Ugly Stik Carbon Species Specific Rods
COLUMBIA, S.C. (September 22, 2022) – Still 50% stronger and now 30% lighter, the all-new Ugly Stik Carbon Species Specific rods feature the legendary Ugly Stik toughness that’s matched with Ugly Tech construction to make a lineup of lighter and more sensitive rods. Designed specifically for Catfish, Crappie and Salmon/Steelhead, the new Carbon Species rods are packed with increased sensitivity, crisp actions and models to perfectly suit each individual species application.
With 28 new models of rods joining the Ugly Stik Carbon family, Ugly Stik is now even more versatile for anglers regardless of their species of choice.
Ugly Stik Carbon Series KEY FEATURES
• Still 50% stronger*, now 30% lighter**
• Ugly Stik solid graphite tip provides increased sensitivity
• Ugly Tech construction – 100% 24-ton graphite
• One-piece, stainless steel Ugly Tuff guides provide maximized durability and eliminate guide damage
• 7-year warranty
Crappie
• Full high-density EVA rear grip for added durability
• Golf style fore grip for added comfort and control
• Ten different rod models ranging from 5’4” to 11’
MSRP: $59.95 – $74.95
Available: September 2022
Catfish
• Full EVA shrink tube rear grip for added durability
• Oversized golf-style fore grip for added comfort and control
• Eight different rod models ranging from 7’6” to 9’6”
MSRP: $89.95 – $99.95
Available: September 2022
Salmon/Steelhead
• Oversized carbon fiber fore grip
• Golf style full rear grip for added durability and control
• Ten different rod models ranging from 7’6” to 10’6”
MSRP: $99.95 – $119.95
Available: October 2022
*On average, based on controlled lab testing, when comparing Ugly Stik Carbon model USCBSP701MH to Abu Garcia Vendetta model VDTS70-6. Actual strength may vary.
**On average, based on controlled lab testing, compare to like Ugly Stik GX2 rod models. Actual weight may vary.
AC Insider Podcast - "An Incredible Inspiration"
This week Chris & the boys are back, and excited to welcome back to the show your latest Toyota Series CHAMP, Arkansas' Hunter Baughman. Hunter has an incredible story to go along with being an incredible young man, husband and father. This one is worth the listen.
MLF Announces 2023 Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine Schedule, Entry Dates, Advancement Opportunities
The 2023 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American will be hosted by Visit Oconee South Carolina May 31-June 2 at Lake Hartwell in Seneca, South Carolina. The top six boaters and co-anglers from each of six Regional tournaments and the Wild Card will qualify. The highest-finishing boater and co-angler from each Regional and the Wild Card at the All-American advance to the Toyota Series Championship for a shot at winning $235,000, including a $35,000 Phoenix MLF Bonus – Beat just five anglers from your regional and advance to a second no-entry-fee championship for a shot at one of the sport’s biggest paydays. The All-American boater champion will also advance to REDCREST 2024 for a shot at winning $300,000.
“For well over a decade, we have enjoyed and prospered from our relationship with the Phoenix Bass Fishing League, and we are looking forward to the All-American on Lake Hartwell,” said Ken Sloan, President and CEO of Visit Oconee South Carolina. “We are exceptionally excited to host this as our first major event on our new mega ramp at Seneca Creek.”
The Phoenix Bass Fishing League is the premier grassroots tournament circuit for weekend anglers, maintaining the best payouts and advancement opportunities for the lowest entry fees available in the sport.
With every tournament featuring live streaming weigh-in coverage, the Phoenix Bass Fishing League allows anglers to fish close to home – creating a clear path to the Toyota Series, the new MLF Invitationals and ultimately the Bass Pro Tour – while placing anglers in front of the sport’s largest fan base, with more than 5 million visitors on MajorLeagueFishing.com and 2.3 million followers on MLF’s social media outlets, as well as coverage in Bass Fishing magazine and in dedicated public relations outreach that generates a potential reach of 5.5 billion impressions annually across all MLF circuits.
“The Phoenix Bass Fishing League has a rich history of providing a competitive outlet for weekend bass anglers and launching professional careers, and we’re excited to continue to provide that opportunity for the lowest cost available in the sport,” said MLF Senior Director of Tournament Operations Daniel Fennel. “We are finishing up an amazing 2022 season and our team has put together another fantastic schedule with more than $8.4 million on the line for Bass Fishing League anglers in 2023, including advancement to REDCREST for our All-American champion.”
The Phoenix MLF Bonus contingency award will continue for the 2023 season, enhancing payouts from $500 to $7,000 for registered Phoenix boat owners in every qualifier, super-tournament and regional tournament, an additional $20,000 in the All-American, and $35,000 in the Toyota Series Championship.
Each qualifying tournament will continue to offer a top boater award of up to $13,000, including a $7,000 Phoenix MLF Bonus, and a top Strike King co-angler award of $3,000. Top awards jump up to $16,000 for boaters, including a $7,000 Phoenix MLF Bonus, and $4,500 for Strike King co-anglers in super tournaments.
- The Wild Card will maintain the $13,000 top boater award, including Phoenix MLF Bonus, and a top co-angler award of $3,000. Enter all five events in a division, fish at least two and automatically advance to the Wild Card if you are not qualified for a Regional. The top six boaters and co-anglers from each Regional and the Wild Card advance to the All-American.
- New in 2023, the All-American winner in the boater division advances to REDCREST 2024 to compete against the top pros in the sport for a shot at winning $300,000.
- The highest-finishing boater and co-angler from each regional and the Wild Card at the All-American advance to the Toyota Series Championship – anglers only need to beat five anglers from their regional to advance to a second no-entry-fee championship for a shot at one of the sport’s biggest paydays.
- New in 2023, the Toyota Series Championship winner in the pro/boater division advances to REDCREST 2024 to compete against the top pros in the sport for a shot at winning $300,000.
- The 2023 All-American and Toyota Series Championship will both be nationally televised on CBS Sports, offering Bass Fishing League anglers unmatched media exposure.
The complete 2023 Phoenix Bass Fishing League schedule, rules and payouts are online at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Anglers can register for the 2023 Phoenix Bass Fishing League season at MajorLeagueFishing.comor by calling 270.252.1000, beginning at 8 a.m. CT on the dates listed below:
- December 5, 2022 – Bama, Choo Choo, Cowboy, Gator and Savannah River.
- December 6, 2022 – Arkie, Bulldog, North Carolina, South Carolina and Volunteer.
- December 7, 2022 – LBL, Mississippi, Okie, Ozark and Piedmont.
- December 8, 2022 – Great Lakes, Hoosier, Mountain, Music City and Shenandoah.
- December 9, 2022 – Buckeye, Illini, Michigan and Northeast.
- Phoenix boat owners (Phoenix owners with current registrations or confirmation of a boat on order who will use their Phoenix boat in Bass Fishing League competition) and TBF members may enter all divisions by phone starting December 2, 2022.
Arkie Division
Feb. 25 Lake Ouachita, Mount Ida, Ark.
Mar. 25 DeGray Lake, Arkadelphia, Ark.
April 22 Lake Hamilton, Hot Springs, Ark.
June 17 Lake Dardanelle, Russellville, Ark.
Sept. 23-24 Lake Hamilton, Hot Springs, Ark.
Bama Division
Feb. 11 Lake Martin, Alexander City, Ala.
Mar. 18 Lake Mitchell, Clanton, Ala.
April 22 Demopolis Lake, Demopolis, Ala.
June 24 Neely Henry, Gadsden, Ala.
Sept. 30-Oct. 1 Alabama River, Prattville, Ala.
Buckeye Division
May 13 Ohio River-Tanners Creek, Lawrenceburg, Ind.
June 24 Lake Erie, Sandusky, Ohio
July 15 Indian Lake, Lakeview, Ohio
Aug. 5 Ohio River, Maysville, Ky.
Sept. 9-10 Lake Erie, Sandusky, Ohio
Bulldog Division
Feb. 18 Lake Lanier, Gainesville, Ga.
Mar. 4 West Point Lake, LaGrange, Ga.
April 15 Lake Oconee, Buckhead, Ga.
May 20 Lake Sinclair, Milledgeville, Ga.
Aug. 26-27 Lake Lanier, Gainesville, Ga.
Choo Choo Division
Jan. 28 Lewis Smith Lake, Jasper, Ala.
Feb. 25 Lake Guntersville, Scottsboro, Ala.
Mar. 25 Lake Guntersville, Scottsboro, Ala.
May 6 Pickwick Lake, Florence, Ala.
Sept. 23-24 Lake Guntersville, Scottsboro, Ala.
Cowboy Division
Jan. 7 Sam Rayburn Reservoir, Brookeland, Texas
Feb. 4 Toledo Bend Reservoir, Many, La.
Mar. 25 Toledo Bend Reservoir, Zwolle, La.
April 22 Lake of the Pines, Jefferson, Texas
Aug. 26-27 Sam Rayburn Reservoir, Brookeland, Texas
Gator Division
Jan. 14 Lake Okeechobee, Clewiston, Fla.
Feb. 25 Lake Toho, Kissimmee, Fla.
Mar. 18 Harris Chain of Lakes, Leesburg, Fla.
April 15 Harris Chain of Lakes, Leesburg, Fla.
Sept. 16-17 St. Johns River, Palatka, Fla.
Great Lakes Division
April 29 Mississippi River, La Crosse, Wis.
May 20 Mississippi River, La Crosse, Wis.
June 17 Wolf River Chain, Winneconne, Wis.
Aug. 19 Mississippi River, Prairie du Chien, Wis.
Sept. 16-17 Mississippi River, La Crosse, Wis.
Hoosier Division
April 22 Lake Monroe, Bloomington, Ind.
May 20 Patoka Lake, Birdseye, Ind.
June 17 Ohio River-Tanners Creek, Lawrenceburg, Ind.
July 8 Ohio River-Rocky Point, Cannelton, Ind.
Aug. 26-27 Ohio River-Tanners Creek, Lawrenceburg, Ind.
Illini Division
May 13 Lake Shelbyville, Shelbyville, Ill.
June 10 Rend Lake -, Sesser, Ill.
July 15 Lake Shelbyville -, Shelbyville, Ill.
Aug. 12 Ohio River, Paducah, Ky.
Sept. 23-24 Kentucky/Barkley Lake, Calvert City, Ky.
LBL Division
Mar. 4 Kentucky/Barkley Lake, Gilbertsville, Ky.
Mar. 25 Kentucky/Barkley Lake, Gilbertsville, Ky.
April 15 Kentucky/Barkley Lake, Gilbertsville, Ky.
May 6 Kentucky/Barkley Lake, Gilbertsville, Ky.
Sept. 30-Oct. 1 Kentucky/Barkley Lake, Buchanan, Tenn.
Michigan Division
July 8 Detroit River, Trenton, Mich.
July 22 Detroit River, Trenton, Mich.
Aug. 12 Detroit River, Trenton, Mich.
Aug. 26 Detroit River, Trenton, Mich.
Sept. 23-24 Detroit River, Trenton, Mich.
Mississippi Division
Mar. 4 Ross Barnett Reservoir, Brandon, Miss.
April 1 Pickwick Lake, Iuka, Miss.
April 29 Ross Barnett Reservoir, Brandon, Miss.
May 20 Columbus Pool, Columbus, Miss.
Sept. 9-10 Pickwick Lake, Iuka, Miss.
Mountain Division
Mar. 18 Dale Hollow Lake, Byrdstown, Tenn.
April 1 Dale Hollow Lake, Byrdstown, Tenn.
May 13 Lake Cumberland, Monticello, Ky.
June 10 Barren River, Scottsville, Ky.
Sept. 9-10 Dale Hollow Lake, Byrdstown, Tenn.
Music City Division
Mar. 11 Dale Hollow Lake, Byrdstown, Tenn.
April 2* Dale Hollow Lake, Byrdstown, Tenn.
April 29 Center Hill Lake, Sparta, Tenn.
June 17 Old Hickory Lake, Gallatin, Tenn.
Sept. 16-17 Old Hickory Lake, Gallatin, Tenn.
North Carolina Division
Feb. 25 Lake Norman, Mooresville, N.C.
Mar. 25 High Rock Lake, Lexington, N.C.
May 6 Kerr Lake, Henderson, N.C.
June 24 High Rock Lake, Lexington, N.C.
Sept. 23-24 Lake Norman, Mooresville, N.C.
Northeast Division
April 29 Chesapeake Bay, Northeast, Md.
July 8 Lake Champlain, Plattsburgh, N.Y.
July 29 Lake Champlain, Plattsburgh, N.Y.
Aug. 19 Cayuga Lake, Union Springs, N.Y.
Sept. 9-10 St. Lawrence River, Massena, N.Y.
Okie Division
Mar. 4 Grand Lake, Grove, Okla.
April 1 Arkansas River , Muskogee, Okla.
April 29 Lake Eufaula, Eufaula, Okla.
June 10 Fort Gibson Lake, Wagoner, Okla.
Sept. 9-10 Grand Lake, Grove, Okla.
Ozark Division
Feb. 25 Table Rock Lake, Kimberling City, Mo.
Mar. 25 Lake of the Ozarks, Osage Beach, Mo.
April 15 Table Rock Lake, Kimberling City, Mo.
May 6 Table Rock Lake, Kimberling City, Mo.
Sept. 16-17 Lake of the Ozarks, Osage Beach, Mo.
Piedmont Division
Mar. 4 Smith Mountain Lake, Huddleston, Va.
May 13 Kerr Lake, Henderson, N.C.
June 17 High Rock Lake, Salisbury, N.C.
July 22 James River, Henrico, Va.
Sept. 9-10 Kerr Lake, Henderson, N.C.
Savannah River Division
Jan. 28 Lake Keowee, Seneca, S.C.
Feb. 25 Lake Hartwell, Lavonia, Ga.
Mar. 18 Lake Hartwell, Seneca, S.C.
April 29 Lake Hartwell, Anderson, S.C.
Sept. 16-17 Lake Keowee, Seneca, S.C.
Shenandoah Division
Mar. 18 Kerr Lake, Henderson, N.C.
April 15 Smith Mountain Lake, Huddleston, Va.
May 6 Potomac River, Marbury, Md.
June 24 James River, Henrico, Va.
Sept. 16-17 Potomac River, Marbury, Md.
South Carolina Division
Feb. 11 Lake Murray, Prosperity, S.C.
Mar. 4 Santee Cooper, Summerton, S.C.
April 1 Lake Hartwell, Lavonia , Ga.
May 13 Lake Murray, Prosperity, S.C.
Sept. 30-Oct. 1 Lake Hartwell, Lavonia , Ga.
Volunteer Division
Feb. 11 Lake Chickamauga, Dayton, Tenn.
April 15 Norris Lake, Andersonville, Tenn.
May 20 South Holston Lake, Bristol, Tenn.
June 24 Watts Bar, Spring City, Tenn.
Sept. 30-Oct. 1 Cherokee Lake, Jefferson City, Tenn.
* Sunday
2023 Regional Tournaments:
Oct. 5-7 Lake Eufaula, Eufaula, Okla.
Divisions: Arkie, Cowboy, Mississippi and Ozark
Hosted by Eufaula Conservation and Fishing Association
Oct 5-7 Potomac River, Marbury, Md.
Divisions: Buckeye, North Carolina, Northeast and Piedmont
Hosted by Charles County Board of Commissioners
Oct 12-14 Dale Hollow Lake, Byrdstown, Tenn.
Divisions: Bama, Illini, Michigan and Volunteer
Hosted by Byrdstown-Pickett County Chamber of Commerce
Oct 12-14 Lake Eufaula, Eufaula, Ala.
Divisions: Choo Choo, Gator, Music City and Savannah River
Hosted by Eufaula Barbour County Chamber of Commerce
Oct 19-21 Lake of the Ozarks, Osage Beach, Mo.
Divisions: Great Lakes, Hoosier, LBL and Okie
Hosted by Tri-County Lodging Association
Oct 19-21 Lake Norman, Huntersville, N.C.
Divisions: Bulldog, Mountain, Shenandoah and South Carolina
Hosted by Visit Lake Norman, Visit Charlotte and Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation
Nov 10-11 Wild Card: TBA
2023 All-American:
May 31 – Lake Hartwell, Seneca, S.C.
June 2 Hosted by Visit Oconee South Carolina
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
Jackson Roumbanis wins HOBIE BOS Event on Dardanelle in his FIRST ever Kayak Event!
Five Anglers Earn Automatic Qualification into 2023 ACA Championship
SAN ANTONIO, TX (September 20, 2022) – This past weekend, the Association of Collegiate Anglers hosted its first event of the 2022-23 season on the Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Bass Fishing Series. Close to 500 anglers competed for two days at Kentucky Lake in Henry County and Paris, TN for the Bass Pro Shops Big Bass Bash presented by Berkley. Each of the Top 5 finishing anglers in the overall standings earned automatic qualification into the 2023 BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops at Lake Hartwell in Anderson, SC. In this article, we will take a look at each of the anglers that finished in the Top 5 and punched their ticket to the 2023 ACA Championship.
Parker Brown – Dallas Baptist University
Parker won the 2022 Bass Pro Shops Big Bass Bash presented by Berkley with a Kentucky Lake stud of a largemouth bass weighing 7.21 pounds. Weighed in during Day 1 Session 3 presented by Bass Pro Shops, that seven plus pound fish went on to claim overall top prize in the near 500 angler field. For the first-place finish, Parker earned over $5,500 in prizes. Combined with the Day 1 Session 3 payout and the valuable contingencies he cashed in on, Parker went home with over $7,500 in prizes & contingencies.
This will mark the third time in which Parker Brown has qualified to participate in the BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops. Each of the last two years, he has competed in college fishing’s longest-running National Championship event with his brother Layton. In 2021 the duo finished in 94th at Lake Murray in South Carolina, and at the 2022 ACA Championship on Pickwick Lake in Florence, AL they finished 77th overall.
Harper Burkeen – McKendree University
Harper Burkeen is one of two anglers from third ranked McKendree University to earn an automatic qualification to compete at Lake Hartwell next May. Harper finished second overall at the Bass Pro Shops Big Bass Bash presented by Berkley with a bass weighing 5.43 pounds.
2023 will mark the first time that Harper has competed in the BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops.
As a perennial top team in the country, the additional qualification spots could play a key role in McKendree University’s attempt to win the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia. With the new addition to the points system of teams being eligible to earn triple points at the 2023 ACA Championship, the more boats a given school has qualified to compete in the event…the better their odds are to maximize the triple points opportunity.
Levi Mullins – Bethel University
Levi Mullins from Bethel University finished third overall at the Bass Pro Shops Big Bass Bash presented by Berkley with 5.40 pounds. Like Harper from McKendree in second place, Levi is also one of two anglers from his school to place in the Top 5 and earn automatic qualification into the 2023 BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops.
Levi has competed in the year-end Championship each of the last two years. In 2021, Levi Mullins and Cody Gregory finished 18th overall at Lake Murray. This past season at Pickwick Lake in Florence, AL, fishing with fellow teammate Matthew Cummings, Levi finished in 33rd. At Lake Hartwell in Anderson, SC this upcoming May, Levi will be looking to secure his personal best finish at the ACA Championship.
Ethan Fields – McKendree University
Ethan Fields is the second angler from McKendree University to place in the Top 5 at the Bass Pro Shops Big Bass Bash presented by Berkley. Ethan notched a fourth-place finish with a fish weighing 5.39 pounds.
Ethan is also the second angler in this feature to never have competed in the BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops. Provided that McKendree remains in the Top 25 for the remainder of the season, they would currently qualify to send six teams to the 2023 ACA Championship at Lake Hartwell.
Gage Sherrod – Bethel University
Rounding out the Top 5 is Gage Sherrod from Bethel University. Gage finished fifth overall with a fish weighing 5.35 pounds. This makes for the second angler from Bethel to earn automatic qualification into the 2023 BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops.
This marks the first time in which Gage has qualified to compete in the year-end Championship.
Bethel University has a long history of success at the BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops. The team has won three ACA National Championships and claimed the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia once. Two additional qualifications will give Bethel additional chances to earn points and show out at Lake Hartwell.
MLF Announces Schedule, Rules, Entry Dates for 2023 Abu Garcia College Fishing, High School Fishing Programs
TULSA, Okla. (Sept. 20, 2022) – Major League Fishing (MLF) announced Tuesday the schedule, rules and entry dates for the 2023 MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI and 2023 High School Fishing Presented by Favorite Fishing seasons. Both circuits include advancement opportunities to compete in the 2023 Toyota Series Championship, and for college anglers, enhanced payouts with a shot to compete against the world’s best pros for a $300,000 top prize at REDCREST 2024.
The winning team at the 2023 Abu Garcia College Fishing National Championship Presented by Lowrance will receive $43,500, including a $33,500 Phoenix 518 Pro powered by a 115-horsepower Mercury and $10,000. The winning team also advances to the 2023 Toyota Series Championship to compete as pros for a shot at winning as much as $235,000. The highest finishing team member at the Toyota Series Championship advances to REDCREST 2024. The runner-up at the 2023 College Fishing National Championship will receive a $33,500 Phoenix 518 Pro powered by Mercury. The team will also advance to the 2023 Toyota Series Championship to compete as pros. Third place at the 2023 National Championship will receive $4,000 and advance to the 2023 Toyota Series Championship to compete as co-anglers for the chance to win a $33,500 Phoenix 518 Pro powered by a 115-horsepower Mercury. Fourth and fifth place will receive $3,000 and $2,000, respectively, with sixth through 10th receiving $1,000 each.
Additionally, each angler finishing in the top 10 at the 2023 College Fishing National Championship will receive priority entry into the 2024 Toyota Series, the pathway to the MLF Invitationals and the Bass Pro Tour. Every tournament will feature live weigh-in coverage on MLF NOW!, and the National Championship will receive national television coverage on CBS Sports.
MLF will recognize the top performing school with the Tackle Warehouse School of the Year Presented by QuikTrip title, which includes a $10,000 award. Each school receives the total points earned by its top two teams in each tournament. School of the Year is awarded to the school with the highest point total from its three best tournaments.
“We are extremely excited about our new offerings for our college anglers, including a Phoenix boat for first and second place at the National Championship with cash awards through 10th place, and, for the first time ever, the opportunity for a college angler to compete against the best in the world at REDCREST,” said Kevin Hunt, MLF Senior Director of Tournament Operations, College and High School. “We’re visiting some of the top fisheries in the country at the right time of the year, and, with so much on the line in a condensed schedule, we expect 2023 to be the most competitive season we’ve ever had.”
MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing teams can compete in up to eight qualifying tournaments around the country. The top 12 percent of teams from each event will advance to the following year’s College Fishing National Championship.
The successful Wiley X College Faceoffs will also return in 2023. The four-event series showcases teams competing in an MLF catch, weigh, immediate-release team format. The Faceoff tournaments occur the day following an Abu Garcia College Fishing competition, on the same body of water. The results from the College Fishing tournament the previous day determine the 20 competitors for the Wiley X College Faceoff, with the top two teams (four anglers) from the top five schools in the qualifying tournament advancing to compete in the 10-boat Faceoff.
Registration for the 2023 season opens at 8 a.m. CT on Dec. 12, 2022, for teams from school clubs represented in the 2022 College Fishing National Championship. All other teams may enter beginning Dec. 13. Fields are capped at 250 boats per tournament, so teams are encouraged to enter at their earliest opportunity. Teams can register at MajorLeagueFishing.com or by calling 270.252.1000. The entry fee is $100 per team.
The 2023 MLF High School Fishing Presented by Favorite Fishing circuit will feature teams competing in eight open events held in conjunction with Abu Garcia College Fishing events so students and parents can network with prospective college teams and coaches during college weigh-ins. MLF High School Fishing Opens are two-person (team) events for students in grades 7-12 and open to any Student Angler Federation (SAF)-affiliated high school club in the United States. The top 10 percent of teams in each tournament advance to the High School Fishing National Championship. Tournaments held on or before June 12, 2023, advance teams to the 2023 National Championship. Tournaments held after June 12, 2023, advance teams to the 2024 National Championship.
Both members of the winning team at the 2023 High School Fishing National Championship, held simultaneously with the TBF High School Fishing World Finals, are guaranteed $5,000 scholarships to the school of their choice, plus the opportunity to compete for a share of more than $3 million in scholarships and prizes. The 2023 High School Fishing National Champions will also advance to the 2023 Toyota Series Championship as co-anglers to compete on national television for a Phoenix 518 Pro powered by a 115-horsepower Mercury.
Registration for the 2023 MLF High School Fishing Opens will begin at 8 a.m. CT on Dec. 14, 2022. Teams can register at MajorLeagueFishing.com or by calling 270.252.1000. There is no entry fee for high school anglers to compete in any MLF or TBF High School Fishing tournament. Both anglers must, however, be a member of the Student Angler Federation (SAF). There is no limit to the number of teams accepted into a tournament from each school or club, but the maximum field size is 250 boats. Teams are encouraged to enter at their earliest opportunity.
The popular Wiley X High School Fishing Camp for students and parents will be held July 19-21 at Murray State University in Murray, Kentucky. Visit MajorLeagueFishing.com/camp for details.
2023 MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI Schedule:
Jan. 20* Harris Chain of Lakes Leesburg, Fla.
Feb. 4 Lake Havasu Lake Havasu City, Ariz.
March 17* Lake of the Ozarks Osage Beach, Mo.
March 18 California Delta** Oakley, Calif.
April 22 California Delta** Oakley, Calif.
April 28* Lake Guntersville Guntersville, Ala.
Sept. 8* Sam Rayburn Reservoir Brookeland, Texas
Oct. 27 Lake Hartwell Anderson, S.C.
TBA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP TBA
* Includes Wiley X College Faceoff
2023 MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI Payouts:
Qualifiers
Place Club
1 $2,000
2 $1,000
3 $700
4 $600
5 $500
Top 12% of teams advance to the 2024 National Championship.
A tournament must have at lest 100 boats for awards and point to be active.
2023 Abu Garcia College Fishing National Championship Presented by Lowrance
Place Club + Anglers
1 $43,500, including a $33,500 Phoenix 518 Pro with 115-hp Mercury and $10,000 + 2023 Toyota Series Championship as pros and REDCREST 2024 for the highest-finishing team member at the Toyota Series Championship
2 $33,500, including a Phoenix 518 Pro with 115-hp Mercury + 2023 Toyota Series Championship as pros
3 $4,000 + 2023 Toyota Series Championship as co-anglers
4 $3,000
5 $2,000
6 $1,000
7 $1,000
8 $1,000
9 $1,000
10 $1,000
2023 MLF High School Fishing Presented by Favorite Fishing Opens Schedule:
Jan. 21 Harris Chain of Lakes Leesburg, Fla.
Feb. 4 Lake Havasu Lake Havasu City, Ariz.
March 18 Lake of the Ozarks Osage Beach, Mo.
March 18 California Delta** Oakley, Calif.
April 22 California Delta** Oakley, Calif.
April 29 Lake Guntersville Guntersville, Ala.
June 21-24 2023 National Championship on Miss. River La Crosse, Wis.
Sept. 9 Sam Rayburn Reservoir Brookeland, Texas
Oct. 28 Lake Hartwell Anderson, S.C.
Wiley X High School Fishing Camp:
July 19-21 Murray State University Murray, Ky.
Complete rules for the MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI program can be found online at MajorLeagueFishing.com. Complete rules for the MLF High School Fishing Presented by Favorite Fishing program can be found online at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular College and High School Fishing updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
** Subject to California DNR approval.
Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championship Set for Lake Murray
Hundreds of Boaters and Co-anglers Descend on Prosperity to Compete for $60,000 and Their Shot at the 2023 All-American Championship
PROSPERITY, S.C. (Sept. 20, 2022) – The Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine’s Bulldog, Choo Choo, Gator and Piedmont divisions will finish out their 2022 season next month in Prosperity, South Carolina Oct. 6-8, with the Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championship Presented by T-H Marine at Lake Murray.
Hosted by the Capital City Lake Murray Country Regional Tourism Board, the three-day regional championship will feature the top 45 boaters and co-anglers plus tournament winners in all four divisions, battling it out for a top prize of $60,000, including a Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, along with lucrative contingency awards, including up to an additional $7,000 Phoenix MLF Bonus. Strike King co-anglers will compete for a top prize of $50,000, including a Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard. Winners will be determined by the heaviest three-day catch.
The highest finishing boater from each division will also receive a $1,000 bonus and the highest finishing co-angler from each division will receive a $500 bonus.
Anglers will take off daily at 7:30 a.m. ET from Dreher Island State Park in Prosperity. Weigh-ins will also be held at the park and will begin at 3:30 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend the event or follow the action online through the “MLF Live” weigh-in broadcasts at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The 2022 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine consisted of 24-divisions devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season and five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, advance to one of six Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championships.
The top six finishers in each regional will qualify for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American. Dates and location for the 2023 All-American will be announced soon.
The top boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division will also earn priority entry into the Toyota Series, the pathway to the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit and ultimately the Bass Pro Tour.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
Berkley PowerBait Bonefish and Curly Bones
New PowerBait MaxScent bait adds claws to a ned-style presentation giving anglers even more ways to catch fish
COLUMBIA, S.C. (September 20, 2022) – Berkley PowerBait infused baits are designed to give fish the exact flavor they crave, giving anglers more time to feel the fish bite and set the hook. With the addition of these new PowerBait shapes, packed with science-built features that can only come from Berkley Labs, the Berkley PowerBait Bonefish and PowerBait Curly Bones are truly something Walleye crave.
Both the PowerBait Bonefish and Curly Bones are designed with a heavy ribbed body and super thin tails to give a lifelike swimming action with little effort at slower speeds. The baitfish-like head design fits perfectly on Berkley Fusion19 Jigheads and excels when fished on a weighted swimbait hook or used on a dropshot rig.
The PowerBait Bonefish features a super thin paddle-style swimbait tail for erratic swimming action with minimal effort. The Curly Bones offers fish a different look with a vertically oriented thin ribbon tail and an activation tip to grab water and never stop moving, especially at slower speeds in cold water. Available in 12 walleye specific colors, these baits are loaded with fish catching PowerBait formula giving anglers the confidence to catch more fish.
Bonefish Key Features
• Minnow profile swimbait designed for high action at the slowest of speeds
• Heavy ribbed body allow the bait to catch more water and stay suspended longer in current or static water
• Super thin tail allows more erratic action at the slowest speeds, in low current or on the drop
• Hook slot allows for easy rigging and better hook ups
• Heavy ribs provide more surface area for more PowerBait flavor
• Great on Jighead, Weighted Swimbait Hook, or Drop Shot
• Bonefish available in 2.5-inch and 3.25-inch
Curly Bones Key Features
• Hybrid “Rib Worm” design produces high action at the slowest of speeds
• Heavy ribbed body allow the bait to catch more water and stay suspended longer in current or static water
• Super thin ribbon style tail features a vertical orientation and activation tip to grab water and never stop moving at the slowest speeds, in low current, on the bottom or on the drop
• Hook slot allows for easy rigging and better hook ups
• Heavy ribs provide more surface area for more PowerBait flavor
• Made for Jigs, but great on a Weighted Swimbait Hook, or Drop Shot
• Curly Bones available in 3-inch and 4-inch
Colors: Blown Motor • Citrus Punch • Citrus Blast • Gold Cracker/Chartreuse • Purple/Chartreuse • Firecracker/Chartreuse • White Ice • Oystershell • Pink Shad • Midnight Shine • Electric Blue/White • Peanut Butter & Jelly
MSRP: $5.99
Available: September 2022
B.A.S.S. Announces 2023 Bassmaster Opens Schedule With New Format For Elite Qualification
The 2023 St. Croix Bassmaster Opens Series presented by Mossy Oak Fishing will feature nine tournaments — three each in three divisions — covering eight states.
Photo by James Overstreet/B.A.S.S.
September 20, 2022
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The St. Croix Bassmaster Opens presented by Mossy Oak Fishing have grown exponentially in popularity over the past few years. But the buzz has never been louder than it’s been since the announcement of the new Opens EQ (Elite Qualifiers) format in July — and now B.A.S.S. has officially announced where all of the excitement will take place in 2023.
On Tuesday, B.A.S.S. unveiled a slate of nine Opens — three each in three divisions — covering eight states from March into late October. Anglers fishing all nine events will be vying for an invitation to the Bassmaster Elite Series. The Top 9 anglers in the Bassmaster Opens Elite Qualifiers standings will earn an invitation to join the prestigious Bassmaster Elite Series in 2024. Individual event winners — including those who only fish one, three-event division — will be eligible for a berth in the 2024 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic.
“We’re so excited about this new format,” said Executive Director of Tournaments Hank Weldon, who oversees the Bassmaster Opens. “With the Opens EQ format, there is a clear path forward for those who want to make fishing a full-time career and prepare as much as possible while progressing toward the Elites. Those anglers’ abilities will be tested throughout the year on a variety of fisheries and prepare them for the cross-country rigors of the Elite Series. At the same time, those who only fish three events in one division will still be fishing for a dream chance to compete in the Bassmaster Classic.
“That excitement, plus the great fisheries we have on our schedule, will make 2023 so much fun for anglers and fans of the sport.”
Division 1 will serve as the starting point for the Opens season with an event March 2-4 on world-famous Lake Eufaula in Eufaula, Ala. Known as the “Bass Fishing Capital of the World” and the hometown of late fishing industry legend Tom Mann, the brushpile-laden Chattahoochee River fishery has hosted 17 major B.A.S.S. events since 1968.
The organization hadn’t visited Eufaula since 2006 before returning in the summer of 2020 for an Elite Series event that was won by Tennessee pro Buddy Gross. It was one of the first professional bass fishing events televised live.
The remainder of Division 1 will include stops on Alabama’s Wheeler Lake in Decatur, Ala., May 18-20, and Florida’s Harris Chain of Lakes in Leesburg, Fla., Oct. 12-14. B.A.S.S. last visited Wheeler — a 68,300-acre lake on the Tennessee River — for an Elite Series event in 2016. The organization’s last visit to the Harris Chain (ranked No. 4 in the Southeastern Division of Bassmaster Magazine’s annual list of 100 Best Bass Lakes) was for an Elite this past February that was also won by Gross.
“On behalf of our local partners at the City of Leesburg and the Greater Orlando Sports Commission, we are thrilled to welcome the Bassmaster Open tournament to Lake County,” said Ryan Ritchie, Director-Office of Visit Lake, Lake County Florida. “Our area continues to be a destination for championship professional fishing and our communities thrive off the visitation from spectators and anglers who stay in our hotels and visit our local establishments translating in positive economic impact. Our partnership continues to grow with Bassmaster, and we always enjoy working with their staff and welcoming them to Lake County!”
Division 2 will begin with a trip to Toledo Bend in Many, La., April 13-15, then move on to Lake Eufaula — the one in Eufaula, Okla. — on June 15-17. It will culminate Sept. 21-23 on Lake of the Ozarks in Osage, Mo.
Toledo Bend has hosted major B.A.S.S. events 16 times, including most recently the 2019 Central Open that was won by current Elite Series pro Darold Gleason of Louisiana. Toledo Bend was the first fishery to ever rank No. 1 two years in a row on Bassmaster Magazine’s 100 Best Bass Lakes list, in 2015 and 2016. It ranked fifth in the Central Division this year.
B.A.S.S. has only visited Lake Eufaula (Okla.) three times for major events since 1970 and hasn’t held an event on Oklahoma’s largest lake (105,500 acres) since a TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Central Divisional in 2014. The organization has been to Lake of the Ozarks 11 times, but not since the 2001 Missouri Central Open. The lakes rank seventh and eighth, respectively, in the Central Division of Bassmaster Magazine’s most recent 100 Best Bass Lakes list.
Division 3 will see the Opens trail visit Buggs Island Reservoir in Clarksville, Va., May 3-5, the St. Lawrence River in Waddington, N.Y., July 20-22, and Watts Bar Reservoir in Kingston, Tenn., Sept. 13-15.
“We are thrilled to welcome the Bassmaster Open here to Mecklenburg County, Va.,” said Tina Morgan, tourism coordinator for Mecklenburg County. “A multiday tournament of this caliber will not only give us the exposure we need to attract more of these high-level tournaments here, but hosting 200+ anglers for an average of seven days will have a tremendous impact on our local economy. I am looking forward to working with the B.A.S.S. organization as they discover why Buggs Island / Kerr Lake is indeed one of the best fisheries on the East Coast!”
Every B.A.S.S. fan is familiar with the St. Lawrence River. It produced the first-ever all-smallmouth Century Club performance in July when Wisconsin rookie Jay Przekurat won the Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River with 102 pounds, 9 ounces, prompting Bassmaster Magazine to name the St. Lawrence the top fishery in the nation.
The other two fisheries in Division 3, however, are more of a mystery. B.A.S.S. has been to Buggs Island — a 48,900-acre reservoir — for major events only 11 times and not since 1998. Watts Bar Reservoir, which covers 38,090 acres on the Tennessee River, has hosted only three major B.A.S.S. events — all during the 1970s.
“The City of Kingston welcomes back B.A.S.S. for their first major event on Watts Bar in more 40 years,” said Kingston City Councilwoman Stephanie Wright. “We are excited to welcome anglers, staff and fans to our area that has so much to offer in outdoor recreation. We like to think of Kingston as the gateway to Watts Bar and are thankful for the opportunity to show off this beautiful place we call home.”
The final event in each division will feature live television coverage on FS1. Fans watched on FS1 as 20-year-old JT Thompkins clinched a berth to the 2023 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic at the Northern Open on the Upper Chesapeake Bay, and more than 12.8 million viewers have tuned in for Bassmaster tournament coverage on the FOX networks over the course of the 2022 season.
“When you look at the layout of our schedule — both the times and locations — it’s easy to see why we feel like someone who fishes all nine Opens and qualifies for the Elite Series will be fully prepared for the challenge,” Weldon said. “These are all great fisheries, and anytime we visit a lake we haven’t been to in a while, it’s a big thrill for the competitors and for fans keeping track of the circuit across the country.”
Registration will open in early November, beginning with anglers who want to participate in the Opens EQ Division.
New for 2023, there will be an off-limits period of 28 to 30 days, depending on the event, with an official practice period of five days before the tournament. The no-information rule that applies to Elite Series events will not be in effect for Opens.
“What a schedule,” said B.A.S.S. Vice President of Tournaments Chris Bowes. “Zigzagging the country, visiting some of the best fisheries in the world — some that we’ve been to a lot and some that we haven’t been to in a long time — will be fantastic.
“We like to think our schedules each year for all of our trails are not only a test of our anglers’ abilities but a celebration of the sport itself. This one certainly checks all the boxes.”
2023 Bassmaster Opens Schedule
Division 1
March 2-4, Lake Eufaula, Eufaula, Ala.
May 18-20, Wheeler Lake, Decatur, Ala.
Oct. 12-14, Harris Chain of Lakes, Leesburg, Fla.
Division 2
April 13-15, Toledo Bend, Many, La.
June 15-17, Lake Eufaula, Eufaula, Okla.
Sept. 21-23, Lake of the Ozarks, Osage, Mo.
Division 3
May 3-5, Buggs Island Reservoir, Clarksville, Va.
July 20-22, St. Lawrence River, Waddington, N.Y.
Sept. 13-15, Watts Bar Reservoir, Kingston, Tenn.
Costa Sunglasses Launches Jose PRO, Honors Legendary Waterman
Best-selling Jose frame joins Costa’s PRO Series, bringing next-level performance and celebrating the legacy of Captain Jose Wejebe
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Sep. 20, 2022) – Costa Sunglasses, manufacturer of the first color-enhancing, all-polarized glass sunglass lens, brings next-level PRO-formance to its best-selling Jose frame. As part of the brand’s fall 2022 collection, this legacy frame, rebuilt with angler-approved upgrades, is named in honor of the legendary waterman and larger-than-life personality, Jose Wejebe.
Building off the original Jose frame (launched in 2010), Jose PRO joins Costa’s PRO Series family of iconic frames with upgraded styling and six performance additions to help anglers manage sweat, reduce fogging and keep their frames locked in place, even when the water gets rough. The frame’s namesake, Captain Jose Wejebe, was a professional angler, Costa pro and host of two fishing shows, ESPN’s Spanish Fly and Vida Del Mar. Born in Cuba and raised in Florida, Wejebe taught countless people what it meant to be a “pro” on and off the screen. He was foundational in developing the light-tackle industry and bringing underrepresented communities together through angling.
“What an admirable legacy left behind. You can’t help but be inspired when you think about Jose. You hear it in countless testimonies of his life,” said John Acosta, Vice President of Marketing at Costa. “It’s a privilege to carry on his legacy and to continue honoring the role Jose played in the angling community – breaking barriers and inspiring others to do the same.”
“One of my favorite things about Jose was his ability to make everyone feel like somebody, regardless of the water they fished, where they came from or their ability. He devoted his life to finessing our sport, and finding ways to help others see the beauty of our waters and the life within it,” said Captain Carter Andrews. “I love that Costa — a brand that embodies so much of Jose’s ethos — strived to make his frame even better. What a great tribute to an even greater friend.”
For nearly 40 years, Costa has provided anglers with the best sunglasses on the market for long days on the water. The new frames have Costa’s polarized, color-enhancing 580® glass lens technology for next-level clarity and are available in prescription sun lenses. The scratch-resistant 580G lens cuts haze and blur and enhances key colors for superior clarity and definition. Like all Costa injected frames, the PRO Series is built using the brand's lightweight Bio-Resin. Bio-Resin reduces the carbon footprint of traditional plastic frames while maintaining Costa’s tough durability standards.
In celebration of the new frames and Jose’s legacy, Costa will be making an additional donation to Jose Wejebe Memorial Foundation, its longtime partner. Jose PRO is now available at local dealers and Costadelmar.com.
VanDam goes to NASCAR’s Victory Lane
Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships
Trophy presentations are certainly nothing new to Kevin VanDam. But when Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris asked “KVD” to join him in victory lane to present the winner’s trophy last Saturday night at NASCAR’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway, the longtime Toyota angler was a bit astonished.
Longshot driver Christopher Buescher won the race, and not only did VanDam help with the trophy presentation, but he may very well have won the award for the guy who had the most fun at the iconic half-mile track on the Tennessee-Virginia border.
His day began with a visit to the local Bass Pro Shops store where Toyota was offering fans the chance to take a ride in the all new 2022 Tundra, and then it was off to the track where he did a fishing seminar for race fans, got a little mud on the tires at Toyota’s ride and drive course, presented driver Martin Truex a ‘good luck’ crankbait, and even got invited to take a lap in the ‘pace truck’ to begin the race.
“I’ve had some phenomenal experiences around NASCAR, and Johnny asking me to join him in victory lane at Bristol was certainly one of them. But like most things in life, it’s all about people. I’ve become close friends with drivers Martin Truex, Jeff Burton and Ryan Newman, as well as some of the car chiefs like “Cheddar” and so many others,” says VanDam.
“Tons of people in the NASCAR community love to fish when they’re not busting their tails to win races, and there’s no sport I follow more closely than NASCAR when I’m not on the water. My radio is turned to the NASCAR station on Sirius XM about 90% of the time in my Tundra,” he says.
“I love the short tracks like Bristol and Richmond where you’re so close to the action, but there’s a whole lot to be said for standing near the wall at the super speedways when the cars blow by you in a pack at 200 mph,” smiles VanDam. “The bottom line is I just love NASCAR,” he grins.
No doubt, the multitude of memories he made last Saturday at Bristol only deepened his passion for the sport that runs just a short lap behind bass fishing on the list of sports he loves.
Berkley’s Newest Crankbait – the Money Badger
New Berkley crankbait delivers aggressive tail thumping, balsa-like roll action tailored to both walleye, bass and crappie anglers
COLUMBIA, S.C. (September 20, 2022) – Expanding on its stellar line of hard baits, Berkley announces the addition of the highly versatile, multispecies Money Badger crankbait. Designed to excel in casting and trolling, the Money Badger also boasts a clicking sound profile that helps to deliver sound and action. This compact bait delivers a rod shaking, tail-thumping and balsa-like movement that anglers can appreciate.
The tungsten weight transfer system provides extended casting distance as well as accuracy. The Money Badger can be fished slow or at maximum speeds without blowing out due to the embedded line tie system which delivers incredibly stable tracking and an immediate recovery after a pause. Whether you are casting the bait to bass or trolling the bait for walleye, the optimized bill design will maintain contact with structure and rocks with minimal hang-up and each bait comes stocked with sticky sharp Fusion19 hooks.
Key Features
• Maximum hard thumping and vibration with amplified side roll to draw in fish from a distance
• Tungsten weight transfer in three larger sizes for maximum casting distance
• Clicking sound profile is tuned to deliver the perfect balance of sound and action
• Hybrid baitfish-crawfish design delivers slow rise so the bait hangs on the pause
• Versatile bait can be cast or trolled and fished fast or slow without blowing out
• Embedded line tie delivers incredible stable tracking at all speeds with immediate recovery after pause
• Patented FlashDisc technology improves tracking stability and accuracy with a true balsa-like action
• Designed to crawl over rocks and wood
• Equipped with stout and sticky sharp Fusion19 hooks
The new Berkley Money Badger models include:
• 4 cm – diving 4 to 7 feet
• 5 cm – diving 8 to 10 feet
• 6.25 cm – diving 9 to 11 feet
• 6.75 cm – diving 10 to 12 feet
• 7.25 cm – diving 11 to 13 feet
Colors: Black Gold • Black Silver • Blaze • Korey’s Candy • Firetail Green Craw • Firetiger • FX Shad • Ghost Green Craw • Ghost Morning Dawn • Ghost Red Craw • Killer Craw • Northern Lights • Perch • Pink Pearl • Purple Glimmer • Root Beer Craw • Special Red Craw • Spring Craw • Sunset 84 • Vanilla Chartreuse
MSRP: $7.99 – 4cm & 5cm • $8.99 – 6.26cm, 6.75cm & 7.25cm
Available: September 2022
Japanese Angler Aoki Retires From Bassmaster Elite Series
September 19, 2022
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Three-time Japanese Angler of the Year and Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic qualifier Daisuke Aoki has announced his retirement from the Bassmaster Elite Series. The 39-year-old angler hailing from Yamanashi, Japan, has fished professionally for 20 years, including one season on the Bassmaster Elite Series.
During the 2021 season, Aoki won the Bassmaster Southern Open at Douglas Lake on his way to qualifying for the 2022 Bassmaster Elite Series. The best finish in his one and only season on the Elites came by way of Chickamauga Lake, where Aoki finished in sixth place. But this was the highlight of his season as tough fishing landed him in 88th place in the Progressive Insurance Bassmaster Angler of the Year points.
Aoki has posted a 17-minute-long video to his YouTube channel where he cited his reasons for retiring from the Elite Series. He was visibly upset in the video and expressed that the decision to leave the Elites was a painful one. But he is also relieved that the decision has been made.
Being in a new place, far from home, for extended periods of time while trying to qualify for the Elite Series over the last few years was hard enough on Aoki. But this year, piled on top of this were the rigors of competing in the Bassmaster Elite Series, and Aoki was simply overwhelmed before the season even started.
With all the preparations required to get ready for competition, the 2022 season weighed heavy on Aoki from the start. But he thought he might change his mind about wanting to continue on the Elite Series, especially around April with his near-miss at an Elite Series win on Chickamauga.
But the short-lived success wasn’t enough to stem the tide, and Aoki became disillusioned as the season wore on.
Aoki stated that he wanted to leave his mark on fishing and make a contribution in the U.S. among the best anglers in the world. He expressed his frustration in exiting the Elite series after a tough first season.
Aoki is grateful to have qualified for the Bassmaster Classic in just four years of trying, citing that qualification as one of his greatest accomplishments. Though Aoki believes he’ll continue to fish tournaments, he admits his feelings toward tournament competition are half-hearted at the current time.
Aoki plans to do many things moving forward — including fishing for fun — but plans to give himself time to consider what’s next.
Aoki’s decision opens one more spot on the Elite Series. Chad Morgenthaler’s retirement opened a spot for Frank Talley, while Jay Yelas’ retirement announcement last week preserved a spot for Justin Atkins. With Aoki’s departure, Rick Clunn will requalify for the Elites without using a Legends point.
Hartsell Tops Field at Two-Day Phoenix Bass Fishing League Super Tournament on Grand Lake
Hewitt Wins Strike King Co-Angler Division
GROVE, Okla. (Sept. 19, 2022) – Boater Toby Hartsell of Afton, Oklahoma, caught 10 bass weighing 28 pounds, 12 ounces, to win the two-day MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on Grand Lake in Grove, Oklahoma. The tournament, hosted by the City of Grove, was the fifth and final regular-season event for the Bass Fishing League Okie Division. Hartsell earned $6,871 for his victory.
“It’s been pretty tough around here lately,” Hartsell said. “I tried to get a topwater bite going early, and I couldn’t get anything. So I went offshore and tried to focus on quality fish. I managed to get a few bites in and around the mid-lake area.”
Hartsell said he relied on a Berkley Japan Power Flutter for the majority of his bass, and said he caught just five keepers Saturday and seven or eight Sunday.
“I didn’t really expect this win,” Hartsell said. “It definitely wasn’t a ‘gimme.’”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Toby Hartsell, Afton, Okla., 10 bass, 28-12, $6,871
2nd: Lane Kindle, Stilwell, Okla., 10 bass, 26-12, $4,136
3rd: Cameron Foster, Wagoner, Okla., eight bass, 26-1, $2,290
4th: Gary Lower, Iola, Kansas, 10 bass, 25-3, $1,603
5th: Mark Talley, Grove, Okla., 10 bass, 24-13, $1,374
6th: Mark Shadowens, Kiefer, Okla., 10 bass, 24-6, $1,260
7th: John Shore, Owasso, Okla., 10 bass, 22-13, $1,145
8th: Dalton Warrington, Tishomingo, Okla., nine bass, 21-13, $1,031
9th: Justin Curnette, Grove, Okla., 10 bass, 21-12, $916
10th: Crawford Brantley, Grove, Okla., eight bass, 21-10, $802
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Dillon Roberts of Oologah, Oklahoma, and Brian Caruso of Moore, Oklahoma, both had bass that weighed 5 pounds, 13 ounces that were the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division. Roberts and Caruso split the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $1,012.
Thad Hewitt of Delaware, Oklahoma, won the Strike King Co-angler Division and $3,455 Sunday after catching a two-day total of eight bass weighing 19 pounds, 5 ounces.
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:
1st: Thad Hewitt, Delaware, Okla., eight bass, 19-5, $3,455
2nd: Justin Nobles, Owasso, Okla., eight bass, 18-4, $1,728
3rd: Alex Albert, Coppell, Texas, eight bass, 15-11, $1,254
4th: Patrick Weir, Park Hill, Okla., six bass, 12-10, $806
5th: Terry Moody, Owasso, Okla., five bass, 11-11, $691
6th: Andrew Workman, Stilwell, Okla., six bass, 11-10, $633
7th: Stanley Forrester, Westville, Okla., four bass, 11-9, $576
8th: Kevin Brown, Salina, Okla., five bass, 11-4, $518
9th: Levi Malone, Anderson, Mo., six bass, 11-4, $461
10th: Justin Fuller, Cushing, Okla., five bass, 11-1, $443
Dakota Nollen of Midwest City, Oklahoma, caught the largest bass in the Strike King Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 4 pounds, 8 ounces. The catch earned him the Berkley Big Bass Co-angler award of $502.
With the regular season now complete, boater Ian Laybas of McAlester, Oklahoma, won the 2022 Bass Fishing League Okie Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with a five-event total of 1,271 points to earn the $1,000 boater AOY award. David Blankinship of Delaware, Oklahoma, won the 2022 Strike King Co-Angler Okie Division AOY race with 1,333 points and earned the $500 Strike King Co-angler of the Year award.
Now, the top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will advance to compete in the Oct. 13-15 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on the Mississippi River in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Boaters will compete 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 fish for a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.
The 2022 Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six Regional Championships 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 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.
The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division will also earn priority entry into the MLF Toyota Series, the pathway to the MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit and ultimately the MLF Bass Pro Tour.
Proud sponsors of the 2022 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 4WP, 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, AFTCO, A.R.E. Truck Caps, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, E3, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, Gary Yamamoto Baits, General Tire, Lew’s, Lowrance, Lucas Oil, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Revital Outdoors, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, Wiley X, YETI and Yo-Zuri.
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.
McDowell Wins Two-Day Phoenix Bass Fishing League Super Tournament on Rend Lake
Ayers Bests Field of Strike King Co-Anglers
SESSOR, Ill. (Sept. 19, 2022) – Boater Garrett McDowell of Windsor, Illinois, caught eight bass weighing 19 pounds, 14 ounces, to win the two-day MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on Rend Lake in Sessor, Illinois. The tournament was the fifth and final regular-season event for the Bass Fishing League Illini Division. McDowell earned $5,426 for his victory.
McDowell said he began his tournament fishing rip rap on the north end of Rend, where wind was prevalent and blowing baitfish onto rock. McDowell said he caught six keepers Saturday morningon a Z-Man Jack Hammer Evergreen ChatterBait , then moved to fish holding in less than a foot of water. On Sunday, the wind was coming from a different direction and the bass were not holding on the rip rap, so McDowell said he fished shallow, but cloud cover hampered quality production.
“With about an hour left the clouds broke, and I was able to get my last two bites flipping cyprus trees,” McDowell said.
McDowell said he found success using an Omega Revelation Swim Jig for his cyprus tree bite.
“This feels pretty good,” McDowell said. “My first BFL win was in a Super Tournament on Shelbyville in 2018. This is just kind of my time of year – when it transitions into the fall bite. That’s kind of when I shine.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Garrett McDowell, Windsor, Ill., eight bass, 19-14, $5,426
2nd: Patrick Odell, Windsor, Ill, seven bass, 19-10, $2,563
3rd: Alex Moore, Chester, Ill., nine bass, 18-13, $1,709
4th: Toby Corn, Paducah, Ky., nine bass, 18-7, $1,596
5th: Trey McKinney, Carbondale, Ill., eight bass, 18-5, $1,325
6th: Brennon McCord, Thompsonville, Ill., eight bass, 17-13, $1,440 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF5 contingency bonus)
7th: Wayne O’Dell, Toledo, Ill., six bass, 17-2, $1,484
8th: Greg Mullins, Mount Vernon, Ill., six bass, 16-0, $769
9th: Scott Rice, Cobden, Ill., six bass, 15-6, $683
10th: Michael Black, Toledo, Ill., six bass, 14-7, $598
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Wayne O’Dell of Toledo, Illinois, had a bass that weighed 5 pounds, 12 ounces that was the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $630.
Sheldon Ayers of Goreville, Illinois, won the Strike King Co-angler Division and $2,502 Sunday after catching a two-day total of five bass weighing 12 pounds, 12 ounces.
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:
1st: Sheldon Ayers, Goreville, Ill., five bass, 12-12, $2,502
2nd: Rick Cheatham, Carterville, Ill., five bass, 12-6, $1,401
3rd: Ryan Murphy, Paris, Ill., six bass, 11-12, $1,034
4th: Ryan Taylor, Christopher, Ill., four bass, 9-14, $584
5th: Ovidiu Marginean, Glenview, Ill., four bass, 9-9, $500
6th: Chuck Davis, Farmington, Ill., four bass, 9-6, $559
7th: Andrew Boring, El Paso, Ill., four bass, 8-15, $417
8th: Mike Swetland, Tamaroa, Ill., four bass, 8-11, $375
9th: Steve Bowcock, Bridgeport, Ill., four bass, 7-6, $392
10th: Brian Huber, Saint Charles, Mo., three bass, 7-0, $292
Drake Horn of Murphysboro, Illinois, caught the largest bass in the Strike King Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 5 pounds, 3 ounces. The catch earned him the Berkley Big Bass Co-angler award of $307.
With the regular season now complete, boater Trey McKinney of Carbondale, Illinois, won the 2022 Bass Fishing League Illini Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with a five-event total of 1,326 points to earn the $1,000 boater AOY award. Chuck Davis of Farmington, Illinois, won the 2022 Strike King Co-Angler Illini Division AOY race with 1,283 points and earned the $500 Strike King Co-angler of the Year award.
Now, the top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will advance to compete in the Oct. 13-15 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on the Mississippi River in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Boaters will compete 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 fish for a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.
The 2022 Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six Regional Championships 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 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.
The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division will also earn priority entry into the MLF Toyota Series, the pathway to the MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit and ultimately the MLF Bass Pro Tour.
Proud sponsors of the 2022 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 4WP, 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, AFTCO, A.R.E. Truck Caps, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, E3, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, Gary Yamamoto Baits, General Tire, Lew’s, Lowrance, Lucas Oil, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Revital Outdoors, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, Wiley X, YETI and Yo-Zuri.
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.
Faulkner Earns Victory at Two-Day Phoenix Bass Fishing League Super Tournament on Cherokee Lake
Houston Tops Strike King Co-Angler Division
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. (Sept. 19, 2022) – Boater Riley Faulkner of Jacksboro, Tennessee, caught nine bass weighing 23 pounds, 7 ounces, to win the two-day MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on Cherokee Lake in Jefferson City, Tennessee. The tournament, hosted by the Jefferson County Department of Tourism, was the fifth and final regular-season event for the Bass Fishing League Mountain Division. Faulkner earned $8,050 for his victory.
Although Faulkner said he had grown up fishing on Cherokee and is very familiar with it, his tournament began slowly Saturday at his first two stops. He then pulled up to his third spot, where his luck changed.
“I ran down the bank and had a limit in about 30 minutes,” Faulkner said. “I lost a 3-pounder, but had about 10 pounds. Then I saw a tree and tossed up to it and caught a 5-pounder.”
On Sunday, Faulkner said he focused on fishing a jig on wood on flats, and his efforts produced three spotted bass and a largemouth to secure the win.
“I missed out on a college fishing tournament this weekend to fish this BFL event, so it feels good to knowing that skipping that college tournament pay off,” Faulkner said.
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Riley Faulkner, Jacksboro, Tenn., nine bass, 23-7, $8,050
2nd: Tristan Abbott, Somerset, Ky., 10 bass, 22-8, $3,294
3rd: Isaac Peavyhouse, Jamestown, Tenn., 10 bass, 22-6, $2,062
4th: Tim Smiley, White Pine, Tenn., 10 bass, 22-0, $1,944 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF5 contingency bonus)
5th: Jarrod Conn, Burgin, Ky., eight bass, 21-3, $1,238
6th: Jesse Wiggins, Addison, Ala., nine bass, 19-8, $1,134
7th: Chip Chambers, Elizabethton, Tenn., 10 bass, 19-7, $1,031
8th: Chase Henley, Kingston, Tenn., seven bass, 16-1, $928
9th: Talmadge Marcum, McKee, Ky., eight bass, 15-15, $825
10th: Dwight Fox, Gainesboro, Tenn., eight bass, 14-13, $722
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Faulkner also caught a bass that weighed 5 pounds, 1 ounce, the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $862.
Joe Houston of Burlington, Kentucky, won the Strike King Co-angler Division and $3,188 Sunday after catching a two-day total of four bass weighing 9 pounds, 4 ounces.
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:
1st: Joe Houston, Burlington, Ky., four bass, 9-4, $3,188
2nd: Brent Clark, Bowling Green, Ky., four bass, 8-10, $1,544
3rd: Kendall Parnell, Monticello, Ky., four bass, 8-4, $1,030
4th: Cliff Humphreys, Candler, N.C., four bass, 8-1, $870
5th: Andrew Devere, Paint Lick, Ky., four bass, 7-15, $618
6th: Kelly Reese, Cartersville, Ga., three bass, 7-8, $766
7th: Joshua Jernigan, Rocky Top, Tenn., three bass, 7-4, $515
8th: Mark Hogue, Danville, Ky., three bass, 6-13, $463
9th: Wayne Crouch, Jamestown, Tenn., four bass, 6-11, $412
10th: Tracy Helton, London, Ky., three bass, 6-10, $360
Dustin Perkins of Russell Springs, Kentucky, caught the largest bass in the Strike King Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 4 pounds even. The catch earned him the Berkley Big Bass Co-angler award of $424.
With the regular season now complete, boater Michael Morrison of Stamping Ground, Kentucky, won the 2022 Bass Fishing League Mountain Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with a five-event total of 1,301 points to earn the $1,000 boater AOY award. Todd Stopher of London, Kentucky, won the 2022 Strike King Co-Angler Mountain Division AOY race with 1,267 points and earned the $500 Strike King Co-angler of the Year award.
Now, the top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will advance to compete in the Oct. 20-22 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Lewis Smith Lake in Cullman, Alabama. Boaters will compete 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 fish for a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.
The 2022 Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six Regional Championships 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 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.
The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division will also earn priority entry into the MLF Toyota Series, the pathway to the MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit and ultimately the MLF Bass Pro Tour.
Proud sponsors of the 2022 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 4WP, 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, AFTCO, A.R.E. Truck Caps, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, E3, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, Gary Yamamoto Baits, General Tire, Lew’s, Lowrance, Lucas Oil, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Revital Outdoors, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, Wiley X, YETI and Yo-Zuri.
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.
Quaintance Tops the Two-Day Phoenix Bass Fishing League Super Tournament on Pickwick Lake
Barber Posts Strike King Co-Angler Division Victory
IUKA, Miss. (Sept. 19, 2022) – Boater Chris Quaintance of Muscle Shoals, Alabama, caught 10 bass weighing 36 pounds even to win the two-day MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on Pickwick Lake in Iuka, Mississippi. The tournament, hosted by Tishomingo County Tourism, was the fifth and final regular-season event for the Bass Fishing League Mississippi Division. Quaintance earned $7,007 for his victory.
Quaintance said his tournament started off well Saturday morning with four fish, then slowed down around midday, and it took him a while to catch his fifth keeper. However, Quaintance said his catch rate improved on Sunday.
“It was steady catching on Day 2,” Quaintance said. “I caught fish all day long, a lot of quality bass on long, tapering points that featured light points in the mid-lake area.”
Quaintance said he caught his bass on a NetBait T-Mac Straight-Tail Worm and a green pumpkin jig in six to eight feet of water, and a Strike King Swim Jig in shallow grass.
“The bass were just roaming,” Quaintance said. “A lot of them weren’t even in brush. There was a lot of shad in the area, and each spot was just about the size of a football field, and I just pounded it out until I got what I needed.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Chris Quaintance, Muscle Shoals, Ala., 10 bass, 36-0, $7,007
2nd: Jimmy Mason, Rogersville, Ala., 10 bass, 30-12, $4,099 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF5 contingency bonus)
3rd: Justin Bussey, Fulton, Miss., 10 bass, 28-11, $1,997
4th: Charles Watts, Corinth, Miss., 10 bass, 26-1, $1,399
5th: Clint Pegg, Caledonia, Miss., nine bass, 25-12, $1,199
6th: Alan Langford, Tupelo, Miss., nine bass, 25-10, $1,100
7th: Michael Brewer, Lawrenceburg, Tenn., 10 bass, 24-12, $1,000
8th: Michael Wooley, Booneville, Miss., eight bass, 24-2, $900
9th: Roger Stegall, Iuka, Miss., 10 bass, 23-15, $800
10th: Mark Willins, Como, Miss., 10 bass, 23-15, $700
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Quaintance also had a bass that weighed 5 pounds, 10 ounces that was the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $810.
Harry Barber of Earlington, Kentucky, won the Strike King Co-angler Division and $2,971 Sunday after catching a two-day total of six bass weighing 16 pounds, 5 ounces.
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:
1st: Harry Barber, Earlington, Ky., six bass, 16-5, $2,971
2nd: Johnny Suratt, Lawrenceburg, Tenn., seven bass, 14-14, $1,486
3rd: Keith Ramage, Raleigh, Miss., six bass, 13-2, $989
4th: Clint Horton, Falkner, Miss., five bass, 12-3, $693
5th: Mike Ellis, Tupelo, Miss., four bass, 11-11, $594
6th: Michael Petras, Biloxi, Miss., five bass, 11-9, $995
7th: Shan Payne, Saltillo, Miss., five bass, 10-15, $495
8th: Thomas Sanderson, Amory, Miss., five bass, 10-15, $446
9th: Steve Ruth, Columbus, Miss., five bass, 10-9, $396
10th: Lance Spencer, Donalsonville, Ga., five bass, 9-13, $347
Bubba Wright of Ridgeland, Mississippi, caught the largest bass in the Strike King Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 5 pounds, 6 ounces. The catch earned him the Berkley Big Bass Co-angler award of $401.
With the regular season now complete, boater Evan Horne of Tuscumbia, Alabama, won the 2022 Bass Fishing League Mississippi Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with a five-event total of 1,289 points to earn the $1,000 boater AOY award. Sank Payton of Bay Springs, Mississippi, won the 2022 Strike King Co-Angler Mississippi Division AOY race with 1,274 points and earned the $500 Strike King Co-angler of the Year award.
Now, the top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will advance to compete in the Oct. 20-22 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Lewis Smith Lake in Cullman, Alabama. Boaters will compete 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 fish for a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.
The 2022 Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six Regional Championships 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 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.
The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division will also earn priority entry into the MLF Toyota Series, the pathway to the MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit and ultimately the MLF Bass Pro Tour.
Proud sponsors of the 2022 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 4WP, 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, AFTCO, A.R.E. Truck Caps, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, E3, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, Gary Yamamoto Baits, General Tire, Lew’s, Lowrance, Lucas Oil, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Revital Outdoors, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, Wiley X, YETI and Yo-Zuri.
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.
Mixon Wins Two-Day Phoenix Bass Fishing League Super Tournament on High Rock Lake
Riddle Claims Victory in Strike King Co-Angler Division
SALISBURY, N.C. (Sept. 19, 2022) – Boater Robert Mixon of Lexington, North Carolina, caught 10 bass weighing 37 pounds, 1 ounce, to win the two-day MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on High Rock Lake in Salisbury, North Carolina. The tournament was the fifth and final regular-season event for the Bass Fishing League Piedmont Division. Mixon earned $4,189 for his victory.
“I started off fishing piers to catch good fish early, and then moved out during the later part of the day,” Mixon said. “On Saturday, I caught four or five off the piers, and four or five when I moved away from the piers. Then on Sunday, I caught five starting off fishing the piers, then I caught some more fish out, but they weren’t big ones and didn’t help me.”
Mixon said practiced for five days before the event and ended up targeting piers in Abbot’s Creek that sat in four feet of water, but he caught his bass where the piers met the bank in one foot of water. He fished a black Zoom Trick Worm for his pier fish, and switched to a Carolina rig with a green-pumpkin-colored Zoom Brush Hog in the main river of High Rock Lake later in the day.
“When I sat the hook, water just boiled,” Mixon said.
Mixon said after catching a 4-pounder and one that weighed 6-1, the thought of a win crept into his mind.
“I was fishing against 12 of the best guys on High Rock, so I wasn’t guaranteed anything,” Mixon said. “You can’t take anything for granted until you weigh in.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Robert Mixon, Lexington, N.C., 10 bass, 37-1, $4,189
2nd: Maurice Freeze, Concord, N.C., 10 bass, 28-6, $2,295
3rd: Eric Johnson, Partlow, Va., 10 bass, 28-4, $1,396
4th: Christopher Brown, Lexington, N.C., 10 bass, 27-12, $978
5th: Thomas Milton, Chester, Va., eight bass, 26-11, $838
6th: Kevin Chandler, New London, N.C., 10 bass, 26-11, $768
7th: Steve Sink, Winston-Salem, N.C., 10 bass, 25-4, $698
8th: Bradley Staley, Sophia, N.C., 10 bass, 23-11, $928
9th: Tyler Trent, Nathalie, Va., six bass, 20-13, $1,059 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF5 contingency bonus)
10th: Todd Harris, Lexington, N.C., eight bass, 20-13, $489
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Chad Poteat of Mount Airy, North Carolina, had a bass that weighed 6 pounds, 11 ounces that was the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $465.
Dustin Riddle of Hiwassee, Virginia, won the Strike King Co-angler Division and $2,095 Sunday after catching a two-day total of eight bass weighing 21 pounds, 10 ounces.
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:
1st: Dustin Riddle, Hiwassee, Va., eight bass, 21-10, $2,095
2nd: Clifton Jenkins, Elm City, N.C., seven bass, 17-6, $1,047
3rd: Tony Toombs, Drakes Branch, Va., five bass, 14-14, $932
4th: Hunter Alexander, China Grove, N.C., six bass, 14-9, $489
5th: Hayden Payne, Dugspur, Va., four bass, 13-3, $519
6th: David Deciucis, Chester, Va., six bass, 13-2, $384
7th: Nathan Reeves, Lynchburg, Va., six bass, 12-11, $549
8th: Pat Kendrick, Bumpass, Va., seven bass, 12-3, $314
9th: Phillip Ragland Jr., Rustburg, Va., three bass, 11-14, $479
10th: Jeff Rikard, Leesville, S.C., five bass, 11-13, $394
Tony Toombs of Drakes Branch, Virginia, caught the largest bass in the Strike King Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 5 pounds, 11 ounces. The catch earned him the Berkley Big Bass Co-angler award of $232.
With the regular season now complete, boater Eric Johnson of Partlow, Virginia, won the 2022 Bass Fishing League Piedmont Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with a five-event total of 1,293 points to earn the $1,000 boater AOY award. David Deciucis of Chester, Virginia, won the 2022 Strike King Co-Angler Piedmont Division AOY race with 1,322 points and earned the $500 Strike King Co-angler of the Year award.
Now, the top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will advance to compete in the Oct. 6-8 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Lake Murray in Prosperity, South Carolina. Boaters will compete 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 fish for a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.
The 2022 Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six Regional Championships 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 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.
The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division will also earn priority entry into the MLF Toyota Series, the pathway to the MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit and ultimately the MLF Bass Pro Tour.
Proud sponsors of the 2022 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 4WP, 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, AFTCO, A.R.E. Truck Caps, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, E3, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, Gary Yamamoto Baits, General Tire, Lew’s, Lowrance, Lucas Oil, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Revital Outdoors, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, Wiley X, YETI and Yo-Zuri.
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.
Mississippi’s Herring Claims Overall Title At 2022 Bassmaster High School Combine
Alex Standerfer of New London, Wis., (Casting Accuracy), Phillip Herring of Richton, Miss., (Technical Challenge & Overall) and Nathan Preston of Newnan, Ga., (Casting Distance) took home awards at the 2022 Abu Garcia Bassmaster High School Combine presented by Skeeter.
Photos by Kyle Jessie/B.A.S.S.
September 19, 2022
Mississippi’s Herring Claims Overall Title At 2022 Bassmaster High School Combine
DECATUR, Ala. — Talented high school anglers from across the U.S. gathered for the second Abu Garcia Bassmaster High School Combine presented by Skeeter on Wheeler Lake in Decatur, Ala., for a weekend combining skills challenges and recruiting visits in hopes of reeling in college fishing offers. After three challenges — Casting Distance, Technical and Casting Accuracy — the combine’s overall points winner was Phillip Herring of Richton, Miss.
With a total of 288 points, the Greene County High School senior narrowly edged Bryce Distefano of Denham Springs, La., by four points. In three total challenges, Herring finished no worse than 10th place out of 98 anglers.
Herring was surprised to take home the highest honor from the High School Combine.
“It feels pretty amazing,” Herring said. “I came in expecting to have the opportunity to talk to a few colleges and maybe even get a couple of campus visits out of it, but I didn’t really have any expectations for the competition part of this event.”
Herring, who attended the combine alongside teammate Calup Williams, has qualified for three consecutive Abu Garcia Bassmaster High School National Championships presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors. The duo also fished together at the 2019 Bassmaster Junior Series National Championship, where they finished seventh.
In addition to winning the overall award, the south Mississippi native also took home the first-place prize in the Technical Challenge. The Technical Challenge tested each angler’s ability to maneuver a Skeeter FXR20 bass boat around an obstacle and make three pinpoint casts to floating targets.
Herring was able to blaze through the Technical Challenge in just 42 seconds to take home his second piece of hardware.
“I turned the trolling motor up wide-open and began casting at the target as I was going around the obstacle and actually hit one target before even getting around it; then I hit the last two targets with my first two flips,” Herring said when asked about his strategy.
Herring accredited his fishing strengths of flipping and pitching to his success in the Technical Challenge as well as the Casting Accuracy Challenge, where he finished fifth.
“We fish a lot of shallow tidal rivers, so we’re flipping, pitching and making short little roll casts all the time, which helped out a lot,” he said.
Herring is looking forward to his campus visits and making a final college decision.
“This event helped me a ton,” he said. “I had an idea of about five to seven schools that I was interested in, but this event has helped me narrow it down to about three schools. This combine is really great overall; getting to meet all these other anglers and talking with the coaches is amazing.”
In just 35 seconds, Alex Standerfer of New London, Wis., was able to knock down every target with his Abu Garcia rod and reel combo to take the first-place prize in Casting Accuracy.
“I didn’t really have a strategy going into the event,” Standerfer said. “Coming from a river background, fishing around wood and getting your bait in places where others can’t is a strategy in itself, so this was definitely my forte.”
In addition to winning the Casting Accuracy Challenge, Standerfer finished eighth in the overall standings.
With a booming cast of 65 yards, Nathan Preston of Newnan, Ga., took first in the Casting Distance Challenge. Using an Abu Garcia Zenon Reel paired with an Abu Garcia Winch Rod, Preston cast a Berkley Cane Walker Topwater just inches farther than the second-place finisher Cambre Webb of Clinton, La., who cast 64.9 yards.
“I took a risk by turning the breaks completely off, loosening the spool tension all the way off and just prayed I didn’t backlash,” said Preston. “Out of three casts, I backlashed twice, but the one time I didn’t, I cast it 65 yards.”
Preston considers Lake Lanier his favorite tournament lake, and regularly throwing a big walking topwater played into his success in this event.
“We have a lot of schooling fish on Lake Lanier, so you’ll see them schooling and have to pick up a topwater and chunk it as far as you can, so I’ve done this before. It was right in my comfort zone.”
In addition to the three skills challenges, anglers spent portions of the weekend meeting with coaches representing 16 schools. After the first day, colleges could select anglers for a “second look” to further explore everything that angler has to offer and see if they would be the perfect fit for their fishing program.
At the end of the weekend, two anglers — high school fishing partners Cody Morgan and Brant Langley from Florida’s Marion County High School Bassmasters — signed with Southeastern University and Coach Weston Marsh, which will begin competing in Bassmaster College Series tournaments in 2024.
“There are so many amazing benefits to attending SEU, including new facilities and a great scholarship,” explained Morgan. “But it is also important to both of us to be part of building something here in our home state of Florida. We’re really excited.”
Only colleges offering bass fishing scholarships were invited to attend. The inaugural High School Combine in 2021 generated more than $2.6 million in scholarship offers.
The 2022 Abu Garcia Bassmaster High School Combine presented by Skeeter was hosted by Decatur Morgan County Tourism.
2022 Abu Garcia Bassmaster High School Combine presented by Skeeter Points Totals
|
Casting Accuracy
|
Technical
|
Long Cast
|
Total Points
|
|||
|
1
|
Phillip Herring
|
Richton, MS | 96 | 100 | 92 | 288 |
|
2
|
Bryce Distefano
|
Denham Springs, LA | 96 | 91 | 97 | 284 |
|
3
|
Michael Teate
|
Winter Haven, FL | 90 | 87 | 86 | 263 |
|
4
|
Barrett Bennefield
|
San Augustine, TX | 90 | 81 | 85 | 256 |
|
5
|
Samuel Cobb Jr
|
Livingston, LA | 85 | 75 | 91 | 251 |
| 6 |
Tyler Morris
|
Port Allen, LA | 67 | 91 | 89 | 247 |
|
7
|
Nathan Preston
|
Newnan, GA | 51 | 94 | 100 | 245 |
|
8
|
Alex Standerfer | New London, WI | 100 | 95 | 49 | 244 |
|
9
|
Connor Hebert | Erwinville, LA | 99 | 60 | 81 | 240 |
| 10 |
Syler Prince
|
Palatka, FL | 47 | 98 | 93 | 238 |
| 10 |
Nathan Whitehead
|
Muscle Shoals, AL | 75 | 81 | 82 | 238 |
| 12 | Zach Knight | Gallatin, TN | 91 | 81 | 63 | 235 |
|
13
|
Destin Morales
|
French Settlement, LA | 79 | 63 | 90 | 232 |
|
14
|
Luke Salvail
|
Huntsville, AL | 76 | 97 | 55 | 228 |
|
15
|
Jett Stanley
|
Dover, FL | 90 | 94 | 39 | 223 |
|
15
|
Cambre Webb
|
Clinton, LA | 90 | 34 | 99 | 223 |
| 17 | Trace Antunes | Henderson, TX | 84 | 73 | 58 | 215 |
| 18 | Parker Stalvey | Green Cove Springs, FL | 62 | 83 | 67 | 212 |
| 19 | Drew Turnbull | Crane Hill, AL | 40 | 91 | 80 | 211 |
| 20 | Avery Padgett | Elba, AL | 98 | 49 | 63 | 210 |
| 21 | Nicholas DellaPorta | Pequannock, NJ | 28 | 96 | 83 | 207 |
| 22 | Caleb Cason | Emory, TX | 71 | 46 | 87 | 204 |
| 22 | Garrett Cromer | LaGrange, GA | 63 | 67 | 74 | 204 |
| 24 | Cody Morgan | Jacksonville, FL | 51 | 57 | 94 | 202 |
| 25 | Chase McCarter | Sevierville, TN | 83 | 49 | 67 | 199 |
Elam’s Knack for Mille Lacs
Courtesy of Luke Stoner - Dynamic Sponsorships
Bass Pro Tour competitor James Elam has competed in three major events on Mille Lacs Lake in central Minnesota and remarkably, he’s posted three top five finishes on the well-known smallmouth bass powerhouse. Elam rounded out Stage Seven of the Bass Pro Tour last week with a 5th place effort riding largely on a fast and furious morning bite that allowed the Daylight Donuts pro to load his boat early each day.
Based off his performances on Mille Lacs, you might think Elam must be a local or at the very least spends a lot of time in the off-season on this fishery, but you’d be wrong. Elam is a northeast Oklahoma native where anglers are known for their shallow-water spinnerbait prowess more than their northern smallmouth expertise and has never been to Mille Lacs outside of competition.
But sometimes a lake or style of fishing just click with certain anglers, and that’s certainly the case with Elam’s knack for Mille Lacs.
“Even though I’m an Okie I have always enjoyed fishing clearer water and offshore,” Elam said. “I can hold my own beating the bank, but I tend to do better in offshore dominated tournaments. I have put a lot of time in with my Lowrance electronics and simply have learned to trust what they show me. My main spot I’m catching my fish from this week is an area I’ve fished all three times we’ve come here, and I directly credit finding that spot to my electronics.”
Elam used a couple different crankbaits to capitalize on a bite window that seemed to close around 9:30 a.m. throughout Stage Seven, but for those first two hours of the day he absolutely lit up the SCORETRACKER. He did his best to try and move with the group of fish after the morning action slowed, but it wasn’t easy due to the nomadic nature of the fish he targeted.
Known for being meticulous with tackle preparation and details, Elam said using 10 to 12-lb Seaguar InvisX and swapping out some of the stock hardware was key to his success with a crankbait last week.
“I actually straightened out a stock split ring on the crankbait I was throwing during practice,” Elam admitted. “So, I swapped every single one out with Gamakatsu Superline Split Rings, number 2s and number 3s. Then I changed the hooks to the No. 2 Aaron Martens TGW G-Finesse MH wire hooks. Those changes were critical for the fish I caught, as they really were just slapping at the bait for the most part. I landed way more than I probably should have.”
Elam said even though it’s a 13-hour trek from his driveway, he really does feel at home on Mille Lacs, at least in the late summer and fall. This is a great example of the incredible versatility in terms of angling ability, and strange existence regarding traveling across the country professional bass anglers live. For these guys, home is truly where you make it.
On top of his fifth-place finish, Elam won an extra $3,000 through Toyota Bonus Bucks due to being the highest finishing angler driving an eligible tow-vehicle in the Championship Round. If you want to reap the rewards of Bonus Bucks, you don’t have to be a touring professional like James Elam.
The popular contingency program supports hundreds of tournaments from Team Trails, BFLs, college fishing, and more. For a full list of eligible events or a program overview, head to https://www.toyotatrucksbonusbucks.com/ or send an email to [email protected] .
Baughman Wins Toyota Series Event on Truman Lake
Baughman moved into the top five on Day 2 before bringing the biggest bag of the tournament to the stage on the final day to solidify the biggest win of his career.
“I’m tickled about this win,” Baughman said. “I’ve been doing this for a long time at this level and I’ve fished nationally with another league for two years, but I’ve never won anything outside of a statewide tournament. I’m just absolutely beside myself.”
Having never fished Truman Lake before, Baughman said he leaned heavily on the 100-plus waypoints he logged during three days of practice. He targeted bass in offshore brush and rock piles, ranging from 5 to 15 feet in depth.
“Everyone else was graphing, but when I’d find several piles, I’d go 700 or 800 yards graphing with the LiveScope and find little stumps no one was seeing on their side imaging,” Baughman continued. “I might catch one on every tenth stump, but it would be a good one.”
Baughman said he caught the majority of his weight from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. every day and caught all his fish on a ¾-ounce Brazalo football jig and a 5/16-ounce Brazolo finesse jig.
Baughman, who lost both of his legs below the knees, his left hand and digits on his right hand to bacterial meningitis as an infant, said he counts the win as another huge blessing and an additional opportunity to show others that with hard work, they can do anything they put their mind to.
“God is so good and has just blessed me in my life,” Baughman said. “I got sick at 9 months old, and the doctors said I wouldn’t make it, so to just be here is amazing – and to have the ability to catch some fish every once in a while on top of it, is just awesome.”
The top 10 pros on Truman Lake finished:
2nd: Brad Jelinek of Lincoln, Mo., 15 bass, 47-0, $13,566
3rd: Brock Reinkemeyer of Warsaw, Mo., 15 bass, 46-8, $9,729
4th: Kyle Schutta of Forest Lake, Minn., 15 bass, 46-1, $8,107
5th: Michael Harlin of Sunrise Beach, Mo., 15 bass, 39-1, $7,697
6th: B.J. Miller of Adams, Neb., 14 bass, 38-3, $6,486
7th: Drew Gill of Mount Carmel, Ill., 15 bass, 36-0, $5,675
8th: Nicky Parsons of West Fork, Ark., 15 bass, 35-8, $4,864
9th: Chris Bridges of Clinton, Mo., 14 bass, 35-7, $4,554
10th: Greg Proffitt of Kansas City, Mo., 14 bass, $3,243
Pros Travis Harriman of Memphis, Missouri won the $500 Day One Berkley Big Bass award in the pro division Thursday, bringing a bass weighing 5 pounds even to the scale. Brandon Orton of Memphis, Missouri won Friday’s $500 Berkley Big Bass award, bringing a 4-pound, 9-ounce bass to the scale.
Jelinek 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.
Dewey Larson of Fayetteville, Arkansas won the Strike King Co-angler Division Saturday with a three-day total of 10 bass weighing 23 pounds, 8 ounces. Larson took home the top prize package of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard motor.
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers on Truman Lake finished:
2nd: Will Lancett of Jacksonville, Ark., nine bass, 18-1, $4,104
3rd: Tate Brumnett of Wagoner, Okla., seven bass, 16-0, $3,284
4th: Troy Karafa of Racine, Wis., six bass, 15-8, $3,073
5th: Jeff Moss of Oronogo, Mo., six bass, 14-10, $2,813
6th: Kit Lueg of Stillwell, Kan., five bass, 13-14, $2,052
7th: Bob Keeth of Dixon, Mo., five bass, 13-12, $1,642
8th: Tom Shewey of Climax Springs, Mo., five bass, 13-10, $1,587
9th: Steve Duncan of Amarillo, Texas, five bass, 13-10, $1,231
10th: Kevin Hesson of Seneca, Pa., six bass, 13-8, $1,026
The Toyota Series Presented by A.R.E. at Truman Lake was hosted by the Sedalia Convention and Visitors Bureau and Benton County Tourism and Recreation. It was the third and final tournament in the Plains Division. The next event for Toyota Series anglers will take place on Sept. 22-24 – the Toyota Series Presented by A.R.E on the St. Lawrence River Presented by BoatLogix in Massena, New York, hosted by the Town of Massena. For a complete schedule, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The 2022 Toyota Series Presented by A.R.E. consists of six divisions – Central, Northern, Plains, Southern, Southwestern and Western – each holding three regular-season events, along with the International and Wild Card divisions. Anglers who fish in any of the six divisions and finish in the top 25 – or the top 12 from the Wild Card division – will qualify for the no-entry-fee Toyota Series Presented by A.R.E. Championship for a shot at winning up to $235,000 cash. The winning Strike King co-angler at the championship earns a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard. The 2022 Toyota Series Presented by A.R.E. Championship will be held Nov. 3-5 on Lake Guntersville in Guntersville, Alabama, and is hosted by Marshall County Tourism and Sports.
Proud sponsors of the 2022 MLF Toyota Series Presented by A.R.E. include: 4WP, 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, AFTCO, A.R.E. Truck Caps, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, E3, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, Gary Yamamoto Baits, General Tire, Lew’s, Lowrance, Lucas Oil, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Outlaw Ordinance, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, Wiley X and YETI.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the MLF Toyota Series on the MLF5 social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
MLF Issues Updated Statement on Minnesota DNR Violations at Stage Seven on Mille Lacs Lake
ONAMIA, Minn. (Sept. 16, 2022) – Major League Fishing (MLF) Executive Vice President and General Manager Don Rucks issued an updated statement today regarding the fishing regulation violations at this week’s event at Mille Lacs Lake:
Based on the response from fans and anglers, we realize that we have created some confusion regarding the two-line regulation at the Mille Lacs tournament, and we would like to clarify the situation.
Major League Fishing bears the full responsibility for what happened with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) violations.
As previously stated, MLF Bass Pro Tour Rule No. 33 permits an angler to utilize a second line once per period. It was an oversight that this rule directly violated the Minnesota DNR fishing regulations, and we did not properly communicate that to our anglers this week as we normally do. It is correct that two anglers received citations from the MN DNR, however, Major League Fishing takes full responsibility for those violations and the league will pay the fines that our anglers incurred.
The two-line rule was created as a compelling aspect of fishing to create excitement for the competitive and viewership experience. The rule, however, does not comply with Minnesota DNR regulations. This is MLF’s mistake.
Again, we sincerely apologize to the State of Minnesota, the Minnesota DNR, the outdoorsmen and women of Minnesota, and our Bass Pro Tour anglers for creating this conflict. We have implemented new processes to ensure this error does not occur again.
Yelas Retires From Bassmaster Elite Series To Serve Youth
September 16, 2022
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Bassmaster Elite Series angler Jay Yelas is retiring from tournament competition to concentrate on his work with the C.A.S.T. for Kids Foundation.
“I decided to retire from tournament fishing to focus on running the C.A.S.T. for Kids Foundation,” the 57-year-old said. “So I’ve fished my last tournament.”
Yelas, who won the 2002 Bassmaster Classic and was Angler of the Year the following season, was having a great 2022 Elite season when tendonitis in both elbows forced him out. The ambidextrous pro from Lincoln City, Ore., left mid-event and took a medical hardship despite being in the Top 15 after two days at the Simms Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork.
“That was a bummer for me,” said Yelas, who experienced excruciating shooting pains. “I was doing well at that event … I’ve never had to pull out of one before. My left arm was pretty much useless. I was like a one-armed bandit. I still can’t set the hook with my left arm. It’s getting a lot better than it was in May. I could hardly turn a reel handle at Fork.”
His position at Fork before he left had moved Yelas to 30th in Progressive Insurance Bassmaster Angler of the Year points and on course to qualify for his 17th Classic. But he couldn’t finish his 234th event with B.A.S.S., an organization he was proud to serve.
“I’m so thankful, first of all, to Ray Scott for starting this whole craziness that we call bass fishing and giving an opportunity for people like me to go make a living,” Yelas said. “I’ve made a living for 35 years as a professional bass fisherman.
“I fished my first Bassmaster event in 1989 at Lake Mead and fished B.A.S.S. until 2006. Those were my best years. I qualified for 16 consecutive Classics and won it in ‘02. I won Angler of the Year in 2003, which was the pinnacle for me. AOY, that’s something I hold in the highest regard.”
Yelas, with five victories and 56 Top 10s in B.A.S.S., earned $1.6 million in B.A.S.S. and another million in FLW, where he won two AOY titles and qualified for 11 Forrest Wood Cups. Those accomplishments earned his 2020 induction into the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame.
Yelas was proud to have recorded Top 10 finishes in five decades. His latest was a third-place finish on Lake Fork in 2020, and he posted a ninth on Lake St. Clair that year.
“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed being back fishing the Elite Series and finishing my career where it started with the best tournament organization in the land,” he said. “I’ve had some good success, but not as good as it was back in my prime. I’m really thankful. I think the world of B.A.S.S. and wish them all the continued success.”
Deciding to hang up his tournament jersey was a difficult decision yet well-thought through. Yelas said he’s prayed about it for some time.
“I’m a man of faith, and God has a plan for all of us,” he said. “I just think it’s His will to serve these kids and families that attend our C.A.S.T. for Kids events. I just love providing an opportunity for them to enjoy a day of fishing. That’s something that I’m really passionate about now.
“I feel like it’s what God has for me as my next chapter in life.”
Yelas served on the board at the C.A.S.T. for Kids Foundation before becoming its executive director eight years ago. The non-profit began in 1991 and has held more than 1,140 events, putting close to 150,000 disabled and disadvantaged kids on the water.
“It’s growing like crazy,” Yelas said. “This year we’ll have 80 events around the country. It’s an all-time high. We bounced back from Covid really well. We have events in 35 states.”
While Yelas said it is a relief to just be working one full-time job, he’ll still find time to go fishing for fun. Along with bass, he enjoys the steelhead and salmon fishing he’s afforded along the Oregon coast. But his work will always come first.
“I’m excited about it. You see it making a tangible difference in the lives of these kids and families, and that is very rewarding,” Yelas said. “I’ve had my day in the sun on the tournament trail. It’s been a wonderful career. I’m so thankful for it. I’ll fish as long as I live, I’m just not going to be competing on the world’s greatest tournament circuit, the Elite Series.”
Red River Presents New Puzzle For Bassmaster Central Open
Louisiana's Red River will host the St. Croix Bassmaster Central Open presented by Mossy Oak Fishing Sept. 22-24, 2022.
Photo by B.A.S.S.
September 16, 2022
Photo by B.A.S.S.
September 16, 2022
SHREVEPORT, La. — The Red River boasts a pair of Bassmaster Classics to its history, but this fishery will present a very different picture than those 2009 and 2012 events as anglers take on these storied waters for the St. Croix Bassmaster Central Open at Red River presented by Mossy Oak Fishing.
Competition days will be Sept. 22-24 with daily takeoffs from Red River South Marina at 7 a.m. CT and weigh-ins each day back at the marina at 3 p.m. Event coverage will be available on Bassmaster.com.
"You’re gonna see a totally different Red River than what it has been (in past years),” said Bassmaster Elite Series pro Caleb Sumrall, who cut his teeth on this fishery. “With the floods of six to seven years ago, a lot of sandbars have changed the current flow; it’s changed where the current gets into and where it doesn’t.
“Two years in a row, the Red River (overtopped) the spillways. I don’t think the fishery has recovered yet. I think we lost a lot of quality fish.”
Sumrall references the 2015 flood, in which El Niño inundated the region. With massive runoff coursing through the Red River, June saw this waterway peak at 37.14 feet — more than 7 feet past official flood stage and the highest recorded crest in 70 years.
The following spring saw locally heavy downpours with some areas along the Red River measuring more than 20 inches of rainfall. Cresting at just under 32 feet, the river washed away lots of shallow wood that had been a year-round mainstay.
Floodwaters also altered the passages into some of the backwaters, but Sumrall points to an upside. Recent years have seen a surge in hydrilla and hyacinth growth — two prominent bass habitat features.
“The vegetation is returning,” he said. “Hydrilla is king, and it’s very good to see that some of it is coming back to this system.”
Texan Lee Livesay, who won the opening Central Division event of the season on Ross Barnett Reservoir along with the Simms Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork, agrees. He noted that the vegetation — including hyacinth mats — will add a strong flipping/punching element to offset some of the hard cover loss. Vegetation also filters muddy water, so he’ll be looking for pockets of clarity.
Livesay visited the Red River nine days from the tournament’s start and found stable water conditions. The river currently stands just under 14 feet; a seasonally appropriate level that’s unlikely to change much before the tournament.
Short of any dramatic weather change, Livesay’s not expecting much current. Under normal conditions, the Red River is typically a low-flow waterway, but Livesay points to the flourishing vegetation as a summer sanctuary.
“This time of year, you want more current, but the current really only plays on the main river, not in the backwaters,” Livesay said. “So, instead of catching them on a squarebill on the main river, you might catch them flipping to fish that are tucked away under a mat or a laydown.”
Sumrall said the bass will be in a late-summer transition. Anglers will still see plenty of warm-season stationary fish, but the oxbows and other backwaters could find fish running shad. Sumrall and Livesay agree the field will employ a mix of flipping, cranking, frogging, topwaters and spinnerbaits.
“It’s going to be a shallow junk fishing 101,” Sumrall said. “I don’t feel like there will be one winning spot; you’ll need to piece it together. You may have one good area, but you’ll need several more spots.”
With tournament boundaries including Pools 3, 4 and 5, time management will play an integral role. Some will stay close and commit their days to Pool 5, from which the field will launch, while others will lock through to one of the lower pools.
“Those locks can burn you,” Sumrall warned. “If you get a big barge or a (large number) of tournament boats, you could lose a lot of fishing time.”
Since the floods of 2015-16, the Red River has generally produced more quantity than quality. Patrick Walters, an Elite champion and two-time Century Club entrant from South Carolina, won the 2018 Central Open — the most recent B.A.S.S. event on the Red River — with a three-day total of 30 pounds, 15 ounces.
With the fishery making post-flood progress, Sumrall predicts better numbers. He’s looking for a winning weight of about 36 pounds, with 10 pounds a day making the Championship Saturday cut.
“I think a 4-pounder will go a long way,” Sumrall said. “To break out of that 8- to 10-pound-bag range, you’re going to need a couple of 3-pounders to get to that 12-pound mark.
“If a guy gets on the right deal, I can see him catching 16 to 17 pounds, but that will not happen more than once.”
Stressing realistic expectations, Livesay said, “One or two kickers a day is what you want to shoot for. You’re not going to catch a lot of big ones, but catching one 3-plus-pound fish is good on the river right now.”
Sumrall said consistency at any level will require diversity. He and Livesay agree the entirety of tournament waters could prove productive; however, game plans involving multiple areas will most likely deliver optimal results.
“I think the field will be split 50/50 between the main river and the backwaters,” Livesay said. “But with the main river this clear (thanks to the vegetation), I can see the main river winning this time.”
Sumrall’s advice: “Keep an open mind and don’t get locked into one thing. You’ll have to make adjustments on the fly.”
Three-Peat! Dustin Connell Goes Back-to-Back, Wins Third Bass Pro Tour Event of the Season at Bally Bet Stage Seven at Mille Lacs Lake Presented by Minn Kota
Alabama Superstar Catches 82-9 to Win by Narrow 4-Ounce Margin over Tennessee’s David Walker, Earn Third Bass Pro Tour Victory of Season and Earn Another $100,000 Top Prize
ONAMIA, Minn. (Sept. 15, 2022) – For just the second time in Bass Pro Tour history, one angler has won three events in a single season. Googan Baits pro Dustin Connell of Clanton, Alabama, caught 20 scorable smallmouth bass weighing 82 pounds, 9 ounces Thursday to win the Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Tour Bally Bet Stage Seven on Mille Lacs Lake Presented by Minn Kota in Onamia, Minnesota and earn the top prize of $100,000. The win was his second consecutive victory, after claiming victory at New York’s Lake Cayuga last month, and his third of the season – he also won Stage Three at Alabama’s Lewis Smith Lake.
Connell’s Championship Round didn’t start off too hot. Through his first two-and-a-half hours of fishing, he was only able to muster three scorable bass for 13-6. Although one of those three was a 6-pounder, Connell knew his first period wasn’t what it needed to be to win.
“I started out this morning really slow,” Connell said. “I felt like I couldn’t find a bass. Then I had 4-foot waves rolling into my boat, so that wasn’t great. Finally, I found my zone and I settled in during the second period.”
Connell exploded in the second period, catching eight bass for 30-15, shooting him into second place, right below tournament leader, Dayton, Tennessee’s Michael Neal. That second period was made possible thanks to a waypoint Connell marked during his Knockout Round on Wednesday with time winding down in the day.
“Yesterday I had 15 minutes to idle around at the end of the Knockout Round,” Connell said. “I knew that I wasn’t on a winning deal. In the last 12 minutes of the day, I found six rocks. I marked a waypoint on one of them with three seconds left. I showed up there today and caught a 6-3 and a 5-8 off of that one rock I marked. That was the difference between winning and losing this tournament for me.”
That 6-pound, 3-ounce smallmouth pushed him past Neal for the lead, a lead Connell wouldn’t surrender for the rest of the day. It felt like a two-horse race for most of the day, that was until Sevierville, Tennessee pro David Walker began surging in Period 3.
With less than 15 minutes left in the day, Walker caught four bass for 15-6 including a 5-10. Walker shot up SCORETRACKER® so fast that it was hard for Connell to keep up with how much weight Walker actually had.
“I didn’t have time to get nervous it happened so quick,” Connell admitted. “When he got to within 4 ounces with only two minutes left, I knew he was going to win. I was convinced he was going to bring one in with five seconds left and knock me out. Lucky for me, he didn’t. But really, congrats to David on an amazing day and tournament.”
Walker was unable to catch him, giving Connell back-to-back wins to round out the 2022 season. He’s done it on Smith Lake in Alabama and Cayuga Lake in New York, but this one in Minnesota means a little bit more to Connell.
“To end the season this way at one of my favorite lakes – I love Mille Lacs,” Connell went on to say. “I love fishing in Minnesota. It’s unbelievable to win three events in a season, and I’m really glad I did it here fishing this way.”
The top 10 pros from Bally Bet Stage Seven on Mille Lacs Lake Presented by Minn Kota finished:
1st: Dustin Connell, Clanton, Ala., 20 bass, 82-9, $100,000
2nd: David Walker, Sevierville, Tenn., 23 bass, 82-5, $45,000
3rd: Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., 21 bass, 78-3, $38,000
4th: Dakota Ebare, Brookeland, Texas, 14 bass, 50-12, $32,000
5th: James Elam, Tulsa, Okla., 12 bass, 43-6, $30,000
6th: Mark Daniels, Jr., Tuskegee, Ala., 11 bass, 42-14, $26,000
7th: Justin Lucas, Guntersville, Ala., 10 bass, 30-5, $23,000
8th: Alton Jones, Sr., Lorena, Texas, six bass, 23-2, $21,000
9th: Jesse Wiggins, Addison, Ala., seven bass, 22-3, $19,000
10th: Adrian Avena, Vineland, N.J, six bass, 20-13, $16,000
Full results for the entire field can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Overall, there were 130 scorable bass weighing 476 pounds, 7 ounces caught by the final 10 pros on Thursday.
Connell also earned Thursday’s Championship Round $1,000 Berkley Big Bass award with a 6-pound, 3-ounce smallmouth that bit a drop-shot rig in Period 3. Hot Springs, Arkansas, pro Stephen Browning earned the $3,000 Berkley Big Bass award for the overall largest bass of the event with his 6-pound, 8-ounce smallmouth that he weighed on Day 3 of competition.
The reigning Bass Pro Tour Bally Bet Angler of the Year (AOY), Academy Sports + Outdoors pro Jacob Wheeler of Harrison, Tennessee, clinched his second-consecutive Bass Pro Tour AOY title this week after finishing the event in 10th place. Wheeler now becomes the first pro in Bass Pro Tour history to earn multiple AOY titles, and for his accomplishment the 32-year-old Tennessee pro earned a $100,000 payday from Bally Bet.
The Bally Bet Stage Seven on Mille Lacs Lake Presented by Minn Kota featured anglers competing with a 2-pound minimum weight requirement for a bass to be deemed scorable. Minimum weights are determined individually for each competition waters that the Bass Pro Tour visits, based on the productivity, bass population and anticipated average size of fish in each fishery.
The six-day tournament was hosted by the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe and showcased 80 of the best professional anglers in the world competing for a purse of more than $805,000, including a top payout of $100,000 to the winner. The tournament is livestreamed each day at MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MOTV app, and also filmed for television broadcast.
Television coverage of the Bally Bet Stage Seven on Mille Lacs Lake Presented by Minn Kota will premiere as a two-hour episode at 7 a.m. ET, on Saturday, Nov. 19 on the Discovery Channel. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on the Discovery Channel, with additional re-airings on the Outdoor Channel. Each two-hour long reality-based episode goes in-depth to break down each day of tournament competition.
The Bass Pro Tour features a field of 80 of the top professional anglers in the world competing across seven regular-season tournaments around the country, competing for millions of dollars and valuable points to qualify for the annual General Tire Heavy Hitters all-star event and REDCREST IV, the Bass Pro Tour championship, which will be held next March on Lake Norman in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Proud sponsors of the 2022 MLF Bass Pro Tour include: 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, A.R.E. Truck Caps, B&W Trailer Hitches, Bally Bet, Bass Cat, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, Covercraft, Favorite Fishing, Garmin, General Tire, Googan Baits, Grundéns, Guaranteed Rate, Humminbird, Lowrance, Luminox, Mercury, Minn Kota, Mossy Oak, Nitro Performance Boats, Onyx, Plano, Power-Pole, Power Stop, Rapala, Starbrite, Toro, Toyota, Wrangler, Yellowstone Bourbon and Zoom.
For complete details and updated information on Major League Fishing and the Bass Pro Tour, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
St. Lawrence River Set to Host Final Event for Toyota Series Northern Division
MASSENA, N.Y. (Sept. 15, 2022) – The Toyota Series Presented by A.R.E. Northern Division will continue its 2022 season next week in Massena, New York, Sept. 22-24, with the Toyota Series Presented by A.R.E. at the St. Lawrence River Presented by BoatLogix . Hosted by the Town of Massena, the three-day tournament is the third and final event of the season for the Toyota Series Northern Division anglers and will feature the region’s best bass-fishing pros and Strike King co-anglers casting for a top prize of up to $75,000.
Local pro Jesse Spellicy of Gouverneur, New York, said he is excited about the upcoming event.
“The St. Lawrence River is fishing pretty consistently across the board,” Spellicy said. “We are getting into the fall – the time of year where fish are starting to feed more and get heavier – and they are biting pretty much everywhere on the fishery.”
Spellicy said he expects to see fish caught at various depths, from 2 to 60 feet of water, and believes there will be anglers bouncing back and forth between fishing shallow and deep throughout the event.
“I think we will definitely see spinnerbaits come into play, as well as the standard drop-shots, tubes and Ned rigs,” Spellicy said. “Current breaks are pretty key this time of year, more so than normal, so guys should be on the lookout for any type of structure or vegetation that breaks the current. That’s where smallmouth are typically stacked up.”
With weights accumulating over the three-day event and the field being cut to 25 on the final day, Spellicy said he predicts it will take 18½ pounds per day to make it into the top 25 on the final day and 23½ pounds per day to win the event.
Spellicy said he expects the tournament to be won around the Clayton and Cape Vincent area, a 1½-hour full-throttle run from where anglers will launch. Despite the long distance, Spellicy said he believes he’s going to have to commit to that run to have a shot at winning the event.
“It’s a long distance and anything can happen, but that seems to be the area that’s been kicking out the better bags of fish this year, so it’s definitely going to make things interesting,” Spellicy concluded.
Anglers will take off daily at 7 a.m. ET from Massena Intake Boat Launch located at 1415 State Highway 131 in Massena. Weigh-ins will also be held at the boat launch and will begin at 3 p.m.Fans are welcome to attend the event or follow the action 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 BIG5 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 2022 Toyota Series Presented by A.R.E. consists of six divisions – Central, Northern, Plains, Southern, Southwestern and Western – each holding three regular-season events, along with the International and Wild Card divisions. Anglers who fish in any of the six divisions and finish in the top 25 – or the top 12 from the Wild Card division – will qualify for the no-entry-fee Toyota Series Presented by A.R.E. Championship for a shot at winning up to $235,000 cash. The winning Strike King co-angler at the championship earns a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard. The 2022 Toyota Series Presented by A.R.E. Championship will be held Nov. 3-5 on Lake Guntersville in Guntersville, Alabama, and is hosted by Marshall County Tourism and Sports.
Proud sponsors of the 2022 MLF Toyota Series Presented by A.R.E. include: 4WP, 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, AFTCO, A.R.E. Truck Caps, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, E3, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, Gary Yamamoto Baits, General Tire, Lew’s, Lowrance, Lucas Oil, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Outlaw Ordinance, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, Wiley X and YETI.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the MLF Toyota Series on the MLF5 social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
KVD’s 2022 in Review
Courtesy of Luke Stoner - Dynamic Sponsorships
Kevin VanDam wrapped up his 2022 Bass Pro Tour season with a solid 29th place finish on Mille Lacs Lake for Bally Bet Stage Seven presented by Minn Kota. Bass fishing’s all-time money winner was in his happy place on Mille Lacs this week, catching big smallmouth bass on reaction baits.
VanDam’s incredible career accomplishments have left him with extremely high expectations of himself, and while he might characterize this season as ‘decent’, his efforts would be considered a banner year for many professional anglers. The Team Toyota pro ended the season with a top 10 finish in the Angler of the Year race, was a threat to win a couple events, and carried himself with professionalism and class like the legend he is.
As the sun set on another year of Bass Pro Tour competition, we caught up with VanDam to ask him a few questions as he looked at 2022 in the rear-view mirror.
Q – This was your 32nd year as a professional bass fisherman, what stood out about 2022?
“Extreme and adverse conditions,” VanDam said quickly. “Mother Nature really let us have it the first half of the year with D’Arbonne, Fork, and Smith all being brutal, cold tournaments. We had a super diverse schedule that just always kept us (BPT angler) guessing. The guys who consistently caught them this year really had to earn it.”
Q – You ended this season with yet another top 10 finish in the Angler of the Year points, but what is one tournament from 2022 you wish you could have back?
“Lake of the Ozarks is one that really bothered me,” VanDam admitted. “I had a real good practice and just didn’t make the right adjustments during the event. I was around the fish to have a super strong finish there and it ended up being my worst of the year. I sure wish I had my Qualifying Day One back.”
Q – What was one new age tool or product that was important to your 2022 season? How about old school?
“Humminbird TargetLock used with MEGA Live Imaging without a doubt as far as new age technology. I got TargetLockabout halfway through the season and it is a true game-changer.
“As crazy as it sounds, I think just running a pattern and covering water with a spinnerbait or KVD 1.5 Squarebill Crankbait might be looked at as ‘old-school’ nowadays. With the advancements in technology the last few years, you just don’t see a whole lot of guys fishing the way we used to get it done. But there is a time and place for old-school. Dialing in a pattern will still win you some money!”
Q – You now have a full year towing your Nitro with the all-new 2022 Toyota Tundra, what are your thoughts? Give us one favorite feature, too.
“Truth be told – it’s an incredible truck. This thing rides like a dream, has better fuel economy than I’ve ever had before, and is a beast for towing my bass boat. I’ve got a i-FORCE MAX TRD Pro – with the new hybrid engine – ordered for 2023 and I’m looking forward to getting my hands on it.
“If I had to pick one thing, it’d probably be the overall feel of the interior. It’s next-level comfortable, which is so important when you spend as many hours driving as I do. The new 14-inch LED screen makes navigation a whole different deal. It’s amazing, it really is.”
Q – What are you most looking forward to this off-season?
“Hanging with family and deer season! I stay pretty darn busy,so I don’t have much of an off-season, but I always look forward to spending time with family, the holidays, and just getting to be at home. Both my boys love to deer hunt as much as I do, so deer season is really special to us.”
Berkley PowerBait Shape 108
Berkley PowerBait Shape 108 takes versatility to a new level excelling at both finesse and power fishing techniques
COLUMBIA, S.C. (September 15, 2022) – Backed by more than 25 years of the scientific research and testing, Berkley PowerBait continues to innovate and find new ways to help anglers catch more fish. By creating flavors that fish find irresistible, the new Berkley PowerBait Shape 108 is no exception. As its name suggests, Shape 108 underwent 108 different renderings before the product development team believed it had all the features and action that Berkley soft plastics are known for.
Available in three different sizes and 14 colors, Shape 108 is built with “bird-wing” style pinchers that rotate with each flap creating a unique, bite-triggering action. Designed to be fished a variety of ways, the smashed and ribbed body provides extra surface area packed with PowerBait flavor to help ensure that when fish bite they don’t let go, allowing for a better hook-up ratio. Its 3-inch version has a slightly beefed-up body making it the perfect flapping craw for ned rigs and finesse jig applications.
Key Features
• “Bird-wing” style pinchers
• Fits perfectly on a jig
• Smashed body allows for better hookups when fished as a Texas rig or like techniques
• Ribbed upper body provides extra surface area for extreme PowerBait flavor
• Three sizes: 3-inch, 3.5-inch and 4-inch
Colors: Green Pumpkin • Black Blue Fleck • Watermelon • GOAT • Pearl White • Peanut Butter and Jelly • Bluegill Flash • June Bug • Hot Craw • Okeechobee Craw • California • Alabama Craw • Labatt • Blue Shiner Gold
MSRP: $6.99
Available: November 2022
Minnesota Anglers Noah Schultz and Matt Thompson Dominate 2022 Champions Tour Championship
Humminbird and Minn Kota anglers Noah Schultz and Matt Thompson finish up Minnesota Champions Tour with Championship Victory and Season Angler of the Year Awards
As a tournament angler, it can be very challenging to be consistent. For Humminbird and Minn Kota angler Noah Schultz, he hasn’t just been consistent – he has dominated. On September 1st on Lake Serpent in Minnesota, Schultz filled another space on his shelf of Champions Tour Championship trophies. Having won three of the last five Champions Tour Championship Titles, he is also taking home his third fully rigged Skeeter Boat for his unmatched efforts.
“A lot of the lakes we fished I have never been to before and they are all different,” said Schultz. “I feel like overall, I am starting to build some confidence and the more events I fish, the more driven I become to keep getting better. I have spent a lot of time learning and dialing in my electronics to help me be the most efficient angler I can be – Humminbird and Minn Kota have played a massive role in getting me to where I’m at.”
Known as one of the best tournament anglers in Minnesota, there are several keys to Schultz’s tournament days to keep him efficient on the water.
“Recently at Gull Lake, the fish were positioned on deep grass and it was key to make precise casts to exactly where the fish were set up. The Champions Tour is a catch, weigh and release format, so being efficient with your time is a must to be successful,” said Schultz. “Having Humminbird MEGA 360 Imaging® was clutch to locate high-percentage deep grass, and with my Minn Kota Ultrex™ trolling motor working in tandem with Humminbird MEGA Live Imaging TargetLock™, I could make a super accurate cast and put my bait right in front of the fish, cast after cast.”
Since the introduction of live sonar technology, anglers have had to choose between Spot-Lock and the use of their MEGA Live transducer. To solve this dilemma for anglers, Humminbird has introduced MEGA Live Imaging TargetLock™, giving back Spot-Lock to anglers who demand total boat control while actively fishing with MEGA Live.
“This technology has been an absolute game changer for me. It has made my process on the water during tournament days more efficient overall.” Schultz concluded.
While Schultz brought home the championship title, another Humminbird and Minn Kota pro was able to perform consistently enough over the course of the season to be named 2022 Champions Tour Angler of the Year.
Matt Thompson is known for his ability to catch giant musky throughout the Midwest and has translated that experience into becoming adept at catching big bass. His big fish mentality has allowed him to fish his strengths and compete against the best anglers in the region.
“It’s really a dream to be able to bring home Angler of the Year against a hand-picked field with 50 of the best Midwest anglers,” said Thompson.
“With this format, knowing where you stand compared to everyone else – it’s really 90% mental. You can spin out very quickly knowing what everyone else has for weight throughout the day. I fish completely different from the rest of the field so this one is pretty special for me and without Humminbird LakeMaster® mapping and MEGA 360, I don’t achieve this accomplishment,” said Thompson. “My musky background has taught me how to hunt for those apex predators and it has taught me where those bigger predatory fish will reside, the combination of LakeMaster and MEGA 360 really help me identify those areas.”
Throughout the last four seasons, Matt has been known to catch the big bass at each of the Champions Tour qualifying events. Adding to an already impeccable season, Thompson has earned the Champions Tour YETI Big Bass Award in 11 out of 15 events he has fished with the tour, three of the four times being in 2022. There’s no doubt why his fellow anglers nicknamed him the “Big Yeti”.
Known for having some of the most talented anglers of any tournament trail in the Midwest, Angler of the Year and Championship wins are no small feat. Schultz and Thompson will be closing the 2022 Champions Tour leaving heavy footprints behind with expectations of another successful season in 2023.
Neal Dominates Knockout Round, Final 10 Set at Bass Pro Tour Bally Bet Stage Seven at Mille Lacs Lake Presented by Minn Kota
Tennessee Pro Catches 20 Bass Weighing 77-2 to Win Knockout Round By Nearly Six Pounds, Final 10 Anglers Set for Thursday’s Final-Day Shootout for $100,000
ONAMIA, Minn. (Sept. 14, 2022) – Pro Michael Neal of Dayton, Tennessee, caught 20 scorable smallmouth bass weighing 77 pounds, 2 ounces to win the Knockout Round and advance to the final day of competition at the Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Tour Bally Bet Stage Seven on Mille Lacs Lake Presented by Minn Kota in Onamia, Minnesota. The final 10 anglers are now set, and competition will resume Thursday morning with the Championship Round. Weights are zeroed, and the angler that catches the most weight will win the top prize of $100,000.
The six-day tournament, hosted by the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, showcases 80 of the best professional anglers in the world competing for a purse of more than $805,000, including a top payout of $100,000 to the winner. The tournament is livestreamed each day at MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MOTV app, and also filmed for television broadcast later this fall on the Discovery Channel.
The top eight pros from Wednesday’s Knockout Round that will compete in Thursday’s Championship Round on Mille Lacs Lake are:
1st: Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., 20 bass, 77-2
2nd: Dustin Connell, Clanton, Ala., 19 bass, 71-3
3rd: Dakota Ebare, Brookeland, Texas, 14 bass, 57-4
4th: James Elam, Tulsa, Okla., 14 bass, 54-1
5th: Jesse Wiggins, Addison, Ala., 14 bass, 51-12
6th: David Walker, Sevierville, Tenn., 14 bass, 51-6
7th: Justin Lucas, Guntersville, Ala., 14 bass, 49-5
8th: Adrian Avena, Vineland, N.J, 13 bass, 46-13
They’ll be joined by Qualifying Round Winners:
Group A: Mark Daniels, Jr., Tuskegee, Ala.
Group B: Alton Jones, Sr., Lorena, Texas
Full results for the entire field can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
“I don’t know that I’ve ever won a Knockout Round before,” Neal said in his post-game interview. “It’s not necessarily the round that you want to win, but I can’t complain either way. I laid off my fish pretty quick into the second period and there is a lot more there, but who knows what the weather is going to do tomorrow.
“I’ve got one main area up on the north end of the lake that I’m catching all my fish,” Neal continued. “It’s really been anywhere from 10 to 16 feet, pretty much where you can find a mixture of some grass and one or two rocks mixed in. It’s a very specific cast and you’ve got to hit it. And with the wind, that was kind of a challenge today.”
Neal battled through the winds, throwing a couple of different baits. He mentioned his key bait this week has been a Big Bite Baits SoMolly finesse worm, fished on a drop-shot rig with 10-pound test Sunline SX1 braided line and 8-pound test Sunline Shooter fluorocarbon line and a 1/0 Gamakatsu hook.
“Tomorrow, it looks like we’re going to have the same kind weather, as far as the wind goes, and maybe even some rain,” Neal said. “I don’t know if that will push more fish to me or if it will scatter them out.
“Everybody is back to zero, all back to square one again, and it’s going to be a shootout,” Neal went on to say. “There are some great fishermen in this top 10, no doubt. I’m looking for somewhere around that 80-to-90-pound range probably to try to win tomorrow. Maybe even 100. I feel like I could have gotten to that mark today if I needed to, but tomorrow is going to be different. I’m just ready to come back out here. It’s been a lot of fun this week. We’ve caught a lot of fish, some big fish, and we’ve just got to do it one more day.”
Rounding out the top 40 finishers on Mille Lacs Lake were:
11th: Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn., 12 bass, 46-11, $10,000
12th: Marty Robinson, Lyman, S.C., 12 bass, 39-0, $10,000
13th: Mark Rose, Wynne, Ark., 12 bass, 38-8, $10,000
14th: Jonathon VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich., 12 bass, 38-7, $10,000
15th: Todd Faircloth, Jasper, Texas, 11 bass, 37-15, $10,000
16th: Jordan Lee, Cullman, Ala., nine bass, 32-2, $10,000
17th: Jeff Kriet, Ardmore, Okla., nine bass, 32-0, $10,000
18th: Ott DeFoe, Blaine, Tenn., nine bass, 31-6, $10,000
19th: Gerald Spohrer, Gonzales, La., nine bass, 30-2, $10,000
20th: Alton Jones, Jr., Waco, Texas, eight bass, 29-5, $10,000
21st: Kevin VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich., eight bass, 29-5, $10,000
22nd: Randy Howell, Guntersville, Ala., eight bass, 29-4, $10,000
23rd: Josh Bertrand, Queen Creek, Ariz., eight bass, 29-0, $10,000
24th: Brent Ehrler, Redlands, Calif., seven bass, 25-14, $10,000
25th: Casey Ashley, Donalds, S.C., nine bass, 25-4, $10,000
26th: Brent Chapman, Lake Quivira, Kan., six bass, 24-11, $10,000
27th: Jared Lintner, Covington, Ga., seven bass, 24-2, $10,000
28th: Jeremy Lawyer, Sarcoxie, Mo., six bass, 21-1, $10,000
29th: Jason Lambert, Michie, Tenn., six bass, 20-9, $10,000
30th: Wesley Strader, Spring City, Tenn., six bass, 20-8, $10,000
31st: Stephen Browning, Hot Springs, Ark., five bass, 19-6, $10,000
32nd: Ryan Salzman, Huntsville, Ala., four bass, 17-15, $10,000
33rd: Cliff Pace, Petal, Miss., five bass, 16-13, $10,000
34th: Boyd Duckett, Guntersville, Ala., four bass, 16-9, $10,000
35th: Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., six bass, 16-2, $10,000
36th: Matt Lee, Cullman, Ala., three bass, 12-11, $10,000
37th: Luke Clausen, Spokane, Wash., four bass, 12-9, $10,000
38th: Shinichi Fukae, Osaka, Japan, four bass, 12-8, $10,000
39th: Ish Monroe, Oakdale, Calif., zero bass, 0-0, $10,000
40th: Roy Hawk, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., zero bass, 0-0, $10,000
Overall, there were 331 scorable bass weighing 1,188 pounds, 9 ounces caught by 36 pros Wednesday.
Texas pro Dakota Ebare earned the $1,000 Berkley Big Bass award Wednesday, catching a 6-pound, 1-ounce smallmouth on a drop-shot rig in Period 1. Berkley awards $1,000 to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass each day, and a $3,000 bonus to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass of the tournament.
The 40 Anglers in Group A competed in their two-day qualifying round on Saturday and Monday – the 40 anglers in Group B on Sunday and Tuesday. After the two-day Qualifying Round, the anglers that finished in 2nd through 20th place from both groups advanced to Wednesday’s Knockout Round, while the winner of each group advanced directly to Thursday’s Championship Round. In the Knockout Round weights were zeroed, and the remaining 38 anglers competed to finish in the top 8 to advance to the Championship Round. Tomorrow, in the final day Championship Round, weights are zeroed and the highest one-day total wins the top prize of $100,000.
The final 10 anglers will launch on Championship Thursday at 7:30 a.m. CT from Eddy’s Resort, located at 41334 Shakopee Lake Road in Onamia. Each day’s General Tire Takeout will be held at the Resort, beginning at 4 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend all launch and takeout events and also encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLF NOW!® live stream and SCORETRACKER® coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Also on Championship Thursday, Sept. 15, from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. MLF will host a Celebration Event for fans of all ages, inviting fans to come out and celebrate with the professional anglers from the Bass Pro Tour as they crown the champion of the Bally Bet Stage Seven on Mille Lacs Lake Presented by Minn Kota. The first 50 youth anglers 10 and under in attendance will receive a free Pure Fishing Shakespeare Kid’s Rod and Reel combo. The final 10 Championship Round Bass Pro Tour anglers will be on hand at the trophy celebration to meet and greet fans, sign autographs, and take selfies.
The Bally Bet Stage Seven on Mille Lacs Lake Presented by Minn Kota features anglers competing with a 2-pound minimum weight requirement for a bass to be deemed scorable. Minimum weights are determined individually for each competition waters that the Bass Pro Tour visits, based on the productivity, bass population and anticipated average size of fish in each fishery.
The Bass Pro Tour features a field of 80 of the top professional anglers in the world competing across seven regular-season tournaments around the country, competing for millions of dollars and valuable points to qualify for the annual General Tire Heavy Hitters all-star event and REDCREST IV, the Bass Pro Tour championship, which will be held next March on Lake Norman in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The MLF NOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee, Marty Stone and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action on Championship Thursday from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CT. MLF NOW!® will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app.
Television coverage of the Bally Bet Stage Seven on Mille Lacs Lake Presented by Minn Kota will premiere as a two-hour episode at 7 a.m. ET, on Saturday, Nov. 19 on the Discovery Channel. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on the Discovery Channel, with additional re-airings on the Outdoor Channel. Each two-hour long reality-based episode goes in-depth to break down each day of tournament competition.
Proud sponsors of the 2022 MLF Bass Pro Tour include: 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, A.R.E. Truck Caps, B&W Trailer Hitches, Bally Bet, Bass Cat, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, Covercraft, Favorite Fishing, Garmin, General Tire, Googan Baits, Grundéns, Guaranteed Rate, Humminbird, Lowrance, Luminox, Mercury, Minn Kota, Mossy Oak, Nitro Performance Boats, Onyx, Plano, Power-Pole, Power Stop, Rapala, Starbrite, Toro, Toyota, Wrangler, Yellowstone Bourbon and Zoom.
For complete details and updated information on Major League Fishing and the Bass Pro Tour, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
MLF Issues Statement on Inadvertent Minnesota DNR Violations at Stage Seven on Mille Lacs Lake
ONAMIA, Minn. (Sept. 14, 2022) – Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour Tournament Director Aaron Beshears issued the following statement today regarding the inadvertent Minnesota Department of Natural Resources fishing regulation violations at this week’s event at Mille Lacs Lake:
MLF Bass Pro Tour Rule No. 33 permits an angler to utilize a second line once per period. It was an oversight that this rule directly violated Minnesota DNR fishing regulations, and we did not properly communicate that to the anglers this week. Upon being made aware of the regulation, we immediately informed all Bass Pro Tour anglers in the competition that they were to immediately cease using two lines for the remainder of the event.
We contacted the Minnesota DNR, who clarified the violations, and we’re working closely with them to ensure that we’re in full alignment with state fish and game regulations.
Bass Pro Tour anglers Jacob Wheeler and Alton Jones, Jr., have both received citations from the Minnesota DNR for violation of the two-line regulation. They have accepted responsibility, will pay their fines, and will face no further disciplinary action.
We apologize to the State of Minnesota, the Minnesota DNR, and the anglers and outdoorsmen and women of Minnesota, and we look forward to wrapping up our regular season in what has been a fantastic tournament for us here at Mille Lacs Lake.
Ebare Edges Closer to Breakout Win
Courtesy of Luke Stoner - Dynamic Sponsorships
Dakota Ebare might not be a household name in the professional bass fishing world yet but if his incredible season in 2022 is any indication, he’s well on his way. The Bass Pro Tour rookie took on a grueling schedule fishing both the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuits and the BPT, then added in a few Toyota Series events along the way. Through his marathon of a line up, Ebareemerged as one of the hottest bass anglers in the world right now.
The Strike King pro accumulated seven top 10s coming into Bally Bet Stage Seven on Mille Lacs Lake, including three second place efforts and will round out his season with top 10 finishes in the point standings of both the Pro Circuit and the BPT.
A glance at the fisheries where he had top performances will leave you even more impressed. A second place near home in Stage Two on Lake Fork, 3rd on a fickle Watts Bar against the Bass Pro Tour pirates, then another second on the James River on the Pro Circuit followed by a close runner-up finish for the TITLE Championship on the St. Lawrence River.
The former college fishermen prides himself on his versatility and proved he can catch ‘em coast-to-coast. Whether he’s flipping for shallow water largemouth like he grew up doing in Louisiana or targeting suspended smallmouth with forward facing sonar. While the competitive fire burns hot within him for his first national win, Ebare’s perspective on his season is rock solid.
“As a competitor it’s frustrating to be so close so many times but the reality is this year has been a huge blessing,” Ebare said. “Second isn’t good enough in my mind, but it’s positive motivation, not something to hang my head about. I trust in God’s plan and when it’s meant to be, it’ll be my time.”
While he may not have hoisted a first-place trophy Ebare did win several awards throughout the 2022 season, including numerous Costa Compete + Conserve bonuses. Ebare has worn Costa Sunglasses throughout his career and has taken full advantage of the popular new contingency program offered from Costa.
Compete + Conserve supports over 300 bass tournaments and Ebare took home rewards in Bass Pro Tour, Pro Circuit, and Toyota series events with angler payouts ranging from $1,000 to $3,000 for each, just for being the highest finisher wearing Costa shades.
The program is absolutely free to register for and sanctions BFLs, team trails, college, and high school tournaments, too. Perhaps the coolest part of Compete + Conserve is the conservation donation included with every angler payout, something Ebare is super proud of.
“I’ve been able to make several thousand dollars through Compete + Conserve which is great, but my wins also resulted in $2,000 donated to freshwater conservation efforts,” Ebareproudly explained. “I want the sport of bass fishing to thrive. To do that, we (bass anglers) need to lead the charge for improving our fisheries. Costa has always supported conservation and the included donation within Compete + Conserve is a great way to keep it top of mind for tournament anglers.”
Ebare’s infectious positive attitude and emphasis on wanting to give back to the fishing community says a lot about the 30-year-old Texan. His personality and the way he carries himself is what led to Ebare being awarded the Pro Circuit’s Forest L Wood Sportsmanship & Community Leadership Award a few weeks ago. Out of all the accolades from this year, this award was without a doubt Ebare’s high point.
“It’s the highlight of my entire career up until this point honestly,” Ebare said. “This is an angler-nominated decoration, so it was voted on by my peers… that means a lot. I just try to promote the sport in a positive way in everything that I do. This award means other people have noticed, which means the world to me. Have a good attitude, treat people right, and do your best every day. That’s what it’s all about.”
Ever Green OB-68 Really Pops With New Colors
|
With seven new patterns, this super popper conquers the surface bite. |
|
Cypress, CA (September 14, 2022) – For freshwater fans, nothing beats the thrill of a lunker largemouth or bronzeback exploding on a popper. Whether you’re fishing a bucket-list destination or that farm pond down the road, the splashin’ and thrashin’ of surface action never gets old. That’s exactly why bass fans are drawn to Ever Green’s masterfully designed OB-68 popper. Now, the addition of seven great new colors gives it even more appeal Daiwa is now offering the Ever Green OB-68 in FLASH BREAM, FULL METAL, BABY BASS, FLASH WAKASAGI, BONE, FLASH CLEAR SHAD, and GREEN BACK GLITTER, adding to BLUE BACK HERRING and MAGIC GILL. |
|
|
FLASH WAKSAGI |
|
“That makes 9 patterns in all for this super popper,” says Marc Mills, senior marketing manager at Daiwa. “We’ve got all the bases covered so that anglers can match up an Ever Green 0B-68 popper to any water condition or baitfish species they come across. That versatility means you can swap out pattens at a moment’s notice if you discover the bass shifting their preference to a different type of baitfish and make your popper stand out to provoke strikes from fish searching for something a little different, or to match changing skies or water clarity. The possibilities are endless.” Colors are important, but so is a lure’s complete design when it comes to surface fishing, which helps explain how the Ever Green OB-68 sees so much success. Designed to “spit, bubble and pop” in response to every twitch of the rod tip, this unmatched topwater popper features a sharp-edged face cup that produces both strong and weak splashing sounds, catering to varying surface conditions. A perfectly balanced body yields tangle-free, arrow-straight casts, as well as steadiness on the surface, whether chugged rapidly or languidly. Additional fish-provoking noise is generated by its tungsten, brass, steel and glass rattle weights. Each rattle pounds out a unique frequency, combining for a hybrid rattling sound with wide appeal. |
|
|
Yet another design feature of the Ever Green OB-68 is it’s flipped up tail, which reduces air resistance during the cast. This allows anglers to probe potential bassing hot spots from a considerable distance, even when working against strong headwinds. Add in a nice set of tail feathers on the rear treble, through-wiring, plus that generous color selection and the odds are stacked in your favor every time you tie this lure to the end of your line. Daiwa’s Ever Green OB-68 measures 2-2/3 inches, weighs 3/8 of an ounce, and carries super sharp size six treble hooks under the belly and at the tail. Oh, did we mention it comes in 9 cool colors? All seven new colors will be available starting in September, but you can view them now if attending the ICAST Show in Orlando, Florida, July 19 – 22, by stopping at the Daiwa booth (#5630). MSRP: $15.95. |
|
|
FLASH CLEAR SHAD |
|
|
GREEN BACK GLITTER |
|
|
BABY BASS |
|
|
METAL |
|
|
FLASH BREAM |
|
|
BONE |
|
Features:
|
Eugene Kim Earns Co-Angler Win at St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Chesapeake Bay
|
PARK FALLS, Wisc. (September 13, 2022) - Eugene Kim of Lindenhurst, Illinois caught 16-0 to top a talent-stacked field of 135 competitors in the Co-Angler division at the recent 2022 St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Chesapeake Bay. In addition to valuable Open Series points and a significant cash prize, Kim took home $500 in St. Croix Rewards for winning the event while fishing St. Croix Rods. “I have fished St. Croix rods exclusively for my entire eight-year tournament career and throughout 25 years of fun fishing before I began fishing competitively,” Kim says. “The Best Rods on Earth have definitely been a key to my success.” Kim caught 8-2 on Day 1 of the Bassmaster Open at Chesapeake Bay, fishing shallow, tide-flooded grass flats and humps with a Texas-rigged worm. “I was fishing a light, 3/16-ounce weight and a finesse worm in four-to-six-feet of water,” he says. “They wanted that slender profile and slow fall.” Kim says he favors St. Croix’s Legend Elite Series rods for their extreme sensitivity and full-cork handles. “They’re just my very favorite rods, and the EC71MHXF was the perfect tool for the job on Day 1,” ads Kim, who says he switched to a chatterbait later in the day. “I also had success with a green pumpkin and with Z-Man Jackhammer Chatterbait with a Yamamoto Zako trailer. I love the St. Croix Legend Glass 7’4” medium-heavy (LGC74MHM), especially around grass. It’s just the perfect chatterbait rod.” Kim started Day 2 in 5th place riding a tide of optimism, which quickly ebbed when his new boater decided to fish an entirely different pattern, opting to target bankside laydowns. “One thing you learn as a co-angler to adapt, so that’s what I did,” Kim says. “And it worked out okay. I picked up a Legend Tournament Bass rod rigged with a prototype spinnerbait and ended up catching 7-14 – which turned out to be just enough to win the tournament.” The spinnerbait was one of the most-recent designs from Convergence Tournament Tackle, a company Kim started a few years ago with his good friend, Frank Williams. He fished the chartreuse and white lure with downsized, gold, willow leaf blades with a pearl white Strike King Caffein Shad trailer. |
|
|
B.A.S.S. Photo |
|
At the Day-2 weigh in, Kim edged out Ryan Bauman to win the Bassmaster Open event Co-Angler division by a single ounce. “It’s my first year fishing the Bassmaster Opens, so winning an event – especially one at a location I’d never fished before – just feels so good,” Kim says. “I committed to fishing the Opens this year to take myself out of my comfort zone a bit and fish some new waters and try to become a better angler. It’s been an amazing experience. B.A.S.S. does a wonderful job, and I’m also grateful to St. Croix – not only for making rods that help give me the upper hand on the water, but also for sponsoring this year’s Bassmaster Opens and for offering St. Croix anglers like me the opportunity to win St. Croix Rewards. St. Croix has always been a cornerstone of my fishing, and all of this just proves that out.” After earning success on other tournament trails in addition to the Opens, Kim says he plans to move to the front of the boat next season. “I’m excited to be taking delivery of a new Phoenix 920 Elite early next year and am looking forward to competing in the Basssmaster Opens as a Pro Angler.” St. Croix Rod wants to remind both pro and co-anglers competing in any Bassmaster Opens Series event that they can win cash St. Croix Rewards by fishing with St. Croix Rods. |
|
|
The St. Croix Rod Rewards Program pays an extra $1,000 to any registered* pro angler who wins a St. Croix Bassmaster Open tournament fishing St. Croix rods, or $500 to the highest-finishing registered top-10 pro angler fishing St. Croix rods. Similarly, the program awards an extra $500 to any registered* co-angler who wins a St. Croix Bassmaster Open tournament fishing St. Croix rods, or $250 to the highest-finishing registered top-10 co-angler fishing St. Croix rods. *Anglers must register via QR code at pre-tournament registration held by B.A.S.S. prior to the event. The next 2022 St. Croix Bassmaster Open event is the Central Open at Red River presented by Mossy Oak Fishing, September 22-24. Click here for complete registration and schedule details for all 2022 St. Croix Bassmaster Opens events. |
Jacob Wheeler Clinches AOY, Alton Jones Sr. Coasts to Group B Qualifying Round Win at Bass Pro Tour Bally Bet Stage Seven at Mille Lacs Lake Presented by Minn Kota
Wheeler Finishes Qualifying Round in 6th Place to Clinch Second-Consecutive Bally Bet Angler of the Year Title, Jones Sr. Boats Two-Day Total of 37 Smallmouth weighing 140-12 to Advance Straight to Thursday’s Championship Round
ONAMIA, Minn. (Sept. 13, 2022) – Pro Alton Jones, Sr., of Lorena, Texas, caught 12 scorable smallmouth bass weighing 47 pounds, 15 ounces to cruise to an easy Qualifying Round win for Group B at the MLF Bass Pro Tour Bally Bet Stage Seven on Mille Lacs Lake Presented by Minn Kota in Onamia, Minnesota. Jones’ two-day total of 37 scorable bass weighing 140 pounds, 12 ounces, earned him the Qualifying Round victory by a 35-pound, 15-ounce margin over second-place finisher, pro Cliff Pace of Petal, Mississippi.
The reigning Bass Pro Tour Bally Bet Angler of the Year (AOY), Jacob Wheeler of Harrison, Tennessee, clinched his second-consecutive Bass Pro Tour AOY title Tuesday, after finishing the Qualifying Round in 6th place. Wheeler now becomes the first pro in Bass Pro Tour history to earn multiple AOY titles, and for his accomplishment the 32-year-old Tennessee pro earned a $100,000 payday from Bally Bet.
“It has been an incredible year,” Wheeler said. “Typically, you can sort of look back and reflect on the season and you can remember those times you’ve stumbled, and this year I’ve just been blessed. I haven’t won a tournament, but I’ve been able to remain very consistent. Every year, it always seems like there is one hiccup, but fortunately there wasn’t this season, and I am so excited to hoist this trophy for the second year in a row.”
Pace caught a two-day total of 27 bass weighing 104 pounds, 13 ounces to end the round in second place, while Googan Baits pro Dustin Connell of Clanton, Alabama, finished the round in third place with a two-day total of 27 bass weighing 100-8. Tulsa, Oklahoma’s James Elam ended the round in fourth place with a two-day total of 28 bass for 100-6. Rounding out the top five was Kalamazoo, Michigan’s Kevin VanDam , who caught 26 bass for 94-1 to advance in fifth place.
The remaining 38 anglers – 19 from each group – now advance to Wednesday’s Knockout Round, where weights are zeroed, and the anglers compete to finish in the top eight to advance to the Championship Round on Thursday. The Championship Round will feature Group A winner Mark Daniels, Jr., Group B winner Alton Jones, Sr., and the top eight finishers from the Knockout Round competing in a final-day shootout for the top prize of $100,000.
“I’m so thankful to be going straight to the Championship Round,” an excited Jones said in his post-game interview. “That was my goal coming into this event, and I worked really hard during practice and in pre-fishing before the cutoff. I had all my eggs in one basket, which was a little bit risky, but I’ve spent my practice and even time during this event idling, graphing and targeting isolated boulders.
“I’m from the South, and one of my favorite things to do is use my Garmin LiveScope to find isolated brush piles, but here in the North the brush piles are boulders,” Jones continued. “I’m just trying to find and fish as many different boulders as I can.”
With his lead never really at all in jeopardy throughout the day, Jones said he was able to do a little more scouting during the third period, Tuesday.
“Fortunately, during the last period today I was able to do some more idling and graphing and I think I marked another seven or eight more boulders,” Jones went on to say. “I’ve probably got another 15 to 20 that I have not fished yet that should be out of the wind, so I’m really excited to get back out there and do what I can to win this thing.”
The top 20 pros in Qualifying Group B that now advance to Wednesday’s Knockout Round on Mille Lacs Lake are:
1st: Alton Jones, Lorena, Texas, 37 bass, 140-12 – ADVANCES TO CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND
2nd: Cliff Pace, Petal, Miss., 27 bass, 104-13
3rd: Dustin Connell, Clanton, Ala., 27 bass, 100-8
4th: James Elam, Tulsa, Okla., 28 bass, 100-6
5th: Kevin VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich., 26 bass, 94-1
6th: Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn., 26 bass, 91-6
7th: Alton Jones, Jr., Waco, Texas, 26 bass, 88-13
8th: Shin Fukae, Osaka, Japan, 28 bass, 87-5
9th: Gerald Spohrer, Gonzales, La., 22 bass, 80-7
10th: Ryan Salzman, Huntsville, Ala., 23 bass, 79-3
11th: Justin Lucas, Guntersville, Ala., 22 bass, 79-1
12th: Jeremy Lawyer, Sarcoxie, Mo., 22 bass, 74-2
13th: Wesley Strader, Spring City, Tenn., 22 bass, 73-8
14th: Casey Ashley, Donalds, S.C., 22 bass, 72-7
15th: Jared Lintner, Covington, Ga., 25 bass, 70-1
16th: Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., 19 bass, 66-4
17th: Adrian Avena, Vineland, N.J., 19 bass, 65-6
18th: Ott DeFoe, Blaine, Tenn., 18 bass, 60-13
19th: Randy Howell, Guntersville, Ala., 15 bass, 58-2
20th: Jason Lambert, Michie, Tenn., 18 bass, 57-6
A complete list of results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Overall, there were 322 scorable bass weighing 1,110 pounds, 6 ounces caught by the 40 pros Tuesday.
Pro Cliff Pace won the $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award Tuesday with a smallmouth weighing 5 pounds, 13 ounces. Pace caught the fish in the first period, throwing a drop-shot rig. Berkley awards $1,000 to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass each day, and a $3,000 bonus to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass of the tournament.
The six-day tournament, hosted by the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, showcases 80 of the best professional anglers in the world competing for a purse of more than $805,000, including a top payout of $100,000 to the winner. The tournament is livestreamed each day at MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MOTV app, and also filmed for television broadcast later this fall on the Discovery Channel.
The 40 Anglers in Group A competed in their two-day qualifying round on Saturday and Monday – the 40 anglers in Group B on Sunday and Tuesday. Now that each two-day qualifying round is complete, the anglers that finished in 2nd through 20th place from both groups advance to Wednesday’s Knockout Round, while the winner of each group advances directly to Thursday’s Championship Round. In the Knockout Round, weights are zeroed, and the remaining 38 anglers compete to finish in the top 8 to advance to the Championship Round. In the final day Championship Round, weights are zeroed, and the highest one-day total wins the top prize of $100,000.
Anglers will launch each day at 7:30 a.m. CT from Eddy’s Resort, located at 41334 Shakopee Lake Road in Onamia. Each day’s General Tire Takeout will be held at the Resort, beginning at 4 p.m.Fans are welcome to attend all launch and takeout events and also encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLF NOW!® live stream and SCORETRACKER® coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
On Championship Thursday, Sept. 15, from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. MLF will host a Celebration Event for fans of all ages, inviting fans to come out and celebrate with the professional anglers from the Bass Pro Tour as they crown the champion of the Bally Bet Stage Seven on Mille Lacs Lake Presented by Minn Kota. The first 50 youth anglers 10 and under in attendance will receive a free Pure Fishing Shakespeare Kid’s Rod and Reel combo. The final 10 Championship Round Bass Pro Tour anglers will be on hand at the trophy celebration to meet and greet fans, sign autographs, and take selfies.
The Bally Bet Stage Seven on Mille Lacs Lake Presented by Minn Kota features anglers competing with a 2-pound minimum weight requirement for a bass to be deemed scorable. Minimum weights are determined individually for each competition waters that the Bass Pro Tour visits, based on the productivity, bass population and anticipated average size of fish in each fishery.
The Bass Pro Tour features a field of 80 of the top professional anglers in the world competing across seven regular-season tournaments around the country, competing for millions of dollars and valuable points to qualify for the annual General Tire Heavy Hitters all-star event and REDCREST IV, the Bass Pro Tour championship, which will be held next March on Lake Norman in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The MLF NOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee, Marty Stone and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action on all six days of competition from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CT. MLF NOW!® will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app.
Television coverage of the Bally Bet Stage Seven on Mille Lacs Lake Presented by Minn Kota will premiere as a two-hour episode at 7 a.m. ET, on Saturday, Nov. 19 on the Discovery Channel. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on the Discovery Channel, with additional re-airings on the Outdoor Channel. Each two-hour long reality-based episode goes in-depth to break down each day of tournament competition.
Proud sponsors of the 2022 MLF Bass Pro Tour include: 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, A.R.E. Truck Caps, B&W Trailer Hitches, Bally Bet, Bass Cat, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, Covercraft, Favorite Fishing, Garmin, General Tire, Googan Baits, Grundéns, Guaranteed Rate, Humminbird, Lowrance, Luminox, Mercury, Minn Kota, Mossy Oak, Nitro Performance Boats, Onyx, Plano, Power-Pole, Power Stop, Rapala, Starbrite, Toro, Toyota, Wrangler, Yellowstone Bourbon and Zoom.
For complete details and updated information on Major League Fishing and the Bass Pro Tour, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
Major League Fishing Announces Formation of New Qualifying Series – the MLF Invitationals
MLF Introduces Six-Tournament Invitational Series Featuring “Win and You’re In” Automatic Qualification into Major League Fishing’s REDCREST
TULSA, Okla. (Sept. 13, 2022) – Major League Fishing (MLF) announced today the formation of a new qualifying series that will launch in Spring of 2023 – the MLF Invitationals. The Invitationals will feature six events in 2023 and serve as the sole qualifying circuit into the MLF Bass Pro Tour.
The MLF Invitationals will feature a 150-angler field, competing over three days in a five-fish, weigh-in format. All 150 anglers will compete over the first two days of competition, with the top 50 anglers advancing to the third and final day. The winner of each Invitational will be determined by heaviest three-day cumulative weight. Each event will feature a total purse of more than $650,000, with the winner receiving a top payout of up to $115,000 and automatic qualification into MLF’s REDCREST, the Bass Pro Tour Championship that awards the sport’s top prize of $300,000.
MLF Invitationals will feature a $5,000 per tournament entry fee with payouts to the top 50 anglers that place it among the top three circuits in the nation along with providing a qualifying path to the Bass Pro Tour in only six events.
“MLF is committed to offering a wide selection of tournament opportunities to anglers of all skill levels – from our high school and college anglers all the way to our pros who compete on the Bass Pro Tour,” said Kathy Fennel, MLF Executive Vice President and General Manager. “The MLF Invitationals are a new qualifying series geared toward the best interests of anglers and the sport. We believe the Invitationals will be a valuable and efficient option for anglers seeking to compete in high-level five-fish-limit tournaments with an opportunity to qualify for REDCREST, while also providing a pathway for anglers that aspire to compete at the sport’s highest level on the Bass Pro Tour.”
In addition to the six “Win and You’re In” Invitational REDCREST qualifications, the season-long Invitational Angler of the Year (AOY) will also earn a berth into REDCREST for a total of seven REDCREST qualification opportunities. The top eight anglers in the season-long Invitational AOY point standings will qualify for the 2024 Bass Pro Tour.
The MLF Invitationals will replace the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit. Every angler who would have qualified to compete in the 2023 Pro Circuit will receive the first invitations to register for the new MLF Invitationals. The balance of the 150-boat field will be filled by professional anglers from the Bass Pro Tour and 2022 Pro Circuit and Toyota Series anglers who missed initial qualification. All qualified anglers may compete in any number of Invitational events. There will be no co-anglers in the MLF Invitationals.
Every day of competition will be broadcast live on MLF NOW!® and streamed to the Major League Fishing app, MyOutdoorTV (MOTV), and at MajorLeagueFishing.com. Each event will also air on CBS Sports Network, with 13 consecutive weeks of 2-hour shows scheduled in 2023.
Full schedules and locations for all 2023 MLF circuits will be revealed next week.
For complete details and updated information on Major League Fishing, the MLF Invitationals and the Bass Pro Tour, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
Kaneland High School Wins MLF High School Fishing Open on Lake Erie
A field of 40 teams competed in the no-entry fee tournament, which launched from the Shelby Street Public Boat Launch in Sandusky. In MLF and The Bass Federation (TBF) High School Fishing competition, the top 10 percent of teams competing advance to the High School Fishing National Championship.
The top four teams that advanced to the 2023 High School Fishing National Championship are:
2nd: Nordonia High School, Northfield, Ohio – Tyler Lewis, Macedonia, Ohio, and Brody Thompson, Rogers, Ohio, five bass, 15-4
3rd: Black Swamp Bass Club, Ohio – Kyle Johnson, Helena, Ohio, and Carson Kellogg, Junction City, Ohio, five bass, 14-10
4th: Jackson Bass Fishing, Jackson, Mich. – Ryan Hamlin and Jack Swihart, both of Jackson, Mich., five bass, 14-4
6th: Hopewell-Loudon High School, Bascom, Ohio – Mathew Flores, Fostoria, Ohio, and Caine McDonald, Tiffin, Ohio, five bass, 13-14
7th: Perry High School, Perry, Ohio – Tommy Angelucci, Concord, Ohio, and Julia Miller, Perry, Ohio, five bass, 13-11
8th: Hartleys Hawgs Bass Club, Ohio – Ryan Pardi, Worthington, Ohio, and Mason Smith, Ashville, Ohio, five bass, 13-9
9th: Wheelersburg High School, Wheelersburg, Ohio – Braxton Howard and Matthew Strickland, both of Portsmouth, Ohio, five bass, 12-14
10th: Northwest Ohio Junior Bassmasters – Tristan Dix, Defiance, Ohio, and Daniel Ruhe, Maumee, Ohio, five bass, 12-9
The MLF High School Fishing Presented by Favorite Fishing Open at Lake Erie was hosted by City of Sandusky. The next event for High School Fishing anglers will be the MLF High School Fishing Presented by Favorite Fishing Open on Lake of the Ozarks, Oct. 15 in Osage Beach, Missouri.
MLF High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing tournaments are free, two-person (team) events for students in grades 7-12 and are open to any MLF and TBF Student Angler Federation-affiliated high school club. The top 10 percent of teams at each Open event, along with the TBF High School Fishing state championships, will advance to the 2023 High School Fishing National Championship. The 2023 MLF High School Fishing National Championship will be held in La Crosse on the Mississippi River, June 20-24, 2023, and is also hosted by the La Crosse County Convention & Visitors Bureau
Proud sponsors of the 2022 MLF High School Fishing Presented by Favorite Fishing include: 4WP, 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, A.R.E. Truck Caps, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, E3, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, Gary Yamamoto Baits, General Tire, Lew’s, Lowrance, Lucas Oil, 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 High School Fishing updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
Penn State University Wins MLF Wiley X College Faceoff at Lake Erie
SANDUSKY, Ohio (Sept. 13, 2022) – The Penn State University team of Stephen Botek, Anthony Riello, Dylan Crystaloski and Jason Zubris, won the Major League Fishing (MLF) Wiley X College Faceoff at Lake Erie in Sandusky, Ohio, Saturday. The Nittany Lions bass club boated nine bass weighing 24 pounds, 11 ounces to win the third and final Wiley X College Faceoff Event of the 2022 season and earn the win by a 1-pound, 14-ounce margin over Kentucky Christian University.
The five teams that competed in the Wiley X College Faceoff at Lake Erie finished:
1st: Penn State University – Stephen Botek, Anthony Riello, Dylan Crystaloski and Jason Zubris, nine bass, 24-11
2nd: Kentucky Christian University – Jonathan Fraley, Reece Kenney, Jonathan Fitch and Blayne Leeman, eight bass, 22-13
3rd: Adrian College – Matthew Davis, Sam Shoemaker, Cole Carr and Paxton Glenn, nine bass, 21-4
4th: Western Michigan University – Mason Jones, Jack Schable, Branden Burrill and John Simmons, four bass, 10-4
5th: Ohio State University – Patrick Henry, Jared Minor, Nicholas Owens and Jeff Thomas, two bass, 5-3
The Wiley X College Faceoffs are single-day tournaments where competitors fish in an MLF-style catch, weigh, immediate-release team format at each event. The College Faceoff tournaments occur the Saturday following an Abu Garcia College Fishing competition, on the same body of water. The results from the College Fishing tournament the previous day determine the 20 competitors for the Wiley X College Faceoff, with the top two teams (four anglers) from the top five schools in the regular season tournament qualifying to fish in the ten-boat faceoff the following day.
The Wiley X College Faceoff tournament on Lake Erie was the third and final Faceoff event for MLF collegiate anglers in 2022.
MLF College Fishing teams compete in three regular-season tournaments in one of five conferences – Central, Northern, Southern, Southeastern and Western. The top 10 teams from each division’s three regular-season tournaments and the top 20 teams from the annual Abu Garcia College Fishing Open will advance to the following season’s National Championship. The 2022 MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI National Championship Presented by Lowrance will be held on Fort Gibson Lake in Wagoner, Oklahoma, March 29-31, and is hosted by the Wagoner Area Chamber of Commerce.
Proud sponsors of the 2022 MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI include: 4WP, 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, A.R.E. Truck Caps, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, E3, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, Gary Yamamoto Baits, General Tire, Lew’s, Lowrance, Lucas Oil, 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 College Fishing updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
Berkley PowerBait MaxScent Lil’ Super Trooper
New PowerBait MaxScent bait adds claws to a ned-style presentation giving anglers even more ways to catch fish
COLUMBIA, S.C. (September 13, 2022) – Expanding on its popular line of tournament winning PowerBait MaxScent soft baits, the team at Berkley Labs continues to offer anglers new and innovative fish-catching shapes. The newest addition is the crazy cousin of the already popular Berkley PowerBait MaxScent Lil' Trooper, the new Berkley PowerBait MaxScent Lil’ Super Trooper, which gives anglers a separate and unique finesse crawfish-style bait to catch more fish.
Infused with proven PowerBait MaxScent technology that is backed by science, the Lil’ Super Trooper has the action, scent and taste to lure fish in and keep them holding on longer. When the bite is tough and fishing pressure is high, a finesse presentation is key. On the pause, the pinchers flare out giving it a defensive crawfish look and the flat bottom shape allows it to glide to the bottom. Available in 10 colors, the 2.5-inch kicking crawfish-style bait is ideal for ned rigs and other finesse applications. The Lil’ Super Trooper is a diverse finesse soft bait that can also be used as a flapping trailer for smaller jig presentations.
Key Features
• Super kicking finesse claws provide action with any movement
• 2.5-inch compact crawfish imitation ideal for ned rig and finesse applications
• Pinchers flare out when paused imitating a defensive craw
• Back tail designed to pair with half-head and ned-style jig heads
• Flat bottom shape allows bait to glide
• Works as a trailer for smaller jigs
Colors: Green Pumpkin • Black Powder • Green Pumpkin w/ Watermelon • Watermelon Candy • Rusty Craw • Blue Pearl Black Hologram • Peanut Butter and Jelly • Watermelon Copper Orange w/ Red • Canada Eh’ Craw • Hot Craw
MSRP: $7.99
Available: September 2022
Scroggins Tries to Rally into REDCREST
Courtesy of Luke Stoner - Dynamic Sponsorships
Photo by MLF / Garrick Dixon
Mille Lacs Lake may be the fishery where Bally Bet Stage Seven presented by Minn Kota is being contested this week, but anglers anywhere near the REDCREST IV qualification line are quick to admit the Bass Pro Tour Championship is the tournament consuming their minds here in Minnesota. Terry “Big Show” Scroggins is one of them.
Big Show came into Stage Seven 36th in points, a few spots on the right side of the REDCREST qualification line. Riding the momentum of a top five finish at Cayuga in Stage Six, Scroggins is poised to make his first REDCREST and would love nothing more than to roll into the North Carolina as a competitor next March.
“It was a 26-hour drive in the Tundra from my house to Mille Lacs, so I had plenty of time to think about just how bad I want to qualify for REDCREST,” Scroggins said with a smile. “You run all these numbers and try to do the math, but at the end of the day all I can control is my time on the water. I needed to come here and make Wednesday’s Knockout Round. If I do that, I’ve done my job.”
The Team Toyota pro is competing in Group B this week and started his first period red hot on Sunday, before having the smallmouth he found in practice all but vanish on him for the remainder of the day. After an up and down day, Scroggins ultimately ended Group B’s Qualifying Day 1 sitting in 17thplace. Theoretically, Big Show just needs to finish better than 20th place by the end of the day on Tuesday. So, he’s right where he needs to be.
“These smallmouth move so much based on the weather conditions and time of day,” Scroggins explained. “In practice we had lots of clouds and strong winds, then yesterday (Sunday) it was sunny and flat calm. It’s the same deal as thinking about the points… the more you rack your brain on where they went and how to outsmart them, the worse off you are.
“I landed on them in the morning, and it was fun while it lasted! After my initial flurry I pretty much went all day until towards the end of the third period without a scoreable bass. But I’m glad to have the ones I did catch and feel pretty good about being able to stay consistent tomorrow (Tuesday). One day at a time.”
Scroggins isn’t one to give excuses or dwell on the negative, but his last few seasons have been plagued with health issues. Between major surgeries, recovering from those operations, and dealing with the average ailments full time anglers navigate he’s had a constant hill to climb. Thankfully, Big Show has been able to stay healthy in 2022. He’s down thirty plus pounds since the start of the year; he’s feeling good and fishing well.
Ask anyone on the Bass Pro Tour and they’ll tell you Scroggins is the kind of guy you want to have around whether you’re in a pinch and need help, or you want to throw some meat on the grill and relax. It’s not out of the ordinary to find him in a parking lot past dark lending a helping hand to a competitor with mechanical issues or dropping off pizzas he bought to treat the behind-the-scenes heroes of professional fishing – the service crew. Big Show is simply a good dude.
But for better or worse, the fish don’t know that, and they don’t care. They aren’t bothered with the dreams, livelihoods, and personal lives of professional anglers or anyone who fishes for them. It’s all up to the person holding the fishing rod. Tomorrow, it’ll all be on Big Show to finish high enough for a ticket to his first REDCREST and put the finishing touches on a solid yearlong effort. Tune into MLF NOW! Starting at 7:45a.m. C.T. to see how it shakes out.
MDJ Rallies From 43 Pounds Back to Win Qualifying Round at Bass Pro Tour Bally Bet Stage Seven at Mille Lacs Lake Presented by Minn Kota
Tuskegee, Alabama pro Mark Daniels, Jr., Catches 20 Scorable Smallmouth Weighing 79-12 to Overtake Bertrand and Win Qualifying Round for Group A, Group B to Wrap Up Their Qualifying Round Tuesday
ONAMIA, Minn. (Sept. 12, 2022) – In the biggest Qualifying Round comeback in Bass Pro Tour history, Tuskegee, Alabama, pro Mark Daniels, Jr., boated 20 scorable bass weighing 79 pounds, 12 ounces, to overtake Day 1 leader Arizona’s Josh Bertrand and win the Group A Qualifying Round Monday at the Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Tour Bally Bet Stage Seven at Mille Lacs Lake Presented by Minn Kota in Onamia, Minnesota.
Daniels started the day in seventh place, with a 42-pound, 15-ounce deficit to leader Bertrand. Bertrand struggled, only catching eight keepers on the day for 25 pounds, while Daniels slowly rallied throughout the day, eventually overtaking Bertrand in the third period and coasting to the win by an 11-pound, 13-ounce margin. Daniels ended the two-day Qualifying Round with a two-day total of 32 bass for 123-10, while Bertrand finished second with 35 bass weighing 111-13.
The top 20 anglers from Group A will now have an off day from competition Tuesday, while the 40 anglers competing in Qualifying Group B will complete their two-day Qualifying Round. The Knockout Round, featuring 38 anglers competing to finish in the top eight, will take place Wednesday. Thursday’s Championship Round will feature Mark Daniels, Jr., Tuesday’s Group B winner, and the top eight anglers from the Knockout Round competing in a final-day shootout for the top prize of $100,000.
“Man, what a crazy, crazy day,” Daniels said in his post-game interview. “I went out this morning knowing I needed to catch a few bass to ensure I made the Knockout Round. I caught a few early – a couple of really big ones – and those five-pounders can really add up quick. Next thing you know, I’m 30 pounds back. But I’m still thinking no, that’s still quite a bit.
“So I keep plucking, just fishing around, and boom, I catch two or three more. Now I’m at 25. I keep fishing around and it’s just going down. 25. 17. 15. 11. Once I heard 15, I was like, ‘that’s only three or four bites, if they don’t start catching them pretty quick, I can probably make something happen.’ And that’s what happened. I just circled through areas where I knew fish were living and tried to maximize my fishing time. And man, I caught some big ones today.”
Daniels caught his bass mainly on a drop-shot rig, but he also added a few scorable keepers on a swimbait. He credited his Garmin electronics and Favorite Fishing HEX spinning rods as being the keys to his success.
“I was fortunate to win the round, and I couldn’t be any happier,” Daniels went on to say. “I just kept it simple, panning around, looking at my electronics, and making precise casts to targets. It was such fun day, and hopefully we can drag in some more like we did today on Championship Thursday.”
Bertrand, despite his Day 2 struggles, remained optimistic about his chances in Wednesday’s Knockout Round.
“Overall, it was a really tough day for me, but late in the day I learned a couple of things that can be really valuable for me in the Knockout Round,” Bertrand said. “The biggest thing that I learned is that when it’s calm, these fish definitely seem to get up and cruise the flats.
“In the Knockout Round, I’m going to use the same drop-shot rig with the same (Berkley PowerBait MaxScent) Hit Worm I was using in the deep boulders, but I’m going to a lighter weight,” he continued. “I am switching to a 3/8-ounce weight instead of the ½-ounce. I’m just going to lighten everything up and try to get a little stealthier.”
The top 20 pros in Qualifying Group A that now advance to Wednesday’s Knockout Round on Mille Lacs Lake are:
1st: Mark Daniels, Jr., Tuskegee, Ala., 32 bass, 123-10 – ADVANCES TO CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND
2nd: Josh Bertrand, Queen Creek, Ariz., 35 bass, 111-13
3rd: Stephen Browning, Hot Springs, Ark., 26 bass, 108-6
4th: Jordan Lee, Cullman, Ala., 28 bass, 93-12
5th: Brent Chapman, Lake Quivira, Kan., 30 bass, 86-3
6th: Luke Clausen, Spokane, Wash., 21 bass, 81-15
7th: David Walker, Sevierville, Tenn., 22 bass, 81-12
8th: Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., 23 bass, 80-2
9th: Dakota Ebare, Brookeland, Texas, 21 bass, 79-4
10th: Matt Lee, Cullman, Ala., 21 bass, 78-8
11th: Mark Rose, Wynne, Ark., 27 bass, 78-4
12th: Brent Ehrler, Redlands, Calif., 22 bass, 78-1
13th: Jeff Kriet, Ardmore, Okla., 20 bass, 74-13
14th: Jonathon VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich., 20 bass, 73-11
15th: Todd Faircloth, Jasper, Texas, 23 bass, 72-5
16th: Roy Hawk, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., 21 bass, 72-5
17th: Jesse Wiggins, Addison, Ala., 20 bass, 72-0
18th: Ish Monroe, Oakdale, Calif., 21 bass, 71-3
19th: Marty Robinson, Lyman, S.C., 20 bass, 70-13
20th: Boyd Duckett, Guntersville, Ala., 23 bass, 70-11
A complete list of results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Overall, there were 381 scorable bass weighing 1,295 pounds, 13 ounces caught by the 40 pros Monday.
Pro Stephen Browning of Hot Springs, Arkansas, earned Monday’s $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award with a huge smallmouth weighing 6 pounds, 8 ounces that he caught in Period 3 on a vibrating jig. Berkley awards $1,000 to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass each day, and a $3,000 bonus to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass of the tournament.
The six-day tournament, hosted by the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, showcases 80 of the best professional anglers in the world competing for a purse of more than $805,000, including a top payout of $100,000 to the winner. The tournament is livestreamed each day at MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MOTV app, and also filmed for television broadcast later this fall on the Discovery Channel.
The 40 Anglers in Group A competed in their two-day qualifying round on Saturday and Monday – the 40 anglers in Group B on Sunday and Tuesday. After each two-day qualifying round is complete, the anglers that finish in 2nd through 20th place from both groups advance to Wednesday’s Knockout Round, while the winner of each group advances directly to Thursday’s Championship Round. In the Knockout Round, weights are zeroed, and the remaining 38 anglers compete to finish in the top 8 to advance to the Championship Round. In the final day Championship Round, weights are zeroed, and the highest one-day total wins the top prize of $100,000.
Anglers will launch each day at 7:30 a.m. CT from Eddy’s Resort, located at 41334 Shakopee Lake Road in Onamia. Each day’s General Tire Takeout will be held at the Resort, beginning at 4 p.m.Fans are welcome to attend all launch and takeout events and also encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLF NOW!® live stream and SCORETRACKER® coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
On Championship Thursday, Sept. 15, from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. MLF will host a Celebration Event for fans of all ages, inviting fans to come out and celebrate with the professional anglers from the Bass Pro Tour as they crown the champion of the Bally Bet Stage Seven on Mille Lacs Lake Presented by Minn Kota. The first 50 youth anglers 10 and under in attendance will receive a free Pure Fishing Shakespeare Kid’s Rod and Reel combo. The final 10 Championship Round Bass Pro Tour anglers will be on hand at the trophy celebration to meet and greet fans, sign autographs, and take selfies.
The Bally Bet Stage Seven on Mille Lacs Lake Presented by Minn Kota features anglers competing with a 2-pound minimum weight requirement for a bass to be deemed scorable. Minimum weights are determined individually for each competition waters that the Bass Pro Tour visits, based on the productivity, bass population and anticipated average size of fish in each fishery.
The Bass Pro Tour features a field of 80 of the top professional anglers in the world competing across seven regular-season tournaments around the country, competing for millions of dollars and valuable points to qualify for the annual General Tire Heavy Hitters all-star event and REDCREST IV, the Bass Pro Tour championship, which will be held next March on Lake Norman in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The MLF NOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee, Marty Stone and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action on all six days of competition from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CT. MLF NOW!® will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app.
Television coverage of the Bally Bet Stage Seven on Mille Lacs Lake Presented by Minn Kota will premiere as a two-hour episode at 7 a.m. ET, on Saturday, Nov. 19 on the Discovery Channel. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on the Discovery Channel, with additional re-airings on the Outdoor Channel. Each two-hour long reality-based episode goes in-depth to break down each day of tournament competition.
Proud sponsors of the 2022 MLF Bass Pro Tour include: 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, A.R.E. Truck Caps, B&W Trailer Hitches, Bally Bet, Bass Cat, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, Covercraft, Favorite Fishing, Garmin, General Tire, Googan Baits, Grundéns, Guaranteed Rate, Humminbird, Lowrance, Luminox, Mercury, Minn Kota, Mossy Oak, Nitro Performance Boats, Onyx, Plano, Power-Pole, Power Stop, Rapala, Starbrite, Toro, Toyota, Wrangler, Yellowstone Bourbon and Zoom.
For complete details and updated information on Major League Fishing and the Bass Pro Tour, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
Meuth Wins Two-Day Phoenix Bass Fishing League Super Tournament on Kentucky-Barkley Lakes
Fogerty Claims Strike King Co-Angler Division
BUCHANAN, Tenn. (Sept. 12, 2022) – Boater Richard Meuth of Henderson, Kentucky, caught 10 bass weighing 30 pounds, 8 ounces, to win the two-day MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on Kentucky-Barkley Lake s in Buchanan, Tennessee. The tournament, hosted by the Henry County Tourism Authority, was the fifth and final regular-season event for the Bass Fishing League LBL Division. Meuth earned $5,460 for his victory.
Meuth said he had a good practice near Paris and found areas that were holding fish keying on bait and cover. He said he fished water stretching five miles in both directions of takeoff on the first day of competition.
“I caught 10 to 12 keepers Saturday and had a really good day,” Meuth said. “I didn’t lose any fish and fished really clean.
“However, Sunday morning, the baitfish were gone,” Meuth added. “I went to my spots and they were just gone.”
Meuth said he changed his approach and headed north toward the dam and focused on areas he was familiar with. He utilized a shaky-head rig and jigs, and targeted brush piles, rock piles and stumps with baitfish in 8 to 20 feet of water. Meuth said finding fish on his Humminbird electronics and Garmin Livescope were key to his success.
“I had a five-keeper bite day there and was blessed enough to put all five of them in the boat,” Meuth said.
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Richard Meuth, Henderson, Ky., 10 bass, 30-8, $5,460
2nd: Keith Amerson, Bethel Springs, Tenn., nine bass, 29-12, $2,730
3rd: Ramie Colson Jr., Cadiz, Ky., eight bass, 25-11, $1,820
4th: Carl Norris, Clarkson, Ky., seven bass, 24-13, $1,274
5th: Steve Freeman, Eddyville, Ky., seven bass, 24-6, $1,392
6th: Lance Freeman, Eddyville, Ky., eight bass, 23-8, $1,201
7th: Kevin Meunier, Lamar, Ind., six bass, 22-12, $1,622
8th: Lloyd Pickett Jr., Bartlett, Tenn., eight bass, 21-1, $819
9th: Dan Martin, Elmhurst, Ill, Ind., eight bass, 20-13, $728
10th: Edward Gettys, Paris, Tenn., seven bass, 19-7, $637
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Kevin Meunier of Lamar, Indiana, caught a bass weighing 5 pounds, 5 ounces – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division – to earn the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $712.
Colin Fogerty of Memphis, Tennessee, won the Strike King Co-angler Division and $3,086 Sunday after catching a two-day total of four bass weighing 16 pounds, 6 ounces.
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:
1st: Colin Fogerty, Memphis, Tenn., four bass, 16-6, $3,086
2nd: Charlie Kuebler, Jasper, Ind., five bass, 13-9, $1,365
3rd: Ronald Franks, Hermitage, Tenn., five bass, 12-15, $909
4th: Brant Gish, Evansville, Ind. four bass, 12-13, $937
5th: Bradley Miller, Guthrie, Ky., four bass, 10-2, $546
6th: Chanler Fleetwood, Vallonia, Ind., four bass, 9-11, $501
7th: Ryan Ridgeway, Thompsonville, Ill., three bass, 8-7, $455
8th: Tim Burke, Petersburg, Ky., three bass, 8-2, $410
9th: Robert Burnette, Madisonville, Ky., two bass, 7-2, $564
10th: Brady Kendall, Paducah, Ky., three bass, 6-11, $469
Fogerty also caught the largest bass in the Strike King Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 5 pounds, 2 ounces. The catch earned him the Berkley Big Bass Co-angler award of $356.
With the regular season now complete, boater Jordan Hartman of Benton, Kentucky, won the 2022 Bass Fishing League LBL Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with a five-event total of 1,268 points to earn the $1,000 boater AOY award. Pat Rapp of Hawesville, Kentucky, won the 2022 Strike King Co-Angler LBL Division AOY race with 1,243 points and earned the $500 Strike King Co-angler of the Year award.
Now, the top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will advance to compete in the Oct. 13-15 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Pickwick Lake in Counce, Tennessee. Boaters will compete 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 fish for a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.
The 2022 Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six Regional Championships 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 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.
The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division will also earn priority entry into the MLF Toyota Series, the pathway to the MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit and ultimately the MLF Bass Pro Tour.
Proud sponsors of the 2022 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 4WP, 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, AFTCO, A.R.E. Truck Caps, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, E3, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, Gary Yamamoto Baits, General Tire, Lew’s, Lowrance, Lucas Oil, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Revital Outdoors, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, Wiley X, YETI and Yo-Zuri.
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.
Wright Claims Victory at Two-Day Phoenix Bass Fishing League Super Tournament on Kerr Lake
HENDERSON, N.C. (Sept. 12, 2022) – Boater David Wright of Lexington, North Carolina, caught 10 bass weighing 29 pounds, 1 ounce, to win the two-day MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on Kerr Lake in Henderson, North Carolina. The tournament, hosted by Vance County Tourism, was the fifth and final regular-season event for the Bass Fishing League North Carolina Division. Wright earned $8,448 for his victory, including the lucrative $2,500 Phoenix MLF5 contingency bonus.
“What normally happens on Kerr this time of year is you find suspending fish,” said Wright, who notched his 14th career BFL win. “And a lot of fish can be caught suspended, but they’re all 1½-pounds or 2-pounders. So, I decided I would fish the way I’ve always fished, and that’s around cover.
Wright said the majority of his bass fell for a shaky-head, but he also caught a few on a drop-shot rig and a Zoom Trick Worm. He focused on finding bait in the mid-lake area that was holding close to the bottom, on breaks in 12 to 20 feet of water.
“Most of my friends out there were catching 2-pounders, so I moved just a bit more shallow and was catching 3-pounders, and that was the difference,” Wright said. “Of course, they caught a lot more than I did, but I was catching just a little bit bigger fish.
“I’ve been bass fishing for 45 years, and I still enjoy it about as much as I did when I started this,” Wright added.
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
2nd: Tyler Trent, Nathalie, Va., eight bass, 24-7, $2,824
3rd: Tommy Jones, Salisbury, N.C., nine bass, 22-6, $2,082
4th: Jeffrey Davis, Raleigh, N.C., 10 bass, 22-3, $1,318
5th: Derik Hudson, Concord, Va., 10 bass, 21-11, $1,630
6th: Aaron Digh, Denver, N.C., 10 bass, 20-9, $1,035
7th: Robert Walser, Lexington, N.C., eight bass, 19-7, $1,691
8th: Ryan McGee, Battleboro, N.C., eight bass, 18-13, $847
9th: Brandon Pritchett, Goode, Va., eight bass, 18-11, $753
10th: Michael Birr, Franklinton, N.C., nine bass, 17-7, $659
Robert Walser of Lexington, North Carolina, caught a bass weighing 5 pounds, 8 ounces – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division – to earn the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $750.
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:
2nd: Mekye Barnes, Raleigh, N.C., five bass, 13-3, $1,612
3rd: Curtis Vick, Boydton, Va., five bass, 12-9, $1,140
4th: Sean Tobatto, Greensboro, N.C., seven bass, 12-3, $659
5th: Roy Burgess, Newton, N.C., three bass, 9-3, $565
6th: Jerry Pruitt, Vale, N.C., four bass, 8-7, $518
7th: Jay Kleinfeld, Winston Salem, N.C., four bass, 8-1, $471
8th: Gregory Haverlock, Concord, N.C., three bass, 7-15, $799
9th: Jon Mitchell, Wendell, N.C., four bass, 7-11, $377
10th: Alex Ortiz, Asheboro, N.C., three bass, 7-9, $329
With the regular season now complete, boater Aaron Digh of Denver, North Carolina, won the 2022 Bass Fishing League North Carolina Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with a five-event total of 1,318 points to earn the $1,000 boater AOY award. Trevor Wright of Chesterfield, Virginia, won the 2022 Strike King Co-Angler North Carolina Division AOY race with 1,234 points and earned the $500 Strike King Co-angler of the Year award.
Now, the top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will advance to compete in the Oct. 20-22 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on the James River in Richmond, Virginia. Boaters will compete 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 fish for a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.
The 2022 Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six Regional Championships 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 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.
The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division will also earn priority entry into the MLF Toyota Series, the pathway to the MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit and ultimately the MLF Bass Pro Tour.
Proud sponsors of the 2022 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 4WP, 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, AFTCO, A.R.E. Truck Caps, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, E3, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, Gary Yamamoto Baits, General Tire, Lew’s, Lowrance, Lucas Oil, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Revital Outdoors, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, Wiley X, YETI and Yo-Zuri.
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.
Prince Wins Two-Day Phoenix Bass Fishing League Super Tournament on Lake Hartwell
LAVONIA, Ga. (Sept. 12, 2022) – Boater Alex Prince of Blue Ridge, Georgia, caught 10 bass weighing 38 pounds, 6 ounces, to win the two-day MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on Lake Hartwell in Lavonia, Georgia. The tournament, hosted by the City of Lavonia, was the fifth and final regular-season event for the Bass Fishing League Savannah River Division. Prince earned $6,121 for his victory.
Prince said he started the tournament hot out of the gate Saturday morning, catching good fish at his first location on the main lake throwing a topwater bait.
“They were just biting, and we were catching,” the 23-year-old Prince said. “There was wind, and the weather was good.”
However, Prince said things changed for him on Sunday, and he only had 10 pounds in the livewell at noon. Then the sun came out, the wind picked up, and the fish turned on.
“They started biting, and I culled three times with three of my biggest fish,” Prince said. “I was chasing big schools of fish that were roaming, and I was catching them on a fluke-style bait rigged on a 4/0 Gamakatsu EWG hook. I also caught a couple on a walking bait.
“The key thing for me on Sunday was when the sun came out, they sat up on the brush, and you knew where they were instead of chasing them around,” Prince added. “I caught them anywhere from 15 to 30 feet deep.
“It was an awesome day,” Prince added. “I’m just a young kid who likes to bass fish. I never dreamed of winning one of these. I know the Savannah River division has some of the best fishermen in the country. This win is such a blessing.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
2nd: Emil Wagner, Marietta, Ga, 10 bass, 35-8, $3,760 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF5 contingency bonus)
3rd: Tyler Campbell, Martin, Ga., 10 bass, 34-15, $2,041
4th: Bradford Beavers, Summerville, S.C., 10 bass, 33-6, $1,428
5th: Cole Wilson, Nicholson, Ga, 10 bass, 32-5, $1,224
6th: Jayme Rampey, Liberty, S.C., 10 bass, 31-14, $1,122
7th: Justin Tingen, Moore, S.C., 10 bass, 31-2, $1,020
8th: Collin Smith, Honea Path, S.C., 10 bass, 30-12, $1,758
9th: Matthew O’Connell, Brooks, Ga., 10 bass, 29-9, $1,116
10th: Justin Raines, Easley, S.C., 10 bass, 29-0, $714
Collin Smith of Honea Path, South Carolina, caught a bass weighing 6 pounds, 12 ounces – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division – to earn the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $840.
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:
2nd: Caleb Warrington, Watkinsville, Ga., 10 bass, 22-7, $1,517
3rd: Brody Bowen, Cleveland, Ga., 10 bass, 20-12, $1,010
4th: Damon Phillips, Anderson, S.C., 10 bass, 20-9, $708
5th: Lee Polatty, Abbeville, S.C., eight bass, 17-12, $607
6th: Kevin Henderson, Honea Path, S.C., nine bass, 17-4, $556
7th: Zach Pringle, Newton, N.C., eight bass, 16-5, $506
8th: Corey Veal, Royston, Ga., 10 bass, 15-13, $445
9th: Jacob Turner, Hodges, S.C., six bass, 15-6, $1,054
10th: Darren Jeter, Candler, N.C., 10 bass, 15-3, $354
With the regular season now complete, boater Greg Glouse of Liberty, South Carolina, won the 2022 Bass Fishing League Savannah River Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with a five-event total of 1,335 points to earn the $1,000 boater AOY award. Johnny Hancox of West Union, S.C., won the 2022 Strike King Co-Angler Savannah River Division AOY race with 1,314 points and earned the $500 Strike King Co-angler of the Year award.
Now, the top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will advance to compete in the Oct. 20-22 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Lewis Smith Lake in Cullman, Alabama. Boaters will compete 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 fish for a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.
The 2022 Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six Regional Championships 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 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.
The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division will also earn priority entry into the MLF Toyota Series, the pathway to the MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit and ultimately the MLF Bass Pro Tour.
Proud sponsors of the 2022 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 4WP, 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, AFTCO, A.R.E. Truck Caps, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, E3, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, Gary Yamamoto Baits, General Tire, Lew’s, Lowrance, Lucas Oil, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Revital Outdoors, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, Wiley X, YETI and Yo-Zuri.
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.
Bowling Wins Two-Day Phoenix Bass Fishing League Super Tournament on Watts Bar
Bailey Claims Strike King Co-Angler Division
SPRING CITY, Tenn. (Sept. 12, 2022) – Boater Jonathan Bowling of Harriman, Tennessee, caught eight bass weighing 31 pounds, 14 ounces, to win the two-day MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on Watts Bar Presented by Lithium Pros in Spring City, Tennessee. The tournament, hosted by Fish Dayton and the Rhea Economic & Tourism Council, was the fifth and final regular-season event for the Bass Fishing League Volunteer Division. Bowling earned $5,817 for his victory.
“I had a good practice and located some very big largemouth between six and eight pounds,” Bowling said. “I executed my pattern and plan, and everything just fell into place. I didn’t lose any big fish. I only caught four fish both days, but they were big for the most part – I caught one nearly seven pounds yesterday and three over five pounds today.”
Bowling said he locked through to Lake Chickamauga for the event to fish the main channel and submerged vegetation in four to six feet of water. Bowling employed a variety of baits to catch his bass, including jointed swimbaits as well as a punch rig, a popper and a frog.
“I had to scramble and make an adjustment on Sunday, because the cloud cover affected the fish Saturday, and the fish didn’t bite exactly like they did in practice, so I had to make adjustments,” Bowling said. “So, I went a bit deeper. On Saturday I was fishing grass in two to four feet of water.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
2nd: Chase Henley, Kingston, Tenn., 10 bass, 26-1, $3,609 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF5 contingency bonus)
3rd: Jimmy Neece Jr., Bristol, Tenn., nine bass, 25-6, $1,939
4th: Brian Hatfield, Spring City, Tenn., eight bass, 24-6, $1,357
5th: Jack Daniel Williams, Kingsport, Tenn., 10 bass, 24-4, $1,935
6th: Chris Frazier, Afton, Tenn., 10 bass, 21-10, $1,266
7th: Dale Pelfrey, Rockwood, Tenn., seven bass, 20-6, $970
8th: Michael Delvisco, Dandridge, Tenn., seven bass, 16-2, $1,173
9th: Casey Majni, Knoxville, Tenn., seven bass, 15-7, $776
10th: Bud McKelvey, Knoxville, Tenn., six bass, 14-9, $679
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.Jack Daniel Williams of Kingsport, Tennessee, caught a bass weighing 7 pounds, 8 ounces – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division – to earn the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $772.
Blake Bailey of Rutledge, Tennessee, won the Strike King Co-angler Division and $2,909 Sunday after catching a two-day total of three bass weighing 11 pounds, 8 ounces.The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:
2nd: Gerrit Goins, Charleston, Tenn., three bass, 10-14, $1,840
3rd: Chris Hamby, Harriman, Tenn., four bass, 8-11, $970
4th: Thomas Doc Legassie, Kingsport, Tenn., four bass, 7-15, $679
5th: Matt Brown, Harriman, Tenn., four bass, 7-11, $582
6th: Craig Jones, Knoxville, Tenn., three bass, 7-4, $1,033
7th: Shane Bowman, Caryville, Tenn., four bass, 7-3, $485
8th: James Roten, West Jefferson, N.C., two bass, 5-15, $436
9th: Steve Simmons, Dalton, Ga., four bass, 5-14, $388
10th: Caden Mullins, Norton, Va., two bass, 5-10, $339
Gerrit Goins of Charleston, Tennessee, caught the largest bass in the Strike King Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 3 pounds, 15 ounces. The catch earned him the Berkley Big Bass Co-angler award of $386.With the regular season now complete, boater Casey Majni of Knoxville, Tennessee, won the 2022 Bass Fishing League Volunteer Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with a five-event total of 1,272 points to earn the $1,000 boater AOY award. Brad Barton of Middlesboro, Kentucky, won the 2022 Strike King Co-Angler Volunteer Division AOY race with 1,317 points and earned the $500 Strike King Co-angler of the Year award.
Now, the top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will advance to compete in the Oct. 20-22 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Lewis Smith Lake in Cullman, Alabama. Boaters will compete 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 fish for a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.
The 2022 Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six Regional Championships 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 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.
The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division will also earn priority entry into the MLF Toyota Series, the pathway to the MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit and ultimately the MLF Bass Pro Tour.
Proud sponsors of the 2022 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 4WP, 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, AFTCO, A.R.E. Truck Caps, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, E3, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, Gary Yamamoto Baits, General Tire, Lew’s, Lowrance, Lucas Oil, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Revital Outdoors, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, Wiley X, YETI and Yo-Zuri.
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.
Adrian College Wins MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing Tournament on Lake Erie
“We had found some decent fish in practice,” Davis said. “Maybe not the quantity we wanted, but we were catching some really nice-sized fish.”
“There wasn’t a whole lot of wind (Friday), and that kind of scared us,” Shoemaker said. “But when we got out there, there was still a little bit of chop to the water. On one of the first couple of pitches, Matt hooked up on one right underneath the boat. It came up to the surface and jumped, and I don’t know if there was a nick in the line or what, but it snapped off. That fish was every bit of four pounds.”
The Bulldog team didn’t let that rocky start faze them, and they continued to focus on their game plan – using their Garmin LiveScope to toss baits at boulders in 16 to 24 feet of water in the Middle Bass Island part of Lake Erie. Davis said he threw a Ned rig with a green pumpkin Z-Man TRD, while Shoemaker used the same bait on a drop-shot rig. Their tactics resulted in seven smallmouth during the course of the tournament. Davis said they caught all of their fish between noon and 2:30 p.m.
“We went and fished a couple of other areas, but for some reason, that spot was just a gut feeling. It was calling our name,” Shoemaker said. “We caught a lot of drum and catfish, but once we caught some brown fish in between, it gave us the confidence to stay in that area and put our nose to the grindstone and try to make something happen.”
Davis said the key to their victory was moving into water that was a bit more shallow. He said the bright sun was moving smallmouth into the 16-foot range to hold on large boulders.
“This is just a very surreal moment,” Shoemaker said. “I didn’t think it was going to pan out like that. But we’re very glad it fell into place. I just can’t put this feeling into words.
“I’m a senior, and I’ve been fishing MLF since I was a freshman, and to come out and put that much effort into every event and then get the win on Erie, especially as tough as that part of Erie is … I’m just super stoked,” Shoemaker continued.
The top 10 teams that advanced to the 2023 College Fishing National Championship are:
2nd: Penn State University – Michael Staub, State College, Pa., and Eric Wawrzyniak, Lebanon, Pa., five bass, 19-8, $1,000
3rd: Western Michigan University – Branden Burrill, Galesburg, Mich., and John Simmons, Kalamazoo, Mich., five bass, 18-9, $500
4th: Adrian College – Cole Carr, New Baltimore, Mich., and Paxton Giem, Boyne City, Mich., five bass, 18-6, $500
5th: Kentucky Christian University – Jonathan Fraley, Flat Gap, Ky., and Reece Keeney, Hortonville, Wis., five bass, 18-3, $500
6th: Adrian College – Braylon Eggerding, Grand Rapids, Mich., and Nicholas Seitz, Maumee, Ohio, five bass, 18-2
7th: Adrian College – Shane Nelson, Wadsworth, Ohio, and Derek Rodriguez, Okemos, Mich., five bass, 17-11
8th: Kentucky Christian University – Jonathan Fitch, Inez, Ky., and Blayne Leeman, Kokomo, Ind., five bass, 17-0
9th: Nicholls State University – Zachary Henderson, Metairie, La., and Miles Smith, Houma, La., five bass, 16-14
10th: Minnesota State University-Mankato – Brian Linder, Mankato, Minn., and Nathan Thompson, Eagan, Minn., five bass, 16-12
The Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI event on Lake Erie was hosted by the City of Sandusky. It was the last of three regular-season tournaments for Northern Conference anglers. The next event for College Fishing anglers will be the Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI event on Lake of the Ozarks, Oct. 14 in Osage Beach, Missouri.
MLF College Fishing teams compete in three regular-season tournaments in one of five conferences – Central, Northern, Southern, Southeastern and Western. The top 10 teams from each division’s three regular-season tournaments and the top 20 teams from the annual Abu Garcia College Fishing Open will advance to the following season’s National Championship.
Proud sponsors of the 2022 MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI include: 4WP, 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, A.R.E. Truck Caps, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, E3, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, Gary Yamamoto Baits, General Tire, Lew’s, Lowrance, Lucas Oil, 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 College Fishing updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
Hatfield Wins Two-Day Phoenix Bass Fishing League Super Tournament on Mosquito Lake
Leary Tops Strike King Co-Angler Division
CORTLAND, Ohio (Sept. 12, 2022) – Boater Steven Hatfield of Ashland, Ohio, caught 10 bass weighing 32 pounds, 10 ounces, to win the two-day MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on Mosquito Lake in Cortland, Ohio. The tournament was the fifth and final regular-season event for the Bass Fishing League Buckeye Division. Hatfield earned $5,831 for his victory.
“The first day I started on a couple of offshore areas and thought I was going to get some fish, but the fish were leaving and going shallow, and I didn’t catch a keeper until around 9 o’clock,” Hatfield said. “Then I started checking shallow stuff in grass and caught a 5-14, which carried me into Sunday. Without that fish, I don’t think I would have made it.”
Hatfield said he decided to stay shallow on Sunday, and used swimjigs, vibrating jigs, Texas-rigged creature baits and worms in the Causeway area and the northeast side of the lake to catch his bass. Hatfield said he caught a dozen fish on each day of competition, in 3 to 7 feet of water.
“This win was a shocker, but it feels awesome,” Hatfield said. “I had kind of a rough tournament and lost several fish that I felt certain would hurt me, but somehow it worked out.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
2nd: Gary Ginter, Bellefontaine, Ohio, 10 bass, 31-10, $2,915
3rd: Buddy Busse, Cardington, Ohio, 10 bass, 31-1, $2,945
4th: Matthew Michael, Warsaw, Ohio, 10 bass, 30-12, $1,361
5th: Stan Miketa, New Middletown, Ohio, 10 bass, 30-4, $1,166
6th: Seth Fricke, Oxford, Ohio, 10 bass, 30-3, $1,069
7th: Michael Nesbitt, St. Paris, Ohio, 10 bass, 29-9, $2,009
8th: Chris Martinkovic, Hamilton, Ohio, 10 bass, 29-5, $875
9th: Mike Reeves, Brecksville, Ohio, 10 bass, 28-10, $777
10th: Kyle Weisenburger, Columbus Grove, Ohio, 10 bass, 27-14, $680
2nd: Jeff Moorman, Liberty Township, Ohio, 10 bass, 24-14, $1,458
3rd: Jacob Alltop, Lewistown, Ohio, 10 bass, 21-8, $971
4th: Dylan Phillips, Albany, Ohio, nine bass, 20-14, $680
5th: Matt Fisher, Glouster, Ohio, 10 bass, 20-13, $1,233
6th: Christopher Chapman, Lancaster, Ohio, 10 bass, 20-9, $535
7th: Matthew Hostetter, East Palestine, Ohio, nine bass, 19-8, $486
8th: John Cantale, Lake Placid, Fla., 10 bass, 19-7, $437
9th: J.R. Selke, Waynesville, Ohio, 10 bass, 19-6, $389
10th: James Fulton, Ray, Ohio, 10 bass, 18-14, $340
Now, the top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will advance to compete in the Oct. 20-22 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on the James River in Richmond, Virginia. Boaters will compete 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 fish for a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.
The 2022 Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six Regional Championships 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 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.
The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division will also earn priority entry into the MLF Toyota Series, the pathway to the MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit and ultimately the MLF Bass Pro Tour.
Proud sponsors of the 2022 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 4WP, 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, AFTCO, A.R.E. Truck Caps, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, E3, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, Gary Yamamoto Baits, General Tire, Lew’s, Lowrance, Lucas Oil, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Revital Outdoors, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, Wiley X, YETI and Yo-Zuri.
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.
Weber Wins Two-Day Phoenix Bass Fishing League Super Tournament on the Mississippi River
Oates Tops Field in Strike King Co-Angler Division
LA CROSSE, Wis. (Sept. 12, 2022) – Boater Clayton Weber of West Salem, Wisconsin, caught 10 bass weighing 34 pounds, 2 ounces, to win the two-day MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on the Mississippi River in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The tournament was hosted by the La Crosse County Convention & Visitors Bureau, and was the fifth and final regular-season event for the Bass Fishing League Great Lakes Division. Weber earned $5,886 for his victory.
“I’m on cloud nine,” Weber added. “This win was one of those things where you don’t know if it will ever happen, but you never stop trying.”
Weber said he started out his tournament by locking to Pool 7 of the Mississippi to fish for smallmouth, but the main channel was rough from storms and wind. Weber said he changed his plans, and he went to a place he had found largemouth schooling on bait fish.
“I really didn’t know how big they were, but I knew there were a good number of them,” Weber said. “I caught about 14½ pounds of them in about 10 minutes, then left them alone to fish for smallmouth. I was able to cull two times with smallmouth. Then I went back to my largemouth, and on my first cast I culled up to the fish I weighed in.”
Weber said Sunday’s weather was much better for him with wind and clouds, but no rain. He returned to his largemouth but found they had repositioned because of the weather change. He managed to eke out 12½ pounds of largemouth there, then relocated to smallmouth water.
“I started culling out my 2½ pounders, so I was gaining a crazy amount of weight,” Weber said.
Weber said his largemouth were in grass, feeding on a school of gizzard shad on a flat. He said he caught them on a Kureiji Sakana Tackle Company Panic Swim Jig, which features a wide, side-to-side wobbling action that mimicked the gizzard shad running from bass. Weber’s smallmouth fell for a number of baits, including an Evergreen Shower Blows topwater bait, a Carolina rig and a swimbait.
“For the smallmouth, it just seemed that every fish ate its own bait,” Weber said.
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
2nd: Cade Laufenberg, La Crosse, Wis., 10 bass, 33-10, $3,643 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF5 contingency bonus)
3rd: Kyle Meyer, Blaine, Minn., 10 bass, 31-14, $1,964
4th: Mike Brueggen, La Crosse, Wis., 10 bass, 31-14, $1,373
5th: Benny Stutzman, Caledonia, Minn., 10 bass, 31-6, $1,177
6th: Rob Leidholdt, Milton, Wis., 10 bass, 30-3, $1,079
7th: Chad Moldenhauer, Coon Valley, Wis., 10 bass, 29-8, $981
8th: Tong Lor, La Crosse, Wis., 10 bass, 28-14, $883
9th: Jeff Benson, Holmen, Wis., 10 bass, 28-10, $785
10th: Joe Pollak, Lake Geneva, Wis., 10 bass, 28-8, $1,737
2nd: Matt McVeigh, Fort Dodge, Iowa, nine bass, 20-3, $1,458
3rd: Mark Folsom, Waterville, Iowa, nine bass, 19-9, $971
4th: Kevin Clark, Lancaster, Wis., nine bass, 19-7, $680
5th: Devan Jenkins, Milwaukee, Wis., eight bass, 16-12, $583
6th: Lee Lewis, Peoria, Ill., eight bass, 16-10, $535
7th: Jessie Pollard, Whitehall, Wis., six bass, 15-14, $486
8th: Larry Litchfield, Macomb, Ill., six bass, 15-2, $437
9th: David Ondrla, Elmhurst, Ill., six bass, 14-15, $389
10th: Jeff Pfeffer, Isanti, Minn., six bass, 14-11, $340
Now, the top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will advance to compete in the Oct. 20-22 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Grand Lake in Grove, Oklahoma. Boaters will compete 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 fish for a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.
The 2022 Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six Regional Championships 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 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.
The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division will also earn priority entry into the MLF Toyota Series, the pathway to the MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit and ultimately the MLF Bass Pro Tour.
Proud sponsors of the 2022 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 4WP, 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, AFTCO, A.R.E. Truck Caps, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, E3, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, Gary Yamamoto Baits, General Tire, Lew’s, Lowrance, Lucas Oil, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Revital Outdoors, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, Wiley X, YETI and Yo-Zuri.
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.
Alton Jones Sr. Out Front Early for Group B at Bass Pro Tour Bally Bet Stage Seven at Mille Lacs Lake Presented by Minn Kota
Texas Pro Catches 25 Scorable Smallmouth Weighing 92 Pounds, 13 Ounces to Lead Group B Qualifying Round By 27 Pounds after Day 1, Group A to Wrap Up Their Qualifying Round Monday
ONAMIA, Minn. (Sept. 11, 2022) – Although widely regarded as a shallow-water, sight-fishing expert, Texas pro Alton Jones, Sr., demonstrated Sunday that he also knows a thing or two about catching northern smallmouth as well. The Lorena, Texas, pro caught 25 scorable smallmouth bass Sunday weighing 92 pounds, 13 ounces, to pace the field by 27 pounds after Day 1 for Group B at the Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Tour Bally Bet Stage Seven at Mille Lacs Lake Presented by Minn Kota.
Jones will bring a comfortable lead over second-place, Googan Baits pro Dustin Connell of Clanton, Alabama, into Tuesday’s second day of competition in the Qualifying Round for Group B. Connell landed 17 scoreable bass – all smallmouth – weighing 65-13, while Bally Bet Angler of the Year (AOY) leader pro Jacob Wheeler of Harrison, Tennessee, rounds out the top three with 17 scorable bass weighing 58-13 to end the day in third place.
The 40 anglers in Group B will now have a day off on Monday, while the 40 anglers from Group A will wrap up their two-day Qualifying Round. Group B will finish their Qualifying Round on Tuesday.
“It’s humbling when you have a day like this,” Jones said in his post-game interview. “It was a great day – better than the other 39 guys today, and better than everyone that was on the water yesterday, too. So, I’m very pleased, and very thankful.
“I had a good practice, but that doesn’t always translate into a good tournament. This week it has, so far,” Jones continued. “I was able to move around to a lot of different places today and get bit, so I’m feeling really good with how my day went.”
With a 27-pound lead heading into the second day of Qualifying Round competition, Jones is already eyeing the automatic qualification to the Championship Round.
“I think I’ve got a strong enough lead that I can really try to go for it and win the round on Tuesday,” Jones went on to say. “The negative part is that if you go for it and someone passes you and you don’t win the round, you end up burning a lot of fish that you’ll need in the Knockout Round. We’ll see. If someone catches up real quick Tuesday and passes me and I’m struggling, I’ll back off and just start practicing. There is so much strategy that goes into this game. We’ll see how it goes.”
The top 20 pros in Group B after Day 1 on Mille Lacs Lake are:
1st: Alton Jones, Lorena, Texas, 25 bass, 92-13
2nd: Dustin Connell, Clanton, Ala., 17 bass, 65-13
3rd: Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn., 17 bass, 58-13
4th: Justin Lucas, Guntersville, Ala., 16 bass, 57-4
5th: Adrian Avena, Vineland, N.J., 15 bass, 53-4
6th: Cliff Pace, Petal, Miss., 14 bass, 52-2
7th: Alton Jones, Jr., Waco, Texas, 15 bass, 47-13
8th: Ryan Salzman, Huntsville, Ala., 14 bass, 46-11
9th: Jared Lintner, Covington, Ga., 16 bass, 46-7
10th: James Elam, Tulsa, Okla., 13 bass, 45-11
11th: Kevin VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich., 13 bass, 43-6
12th: Wesley Strader, Spring City, Tenn., 12 bass, 42-12
13th: Shin Fukae, Osaka, Japan, 14 bass, 42-7
14th: Gerald Spohrer, Gonzales, La., 11 bass, 41-3
15th: Jeremy Lawyer, Sarcoxie, Mo., 12 bass, 39-12
16th: Casey Ashley, Donalds, S.C., 12 bass, 39-8
17th: Terry Scroggins, San Mateo, Fla., 12 bass, 35-5
18th: Bobby Lane, Lakeland, Fla., 11 bass, 33-15
19th: Randall Tharp, Port Saint Joe, Fla., 11 bass, 33-8
20th: Ott DeFoe, Blaine, Tenn., 10 bass, 32-13
A complete list of results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Overall, there were 382 scorable bass weighing 1,291 pounds, 14 ounces caught by 39 pros Sunday. Pro Keith Poche of Pike Road, Alabama, did not compete due to illness.
Pros Cliff Pace and Gerald Spohrer tied for Sunday’s $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award for the largest bass of the day – each caught a smallmouth weighing 5 pounds, 10 ounces. Pace caught his 5-10 on a Ned rig during Period 1, while Spohrer’s 5-10 came on a medium-diving crankbait, also during Period 1. Berkley awards $1,000 to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass each day, and a $3,000 bonus to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass of the tournament.
The six-day tournament, hosted by the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, showcases 80 of the best professional anglers in the world competing for a purse of more than $805,000, including a top payout of $100,000 to the winner. The tournament is livestreamed each day at MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MOTV app, and also filmed for television broadcast later this fall on the Discovery Channel.
The 40 Anglers in Group A compete in their two-day qualifying round on Saturday and Monday – the 40 anglers in Group B on Sunday and Tuesday. After each two-day qualifying round is complete, the anglers that finish in 2nd through 20th place from both groups advance to Wednesday’s Knockout Round, while the winner of each group advances directly to Thursday’s Championship Round. In the Knockout Round, weights are zeroed, and the remaining 38 anglers compete to finish in the top 8 to advance to the Championship Round. In the final day Championship Round, weights are zeroed, and the highest one-day total wins the top prize of $100,000.
Anglers will launch each day at 7:30 a.m. CT from Eddy’s Resort, located at 41334 Shakopee Lake Road in Onamia. Each day’s General Tire Takeout will be held at the Resort, beginning at 4 p.m.Fans are welcome to attend all launch and takeout events and also encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLF NOW!® live stream and SCORETRACKER® coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
On Championship Thursday, Sept. 15, from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. MLF will host a Celebration Event for fans of all ages, inviting fans to come out and celebrate with the professional anglers from the Bass Pro Tour as they crown the champion of the Bally Bet Stage Seven on Mille Lacs Lake Presented by Minn Kota. The first 50 youth anglers 10 and under in attendance will receive a free Pure Fishing Shakespeare Kid’s Rod and Reel combo. The final 10 Championship Round Bass Pro Tour anglers will be on hand at the trophy celebration to meet and greet fans, sign autographs, and take selfies.
The Bally Bet Stage Seven on Mille Lacs Lake Presented by Minn Kota features anglers competing with a 2-pound minimum weight requirement for a bass to be deemed scorable. Minimum weights are determined individually for each competition waters that the Bass Pro Tour visits, based on the productivity, bass population and anticipated average size of fish in each fishery.
The Bass Pro Tour features a field of 80 of the top professional anglers in the world competing across seven regular-season tournaments around the country, competing for millions of dollars and valuable points to qualify for the annual General Tire Heavy Hitters all-star event and REDCREST IV, the Bass Pro Tour championship, which will be held next March on Lake Norman in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The MLF NOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee, Marty Stone and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action on all six days of competition from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CT. MLF NOW!® will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app.
Television coverage of the Bally Bet Stage Seven on Mille Lacs Lake Presented by Minn Kota will premiere as a two-hour episode at 7 a.m. ET, on Saturday, Nov. 19 on the Discovery Channel. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on the Discovery Channel, with additional re-airings on the Outdoor Channel. Each two-hour long reality-based episode goes in-depth to break down each day of tournament competition.
Proud sponsors of the 2022 MLF Bass Pro Tour include: 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, A.R.E. Truck Caps, B&W Trailer Hitches, Bally Bet, Bass Cat, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, Covercraft, Favorite Fishing, Garmin, General Tire, Googan Baits, Grundéns, Guaranteed Rate, Humminbird, Lowrance, Luminox, Mercury, Minn Kota, Mossy Oak, Nitro Performance Boats, Onyx, Plano, Power-Pole, Power Stop, Rapala, Starbrite, Toro, Toyota, Wrangler, Yellowstone Bourbon and Zoom.
For complete details and updated information on Major League Fishing and the Bass Pro Tour, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
Thompkins Comes From Behind To Win Bassmaster Open At Chesapeake Bay
JT Thompkins of Myrtle Beach, S.C., has won the 2022 St. Croix Bassmaster Northern Open at Upper Chesapeake Bay presented by Mossy Oak Fishing with a three-day total of 39 pounds, 12 ounces.
Photo by Kyle Jessie/B.A.S.S.
September 10, 2022
Thompkins Comes From Behind To Win Bassmaster Open At Chesapeake Bay
CECIL COUNTY, Md. — JT Thompkins was a man on a mission and his Championship Saturday performance fulfilled this truth with a 17-pound, 4-ounce limit that capped a three-day total of 39-12 and propelled him to victory in the St. Croix Bassmaster Northern Open at Upper Chesapeake Bay presented by Mossy Oak Fishing.
After posting weights of 11-0 and 11-8, Thompkins started Day 3 in ninth place — 11-6 off the lead set by Chris Beaudrie. At the final tally, he had edged Beaudrie by 15 ounces.
For his win, the 20-year-old from Myrtle Beach, S.C., earned $42,267 and a berth in the 2023 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic to be held in Knoxville, Tenn., March 24-26.
“I didn’t think there was any way for this to happen; I don’t even know what to say,” Thompkins said of his come-from-behind victory. “This whole year, I’ve talked about dreaming of going to the Classic. It’s a dream come true.
“This was a tournament where I just had to make sure not to slip up and if I had an opportunity, to take advantage. I’m so happy to have this bag today to be able to do that.”
Maximizing his time, Thompkins stayed within sight of the weigh-in venue for most of the tournament. Working broad grass flats in 2 to 9 feet, he targeted hard-cover current breaks.
“I found this area in pre-practice; I was just scanning and I saw the stumps and it set up perfectly,” Thompkins said. “I really didn’t fish it in practice. I just knew that’s where it was gonna go down.”
Thompkins caught his Day 3 fish on a 1/2-ounce craw-colored Outkast Tackle jig with a green pumpkin Strike King Rage Menace. Earlier in the event, he also caught bass on a Senko and a ChatterBait.
“This was a day where everything worked out and every decision that I made, every time I made a move, there was a fish waiting for me,” he said.
“I caught more fish today than I caught the entire practice. I figured some things out today because the first two days, I messed up (my tide decisions). Today, I was able to correct that, and I was able to capitalize on a lot of things.”
Thompkins got off to a blistering start with a limit of approximately 14 1/2 pounds by 7:40 a.m. After a dry spell, he added a key afternoon cull that sealed his win.
Sweetening his victory, Thompkins won his first Bassmaster Open on his mother’s birthday. “I want to let my mom know I love her and how much she means to me.”
Hailing from Princeton, Ky., Beaudrie finished second with 38-13. On Day 1, he placed second with 17-8, just 11 ounces off the lead. Adding 16-6 on Day 2 pushed him into the top spot.
Unfortunately, Beaudrie’s productivity fizzled on Championship Saturday and he managed only three bass for 4-15.
Beaudrie had been working matted vegetation with lots of baitfish in the Susquehanna River. With the weekend’s full moon pushing tides higher than normal, Beaudrie’s fish rode the rising level deeper into the mats. Following their progression and fishing a frog superslow delivered his two big bags.
“I found those fish in practice throwing a Picasso Lures spinnerbait,” Beaudrie said. “They were off the edge of the grass mat and during the tournament, I saw the conditions change, so I adjusted to throwing a white frog and punching a green pumpkin Senko.”
Beaudrie noted that switching from his standard 7-foot, 4-inch frog rod to a 7-7 heavy iRod and 65-pound Vicious braid helped him wrestle bass out of the vegetation from deep in the mat.
Pete Gluszek of Mount Laurel, N.J., finished third with 37-2. His first two days’ limits of 15-9 and 10-8 sent him to Championship Saturday in third place. Closing with 11-1 kept him at that spot.
With 30 years of guiding and instructional work on the Chesapeake Bay, the Bass University founder leaned on his extensive local knowledge to work through the tough summer conditions and dial in a particular pattern.
“September scatters the fish; the baitfish are scattered, the bass are doing a bunch of different things and that makes it a little bit challenging,” he said. “I had a thing in the Susquehanna where I was fishing hard cover adjacent to grass beds and that’s where I was able to get bit consistently doing that.”
Gluszek targeted stumps, laydowns and docks where bass positioned to ambush passing bait pods. His main baits were a Rapala DT Fat, Texas-rigged Strike King Rage Bug with 3/8- and 1/2-ounce VMC weights and what he calls the Bass University Dean’s Rig — a Texas-rigged worm with a 1/16-ounce VMC Half Moon tail weight.
Cole Drummond of Effingham, S.C., won the $750 Phoenix Boats Big Bass award with his 5-13.
Alex Wetherell of Middletown, Conn., won the Bassmaster Northern Opens title with 572 points. Kyoya Fujita of Minamitsuru, Yamanashi, Japan, finished second with 566, followed by Keith Poche of Montgomery, Ala., with 549, Jacob Walker of Springville, Ala., with 547 and Thompkins with 537.
Wetherell, Fujita and Poche will receive invitations to fish the 2023 Bassmaster Elite Series. Notably, Fujita qualified during his first season fishing in America.
Cooper Gallant of Bowmanville, Canada, leads the overall Bassmaster Opens Angler of the Year standings with 983 points.
2022 St. Croix Bassmaster Northern Open #3 Upper Chesapeake presented by Mossy Oak Fishing 9/8-9/10
Chesapeake Bay, North East MD.
(BOATER) Standings Day 3
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. JT Thompkins Myrtle Beach, SC 15 39-12 200 $42,267.00
Day 1: 5 11-00 Day 2: 5 11-08 Day 3: 5 17-04
2. Chris Beaudrie Princeton, KY 13 38-13 199 $20,287.00
Day 1: 5 17-08 Day 2: 5 16-06 Day 3: 3 04-15
3. Pete Gluszek Mount Laurel, NJ 15 37-02 198 $14,320.00
Day 1: 5 15-09 Day 2: 5 10-08 Day 3: 5 11-01
4. Trevor McKinney Benton, IL 14 37-00 197 $11,933.00
Day 1: 4 10-13 Day 2: 5 13-12 Day 3: 5 12-07
5. Kyle Austin Ridgeville, SC 15 35-09 196 $10,382.00
Day 1: 5 08-05 Day 2: 5 14-13 Day 3: 5 12-07
6. David Gaston Sylacauga, AL 15 35-08 195 $9,547.00
Day 1: 5 12-13 Day 2: 5 10-03 Day 3: 5 12-08
7. Duke Nave Oxford, PA 13 30-15 194 $8,950.00
Day 1: 3 10-14 Day 2: 5 11-06 Day 3: 5 08-11
8. Chad Pipkens Dewitt, MI 11 30-02 193 $8,353.00
Day 1: 5 14-06 Day 2: 3 09-08 Day 3: 3 06-04
9. Kyle Patrick Cooperstown, NY 12 24-13 192 $6,563.00
Day 1: 5 13-14 Day 2: 5 08-10 Day 3: 2 02-05
10. Brian Mullaney Ijamsville, MD 8 22-03 191 $10,143.00
Day 1: 5 15-00 Day 2: 3 07-03
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Cole Drummond Effingham, SC 05-13 $750.00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 43 471 1045-02
2 33 391 866-08
3 6 38 87-14
----------------------------------
82 900 1999-08
Josh Bertrand Leads Early After Day 1 of MLF Bass Pro Tour Bally Bet Stage Seven at Mille Lacs Lake Presented by Minn Kota
Arizona Pro Weighs 27 Bass Totaling 86 Pounds, 13 Ounces to Lead Early for Group A – Group B to Start Competition Sunday
ONAMIA, Minn. (Sept. 10, 2022) – Berkley pro Josh Bertrand of Queen Creek, Arizona, caught 27 scorable smallmouth bass weighing 86 pounds, 13 ounces, to grab the early lead after Day 1 of the Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Tour Bally Bet Stage Seven at Mille Lacs Lake Presented by Minn Kota. Right behind Bertrand in second place is Hot Springs, Arkansas’ Stephen Browning, who caught 20 scorable bass weighing 84-13. The duo traded the lead back and forth multiple times throughout the third period, with Bertrand ending on top by the narrow 2-pound margin as time expired.
The six-day tournament, hosted by the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, showcases 80 of the best professional anglers in the world competing for a purse of more than $805,000, including a top payout of $100,000 to the winner. The tournament is livestreamed each day at MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MOTV app, and also filmed for television broadcast later this fall on the Discovery Channel.
It’s seems to be a two-horse race in Group A, as Bertrand and Browning have a substantial 30-pound lead on the rest of the field. Weights are fairly stacked up in the remainder of the top 10. Pro Matt Lee of Cullman, Alabama, ended the day in third place with 15 bass totaling 53-11. Ardmore, Oklahoma’s Jeff Kriet caught 13 bass weighing 50-5 to end the day in fourth, while Berkley pro Jordan Lee of Cullman, Alabama , rounds out the top five with 15 bass weighing 46-11.
The 40 anglers in Group A will now have an off day from competition on Sunday, while the 40 anglers competing in Group B will begin their first day of competition. Group A will resume competition on Monday.
“It was a great first day – I caught a bunch of fish, and a lot of really good quality ones,” Bertrand said. “I caught them multiple different ways. This morning I caught them cranking and throwing a Carolina rig – they were really biting the reaction baits early. Then this afternoon it slicked off and I ended up catching them on a drop-shot rig, using a Berkley (PowerBait) MaxScent Hit Worm.
“The forecast is calling for really calm conditions for the next few days, but it’s supposed to get nasty again in our Knockout Round on Wednesday. So, I’m really going to try hard to win this Qualifying Round and advance straight to Championship Thursday – I do not want to be out here when it’s nasty,” Bertrand went on to say. “We’ve got a lot of fishing still ahead of us, but I’m thankful to be off to a really good start.”
The top 20 pros in Group A after Day 1 on Mille Lacs Lake are:
1st: Josh Bertrand, Queen Creek, Ariz., 27 bass, 86-13
2nd: Stephen Browning, Hot Springs, Ark., 20 bass, 84-13
3rd: Matt Lee, Cullman, Ala., 15 bass, 53-11
4th: Jeff Kriet, Ardmore, Okla., 13 bass, 50-5
5th: Jordan Lee, Cullman, Ala., 15 bass, 46-11
6th: Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., 13 bass, 43-14
7th: Mark Daniels, Jr., Tuskegee, Ala., 12 bass, 43-14
8th: Mark Rose, Wynne, Ark., 14 bass, 42-12
9th: Brent Ehrler, Redlands, Calif., 11 bass, 41-9
10th: Marty Robinson, Lyman, S.C., 11 bass, 41-2
11th: Anthony Gagliardi, Prosperity, S.C., 11 bass, 38-8
12th: David Walker, Sevierville, Tenn., 11 bass, 37-10
13th: Jesse Wiggins, Addison, Ala., 10 bass, 34-7
14th: Luke Clausen, Spokane, Wash., nine bass, 34-6
15th: Mike McClelland, Blue Eye, Mo., nine bass, 34-1
16th: Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla., 10 bass, 33-10
17th: Boyd Duckett, Guntersville, Ala., 16 bass, 33-6
18th: Cole Floyd, Leesburg, Ohio, 10 bass, 32-4
19th: Brent Chapman, Lake Quivira, Kan., 11 bass, 31-11
20th: Takahiro Omori, Tokyo, Japan, eight bass, 31-5
A complete list of results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Overall, there were 396 scorable bass weighing 1,339 pounds, 2 ounces caught by the 40 pros Saturday.
Browning caught the biggest fish of the day, a chunky 5-pound, 8-ounce smallmouth bass during Period 1 to earn the first $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award of the event. Berkley awards $1,000 to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass each day, and a $3,000 bonus to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass of the tournament.
The 40 Anglers in Group A compete in their two-day qualifying round on Saturday and Monday – the 40 anglers in Group B on Sunday and Tuesday. After each two-day qualifying round is complete, the anglers that finish in 2nd through 20th place from both groups advance to Wednesday’s Knockout Round, while the winner of each group advances directly to Thursday’s Championship Round. In the Knockout Round, weights are zeroed, and the remaining 38 anglers compete to finish in the top 8 to advance to the Championship Round. In the final day Championship Round, weights are zeroed, and the highest one-day total wins the top prize of $100,000.
Anglers will launch each day at 7:30 a.m. CT from Eddy’s Resort, located at 41334 Shakopee Lake Road in Onamia. Each day’s General Tire Takeout will be held at the Resort, beginning at 4 p.m.Fans are welcome to attend all launch and takeout events and also encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLF NOW!® live stream and SCORETRACKER® coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
On Championship Thursday, Sept. 15, from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. MLF will host a Celebration Event for fans of all ages, inviting fans to come out and celebrate with the professional anglers from the Bass Pro Tour as they crown the champion of the Bally Bet Stage Seven on Mille Lacs Lake Presented by Minn Kota. The first 50 youth anglers 10 and under in attendance will receive a free Pure Fishing Shakespeare Kid’s Rod and Reel combo. The final 10 Championship Round Bass Pro Tour anglers will be on hand at the trophy celebration to meet and greet fans, sign autographs, and take selfies.
The Bally Bet Stage Seven on Mille Lacs Lake Presented by Minn Kota will feature anglers competing with a 2-pound minimum weight requirement for a bass to be deemed scorable. Minimum weights are determined individually for each competition waters that the Bass Pro Tour visits, based on the productivity, bass population and anticipated average size of fish in each fishery.
The Bass Pro Tour features a field of 80 of the top professional anglers in the world competing across seven regular-season tournaments around the country, competing for millions of dollars and valuable points to qualify for the annual General Tire Heavy Hitters all-star event and REDCREST IV, the Bass Pro Tour championship, which will be held next March on Lake Norman in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The MLF NOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee, Marty Stone and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action on all six days of competition from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CT. MLF NOW!® will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app.
Television coverage of the Bally Bet Stage Seven on Mille Lacs Lake Presented by Minn Kota will premiere as a two-hour episode at 7 a.m. ET, on Saturday, Nov. 19 on the Discovery Channel. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on the Discovery Channel, with additional re-airings on the Outdoor Channel. Each two-hour long reality-based episode goes in-depth to break down each day of tournament competition.
Proud sponsors of the 2022 MLF Bass Pro Tour include: 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, A.R.E. Truck Caps, B&W Trailer Hitches, Bally Bet, Bass Cat, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, Covercraft, Favorite Fishing, Garmin, General Tire, Googan Baits, Grundéns, Guaranteed Rate, Humminbird, Lowrance, Luminox, Mercury, Minn Kota, Mossy Oak, Nitro Performance Boats, Onyx, Plano, Power-Pole, Power Stop, Rapala, Starbrite, Toro, Toyota, Wrangler, Yellowstone Bourbon and Zoom.
For complete details and updated information on Major League Fishing and the Bass Pro Tour, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
