, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., 10 bass, 32-5
Eliminated from competition are:
21st: Justin Lucas, Guntersville, Ala., 10 bass, 31-11
22nd: Josh Butler, Hayden, Ala., 10 bass, 31-2
23rd: Wesley Strader, Spring City, Tenn., 10 bass, 30-15
24th: Roy Hawk, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., 10 bass, 30-15
25th: Luke Clausen, Spokane, Wash., 10 bass, 30-8
26th: Adrian Avena, Vineland, N.J., 10 bass, 30-8
27th: Russ Lane, Prattville, Ala., nine bass, 29-9
28th: Jacob Wall, New Hope, Ala., 10 bass, 29-1
29th: Randall Tharp, Port Saint Joe, Fla., 10 bass, 27-15
30th: Fletcher Shryock, Guntersville, Ala., 10 bass, 27-13
31st: Cody Meyer, Star, Idaho, 10 bass, 27-11
32nd: Jesse Wiggins, Addison, Ala., nine bass, 26-10
33rd: Mark Davis, Mount Ida, Ark., nine bass, 26-7
34th: Greg Vinson, Wetumpka, Ala., 10 bass, 26-7
35th: Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla., nine bass, 26-6
36th: Timmy Horton, Muscle Shoals, Ala., 10 bass, 26-3
37th: Kelly Jordon, Flint, Texas, seven bass, 25-9
38th: Spencer Shuffield, Hot Springs, Ark., 10 bass, 25-5
39th: Josh Bertrand, Queen Creek, Ariz., nine bass, 22-15
40th: Cliff Pace, Petal, Miss., 10 bass, 20-12
A complete list of results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Overall, there were 342 scorable bass weighing 921 pounds, 13 ounces caught by the 40 pros Wednesday.
Wednesday’s $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award was awarded to General Tire pro Skeet Reese of Auburn, California, who weighed in a 6-pound, 4-ounce largemouth which bit his big glide bait in Period 3. Berkley awards $1,000 to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass each day, and a $3,000 bonus to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass of the tournament.
The six-day bass-fishing event, hosted by Capital City/Lake Murray Country, showcases 80 of the top professional anglers in the world, competing for a purse of more than $805,000, including a top payout of $100,000 and valuable Angler of the Year (AOY) points in hopes of qualifying for the General Tire Heavy Hitters All-Star event and REDCREST 2024, the Bass Pro Tour championship.
The 40 Anglers in Group A competed in their two-day qualifying round on Sunday and Tuesday – the 40 anglers in Group B on Monday and Wednesday. Now that each two-day qualifying round is complete, the top 20 anglers from each group advance to Thursday’s Knockout Round. In the Knockout Round, weights are zeroed, and the remaining 40 anglers compete to finish in the top 10 to advance to the Championship Round. In Friday’s final day Championship Round, weight carries over from the Knockout Round and the angler with the heaviest two-day total wins the top prize of $100,000.
Anglers will launch each day at 7:30 a.m. ET each day from Dreher Island State Park, located at 3677 State Park Road in Prosperity. Each day’s General Tire Takeout will be held at the launch locations, beginning at 4 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend all launch and takeout events and also encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLF NOW!® live stream and SCORETRACKER® coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
On Championship Friday, April 7, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. MLF will welcome fans of all ages to visit Dreher Island State Park and celebrate the top 10 and crown the Fox Rent A Car Stage Three at Lake Murray 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 Fox Rent A Car Stage Three at Lake Murray Presented by Mercury will feature pros competing using the MLF catch, weigh, immediate-release format, with each angler’s five (5) heaviest bass per day tallied as their day’s weight. Anglers strive to catch their heaviest five fish each day, while also feeling the pressure and intensity of the live scoring SCORETRACKER® leaderboard. Minimum weights are determined individually for each competition waters that the Bass Pro Tour visits, based on the productivity, bass population and anticipated average size of fish in each fishery.
The 2023 MLF Bass Pro Tour features a field of 80 of the top professional anglers in the world competing across seven regular-season tournaments around the country, fishing for millions of dollars and valuable points to qualify for the annual General Tire Heavy Hitters all-star event and REDCREST 2024, the Bass Pro Tour championship, held March 13-17, 2024, on Lay Lake in Birmingham, Alabama.
The MLF NOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee, Marty Stone and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action live on all six days of competition from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET. MLF NOW!® will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app.
Television coverage of the Fox Rent A Car Stage Three at Lake Murray Presented by Mercury will air as two, two-hour episodes starting at 7 a.m. ET, on Saturday, Sept. 30 and Saturday, Oct. 7 on the Discovery Channel. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on Discovery, with re-airings on the Outdoor Channel.
Proud sponsors of the 2023 MLF Bass Pro Tour include: 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, Ark Fishing, ATG + Wrangler, B&W Trailer Hitches, Bally Bet, Bass Cat Boats, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, Daiwa, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, Ferguson, Fox Rent A Car, General Tire, Grundéns, Humminbird, Lowrance, Minn Kota, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Power-Pole, Rapala, Star tron, T-H Marine, TORO, Toyota, U.S. Air Force, Yellowstone Bourbon, Yo-Zuri and Zoom Baits.
For complete details and updated information on Major League Fishing and the Bass Pro Tour, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
