O.H. Ivie named 2023’s Best Bass Lake by Bassmaster Magazine
O.H. Ivie Lake has claimed the top spot in the 2023 Bassmaster Magazine 100 Best Bass Lakes standings for the first time in history.
Photo courtesy of Lynn Wright/TPWD
June 26, 2023
O.H. Ivie named 2023’s Best Bass Lake by Bassmaster Magazine
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Things really are bigger in Texas and that includes the bass coming out of O.H. Ivie Lake, which claims the coveted spot atop the 2023 Bassmaster Magazine 100 Best Bass Lakes standings for the first time in history. This reservoir has stolen the spotlight over the last three years, producing an eye-popping 15 Legacy Class ShareLunker bass — a designation for fish weighing more than 13 pounds — between January and March.
Like the waters anglers love, the rankings of America’s best bass fisheries can surge or ebb, and this year’s 100 Best Bass Lakes list is a true reflection of those fluctuations.
“We are always a little surprised when going through the data how many fisheries make the rankings and then fall off, as well as by those lakes that just always make the list,” explained Bassmaster Magazine Editor-in-Chief James Hall. “Creating the rankings takes more than two months as we dig through current tournament data as well as state fishery information on stocking efforts, catch rates and angler access.
“While the fisheries may change, our goal is to point anglers toward the most productive waters so that their time is spent with rod bent. These rankings provide a bucket list of destinations for anglers.”
As for bragging rights on which state has the most fisheries in the Top 100 rankings, that title goes to Texas with a whopping 10 lakes. Right behind the Lone Star State are California and Florida, each with nine lakes on the list, followed by New York and Michigan (six).
Spectacular scenery and feisty smallmouth meet on the 50-mile stretch of the St. Lawrence River known as the 1000 Islands, which dropped one spot to No. 2 in this year’s rankings. Anglers eager to do battle with giant smallmouth can head north to the 1000 Islands region of the St. Lawrence River. History was made on the clear waters of this seaway straddling the U.S.-Canadian border during the 2022 Bassmaster Elite out of Clayton, N.Y. After four days, two anglers — Jay Przekurat and Cory Johnston — topped the 100-pound mark with solely smallmouth, a first-ever feat for the Elite Series.
While long-considered a West Coast powerhouse, No. 3 Clear Lake fell out of the top spot during the past two years but is enjoying a resurgence thanks to one of the wettest springs in history. After a multiyear drought, there is now plenty of flooded vegetation providing ideal habitat, with an abundance of baitfish keeping hungry bass well fed. Combine the opportunity to catch the limit of a lifetime with a pristine setting in California’s wine country, and you have the definition of a bucket-list fishing destination.
The rankings identify the top lakes in the nation based on head-to-head comparisons, as well as the Top 25 lakes in four geographical regions — Central, Western, Southeastern and Northeastern.
“We divide the nation into four regions and rank the lakes in each region to give anglers perspective on the fisheries they can most likely reach,” Hall explained.
Full rankings can be found in the July/August issue of Bassmaster Magazine and on Bassmaster.com.
Bassmaster Magazine’s Top 10 Best Bass Lakes of 2023
- O.H. Ivie Lake, Texas
- St. Lawrence River (1000 Islands), New York
- Clear Lake, California
- Lake Murray, South Carolina
- Toledo Bend Reservoir, Louisiana/Texas
- Fellsmere Reservoir/Stick Marsh/Kenansville Lake, Florida
- Lake St. Clair, Michigan
- Orange Lake, Florida
- Lake Erie/Upper Niagara River, New York
- Lake Okeechobee, Florida
Best Bass Lakes – Central Division
- O.H. Ivie Lake, Texas
- Toledo Bend Reservoir, Louisiana/Texas
- Lake Fork, Texas
- Possum Kingdom Lake, Texas
- Caney Creek Reservoir, Louisiana
Best Bass Lakes – Western Division
- Clear Lake, California
- Lake Berryessa, California
- Diamond Valley Lake, California
- Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California
- Lake Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
Best Bass Lakes – Northeastern Division
- St. Lawrence River (1000 Islands), New York
- Lake St. Clair, Michigan
- Lake Erie/Upper Niagara River, New York
- Burt/Mullett lakes, Michigan
- Lake Champlain, New York/Vermont
Best Bass Lakes – Southeastern Division
- Lake Murray, South Carolina
- Fellsmere Reservoir/Stick Marsh/Kenansville Lake, Florida
- Orange Lake, Florida
- Lake Okeechobee, Florida
- Lake Guntersville, Alabama
Dustin Connell Cruises to Group B Lead at MLF General Tire Stage Six at Lake St. Clair Presented by John Deere Utility Vehicles
Alabama Pro Leads by 4 Ounces after Group B Day 1, Group A to Wrap Up Two-Day Qualifying Round Monday
HARRISON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (June 25, 2023) – A strong morning bite carried Favorite Fishing pro Dustin Connell through the competition day Sunday, with his five largest bass weighing 22 pounds, 13 ounces. Connell’s hefty limit earned him the Group B Day 1 lead in the Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Tour General Tire Stage Six at Lake St. Clair Presented by John Deere Utility Vehicles. Pro John Hunter of Shelbyville, Kentucky finished the day tight on Connell’s heels, weighing in five scorable smallmouth totaling 22-9, good for second place.
“It’s been a heck of a day,” said Connell. “It started out quick and we did good, which put us in a great position for the rest of the week. I found a couple new areas this afternoon, but I’ve got one little spot that’s really good and I’m just hoping that it holds out.”
Connell jumped out to an early lead Sunday, filling his limit within the first 30 minutes of competition and staying atop the SCORETRACKER® throughout the day.
“The fish are there – I mean, there are a bunch of 4- to 5-pounders there,” Connell continued. “I lost one this morning that was over 4 pounds, so hopefully that spot will be sustainable throughout the event.”
Connell spent his day targeting bass offshore with his Lowrance ActiveTarget and caught his fish on a 7-foot, 2-inch medium heavy Favorite Fishing Hex Rod, throwing a drop-shot rig on 15-pound braid.
“This is my favorite way to fish,” said Connell. “It’s just awesome watching the way the fish react to your bait. I’m hoping that the wind dies down as we get further into the event, so we can really get after it.
“Right now, the fish are down deep, stuck to the bottom. With all these waves, they just really want to hunker down low. But when the sun pops out and it gets slick, they slide up closer to the surface and you can see them a little better on your electronics.
“I don’t know how this tournament is going to be won, but I think it’s going to come down to finding a good area that you have to yourself,” Connell finished.
The 40 anglers in Group B will now have an off day on Monday, while the 40 anglers competing in Group A will wrap up their two-day Qualifying Round. Group B will finish their Qualifying Round on Tuesday.
The top 20 pros in Group B after Day 1 on Lake St. Clair are:
2nd: John Hunter, Shelbyville, Ky., five bass, 22-9
3rd: Dylan Hays, Hot Springs, Ark., five bass, 20-15
4th: Bradley Roy, Lancaster, Ky. five bass, 20-11
5th: Mark Daniels Jr., Tuskegee, Ala., five bass, 20-8
6th: Dakota Ebare, Brookeland, Texas, five bass, 20-6
7th: Jeremy Lawyer, Sarcoxie, Mo., five bass, 20-5
8th: Alton Jones, Lorena, Texas, five bass, 20-3
9th: Todd Faircloth, Jasper, Texas, five bass, 19-5
10th: Gerald Spohrer, Gonzales, La., five bass, 19-4
11th: Justin Lucas, Guntersville, Ala., five bass, 19-2
12th: Jesse Wiggins, Addison, Ala., five bass, 18-15
13th: Josh Bertrand, Queen Creek, Ariz., five bass, 18-15
14th: Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn., five bass, 18-13
15th: Brett Hite, Phoenix, Ariz., five bass, 18-12
16th: Mark Davis, Mount Ida, Ark., five bass, 18-8
17th: Jeff Sprague, Wills Point, Texas, five bass, 18-4
18th: Kevin VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich., five bass, 18-0
19th: Keith Poche, Pike Road, Ala., five bass, 17-15
20th: James Elam, Tulsa, Okla., five bass, 17-12
Hunter earned the $1,000 Berkley Big Bass award after a 5-pound, 8-ounce smallmouth bit his drop shot with five minutes remaining in Period 3. Berkley awards $1,000 to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass each day, and another $3,000 bonus to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass of the tournament.
The 40 Anglers in Group A compete in their two-day qualifying round on Saturday and Monday – the 40 anglers in Group B on Sunday and Tuesday. After each two-day qualifying round is complete, the top 20 anglers from each group advance to Wednesday’s Knockout Round. In the Knockout Round, weights are zeroed, and the remaining 40 anglers compete to finish in the top 10 to advance to Thursday’s Championship Round. In the final day Championship Round, weight carries over from the Knockout Round and the angler with the heaviest two-day total wins the top prize of $100,000.
Anglers will launch each day at 7:20 a.m. ET from Lake St. Clair Metropark, located at 31300 Metro Parkway in Harrison Township. Each day’s General Tire Takeout will be held at the Metropark, beginning at 4 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend all launch and takeout events and also encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLFNOW!® live stream and SCORETRACKER® coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
On Championship Thursday, June 29, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., MLF will welcome fans of all ages to celebrate the top 10 and crown the General Tire Stage Six at Lake St. Clair Champion at the Watch Party and Trophy Presentation. The final 10 Championship Round Bass Pro Tour anglers will be on hand at the trophy celebration to meet and greet fans, sign autographs and take selfies.
The General Tire Stage Six at Lake St. Clair Presented by John Deere Utility Vehicles features anglers competing using the MLF catch, weigh, immediate-release format, with each angler’s five (5) heaviest bass per day tallied as their day’s weight. Anglers strive to catch their heaviest five fish each day, while also feeling the pressure and intensity of the live scoring SCORETRACKER® leaderboard. Minimum weights are determined individually for each competition waters that the Bass Pro Tour visits, based on the productivity, bass population and anticipated average size of fish in each fishery.
The 2023 MLF Bass Pro Tour features a field of 80 of the top professional anglers in the world competing across seven regular-season tournaments around the country, fishing for millions of dollars and valuable points to qualify for the annual General Tire Heavy Hitters all-star event and REDCREST 2024, the Bass Pro Tour championship, held March 13-17, 2024, on Lay Lake in Birmingham, Alabama.
The MLFNOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee, Marty Stone and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action live on all six days of competition from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET. MLFNOW!® will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app.
Television coverage of the General Tire Stage Six at Lake St. Clair Presented by John Deere Utility Vehicles Championship Round will air as a two-hour episode starting at 7 a.m. ET, on Saturday, November 4 on the Discovery Channel. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on Discovery, with re-airings on the Outdoor Channel.
Proud sponsors of the 2023 MLF Bass Pro Tour include: 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, Ark Fishing, ATG by Wrangler, B&W Trailer Hitches, Bally Bet, Bass Cat Boats, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, Daiwa, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, Ferguson, Fox Rent A Car, General Tire, Grundéns, Humminbird, Lowrance, Minn Kota, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Power-Pole, Rapala, Star tron, T-H Marine, TORO, Toyota, U.S. Air Force, Yellowstone Bourbon, Yo-Zuri and Zoom Baits.
For complete details and updated information on Major League Fishing and the Bass Pro Tour, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
Local Pro Brett Carnright Earns First Career MLF Victory at Toyota Series at Lake Champlain
PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. (June 25, 2023) – Local pro Brett Carnright of Plattsburgh, New York, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday totaling 19 pounds, 4 ounces, to win the Toyota Series at Lake Champlain Presented by Rabid Baits. Carnright’s three-day total of 59 pounds, 11 ounces earned him his first career victory by 1½ pounds over his cousin, Ryan Latinville, also of Plattsburgh. Carnright earned $90,500 for his victory, which was the season-opening event in the Toyota Series Northern Division Presented by Rabid Baits.
When it comes to Champlain, especially during the spawn, it’s hard to talk about tournament fishing without bringing up Latinville and Carnright. Between them, they’ve raised the bar on what wins in June, and this tournament certainly fell into their wheelhouse. So, to see the cousins finish 1-2 is no surprise. Though winning with 59-11 is a little shy of some recent Champlain events, considering the time of year and the size of the field, the Carnright’s winning weight is nothing to sneeze at.
It was made possible by a quirky spring that put a lot of big fish right where Carnright needed them.
“I thought it was going to fish a little lighter, just because of where I checked the first day of practice,” Carnright said. “Then, all of a sudden, we had a huge wave come up. We had some really cold weather two weeks before the tournament, I think it shut down a wave of fish that were coming, I checked some areas where they spawn a week prior and there was no evidence of any fish spawning. We got some warm weather, calm weather, the water got hot, and fish started showing up. About a week before the tournament, we started finding some big ones. Originally, I thought 59 was going to be right there, but by the tournament, Ryan and I both thought it would take well over 60.”
Plenty of other pros tried to bed fish to contend with Carnright, but only Latinville really came close, as the others who leaned hard on sight-fishing dipped out of the picture day by day. Meanwhile, Carnright actually improved his weight on Day 2, and caught the third-biggest bag of the final day.
“What helped me the most, which I thought would hurt me the most, was there was a massive amount of clear water and dirty water shifting around the north end of the lake,” he said. “Guys were talking about not being able to see 7 feet deep, and then next day you could see 17 feet deep. I was focusing on 8 to 11 feet of water, and I was able to find all my 11-foot beds prior to the weekend. Over the weekend, we had some bad weather that muddied up the water, so all my fish were protected from people being able to see them. People were coming around me into the area of the lake I was fishing, and I kept seeing less and less boats.”
Dirtier water protected many of his fish from the prying eyes of the competition, but it did make them harder to catch. So, in addition to using a flogger, Carnright had to catch some with his ActiveTarget alone.
“Luckily for me, I had good waypoints, and I was able to utilize my electronics,” he said. “I had to catch those fish, if I don’t, I don’t win the tournament. So, I knew my best bet was to sit there with ActiveTarget and catch those fish. I was able to catch all the fish I had marked, and I actually found a few bonus ones.”
Carnright lives for the smallmouth spawn, and has put days and days into the pursuit. In good shape and willing to go up and down with a flogger all day, he’s also lucky to have a really good eye for what might be a bed.
“It’s a lot of strategy, you have to find your fish before the tournament, finding them during the tournament is really difficult,” he said. “You have to be really strategic with which fish you catch. You have to hope they’re not leaving, and during this tournament a lot of fish acted like they wanted to leave. Over the years, we’ve noticed the spawn shifts earlier into June, so when this was announced, I didn’t think it would be a spawning event. But, with the cooler weather this spring, probably the biggest wave of fish the lake had came this week.”
To catch his bed fish, Carnright used a Berkley PowerBait MaxScent Flat Worm on a drop-shot. He also used a swimbait on a 3/16-ounce head to catch postspawn fish, which was a critical piece of his strategy.
“Day 1, I had one postspawn fish and four fish that were on beds,” he said. “Day 2, I had all bed fish. Today, I had all bed fish, and I caught one postspawn fish that was the same size as my smallest fish.
“When practice started, (the postspawn) fish were easy to catch,” he said. “As the week went on, I think more guys found it. It got a lot tougher, I think a lot of guys put pressure on those fish. They would run up, look at it and not eat it. That was something I figured out before the tournament – I knew I needed something other than bed fish. It was either going to be largemouth or catching postspawn smallies. We had a huge heat wave in April, and I think a lot of smallmouth spawned then. I think those fish went postspawn and started feeding up, and I knew that would be my bonus.”
Edging out his cousin Latinville, plus good friend LaBelle, Carnright has been on the cusp a number of times. Just this spring, he led the ABA championship on the Red River before coughing up the lead. In Toyota Series past, he’s finished fourth, second and fifth on Champlain.
This week, things aligned for Carnright, and also Latinville, to do what they do best on Champlain.
“Spawning fishing is really weird, it’s more like hunting fish, rather than fishing for them,” he said. “You’re looking for them nonstop, looking at rocks, looking at the bottom, hoping you can find some cleaner water where you can see. And it always wins. There really aren’t any major tournaments in June where bed fishing isn’t the major player. So, knowing that, we have to put a lot of time into it. After the 2017 Toyota, and the next one in 2018, that’s when we really got dialed in to bed fishing. If you look at the weights from then to now, it’s astronomical. The field is also learning, but we’re able to dial it in each year better and better. We’ve been able to win some pretty big local events with heavy 21-pound bags or 22 sometimes.”
Still, despite the previous success, Carnright didn’t go into the final day thinking he’d win. With LaBelle ahead of him, he knew things would have to break right.
“Bryan Labelle has been telling me I’m gonna win this tournament since the schedule came out,” he said. “What a way to do it, there’s not a more skilled angler to beat on the final day than Bryan. I’ve been saying for years he’s the best angler to ever fish this lake, I thought the mountain was unclimbable.”
The top 10 pros on Lake Champlain finished:
1st: Brett Carnright, Plattsburgh, New York, 15 bass, 59-11, $90,500 (includes $35,000 Phoenix MLF Bonus)
2nd: Ryan Latinville, Plattsburgh, N.Y., 15 bass, 59-0, $22,000
3rd: Bryan Labelle, Hinesburg, Vt., 15 bass, 58-3, $15,250
4th: Garrett Rocamora, Lake Wales, Fla., 15 bass, 57-6, $13,250
5th: Ron Nelson, Berrien Springs, Mich., 15 bass, 57-1, $12,250
6th: Alec Morrison, Peru, N.Y., 15 bass, 56-11, $9,625
7th: Brayden Federer, Adrian, Mich., 15 bass, 56-10, $8,300
8th: Tyler Woolcott, Port Orange, Fla., 15 bass, 56-6, $7,600
9th: Brian Green, North Augusta, Ontario, Canada, 15 bass, 55-15, $6,300
10th: Kyle Hall, Granbury, Texas, 15 bass, 55-13, $4,700
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Pro Chris Adams of Shrewsbury, Vermont, took home the $500 Day 1 Berkley Big Bass award in the pro division Thursday with a largemouth weighing 4 pounds, 13 ounces. On Friday, pro Nick Radtke of Greenwood Lake, New York, earned the $500 Berkley Big Bass prize after bringing a 5-pound, 15-ounce bass to the scale.
Carnright earned an extra $35,000 as the highest finishing Phoenix MLF Bonus member. Boaters are eligible to win up to an extra $35,000 per event in each Toyota Series tournament if all requirements are met. More information on the Phoenix MLF Bonus contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.
Nicholas Veselka of Fishers, Indiana, won the Strike King Co-angler Division Saturday with a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 49 pounds, 15 ounces. Veselka took home the top prize package worth $35,400, including a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard motor.
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers on Lake Champlain finished:
1st: Nicholas Veselka, Fishers, Ind., 15 bass, 49-15, $35,400 incl. Phoenix 518 Pro boat w/115-hp Mercury outboard
2nd: Randy Nelson, Granger, Ind., 15 bass, 47-7, $6,625
3rd: Jacob Swanson, Framingham, Mass., 15 bass, 46-13, $5,300
4th: Richard Bleser, Burlington, Wis., 15 bass, 46-11, $4,150
5th: Jeremy Vandenbosch, Lowell, Mich., 15 bass, 46-5, $3,650
6th: Mitchell Robinson, Landrum, S.C., 15 bass, 45-7, $3,150
7th: William Lisenby, Centreville, Va., 15 bass, 44-15, $2,650
8th: Shawn Gokey, Georgia, Vt., 15 bass, 44-14, $2,075
9th: Jim Jarvis, Timberville, Va., 15 bass, 43-11, $1,630
10th: Cory Hartfield, Centerburg, Ohio, 15 bass, 43-4, $1,390
Garrett Seppala of New Ipswich, New Hampshire, was the Berkley Big Bass $150 award winner in the Strike King co-angler division, Thursday, weighing in a 4-pound, 14-ouncer. Friday’s Day 2 $150 award went to Brenden Massa of Battle Creek, Michigan, with a 5-pound, 4-ounce bass.
With one regular-season event in the Toyota Series Northern Division now complete, Carnright leads the Northern Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 260 points, while Veska leads the Strike King Co-angler Division AOY race with 260 points.
The Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats at Lake Champlain Presented by Rabid Baits, hosted by the City of Plattsburgh and the Adirondack Coast Visitors Bureau, was the first of three regular-season events for the Toyota Series Northern Division. The next event for Toyota Series anglers will be the Toyota Series at the St. Lawrence River, Aug. 10-12, in Massena, New York. For a complete schedule of events, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The 2023 Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats consists of six divisions – Central, Northern, Plains, Southern, Southwestern and the Western Division Presented by Tackle Warehouse – each holding three regular-season events, along with the International and Wild Card divisions. Anglers who fish in any of the six divisions or the Wild Card division and finish in the top 25 will qualify for the no-entry-fee Toyota Series Championship for a shot at winning up to $235,000 and a qualification to REDCREST 2024. The winning Strike King co-angler at the championship earns a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard. The 2023 Toyota Series Championship will be held Nov. 2-4 on Table Rock Lake in Branson, Missouri, and is hosted by ExploreBranson.com.
Proud sponsors of the 2023 MLF Toyota Series include: 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Black Rifle Coffee Company, E3, Favorite Fishing, Fox Rent a Car, General Tire, Gill, Grundéns, Lew’s, Lowrance, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Next Gen Lithium, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Wiley X and YETI.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Toyota Series updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the MLF5 social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
Minnesota’s Cambridge-Isanti Blue Jackets Edges Field by Six Ounces to Win 2023 High School Fishing National Championship
Student Anglers Zachary Piescher and Cole Semler Claim Title with Three-Day Total of Nine Bass Weighing 32-7
LA CROSSE, Wis. (June 25, 2023) – Minnesota’s Cambridge-Isanti Blue Jackets duo of Zachary Piescher of Cambridge, Minnesota, and Cole Semler, of Dalbo, Minnesota, brought a final-day three-bass limit to the scale Friday weighing 10 pounds, 12 ounces to win the 2023 High School Fishing National Championship on the Mississippi River in La Crosse, Wisconsin.
The duo’s three-day total of nine bass weighing 32 pounds, 7 ounces, earned them the victory by a slim 6-ounce margin over the runner-up, Illinois’ Kaneland High School, and earned the Cambridge-Isanti duo two $5,000 scholarships to a college of their choosing. The duo also now advances to the 2023 MLF Toyota Series Championship, held Nov. 2-4 on Table Rock Lake in Branson, Missouri, to compete as co-anglers and a shot at the top prize of a new Phoenix 518 Pro boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard.
The team from east-central Minnesota has had a variety of roadblocks in their path to overcome in order to make it to the final day, let alone to be in a position to win. After dropping a solid 9-13 on the scales on Day 1, their Day 2 went less than smooth as a variety of setbacks hindered them throughout the day. Close calls while boating, a broken fuel pump, and managing the lock schedule all made for a turbulent time, but the pair were able to scrounge up 11-14 and put themselves in real contention for the title heading into the final day, just 1-6 back from the leaders from Kaneland High School.
“For the past three days it’s been the most adrenalin I’ve ever had,” Piescher said. “Problems come with the good and the bad. We had a couple close calls out there, and then we win this when we weren’t expecting to get first – maybe second or third or whatever.”
The final day of competition got off to another rough start for Cambridge-Isanti as their fuel pump continued to throw a wrench in their tournament plans. Virtually dead in the water, help came from an unlikely source as camera boat driver Brad Wessling offered his boat so that the team could finish out their improbable Championship run.
“We just had to build and build every day,” Semler said. “(Problems) are just something you have got to overcome. First, we had our close call with another boat, then the motor won’t work well (yesterday). Then today we go to take off and it’s just nothing. Then we get permission to jump in the camera boat and things worked out. So, we are pretty lucky.”
After a quick swap and safety check, the boys and their boat captain Jeremiah Semler tore off to Pool No. 7 to chase their largemouth bite up stream. Upon arrival at their destination in Pool 7, the pair sat down and got to work, posting a limit in the first several minutes of their morning.
“We were expecting to get them, and we could almost call our cast,” Cole Semler said. “This place is something special. But, after the camera crew left especially, we calmed down a lot and were able to cull two times.”
“Brad was a lifesaver today,” Piescher said. “We wouldn’t have gotten even nearly close to top five without him. I don’t think we would have been able to catch the same quality in Pool 8.”
The High School Fishing National Championship featured 248 teams, and the top 10 teams at the 2023 High School Fishing National Championship on the Mississippi River finished:
1st: Cambridge-Isanti High School, Cambridge, Minn. – Zachary Piescher and Cole Semler, nine bass, 32-7
2nd: Kaneland High School, Maple Park, Ill. – J.D. McBroom and Carter Pjesky, nine bass, 32-1
3rd: Haughton Fishing Team, Haughton, La. – Carsen Adcock and Jase White, nine bass, 31-0
4th: Ruston High School, Ruston, La. – Rhett Anderson and Jessie Green, six bass, 28-1
5th: Piedmont Academy, Monticello, Ga. – Jaden Hoffman and Jayden Lintner, nine bass, 27-4
6th: Star City High School Anglers, Wahoo, Neb. – Ryder Kahny and Taylor Wagner, nine bass, 27-3
7th: Jackson Bass Fishing, Jackson, Mich. – Rylan Hamlin and Jack Swihart, nine bass, 26-12
8th: Hewitt-Trussville High School, Trussville, Ala. – Andrew Jones and Carson Underwood, nine bass, 26-10
9th: Saint Xavier High School, Louisville, Ky. – Miles Allen and Ethan Roths, eight bass, 26-7
10th: North Paulding High School Bass Team, Dallas, Ga. – Caleb Edwards and Blake Edwards, nine bass, 25-14
Complete results for the entire field can be found at HighSchoolFishing.org.
The 2023 High School Fishing National Championship on the Mississippi River was hosted by Explore La Crosse. MLF High School Fishing tournaments are free, two-person (team) events for students in grades 7-12 and are open to any MLF and TBF Student Angler Federation-affiliated high school club. The top 10 percent of teams at each Open event, along with the TBF High School Fishing state championships, advanced to the 2023 High School Fishing National Championship.
Proud sponsors of the 2023 MLF High School Fishing Presented by Favorite Fishing include: 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Black Rifle Coffee Company, E3, Favorite Fishing, Fox Rent a Car, General Tire, Grundens, Lawless Lures, Lew’s, Lowrance, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Wiley X and YETI.
For complete details and updated tournament information, visit HighSchoolFishing.org. For regular High School Fishing updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow High School Fishing on Facebook and on MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
Jordan Lee Jumps to Early Lead at MLF General Tire Stage Six at Lake St. Clair Presented by John Deere Utility Vehicles
Alabama Pro Scores a Five-Fish Limit Weighing 22 Pounds, 8 Ounces to Lead After Day 1 for Group A – Group B Begins Competition Sunday
HARRISON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (June 24, 2023) – Berkley pro Jordan Lee of Cullman, Alabama weighed in 12 scorable smallmouth bass, with his best five totaling 22 pounds, 8 ounces to grab the early lead for Group A after Day 1 of the Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Tour General Tire Stage Six at Lake St. Clair Presented by John Deere Utility Vehicles. Pro Spencer Shuffield of Hot Springs, Arkansas sits 1 ounce behind Lee in second place for Group A with five scorable bass totaling 22-7.
The six-day event, hosted by the Detroit Sports Commission, Macomb County and Lake St. Clair Metroparks, showcases 80 of the top professional anglers in the world, competing for a purse of more than $805,000, including a top payout of $100,000 and valuable Angler of the Year (AOY) points in hopes of qualifying for the General Tire Heavy Hitters All-Star event and REDCREST 2024, the Bass Pro Tour championship.
The 40 anglers in Group A will now have an off day from competition Sunday, while the 40 anglers competing in Group B will begin their first day of competition. Group A will resume competition on Monday.
Lee started the day off with a bang, catching a 5-pound, 14-ounce smallmouth – the biggest fish of the day – in the first 10 minutes of competition to catapult into the early lead.
“I honestly expected to find a lot more schooling fish on this Canada side of Lake St. Clair, but that has not been the case,” said Lee. “I’ve basically just been practicing all day since we couldn’t fish over here during practice. I know it’s all about finding a good area, so I’ve been running around all over, bouncing here and there. The size of fish is just a little bit better over here, though, which is what I was hoping for.
“When you get around them, you catch some smaller ones, but they look healthy – they aren’t paper-thin,” Lee continued. “I also caught a couple bigger fish (today), which is key.”
Lee said his Lowrance ActiveTarget was critical to his success, and he caught his bass on several different baits, including a hair jig and drop-shot rig, a Berkley PowerBait MaxScent The Generalon a 3/8-ounce Ned Head and a Berkley PowerBait MaxScent Lil’ General.
“I’m not sure what to expect on Monday with the winds that are being forecast, but maybe the bite will be better,” said Lee. “I thought they would be a lot hungrier than they were because these fish haven’t seen a bait in a long time. The slick calm weather we’ve had today was great for being able to move around on the water, but it’s notorious for making fishing more difficult.
“If we get a little wind on Monday, I think the bite will pick up,” Lee continued. “They just weren’t firing today, but I’ll definitely take it. Maybe I can learn a little something and just take it day by day. Winning the first day doesn’t really mean a lot in the grand scheme of the tournament, but it feels great to get off to a good start.”
The top 20 pros in Group A after Day 1 on Lake St. Clair are:
2nd: Spencer Shuffield, Hot Springs, Ark., five bass, 22-7
3rd: Alton Jones Jr., Waco, Texas, five bass, 21-5
4th: Greg Vinson, Wetumpka, Ala., five bass, 20-12
5th: Matt Becker, Ten Mile, Tenn., five bass, 20-9
6th: Ryan Salzman, Huntsville, Ala., five bass, 20-9
7th: Terry Scroggins, San Mateo, Fla., five bass, 20-5
8th: Cody Meyer, Star, Idaho, five bass, 19-11
9th: Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., five bass, 19-6
10th: David Dudley, Lynchburg, Va., five bass, 19-4
11th: Brent Chapman, Lake Quivira, Kan., five bass, 19-4
12th: Kelly Jordon, Flint, Texas, five bass, 18-14
13th: Fletcher Shryock, Guntersville, Ala., five bass, 18-12
14th: Andy Morgan, Dayton Tenn., five bass, 18-12
15th: Boyd Duckett, Guntersville, Ala., five bass, 18-9
16th: James Watson, Lampe, Mo., five bass, 18-4
17th: Mark Rose, Wynne, Ark., five bass, 17-13
18th: Randall Tharp, Port St. Joe, Fla., five bass, 17-12
19th: Ott DeFoe, Blaine, Tenn., five bass, 17-10
20th: Dean Rojas, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., five bass, 17-10
The 40 Anglers in Group A compete in their two-day qualifying round on Saturday and Monday – the 40 anglers in Group B on Sunday and Tuesday. After each two-day qualifying round is complete, the top 20 anglers from each group advance to Wednesday’s Knockout Round. In the Knockout Round, weights are zeroed, and the remaining 40 anglers compete to finish in the top 10 to advance to Thursday’s Championship Round. In the final day Championship Round, weight carries over from the Knockout Round and the angler with the heaviest two-day total wins the top prize of $100,000.
Anglers will launch each day at 7:20 a.m. ET from Lake St. Clair Metropark, located at 31300 Metro Parkway in Harrison Township. Each day’s General Tire Takeout will be held at the Metropark, beginning at 4 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend all launch and takeout events and also encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLFNOW!® live stream and SCORETRACKER® coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
On Championship Thursday, June 29, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., MLF will welcome fans of all ages to celebrate the top 10 and crown the General Tire Stage Six at Lake St. Clair Champion at the Watch Party and Trophy Presentation. The final 10 Championship Round Bass Pro Tour anglers will be on hand at the trophy celebration to meet and greet fans, sign autographs and take selfies.
The General Tire Stage Six at Lake St. Clair Presented by John Deere Utility Vehicles features anglers competing using the MLF catch, weigh, immediate-release format, with each angler’s five (5) heaviest bass per day tallied as their day’s weight. Anglers strive to catch their heaviest five fish each day, while also feeling the pressure and intensity of the live scoring SCORETRACKER® leaderboard. Minimum weights are determined individually for each competition waters that the Bass Pro Tour visits, based on the productivity, bass population and anticipated average size of fish in each fishery.
The 2023 MLF Bass Pro Tour features a field of 80 of the top professional anglers in the world competing across seven regular-season tournaments around the country, fishing for millions of dollars and valuable points to qualify for the annual General Tire Heavy Hitters all-star event and REDCREST 2024, the Bass Pro Tour championship, held March 13-17, 2024, on Lay Lake in Birmingham, Alabama.
The MLFNOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee, Marty Stone and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action live on all six days of competition from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET. MLFNOW!® will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app.
Television coverage of the General Tire Stage Six at Lake St. Clair Presented by John Deere Utility Vehicles Championship Round will air as a two-hour episode starting at 7 a.m. ET, on Saturday, November 4 on the Discovery Channel. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on Discovery, with re-airings on the Outdoor Channel.
Proud sponsors of the 2023 MLF Bass Pro Tour include: 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, Ark Fishing, ATG by Wrangler, B&W Trailer Hitches, Bally Bet, Bass Cat Boats, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, Daiwa, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, Ferguson, Fox Rent A Car, General Tire, Grundéns, Humminbird, Lowrance, Minn Kota, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Power-Pole, Rapala, Star tron, T-H Marine, TORO, Toyota, U.S. Air Force, Yellowstone Bourbon, Yo-Zuri and Zoom Baits.
For complete details and updated information on Major League Fishing and the Bass Pro Tour, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
FIU student wins Females in Fisheries conservation scholarship
Florida International University graduate student Shakira Trabelsi has won the seventh annual Noreen Clough Memorial Scholarship for Females in Fisheries.
Photo courtesy of Shakira Trabelsi
June 23, 2023
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The seventh annual Noreen Clough Memorial Scholarship for Females in Fisheries has been awarded to Florida International University grad student Shakira Trabelsi, who began fishing at a young age and considers time spent multispecies fishing throughout Florida “transformative.”
“Fishing began for me in the canal in my backyard with my dad; we would fish there regularly until his passing when I was 7 years old,” said Trabelsi. “Angling in my free time, though, created and reinforced friendships, served as a mental reset and — in a small way — pays homage to my dad.”
Trabelsi, who is currently pursuing her master’s degree in Environmental Science, is investigating the health of the economically important wild redfish throughout Florida’s estuaries to determine if pharmaceuticals are affecting the health of exposed fish. She is evaluating the extent of exposure and assessing fish health through hematological and biochemical analyses.
“Studies in laboratory settings have shown that pharmaceuticals can alter the behavior of fish and negatively impact their health, yet negative impacts to health regarding pharmaceuticals in wild fish has not been assessed,” explained Trabelsi.
After graduating in 2024, Trabelsi hopes to work for a government agency as a biologist on issues regarding water quality and fisheries conservation through an ecotoxicology perspective.
“I can only hope to have even a fraction of Noreen Clough’s tenacity, passion and determination; she truly is an inspiration to women in fisheries like me,” said Trabelsi.
Noreen Clough blazed many trails in the field of fisheries. As the first female regional director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and later as the B.A.S.S. Conservation Director, her distinguished career was dedicated to the conservation and management of fish and wildlife. Clough passed away in January 2015. As a tribute, friends and colleagues established an endowment to provide a scholarship through the Southern Division American Fisheries Society Black Bass Conservation Committee for female students working toward a career in fisheries conservation.
Applicants for the Females in Fisheries scholarship came in from women across the United States and Canada who exemplified what Clough hoped to see in future fishery scientists.
“All of the young women who applied for the Females in Fisheries scholarship have a bright future in fisheries because, in addition to their academic strengths, they are all avid anglers — and that will serve them well as they pursue professional careers,” said Gene Gilliland, B.A.S.S. Conservation Director.
Gordon Robertson, retired Vice President of Government Affairs for the American Sportfishing Association and a longtime colleague of Clough’s added, “Noreen put a high value on lessons learned from recreational fishing from both a resource understanding and appreciation perspective but also from a perspective of understanding anglers and how they think and react to resource and social issues.”
Trabelsi will be awarded a $2,000 scholarship from the Southern Division American Fisheries Society Black Bass Conservation Committee.
Major League Fishing Shifts Takeoff Times for General Tire Stage Six
WHAT:
Major League Fishing (MLF) has shifted the takeoff time at the General Tire Stage Six at Lake St. Clair Presented by John Deere Utility Vehicles in Harrison Township, Michigan to allow more time for angler ride through prior to the start of competition.
WHEN:
Saturday, June 24 – Thursday, June 29
Takeoff: Moved up to 7:20 a.m. ET
WHERE:
Lake St. Clair Metropark
31300 Metro Parkway
Harrison Township, MI 48045
NOTES:
Morning takeoff times have been shifted from 7:30 a.m. ET to 7:20 a.m. ET at the General Tire Stage Six at Lake St. Clair Presented by John Deere Utility Vehicles to allow more time for angler ride through prior to the start of competition. Competition times and MLFNOW!® live stream times will not be affected. MLFNOW!® will break down the extended action live on all six days of competition from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app.
The six-day event, hosted by the Detroit Sports Commission , Macomb County and Lake St. Clair Metroparks , showcases 80 of the top professional bass-fishing anglers in the world competing for a total purse of more than $805,000, including a top cash prize of $100,000 and valuable Angler of the Year (AOY) points in hopes of qualifying for the General Tire Heavy Hitters All-Star event and REDCREST 2024, the Bass Pro Tour championship.
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.
ChatterBait® Creators Reveal Ultra-Refined ElaZtech® Trailer
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Second Annual MLF General Tire Team Series Draft Concludes with Exciting Results
BENTON, Ky. (June 22, 2023) – Major League Fishing (MLF), the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, announced today the results of the 2023 General Tire Team Series Draft, which took place Wednesday in Harrison Township, Michigan. During the second annual General Tire Team Series Draft, the top 27 Bass Pro Tour anglers – based on 2022 Angler of the Year (AOY) point standings – selected two additional Bass Pro Tour anglers to create 27 three-man teams that will compete over three qualifying events.
The General Tire Team Series will showcase the 80 anglers that compete on the Bass Pro Tour, joined by the next available highest-ranking 2022 MLF champion, competing as three-man teams across four events for more than $700,000 in cash payouts.
“After a successful transition from the extremely popular MLF Cup events in 2022, it was exciting to watch our Bass Pro Tour anglers work together again and strategize to create their winning lineups,” said Kathy Fennel, Executive Vice President and General Manager of MLF. “We look forward to another round of exciting programming again this fall.”
2023 General Tire Team Series Draft Results:
CAPTAIN: Greg Vinson, TEAMMATES: Bradley Roy and David Dudley
CAPTAIN: Chris Lane, TEAMMATES: Jared Lintner and John Hunter
CAPTAIN: Wesley Strader, TEAMMATES: Scott Suggs and Matt Becker
CAPTAIN: Todd Faircloth, TEAMMATES: Jeff Sprague and Jeff Kriet
CAPTAIN: Ott DeFoe, TEAMMATES: Andy Montgomery and Brandon Coulter
CAPTAIN: Stephen Browning, TEAMMATES: Anthony Gagliardi and Keith Poche
CAPTAIN: Casey Ashley, TEAMMATES: Terry Scroggins and Jacob Wall
CAPTAIN: Jonathon VanDam, TEAMMATES: James Elam and Matt Lee
CAPTAIN: Bryan Thrift, TEAMMATES: Luke Clausen and Josh Butler
CAPTAIN: Brent Ehrler, TEAMMATES: Brett Hite and John Murray
CAPTAIN: Alton Jones Jr., TEAMMATES: Nick LeBrun and Britt Myers
CAPTAIN: Randall Tharp, TEAMMATES: Gerald Spohrer and Russ Lane
CAPTAIN: Jeremy Lawyer, TEAMMATES: Cody Meyer and Shin Fukae
CAPTAIN: Dustin Connell, TEAMMATES: Cole Floyd and Roy Hawk
CAPTAIN: Adrian Avena, TEAMMATES: Spencer Shuffield and Ryan Salzman
CAPTAIN: Andy Morgan, TEAMMATES: Fletcher Shryock and James Watson
CAPTAIN: Michael Neal, TEAMMATES: Takahiro Omori and Dean Rojas
CAPTAIN: Mark Daniels Jr., TEAMMATES: Randy Howell and Cliff Crochet
CAPTAIN: Justin Lucas, TEAMMATES: Skeet Reese and Fred Roumbanis
CAPTAIN: Zack Birge, TEAMMATES: Mark Rose and Cliff Pace
CAPTAIN: Jesse Wiggins, TEAMMATES: Kyle Hall and Gary Klein
CAPTAIN: Kevin VanDam, TEAMMATES: David Walker and Kelly Jordon
CAPTAIN: Dakota Ebare, TEAMMATES: Mitch Crane and Tommy Biffle
CAPTAIN: Alton Jones Sr., TEAMMATES: Brent Chapman and Dave Lefebre
CAPTAIN: Jordan Lee, TEAMMATES: Mark Davis and Timmy Horton
Throwback Thursday - Bagleys - 1977
By Terry Battisti - Bass Fishing Archives
We’ve written a couple of pieces on the Jim Bagley Bait Company over the course of the last couple of years, but I personally never get tired of looking at their ads from days past. Recently I was scouring all my 1977 magazines for another piece and noticed after a while, how many ads Bagley had placed in the various magazines at the time and decided to scan them all. Here’s Bagleys – 1977
The years 1976 and ‘77 were banner years for the company due to Rick Clunn winning back-to-back Bass Masters Classics and catching some of his fish in each event on Bagley’s baits. This seems to have done a couple of things – namely provide a bunch of sales for the company which, in turn, allowed them to step up their ad campaign to sell more.
After going through nearly 75 magazines, I would say I could count on one hand the number of issues that didn’t have a Bagley ad in them. Most of those ads were the same ad placed over and over but this ad-year they really stepped up in the marketing department by designing several new ads.
Most of the ads that were placed in Bassmaster Magazine are fairly well known. It’s the ads that were placed in magazines such as American Angler, American Bass Fisherman, and National Bass that are really cool – ads I’d never seen before. Maybe you haven’t either?
The first ad, at the top of the article, is one I’d never seen. Although the baits weren’t really known as saltwater lures, you can get the gist of the ad in that the baits were little treasures. After two big wins within a year, who could argue?
That ad featured BB2s, KB2s, Honey Bs, Bang-O-Lures, Balsa Shiner, and what appears to be the full line of DBs, lead pellet in the lips to boot.
The second ad, one we’ve all seen, is of Rick Clunn and makes special note of his 1976 Classic win using the Honey B. The curious thing about the ad is Clunn reported in Bassmaster Magazine that he caught his fish on a crawdad-colored Honey B. Yet, there’s a picture of a Tennessee Shad model in the ad, model HB1-TS to be exact.
The ad reflects on Clunn’s Classic, how he was in 3rd place on the first day but rallied the second day with a 33-pound 5-ounce sack the second day to take a commanding lead. They then state that Clunn relied heavily on the Honey B the third day to bring in another limit (16-01), win the event and break the all-time record for total weight in a Classic.
The third ad, again a Honey B ad, was showing customers that they didn’t just have to throw the shallow-running Honey B. If they needed to go a little deeper, they could fish the Diving Honey B.
This is a great ad in that it shows a number of Bagley’s color patterns complete with their model/color number. Out of that bunch of baits, my favorite color pattern was the Golden Shiner (DHB1-GOS). It mimicked the color of a certain species of crawdad we had on one of the local lakes to a tee. The fished chewed that color.
The fourth ad in the mix is another ad I’d never seen and came from American Angler. It was a picture of a coloring book, opened to a page featuring a bass. The ad was featuring Jim Bagley’s new “little bass” color pattern on the new KB2, or Kill’r B II. The text says:
“Nothing could be more appealing to a largemouth bass than another bass – fingerling size. That’s why Jim Bagley has just introduced his newest color, the “little bass,” to his complete line of famous balsa wood lures. This new life-like color combined with the fantastic action of the Kill’r B II is the most taste-tempting morsel ever to swim thru a brush top. Try it…you’ll it. The bass will too!”
I have to say that the color baby bass was not in my top-5 or even my top-10 color choices. I can count on one hand the number of fish I have caught on that color over the 50 years I’ve been casting for bass. But that probably has to do with the lakes I fished. Your results may vary.
I do wish I had this coloring book – if it ever existed.
The final ad is yet another I don’t recall ever seeing. It again featured the “NEW” Kill’r B II but also another not-so-well-known bait, the new Balsa Shiner – their version of the Cordell Spot and soon-to-be popular Rattle Trap.
The writeup for the Kill’r B II says that it is a smaller brother of the 3-inch Kill’r B, or what should have been called the Kill’r B III. I need to go back and investigate whether the original Kill’r B was given a number or if that came after the advent of the KB2.
Then there’s the Balsa Shiner. Advertised as the newest in the balsa wood family, the Shiner was designed for both fresh and saltwater. The bait would dive no deeper than 2-1/2 feet and was touted as a great fats bait to be fished over grass.
As we find more Bagley ads we’ll post them up. In the meantime, if you remember one we haven’t touched upon, send us a note and let us know about it.
B.A.S.S. Nation Northern Regional heading to Wisconsin's Lake Winnebago
Grass-roots anglers representing 10 states will compete in the 2023 TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Northern Regional at Lake Winnebago June 28-30.
Photo by Grant Moxley/B.A.S.S.
June 21, 2023
APPLETON, Wis. — Anglers fishing the TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Northern Regional at Lake Winnebago June 28-30 will likely find both smallmouth and largemouth in a mostly post-spawn stage and 2022 Dakota Lithium Bassmaster Rookie of the Year Jay Przekurat of Stevens Point, Wis., believes finding some bigger bites will be the key to success.
The Northern Regional will feature teams from Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Anglers will take off starting at 6 a.m. CT from the Jefferson Park Boat Ramp and weigh-in will be back at the park beginning at 2 p.m. Full coverage will be available on Bassmaster.com.
At the end of the tournament, the top boater and top nonboater from each state will qualify for the 2023 TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Championshipon legendary Lake Hartwell Oct. 18-20. The winner of the Nation Championship will be crowned “Nation’s Best” and will earn a spot in the 2024 Bassmaster Elite Series field along with the use of a fully-rigged Toyota Tundra and Nitro boat.
The Top 3 anglers from the Nation Championship will also punch their ticket to the 2024 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Toyota in Tulsa, Okla.
To unlock Winnebago, anglers will need to decipher how each section of the system sets up, Przekurat said.
“That particular system, you have a lot of options,” he said. “You can fish Winnebago, which is more lake-based and wind-driven. Especially with the way the dirty water moves and the wind pushes it. There are smallmouth that get offshore on Winnebago on some of the rock structures. You kind of have to play your cards right there because they aren’t always where they are supposed to be.”
The largemouth will be up close to shore and in the canals on Winnebago and Lake Butte des Morts, as well as in some of the milfoil patches off the bank. Moving west, Lake Poygan has less rock structure but has more opportunities for largemouth with plenty of canals and shallow cover.
For Przekurat, the Wolf River provides some of the better opportunities to win.
“This time of the year, the fish up the river should be getting to their summertime areas,” he said. “They like to run up the tributaries and start to find cooler water. Especially when they get done spawning, they like to feed up on the baitfish that live up those rivers. On the lake, they start to group up and find the right wind areas. I would say the river is more consistent than Winnebago.”
The Winnebago system is also one of the only Northern fisheries with shad.
For largemouth, there will be plenty of opportunities to flip, frog and throw moving baits like a bladed jig and a swim jig around grassy areas. The system has milfoil, eelgrass and duckweed. They will also hang around docks.
The smallmouth love to eat a tube and a Ned rig around rocks, current breaks with wood, cut banks and even docks. Wind will be a major player when targeting the brown fish.
This will be the first visit to Lake Winnebago for the B.A.S.S. Nation since the 2008 season.
Sidewalk chalk for Arey’s new dream truck
Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships
Emily Arey, wife of Team Toyota’s Matt Arey, is the executive director for the Hospice Foundation of Cleveland County, NC, near their home in Shelby, but there’s a strong chance she could turn her amazing talent for drawing images with colored sidewalk chalk into a part time profession too.
“Emily and the girls have been making “good luck” chalk drawings for me the past 10 years, and to this day, I’ve never left for a tournament that they didn’t draw one for me. It’s our thing, and it’s pretty dang special to me,” says Arey.
She and their young daughters draw an inspiring fishing related image specific to every tournament Matt heads-out to compete in, and most recently they drew one to celebrate his dream truck – a Toyota Tundra TRD Pro Series.
“I’ve been pulling boats with Toyotas since I got my driver’s license, and in recent years I’ve really dreamed of running a Tundra TRD Pro Series. I love the aggressive bold looks, and the i-Force MAX V-6 hybrid engine is a 437-horsepowertowing beast with a ton of increased torque, but I love the red interior too. Since I’m a 2003 North Carolina State grad, I call it Wolfpack Red,” grins Arey.
He plans to add some after-market speakers to his new dream rig so he can jam to country music as well as longtime favorites Matchbox Twenty and Dave Matthews. He also needs to get a new graphic wrap placed on its exterior before heading to the next Elite Series at Lake St. Clair in late July.
He says he’ll probably lean heavily on relatively new drop shot baits from Lunkerhunt called the Hover Shot and Versa Fish when he gets to St. Clair. And there’s no doubt in his mind that talented wife Emily, along with his sweet young daughters, will have drawn the perfect image of good luck wishes in sidewalk chalk on the family driveway when he points his new dream truck north to Michigan.
Box it with the Best
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DAIWA’s new system recycles plastic into premium utility tackle trays |
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Cypress, CA (June 21, 2023) – When the technological leader in rod and reel manufacturing introduces a commodity product, you can safely wager it’s better than the others. Such is the case with DAIWA’s new D-BOX Tackle System. |
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Being a DAIWA groupie, it’s time to renew your tackle utility boxes with the brand’s new premium and affordable collection. Available in two sizes (3600 and 3700) and six total configurations, DAIWA’s new D-Boxes features clear weathertight lids with four robust, tight-snapping latches to keep everything in check. Internal tabs are cut clean for instant organizing of each slot, with a total of 12 compartments in the 3600-size and 20 compartments in the 3700-size. Available in shallow, regular, and deep models. And doing its part for the environment, DAIWA’s new D-BOX Tackle System boxes are made from 100% recycled plastic. |
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SIZES:
MSRP $11.99 to $18.99 |
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Mid-Depth Assassin – the Berkley Dime
Berkley’s newest hard bait weapon that bass cannot resist
COLUMBIA, S.C. (Feb 7, 2023) – Berkley understands what balsa crankbaits can do to help anglers catch more fish, but also recognizes the limitations attributed to wooden baits. Building on the success of their first alternative for a flat-sided balsa crankbait with the Berkley Frittside, the team at Berkley Labs has now taken the same method of proven balsa action and durability and applied it to their newest mid-depth crankbait – the Berkley Dime.
Offering anglers the durability and performance of a plastic bait, the Dime features balsa-like action thanks to Berkley’s patented Flash Disc technology. It not only casts further due to the weight transfer system in the smaller sizes, but it tracks perfectly and features sticky sharp Fusion19 treble hooks for when it’s time to fill the boat. Rounding out the offering are first in class finishes and colorway options to match the hatch that balsa baits cannot achieve. Backed by Berkley science to help anglers catch more fish, the Dime is sure to become a go-to mid-depth crankbait at all times of year.
KEY FEATURES
• Patented Flash Disc Technology achieves balsa like action in a plastic bait
• Weight transfer system for further casting in sizes 4 and 6
• Sticky sharp Fusion19 hooks
• First in class finish and colorways unachieved by balsa baits
Sizes: 4 • 6 • 10 • 15
Colors: Red Swamp Craw • HD Brown Craw • Proper Copper • Blaze • Ghost Green Craw • Spray Tan • Special Red Craw • Ghost Red Craw • Blue Shad • Honey Shad • Killer Gill • Citrus Shad • Ghost Morning Dawn • Ghost Gill • Black Chartreuse • HD Blueback Herring • Pixie Dust • River Bream • Rootbeer Craw • Vanilla Chartreuse • Blue Chartreuse
MSRP: $10.99
Available: September 2023
Kayak Bass Fishing…Take Two
By Danny Blandford
I’m starting to dig “back” into kayak bass fishing more and more, but I’ve had to do some homework. I bought a sit-down/sit-in “fishing” kayak as an impulse buy years ago, but the purchase missed the mark and left a lot to be desired. I love the concept, the access the kayak provides, and the simplicity it brings to bass fishing. I didn’t like the kayak…that was a huge roadblock to moving forward, so I shelved it…all of it. My first attempt has made a great birdhouse, not so much of a great fishing platform, so I’ve recently decided to revisit that project. Coming at it from a more informed perspective this time should certainly help with the results.
Fortunately, at AnglersChannel.com, we can get plugged into experts pretty quickly when we’re looking to learn more. I got a chance to chat with Old Town Kayak Pro, Anthony Garcia, of Los Angeles, CA. What an awesome conversation; two anglers from completely different environments and backgrounds, tied with the common thread of bass fishing. It was evident from the start, that Anthony’s California rivers and my local Ohio River, don’t have many parallels, but shallow water bassin’ is shallow water bassin’ regardless of locale, so we hit it off.
Anthony shared his fishing story of going from “Bait and weight” fishing with family as a kid, to getting into kayaks, then fishing kayaks and ultimately, national tournaments. Ironically, he was fresh off his first co-angler bass event, the WON Bass CA Open, on Clear Lake. He was just starting to dive into “our” world, as we were diving into his. He ended up with a 5 bass limit each day and a 15th place finish, so I’d say kayak angling absolutely develops tournament anglers, and he knows his stuff. Curious if I will take to a kayak as well as he did to the back of the boat…
We started with the basics of boat selection. Anthony’s advice was simple, “Get in kayaks…find buddies, or stores that have demos, and get in every style you can access. What works for me is specific to me…my size, my fishing style, even where I fish dictates “why” my boat is right for me. In my case, the Old Town AutoPilot 136 was right for me”
“What you’ll learn by getting in them is what style feels stable to you; stability equals comfort out there on the water. Choosing that first will set you on the right path. You can check out different brands, price points and features once you know what kind YOU like.” Although simple, it was sound advice. I had skipped step one and as a result, I felt like kayak fishing wasn’t a good fit for me…in actuality it was having my butt below the water line and sitting all day that was just too foreign to me. The opportunity to stand up and move around, like I do on the front deck of the boat is likely to make a huge difference. Old Town has a Kayak Selector, but it sounds like seat time is the next step after online research.
The conversation drifted from which boat to which “power”. I found dealing with the paddles for positioning, while also dealing with the rods, to be cumbersome and pretty inefficient to be honest. Anthony had solutions for that as well. “Over the years, we’ve dealt with a lot of those issues, some through our own innovation…things like bungees, milk crates, and pvc tubes can help provide some creature comforts to help with on the water organization.
With my current Old Town setup, I keep 6 to 10 rods rigged and ready, have tackle storage, the whole deal. A while back, pedal drive kayaks really helped things jump forward for us bass guys by freeing up the hands and increasing our range. Now with the addition of Minn Kota Autopilot, lightweight batteries, and electronics we’re pretty set up.”
“These days, when I’m out there, I’m focused completely on fishing, not navigation”, added Garcia.
So I’m sure you’re wondering, and of course I had to ask, How Fast & How Long?? According to Anthony, his Old Town Auto Pilot 136, with a “tournament load” gets about 4 mph at full speed and could run that way for a couple of hours and he could paddle to boost that speed. “I seldom just get in and go full speed ahead, but you can cover some water. I reserve a lot of my juice for moving around throughout the day, in both moving between spots and positioning the boat for good presentations and fishing. In my longest tournament day, I covered about 14 miles, between fishing and moving around the lake.”
14 miles kind of blew my mind; I’m not sure I cover that much water some days with electric and gas at my disposal.
The power to move comes from lithium, Anthony’s is spread around, with some thought put into it. Diving into his setup, he explained, “I do a 100 Ah (Amp/hour) lithium dedicated to my trolling motor and that’s usually all I need, BUT, I run my transducers from a 54 Ah lithium that can be used for the Minn Kota if I deplete my main battery unexpectedly. The graphs themselves are powered by a small 18 Ah that I can easily swap out.”
I can see where the lithium is the way to go for kayak bass fishing, in my earlier article, Flipping the Relion Lithium Battery Switch I dropped in a Relion RB100-HP. This is the same rating as discussed by Anthony for powering his Minn Kota, and it weighed in at 27 pounds, so that’s a lot of power at minimal weight.
It was clear to me that after talking with Anthony, there are fishing kayaks and then there are FISHING kayaks. Thinking about being able to cover MILES of backwater, some that’s inaccessible to my current aluminum boat and being able to do it standing up, with electronics at my disposal has my wheels turning for sure.
In closing, special thanks to Old Town Pro, Anthony Garcia for sharing some insight I should have sought a long time ago. If you’re looking to dive a little deeper like me, the Old Town Website and their blog has some good stuff to check out.
Abu Garcia Introduces the Zenon X Spinning Reel
The Ultimate Tool for Freshwater Anglers Who Want to Fish to Win
COLUMBIA, S.C. (June 20, 2023) – Building on the original Zenon spinning reel, Abu Garcia has added a new model to the Zenon spinning selection with the Zenon X. This new model fills the gap by offering the flexibility to fish lightweight finesse style baits while also providing the power to handle heavier baits when needed.
Building upon the success of the original Zenon spinning reel, the Zenon X features the same efficient asymmetric aluminum frame, combined with an oversized AMG2 machined aluminum gear system that delivers the perfect balance of weight, performance and durability.
“This new addition to the Zenon spinning reel lineup is a game-changer for freshwater anglers,” said Andrew Wheeler, Director of Freshwater at Abu Garcia. “The Zenon X combines lightweight design, durable construction and precision engineering to deliver a reel that excels in finesse fishing techniques while offering the versatility to handle heavier baits with ease. It’s the ultimate tool for passionate anglers seeking exceptional performance on the water.”
KEY FEATURES
• Asymmetric one piece aluminum gear box design delivers a compact reel design that is ultra lightweight
• Air fin spool design helps reduce weight
• V-Rotor design reduces start up inertia
• Carbon handle and co-molded handle knob
• AMG2 fully machined aluminum main gear gives unparalleled smoothness and durability
• 9+1 HPCR bearing system
• Rocket line management system
• Mid-arbor spool design
• 6.2:1 gear ratio
• Weight: 2000 – 6.0-ounces • 2500MS – 6.5-ounces • 3000MS – 6.6-ounces • 3500MS – 6.8-ounces
MSRP: $299.95
Available: September 2023
Travel to El Salto to Dial in Your Crankbait Bite
By Pete Robbins - Half Past First Cast
We just returned from our annual May-June trip to Mexico’s Lake El Salto. I’ve only missed this tradition twice since 2013 – first in 2019 when I had a conflicting trip to Alaska, and second in 2020 when COVID hit. We made up for that latter missed opportunity that November by returning for two full weeks, but I hope to never miss the summertime bite again as long as I live.
That’s because it gives me the opportunity to do something I don’t get to do at home: Deep cranking. I’d guess that well over 90% of the tournaments on my home waters of the Potomac River are won in less than 6 feet of water, many of them in less than 4, and some in less than 1. By the time each new boat is a month old, I’ve banged up the bottom of my trolling motor and worn the paint off the outboard skeg. Shallow water is my comfort zone. That’s why it’s a treat to go and do something that’s out of my wheelhouse.
We actually started going before there was a crankbait that went deep enough for some of the schools. For years, the Fat Free Shad was the gold standard down there – anything deeper and you had to use a jig or a Carolina Rig or a Texas Rig. Then came the 10XD and my mind was officially blown. You’ll need specialized gear to crank it comfortably all day (and bring some Advil), but it fires up fish like nothing else. It produced my El Salto PB in 2017, and I look forward to cranking it every year. Cranking hasn’t always been the dominant ticket for our summer trips, but it’s usually a big part of the show.
The great part of going for a week (go however long you can afford to be there, but more is always better), you can get a crash course in offshore cranking. How do different colors affect the bite? The fish usually want it super-fast, but sometimes slowing down is important, or they’ll eat it almost exclusively on the pause. There are times when the 6XD does the job as well as the 10XD, in the same areas, but there are times when one is clearly better than the other. There are times when a no-rattle bait works best, and times when a loud knocker is superior. By fishing shoulder-to-shoulder with another angler on one of the best fisheries on earth, you can figure all of that out much more quickly.
It's the same sort of education we’ve gotten at other times about the changing bite. One January the fish crushed a Chatterbait on the first day, but wouldn’t react similarly in those same areas on Day Two until we switched to a swim jig. On Day Three, we had to go even more subtle, with a plain ribbed swimbait like a Keitech or Rage Swimmer.
That’s the beauty of going to such a fertile fishery – you can work on whatever technique or techniques you desire, or just go on a “catching” trip.
I’ve been South of the Border to fish in October, November, January, February, May and June, and I can say that not all months are created equally for all techniques. For example, while we’ve had a great plopper bite on occasion in June, on this trip I caught the grand total of one topwater fish. December would be better for that. February, too. The high water months are my favorites for a swim jig and flipping heavy brush. In fact, if you live where there’s an “offseason” those are great months to fine-tune your game before local tournaments start.
If you’d like to book a trip, or inquire about the best time for a particular technique, email us. It’s fishing, so there are no guarantees, but we’ll steer you in the right direction -- as soon as our thumbs and wrists heal from all of that fast-paced cranking. We have some spots on our trip next June, but we’re happy to arrange your trip to bass fishing Disneyland at any time that suits your schedule and your preferences.
Hatfield Hammers 20-Pound, 11-Ounce Final-Day Limit to Win MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitational T-H Marine Stop 5 at the Potomac River
Second-Year Pro Catches Biggest Limit of the Tournament on Final Day to Vault to Top of Leaderboard and Earn Top Payout of $117,500
MARBURY, Md. (June 19, 2023) – Pro Nick Hatfield of Greeneville, Tennessee, caught a five-bass limit Monday weighing 20 pounds, 11 ounces – the largest limit weighed throughout the three-day tournament – to win the MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitational T-H Marine Stop 5 at the Potomac River . Hatfield’s three-day total of 15 bass weighing 53 pounds, 12 ounces, earned him the win by a 5-pound, 3-ounce margin over Bass Pro Tour angler Cody Meyer of Star, Idaho, who finished second with a three day total of 15 bass weighing 48-9, good for the $50,000 runner-up payout.
After a Polaris Rookie of the Year win in 2021 on the Pro Circuit, Hatfield signed on to the new-look Invitationals for another go-round. After finishing 101st at Lake of the Ozarks in May, it looked like his Bass Pro Tour dreams may have gone by the wayside; but winning the Potomac vaulted him back into the Top 10 in points and may prove to be a key moment in a long career.
Starting the day in second behind Martin Villa, Hatfield knew he was close to a win. Still, the Top 10 was about as stacked as can be on the Potomac, and he also knew he needed to do more than just hold serve.
“Today I decided to scrap where I’ve been starting because it sucked yesterday,” Hatfield said. “I didn’t want to try to go in there and scrap out 14 or 15 pounds, I wanted to go for the win.”
So, he rolled into Chicamuxen Creek and started fishing in a recently opened spawning sanctuary.
“I knew it hadn’t had the pressure; I didn’t know if I could catch them in there, but I figured it hadn’t had the pressure like everywhere else,” Hatfield said. “So, I went in there and started catching them pretty quick. I got in a few areas there and caught them on a bunch of different things, but there was one little area in there that was a bream bed, and most of the big ones I caught, I caught off of it. When it went down it was pretty crazy.”
After catching a few swimming a jig and frogging in a marshy creek, Hatfield pulled out a popper as he roamed around. Things happened in a hurry after that.
“I stumbled into it as I was fishing, just going down the bank,” he said. “I threw a popper up close to the point, and one engulfed it. I kept throwing over there, and upon further inspection, after I caught some, I saw it was a bream bed. So, I actually went back to it later in the day and caught another 4-pounder off of it.”
Running bream beds has gotten a bit trendy recently, and the Top 10 definitely added them into the mix with the usual Potomac staples. For Hatfield, a big patch of spawning bluegill in Quantico Creek did a lot of the heavy lifting.
“I saw the one in Quantico the second day of practice and I saw there were a bunch of big ones swimming on it and it was easy to get bites,” Hatfield said. “I never found another one until today.
“I’d say out of 15 bass I weighed, maybe four or five came off something else,” he said. “Swimming a jig, a frog, ChatterBait, something like that. It was all on bream beds, basically.”
For his bream beds, Hatfield’s primary weapon was a wacky-rigged Yamamoto Senko with a No. 1 Hayabusa WRM929. He also mixed in a 3/8-ounce Z-Man Evergreen ChatterBait JackHammer, a 3/8-ounce Hayabusa Lil’ Schmitty Swim Jig , a popping frog and a bone Lobina Rio Rico. He used Doomsday rods for all of his techniques, opting for a 7-foot, medium-heavy model for the wacky rig.
“I’ve wanted to win one of these, I’ve tried hard,” Hatfield went on to say. “I knew that I could do it, and today just shows that I can. I can’t wait for the next one, I’m ready to go right now.”
The top 50 pros at the T-H Marine Stop 5 at the Potomac River finished:
1st: Nick Hatfield, Greeneville, Tenn., 15 bass, 53-12, $117,500 (includes $35,000 Phoenix Bonus)
2nd: Cody Meyer, Star, Idaho, 15 bass, 48-9, $50,000
3rd: Eric Panzironi, Longwood, Fla., 15 bass, 48-8, $20,000
4th: Wyatt Frankens, Corrigan, Texas, 15 bass, 46-9, $18,000
5th: Martin Villa, Charlottesville, Va., 15 bass, 46-8, $17,000
6th: Blake Hall, Rogersville, Ala., 15 bass, 46-1, $17,000
7th: Andrew Loberg, Rocklin, Calif., 15 bass, 46-0, $15,000
8th: Keith Carson, DeBary, Fla., 15 bass, 45-13, $14,000
9th: Bryan Schmitt, Deale, Md., 15 bass, 45-12, $13,000
10th: Kyle Weisenburger, Columbus Grove, Ohio, 15 bass, 44-11, $12,000
11th: Pete Ponds, Madison, Miss., 15 bass, 44-8, $10,000
12th: Jim Moynagh, Shakopee, Minn., 15 bass, 44-5, $10,000
13th: Jordan Collom, Canyon Lake, Calif., 15 bass, 44-4, $10,000
14th: Troy Stokes, Trenton, Mich., 15 bass, 44-1, $10,000
15th: Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., 15 bass, 43-13, $10,000
16th: Cody Spetz, Hollister, Mo., 15 bass, 43-12, $10,000
17th: Flint Davis, Leesburg, Ga., 15 bass, 43-11, $10,000
18th: Hunter Eubanks, Inman, S.C., 15 bass, 43-11, $10,000
19th: Cole Hewett, Orange Park, Fla., 15 bass, 43-10, $10,000
20th: Spencer Shuffield, Hot Springs, Ark., 15 bass, 43-9, $10,000
21st: David Walker, Sevierville, Tenn., 15 bass, 43-7, $10,000
22nd: Jeremy Southerly, Fulks Run, Va., 15 bass, 43-6, $10,000
23rd: Robert Nakatomi, Sacramento, Calif., 15 bass, 42-14, $10,000
24th: Jason Vance, Battle Ground, Ind., 15 bass, 42-13, $10,000
25th: Ron Nelson, Berrien Springs, Mich., 15 bass, 42-11, $10,000
26th: Matt Becker, Ten Mile, Tenn., 15 bass, 42-7, $10,000
27th: Charlie Reed Jr., Gloucester, Va., 15 bass, 42-5, $10,000
28th: Justin Cooper, Zwolle, La., 15 bass, 42-4, $10,000
29th: Wayne Vaughan, Chester, Va., 15 bass, 42-3, $10,000
30th: Mike McClelland, Blue Eye, Mo., 15 bass, 42-2, $10,000
31st: Blake Felix, Warsaw, Mo., 15 bass, 42-1, $8,000
32nd: Cody Pike, Powhatan, Va., 15 bass, 42-1, $8,000
33rd: Michael Catt, Jacksonville, Fla., 15 bass, 41-14, $8,000
34th: Tyler Stewart, Dubach, La., 15 bass, 41-14, $8,000
35th: Christian Greico, Tampa, Fla., 15 bass, 41-13, $8,000
36th: Kyle Hall, Granbury, Texas, 15 bass, 41-11, $8,000
37th: Joe Wieberg, Freeburg, Mo., 15 bass, 41-9, $8,000
38th: Matt Greenblatt, Port Saint Lucie, Fla., 15 bass, 41-4, $8,000
39th: John Duarte, Middle River, Md., 15 bass, 41-2, $8,000
40th: Marshall Robinson, Landrum, S.C., 15 bass, 40-15, $8,000
41st: Braxton Setzer, Wetumpka, Ala., 15 bass, 40-15, $8,000
42nd: Ramie Colson Jr., Cadiz, Ky., 15 bass, 40-10, $8,000
43rd: Terry Olinger, Louisa, Va., 15 bass, 40-9, $8,000
44th: Eddie Carper, Valliant, Okla., 14 bass, 39-11, $8,000
45th: Travis Harriman, Huntsville, Ark., 15 bass, 39-4, $8,000
46th: Austin Culbertson, Moberly, Mo., 14 bass, 39-2, $8,000
47th: Jack Daniel Williams, Kingsport, Tenn., 15 bass, 38-4, $8,000
48th: Drew Gill, Mount Carmel, Ill., 15 bass, 37-7, $8,000
49th: Joshua Weaver, Macon, Ga., 15 bass, 36-15, $8,000
50th: Kyle Minke, Lindstrom, Minn., 14 bass, 36-12, $8,000
Complete results for the entire field can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Overall, there were 247 bass weighing 663 pounds, 3 ounces caught by the 50 pros Monday. The catch included 47 five-bass limits.
The three-day tournament was hosted by the Charles County Board of Commissioners and featured a roster of 150 pro anglers competing for a top prize of up to $115,000 and an invitation to compete at REDCREST 2024. The next Tackle Warehouse Invitational event will take place July 25-27 at the Tackle Warehouse Invitational at the Mississippi River Presented by Mercury in La Crosse, Wisconsin.
In MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitational competition, the full field of 150 anglers competed in the two-day opening round on Saturday and Sunday in a traditional five-fish, weigh-in format. Only the top 50 pros based on their two-day cumulative weight advanced to the final round on Championship Monday, where they competed for the grand prize of up to $115,000, including the lucrative $35,000 Phoenix MLF Bonus for qualified anglers. The winner of the MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitational T-H Marine Stop 5 at the Potomac River was determined by the heaviest three-day cumulative weight and will now receive an invitation to compete at REDCREST 2024.
The season-long Invitational Bally Bet Angler of the Year (AOY) will also earn a berth into REDCREST and the Top 8 anglers in the season-long Invitational AOY point standings will qualify for the 2024 Bass Pro Tour. After four events in the six-event Qualifying Circuit, pro Ron Nelson of Berrien Springs, Michigan, leads the AOY race with 953 points. Charlottesville, Virginia, pro Martin Villa sits in second place with 929 points, while Keith Carson of DeBary, Florida, is in third with 911 points. Pro Michael Neal of Dayton, Tennessee, is in fourth place with 905 points, while Junction City, Wisconsin’s Matthew Stefan rounds out the top five with 874 points.
The MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitational T-H Marine Stop 5 at the Potomac River will feature live on-the-water coverage and a two-hour action-packed television show that will premiere on the CBS Sports Network on Saturday, October 28.
Proud sponsors of the 2023 MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitationals include: 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, E3, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, Fox Rent a Car, General Tire, Grundéns, Lew’s, Lowrance, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Mystik Lubricants, Onyx, Phoenix Boats, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Wiley X and YETI.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Tackle Warehouse Invitationals on the MLF5 social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
Gordon Wins by Three Pounds at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Lake Dardanelle
Gooden Tops Strike King Co-Angler Division
RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. (June 19, 2023) – Boater Shawn Gordon of Russellville, Arkansas, caught a five-bass limit weighing 20 pounds, 3 ounces, Saturday to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on Lake Dardanelle. The tournament, hosted by Russellville Tourism, was the fourth event of the season for the BFL Arkie Division. Gordon earned $5,683 for his victory.
“I didn’t catch any fish until 9 o’clock,” said Gordon, who has seven top-10 finishes on Lake Dardanelle in BFL competition. “I finally caught a couple and then hopped around and fished ledges with a (unnamed) Strike King crankbait and a red worm.”
Gordon said he focused his efforts on the lower third of Dardanelle, in water ranging from eight to 15 feet deep. His efforts produced a total of nine keepers during the day.
“Later on in the day I thought I had a pretty good shot, but I really thought I had to cull one more time,” Gordon said. “So, this win feels pretty good.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:
1st: Shawn Gordon, Russellville, Ark., five bass, 20-3, $5,683
2nd: Sawyer Grace, Russellville, Ark., five bass, 17-3, $2,432
3rd: Kevin Brown, Hot Springs, Ark., five bass, 16-14, $1,989 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
4th: Jeremiah Kindy, Benton, Ark., five bass, 16-8, $1,041
5th: Jeff Clark, Van Buren, Ark., five bass, 16-7, $1,193
6th: Ben Burk, Norman, Okla., five bass, 15-3, $818
7th: Brent Haggard, Sallisaw, Okla., five bass, 15-0, $994
8th: Quincy Houchin, Mabelvale, Ark., five bass, 14-13, $669
9th: Chris Huselton, Conway, Ark., five bass, 13-9, $595
10th: Mike Webster, Pottsville, Ark., five bass, 13-0, $521
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Brandon Gabe of England, Arkansas, caught a largemouth that weighed 5 pounds, 2 ounces, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $640.
Koby Gooden of North Little Rock, Arkansas, won the Strike King co-angler division and a total of $2,214 Saturday, after bringing five bass to the scale that totaled 15 pounds, 9 ounces.
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers finished:
1st: Koby Gooden, North Little Rock, Ark., five bass, 15-9, $2,214
2nd: Ron Knight, Hot Springs Village, Ark., three bass, 7-11, $1,107
3rd: Remington Lawrence, Russellville, Ark., three bass, 6-15, $738
4th: Caden Fuller, Waldron, Ark., five bass, 6-14, $517
5th: Blake Defoor, Waldron, Ark., four bass, 6-13, $443
6th: Demetric Johnson, Little Rock, Ark., five bass, 6-12, $406
7th: Troy Speers, Malvern, Ark., two bass, 6-10, $667
7th: Tim Bowers, Thayer, Mo., three bass, 6-10, $350
9th: Zach Oliver, Coal Hill, Ark., three bass, 6-7, $295
10th: Blake Smith, Benton, Ark., three bass, 6-5, $258
Troy Speers of Malvern, Arkansas, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $317, catching a largemouth that weighed in at 5 pounds, 7 ounces – the largest co-angler catch of the day.
After four events, Wayne Dixon of Morrilton, Arkansas, leads the BFL Arkie Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 962 points, while John Hankins of Atkins, Arkansas, leads the Strike King Co-Angler Division AOY race with 962 points.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, will qualify for the Oct. 5-7 BFL Regional tournament on Lake Eufaula in Eufaula, Oklahoma. Boaters will fish for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $50,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.
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 2024 BFL All-American.
Proud sponsors of the 2023 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, E3, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, General Tire, Grundéns, Gill, Lew’s, Lowrance, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Mystik Lubricants, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, Wiley X and YETI.
For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Bass Fishing League updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
Team Crockett Creek Beef Jerky Wins Inaugural General Tire Team Series Bass Pro Shops Championship Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches
Captain Jacob Wheeler Dominates Championship Round with 56 Bass Weighing 101-6 To Lead Team to Commanding Victory and Earn $300,000 Top Prize
LAKE COUNTY, Fla. (June 19, 2023) – The final episode of the Major League Fishing (MLF) General Tire Team Series Bass Pro Shops Championship Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches premiered Saturday, and Team Crockett Creek Beef Jerky, led by a 56-fish day from captain Jacob Wheeler, dominated the final day of competition to win the inaugural championship event and earn the $300,000 top prize.
Wheeler, along with teammates Jason Lambert and Dylan Hays, caught 68 scorable bass weighing 133 pounds, 4 ounces, to win the event by a huge 72-pound, 8-ounce margin. Team Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff & Pouches (Bryan Thrift, Terry Scroggins and Anthony Gagliardi) finished the event in second place with 23 scorable bass weighing 60-12, while Team Builders FirstSource (Jeff Sprague, Randall Tharp and Cliff Crochet) finished third with 24 bass weighing 49-15.
“This is unreal,” Wheeler said in his post-game interview. “I was just sitting in one spot, and when you know that you just fired up a school of bass and it is a feeding frenzy – there is nothing like it.
“This event has been so unique, and so much fun,” Wheeler continued. “The teamwork that we’ve had – Jason (Lambert) carried us in Minnesota.”
“Dylan (Hays) has been ‘Steady Eddy’ this whole time, and the last two days Wheeler has just been Wheeler,” Lambert added. “You can’t take any of these for granted. You never know if you’re going to get an opportunity to do something like this again.”
Wheeler’s unbelievable 56-fish day came via a not-yet-released prototype Rapala jerkbait called The Maverick.
“They have been working on this jerkbait for several years now, and the one thing that separates this bait from any other out there on the market is the realistic colors and its unbelievable action,” Wheeler said. “Action is everything in a jerkbait. When the fish were grouped up, I could throw this bait in there and literally make them bite. It was the reaction strike – that’s what it was all about, today. That was the juice, and that is the bait that made our team $300,000 richer.”
“I’m the only rookie in this field, today, and I definitely count this victory as the first big win of my career,” said Hays on his $100,000 payday.
“We compete all the time on the water by ourselves, but when you do click like Dylan, Jason and I have, we go out on the water and battle not individually, but as a team. And I think that is what separated us this week,” Wheeler went on to say.
The final results from the Championship Round of the General Tire Team Series Bass Pro Shops Championship Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches were:
1st: Team Crockett Creek, 68 bass, 133-4
*Jacob Wheeler, 56 bass, 101-6
Jason Lambert, eight bass, 21-15
Dylan Hays, four bass, 9-15
2nd: Team Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff & Pouches, 23 bass, 60-12
*Bryan Thrift, 10 bass, 28-8
Terry Scroggins, 10 bass, 23-1
Anthony Gagliardi, three bass, 9-3
3rd: Team Builders First Source, 24 bass, 49-15
*Jeff Sprague, 16 bass, 32-3
Cliff Crochet, four bass, 11-10
Randall Tharp, four bass, 6-2
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Overall, there were 115 bass weighing 243 pounds, 15 ounces caught by the nine teams during the Championship Round on Lake Apopka.
The General Tire Team Series Bass Pro Shops Championship Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches was shot over nine days in December and featured nine teams of three anglers visiting Lake County, Florida, to compete on different lakes on the Clermont Chain on each day of competition. Each day the fisheries were unknown to the anglers – they did not learn where they were competing until they arrived at the launch ramp each morning of competition.
The 2023 MLF General Tire Team Series Bass Pro Shops Championship Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches aired on the Outdoor Channel as seven, two-hour original episodes each Saturday afternoon, debuting on May 6, 2023, and running through June 17, 2023.
All seven episodes of the General Tire Team Series Bass Pro Shops Championship Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches from Lake County, Florida, are now available for viewing on the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) streaming app. The full television schedule can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Proud sponsors of the MLF General Tire Team Series include: B&W Hitches, Barbasol, Bass Cat Boats, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, Builders FirstSource, C-MAP, Crockett Creek Beef Jerky, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, Ferguson, General Tire, Knighten Industries, Kubota, Lowrance, Lucas Oil, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Optima Batteries, Phoenix Boats, Power-Pole, Rapala Baits, Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff, Star brite, T-H Marine, Toyota, USAA, and YETI.
For complete details and updated information on Major League Fishing and the MLF General Tire Team Series events, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
Bell Notches Sixth Career Win at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at High Rock Lake
Deciucis Tops Strike King Co-Angler Division
LEXINGTON, N.C. (June 19, 2023) – Boater Rodney Bell of Salisbury, North Carolina, caught a five-bass limit weighing 21 pounds, 1 ounce, Saturday to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on High Rock Lake. The tournament was the third event of the season for the BFL Piedmont Division. Bell earned $5,024 for his victory.
“I started early with a buzzbait and caught one doing that,” said Bell. “It was extremely crowded where I was, and I live on High Rock, so I switched creeks to get away from the crowd.”
Three of Bell’s six BFL wins have come on High Rock Lake, and his knowledge of the fishery, especially the mid-lake area where he fished during competition, paid off during the tournament. His relocation quickly produced a 4½-pounder and a 6-15 bass, the Berkley Big Bass of the day.
“When I caught that big one, I decided I was there for the duration of the day,” Bell said. “I settled down and fished docks and laydowns with an E&L Lures jig and a couple of bass came on a worm. I stayed shallow all day long and caught nine keepers.
“I’ve fished probably 150 of these BFL events, but it’s always special to win at home,” Bell added.
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:
1st: Rodney Bell, Salisbury, N.C., five bass, 21-1, $5,024
2nd: Travis Donaldson, Cleveland, N.C., five bass, 20-9, $2,197
3rd: Ryan Powroznik, Hopewell, Va., five bass, 20-3, $1,464
4th: Junior Roberts, Alexandria, Va., five bass, 18-4, $1,025
5th: Evan White, Roanoke Rapids, N.C., five bass, 18-2, $879
6th: David Wright, Lexington, N.C., five bass, 17-1, $1,775 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
7th: Chad Poteat, Mount Airy, N.C., five bass, 16-13, $1,232
8th: Ron Wolfarth, Oakboro, N.C., five bass, 16-3, $659
9th: Dennis Burdette, Pembroke, Va., five bass, 15-8, $586
10th: Ladd Whicker, Winston-Salem, N.C., four bass, 15-1, $513
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Bell also caught a bass that weighed 6 pounds, 15 ounces, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $630.
David Deciucis of Chester, Virginia, won the Strike King co-angler division and a total of $2,379 Saturday, after bringing five bass to the scale that totaled 14 pounds, 12 ounces.
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers finished:
1st: David Deciucis, Chester, Va., five bass, 14-12, $2,379
2nd: Hank Cooke, Emporia, Va., five bass, 13-10, $907
2nd: Cornell Badra, Clarksburg, Md., four bass, 13-10, $907
4th: Eric Nelson, Gainesville, Va., five bass, 13-5, $509
5th: Ben Dacey, Powhatan, Va., five bass, 12-15, $786
6th: Matthew Noraas, Pamplin, Va., five bass, 12-1, $400
7th: Vernon Adams, Clayton, N.C., five bass, 11-15, $363
8th: Mekye Barnes, Raleigh, N.C., five bass, 11-14, $327
9th: Bobby Henderson, Charlotte, N.C., two bass, 10-13, $603
10th: Tim Privette, Jr., Wendell, N.C., five bass, 10-9, $254
Bobby Henderson of Charlotte, N.C., earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $312, catching a bass that weighed in at 6 pounds, 13 ounces – the largest co-angler catch of the day.
After three events, Evan White of Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina, leads the BFL Piedmont Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 719 points, while Timothy Kinder of Fairfax, Virginia, leads the Strike King Co-Angler Division AOY race with 720 points.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, will qualify for the Oct. 5-7 BFL Regional tournament on the Potomac River in Marbury, Maryland. Boaters will fish for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $50,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.
The 2023 Phoenix BFL Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 events throughout the season, five qualifying tournaments in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five qualifying event winners, will advance to one of six BFL Regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the 2024 BFL All-American.
Proud sponsors of the 2023 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, E3, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, General Tire, Grundéns, Gill, Lew’s, Lowrance, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Mystik Lubricants, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, Wiley X and YETI.
For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Bass Fishing League updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
Mallicoat Dominates Field at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Old Hickory Lake
Fitzpatrick Wins Strike King Co-Angler Division
GALLATIN, Tenn. (June 19, 2023) – Boater Joey Mallicoat of Lebanon, Tennessee, caught a five-bass limit weighing 20 pounds, 10 ounces, Saturday to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on Old Hickory Lake . The tournament, hosted by Sumner County Tourism, was the fourth event of the season for the BFL Music City Division. Mallicoat earned $12,438, including the lucrative $7,000 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus, for his victory.
“I ran down the lake and fished offshore all day,” said Mallicoat. “I caught a 4-pounder on my very first cast of the morning. I had a limit in the first 30 minutes and just culled up throughout the day.”
Mallicoat said he focused his fishing in water from Cedar Creek to the dam and used a football-head jig to target current breaks and hard spots – typical offshore fishing – seven to 15 feet deep.
“Around 12:30 I had a little over 17 pounds, and I thought I would at least have a shot at winning,” Mallicoat said.
Mallicoat said he caught a final 5-pounder with 45 minutes to go in competition to anchor his bag.
“When I caught that one, I thought somebody would really have to catch them in order to beat me,” Mallicoat said. “But there are a lot of good guys fishing out there, and I’ve seen a lot of them catch more than 20 pounds, so I knew it was possible.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:
1st: Joey Mallicoat, Lebanon, Tenn., five bass, 20-10, $12,438 (includes $7,000 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
2nd: Daniel Johnson, Lebanon, Tenn., five bass, 15-13, $1,859
3rd: Tim Messer, Hendersonville, Tenn., five bass, 15-12, $1,052
3rd: Jase Jackson, Lebanon, Tenn., five bass, 15-12, $1,052
5th: Corey Steakley, Lebanon, Tenn., five bass, 15-2, $744
6th: Josh Womack, Gallatin, Tenn., five bass, 14-3, $1,167
7th: Mickey Beck, Lebanon, Tenn., five bass, 13-15, $589
7th: Dillon Massia, Lafayette, Tenn., five bass, 13-15, $589
9th: Tony Eckler, Lebanon, Tenn., five bass, 13-8, $496
10th: Nick Uebelhor, Jasper, Ind., five bass, 13-6, $434
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Josh Womack of Gallatin, Tennessee, caught a bass that weighed 6 pounds, 9 ounces, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $485.
John Fitzpatrick of Baxter, Tennessee, won the Strike King co-angler division and a total of $2,101 Saturday, after bringing five bass to the scale that totaled 13 pounds, 2 ounces.
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers finished:
1st: John Fitzpatrick, Baxter, Tenn., five bass, 13-2, $2,101
2nd: Blake Whittaker, Lenoir City, Tenn., five bass, 12-4, $929
3rd: Gilbert Jolley, Livingston, Tenn., five bass, 10-15, $819
4th: Mekiah Jack, Mount Juliet, Tenn., five bass, 10-10, $434
5th: Rocky Williams, Portland, Tenn., five bass, 10-8, $372
6th: Shane Overly, Brentwood, Tenn., five bass, 10-6, $341
7th: John Morrison, McMinnville, Tenn., four bass, 9-15, $310
8th: Jacob Frawley, Spring Hill, Tenn., five bass, 9-13, $279
9th: Mark Manley, Bowling Green, Ky., four bass, 9-6, $248
10th: Ricky England, Sparta, Tenn., four bass, 9-1, $ 217
Fitzpatrick also earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $242, catching a bass that weighed in at 5 pounds, 9 ounces – the largest co-angler catch of the day.
After four events, Dillon Massia of Lafayette, Tennessee, leads the BFL Music City Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 939 points, while Rocky Williams of Portland, Tennessee, leads the Strike King Co-Angler Division AOY race with 976 points.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, will qualify for the Oct. 12-14 BFL Regional tournament on Lake Eufaula in Eufaula, Alabama. Boaters will fish for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $50,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.
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 2024 BFL All-American.
Proud sponsors of the 2023 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, E3, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, General Tire, Grundéns, Gill, Lew’s, Lowrance, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Mystik Lubricants, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, Wiley X and YETI.
For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Bass Fishing League updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
Funkhouser Claims Victory at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on the Ohio River at Tanners Creek
Bryant Wins Strike King Co-Angler Division
LAWRENCEBERG, Ind. (June 19, 2023) – Boater Brian Funkhouser of Bloomington, Indiana, caught a five-bass limit weighing 8 pounds, 1 ounce, Saturday to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on the Ohio River-Tanners Creek. The tournament was the third event of the season for the BFL Hoosier Division. Funkhouser earned $4,315 for his victory.
“I spent a couple of days practicing for the event and found some fry guarders,” said Funkhouser. “I found them in a couple of creeks, so I had a plan.”
Funkhouser said he caught all five of his keeper fish, in Craig’s Creek, on shallow spinnerbaits. He said he thought his hopes for a win had disappeared after he lost a quality bass.
“I lost a good one and thought I’d end up maybe in the top five,” Funkhouser said. “I didn’t think I had a chance to win after I lost that fish. It’s the river; you can’t afford to lose any of them.
“To lose that one and end up winning is awesome,” Funkhouser added. “I’ve done this for a while now, and it’s always nice to beat the caliber of guys that fish in this league.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:
1st: Brian Funkhouser, Bloomington, Ind., five bass, 8-1, $4,315
2nd: Doug Ruster, New Palestine, Ind., four bass, 6-4, $2,707
3rd: Travis Spivey, Union, Ky., five bass, 6-1, $1,439
4th: Chris Wilkinson, Farmersburg, Ind., five bass, 5-12, $1,007
5th: Scott Bateman, Jasper, Ind., five bass, 5-11, $1,063
6th: Jeramiah Sifers, Sellersburg, Ind., two bass, 5-9, $1,011
7th: David Spivey, Hamilton, Ohio, three bass, 5-7, $719
8th: Erik Sanders, Bedford, Ind., one bass, 5-6, $1,757 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
9th: Brandon Barrett, Bloomington, Ind., four bass, 5-5, $575
10th: Kenneth Pincombe, Hamilton, Ohio, four bass, 5-4, $503
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Erik Sanders of Bedford, Indiana, caught a bass that weighed 5 pounds, 6 ounces, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $610.
Martin Bryant of North Vernon, Indiana, won the Strike King co-angler division and a total of $2,140 Saturday, after bringing three bass to the scale that totaled 7 pounds, 4 ounces.
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers finished:
1st: Martin Bryant, North Vernon, Ind., three bass, 7-4, $2,140
2nd: Eric Moore, Hamilton, Ohio, four bass, 6-5, $1,070
3rd: Dan Pardue, Morgantown, Ind., four bass, 5-0, $605
3rd: Russell Vandiver, Greenfield, Ind., four bass, 5-0, $605
5th: Derek Jackson, New Albany, Ind., one bass, 4-15, $730
6th: Brandon Houston, Lakeside Park, Ky., three bass, 4-6, $392
7th: John Thomas, Quincy, Ind., one bass, 4-1, $357
8th: Greg Marshall, Paris, Ky., two bass, 3-14, $321
9th: Ryan Sykes, Fairfield, Ohio, two bass, 3-12, $685
10th: Collin Hillen, Evansville, Ind., three bass, 3-8, $237
10th: Rob Earickson, Camby, Ind., two bass, 3-8, $237
Derek Jackson of New Albany, Indiana, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $302, catching a bass that weighed in at 4 pounds, 15 ounces – the largest co-angler catch of the day.
After three events, Mike Quinlin of Mooresville, Indiana, leads the BFL Hoosier Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 730 points, while Jacob Parks of Noblesville, Indiana, leads the Strike King Co-Angler Division AOY race with 710 points.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, will qualify for the Oct. 19-21 BFL Regional tournament on Lake of the Ozarks in Osage Beach, Missouri. Boaters will fish for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $50,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.
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 2024 BFL All-American.
Proud sponsors of the 2023 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, E3, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, General Tire, Grundéns, Gill, Lew’s, Lowrance, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Mystik Lubricants, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, Wiley X and YETI.
For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Bass Fishing League updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
Meyer Bags Big Bass to Secure Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event Victory at Wolf River Chain of Lakes
Griffin Wins Strike King Co-Angler Division
WINNECONNE, Wis. (June 19, 2023) – Boater Kyle Meyer of Blaine, Minnesota, caught a five-bass limit weighing 18 pounds, 5 ounces, Saturday to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on the Wolf River Chain of Lakes. The tournament was the third event of the season for the BFL Great Lakes Division. Meyer earned $5,204 for his victory.
“I ran up to Lake Winnebago, and once I was there, I got three fish for 10 pounds,” said Meyer. “It was a good start to the day.”
Meyer said his first bass was a 3¼-pound bass that fell for a swimjig in lily pads, and a 4-pounder followed soon after. A couple of minutes later a 2¾-pounder took the jig. Meyer said his weight held with those three fish until 11 o’clock, then he relocated in search of bass to fill his limit.
“I caught two more keepers, but they were just small ones, so I knew I had to cull them,” Meyer said. “I ran back to my starting spot about noon, caught one, then ended up catching the big one, a 4-15. There was nothing special about today – just throwing a swimjig at the same stuff.
“When I caught that big one, I said, ‘Game over,’” Meyer continued. “There’s not that many 5-pounders out there. That was an absolute unicorn on this body of water.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:
1st: Kyle Meyer, Blaine, Minn., five bass, 18-5, $5,204
2nd: Joe Pollak, Lake Geneva, Wis., five bass, 14-4, $2,629
3rd: Randy Oppermann, Redgranite, Wis., five bass, 14-0, $1,452
4th: Kevin Ruh, Onalaska, Wis., five bass, 13-15, $1,517 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
5th: Jeff Ritter, Prairie du Chien, Wis., five bass, 13-9, $872
6th: Brad Wessling, La Crosse, Wis., five bass, 13-5, $799
7th: Christopher Smith, North Branch, Minn., five bass, 13-3, $726
8th: Travis Seitzinger, Lakefield, Minn., five bass, 13-2, $654
9th: Curtis Samo, Rochelle, Ill., five bass, 13-1, $581
10th: Tanner Bock, Davenport, Iowa, five bass, 12-11, $509
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Meyer also caught a bass that weighed 4 pounds, 15 ounces, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $625.
Gage Griffin of Lake Forest, Illinois, won the Strike King co-angler division and a total of $2,442 Saturday, after bringing five bass to the scale that totaled 15 pounds, 6 ounces.
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers finished:
1st: Gage Griffin, Lake Forest, Ill., five bass, 15-6, $2,442
2nd: Troy Jutting, Savage, Minn., five bass, 12-6, $1,070
3rd: Kenny Nachtman, Bellevue, Iowa, five bass, 11-8, $712
4th: Will Ahnen, Fennimore, Wis., five bass, 10-15, $499
5th: Michael White, Waupun, Wis., five bass, 10-12, $428
6th: Mike Marr, Oxford, Wis., five bass, 10-10, $392
7th: Jason von Bargen, Prior Lake, Minn., four bass, 9-13, $357
8th: Frank Miller, Barrington, Ill., four bass, 9-0, $303
8th: Jill Kerzisnik, Plainfield, Ill., four bass, 9-0, $303
10th: Clifton Williams, Wood Dale, Ill., four bass, 8-15, $250
Griffin also earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $302, catching a bass that weighed in at 4 pounds, 11 ounces – the largest co-angler catch of the day.
After three events, Jeff Ritter of Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, leads the BFL Great Lakes Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 730 points, while Hertz Skaer of Holmen, Wisconsin, leads the Strike King Co-Angler Division AOY race with 725 points.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, will qualify for the Oct. 19-21 BFL Regional tournament on Lake of the Ozarks in Osage Beach, Missouri. Boaters will fish for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $50,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.
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 2024 BFL All-American.
Proud sponsors of the 2023 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, E3, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, General Tire, Grundéns, Gill, Lew’s, Lowrance, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Mystik Lubricants, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, Wiley X and YETI.
For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Bass Fishing League updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
Bass Pro Tour Pro Jeff Kriet Withdraws From Stage Six Tournament; Mike McClelland To Replace Kriet For Event
BENTON, Ky. (June 19, 2023) – Major League Fishing (MLF) announced today that Bass Pro Tour pro angler Jeff Kriet of Ardmore, Oklahoma has withdrawn from competing in the General Tire Stage Six Presented by John Deere Utility Vehicles at Lake St. Clair in Harrison Township, Michigan tournament due to personal circumstances. Kriet informed MLF that he plans to return to competition at Minn Kota Stage Seven Presented by Suzuki August 1-6.
Per MLF policy, “If an eligible Bass Pro Tour angler withdraws, declines an invitation or retires, the invitation will revert back to the next eligible Bass Pro Tour angler based on career Angler of the Year (AOY) standings average or 2022 AOY standings, whichever is higher”. Former Bass Pro Tour pro Clabion Johns was next in line but declined the Stage Six invitation. Former Bass Pro Tour pro Mike McClelland of Blue Eye, Missouri, who is currently fishing the MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitationals, was the next angler in line after Johns and has accepted the invitation to compete in the Stage Six event.
“It’s great to have an opportunity to be back in the Bass Pro Tour for Stage Six,” said McClelland. “I’ve always loved going to Lake St. Clair, and I’m especially excited to fish the catch, weigh and release format while scoring five fish.”
Participants of the Phoenix Fantasy Fishing Presented by Bally’s who have already selected Kriet will be notified via email to make an alternative selection by June 24, 2023, at 8am ET. Should a participant continue to have Kriet on their team once Stage Six begins, zero pounds will be assigned to their score.
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.
Virginia’s Martin Villa Leads Into Final Day at MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitational T-H Marine Stop 5 at the Potomac River
Villa Catches 19-pound, 15-ounce Limit to Bring 1-Pound, 5-Ounce Lead into Final Day – Field Cut to Final 50
MARBURY, Md. (June 18, 2023) – Warmer temperatures and a lack of wind of Sunday created a more finicky fishery for the 150 pro anglers competing on Day 2 of the MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitational T-H Marine Stop 5 at the Potomac River . Local favorite, Martin Villa of Charlottesville, Virginia, started the day in third place, but brought a limit to the scale weighing 15 pounds, 7 ounces, to jump to the top of the leaderboard and bring a 1-pound, 5-ounce lead into the final day of competition. Over the first two days of competition, Villa has weighed in 10 bass totaling 34-6.
The three-day tournament, hosted by the Charles County Board of Commissioners, features a roster of 150 pro anglers competing for a top prize of up to $115,000 and an invitation to compete at REDCREST 2024. The full field of 150 anglers concluded the two-day opening round on Sunday, with only the top 50 pros based on their two-day cumulative weight now advancing to Championship Monday.
The tournament is still up for grabs, as even 21st place has more than 30 pounds and is less than 4½ pounds back from Villa. Pro Nick Hatfield of Greeneville, Tennessee (33-1), Michael Neal of Dayton, Tennessee (32-11), Cody Spetz of Hollister, Missouri (32-9) and Deale, Maryland’s Bryan Schmitt (32-1) round out the top five competitors.
Villa has been fishing hard, banking on specific pieces of hard cover at specific times. He’s also running the tide and making a lot of effort to get on certain exact places – he checked one spot five times today before it was free of boats.
“I’m missing a grass bite – and I know it’s the 1-2 punch that you need on this fishery – let me rephrase that, the big-fish grass bite,” Villa said. “It usually revolves around the topwater, but it just seems that when the tide is high they don’t really want to hit it, and when the tide is low I’m not really trying to be in the grass, because I’ve been fishing hard cover. And the places where the better fish are, they’re pulling off of the spawn. So, there are fish coming through every day, so hopefully there are some more there tomorrow.”
Villa’s best spot is a perfect confluence of his skills.
“It’s a dominant lie,” he said. “I have one cast that in the past two days I’ve caught 20 fish off of. The worst part of it was there was another tournament boat – not ours, a local team tournament – that was on it all morning. I went five times for it, and the fifth time they were 100 yards away.”
With low tide moving back another hour on Monday, Villa isn’t going to have much time at prime time.
“I know that if I’m going to win this thing, it’s going to come down to the last couple of casts,” he said.
Of course, he could figure out the grass bite, which would make him pretty hard to handle on the final day.
“I’m going to have to search deep and think of where my starting spot is,” he said. “I do have a patch of grass up north that I got bit in, and it’s been historically good for me. I’m really confident in this patch, but the northwest wind blew it out these last two days. I fished it one day in practice, made one 15-minute pass and caught four, one that was 4 1/2. I’m hoping it calmed down enough. There is enough grass in there where it should clean out quickly, and if I can get there in the morning and catch them, I may not leave. Because typically you can sit on that school all day.”
The top 50 pros advancing to the third and final day of competition at the T-H Marine Stop 5 at the Potomac River are:
1st: Martin Villa, Charlottesville, Va., 10 bass, 34-6
2nd: Nick Hatfield, Greeneville, Tenn., 10 bass, 33-1
3rd: Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., 10 bass, 32-11
4th: Cody Spetz, Hollister, Mo., 10 bass, 32-9
5th: Bryan Schmitt, Deale, Md., 10 bass, 32-1
6th: Troy Stokes, Trenton, Mich., 10 bass, 31-10
7th: Blake Hall, Rogersville, Ala., 10 bass, 31-9
8th: Cody Meyer, Star, Idaho, 10 bass, 31-8
9th: Flint Davis, Leesburg, Ga., 10 bass, 31-2
10th: Kyle Weisenburger, Columbus Grove, Ohio, 10 bass, 30-15
11th: Jim Moynagh, Shakopee, Minn., 10 bass, 30-13
12th: Spencer Shuffield, Hot Springs, Ark., 10 bass, 30-11
13th: Keith Carson, DeBary, Fla., 10 bass, 30-9
14th: Andrew Loberg, Rocklin, Calif., 10 bass, 30-8
15th: Wayne Vaughan, Chester, Va., 10 bass, 30-6
16th: Wyatt Frankens, Corrigan, Texas, 10 bass, 30-5
17th: David Walker, Sevierville, Tenn., 10 bass, 30-3
18th: Austin Culbertson, Moberly, Mo., 10 bass, 30-2
19th: Robert Nakatomi, Sacramento, Calif., 10 bass, 30-1
20th: Pete Ponds, Madison, Miss., 10 bass, 30-1
21st: Terry Olinger, Louisa, Va., 10 bass, 30-0
22nd: Eric Panzironi, Longwood, Fla., 10 bass, 29-14
23rd: Travis Harriman, Huntsville, Ark., 10 bass, 29-12
24th: Blake Felix, Warsaw, Mo., 10 bass, 29-8
25th: Eddie Carper, Valliant, Okla., 10 bass, 29-5
26th: Justin Cooper, Zwolle, La., 10 bass, 29-3
27th: Jack Daniel Williams, Kingsport, Tenn., 10 bass, 29-1
28th: Marshall Robinson, Landrum, S.C., 10 bass, 29-0
29th: Matt Becker, Ten Mile, Tenn., 10 bass, 28-15
30th: Kyle Hall, Granbury, Texas, 10 bass, 28-14
31st: John Duarte, Middle River, Md., 10 bass, 28-12
32nd: Jordan Collom, Canyon Lake, Calif., 10 bass, 28-12
33rd: Joshua Weaver, Macon, Ga., 10 bass, 28-11
34th: Michael Catt, Jacksonville, Fla., 10 bass, 28-11
35th: Joe Wieberg, Freeburg, Mo., 10 bass, 28-8
36th: Jason Vance, Battle Ground, Ind., 10 bass, 28-7
37th: Drew Gill, Mount Carmel, Ill., 10 bass, 28-5
38th: Jeremy Southerly, Fulks Run, Va., 10 bass, 28-5
39th: Cole Hewett, Orange Park, Fla., 10 bass, 28-4
40th: Braxton Setzer, Wetumpka, Ala., 10 bass, 28-3
41st: Mike McClelland, Blue Eye, Mo., 10 bass, 28-0
42nd: Matt Greenblatt, Port Saint Lucie, Fla., 10 bass, 27-15
43rd: Charlie Reed Jr., Gloucester, Va., 10 bass, 27-13
44th: Ramie Colson Jr., Cadiz, Ky., 10 bass, 27-12
45th: Ron Nelson, Berrien Springs, Mich., 10 bass, 27-11
46th: Cody Pike, Powhatan, Va., 10 bass, 27-10
47th: Tyler Stewart, Dubach, La., 10 bass, 27-10
48th: Kyle Minke, Lindstrom, Minn., 10 bass, 27-9
49th: Hunter Eubanks, Inman, S.C., 10 bass, 27-8
50th: Christian Greico, Tampa, Fla., 10 bass, 27-8
Complete results for the entire field can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Pro Paul Gettys of Due West, South Carolina, earned Sunday’s $1,000 Berkley Big Bass award with a largemouth that weighed in at 6 pounds, 1 ounce.
Overall, there were 717 bass weighing 1,771 pounds, 7 ounces caught by 148 pros Sunday. The catch included 138 five-bass limits.
In MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitational competition, the full field of 150 anglers competed in the two-day opening round on Thursday and Friday in a traditional five-fish, weigh-in format. Only the top 50 pros based on their two-day cumulative weight now advance to the final round on Championship Saturday, where they will compete for the grand prize of up to $115,000, including the lucrative $35,000 Phoenix MLF Bonus for qualified anglers. The winner of the MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitational T-H Marine Stop 5 at the Potomac River will be determined by the heaviest three-day cumulative weight and will receive an invitation to compete at REDCREST 2024.
The final 50 anglers will launch Monday at 6:30 a.m. ET from Smallwood State Park, located at 2750 Sweden Point Road in Marbury, Maryland. The final weigh-in will also be held at the boat ramp daily beginning at 2:30 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend the event or follow the live on-the-water action online on MLFNOW! beginning at 7 a.m. CT at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The MLFNOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee, Marty Stone and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action on all three days of competition from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. CT. MLF NOW!® will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app.
The MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitational T-H Marine Stop 5 at the Potomac River will feature live on-the-water coverage and a two-hour action-packed television show that will premiere on the CBS Sports Network on Saturday, October 28.
Proud sponsors of the 2023 MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitationals include: 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, E3, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, Fox Rent a Car, General Tire, Grundéns, Lew’s, Lowrance, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Mystik Lubricants, Onyx, Phoenix Boats, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Wiley X and YETI.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Tackle Warehouse Invitationals on the MLF5 social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
Blake Hall Takes Day 1 Lead at MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitational T-H Marine Stop 5 at the Potomac River
Alabama Pro Catches 19-pound, 15-ounce Limit to Pace 150 Pros into Second Day of Competition Sunday
MARBURY, Md. (June 17, 2023) – Pro Blake Hall of Rogersville, Alabama, crossed the weigh-in stage Saturday with a five-bass limit totaling 19 pounds, 15 ounces to take the early lead after Day 1 of the MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitational T-H Marine Stop 5 at the Potomac River.
Hall will bring a slim 6-ounce lead into Day 2 of competition over Trenton, Michigan’s Troy Stokes, who weighed in a limit totaling 19-9 to land in second. Local favorite Martin Villa of Charlottesville, Virginia, brought a five-bass limit to the scale weighing 18-15 to end the day in third.
Competition resumes Sunday morning, when the full field of 150 anglers will conclude the two-day opening round. Only the top 50 pros based on their two-day cumulative weight will advance to the third and final day of competition on Monday. The three-day tournament, hosted by the Charles County Board of Commissioners, features a roster of 150 pro anglers competing for a top prize of up to $115,000 and an invitation to compete at REDCREST 2024.
“It looks good on paper, but it was pretty tough out there,” Hall said. “At 11 o’clock I only had four bass for probably seven (pounds). But I made a pretty good run to a new area and then I caught three big ones in probably 45 minutes.
“I culled one more time right before I came in,” Hall continued. “I only had one bite on that stretch in practice, though, so hopefully there is some more still around.”
Hall said that he solely fished grass all day, mixing it up between a ChatterBait, a swimjig and Texas-rigged worms.
“I’m definitely around some fish,” Hall said. “I’m paying attention to the tide, but I don’t think it’s been critical to my success or anything like that. I’m just trying to get in some good areas where there are some fish and the just grinding it out and fishing through the tide.”
Hall credited his good start to his clean fishing and decision making.
“I never lost one, today,” the Alabama pro said. “Everything that bit I got it in the boat.”
The top 20 pros after Day 1 of the T-H Marine Stop 5 at the Potomac River are:
1st: Blake Hall, Rogersville, Ala., five bass, 19-15
2nd: Troy Stokes, Trenton, Mich., five bass, 19-9
3rd: Martin Villa, Charlottesville, Va., five bass, 18-15
4th: Drew Gill, Mount Carmel, Ill., five bass, 17-4
5th: Tommy Dickerson, Orange, Texas, five bass, 17-0
5th: Robert Nakatomi, Sacramento, Calif., five bass, 17-0
5th: Nick Hatfield, Greeneville, Tenn., five bass, 17-0
8th: Cody Meyer, Star, Idaho, five bass, 16-14
8th: Kyle Hall, Granbury, Texas, five bass, 16-14
10th: Jim Moynagh, Shakopee, Minn., five bass, 16-10
10th: Ryan Armstrong, Robinson, Ill., five bass, 16-10
10th: Austin Culbertson, Moberly, Mo., five bass, 16-10
13th: Jack Daniel Williams, Kingsport, Tenn., five bass, 16-8
14th: Sean Anderson, Leesville, S.C., five bass, 16-6
15th: Travis Harriman, Huntsville, Ark., five bass, 16-2
16th: Pete Ponds, Madison, Miss., five bass, 16-1
16th: Spike Stoker, Cisco, Texas, five bass, 16-1
18th: Kyle Weisenburger, Columbus Grove, Ohio, five bass, 16-0
19th: Cody Spetz, Hollister, Mo., five bass, 15-14
20th: Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., five bass, 15-11
20th: Matthew Stefan, Junction City, Wis., five bass, 15-11
Complete results for the entire field can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Hall earned the $1,000 Berkley Big Bass award Saturday after weighing in a largemouth that went 5 pounds, 9 ounces.
Overall, there were 731 bass weighing 1,943 pounds, 7 ounces caught by the 150 pros Saturday. The catch included 141 five-bass limits.
In MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitational competition, the full field of 150 anglers compete in the two-day opening round on Thursday and Friday in a traditional five-fish, weigh-in format. Only the top 50 pros based on their two-day cumulative weight will advance to the final round on Championship Saturday, where they will compete for the grand prize of up to $115,000, including the lucrative $35,000 Phoenix MLF Bonus for qualified anglers. The winner of the MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitational T-H Marine Stop 5 at the Potomac River will be determined by the heaviest three-day cumulative weight and will receive an invitation to compete at REDCREST 2024.
Anglers will launch each day at 6:30 a.m. ET from Smallwood State Park, located at 2750 Sweden Point Road in Marbury, Maryland. Weigh-ins will also be held at the boat ramp daily beginning at 2:30 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend the event or follow the live on-the-water action all three days of competition online on MLF NOW! beginning at 7 a.m. CT at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitational T-H Marine Stop 5 at the Potomac River will feature live on-the-water coverage and a two-hour action-packed television show that will premiere on the CBS Sports Network on Saturday, October 28.
Proud sponsors of the 2023 MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitationals include: 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, E3, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, Fox Rent a Car, General Tire, Grundéns, Lew’s, Lowrance, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Mystik Lubricants, Onyx, Phoenix Boats, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Wiley X and YETI.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Tackle Warehouse Invitationals on the MLF5 social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
Nania finesses his way to victory at Bassmaster Open on Oklahoma’s Lake Eufaula
Joey Nania of Cropwell, Ala., has won the 2023 St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Lake Eufaula, Okla., with a three-day total of 52 pounds, 8 ounces.
Photo by Andy Crawford/B.A.S.S.
June 17, 2023
EUFAULA, Okla. — When Joey Nania saw Lake Eufaula listed on the 2023 St. Croix Bassmaster Opens schedule, he thought it would be a tournament he’d just need to survive to stay in contention for a Bassmaster Elite Series bid.
But Nania did more than just survive this week, landing a three-day total of 52 pounds, 8 ounces to win the St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Lake Eufaula, Okla. His second career Opens victory earned him a berth in the 2024 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Toyota scheduled for March 22-24 in Tulsa, Okla., along with a check for $48,800 and a $500 Garmin contingency bonus.
“If there was any concern about struggling and wanting to survive, this was the one I wanted to survive,” said Nania, who finished 13th at the 2022 Classic on Lake Hartwell. “When I got here, the lake was different from what I expected and I was happy about that. It fit my style a little bit better.
“I fished for 11 years before I won a tournament. So, it was incredible to even win one. Fishing the Classic was amazing and I’m not on the Elite Series. So, the only way for me to make it is to win. I knew if I was meant to be on that stage again, it would happen. To be a two-time winner is crazy.”
Starting the tournament in 25th place with 14-5, Nania rocketed up the leaderboard with 22-2 on the second day before adding 16-1 on Championship Saturday to claim the trophy. Nania outlasted 18-year-old Illinois pro Trey McKinney who finished second with 51-4.
In a tournament where large groups of anglers were gathered in several areas, Nania was able to separate himself by fishing to his strengths in less-pressured areas and then executing on every bite.
“Everything has to go right. I didn’t lose a fish all week,” he said. “I caught every one of them on a spinning rod on a lake where you aren’t supposed to do that. I was doing something I love to do.”
Nania focused on several offshore aspects. With both of his patterns, his best technique was a Ned-Miki rig, a shad-imitating, finesse presentation, which he built with a 3/16-ounce Z-Man Finesse Eyez jighead with a 1/0 hook and a Z-Man StreakZ 3.75 soft plastic.
He tied that to a 14-pound Vicious Tora fluorocarbon leader attached to 10-pound Vicious yellow no-fade braid main line.
“It is fairly light but sinks fast enough to get a reaction strike,” Nania explained. “It is like what Gussy (Jeff Gustafson) won the Classic on, just a little smaller.”
His best spot the first two days was an offshore hump in 22 feet of water by the dam that sat just above the thermocline. His biggest bass on Day 2, a 6 1/2-pounder, came off that hump.
“There were just a few bass out there, but they were big ones,” Nania said. “The 22-foot range is where the biggest bass on the lake were, it was just hard to get bit. The water is so clear, too, and the thermocline on the bottom end of the lake was in about 25 feet of water.”
Nania also fished 20 brushpiles a day located on points in the mouths of bays in 10 to 14 feet. Those piles were full of several different species of fish, including crappie, catfish and white bass — and when he did see a largemouth on his Garmin LiveScope, he had to tease and coax the bass into biting.
“I was really teasing the fish out of those brushpiles. I was hovering my Ned-Miki and barely winding it over the piles and creeping it over the limbs, trying to attract the bass up and out,” he said. “Once I did that, I continued to coast it away from them and hover it over them and take it away slowly. The bites were really cool. They slowly came up behind it and then just continued right through the bait super slow and gentle.”
On the final day, Nania started on a rocky bank near takeoff and calmed his nerves by catching a 2-pounder on a 6th Sense Provoke 106X jerkbait. From there, he rotated through his brushpiles and rounded up 12 pounds quickly before moving to the deep spot where he landed the majority of his big bass the first two days.
Unfortunately, he could not get any more bites in that area, and just before check-in, he moved back to the rock wall near takeoff and landed two 3 1/2-pound largemouth on a Z-Man TRD BugZ rigged weedless on a 1/6-ounce Z-Man NedlockZ jighead Ned rig that ultimately pushed him to victory.
“At the end of the day, I was grateful for 12 pounds,” he said. “I rolled up by the ramp — the pattern I fished with a Ned rig on the rocks ... that pattern worked right at the end.
“Trevor McKinney was on the point I liked the most from practice, so I pulled up on a different one. I saw something swimming in a shad ball and I threw the Ned rig out there and it started swimming off. I threw out again, and three casts later I caught another 3 1/2.”
Putting together bags of 15-7 and 19-12 the first two days, Trey McKinney caught 16-1 on the final day. But he lost two big bass under a dock late in the day that likely would have pushed him to victory.
“Today was really heartbreaking. I had quite a few opportunities and I didn’t capitalize,” he said. “I had one dock and I knew they were there and I saved them for the last hour. The second cast, I hung one and knew it was a giant. I got it halfway back to the boat and felt it stop. I looked on LiveScope and it had wrapped itself around a crossbar and broke off.”
After retying, McKinney skipped under the same dock and hooked another big bass that took the same route as the previous fish, wrapping around the crossbar before breaking the line.
While disappointing, it was McKinney’s second runner-up finish of the season and pushed him into second in the Opens Elite Qualifier points race. He also secured a $500 St, Croix Rewards check by being the highest-finishing pro using St. Croix Rods.
Matt Messer of Warfield, Ky., finished third with 47-2. Starting with 13-8 on Day 1, Messer caught 22-10 on Day 2, a bag anchored by an 8-1 largemouth that earned him $750 for Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the Tournament. He added 11-0 on the final day.
“Today was tough. I knew if it was dead slick, it would be hard for me to get bit, and when I pulled up, it was dead slick,” Messer said. “I didn’t get a bite for two hours and then the wind picked up a little bit. I caught three fast and one of them was a 3-pounder. I thought it was going to be on. But honestly, I think I just caught them all.”
As part of the Yamaha Power Pay program, sixth-place angler John Soukup of Sapulpa, Okla., took home an additional $2,000.
With four events remaining, Union City, Tenn., pro John Garrett leads the Bassmaster Opens Elite Qualifier standings with 926 points. He is followed by Trey McKinney in second with 921 points, Elite Series pro Kenta Kimura of Japan in third with 910 points, South Carolina angler JT Thompkins in fourth with 893 and Minnesota angler Keith Tuma in fifth with 878.
The top nine finishers in the EQ Division will earn invitations to the 2024 Elite Series. For full standings, visit Bassmaster.com.
2023 St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Lake Eufaula Oklahoma 6/15-6/17
Lake Eufaula, Eufaula OK.
(BOATER) Standings Day 3
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Joey Nania Cropwell, AL 15 52-08 200 $48,800.00
Day 1: 5 14-05 Day 2: 5 22-02 Day 3: 5 16-01
2. Trey McKinney Carbondale, IL 15 51-04 199 $23,460.00
Day 1: 5 15-07 Day 2: 5 19-12 Day 3: 5 16-01
3. Matt Messer Warfield, KY 15 47-02 198 $17,310.00
Day 1: 5 13-08 Day 2: 5 22-10 Day 3: 5 11-00
4. Tyler Williams Belgrade, ME 15 47-01 197 $13,800.00
Day 1: 5 19-03 Day 2: 5 12-10 Day 3: 5 15-04
5. Trevor McKinney Benton, IL 15 46-14 196 $12,006.00
Day 1: 5 18-06 Day 2: 5 13-09 Day 3: 5 14-15
6. John Soukup Sapulpa, OK 15 46-10 195 $11,040.00
Day 1: 5 14-06 Day 2: 5 18-09 Day 3: 5 13-11
7. Robert Gee Knoxville, TN 15 45-13 194 $10,350.00
Day 1: 5 16-09 Day 2: 5 14-13 Day 3: 5 14-07
8. Tyler Lubbat Wheeling, IL 14 39-09 193 $9,660.00
Day 1: 5 16-10 Day 2: 5 14-09 Day 3: 4 08-06
9. Jason Meninger Yulee, FL 13 39-06 192 $7,590.00
Day 1: 5 17-00 Day 2: 5 15-06 Day 3: 3 07-00
10. Andrew Hargrove Moody, TX 14 39-00 191 $6,210.00
Day 1: 5 16-03 Day 2: 5 15-06 Day 3: 4 07-07
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Matt Messer Warfield, KY 08-01 $750.00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 103 745 1785-09
2 71 606 1442-04
3 7 46 124-04
----------------------------------
181 1397 3352-01
Late big bites power Joey Nania to lead at Bassmaster Open at Oklahoma’s Lake Eufaula
Joey Nania of Cropwell, Ala., is leading after Day 2 of the 2023 St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Lake Eufaula, Okla., with a two-day total of 36 pounds, 7 ounces.
Photo by Andy Crawford/B.A.S.S.
June 16, 2023
EUFAULA, Okla. — Before the start of Day 2 of the St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Lake Eufaula, Okla., Joey Nania had not caught a bass over 5 pounds. His fortunes changed on Friday, when Nania caught his two biggest bass of the week and weighed a limit totaling 22 pounds, 2 ounces, pushing him into the lead with a two-day total of 36-7.
Finishing the first day in 25th with 14-5, the Cropwell, Ala., pro holds a 5-ounce advantage over Kentucky's Matt Messer, who landed the biggest bag of the tournament thus far Friday with 22-10.
“It was an amazing day. Everything went perfectly and God is good,” Nania said. “I caught 50 or more white bass today and 20 bass.”
Despite the cloudy, breezy conditions that lingered after thunderstorms rolled through overnight Thursday, Nania decided to pull up on a brushpile he scanned during practice and caught three keepers by 8:30 a.m., including a 2-pounder. He then added a 3-pounder at an adjacent brushpile and his fifth keeper a few minutes later, a 4-pounder he coaxed into biting.
From there, Nania ran to the lower end of the lake and found several shallow brushpiles, which produced a 4-pounder and another 3-pounder around 1 p.m. With several hours still to fish, he returned to the area where he caught several of his better bass on Day 1 and landed a 4 1/2- and a 6 1/2-pounder on back-to-back casts.
Those two bass were bigger than any he caught during the practice period.
“At that point, I was feeling grateful for what I had,” Nania said. “To catch the 4.65 and cull up to 18 pounds, I knew I had made the cut. The next cast, I set the hook and it was that giant. I saw it jump and thought it was a 4-pounder. When I got it to the boat and grabbed it, it was big and thick and perfect. It was amazing.”
Both days, Nania has caught bass in 22 feet of water on that spot, which he found with 30 minutes to go on the final practice day. While many other competitors have stacked up in the same area, Nania has only seen two other boats fishing this particular spot all week.
While the current isn’t particularly strong on Eufaula, it plays a big role on the spot. Using his Garmin LiveScope, Nania can see thousands of white bass, many of which attempt to eat his bait before it reaches the bass.
“I let the white bass bump my bait and then I let it fall down below them,” he said. “When it really locks up, I set the hook. I only caught a couple of fish doing it, but I caught two 4s yesterday and my co-angler lost a 5. There are 10 or 15 bass and 2,000 white bass.
“It’s a typical school, but I’ve never seen so many white bass and so few bass in a school.”
Entering the day in 37th place with 13-8, Messer anchored his big Day 2 bag with an 8-1 behemoth largemouth that he landed on his last cast. That bass holds the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the Tournament.
At the end of Day 1, Messer found two spots that produced big bass and with 20 minutes to go before check-in on Day 2, he stopped on one of those spots and it paid off in a big way.
“That is two days in a row. Yesterday I caught a 5 1/2 on my last cast on the same spot,” Messer said. “I had 15-10 on my scale with the five I had with a 1-12 as my small one. I was running back and decided to make two casts on this spot and caught it on the first one. I caught it on a 10-pound test on a spinning rod. It was skin hooked too.”
Messer has been fishing isolated cover in around 20 feet of water, whether that cover is a brushpile, stump or a rockpile. Often, the standout from the Kentucky Christian University bass team hasn’t been able to see the bass on his forward-facing sonar, but has been able to find the cover holding the bass with his graph.
“These aren’t places I’m going to catch a (ton),” he said. “Today, I ran to a spot and would catch one and then run back to another and catch one. I went back and forth all day.”
Carbondale, Ill., pro Trey McKinney is in third with a two-day total of 35-3. With catches of 15-7 and 19-12, the 18-year-old Opens Elite Qualifiers Division angler secured his third Top 10 finish of the season. After seeing multiple boats around his Day 1 starting spot, McKinney moved to a flat located close to a drop-off.
While he didn’t see many bass on his forward-facing sonar Thursday, he found the bass had loaded up in that area Friday.
“My co-angler and I had a blast today. We had 25-plus keepers. I turned the LiveScope on in the back for him, and we kept telling each other to get ready,” he said. “I went on the deep side of it yesterday and today I went shallow and had 13 pounds in a matter of 10 minutes.”
McKinney added he would have been in contention for biggest bag of the day as well, but he lost a bass that was at least a 4-pounder and broke off another he believed would have helped.
Japanese native Sakae Ushio secured his second Bassmaster Opens co-angler victory with a two-day total of 20-3. After landing 11-9 on Day 1, Ushio added two bass that weighed 8-10 on the final day to secure the wire-to-wire win. Along with the trophy and the $13,000 check, he claimed an extra $250 for the Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the Tournament, a 6-4 largemouth he caught on Day 2.
“I used a Geecrack Bellows Gill creature bait on a wobblehead and a Berkley MaxScent Magnum Hit Worm on a Neko rig,” he said. “It is amazing. Both days I was the leader. It made my life, I think.”
Oklahoma’s Dusty Duvall finished second with 19-11, followed by Louisiana’s Jason Fontenot in third with 16-8.
The Top 10 pros will launch from Nichols Point beginning at 6 a.m. CT and return for weigh-in beginning around 2:30 p.m. The winner will punch a ticket to the 2024 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Toyota in Tulsa. Full coverage will be available on Bassmaster.com.
2023 St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Lake Eufaula Oklahoma 6/15-6/17
Lake Eufaula, Eufaula OK.
(BOATER) Standings Day 2
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Joey Nania Cropwell, AL 10 36-07 200
Day 1: 5 14-05 Day 2: 5 22-02
2. Matt Messer Warfield, KY 10 36-02 199
Day 1: 5 13-08 Day 2: 5 22-10
3. Trey McKinney Carbondale, IL 10 35-03 198
Day 1: 5 15-07 Day 2: 5 19-12
4. John Soukup Sapulpa, OK 10 32-15 197
Day 1: 5 14-06 Day 2: 5 18-09
5. Jason Meninger Yulee, FL 10 32-06 196
Day 1: 5 17-00 Day 2: 5 15-06
6. Trevor McKinney Benton, IL 10 31-15 195
Day 1: 5 18-06 Day 2: 5 13-09
7. Tyler Williams Belgrade, ME 10 31-13 194
Day 1: 5 19-03 Day 2: 5 12-10
8. Andrew Hargrove Moody, TX 10 31-09 193
Day 1: 5 16-03 Day 2: 5 15-06
9. Robert Gee Knoxville, TN 10 31-06 192
Day 1: 5 16-09 Day 2: 5 14-13
10. Tyler Lubbat Wheeling, IL 10 31-03 191
Day 1: 5 16-10 Day 2: 5 14-09
11. Kyle Patrick Cooperstown, NY 10 30-15 190 $5,520.00
Day 1: 5 15-05 Day 2: 5 15-10
12. Ty Faber Pagosa Springs, CO 10 30-13 189 $4,830.00
Day 1: 5 18-10 Day 2: 5 12-03
13. Jamie Bruce Kenora Ontario CANADA 10 29-13 188 $3,795.00
Day 1: 5 16-09 Day 2: 5 13-04
14. JT Thompkins Myrtle Beach, SC 10 29-10 187 $3,795.00
Day 1: 5 14-02 Day 2: 5 15-08
15. Darold Gleason Many, LA 10 29-07 186 $3,795.00
Day 1: 5 16-05 Day 2: 5 13-02
16. Kenta Kimura Osaka JAPAN 10 28-07 185 $3,795.00
Day 1: 5 16-15 Day 2: 5 11-08
17. Kurt Mitchell Milford, DE 10 28-01 184 $3,795.00
Day 1: 5 10-08 Day 2: 5 17-09
18. Todd Castledine Nacogdoches, TX 10 27-13 183 $3,795.00
Day 1: 5 11-00 Day 2: 5 16-13
19. Shaine Campbell Brookeland, TX 8 27-09 182 $3,795.00
Day 1: 5 17-12 Day 2: 3 09-13
20. Keith Tuma Brainerd, MN 10 27-08 181 $3,795.00
Day 1: 5 14-13 Day 2: 5 12-11
21. Mamoru Kagiya Amagun Aichi JAPAN 10 27-03 180 $3,450.00
Day 1: 5 13-05 Day 2: 5 13-14
22. Ben Milliken New Caney, TX 10 26-04 179 $3,450.00
Day 1: 5 17-00 Day 2: 5 09-04
23. Luke Palmer Coalgate, OK 10 25-13 178 $3,450.00
Day 1: 5 14-04 Day 2: 5 11-09
24. Jason Lambert Savannah, TN 7 25-11 177 $3,450.00
Day 1: 5 17-14 Day 2: 2 07-13
25. Logan Johnson Jasper, AL 10 25-11 176 $3,450.00
Day 1: 5 15-00 Day 2: 5 10-11
26. Kyle Austin Ridgeville, SC 10 25-11 175 $3,174.00
Day 1: 5 11-00 Day 2: 5 14-11
27. Keltyn Hendrix Maysville, OK 10 25-10 174 $3,174.00
Day 1: 5 17-15 Day 2: 5 07-11
28. Austin Cranford Norman, OK 10 25-06 173 $3,174.00
Day 1: 5 12-08 Day 2: 5 12-14
29. Kyle Metzger Pearl River, LA 10 25-04 172 $3,174.00
Day 1: 5 14-10 Day 2: 5 10-10
30. John Garrett Union City, TN 7 25-03 171 $3,174.00
Day 1: 5 18-10 Day 2: 2 06-09
31. Andrew Upshaw Hemphill, TX 10 25-00 170 $3,174.00
Day 1: 5 11-01 Day 2: 5 13-15
32. Danny McGarry Newcastle CANADA 10 25-00 169 $3,174.00
Day 1: 5 12-06 Day 2: 5 12-10
33. B.J. Usie Bourg, LA 10 24-04 168 $3,174.00
Day 1: 5 09-14 Day 2: 5 14-06
34. Cole Drummond Effingham, SC 10 24-03 167 $3,174.00
Day 1: 5 11-03 Day 2: 5 13-00
35. Chad Warren Sand Springs, OK 10 24-00 166 $3,174.00
Day 1: 5 12-00 Day 2: 5 12-00
36. Clark Reehm Elm Grove, LA 10 23-15 165 $3,174.00
Day 1: 5 13-03 Day 2: 5 10-12
37. Cody Stahl Barnsville, GA 10 23-08 164 $3,174.00
Day 1: 5 12-10 Day 2: 5 10-14
38. Matt Henry Milledgeville, GA 10 23-07 163 $3,174.00
Day 1: 5 13-12 Day 2: 5 09-11
39. Adam Rasmussen Sturgeon Bay, WI 10 23-06 162 $3,174.00
Day 1: 5 12-01 Day 2: 5 11-05
40. Wesley Gore Clanton, AL 9 23-00 161 $3,174.00
Day 1: 5 13-11 Day 2: 4 09-05
41. Hugh Cosculluela Spring, TX 10 23-00 160
Day 1: 5 10-15 Day 2: 5 12-01
42. Casey Scanlon Eldon, MO 10 22-15 159
Day 1: 5 13-10 Day 2: 5 09-05
43. Marc Schilling Carrollton, TX 8 22-14 158
Day 1: 5 14-14 Day 2: 3 08-00
44. Ish Monroe Oakdale, CA 10 22-12 157
Day 1: 5 13-01 Day 2: 5 09-11
45. Jack York Emory, TX 10 22-12 156
Day 1: 5 11-10 Day 2: 5 11-02
46. James Niggemeyer Van, TX 10 22-10 155
Day 1: 5 13-15 Day 2: 5 08-11
47. Kenny Mittelstaedt Minnetonka, MN 10 22-08 154
Day 1: 5 11-01 Day 2: 5 11-07
48. Jimmy Washam Stantonville, TN 10 22-06 153
Day 1: 5 12-03 Day 2: 5 10-03
49. Logan Parks Auburn, AL 10 22-05 152
Day 1: 5 09-03 Day 2: 5 13-02
50. Teb Jones Yalaha, MS 8 22-05 151
Day 1: 4 09-06 Day 2: 4 12-15
51. Brayden Rakes Winston Salem, NC 9 22-00 150
Day 1: 4 10-09 Day 2: 5 11-07
52. Sam George Athens, AL 7 21-12 149
Day 1: 3 10-11 Day 2: 4 11-01
53. Garrett Paquette Canton, MI 10 21-08 148
Day 1: 5 10-02 Day 2: 5 11-06
54. Michael Scalise Port Allen, LA 8 21-07 147
Day 1: 3 03-14 Day 2: 5 17-09
55. Kyle Monti Okeechobee, FL 9 21-06 146
Day 1: 4 08-05 Day 2: 5 13-01
56. Buck Mallory Lawton, MI 10 21-05 145
Day 1: 5 12-00 Day 2: 5 09-05
57. Jonathan Dietz Corry, PA 10 21-05 144
Day 1: 5 10-06 Day 2: 5 10-15
58. Justin Phillips Checotah, OK 10 21-04 143
Day 1: 5 10-11 Day 2: 5 10-09
59. Wyatt Ryan Ada, OK 9 21-03 142
Day 1: 5 13-01 Day 2: 4 08-02
60. Tucker Veronee Gilbert, SC 8 20-14 141
Day 1: 3 06-10 Day 2: 5 14-04
61. Vance Montgomery Claremore, OK 9 20-13 140
Day 1: 5 12-10 Day 2: 4 08-03
62. Dale Hightower Mannford, OK 10 20-10 139
Day 1: 5 11-00 Day 2: 5 09-10
63. Jake Maddux Birmingham, AL 8 20-07 138
Day 1: 3 08-11 Day 2: 5 11-12
64. Jack Dice Lynchburg, VA 10 20-07 137
Day 1: 5 10-08 Day 2: 5 09-15
65. Destin DeMarion Harborcreek, PA 8 20-05 136
Day 1: 5 11-03 Day 2: 3 09-02
66. Brent Shores Boise, ID 9 20-04 135
Day 1: 5 11-01 Day 2: 4 09-03
67. Bobby Lane Jr. Lakeland, FL 9 20-03 134
Day 1: 4 08-09 Day 2: 5 11-10
68. Troy O'Rourke Bentonville, AR 8 20-01 133
Day 1: 5 11-03 Day 2: 3 08-14
69. Ryan Clark Whitby Ontario CANADA 9 20-01 132
Day 1: 5 09-11 Day 2: 4 10-06
70. Brett Cannon Willis, TX 8 20-00 131
Day 1: 5 13-05 Day 2: 3 06-11
71. Billy McDonald Greenwood, IN 8 19-14 130
Day 1: 5 14-08 Day 2: 3 05-06
72. Justin Kimmel Athens, GA 8 19-14 129
Day 1: 3 08-12 Day 2: 5 11-02
73. Jason Abram Piney Flats, TN 8 19-12 128
Day 1: 3 09-02 Day 2: 5 10-10
74. Brandon McMillan Clewiston, FL 9 19-11 127
Day 1: 5 12-07 Day 2: 4 07-04
75. Derek Lehtonen Woodruff, SC 9 19-08 126
Day 1: 5 09-01 Day 2: 4 10-07
76. Stephen Browning Hot Springs, AR 8 19-04 125
Day 1: 5 12-04 Day 2: 3 07-00
77. Kazuki Kitajima Corinth, TX 8 19-02 124
Day 1: 5 13-08 Day 2: 3 05-10
78. Terry Peacock Royse City, TX 9 19-00 123
Day 1: 5 12-00 Day 2: 4 07-00
79. Zeke Gossett Pell City, AL 7 18-15 122
Day 1: 2 05-01 Day 2: 5 13-14
80. Jacob Bigelow Cecil, WI 9 18-13 121
Day 1: 5 11-08 Day 2: 4 07-05
81. Chad Grigsby Maple Grove, MN 8 18-09 120
Day 1: 5 12-01 Day 2: 3 06-08
82. Chris Blanchette Edisto Island, SC 8 18-07 119
Day 1: 5 10-01 Day 2: 3 08-06
83. Jacob Thompkins Myrtle Beach, SC 8 18-07 118
Day 1: 5 09-13 Day 2: 3 08-10
84. Blake Sylvester Plaquemine, LA 6 18-03 117
Day 1: 4 13-10 Day 2: 2 04-09
85. Tom Frink Southside, AL 10 17-14 116
Day 1: 5 08-04 Day 2: 5 09-10
86. Alex Heintze Denham Springs, LA 8 17-12 115
Day 1: 5 10-14 Day 2: 3 06-14
87. Keith Brumfield Vicksburg, MS 10 17-12 114
Day 1: 5 08-08 Day 2: 5 09-04
88. Chase Clarke Virginia Beach, VA 7 17-07 113
Day 1: 5 14-05 Day 2: 2 03-02
89. Bobby Lanham Eddyville, KY 9 17-07 112
Day 1: 5 09-05 Day 2: 4 08-02
90. Allan Nail Sand Springs, OK 10 17-07 111
Day 1: 5 09-02 Day 2: 5 08-05
91. Blake Smith Lakeland, FL 8 17-05 110
Day 1: 5 09-08 Day 2: 3 07-13
92. Chris Beaudrie Princeton, KY 8 17-03 109
Day 1: 5 09-10 Day 2: 3 07-09
93. Hunter Sales Blaine, TN 9 17-02 108
Day 1: 4 07-11 Day 2: 5 09-07
94. Joshua Teply Harrah, OK 7 17-01 107
Day 1: 3 04-07 Day 2: 4 12-10
95. Philip Roesener Choctaw, OK 8 16-12 106
Day 1: 5 10-07 Day 2: 3 06-05
96. Seiji Kato Outsu Shiga JAPAN 6 16-12 105
Day 1: 3 08-13 Day 2: 3 07-15
97. Matt Pangrac Shawnee, OK 10 16-11 104
Day 1: 5 08-06 Day 2: 5 08-05
98. Griffin Phillips Mount Olive, AL 8 16-10 103
Day 1: 5 10-11 Day 2: 3 05-15
99. Sterling Bougher Mannford, OK 8 16-05 102
Day 1: 3 06-02 Day 2: 5 10-03
100. Lafe Messer Warfield, KY 6 16-01 101
Day 1: 2 07-00 Day 2: 4 09-01
101. Logan Anderson Catawba, NC 5 15-15 100
Day 1: 4 13-12 Day 2: 1 02-03
102. Josh Hubbard Dunnellon, FL 6 15-12 99
Day 1: 5 14-00 Day 2: 1 01-12
103. Jack Tindel III Orange, TX 5 15-11 98
Day 1: 1 03-01 Day 2: 4 12-10
104. Andrew Harp Linden, TX 6 15-09 97
Day 1: 5 14-04 Day 2: 1 01-05
105. Cody Bird Granbury, TX 8 15-07 96
Day 1: 3 07-05 Day 2: 5 08-02
106. Tommy Williams Shepherdsville, KY 9 15-06 95
Day 1: 5 08-10 Day 2: 4 06-12
107. Trey Swindle Cleveland, AL 8 15-05 94
Day 1: 4 08-03 Day 2: 4 07-02
108. Evan Kung Pickering Ontario CANAD 6 15-04 93
Day 1: 5 13-05 Day 2: 1 01-15
109. Brian Post Janesville, WI 5 15-01 92
Day 1: 5 15-01 Day 2: 0 00-00
110. Tim Frederick Leesburg, FL 7 15-01 91
Day 1: 2 03-09 Day 2: 5 11-08
111. Kyle Goltz Cornell, WI 7 15-01 90
Day 1: 5 11-02 Day 2: 2 03-15
112. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 7 15-01 89
Day 1: 5 09-14 Day 2: 2 05-03
113. Kyle Gelles Pingree, ID 8 15-00 88
Day 1: 5 08-14 Day 2: 3 06-02
114. Greg Bohannan Bentonville, AR 8 14-15 87
Day 1: 4 06-04 Day 2: 4 08-11
115. Josh Bragg Fayetteville, GA 7 14-09 86
Day 1: 4 06-12 Day 2: 3 07-13
116. Brad Leuthner Victoria, MN 8 14-09 85
Day 1: 4 07-00 Day 2: 4 07-09
117. Julius Mazy Phoenix, AZ 6 14-05 84
Day 1: 5 12-13 Day 2: 1 01-08
118. Greg Vance Delhi, IA 8 14-02 83
Day 1: 5 09-06 Day 2: 3 04-12
119. Kenji Yamada Hixson, TN 7 14-02 82
Day 1: 5 08-15 Day 2: 2 05-03
120. Jim Dillard West Monroe, LA 8 13-13 81
Day 1: 3 05-15 Day 2: 5 07-14
121. Shane Lineberger Lincolnton, NC 6 13-02 80
Day 1: 4 10-02 Day 2: 2 03-00
122. Daisuke Kita Ostu Shiga JAPAN 5 13-01 79
Day 1: 4 11-02 Day 2: 1 01-15
123. Steve Morella Townshend, VT 7 13-01 78
Day 1: 4 06-13 Day 2: 3 06-04
124. Alan Barton Stillwater, OK 6 12-11 77
Day 1: 1 01-13 Day 2: 5 10-14
125. Tripp Noojin Bryant, AL 7 12-10 76
Day 1: 5 08-05 Day 2: 2 04-05
126. Robbie Latuso Gonzales, LA 5 12-06 75
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 5 12-06
127. Dane Thibodeaux Lake Charles, LA 5 12-06 74
Day 1: 2 05-01 Day 2: 3 07-05
128. Brock Belik Orchard, NE 5 12-05 73
Day 1: 5 12-05 Day 2: 0 00-00
128. Mark Watson Victoria, TX 5 12-05 73
Day 1: 5 12-05 Day 2: 0 00-00
130. Ethen Preston Tower City, ND 5 12-02 71
Day 1: 2 04-08 Day 2: 3 07-10
131. Cory Weaver Ankeny, IA 5 12-02 70
Day 1: 3 07-07 Day 2: 2 04-11
132. Steve Tennison Lexington, OK 5 12-01 69
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 5 12-01
133. Bronk Mcdaniel Alexandria, LA 6 11-15 68
Day 1: 4 08-04 Day 2: 2 03-11
134. Evan Barnes Dardanelle, AR 6 11-11 67
Day 1: 5 10-05 Day 2: 1 01-06
135. Craig Chambers Midland, NC 6 11-11 66
Day 1: 4 07-13 Day 2: 2 03-14
136. Chris Keeble Lenoir City, TN 5 11-06 65
Day 1: 1 01-15 Day 2: 4 09-07
137. Bailey Boutries Springfield, MO 6 11-06 64
Day 1: 4 07-10 Day 2: 2 03-12
138. Darrell Davis Dover, FL 5 11-02 63
Day 1: 4 08-04 Day 2: 1 02-14
139. Brandon Tallhamer Parkersburg, WV 6 11-02 62
Day 1: 2 03-12 Day 2: 4 07-06
140. Caleb Gibson Locust Grove, OK 4 10-15 61
Day 1: 3 08-01 Day 2: 1 02-14
141. Christian Shoda Homosassa, FL 4 10-14 60
Day 1: 3 08-14 Day 2: 1 02-00
142. Jason Christie Dry Creek, OK 5 10-10 59
Day 1: 5 10-10 Day 2: 0 00-00
143. Brad Hillebrandt Florien, LA 4 10-08 58
Day 1: 4 10-08 Day 2: 0 00-00
144. Scott Kerslake Okeechobee, FL 5 10-04 57
Day 1: 5 10-04 Day 2: 0 00-00
145. Taylor Watkins Clinton, TN 6 10-01 56
Day 1: 5 08-11 Day 2: 1 01-06
146. Chris Miller Spirit Lake, IA 3 10-01 55
Day 1: 2 05-08 Day 2: 1 04-09
147. Charlie Hartley Grove City, OH 4 09-13 54
Day 1: 3 08-00 Day 2: 1 01-13
148. Chris Kingree Inverness, FL 4 09-11 53
Day 1: 3 05-13 Day 2: 1 03-14
149. Danny Ramsey Trinidad, TX 5 09-08 52
Day 1: 1 01-15 Day 2: 4 07-09
150. Takayuki Koike Otsu-City JAPAN 4 09-05 51
Day 1: 1 01-12 Day 2: 3 07-09
151. Willy Dennison Willoughby Hills, OH 5 09-02 50
Day 1: 3 06-11 Day 2: 2 02-07
152. Scott Isaacs Ladonia, TX 5 09-02 49
Day 1: 3 05-12 Day 2: 2 03-06
153. Keith Brashers Rogers, AR 5 09-01 48
Day 1: 5 09-01 Day 2: 0 00-00
154. Harvey Horne Bella Vista, AR 4 09-01 47
Day 1: 3 06-13 Day 2: 1 02-04
155. Andy Beloat Montgomery, TX 4 08-13 46
Day 1: 3 07-00 Day 2: 1 01-13
156. Travis Ledford Tuttle, OK 4 08-12 45
Day 1: 1 01-12 Day 2: 3 07-00
157. Frank Williams Mountain Home, AR 4 08-09 44
Day 1: 2 05-01 Day 2: 2 03-08
158. A.J. Menssen Bloomington, IL 4 08-08 43
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 4 08-08
159. Bart Stanisz Austin, TX 3 08-07 42
Day 1: 2 04-11 Day 2: 1 03-12
160. David Perdue Wirtz, VA 4 08-06 41
Day 1: 2 05-06 Day 2: 2 03-00
161. Lance Owen Greer, SC 4 07-15 40
Day 1: 4 07-15 Day 2: 0 00-00
162. Jordan Knutson Saint Croix Falls, WI 3 07-11 39
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 07-11
163. Joey Hanna Corsicana, TX 4 07-11 38
Day 1: 3 05-13 Day 2: 1 01-14
164. Steven Caldwell Whitesboro, TX 4 07-10 37
Day 1: 1 01-08 Day 2: 3 06-02
165. Billy Smith Montgomery, TX 3 07-10 36
Day 1: 2 03-10 Day 2: 1 04-00
166. Jimmy Steed Zapata, TX 4 07-07 35
Day 1: 4 07-07 Day 2: 0 00-00
167. Joe Labarbera Montrose, PA 3 07-01 34
Day 1: 1 01-15 Day 2: 2 05-02
168. Lucas Bradley Flippin, AR 4 07-00 33
Day 1: 3 04-03 Day 2: 1 02-13
169. Wil Dieffenbauch III Hundred, WV 4 06-15 32
Day 1: 2 03-10 Day 2: 2 03-05
170. Bo Thomas Edwardsburg, MI 3 06-14 31
Day 1: 3 06-14 Day 2: 0 00-00
171. Scout Echols Monticello, AR 3 06-14 30
Day 1: 2 04-08 Day 2: 1 02-06
172. Chris Bailey Bruceville, TX 3 06-10 29
Day 1: 3 06-10 Day 2: 0 00-00
173. Louis Monetti Brielle, NJ 4 06-10 28
Day 1: 3 04-13 Day 2: 1 01-13
174. JT Russell Mc Calla, AL 4 06-06 27
Day 1: 2 03-08 Day 2: 2 02-14
175. Miles Burghoff Dayton, TN 3 06-04 26
Day 1: 3 06-04 Day 2: 0 00-00
176. Mike Mayo Athens, TX 3 05-13 25
Day 1: 3 05-13 Day 2: 0 00-00
177. Zachary Ellis Fort Worth, TX 3 05-13 24
Day 1: 1 02-06 Day 2: 2 03-07
178. Cody Detweiler Guntersville, AL 3 05-08 23
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 05-08
179. Keith Poche Pike Road, AL 3 05-03 22
Day 1: 3 05-03 Day 2: 0 00-00
180. Billy Billeaud Lafayette, LA 3 05-02 21
Day 1: 3 05-02 Day 2: 0 00-00
180. Hunter Stanley Mustang, OK 3 05-02 21
Day 1: 3 05-02 Day 2: 0 00-00
182. Chancy Walters West Des Moines, IA 2 05-00 19
Day 1: 2 05-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
183. Terry Morris Bernice, LA 3 05-00 18
Day 1: 1 01-14 Day 2: 2 03-02
184. Jason Carpenter Castle Pines, CO 2 04-08 17
Day 1: 2 04-08 Day 2: 0 00-00
185. Cory Leita Victoria, TX 2 04-06 16
Day 1: 2 04-06 Day 2: 0 00-00
186. Lucas Ragusa Gonzales, LA 2 04-04 15
Day 1: 2 04-04 Day 2: 0 00-00
187. Jaxon Sullivan Reagan, TN 2 04-02 14
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 04-02
188. Reece Tremaglio Dunkirk, MD 2 04-01 13
Day 1: 1 01-07 Day 2: 1 02-10
189. Daniel Valois Gomez Caracas FL VENEZUELA 2 03-12 12
Day 1: 1 02-05 Day 2: 1 01-07
190. Corey Stewart Lees Summit, MO 2 03-06 11
Day 1: 2 03-06 Day 2: 0 00-00
191. Brady Vernon Sterrett, AL 2 03-05 10
Day 1: 1 01-07 Day 2: 1 01-14
192. Alex Murray Lake Charles, LA 2 02-13 9
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 02-13
193. David Wootton Collierville, TN 2 02-13 8
Day 1: 1 01-07 Day 2: 1 01-06
194. Mike Surman Boca Raton, FL 1 01-14 7
Day 1: 1 01-14 Day 2: 0 00-00
195. Kevin Ledoux Choctaw, OK 1 01-13 6
Day 1: 1 01-13 Day 2: 0 00-00
196. Denny Fiedler Wabasha, MN 1 01-11 5
Day 1: 1 01-11 Day 2: 0 00-00
196. Phil Killian Solomon, AZ 1 01-11 5
Day 1: 1 01-11 Day 2: 0 00-00
198. Craig Danna West Monroe, LA 1 01-03 3
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 01-03
199. Timmy Thompkins Myrtle Beach, SC 5 00-00 2
Day 1: 5 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
200. Tyler Alderson Loveland, CO 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
200. Paul Bouvier Kingston CANADA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
200. Paul Browning Pecos, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
200. Tony Dumitras Winston, GA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
200. Curtis King Plaquemine, LA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
200. Dustin Reneau Mckinney, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
200. Chandler Stewart Canyon Lake, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
200. Jason Tibbetts Centreville, VA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 103 745 1785-09
2 71 606 1442-04
----------------------------------
174 1351 3227-13
2023 St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Lake Eufaula Oklahoma 6/15-6/17
Lake Eufaula, Eufaula OK.
(NON_BOATER) Standings Day 2
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Sakae Ushio Tonawanda, NY 5 20-03 200 $13,623.00
Day 1: 3 11-09 Day 2: 2 08-10
2. Dusty Duvall Checotah, OK 6 19-11 199 $3,147.00
Day 1: 3 08-15 Day 2: 3 10-12
3. Jason Fontenot Lake Charles, LA 6 16-08 198 $2,360.00
Day 1: 3 06-08 Day 2: 3 10-00
4. Steven Doolittle Chelsea, OK 4 15-12 197 $1,770.00
Day 1: 2 07-01 Day 2: 2 08-11
5. Kevin Turner Sand Springs, OK 6 14-15 196 $1,652.00
Day 1: 3 09-03 Day 2: 3 05-12
6. Ken Sanders Point Blank, TX 6 14-14 195 $1,573.00
Day 1: 3 06-02 Day 2: 3 08-12
7. Skip Rayborn Hammond, LA 6 13-06 194 $1,495.00
Day 1: 3 08-06 Day 2: 3 05-00
8. Colten Hutson Edmond, OK 5 12-02 193 $1,416.00
Day 1: 3 06-15 Day 2: 2 05-03
9. Troy Enmeier Enid, OK 6 11-11 192 $1,298.00
Day 1: 3 06-03 Day 2: 3 05-08
10. Will Major Port Allen, LA 4 11-03 191 $1,180.00
Day 1: 2 03-03 Day 2: 2 08-00
11. Chad Stahl Barnesville, GA 5 11-03 190 $1,101.00
Day 1: 3 07-14 Day 2: 2 03-05
12. Jordan Lane Conroe, TX 5 11-03 189 $1,023.00
Day 1: 2 05-02 Day 2: 3 06-01
13. Jason Switzer Sapulpa, OK 5 11-00 188 $865.00
Day 1: 3 07-04 Day 2: 2 03-12
14. Jeremiah Mattox Norman, OK 6 11-00 187 $787.00
Day 1: 3 05-01 Day 2: 3 05-15
15. Wes Tull Oklahoma City, OK 5 10-11 186 $708.00
Day 1: 2 04-01 Day 2: 3 06-10
16. Ronald Young New Braunfels, TX 4 10-10 185 $629.00
Day 1: 2 06-02 Day 2: 2 04-08
17. Seth Daniel Atoka, OK 4 10-04 184 $590.00
Day 1: 3 06-07 Day 2: 1 03-13
18. Jason Barber Gun Barrel City, TX 5 10-01 183 $590.00
Day 1: 3 05-07 Day 2: 2 04-10
19. Gary Haraguchi Murfreesboro, TN 5 09-13 182 $590.00
Day 1: 3 06-01 Day 2: 2 03-12
20. Christopher Veronee Gilbert, SC 3 09-10 181 $590.00
Day 1: 3 09-10 Day 2: 0 00-00
21. Johnnie Garrett Union City, TN 4 09-10 180 $551.00
Day 1: 1 02-02 Day 2: 3 07-08
22. Dylan Johnson Miami, OK 5 09-03 179 $551.00
Day 1: 2 04-05 Day 2: 3 04-14
23. Darren Gates Macon, IL 4 09-00 178 $551.00
Day 1: 3 07-04 Day 2: 1 01-12
24. Bates Enmeier Springdale, AR 4 08-14 177 $551.00
Day 1: 1 01-15 Day 2: 3 06-15
25. Hunter Neuville New Iberia, LA 4 08-10 176 $551.00
Day 1: 1 03-08 Day 2: 3 05-02
26. Tommy Wood Sippy Downs AUSTRALIA 4 08-09 175 $472.00
Day 1: 3 07-03 Day 2: 1 01-06
27. Joseph Shaw Madison, WI 3 08-07 174 $472.00
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 08-07
28. Rick Cheatham Carterville, IL 3 08-06 173 $472.00
Day 1: 3 08-06 Day 2: 0 00-00
29. Avery Williams Murrells Inlt, SC 4 08-05 172 $472.00
Day 1: 1 02-02 Day 2: 3 06-03
30. Jim Thompson Manchester, IA 4 08-04 171 $472.00
Day 1: 3 06-08 Day 2: 1 01-12
31. Matt Molitor Canton, IL 4 08-03 170 $433.00
Day 1: 2 04-04 Day 2: 2 03-15
32. Martin Kutz Prosper, TX 5 08-02 169 $433.00
Day 1: 2 03-02 Day 2: 3 05-00
33. Butch Lansford Muskogee, OK 3 08-01 168 $433.00
Day 1: 2 05-13 Day 2: 1 02-04
34. Aubrey Herlocker Stillwater, OK 4 07-06 167 $433.00
Day 1: 1 02-04 Day 2: 3 05-02
35. Trey Gulley Alton, TX 3 07-06 166 $433.00
Day 1: 2 04-13 Day 2: 1 02-09
36. Sean Fullerton Bixby, OK 3 07-03 165 $433.00
Day 1: 1 03-11 Day 2: 2 03-08
37. Chad Morrow Weatherford, OK 3 07-01 164 $433.00
Day 1: 3 07-01 Day 2: 0 00-00
38. Adam Tims Royse City, TX 4 06-15 163 $433.00
Day 1: 1 02-00 Day 2: 3 04-15
39. Gary Bates Athens, AL 3 06-14 162 $433.00
Day 1: 1 01-12 Day 2: 2 05-02
40. Ralph Gibson Locust Grove, OK 3 06-13 161 $433.00
Day 1: 3 06-13 Day 2: 0 00-00
41. Johnny Ramos Odessa, TX 2 06-11 160
Day 1: 1 02-15 Day 2: 1 03-12
42. James Thompson Dodge City, KS 3 06-09 159
Day 1: 3 06-09 Day 2: 0 00-00
43. Charles Reed Batesville, MS 3 06-08 158
Day 1: 2 04-12 Day 2: 1 01-12
44. Erik Knutson Saint Croix Falls, WI 3 06-08 157
Day 1: 2 04-04 Day 2: 1 02-04
45. Steve Byrd Coalgate, OK 3 06-05 156
Day 1: 2 04-10 Day 2: 1 01-11
46. Nikalos Tarkington Gladewater, TX 3 05-13 155
Day 1: 1 01-08 Day 2: 2 04-05
47. Pic Dieffenbauch Jr Hundred, WV 3 05-10 154
Day 1: 2 03-02 Day 2: 1 02-08
48. Sean Obrien Mckenzie, TN 3 05-07 153
Day 1: 2 03-10 Day 2: 1 01-13
49. Jimmy Fellegy Mustang, OK 3 05-06 152
Day 1: 1 01-13 Day 2: 2 03-09
50. Dylan Mayo Athens, TX 2 05-05 151
Day 1: 1 03-11 Day 2: 1 01-10
51. AJ Jones Lutz, FL 3 05-03 150
Day 1: 1 01-10 Day 2: 2 03-09
52. Adam Boyd Humble, TX 3 05-02 149
Day 1: 2 03-07 Day 2: 1 01-11
53. John Goul Philadelphia, MS 3 05-01 148
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 05-01
54. Brandon Story Rogers, AR 2 05-00 147
Day 1: 1 02-06 Day 2: 1 02-10
55. Brian Forcier Akron, IA 2 04-15 146
Day 1: 1 02-11 Day 2: 1 02-04
56. John Higginbotham Slaughter, LA 2 04-15 145
Day 1: 1 02-06 Day 2: 1 02-09
57. Tyler Coleman Mustang, OK 2 04-14 144
Day 1: 2 04-14 Day 2: 0 00-00
58. Benjamin Demo Plymouth, MN 2 04-11 143
Day 1: 2 04-11 Day 2: 0 00-00
59. Larry Beauboeuf Bossier City, LA 2 04-09 142
Day 1: 2 04-09 Day 2: 0 00-00
60. David Booth Erin, TN 2 04-08 141
Day 1: 2 04-08 Day 2: 0 00-00
61. Gene Mitchell Stuart, OK 3 04-06 140
Day 1: 1 01-04 Day 2: 2 03-02
62. Billy James Lewis Odessa, TX 2 04-03 139
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 04-03
63. Allen Heston Pittsburg, TX 2 04-00 138
Day 1: 2 04-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
63. Craig Schmidt Prague, NE 2 04-00 138
Day 1: 2 04-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
63. Dee Sheperd Mountain View, OK 2 04-00 138
Day 1: 2 04-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
66. Gary Hall Wardville, OK 1 03-14 135
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 03-14
67. Jack Evans Bucklin, KS 2 03-12 134
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 03-12
68. David Riggs Highland, IL 2 03-11 133
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 03-11
69. Dean Krambeck Newalla, OK 2 03-11 132
Day 1: 1 01-11 Day 2: 1 02-00
70. Jimmy Brumfield Madison, MS 1 03-09 131
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 03-09
71. Mark Cowart Kearney, MO 2 03-09 130
Day 1: 1 02-15 Day 2: 1 00-10
72. Tim Neumann Crosby, TX 2 03-05 129
Day 1: 2 03-05 Day 2: 0 00-00
73. Perry See Rochester, MN 2 03-05 128
Day 1: 1 02-01 Day 2: 1 01-04
74. Jacob Collins Hillsboro, IL 1 03-04 127
Day 1: 1 03-04 Day 2: 0 00-00
75. Randy Tallhamer Brandenton, FL 2 03-03 126
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 03-03
76. Lester Wray Mcalester, OK 2 03-01 125
Day 1: 1 01-10 Day 2: 1 01-07
77. Mark Clark Crawford, MS 1 02-12 124
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 02-12
78. Chris Black Fort Worth, TX 1 02-11 123
Day 1: 1 02-11 Day 2: 0 00-00
79. Cheri Hillebrandt Ragley, LA 1 02-07 122
Day 1: 1 02-07 Day 2: 0 00-00
80. Takaaki Kojima Temecula CA JAPAN 1 02-05 121
Day 1: 1 02-05 Day 2: 0 00-00
81. Willy Becker Kansas City, MO 1 02-04 120
Day 1: 1 02-04 Day 2: 0 00-00
82. Alex Lane Ada, OK 2 02-01 119
Day 1: 2 02-01 Day 2: 0 00-00
83. Brandon Beaver Durant, OK 1 02-01 118
Day 1: 1 02-01 Day 2: 0 00-00
84. Leslie Brandenburg Springfield, MO 1 02-00 117
Day 1: 1 02-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
85. J Leblanc Greenwell Springs, LA 1 01-15 116
Day 1: 1 01-15 Day 2: 0 00-00
86. Anthony Zachery Venus, TX 2 01-14 115
Day 1: 0 -01-00 Day 2: 2 02-14
87. James Nau Spearville, KS 1 01-14 114
Day 1: 1 01-14 Day 2: 0 00-00
88. Tiffany Leal Austin, TX 1 01-13 113
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 01-13
88. Dwain Vogelpohl Cambridge, MN 1 01-13 113
Day 1: 1 01-13 Day 2: 0 00-00
90. Nick Richey Aledo, TX 1 01-12 111
Day 1: 1 01-12 Day 2: 0 00-00
91. William Schuster Oklahoma City, OK 1 01-11 110
Day 1: 1 01-11 Day 2: 0 00-00
91. Travis Turcotte Pembroke CANADA 1 01-11 110
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 01-11
93. Brian Dickirson Choctaw, OK 1 01-10 108
Day 1: 1 01-10 Day 2: 0 00-00
93. Michael Leach Shenandoah, TX 1 01-10 108
Day 1: 1 01-10 Day 2: 0 00-00
93. Tim Noyes Broken Arrow, OK 1 01-10 108
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 01-10
96. Larry Davis Gladewater, TX 1 01-09 105
Day 1: 1 01-09 Day 2: 0 00-00
97. Jody Grizzle Pocola, OK 1 01-08 104
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 01-08
97. Milton Hall Mcalester, OK 1 01-08 104
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 01-08
99. Chris Bouchikas Oktaha, OK 1 01-07 102
Day 1: 1 01-07 Day 2: 0 00-00
100. Mark Sloan Harrison, AR 1 01-05 101
Day 1: 1 01-05 Day 2: 0 00-00
101. Tanner Underwood Piedmont, OK 1 00-07 100
Day 1: 1 01-07 Day 2: 0 -01-00
102. Stephen Babcock Belton, MO 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
102. Marco Flores Topeka, KS 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
102. Chris Gaudin East Camden, AR 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
102. Dalton Harbin Choctaw, OK 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
102. Matthew Hodgkinson Oklahoma City, OK 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
102. Terry Humphrey Muskogee, OK 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
102. Kevin Mallow Kansas, OK 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
102. Mike Mattox Moore, OK 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
102. John Mckenzie Oklahoma City, OK 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
102. Bobby Paige Borger, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
102. Mike Stafford Eufaula, OK 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
102. John Stewart Lone Jack, MO 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
102. Marty Trent Dodge City, KS 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
102. Kerry Trent Dodge City, KS 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
102. Joe Tucker Osceola, MO 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
102. Justin Weil Dodge City, KS 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
102. Jerry Whitaker Dodge City, KS 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 22 155 351-00
2 19 128 279-07
----------------------------------
41 283 630-07
American Tackle Wins!
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More Than A Landing Net
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ICAST-Winning EGO® S2 Slider Nets & Handle Accessories Help All Anglers Succeed |
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Caldwell, ID (June 16, 2023) – EGO’s S2 Slider™ offers a great solution for netting all fish species—and multi-duty use as a deck/boat brush, mop, lure retriever, dock grabber, and more… The market is flooded with landing nets, most of them cookie-cutter designs that function only as fish-dippers. And many leave a lot to be desired, what with snag-prone netting and materials that can be hard on fish intended for release. |
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Enter EGO®’s S2 Slider™, a modular fishing net system not only designed for netting fish, but a multitude of other tasks. The EGO S2 Slider Product System utilizes the most advanced handle extension technology on the planet. EGO offers 30-plus interchangeable net heads, accessories, and handles; 19 combined hoop sizes and mesh types to choose from; and lastly, a two-year limited warranty on all EGO landing nets and accessories. Looking back a few years, hardcore anglers and fishing media were so impressed with the EGO S2 Slider system that the product won ICAST’s “Best Fishing Accessory”. |
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“The EGO S2 Slider net system is the most versatile and easy-to-use extendable net on the market,” says veteran tournament angler and Florida/North Dakota fishing guide, Johnnie Candle. “The extendable handle/slider system is incredibly simple and doesn’t require a lot of strength for women or young or older anglers,” continues Candle. “And I can’t tell you how having EGO’s extra, extendable handle reach to net fish saves a lot of big fish from getting off. No angler should fish without one.” |
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“As far as the accessories are concerned, I use the deck brush and deluxe mop attachments to clean my saltwater boat at the end of each guiding day. I don’t have to carry two handles. I just carry a net and a brush. The brush sits in the compartment until I need it, and then I just unscrew the net hoop off and attach the brush. Makes life simple.” “When I’m guiding on Devils Lake, North Dakota, in the spring through fall, we fish around a lot of trees and brush—often with crankbaits that tend to get hung up on the wood. When I have multiple lines out with clients, losing crankbaits can hit the pocketbook quick. The EGO Lure Retriever makes retrieving Flicker Shads, Shad Raps, and expensive custom crankbaits back easy,” says Candle. “I lose a lot less tackle with the Lure Retriever.” Candle concludes: “At the end of the day, the EGO S2 Slider net system isn’t limitless, but it’s close. It’s a great system and a well-designed net that anglers will get a lot of use out of,” concludes Candle. |
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EGO Fishing pro Johnnie Candle and BOB Total Country FM Outdoors radio host, Steve Struskinski, on Devils Lake, North Dakota. |
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About the EGO S2 Slider “System” The EGO S2 Slider net is built around a “universal system” that features an extendable net handle for reaching boat-shy trophies—and offers a twist-on & -off system that allows interchanging net frames and net sizes/materials to match exactly what you’re fishing and where. The options are practically limitless. EGO Fishing offers the perfect net to exactly suit the species and waters you fish. With three EGO S2 Slider Handle Sizes to choose from, you can find the perfect net for your big boat, small boat, kayak/canoe, pier or bank fishing, or wade fishing. The EGO S2 Slider extending net handle comes in the three sizes: COMPACT, 18” – 36” handle extension; STANDARD, 29” – 60” handle extension; and for those far-reaching applications, the REACH handle, which extends from 48” to a lengthy 108”. |
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As far as net material construction, anglers can choose within the S2 Slider system between the following: standard Nylon, Rubber-Coated Nylon, PVC-Coated Nylon, Lightweight Rubber, Lightweight Clear Rubber, and PVC-Coated Netting with built-in fish-measuring ruler. Net hoop sizes run the gamut—from small 14” x 16” netting; medium 17” x 19”; large 19” x 21”; 22” x 23”; to the extra-large 24” x 27”. |
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Beyond Netting Fish: Endless Accessories As mentioned, the EGO S2 Slider net family is a “system” that allows use on and off the water. For example, each S2 Slider handle accepts this 8-inch EGO Deck Brush that makes cleaning up a boat at the end of the day a breeze. Same goes for the interchangeable EGO Deck Mop and Deluxe Deck Mop. Beyond clean-up, EGO designers were smart to offer a couple other accessories worth a look at. The first is the EGO Lure Retriever, something we could all use in the boat, especially when a custom jerkbait can run $30 these days—not to mention the rarity of some of the out-of-production “oldie but goodie” baits we throw when fishing gets tough! And for docking or managing lines, rails, and stanchions, the EGO Boat Hook is designed to make easy work of busy work… |
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Mesh Zip On/Off Netting, Handle-Extending Landing Systems |
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PVC-Coated Netting, Handle-Extending Landing Systems |
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Nylon & Rubber-Coated Nylon Netting, Handle-Extending Landing Systems |
Dirt Fishing, Water Fishing, or Both
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Pure Fishing lure developer pursues two hobbies at once. |
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Chicago, IL (June 16, 2023) - Most people have a hobby. Some engage in two different hobbies at the same time. Few have two activities which, on the surface, look totally different, but are actually very similar. Dan Spengler has discovered that fishing and metal detecting have many overlapping areas. Dan started metal detecting, “dirt fishing” about 30 years ago. His dad bought him a Radio Shack machine and they went to a local park to try it out. They found a pull tab. That was it, a pull tab. About 10 years ago, he decided to get a new detector and see if he could do better. Like most others who begin detecting, he tried several different brands and while Dan had success, he elevated his game with the purchase of a Minelab EQUINOX in February of 2020. And his first hunt with the ‘NOX was incredible. |
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Again, like many others, Dan started fishing when he was young, using old, used fishing tackle and whatever body of water was close to home. His interest grew and he actually gained a master’s degree in fisheries. His plan was to be a fish biologist. He started making his own baits when he was nine and continued through college as a hobby. He passed up a state level job as a biologist to take a position with Pure Fishing in Iowa. When asked what his actual job title and duties are, Dan replied, “My current role is Senior Project Engineer—Bait Development. My roles and responsibilities include leading the hard bait and soft bait design team. Specifically, I have been designing and developing Berkley hard baits and terminal tackle from concept to shelf for the last 13 years.” Back to his first hunt with the EQUINOX... He was detecting an old park and found a barber quarter, barber dime, and two seated dimes along with some V nickels and Indian head pennies. Since that day, the EQUINOX 600 has been with him on all his outings. Just recently, he added a Minelab EQUINOX 900 to his arsenal and it is all he has used since. His comment on site selection for detecting was, “I hunt it all—yards, beaches, woods, and fields. However, I do about 60% old field sites, 20% private yard permissions, 10% parks, and 10% beaches.” During drought periods, he works the beaches, and in the spring and fall, when the ground is soft and wet, he returns to land hunting. |
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To find the best spots to detect, Dan starts by researching properties which may have had historic gatherings in the past. He looks in old newspapers, and studies aerial photographs and old plat maps. But, like fishing, he has some bad days on dream sites which for some reason never produce. To do well fishing, the proper equipment and a good location is also necessary. When queried about the electronics he uses, Dan explained, “I have Lowrance HDS Live units on my boat. It has a 12” display up on the bow paired with Active Target (forward facing sonar) and a 9” screen by the wheel. Today’s electronics are amazing, and with GPS you know your exact location on the lake. Add the side imaging which allows you to see structure (rock piles, trees, etc.) off to the side of the boat, then you have the Active Target forward facing sonar which allows you to see fish respond to your lure in real time. It’s a huge asset for watching and observing fish behavior, particularly for a lure designer like me.” |
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Even with all the best equipment, a lot of research goes into his fishing trips. Dan’s goal is to fish a few new lakes a year. He studies lake topography to understand seasonal patterns of fish behavior and location. When fishing a new location, research is very important to avoid being skunked. “My most memorable day was on a field site where I found six silver dimes, five seated and one barber in a single day,” said Dan about his top trip. “I’ve also had some amazing double digit silver days at an old park with the ‘NOX, which sniffs out silver so effectively. When I went with a friend, Mike Peschon, to an amazing beach which obviously had never been hunted, I found 18 silver coins in a single hunt, a personal record.” He said he has had great luck finding barber and seated coins, with one site producing nearly 20 seated coins over the last few seasons. |
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Dan Spengler, Senior Project Engineer at Pure Fishing, has been designing and developing Berkley hard baits for over 13 years. In this photo, Dan showcases a prototype Money Badger, which took over 31 different prototype configurations to approve. |
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Using any of the Minelab EQUINOX series detectors gives Dan the advantage of Multi-IQ technology, which allows him to search for silver, gold, or jewelry, at park, field, or beach. All Minelab VANQUISH and EQUINOX series machines offer this technology, allowing the user to hunt all metals, all soils, all the time. Dan then mentioned his favorite kind of fishing. “My favorite type of fishing is topwater and my favorite species to pursue is smallmouth bass. By far the coolest freshwater fish out there. One of my favorite lures to fish topwater is the Berkley Choppo 75, a lure I created a few years back.” |
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When asked what is still on your fishing “bucket list”, he related, “I’ve fished a lot of different fisheries through the years with many great fishermen and pro-level anglers. I guess for me, it’s possibly fishing with my all-time favorite baseball player growing up, Kent Hrbek of the Minnesota Twins. I wrote him a letter to fish with me when I was nine years old and sent him a baseball card. He signed the card and it would be amazing to fish with him someday. Working for Pure Fishing is Dan’s ultimate dream job. And he is good at it. “I think my favorite career moment was developing the Berkley Stunna with Hank Cherry. I’m a big jerkbait guy, and Hank is a legendary jerkbait fisherman. In my opinion, I believe we built the best jerkbait on the market and Hank took it next-level by winning the 2021 Bassmaster Classic championship on the Stunna months before we released it. Growing up, I never could have imagined building a bait that would win the biggest fishing tournament in the world, but we did it. Talk about a dream come true!” |
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While Dan of course spends a lot of time in his office designing new fishing lures, and more time on the water testing the lures, he also spends a lot of time at home working on his detecting hobby. He catalogs all key finds by site, area, and year. Everything is cataloged and artifacts and coins are put into display cases. He tallies up the total number of each coin denomination each year, and then competes with himself to break his own records on future trips or seasons. Research is a big part of his detecting game. That’s the reason 11 of his first 13 silver coins this season started out as Barber dimes. To him, Fishing and metal detecting are all about the challenge. For him, it’s about personal best records and great days on the water or a field site. Whether chasing trophy walleye or targeting personal bests while detecting (record silver days, best V nickel days, annual records, etc.), Dan is always trying to improve his work and hobbies. Story by Rich Creason |
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Williams finds pattern to take Day 1 lead at Bassmaster Open on Oklahoma’s Lake Eufaula
Tyler Williams of Belgrade, Maine, is leading after Day 1 of the 2023 St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Lake Eufaula, Okla., with 19 pounds, 3 ounces.
Photo by Andy Crawford/B.A.S.S.
June 15, 2023
EUFAULA, Okla. — In preparation for the St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Lake Eufaula, Okla., Tyler Williams spent the previous two weeks fishing Missouri’s Lake of the Ozarks hoping to find some clues he could carry south.
Those two weeks have paid off so far as the Belgrade, Maine, pro caught 19 pounds, 3 ounces on Day 1 at Eufaula to take the lead. Colorado’s Ty Faberand Tennessee’s John Garrett, the points leader in the Opens Elite Qualifiers Division, are tied for second with 18-10.
“I don’t like losing. I want to fish as good as I can,” Williams said. “I spent two weeks at the Ozarks and won some Wednesday-nighters and did as much as I could to learn. I got to use some of that here. I’m happy I didn’t just go home.”
Using some of the lessons he learned during his two-week adventure, Williams was able to find a limit within the first hour on what he calls the biggest community hole on the lake. From there, he found similar areas and upgraded throughout the day with multiple 4-pounders.
“I know I can catch them throughout the day. It was about two every hour just fishing around,” Williams said. “I think the biggest population of fish is there and with your LiveScope, you can learn how the fish are acting and go from there.”
Using his Garmin LiveScope, Williams caught bass in 2 feet all the way out to 20 feet in cleaner sections of Lake Eufaula. He added that he has been able to fish in his comfort zone with a rotation of baits he’s confident in.
“It was whatever looked good, honestly. I was just going with my LiveScope and looking the whole time,” he said. “It didn’t show me the fish, but it showed me where to throw. It is a little tricky to scope here with how many white bass there are, but I have gotten the hang of it.”
Williams never actually fished what he believed to be his best areas on Day 1 and doesn’t know if there is the same quality of bass he caught Thursday around those areas. He does believe, however, that he can catch a limit around those areas.
Faber, meanwhile, was able to generate bites early and filled his limit in just a couple of hours. The bite slowed down around midday, but the Pagosa Springs, Colo., pro said he made a couple of key culls late.
“After practice, I was thinking if everything went right I would have 15 or 16 pounds,” he said. “I had a blessed day today and was very lucky.”
With much warmer weather moving into the area, Faber has been able to capitalize on a summertime pattern during his first-ever trip to Eufaula. Throughout the day, he estimated he caught between 10 and 12 keepers on one particular presentation.
Faber said he is milking one main area — and while he has seen plenty of competitors, no one stayed long.
“It’s not like you catch a whole bunch, but every now and then you catch a good one,” he said. “They kind of come and go and I am hunkered down and just fishing. I’m trying to make a bunch of casts and hope one of the bass goes and eats my lure.”
Similar to Faber, Garrett maximized one spot to catch his limit. The fish on this spot are very difficult to catch, the Union City, Tenn., native said, but when one does bite it is a quality bass.
He had to fish very slowly and used a variety of soft plastics.
“I pulled up at the right time,” Garrett said. “I started close by fishing shallow and went to it at 9 o’clock. The sun was out and it was hot and all of the fish were set up on it. It is the only school of bass I have seen on the entire lake. I fished there for an hour and a half and caught 10, all good fish, and I camped on it until 3.”
This specific piece of structure is just above the thermocline on the lake and there are several species set up on the spot, not just bass. He noted that bass on the spot are keying on tiny shad fry. The fry moves in and out of the area, and Garrett has found he can get more bites with a small worm when that bait is not present.
“It is the structure farthest out from the bank in the bay I’m in,” he said. “The thermocline is about 15 feet down. The bass want to be as deep as they can get and this spot is half a foot above that.
The slick, sunny conditions on Thursday positioned the bass perfectly, but with rain and storms expected to move through overnight and into the morning hours of Day 2, Garrett isn’t sure how the bass will react.
“The potential is there,” he said. “It just depends on how they set up and act with the rain and clouds tomorrow.”
Ben Milliken of New Caney, Texas, caught a 6-5 largemouth to lead the Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the Tournament standings after Day 1.
Sakae Ushio leads the co-angler standings with a three-bass limit weighing 11-9. He anchored that bag with a 4-6 that is the Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the Tournament for the co-angler division. Christopher Veronee is second with 9-10 and Kevin Turner is third with 9-3.
The full field of anglers will launch from Nichols Point beginning at 6 a.m. CT and return for weigh-in beginning at around 2:30 p.m. The Top 10 pros after the Day 2 weigh-in will compete on the final day, while the co-angler champion will be crowned at the conclusion of weigh-in Friday. Full coverage will be available on Bassmaster.com.
2023 St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Lake Eufaula Oklahoma 6/15-6/17
Lake Eufaula, Eufaula OK.
(BOATER) Standings Day 1
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Tyler Williams Belgrade, ME 5 19-03 200
Day 1: 5 19-03
2. Ty Faber Pagosa Springs, CO 5 18-10 199
Day 1: 5 18-10
2. John Garrett Union City, TN 5 18-10 199
Day 1: 5 18-10
4. Trevor McKinney Benton, IL 5 18-06 197
Day 1: 5 18-06
5. Keltyn Hendrix Maysville, OK 5 17-15 196
Day 1: 5 17-15
6. Jason Lambert Savannah, TN 5 17-14 195
Day 1: 5 17-14
7. Shaine Campbell Brookeland, TX 5 17-12 194
Day 1: 5 17-12
8. Jason Meninger Yulee, FL 5 17-00 193
Day 1: 5 17-00
9. Ben Milliken New Caney, TX 5 17-00 192
Day 1: 5 17-00
10. Kenta Kimura Osaka JAPAN 5 16-15 191
Day 1: 5 16-15
11. Tyler Lubbat Wheeling, IL 5 16-10 190
Day 1: 5 16-10
12. Jamie Bruce Kenora Ontario CANADA 5 16-09 189
Day 1: 5 16-09
12. Robert Gee Knoxville, TN 5 16-09 189
Day 1: 5 16-09
14. Darold Gleason Many, LA 5 16-05 187
Day 1: 5 16-05
15. Andrew Hargrove Moody, TX 5 16-03 186
Day 1: 5 16-03
16. Trey McKinney Carbondale, IL 5 15-07 185
Day 1: 5 15-07
17. Kyle Patrick Cooperstown, NY 5 15-05 184
Day 1: 5 15-05
18. Brian Post Janesville, WI 5 15-01 183
Day 1: 5 15-01
19. Logan Johnson Jasper, AL 5 15-00 182
Day 1: 5 15-00
20. Marc Schilling Carrollton, TX 5 14-14 181
Day 1: 5 14-14
21. Keith Tuma Brainerd, MN 5 14-13 180
Day 1: 5 14-13
22. Kyle Metzger Pearl River, LA 5 14-10 179
Day 1: 5 14-10
23. Billy McDonald Greenwood, IN 5 14-08 178
Day 1: 5 14-08
24. John Soukup Sapulpa, OK 5 14-06 177
Day 1: 5 14-06
25. Chase Clarke Virginia Beach, VA 5 14-05 176
Day 1: 5 14-05
25. Joey Nania Cropwell, AL 5 14-05 176
Day 1: 5 14-05
27. Luke Palmer Coalgate, OK 5 14-04 174
Day 1: 5 14-04
28. Andrew Harp Linden, TX 5 14-04 173
Day 1: 5 14-04
29. JT Thompkins Myrtle Beach, SC 5 14-02 172
Day 1: 5 14-02
30. Josh Hubbard Dunnellon, FL 5 14-00 171
Day 1: 5 14-00
31. James Niggemeyer Van, TX 5 13-15 170
Day 1: 5 13-15
32. Matt Henry Milledgeville, GA 5 13-12 169
Day 1: 5 13-12
33. Logan Anderson Catawba, NC 4 13-12 168
Day 1: 4 13-12
34. Wesley Gore Clanton, AL 5 13-11 167
Day 1: 5 13-11
35. Casey Scanlon Eldon, MO 5 13-10 166
Day 1: 5 13-10
36. Blake Sylvester Plaquemine, LA 4 13-10 165
Day 1: 4 13-10
37. Kazuki Kitajima Corinth, TX 5 13-08 164
Day 1: 5 13-08
37. Matt Messer Warfield, KY 5 13-08 164
Day 1: 5 13-08
39. Brett Cannon Willis, TX 5 13-05 162
Day 1: 5 13-05
39. Mamoru Kagiya Amagun Aichi JAPAN 5 13-05 162
Day 1: 5 13-05
39. Evan Kung Pickering Ontario CANAD 5 13-05 162
Day 1: 5 13-05
42. Clark Reehm Elm Grove, LA 5 13-03 159
Day 1: 5 13-03
43. Ish Monroe Oakdale, CA 5 13-01 158
Day 1: 5 13-01
43. Wyatt Ryan Ada, OK 5 13-01 158
Day 1: 5 13-01
45. Julius Mazy Phoenix, AZ 5 12-13 156
Day 1: 5 12-13
46. Vance Montgomery Claremore, OK 5 12-10 155
Day 1: 5 12-10
46. Cody Stahl Barnsville, GA 5 12-10 155
Day 1: 5 12-10
48. Austin Cranford Norman, OK 5 12-08 153
Day 1: 5 12-08
49. Brandon McMillan Clewiston, FL 5 12-07 152
Day 1: 5 12-07
50. Danny McGarry Newcastle CANADA 5 12-06 151
Day 1: 5 12-06
51. Brock Belik Orchard, NE 5 12-05 150
Day 1: 5 12-05
51. Mark Watson Victoria, TX 5 12-05 150
Day 1: 5 12-05
53. Stephen Browning Hot Springs, AR 5 12-04 148
Day 1: 5 12-04
54. Jimmy Washam Stantonville, TN 5 12-03 147
Day 1: 5 12-03
55. Adam Rasmussen Sturgeon Bay, WI 5 12-01 146
Day 1: 5 12-01
56. Chad Grigsby Maple Grove, MN 5 12-01 145
Day 1: 5 12-01
57. Buck Mallory Lawton, MI 5 12-00 144
Day 1: 5 12-00
57. Terry Peacock Royse City, TX 5 12-00 144
Day 1: 5 12-00
57. Chad Warren Sand Springs, OK 5 12-00 144
Day 1: 5 12-00
60. Jack York Emory, TX 5 11-10 141
Day 1: 5 11-10
61. Jacob Bigelow Cecil, WI 5 11-08 140
Day 1: 5 11-08
62. Destin DeMarion Harborcreek, PA 5 11-03 139
Day 1: 5 11-03
62. Cole Drummond Effingham, SC 5 11-03 139
Day 1: 5 11-03
64. Troy O'Rourke Bentonville, AR 5 11-03 137
Day 1: 5 11-03
65. Kyle Goltz Cornell, WI 5 11-02 136
Day 1: 5 11-02
66. Daisuke Kita Ostu Shiga JAPAN 4 11-02 135
Day 1: 4 11-02
67. Brent Shores Boise, ID 5 11-01 134
Day 1: 5 11-01
67. Andrew Upshaw Hemphill, TX 5 11-01 134
Day 1: 5 11-01
69. Kenny Mittelstaedt Minnetonka, MN 5 11-01 132
Day 1: 5 11-01
70. Kyle Austin Ridgeville, SC 5 11-00 131
Day 1: 5 11-00
70. Todd Castledine Nacogdoches, TX 5 11-00 131
Day 1: 5 11-00
70. Dale Hightower Mannford, OK 5 11-00 131
Day 1: 5 11-00
73. Hugh Cosculluela Spring, TX 5 10-15 128
Day 1: 5 10-15
74. Alex Heintze Denham Springs, LA 5 10-14 127
Day 1: 5 10-14
75. Justin Phillips Checotah, OK 5 10-11 126
Day 1: 5 10-11
76. Griffin Phillips Mount Olive, AL 5 10-11 125
Day 1: 5 10-11
77. Sam George Athens, AL 3 10-11 124
Day 1: 3 10-11
78. Jason Christie Dry Creek, OK 5 10-10 123
Day 1: 5 10-10
79. Brayden Rakes Winston Salem, NC 4 10-09 122
Day 1: 4 10-09
80. Jack Dice Lynchburg, VA 5 10-08 121
Day 1: 5 10-08
80. Kurt Mitchell Milford, DE 5 10-08 121
Day 1: 5 10-08
82. Brad Hillebrandt Florien, LA 4 10-08 119
Day 1: 4 10-08
83. Philip Roesener Choctaw, OK 5 10-07 118
Day 1: 5 10-07
84. Jonathan Dietz Corry, PA 5 10-06 117
Day 1: 5 10-06
85. Evan Barnes Dardanelle, AR 5 10-05 116
Day 1: 5 10-05
86. Scott Kerslake Okeechobee, FL 5 10-04 115
Day 1: 5 10-04
87. Garrett Paquette Canton, MI 5 10-02 114
Day 1: 5 10-02
88. Shane Lineberger Lincolnton, NC 4 10-02 113
Day 1: 4 10-02
89. Chris Blanchette Edisto Island, SC 5 10-01 112
Day 1: 5 10-01
90. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 5 09-14 111
Day 1: 5 09-14
90. B.J. Usie Bourg, LA 5 09-14 111
Day 1: 5 09-14
92. Jacob Thompkins Myrtle Beach, SC 5 09-13 109
Day 1: 5 09-13
93. Ryan Clark Whitby Ontario CANADA 5 09-11 108
Day 1: 5 09-11
94. Chris Beaudrie Princeton, KY 5 09-10 107
Day 1: 5 09-10
95. Blake Smith Lakeland, FL 5 09-08 106
Day 1: 5 09-08
96. Greg Vance Delhi, IA 5 09-06 105
Day 1: 5 09-06
97. Teb Jones Yalaha, MS 4 09-06 104
Day 1: 4 09-06
98. Bobby Lanham Eddyville, KY 5 09-05 103
Day 1: 5 09-05
99. Logan Parks Auburn, AL 5 09-03 102
Day 1: 5 09-03
100. Allan Nail Sand Springs, OK 5 09-02 101
Day 1: 5 09-02
101. Jason Abram Piney Flats, TN 3 09-02 100
Day 1: 3 09-02
102. Derek Lehtonen Woodruff, SC 5 09-01 99
Day 1: 5 09-01
103. Keith Brashers Rogers, AR 5 09-01 98
Day 1: 5 09-01
104. Kenji Yamada Hixson, TN 5 08-15 97
Day 1: 5 08-15
105. Kyle Gelles Pingree, ID 5 08-14 96
Day 1: 5 08-14
106. Christian Shoda Homosassa, FL 3 08-14 95
Day 1: 3 08-14
107. Seiji Kato Outsu Shiga JAPAN 3 08-13 94
Day 1: 3 08-13
108. Justin Kimmel Athens, GA 3 08-12 93
Day 1: 3 08-12
109. Taylor Watkins Clinton, TN 5 08-11 92
Day 1: 5 08-11
110. Jake Maddux Birmingham, AL 3 08-11 91
Day 1: 3 08-11
111. Tommy Williams Shepherdsville, KY 5 08-10 90
Day 1: 5 08-10
112. Bobby Lane Jr. Lakeland, FL 4 08-09 89
Day 1: 4 08-09
113. Keith Brumfield Vicksburg, MS 5 08-08 88
Day 1: 5 08-08
114. Matt Pangrac Shawnee, OK 5 08-06 87
Day 1: 5 08-06
115. Tripp Noojin Bryant, AL 5 08-05 86
Day 1: 5 08-05
116. Kyle Monti Okeechobee, FL 4 08-05 85
Day 1: 4 08-05
117. Tom Frink Southside, AL 5 08-04 84
Day 1: 5 08-04
118. Bronk McDaniel Alexandria, LA 4 08-04 83
Day 1: 4 08-04
119. Darrell Davis Dover, FL 4 08-04 82
Day 1: 4 08-04
120. Trey Swindle Cleveland, AL 4 08-03 81
Day 1: 4 08-03
121. Caleb Gibson Locust Grove, OK 3 08-01 80
Day 1: 3 08-01
122. Charlie Hartley Grove City, OH 3 08-00 79
Day 1: 3 08-00
123. Lance Owen Greer, SC 4 07-15 78
Day 1: 4 07-15
124. Craig Chambers Midland, NC 4 07-13 77
Day 1: 4 07-13
125. Hunter Sales Blaine, TN 4 07-11 76
Day 1: 4 07-11
126. Bailey Boutries Springfield, MO 4 07-10 75
Day 1: 4 07-10
127. Jimmy Steed Zapata, TX 4 07-07 74
Day 1: 4 07-07
128. Cory Weaver Ankeny, IA 3 07-07 73
Day 1: 3 07-07
129. Cody Bird Granbury, TX 3 07-05 72
Day 1: 3 07-05
130. Brad Leuthner Victoria, MN 4 07-00 71
Day 1: 4 07-00
131. Andy Beloat Montgomery, TX 3 07-00 70
Day 1: 3 07-00
132. Lafe Messer Warfield, KY 2 07-00 69
Day 1: 2 07-00
133. Bo Thomas Edwardsburg, MI 3 06-14 68
Day 1: 3 06-14
134. Steve Morella Townshend, VT 4 06-13 67
Day 1: 4 06-13
135. Harvey Horne Bella Vista, AR 3 06-13 66
Day 1: 3 06-13
136. Josh Bragg Fayetteville, GA 4 06-12 65
Day 1: 4 06-12
137. Willy Dennison Willoughby Hills, OH 3 06-11 64
Day 1: 3 06-11
138. Chris Bailey Bruceville, TX 3 06-10 63
Day 1: 3 06-10
138. Tucker Veronee Gilbert, SC 3 06-10 63
Day 1: 3 06-10
140. Greg Bohannan Bentonville, AR 4 06-04 61
Day 1: 4 06-04
141. Miles Burghoff Dayton, TN 3 06-04 60
Day 1: 3 06-04
142. Sterling Bougher Mannford, OK 3 06-02 59
Day 1: 3 06-02
143. Jim Dillard West Monroe, LA 3 05-15 58
Day 1: 3 05-15
144. Joey Hanna Corsicana, TX 3 05-13 57
Day 1: 3 05-13
144. Chris Kingree Inverness, FL 3 05-13 57
Day 1: 3 05-13
144. Mike Mayo Athens, TX 3 05-13 57
Day 1: 3 05-13
147. Scott Isaacs Ladonia, TX 3 05-12 54
Day 1: 3 05-12
148. Chris Miller Spirit Lake, IA 2 05-08 53
Day 1: 2 05-08
149. David Perdue Wirtz, VA 2 05-06 52
Day 1: 2 05-06
150. Keith Poche Pike Road, AL 3 05-03 51
Day 1: 3 05-03
151. Billy Billeaud Lafayette, LA 3 05-02 50
Day 1: 3 05-02
151. Hunter Stanley Mustang, OK 3 05-02 50
Day 1: 3 05-02
153. Zeke Gossett Pell City, AL 2 05-01 48
Day 1: 2 05-01
153. Dane Thibodeaux Lake Charles, LA 2 05-01 48
Day 1: 2 05-01
153. Frank Williams Mountain Home, AR 2 05-01 48
Day 1: 2 05-01
156. Chancy Walters West Des Moines, IA 2 05-00 45
Day 1: 2 05-00
157. Louis Monetti Brielle, NJ 3 04-13 44
Day 1: 3 04-13
158. Bart Stanisz Austin, TX 2 04-11 43
Day 1: 2 04-11
159. Jason Carpenter Castle Pines, CO 2 04-08 42
Day 1: 2 04-08
159. Scout Echols Monticello, AR 2 04-08 42
Day 1: 2 04-08
159. Ethen Preston Tower City, ND 2 04-08 42
Day 1: 2 04-08
162. Joshua Teply Harrah, OK 3 04-07 39
Day 1: 3 04-07
163. Cory Leita Victoria, TX 2 04-06 38
Day 1: 2 04-06
164. Lucas Ragusa Gonzales, LA 2 04-04 37
Day 1: 2 04-04
165. Lucas Bradley Flippin, AR 3 04-03 36
Day 1: 3 04-03
166. Michael Scalise Port Allen, LA 3 03-14 35
Day 1: 3 03-14
167. Brandon Tallhamer Parkersburg, WV 2 03-12 34
Day 1: 2 03-12
168. Wil Dieffenbauch III Hundred, WV 2 03-10 33
Day 1: 2 03-10
168. Billy Smith Montgomery, TX 2 03-10 33
Day 1: 2 03-10
170. Tim Frederick Leesburg, FL 2 03-09 31
Day 1: 2 03-09
171. JT Russell Mc Calla, AL 2 03-08 30
Day 1: 2 03-08
172. Corey Stewart Lees Summit, MO 2 03-06 29
Day 1: 2 03-06
173. Jack Tindel III Orange, TX 1 03-01 28
Day 1: 1 03-01
174. Zachary Ellis Fort Worth, TX 1 02-06 27
Day 1: 1 02-06
175. Daniel Valois Gomez Caracas VENEZUELA 1 02-05 26
Day 1: 1 02-05
176. Chris Keeble Lenoir City, TN 1 01-15 25
Day 1: 1 01-15
176. Joe Labarbera Montrose, PA 1 01-15 25
Day 1: 1 01-15
176. Danny Ramsey Trinidad, TX 1 01-15 25
Day 1: 1 01-15
179. Terry Morris Bernice, LA 1 01-14 22
Day 1: 1 01-14
179. Mike Surman Boca Raton, FL 1 01-14 22
Day 1: 1 01-14
181. Alan Barton Stillwater, OK 1 01-13 20
Day 1: 1 01-13
181. Kevin Ledoux Choctaw, OK 1 01-13 20
Day 1: 1 01-13
183. Takayuki Koike Otsu-City JAPAN 1 01-12 18
Day 1: 1 01-12
183. Travis Ledford Tuttle, OK 1 01-12 18
Day 1: 1 01-12
185. Denny Fiedler Wabasha, MN 1 01-11 16
Day 1: 1 01-11
185. Phil Killian Solomon, AZ 1 01-11 16
Day 1: 1 01-11
187. Steven Caldwell Whitesboro, TX 1 01-08 14
Day 1: 1 01-08
188. Reece Tremaglio Dunkirk, MD 1 01-07 13
Day 1: 1 01-07
188. Brady Vernon Sterrett, AL 1 01-07 13
Day 1: 1 01-07
188. David Wootton Collierville, TN 1 01-07 13
Day 1: 1 01-07
191. Timmy Thompkins Myrtle Beach, SC 5 00-00 10
Day 1: 5 00-00
192. Tyler Alderson Loveland, CO 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
192. Paul Bouvier Kingston CANADA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
192. Paul Browning Pecos, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
192. Craig Danna West Monroe, LA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
192. Cody Detweiler Guntersville, AL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
192. Tony Dumitras Winston, GA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
192. Curtis King Plaquemine, LA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
192. Jordan Knutson Saint Croix Falls, WI 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
192. Robbie Latuso Gonzales, LA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
192. A.J. Menssen Bloomington, IL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
192. Alex Murray Lake Charles, LA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
192. Dustin Reneau Mckinney, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
192. Chandler Stewart Canyon Lake, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
192. Jaxon Sullivan Reagan, TN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
192. Steve Tennison Lexington, OK 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
192. Jason Tibbetts Centreville, VA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 103 745 1785-09
----------------------------------
103 745 1785-09
2023 St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Lake Eufaula Oklahoma 6/15-6/17
Lake Eufaula, Eufaula OK.
(NON_BOATER) Standings Day 1
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Sakae Ushio Tonawanda, NY 3 11-09 200
Day 1: 3 11-09
2. Christopher Veronee Gilbert, SC 3 09-10 199
Day 1: 3 09-10
3. Kevin Turner Sand Springs, OK 3 09-03 198
Day 1: 3 09-03
4. Dusty Duvall Checotah, OK 3 08-15 197
Day 1: 3 08-15
5. Rick Cheatham Carterville, IL 3 08-06 196
Day 1: 3 08-06
5. Skip Rayborn Hammond, LA 3 08-06 196
Day 1: 3 08-06
7. Chad Stahl Barnesville, GA 3 07-14 194
Day 1: 3 07-14
8. Darren Gates Macon, IL 3 07-04 193
Day 1: 3 07-04
9. Jason Switzer Sapulpa, OK 3 07-04 192
Day 1: 3 07-04
10. Tommy Wood Sippy Downs AUSTRALIA 3 07-03 191
Day 1: 3 07-03
11. Chad Morrow Weatherford, OK 3 07-01 190
Day 1: 3 07-01
12. Steven Doolittle Chelsea, OK 2 07-01 189
Day 1: 2 07-01
13. Colten Hutson Edmond, OK 3 06-15 188
Day 1: 3 06-15
14. Ralph Gibson Locust Grove, OK 3 06-13 187
Day 1: 3 06-13
15. James Thompson Dodge City, KS 3 06-09 186
Day 1: 3 06-09
16. Jason Fontenot Lake Charles, LA 3 06-08 185
Day 1: 3 06-08
16. Jim Thompson Manchester, IA 3 06-08 185
Day 1: 3 06-08
18. Seth Daniel Atoka, OK 3 06-07 183
Day 1: 3 06-07
19. Troy Enmeier Enid, OK 3 06-03 182
Day 1: 3 06-03
20. Ken Sanders Point Blank, TX 3 06-02 181
Day 1: 3 06-02
21. Ronald Young New Braunfels, TX 2 06-02 180
Day 1: 2 06-02
22. Gary Haraguchi Murfreesboro, TN 3 06-01 179
Day 1: 3 06-01
23. Butch Lansford Muskogee, OK 2 05-13 178
Day 1: 2 05-13
24. Jason Barber Gun Barrel City, TX 3 05-07 177
Day 1: 3 05-07
25. Jordan Lane Conroe, TX 2 05-02 176
Day 1: 2 05-02
26. Jeremiah Mattox Norman, OK 3 05-01 175
Day 1: 3 05-01
27. Tyler Coleman Mustang, OK 2 04-14 174
Day 1: 2 04-14
28. Trey Gulley Alton, TX 2 04-13 173
Day 1: 2 04-13
29. Charles Reed Batesville, MS 2 04-12 172
Day 1: 2 04-12
30. Benjamin Demo Plymouth, MN 2 04-11 171
Day 1: 2 04-11
31. Steve Byrd Coalgate, OK 2 04-10 170
Day 1: 2 04-10
32. Larry Beauboeuf Bossier City, LA 2 04-09 169
Day 1: 2 04-09
33. David Booth Erin, TN 2 04-08 168
Day 1: 2 04-08
34. Dylan Johnson Miami, OK 2 04-05 167
Day 1: 2 04-05
35. Erik Knutson Saint Croix Falls, WI 2 04-04 166
Day 1: 2 04-04
35. Matt Molitor Canton, IL 2 04-04 166
Day 1: 2 04-04
37. Wes Tull Oklahoma City, OK 2 04-01 164
Day 1: 2 04-01
38. Allen Heston Pittsburg, TX 2 04-00 163
Day 1: 2 04-00
38. Craig Schmidt Prague, NE 2 04-00 163
Day 1: 2 04-00
38. Dee Sheperd Mountain View, OK 2 04-00 163
Day 1: 2 04-00
41. Sean Fullerton Bixby, OK 1 03-11 160
Day 1: 1 03-11
41. Dylan Mayo Athens, TX 1 03-11 160
Day 1: 1 03-11
43. Sean Obrien Mckenzie, TN 2 03-10 158
Day 1: 2 03-10
44. Hunter Neuville New Iberia, LA 1 03-08 157
Day 1: 1 03-08
45. Adam Boyd Humble, TX 2 03-07 156
Day 1: 2 03-07
46. Tim Neumann Crosby, TX 2 03-05 155
Day 1: 2 03-05
47. Jacob Collins Hillsboro, IL 1 03-04 154
Day 1: 1 03-04
48. Will Major Port Allen, LA 2 03-03 153
Day 1: 2 03-03
49. Pic Dieffenbauch Jr Hundred, WV 2 03-02 152
Day 1: 2 03-02
49. Martin Kutz Prosper, TX 2 03-02 152
Day 1: 2 03-02
51. Mark Cowart Kearney, MO 1 02-15 150
Day 1: 1 02-15
51. Johnny Ramos Odessa, TX 1 02-15 150
Day 1: 1 02-15
53. Chris Black Fort Worth, TX 1 02-11 148
Day 1: 1 02-11
53. Brian Forcier Akron, IA 1 02-11 148
Day 1: 1 02-11
55. Cheri Hillebrandt Ragley, LA 1 02-07 146
Day 1: 1 02-07
56. John Higginbotham Slaughter, LA 1 02-06 145
Day 1: 1 02-06
56. Brandon Story Rogers, AR 1 02-06 145
Day 1: 1 02-06
58. Takaaki Kojima Temecula CA JAPAN 1 02-05 143
Day 1: 1 02-05
59. Willy Becker Kansas City, MO 1 02-04 142
Day 1: 1 02-04
59. Aubrey Herlocker Stillwater, OK 1 02-04 142
Day 1: 1 02-04
61. Johnnie Garrett Union City, TN 1 02-02 140
Day 1: 1 02-02
61. Avery Williams Murrells Inlt, SC 1 02-02 140
Day 1: 1 02-02
63. Alex Lane Ada, OK 2 02-01 138
Day 1: 2 02-01
64. Brandon Beaver Durant, OK 1 02-01 137
Day 1: 1 02-01
64. Perry See Rochester, MN 1 02-01 137
Day 1: 1 02-01
66. Leslie Brandenburg Springfield, MO 1 02-00 135
Day 1: 1 02-00
66. Adam Tims Royse City, TX 1 02-00 135
Day 1: 1 02-00
68. Bates Enmeier Springdale, AR 1 01-15 133
Day 1: 1 01-15
68. J Leblanc Greenwell Springs, LA 1 01-15 133
Day 1: 1 01-15
70. James Nau Spearville, KS 1 01-14 131
Day 1: 1 01-14
71. Jimmy Fellegy Mustang, OK 1 01-13 130
Day 1: 1 01-13
71. Dwain Vogelpohl Cambridge, MN 1 01-13 130
Day 1: 1 01-13
73. Gary Bates Athens, AL 1 01-12 128
Day 1: 1 01-12
73. Nick Richey Aledo, TX 1 01-12 128
Day 1: 1 01-12
75. Dean Krambeck Newalla, OK 1 01-11 126
Day 1: 1 01-11
75. William Schuster Oklahoma City, OK 1 01-11 126
Day 1: 1 01-11
77. Brian Dickirson Choctaw, OK 1 01-10 124
Day 1: 1 01-10
77. AJ Jones Lutz, FL 1 01-10 124
Day 1: 1 01-10
77. Michael Leach Shenandoah, TX 1 01-10 124
Day 1: 1 01-10
77. Lester Wray Mcalester, OK 1 01-10 124
Day 1: 1 01-10
81. Larry Davis Gladewater, TX 1 01-09 120
Day 1: 1 01-09
82. Nikalos Tarkington Gladewater, TX 1 01-08 119
Day 1: 1 01-08
83. Chris Bouchikas Oktaha, OK 1 01-07 118
Day 1: 1 01-07
84. Tanner Underwood Piedmont, OK 1 01-07 117
Day 1: 1 01-07
85. Mark Sloan Harrison, AR 1 01-05 116
Day 1: 1 01-05
86. Gene Mitchell Stuart, OK 1 01-04 115
Day 1: 1 01-04
87. Stephen Babcock Belton, MO 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. Jimmy Brumfield Madison, MS 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. Mark Clark Crawford, MS 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. Jack Evans Bucklin, KS 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. Marco Flores Topeka, KS 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. Chris Gaudin East Camden, AR 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. John Goul Philadelphia, MS 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. Jody Grizzle Pocola, OK 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. Milton Hall Mcalester, OK 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. Gary Hall Wardville, OK 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. Dalton Harbin Choctaw, OK 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. Matthew Hodgkinson Oklahoma City, OK 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. Terry Humphrey Muskogee, OK 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. Tiffany Leal Austin, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. Billy James Lewis Odessa, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. Kevin Mallow Kansas, OK 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. Mike Mattox Moore, OK 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. John Mckenzie Oklahoma City, OK 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. Tim Noyes Broken Arrow, OK 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. Bobby Paige Borger, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. David Riggs Highland, IL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. Joseph Shaw Madison, WI 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. Mike Stafford Eufaula, OK 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. John Stewart Lone Jack, MO 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. Randy Tallhamer Brandenton, FL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. Marty Trent Dodge City, KS 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. Kerry Trent Dodge City, KS 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. Joe Tucker Osceola, MO 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. Travis Turcotte Pembroke CANADA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. Justin Weil Dodge City, KS 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. Jerry Whitaker Dodge City, KS 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
118. Anthony Zachery Venus, TX 0 -1-00 0
Day 1: 0 -01-00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 22 155 351-00
----------------------------------
22 155 351-00
Sportsman's Warehouse Grand Opening: Wausau, WI
We had a chance to check out the all new Wausau, WI Sportsman's Warehouse, and all we can say is WOW. Over 65,000 square feet of all things outdoors! Located just blocks away from the Wisconsin River, and Bluegill Bay County Park, the fishing department was...well, stuffed to the gills.
Our very own, John Byrne, got the opportunity to catch up with Store Manager, John Shafer and talk about the area, as well as the store. Check it out below:
Want the details on the store itself? Get 'em right HERE If you can't make it to Wausau, Sportsmans.com can bring it right to you!
MLF Bass Pro Tour General Tire Stage Six Presented by John Deere Utility Vehicles Set for Lake St. Clair
HARRISON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (June 15, 2023) – Major League Fishing (MLF) and the Bass Pro Tour, showcasing the top anglers in the sport of professional bass fishing, are set to visit Harrison Township, Michigan and Lake St. Clair next week, June 24-29, for the sixth regular-season event of the 2023 Bass Pro Tour season – the General Tire Stage Six at Lake St. Clair Presented by John Deere Utility Vehicles.
The six-day tournament, hosted by the Detroit Sports Commission, Macomb County and Lake St. Clair Metroparks, will feature a field of 80 professional anglers, including bass-fishing superstars like Kalamazoo, Michigan’s Kevin VanDam , and Jonathan VanDam, REDCREST 2023 Champion Bryan Thrift, Jordan Lee and reigning back-to-back Bally Bet Angler of the Year (AOY) Jacob Wheeler . They’ll be competing for a purse of more than $805,000, including a top payout of $100,000 and valuable Angler of the Year (AOY) points in hopes of qualifying for the General Tire Heavy Hitters All-Star event and REDCREST 2024, the Bass Pro Tour championship.
"Macomb County is very excited to host Stage Six of the Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour on Lake St. Clair next week,” said Gerard Santoro, Macomb County Program Director of Parks and Natural Resources. “The professional anglers bring excitement to the region with this style of fishing competition, and we know that this legendary lake will not let them down."
Lake St. Clair is a familiar destination for MLF and the pro anglers that compete on the Bass Pro Tour, as the fishery has played host to numerous major bass-fishing tournaments over the years. When the Bass Pro Tour last visited the fishery in the fall of 2021, Tennessee pro Michael Nealwrapped up the first pro-level win of his career targeting smallmouth at the mouth of the Detroit River and Lake Erie with a crankbait, vibrating jig and drop-shot rig.
The upcoming event will take place much earlier in the year, marking the opening day for Michigan and Canadian bass anglers’ traditional season. Arkansas pro Spencer Shuffield, who has numerous top-10 finishes on Lake St. Clair, doesn’t seem to think that will affect the tournament.
“This is mainly going to be a post-spawn tournament, with the bass backing out to that deeper water,” said Shuffield. “Lake St. Clair is shaped like a bowl and doesn’t really have much drop, other than the shipping channel that runs through it. The bass usually spawn in 5 to 7 feet of water, but by the time of this event, most of the fish should be back out to 15 to 17 feet of water, around grass patches and things like that.
“This is going to be a huge (Garmin) LiveScope tournament,” Shuffield continued, referring to the importance of forward-facing sonar. “I expect to see a lot of guys catching fish on a drop-shot and Ned Rig, almost exclusively, but there will also be some deep jerkbaits being thrown.
“Big crankbaits can also be very effective on Lake St. Clair – like Norman (Lures Professional Edge) DD22’s, Rapala DT 16’s or (Rapala) DT Metal 20’s – crankbaits that will get down to that 16- to 18-foot-range, just cranking it out over sand and grass patches. The guys using crankbaits might not get as many bites, but they will catch really good 4½- to 5½-pound smallmouth doing that.”
Shuffield said he expects the mayfly hatch to have already taken place by the time the tournament begins and is excited for a really good event.
“I haven’t had the opportunity to fish the Canadian side of the fishery the last several times I’ve been there, and that’s where most of the really big smallmouth are, so I’m really excited to get to fish the Canadian side and revisit other areas where I’ve caught them really good in the past,” Shuffield said.
“The fishing should be wide open,” Shuffield finished. “I think it will take 20½ pounds per day to make it into the Knockout Round and probably 22½ to make the cut into the Championship Round. The winner will probably have to have 24 pounds per day to win the event overall.”
Anglers will launch each day at 7:30 a.m. ET each day from the Lake St. Clair Metropark, located at 31300 Metro Parkway in Harrison Township. Each day’s General Tire Takeout will be held at the launch location, beginning at 4 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend all launch and takeout events and also encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLFNOW!® live stream and SCORETRACKER® coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
On Championship Thursday, June 29, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. MLF will welcome fans of all ages to visit Cabela’s, located at 45959 Towne Center Boulevard in Chesterfield, Michigan to celebrate the top 10 and crown the General Tire Stage Six at Lake St. Clair Champion at the Watch Party and Trophy Presentation. The final 10 Championship Round Bass Pro Tour anglers will be on hand at the trophy celebration to meet and greet fans, sign autographs, and take selfies.
The General Tire Stage Six at Lake St. Clair Presented by John Deere Utility Vehicles will feature pros competing using the MLF catch, weigh, immediate-release format, with each angler’s five (5) heaviest bass per day tallied as their day’s weight. Anglers strive to catch their heaviest five fish each day, while also feeling the pressure and intensity of the live scoring SCORETRACKER® leaderboard. Minimum weights are determined individually for each competition waters that the Bass Pro Tour visits, based on the productivity, bass population and anticipated average size of fish in each fishery.
The 2023 MLF Bass Pro Tour features a field of 80 of the top professional anglers in the world competing across seven regular-season tournaments around the country, fishing for millions of dollars and valuable points to qualify for the annual General Tire Heavy Hitters all-star event and REDCREST 2024, the Bass Pro Tour championship, held March 13-17, 2024, on Lay Lake in Birmingham, Alabama.
The 40 Anglers in Group A compete in their two-day qualifying round on Saturday and Monday – the 40 anglers in Group B on Sunday and Tuesday. After each two-day qualifying round is complete, the top 20 anglers from each group advance to Wednesday’s Knockout Round. In the Knockout Round, weights are zeroed, and the remaining 40 anglers compete to finish in the top 10 to advance to the Championship Round. In Thursday’s final day Championship Round, weight carries over from the Knockout Round and the angler with the heaviest two-day total wins the top prize of $100,000.
The MLFNOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee, Marty Stone and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action live on all six days of competition from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET. MLFNOW!® will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app.
Television coverage of the General Tire Stage Six at Lake St. Clair Presented by John Deere Utility Vehicles Championship Round will air as a two-hour episode starting at 7 a.m. ET, on Saturday, November 4 on the Discovery Channel. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on Discovery, with re-airings on the Outdoor Channel.
Proud sponsors of the 2023 MLF Bass Pro Tour include: 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, Ark Fishing, ATG by Wrangler, B&W Trailer Hitches, Bally Bet, Bass Cat Boats, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, Daiwa, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, Ferguson, Fox Rent A Car, General Tire, Grundéns, Humminbird, Lowrance, Minn Kota, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Power-Pole, Rapala, Star tron, T-H Marine, TORO, Toyota, U.S. Air Force, Yellowstone Bourbon, Yo-Zuri and Zoom Baits.
For complete details and updated information on Major League Fishing and the Bass Pro Tour, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
Berkley PowerBait Nessie – Taking Glide Baits Into Uncharted Territory
COLUMBIA, S.C. (June 15, 2023) – Going where no glide bait has ever gone, the all new Berkley PowerBait Nessie allows anglers to fish a big profile bait where one has never been fished before. Giving fish a completely new look, Berkley’s new soft bodied glide bait design allows anglers to skip, slide, and cast this bait into uncharted water.
Available in three different sizes starting from 5-inch and ranging up to 9-inches, the PowerBait Nessie presents a big profile with the ability to be retrieved at various speeds and cadences due to the stabilizing fins that keep the bait running consistent at all times. Featuring a new mesh reinforced joint and hook retention clip, durability and efficiency are never in question when anglers are hunting for a big bite.
This bait opens the door for entry level anglers to fish bigger baits, as well as unlocking an entirely new and unique use of a glide bait for avid and experienced anglers. In addition, the PowerBait Nessie comes in several custom painted finishes to match any forage profile, showing fish a carbon copy of the real thing. Paired with a sticky sharp Fusion19 treble hook, anglers now have the ultimate bait to catch the fish of a lifetime.
KEY FEATURES
• Soft-bodied glide bait design featuring Berkley’s famous PowerBait flavor
• Mesh reinforced joint provides durability while allowing for free range of motion
• Stabilizing fins for consistent action
• Hook retention clip keeps treble hook secured to the body – suited for keeping the hook in place when skipping under cover
• Premium features and components for ultimate performance and durability
• Sticky sharp Fusion19 treble hook
• Custom painted forage matching finishes
• Slow sinking
• Designed in the Berkley Lab with Berkley pro Mike Iaconelli
Sizes: 5-inch • 7-inch • 9-inch
Colors: Golden Shiner • Hitch • Perch • Hickory Shad • Rainbow Trout • Shad • Voltage • Burnt Bone • Raw • Green Pumpkin
MSRP: $7.99 – 5-inch • $9.99 – 7-inch • $12.99 – 9-inch
Available: September 2023
Throwback Thursday - Before There was 360-Imaging
By Terry Battisti - Bass Fishing Archives
As with many of the articles we post here on the Bass Fishing Archives, here’s another example of something new that really isn’t new. Before there was 360-Imaging, there was, in 1976, 360-imaging. Believe it or not.
When side-scanning sonar was “reintroduced” around 2005 by Hummingbird, the angling community again was split down the middle. As with other technological advances, some anglers said it was too much and made the art of fishing too easy. The other half embraced the technology and ran with it. Then came Hummingbird’s 360-Imaging. Now, as with any other gadget used in the industry, anglers far and wide realize the utility of side-scanning sonar but more so, they realize that these units aren’t going to make the task of catching fish any easier.
So when did 360-imaging and side-scanning sonar really come out? Well, if you look back in history it was developed in the late 40s and early 50s and was used by the Department of Defense to detect ocean-borne mines. The first functioning side-scanning sonar was developed by a German scientist by the name of Dr. Julius Hagemann while working for the U.S. Navy Mine Defense Lab in Florida. His 1954 patent went unknown to the public until 1980 when the classified project was finally released.
The interesting thing about the above paragraph is in 1976 – four years prior to the release of the classified reports – Bill Stembridge (of Flip Tail Lure fame) and Dr. Roger Woodward, developed a unit called the Aquascan, which featured the ability to see under the water in a 360-degree pattern. What I find interesting with this is if the DoD’s use of side-scan was classified, Stembridge and Woodward must have come up with the thought of this technology on their own or, heaven forbid, someone in the DoD leaked the information to a couple of fishermen who then took the technology and developed it for use in fishing.
Reading through the article in the February 1976 issue of Bassmaster Magazine, I found some interesting details about the Aquascan and thought I’d share them with you. “It can show bottom structure and fair-sized fish up to 300 feet away from the boat.” “The Unit consists of three basic parts. The transducer sends out sonar signals and receives echoes. The computer interprets the echoes and transforms them into ‘pictures’ of the objects scanned. The cathode ray tube (CRT) displays the picture.” “On a 300-foot scan, the device covers 6-3/4 acres of water per scan.”
“Bill Stembridge admits that the Aquascan has its limitations. It will not tell you exactly where a fish is located. It will show the fish to be, for example, 40 feet away at a given direction from the boat. The angler does not know if the fish is at the surface 40 feet away or several feet below the surface and much closer to the boat.”
“Aquascan will show you a 12-inch bass at 300 feet if the fish is broadside to the scan. If it is facing head-on, a larger bass can be missed.” Looking at the “images” – I hate to call them images because they aren’t true images but more like a circular line graphs – in this article, it’s safe to say it would take a lot of experience with the unit to make it of value in a bass boat. Not only that, the unit was quite large (larger than today’s side-scanning units) and difficult to place on the boats of the day.
The biggest drawback of the unit was the cost, though. At $1,000 (that’s equivalent to roughly $4,800 today) not many anglers could afford them. Today, though, it seems anglers are willing to go the extra mile when it comes to outfitting their boats with high-end electronics. Believe it or not, today’s incredible 360-Imaging by Humminbird as well as Sidescan, Downscan and forward-facing real-time imaging from all manufacturers are all byproducts of this early technology. The difference today being anglers are a lot more willing to spend more than $10k on electronics to aid in their pursuit of bass.
Bassmaster Open-Ended Questions with Gleason, Jones, and Williams
Courtesy of Luke Stoner - Dynamic Sponsorships
Practice for the fifth stop of the 2023 St. Croix Bassmaster Open schedule has officially concluded and Opens anglers are ready to take on the behemoth that is Lake Eufaula here in central Oklahoma. Competition begins tomorrow morning here and if you aren’t an Okie, there is a good chance you won’t know a whole lot about this week’s playing field.
We caught up with longtime Opens pro and Bassmaster Classic qualifier Teb Jones, former Opens co-angler turned first-year boater Frank Williams, and Elite Series pro Darold Gleason to get an idea of what anglers experienced throughout practice this week and what fans should expect from Lake Eufaula over the next three days.
Q – Lake Eufaula is massive. It spans over 105,000 surface acres with over 800 miles of shoreline. When practicing for a tournament on a giant, relatively unknown fishery like this, do you pick an area and lock in, or do you sample multiple sections of the lake?
Teb Jones – “I fished a regional tournament here back in 2014. I went back to those same areas and tried to expand on what little I already knew about this place. So, I guess I locked in this time around.”
Darold Gleason – “Whether it’s an Elite Series event or an Open, my strategy is to sample until I have success and then hunker down in that area.”
Frank Williams – “Years ago a buddy of mine told me it’s better to spend 90% of your time learning 10% of a lake than spending 10% of your time in different areas trying to learn 90% of a lake. That has helped me ten-fold over the years. I typically try to lock in on an area.”
Q – Usually Lake Eufaula is infamous for dirty water, in terms of visibility / clarity, what is the dirtiest water you’ve seen this week and what is the cleanest?
Teb Jones – “I’ve seen everything from two-inches of clarity to over two feet. And the clarity has definitely changed for the dirtier throughout practice.”
Darold Gleason – “Honestly, I’ve ran from the dirty water all week. Anytime I saw less than six inches of visibility I left the area. The cleanest I’ve seen is around two feet, which is a great summertime clarity in my opinion.”
Frank Williams – “Gosh, I think there was almost four feet of visibility by the dam on Saturday (first day of practice), but everything has gotten dirtier as the week has gone on. Less than six inches is the dirtiest water I’ve seen.”
Q – Name two techniques you expect to play a big role for Bassmaster Open competitors this week?
Teb Jones – “I’m going to say a topwater of some kind and a shakey head.”
Darold Gleason – “Topwater and a squarebill crankbait with both be big players.”
Frank Williams – “Even with the dirty water I’ve gotta say a shakey head and a drop shot.”
Q – Based on your experiences so far if you had to give Lake Eufaula a nickname, what would it be?
Teb Jones – “Lake fast and loud – referencing the boats I saw out here this weekend.”
Darold Gleason – “Based on the weekend activities I witnessed, I’m calling this glorious pond ‘Jorts (jean shorts) and cold pops. Seems like a good place to have a big time on a Saturday.”
Frank Williams – “Garholio… I’ve seen a lot of gar with both my eyes and electronics during practice. I’m talking an impressive amount of trash fish.”
MLF Toyota Series Northern Division Set to Open Season with Toyota Series at Lake Champlain
PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. (June 14, 2023) – The Major League Fishing (MLF) Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats is set to return to Plattsburgh, New York, and Lake Champlain, next week, June 22-24, for the Northern Division Presented by Rabid Baits opener – the Toyota Series at Lake Champlain Presented by Rabid Baits.
The three-day tournament, hosted by the City of Plattsburgh and the Adirondack Coast 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.
“The lake is fishing a little tough right now – it is not normal for mid-June,” said local Toyota Series angler Brett Carnright of Plattsburgh, who has five top-10 finishes on Lake Champlain – including a 4th place showing last year. “Some fish are behind, and some are farther ahead. We’ve had a lot of warm weather this spring, which sped up some fish. But we’ve had cooler temps these past two weeks, and that has set some fish behind.
“That being said, it is Lake Champlain, and it always turns out,” Carnright continued. “The key will be to stay ahead of the fish – we’ve got a lot of warm and calm weather coming in these next few days, so that can change a lot of stuff. The weather always plays a big role, and anglers will have to adjust to whatever the fishing will be.”
Carnright said he expects topwater baits, like a Heddon Zara Spook or a Lucky Craft Sammy, to be strong for postpawn fish. He mentioned that he’ll have a ½ ounce jig and a Yamamoto Senko tied on to target largemouth. For anglers choosing to sight fish for smallmouth, Carnright said a Ned rig, drop-shot rig, small swimbait and a small maribou hair jig could all play a role.
“I think the majority of the field will stay up on the north end of the lake, and I predict that the winner of this one will have exactly 59 pounds, 2 ounces,” Carnright joked. “It’s always a fun time fishing on Lake Champlain. If you can catch 19½ pounds a day, that will put you right there at the end.”
Anglers will launch at 6 a.m. ET each day from the Plattsburgh City Marina, located at 5 Dock St. in Plattsburgh. Weigh-ins will also be held at the Marina and will begin at 2 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: 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.
Montevallo’s Dumke, Fothergill claim Bassmaster College Team of the Year title
Minnesota natives Easton Fothergill and Nick Dumke — teammates at Alabama's University of Montevallo — have won the 2023 Bassmaster College Team of the Year title.
Photos by B.A.S.S.
June 14, 2023
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Since their sophomore year of high school in Grand Rapids, Minn., Easton Fothergill and Nick Dumke have been tournament partners. Now as juniors at Alabama’s University of Montevallo, they added an impressive accomplishment to their resumes.
Dumke and Fothergill claimed the 2023 Bassmaster College Series Team of the Year title with 937 points.
“It still does not feel real,” Dumke said. “I don’t think it will be that way for a while. It has been something we dreamed of since high school. We talked about it before we even knew what our future was going to be. To get it done, we are very grateful for it.”
They edged out their Montevallo teammates Tyler Cory and Scott Sledge by just six points while Campbellsville University’s Morgan Miracle and Jake Thornbury finished third.
With their Team of the Year title, Fothergill and Dumke automatically qualify for the College Classic Bracket presented by Lew’s, an individual, head-to-head style tournament that sends the winner to the 2024 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Toyota in Tulsa, Okla.
Fothergill, a former member of the Bassmaster All-American Fishing Team presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors, has watched the past three College Bracket champions — Louis Monetti, Tristan McCormick and Trevor McKinney — make their mark on the Classic stage and said he is excited about the possibility of being the next college angler to cross the biggest stage in bass fishing.
“Seeing the past winners on stage, I was sitting in the crowd thinking that would be so cool. For us to be the next guys is unbelievable,” he said.
While a top goal for their junior season, Dumke and Fothergill tried not to think about Team of the Year once the season got going.
“The race was so tight all year long. We tried not to even think about it and not let it mess up the way we were fishing. We just wanted to focus on the moment, just go fishing and not let that idea get in our heads,” Dumke said.
The team’s worst finish of the year was at the Strike King Bassmaster College Series at Red River presented by Bass Pro Shops. Opening the season with a 17th at the Harris Chain of Lakes in January, Dumke and Fothergill finished 16th at Cherokee Lake before notching their best finish of the season in mid-April, a fifth at the James River.
With four vastly different fisheries at play in 2023, Dumke and Fothergill used different techniques at each stop of the tour to notch their top finishes. Keeping an open mind was key.
“On the drive home from Red River we were talking, and we had a different bait for every single tournament. Keeping an open mind and going with the flow I think was a big thing,” Fothergill said. “We’ve seen so many different things and a light bulb goes off quicker when we see a new fishery.”
Quick adjustments on the water also helped the duo jump up the leaderboard in almost every tournament.
Then on the final day of the regular season, the duo made the decision to totally scrap what they had been doing and head offshore.
“On Day 1, we had a morning buzzbait bite and unfortunately we lost every buzzbait bite we got,” Fothergill said. “The next day, in order to have a shot, we knew we needed big bites. The buzzbait bite didn’t work out either. Late in the day, we ended up going offshore and Nick picked up a shaky head and caught a 4-pounder. That was a turning point for us, and we realized it was still possible.”
With Team of the Year coming down to the last hours of regular-season competition, Dumke and Fothergill didn’t think they finished well enough at the Red River to maintain the top spot, but they were pleasantly surprised when the results became official.
“We thought we had lost it,” Fothergill said. “We loaded the boat on Day 2 and were pretty upset. We went back to weigh in and found out pretty quickly we still had a chance. It ended up being us, and it was a super cool experience. We were happy for them, and they were happy for us no matter how it shook out.”
Coming from the northern part of the country, it has taken a little bit of time for Dumke and Fothergill to dial in the southern fisheries. But the chemistry they have built since joining forces in high school, along with the multispecies nature of their home lakes, has helped break down that learning curve.
“We can give a lot of credit to being from there,” Dumke said. “Some states just have river systems and some just have a couple of lakes. What’s crazy about Minnesota is, we have so many different types of lakes. We have crystal clear smallmouth lakes and then dirty, shallow largemouth lakes. We have been able to carry some of what we did growing up and apply it down here.”
Fothergill said at this point, he and Dumke are on the same page as far as decision-making on the water. A lot of their communication is unspoken, when one picks up the trolling motor, the other knows exactly what it means.
“We know how each other works,” Fothergill said. “It is easy to make decisions on the water because we both are thinking the same thing 90% of the time. That has helped a lot with our success on the water. We are always on the same page.”
Although there is a bit of relief knowing they are already qualified for the College Classic Bracket, details of which will be announced at a later date, Fothergill said he and Dumke will be taking the same approach to the Strike King Bassmaster College National Championship at Pickwick Lake presented by Bass Pro Shops as they always do.
“The National Championship is different from any other tournament,” Fothergill said. “The goal stays the same. We aren’t going to hold back at all, and we are going to shoot for the win.”
The Strike King Bassmaster College National Championship at Pickwick Lake presented by Bass Pro Shops is scheduled for Aug. 10-12 in Counce, Tenn. Around 130 teams will be competing for the title as well as the final three berths into the College Classic Bracket.
12th Annual Toyota Bonus Bucks Owners Event to Take Place at Pickwick Lake in October
Florence, AL (June 6, 2023) – The 12th annual Toyota Bonus Bucks Owners event will be held at Pickwick Lake in Florence, Alabama the weekend of October 21-22, 2023 on the iconic Tennessee River where teams will need to aim for a solid 20-pound limit of smallmouth bass to take home the $5,000 first place check from this No Entry Fee event.
Covering more than 53 miles, Pickwick’s iconic waters flow through three states, including Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee, a region that is home to a huge number of loyal Toyota Bonus Bucks members.
The weekend kicks-off Saturday afternoon with a registration meeting at McFarland Park where Team Toyota pro anglers will be on hand to greet guests. B.A.S.S. tournament staff will conduct the tournament and be onsite Saturday afternoon for angler registration, where participants will receive a generous amount of free gear, along with a complimentary dinner.
Again, guests pay no entry fee, and the top 31 placing teams on Sunday are guaranteed a tournament paycheck. Plus, only one of the two team members must be currently registered in the Toyota Bonus Bucks Program to be eligible to compete in the event. The eligible team member must own or lease a 2019 or newer Toyota Tundra, Tacoma, Sequoia, or 4Runner.
“Of all the events Toyota is honored to be a part of, very few feature the genuine fellowship the annual Bonus Bucks Owners event brings forth. It’s always so fun spending time with people who depend on our vehicles to pursue their passion for fishing,” says Steve Appelbaum, National Manager, Sponsorship Integration, Integrated Marketing Operations, Toyota Motor North America.
Visit toyotafishing.com for more program details. Bassmaster Elite Series, MLF Bass Pro Tour and Pro Circuit anglers are not eligible to participate in the Toyota Owners Tournament. Participants are encouraged to sign up as soon as possible for this prize-rich event. Registration is limited to 300 teams.
To register, visit: https://ownersevent.toyotatrucksbonusbucks.com . If you have questions, or need assistance, contact the Toyota Bonus Bucks Headquarters via email: bonusbucks@dynamicsponsorships.com.
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM), creator of the Prius hybrid and the Miraifuel cell vehicle, is committed to building vehicles for the way people live through our Toyota and Lexus brands, and directly employs more than 48,000 people in North America (more than 39,000 in the U.S.).
Over the past 65 years, Toyota has assembled nearly 45 million cars and trucks in North America at the company’s 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, the company’s 14th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles.
Through our more than 1,800 North American dealerships (nearly 1,500 in the U.S.), Toyota sold more than 2.4 million cars and trucks (more than 2.1 million in the U.S.) in 2022, of which, nearly one quarter were electrified vehicles (full battery, hybrid, plug-in hybrid and fuel cell).
14th Annual High School Fishing National Championship and World Finals Set to Take Place Next Week on Mississippi River in La Crosse
Prestigious High School Fishing National Championship to Offer Millions in Scholarships and Prizes
LA CROSSE, Wis. (June 14, 2022) – The premier High School Fishing event in the world is slated to be held next week, June 21-24, in La Crosse, Wisconsin, on the Mississippi River. The 14th Annual High School Fishing World Finals and National Championship dual event is expecting another record field for this event.
Teams from most U.S. States and multiple foreign countries, including Canada, Zimbabwe, and South Africa, are expected to compete for a share of the richest prize pool in all of bass fishing – the total amount of scholarships and prizes offered up for grabs at this event is an eye-popping $3 million dollars, according to The Bass Federation (TBF) Student Angler Federation (SAF).
The student anglers pay no entry fee to compete in this one-of-a-kind dual event. The World Finals portion is the largest of all national High School events, and where the bulk of the prizes and scholarships are awarded. It is also the most difficult to win. The World Finals is open to any SAF member in the world, so all anglers attending will be competing in the World Finals. At the same time, on the dual-stage, the top 10% of High School teams from all SAF sanctioned events – including Major League Fishing High School Fishing Presented by Favorite Fishing Open tournaments – in the last year are qualified to compete in the National Championship event, with its own set of prizes and scholarships that will top $500,000. The National Championship qualified teams are entered into both events and have a chance at both prize pools all in one trip.
Each High School team consists of three people to a boat – two High School Fishing anglers and their adult boat captain or coach. The 2023 High School Fishing World Finals and National Championship are estimated to bring roughly 3,000 people connected to La Crosse, Wisconsin, for this week-long event.
“From the start, neither the TBF /SAF, nor our partners in fishing at MLF – who were among the first to join our SAF movement and grow it side by side with us – require any entry fees for our regular High School events,” said TBF President and CEO, Robert Cartlidge. “Nor do we pay cash to kids at High School events. It is always prizes and scholarships. The result has been the explosion we currently see in High School Fishing participation nationwide, and it all adds up to a good wholesome experience for the kids and their families, which is what we all want.”
Student anglers are allowed to launch from any ramp in Pool No. 8 each day at 5:30 a.m. CT, although the main launch location will be Veterans Freedom Park, located at 1 Clinton St. in La Crosse. Weigh-ins will also be held at Veterans Freedom Park, beginning at 1:30 p.m. each day. Fans are welcome to attend and encouraged to follow the event live online through weigh-in broadcasts and daily coverage at HighSchoolFishing.org.
In addition to the college scholarships and prizes offered, the High School Fishing National Champions will also advance to the 2023 MLF Toyota Series Championship, held Nov. 2-4 on Table Rock Lake in Branson, Missouri, to compete as co-anglers and a shot at the top prize of a new Phoenix 518 Pro boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard.
For complete details and updated tournament information, visit HighSchoolFishing.org. For regular High School Fishing updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow High School Fishing on Facebook and on MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
How Brandon Lester rebounds from a terrible tournament day
Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships
You’d be hard-pressed to find a professional bass angler with a higher check-cashing percentage than Team Toyota’s Brandon Lester, but even he has an occasional terrible tournament day. Like Day 1 on the St. Johns River, where he zeroed in shocking fashion a couple seasons ago, or more recently on Day 1 of the 2023 Bassmaster Elite on Lay Lake where he managed just 6-pounds and landed in 100th place.
Those extremely bad days are very rare for Lester, but what’s most impressive is how he rallies back so strong the very next day. At the St. Johns he went from a goose egg, to 19-pounds on Day 2, and at Lay Lake he caught 17-pounds on Day 2 to jump 60 places upward on the leaderboard, and made the Top 50 cut.
So how does he turnaround a train wreck?
“As you might guess, it’s 70% mental, and a huge part of that is being mature enough as an angler to scrap everything you might have planned on doing, and starting totally fresh the next day,” says Lester.
For example, at Lay Lake, based on what he found in practice, he thought he’d use forward facing sonar and a jerkbait to catch bass suspended around trees, but that flat-out failed him, and netted him justthree squeakers totaling 6-pounds.
“That plan landed me in 100th place, and that’s not a spot I like hanging around. Ask my wife, Kim, I was one really unhappy dude. But I knew I had about 12 hours to scrap every perception and the plan that failed me, dig myself out, put a confidence bait in my hand, and start over trying to clue-in on the morning of Day 2,” reflects Lester.
And boy, did he! Lester totally ditched the forward facing sonar and suspended bass plan in exchange for a run up the river with a confidence-building shaky head to find the Coosa River’s famous spotted bass.
“I don’t have a favorite lure, but we all have lures that we know can get us a bite when just about all else fails, and for me a shaky head is one of them. One of my first bites on Day 2 with the shaky head was a 4-pound spotted bass, and it gave me the clue I was desperately searching for to get my tournament back on track,” says Lester.
Lester emphasizes leaning on a bait you know generates bites to search for that first key clue, versus experimenting with a wide variety of lures, and running around like a tiger with its tail on fire in an act of desperation.
“Every tournament angler will inevitably have a really bad day. That’s a fact. The key is to mature mentally to be able to scrap it, have a great attitude and go find a clue the next day,” says Lester in matter of fact fashion.
History proves he knows what he’s talking about. He’s one of the best in the world at rebuilding from a blunder, and cashing a check. In fact, he’s cashed a check in 75% of the B.A.S.S. events he’s competed in. A percentage higher than just about anybody to ever pick up a baitcasting reel.
Savage Gear Introduces the High-Action Panic Popper
Columbia, S.C. (June 14, 2023) - Savage Gear, the leading brand in innovative big-fish tackle, is proud to unveil its latest saltwater lure, the Panic Popper, designed to cater to the needs of avid anglers always on the hunt for big adventure and big fish. The Panic Popper promises explosive topwater action and unrivaled performance in targeting big predatory gamefish.
Available in four sizes suitable for both inshore and offshore fishing, the Panic Popper is the ultimate weapon for pursuing a wide range of big game species. Its distinctive cupped-face design propels water further, enticing fish to rise to the surface. Equipped with heavy-duty hooks and split rings, this lure ensures that even the most formidable adversaries stay hooked. The Panic Popper boasts heavy-duty hardware capable of withstanding up to an astonishing 120 lbs of pulling pressure, making it an ideal choice for anglers seeking maximum casting distance to cover more water and entice those elusive big strikes.
The Panic Popper takes its inspiration from the enthralling dynamics of predator-prey interactions on the water's surface. Just like a predator striking its prey, the popper's action plays a vital role in mimicking the irresistible appeal of a distressed fish. The cupped face of the Panic Popper creates pressure, resulting in surface turbulence as the water is forcefully pushed away. This water-spitting turbulence mirrors the commotion generated by a fish evading the chase and becoming the next meal.
"Savage Gear is dedicated to providing anglers with the tools they need to embark on big adventures and reel in the biggest fish," said Adam Ott, Brand Manager for Savage Gear. "The Panic Popper is a testament to our commitment to innovation and performance. Its exceptional design and incredible action will undoubtedly enable anglers to conquer the biggest and toughest fish, experiencing unrivaled success and excitement on the water."
Panic Popper Key Features:
- Heavy duty hardware rated up to 120lbs of pulling pressure
- Designed for maximum casting distance and water spitting action
- 4x hooks
95mm (inshore) | Bone, Peanut Bunker, Purple Black, Chrome Sardine, Black Gold, and Olive Flash
135mm/165mm/195mm (offshore) | Black Flash, White Flash, Green Mackerel, Reef Runner, Flying Fish, and Olive Flash
MSRP: $15.99 to $25.99
Available: September 2023
Anglers Channel Bass Wrap Up Show, Brought to you by Sportsman’s Warehouse, Now Streaming
The AnglersChannel Bass Wrap Up show brought to you by Sportsman's Warehouse, entering its 14th Season, is now available on the Outdoor Action TV streaming network. After four years of being featured on the Discovery Network, fishing enthusiasts can tune into the last three seasons anywhere anytime. The AnglersChannel Bass Wrap Up show is an informative recap of professional, amateur, and grassroots-level bass fishing tournaments across the country. Bringing tournament trails of all sizes to the spotlight, by capturing the anglers who fish and finish well in these events. The program also mixes in informative segments on new techniques, new products, and share useful information to help the weekend angler achieve their goals of learning about all things fishing.
Outdoor Action is a 24/7 streaming network that’s free to download on any connected device or to watch on a variety of channels. You’ll find your favorite hunting, fishing, outdoor programming, and more. This platform was built for the avid outdoorsmen and women who crave adventures, stories, tournaments, tips, and tricks from the field and on the water! Currently available via Roku, Amazon Fire, Apple TV, iOS, and Android as well as www.OutdoorAction.com, this is the go-to place for desired outdoor content, on-demand at no cost to the viewer. You can also find Outdoor Action on the TCL Channel and Sports.TV streaming apps for 24×7 entertainment.
According to Danny Blandford, AC Director of Business Development, “We’re excited to join the Outdoor Action platform alongside so many popular outdoor television programs. As the TV viewer gets more sophisticated we are making sure to stay in touch with them through these new ways to watch. We look forward to showing our program to viewers who may not have seen us on the Discovery Network in years past.”
The 2023/24 season of the AnglersChannel Bass Wrap Up Show, Presented by Sportsman’s Warehouse, will kick off again this fall with highlights from the Bassmaster Classic, the Inaugural MinnKota/Humminbird Owners Tournament, as well regional events, fishing tips, and much more. If you want to catch the action as it unfolds this summer, visit www.AnglersChannel.com, and be sure to follow along on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.
About AnglersChannel.com
AnglersChannel.com multimedia platform combines the web, social media platforms, podcasts, on-site event coverage and The Anglers Channel Bass Wrap Up Show on Discovery to bring you the No. 1 resource in tournament bass fishing. Anglers Channel features the web’s most robust tournament database, used by thousands of anglers daily, including schedules, results and searchable details by body of water. Anglers Channel also delivers industry news as it happens, along with coverage of all tournament bass fishing, from BASS and Major League Fishing to the weekend warriors. Visit Anglers Channel via the web, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok.
For more information contact Danny Blandford at danny@anglerschannel.com
Bass Fishing HOF '23 Conservation Grants
BASS FISHING HALL OF FAME BOARD CONTINUES ITS ‘PRESERVE THE SPORT’ MISSION WITH CONSERVATION GRANTS
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – For Immediate Release – June 13, 2023 – As part of its mission to celebrate, promote and preserve the sport of bass fishing, the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame’s Board of Directors is again providing financial support to six major conservation projects that will enhance habitat in lakes in Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia, along with supporting a smallmouth bass tracking study at Lake St. Clair in Michigan.
Over the past four years, the BFHOF’s Board has reached out to local and state bass fishing clubs working with state agencies to provide needed funding for various conservation projects they initiated. “With these new grants, we’ll exceed a total of more than $100,000 in support of fishery enhancement projects, assistance with building live release trailers, and even an information campaign to encourage bass anglers to rid their bass fishing waters in Virginia of invasive species,” said BFHOF conservation committee chair Gene Gilliland. “These bass clubs have ‘boots-on-the-ground’ members who donate their sweat equity on these projects, while the Hall provides financial support for needed equipment, fish-holding underwater structures, and other needed gear to help make the projects a reality.”
The Hall-supported projects include the establishment of shoreline and littoral zone vegetation and installing deep-water fish-attracting structures to improve the overall fish habitat in Clarks Hill Lake, which borders Georgia and South Carolina. The Clarks Hill Youth Fishing Team will be the driving force behind this project, working with Georgia B.A.S.S. Nation and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. The aquatic plants they will introduce are raised at the DNR’s Aquatic Greenhouse Facility and will provide habitat for not only largemouth bass, but also for other shoreline-spawning species including black crappie, redear sunfish, and bluegill.
Members of the Kansas B.A.S.S. Nation youth program and adult members will work with the Kansas Department of Wildlife & Parks (KDWP) to place both natural and artificial habitat into Wilson Reservoir in north-central Kansas to improve the fishery’s overall health. Cedar trees around Wilson will be selectively harvested, then staged in clusters around the lake to be sunk in conjunction with artificial structures. All of the planted habitat coordinates will be available on the KDWP website so anglers can target the locations.
A mix of youth and adult volunteers from the Kentucky B.A.S.S. Nation, working with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources will plant up to 675 young cypress trees, a tree native to western Kentucky and one of only a few plant species that can survive along the shoreline and within the drawdown zone of Lake Barkley in order to improve both spawning habitat for bass and sunfish and increase shoreline stability. The sites are being selected by the KDFWR and will focus on mudflats and areas with highly eroded banks, providing needed structure from root systems that will act as shallow water fish habitat when the cypress trees mature.
Bass anglers in Tennessee can look forward to the improvement projects being planned, under the supervision of the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, by anglers from the junior, high school, and college levels associated with the Tennessee B.A.S.S. Nation. Those participating will be educated on and participate in building effective habitat and fish attractor structures, and the benefits of both through proper planning, placement, and evaluation throughout the project. Due to winter drawdowns that can cause significant loss of suitable habitat for both bass and forage fish species, the lakes targeted for the habitat improvement efforts include Normandy and Center Hill Reservoirs.
Lake Gaston, spanning the North Carolina/Virginia border, will benefit from the efforts being spearheaded by the Lawrenceville, Virginia-based Brunswick Academy Fishing Club. Club members will build fish habitat structures and with the advice of aquatic biologists and conservation officers from both states, they will place them in locations in both the North Carolina and Virginia sides of the lake. The structures will provide a sustainable environment to ensure cover against predators and promote healthy feeding and growth for the lake’s bass population.
To help maintain Lake St. Clair as one of the premier smallmouth bass fisheries for both U.S. and Canadian anglers, the BFHOF Board will help fund an acoustic telemetry tracking project to study smallmouth bass movement within the fishery. The data collected will allow Michigan Department of Natural Resources fishery managers to address questions related to the dispersal and movement of bass after being released following tournaments, along with evaluating the survival of fish post-release. The DNR will establish a ‘Class Bass’ program that allows K-12 students to adopt and track the movement of acoustically-tagged fish and learn about the importance of smallmouth bass to the Lake St. Clair ecosystem. They’ve proposed to partner with youth, high school, and college tournaments by providing those anglers with a data collection protocol for fish caught, weighed, and released during their event.
“From the perspective of our Board, the involvement by younger anglers in all of these projects is a great way to promote bass fishing to the next generation, along with ensuring a healthy bass fishery in all the lakes and reservoirs where these projects are taking place,” said BFHOF Board president John Mazurkiewicz. “Along with the efforts of Bass Fishing Hall of Famers Gilliland and Trip Weldon, and Board members Tim Carini, Joe Opager, and Dan Quinn, I wanted to offer my personal thanks for all the time they devoted to the Hall’s conservation grant program. We had 19 different groups applying for our grants so there was a good amount of work to do in evaluating the most needed projects. It’s a big win for the sport of bass fishing.”
Gilliland notes that in addition to the grant program, the BFHOF Board members look for other opportunities to financially support fishing organizations that have projects that mirror the Board’s mission. This has previously included assistance to groups including the Mille Lacs Smallmouth Alliance, Fishing’s Future, Friends of Reservoirs, the IKE Foundation, the South Carolina Wildlife Federation’s college angling recruitment program, and the Florida Wildlife Commission’s school fishing club program.
Classic Winning Bait Gets a Baby Brother
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Flipping the RELiON Lithium Battery switch – Part One: Shop Work
By: Danny Blandford
I’ve been in the bass tournament scene in one capacity or another for most of my adult life. I’ve worked with major boat and motor manufacturers, boat dealers, and brands throughout most of my professional career. With that said, at heart, I’m still just a weekend warrior who loves the competition that comes with bass fishing. 
A Thursday nighter at home with our local river rats or something bigger, I do my best to show up and be in contention. It doesn’t always work out, but that is the nature of the beast we call bass fishing.
I’ve been fortunate over the years to win some events and most of those winnings are redeployed on more bass fishing gear, boat accessories, and electronics. I’m kind of a “bass geek” so I play to pay for the latest and greatest…partly out of curiosity, and partly to make sure I’ve got any edges that may be available. In recent years I’ve added a Humminbird 360, a TH Marine Hydrowave, an electric shallow water anchor, an additional forward facing sonar setup, as well as a few USB ports to keep cameras and electronics charged for “work”. What I hadn’t done yet was address the old heavy lead-acid batteries in the back of my aluminum boat. For the last year I was feeling like I was underpowered AND overweight. I knew I could make it all better by flipping the lithium battery switch, but I was suffering from analysis paralysis, unsure of some details and if I’d be happy with the investment.
Prior to making the switch I did my charger research by visiting our partners at Pro Charging Systems, where I learned WAY more than I expected. Having been a boat guy for years, I have seen plenty of factory rigs leaving with Dual Pro chargers and thought I was very familiar with them. As a matter of fact, I had been running a Dual Pro Sportsman Series Charger for over 10 years without so much of a hiccup. What I learned was I had a great charger, but not the best charger for the new lithium batteries, so a swap was in order there too.
The Dual Pro Professional Series PS3 Auto was the perfect tool for the job. 15 amps for each of three banks, the intelligence to know what “kind” of battery it was charging, AND the ability to charge lead-acid, AGM, and lithium…even if I chose to have different types in the same system. The Autoprofile system was sharper than me for sure. I really like the idea that if I ever end up having to replace a battery while out on the road, I’m not limited on what I can use in a pinch.
In regards to the process in the shop, any reasonable DIYer would feel very comfortable with what was required. A couple hours in the garage, a 13 millimeter socket, and a screwdriver was all it took to repower the Angler’s Channel River Rig. Older deep cycle Group 27s were replaced with Group 31 Relion RB100s. I also swapped a group 27 sized cranking battery, with a Relion RB100-HP.
In my case, I unhooked all my various leads from the old setup and kept them together and labeled. Popping the latches on my TH Marine battery trays and getting the old batteries out was the most work, since they weighed in at 54 lbs each. Prior to dropping in the Relion batteries, I ran them across the scales and the RB100s weighed in at 27 lbs each. In total, I shaved off around 80 pounds from the transom area of the boat. When you’re talking tin rigs built for shallow water access, that’s a BIG deal.
Mounting the charger was as simple as hanging a picture on the wall. Since it was about 25% bigger than the Sportsman Series, I had to add a few new holes in the rigging plate where it was mounted, but otherwise, plug and play comes to mind. It even included the stainless steel screws and hardware required to mount it. I’ll be adding a Dual Pro Lithium Battery Gauge to the project next, and will follow up with more details on this addition soon.
Overall, my wiring setup was already good to go, it was just the juice that was lacking. I do have to say I love the terminals on the Relions…I know that seems like a silly thing with such sophisticated power, but they’re simply better. Instead of traditional posts, these come with studs/bolts that securely thread into the battery itself and they feature a plate to ensure solid connection, and have a lock washer to ensure they stay that way.
The RB100-HP has the added benefit of having three pairs of terminals, which I REALLY like. In my case, Terminal Set 1 has the charger and the engine hooked up, Terminal Set 2 has all the standard 12v factory boat wiring for accessories, leaving me a third terminal to run my electronics feed exclusively with nothing else interfering.
Overall, it was an easy switch and a pretty simple project. I knocked it out quickly the night before heading out for a long tournament weekend. I plugged everything in around 6 pm and all three batteries climbed from 50% to 100% by 10 pm and I was ready to roll. I have some tidying up to do with some of my wires and cabling, but I plan to clean that up when I do the Gauge Project.
In the next installment, I’ll report on my first 24 hours on the water with this new set-up. Spoiler Alert: I’m JUICED!
Bassmaster Open Winner Rasmussen Bags a Vexus® Buckle
There’s a rumor that Forrest L. Wood actually wore a pair of shorts one time to play softball, but without photo evidence, the tall and much-admired boatbuilding icon will forever be fondly remembered for his boots, jeans, button down shirt, and cowboy hat.
So, when the folks at Vexus® Boats launched their REV Rewards™ bonus program for tournament anglers, they thought it would only be fitting to send each winner a commemorative western belt buckle too, and anglers like recent Bassmaster Open winner, Adam Rasmussen, will tell you they treasure the buckle as much as the cash bonus.
“Just about all boat companies have a contingency program, but only Vexus sends their winners a buckle, and that’s a pretty darn cool keepsake to set on your trophy shelf,” smiles Rasmussen, who is a fishing legend around his home in Sturgeon Bay, but qualified for the 2024 Bassmaster Classic as a result of his victory at the Bassmaster Open on Wheeler Lake, Alabama, more than 800 miles south of his home waters.
His victory at Wheeler was leveraged by a one-two punch that included a JackHammer vibrating jig cast shallow around the shad spawn and a VMC Rugby Jig out deeper on ledges.
This recent buckle is actually the second one Rasmussen has won. His first came as a result of a record setting win in a Champions Tour event on Pelican Lake, MN, where he tallied 98 keeper bass weighing a total of 247 pounds.
From bass to walleye, musky to redfish, the REV Rewards™program pays winners up to $10,000, along with the unique buckle. A huge variety of tournaments, from team events to the pros, are sanctioned by the program, but you can’t win if you don’t sign up. So please visit, vexusboats.com/rev-rewards/
The Savage Gear BFT Flyer Sets a New Standard for Realistic Flying Fish
This highly adaptable lure is based on a 3D scan of an actual flying fish
Columbia, S.C. (July 13, 2023) - Renowned for helping anglers relentlessly pursue the most thrilling catches in daring locations, Savage Gear has once again surpassed expectations with the introduction of the ultimate saltwater flying fish soft lure. Destined to captivate anglers with its unparalleled realism and cutting-edge features, the Savage Gear BFT Flyer is setting its sights on being the ultimate offshore lure for conquering the mightiest big-game species.
With a reputation for providing anglers with the tools needed to pursue large fish, Savage Gear’s BFT Flyer is no exception, delivering an unrivaled fishing experience that encapsulates the spirit of “Go big or go home”. At the heart of the BFT Flyer's exceptional performance lies its excellent design, which is based on a meticulous 3D scan of an actual flying fish. By capturing the intricate movement patterns of these majestic creatures, Savage Gear has crafted a lure that mimics a flying fish’s actions with astonishing realism. The 16-inch Flyer's wings and soft body design not only contribute to its lifelike appearance but also enhance its durability, ensuring it can withstand the force of even the most ferocious strikes.
Equipped with removable wings and a harness, the 16-inch BFT Flyer accurately emulates a flying fish in both appearance and action in the water. It is highly adaptable and can be presented in several ways, either trolling, or fished from a kite, with a variety of rigging options to suit your specific technique of fishing. The dynamic actions of this lure serve as a powerful attractant for predatory fish such as tuna, billfish and other impressive saltwater species.
One of the standout features of the BFT Flyer is its line-thru design. When a fish takes the lure and becomes hooked, the Flyer surges up the leader, preventing the fish from utilizing the lure's weight as leverage during the fight. This innovative mechanism ensures that anglers maintain control throughout the battle, increasing the chances of landing their trophy catch.
“We worked with a highly skilled team that specializes in catching giant bluefin tuna, and harnessing the meal that they love to feast on the most.” Says Theis Gronemann, Marketing Manager for Savage Gear. “The BFT Flyer is finely tuned for both topwater trolling and kite fishing, and will exceed the success of anything currently available.”
To further enhance the angling experience, the BFT Flyer comes complete with an additional set of wings, an extra rig, and the parts needed for easy rigging. This allows anglers to adapt the lure's presentation to suit specific fishing conditions and species, providing versatility and flexibility on every expedition.
BFT Flyer Key Features:
- Based on 3D Scans of a real flying fish
- Line thru system
- Designed for topwater trolling and lure fishing
- Durable PVC body construction
- Semi-soft PVC wings
- Super strong removable rigging
- Additional set of wings, an extra rig, and the parts needed for easy rigging
- 16-inch body with 16-inch wingspan
Available: September 2023
MSRP: $150.00