Bass Fishing Hall of Fame Kicks Off Ceremony Events
CELEBRATE BASS FISHING WEEK’ SILENT AUCTION KICKS OFF BASS FISHING HALL OF FAME’S 2025 INDUCTION CEREMONY EVENTS
SPRINGFIELD, MO – Sept. 18, 2025 – A much anticipated opportunity for bass fishing enthusiasts in the U.S. and Canada to support the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame’s mission kicks off on Sunday, September 21 at 5 p.m. EST when the organization’s annual ‘Celebrate Bass Fishing Week’ online silent auction, presented by Major League Fishing, goes live at https://one.bidpal.net/bfhof/welcome.
With exclusive gear, fishing and hunting experiences, and memorabilia for bass anglers and anyone interested in the outdoors, the auction proceeds are used in part for the Hall of Fame’s exciting induction ceremony activities taking place at Johnny Morris’ Wonders of Wildlife Museum & Aquarium and White River Conference Center on Thursday, Sept. 25. That evening’s events will include the plaque unveiling and jacket ceremony for the new inductees presented by Phoenix Boats within the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame venue space. Bass boat innovator Randy Hopper, noted journalist Craig Lamb, and the late legendary tackle maker Wiliam Shakespeare, Jr. will be formally inducted into the Hall as the Class of 2025.
For those familiar with the ‘Celebrate Bass Fishing Week’ auction, you can expect to find opportunities to bid on fishing trips and experiences of a lifetime, such as smallmouth action on the St. Lawrence River, targeting ShareLunker lineage largemouth from Bois d’Arc Reservoir in north Texas, trout fishing on the White River in Arkansas, kayak bass fishing in Alabama, and even crappie fishing with ‘Mr. Crappie’ himself, Wally Marshall, on a private lake in east Texas.
There’s also a bucket list trip for any bass angler who also enjoys saltwater fishing and wants to experience topwater fishing for tuna at Sport Fish Panama Island Lodge. The special bonus on that – you’ll be joined on the trip by 2024 Bass Fishing Hall of Fame inductee Skeet Reese.
New to the auction this year is the opportunity to have a virtual meet-up (i.e. Zoom call) to talk everything and anything about bass fishing with some of the best pro anglers in the sport, including Hall of Famers Rick Clunn, Gary Klein, Hank Parker, Kevin VanDam, along with current stars from the Major League Fishing and Bassmaster trails, including Jacob Wheeler and Trey McKinney. All of these special opportunities can be used for a bass club or other organization wanting to make the virtual event part of an evening meeting.
Upwards of 50 tournament-worn fishing jerseys from both MLF and B.A.S.S. top tier circuits will be up for auction. You’ll also find rods, reels, line/braid, lures and fishing accessories from many of the leading bass tackle brands, including PRADCO, Daiwa, Rapala, Rather Outdoors, AFTCO, TFO Rods, Sunline, Bajio, BUBBA, St. Croix, Bull Shad Lures, Island Optics, Shimano, 13 Fishing, SPRO, Megabass, Juice’s Jigs, Costa, and more.
If you need anything for fall hunting, there are items from Moultrie, Summit Stands, FORLOH Apparel, and Woodhaven Custom Calls. There are even some very special fishing and ski trip adventures in the Canadian Rockies.
“We make it a point with our ‘Celebrate Bass Fishing Week’ online auction to have items that will appeal to the interest and pocketbooks for any bass angler,” said Bass Fishing HOF Board President John Mazurkiewicz. “Since the Hall’s permanent home was established at Wonders of Wildlife in 2017, the Hall has invested nearly $400,000 on various programming, including on-going enhancements to our venue, our conservation grants to enhance bass fishing conducted by bass clubs nationwide and in Canada and our scholarship program to assist high school and college students in degree programs focusing on natural resources and fishery management.
The Bass Fishing HOF Board wants to acknowledge the support it has received from across the bass fishing world. Directly related to ‘Celebrate Bass Fishing Week’ and our induction event activities , “we could not do it without the assistance from our presenting sponsors – MLF, Phoenix Boats and induction dinner sponsor B.A.S.S., along with Bass Cat Boats, PRADCO, Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s, Wired2Fish, AFTCO, GSM Outdoors, Rapala, Daiwa, Rather Outdoors, Pro-Guide Batteries, Visit Anderson, Sunline, Bass Forecast, Yeti, and Costa,” Mazurkiewicz said. “All these firms and organizations go a step above in supporting the Hall’s mission of celebrating, promoting and preserving the sport of bass fishing.”
To participate in the Bass Fishing HOF’s annual ‘Celebrate Bass Fishing Week’ online auction, visit https://one.bidpal.net/bfhof/welcome.
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About the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame
Celebrating its 25th year, the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame is a nonprofit organization led by a volunteer board of directors, dedicated to celebrating, promoting, and preserving the sport of bass fishing. The Hall’s inductees and historical memorabilia are showcased in Johnny Morris’ Wonders of Wildlife Museum and Aquarium in Springfield, Missouri. For more information about the road to induction, the Hall’s impact on the community, or to get involved, visit www.BassFishingHOF.com.
or contact BFHOF executive director Barbara Bowman at [email protected].
MLF Announces Schedules for 2026 Abu Garcia College Fishing and High School Fishing Circuits
| BENTON, Ky. (Sept. 18, 2025) – Major League Fishing (MLF) announced today the schedules for the 2026 Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI and the Abu Garcia High School Fishing Presented by Tackle Warehouse seasons. Both circuits will continue to offer prizes, scholarships and advancement opportunities to the 2026 Toyota Series Championship for qualified teams, and for college anglers, an opportunity to compete against the world’s best pros at REDCREST for a top prize of $300,000.
“Our goal is always to provide the very best competitive opportunities for student anglers, and our 2026 schedules definitely achieve that,” said Kevin Hunt, MLF Senior Director of Tournament Operations for College and High School Fishing. “From Lake Seminole and Lake Eufaula in the spring to Guntersville and Cherokee Lake in the fall, these lineups give student-anglers a true tour of some iconic fisheries and will allow them to develop the skills needed to compete at the next level.” The 2026 Abu Garcia College Fishing season kicks off Feb. 12-14 with the National Championship at Lake Murray, hosted by the Capital City Lake Murray Country Regional Tourism Board and showcasing the top teams from the 2025 season. The regular season then kicks off, consisting of six qualifying tournaments around the country. The top 15% of teams from each regular-season event will qualify for the 2027 College Fishing National Championship. “We’re thrilled to welcome the Abu Garcia College Fishing National Championship to Lake Murray,” said Amy Hoffman, Interim President of the Capital City Lake Murray Country Regional Tourism Board. “Events like this not only showcase our beautiful waters but also bring a tremendous economic boost to our four-county region. From hotels and restaurants to our local shops and attractions, a fishing tournament of this scale supports jobs, drives tourism and highlights Lake Murray as a premier destination for both anglers and visitors alike.” 2026 Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI Schedule: |
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| The 2026 Abu Garcia High School Fishing circuit will feature teams competing in five events, held in conjunction with Abu Garcia College Fishing events to allow students and parents to network with prospective college coaches and anglers during the event. Abu Garcia High School Fishing Opens are two-person (team) events for students in grades 7-12, and open to any Student Angler Federation (SAF)-affiliated high school club in the United States. The top 10% of teams in each tournament will qualify to compete at the High School Fishing National Championship.
2026 Abu Garcia High School Fishing Opens Presented by Tackle Warehouse Schedule: There are no changes to the rules governing forward facing and 360-degree sonar. It will not be restricted in Abu Garcia College Fishing events. It will continue to be prohibited in the Abu Garcia High School Fishing Opens. Its use is, however, allowed in the National Championship that runs concurrently with The Bass Federation’s World Finals. College Fishing and High School Fishing entries will be accepted for Phoenix boat owners beginning Nov. 7, 2025. Entries from the general public will be accepted beginning Nov. 10, 2025. Enter at MajorLeagueFishing.com or by calling 270.252.1000. For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular College Fishing and High School Fishing updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. About Major League Fishing |
More Than 630 College Anglers Set to Open New Season at Kentucky Lake for the Bass Pro Shops Big Bass Bash
SAN ANTONIO, TX (September 17, 2025) – The first event of the 2025-26 season for the Association of Collegiate Anglers is the Bass Pro Shops Big Bass Bash presented by Berkley. This no-entry-fee, nationally televised, double points event will be contested at Kentucky Lake in Henry County and Paris, TN on September 20-21. Over 630 anglers, including 22 of the Top 25 ranked teams in the ACA Pre-Season Poll, are set to compete for more than $40,000 in prizes and contingencies, as well as double points to count towards the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia. This major tournament will feature media coverage on a variety of streaming platforms, live coverage, social media promotions and is nationally televised on several networks.
The Bass Pro Shops Big Bass Bash presented by Berkley is a two-day big bass format event that will pay out a total of 80 places, Overall Big Bass, and several exact weight bonuses. On Day 1 of tournament competition, there will be four weigh-in sessions. Those sessions will close at 9:00 AM, 11:00 AM, 1:00 PM, and 3:00 PM. Each session will pay out prizes to the Top 10 biggest bass. Day 1 sessions are presented by these sponsors: Session 1 – Engel Coolers, Session 2 – MillerTech, Session 3 – Bass Pro Shops, and Session 4 – Garmin.
Day 2 of tournament competition will be comprised of three weigh-in sessions. Those sessions will close at 9:30 AM, 11:30 AM, and 1:30 PM. Tournament competition concludes earlier on Sunday afternoon to allow anglers time to travel and return to campus for classes on Monday. The first two sessions of Day 2 will pay out the Top 10 biggest bass. Day 2 Session 3 will award prizes to the Top 20 biggest bass weighed in during that session. Day 2 sessions are presented by these sponsors: Session 1 – Abu Garcia, Session 2 – Bob’s Machine shop, Session 3 – Berkley Fishing.
Following the conclusion of weigh-in on Day 2, the overall tournament standings will be finalized, and first place will be awarded the “Overall Big Bass” title for the event. First place will pay out close to $5,000 in additional prizes.
View the complete prize list here.
Anglers will be eligible for thousands of dollars in contingency and bonus payouts during the first event of the ACA’s 21stseason at Kentucky Lake. View the list of contingency programs available to anglers at this link. All total, the Bass Pro Shops Big Bass Bash presented by Berkley will award well over $40,000 in prizes and contingencies.
The Top 10 finishing anglers in the overall event standings will earn automatic qualification into the 2026 Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops at Pickwick Lake next May. View the complete Championship qualification criteria.
Along with the valuable prizes and contingencies up for grabs, the Bass Pro Shops Big Bass Bash presented by Berkley is an ACA double points event. Schools will be eligible to earn points for their two highest-placing fish inside of the Top 150 in the overall event standings. First place will be awarded 1,750 points. Bass fishing clubs/teams that are able to place two fish high up in the standings will be able to earn 3,000 plus points. 22 of the Top 25 teams in the ACA’s annual Pre-Season Poll are set to compete at Kentucky Lake this upcoming weekend. An updated points standings will be released prior to the start of the event.
The presenting sponsor for this event is Berkley Fishing. On the second day of tournament competition, anglers will be permitted to use only Berkley baits. Read the Official Rules to view the complete details. The ACA recently published a feature article highlighting Berkley baits that could be key for success at Kentucky Lake. Check out that article at this link.
With school starting back up and fall weather beginning to set in, it’s a great time to be out on the water and kick off a new season on the Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Bass Fishing Series. The host site for this event is Kentucky Lake in Henry County and Paris, TN. The ACA has been contesting major events here for well over 10 years. The host community and fishery provide a great back drop for this major college fishing event. Read a complete lake preview article here.
The ACA will provide live coverage of the Bass Pro Shops Big Bass Bash presented by Berkley at Kentucky Lake in Paris, TN. Live weigh-in, for both days of tournament competition, will be streamed on the ACA website. The tournament live blog will begin on Friday with the final day of Official Practice and run through the conclusion of Day 2 of tournament competition. The live blog, along with live weigh-in, a live leaderboard, recap articles, photos and more can be found on the ACA website.
Team BUBBA Tops Thrilling Knockout Round on Big Arbor Vitae Lake at Knighten Industries Heritage Cup
All three teams catch more than 109 pounds, Knockout Round Match 2 set for Thursday
MINOCQUA, Wis. (Sept. 17, 2025) – In what many would argue was the most dramatic day in MLF Fishing Clash Team Series history, Team BUBBA’s Ott DeFoe and Andy Montgomery stormed from third place in the final minutes to win the Knockout Round on Big Arbor Vitae Lake at the Knighten Industries Heritage Cup Presented by Bass Boat Technologies.
With just 17 minutes remaining, the top three teams were separated by only 5 pounds, setting up a nail-biting finish that had fans and anglers alike on edge. Team Fishing Clash (Keith Carson and Luke Clausen) sat in the lead at 109 pounds, 1 ounce, with Team 7Brew (Keith Poche and Zack Birge) close behind at 105-11 and Team BUBBA at 104-4. In the closing stretch, Team BUBBA landed six of the final seven scorable bass to surge into first, ultimately holding off Fishing Clash for the top spot by fewer than 3 pounds.
The top two teams – Team BUBBA and Team Fishing Clash – now advance to Friday’s Championship Round, while Team 7Brew Coffee was eliminated after all three teams topped the 100-pound mark.
DeFoe anchored the day with 48 scorable bass, including a 3-pound, 11-ounce kicker that proved pivotal. Both DeFoe and Montgomery leaned on a compact, 3/8-ounce jig paired with soft-plastic trailers, adjusting their approach when their usual wacky worm and Thunder Cricket patterns failed to produce.
“I don’t know the last time that I’ve caught more bass than that,” DeFoe said. “It was an incredible day of bass fishing. But interesting too – you couldn’t just catch them on everything. It was definitely a flipping deal, and we are lucky that we figured it out pretty quickly.”
Montgomery said that adjustment was the key difference.
“Normally Ott is behind me with a wacky worm while I go with the jig, but today those fish weren’t feeding high at all,” Montgomery said. “They wouldn’t take the wacky worm, and they’d hardly touch the (Strike King) Thunder Cricket. They wanted that jig down on the bottom. Once we figured that out, we just kept catching them. By far, that’s the hardest day we’ve ever had, but also one of the most fun.”
The emotional roller coaster of the day was evident in the final moments, as Montgomery and DeFoe realized they had completed the comeback.
“Oh my gosh, I feel like we just won everything,” an exhausted Montgomery said moments after lines out. “That was 6 hours of all-out fishing. If you couldn’t tell, catching 100 pounds of bass is a lot of work – and everybody was doing it.”
“That was so much fun and so stressful,” DeFoe added with a laugh. “If you want to come fun-fish somewhere, this is definitely the place to do it – just don’t bring a SCORETRACKER®.”
Team Fishing Clash also kept the pressure on all day, ultimately securing the second advancing slot by just over 2 pounds. Carson and Clausen leaned on a one-two punch of a compact jig and a weightless wacky rig, targeting boat docks early before shifting to wood cover as the day progressed.
Clausen’s steady production was critical, and his 2-pound, 4-ounce bass with 12 minutes remaining provided the final margin that sent Fishing Clash through to the Championship Round. Together, the duo boated 65 scorable bass for 111 pounds, 5 ounces, fending off a late charge from Team 7Brew Coffee to punch their ticket to Friday.
The top two teams from Knockout Round Match 1 at the Knighten Industries Heritage Cup Presented by Bass Boat Technologies that now advance to Friday’s Championship Round are:
1st: Team BUBBA, 73 bass, 114-4
Ott DeFoe, Blaine, Tenn., 48 bass, 74-7
Andy Montgomery, Blacksburg, S.C., 25 bass, 39-13
2nd: Team Fishing Clash, 65 bass, 111-5
Keith Carson, DeBary, Fla., 23 bass, 36-8
Luke Clausen, Spokane, Wash., 42 bass, 74-13
Eliminated from competition are:
3rd: Team 7Brew Coffee, 64 bass, 109-4
Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla., 22 bass, 33-8
Keith Poche, Pike Road, Ala., 42 bass, 75-12
Complete results from throughout the week can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Overall there were 202 bass weighing 334 pounds, 13 ounces caught by the three teams in Knockout Round Match 1 Wednesday on Big Arbor Vitae Lake. Team Fishing Clash pro Luke Clausen caught a largemouth weighing 3 pounds, 15 ounces that was the Berkley Big Bass of the day.
The three teams that will compete in Knockout Round Match 2 Thursday at the Knighten Industries Heritage Cup Presented by Bass Boat Technologies are:
Team Ferguson:
Nick LeBrun, Bossier City, La.
Marty Robinson, Lyman, S.C.
Team O’Reilly Auto Parts
Mark Daniels Jr., Tuskegee, Ala.
Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn.
Team Star Tron:
Drew Gill, Mount Carmel, Ill.
Marshall Robinson, Landrum, S.C.
The Knighten Industries Heritage Cup Presented by Bass Boat Technologies is hosted by the Minocqua Area Visitors Bureau and takes place over six days in Minocqua, Wisconsin. The competition water for each day is top-secret and is only revealed to the anglers when they arrive at the boat ramp each morning. Anglers are driven directly to the day’s competition area launch ramp by their officials. Competition begins on the water at 8:45 a.m.
The MLFNOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action live every day of competition from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. CT. MLFNOW!® is live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com, the MLF and MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) apps, RFD-TV Now, Game & Fish TV and Rumble. The final period of every day of competition of the 2025 Fishing Clash Team Series is broadcast live on RFD-TV, from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. CT.
The Heritage Cup featured 12 two-man teams divided into three groups as they entered the one-day Elimination Round matches. Each of the three Elimination Round matches featured four new teams, with the top two teams from each match of the Elimination Round advancing to the Knockout Round on Days 4 & 5. In the Knockout Rounds, three teams compete each day, with the top two teams from each Knockout Round match moving on to the Championship Round on Day 6. In Friday’s Day 6 Championship Round, the final four teams will compete in a one-day shootout to determine which team will win the 2025 Knighten Industries Heritage Cup Presented by Bass Boat Technologies.
The MLF Fishing Clash Team Series Presented by Bass Pro Shops features four Cup events in 2025 – the Challenge, Heritage, Patriot, and Summit Cups – with 12 two-man teams of Bass Pro Tour anglers competing for a share of $560,000 in prize money. Teams were formed through a selection process, where 48 team captains – based on Fishing Clash Angler of the Year (AOY) standings throughout the 2025 Bass Pro Tour season – selected a teammate. Teams will compete throughout the fall of 2025.
The MLF Fishing Clash Team Series Knighten Industries Heritage Cup Presented by Bass Boat Technologies will also air on Outdoor Channel as six two-hour original episodes each Saturday afternoon starting Feb. 14, 2026. The complete television schedule for the Fishing Clash Team Series on Outdoor Channel will be posted at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Proud sponsors of the MLF Fishing Clash Team Series include: 7Brew Coffee, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Bass Boat Technologies, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, BUBBA, E3 Sport Apparel, Epic Baits, Ferguson, Fishing Clash, Knighten Industries, Kubota, Lowrance, Lucas Oil, Mercury, NITRO Boats, Onyx, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Power-Pole, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Smokey Mountain Caffeinated Pouches, Star brite, Toyota, YETI and Zenni.
For complete details and updated information on the MLF Fishing Clash Team Series, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube.
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery, Discovery+, Discovery GO, Animal Planet, Outdoor Channel, VICE, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network, RFD-TV and Game & Fish TV, and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 20 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.
B.A.S.S. announces field for 2025 Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers Series
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — B.A.S.S. officials have announced the talented field of anglers set to compete in the 2025 Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers (EQ) Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, the proving ground where competitors battle for a coveted berth on the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series.
The lineup features a mix of rising stars, seasoned veterans and international competitors, representing a wide range of regions and fishing backgrounds. Anglers will compete across the three-event EQ schedule for a chance to advance to bass fishing’s highest level.
“The inaugural EQ field is incredibly talented and diverse,” said Hank Weldon, executive director of tournaments. “From young up-and-comers to Elite Series veterans looking to requalify, the competition will be fierce. Every stop will test their versatility and consistency, and fans are going to see incredible storylines unfold as these anglers chase their Elite dreams.”
The winner of each Elite Qualifier event will receive a berth to the coveted 2026 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour. The Top 10 anglers in EQ Angler of the Year points after the final tournament will receive an invitation to the 2026 Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series.
The Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifier at Lake Champlain presented by Bass Pro Shops kicks off Sept. 18-20 at 7 a.m. ET with weigh-ins to follow at 3 p.m. ET each day.
2025 Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers Series Field
Matt Adams — Guntersville, Ala.
Dylan Akins — Flowery Branch, Ga.
Fisher Anaya — Eva, Ala.
Yui Aoki — Minamitsuru-gun, Japan
Tai Au — Glendale, Ariz.
Kyle Austin — Ridgeville, S.C.
Matt Baker — Glenwood, Ark.
Bobby Bakewell — Orlando, Fla.
Chris Beaudrie — Princeton, Ky.
Andrew Behnke — Fond du Lac, Wis.
Buddy Benson — Dahlonega, Ga.
Chris Blanchette — Edisto Island, S.C.
Bailey Bleser — Burlington, Wis.
Ryan Broughman — Corapeake, N.C.
Beau Browning — Hot Springs, Ark.
Stephen Browning — Hot Springs, Ark.
Erik Brztowski — Lemont, Ill.
Grae Buck — Green Lane, Pa.
Blaine Bunney — Claremore, Okla.
Tyler Campbell — Martin, Ga.
James Chandler — Liberty, Texas
Chase Clarke — Virginia Beach, Va.
Michael Corbishley — Raleigh, N.C.
Brandon Coulter — Knoxville, Tenn.
Evan Cox-VanVliet — Loveland, Colo.
Austin Cranford — Moore, Okla.
Colby Dark — West Monroe, La.
Jack Dice — Lynchburg, Va.
Cole Drummond — Effingham, S.C.
Tim Dube — Nashua, N.H.
John Duvall — Madison, Ga.
Ty Faber — Pagosa Springs, Colo.
Dillon Falardeau — Hixson, Tenn.
Ethan Fields — Carlyle, Ill.
Hayden Gaddis — Dandridge, Tenn.
Bailey Gay — Union, Ky.
Robert Gee — Knoxville, Tenn.
Zachary Goutremout — Chaumont, N.Y.
Parker Guy — Appling, Ga.
Tanner Hadden — Appling, Ga.
Sam Hanggi — Knoxville, Tenn.
Dillon Harrell — New Caney, Texas
Chris Hellebuyck — White Lake, Mich.
Laker Howell — Guntersville, Ala.
Caleb Hudson — Lincolnton, Ga.
Connor Jacob — Guntersville, Ala.
Aaron Jagdfeld — Rochester Hills, Mich.
Brad Jelinek — Lincoln, Mo.
Clint Knight — Russellville, Ky.
Ryan Lachniet — Gum Spring, Va.
Russ Lane — Prattville, Ala.
River Lee — Diboll, Texas
Jace Lindsay — Beckville, Texas
Lucas Lindsay — Auburn, Ala.
Ed Loughran III — Richmond, Va.
Wyatt Marler — Oldfield, Mo.
Cameron Mattison — Benton, La.
Tristan McCormick — Bon Aqua, Tenn.
Danny McGarry — Newcastle, Ontario, Canada
Brandon McMillan — Clewiston, Fla.
Mark Menendez — Paducah, Ky.
Matt Messer — Warfield, Ky.
Alec Morrison — Peru, N.Y.
Paul Mueller — Naugatuck, Conn.
Lucas Murphy — West Columbia, S.C.
Joey Nania — Cropwell, Ala.
Christian Nash — Allons, Tenn.
Michael Neal — Dayton, Tenn.
Riley Nielsen — Salt Lake City, Utah
Lane Olson — Forest Grove, Ore.
Bryson Osteen — Live Oak, Fla.
Christian Ostrander — Turlock, Calif.
Garrett Paquette — Canton, Mich.
Jaden Parrish — Liberty, Texas
Bryan Partak — Marseilles, Ill.
Chad Pipkens — DeWitt, Mich.
Brian Post — Janesville, Wis.
Nic Rand — Paw Paw, Mich.
Adam Rasmussen — Sturgeon Bay, Wis.
Brock Reinkemeyer — Warsaw, Mo.
Ryan Salzman — Huntsville, Ala.
Casey Scanlon — Eldon, Mo.
Trey Schroeder — Theodosia, Mo.
Blake Smith — Lakeland, Fla.
Casey Smith — Victor, N.Y.
Pake South — Winnsboro, Texas
Cody Stahl — Barnsville, Ga.
Trey Swindle — Cleveland, Ala.
Bo Thomas — Edwardsburg, Mich.
Brady Vernon — Sterrett, Ala.
Jimmy Washam — Stantonville, Tenn.
Ian Waterer — East Selkirk, Manitoba, Canada
Alex Wetherell — Middletown, Conn.
Joe Wieberg — Freeburg, Mo.
Tommy Wood — Peregian Springs, Australia
Aaron Yavorsky — Palm Harbor, Fla.
Jack York — Emory, Texas
The EQs will test anglers across diverse fisheries, with competition streamed live on Bassmaster.com and Roku and covered across B.A.S.S. social, digital and print platforms.
B.A.S.S., which encompasses the Bassmaster tournament leagues, events and media platforms, is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting-edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), TV show, radio show, social media programs and events. For more than 50 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.
The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series, St. Croix Bassmaster Opens Series presented by SEVIIN, Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Qualifier Series presented by Lowrance, Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Strike King Bassmaster High School Series, Bassmaster Junior Series, TNT Fireworks Bassmaster Team Championship, Newport Bassmaster Kayak Series presented by Native Watercraft, Bassmaster College Kayak Series, Yamaha Bassmaster Redfish Cup Championship presented by Skeeter and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour.
B.A.S.S. announces 2026 B.A.S.S. Nation schedule featuring iconic fisheries
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — B.A.S.S. has unveiled the 2026 Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation presented by Lowrance schedule, with four qualifying events on some of the country’s most renowned fisheries and a championship location to be announced at a later date. The B.A.S.S. Nation trail offers everyday anglers the opportunity to fish their way from the grass-roots level to the biggest stage in bass fishing: the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour.
“The 2026 B.A.S.S. Nation Regional Championship schedule brings together some of the most iconic and competitive fisheries in the country,” said GL Compton, B.A.S.S. Nation tournament manager. “Each regional will not only test our anglers’ skills in different conditions, but also create great opportunities for our host communities to showcase their passion for bass fishing.”
The trail begins April 10-12 on Cherokee Lake in Jefferson City, Tenn., a deep, clear reservoir nestled in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains. Known for its strong populations of both largemouth and smallmouth bass, Cherokee offers challenging conditions that reward versatility and precision.
From there, competition shifts to Toledo Bend Reservoir in Many, La., April 22-24. As one of the largest man-made reservoirs in the country, Toledo Bend has long been a bucket-list destination for bass anglers. With thousands of acres of hydrilla and abundant cover, it consistently produces heavy bags and record-class bass.
The Mississippi River at La Crosse, Wis., May 8-10, offers an entirely different challenge. Anglers will navigate backwaters, wing dams and current-driven main-river channels, where shallow-water power fishing and adaptability are often the keys to success.
The regular-season finale will be held July 31-Aug. 2 on Lake Champlain in Plattsburgh, N.Y. Nestled along the Adirondack Coast, Champlain is revered for its world-class smallmouth fishing and the chance for anglers to also chase trophy largemouth. With breathtaking scenery and big weights expected, it’s a fitting capstone to the 2026 Nation season.
Local communities are gearing up to welcome anglers and fans alike.
“Jefferson County is proud to host the 2026 Bassmaster B.A.S.S. Nation Series on the beautiful waters of Cherokee Lake,” said Jefferson County Director of Tourism Lauren Hurdle. “As one of our most cherished natural resources, Cherokee Lake is recognized nationwide for its exceptional bass fishing and stunning scenery. We look forward to welcoming anglers, their families and fans from across the country, and to sharing both our world-class fishing and the warm Southern hospitality that make our community so special.”
“We’re thrilled to welcome the 2026 B.A.S.S. Nation event to the Adirondack Coast,” said Alyssa Senecal, Assistant Director of Tourism & Marketing at the Adirondack Coast Visitors Bureau. “The City of Plattsburgh and our entire region are passionate about fishing and outdoor recreation, and hosting anglers from across the country showcases not only the world-class bass fishing on Lake Champlain but also the warm hospitality and stunning scenery that make this area unforgettable.”
Through the B.A.S.S. Nation program, grass-roots anglers have the opportunity to advance from their local clubs to regional championships, then to the Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Championship presented by Lowrance. From there, top performers can earn a berth in the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series and the legendary Bassmaster Classic, proving that the dream of going “from the club to the Classic” is alive and well in 2026.
2026 B.A.S.S. Nation Schedule
• April 10-12 — Cherokee Lake, Jefferson City, Tenn.
• April 22-24 — Toledo Bend, Many, La.
• May 8-10 — Mississippi River, La Crosse, Wis.
• July 31-Aug. 2 — Lake Champlain, Plattsburgh, N.Y.
* B.A.S.S. Nation Championship — To be announced
Registration Dates
• State Nation Early Entry Codes — Jan. 6, 2026 at 9 a.m. CT
• State Nation members zoned for each Qualifier — Jan. 13, 2026 at 9 a.m. CT
• All Nation members — Jan. 20, 2026 at 9 a.m. CT
2025 B.A.S.S. Nation Series Title Sponsor: Mercury
2025 B.A.S.S. Nation Series Presenting Sponsor: Lowrance
2025 B.A.S.S. Nation Series
2025 B.A.S.S. Nation Series Pr
2025 B.A.S.S. Nation Series
About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S., which encompasses the Bassmaster tournament leagues, events and media platforms, is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting-edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), TV show, radio show, social media programs and events. For more than 50 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.
The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series, St. Croix Bassmaster Opens Series presented by SEVIIN, Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifier Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Qualifier Series presented by Lowrance, Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Strike King Bassmaster High School Series, Bassmaster Junior Series, TNT Fireworks Bassmaster Team Championship, Newport Bassmaster Kayak Series presented by Native Watercraft, Bassmaster College Kayak Series, Yamaha Bassmaster Redfish Cup Championship presented by Skeeter and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour.
Kentucky Lake Set to Be Playing Field for Bass Pro Shops Big Bass Bash presented by Berkley
SAN ANTONIO, TX (September 16, 2025) –In just a few days, the Association of Collegiate Anglers will begin its 21st season of the Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Bass Fishing Series. The Bass Pro Shops Big Bass Bash presented by Berkley is set to take place at Kentucky Lake in Henry County and Paris, TN on September 20-21. Over 630 anglers are registered to compete in the event, including 22 of the Top 25 ranked teams in the ACA’s annual Pre-Season Poll for the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia. In this article, we will highlight the lake and conditions leading up to this tournament.
Kentucky Lake is located in the northwest part of Tennessee. Construction began in 1938 and was completed in 1944. The fishery features over 2,000 miles of shoreline and about 160,000 acres of water. Minimum winter elevation is 354 ft., and the lake is currently just under 356 ft.
Over the years, the ACA has hosted many major college events at this Tennessee River fishery. Kentucky Lake offers an abundant amount of shoreline cover, offshore structure, and more for fish to be found. During this time of the year, bass will be spread across all of these high percentage areas.
Rocky shorelines will be one of the key areas for anglers to target during tournament competition. Bass will use these places as transition areas to move up into the creeks as they chase baitfish. Working moving baits and topwater lures around these places will warrant bites.
Other shallow cover will include flooded timber. Soaking a soft plastic bait around wooded cover could be a way to catch the winning fish. Shallow wood cover offers high percentage areas for anglers to find quality fish in easy to target areas. The wood cover provides both shade and an ambush point for bass to take advantage of.
Offshore structure and areas along the main river channel could also play a key factor. For bass still in the late summer/early fall stage, they will still be hanging out in the deeper, cooler water. Early in the morning, as bass are feeding on bait, a topwater lure worked along main river bars will be a technique anglers utilize. Once the sun gets up and temperatures warm, bass will move and position on deeper structure. A variety of crankbaits, swimbaits, and soft plastics will pay off in this scenario.
Leading up to the event, weather patterns are looking fairly stable. High temperatures are expected to be around 90 degrees, with nightly lows averaging in the mid-60’s. A mix of clouds and sun will greet these college anglers out on Kentucky Lake. Sizing up those conditions and the fish behavior will be the key to unlocking the code to catching what could end up being the overall winning fish at the Bass Pro Shops Big Bass Bash presented by Berkley.
Weigh-in will be streamed live throughout both complete days of tournament competition. That stream can be viewed both on the ACA website and the free Outdoor Action TV streaming service.
Announcing The Top 5 Ranked Teams Entering the 2025-26 Season for Bass Pro Shops School of the Year
San Antonio, TX (September 16, 2025) – A new season of the Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Bass Fishing Series begins in approximately one week. Leading up to the start of that season, the Association of Collegiate Anglers is announcing the results to its annual Pre-Season Poll for the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia. To this point, we’ve revealed teams ranked 6-25. Today, the Top 5 teams will be announced, as voted upon by coaches, anglers, and media representatives.
1) University of Montevallo
2) Carson-Newman University
3) University of North Alabama
4) McKendree University
5) LSU-Shreveport
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DeFoe/Montgomery and Gill/Robinson Advance after Elimination Round Match 2 at Knighten Industries Heritage Cup Presented by Bass Boat Technologies
Team BUBBA (DeFoe/Montgomery) catches 38 scorable bass totaling 56-1 to win Elimination Round Match 2, top two teams move on to Knockout Round
MINOCQUA, Wis. (Sept. 15, 2025) – The defending champions were at it again as Day 2 of the Knighten Industries Heritage Cup Presented by Bass Boat Technologies continued on Monday . Team BUBBA – Bass Pro Tour standouts Ott DeFoe and Andy Montgomery – looked every bit like the duo that hoisted the Heritage Cup trophy in Neenah, Wisconsin last season, cruising through Elimination Match 2 to end the competition day with 56 pounds, 1 ounce of scorable bass. Their steady performance on Minocqua Lake not only secured the win but also sent a clear message that they remain the team to beat at the second event of the 2025 Major League Fishing (MLF) Fishing Clash Team Series.
“That’s got to be the least stressful day of fishing I’ve ever had on the Team Series,” DeFoe said. “We got in a good area right away, caught them on the docks, and really just settled in. After that, we spent most of the last period practicing and looking for more water, which is always important in this format.”
Montgomery echoed the comfort of fishing to their strengths.
“We only caught one scorable bass after we left that first stretch, but it didn’t matter,” Montgomery said. “That spot was everything. If we had to pick one thing to do when we came up here, it was exactly this – fishing boat docks with a wacky worm and a jig.
“Ott’s throwing his Bass Pro Shops Wacky Stik-O, and I’m skipping a Strike King jig with a Strike King Rage Bug. It’s a one-two punch that works.”
DeFoe leaned into the details of the winning setup.
“That’s just a deadly combination for us,” he said. “I can skip that Wacky Stik-O way up under a dock, and Andy can hit every angle with his jig. Between the two of us, we’re efficient and we cover water. When you get in the right area and they’re biting, it just works.”
While Team BUBBA left little doubt about their advancement, the real drama came down to the wire between Team Star Tron and Team Knighten Industries. Marshall Robinson carried the load in the final period for Star Tron, boating seven scorable bass for 14 pounds to push their total to 41-7 and edge out Knighten by just 2 pounds, 4 ounces.
Drew Gill’s consistency and Robinson’s late surge gave Team Star Tron the second advancing spot, while Team Knighten Industries – last year’s Challenge Cup winners Matt Becker and Spencer Shuffield – fell just short despite a furious comeback in the third period.
The Knighten Industries duo found a productive offshore milfoil stretch and caught four bass in the final seven minutes but ultimately ran out of time.
“We got on them late, and we almost pulled it off,” Shuffield said. “That’s the way this format goes – every ounce matters. We just needed one more bite.”
For Team Kubota’s Nick Hatfield and Cole Floyd, the day never quite came together. After an early attempt in the grass fizzled, they shifted to docks but struggled to generate consistent bites, finishing in fourth and heading home.
In the end, the day belonged to the veterans from Team BUBBA, who combined for 38 scorable bass and showed the same chemistry that carried them to victory in Wisconsin last year.
“We complement each other really well and together we can keep them biting,” Montgomery said.
“We’ve won with this formula before, and it gives us confidence moving forward,” DeFoe added. “Now it’s about finding the next good stretch and keeping the momentum rolling.”
The top two teams from Elimination Round Match 2 at the Knighten Industries Heritage Cup Presented by Bass Boat Technologies that now advance to the Knockout Round are:
1st: Team BUBBA, 38 bass, 56-1
Ott DeFoe, Blaine, Tenn., 22 bass, 31-9
Andy Montgomery, Blacksburg, S.C., 16 bass, 24-8
2nd: Team Star Tron, 23 bass, 41-7
Drew Gill, Mount Carmel, Ill., 12 bass, 19-11
Marshall Robinson, Landrum, S.C., 11 bass, 21-12
Eliminated from competition are:
3rd: Team Knighten Industries, 26 bass, 39-3
Matt Becker, Ten Mile, Tenn., 14 bass, 19-13
Spencer Shuffield, Hot Springs, Ark., 12 bass, 19-6
4th: Team Kubota, 15 bass, 20-11
Cole Floyd, Leesburg, Ohio, five bass, 6-10
Nick Hatfield, Greeneville, Tenn., 10 bass, 14-1
Complete results from throughout the week can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Overall, there were 102 bass weighing 157 pounds, 6 ounces caught by the four teams in Elimination Round Match 2 on Lake Minocqua. Team BUBBA pro Andy Montgomery caught the Berkley Big Bass of the day – a largemouth weighing 3 pounds, 2 ounces.
The four teams that will compete Tuesday in Elimination Round Match 3 at the Knighten Industries Heritage Cup Presented by Bass Boat Technologies are:
Team 7Brew Coffee:
Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla.
Keith Poche, Pike Road, Ala.
Team B&W Trailer Hitches:
Todd Faircloth, Jasper, Texas
Jared Lintner, Covington, Ga.
Team O’Reilly Auto Parts:
Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn.
Mark Daniels Jr., Tuskegee, Ala.
Team Smokey Mountain:
Terry Scroggins, San Mateo, Fla.
Casey Ashley, Donalds, S.C.
The Knighten Industries Heritage Cup Presented by Bass Boat Technologies is hosted by the Minocqua Area Visitors Bureau and takes place over six days in Minocqua, Wisconsin . The competition water for each day is top-secret and is only revealed to the anglers when they arrive at the boat ramp each morning. Anglers are driven directly to the day’s competition area launch ramp by their officials. Competition begins on the water at 8:45 a.m.
The MLFNOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action live every day of competition from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. CT. MLFNOW!® is live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com, the MLF and MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) apps, RFD-TV Now, Game & Fish TV and Rumble. The final period of every day of competition of the 2025 Fishing Clash Team Series is broadcast live on RFD-TV, from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. CT.
The Heritage Cup features 12 two-man teams divided into three groups as they enter the one-day Elimination Round matches. Each of the three Elimination Round matches will feature four new teams, with the top two teams from each match of the Elimination Round advancing to the Knockout Round on Days 4 & 5. In the Knockout Rounds, three teams compete each day, with the top two teams from each Knockout Round match moving on to the Championship Round on Day 6. In Friday’s Day 6 Championship Round, the final four teams will compete in a one-day shootout to determine which team will win the 2025 Knighten Industries Heritage Cup Presented by Bass Boat Technologies.
The MLF Fishing Clash Team Series Presented by Bass Pro Shops will feature four Cup events in 2025 – the Challenge, Heritage, Patriot, and Summit Cups – with 12 two-man teams of Bass Pro Tour anglers competing for a share of $560,000 in prize money. Teams were formed through a selection process, where 48 team captains – based on Fishing Clash Angler of the Year (AOY) standings throughout the 2025 Bass Pro Tour season – selected a teammate. Teams will compete throughout the fall of 2025.
The MLF Fishing Clash Team Series Knighten Industries Heritage Cup Presented by Bass Boat Technologies will also air on Outdoor Channel as six two-hour original episodes each Saturday afternoon starting Feb. 14, 2026. The complete television schedule for the Fishing Clash Team Series on Outdoor Channel will be posted at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Proud sponsors of the MLF Fishing Clash Team Series include: 7Brew Coffee, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Bass Boat Technologies, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, BUBBA, E3 Sport Apparel, Epic Baits, Ferguson, Fishing Clash, Knighten Industries, Kubota, Lowrance, Lucas Oil, Mercury, NITRO Boats, Onyx, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Power-Pole, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Smokey Mountain Caffeinated Pouches, Star brite, Toyota, YETI and Zenni.
For complete details and updated information on the MLF Fishing Clash Team Series, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube.
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery, Discovery+, Discovery GO, Animal Planet, Outdoor Channel, VICE, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network, RFD-TV and Game & Fish TV, and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 20 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.
Hamilton’s Martinkovic Earns Career Win No. 6 at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Mosquito Lake Presented by Lew’s
Ohio’s Sykes Tops Co-Angler Division
CORTLAND, Ohio (Sept. 15, 2025) – Boater Chris Martinkovic of Hamilton, Ohio, caught a total of 10 bass weighing 30 pounds, 5 ounces, over two days to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine at Mosquito Lake Presented by Lew’s. The tournament was the fifth and final event of the season for the BFL Buckeye Division. Martinkovic earned $5,782 for his victory.
Martinkovic’s winning game plan was less about finding a secret spot and more about avoiding the crowd. With Mosquito Lake only about 14 miles long and heavy fishing pressure from the field, he focused on covering water and targeting overlooked stretches.
“I just tried to go where all the other boats weren’t,” Martinkovic said. “It’s a small lake, so I wanted to stay away from the pressure.”
His approach turned into a classic case of junk fishing, rotating through multiple techniques depending on the cover in front of him. Milfoil, lily pads and grass beds all played a role, and Martinkovic mixed a frog, a ChatterBait, and a flipping jig to trigger bites.
“Frogging and flipping a jig in the pads was probably the most productive for me,” he explained. “But I caught some key fish on a ChatterBait, too. It was all kind of mixed in.”
The pattern delivered steady action throughout the weekend, with Martinkovic boating an estimated 25 keepers on Day 1 and another 15 on Championship Sunday, despite a two-hour fog delay.
“The first day was definitely better for me, both in numbers and size,” he said. “Day 2 was tougher, and losing a 4-pounder really hurt because I ended up weighing one that was only about a pound and a half.”
Even with the missed opportunity, Martinkovic felt he had a chance at the win as weigh-in approached.
“When I lost that big one, I thought I might have lost the tournament right there,” he admitted. “But I also knew I had a good shot with what I had.”
The victory was especially meaningful for Martinkovic, as after a five-year stretch of BFL wins each season, he went through a bit of a drought as his last win was 2017.
“It feels good, because I’ve probably had 10 second-place finishes in the last five years,” he said. “It felt like I’ve been the king of second place. These wins are so hard to come by — everything’s got to go just right. To finally get it done after eight years feels great.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:
1st: Chris Martinkovic, Joplin, Hamilton, Ohio, 10 bass, 30-5, $5,782
2nd: Dan Moran, London, Ohio, 10 bass, 28-4, $2,341
3rd: Mervin Miller, Sugarcreek, Ohio, 10 bass, 25-8, $2,124
4th: Brandon Smith, Mason, Ohio, 10 bass, 25-6, $1,092
5th: Zak Wiseman, Macedonia, Ohio, 10 bass, 23-7, $936
6th: Nick Morgan, Gallipolis, Ohio, 10 bass, 23-3, $1,108
7th: Dave Fricke, Hamilton, Ohio, 10 bass, 22-9, $780
8th: Joel Berelsman, Minster, Ohio, 10 bass, 21-9, $702
9th: Richard Knoll, Pittsburgh, Pa., 10 bass, 21-2, $624
10th: Mike Blake, Carrollton, Ohio, 10 bass, 20-13, $1,046 (includes $500 Phoenix Bonus)
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Mervin Miller of Sugarcreek, Ohio, caught a bass that weighed 5 pounds, 12 ounces, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $562.
Ryan Sykes of Hamilton, Ohio, won the co-angler division and $2,922 after bringing six bass to the scales that totaled 20 pounds, 8 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers finished:
1st: Ryan Sykes, Hamilton, Ohio, six bass, 8-6, $1,504
2nd: Steven Logan, Hugo, Okla., five bass, 8-6, $1,504
3rd: Markus Mills, Norman, Okla., six bass, 8-4, $668
4th: Mason Eudy, Muskogee, Okla., six bass, 8-2, $468
5th: Bryan Schuster, Oklahoma City, Okla., six bass, 7-14, $401
6th: Mark Johnson, Weleetka, Okla., four bass, 7-12, $351
7th: Ryan Doel, Springfield, Mo., five bass, 7-12, $351
8th: Fred Fielder, Afton, Okla., five bass, 7-11, $284
9th: Robert Shedrick, Blanchard, Okla., six bass, 7-11, $284
10th: Berton Pritchett, Gentry, Ark., six bass, 7-10, $234
Sykes also earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $281, catching a bass that weighed in at 5 pounds, 2 ounces.
With all five events in the division now complete, boater Chris Martinkovic of Hamilton, Ohio, clinched the Fishing Clash Buckeye Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 1,350 points and earned the $1,000 prize, while Ryan Sykes of Hamilton, Ohio, won the Fishing Clash Buckeye Division Co-Angler of the Year race with 1,292 points and earned the $500 payout.
The top 60 boaters and co-anglers in the division based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, will qualify for the Oct. 3-4 BFL Regional tournament on Lake Erie in Sandusky, Ohio. Boaters will fish for a top award of a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard worth $50,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $20,000.
The 2025 Phoenix BFL Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 134 events throughout the season, five qualifying tournaments in each division. The top 60 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five qualifying tournament winners, will advance to one of 12 BFL Regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top three, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American.
Proud sponsors of the 2025 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 7Brew, Abu Garcia, Athletic Brewing, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, Deep Dive App, E3 Sport Apparel, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, Grizzly, Humminbird, Lew’s, Li Time Batteries, Mercury, Minn Kota, Mossy Oak, Mystik Lubricants, Onyx, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Phoenix Boats, Polaris, Power-Pole, Precision Sonar, Strike King, Suzuki Marine, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, WIX Filters and YETI.
For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Bass Fishing League updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery, Discovery+, Discovery GO, Animal Planet, Outdoor Channel, VICE, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network, RFD-TV and Game & Fish TV, and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 20 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.
Adrian College Claims Title at MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing Tournament on the Potomac River Presented by Columbia PFG
MARBURY, Md. (Sept. 15, 2025) – The Adrian College duo of Ryan Kahut, and Brady Osborn, won the MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI event on the Potomac River Presented by Columbia PFG Sunday with a five-bass limit weighing 14 pounds, 11 ounces. The victory earned the school’s bass club a qualification into the 2026 MLF College Fishing National Championship.
Adrian College showed up strong for the event, as three of the top four spots in the tournament were claimed by Bulldog anglers. Kahut and Osborn, both sophomores, sealed the deal with an approach that took them to an out-of-the-way bite.
“We had found some fish kind of far away in the back of a creek at a marina,” Osborn said. “We figured there would be no one there, so we decided to go back there. It was a 15-minute run and a 30-minute idle to the back of the creek. We fished the marina for about three hours, but we really caught all of them in the first hour on a drop-shot on the marina posts.”
Osbourn said the key bait on the drop-shot rig was an Aaron’s Morning Dawn-colored Roboworm. The setup accounted for nine keepers during the day.
“It was kind of tough, but we were able to get those quality bites,” Osborn said.
Osborn said he figured that 14 pounds would get the duo qualified for the 2026 MLF College Fishing National Championship but didn’t think it was enough to win the Potomac event.
“We figured it would take 15 to 16 pounds to win it,” Osborn said. “We’re very ecstatic with this win and how the teams all placed.”
The top six teams that now qualify to compete in the 2026 MLF College Fishing National Championship are:
1st: Adrian College – Ryan Kahut, Brighton, Mich., and Brady Osborn, Fishers, Ind., five bass, 14-11
2nd: Adrian College – Braylon Eggerding, Grand Rapids, Mich., and Brady Pinwar, Midland, Mich., five bass, 13-7
3rd: Oklahoma State University – Nevan Osburn, Lipan, Texas, five bass, 12-15
4th: Adrian College – Derek Rodriguez, Okemos, Mich., and Nicholas Seitz, Maumee, Ohio, five bass, 12-14
5th: The Apprentice School – Jeremy Harmon, Capron, Va., and Caleb Russell, Disputanta, Ga., five bass, 12-14
6th: University of Rio Grande – Cameron Burgess, Hamilton, Ohio, and Tyler Eggers, Jackson, Ohio, five bass, 12-8
Rounding out the top 10 were:
7th: University of Pikeville – Aaron Mills, Tomahawk, Ky., and Seth Shular, Whittier, N.C., five bass, 12-6
8th: University of South Carolina –Jacob Buzin, Downington, Pa., and Finley Maher, Weston, Mass., five bass, 12-2
9th: Youngstown State University – Jake Campbell, Stroudsburg, Pa., and Richard Hassel II, Austintown, Ohio, five bass, 12-0
10th: University of Pikeville – Carson Holbrook, Prestonburg, Ky., and Silas Jones, Kalispell, Mont., five bass, 11-12
Complete results for the entire field can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI event on the Potomac River Presented by Columbia PFG was hosted by the Charles County Board of Commissioners. The next tournament for MLF College Fishing anglers will be the Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI event on Pickwick Lake Presented by Columbia PFG, October 3, in Florence, Alabama.
The 2025 MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI season features college teams from across the country competing in six regular-season open tournaments. The top 15 percent of teams from each regular-season tournament advance to the 2026 Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI National Championship.
Proud sponsors of the 2025 MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI include: 7Brew Coffee, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, Columbia PFG, Deep Dive App, E3 Sports Apparel, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, Humminbird, Lew’s, Mercury, Minn Kota, Mossy Oak, Onyx, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Phoenix Boats, Polaris, Power-Pole, Precision Sonar, Strike King, Suzuki Marine, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota , WIX Filters and YETI.
For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular College Fishing updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery Channel, Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 20 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.
Troutman’s Buchmann Posts Third Win in 2025 With Victory at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Lake Norman
North Carolina’s Hirapetian Tops Co-Angler Division
HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. (Sept. 15, 2025) – Boater Kaden Buchmann of Troutman, North Carolina, caught a total of 10 bass weighing 29 pounds, 8 ounces, over two days to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine at Lake Norman . The tournament, hosted by Visit Lake Norman, Visit Charlotte & Mecklenburg County Park & Recreation, was the fifth and final event of the season for the BFL North Carolina Division. Buchmann earned $5,043 for his victory.
Buchmann said he “junk fished” with a variety of baits and approaches to target winning bass, and his arsenal included an in-line buzzbait with a white blade, a Muffin Top Jig and a Queen Tackle L.S. Tungsten Jig Head.
“It was mix of all the baits,” Buchmann said. “It just kind of depended on the time of day and place.”
Buchmann said weather played a role in the tournament on Sunday, as conditions changed and the bass bite slowed.
“It was bluebird skies and no wind Sunday – not even one mile per hour,” Buchmann said. “And the fish got very pressured.
“I could just tell by the way my day was going that the weights were going to be really low,” Buchmann added. “I fish there a good bit. I won the spring BFL there in March, so I knew by how my day was going weights would be down. I could tell the fish were not cooperating. Then when I saw the leader’s weight, I knew I had a chance.”
Buchmann also wrapped up the Fishing Clash North Carolina Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 1,344 points and earned the $1,000 prize.
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:
1st: Kaden Buchmann, Troutman, N.C., 10 bass, 29-8, $5,043
2nd: Chris Goodwin, Charlotte, N.C., 10 bass, 27-2, $2,971 (includes $500 Phoenix Bonus)
3rd: Chris Dover, Blacksburg, S.C., 10 bass, 26-13, $1,648
4th: Michael Wilson, Burnsville, N.C., 10 bass, 26-5, $1,153
5th: Kevin Chandler, New London, N.C., 10 bass, 25-8, $989
6th: Christian Johnson, Denver, N.C., eight bass, 24-15, $906
7th: Chad Sims, Lancaster, S.C., 10 bass, 24-10, $824
8th: Tyler Walls, Kings Mountain, N.C., 10 bass, 24-7, $741
9th: Shane Lineberger, Lincolnton, N.C., 10 bass, 23-15, $659
10th: Cole Huskins, Gastonia, N.C., 10 bass, 23-10, $577
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Andrew Young of Clarendon, North Carolina, caught a bass that weighed 5 pounds, 9 ounces, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $607.
George Hirapetian of Charlotte, North Carolina, won the co-angler division and $2,775 after bringing six bass to the scale that totaled 13 pounds, 9 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers finished:
1st: George Hirapetian, Charlotte, N.C., six bass, 13-9, $2,775
2nd: Brendan Yeckley, Monroe, N.C., six bass, 12-4, $1,236
3rd: Marvin Godard, Charlotte, N.C., six bass, 12-2, $972
4th: Jerry Neuner, Rutherford, N.C., six bass, 12-2, $577
5th: Mike Shatley, North Wilkesboro, N.C., six bass, 12-1, $494
6th: Dan Noel, Huntersville, N.C., six bass, 11-3, $453
7th: Dalton Marlow, Maiden, N.C., five bass, 10-0, $412
8th: Russell Nicewander, Bluefield, W.V., five bass, 9-15, $371
9th: Trevor Lewis, Wake Forest, N.C., four bass, 9-12, $330
10th: Arthur Harris, York, S.C., four bass, 9-3, $288
Hirapetian also earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $304, catching a bass that weighed in at 3 pounds, 8 ounces.
With all five events in the division now complete, boater Kaden Buchmann of Troutman, N.C., won the Fishing Clash North Carolina Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 1,344 points and earned the $1,000 prize, while Travis Ruff of Connelly Springs, N.C., won the Fishing Clash North Carolina Division Co-Angler of the Year race with 1,316 points and earned the $500 payout.
The top 60 boaters and co-anglers in the division based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, will qualify for the Oct. 10-11 BFL Regional tournament on Lake Murray in Columbia, South Carolina. Boaters will fish for a top award of a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard worth $50,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $20,000.
The 2025 Phoenix BFL Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 134 events throughout the season, five qualifying tournaments in each division. The top 60 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five qualifying tournament winners, will advance to one of 12 BFL Regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top three, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American.
Proud sponsors of the 2025 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 7Brew, Abu Garcia, Athletic Brewing, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, Deep Dive App, E3 Sport Apparel, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, Grizzly, Humminbird, Lew’s, Li Time Batteries, Mercury, Minn Kota, Mossy Oak, Mystik Lubricants, Onyx, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Phoenix Boats, Polaris, Power-Pole, Precision Sonar, Strike King, Suzuki Marine, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, WIX Filters and YETI.
For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Bass Fishing League updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery, Discovery+, Discovery GO, Animal Planet, Outdoor Channel, VICE, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network, RFD-TV and Game & Fish TV, and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 20 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.
Nashville’s Bornstein Gets Surprise Win at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Kentucky Lake
Tennessee’s Harmon Wins Co-Angler Division
BUCHANAN, Tenn. (Sept. 15, 2025) – Boater Corbin Bornstein of Nashville, Tennessee, caught a total of 10 bass weighing 36 pounds, 14 ounces, over two days to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine at Kentucky Lake . The tournament, hosted by Henry County Tourism Authority, was the fifth and final event of the season for the BFL Music City Division. Bornstein earned $3,525 for his victory.
“Yesterday I caught them really quickly,” Bornstein said. “I had a limit – not a big one – but a limit by 9:45. I was scoping really shallow with a jighead minnow.
“By the end of the day, I had culled up to 18 pounds fishing specific brush piles and other shallow structure,” Bornstein added. “I also caught some early on a Heddon Zara Spook, so that was cool. They weren’t big ones, but they were starting to get there.”
Bornstein said action on his second day of the tournament was much slower than the first day, as he didn’t catch a keeper until 10:30. So, he made a run to a spot he called his “confidence area,” where he found a more promising bite.
“I caught four for 13 pounds by 10:30,” Bornstein said. “I didn’t catch another keeper until 2:15, and I was due in at 2:30.
“I never thought I was going to win this,” Bornstein added. “The boys on Kentucky Lake are straight hammers, and I didn’t think what I had would do it against that crowd. The tournament director asked me on stage if I had enough to win, and I said, ‘No sir.’ So, this was just a blessing to be out there, but to win was very special. And this was the first tournament my family had all been there to support me, so that made it super cool. And it’s my home pond, so, even better. What a cool week.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:
1st: Corbin Bornstein, Nashville, Tenn., 10 bass, 36-14, $3,525
2nd: Levi Kohl, Edinburg, Ill., 10 bass, 36-0, $1,762
3rd: Noah Morgan, Russellville, Ky., 10 bass, 32-1, $1,277
4th: Justin Berger, Murray, Ky., 10 bass, 30-15, $822
5th: Billy Schroeder, Paducah, Ky., 10 bass, 27-6, $705
6th: Angel Rosario, Kalamazoo, Mich., nine bass, 27-6, $646
7th: Brad Kell, Benton, Ky., eight bass, 24-11, $587
8th: Jordan Hartman, Benton, Ky., six bass, 21-13, $881
9th: Hunter Bouldin, McMinnville, Tenn., six bass, 19-6, $470
10th: Lucas Reagan, Byrdstown, Tenn., five bass, 13-6
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Jordan Hartman of Benton, Kentucky, caught a bass that weighed 5 pounds, 6 ounces, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $352.
Tyrell Harmon of Hermitage, Tennessee, won the co-angler division and $1,763 after bringing five bass to the scale that totaled 13 pounds, 13 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers finished:
1st: Tyrell Harmon, Hermitage, Tenn., five bass, 13-13, $1,763
2nd: Mark Redman, Scottsville, Ky., four bass, 12-11, $931
3rd: Danny Davenport, Murfreesboro, Tenn., three bass, 8-6, $588
4th: Ethan Wheeler, Water Valley, Ky., three bass, 6-12, $511
5th: Brady Kendall, Paducah, Ky., three bass, 5-14, $353
6th: Mike Moser, Hermitage, Tenn., two bass, 5-5, $323
7th: Tony Eckler, Lebanon, Tenn., two bass, 5-2, $294
8th: Gary Haraguchi, Cottonwood, Calif., one bass, 4-7, $440
9th: Kenneth Heckel, Santa Claus, Ind., three bass, 4-0, $235
10th: Damon Brown, Mayfield, Ky., one bass, 3-15
Gary Haraguchi of Cottonwood, California, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $176, catching a bass that weighed in at 4 pounds, 7 ounces.
With all five events in the division now complete, boater Hunter Bouldin of McMinnville, Tennessee, won the Fishing Clash Music City Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 1,352 points and earned the $1,000 prize, while Tommy Pritchard of Bargersville, Indiana, won the Fishing Clash Music City Division Co-Angler of the Year race with 1,333 points and earned the $500 payout.
The top 60 boaters and co-anglers in the division based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, will qualify for the Oct. 10-11 BFL Regional tournament on Douglas Lake in Dandridge, Tennessee. Boaters will fish for a top award of a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard worth $50,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $20,000.
The 2025 Phoenix BFL Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 134 events throughout the season, five qualifying tournaments in each division. The top 60 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five qualifying tournament winners, will advance to one of 12 BFL Regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top three, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American.
Proud sponsors of the 2025 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 7Brew, Abu Garcia, Athletic Brewing, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, Deep Dive App, E3 Sport Apparel, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, Grizzly, Humminbird, Lew’s, Li Time Batteries, Mercury, Minn Kota, Mossy Oak, Mystik Lubricants, Onyx, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Phoenix Boats, Polaris, Power-Pole, Precision Sonar, Strike King, Suzuki Marine, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, WIX Filters and YETI.
For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Bass Fishing League updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery, Discovery+, Discovery GO, Animal Planet, Outdoor Channel, VICE, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network, RFD-TV and Game & Fish TV, and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 20 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.
West Salem’s Weber Frogs his Way to Second Career Win at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at the Mississippi River-La Crosse Presented by Lew’s
Ontario’s Wittren Tops Co-Angler Division
LA CROSSE, Wis. (Sept. 15, 2025) – Boater Clayton Weber of West Salem, Wisconsin, caught a total of 10 bass weighing 37 pounds, 1 ounce, over two days to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine at the Mississippi River – La Crosse Presented by Lew’s . The tournament, hosted by Explore La Crosse, was the fifth and final event of the season for the BFL Great Lakes Division. Weber earned $5,831 for his victory.
Weber came out strong on Day 1, landing a quality limit off his starting spot earlier than expected and then spending the remainder of the afternoon scouting.
“The first day, I got to my starting spot and the fish bit better than expected. I had my weight pretty quickly, and then just went practicing the rest of the day,” Weber said. “I wasn’t really sure what to expect going into Day 2.”
On Championship Sunday, those same areas didn’t produce, forcing Weber to scrap his plan and make major adjustments.
“I got to my spot where I caught them all the first day, and I got one, and then there was nothing there,” he recalled. “I had to re-change everything. The weather changed, so I just went and ran a whole new pattern the rest of the afternoon, slowly catching one here and there.”
Weber leaned on two staple river presentations – a frog and a swimjig – but it was the frog that ultimately delivered most of his weight.
“The frog was definitely the shining star of the event,” he said.
He targeted grass edges with the swim jig and worked duckweed mats and the heaviest vegetation with the frog, often wrestling fish out of cover.
“It was super thick, gnarly Mississippi River vegetation,” he explained. “I definitely lost some that I thought might be crucial, but I managed to put enough together.”
Weber’s clutch moment came late on Day 2, when he added two key fish to seal the win.
“I had about 11 pounds around 11 o’clock, and it wasn’t looking good,” he said. “Then with an hour left, I caught one over 4 pounds, and five minutes before check-in I caught a 3½-pounder that culled a small one. At that point, I knew I had a chance.”
For Weber, the win was made even sweeter by the conditions he battled through.
“There are so many good, talented fishermen up here, and it’s hard to win against this group,” he said. “That makes it feel even more special.”
He also credited his equipment for powering through the heavy grass mats. “I was trolling through super thick grass all weekend, and having reliable PowerHouse Lithium batteries was huge,” Weber added. “That gave me the confidence to fish the way I needed to and know my equipment was going to perform as it should.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:
1st: Clayton Weber, West Salem, Wis., 10 bass, 37-1, $5,831
2nd: Casey Goode, La Crosse, Wis., 10 bass, 35-10, $3,415 (includes $500 Phoenix Bonus)
3rd: Mike Brueggen, La Crosse, Wis., 10 bass, 35-4, $1,945
4th: Jeff Ritter, Prairie du Chien, Wis., 10 bass, 33-6, $1,511
5th: Steve Lopez, Oconomowoc, Wis., 10 bass, 33-4, $1,266
6th: Brent Schroeder, Caledonia, Minn., 10 bass, 32-11, $1,069
7th: Marcus Livingston, Augusta, Wis., 10 bass, 31-12, $972
8th: Tyler Fitch, Fall River, Wis., 10 bass, 31-8, $875
9th: Dan Mohn, Lansing, Iowa, 10 bass, 31-6, $777
10th: Devin Teigen, Nelson, Wis., 10 bass, 30-12, $680
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Ryan Redmann of Brandon, Wisconsin, caught a bass that weighed 5 pounds, 13 ounces, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $787.
Timothy Wittren of Ontario, Wisconsin, won the co-angler division and $2,966 after bringing six bass to the scale that totaled 19 pounds even.
The top 10 co-anglers finished:
1st: Timothy Wittren, Ontario, Wis., six bass, 19-0, $2,966
2nd: Brian Brecka, Alma, Wis., six bass, 18-14, $1,458
3rd: Dante Johnson, Gurnee, Ill., six bass, 16-6, $971
4th: Lance Arnoldussen, Oconomowoc, Wis., six bass, 16-4, $680
5th: Jason Swanson, Waterloo, Iowa, six bass, 16-3, $583
6th: Mason Peters, La Crosse, Wis., six bass, 16-3, $535
7th: Nick Kramersmeier, Johnston, Iowa, six bass, 16-0, $880
8th: Chia Xiong, Onalaska, Wis., six bass, 15-7, $437
9th: Chase Traeger, Lino Lakes, Minn., six bass, 15-6, $389
10th: Levi Schmidt, Caledonia, Minn., six bass, 15-1, $340
Nick Kramersmeier of Johnston, Iowa, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $394, catching a bass that weighed in at 4 pounds, 12 ounces – the largest co-angler catch of the day.
With all five events in the division now complete, boater Tyler Fitch of Fall River, Wisconsin, won the Fishing Clash Great Lakes Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 1,337 points and earned the $1,000 prize, while Timothy Wittren of Ontario, Wisconsin, won the Fishing Clash Great Lakes Division Co-Angler of the Year race with 1,336 points and earned the $500 payout.
The top 60 boaters and co-anglers in the division based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, will qualify for the Oct. 3-4 BFL Regional tournament on the Mississippi River in Quad Cities, Illinois. Boaters will fish for a top award of a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard worth $50,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $20,000.
The 2025 Phoenix BFL Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 134 events throughout the season, five qualifying tournaments in each division. The top 60 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five qualifying tournament winners, will advance to one of 12 BFL Regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top three, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American.
Proud sponsors of the 2025 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 7Brew, Abu Garcia, Athletic Brewing, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, Deep Dive App, E3 Sport Apparel, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, Grizzly, Humminbird, Lew’s, Li Time Batteries, Mercury, Minn Kota, Mossy Oak, Mystik Lubricants, Onyx, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Phoenix Boats, Polaris, Power-Pole, Precision Sonar, Strike King, Suzuki Marine, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, WIX Filters and YETI.
For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Bass Fishing League updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery, Discovery+, Discovery GO, Animal Planet, Outdoor Channel, VICE, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network, RFD-TV and Game & Fish TV, and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 20 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.
Camdenton’s Messina Earns First BFL Win of Career at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Lake of the Ozarks
Kansas’ Pugh Takes Co-Angler Division
OSAGE BEACH, Mo. (Sept. 15, 2025) – Boater Kaden Messina of Camdenton, Missouri, caught a total of 10 bass weighing 35 pounds, 6 ounces, over two days to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine at Lake of the Ozarks. The tournament was the fifth and final event of the season for the BFL Ozark Division. Messina earned $6,242 for his victory.
Messina admitted he went into the event with no practice time, but leaned on past experience and local knowledge to find the right fish.
“I did not practice at all,” Messina said. “I just ran into an area of the lake that I know very well and have a lot of confidence in.”
That decision paid off quickly on Day 1, as he boxed a limit of solid keepers before boating a key 5-pounder around noon. Skipping a 3/4-ounce jig around docks produced steady action and gave him 18 pounds to start the tournament.
On Championship Sunday, Messina returned to the same general area but made sure to mix in fresh stretches of docks rather than revisiting the same water. That move kept the bites coming early, and his biggest bass of the day – another 5-pounder – came around 7:30 a.m.
“It was probably the third dock I pulled up to,” he said. “I caught that big one and then went through a stretch catching a bunch of shorts and a small keeper.”
From there, he pieced together the rest of his limit by running both proven stretches from last fall’s Toyota Series and brand-new water. By mid-day, Messina had four fish for roughly 11 to 13 pounds, but a clutch 3-pounder late in the afternoon pushed his weight to 17-5 and sealed the victory.
“I kind of burned up everything I knew about in that area and then just started fishing random stuff looking for another big one,” he said. “I never did get another giant, but 17-5 was enough.”
When weigh-in came around, Messina said he felt confident he’d be near the top.
“I knew I was at least going to stay in the top three, 100%,” he said. “Usually, it takes around 35 pounds to win this one, and I figured I’d be right there. The computers went down and things got confusing at the scales, but when it was official, I was pretty hyped up.”
For Messina, the victory was especially rewarding after coming up short on the same lake in past events.
“It feels insane – I’ve been wanting to win one of these for a while,” he said. “Last year I was around the same fish, but I didn’t execute. This time I knew I needed to fish my best stretches in the first couple hours because it gets tougher as the day goes on. That made all the difference.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:
1st: Kaden Messina, Camdenton, Mo., 10 bass, 35-6, $6,242
2nd: Jason Weast, Macks Creek, Mo., 10 bass, 34-0, $3,121
3rd: Matt Ells, Shell Knob, Mo., 10 bass, 33-12, $2,182
4th: Cory Steckler, Rocky Mount, Mo., 10 bass, 30-15, $1,956 (includes $500 Phoenix Bonus)
5th: Corbin Bailey, Camdenton, Mo., 10 bass, 29-8, $1,248
6th: Chase Fitzpatrick, Eldon, Mo., 10 bass, 29-4, $1,144
7th: Anthony Scoma, Spring Hill, Kan., 10 bass, 29-0, $1,040
8th: Michael Harlin, Sunrise Beach, Mo., 10 bass, 28-12, $936
9th: Chad Allison, Junction, Mo., 10 bass, 28-4, $832
10th: Jonathan Pimentel, Camdenton, Mo., 10 bass, 12-13, $728
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Jacob Welch of Jefferson City, Missouri, caught a bass that weighed 6 pounds, 2 ounces, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $870.
D.J. Pugh of Overland Park, Kansas, won the co-angler division and $3,171 after bringing five bass to the scales that totaled 17 pounds, 4 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers finished:
1st: D.J. Pugh, Overland Park, Kan., five bass, 17-4, $3,171
2nd: Kasen Uthe, Camdenton, Mo., six bass, 15-13, $1,560
3rd: Walt Hammond, Lees Summit, Mo., six bass, 15-4, $1,042
4th: Alex Thomas, Fulton, Mo., five bass, 15-0, $728
5th: Kody Yates, O’Fallon, Mo., six bass, 14-14, $624
6th: Landon Gerlach, Lohman, Mo., six bass, 14-5, $572
7th: Christopher Becker, Kansas City, Mo., six bass, 13-10, $520
8th: Jeff Moss, Oronogo, Mo., six bass, 13-8, $568
9th: Stephen Babcock, Belton, Mo., five bass, 13-3, $416
10th: Ted Holverson, El Cajon, Calif., six bass, 12-14, $364
Landon Vogt of Winfield, Missouri, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $435, catching a bass that weighed in at 4 pounds, 15 ounces.
With all five events in the division now complete, boater Eric Olliverson of Shell Knob, Missouri, won the Fishing Clash Ozark Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 1,310 points and earned the $1,000 prize, while Dennis Spell of Bonne Terre, Missouri, won the Fishing Clash Ozark Division Co-Angler of the Year race with 1,292 points and earned the $500 payout.
The top 60 boaters and co-anglers in the division based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, will qualify for the Oct. 10-11 BFL Regional tournament on Grand Lake in Grove, Oklahoma. Boaters will fish for a top award of a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard worth $50,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $20,000.
The 2025 Phoenix BFL Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 134 events throughout the season, five qualifying tournaments in each division. The top 60 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five qualifying tournament winners, will advance to one of 12 BFL Regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top three, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American.
Proud sponsors of the 2025 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 7Brew, Abu Garcia, Athletic Brewing, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, Deep Dive App, E3 Sport Apparel, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, Grizzly, Humminbird, Lew’s, Li Time Batteries, Mercury, Minn Kota, Mossy Oak, Mystik Lubricants, Onyx, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Phoenix Boats, Polaris, Power-Pole, Precision Sonar, Strike King, Suzuki Marine, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, WIX Filters and YETI.
For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Bass Fishing League updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery, Discovery+, Discovery GO, Animal Planet, Outdoor Channel, VICE, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network, RFD-TV and Game & Fish TV, and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 20 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.
Tennessee’s Peavyhouse Earns Fourth Career Win at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Lake Cumberland
Kentucky’s King Takes Co-Angler Division
MONTICELLO, Ky. (Sept. 15, 2025) – Boater Isaac Peavyhouse of Jamestown, Tennessee, caught a total of 10 bass weighing 33 pounds, 2 ounces, over the course of two days to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine at Lake Cumberland Presented by Suzuki Marine . The tournament was the fifth and final event of the season for the BFL Mountain Division. Peavyhouse earned $3,950 for his victory.
Peavyhouse leaned heavily on his electronics throughout the event, targeting suspended fish with forward-facing sonar. By following bait schools and adjusting on the fly, he was able to steadily put keepers in the boat each day.
“I was mostly just targeting suspended fish, with LiveScope of course,” Peavyhouse said. “I was probably catching 15 to 20 keepers a day, just staying around the bait.”
Every fish that hit the scales came on a Rapala CrushCity Freeloader, which Peavyhouse used to trigger both largemouth and smallmouth feeding in the mid-depths.
“The fish were suspended anywhere from 5 to 40 feet,” he explained. “The smallmouth were up higher, and the largemouth were down deeper. It was pretty much 50-50, but the smallmouth are what you want to be around on Cumberland – they weigh a little heavier.”
That balance showed up in his daily bags. On Day 1, Peavyhouse weighed two smallmouth and three largemouth. On Championship Sunday, his mix shifted to four smallmouth and one largemouth, giving him the edge he needed.
“I caught quite a few of both, just going through them,” he said. “Neither day did I really have what I wanted, but I managed to put enough together.”
Peavyhouse admitted that confidence in a win didn’t settle in until late in the final round.
“I thought once I got to what I got to today, I had a good chance,” he said. “I had a couple of really good bags in practice, but it got tougher during the tournament. Still, when I looked at what I had, I thought I had a shot.”
After hoisting the trophy, Peavyhouse was quick to credit his equipment.
“That feeling never gets old,” he said. “I feel like the key to my victory was my gear, especially my Yank-Um Custom Tackle Signature Series rods.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:
1st: Isaac Peavyhouse, Jamestown, Tenn., 10 bass, 33-2, $3,950
2nd: Rex Reagan, Livingston, Tenn., 10 bass, 31-10, $1,725
3rd: Evan Fields, Shelbyville, Ky., 10 bass, 29-13, $1,149
4th: Branden Grubb, Eufaula, Lily, Ky., 10 bass, 29-7, $905
5th: Wyatt Pearman, Hodgenville, Ky., 10 bass, 27-0, $1,190 (includes $500 Phoenix Bonus)
6th: Lee Sinclair, Albany, Ky., 10 bass, 26-2, $633
7th: Logan Vicars, Corinth, Ky., 10 bass, 23-9, $575
8th: Gavin Cloutier, Jonesborough, Tenn., 10 bass, 23-10, $518
9th: Ethan Burnette, Monticello, Ky., five bass, 14-6, $460
10th: Luke Lamb, Nicholas, Ky., five bass, 13-1
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Brandon Jones of London, Kentucky, caught a bass that weighed 4 pounds, 1 ounce, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $345.
Barry King of Liberty, Kentucky, won the co-angler division and $1,857 after bringing four bass to the scales that totaled 7 pounds, 9 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers finished:
1st: Barry King, Liberty, Ky., four bass, 7-9, $1,857
2nd: Briley West, Lakeland, Fla., five bass, 6-8, $894
3rd: Joshua Mounce, Somerset, Ky., two bass, 4-11, $562
4th: Luke Shrader, Monticello, Ky., three bass, 4-10, $394
5th: Dylan Reed, London, Ky., two bass, 4-0, $338
6th: Matthew Faulkner, Corbin, Ky., one bass, 3-4, $409
7th: Scotty Reagan, Red Boiling Springs, Tenn., two bass, 2-13, $281
9th: Robert Pepiot III, Lexington, Ky., one bass, 1-14, $253
10th: Dustin Forrest, Knob Lick, Ky., one bass, 1-11, $450
Barry King of Liberty, Kentucky, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $169, catching a bass that weighed in at 3 pounds, 5 ounces.
With all five events in the division now complete, boater Lee Sinclair of Albany, Kentucky, won the Fishing Clash Mountain Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 1,333 points and earned the $1,000 prize, while Allen Neal of Whitley City, Kentucky, won the Fishing Clash Mountain Division Co-Angler of the Year race with 1,317 points and earned the $500 payout.
The top 60 boaters and co-anglers in the division based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, will qualify for the Oct. 10-11 BFL Regional tournament on Dandridge Lake in Douglas, Tennessee. Boaters will fish for a top award of a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard worth $50,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $20,000.
The 2025 Phoenix BFL Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 134 events throughout the season, five qualifying tournaments in each division. The top 60 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five qualifying tournament winners, will advance to one of 12 BFL Regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top three, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American.
Proud sponsors of the 2025 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 7Brew, Abu Garcia, Athletic Brewing, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, Deep Dive App, E3 Sport Apparel, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, Grizzly, Humminbird, Lew’s, Li Time Batteries, Mercury, Minn Kota, Mossy Oak, Mystik Lubricants, Onyx, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Phoenix Boats, Polaris, Power-Pole, Precision Sonar, Strike King, Suzuki Marine, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, WIX Filters and YETI.
For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Bass Fishing League updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery, Discovery+, Discovery GO, Animal Planet, Outdoor Channel, VICE, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network, RFD-TV and Game & Fish TV, and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 20 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.
Maryland’s Bryan Schmitt Finishes Strong on the Potomac River for Record Seventh Toyota Series Title
MARBURY, Md. (Sept. 14, 2025) – To the surprise of nobody who pays attention, Bryan Schmitt closed out the win in the Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats Northern Division event on the Potomac River . The seventh Toyota Series-level win of his career, it’s his fourth win on the Potomac alone and further cements his status as the best tidal fisherman in America.
The victory also extends his own record for Toyota Series wins, which he first set in 2021 when he won at Lake Toho.
Sacking up bags in the mid-teens every day, Schmitt weighed 15 pounds, 4 ounces on Day 3 – his biggest bag of the week – for a 44-15 total. In second, Samuel Fish made a valiant run up the leaderboard with 17-7 on the last day for 43-9. Christian Greico tallied 43-4 for another great Potomac finish.
While most everyone else in the field bounced up and down the leaderboard, Schmitt simply crept up every day until he was where he needed to be. A master on the Potomac, he used all his wiles this week, fishing grass, rock and everything else.
“It was a no-brainer approach,” he said of Day 1. “With the clouds, I had a couple small grass stretches that I think were overlooked. They might not have had a ton of fish, but they had some chunks, some decent 3-pounders. I really leaned on them hard Day 1. It was shallow hydrilla, and that was all winding my swim jig.”
Then, Schmitt added a fish on a drop-shot off a dock post, and he kept the mix up rolling from there.
“The day before the tournament and Day 1, we had clouds,” said Schmitt. “That kind of triggers a bite. When you reverse that here and the sun finally pops out, it gets tough. Day 2, I wasn’t able to catch any fish in the morning in the grass – I had to rely on some hard structure, docks, a couple isolated deep logs. And at the end of the day, for like 2 1/2 hours, I punched mats, and one was a good one.”
Day 3, Schmitt continued to tap his encyclopedic Potomac knowledge.
“Today, I ran the same pattern – some wood, some docks – and I caught 13 pounds pretty easy,” he said. “But I felt like I needed to run something new. So, I ran to this one spot that my wife and I fished 20 years ago. It’s an old underwater rock jetty. Dude, I pulled up, and I caught a 3-6 right away. Then my co-angler catches a 3 1/2, and if they’re there, they’re never by themselves. Well, I didn’t position the boat right, and he catches a 4. Then I caught another one, and then I ran to some grass late, and caught one almost 3 on a frog that probably upgraded me half a pound.”
By the end of the tournament, Schmitt had used just about every rod on deck to get the job done.
“It was 100 percent history of the river, knowledge of the river, and having a few things different up my sleeve,” he said.
For baits, Schmitt used a 3/8-ounce Hayabusa Lil’ Schmitty Swim Jig with a Missile Baits Chunky D trailer in the grass. For hard stuff, a Missile Baits Magic Worm on a drop-shot and a SPRO Little John MD got the call. Schmitt also used a SPRO Bronzeye Poppin’ Frog, and a Missile Baits D Bomb accounted for his punching fish. Of particular note, Schmitt used his signature Fitzgerald swim jig rod when he was swimming his signature jig.
On stage, Schmitt was emotional when he earned the win in front of family and friends.
“I put a lot of pressure on myself when we come around here, and there was a definite opportunity,” he said. “I wanted it real bad. I feel very rewarded. I’m really blown away, seriously.”
He’s also thrilled to extend his own record, which is growing increasingly hard to top.
“It means something to me,” he said. “To say I have a record in fishing, and to extend on it, it means a lot. This is satisfying, to win here against these guys. It’s hard; it’s so hard. It’s very rewarding. It means a lot to me.”
The top 10 pros at the Toyota Series at the Potomac River finished:
1st: Bryan Schmitt, Deale, Md., 15 bass, 44-15, $33,869
2nd: Samuel Fish, Chelsea, Ala., 15 bass, 43-9, $14,028 (includes $1,000 Phoenix MLF Bonus)
3rd: Christian Greico, New Bern, N.C., 15 bass, 43-4, $11,086
4th: Anthony Buzzeo, Bel Alton, Md., 15 bass, 41-3, $8,405
5th: Matt McCluskey, Ashburn, Va., 15 bass, 41-3, $7,564
6th: Bryan Labelle, Hinesburg, Vt., 15 bass, 40-15, $6,724
7th: Aaron Dixon, Bel Alton, Md., 15 bass, 40-14, $5,883
8th: Brady Lunsmann, Citrus Springs, Fla., 15 bass, 40-14, $5,043
9th: Jason Burger, Bridgeton, N.J., 15 bass, 40-8, $4,202
10th: Emil Wagner, Marietta, Ga., 15 bass, 39-12, $3,362
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Jamie Newton of Falls Church, Virginia, won Thursday’s $500 Berkley Big Bass Award, catching a bass weighing 5 pounds, 12 ounces, while Christian Greico of New Bern, North Carolina, brought a bass weighing 5 pounds, 3 ounces to the scale Friday to take home the $500 Berkley Big Bass Award for Day 2.
Justin Bronson of Glenn Dale, Maryland, won the Co-angler Division Saturday with a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 37 pounds, 12 ounces. Bronson earned the top co-angler prize package worth $33,500, including a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard motor.
The top 10 co-anglers at the Toyota Series at the Potomac River finished:
1st: Justin Bronson, Glenn Dale, Md., 15 bass, 37-12, Phoenix 518 Pro boat w/115-hp outboard
2nd: Jesse Colie, Bel Alton, Md., 15 bass, 37-11, $4,378
3rd: Corey Henderson, King George, Va., 15 bass, 34-6, $3,422
4th: Cornell Badra, Clarksburg, Md., 15 bass, 31-3, $2,995
5th: Safulla Rana, Manassas, Va., 14 bass, 30-9, $2,567
6th: Kade Wesner, Lancaster, Pa., 15 bass, 30-0, $2,139
7th: Michael Duarte, Baltimore, Md., 15 bass, 29-15, $1,711
8th: Tim McGlenn, Welcome, Md., 14 bass, 29-10, $1,497
9th: Keyshawn Bratcher, Altamonte Springs, Fla., 14 bass, 28-11, $1,283
10th: Glenn Hall, Wellsville, N.Y., 13 bass, 28-7, $1,219
Co-angler Glenn Hall of Wellsville, New York, earned Thursday’s $150 Berkley Big Bass co-angler award with a 4-pound, 15-ounce bass, while Friday’s Day 2 $150 co-angler award went to Marvin Stith of Piscataway, New Jersey, who weighed in a 4-pound, 13-ounce bass.
With all three regular-season events in the Toyota Series Northern Division now complete, pro Brody Campbell of Oxford, Ohio, was crowned the Fishing Clash Northern Division Angler of the Year (AOY), earning the AOY payout of $5,000 with 750 points, while Glenn Hall of Wellsville, New York, was named the Co-angler of the year with 737 points, taking home the $2,000 prize.
The Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats at the Potomac River was hosted by the Charles County Recreation, Parks and Tourism. It was the third and final regular-season tournament for the Toyota Series Northern Division. The next event for Toyota Series anglers will be Sept. 25-27 at the Lake of the Ozarks in Osage Beach, Missouri. For a complete schedule of events, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The 2025 Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats consists of five divisions – Central, Northern, Plains, Southern and the Southwestern – each holding three regular-season events, along with the International and Wild Card divisions. Anglers who fish in any of the five divisions or the Wild Card division and finish in the top 25 will qualify for the no-entry-fee Toyota Series Championship for a shot at winning up to $235,000 and a qualification to REDCREST 2026. The winning co-angler at the championship earns a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard. The 2025 Toyota Series Championship will be held Nov. 6-8 on Grand Lake in Grove, Oklahoma, and is hosted by the City of Grove Convention & Tourism Bureau.
Proud sponsors of the 2025 MLF Toyota Series include: 7Brew, Abu Garcia, Athletic Brewing, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, Deep Dive App, E3 Sport Apparel, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, Grizzly, Humminbird, Lew’s, Mercury, Minn Kota, Mossy Oak, Onyx, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Phoenix Boats, PiranhO2, Polaris, Power-Pole, Precision Sonar, Strike King, Suzuki Marine, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, WIX Filters and YETI.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Toyota Series updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the MLF5 social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery, Discovery+, Discovery GO, Animal Planet, Outdoor Channel, VICE, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network. RFD-TV and Game & Fish TV, and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 20 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.
Dylan Denny Wins the 2025 WON Bass Lake Mead Open
Kevin Hugo finished second place, Todd Tobiasson wins AAA Division
Las vegas, Nev. – September 12, 2025 –– When day two of the 2025 Ranger Boats WON Bass Lake Mead Open presented by Mercury began, Dylan Denny held a lead over Western stalwart pro Joe Uribe Jr. Dennis opened the event with a strong 17.63-pound day anchored by big fish from both he and his day one AAA partner Chris Tanner. Those two fish accounted for nearly 10 pounds of the limit.
Uribe started the event with 16.41 pounds, a great limit for Lake Mead just about any time there is a tournament there. However, half of the weight came in the form of the largest bass he had ever caught at Lake Mead, an 8.05-pound behemoth that few have ever seen anything of that stature come out of those waters.
Waiting in the wings in third place was Kevin Hugo, who was the only other pro to post a limit eclipsing 15 pounds. Hugo’s 15.22 pounds saw him in third place after the opening round. In bass fishing tournaments, a kicker fish can go a long way, but having consistent quality is often what makes the difference.
Uribe weighed in midway through the final weigh-in and posted 9.32 pounds to take the Ranger Hot Seat and would stay there until the last two anglers came to the scales. The Surprise, Ariz. pro’s total weight of 25.73 pounds was eclipsed when Hugo, from Canyon Lake, Calif. weighed 10.75 pounds to take the lead with 25.73 pounds with only the day one leader left to weigh.
Denny, from Dewey, Ariz. came to the podium and placed his bag on the scales needing a little over eight pounds to take over the lead, and when WON Bass Tournament Director Bill Egan called the weight at 10.40 pounds, Denny had won the Lake Mead Open with a two-day total weight of 28.03 pounds.
Denny claimed the winner’s purse of the 2025 Ranger Boats WON Bass Lake Mead Open presented by Mercury, earned the Ranger Boats Z518 / Mercury ProXS 150 prize boat provided by Bass Pro Shops. He also received a cash purse of an additional $10,000 and a $1,200 Stringer Prize to bring his total earnings to well over $60,000.
The Arizona pro explained that he fished “up the river” for the event, and that it took being flexible with his presentations to catch his fish. “I really had to just feel what the fish were doing and throw different things to catch them,” he said. “I really feel like the way my two AAA partners and I fished together each day was the real key, we gelled and made a team each day, and that was key.”
He reported catching key fish on Lucky Craft LV 500 lipless crankbaits, a 6th Sense Lures Curve 55 crankbaits ripped through the grass. He also switched up to a 1/2-ounce Evergreen Jackhammer in B Hite Special with a matching trailer. When things got tougher on day two, he also mixed in a Carolina rig but did not mention his lure.
He said he did not expect to win but was elated. “I really did not think I could pull this off,” he said. “I really had a good first day and that was obviously the reason I won, but I am so absolutely blown away to have won this event, it’s just amazing.”
The rest of the top five pros stacked up like this; Uribe finished third, fourth place went to Wes Nunley of Washington, Utah. with 24.72 pounds, and Noah Sanford from Boulder City, Nev. placed fifth with 23.60 pounds.
Hugo reported fishing in the Vegas Wash because he had caught a couple of frog fish in there on the final day of practice after spending three days practicing Temple Bar. He reported that the dirty water seemed to make the bite a little better. Once the tournament began, the fishing pressure made him turn to finesse tactics and deeper water; the key was fishing the first sharp drops coming out of coves.
He caught his big fish each day on Wacky Rigged 5-inch Green Pumpkin Purple Copper Yamamoto Senkos on size 2 Gamakatsu G Finesse Stinger hooks fished on 702 iRod Genesis 3 spinning Rod with Shimano Sustain spooled with 10-pound-test Seaguar Smackdown Stealth Gray braid with a leader consisting of Seaguar 10-pound-test Seaguar Invizx.
The majority of his fish came on a 3/8 Football Head rigged with a Yamamoto Hula Grub in Green Pumpkin Red on an iRod 704 Genesis 3 Heavy action with 12-pound-test Seaguar Invizx. He caught a key keeper on day one on a DT10 Rapala Crank and another on a Yamamoto Ned Rig on Day two.
While he wanted more, Hugo was pleased with the outcome. “I’m happy with the finish, I fished clean and did what I wanted,” he said. “I would have loved to have won, but Dylan had a great event, congratulations to him.”
The AAA Championship went to Las Vegas, Nevada’s Todd Tobiasson who moved up from second place to claim victory with a total weight of 27.90 pounds. He earned $4,000 for his efforts.
The AAA Division wrapped up like this. Second place went to day one leader Chris Tanner from Phoenix, Ariz. with 24.78 pounds. Third place went to Chris Gauthier of Henderson, Nev. with 23.61 pounds. He was followed in fourth place by Hubaldo Valerio Jr. of Fruita, Col. with 23.29 pounds and David Zamora of Blythe, Calif. finished fifth with 23.17 pounds.
Each of the pros and AAA anglers who finish in the top five will also earn a Golden Ticket berth into the 2026 Bassmaster B.A.S.S. Nation Championship for a chance to qualify for the Bassmaster Classic
The daily livestream of the weigh-ins aired on the WON Bass Facebook page, located at Facebook.com/WONBassTournaments.
The top 10 in each division are posted below: for complete standings, visit - https://wonbassevents.com/pages/lake-mead-open-pairings-and-results.
2025 WON Bass Lake Mead Open Final – Pro Standings
| Angler | Hometown | Fish | Wght | Pnlty | B/B | Total | |
| 1 | Dylan Denny | Dewey AZ | 10-10 | 28.03 | 4.61 | 28.03 | |
| 2 | Kevin Hugo | Canyon Lake CA | 10-10 | 25.97 | 4.74 | 25.97 | |
| 3 | Joe Uribe, Jr. | Surprise AZ | 9-9 | 25.73 | 8.05 | 25.73 | |
| 4 | Wes Nunley | Washington UT | 10-9 | 24.72 | 0.50 | 24.22 | |
| 5 | Noah Sanford | Boulder City NV | 10-10 | 23.60 | 4.17 | 23.60 | |
| 6 | Clifford Pirch | Payson AZ | 10-10 | 23.18 | 4.52 | 23.18 | |
| 7 | Trace Myers | Santaquin UT | 10-9 | 23.36 | 0.50 | 22.86 | |
| 8 | Christopher Irigoyen | Henderson NV | 10-9 | 23.07 | 0.50 | 4.73 | 22.57 |
| 9 | Todd Kline | San Clemente CA | 10-10 | 22.29 | 3.64 | 22.29 | |
| 10 | Justin Patti | Peoria AZ | 10-8 | 23.24 | 1.00 | 3.79 | 22.24 |
| 10 | Bill Brown | Grand Junction CO | 10-10 | 22.24 | 3.27 | 22.24 |
2025 WON Bass Lake Mead Open Final – AAA Standings
| Angler | Hometown | Fish | Wght | Pnlty | B/B | Total | |
| 1 | Todd Tobiasson | Las Vegas NV | 10-10 | 27.90 | 27.90 | ||
| 2 | Chris Tanner | Phoenix AZ | 9-9 | 24.78 | 5.61 | 24.78 | |
| 3 | Chris Gauthier | Henderson NV | 10-8 | 24.61 | 1.00 | 23.61 | |
| 4 | Hubaldo Valerio Jr. | Fruita CO | 10-10 | 23.29 | 23.29 | ||
| 5 | David Zamora | Blythe CA | 10-9 | 23.67 | 0.50 | 23.17 | |
| 6 | Kevin Duncan | Las Vegas NV | 10-10 | 22.99 | 4.23 | 22.99 | |
| 7 | David Shearrer | Trabuco Canyon CA | 10-10 | 22.91 | 22.91 | ||
| 8 | Frank Schwamborn | Pomona CA | 10-10 | 22.63 | 3.88 | 22.63 | |
| 9 | Ivan Peterson | Boulder City NV | 10-10 | 22.57 | 22.57 | ||
| 10 | Daniel Lutz | Las Vegas NV | 10-10 | 22.55 | 3.29 | 22.55 |
For complete details to register for future events, or to find results, look to wonbassevents.com and WONews.com to hear the latest news about the 2025 season and beyond and follow along at Facebook.com/WONBassTournaments.
The 2025 WON Bass Western Opens Series of events Consisting of five events in California, Arizona and Nevada, will culminate with the 2024 WON Bass U.S. Open at Lake Mohave in October. The five event dates are as follows:
Feb. 5 to 7, 2025 - Lake Shasta – Champion Joe Uribe
April 9 to 11, 2025 - Clear Lake – Champion John Pearl
May 7 to 9, 2025 - Lake Havasu – Champion Roy Hawk
Sept. 10 to 12, 2025 - Lake Mead – Champion Dylan Denny
Oct. 6 to 8, 2025 - U.S. Open at Lake Mohave
For complete details or to register, look to wonbassevents.com and WONews.com to hear the latest news about the 2024 season and beyond and follow along at Facebook.com/WONBassTournaments.
The 2025 WON Bass Lake Mead Open was brought to you by Bass Pro Shops, Ranger Boats, Mercury Marine, Nitro Boats, Triton Boats, Bridgford Foods, Volta Power Lithium, Power Pole, Lowrance, Daiwa, AFTCO, Costa, Berkley, Abu Garcia, Fenwick Rods, Anderson Toyota, A&M Graphics, Anglers Marine, Signature Gates, DD26 Fishing, Bad Ass Bearings, Cipher Fishing, Megaware Keelguard and GRatt.
Local presenting sponsor was Callville Bay Marina
Nearly 100 young anglers compete in fifth annual Bassmaster High School Combine skills challenges
DECATUR, Ala. — Ninety-nine of the nation's top high school anglers gathered for the fifth annual Skeeter Boats Bassmaster High School Combine over the past weekend in Decatur, Ala. The Combine provides an incredible opportunity for the next generation of anglers to plan for their future and meet one-on-one with some of the best fishing colleges and coaches in the country. Over the course of the three-day event, high school anglers met with their favorite college fishing teams and discovered others that they may not have considered. Having the opportunity to meet face-to-face with multiple colleges helps anglers get a feel for where they fit in and helps give them the best opportunity to succeed on the water and in the classroom.
To add to the excitement, the high school anglers competed in three skills challenges: Casting Accuracy, Long Distance Casting and Technical. 125 points were up for grabs at each event, as well as 15 bonus points. Awards were given to the Top 3 anglers in each event, and top honors went to the angler with the most cumulative points.
After the dust settled, two anglers remained tied for the Overall Skills Challenge title. Logan Brown of Broadway, Va., and Charlie Sojourner of Crystal Springs, Miss., both racked up 354 points, requiring them to compete in a final tie-breaking competition. Combining long distance and accuracy, Brown and Sojourner battled for who could cast closest to a target that was 35 yards away. The challenge was best-out-of-three with head-to-head casts, and Brown won the first two rounds, earning him the top spot.
Brown took home top honors in both Overall Skills and the Technical Challenge. And while the junior was more focused on exploring college options, he found his competitive nature pushing him to beat out the rest of the field. “It was amazing, I wanted to walk around and get to know a lot of the coaches and ask them a few questions about their universities. That was my main thing; I wasn’t really worried about the skills stuff, but I’m really competitive. When I do something, I want to win.”
Looking back on the skills competition, Brown mentioned that his competitiveness really is what helped him. “I thought I could do good; I don’t think a lot of these guys are really as competitive as I am. When I do something, I don’t go in and halfway do it; I want to do it and do good in it.”
The Technical Challenge involved trolling a 20-foot Skeeter bass boat around a buoy and hitting a target with a bait. Brown had the best time at 60.46 seconds, just barely edging out second-place Fulshear, Texas, angler Ace Outhier, who completed the challenge in 60.59 seconds. Brown earned the total 125 achievable points and attributed his success to his fishing style and recent practice of covering lots of water with LiveScope. “Staying on the trolling motor was very important in this one, and keeping it on 10,” Brown said. “My favorite style of fishing is going down the bank and flipping and throwing moving baits, but recently I’ve picked up a minnow and a jig going around ’Scoping because you have to be good at it, and I’ve been getting pretty good at it.”
His flipping experience definitely helped Brown in the Casting Accuracy challenge, as he accumulated 110 points to place 16th in that event. Brown completed the course, which consisted of five targets at various distances, in just 69 seconds. His toughest event turned out to be the Long Distance Casting Challenge, but Brown still placed 21st with a 50.2-yard cast. Brown also earned 14 of the available 15 bonus points.
When it came down to the overall tie breaker, Brown leaned into his confidence to give him an advantage in the high-pressure situation with everyone watching. “That (tiebreaker) was cool. I thought it was going to be fun, and it really was. A little bit nerve-racking having all those people out there,” said Brown. “I had high confidence in myself that I was going to win; (you) just have to stay calm in those situations. I knew I had to get very close because he (Sojourner) did very good yesterday.”
Competition aside, Brown enjoyed his experience meeting with college coaches from around the country.
“It was a great experience; I recommend it to everyone who’s looking to go to the next level out of high school,” Brown said. “You learn a lot going around talking to these people and get answers from universities you wouldn’t have talked to otherwise. They’re all really good guys; they all want to see you succeed.”
Long Distance Casting Challenge
The longest cast of the challenge came on the very last cast of the day. Will Heath was the last angler to take on the challenge and overtook second-place Murphy Childers form Union Grove, Ala., by over a yard with a cast that went 64.4 yards. Each angler was equipped with a Lew’s Accel combo, 15-pound monofilament line and a Strike King Sexy Dawg topwater bait. One practice cast was allowed, then each angler had 60 seconds to get the farthest cast possible out of two attempts.
Heath, a senior from Stuart, Va., attributed his success to the Lord, the wind and his experience in throwing lighter baits in strong winds.
“I just really have to thank the good Lord for blessing me with just a little bit of wind to get behind my lure, and I feel like that’s what helped me,” said Heath. “I fish in a lot of wind, and I just have to give it 100% to the Lord, that’s the only reason I feel I won it.
“Our home lake is super-deep and super-clear. I throw a lot of lighter jerkbaits, and I usually have to bomb cast them out across points. That’s what I think gave me a little bit of an advantage.”
Heath mentions that he came into the skills challenges with a positive attitude, knowing they were more for the fun aspect. “I really wasn’t thinking about it, so I really had no nerves. I kind of just did my thing, and it worked out.”
The overall experience was very helpful for Heath in weighing his options for schools. “It was a great experience, I’m going to recommend it to a couple of buddies. You get to meet a whole lot of colleges and learn what they have to offer, and it’s a fit for you. You also get to meet a bunch of other really nice guys that have the same passion as you.”
Heath is still weighing his options for schools while he determines what he wants to go to school for and what major to pursue.
Casting Accuracy Challenge
The Casting Accuracy Challenge entailed a five-bucket course where anglers would try to cast into each bucket with a 1/2-ounce jig in the quickest time possible. Like the other challenges, the scores were extremely tight, with under a second separating first and second place. Peyton Mixon from nearby Hartselle, Ala., completed the challenge in a blazing 30 seconds flat, just barely beating out Sojourner by .93 of a second.
Mixon, a Decatur area local, attributes his LiveScope experience to giving him an edge in the Casting Accuracy Challenge. “Learning LiveScope, I’ve been able to cast pretty accurately when trying to hit the dot. I think that definitely helped me in this challenge because I’ve gotten the feel for rods now, and I’ve gotten the feel for casting exactly where I want to put my bait.”
The current high school junior is looking forward to continuing his education as a business major. “I came to the Combine wanting to meet different schools and talk to coaches I hadn’t heard of and also talk to the current college students. I wanted to better understand the environment of the colleges and get a feel for what I want to do after high school.”
Mixon went on to say that he came into the Combine looking at some of the large schools, but, after several meetings, found that some of the smaller schools may be a better fit for him personally. “I came out of it wanting to look more into some of the smaller schools. The Combine showed me what they had to offer and all the things they incorporate into the team.
The 2025 Skeeter Bassmaster High School Combine was hosted by Decatur Morgan County Tourism.
For more information, visit Bassmaster.com/high-
2025 Bassmaster High School Series Title Sponsor: Strike King
2025 Bassmaster High School Series Platinum Sponsor: Progressive, Toyota
2025 Bassmaster High School Series Premier Sponsors: Bass Pro Shops, Dakota Lithium, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha
2025 Bassmaster High School Series Supporting Sponsors: AFTCO, Daiwa, Garmin, Lew's, Lowrance, Marathon, Triton Boats, VMC, Yokohama
2025 Bassmaster High School Series Youth Sponsors: Seaguar, Shimano
About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S., which encompasses the Bassmaster tournament leagues, events and media platforms, is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting-edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), TV show, radio show, social media programs and events. For more than 50 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.
The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series, St. Croix Bassmaster Opens Series presented by SEVIIN, Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Qualifier Series presented by Lowrance, Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Strike King Bassmaster High School Series, Bassmaster Junior Series, TNT Fireworks Bassmaster Team Championship, Newport Bassmaster Kayak Series presented by Native Watercraft, Bassmaster College Kayak Series, Yamaha Bassmaster Redfish Cup Championship presented by Skeeter and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour.
Dylan Denny Takes Day One Lead of 2025 WON Bass Lake Mead Open
Joe Uribe Jr. places Second in the Opening Round of Severe Weather Shortened Event
Las Vegas, Nev. – September 8, 2025 –– When scheduling a bass tournament in the desert outside Las Vegas, there are times that the weather at Lake Mead might rise to wreak havoc. That scenario occurred when day one of the 2025 Ranger Boats WON Bass Lake Mead Open presented by Mercury when severe weather forced the cancellation of the first day of competition: forcing a two-day event.
When that happens, the event becomes more of a sprint than a distance event and the pro angler who got out of the blocks the fastest was Dewey, Ariz. Pro Dylan Denny who partnered with day one AAA Chris Tanner from Phoenix, Ariz. to post 17.63 pounds to take the day one lead.
Joe Uribe Jr. from Surprise, Ariz. brought 16.41 pounds to the scales with the help of his AAA partner Todd Tobiasson of Las Vegas, Nev. Finished second for the day. Uribe’s limit was bolstered by an 8.01-pound Las Vegas giant that was big bass of the day.
Denny reported catching his fish on several different techniques but reported spending his time upstream. “I spent my time back in the river and I junk fished all day fishing shallow and deep,” he said. “My partner Chris [Tanner] and I gelled really well today and both of us caught a big fish. I’m looking forward to tomorrow and hop to be able to duplicate it.”
Uribe had the best day he’s had on Lake Mead that was highlighted by the eight-pounder. The big fish came while he was fishing a Power Shot Rig shallow on a 6-inch Roboworm Fuego worm on a Performance Tackle Power Shot Rod and Daiwa Tatula reel. “That big fish is the biggest fish I’ve ever caught at Lake Mead, and it really helped us. I was concerned about it when I hooked it, but my 8-pound Sunline FC Sniper Fluorocarbon held,” he said. “I’m gonna start all over again tomorrow, but I feel like I have to have another 16 pounds to win; I’ll just get going and see how it turns out.”
Third place went to Canyon Lake, Calif. Pro Kevin Hugo and his AAA partner Frank Schwamborn of Pomona, Calif. with 15.22 pounds. 13.19 pounds put Desert Hills, Ariz pro Ian Boehm and AAA partner Ivan Peterson of Boulder Cit, Nev. in fourth place, and rounding out the top five was Boulder City, Nev. Pro Noah Sanford and his AAA partner Kevin Duncan of Las Vegas, Nev. With 13.03 pounds.
The second and final day begins tomorrow from Callville Bay Marina at safe light with the final weigh-in beginning at 3:00PM.
The winner of the 2025 Ranger Boats WON Bass Lake Mead Open presented by Mercury, will earn the Ranger Boats / Mercury Motor prize boat provided by Bass Pro Shops.
Each of the pros and AAA anglers who finish in the top five will also earn a Golden Ticket berth into the 2026 Bassmaster B.A.S.S. Nation Championship for a chance to qualify for the Bassmaster Classic
The daily livestream of the weigh-ins aired on the WON Bass Facebook page, located at Facebook.com/WONBassTournaments.
The top 10 in each division are posted below: for complete standings, visit - https://wonbassevents.com/pages/lake-mead-open-pairings-and-results.
2025 WON Bass Lake Mead Open Day One – Pro Standings
| Place | Angler | Hometown | B/B | Day 1 |
| 1 | Dylan Denny | Dewey AZ | 4.61 | 17.63 |
| 2 | Joe Uribe, Jr. | Surprise AZ | 8.05 | 16.41 |
| 3 | Kevin Hugo | Canyon Lake CA | 4.05 | 15.22 |
| 4 | Ian Boehm | Desrt Hills AZ | 5.89 | 13.19 |
| 5 | Noah Sanford | Boulder City NV | 4.17 | 13.03 |
| 6 | Jeff Baird | Washington UT | 3.39 | 12.60 |
| 7 | Jeff Rutt | Lake Havasu City AZ | 12.29 | |
| 8 | Dick Watson | Boulder City NV | 3.80 | 12.28 |
| 9 | David Valdivia | Riverside CA | 5.19 | 12.26 |
| 10 | Clayton Meyer | Henderson NV | 4.28 | 12.19 |
2025 WON Bass Lake Mead Open Day One – AAA Standings
| Place | Angler | Hometown | B/B | Day 1 |
| 1 | Chris Tanner | Phoenix AZ | 5.61 | 17.63 |
| 2 | Todd Tobiasson | Las Vegas NV | 16.41 | |
| 3 | Frank Schwamborn | Pomona CA | 3.88 | 15.22 |
| 4 | Ivan Peterson | Boulder City NV | 13.19 | |
| 5 | Kevin Duncan | Las Vegas NV | 4.23 | 13.03 |
| 6 | Calvin Warren | Rancho Cucamonga CA | 12.60 | |
| 7 | Sal Plasencia | Selma CA | 12.29 | |
| 8 | Benjamin Green | Jasper TN | 12.28 | |
| 9 | Hubaldo Valerio Jr. | Fruita CO | 12.26 | |
| 10 | Chris Gauthier | Henderson NV | 12.19 |
For complete details to register for future events, or to find results, look to wonbassevents.com and WONews.com to hear the latest news about the 2024 season and beyond and follow along at Facebook.com/WONBassTournaments.
The 2025 WON Bass Western Opens Series of events Consisting of five events in California, Arizona and Nevada, will culminate with the 2024 WON Bass U.S. Open at Lake Mohave in October. The five event dates are as follows:
Feb. 5 to 7, 2025 - Lake Shasta – Champion Joe Uribe
April 9 to 11, 2025 - Clear Lake – Champion John Pearl
May 7 to 9, 2025 - Lake Havasu – Champion Roy Hawk
Sept. 10 to 12, 2025 - Lake Mead
Oct. 6 to 8, 2025 - U.S. Open at Lake Mohave
For complete details or to register, look to wonbassevents.com and WONews.com to hear the latest news about the 2024 season and beyond and follow along at Facebook.com/WONBassTournaments.
The 2025 WON Bass Lake Mead Open is brought to you by Bass Pro Shops, Ranger Boats, Mercury Marine, Nitro Boats, Triton Boats, Bridgford Foods, Volta Power Lithium, Power Pole, Lowrance, Daiwa, AFTCO, Costa, Berkley, Abu Garcia, Fenwick Rods, Anderson Toyota, A&M Graphics, Anglers Marine, Signature Gates, DD26 Fishing, Bad Ass Bearings, Cipher Fishing, Megaware Keelguard and GRatt.
Local presenting sponsor is Callville Bay Marina
Champlain’s bounty kicks off Elite Qualifiers quest
PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. — With career trajectories and the sport’s most prestigious event at stake, time management and balanced ambition will play significant roles during the Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifier at Lake Champlain presented by Bass Pro Shops.
Competition days will be September 18-20 with daily takeoffs from Plattsburgh City Marina at 7 a.m. ET and weigh-ins each day back at the marina at 3 p.m.
After four events each, Divisions 1 and 2 of the St. Croix Bassmaster Opens presented by SEVIIN determined their Top 50 points finishers. Those 100 competitors, plus several Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series pros and the Top 3 finishers in the 2024 Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Championship presented by Lowrance, will fish the three-event Elite Qualifiers (EQ) Series. Divisional points are zeroed and the Top 10 in EQ points will receive invitations to fish the 2026 Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series.
These three EQs, also including events at Wheeler Lake (Oct. 2-4) and Lake Okeechobee (Nov.13-15) will complement their top cash prize with an invitation to fish the 2026 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour, March 13-15 at the Tennessee River in Knoxville, Tenn. First up, Lake Champlain presents a challenging playing field nestled between Vermont’s Green Mountains and New York’s Adirondacks.
“Champlain can be overwhelming, because it is a gigantic body of water,” said Elite Series pro Kyle Patrick. “It’s hard because these (anglers) have to swing for the fence in order to make (or requalify) for the Elites.”
Indeed, this 435-square-mile natural lake straddling the New York/Vermont border offers boundless opportunity for smallmouth and largemouth bass fishing, with tremendous habitat diversity. Patrick believes the entire lake could be in play, but the seasonal focus will be clear.
“Fall feed baby!” he said of the event’s expected theme. “We’ve had some really cool nights, so it’s fall here in Upstate New York.”
As Patrick points out, the region’s drought conditions have pulled Champlain out from its usual shorelines. A week and a half before the tournament, Champlain stood a little more than 3 feet below its average annual level of 96.5 feet. (The record low was 92.4 feet in 1908.)
While this will impact shallow and mostly largemouth-focused efforts, Patrick doesn’t see the low water limiting what he believes will be the most consistent route to success. Smallmouth bass tend to dominate this time of year and, with these brown brutes largely focused on chasing bait schools, the offshore game tends to attract most of the focus.
“I think you’re gonna see a lot of giant smallmouth caught,” Patrick said. “I’m pretty certain nine out of the Top 10 will have all smallmouth bass.
“I think you’ll see a few kicker largemouth and there may be (a few) guys that focus on largemouth, but the lake is so big, you’ll sacrifice a lot of time finding the good largemouth spots, while smallmouth will provide what guys need (for the points race).”
And that’s the key point — overcoming the luster of Champlain’s buffet of angling opportunity and focusing on a meat-and-potatoes approach that minimizes risk and maximizes productivity. No one enters a bass fishing tournament disinterested in winning, but given the magnitude of what the three EQ events offer, excessive exuberance will probably take a backseat to sensibly planned and prudently executed game plans.
Champlain generally divides into three main regions — the upper end with its smattering of islands and numerous bays, the deeper midsection and the narrowing lower end. The upper end offers a mix of offshore structure and shallow cover.
Throughout the lake’s midsection, rock reefs, points and deep grasslines get most of the attention, while forward-facing sonar has, in recent years, revealed the potential of chasing open-water “roamers.”
For the offshore targets, Patrick believes the jighead minnow will do much of the heavy lifting. Other likely offerings include jerkbaits, drop shots and tubes.
Below the Crown Point Bridge (aka Lake Champlain Bridge), the lake starts to narrow into more of a riverine look, where the deep channel holds less pressured populations of smallmouth. One of the most popular sections of the lower end is the Ticonderoga area, so named for the historic fort on the New York side, which holds vast fields of shallow vegetation along with wood cover. Frogs, jigs, Texas rigs and wacky-rigged stickworms work well here and in any of the lake’s largemouth spots.
Ever the wild card, that lower region — colloquially referred to as “Ti” — presents the ultimate tournament conundrum. Many Plattsburgh-based tournaments have seen anglers make the hour-plus run and return with impressive sacks of largemouth, just as many have seen competitors basically burn a day with little to show.
And then there’s the weather concern. A north or south wind on Lake Champlain blows right up or down the pipe and that means a rough ride.
It’s not uncommon for ambitious anglers to make good time on a calm morning run but face downright harrowing conditions on the return. Those that make the Ti trip must allow sufficient time for traversing afternoon conditions.
Throughout the lake, marinas and private docks offer great opportunities to find hefty largemouth. Shallow areas with submersed aquatic vegetation often hold legitimate difference-makers.
Whatever route anglers pursue, Patrick expects plenty of limits and solid bags. The fortunate few that land on the better-quality fish will separate themselves from the pack.
“I think this cold has them eating,” Patrick said. “I think 20 pounds a day will make the Day 3 cut. To win, I’ll bet it will take 64-8.
“I think someone who’s able to hunker down in an area less than 5 to 10 miles, where they know smallmouth bass are concentrated, will have a good chance at winning. I think they will need to catch about 18 pounds and then transition at the end of the day and hunt one big largemouth."
Coverage of the Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifier at Lake Champlain presented by Bass Pro Shops can be found on Bassmaster.com each day. Live coverage of Championship Saturday will be streamed on Bassmaster.com as well as the Roku Sports Channel from 7-10 a.m. ET and 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.
This event is being hosted by The Adirondack Coast.
2025 Bassmaster Opens Series Title Sponsor: St. Croix
2025 Bassmaster Opens Series Presenting Sponsor: SEVIIN
2025 Bassmaster Opens Series Platinum Sponsors: Progressive, Toyota
2025 Bassmaster Opens Series Premier Sponsors: Bass Pro Shops, Dakota Lithium, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha
2025 Bassmaster Opens Series Supporting Sponsors: AFTCO, Daiwa, Garmin, Lew's, Lowrance, Triton Boats, VMC, Yokohama
About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S., which encompasses the Bassmaster tournament leagues, events and media platforms, is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting-edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), TV show, radio show, social media programs and events. For more than 50 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.
The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series, St. Croix Bassmaster Opens Series presented by SEVIIN, Nitro Boats Elite Qualifiers Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Qualifier Series presented by Lowrance, Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Strike King Bassmaster High School Series, Bassmaster Junior Series, TNT Fireworks Bassmaster Team Championship, Newport Bassmaster Kayak Series presented by Native Watercraft, Bassmaster College Kayak Series, Yamaha Bassmaster Redfish Cup Championship presented by Skeeter and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour.
Humminbird XPLORE Series Snags ICAST 2025 Anglers’ Choice Award
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B.A.S.S. announces 2026 St. Croix Bassmaster Opens schedule, Live Sonar rule change and EQ qualifications updates
Sept. 10, 2025
B.A.S.S. announces 2026 St. Croix Bassmaster Opens schedule, Live Sonar rule change and EQ qualifications updates
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — B.A.S.S. officials today unveiled the schedule for the 2026 St. Croix Bassmaster Opens presented by SEVIIN, eight tournaments spread across two divisions that will challenge anglers on some of the country’s most iconic fisheries.
The Opens have long served as a proving ground for aspiring pros, and in 2026, the trail will once again deliver a diverse slate of fisheries, from Florida grass lakes to Northern smallmouth waters. As always, the stakes are high — the Opens offers competitors a pathway to qualify for the Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifier Series (EQs) presented by Bass Pro Shops and ultimately the upper echelon of tournament bass fishing: the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series.
Division 1 Schedule
• Jan. 29-31 — Kissimmee Chain (Kissimmee, Fla.)
• Apr. 1-3 — Lake Eufaula (Eufaula, Ala.)*
• Apr. 30-May 2 — Lake Norman (Charlotte, N.C.)
• Aug. 20-22 — Lake Erie (Buffalo, N.Y.)*
Division 2 Schedule
• Feb. 19-21 — Sam Rayburn Reservoir (Jasper, Texas)*
• Apr. 23-25 — Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees (Grove, Okla.)
• May 20-22 — Pickwick Lake (Counce, Tenn.)*
• June 18-20 — Upper Mississippi River (La Crosse, Wis.)
*Forward-facing live sonar will be permitted at these events.
To balance traditional techniques with technology innovation, B.A.S.S. announced several competition updates for 2026. Forward-facing live sonar (FFS) will be limited to two tournaments in each division. B.A.S.S. elected to rotate usage by starting one division with FFS and the other without, alternating each event from there. FFS will be allowed on Lake Eufaula and Lake Erie in Division 1 and Sam Rayburn Reservoir and Pickwick Lake in Division 2.
“Year after year, the Bassmaster Opens provide some of the most exciting and diverse competition in bass fishing,” said Chase Anderson, B.A.S.S. CEO. “With legendary stops like Sam Rayburn and Lake Erie alongside other diverse venues, this schedule ensures our anglers — and fans — will see a mix of techniques and fisheries in 2026.”
In recent years, Opens champions have gone on to make their mark on the Elite Series and the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour. Easton Fothergill is the ultimate example. The young Minnesota pro won two Opens events in 2024, qualified for the Elite Series and then won the 2025 Bassmaster Classic. The 2026 slate offers anglers the same opportunity to prove their skills and take the next step in their careers.
Entries and payouts will remain consistent with 2025. However, new incentives raise the stakes: the Anglers of the Year (AOY) from each division’s St. Croix Bassmaster Opens presented by SEVIIN Divisional Angler of the Year standings and the overall Bassmaster Opens Angler of the Year will earn berths into the EQs at no cost. In addition to qualifying for the Bassmaster Classic, if an angler enters all four tournaments in a division and wins one, they will also earn a guaranteed berth into the EQs.
Another important change: anglers who enter only a single event will not receive any AOY points. Only full-division participants will earn points toward the 2026 Bassmaster Opens Divisional Angler of the Year races.
There are also updates to the qualifications to the EQs. Anglers who fish all eight Opens will earn overall AOY points, with the Top 35 in those rankings receiving automatic bids to the EQs. Beyond that, the Top 50 by AOY points in each division (not including anglers who qualified through overall AOY points) will also advance, creating more paths for aspiring pros to chase Elite Series dreams.
Registration for the 2026 St. Croix Bassmaster Opens presented by SEVIIN will open November 4. Details will be available on Bassmaster.com.
The Opens are covered across all B.A.S.S. digital, print and social platforms, and six events will be broadcast live on Bassmaster.com, the Bassmaster Channel on Roku and Roku Sports Channel reaching millions of fans worldwide.
2025 Bassmaster Opens Series Title Sponsor: St. Croix
2025 Bassmaster Opens Series Presenting Sponsor: SEVIIN
2025 Bassmaster Opens Series Platinum Sponsors: Progressive, Toyota
2025 Bassmaster Opens Series Premier Sponsors: Bass Pro Shops, Dakota Lithium, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha
2025 Bassmaster Opens Series Supporting Sponsors: AFTCO, Daiwa, Garmin, Lew's, Lowrance, Triton Boats, VMC, Yokohama
About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S., which encompasses the Bassmaster tournament leagues, events and media platforms, is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting-edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), TV show, radio show, social media programs and events. For more than 50 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.
The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series, St. Croix Bassmaster Opens Series presented by SEVIIN, Nitro Boats Elite Qualifiers Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Qualifier Series presented by Lowrance, Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Strike King Bassmaster High School Series, Bassmaster Junior Series, TNT Fireworks Bassmaster Team Championship, Newport Bassmaster Kayak Series presented by Native Watercraft, Bassmaster College Kayak Series, Yamaha Bassmaster Redfish Cup Championship presented by Skeeter and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour.
Oxford, Alabama Announced as Venue for Major League Fishing’s Fishing Clash Team Series Patriot Cup
The Fishing Clash Team Series Patriot Cup is hosted by the City of Oxford and will take place over six days. In keeping with traditional MLF Cup protocols all fishable waters within 60 miles of Oxford, Alabama, are now off limits to competing anglers. The competition waters for each day are top-secret and only revealed to the anglers when they arrive at the boat ramp each morning. Anglers are driven directly to the day’s competition area launch ramp by their officials. The MLFNOW!® live broadcast begins on the water at 9 a.m. CT.
The Fishing Clash Team Series features four Cup events in 2025 – the Challenge, Heritage, Patriot, and Summit Cups – each showcasing 12 two-man teams of Bass Pro Tour anglers competing for a share of $560,000 in prize money.
All six days of competition will be available to watch live on MLFNOW!®, offering fans a front-row seat to every hookset, decision and adjustment as teams explore new fisheries and adapt in real time. The final period of each day of competition will be broadcast live from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. CT on RFD-TV, and each event will also be featured in a series of six original, two-hour episodes set to premiere on Outdoor Channel in the first quarter of 2026.
The 12 teams that will compete in the Patriot Cup in Oxford, Alabama, Oct. 22-27 are:
Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla.
Keith Poche, Pike Road, Ala.
Team B&W Trailer Hitches:
James Elam, Tulsa, Okla.
Alton Jones Sr., Lorena, Texas
Team BUBBA:
Ott DeFoe, Blaine, Tenn.
Andy Montgomery, Blacksburg, S.C.
Team Ferguson:
Takahiro Omori, Tokyo, Japan
Dean Rojas, Lake Havasu City, Ariz.
Team Fishing Clash:
Bradley Roy, Lancaster, Ky.
Greg Vinson, Wetumpka, Ala.
Team Knighten:
Alton Jones Jr., Waco, Texas
Jake Lawrence, Paris, Tenn.
Team Kubota:
Justin Cooper, Zwolle, La.
Skeet Reese, Auburn, Calif.
Team Lucas Oil:
Luke Clausen, Spokane, Wash.
Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn.
Team O’Reilly Auto Parts:
Mark Daniels Jr., Tuskegee, Ala.
Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn.
Team Smokey Mountain:
Brandon Coulter, Knoxville, Tenn.
John Hunter, Shelbyville, Ky.
Team Star brite:
Mark Davis, Mount Ida, Ark.
Marshall Hughes, Hemphill, Texas
Team YETI:
Colby Miller, Elmer, La.
Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C.
Fans can follow the action live on MajorLeagueFishing.com, the MLF and MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) apps and Rumble, with hosts Chad McKee and J.T. Kenney breaking down every minute of competition on MLFNOW!®.
Proud sponsors of the 2025 MLF Team Series include: 7Brew Coffee, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Bass Boat Technologies, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, BUBBA, E3 Sport Apparel, Epic Baits, Ferguson, Knighten Industries, Kubota, Lowrance, Lucas Oil, Mercury, NITRO Boats, Onyx, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Power-Pole, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Smokey Mountain Caffeinated Pouches, Star brite, Toyota, YETI and Zenni.
For complete details and updated information on the MLF Team Series, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube.
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery, Discovery+, Discovery GO, Animal Planet, Outdoor Channel, VICE, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network, RFD-TV and Game & Fish TV, and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 20 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.
Costa Unveils New Collection of Sunglasses Curated For The Next Generation Of Water Explorers
Life on the water is about tradition. From passing along secret surf spots to learning techniques on how to cast, those who share a love of our watery world have often grown up around it. As young explorers set out on new adventures, Costa is announcing an all-new collection of eyewear designed for the next generation.
The first to join the collection is Street Heat, a versatile frame blending function and durability with modern street style. Taking design cues from Costa’s Grand Catalina, Street Heat delivers similar aesthetic cues, including micro side shields and hooding for safeguarding from the elements. The new sunglasses are sported by Kai Thompson, a bold new voice in surfing with roots in Southern California. Making a name for himself as a hard charger with a fearless style and explosive presence, Kai’s journey reflects a generation that rides with purpose and dares to be seen.
Schoolie, a performance frame created for junior anglers, was designed and crafted from the insights of future pros themselves. Mimicking Costa's iconic designs and time-tested performance features, Schoolie helps the next generation of watermen build confidence comfortably on the water through a secure fit and ample coverage. The frames are inspired and modeled by Liam Giberson, a young angler who’s already reeled in an impressive catch list at just 12 years old.
“According to data from the American Sportfishing Association, participation from the younger demographic in water-related activities has been consistently growing over the last several years. Across fishing specifically, there’s an average of 12.7 million reported participants,” said Jed Larkin, Brand Marketing Director at Costa. “As a company that’s dedicated to creating the highest quality, best-performing sunglasses on the planet, we’re honored to have the chance to play a part of their journey on the water.”
Schoolie and Street Heat are now available on CostaDelMar.com and select retailers nationwide starting at $130. To stay up to date on what’s to come with the Costa Future Waters program, follow @CostaSunglasses on Instagram.
About Costa Sunglasses
As the first manufacturer of color-enhancing all-polarized glass sunglass lenses, Costa combines superior lens technology with unparalleled fit and durability. Costa has made the highest quality, best-performing sunglasses and prescription sunglasses (Rx) for outdoor enthusiasts since 1983, and now its product portfolio includes optical frames. Costa’s growing cult-brand status ties directly to its purpose to provide high-quality products with a focus on sustainability and conservation as the company works hard to protect the waters it calls home. From the use of sustainable and water-friendly materials to its Kick Plastic® initiative, #OneCoast efforts and meaningful partnerships with mission-aligned organizations, Costa encourages people to help protect the Earth’s natural resources in any way they can. Find out more on Costa’s website and join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, or X at @CostaSunglasses.
Voyager Bag Collection by Gill: Proven Performance for Every Adventure
Jacksonville Beach, FL – September 10, 2025 – Gill, a leading innovator in high-performance outerwear, proudly highlights the enduring capabilities of its flagship Voyager bag collection. A trusted staple for adventurers, these bags continue to prove that adventure is calling—thanks to their robust, waterproof design relied upon by outdoor enthusiasts around the world.
The Voyager collection has long been the go-to choice for those who demand durability and protection from their gear. Constructed from puncture-resistant PVC tarpaulin with stitch-free, welded seams, each bag offers a fully waterproof finish tested in the harshest conditions. Its dependable roll-down closure, secured with Velcro and side-release fastenings, creates a watertight seal—ensuring your valuables stay safe and dry through every downpour and splash.
"The Voyager Bag collection has a track record of excellence," says Michele Eichstead, Fishing Marketing Manager. "We consistently hear from our customers about how this bag collection has protected their gear on countless trips—from remote fishing excursions to rugged hikes. The design isn’t just about features; it’s about delivering reliability that adventurers can count on, season after season."
Key Features That Stand the Test of Time:
- Ultimate Durability: Made from puncture-resistant PVC tarpaulin with welded seams for long-lasting performance.
- 100% Waterproof: The proven roll-down closure and sealed construction keep gear dry in any environment.
- Convenient Access & Transport: A wide-opening mouth makes packing easy, while a detachable shoulder strap and grab handle ensure comfortable, hassle-free carrying.
- Secure & Adaptable: Six external D-ring attachment points allow for secure tie-downs on boats or vehicles.
The Voyager collection—which includes duffel bags, dry bags, and backpacks—is available online on our website at gillfishing.com and built with the tough, waterproof fabric needed to protect your gear from the elements.
About Gill
Trusted on the water for over 50 years, Gill didn’t start as a brand or business—it began as a solution: to create better, more capable sailing clothing using the best fabrics available. Combined with innovative design and performance-tested by elite athletes in the most demanding environments, Gill gear is made to be relied on—on or off the water. The only limit is how you choose to use it.
Our fishing apparel and gear are specifically designed to meet every challenge. With innovative features and high-performance fabrics, Gill’s clothing helps you stay warm, dry, and focused on the task—not on the conditions. Engineered for all elements.
The Association of Collegiate Anglers Announces Partnership with MillerTech
San Antonio, TX (September 9, 2025) – The Association of Collegiate Anglers announces a partnership with MillerTech Lithium Batteries to support college anglers for the 2025-26 season of the Collegiate Bass Fishing Series.
MillerTech’s partnership with the ACA will include extensive product promotion across a variety of platforms to thousands of college anglers, a discount purchase program for eligible anglers, as well as support at the 2026 Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops to take place at Pickwick Lake.
Lester Miller, the inventor and founder of MillerTech Energy began the journey of developing lithium batteries in the middle of the woods. Close to 10 years ago, Lester started to work to develop a high-quality lithium battery that met his standards. Today, out of a distribution center based in Middlefield, OH, MillerTech provides anglers with high-quality marine batteries, chargers, and more to meet their daily needs.
“We are excited for this partnership with MillerTech for the upcoming season,” said Kyle Curry, ACA Managing Director. “These young anglers demand quality products to allow them to compete at events nationwide. The support, products, and programs offered from MillerTech will provide college student anglers with opportunities and gear they need to find success out on the water.”
MillerTech’s support of college anglers will be throughout the 2025-26 season of the Collegiate Bass Fishing Series. The ACA’s first event of the new season will be the Bass Pro Shops Big Bass Bash presented by Berkley. MillerTech will be a presenting sponsor for one of the seven weigh-in sessions to take place that weekend at Kentucky Lake. The prize payout for that session will include product and prizes from MillerTech.
Eligible college anglers will also be able to participate in the MillerTech discount program. MillerTech is offering a 20% discount to qualified student anglers. A form to apply for a discount code can be found here on the ACA website. Upon applying, student anglers will be reviewed and verified for eligibility to receive a discount code.
Throughout this upcoming season, MillerTech will receive extensive promotion across ACA properties to include social media, digital assets, e-blast, national television coverage, on-site at events, and much more. MillerTech will also support anglers at the ACA’s 21st National Championship to take place at Pickwick Lake next May.
Tom Huynh on captures his second consecutive National Walleye Tour (NWT) Championship title at the 2025 Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s NWT
Tacoma, Washington - Gamakatsu®, one of the world’s leading manufacturers and innovators of fishing hooks and equipment, is excited to congratulate pro angler Tom Huynh on capturing his second consecutive National Walleye Tour (NWT) Championship title at the 2025 Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s NWT, presented by Progressive. With the victory, Huynh cemented his reputation as one of the most consistent and innovative anglers on the circuit.
Huynh, of Wolverton, Minnesota, relied on sharp instincts and adaptability to overcome challenging conditions on the Great Lakes. A drastic drop in water temperature forced him to abandon his primary area and adjust mid-tournament—a decision that proved critical in securing the narrow win.
“I’m super blessed to have done this two years in a row,” said Huynh. “On the final day, it didn’t look promising at first, but making the move to warmer water paid off. Having absolute confidence in my Gamakatsu hooks made all the difference. When I got the bites I needed, I knew those fish were coming to the boat.”
“Tom continues to raise the bar in competitive walleye fishing,” said Ted Thibault, Gamakatsu USA Sales Manager. “To win the NWT Championship once is an incredible achievement—but to do it back-to-back shows just how good he really is. We’re proud to have him representing Gamakatsu.”
Gamakatsu is proud to support Huynh as he continues to showcase the skill, determination, and precision that define championship-caliber angling. His back-to-back NWT Championship victories highlight not only his talent but also the importance of trusting your gear when the stakes are highest.
From humble beginnings as Japan’s smallest fishing hook manufacturer in 1955, Gamakatsu® Ltd has evolved to become the world’s preeminent hook manufacturer. Over the years, manufacturing upgrades and cutting-edge innovations have fueled Gamakatsu® USA’s rise as a top producer of fishing hooks, apparel, and fishing-related items. When anglers purchase Gamakatsu® hooks, they are buying an original product made exclusively by Gamakatsu®. Gamakatsu® is continuously testing new materials and striving to improve its products, which already set the standard for the rest of the industry. For more information, please visit www.gamakatsu.com.
Miami’s Cook Picks Apart Banks for Win at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Grand Lake
Oklahoma’s Hewitt Claims Co-Angler Division
GROVE, Okla. (Sept. 8, 2025) – Boater Preston Cook of Miami, Oklahoma, caught a total of 10 bass weighing 36 pounds, 3 ounces, over two days to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Super Tournament (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on Grand Lake Presented by Suzuki Marine . The tournament, hosted by the City of Grove, was the fifth and final regular-season event of the season for the BFL Okie Division. Cook earned $13,188 plus a $7,000 Phoenix Bonus for his victory.
“It was super slow,” said Cook, who has fished Grand Lake for the past 35 years. “It was tough to even get a limit. I was mixing in flipping docks with a Strike King Rage Bug, a Heddon Zara Spook or a small (River2Sea) Whopper Plopper.”
Cook said he also caught a big fish each day on a glidebait. His approach was to cruise down banks and target isolated brush piles and docks. The strategy provided five keepers Saturday and eight on Sunday.
“Sunday, between 1 and 1:45, I culled three times,” Cook said, adding the midday Spook bite was the key to his victory. “They finally started biting when the sun was high.
“This win is amazing,” Cook added. “I can’t even describe what I’m feeling. It hasn’t even really sunk in yet.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:
1st: Preston Cook, Miami, Okla., 10 bass, 36-3, $13,188 (includes $7,000 Phoenix Bonus)
2nd: Micah Littlejohn, Grove, Okla., 10 bass, 33-13, $3,094
3rd: Lane Stephens, Owasso, Okla., 10 bass, 32-1, $2,062
4th: Darrin Thomas, Kiefer, Okla., 10 bass, 31-13, $1,444
5th: Curt Warren, Rose, Okla., 10 bass, 29-13, $1,238
6th: Dillon Roberts, Oologah, Okla., 10 bass, 29-2, $1,134
7th: Kyle Kitts, Joplin, Mo., 10 bass, 29-0, $1,031
8th: Justin Barbour, Tulsa, Okla., 10 bass, 28-15, $928
9th: Doug Johnson, Grove, Okla., 10 bass, 28-10, $825
10th: Jason Thompson, Galena, Kan., 10 bass, 28-2, $722
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Vance Montgomery of Claremore, Oklahoma, caught a bass that weighed 5 pounds, 14 ounces, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $862.
Thad Hewitt of Delaware, Oklahoma, won the co-angler division and $3,344 Sunday, after bringing six bass to the scale that totaled 19 pounds, 6 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers finished:
1st: Thad Hewitt, Delaware, Okla., six bass, 19-6, $3,344
2nd: Mitch Baskett, Yukon, Okla., six bass, 16-12, $1,547
3rd: James West, Spiro, Okla., six bass, 14-15, $1,029
4th: J.R. Foster, Miami, Okla., five bass, 14-12, $722
5th: Jordan Clayton, Wichita Falls, Texas, six bass, 13-8, $619
6th: Mark Taylor, Oklahoma City, Okla., six bass, 13-5, $567
7th: Fred Fielder, Afton, Okla., four bass, 13-4, $566
8th: Tad Harp, Cave Springs, Ark., five bass, 12-9, $464
9th: Brian Radford, Bixby, Okla., six bass, 12-6, $413
10th: Dalton Brake, Mountain View, Mo., five bass, 12-5, $361
Travis McKee of Fayetteville, Arkansas, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $431, catching a bass that weighed in at 5 pounds, 10 ounces.
With all five events in the division now complete, boater Nick Kincaid of Brookeland, Texas, won the Fishing Clash Okie Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 1,336 points and earned the $1,000 prize, while James West of Spiro, Oklahoma, won the Fishing Clash Okie Division Co-Angler of the Year race with 1,331 points and earned the $500 payout.
The top 60 boaters and co-anglers in the division based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, will qualify for the Oct. 10-11 BFL Regional tournament on Grand Lake in Grove, Oklahoma. Boaters will fish for a top award of a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard worth $50,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $20,000.
The 2025 Phoenix BFL Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 134 events throughout the season, five qualifying tournaments in each division. The top 60 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five qualifying tournament winners, will advance to one of 12 BFL Regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top three, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American.
Proud sponsors of the 2025 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 7Brew, Abu Garcia, Athletic Brewing, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, Deep Dive App, E3 Sport Apparel, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, Grizzly, Humminbird, Lew’s, Li Time Batteries, Mercury, Minn Kota, Mossy Oak, Mystik Lubricants, Onyx, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Phoenix Boats, Polaris, Power-Pole, Precision Sonar, Strike King, Suzuki Marine, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, WIX Filters and YETI.
For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Bass Fishing League updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery, Discovery+, Discovery GO, Animal Planet, Outdoor Channel, VICE, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network, RFD-TV and Game & Fish TV, and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 20 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.
Virginia’s Hawkins Slows Down for Big-Bite Win at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Potomac River
North Carolina’s Roten Claims Co-Angler Division
MARBURY, Md. (Sept. 8, 2025) – Boater Rick Hawkins of Roanoke, Virginia, caught a total of 10 bass weighing 33 pounds, 5 ounces, over two days to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Super Tournament (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on the Potomac River . The tournament, hosted by Charles County Recreation, Parks, and Tourism, was the fifth and final regular-season event of the season for the BFL Shenandoah Division. Hawkins earned $6,230 for his victory.
“I had decided I was going to slow down and jig fish and drop-shot fish and really pick the cover apart,” Hawkins said. “I did that and only got five bites Saturday and seven bites on Sunday. Most of the guys who were fishing grass were catching tons of fish, just not large fish. That was the difference. I was fishing for the large bite.”
Hawkins said his baits of choice were a Missile Baits jig in green pumpkin or black and blue, and an oxblood-colored Missile Baits Magic Worm. He focused his efforts on deeper banks and drop-offs north of Mattawoman Creek that featured wood, rock or grass or a combination of the three.
Hawkins said he didn’t have a bite until 10 o’clock on Sunday morning, but his first bass checked in at 5 pounds.
“I thought, ‘Well, that’s a good start,’” Hawkins said. “And about every hour I would get another bite. And each fish I caught was fairly large. I didn’t catch them on the same spot; I just pounded away and kept switching banks. When I caught my fourth fish, I knew I had a chance to win. I needed just one more bite.”
Hawkins said he managed two more bites, resulting in a cull and the win.
“The Potomac River has been somewhat of a thorn in my side for quite some time,” Hawkins said. “When I was younger, I won a lot of tournaments on the Potomac, and now I’m getting a little further along in age. I wondered when (the Potomac) was going to give me a little bit of something again, and it finally did.
“I’m shocked, really, that it actually happened,” Hawkins added. “I thought when I was getting the quality bites I could have a chance. That’s the difference on the Potomac – the bigger bite. You either need a kicker fish or a good average. Well, I kind of had two kickers, and everything else was kind of large, too.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:
1st: Rick Hawkins, Roanoke, Va., 10 bass, 33-5, $6,230
2nd: Broderick Luckey, Lynchburg, Va., 10 bass, 30-3, $3,215
3rd: Tom Bateman, Welcome, Md., 10 bass, 29-13, $2,577
4th: Andrew George, Poplar Branch, N.C., 10 bass, 29-9, $1,954 (includes $500 Phoenix Bonus)
5th: Richard Hodges Jr, Camden, N.C., 10 bass, 29-1, $1,246
6th: Jackson Pleasant, Four Oaks, N.C., 10 bass, 28-8, $1,142
7th: Brandon Miskell, Vienna, Va., 10 bass, 27-14, $1,038
8th: Aaron Dixon, Bel Alton, Md., 10 bass, 27-0, $934
9th: Thomas Milton, Chester, Va., 10 bass, 26-14, $831
10th: Lenny Baird, Stafford, Va., 10 bass, 26-7, $727
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
James Maupin of Stanardsville, Virginia, caught a bass that weighed 5 pounds, 7 ounces, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $855.
James Roten of West Jefferson, North Carolina, won the co-angler division and $3,115 Sunday, after bringing a two-day total of six bass to the scale that totaled 18 pounds, 8 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers finished:
1st: James Roten, West Jefferson, N.C., six bass, 18-8, $3,115
2nd: John Lambert, Fredericksburg, Va, six bass, 16-7, $1,557
3rd: Nathan Routzahn, Myersville, Md., six bass, 16-4, $1,040
4th: Akira Okuyama, Rego Park, N.Y., six bass, 15-14, $727
5th: Cornell Badra, Clarksburg, Md., six bass, 15-1, $623
6th: Jeff Bender, Glenshaw, Pa., six bass, 14-8, $571
7th: Michael Duarte, Baltimore, Md., six bass, 14-2, $519
8th: Hampton Robinson, Bealeton, Va., six bass, 14-2, $467
9th: Eric Nelson, Gainesville, Va., six bass, 14-2, $415
10th: Zhengrong Tang, Berwyn, Pa., six bass, 14-1, $790
Zhengrong Tang of Berwyn, Pennsylvania, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $427, catching a bass that weighed in at 4 pounds, 2 ounces.
With all five events in the division now complete, boater Broderick Luckey of Lynchburg, Virginia, won the Fishing Clash Shenandoah Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 1,309 points and earned the $1,000 prize, while Hampton Robinson of Bealeton, Virginia, won the Fishing Clash Shenandoah Division Co-Angler of the Year race with 1,251 points and earned the $500 payout.
The top 60 boaters and co-anglers in the division based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, will qualify for the Oct. 3-4 BFL Regional tournament on James River in Richmond, Virginia. Boaters will fish for a top award of a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard worth $50,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $20,000.
The 2025 Phoenix BFL Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 134 events throughout the season, five qualifying tournaments in each division. The top 60 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five qualifying tournament winners, will advance to one of 12 BFL Regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top three, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American.
Proud sponsors of the 2025 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 7Brew, Abu Garcia, Athletic Brewing, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, Deep Dive App, E3 Sport Apparel, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, Grizzly, Humminbird, Lew’s, Li Time Batteries, Mercury, Minn Kota, Mossy Oak, Mystik Lubricants, Onyx, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Phoenix Boats, Polaris, Power-Pole, Precision Sonar, Strike King, Suzuki Marine, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, WIX Filters and YETI.
For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Bass Fishing League updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery, Discovery+, Discovery GO, Animal Planet, Outdoor Channel, VICE, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network, RFD-TV and Game & Fish TV, and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 20 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.
Kimball’s Mandel Tops off ‘Amazing’ Week with Fourth Career Win at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Detroit River Presented by Lew’s
Indiana’s Lutz Takes Co-Angler Division
TRENTON, Mich. (Sept. 8, 2025) – Boater Nolan Mandel of Kimball, Michigan, caught a total of 10 bass weighing 47 pounds, 5 ounces, over two days to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Super Tournament (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on the Detroit River Presented by Lew’s . The tournament was the fifth and final regular-season event of the season for the BFL Michigan Division. Mandel earned $12,370, including the lucrative $7,000 Phoenix Bonus for his victory.
Mandel’s win came just a few short days after his wife gave birth Tuesday, and his priorities quickly changed from fishing to family.
“I only got about two hours of practice for this tournament because my wife just had a baby, and we’ve been at the hospital,” Mandel said. “I didn’t even know if I could catch 15 pounds. When I left the boat ramp, I had no idea where I was even going to fish. I just ran to St. Clair and decided to cover a lot of water and try to find fish.”
Mandel said grass on Lake St. Clair at this time of year begins to die off, and schools of perch will stay in the grass that is still alive, and smallmouth follow the perch. So, Mandel searched for big schools of perch in thick, healthy grass in 15 to 17 feet of water.
“The first day was amazing.” Mandel said. “I checked some spots they were on this time last year, and every spot I checked held a 5-pounder.”
The wind was a factor during the opening day of the tournament, so Mandel chose to fish the side of the lake that was protected by the wind. A drop-shot rig with a 3/8-ounce weight and a Berkley PowerBait MaxScent Hit Worm proved to be effective Saturday.
Saturday’s successful spots for Mandel muddied up on Sunday, so he switched tactics to a small, 3/8-ounce Keitech jig with a Z-Man Finesse TRD trailer as well as a jighead minnow to provoke strikes. Although Mandel had a 3-pound lead heading into the final day of competition, Sunday did provide some tension for him.
“I broke two fish off and kept losing fish, and I started to kind of spiral out,” Mandel said. “I had a really good co-angler who had a good attitude and brought me back down, and I ended up catching enough fish to still win.”
Mandel also wrapped up the Fishing Clash Michigan Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with the win.
“This week was just sweet because of the circumstances,” Mandel added. “This is my favorite win I’ve had. It is just amazing.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:
1st: Nolan Mandel, Kimball, Mich., 10 bass, 47-5, $12,370 (includes $7,000 Phoenix Bonus)
2nd: Cody Kelley, Plainwell, Mich., 10 bass, 47-1, $2,635
3rd: Noah Stauffer, Gowen, Mich., 10 bass, 43-3, $1,758
4th: Scott Dobson, Clarkston, Mich., 10 bass, 42-11, $1,230
5th: Joshua Kolodzaike, Ypsilanti, Mich., 10 bass, 40-9, $1,054
6th: Jesse Richardson, Ligonier, Ind., 10 bass, 40-4, $966
7th: Ty Fain, Springfield, Ohio, 10 bass, 40-0, $878
8th: Wilson Burton, Findlay, Ohio, 10 bass, 39-11, $790
9th: Mike Trombley, Belleville, Mich., 10 bass, 38-5, $703
10th: Julian Sweet, Flint, Mich., 10 bass, 37-14, $615
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Ralph Blasey of Pinckney, Michigan, caught a bass that weighed 5 pounds, 14 ounces, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $675.
Scott Lutz of Bremen, Indiana, won the co-angler division and $2,635 Sunday, after bringing six bass to the scale that totaled 24 pounds, 1 ounce.
The top 10 co-anglers finished:
1st: Scott Lutz, Bremen, Ind., six bass, 24-1, $2,635
2nd: Dennis Blakely, Norwalk, Ohio, six bass, 23-8, $1,367
3rd: Terry Bucciarelli, Ypsilanti, Mich., six bass, 23-7, $980
4th: J.D. Marcum, Catlettsburg, Ky., six bass, 22-9, $615
5th: Daniel Dumais, Trenton, Mich., six bass, 22-3, $527
6th: Justen Fain, Springfield, Ohio, six bass, 21-14, $483
7th: Steve Ward, Trenton, Mich., six bass, 21-4, $439
8th: Jacob Alltop, Lewistown, Ohio, six bass, 21-2, $395
9th: Adam Suliman, Solon, Ohio, six bass, 20-12, $351
10th: Caleb Edgerton, Dayton, Ohio, six bass, 20-1, $307
Scott Sims of Morgantown, Indiana, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $337, catching a bass that weighed in at 5 pounds, 7 ounces.
With all five events in the division now complete, boater Nolan Mandel of Kimball, Michigan, won the Fishing Clash Michigan Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 1,367 points and earned the $1,000 prize, while Brian Ruetz of Toledo, Ohio, won the Fishing Clash Michigan Division Co-Angler of the Year race with 1,299 points and earned the $500 payout.
The top 60 boaters and co-anglers in the division based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, will qualify for the Oct. 3-4 BFL Regional tournament on Lake Erie in Sandusky, Ohio. Boaters will fish for a top award of a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard worth $50,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $20,000.
The 2025 Phoenix BFL Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 134 events throughout the season, five qualifying tournaments in each division. The top 60 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five qualifying tournament winners, will advance to one of 12 BFL Regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top three, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American.
Proud sponsors of the 2025 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 7Brew, Abu Garcia, Athletic Brewing, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, Deep Dive App, E3 Sport Apparel, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, Grizzly, Humminbird, Lew’s, Li Time Batteries, Mercury, Minn Kota, Mossy Oak, Mystik Lubricants, Onyx, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Phoenix Boats, Polaris, Power-Pole, Precision Sonar, Strike King, Suzuki Marine, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, WIX Filters and YETI.
For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Bass Fishing League updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery, Discovery+, Discovery GO, Animal Planet, Outdoor Channel, VICE, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network, RFD-TV and Game & Fish TV, and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 20 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.
Murray’s Berger Claims Long-Awaited Victory at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Kentucky Lake
Missouri’s Anderson Takes Co-Angler Division
GILBERTSVILLE, Ky. (Sept. 8, 2025) – Boater Justin Berger of Murray, Kentucky, caught a total of 10 bass weighing 34 pounds, 9 ounces, over two days to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Super Tournament (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on Kentucky Lake . The tournament, hosted by the Kentucky Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau, was the fifth and final regular-season event of the season for the BFL Illini Division. Berger earned $4,668 for his victory.
“I didn’t get to pre-fish for this event very much,” Berger said. “Work got in the way, and I only got to go out a few hours one morning and a few hours one evening. So really, I was going into the weekend just going on my past knowledge and experience.”
Berger said Saturday proved to be a grind, as he only had five bites all day.
“It was as tough of a day as you could get,” Berger said. “Luckily, I landed them all and there were a couple of decent ones.”
Berger said his gameplan for Sunday was “to go out and just have fun.” He stopped at a spot he had fished only a couple of times previously and ended up catching a limit on it first thing in the morning on a topwater bite.
“After that, I just started running and fishing whatever looked good and ended up culling up three times on a spinnerbait,” Berger said.
Berger said he caught 11 keepers Sunday, and only two weighed less than 3 pounds. Berger said when he caught his second 4 ½-pounder, his scale showed his limit weighed right at 20 pounds at 10:30 a.m.
“I looked at my co-angler and said, ‘We have a chance now,’” Berger said. “I thought I was going to have to catch one more 4-pounder to win it. I really didn’t think I had it won.”
After two previous second-place finishes on his home waters of Kentucky Lake in MLF competition, as well as other runner-up finishes in a few other large tournaments on the body of water, Berger said the win was a welcome relief.
“It’s one of those things where you don’t want to think you have it won, because you’ll get your heart broken,” Berger said. “I’ve lost the winning fish multiple times. I’ve been close quite a few times, and to finally win one is a monkey off my back. I am just completely pumped.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:
1st: Justin Berger, Murray, Ky., 10 bass, 34-9, $4,668
2nd: Brad Kell, Benton, Ky., 10 bass, 33-13, $2,334
3rd: Levi Kohl, Edinburg, Ill., 10 bass, 32-6, $1,557
4th: Clint Knight, Russellville, Ky., 10 bass, 29-14, $1,189
5th: Noah Morgan, Russellville, Ky., 10 bass, 28-4, $934
6th: Grant Meisenhelter, Decatur, Ill., 10 bass, 27-2, $856
7th: Matteo Turano, Puryear, Tenn., 10 bass, 26-12, $1,278 (includes $500 Phoenix Bonus)
8th: Gary Singleton, Dickson, Tenn., eight bass, 24-13, $700
9th: Dustin Vaal, Farmington, Ky., eight bass, 24-1, $622
10th: Colby Schrumpf, Highland, Ill., nine bass, 21-13, $695
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Joshua Bradley of Buchanan, Tennessee, caught a bass that weighed 4 pounds, 11 ounces, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $547.
Jeff Anderson of St. Louis, Missouri, won the co-angler division and $2,334 Sunday, after bringing a two-day total of five bass to the scale that totaled 13 pounds, 1 ounce.
The top 10 co-anglers finished:
1st: Jeff Anderson, St. Louis, Mo., five bass, 13-1, $2,334
2nd: Gary Huber II, St. Charles, Mo., five bass, 11-13, $1,167
3rd: Anthony Tatroe, Braidwood, Ill., three bass, 9-14, $779
4th: Brian Davis, Bethalto, Ill., four bass, 9-14, $545
5th: Brady Kendall, Paducah, Ky., four bass, 9-13, $467
6th: Brad Thacher, Murray, Ky., four bass, 9-7, $428
7th: Matt Chumbler, Carbondale, Ill., four bass, 9-0, $439
8th: Kenneth Heckel, Santa Claus, Ind., three bass, 7-3, $350
9th: Luke Browning, Greenville, Ky., two bass, 6-0, $311
10th: Ross Davis, St. Elmo, Ill., three bass, 5-5, $272
Thomas Duke of Pana, Illinois, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $274, catching a bass that weighed in at 4 pounds, 15 ounces.
With all five events in the division now complete, boater Riley Walk of Neoga, Illinois, won the Fishing Clash Illini Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 1,330 points and earned the $1,000 prize, while Bobby McNeil of Crest Hill, Illinois, won the Fishing Clash Illini Division Co-Angler of the Year race with 1,266 points and earned the $500 payout.
The top 60 boaters and co-anglers in the division based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, will qualify for the Oct. 3-4 BFL Regional tournament on the Mississippi River in Quad Cities, Illinois. Boaters will fish for a top award of a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard worth $50,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $20,000.
The 2025 Phoenix BFL Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 134 events throughout the season, five qualifying tournaments in each division. The top 60 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five qualifying tournament winners, will advance to one of 12 BFL Regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top three, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American.
Proud sponsors of the 2025 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 7Brew, Abu Garcia, Athletic Brewing, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, Deep Dive App, E3 Sport Apparel, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, Grizzly, Humminbird, Lew’s, Li Time Batteries, Mercury, Minn Kota, Mossy Oak, Mystik Lubricants, Onyx, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Phoenix Boats, Polaris, Power-Pole, Precision Sonar, Strike King, Suzuki Marine, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, WIX Filters and YETI.
For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Bass Fishing League updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery, Discovery+, Discovery GO, Animal Planet, Outdoor Channel, VICE, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network, RFD-TV and Game & Fish TV, and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 20 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.
Warrenville’s Hadden ‘Seals the Deal’ With Win at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Lake Murray
Boiling Springs’ Pennell Tops Co-Angler Division
PROSPERITY, S.C. (Sept. 8, 2025) – Boater Justin Hadden of Warrenville, South Carolina, caught a total of six bass weighing 28 pounds, 12 ounces, over two days to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Super Tournament (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on Lake Murray . The tournament, hosted by the Capital City Lake Murray Country Regional Tourism Board, was the fifth and final regular-season event of the season for the BFL South Carolina Division. Hadden earned $7,644 plus a $2,500 Phoenix Bonus for his victory.
“Saturday, I didn’t catch a fish until 1 o’clock,” Hadden said. “Everything I caught came from 1 to 3:15. The lake’s just fishing real tough right now. There are a lot of fish offshore that will not bite.”
Hadden speculated that the lake might be in the early stages of a turnover, and that change may have the Murray bass more reluctant to actively bite. However, the bite was slightly better for him on Sunday, as he managed to land eight keepers.
“I just never had a big bite Sunday,” Hadden said. “Saturday, I caught one that went over 6 pounds and another one right at 6 pounds.”
Hadden said he relied on the “normal Lake Murray fall offshore-schooling bite,” Hadden said. “Just running and gunning all day long in 25 or so feet of water.”
Hadden said he put in a lot of practice for the two-day event, and was fishing to win, not for points for the season’s standings.
“I’ve been doing very well at Murray for the past while,” Hadden said. “Several times on Sunday I thought I needed more weight. I really did. The lake has just been insane for the past month and a half. I just didn’t know if I had enough. I thought I would need another 15-pound bag to seal the deal.”
Although Hadden fell short of 15 pounds by more than a pound and a half Sunday, he still managed to seal the deal and earn the victory with a winning margin of just over a pound over second place.
“I’ve been wanting one of these fish trophies for 35 years, and I’m 35 years old,” Hadden said. “This fish trophy means more to me than the check does.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:
1st: Justin Hadden, Warrenville, S.C., six bass, 28-12, $7,664 (includes $2,500 Phoenix Bonus)
2nd: Michael Gammons, North Charleston, South Carolina, six bass, 27-11, $2,302
3rd: Colby Goforth, Ball Ground, Ga., six bass, 26-9, $1,536
4th: Hayden Seabolt, Dawsonville, Ga., six bass, 26-0, $1,174
5th: Cole Huskins, Gastonia, N.C., six bass, 24-12, $921
6th: Lucas Murphy, West Columbia, S.C., six bass, 24-8, $844
7th: Justin Tingen, Moore, S.C., six bass, 23-14, $767
8th: Johnathan Crossland, Chapin, S.C., six bass, 23-4, $691
9th: Matt O’Connell, Brooks, Ga., six bass, 22-15, $764
10th: Jason Burroughs, Hodges, S.C., five bass, 22-11, $537
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Hadden caught a bass that weighed 6 pounds, 3 ounces, on Day 1 and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $540.
Thomas Pennell III of Boiling Springs, South Carolina, won the co-angler division and $2,302 Sunday, after bringing a two-day total of five bass to the scale that totaled 16 pounds, 14 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers finished:
1st: Thomas Pennell III, Boiling Springs, S.C., five bass, 16-14, $2,302
2nd: Todd Huntley, Inman, S.C., six bass, 16-5, $1,201
3rd: Troy Crippen, Lancaster, S.C., five bass, 10-12, $767
4th: Alan Rae, Chapin, S.C., three bass, 9-7, $537
5th: Kevin Mosteller, Columbia, S.C., three bass, 9-3, $460
6th: Jerry Lancaster, Fort Mill, S.C., three bass, 8-7, $422
7th: Jeff Rikard, Leesville, S.C., three bass, 8-0, $384
8th: Mark Lee, Gastonia, N.C., two bass, 7-11, $615
9th: Ronnie Cutshall, Piedmont, S.C., two bass, 7-7, $307
10th: Rennison Robbins, Jackson, S.C., two bass, 6-6, $369
Mark Lee of Gastonia, North Carolina, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $270, catching a bass on Day 1 that weighed in at 4 pounds, 13 ounces.
With all five events in the division now complete, boater Lucas Murphy of West Columbia, South Carolina, won the Fishing Clash South Carolina Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 1,336 points and earned the $1,000 prize, while Thomas Pennell III of Boiling Springs, South Carolina, won the Fishing Clash South Carolina Division Co-Angler of the Year race with 1,318 points and earned the $500 payout.
The top 60 boaters and co-anglers in the division based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, will qualify for the Oct. 3-4 BFL Regional tournament on Lake Norman in Huntersville, North Carolina. Boaters will fish for a top award of a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard worth $50,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $20,000.
The 2025 Phoenix BFL Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 134 events throughout the season, five qualifying tournaments in each division. The top 60 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five qualifying tournament winners, will advance to one of 12 BFL Regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top three, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American.
Proud sponsors of the 2025 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 7Brew, Abu Garcia, Athletic Brewing, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, Deep Dive App, E3 Sport Apparel, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, Grizzly, Humminbird, Lew’s, Li Time Batteries, Mercury, Minn Kota, Mossy Oak, Mystik Lubricants, Onyx, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Phoenix Boats, Polaris, Power-Pole, Precision Sonar, Strike King, Suzuki Marine, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, WIX Filters and YETI.
For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Bass Fishing League updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery, Discovery+, Discovery GO, Animal Planet, Outdoor Channel, VICE, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network, RFD-TV and Game & Fish TV, and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 20 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.
DeFoe/Gill Tandem Shines - Team USA Rallies To Take Gold On Final Day In South Africa
Double gold-medalists Ott DeFoe and Drew Gill led the way as Team USA overcame a substantial final-day deficit to Italy Saturday en route to winning the 19th edition of the Black Bass World Championships at Arabie Dam in South Africa.
The three U.S. duos finished 1st, 3rd and 9th on the Day-3 standings sheet for a total of just 13 “penalties” (the sum of the duos’ finishes – the lower the number, the better). The Americans trailed Italy by 19 penalties entering the final round, but ended up prevailing as they finished with 80.5 for the event compared to the Italians’ 92.5.
Australia claimed the bronze medal with 138 penalties. Other participating countries (in order of team finish) were South Africa, Spain, Zimbabwe, Germany, Eswatini, Namibia, Portugal, Canada, Mozambique, Croatia, Serbia and Mexico.
Italy led after each of the first two days, with the U.S. in 2nd. The margin after Day 1 was 24.5 penalties, but DeFoe and Gill caught the event’s heaviest five-fish bag (23.88 pounds) on Day 2 to claim the No. 1 position for the day and narrow the gap in the team standings headed into the final round.
The DeFoe/Gill tandem was again the top-performing pair in the 45-boat field on the final day with a 22.07 stringer topped by a 7 1/4-pound specimen. Jacob Wheeler and Kyle Welcher were 3rd with 19.29 (6 1/2-pound kicker) and Logan Parks and Scott Martin were 9th with 13.34.
“Our team got stronger every day,” said Team USA coach Kevin Van Dam, who selected the squad and formulated the pairings. “When you fish for three days, consistency shines and the cream rises to the top, and that’s what happened.
“This is a unique format and all three teams have to do well. Our guys worked really well together as a group and shared everything that was going on; we had really great team camaraderie and that’s something I’m really proud of.”
DeFoe and Gill captured the duos gold medal with 11.5 penalties. The other two medals in that category were claimed by Italian pairings – Leonardo Benassi/Allessio Ticciati took the silver with 14 and Luca Vittorio Della Ciana/Jimmy Ashlock grabbed the bronze with 28.
Wheeler and Welcher were 6th in the final duos standings (34) and Parks and Martin were 8th (35).
DeFoe and Gill were the only tandem to average more than 20 pounds per day on the 3,200-acre Olifants River impoundment (also known as Flag Boshielo Dam) in the province of Limpopo. Their 61.75-pound total for the event was more than eight pounds clear of the 53.42 racked up by Benassi and Ticciati.
September is springtime in South Africa (the equivalent of March in the U.S.) and the bass in Arabie were in one stage or another of the annual spawning rite. Some were on the beds and some had already been there and departed, while the majority seemed on the precipice of selecting a shallow-water locale and locking down.
Gill and DeFoe focused on cruising fish to compile their massive Day-2 haul, which included a 7.21-pound kicker.
The Italians bolted to their big early lead with placements of 2nd, 5th and 7th on Day 1. The American boats were tied for 9th, 13th and 15th as Gill and DeFoe weighed 15.81 pounds, Parks and Martin had 15.41 and Wheeler and Welcher amassed 13.91.
“Even though they were 2nd after Day 1, they were a little disappointed,” VanDam said of his squad. “But that’s just the way fishing is there – you have to out-fish everybody else who’s doing the same thing.”
The mega-haul from Gill and DeFoe shook things up on Day 2, while Parks/Martin and Wheeler/Welcher landed in almost the identical positions they’d staked in the previous round. The former pairing was 13th (13.71) and the latter was 15th (13.23).
The U.S. triumph was a measure of redemption in the wake of last year’s disappointing 4th-place finish in Italy.
“Our guys knew they had to go out and do the job on the final day, and that’s exactly what they did,” VanDam concluded.
The U.S. will host next year’s World Championships at Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Ark.
Oconomowoc’s Steve Lopez Wins Tackle Warehouse Invitationals Championship
Wisconsin pro earns $100,000 payday with final-day five-bass limit weighing 16 pounds, 10 ounces
LA CROSSE, Wis. (Sept. 7, 2025) – Heading into the event, Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, pro Steve Lopez was a firm tournament favorite in the Tackle Warehouse Invitationals Championship Presented by Phoenix Boats on the Mississippi River . Sunday, with his third bag over 16 pounds of the event, the Wisconsin pro delivered, winning his first career event with MLF and earning the top prize of $100,000 and qualification into REDCREST 2026 in the process.
Lopez tallied 16 pounds, 2 ounces on Day 1, 16-3 on Day 2 and then 16-10 on the final day for a 48-15 total. It was enough to move him up from fourth place, as leaders Banks Shaw and Alex Davis both faltered on the final day. Lopez finished 1-5 clear of Shaw, who finished his phenomenal season with yet another top five finish.
Back in 2023, Lopez finished runner-up in the Tackle Warehouse Invitationals event on the Mississippi River. He ran a remarkably similar game plan then – mostly plying a wacky rig on eelgrass holes and edges (which was also how Matt Stefan won the event). So, what MLFNOW! viewers saw on Day 3 looked pretty familiar, but it was not his original plan.
“In practice, they were really eating the frog. I found some fish that were really special,” said Lopez. “I was looking at the weather, and I prepared for the tournament and the weather. The water was supposed to drop, and I had a feeling with the wind and the weather I had to figure out something other than that.
“I felt 50 pounds would have a shot to win this tournament,” he added. “I had a plan Day 1 to go out and blast 20 pounds, but after that happened, I thought if I could go out and catch all 3-pounders or 3 1/4-pounders, I could have a shot to win this thing. I know how the river gets on Day 2 – the weights tend to compress – and if you’re consistent on this river, you usually win the tournament.”
While Lopez weighed three frog fish on Day 1, he rapidly and successfully transitioned to eelgrass edges.
“I was fishing eelgrass lines and little pockets in them as my second, third, fifth stuff, and that turned into my primary pattern,” he explained. “I had a good six or seven spots I thought I could rotate through and catch a 3-pounder, or a few of them. It’s just an edge where it drops off, and they can ambush. There’s probably thousands of fish inside that you don’t even touch.”
On Day 3, Lopez waylaid bass on topwater and a wacky rig, with some fish schooling on the grass lines as well. It was the kind of final day beatdown every angler dreams about.
“The wind was crazy on Day 1, and partially on Day 2 as well,” he said. “But it gave me a little letdown on Day 2 – for about 45 minutes it slicked off, and I caught a bunch of fish. Today, when I got through the lock and saw it was flat calm, I had a good feeling.”
On the week, Lopez caught his fish on a wacky-rigged Gambler Ace, a Strike King Sexy Dawg and a Gambler Walking Frog. For the wacky rig, he used a 6-foot, 10-inch, medium-heavy Duckett Black Ice spinning stick. For his walking bait, he stuck with a 7-3, medium-heavy Duckett Jacob Wheeler Series model, and he used a 7-7, heavy Duckett Jacob Wheeler Series stick for the frog.
In 51 tournaments with MLF, Lopez has banked eight Top-10 finishes, with two of them being runner-up showings, both in big-time events. This winter, he finished second at Okeechobee in a Toyota Series, and then in ’23 he finished second in the Invitationals event here.
So, the Wisconsin pro has had some very close calls. This week, he finally put a bow on a win.
“It’s really special to win it in Wisconsin, to win it here on my favorite body of water to fish,” he said. “I’ve fished this place like 10 times in my life. I’ve got good fishing back home, but I just jive with it. I really enjoy this place, and it’s special to win. I don’t really think it’s sunk in yet at all.”
The top 10 pros at the 2025 Tackle Warehouse Invitationals Championship Presented by Phoenix Boats on the Mississippi River finished:
1st: Steve Lopez, Oconomowoc, Wis., 15 bass, 48-15, $100,000 + REDCREST 2026
2nd: Banks Shaw, Harrison, Tenn., 15 bass, 47-10, $50,000
3rd: Colby Miller, Elmer, La., 15 bass, 46-13, $26,000
4th: Jimmy Washam, Stantonville, Tenn., 15 bass, 45-15, $20,000
5th: Chad Mrazek, Montgomery, Texas, 15 bass, 44-0, $15,000
6th: Andrew Nordbye, Guntersville, Ala., 15 bass, 43-4, $14,000
7th: Chris Lane, Guntersville, Ala., 15 bass, 42-10, $13,000
8th: Alex Davis, Albertville, Ala., 13 bass, 41-14, $13,000
9th: Jacob Walker, Springville, Ala., 15 bass, 41-6, $11,750
10th: Matt Reed, Madisonville, Texas, 11 bass, 31-1, $10,000
Complete results from throughout the event can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Overall, there were 44 bass weighing 125 pounds, 11 ounces caught by the final 10 pros on Sunday. Eight of the final 10 competitors brought a five-bass limit to the scale.
The three-day Tackle Warehouse Invitationals Championship Presented by Phoenix Boats was hosted by Explore La Crosse and showcased the top 36 anglers from the 2025 Tackle Warehouse Invitationals season as they competed for the prestigious Invitationals Championship and a share of the $417,000 prize pool.
Television coverage of the MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitationals Championship Presented by Phoenix Boats at the Mississippi River in La Crosse will premiere as two two-hour episodes, with the first episode premiering at 9 a.m. ET, on Saturday, Nov. 8 on CBS Sports Network, and the Championship Round premiering on Saturday, Nov. 15. New MLF5 episodes debut each Saturday morning on CBS Sports beginning in October.
Proud sponsors of the 2025 MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitationals include: 7Brew Coffee, Abu Garcia, Athletic Brewing, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Bubba, Deep Dive, E3 Sport Apparel, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, Grizzly, Humminbird, Lew’s, Mercury, Minn Kota, Mossy Oak, Onyx, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Phoenix Boats, PirahnO2, Polaris, Power-Pole, Precision Sonar, Strike King, Suzuki Marine, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, VOSKER, WIX Filters and YETI.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Tackle Warehouse Invitationals updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the MLF5 social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery, Discovery+, Discovery GO, Animal Planet, Outdoor Channel, VICE, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network, RFD-TV and Game & Fish TV, and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 20 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.
Register for the Bass Pro Shops Big Bass Bash presented by Berkley
The 2025-26 season will mark the Association of Collegiate Anglers’ 21st season of the Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Bass Fishing Series. The first event of this new season will be the Bass Pro Shops Big Bass Bash presented by Berkley. A major nationally televised, double points event, this no-entry-fee tournament will be contested at Kentucky Lake in Henry County and Paris, TN on September 20-21, 2025.
Follow this link to register. Registration will close on Sunday, September 14th at 6:00 PM (CT).
The 2025 tournament will boast a total payout of well over $20,000 in prizes and contingencies. Anglers will also be competing for double points to count towards the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia.
The Bass Pro Shops Big Bass Bash presented by Berkley is a two-day, big bass format event consisting of a total of seven weigh-in sessions. On the first day of tournament competition, there will be four weigh-in sessions, with each session paying out the Top 10 biggest bass for that hour. During Day 2, there will be three weigh-in sessions. The first two sessions will pay out the Top 10 biggest bass, and the final session of the day will award prizes to the Top 20.
On Day 2 of tournament competition, anglers will be permitted to use only Berkley baits. The Berkley baits only rule on Day 2 creates a lot of excitement and buzz amongst the anglers. The award-winning lineup of Berkley baits is comprised of hard baits and soft plastics that can catch prize winning Kentucky Lake bass on any cast. Multiple times in the past, the overall biggest bass of the event has been caught on Day 2 of tournament competition.
The 2025 Bass Pro Shops Big Bass Bash presented by Berkley will be the first ACA double points event to count towards the 2025-26 Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia. 1st place will earn 1,750 points for their respective school. Teams will be eligible to earn points for their two highest-placing fish inside of the Top 150.
Davis Maintains Lead at Tackle Warehouse Invitationals Championship Presented by Phoenix Boats on Mississippi River
Alabama pro catches limit weighing 14-15 to bring 4-ounce lead into final day, Final 10 anglers set for Championship Sunday
LA CROSSE, Wis. (Sept. 6, 2025) – Day 2 of the Tackle Warehouse Invitationals Championship Presented by Phoenix Boats on the Mississippi River was fun in and of itself, and it sets things up for what could be one of the more dramatic final days of the season. Weighing 14 pounds, 15 ounces, Albertville, Alabama pro Alex Davis stayed in the lead with a 33-12 total. Meanwhile, Banks Shaw of Harrison, Tennessee, added an even 15 pounds to sneak within 4 ounces of Davis, with a 33-8 total. Behind the top two, pros Jimmy Washam and Steve Lopez are both over 32 pounds, and even Louisiana pro Colby Miller in sixth place is within striking range, with a 30-8 total.
Once again the weather was cool, but the wind relented on Day 2, which allowed some anglers to fish more easily, especially those plying shallow vegetation. With no forward-facing sonar in play, some pros had tougher, less precise days, but the change worked out quite well for others. Though the weights tumbled around a good bit, the fishing was a little better on Day 2 overall – on Day 1, just four pros caught better than 16 pounds, and on Day 2, eight pros accomplished the feat.
Davis is on the cusp
Trying to frog his way to a win, Davis whipped up to Pool 7 on Day 1 and caught most of his weight in about 15 minutes. That didn’t quite work out on Day 2.
“I aged about five years today,” said the veteran pro. “I had three that weighed 7 pounds in the first 45 minutes and then fished until 1:40 and never had another bite. Then, I found one little mat about 30 yards by 30 yards, and I ended up filling my limit out and culled three times right there and had one big one hit it and not get it.”
Some might say it was lucky, but Davis’ late rally was very much the result of commitment to a pattern with an expert at the wheel. Raised frogging and flipping on Lake Guntersville, the Alabama pro is deadly with the big stick. If his frog fish work out again – or if he finds more – Shaw and everyone else will have a tough row to hoe.
“I’m thinking of starting there in the morning and then going back into Pool 7,” Davis explained. “I think the water dropping is what has made [the frog bite] worse – practice was better. Now, it’s so shallow, I think the fish have pulled out of a lot of the frog areas. I’ve got a couple places left, and I’m going to hope it works tomorrow.”
One ace Davis still has up his sleeve is the Black River. Though he’ll have company, Davis has made hay in the Black before, and there’s a good chance he’ll slip some into the rotation if the frog fish aren’t paying out as planned.
“I didn’t come to the Black River today because I thought my best option was to frog,” Davis said. “Today, I ran around for two-and-a-half or three hours – I will spend that time in the Black River tomorrow.”
Without a national win to his name, Davis probably has as good a chance now as he’s ever had, but he knows it won’t come easy.
“It would mean everything to win,” Davis said. “We’re going to have to see. I just need to catch 18 or 19 (pounds). Banks is going to catch them better tomorrow. I hope I can catch them better tomorrow too.”
Shaw narrows the gap
Weighing four smallmouth and one largemouth, Shaw weathered the no-‘Scope day with ease, as he usually does. And, given that he may have a few options come back into play on Day 3, he could be a dangerous man.
“It definitely could have been worse,” Shaw said. “I was shooting for the 16- or 17-pound mark. I caught three good smallmouth and then some decent ones, but I couldn’t get a big bite. My largemouth bite wasn’t as good as I was expecting it to be – the cloud cover that moved in right as I started fishing my docks probably hurt it.”
Fishing mostly current-related places for his smallmouth, Shaw is looking forward to getting his electronics back in play on the final day.
“Tomorrow I think it’s going to be better,” he said. “I couldn’t really catch the fish I was fishing for that good today. I knew they were there; they were coming up schooling and stuff like that, but being able to look at them a little better tomorrow will be nice. I’ll be able to line my stuff up better. I fished several places today where I couldn’t get them to bite – I realized these fish are keying on baitfish, not a bottom bait, and I had to throw a bottom bait on some places just to get down to the fish.”
Having weighed nine smallmouth so far, Shaw is executing on his pre-tournament plan to perfection.
“It’s feels like I’m right at home,” he said. “I’ve fished on the Tennessee River my whole life, and it’s the same deal. Reading current seams and seeing where the fish set up. I love this kind of fishing, and I knew I didn’t want to be with everybody else, throwing a frog, punching. I wanted to try to do something a little different.”
Heading out on Championship Sunday, Shaw will have a chance to finish off a nearly perfect season with a massive win, sweeping Fishing Clash Angler of the Year, Polaris Rookie of the Year and making every Top 10.
“I’m super excited to get going tomorrow and try to catch 16 or 17 pounds and make Alex or whoever is with me catch the same bag,” Shaw said. “It’s definitely a good position to be in, but there’s definitely a lot of work ahead.”
The top 10 anglers advancing to Championship Sunday on the Mississippi River are:
1st: Alex Davis, Albertville, Ala., 10 bass, 33-12
2nd: Banks Shaw, Harrison, Tenn., 10 bass, 33-8
3rd: Jimmy Washam, Stantonville, Tenn., 10 bass, 32-10
4th: Steve Lopez, Oconomowoc, Wis., 10 bass, 32-5
5th: Chad Mrazek, Montgomery, Texas, 10 bass, 31-2
6th: Colby Miller, Elmer, La., 10 bass, 30-8
7th: Matt Reed, Madisonville, Texas, 10 bass, 28-15
8th: Chris Lane, Guntersville, Ala., 10 bass, 28-6
9th: Andrew Nordbye, Guntersville, Ala., 10 bass, 28-6
10th: Jacob Walker, Springville, Ala., 10 bass, 28-5
Eliminated from competition in 11th through 36th place are:
11th: Mitchell Robinson, Landrum, S.C., 10 bass, 28-4
12th: Keith Poche, Cecil, Ala., 10 bass, 28-0
13th: Brody Campbell, Oxford, Ohio, 10 bass, 27-13
14th: Jordan Wiggins, Cullman, Ala., 10 bass, 27-6
15th: Jon Canada, Helena, Ala., 10 bass, 27-4
16th: Hayden Marbut, Grant, Ala., 10 bass, 26-2
17th: Kyle Cortiana, Broken Arrow, Okla., 10 bass, 25-12
18th: Levi Thibodaux, Thibodaux, La., nine bass, 25-5
19th: Bobby Lane, Lakeland, Fla., 10 bass, 24-13
20th: Dustin Smith, Trussville, Ala., nine bass, 23-13
21st: Christian Greico, New Bern, N.C., 10 bass, 23-5
22nd: Joseph Webster, Hamilton, Ala., 10 bass, 23-4
23rd: Cal Lane, Grant, Ala., 10 bass, 22-15
24th: Ethan Greene, Eufaula, Ala., eight bass, 22-3
25th: Terry Fisher, Decatur, Ala., 10 bass, 22-2
26th: Blake Hall, Rogersville, Ala., eight bass, 20-9
27th: Keith Carson, DeBary, Fla., seven bass, 18-14
28th: Robby Lefere, Jackson, Mich., seven bass, 18-6
29th: Brian Latimer, Belton, S.C., eight bass, 18-3
30th: Jack Daniel Williams, Kingsport, Tenn., seven bass, 16-8
31st: Ken Thompson, Roaring Springs, Pa., five bass, 15-14
32nd: Thomas Wooten, Huddleston, Va., six bass, 14-7
33rd: Lane Olson, Forest Grove, Ore., five bass, 12-1
34th: Britt Myers Jr., Clover, S.C., six bass, 11-8
35th: Alex Bradley, Wellford, S.C., five bass, 8-13
36th: Brett Carnright, Plattsburgh, N.Y., three bass, 6-14
Complete results from throughout the event can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Overall, there were 150 bass weighing 411 pounds, 7 ounces caught by 33 pros on Saturday. The catch included 26 five-bass limits.
Pro Colby Miller of Elmer, Louisiana, brought a 5-pound, 6-ounce largemouth to the scale that was the biggest of the day to earn the Berkley Big Bass award of $1,000.
The three-day Tackle Warehouse Invitationals Championship Presented by Phoenix Boats is hosted by Explore La Crosse and showcases the top 36 anglers from the 2025 Tackle Warehouse Invitations season as they compete for a share of the $417,000 prize pool.
The full field of 36 anglers competed in Days 1 & 2 on Friday and Saturday in a five-fish, weigh-in format. Only the top 10 pros, based on their two-day cumulative weight, now advance to the final round on Championship Sunday. The angler with the heaviest three-day total will win the grand prize of up to $135,000 and qualification into REDCREST 2026 where they will compete against the sport’s best for $300,000.
The final 10 anglers will launch at 7 a.m. CT Sunday from Veterans Freedom Park, located at 1 Clinton St. in La Crosse. The Championship weigh-in will be held at the park and will begin at 3 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend all launch and weigh-in events and also encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLFNOW!® live stream and coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The MLFNOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee and Rob Newell will break down the extended action live on Championship Sunday from 7:30 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. CT. MLFNOW!® is live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com, the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app and Rumble.
Television coverage of the MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitationals Championship Presented by Phoenix Boats at the Mississippi River in La Crosse will premiere as two two-hour episodes, with the first episode premiering at 9 a.m. ET, on Saturday, Nov. 8 on CBS Sports Network, and the Championship Round premiering on Saturday, Nov. 15. New MLF5 episodes premiere each Saturday morning on CBS Sports beginning in October.
Proud sponsors of the 2025 MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitationals include: 7Brew Coffee, Abu Garcia, Athletic Brewing, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Bubba, Deep Dive, E3 Sport Apparel, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, Grizzly, Humminbird, Lew’s, Mercury, Minn Kota, Mossy Oak, Onyx, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Phoenix Boats, PirahnO2, Polaris, Power-Pole, Precision Sonar, Strike King, Suzuki Marine, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, VOSKER, WIX Filters and YETI.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Tackle Warehouse Invitationals updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the MLF5 social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery, Discovery+, Discovery GO, Animal Planet, Outdoor Channel, VICE, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network, RFD-TV and Game & Fish TV, and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 20 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.
Alex Davis Leads Day 1 of Tackle Warehouse Invitationals Championship Presented by Phoenix Boats on Mississippi River
Alabama pro catches limit weighing 18-13 to take early 5-ounce lead, Angler of the Year Banks Shaw looms in second
LA CROSSE, Wis. (Sept. 5, 2025) – Breezy to the max and far from warm, Day 1 of the Tackle Warehouse Invitationals Championship Presented by Phoenix Boats on the Mississippi River was a struggle for many. While more than half the field caught more than 12 pounds, a limit wasn’t a given, and nobody got over the 19-pound mark. Still, two high fliers emerged early, as both pro Alex Davis of Guntersville, Alabama, and reigning Angler of the Year and Rookie of the Year Banks Shaw of Harrison, Tennessee, caught over 18 pounds to start things off.
Davis sacked up 18-13 for the lead while Shaw wrangled 18-8 for second. Pro Jimmy Washam of Stantonville, Tennessee, who won the Tackle Warehouse TITLE championship in La Crosse in 2021, caught 16-9 and local favorite Steve Lopez of Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, rounded up 16-2 for third and fourth, respectively.
Day 1 saw a variety of patterns in play, with pros making hay in the remaining mats, some running main-river current breaks, and plenty doing damage in the Black River. Tomorrow, with no forward-facing sonar, many pros will be able to keep plugging without a hitch, but some will certainly need to make some adjustments.
Magical mat boosts Davis
Typically in the hunt on the Upper Mississippi, Davis came into the event off a solid practice and happy to be fishing a championship again. After a fairly slow start to the day, he blitzed up the leaderboard with big largemouth.
“I caught two on a drop-shot, and then I fished for three hours and didn’t really catch anything,” he said. “Then I pulled up to one mat and caught those three and a 4-pounder in like 10 minutes. Then I left, fished the rest of the day and culled one more time on a (Megabass) Magdraft.”
Though it’s hard to anticipate leading an event, Davis knew he was on to something after practice.
“I was hoping it was going to go like that,” he said. “There’s one place, and it’s kind of special. I only sampled it for about 10 minutes today – it was pretty awesome.”
With a much calmer forecast for Day 2, Davis could have a great opportunity to do some more damage, or, he could also arrive at his juice to find it gone.
“The wind was terrible, you can’t cast,” Davis said. “Where I’m at, most of the mat is gone, but there was a little bit left and it was terrible to try to cast. I hope it’ll l be there tomorrow.”
Regardless, Davis is in the hunt, and though he’s won at the Toyota Series and BFL levels, he’s never got it done over more than 10 years fishing the FLW Tour, Pro Circuit and Invitationals.
“It usually haunts me, usually I’m leading or second after the first day and then I nosebomb the second day,” he said. “We’re going to try to correct that this time. It’d be everything to win, especially the championship – it would be awesome.”
Spectacular Shaw does it again
The winner of the Fishing Clash Angler of the Year award and Polaris Rookie of the Year, Shaw has been a revelation this season. So, despite never having fished the Mississippi River before, it was no surprise to observers when he started putting meat on deck.
“I knew the places I found in practice had potential, and I caught plenty of solid smallmouth,” Shaw said. “But I never caught a 4-pounder, and I had two 4s today and a 3 ¾ (on Day 1). It definitely went a little better than expected, but it didn’t completely blow my mind. I knew I was around some pretty big smallmouth.”
Weighing all brown fish on Day 1, it sounds like Shaw is planning on a more diverse gameplan for Day 2.
“I’m going to mix it up tomorrow. I saved a lot of largemouth today that I think didn’t get fished,” he said. “I know I can catch some of the smallmouth again, but I don’t think I’m going to go up to Pool 7 again, I’m probably going to stick around here and shoot for that 16-pound mark and then go up the last day.”
Though turning the electronics off on Day 2 has proved to be no issue for Shaw all year, he’s certainly using his LiveScope more than Davis is. According to the young Tennessee pro, his forward-facing sonar isn’t critical in this one.
“Whenever I’m looking for new areas, it is, it’s lining up the cast,” he explained. “I caught one 4-pounder today on an area I need it, but most of the places it isn’t too bad without it. It could honestly be better.”
If Shaw can win, he’ll complete one of the best seasons of all-time with a title, which would be a pretty incredible way to jumpstart a career.
“In practice I didn’t really think I was around the fish to do it,” said Shaw. “Slowly I started to piece it together, and today I really started to think about it, it would be crazy to get the clean sweep. I lost a 4-pounder at the end of the day today, and something like that could get in your head a little bit, but it makes me want to go out tomorrow and catch them even better.”
The standings after Day 1 on the Mississippi River are:
1st: Alex Davis, Albertville, Ala., five bass, 18-13
2nd: Banks Shaw, Harrison, Tenn., five bass, 18-8
3rd: Jimmy Washam, Stantonville, Tenn., five bass, 16-9
4th: Steve Lopez, Oconomowoc, Wis., five bass, 16-2
5th: Ken Thompson, Roaring Springs, Pa., five bass, 15-14
6th: Brody Campbell, Oxford, Ohio, five bass, 15-10
7th: Mitchell Robinson, Landrum, S.C., five bass, 15-2
8th: Ethan Greene, Eufaula, Ala., five bass, 15-0
9th: Chad Mrazek, Montgomery, Texas, five bass, 14-13
10th: Christopher Lane, Guntersville, Ala., five bass, 14-11
11th: Andrew Nordbye, Guntersville, Ala., five bass, 14-6
12th: Bobby Lane, Lakeland, Fla., five bass, 13-13
13th: Hayden Marbut, Grant, Ala., five bass, 13-7
14th: Jacob Walker, Springville, Ala., five bass, 13-2
15th: Jon Canada, Helena, Ala., five bass, 12-15
16th: Keith Carson, DeBary, Fla., five bass, 12-14
17th: Kyle Cortiana, Broken Arrow, Okla., five bass, 12-13
18th: Cal Lane, Grant, Ala., five bass, 12-9
19th: Christian Greico, New Bern, N.C., five bass, 12-5
20th: Blake Hall, Rogersville, Ala., four bass, 12-2
20th: Matt Reed, Madisonville, Texas, five bass, 12-2
22nd: Lane Olson, Forest Grove, Ore., five bass, 12-1
23rd: Joseph Webster, Hamilton, Ala., five bass, 11-15
24th: Keith Poche, Cecil, Ala., five bass, 11-7
25th: Terry Fisher, Decatur, Ala., five bass, 11-5
26th: Jordan Wiggins, Cullman, Ala., five bass, 11-0
27th: Colby Miller, Elmer, La., five bass, 10-14
28th: Robby Lefere, Jackson, Mich., three bass, 10-9
29th: Levi Thibodaux, Thibodaux, La., four bass, 8-15
30th: Alex Bradley, Wellford, S.C., five bass, 8-13
30th: Dustin Smith, Trussville, Ala., four bass, 8-13
32nd: Britt Myers Jr., Clover, S.C., four bass, 7-8
33rd: Thomas Wooten, Huddleston, Va., three bass, 7-2
34th: Brian Latimer, Belton, S.C., three bass, 6-9
35th: Jack Daniel Williams, Kingsport, Tenn., two bass, 3-8
36th: Brett Carnright, Plattsburgh, N.Y., one bass, 2-10
Complete results from throughout the event can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Overall, there were 163 bass weighing 436 pounds, 11 ounces caught by the 36 pros on Friday. The catch included 27 five-bass limits.
Davis’ 5-pound, 9-ounce largemouth was also the Berkley Big Bass of the day and he was awarded Friday’s payout of $1,000.
The three-day Tackle Warehouse Invitationals Championship Presented by Phoenix Boats is hosted by Explore La Crosse and showcases the top 36 anglers from the 2025 Tackle Warehouse Invitations season as they compete for a share of the $417,000 prize pool.
The full field of 36 anglers will compete in Days 1 & 2 on Friday and Saturday in a five-fish, weigh-in format. Only the top 10 pros, based on their two-day cumulative weight, advance to the final round on Championship Sunday. The angler with the heaviest three-day total will win the grand prize of up to $135,000 and qualification into REDCREST 2026 where they will compete against the sport’s best for $300,000.
Anglers will launch at 7 a.m. CT each day from Veterans Freedom Park, located at 1 Clinton St. in La Crosse. Weigh-ins will be held at the park and will begin at 3 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend all launch and weigh-in events and also encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLFNOW!® live stream and coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The MLFNOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee and Rob Newell will break down the extended action live on each day of competition from 7:30 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. CT. MLFNOW!® is live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com, the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app and Rumble.
Television coverage of the MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitationals Championship Presented by Phoenix Boats at the Mississippi River in La Crosse will premiere as two two-hour episodes, with the first episode premiering at 9 a.m. ET, on Saturday, Nov. 8 on CBS Sports Network, and the Championship Round premiering on Saturday, Nov. 15. New MLF5 episodes premiere each Saturday morning on CBS Sports beginning in October.
Proud sponsors of the 2025 MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitationals include: 7Brew Coffee, Abu Garcia, Athletic Brewing, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Bubba, Deep Dive, E3 Sport Apparel, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, Grizzly, Humminbird, Lew’s, Mercury, Minn Kota, Mossy Oak, Onyx, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Phoenix Boats, PirahnO2, Polaris, Power-Pole, Precision Sonar, Strike King, Suzuki Marine, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, VOSKER, WIX Filters and YETI.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Tackle Warehouse Invitationals updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the MLF5 social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery, Discovery+, Discovery GO, Animal Planet, Outdoor Channel, VICE, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network, RFD-TV and Game & Fish TV, and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 20 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.
Team Toyota Weighs in on New FFS Ruling for Bassmaster Elites
Courtesy of Dynamic Sponsorships
The conversation around forward facing live sonar and the technology’s impact on competitive bass fishing has been an omnipresent theme amongst professional anglers, fans, and industry pundits for several years now. You’ve likely heard countless passionate opinions surrounding FFS and, unfortunately, like many differences of opinion in 2025 the dispute around FFS has become highly divisive.
The essence of the debate is simple. Most anglers and fans unanimously agree that live sonar is an incredible tool that helps anglers catch more and bigger fish, but should it have a place in the highest levels of bass fishing competition?
Notable national tournament trails made regulations limiting or outright banning FFS technology for the 2025 tournament fishing season. Industry giant B.A.S.S. is the latest to address forward facing sonar’s place in the highest levels of tournament competition with a new ruling for the Bassmaster Elite Series going forward in 2026. The new rule reads:
“Beginning in 2026, forward-facing live sonar will only be permitted in five of the nine regular-season Elite Series events. Which events allow the technology will be determined randomly. The remaining events will prohibit its use entirely, including during official practice. Restrictions implemented for 2025 — limiting anglers to one live sonar transducer and a maximum of 55 total screen inches — will remain in place.”
B.A.S.S. gave careful evaluation to this question over the course of the past two years and ultimately came to their decision based on the input of professional competitors, fans, and the larger bass fishing community. Elite Series competitors voted in favor for a change to FFS regulations two years straight.
We caught up with Brandon Palaniuk, Mike Iaconelli, Matt Arey, and Gerald Swindle – the four Team Toyota pros competing on the Elite Series to get their thoughts fresh off Bassmaster’s announcement.
This piece is in no way intended to fan the flames of negativity or wedge any more division around a conversation that has more than its share of antagonistic rhetoric. Instead, we wanted to highlight the perspectives of four top level pros who between them, have 93-years of cumulative experience as professional fishermen.
Brandon Palaniuk:
“Overall, I like the variable schedule. As of now, we don’t know which tournaments will allow FFS and which ones won’t. I have always loved the unknown and this new ruling will add a new wrinkle for all Elite Series competitors. It’s going to be interesting to go back to fisheries where we’ve been allowed to use it (FFS) in the past… I think not having the ability to see real time feedback will be more mental than people realize.
The past few years so much of our confidence has been put into being able to see fish in real time. Confidence and momentum are huge factors in tournament fishing, and this will affect that confidence for all Elite anglers. Age is not a determining factor. Every angler on the Elites is capable of catching bass with or without the technology and winning events. Period.
This will come down to who can make the right adjustments in line with the latest rules. Can you mentally compete at the same level without seeing them in real time? This will give anglers and fans alike the chance to see.”
Mike Iaconelli:
“I am moderately happy that B.A.S.S. recognized the voice of anglers and fans. To me it seemed obvious that something needed to be done. The majority of Elite Series pros voted in support of that. Outside of our small circle of 100 pros, just look at social media. Social media is a weird animal right now, which is a much bigger issue than fishing, but just look at the comments. If there were 300 comments on a post, 200+ were negative. That’s not good.
I like that this ruling is somewhat of a compromise. We meet in the middle, and I’ve always been a fan of that. Will it help old school anglers like me? Maybe, maybe not. Now we’ll get to see.
In regard to FFS more so than just this new rule, I’m in an interesting place personally. I see my son Vegas use and absolutely love FFS. I see other young anglers do the same. The new technology has helped them become passionate about fishing, which is all I can hope for. But I gotta tell you… FFS is a world away from what I grew up understanding as the art of fishing. For me, fishing has always been about casting into the unknown. You could be analytical, but you had to use your senses, your intuition, and interpret the clues that Nature offered. FFS is a completely different animal. I’m not a hater; I just don’t know that it’s fishing. To me, it’s something else entirely.”
Matt Arey:
“I think this is a positive move. There are a lot of misconceptions and wild arguments around this conversation, but for me this is about preserving the sanctity of fishing as a professional sport. The purpose of any pro sport is to see who trains the hardest. Who has the best work ethic. Who uses their instincts, natural abilities, and the tools available to them to outperform the competition.
From my perspective, nothing in the history of fishing has been as dominant or changed how the game is played more than FFS or live feedback through your electronics. I don’t believe that’s necessarily a good thing, and I think it’s fair to question whether it has a place at the highest levels of competition within our sport. But let me be clear, this is only my opinion pertaining to professional fishing. If new technology helps grow the sport or get young people out on the water, then by all means… use it! It’s an incredible tool!”
Gerald Swindle:
“No one knows if this going to be the wrong decision or right decision, but in my opinion, this is a step in the right direction. Regardless of what you think, I’m not dead set against FFS or new technology. It (FFS) is an amazing tool and is super fun to learn from. I can 100% honestly say I think Chris Johnston (reigning 2X Angler of the Year) is the best angler in the world right now, with or without FFS. But I like that now we are going to learn just how much of an impact FFS is having at the highest levels of competition. We are going to learn.
Most of all I don’t like the division FFS has helped to create. With this ruling, it’s 50/50. Hopefully the bass fishing community can come together, and everyone can have a little something to be happy about. I mean, it’s like now everyone got a little something in their Christmas stocking to smile about. Hopefully now we can all just come together and go fishing.”
B.A.S.S. announces results of coin flip determining 2026 Forward-Facing Sonar Events
Sept. 5, 2025
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — More than 50,000 fans tuned in live on Bassmaster.com to watch a first-of-its-kind show where the venues for the 2026 Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series were paired and a coin flip determined which events will allow forward-facing sonar (FFS). The new format, announced earlier this week, limits the use of FFS to a maximum of five regular-season Elite tournaments.
On the live show, hosted by Tommy Sanders, Mark Zona and Davy Hite, the results of the random coin flips created a mix of technology-driven and traditional fishing events:
- Lake Guntersville — Non-FFS
- Lake Martin — FFS
- Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway — Non-FFS
- Arkansas River — FFS
- Lake Murray — FFS
- Santee Cooper Lakes — Non-FFS
- Pasquotank River/Albemarle Sound — FFS
- Lake Champlain — Non-FFS
- St. Lawrence River — FFS
The 2026 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour will remain an “all-tech” event, allowing forward-facing sonar since all qualifiers earned their berths under the existing rules.
Elite Series pros Gerald Swindle, Drew Benton, John Crews and Bryan Schmitt joined the live show and applauded the move. Swindle emphasized that the hybrid approach “keeps the sport grounded in tradition while still letting technology shine.” Benton added that the new format “will test versatility like never before,” while Crews noted that “fans are going to love the diversity of tactics showcased from one event to the next.” Schmitt may have summed it up best: "There's gonna be something to love for every fan out there."
“Forward-facing sonar has been a game-changer for the sport, but our anglers, members and fans asked us to find the right balance,” said B.A.S.S. CEO Chase Anderson earlier this week when announcing the rule. “The coin-flip format was designed to create transparency in choosing the venues, parity in fishing styles, and to highlight a wide range of skills to keep Bassmaster competition exciting for everyone.”
With nearly half the schedule prohibiting live sonar, the 2026 Elite Series promises a Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year race where competitors must prove themselves both with and without technology — a season-long storyline that fans can follow from the first cast on Lake Guntersville to the final weigh-in on the St. Lawrence River.
2025 Bassmaster Elite Series Platinum Sponsors: Progressive, Toyota
2025 Bassmaster Elite Series Premier Sponsors: Bass Pro Shops, Dakota Lithium, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha
2025 Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: AFTCO, Daiwa, Garmin, Lew's, Lowrance, Triton Boats, VMC, Yokohama
About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S., which encompasses the Bassmaster tournament leagues, events and media platforms, is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting-edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), TV show, radio show, social media programs and events. For more than 50 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.
The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series, St. Croix Bassmaster Opens Series presented by SEVIIN, Nitro Boats Elite Qualifiers Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Qualifier Series presented by Lowrance, Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Strike King Bassmaster High School Series, Bassmaster Junior Series, Bassmaster Team Championship, Newport Bassmaster Kayak Series presented by Native Watercraft, Bassmaster College Kayak Series, Yamaha Bassmaster Redfish Cup Championship presented by Skeeter and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour.
Team USA Will Lean On Diversity - Kickers Will Be Critical At World Championship In South Africa
Catching a five-fish limit shouldn’t be much of a problem for the 45 two-angler teams that will participate in the 19th Black Bass World Championship this week at Arabie Dam in South Africa. The competition will come down to which duos can connect with a couple of 5-pound-plus bag-boosters on each of the three days.
Arabie, also known as Flag Boshielo Dam, is teeming with largemouth in the 1- to 2 1/2-pound class that can be caught virtually at will by the highly skilled anglers from 15 nations who’ll be on the water Thursday through Saturday. Fish weighing 3 to 4 pounds are extremely scarce, but there’s a fair number of 5- to 6-pounders.
Specimens in the latter class will determine which teams stand atop the medals podium after Day 3.
“It’s a really cool reservoir that’s got quite a few things to offer, but the fish population is a little bit wonky,” said Drew Gill, one of the six anglers who’ll fish for Team USA. “There’s a blue million of the smaller-class fish, but bites over 2 3/4 pounds are really difficult.
“It seems like there’s a window of 3- and 4-pounders that simply doesn’t exist, but we’ve caught a few over 5 and a couple 6s – it’s just hard to generate those bites.”
Arabie, a 3,200-acre impoundment on the Olifants River, is in Limpopo, the northernmost of South Africa’s nine provinces. It’s springtime in the Southern Hemisphere and the air and water temperatures are warming. WeatherChannel.com predicts mostly sunny skies for the competition days, with temps in the high 80s to low 90s and moderate winds rarely exceeding 10 mph.
In addition to Team USA and the host South Africans, other participating nations are Canada, Mexico, Australia, Spain, Italy, Germany, Portugal, Serbia, Croatia, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Eswatini.
The hammer-laden Team USA squad, coached by Kevin VanDam, will feature pairings of Gill/Ott DeFoe, Jacob Wheeler/Kyle Welcher and Scott Martin/Logan Parks.
Wheeler, who recently wrapped up his fourth Bass Pro Tour Angler of the Year title in the past five campaigns with his 10th career BPT victory at Saginaw Bay in Michigan, said Arabie reminds him of some lakes in Texas, but with a bit more steepness to its shoreline. With some fish still in the prespawn phase, some on the beds and others having completed the annual reproduction ritual, he says adjustments will be required throughout the event.
“Fish can be caught from 1 foot (of water depth) down to 20,” he said. “There’s a major warming trend going on and you don’t know what the next day’s going to bring. There’s a full moon on the way and you could have the ultimate wave of spawners move up.
“We’ll see how it plays out, but I think 16 to 20 pounds will be a solid bag. It could be super volatile, though, because guys could do good one day and then struggle the next just because they don’t catch the big ones. A lot will change before the end of the tournament.”
Martin, a veteran of numerous international competitions, said the three American boats could each be employing different tactics at any given time during the event.
“I don’t know if it’s just because things are different in the Southern Hemisphere, but it seems like the (bigger) fish should be doing certain things that they’re not and it’s been a little more challenging than I’d expected,” he said. “Drew’s ability to find the offshore fish and Wheeler finding the sneaky stuff like he always does will be important, so I think it’s great that our team is really diverse.”
Added Gill: “Our confidence level at this place right now is kind of hard to quantify, but our commitment level is high. We’ve got a good grasp of what we need to do as a whole, but knowing it and going out and doing it are two different things.
“Each boat will get between zero and six opportunities a day to catch a fish that’ll make a difference. If you get six, you could catch a mega-bag, but zero or one will make it look like you have no idea what you’re doing at all.”
B.A.S.S. announces 2026 Elite Series Television Broadcast Schedule on FOX and FS1
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — B.A.S.S., the worldwide authority on bass fishing, has announced the 2026 television schedule for the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series and the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour. This season delivers 12 hours of live bass fishing on FOX broadcast television, reaching more than 200 million U.S. households, along with almost 60 hours of additional weekend coverage on FS1. This unrivaled coverage comes on the heels of record-breaking viewership in 2025, which saw a 20% increase in live viewers over 2024.
The Elite Series season launches Feb. 7-8 with back-to-back live shows from Lake Guntersville on FS1. Just a week later, the tour heads to Lake Martin, another Alabama favorite, setting the stage for a seven-month run of live coverage from some of America’s most diverse bass fisheries.
Anchoring the broadcast lineup is the Bassmaster Classic on the Tennessee River in Knoxville, Tenn. Fans can tune in March 14 at Noon ET and March 15 at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX. “Bass fishing is at its most exciting when viewers can experience it in real time, and FOX brings our biggest stage into living rooms nationwide,” said B.A.S.S. Chief Operating Officer Phillip Johnson. “This schedule gives fans not only the Classic in front of a massive broadcast audience, but also Elite events where viewers will see the drama unfold live.”
The 2026 slate also includes select FOX network windows, such as a Saturday live block from the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway (March 28) and a Sunday showcase from the Santee Cooper Lakes (May 17). Johnson emphasized, “Our partnership with FOX Sports has elevated the sport and given bass fishing the kind of national spotlight that creates unforgettable moments for anglers and fans alike.”
For the remainder of the season, FS1 will continue to serve as the home for weekend live coverage. From Arkansas River action in April, to the Northern Swing finale at Lake Champlain (Aug. 15-16) and the St. Lawrence River (Aug. 29-30), the network will capture every big bite and each dramatic Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year points shakeup.
“From Alabama to New York, the 2026 schedule offers one of the most diverse tests we’ve ever had,” added Davy Hite, Bassmaster LIVE analyst and former Bassmaster Classic champion. “Fans are going to love watching different skills and strategies showcased, whether on FOX or FS1.”
With this expanded coverage, B.A.S.S. continues its commitment to fair competition, protecting the heritage of the sport, and delivering unmatched live content to fishing fans around the globe.
Bassmaster on FOX 2026
| Air Date | Time | Title | Location | Network |
| Sat 2/7/26 | 8:00 AM | Elite #1: Lake Guntersville | Scottsboro, AL | FS1 |
| Sun 2/8/26 | 8:00 AM | Elite #1: Lake Guntersville | Scottsboro, AL | FS1 |
| Sat 2/14/26 | 8:00 AM | Elite #2: Lake Martin | Alexander City, AL | FS1 |
| Sun 2/15/26 | 8:00 AM | Elite #2: Lake Martin | Alexander City, AL | FS1 |
| Sat 3/14/26 | 12:00 PM | Bassmaster Classic: Tennessee River | Knoxville, TN | FOX |
| Sun 3/15/26 | 3:30 PM | Bassmaster Classic: Tennessee River | Knoxville, TN | FOX |
| Sat 3/28/26 | 8:00 AM | Elite #3: Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway | Columbus, MS | FS1 |
| Sat 3/28/26 | 12:00 PM | Elite #3: Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway | Columbus, MS | FOX |
| Sun 3/29/26 | 8:00 AM | Elite #3: Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway | Columbus, MS | FS1 |
| Sat 4/18/26 | 8:00 AM | Elite #4: Arkansas River | Muskogee, OK | FS1 |
| Sun 4/19/26 | 8:00 AM | Elite #4: Arkansas River | Muskogee, OK | FS1 |
| Sat 5/9/26 | 8:00 AM | Elite #5: Lake Murray | Columbia, SC | FS1 |
| Sun 5/10/26 | 8:00 AM | Elite #5: Lake Murray | Columbia, SC | FS1 |
| Sat 5/16/26 | 8:00 AM | Elite #6: Santee Cooper Lakes | Clarendon County, SC | FS1 |
| Sun 5/17/26 | 9:00 AM | Elite #6: Santee Cooper Lakes | Clarendon County, SC | FS1 |
| Sun 5/17/26 | 12:00 PM | Elite #6: Santee Cooper Lakes | Clarendon County, SC | FOX |
| Sat 6/13/26 | 8:00 AM | Elite #7: Pasquotank River/Albermarle Sound | Elizabeth City, NC | FS1 |
| Sun 6/14/26 | 8:00 AM | Elite #7: Pasquotank River/Albermarle Sound | Elizabeth City, NC | FS1 |
| Sat 8/15/26 | 8:00 AM | Elite #8: Lake Champlain | Plattsburgh, NY | FS1 |
| Sun 8/16/26 | 8:00 AM | Elite #8: Lake Champlain | Plattsburgh, NY | FS1 |
| Sat 8/29/26 | 8:00 AM | Elite #9: St. Lawrence River | Clayton, NY | FS1 |
| Sun 8/30/26 | 8:00 AM | Elite #9: St. Lawrence River | Clayton, NY | FS1 |
About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S., which encompasses the Bassmaster tournament leagues, events and media platforms, is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting-edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), TV show, radio show, social media programs and events. For more than 50 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.
The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series, St. Croix Bassmaster Opens Series presented by SEVIIN, Nitro Boats Elite Qualifiers Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Qualifier Series presented by Lowrance, Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Strike King Bassmaster High School Series, Bassmaster Junior Series, Bassmaster Team Championship, Newport Bassmaster Kayak Series presented by Native Watercraft, Bassmaster College Kayak Series, Yamaha Bassmaster Redfish Cup Championship presented by Skeeter and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour.
Minocqua Readies for MLF’s Knighten Industries Heritage Cup Presented by Bass Boat Technologies Next Week
Second event of MLF Fishing Clash Team Series to take place over six days next week at mystery fisheries
MINOCQUA, Wis. (Sept. 4, 2025) – The Major League Fishing (MLF) Fishing Clash Team Series Presented by Bass Pro Shops is set to continue the 2025 season next week, Sept. 14-19, with the second event of the year, taking place in Minocqua, Wisconsin – the Knighten Industries Heritage Cup Presented by Bass Boat Technologies.
Hosted by the Minocqua Area Visitors Bureau, the Knighten Industries Heritage Cup Presented by Bass Boat Technologies is the second of four Fishing Clash Team series events in 2025. In keeping with traditional MLF Cup protocols, Minocqua, Wisconsin, was not revealed to Team Series competitors until six weeks prior to the start of the tournament. All fishable waters within 60 miles of Minocqua then went off limits to anglers. Fans watching the MLFNOW! livestream will find out the day’s competition waters right along with the anglers each morning.
"We are thrilled to welcome the Major League Fishing Team Series to Minocqua for the very first time,” said Sherry Hulett, Sports & Group Travel Director at the Minocqua Area Visitors Bureau. “Hosting this professional team-based event not only highlights our beautiful fisheries but also will also bring significant economic impact to our local businesses. It's a tremendous opportunity to showcase Minocqua as a premier destination for competitive fishing and outdoor recreation.”
Fans are encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLFNOW!® live stream. Every minute of every event will still stream in full on MajorLeagueFishing.com, the MLF and MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) apps, RFD-TV Now, Game & Fish TV, and Rumble, with the final period each day being broadcast live nationwide on RFD-TV. Post-produced episodes of the Fishing Clash Team Series will start in January 2026 on Outdoor Channel.
The 12 teams of professional anglers that will compete in the Knighten Industries Heritage Cup Presented by Bass Boat Technologies in Minocqua, Wisconsin, are:
Team 7Brew Coffee:
Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla.
Keith Poche, Pike Road, Ala.
Team B&W Trailer Hitches:
Todd Faircloth, Jasper, Texas
Jared Lintner, Covington, Ga.
Team BUBBA:
Ott DeFoe, Blaine, Tenn.
Andy Montgomery, Blacksburg, S.C.
Team Ferguson:
Nick LeBrun, Bossier City, La.
Marty Robinson, Lyman, S.C.
Team Fishing Clash:
Keith Carson, DeBary, Fla.
Luke Clausen, Spokane, Wash.
Team Knighten:
Matt Becker, Ten Mile, Tenn.
Spencer Shuffield, Hot Springs, Ark.
Team Kubota:
Cole Floyd, Leesburg, Ohio
Nick Hatfield, Greeneville, Tenn.
Team Lucas Oil:
James Elam, Tulsa, Okla.
Gerald Spohrer, Gonzales, La.
Team O’Reilly Auto Parts:
Mark Daniels Jr., Tuskegee, Ala.
Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn.
Team Smokey Mountain:
Casey Ashley, Donalds, S.C.
Terry Scroggins, San Mateo, Fla.
Team StarTron:
Drew Gill, Mount Carmel, Ill.
Marshall Robinson, Landrum, S.C.
Team YETI:
Jeff Sprague, Wills Point, Texas
Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C.
The MLF Fishing Clash Team Series Knighten Industries Heritage Cup Presented by Bass Boat Technologies will also air on Outdoor Channel as six two-hour original episodes each Saturday afternoon starting Feb. 14, 2026. The complete television schedule for the Fishing Clash Team Series on Outdoor Channel will be posted at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Proud sponsors of the MLF Fishing Clash Team Series include: 7Brew Coffee, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Bass Boat Technologies, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, BUBBA, E3 Sport Apparel, Epic Baits, Ferguson, Fishing Clash, Knighten Industries, Kubota, Lowrance, Lucas Oil, Mercury, NITRO Boats, Onyx, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Power-Pole, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Smokey Mountain Caffeinated Pouches, Star brite, Toyota, YETI and Zenni.
For complete details and updated information on the MLF Fishing Clash Team Series, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube.
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery, Discovery+, Discovery GO, Animal Planet, Outdoor Channel, VICE, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network, RFD-TV and Game & Fish TV, and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 20 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.
MLF Toyota Series Set to Close Northern Division Next Week with Toyota Series at the Potomac River
MARBURY, Md. (Sept. 3, 2025) – The third and final regular-season event of the Major League Fishing (MLF) Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats Northern Division will take place next week, Sept. 11-13, in Marbury, Maryland – the Toyota Series at the Potomac River.
The three-day bass tournament, hosted by the Charles County Government, Dept. of Recreation, Parks, and Tourism, will showcase the region’s top bass-fishing boaters and co-anglers competing for a grand prize of up to $100,000 in the pro division and a new Phoenix 518 Pro boat with a 115-horsepower outboard motor plus $5,000 in the co-angler division.
“The Potomac is fishing pretty healthy right now,” said pro Marvin Reese of Randallstown, Maryland, who has three career victories on the Potomac – including a Toyota Series victory in 2019. “There are a lot of 2- to 3-pounders being caught, and I’m expecting some nice weights to hit the scales. To make that top-25 cut for Day 3, I think you’ll need about 13 to 13½ pounds per day. To win, I see it taking 48 to 50 pounds across three days.”
As with any tidal fishery, timing will be everything. Reese said that next week competitors will be working with more incoming tides and less of the preferred outgoing water.
“Most guys love that last bit of outgoing tide,” Reese explained. “We won’t see a lot of that next week, so anglers are going to have to adjust.”
As usual on the Potomac, targeting the grass is expected to be the dominant pattern with mats of hydrilla setting the stage for frogging and punching presentations. Still, Reese cautioned that the early-September timing means fish are in transition, moving away from their summer patterns as weather shifts quicker than usual.
“I could see it going a couple of ways,” Reese said. “The grass is definitely going to be part of my arsenal, but if conditions change, I may need to shift up and run into D.C. to fish hard cover. That’s the challenge of the Potomac – the tide, the grass, and the fact that things can change overnight.”
Despite the uncertainty, Reese’s history gives him confidence heading into the Toyota Series stop.
“In 2019, I felt like I had the tournament won before it even started because my summer patterns were so dialed in,” Reese went on to say. “This year, it’s more of a wait and see approach, but I feel good about where the fishery is at. Somebody’s going to catch them – this field always does.”
Anglers will begin each day at 7 a.m. ET, launching from Smallwood State Park, located at 2750 Sweden Point Road in Marbury. Weigh-ins will take place at the State Park starting at 3 p.m. daily. Fans are invited to attend in person and can also stay connected by following the “MLF Live” weigh-in broadcasts and daily updates on 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 up to $75,000, if Phoenix MLF Bonus qualified. Co-anglers cast for the top prize of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard (valued at $33,500). With a 260-boat field, pros fish for a top award of up to $100,000, if Phoenix MLF Bonus qualified. Co-anglers compete for the top prize of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard plus $5,000 cash.
The 2025 Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats consists of five divisions – Central, Northern, Plains, Southern and the Southwestern – each holding three regular-season events, along with the International and Wild Card divisions. Anglers who fish in any of the five divisions or the Wild Card division and finish in the top 25 will qualify for the no-entry-fee Toyota Series Championship for a shot at winning up to $235,000 and a qualification to REDCREST 2026. The winning co-angler at the championship earns a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard. The 2025 Toyota Series Championship will be held Nov. 6-8 on Grand Lake in Grove, Oklahoma, and is hosted by the City of Grove Convention & Tourism Bureau.
Proud sponsors of the 2025 MLF Toyota Series include: 7Brew Coffee, Abu Garcia, Athletic Brewing, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, Deep Dive App, E3 Sport Apparel, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, Grizzly, Humminbird, Lew’s, Mercury, Minn Kota, Mossy Oak, Onyx, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Phoenix Boats, PirahnO2, Polaris, Power-Pole, Precision Sonar, Strike King, Suzuki Marine, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, WIX Filters and YETI.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Toyota Series updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the MLF5 social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery, Discovery+, Discovery GO, Animal Planet, Outdoor Channel, VICE, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network, RFD-TV and Game & Fish TV, and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 20 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.
PODCAST: USA BASS Fishing Team & The Black Bass World Championship
Our friends over at Bass365 were able to get a "hook" into the USA Bass Fishing Team, just prior to competition at Lake Arabie in South Africa for a special podcast edition! We are all about Team USA and their efforts to get bass fishing recognized as an Olympic Sport, so we'll be bringing you all the coverage we can track down! AC Insider Drew Gill is part of a star-studded team including: Jacob Wheeler, Scott Martin, Logan Parks, Ott Defoe, and Kyle Welcher!
15 different countries will be competing over 3 days, and like golf, you want a LOW score! Team Captain, Scott Martin, breaks down the scoring structure and shares some insight on what's up in South Africa - check it out!
Nominate an Angler for the ACA’s Collegiate All-Academic Team presented by Yamaha
SAN ANTONIO, TX (September 3, 2025) – The Association of Collegiate Anglers is accepting nominations for the 2025-26 school year for its collegiate All-Academic Team presented by Yamaha.
Click here to nominate a deserving angler.
Last school year, as part of its historic celebration of the 20th season of college bass fishing, the ACA created the All-Academic Team presented by Yamaha to reward anglers for their success in the classroom.
At each ACA tournament during the 2025-26 season, 3 nominees will be selected to the All-Academic Team presented by Yamaha for that event. Throughout the season, a total of 12 student anglers will be selected to the All-Academic Team presented by Yamaha. In partnership, the ACA and Yamaha will award scholarships to the recipients of this prestigious honor. Each of the 12 recipients will be honored on-site at the event for which they were selected. Anglers selected to the All-Academic Team presented by Yamaha will be featured in national television coverage, press releases, social media, and more.
The first three nominees will be announced at the Bass Pro Shops Big Bass Bash presented by Berkley, during the mandatory angler meeting on Friday, September 19.
The 2025-26 season will conclude at Pickwick Lake in May of 2026 with the Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops. At the ACA’s annual Angler & Sponsor Banquet, an Academic All-American presented by Yamaha will be selected from the 12 All-Academic Team recipients from that season.
The nomination submission form will require the following information:
- Angler Name
- School
- Year/Classification
- Degree field
- Cumulative GPA
- Semester GPA
Student anglers can be nominated by anyone, including themselves. The above information will be required on behalf of each nominee, to include official documentation confirming the student’s grades and academic standing.
All-Academic Team presented Yamaha members and the overall award recipient will be selected based on their all-around performance in the classroom, to include overall GPA, as reviewed by ACA staff through a diligent process.
College fishing is a demanding and rewarding sport that requires anglers to balance their time spent on the water and in the classroom. Remaining dedicated in the classroom and showcasing academic success are great standards for an angler to achieve. It is because of this hard work and required dedication that the ACA has created the All-Academic Team presented by Yamaha. To find out more information about the program and nominate an angler, click here.
PROMO ALERT: Charge up your Fall Fishing with RELiON & AnglersChannel.com
RELiON Lithium Batteries have been powering Anglers Channel and the AC Dream Rig for years without compromise! As we’ve highlighted over the years, they are the choice of many professionals across all the leagues too! The RB100-HP was even the first lithium battery to be evaluated and approved for use with select Mercury Marine® outboard engines, AND was awarded the Boating Industry Top Products Award for 2024.
The RB100-HP is a lithium iron phosphate battery, built for starting and cycling marine and RV applications. The RB100-HP has increased peak amps for starting motors, electric start generators, and other high-amp-draw devices – plus, it doubles as a house battery, powering peripherals, accessories, and more.
Now YOU have the chance to WIN a RELiON RB100-HP of your very own! Everyone “Who joins the circus” with us here at AnglersChannel.com will be entered into a drawing for their own RB100-HP! Each “platform” you join us on will result in ONE entry into the promotion.
- IF you already receive the e-Newsletter - FORWARD the September Edition to a friend for a bonus entry!
- If you don't currently receive the e-Newsletter, sign up for the AnglersChannel.com e-newsletter right here: http://eepurl.com/dhL38f
- You can follow us on any, or all, of the following
So, you have up to FIVE ways to enter to win! It is as simple as join/follow any of our Anglers Channel platforms and receive an entry. Entries will be collected September 1 – October 15, with the drawing at 5:00 pm CST on the 15th.
The winner will be chosen at random from all submitted entries and will receive a brand new RELiON RB100-HP (Retail Value of $999.95).
B.A.S.S. announces Live Sonar rule change for 2026 Elite Series
B.A.S.S. announces Live Sonar rule change for 2026 Elite Series
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — B.A.S.S., the worldwide authority on bass fishing, today announced an update to its forward-facing live sonar (FFS) policy that will take effect during the 2026 Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series season.
Beginning in 2026, forward-facing live sonar will only be permitted in up to five of the nine regular-season Elite Series events. Which events allow the technology will be determined randomly. The remaining events will prohibit its use entirely, including during official practice. Restrictions implemented for 2025 — limiting anglers to one live sonar transducer and a maximum of 55 total screen inches — will remain in place. The 2026 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour will allow FFS, since all qualifiers earned their spot under the 2025 rules.
This decision follows two years of careful evaluation. In 2025, B.A.S.S. scheduled a diverse set of fisheries to naturally limit FFS dominance, and winners in nearly half of the season’s events relied primarily on traditional tactics. However, live sonar still influenced outcomes across the board. Many stakeholders within the bass fishing community, including fans and B.A.S.S. members, continued to voice concerns about live sonar use and its influence on competition. Elite Series anglers, through the Angler Board of Professionals (ABP), also asked for more limitations for the 2026 season.
To address this feedback and preserve competitive balance, B.A.S.S. will blend tradition with technology: a hybrid schedule that both highlights innovation in bass fishing technology and ensures that traditional techniques remain central to success.
B.A.S.S. will reveal which tournaments will allow FFS during a live show on Sept. 4 at 10 a.m. CT on Bassmaster.com. Hosts Tommy Sanders, Mark Zona and Davy Hite will learn the results in real time alongside fans. Events will be paired according to the schedule, with a coin flip deciding which one allows live sonar and which will not. The St. Lawrence River, the final stop of the season, will receive its own coin flip, meaning as many as five events could end up being non-FFS tournaments.
“Bassmaster competition has a long history of being the proving ground for new technology that enhances the sport,” said B.A.S.S. CEO Chase Anderson. “While innovation should remain part of bass fishing, no single technology should define it. Listening to anglers, members and fans, we believe this balanced approach keeps competition diverse, entertaining and true to the culture of our sport.”
“B.A.S.S. was intentional last year in scheduling diverse fisheries to balance FFS use,” said Davy Hite, former Bassmaster Classic champion and Elite Series pro. “But the technology still impacted the results in nearly every event. This new rule is exactly what the majority of the ABP voted for — it creates amazing opportunities for fans to watch different skills shine, and it ensures our next Angler of the Year will be the most versatile angler on the planet. Whoever wins in 2026 will have to excel both with and without live sonar.”
B.A.S.S. remains committed to fair competition, protecting the heritage of bass fishing and creating thrilling moments for fans around the globe.
2025 Bassmaster Elite Series Platinum Sponsors: Progressive, Toyota
2025 Bassmaster Elite Series Premier Sponsors: Bass Pro Shops, Dakota Lithium, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha
2025 Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: AFTCO, Daiwa, Garmin, Lew's, Lowrance, Triton Boats, VMC, Yokohama
About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S., which encompasses the Bassmaster tournament leagues, events and media platforms, is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting-edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), TV show, radio show, social media programs and events. For more than 50 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.
The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series, St. Croix Bassmaster Opens Series presented by SEVIIN, Nitro Boats Elite Qualifiers Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Qualifier Series presented by Lowrance, Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Strike King Bassmaster High School Series, Bassmaster Junior Series, Bassmaster Team Championship, Newport Bassmaster Kayak Series presented by Native Watercraft, Bassmaster College Kayak Series, Yamaha Bassmaster Redfish Cup Championship presented by Skeeter and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour.
Crews Cashes in on Consistency and Contingencies
By Walker Smith, Courtesy of Dynamic Sponsorships
In the world of professional bass fishing, where the line between triumph and heartbreak is as thin as 10-pound fluorocarbon, John Crews stands out like a well-worn Toyota Tundra towing a bass boat through the Virginia mountainside. He's been fishing on the Bassmaster Elite Series since anyone can remember.
An industry pillar who's as comfortable dissecting a balance sheet as he is a backwater eddy.
Crews isn't just a pro angler; he's the owner of Missile Baits, a lure company that's become a staple in tackle boxes across the country. His dual mastery of the fishing and business sides makes him a rarity. He’s a guy who can talk sponsorship ROI with the suits in the morning and frog a mat for a 5-pounder by lunchtime.
This season, though, tested even a stalwart like Crews. The 2025 Bassmaster Elite Series was a gauntlet of events stretching from Florida to the mighty Mississippi in late August. Bodies of water as diverse as the anglers themselves: tidal rivers, vast impoundments, smallmouth havens up north.
Crews, with a family back in Virginia, navigated it all with the quiet determination of a man who's seen booms and busts. But as he reflected after the dust settled, it wasn't all smooth sailing.
"It’s been a rollercoaster season, to be honest," Crews admitted. "I’d get a little consistency going then I’d lay an egg in one tournament. I was able to fight back at the end of the season, thankfully.”
That fight-back culminated on the Mississippi River in La Crosse, Wisconsin, the season finale.
The river, a sprawling maze of current-swept islands, backwaters thick with vegetation and depth contours that could hide giants or fool you into futility, demanded precision. Crews hung tough, finishing 12th with solid bags that kept him in the money and in the running for extra rewards.
Crews leaned into tried-and-true river tactics, focusing on areas where bass were stacking up in the dog days of summer.
"Frogging and flipping for sure was the deal," he explained. "All of practice I found one big area I knew had some fish in it. Outside of that, the density didn’t seem to be as good throughout the rest of the fishery. I really milked this area and tried to make the most of it. It had all the right combination of current, vegetation and depth range. I’d cover miles of water in practice then all the sudden I hit the right area."
That right area was a confluence of factors. A moderate flow pulling baitfish, pads and hydrilla providing ambush points, and a 4- to 8-foot drop where largemouth could stage. He worked a frog over the tops, skipping it into pockets and flipped a creature bait when the bite slowed.
But fishing, as Crews knows, isn't just about the catches—it's about the mindset. In a sport where a missed hookset can haunt you, he chooses optimism.
"A lot of folks focus on missed opportunities," he said. "But if you’re fishing well, you have lucky instances you can point to. When it’s going well, those small, magical things happen, and you can’t stop them."
That positivity carried him through the ups and downs.
"I like to focus on the positivity," Crews emphasized. “But I need to be more consistent next year with no more bomb finishes. That’s what got me this year.”
His consistency paid off in more ways than one.
Enter Toyota Bonus Bucks, a contingency gem that's become a lifeline for pros who align with the brand. For the uninitiated, Bonus Bucks is Toyota's way of rewarding anglers who tow their boats with qualifying vehicles. It’s free to join and payouts scale with performance across dozens of tournament circuits and hundreds of events. Top finishers can pocket thousands, turning a decent week into a great one.
Crews, a long-time Toyota driver, qualified handily. His 12th-place finish on the Mississippi netted him $3,000 in Bonus Bucks, which served as the icing on top of a strong finish to his season.
"I made $3,000 with Toyota Bonus Bucks and that will go towards my son’s wedding," Crews shared, his tone warming. "That will pay for his rehearsal dinner, so my wife and I are super pumped about that. I think any parent understands how expensive weddings can be these days.”
The human side of pro fishing.
The part that reminds us these guys aren't just leaderboard machines. It's a poignant reminder that behind every weigh-in bag is a story of sacrifice: early mornings, long hauls, the toll on body and budget. Weddings aren’t cheap and $3,000 covers a chunk without dipping into the bait budget.
"I am the first man out of the 2026 Bassmaster Classic so far," he noted, referring to his AOY points being just shy of qualifying for the big dance. "So I’ll be watching the upcoming qualifying tournaments with bated breath, to say the least.”
Out? Maybe. But down? Never.
Crews embodies the resilience that defines bass fishing's elite. He's the guy who turns a rollercoaster season into a steppingstone, a $3,000 bonus into family memories. In an industry full of flash, he's the steady current—reliable, deep-running, always pulling you forward.
It's not just about the fish; it's about the life you build around them. The magical moments on the water, the positivity that buoys you through bombs, the contingencies that reward loyalty. John Crews gets it and that's why he's not just a pro—he's a blueprint for how to do this right.
Wheeler, Swindle, Lee, DeFoe, Lucas, Christie, Daniels Jr. – The Legends Collide at the Ultimate Angler Championship
Scottsboro, AL – [September 2, 2025] – This October, the most recognizable and accomplished anglers in the sport will converge on Lake Guntersville for a showdown unlike anything bass fishing has ever seen. The Ultimate Angler Championship will unite top talent from Bass Pro Tour, Bassmaster Elites, NPFL, Alabama Bass Trail, American Bass Anglers, Ikon Tailgate Tour Grassroots Tournament Series, and more in a no-holds-barred fight for $500,000 and the right to be called The Ultimate Angler.
The roster reads like a who’s who of fishing royalty:
Jacob Wheeler, Gerald Swindle, Jordan Lee, Ott DeFoe, Justin Lucas, Jason Christie, Mark Daniels Jr., Chris Lane, Bobby Lane, Hunter Shryock, Fletcher Shryock, Wesley Strader, Patrick Walters, Hank Cherry, Edwin Evers, Todd Faircloth, Randy Howell, Dustin Connell, Scott Canterbury, Justin Hamner and many more.
For the first time ever, fans will see pros from every major league — along with elite regional, collegiate, and grassroots anglers — competing head-to-head with no tour boundaries, no points systems, and no holding back.
“This is a true all-star game for fishing,” said Danny Groves, Chairman of The Board of Unified Pros. “We’ve brought together the sport’s most popular and accomplished anglers — no politics, no limits, just pure competition.”
Event Details:
When: October 5–11, 2025
Where: Goose Pond Colony, Scottsboro, Alabama
Highlights:
- The Ultimate Angler Championship Tournament
- Outdoor Expo (Oct. 10–11) with vendors, gear, food, and family fun
- Live concert from Lauren Alainafollowing the crowning of the champion on October 11th
Fishing fans, industry insiders, and outdoor enthusiasts will witness history as the sport’s biggest names compete side-by-side for one title, one trophy, and ultimate bragging rights.
For schedules, angler profiles, and event info, visit www.TheUltimateAngler.org and follow @TheUltimateAngler on all social channels.
About The Ultimate Angler
The Ultimate Angler is the world championship bass fishing tournament, bringing together the top anglers from across the globe to compete on one of the nation’s premier fisheries. More than just a competition, The Ultimate Angler is a celebration of the sport, conservation, and community, featuring live entertainment, family-friendly activities, and the Outdoor Expo. Hosted in beautiful Scottsboro, Alabama, The Ultimate Angler showcases the best of outdoor recreation while promoting education, conservation, and a passion for fishing.
Top student athletes named to the 2025 Bassmaster High School All-State Fishing Team
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Thirty-three of the top high school anglers from across the country have been named to the 2025 Bassmaster High School All-State Fishing Team.
The students were selected for this honor based on their success in bass tournament competition, academic achievement and leadership in conservation and community service.
To be considered for the All-State Fishing Team, a student must have been nominated by a parent, coach, teacher or other school official. Students enrolled in grades 10-12 with a current-year grade point average of 2.5 or higher were eligible.
B.A.S.S. received nearly 200 nominations from across 25 states. From these, judges selected 33 student anglers to make the All-State Fishing Team. Additionally, 31 students received Honorable Mentions recognizing them for their tournament success as well as community service and academic achievement.
"Congratulations to this outstanding group of high school anglers," said Glenn Cale, B.A.S.S. tournament manager for the College, High School and Junior series. "I am extremely proud of the work you put in not just on the water, but in the classroom and your community as well."
A second panel of judges will review the nominations of the 33 All-State team members and select the 12 members of the 2025 Bassmaster High School All-American Fishing Team. As in All-State judging, criteria include success in high school fishing tournaments, involvement in conservation efforts and other community service activities.
The 12 finalists will be honored on the most prestigious stage in bass fishing at the 2026 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour to be held March 13-15 in Knoxville, Tenn.
Below is the list of the 33 All-State anglers and 31 Honorable Mentions, in order by state:
Alabama
Anderson Thrower, Vestavia Hills
Thomas Turnbull, Crane Hill
Zac Arnold, Cullman (Honorable Mention)
Mason Martin, Harvest (Honorable Mention)
Brayden Tisdale, Opp (Honorable Mention)
Colton Trotter, Rehobeth (Honorable Mention)
Arkansas
John Klanchar, Benton
Cole Pennington, Bee Branch
Florida
Dylan Quilatan, Windermere
Clayburn Reed, Dade City
Tanner Hamilton, Winter Haven (Honorable Mention)
Ragyn Mohney, Okeechobee (Honorable Mention)
Ella Ready, Auburndale (Honorable Mention)
Sarah Rising, Lakeland (Honorable Mention)
Georgia
Brody Kellum, Bowersville
Carson Thompson, Lavonia
Cooper Moon, Cartersville (Honorable Mention)
Owen Wiggins, Taylorsville (Honorable Mention)
Idaho
Eli Meckert, New Plymouth
Illinois
Grace Olsen, Gardner
Carter Pjesky, Sugar Grove
Cameron Prokop, Plainfield (Honorable Mention)
Indiana
Henry Fleetwood, Morgantown
Carson Volz, Trafalgar
Devin Mayfield, Floyds Knobs (Honorable Mention)
Iowa
Ranger Reed, Independence
Allie Wheelock, Waterloo
Bryce Norton, Cedar Falls (Honorable Mention)
Kansas
Maxwell Rolf, Olathe
Kentucky
Miles Allen, Louisville
Will Dombroskas, Mt. Sterling
Tryton Amburgey, Frenchburg (Honorable Mention)
Brandon Smith, Burlington (Honorable Mention)
Louisiana
Bennett Fontenot, Krotz Springs
Justin Blais, Forest Hill (Honorable Mention)
Michigan
Carson Tithof, Grand Haven
New York
Caleb Hildenbrand, Clermont
Parker Terrell, Vestal
Dylan Terrell, Windsor (Honorable Mention)
North Carolina
Evin Moore, Clyde
Grady Stanley, Fuquay Varina
Traydun Freeze, Rockwell (Honorable Mention)
Pennsylvania
Ander Cowan, Breezewood
South Carolina
Benjamin Buczkowski, Greenville
Bryson Osment, Duncan
Charlie Thompson, Columbia (Honorable Mention)
Tennessee
Carson Holbert, Louisville
Walker LaRue, Alcoa
Hayden Barnett, Kingston (Honorable Mention)
Kaden Casey, Clarksville (Honorable Mention)
Landon Myers, Maryville (Honorable Mention)
Rex Reagan, Livingston (Honorable Mention)
Texas
Hayden Ross, Spring
Dylan Sorrells, Dallas
Griffin Antunes, Henderson (Honorable Mention)
Morgan Payne, Kilgore (Honorable Mention)
Nicholas Rowe, Lucas (Honorable Mention)
Caden Williamson, Vidor (Honorable Mention)
Virginia
Isaac Kowalski, Goochland
Grayson Fitch, Mechanicsville (Honorable Mention)
Hunter Heath, Stuart (Honorable Mention)
Thomas Newman, Gore (Honorable Mention)
Tanner Sims, Danville (Honorable Mention)
Wisconsin
Ben Tesch, Larsen
About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S., which encompasses the Bassmaster tournament leagues, events and media platforms, is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting-edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), TV show, radio show, social media programs and events. For more than 50 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.
The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series, St. Croix Bassmaster Opens Series presented by SEVIIN, Nitro Boats Elite Qualifiers Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Qualifier Series presented by Lowrance, Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Strike King Bassmaster High School Series, Bassmaster Junior Series, TNT Fireworks Bassmaster Team Championship, Newport Bassmaster Kayak Series presented by Native Watercraft, Bassmaster College Kayak Series, Yamaha Bassmaster Redfish Cup Championship presented by Skeeter and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour.
