St. Lawrence River Set To Host B.A.S.S. Nation Northeast Regional
Waddington, N.Y., will host the 2022 TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Northeast Regional at St. Lawrence River June 22-24.
Photo by Kyle Jessie/B.A.S.S.
June 16, 2022
St. Lawrence River Set To Host B.A.S.S. Nation Northeast Regional
WADDINGTON, N.Y. — When anglers arrive in New York for the TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Northeast Regional at St. Lawrence River June 22-24, St. Croix Bassmaster Opens Series presented by Mossy Oak Fishing champion Cooper Gallant anticipates the bass will be in all stages of the spawn.
“I think you are going to be able to do a lot of things,” the Canadian pro said. “You are going to be able to catch fish shallow that are roaming. You are going to be able to catch fish deep, and you are going to be able to catch some fish off the bed. I think it is going to be pretty wide open.”
Coined “smallmouth Disneyland” by Elite Series angler Taku Ito during his victory last season, the St. Lawrence River has been the backdrop for many Bassmaster events, including multiple Elites, Opens and the 2021 College Series National Championship won by Adrian College’s Griffin Fernandes and Hayden Scott.
Gallant pushed hard for an Opens win on the famed fishery last year but ultimately placed fourth as Elite Series pro Cory Johnston took the title.
With the tournament going out of Waddington, anglers will have access to the New York side of the river and will not be able to access Lake Ontario. Boaters will also only be able to bring four bass to the scales, while co-anglers will be allowed three.
Smallmouth will be the dominant species, and they will likely be in several different areas.
Boulders, rockpiles and sand flats around spawning flats will be key areas that attract prespawn smallmouth. Meanwhile, the smallmouth that have locked onto bed will be around big boulders and rocks in protected areas, flats with hard bottom and boulders away from the current and wind.
For anglers trying to catch spawners, a flogger will come in handy.
“It’s no different than a largemouth spawning on an isolated patch of lily pads,” Gallant said. “They will get on isolated boulders and have a bed next to the boulder and they will also spawn on chunk rock and things like that.”
As the smallmouth move off the bed, they make their way back to deeper water through the same areas they used in the prespawn period.
“Depending on how far along they are in the postspawn, they could be deeper or shallower,” he said. “But year-round, smallmouth love rock and you just have to find which areas of the river they are living in and if they are postspawn; you have to figure out where they are going next and how far along they are.”
Gallant expects drop shots, spybaits, jerkbaits, tubes and Marabou hair jigs to play a major role.
While there are plenty of largemouth in the fishery, Gallant said it is difficult to win a multiday event with only largemouth.
Anglers will launch from Whittaker Park starting at 6 a.m. ET and return for weigh-in starting at 2 p.m. Around 240 anglers representing 11 state teams from across the Northeast and the province of Ontario will compete on the St. Lawrence River. The top boater and co-angler from each state at the end of the tournament will punch their tickets to the TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Championship, which will be held Nov. 9-11 on Pickwick Lake.
The event is being hosted by the Village of Waddington and St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce. This tournament is supported by a Market New York grant from I LOVE NY/New York State’s Division of Tourism awarded as part of the Regional Economic Development Council initiative.
Bassmaster Fishing 2022 Video Game Reveals Retro Cosmetic Pack Season Pass
A new Retro Cosmetic Pack Season Pass launches today for Bassmaster Fishing 2022, the video game.
June 16, 2022
Bassmaster Fishing 2022 Video Game Reveals Retro Cosmetic Pack Season Pass
Bassmaster Fishing 2022 - BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The Retro Cosmetic Pack Season Pass for Bassmaster Fishing 2022, the video game, launched today with the fun Synthwave Cosmetic Pack. Dovetail Games, a developer and publisher of sports simulation games, will also be dropping two additional cosmetic packs — Pixel Pro and Throwback B.A.S.S. — later this summer as part of the season pass.
With the Synthwave Cosmetic Pack, players can light up the lake like it’s the 1980s and take bass fishing to an electrifying new level. Anglers can trick out their boats with brand-new emissive light strips, which may not help attract bass but will be sure to attract the attention of other anglers. The pack also gives players a selection of new clothing to choose from, as well as unlockable in-game fluorescent glasses that players can earn by completing new Mastery Challenges.
Retro Cosmetic Pack Season Pass owners can look forward to the release of the Pixel Pro Pack in July, a new cosmetic pack perfect for retro game enthusiasts. The Pixel Pro Pack will bring players’ favorite in-game Bassmaster Elite Series anglers into the exciting world of pixels and will feature new pixel art-style clothing and a boat wrap.
To wrap up the Season Pass, Dovetail Games will release the Throwback B.A.S.S. Pack in August, which will bring an old-school B.A.S.S. look to the game. The pack introduces vintage Bassmaster designs and badge patches spanning the groovy ’70s, radical ’80s and extreme ’90s.
Bassmaster Fishing 2022, the video game, was released on Oct. 28, 2021 in North America and Europe on the PS5™, PS4™, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One/Xbox One X, Windows PC via Steam and Xbox Game Pass. For regular updates on additional content, please visit Bassmasterthegame.com.
Potomac River Set to Host First Event for Toyota Series Northern Division
MARBURY, Md. (June 15, 2022) – The Toyota Series Presented by A.R.E. Northern Division will kick off its 2022 season next week in Marbury, Maryland, June 23-25, with the Toyota Series Presented by A.R.E. at the Potomac River. Hosted by the Charles County Board of Commissioners, the three-day tournament is the first 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.
Pro Cody Pike of Powhatan, Virginia said he expects the fish to be biting and to see a great post-spawn event.
“June is typically a really good month on the Potomac River because the bass get to feeding and haven’t been completely pressured where they won’t bite anything,” Pike said. “They should be moving out to the grass off the bank and there will be some bass guarding fry, so if a guy can find some good milfoil off the bank in about 2- to 4-foot of water, it’s liable to hold a good group of fish.”
Pike said he believes the three most popular baits during the event will be ChatterBaits, swimjigs and senkos.
“They’ve been catching them really good on the Potomac this year and have been pulling in a lot of 15 to 16-pound bags still, which is good,” Pike said. “There will definitely be a lot of 13 to 14-pound bags, but the key will be to break that mark a couple days in a row to do well in this event. I would expect 17 to 18 pounds per day to win this tournament.”
Pike, who fished in both the Eastern and Northern Divisions of the Toyota Series for several years before qualifying to fish the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit in 2021, said it’s a great stepping-stone for anglers who are wanting to advance to the next level of professional bass fishing.
“You don’t have to travel too far from home, and it’s a great arena to play in and have the opportunity to advance further, especially if you are looking to only fish regional events,” Pike concluded.
Anglers will take off daily at 6 a.m. ET from Smallwood State Park located at 2750 Sweden Point Road in Marbury. Weigh-ins will also be held at the park and will begin at 2 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 .
Lester takes a blue trophy to the beach
Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships
If you know Brandon Lester, you know Sundays hold a special place in his heart, and that he treasures time at the beach nearly as much as bass fishing. So, Sunday June 5, 2022 played out like a script written in his deepest hopes and dreams.
Just after a spiritually rich sunrise at Pickwick Lake, he caught the majority of his tournament-winning weight, held up the coveted blue Elite Series trophy later that afternoon, then headed straight to the white sandy beaches of Northwest Florida he treasures with the people he loves the most.
“A buddy of mine towed my boat back home for me while I finished interviews at Pickwick. And as soon as I was done taking care of sponsors and media, we literally drove straight from the weigh-in area at Pickwick to Navarre Beach, Florida. And that blue trophy became the centerpiece on the counter of the beach condo the rest of the week,” grins Lester.
From swimming in the turquoise waters of Roatan Island east of Belize, to a huge cobia on the end of his line jumping to avoid being eaten by an 8-foot shark near Orange Beach, Lester’s made some great memories around saltwater, and much like that special Sunday celebration at Pickwick, he saw all those moments through Costa’s quality lenses.
“I’ve worn Costas my entire career, and I wore them Championship Sunday at Pickwick when a lifelong dream came true. I actually keep several different pairs of Costas in my boat featuring different lens colors to best match whatever weather we’re dealing with. But when somebody asks me to help them choose just one great all around lens color, I usually tell them green mirror https://www.costadelmar.com/en-us/sunglasses/6S9006-97963498159 -- that’s what I wore on Championship Sunday at Pickwick,” he says.
As a result of his loyalty to Costa, Lester will collect a healthy cash bonus because he registered for Costa’s Compete + Conserve program.
Just as rewarding, he has chosen the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame, one of Compete + Conserve’s conservation partners, to receive a $500 donation in his name for the protection and conservation of our fisheries – quite the perfect punctuation to a dream-like Sunday that ended with a blue trophy and sugar white sand.
To learn more and get registered, please visit https://www.costacompeteandconserve.com/
Phoenix Fantasy Fishing Presented by Abu Garcia: Pick the Top 10 Anglers and Instantly Win a Toyota Tundra and Phoenix Boat Loaded with Abu Garcia Gear
FREE Fantasy Fishing Contest Gives Players Opportunity to Win Package, Including New Phoenix 818 Pro Boat and 2022 Toyota Tundra
TULSA, Okla. (June 15, 2022) – Major League Fishing (MLF), the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, announced today a new Fantasy Fishing contest that will run through the remaining Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit and Bass Pro Tour events in the 2022 season. Any Fantasy Fishing player that chooses the top 10 anglers correctly (the 10 anglers on their fantasy team all make the Championship round), will automatically win a new 2022 Toyota Tundra Limited truck, a Phoenix 818 Pro boat, loaded with Abu Garcia gear – a prize package worth $100,000.
To enter the contest, fans can simply visit FantasyFishing.com and create their team of 10 anglers for each remaining free-to-play Fantasy Fishing game. Anglers earn points based on how many pounds of bass their anglers catch during the event.
Remaining 2022 MLF Phoenix Fantasy Fishing Events:
- June 16-19 - Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Toyota Stop 5 at the James River (Richmond, Va.)
- Presented by PowerStop Brakes
- July 29-Aug. 1 - Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Covercraft Stop 6 at Lake Champlain (Plattsburgh, N.Y.)
- Presented by Wiley X
- Aug. 6-11 - Bass Pro Tour Stage Six at Cayuga Lake (Union Springs, N.Y.)
- Presented by Googan Baits
- Aug. 16-21 - Tackle Warehouse TITLE at the St. Lawrence River (Massena, N.Y.)
- Presented by Mercury
- Sept. 10-15 - Bass Pro Tour Stage Seven at Mille Lacs Lake (Onamia, Minn.)
- Presented by Johnson Outdoors
The contest will end on Sept. 10, 2022, the start of the final Bass Pro Tour event of the season. Full contest rules can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com/promorules.
In addition to playing for the Toyota Tundra and Phoenix Boat prize package, fans can also create and join private leagues to compete against friends and family, then watch the live streams and SCORETRACKER® leaderboard to watch their team racking up the points.
Fantasy Fishing players also are competing for an all-expense-paid fishing trip with Bass Pro Tour angler Justin Lucas to the season-long winner on the Bass Pro Tour, an all-expense-paid fishing trip with REDCREST 2022 Champion Bobby Lane to the season-long winner on the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit, and new Abu Garcia rod and reel combos to the overall top 25 point-scorers in each Bass Pro Tour and Pro Circuit event.
Proud sponsors of MLF Fantasy Fishing include: Abu Garcia, Bally Bet, Fenwick, Mercury Marine, Phoenix Boats and Toyota.
For complete details and updated information about MLF Fantasy Fishing, visit FantasyFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
AC Insider Podcast - Mr. Consistency
On this Dads Day edition of the AC Insider Podcast, Chris & The boys welcome in Pickwick Elite Series Champ Brandon Lester to the show to talk about his win, his family and the legacy he hopes to leave on this sport. Listen, Did you know that he has finished in the top 30 in over 50% of his tournamtents with BASS? Now you do. Check it out!
2nd Annual High School Bass Fishing Teams Conference
It’s that time of the year again, and the STL Bass Fishing Alliance’s 2nd Annual Regional High School Bass Fishing Conference is scheduled for December 10th, 2022 at Vianney High School here in St. Louis.
We would like to inquire if your company would be interested in our Sponsorship to help raise funds or participate in donorship of items for our raffle or giveaways for the participating students. During our first Conference, we had approximately 75 students from various High School Fishing Teams from the St. Louis Metro area. This number is expected to double with the inclusion of Central Illinois High Schools, with the maximum number of attendees set at 150 students.
Last year, businesses like yours, contributed resources for the raffles and gift bags which were presented to all attending students. In addition to prizes and handouts, due to the generous donations, we were able to furnish all attendees with free lunch, snacks and beverages throughout the day.
Please join us this year by supporting this program through your needed sponsorship. All sponsors receive recognition before, during and after the event through banners on Conference Day, as well as internet postings. New this year, will be booth spaces for a limited number of booths. These will be available on a First Come, First Served basis.
We would like to thank past sponsorship participants for their support in making that Conference such a huge success and welcome your participation again this year and new supporters that come onboard. These young High School anglers are the future of fishing and are responsible for the industry growth!!
Should you require additional information or have additional questions, please feel free to contact either of the Event Coordinators listed below via cell phone or emails listed. An address is supplied for those wishing to provide donated items.
We want to personally thank you for helping make this 2nd Annual Conference the success we hope it will be!!
Rod Magrew/Event Coordinator/STL Bass Fishing Alliance LLC/636-262-0763/[email protected]
Pat Bowden/Event Coordinator/STL Bass Fishing Alliance LLC/ 314-322-3525/[email protected]
13th Annual High School Fishing National Championship and World Finals Event Set for Florence, Alabama
Prestigious High School Fishing National Championship to Offer Millions in Scholarships and Prizes
FLORENCE, Ala. (June 14, 2022) – The premier High School Fishing event in the world is slated to be held next week, June 22-25, in Florence, Alabama on Pickwick and Wilson Lakes. The 13th Annual High School Fishing World Finals and National Championship dual event is expecting another record field for this event. Teams from most U.S. States and multiple foreign countries, including Canada, Zimbabwe, and South Africa, are expected to compete for a share of the richest prize pool in all of bass fishing – the total amount of scholarships and prizes offered up for grabs at this event is an eye-popping $3 million dollars, according to the TBF Student Angler Federation (SAF).
“On behalf of the Florence-Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau, we are excited to host the High School Fishing World Finals and National Championship again in 2022,” stated Tyler Dolan, Manager of Group and Sports Sales for the Florence-Lauderdale CVB. “This is an event that our community is always looking forward to. We can’t wait to seethe young anglers on Pickwick Lake and in the Shoals soon.”
The student anglers pay no entry fee to compete in this one-of-a-kind dual event. The World Finals portion is the largest of all national High School events, and where the bulk of the prizes and scholarships are awarded. It is also the most difficult to win. The World Finals is open to any SAF member in the world, so all anglers attending will be competing in the World Finals. At the same time, on the dual-stage, the top 10% of High School teams from all SAF sanctioned events – including Major League Fishing High School Fishing Presented by Favorite Fishing Open tournaments – in the last year are qualified to compete in the National Championship event, with its own set of prizes and scholarships that will top $500,000. The National Championship qualified teams are entered into both events and have a chance at both prize pools all in one trip.
Each High School team consists of three people to a boat – two High School Fishing anglers and their adult boat captain or coach. Altogether, the 2022 High School Fishing World Finals and National Championship are estimated to bring roughly 3,000 people connected to Florence, Alabama, for this week-long event.
“We are excited to be heading back to Florence, Alabama,” stated The Bass Federation’s President and CEO, Robert Cartlidge. “Florence ‘fits’ this event as it has a great facility, a great fishery, and many things for the families to do while in the area. And the anglers love it.
“From the start, neither the TBF /SAF, nor our partners in fishing at MLF – who were among the first to join our SAF movement and grow it side by side with us – require any entry fees for our regular High School events,
Cartlidge continued. “Nor do we pay cash to kids at High School events. It is always prizes and scholarships. The result has been the explosion we currently see in High School Fishing participation nationwide, and it all adds up to a good wholesome experience for the kids and their families, which is what we all want.”
Student anglers will launch each day at 5:30 a.m. CT from McFarland Park, located at 200 Jim Spain Drive in Florence. Weigh-ins will also be held at McFarland Park, beginning at 1:30 p.m.each day. Fans are welcome to attend and encouraged to follow the event live online through weigh-in broadcasts and daily coverage at HighSchoolFishing.org.
In addition to the college scholarships and prizes offered, the High School Fishing National Champions will also advance to the 2022 MLF Toyota Series Championship, held Nov. 3-5 on Lake Guntersville in Guntersville, Alabama, to compete as co-anglers and a shot at the top prize of a new Phoenix 518 Pro boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard.
For complete details and updated tournament information, visit HighSchoolFishing.org. For regular High School Fishing updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow High School Fishing on Facebook and on MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
Black Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Neely Henry Lake
GADSDEN, Ala. (June 13, 2022) – Boater Lee Black of Danville, Alabama, caught five bass Saturday weighing 15 pounds, 6 ounces, to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on Neely Henry Lake . The tournament, hosted by the City of Gadsden, was the fourth event for the Bass Fishing League Bama Division. Black earned $4,315 for his victory.
“I started off and ran about 40 minutes to my first place, and it was kind of slow for the first two hours,” Black said. “I had four fish in the livewell, and one that weighed 3½ pounds. Then, about noon, the bigger fish started biting and I caught three 4-pounders.”
Black said he focused on an upriver section of Neely Henry and caught 10 bass, including eight keepers, during the course of the day. He said a vibrating jig accounted for most of his keeper fish. He added that two of his biggest fish came while flipping a Z-Man Palmetto BugZ creature bait.
“I have fished a lot of BFL events and have finished second and third, but never have won one,” Black said. “It feels good to finally get one.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Lee Black, Danville, Ala., five bass, 15-6, $4,315
2nd: Kris Colley, Ragland, Ala., five bass, 15-0, $2,767
3rd: Wes Logan, Springville, Ala., five bass, 14-15, $1,439
4th: Scott Chatham, Kingston, Ga., five bass, 13-7, $1,007
5th: Mark McCaig, Oxford, Ala., five bass, 13-5, $1,563 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
6th: Taylor Parker, Lake View, Ala., five bass, 12-8, $1,441
7th: Jason Nixon, Wetumpka, Ala., five bass, 12-3, $683
7th: Bradley Jones, Aragon, Ga., five bass, 12-3, $683
9th: Beau Gregory, Tallassee, Ala., four bass, 11-14, $575
10th: David Wesson, Southside, Ala., five bass, 11-12, $503
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Colley had a largemouth that weighed 5 pounds, 11 ounces that was the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division and earned the day’s Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $610.
Mike Langdale of Sycamore, Georgia, won the Strike King Co-angler Division and $2,657 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 11 pounds, 6 ounces.
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:
1st: Mike Langdale, Sycamore, Ga., five bass, 11-6, $2,657
2nd: Kade Kitchens, Southside, Ala., five bass, 10-8, $1,079
3rd: Johnny Suratt, Lawrenceburg, Tenn., five bass, 10-5, $717
4th: William Maddox, Trussville, Ala., five bass, 9-13, $503
5th: Jon Huffine, Powder Springs, Ga., five bass, 9-8, $413
5th: Rodney Thompson, Highland Home, Ala., five bass, 9-8, $413
7th: Justin Nalley, Fayetteville, Ga., five bass, 9-2, $360
8th: Cameron Petras, Biloxi, Miss., five bass, 9-1, $324
9th: Daniel Buswell Jr., Fayetteville, Ga., five bass, 8-13, $288
10th: Michael Corbett, Oxford, Ala., five bass, 8-9, $252
Marrell Deering of Rome, Georgia, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 4 pounds, 5 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Berkley Big Bass Co-angler award of $305.
After four events, Robbie Robinson of Mobile, Alabama, leads the Bass Fishing League Bama Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 961 points, while Mike Langdale of Sycamore, Georgia, leads the Strike King Co-Angler Division AOY race with 979 points.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered 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.
Defew Claims Victory at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Kentucky-Barkley Lakes
Elmore Wins Strike King Co-Angler Division
GILBERTSVILLE, Ky. (June 13, 2022) – Boater Jeff Defew of Benton, Kentucky, caught five bass Saturday weighing 21 pounds, 10 ounces, to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on Kentucky-Barkley Lakes. The tournament, hosted by Kentucky Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau, was the third event for the Bass Fishing League LBL Division. Defew earned $5,428 for his victory.
“We’ve got a lot of really good fishermen in this area, and a lot of people come in and fish Kentucky Lake,” Defew said. “It’s very competitive. It’s a dream to win one of these trophies. I’ve always wanted one.
“It just feels awesome,” Defew went on to say. “I own a body shop and work 50 hours a week, and I fish on weekends and after work. So, for an ordinary guy to win one of these against guys who get to fish a lot feels really good.”
Defew, who said he considers himself a “north end” fisherman on Kentucky Lake, said he focused on fishing from Kenlake Resort State Park to the dam during the event. Defew said he caught eight to 10 keepers during the course of the day. The bass fell for a Berkley Power Worm, as well as a jig and a Strike King 10XD crankbait.
“Kentucky Lake is as competitive as any other body of water out there,” Defew said. “Our lake has changed, but it’s definitely getting better. Even on its worst day it’s still a lot better than a lot of lakes you can go to.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Jeff Defew, Benton, Ky., five bass, 21-10, $5,428
2nd: Dan Morehead, Paducah, Ky., five bass, 17-4, $3,049
3rd: Sam Boss, Paducah, Ky., five bass, 16-0, $1,478
4th: David Seaton, Springville, Tenn., five bass, 15-13, $1,033
5th: Keith Amerson, Bethel Springs, Tenn., five bass, 15-5, $886
6th: Drew Lynch, Paducah, Ky., five bass, 15-1, $812
7th: Gary Singleton, Dickson, Tenn., five bass, 14-15, $738
8th: Larry Bailey, Paducah, Ky., five bass, 14-11, $864
9th: Bobby Wade, Mayfield, Ky., five bass, 14-7, $590
10th: Stu Moyer, Hardin, Ky., five bass, 14-1, $491
10th: Kasey Alexander, Dawson Springs, Ky., five bass, 14-1, $491
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Dan Morehead of Paducah, Kentucky, had a largemouth that weighed 7 pounds, 4 ounces that was the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division and earned the day’s Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $635.
Jim Elmore of Independence, Ky., won the Strike King Co-angler Division and $2,314 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 15 pounds, 13 ounces.
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:
1st: Jim Elmore, Independence, Ky., five bass, 15-13, $2,314
2nd: Drake Horn, Murphysboro, Ill., five bass, 14-10, $1,424
3rd: William Walsh, Bon Aqua, Tenn., five bass, 12-1, $738
4th: Ed Daniell, West Frankfort, Ill., five bass, 11-15, $667
5th: Jay Fields, Breese, Ill., five bass, 10-14, $443
6th: Barry Gunter, Trafalger, Ind., four bass, 10-3, $406
7th: Ronald Franks, Hermitage, Tenn., four bass, 9-14, $369
8th: Shane Ross, Pembroke, Ky., three bass, 8-15, $332
9th: Stan Evans, Newburgh, Ind., four bass, 8-11, $276
9th: Chanler Fleetwood, Vallonia, Ind., three bass, 8-11, $276
Drake Horn of Murphysboro, Illinois, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 5 pounds, 14 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Berkley Big Bass Co-angler award of $317.
After three events, Billy Schroeder of Paducah, Kentucky, leads the Bass Fishing League LBL Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 694 points, while Ed Daniell of West Frankfort, Illinois, leads the Strike King Co-Angler Division AOY race with 723 points.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered 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.
Mellott Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on the Potomac River
Allen Takes Strike King Co-Angler Division
MARBURY, Md. (June 13, 2022) – Boater Jeff Mellott of Warfordsburg, Pennsylvania, caught five bass Saturday weighing 20 pounds, 4 ounces, to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on the Potomac River. The tournament, hosted by the Charles County Board of Commissioners, was the second event for the Bass Fishing League Northeast Division. Mellott earned $3,842 for his victory.
“In practice it was pretty obvious that an outgoing tide was going to be key, and the tide lined up really good for the tournament for me,” Mellott said. “I started out flipping pads in Mattawoman Creek and got a couple of fish out of the pads. Once the tide was pretty much out, I transitioned over to some grass and finished up my limit.”
Mellot said he used a green-pumpkin-colored Zoom Brush Hog, pegged with a 3/8-ounce weight to flip pads. He switched to a ¼-ounce weight when he targeted the grass. Mellot said he caught 12 bass during the course of the day, nine of which were keepers.
“I had a 20-pound bag by 9 o’clock, and I was pretty sure something special was going on,” Mellott said. “But you never know on the Potomac, and somebody can always bust one of those 24- or 25-pound bags. I’ve seen it happen. Nothing’s ever in the bag when it’s the Potomac.
“This is my first year fishing as a boater, and to get a win is pretty special,” Mellott added. “I’ve had a couple as a co-angler, but to get one as a boater is something special.
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Jeff Mellott, Warfordsburg, Pa., five bass, 20-4, $3,842
2nd: John Hauserman, Ellicott City, Md., five bass, 18-2, $1,921
3rd: Chris Jackson, Jeffersonton, Va., five bass, 17-13, $1,282
4th: Charlie Reed Jr., Gloucester, Va., five bass, 17-6, $1,032
4th: Peter Webster, Alexandria, Va., five bass, 17-6, $832
6th: Lenny Baird, Stafford, Va., five bass, 16-13, $1,404
7th: Joe Wilkerson, Vienna, Va., five bass, 16-10, $640
8th: David Houchens, Bowie, Md., five bass, 16-9, $576
9th: Darryl Esterly, Fleetwood, Pa., five bass, 16-6, $512
10th: Ernie Freeman, Broad Run, Va., five bass, 16-5, $948 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Alex Pirowski of Occoquan, Virginia, had a largemouth that weighed 5 pounds, 8 ounces that was the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division and earned the day’s Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $510.
Keith Allen of Midland, Virginia, won the Strike King Co-angler Division and $2,021 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 16 pounds, 8 ounces.
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:
1st: Keith Allen, Midland, Va., five bass, 16-8, $2,021
2nd: Troy Mills, Lewistown, Pa., five bass, 15-2, $1,160
3rd: Chris Hurley, Carlisle, Pa., five bass, 15-1, $641
4th: Richard Jensen, Virginia Beach, Va., five bass, 14-15, $448
5th: Paul Kimball, Glastonbury, Conn., five bass, 14-14, $384
6th: Calvin Bush, Mifflinburg, Pa., five bass, 14-11, $352
7th: Shawn Minch, five bass, 14-8, $320
8th: Scott Minch, Feasterville, Pa., five bass, 14-7, $288
9th: James Pesilo, five bass, 14-4, $256
10th: Josh Escobar, Bethany, Conn., five bass, 14-3, $213
10th: Nate Barker, Newmanstown, Pa., five bass, 14-3, $213
Richard Allen caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 4 pounds, 2 ounces, to earn the day’s Berkley Big Bass Co-angler award of $255.
After two events, Michael Duarte of Baltimore, Maryland, leads the Bass Fishing League Northeast Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 486 points, while Richard Jensen of Virginia Beach, Virginia, leads the Strike King Co-Angler Division AOY race with 494 points.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered 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.
Cavender and Georgia’s Durham Tie for Win at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Lake Eufaula
Armstrong Tops Strike King Co-Angler Division
EUFAULA, Ala. (June 13, 2022) – Boaters Mike Cavender of Phenix City, Alabama, and Joe Durham of Albany, Georgia, both caught five bass Saturday weighing 19 pounds, 14 ounces, to tie for the win at the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on Lake Eufaula . The tournament was the fourth event for the Bass Fishing League Bulldog Division. Cavender and Durham each earned $3,514 for their victory.
“The first place I stopped at I caught two of the fish I weighed in,” Durham said. “Things went well the rest of the day, and I made some weight upgrades and filled out my limit.”
Durham said he caught 20 fish during the day – all keepers – by fishing ledges from Kiwiki Creek to the causeway with a Picasso Aaron Martens Heavy Cover Shock Blade Pro vibrating jig, a Duo Realis Crankbait G87 15A and a locally produced bladed jig that produced his biggest fish of the day.
“I’ve fished this lake for a long time, and this feels great,” Durham said.
Cavender, an offshore fisherman who said he has fished Eufaula for 27 years, said his experience on the body of water finally paid off at the event. He said he targeted 16 schools of fish in 10 to 20 feet of water around mid-lake and further north.
Cavender said he started the day targeting fish in 10 feet that he had marked under early cloud cover, and then transitioned to deeper water as the day progressed. His bait of choice was a chartreuse shad-colored Strike King Pro Model 5XD Crankbait.
“On my first cast I caught a 4-pounder,” Cavender said. “My second cast gave me a 3½-pounder. So I was happy.”
Cavender’s streak of quality fish continued, and he said he had a limit of 17 pounds in the first 30 minutes of the competition.
“I was just praying I could catch a 5-pounder and a 4-pounder and get 15 pounds total,” Cavender said. “I had no idea I was going to catch five 4-pounders.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Mike Cavender, Phenix City, Ala., five bass, 19-14, $3,514
1st: Joe Durham, Albany, Ga., five bass, 19-14, $3,514
3rd: Matthew O’Connell, Brooks, Ga., five bass, 18-3, $2,362 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
4th: Baylor Ronemus, Tiger, Ga., five bass, 17-9, $1,093
5th: Payton Morgan, Woodstock, Ga., five bass, 16-0, $937
6th: Bobby Padgett, Lagrange, Ga., five bass, 15-3, $820
6th: Buddy Benson, Dawsonville, Ga., five bass, 15-3, $820
8th: Ethan Greene, Eufaula, Ala., five bass, 14-14, $703
9th: Chandler Ray, Georgetown, Ga., five bass, 14-11, $625
10th: Will Harkins, Blairsville, Ga., five bass, 14-10, $547
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Blake Layfield of Sparks, Georgia, had a largemouth that weighed 6 pounds, 3 ounces that was the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division and earned the day’s Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $690.
Noah Armstrong of Fayetteville, Georgia, won the Strike King Co-angler Division and $2,688 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 20 pounds, 7 ounces.
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:
1st: Noah Armstrong, Fayetteville, Ga., five bass, 20-7, $2,688
2nd: Alan Ray, Georgetown, Ga., five bass, 14-13, $1,172
3rd: Thai-Son-Le, Macon, Ga., five bass, 13-9, $781
4th: Timothy Stone, Conyers, Ga., five bass, 11-6, $547
5th: Jeff Rikard, Leesville, S.C., four bass, 11-3, $719
6th: Jeff Cook, Columbus, Ga., five bass, 11-1, $430
7th: William Mercer, Cumming, Ga., five bass, 10-10, $391
8th: Zach Lineberry, Dothan, Ala., five bass, 9-15, $351
9th: Chris Davies, Milner, Ga., five bass, 9-14, $312
10th: Jeffrey Payne, Danville, Ga., five bass, 9-13, $273
Armstrong also caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 5 pounds, 15 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Berkley Big Bass Co-angler award of $345.
After four events, Kip Carter of Eatonton, Georgia, leads the Bass Fishing League Bulldog Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 969 points, while Donald Peppers of Good Hope, Georgia, leads the Strike King Co-Angler Division AOY race with 946 points.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered 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.
VanDam’s generosity may lead to more 10-pounders at Grand Lake
Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships
If you catch a 10-pound bass from Oklahoma’s iconic Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees a few years from now, Kevin VanDam is probably the first person you should thank.
VanDam, a Michigan native, and the man most consider the greatest tournament bass angler of all time, generously gave $5,000 to the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife for the purchase of several thousand fingerling bass containing “F1” genetics.
The fingerlings feature a cross between cold weather tolerant native largemouth genes, and Florida strain bass genes known for their fast and weighty growth, and as of June 2, 2022 there are 31,000 of the fingerlings now swimming in Grand.
“Grand Lake has always been special to me. I have two major wins on Grand, and I’ve always felt really at home there. So, during MLF’s REDCREST event on Grand this spring, Sherry and I wanted to do something special as a gift from the Kevin VanDam Foundation to give back to that particular fishery,” explains VanDam.
However, much like it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a group effort to raise trophy-size largemouth bass. And the fact so many private donors were inspired by VanDam’s donation and matched his efforts financially to help increase the number of fingerlings purchased is impressive.
Groups like the Swank Family Foundation, Whiskey Point at Grand Lake, Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Foundation, Southstone Construction, Flying Squirrel Farms and others combined to join VanDam’s generosity, and quickly raised around $40,000 total for the purchase of nearly 100,000 F1 genetic fingerling largemouth over the next few years.
“The goal is not to add more fish to Grand Lake, because Grand already has a highly abundant largemouth population. So, our stocking rate is only going to be around two fish per acre,” says Brad Johnston, ODWC Fisheries Biologist.
By the numbers, while two fingerlings per acre may not seem like a lot, depending on how water levels and natural predation affect this particular group of fingerlings, statistics prove around 20,000 of these Florida-strain fish will likely be swimming as fast-growing adults in Grand Lake a few years from now.
“The goal of this project is to stock fish with the potential to reach 8 to 10-pounds more frequently than we historically see caught at Grand,” adds Johnston, who is tremendously grateful for the wave of generosity VanDam began.
The bottom line is the bottom line. It costs money to grow fish, especially larger fingerlings of the F1 genetic variety.
And even though a ‘trial run’ at nearby Lake Eucha proves F1 are handling the colder climate of Northeastern Oklahoma and beginning to flourish, that doesn’t mean agencies such as the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife can afford to raise the hundreds of thousands of fingerlings necessary to make an impact on a much larger reservoir like Grand.
“Kevin and Sherry VanDam’s donation got the ball rolling. Others generously matched their donation, and collectively they allowed us to keep going with our F1 stocking program on Grand. To have an angler of Kevin VanDam’s caliber choose to help us like he did deserves a huge thank you,” concludes biologist Johnston in grateful fashion.
Jerry Hartline Robbin Vaughn win ABT Lake Guntersville with 24.57
by Jason Duran
Scottsboro, Ala June 11- Lake Guntersville was the final stop for the Alabama Bass Trail North Division’s regular season. With this being the final event of the season, teams were not just competing to claim the $10,000 first place prize in this event. They also competed throughout the season to accumulate AOY points hoping to finish in the top 75 to qualify for the ABT championship. Teams in the top 9 will qualify to fish the Bassmaster Team Championship, and the team with the highest overall points will be crowned AOY for the north division. With 22 teams catching over 19 pounds and the first-place team of Jerry Hartline and Robbin Vaughn weighing in 24.57 pounds, Lake Guntersville continues to be one of the top lakes in the country.
Jerry and Robbin were boat number 218 to start the day and knew the places they wanted to fish down river would probably be occupied by the rest of the field before they were able to get there. They decided to make a short idle over to the point just past take off and start fishing which would give them the opportunity to fish without having to share water with other teams. They went to work fishing in the grass using a buzzbait and a ChatterBait looking for the early morning bite. “We caught a keeper fairly quick and had a blow up on the buzzbait, so we followed up with the ChatterBait and caught a 5-pounder. We missed another 5-pounder right after. We could have weighed in over 26-pounds today, but we missed those. We started working our way down the lake after a lull in the action fishing some areas that we found in practice. Those areas weren’t productive for us, so we decided to try an area about 200 yards down lake, and it was there that we caught our biggest fish of the day (7.35 pounds) on a homemade ‘Parker Jolly senko.’ There was another lull after that making it almost noon until we got our limit. The key for us was using our mapping to find areas that looked good to us where we didn’t have to share the water with other teams. We are from Smith Lake where we flip boat docks a lot, so we decided if we could flip boat docks, we could flip grass.” The team caught about 20 fish throughout the day primarily using the Jolly Senko in green pumpkin fished weightless and rigged wacky style and an Evergreen Jackhammer in a chartreuse and shad pattern. With this win Jerry and Robin automatically qualify for the ABT Championship. Before this event they were well out of the top 100, so they were excited to get the win and the $10,000 first place.
The team of Dean Nelson and Clyde Hunt finished in 2nd place with 22.74 pounds and collected $5,000. In practice they spent a lot of time in Roseberry Creek. Late Friday they tried an area down river and quickly caught better quality fish, so they decided to start there. Taking off as boat 105 they hoped nobody would be on their spot when they arrived. The area they located was in the back of Seibold creak near the Marina. “Our home lake is Weiss Lake, and it doesn’t have as much grass as Guntersville. We fish the grass, but we don’t like to fish it as much. So, we located an area with a little less grass, and we were able to fish it better.” They fished a Dirty Jigs in black, blue and green pumpkin flipping boat docks around the marina along the grass edge. “There were lot of other teams scattered around in the area, but none of them were fishing in our area. We fished the jig by making long casts twitching it back to the boat. Because we aren’t used to fishing the grass, the fish can sneak up. When you’re working the bait back to the boat, sometimes it feels like a wet sock- that’s the bite! You got to be sharp and ready to catch these fish.”
Lance Whitaker and Jeremy Briscoe live on the lake in Browns Creek, so they were able to spend some time practicing a few weeks ago and a couple hours on Friday locating fish. They located a few spots south between take off and the 431 bridge. The plan was to make a run to those spots and fish. They started out boat number 19, and as they drove south, each time they passed a spot, they found it was already being fished by other local fishermen. Continuing the run, they ended up in their home creek and decided to fish. Rotating through baits like NetBait Mini Kickin’, a 12-inch Texas rigged worm, a jig and spinnerbait, they caught a limit of about 17-pounds by 5:45. Catching three more quality fish, they culled up to 22.56 pounds and didn’t catch any other quality fish after 10:45. The team finished 5th earlier this year at Weiss Lake and finished the year 41 in points qualifying for the ABT Championship. With this 3rd place finish, they collected a $4,000 pay day.
Wesley Sams and Jordan Wiggins were crowned Anglers of the Year for the North Division earning them another trip to the Bassmaster Team Championship this year on Lake Hartwell and another shot at the Bassmaster Classic. Last year Jordan qualified and fished the Bassmaster Classic. They are excited about fishing Lake Hartwell because it sets up much like Smith Lake where they call home. The top 9 teams from each ABT Division qualify for the Bassmaster Team Championship. The North qualifiers are listed below:
Top 9 Teams AOY North Division
1 Wesley Sams/Jordan Wiggins 1037
2 Gregory Lamb/David Powell 999
3 Mitch Mitchell/Candler Mccollum 955
4 Benjie Seaborn/Johnathan Seaborn 954
5 Justin Lane/Luke Mason 952
6 Nolen Spencer/Jonathon Reese 951
7 Greg Tomlin/Jeremy Tomlin 936
8 Damien Willis/Tyler Kiker 927
9 Craig Grubbs/Matt Ferguson 913
The top five standings are below for a complete list of standings please visit:
https://www.alabamabasstrail.org/lake-guntersville/results/
Download and listen to the ABT Podcast on your favorite Podcast app by searching for “Alabama Bass Trail Podcast.” The Podcast is released each week on Tuesday.
KLEIN AND MATHEWS CELEBRATE SUMMER WITH A RECORD-BREAKING WIN ON LAKE OKEECHOBEE
CLEWISTON, FL – When South Florida heats up and the water temperature creeps into the mid to upper 80’s, anglers start talking about the Dog Days of Summer. But on Saturday, Lake Okeechobee decided the start of summer needed more of a celebration than a hibernation. With a record-breaking event, it was Hawg Day Afternoon.
Qualifier number two of the Roland Martin Marine Center Series on June 11, 2022 presented by HUK fired up early with the eager team of James Klein and Craig Mathews bringing a limit to the stage 2-hours before the official weigh-in was to begin. With a concern for fish care, they gambled on leaving the rest of the 165 teams on the water and put their bag on the scales. What?! Yeah, 37 pounds, 4 ounces. Yeah, that’s just 5 fish. Yeah, that’s a new RMMC Series record.
“We were culling 5 pounders,” Mathews said. “We probably caught 50 fish today. Biggest bag we’ve ever caught.”
“We were fishing Fire House Baits stick bait in dark with a blue tip,” Klein said. “Quarter ounce weight just working the bottom.”
The record limit not only led to the winning check of $6,300, but also netted the team top Mercury Contingency, Top Huk Winner and 2nd big bass for one big payday.
In second place with a total weight of 28.87 pounds was the father and son team of Alex Terescenko Sr. & Jr.
“I was targeting bluegill beds and ran into some spawning fish as well,” Terescenko Jr said. “We caught fish from first light to lines up. And it’s definitely a blessing to fish with my father.”
Their bait of choice was ¾ oz. HawgTech with a Gambler Mega Daddy. All on the 7’6” Scenko Sticks Reed Beater. The second place fish earned the team $3,150.
Rounding out the top three was the team of Hoinig and Wieteha with a total weight of 28.5 pounds anchored by a 7.99 pounder on Gambler Goat Swimjig with an EZ Swimmer. They also caught a few on a frog to cap off the catch and net the team $1,600 for the third place finish.
Not only did the day produce the record-breaking winning weight but the top 24 teams brought in 20 pound plus bags with well over half the field weighing in 5 fish limits. Just take a look at the gallery. It’s a non-stop parade of monster bags. Dog Days of Summer? Hardly. This big-bass party is just getting started.
As the highest paying team tournament trail in Florida, the payouts continued deep into the 165 team field for the second qualifier of the 2022 season.
The U.S. Sugar Big Bass of 9.12 pounds earned Brad Gibson $500. Co-Winner James Klein brought in the 2nd Big Bass of 8.98 pounds and earned him $100 Gambler Bucks. As the highest finishing anglers to cross the stage in HUK Gear the champions also received an additional $250 and another $250 as the highest finishing Mercury powered team. Sharon Harris received $100 from Mary Ann Martin as the highest fishing Female Angler. The highest finishing Mercury Youth Angler earned Dalton McKinstry $100. Gilbert Chevrolet presented the team of Rick Wilhelm and Dell Hatfield $250 as the highest finishing Gilbert Chevrolet owner. And with 5 bass weighing just 5.78 pounds, the team of John Tavano and Ernie Johnson turned the smallest limit into $300 from AV Inspection – again 😄
That’s how you welcome Summer on Lake Okeechobee. A record-breaking second act that is leading up to the biggest season yet and a Championship finale in December like never before. Make sure you don’t miss out and register your team early for the next qualifier on October 8, 2022. Be safe and have a great summer!
Midland High Claims Another Victory At Bassmaster High School Series Event On Saginaw Bay
Brady Pinwar and Alec Albrecht of Midland High School have won the Abu Garcia Bassmaster High School Series at Saginaw Bay presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors with a total of 21 pounds, 9 ounces.
Photo by Kyle Jessie/B.A.S.S.
June 11, 2022
BAY CITY, Mich. — Despite giant waves and heavy winds that prevented them from effectively fishing their preferred areas, Brady Pinwar and Alec Albrecht from Midland High School became repeat champions on Saginaw Bay by catching 21 pounds, 9 ounces to win the 2022 Abu Garcia Bassmaster High School Series presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors.
“Once B.A.S.S. announced they were coming here for another high school tournament, instantly we were both pumped and were like, ‘We have to go back-to-back.’ We have some good history out here and got it done,” Pinwar said.
Pinwar and Albrecht were followed by Fenton High School anglers Mitch Straffon and Hank Sturm with 20-7 and the Freeland High School duo of Brayden Ruckman and Nate Helmreich with 20-6, both teams that finished inside the Top 3 during the 2021 event.
While Saginaw Bay serves as their home lake, Albrecht said winning last year’s tournament helped their mental game this year.
“We came into this tournament knowing we had it in us and knowing the same spots stuck around,” he said. “We just believed in ourselves.”
Using an area similar to the one that produced 23-4 during their victory a year ago, Pinwar and Albrecht targeted spawning flats where they could see the smallmouth set up on bed. A late boat draw Friday night was just the beginning of a number of obstacles they had to overcome to win as the wind kicked up earlier than expected, making sight fishing extremely difficult.
“The waves and the wind were not on our side at all,” Albrecht said. “We were sitting in 5-footers all day trying to catch fish. We stumbled across a few later in the day and then finally on one of our last casts we caught the biggest one.”
“There wasn’t a lot of sun out either,” Pinwar added. “It was obviously hard to see them. For the first half of the day, we were blind casting to try and catch some cruisers. They were either pre- or postspawn.”
The morning was not as productive as they hoped, as they only landed three keepers by noon. Around that time, however, the sun came out and they were able to see a couple of bass on beds.
“We went up to one bed and there were two fish on it, and we caught them on back-to-back casts,” Pinwar said. “Then we went to one of the big ones we had marked. We caught it at the last minute and went in and got it done.”
All of their bass were caught on a drop-shot rig.
Straffon and Strum wanted to head out to the big water and catch smallmouth as well, but when they completed the idle up the Saginaw River and evaluated the conditions on Saginaw Bay, they turned back and pivoted to the largemouth bite.
“I wasn’t too happy with it, but at the end of the day our safety matters the most,” said Straffon, a member of the 2021 Bassmaster High School All-American Fishing Team presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors. “We knew we had a few fish back here. We didn’t know it would be that much. We put our heads down all day and flipped.”
Using two different colored jigs, they targeted a stretch of main-river bank lined with rocks and laydowns. Most of their bass were located next to the bank while a couple bit as they brought their jigs closer to the drop-off.
“We knew a lot of these fish were super pressured,” Strum said. “We both picked up a jig. We really moved slowly and they would pick it up and swim off the drop.”
Dallas Taylor and Hayden Thomas from Stilwell High School caught the Big Bass of the tournament, a 4-13 largemouth.
Saginaw Bay was the final regular-season event of the year, and now qualified teams will set their sights on Lake Hartwell for the 2022 Abu Garcia Bassmaster High School Championship presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors Aug. 11-13.
2022 Abu Garcia Bassmaster High School Series at Saginaw Bay presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors 6/11-6/12
Saginaw Bay, Bay City MI.
(BOATER) Standings Day 1
Angler Club/School Pts
1. Brady Pinwar - Alec Albrecht Midland High School 0
Day 1: 5 21-09 Total: 5 21-09
2. Mitch Straffon - Hank Sturm Fenton High School 0
Day 1: 5 20-07 Total: 5 20-07
3. Brayden Ruckman - Nate Helmreich Freeland High School 0
Day 1: 5 20-06 Total: 5 20-06
4. Reece Keeney - Bryce Moder Northeast Wisconsin Bass 0
Day 1: 5 19-09 Total: 5 19-09
5. Derek Davis - Connor Jaco Mt.Pleasant Bass Team 0
Day 1: 5 18-09 Total: 5 18-09
6. Mason Snider - Dalton Benson Mount Juliet Fishing 0
Day 1: 5 18-09 Total: 5 18-09
7. Presley Lannom - Morgan Lannom Mt Juliet Fishing 0
Day 1: 5 17-12 Total: 5 17-12
8. Cole Jimkoski - Jack Sprague Freeland High School 0
Day 1: 5 17-11 Total: 5 17-11
9. Max Himmel - Tyler Morris Catholic High School of Baton Ro 0
Day 1: 5 17-10 Total: 5 17-10
9. Ryan Kahut - Noah Varitek Michigan A1 Anglers 0
Day 1: 5 17-10 Total: 5 17-10
11. Andrew Haney - Kenneth Young Martin County High School 0
Day 1: 5 16-11 Total: 5 16-11
12. Carter Pjesky - JD McBroom Kaneland High School 0
Day 1: 5 16-08 Total: 5 16-08
13. Dallas Taylor - Hayden Thomas Stilwell High School 0
Day 1: 5 16-05 Total: 5 16-05
14. Austin Benson - Brendan Brown Mount Juliet 0
Day 1: 5 16-02 Total: 5 16-02
15. Trey Richardson - Reid Luckett Free State Bass 0
Day 1: 5 15-14 Total: 5 15-14
16. Lainey Judson - Ella Winchell Terre Haute North HS 0
Day 1: 5 15-11 Total: 5 15-11
17. Kyle Johnson - Carson Kellogg Black Swamp Youth Bass Club 0
Day 1: 5 15-03 Total: 5 15-03
17. Reece Nixon - John Stark Soddy Daisy High School 0
Day 1: 5 15-03 Total: 5 15-03
19. Adam Dionne - Zach Waters Eastside Elites 0
Day 1: 5 15-02 Total: 5 15-02
19. Jerrod Haney - Tanner Young Martin County High School 0
Day 1: 5 15-02 Total: 5 15-02
21. Alex Bowen - Aaron Mills Cardinal Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 5 14-11 Total: 5 14-11
22. Kyle Chouinard - Caleb Cook East side Elites Bass Team 0
Day 1: 5 14-05 Total: 5 14-05
22. Luke Somerville - Leland Fox Gaylord High School 0
Day 1: 5 14-05 Total: 5 14-05
24. Cole Berry - Graham Palmer Terre Haute North High School 0
Day 1: 5 14-04 Total: 5 14-04
25. Tyler Williams - Blaise Gatrell Terre Haute North HS 0
Day 1: 5 13-15 Total: 5 13-15
26. Tristan Fawley - Van Price Carlson High School 0
Day 1: 5 13-14 Total: 5 13-14
27. Nick Seitz - Brock Vogel 419 fishing 0
Day 1: 5 13-12 Total: 5 13-12
28. Lainie Holbert - Sarah Swindle Riverside Bass Team 0
Day 1: 5 13-03 Total: 5 13-03
29. Jake Brown - Preston Kolisek Loretto Mustangs Bass Club 0
Day 1: 5 13-02 Total: 5 13-02
29. Colten Dickerson - Gabe Aldrich Fishhawx 0
Day 1: 5 13-02 Total: 5 13-02
29. Jack Swihart - Rylan Hamlin Jackson Fishing 0
Day 1: 5 13-02 Total: 5 13-02
32. Nathan Frank - Alex Balla Howell high school 0
Day 1: 5 12-11 Total: 5 12-11
33. Benjamin Hester - Mason Caldwell Rhea County High School 0
Day 1: 5 12-09 Total: 5 12-09
34. Ryan Rang - Ben Rickard Lakeland High School 0
Day 1: 5 12-08 Total: 5 12-08
35. Christian Misciagna - Logan Wood Oneida Lake HS Bassmasters 0
Day 1: 5 12-07 Total: 5 12-07
36. Luke Bailey - Luke Barriger Meridian Early College High Scho 0
Day 1: 5 12-06 Total: 5 12-06
36. Brett Mouw - Logan Kinsella The Hill Toppers 0
Day 1: 5 12-06 Total: 5 12-06
36. Nathan Reynolds - Luke Malik Backwoods Bassin 0
Day 1: 5 12-06 Total: 5 12-06
39. Wyatt Carr - Jamie Neel Reeths-Puffer High School 0
Day 1: 5 12-04 Total: 5 12-04
39. Gus Dietrich - Max Phillpotts Powers Catholic High School 0
Day 1: 5 12-04 Total: 5 12-04
41. Alex Herter - Barret Vanmarter Howell High School 0
Day 1: 5 12-02 Total: 5 12-02
41. Andrew Lithgow - Pavel Everest Stevenson highschool 0
Day 1: 5 12-02 Total: 5 12-02
43. Tanner Wolf - Kaleb Casler Dewitt High School 0
Day 1: 5 12-01 Total: 5 12-01
44. Cade Calkins - Brayden Vallie Fruitport High School 0
Day 1: 5 12-00 Total: 5 12-00
45. Harry Richter - Jacob Piniatoglou Saline High School 0
Day 1: 5 11-14 Total: 5 11-14
46. Nick Fashho - Lucas Fashho Eastside Elites 0
Day 1: 5 11-13 Total: 5 11-13
47. Burke Aidan - Caleb Horn Martin County High School 0
Day 1: 5 11-12 Total: 5 11-12
48. William Cothran - Taedem Ashworth Mt. Pleasant High School 0
Day 1: 5 11-09 Total: 5 11-09
48. Luke Lowery - Connor Rumohr Howell High School 0
Day 1: 5 11-09 Total: 5 11-09
48. Gavyn Rapp - Israel Limon Black Swamp Youth Bass Club 0
Day 1: 5 11-09 Total: 5 11-09
48. Ryan Seitz - Brady Osborn Southeastern Bass Anglers 0
Day 1: 5 11-09 Total: 5 11-09
52. Dalton Polega - Sarah Hable Freeland High School 0
Day 1: 5 11-06 Total: 5 11-06
53. C.J. Stanley - Colton Parten Rhea County Eagle Anglers 0
Day 1: 5 11-02 Total: 5 11-02
54. Stone Grove - Wyatt Hamilton Creek Wood High School 0
Day 1: 5 11-01 Total: 5 11-01
55. Corey Parsley - Weston Jude Martin County High School 0
Day 1: 5 10-14 Total: 5 10-14
56. Avery Shoemaker - Samuel Shoemaker Buford High School 0
Day 1: 4 10-13 Total: 4 10-13
57. Camden Judson - Will Gorrell Terre Haute North HS 0
Day 1: 5 10-12 Total: 5 10-12
58. Hunter Kellogg - Tim Fulk Renegades Bass Club 0
Day 1: 5 10-08 Total: 5 10-08
59. Connor Dobrinski - Gage Brouwer Zeeland Fishhawx 0
Day 1: 5 10-06 Total: 5 10-06
60. Riley Spytma - Trent Van Dam Reeths-Puffer High School 0
Day 1: 5 10-04 Total: 5 10-04
61. Henry Fox - Grady Schultz Fruitport High School 0
Day 1: 5 10-02 Total: 5 10-02
62. Evan Ludlow - Mackenzie Taylor Fruitport High School 0
Day 1: 5 10-02 Total: 5 10-02
63. Dylan Mcgee - Caleb Kidder Licking Valley 0
Day 1: 4 09-09 Total: 4 09-09
64. Aaron King - Waupaca Junior Bass Busters 0
Day 1: 5 09-07 Total: 5 09-07
65. Kayden Waller - Andrew Schoenemann Mt. Juliet high school 0
Day 1: 3 09-03 Total: 3 09-03
66. Carson Aarup - Kyle Smith Downeast Fishing 0
Day 1: 5 08-12 Total: 5 08-12
67. William Hoskins - Joshua Vanderpool Wilson Christian Academy 0
Day 1: 3 08-12 Total: 3 08-12
68. Jack Miner - Colin Hull Detroit Catholic Central 0
Day 1: 3 08-10 Total: 3 08-10
69. Annie Lassiter - Madison Pendergraph warren county pioneer anglers 0
Day 1: 4 08-08 Total: 4 08-08
70. Remington Barkley - Carlie Mitchell Hartland 0
Day 1: 4 08-06 Total: 4 08-06
71. Connor Wallace - Sophia Balla Howell High School 0
Day 1: 3 08-05 Total: 3 08-05
72. Thomas Hinshaw - Northville High School 0
Day 1: 3 07-00 Total: 3 07-00
73. Cason Mcnutt - Mt Juliet High School 0
Day 1: 3 05-12 Total: 3 05-12
74. Kolby Angell - Evan Powell Iowa youth fishing league 0
Day 1: 3 05-08 Total: 3 05-08
75. Connor Racine - Drew Brzys Dexter Highschool 0
Day 1: 2 05-07 Total: 2 05-07
76. Alex Standerfer - Collin Mcglin New London High School 0
Day 1: 3 05-02 Total: 3 05-02
77. Nathaniel Terbush - Dima Griffiths Dexter High School 0
Day 1: 2 05-02 Total: 2 05-02
78. Brendan Shinn - Owen Silverson Dexter High School 0
Day 1: 3 04-10 Total: 3 04-10
79. Jacob Policka - Collin Jolman Fruitport High School 0
Day 1: 3 04-09 Total: 3 04-09
80. Peter Duffy - Bryce Formsma GR Bass boys Northview 0
Day 1: 2 04-08 Total: 2 04-08
81. Matthew Wenzell - Nathaniel Wenzell Midland High 0
Day 1: 3 04-07 Total: 3 04-07
82. Jack Hay - Jakob Stamper howell high school 0
Day 1: 2 04-07 Total: 2 04-07
83. Marco Wolf - Jake Maiberger Howell 0
Day 1: 1 04-01 Total: 1 04-01
84. Paxton Giem - Nolan Little Boyne City High School 0
Day 1: 2 03-15 Total: 2 03-15
85. Blake Marcum - William Copley Louisa Bass Club High School 0
Day 1: 1 03-13 Total: 1 03-13
86. Colin Oldfield - Mario Manzardo Lakeland 0
Day 1: 2 03-06 Total: 2 03-06
87. Jeffrey Mansfield - Garrett Schultz Howell High School 0
Day 1: 1 02-14 Total: 1 02-14
88. Mitch Porter - Chase Aaron White Lake Lakeland 0
Day 1: 1 02-11 Total: 1 02-11
89. Miller Pomper - Louie Alpers Benzie Central 0
Day 1: 1 02-04 Total: 1 02-04
90. Alex Decia - Jaylee Lesniak Howell High School 0
Day 1: 1 02-01 Total: 1 02-01
91. Cayden Geurts - Andon Harwood Freeland High School 0
Day 1: 1 02-00 Total: 1 02-00
92. Chase Quillin - Hunter Alviar Reeths-Puffer High School 0
Day 1: 1 01-08 Total: 1 01-08
93. Cougar Fagan - Caden Adams Michigan bass bandits 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
93. Josh Garbarino - Nathan Akahoshi Livonia 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
93. Clay George - Wayland Adkisson BGA Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
93. Colter Mahabir - Matthew Swanson Midland High School 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
93. Miles Smith - Casen Rogers Central Lafourche High School 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
93. Logan Ware - Jack Romatz Midland High 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
BIG BASS OF TOURN
Dallas Taylor Stilwell, OK 04-13 $0.00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 63 384 1023-00
----------------------------------
63 384 1023-00
Linder And Thompson Come From Behind For Bassmaster College Series Win On Saginaw Bay
Brian Linder and Nathan Thompson of Minnesota State-Mankato have won the 2022 Strike King Bassmaster College Series at Saginaw Bay presented by Bass Pro Shops with a two-day total of 44 pounds, 3 ounces.
Photo by Kyle Jessie/B.A.S.S.
June 10, 2022
BAY CITY, Mich. — Since the fifth grade, Nathan Thompson and Brian Linder have been fishing tournaments together but had never been able to seal the deal on a major victory.
That changed Friday when the Minnesota State-Mankato duo claimed the title at the Strike King Bassmaster College Series at Saginaw Bay presented by Bass Pro Shops with a two-day total of 44 pounds, 3 ounces. The Mille Lacs natives landed in second place with 21-1 on Day 1 before sacking 23-2 on the final day, the biggest bag of the tournament.
“We got close so many times and with this being our last tournament, it means the world to me,” Thompson said.
After falling 9 ounces short at this same event in 2021, Linder and Thompson entered this week with redemption on their minds and beat the reigning champions, Tucker Smith and Logan Parks from Auburn University, by over a pound.
“It is a dream come true. I have been working hard at this my whole life. I never gave up. This is my last college tournament ever and it is a blessing to be able to go home with a win.” Linder said. “We were hungry coming into this tournament. We went off of what we found last year and we wanted to make sure we had enough for the win.”
When they arrived in Bangor Charter Township for practice, Linder and Thompson anticipated the smallmouth would be locked on beds in shallow water. But during practice, they discovered that was not the case and they quickly pivoted to the prespawn and postspawn bass.
They utilized two different areas on Saginaw Bay that featured isolated boulders on a sand flat in 6 to 12 feet of water. While they could see the boulders in the water, Linder said if they got too close they would spook the smallmouth. Using their Humminbird 360 sonar, they could locate the boulders while staying far enough away from the target.
Heavy winds kept the Minnesota anglers from making the run to one of those areas on Day 1, but with the wind subsiding during the morning on Day 2, they ventured out to that area and were able to catch their bass before the wind cranked back up.
“The area we fished today we only prefished for two hours,” Linder said. “Our guts were just telling us this morning that we had to go there. We gambled and it paid off.”
An Outkast Feider Fly, a Ned rig with an Outkast Perfect Ned head and a drop shot were responsible for most of their bites this week.
A Magic Boulder: Although they caught over 21 pounds on Day 1, Linder and Thompson only caught six keeper bass. On Day 2, they found the bass were more active in the morning and the quality was better.
“Today we caught our fish off of one big boulder about the size of the boat,” Linder said. “There were fish everywhere this morning and it was an awesome day.”
The duo caught three fish almost immediately on that one boulder. After giving it a short break, they returned and filled out their limit before moving to a different rock and making two important culls.
“In this area, there were multiple boulders and in practice there were fish on every single one,” Thompson said. “But today it seemed like they condensed to one or two of them. Then we culled twice at a different boulder 200 yards away.”
National Championship Bound: Before the victory, it had been a down year for Linder and Thompson. They entered this event 31st in the Bassmaster Team of the Year standings and had not notched a National Championship qualification.
But with the win, the duo earned a berth to the 2022 Strike King Bassmaster College National Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops at Winyah Bay Sept. 2-4, guaranteeing one more event together before their College Series career ends.
Second Place: Tucker Smith and Logan Parks’ bid for a repeat at Saginaw Bay fell just short after they weighed 19-12 on Day 2 to land in second place with a two-day total of 42-11. After a fast start on Day 1 that included a 22-15 bag, the Auburn duo suffered a slow start on Day 2 and had to bounce around to find a limit.
“It has been an awesome week,” Parks said. “We caught a lot of fish and a lot of really big fish. We didn’t really know what we were going to find when we came back up here. We ran into them and had a pretty good event.”
They caught most of their fish on a Berkley MaxScent Flatworm on a 3/8-ounce drop-shot rig.
The strong winds that blew across Saginaw Bay on Thursday subsided some on Championship Friday, something Smith said hurt their quality.
“We caught big ones all day yesterday. I think smallmouth like the nasty weather,” Smith said. “I think that’s when the big ones usually bite. Today we went out there and started on our hole and didn’t catch a fish. We had to go up shallow to catch some. We ended up going back out deep later in the day when it got windier and ended up catching some key fish.”
Fishing areas they used to win in 2021, Smith and Parks targeted prespawn and postspawn smallmouth on rock structures in 10 to 14 feet of water. On Day 2, they were forced to move shallower and catch some bass that were set up to spawn.
Third Place: After weighing a 20-14 bag of largemouth on Day 1, the Lamar State College Orange duo of Dakota Posey and Trent Buchholz doubled down on green fish and sacked 21-7 to land in third place and qualify for their first National Championship.
“We had one big marsh area and it produced enough for us. And for some reason, we had it all to ourselves for two days. It was a big blessing,” Posey said.
Using a spinnerbait and a flapping-style frog, Posey and Buchholz stayed in the Saginaw River and targeted grassy areas that looked similar to waters in East Texas. On Day 2, the frog played more than the spinnerbait and they landed around 100 total bass.
“Yesterday we had 20 pounds in two hours and left,” Buchholz said. “Today it was a little slower. It got hot and dead calm. We stopped throwing the spinnerbait and picked up a frog and it was instant. We worked our way up to 21 pounds. It was a numbers game, we had to work through them and get to the bigger ones.”
Final Thoughts: Just like last year, Saginaw Bay showed out as one of the hidden fisheries in the country. Anglers this week landed 4,750 pounds of bass total during the two-day event with 312 total limits amongst the 189-boat field.
While winds and some thunderstorms forced teams to leave spots in the big water early, smallmouth bags were impressive while those who stayed closer to fish for largemouth caught plenty of numbers as well as quality.
In total, there were nine bags over 20 pounds with multiple 19-pound bags as well.
022 Strike King Bassmaster College Series at Saginaw Bay presented by Bass Pro Shops 6/9-6/10
Saginaw Bay, Bay City MI.
(BOATER) Standings Day 2
Angler Club/School Pts
1. Brian Linder - Nathan Thompson Minnesota State - Mankato 250
Day 1: 5 21-01 Day 2: 5 23-02 Total: 10 44-03
2. Logan Parks - Tucker Smith Auburn University 249
Day 1: 5 22-15 Day 2: 5 19-12 Total: 10 42-11
3. Dakota Posey - Trent Buchholz Lamar State College Orange 248
Day 1: 5 20-14 Day 2: 5 21-07 Total: 10 42-05
4. Easton Fothergill - Nick Dumke University of Montevallo 247
Day 1: 5 20-09 Day 2: 5 21-02 Total: 10 41-11
5. Justin Botts - Conner Dimauro Bryan college 246
Day 1: 5 17-15 Day 2: 5 20-12 Total: 10 38-11
6. Brooks Anderson - Parker Guy Emmanuel College 245
Day 1: 5 19-01 Day 2: 5 19-09 Total: 10 38-10
7. Owen Januszewski - Matt Mosby Adrian College 244
Day 1: 5 19-13 Day 2: 5 17-14 Total: 10 37-11
8. Chase Carey - Dylan Akins Emmanuel College 243
Day 1: 5 17-08 Day 2: 5 19-14 Total: 10 37-06
9. Sam Hanggi - Sam Hoesley Auburn University 242
Day 1: 5 19-10 Day 2: 5 17-09 Total: 10 37-03
10. Cason Ragsdale - Kaden Proffitt East Texas Baptist University 241
Day 1: 5 16-03 Day 2: 5 20-15 Total: 10 37-02
11. Louis Monetti - Michael Fugaro UNC Charlotte 240
Day 1: 5 17-05 Day 2: 5 19-05 Total: 10 36-10
12. Tyler Christy - Trey Schroeder McKendree University 239
Day 1: 5 19-15 Day 2: 5 16-10 Total: 10 36-09
13. Mitchell Gunn - Kyle Kunst Grand Valley State University 238
Day 1: 5 19-04 Day 2: 5 17-01 Total: 10 36-05
14. Connor Jacob - Sam Smith Auburn University 237
Day 1: 5 19-00 Day 2: 5 16-06 Total: 10 35-06
15. Robert Gee - Chad Sentell University of Tennessee 236
Day 1: 5 18-14 Day 2: 5 15-15 Total: 10 34-13
16. Adrian Urso - Corbin Templon Murray State University 235
Day 1: 5 17-04 Day 2: 5 17-03 Total: 10 34-07
17. Ryan Park - Samuel Niemeyer Murray State University 234
Day 1: 5 16-10 Day 2: 5 17-10 Total: 10 34-04
18. Landon Lawson - Hunter MCClaskey King University 233
Day 1: 5 16-02 Day 2: 5 17-15 Total: 10 34-01
19. Lafe Messer - Matt Messer Kentucky Christian University 232
Day 1: 5 18-15 Day 2: 5 14-12 Total: 10 33-11
20. Ryan Thomas - Solomon Glenn University of Montevallo 231
Day 1: 5 14-01 Day 2: 5 19-07 Total: 10 33-08
21. Weston Hollar - Jordan Pennington University of Montevallo 230
Day 1: 5 16-14 Day 2: 5 16-10 Total: 10 33-08
22. Troy Gibson - Jake Novotny University of Louisville 229
Day 1: 5 14-07 Day 2: 5 18-09 Total: 10 33-00
23. Tyler Cory - Scott Sledge University of Montevallo 228
Day 1: 5 16-12 Day 2: 5 16-00 Total: 10 32-12
24. Connor Hicks - Austin Wadzinski University of Tennessee 227
Day 1: 5 16-07 Day 2: 5 16-05 Total: 10 32-12
25. Dustin Bauer - Wyatt Pearman Campbellsville University 226
Day 1: 5 16-00 Day 2: 5 16-07 Total: 10 32-07
26. Jack York - Jacob Miller stephen f austin state universit 225
Day 1: 5 17-08 Day 2: 5 14-13 Total: 10 32-05
27. Jack Baron - Bradley Martin University of Montevallo 224
Day 1: 5 18-06 Day 2: 5 13-14 Total: 10 32-04
28. Ryan Franks - Jason Reding Kent State University 223
Day 1: 5 14-04 Day 2: 5 17-14 Total: 10 32-02
29. Zach Mcnary - Eric Hanover Grand Valley State University 222
Day 1: 5 18-07 Day 2: 5 13-04 Total: 10 31-11
30. Russel Buffa - Jenson Kay Adrian College 221
Day 1: 5 16-13 Day 2: 5 14-12 Total: 10 31-09
31. Easton Lindus - Matthew Zdrazil Emmanuel College 220
Day 1: 5 19-07 Day 2: 5 12-01 Total: 10 31-08
32. Caz Anderson - William Harris Carson-Newman University 219
Day 1: 5 14-14 Day 2: 5 16-09 Total: 10 31-07
33. Cody Ross - Ethan Thurston East Texas Baptist University 218
Day 1: 5 16-01 Day 2: 5 15-05 Total: 10 31-06
34. Tim Herrmann - Austin Goins Bryan College 217
Day 1: 5 16-15 Day 2: 5 14-06 Total: 10 31-05
35. Drew Traffanstedt - Dakendrick Patterson University of Montevallo 216
Day 1: 5 16-01 Day 2: 5 15-00 Total: 10 31-01
36. Haydan Quesenberry - James Cobbs Auburn University 215
Day 1: 5 16-06 Day 2: 5 14-10 Total: 10 31-00
37. Chase Mundhenke - Blake Milligan Auburn University 214
Day 1: 5 11-12 Day 2: 5 19-00 Total: 10 30-12
38. Derek Rodriguez Jr. - Nick Owens Adrian College 213
Day 1: 5 15-07 Day 2: 5 15-05 Total: 10 30-12
39. Spencer Black - Caleb Lonca Catawba Valley Community College 212
Day 1: 5 14-09 Day 2: 5 15-13 Total: 10 30-06
40. Eion Patterson - Brennan Kenison UNC Charlotte 211
Day 1: 5 18-15 Day 2: 5 11-06 Total: 10 30-05
41. Walker Brown - Cole Thompson University of North Alabama 210
Day 1: 5 13-15 Day 2: 5 16-04 Total: 10 30-03
42. Isaac Carlson - Blaine Mattingly Campbellsville University 209
Day 1: 5 14-10 Day 2: 5 15-08 Total: 10 30-02
43. Griffin Fernandes - Hayden Scott Adrian College 208
Day 1: 5 16-06 Day 2: 5 13-06 Total: 10 29-12
44. Storm Cline - Ely Dennison Carson-Newman University 207
Day 1: 5 14-05 Day 2: 5 15-07 Total: 10 29-12
45. Kobe Thompson - Mathias Dahline Adrian College 206
Day 1: 5 12-05 Day 2: 5 17-03 Total: 10 29-08
46. Cameron Dials - Jonathan Fraley Kentucky Christian University 205
Day 1: 5 10-13 Day 2: 5 18-10 Total: 10 29-07
47. Jordan McCaleb - Chase Clarke Auburn University 204
Day 1: 5 15-03 Day 2: 5 14-04 Total: 10 29-07
48. Jacob Highley - Autumn Belcher Kentucky Christian University 203
Day 1: 5 15-05 Day 2: 5 14-01 Total: 10 29-06
49. Britt Myers - Tyler Anderson Lander University 202
Day 1: 5 14-04 Day 2: 5 15-02 Total: 10 29-06
50. Drew Gill - Jonah Potts Wabash Valley College 201
Day 1: 5 15-00 Day 2: 5 14-06 Total: 10 29-06
51. Alex Richmond - Riley Bowen Grand Valley State University 200
Day 1: 5 15-13 Day 2: 5 13-08 Total: 10 29-05
52. Ethan Vanden Busch - Luke Loewe University of Minnesota 199
Day 1: 4 10-14 Day 2: 5 18-03 Total: 9 29-01
53. Hunter Bailey - JR Young Jr Jacksonville State University 198
Day 1: 5 11-12 Day 2: 5 17-05 Total: 10 29-01
54. Parker Domschke - Lane Stephens McKendree University 197
Day 1: 5 18-14 Day 2: 5 10-01 Total: 10 28-15
55. Colby Kerr - Jonathan Fitch Kentucky Christian University 196
Day 1: 5 13-00 Day 2: 5 15-15 Total: 10 28-15
56. Calvin Landsberg - Tyler Lubbat University of Alabama 195
Day 1: 5 13-12 Day 2: 5 15-03 Total: 10 28-15
57. Blair Erickson - Charlie Wright University of Montevallo 194
Day 1: 5 12-08 Day 2: 5 16-06 Total: 10 28-14
58. JD Clarke - Hunter Muncrief Stephen F Austin State Universit 193
Day 1: 5 14-07 Day 2: 5 14-07 Total: 10 28-14
59. Jake Monti - Samuel Dunson UNC Charlotte 192
Day 1: 5 15-01 Day 2: 5 13-09 Total: 10 28-10
60. Troy Harris - Jase Smith Georgia College 191
Day 1: 5 15-02 Day 2: 5 13-07 Total: 10 28-09
61. Ty Mundhenke - Bennett Slinkard Auburn University 190
Day 1: 5 14-02 Day 2: 5 14-07 Total: 10 28-09
62. Walter Trulock - Paden Chrisman Mississippi State University 189
Day 1: 5 15-10 Day 2: 5 12-14 Total: 10 28-08
63. Will Oberman - Lane Pohlman Campbellsville University 188
Day 1: 5 15-05 Day 2: 5 13-03 Total: 10 28-08
64. Harmon Marien - Bailey Bleser McKendree University 187
Day 1: 5 18-07 Day 2: 5 10-00 Total: 10 28-07
65. Brantley Anders - Will Rooker Kentucky Christian University 186
Day 1: 5 15-07 Day 2: 5 13-00 Total: 10 28-07
66. Coleman Bingham - Braden Leffew Bethel University 185
Day 1: 5 13-08 Day 2: 5 14-14 Total: 10 28-06
67. Joseph Bissing - Jackson Paden University of Tennessee 184
Day 1: 5 15-11 Day 2: 5 12-10 Total: 10 28-05
68. Michael Zawicki - Carson Tucker UW Whitewater 183
Day 1: 5 12-07 Day 2: 5 15-13 Total: 10 28-04
69. Logan Hawkins - Evan Waggener Campbellsville University 182
Day 1: 5 14-07 Day 2: 5 13-13 Total: 10 28-04
70. Joshua DeKoning - Dalton Mollenkopf Adrian College 181
Day 1: 5 14-03 Day 2: 5 14-01 Total: 10 28-04
71. Nate Triplett - Cy Lambert University of North Alabama 180
Day 1: 5 14-02 Day 2: 5 14-02 Total: 10 28-04
72. Cole Holloway - Taylor Mcmullen Emmanuel College 179
Day 1: 5 14-07 Day 2: 5 13-09 Total: 10 28-00
73. Stevie Mills - Brady Duncan Carson-Newman University 178
Day 1: 5 12-09 Day 2: 5 15-04 Total: 10 27-13
74. Drew Fromm - Hunter Capehart Wabash Valley College 177
Day 1: 5 16-06 Day 2: 5 11-06 Total: 10 27-12
75. Cameron Tullis - Brett Jolley East Texas Baptist University 176
Day 1: 5 14-07 Day 2: 5 13-04 Total: 10 27-11
76. Matthew Davis - Sam Shoemaker Adrian College 175
Day 1: 5 13-09 Day 2: 5 14-02 Total: 10 27-11
77. Garrett Thompson - Ethan Perry West Virginia University 174
Day 1: 5 13-14 Day 2: 5 13-12 Total: 10 27-10
78. Clay Henderson - Brant Rowland Drury University 173
Day 1: 5 12-10 Day 2: 5 14-14 Total: 10 27-08
79. Nick Staub - Lake Norsworthy Blue Mountain College 172
Day 1: 5 12-10 Day 2: 5 14-11 Total: 10 27-05
80. Max Pierlott - Mike Pierlott UNC Charlotte 171
Day 1: 5 15-04 Day 2: 5 11-14 Total: 10 27-02
81. Caleb Dachenhaus - Elliot Wielgopolski Adrian College 170
Day 1: 5 13-11 Day 2: 5 13-07 Total: 10 27-02
82. Riley Lawson - Chris Baker Kentucky Christian University 169
Day 1: 5 12-14 Day 2: 5 14-02 Total: 10 27-00
83. Kyle Bahr - Trey Dickert University of Montevallo 168
Day 1: 5 14-04 Day 2: 5 12-11 Total: 10 26-15
84. Trevor Easter - Reagan Nelson Tarleton State University 167
Day 1: 5 13-05 Day 2: 5 13-10 Total: 10 26-15
85. Hunter Palmer - Eli Stevenson bryan college 166
Day 1: 5 10-14 Day 2: 5 16-00 Total: 10 26-14
86. Victor Alford - Logan East bryan college 165
Day 1: 5 14-00 Day 2: 5 12-14 Total: 10 26-14
87. Sam Schmitz - Walker Sahagun University of North Alabama 164
Day 1: 5 13-00 Day 2: 5 13-14 Total: 10 26-14
88. Hunter Fillmore - Dylan Fogarty Bethel University 163
Day 1: 5 12-13 Day 2: 5 13-15 Total: 10 26-12
89. Tyler Finley - Lane Lassiter University of North Alabama 162
Day 1: 5 11-01 Day 2: 5 15-10 Total: 10 26-11
89. Gunner Whitaker - Mitch Johnson Kentucky Christian University 162
Day 1: 5 15-10 Day 2: 5 11-01 Total: 10 26-11
91. Conner Giles - Christian Wright Bryan College 160
Day 1: 5 14-06 Day 2: 5 12-05 Total: 10 26-11
92. Dalton Coleman - Joe Bob Burchett Kentucky Christian University 159
Day 1: 5 13-05 Day 2: 5 13-06 Total: 10 26-11
93. Layton Brown - Parker Brown Dallas Baptist University 158
Day 1: 5 13-11 Day 2: 5 12-15 Total: 10 26-10
94. Cole Breeden - Zachary Ward Drury University 157
Day 1: 5 13-10 Day 2: 5 13-00 Total: 10 26-10
94. Seth Elkins - Dale Hansard Jacksonville State University 157
Day 1: 5 13-10 Day 2: 5 13-00 Total: 10 26-10
96. Landon Brown - Maycee Lyons Morehead State University 155
Day 1: 5 12-02 Day 2: 5 14-07 Total: 10 26-09
97. Justin Latham - Karsten Raney campbellsville university 154
Day 1: 5 12-06 Day 2: 5 14-03 Total: 10 26-09
98. Morgan Miracle - Clay Oberman Campbellsville University 153
Day 1: 5 15-01 Day 2: 5 11-07 Total: 10 26-08
99. Gavin Clevenger - Chase Hastings Carson-Newman University 152
Day 1: 5 13-15 Day 2: 5 12-09 Total: 10 26-08
100. Cole Zagrzebski - Kurt Antonowitsch Western Michigan University 151
Day 1: 5 13-03 Day 2: 5 13-05 Total: 10 26-08
101. Cody Griffith - Drew Jennings Auburn University 150
Day 1: 4 10-07 Day 2: 5 15-12 Total: 9 26-03
102. Brycen Hendriks - Gavin Ange UNC Charlotte 149
Day 1: 5 13-12 Day 2: 5 12-07 Total: 10 26-03
103. Hayden Gaddis - Ben Cully Carson-Newman University 148
Day 1: 5 13-01 Day 2: 5 13-02 Total: 10 26-03
104. Andrew Fisher - Elijah Kirk Bryan College 147
Day 1: 5 14-06 Day 2: 5 11-12 Total: 10 26-02
105. Jacob Witkowski - Hunter Jenkins Dallas Baptist Univesity 146
Day 1: 5 14-13 Day 2: 5 11-03 Total: 10 26-00
106. Kyle Knoll - Luke Morgan Southern Union State Community C 145
Day 1: 4 09-00 Day 2: 5 16-15 Total: 9 25-15
107. Bailey Rene - John Phipps Indiana University Southeast 144
Day 1: 5 13-06 Day 2: 5 12-08 Total: 10 25-14
108. Luke Byerly - Parker Kaye University of Tennessee Knoxvill 143
Day 1: 5 14-09 Day 2: 5 11-04 Total: 10 25-13
109. Garrett Huddleston - Riley Voltz Auburn University 142
Day 1: 5 14-00 Day 2: 5 11-12 Total: 10 25-12
110. Hunter Enlow - Lander University 141
Day 1: 5 12-14 Day 2: 5 12-13 Total: 10 25-11
111. Wesley Smith - Grant Harris Catawba Valley Community College 140
Day 1: 5 13-06 Day 2: 5 12-04 Total: 10 25-10
112. Hunter Keller - Carson Eckard Catawba Valley Community College 139
Day 1: 5 11-09 Day 2: 5 13-15 Total: 10 25-08
113. Beau Browning - Jake Peck Drury University 138
Day 1: 5 14-00 Day 2: 5 11-07 Total: 10 25-07
114. Aaron Cherry - Cal Culpepper University of Montevallo 137
Day 1: 5 13-03 Day 2: 5 12-03 Total: 10 25-06
115. JJ Kocevar - Christian Turner Kent State University 136
Day 1: 5 13-14 Day 2: 5 11-07 Total: 10 25-05
116. Braden Perry - Austin Smith Carson-Newman University 135
Day 1: 5 12-08 Day 2: 5 12-12 Total: 10 25-04
117. Bo Thomas - Mason Vernia Western Michigan University 134
Day 1: 5 14-13 Day 2: 4 10-06 Total: 9 25-03
118. Bryant Marsh - Tyler Hill Blue Mountain College 133
Day 1: 5 12-06 Day 2: 5 12-13 Total: 10 25-03
119. Logan Dillon - Spencer Maxwell Southwest Mississippi Community 132
Day 1: 5 13-13 Day 2: 5 11-05 Total: 10 25-02
120. Chase Sansom - Tyler Drown Marshall University 131
Day 1: 5 12-06 Day 2: 5 12-12 Total: 10 25-02
121. Blayner Leeman - Noah Hurford Kentucky Christian University 130
Day 1: 5 14-03 Day 2: 5 10-14 Total: 10 25-01
122. Reed Kochan - Nate Boenning University of Wisconsin Stevens 129
Day 1: 5 13-00 Day 2: 5 12-01 Total: 10 25-01
123. Connor Cartmell - Andrew Vereen Coastal Carolina University 128
Day 1: 5 12-13 Day 2: 5 12-04 Total: 10 25-01
124. Shane Nelson - Aaron Jagdfeld Adrian College 127
Day 1: 5 12-00 Day 2: 5 13-00 Total: 10 25-00
125. Joseph Woods - Anthony Cicero Iv Bethel University 126
Day 1: 5 11-06 Day 2: 5 13-06 Total: 10 24-12
126. Rob Lindsey - Mason Cizek Bryan College 125
Day 1: 5 11-13 Day 2: 5 12-14 Total: 10 24-11
127. Blair Cox - Zach Adamec Missouri State University 124
Day 1: 4 10-12 Day 2: 5 13-12 Total: 9 24-08
128. Kopeland Rosser - Brenton Godwin University of Montevallo 123
Day 1: 5 13-03 Day 2: 5 11-04 Total: 10 24-07
129. Tanner Maness - Chandler Ellis Lander University 122
Day 1: 5 12-09 Day 2: 4 11-14 Total: 9 24-07
130. Ben Brockwell - Justice Gayhart Kentucky Christian University 121
Day 1: 5 12-04 Day 2: 5 11-13 Total: 10 24-01
131. Grant Dohle - Wyatt Montle Missouri State University 120
Day 1: 5 11-15 Day 2: 5 12-02 Total: 10 24-01
132. Dawson Burton - Kentucky Christian University 119
Day 1: 5 14-10 Day 2: 4 09-00 Total: 9 23-10
133. Carter Ball - Austin Tapley Adrian College 118
Day 1: 5 11-06 Day 2: 5 12-01 Total: 10 23-07
134. Jaxson Freeman - Kyle Hopping McKendree 117
Day 1: 5 10-13 Day 2: 5 12-09 Total: 10 23-06
135. Andrew Rickman - Michael Postlewait Dallas Baptist University 116
Day 1: 5 12-00 Day 2: 5 11-06 Total: 10 23-06
136. Patrick Henry - Jared Minor Ohio State University 115
Day 1: 5 11-07 Day 2: 5 11-14 Total: 10 23-05
137. Colton Hill - Trey Budach mckendree university 114
Day 1: 5 12-13 Day 2: 5 10-03 Total: 10 23-00
137. Clayton Primrose - Fisher Davis Etbu 114
Day 1: 5 12-13 Day 2: 5 10-03 Total: 10 23-00
139. Zachary Bowen - Harrison Terry Bethel University 112
Day 1: 5 12-09 Day 2: 5 10-06 Total: 10 22-15
140. Alec Berens - Joseph Bruener Mckendree University 111
Day 1: 5 12-07 Day 2: 5 10-08 Total: 10 22-15
141. Wil Rigdon - Cade Hayford Campbellsville University 110
Day 1: 5 10-13 Day 2: 5 11-11 Total: 10 22-08
142. Jared Muzyka - Sean Prendergast University of Massachusetts - Am 109
Day 1: 5 10-10 Day 2: 5 11-13 Total: 10 22-07
143. Matthew Cummings - Levi Mullins Bethel University 108
Day 1: 2 05-07 Day 2: 5 16-06 Total: 7 21-13
144. Carter Koza - Lee Koza Carson Newman University 107
Day 1: 4 08-11 Day 2: 4 13-02 Total: 8 21-13
145. Nathan Smith - Cabe Mackey Catawba Valley Community College 106
Day 1: 5 12-10 Day 2: 5 08-15 Total: 10 21-09
146. Matthew Benson - Nathanael Wright Emmanuel College 105
Day 1: 5 10-08 Day 2: 5 11-00 Total: 10 21-08
147. Adam Troyer - Andrew Yazdi Indiana University 104
Day 1: 4 09-12 Day 2: 5 11-11 Total: 9 21-07
148. Jordan Smallwood - Luke Henderson Campbellsville University 103
Day 1: 4 10-02 Day 2: 5 11-03 Total: 9 21-05
149. Isaac Irvin - Mason Gross wabash valley college 102
Day 1: 5 12-14 Day 2: 5 08-03 Total: 10 21-01
150. Jacob Welch - Brycen Soliday Drury University 101
Day 1: 5 09-14 Day 2: 5 11-03 Total: 10 21-01
151. Parker Lambert - Koby Horn Lander university 100
Day 1: 4 10-10 Day 2: 5 10-06 Total: 9 21-00
152. Jake Kimbrough - Chandler Pruett Blue Mountain College 99
Day 1: 5 09-09 Day 2: 5 11-06 Total: 10 20-15
153. Braden Cox - Joel Berelsman Ohio State 98
Day 1: 5 10-00 Day 2: 5 10-11 Total: 10 20-11
154. Fisher Overton - Rudy Worley Blue Mountain College 97
Day 1: 5 12-04 Day 2: 4 07-07 Total: 9 19-11
155. Mason Phillpotts - Max Schweikert Grand Valley State University 96
Day 1: 3 06-13 Day 2: 4 12-07 Total: 7 19-04
156. Jackson Stephens - Maxwell Trotter Mckendree University 95
Day 1: 2 04-12 Day 2: 5 14-07 Total: 7 19-03
157. Teddy Peznola - Thomas Mingle University of Tennessee 94
Day 1: 5 11-12 Day 2: 3 06-14 Total: 8 18-10
158. Lucas Oliver - Nathan Dellinger Catawba Valley Community College 93
Day 1: 5 14-05 Day 2: 2 03-13 Total: 7 18-02
159. Camden Lewis - TJ Edwards Jr Blue Mountain College 92
Day 1: 5 13-07 Day 2: 2 04-05 Total: 7 17-12
160. David Hendel - Ian Mcgregor Ohio State University 91
Day 1: 5 11-09 Day 2: 2 05-10 Total: 7 17-03
161. Cameron Smith - Jacob Blackburn Ohio State University 90
Day 1: 2 04-02 Day 2: 5 12-13 Total: 7 16-15
162. Blake Bullock - Blue Mountain College 89
Day 1: 4 08-12 Day 2: 4 07-15 Total: 8 16-11
163. Tommy Sendek - Andrew Howell University of Montevallo 88
Day 1: 4 10-00 Day 2: 2 05-04 Total: 6 15-04
164. Jacob Conyers - Spencer Pergrem Morehead State University 87
Day 1: 5 09-12 Day 2: 2 04-13 Total: 7 14-09
165. Turner Hart - Summer Dees Bryan College 86
Day 1: 5 07-05 Day 2: 4 07-03 Total: 9 14-08
166. Ben Rehm - Jarrod Pritchett UW Stevens Point 85
Day 1: 5 14-07 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 5 14-07
167. Jacob Lambert - Cole Rankin Carson-Newman University 84
Day 1: 2 03-09 Day 2: 5 10-14 Total: 7 14-07
168. Lane Bailey - Justin Eggers Catawba Valley Community College 83
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 5 14-01 Total: 5 14-01
168. Ethan Troutman - Tyler Thompson Univerisity of Louisville 83
Day 1: 5 14-01 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 5 14-01
170. Bryar Chambers - Clent Blackwood Wallace State Community College 81
Day 1: 1 02-06 Day 2: 5 11-08 Total: 6 13-14
171. Reece Martin - Mark Harris Dallas Baptist University 80
Day 1: 5 13-11 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 5 13-11
172. Matthew Roberts - Alice Lloyd College 79
Day 1: 5 13-07 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 5 13-07
173. Matthew Bischoff - Nicholas Donald Bowling Green State University 78
Day 1: 5 11-05 Day 2: 1 02-01 Total: 6 13-06
174. Cody Prichard - Kris Kautz University of Dubuque 77
Day 1: 3 07-05 Day 2: 3 05-13 Total: 6 13-02
175. Andrew Thompson - Jacob Swanson Montevallo 76
Day 1: 4 08-13 Day 2: 2 03-12 Total: 6 12-09
176. Ben Rand - Mason Grossbauer Davenport University 75
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 5 12-08 Total: 5 12-08
177. Spencer Knight - Brandon Oakes Ohio State 74
Day 1: 1 02-12 Day 2: 4 09-08 Total: 5 12-04
178. Steve Kinard - Jimmy Mitchum Lander University 73
Day 1: 1 02-11 Day 2: 4 09-00 Total: 5 11-11
179. Andy Clark - Jack Simpson Western Michigan University 72
Day 1: 5 11-05 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 5 11-05
180. Alex Strunk - Jamesen Simion Bowling Green State University 71
Day 1: 4 10-02 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 4 10-02
181. Keegan Barber - John Smegner Missouri State University 70
Day 1: 3 06-15 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 3 06-15
182. Cole Taylor - Hunter Temples Lander 69
Day 1: 2 04-01 Day 2: 1 02-10 Total: 3 06-11
183. Brock Bila - Dylan Chambers Drury University 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
183. Jacob Butts - Mark Kershaw Erskine College 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
183. Robert Cruvellier - Carson Maddux Auburn University 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
183. Drake Hemby - Ewing Minor Carson-Newman University 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
183. Seth Jenkins - TJ McKenzie Emmanuel College 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
183. Tomas Matual - Grant Olsen McKendree University 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
183. Nolan Yeager - Riley Aebi Stephen F. Austin State Universi 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 157 855 2420-08
2 155 835 2330-02
----------------------------------
312 1690 4750-10
Alabama’s Ryan Salzman Earns First MLF Bass Pro Tour Win at General Tire Stage Five on Watts Bar Lake
Mercury Pro Weighs in 13 Bass Totaling 24 Pounds, 3 Ounces to Earn First Bass Pro Tour Win and Top Award of $100,000
SPRING CITY, Tenn. (June 9, 2022) – It was a fight to the finish during Thursday’s Championship Round among the very best anglers in the sport, but when time ran out it was Mercury pro Ryan Salzman of Huntsville, Alabama, whose name sat at the top of the SCORETRACKER® at the General Tire Stage Five on Watts Bar Lake Presented by Covercraft in Spring City, Tennessee. The Bass Pro Tour newcomer weighed 13 bass totaling 24 pounds, 3 ounces, to earn his first Bass Pro Tour win – as well as his first major career win – and take home the big red trophy and the top award of $100,000.
“Right now, I’m just putting all my trust in God, and that’s the only way I can rise up to this moment, because it’s too big for me,” Salzman said in the final moments as the clock ticked down. “Words just can’t describe how I feel even being in contention to win this event, especially going up against some of the greatest anglers in the world. Fishing against my childhood heroes, it’s just amazing.”
Moments later, time expired and Salzman was announced the General Tire Stage Five Champion on Watts Bar Lake.
“I never in my life thought I would win this event,” Salzman said excitedly, amid cheers from fans and followers who surrounded him on the water. “I knew the winning fish were in this area, but I didn’t know if they would bite today. I’ve lost several fish this week, even lost 2 or 3 today that would have given me more of a cushion at the end of the day, but I’m just speechless and so thankful for this opportunity.”
Thursday marked the first time the Alabama pro has qualified for the Championship Round on the MLF Bass Pro Tour since joining the tour in February and culminated in a moment he said he will never forget.
“First and foremost, I have to thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,” Salzman said. “I’ve been a mess the last few years but have made a lot of life changes and attitude changes, so to go from where I was 3-4 years ago, to where I am today, there just isn’t anything that He can’t do.”
Salzman said he found his winning area above the Tennessee Valley Authority’s (TVA) Watts Bar Dam during practice and knew it had potential, but as the tournament progressed, he realized the bass were only schooling and feeding during certain time windows.
“This has been a week of highs and lows and the way my tournament began, I didn’t think this win was a possibility,” Salzman said. “I found this spot above the dam on the first day, with hundreds of bass schooling and stacked up against this wall. I knew there were enough fish here to win the event, I just had to figure out how to catch them.”
Salzman hit the first obstacle during his Qualifying Round, in large part because the fish in his winning area weren’t schooling. He finished in 15th place after his first day and ended the second day in 16th place to advance to the Knockout Round – and that’s where the fun really began.
“On Wednesday, the TVA began running water through the dam, generating 30,000, 40,000 watts, stirring up the bait fish and in turn, the bass,” Salzman said. “Once they started moving the water, this spot really lit up. The majority of the fish I caught this week were right here in this spot, on a 4½-inch morning dawn-colored Roboworm with an 1/8-ounce Titan Tungsten ball weight.”
Salzman’s flurry halted to a stop about an hour and a half prior to the end of the tournament day, as the TVA turned down the generators and the bass around him stopped feeding. Not to be deterred from the win, Salzman made a quick pivot to another place on the dam, boating a 2-pounder.
“With only 25 minutes left in the day, that kicker fish made all the difference,” Salzman finished.
The Mercury pro earned the win by a slim 11-ounce margin over Academy Sports + Outdoors pro Jacob Wheeler of Harrison, Tennessee , who finished Championship Day in second place with a total of 10 scorable bass, weighing 23-8. Although Wheeler missed the $100,000 win by mere ounces, he earned valuable points in the 2022 Bally Bet Angler of the Year (AOY) race. Wheeler, the reigning 2021 AOY winner, currently leads again with 379 points after five regular-season events, while Jordan Lee sits in second place with 341 points. Dayton, Tennessee’s Andy Morgan sits in third with 315 points. Kevin VanDam is in fourth place with 302.5 points, while Randall Tharp rounds out the top five with 302 points.
The top 10 pros at the General Tire Stage Five on Watts Bar Lake Presented by Covercraft finished:
1st: Ryan Salzman, Huntsville, Ala., 13 bass, 24-3, $100,000
2nd: Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn., 10 bass, 23-8, $45,000
3rd: Dakota Ebare, Brookeland, Texas, seven bass, 16-4, $38,000
4th: Randall Tharp, Port St. Joe, Fla., seven bass, 14-12, $32,000
5th: Mark Davis, Mount Ida, Ark., six bass, 13-12, $30,000
6th: Kevin VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich., seven bass, 12-9, $26,000
7th: Alton Jones, Sr., Lorena, Texas, four bass, 10-11, $23,000
8th: Brent Ehrler, Redlands, Calif., four bass, 8-13, $21,000
9th: Fletcher Shryock, Guntersville, Ala., five bass, 8-7, $19,000
10th: David Walker, Sevierville, Tenn., two bass, 4-0, $16,000
Full results for the entire field can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Overall, there were 65 scorable bass weighing 136 pounds, 15 ounces caught by the final 10 pros Thursday.
Wheeler caught a largemouth weighing 4 pounds, 2 ounces on a drop-shot rig in the second period to win Thursday’s 1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award. Pro Brandon Coulter of Knoxville, Tennessee took home the $3,000 Berkley Big Bass of the tournament with his 6-7 largemouth that he caught on Day 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 General Tire Stage Five on Watts Bar Lake Presented by Covercraft featured anglers competing with a 1-pound, 8-ounce 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 event, hosted by Fish Dayton, the Rhea County Economic Tourism Council and Spring City, Tennessee, showcased 80 of the top professional bass-fishing anglers in the world competing for a total purse of $805,000, including a top cash prize of $100,000 to the winner.
Television coverage of the General Tire Stage Five on Watts Bar Lake Presented by Covercraft will premiere at 7 a.m. ET, Oct. 29 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 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 the REDCREST 2023 championship.
Proud sponsors of the 2022 MLF Bass Pro Tour include: 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, A.R.E. Truck Caps, B&W Trailer Hitches, BallyBet, 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.
Parks, Smith Take Lead In Bassmaster College Event, Vying For Repeat On Saginaw Bay
Logan Parks and Tucker Smith of Auburn University are leading after Day 1 of the 2022 Strike King Bassmaster College Series at Saginaw Bay presented by Bass Pro Shops with 22 pounds, 15 ounces.
Photo by Kyle Jessie/B.A.S.S.
June 9, 2022
BAY CITY, Mich. — It’s safe to say, Logan Parks and Tucker Smith enjoy fishing Saginaw Bay.
With a Day 1 limit of smallmouth weighing 22 pounds, 15 ounces, the Auburn University duo claimed the lead at the Strike King Bassmaster College Series at Saginaw Bay presented by Bass Pro Shops. They are looking to repeat on the fishery after winning this same event last season.
Their Day 1 bag exceeded their biggest limit from last year (21-0), and the duo holds nearly a 2-pound lead over Brian Linder and Nathan Thompson from Minnesota State-Mankato.
"This is just an awesome fishery," Parks said. "They aren't everywhere but when you find them you really find them. We have a pretty special place we found last year and it is producing again."
After winning the Bassmaster College Series Team of the Year championship in 2021 as well, Parks and Smith had a tough start to this season but qualified for the National Championship at Norfork Lake. With that goal achieved, Parks added winning was the only thing on their minds this week.
After fishing exclusively for smallmouth in their best area during the 2021 event, Smith and Parks arrived at their spot today and caught over 20 pounds within 15 minutes. They made a couple of short moves, resulting in several key culls throughout the day.
"It was like three casts in a row that we had three 4-pounders," Parks said. "We caught our limit, culled once and left it after we got to 20 pounds. We ran around and fished some other stuff that was nearby that set up the same way, and we were able to cull up."
Smith said they decided early on in practice that focusing solely on smallmouth would be their best chance at achieving that goal. Those smallmouth bites have all revolved around the spawn and most of their damage was done with one bait.
"They are in all stages right now," Smith said. "I think we are catching more spawners than post-spawners where we are catching them. You can see rocks and see an occasional one swim around. But they are glued to the bottom and you just have to fish around and wait for a bite."
With more bass left in their primary area and a couple of secondary areas left to fish as well, Parks and Smith are optimistic about their chances at a repeat.
"We left them biting. There are more fish there, and we have a few places that have some fish on them that we didn't fish hard at all today," Smith said. "We are looking forward to it. Hopefully, they bite and we get some good weather and we can go catch them."
Dakota Posey and Trent Buchholz from Lamar State College Orange anchored their 20-14 third-place bag with a 5-8 largemouth, earning Big Bass of the day honors.
The full field will launch from the Independence Boat Launch at the USS Edison Battle Ship starting at 5:30 a.m. ET and will return for weigh-in beginning at 2:30 p.m.
Following the Day 2 weigh-in, 19 teams will earn a spot in the 2022 Strike King Bassmaster College National Championship at Winyah Bay presented by Bass Pro Shops Sept. 2-4.
Instinct Rods Propel Lester to Elite Series Victory
Brandon Lester Collects Second Major Championship with BLF Instinct Rods from Mustad
Miami, Florida (June 9, 2022) - Brandon Lester’s masterclass in boating tournament-winning bass was in session this past week on 50-mile-long Pickwick Lake near Counce, Tennessee. The only angler in the 91 boat field to bring over 20 pounds of bass to the scales on each of the four competition days, Lester emerged victorious on Championship Sunday with a commanding total of 86 lbs - 1 oz, which bested his nearest competitor by nearly six pounds. Along the way to his first Bassmaster Elite Series victory, Lester made every cast – and battled every bass – with a BLF Instinct Rod from Mustad in his hand.
A stellar lineup of 14 models – eight multi-purpose baitcasters, three crankbait-specific rods, and three spinning rods – the BLF Instinct series boasts Mustad’s renowned quality with insightful design specifications that Lester has refined throughout the course of his fishing career. “When the opportunity to work with Mustad on a new rod series arose, they did not give me a single guideline; they said ‘Tell us what you need and we’ll go from there,’” Lester said. “I was traveling at the time and had a layover in Houston, so I opened up the Notes on my smartphone and I laid out the groundwork for a line of rods to cover everything needed for bass fishing.”
At Pickwick Lake, Lester relied on a trio of presentations to catch the lion’s share of his bass – covering the gamut from power to finesse – all honed to championship perfection with the precision and craftsmanship of BLF Instinct rods from Mustad.
Lester caught several of his largest bass by grinding oversized crankbaits into shallow, hard-bottom spots using BLF Instinct crankbait rods. “These rods all have parabolic, moderate actions that are perfect for crankbaits and are built using graphite blanks,” remarked Lester. “I want to know what my crankbait is doing all the time, and you only get that sensitivity from graphite. The crankbait models have full-length grips with a combination of cork and a tight EVA foam to give them a really good feel in the hand.” Lester used the 7’ Medium-Heavy and the 7’6” Heavy BLF Instinct crankbait rods for all of his shallow cranking on Pickwick Lake.
Lester’s favored finesse offering was a Neko-rigged worm, featuring a #2 Mustad TitanX Wacky/Neko hook and a ⅛ oz Mustad Tungsten TitanX Nail Weight, presented with a BLF Instinct spinning rod. “I used the BLF Instinct 6’10” Medium rod – my absolute favorite spinning rod – for Neko rigging. It handles everything you’d want a spinning rod to do, including drop shots, Ned rigs, Wacky rigs, Neko rigs, and more. All of our BLF Instinct spinning rods have Fast actions, relatively short handles, are light in the hand, and are extremely sensitive. I’ve caught a lot of big fish with these rods, including a 6-13 on Day 3. They’re just awesome!”
“These are our bread-and-butter models for every bass angler. We have everything from a 6’10” Medium rod for small topwaters, all the way up to a 7’9” Extra-Heavy for punching and big swimbaits.” Lester landed his Sunday magnum on the BLF Instinct 7’4” Medium-Heavy baitcasting rod.
Lester’s Elite Series victory on Pickwick Lake was not his first championship of the year, nor the first trophy earned with help from BLF Instinct rods. In February 2022, Lester won the Bassmaster Southern Opens event held on the Kissimmee Chain in Florida. To claim that hardware in come-from-behind fashion, Lester used a BLF Instinct baitcasting rod to present a 6-inch stick worm rigged on a 4/0 Mustad Grip-Pin Big Bite hook with a Mustad Tungsten TitanX Worm Weight, as well as a BLF Instinct crankbait rod to present a 3/8-ounce bladed jig with a compact swimbait trailer. Thanks to his Bassmaster Southern Opens win, Lester – and his BLF Instinct rods from Mustad – earned a coveted spot in the 2023 Bassmaster Classic and another big check to bolster his bank account.
Mustad traces its origins to the town of Gjøvik, Norway in 1877, and is recognized as the fishing industry’s global leader in the production of premium hooks. Supported by a foundation of design and manufacturing excellence, Mustad is evolving into a comprehensive fishing platform that supplies every link in the tackle chain – including premium rods like BLF Instinct rods, which deliver the strength, sensitivity, balance, and performance that serious anglers demand. With 30 TON – IM8 Japanese Toray premium graphite blanks, ergonomic reel seats, and Fuji Aluminum Oxide guides, Mustad crafts BLF Instinct rods to exceed the expectations of every bass angler. We congratulate Brandon Lester on his first Bassmaster Elite Series championship, and look forward to following his success on the tournament trail – this season and beyond!
Bassmaster College Series Takes On Logan Martin With Last-Chance Championship Qualifier
Alabama's Logan Martin Lake will host the 2022 Strike King Bassmaster College Series Wild Card presented by Bass Pro Shops June 17-18.
Photo by Kyle Jessie/B.A.S.S.
June 9, 2022
LINCOLN, Ala. — College anglers will have one last chance to qualify for the Strike King Bassmaster College Series National Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops when teams from around the country take on Alabama’s Logan Martin Lake for a Wild Card tournament June 17-18. The Wild Card gives teams waitlisted for the other four regular-season events one last chance to make it into the field for the National Championship Sept. 2-4 on South Carolina’s Winyah Bay.
Bassmaster Elite Series champion and Coosa River guru Wes Logan believes a lot of bass will be caught, but that finding a couple of 3-pounders will be the key.
“It has a lot of 1- to 2 1/2-pounders in Logan Martin,” Logan said. “It has quite a few big ones too, but they aren’t everywhere. The average total weight this time of year isn’t going to be really high, somewhere between 8 and 11 pounds. It is going to be hard to catch anything over 12 pounds.”
Located between Neely Henry and Lay Lake, the Coosa River impoundment features both spotted bass and largemouth bass. Last year’s Wild Card event was held on Lay, and while they are on the same river chain, there are several differences in how the reservoirs are set up.
“They are more different than they are similar,” Logan said. “Lay has a lot more vegetation, whereas Logan Martin is more of a rocky-type place with hard structure like docks, gravel banks and long running points. Logan Martin is a little dirtier than Lay up the river. Logan Martin is one of the biggest party lakes in the area, and late in the day you will have a lot of pontoon boats and wake boats.”
Compared to a lot of other lakes in the country, Logan Martin is relatively small, but Logan said much of the lake will play.
“Especially this time of year, you can catch fish shallow, you can fish out deep on ledges,” he said. “You can fish brushpiles, humps and roadbeds. There are a lot of fish and it will spread guys out to where they can fish their strengths.”
Logan Martin is controlled by dams on either end of the lake, presenting the opportunity to fish current-oriented bass. Depending on the moon cycle, Logan added there could be a bluegill spawn happening as well.
If summer downpours and storms roll through, Logan said anglers will be more likely to find a bigger bite using frogs, buzzbaits and spinnerbaits. A shaky head will likely come into play as well.
While it could be won with all spotted bass or all largemouth, Logan anticipates it will take a mixed bag.
“You can catch a 4-pound spot in the same place you catch a 4-pound largemouth,” he said. “The better game plan would be to target largemouth and you might happen to catch one or two really good spots to go with it.
“As a whole, there are a lot more spotted bass than largemouth. If someone can crack the code on better-quality largemouth, you may not get as many bites, but if you are fishing to win — that is what I would do.”
The full field will compete June 17-18 with daily takeoffs from Lincoln’s Landing at 5:30 a.m. CT. Weigh-ins will take place back at the landing at 1:30 p.m. Coverage can be found on Bassmaster.com.
Mark Davis Leads Final Eight to Championship Round at MLF Bass Pro Tour General Tire Stage Five on Watts Bar Lake
Arkansas Pro Boats 10 Bass Weighing 25-12 to Win Knockout Round, Final 10 Anglers Set for Championship Thursday and Final-Day Shootout for $100,000
After taking over the lead mid-day, the Bass Fishing Hall of Famer and three-time Angler of the Year (AOY) winner rose to the top of a stacked field going into Thursday’s Championship Round. Among the star-studded field of pros competing in the Championship Round are fellow Bass Fishing Hall of Famer and Michigan native Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo , who won an automatic berth to the Championship Round on Monday and boasts a staggering eight AOY awards in his astounding career, along with Forrest Wood Cup champion Randall “The Honey Badger” Tharp of Port Saint Joe, Florida , who has seven major wins and more than 30 Top-10 finishes in his career. Tharp finished in second place Wednesday, with 11 bass, weighing 23 pounds, 15 ounces.
The final 10 anglers are now set, and competition will resume Thursday morning with anglers launching at 7:30 a.m. ET in the Championship Round, where weights are zeroed, and the angler that catches the most one-day weight will win the top prize of $100,000.
The six-day event, hosted by Fish Dayton, the Rhea County Economic Tourism Council and Spring City, Tennessee, showcases 80 of the top professional bass-fishing anglers in the world competing for a total purse of $805,000.
The top eight pros from Wednesday’s Knockout Round that will compete in Thursday’s Championship Round on Watts Bar Lake are:
2nd: Randall Tharp, Port St. Joe, Fla., 11 bass, 23-15
3rd: Ryan Salzman, Huntsville, Ala., 13 bass, 23-9
4th: Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn., nine bass, 23-9
5th: Dakota Ebare, Brookeland, Texas, nine bass, 22-11
6th: Brent Ehrler, Redlands, Calif., 11 bass, 21-11
7th: Fletcher Shryock, Guntersville, Ala., nine bass, 19-1
8th: Alton Jones, Sr., Lorena, Texas, eight bass, 18-0
Group A: Kevin VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich.
Group B: David Walker, Sevierville, Tenn.
Full results for the entire field can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
“Man, what a great day,” Davis said. “I’ve had two bad tournaments, but I feel like I’m back on track now with my fishing.”
Davis spent most of his day fishing slowly and methodically, cranking and throwing a worm in the back of a creek on a big grass flat, targeting isolated hard cover.
“It’s been a fantastic day, fishing the way I like to fish,” Davis said. “A lot of the fish in this lake are suspended – and that was my back-up pattern for today – but I found a creek that’s about 10-foot-deep, where they aren’t suspended, and you can catch them just fishing stumps, trees and other hard cover.
“The last two days that I’ve fished this creek have been bright, bluebird skies with a little afternoon wind, and I caught a few five-pounders and a three-pounder, so I knew the bigger and better fish lived in here,” Davis continued. “I had a lot of other stuff I could hit today, but I was hoping with the cloud cover and the rain we had this morning, this place would really show out, so I got in here today and just slowed everything down.”
It was a winning technique that worked for the Arkansas pro, who bested 37 other anglers in the Knockout Round to end the day in the top spot.
“I know this creek has had a lot of pressure because it’s the prettiest creek on the lake,” Davis said. “Earlier in the week I was able to get them to eat a big, Texas-rigged worm, but today it took a drop-shot, finesse-fishing real slow to get them to bite, but we got it done.”
Rounding out the top 40 finishers were:
12th: Chris Lane, Guntersville, Ala., seven bass, 16-12, $10,000
13th: Jared Lintner, Covington, Ga., eight bass, 15-0, $10,000
14th: Mark Daniels, Jr., Tuskegee, Ala., seven bass, 14-13, $10,000
15th: Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., seven bass, 14-11, $10,000
16th: Clabion Johns, Social Circle, Ga., six bass, 13-7, $10,000
17th: Ott DeFoe, Blaine, Tenn., six bass, 13-6, $10,000
18th: Bobby Lane, Lakeland, Fla., six bass, 12-10, $10,000
19th: Scott Suggs, Alexander, Ark., seven bass, 12-5, $10,000
20th: Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., six bass, 12-4, $10,000
21st: Andy Morgan, Dayton, Tenn., six bass, 12-2, $10,000
22nd: Josh Bertrand, Queen Creek, Ariz., five bass, 12-1, $10,000
23rd: Jordan Lee, Cullman, Ala., five bass, 11-15, $10,000
24th: Justin Lucas, Guntersville, Ala., five bass, 11-10, $10,000
25th: Jeff Sprague, Wills Point, Texas, seven bass, 11-8, $10,000
26th: Paul Elias, Laurel, Miss., five bass, 11-2, $10,000
27th: Wesley Strader, Spring City, Tenn., four bass, 9-5, $10,000
28th: Dave Lefebre, Erie, Penn., five bass, 9-3, $10,000
29th: Jeremy Lawyer, Sarcoxie, Mo., five bass, 9-2, $10,000
30th: Gary Klein, Mingus, Texas, four bass, 8-15, $10,000
31st: Dustin Connell, Clanton, Ala., three bass, 8-13, $10,000
32nd: Brandon Coulter, Knoxville, Tenn., four bass, 8-6, $10,000
33rd: Gerald Spohrer, Gonzales, La., four bass, 7-12, $10,000
34th: Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla., four bass, 7-11, $10,000
35th: Casey Ashley, Donalds, S.C., three bass, 7-4, $10,000
36th: Andy Montgomery, Blacksburg, S.C., four bass, 7-0, $10,000
37th: Ish Monroe, Oakdale, Calif., one bass, 3-15, $10,000
38th: Timmy Horton, Muscle Shoals, Ala., one bass, 3-7, $10,000
39th: Adrian Avena, Vineland, N.J., zero bass, 0-0, $10,000
40th: Kelly Jordon, Flint, Texas, zero bass, 0-0, $10,000
Power-Pole pro Chris Lane of Guntersville, Alabama caught a 5-pound, 5-ounce largemouth on a jig in the first period to earn Wednesday’s $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award. 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 finish 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 competing in Thursday’s Championship Round will launch at 7:30 a.m. ETfrom the Spring City Boat Ramp, located at 417 Toestring Valley Road in Spring City, Tennessee.The General Tire Takeout will be held at the ramp, beginning at 4 p.m. Fans are welcome and encouraged to attend all launch and takeout events and to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLF NOW!® live stream and SCORETRACKER® coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Also, on Championship Thursday, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. ET, 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 General Tire Stage Five on Watts Bar Lake Presented by Covercraft. The FREE, family-friendly event will be fun for fishing fans of all ages. The first 50 middle school or high school anglers will receive a free Abu Garcia rod and reel combo valued at $100. The final 10 Championship Round Bass Pro Tour anglers will be on hand to meet and greet fans, sign autographs, take selfies and participate in tackle giveaways.
The General Tire Stage Five on Watts Bar Lake Presented by Covercraft features anglers competing with a 1-pound, 8-ounce 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 the REDCREST 2023 championship.
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. ET. MLF NOW!® will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app.
Television coverage of the General Tire Stage Five on Watts Bar Lake Presented by Covercraft will premiere at 7 a.m. ET, Oct. 29 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 competition.
Proud sponsors of the 2022 MLF Bass Pro Tour include: 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, A.R.E. Truck Caps, B&W Trailer Hitches, BallyBet, 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.
KVD and the TVA: Just Vibing
Courtesy of Luke Stoner - Dynamic Sponsorships
When Kevin VanDam began his illustrious professional fishing career as an over-achieving 23-year-old from Michigan he was given the nickname, “the Kalamazoo kid.” En route to racking up nearly $7 million in career winnings VanDam has since earned a plethora of monikers including “KVD, “Dr. Crankenstein”, “Captain America”, and “The G.O.A.T.”; but it might be time to add “The Tennessee River man” to the list.
The Team Toyota pro has won hundreds of thousands of dollars and pile of trophies on Tennessee River fisheries, including his first Bass Pro Tour victory nearly a year ago to the day on neighboring Lake Chickamauga. After dominating his Qualifying Rounds on Watts Bar for General Tire Stage Five, KVD finds himself with a one-in-ten chance to win yet another title on the 652-mile-long river highway that the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) manages.
To be fair, VanDam has won trophies and posted top finishes from New York, to California, down to Texas, and everywhere in between. But there is no denying his incredible knack for finding and catching fish in this particular river system.
Even Wikipedia reports the TVA operates the Tennessee River system, “to provide a wide range of public benefits: year-round navigation, flood damage reduction, affordable electricity,improved water quality and water supply, recreation, and economic growth… for Kevin VanDam.”
Okay, I might have added a word or three to the end of that quote, but it’s not far off from the truth. VanDam is a threat to win anytime he competes on the TVA chain of lakes, especially in the summertime.
Q – What was the first tournament you remember competing in on the TVA Chain of Lakes?
“Lake Guntersville,” VanDam recalled. “I remember reading and hearing about the legendary Lake Guntersville so I made a trip for fun and signed up for a Bassmaster invitational in ’88 or ‘89 before my pro career began. As soon as I saw the grass in the lake it reminded me of Michigan and I felt right at home.”
Q – Have you always “vibed with” the Tennessee River System, or was it a work in progress?
“Well I got a top 50 and a check in that event,” KVD said with a laugh. “No, I always felt comfortable with the Tennessee River lakes, but I didn’t understand anything about current or ledges initially. The grass aspect always felt like home, but truly understanding how to get the most out of these fisheries has no doubt been a work in progress.”
Q – The area has received a lot of rain since you’ve been on the water, do you expect that to change your primary pattern / strategy?
“It definitely could,” VanDam said. “With all the rain we’ve received I would think the TVA is going to pull more water and increase the current in Watts Bar. I’m not fishing offshore ledges, but my main lake pattern is 100% current related. There is a chance some of my shallower areas towards the backs could be blown out with muddy water, but there is a chance the increased current flow could make my bite better, too. We’ll find out tomorrow.”
Q – You “junk fished” your way to the Championship Round, what were your key lures?
“I’ve relied on four main lures based on the conditions and type of cover in front of me,” VanDam explained. “A 4-inch Strike King Game Hawg Texas-rigged on a 4/0 KVD Grip Pin Mustad hook with a ¼-ounce weight and a 3/8-ounce shad colored Strike King Thunder Cricket have been my two biggest players. Then mixed in a 300 series KVD Jerkbait and a KVD 1.5 Squarebill when fishing rip-rap or a little bit deeper grass.”
Q – What needs to happen tomorrow for you to capture another Bass Pro Tour trophy?
“My timing needs to be on point and I need to fish clean,” VanDam said. “I’ve been fortunate to land most everything that’s bit so far and with as tough as it is, I absolutely need to continue to do so. And timing, man, I need to get a few bites and dial in to what’s changed since Monday. It’s going to be anything but easy, but if I can do those two things, I really feel like I’ll have a chance to win.”
Major League Fishing Delays Knockout Round Due to Inclement Weather
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AC Insider Podcast - All American Champ!!!
This week Chris and the Boys welcome in your 2022 BFL ALL-American Champ Connor Cunningham to the show to talk about his Wire-to-Wire Win on Lake Hamilton and what he plans to do with over $120,000!!! Check it out!
David Walker Wins Group B Qualifying Round Win at MLF Bass Pro Tour General Tire Stage Five on Watts Bar Lake
Tennessee Pro Holds off Several Hard-Charging Competitors to Advance Straight to Thursday’s Championship Round, Field of 38 Anglers Set for Wednesday’s Knockout Round
SPRING CITY, Tenn. (June 7, 2022) – Despite a 2-hour, 15-minute lightning delay, rainy conditions throughout the day and a field of stellar pros nipping at his heels, Bass Pro Shops pro David Walker of Sevierville, Tennessee, caught 11 bass weighing 23 pounds, 10-ounces Tuesday to cruise to a Group B Qualifying Round win at the General Tire Stage Five on Watts Bar Lake Presented by Covercraft in Spring City, Tennessee. Walker’s two-day total of 21 bass weighing 45 pounds, 11 ounces, advances him directly to Thursday’s Championship Round – marking his first automatic berth to the Championship Round on the Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Tour – as the competition continues for the top award of $100,000.
“I don’t know what to say,” said a speechless Walker. “You talk about a day where you just end up making the right choices, all day long – it’s just unbelievable. I caught those fish on so many different rods and baits today, but I couldn’t be happier.”
Walker began the second day of his Qualifying Round in fifth place, with a solid 22-pound, 1-ounce footing, but steadily moved up the SCORETRACKER® throughout the day . The Tennessee pro rallied to take the lead only seven minutes into the third period with a 2-pound, 3-ounce largemouth and despite hard charges by Thrift and DeFoe, who both caught scorable bass in the final period to take over the lead, Walker managed to hold onto the top spot by the end of the competition day.
“This has been a tough season, and to have a day like this – let alone two back-to-back good days – is just amazing,” Walker said. “I’ve usually got some pretty good comebacks or statements and I just don’t have anything at all today.”
Although the win looks good ‘on paper’ with the automatic advancement to the Championship Round, it was certainly a fight to the finish, with Walker catching 10 pounds in the last period alone to end the day on top.
“It’s just one of those things – in tournament fishing the highs are so high and the lows are really low, so it can be tough to try to keep everything on an even keel and not let it get to you,” Walker said. “You go out there and do the same things repeatedly, but you don’t get results like this very often, so you start to question yourself.
“One good day makes up for a whole lot of bad ones though, and we managed to put together two back-to-back good days,” Walker continued. “I am so excited about this finish.”
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 Kevin VanDam, Group B winner David Walker and the top eight finishers from the Knockout Round, competing in a final-day shootout for the top prize of $100,000.
The six-day event, hosted by Fish Dayton, the Rhea County Economic Tourism Council and Spring City, Tennessee, showcases 80 of the top professional bass-fishing anglers in the world competing for a total purse of $805,000.
The top 20 pros in Qualifying Group B that now advance to Wednesday’s Knockout Round on Watts Bar Lake are:
2nd: Clabion Johns, Social Circle, Ga., 21 bass, 39-6
3rd: Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., 19 bass, 38-6
4th: Ott DeFoe, Blaine, Tenn., 21 bass, 37-0
5th: Scott Suggs, Alexander, Ark., 18 bass, 34-9
6th: Ish Monroe, Oakdale, Calif., 12 bass, 32-5
7th: Dustin Connell, Clanton, Ala., 17 bass, 31-9
8th: Josh Bertrand, Queen Creek, Ariz., 14 bass, 31-0
9th: Justin Lucas, Guntersville, Ala., 16 bass, 30-14
10th: Chris Lane, Guntersville, Ala., 14 bass, 30-8
11th: Jeff Sprague, Wills Point, Texas, 15 bass, 29-11
13th: Dave Lefebre, Erie, Penn., 15 bass, 28-2
14th: Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn., 13 bass, 27-7
15th: Jeremy Lawyer, Sarcoxie, Mo., 13 bass, 26-8
16th: Casey Ashley, Donalds, S.C., 12 bass, 24-2
17th: Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla., 11 bass, 23-14
18th: Fletcher Shryock, Guntersville, Ala., nine bass, 22-5
19th: Kelly Jordon, Flint, Texas, nine bass, 21-15
20th: Adrian Avena, Vineland, N.J., 11 bass, 21-10
Overall, there were 225 scorable bass weighing 465 pounds, 6 ounces caught by 40 pros Tuesday.
Toro pro Brent Chapman of Quivira, Kansas caught a 5-pound, 9-ounce largemouth throwing a bladed swim jig in the first period to earn the fourth $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 competed in their two-day qualifying round on Saturday and Monday – the 40 anglers in Group B on Sunday and Tuesday. Now that the 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.
The 38 anglers competing in Wednesday’s Knockout Round will launch at 7:30 a.m. ET from the Spring City Boat Ramp, located at 417 Toestring Valley Road in Spring City, Tennessee. The General Tire Takeout will be held at the ramp, beginning at 4 p.m. Fans are welcome and encouraged to attend all launch and takeout events and to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLF NOW!® live stream and SCORETRACKER® coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The General Tire Stage Five on Watts Bar Lake Presented by Covercraft features anglers competing with a 1-pound, 8-ounce 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 the REDCREST 2023 championship.
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. ET. MLF NOW!® will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app.
Television coverage of the General Tire Stage Five on Watts Bar Lake Presented by Covercraft will premiere at 7 a.m. ET, Oct. 29 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 competition.
Proud sponsors of the 2022 MLF Bass Pro Tour include: 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, A.R.E. Truck Caps, B&W Trailer Hitches, BallyBet, 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.
Richmond Set to Host MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Toyota Stop 5 on the James River
Fifth Stop of 2022 Season to Showcase Professional Bass Anglers Competing Over Four Days for Top Prize of $135,000
RICHMOND, Va. (June 7, 2022) – The fifth event of the 2022 Major League Fishing (MLF) Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by Fuel Me, the sport’s premier five-fish format tournament circuit, kicks off in Richmond next week, June 16-19 with the Toyota Stop 5 on the James River Presented by PowerStop Brakes. Hosted by Richmond Region Tourism in cooperation with the Henrico Sports & Entertainment Authority, the four-day tournament will feature a field of top bass-fishing anglers from around the country competing for a total purse of more than $850,000, and valuable points to qualify for the 2022 Tackle Warehouse TITLE Presented by Mercury, the Pro Circuit Championship.
“We’re excited to welcome Major League Fishing organizers, anglers and fans to the Richmond Region,” said Jerrine Lee, Vice President of Sales at Richmond Region Tourism. “The James River is known for its world-class fishing and exciting outdoor activities. We know anglers will experience some incredible bass fishing during the tournament and we can’t wait to cheer them all.”
“This competition shows off a different side of Henrico’s sports amenities,” said Dennis Bickmeier, Executive Director of the Henrico Sports & Entertainment Authority. “From the event’s economic impact, to the Major League Fishing Festival and children’s activities, to the heavily broadcasted weigh-ins, this prestigious tournament is a boon for our entire community. We look forward to partnering with them for many years to come.”
While the James River has seen plenty of bass tournaments on it over the years, the majority of MLF experience is limited to some Phoenix Bass Fishing League tournaments, a handful of Toyota Series events and a Forrest Wood Cup event back in 2003. Powhatan, Virginia’s Cody Pike, who will be among the pros competing in this event, knows the James River better than most in the field and though he acknowledges the tournament may hit the postspawn funk, he also knows just how good it can be.
“June is a weird month where fish are getting away from their spawning thing, but we’ll probably still have some fish spawning because they spawn later in a tidal fishery than in a lake,” Pike says. “There will be a bunch of fry guarders and the frog bite should be starting down in the Chickahominy in the pads. And there should be some postspawn fish getting out on brush, so they’ll be scattered all over from drops to brush to spawning and guarding fry.”
The Potomac River to the north has long been the Pro Circuit’s staple tidal fishery. Anglers fishing in big crowds and rarely running the tide has been what fans have become accustomed to, but Pike points out that the James is a whole different animal.
“You can catch them on high water flipping a marsh bank and three hours later you’ll be looking at the bottom where you just caught one, so timing is way more crucial on the James,” Pike said. “There’s also a whole lot more water to fish than the Potomac because the Potomac is a decent-sized body of water, but it fishes real small. On the James, you’ve got 60 or 70 miles to run that’s all good water, especially if you’re chasing the tide.
“You’ll have guys go to the Chickahominy and commit to it and not chase a tide, but if you run the tide you can catch 60 fish and likely stumble across five big ones.”
In Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit competition, the full field of anglers compete in the two-day opening round on Thursday and Friday. The top 50 pros based on their two-day cumulative weight will advance to Saturday. Only the top 10 pros, based on cumulative weight from the first three days, will continue competition on Championship Sunday, where weights will be zeroed and anglers will compete in a one-day shootout for the grand prize of up to $135,000, including the lucrative $35,000 Phoenix MLF Bonus for qualified anglers.
After four events in the 2022 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit regular season, Arkansas pro Spencer Shuffield leads the Bally Bet Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 732 points. Hayden, Alabama’s Josh Butler sits right behind Shuffield in second place with 720 points, while Kentucky’s John Hunter sits in third with 695 points. The reigning Pro Circuit Bally Bet AOY, Michael Neal of Dayton, Tennessee sits in fourth place with 685 points, while Favorite Fishing pro Matt Becker of Finleyville, Pennsylvania, rounds out the top five with 677 points.
Anglers will take off at 6:30 a.m. ET, Thursday, June 16, through Sunday, June 19, from the Osborne Landing, located at 9530 Osborne Turnpike in Richmond. Weigh-ins will also be held at the landing daily at 2:30 p.m. Fans are encouraged to attend the morning take offs and afternoon weigh-ins, and also follow the live on-the-water action all four days of competition online on MLF NOW! beginning at 8 a.m. ET at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
As part of the event, on Saturday, June 18 and Sunday, June 19, from Noon to 4 p.m., fans are invited out to the Major League Fishing Festival at the Osborne Landing. Hosted by Richmond Region Tourism, the event will feature fans meeting and getting autographs from their favorite pro anglers that compete on the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit. Children are welcome to visit the Kids Zone to meet Skye & Marshall from PAW Patrol, fish for live fish in the Kids Fishing Pond, show off their artistic skills at the coloring stations, and more. Vendor booths from MLF sponsors, food, prizes and giveaways, including a FREE Abu Garcia rod and reel combo for the first 50 high school or middle school anglers, are available to festival goers. On Saturday and Sunday, one lucky attendee will play for a brand new 2022 Toyota Tundra in the Bully Dog Pick ‘Til You Win game, with runner up prizes of a new 70-inch 4K UHD Smart TV or a Bully Dog Performance Tuner. For more information on the Major League Fishing Festival, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com/Attend.
The MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Toyota Stop 5 on the James River Presented by PowerStop Brakes will feature live on-the-water coverage and a two-hour action-packed television show that will premiere on the CBS Sports Network in early September.
The 2022 season culminates with the Tackle Warehouse TITLE Presented by Mercury, the Pro Circuit Championship, where the top 48 pros in the points standings, along with the 2021 TITLE Champion and 2021 Angler of the Year, will compete for a top prize of $235,000. The 2022 TITLE will be on the St. Lawrence River in Massena, New York, Aug. 16-21, and is hosted by the Town of Massena.
Proud sponsors of the 2022 MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit 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 information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit on the MLF5 social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
Winyah Bay Lands Bassmaster College National Championship
The country's top college teams will compete on Winyah Bay Sept. 2-4 at the 2022 Strike King Bassmaster College Series National Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops.
Photo by Dalton Tumblin/B.A.S.S.
June 7, 2022
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The country’s best college fishing teams will converge in Georgetown, S.C., for the 2022 Strike King Bassmaster College Series National Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops, which will be held on Winyah Bay Sept. 2-4.
The Bassmaster College Series Championship will field as many as 130 teams of anglers representing universities across the nation. Qualifications are based on the teams’ finishes in four regular-season stops held on Florida’s Harris Chain of Lakes, Lake Norman in North Carolina, Arkansas’ Norfork Lake and Saginaw Bay in Michigan. A final Wild Card tournament on Alabama’s Logan Martin Lake gives teams waitlisted for the other events one last chance to make it into the field for Winyah Bay.
“We’re excited to offer college anglers an incredible championship tournament experience,” said Glenn Cale, B.A.S.S. Nation tournament manager — College, High School and Junior. “I am thrilled that we are able to get these young anglers onto this extraordinary tidal fishery as they compete for a national title and a chance to fish the Classic.”
Winyah Bay, which is the confluence of the Waccamaw, Pee Dee, Black and Sampit rivers in Georgetown County, has hosted two major B.A.S.S. events — Elite derbies in 2016 and 2019 — along with several B.A.S.S. Nation regional championships. The most recent Bassmaster College Series tournament on Winyah Bay in 2017 featured a pair of familiar names atop the leaderboard. Current Elite Series pros Patrick Walters and Jonathan Kelley finished first and second en route to the 2017 National Championship, where they were bested by a team that included fellow Elite angler Jacob Foutz.
“We are thrilled to welcome college anglers and their families to Georgetown County for the Bassmaster College National Championship in September,” said Beth Goodale, Georgetown County Director of Recreation & Community Services. “A number of activities and events are planned throughout the weekend so that our citizens can celebrate along with tournament participants.”
Competitors will not only be fighting for a national championship but also a berth in the 2023 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk on the Tennessee River via the College Classic Bracket tournament.
The leading anglers in the Bassmaster College Series Team of the Year points standings will be determined after the four regular-season events. The Team of the Year will punch their ticket to the College Classic Bracket event, which will be held later this year. The College Classic Bracket takes the Top 3 teams from the National Championship plus the Team of the Year and places the individual anglers in head-to-head bracket-style competition for a berth in the Classic, where they will compete for a prize purse of over $1 million.
The 2022 Strike King Bassmaster College Series National Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops is being hosted by Georgetown County.
Road Trip Tips with Big Show Scroggins
Courtesy of Luke Stoner - Dynamic Sponsorships
Terry Scroggins, a.k.a. “Big Show” was finishing his tackle prep as rain fell Monday night during his day off from competition for General Tire Stage Five of the Bass Pro Tour. The Team Toyota pro had some old school country music playing, stayed dry and was comfortable as could be thanks to the covered garage included with his lodging choice for the week.
Watts Bar Lake is serving as the playing field for Stage Five of the Bass Pro Tour, but as soon as he saw this tournament on the schedule Big Show planned to stay at the PB Lodge; a fisherman-friendly hotel on the shores of Lake Chickamaugathat is 30-minutes down the road from this week’s take-off.
After years of competing on professional fishing tours, these anglers become professional travelers, too, and Scroggins said the best traveling tip he can offer is to be mindful of where you park your rig and lay your head down at night. Little amenities or proximity to certain necessities is super important. Whether you’re going on a tournament related fishing trip or a family vacation, nothing ruins a trip faster than subpar lodging or staying in the wrong part of town.
“For young anglers or a professional rookie working through travel logistics and picking places to stay is just as intimidating as the fishing itself,” Scroggins said. “Staying in the right part of town and getting a feel for the lay of the land around the fishery is about as crucial as knowing the best areas on the lake. Being comfortable with where you are staying and having peace of mind absolutely affects your fishing.”
It may sound dramatic but knowing the areas to stay, and the areas to avoid, undoubtedly makes a difference with your time on the water. With all the money and equipment wrapped up into modern trucks, boats, electronics, tackle, and gear; safety and security need to be your first priority. A lesson Scroggins nearly learned the hard way.
“We were fishing an FLW Tour event back in 2004 on Lake Okeechobee. Dean Rojas and I both did well and made the final day,” Scroggins recalled. “The tournament was going out of Clewiston but Rojas and I had been staying near Harney Pond. Since we made the cut and most of the field had left town, we made a late-night decision to split a room in Clewiston and be closer to take-off the following morning.
“My head had hardly hit the pillow when I hear my TH-Marine two-way alarm system on my boat go off. I rushed outside and see a guy running away from my boat. The alarm system saved us that night, but the decision to blindly book a room in an unfamiliar area nearly cost me. That experience taught me to be mindful of where I’m staying.”
More than just security, anglers should have easy access to a solid boat ramp, and proximity to decent food options, a good grocery store, and a trustworthy gas station.
Tips for finding the best places / areas to stay
Kevin VanDam has long preached the importance of “controlling the controllable” in competitive bass fishing because so much in fishing is out of our control. Where you stay is one detail traveling anglers are very much in control of.
“Everyone has heard ‘preparation is the key to success’, well that doesn’t stop at tackle prep,” Scroggins said with a smile. “Networking is everything. At this point in my career I just have to pick up the phone and call a local to the area or someone I know who has been to a lake. Take this week for example. I called Michael Neal (Dayton, TN local) last year before our derby on Chickamauga and he got me hooked up with the PB Lodge and it worked out perfect.”
Scroggins has reciprocated this favor to hundreds of anglers over the years when tournament trails come to Florida. Anglers may be tight-lipped about what they do on the water, but lodging is a different story. If you don’t have a network built yet, Big Show said you aren’t out of options.
“Do some research and call the local chamber of commerce or tourism board if the area has it,” Scroggins offered. “Ask them about lodging, they’ll be more than happy to help. Heck, if you can’t reach them call the local pizza delivery place. Strike up a conversation and ask the workers if they know the best places to stay. Any insight goes a long way.”
Worst case scenario, Scroggins said sometimes you just have tomake a trip to see firsthand for yourself. Pre-practice on the lake and drive through potential host towns. Find a hotel, campground, or Air BnB you trust, and you’ll thank yourself when it comes tournament time.
As for Scroggins, he likes to be as comfortable as the ride of his all-new 2022 Tundra with the hotel and area he chooses to stay in. He’ll happily trade a 30-minute commute to take-off in the mornings once he finds a place with the accommodations he’s looking for. Be like Big Show. Your next fishing trip will be better for it.
Major League Fishing Delays Group B Day 2 Qualifying Round Due to Inclement Weather
WHAT:
Major League Fishing (MLF) has issued a severe weather delay for the Group B Day 2 Qualifying Round at the General Tire Stage Five on Watts Bar Lake Presented by Covercraft in Spring City, Tennessee due to lightning in the area.
WHEN:
Tuesday, June 7, 2022
Takeoff: Postponed until further notice.
WHERE:
Watts Bar Lake
Spring City Boat Ramp
417 Toestring Valley Road
Spring City, Tennessee
NOTES:
Follow MajorLeagueFishing.com or the MLF app for the latest updates regarding weather conditions and more information on when the tournament day will resume.
“The safety of our anglers and their families, competition officials, camera operators and MLF staff is our number one priority,” said Aaron Beshears, MLF Tournament Director. “Weather Operations is expecting lightning in the area for the next two to three hours and isolated storms are also expected throughout the day, which may incur additional delays. We will attempt to complete the 8-hour competition day, however, if extended delays occur, the cutoff time for finishing out the competition day will be 6:30 p.m.”
The six-day event, hosted by Fish Dayton, the Rhea County Economic Tourism Council and Spring City, Tennessee, showcases 80 of the top professional bass-fishing anglers in the world competing for a total purse of $805,000, including a top cash prize of $100,000 to the winner.
The 40 Anglers in Group A competed in their two-day qualifying round on Saturday and Monday – the 40 anglers in Group B competed on Sunday and will resume competition on 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.
In addition to millions of dollars in cash prizes, 2022 Bass Pro Tour anglers are vying for valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the 2023 General Tire Heavy Hitters All-Star event and REDCREST 2023, the world championship of professional bass fishing.
For complete details and up-to-date tournament information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
Radford University Wins MLF Wiley X College Faceoff at Smith Mountain Lake
HUDDLESTON, Va. (June 7, 2022) – The Radford University team of Ruth Caudle, Alex Moss, Kent Clark and Jackson Norton, won the Major League Fishing (MLF) Wiley X College Faceoff at Smith Mountain Lake in Huddleston, Virginia, Saturday. The Highlanders bass club boated 15 bass weighing 30 pounds, 14 ounces to win the first Wiley X College Faceoff Event of the 2022 season and earn the win by a 3-pound, 1-ounce margin over Tennessee’s King University.
The Radford University team said that they knew the catch-weigh-immediate release format was very different from the five-fish format, so they changed their gameplan from Friday in order to catch as many fish as possible. They said that they spent the morning throwing topwater baits on the rocks to catch some fish left over from the shad spawn the previous night, then they spent the rest of the day keying on stretches of docks with a drop-shot rig.
The five teams that competed in the Wiley X College Faceoff at Smith Mountain Lake finished:
1st: Radford University – Ruth Caudle, Alex Moss, Kent Clark and Jackson Norton, 15 bass, 30-14
2nd: King University – Tyler Altizer, Dylan Thomson and Jacob Lovell, 13 bass, 27-13
3rd: Western Michigan University – Mason Jones, Jack Schable, Kert Antonowitsch and Cole Zagrzebski, nine bass, 24-15
4th: Virginia Tech University – Ryan Feehan, Daniel Weber, Caden Canaday and Lynn Chitwood, 11 bass, 24-9
5th: Penn State University – Anthony Riello, Jason Zubris, Dylan Crystaloski and Jakob Sorbera, three bass, 8-7
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 Smith Mountain Lake was the first of four Faceoff events for MLF collegiate anglers in 2022. The next Faceoff event for college anglers will take place on Saturday, July 30 at the Mississippi River in La Crosse, Wisconsin.
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.
Kevin VanDam Surges to Group A Qualifying Round Win at MLF Bass Pro Tour General Tire Stage Five on Watts Bar Lake
Kalamazoo Pro Catches Two-Day Total of 21 Bass Weighing 51 Pounds, 3 Ounces to Win Automatic Berth to Championship Round – 19 Anglers Advance to Wednesday’s Knockout Round
SPRING CITY, Tenn. (June 6, 2022) – Bass Pro Shops pro Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Michigan , caught 12 scorable bass weighing 30 pounds even to earn the win Monday and advance directly to his third Bass Pro Tour Championship Round at the General Tire Stage Five on Watts Bar Lake Presented by Covercraft in Spring City, Tennessee. This will mark the first time VanDam – whose astounding career is comprised of 29 major wins and eight Angler of the Year (AOY) awards – has earned an automatic berth to the Championship Round on the Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Tour.
VanDam’s two-day Qualifying Round total of 21 bass weighing 51 pounds, 3 ounces earned him the Group A win by a solid 10-pound, 15-ounce margin over second-place pro Takahiro Omori of Tokyo, Japan, who caught a two-day total of 18 bass totaling 40-4. Berkley pro Jordan Lee of Cullman, Alabama started in 16th place on Monday, before ending the day in third place with a two-day total of 16 bass weighing 34-13, while Tennessee pro Andy Morgan of Dayton , finished the round in fourth place with a two-day total of 13 bass weighing 34-10. Favorite Fishing pro Mark Daniels, Jr. of Tuskegee, Alabama rounded out the top five with a two-day total of 15 bass weighing 34-8.
The six-day event, hosted by Fish Dayton, the Rhea County Economic Tourism Council and Spring City, Tennessee, showcases 80 of the top professional bass-fishing anglers in the world competing for a total purse of $805,000, including a top cash prize of $100,000 to the winner.
“Things normally don’t go the way you plan them, but today was a perfect day for me,” VanDam said. “I knew I had a little ground to make up, so I decided to start in a creek to get away from the main river current and I got off to a good start.”
VanDam started the day in sixth place but moved quickly to the top spot by the end of Period 1. He began the second period with a one-pound lead over the entire field, before gaining more ground to start Period 3 with a 10-pound, 1-ounce advantage.
“I knew if I could make a run at it and be able to automatically qualify for the Championship Round, I’d be sitting in a great spot,” VanDam said. “The Knockout Rounds are one of the hardest rounds to get through on this tour because the weights zero and all the guys you are up against have been catching them for two days in a row. Anything can happen, so everything has to go well, and you’ve really got to be catching them. Being able to skip that day of competition and move on is key.”
VanDam has several big wins on Tennessee River lakes – including his 2021 Bass Pro Tour win on Lake Chickamauga – and more than 20 top-10 finishes on the TVA fisheries, so it’s no surprise to find him on top of the leaderboard midway through the event. What is surprising, however, is his technique.
“I’m junk-fishing, which is far different than I initially planned to fish on Watts Bar Lake and the Tennessee River,” said VanDam, “Fortunately I’ve been able to make it work so far.
“I expected to come here and throw crankbaits on offshore ledges – and that’s what I’d love to do, but that just didn’t happen in practice, so I’ve had to mix it up,” VanDam continued. “I’ve caught a lot of my fish flipping a Strike King KVD Perfect Plastics Game Hawg , watermelon-seed-colored with a little chartreuse on the tail, around shallow docks and shallow brush.
“I also caught some key fish on a Strike King KVD Jerkbait and skipping a Strike King Thunder Cricket around rocks and overhanging trees, just mixing it up and doing whatever fits what’s in front of me.”
VanDam said earning the automatic berth to the Championship Round is a really good feeling, especially after a tough tournament at Lake of the Ozarks last month, where he finished in 51stplace.
“I’m happy to be able to bounce back here at Watts Bar Lake after a disappointing finish at the last event,” said VanDam. “Lake of the Ozarks was a place where I had a ton of confidence and I had a great practice, but I just didn’t execute and never made it past the Qualifying Round.
“I’m really focusing on AOY points, so that event cost me a lot right there for the season,” VanDam went on to say. “In spite of that, we’re going to end up with a good finish here, regardless of how things go on Thursday, and I’m looking forward to taking a shot at the win.”
Covington, Georgia pro Jared Lintner also made a big run Monday afternoon, catching a total of 18 pounds, 8 ounces on the day to finish with a two-day total of 27-14, moving him from 25th place into 11th and securing his spot in Wednesday’s Knockout Round. Pro Paul Elias of Laurel, Mississippi caught a 2-13, followed by a 1-10 in the final hour to move from 29th place to 20th for the day and squeeze into the Top 20. Elias was only one of two anglers to move into the Top 20 during Day 2 of the Group A Qualifying Round.
“This thing took a toll on me, let me tell you,” Elias said after the round concluded. “My practice was pretty bad, and the first day of competition just crushed me, but thankfully I got on a smallmouth deal that saved me and we made it in the top 20.
“I ended up having to go to some spinning stuff and I started throwing a little 6-inch worm on a ¼-ounce drop-shot,” Elias said. “I caught a largemouth weighing 4-13 with that on Saturday, and one or two on it today, but most of my fish were caught on a wacky-rigged stickbait, and I’m just not that style of fisherman.
“I made so many mistakes today, just trying to skip that thing under stuff, but it worked out and I’m thankful to be moving on to the next round,” Elias concluded.
The top 20 anglers from Group A will now enjoy an off day, while the 40 anglers in Qualifying Group B will complete their two-day Qualifying Round of competition on Tuesday. The Knockout Round, featuring 38 anglers competing to finish in the top eight, will take place Wednesday. Thursday’s Championship Round will feature VanDam, 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.
The top 20 pros in Qualifying Group A that now advance to Wednesday’s Knockout Round on Watts Bar Lake are:
1st: Kevin VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich., 21 bass, 51-3
2nd: Takahiro Omori, Tokyo, Japan, 18 bass, 40-4
3rd: Jordan Lee, Cullman, Ala., 16 bass, 34-13
4th: Andy Morgan, Dayton, Tenn., 13 bass, 34-10
5th: Mark Daniels, Jr., Tuskegee, Ala., 15 bass, 34-8
6th: Randall Tharp, Port St. Joe, Fla., 14 bass, 32-5
7th: Brandon Coulter, Knoxville, Tenn., 13 bass, 32-4
8th: Brent Ehrler, Redlands, Calif., 15 bass, 31-11
9th: Andy Montgomery, Blacksburg, S.C., 15 bass, 30-1
10th: Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., 15 bass, 27-15
11th Jared Lintner, Covington, Ga., 13 bass, 27-14
12th: Gary Klein, Mingus, Texas, 12 bass, 27-11
13th: Alton Jones, Lorena, Texas, 13 bass, 25-11
14th: Timmy Horton, Muscle Shoals, Ala., 13 bass, 25-10
15th: Bobby Lane, Lakeland, Fla., 11 bass, 25-2
16th: Ryan Salzman, Huntsville, Ala., 14 bass, 25-0
17th: Wesley Strader, Spring City, Tenn., 13 bass, 24-11
18th: Dakota Ebare, Brookeland, Texas, 10 bass, 24-3
19th: Mark Davis, Mount Ida, Ark., nine bass, 24-1
20th: Paul Elias, Laurel, Miss., 10 bass, 21-9
A complete list of results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Overall, there were 177 scorable bass weighing 385 pounds, 1 ounce caught by 40 pros Monday.
Morgan caught a 5-pound, 14-ounce largemouth throwing a jig in the second period to earn the third $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 competed in their two-day qualifying round on Saturday and Monday – the 40 anglers in Group B competed on Sunday and will resume competition on 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. ET from the Spring City Boat Ramp, located at 417 Toestring Valley Road in Spring City, Tennessee. Each day’s General Tire Takeout will be held at the ramp, beginning at 4 p.m. Fans are welcome and encouraged to attend all launch and takeout events and to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLF NOW!® live stream and SCORETRACKER® coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The General Tire Stage Five on Watts Bar Lake Presented by Covercraft features anglers competing with a 1-pound, 8-ounce 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 the REDCREST 2023 championship.
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. ET. MLF NOW!® will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app.
Television coverage of the General Tire Stage Five on Watts Bar Lake Presented by Covercraft will premiere at 7 a.m. ET, Oct. 29 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 competition.
Proud sponsors of the 2022 MLF Bass Pro Tour include: 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, A.R.E. Truck Caps, B&W Trailer Hitches, BallyBet, 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.
Oakdale High School Wins MLF High School Fishing Open on the California Delta
BETHEL ISLAND, Calif. (June 6, 2022) – The Oakdale High School team of Troy Cox and Zane Ravalin, both of Oakdale, California, brought five bass to the scale Sunday weighing 22 pounds, 8 ounces, to win the MLF High School Fishing Presented by Favorite Fishing Open at the California Delta.
A field of 34 teams competed in the no-entry fee tournament, which launched from Russo’s Marina in Bethel Island, Calif. In MLF and The Bass Federation (TBF) High School Fishing competition, the top 10% of teams competing advance to the High School Fishing National Championship.
The top three teams that advanced to the 2022 High School Fishing National Championship are:
1st: Oakdale High School, Oakdale, Calif. – Troy Cox and Zane Ravalin, both of Oakdale, Calif., five bass, 22-8
2nd: Lake County High School Fishing Club – Tyler Bryant and Joey Gentle, both of Kelseyville, Calif., five bass, 21-4
3rd: Delta Saints Bass Team – Hunter Binns and Guy Laackman, both of West Sacramento, Calif., five bass, 20-2
Rounding out the top 10 teams were:
4th: Delta Teen Team – Maxwell Kaneko, Berkeley, Calif., and Sam Shimabukuro, Alameda, Calif., five bass, 20-1
5th: Lake County High School Fishing Club – Payton Lyndall, Kelseyville, Calif., and Fisher Perkins, Rocklin, Calif., five bass, 16-12
6th: Delta Saints Bass Team – Jax Soto, Courtland, Calif., and Nathan Tritt, West Sacramento, Calif., five bass, 16-10
7th: Liberty High School, Brentwood, Calif. – Adrian Guillen, Brentwood, Calif., and Josh Stanchina, five bass, 14-3
8th: Vista Del Lago High School, Folsom, Calif. – Brian Mackinnon and Bryce White, both of El Dorado Hills, Calif., five bass, 13-0
9th: Lodi High School, Lodi, Calif. – Maverick Lahman and Kyle Mann, both of Lodi, Calif., five bass, 12-14
10th: Grizzly Bass Masters – Sam Houston, Georgetown, Calif., and Clay Smith, Greenwood, Calif., five bass, 12-3
Complete results from the event can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The next event for High School Fishing anglers will be the 2022 MLF High School Fishing National Championship on Pickwick and Wilson Lakes in Florence, Alabama, June 22-25.
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% of teams at each Open event, along with the TBF High School Fishing state championships, will advance to the 2022 High School Fishing National Championship. The 2022 MLF High School Fishing National Championship will be held on Pickwick and Wilson Lakes in Florence, Alabama, June 22-25, and is hosted by the Florence-Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau.
The High School Fishing National Champions will each receive a $5,000 college scholarship to the school of their choice and advance to the 2022 MLF Toyota Series Championship to compete as co-anglers.
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.
Central High School Wins MLF High School Fishing Open on Smith Mountain Lake
HUDDLESTON, Va. (June 6, 2022) – The Central High School team of Gerald Brumbaugh of Martinsburg, Pennsylvania, and Dalton Metzger of Roaring Spring, Pennsylvania, brought five bass to the scale Saturday weighing 20 pounds, 12 ounces, to win the MLF High School Fishing Presented by Favorite Fishing Open at Smith Mountain Lake. For their victory, the duo now qualify to compete in the 2023 High School Fishing National Championship.
Rounding out the top five teams were:
2nd: Madison High School, Marshall, N.C. – Matthew Crawford, Marshall, N.C., and Gavin Gault, Mars Hill, N.C., five bass, 14-1
3rd: Wellsboro Area School District, Wellsboro, Pa. – Conner Kapp and Colegan Stiner, five bass, 13-12
4th: HS Potomac River Bass Masters – Elijah Ambrose and Jarren Crowder, Clearspring, Md., four bass, 12-0
5th: New Breed Bassers – Ty Crispin, Elmer, N.J., and Kyle Gilson, Cedarville, N.J., four bass, 11-10
Complete results from the event can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The MLF High School Fishing Presented by Favorite Fishing Open at Smith Mountain Lake was hosted by Destination Bedford. The next event for High School Fishing anglers will be the 2022 MLF High School Fishing National Championship on Pickwick and Wilson Lakes in Florence, Alabama, June 22-25.
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% of teams at each Open event, along with the TBF High School Fishing state championships, will advance to the 2022 High School Fishing National Championship. The 2022 MLF High School Fishing National Championship will be held on Pickwick and Wilson Lakes in Florence, Alabama, June 22-25, and is hosted by the Florence-Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau.
The High School Fishing National Champions will each receive a $5,000 college scholarship to the school of their choice and advance to the 2022 MLF Toyota Series Championship to compete as co-anglers.
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.
Simpson University Wins MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing Tournament on the California Delta
BETHEL ISLAND, Calif. (June 6, 2022) – The Simpson University duo of Jayden Nezy of Page, Arizona, and Nathan Phillips of Kelseyville, California, won the MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI event on the California Delta Friday with a five-bass limit weighing 24 pounds, 7 ounces. The victory earned the Red Hawks’ bass club a slot in the 2023 MLF College Fishing National Championship.
“We just fished the marina all day,” Phillips said. “The game plan was to start there and get maybe a 15-pound limit, then run around that general area the rest of the day and try to cull.
“We got in there and our first fish was the big one – the 6-15 – and the next was 5½ pounds,” Phillips added. “We had four fish at 9 o’clock that weighed about 18 pounds.”
Phillips said he gave those fish a break and moved the team south to chase the tide. After an hour, Phillips returned to their starting spot to fish the outgoing tide and stayed there the rest of the day. Their last fish came at 12:30.
Phillips said the team relied on a vibrating jig fished in grass and wood on one side of the marina and pilings on the other side. Phillips said Nezy was finesse fishing out of the back of the boat while Phillips focused on parallel casts to targets. Phillips said they caught 15 fish throughout the day – 10 of wich were keepers.
“The biggest thing was getting the bait deep enough to the fish,” Phillips said. “I threw a half-ounce bait and fished it pretty slow just trying to get it down to them.”
The top 10 teams that advanced to the 2023 College Fishing National Championship are:
1st: Simpson University – Jayden Nezy of Page, Ariz., and Nathan Phillips of Kelseyville, Calif., five bass, 24-7
2nd: Simpson University – Ty Manterola, Pasco, Wash., five bass, 16-11
3rd: University of Montevallo – Adam Carrol, Carrollton, Ga., and Trey Dickert, Taylors, S.C., five bass, 15-14
4th: Simpson University – Ryan Beaty, Martinez, Calif., and James Hawkinson, Granite Bay, Calif., five bass, 13-1
5th: University of Montevallo – Briggs Alavezos, Manteca, Calif., and Brody Robison, Dawson, Ala., five bass, 13-1
6th: Sonoma State University – Ari Forman, Westlake Village, Calif., and Cody Wyatt, Rohnert Park, Calif., five bass, 12-3
7th: Fresno State – Liam Cornell, Fresno, Calif., and Brendan Holden, Clovis, Calif., five bass, 11-12
8th: Simpson University – Myles Davis, Redding, Calif., and Austin Rojas, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., five bass, 11-11
9th: Sonoma State University – Aaron King, Windsor, Calif., and Richard Maloney, Ukiah Calif., five bass, 10-3
10th: Chico State – Jack Geist, Davis, Calif., and Miles Kaneko, Berkley, Calif., five bass, 9-9
Complete results for the entire field can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI event on the California Delta was the final of three regular-season tournaments for Western Conference anglers. The next event for College Fishing anglers will be the Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI event on the Mississippi River, July 29 in La Crosse, Wisconsin.
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.
East Carolina University Wins MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing Tournament on Smith Mountain Lake
HUDDLESTON, Va. (June 6, 2022) – The East Carolina University duo of Bryce Fowler of Clayton, North Carolina, and Austin Woody of Burlington, North Carolina, won the MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI event on Smith Mountain Lake Friday with a five-bass limit weighing 20 pounds, 8 ounces. The victory earned the Pirates’ bass club $2,000 and a slot in the 2023 MLF College Fishing National Championship.
“We came into this with no practice,” Fowler said. “We talked about it, and we just wanted to come into it and see what happened. We knew how to fish it and knew what they were going to be doing; we just had to make it all come together.
“We fished around a bit, and about noon we had a limit of 12 or 13 pounds,” Fowler added. “We were able to throw a topwater on rock piles to catch four fish over 4 pounds.“
Fowler said the team focused on rocky banks and rock piles around the Blackwater River area and caught about 30 fish during the day, 15 of which were keepers.
“This feels pretty incredible,” Fowler said. “To do it as seniors and leave a legacy for our team is special.”
The top 10 teams that advanced to the 2023 College Fishing National Championship are:
1st: East Carolina University – Bryce Fowler of Clayton, N.C., and Austin Woody of Burlington, N.C., five bass, 20-8, $2,000
2nd: Adrian College – Matthew Davis, Saint Joseph, Mich., and Sam Shoemaker, Martinsville, Ind., five bass, 19-3, $1,000
3rd: Erskine College – Jeremy Dellinger, Denver, N.C., and Adam Seagle, Lincolnton, N.C., five bass, 17-1, $500
4th: King University – Tyler Altizer, Abingdon, Va., and Dylan Thomson, Shady Valley, Tenn., five bass, 16-11, $500
5th: Adrian College – Russel Buffa, Fenton, Mich., and Matt Mosby, Dryden, Mich., five bass, 15-9, $500
6th: Penn State University – Eric Wawrzyniak, Lebanon, Pa., and Jason Zubris, Plains, Pa., five bass, 15-0
7th: Virginia Tech – Ryan Feehan, Haymarket, Va., and Daniel Weber, Fredericksburg, Va., five bass, 14-14
8th: Radford University – Ruth Caudle, Pulaski, Va., and Alex Moss, Lambsburg, Va., five bass, 14-13
9th: Western Michigan University – Kurt Antonowitsch, Kalamazoo, Mich., and Cole Zagrzebski, Steven’s Point, Wis., five bass, 14-11
10th: Liberty University – Wyatt Kelley, Altavista, Va., and Broderick Luckey, Roanoke, Va., five bass, 14-8
Complete results for the entire field can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI event on Smith Mountain Lake was hosted by Destination Bedford. It was the second 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 the Mississippi River July 29 in La Crosse, Wisconsin.
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.
Jade Keeton and Adam Brown Win ABT 100 on Neely Henry with 17.23
By Jason Duran
The second stop of three Alabama Bass Trail 100 tournaments made its way to Neely Henry Lake where one hundred teams competed for a total payout of $100,000. A smaller field than the normal ABT allows teams to spread out a little more and often find areas where other teams aren’t fishing. Add a bigger pay day, and it makes for an exciting day of bass fishing.
Jade Keeton and Adam Brown caught 17.23 pounds but were unsure if that was enough to win until the scales closed on Saturday. Adam “has fished this lake for 30 years and placed second way more than first. When you get in that 17-pound range, it’s kind of tricky because somebody will usually come in with 20 pounds.” The team made a run of a little over an hour to fish an area called the dead river. This area of the lake is shallow and difficult to navigate, and the lake level dropped some overnight making it even more difficult to access the areas the team wanted to fish. Adam “probably wouldn’t have even risked it today if it wasn’t for a tournament of this caliber. That area is difficult to get to and things can change, and you might not get back out once you get in there.” The team used a tunnel hull boat that Adam has been tweaking on for a couple years.
After making the run, they quickly went to work “catching several early and a limit in about an hour and a half of 11-12 pounds. Then we had a lull of about an hour and discussed leaving but made the decision to stay. We felt like if we left the area, we would only just run in to other boat traffic. We had more water to ourselves in this area and quality fish; we just needed to catch them. We decided to stay and around 11:30 we had two culls back-to-back that helped us. We also lost a couple that would have made that hour and a half ride back easier; we really needed to cull out a 2-pounder.” They took a team approach to bait selection and used baits that complemented their style of fishing. Adam used a “Stan Sloan spinner bait in chartreuse and white with a modified arm and a Colorado blade and a #5 willow blade. Jade used a “Scotty Johnston ¼ oz swim jig in black and blue.” They took the risk of making the long run to skinny water, and it made the difference! They cashed a $25,000 check for their work.
The second-place team of Kris Colley and Adam Bain spent about a day and a half practicing and said, “we just came here to fish this weekend. It was basically just the normal Neely Henry pattern for us.” They spent the day “swimming a custom-made LC Swim Jig with the key being to cover shallow water areas and spend the day basically junk fishing. There wasn’t any rhyme or reason to where we caught our fish; we just caught them wherever we ran across one. We probably fished 30 different areas and caught 12 -15 fish throughout the day. We were surprised we didn’t really catch fish first thing in the morning when we have normally been catching them.” Kris and Adam have fished the ABT in both the north and south divisions, so when the opportunity for the ABT 100 came along, they figured why not just fish this one too. They cashed a 12.500 ABT 100 payday and added a few bonuses including a $500 Garmin Bonus and a $1000 AmFirst Bonus. Their final weight was 16.68 pounds.
David Pair and Jimmy Mason claimed third place with 16.29 and $10,000. “Practice for us was tough and eliminated a lot of water. We had a couple decent periods of fish catching learning the end of the day was a little better than the morning yesterday. Today, we started out upriver then moved down river. Most of our fish were caught swimming a Jig. We ended up catching a few swimming a jig around the grass, but most of them came from swimming a jig around the docks that had the most Mayflies around them. There was a Mayfly hatch everywhere, so a lot of them were around the docks. The water depth was less than five feet, and we noticed when we would swim the jig around the docks, we would bump laydowns and bunches of bluegills would come up. We started out swimming a BOOYAH Mobster Swim Jig in white but didn’t get very many bites on it. When we made the switch to the black and blue jig and green pumpkin jig, that made the difference for us. We matched up with a YUM Spine Craw Trailer.” The team is really looking forward to the final stop at Pickwick Lake and expect there to be some really good fishing the final event.
For a complete list of standings please visit:
https://www.alabamabasstrail100.org/neely-henry-lake-results/
Download and listen to the ABT Podcast on your favorite Podcast app by searching for “Alabama Bass Trail Podcast.” The Podcast is released each week on Tuesday.
Lambert and Hollingshead win over $33,000 on Tawakoni with 26.00 lbs. Dean and Peacock win North AOY
| Place | Boat | Truck | Angler 1 | Angler 2 | Fish | Big Bass | Wt. | Prize Amt. | |
| 1 |  |
 |
BRANDEN HOLLINGSHEAD AZLE , TX |
JEREMY LAMBERT DECATUR , TX |
5 | 0 | 26.00 |
|
|
| 2 | JAKE MEEKS FARMERSVILLE , TX |
LUKE MEEKS FARMERSVILLE , TX |
5 | 0 | 24.72 |
|
|||
| 3 | |
AARON ASHMORE IVANHOE , TX |
ROBERT NULL DENISON , TX |
5 | 0 | 23.01 |
|
||
| 4 |  |
BYRON BIONDI KENNEDALE , TX |
JASON GREENFIELD KENNEDALE , TX |
5 | 0 | 22.03 |
|
||
| 5 | |
CODY MASON SULPHUR SPRINGS , TX |
MONTECO HAWTHORNE RICHARDSON , TX |
5 | 0 | 21.78 |
|
||
| 6 | ARCHIE HAYLEY MT VERNON , TX |
GAGE IVEY | 5 | 0 | 21.67 |
|
|||
| 7 | SHAWN TEMPLE KRUGERVILLE , TX |
COLE TEMPLE FORT WORTH , TX |
5 | 0 | 21.53 |
|
|||
| 8 | TOMMY MURRAY BEDFORD , TX |
KEITH IVY PONDER , TX |
5 | 7.26 | 20.87 |
|
|||
| 9 | |
WESLEY BARNARD HALLSVILLE , TX |
ANDREW SCOTT MARSHALL , TX |
5 | 6.76 | 20.51 |
|
||
| 9 | MIKE BURNS ALLEN , TX |
ROB BURNS PLANO , TX |
5 | 5.59 | 20.51 |
|
|||
| 11 | |
|
TIM WILCOXSON ROCKWALL , TX |
ERIC ELDER SCROGGINS , TX |
5 | 0 | 20.15 |
|
|
| 12 | DYLON GARCIA BONHAM , TX |
ROBERT HOLLAND DODD CITY , TX |
5 | 0 | 19.86 |
|
|||
| 13 | RYAN AUTERY RICHARDSON , TX |
THOMAS ROSS ROCKWALL , TX |
5 | 0 | 19.83 |
|
|||
| 14 | BRETT KILMER FATE , TX |
CARL TODD JR QUINLAN , TX |
5 | 0 | 19.74 |
|
|||
| 15 | |
KEVIN DRITSCHLER PROSPER , TX |
MIKE WITHROW CORSICANA , TX |
5 | 0 | 19.01 |
|
||
| 16 |  |
ROB MEDDERS CELINA , TX |
ROB WILSON SHERMAN , TX |
5 | 0 | 18.98 |
|
||
| 17 | RANDY TURNER GREENVILLE , TX |
TREY TURNER ROYSE CITY , TX |
5 | 6.87 | 18.81 |
|
|||
| 18 | TERRY PEACOCK ROYSE CITY , TX |
SCOTT DEAN TERRELL , TX |
5 | 0 | 18.63 |
|
|||
| 19 | |
MARK WYLIE KELLER , TX |
MARK PARKER GRAPEVINE , TX |
5 | 0 | 17.86 |
|
||
| 20 | |
JOEL CHAPMAN WYLIE , TX |
ANDY WILBURN ROYSE CITY , TX |
5 | 0 | 17.77 |
|
||
| 21 | KENT SIKES ROANOKE , TX |
DARRELL CAMPBELL ALBA , TX |
5 | 5.89 | 17.57 |
|
|||
| 22 | IAIN MCCLELLAND CELINA , TX |
TRISTAN WHITE CELINA , TX |
4 | 0 | 17.37 |
|
|||
| 23 | KEITH MCMILLAN QUINLAN , TX |
JUSTIN PRIEST CANTON , TX |
5 | 0 | 17.35 |
|
|||
| 24 | JOSEPH RAINS GAINESVILLE , TX |
DOUG SHAMPINE ALBA , TX |
5 | 0 | 17.25 |
|
|||
| 25 | KEITH TAYLOR ROCKWALL , TX |
LARRY LADNIER ROCKWALL , TX |
5 | 0 | 17.07 |
|
|||
| 26 | JOHNNY UNDERFUSSER DENISON , TX |
RON SAUCEMAN COLLINSVILLE , TX |
5 | 0 | 17.06 |
|
|||
| 27 | |
SCOT MCDONALD CELINA , TX |
KEITH KRZEMINSKI AUBREY , TX |
5 | 7.32 | 17.00 |
|
||
| 28 | |
JACOB KINARD ROCKWALL , TX |
GARY KINARD FORNEY , TX |
5 | 0 | 16.96 |
|
||
| 29 | |
|
CHRIS BACHTA GRAPEVINE , TX |
CHARLIE JOHNSON DECATUR , TX |
5 | 0 | 16.85 |
|
|
| 30 | CRAIG DOWIS DALLAS , TX |
MICHAEL VASQUEZ TEMPLE , TX |
5 | 0 | 16.59 |
|
|||
| 31 | DUSTY FRANK WEST POINT , TX |
RUSTY REEDY SPRING BRANCH , TX |
5 | 0 | 16.58 |
|
|||
| 32 | |
STEVEN LOFTICE VAN ALSTYNE , TX |
MONTY EDGE VAN ALSTYNE , TX |
5 | 0 | 16.38 |
|
||
| 33 | DOUG BRUNDIDGE FARMERSVILLE , TX |
BERNARD GUNN JR FARMERSVILLE , TX |
5 | 0 | 16.28 |
|
|||
| 34 | |
MIKE CRAIN AZLE , TX |
ANDREW RICKMAN JR CANTON , TX |
5 | 0 | 15.76 |
|
||
| 35 | |
SCOTTY GALBREAITH WEATHERFORD , TX |
JASON GALBREAITH BURLESON , TX |
5 | 5.52 | 15.74 |
|
||
| 35 | KEITH CARNEY ARLINGTON , TX |
KEVIN CARNEY ARLINGTON , TX |
5 | 0 | 15.74 |
|
|||
| 37 | |
COLE BREWER LEESVILLE , LA |
GEORGE SHIPPEY MT PLEASANT , TX |
5 | 0 | 15.45 |
|
||
| 38 | |
TIM CLINE SHERMAN , TX |
JAXON CLINE SHERMAN , TX |
5 | 0 | 15.39 |
|
||
| 39 | |
DANIEL RAMSEY TRINIDAD , TX |
DEREK ROGERS MALAKOFF , TX |
5 | 0 | 15.34 |
|
||
| 40 | DENNIS HASTINGS FLOWER MOUND , TX |
RONNIE SIMS LEWISVILLE , TX |
5 | 0 | 15.27 |
|
|||
| 41 | |
HEATH MOODY SOUTHLAKE , TX |
CODY MORRISON COLLINSVILLE , TX |
5 | 0 | 15.10 |
|
||
| 42 | JOHNNY TRAMMELL BOYD , TX |
DOYLE REDDELL MINERAL WELLS , TX |
5 | 0 | 14.91 |
|
|||
| 43 | CHUCK RIZUTO ALBA , TX |
DON STAPLETON YANTIS , TX |
5 | 0 | 14.86 |
|
|||
| 44 | DAVID CROW ARLINGTON , TX |
JOHNNY RAY BURLESON , TX |
5 | 0 | 14.77 |
|
|||
| 45 | |
JAMES WRIGHT BROWNSBORO , TX |
DARRIN WRIGHT BROWNSBORO , TX |
5 | 0 | 14.67 |
|
||
| 46 | |
|
EDDIE HALL CADDO MILLS , TX |
BRANDON BREWER CADDO MILLS , TX |
5 | 0 | 14.55 |
|
|
| 47 | JACOB BAKER TERRELL , TX |
MATTHEW KIRKLIN HOLLY LAKE RANCH , TX |
5 | 0 | 14.54 |
|
|||
| 48 | DEVIN BUSHLAND ALLEN , TX |
CARSON KIRKHUFF COLLEYVILLE , TX |
5 | 4.81 | 14.45 |
|
|||
| 49 | |
CHUCK BISHOP SANGER , TX |
LEVI SMITHERS SANGER , TX |
5 | 0 | 14.24 |
|
||
| 50 | DAKOTA MCBRIDE WINNSBORO , TX |
JEFF MCBRIDE WINNSBORO , TX |
5 | 0 | 14.18 |
|
|||
| 51 | KELLY FERGUSON FATE , TX |
JAXON FERGUSON FATE , TX |
5 | 0 | 14.05 |
|
|||
| 52 | CHASE WELCH CRANDALL , TX |
CHASE WOOD COMBINE , TX |
5 | 0 | 14.04 |
|
|||
| 52 | STEVE WHITE EUSTACE , TX |
RAY PAGE JR CRANDALL , TX |
5 | 0 | 14.04 |
|
|||
| 54 | JEFF PITRUCHA GREENVILLE , TX |
GARY COOPER COMBINE , TX |
5 | 0 | 14.03 |
|
|||
| 54 | CHRIS GILROY FRISCO , TX |
MICHAEL FULLER BLUE RIDGE , TX |
5 | 0 | 14.03 |
|
|||
| 56 | JARED WEST ROYSE CITY , TX |
RANDY SPENCE TERRELL , TX |
5 | 0 | 13.96 |
|
|||
| 57 | |
KYLE WILLIAMS MIDLOTHIAN , TX |
MARK CROW PALMER , TX |
5 | 0 | 13.93 |
|
||
| 58 | |
JOHN MCDIFFITT GRANBURY , TX |
BOBBY VINCENT HUDSON OAKS , TX |
5 | 0 | 13.89 |
|
||
| 59 | |
BRANDON MURPHY QUINLAN , TX |
CLINTON RULE ROYSE CITY , TX |
5 | 0 | 13.87 |
|
||
| 60 | KENNETH MOORE RED OAK , TX |
COLTON MOORE MIDLOTHIAN , TX |
5 | 0 | 13.82 |
|
|||
| 61 | JAMES FENNELL GORDONVILLE , TX |
KEITH CULLUM CORINTH , TX |
5 | 0 | 13.77 |
|
|||
| 61 | |
RICHARD MCCORMACK WICHITA FALLS , TX |
JAMES REAVES HENRIETTA , TX |
5 | 0 | 13.77 |
|
||
| 63 | |
|
JEFF NORRIS DECATUR , TX |
RONNIE NORRIS DECATUR , TX |
5 | 0 | 13.74 |
|
|
| 64 | BOB HAYNES PILOT POINT , TX |
JESSE BRAZILE KRUM , TX |
5 | 0 | 13.73 |
|
|||
| 65 | ADAM PELS PILOT POINT , TX |
CHRIS PELS SANGER , TX |
5 | 0 | 13.58 |
|
|||
| 66 | |
MATT MORTON DALLAS , TX |
DAVID WHITE FARMERSVILLE , TX |
4 | 0 | 13.57 |
|
||
| 67 | CHRIS DIGINO DALLAS , TX |
SCOTT CLAUSEN CORINTH , TX |
5 | 0 | 13.55 |
|
|||
| 68 | |
JD LAUGHERY ROCKWALL , TX |
STAN LAWING POETRY , TX |
5 | 0 | 13.54 |
|
||
| 69 | |
WILLIAM PALMER MIDLOTHIAN , TX |
JERAMIE BYRD MIDLOTHIAN , TX |
5 | 0 | 13.52 |
|
||
| 70 | TONY CLIMER MESQUITE , TX |
TOMMY CLIMER JR MESQUITE , TX |
5 | 0 | 13.47 |
|
|||
| 71 | |
JOE ROME FLOWER MOUND , TX |
JOEL MCBRIDE CORINTH , TX |
5 | 0 | 13.45 |
|
||
| 72 | DREW SLOAN SCURRY , TX |
NOLAN JACKSON ROYSE CITY , TX |
5 | 0 | 13.35 |
|
|||
| 73 | |
JARED TAYLOR SOUTHLAKE , TX |
PERRY POWELL ALBA , TX |
5 | 0 | 13.31 |
|
||
| 74 | |
MARK MAYBEN PLANO , TX |
JOHN MAYBEN DALLAS , TX |
5 | 0 | 13.16 |
|
||
| 75 | |
HUNTER SMITH SULPHUR SPRINGS , TX |
JEFF SANDERSON SULPHUR SPRINGS , TX |
5 | 0 | 13.08 |
|
||
| 76 | |
|
TOMMY HULSEY JR CORSICANA , TX |
JUSTIN GARNETT FAIRFIELD , TX |
5 | 0 | 13.04 |
|
|
| 77 | |
VIRGIL KUYKENDALL KEMP , TX |
DON KUYKENDALL GUN BARRREL CITY , TX |
5 | 0 | 12.97 |
|
||
| 78 | DARRYL ROACH DECATUR , TX |
DANIEL HERRING WATUAGA , TX |
5 | 0 | 12.95 |
|
|||
| 78 | |
|
TREVOR ROMANS CELINA , TX |
MATT MCMILLAN FORT WORTH , TX |
5 | 0 | 12.95 |
|
|
| 80 | KENNETH COLLARD CANTON , TX |
DANNY HOWARD GUN BARREL CITY , TX |
5 | 0 | 12.83 |
|
|||
| 81 | |
JOSH KEITHLEY FORT WORTH , TX |
JUSTIN KEITHLEY ARLINGTON , TX |
5 | 0 | 12.82 |
|
||
| 82 | CHUCK ARMSTRONG ARTHUR CITY , TX |
TERRY ANDERSON POWDERLY , TX |
5 | 0 | 12.78 |
|
|||
| 83 | JERRY DAVID II PILOT POINT , TX |
JACOB DAVID PILOT POINT , TX |
5 | 0 | 12.71 |
|
|||
| 84 | TRENT MENEES NORTHLAKE , TX |
TERRY BOLLOM FRISCO , TX |
5 | 0 | 12.63 |
|
|||
| 84 | |
KENT SKOGLUND TIOGA , TX |
KYLE SKOGLUND DECATUR , TX |
4 | 0 | 12.63 |
|
||
| 86 | CODY BURDINE BRIDGEPORT , TX |
BOBBY POINTER ALVORD , TX |
5 | 5.17 | 12.60 |
|
|||
| 87 | |
MARK SPURGIN MCKINNEY , TX |
TYLER HOLMES RICHARDSON , TX |
5 | 0 | 12.59 |
|
||
| 87 | JOHN MASTERS ROYSE CITY , TX |
CHAD CANNON ROYSE CITY , TX |
5 | 0 | 12.59 |
|
|||
| 89 | |
TOM WARD TYLER , TX |
JIM CRAWFORD NACOGDOCHES , TX |
5 | 0 | 12.56 |
|
||
| 90 | RICK NEWTON DALLAS , TX |
JOHN THOMPSON GRAPEVINE , TX |
4 | 0 | 12.49 |
|
|||
| 91 | |
JUSTIN KELLEY JOSHUA , TX |
RAY BOSQUEZ JR FORT WORTH , TX |
5 | 0 | 12.43 |
|
||
| 92 | JON HARWOOD QUINLAN , TX |
JERAMY MARINELLI ROYSE CITY , TX |
5 | 0 | 12.36 |
|
|||
| 93 | |
ROBERT CASE JR POINT , TX |
MORRIS MCCUTCHEON WINNSBORO , TX |
5 | 0 | 12.33 |
|
||
| 94 | STEVE TRIMBLE ATHENS , TX |
DAKOTA TRIMBLE KAUFMAN , TX |
5 | 0 | 12.06 |
|
|||
| 95 | |
KYLE BOTTOM ALEDO , TX |
LARRY BOTTOM WILLOW PARK , TX |
5 | 0 | 12.05 |
|
||
| 96 | KRIS CHITTY CANTON , TX |
SARA CHITTY CANTON , TX |
5 | 0 | 11.96 |
|
|||
| 97 | |
ZEB STRICKLAND FRISCO , TX |
MARK MCWHIRTER ARGYLE , TX |
5 | 0 | 11.94 |
|
||
| 98 | JOEL MYERS CONROE , TX |
SKYLER EWING ARLINGTON , TX |
5 | 0 | 11.85 |
|
|||
| 99 | |
|
JUSTIN DUBOSE PARADISE , TX |
STEVE LYNAM SOUTHLAKE , TX |
5 | 0 | 11.81 |
|
|
| 100 | |
GORDON WELLS GUN BARRELL CITY , TX |
CHRIS RYAN CRANDALL , TX |
5 | 0 | 11.70 |
|
||
| 101 | KEITH TRIMBLE TRINIDAD , TX |
TOM KRESSLEY SHERMAN , TX |
5 | 0 | 11.59 |
|
|||
| 102 | |
DAVID CHILES WACO , TX |
PAT NUNLEY WACO , TX |
5 | 0 | 11.55 |
|
||
| 103 | |
SCOTT BARNETT MANSFIELD , TX |
SHANNON MCCALEB JOSHUA , TX |
5 | 0 | 11.46 |
|
||
| 104 | |
CHARLES COOK JR PERRYTON , TX |
CHRIS GARCIA PERRYTON , TX |
5 | 0 | 11.22 |
|
||
| 105 | BOBBY BADARACK FT WORTH , TX |
MARY BADARACK FORT WORTH , TX |
5 | 0 | 11.15 |
|
|||
| 106 | |
CHARLES GRAHAM DALLAS , TX |
CARLOS JIMENEZ BURLESON , TX |
4 | 0 | 11.10 |
|
||
| 107 | |
DEAN TRUDELL HIGHLAND VILLAGE , TX |
MIKE KUBANEK HIGHLAND VILLAGE , TX |
4 | 0 | 10.66 |
|
||
| 108 | |
LARRY BENCH DENISON , TX |
HI HILLBURN COLBERT , OK |
5 | 0 | 10.64 |
|
||
| 109 | |
BRYON HARRISON QUINLAN , TX |
DIRK SMITH FARMERSVILLE , TX |
4 | 4.77 | 10.50 |
|
||
| 110 | ADAM MOORE FRANKSTON , TX |
NATHAN WHITE FRANKSTON , TX |
5 | 0 | 10.28 |
|
|||
| 111 | |
MARK BIONDI SR BURLESON , TX |
MARK BIONDI JR BURLESON , TX |
5 | 0 | 10.04 |
|
||
| 112 | JONATHON WEBER CADDO MILLS , TX |
ABBIE WEBER CADDO MILLS , TX |
4 | 0 | 10.00 |
|
|||
| 113 | |
CODY NIX PLANO , TX |
CORY NIX CELINA , TX |
3 | 0 | 9.87 |
|
||
| 114 | DWIGHT BOUTTE FRISCO , TX |
DAMON NEAL PROSPER , TX |
3 | 0 | 9.86 |
|
|||
| 115 | |
GIB COATS FORT WORTH , TX |
JOHN HARRIS FORT WORTH , TX |
3 | 0 | 9.61 |
|
||
| 116 | |
|
ROGER RITCHIE WICHITA FALLS , TX |
RICHARD RITCHIE BENTON , AR |
4 | 0 | 9.50 |
|
|
| 117 | |
CHRIS MOORE ROCKWALL , TX |
KY MARTIN GRANDVIEW , TX |
3 | 0 | 9.31 |
|
||
| 118 | |
JOHN CARTER MABANK , TX |
COREY MAPLES SULPHUR SPRINGS , TX |
3 | 0 | 9.11 |
|
||
| 119 | SCOTT TROUTT CORINTH , TX |
DENNIS BUSHLAND DENTON , TX |
5 | 0 | 8.88 |
|
|||
| 120 | |
LOUIS DAVIS GRAPEVINE , TX |
ROBBIE CHENAULT RICHARDSON , TX |
4 | 0 | 8.87 |
|
||
| 121 | |
PUTHAL LOEUK YANTIS , TX |
MICHAEL CARRILLO DALLAS , TX |
5 | 0 | 8.44 |
|
||
| 122 | |
GARY DANIEL STANDRIDGE JACKSBORO , TX |
COLBY BRYAN DECATUR , TX |
3 | 0 | 7.98 |
|
||
| 123 | |
SPENCER JOHNSON VAN , TX |
AUSTIN HODGE VAN , TX |
3 | 0 | 7.71 |
|
||
| 124 | CAROLL CAMPBELL MCKINNEY , TX |
JD WILLIAMS MCKINNEY , TX |
2 | 0 | 6.56 |
|
|||
| 125 | GREGORY BROWN FORT WORTH , TX |
JEFFERY MCCORMICK BENBROOK , TX |
3 | 0 | 6.49 |
|
|||
| 126 | |
KEITH BRYAN DECATUR , TX |
JASON DUNNING DECATUR , TX |
5 | 0 | 6.31 |
|
||
| 127 | KEVIN KOLB GAINESVILLE , TX |
DAVID CAHAL LONGVIEW , TX |
2 | 0 | 6.08 |
|
|||
| 128 | |
JOEY EAVES NEVADA , TX |
JASON HADLEY FATE , TX |
2 | 0 | 6.07 |
|
||
| 129 | DAVE REDINGTON WINNSBORO , TX |
ANDERSON ADAMS | 2 | 0 | 4.26 |
|
|||
| 130 | |
JOSH TAUBER BULLARD , TX |
LEE HAMMERS FRANKSTON , TX |
2 | 0 | 4.22 |
|
||
| 131 | |
BRIAN BROOKS MESQUITE , TX |
JAMES SHARP EMORY , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 131 | |
DELL BROWN ARLINGTON , TX |
MARK MCCLURE NORTH RICHLAND HILLS , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 131 | |
CHRIS BAKER POWDERLY , TX |
BRANDON BEERS PARIS , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 131 | |
RONALD SISK RIO VISTA , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 131 | DAN BENSON COMBINE , TX |
THOMAS WELCH TERRELL , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 131 | |
JAY EICHLER ALBA , TX |
CASEY CHEATHAM DALLAS , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 131 | KEN SMITH RICHARDSON , TX |
TERRY HAWKINS CORSICANA , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 131 | |
STEVE ELDRED JR ALBA , TX |
BRIAN HALL BRONTE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 131 | JEFF BAUGUS CROSS ROADS , TX |
NATHAN MEHL CROSSROADS , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 131 | |
STEVEN RIZZO PROSPER , TX |
CHRIS STRATTA LITTLE ELM , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 131 | NATHAN WOOD KAUFMAN , TX |
RYAN NEVIL SCURRY , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 131 | |
ZACH PARKER DENTON , TX |
BUSTER JOHNSON KRUM , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 131 | TRACY SANDERS COPPER CANYON , TX |
HUNTER SANDERS COPPER CANYON , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 131 | SHANE THOMPSON FORNEY , TX |
RICKY MEDINA FORNEY , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 131 | |
BRYCE CAIN COLLEYVILLE , TX |
JEFFREY BRANNON PRINCETON , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 131 | |
DANIEL WILLIAMSON HOUSTON , TX |
DOUG DURRWACHTER ROANOKE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 131 | HEATH COLEMAN FRISCO , TX |
ZACHARY SHIMON MCKINNEY , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 131 | SHAWN BROOKS BOYD , TX |
GAVIN BROOKS BOYD , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 131 | TANNER ENGLAND LINDSAY , OK |
DEATON SMITH WEATHORFORD , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 131 | ROBERT COOK FLOWER MOUND , TX |
BRIAN MOORE QUINLAN , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 131 | |
JEROMY WALKER TOM BEAN , TX |
TODD CHILDS WAXAHACHI , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 131 | |
JOSHUA SMITH GATESVILLE , TX |
COLTEN WASHBURN GATESVILLE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 131 | TRENT BLAKE MARBLE FALLS , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||||
| 131 | KENNY COLE KENNARD , TX |
TRAVIS ROY JR KENNARD , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 131 | JAMES KING JR WILLS POINT , TX |
JAMES GORE QUINLAN , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 131 | SHAWN TAYLOR ABILENE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||||
| 131 | |
RONNY HALBERT LARUE , TX |
JAY REEDY LARUE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 131 | |
BRYSON HUFF ROCKWALL , TX |
CHRIS HUFF ROCKWALL , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 131 | |
RICKY MAYO ARDMORE , OK |
ERIC DUNCAN ARDMORE , OK |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 131 | WILLIE BENSLEY MESQUITE , TX |
BRAD BEESON CLEBURNE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 131 | WARREN KEPKE DENTON , TX |
JASON TRUITT BURLESON , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 131 | MATT HITT ROYSE CITY , TX |
RUSSELL STROMAN HEARTLAND , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 131 | TYLER ROANE GUNTER , TX |
JOSH ROANE PROSPER , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 131 | |
KURT KLOSOWSKI PLANO , TX |
TOM MOCNY QUITMAN , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 131 | DERRICK CORSO MCKINNEY , TX |
BRANDT BIGGERSTAFF FRISCO , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 131 | |
RYAN COHLMEYER WEATHERFORD , TX |
DARREN HEAVNER WEATHERFORD , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 131 | |
|
JOHN BYLER ARGYLE , TX |
MATT FRANCE COLLEYVILLE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|
| 131 | |
JOHN ADAMS FRISCO , TX |
RICK CLARK TERRELL , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 131 | |
|
ALLEN SHELTON FARMERS BRANCH , TX |
JOHN MCCALMONT ROCKWALL , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|
| 131 | |
CEBO SMITH JR SCURRY , TX |
COLTEN SMITH SCURRY , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 131 | GG BOYD AZLE , TX |
JACOB ROANE CELINA , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 131 | |
RORY LAYNE EMORY , TX |
WILLIAM BRUNSON LIBERTY HILL , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 131 | |
CHARLES GUTHRIE CONROE , TX |
RICHARD FAULKNER BROADDUS , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 131 | JONATHAN LANCASTER QUITMAN , TX |
JONATHAN SHORT RUSK , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 131 | |
|
RICHARD NICHOLAS JUSTIN , TX |
BILLY MATTHEWS BOYD , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|
| 131 | JAMES INGRAM JR ARLINGTON , TX |
JOHN BIONDI ARLINGTON , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 131 | |
DONALD DICKENS MONTGOMERY , TX |
WILLIE DICKENS BAYTOWN , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 131 | STEVE SCHMIDT MIDLOTHIAN , TX |
BILLY RYAN MANSFIELD , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 131 | |
ZACH HUGHES QUITMAN , TX |
JEREMY SIMS EMORY , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 131 | |
ZACHARY WYMER HALTOM , TX |
MATT CARR SCURRY , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 131 | |
BILLY JOHNSON WILLS POINT , TX |
ANDY MEDINA CANTON , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 131 | |
TATE SHULTZ AMARILLO , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 131 | |
ROBERT SWOFFORD SAGINAW , TX |
CLAYTON SWOFFORD FT WORTH , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 131 | |
MIKE PERKINS DALLAS , TX |
STAN GERZSENYI DEL RIO , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 131 | |
JOE SMITH FORNEY , TX |
KENNETH GERECHT PALMER , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 131 | |
BRANDON BROSSETT GROESBECK , TX |
WESLEY BROSSETT GROESBECK , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 131 | |
JODY KEA TYLER , TX |
JASON BURTON EUSTACE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 131 | RUSS CHAVERS ATOKA , OK |
JEFF CULBREATH LANE , OK |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 131 | |
STEVE ANGELL TERRELL , TX |
KAEDEN ANGELL TERRELL , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 131 | |
CHRIS FORD WINNSBORO , TX |
TRENVER FORD WINNSBORO , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 131 | |
CHAD OWEN CELESTE , TX |
CALEB HAND ANNA , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 131 | |
SHAWN WATSON ROYSE CITY , TX |
JOE STURGEON ROYSE CITY , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 131 | |
RICKY CONWAY SULPHUR SPRINGS , TX |
JAMIE VANDERGRIFF ROCKWALL , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 131 | DAVID HOWARD DALLAS , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||||
| 131 | |
JUNIOR MITCHELL KRUGERVILLE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 131 | MARK JOHNSTON RICHLAND HILLS , TX |
JORDAN KENNY NORTH RICHLAND HILLS , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 131 | |
JERRAD CARSON LONE OAK , TX |
SHANNON NICHOL LONE OAK , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 131 | |
CLAY PENNY MOUNT PLEASANT , TX |
BARRY TUCKER PITTSBURG , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 131 | CHASE MARTIN GREENVILLE , TX |
TOMMY MARTIN EMORY , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
Bryan Thrift Leads Group B at MLF Bass Pro Tour General Tire Stage Five on Watts Bar Lake
North Carolina Pro Leads Group B after Day 1 by 6 Ounces, Group A Resumes Competition Monday
SPRING CITY, Tenn. (June 5, 2022) – It was a fight to the finish on Sunday – with a mere 1-pound, 12-ounce separation between the top five pros as the competition day concluded – yet Bryan Thrift of Shelby, North Carolina, persevered to grab the early lead for Group B on Day 1 of the General Tire Stage Five on Watts Bar Lake Presented by Covercraft in Spring City, Tennessee.
Thrift will bring a slim lead into Group B’s second day of competition on Tuesday, with a 6-ounce advantage over second place pro Ish Monroe of Oakdale, California, who caught eight bass totaling 23-7. Power-Pole pro Chris Lane of Guntersville, Alabama chased the mayfly hatch to end the day in third place, catching 10 bass weighing 23-6, while Toro pro Jeff Sprague of Wills Point, Texas,ended the day in fourth place with 11 bass totaling 22-2. Tennessee pro David Walker of Seviervillerounded out the top five with 10 bass weighing 22-1.
Water was pulled from the fishery late in the day, creating a stronger current that enhanced the afternoon bite and produced a third period flurry for several anglers. Favorite Fishing pro Dustin Connell of Clanton, Alabama made the biggest afternoon waves on SCORETRACKER ®, starting the final period in 38th place before catching 10 bass weighing 19-13 in Period 3 to finish the day in sixth place.
The 40 anglers in Group B will now have an off day, while the 40 anglers competing in Group A will fish their second day of competition Monday, battling it out for the top 20 spots. Group B will resume competition on Tuesday.
The fifth stop on the 2022 Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Tour features 80 of the top professional bass-fishing anglers in the world competing for a total purse of $805,000, including a top cash prize of $100,000 to the winner. The six-day event, hosted by Fish Dayton, the Rhea County Economic Tourism Council and Spring City, Tennessee, is livestreamed each day at MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MOTV app and filmed for broadcast later this fall on the Discovery Channel.
Thrift said he found his original starting point during the 30-minute ride through, not far from the takeoff ramp, and spent the day throwing a variety of baits to small, isolated targets – rock piles, brush piles and grass – where fish were set up and ready to bite.
“Today was a good day,” Thrift said. “Kind of tough fishing, but this is my favorite thing to do – fishing isolated targets like I’ve done all day today.
“My only worry is that I don’t have enough locations,” he continued. “I’ve only got about 15 to 20 spots and I probably need 50 to 60 to continue to compete with this field, so hopefully today bought us a little wiggle room and we can go find some more spots when we get back out there.”
Thrift was the leader going into the final period and held off several hard-charging anglers to maintain that lead going into the second day of competition for Group B anglers on Tuesday.
“I caught the majority of my fish on a shaky head and a Texas rig with some BaitFuel Fish Attractant Gel. I also caught two scorable bass on a crankbait today,” Thrift said. “I threw those baits on my signature series Fitzgerald Tournament Shaky Head Rod, with P-Line XTCB Braid and a 10-pound P-Line Spin-X Fluorocarbon Leader with a 1/8-ounce shaky head.
“I ended up catching 12 scorable bass today with that setup,” Thrift continued. “That will be the plan going into Day 2 and hopefully we make it on to the next round.”
The top 20 pros in Group B after Day 1 on Watts Bar Lake are:
1st: Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., 12 bass, 23-13
2nd: Ish Monroe, Oakdale, Calif., eight bass, 23-7
3rd: Chris Lane, Guntersville, Ala., 10 bass, 23-6
4th: Jeff Sprague, Wills Point, Texas, 11 bass, 22-2
5th: David Walker, Sevierville, Tenn., 10 bass, 22-1
6th: Dustin Connell, Clanton, Ala., 11 bass, 21-10
7th: Justin Lucas, Guntersville, Ala., 11 bass, 20-3
8th: Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn., nine bass, 19-10
9th: Josh Bertrand, Queen Creek, Ariz., seven bass, 17-3
10th: Todd Faircloth, Jasper, Texas, six bass, 15-12
11th: Adrian Avena, Vineland, N.J., eight bass, 15-9
12th: Ott DeFoe, Blaine, Tenn., eight bass, 14-0
13th: Stephen Browning, Hot Springs, Ark., seven bass, 13-1
14th: Clabion Johns, Social Circle, Ga., seven bass, 12-10
15th: Dave Lefebre, Erie, Pa., seven bass, 12-5
16th: Scott Suggs, Alexander, Ark., six bass, 11-6
17th: Cliff Pace, Petal, Miss., six bass, 11-5
18th: Alton Jones, Jr., Waco, Texas, five bass, 11-0
19th: Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla., four bass, 10-2
20th: Jeremy Lawyer, Sarcoxie, Mo., five bass, 10-0
A complete list of results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Overall, there were 226 scorable bass weighing 460 pounds, 7 ounces caught by 40 pros Sunday.
Monroe caught a 4-pound, 5-ounce largemouth in the first period that earned him the second $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. ET from the Spring City Boat Ramp, located at 417 Toestring Valley Road in Spring City, Tennessee. Each day’s General Tire Takeout will be held at the ramp, beginning at 4 p.m. Fans are welcome and encouraged to attend all launch and takeout events and to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLF NOW!® live stream and SCORETRACKER® coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The General Tire Stage Five on Watts Bar Lake Presented by Covercraft features anglers competing with a 1-pound, 8-ounce 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 the REDCREST 2023 championship.
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. ET. MLF NOW!® will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app.
Television coverage of the General Tire Stage Five on Watts Bar Lake Presented by Covercraft will premiere at 7 a.m. ET, Oct. 29 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 competition.
Proud sponsors of the 2022 MLF Bass Pro Tour include: 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, A.R.E. Truck Caps, B&W Trailer Hitches, BallyBet, 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.
Lester Saves His Best For Last, Slams Door On Bassmaster Elite Series Win At Pickwick Lake
Brandon Lester of Fayetteville, Tenn., has won the 2022 Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Pickwick Lake with a four-day total of 86 pounds, 1 ounce.
Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
June 5, 2022
COUNCE, Tenn. — At long last, Brandon Lester has his trophy.
A veteran pro at only 34 years old, the Tennessee angler slammed the door Sunday in the Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Pickwick Lake, winning his first Elite Series tournament in nine seasons on tour.
Entering Championship Sunday with a 3 1/2-pound lead, Lester didn’t let up, catching 22 pounds, 14 ounces, which was the VMC Monster Bag of the tournament. That gave him a four-day total of 20 bass for 86-1, almost 6 pounds more than any of the nine other pros who made the final-day cut.
Lester competed in more than 110 Bassmaster tournaments before he won his first one in February — the St. Croix Bassmaster Southern Open on Florida’s Kissimmee Chain of Lakes presented by Mossy Oak Fishing. But as sweet as that win was, it wasn’t a notch in his Elite Series belt like this week’s big victory on Pickwick, only two hours from his home in Fayetteville, Tenn.
“This is unreal,” he said. “That Open win, I was super proud of it. It’s a stacked field in the Opens. But an Elite Series win is next level. I guess it’s between an Opens win and a Classic win. That’s the only thing that can top it. These are the greatest bass fishermen in the world. I believe that. If they’re not, they won’t last long.”
The $100,000 first-place prize pushed Lester’s career Bassmaster earnings past $1 million — a sign of not only his longevity in the sport but his undeniable success.
He was head and shoulders above the 91-boat field this week, competing on a lake he’s fished regularly the past few years, but never in an Elite event on Pickwick when ledges were dominant. He said being on familiar water narrowed his focus and raised his confidence.
“I would never tell anybody ‘Hey, I’m on the fish to win,’” Lester said. “I’ve been in that position before and it didn’t work out. But I knew if I made the right decisions and did my job this week that I could win this tournament.”
Lester found a special spot during practice that replenished daily and provided the bulk of his catch.
"It was shellbed, and where the current rolled up on that bar, from 8 feet to 4 feet, there was a hard spot,” he said. “The fish were sitting up on that spot. It was small, maybe three times the size of my boat. It was a typical Tennessee River feeding spot, right off the main river. There was a ton of bait in there — gizzard shad, threadfin shad.
“It was the perfect combination.”
He found the spot pretty much by accident. Lester saw bass there on his side scanners while motoring through the area during practice. Had he gone over the top of the fish, they likely wouldn’t have shown on his down scan in such shallow water.
Lester started strong on Sunday, catching 17 pounds in the first 20 to 30 minutes. He made a couple of culls later in the morning, but a 6-pounder just after 1 p.m. provided cushion. He caught the big bass on a secondary spot he found several years ago (a main-river ledge that dropped from 14 to 21 feet.)
“I’ve not caught a fish on a Scrounger all week, and I threw a 3/4-ounce Scrounger head (with a 5-inch Castaic Jerky J) out there and caught that 6-pounder,” he said. “That’s the most memorable fish of my life. I’ll never forget that catch. I pretty much knew (I had won) at that point.”
Most of Lester’s Pickwick bass were caught on a Strike King 4.0 crankbait (chartreuse shad), though the 6-13 largemouth he hooked on Day 3 came on a football jig. He also used a Berkley MaxScent Magnum Hit Worm (plum apple) with a 1/8-ounce Mustad tungsten nail weight in the head.
The familiarity with the lake and knowing what to throw was a winning recipe. He’s been waiting nine years for the feast.
“I can’t even put this into words,” he said. “It’s just a lot of hard work coming to fruition. People don’t realize how much work we put into this. I spent countless hours here from 2015 to 2020. I’d come over seven or eight times a year, and it’s a two-hour drive from my house. I was getting up at 4 a.m., fishing all day and driving back home.
“When I first started my career, I would have told you my weakness was ledge fishing,” Lester said. “So, I knew it was a gap I needed to fill.”
What started as only a modest 3 1/2-pound lead turned into a runaway as Lester defeated second-place angler Cody Huff of Ava, Mo. (80-5) by almost 6 pounds. Texas pro Chris Zaldain (77-15) finished third, followed by Tennessee rookie Jacob Foutz (77-3) and veteran Florida pro John Cox (70-0).
Lester won the Phoenix Boats Big Bass award with the 6-13 he caught Saturday.
Huff took home $3,000 for being the highest-placing entrant in the Toyota Bonus Bucks program, and Zaldain earned $2,000 for being the second-highest placing entrant.
As part of the Yamaha Power Pay program, Zaldain earned an additional $2,500 as the highest-placing entrant and Idaho's Brandon Palaniuk claimed an additional $1,500 for being the second-highest placing entrant.
Canada's Cory Johnston won the $1,000 BassTrakk Contingency award for the most accurate weight reporting.
With the solid finish, Cox stayed right on the heels of Palaniuk in the race for Progressive Insurance Bassmaster Angler of the Year. Palaniuk has 536 points, while Cox has 518. They are followed by Tennessee pro David Mullins with 486 and Lester with 477.
For Foutz, it was his second Top 5 finish in three events — and it moved him into second place in the Falcon Rods Bassmaster Rookie of the Year standings with 370 points, just three points behind leader Joseph Webster of Alabama.
2022 Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Pickwick Lake 6/2-6/5
Pickwick Lake, Counce TN.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 4
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 20 86-01 100 $104,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-06 Day 2: 5 20-07 Day 3: 5 21-06 Day 4: 5 22-14
2. Cody Huff Ava, MO 20 80-05 99 $35,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-05 Day 2: 5 22-03 Day 3: 5 19-05 Day 4: 5 20-08
3. Chris Zaldain Fort Worth, TX 20 77-15 98 $31,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-08 Day 2: 5 16-02 Day 3: 5 22-08 Day 4: 5 21-13
4. Jacob Foutz Charleston, TN 20 77-03 97 $25,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-01 Day 2: 5 18-00 Day 3: 5 21-04 Day 4: 5 18-14
5. John Cox Debary, FL 20 70-00 96 $20,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-10 Day 2: 5 22-03 Day 3: 5 18-09 Day 4: 5 13-10
6. Bryan Schmitt Deale, MD 20 69-00 95 $19,000.00
Day 1: 5 20-05 Day 2: 5 17-12 Day 3: 5 18-13 Day 4: 5 12-02
7. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 20 68-00 94 $19,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-13 Day 2: 5 14-11 Day 3: 5 18-01 Day 4: 5 13-07
8. Justin Atkins Florence, AL 20 65-13 93 $17,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-06 Day 2: 5 14-00 Day 3: 5 20-14 Day 4: 5 12-09
9. Matt Robertson Kuttawa, KY 19 64-15 92 $16,000.00
Day 1: 5 22-06 Day 2: 4 10-11 Day 3: 5 20-07 Day 4: 5 11-07
10. Kenta Kimura Osaka JAPAN 18 60-13 91 $15,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-05 Day 2: 5 17-13 Day 3: 5 18-03 Day 4: 3 07-08
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1 Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 06-09 $1,000.00
2 Tyler Rivet Raceland, LA 07-15 $1,000.00
3 Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 06-13 $1,000.00
4 Chris Zaldain Fort Worth, TX 06-01 $1,000.00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Tyler Rivet Raceland, LA 07-15 $1,000.00
VMC MONSTER BAG
Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 22-14 $2,000.00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 76 425 1258-11
2 76 421 1220-10
3 42 224 697-02
4 9 48 154-12
----------------------------------
203 1118 3331-03
J. Lee’s Lessons After Day One on Watts Bar
Courtesy of Luke Stoner - Dynamic Sponsorships
SPRING CITY, Tn. – Jordan Lee was all smiles while mingling with fans at the Major League Fishing “Meet the Pros” after his first tournament day on Watts Bar Lake in east Tennessee. Lee used his namesake Abu Garcia rod and reel combos to boat seven scoreable bass totaling 14-pounds 2-ounces during his opening round of competition for Stage Five of the Bass Pro Tour.
With this effort he’s holding down with 16th spot in Group A, in good position to make yet another Knockout Round and continue his stellar 2022 season. In typical laid-back fashion, Lee didn’t seem too worked up about remaining above the Toro Cutline as he shared smiles, laughs and hotdogs with fans from the surrounding area.
“Man, my day really went about how I figured it might,” Lee shrugged. “I didn’t have a very good practice at all, so I knew it was probably going to be a one here, one there sort of deal for me. I did a lot of looking at my Lowrance units throughout practice and was hoping to have a one-two punch between brush piles and more traditional TVA style ledge fishing… but only one of those patterns did any punching for me today.”
Lee did most all his damage targeting offshore brush piles with a drop shot, something he plans to do more of on Monday. The Yamaha Outboards pro started his morning relatively fast and slowly slid down the Scoretracker throughout the afternoon after hovering near the top for most of the morning.
“My lesson of the day is, spend more time fishing brush,” Lee said. “I spent quite a bit of time sampling other patterns and nothing else really fired for me. But ruling some things out isn’t a bad thing and it frees my mind up a little for tomorrow (Monday). My biggest deal is just getting a good start to the day. I’m a big-time momentum fisherman, so getting a fish on the board relatively early always settles me down a little bit.”
Fortunately for Lee, momentum is not something he’s lacked at any point of the Bass Pro Tour season this year. Lee came into Stage Five in second place of the 2022 Bally Bet Angler of the Year race, trailing Jacob Wheeler by only 17 points. Wheeler has yet to miss a Championship Round this season, so the fact Lee remains this close is a testament to the incredible year he is having, too.
Three Championship Round appearances, plus an 8th place finish at REDCREST and an 11th at Heavy Hitters (which don’t factor into AOY points) is an impressive resume. If you’ve been paying attention to professional fishing the past five years, this Wheeler vs. Lee dynamic comes as no real surprise.
J. Lee took the Angler of the Year title home to Alabama in 2020, while J. Wheels went on an unbelievable tear to capture the AOY trophy last year. They are both extremely young in their careers, are undoubtedly two of the best bass anglers on planet earth right now, and are set to battle it out for the Bally Bet AOY trophy once again it seems.
“It’s hard to even think about AOY with how good Wheeler is fishing right now,” Lee smiled. “All I can do is try to catch them every single day and I still might not run him down. So, I don’t have a lesson for you there… my lesson #2 of the day is, show up to Meet the Pros Day earlier. They had free hot dogs and Dora the Explorer rod and reel combos for the first few hundred people. Sounds like I missed a big bag!”
Conner Cunningham Goes Wire-to-Wire to Dominate Phoenix All-American Presented by T-H Marine at Lake Hamilton
Springfield Angler Becomes Fifth Ozark Division Boater to Win All-American Championship Since 2012, Earns Top Payout of $120,000
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. (June 4, 2022) – Boater Conner Cunningham, a 30-year-old beverage distributor from Springfield, Missouri, that competes in the Phoenix Bass Fishing League Ozark Division, made his Whopper Plopper bites pay off in a big way this week by winning the 39thannual Phoenix All-American Championship Presented by T-H Marine on Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
Cunningham led the event from start to finish and ended the job Saturday with an 11-pound, 10-ounce limit, which gave him the win with a three-day total of 44 pounds, 4 ounces – an 11-pound, 11-ounce margin of victory. Cunningham would have won if he had not even made a cast on Saturday.
“Lake Hamilton fishes a lot like my lakes from back home in Missouri, so I’ve just kind of applied what I know from fishing back home over the years and it worked out well here,” Cunningham said.
While many competitors spent the event offshore targeting the numerous Lake Hamilton brush piles, Cunningham caught all but one of his 15 weigh-in fish in just 2 feet of water or less.
“I fished pretty much the whole entire lake – I ran 30 to 40 spots, and that was easy because this lake is so small,” Cunningham said. “I tried to conserve my fish throughout the week. On Day 1 it took me until around 11:30 (a.m.) to get my weight, then until 12:30 (p.m.) on Day 2. Then I’d go deep and try to help my co-angler out as best as I could. And I knew that I could catch a good one out there, too – I did yesterday.”
Cunningham credited a bone-colored River2Sea Whopper Plopper 110 as being his key bait throughout the week, but he also mixed in a white Crock-O-Gator X-Bite buzzbait with a (Zoom) Horny Toad trailer and a football jig. He caught a key fish Friday deep-cranking a Strike King 6XD crankbait.
“I had been down here in April and knew that I could catch 10 pounds out deep fairly easily,” Cunningham said. “I spent our optional practice day committed to topwater and it didn’t take me long to find a good bite. The key was just covering water.”
Cunningham has aspired of taking his bass-fishing career to the next level – he had planned to compete as a boater in the Toyota Series this season, until a scheduling conflict forced him to scrap those plans and concentrate on the Phoenix Bass Fishing League. Now, with a $120,000 payday, Cunningham says he is ready to make the move up.
“This money means a lot, and it gives me the security as I take that next jump up,” Cunningham said. “This is huge for me in my journey to doing this full-time. I aspire to fish professionally one day and this win certainly helps with that. I’m just speechless and so blessed and honored to be here and win. This is a good group of guys in this field, so to win this one is really special.”
The top 10 boaters at the 2002 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American on Lake Hamilton are:
1st: Connor Cunningham, Springfield, Mo., 10 bass, 44-4, $120,000
2nd: Hunter Eubanks, Inman, S.C., 10 bass, 32-9, $20,000
3rd: Sean Wieda, Alexandria, Ky., 15 bass, 31-12, $15,000
4th: Brian Bean, Hot Springs, Ark., 15 bass, 30-12, $14,000
5th: Andy Wicker, Cayce, S.C., 15 bass, 29-12, $13,000
6th: David Lowery, Milledgeville, Ga., 15 bass, 29-6, $12,000
7th: Ryan Powroznik, Hopewell, Va., 15 bass, 28-4, $11,000
8th: Jonathan Crossland, Chapin, S.C., 15 bass, 26-10, $10,000
9th: Justin Kimmel, Athens, Ga., 15 bass, 28-5, $9,000
10th: Mike Reid, Greenville, Texas, 15 bass, 28-9, $8,000
Full results for the entire field can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Overall, there were 50 bass weighing 84 pounds, 11 ounces caught by the final 10 boaters Saturday. All of the final 10 boaters caught a five-bass limit.
The highest-finishing boater from each Regional Championship (including the Wild Card) at the All-American now advance to the Toyota Series Championship for a shot at winning $235,000.
The eight boaters that finished highest from their region earned an automatic qualification in to the 2022 Toyota Series Championship on Lake Guntersville are:
Brian Bean, Hot Springs, Ark.
Connor Cunningham, Springfield, Mo.
Hunter Eubanks, Inman, S.C.
David Lowery, Milledgeville, Ga.
Matthew Marinelli, Salem, Conn.
Ryan Powroznik, Hopewell, Va.
Wade Ramsey, Choctaw Okla .
Sean Wieda, Alexandria, Ky.
Clint Horton of Falkner, Mississippi, won the Strike King Co-angler Division Saturday with a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 21 pounds, 15 ounces to earn the top prize package of $50,000. Co-angler Cory Guinn of Mountain Rest, South Carolina, finished runner up with a three-day total of 12 bass weighing 21 pounds, 5 ounces, good for $10,000.
“This is unbelievable,” an emotional Horton said after learning he’d won. “I never expected to win this in a million years. I’ve been fishing tournaments for the last 10 to 12 years or so, and this is pretty awesome.”
The construction supervisor from Mississippi credited a Zoom Finesse worm – both red bug and green-pumpkin – as being his key bait this week.
“I threw a finesse worm every way that you could rig it this week,” Horton said. “I caught fish from one foot deep to 20 feet deep with my boaters. I used a Carolina rig, a Texas rig, a wacky rig, a drop-shot rig, and on a shaky head.”
Horton said he doesn’t fish BFL events for a chance at turning pro or gaining big sponsorships. He fishes for the love of the sport and the enjoyment it brings him personally.
“Fishing is just fun to me,” Horton said. “I don’t want to turn it into a job. I feel like I wouldn’t love it like I love it now. I’m happy with what I’m doing now and I’m happy that an event like the All-American exists so I can fish it.”
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers at the 2022 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American on Lake Hamilton finished:
1st: Clint Horton, Falkner, Miss., 15 bass, 21-15, $50,000
2nd: Cory Guinn, Mountain Rest, S.C., 12 bass, 21-5, $10,000
3rd: Evan Eldred, Gaines, Mich., 13 bass, 18-10, $6,000
4th: Jeffery Johnson, Austin, Ind., 14 bass, 18-2, $5,000
5th: Zachary Verbugge, Lake Havasu, Ariz., 13 bass, 17-4, $4,500
6th: Alan Hill, Ada, Okla., 11 bass, 16-14, $4,000
7th: Hunter Dahnke, Missoula, Mont., 13 bass, 16-12, $3,500
8th: Steven Obester, Palatka, Fla., 10 bass, 16-2, $3,000
9th: Brendan Vinton, Braintree, Vt., 10 bass, 16-0, $2,500
10th: Eric Eden, Hartsville, Tenn., 11 bass, 14-14, $2,000
Overall, there were 29 bass weighing 35 pounds, 4 ounces caught by the final 10 Strike King Co-anglers on Saturday. Horton was the only co-angler to bring a five-bass limit to the scale on Saturday.
The highest-finishing Strike King Co-angler from each Regional Championship (including the Wild Card) at the All-American advance to the Toyota Series Championship for a shot at winning $33,500.
The eight Strike King Co-anglers that finished highest from their region and earned an automatic qualification in to the 2022 Toyota Series Championship on Lake Guntersville are:
Randy Allen, Russellville, Ark.
Evan Eldred, Gaines, Mich.
Cory Guinn, Mountain Rest, S.C.
Clint Horton, Falkner, Miss.
Jeffery Johnson, Austin, Ind.
Steven Obester, Palatka, Fla.
Kim Sapetti, Chatham, Ill.
Zachary Verbugge, Lake Havasu, Ariz.
The three-day Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American Presented by T-H Marine on Lake Hamilton was hosted by the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism and Visit Hot Springs. The event featured the nation’s best weekend grassroots anglers competing for a top prize of up to $120,000, and a top prize of $50,000 for the winning Strike King co-angler.
Television coverage of the 2022 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American will premiere in early October on CBS Sports and the Sportsman Channel. The full television air schedule can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The full field of 49 boaters and 49 Strike King co-anglers competed on Days 1 (Thursday) and 2 (Friday) of the event. After two days of competition the field was cut to just the top 10 boaters and co-anglers based on two-day total cumulative weight, and the final 10 anglers competed on Championship Saturday. The boater and co-angler that caught the heaviest three-day total weight earned the title of the 39th Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American Champions.
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 location for the 2023 Phoenix All-American Championship will be held at a location announced soon.
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.
Coulter Jumps to Early Lead at MLF Bass Pro Tour General Tire Stage Five on Watts Bar Lake
Tennessee Pro Boats 12 Scorable Bass Weighing 30 Pounds, 6 Ounces to Lead by 11 Ounces After Day 1 for Group A – Group B Begins Competition Sunday
SPRING CITY, Tenn. (June 4, 2022) – Despite only catching one bass in the third and final period of the day, pro Brandon Coulter of Knoxville, Tennessee managed to stay atop the leaderboard and grab the early lead for Group A on Day 1 of the General Tire Stage Five on Watts Bar Lake Presented by Covercraft in Spring City, Tennessee.
The six-day event, hosted by Rhea County Tourism and Fish Spring City, features 80 of the top professional bass-fishing anglers in the world competing for a total event purse of $805,000, including a top cash prize of $100,000 to the winner. The tournament is livestreamed each day at MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MOTV app and filmed for broadcast later this fall on the Discovery Channel.
Coulter brings a modest lead into Monday’s second day of competition for Group A, with a mere 11-ounce margin over second place angler Takahiro Omori of Tokyo, Japan, who caught 13 bass totaling 29-11. Port St. Joe, Florida, pro Randall Tharp sits in third place, with a total of 11 bass weighing 24-9. After leading at the end of the first period, Bass Pro Shops pro Timmy Horton of Muscle Shoals, Alabama , finished the day in fourth place with 11 bass for a total of 22-7, while General Tire pro Andy Montgomery of Blacksburg, South Carolina finished the day with 11 bass weighing 21-11 to round out the top five.
The 40 anglers in Group A will now have an off day from competition, while the 40 anglers competing in Group B will begin their first day of competition Sunday. Group A will resume competition on Monday.
“Well, that was unexpected. I mean, I do have a house here on Watts Bar Lake, but I don’t fish here nearly as often as some of these other guys, so this was really unexpected,” Coulter said. “I thought I had a good game plan – it’s a Saturday and there was a big team tournament out there today – but I had a good plan and I stuck to it.
“We really had a blast today, just bounced around,” Coulter continued. “There were a lot of boats on the water, but we just fished little ditch places until we finally landed on them – and when we did, man was it fun.”
Coulter said he left his main spot after 30 minutes when he had only caught one fish. But after catching a few more in some brush piles, he decided to hit it one more time before leaving the area.
“I’d caught a four-pounder there during practice – so I ran back to it, and it was lights out,” Coulter continued. “You’ve really got to have a place that will fire on the Tennessee River, and we had that today.”
Coulter said he credits his big fish today – including the 6-pound, 8-ounce largemouth he boated during Period 2 – to a deep-diving crankbait with Savage Gear Savage Grip treble hooks on a 7’4” Medium Heavy Savage Gear Battletek Crankbait Rod with a 6:1 Savage Gear Reel and 12-pound Berkley Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon Line .
“The biggest player for me today was the Savage Gear Savage Grip Treble Hooks,” Coulter said. “It’s basically a triple-grip treble with braid instead of a traditional loop. I didn’t lose a single fish today, thanks to those hooks – and reeling in that 6-8 – that was incredible.
“Not sure if we will find it again on Monday, but we survived today and have a shot to win our Qualifying Round and go on to the Championship Round, so that’s what we’re working towards. It was a great day, all in all,” Coulter finished.
The top 20 pros in Group A after Day 1 on Watts Bar Lake are:
1st: Brandon Coulter, Knoxville, Tenn., 12 bass, 30-6
2nd: Takahiro Omori, Tokyo, Japan, 13 bass, 29-11
3rd: Randall Tharp, Port St. Joe, Fla., 11 bass, 24-9
4th: Timmy Horton, Muscle Shoals, Ala., 11 bass, 22-7
5th: Andy Montgomery, Blacksburg, S.C., 11 bass, 21-11
6th: Kevin VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich., nine bass, 21-3
7th: Mark Davis, Mount Ida, Ark., seven bass, 20-12
8th: Mark Daniels, Jr., Tuskegee, Ala., nine bass, 20-6
9th: Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., nine bass, 18-5
10th: Alton Jones, Lorena, Texas, 10 bass, 18-3
11th: Gary Klein, Mingus, Texas, seven bass, 17-2
12th: Wesley Strader, Spring City, Tenn., nine bass, 15-12
13th: Andy Morgan, Dayton, Tenn., seven bass, 15-11
14th: Bobby Lane, Lakeland, Fla., six bass, 14-11
15th: Ryan Salzman, Huntsville, Ala., eight bass, 14-4
16th: Jordan Lee, Cullman, Ala., seven bass, 14-2
17th: Brent Ehrler, Redlands, Calif., seven bass, 14-1
18th: Dean Rojas, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., six bass, 12-14
19th: Randy Howell, Guntersville, Ala., five bass, 12-9
20th: Dakota Ebare, Brookeland, Texas, five bass, 11-9
A complete list of results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Overall, there were 232 scorable bass weighing 500 pounds, 3 ounces caught by 38 pros Saturday.
Coulter caught a 6-pound, 8-ounce bass that earned him 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. ET from the Spring City Boat Ramp, located at 417 Toestring Valley Road in Spring City, Tennessee. Each day’s General Tire Takeout will be held at the ramp, beginning at 4 p.m. Fans are welcome and encouraged to attend all launch and takeout events and to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLF NOW!® live stream and SCORETRACKER® coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The General Tire Stage Five on Watts Bar Lake Presented by Covercraft features anglers competing with a 1-pound, 8-ounce 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 the REDCREST 2023 championship.
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. ET. MLF NOW!® will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app.
Television coverage of the General Tire Stage Five on Watts Bar Lake Presented by Covercraft will premiere at 7 a.m. ET, Oct. 29 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 competition.
Proud sponsors of the 2022 MLF Bass Pro Tour include: 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, A.R.E. Truck Caps, B&W Trailer Hitches, BallyBet, 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.
Brandon Lester Holds On To Top Spot At Bassmaster Elite Series Event On Pickwick Lake
Brandon Lester of Fayetteville, Tenn., is leading after Day 3 of the 2022 Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Pickwick Lake with a three-day total of 63 pounds, 3 ounces.
Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
June 4, 2022
COUNCE, Tenn. — Saying you need 20 pounds per day to win is one thing, but actually producing those results hasn’t been an easy task at the Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Pickwick Lake.
Unless you’re Brandon Lester.
The veteran Elite Series pro bagged a 21-pound, 6-ounce limit on Day 3 of the tournament, giving him a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 63-3. Lester’s weight on Saturday matched the 21-6 he produced on Day 1 and followed his 20-7 from Day 2.
The 34-year-old pro from Fayetteville, Tenn., (about two hours from Pickwick Landing State Park), is the only angler among the 91 who started the tournament who has caught at least 20 pounds daily. It has him in the pole position on this 43,100-acre impoundment of the Tennessee River that flows between Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee.
“I feel pretty good,” he said. “I’ve been here before. I know you can’t count on things before they happen, but the fish are there.”
Lester didn’t take a long time to find bass Saturday, with his second catch earning him the Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the Day.
“A 6-13 was my second fish. That was nice,” he said, smiling at the good fortune he hopes to stretch one more day.
Lester has built his lead on a primary location that slopes from 5 to 8 feet in depth. On Day 1, he used a Strike King 4.0 crankbait to catch most of his best bass, though a 6-9 he hooked came on a football jig. The past two days, he’s relied on a Berkley MaxScent Magnum Hit Worm (plum apple) with a 1/8-ounce Mustad tungsten nail weight in the head.
“It’s typical ledge stuff,” he said. “I’m in a small spot. It’s a clean spot and I’m dialed in. I found it the third morning of practice. There was a big tournament won there maybe 10 years ago. I was idling through there and I saw them on my side scope. When I saw them, I knew it was a special spot.”
A pair of Elite Series rookies — and veterans of the Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops — are his closest competitors.
Cody Huff, a 25-year-old pro from Ava, Mo., who fished collegiately at Bethel University, remained in second place with 59-13. Jacob Foutz, a 23-year-old from Charleston, Tenn., who fished for Bryan College, is third with 58-5.
Both anglers qualified for Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk when they were in college and worked their way into the Elites through the St. Croix Bassmaster Opens presented by Mossy Oak Fishing. Now roommates on the Elite Series, they have vast experience on Pickwick, much like Lester who has fished competitively here throughout his career.
Huff said earlier that he feels at home on Pickwick and the results show it. He caught a 19-5 limit on Saturday, leaning on a lure that helped him win a college national championship on Oklahoma’s Lake Tenkiller in 2018.
“It’s a Dixie Jet Talon spoon,” he said of his confidence bait. “I caught 22 pounds on it yesterday and 19 pounds today. It has a slow fall for being such a big bait because it’s so wide ... I’ve been throwing the shattered glass color, but I don’t think it makes a difference. You just surprise them with it.”
Foutz was in sixth place heading into Saturday’s action, and he wasted no time making his move up the leaderboard, finishing Day 3 with a 21-4 limit.
“I think in my first seven casts I caught almost 18 pounds,” Foutz said. “I culled up a few more times in the morning and then I pretty much sat there and guarded my hole so no one else could get on it. I’ve caught all my fish pretty much in one spot this week and it keeps reloading.”
Foutz said he knew right away Saturday his spot was going to produce again.
“I think they’re pulling up and feeding on shad,” he said. “They came up schooling this morning. I looked at my cameraman and said 'it’s about to go down.' They were blowing shad out of the water.”
Foutz said he’s caught “95 percent” of his bass this week on a Strike King 10XD crankbait and a Zoom Ol’ Monster worm.
“Most of them have been in about 18 feet of water, sliding down to about 23, 24 feet,” he said.
The Top 10 anglers made the Day 3 cut and will fish Sunday for the $100,000 prize that goes to the winner. Joining Lester, Huff and Foutz are, fourth, Maryland’s Bryan Schmitt, 56-14; fifth, Florida’s John Cox, 56-6; sixth, Texas pro Chris Zaldain, 56-2; seventh, Idaho’s Brandon Palaniuk, 54-9; eighth, Kentucky’s Matt Robertson, 53-8; ninth, Japan’s Kenta Kimura, 53-5; and 10th, Alabama’s Justin Atkins, 53-4.
Zaldain took the lead for the VMC Monster Bag of the tournament with a 22-8 limit Saturday. He said his entire bag was caught in approximately 35 feet of water with 6 and 7-inch prototype swimbaits from Bass Mafia, which he’ll reveal Sunday.
Palaniuk maintained the lead in a tightly contested race for the Progressive Insurance Bassmaster Angler of the Year title with 536 points. He is followed closely by Cox (518), Tennessee pro David Mullins (486), Lester (477) and Georgia pro Drew Benton (440).
Alabamian Joseph Webster held onto the lead in the Falcon Rods Bassmaster Rookie of the Year race with 373 points, followed by Foutz (371) and Wisconsin pro Jay Przekurat (355).
The final day will begin Sunday with a 7 a.m. CT with takeoff from Pickwick Landing State Park. Weigh-in is scheduled for 3:10 p.m. Coverage will be available on Bassmaster.com and the FOX Sports digital platforms. FS1 will also broadcast live with the tournament leaders beginning at 7 a.m.
KVD Weighs in on Watts Bar
Courtesy of Luke Stoner - Dynamic Sponsorships
SPRING CITY, Tn. – Competition is underway on Watts Bar Lake for General Tire Stage Five of the Bass Pro Tour. As Group A anglers were launching this morning at the Spring City Boat Ramp lots of comments regarding the “tough fishing” were overheard. Anglers’ expectations are set during their two days of official practice before the tournament begins and from the sounds of it, Watts Bar is proving to be quite the puzzle this week.
It's worth noting that Bass Pro Tour competitors are notorious sandbaggers, and always find a way to light up the SCORETRACKER once “lines in” is called. This is especially true on the Tennessee River chain in the summertime, as most of the field spends nearly their entire practice idling with eyes glued to their electronics. Looking for schools of bass on offshore ledges, marking brush piles and other “deep” structure, often making little-to-no casts on their best areas until the tournament begins.
But when Team Toyota pro Kevin VanDam started pulling out several rods rigged with shallow-water presentations as his boat official backed his Tundra down the boat ramp, I realized this might not be your typical TVA tournament in June. While KVD hails from Kalamazoo, Michigan he’s earned the title of “honorary Tennessee River resident” throughout his career.
VanDam has literally won millions of dollars throwing deep diving crankbaits like a Strike King 6XD on offshore ledges up and down the Tennessee River over the years, and has taught a generation of anglers how to effectively fish these places in the process. We asked KVD to weigh in on Watts Bar and as you’d imagine, seeing “Dr. Crankenstein” rigged mostly for shallow water proved very telling.
Q – Will this tournament be dominated offshore like we would typically expect on the Tennessee River in the summertime?
KVD – “No, not in my opinion,” VanDam said. “I am going to mix it up, fishing offshore about 40% of the time and shallow the other 60%. Practice was pretty brutal on me, and while I did catch a couple out there (offshore) most of my bites came shallow. There are plenty of docks, laydowns, and some milfoil here which really opens your options the first week of June.”
Q – What is one similarity, and one difference, between Watts Bar and the other more familiar Tennessee River fisheries?
KVD – “One thing Watts Bar has in common with Kentucky Lake or Chickamauga or Guntersville is it has grass, milfoil specifically,” VanDam said. “Grass is one of the things that makes all these lakes so healthy. One big difference is Watts Bar doesn’t have nearly as many “flat ledges” as the TVA lakes south of here do. This place sets up much deeper and has more of a highland reservoir feel to it.”
Q – Do you expect Watts Bar to fish small this week, due to the lack of expansive offshore areas?
KVD – “Even though it doesn’t get the attention as the rest of the TVA chain, Watts Bar really is a good sized lake, so with our small field I don’t think guys will be stacked on top of each other,” VanDam explained. “There is a big St. Judes local tournament going on today that launched before our group at 6:00A.M. This weekend we might have to deal with some crowds, but I expect guys to be spread out for the most part.”
Q- What will be your target weight for day one of competition?
KVD – “Man, if I can catch 12-pounds a day I will be happy,” VanDam said. “I know that doesn’t sound like much, and this place is full of fish, but I just didn’t catch very many scoreablesthroughout practice. If this was a striped bass tournament I’d be shooting for 100-lbs. a day, this place has some giants of that flavor!”
Tosh Tops at Toyota Series Western Division Finale on California Delta
BETHEL ISLAND, Calif. (June 3, 2022) – Pro Stephen “Bub” Tosh, Jr., of Modesto, California, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 17 pounds, 15 ounces to win the Toyota Series Presented by A.R.E. at the California Delta and earn the top payout of $25,604. Tosh’s three-day total of 15 bass weighing 59 pounds even earned him the victory by a 4-pound, 3-ounce margin over second place pro Lane Olson of Forest Grove, Oregon, who caught 15 bass weighing 54-13 to finish second and earn $9,922.
To do so, Tosh said he combined a duo of baits that are out of production with a modern-day staple.
“I had two 6-pounders this week and a couple of 5-pounders, but no giant fish,” he said. “Most of my fish came on a Transporter Frog made by Paycheck Baits that I designed years ago. They haven’t made them in years, but they’re going for $60 to $80 on eBay.”
Tosh’s other legacy bait was a Paycheck Baits Punch Skirt, another throwback to another time that he still has a few of in his tackle shop.
To supplement those baits, Tosh added a ChatterBait, a wacky-rigged Senko and a Lobina Rico Popper that helped him cull up with mostly 3-pounders. He boated them in secret, in hidden cuts and pockets tucked deep in the Delta’s maze, and that, he said, was by design.
“I think about my grandpa out there,” he added. “I think about my dad who doesn’t fish much anymore. I think about that older generation watching and fishing vicariously through me. I’m a tournament warrior that was raised by an extreme angler who fished until he couldn’t anymore.”
The top 10 pros on the California Delta finished:
1st: Stephen Tosh, Jr., Modesto, Calif., 15 bass, 59-0, $25,604
2nd: Lane Olson, Forest Grove, Ore., 15 bass, 54-13, $9,922
3rd: Nick Salvucci, Atascadero, Calif., 14 bass, 53-12, $7,681
4th: Randy Pierson, Oakdale, Calif., 15 bass, 52-9, $7,401
5th: Ronald Lorenzo, Princeton, Calif., 15 bass, 52-7, $5,761
6th: Christian Ostrander, Turlock, Calif., 15 bass, 52-5, $5,621
7th: Phillip Dutra, Guntersville, Ala., 15 bass, 52-0, $4,481
8th: Brett Leber, Dixon, Calif., 15 bass, 50-14, $3,841
9th: Benjamin Byrd, Moab, Utah, 15 bass, 48-6, $3,200
10th: Michael Caruso, Peoria, Ariz., 15 bass, 47-15, $2,560
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Pro Gregg Leonard of Wilton, California, won the $500 Day 1 Berkley Big Bass award in the pro division Thursday with a largemouth weighing 9 pounds, 9 ounces. Ostrander earned Friday’s $500 Berkley Big Bass award with a 7-pound, 12-ounce bass.
Pierson 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.
Tyson Christman of Glendale, Arizona, won the Strike King Co-angler Division Saturday with a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 35 pounds, 4 ounces. Bloom 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 the California Delta finished:
1st: Tyson Christman, Glendale, Ariz., 15 bass, 35-4, Phoenix 518 Pro boat w/115-hp Mercury outboard
2nd: Brandon Gee, Yuba City, Calif., 15 bass, 34-5, $3,461
3rd: Scott Bern, San Rafael, Calif., 12 bass, 30-12, $2,799
4th: J.D. Farage, Discovery Bay, Calif., 14 bass, 30-12, $2,317
5th: Jay Guterding, Redding, Calif., 15 bass, 30-10, $1,986
6th: Dominick Mohameds, Oakley, Calif., 15 bass, 30-1, $1,655
7th: Cody Crist, Ramona, Calif., 15 bass, 30-1, $1,324
8th: Daniel Lutz, Las Vegas, Nev., 13 bass, 29-13, $1,159
9th: David Zavvar, Concord, Calif., 14 bass, 29-6, $993
10th: Tracy Patton, Oakdale, Calif., 12 bass, 29-2, $1,228
The Day 1 Berkley Big Bass $150 award winner in the Strike King co-angler division, was Bern with a largemouth weighing 8 pounds even, while the Day 2 $150 award went to Firuz Gizatullin of Discovery Bay, California, who weighed in a 6-pound, 14-ounce largemouth.
With the Toyota Series Western Division regular season now complete, pro David Valdivia of Riverside, California, has won the Toyota Series Western Division Pro Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 747 points, while Tyson Christman of Glendale, Arizona, won the Strike King Co-Angler Division AOY race with 750 points.
The next event for Toyota Series anglers will take place June 23-25 – the Toyota Series Presented by A.R.E. at the Potomac River in Marbury, Maryland. For a complete schedule, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The 2022 Toyota Series Presented by A.R.E. consists of six divisions – Central, Northern, Plains Presented by Outlaw Ordnance, Southern, Southwestern Presented by Outlaw Ordnance 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 Ordnance, 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.
Conner Cunningham Extends Lead into Final Day of Phoenix All-American Presented by T-H Marine at Lake Hamilton
Ozark Division Boater Catches 15-Pound, 2-Ounce Limit to Pad Lead to More Than 8 Pounds, Final 10 Boaters and Co-anglers Ready for Championship Saturday
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. (June 3, 2022) – It is turning in to the Conner Cunningham show at Lake Hamilton this week. After starting the day in with a 4-pound, 10-ounce lead, Cunningham, from Springfield, Missouri, weighed in a five-bass limit Friday totaling 15 pounds, 2 ounces, to extend his lead and pace the final 10 boaters that have now qualified to compete on Championship Saturday at the 39th annual Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American Championship on Lake Hamilton Presented by T-H Marine in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
Cunningham’s two-day total of 10 bass weighing 32-10 will give him an 8-pound, 5-ounce advantage heading into the final day of competition. Boater Hunter Eubanks of Inman, South Carolina, weighed in a two-day total of 10 bass for 24-5 to finish Day 2 in second place, while Alexandria, Kentucky’s Sean Wieda rounds out the top three with a two-day total of 22-12.
The final 10 boaters and Strike King Co-anglers are now set, and competition will resume tomorrow morning on Championship Saturday. The three-day tournament, hosted by the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism and Visit Hot Springs, features the nation’s best weekend grassroots anglers competing for a top prize of up to $120,000, and a top prize of $50,000 for the winning Strike King co-angler.
“Today definitely blew all of my expectations out of the water,” a happy Cunningham said after weighing in on Friday. “I’m honored to just be here, let alone leading this thing. The worst that I can do tomorrow is 10th place.”
Cunningham said that he fished the same way Friday that he did on Day 1, covering water and hitting around 30 different spots with a trio of baits that he declined to divulge.
“I’m just covering a ton of water and fishing what’s in front of me,” Cunningham said. “I caught my last fish today out deep, cranking a hump, and I was fortunate that it was a five-pounder.
“Tomorrow, I’ll fish my fish the whole entire day,” Cunningham said. “I’ve been trying to save some. This lake is small, and I’ve been laying off them the last couple of days and trying to save them. I’m going to milk it for everything it’s worth tomorrow.”
When asked what he thought about being so close to the top payout of $120,000 and how he was feeling, the Ozark Division angler said that he would sleep just fine on Friday night.
“I try not to think about the money – I just leave it with the man upstairs,” Cunningham went on to say. “If He wants me to win, I’ll win. Now tomorrow morning when I’m taking off at 6:30 a.m. it might be a whole different ball of wax, but right now I’m just so happy to be here I think I’ll sleep just fine tonight.
The top 10 boaters advancing to the final day of the All-American on Lake Hamilton are:
1st: Connor Cunningham, Springfield, Mo., 10 bass, 32-10
2nd: Hunter Eubanks, Inman, S.C., 10 bass, 24-5
3rd: Sean Wieda, Alexandria, Ky., 10 bass, 22-12
4th: Brian Bean, Hot Springs, Ark., 10 bass, 22-4
5th: David Lowery, Milledgeville, Ga., 10 bass, 21-7
6th: Ryan Powroznik, Hopewell, Va., 10 bass, 21-6
7th: Andy Wicker, Cayce, S.C., 10 bass, 20-12
8th: Jonathan Crossland, Chapin, S.C., 10 bass, 20-7
9th: Justin Kimmel, Athens, Ga., 10 bass, 20-4
10th: Mike Reid, Greenville, Texas, 10 bass, 19-5
Finishing in 11th through 49th are:
11th: Drew Tabor, Harrison, Ark., 10 bass, 19-4, $3,000
12th: Wade Ramsey, Choctaw, Okla., 10 bass, 18-15, $3,000
13th: Mike Brueggen, La Crosse, Wis., 10 bass, 18-8, $3,000
14th: George Brown, Camby, Ind., 10 bass, 18-6, $3,000
15th: Preston Henson, College Grove, Tenn., 10 bass, 18-4, $3,000
16th: Matthew Marinelli, Salem, Conn., 10 bass, 18-4, $3,000
17th: Brad Kell, Benton, Ky., 10 bass, 18-4, $3,000
18th: Brad Jelinek, Lincoln, Mo., 10 bass, 18-2, $3,000
19th: Brody Campbell, Oxford, Ohio, 10 bass, 17-13, $3,000
20th: David Bright, Mooresville, N.C., 10 bass, 17-6, $3,000
21st: Chris Wilkinson, Farmersburg, Ind., 10 bass, 17-2, $2,000
22nd: Laker Howell, Guntersville, Ala., 10 bass, 17-1, $2,000
23rd: Matt Henry, Milledgeville, Ga., 10 bass, 17-1, $2,000
24th: Jarrett Martin, Mansfield, Ohio, 10 bass, 17-0, $2,000
25th: Darren Ashley, Calhoun Falls, S.C., 10 bass, 16-14, $2,000
26th: Kevin Brown, Hot Springs, Ark., 10 bass, 16-9, $2,000
27th: Taylor Parker, Lake View, Ala., 10 bass, 16-9, $2,000
28rd: Perry Dawson, Rockwood, Tenn., 10 bass, 16-8, $2,000
29rd: Michael Duarte, Baltimore, Md., 10 bass, 16-7, $2,000
30th: Steve Phillips, Douglas, Ga., 10 bass, 16-7, $2,000
31th: Chase Stewart, Ware Shoals, S.C., 10 bass, 15-10, $1,500
32nd: Kevin Powers, Unicoi, Tenn., 10 bass, 15-5, $1,500
33th: Robert Crosnoe, Inverness, Fla., nine bass, 15-3, $1,500
34th: Paul Bottali, York, Pa., 10 bass, 15-2, $1,500
35th: Scott Browning, Franklin, N.C., nine bass, 14-6, $1,500
36th: Jim Vitaro, Wooster, Ohio, 10 bass, 14-3, $1,500
37th: Brien Vaughn, Walnut Shade, Mo., 10 bass, 14-0, $1,500
38th: Ryan Deal, Evansville, Ind., nine bass, 13-11, $1,500
39th: David Rice, Galena, Mo., nine bass, 13-10, $1,500
40th: Eddie Hinojosa, Kingsburg, Calif., nine bass, 13-3, $1,500
41nd: Christopher Helfer, Baltimore, Ohio, nine bass, 13-3, $1,500
42th: Jordan Hirt, Glenwood, Iowa, 10 bass, 13-3, $1,500
43th: Randy Siemens, Kalispell, Mont., nine bass, 13-2, $1,500
44th: Scott Bonnema, Deerwood, Minn., nine bass, 12-7, $1,500
45th: Bill Buckner, Scottsburg, Ind., 10 bass, 11-14, $1,500
46rd: Hunter Litchfield, Macomb, Ill., nine bass, 11-12, $1,500
47st: Tyler Smith, Selma, Ala., eight bass, 10-8, $1,500
48nd: Christopher Chavis, Guyton, Ga., seven bass, 9-11, $1,500
49th: Taylor Johnson, Texarkana, Ark., six bass, 8-9, $1,500
A full list of results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Overall, there were 231 bass weighing 395 pounds, 10 ounces caught by 49 boaters Friday. The catch included 39 five-bass limits.
After two days of competition, co-angler Cory Guinn of Mountain Rest, South Carolina, leads the Strike King Co-angler Division at Lake Hamilton with a total of 10 bass weighing 18 pounds, 7 ounces. Guinn will bring a 3-pound, 8-ounce lead into Championship Saturday over second-place co-angler Clint Horton of Falkner, Mississippi, who weighed in a two-day total of 10 bass totaling 14 pounds, 15 ounces.
“As long as the shallow bite is working and those deep bites set up on brush piles, it should be a good day. Really it is just going to depend on what my boater is wanting to do,” Guinn said.
“I didn’t have a single bite until about 10 this morning,” Guinn said. “As soon as the sun came out though, the fish started setting up right. I caught two back-to-back and it really got me going for the rest of the day.”
Guinn hails from Mountain Rest, South Carolina, more than 700 miles away from Hot Springs and Lake Hamilton. Although the distance may be far, the Palmetto State co-angler says that he feels right at home in the Ozarks because of the characteristics of Hamilton.
“Just like our lakes back home, Lake Hamilton has threadfin shad,” Guinn said. “There’s also a ton of docks and offshore brush piles. Learning how to skip docks really helps fishing here because when the sun is out here, these fish love to set up under those docks.”
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers advancing to the final day of competition at the All-American on Lake Hamilton are:
1st: Cory Guinn, Mountain Rest, S.C., 10 bass, 18-7
2nd: Clint Horton, Falkner, Miss., 10 bass, 14-15
3rd: Brendan Vinton, Braintree, Vt., nine bass, 14-8
4th: Zachary Verbugge, Lake Havasu, Ariz., 10 bass, 14-8
5th: Eric Eden, Hartsville, Tenn., 10 bass, 13-15
6th: Evan Eldred, Gaines, Mich., nine bass, 13-14
7th: Hunter Dahnke, Missoula, Mont., 10 bass, 13-11
8th: Jeffery Johnson, Austin, Ind., 10 bass, 13-1
9th: Alan Hill, Ada, Okla., eight bass, 12-15
10th: Steven Obester, Palatka, Fla., seven bass, 12-12
Finishing in 11th through 49th are:
11th: Chandler White, Covington, Ga., seven bass, 12-11, $1,500
12th: Kenneth Hunnicut, Jacksonville, Fla., eight bass, 12-7, $1,500
13th: Billy Rusher, Lincoln, Ark., six bass, 12-6, $1,500
14th: Scott Blaesi, Maxwell, Neb., eight bass, 11-12, $1,500
15th: Harold Addison II, Columbia, S.C., eight bass, 10-15, $1,500
16th: Harrison McCall, Salisbury, N.C., eight bass, 10-10, $1,500
17th: Brian Short, Oxford, Ohio, seven bass, 10-8, $1,500
18th: Randy Allen, Russellville, Ark., 10 bass, 10-7, $1,500
19th: Gilbert Jolley, Livingston, Tenn., eight bass, 10-6, $1,500
20th: Kim Sapetti, Chatham, Ill., seven bass, 10-0, $1,500
21st: Drew Cress, Highland, Ill., six bass, 9-7, $1,000
22nd: Gary Owens, Columbus, Ind., seven bass, 9-1, $1,000
23rd: Randy Paquette, Sarasota, Fla., eight bass, 9-1, $1,000
24th: B.K. Kelley, Chester, Va., seven bass, 9-0, $1,000
25th: Brian Choate, Conway, Ark., seven bass, 8-12, $1,000
26th: Brad Smith, Montevallo, Ala., seven bass, 8-5, $1,000
27th: Andy Vance, Danville, Ind., five bass, 8-4, $1,000
28th: Carl Whipple, Manassas, Va., seven bass, 8-1, $1,000
29th: Patrick Weir, Park Hill, Okla., four bass, 7-9, $1,000
30th: Kyle Rogers, Cleveland, Ga., seven bass, 7-6, $1,000
31st: Pop Catalin, Cookeville, Tenn., six bass, 7-1, $750
32nd: Steve Sorrell, Beavercreek, Ohio, eight bass, 7-1, $750
33rd: Blake Hollingsworth, Oxford, Ala., six bass, 6-14, $750
34th: Danny Robinson, Fairland, Ind., five bass, 6-4, $750
35th: Gary Meredith, Mount Juliet, Tenn., six bass, 6-0, $750
36th: Tyler Stuart, Manchester, Mo., five bass, 5-10, $750
37th: Randy Hudson, Columbus, N.C., five bass, 5-8, $750
38th: Brian Zelinskas, Beavercreek, Ohio, four bass, 5-5, $750
39th: John Martin, Ridley Park, Pa., four bass, 5-5, $750
40th: Andrew Wooley, Little Rock, Ark., four bass, 5-2, $750
41st: Samuel Jones, Fuquay Varina, N.C., five bass, 5-0, $750
42nd: Luke Schmits, Alexandria, Ky., four bass, 5-0, $750
43rd: Jarrod Bailey, Salyersville, Ky., three bass, 4-15, $750
44th: James Menold, Amory, Miss., four bass, 4-14, $750
45th: David Ondrla, Elmhurst, Ill., four bass, 4-8, $750
46th: Max Stawinoga, Prairie du Sac, Wis., three bass, 3-7, $750
47th: Max Meister, Atco, N.J., three bass, 3-5, $750
48th: Russell Woodson, Jonesville, S.C., three bass, 3-1, $750
49th: Chris Grimes, Thurmont, Md., one bass, 1-3, $750
Overall, there were 150 bass weighing 206 pounds, 7 ounces caught by 43 Strike King Co-anglers on Friday. The catch included 16 five-bass limits.
The full field of 49 boaters and 49 Strike King co-anglers competed on Days 1 (Thursday) and 2 (Friday) of the event. Now, after two days of competition, the field is cut to just the top 10 boaters and co-anglers based on two-day total cumulative weight, and the final 10 anglers compete tomorrow on Championship Saturday. The boater and co-angler that catch the heaviest three-day total weight will be crowned the 39th Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American Champions.
The final 10 boaters and Strike King Co-anglers will launch Saturday morning at 6:30 a.m. CT from the Andrew Hulsey Fish Hatchery, located at 350 Fish Hatchery Road in Hot Springs. Saturday’s Championship weigh-in will be held at the launch location and will begin at 2:30 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend Saturday’s launch and weigh-in events and encouraged to follow the event’s online coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The 2021 Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine was 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, advanced to one of six Regional Championships where they competed to finish in the top six, which then advanced them to compete in the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.
Television coverage of the 2022 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American will premiere in early October on CBS Sports and the Sportsman Channel. The full television air schedule can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
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.
Tennessee Pro Lester Seizes Control Of Bassmaster Elite Series Event On Pickwick Lake
Brandon Lester of Fayetteville, Tenn., is leading after Day 2 of the 2022 Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Pickwick Lake with a two-day total of 41 pounds, 13 ounces.
Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
June 3, 2022
COUNCE, Tenn. — Brandon Lester said his goal at the Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Pickwick Lake is to weigh 20 pounds per day.
He’s halfway home and right on target.
Lester, a 34-year-old pro who resides in Fayetteville, Tenn., caught a 20-pound, 7-ounce limit on Friday, giving him a two-day total of 41-13 and the overall lead in the event. He was in fifth place after Day 1 with 21-6.
Lester predicted the tournament would be won on offshore ledges and he’s targeted those spots so far. It doesn’t hurt that he’s intimately familiar with the lake, living two hours away and fishing here in various derbies throughout his career.
Still, he said each of the 91 anglers competing this week is grinding to find the bites on the 41,300-acre impoundment that stretches through Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee.
“Nothing comes easy,” Lester said. “I caught a solid bag off my main spot this morning and I made two critical culls later in the day, a 3 1/2 and a 3 3/4 that bumped me up another couple pounds. I had a sneaky spot where I caught one of those, but there’s not a lot of fish there. A school that sits on these spots might have seven or eight fish, but it's good for rolling up and getting a bite.
“I didn’t want to go to it, but I felt like I needed to,” he added, mentioning his 20-pound goal.
Having the right offshore space has been crucial so far on Pickwick, and Lester said protecting his main spot is ‘critical.’ Pickwick is one of the country’s most popular lakes for boating and the warm, late-spring weather expected this weekend will do nothing to change that.
“The community spots are taking a beating,” Lester said. “My spots are taking a beating too. I had a couple of locals watching me today. They might be out there pounding ’em right now. There’s so much unknown in a tournament like this. But it’s been a good tournament so far.”
Lester wanted to wait another day to divulge which lures he’s using or how deep he’s fishing, but he did say he’s looking for something specific on his depthfinder.
“When (anglers) start beating on those community schools, the fish start splitting up in satellite schools and setting up in different places,” he said. “I think I found one of them today and was able to make one of those culls.”
Cody Huff, a 25-year-old pro from Ava, Mo., is in second place with a two-day total of 40-8. He was 11th after Day 1 with 18-5 but jumped in the standings with 22-3 on Friday.
Like Lester, Huff has experience on Pickwick, having fished collegiately at Bethel University, which is located in McKenzie about 90 minutes north of the Pickwick Dam.
“This is a lake I got to spend some time on,” Huff said. “I got to fun fish, and I fished several college tournaments here this time of year too. This is the first (Elite Series tournament) this year at a place I’m familiar with.”
Huff’s bite came later Friday, after current started running through the impoundment.
“I had a pretty small bag until about noon,” he said. “When the current started rolling, I went back to a place I had fished earlier in the day, and it was just loaded. Things really went down for about 30 minutes. We got everything we needed.”
Huff said he’s throwing a variety of baits to spark bites.
“These fish are so smart and so pressured, it seems like you have to show them a lot to get them fired up,” he said. “I didn’t have (company) on my spot until this afternoon when (Day 1 leader) Matt Robertson rolled up whenever I was catching them. He may there be tomorrow ... You never know. Locals might be out there too, with us not taking off until 7 o’clock. It’ll be interesting.”
Robertson is still in the lead for VMC Monster Bag of the Week for his 22-6 limit on Day 1, but he fell to 18th after weighing in just four bass for 10-11 on Day 2.
Japan’s Taku Ito remains in third place behind Lester and Huff with a two-day total of 38-10. Unlike Day 1, when Ito relied on a baitcaster for some of his heaviest bass, he returned to his favorite technique on Friday, catching 16-9 all finesse fishing.
Like the two anglers ahead of him, Ito said finding the right bass took patience. He had seven catches on Friday.
“It was tough,” he said. “I couldn’t find a bass school until about 9 a.m., 10 a.m. But I found a smallmouth school and I caught them quickly. In the afternoon, I had a big bite and culled a couple of times.”
Ito said he found bass in 5 to 6 feet of water on Day 2, though he’s prepared to head back offshore to deeper water if necessary.
“It may be harder for me tomorrow,” he said. “But I’ll find them.”
Bryan Schmitt of Deale, Md., in fourth place with 38-1, and he provided the Yamaha Clip of the Day when a 4 1/2-pound bass came unhooked at the boat. Schmitt was able to grab the fish with his hand and add it to his livewell. The bass completed Schmitt’s limit, as he had only five catches on the day.
John Cox of DeBary, Fla., had 22-3 Friday and is in fifth place with 37-13. He caught each of his bass in a strikingly shallow depth, likely because of a mayfly hatch overnight.
“It was maybe 2 feet, a foot and a half,” he said. “Everything got perfect. The wind got right. It was blowing in on this little area. I think the deep fish decided to come up to eat bluegills (that were eating mayflies).
“It was just a magical area for a little bit of time,” he said. “I fished 50 or 60 areas today and nothing like that happened anywhere else.”
Tyler Rivet of Raceland, La., caught the Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the day – a 7-15 largemouth that was nearly half of his 17-7 haul.
Idaho pro Brandon Palaniuk maintained his lead in the Progressive Insurance Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings with 536 points. He is followed by Cox (518), Lester (477), Tennessee pro David Mullins (460) and veteran Arizona pro Clifford Pirch (448).
Alabamian Joseph Webster leads the Falcon Rods Bassmaster Rookie of the Year race with 370 points, followed by Tennessee’s Jacob Foutz (368) and Wisconsin’s Jay Przekurat (355).
The Top 47 remaining anglers will fish Saturday with takeoff scheduled for 7 a.m. CT from Pickwick Landing State Park. Weigh-in will be held at the park at 3:10 p.m. with only the Top 10 anglers advancing to Championship Sunday for a chance at the $100,000 first-place prize.
Coverage will be available on Bassmaster.com and the FOX Sports digital platforms. FS1 will also broadcast live with the tournament leaders beginning at 7 a.m.
2022 Whataburger Bassmaster at Pickwick Lake 6/2-6/5
Pickwick Lake, Counce TN.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 2
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 10 41-13 100 $1,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-06 Day 2: 5 20-07
2. Cody Huff Ava, MO 10 40-08 99
Day 1: 5 18-05 Day 2: 5 22-03
3. Taku Ito Chiba JAPAN 10 38-10 98
Day 1: 5 22-01 Day 2: 5 16-09
4. Bryan Schmitt Deale, MD 10 38-01 97
Day 1: 5 20-05 Day 2: 5 17-12
5. John Cox Debary, FL 10 37-13 96
Day 1: 5 15-10 Day 2: 5 22-03
6. Jacob Foutz Charleston, TN 10 37-01 95
Day 1: 5 19-01 Day 2: 5 18-00
7. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 10 36-08 94
Day 1: 5 21-13 Day 2: 5 14-11
8. Austin Felix Eden Prairie, MN 10 36-03 93
Day 1: 5 17-07 Day 2: 5 18-12
9. Kenta Kimura Osaka JAPAN 10 35-02 92
Day 1: 5 17-05 Day 2: 5 17-13
10. Gregory DiPalma Millville, NJ 10 35-00 91
Day 1: 5 16-14 Day 2: 5 18-02
11. Jason Christie Park Hill, OK 10 34-12 90
Day 1: 5 22-02 Day 2: 5 12-10
12. Jason Williamson Wagener, SC 10 34-04 89
Day 1: 5 17-04 Day 2: 5 17-00
13. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 10 34-00 88
Day 1: 5 16-15 Day 2: 5 17-01
14. Matt Arey Shelby, NC 10 33-14 87
Day 1: 5 19-13 Day 2: 5 14-01
15. Chris Johnston Otonabee Ontario CANADA 10 33-13 86
Day 1: 5 17-10 Day 2: 5 16-03
16. Chris Zaldain Fort Worth, TX 10 33-10 85
Day 1: 5 17-08 Day 2: 5 16-02
17. Jeff Gustafson Keewatin Ontario CANADA 10 33-09 84
Day 1: 5 16-04 Day 2: 5 17-05
18. Matt Robertson Kuttawa, KY 9 33-01 83
Day 1: 5 22-06 Day 2: 4 10-11
19. Darold Gleason Many, LA 10 32-09 82
Day 1: 5 14-03 Day 2: 5 18-06
20. Brandon Cobb Greenwood, SC 10 32-09 81
Day 1: 5 17-09 Day 2: 5 15-00
20. Josh Douglas Isle, MN 10 32-09 81
Day 1: 5 17-09 Day 2: 5 15-00
22. Justin Atkins Florence, AL 10 32-06 79
Day 1: 5 18-06 Day 2: 5 14-00
23. Buddy Gross Chattanooga, TN 10 32-01 78
Day 1: 5 15-08 Day 2: 5 16-09
24. Shane LeHew Catawba, NC 10 31-14 77
Day 1: 5 16-03 Day 2: 5 15-11
25. Scott Martin Clewiston, FL 10 31-07 76
Day 1: 5 17-04 Day 2: 5 14-03
26. Micah Frazier Newnan, GA 10 31-00 75
Day 1: 5 14-01 Day 2: 5 16-15
27. Jacob Powroznik North Prince George, VA 10 30-14 74
Day 1: 5 17-00 Day 2: 5 13-14
28. KJ Queen Catawba, NC 10 30-13 73
Day 1: 5 15-10 Day 2: 5 15-03
29. Joseph Webster Hamilton, AL 9 30-07 72
Day 1: 4 13-07 Day 2: 5 17-00
30. Carl Jocumsen Queensland AUSTRALIA 10 30-02 71
Day 1: 5 15-13 Day 2: 5 14-05
31. Brandon Card Salisbury, NC 10 30-01 70
Day 1: 5 14-00 Day 2: 5 16-01
32. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 10 29-12 69
Day 1: 5 16-13 Day 2: 5 12-15
33. Tyler Rivet Raceland, LA 10 29-10 68 $1,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-03 Day 2: 5 17-07
34. Ray Hanselman Jr Del Rio, TX 10 29-08 67
Day 1: 5 15-14 Day 2: 5 13-10
35. Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 10 29-07 66
Day 1: 5 14-01 Day 2: 5 15-06
36. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 10 29-06 65
Day 1: 5 14-02 Day 2: 5 15-04
37. Caleb Sumrall New Iberia, LA 10 29-06 64
Day 1: 5 14-07 Day 2: 5 14-15
38. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 10 29-00 63
Day 1: 5 11-12 Day 2: 5 17-04
39. Drew Benton Blakely, GA 10 28-15 62
Day 1: 5 16-11 Day 2: 5 12-04
40. Jonathan Kelley Old Forge, PA 10 28-15 61
Day 1: 5 12-10 Day 2: 5 16-05
41. Clark Wendlandt Leander, TX 10 28-15 60
Day 1: 5 14-07 Day 2: 5 14-08
42. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 10 28-09 59
Day 1: 5 13-12 Day 2: 5 14-13
43. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 10 28-06 58
Day 1: 5 12-12 Day 2: 5 15-10
44. Scott Canterbury Odenville, AL 10 28-05 57
Day 1: 5 13-12 Day 2: 5 14-09
45. Lee Livesay Longview, TX 10 28-00 56
Day 1: 5 12-11 Day 2: 5 15-05
46. Koby Kreiger Alva, FL 10 27-11 55
Day 1: 5 12-02 Day 2: 5 15-09
47. Bryan New Saluda, SC 9 27-09 54
Day 1: 5 14-07 Day 2: 4 13-02
48. Seth Feider New Market, MN 10 27-05 53 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 14-13 Day 2: 5 12-08
49. Marc Frazier Newnan, GA 10 27-00 52 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 16-01 Day 2: 5 10-15
50. Wes Logan Springville, AL 10 26-15 51 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 12-02 Day 2: 5 14-13
51. Patrick Walters Summerville, SC 10 26-13 50 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 11-11 Day 2: 5 15-02
52. Chad Pipkens Dewitt, MI 10 26-09 49 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 14-10 Day 2: 5 11-15
53. Hunter Shryock Ooltewah, TN 10 26-08 48 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 12-04 Day 2: 5 14-04
54. Cory Johnston Cavan CANADA 10 26-05 47 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 16-00 Day 2: 5 10-05
55. Gerald Swindle Guntersville, AL 10 26-01 46 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 12-10 Day 2: 5 13-07
56. Chad Morgenthaler Reeds Spring, MO 10 26-00 45 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 12-08 Day 2: 5 13-08
57. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 10 25-14 44 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 13-08 Day 2: 5 12-06
58. Skylar Hamilton Dandridge, TN 7 25-10 43 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 16-14 Day 2: 2 08-12
59. Caleb Kuphall Mukwonago, WI 10 25-04 42 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 14-00 Day 2: 5 11-04
60. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 10 25-03 41 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 12-10 Day 2: 5 12-09
61. Kyle Welcher Opelika, AL 9 25-02 40 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 16-04 Day 2: 4 08-14
62. Bob Downey Detroit Lakes, MN 10 25-02 39
Day 1: 5 11-13 Day 2: 5 13-05
63. Joshua Stracner Vandiver, AL 10 25-02 38
Day 1: 5 11-15 Day 2: 5 13-03
64. Justin Hamner Northport, AL 10 24-15 37
Day 1: 5 12-12 Day 2: 5 12-03
65. Frank Talley Temple, TX 10 24-13 36
Day 1: 5 12-09 Day 2: 5 12-04
66. Jay Przekurat Stevens Point, WI 10 24-10 35
Day 1: 5 11-14 Day 2: 5 12-12
67. Hank Cherry Jr Lincolnton, NC 8 24-08 34
Day 1: 3 07-00 Day 2: 5 17-08
68. Clent Davis Montevallo, AL 8 24-05 33
Day 1: 3 06-09 Day 2: 5 17-12
69. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 10 23-10 32
Day 1: 5 12-15 Day 2: 5 10-11
70. Drew Cook Cairo, GA 10 23-06 31
Day 1: 5 11-13 Day 2: 5 11-09
71. Gary Clouse Winchester, TN 10 23-03 30
Day 1: 5 10-08 Day 2: 5 12-11
72. Luke Palmer Coalgate, OK 10 22-12 29
Day 1: 5 12-01 Day 2: 5 10-11
73. Matt Herren Ashville, AL 9 22-11 28
Day 1: 4 10-05 Day 2: 5 12-06
74. David Williams Newton, NC 8 21-10 27
Day 1: 4 10-13 Day 2: 4 10-13
75. Jamie Hartman Newport, NY 9 21-07 26
Day 1: 4 08-14 Day 2: 5 12-09
76. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 9 20-11 25
Day 1: 5 12-15 Day 2: 4 07-12
77. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 5 19-10 24
Day 1: 5 19-10 Day 2: 0 00-00
78. Michael Iaconelli Pittsgrove, NJ 8 19-10 23
Day 1: 3 08-02 Day 2: 5 11-08
79. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 9 19-05 22
Day 1: 5 10-02 Day 2: 4 09-03
80. Matty Wong Honolulu, HI 7 19-00 21
Day 1: 2 04-05 Day 2: 5 14-11
81. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 8 18-15 20
Day 1: 5 11-07 Day 2: 3 07-08
82. Todd Auten Lake Wylie, SC 8 18-14 19
Day 1: 5 10-14 Day 2: 3 08-00
83. Pat Schlapper Eleva, WI 8 18-05 18
Day 1: 3 05-05 Day 2: 5 13-00
84. Ed Loughran III Richmond, VA 9 18-04 17
Day 1: 4 07-09 Day 2: 5 10-11
85. Alex Redwine Blue Ash, OH 7 17-08 16
Day 1: 5 13-08 Day 2: 2 04-00
86. Mike Huff London, KY 7 15-08 15
Day 1: 2 03-15 Day 2: 5 11-09
87. Masayuki Matsushita Tokoname-Shi JAPAN 7 14-10 14
Day 1: 4 09-06 Day 2: 3 05-04
88. Jake Whitaker Fairview, NC 6 12-13 13
Day 1: 1 02-08 Day 2: 5 10-05
89. Daisuke Aoki Minamitsurugun Yamanash 6 12-07 12
Day 1: 2 04-13 Day 2: 4 07-10
90. David Fritts Lexington, NC 5 11-14 11
Day 1: 5 11-14 Day 2: 0 00-00
91. Derek Hudnall Denham Springs, LA 2 05-08 10
Day 1: 2 05-08 Day 2: 0 00-00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1 Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 06-09 $1,000.00
2 Tyler Rivet Raceland, LA 07-15 $1,000.00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 76 425 1258-11
2 76 421 1220-10
----------------------------------
152 846 2479-05
Iaconelli playing in pain at Pickwick
Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships
Mike Iaconelli plays hard. He always has. Long before he became a professional bass fishing icon, he played amateur hockey with the intensity of the Philadelphia Flyer’s famous brawler Dave Schultz. Ike’s twisted knuckles prove it.
Iaconelli dove for an escaping 4-pounder on Day 1 at the Whataburger Bassmaster Elite Series at Pickwick Lake and smashed his rib cage against the fiberglass gunwale.
The Team Toyota angler will begin Day 2 with twisted ribs.In fact, he’s nearly certain at least one rib is broken. So much so, that casting a crankbait or football jig Friday seemssimply impossible.
To be honest, it hurt pretty bad watching him walk back to his boat after weighing-in just three keeper bass. He was in very apparent pain, with his whole right side slumped over, as though his right shoulder was broken.
Emergency Medical Technicians onsite at Thursday’s weigh-in noticed the obvious pain and gave him ACE elastic bandages.
But when asked if he planned to compete on Friday, he responded in classic Iaconelli fashion. “Of course, I am. Are you kidding me? If I have to sidearm cast a Carolina Rig and drift with the current, then that’s what I’ll do,” said “Ike” with a painful grin.
It’s certainly not the first time he’s played at bass fishing’s highest level in crazy amounts of pain.
In 2015, at the Elite Series event on Guntersville, he competed with a torn calf muscle that swelled like a helium party balloon, requiring emergency orthopedic surgery two days later in Huntsville to remove a small bucket of fluid -- but only after he finished 12th with 72-pounds of bass.
After a very restless night, there he was at sunrise Fridaybacking his Tundra down the ramp. It was an absolutely admirable effort from the 49-year old.
But really, it’s nothing terribly new, it’s just the way he plays the game.
His famous “Never Give Up” mantra, that even recent Kentucky Derby winning trainer Eric Reed credited for Rich Strike’s incredibly longshot win, will be showcased to the fullest Friday at Pickwick.
Robertson Goes Offshore To Grab Lead In Bassmaster Elite Series Event On Pickwick Lake
2022 Pickwick Day 1 Leader.jpg
Matt Robertson of Kuttawa, Ky., is leading after Day 1 of the 2022 Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Pickwick Lake with 22 pounds, 6 ounces.
Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
June 2, 2022
Robertson Goes Offshore To Grab Lead In Bassmaster Elite Series Event On Pickwick Lake
COUNCE, Tenn. — Matt Robertson has been waiting for a warm-weather tournament on a Tennessee River fishery since he qualified for the Bassmaster Elite Series two years ago.
He’s got one in the Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Pickwick Lake.
The 36-year-old Kentucky pro took the Day 1 lead with a five-bass limit weighing 22 pounds, 6 ounces and said he felt “at home” on Pickwick’s offshore ledges, which he exploited for his best bass, the heaviest weighing 5 1/2 pounds.
Unless something drastically changes, Robertson will head straight back to the ledges Friday when the derby resumes on this 43,100-acre impoundment that flows between Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee.
“We’re doing what we like to do,” Robertson said. “I’m just rotating through some spots. Nothing special. Hopefully, we’ll go back out there and crack ‘em.”
Robertson has spent at least a quarter-century learning his sport on ledge fisheries like Kentucky Lake (his home water) and other lakes along the Tennessee River. He said the experience helped him Thursday.
“You’re not getting a lot of bites, but I think I’ve figured out some things to trigger some of the bigger bites,” he said. “There are one or two little things I don’t think (other guys are) doing. It’s only the first day, but we’ll go bang on ‘em tomorrow.”
The 91 pros entered in the derby predicted that getting away from boat traffic would be difficult on Pickwick, which is one of the country’s more popular recreational lakes, especially coming off the Memorial Day holiday. Robertson said he had no such problems on a hot and still Thursday, when temperatures stayed in the mid-80s and humidity was over 70 percent.
“I fished some community holes and I had a few guys let me fish behind them,” he said. “But places where I caught the weight, I was good to go.”
The trick, of course, will be getting a few repeat performances. True to his style, Robertson is confident he can get that done.
“I do feel at home,” he said. “I’ve been waiting for this one a long time, a Tennessee River ledge-fishing tournament ... I’ve had to really adjust my fishing the past couple of years, but I’m really an offshore fisherman. I love fishing deep. I know that’s how some of the (Elite) tournaments have been won (recently), but here, you have no other choice.
“You come to the TVA in the summer, you better get off the bank.”
Jason Christie, the reigning champion of the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk, is just behind Robertson with 22-2. Japanese-born pro Takumi Ito is third with 22-1 with veteran pros Brandon Palaniuk and Brandon Lester on their heels with 21-13 and 21-6, respectively.
Lester, of Fayetteville, Tenn., is in the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors with the 6-9 he weigh-in today.
Christie’s bite came offshore as well, with one bass caught in at least 30 feet of water. He said he was fishing scared Thursday and he wasn’t kidding.
“In practice, I wouldn’t stand up to fish,” he said. “If I saw (fish), I just kept on going. Today I’m even scared to fish. I pull in, look around, catch three or four and go to the next spot. I’m afraid someone’s going to see me.”
The potential threats came from land, too.
“There was a dude on a four-wheeler about 500 yards away on the bank watching me fish,” the Park Hill, Okla., pro said. “I was afraid he was gonna tell his buddy where I was.”
Christie’s biggest bass Thursday weighed 5-2, but he said many of his bites are “skinny.”
“If you interview anyone up here, they’ll say they got lucky and got five big bites,” Christie said. “My next five (heaviest) bass would have weighed 12 pounds.”
Ito is a finesse fisherman who said the muggy and warm conditions suit his style just fine. Like Robertson learning to fish ledges at a young age, Ito said fishing patiently is a reality for all anglers learning the sport in Japan.
Unlike Robertson and Christie, Ito said he tried his hand on the banks Thursday, as well his methodical approach on Pickwick’s ledges. He said he caught his heaviest bass on a baitcaster in the morning and found other sizable fish in relatively shallow (5 to 6 feet) water. Others came from as deep as 25 to 26 feet.
“If there’s a strong wind, I cannot hold bait (in place),” he said. “So, no current is perfect for me.”
Palaniuk vaulted up the leaderboard courtesy of a 6-2 bass he caught in the waning moments.
“It was a place I caught a bunch of 2-pounders in practice,” he said. “(The 6-2) was literally a 3-pound upgrade.”
Palaniuk, the veteran pro from Rathdrum, Idaho, maintained the lead in the Progressive Insurance Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings with 539 points. He is followed by John Cox of DeBary, Fla., with 490, Lester with 473, Drew Benton of Blakely, Ga., with 457 and David Mullins of Mt. Carmel, Tenn., with 455.
Jacob Foutz, another Tennessee River specialist from Charleston, Tenn., took the lead in the Falcon Rods Bassmaster Rookie of the Year race with 365 points. Wisconsin pro Jay Przekurat, who has led the race much of the season fell to second with 353, followed by Alabamian Joseph Webster with 348.
Day 2 of the event will begin with a 7 a.m. CT takeoff from Pickwick Landing State Park. Weigh-in is scheduled for 3:10 p.m. The Top 47 anglers will advance to fish on Day 3. Full coverage can be streamed on Bassmaster.com and FOX Sports digital platforms.
2022 Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Pickwick Lake 6/2-6/5
Pickwick Lake, Counce TN.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 1
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Matt Robertson Kuttawa, KY 5 22-06 100
Day 1: 5 22-06
2. Jason Christie Park Hill, OK 5 22-02 99
Day 1: 5 22-02
3. Taku Ito Chiba JAPAN 5 22-01 98
Day 1: 5 22-01
4. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 5 21-13 97
Day 1: 5 21-13
5. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 5 21-06 96 $1,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-06
6. Bryan Schmitt Deale, MD 5 20-05 95
Day 1: 5 20-05
7. Matt Arey Shelby, NC 5 19-13 94
Day 1: 5 19-13
8. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 5 19-10 93
Day 1: 5 19-10
9. Jacob Foutz Charleston, TN 5 19-01 92
Day 1: 5 19-01
10. Justin Atkins Florence, AL 5 18-06 91
Day 1: 5 18-06
11. Cody Huff Ava, MO 5 18-05 90
Day 1: 5 18-05
12. Chris Johnston Otonabee Ontario CANADA 5 17-10 89
Day 1: 5 17-10
13. Brandon Cobb Greenwood, SC 5 17-09 88
Day 1: 5 17-09
13. Josh Douglas Isle, MN 5 17-09 88
Day 1: 5 17-09
15. Chris Zaldain Fort Worth, TX 5 17-08 86
Day 1: 5 17-08
16. Austin Felix Eden Prairie, MN 5 17-07 85
Day 1: 5 17-07
17. Kenta Kimura Osaka JAPAN 5 17-05 84
Day 1: 5 17-05
18. Jason Williamson Wagener, SC 5 17-04 83
Day 1: 5 17-04
19. Scott Martin Clewiston, FL 5 17-04 82
Day 1: 5 17-04
20. Jacob Powroznik North Prince George, VA 5 17-00 81
Day 1: 5 17-00
21. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 5 16-15 80
Day 1: 5 16-15
22. Gregory DiPalma Millville, NJ 5 16-14 79
Day 1: 5 16-14
22. Skylar Hamilton Dandridge, TN 5 16-14 79
Day 1: 5 16-14
24. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 5 16-13 77
Day 1: 5 16-13
25. Drew Benton Blakely, GA 5 16-11 76
Day 1: 5 16-11
26. Jeff Gustafson Keewatin Ontario CANADA 5 16-04 75
Day 1: 5 16-04
26. Kyle Welcher Opelika, AL 5 16-04 75
Day 1: 5 16-04
28. Shane LeHew Catawba, NC 5 16-03 73
Day 1: 5 16-03
29. Marc Frazier Newnan, GA 5 16-01 72
Day 1: 5 16-01
30. Cory Johnston Cavan CANADA 5 16-00 71
Day 1: 5 16-00
31. Ray Hanselman Jr Del Rio, TX 5 15-14 70
Day 1: 5 15-14
32. Carl Jocumsen Queensland AUSTRALIA 5 15-13 69
Day 1: 5 15-13
33. John Cox Debary, FL 5 15-10 68
Day 1: 5 15-10
33. KJ Queen Catawba, NC 5 15-10 68
Day 1: 5 15-10
35. Buddy Gross Chattanooga, TN 5 15-08 66
Day 1: 5 15-08
36. Seth Feider New Market, MN 5 14-13 65
Day 1: 5 14-13
37. Chad Pipkens Dewitt, MI 5 14-10 64
Day 1: 5 14-10
38. Bryan New Saluda, SC 5 14-07 63
Day 1: 5 14-07
38. Caleb Sumrall New Iberia, LA 5 14-07 63
Day 1: 5 14-07
38. Clark Wendlandt Leander, TX 5 14-07 63
Day 1: 5 14-07
41. Darold Gleason Many, LA 5 14-03 60
Day 1: 5 14-03
42. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 5 14-02 59
Day 1: 5 14-02
43. Micah Frazier Newnan, GA 5 14-01 58
Day 1: 5 14-01
44. Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 5 14-01 57
Day 1: 5 14-01
45. Brandon Card Salisbury, NC 5 14-00 56
Day 1: 5 14-00
45. Caleb Kuphall Mukwonago, WI 5 14-00 56
Day 1: 5 14-00
47. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 5 13-12 54
Day 1: 5 13-12
48. Scott Canterbury Odenville, AL 5 13-12 53
Day 1: 5 13-12
49. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 5 13-08 52
Day 1: 5 13-08
49. Alex Redwine Blue Ash, OH 5 13-08 52
Day 1: 5 13-08
51. Joseph Webster Hamilton, AL 4 13-07 50
Day 1: 4 13-07
52. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 5 12-15 49
Day 1: 5 12-15
52. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 5 12-15 49
Day 1: 5 12-15
54. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 5 12-12 47
Day 1: 5 12-12
54. Justin Hamner Northport, AL 5 12-12 47
Day 1: 5 12-12
56. Lee Livesay Longview, TX 5 12-11 45
Day 1: 5 12-11
57. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 5 12-10 44
Day 1: 5 12-10
57. Gerald Swindle Guntersville, AL 5 12-10 44
Day 1: 5 12-10
59. Jonathan Kelley Old Forge, PA 5 12-10 42
Day 1: 5 12-10
60. Frank Talley Temple, TX 5 12-09 41
Day 1: 5 12-09
61. Chad Morgenthaler Reeds Spring, MO 5 12-08 40
Day 1: 5 12-08
62. Hunter Shryock Ooltewah, TN 5 12-04 39
Day 1: 5 12-04
63. Tyler Rivet Raceland, LA 5 12-03 38
Day 1: 5 12-03
64. Koby Kreiger Alva, FL 5 12-02 37
Day 1: 5 12-02
64. Wes Logan Springville, AL 5 12-02 37
Day 1: 5 12-02
66. Luke Palmer Coalgate, OK 5 12-01 35
Day 1: 5 12-01
67. Joshua Stracner Vandiver, AL 5 11-15 34
Day 1: 5 11-15
68. David Fritts Lexington, NC 5 11-14 33
Day 1: 5 11-14
68. Jay Przekurat Stevens Point, WI 5 11-14 33
Day 1: 5 11-14
70. Drew Cook Cairo, GA 5 11-13 31
Day 1: 5 11-13
71. Bob Downey Detroit Lakes, MN 5 11-13 30
Day 1: 5 11-13
72. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 5 11-12 29
Day 1: 5 11-12
73. Patrick Walters Summerville, SC 5 11-11 28
Day 1: 5 11-11
74. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 5 11-07 27
Day 1: 5 11-07
75. Todd Auten Lake Wylie, SC 5 10-14 26
Day 1: 5 10-14
76. David Williams Newton, NC 4 10-13 25
Day 1: 4 10-13
77. Gary Clouse Winchester, TN 5 10-08 24
Day 1: 5 10-08
78. Matt Herren Ashville, AL 4 10-05 23
Day 1: 4 10-05
79. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 5 10-02 22
Day 1: 5 10-02
80. Masayuki Matsushita Tokoname-Shi JAPAN 4 09-06 21
Day 1: 4 09-06
81. Jamie Hartman Newport, NY 4 08-14 20
Day 1: 4 08-14
82. Michael Iaconelli Pitts Grove, NJ 3 08-02 19
Day 1: 3 08-02
83. Ed Loughran III Richmond, VA 4 07-09 18
Day 1: 4 07-09
84. Hank Cherry Jr Lincolnton, NC 3 07-00 17
Day 1: 3 07-00
85. Clent Davis Montevallo, AL 3 06-09 16
Day 1: 3 06-09
86. Derek Hudnall Denham Springs, LA 2 05-08 15
Day 1: 2 05-08
87. Pat Schlapper Eleva, WI 3 05-05 14
Day 1: 3 05-05
88. Daisuke Aoki Minamitsurugun Yamanash 2 04-13 13
Day 1: 2 04-13
89. Matty Wong Honolulu, HI 2 04-05 12
Day 1: 2 04-05
90. Mike Huff London, KY 2 03-15 11
Day 1: 2 03-15
91. Jake Whitaker Fairview, NC 1 02-08 10
Day 1: 1 02-08
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1 Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 06-09 $1,000.00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 76 425 1258-11
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76 425 1258-11
Connor Cunningham Leads Day 1 of Phoenix All-American Presented by T-H Marine at Lake Hamilton
Ozark Division Angler Catches 17½-Pound Limit to Bring 4-Pound, 10-Ounce Advantage into Day 2
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. (June 2, 2022) – Despite only getting five bites throughout the day, they were definitely the right quality of bites. Anchored by a beautiful 6-pound, 11-ounce Lake Hamilton largemouth, boater Connor Cunningham of Springfield, Missouri, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Thursday weighing 17 pounds, 8 ounces, to jump out to the early lead at the 39th annual Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American Championship on Lake Hamilton Presented by T-H Marine in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
Cunningham will start Day 2 with a 4-pound, 10-ounce advantage over second place boater Ryan Powroznik of Hopewell, Virginia, who caught five bass totaling 12 pounds, 14 ounces. Of the 98 competitors – 49 boaters and 49 Strike King Co-anglers – competing in the event, all 98 weighed in at least one fish and 63 anglers weighed in a five-bass limit.
The three-day tournament, hosted by the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism and Visit Hot Springs, features the nation’s best weekend grassroots anglers competing for a top prize of up to $120,000, and a top prize of $50,000 for the winning Strike King co-angler.
“Well, my day looks a lot better on paper – I only got five bites today – and fortunately I was able to catch them all,” said Cunningham, who qualified for this event from the BFL Ozark Division. “I bounced around a lot and caught my fish on a variety of techniques. None of those fish in my bag knew each other, let’s say that. I caught my fifth keeper when they were out schooling, about 1:30 this afternoon.”
Cunningham said that he didn’t have a whole lot of experience on Lake Hamilton, but it fishes very similar to his local waters back home.
“I was able to come down to Lake Hamilton just a couple of times before it went off limits, and other than that I’ve never seen the place. It does fish very similar to Lake of the Ozarks back home, though.”
Cunningham politely declined to mention any specifics in regard to his baits and techniques he used Thursday, including the details on his big 6-11 kicker, but he did say that his plan for tomorrow was going to be to continue to grind away and bounce around covering water.
“It took me two hours this morning to catch one, then it was something like one an hour from then on,” the Missouri boater said. “I don’t have anything else, so I’m just going to roll with the same thing. I could come in with zero tomorrow, but in a tournament like this you have to swing for the fence. So that’s what I’m going to do.”
Although he didn’t have as much weight, second-place boater Powroznik caught many more bass overall than Cunningham did.
“It took me a while to get going, but I think I caught around 25 throughout the day,” Powroznik said. “I caught my fish offshore, fishing brush piles and some rough spots off the bank. The weather conditions were not what I wanted, and I lost a few fish as well. But overall, I’m pleased.”
Powroznik said that he caught his fish on finesse-style baits in 10 to 18 feet of water.
The top 20 boaters after Day 1 of the All-American on Lake Hamilton are:
1st: Connor Cunningham, Springfield, Mo., five bass, 17-8
2nd: Ryan Powroznik, Hopewell, Va., five bass, 12-14
3rd: Sean Wieda, Alexandria, Ky., five bass, 12-8
4th: Hunter Eubanks, Inman, S.C., five bass, 11-14
5th: Brian Bean, Hot Springs, Ark., five bass, 11-13
6th: Preston Henson, College Grove, Tenn., five bass, 11-7
7th: Brad Jelinek, Lincoln, Mo., five bass, 11-3
8th: David Lowery, Milledgeville, Ga., five bass, 11-0
9th: Andy Wicker, Cayce, S.C., five bass, 10-14
10th: Jonathan Crossland, Chapin, S.C., five bass, 10-13
11th: Wade Ramsey, Choctaw, Okla., five bass, 10-6
12th: Drew Tabor, Harrison, Ark., five bass, 10-3
12th: David Bright, Mooresville, N.C., five bass, 10-3
14th: Kevin Brown, Hot Springs, Ark., five bass, 10-2
15th: Justin Kimmel, Athens, Ga., five bass, 9-9
16th: Chris Wilkinson, Farmersburg, Ind., five bass, 9-7
17th: Steve Phillips, Douglas, Ga., five bass, 9-1
18th: Mike Reid, Greenville, Texas, five bass, 9-0
18th: Matthew Marinelli, Salem, Conn., five bass, 9-0
20th: Jarrett Martin, Mansfield, Ohio, five bass, 8-14
20th: Matt Henry, Milledgeville, Ga., five bass, 8-14
A full list of results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Overall, there were 241 bass weighing 428 pounds, 13 ounces caught by 49 boaters Thursday. The catch included 45 five-bass limits.
Billy Rusher of Lincoln, Arkansas, leads the Strike King Co-angler Division at Lake Hamilton after Day 1 with five bass weighing 11 pounds, 4 ounces. Rusher will begin Day 2 of competition on Friday with a 1-pound, 5-ounce advantage over second-place co-angler Evan Eldred of Gaines, Michigan, who weighed in five bass totaling 9 pounds, 15 ounces.
“I had a limit by 9 a.m. this morning,” Rusher said. “I was able to get a limit really before the rain started and once that rain started it really slowed down for me. I culled a few times once the rain let up.”
Rusher, like Cunningham, wasn’t ready to give anything away about how he was catching them. However, he did admit what wasn’t really working for him to start out his day.
“I was fishing pretty slow today,” Rusher said. “I tried to catch them on topwater this morning and I just couldn’t make it work. I figured out one bait that I could get them to bite and that’s the bait I stuck with all day long. I won’t say what it was, but there was a lot of shake, rattle and roll in my presentation.”
The top 20 Strike King co-anglers after Day 1 of the All-American on Lake Hamilton are:
1st: Billy Rusher, Lincoln, Ark., five bass, 11-4
2nd: Evan Eldred, Gaines, Mich., five bass, 9-15
3rd: Hunter Dahnke, Missoula, Mont., five bass, 9-0
4th: Cory Guinn, Mountain Rest, S.C., five bass, 8-14
5th: Kenneth Hunnicut, Jacksonville, Fla., five bass, 7-13
6th: Zachary Verbugge, Lake Havasu, Ariz., five bass, 7-10
6th: Jeffery Johnson, Austin, Ind., five bass, 7-10
8th: Clint Horton, Falkner, Miss., five bass, 7-2
9th: Scott Blaesi, Maxwell, Neb., five bass, 6-11
10th: Eric Eden, Hartsville, Tenn., five bass, 6-10
11th: Harrison McCall, Salisbury, N.C., five bass, 6-5
12th: Chandler White, Covington, Ga., five bass, 6-1
13th: Pop Catalin, Cookeville, Tenn., five bass, 6-0
14th: Gary Owens, Columbus, Ind., five bass, 5-13
15th: Alan Hill, Ada, Okla., three bass, 5-12
16th: Tyler Stuart, Manchester, Mo., five bass, 5-10
17th: Randy Hudson, Columbus, N.C., five bass, 5-8
18th: Randy Paquette, Sarasota, Fla., four bass, 5-3
19th: Luke Schmits, Alexandria, Ky., four bass, 5-0
19th: Samuel Jones, Fuquay Varina, N.C., five bass, 5-0
Overall, there were 168 bass weighing 228 pounds, 10 ounces caught by 49 Strike King Co-anglers on Thursday. The catch included 18 five-bass limits.
The full field of 49 boaters and 49 Strike King co-anglers compete on Days 1 (Thursday) and 2 (Friday) of the event. After two days of competition, the field is cut to just the top 10 boaters and co-anglers, based on two-day total cumulative weight, and the final 10 anglers compete on Championship Saturday. The boater and co-angler that catch the heaviest three-day total weight will be crowned the 39th Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American Champions.
Anglers will launch each day at 6:30 a.m. CT from the Andrew Hulsey Fish Hatchery, located at 350 Fish Hatchery Road in Hot Springs. Weigh-in each day will be held at the launch location and will begin at 2:30 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend all launch and weigh-in events and encouraged to follow the event’s online coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The 2021 Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine was 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, advanced to one of six Regional Championships where they competed to finish in the top six, which then advanced them to compete in the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.
Television coverage of the 2022 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American will premiere in early October on CBS Sports and the Sportsman Channel. The full television air schedule can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
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.
