Dowell Posts Win at Two-Day Phoenix Bass Fishing League Super Tournament on Old Hickory Lake

Gilbert Tops Strike King Co-Angler Division

GALLATIN, Tenn. (Sept. 18, 2023) – Boater Ryan Dowell of Brandenburg, Kentucky, caught 10 bass weighing 31 pounds, 2 ounces, to win the two-day MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on Old Hickory Lake in Gallatin, Tennessee. The tournament, hosted by Sumner County Tourism, was the fifth and final regular-season event for the Bass Fishing League Music City Division. Dowell earned $4,944 for his victory.

“I practiced Thursday up the river and caught most of my fish on topwater,” Dowell said. “I found a creek that had a few good fish in it, and I didn’t hook very many of them in practice; I kind of left them alone. I didn’t really know what it would turn into. But, on Saturday, I went there and got my limit pretty quickly, and ended up picking up a big one on the main river.

“Sunday, I went there, caught my limit, culled two or three times, and had what I had,” Dowell went on to say.

Dowell said he never left the creek during the tournament and relied on a buzzbait and spinnerbait thrown near any wood, with the bigger bass coming from cover hanging over water 5 to 6 feet deep. Dowell said he approached the final weigh-in doubtful of his chances for a win.

“I had a bad feeling when I came in that I didn’t have enough,” Dowell said. “I thought I needed one more kicker. But I had a little bit more weight than I thought I had.”

Dowell’s fears of not having enough weight turned out to be unfounded, as he won by more than 4 pounds.

“This win is a relief,” Dowell said. “You never know if you’re good enough to win or not. Being able to get it done feels really good.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1st:          Ryan Dowell, Brandenburg, Ky., 10 bass, 31-2, $4,944
2nd:        Josh Womack, Gallatin, Tenn., 10 bass, 26-11, $2,372
3rd:        Brandon Edel, Hendersonville, Tenn., 10 bass, 26-6, $1,579
4th:         Anthony Guffie, Lafayette, Tenn., 10 bass, 25-15, $1,107
5th:         Preston Henson, College Grove, Tenn., nine bass, 23-3, $949
6th:         Gavin Daniels, Kingston, Tenn., 10 bass, 21-10, $870
7th:         Garrett Albert, Winchester, Tenn., nine bass, 20-15, $791
8th:         Beau Grissim, Lebanon, Tenn., 10 bass, 20-5, $712
9th:         Brady Duncan, Lebanon, Tenn., nine bass, 20-4, $633
10th:      Wade Werner, Portland, Tenn., 10 bass, 19-14, $1,123

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Wade Werner of Portland, Tennessee, had a bass that weighed 5 pounds, 3 ounces that was the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $570.

Mark Gilbert of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, won the Strike King Co-angler Division and $2,766 Sunday after catching a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 20 pounds, 1 ounce.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:

1st:          Mark Gilbert, Murfreesboro, Tenn., 10 bass, 20-1, $2,766
2nd:        Rocky Williams, Portland, Tenn., eight bass, 19-8, $1,660
3rd:        Eric White, Cullman, Ala., eight bass, 16-10, $790
4th:         Gilbert Jolley, Livingston, Tenn., eight bass, 14-11, $552
5th:         Kenny Botts, Alvaton, Ky., six bass, 12-9, $473
6th:         Larry Billings, Murfreesboro, Tenn., seven bass, 12-5, $434
7th:         Lamar Oxford, Dale, Ind., six bass, 11-10, $394
8th:         Darren Kelly, Wartburg, Tenn., six bass, 11-9, $505
9th:         Mark Talbert, Dickson, Tenn., five bass, 9-9, $315
10th:      Justin Clark, White House, Tenn., four bass, 8-14, $276

Rocky Williams of Portland, Tennessee, caught the largest bass in the Strike King Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 4 pounds, 1 ounce. The catch earned him the Berkley Big Bass Co-angler award of $277.

With the regular season now complete, boater Josh Womack of Gallatin, Tennessee, won the 2023 Bass Fishing League Music City Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with a five-event total of 1,308 points to earn the $1,000 boater AOY award. Rocky Williams of Portland, Tennessee, won the 2023 Strike King Co-Angler Music City Division AOY race with 1,350 points and earned the $500 Strike King Co-angler of the Year award.

Now, the top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will advance to compete in the Oct. 12-14 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Lake Eufaula in Eufaula, Alabama. Boaters will fish for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $50,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.

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

The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division will also earn priority entry into the MLF Toyota Series, the pathway to the MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitationals and ultimately the MLF Bass Pro Tour.

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

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

by AnglersChannel

Mohn Records Back-to-Back Wins With Two-Day Phoenix Bass Fishing League Super Tournament on Mississippi River at La Crosse

Oppegard Tops Strike King Co-Angler Division

LA CROSSE, Wis. (Sept. 18, 2023) – Boater Dan Mohn of Lansing, Iowa, caught 10 bass weighing 37 pounds, 4 ounces, to win the two-day MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on the Mississippi River at La Crosse Presented by FVP in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The tournament, hosted by Explore La Crosse, was the fifth and final regular-season event for the Bass Fishing League Great Lakes Division. Mohn earned $7,534 for his victory.

Mohn has been hot as of late, and his Super Tournament win comes on the heels of a BFL win on the Mississippi River at Prairie du Chien on Aug. 19.

“The fish are starting to move into the current a little more, into more of a fall-transition period,” Mohn said. “I was looking for a mix of grass and rock, and if it had some wood nearby, that was even better. The big thing was that what I was fishing just needed some bait around it. It was a typical fall, find-the-bait, find-the-fish type of thing.”

Although he fished in both Pool 8 and Pool 9, Mohn said his bigger fish came out of Pool 8 both days. He employed a variety of baits during the tournament, including a SPRO topwater walking bait, a jig tipped with a Big Bite Baits College Craw trailer, a SPRO Essential Series Aruku Shad Lipless Crankbait , a SPRO Mike McClelland McStick 115 Jerkbait, and a Missile Baits D Bomb Creature Bait. His tactics produced a mixed bag, composed of primarily largemouth.

“The fall pattern really plays to my strengths,” Mohn said. “I’ve had a really great run coming off my last BFL win. I’ve had a couple of other wins in some other events recently. My confidence is sky-high right now. I got a new boat after the last BFL win, and it’s been treating me well so far.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1st:          Dan Mohn, Lansing, Iowa, 10 bass, 37-4, $7,534
2nd:        Jeff Ritter, Prairie du Chien, Wis., 10 bass, 33-0, $3,102
3rd:        Fernando Lobato, Sparta, Wis., 10 bass, 31-5, $2,404 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
4th:         Cade Laufenberg, Onalaska, Wis., 10 bass, 30-14, $1,331
5th:         Chris Aswegan, Tiffin, Iowa, 10 bass, 29-10, $1,141
6th:         Brandon Gann, Sparta, Wis., 10 bass, 29-9, $1,046
7th:         Kyle Seubert, Chaseburg, Wis., 10 bass, 29-1, $951
8th:         Severin Tubbin, Viroqua, Wis., 10 bass, 28-14, $856
9th:         Brandyn Baum, La Crosse, Wis., 10 bass, 28-1, $1,139
10th:      Casey Goode, La Crosse, Wis., 10 bass, 27-9, $665

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Mike Brueggen and Brandyn Baum, both of La Crosse, Wisconsin, both had bass that weighed 4 pounds, 11 ounces that were the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division. Each angler earned a Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $378.

Justin Oppegard of Eagen, Minnesota, won the Strike King Co-angler Division and $2,852 Sunday after catching a two-day total of eight bass weighing 19 pounds, 13 ounces.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:

1st:          Justin Oppegard, Eagen, Minn., eight bass, 19-13, $2,852
2nd:        Will Ahnen, Fennimore, Wis., eight bass, 19-6, $1,576
3rd:        Logan Sullivan, Waunakee, Wis., eight bass, 18-15, $950
4th:         Jason Swanson, Waterloo, Iowa, nine bass, 18-9, $666
5th:         Chris Stelter, Chisago, Minn., eight bass, 18-8, $570
6th:         Richard Conrad, Arcadia, Wis., nine bass, 18-5, $923
7th:         Thad Vettrus, Chippewa Falls, Wis., eight bass, 16-13, $475
8th:         Brian Brecka, Alma, Wis., eight bass, 16-9, $428
9th:         Brad Juen, La Crosse, Wis., eight bass, 16-2, $380
10th:      Shane Kuehn, Bennington, Neb., seven bass, 14-10, $333

Austin Frye of Ontario, Wisconsin, caught the largest bass in the Strike King Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 3 pounds, 15 ounces. The catch earned him the Berkley Big Bass Co-angler award of $379.

With the regular season now complete, boater Jeff Ritter of Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, won the 2023 Bass Fishing League Great Lakes Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with a five-event total of 1,349 points to earn the $1,000 boater AOY award. Hertz Skaer of Holmen, Wisconsin, won the 2023 Strike King Co-Angler Great Lakes Division AOY race with 1,322 points and earned the $500 Strike King Co-angler of the Year award.

Now, the top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will advance to compete in the Oct. 19-21 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Lake of the Ozarks in Osage Beach, Missouri. Boaters will fish for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $50,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.

by AnglersChannel

Stalvey Probes Home-Waters to Win at Two-Day Phoenix Bass Fishing League Super Tournament on the St. Johns River

White Tops Strike King Co-Angler Division

PALATKA, Fla. (Sept. 18, 2023) – Boater Lee Stalvey of Palatka, Florida, caught 10 bass weighing 43 pounds, 6 ounces, to win the two-day MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on the St. Johns River in Palatka, Florida. The tournament, hosted by the Putnam County Tourist Development Council, was the fifth and final regular-season event for the Bass Fishing League Gator Division. Stalvey earned $6,362 for his victory.

“I went south the first day,” Stalvey said. “It went good, but it didn’t pan out like I’d planned. I had a big group of fish found, but I only caught one fish out of it. So, I didn’t feel really confident about going back to them.

“So, I went north this morning and stayed close to the ramp, but went to a ton of places,” Stalvey continued. “I was just checking different shell beds, docks and seawalls. I’ve fished this place for 35 years, so there’s tons of places I know. I ended up getting a couple of lucky big bites.”

Stalvey said he fished a variety of baits and techniques, including topwater in the morning, crankbaits, a Carolina rig, and a big worm. Stalvey said he hooked a large bass, an 8-pound, 3-ounce largemouth, that changed his outlook on the event.

“That fish really changed the ballgame,” Stalvey said. “I was rolling down the river and said, ‘You know what, I had some fish here in practice.’ There had been boats all over the spot Saturday, and then on Sunday nobody was there. I saw fish on the spot, and they were good ones. It hit my third cast with a ChatterBait. It was the only bite I got on a ChatterBait.”

Stalvey’s son, Parker, finished third in the tournament, and Stalvey said that fact made the win even more special for him.

“I’d been saying all along I’d love for him to win and for me to finish second,” Stalvey said.

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1st:          Lee Stalvey, Palatka, Fla., 10 bass, 43-6, $6,362
2nd:        Lonnie Cercy, Middleburg, Fla., 10 bass, 39-14, $3,181
3rd:        Parker Stalvey, Green Cove Springs, Fla., 10 bass, 39-8, $2,122
4th:         Austin Black, East Palatka, Fla., 10 bass, 39-4, $1,485
5th:         Tracen Phillips, Lake Placid, Fla., 10 bass, 33-11, $1,272
6th:         Ryan Crowley, Fleming Island, Fla., 10 bass, 31-8, $1,166
7th:         Joey Bloom, Winter Springs, Fla., 10 bass, 31-2, $1,560 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
8th:         Aaron Yavorsky, Palm Harbor, Fla., 10 bass, 28-13, $954
9th:         Cliff Prince, Palatka, Fla., 10 bass, 28-13, $848
10th:      Allen Hopper, San Mateo, Fla., 10 bass, 28-13, $742

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Earl Garcia of Tampa, Florida, had a bass that weighed 7 pounds, 3 ounces that was the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $900.

David White of Winter Garden, Florida, won the Strike King Co-angler Division and $3,631 Sunday after catching a two-day total of seven bass weighing 24 pounds, 1 ounce.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:

1st:          David White, Winter Garden, Fla., seven bass, 24-1, $3,631
2nd:        Garrett Gomes, Dunnellon, Fla., eight bass, 23-3, $1,591
3rd:        Pat Herolt, Citrus Springs, Fla., 10 bass, 22-7, $1,061
4th:         Tyler Lewis, Geneva, Fla., six bass, 17-2, $742
5th:         Rodney Yavorsky, Palm Harbor, Fla., 10 bass, 16-11, $636
6th:         Luke Cocke, Valdosta, Ga., six bass, 16-5, $783
7th:         Dean Haughey, Babson Park, Fla., seven bass, 16-1, $530
8th:         Doug Back, Monticello, Fla., eight bass, 13-5, $627
9th:         Ben Arnold, LaFollette, Tenn., seven bass, 13-2, $424
10th:      Chris Westhelle, Sanford, Fla., eight bass, 13-0, $371

White also caught the largest bass in the Strike King Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 8 pounds even. The catch earned him the Berkley Big Bass Co-angler award of $450.

With the regular season now complete, boater Brandon Medlock of Lake Placid, Florida, won the 2023 Bass Fishing League Gator Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with a five-event total of 1,254 points to earn the $1,000 boater AOY award. Tyler Nekolny of Coral Springs, Florida, won the 2023 Strike King Co-Angler Gator Division AOY race with 1,305 points and earned the $500 Strike King Co-angler of the Year award.

by AnglersChannel

Stoupa ‘Stays Put’, Wins Two-Day Phoenix Bass Fishing League Super Tournament on the Potomac River

Prince George Angler Also Earns Season-Long Angler of the Year Title

MARBURY, Md. (Sept. 18, 2023) – Boater Zachary Stoupa of Prince George, Virginia, caught 10 bass weighing 29 pounds, 1 ounce, to win the two-day MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on the Potomac River in Marbury, Maryland. The tournament, hosted by the Charles County Board of Commissioners, was the fifth and final regular-season event for the Bass Fishing League Shenandoah Division. Stoupa earned $5,575 for his victory. Stoupa also secured the 2023 Bass Fishing League Shenandoah Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race Sunday.

“Going into this event, I had a good lead in the Angler of the Year race, so my plan was to try and fish kind of close, so I didn’t have to make a long run anywhere,” Stoupa said. “I did a lot of damage in Mattawoman Creek, and that really worked out in my favor. I didn’t have to run very long to secure Angler of the Year and picked up a win in the process.”

Stoupa said he focused his efforts on grass where he had gotten bites in practice. Stoupa’s bait of choice for his mid-river fish was a vibrating jig. He said the key was “staying put and not running around” and sticking to where he knew he had located fish.

“I didn’t boat my first fish until about 11 o’clock,” Stoupa said. “It took off from there. I never really got nervous, though, because I knew I had locked up the Angler of the Year title, and that was my main goal this week. Making the second day of the tournament I knew I couldn’t finish worse than 19^th, so that was a bonus.

“It’s been a great season,” Stoupa went on to say. “I can’t even find words for it. My worst finish was at Smith Mountain Lake, where I finished 14^th, and I’ve had four top-10s. It’s just been a great year.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1st:          Zachary Stoupa, Prince George, Va., 10 bass, 29-1, $5,575
2nd:        Myles Paugh, Aurora, W.V., 10 bass, 28-0, $2,787
3rd:        Robert Henderson, King George, Va., 10 bass, 27-10, $1,860
4th:         Adam Harkness, Hebron, Md., 10 bass, 27-4, $1,301
5th: Nathan Grose, Morgantown, W.V., 10 bass, 25-2, $1,615 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
6th:         Frank Poirer, North Prince George, Va., 10 bass, 24-11, $1,022
7th:         Nolan Gaskin, Broussard, La., 10 bass, 24-1, $929
8th:         Fred Chandler, Mount Airy, Md., 10 bass, 23-10, $1,166
9th:         Ron Ruosseau, Raleigh, N.C., 10 bass, 22-10, $743
10th:      Chris Brummett, Lynch Station, Va., nine bass, 22-8, $1,150

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.Mike Keyser of Elkridge, Maryland, caught a bass weighing 4 pounds, 15 ounces that was the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division to earn the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $727.

Larry Freeman, Jr., of La Crosse, Virginia, won the Strike King Co-angler Division and $2,788 Sunday after catching a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 24 pounds, 2 ounces.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:

1st:          Larry Freeman, Jr., La Crosse, Va., 10 bass, 24-2, $2,788
2nd:        Richard Williams, Sutherland, Va., nine bass, 22-3, $1,394
3rd:        David Lewis, Abingdon, Md., seven bass, 19-10, $1,293
4th:         Ted Kephart, Phillipsburg, Pa., nine bass, 19-4, $650
5th:         Jeff Turner, Morris, Ill., nine bass, 19-0, $758
6th:         Roland Gittings, Perryville, Md., eight bass, 18-3, $711
7th:         Joseph Beckler, Great Mills, Md., nine bass, 18-1, $465
8th:         Sean Lane, Culpeper, Va., 10 bass, 17-9, $418
9th:         Todd Hurst, Copper Hill, Va., eight bass, 17-0, $372
10th:      Robert Wedding, Welcome, Md., seven bass, 14-9, $325

David Lewis of Abingdon, Maryland, caught the largest bass in the Strike King Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 4 pounds, 10 ounces. The catch earned him the Berkley Big Bass Co-angler award of $364.With the regular season now complete, boater Zachary Stoupa of Prince George, Virginia, won the 2023 Bass Fishing League Shenandoah Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with a five-event total of 1,345 points to earn the $1,000 boater AOY award. David Deciucis of Chester, Virginia, won the 2023 Strike King Co-Angler Shenandoah Division AOY race with 1,324 points and earned the $500 Strike King Co-angler of the Year award.

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

by AnglersChannel

Lawson Hibdon Scrambles, Secures ‘Surprise’ Victory at Two-Day Phoenix Bass Fishing League Super Tournament on Lake of the Ozarks

Greil Tops Strike King Co-Angler Division

OSAGE BEACH, Mo. (Sept. 18, 2023) – Boater Lawson Hibdon of Versailles, Missouri, caught 10 bass weighing 32 pounds, 12 ounces, to win the two-day MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on Lake of the Ozarks in Osage Beach, Missouri. The tournament, hosted by the Tri-County Loding Association, was the fifth and final regular-season event for the Bass Fishing League Ozark Division. Hibdon earned $7,695 for his victory.

The tournament was noted as a family affair for the Hibdon family – in addition to Lawson’s victory, father Dion finished the event in fourth place, while brother Payden ended the tournament in 10th.

“On Saturday, I caught 18 pounds in the first hour and a half,” Hibdon said. “Most of the day I shook them off because I knew that I’d be fishing on the second day. I shook off maybe 15 or so that I thought were good bites.

“I went back through that stuff on the second day and didn’t even get a bite; It was miserable,” Hibdon went on to say. “I was excited because the sun was supposed to come out and put the fish under the boat docks, like it’s supposed to do. But it wasn’t like that.”

Hibdon said he kept a 9/16-ounce Hibdon Hammer jig in his hand almost the entire tournament and admitted he threw a buzzbait “way too much.” He also relied on a 7-inch Bojangles Trickster worm on a shaky-head rig to catch bass.

“I didn’t get to practice at all, so when I got out there and saw how good it was, I was pretty excited,” Hibdon said. “I burned a full tank of gas the first day trying to figure out where I could catch them, and a full tank the second day trying to relocate them.”

Hibdon said he fished about three miles outside of the Grand Glaize area Sunday, then ran 45 miles into the Osage River.

“I had shaken a bunch off there the day before, and that’s where I really like to fish, and I got back there, and bites were non-existent,” Hibdon said. “I bailed and came back down the lake.

“I was just scrambling around trying to figure something out because I knew somebody was going to really catch them,” Hibdon said. “Somebody will always catch them here. This win was definitely a surprise. But it all turned out, and that’s all that matters.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1st:          Lawson Hibdon, Versailles, Mo., 10 bass, 32-12, $7,695
2nd:        Michael Harlin, Sunrise Beach, Mo., 10 bass, 31-15, $3,848
3rd:        Brandon Ackerson, Afton, Okla., 10 bass, 30-10, $3,065 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
4th:         Dion Hibdon, Versailles, Mo., 10 bass, 30-6, $1,796
5th:         Jeremy Medina, Louisburg, Mo., 10 bass, 29-9, $1,539
6th:         Nick Ault, Gravois Mills, Mo., 10 bass, 27-11, $1,411
7th:         James Lewis, Osage Beach, Mo., 10 bass, 27-6, $1,283
8th:         Ben Verhoef, Osage Beach, Mo., 10 bass, 26-15, $1,154
9th:         Corey Cook, Lebanon, Mo., 10 bass, 26-14, $1,026
10th:      Payden Hibdon, Versailles, Mo., 10 bass, 26-12, $898

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Darrell Ivey, Jr., of Lebanon, Missouri, caught a bass weighing 6 pounds, 4 ounces that was the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division to earn the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $1,200.

Jeremy Greil of Imperial, Missouri, won the Strike King Co-angler Division and $3,848 Sunday after catching a two-day total of eight bass weighing 21 pounds, 14 ounces.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:

1st:          Jeremy Greil, Imperial, Mo., eight bass, 21-14, $3,848
2nd:        Trenton White, Tipton, Mo., eight bass, 18-8, $1,924
3rd:        Austin Chandler, Ketchum, Okla., nine bass, 16-3, $1,281
4th:         Kevin Mahlke, Wentzville, Mo., six bass, 16-3, $898
5th:         Christopher Fierce, Dixon, Mo., six bass, 15-8, $770
6th:         Chris McClellan, Desoto, Mo., 10 bass, 15-2, $905
7th:         Craig Rose, Olathe, Kansas, six bass, 14-15, $641
8th:         Koby Murrell, Lebanon, Mo., seven bass, 14-2, $577
9th:         Justin Layton, Kirbyville, Mo., seven bass, 14-0, $513
10th:      Gary St. Clair, Hamilton, Mo., seven bass, 13-13, $449

Matthew Morton of Wichita, Kansas, caught the largest bass in the Strike King Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 4 pounds, 15 ounces. The catch earned him the Berkley Big Bass Co-angler award of $600.

With the regular season now complete, boater Brandon Ackerson of Afton, Oklahoma, won the 2023 Bass Fishing League Ozark Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with a five-event total of 1,265 points to earn the $1,000 boater AOY award. Adler Odle of Willow Springs, Missouri, won the 2023 Strike King Co-Angler Ozark Division AOY race with 1,245 points and earned the $500 Strike King Co-angler of the Year award.

Now, the top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will advance to compete in the Oct. 5-7 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Lake Eufaula in Eufaula, Oklahoma. Boaters will fish for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $50,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.

by AnglersChannel

Illinois’ McNamara claims overall title at 2023 Skeeter Bassmaster High School Combine

Eli French of Lucedale, Miss., (Technical Challenge), Joe McNamara of Rockford, Ill., (Technical Challenge & Overall), Dylan Sorrells of Dallas, Texas, (Casting Accuracy) and Tanner Hamilton of Winter Park, Fla., (Long-Distance Casting) took home awards at the 2023 Skeeter Boats Bassmaster High School Combine.

Photos by Kyle Jessie/B.A.S.S.

September 18, 2023

DECATUR, Ala. — Talented high school anglers from across the U.S. gathered for the third Skeeter Boats Bassmaster High School Combine on Wheeler Lake in Decatur, Ala., for a weekend combining skills challenges and recruiting visits in hopes of reeling in college fishing offers. After three challenges — Long-Distance Casting, Technical and Casting Accuracy — the Combine’s overall points winner was Joe McNamara of Rockford, Ill.

With a three-event total of 368 points, the junior at Boylan Catholic High School took home the Overall Skills Competition trophy. In addition to the Overall trophy, McNamara also tied for the win in the Technical Challenge with fellow competitor Eli French of Lucedale, Miss.

When McNamara heard about the Bassmaster High School Combine early last year, he knew he wanted to be a part of the event to help put his fishing career on the fast track to success.

“There’s really no other event like this,” McNamara said. “We signed up the day that registration opened just to make sure we could be here.”

The Illinois angler took full advantage of being exposed to the top college fishing programs in the country by finishing inside the Top 10 in all three skills challenges and winning the Overall Skills Challenge by a convincing margin of 21 points.

“I just wanted to go out and do my best,” he said. “I knew that I had a chance to do pretty well, but I really didn’t expect to win.”

Despite his impressive numbers overall, McNamara didn’t get off to a great start with the three bonus-points challenges, which tested one-cast accuracy, knot tying and boater safety, but picked up momentum in a big way once he went to the Casting Accuracy Challenge.

“I missed my first flip and then made every single flip after that one to finish in under 50 seconds,” he said in regard to getting the momentum back in his favor. “Then I got to the Long-Distance Casting (Challenge) and got off three casts before the time expired, with the longest cast being almost 68 yards, which I was happy about.”

McNamara ended his day on a high note by tying for the fastest score in the Technical Challenge, where he maneuvered the provided Skeeter FX20 to knock down the casting targets in just 13 seconds.

“I knew that I was doing pretty good before I got to the Technical Challenge, but didn’t realize how good,” he said. “I put the trolling motor on 100 and hit the targets pretty fast. I knew that if I was casting at the targets before I got up super-close to them then I would have a chance to be quicker than everyone else.

“I grew up fishing docks and shallow cover, so I consider my ability to fish shallow to be a big reason that I was able to have success in the casting challenges.”

Taking home hardware is certainly an accomplishment at the High School Combine, but McNamara feels that what he gained through interaction with coaches from the top college fishing teams across the country is what will help to continue his fishing journey.

“I didn’t really know what to expect from interacting with the colleges, but it really opened my eyes to what the colleges look for in high schoolers,” he said. “I think the biggest takeaway from the Combine is that I’m looking at schools that I may not have considered otherwise.”

Technical Challenge

French was the co-champion of the Technical Challenge, tying McNamara’s time of 13 seconds. The 11th grader used his fishing strengths to his advantage to take home the trophy.

“The way we fish rivers back home is to put the trolling motor on high and cover as much water as possible,” said French. “We usually have to keep the trolling motor on 7 to 10 and make precise casts and flips to individual targets, so I felt right at home with the Technical Challenge.”

Much like McNamara, French put the trolling motor on 10 and focused on making pinpoint casts to knock down the targets quickly.

“I made three total flips to the targets,” he said. “I was more worried about making precise casts to the targets rather than rushing up to the targets and making short flips.”

Long-Distance Casting

With a cast measuring 72 yards, Tanner Hamilton of Winter Park, Fla., took home first place in the Long-Distance Casting challenge. Third cast was the charm for Hamilton, as he used his ProFISHiency rod and reel to air out his longest cast of the competition on his third and final attempt.

Hamilton loves to fish offshore, so casting long distances is a big part of his game.

“I pretty much strictly fish offshore,” said the junior at Chain of Lakes Collegiate High School. “I live on the Harris Chain, so I’m pretty much always making long casts at shellbars, brushpiles and other offshore cover.”

Hamilton paid close attention to his competitors in hopes of figuring out the key to making the longest cast possible.

“I was constantly taking notes on how the wind was working,” he said. “My first two casts were pretty bad, but I opened the reel up and let it fly on the last cast.”

Casting Accuracy

With a blazing speed of 32 seconds, Dylan Sorrells of Dallas, Texas, took home the top spot in the Casting Accuracy Challenge. As a shallow-water power fisherman, Sorrells felt right at home making accurate casts when the challenge came around.

“I love flipping docks and laydowns, so that’s why I was able to have success flipping and pitching to the buckets,” said Sorrells, a junior at Highland Park High School who just notched a Top 20 finish at the Strike King Bassmaster High School Championship presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors. “I was able to practice a little bit before, but I was honestly shocked that I was able to make it in each bucket as quickly as I did. It just seemed surreal.”

At the end of the weekend, seven anglers signed with three different schools — Faulkner University, Murray State College and Troy University. In the first two years of the Combine, more than $4.5 million in scholarships have been awarded to participating anglers.

The 2023 Skeeter Bassmaster High School Combine was hosted by Decatur Morgan County Tourism.

2023 Skeeter Boats Bassmaster High School Combine Points Totals

			Casting Accuracy	Technical	Long Cast	Bonus Points	Total Points
1	Joe McNamara	Rockford, IL	118	125	119	6	368
2	Ridge Faircloth	Bristol, FL	103	112	122	10	347
3	Jon Foster	Maiden, NC	123	121	91	9	344
4	Dylan Sorrells	Dallas, TX	125	120	90	7	342
5	Briley West	Lakeland, FL	124	91	114	8	337
6	Joey Cotromano	Yulee, FL	105	112	111	8	336
7	Landon Rollison	Cross City, FL	114	115	92	10	331
8	Drew Turnbull	Crane Hill, AL	78	120	123	8	329
9	Chase McCarter	Sevierville, TN	120	101	96	8	325
10	Caden Alexander	Huntington, TX	117	123	76	8	324
10	David Robinson	Vancleave, MS	123	120	66	11	320
12	RJ Sanger	Lakeland, FL	114	115	80	10	319
13	Landon Loper	Semmes, AL	83	123	102	9	317
14	Braylon Carden	Valley, AL	103	91	116	7	317
15	Carsen Adcock	Haughton, LA	87	101	117	9	314
15	Carson Owen	Ardmore, OK	75	120	105	10	310
17	Tanner Hamilton	Winter Haven, FL	75	101	125	7	308
18	Hunter Stuckey	Kilgore, TX	78	112	112	5	307
19	Eli French	Lucedale, MS	93	125	79	8	305
20	Rowdie Thacker	Denham Springs, LA	108	83	105	7	303
21	Will Shepherd	Overland Park, KS	85	83	124	10	302
22	Zach Knight	Gallatin, TN	110	101	82	8	301
23	Griffin Ralph	Hot Springs, AR	106	112	72	9	299
24	Kaden Dorman	Lake City, IA	63	112	113	10	298
25	Hayden Barnett	Kingston, TN	112	60	115	10	297

by AnglersChannel

Logan Parks Fishing Foundation Announces High-Stakes Bass Fishing Tournament for College and High School Anglers

With the help of Abu Garcia, the LPFF is providing a high dollar fishing tournament to allow college and high school anglers an opportunity to win big

COLUMBIA, S.C. (Sept. 18, 2023) – The Logan Parks Fishing Foundation, founded by tournament angler Logan Parks, is thrilled to announce the inaugural High School/College Chaos Tournament presented by Abu Garcia. Set to take place Wednesday, November 8th to Sunday, November 12th in Auburn, Alabama, this event is a golden opportunity for high school anglers to showcase their talent and for college teams to scout the next generation of fishing stars. This tournament, run through the Fishing Chaos App and its software, will bring together high school and college anglers for a unique, competitive fishing experience on Lake Martin. Student anglers will have the opportunity to compete for over $100,000 in cash, scholarships, and prizes.

The Logan Parks Fishing Foundation, with its mission to empower the future of competitive anglers by nurturing the talents of high school and college anglers, has designed an entirely new tournament format. Rooted from a deep commitment to giving back to the fishing community and encouraging growth within the sport, this event promises an unforgettable experience for young anglers.

The tournament format is designed to challenge and prepare young anglers for success. Each team consists of a college angler, who will serve as the boater, and a high school angler who will be the co-angler. This unique format encourages collaboration and mentorship, fostering a sense of camaraderie among participants. The tournament operates utilizing a catch, weigh, photo, Fishing Chaos app submission, and release format, where bass weighing at least one pound will count towards your total. A live leaderboard will track each team’s progress, visible to both participants and spectators.

The event consists of three rounds with two 15-minute breaks in between rounds:
• Round 1 (6:30 am - 10 am):
• After Round 1, the top 75 teams advance to the SURVIVAL round while the bottom 50 advance to SUDDEN DEATH, with total weights carrying over.

• Round 2 (10:15 am - 1 pm)
• Round 2 sees the top 15 SURVIVAL teams and the top 5 SUDDEN DEATH teams advancing to the CHAMPIONSHIP round, while others enter the CONSOLATION or LAST CHANCE rounds.

• CHAOS Round (1:15 pm - 3 pm): Teams aim to avoid elimination by racing against time and competitors.
• In Round 3 (CHAOS), all weights reset, and teams compete within their respective brackets, with the live leaderboard disabled. After a 1 hour 45-minute shootout, anglers will return to Auburn, AL to uncover the winner.

"We're excited to bring this innovative format to the high school and college bass fishing community," said Logan Parks, Founder of the Logan Parks Fishing Foundation. "It's a unique way to truly test the skills of even the most experienced student anglers. We're confident that this tournament will be a fun addition for the sport and create some unforgettable moments on the water for the anglers."

The High School/College Chaos Tournament, presented by Abu Garcia, is all about empowering the next generation of competitive bass fishing stars. This tournament is more than just a competition; it's a platform where high school anglers can showcase their talents and aspirations to some of the top college fishing programs in the nation. This event provides a rare opportunity for high school anglers to make a name for themselves, and for college coaches, presidents, and teams to discover and recruit the next generation of fishing prodigies.

"The High School/College Chaos Tournament is not just a competition; it's a stage for young anglers to shine and for college programs to discover hidden talent," said Marc Kempter, VP Marketing Communications for Abu Garcia. "We believe in the potential of young anglers to shape the future of competitive bass fishing and are excited to be partnering with Logan Parks for this tournament. It is our hope that tournaments like this can create meaningful opportunities for these individuals, ensuring that their passion for the sport can flourish into successful careers."

Key Highlights of the High School/College Chaos Tournament:

1. Generous Payouts and Prizes: Thanks to the support of title sponsor Abu Garcia, this tournament offers massive payouts and incredible prizes that will provide a valuable boost to young anglers' education and fishing careers. This event offers a larger payout than any other high school or college fishing tournament.

2. Education and Networking: Participants will have the opportunity to attend angler training classes, campus tours, college networking events, and engage with guest speakers, enhancing both their fishing skills and education.

3. Scholarships: High school anglers have the chance to win scholarships towards their college tuition, further aligning the tournament with the foundation's commitment to education.

The tournament kicks off with official practice on November 8th - 10th, followed by Draft Day on November 11th, where college anglers will select their high school teammates. On November 12th, the action begins with a 6:00 am blast-off at a public boat launch on Lake Martin, continuing until 4:30 pm in Auburn, where the trophy presentation will take place.

"We're incredibly excited to host this tournament and create a platform for young anglers to showcase their skills," said Parks. "It's an opportunity for them to take their passion for bass fishing to new heights and a chance for the community to come together and support these rising stars."

The Logan Parks Fishing Foundation extends its gratitude to Abu Garcia and all sponsors for their support in making this event a reality. With their support, the foundation is casting a brighter future for the world of competitive bass fishing, one angler at a time.

Registration for the tournament is now open on a first come first serve basis and will be capped at 125 boats. For more information on the High School/ College Chaos Tournament, please visit https://app.fishingchaos.com/tournament/2023-lpff-hscc

by AnglersChannel

Williams’ versatility delivers win at Bassmaster Open on Watts Bar Reservoir

Tyler Williams of Belgrade, Maine, has won the 2023 St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Watts Bar Reservoir with a three-day total of 41 pounds, 4 ounces.

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

September 16, 2023

KINGSTON, Tenn. — Tyler Williams makes no bones about his narrowly focused bait preference, but he’s no one-trick pony.

Proving his versatility, the angler from Belgrade, Maine, won the St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Watts Bar Reservoir with a three-day total of 41 pounds, 4 ounces.

Williams placed second on Day 1 with 14-15 and added a second-round limit of 14-6 to take the lead on Day 2. Then with a Championship Saturday limit of 11-15, Williams edged South Carolina pro JT Thompkins by 2-7.

For his efforts, Williams won $42,267 and earned an automatic berth in the 2024 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Toyotascheduled for March 22-24 on Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees near Tulsa.

“This is exciting,” Williams said. “It will probably hit me on the drive to (next week’s Opens Series event at) Lake of the Ozarks.”

Williams caught most of his bass by targeting isolated current-washed cover with a 3/4-ounce Greenfish Tackle living rubber jig fitted with a Yamamoto Flappin' Hog trailer. When Day 3 brought overcast skies, wind, afternoon rains and minimal current, Williams stuck with his go-to bait but adjusted his presentations to target fish holding higher in the water column.

“I fished exactly how I like to fish this week,” Williams said of his trusty jig. “That jig is a good search bait; I can read fish really well with it (on forward-facing sonar).

“I worked it almost like a hair jig, so I think that living rubber skirt gave it some extra action and triggered some of those fish.”

As Williams explained, the final round’s dimmer conditions and lack of water movement contrasted the first two days in which partly sunny skies and dependable afternoon current positioned fish in predictable feeding positions.

“I was crawling the jig until today, and today the fish wanted to suspend more with no current and clouds,” Williams said. “I would reel the jig really quickly and get it to hop off the bottom, then hit my (reel’s thumb bar) and let it free spool and they’d eat it.”

Williams’ road to victory began with a Day 1 disaster. On his first spot, his trolling motor and shallow-water anchors malfunctioned, thereby depriving him of key boat positioning strategies.

Drifting through key areas, Williams would lean over his bow to manually adjust his forward-facing sonar transducer. Despite this severe limitation, he made the most of his casting angles and sacked up his best bag of the event.

“Once I got my trolling motor running (for Day 2), I was able to run some schooling fish,” he said. “Today, I had a spot that I think had 1,000 fish on it. That jig was really effective.

“Sometimes, I’d speed reel it, kill it, speed reel it, kill it, speed reel it, kill it and then I’d let it sit there and they’d eat it.”

Hailing from Myrtle Beach, S.C., Thompkins placed 17th on Day 1 with 11-13 and, despite several key fish losses, he moved into third with a Day 2 limit of 13-5. Closing with the final round’s biggest bag — 13-11 — Thompkins settled at second with 38-13.

Earlier in the event, Thompkins caught his bass on a Strike King Sexy Dog topwater and an Outkast Tackle Juice jig with a Strike King Rage Bug trailer. The final round saw him stepping up the aggression.

“My buddy Tyler (Williams) outfished me Day 1 and Day 2, but I didn’t want him to outfish me again on Day 3, so I put a Garage Hyper Shad glidebait, along with an Outkast Tackle jig and a Strike King Sexy Dawg in my hand and I just had fun all day,” Thompkins said. “This was one of the most fun days of fishing I’ve ever had.”

Thompkins’ final-round limit included the day’s biggest bass — a 5-1. He caught that bass on a jig.

Trey McKinney of Carbondale, Ill., placed third with 37-10. He turned in daily weights of 12-4, 16-2 and 9-4.

McKinney spent most of his time offshore, where he worked isolated targets in 20 to 30 feet. He caught his bass on a Strike King Caffeine Shad in the glacier color and a 3/8-ounce Strike King Baby Structure jig in black and blue or peanut butter and jelly with a green pumpkin Strike King Menace trailer.

“I used the Baby Menace for deep water and the full-sized Menace for shallow water,” McKinney said. “I want my jig to sink fast, so that’s why I go with the Baby Menace offshore.”

McKinney now owns three second-place finishes in St. Croix Bassmaster Open competition this season. He also was runner-up at Toledo Bend and Lake Eufaula (Okla). He earned an additional $500 as the highest-finishing registered pro fishing St. Croix rods thanks to the St. Croix Rod Rewards program.

Ninth-place finisher Ish Monroe of Oakdale, Calif., won the $750 Phoenix Boats Big Bass award for his 5-2.

As part of the Yamaha Power Pay program, Williams took home a $2,000 bonus.

Thompkins leads the St. Croix Bassmaster Open Elite Qualifiers standings with 1,286. Tennessee's John Garret is in second with 1,263 points. McKinney is in third with 1,232 points. 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 Watts Bar 9/14-9/16
Watts Bar Reservoir, Kingston TN.
(BOATER) Standings Day 3

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

1. Tyler Williams Belgrade, ME 15 41-04 200 $42,267.00
Day 1: 5 14-15 Day 2: 5 14-06 Day 3: 5 11-15
2. JT Thompkins Myrtle Beach, SC 15 38-13 199 $20,287.00
Day 1: 5 11-13 Day 2: 5 13-05 Day 3: 5 13-11
3. Trey McKinney Carbondale, IL 14 37-10 198 $14,320.00
Day 1: 5 12-04 Day 2: 5 16-02 Day 3: 4 09-04
4. Greg Bohannan Bentonville, AR 15 36-11 197 $11,933.00
Day 1: 5 10-02 Day 2: 5 14-07 Day 3: 5 12-02
5. John Garrett Union City, TN 15 36-04 196 $10,382.00
Day 1: 5 13-01 Day 2: 5 11-11 Day 3: 5 11-08
6. Jason Lambert Savannah, TN 15 35-00 195 $9,547.00
Day 1: 5 12-11 Day 2: 5 11-01 Day 3: 5 11-04
7. Chase Henley Kingston, TN 13 34-05 194 $8,950.00
Day 1: 4 07-01 Day 2: 5 16-13 Day 3: 4 10-07
8. Wesley Gore Clanton, AL 15 34-03 193 $8,353.00
Day 1: 5 12-02 Day 2: 5 11-07 Day 3: 5 10-10
9. Ish Monroe Oakdale, CA 12 31-02 192 $7,313.00
Day 1: 4 08-07 Day 2: 5 15-08 Day 3: 3 07-03
10. Bobby Lane Jr. Lakeland, FL 13 30-05 191 $5,370.00
Day 1: 5 15-02 Day 2: 5 09-01 Day 3: 3 06-02
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Ish Monroe Oakdale, CA 05-02 $750.00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 61 569 1212-08
2 53 552 1203-02
3 6 44 104-02
----------------------------------
120 1165 2519-12

by AnglersChannel

Williams moves into lead at Bassmaster Open on Watts Bar Reservoir

Tyler Williams of Belgrade, Maine, is leading after Day 2 of the 2023 St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Watts Bar Reservoir with a two-day total of 29 pounds, 5 ounces.

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

September 15, 2023

KINGSTON, Tenn. — After limping his way through Day 1, Tyler Williams enjoyed full use of his equipment Friday and tallied a two-day total of 29 pounds, 5 ounces to lead the St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Watts Bar Reservoir.

Williams, a Belgrade, Maine, angler who entered the day 3 ounces out of the lead, will now head into Championship Saturday with a lead of 15 ounces over Trey McKinney of Carbondale, Ill.

“When my trolling motor clicked on this morning, I’ve never been so happy to hear that sound,” said Williams, whose trolling motor and shallow-water anchors went down on Day 1. “Everything worked fine today.”

Williams actually caught a little more on Day 1 with 14-15, but Friday’s 14-6 was harder to come by. While Day 1 saw a modest front bring cooler temperatures, clouds and wind, the second round brought warm, mostly still conditions, which seemed to return the bass to their generally challenging late-summer disposition.

“It takes a certain way to get them to bite and you have to keep moving until you find ones that want to eat,” Williams said. “It’s a lot of angles and speed. I’m reading fish on my Garmin LiveScope to see how they react.”

Noting that he was fishing “near the bank, but off the bank,” Williams said he was targeting isolated structure. He basically did the same thing on Day 1, but with his trolling motor down, he had significantly less ability to pan his forward-facing sonar transducer.

“Yesterday, I could just make one shot and hope for the best,” he said. “That was almost a blessing because I didn’t fish any of my really good spots. Today, I got to hit those and it was fresh water.”

Williams said he caught all of his bass on a single bait. He kept the details under wraps but said he was fishing a slow presentation.

“It’s timing,” he said. “I was trying to time my areas perfectly. It seemed like I have my rotation okay, but the morning is pretty slow because they’re not pulling any current.”

Williams said he fished the entire length of the lake. For safety, he started at the lower end and worked his way back up. In the event of another mechanical issue, he wanted to make sure he was closer to other competitors later in the day.

But Williams said he enjoyed strategic solitude most of the day.

“I have a lot of water to myself,” he said. “I haven’t seen many boats, other than driving by people.

“This lake spreads people out. I think (most) people are fishing shallow and I’m fishing offshore.

Williams said he’s all in for the same pattern on Championship Saturday. Should all of his decisions align perfectly, he believes a 20-pound bag is not unrealistic.

“If I get my timing right, it could get scary,” he said. “I caught two 6-pounders on Tuesday.”

McKinney placed 13th on Day 1 with 12-4. In the second round, he added 16-2 — the tournament’s second-largest bag — for a 28-6 total.

When McKinney found himself with no fish at 2 p.m., he thought he had blown his day.

“I was spinning out and my mind was going in all different directions,” he said. “I passed (Williams) and he gave me the confidence to get it done.”

Fortunately, the afternoon power generation schedule brought a current increase that triggered the fish. McKinney capitalized on the flurry that spanned the last two hours of his day.

“I went and found some new stuff. I caught a 3-pound smallmouth and my confidence skyrocketed,” he said. “It was one of those comeback days you dream of.”

McKinney caught his fish by dragging a Strike King Structure jig with a Strike King Rodent trailer over offshore structure. Current positioned the bass in predictable feeding spots.

JT Thompkins of Myrtle Beach, S.C., endured a frustrating day that left him with no keepers at 1 p.m. The afternoon current also aided Thompkins, who sacked up 13-5 and moved into third with 25-2.

Thompkins, who placed 17th on Day 1 with 11-13, said his morning brought multiple heartbreaks.

“I lost a 4 1/2- and a 4-pound smallmouth this morning and I tried to boat flip a 3 that came off at the boat,” he said. “I ended up catching all of my weight in the last three hours. I caught a 4-pounder in the last 15 minutes.

“Everything just worked out, even though it shouldn’t have. I’m just super blessed to be here.”

Thompkins threw a topwater and a jig earlier in the day. He ended up catching his fish on a jig with a Strike King Rage Bug trailer.

Ish Monroe of Oakdale, Calif., is in the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors with a 5-2.

Sakae Ushio of Tonawanda, N.Y., won the nonboater division with a two-day total of 14-6. His daily weights were 5-8 and 8-14 — the event’s largest nonboater bag.

Ushio won his second of three nonboater titles three months ago at Lake Eufaula. He also won the 2022 title at Lake Hartwell.

Ushio caught his Day 2 fish on a Geecrack Imo Kemushi 95 (a 3.75-inch worm). On Day 1, he used a free-rigged Berkley MaxScent Critter Hawg. The key to his success was making the difficult casts.

“As a (nonboater), it’s very difficult to fish shallow because of the boat angle,” Ushio said. “Three years ago, I worked on becoming ambidextrous, so I can make those difficult casts.

“Also, I was using a Daiwa Zillion 10:1 reel, so I could reel up quickly after each cast.”

Ushio won the $250 Phoenix Boats Big Bass prize among nonboaters with a 4-8.

Saturday’s takeoff is scheduled for 7:15 a.m. CT at Kingston Boat Ramp. The weigh-in will be held at the Kingston Boat Ramp at 3:15 p.m. FS1 will broadcast live with the leaders beginning at 8 a.m. with continuing coverage on Bassmaster.com.

2023 St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Watts Bar 9/14-9/16
Watts Bar Reservoir, Kingston TN.
(BOATER) Standings Day 2

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

1. Tyler Williams Belgrade, ME 10 29-05 200
Day 1: 5 14-15 Day 2: 5 14-06
2. Trey McKinney Carbondale, IL 10 28-06 199
Day 1: 5 12-04 Day 2: 5 16-02
3. JT Thompkins Myrtle Beach, SC 10 25-02 198
Day 1: 5 11-13 Day 2: 5 13-05
4. John Garrett Union City, TN 10 24-12 197
Day 1: 5 13-01 Day 2: 5 11-11
5. Greg Bohannan Bentonville, AR 10 24-09 196
Day 1: 5 10-02 Day 2: 5 14-07
6. Bobby Lane Jr. Lakeland, FL 10 24-03 195
Day 1: 5 15-02 Day 2: 5 09-01
7. Ish Monroe Oakdale, CA 9 23-15 194
Day 1: 4 08-07 Day 2: 5 15-08
8. Chase Henley Kingston, TN 9 23-14 193
Day 1: 4 07-01 Day 2: 5 16-13
9. Jason Lambert Savannah, TN 10 23-12 192
Day 1: 5 12-11 Day 2: 5 11-01
10. Wesley Gore Clanton, AL 10 23-09 191
Day 1: 5 12-02 Day 2: 5 11-07
11. Dale Hightower Mannford, OK 9 23-06 190 $4,773.00
Day 1: 5 14-08 Day 2: 4 08-14
12. Jason Abram Piney Flats, TN 10 22-12 189 $4,177.00
Day 1: 5 13-00 Day 2: 5 09-12
13. Brett Cannon Willis, TX 10 22-10 188 $3,282.00
Day 1: 5 10-07 Day 2: 5 12-03
14. Miles Burghoff Dayton, TN 8 22-03 187 $3,282.00
Day 1: 3 08-00 Day 2: 5 14-03
15. Jeff Salmon Mechanicsville, VA 9 21-04 186 $3,282.00
Day 1: 5 11-06 Day 2: 4 09-14
16. Rob Digh Denver, NC 8 21-01 185 $3,282.00
Day 1: 4 10-09 Day 2: 4 10-08
17. Zeke Gossett Pell City, AL 10 20-15 184 $3,282.00
Day 1: 5 09-14 Day 2: 5 11-01
18. Kurt Mitchell Milford, DE 9 20-10 183 $3,282.00
Day 1: 4 08-08 Day 2: 5 12-02
19. John Soukup Sapulpa, OK 10 20-09 182 $3,282.00
Day 1: 5 09-04 Day 2: 5 11-05
20. Michael Vanosdale Knoxville, TN 6 20-06 181 $3,282.00
Day 1: 1 04-11 Day 2: 5 15-11
21. Adam Rasmussen Sturgeon Bay, WI 9 20-05 180 $2,983.00
Day 1: 5 12-09 Day 2: 4 07-12
22. Kyle Patrick Cooperstown, NY 9 20-05 179 $2,983.00
Day 1: 5 11-07 Day 2: 4 08-14
23. Chris Dillow Waynesboro, VA 9 20-04 178 $2,983.00
Day 1: 4 09-00 Day 2: 5 11-04
24. Tommy Brown Louisville, TN 8 20-03 177 $2,983.00
Day 1: 3 05-08 Day 2: 5 14-11
25. Kyle Austin Ridgeville, SC 9 20-03 176 $2,983.00
Day 1: 5 12-03 Day 2: 4 08-00
26. Jacob Thompkins Myrtle Beach, SC 8 20-02 175 $2,745.00
Day 1: 3 09-08 Day 2: 5 10-10
27. Andrew Upshaw Hemphill, TX 10 20-01 174 $2,745.00
Day 1: 5 09-14 Day 2: 5 10-03
28. Blake Sylvester Plaquemine, LA 9 19-15 173 $2,745.00
Day 1: 4 07-00 Day 2: 5 12-15
29. Kyle Monti Okeechobee, FL 9 19-15 172 $2,745.00
Day 1: 5 10-12 Day 2: 4 09-03
30. Matt Messer Warfield, KY 7 19-13 171 $2,745.00
Day 1: 2 06-02 Day 2: 5 13-11
31. Lucas Murphy West Columbia, MI 9 19-13 170 $2,745.00
Day 1: 5 12-00 Day 2: 4 07-13
32. Josh Hubbard Dunnellon, FL 10 19-13 169 $2,745.00
Day 1: 5 08-13 Day 2: 5 11-00
33. Alex Heintze Denham Springs, LA 9 19-13 168 $2,745.00
Day 1: 5 09-02 Day 2: 4 10-11
34. Casey Scanlon Eldon, MO 8 19-12 167 $2,745.00
Day 1: 3 05-12 Day 2: 5 14-00
35. Shane Lineberger Lincolnton, NC 10 19-10 166 $2,745.00
Day 1: 5 10-05 Day 2: 5 09-05
36. Lafe Messer Warfield, KY 9 19-07 165 $2,745.00
Day 1: 5 11-04 Day 2: 4 08-03
37. Chad Warren Sand Springs, OK 9 19-06 164 $2,745.00
Day 1: 5 11-12 Day 2: 4 07-10
38. Ryan Broughman Corapeake, NC 10 19-04 163 $2,745.00
Day 1: 5 09-09 Day 2: 5 09-11
39. Louis Monetti Brielle, NJ 9 19-03 162 $2,745.00
Day 1: 4 08-05 Day 2: 5 10-14
40. Logan Parks Auburn, AL 9 18-11 161 $2,745.00
Day 1: 4 09-01 Day 2: 5 09-10
41. Jacob Bigelow Cecil, WI 7 18-08 160
Day 1: 5 13-07 Day 2: 2 05-01
42. Charlie Hartley Grove City, OH 10 18-06 159
Day 1: 5 08-13 Day 2: 5 09-09
43. Robert Gee Knoxville, TN 10 18-05 158
Day 1: 5 09-10 Day 2: 5 08-11
44. Griffin Phillips Mount Olive, AL 8 18-04 157
Day 1: 3 05-08 Day 2: 5 12-12
45. Destin DeMarion Harborcreek, PA 9 18-04 156
Day 1: 4 08-02 Day 2: 5 10-02
46. Taylor Watkins Clinton, TN 7 18-03 155
Day 1: 3 08-00 Day 2: 4 10-03
47. John Conway Jr Henrico, VA 9 18-00 154
Day 1: 5 09-15 Day 2: 4 08-01
48. David Williams Newton, NC 8 17-15 153
Day 1: 5 11-08 Day 2: 3 06-07
49. Brad Knight Lancing, TN 9 17-14 152
Day 1: 5 09-04 Day 2: 4 08-10
50. Sam George Athens, AL 7 17-13 151
Day 1: 5 12-13 Day 2: 2 05-00
51. Shaine Campbell Brookeland, TX 9 17-12 150
Day 1: 5 10-09 Day 2: 4 07-03
52. Allan Nail Sand Springs, OK 8 17-09 149
Day 1: 5 09-13 Day 2: 3 07-12
53. Logan Johnson Jasper, AL 8 17-08 148
Day 1: 4 09-15 Day 2: 4 07-09
54. Tucker Veronee Gilbert, SC 7 17-07 147
Day 1: 5 13-14 Day 2: 2 03-09
55. Jason Meninger Yulee, FL 7 17-04 146
Day 1: 2 06-00 Day 2: 5 11-04
56. Kenta Kimura Osaka JAPAN 6 17-04 145
Day 1: 2 06-05 Day 2: 4 10-15
57. Keith Tuma Brainerd, MN 9 17-04 144
Day 1: 5 09-05 Day 2: 4 07-15
58. Matt Pangrac Shawnee, OK 10 17-02 143
Day 1: 5 08-07 Day 2: 5 08-11
59. Denny Fiedler Wabasha, MN 7 17-00 142
Day 1: 3 07-14 Day 2: 4 09-02
60. Alex Murray Lake Charles, LA 8 16-15 141
Day 1: 5 10-04 Day 2: 3 06-11
61. Hunter Sales Blaine, TN 8 16-14 140
Day 1: 5 10-00 Day 2: 3 06-14
62. Yusuke Miyazaki Forney, TX 8 16-11 139
Day 1: 5 11-03 Day 2: 3 05-08
63. B.J. Usie Bourg, LA 7 16-09 138
Day 1: 2 04-09 Day 2: 5 12-00
64. Wil Dieffenbauch III Hundred, WV 6 16-08 137
Day 1: 4 11-05 Day 2: 2 05-03
65. Trey Swindle Cleveland, AL 9 16-07 136
Day 1: 4 06-04 Day 2: 5 10-03
66. Tripp Noojin Bryant, AL 7 16-06 135
Day 1: 2 05-08 Day 2: 5 10-14
67. Jake Maddux Birmingham, AL 8 16-06 134
Day 1: 5 10-12 Day 2: 3 05-10
68. Dane Mitchell Ten Mile, TN 8 16-05 133
Day 1: 3 05-05 Day 2: 5 11-00
69. Harvey Horne Bella Vista, AR 7 16-02 132
Day 1: 5 11-11 Day 2: 2 04-07
70. Jack York Emory, TX 6 16-02 131
Day 1: 3 10-03 Day 2: 3 05-15
71. Christian Shoda Homosassa, FL 7 16-01 130
Day 1: 3 06-12 Day 2: 4 09-05
72. Jason Carpenter Castle Pines, CO 6 15-13 129
Day 1: 5 12-07 Day 2: 1 03-06
73. Scott Hamrick Denver, NC 8 15-13 128
Day 1: 3 05-05 Day 2: 5 10-08
74. Billy McDonald Greenwood, IN 8 15-13 127
Day 1: 3 05-12 Day 2: 5 10-01
75. Chase Clarke Virginia Beach, VA 8 15-13 126
Day 1: 5 09-12 Day 2: 3 06-01
76. Paul Browning Pecos, TX 7 15-12 125
Day 1: 4 10-00 Day 2: 3 05-12
77. Johnathan Crossland Chapin, SC 7 15-11 124
Day 1: 2 03-10 Day 2: 5 12-01
78. Tim Frederick Leesburg, FL 8 15-11 123
Day 1: 3 05-12 Day 2: 5 09-15
79. Julius Mazy Phoenix, AZ 9 15-11 122
Day 1: 5 08-11 Day 2: 4 07-00
80. Brayden Rakes Winston Salem, NC 7 15-08 121
Day 1: 4 08-11 Day 2: 3 06-13
81. Mike Surman Boca Raton, FL 7 15-06 120
Day 1: 5 13-04 Day 2: 2 02-02
82. Chris Dover Blacksburg, SC 8 15-04 119
Day 1: 3 05-15 Day 2: 5 09-05
83. Ben Milliken New Caney, TX 7 15-02 118
Day 1: 2 04-04 Day 2: 5 10-14
84. Ty Faber Pagosa Springs, CO 7 14-14 117
Day 1: 4 08-05 Day 2: 3 06-09
85. Blake Smith Lakeland, FL 8 14-12 116
Day 1: 5 09-15 Day 2: 3 04-13
86. Paul Bouvier Kingston CANADA 6 14-06 115
Day 1: 1 02-00 Day 2: 5 12-06
87. Austin Cranford Norman, OK 8 14-04 114
Day 1: 5 09-01 Day 2: 3 05-03
88. Keith Brumfield Vicksburg, MS 7 14-02 113
Day 1: 4 07-09 Day 2: 3 06-09
89. Brad Leuthner Victoria, MN 8 14-02 112
Day 1: 4 06-10 Day 2: 4 07-08
90. Daisuke Kita Ostu Shiga JAPAN 7 14-01 111
Day 1: 5 11-05 Day 2: 2 02-12
91. Chris Whitson Louisville, TN 7 14-00 110
Day 1: 4 07-06 Day 2: 3 06-10
92. Clark Reehm Elm Grove, LA 6 13-15 109
Day 1: 4 10-02 Day 2: 2 03-13
93. Cole Drummond Effingham, SC 8 13-14 108
Day 1: 4 06-12 Day 2: 4 07-02
94. Chris Kingree Inverness, FL 6 13-12 107
Day 1: 5 11-01 Day 2: 1 02-11
95. JT Russell Mc Calla, AL 7 13-12 106
Day 1: 3 05-05 Day 2: 4 08-07
96. Powell Kemp Scotland Neck, NC 7 13-12 105
Day 1: 3 07-06 Day 2: 4 06-06
97. Brandon Tallhamer Parkersburg, WV 7 13-12 104
Day 1: 4 06-14 Day 2: 3 06-14
98. Cody Stahl Barnsville, GA 7 13-10 103
Day 1: 2 03-15 Day 2: 5 09-11
99. Cody Detweiler Guntersville, AL 7 13-09 102
Day 1: 5 09-11 Day 2: 2 03-14
100. Matt Henry Milledgeville, GA 7 13-08 101
Day 1: 4 07-06 Day 2: 3 06-02
101. Takayuki Koike Otsu-City JAPAN 6 13-04 100
Day 1: 5 10-14 Day 2: 1 02-06
102. Kenji Yamada Hixson, TN 8 13-03 99
Day 1: 5 09-07 Day 2: 3 03-12
103. Jonathan Dietz Corry, PA 6 13-00 98
Day 1: 5 10-13 Day 2: 1 02-03
104. Bryan Bickell Newcastle CANADA 7 12-14 97
Day 1: 2 03-06 Day 2: 5 09-08
105. Victor Alford Kingston, TN 8 12-14 96
Day 1: 5 08-14 Day 2: 3 04-00
106. Darrell Davis Dover, FL 6 12-13 95
Day 1: 1 02-07 Day 2: 5 10-06
107. Trevor McKinney Benton, IL 6 12-10 94
Day 1: 1 01-12 Day 2: 5 10-14
108. David Perdue Wirtz, VA 7 12-10 93
Day 1: 2 03-06 Day 2: 5 09-04
109. Joey Nania Cropwell, AL 7 12-09 92
Day 1: 3 05-01 Day 2: 4 07-08
110. Chris Hellebuyck White Lake, MI 6 12-08 91
Day 1: 5 10-02 Day 2: 1 02-06
111. Tyler Lubbat Wheeling, IL 6 12-05 90
Day 1: 3 06-00 Day 2: 3 06-05
112. Pete Gluszek Mount Laurel, NJ 6 12-03 89
Day 1: 5 10-03 Day 2: 1 02-00
113. Jimmy Washam Stantonville, TN 5 12-03 88
Day 1: 1 04-05 Day 2: 4 07-14
114. Kyle Goltz Cornell, WI 6 12-03 87
Day 1: 3 06-02 Day 2: 3 06-01
115. Jack Dice Lynchburg, VA 6 12-02 86
Day 1: 5 09-15 Day 2: 1 02-03
116. Tommy Williams Shepherdsville, KY 6 11-13 85
Day 1: 4 08-06 Day 2: 2 03-07
117. Teb Jones Yalaha, MS 5 11-05 84
Day 1: 4 08-11 Day 2: 1 02-10
118. Brandon McMillan Clewiston, FL 6 11-03 83
Day 1: 5 09-02 Day 2: 1 02-01
119. James Niggemeyer Van, TX 6 11-03 82
Day 1: 3 05-02 Day 2: 3 06-01
120. Andrew Mlotek Indianapolis, IN 6 11-02 81
Day 1: 4 07-06 Day 2: 2 03-12
121. Joey Hanna Corsicana, TX 6 11-02 80
Day 1: 3 05-04 Day 2: 3 05-14
122. Jamie Bruce Kenora Ontario CANADA 5 11-01 79
Day 1: 3 06-12 Day 2: 2 04-05
123. Whitney Stephens Waverly, OH 5 10-13 78
Day 1: 1 01-15 Day 2: 4 08-14
124. Scott Kerslake Okeechobee, FL 5 10-13 77
Day 1: 3 04-03 Day 2: 2 06-10
125. Bo Thomas Edwardsburg, MI 6 10-11 76
Day 1: 5 08-10 Day 2: 1 02-01
126. Jonathan Bowling Harriman, TN 6 10-08 75
Day 1: 1 01-10 Day 2: 5 08-14
127. Chad Grigsby Maple Grove, MN 6 10-08 74
Day 1: 3 04-15 Day 2: 3 05-09
128. Chris Keeble Lenoir City, TN 5 10-03 73
Day 1: 2 04-13 Day 2: 3 05-06
129. Casey Smith Victor, NY 5 09-12 72
Day 1: 3 05-15 Day 2: 2 03-13
130. Andrew Harp Linden, TX 4 09-12 71
Day 1: 2 05-14 Day 2: 2 03-14
131. Brady Vernon Sterrett, AL 4 09-10 70
Day 1: 3 07-01 Day 2: 1 02-09
132. Rich Ortiz Fort Ann, NY 6 09-08 69
Day 1: 4 07-03 Day 2: 2 02-05
133. Justin Kimmel Athens, GA 5 09-02 68
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 5 09-02
134. Scout Echols Monticello, AR 4 08-15 67
Day 1: 2 03-08 Day 2: 2 05-07
135. Lucas Bogosian Harrington Park, NJ 5 08-14 66
Day 1: 1 02-05 Day 2: 4 06-09
136. Tom Frink Southside, AL 4 08-14 65
Day 1: 2 04-01 Day 2: 2 04-13
137. Derek Lehtonen Woodruff, SC 5 08-09 64
Day 1: 1 -00-05 Day 2: 4 08-14
138. Phil Killian Solomon, AZ 5 08-06 63
Day 1: 4 05-13 Day 2: 1 02-09
139. Buck Mallory Lawton, MI 4 08-04 62
Day 1: 3 06-03 Day 2: 1 02-01
140. Danny Ramsey Trinidad, TX 4 08-03 61
Day 1: 2 04-01 Day 2: 2 04-02
141. Shayne Berlo Mclean, VA 4 08-00 60
Day 1: 3 05-03 Day 2: 1 02-13
142. Angela Mayo Maiden, NC 4 07-11 59
Day 1: 1 01-10 Day 2: 3 06-01
143. Evan Kung Pickering Ontario CANAD 4 07-06 58
Day 1: 1 01-13 Day 2: 3 05-09
144. Jason Tibbetts Centreville, VA 4 07-06 57
Day 1: 2 03-04 Day 2: 2 04-02
145. Craig Chambers Midland, NC 3 07-05 56
Day 1: 3 07-05 Day 2: 0 00-00
146. Brian Post Janesville, WI 4 07-03 55
Day 1: 1 01-10 Day 2: 3 05-09
147. Chris Blanchette Edisto Island, SC 3 07-03 54
Day 1: 1 03-00 Day 2: 2 04-03
148. Daniel Valois Gomez Caracas FL VENEZUELA 3 06-04 53
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 06-04
149. Chancy Walters West Des Moines, IA 3 06-03 52
Day 1: 2 04-02 Day 2: 1 02-01
150. Wesley Cashwell Roanoke Rapids, NC 2 06-01 51
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 06-01
151. Bronk Mcdaniel Alexandria, LA 2 05-10 50
Day 1: 2 05-10 Day 2: 0 00-00
152. Flash Butts Roanoke Rapids, NC 3 05-07 49
Day 1: 1 01-12 Day 2: 2 03-11
153. Brock Belik Orchard, NE 3 05-06 48
Day 1: 1 01-12 Day 2: 2 03-10
154. Lance Owen Greer, SC 3 05-05 47
Day 1: 1 01-13 Day 2: 2 03-08
155. Josh Bragg Fayetteville, GA 4 05-01 46
Day 1: 3 02-13 Day 2: 1 02-04
156. Stacey Jefferson Conway, SC 2 04-07 45
Day 1: 1 01-14 Day 2: 1 02-09
157. John Murray Spring City, TN 2 04-06 44
Day 1: 2 04-06 Day 2: 0 00-00
158. Chad Pipkens Dewitt, MI 2 04-03 43
Day 1: 1 01-15 Day 2: 1 02-04
159. Andrew Hargrove Moody, TX 2 04-01 42
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 04-01
159. Brian Mullaney Ijamsville, MD 2 04-01 42
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 04-01
161. Steve Tennison Lexington, OK 2 04-00 40
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 04-00
162. Clay Samples South Boston, VA 2 03-12 39
Day 1: 2 03-12 Day 2: 0 00-00
163. A.J. Menssen Bloomington, IL 1 03-12 38
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 03-12
164. Scott Isaacs Ladonia, TX 2 03-04 37
Day 1: 2 03-04 Day 2: 0 00-00
165. Ryan Clark Whitby Ontario CANADA 2 02-08 36
Day 1: 0 -01-00 Day 2: 2 03-08
166. Chris Beaudrie Princeton, KY 1 02-04 35
Day 1: 1 02-04 Day 2: 0 00-00
166. Jonathan Reames Helena, AL 1 02-04 35
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 02-04
168. Destry Ford Tuscaloosa, AL 1 02-03 33
Day 1: 1 02-03 Day 2: 0 00-00
169. Mike Mayo Athens, TX 1 02-00 32
Day 1: 1 02-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
169. Jenny Nevans Dayton, TN 1 02-00 32
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 02-00
171. Jack Tindel III Orange, TX 1 01-15 30
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 01-15
172. Evan Barnes Dardanelle, AR 1 01-13 29
Day 1: 1 01-13 Day 2: 0 00-00
172. Zack Williams Nashville, TN 1 01-13 29
Day 1: 1 01-13 Day 2: 0 00-00
174. Jerry Gallogly Jr North Tazewell, VA 1 01-11 27
Day 1: 1 01-11 Day 2: 0 00-00
175. Tony Dumitras Winston, GA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
175. Jeff Mcbeth New Phila, OH 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
175. Jordan Sanderlin Kill Devil Hills, NC 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
175. William Patrick Turner Crossville, TN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
179. John Watts Jr Flushing, MI 0 -1-00 0
Day 1: 0 -01-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 61 569 1212-08
2 53 552 1203-02
----------------------------------
114 1121 2415-10

2023 St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Watts Bar 9/14-9/16
Watts Bar Reservoir, Kingston TN.
(NON_BOATER) Standings Day 2

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

1. Sakae Ushio Tonawanda, NY 6 14-06 200 $10,450.00
Day 1: 3 05-08 Day 2: 3 08-14
2. Darren Kelly Wartburg, TN 5 11-12 199 $2,400.00
Day 1: 3 06-14 Day 2: 2 04-14
3. Alex Reece Greenville, SC 5 10-06 198 $1,800.00
Day 1: 3 06-09 Day 2: 2 03-13
4. Curtis Crooke Washburn, TN 5 09-09 197 $1,350.00
Day 1: 3 04-10 Day 2: 2 04-15
5. David Waack Cary, NC 5 09-07 196 $1,260.00
Day 1: 3 05-10 Day 2: 2 03-13
6. Brandon Smith Knightdale, NC 4 09-02 195 $1,200.00
Day 1: 2 04-10 Day 2: 2 04-08
7. Gary Haraguchi Murfreesboro, TN 5 08-09 194 $1,140.00
Day 1: 2 02-10 Day 2: 3 05-15
8. Chad Stahl Barnesville, GA 4 08-04 193 $1,080.00
Day 1: 2 04-11 Day 2: 2 03-09
9. Akira Okuyama Forest Hills, NY 4 08-01 192 $990.00
Day 1: 3 05-09 Day 2: 1 02-08
10. Travis Nelson Wartburg, TN 4 07-02 191 $900.00
Day 1: 3 05-04 Day 2: 1 01-14
11. Joe Tucker Osceola, MO 3 07-00 190 $840.00
Day 1: 2 04-10 Day 2: 1 02-06
12. David Chamberlain Hampton, VA 4 07-00 189 $780.00
Day 1: 2 03-08 Day 2: 2 03-08
13. Russell Nicewander Bluefield, WV 4 06-15 188 $660.00
Day 1: 2 03-04 Day 2: 2 03-11
14. Gary Hall Wardville, OK 3 06-10 187 $570.00
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 06-10
14. Bird Jones Loxahatchee, FL 3 06-10 187 $570.00
Day 1: 3 06-10 Day 2: 0 00-00
16. Harold Addison Columbia, SC 3 06-08 185 $480.00
Day 1: 3 06-08 Day 2: 0 00-00
17. Ryan Patterson Scott Township, PA 2 06-06 184 $450.00
Day 1: 1 01-15 Day 2: 1 04-07
18. Perry See Rochester, MN 2 06-04 183 $450.00
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 06-04
19. Steven Robbins Piketon, OH 3 06-04 182 $450.00
Day 1: 2 04-06 Day 2: 1 01-14
20. Mark Guhne Hixson, TN 3 05-12 181 $450.00
Day 1: 1 01-14 Day 2: 2 03-14
21. Johnnie Garrett Union City, TN 2 05-11 180 $420.00
Day 1: 1 01-08 Day 2: 1 04-03
22. John Sanderlin Chesapeake, VA 3 05-10 179 $420.00
Day 1: 2 04-00 Day 2: 1 01-10
23. Alex Watts Salem, VA 3 05-08 178 $420.00
Day 1: 3 05-08 Day 2: 0 00-00
24. Joe Lineberry Ramseaur,, NC 2 05-08 177 $420.00
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 05-08
25. Ray Lehrman Spring City, TN 2 05-06 176 $420.00
Day 1: 2 05-06 Day 2: 0 00-00
26. Robert Bruguiere Roseland, VA 3 05-06 175 $360.00
Day 1: 1 02-02 Day 2: 2 03-04
27. Riley Nielsen Murray, UT 3 05-02 174 $360.00
Day 1: 2 02-12 Day 2: 1 02-06
28. Levi Allgeier Bardstown, KY 3 04-14 173 $360.00
Day 1: 3 04-14 Day 2: 0 00-00
29. Bryant Bradley Murfreesboro, TN 2 04-10 172 $360.00
Day 1: 1 01-11 Day 2: 1 02-15
30. Nick Melcher Gypsum, CO 2 04-09 171 $360.00
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 04-09
31. David Booth Erin, TN 2 04-09 170 $330.00
Day 1: 1 01-12 Day 2: 1 02-13
32. Todd Mowery Madison, AL 2 04-07 169 $330.00
Day 1: 1 01-11 Day 2: 1 02-12
33. George Malcolm Gainesville, FL 2 04-01 168 $330.00
Day 1: 2 04-01 Day 2: 0 00-00
34. Ricky Fulk Shenandoah, VA 2 04-00 167 $330.00
Day 1: 1 02-03 Day 2: 1 01-13
35. Keith Gunsauls Dandridge, TN 2 03-15 166 $330.00
Day 1: 2 03-15 Day 2: 0 00-00
36. David Booth Tazewell, TN 2 03-15 165 $330.00
Day 1: 1 02-02 Day 2: 1 01-13
37. Josh Roberts Ocala, FL 2 03-15 164 $330.00
Day 1: 1 02-01 Day 2: 1 01-14
38. Joshua Torres Port Tobacco, MD 2 03-14 163 $330.00
Day 1: 1 01-07 Day 2: 1 02-07
39. James Roten West Jefferson, NC 2 03-14 162 $330.00
Day 1: 1 02-00 Day 2: 1 01-14
40. RD Roulston Little Rock, AR 2 03-13 161 $330.00
Day 1: 1 01-10 Day 2: 1 02-03
41. Joseph Essary Knoxville, TN 2 03-12 160
Day 1: 2 03-12 Day 2: 0 00-00
42. Melvin Fults Hendersonville, TN 3 03-11 159
Day 1: 2 01-13 Day 2: 1 01-14
43. Rick Cheatham Carterville, IL 2 03-10 158
Day 1: 2 03-10 Day 2: 0 00-00
44. Tim Kellam Crittenden, KY 2 03-09 157
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 03-09
44. Michael Leach Shenandoah, TX 2 03-09 157
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 03-09
44. Harvey Reece Chesterfield, VA 2 03-09 157
Day 1: 2 03-09 Day 2: 0 00-00
47. Colin Cooper Roanoke, VA 2 03-07 154
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 03-07
48. George Headden Oakdale, TN 2 03-05 153
Day 1: 1 01-07 Day 2: 1 01-14
49. Tristan Bramblett Tiger, GA 2 03-05 152
Day 1: 1 01-12 Day 2: 1 01-09
50. Scott Peters Knoxville, TN 2 03-04 151
Day 1: 2 03-04 Day 2: 0 00-00
51. Dennis Lane Rutledge, TN 1 03-03 150
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 03-03
52. John Higginbotham Slaughter, LA 1 03-00 149
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 03-00
53. Nathan Isaacs Knoxville, TN 1 02-15 148
Day 1: 1 02-15 Day 2: 0 00-00
54. Dylan Mayo Athens, TX 1 02-10 147
Day 1: 1 02-10 Day 2: 0 00-00
55. Eric White Vinemont, AL 1 02-09 146
Day 1: 1 02-09 Day 2: 0 00-00
56. Don Bible II Knoxville, TN 1 02-07 145
Day 1: 1 02-07 Day 2: 0 00-00
57. Alicia Raytrowsky Delaware CANADA 1 02-04 144
Day 1: 1 02-04 Day 2: 0 00-00
58. Randy Tallhamer Brandenton, FL 1 02-02 143
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 02-02
59. Dean Gibbs North Chesterfield, VA 1 02-01 142
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 02-01
59. Dalton Munsey Washburn, TN 1 02-01 142
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 02-01
61. Travis Branstetter Deer Lodge, TN 1 02-00 140
Day 1: 1 02-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
62. Sergio Render Crockett, VA 1 01-15 139
Day 1: 1 01-15 Day 2: 0 00-00
62. Avery Williams Murrells Inlt, SC 1 01-15 139
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 01-15
64. Wesley Carroll Wartburg, TN 1 01-14 137
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 01-14
64. Scott Walker Morristown, IN 1 01-14 137
Day 1: 1 01-14 Day 2: 0 00-00
66. Laz Durham Dumfries, VA 1 01-13 135
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 01-13
67. Travis Turcotte Pembroke CANADA 1 01-11 134
Day 1: 1 01-11 Day 2: 0 00-00
68. Bob Harper Lombard, IL 1 01-06 133
Day 1: 1 01-06 Day 2: 0 00-00
69. Peter Bates Dayton, TN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
69. Charlie Beasley Maryville, TN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
69. Charles Bowman II Kernersville, NC 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
69. Cole Burdine Dandridge, TN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
69. Michael Cochran Mount Pleasant, SC 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
69. Marrell Deering Rome, GA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
69. Dustin Dyer Johnson City, TN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
69. Terry Ford Harriman, TN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
69. Jason George Farragut, TN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
69. Anthony Glassco Powhatan, VA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
69. Dj Holland Murfreesboro, TN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
69. Yu Kawamura Kashiwashi JAPAN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
69. Ty Kenyon Dodgeville, WI 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
69. Kevin Mallow Kansas, OK 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
69. Ed Mlotek Naperville, IL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
69. Kenneth Ott Manahawkin, NJ 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
69. Steve Ouellette Knoxville, TN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
69. John Rico Daisytown, PA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
69. Jim Short Liberty Twp, OH 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
69. Tyler Smith Portage, MI 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
69. Tim White Welaka, FL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
90. Thomas Crosswhite Hartwell, GA 0 -1-00 0
Day 1: 0 -01-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 11 92 175-03
2 3 69 153-04
----------------------------------
14 161 328-07

by AnglersChannel

Major League Fishing General Tire Team Series Wraps Production at First Event of 2024 Season in Grand Rapids, Michigan

Bass Fishing Event Completes Week-Long Television Shoot in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with Nine Three-Man Teams Competing to Advance to Bass Pro Shops Team Series Championship

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (Sept. 15, 2023) – Major League Fishing (MLF) and 27 of the best pro anglers in the world officially wrapped production this week at the first event of the 2024 General Tire Team Series – the Lucas Oil Qualifier Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The competition was filmed entirely for television broadcast and shot over six days this past week, featuring nine teams of three anglers competing to finish in the top three to advance to the Bass Pro Shops Team Series Championship.

The General Tire Team Series Lucas Oil Qualifier Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches event marked the first time that MLF had visited the Grand Rapids, Michigan, area with an event that showcases the catch, weigh and immediate-release tournament format.

The event featured professional anglers visiting the Grand Rapids area to compete on one of three fisheries on each day of competition: Muskegon and Bear Lakes, White Lake and Grand River. The competition waters for each day of the event were not disclosed until the anglers arrived at the launch ramp each morning, creating a reality-based television episode that showcases how the top anglers in the world work with their teammates to break down new and unfamiliar waters.

The nine teams that competed in the General Tire Team Series Lucas Oil Qualifier Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches in Grand Rapids, Michigan, were:

Team B&W Trailer Hitches:
Adrian Avena, Vineland, N.J.
Spencer Shuffield, Hot Springs, Ark.
Ryan Salzman, Huntsville, Ala.

Team Builders FirstSource:
Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla.
Mark Rose, Wynne, Ark.
Cliff Pace, Petal, Miss.

Team Crockett Creek:
Jonathon VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich.
James Elam, Tulsa, Okla.
Matt Lee, Cullman, Ala.

Team Ferguson:
Dakota Ebare, Brookeland, Texas
Justin Cooper, Zwolle, La.
Tommy Biffle, Wagoner, Okla.

Team Knighten Industries:
Wesley Strader, Spring City, Tenn.
Scott Suggs, Alexander, Ark.
Matt Becker, Ten Mile, Tenn.

Team Kubota:
Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn.
Dylan Hays, Hot Springs, Ark.
Boyd Duckett, Guntersville, Ala.

Team Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff & Pouches:
Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C.
Luke Clausen, Spokane, Wash.
Josh Butler, Hayden, Ala.

Team Sqwincher:
Dustin Connell, Clanton, Ala.
Cole Floyd, Leesburg, Ohio
Roy Hawk, Lake Havasu City, Ariz.

Team Star brite:
Chris Lane, Guntersville, Ala.
Jared Lintner, Covington, Ga.
John Hunter, Shelbyville, Ky.

The MLF General Tire Team Series Lucas Oil Qualifier Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches will air on Outdoor Channel as six, two-hour original episodes each Saturday afternoon starting Jan. 6, 2024, airing from 2 to 4 p.m. EDT. The full television schedule can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com/tv-schedule.

The 2024 General Tire Team Series is comprised of three qualifying events, filmed for production in the fall of 2023, where teams compete for advancement to the Bass Pro Shops Teams Series Championship, set to film in early December 2023. Each of the three Team Series Qualifiers consist of nine teams, each comprising three anglers.

Nearly a half a million dollars will be paid out over the three no-entry fee Qualifiers, and the total season-long purse for the General Tire Team Series is more than $720,000.

Proud sponsors of the MLF General Tire Team Series include: Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Barbasol, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, Bubba, Builders FirstSource, Costa, Crockett Creek Beef Jerky, Ferguson, General Tire, Knighten Industries, Kubota, Lowrance, Lucas Oil, Mercury Marine, Mossy Oak, NITRO Boats, Onyx, Optima Batteries, Power-Pole, Quad Lock, Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff & Pouches, Sqwincher, St. Croix Rods, Star brite, Toyota and YETI.

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

by AnglersChannel

En Fuego!

DAIWA launches “significantly changed”, high-performing FUEGO mid-price spinning reel.

FOOTHILL RANCH, CA (September 15, 2023) – We know a lot of fishing guides who swear by the current DAIWA FUEGO LT, even though they could fish with any spinning reel in DAIWA’s line-up. For example, Minnesota’s National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Famer, Tom Neustrom, who’s still guiding in his mid-70s.

“The FUEGO just gets the job done. Day-in, day-out, it’s a reel I can trust to fish walleyes, bass, pike, whatever—as well as my clients—because it’s smooth, provides great drag performance, and stands up to real-world fishing. It should cost a whole lot more, I’ll tell you that,” says Neustrom.

Well, guides like Neustrom and everyone else are going to be even more impressed with the performance of DAIWA’s improved FUEGO.

Looking at the new DAIWA FUEGO—compared to the existing FUEGO LT generation—the design changes are significant.

“First,” says DAIWA Senior Marketing Manager, Marc Mills, “we went to a true ZAION V carbon-fiber body, not a nylon-based plastic that you see in other manufacturers’ reels at this price. The new FUEGO stands alone in the marketplace at this price. You get some weight reduction because of this material design change. We also went to an AIRDRIVE ROTOR that reduces weight, too, and incorporated a solid AIRDRIVE BAIL versus a tubular design. The reason for that is the metal we’re using is very strong, rigid, and doesn’t bend—yet, it’s thinner and lighter. Our goal was to reduce the weight of the rotation, which decreases the weight of the reel as well. It also makes it easier to turn the handle. We’re making the performance better and better with each generation of FUEGO.”

“The other big deal with the FUEGO redesign is we added true 5000- and 6000-size reels, which allows us to step into the inshore market, especially with northeast anglers chasing striped bass,” Mills adds.

DAIWA FUEGO Features:

NEW! ZAION V Body (3%-5% lighter than current model)
NEW! AIRDRIVE ROTOR
NEW! SOLID AIRDRIVE BAIL
NEW! MAGSEALED
NEW! 5000 and 6000 sizes for saltwater
TOUGH DIGIGEAR^®
Machined aluminum screw-in handle
Ball Bearing-Supported Advanced Tournament Drag (ATD™)
Gear ratios between 5.2:1 and 6.2:1 for effectively playing fish
Line-Per-Turn: 25.5-inches (1000 size) to 36.2-inches (6000 size)

MSRP $109.99-$129.99

by AnglersChannel

Fishin' Tip Friday - Shaw Grigsby on the Swimming Worm

By Vance McCullough

“One of my favorite lures to have any time, any place is a plastic worm,” declares Shaw Grigsby, member of the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame.

“You can rig it weedless. It comes through all types of cover. You catch them everywhere with a worm,” continues the host of the ‘One More Cast with Shaw Grigsby’ TV show, brandishing a Strike King Mag Cut R Worm that features a beefy body and a sickle-shaped ‘cut’ tail.

“That tail is going to paddle and wiggle. It’s got a lot of kick and that makes it good for a swimming worm technique, similar to a swimming jig.”

His rig is simple. “I put a little 1/16 ounce, or 1/8 ounce tungsten sinker in front, put it on 17-to-20lb fluorocarbon or maybe 30lb or 40lb braid, put a big ole TK120 hook in there (made by Trokar).”

As for the technique, “You’re just going to throw it, and the cool thing about a plastic worm is you can let it sit and guess what – they eat it! You can put it on the bottom and guess what – they eat it. But where it really works with that light weights is you just swim it. Keep your rod tip at about 10 o’clock so that when one eats it you can drop your rod, reel the slack and then hammer them!

“That’s the trick with a swimming worm – don’t just pull into them immediately. Drop your rod, hammer them hard and you’ve got them!”

by AnglersChannel

Dallas Welcomes SITKA Gear's Newest Retail Location for Outdoor Enthusiasts

BOZEMAN, Mont. (Sept. 26, 2023) - SITKA Gear, the industry leader in technical hunting and outdoor gear, announces the opening of their brick-and-mortar storefront in Dallas, Texas. The SITKA Dallas storefront is located at 4438 McKinney Ave #200 Dallas, TX and will be hosting Grand Opening festivities for the Dallas community on September 30th, 2023, with a special meet and greet with Dallas Cowboys Linebacker Leighton Vander Esch from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM, where fans can stop by for a photo opportunity.

In addition to the meet and greet, the Grand Opening of the Dallas store will feature exclusive in-store promotions, giveaways, and a chance to engage with SITKA Gear's ambassadors. Whether embarking on a hunting trip or simply embracing the great outdoors, SITKA Gear's newest retail location is poised to become the go-to destination for gear that's engineered to excel in any environment.

As the second retail location for SITKA Gear, and the first outside their hometown of Bozeman, MT, this venture marks a significant milestone in the brand's journey.

"We're excited to bring SITKA to our Texas and Southern customers," said Alley Ray, Retail Experience Manager."Our gear is designed to elevate outdoor experiences, and with our new Dallas store, we're providing enthusiasts with a hands-on opportunity to completely understand the difference our gear can make."

Visitors to the new Dallas store can expect to be immersed in the complete SITKA Gear experience showcasing the brand's dedication to high-quality, functional gear, mirroring the rugged yet refined nature of the products themselves. Knowledgeable staff members will be on hand to guide customers through SITKA’s product line, helping them find the ideal pieces for their specific activities.

Schedule of events:
10:00 AM: SITKA Store Opens
4:00 - 5:00 PM: Leighton Vander Esch Meet and Greet for fans
4:00 - 7:00 PM: Grand Opening Festivities with live music from The Swon Brothers and Texas BBQ

For more information, visit the new SITKA Dallas store at 4438 McKinney Ave #200 Dallas, TX, or explore the brand online at sitkagear.com. Join SITKA Gear in celebrating this remarkable milestone and discover a new era of outdoor gear excellence on September 30th, 2023.

by AnglersChannel

Lane leverages key spot for Bassmaster Open lead on Watts Bar Reservoir

Bobby Lane of Lakeland, Fla., is leading after Day 1 of the 2023 St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Watts Bar Reservoir with 15 pounds, 2 ounces.

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

September 14, 2023

KINGSTON, Tenn. — Bobby Lane didn’t want to overstay his welcome, but protecting a special spot allowed the Lakeland, Fla., pro to bag a limit of 15 pounds, 2 ounces to lead Day 1 of the St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Watts Bar Reservoir.

In a tight Top 10 with 2-7 separating first place from 10th, Lane leads second-place Tyler Williams by 3 ounces.

“The problem with where I was this morning was I caught ‘em quick and there were about eight boats around, so I couldn’t leave the spot,” Lane said. “That was where the fish were and the minute I left they would go right there because no one was catching anything around me.

“I would have loved to have had the place to myself where I could have caught five and gotten out of there. As tough as it is to get bit out here right now, I really wish I could have saved some of those fish for Day 2, but I couldn’t leave as early as I wanted to.”

Having grown up fishing Florida’s grassy lakes, Lane said he enjoyed fishing familiar habitat, although he had to adjust his Sunshine State tactics for local scenarios.

“I felt at home, but it doesn’t fish like home,” Lane said. “The grass fishes differently and it sets up differently. There are so many different kinds of grass here. Back in Okeechobee, we have hydrilla and eelgrass. Up here, you have coontail, you have hydrilla, you have milfoil, you have this leafy grass and it’s all mixed together.

“A lot of it’s matted up and some of it’s thin and you kind of had to fish your way through in practice to figure out which grass they wanted. After today, I decided they didn’t care which grass it was. You just had to fish your backside off.”

An early topwater bite with the new Berkley Swamp Lord popping frog in the copperhead color yielded seven keepers, two of which crossed the weigh-in stage. Lane ended up filling his limit by fishing Texas-rigged Berkley Powerbait plastics.

“I hadn’t caught many on topwater this week,” he said. “But this morning, one of those big ones came on the frog. Right after that, one came up schooling, so I threw over there and caught it. It was a 2 1/2-pounder.”

Notably, Lane said he initially had not planned on fishing what turned out to be a surprisingly productive area.

“It finally clicked today. It was a tough practice, and I only had a limit one day,” Lane said. “I shook a few fish off (in practice) and I said, ‘Man, I've got to go back.’

“I put that Power-Pole Move trolling motor on about 10 and just cruised through that grass.”

Lane said the key to maximizing his main area’s productivity was dialing in a specific habitat element. Once he finally yielded his spot, he did so for the purpose of checking on a possible Plan B that might serve his Day 2 objective.

“I left one little area alone today. I ran into it, made one cast, caught one almost 3 pounds and left,” Lane said. “I’m hoping that will pan out for tomorrow.”

Hailing from Belgrade, Maine, Williams is in second place with 14-15. He did most of his work without his trolling motor and Power-Poles, which stopped functioning early into his day.

Anchoring his bag with a 4-12, Williams salvaged his day by drifting across promising areas and doing his best to fish as many isolated targets as he could. Defining resilience, Williams overcame what he termed the most mentally taxing day he’s ever spent on the water and made the best of what he had to work with.

“I don’t get spun out on the water and I was getting spun out today,” Williams said. “I nearly gave up this morning, but I sat down, ate some Jack’s Links beef jerky — the barbecue flavor — and gave myself a pep talk.

“I figured the best thing to do was to fish areas with these isolated targets — a stump, a brushpile, a grass clump — but because I couldn’t use my trolling motor, I couldn’t turn my (forward-facing sonar transducer), so I had to lean over the bow and turn it by hand. I nearly fell in three times.”

Dale Hightower of Mannford, Okla., is in third place with 14-8. Similar to Lane’s story, Hightower was not planning to fish the area that carried his first-round effort, but a last-minute decision delivered surprisingly favorable results.

“I almost didn’t go to this spot, but then I thought, ‘No better than what my practice was, I’d better go,’” Hightower said. “I never really keyed in on a topwater bite all through practice. It happens early and it’s only a short window. In practice, I don’t think I was getting out there early enough to cover enough water to see.

“I got 15 bites doing that today. Later in the day, I just went fishing in the area where I’d caught some fish in practice. I just slowed down and caught them on finesse baits.”

Jason Abram of Piney Flats, Tenn., is in the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors with his 4-14.

Darren Kelly of Wartburg, Tenn., leads the co-angler division with 6-14. With a 3-pounder boosting his day’s efforts, Kelly said diversity was the key to his success.

“We did a little bit of everything today,” Kelly said. “I had a fish on every bait I threw. I’d catch one flipping, then I’d turn around and catch one on a shaky head, then I’d turn around and catch one on a ChatterBait.

“I was rotating a lot of rods and the good Lord gave me three keepers. That’s what I needed.”

Kelly caught his big fish around 12:30 p.m. by flipping a Berkley Havoc Pit Boss with a 5/16-ounce tungsten weight.

Harold Addison of Columbia, S.C., holds the Phoenix Boats Big Bass lead among co-anglers with a 3-4.

Friday’s takeoff is scheduled for 7:15 a.m. CT at Kingston Boat Ramp. The weigh-in will be held at the ramp at 3:15 p.m. Full coverage will be available on Bassmaster.com.

2023 St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Watts Bar 9/14-9/16
Watts Bar Reservoir, Kingston TN.
(BOATER) Standings Day 1

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

1. Bobby Lane Jr. Lakeland, FL 5 15-02 200
Day 1: 5 15-02
2. Tyler Williams Belgrade, ME 5 14-15 199
Day 1: 5 14-15
3. Dale Hightower Mannford, OK 5 14-08 198
Day 1: 5 14-08
4. Tucker Veronee Gilbert, SC 5 13-14 197
Day 1: 5 13-14
5. Jacob Bigelow Cecil, WI 5 13-07 196
Day 1: 5 13-07
6. Mike Surman Boca Raton, FL 5 13-04 195
Day 1: 5 13-04
7. John Garrett Union City, TN 5 13-01 194
Day 1: 5 13-01
8. Jason Abram Piney Flats, TN 5 13-00 193
Day 1: 5 13-00
9. Sam George Athens, AL 5 12-13 192
Day 1: 5 12-13
10. Jason Lambert Savannah, TN 5 12-11 191
Day 1: 5 12-11
11. Adam Rasmussen Sturgeon Bay, WI 5 12-09 190
Day 1: 5 12-09
12. Jason Carpenter Castle Pines, CO 5 12-07 189
Day 1: 5 12-07
13. Trey McKinney Carbondale, IL 5 12-04 188
Day 1: 5 12-04
14. Kyle Austin Ridgeville, SC 5 12-03 187
Day 1: 5 12-03
15. Wesley Gore Clanton, AL 5 12-02 186
Day 1: 5 12-02
16. Lucas Murphy West Columbia, MI 5 12-00 185
Day 1: 5 12-00
17. JT Thompkins Myrtle Beach, SC 5 11-13 184
Day 1: 5 11-13
18. Chad Warren Sand Springs, OK 5 11-12 183
Day 1: 5 11-12
19. Harvey Horne Bella Vista, AR 5 11-11 182
Day 1: 5 11-11
20. David Williams Newton, NC 5 11-08 181
Day 1: 5 11-08
21. Kyle Patrick Cooperstown, NY 5 11-07 180
Day 1: 5 11-07
22. Jeff Salmon Mechanicsville, VA 5 11-06 179
Day 1: 5 11-06
23. Daisuke Kita Ostu Shiga JAPAN 5 11-05 178
Day 1: 5 11-05
24. Wil Dieffenbauch III Hundred, WV 4 11-05 177
Day 1: 4 11-05
25. Lafe Messer Warfield, KY 5 11-04 176
Day 1: 5 11-04
26. Yusuke Miyazaki Forney, TX 5 11-03 175
Day 1: 5 11-03
27. Chris Kingree Inverness, FL 5 11-01 174
Day 1: 5 11-01
28. Takayuki Koike Otsu-City JAPAN 5 10-14 173
Day 1: 5 10-14
29. Jonathan Dietz Corry, PA 5 10-13 172
Day 1: 5 10-13
30. Jake Maddux Birmingham, AL 5 10-12 171
Day 1: 5 10-12
30. Kyle Monti Okeechobee, FL 5 10-12 171
Day 1: 5 10-12
32. Shaine Campbell Brookeland, TX 5 10-09 169
Day 1: 5 10-09
33. Rob Digh Denver, NC 4 10-09 168
Day 1: 4 10-09
34. Brett Cannon Willis, TX 5 10-07 167
Day 1: 5 10-07
35. Shane Lineberger Lincolnton, NC 5 10-05 166
Day 1: 5 10-05
36. Alex Murray Lake Charles, LA 5 10-04 165
Day 1: 5 10-04
37. Pete Gluszek Mount Laurel, NJ 5 10-03 164
Day 1: 5 10-03
38. Jack York Emory, TX 3 10-03 163
Day 1: 3 10-03
39. Greg Bohannan Bentonville, AR 5 10-02 162
Day 1: 5 10-02
39. Chris Hellebuyck White Lake, MI 5 10-02 162
Day 1: 5 10-02
41. Clark Reehm Elm Grove, LA 4 10-02 160
Day 1: 4 10-02
42. Hunter Sales Blaine, TN 5 10-00 159
Day 1: 5 10-00
43. Paul Browning Pecos, TX 4 10-00 158
Day 1: 4 10-00
44. John Conway Jr Henrico, VA 5 09-15 157
Day 1: 5 09-15
44. Jack Dice Lynchburg, VA 5 09-15 157
Day 1: 5 09-15
46. Blake Smith Lakeland, FL 5 09-15 155
Day 1: 5 09-15
47. Logan Johnson Jasper, AL 4 09-15 154
Day 1: 4 09-15
48. Zeke Gossett Pell City, AL 5 09-14 153
Day 1: 5 09-14
48. Andrew Upshaw Hemphill, TX 5 09-14 153
Day 1: 5 09-14
50. Allan Nail Sand Springs, OK 5 09-13 151
Day 1: 5 09-13
51. Chase Clarke Virginia Beach, VA 5 09-12 150
Day 1: 5 09-12
52. Cody Detweiler Guntersville, AL 5 09-11 149
Day 1: 5 09-11
53. Robert Gee Knoxville, TN 5 09-10 148
Day 1: 5 09-10
54. Ryan Broughman Corapeake, NC 5 09-09 147
Day 1: 5 09-09
55. Jacob Thompkins Myrtle Beach, SC 3 09-08 146
Day 1: 3 09-08
56. Kenji Yamada Hixson, TN 5 09-07 145
Day 1: 5 09-07
57. Keith Tuma Brainerd, MN 5 09-05 144
Day 1: 5 09-05
58. Brad Knight Lancing, TN 5 09-04 143
Day 1: 5 09-04
58. John Soukup Sapulpa, OK 5 09-04 143
Day 1: 5 09-04
60. Alex Heintze Denham Springs, LA 5 09-02 141
Day 1: 5 09-02
60. Brandon McMillan Clewiston, FL 5 09-02 141
Day 1: 5 09-02
62. Austin Cranford Norman, OK 5 09-01 139
Day 1: 5 09-01
63. Logan Parks Auburn, AL 4 09-01 138
Day 1: 4 09-01
64. Chris Dillow Waynesboro, VA 4 09-00 137
Day 1: 4 09-00
65. Victor Alford Kingston, TN 5 08-14 136
Day 1: 5 08-14
66. Charlie Hartley Grove City, OH 5 08-13 135
Day 1: 5 08-13
66. Josh Hubbard Dunnellon, FL 5 08-13 135
Day 1: 5 08-13
68. Julius Mazy Phoenix, AZ 5 08-11 133
Day 1: 5 08-11
69. Teb Jones Yalaha, MS 4 08-11 132
Day 1: 4 08-11
69. Brayden Rakes Winston Salem, NC 4 08-11 132
Day 1: 4 08-11
71. Bo Thomas Edwardsburg, MI 5 08-10 130
Day 1: 5 08-10
72. Kurt Mitchell Milford, DE 4 08-08 129
Day 1: 4 08-08
73. Matt Pangrac Shawnee, OK 5 08-07 128
Day 1: 5 08-07
74. Ish Monroe Oakdale, CA 4 08-07 127
Day 1: 4 08-07
75. Tommy Williams Shepherdsville, KY 4 08-06 126
Day 1: 4 08-06
76. Ty Faber Pagosa Springs, CO 4 08-05 125
Day 1: 4 08-05
76. Louis Monetti Brielle, NJ 4 08-05 125
Day 1: 4 08-05
78. Destin DeMarion Harborcreek, PA 4 08-02 123
Day 1: 4 08-02
79. Miles Burghoff Dayton, TN 3 08-00 122
Day 1: 3 08-00
79. Taylor Watkins Clinton, TN 3 08-00 122
Day 1: 3 08-00
81. Denny Fiedler Wabasha, MN 3 07-14 120
Day 1: 3 07-14
82. Keith Brumfield Vicksburg, MS 4 07-09 119
Day 1: 4 07-09
83. Matt Henry Milledgeville, GA 4 07-06 118
Day 1: 4 07-06
83. Andrew Mlotek Indianapolis, IN 4 07-06 118
Day 1: 4 07-06
85. Chris Whitson Louisville, TN 4 07-06 116
Day 1: 4 07-06
86. Powell Kemp Scotland Neck, NC 3 07-06 115
Day 1: 3 07-06
87. Craig Chambers Midland, NC 3 07-05 114
Day 1: 3 07-05
88. Rich Ortiz Fort Ann, NY 4 07-03 113
Day 1: 4 07-03
89. Chase Henley Kingston, TN 4 07-01 112
Day 1: 4 07-01
90. Brady Vernon Sterrett, AL 3 07-01 111
Day 1: 3 07-01
91. Blake Sylvester Plaquemine, LA 4 07-00 110
Day 1: 4 07-00
92. Brandon Tallhamer Parkersburg, WV 4 06-14 109
Day 1: 4 06-14
93. Cole Drummond Effingham, SC 4 06-12 108
Day 1: 4 06-12
94. Jamie Bruce Kenora Ontario CANADA 3 06-12 107
Day 1: 3 06-12
94. Christian Shoda Homosassa, FL 3 06-12 107
Day 1: 3 06-12
96. Brad Leuthner Victoria, MN 4 06-10 105
Day 1: 4 06-10
97. Kenta Kimura Osaka JAPAN 2 06-05 104
Day 1: 2 06-05
98. Trey Swindle Cleveland, AL 4 06-04 103
Day 1: 4 06-04
99. Buck Mallory Lawton, MI 3 06-03 102
Day 1: 3 06-03
100. Kyle Goltz Cornell, WI 3 06-02 101
Day 1: 3 06-02
101. Matt Messer Warfield, KY 2 06-02 100
Day 1: 2 06-02
102. Tyler Lubbat Wheeling, IL 3 06-00 99
Day 1: 3 06-00
103. Jason Meninger Yulee, FL 2 06-00 98
Day 1: 2 06-00
104. Chris Dover Blacksburg, SC 3 05-15 97
Day 1: 3 05-15
104. Casey Smith Victor, NY 3 05-15 97
Day 1: 3 05-15
106. Andrew Harp Linden, TX 2 05-14 95
Day 1: 2 05-14
107. Phil Killian Solomon, AZ 4 05-13 94
Day 1: 4 05-13
108. Tim Frederick Leesburg, FL 3 05-12 93
Day 1: 3 05-12
108. Billy McDonald Greenwood, IN 3 05-12 93
Day 1: 3 05-12
108. Casey Scanlon Eldon, MO 3 05-12 93
Day 1: 3 05-12
111. Bronk Mcdaniel Alexandria, LA 2 05-10 90
Day 1: 2 05-10
112. Tommy Brown Louisville, TN 3 05-08 89
Day 1: 3 05-08
112. Griffin Phillips Mount Olive, AL 3 05-08 89
Day 1: 3 05-08
114. Tripp Noojin Bryant, AL 2 05-08 87
Day 1: 2 05-08
115. Scott Hamrick Denver, NC 3 05-05 86
Day 1: 3 05-05
115. Dane Mitchell Ten Mile, TN 3 05-05 86
Day 1: 3 05-05
115. JT Russell Mc Calla, AL 3 05-05 86
Day 1: 3 05-05
118. Joey Hanna Corsicana, TX 3 05-04 83
Day 1: 3 05-04
119. Shayne Berlo Mclean, VA 3 05-03 82
Day 1: 3 05-03
120. James Niggemeyer Van, TX 3 05-02 81
Day 1: 3 05-02
121. Joey Nania Cropwell, AL 3 05-01 80
Day 1: 3 05-01
122. Chad Grigsby Maple Grove, MN 3 04-15 79
Day 1: 3 04-15
123. Chris Keeble Lenoir City, TN 2 04-13 78
Day 1: 2 04-13
124. Michael Vanosdale Knoxville, TN 1 04-11 77
Day 1: 1 04-11
125. B.J. Usie Bourg, LA 2 04-09 76
Day 1: 2 04-09
126. John Murray Spring City, TN 2 04-06 75
Day 1: 2 04-06
127. Jimmy Washam Stantonville, TN 1 04-05 74
Day 1: 1 04-05
128. Ben Milliken New Caney, TX 2 04-04 73
Day 1: 2 04-04
129. Scott Kerslake Okeechobee, FL 3 04-03 72
Day 1: 3 04-03
130. Chancy Walters West Des Moines, IA 2 04-02 71
Day 1: 2 04-02
131. Tom Frink Southside, AL 2 04-01 70
Day 1: 2 04-01
131. Danny Ramsey Trinidad, TX 2 04-01 70
Day 1: 2 04-01
133. Cody Stahl Barnsville, GA 2 03-15 68
Day 1: 2 03-15
134. Clay Samples South Boston, VA 2 03-12 67
Day 1: 2 03-12
135. Johnathan Crossland Chapin, SC 2 03-10 66
Day 1: 2 03-10
136. Scout Echols Monticello, AR 2 03-08 65
Day 1: 2 03-08
137. Bryan Bickell Newcastle CANADA 2 03-06 64
Day 1: 2 03-06
137. David Perdue Wirtz, VA 2 03-06 64
Day 1: 2 03-06
139. Jason Tibbetts Centreville, VA 2 03-04 62
Day 1: 2 03-04
140. Scott Isaacs Ladonia, TX 2 03-04 61
Day 1: 2 03-04
141. Chris Blanchette Edisto Island, SC 1 03-00 60
Day 1: 1 03-00
142. Josh Bragg Fayetteville, GA 3 02-13 59
Day 1: 3 02-13
143. Darrell Davis Dover, FL 1 02-07 58
Day 1: 1 02-07
144. Lucas Bogosian Harrington Park, NJ 1 02-05 57
Day 1: 1 02-05
145. Chris Beaudrie Princeton, KY 1 02-04 56
Day 1: 1 02-04
146. Destry Ford Tuscaloosa, AL 1 02-03 55
Day 1: 1 02-03
147. Paul Bouvier Kingston CANADA 1 02-00 54
Day 1: 1 02-00
147. Mike Mayo Athens, TX 1 02-00 54
Day 1: 1 02-00
149. Chad Pipkens Dewitt, MI 1 01-15 52
Day 1: 1 01-15
149. Whitney Stephens Waverly, OH 1 01-15 52
Day 1: 1 01-15
151. Stacey Jefferson Conway, SC 1 01-14 50
Day 1: 1 01-14
152. Evan Barnes Dardanelle, AR 1 01-13 49
Day 1: 1 01-13
152. Evan Kung Pickering Ontario CANAD 1 01-13 49
Day 1: 1 01-13
152. Lance Owen Greer, SC 1 01-13 49
Day 1: 1 01-13
152. Zack Williams Nashville, TN 1 01-13 49
Day 1: 1 01-13
156. Brock Belik Orchard, NE 1 01-12 45
Day 1: 1 01-12
156. Flash Butts Roanoke Rapids, NC 1 01-12 45
Day 1: 1 01-12
156. Trevor McKinney Benton, IL 1 01-12 45
Day 1: 1 01-12
159. Jerry Gallogly Jr North Tazewell, VA 1 01-11 42
Day 1: 1 01-11
160. Jonathan Bowling Harriman, TN 1 01-10 41
Day 1: 1 01-10
160. Angela Mayo Maiden, NC 1 01-10 41
Day 1: 1 01-10
160. Brian Post Janesville, WI 1 01-10 41
Day 1: 1 01-10
163. Wesley Cashwell Roanoke Rapids, NC 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
163. Tony Dumitras Winston, GA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
163. Andrew Hargrove Moody, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
163. Justin Kimmel Athens, GA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
163. Jeff Mcbeth New Phila, OH 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
163. A.J. Menssen Bloomington, IL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
163. Brian Mullaney Ijamsville, MD 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
163. Jenny Nevans Dayton, TN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
163. Jonathan Reames Helena, AL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
163. Jordan Sanderlin Kill Devil Hills, NC 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
163. Steve Tennison Lexington, OK 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
163. Jack Tindel III Orange, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
163. William Patrick Turner Crossville, TN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
163. Daniel Valois Gomez Caracas FL VENEZUELA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
177. Derek Lehtonen Woodruff, SC 1 -0-05 24
Day 1: 1 -00-05
178. Ryan Clark Whitby Ontario CANADA 0 -1-00 0
Day 1: 0 -01-00
178. John Watts Jr Flushing, MI 0 -1-00 0
Day 1: 0 -01-00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 61 569 1212-08
----------------------------------
61 569 1212-08
2023 St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Watts Bar 9/14-9/16
Watts Bar Reservoir, Kingston TN.
(NON_BOATER) Standings Day 1

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

1. Darren Kelly Wartburg, TN 3 06-14 200
Day 1: 3 06-14
2. Bird Jones Loxahatchee, FL 3 06-10 199
Day 1: 3 06-10
3. Alex Reece Greenville, SC 3 06-09 198
Day 1: 3 06-09
4. Harold Addison Columbia, SC 3 06-08 197
Day 1: 3 06-08
5. David Waack Cary, NC 3 05-10 196
Day 1: 3 05-10
6. Akira Okuyama Forest Hills, NY 3 05-09 195
Day 1: 3 05-09
7. Sakae Ushio Tonawanda, NY 3 05-08 194
Day 1: 3 05-08
7. Alex Watts Salem, VA 3 05-08 194
Day 1: 3 05-08
9. Ray Lehrman Spring City, TN 2 05-06 192
Day 1: 2 05-06
10. Travis Nelson Wartburg, TN 3 05-04 191
Day 1: 3 05-04
11. Levi Allgeier Bardstown, KY 3 04-14 190
Day 1: 3 04-14
12. Chad Stahl Barnesville, GA 2 04-11 189
Day 1: 2 04-11
13. Curtis Crooke Washburn, TN 3 04-10 188
Day 1: 3 04-10
14. Brandon Smith Knightdale, NC 2 04-10 187
Day 1: 2 04-10
14. Joe Tucker Osceola, MO 2 04-10 187
Day 1: 2 04-10
16. Steven Robbins Piketon, OH 2 04-06 185
Day 1: 2 04-06
17. George Malcolm Gainesville, FL 2 04-01 184
Day 1: 2 04-01
18. John Sanderlin Chesapeake, VA 2 04-00 183
Day 1: 2 04-00
19. Keith Gunsauls Dandridge, TN 2 03-15 182
Day 1: 2 03-15
20. Joseph Essary Knoxville, TN 2 03-12 181
Day 1: 2 03-12
21. Rick Cheatham Carterville, IL 2 03-10 180
Day 1: 2 03-10
22. Harvey Reece Chesterfield, VA 2 03-09 179
Day 1: 2 03-09
23. David Chamberlain Hampton, VA 2 03-08 178
Day 1: 2 03-08
24. Russell Nicewander Bluefield, WV 2 03-04 177
Day 1: 2 03-04
24. Scott Peters Knoxville, TN 2 03-04 177
Day 1: 2 03-04
26. Nathan Isaacs Knoxville, TN 1 02-15 175
Day 1: 1 02-15
27. Riley Nielsen Murray, UT 2 02-12 174
Day 1: 2 02-12
28. Gary Haraguchi Murfreesboro, TN 2 02-10 173
Day 1: 2 02-10
29. Dylan Mayo Athens, TX 1 02-10 172
Day 1: 1 02-10
30. Eric White Vinemont, AL 1 02-09 171
Day 1: 1 02-09
31. Don Bible II Knoxville, TN 1 02-07 170
Day 1: 1 02-07
32. Alicia Raytrowsky Delaware CANADA 1 02-04 169
Day 1: 1 02-04
33. Ricky Fulk Shenandoah, VA 1 02-03 168
Day 1: 1 02-03
34. David Booth Tazewell, TN 1 02-02 167
Day 1: 1 02-02
34. Robert Bruguiere Roseland, VA 1 02-02 167
Day 1: 1 02-02
36. Josh Roberts Ocala, FL 1 02-01 165
Day 1: 1 02-01
37. Travis Branstetter Deer Lodge, TN 1 02-00 164
Day 1: 1 02-00
37. James Roten West Jefferson, NC 1 02-00 164
Day 1: 1 02-00
39. Ryan Patterson Scott Township, PA 1 01-15 162
Day 1: 1 01-15
39. Sergio Render Crockett, VA 1 01-15 162
Day 1: 1 01-15
41. Mark Guhne Hixson, TN 1 01-14 160
Day 1: 1 01-14
41. Scott Walker Morristown, IN 1 01-14 160
Day 1: 1 01-14
43. Melvin Fults Hendersonville, TN 2 01-13 158
Day 1: 2 01-13
44. David Booth Erin, TN 1 01-12 157
Day 1: 1 01-12
44. Tristan Bramblett Tiger, GA 1 01-12 157
Day 1: 1 01-12
46. Bryant Bradley Murfreesboro, TN 1 01-11 155
Day 1: 1 01-11
46. Todd Mowery Madison, AL 1 01-11 155
Day 1: 1 01-11
46. Travis Turcotte Pembroke CANADA 1 01-11 155
Day 1: 1 01-11
49. RD Roulston Little Rock, AR 1 01-10 152
Day 1: 1 01-10
50. Johnnie Garrett Union City, TN 1 01-08 151
Day 1: 1 01-08
51. George Headden Oakdale, TN 1 01-07 150
Day 1: 1 01-07
51. Joshua Torres Port Tobacco, MD 1 01-07 150
Day 1: 1 01-07
53. Bob Harper Lombard, IL 1 01-06 148
Day 1: 1 01-06
54. Peter Bates Dayton, TN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
54. Charlie Beasley Maryville, TN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
54. Charles Bowman II Kernersville, NC 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
54. Cole Burdine Dandridge, TN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
54. Wesley Carroll Wartburg, TN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
54. Michael Cochran Mount Pleasant, SC 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
54. Colin Cooper Roanoke, VA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
54. Marrell Deering Rome, GA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
54. Laz Durham Dumfries, VA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
54. Dustin Dyer Johnson City, TN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
54. Terry Ford Harriman, TN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
54. Jason George Farragut, TN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
54. Dean Gibbs North Chesterfield, VA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
54. Anthony Glassco Powhatan, VA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
54. Gary Hall Wardville, OK 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
54. John Higginbotham Slaughter, LA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
54. Dj Holland Murfreesboro, TN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
54. Yu Kawamura Kashiwashi JAPAN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
54. Tim Kellam Crittenden, KY 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
54. Ty Kenyon Dodgeville, WI 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
54. Dennis Lane Rutledge, TN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
54. Michael Leach Shenandoah, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
54. Joe Lineberry Ramseaur,, NC 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
54. Kevin Mallow Kansas, OK 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
54. Nick Melcher Gypsum, CO 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
54. Ed Mlotek Naperville, IL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
54. Dalton Munsey Washburn, TN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
54. Kenneth Ott Manahawkin, NJ 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
54. Steve Ouellette Knoxville, TN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
54. John Rico Daisytown, PA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
54. Perry See Rochester, MN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
54. Jim Short Liberty Twp, OH 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
54. Tyler Smith Portage, MI 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
54. Randy Tallhamer Brandenton, FL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
54. Tim White Welaka, FL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
54. Avery Williams Murrells Inlt, SC 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
90. Thomas Crosswhite Hartwell, GA 0 -1-00 0
Day 1: 0 -01-00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 11 92 175-03
----------------------------------
11 92 175-03

by AnglersChannel

Excellent bass population could counter boat traffic for Bassmaster Open at Lake of the Ozarks

Current Bassmaster Opens EQ leader JT Thompkins will try to hold on to his top spot at the 2023 St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Lake of the Ozarks Sept. 22-24.

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

September 14, 2023

OSAGE BEACH, Mo. — Lake of the Ozarks has much to offer, but during the St. Croix Bassmaster Open Division 2 event on the 54,000-acre Osage River impoundment, Elite Series pro Cody Huff said anglers have to take the good with the not-so-good.

Competition days will be Sept. 22-24 with daily takeoffs from Public Beach #2 at 7 a.m. CT and weigh-ins each day at 3 p.m. Full coverage will be available on Bassmaster.com with FS1 broadcasting live with the leaders on Sunday morning beginning at 7 a.m.

Huff, who hails from Ava, Mo., said the combination of a 93-mile-long waterway and the seasonably pleasant boating weather will present the most formidable challenge for competitors seeking to uncover the largemouth treasure that lives here.

“If we get warm, sunny, pretty conditions, the pleasure boaters are going to absolutely trash some of the areas anglers want to fish,” Huff explained. “Their wakes are going to make it super-hard to get around, and they’re going to make it super-hard to get back (to weigh-ins) in the afternoon.

“People are going to make a nice, long run in the morning; it’s going to be nice and slick, and then, after that, there are going to be a lot of giant boats on the water. You’re going to have to be very careful.”

As Huff notes, recreational boating traffic won’t necessarily deter bass feeding activity. The fish see this every summer, so they’re used to it. The challenge, he said, is safely and efficiently fishing the lake’s primary cover — docks.

“The boat wakes won’t mess up any of the fishing. It’s just going to make it pretty hard for guys to get around without beating up their equipment,” Huff said. “They’re going to be trying to fit into small spaces and skip a bait back behind docks.

“When you have big waves, it’s hard to make that jig go where you want it to. The boat wakes will make it hard for them to get to the targets they want to fish a lot of the time.”

On the upside, Lake of the Ozarks offers plenty of areas where anglers can flee the main-lake mayhem. Even departing the main tributary arms and fishing smaller creeks and pockets will offer relief from the daily increasing wave action.

“This lake is absolutely huge, so they can get into some more protected areas where they can fish,” Huff said. “It bends and twists and you can run as far as you want. It’ll just be hard to get back.

“That will be something to consider in practice. You’ll want to have some stuff to fish if it does get busy out there.”

About a week prior to the tournament, the Lake of the Ozarks water level stood at approximately 1.85 feet below full pool. Huff said he’s not expecting any dramatic changes — and considering this lake’s annual drawdown typically starts in December, significant fluctuation is unlikely.

Rainfall can bear some degree of impact, mostly via the runoff that can affect the river section and the lake’s numerous major and secondary creek arms. The long-range forecast suggests thunderstorms just before the start of the event, but duration and volume will determine their effects.

Fortunately, no major weather changes are expected, so Huff predicts the usual summer reservoir scenario.

“From everything I’ve been hearing, it should be pretty normal,” he said. “When you get up the river, the water is going to have some stain to it. Down at the lower end, you’ll have probably 4 to 6 feet of visibility, while up the river, you’ll have 2 to 3 feet.”

While points, laydowns and various offshore sneaky spots will factor into this event’s action, those docks will see most of the attention. As Huff observes, Lake of the Ozarks offers an enormous number of structures, but time efficiency will require anglers to dial in the high-value targets.

“It can be kind of overwhelming,” Huff said. “You have to get on a pattern on that lake and run with it. You might get on a pattern where you fish the first three docks in a pocket, or it might be the last three docks in the back of a pocket.

“The docks with the best brushpiles will be the most productive. You’ll see some guys catching them behind docks, but most of it will be on stuff you can’t see.”

In addition to skipping docks with jigs, Huff looks for Texas-rigged plastics, shaky heads and buzzbaits to produce. Crankbaits and swimbaits could play into the equation, and if the bite gets tough, someone may figure out a finesse pattern to save the day.

Overall, Huff said he’s looking for a strong showing. With plenty of 5-pounders and the occasional 6-plus making an appearance, Lake of the Ozarks is well known for its big-bag potential. Huff predicts 18 pounds a day will make the Top 10 cut and 20 pounds a day will win.

“I’ve been seeing some weights from local tournaments, and they are smashing them,” he said. “It looks like they’re biting, so it will be a fun tournament.”

by AnglersChannel

The Puppet's First Pitch

Limited supply of Northland^® Fishing Tackle's Pitchin’ Puppetavailable now!

BEMIDJI, Minn. (September 14, 2023) – The new Pitchin’ Puppet was originally planned as an early 2024 introduction. But there was a problem. Fishing fandom was unwilling to wait. The bait looked too cool. The technique is so wickedly effective. In response, Northland stepped on the gas, sped up production, and now, anglers have immediate access to this incredible lure.

The Pitchin’ Puppet features a lead frame with an over-molded resin exterior and fin, giving it a lifelike translucent baitfish appearance with exceptional durability. When jigged, snapped, or ripped, the Pitchin’ Puppet darts and rolls to trigger strikes. A wide-gap rear hook – and absence of a front nose hook – make this lure perfect for darting across the bottom, and the split-ring connected treble hook keeps fish pinned all the way back to the boat.

GREEN PERCH

LIMITED SUPPLY NOW AVAILABLE

Old School Puppetry

Longtime Minnesota fishing guide, Brian “Bro” Brosdahl, has been fishing glide baits for walleyes since word spread after Kim “Chief” Papineau took 2nd place fishing heavy glide baits in open-water at a 2001 In-Fisherman Professional Walleye Trail (PMT) tournament on the Detroit River. Unable to keep his winning ice-bait tactic a secret given the bumper boats, Chief’s walleye lure hack spread like wildfire, Ron and Al Lindner eventually taking the technique into a whole new realm.

“I had glide baits in my ice fishing box and started playing with them in open-water pretty early on,” says Brosdahl. “They’ve put tons of fish in the boat for me and my clients over the years. However, the problem has always been that front nose hook, which tends to foul-hook as many fish as it catches, and frequently snags everything from rocks to wood to weeds. The original glide baits on the market were not designed for casting; they were designed for vertical jigging.”

Not to say various tackle manufacturers haven’t tried to fix the issue. There are a number of retail-pegged baits out there sans nose hook, but none have caught on to the level of original glide bait designs.

New School Puppetry

Mille Lacs Lake guide, Brad Hawthorne, helped prototype the new Northland Pitchin’ Puppet and has put countless hours on the odometer chasing marble eyes around the Big Pond (Mille Lacs), putting various design iterations to the test over the past two years.

“The technology is awesome,” says Hawthorne. “The encasing—whatever they’re calling it—is the most durable finish I’ve ever seen on a glide bait. You might get a few scratches working it through the rocks, but get it wet, and it goes right back to normal,” notes Hawthorne.

He says the bait is designed to be “ripped and ripped and ripped some more. It’s a fast-thinking deal to get in front of fish.”

The other thing he likes about the new Northland Pitchin’ Puppet design is it eliminates having to cut off nose hooks from three-hook glide bait designs.

“You can catch fish on just about any glide bait on the market, but they lack a well-designed hooking system. That’s what took us the longest with this new design. We knew it needed a perfect rear hook, something with a wide gap to pierce meat and bone and keep fish pinned. Fact is, your glide bait standards were designed for ice, not casting or pitching. If everyone was being honest, they’d admit that one out of three walleyes are snagged on a traditional minnow-style glide bait. Not the case with the new Pitchin’ Puppet; fish are inhaling this lure.”

For Hawthorne, he says working the Pitchin’ Puppet is a “rinse and repeat kind of thing.”

“I like to set the bow-mount trolling motor to .8 to 1 mph and pitch the bait out 60 to 70 feet behind the boat and just sit, pop, and snap jig it,” shares Hawthorne.

With walleyes well into mid-summer patterns, Hawthorne has been fishing the middle 2-3/8”, 5/8-ouncer a lot in deeper waters. “It’s basically your old’ #7, but a little bit more compact and lacking the nose hook.”

Hawthorne also likes the bait for running rocks. “Without the nose hook you don’t get snagged nearly as often as with most glide bait designs. So, I’ve replaced all the glide baits in my boat with Pitchin’ Puppets. It’s not unheard of to fish four or five different bottom substrates on a given day, everything from rock, sand, to mud. Now I don’t have to clip the front hook off to do my job and make things easier for clients. It comes right out of the package ready-to-fish.”

SILVER RACECAR

GOLD SHINER

SUPER-GLO WHITE

SUPER-GLO PERCH

Brilliant Forward-Facing Sonar Returns

As more and more anglers invest in forward-facing sonar to chase $9.99/lb. fillets, it’s worth mentioning that the new Pitchin’ Puppet has an incredible forward-facing sonar signature.

“The bait shows up like a beam of light on forward-facing sonar,” says Hawthorne. “There’s no mistaking that you’re throwing a brand-new bait with a much-improved sonar return. It really lights up.”

Pitchin’ Puppet Proponent

21-year-old ace guide, trophy walleye hunter, TikTok creator, and Pitchin’ Puppet tester, Michael Showalter, has been fishing the bait extensively everywhere from the St. Croix River to northern Ontario—where his family operates the oldest fly-in outfit in the province, Showalter’s Fly-In Outposts.

“It’s been crazy, man. Just nuts. We’ve caught 16 fish 30-inches or bigger already this year, most of them on the new Pitchin Puppet,” says Showalter.

SUPER-GLO CHUB

PINK TIGER

SUPER-GLO REDFISH

PARROT

Showalter’s program?

“I start out looking for walleyes with LiveScope and once I spot ‘em, it’s pretty much game over. If they're stationary, I move right on top of them and drop the Pitchin’ Puppet down and let it hit bottom. I bring the Puppet back up, give it a wrist snap and then let it descend on what I call a ‘controlled fall.’ A lot of times they'll hit it when you first drop it down or after a few snaps. If I can’t get the fish to go within 30 to 45 seconds, I move on and find another one,” notes Showalter.

Besides his current deepwater vertical jigging program, Showalter also spends plenty of time pitching the bait, which jibes with the new lure design. Anytime walleyes are moving, pitching is Showalter’s program.

“Here’s the thing, though. I don't like to pitch more than 60-feet because it’s harder to get a good hookset. But, yeah, if the walleyes are moving around, I'll Spot-Lock in the general area and pitch over to them here and there.”

Showalter continues: “Right now, I’m fishing anywhere from 25 to 35 feet, so I’m using the 5/8-ouncer. Color doesn't seem to matter too much, but I do like the brighter colors on brighter days and dark, natural colors on darker days.”

In terms of 2023 open-water PBs, Showalter has scooped sixteen 30-inchers and one client recently landed a 31.5” on an orange, 5/8-ounce Pitchin’ Puppet.

PURPLE RACECAR

GOLDEN PERCH

WONDERBREAD

PURPLE WONDER

SNEEZE

Showalter’s Puppetry Gear

Given the deeper waters Showalter’s fishing right now, he opts for 10-pound fluorocarbon, bucking the trend of either braid to fluoro leader or the straight-up monofilament used by many glide bait anglers. “I like fluorocarbon because it still has some stretch to it to absorb trophy walleye headshakes,” offers Showalter.

His rod and reel choice is nothing out-of-the-box: a 7’1” medium-power, fast-action spinning rod paired with a 2500-size reel.

Fewer Hook Fouls

Given Northland’s two hook, nose hookless bait design, Showalter says he’s snagging “way fewer” walleyes on the new minnow glide bait.

“Walleyes are inhaling these baits. Honestly, I don't think I've snagged a fish with a Pitchin’ Puppet. Seems like everybody is worried about that front hook being excluded, but the wide-gapped rear hook gets ‘em every time. Set the hook and there’s no coming off. I really like that about them. It’s big fish insurance for me and my guests.”

The other plus? Showalter says his live bait expenses have gone way down.

“I don’t have to spend a bunch of money on live bait when I can pitch or vertical jig the Pitchin' Puppet and catch the big ones.”

The Pattern

Guiding on Lake Pakwash, Ontario, and nearby Lac Seul, Showalter says some Canadian walleyes are currently on a cisco feed, with fish belching up giant forage.

“We caught a 30-incher the other day that had a 15-inch cisco in its throat. I couldn’t believe it. But I saw that big ol’ tail sticking out of there, so I pulled it out. We measured it at over a footlong.”

Showalter has been targeting deep rock structure, typically positioning his big ‘glass tiller off the structure and along hard bottom-to-mud substrate transitions.

“I’m catching most of my fish in that 2-foot from the bottom zone, not suspended way up in the water column,” adds Showalter.

And when he does mark fish suspended over deeper basin areas, he says it can be hard to get those fish to commit because they’re moving off structure to digest their food, not necessarily to chase down another meal. Then, once they’ve digested their prey, they move back on or slightly off nearby structure where Showalter says you can “get a few to go, that’s for sure.”

Details: Pitchin’ Puppet

For decades now, anglers have been using vertical jigging lures like the Northland Puppet Minnow® for casting—and with great success. Now Northland has designed a bait specifically for the job. The Pitchin’ Puppet features a lead frame with an over-molded resin exterior and fin, giving it a lifelike translucent baitfish appearance with exceptional durability. When jigged, snapped, or ripped, the Pitchin’ Puppet darts and rolls to trigger strikes. A wide-gap rear hook – and absence of a front nose hook – make this lure perfect for darting across the bottom, and the split-ring connected treble hook keeps fish pinned all the way back to the boat.

Over-molded resin body and tail that’s extremely durable
Baitfish profile
Wide-gap rear hook for better hooking percentages
Cast and retrieve or vertically jig to create a darting action like a dying minnow
15 Colors
SIZES: 2-inch (5/16 oz.), 2-3/8-inch (5/8 oz.) and 2-3/4-inch (1 oz.)

MSRP $9.99

by AnglersChannel

Two Firsts at KVD’s Final Tournament

Courtesy of Luke Stoner - Dynamic Sponsorships

While Minn Kota Stage Seven may have been the last regular-season event of Kevin VanDam’s unparalleled competitive career, the 33-year tournament veteran still experienced a couple of firsts during his swan song last month. KVD won his first $3,000 bonus from Costa’s popular Compete + Conserve contingency program and was the first angler to wear Costa’s brand new, award-winning King Tide sunglasses at Saginaw Bay.

VanDam was the highest finishing angler wearing Costa Sunglasses with his second-place effort, which awarded him the Compete + Conserve prize and allowed him to choose a conservation partner to receive an additional $500 donation. The money that’s donated to one of five program cause partners directly benefits the freshwater ecosystems we all enjoy. KVD made his donation to The Bass Fishing Hall of Fame.

Anglers of all levels can take advantage of this contingency program if you own a pair of Costas, register online for free, and compete in one of the over 300+ supported events including high school, college, team trails, or professional tournaments. Of course, the opportunity to win bonus money is appealing, but the included conservation payout is what really gets VanDamexcited about Compete + Conserve.

“Throughout my career I’ve always placed a lot of value in partnering with brands who support conservation,” VanDamsaid. “Costa is the ultimate example of that. They champion a myriad of efforts like Kick Plastic, #OneCoast, and the Untangled Series to name a few and they’ve done something really special with Compete + Conserve for us bass fishermen. They don’t just talk the talk; they walk the walk.”

Stage Seven also served as the coming out party for Costa’s new King Tide Sunglasses. The king of tournament bass fishing for the past three decades was honored to be among the first to wear these sunglasses in competition. Two kings rode together on Saginaw Bay.

VanDam first got his hands on the frames at ICAST in July. After trying out a pair during a round of golf, VanDam was so impressed that he immediately struck up a conversation with one of Costa’s engineers and talked him out of a pair of the King Tide 8s with Sunrise Silver Mirror glass lens.

“Even though I figured we’d be well past the spawn at Stage Seven, sight fishing is always key to the way I like to fish in Michigan,” VanDam explained. “The new King Tides (size 8) fit my face like a glove with the full wrap and added side shields to block out light. I knew they would give me an advantage on the water. They only had one or two pairs with the Sunrise Silver lens at ICAST and I just had to have one. I’m glad I did… they are amazing.”

KVD’s intuition proved spot on, as his primary pattern on Saginaw Bay was power-fishing flats for smallmouth with a Strike King Thunder Cricket and a KVD Spinnerbait. His best areas were too shallow to find structure using only electronics, so he relied on his eyes in practice to find isolated rock vanes and weed clumps holding fish.

In fact, VanDam insists that his eyes and new King Tides were crucial in finding the specific spot that produced over 20-lbs of smallmouth at the start of the Knockout Round.

“I was driving my boat across a big flat and I saw one small prime looking weed clump,” VanDam said. “I marked the spot on my Humminbirds and started on that waypoint in the Knockout Round. I ended up catching like 17 fish in 19 casts or something crazy like that. It was magic, and exactly the kind of thing that can happen if you keep your eyes open.”

The Team Toyota pro has produced a lot of magic over the course of his legendary career, and certainly has more in his future during what promises to be an active retirement. The King Tides are officially available on Costas website, www.costadelmar.com, and for information on the Compete + Conserve website follow this link www.costacompeteandconserve.com/.

by AnglersChannel

Bassmaster Redfish Cup heads to South Carolina’s Winyah Bay for 2023

The 2022 defending champions Edward Adams and Sean O'Connell will be among the field when the 2023 Yamaha Bassmaster Redfish Cup Championship presented by Skeeter Boats takes on South Carolina's Winyah Bay Oct. 27-29.

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

September 14, 2023

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Ten teams will compete for their share of a $100,000 purse when the 2023 Yamaha Bassmaster Redfish Cup Championship presented by Skeeter Boats travels to Winyah Bay in Georgetown, S.C., Oct. 27-29.

“We’re excited to bring the Redfish Cup to Georgetown for the first time,” said Tournament Director Hank Weldon. “This is always such a compelling fishery for bass competition, and we expect nothing less for this event. Over the past two years, it's been fun to see a mix of inshore and bass tactics being used, and the competitors, sportfishing fans and viewers have all really embraced this format.”

This made-for-television tournament has been a hit with fishing fans, who streamed a whopping 22.5 million minutes of Redfish Cup coverage in 2022 and can once more look forward to live coverage on both Bassmaster.com and FS1.

Redfish World Series champions Sean O’Connell and Edward Adams took the title last year in Texas, edging out the 2021 Redfish Cup winning team of Bassmaster Elite Series veteran Chris Zaldain and IFA Redfish Tour standout Ryan Rickard.

“The stage that we were fishing and the platform that B.A.S.S. created is unparalleled by anything I’ve ever fished in redfishing,” O’Connell said of the 2022 Redfish Cup event. “We’ve never been able to fish live and have the BassTrakk live standings. People now get to see what we do. This brought redfishing to a new stage, and I can’t thank B.A.S.S. enough.”

In a twist to the format for 2023, each angler can weigh in up to two fish in the 17- to 23-inch slot per day for a total of four fish per team.

Once more the contest will feature a mix of championship-caliber professional redfish teams along with four all-star teams featuring Bassmaster Elite Series pro anglers paired with redfish pros.

Forrest Wood Cup and St. Croix Bassmaster Opens champion Justin Atkins and 2023 Redfish World Series qualifier Rickard, who finished third in the Power-Pole Pro Redfish Tour Team of the Year standings and has two Top 2 finishes in the Bassmaster Redfish Cup.
2019 Progressive Insurance Bassmaster Angler of the Year Scott Canterbury and veteran redfish angler and charter captain Krista Miller, known in many circles as “Krista Redfish.”
Two-time Bassmaster Classic qualifier Ray Hanselman and former FLW Redfish Championship winner Dwayne Eschete, who is making his second appearance on a Bassmaster Redfish Cup all-star team.
2020 TNT B.A.S.S. Nation Champion Pat Schlapper and Charleston-native and popular charter captain, Ben Powers.
These all-star teams will not only be joined by the returning champions O’Connell and Adams, but five additional redfish teams representing the Professional Redfish League, Elite Redfish Series and Power-Pole Pro Redfish Tour will compete as well. Aaron Salazar and Ben Human edged out the team of Ken and Jeff Mullett by five points to win the Power-Pole Pro Redfish Team of the Year title. The remaining teams will be announced at a later date.

Fans can catch Bassmaster Redfish LIVE coverage all three days of the tournament on Bassmaster.com. FS1 will broadcast live Oct. 28-29 beginning at 8 a.m. ET.

The 2023 Yamaha Bassmaster Redfish Cup Championship presented by Skeeter Boats is being hosted by Georgetown County, S.C. This is the event’s first visit to South Carolina since its revival in 2021 after a 12-year hiatus.

"Georgetown County began working with B.A.S.S. in 2015,” said Beth Goodale, director of recreation and community services for Georgetown County. “Since that first event, we have continued to enjoy working with B.A.S.S. and welcome all levels of bass fishing events to our unique coastal fishery. This year, we are thrilled to have the opportunity to welcome this relatively new version of the Bassmaster Redfish Cup to Georgetown County."

by AnglersChannel

Deep Dive with Bernie Schultz - Dissecting Vegetation

This week we wrangled Bassmaster Elite Series Angler Bernie Schultz. Bernie has had a long successful career and one common denominator has been vegetation, so we dive all the way to the "root" of his tips and techniques in this week's AC Insider "Deep Dive". Check it out!

by AnglersChannel

MDJ’s treasured week at sea with no cell service

Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships

Team Toyota’s Mark Daniels Jr. fell in love with fishing as a kid with his dad, while growing up a short cast from San Francisco Bay. In fact, the first 10 years or so of his angling lifestyle had almost nothing to do with largemouth, and everything to do with saltwater.

So, the recent opportunity to finally partake in a ‘long range’ saltwater trip with his close friend Josh, and two dozen other electrician buddies of Josh’s, aboard an 86-foot long boat for a solid week, is an experience the now Alabama resident is still celebrating.

“Josh has been inviting me on this annual late summer trip for at least five years, but my tournament schedule always had a conflict. This year it finally worked out, and I’m already calling it the trip of a lifetime,” says Daniels.

The long-distance trip was a total of seven days, the first two of which were spent running 80 miles to the magical location in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Once there, all heck broke loose as a school of 30 to 60-pound yellowfin tuna tore apart the party’s offering of sardines on weightless lines to the point of tangling a few, before “MDJ” eventually landed the biggest one of the trip. A 59-pounder.

That fish earned him a treasured keepsake in the form of a belt buckle trophy created to honor and remember a gentleman named Kyle who was once a part of the trip, prior to a tragic ATV accident that claimed his life. His parents not only chose to remember Kyle’s love of the trip through the commemorative ‘jackpot fish’ buckle, but actually joined the group as two of the 24 anglers on board.

“Kyle’s parents are obviously pretty special people, and our crew even had photos of him displayed on the boat throughout the trip. We definitely felt his presence,” reflected Daniels.

By the trip’s end, MDJ had landed more than 600 total pounds of fish, which is all being processed and shipped to his South Alabama home. Although, because he adheres to a plant-based diet, he will gladly share most of the formerly finned protein with friends.

“It was 100-percent a trip filled with lessons in fellowship, and the greater meaning of life. Especially with Kyle’s parents on board. Plus,learning how to live at sea for a week with nearly two dozen people I had never met,” he says.

“But the part of the trip that also keeps resonating on me was not having any cell phone service. Social media is a monster that constantly needs to be fed. So, I’m not gonna lie, being able to totally disconnect from it for seven days was something I absolutely treasured too,” says Daniels.

What an incredible week for the lifetime angler. Seven days at sea. Six hundred pounds of fish. A commemorative belt buckle. And an immeasurable amount of soulful peace that precipitated from a week of separation from a digital device most of us think we can’t live without.

by AnglersChannel

Costa Sunglasses casts global release of King Tide, the crowning achievement of Costa’s 40 years on the water

Continuing momentum from its premiere, sold out limited edition release, and ‘Best in Show’ Award at ICAST, the full line of King Tide is now available

JUPITER, Fla. (Sept. 12, 2023) – Building off of the success of its limited pre-release, Costa Sunglasses, manufacturer of the first color-enhancing all-polarized glass sunglass lens, launches the full collection of King Tide, its most advanced and technical sunglass frame to date. Five years in the making, King Tide is a celebration of Costa’s 40 year history on the water, and the culmination of every frame that came before it.

Now available on CostaSunglasses.com and retail partners worldwide, King Tide is built for those who seek performance from their eyewear both on and off the water. For the first time in Costa’s history, this frame is available in two styles – King Tide 6, a six-base frame with a straighter wrap and King Tide 8, a full wrap-around eight base version, giving elite watermen and anglers a choice in style and fit at the highest level of functionality.

Technical specs on both frames include removable side shields for optimal use on and off the water, shark inspired venting to achieve a near impossible zero-fog effect, top of the line sweat management, and the introduction of non-skid hooding to keep your frames exactly where you set them, no matter the conditions. For a behind the scenes look at how these frames came to life, check out the King Tide video here.

Captain Chris Wittman, Co-Founder of Captains for Clean Water, was one of the first pros to put King Tide through the paces in Hawaii, here is what he had to say: “The features, fit, and functionality are second to none, and excelled in every scenario we put them through. From walking bonefish flats, to trolling for wahoo offshore, it is extremely apparent these frames were thoughtfully crafted with the most hardcore anglers and adventurers in mind. From pinnacle products, to supporting an organization rooted in community, Costa does it best. King Tide is a homerun and will be hard to top for years to come.”

This global launch marks the third and final wave of the 40 year celebratory King Tide release, which started in July 2023. King Tide was first available as an avant premiere at select VIP specialty retailers, as a nod to the brick and mortar stores that helped build the Costa brand.

Shortly thereafter, Costa dropped a 40th Anniversary Limited Edition King Tide in a black gold frame and never before seen 580G gold lens. With only 40 frames made in both King Tide 6 and King Tide 8, the $700 collectors items sold out in just over 12 hours. The same week, Costa debuted King Tide at ICAST 2023, where it took home the Best in Show Award in the eyewear category. The coveted award recognizes the sportfishing industry’s innovative and entrepreneurial spirit, and rewards that ingenuity with awards in several categories, including eyewear.

"The moment we've been waiting for all summer is finally here," said John Sanchez, Vice President of Global Product Strategy for Costa Sunglasses. "This frame has been five years in the making and is the product of every lesson we've learned in our 40 year history on the water. The success of our initial launch was more than we could have imagined, as well as the level of psych from pros, partners and the media - it's all been a wild ride, ending in the global release. This frame, and how well it’s been received, is why we love what we do. We are a proud Costa community, united by the water and by a thirst to explore everything it has to offer.”

King Tide is equipped with Costa's cutting-edge polarized 580® glass lens technology, providing exceptional clarity and color enhancement. These scratch-resistant lenses effectively reduce haze and blur, while boosting essential colors for superior definition. Built with Costa's proprietary Bio-Resin, King Tide is also lightweight and maintains the durability necessary for any watery adventure.

MSRP for King Tide 6 and King Tide 8 starts at $329. For more information about King Tide and Costa’s complete collection of award-winning performance, lifestyle and optical frames, visit Costasunglasses.com.

by AnglersChannel

MLF Toyota Series Set to Close Out Northern Division with Event at Potomac River

MARBURY, Md. (Sept. 12, 2023) – The Major League Fishing (MLF) Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats is set to return to Marbury, Maryland, and the Potomac River next week, Sept. 21-23, for the third and final event in the Toyota Series Northern Division Presented by Rabid Baits – the Toyota Series at the Potomac River Presented by Rabid Baits.

The three-day tournament, hosted by the Charles County Board of Commissioners, will feature a roster of the region’s best bass-fishing pros and Strike King co-anglers competing for a top prize of up to $100,000 in the pro division and a new Phoenix 518 Pro boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard motor in the co-angler division.

“I feel like we’ll see some big bags in this tournament but putting it together for three days in a row is going to be the biggest challenge,” said MLF pro Martin Villa of Charlottesville, Virginia, who has two top-10 finishes – including a 4th place showing last year – at the Potomac River. “From everything that I’ve been hearing, the fishing is going to be a little bit tougher on the river this year.

“This time of year it always toughens up, but this year we’ve had a lot of late summer heat and we haven’t had much rain, so the river has high salinity,” Villa continued. “This means that some of the grass will really be blooming out, and some of it will already be dying off. I don’t think you’re going to be able to win this tournament one way, or off of one spot.”

Villa said that he expects he’ll be using his Douglas Bladed Swimjig rod and his Douglas Punching rods extensively, as swimjigs and punching baits will be strong players. He also mentioned that he will have a couple of topwater baits tied on, including a frog.

“It’s going to be a pretty standard September tournament on the Potomac… just a little bit tougher,” Villa went on to say. “If a guy can catch 13 to 14 pounds a day, he’ll do very well. I think if someone can catch 45 pounds over three days, they’ll walk away with it.”

Anglers will launch at 7 a.m. ET each day from Smallwood State Park, located at 2750 Sweden Point Road in Marbury. Weigh-ins will also be held at the State Park and will begin at 3 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend and encouraged to follow the event online through the “MLF Live” weigh-in broadcasts and daily coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

In Toyota Series regular-season competition, payouts are based on the number of participants competing in the event, scaling up for every 20 boats over 160 and scaling down for every boat below 160. With a 160-boat field, pros fish for a top prize of $40,000, plus an extra $35,000 if Phoenix MLF Bonus qualified. Strike King co-anglers cast for the top prize of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard (valued at $33,500). With a 260-boat field, pros fish for a top award of $65,000, plus an extra $35,000 if Phoenix MLF Bonus qualified. Strike King co-anglers cast for the top prize of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard (valued at $33,500) plus $5,000 cash.

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

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

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

by AnglersChannel

MLF Pro Matt Becker Secures Major League Fishing’s 2023 Angler Of the Year Title

Epic Baits Designed by Becker Propel Him to the Coveted AOY Title

Imagine chasing an Angler Of the Year (AOY) title all season, and waiting until the final minutes of the last tournament of the season before realizing you not only won the last event, but also the coveted MLF Bass Pro Tour AOY title you’d been chasing all year! Quite an achievement amidst a rousing chase amongst the top anglers on tour.

Matt Becker’s recent 2023 MLF Bass Pro Tour Angler of the Year title didn’t come without some added stress. It came down to the last minute of the last event before he felt that the AOY title was secured. As Becker explains, “It wasn’t until I could see on the score tracker as the time clock ran down that I had finally won”.

Becker’s primary concern going into the last MLF event was that he didn’t necessarily control his own destiny, relaying, “I really wasn’t in control of the outcome because no matter how high I finished, if Jacob Wheeler finished 4th place or higher, he would win the AOY. I really couldn’t relax and let my guard down and it really didn’t even hit me that I’d actually won until we were driving back to the boat ramp”.

As if that weren’t stressful enough, legendary angler Kevin Van Dam was finishing his pro career on a tear in that last event, racking up heavy bags of smallmouth bass to make a late surge for a storybook ending of winning his last event. As time expired on the tournament and the season, Becker not only held off Van Dam to secure the win at the Minn Kota Stage Seven presented by Suzuki event on Saginaw Bay, but he had the coveted AOY title in his pocket, as well.

Prior to the start of the season, Becker reviewed the schedule. He felt like many of the events fit his wheelhouse. “I really liked the schedule right off the bat, especially the events that were up north, like St. Claire, Cayuga, and Saginaw Bay. I had experience on most of the lakes, so I felt like it set up well for my style of fishing”.

“The one event I was most concerned about was the Kissimmee Chain in Florida because Florida lakes are just so hit or miss. It was my worst event of the season, but still landed a 47th-place finish.”

If there was a key technique during his 2023 AOY run, it was the drop shot, as he fished it both shallow and deep throughout the year. “The drop shot was the most impactful technique for me all season. I put it into play in 5 of the 7 events, and the Epic tungsten tear drop shot weight was what I used in all of them. I like the ¼, ⅜, and ½ oz, depending upon the situation. I caught a lot of spawners on the drop shot but mostly fished it out on deep drop-offs and ledges. It’s such a versatile technique that you can use a drop shot all over the lake. I generally prefer to fish offshore, so that’s what I usually look for, but the drop shot played a factor from the bank to the middle of the lake for me in ‘23”.

When fishing the drop shot for smallmouths, Becker prefers the Yamamoto Shad Shape worm, relying on his own custom color when presenting to smallmouth, Becker’s Magic Juice. As he explains, “That color is available exclusively at FishUSA.comand I used it a lot at Saginaw, Bay, and Cayuga to catch smallmouths on beds. I really like the profile of the Shad Shape Worm for smallmouths. For largemouths, I’ll typically go with a longer profile like the Yamamoto Pro Senko”.

The other lure Becker relied upon during his AOY run was the Epic Compact Swim Jig. As he describes, “There were a few key fish at Saginaw Bay on the Epic Compact Swim Jig, but that jig also accounted for some good fish for me at Kissimmee”. The Epic Compact Swim Jig has a strong 3/0-4/0 Gamakatsu hook with a 30-degree angle, giving the jig a smaller, more weedless profile that comes through heavy cover well, be it wood or vegetation. Black Back Shad and Bone Crusher are the two colors Becker utilized for his swim jig catches in ‘23.

The 2024 Bass Pro Tour dates have already been announced and you can bet Matt Becker will have drop shot and swim jig in hand for most every event on the schedule.

by AnglersChannel

MASSIVE Outdoors Online Auction

Online Auction Includes Bucket List Trips, Fishing/Hunting Gear, and Much More

Rogers, Minn. (September 12, 2023) — MN-FISH is proud to announce the “World’s Greatest Fishing & Hunting Auction.” This online-only auction boasts more than 40 items, including one-of-a-kind experiences, outdoor gear and much more! Bidding starts at 10:00 a.m. CST, Tuesday, September 12, at MN-FISH.com and closes Sunday, September 17, at 9:00 PM CST.

All funds raised will support MN-FISH’s legislative work. Earlier this year, MN-FISH helped secure an historic $98.1 million state investment benefitting Minnesota anglers. The funding will help modernize the state’s aging fish hatcheries and boat accesses, as well as improve shorefishing opportunities for urban anglers, fight the live bait shortage and expansion of Invasive carp in the state, and more.

Per MN-FISH president Ron Schara: “We made some huge advances in influencing the state’s allocation of funds to improve fishing infrastructure, but our work is far from done and proceeds from this auction are dedicated to continuing our efforts at the legislature and DNR.”

Along those lines, MN-Fish has been working diligently with its growing community of supporters, everyone from state anglers, bait shops, manufacturers, outdoor TV/radio/social media personalities, fishing guides, manufacturers, to bring a unified voice to St. Paul to the benefit of state anglers across all ages, genders, and ethnicities.

“What better way to raise funds than by bringing together Minnesota anglers and other outdoor enthusiasts, guides, manufacturers and others who care about the future of Minnesota fishing. Their support of MN-FISH is what gives us the strength to get things done in St. Paul,” said Mark Holsten, MN-FISH Executive Director and former DNR commissioner.

“This auction just proves how much Minnesota’s natural resources mean to Minnesotans and others across the country who travel here to fish,” said MN-FISH board member Steve Pennaz. “This auction will not only help raise funds to continue MN-FISH work, it also offers enthusiasts experiences that are not available anywhere else.

Here are just a few MN-Fish Auction Items Include (updates being made daily):

All-Inclusive 2 Day/3 Night Pheasant Hunt for two – The Grand Lodge, Highmore, South Dakota
All-Inclusive 2 Day/3 Night Grouse Hunt for two – Pineridge Grouse Camp, Remer, Minnesota
4-Person 3 Day/3 Night Guided Waterfowl Hunt – Maxxed Out Guide Service
MN WILD Game Tickets and Experience Package
All-Inclusive 2 Day/3 Night Pheasant Hunt for two – Hidden Hill Lodge
Humminbird Ice Helix 9 MSI G4N MEGA Live Ice Fishing Bundle
Private Factory Tour of St. Croix Rods (plus take home 5 rods!) – Park Falls, Wisconsin
1 Day, 2 Night Lodging and Ice Fishing at Sportsman’s Lodge – Lake of the Woods,
2 Day, 3 Night Lodging and Ice Fishing at West Wind Resort – Red Lake, Minnesota
2024 Duck/Goose Hunting Package at Woodland Resort/Northern Flight Guide Service – Devils Lake, Minnesota
Dream Fly-In Fishing Trip to Alaska’s Legend Lodge
Eat, Sleep & Fish Ice Fishing Package at Twin Pines Resort – Mille Lacs Lake, Minnesota
Federal Ammunition Factory Tour Experience (and go home with two cases of shotgun ammo)
Fishing Adventure with Babe Winkelman
Florida Guided Bass Fishing with Capt. Brad Leifermann
Frankie’s Marine Gift Cards
Guided Bow Fishing by Edge Bowfishing
Guided Fishing Trip with Butch Furtman
Fall Fishing with Steve Pennaz
Assorted gear from Abu Garcia, Humminbird, CLAM, Upland Gun Company, and more.

“We’re very grateful for support on all sides,” said MN-Fish executive director Mark Holsten. “Since its launch, the main goal of MN-FISH has been to improve the quality of fishing throughout the state. From day one, several members of the state’s fishing community have volunteered to bring anglers’ voices to the Capitol through non-profit MN-FISH, and it is working.”

“Governor Walz and Commissioner Strommen listened to what our collective voices had to say—and they’ve responded in a huge way. This is a great moment that demonstrates policy makers’ commitment to making sure Minnesota’s reputation as one of the top recreational fishing states in the nation continues to hold true."

by AnglersChannel

AC Insider Podcast - ROY Joey Cifuentes and a Deep Dive in the Weeds

by AnglersChannel

BASS FISHING HOF TO HONOR ‘23 INDUCTEES – KICKS OFF ‘CELEBRATE BASS FISHING WEEK’ LATER THIS MONTH

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – For Immediate Release – September 11, 2023 – The Bass Fishing Hall of Fame invites anyone who has a passion for the sport of bass fishing to its ‘Celebrate Bass Fishing Week’ activities. The week of activities will culminate on Thursday, September 28^th with an induction ceremony honoring Glen Andrews for his early tournament efforts, the late Bruce Holt for his work on modern-day bass rod development and expanding the bass fishing world, and accomplished pro bass angler Michael Iaconelli for his impact on the sport. They will be formally enshrined into the Hall that evening at Johnny Morris’ Wonders of Wildlife Museum & Aquarium. The activities on September 28^th include a special plaque-unveiling ceremony sponsored by Phoenix Boats within the Hall’s venue at WOW, a meet and greet reception with past inductees, dinner sponsored by B.A.S.S. at the White River Conference Center, followed by acceptance speeches by inductees or their family representatives.

“Since the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame established a home within Wonders of Wildlife in 2017, the Hall’s annual induction ceremony and all of our activities surrounding it have become a prominent event in the sportfishing world,” said BFHOF Board President John Mazurkiewicz. “Not only do past Hall inductees, current pro anglers on the B.A.S.S. and MLF circuits, and many of the leading fishing and marine brands support the event, our efforts in growing the prominence of the Hall because of it has enabled the HOF Board to do more in supporting conservation projects to benefit bass fishing and bass anglers. We’ve also been able to encourage high school and college students to pursue fishery management careers with our scholarship program. Our past and new Hall inductees can take credit that their efforts in the sport of bass fishing will only help it continue to grow.”

To support the Hall’s ‘Celebrate – Promote – Preserve’ mission in the bass fishing world, along with honoring Andrews, Holt, and Iaconelli for their efforts in the sport, anglers throughout the U.S. and Canada can participate in its ‘Celebrate Bass Fishing’ online auction sponsored by Major League Fishing starting on Friday, September 22^nd (https://bit.ly/AuctionHOF). Here’s just a short list of some of the major items up for bid:

‘Bucket List’ fishing trip with bass fishing legend and HOF’er Bill Dance.
Tournament jerseys from leading professional bass anglers.
Original artwork from noted fishing/wildlife illustrator Doug Schermer.
Fishing trips with leading MLF pro anglers including BFHOF inductees Tommy Biffle and Mark Davis, reigning Bass Pro Tour Angler-of-the-Year and Rookie-of-the-Year Matt Becker, Skeet Reese, Mark Rose, Jeremy Lawyer, Roy Hawk, Jacob Wall, Ryan Salzman, Fred Roumbanis, Jonathon VanDam, Alex Davis, and Kyle Hall, along with 2023 Bassmaster Classic winner ‘Gussy’ Gustafson, and Brandon Palaniuk among others.
Rods, reels and lures from leading brands including Daiwa, Strike King, Lew’s, PRADCO brands, Rapala, Big Bite Baits, SPRO, Sunline, St. Croix, Shimano, Googan Baits, Bass Mafia, American Tackle, Mustad, Abu Garcia, Berkley, Plano, Falcon Rods, Trika, and Bizz Baits.
Technical fishing clothing from AFTCO, Simms, HUK, and Marsh Wear, plus apparel from Mossy Oak, Toyota and Mercury Marine.
Coolers and drinkware from PacBak, Yeti, Igloo, and Dometic.
Fishing adventures including big bass action and a gator hunt at Grosse Savanne Resort in Louisiana, smallmouth bass fishing trips on Lake St. Clair, the St. Lawrence River and Cayuga Lake, and snakehead fishing on the Potomac River with Fat Cat Newton,
Unique tour packages from the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio and the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, along with a VIP experience at an upcoming Whiskey Myers concert.
Hunting items from Burris Optics, Sig Sauer, Summit Treestands, Moultrie, and more.

The online auction can be accessed by bass fishing enthusiasts throughout the U.S. and Canada on their smartphones by texting bfhof to 243-725 or BidPal.net/bfhof

The Bass Fishing Hall of Fame wishes to acknowledge the generous financial support provided by presenting sponsors B.A.S.S., Major League Fishing, Phoenix Boats; gold sponsors Bass Pro Shops/Cabela’s, PRADCO Outdoor Brands, Wired2fish and; silver sponsors AFTCO, Daiwa, Rapala, Rather Outdoors, and Shimano; and bronze sponsors St. Croix, Simms Fishing, Sunline, Bass Fishing Archives, Yamaha Marine, and Costa Compete & Conserve.

A limited number of tickets to the HOF induction ceremonies and dinner remain available until Friday, September 22^nd , or until the White River Conference Center facility reaches its capacity limits. To purchase tickets and/or tables – visit bidpal.net/bfhof - or contact Barbara Bowman at bbowman@bassfishinghof.com or call 501.541.6601.

by AnglersChannel

Louisiana’s Riverdale Academy Bassmasters Wins MLF High School Fishing Open Tournament on Sam Rayburn Reservoir

BROOKELAND, Texas (Sept. 11, 2023) – Louisiana’s Riverdale Academy Bassmasters team of Colton Caskey of Campti, Louisiana, and Ryan Procell of Robline, Louisiana, brought four bass to the scale Saturday weighing 12 pounds, 6 ounces, to win the MLF High School Fishing Presented by Favorite Fishing Open at Sam Rayburn Reservoir in Brookeland, Texas.

A field of 49 teams competed in the no-entry fee tournament, which was hosted by the Jasper County Development District. In MLF High School Fishing competition, the top 10 percent of teams competing advance to the High School Fishing National Championship.

The top four teams that advanced to the 2024 High School Fishing National Championship are:

1st: Riverdale Academy, Coushatta, La. – Colton Caskey and Ryan Procell, four bass, 12-6
2nd: Hornbeck High School, Hornbeck, La. – Brayden Jett and Carter Ward, two bass, 11-4
3rd: East Beauregard High School, DeRidder, La. – Collin Nortman and Dalton Watson, five bass, 11-3
4th: Highland Park High School, Dallas, Texas – Cullum Brown and Dylan Sorrells, five bass, 11-2

Rounding out the top 10 teams were:

5th: Montgomery High School, Montgomery, Texas – Brenner Kirklin and Jacob Riley, five bass, 10-13
6th: Melissa High School, Melissa, Texas – Camden Sarrett and Andrew Waters, five bass, 10-3
7th: Ruston High School, Ruston, La. – Zachary McMillan and Ethan Thrash, five bass, 9-3
8th: Broken Bow High School, Broken Bow, La. – Levi Lawrence and Aaron Willis, five bass, 8-14
9th: Caldwell Parish High School, Columbia, La. – Courtney Martinez and Jackson McClanahan, four bass, 8-14
10th: McCracken County High School, Paducah, Ky. – Nick Hayes and Harley Valerius, five bass, 8-13

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

MLF High School Fishing presented by Favorite 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, advance to the 2024 High School Fishing National Championship.

The High School Fishing National Champions each receive a $5,000 college scholarship to the school of their choice and advance to the 2024 MLF Toyota Series Championship to compete as co-anglers.

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

by AnglersChannel

LSU-Shreveport Wins MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing Tournament on Sam Rayburn Reservoir

BROOKELAND, Texas (Sept. 11, 2023) – The Louisiana State University (LSU)-Shreveport duo of Brayden Nichols of Blanchard, Louisiana, and William Tew of Bossier City, Louisiana, won the MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI event on Sam Rayburn Reservoir Presented by Crock-O-Gator Friday with a five-bass limit weighing 20 pounds, 12 ounces. The victory earned the Pilots’ bass club $2,000 and a qualification into the 2024 MLF College Fishing National Championship.

“Our morning spot didn’t really work out,” said Tew. “We caught two little ones there. We had a bunch of brush piles we were going to run throughout the day, so we ended up hitting them pretty early.”

Tew said the team targeted brush piles in 15 to 20 feet of water in the San Augustine Park area of Rayburn, and fished their targets slowly with a Zoom Magnum Trick Worm on a shaky-head rig. Their tactic produced eight bass during the tournament – all keepers.

“We caught a 5-pounder and a 6-pounder when we got to our first brush piles,” Tew said. “We kind of beat around for the fifth fish and finally caught it. We weeded through a bunch of 2-pounders, and about 11 o’clock we went back to where we caught the two big ones and caught a 6½-pounder.

“It felt good to start the season off with a win, and it’s a real credit to the whole team - my teammates and our coach, as well as my family,” Tew added.

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

1st: LSU-Shreveport – Braden Nichols, Blanchard, La., and William Tew, Bossier City, La., five bass, 20-12, $2,000
2nd: McKendree University – Grant Olsen, Gardner, Ill., and Evan Sutton, Highland, Ill., five bass, 18-5, $1,000
3rd: Tarleton State-Stephenville – Sam Semper, Parker, Texas, five bass, 17-2, $700
4th: Tarleton State-Stephenville – Clayton Easter and Trevor Easter, both of Morgan, Texas, five bass, 17-0, $600
5th: Arkansas Tech University – Kanon Harmon, Benton, Ark., and Cody McEntire, Walnut Ridge, Ark., five bass, 16-3, $500
6th: Louisiana Tech University – Colby Dark, West Monroe, La., five bass, 15-5
7th: Tarleton State-Stephenville – Garett Cadenhead, Fort Worth, Texas, and Jared Mizell, Pearland, Texas, five bass, 14-12
8th: Northeastern State University-Tahlequah – Grayson Hudson, Keifer, Okla., and Matthew Huffman, Park Hill, Okla., five bass, 14-11
9th: Texas A&M – Reid Farris, Adkins, Texas, and Sid Wallace, San Angelo, Texas, five bass, 14-5
10th: Stephen F. Austin – Ben Burns, Lucas, Texas, and Ian Nash, Melissa, Texas, five bass, 14-4

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

The Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI event on Sam Rayburn Reservoir was hosted by the Jasper County Development District. The next event for College Fishing anglers will be the Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI event on Lake Hartwell, Oct. 27 in Anderson, South Carolina.

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

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

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

by AnglersChannel

Hudson Posts Long-Awaited Victory at Two-Day Phoenix Bass Fishing League Super Tournament on Kerr Lake

Garner Wins Strike King Co-Angler Division

HENDERSON, N.C. (Sept. 11, 2023) – Boater Derik Hudson of Concord, Virginia, caught 10 bass weighing 31 pounds, 10 ounces, to win the two-day MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on Kerr Lake in Henderson, North Carolina. The tournament was the fifth and final regular-season event for the Phoenix Bass Fishing League Piedmont Division. Hudson earned $7,017 for his victory.

“I got to practice Friday, but I didn’t find anything that was really awesome,” said Hudson, who has posted 22 top-10 finishes in MLF events. “I know this place fishes tough, so I felt good that I found some fish.

“On the first day, I went to a spot and caught three fish, one of which was a 3½-pound spotted bass,” Hudson added. “I was headed up the lake and saw fish bust in front of me. I felt the Lord was leading me there, so I turned around and caught just about all of my 16 pounds the first day on that spot – a spot I had never fished before.”

Hudson said he returned to the same spot on the second day of competition, but it produced no bass. He didn’t panic; he relied on his faith to keep him calm. His next spot produced the 15 pounds he weighed Sunday.

Hudson said he fished mid-lake – from the dam to just above Rudd’s Creek Recreation area – and targeted bass with a Missile Baits Magic Worm in the Missile Morning color on a drop-shot rig. A Heddon Zara Spook and soft jerkbaits were also key baits for Hudson.

“Anything is possible on Kerr Lake, but when I culled my last bass, I knew someone would have to really catch them to beat me,” Hudson said. “If I finished second, third or fourth, I could not have complained about this tournament. I had a phenomenal two days of fishing.

“I’ve heard so many stories of ‘when it’s your time it’s your time,’” Hudson added. “The Lord provided. To fish 100 tournaments with MLF and then win the 101^st … to finally get that win … wow. It’s amazing.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1st:          Derik Hudson, Concord, Va., 10 bass, 31-10, $7,017
2nd:        Brandon Gray, Bullock, N.C., 10 bass, 26-15, $2,759
3rd:        Bryan Elrod, Mechanicsville, Va., 10 bass, 26-7, $1,839
4th:         Tommy Jones, Salisbury, N.C., 10 bass, 26-4, $1,287
5th:         Tyler Trent, Nathalie, Va., 10 bass, 26-3, $1,603 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
6th:         Michael Birr, Franklinton, N.C., 10 bass, 26-0, $1,012
7th:         Chad Poteat, Mount Airy, N.C., 10 bass, 25-10, $1,500
8th:         Tyler Purcell, Townsville, N.C., 10 bass, 23-12, $828
9th:         Richard Hodges, Jr., Camden, N.C., eight bass, 23-11, $736
10th:      Logan Odum, Lumberton, N.C., nine bass, 21-13, $644

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Steven Lahr of Port Charlotte, Florida, had a bass that weighed 6 pounds, 7 ounces that was the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $720.

Dan Garner of Littleton, North Carolina, won the Strike King Co-angler Division and $2,759 Sunday after catching a two-day total of eight bass weighing 20 pounds, 15 ounces.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:

1st:          Dan Garner, Littleton, N.C., eight bass, 20-15, $2,759
2nd:        Dustin Riddle, Hiwassee, Va., nine bass, 19-8, $1,379
3rd:        Robert Wedding, Welcome, Md., six bass, 17-0, $1,469
4th:         Tim Privette Jr., Wendell, N.C., six bass, 15-7, $644
5th:         Cornell Badra, Clarksburg, Md., five bass, 13-2, $552
6th:         Wes House, Knightdale, N.C., six bass, 12-13, $506
7th:         Tony Toombs, Drakes Branch, Va., six bass, 12-11, $460
8th:         Craig Ferguson, Emporia, Va., six bass, 11-10, $414
9th:         Kristofer Goin, Farmville, Va., six bass, 11-5, $368
10th:      Bud Amend, Pleasant Garden, N.C., five bass, 10-10, $322

Terrell Mann of Oxford, North Carolina, caught the largest bass in the Strike King Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 4 pounds, 5 ounces. The catch earned him the Berkley Big Bass Co-angler award of $360.

With the regular season now complete, boater Evan White of Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina, won the 2023 Bass Fishing League Piedmont Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with a five-event total of 1,328 points to earn the $1,000 boater AOY award. Robert Wedding of Welcome, Maryland, won the 2023 Strike King Co-Angler Piedmont Division AOY race with 1,333 points and earned the $500 Strike King Co-angler of the Year award.

Now, the top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will advance to compete in the Oct. 5-7 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship 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.

by AnglersChannel

Lawrence Dominates Two-Day Phoenix Bass Fishing League Super Tournament on Pickwick Lake

Gray Tops Strike King Co-Angler Division

IUKA, Miss. (Sept. 11, 2023) – Boater Jake Lawrence of Paris, Tennessee, caught 10 bass weighing 51 pounds, 2 ounces, to win the two-day MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on Pickwick Lake in Iuka, Mississippi, by more than 20 pounds over the second-place finisher. The tournament was the fifth and final regular-season event for the Bass Fishing League Mississippi Division. Lawrence earned $5,690 for his victory.

Lawrence’s 20-pound, 11-ounce margin of victory was the second-largest winning margin in BFL history. Only Anthony Sharp’s 21-5 margin at Sam Rayburn Reservoir in 2020 was higher.

“It’s well known that Pickwick is fishing tough,” Lawrence said. “These fish are somewhere; they don’t just disappear. In my mind, when you have a big tournament with this caliber of anglers in it, and the weights are low, we’re just not fishing around them. So, I came into this with an open mind and tried not to fish like I generally do. And that’s what led me to the pattern I eventually ended up fishing. It was focused on where the bait was.”

Lawrence said he caught bass in depths from 5 feet to 28 feet in various locations, but one factor remained constant – the bass were found where baitfish were present.

“You just have to cover a lot of water in a situation like that,” Lawrence said. “It’s tough to put a finger on where you even start like that. I just put the trolling motor down and it just kind of led me to what it was. It wasn’t one specific area.”

Lawrence said he fished water from Bear Creek to the dam, but did not focus on a particular or recurring feature or pattern. His bait of choice was a 4-inch Jenko Fishing Booty Shaker Swimbaitin no particular color.

“It seemed like I could catch every 3.20- to 3.80-pound fish in the lake, but when I finally came across a 5-pounder he would just follow my swimbait until he got to the trolling motor,” Lawrence said. “There was an acre or two out there where the bait was just kind of hanging out. And you could find those little zones, and they would be packed. There was no specific target; I was out there hunting and pecking.”

Lawrence posted a Toyota Series win at Kentucky-Barkley Lakes in April and has finished first in other local tournaments this year as well.

“It’s been a fun year,” Lawrence said. “I’m looking forward to the future.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1st:          Jake Lawrence, Paris, Tenn., 10 bass, 51-2, $5,690
2nd:        Banks Shaw, Harrison, Tenn., 10 bass, 30-7, $2,845
3rd:        Chaz McMahan, Saint Joseph, Tenn., 10 bass, 28-13, $1,897
4th:         Justin Bussey, Fulton, Miss., 10 bass, 28-10, $1,328
5th:         Charles Watts, Corinth, Miss., 10 bass, 28-3, $1,138
6th:         Trent Suratt, Lawrenceburg, Tenn., 10 bass, 27-11, $1,043
7th:         Ty Cox, Iuka, Miss., nine bass, 27-10, $948
8th:         Justin Atkins, Florence, Ala., nine bass, 27-8, $853
9th:         Carl Lovett, Mt. Pleasant, Tenn., nine bass, 27-3, $759
10th:      Monty Yeager, Florence, Ala., nine bass, 25-10, $664

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Larry Jenkins of Memphis, Tennessee, had a bass that weighed 5 pounds, 11 ounces that was the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $742.

Brayden Gray of Pontotoc, Mississippi, won the Strike King Co-angler Division and $2,599 Sunday after catching a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 33 pounds, 3 ounces.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:

1st:          Brayden Gray, Pontotoc, Miss., 10 bass, 33-3, $2,599
2nd:        Johnny Suratt, Lawrenceburg, Tenn., eight bass, 20-5, $1,299
3rd:        Scott Kirk, Houston, Miss., seven bass, 19-2, $867
4th:         Daniel Corkern, Florence, Miss., six bass, 18-10, $956
5th:         Vernon Hearn, Lena, Miss., four bass, 13-6, $520
6th:         C.J. Holbrook, Smithville, Miss., four bass, 13-0, $476
7th:         Lewis Ritchie, Bogalusa, La., five bass, 11-3, $433
8th:         Nathan Moore, Coffeeville, Miss., six bass, 10-14, $390
9th:         Todd South, Florence, Ala., three bass, 9-5, $346
10th:      Reggie Thornton, Columbus, Miss., three bass, 8-12, $303

Richie Madison of Jasper, Alabama, caught the largest bass in the Strike King Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 5 pounds, 8 ounces. The catch earned him the Berkley Big Bass Co-angler award of $326.

With the regular season now complete, boater Taurian Parks of Clinton, Mississippi, won the 2023 Bass Fishing League Mississippi Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with a five-event total of 1,273 points to earn the $1,000 boater AOY award. Hunter Averett of Carriere, Mississippi, won the 2023 Strike King Co-Angler Mississippi Division AOY race with 1,321 points and earned the $500 Strike King Co-angler of the Year award.

by AnglersChannel

Thompson Adapts to Conditions, Wins Two-Day Phoenix Bass Fishing League Super Tournament on the St. Lawrence River

Coatesville Angler Also Records Back-to-Back Angler of the Year Titles

MASSENA, N.Y. (Sept. 11, 2023) – Boater Joseph Thompson of Coatesville, Pennsylvania, caught 10 bass weighing 44 pounds, 5 ounces, to win the two-day MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on the St. Lawrence River in Massena, New York. The tournament was the fifth and final regular-season event for the Bass Fishing League Northeast Division. Thompson earned $12,806 for his victory, including the lucrative $7,000 Phoenix MLF contingency bonus.

“The conditions on the days of competition for the tournament were unlike any of the practice days,” Thompson said. “Practice was sunny, with good wind direction, and then the tournament was overcast with a northeast wind. It really backed the current up. It had fish positioned a little differently, and the first couple of hours each morning it took me a bit to figure it out and see how they had repositioned.”

Thompson said he didn’t land his first bass Sunday until 10 a.m., and caught most of his weigh fish between 10 and 1 p.m. He fished the Brockville area and relied primarily on a Carolina rig and a drop-shot rig for his bass around steep ledges off points in 30 feet of water.

Thompson entered the Super Tournament needing the win to secure his second-consecutive Northeast Division Angler of the Year title.

“I thought I was going to be a little short when it was all said and done, to be honest with you,” Thompson said. “I was surprised when I won.

“The win feels so good,” Thompson added. “The caliber of fishermen in the BFLs is unbelievable. Everywhere you go it’s the best of the local guys fishing in them. It’s an unbelievable talent pool.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1st:          Joseph Thompson, Coatesville, Pa., 10 bass, 44-5, $12,806 (includes $7,000 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
2nd:        Ethan Carr, Massena, N.Y., 10 bass, 41-0, $2,403
3rd:        Kent Compo, Brasherfalls, N.Y., 10 bass, 40-15, $1,603
4th:         Lane Olson, Forest Grove, Ore., 10 bass, 40-10, $1,121
5th:         Christopher Sperling, Cato, N.Y., 10 bass, 40-2, $961
6th:         Clay Reece, Lexington, Ky., 10 bass, 39-12, $881
7th:         Brett Carnright, Plattsburgh, N.Y., 10 bass, 38-10, $1,378
8th:         Douglas Reed, Bridgeton, N.J., 10 bass, 38-8, $721
9th:         Ethan McMahon, Swanton, Vt., nine bass, 38-4, $641
10th:      Jonathan Robla, Lisbon, N.Y., 10 bass, 37-11, $561

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Brett Carnright of Plattsburgh, New York, had a bass that weighed 5 pounds, 10 ounces that was the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $577.

Christopher Dam of Staatsburg, New York, won the Strike King Co-angler Division and $2,972 Sunday after catching a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 40 pounds, 1 ounce.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:

1st:          Christopher Dam, Staatsburg, N.Y., 10 bass, 40-1, $2,972
2nd:        Eric Baba, Plainville, Ct., 10 bass, 35-10, $1,186
3rd:        Justin Harant, Havertown, Pa., 10 bass, 35-9, $792
4th:         Matt Hummel, Dillsburg, Pa., 10 bass, 35-4, $838
5th:         Cory Germano, Staatsburg, N.Y., 10 bass, 32-5, $624
6th:         Michael Bahnweg, Union Dale, Pa., nine bass, 29-9, $435
7th:         John Alexander, Mt. Airy, Md., nine bass, 29-8, $395
8th:         Jimmy Papineau, Staatsburg, N.Y., 10 bass, 29-1, $356
9th:         Alexandre Jelev, Petawawa, Ont., 10 bass, 27-14, $316
10th:      Avery Shoemaker, Oakwood, Ga., 10 bass, 27-0, $277

Matt Hummel of Dillsburg, Pennsylvania, caught the largest bass in the Strike King Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 5 pounds, 14 ounces. The catch earned him the Berkley Big Bass Co-angler award of $285.

With the regular season now complete, boater Joseph Thompson of Coatesville, Pennsylvania, won the 2023 Bass Fishing League Northeast Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with a five-event total of 1,274 points to earn the $1,000 boater AOY award. Michael Bahnweg of Union Dale, Pennsylvania, won the 2023 Strike King Co-Angler Northeast Division AOY race with 1,281 points and earned the $500 Strike King Co-angler of the Year award.

Now, the top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will advance to compete in the Oct. 5-7 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship 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.

by AnglersChannel

Redwine Wins Two-Day Phoenix Bass Fishing League Super Tournament on Lake Erie

Shope Tops Strike King Co-Angler Division

SANDUSKY, Ohio (Sept. 11, 2023) – Boater Alex Redwine of Cincinnati, Ohio, caught 10 bass weighing 43 pounds, 9 ounces, to win the two-day MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on Lake Erie Presented by Rabid Baits in Sandusky, Ohio. The tournament was the fifth and final regular-season event for the Bass Fishing League Buckeye Division Presented by Rabid Baits. Redwine earned $6,121 for his victory.

“I didn’t really know how the first day was going to go, because it was very windy,” said Redwine. “There was a lot of north wind making 4- and 5-foot waves, and it took me a while to get to my area where I was fishing. Once I got there, I was able to bounce around three places where I caught key fish.

“Day 2 was a lot calmer and there wasn’t as much sun, which made the bite a little more difficult,” Redwine went on to say. “I was still around the right size of fish; I just couldn’t get them to bite as well. I did find one new area where I caught two or three key fish.”

Redwine said he focused his efforts on an island and fished 15 to 25 feet deep and targeted patches of rock or isolated boulders where baitfish were present. He said he switched between a Ned rig and a drop-shot rig to catch his bass.

“I thought once I got over 20 pounds that I had a pretty good shot at winning and guys would have to really catch them to beat me,” Redwine said. “The guy that came in second by one ounce, Jeremy, is a long-time best friend of mine, so that was pretty cool for us to finish 1-2. We’ve both put a lot of time on the water here, and for us to both do really good was just awesome.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1st:          Alex Redwine, Cincinnati, Ohio, 10 bass, 43-9, $6,121
2nd:        Jeremy Reese, Powell, Ohio, 10 bass, 43-8, $3,560 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
3rd:        Dick Parker, Lorain, Ohio, 10 bass, 40-3, $2,291
4th:         Sean Wieda, Alexandria, Ky., 10 bass, 36-14, $1,428
5th:         Wilson Burton, Findlay, Ohio., 10 bass, 34-5, $1,724
6th:         Chris King, South Amherst, Ohio, 10 bass, 33-15, $1,122
7th:         Lawrence Clontz, Trenton, Ohio, 10 bass, 33-11, $1,020
8th:         Dan Fry, Marysville, Ohio, 10 bass, 29-0, $2,088
9th:         Bob Logan, Waynesfield, Ohio, 10 bass, 28-5, $816
10th:      Dakota Stiltner, Sheffield Lake, Ohio, 10 bass, 28-0, $714

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Dan Fry of Marysville, Ohio, had a bass that weighed 5 pounds, 1 ounce that was the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $840.

Douglas Shope of Arcanum, Ohio, won the Strike King Co-angler Division and $3,060 Sunday after catching a two-day total of nine bass weighing 34 pounds, 14 ounces.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:

1st:          Douglas Shope, Arcanum, Ohio, nine bass, 34-14, $3,060
2nd:        Tyler Land, Coatsville, Ind., 10 bass, 33-4, $1,530
3rd:        Dayton Land, Coatsville, Ind., 10 bass, 27-8, $1,020
4th:         Adam Radovic, Brecksville, Ohio, 10 bass, 24-11, $714
5th:         Logan Kaplon, Rural Valley, Pa., 10 bass, 23-14, $612
6th:         Terry Bucciarelli, Ypsilanti, Mich., nine bass, 22-14, $1,331
7th:         Drew Crawford, Knightstown, Ind., 10 bass, 22-12, $510
8th:         Walter Hammond, Lees Summit, Mo., eight bass, 21-12, $659
9th:         Colten Didion, Port Clinton, Ohio, nine bass, 21-6, $408
10th:      Dylan Sibley, Strasburg, Ohio, six bass, 21-2, $357

Terry Bucciarelli of Ypsilanti, Michigan, caught the largest bass in the Strike King Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 4 pounds, 15 ounces. The catch earned him the Berkley Big Bass Co-angler award of $420.

With the regular season now complete, boater Chris Martinkovic of Hamilton, Ohio, won the 2023 Bass Fishing League Buckeye Division Presented by Rabid Baits Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with a five-event total of 1,266 points to earn the $1,000 boater AOY award. Steve Sorrell of Beavercreek, Ohio, won the 2023 Strike King Co-Angler Buckeye Division Presented by Rabid Baits AOY race with 1,276 points and earned the $500 Strike King Co-angler of the Year award.

Now, the top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will advance to compete in the Oct. 5-7 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship 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.

by AnglersChannel

19-Year-Old Lachniet Posts Second Victory at Two-Day Phoenix Bass Fishing League Super Tournament on Dale Hollow Lake

Crider Tops Strike King Co-Angler Division

BYRDSTOWN, Tenn. (Sept. 11, 2023) – Boater Ryan Lachniet of Gum Spring, Virginia, caught six bass weighing 25 pounds, 5 ounces, to win the two-day MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on Dale Hollow Lake in Byrdstown, Tennessee. The tournament was the fifth and final regular-season event for the Bass Fishing League Mountain Division. Lachniet earned $5,387 for his victory.

“This was a good tournament for me,” said the 19-year-old Lachniet, who now has two BFL wins under his belt. “Sunday, at 8 o’clock, I caught a big smallmouth that weighed 4-14. I knew that if I could catch just two more 4-pounders I would probably win it. It took all day, but I eventually caught those two 4s.”

Lachniet said he focused the majority of his fishing near Sulphur Creek Resort and targeted suspended fish with a 3.3-inch Keitech Swing Impact FAT Swimbait. Lachniet said his method produced 25 to 30 bass between 2½ and 4 pounds each day of the tournament.

“Once I culled out a 3½-pounder with a 4-1, I was pretty confident,” Lachniet said. “I knew it was going to be close, but I was hoping I had enough.

“This win is pretty awesome,” Lachniet added. “I’ve been fishing BFLs for two years now and fished my first one when I was 17 on the James River.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1st:          Ryan Lachniet, Gum Spring, Va., six bass, 25-5, $5,387
2nd:        Jacob Woods, Louden, Tenn., six bass, 24-12, $2,694
3rd:        Evan Fields, Shelbyville, Ky., six bass, 24-9, $1,795
4th:         Ryan Davidson, Branchland, W.V., six bass, 24-6, $2,637 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
5th:         Tanner Rich, Byrdstown, Tenn., six bass, 23-7, $1,077
6th:         Tony Eckler, Lebanon, Tenn., six bass, 22-15, $988
7th:         Isaac Peavyhouse, Jamestown, Tenn., six bass, 22-8, $898
8th:         Bailey Gay, Union, Ky., six bass, 22-2, $808
9th:         Christian Nash, Allons, Tenn., six bass, 21-10, $718
10th:      Andrew Napier, Fisherville, Ky., six bass, 21-7, $628

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Mark Towe of Gallatin, Tennessee, had a bass that weighed 6 pounds, 9 ounces that was the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $690.

Ryan Crider of Kettering, Ohio, won the Strike King Co-angler Division and $2,664 Sunday after catching a two-day total of six bass weighing 18 pounds, 6 ounces.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:

1st:          Ryan Crider, Kettering, Ohio, six bass, 18-6, $2,664
2nd:        Barry King, Liberty, Ky., five bass, 14-9, $1,332
3rd:        Billy Hughes, Eubank, Ky., five bass, 13-15, $889
4th:         Nicole Abrams, Greenfork, Ind., five bass, 13-8, $622
5th:         Andrew Devere, Paint Lick, Ky., six bass, 13-5, $533
6th:         Allen Neal, Whitley City, Ky., five bass, 13-1, $488
7th:         Garret Moon, Albany, Ky., four bass, 12-13, $444
8th:         Keith Bridges, Spring City, Tenn., four bass, 11-2, $400
9th:         Teddy Baggett, Nashville, Tenn., five bass, 10-8, $355
10th:      Pop Catalin, Cookeville, Tenn., three bass, 9-8, $311

Scotty Reagan of Red Boiling Springs, Tennessee, caught the largest bass in the Strike King Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 3 pounds, 9 ounces. The catch earned him the Berkley Big Bass Co-angler award of $341.

With the regular season now complete, boater Christian Nash of Allons, Tennessee, won the 2023 Bass Fishing League Mountain Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with a five-event total of 1,320 points to earn the $1,000 boater AOY award. Allen Neal of Whitley City, Kentucky, won the 2023 Strike King Co-Angler Mountain Division AOY race with 1,288 points and earned the $500 Strike King Co-angler of the Year award.

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

by AnglersChannel

Tassi Keeps Calm, Fishes On for Win at Two-Day Phoenix Bass Fishing League Super Tournament on Grand Lake

Vogel Tops Strike King Co-Angler Division

GROVE, Okla. (Sept. 11, 2023) – Boater Scott Tassi of Arma, Kansas, caught 10 bass weighing 36 pounds, 10 ounces, to win the two-day MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on Grand Lake in Grove, Oklahoma. The tournament was the fifth and final regular-season event for the Bass Fishing League Okie Division Presented by Mystik Lubricants. Tassi earned $8,735 for his victory.

“I found some fish shallow on topwater and squarebill crankbaits during practice Thursday and Friday, but nothing great,” Tassi said. “It was just scrounging up five fish a day.”

Tassi received a late boat draw for the tournament, and said his starting spots were taken, so he started out running his shallow pattern where he could. With only one fish at 9:30 Saturday morning, Tassi said his approach just wasn’t working out for the tournament.

“I just had to punt, basically,” Tassi said. “I had to go back to where I’d caught a few fish offshore in practice, but that wasn’t something that I thought would be viable. At 1 o’clock Saturday I still had just one fish. So, I thought, ‘I’ve got to go big, or I’m going home.’”

Tassi said he stumbled onto something on his mid-lake offshore spots. Something good enough for a good limit both Saturday and Sunday, in fact. While most of his bass fell for a ¾-ounce Motion Fishing Company Football Jig, Tassi said he caught a few on a worm in stained water in 12 to 17 feet of water.

“I think the biggest key for me this weekend was just being patient,” Tassi said. “Instead of pulling up and throwing 15 or 20 casts and saying, ‘No, they’re not here,’ I stuck with it and ground it out. I knew if I calmed down and fished slowly it would happen.

“It was very stressful and very eventful,” Tassi added. “If you fish, you know two-day tournaments are hard to win, and three-day tournaments are near impossible to win on just a couple of schools of fish. Everything just worked out right. They bit, and everything that bit I got into the boat. It just turns out that where I had caught one fish in practice turned out to be the mother lode.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1st:          Scott Tassi, Arma, Kan., 10 bass, 36-10, $8,735
2nd:        Joshua Tepley, Harrah, Okla., 10 bass, 29-2, $3,652
3rd:        Bradley Sullivan, Shawnee, Okla., 10 bass, 26-10, $2,433
4th:         Andy Newcomb, Camdenton, Mo., 10 bass, 26-9, $2,504 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
5th:         Andy Carroll, Greenwood, Ark., 10 bass, 25-11, $1,461
6th:         Brian Thurber, Siloam Springs, Ark., nine bass, 25-3, $1,339
7th:         Dalton Warrington, Tishomingo, Okla., 10 bass, 25-2, $1,217
8th:         Dennis Berhost, Summit, Mo., 10 bass, 24-10, $1,096
9th:         T.J. Martin, Claremore, Okla., 10 bass, 24-8, $974
10th:      Caleb Black, McAlester, Okla., 10 bass, 24-7, $852

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Tassi also had a bass that weighed 5 pounds, 7 ounces that was the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $1,102.

Stephen Vogel of Muenster, Texas, won the Strike King Co-angler Division and $3,627 Sunday after catching a two-day total of eight bass weighing 23 pounds, 5 ounces.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:

1st:          Stephen Vogel, Muenster, Texas, eight bass, 23-5, $3,627
2nd:        Justin Parchman, Oologah, Okla., eight bass, 19-15, $1,813
3rd:        Kaleb O’Brien, Wagoner, Okla., seven bass, 19-5, $1,209
4th:         Wesley Bissett, Broken Arrow, Okla., eight bass, 18-3, $846
5th:         J.P. Northcutt, Grove, Okla., seven bass, 17-6, $725
6th:         Blake Denny, Crowder, Okla., eight bass, 17-2, $665
7th:         Michael Shinstine, Springdale, Ark., eight bass, 17-1, $604
8th:         Brock Krohne, Belton, Mo., seven bass, 16-5, $544
9th:         Timothy Cartwright, Sand Springs, Okla., seven bass, 16-4, $484
10th:      Patrick Weir, Park Hill, Okla., seven bass, 15-12, $423

Scott Stallings of Glencoe, Oklahoma, caught the largest bass in the Strike King Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 5 pounds, 2 ounces. The catch earned him the Berkley Big Bass Co-angler award of $547.

With the regular season now complete, boater T.J. Martin of Claremore, Oklahoma, won the 2023 Bass Fishing League Okie Division Presented by Mystik Lubricants Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with a five-event total of 1,286 points to earn the $1,000 boater AOY award. Danny Giacomo of McAlester, Oklahoma, won the 2023 Strike King Co-Angler Okie Division Presented by Mystik Lubricants AOY race with 1,237 points and earned the $500 Strike King Co-angler of the Year award.

by AnglersChannel

Bassmaster High School Combine connects students and college fishing coaches

High school anglers from 22 states will participate in the Skeeter Bassmaster High School Combine Sept. 15-17 in Decatur, Ala.

September 8, 2023

DECATUR, Ala. — After the first two events generated more than $4.5 million in scholarship offers, 112 anglers from 22 states hope to continue that trend by reeling in big-time offers from college coaches when the third annual Skeeter Bassmaster High School Combine kicks off on Sept. 15. The three-day event will be held on Wheeler Lake in Decatur, Ala.

“B.A.S.S. is constantly looking for ways to grow the High School and College platforms and give young anglers opportunities to excel not only in the sport, but also in the industry,” said Glenn Cale, B.A.S.S. tournament manager for the College, High School and Junior Series. “This has truly become the preeminent event for colleges looking to find and recruit talent from across the U.S.”

The opportunity to meet individually with prospective anglers and evaluate talent from a wider swath of the country is critical for coaches.

“There is no way — even in a two- or three-year span — that a high school angler could visit, in person, all the universities that are brought to them at the High School Combine essentially in one location, in one weekend,” said Coach Todd Gill of Illinois' Wabash Valley College. “Likewise, universities are provided an opportunity to sell their college and all it has to offer to anglers who might not otherwise be considering their program.”

Anglers like Jonathan Waschek, a junior from Apple Valley, Minn., are taking full advantage of having coaches in one location to advance their college search and test themselves against championship-caliber competition.

“We live up in Minnesota, so we would have to travel a lot to meet this many coaches at the colleges,” said Waschek. “This is a way to introduce myself to several coaches, learn about programs in one trip ... and narrow down the list of colleges I want to look at this fall. I’ve enjoyed the tournament fishing experience and the opportunity to compete with other students from around my state, but look forward to the opportunity to use what I’ve learned to compete in new parts of the country.”

At the High School Combine, anglers will perform multiple tasks — Casting Distance, Technical and Casting Accuracy — to show their skill set not only on the water, but also to display their knowledge of the sport as a whole. Each of the disciplines will operate on a point system and will be timed by an official judge. After the first day, colleges will have the opportunity to select anglers for a “second look” where they can further explore everything that angler has to offer and see if they would be the perfect fit for their fishing program.

“I will be looking for positive attitudes and how the kids interact with each other. Team dynamic is very crucial to success. I'm looking for anglers that complement my program, not hinder it,” said Campbellsville University Coach Tony Miracle. “I want anglers that work hard to be successful, so good grades are very important to me. It tells me that they take pride in their lives. That turns into pride for your team. Wins mean nothing to me ... I look for consistency. Top 20 finishes will get you qualified for Nationals; the more teams you have at Nationals the better your chance to win.”

Similarly, the student anglers are hoping to leverage time at the Combine to determine where they want to spend the next stage of their careers.

“Currently, I have dialogue with around 10 programs. The Combine is a great opportunity to meet coaches in person and start the process of determining where I fit from a goal and cultural perspective. I’m hoping to find three to five programs that are a good fit for me and start building a relationship with the coaches and team members so I can make an informed decision,” said Dylan Sorrells of Dallas, Texas, who finished in the Top 20 at the 2023 Strike King Bassmaster High School National Championship presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors. “I’m excited to test my technical skills against serious anglers who plan to pursue fishing in college. As a junior, it allows me to compare my skills against some of the best and provides feedback on what I need to improve on over the next two years.”

The following schools have committed to participating in the Bassmaster High School Combine:

Auburn University (Auburn, Ala.)
Bethel University (McKenzie, Tenn.)
Blue Mountain Christian University (Blue Mountain, Miss.)
Bryan College (Dayton, Tenn.)
Campbellsville University (Campbellsville, Ky.)
Carson-Newman University (Jefferson City, Tenn.)
Catawba Valley Community College (Hickory, N.C.)
Dallas Baptist University (Dallas, Texas)
Drury University (Springfield, Mo.)
East Texas Baptist University (Marshall, Texas)
Emmanuel University (Franklin Springs, Ga.)
Erskine College (Due West, S.C.)
Faulkner University (Montgomery, Ala.)
Kentucky Christian University (Grayson, Ky.)
Lander University (Greenwood, S.C.)
Louisiana State University Shreveport (Shreveport, La.)
Murray State College (Tishomingo, Okla.)
Southeastern University (Lakeland, Fla.)
Troy University (Troy, Ala.)
University of Alabama (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
University of Florida (Gainesville, Fla.)
University of Montevallo (Montevallo, Ala.)
University of North Alabama (Florence, Ala.)
Wabash Valley College (Mt. Carmel, Ill.)
Webber International University (Babson Park, Fla.)

The 2023 Skeeter Bassmaster High School Combine is being hosted by Decatur Morgan County Tourism.

by AnglersChannel

Proclaiming the Significance of NPAA

Mark Copley knows the Rather Outdoors’ fishing brands reap the rewards of investing in NPAA.

Forestville, WI (September 8, 2023) – The fishing industry has a select group of folks that “everybody knows”. Rather Outdoors Mark Copley is one of them. Just visit the Rather Outdoors booth at ICAST. Copley is swarmed with media, pros, and upstarts who want to be on the inside looking out.

His fishing industry journey began 17-years ago with Strike King, in August of 2007, when Copley was tapped to produce television’s Strike King’s Pro Team Journal, which airs to this day under the title Pro Team Journal, and folds in Rather’s family brands Lew’s and Strike King. In his production capacity, Copley managed three unique television shows, including a program dedicated to Academy Outdoors.

Copley climbed the corporate ladder at Strike King, and was named Marketing Manager in 2011, a position he held until 2018 when Strike King was sold to Peak Rock Investments, who also had purchased Lew’s and Hunters Specialties, eventually leading to the formation of Rather Outdoors and piling up of several other fishing brands, to include Mr. Crappie, Salmo, and others. In 2019, Copley became Director of Pro Staff and Media Relations for all the North American brands. And in 2020, he added the assignment of Tradeshow Manager, which he maintains with proficiency to this day.

Introduction to NPAA

Strike King stormed the walleye market in 2016. With decades of momentum in the bass fishing market, Copley knew Strike King needed new weaponry to make a mark with walleye anglers. That’s when he met Pat…Pat Neu, President of NPAA.

“I really got to know Pat, and appreciated all NPAA was doing for the walleye market,” said Copley. “So, in 2016, Strike King joined as a Silver Partner. It was a real no-brainer for us.”

“Mark immediately saw the value in aligning their brands with an organization that was working to help angler influencers become better at promoting themselves, the sport and their sponsors products on and off the water,” said Neu.

Copley continued: “NPAA is all about getting product in the right hands – the individual members. These guys and gals aren’t your everyday anglers – they make a living from fishing and are very influential. There’s no better way for a company to get products used by anglers of influence.”

“It’s a win-win for us. We utilize a channel to sell our products at a discount to fishing professionals, and they get a deal just by being an NPAA member. Think about it. If a guide or tournament angler had to pay full price all the time, running a profitable business would be nearly impossible.”

NPAA is also able to distribute Rather Outdoors’ content. “With NPAA’s weekly NewsBLAST and other member communications, we can share product and company news instantly, and with the right people,” said Copley.

Copley came in with walleyes on the brain, but quickly realized NPAA’s multispecies reach. “I know NPAA started as a group of professional walleye anglers, but it’s become so much more. Members include professional bass anglers, saltwater guides, muskie and ice fishing maniacs, and about every category of professional angler out there.”

“Companies are missing sales and not connecting with legitimate influencers if they don’t support NPAA. And for the individual pros and student anglers out there, if you’re not a member, you’re passing up on amazing deals from some of fishing’s biggest brands. $100 a year for a Pro and $50 for Student Anglers. Seriously? That’s a steal...” concluded Copley.

Neu adds, “The partnership that the NPAA has developed with the team at Rather Outdoors is one of many meaningful and long-term partnerships that the NPAA has established. We rarely lose a partner, and our exceptionally large list of partners continues to grow because the value of a partnership with NPAA is one of the best marketing spends in the industry. We thank all our partners for their support and look forward to continuing to develop more long-term partnerships within the industry.”

by AnglersChannel

Top Fall Bass Fishing Tips

WHITEWATER® pro staffer B.A.S.S. Elite angler, Jay Przekurat, talks tactics and tech for more bass this coming fall season.

By Jim Edlund

MUSKEGON, Mich. (September 7, 2023) – The last hurrah has faded into another marked-up calendar. Lakes, rivers, and reservoirs have quieted down. The party barges and annoying personal watercraft are gone, a Natty Light box the only remnants of another raucous Labor Day.

Good thing, too, there’s nothing like trying to fish during party-time, every primary and secondary point, sandbar, and island anchored up with a bunch of Kenny Powers look-alikes blasting Motley Crew and “Baby Got Back” from hot-rodded, marine-rigged stereos, tattooed cousins and girlfriends/wives slurping ungodly, boozy concoctions out of giant travel glasses with bendy straws.

With summer over and cooler temps finally in the forecast, now is the time to start talking fall bass patterns. That said, we gave B.A.S.S. Elite WHITEWATER pro, Jay Przekurat, a call. He’s always a wealth of green fish information. The youngest pro bass angler to ever win a B.A.S.S. Elite event, 23-year-old Wisconsin-based Jay Przekurat took home top honors in 2022 with the heaviest bag of smallmouths ever weighed in a B.A.S.S. event.

The Fall River Bass Bite

“Come fall and the rivers start cooling off, typically marked by a few rainfalls and colder nights. It’s during this time that I like to say rivers ‘turnover’. The fish just start biting. They get into an active mood because they know winter is coming,” says the young Przekurat.

“To prep for fall I get all my moving baits organized: topwaters, swim jigs, crankbaits, A-rigs—basically any moving, reaction-bite based bait. On rivers, late summer through winter is the best time to be on the water because fish know winter is coming and they put on the feedbag.”

Besides moving baits that rock the upper two-thirds of the water column, Przekurat also makes sure he has plenty of baits to work bottom. As the water gets progressively colder, bass key into bottom-dwelling forage, so you can find Jay slinging a lot of Texas Rigged soft plastics and tubes, too.

“On rivers, bass will focus on baitfish earlier in the fall and then transition to feeding on crawfish and other bottom critters. They get lazier as the water gets colder. That’s when I switch over from cranks, swim jigs, and all that to Texas Rigs and tubes,” notes Przekurat.

Fish-Holding River Structure: Fall

“The main deal is rock, but sand and wood holds a lot of bass, too. Current seams, obviously. And more than rock, which gets hit hard by lots of anglers, I like to find wood and sand. Bass will group up on sand, especially if there’s a current break around that’s holding food. Ideally, I want to find that straight riverbank with sand and wood. And that’s more so with smallies. You can find largies all the way from the creek mouths to the vary backs of the creek arms. I’m constantly looking for green vegetaition, like eelgrass and milfoil, wood, all that visual stuff. So, I’m generally flipping isolated cover for largemouths, whether it’s with a Texas Rig or swimming a jig.”

In terms of specific locations, Jay spent his youth exploring the Wolf River and Mississippi River systems.

“I really like Mississippi Pools 5, 5A, 7, and 9 for fishing river largemouths. 7 is probably the best for numbers, but you can put together a 20-pound bag together there, too.

Fall Bass on Reservoirs

Przekurat says a lot of anglers fish too shallow on reservoirs in autumn.

“Look for fish grouping up offshore. You can find some largemouths shallow but the smallies especially will generally stay a little bit deeper.”

That’s when Jay pulls out Alabama rigs, swimbaits, and tubes. Basically, you’re going to break out the tackle you used in the spring. Moving baits are key to catching fall bass in reservoirs, just like in rivers. Fish are starting to get active and starting to feed. Spinnerbaits and ChatterBaits can produce, too. And you’d be surprised, fall bass will rise to eat topwater plugs and buzzbaits, too, even if the water temps are in the high-50s to lower 60s.”

Natural Lakes in Autumn

For the most part, bass will return shallow in fall. They won’t be as shallow as they are on rivers, but you’ll still find ‘em in some skinny water. Investigate bays, docks, etc.

“So, I’m fishing fall bass in natural lakes shallow. Remember, bass are bluegill eaters, so they’re cruising around remaining green weeds and isolated structure looking for food. I’ll keep an eye out for good, green grass all the way up to ice up in the north”

Jay’s 3 Must-Have Bass Set-Ups

1) Texas Rig Rod & Reel: “I use a 7’3” Lew’s Pro rod paired with a Lew’s Custom baitcasting reel and 30- to 50-pound braid. And I’ll fish anything from a ¼- to ½-ounce bullet weight depending on the situation. 99% of the time I have a Rage Bug tied on in one or two colors. I like a blue craw, but often switch to black and blue if the water is dirty. I keep it simple.”

2) Alabama Rig Rod & Reel:

“I like rolling A-rigs slow and deep along bottom in fall, something most guys don’t do. I use a 7’11” Lew’s baitcasting rod, a 5.2:1 low gear ratio Lew’s baitcaster, and heavier fluorocarbon to keep the bait deeper and invisible. In terms of baits, I like the Strike King Tour Grade Bladed Titanium Umbrella A-Rig rigged with 1/8-ounce jig heads threaded with Strike King Rage Swimmers. I’ll use 3.25” plastics on the inner arms and 3.75” on the jig arm in the back, sticking to standard shad colors, nothing crazy.”

3) Swim Jig Rod & Reel: “I fish swim jigs on a 7’3” Lew’s medium-heavy power baitcasting rod paired with a Lew’s Custom Pro Reel spooled with 15- to 17-pound fluorocarbon. In terms of jig weight, it’s usually a ¼- to 5/16-ounce Strike King Tour Grade swim jig threaded with a Striking Menace, which is my favorite trailer. In terms of color, I’m throwing white or green pumpkin; occasionally black and blue if the water has lots of stain to it. But falls bass are eating baitfish, bluegills, or crawfish, so green pumpkin and white pretty much covers all the bases.”

Dressing For Cold Conditions

Fall fishing weather—whether you’re chasing bass like Jay, river walleyes, steelhead or salmon, or other species—can be completely unpredictable with frequent snow, rain, sleet, and wind—as well as sub-freezing temps.

Along those lines, we asked Jay what he’ll be wearing to keep his mind on fishing—and not how to stay warm and dry—at the upcoming Classic on the Tennessee River.

“I’m going to have everything on. I’ll be wearing the WHITEWATER Softshell Tamer Jacket and Bib on when it’s not raining and the heavy-duty, water-repellant WHITEWATER Buoy Fishing Hoodie on underneath that. I love the Tamer jacket and bib. You can throw it on, and it doesn’t even feel like you’re wearing bibs. And it keeps you warm all day,” remarks Przekurat.

He continues: “When it’s raining, I’ll have the WHITEWATER Great Lakes Jacket and Bib on, so it’s going to be a back-and-forth between that and the Tamer. I’ll definitely have the hoodieon 100% of the time because it doesn’t look like it’s going to crack 60-degrees up until tournament day and even then, the morning is projected to be 40-degrees.”

WHITEWATER Tamer Softshell Jacket

Windproof breathable softshell polyester stretch fabric
DWR treated to repel moisture
3-piece hood adjustable for fit
Sleeve, chest & back shoulder reflective tape for visibility
Two sewn-in D-rings (lower ring for safety cord, upper ring for trolling motor and shallow water anchor fobs)
Two waist pockets & a welded chest pocket to keep gear dry
Sleeve insert with a built-in thumbhole opening for security
Jacket comes in Grayish “Shade” w/black accents (270)

MSRP: $219.99 (SM-3XL)

WHITEWATER Tamer Fishing Bib

Windproof breathable softshell polyester stretch fabric
DWR treated to repel moisture
Multiple reflective tape placements for visibility
Two sewn-in D-rings (lower ring for safety cord, upper ring for trolling motor and shallow water anchor fobs)
Three pockets (2 cargo, 1 chest) to keep gear dry
Covered leg zippers for easy dressing over boots
Adjustable silicone suspenders with grip
Bib comes in black “Charcoal”

MSRP: $219.99 (SM-3XL)

WHITEWATER Buoy Fishing Hoodie

Comfortable, durable cotton/poly blend
DWR treated to repel moisture
Adjustable shock cord & locks for hood adjustments
Front & back shoulder reflective tape for visibility
Zip closure kangaroo pouch pocket
Rig knit cuff and waist for a secure fit
Hoodie comes in black “Charcoal”; Breaker Blue; and Buoy Red

MSRP: $99.99 (SM-3XL)

WHITEWATER Great Lakes Jacket

Waterproof/windproof 20k/20k lamination & heat-taped seams to keep you dry
Durable mini-ripstop 4-way stretch nylon with a polyester lining
3-piece hood with multiple adjustment points
Multiple reflective tape placements for visibility
Sewn-in D-ring for a safety cord
Four storage pockets (2 waist, 2 chest) with covered openings
Two handwarmer pockets with YKK® AquaGuard® waterproof zippers
Hook and loop cuff adjustments for a secure fit
Jacket comes in: Buoy Red w/black accents (273); Grayish “Shade” w/black accents (270); and all-black “Charcoal” (099)

MSRP: $269.99 (SM-3X)

WHITEWATER Great Lakes Bib

Waterproof/windproof 20k/20k lamination & heat-taped seams to keep you dry
Durable mini-ripstop 4-way stretch nylon with a polyester lining
Multiple reflective tape placements for visibility
Two sewn-in D-rings (lower ring for safety cord, upper ring for trolling motor/shallow-water anchor remote fobs)
Dual Velcro® waist adjustments
Three pockets (2 cargo, 2 chest) to keep gear dry
Two handwarmer pockets with YKK® AquaGuard® waterproof zippers
Leg zippers with storm flats and snap closures to keep feet ankles/feet dry
Adjustable suspenders with silicone grip to stay in place
Bib comes in: all-gray “Shade” (270); and all-black “Charcoal” (099)

MSRP: $269.99 (SM-3X)

by AnglersChannel

Watts Bar likely to test anglers as Bassmaster Open comes to Tennessee

Kingston, Tenn., will host the 2023 St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Watts Bar Reservoir Sept. 14-16.

Photo courtesy Michael Murphy/AJM Aerial Photography

September 7, 2023

KINGSTON, Tenn. — There will be opportunities to be had, but absolutely none to be squandered. As Elite Series pro Mark Menendez said, the St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Watts Bar Reservoir will likely test competitors’ patience and persistence.

Competition days will be Sept. 14-16 with daily takeoffs from Kingston Boat Ramp at 7:15 a.m. ET and weigh-ins each day back at the ramp at 3:15 p.m.Full coverage will be available on Bassmaster.com with FS1 broadcasting live with the leaders on Saturday morning beginning at 8 a.m.

“You’ll have to be a very clever angler to do well (in this event),” said Menendez, who hails from Paducah, Ky. “As a general rule, in September, the Tennessee River is a very difficult place to fish.

“We’re not really in fall yet, and we’re not really in summer still. We’re in those in-between dog days, so you’re going to have those fish that are lingering because of those warmer water temperatures. But we’ve also had a few cool nights so that early push of baitfish is going to pull some fish shallow.”

Menendez attributes the challenging circumstances to the dynamics of a pre-transitional period that’s typically short on consistency. With no one pattern likely to dominate, the weigh-ins might feature many talking of “junk fishing” their way to limits.

“You have fish that will be scattered from 12 inches to 30 feet. The only advantage to Watts Bar is that river section,” Menendez said. “It may hold the quantity of fish a little shallower, as rivers tend to do.

“It’s going to be stingy. I think a limit will be a prize possession. A 3 1/2-pounder is good quality on that lake. You get a 3 1/2-pounder and fill out with 2-pounders, that’s going to be a solid bag. Five-pounders are gold on that lake.”

The final event in Division 3 will take place on the second reservoir on the Tennessee River — one down from Fort Loudoun where the 2023 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Toyota was held March 24-26. With 39,090 surface acres, Watts Bar stands a couple of inches below full pool a week before the event begins.

As Menendez points out, the entirety of tournament waters will be in play, so competitors can scatter from creeks and major tributaries like the Clinch and Emory rivers to the river and main-lake waters. Fortunately, water level should remain fairly stable throughout the event.

Menendez said anglers will likely find visibility of 18 to 24 inches on the upper end of Watts Bar, with clear waters — possibly as much as 36 inches — on the deeper, lower end. Rainfall can always impact this, but with good numbers of largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass, competitors will have options.

Notably, the tournament’s 15-inch minimum size limit will keep all three species in play, but the latter two will play secondary roles. Someone could always boost their bag with a hefty smallmouth, but Menendez doesn’t expect to see the brown fish make as prominent a showing as they did when Canadian standout Jeff Gustafson earned his first Classic title back in March.

“I have seen tournaments on Watts Bar where the spotted bass have shown up, so there is a smattering population,” Menendez said. “I would say the smallmouth would be between 20% and 30% of the catches, and the rest will be largemouth.

“It can be day-to-day (with largemouth and smallmouth activity). We’re prone to start getting some major storms in the Southeast, and if we have a hurricane or a major low-pressure system come through, the fishing should be pretty good.”

Conversely, Menendez said the bluebird conditions of a postfrontal day will shrink the playing field, as fish will pull tight to big rocks, stumps and other cover. This is where forward-facing sonar can play a key role in helping anglers identify fish and fine-tune their targeting.

Productive baits will range from topwaters in the early mornings, to crankbaits, Flukes and lots of bottom-contact presentations such as jigs, shaky heads, Carolina rigs and big, Texas-rigged worms. Whatever the choice, success will hinge on execution.

“You’re going to have a tournament where the anglers are going to have to be resourceful,” Menendez said. “This is not going to be one of those where you’re going to get a lot of spare bites this time of year.”

Expecting 23 to 24 pounds to make the Top 10 cut and 43 to 45 for the win, Menendez believes mobility could be one of the key strategy points. Fishing pressure plus summer’s slim pickings tends to dispel the one-spot notion.

“I think you’re going to need to have a milk run of 25 to 40 bass condominiums,” Menendez said. “And if you get an opportunity, you’d better make the most of it."

South Carolina’s JT Thompkins leads the Bassmaster Opens Elite Qualifiers standings with 1,087 points. Bassmaster Elite Series pro Kenta Kimura of Osaka, Japan, is second with 1,080, followed by John Garrett of Union City, Tenn., with 1,067, Trey McKinney of Carbondale, Ill., with 1,034 and Robert Gee of Knoxville, Tenn., with 1,018.

Only anglers who fish all nine Opens this season are eligible for the Elite Qualifiers Division. After the final three Opens of the year, the top nine eligible anglers will receive invitations to fish the 2024 Bassmaster Elite Series. Complete standings are available at Bassmaster.com.

by AnglersChannel

2024 Bassmaster college and youth schedules offer championship-caliber competition on America’s best lakes

Talented anglers from second grade through college will enjoy a taste of high-level competition on some of the country's best lakes through the Bassmaster College, High School and Junior tournament circuits.

Photo by Dalton Tumblin/B.A.S.S.

September 7, 2023

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — B.A.S.S. officials have unveiled the 2024 schedule for their College, High School and Junior tournament circuits, which give thousands of young anglers a taste of high-level competition on some of the country’s best bass lakes.

The Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops recently announced a new two-division format with three tour stops each, which helps meet the booming demand for college teams to compete. There will now be more priority placed on the Bassmaster College Team of the Year standings to qualify for both the National Championship and the College Classic Bracket presented by Lew's.

“Over the past few years, college fishing has surged in popularity,” said Glenn Cale, tournament manager for the College, High School and Junior Series. “This new format opens avenues for more teams to compete while also prioritizing a team’s overall body of work throughout the season and rewarding a strong National Championship showing.”

The Legends Trail kicks off Jan. 26-27 on Lake Murray, named the country’s fourth-best bass lake on Bassmaster Magazine’s 2023 100 Best Bass Lakes list. From there, the College Series will visit Kentucky Lake April 18-19 and wrap up on Michigan’s Saginaw Bay — No. 19 in the Northeastern Division’s Best Bass Lakes list — on June 6-7.

The Lunkers Trail will start the season on Georgia’s Clarks Hill Reservoir Feb. 1-2 and head to Douglas Lake March 7-8 before concluding the regular season on Sam Rayburn Reservoir — No. 8 in the Central Division’s Best Bass Lakes list — May 16-17.

Second-grade through high school students will enjoy an opportunity to compete on challenging and fun fisheries next spring during four regular-season events held in conjunction with several of the college stops. The one-day Strike King Bassmaster High School Series presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors and the Junior Series tournaments will kick off Feb. 4 on Clark’s Hill Reservoir, followed by stops on Douglas Lake on March 10, Sam Rayburn Reservoir on May 19 and Saginaw Bay on June 9.

“We’re really pleased with this schedule,” said Cale. “It is fun for both the anglers and their families to explore some of the country’s historic fisheries and the communities surrounding them. These waters have hosted more than 74 major B.A.S.S. events, so, while these anglers might be young, there’s a good chance that they’ll do battle on these lakes for the rest of their competitive careers.”

Field size will again be capped at 250 boats. Each high school event will also include a field of up to 50 boats for competitors ranging from second to eighth grade as part of the Bassmaster Junior Series.

Registration dates for the Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Strike King Bassmaster High School Series presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors and Bassmaster Junior Series are set to be released later this fall. For more information, visit Bassmaster.com.

2024 Bassmaster College Series Schedule

Legends Trail

January 26-27, Lake Murray, Columbia, S.C.
April 18-19, Kentucky Lake, Paris, Tenn.
June 6-7, Saginaw Bay, Bay City, Mich.

Lunkers Trail

February 1-2, Clarks Hill Reservoir, Columbia County, Ga.
March 7-8, Douglas Lake, Jefferson, Tenn.
May 16-17, Sam Rayburn Reservoir, Jasper, Texas

2024 Bassmaster High School & Junior Series Schedule

February 4, Clarks Hill Reservoir, Columbia County, Ga.
March 10, Douglas Lake, Jefferson, Tenn.
May 19, Sam Rayburn Reservoir, Jasper, Texas
June 9, Saginaw Bay, Bay City, Mich.

by AnglersChannel

Major League Fishing Announces Schedule for 2024 Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats

BENTON, Ky. (Sept. 7, 2023) – Major League Fishing (MLF) announced today the 2024 Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats schedule, which kicks off its regular season in early February at Lake Guntersville in Scottsboro, Alabama, and runs through late September when it wraps up at Lake of the Ozarks in Osage Beach, Missouri.

“We’re thrilled to announce the 2024 Toyota Series schedule to competitors and fans and feel confident that we’re hitting some of the best fisheries in the country at great times of the year,” said Mark McWha, MLF Tournament Director. “We’re looking forward to seeing some really big weights at some of these events and are anticipating a great 2024 season.”

Also revealed Thursday was the location for the 2024 Toyota Series Championship, which will be held Nov. 7-9, 2024, on Wheeler Lake in Huntsville, Alabama.

“Located in the heart of bass fishing, we’re proud to host the Toyota Series Championship in Huntsville at Ditto Landing,” said Mac McCutcheon, Madison County Commission Chairman. “We look forward to welcoming the competitors to our area and providing a memorable championship experience on the Tennessee River.”

2024 MLF Toyota Series Schedule:

Central Division

Feb. 14-16 Lake Guntersville Scottsboro, Ala.
Hosted by the Mountain Lakes Chamber of Commerce

April 4-6 Smith Lake Cullman, Ala.
Hosted by the Cullman County Tourism Bureau

May 2-4 Lake Chickamauga Dayton, Tenn.
Hosted by Fish Dayton – Rhea Economic & Tourism Council

Northern Division

June 5-7 Potomac River Marbury, Md.
Hosted by the Charles County Board of Commissioners

July 11-13 Lake Champlain Plattsburgh, N.Y.
Hosted by the City of Plattsburgh and the Adirondack Coast Visitors Bureau

Aug. 22-24 St. Lawrence River Massena, N.Y.
Hosted by the Town of Massena

Plains Division

March 7-9 Kentucky Lake Calvert City, Ky.
Hosted by the Kentucky Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau

April 11-13 Grand Lake Grove, Okla.
Hosted by the City of Grove and the Grove Convention and Tourism Bureau

Sept. 26-28 Lake of the Ozarks Osage Beach, Mo.
Hosted by the Tri-County Lodging Association

Southern Division

January 25-27 Lake Okeechobee Clewiston, Fla.
Hosted by the Hendry County Tourism Development Council

March 19-21 Harris Chain of Lakes Leesburg, Fla.
Hosted by Visit Lake County, Fla.

Sept. 12-14 Santee Cooper Lakes Clarendon County, S.C.
Hosted by the Clarendon County Chamber of Commerce

Southwestern Division

Feb. 21-23 Sam Rayburn Reservoir Brookeland, Texas
Hosted by the Jasper – Lake Sam Rayburn Area Chamber of Commerce

March 26-28 Toledo Bend Reservoir Many, La.
Hosted by Toledo Bend Lake Country

May 16-18 Lake Eufaula Eufaula, Okla.
Hosted by Vision Eufaula

Western Division Presented by Tackle Warehouse

March 6-8 Clear Lake Lakeport, Calif.
Hosted by Konocti Vista Casino Resort and Marina

May 2-4 Lake Havasu Lake Havasu City, Ariz.
Hosted by Go Lake Havasu

June 5-7 California Delta Oakley, Calif.
Hosted by the City of Oakley

Toyota Series Championship

Nov. 7-9 Wheeler Lake Huntsville, Ala.
Hosted by the Huntsville/Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau, the Madison County Commission and the Huntsville Sports Commission

Full program rules and details for the 2024 MLF Toyota Series will be announced later this year.

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

by AnglersChannel

Fall Power Fishing with Cliff Crochet

MLF Pro Explains When to Use Three Power Lures

By: Shane Beilue

Once the heat of summer finally breaks, bass populations begin to spread out in pursuit of foraging opportunities, which means bass often avoid making a singular location home for any great length of time. As an angler, this is when the power fishing tactics of chunkin’ and windin’ become key to keep up with the bass, and if you’re MLF Pro Cliff Crochet, it’s time to break out three main “power” lures: a frog, a spinnerbait,and a squarebill crankbait.

FROGGIN'

When asked the optimal time for throwing a frog, Crochet laughed and said, “Froggin’ is always the deal for me, with the exception of the winter months. Once the water temps start to dip below 60 degrees in the late fall to early winter, then I’ll put the frog away. Also, when we start getting those harsher cold fronts in late fall, the day immediately after the front passage can limit the bites on a frog. Other than that, the frog is in play for me”.

“No matter the time of year”, he adds, “the frog is about targeting isolated bass around isolated cover. In other words, it’s not a technique that’s going to put 100 bass in the boat, but the ones you catch will be better quality fish”. The Louisiana native looks specifically for outlying wood cover offering just enough shade to conceal a quality bass throughout the year. The fall is no exception to that rule. Additionally, he tends to avoid the big vast areas of dense cover, such as a huge field of lily pads, as these areas are often too inefficient to consistently find the bass.

Crochet’s choice of frog is a Snag Proof Phat Frog, tossed on his signature series 7’3” KastKing Spirale Rod (heavy action), a KastKing Speed Demon Deadbolt Reel spooled with 65-80# KastKing Hammer Braid line. The Spirale series has spiral line guides progressing under the blank toward the rod tip, which keeps the line off of the blank throughout the cast, as well as the hookset. Crochet says the reduced friction on the line assists in skipping the frog further and easier.

The Speed Demon Deadbolt reel is all about power, as the entire drag system is eliminated with this reel model. “I always crank the star drag down as tight as possible when using heavy braid, so with the KastKing Deadbolt reel, we eliminated the star drag completely–it’s one less thing to worry about”, said Crochet.

KASTKING SPEED DEMON ELITE DEADBOLT

SPINNERBAIT

The arrival of the fall months brings strong winds driving the cooler air, which means the aggressive flash and thump of a spinnerbait rise to the top of Crochet’s lure choices. “Wind combined with dropping water temps put the bass on the move looking for forage, so I’m really focused on windy banks with a spinnerbait. These windblown areas can be anywhere from main lake points and shorelines to windy pockets and banks inside the creek arms”. Crochet adds an important detail when looking at cover on these windy banks, noting, “Fish will get on the backside of any cover that has wind blowing on it, as they use the cover as a windbreak and allow the current from the wind to bring forage to them; therefore, make sure you direct your casts to the backside of the cover when you can.”

Choices for spinnerbaits is a matter of water clarity. In clearer water, the MLF pro likes the speedier retrieve of a double willow leaf combo, typically bulged just under the water’s surface. For dirtier water, he adapts the blades to a double Colorado or a Colorado/Indiana combo, offering more thump in the water from the wider blades.

When discussing water clarity, Crochet points out, “In stained water, casting accuracy is much more important than in clear water. In clear water, the bass can see the lure better and will attack it from further away, while in dirtier water, they don’t seem as likely to chase down a lure from very far away. You need to get the spinnerbait as close to the cover as possible when the water’s dirty”.

When fishing a “blade,” Crochet relies on his signature line of spinnerbaits from Crusherlures. He’ll fish the spinnerbait on 15-20# fluorocarbon or the new TriPolymer from KastKing. TriPolymer is a three-layered nylon line with many of the same attributes of fluorocarbon. Crochet points out that he’s not worried about line visibility when fishing a moving lure, even in clear water, making the heavier line his choice for a spinnerbait.

His rod choice is a KastKing 7’4” Spirale Medium/Heavy Rod, which is a composite material offering reduced sensitivity and more flex in the rod tip. The slower reaction from the composite material allows the bass to take the lure before the angler has time to react, improving landing percentages with a moving bait.

He’ll pair the setup with the same KastKing Speed Demon Deadbolt for the same reasons as the froggin’ setup - no need for a drag when using heavier test weight lines.

KASTKING TRIPOLYMER LINE

SQUAREBILL

Lastly, Crochet chooses another classic “cover water” type lure in the fall months, the squarebill crankbait. He will fish the squarebill in many of the same places he chooses to fish a spinnerbait: windy banks and points. As he notes, “The wind is your friend for throwing these moving baits, so use the wind to your advantage. If there’s a key for fishing a squarebill, or really any moving lure, it’s to cast the lure well beyond the cover. If you land the lure right on top of the cover where a fish is likely to be located, as soon as you start the retrieve, you’re pulling the lure away from the fish. I want the lure working as it approaches the fish so it has time to react to the bait”.

His rod setup for crankin’ is the same as the spinnerbait, a 7’4” KastKing Spirale composite rod for the slower reaction time needed for a fast-moving lure. For the reel, Crochet likes the KastKing MegaJaws Elite spooled with either fluorocarbon or KastKing TriPolymer. “I want the biggest line I can get away with, yet still keep the lure crashing to the bottom. If I’m in 2-3’ of water, I’ll fish 20# line, and if I’m in that 4-5’ zone, I’ll drop down to 15# to allow the lure to go deeper. When in doubt, go with 15# test, as it’s just a good all-purpose line for shallow cranking,” he added.

KASTKING MEGAJAWS ELITE

Crochet chooses his specific squarebill based on forage size, reaching for the high deflection qualities of the new Bill Lewis ATV Squarebillseries. He explains, “The ATV is rugged and bounces off of everything, and it comes in three sizes: 1.0, 1.5, and the larger 2.5. If I see smaller minnows up on the flat, I’m going with the smaller 1.0 or 1.5, but if I notice larger bluegill, I’m reaching for the bigger 2.5 to imitate that bigger forage”.

by AnglersChannel

B.A.S.S. announces 2024 Bassmaster Elite Series schedule with nine events in six states

The 2024 Bassmaster Elite Series schedule features nine events across six states.

Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.

September 6, 2023

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — For the first time since 2018, the Bassmaster Elite Series won’t be kicking off its season in Florida, opting instead to open its 2024 slate at the big-bass factory of Toledo Bend Reservoir on the Louisiana/Texas border Feb. 22-25.

B.A.S.S. officials made that announcement Wednesday, along with the entirety of a nine-tournament schedule that will span six states and visit fisheries that have ranked among the best in the United States, both recently and historically.

CEO Chase Anderson said that, with the 2023 season in the books, B.A.S.S. is anxious to tackle what is certain to be an action-packed 2024 lineup.

“We just finished one of our best seasons ever only two weeks ago, and it is already time to start marking your calendar for another incredible year,” Anderson said. “Anyone who follows and celebrates the sport of bass fishing will recognize the lakes on this schedule as some of the best fisheries anywhere, and we could not be more excited to get it started with the top anglers in the world competing on bass fishing’s biggest stage.”

The opener on Toledo Bend will take place out of Many, La., and will mark the 19th time B.A.S.S. has held a major event on the fishery that ranked sixth overall on Bassmaster Magazine’s annual 100 Best Bass Lakes list. The gigantic fishery, which covers 185,000 acres across two states, has topped the list of 100 Best Bass Lakes twice in the past (2015, 2016).

B.A.S.S. last visited Toledo Bend this past April for a St. Croix Bassmaster Open that was won by Texas pro Ben Milliken with a three-day total of 77 pounds, 14 ounces — a mark that would have put him well on pace for a 100-pound performance and a century belt in a four-day competition.

From Toledo Bend, the Elites will travel just west to another of the nation’s big-bass capitals, Lake Fork, which placed third in the Central Division of Bassmaster Magazine’s 2023 100 Best Bass Lakes list. The Elites will fish out of a newly built facility in Yantis, Texas, Feb. 29-March 3, with the same catch-weigh-release format that has produced Century Club performances the last four times B.A.S.S. has visited the 27,264-acre impoundment. Brandon Cobb (2019), Patrick Walters (2020) and Lee Livesay (2021, 2022) all topped the 100-pound mark with their victories there.

“The Sabine River Authority is excited to host the upcoming Bassmaster Elite Series at SRA’s new Caney Point Recreation Area on Lake Fork Reservoir,” said David Montagne, SRA general manager. “This new facility was developed to attract major tournaments and bring enhanced recreational opportunities to Lake Fork enthusiasts.”

After a pause in the schedule for the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Toyota in Tulsa, Okla., on Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees March 22-24, the 2024 Elite slate will make its annual trip to the Sunshine State — a little later than usual — with tournaments on the Harris Chain of Lakes (April 11-14, Leesburg, Fla.) and the St. Johns River (April 18-21, Palatka, Fla.).

B.A.S.S. has made 42 combined visits to those fisheries for major tournaments, but the timing of these events should make different strategies and techniques viable beyond the tried-and-true sight-fishing methods that have ruled earlier events in years past. Tennessee pro Buddy Gross won with 77-11 the last time B.A.S.S. visited the Harris Chain for an Elite event, and Virginia’s John Crews won with the last Elite on the St. Johns with 75-4 — both in 2022.

The Elites will leave Florida and travel north to South Carolina for a return visit to Lake Murray — a fishery that provided one of the more entertaining events on the 2023 schedule, with Florida pro Drew Benton catching 87 pounds for the victory. The sprawling 50,000-acre lake placed fourth overall on Bassmaster Magazine’s list of 100 Best Bass Lakes after producing 49 limits of 20 pounds or more. The 2024 Lake Murray event will be held May 9-12near Columbia, S.C.

From there, it’ll be on to Alabama for a pair of events on two vastly different fisheries.

A trip to Wheeler Lake in Decatur, Ala., June 13-16, will see anglers vying for mixed bags of largemouth and smallmouth on the 67,070-acre Tennessee River fishery that has hosted 13 major B.A.S.S. events. Most recently, Wisconsin pro Adam Rasmussen won a Bassmaster Open on Wheeler in May with a three-day total of 54-15.

The event will be held out of Ingalls Harbor, a first-class facility that covers 27 acres.

“We are thrilled that Decatur, Ingalls Harbor and Wheeler Lake will be included in the 2024 Elite schedule,” said Don Dukemineer, director of sports development for Decatur Morgan County Tourism. “Decatur has not hosted an Elite since 2016, and we are ready to work with B.A.S.S. to return the energy, passion and excitement of the event to our community and fishing fans throughout north Alabama.

“Ingalls Harbor has been described as the ‘perfect location’ by tournament organizers, and we tend to agree. The opportunity to host will strengthen our continued partnership with B.A.S.S. in helping to spotlight the amazing capabilities the facility offers. Hosting the top anglers from across the country will be a big benefit to Decatur-Morgan County, and we can’t wait to welcome them in 2024.”

After targeting largemouth and smallmouth on Wheeler, the Elites will head to Lewis Smith Lake in Cullman, Ala., June 27-30, for an event where big spotted bass are likely to play a key role. Smith has always been known for numbers of spots, but the size of its bass has increased greatly in recent years due to the presence of blueback herring as their main food source.

B.A.S.S. has visited Smith 11 times for major events, with Virginia pro Jacob Powroznik most recently winning an Open there in 2021 with 37-9. However, this will be the first time the Elite Series has visited the deep, clear fishery that covers 21,200 acres.

“Visit Cullman, the City of Cullman and Cullman County are excited to be hosting the first Bassmaster Elite on Lewis Smith Lake,” said Hugh A. Stump III, tourism director for the Cullman County Tourism Bureau. “A partnership with B.A.S.S. gives us a chance to showcase our wonderful fishery, Smith Lake Park and our Cullman community.”

With the Progressive Insurance Bassmaster Angler of the Year and Dakota Lithium Bassmaster Rookie of the Year races coming down the home stretch, the Elites will once again finish their season in New York with events on Lake Champlain in Plattsburgh, N.Y., Aug. 8-11, and the St. Lawrence River in Waddington, N.Y., Aug. 15-18.

Champlain, which is known for good populations of largemouth and smallmouth, showed out on the smallmouth front this year as Japanese rookie Kyoya Fujita won with a four-day limit of brown fish that weighed 86-12 in August. The 2024 tournament will mark the 16th major B.A.S.S. event on this scenic 271,000-acre fishery that separates New York and Vermont.

Fans of the sport no doubt still have this year’s St. Lawrence River event fresh in their minds since just two weeks ago Walters won the 2023 season finale there with a 105-pound total that stands as the biggest four-day limit of smallmouth ever weighed in for B.A.S.S. competition. The fabulous event, which marked the 25th major visit for B.A.S.S. to the St. Lawrence, produced four century belts, and the Top 10 all finished with at least 90 pounds.

The St. Lawrence ranked second overall on Bassmaster Magazine’s 100 Best Bass Lakes list this year after topping the list in 2019 and 2022.

“Watching anglers catch gigantic bags of smallmouth is a great way to end any season,” said Lisa Talmadge, Bassmaster Elite Series tournament director. “Our anglers are the best in the world, and by the time we reach the St. Lawrence to finish up, any one of them could be sitting in position to win Angler of the Year.

“As it was this year, it’ll be a great end to a great season.”

Since the start of the year, more than 10.4 million viewers have watched Bassmaster coverage on the FOX networks and, once again, fans in 2024 can catch all nine Bassmaster Elite Series events as well as Bassmaster Classic live television coverage on the FOX Sports platforms.

For complete coverage of the Elite Series, visit Bassmaster.com.

2024 Bassmaster Elite Series Schedule
Feb. 22-25, Many, La., Toledo Bend Reservoir

Feb. 29-March 3, Yantis, Texas, Lake Fork

March 22-24, Bassmaster Classic, Tulsa, Okla., Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees

April 11-14, Leesburg, Fla., Harris Chain of Lakes

April 18-21, Palatka, Fla., St. Johns River

May 9-12, Columbia, S.C., Lake Murray

June 13-16, Decatur, Ala., Wheeler Lake

June 27-30, Cullman, Ala., Smith Lake

Aug. 8-11, Plattsburgh, N.Y., Lake Champlain

Aug. 15-18, Waddington, N.Y., St. Lawrence River

by AnglersChannel

2 Lures Lester Loves for September

Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships

Team Toyota’s Brandon Lester endured more stress in the final days of August than a lone goby surrounded by a school of fat smallmouth.

Three days after learning he probably would not qualify for the Bassmaster Classic for only the second time in his fantastic 10-year career, his mega-cute young daughter was hospitalized for a horrible stomach virus, and then, just hours after she began to heal, his father was hospitalized over serious pulmonary concerns.

So, here’s to hoping September brings far more smiles, and some time on the water to decompress for Lester. One thing’s for certain, the next time he launches his boat, there will be two time-proven topwaters tied on.

“No matter where you live, September signifies the first month of fall. It’s that time of year when we get our first cool nights, and lots of things start kicking into a bit of a different gear. To me, that means you better key on baitfish imitators and a trolling motor that’s in fairly constant forward motion,” says Lester.

Covering water with baits that appeal to bass looking skyward is the key, so Lester chooses a buzzbait and Super Spook Jr. as two lures all bass anglers should try during the calendar’s ninth month.

Buzzbait

“A lot of folks don’t realize it, but bluegill will spawn several times each summer. So, you still have a lot of them in the shallows in September, and a 5/16-ounce gold-bladed buzzbait appeals well to bass that are up there eating them,” he says.

Lester likes a skirt to bulk up his buzzbaits during the colder water pre-spawn, but in autumn, he prefers a sleeker-bodied toad trailer, tied to 60-pound Vicious No Fade braided line, and uses a rod with a generous amount of flex in the tip.

Super Spook Jr.

This 3.5” topwater is as much Lester’s favorite surface lure as Peerless Price was Peyton Manning’s favorite receiver during the Volunteers’ undefeated 1998 season.

“It’s been my confidence bait for 20 years. It’s the perfect size, with a sound that can call ‘em up to the surface, and when I decorate it with #4 Mustad treble hooks, they seldom miss it,” smiles the bearded country music lover.

He also uses braid for his main line with this topwater too. However, he warns that you should tie a short monofilament leader to its nose, because braid has a tendency to tangle on the front treble hook if you don’t use a monofilament leader.

Be it explosive bites on either the buzzbait or Super Spook Jr., let’s just hope September brings far better days than late August did for the highly likeable family man from Fayetteville, Tennessee. If you’ll take his topwater advice, there’s a strong chance you’ll have a healthy start to your autumn days on the water too.

by AnglersChannel

Problem-Solving Landing Net Handles

EGO Fishing helps anglers choose the right tool for the job, whether it’s an EGO S1 Genesis or EGO S2 Slider Net Handle.

Caldwell, ID (September 5, 2023) – Landing nets line the high-aisles of big box and independent retailers. So, how does an angler choose the right net? With various hoop sizes, net materials – as well as myriad handle types available – it can be difficult to choose the perfect landing net.

Good thing for Idaho, USA-based fishing accessories designer and manufactuer, EGO Fishing. EGO offers two primary landing net handle types, each suited for a specific type of fishing.

The first, the EGO S1 Genesis™, is a mid-priced net that features a handle, which detaches from a chosen net hoop. While it doesn’t extend, it does float. The Genesis family comprises five handle lengths for a variety of fishing applications: 6-inch; 13-inch; 25-inch; 31-inch; and 55-inch.

EGO S2 Slider

The second, the EGO S2 Slider™, is an exceptional net family that offers five extendable handle lengths. With sales that qualify the model as the “#1 Landing Net System On The Planet”, many anglers start with other EGO models and upgrade to the EGO S2 Slider over time.

Besides options to choose exactly the right handle length for your application and species, EGO’s proprietary detachable/modular net handle system makes for much easier storage than fixed-handle nets. The Slider family comprises three handle lengths for a variety of fishing applications: 18-inch (extends to 36-inches); 29-inch (extends to 60-inches); and REACH 48-inch (extends to 108-inches). S2 Slider net handles also accommodate other tools besides a landing net hoop and nettings. Simply unscrew your net and attach an EGO 8-inch Deck Brush or Deluxe EGO Deck Mop to clean your boat at the end of a good fishing day.

Benefits: EGO Fishing Modular Landing Net

Regardless of boat size, the detachable handle found on both the EGO S1 Genesis™ and EGO S2 Slider™ means you can reduce the footprint of the entire net by detaching into two pieces. And, if you're traveling—or having to move from one location to another —being able to detach the handle from the net hoop allows the angler to store the hoop and handle in onboard boat lockers. Let’s face it: space is always at a premium no matter the size of the boat.

Besides the commonsense storage benefits of the EGO modular platform, the net’s design also allows you to customize for different fish species. One day you might be fishing bass, and the next day you’re onto walleyes. With EGO Fishing’s S1 Genesis net platform, it’s as simple as owning two different net hoops and the same handle. You don’t need two different landing nets, just two different hoops that can be swapped out in seconds.

Popular Model(s) #1

In the walleye and saltwater fishing markets, 29-inch (extends to 60-inches) EGO S2 Slider is extremely popular. Anglers can reach out over the motor and allow quick and efficient scoops of fish far out from the back of the boat. It’s a win-win for everyone – more smiling face photos with big fish, as well as eaters dropped into the ‘well or icebox.

Popular Model #2

More anglers are discovering the fun and excellent table fare involved chasing Kokanee salmon.

According to Idaho-based EGO Fishing Founder (and Kokanee nut), Grant Corbett, “Kokanee anglers love the 48-inch handle because they can extend it way out past whatever boat they’re fishing from; even from shore. As soon as the fish surfaces, anglers can net it. Since Kokanee salmon have notoriously soft mouths and the fact they go crazy as soon as they see the boat—getting a net under them is imperative. So, as soon as the fish surfaces, you can net it, which is basically impossible with anything under a 48-inch handle.”

But the same applies to other smaller gamefish, too. Net reach simply equates to more boated fish. Period.

Corbett concludes: “We hear it all the time. There are a lot of anglers who have told us that the fish came off the hook in the air but they were able to reach out with the net because it extends so far, catch the fish in the air, and capture it for photos or the table before the fish escapes. That’s pretty cool.”

by AnglersChannel

Sportsman's Warehouse Grand Opening - Cape Coral, FL

AC Insider, Vance McCullough takes a road trip to Florida's newest Sportsman's Warehouse location. Surrounded by popular fishing locales such as Boca Grande, Pine Island, and other Gulf treasures, the Sportsman's Warehouse Cape Coral has everything for that "Salt Life". In addition, the location has plenty of freshwater supplies for the inland guys, and impressive hunting and shooting departments top it all off. For all the details on the new addition, click here and be sure to c heck out what the Store Managers had to say about the area.

https://youtu.be/UJo65jrzIjE

by AnglersChannel

SEVIIN GF Series Baitcasting Reels Available Now

Park Falls, WI – Backed by seven decades of design and manufacturing expertise, industry-leading customer service, and unbroken private ownership by the Schluter family dating back to 1977, SEVIIN reels are meticulously engineered and purpose-built to help anglers conquer every species on every piece of water on the planet. Wherever and however you fish, SEVIIN reels help create better experiences by enhancing your abilities, never holding you back.

A foundational offering in SEVIIN’s inaugural product launch for 2024, GF Series baitcasting reels deliver an optimal balance of castability, smoothness, and comfort. Each of six available GF models is packed with features, meticulously engineered and crafted to optimize performance without sacrificing durability. Introduced at ICAST 2023 in July, SEVIIN GF Series reels are available to anglers at SEVIIN dealers and online beginning September 1.

“GF Series reels were conceived to provide anglers with smooth, reliable, and failsafe performance that exceeds their $120 price point,” says SEVIIN Reels Product Manager, Robert Woods. “Components that increase performance in GF reels include a 4+1 stainless-steel bearing system – the two bearings on the spool shaft being Japanese stainless steel – and carbon and stainless-steel drag componentry. These features alone result in noticeably smooth casting, retrieves, and drag operation. Hardened brass pinion and drive gears offer great gear feel and excellent durability,” Woods continues, adding that GF Series reels also feel light, comfortable, and solid in the hand. “GF reels feature ported aluminum spools and carbon fiber handles to minimize weight, while a strong, one-piece graphite frame and side plates yield excellent rigidity that further enhances the satisfying way GF reels feel and perform. Anglers will also appreciate GF’s micro-adjustable magnetic cast control that makes it easy to dial-in maximum casting performance depending on the specific line and lure they’re using.”

MLF Bass Pro Tour angler, Jesse Wiggins, is one of several SEVIIN Analytical Pro-Team members who tested and provided input on the GF Series’ design. “I’ve been able to fish the GF reels and test them over the past couple of months, and my initial impressions are really positive,” he says. “These reels are easy to set up, fast and simple to tune, and will cast a mile. I’ve also been really surprised at how smooth they are – both the gears and the drag,” Wiggins adds. “I really notice it compared to some of the other casting reels I own and use at this price level. I also like how the drag adjustment clicks like a spinning reel so it’s easy to make and keep track of small adjustments, while the line memo indicator dial helps me keep track of what line is on each reel.”

SEVIIN Analytical Pro Team member, Matt Frazier of California, says feel and versatility are two hallmarks of the GF Series that anglers are going to appreciate. “We’re fishing straight braid out here on the Delta, make a lot of casts, and are very hard on reels,” he says. “Right out of the box, the size and feel of the GF is just right. It’s got a bit smaller frame and a little larger handle, which is ideal for what we do out here. These reels have plenty of power and speed. I love the texture and matte finish; it makes it really easy and comfortable to grip and just feels exceptionally solid. The castability of these reels is insane,” Frazier adds. “I throw a lot of 3XP and other small, light crankbaits and they cast effortlessly, and it’s the same with the larger swimbaits. The GF handles everything very well with the versatility to go small or big depending on how you set it up. For a $120-class reel this reel kills it. Anglers will feel the quality immediately. It feels solid, smooth, and bulletproof.”

SEVIIN’s GF Series consists of six low-profile baitcasting models in three available gear ratios with right-hand and left-hand retrieve configurations.

SEVIIN GF Series Low-Profile Baitcasting Reel Features

• One-piece graphite frame and side covers
• 4 + 1 stainless steel bearing system
• 32MM forged aluminum spool holds 110 yards of 12-lb. mono or 100 yards of 30-lb. braid
• Custom designed carbon fiber handle with EVA grips
• Multi-stack carbon fiber / stainless steel drag system
• Micro-adjustable magnetic cast control
• Precision-hobbed hard brass pinion and drive gear
• Line memo indicator dial
• One-year warranty backed by no-questions-asked accelerated replacement program
• Designed in Park Falls, Wisconsin, U.S.A.
• Retail price $120

SEVIIN GF Series Low-Profile Baitcasting Reel Models

• GFC166-L – LH retrieve, 6.6:1 gear ratio, 19 lbs. max drag, 7.3 oz. / Retail $120
• GFC166-R – RH retrieve, 6.6:1 gear ratio, 19 lbs. max drag, 7.3 oz. / Retail $120
• GFC173-L – LH retrieve, 7.3:1 gear ratio, 17 lbs. max drag, 7.3 oz. / Retail $120
• GFC173-R – RH retrieve, 7.3:1 gear ratio, 17 lbs. max drag, 7.3 oz. / Retail $120
• GFC181-L – LH retrieve, 8.1:1 gear ratio, 15 lbs. max drag, 7.3 oz. / Retail $120
• GFC181-R – RH retrieve, 8.1:1 gear ratio, 15 lbs. max drag, 7.3 oz. / Retail $120

As a company, SEVIIN is committed to the highest standards of customer service, with all service calls, emails, questions, and other inquiries fielded by our team of dedicated customer-service representatives in Park Falls, Wisconsin, USA. Like all SEVIIN reels, new GF Series reels are backed by SEVIIN’s accelerated, no-questions-asked, one-year return and replacement policy for any SEVIIN reel owner who registers their reel after purchase.

No matter the fishing situation or technique, there’s a SEVIIN GF Series reel delivering the perfect balance of castability, smoothness, versatility, and comfort. Each model is loaded with features that are engineered to optimize performance without sacrificing durability.

New SEVIIN GF Series Low-Profile Baitcasting Reels are available for purchase at SEVIIN dealers worldwide and online at seviinreels.com.

Interested in becoming a SEVIIN dealer? Email dealersupport@SEVIINreels.com.

About SEVIIN Reels

Wherever and however you fish, the reel in your hand should help create better experiences. Born from St. Croix’s seven decades of design and manufacturing expertise, industry-leading customer service, and unbroken private ownership by the Schluter family dating back to 1977, SEVIIN reels are meticulously engineered and purpose-built to help anglers conquer every species on every piece of water on the planet. SEVIIN focuses on reels and reels only, designing and crafting products that improve the angling experience, regardless of the rods anglers choose. Seven seas, seven continents, seven days a week, SEVIIN reels are fueled by a collective love of fishing surpassed only by a passion to deliver the most reliable and advanced reels on the water. Learn more at seviinreels.com

by AnglersChannel

Andrachick stays consistent to win B.A.S.S. Nation Western Regional at Lake Powell

Sean Andrachick of Marion, Mont., has won the 2023 TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Western Regional at Lake Powell with a three-day total of 30 pounds, 12 ounces.

Photo by Chase Sansom/B.A.S.S.

September 1, 2023

PAGE, Ariz. — Coming into the TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Western Regional at Lake Powell, Sean Andrachick’s main goal was to catch a limit each day to help Team Montana compete in the team competition.

Not only did Andrachick secure limits each day, he found the winning group of bass. With a three-day total of 30 pounds, 12 ounces, the Marion, Mont., boater took home the victory, edging Idaho’s Jess Pottenger by 1-4.

After landing in second the first two days with 11-0 and 10-14, Andrachick caught 8-14 on the final day to jump into the top spot. It is not only his first-ever victory in a Regional, but also the first time Andrachick has qualified for the TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Championship.

“I’m pretty excited,” said Andrachick, who also earned the $500 Garmin Rewards bonus. “I have fished these for so long and this is pretty surreal for me. I’m surprised and blown away by the whole thing. I really didn’t think much about winning. I felt like I was going to come down and try to get the team a win. I never thought I would take the whole thing.”

A local to Noxon Reservoir, Andrachick has been to Lake Powell several times in the past, including in 2006 when the Montana state team won the team competition.

In his search for limit fillers, Andrachick located two main areas that held bass. Both areas featured chunk-rock points with brush and tumbleweed mixed in. There were also big balls of shad in his areas as well, which he could see with his eyes and on Garmin LiveScope.

His starting spot featured mostly largemouth in 5 to 10 feet of water, and he was able to catch the majority of his green fish on a Lucky Craft Gunfish walking bait.

“I caught most of my bass off stuff that most people weren’t fishing,” he said. “People were fishing the backs of the coves and all my fish were out in front of all of that. I was probably a third of the way back. I had a morning topwater bite and caught my kicker fish that way.”

As soon as the sun rose over the canyon, he moved to his second location where he caught mostly smallmouth in anywhere from 5 to 20 feet of water with a small Keitech swimbait in the smallmouth magic color on a drop-shot rig. He also used a Berkley Flatworm and a 3-inch Yamamoto Senko in smoke purple.

His biggest smallmouth was over 3 pounds.

“The bigger smallmouth would come later in the afternoon, especially with the sun,” he said. “Those smallmouth will start roaming around and eating when the sun comes up. When you find the right spot, you can sit there and pick them off.”

Sun and some wind prevailed the first two days and Andrachick caught several limits of bass both days. On Day 3, a morning storm system rolled through and left cloudy conditions in its wake, which changed his bite.

Even still, he filled his limit within the first three hours of fishing and made several more culls throughout the day.

“I was catching three limits a day pretty consistently and today, it was really tough,” he said. “There were a few fish in my box that were small that normally I would have culled out. Today I caught almost all of my smallmouth on topwater, which normally would have been a largemouth bite.”

In his first time fishing a Nation Regional as a boater, Pottenger qualified for the Nation Championship with a three-day total of 29-8. The Harrison, Idaho, native was one of the few anglers who improved his catch each day, landing bags of 8-10, 10-5 and 10-9.

Using mostly a topwater walking bait and a fluke, Pottenger targeted pockets with a mix of rock and brush. He caught a mix of smallmouth and largemouth.

A local to Lake Powell, Riley Nielsen of Murray, Utah, finished third with 29-3 with daily limits weighing 10-10, 8-11 and 9-14. Nielsen focused on flats with little drops where the smallmouth were waiting for shad.

He used mostly a topwater walking bait the first two days before switching to a drop shot on the final day.

Idaho’s Zach Taylor earned $500 for catching the Big Bass of the Tournament, a 4-12.

Arizona’s Hayden Spradling won the nonboater division with a three-day total of 18-11. California’s Kin Pui Wong finished second with 17-5 and Arizona’s Brandon Kahoun finished third with 17-5.

Arizona’s Eric Hammer caught the Big Bass of Tournament for nonboaters, a 4-4, which earned him a $250 bonus.

The top boater and nonboater from each state qualified for the 2023 TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Championship at Lake Hartwell scheduled for Oct. 18-20. The winner of that event will be crowned Nation’s Best and will earn an invitation to the 2024 Bassmaster Elite Series as well as a spot in the 2024 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Toyota.

The winner will also have use of a fully rigged Nitro Boat and Toyota Tundra.

The second and third-place anglers in the Nation Championship will also punch their tickets to the Classic and will receive full paid entry into the 2024 St. Croix Bassmaster Opens Elite Qualifiers format.

2023 TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Western Regional 8/30-9/1
Lake Powell, Page AZ.
(BOATER) Standings Day 3

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

1. Sean Andrachick Marion, MT (MT) 15 30-12 0
2. Jess Pottenger Harrison, ID (ID) 15 29-08 0
3. Riley Nielsen Murray, UT (UT) 15 29-03 0
4. Austin Johnson Noxon, MT (MT) 15 28-11 0
5. Cody Steckel Las Vegas, NV (NV) 15 28-01 0
6. Frankie Mueller Kingman, AZ (AZ) 15 27-13 0
7. Zach Taylor Kimberly, ID (WY) 15 26-10 0
8. Cody Hollen Beaverton, OR (OR) 15 26-10 0
9. Jason Hickey Weiser, ID (ID) 15 26-08 0
10. Austin Bonjour Templeton, CA (CA) 15 26-07 0
11. Jay Burford Glide, OR (OR) 15 25-07 0
12. Brent Becker Henderson, NV (NV) 15 24-15 0
13. Steve Lund Cave Creek, AZ (AZ) 15 24-14 0
14. Cory Kerber Madera, CA (CA) 15 24-09 0
15. Trevor Tippetts La Verkin, UT (UT) 15 24-06 0
16. Ty Faber Pagosa Springs, CO (UT) 15 24-01 0
17. Bill Brown Grand Junction, CO (UT) 14 23-03 0
18. Keegan Graves Meridian, ID (ID) 14 21-13 0
19. Ken Day Kennewick, WA (WA) 12 16-12 0
20. Kody Johnson Florence, AZ (AZ) 10 16-08 0
21. John Fuqua Payson, AZ (AZ) 10 16-06 0
22. Wyatt Moore Bakersfield, CA (CA) 10 16-05 0
23. Tim Wells Clovis, CA (CA) 10 16-04 0
24. Rodney Ryza Homedale, ID (WY) 10 15-14 0
25. Noukhue Vang Fresno, CA (CA) 10 15-13 0
26. Justyn Palmer Careywood, ID (ID) 10 15-13 0
27. Jason Crone Kalispell, MT (MT) 10 15-10 0
28. Justin Kerr Lake Havasu, AZ (NV) 10 15-10 0
29. Randy Pierson Oakdale, CA (CA) 10 15-01 0
30. Brent Shores Boise, ID (WY) 10 14-15 0
31. Trace Myers Santaquin, UT (UT) 9 14-15 0
32. Jesse Parks Goodyear, AZ (AZ) 10 14-13 0
33. Nathan Cummings Peoria, AZ (AZ) 10 14-10 0
34. Timmy Wells II Fresno, CA (CA) 9 14-09 0
35. Darren Wilson Las Vegas, NV (NV) 10 14-08 0
36. Matthew Adamson Farmington, NM (UT) 10 14-07 0
37. Nathan Towes Bakersfield, CA (CA) 10 14-06 0
38. Josh Ragan Post Falls, ID (ID) 10 14-04 0
39. Justin Hicks Gunnison, CO (UT) 10 14-01 0
40. Jake Boomer Spokane Valley, WA (MT) 10 14-00 0
41. Jeff Ball Pendleton, OR (OR) 10 13-15 0
42. Tom Nokes Riverton, UT (UT) 8 13-13 0
43. Cody Kurz Oxnard, CA (CA) 9 13-12 0
44. Scott Gregory West Richland, WA (WA) 10 13-10 0
45. Clif Gallagher Saint George, UT (WY) 9 13-09 0
46. Tony McCalmant Rathdrum, ID (ID) 10 13-06 0
47. Karl Okerman Jr Sandpoint, ID (MT) 10 13-04 0
48. Ryan Yamagata Las Vegas, NV (NV) 7 13-01 0
49. Anthony Mello Coeur D Alene, ID (ID) 9 12-12 0
50. Jordon Gregory West Richland, WA (WA) 10 12-11 0
51. Wesley Tanner Post Falls, ID (MT) 9 12-03 0
52. Eric Inman West Jordan, UT (UT) 10 12-03 0
53. Mike Steckel Las Vegas, NV (NV) 10 12-02 0
54. Kalib Lund Yuma, AZ (AZ) 4 11-14 0
55. Jeff Baird Washington, UT (NV) 9 11-13 0
56. Jon Hickey Nampa, ID (ID) 7 11-11 0
57. Bob Mcwilliams Helena, MT (MT) 9 11-10 0
58. Brian Bolander Scottsdale, AZ (AZ) 9 11-09 0
59. Cody Pierson Pocatello, ID (WY) 10 11-02 0
60. Curtis Reno Hayden, ID (ID) 7 11-01 0
61. Kevin Wiggins Winterheaven, NV (NV) 9 10-15 0
62. Joe Johnson Orem, UT (WY) 8 10-13 0
63. Brandon Morton San Tan Valley, AZ (AZ) 10 09-15 0
64. Mat Cole Hayden, ID (ID) 7 09-15 0
65. Robert Christensen Wallace, ID (MT) 6 09-11 0
66. Dan Jordan Camas, WA (OR) 8 09-11 0
67. Taylor Hulstrom Kellogg, ID (MT) 7 09-06 0
68. Ron Wiseman Jr Pendleton, OR (OR) 7 08-08 0
69. Jacob Russell Tucson, AZ (AZ) 9 08-07 0
70. Mike Dominick Alberton, MT (MT) 6 08-00 0
71. Chris Lambert Olympia, WA (WA) 5 07-15 0
72. Tracy Dursteler Blackfoot, ID (WY) 9 07-03 0
73. Justin Soppe Middleton, ID (WY) 6 07-03 0
74. Jonathan Schuyler Las Vegas, NV (NV) 4 06-10 0
75. Robert Maddox Henderson, NV (NV) 6 06-06 0
76. Rickey Hamilton West Richland, WA (WA) 4 05-07 0
77. Sam Page Moab, UT (UT) 3 03-11 0
78. Mike Alvarez Clovis, CA (CA) 2 03-10 0
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 59 350 527-10
2 57 340 525-13
3 16 90 149-15
----------------------------------
132 780 1203-06

TEAM STANDINGS Day 3
----------------------------------
State Lbs-Oz
1 UTAH 270-13
2 ARIZONA 247-07
3 IDAHO 246-04
4 CALIFORNIA 243-01
5 NEVADA 224-06
6 MONTANA 216-03
7 WYOMING 186-04
8 OREGON 121-12
9 WASHINGTON 86-01

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

WASHINGTON
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Ken Day Kennewick, WA 12 16-12 0
2 Scott Gregory West Richland, WA 10 13-10 0
3 Jordon Gregory West Richland, WA 10 12-11 0
4 Chris Lambert Olympia, WA 5 07-15 0
5 Rickey Hamilton West Richland, WA 4 05-07 0

IDAHO
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Jess Pottenger Harrison, ID 15 29-08 0
2 Jason Hickey Weiser, ID 15 26-08 0
3 Keegan Graves Meridian, ID 14 21-13 0
4 Justyn Palmer Careywood, ID 10 15-13 0
5 Josh Ragan Post Falls, ID 10 14-04 0
6 Tony McCalmant Rathdrum, ID 10 13-06 0
7 Anthony Mello Coeur D Alene, ID 9 12-12 0
8 Jon Hickey Nampa, ID 7 11-11 0
9 Curtis Reno Hayden, ID 7 11-01 0
10 Mat Cole Hayden, ID 7 09-15 0

OREGON
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Cody Hollen Beaverton, OR 15 26-10 0
2 Jay Burford Glide, OR 15 25-07 0
3 Jeff Ball Pendleton, OR 10 13-15 0
4 Dan Jordan Camas, WA 8 09-11 0
5 Ron Wiseman Jr Pendleton, OR 7 08-08 0

ARIZONA
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Frankie Mueller Kingman, AZ 15 27-13 0
2 Steve Lund Cave Creek, AZ 15 24-14 0
3 Kody Johnson Florence, AZ 10 16-08 0
4 John Fuqua Payson, AZ 10 16-06 0
5 Jesse Parks Goodyear, AZ 10 14-13 0
6 Nathan Cummings Peoria, AZ 10 14-10 0
7 Kalib Lund Yuma, AZ 4 11-14 0
8 Brian Bolander Scottsdale, AZ 9 11-09 0
9 Brandon Morton San Tan Valley, AZ 10 09-15 0
10 Jacob Russell Tucson, AZ 9 08-07 0

WYOMING
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Zach Taylor Kimberly, ID 15 26-10 0
2 Rodney Ryza Homedale, ID 10 15-14 0
3 Brent Shores Boise, ID 10 14-15 0
4 Clif Gallagher Saint George, UT 9 13-09 0
5 Cody Pierson Pocatello, ID 10 11-02 0
6 Joe Johnson Orem, UT 8 10-13 0
7 Tracy Dursteler Blackfoot, ID 9 07-03 0
8 Justin Soppe Middleton, ID 6 07-03 0

CALIFORNIA
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Austin Bonjour Templeton, CA 15 26-07 0
2 Cory Kerber Madera, CA 15 24-09 0
3 Wyatt Moore Bakersfield, CA 10 16-05 0
4 Tim Wells Clovis, CA 10 16-04 0
5 Noukhue Vang Fresno, CA 10 15-13 0
6 Randy Pierson Oakdale, CA 10 15-01 0
7 Timmy Wells II Fresno, CA 9 14-09 0
8 Nathan Towes Bakersfield, CA 10 14-06 0
9 Cody Kurz Oxnard, CA 9 13-12 0
10 Mike Alvarez Clovis, CA 2 03-10 0

MONTANA
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Sean Andrachick Marion, MT 15 30-12 0
2 Austin Johnson Noxon, MT 15 28-11 0
3 Jason Crone Kalispell, MT 10 15-10 0
4 Jake Boomer Spokane Valley, WA 10 14-00 0
5 Karl Okerman Jr Sandpoint, ID 10 13-04 0
6 Wesley Tanner Post Falls, ID 9 12-03 0
7 Bob Mcwilliams Helena, MT 9 11-10 0
8 Robert Christensen Wallace, ID 6 09-11 0
9 Taylor Hulstrom Kellogg, ID 7 09-06 0
10 Mike Dominick Alberton, MT 6 08-00 0

UTAH
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Riley Nielsen Murray, UT 15 29-03 0
2 Trevor Tippetts La Verkin, UT 15 24-06 0
3 Ty Faber Pagosa Springs, CO 15 24-01 0
4 Bill Brown Grand Junction, CO 14 23-03 0
5 Trace Myers Santaquin, UT 9 14-15 0
6 Matthew Adamson Farmington, NM 10 14-07 0
7 Justin Hicks Gunnison, CO 10 14-01 0
8 Tom Nokes Riverton, UT 8 13-13 0
9 Eric Inman West Jordan, UT 10 12-03 0
10 Sam Page Moab, UT 3 03-11 0

NEVADA
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Cody Steckel Las Vegas, NV 15 28-01 0
2 Brent Becker Henderson, NV 15 24-15 0
3 Justin Kerr Lake Havasu, AZ 10 15-10 0
4 Darren Wilson Las Vegas, NV 10 14-08 0
5 Ryan Yamagata Las Vegas, NV 7 13-01 0
6 Mike Steckel Las Vegas, NV 10 12-02 0
7 Jeff Baird Washington, UT 9 11-13 0
8 Kevin Wiggins Winterheaven, NV 9 10-15 0
9 Jonathan Schuyler Las Vegas, NV 4 06-10 0
10 Robert Maddox Henderson, NV 6 06-06 0

2023 TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Western Regional 8/30-9/1
Lake Powell, Page AZ.
(NON_BOATER) Standings Day 3

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

1. Hayden Spradling Gilbert, AZ (AZ) 9 18-11 0
2. Kin Pui Wong Bakersfield, CA (CA) 9 17-05 0
3. Brandon Kahoun Scottsdale, AZ (AZ) 9 17-05 0
4. Eric Hammer Peoria, AZ (AZ) 9 17-04 0
5. Christian Hanson Rathdrum, ID (ID) 9 16-07 0
6. Greg Pink Montrose, CO (UT) 9 15-08 0
7. Hunter Loveless American Fork, UT (UT) 9 15-06 0
8. Dean Yamagata Las Vegas, NV (NV) 9 15-04 0
9. Andrew Sayles Middleton, ID (WY) 9 15-01 0
10. Haden Ryza Homedale, ID (WY) 9 14-12 0
11. Dez Ruffin Tukwila, WA (WA) 9 14-10 0
12. Zac Ortiz Kaysville, UT (UT) 8 13-13 0
13. Billy Ricker Clinton, UT (UT) 9 13-05 0
14. Travis Darrough Round Mountain, NV (NV) 9 13-04 0
15. Bubba Romero Moorpark, CA (CA) 9 13-03 0
16. Dave Roberts Sisters, OR (OR) 9 13-00 0
17. Grant Aumiller Danville, KY (MT) 7 12-07 0
18. Anthony Ocamica Middleton, ID (ID) 7 10-04 0
19. Kong Moua Sacramento, CA (CA) 6 09-07 0
20. Dustin Medlock Post Falls, ID (MT) 6 09-03 0
21. Cesar Gomez Fullerton, CA (CA) 6 09-01 0
22. Collin Gleason Star Valley Ranch, WY ( 6 08-15 0
23. Jake Hansen Bozeman, MT (MT) 6 08-15 0
24. Rick Mclenon South Jordan, UT (UT) 6 08-12 0
25. Hunter Bower Coeur D Alene, ID (MT) 6 08-09 0
26. Gary Abshire Fruitland, ID (WY) 5 08-07 0
27. Jared Raynor Dalton Gardens, ID (ID) 6 08-05 0
28. Andy Bliss Bonners Ferry, ID (ID) 6 08-05 0
29. Katie Tanner Post Falls, ID (MT) 6 08-04 0
30. Ron Christiensen Las Vegas, NV (NV) 5 08-03 0
31. Andrew Jayne Coeur D Alene, ID (ID) 6 08-01 0
32. Aaron Marich Heron, MT (MT) 6 07-15 0
33. Craig Miller Las Vegas, NV (NV) 6 07-13 0
34. David Bertsch Harrison, ID (ID) 6 07-12 0
35. Tyler Wipf West Richland, WA (WA) 4 07-11 0
36. Dillon Garcia Hanford, CA (CA) 5 07-11 0
37. Bill See III Park City, UT (WY) 6 07-11 0
38. Jordan Schwartzkopf El Mirage, AZ (AZ) 6 07-09 0
39. Sean Sullivan Henderson, NV (NV) 4 07-08 0
40. Garrett Newberry Lake Havasu City, AZ (A 6 07-08 0
41. Ronald Slack Pahrump, NV (NV) 6 07-08 0
42. Clay Williams Athol, ID (ID) 5 07-07 0
43. Walter Haltom Malad City, ID (UT) 6 07-06 0
44. Mandy Myers Santa Quin, UT (OR) 5 07-06 0
45. Steve Larsen Henderson, NV (NV) 6 07-05 0
46. Austin Tate Herriman, UT (WY) 4 07-03 0
47. Nick Dulleck Roseville, CA (CA) 5 07-03 0
48. J.D. White Hayden, ID (ID) 6 07-01 0
49. Doc Ismail Las Vegas, NV (NV) 5 06-14 0
50. Kenny Keovilayphone Taylorsville, UT (UT) 5 06-12 0
51. Travis Kunz Kuna, ID (WY) 6 06-11 0
52. Andy Mcintyre Henderson, NV (NV) 5 06-10 0
53. Charles Adams Roseburg, OR (OR) 6 06-10 0
54. Jake Morrison Phoenix, AZ (AZ) 5 06-09 0
55. Jerry Lake Cottage Grove, OR (OR) 5 06-07 0
56. Rick Culver Taylor, UT (UT) 5 06-03 0
57. Thomas Edwards Gilbert, AZ (AZ) 5 05-15 0
58. Terry Peterson West Jordan, UT (UT) 4 05-13 0
59. Rachel Uribe San Diego, CA (CA) 4 05-11 0
60. David Childress Bakersfield, CA (CA) 5 05-06 0
61. Todd Brimhall Lehi, UT (WY) 4 05-04 0
62. Jason Lee Phoenix, AZ (AZ) 4 05-04 0
63. Easton Clark West Richland, WA (WA) 4 05-00 0
64. Steven Mair Heber City, UT (WY) 4 04-15 0
65. AJ MacVittie Coeur D Alene, ID (ID) 4 04-13 0
66. David Bentley Florence, MT (MT) 4 04-10 0
67. Greg Hadden Pendleton, OR (OR) 3 04-02 0
68. Gary Speed Groveland, CA (CA) 3 04-00 0
69. Dave Ballou Santaquin, UT (UT) 4 04-00 0
70. Aldo Acevedo North Hollywood, CA (CA 3 03-06 0
71. Christopher Wilson Tucson, AZ (AZ) 3 03-06 0
72. Dick Coffey Pasco, WA (WA) 2 02-05 0
73. Preston Littleeagle Kalispell, MT (MT) 1 01-12 0
74. Quincy Grupenhoff Clancy, MT (MT) 4 01-05 0
75. Tristin Sampson Peoria, AZ (AZ) 1 01-03 0
76. Michael Dart Payette, ID (ID) 1 01-02 0
77. Paul Aznarez Las Vegas, NV (NV) 0 00-00 0
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 59 201 282-04
2 52 183 271-10
3 16 50 84-15
----------------------------------
127 434 638-13

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

WASHINGTON
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Dez Ruffin Tukwila, WA 9 14-10 0
2 Tyler Wipf West Richland, WA 4 07-11 0
3 Easton Clark West Richland, WA 4 05-00 0
4 Dick Coffey Pasco, WA 2 02-05 0

IDAHO
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Christian Hanson Rathdrum, ID 9 16-07 0
2 Anthony Ocamica Middleton, ID 7 10-04 0
3 Jared Raynor Dalton Gardens, ID 6 08-05 0
4 Andy Bliss Bonners Ferry, ID 6 08-05 0
5 Andrew Jayne Coeur D Alene, ID 6 08-01 0
6 David Bertsch Harrison, ID 6 07-12 0
7 Clay Williams Athol, ID 5 07-07 0
8 J.D. White Hayden, ID 6 07-01 0
9 AJ MacVittie Coeur D Alene, ID 4 04-13 0
10 Michael Dart Payette, ID 1 01-02 0

OREGON
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Dave Roberts Sisters, OR 9 13-00 0
2 Mandy Myers Santa Quin, UT 5 07-06 0
3 Charles Adams Roseburg, OR 6 06-10 0
4 Jerry Lake Cottage Grove, OR 5 06-07 0
5 Greg Hadden Pendleton, OR 3 04-02 0

ARIZONA
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Hayden Spradling Gilbert, AZ 9 18-11 0
2 Brandon Kahoun Scottsdale, AZ 9 17-05 0
3 Eric Hammer Peoria, AZ 9 17-04 0
4 Jordan Schwartzkopf El Mirage, AZ 6 07-09 0
5 Garrett Newberry Lake Havasu City, AZ 6 07-08 0
6 Jake Morrison Phoenix, AZ 5 06-09 0
7 Thomas Edwards Gilbert, AZ 5 05-15 0
8 Jason Lee Phoenix, AZ 4 05-04 0
9 Christopher Wilson Tucson, AZ 3 03-06 0
10 Tristin Sampson Peoria, AZ 1 01-03 0

WYOMING
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Andrew Sayles Middleton, ID 9 15-01 0
2 Haden Ryza Homedale, ID 9 14-12 0
3 Collin Gleason Star Valley Ranch, WY 6 08-15 0
4 Gary Abshire Fruitland, ID 5 08-07 0
5 Bill See III Park City, UT 6 07-11 0
6 Austin Tate Herriman, UT 4 07-03 0
7 Travis Kunz Kuna, ID 6 06-11 0
8 Todd Brimhall Lehi, UT 4 05-04 0
9 Steven Mair Heber City, UT 4 04-15 0

CALIFORNIA
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Kin Pui Wong Bakersfield, CA 9 17-05 0
2 Bubba Romero Moorpark, CA 9 13-03 0
3 Kong Moua Sacramento, CA 6 09-07 0
4 Cesar Gomez Fullerton, CA 6 09-01 0
5 Dillon Garcia Hanford, CA 5 07-11 0
6 Nick Dulleck Roseville, CA 5 07-03 0
7 Rachel Uribe San Diego, CA 4 05-11 0
8 David Childress Bakersfield, CA 5 05-06 0
9 Gary Speed Groveland, CA 3 04-00 0
10 Aldo Acevedo North Hollywood, CA 3 03-06 0

MONTANA
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Grant Aumiller Danville, KY 7 12-07 0
2 Dustin Medlock Post Falls, ID 6 09-03 0
3 Jake Hansen Bozeman, MT 6 08-15 0
4 Hunter Bower Coeur D Alene, ID 6 08-09 0
5 Katie Tanner Post Falls, ID 6 08-04 0
6 Aaron Marich Heron, MT 6 07-15 0
7 David Bentley Florence, MT 4 04-10 0
8 Preston Littleeagle Kalispell, MT 1 01-12 0
9 Quincy Grupenhoff Clancy, MT 4 01-05 0

UTAH
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Greg Pink Montrose, CO 9 15-08 0
2 Hunter Loveless American Fork, UT 9 15-06 0
3 Zac Ortiz Kaysville, UT 8 13-13 0
4 Billy Ricker Clinton, UT 9 13-05 0
5 Rick Mclenon South Jordan, UT 6 08-12 0
6 Walter Haltom Malad City, ID 6 07-06 0
7 Kenny Keovilayphone Taylorsville, UT 5 06-12 0
8 Rick Culver Taylor, UT 5 06-03 0
9 Terry Peterson West Jordan, UT 4 05-13 0
10 Dave Ballou Santaquin, UT 4 04-00 0

NEVADA
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Dean Yamagata Las Vegas, NV 9 15-04 0
2 Travis Darrough Round Mountain, NV 9 13-04 0
3 Ron Christiensen Las Vegas, NV 5 08-03 0
4 Craig Miller Las Vegas, NV 6 07-13 0
5 Sean Sullivan Henderson, NV 4 07-08 0
6 Ronald Slack Pahrump, NV 6 07-08 0
7 Steve Larsen Henderson, NV 6 07-05 0
8 Doc Ismail Las Vegas, NV 5 06-14 0
9 Andy Mcintyre Henderson, NV 5 06-10 0
10 Paul Aznarez Las Vegas, NV 0 00-00 0

by AnglersChannel

Fishin' Tip Friday - Bill Dance on the Slip Sinker

Bill Dance: An All-time Great Angler on an All-time Great Technique

By Vance McCullough

The old ‘rubber worm’ as we often called them back in the day, will catch bass year-round but it really shines during the dog days of summer when nothing else seems to work.

Following is Bill Dance’s best tip on how to catch bass any time, anywhere with Texas-rigged soft plastics:

Bill Dance wrote the book – literally – on worm fishing. Published by Bass Anglers Sportsman Society of America in 1973. “It was titled ‘There He Is’,” notes Dance, “because when you feel a bass pick up the worm, that’s what you say.”

While Dance nods to improvements in equipment and materials – tungsten weights, lighter, stiffer rods, advanced lines and hooks – he notes that a couple of things have not changed. First is the effectiveness of what has come to be known as the Texas rig, which Dance still calls the ‘slip sinker rig’.

The other constant is the need to pay attention and s-l-o-w down. Years before Dance would catch the first bass ever boated in a Bassmaster tournament on a worm, he met a man named Stan Mason, a crop duster pilot from Hughes, Arkansas. Dance recalls that day on the shore of Horseshoe Lake in the 1950’s. “Stan asked, ‘you fish the slip sinker rig?’. I said, ‘what’s that?’. He put a few sinkers in my hand, and I asked, ‘well, how do you fish this?’ He looked at my boat in the parking lot and said, leave that here and come fishing with me’. I did.

“If I learned one thing that day, Stan taught me, ‘If you think you’re fishing slow, fish slower’.

“We were fishing, and Stan looked at me and said, ‘what did I tell you?’ ‘Fish slower,’ I said. ‘Then why aren’t you doing it? You’re hard-headed!’.” Dance laughs at the memory. He laughs harder about what happened next.

“I tossed that worm between a couple of cypress trees and let it sink. Then I felt ‘thunk!’ I caught a 3-pound bass. I went crazy! I peed my pants three times!”

“If you think you’re fishing slow, fish slower,” – Stan Mason, via Bill Dance

by AnglersChannel

Joey Cifuentes III Sees Top Honors: Takes Home the 2023 Elite Series Rookie of the Year Award

After a competitive finish at the St. Lawrence River and amongst a talented field of rookies, Fin-Nor pro Joey Cifuentes III wins Rookie of the Year.

COLUMBIA, S.C. (Aug. 30, 2023) – The Bassmaster Elite Series saw one of the most competitive rookie classes in recent history with four tournaments being won by rookies and at least six qualifying for next year’s Bassmaster Classic. But Joey Cifuentes III outshone them all, edging out fellow angler Kyoya Fujita to take home the Rookie of the Year trophy and the $10,000 prize.

The win for Cifuentes III came down to the championship Sunday on the St. Lawrence River where he watched Fujita, who finished third in the tournament, begin to close in on his 15-point lead. Cifuentes III finished 19th but failed to qualify for the final day, allowing Fujita to make up some ground. Ultimately, Cifuentes III maintained his lead by just one point, concluding an impressive debut season for the Arkansas angler.

“I give so much credit to the other rookies on the Elite Series; it was a fight all-season long,” said Cifuentes III. “This is what you work for as a pro and all the long hours and countless casts lead up to an incredible moment like this. I’m so thankful to have my family, friends, fans, and sponsors supporting me through those ups and downs.”

The Rookie of the Year honor is a credit to Cifuentes III’s consistent and continued success throughout the season, notching two victories and four other top-30 finishes over the course of the year. Back in February he held off a tough challenge from Fujita to take home the title at Lake Seminole and just last month had a late surge on the final day to secure a win at Lake St. Clair.

Throughout the season, Cifuentes III encountered diverse weather conditions and navigated unfamiliar waters. He relied on his Fin-Nor Flybridge sunglasses to spot vegetation and even the next bite. Fin-Nor’s Lateral Line lens technology enhances color without distortion, allowing Cifuentes III to see what’s on and beneath the surface while the 100% polarized lenses block out harmful UV-rays.

“Just like anything else in my tackle box, it was critical that I had my Fin-Nors with me throughout this entire season,” said Cifuentes III. “I’m tough on my equipment but the lenses performed flawlessly without smudging or scratching and the lightweight frames provided all-day comfort on the water.”

Beyond his rookie success, Cifuentes III demonstrated competitiveness throughout the season and secured a fifth-place standing in the Angler of the Year rankings. His performance in the Elite Series qualifies Cifuentes III for a shot at the Bassmaster Classic next March in Tulsa, Oklahoma, just a short distance from his hometown.

by AnglersChannel

Revolutionize Your Water Safety with Kryptek x Bluestorm PFDs

Eagle, Idaho – Kryptek, the leading provider of high-performance camouflage gear, is excited to announce a groundbreaking partnership with Bluestorm, the innovative water safety equipment company. This collaboration aims to revolutionize the personal flotation device (PFD) market by introducing the most comfortable and stylish PFDs ever created.

Combining Kryptek's expertise in camouflage patterns with Bluestorm's dedication to safety, the new line of PFDs offers outdoor enthusiasts the perfect blend of functionality and fashion. Whether you're an avid angler, a passionate kayaker, or simply enjoy spending time on the water, these PFDs will enhance your experience and keep you safe.

What sets these PFDs apart is the incorporation of Kryptek's cutting-edge camo patterns. Designed with meticulous attention to detail, these patterns seamlessly blend into any environment, making you virtually invisible.

In addition to their unparalleled aesthetics, the Kryptek and Bluestorm PFDs prioritize comfort. Made from premium materials and featuring ergonomic designs, these PFDs ensure a snug fit without sacrificing mobility. Whether you're casting a fishing line, shouldering your favorite waterfowl shotgun, or paddling through rough waters, you can trust that these PFDs will stay securely in place, allowing you to focus on your adventure.

As the market leaders in their respective fields, Kryptek and Bluestorm are committed to pushing the boundaries of innovation. With this partnership, they have not only created a product that meets the highest industry standards but also one that exceeds customer expectations. Get ready to experience the ultimate combination of comfort, style, and safety with the new Kryptek and Bluestorm PFDs.

by AnglersChannel

Walters Credits Mustache for Victory and Yamaha Power Pay Bonus

Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships

Patrick Walters drove his Yamaha-powered bass boat further each day across Lake Ontario than most folks drive on their morning commute to the office. He pushed his 250-horsepower V MAX SHO® to the limits across Lake Ontario for four days to set an all-time B.A.S.S. record of 105-pounds of tournament winning smallmouth, to net a $100,000 victory,and a $4,000 bonus from the Yamaha Power Pay program.

“I never had a mechanical issue this week, and I have never had an issue with my outboard this entire Elite Series season,” said Walters, moments after winning the third coveted blue trophy of his young career.

The South Carolina pro says he once considered himself pretty weak at the northern smallmouth fishing game, but worked hard to improve, and subsequently, is most proud of the fact he claimed victory in a portion of the pro fishing world where he once struggled.

Every one of the “bronzebacks” that comprised his record-setting weight bit a drop shot rig, often times tipped with a Megabass Hazedong Shad. However, he jokes the new-look mustache he sported through three recent smallmouth derbies might have contained a bit of fish attracting magic of its own.

“What an incredible week. A Bassmaster® Century Belt, a blue trophy, a hundred-thousand bucks, and a Yamaha Power Pay bonus. The only bad thing is I gotta shave the mustache off for my wife Emily,” he laughed.

Losing a bit of upper lip fuzz is surely a minor sacrifice for the amount of incredible prosperity he experienced at work this past week on Lake Ontario near Clayton, N.Y., and heprovided proof that if you fish tournaments and run a Yamaha, it’s definitely worth taking a few minutes to sign up for Power Pay, by visiting https://yamahapowerpay.com/.

by AnglersChannel

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