Minn Kota & Humminbird Announce 1st Owners Tournament!
Pickwick Landing State Park to host first annual Minn Kota and Humminbird Owners Tournament on historic Pickwick Lake RACINE, Wis. (Feb 6, 2023) –– The Minn Kota and Humminbird brands have been trusted by anglers forever, and now it's time to gather those anglers for a big bass shootout on the historic Pickwick Lake. The first Annual Minn Kota and Humminbird Owners Tournament will be held at Pickwick Landing State Park on June 3-4, 2023. Minn Kota and Humminbird have partnered with Trifecta Fishing (Big Bass Tour) to manage the tournament marketing and event execution. Trfiecta operates one of the largest big bass tournament organizations in the country and has been in business since 2010.
The tournament is open to any *amateur boat owner with at least one Minn Kota trolling motor, shallow water anchor, on-board charger or Humminbird fishfinder installed on their vessel. With over $150,000 in total payouts, and the grand prize for the 1st place finisher taking home $50,000, anglers will have the opportunity to win additional Minn Kota and Humminbird products, more cash and other prizes for finishing in the top 5 overall.
With two days of competition, anglers will be able to compete one or both days of competition for hourly prizes. This big bass event features seven hourly weigh-ins per day giving anglers several chances to snag top 10 cash prize payouts for catching the biggest fish each hour.
Event details
• June 2: Registration day with dinner and prizes, 5-8pm
• June 3 & 4: Tournament fishing days (anglers can fish one or both days)
• Open to amateur anglers owning at least one Minn Kota or Humminbird product
• Co-anglers (non-boat owners) are not required to own Minn Kota or Humminbird product
• Seven hourly weigh-ins daily with top 10 in each winning cash payouts
• Overall event top 5 winning cash & prizes
• $150,000+ in cash and prizes with $50,000 grand prize winner
• Anglers are allowed up to three anglers total in their boat during tournament hours
In addition, those in attendance will be part of a special announcement from the Minn Kota and Humminbird brands and learn exclusive information about new products coming for 2023.
*- no professional anglers are permitted
For more information or to register for the Minn Kota & Humminbird Owners Tournament, click www.minnkotaowners.com
Todd Kline Earns Victory at MLF Toyota Series Western Opener at Lake Havasu
LAKE HAVASU CITY, Ariz. (Feb. 5, 2023) – Pro Todd Kline of San Clemente, California, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 15 pounds, 13 ounces to win the Toyota Series at Lake Havasu Presented by Psycho Tuna and earn the top payout of $29,392. Over the three days of competition Kline weighed in 15 bass totaling 60-14 to win by a 3½-pound margin over local angler Mike Williams of Lake Havasu City, who weighed a three-day total of 57-6 to finish second and earn $11,614.
Kline entered the final day of competition Saturday with a near 7-pound lead over Williams in second place, but with a largemouth-based primary pattern that seemed to be dissipating by the hour. After nearly three hours of fishing with just one strike that he didn’t connect with, Kline stowed the heavy casting gear, broke out a 7-foot, 6-inch Okuma Dead Eye Pro Series rod and Helios reel spooled with 5-pound-test line and went to work with a ¼-ounce Coolbaits Lure Co. The Down Under Underspin, with green-pumpkin and shad-colored swimbait trailers.
“I ran at least 10 spots and put in the time on my primary pattern, but it just wasn’t happening,” Kline said. “At the time I was thinking to myself ‘Man, you have a good lead, but you can’t go in [to weigh-in] with nothing and end up finishing 10th’. I was planning in the back of my mind to make that change, but by around 9:30, 10 o’clock, it was obvious that it was time to make a move.”
Kline continued to plink away with the underspin, gradually building a 15-plus-pound bag and maintaining his composure when he lost at least one more giant while his Strike King co-angler (and eventual co-angler winner) Todd Woods piled up 14-6 on four fish fishing behind Kline.
“I had maybe eight keepers on the underspin by the end of the day and lost a couple of really big ones – I’m not going to lie, I was worried that I might’ve left the door open with those two big misses,” Kline admitted. “You don’t have any other choice but to stay focused. I’m a religious guy, so I know the outcome was already determined and that I was just along for the ride, but it was pretty stressful.”
Kline’s stress spiked during weigh-in, as first-time Toyota Series pro Jason Marquez brought 24-6 to the scale and Williams held serve with 19-1 – “I always small-eye my fish, I didn’t think I had enough,” Kline admitted.
“I’ve been in second place going into the final day and came in second to one of the Williams brothers. I didn’t want to squander this opportunity. To have that trophy now is pretty cool. I have four on the home mantle with FLW as a co-angler and now this one as a pro with MLF, and I couldn’t be happier.”
The top 10 pros on Lake Havasu finished:
1st: Todd Kline, San Clemente, Calif., 15 bass, 60-14, $29,392
2nd: Mike Williams, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., 15 bass, 57-6, $11,614
3rd: Jason Marquez, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., 14 bass, 56-5, $8,218
4th: Dean Rojas, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., 15 bass, 55-2, $6,848
5th: Chris Kinley, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., 15 bass, 52-7, $6,163
6th: Kyle Grover, Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., 15 bass, 51-9, $5,478
7th: David Valdivia, Riverside, Calif., 15 bass, 50-12, $4,794
8th: Kurt Dove, Del Rio, Texas, 15 bass, 49-0, $4,109
9th: Justin Kerr, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., 14 bass, 45-10, $3,424
10th: Mark Williams, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., 12 bass, 44-0, $2,739
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Pro Nick Salvucci of Atascadero, California, won the $500 Day 1 Berkley Big Bass award in the pro division Thursday with a bass weighing 5 pounds, 12 ounces. On Friday, Kline earned the $500 Berkley Big Bass prize after bringing a 7-pound, 2-ounce largemouth bass to the scale.
Mike Williams took home an extra $1,000 as the highest finishing Phoenix MLF Bonus member. Boaters are eligible to win up to an extra $35,000 per event in each Toyota Series tournament if all requirements are met. More information on the Phoenix MLF Bonus contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.
Todd Woods of Long Beach, California, won the Strike King Co-angler Division Saturday with a three-day total of 11 bass weighing 32 pounds, 14 ounces. Woods took home the top co-angler prize package worth $33,500, including a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard motor.
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers on Lake Havasu finished:
1st: Todd Woods, Long Beach, Calif., 11 bass, 32-14, Phoenix 518 Pro boat w/115-hp Mercury outboard
2nd: Tom Nokes, Riverton, Utah, seven bass, 22-7, $3,534
3rd: Kirk Marshall, Discovery Bay, Calif., seven bass, 20-5, $2,827
4th: Tyson Christman, Glendale, Ariz., eight bass, 20-4, $2,474
5th: Blaine Christiansen, San Jose, Calif., six bass, 18-1, $2,120
6th: Bruce Harris, Oakdale, Calif., eight bass, 17-3, $1,767
7th: Daniel Lutz, Las Vegas, Nev., six bass, 16-4, $1,414
8th: Jason Webb, Medford, Ore., five bass, 16-3, $1,237
9th: Mike Walsh, El Cajon, Calif., five bass, 14-12, $1,210
10th: Brett Robbins, Solvang, Calif., four bass, 13-8, $883
Ken Whalen was the Berkley Big Bass $150 award winner in the Strike King co-angler division, Thursday, with a 6-pound, 8-ounce bass, while the Day 2 $150 award went to Gabriel Diaz of Nuevo, California, with a 6-pound, 4-ounce fish.
With one regular-season event in the Toyota Series Western Division Presented by Tackle Warehouse now complete, Kline jumped out to the early lead in the Western Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 260 points, while ,Woods leads the Strike King Co-angler Division AOY race with 260 points.
The Toyota Series at Lake Havasu Presented by Psycho Tuna, hosted by Go Lake Havasu, was the first of three regular-season events for the Toyota Series Western Division Presented by Tackle Warehouse. The next event for Toyota Series anglers will be the Central Division opener – the Toyota Series at Lake Guntersville, Feb. 16-18, in Scottsboro, Alabama. For a complete schedule of events, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The 2023 Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats consists of six divisions – Central, Northern, Plains, Southern, Southwestern and the Western Division Presented by Tackle Warehouse – each holding three regular-season events, along with the International and Wild Card divisions. Anglers who fish in any of the six divisions or the Wild Card division and finish in the top 25 will qualify for the no-entry-fee Toyota Series Championship for a shot at winning up to $235,000 and a qualification to REDCREST 2024. The winning Strike King co-angler at the championship earns a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard. The 2023 Toyota Series Championship will be held Nov. 2-4 on Table Rock Lake in Branson, Missouri, and is hosted by ExploreBranson.com.
Proud sponsors of the 2023 MLF Toyota Series include: 4WP, 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Black Rifle Coffee Company, E3, Favorite Fishing, Fox Rent a Car, General Tire, Gill, Grundéns, Lew’s, Lowrance, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Wiley X and YETI.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Toyota Series updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the MLF5 social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
Kennie Steverson Slows Way Down to Win MLF Toyota Series Southern Division Opener at Harris Chain of Lakes
Florida Pro Dominates on Lake Apopka to Take Home Top Payout of $102,000
LEESBURG, Fla. (Feb. 4, 2023) – After bringing 24 pounds to the scale on Day 1 and 27 pounds, 11 ounces to the scale on Day 2, Umatilla, Florida pro Kennie Steverson brought a five-bass limit to the scale Friday weighing 20 pounds, 2 ounces close out the win at the Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats at the Harris Chain of Lakes and earn the top payout of $102,000. Over the three days of competition Steverson’s catch of 15 bass totaling 71-13 earned him the win by a commanding 7-pound, 6-ounce margin over Eric Panzironi of Longwood, Florida, who finished runner-up with a three-day total of 64-7, good for $27,500.
Each day Steverson traveled from the launch in Lake Harris to Lake Apopka, roughly 60 miles per day, round trip, for a total of 180 miles on the week. With 260 boats in the field, and so many locking through Apopka’s tiny three-boat lock, the wait times were roughly 1½ to 2 hours to get through the lock. Each day, Steverson averaged just 3 hours of fishing time in Apopka. Since each official tournament day is 8 hours long, across three competition days he had a total of 24 hours to fish, but only fished 9 of those hours – basically just one-third of the allotted hours to fish.
“I got a bunch of bites in Apopka in practice, but didn’t set on them. So I really didn’t know what I had,” Steverson said. “But once I drew boat two on Day 1, I knew I could be the first through the lock and have first pick of the water down there. I had to go, it was like a guarantee that no one else would be on the stretch I wanted to fish.”
Anyone who has tournament fished knows that when making long runs, especially through locks, when you finally get to your water and you’re the first one there; you can’t help but be just a little jacked up when you land. With so much fishing time sacrificed, the tendency is to fish fast and cover water – but, not for Steverson.
Once he hit the Power-Poles and came to a screeching halt in the shallow reeds of Apopka, that was it. That’s where he was fishing. All told, Steverson’s best stretch was maybe 100 yards long. But he didn’t fish all 100 yards each day. Instead, he slowly digested only 30 to 40 yards of it per day.
Steverson said he needled the hay grass and reeds with a standard 6-inch Yamamoto Senko on a 1/2-ounce weight, tied to 65-pound-test Fitzgerald Vursa Braid. The power end of the business was done with a 7-foot, 6-inch Fitzgerald All-Purpose rod with a Fitzgerald Stunner reel.
“I’m a slow fisherman by nature anyway,” he said. “So, these Florida bass sort of suit my style because you can’t rush them. I’ve learned to take my time, let them get comfortable and pick them apart as slow as possible, even when I only have 2½ hours to fish.”
The top 10 pros on the Harris Chain of Lakes finished:
1st: Kennie Steverson, Umatilla, Fla., 15 bass, 71-13, $102,000 (includes $35,000 Phoenix MLF Bonus)
2nd: Eric Panzironi, Longwood, Fla., 15 bass, 64-7, $27,500
3rd: Jared Lintner, Covington, Ga., 15 bass, 63-14, $18,000
4th: Ron Nelson, Berrien Springs, Mich., 15 bass, 63-0, $16,000
5th: Cory Johnston, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, 15 bass, 61-11, $15,000
6th: Chad Mrazek, Montgomery, Texas, 15 bass, 57-4, $11,500
7th: Ken Thompson, Roaring Springs, Pa., 13 bass, 55-10, $10,000
8th: Darold Gleason, Many, La., 15 bass, 52-11, $8,500
9th: Rodney Marks, Apopka, Fla., 15 bass, 51-13, $7,500
10th: Tyler Sheppard, Yulee, Fla., 15 bass, 50-12, $5,500
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
In addition to his tournament winner payout, Steverson also took home the $500 Day 1 Berkley Big Bass award in the pro division Wednesday with a chunky largemouth weighing 9 pounds, 10 ounces. On Thursday, pro Jessie Mizell of Myakka City, Florida, earned the $500 Berkley Big Bass prize after bringing a 9-pound, 11-ounce bass to the scale.
Steverson earned an extra $35,000 as the highest finishing Phoenix MLF Bonus member. Boaters are eligible to win up to an extra $35,000 per event in each Toyota Series tournament if all requirements are met. More information on the Phoenix MLF Bonus contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.
Erik Kraft of Port Saint Lucie, Florida, won the Strike King Co-angler Division Friday with a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 52 pounds, 7 ounces. Kraft took home the top prize package worth $38,500, including a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard motor.
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers on the Harris Chain of Lakes finished:
1st: Erik Kraft, Port Saint Lucie, Fla., 15 bass, 52-7, $38,500 incl. Phoenix 518 Pro boat w/115-hp Mercury outboard
2nd: Alan Hults, Gautier, Miss., 15 bass, 44-4, $8,000
3rd: Bryan Ray, Lake Leelanau, Mich., 13 bass, 43-1, $6,500
4th: Joseph Owens, Leesburg, Fla., 15 bass, 41-8, $5,000
5th: Billy Charland, Lakeland, Fla., 13 bass, 39-13, $4,500
6th: Davis Dimauro, Longwood, Fla., 15 bass, 39-0, $3,900
7th: Nate Bloom, Winter Springs, Fla., 15 bass, 37-13, $3,250
8th: Scott Spencer, Raleigh, N.C., 15 bass, 35-15, $2,500
9th: Jeff Roper, Mineral Bluff, Ga., 13 bass, 35-5, $1,800
10th: Keith Honeycutt, Temple, Texas, 15 bass, 34-15, $1,600
Dimauro was the Berkley Big Bass $150 award winner in the Strike King co-angler division, Wednesday, with an 8-pound, 11-ounce fish, while Thursday’s Day 2 $150 award went to Zack Barrera of Morriston, Florida, with a 7-pound, 13-ounce fish.
With one regular-season event in the Toyota Series Southern Division now complete, Steverson leads the Southern Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 260 points, while Kraft leads the Strike King Co-angler Division AOY race with 260 points.
The Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats at the Harris Chain of Lakes, hosted by Visit Lake County, Florida, was the first of three regular-season events for the Toyota Series Southern Division. The next event for Toyota Series anglers will be the Central Division opener – the Toyota Series at Lake Guntersville, Feb. 16-18, in Scottsboro, Alabama. For a complete schedule of events, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The 2023 Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats consists of six divisions – Central, Northern, Plains, Southern, Southwestern and the Western Division Presented by Tackle Warehouse – each holding three regular-season events, along with the International and Wild Card divisions. Anglers who fish in any of the six divisions or the Wild Card division and finish in the top 25 will qualify for the no-entry-fee Toyota Series Championship for a shot at winning up to $235,000 and a qualification to REDCREST V. The winning Strike King co-angler at the championship earns a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard. The 2023 Toyota Series Championship will be held Nov. 2-4 on Table Rock Lake in Branson, Missouri, and is hosted by ExploreBranson.com.
Proud sponsors of the 2023 MLF Toyota Series include: 4WP, 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Black Rifle Coffee Company, E3, Favorite Fishing, Fox Rent a Car, General Tire, Gill, Grundéns, Lew’s, Lowrance, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Wiley X and YETI.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Toyota Series updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the MLF5 social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
THE 2023 THE NATIONAL PROFESSIONAL FISHING LEAGUE FIELD IS SET: IT’S TIME TO GO FISHING
The NPFL announces its 76 angler 2023 season roster, including 2021 and 2022 Progressive Angler of the Year Winners Keith Carson and Gary Adkins
Story by Justin Brouillard | Photos by Tanner & Travis Lyons
WILKESVILLE, OH (Jan 3, 2022) — The National Professional Fishing League season is set to begin at Pickwick Lake in March, and the 2023 field is set. The 2023 field consists of 76 anglers competing for the $100,000 first place regular season event first place payout with the top 25 in Progressive Angler of the Year points fishing for an additional $100,000 prize at the no entry-fee Championship on Lake Amistad. In addition, the 2023 AOY winner will receive $20,000 and paid entry to the 2024 NPFL season.
“We are extremely excited for the anglers that have chosen to fish with ‘The League’ for the 2023 season,” said Paul Benson of the NPFL. “The diversity and quality of anglers within the field will make for some exciting coverage for fans to follow along this year on PHYX TV.”
The field consists of seasoned veterans with over 40 years of tournament fishing experience and some anglers who are taking their first shot at competing on the National level. The NPFL is hyper focused on expanding the platform and extending coverage to help anglers build their brands.
“We look forward to seeing what this field puts together throughout the season as they fish for a shot to compete for the 2023 NPFL Championship at Lake Amistad,” added Benson.
The Official 2023 field:
Barron Adams
Gary Adkins
T.R. Andreas
Charlie Apperson
Stuart Arthur
Hunter Baughman
Daniel Blackert
Michael Brewer
Brian Brooks
Nick Brown
Tim Cales
Quentin Cappo
Keith Carson
Douglas Chapin
Brant Cochran
Sheldon Collings
Michael Comeau
Richard Cooper
Mike Corbishley
John Cox
John Cox
Kyle Delong
Billy Doyle
Michael E Alls
Mitchell Elsey
Louis Fernandes
Bradley Fetters
Jeff Fitts
Todd Goade
Billy Hackworth
Hayden Hammond
Will Harkins
Chip Harrington
Brian Hatfield
Stephanie Hemphill-Pellerin
Jeff Hodges
Charlie Ingram
Travis Jewell
Ron Johnson
Robert Keck
Richard Kee
Scott Lindstam Jr.
Matt Looney
Stuart Martel
Lendell Martin
Kevin Martin
Matt Massey
Daniel McGehee
Reagan Nelson
Jordan Nettles
Lane Olson
Trent Palmer
Brandon Perkins
John Polasini
Timothy Reams
Jason Reyes
Darrel Robertson
Kevin Rogers
Angel Rosario
Ryan Satterfield
Adam Savage
Craig Saylor
Marc Schilling
Dustin Smith
Brad Staley
Randy Sullivan
Landon Tucker
Patrick Walters
Josh Watkins
Mitchell Webb
Danny Weems
Larry Wilcher jr.
Dustin Wilkey
Jason Wilson
Jesse Wise
Michael Yoder
Learn more about the NPFL, here.
Doing what it takes
The guys welcome in MLF Southwestern Toyota Series winner Dakota Ebare to talk about the win on his home lake. Dakota also shares his approach to being competitive in the tournament game. Hit that play button!
Missouri native ready to “Tackle the Outdoors” thanks to Toyota
February 2, 2023
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Grand-prize winner Stephen Lane is ready to kick off a new year thanks to Toyota’s Tackle the Outdoors sweepstakes. Lane’s grand prize included a 2023 Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro and a custom DECKED Drawer System plus $1,200 in Marathon fuel and a $1,000 Omnia Fishing gift card — a total value of more than $56,600.
Lane, an insurance professional from Kansas City, Mo., was one of 45,581 people to enter the sweepstakes at Bassmaster.com and looks forward to breaking in his new Toyota 4Runner on a big adventure alongside his wife Lauren, two young daughters and Rosie, their Boxer puppy.
“We do not have any set plans just yet, but the wheels are in motion,” said Lane. “We have family up in the Chicago area, so our first thought is to head that way for a long weekend this summer. Or maybe we will road trip to the Grand Canyon and really put these gas cards to use? The opportunities are endless!”
Lane credits his grandfather with fostering his love of fishing and the outdoors from a young age, something his family is continuing.
“For as long as I can remember, my family spent a week up in northern Wisconsin as part of our summer vacation,” he said. “My grandpa was an avid fisherman and found a small house on Lake Chetek, so we would visit him and my grandma each summer.”
Lane will be picking up his 2023 Toyota 4Runner in early February at a Kansas City-area Toyota dealership.
“On behalf of Toyota and the Kansas City Area Dealers, we’re delighted to help Stephen and his family tackle the outdoors with this new 4Runner,” said Adam Benlon, marketing manager for the Kansas City region.
For more information on current sweepstakes, visit Bassmaster.com/current-sweepstakes.
NPAA Honors Members and Partners
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Supporting Partner of the Year Award, Look to the Future Award, and $4,500 For Florida Guide Relief presented at 2023 Annual Conference. |
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Forestville, WI (February 2, 2023) – The National Professional Anglers Association (NPAA) has a well-earned reputation for representing all who make a living in the sportfishing industry. With a passionate and growing membership of nearly 1,400 members including everyone from guides and captains to tournament anglers, fishing department associates and management, manufacturing personnel, engine mechanics, professional rep groups and tackle shop staff, the non-profit organization is fully immersed in sportfishing advocacy, promoting entry into the sport, and providing superior networking opportunities to its members and nearly 80 supporting partners. “We are laser-focused on growing and protecting the vital interests of the sportfishing industry,” says NPAA president, Patrick Neu, “But our mission takes more than just a community effort, it requires support from some very special members and partners that go above and beyond, time and again. I think it’s important to recognize and honor those difference makers for their outstanding efforts, which we do each year at our Annual Conference.” To that end, NPAA made three major presentations at their 2023 Annual Conference, held in Ft. Myers, Florida, this past January. |
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Mercury Tournament Manager Michelle Kilburn and NPAA President Pat Neu |
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Mercury Marine Corporation and Michelle Kilburn, Mercury’s Manager of Tournaments and Endorsements, was presented with the NPAA 2022 ”Supporting Partner of the Year Award.” This recognizes an NPAA partner that has displayed outstanding support to the organization’s members while contributing to the overall health of the sportfishing industry. Mercury was a presenting sponsor of the 2023 Meet and Greet Event at the Conference, sponsored headline speaker Gerald Swindle’s appearance at the conference, and shared information about the NPAA with their pro-staff through their pro-staff newsletter this past year. For years, the company has asked pro-staff applicants if they are members of NPAA, listing the organization as being supportive of conservation and the overall good of the industry. “Michelle Kilburn,” added Neu, "has been an extremely helpful and engaged NPAA partner for years and was instrumental in our decision to take our conference south and hold it in Fort Myers this year. We truly appreciate her insightful input and hard work on behalf of NPAA and the sport.” |
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John Gillman |
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NPAA presented John Gillman with its “2022 Look to the Future Award,” in recognition of an individual that has contributed greatly to the future of sportfishing through efforts to support growth in angling participation. “What John does for the NPAA and the sportfishing community through donation of his time and the services of his business is just outstanding,” said Neu. “His business demands an incredible amount of his time, and he yet still finds time to work on behalf of both the NPAA and Future Angling Foundation (FAF). John’s business, ATX, warehouses the FAF grant product. They pack it, ship it, and invoice the FAF for just the freight at their cost, which is about a third less than we can ship it for ourselves – and they do all that basically for free. John truly deserves this award – and a whole lot more. We can’t thank him enough for all his help.” “This is just my way of giving back. If everybody gives back just a little bit, it makes a huge difference – and it’s a really good feeling,” said Gillman after accepting his award. |
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Check in hand, Barbara Alderson, Campaign Manager for United Way of Lee County, Florida (left), and Mollie Simpkins, Co-Founder & Executive Director of the Guide Relief Program, are all smiles accepting a donation earmarked to help Florida guides recover losses of business and equipment due to Hurricane Ian. |
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Additionally, NPAA was able to award $1,500 to The Guide Relief Program, headed by member Mollie Simpkins, of Montana, which aims to support those who make a living fishing anywhere in the country, especially after disaster strikes. Her campaign was able to triple that contribution thanks to matching funds provided by The Orvis Company and The Boat Company, resulting in a $4,500 donation to the Collaboratory and The United Way of Lee County, Florida, to help guides recover losses of business and equipment due to Hurricane Ian. “In a nutshell, this is what the NPAA is all about,” concluded Neu. “This organization is here to grow, support, advocate for and aid those making a living in the sportfishing industry in whatever ways we can. We have a growing and passionate membership, and I couldn’t be prouder to be a part of this beneficial organization - especially when you look back over the past year and see how so many members pitched in, pulled together and truly made a difference. I thank our award winners for their tireless efforts and gestures of good will. With members and partners like you on board there’s no doubt NPAA will continue to thrive and remain a positive force in the sportfishing community and industry going forward.” NPAA represents all who make a living in the sportfishing industry. In addition to superior networking opportunities, sportfishing advocacy and promoting entry into the sport, the organization offers a monthly member newsletter, a weekly industry NewsBLAST, and access to significant discounts on gear and services provided by many of its nearly 80 supporting partners. For more information on joining the NPAA and exploring the many benefits membership provides, visit www.npaa.net. |
FISHERY MANAGEMENT SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM ANNOUNCED BY BASS FISHING HALL OF FAME
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – February 1, 2023 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Making sure the many lakes and reservoirs in the U.S. and Canada where anglers pursue bass are healthy and vibrant relies a great deal on the efforts from federal, state, and provincial fishery management professionals. To assure those efforts are supported, and to provide financial resources for high school and college bass anglers looking to pursue careers in the fishery management field, the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame Board is instituting a college scholarship program for students seeking a degree in a natural resource field with an end goal of becoming a practicing fishery manager.
Up to $15,000 will be awarded in July 2023 to the selected applicants. Applications for the scholarship are now being accepted at https://www.bassfishinghof.com/scholarship.
“Within many fishery management agencies, there is a definitive need to fill vacant positions with qualified individuals who understand and have a passion for both the sport of bass fishing and the science needed to manage those fisheries,” said BFHOF Board president John Mazurkiewicz. “Spearheaded by Gene Gilliland, Casey Shedd, and our Conservation Committee, this new scholarship program fits in ideally with the Hall’s mission of celebrating, promoting, and preserving the sport by supporting those whose future career path will focus on healthy fisheries, needed access, and clean rivers, lakes and reservoirs.”
Gilliland notes that scholarship applicants must be a high school senior who has committed to enroll or be an undergraduate and graduate student currently enrolled in a four-year college, university, or accredited graduate program. They must declare or have declared a major in biology, aquatic ecology, fisheries, marine science, or a closely related natural resources field. “We’re also asking every applicant to submit a short essay explaining their goals for a career in natural resources and to describe their dream agency job, along with proof of membership in a recognized bass fishing organization or provide a copy of a valid fishing license,” said Gilliland.
The BFHOF Fishery Management Scholarship Program form outlines all the application requirements. Gilliland also mentioned all applications will be reviewed by an independent panel that includes individuals involved in fishery management issues in both the U.S. and Canada, including Phil Morlock, Director of Government Affairs with the Canadian Sportfishing Industry Association; Chris Horton, Senior Director of Fisheries Policy with the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation; Ross Self, Chief of Inland Fisheries for the South Carolina DNR; and Dr. Mark Rogers, Tennessee Cooperative Fishery Research Unit Leader at Tennessee Tech University.
The application deadline is May 31, 2023 and the scholarship winners are notified by early July. For student financial aid requirements, the monetary award from the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame is considered a stipend for use by the student for any school-related expenses.
For more information on the BFHOF Fishery Management Scholarship program, visit https://www.bassfishinghof.com/scholarship
Environmental Efforts Paying off for Z-Man® Fishing
Leading tackle company's conservation commitment moves toward carbon neutrality, zero waste and healthy fisheries
Ladson, SC (February 1, 2023) – Beyond an obsession for battling big fish, there’s one thing upon which anglers almost universally agree: Clean, healthy waterways and flourishing fish habitat lie at the heart of everything we hold sacred.
Count the people at Z-Man Fishing among America’s 60 million anglers—everyday folks you might meet at the tackle shop or along the shoreline. At some point each day, we’ll stop casting, survey our surroundings and simply marvel at the beauty both above the surface and below; we’ll pause to ponder what this awe-inspiring place might look like, 5, 10 or 100 years from now. It’s at times like these that anglers grasp their power to write the future—the same reason Z-Man has for years been working creatively, quietly, to help sustain healthy, vibrant fisheries behind the scenes.
It began early in the company’s 30-year history. From the beginning, Z-Man understood the value of supporting causes that ensure long-term sustainability of fisheries and aquatic environments. These motivations are evident in Z-Man’s product line itself, as its 10X Tough ElaZtech® soft plastic material exhibits advantages that lessen its environmental impact relative to other soft baits.
Not only does ElaZtech’s boosted durability reduce the number of soft plastic baits used by anglers, ingested by fish or discarded in the water, Z-Man’s specialized material is also one-hundred percent non-toxic and free from harmful chemicals like phthalates. Additionally, ElaZtech floats and is FDA Food Grade compliant—as opposed to traditional plastisol baits, which sink to the bottom and can be ingested by fish and other wildlife, sometimes causing digestive problems among other issues. Conversely, any inadvertently discarded ElaZtech baits will float and can be easily scooped from the water’s surface for proper disposal.
ElaZtech baits are 100-percent non-toxic and naturally buoyant, allowing for easy retreival and disposal.
Sustaining the Aquatic Ecosystem
Part of Z-Man’s mission has always been to further causes that preserve healthy ecosystems and enhance fishing opportunities. Today, Z-Man’s support of such initiatives ranges from backing action-oriented groups like Captains for Clean Water and Release Over 20 to empowering future fisheries management via Z-Man endowed graduate research assistantships at the University of Florida’s Nature Coast Biological Station in Cedar Key.
When seeking out opportunities to conserve cherished fisheries by minimizing its impact on nature, Z-Man management identified essential actions toward meaningfully reducing its carbon footprint. “Two aspects of our manufacturing process that we’ve always felt could be improved upon include minimizing the power we pull from the electrical grid and finding a way to recycle manufacturing waste from our ElaZtech production line,” remarks Z-Man President Daniel Nussbaum, a longtime conservationist and forward-thinking fishing industry executive. “Most any company can purchase enough carbon offsets to claim that it’s carbon neutral, but our goal was to find ways to actually reduce the impact of our production-related activities.” As a result of its initiatives, Z-Man recently achieved exciting benchmarks in an ongoing quest to give back to aquatic environments.
Sun-Powered Bait Making
Last year, phase one of the Z-Man sustainability program included installing a broad solar-panel array with the goal of self-generating a perpetual power supply. By nature, solar is a low emission power source; solar panels themselves produce zero pollution. Conventional energy sources, by contrast, typically involve the burning of fossil fuels, which emit up to 37 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide into the global atmosphere, annually.1
Nussbaum summarizes the early returns: “Following just one year of solar power generation, we’re nearly one-hundred percent self-sufficient,” he says. “In fact, rather than paying big energy bills during the summer, we’re actually selling electricity back to the power company. It’s a pretty exciting development that’s exceeded our initial hopes and started us well down a path toward minimizing our carbon footprint.”
ElaZtech Softbait Recyling
Specific to the on-site manufacture of its environmentally benign ElaZtech softbaits, Z-Man recently achieved a second sustainability milestone. For the last few years, Z-Man staff has been searching for ways to prevent its manufacturing waste from entering landfills. Despite challenges in recycling this unique material—largely due to the pigments, glitter and salt used in fishing lure production—Z-Man ultimately devised a successful plan.
“Even though ElaZtech is completely non-toxic, we still felt it was critical to keep our leftover manufacturing material out of landfills,” asserts Nussbaum, who helped formulate a two-part solution. “First, we worked hard to devise a way to efficiently reprocess around sixty percent of our scrap ElaZtech material to manufacture new baits. We also re-use the excess material to flush out and clean our machines.
“Second, and maybe the most exciting aspect of our plan is working with a third-party re-processor of manufacturing waste that is able to repurpose the material,” Nussbaum continues. “After years of searching, we finally found a company that is able to use our ElaZtech waste as an ingredient in new shoe soles. Besides the environmental benefits of keeping these materials out of landfills, recycling has yielded a major cost savings over traditional waste disposal methods.”
At least part of the allure of fishing is that all participants can create positive, edifying outcomes while on the water—from catch and release to collecting trash along the shoreline and properly disposing of used fishing line and lures. Easy solutions are already at our fingertips, individually or organization wide. Every effort helps, always with the promise of sustaining natural places where water flows and wild fish reside.
B.A.S.S. announces extended multiyear sponsorship deal with Garmin
Garmin has extended its multiyear supporting sponsorship of the Bassmaster Tournament Trail. Twenty-two members of the brand’s national pro team will be competing on the 2023 Bassmaster Elite Series.
Photo by B.A.S.S.
February 1, 2023
B.A.S.S. announces extended multiyear sponsorship deal with Garmin
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — B.A.S.S. and Garmin (NYSE: GRMN), the world’s most innovative and recognized marine electronics manufacturer, have renewed their multiyear sponsorship of the Bassmaster Tournament Trail.
“We are excited to continue our sponsorship of B.A.S.S. and further strengthen our long-standing relationship with this iconic fishing brand,” said Dave Dunn, Garmin senior director of marine and RV sales. “The Bassmaster Tournament Trail embodies the spirit of our brand, and it’s a great place for us to showcase our award-winning products and technologies to anglers and fans of all ages and skill levels.”
As a sponsor, Garmin will have an opportunity to engage with avid fans during the Bassmaster Outdoors Expo at Elite events and live weigh-ins for the Bassmaster Elite Series, St. Croix Bassmaster Opens Series, TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Series, Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Strike King Bassmaster High School Series presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors and Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Team Championship.
Additionally, just for being the highest-finishing Garmin angler, competitors can win $500 in the Bassmaster Opens and B.A.S.S. Nation regional championships or a $500 gift card in College and High School Series events thanks to the Garmin Tournament Rewards program.
The relationship between Garmin and B.A.S.S. is already strong, with 22 members of the brand’s national pro team competing on the 2023 Bassmaster Elite Series, ranging from veteran angler Todd Auten to the winners of the last three Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classics, Hank Cherryand Jason Christie.
MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitationals Set to Kick Off 2023 Season Opener with Power-Pole Stop 1 on Lake Okeechobee
Full Field of 150 Professional Anglers to Compete for Top Prize of up to $115,000 and Total Season Purse of More Than $3.9 Million
CLEWISTON, Fla. (Jan. 31, 2023) – Major League Fishing (MLF), the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, is set to return to Clewiston, Florida next week, Feb. 8-10, for the season-opening MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitational Power-Pole Stop 1 at Lake Okeechobee Presented by Phoenix Boats . New in 2023, the MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitational features a roster of 150 anglers competing for a top prize of up to $115,000 and an invitation to compete at REDCREST V – the Bass Pro Tour championship – for the chance to win up to $300,000.
Hosted by the Hendry County Tourism Development Council, the tournament marks the first of six Tackle Warehouse Invitational events in 2023, offering competitors a total season purse of more than $3.9 million. The field is also competing for valuable points to win the coveted Invitational Angler of the Year (AOY) title. The top eight pros in the Tackle Warehouse Invitational AOY standings at the end of the season will receive an invitation to compete on the Bass Pro Tour.
Over the past 29 years, MLF has held 161 tournaments on Lake Okeechobee – affectionately referred to as the “Big O” – making it the second most popular fishery visited by MLF. Only MLF’s home waters of Kentucky and Barkley Lakes has held more MLF stops, with 203 tournaments held there over the years.
“Hendry County Tourism is excited to continue our long-standing partnership with Major League Fishing and host anglers for the Tackle Warehouse Invitational,” said Emily Hunter, Tourism Coordinator for Hendry County. “We look forward to another successful tournament and welcome those visiting Hendry County.”
The distinguished field of anglers includes local favorite Jared McMillan of Clewiston, Florida, and nine other Florida pros, including Shaw Grigsby of Gainesville, Florida and Val Osinski of Fort Lauderdale, Florida , who has three career victories on Lake Okeechobee in MLF competition. They will be joined by 140 additional pros – 13 of which compete on the MLF Bass Pro Tour, including back-to-back Bass Pro Tour AOY winner Jacob Wheeler of Harrison, Tennessee and reigning Pro Circuit AOY Michael Neal of Dayton, Tennessee.
In MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitational competition, the full field of 150 anglers compete in the two-day opening round on Wednesday and Thursday in a traditional five-fish, weigh-in format. Only the top 50 pros based on their two-day cumulative weight will advance to the final round on Championship Friday, where they will compete for the grand prize of up to $115,000, including the lucrative $35,000 Phoenix MLF Bonus for qualified anglers. The winner of the MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitational Power-Pole Stop 1 at Lake Okeechobee Presented by Phoenix Boats will be determined by the heaviest three-day cumulative weight and will receive an invitation to compete at REDCREST V in 2024.
In addition, the season-long Invitational AOY will also earn a berth into REDCREST V.
McMillan said this will be the third time he’s started a season on his home lake, and although he feels pressure and expectation to do well, there’s nowhere else he’d rather kick off the 2023 season.
“I was really excited to see that we were starting on Lake Okeechobee when the 2023 schedule was released, but after a significant hurricane season and heavy flooding, it’s fishing a little sub-par at the moment,” said McMillan. “It was about 2-foot above regular pool a month ago before it went off-limits, but it’s dropped about six inches within the past month, so hopefully it will continue dropping and will be back up to speed by the time the event starts. A lot can change in a month in Florida, so I’m excited to get out there and see what we’re working with.”
The Strike King pro said there’s plenty of good, submerged grass on the lake, but anglers will have to contend with a lot of muddy water.
“Guys are pretty much going to find the fish in 2 to 4 feet of water everywhere around the lake – it’s just going to be a matter of finding good clean grass and good clean water, along with mixed vegetation and a little bit of bait,” said McMillan. “There will be a couple of popular areas with tons of boats in them, but the anglers who can find something outside of those main areas should do really well.”
The Clewiston pro said he expects to see standard Okeechobee baits in play during the event. Z-Man ChatterBaits, Zoom Speed Worms, Yamamoto Senkos and other topwater baits will be key, although once the fish are found, McMillan said guys should be able to catch them on anything they want. The key, he said, will be to locate good areas.
“It looks like some big bags have been caught in local tournaments over the past week or so, so I think the fishery might be turning back around and looking a lot better than it was when we went off limits,” said McMillan. “We’ve seen 25-pound bags win in those recent events, which is really good.
“I think we’re going to see some of those good bags,” he continued. “I don’t think we’ll see them three days in a row, but I think you’ll see one or two big bags each day from different people, and an angler who can be consistent all three days will probably end up winning the event.”
McMillan said he believes it will take an average of 19 to 21 pounds per day to finish the event in first.
“I do think someone will have to catch a big bag at least one of the days to take home the big check,” said McMillan. “But I don’t think you’ll see one guy stay at 21 pounds a day for three days – that’s just hard to do in Florida.”
Anglers will take off at 7 a.m. ET, Wednesday through Friday, from Roland & Mary Ann Martin’s Marina & Resort located at 920 W. Del Monte Ave. in Clewiston. Weigh-ins will also be held at the marina daily beginning at 2:50 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend the event or follow the live on-the-water action all three days of competition online on MLF NOW! beginning at 7:30 a.m. ET at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitational Power-Pole Stop 1 at Lake Okeechobee Presented by Phoenix Boats will feature live on-the-water coverage and a two-hour action-packed television show that will premiere on the CBS Sports Network on Saturday, September 30th.
Proud sponsors of the 2023 MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitationals include: 4WP, 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, E3, Favorite Fishing, Fox Rent a Car, General Tire, Grundéns, Lew’s, Lowrance, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix Boats, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Wiley X and YETI.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Tackle Warehouse Invitationals on the MLF5 social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
Toyota adds Mark Daniels Jr.
Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships
Texas-based Toyota Motor North America proudly announces the addition of Mark Daniels Jr. to their professional bass angling team.
Daniels, who holds a degree in environmental science from Tuskegee University, is a perennial championship qualifier and a long-time member of the Toyota Bonus Bucks program.
“Not only does Mark have a long history of purchasing and towing with our Tundras, but he is also a tremendous person, a devoted family man, a consistent championship qualifier, and a fun, humble, guy who loves to engage with fishing fans. We’re grateful to have a person of his caliber as part of Team Toyota,” says Steve Appelbaum, National Manager, Sponsorship Integration, Toyota Motor North America.
“I’ve towed with a Toyota the majority of my pro career, and my Tundras have always been incredibly reliable, which means I never have to worry about making it safely and on time to the next tournament,” says Daniels, who has two tour-level wins.
“To be honest, even though I’ve been a full-time pro for a decade now, there’s still a big part of me that’s a fan of the guys I grew up watching on TV like Kevin VanDam. Not to mention so many of the other iconic anglers that are a part of Team Toyota. So, to join such an awesome group is pretty humbling,” adds Daniels.
The addition of Daniels is a testament to Toyota’s ongoing support of bass fishing, as both a sponsor of numerous top-level tournament trails, along with top pros, and amateur anglers too through its Toyota Bonus Bucks program.
Calvert Tops Field to Win Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Lewis Smith Lake
Fernandez Claims Strike King Co-Angler Division
JASPER, Ala. (Jan. 30, 2023) – Boater Roman Calvert of Jasper, Alabama, caught a five-bass limit weighing 17 pounds, 9 ounces, Saturday to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on Lewis Smith Lake. The tournament, hosted by the Walker County Chamber of Commerce, was the first event of the season for the BFL Choo Choo Division. Calvert earned $6,000 for his victory.
Calvert, who calls Lewis Smith his home waters, practiced for two days for the tournament but said his practice didn’t really produce the results he expected.
“Normally on Smith, I look for a herring bite offshore,” said Calvert. “The first half day of practice I looked for that bite, and just couldn’t find one. So, I decided to stop in a ditch and throw a swimbait and a shaky-head rig.”
Smith said that approach was unproductive on tournament day, so he relocated to another area he had found in practice. After that area failed to produce, he changed yet again and targeted laydowns with a wakebait.
“Finally, about 9:30 I caught a 5-9 largemouth with the wakebait,” Calvert said. “Then I started running stuff that I was familiar with. Most of it was laydowns, brush piles and docks with brush. Most of it had to do with fishing wood with a jig. I ran that pattern the rest of the day.”
Smith finished out the afternoon targeting fish from Duncan Bridge to the dam, and said he boated a total of seven fish during the day – including two big largemouth and three spotted bass that made up his weigh bag.
“I knew I had more than 17 pounds in the livewell, and I knew that it had been taking 17 to 18 pounds to win the local tournaments,” Calvert said. “I told my co-angler I thought I had enough to win it.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:
1st: Roman Calvert, Jasper, Ala., five bass, 17-9, $6,000
2nd: Austin Swindle, Parrish, Ala., five bass, 15-15, $3,000
3rd: Mark McCaig, Oxford, Ala., five bass, 15-7, $2,500 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
4th: Scott Wright, Carbon Hill, Ala., five bass, 15-5, $1,400
5th: Jordan Lee, Cullman, Ala., five bass, 15-3, $1,200
6th: Jeremy Hopper, Vinemont, Ala., five bass, 14-15, $1,050
6th: Jordan Wiggins, Cullman, Ala., five bass, 14-15, $1,050
8th: Matt Lee, Cullman, Ala., five bass, 14-0, $900
9th: Bobby Padgett, Lagrange, Ga., five bass, 13-14, $800
10th: Jennings Earnest, Guin, Ala., five bass, 13-12, $665
10th: Sean Buntin, Cullman, Ala., four bass, 13-12, $665
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Bryan Simmons of Leoma, Tennessee, caught a bass that weighed 7 pounds, 8 ounces and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $1,000.
Chase Fernandez of Post Falls, Idaho, won the Strike King co-angler division and a total of $3,000 Saturday, after bringing five bass to the scale that totaled 12 pounds, 9 ounces.
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers finished:
1st: Chase Fernandez, Post Falls, Idaho, five bass, 12-9, $3,000
2nd: Alex Singleton, Rome, Ga., five bass, 12-8, $1,500
3rd: Chris Kirksey, Fairmount, Ga., five bass, 11-15, $1,000
4th: Eric Owens, Danville, Ala., five bass, 10-8, $700
5th: Mike Slaughter, Hartselle, Ala., five bass, 10-7, $600
6th: Doug Vaughn, Houston, Ala., five bass, 10-2, $550
7th: Kyle Smith, Crane Hill, Ala.., five bass, 10-1, $500
8th: Rex Henry, Hixson, Tenn., four bass, 9-14, $450
9th: Dennis Sandoval, Decatur, Ala., five bass, 9-11, $950
10th: Mitchell Peterson, Trussville, Ala., five bass, 9-8, $350
Alex Roberts of Franklin, Tennessee, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $500, catching a bass that weighed in at 4 pounds, 14 ounces – the largest co-angler catch of the day.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, will qualify for the Oct. 12-14 BFL Regional tournament on Lake Eufaula in Eufaula, Alabama. Boaters will fish for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $50,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.
The 2023 Phoenix BFL Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 events throughout the season, five qualifying tournaments in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five qualifying event winners, will advance to one of six BFL Regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. The 2023 All-American event will take place May 31-June 2, on Lake Hartwell in Seneca, South Carolina. The event is hosted by Visit Oconee SC.
Proud sponsors of the 2023 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 4WP, 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, E3, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, General Tire, Grundéns, Gill, Lew’s, Lowrance, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, Wiley X and YETI.
For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Bass Fishing League updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
Wagner Runs Away From Field with Victory at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Lake Keowee
Warrington Wins Strike King Co-Angler Division
SENECA, S.C. (Jan. 30, 2023) – Boater Emil Wagner of Marietta, Georgia, caught a five-bass limit weighing 18 pounds even - one ounce shy of three pounds more than second place - Saturday to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on Lake Keowee . The tournament, hosted by Visit Oconee, was the first event of the season for the BFL Savannah River Division. Wagner earned $12,455, including the lucrative $7,000 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus, for his victory.
“I started the day mid-lake and caught one really big one, then it went into a bit of a lull,” said Wagner. “At 10 o’clock I caught a 5-(pound) 9-(ounce) spot and then continued to work my way up and down the lake and hit as many sweet spots – roadbeds and stuff that I had marked - as I could.”
Wagner said the majority of his fish fell for a worm and a swimbait fished in 25 to 30 feet of water. He said he caught around 25 bass during the course of the day – 20 of them keepers.
“There were some really big schools in the ditches,” Wagner said. “Anything that had a point and a ditch or deep water next to it was good. I had a few brush piles, but they didn’t really play into my day that much.
“I caught my two biggest by 10 o’clock, then kept culling until my other fish were 2½-pounders,” Wagner said. “I knew I had close to 18 pounds and a shot to win. I finished second there three times last year, and I was really starting to doubt if I could win or not, so this feels really good.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:
1st: Emil Wagner, Marietta, Ga., five bass, 18-0, $12,455 (includes $7,000 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
2nd: Jason Burroughs, Hodges, S.C., four bass, 15-1, $3,068
3rd: Joe Eubanks, Marietta, Ga., five bass, 13-12, $1,176
3rd: Alan Poston, Travelers Rest, S.C., five bass, 13-12, $1,176
5th: Greg Glouse, Liberty, S.C., five bass, 13-11, $1,081
6th: Paul Marks, Cumming, Ga., five bass, 13-9, $762
7th: Lane Clark, Anderson, S.C., five bass, 13-6, $693
8th: Darren Ashley, Calhoun Falls, S.C., five bass, 13-2, $623
9th: B.J. Ballard, Abbeville, S.C., five bass, 13-1, $554
10th: Andrew Allen, Waterloo, S.C., five bass, 13-0, $485
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Burroughs caught a bass that weighed 5 pounds, 13 ounces, the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $570.
Caleb Warrington of Watkinsville, Georgia, won the Strike King co-angler division and a total of $2,064 Saturday, after bringing five bass to the scale that totaled 10 pounds, 2 ounces.
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers finished:
1st: Caleb Warrington, Watkinsville, Ga., five bass, 10-2, $2,064
2nd: Trey Paul, Anderson, S.C., five bass, 9-11, $1,032
3rd: Michael Miller, Greenville, S.C., five bass, 8-7, $688
4th: Robin Willey, Anderson, S.C., five bass, 7-15, $482
5th: William Bensel, Abbeville, S.C., four bass, 7-14, $413
6th: Michael Huntley, Inman, S.C., five bass, 7-12, $378
7th: Orion Hunt, Asheville, N.C., four bass, 7-10, $344
8th: Mark Garrett, Walhalla, S.C., five bass, 7-9, $310
9th: Larry Ivester, Seneca, S.C., five bass, 7-8, $275
10th: Brent Thomas, Cleveland, Ga., three bass, 7-3, $229
10th: Eric McClure, Cleveland, Ga., five bass, 7-3, $229
Scott Gerbers of Blackstock, South Carolina, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $287, catching a bass that weighed in at 3 pounds, 12 ounces – the largest co-angler catch of the day.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, will qualify for the Oct. 12-14 BFL Regional tournament on Lake Eufaula in Eufaula, Alabama. Boaters will fish for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $50,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.
The 2023 Phoenix BFL Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 events throughout the season, five qualifying tournaments in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five qualifying event winners, will advance to one of six BFL Regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. The 2023 All-American event will take place May 31-June 2, on Lake Hartwell in Seneca, South Carolina. The event is hosted by Visit Oconee SC.
Proud sponsors of the 2023 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 4WP, 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, E3, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, General Tire, Grundéns, Gill, Lew’s, Lowrance, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, Wiley X and YETI.
For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Bass Fishing League updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
Scroggins creates new way to color soft plastics
Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships
By the time Team Toyota’s Terry “Big Show” Scroggins turned 18 he was a skilled painter in his family’s Palatka, Florida autobody business. Fast forward 35 years, and he’s not only won $2 Million dollars as a pro angler, but he’s also painting soft plastic lures in a way he’s pretty certain no one ever has before.
“I painted cars for a living for more that 16 years. I was good at my job. Made good money. But man, it was hard work. Painting cars was like a9-hour aerobic workout in a paint booth that was 90-degrees and full of fumes. Trust me, pouring and painting soft plastic lures is way more fun,” smiles Scroggins.
His venture into pouring custom lures actually began a few months prior to the 2013 Bassmaster Classic on Grand Lake, Oklahoma. Locals were known for throwing a no-longer-made salamander lure that couldn’t be bought, so Scroggins had a buddy make a mold to replicate it.
The secret homemade amphibian imitation didn’t win him the Classic, but it ultimately led to an addictive hobby he continues to refine and market more than a decade later. His latest lure modification involves pumping outrageously popular Spike-It lure dye through a small paint gun to create one-of-a-kind colors.
“Everybody who owns a baitcasting reel probably owns Spike-It dye, but by running it through a small paint gun you can control how dark or light the shade of dye is, and more importantly turn a solid-colored lure into one with a different tail or craw pincher color,” explains Scroggins.
Years ago, factory made soft plastics featuring a green pumpkin body with orange pinchers, or a black lizard with a blue tail, for example, were plentiful at retail. But featuring two different colors on one lure body requires a ‘gate’ in the injection mold manufacturing process, and that leads to more time and smaller profits.
“I figured out the easy fix is to buy a $30 spray gun and a small compressor from Harbor Freight, fill it with the Spike-It dye color of your choice, and you can paint your own custom accents to any soft plastic lure you want,” says Scroggins.
For example, he recently made a batch of solid sapphire blue colored “Punch Bugs” like he designed for Stanford Baits. But he sprayed their bodies with black dye to create a color-combo very few others will have.
“Let’s say we get to Kissimmee for the first MLF Bass Pro Tour event and a major cold front hits that leads to everybody punching matted vegetation. Well, I know that I’m punching those same mats with a color fish haven’t seen. Which gives me confidence to get bites in highly pressured situations. And we all know confidence can be the best lure in your tackle box,” says Scroggins.
The consummate tinkerer, Scroggins, appears to have indeed found a solution to creating hard-to-find multicolored soft plastics, while at the same time boosting his competitive confidence, and it’s way more fun than painting cars all day in 90-degree heat.
Bed fishing leads Branch and Beach to Bassmaster High School Series win on Harris Chain
Caden Branch and Connor Beach of Florida's Liberty County High School have won the 2023 Strike King Bassmaster High School Series at Harris Chain of Lakes presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors with 24 pounds, 3 ounces.
Photo by Chase Sansom/B.A.S.S.
January 29, 2023
LEESBURG, Fla. — Trusting in what they could not see and putting in the time to make it happen led Caden Branch and Connor Beach of Florida's Liberty County High School to a winning five-bass limit of 24 pounds, 3 ounces at the Strike King Bassmaster High School Series at Harris Chain of Lakes presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors.
Branch and Beach finished with a 3/4-pound margin over Clay County (Fla.) High School’s Parker Stalvey and Jacob Deel. For their win, Branch and Beach each collected $1,015 and earned a berth in the 2023 Strike King Bassmaster High School National Championship presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors.
“We fished Lake Beauclair and Lake Apopka and targeted bed fish in 3 to 4 feet,” Branch said. “We mainly targeted harder-to-fish areas and bed fish that were harder to see. Those turned out to be the bigger fish we caught.”
As Branch explained, they worked the canal end closest to Lake Apopka and searched for beds hidden amid pads and tucked behind shady areas. Most of what they fished comprised smaller areas with easily overlooked beds.
“We just followed our knowledge of spawning,” Branch said. “We checked some (traditional) spawning flats, but only found small bucks (male bass).”
Beach said he and his partner caught all of their fish by flipping custom-made red/gold flake tubes Texas rigged on 4/0 hooks with 1/8- to 1/4-ounce weights.
“The angle was very important; you had to get it right in front of their faces and go slow,” Beach said. “It all depended on the fish. Some of the ones we caught today took an hour or so and then the other ones took 10 minutes.”
Persistence proved critical, as a limit eluded the winners until the last 10 minutes. Fortunately, one of their final bass was a 9-1 that earned the $100 Big Bass award.
“It feels pretty good to start off with a win,” Beach said. “That’s what we were hoping to do — qualify for the championship, so we didn’t have to work as hard all year.”
Stalvey and Deel, who won the 2021 Harris Chain event and went on to win the 2022 Bassmaster High School Classic on Lake Keowee, placed second with 23-7.
“We risked it this morning and went all the way to Lake Apopka, but we weren’t getting the vibe like we were in practice when we were getting a lot of bites,” Stalvey said. “Around 10 o’clock, we came all the way back to Lake Harris and just flipped matted hyacinth with Kissimmee grass mixed in.”
Stalvey and Deel flipped black and blue Gambler Burner Craws with 1 1/4-ounce weights.
“We got a little limit pretty quickly, but it was probably 11:50 before we put the first decent one in the boat,” Deel said. “It was just an all-day grind, so it took a lot to put it all together. It was an all-day thing.
“We would say, ‘Just one more cast,' because any flip could be (a big fish).”
Their biggest bass weighed 8 pounds.
Bryce Balentine and Bryce Dimauro of the Seminole(Fla.) Junior Anglers placed third with 21-13.
Brookeland Pro Dakota Ebare Wins MLF Toyota Series Season Opener at Sam Rayburn Reservoir
Ebare has competed in more than 50 Toyota Series events in his young career, had several close finishes on the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit and finished his debut on the Bass Pro Tour in 2022 with high points and another set of close finishes, yet has never been able to pull out a major win. Until now.
“I don’t take any of that stuff for granted,” Ebare said. “All of the close calls I’ve had over the last several years have been great, and I’m thankful for every one of those good finishes. But at the end of the day, I’m a competitor and I want to win, so to finally accomplish that is a great feeling.”
The Brookeland pro ended Day 1 tied for seventh place. Not the start that he was hoping for, but he was able to salvage the day with a kicker-fish that put him at 16-6, keeping him afloat and in the running for the final day.
“The wind was gassin’ and made it really hard to set up on Day 1,” said Ebare. “I ended the day really disappointed, because I knew I had the chance to catch them big. I had a big one on the crankbait wrap me around a tree and get off, and I lost another really big one on an A-rig. I had a chance to have a giant bag and was pretty disappointed that it didn’t work out.”
Day 2 started off with a bang, with Ebare having more than 25 pounds by mid-morning.
“Today I caught a couple on a football jig and if I’d have picked up that football jig yesterday, it might have gotten really good,” Ebare said. “Because of the wind and how they were set up on Day 1, I decided to throw a Carolina rig and they weren’t really having it. I really wished I’d picked up a football jig yesterday. I’m still thinking about what I could have done better.”
Ebare said he was targeting big winter and prespawn bass in about 15 feet of water. He caught his winning fish on a Strike King 6XD, an umbrella rig with 1/4-ounce heads and Strike King Rage Swimmers, a Strike King Elite 300 jerkbait and a football jig.
“There was never a point today that I was comfortable,” said Ebare. “I had a feeling it was going to take a lot of weight to win this tournament, so I never let off the gas all day. I stopped here on the dam and tried to catch a couple with 5 minutes to go. I really felt like I needed to have more weight and I wasn’t going to stop until it was time to go in.
“I was pretty deflated when I got back on the bank and they told me Wyatt had a big bag and had over 47 pounds total,” Ebare continued. “There was no way in my mind that I thought I had over 30 pounds. I didn’t take time to weigh the bigger fish – they were really big and I knew that, but I didn’t realize how big they were. I figured I had about 29 pounds, which would have put me in second or third place, again. So, when I saw the 32-4 come across the screen on stage, I was ecstatic. That was a really exciting moment, and the biggest weight was lifted off my shoulders.”
As for what’s next, Ebare said he’s on his way to the next tournament and ready to hit the water again with an open mind.
“I’m very thankful and grateful that this one came together, and we finally got that win, but it doesn’t really change anything as far as my game plan moving forward,” Ebare said. “I’m heading to a new lake and a new tournament and we’re going to keep working hard and putting God first and let the rest fall where it may.”
The top 10 pros on Sam Rayburn Reservoir finished:
2nd: Wyatt Frankens, Corrigan, Texas, 10 bass, 47-5, $17,000
3rd: Tater Reynolds, Florien, La., 10 bass, 42-9, $12,750
4th: Jason Bonds, Lufkin, Texas, seven bass, 35-14, $10,750
5th: Marshall Hughes, Hemphill, Texas, 10 bass, 34-10, $10,250
6th: River Lee, Nacogdoches, Texas, 10 bass, 32-2, $8,875
7th: Tyler Stewart, Dubach, La., 10 bass, 31-7, $7,300
8th: Cole Moore, Anacoco, La., 10 bass, 30-14, $6,300
9th: Harold Moore, Caldwell, Texas, nine bass, 29-7, $5,300
10th: Garrett Hilton, China, Texas, 10 bass, 29-2, $4,200
Pro River Lee of Nacogdoches, Texas won the $500 Berkley Big Bass award in the pro division Thursday with a bass weighing 8 pounds, 13 ounces. On Friday, pro Marshall Hughes of Hemphill, Texas, earned the $500 Berkley Big Bass prize after bringing a whopping 9-pound, 8-ounce bass to the scale.
Ebare took home an extra $35,000 as the highest finishing Phoenix MLF Bonus member. Boaters are eligible to win up to an extra $35,000 per event in each Toyota Series tournament if all requirements are met. More information on the Phoenix MLF Bonus contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.
Justin Swayze of Gurdon, Arkansas, won the Strike King Co-angler Division Friday with a two-day total of 8 bass weighing 25 pounds even. Swayze took home the top prize package worth $33,500, including a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard motor.
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers on Sam Rayburn Reservoir finished:
2nd: Joe Garcia, Hobson, Texas, eight bass, 21-4, $5,375
3rd: Cedric Jackson, Sicily Island, La., nine bass, 20-12, $4,300
4th: Nick Stanislaus, Porter, Texas, six bass, 18-3, $3,650
5th: Jareb Logan, Brookeland, Texas, seven bass, 17-8, $3,150
6th: Chase Loden, Rusk, Texas, six bass, 16-14, $2,650
7th: Jimmy Wells, Jr., Collinsville, Ill., nine bass, 16-11, $2,150
8th: Cody Davis, Hico, Texas, six bass, 16-10, $1,825
9th: Joe Lee, Midlothian, Texas, nine bass, 16-9, $1,530
10th: Dustin Robinson, Glendale, Ariz., nine bass, 16-3, $1,290
With one regular-season event in the Toyota Series Southwestern Division now complete, pro Dakota Ebare of Brookeland, Texas leads the Southwestern Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 260 points, while Justin Swayze of Gurdon, Arkansas leads the Strike King Co-angler Division AOY race with 260 points.
The Toyota Series at Sam Rayburn, hosted by the Jasper-Lake Sam Rayburn Area Chamber of Commerce, was the first of three regular-season events for the Toyota Series Southwestern Division. The next event for Toyota Series anglers will be the Toyota Series at the Harris Chain of Lakes, Feb. 1-3, in Leesburg, Florida. For a complete schedule of events, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The 2023 Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats consists of six divisions – Central, Northern, Plains, Southern, Southwestern and the Western Division Presented by Tackle Warehouse – each holding three regular-season events, along with the International and Wild Card divisions. Anglers who fish in any of the six divisions or the Wild Card division and finish in the top 25 will qualify for the no-entry-fee Toyota Series Championship for a shot at winning up to $235,000 and a qualification to REDCREST V. The winning Strike King co-angler at the championship earns a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard. The 2023 Toyota Series Championship will be held Nov. 2-4 on Table Rock Lake in Branson, Missouri, and is hosted by ExploreBranson.com.
Proud sponsors of the 2023 MLF Toyota Series include: 4WP, 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Black Rifle Coffee Company, E3, Favorite Fishing, Fox Rent a Car, General Tire, Gill, Grundéns, Lew’s, Lowrance, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Wiley X and YETI.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Toyota Series updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the MLF5 social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
Blue Mountain’s Bullock and Berry win Bassmaster College Series season opener on Harris Chain
Blake Bullock and John Mark Berry of Mississippi's Blue Mountain Christian University have won the 2023 Strike King Bassmaster College Series at Harris Chain of Lakes presented by Bass Pro Shops with a two-day total of 46 pounds, 11 ounces.
Photo by Chase Sansom/B.A.S.S.
January 27, 2023
LEESBURG, Fla. — Following their stellar start, Blake Bullock and John Mark Berry of Blue Mountain Christian University in Mississippi backed up their Day 1 lead with a solid final-round effort to win the Strike King Bassmaster College Series at Harris Chain of Lakes presented by Bass Pro Shops with a two-day total of 46 pounds, 11 ounces.
Bullock and Berry buoyed their effort on Day 1 by posting the event’s biggest bag, 29 pounds. Adding 17-11 earned each angler a top prize of $2,599.50. The Top 25 teams qualified for the Strike King Bassmaster College Series National Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops. Dates and location are still to be determined.
“College fishing is the toughest competition I’ve faced; there’s a lot of great anglers out there,” Berry said. “We’ve had a blessed week. I just want to thank God for the week we’ve had. It means everything to win these trophies.
“We worked hard. We grinded to the last second. Nobody lost as much sleep as we did. But now we have some weight off our shoulders after qualifying for the National Championship.”
On Day 1, Bullock and Berry led Logan Barrett and Luke Glasgow of Mississippi State University by a margin of 1-7. At the final tally, the winners edged Barrett and Glasgow by 1-1.
Helpful habitat
Bullock and Berry did all of their work in Lake Dora, specifically on a single spot 30 yards wide. As Bullock explained, the mix of coontail grass and shell bottom in 8 to 10 feet, along with proximity to a spawning bay, created the ideal prespawn staging area.
“It was really green, lush grass and it was thicker in some sections but thinner in others,” Bullock said. “The shad were all in the grass and the fish were there feeding.
“The fish were using the sparse grass to ambush shad. The shad were coming over the thicker grass and going down into the sparse grass, and that’s where the bass were eating them.”
Bullock said the coontail proved particularly beneficial, as its soft, forgiving composition facilitated their primary strategy of slowly working reaction baits through the vegetation.
Best baits
Bullock and Berry caught most of their bass on a golden shiner-colored Z-Man ChatterBait JackHammer with a Strike King Blade Minnow trailer.
“We threw a 1/2-ounce some, but the 3/8-ounce ChatterBait was the best size for slow rolling through the grass,” Berry said.
The anglers also threw a Texas-rigged junebug red Zoom Speed Worm during midday lulls. On both days the soft-plastic bait yielded keeper bites, but Berry said they only weighed one Day 2 fish on the bait.
“Every day, we had to grind through that lull and wait for the afternoon bite to pick back up,” Berry said.
The final round saw a stingy afternoon, but Day 1 saw Bullock and Berry catch a 7-pounder and a 6 on their final two casts.
Weather for the win
A cold front arriving just before the tournament left anglers fishing the dreaded bluebird post-frontal conditions. Fortunately, warm weather preceding the event had pushed a wave of fish toward the shallows.
Bullock believes the timing worked to his team’s advantage.
“I really think the cold weather helped us by keeping those prespawn fish in the grass, instead of going up to spawn,” he said. “They were close to spawning; they were all super fat. It was a magical spot, it really was.”
Barrett and Glasgow finished second with 45-10. They added 18-1 to their opening-round limit of 27-9. While their Day 1 limit included a 9-9 and one nearly 7, their largest Day 2 fish was a 5-pounder.
After throwing a mix of reaction baits and flipping on Day 1, Barrett and Glasgow stuck with 1/2-ounce chrome/blue Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap and a 3/8-ounce Z-Man ChatterBait JackHammer with a Yamamoto Zako trailer.
“I think the cold front really messed up that shallow bite,” Glasgow said. “I think the people who were bed fishing had a hard time getting the shallow bite going. We caught a couple off beds yesterday, but today, I knew we didn’t need to go to them, so we went (directly) to the offshore deal.”
Carson Kamien and Tyson Verkaik of the University of Florida finished third with 44-4. One of the most numerically consistent teams, the Gators anglers placed fifth on Day 1 with 22-12 and rose two spots in the final round by adding a limit of 21-8.
Verkaik said he and Kamien fished the same spot both days and caught their fish by flipping shallow vegetation with a Texas-rigged Gambler Fat Ace.
“We were just covering water and making as many flips as possible,” Verkaik said. “It was mostly beds in this area, but there were probably some prespawn and postspawn fish because this weather really threw them for a loop.”
Verkaik said he and Kamien adjusted to the weather by targeting thicker vegetation where bass were likely to seek shelter from the bright sun.
“I’m happy with our consistency,” Kamien said. “Whenever you can put up two big bags in Florida, you’re doing something right.”
Big bass bonanza
While the Harris Chain couldn’t break the 30-pound mark for a single day weight, the tournament saw four teams weigh in double-digit bass.
Anderson Jones and Max Muzones of Lander University in Greenwood, S.C., won the $200 big bass award for their 11-5, while Colton Hill and Tomas Matual of McKendree University caught an 11-4. Montevallo’s Dalton Head and Peyton Harris had a 10-8 and Garrett Warren and Jake Peck of Auburn University added a 10-7.
On Sunday, teams competing in the Strike King Bassmaster High School Series presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors and Bassmaster Junior Series tournaments will launch from Venetian Gardens (Ski Beach) at 7 a.m. ET. The Junior Series weigh-in starts at 2 p.m. with high school teams beginning their weigh-in at 3 p.m. Full coverage will be available on Bassmaster.com.
Applications open for B.A.S.S. and Shimano’s Helen Sevier Pioneer Scholarships for female anglers
Elizabeth Eastman and Dixie Morris won the inaugural Helen Sevier Pioneer Scholarships for female anglers.
Photo by Dalton Tumblin/B.A.S.S.
January 27, 2023
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Applications are now being accepted for the 2023 Helen Sevier Pioneer Scholarships for young, female anglers, which honor Sevier’s leadership and long-term vision for the growth of sportfishing. The two $2,500 scholarships are offered to high school or college women who are committed to fishing for a collegiate program.
“B.A.S.S. is excited to partner with Shimano on the Helen Sevier Pioneer Scholarship. This partnership provides an outstanding opportunity to honor the incredible legacy and impact that former B.A.S.S. CEO Helen Sevier had on the entire sportfishing industry. Over the past few years, women's participation in fishing has grown significantly and we're seeing more young female anglers on our youth tournament trails. Supporting this scholarship is a wonderful opportunity to encourage and support driven female anglers as they look to take their fishing to the next level,” said Chase Anderson, B.A.S.S. CEO.
According to a report by the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation, women now account for 37% of anglers in the U.S., the highest level on record. This participation trend is reflected on the tournament trail, where talented women have more opportunities than ever to leverage their passion for fishing into real money for college and potentially a competitive career.
In 2022, B.A.S.S. and Shimano partnered to award the first Helen Sevier Pioneer Scholarships to Elizabeth Eastman of Fairhope, Ala., and Dixie Morris of Valley, Ala. Eastman plans to attend Louisiana State University, where she will compete on the fishing team while pursuing a degree in Fisheries and Aquaculture. Morris is a freshman on the Southern Union Community College Bison Fishing Team with plans to complete a pre-veterinary bachelor’s degree at Auburn University before veterinary school and a master’s degree.
Scholarship applications are being accepted until June 16, 2023, and will be reviewed by a panel of judges from Shimano and B.A.S.S., including Sevier.
“I’m honored my name is associated with the scholarship,” said Sevier after reviewing the 2022 scholarship nominees. “All (of the applicants) are impressive and all deserving. I wanted to vote for all for one reason or another!”
Sevier, just the second full-time member of B.A.S.S. hired by founder Ray Scott in 1970, was a pioneer at all levels of the organization. During her 31-year career at B.A.S.S., Sevier oversaw a boom in membership — the organization boasted more than 600,000 members when she sold it to ESPN in 2001 — as well as the expansion of Bassmaster’s media operation to include seven magazines and two television shows, including the iconic TV program, The Bassmasters. Sevier was also instrumental in recruiting young people to the sport through the innovative CastingKids program. In 2004, Sevier was inducted into the National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame, and her induction into the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame came in 2018.
“Winning the Helen Sevier Pioneer Scholarship has meant so much to me,” said Morris. “I was already looking forward to fishing on the Southern Union fishing team, but now I am even more excited because this helps to show women and young girls that they can achieve great things in a male-dominated sport. This has really encouraged me to step out and try for more scholarships and things that seemed unachievable.”
“Shimano is excited to continue in support of the Helen Sevier Pioneer Scholarship in 2023,” said Sarah Harper Burke, senior marketing manager, Shimano North America Fishing. “In celebration of the influence Helen Sevier’s career has had in the fishing industry, this scholarship will help ensure future ‘pioneers’ have support and recognition in their endeavors to compete at the college level. The next generation of female anglers is a clear path to growing and promoting the sportfishing industry as a whole.”
To be eligible for the Helen Sevier Pioneer Scholarship, the female angler must be either a rising senior or high school graduate and B.A.S.S. member with plans to fish competitively or must be currently fishing competitively at a four-year college or university, two-year college or university or vocational school.
More information on the scholarship requirements can be found at Bassmaster.com/Sevier-Scholarship or by contacting [email protected].
Fishing for Social Media?
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Traditions Media social media specialist presents at the 2023 NPAA Conference |
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Forestville, WI (January 27, 2023) – Some consider it the necessary evil – especially fishing industry dinosaurs who loathe change. The days of fully investing marketing spend in only print and television are gone. Modern marketing still includes those vehicles, but necessitates a much more dynamic blend, to include direct digital marketing, Google Ads, Amazon…and, of course, social media. Being noticed in the white noise of social media is a preeminent challenge, however. Haphazardly throwing money at it without knowledge, or strategy, is merely checking boxes and squandering resources. To that, NPAA invited Traditions Media social media specialist Lauren Luhman so speak at the 2023 NPAA Conference recently held in Fort Myers, Florida. It’s like a TED Talk for anyone who makes a living in the fishing industry. And NPAA is now releasing her presentation to the greater industry. Take 30-minutes today or over the weekend and socialize your game. |
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NPAA represents all who make a living in the sportfishing industry. Membership includes everyone from guides/captains, to tournament anglers, fishing department associates/ management/shop owners, manufacturing personnel, engine mechanics, and professional rep groups. In addition to superior networking opportunities, sportfishing advocacy and promoting entry into the sport, the organization offers a monthly member newsletter, a weekly industry NewsBLAST, and access to significant discounts on gear and services provided by many of its nearly 80 supporting partners. For more information on joining the NPAA and exploring the many benefits membership provides, visit npaa.net |
Blue Mountain’s Bullock and Berry lead Bassmaster College Series event on Harris Chain
Blake Bullock and John Mark Berry of Mississippi's Blue Mountain College are leading after Day 1 of the 2023 Strike King Bassmaster College Series at Harris Chain of Lakes presented by Bass Pro Shops with 29 pounds.
Photo by Chase Sansom/B.A.S.S.
January 26, 2023
LEESBURG, Fla. — Blake Bullock and John Mark Berry of Blue Mountain College leveraged a key prespawn area to catch a 29-pound limit that leads Day 1 of the Strike King Bassmaster College Series at Harris Chain of Lakes presented by Bass Pro Shops.
Topping a field of 275 boats, Bullock and Berry lead Logan Barrett and Luke Glasgow of Mississippi State University by just 1-7.
Running to Lake Dora, Bullock and Berry set up shop on a promising area they found in practice.
“There’s a lot of fish there and a lot of shad,” Bullock said. “I think they’ll still be there tomorrow and, hopefully, they’ll bite for us.”
Bullock said he and Berry chose to fish Dora because the habitat set up well for the prespawn staging fish they sought. Fishing in 7 to 10 feet, they focused on sparse coontail grass.
“There’s a lot of grass in there, but it’s in patches,” Bullock said. “There’s also a lot of shellbeds in there, along with spawning spots. We found an area with a spawning pocket close, a shellbed close and a patch of grass. That’s where all those fish are.”
Berry said he and his partner caught their bass by rotating between a Z-Man ChatterBait JackHammer with a Strike King Blade Minnow trailer and a Texas-rigged Zoom Speed Worm. The ChatterBait did most of the work, but the Speed Worm played an important cleanup role.
“The ChatterBait was a golden shiner color,” Berry said. “We threw a 1/2-ounce some, but the 3/8-ounce got bit more because we could slow roll it down there in the grass.
“When it became tough to get bites, I picked up the Speed Worm and made a clutch cull. We just rotated a slow bait and a moving bait.”
Bullock said they diligently worked through their spot, but late-day fireworks catapulted them into the lead.
“We had around 19 pounds at noon and we caught a few more throughout the day,” he said. “It got really slow there for about three hours and we didn’t have any bites.
“The big ones fired up at the end of the day and we caught a 7-pounder and a 6 on back-to-back casts.”
Bullock noted the winds preceding a cold front had diminished their area’s clarity. This concerned him, but the bass were less impacted than he expected.
“Yesterday, it was a little clearer, but they bit, so we’re thankful and blessed that we got it done today,” Bullock said.
Barrett and Glasgow anchored their limit of 27-9 with a 9-9 that leads the Big Bass standings. Backing that up with one just under 7 pounds gave them the boost they needed for a strong showing.
“It helps a lot whenever you have two fish like that in the well,” Glasgow said. “Those were the only two we had up until about noon. It was a struggle for us, but we finally did limit out around 1. I knew if we could get a limit we’d end up with a pretty good sack today.”
Barrett said he and his partner caught their bass on a mix of reaction baits and slow-moving baits. Essential to their success was capitalizing on an area where they found fish coming and going.
“I think there are some prespawners coming to us and some that have already left (the beds),” Glasgow said. “We’re sitting in that range where they could be prespawn or postspawn.”
Stevie Mills and Brady Duncan of Carson-Newman University placed third with 24-7. Well aware of Lake Apopka’s big-fish reputation, the anglers made the long run to the chain’s southernmost waters.
Describing their spot as a classic prespawn area with hard sand bottom and grass, Duncan said they caught all of their limit fish by slow reeling a Zoom Speed Worm. A late-morning window of opportunity produced a big chunk of their weight.
“I threw out there and caught a 3-pounder, threw back out and caught a 6, then (Mills) threw out there and caught a 5 1/2,” Duncan said. “We had a flurry at 11 and a flurry around 11:30 and that’s what we had.”
The field will launch from Venetian Gardens (Ski Beach) at 7 a.m. ET and return for weigh-in at 3 p.m. Full coverage will be available on Bassmaster.com.
AFTCO sponsors Bassmaster Elite events on Santee Cooper Lakes and Lake St. Clair
AFTCO will sponsor two Bassmaster Elite Series events in 2023, including April's Elite at Santee Cooper Lakes which AFTCO pro Drew Cook won last year.
Photo by Kyle Jessie
January 26, 2023
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — AFTCO has signed on as title sponsor for two heavyweight battles during the 2023 Bassmaster Elite Series season. At the AFTCO Bassmaster Elite at Santee Cooper Lakes April 27-30, anglers will hope to match the stellar 2022 conditions that saw the entire field average over 15 1/2 pounds on Day 1, while the pros will battle big water and even bigger smallmouth at the AFTCO Bassmaster Elite at Lake St. Clair July 27-30.
Additionally, AFTCO will continue its long-standing partnership with B.A.S.S. as a conservation partner and supporting sponsor for the six circuits of the Bassmaster Tournament Trail as well as outfit all staff and marshals with performance fishing clothing for these events.
“As a supporting sponsor of B.A.S.S. we value our partnership tremendously, and AFTCO is extremely excited to support (B.A.S.S.) further with our fourth consecutive year of Elite Series title sponsorship,” said AFTCO Marketing Director Matt Florentino. “We’re looking forward to sponsoring two tremendous locations on the 2023 Elite Series schedule: South Carolina’s Santee Cooper Lakes and Michigan’s Lake St. Clair. We saw AFTCO pro Drew Cook earn a century belt last spring during a masterful sight fishing win at Santee Cooper, and you can bet that Lake St. Clair will be primed and ready to showcase big bags of smallmouth next July!”
Among the AFTCO-aligned pro anglers ready to tackle these fisheries — and the Elite Series schedule — is 2022 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic champion Jason Christie.
“AFTCO is setting the standard in clothing and conservation,” Christie said. “Their sponsorship of two Bassmaster events just shows their continued dedication to our sport. I am thrilled to be part of their team!”
Full coverage from all four days of these tournaments will be available on Bassmaster.com, Tubi and the FOX Sports digital platforms. FS1 will also broadcast live with the tournament leaders on Saturdays and Sundays. For more information, visit Bassmaster.com.
Newport Unveils New Electric Outboard Motors
Leader in Small Watercraft Propulsion Introduces the NT300 and NK300 Motors
Stockton, CA (January 25, 2023) – Newport, a leading innovator of clean electric technology in the boating and angling industry, has entered the electric outboard space with the launch of its latest products, the NT300 Electric Outboard Motor and the NK300 Electric Kayak Motor. Both portable, next-generation designs deliver quiet lightweight performance free from the noise, maintenance and fossil fuels of traditional gas-powered motors - allowing anglers everywhere to experience unobstructed freedom on the water.
Newport has been celebrated as the predominant brand of new-age electric trolling motors for over a decade. Its newest electric powered outboards underscore the brand’s commitment to enhance every facet of the fishing experience while lessening environmental impacts to small waterways and shallow water habitats.
“Newport is proud to move our industry forward with a totally redefined, emissions-free alternative to traditional gas powered motors,” says Josh Neville, head of marketing at Newport. “We want anglers to experience the freedom from hassle, cost and maintenance - so, we created a motor as simple and clean as the adventure it’s designed to power. Our NT300 and NK300 are designed to usher in a new era of cleaner adventures for boaters and anglers, without sacrificing the capability of gas-fueled counterparts.”
NT300 Electric Outboard
The Newport NT300 delivers incredible performance in an ultra-quiet, energy-efficient 3 horsepower equivalent (3HP) electric outboard motor. Showcasing a clean design in a compact package, the NT300 combines lightweight portability with innovative features that maximize time spent in and out of the water. Highlights include: a brushless direct-drive motor for maintenance-free reliability; field-oriented control technology (FOC) to provide smooth navigation for easy access to shallow, narrow, and tough-to-reach waters. Flexible power options give anglers the freedom to choose either the Newport 36V30 Lithium Battery or the 36V40 Lithium Battery. Capabilities include 1300w of peak power, 66 miles of est range, a top speed of 6.5MPH, and 30 hours max run time. The Newport NT300 Electric Outboard retails for an industry-leading MSRP of $999.
NK300 Kayak Motor
Designed for the serious kayak angler, the NK300 offers unheralded power in an ultra-quiet, energy-efficient 3 horsepower equivalent (3HP) electric kayak motor. A trailblazer in this growing market, the NK300 delivers cutting-edge battery power, unlocking a wider range than ever before. (FOC) to provide smooth, intuitive navigation without compromising on performance. The NK300’s flexible power options also allow anglers to choose either the Newport 36V30 Lithium Battery or the 36V40 Lithium Battery. Capabilities include 1300w of peak power, 66 miles of est range, a top speed of 6.5MPH, and 30 hours max run time. The Newport NK300 Kayak Motor retails for an industry-leading $1,299. "We’re excited to help shape a better, more efficient, and more enjoyable future for life on the water,” says Neville. “The traditional gas-powered outboard might be the way of the past, but the way forward is electric.”
The Newport NT300 Electric Outboard and NK300 Kayak Motor are available at https://newportvessels.com.
Locate Fish Faster Through the Ice with Intuitive Technology from Humminbird
Humminbird MEGA 360 Imaging and MEGA Live Imaging ice bundles allow anglers to find fish and fish holding structure faster.
On and off the water, technology is taking over the fishing industry. From high-definition mapping to forward-facing sonar, anglers have never had as many pieces of technology to choose from. Now, anglers can take that technology to the hard water. The Humminbird MEGA 360 and MEGA Live Imaging ice bundles allow anglers to find fish, and fish holding structure faster than ever before. Regardless of your species of choice, the Humminbird ice bundles will take your experience to the next level.
Humminbird Pro Brad Hawthorne has been guiding for over 19 seasons and has seen the changes as the technology for ice anglers has evolved. In his business, it all comes down to whether his clients catch fish or not that determines the success of an ice trip. Having the latest equipment has helped make his business more successful, and makes for a fun and interactive experience for his clients.
“The things I used to think I knew about the fisheries were really eye opening when MEGA 360 was available for ice anglers. I was able to learn fish behavior and their patterns quickly and dial in the mechanics of ice fishing,” said Hawthorne. “I can now look at Lakemaster VX Mapping and drill one hole. Within three to five minutes, I know if the structure is going to be productive and I can break down what I need to do to catch fish.”
Combined with MEGA Live Imaging, once Hawthorne locates fish, and learns their behavior and travel routes, the time frame to actually catching the fish is much quicker than ever before. His approach is more efficient and the process of finding and catching fish is streamlined.
“Overall, we are drilling less holes, learning way more information than ever before possible and getting around fish a lot quicker. We make less noise, we spook less fish during the process, and even the average ice angler can have all of the same information at their disposal with the Humminbird MEGA 360 and MEGA Live Imaging bundles. The landscape overall has changed and people can enjoy more time catching fish,” Hawthorne added.
Humminbird MEGA 360 Imaging Ice Bundle
Intuitive technology has made its way through the seasons and onto the ice. For those who demand to see it all, MEGA 360 Imaging allows anglers to quickly locate and target structure, the bottom and fish in every direction around the hole. For finding productive fishing areas with fewer holes, anglers can also quickly track movement of schools of fish and know which direction they are heading, making it even easier to break down fisheries through the ice.
“From the ground up, I am super confident in MEGA 360 and what I am capable of accomplishing. Live sonar is the ‘new’ thing and very popular, but in my opinion the information I am able to return with 360 Imaging is unmatched, especially when it comes to fishing for walleye.” added Hawthorne.
With 360 Imaging, he can clearly see fish coming and going, structure, bottom layout and composition. Using those learnings and applying it to other areas, similar to open water, it allows Hawthorne to gain a lot of information and knowledge from one just one hole.
Hawthorne learned that when walleye are on a piece of structure, they are either moving around the spot, or its a passing through area that multiple fish are using regularly. With the help of MEGA 360, within minutes, he is able to gauge the ‘trails’ the fish utilize to move around and dial up exactly where the primary set up areas should be.
“The structural elements, mud to rock transitions and the visual look at the trails and routes the fish are using, the possibilities are endless. Once I learn the valuable information, I can switch to MEGA Live Imaging and get to work on catching fish,” said Hawthorne. MEGA 360 can simply be turned on and it works by itself. I can watch the returns and tell the group where the fish are coming in. They can then use MEGA Live to work the fish in realtime and get more bites overall.
With increased situational awareness, work smarter, not harder by dropping the MEGA 360 Imaging transducer down the hole and waiting for the screen to update. For run-and-gun anglers, these bundles are very mobile for anglers to locate and stay on top of fish. With a Humminbird HELIX fishfinder, it's easy to mark fish-holding structures and return later or in open water. Mark a waypoint and return to the spot now or later in the year on open water. MEGA 360 is a vital tool for locating ice shelters on prime spots where fish are moving around.
Humminbird MEGA Live Imaging Ice Bundle
From open water to ice, Humminbird MEGA Live Imaging has changed the way Hawthorne catches fish. The live sonar return is like sight fishing at any depth – regardless of the water clarity. Watching fish move around in real-time and responding to certain baits, he can quickly hone in and get to catching. The MEGA Live Ice bundle allows for the same real-time feedback through the ice, and helps get him dialed into the best presentation to have success.
The number one benefit is efficiency. He can break down an area with MEGA 360, and start catching them with MEGA Live Imaging.
“Once I establish the area, and I know where and how fish are moving throughout, I can drill out the area and be prepared. Walleye especially will never stop moving and I can track their movement in realtime,” said Hawthorne. “I can direct folks in the group to exactly where the fish are moving and they can make it happen with MEGA Live Imaging.”
Beyond seeing the fish, the bundle allows Hawthorne to determine the mood of the fish. Whether they are suspended, moving around, determining their size and activity level will help figure out the best tactics to get bites. With a group of anglers, he is able to direct others to exactly where the schools are and get the right baits down to the fish.
“The same for panfish, bluegills and crappies, but they seem to stay put more than walleye. There is nothing like getting on a group of panfish with MEGA Live and getting clients catching them while watching everything live on the screen. Regardless of the species, I have to quickly read the water and figure out how the day is going to go,” Hawthorne added.
With MEGA Live Imaging, fish in Forward Mode to see in front of and around the hole or Down Mode for real-time returns straight below the hole. The quick-and-easy reference points on the transducer makes it easy to dial in the best sonar possible. With either mode, you can interpret how fish respond to your presentation and it allows you to best choose what to fish, make smart lure changes and determine how to present the bait. In shallower water, Landscape Mode gives a ‘lay of the land’ view and shows fish moving around in shallow structure and cover.
In addition, the Humminbird HELIX units feature traditional 2D CHIRP Sonar and both the ice flasher and Down Imagingmodes. Anglers can fish the right mode for their situation below the transducer and fish comfortably. Both bundles have changed the ice fishing landscape. Anglers are having more fun with more data, and catching more fish.
For those hitting the ice for the first time with new technology, the MEGA Live Ice shuttle comes with the fish finder, shaft and transducer. If you have the unit installed on a boat, the Adapter Kit or HELIX ICE Conversion Kit allows for simple conversion to ice making it a year round value for one unit that can do both.
MLF Cancels Day 1 of Toyota Series at Sam Rayburn Due to High Winds
WHAT:
In a move that most of the field could see coming and fully supports, Toyota Series Tournament Director Mark McWha canceled Day 1 of the Southwestern Division season-opener the Toyota Series at Sam Rayburn Reservoir.
A strong north wind is blowing right down the pipe on the lake, creating dangerous conditions for boaters. On Wednesday, the full field will get another day of rest and preparation. All pros and co-anglers will hit the water for two days of action on Thursday and Friday.
NOTES:
Anglers will launch each day at 7 a.m. CT from the Umphrey Family Pavilion in Brookeland. Weigh-ins will also be held at the Pavilion and will begin at 3 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend and encouraged to follow the event online through the “MLF Live” weigh-in broadcasts and daily coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
In Toyota Series regular-season competition, payouts are based on the number of participants competing in the event, scaling up for every 20 boats over 160 and scaling down for every boat below 160. With a 160-boat field, pros fish for a top prize of $40,000, plus an extra $35,000 if Phoenix MLF Bonus qualified. Strike King co-anglers cast for the top prize of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard (valued at $33,500). With a 260-boat field, pros fish for a top award of $65,000, plus an extra $35,000 if Phoenix MLF Bonus qualified. Strike King co-anglers cast for the top prize of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard (valued at $33,500) plus $5,000 cash.
The 2023 Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats consists of six divisions – Central, Northern, Plains, Southern, Southwestern and the Western Division Presented by Tackle Warehouse – each holding three regular-season events, along with the International and Wild Card divisions. Anglers who fish in any of the six divisions or the Wild Card division and finish in the top 25 will qualify for the no-entry-fee Toyota Series Championship for a shot at winning up to $235,000 and a qualification to REDCREST V. The winning Strike King co-angler at the championship earns a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard. The 2023 Toyota Series Championship will be held Nov. 2-4 on Table Rock Lake in Branson, Missouri, and is hosted by ExploreBranson.com.
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.
What’s New at FantasyFishing.com in 2023?
| Public Leagues, Roster Rollovers, Visibility of Other Players’ Picks Among New features for Phoenix Fantasy Fishing
BENTON, Ky. (Jan. 25, 2023) – Phoenix Fantasy Fishing and the Abu Garcia Predictor Game Presented by Mercury are back for the second year at FantasyFishing.com. Registration is now open for you to pick your Fantasy Fishing team for Bass Pro Tour Stage One at the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes and Tackle Warehouse Invitationals Stop 1 at Lake Okeechobee, and to answer the six questions in the Predictor Game. There are also some slick enhancements to game play that will be in effect for the 2023 season. Introducing Public Leagues “Use Last Selections” Protects You From Forgetting to Make Picks No more zeroes for your team this season! |
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| See Other Players’ Picks Last season, you could tell how your team was doing compared to others, but you had no idea who your competitors were picking. For 2023, though, you can now see which anglers other fantasy managers chose once the selections are officially locked for the current tournament. You’ll also be able to go back to previous tournaments and see who other fantasy managers put on their team for all completed tournaments. |
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| Mondays Begin the Fantasy Fishing Week No more waiting to jump back into Fantasy Fishing for the next tournament. New tournaments will open for picks to be made the Monday following the end of the previous tournament. When the new week starts, your new picks can be made. Start your week off with some winning picks. Pick the Top 10 & Win Big That’s right, a new boat, truck and fishing gear for correctly picking the Top 10 for any regular-season tournament on either the Bass Pro Tour or the Tackle Warehouse Invitationals. With 13 different opportunities to pick the perfect tournament lineup, players’ chances to win a once-in-a-lifetime Fantasy Fishing prize have never been better. New Year, New Trips with Pros The season-long winner in the Bass Pro Tour competition gets an expenses-paid trip with pro Randall Tharp, while the Tackle Warehouse Invitationals winner will receive a similar trip with Greg Vinson. But it’s not just Fantasy Fishing winners that earn a trip. If you win the Abu Garcia Predictor Game Presented by Mercury season-long competition, you’ll join Brent Ehrler on a fishing trip as well. New Tournament Winner Prizes First- and second-place finishers in each game will also receive gift cards from Pure Fishing. First place will earn $150 with second place receiving $100. To sign up and create your team today, visit FantasyFishing.com. For regular tournament updates, photos, news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. |
Lake Havasu Readies for MLF Toyota Series Western Division Opener Presented by Psycho Tuna
LAKE HAVASU CITY, Ariz. (Jan. 24, 2023) – The Major League Fishing (MLF) Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats is set to launch next week, in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, Feb. 2-4, with the Toyota Series at Lake Havasu Presented by Psycho Tuna. The three-day tournament, hosted by Go Lake Havasu, is the first of three regular-season events in the Western Division Presented by Tackle Warehouse.
The MLF Toyota Series offers the biggest payouts for the lowest entry fees of any national tournament trail. The Toyota Series is the only Western trail that offers advancement to the no-entry-fee Toyota Series Championship, where pros fish for $235,000, including a $35,000 Phoenix MLF Bonus, and co-anglers compete for a $33,500 Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat powered by a 115 HP Mercury.
“I’m finally around home for a Toyota Series event, and I’m really excited to compete in this one,” said Bass Pro Tour pro Roy Hawk of Lake Havasu City, Arizona, who has 22 top-10 finishes and three career wins in MLF competition. “Overall, the lake is setting up pretty good. We’ve had some pretty cool weather, so it’ll be typical wintertime patterns – no major move toward the spawn or anything like that, yet.
“The lake level is high, which is rare for winter,” Hawk continued. “It’ll spread guys out – some guys will get way up the river, or further back into the backwaters. I think a lot of guys will be offshore, though. The key to doing well is either going to be finding a major group of fish and sticking with them, or covering a lot of water and picking fish off – one here, one there.”
Hawk said that he expects umbrella rigs, deep- and mid-diving crankbaits and general offshore tactics to be the main players, but he said the bladed jigs and squarebill crankbaits could play a role as well. For anglers targeting smallmouth Hawk said Ned rigs and jerkbaits would be popular selections.
“I think the guy who wins might not even catch a smallmouth, but it’s generally a mixed bag,” Hawk went on to say. “I think it’ll take 17½ pounds a day, average. My prediction is the winner is going to have right around 52 to 53 pound over three days.”
Anglers will take off each day at 7:30 a.m. MT from Windsor Beach at Lake Havasu State Park in Lake Havasu City. Weigh-ins will also be held at the Ski Beach at the Venetian Gardens and will begin at 3 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend and encouraged to follow the event online through the “MLF Live” weigh-in broadcasts and daily coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
In Toyota Series regular-season competition, payouts are based on the number of participants competing in the event, scaling up for every 20 boats over 160 and scaling down for every boat below 160. With a 160-boat field, pros fish for a top prize of $40,000, plus an extra $35,000 if Phoenix MLF Bonus qualified. Strike King co-anglers cast for the top prize of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard (valued at $33,500). With a 260-boat field, pros fish for a top award of $65,000, plus an extra $35,000 if Phoenix MLF Bonus qualified. Strike King co-anglers cast for the top prize of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard (valued at $33,500) plus $5,000 cash.
The 2023 Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats consists of six divisions – Central, Northern, Plains, Southern, Southwestern and the Western Division Presented by Tackle Warehouse – each holding three regular-season events, along with the International and Wild Card divisions. Anglers who fish in any of the six divisions or the Wild Card division and finish in the top 25 will qualify for the no-entry-fee Toyota Series Championship for a shot at winning up to $235,000 and a qualification to REDCREST V. The winning Strike King co-angler at the championship earns a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard. The 2023 Toyota Series Championship will be held Nov. 2-4 on Table Rock Lake in Branson, Missouri, and is hosted by ExploreBranson.com.
Proud sponsors of the 2023 MLF Toyota Series include: 4WP, 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Black Rifle Coffee Company, E3, Favorite Fishing, Fox Rent a Car, General Tire, Gill, Grundéns, Lew’s, Lowrance, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Wiley X and YETI.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Toyota Series updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the MLF5 social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
DAIWA: Advocating for the Business of the Business
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Longtime sportfishing industry leader teams with top advocacy group. |
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Cypress, CA (January 24, 2023) – DAIWA is proud to announce it has joined the growing ranks of National Professional Anglers Association (NPAA) partners. A worldwide leader in the recreational sportfishing industry, DAIWA turned out its first spinning reel more than 60 years ago and has been driven ever since to create and deliver anglers the most advanced and dynamic fishing gear on the market. Partnering with NPAA, says DAIWA’s Senior Marketing Manager, Marc Mills, is one way the company can further invest in the future of the fishing industry. “This is a natural fit for us, and we’re very pleased to now be counted among the NPAA’s nearly 80 industry partners, which include some of the best-known brands and organizations in fishing, as well as newer and smaller companies that benefit from the association’s superior networking opportunities, sportfishing advocacy, and efforts to recruit, retain and reactivate anglers at every level. We feel the NPAA has the backs of all those making a living in the sportfishing industry, from guides and captains to tournament anglers, fishing department associates and management, manufacturing personnel, engine mechanics, professional rep groups, tackle shop staff, and more. We want to be a part of that positive force. For that reason, we’ve decided to sign on as a supporting partner.” |
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NPAA president, Patrick Neu, says he’s thrilled to welcome DAIWA into the NPAA fold. “As NPAA continues to grow our partnership ranks, the addition of DAIWA is a very exciting development,” he stated. “Their products are of exceptional quality and used extensively by our members both in freshwater and saltwater environments. DAIWA’s line counter reels, in fact, are staples for many of our members who are trollers. From salmon, walleyes, muskies and crappies in freshwater, to stripers, blues, snook, redfish and even tuna in the salt, DAIWA gear has a great reputation amongst our members. Working together, I expect we’ll accomplish some great things for the sportfishing industry in the years ahead.” NPAA partnerships include Gold, Silver, Business, Tournament, Association & Club, and even a non-profit category. In addition to superior networking opportunities, sportfishing advocacy and promoting entry into the sport, the organization offers a monthly member newsletter, weekly industry news, and access to significant discounts on gear and services provided by many of its nearly 80 partners. |
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Nitro, Ranger, Triton boat brands announce bigger payouts than ever before with new tournament contingency programs
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (January 24, 2023) – Nitro, Ranger and Triton brands are proud to announce today its new fishing tournament contingency program, elevating the stakes of the grassroots tournaments with the largest payout currently in the market.
Newly established for 2023, the brands will reward a $50,000 cash bonus to the Bassmaster Opens “Angler of the Year” and MLF Toyota Series champion if the anglers meet the program’s qualifications. Nitro, Ranger and Triton will also offer an $8,000 cash bonus on top of tournament earnings for more than 250 approved tournaments – the most tournaments of any program!
“These new programs are great news for tournament anglers!” 4-time Bassmaster Classic winner and 3-time Major League Fishing Cup champion Kevin VanDam said. “They’re the best contingency programs currently on the market with more eligible tournaments, higher payouts, and free to enter. They’re paying you to win!”
To qualify for these bigger-than-ever cash bonus prizes, winning anglers are required to fish in a Triton, Ranger or Nitro boat that is 4 years old or newer. These contingency programs are free, meaning no entry fee is required to participate, and there is no cap on the number of winnings an angler can achieve.
Parent-company Bass Pro Shops and its boat brands have a long-standing history of supporting and incentivizing amateur anglers to continue to elevate the sport of fishing. In 2021, Bass Pro Shops held an amateur series tournament, the US Open National Bass Fishing Amateur Team Championships, exclusive to its boat owners with a payout of more than $4.6 million in cash and prizes.
Anglers fishing the 2023 Texas Team Trail will be eligible to register and take advantage of these exciting contingency opportunities. This is an exciting added bonus for anglers in 2023 after recently announcing the highest finishing White River Marine Group team in 2023 will qualify for the 2023 Bassmaster Team Championship. To register and find more information on the contingency program qualifications by boat brand and a list of participating tournaments, please visit nitro.com/tournament-rewards.html for Nitro, rangerboats.com/ranger-cup.html and tritonboats.com/triton-gold.html for Triton.
Local Support Brings First ‘Take Me Fishing™ Mobile First Catch Center’ to South Carolina Urban Residents
Pure Fishing’s collaboration with industry and state organizations helped bring the first Take Me Fishing™ Mobile First Catch Center in South Carolina, introducing fishing experiences to metro areas throughout The Palmetto State.
COLUMBIA, S.C. (Jan 24, 2022) — Pure Fishing announces a partnership with The Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation (RBFF) and the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) to bring hands-on fishing opportunities and conservation education to multicultural audiences in metropolitan areas across the state of South Carolina.
The Take Me Fishing™ Mobile First Catch Center pilot program began in 2018 in Texas and Pennsylvania to bring fishing experiences to those in urban areas by giving participants the chance to develop fishing skills and learn about local and regional conservation efforts. The trailers are managed by state fish and wildlife agencies and are filled with rods, reels, nets, coolers, rod racks, hooks, and bobbers for participants to use.
“We are thrilled to have Pure Fishing’s support for our Take Me Fishing™ Mobile First Catch Centers,” said Dave Chanda, President & CEO of RBFF. “This collaboration between the fishing and boating industry and state agencies across the country is just what we need to keep growing fishing and boating participation to support the conservation of our waterways.”
Thanks to the ongoing efforts by the RBFF and the partnership between Pure Fishing and the SCDNR, South Carolina joins the growing list of states that support this program and will teach fishing to audiences primarily in metropolitan areas throughout the state. Pure Fishing donated products from Berkley, Plano, Abu Garcia, Ugly Stik and Frabill.
“Pure Fishing is excited about bringing this initiative to South Carolina and providing these opportunities to metro areas of the state,” said Marc Kempter, Vice President of Marketing Communications. “Through our partnership with the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation and its Take Me Fishing Mobile First Catch Center initiative, we hope to help keep current anglers on the water, bring new participants into the sport and conserve our waterways for future generations to come.”
South Carolina now joins 15 other states and the District of Columbia in operating nearly two dozen Take Me Fishing™ Mobile First Catch Centers across the country.
For those interested in supporting a Take Me Fishing™ Mobile First Catch Center through donation or sponsorship, please contact Rachel Auslander, RBFF’s Director of Partnerships & Development, at [email protected].
Bassmaster Kayak Series expands competition days for 2023 season
Every tournament in the 2023 Yamaha Rightwaters Bassmaster Kayak Series powered by TourneyX has been expanded to two days as anglers compete around the country for the Dakota Lithium Bassmaster Kayak Series Angler of the Year title.
Photo by Mark Cisneros/B.A.S.S.
January 24, 2023
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — After crowning its first Angler of the Year in 2022, the Yamaha Rightwaters Bassmaster Kayak Series powered by TourneyX now has its much-anticipated five-tournament regular-season schedule in place. New for 2023, every tournament will feature two days of competition.
“It’s been really fun to watch anglers enjoy this trail as the sport — and our trail — continues to evolve and grow,” said B.A.S.S. Vice President of Tournaments Chris Bowes. “We value the feedback of anglers who are traveling from across the country to fish with B.A.S.S., and the two-day events we experimented with last season were extremely well-received.
“We’re excited to offer expanded competition on some iconic lakes. The 2023 season will showcase fisheries where the Kayak Series has already made history as well as some exciting new waters.”
The 2023 schedule begins on one of the sport’s most iconic fisheries when the field takes on Lake Guntersville in Scottsboro, Ala., March 4-5. While Lake Guntersville has hosted three Bassmaster Classics and numerous major B.A.S.S. tournaments, this will be the first time that a Kayak Series event has been held on the “Big G.”
The country’s best kayak anglers — including 2022 Bassmaster Kayak Series Angler of the Year Drew Gregory — will compete for a National Championship on legendary Chickamauga Lake in Dayton, Tenn., March 22-23 as part of festivities surrounding the 2023 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic in Knoxville. Chickamauga last hosted the Bassmaster Kayak Series in 2020. The winner of the season-ending tournament was Iowa’s Tyler Cole, with five bass measuring 89.5 inches. The big bass of that event was a largemouth coming in at a whopping 23 inches.
After the Championship in Tennessee, the Kayak Series heads to Anderson, S.C., to do battle on Lake Hartwell April 15-16.
“We’re very excited to add the Bassmaster Kayak Series to the myriad of Bassmaster events that we have hosted in Anderson County and Lake Hartwell,” said Neil Paul, executive director of Visit Anderson. “The kayak community is growing and very important to our area, and we look forward to showing our hospitality to the kayak community. B.A.S.S. has long served as the leader in competitive bass fishing and I have no doubts that the Kayak Series will be conducted in a first-class manner.”
The inaugural 2021 Kayak National Championship tournament on Possum Kingdom Lake in Graford, Texas, featured a memorable performance by Mark Pendergraf who won with a two-day, 10 bass total measuring 209.25 inches — the highest two-day total in TourneyX history. Anglers will be back on Possum Kingdom June 3-4, hoping to make another record-breaking run.
Anglers will head north to La Crosse, Wis., July 8-9 for the Series’ third tournament on the Upper Mississippi River before the season concludes Oct. 7-8 on Pennsylvania’s Susquehanna River.
That Lewisburg, Pa., event will decide the final AOY race and the final qualifiers for the 2024 Bassmaster Kayak Series Championship. The Top 50 anglers in the AOY points race along with the Top 5 from each event will earn a spot in the Kayak Series Championship. Anglers will earn points in every regular-season tournament with their lowest finish dropped to determine the final Dakota Lithium Bassmaster Kayak Series Angler of the Year standings.
As in the past, anglers will use the TourneyX app and photograph their bass on special measuring boards to submit their catches. The angler with the most inches of bass will be the winner.
For more information on registration for Bassmaster Kayak Series events, visit Bassmaster.com/kayak.
2023 Yamaha Rightwaters Bassmaster Kayak Series powered by TourneyX Schedule
March 4-5, Lake Guntersville, Scottsboro, Ala.
March 22-23, Chickamauga Lake, Dayton, Tenn., Kayak Series Championship
April 15-16, Lake Hartwell, Anderson, S.C.
June 3-4, Possum Kingdom Lake, Graford, Texas
July 8-9, Mississippi River, La Crosse, Wis.
October 7-8, Susquehanna River, Lewisburg, Pa.
Gill Fishing Signs Multi-Year Sponsorship of MLF Toyota Series and Phoenix Bass Fishing League
Premium apparel brand bolsters continued investment in fishing with three-year commitment to MLF
BUFORD, Ga. (Jan. 24, 2023) — Gill Fishing, maker of premium foul weather and performance fishing apparel, announces today the company has signed a multi-year agreement with Major League Fishing, the world’s premier tournament-fishing organization, to become an official sponsor of the MLF Toyota Series and MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League.
“Gill Fishing is rooted in tournament bass fishing, and we’re excited to enter into this long-term relationship with MLF by supporting the grassroots levels of this sport, which is the heart and soul of tournament fishing,” says Dominic McCarthy, Gill North America’s executive vice president. “This multi-faceted partnership will allow us to showcase our products’ technical capabilities. Whether you’re chasing a dream to reach the top of the sport or simply enjoy competing on the weekend, Gill Fishing’s apparel was designed to meet the unique demands of tournament anglers and allows them to perform their best in any condition.”
As an official sponsor of the Toyota Series and Phoenix Bass Fishing League, Gill Fishing will have a strong onsite presence at all 142 events. Gill Fishing will also have a booth at the MLF REDCREST Outdoor Sports Expo and opportunities to activate at all MLF5 events in 2023.
“Many of our tournament anglers rely on Gill Fishing products to keep them dry and comfortable on the water,” says Kathy Fennel, MLF Executive Vice President & General Manager. “It’s always exciting for us to welcome a new sponsor to Major League Fishing, and we’re proud to showcase the Gill Fishing brand to our loyal MLF fans.”
For 2023, Gill Fishing is offering several styles of foul weather bibs and jackets tailored for specific climates, performance fishing shirts and hoodies that are highly breathable and provide UV protection, and a new line of deck boots that deliver confident traction while keeping feet dry and comfortable. To learn more about Gill Fishing’s apparel and the rigorous testing each product must pass, visit www.gillfishing.com.
For complete details and updated MLF tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Toyota Series and Phoenix Bass Fishing League updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
MLF Toyota Series Southern Division Opener Set for Harris Chain of Lakes
LEESBURG, Fla. (Jan. 24, 2023) – The Major League Fishing (MLF) Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats will continue next week with the Southern Division opener in Leesburg, Florida, Feb. 1-3, the Toyota Series at the Harris Chain of Lakes . The three-day tournament, hosted by Visit Lake County, Florida, will feature a roster of the region’s best bass-fishing pros and Strike King co-anglers competing for a top prize of up to $100,000 in the pro division and a new Phoenix 518 Pro boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard motor in the co-angler division.
“As long as the weather stays stable, we’re going to see big weights and a lot of big limits in this event,” said Toyota pro Terry Scroggins of San Mateo, Florida, who has 48 career top-10 finishes and five tournament wins. “The fish are in all three stages, so we’re going to see a lot of prespawn and postspawn fish. That’s what makes this event so fun – the fish are moving. Pulling up, moving out – there are going to be several different ways to catch them.”
With the majority of Harris Chain waters in play for competitors, Scroggins said that he thinks the tournament could be won in any one of the lakes and that will have the anglers spread out.
“Some guys are going to catch them in the canals – the fish like to spawn there,” Scroggins said. “The offshore grass will be strong, and the mixed hydrilla and eelgrass. I’d have a vibrating jig tied on, and a lipless crankbait. I’d also have something to flip – a lot of those fish also spawn in the reeds and cattails, so you have to have something to flip.”
Scroggins went on to say that with ideal weather conditions, the three-day winner might need a three-day total right around 75 pounds.
“If it’s good weather, I think it’ll take over 25 (pounds) a day,” Scroggins said. “If the weather is bad, it’ll still be good fishing – 18 to 20 pounds a day.”
Anglers will take off each day at 7 a.m. ET from the Venetian Gardens in Leesburg. Weigh-ins will also be held at the Ski Beach at the Venetian Gardens and will begin at 3 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend and encouraged to follow the event online through the “MLF Live” weigh-in broadcasts and daily coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
In Toyota Series regular-season competition, payouts are based on the number of participants competing in the event, scaling up for every 20 boats over 160 and scaling down for every boat below 160. With a 160-boat field, pros fish for a top prize of $40,000, plus an extra $35,000 if Phoenix MLF Bonus qualified. Strike King co-anglers cast for the top prize of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard (valued at $33,500). With a 260-boat field, pros fish for a top award of $65,000, plus an extra $35,000 if Phoenix MLF Bonus qualified. Strike King co-anglers cast for the top prize of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard (valued at $33,500) plus $5,000 cash.
The 2023 Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats consists of six divisions – Central, Northern, Plains, Southern, Southwestern and the Western Division Presented by Tackle Warehouse – each holding three regular-season events, along with the International and Wild Card divisions. Anglers who fish in any of the six divisions or the Wild Card division and finish in the top 25 will qualify for the no-entry-fee Toyota Series Championship for a shot at winning up to $235,000 and a qualification to REDCREST V. The winning Strike King co-angler at the championship earns a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard. The 2023 Toyota Series Championship will be held Nov. 2-4 on Table Rock Lake in Branson, Missouri, and is hosted by ExploreBranson.com.
Proud sponsors of the 2023 MLF Toyota Series include: 4WP, 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Black Rifle Coffee Company, E3, Favorite Fishing, Fox Rent a Car, General Tire, Gill, Grundéns, Lew’s, Lowrance, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Wiley X and YETI.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Toyota Series updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the MLF5 social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
Nominations open for third annual C.A.S.T. for Kids B.A.S.S. Humanitarian Award
Bill Wilson of Fort Collins, Colo., was honored with the 2022 C.A.S.T. for Kids B.A.S.S. Humanitarian Award for his decades of work serving special needs families and veterans.
Photo by B.A.S.S.
January 24, 2023
Nominations open for third annual C.A.S.T. for Kids B.A.S.S. Humanitarian Award
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — B.A.S.S. and the C.A.S.T. for Kids Foundation are accepting nominations for their annual humanitarian award recognizing the important work being done by many anglers to support fragile populations. The C.A.S.T. for Kids B.A.S.S. Humanitarian Award will honor one B.A.S.S. member who has demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to serving groups such as children with special needs, veterans, abuse survivors or any people who need extra help and support.
“We are proud to collaborate with the C.A.S.T. for Kids Foundation to honor the many volunteers in both of our organizations who make such a positive impact in their communities,” said B.A.S.S. CEO Chase Anderson. “While only one person will receive this award, we hope it will spotlight the incredible work being done by so many of our members across the country.”
The 2022 C.A.S.T. for Kids B.A.S.S. Humanitarian Award honored Bill Wilson of Fort Collins, Colorado during the 2022 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic. Wilson started his local C.A.S.T. for Kids program 25 years ago, which draws participants from up to 200 miles away and uses 35-40 boats to take special needs children and their families out on the water. Additionally, Wilson serves as the safety boat for the City of Fort Collins’ Adaptive Recreation Programs, getting special needs children and adults on various local lakes and reservoirs on paddle boards and in kayaks and sailboats. He has also organized the community’s annual veterans’ breakfast for 21 years and makes sure that no food goes to waste by ensuring anything remaining goes to feed local homeless populations.
“Bill has wholeheartedly served the special needs children, veterans and youth fishermen in Colorado for decades,” said Executive Director of the C.A.S.T. for Kids Foundation and former Bassmaster Elite Series pro Jay Yelas. “The joy he exhibits while voluntarily serving others is contagious, and Bill has been a great example to many. The C.A.S.T. for Kids Foundation was thrilled to see Bill receive the Humanitarian Award.”
To be considered for the award, a B.A.S.S. member must be nominated by February 17, 2023. Any member doing exemplary community service will be considered. The nomination form can be found at Bassmaster.com/award.
“The sport of bass fishing is full of folks with big hearts who enjoy serving others; we meet them all the time at C.A.S.T. for Kids events,” said Yelas. “I think it’s significant that the C.A.S.T. for Kids B.A.S.S. Humanitarian Award exists to recognize and show appreciation to those in the B.A.S.S. family who serve their community well.”
Anderson recently joined the C.A.S.T. for Kids Foundation Board of Directors.
“After attending a recent C.A.S.T. event, I was so moved by the experience and felt so strongly about the importance of their mission that I was honored to join the board when Jay extended the invitation late last year,” he said.
Judges from both B.A.S.S. and the C.A.S.T. for Kids Foundation will review all nominations as well as verify the humanitarian work of the honoree. It is important to note that, while C.A.S.T. for Kids focuses on giving special needs kids fishing opportunities, the nominations are open to B.A.S.S. members doing any form of good work to help a fragile population. The winner will be announced as part of the festivities surrounding the 2023 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic in Knoxville, Tenn., March 24-26.
Arey hopes to make Magic Kingdom memories at Okeechobee
Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships
Cleveland County, North Carolina, where Team Toyota’s Matt Arey calls home, is well-known for a Bigfoot named Knobby and a unique food item called liver mush. But lately, Arey’s thoughts have involved Florida’s most famous mouse and massive bass fishery, Lake Okeechobee.
The Arey family recently spent quality time with neighbors at Walt Disney World® where the highly competitive angler had his heart softened watching youngest daughter Wren get treated like a princess at Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, and her big sister, Reese gain self-confidence by riding down Splash Mountain.
“Those are moments I’ll treasure forever as a dad,” says Arey. “Wren is 6-years-old, which is the perfect age for a little girl to experience Disney, and seeing Reese breakthrough some of her fear barriers and gain self-confidence after riding Splash Mountain made me super proud of her,” reflects Arey.
A month from now, Arey will rely on his own self-confidence when he returns to Florida to begin a brand new Bassmaster Elite Series season at Lake Okeechobee during Valentine’s week.
“I’ve had a love-hate relationship with Okeechobee over the years. The two biggest bass I’ve ever caught in my life both came from Okeechobee during practice days. They were both 10-pounders. But I’ve also struggled to cash good checks there,” says Arey.
The iconic South Florida fishery has had its share of ecological strugglesrecently related to nutrient overloads, toxic algal blooms, and intense water level fluctuations.
“The water is really high there now, and on most fisheries that spreads anglers out, but at Okeechobee, high water forces muddy water into normally prime fishing areas, resulting in a lot fewer areas with the cleaner water everybody will be looking for,” he explains.
Asked what lures he’s confident will be major players, Arey chose a 5” black/blue Lunker Stick, and a 3/8-ounce swim jig from Lunkerhunt in a color called “spawner.”
“A soft stick bait like the Lunker Stick has probably caught more bass in Florida the past 20 years than any lure on earth, and it’s a great tool to get bites when fishing pressure has slowed the bite way down after we’ve pounded all the good water for several days,” says Arey.
Secondly, he’ll tie on a swim jig just like the one daughter Reese is holding in the palm of her oversized Mickey glove to comb vast acres of what the locals call flooded hay fields.
“I put a little boot-tail swimbait on the back of it for a trailer, tie it to 40-pound P-Line braid on a 7’ 4” heavy action rod and cover a ton of water. It’s hand-to-hand combat bass fishing that can be an absolute blast!” grins Arey.
Ultimately, he hopes the soft stickbait and swimjig lead to memories on par with Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique and Splash Mountain. Because Arey will be the first to tell you Okeechobee is overdue in granting him a Disney-sized helping of success as he makes a run at qualifying for his fifth consecutive Bassmaster Classic.
Fesco & Ashworth win $20,000 at Rayburn. Choke Canyon this weekend
Sam Rayburn: 1/21/2023 Total Entries: 168 Teams Total Collected: $56,270 Total Payback (C&P): $51,350 Payback Percentage: 91% Total Fish: 393 Total Weight: 1091.43 lbs Average Weight: 2.78 lbs Number of limits: 72 Number of zero's: 85 Top 50 finishers listed below for complete results
go to http://www.basschamps.com
http://www.bctakeoff.com
for take off details
Place Boat Truck Angler 1 Angler 2 Fish Big Bass Wt. Prize Amt. 1 MICHAEL FESCO
SOUR LAKE , TXHOLDEN ASHWORTH
VIDOR , TX5 0 23.73
$20000.00 2 TRENT MANUEL
IOWA , LAGEORGE GLASS
DERRIDER , LA5 0 21.94
$6000.00 with Skeeter Bonus Cash 3 SAMMY CHRISTIAN
LUMBERTON , TXQUINTIN GUIDRY
BEAUMONT , TX5 9.02 21.74
$2200.00 4 RUSTY CLARK
SAM RAYBURN , TXCORY RAMBO
ORANGE , TX5 6.91 21.21
$1500.00 5 WILL CARSTENS
ALEXANDRIA , LAROSS BRYANT
ALEXANDRIA , LA5 0 18.96
$1200.00 6 BRETT PREUETT
MONROE , LABEN SOUTH
JASPER , TX5 0 18.89
$1050.00 7 CASEY WELDON
VIDOR , TXTERRY HOTARD
HEMPHILL , TX5 10.29 18.67
$1040.00 8 DON DICKERSON
PINEVILLE , LAJASON FOUNTAIN
PINEVILLE , LA5 9.32 17.86
$1030.00 9 RODNEY BRAY
BROKEN BOW , OKGLENN WEBB
BROKEN BOW , OK5 0 17.79
$1020.00 10 DARREN TAYLOR
COLDSPRING , TXGARY WALPOLE
FLORESVILLE , TX5 0 17.74
$1010.00 11 TY MOOREHEAD
JASPER , TXDEWAYNE REESE
DIBOLL , TX5 0 17.55
$1000.00 12 CHRIS LEWIS
HALLSVILLE , TXCEDRIC JACKSON
SICILY ISLAND , LA4 11.66 17.16
$1000.00 + $500.00 Big Bass+ABU Garcia Bonus 13 CHARLES GUTHRIE
CONROE , TXRICHARD FAULKNER
BROADDUS , TX5 6.42 16.54
$2000.00 with Skeeter Bonus Cash 14 LEE BROWN
LEESVILLE , LAIKE STEPHENS
LEESVILLE , LA5 0 16.48
$1000.00 15 JOSH RODGERS
CHINA , TXCASEY BURLEIGH
ORANGE , TX5 0 16.47
$1000.00 16 BRYTON KURTZ
MONTGOMERY , TXBRYAN KURTZ
MONTGOMERY , TX5 0 16.41
$1000.00 17 BILLY DONAHO
BROOKELAND , TXCHRISTOPHER OGAZ
BROOKELAND , TX5 0 16.09
$1000.00 18 JASON BONDS
LUFKIN , TXDEREK MUNDY
BROADDUS , TX4 0 15.61
$925.00 18 CLINT CONRAD
MOSS BLUFF , LAKEELAN MANUEL
SULPHUR , LA5 0 15.61
$925.00 20 BRANNON MIRE
BROUSSARD , LABEN MATSUBU
MANY , LA5 0 15.50
$900.00 21 DONNIE PICKARD
BRIDGE CITY , TXALAN ASHBY
ORANGE , TX5 0 15.44
$1400.00 with Skeeter Bonus Cash 22 BRADLEY HILLEBRANDT
FLORIEN , LAJORDAN BREAUX
LAKE CHARLES , LA5 0 15.43
$900.00 23 LARRY DEAN
HUMBLE , TXDANIEL TRAVIS
THE COLONY , TX5 0 15.28
24 SHELBY SHAW
HUNTSVILLE , TXWESLEY LEWIS
KIRBYVILLE , TX5 0 15.20
25 CHAD KEMP
BRIDGE CITY , TXBRENT KEMP
ORANGE , TX5 0 15.06
26 ROSS JEWELL
BROADDUS , TXRICHARD BACON
BASILE , LA5 0 15.05
27 STEVE WRIGHT
PLANO , TXRONALD RISENHOOVER
LUFKIN , TX5 0 14.78
28 JONATHAN EDWARDS
HEMPHILL , TXBRENT EDWARDS
HEMPHILL , TX5 0 14.53
29 STEPHEN SHANNON
ARLINGTON , TXJACOB SHANNON
ARLINGTON , TX5 0 14.46
30 ROGER JOHNSON JR
VIDOR , TXKIRK LELEUX
KIRBYVILLE , TX5 0 14.40
31 CODY PITT
ELMER , LAKEVIN LASYONE
DRY PRONG , LA5 0 14.30
32 ERNEST WEBB II
HULL , TXERNEST WEBB
HULL , TX5 0 14.29
32 LARRY COTTEN JR
HUFFMAN , TXLARRY COTTEN
HUFFMAN , TX5 0 14.29
34 ADAM DUNN
HOUSTON , TXBILLY CARNLINE
PORTER , TX5 0 14.13
35 BRADLEY PAGE
FRIENDSWOOD , TXJOHN NEMECEK
FRIENDSWOOD , TX5 0 13.84
36 MARTIN ELSHOUT
ABITA SPRINGS , LAMARK PRICE
RUSTON , LA5 0 13.70
37 CRAIG MASSEY
HOUSTON , TX5 0 13.50
38 DANIEL HICKMAN
HUNTINGTON , TXCHARLES HICKMAN
HUNTINGTON , TX5 0 13.36
39 JD LAUGHERY
ROCKWALL , TXCOLTON LAUGHERY
ROCKWALL , TX5 0 13.31
40 ALEX MURRAY
LAKE CHARLES , LADAVID BERCIER
LAKE CHARLES , LA5 0 13.30
41 ALLAN SHIVERS
JASPER , TXZACK LUCAS
BROOKELAND , TX4 0 12.98
42 RICHARD WAGNON
JASPER , TXGREG GREEN
LUMBERTON , TX5 0 12.97
43 WILLIAM OLDBURY
KIRBYVILLE , TXMICHAEL DORSEY
ORANGE , TX5 0 12.91
44 STUART VILLIEN
DUSON , LAKIPP THERIOT
YOUNGSVILLE , LA5 0 12.81
45 ALLEN SHELTON
FARMERS BRANCH , TXSTRIDER BROWNING
TIMPSON , TX5 0 12.70
46 MATHEW ARMAND
HESSMER , LAMIKE BRIGGS
PINEVILLE , LA5 0 12.68
47 HEATH ARD
SILSBEE , TXDAVID GORE
ZAVALA , TX5 0 12.54
48 BUBBA FRAZIER
PINELAND , TXTOMMY HILL JR
PINELAND , TX5 0 12.49
49 MARSHALL HUGHES
HEMPHILL , TXCOLE STEWART
HEMPHILL , TX5 0 12.47
50 BRANDEN RANNEKLEIV
REEVES , LAJOSHUA SMITH
SULPHUR , LA5 0 12.45
Central Florida Youth Anglers Win MLF High School Fishing Open Tournament on Harris Chain of Lakes
LEESBURG, Fla. (Jan. 23, 2023) – The Central Florida Youth Anglers team of Ryder Krueger and Carson Yero brought five bass to the scale Saturday weighing 21 pounds, 6 ounces, to win the MLF High School Fishing Presented by Favorite Fishing Open at Harris Chain of Lakes in Leesburg, Florida.
A field of 37 teams competed in the no-entry fee tournament, which was hosted by Visit Lake County, Florida. In MLF High School Fishing competition, the top 10 percent of teams competing advance to the High School Fishing National Championship.
The top three teams that advanced to the 2023 High School Fishing National Championship are:
1st: Central Florida Youth Anglers – Ryder Krueger and Carson Yero, five bass, 21-6
2nd: Seminole Junior Anglers – Bryce Balentine and Bryce Dimauro, five bass, 20-0
3rd: TSA Seminole County – Dylan Quilatan and Tommy Rust, five bass, 18-10
Rounding out the top 10 teams were:
4th: Marion County Bass Masters – Isaac Dorland and Claude Loftin, five bass, 17-3
5th: Alabama Bass Academy – Fisher Anaya and Lake Johnson, five bass, 15-4
6th: South Sumter High School, Bushnell, Fla. – Chase Burris and Cody Zilcosky, five bass, 12-2
7th: Alabama Bass Academy – Caleb Edwards and Jackson Rollins, five bass, 12-1
8th: Central Florida Youth Anglers – Logan Cardwell and Kaden Snavely, five bass, 11-9
9th: Mid Florida Youth Anglers, Mulberry, Fla. – Kody Glass and Evan Newell, five bass, 11-3
10th: Bartow High School, Bartow, Fla. – Colten Bourn and Cameron Spiller, five bass, 10-14
Complete results from the event can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
MLF High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing Open tournaments are free, two-person (team) events for students in grades 7-12 and are open to any MLF and TBF Student Angler Federation-affiliated high school club. The top 10% of teams at each Open event, along with the TBF High School Fishing state championships, will advance to the 2023 High School Fishing National Championship. The 2023 MLF High School Fishing National Championship will be held on the Mississippi River in La Crosse, Wisconsin, June 20-24, and is hosted by Explore La Crosse.
The High School Fishing National Champions each receive a $5,000 college scholarship to the school of their choice and advance to the 2023 MLF Toyota Series Championship to compete as co-anglers.
Proud sponsors of the 2023 MLF High School Fishing Presented by Favorite Fishing include: 4WP, 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Black Rifle Coffee Company, E3, Favorite Fishing, Fox Rent a Car, General Tire, Grundens, Lawless Lures, Lew’s, Lowrance, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Wiley X and YETI.
For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular High School Fishing updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
Catawba Valley Community College Wins MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing Tournament on Harris Chain of Lakes
LEESBURG, Fla. (Jan. 23, 2023) – The Catawba Valley Community College duo of Will Hammond of Huntersville, North Carolina, and Cabe Mackey of Denver, North Carolina, won the MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI event on Harris Chain of Lakes Friday with a five-bass limit weighing 25 pounds, 5 ounces. The victory earned the Red Hawks’ bass club $2,000 and a qualification into the 2024 MLF College Fishing National Championship.
It didn’t take long for the Red Hawks to get a jump on the field, even though Hammond said it was his first time to fish in Florida.
“We rolled up on our spot and I made the first cast and caught our big fish, which was almost an 8-pounder,” the freshman said. “Yeah … the first cast of the day. That fish was also my new personal best.”
Hammond said the duo focused on a shell bed in six feet of water and utilized a Carolina rig tipped with a large worm. He went on to say they found the shell bed in practice and knew it was in the vicinity of a spawning area and would be promising on tournament day.
“I knew in the back of my mind there would be all three stages of fish there,” Hammond said. “I knew it had post-spawn fish, pre-spawn fish and fish that were just starting to move up on beds. It was a staging place for the fish and a place I knew would constantly refresh.”
Hammond said the team sat on the shell bed all day and ended up catching 15 keepers during the event, including a 6-pounder to cull their smallest bass.
“This win hasn’t set in yet,” Hammond said. “I was very confident it was going to take much more to win than it did, so when I walked to the stage and saw 23 pounds was leading, it scared me for a second. But it is so cool to get this win for the school.”
A field of 233 teams competed Friday, meaning 27 teams qualified to compete in the 2024 College Fishing National Championship. The top 10 teams finished:
1st: Catawba Valley Community College – Will Hammond, Huntersville, N.C., and Cabe Mackey, Denver, N.C., five bass, 25-5, $2,000
2nd: Florida Gateway College – Seth Slanker and Jackson Swisher, both of Lake City, Fla., five bass, 23-9, $1,000
3rd: University of Central Florida – Justin Lawrence, Oviedo, Fla., and Grady Windham, Winter Park, Fla., five bass, 23-1, $700
4th: University of Nebraska-Lincoln – Jonah Barrow, Fairmont, Neb., and Connor Slaughter, South Sioux City, Neb., five bass, 22-14, $600
5th: Carson-Newman University – Ben Cully, Rockwall, Texas, and Hayden Gaddis, Seymour, Tenn., five bass, 22-4, $500
6th: University of Iowa – John Hatfield, West Branch, Iowa, and Chase Loftus, Solan, Iowa, five bass, 21-13
7th: Auburn University – Sam Hanggi, Knoxville, Tenn., and Sam Hoesley, Hoover, Ala., five bass, 21-9
8th: Kentucky Christian University – Ben Brockwell, Crossett, Ark., and Justice Gayhart, Nicholasville, Ky., five bass, 21-0
9th: University of North Alabama – Kolby Clark and Kaden Liles, both of Florence, Ala., five bass, 19-14
10th: Campbellsville University – Evan Fields, Shelbyville, Ky., and Drew Gill, Mount Carmel, Ill., five bass, 19-3
Complete results for the entire field can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI event on Harris Chain of Lakes was hosted by Visit Lake County, Florida. The next event for College Fishing anglers will be the Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI event on Lake Havasu Presented by Tackle Warehouse, Feb. 4 in Lake Havasu City, Arizona.
The 2023 MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI features college teams from across the country competing in nine regular-season tournaments. The top 12-percent of teams from each regular-season tournament advance to the 2024 Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI National Championship.
Proud sponsors of the 2023 MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI include: 4WP, 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Black Rifle Coffee Company, E3, Favorite Fishing, Fox Rent a Car, General Tire, Grundens, Lawless Lures, Lew’s, Lowrance, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Wiley X and YETI.
For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular College Fishing updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
Luke Clausen Signs with Phenix Rods
Monday, January 23, 2023
SANTA FE SPRINGS, Cali. – Phenix Rods has announced the addition of Major League Fishing pro Luke Clausen to its pro staff. Clausen will fish with their bass rods, including the M1, Recon Elite, and Feather Series, on the Bass Pro Tour in 2023.
"We’re super excited to add an angler of Luke’s caliber to the Phenix Family," stated Vince Borges, the Director of Sales and Marketing for Phenix Rods. “Luke and I have fished together and been good friends for quite a few years now. So it was an easy decision for myself and Phenix to welcome Luke to our team of highly skilled anglers and champions!”
Clausen is one of only five anglers who have won the Forrest Wood Cup and the Bassmaster Classic and finished 2nd in Major League Fishing's REDCREST last year. His career has spanned nearly two decades, with earnings eclipsing $2.75 million.
"I'm looking forward to fishing Phenix rods this season because they are excellent products that are also very affordable," added Clausen. "I've known the team for years and am very familiar with their products. It's a great match, and I'm ready to start the season with Phenix Rods in my boat."
Phenix began operation in 1977 and shortly after; they had a loyal following for their custom rods. In 2006, they expanded their offerings with a wide range of rods built for fresh and saltwater species and have continually added new rod designs for all anglers. The company's focus is innovation, emphasizing decreasing rod weight and increasing sensitivity.
White and Elder Win ABT 100 Lake Wedowee
By Jason Duran
Wedowee Ala-January 23, The Alabama Bass Trail 100 started the 2023 season at Lake Wedowee in Randolph County. The ABT 100 consists of 100 of the best teams in the country fishing for a total payout of $100,000. Prior to this event, 90% of the teams had never been to Lake Wedowee, but they were up for the challenge and ready to put their skills to the test.
The first-place team of Rusty White, Jr. and Brian Elder weighed in 20.07 pounds of Lake Wedowee bass. This was the first time Rusty and Brian fished an ABT event. They tried to get in last year but just missed out, so this year they were waiting as soon as registration opened and clicked send to sign up. Their plan was to “fish for big fish. We came to win. We could have gone down the bank and caught 50-60 fish, but we were fishing for big fish. We targeted very specific structure and isolated cover. Big fish like isolated cover and structure adjacent to deep water. We knew we were going to have to fish behind others because the lake fishes small. When we made the decision to fish for big fish on the isolated stuff, we didn’t have anyone else fishing the same way we were all day.” For them isolated spots were key along with water depth; “the boat was between 12-22 feet, so we targeted structure in 2-8 feet- small piles or small clumps of trees that came out of deep water that gave fish one thing to be the primary Killzone. Big fish always need the escape to deep water. We found this structure by looking at the bank watching how the bank moves. If the bank looked flat and ran deep, we looked for the high spot on that bank or a cluster of trees that was the only spot on that bank, and that was where we found the fish. We spent the day using baits with red hues for the most part.” The Strike King custom painted Chick Magnet crank bait was used to target fish in the 5–6-feet range. For the fish that were a little deeper, a Blue Ridge Bait Company Roller Shad crankbait was used. A third productive bait was Roller Spinnerbait by True Shot Custom Lures. The spinnerbait has big painted eyes and the twist eye wire tie vs “R” bend prevents losing fish.” For their win, they collected $25,000 plus an additional $1000 for a 7.60 pound big fish payout.
The second-place team of Brian Adamson and Ryan Lloyd were one of the hometown teams that were excited to finally see the ABT come to Lake Wedowee. “This is the biggest event ever at Lake Wedowee, and the whole community has been looking forward to it. Wedowee is a very small town; we have a Jack’s, a grocery store, and a couple of gas stations, and when the ABT comes, it really makes a big impact on the community.” Their original plan was to fish shallow, so they spent lots of time in practice trying those areas. “We really know this lake well as shallow, but the fish just were not there for us in practice.” They made the decision to fish a little deeper and target one primary spot. “We went out today to catch as many as we could and as big as we could. For the first hour of the day, we caught them every cast and quickly culled up to around 17-pounds. We fished on the south end of the lake on a main river flat with a sunken boat for structure and a huge school of fish on it. We caught at least 100 fish and left them biting. It turned out that the large-mouth quit biting and the smaller spotted bass kept feeding- we just couldn’t get the large-mouth to bite again. We left the main area and went to skip docks. At the first dock, we culled up one fish to get us to the 18.50 pounds; after that, we never culled again.” The key baits in this 2nd place finish were; Zoom Swimmer swimbait in shad color, Strike King 6xd Citrus Shad, Big Sac brown jig. “This was probably the most fun tournament we have ever fished combined with anxiety going into the event added that normally the home guys never do well in these events. We really were happy with the finish.” The $12,500 second place prize combined with the Phoenix Boats prize of $2,500 combine for a total payday of $15,000.
Jonathan Collins and Derek Hicks are no strangers to the ABT leader board. They finished in third-place with 17.87 and $10,000. Their style of fishing was perfect for this lake. Derek is known for his Tunnel Hull and the ability to go shallow to get to the fish. They made a run up the Little Tallapoosa River as far as they could go to find fish in the current. They traveled about 10 miles up past the old 431 bridge where most people would have stopped. They targeted fish on chunk rock banks with wood and fished the eddy using 5/8 homemade jig that Derek ties with a Zoom Super Chunk in black and blue, a Zorro 5/8 Bango Blade spinnerbait that has been modified with new blades, and an out of production Sonny McFarland Spring Craw crankbait. They were amazed at how much current was up there and were happy to find it. “You wouldn’t think it was the same lake when you get up there. This is our style of fishing and how we want to fish; we will be back here to fish again in the fall to give it another try.”
The top five standings are below for a complete list of standings please visit:
https://www.alabamabasstrail100.org/lake-wedowee-results/
Bassmaster College Series season kicks off on Harris Chain
The 2023 Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops will start the season on Harris Chain, where last season Lafe and Matt Messer from Kentucky Christian University caught a Day 2 limit of 36 pounds, 7 ounces and broke the Bassmaster College Series single-day record.
Photo by Kyle Jessie/B.A.S.S.
January 19, 2023
LEESBURG, Fla. — Another heavyweight battle is on tap as 275 of the best college fishing teams in the country return to central Florida for the 2023 Strike King Bassmaster College Series at Harris Chain presented by Bass Pro Shops Jan. 26-27.
St. Croix Bassmaster Opens pro Bobby Lane of Lakeland, Fla., expects the weights to be impressive.
“I couldn’t predict what lake it is going to go down on,” Lane said. “They are all fishing that good right now. There will be opportunities for these college anglers to have five to eight spots they can run and feel confident about catching a 20-plus-pound bag on all of them. All of the lakes will produce a 20-pound bag this time of year.”
The last two trips to the Harris Chain for the College Series have produced some of the biggest bags ever. In 2020, the Bryan College duo of Connor DiMauro and Elite Series rookie Cole Sands captured 84 pounds, 12 ounces, the heaviest three-day winning weight in Bassmaster history.
Last season, Lafe and Matt Messer from Kentucky Christian University caught a two-day total of 61-13 to earn the victory, including a 36-7 sack on Day 2.
The College Series event will be followed on Jan. 29 by the one-day Strike King Bassmaster High School Series presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors and Bassmaster Junior Series tournaments, featuring 225 teams from 30 states. All events will launch from Venetian Gardens (Ski Beach) at7 a.m. ET and return for weigh-in at 3 p.m. The Junior Series weigh-in starts at 2 p.m. on Sunday. Full coverage will be available on Bassmaster.com.
While the massive system used to be a fishery the locals only fished if there was a tournament scheduled, the Harris Chain has turned into a big-bass factory in recent years and that is largely because of the amount of healthy grass in the fishery.
“All of the lakes have some type of vegetation in them now,” Lane explained. “It could be eelgrass, coontail, hydrilla. Half of the Elite field’s weight last year came from Banana Cove where hydrilla was growing. Harris didn’t use to be known for the big fish it has today. It used to be behind Okeechobee, Toho, Seminole. You only went to Harris to fish a tournament, not to fun fish.
“Over the last five years, the grass has grown up and the (fish have grown). There wasn’t always a great population, but now you can catch 10, 20, 30, even 50 to 60 bass a day. The fishery is so healthy and lights-out.”
Lane expects the bass to be in full prespawn mode and approaching the areas where they will set up to spawn. Given the right conditions, some of the big largemouth might even begin their spawning rituals. He added that any of the eight lakes that make up the Harris Chain could produce a winning bag.
“January is when the big prespawn bass move to the last spots they will be (at) before they move to shore to think about spawning,” Lane said. “Shellbars will be key. The fish love to set up on the shellbars, and the shad love to swim through there. The big females are as big as they will ever be, and they are aggressive and feeding up before they move into spawn.
“What happens a lot of times is people think they need to fish shallow. But depending on the winter and if it is really mild and the moon happens to set up, they could very well be catching spawning fish. Those females will sometimes spawn in that offshore grass, right where they eat all year long.”
With fish in prespawn mode, Lane said three baits will almost always get the job done: a Berkley Slobberknocker, a lipless crankbait and a Carolina rig. The C-rig has been responsible for the two College Series victories previously mentioned and is a must-have when anglers go to the Harris Chain.
Major League Fishing Toyota Series Set to Launch 2023 Season with Southwestern Division Opener on Sam Rayburn
BROOKELAND, Texas (Jan. 19, 2023) – The Major League Fishing (MLF) Toyota Series is set to open the season in Brookeland, Texas, next week, Jan. 25-27, with the Toyota Series at Sam Rayburn Reservoir. Hosted by the Jasper-Lake Sam Rayburn Area Chamber of Commerce, the three-day tournament will feature a field of the region’s best bass-fishing pros and Strike King co-anglers competing for a top prize of up to $100,000 in the pro division and a new Phoenix 518 Pro boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard motor in the co-angler division.
“No doubt, whomever wins this Toyota Series event is going to have to catch at least 60 pounds over the three days,” said Bass Pro Tour newcomer Nick LeBrun of Bossier City, Louisiana, who has eight top-10 finishes on Sam Rayburn Reservoir in MLF competition. “I jumped in the BFL opener last weekend just to get ready for this Toyota Series event and although the lake is low, it is still fishing really good right now.”
LeBrun finished in 4th place in that BFL event, relying mainly on junk fishing to piece together a solid 19-pound, 3-ounce limit. He said he caught a 5½-pounder fishing shallow, and a 5½-pounder fishing out deep. Like that event, he expects the fish to still be spread out during this Toyota Series opener.
“It’s been a very mild winter. The water has been in the 60s forever. Usually when the water hits 55 (degrees) and stays consistent there is a big group of fish that get up in the drains and winter there, but I just don’t know that a lot of fish have done that yet, this year,” LeBrun said.
“Like the BFL, I think we’ll see a lot of junk fishing in this tournament,” LeBrun went on to say. “I’ll have a ½-ounce Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap tied on – that’s always a huge player on Rayburn – and I’ll also have a ¾ -ounce Buckeye Football jig and some Texas-rigged plastics tied on if I decide to play the deep game. I don’t really think about it often, but an umbrella rig could definitely be a player this time of year as well.”
Anglers will launch each day at 7 a.m. CT from the Umphrey Family Pavilion in Brookeland. Weigh-ins will also be held at the Pavilion and will begin at 3 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend and encouraged to follow the event online through the “MLF Live” weigh-in broadcasts and daily coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
In Toyota Series regular-season competition, payouts are based on the number of participants competing in the event, scaling up for every 20 boats over 160 and scaling down for every boat below 160. With a 160-boat field, pros fish for a top prize of $40,000, plus an extra $35,000 if Phoenix MLF Bonus qualified. Strike King co-anglers cast for the top prize of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard (valued at $33,500). With a 260-boat field, pros fish for a top award of $65,000, plus an extra $35,000 if Phoenix MLF Bonus qualified. Strike King co-anglers cast for the top prize of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard (valued at $33,500) plus $5,000 cash.
The 2023 Toyota Series consists of six divisions – Central, Northern, Plains, Southern, Southwestern and the Western Division Presented by Tackle Warehouse – each holding three regular-season events, along with the International and Wild Card divisions. Anglers who fish in any of the six divisions or the Wild Card division and finish in the top 25 will qualify for the no-entry-fee Toyota Series Championship for a shot at winning up to $235,000 and a qualification to REDCREST V. The winning Strike King co-angler at the championship earns a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard. The 2023 Toyota Series Championship will be held Nov. 2-4on Table Rock Lake in Branson, Missouri, and is hosted by ExploreBranson.com.
Proud sponsors of the 2023 MLF Toyota Series include: 4WP, 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Black Rifle Coffee Company, E3, Favorite Fishing, Fox Rent a Car, General Tire, Gill, Grundéns, Lew’s, Lowrance, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Wiley X and YETI.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Toyota Series updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the MLF5 social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
VanDam reflects on 38 years of sport show seminars
Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships
Team Toyota’s Kevin VanDam was 18 years old the first time he spoke as a featured fishing seminar presenter at a boat show. He was nervous and feared nobody would show up.
Not only did they show up for the first one, 38 years later they’re still crowding-in by the hundreds like they did last week in Novi, Michigan to hear a slice of bass fishing wisdom from the man most consider the greatest of all time.
“I’ve probably done around 700 fishing seminars at this point in my career, but I’ll never forget that first one in Grand Rapids. A sales rep and promotions manager named Henry Bouche invited me to speak there, and I was dumbfounded,” smiles VanDam.
“I walked into that room, and there were dozens of guys twice my age who I knew personally and competed against. I was super nervous, but once I started sharing my passion for fishing with them, I settled right down. I think I got paid $250. That was pretty awesome,” he adds.
A few years later, the skinny-legged kid from Kalamazoo won his first B.A.S.S. Angler of the Year title, and by that time, former Bassmaster tournament director Harold Sharp was working as a booking agent andhiring VanDam to do more than 30 seminars across America each winter.
“In the 1990s there was no YouTube or any other way to get information about bass fishing other than magazines and TV fishing shows. So, the in-person seminars were a huge deal for fans, and honestly, a huge source of income in the off-season for pros,” he explains.
VanDam says the most popular question from seminar attendees still remains “How do you find and catch bass on a body of water you’re unfamiliar with?” To which he responds by explaining his system of pairing particular lures and patterns with the time of year and a fishery’s primary habitat and water clarity.
Three decades of experience have taught him it’s critical to entertain a wide range of folks in the audience, from the guy who pulled-up a chair while eating a hot dog on his way from one booth to the other, all the way to the serious hard core tournament angler who came to the show specifically for that particular seminar.
“I learned a lot about the craft from other pros too. Denny Brauer oozed confidence. When he was done talking you thought you could pitch a jig as good as him. West Coast angler, Rich Tauber taught me the value of truly entertaining the crowd. And Joe Thomas from Ohio taught me the importance of working hard to serve both fans and show promoters,” says VanDam.
The years of doing 30 seminars purely at winter boat and sport shows are a thing of the past. Many of his speaking engagements now take place at Bass Pro Shop stores across America that didn’t exist back then. Not to mention, there simply aren’t as many sport shows being held now as there were prior to Covid-19 shutdowns.
There are still a few great ones however, like the Ultimate Fishing Show he spoke at in Novi, Michigan last week, and the Ultimate Sport Show in Grand Rapids, home to his very first one 38 years ago when he was a nervous but gifted 18-year-old from whom the local anglers were already wanting to gain bass fishing knowledge.
B.A.S.S. Nation 2023 regional championship schedule announced
The 2023 TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Series schedule features five regional championship events.
Photo by Grant Moxley/B.A.S.S.
January 18, 2023
B.A.S.S. Nation 2023 regional championship schedule announced
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The 2023 TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation schedule features five opportunities for grass-roots anglers to battle some of the country’s best bass fisheries. Each regional championship will provide opportunities for everyday anglers to qualify for the TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Championship and a shot at one of three berths in the 2024 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic.
“As we’ve seen in the past with anglers like 2010 B.A.S.S. Nation champion and two-time Angler of the Year Brandon Palaniuk and Taylor Smith, who represented the Nation with a Top 10 finish at the 2022 Classic, the B.A.S.S. Nation can be a fantastic opportunity for weekend anglers to fish for big money on a big stage or the gateway to a stellar career in professional fishing,” said B.A.S.S. Vice President of Tournaments Chris Bowes. “All of these anglers are going to have the opportunity to compete on fantastic and historic fisheries. We’re proud to offer three Nation anglers the opportunity to compete in the iconic Bassmaster Classic, where anything is possible.”
The schedule will kick off next spring with the Central Regional on the Arkansas River in Muskogee, Okla., May 3-5. The fishery, known for its variety of structure, has hosted a dozen major B.A.S.S. events, including two Bassmaster Classics and, most recently, a 2020 Bassmaster Open.
After a stop at Douglas Lake in Jefferson County, Tenn., May 24-26 for the Southeast Regional, the schedule will swing to the upper region of the United States in June with the Northeast Regional on the Potomac River in Charles County, Md., June 7-9 and the Northern Regional June 28-30 on Lake Winnebago in Fox Cities, Wis.
"We are excited to welcome B.A.S.S Nation anglers to the Fox Cities of Wisconsin for the first time in 2023,” said Matt Ten Haken, director of sports marketing for the Fox Cities Convention and Visitors Bureau. “The competitors will find that our waterways are some of the best fisheries in the Midwest and will surely provide a fun challenge. When they are not on the water, the unique dining, shopping and nightlife options of the Fox Cities will make for a complete weekend experience.”
The final regular-season event, the Western Regional, along with the date and location for the 2023 B.A.S.S. Nation Championship will be announced at a later date.
The Championship tournament will be made up of qualifiers from all five regionals as well as international anglers and the Paralyzed Veterans of America Angler of the Year. The Top 3 anglers from the overall standings will earn a berth to the 2024 Bassmaster Classic.
The winner of the B.A.S.S. Nation Championship will earn the title of “Nation’s Best,” which includes the use of a fully-rigged tournament boat for a year, an invitation to join the 2024 Bassmaster Elite Series and a cash prize. The second- and third-place finishers and nonboater champion will each earn paid entry fees for all divisions of the St. Croix Bassmaster Opens as well.
“The B.A.S.S. Nation local clubs have been the foundation of our organization for more than five decades and mean so much to so many different people,” said GL Compton, tournament director for the B.A.S.S. Nation. “As someone who grew up fishing with the South Carolina B.A.S.S. Nation, I know that these clubs add so much to the culture and growth of our sport through their conservation efforts and youth events and initiatives.”
2023 TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Schedule
Central Regional: May 3-5, Arkansas River, Muskogee, Okla.
Southeast Regional: May 24-26, Douglas Lake, Jefferson County, Tenn.
Northeast Regional: June 7-9, Potomac River, Charles County, Md.
Northern Regional: June 28-30, Lake Winnebago, Fox Cities, Wis.
Western Regional: September 13-15, TBD
2023 B.A.S.S. Nation Title Sponsor: TNT Fireworks
2023 B.A.S.S. Nation Platinum Sponsor: Toyota
2023 B.A.S.S. Nation Premier Sponsors: Bass Pro Shops, Dakota Lithium, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Progressive Insurance, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha
2023 B.A.S.S. Nation Supporting Sponsors: AFTCO, Daiwa, Garmin, Lew's, Marathon, Triton Boats, VMC
Thrown to the wolves
The guys welcome Bassmaster Elite Series angler Drew Benton to talk about his career path so far and what has helped him become a consistent angler, leading to an awesome 2022 season. Tournament results and West Coast news on this episode of the AnglersChannel Insider Podcast.
Nightwave, marine digital night vision camera can now stream to a mobile device via the new SIONYX app
SIONYX, leader of digital night vision camera technology, announces the launch of the new SIONYX app, offering Nightwave camera users more flexibility and installation options.
Nightwave, which launched in July 2022, is the first of its kind digital night vision camera which allows mariners to see a 44-degree field of view in color in ultra-low-light conditions. Upon launch, the marine camera could only connect to a boat's MFD via analog or a computer system via USB to display video. With the addition of the new SIONYX app, the WiFi-enabled camera can now seamlessly stream live video to a tablet or phone. This option gives night vision accessibility to all types of boaters and offers more situational flexibility than ever before. In addition to its streaming capabilities, the app has convenient control functions that help users set up their camera for optimal use. Over time, the SIONYX product team will work to enhance and add new features to the camera, which will all be upgradeable through the app via over-the-air firmware updates.
Nightwave was created to provide navigational aid and added safety to those operating a boat in ultra low-light conditions. Whether a mariner is cruising to distant places on a sailboat, or a fisherman is traversing the open sea before the sun comes up, Nightwave is a tool that enhances safety on the water and allows boaters to navigate with confidence.
SIONYX App Key Features:
• Stream Nightwave video up to 30fps via WiFi: Mariners can connect their WIFi enabled Nightwave camera and stream to any mobile device that supports Android or iOS through the new SIONYX app. Users also have the option to connect Nightwave to a boat's MFD via analog output, integrating into existing electronics systems.
• Connect multiple mobile devices to one Nightwave camera: Multiply the eyes on the sea by connecting to multiple mobile devices or connect Nightwave to an MFD and mobile device simultaneously, increasing nighttime vision to make voyages in the dark even safer.
• Stay up-to-date and in complete control: The Nightwave app offers easy-to-use command and control features and over-the-air wireless firmware updates to ensure that mariners have the latest software.
For more information about Nightwave or SIONYX products, visit www.Sionyx.com.
Sportsman’s Warehouse Jacksonville Grand Opening video
https://youtu.be/TqBqR3_N1e0
The AnglersChannel crew was onsite at the grand opening of the Sportsman’s Warehouse in Jacksonville. Come join us as we give you a peek at this new one stop outdoors store in northern Florida.
MLF Bass Fishing League Gator Division Opener on Lake Okeechobee Cancelled Due to High Winds
WHAT:
The BFL Gator Division season-opener tournament on Lake Okeechobee, scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 14, has been cancelled due to forecasted high winds and unsafe conditions. The event, set to launch at Roland & Mary Ann Martin’s Marina & Resort in Clewiston, has been canceled and a new date will be announced in the coming days.
NOTES:
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each Gator Division qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 12-14 Bass Fishing League Regional tournament on the Lake Eufaula in Eufaula, Alabama.
The 2023 Phoenix BFL Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 events throughout the season, five qualifying tournaments in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five qualifying event winners, will advance to one of six BFL Regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. The 2023 All-American event will take place May 31-June 2, on Lake Hartwell in Seneca, South Carolina. The event is hosted by Visit Oconee SC.
For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Bass Fishing League updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
