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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 39^th 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 10^th 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:

1^st:          Connor Cunningham, Springfield, Mo., 10 bass, 32-10
2^nd:         Hunter Eubanks, Inman, S.C., 10 bass, 24-5
3^rd:         Sean Wieda, Alexandria, Ky., 10 bass, 22-12
4^th:         Brian Bean, Hot Springs, Ark., 10 bass, 22-4
5^th:         David Lowery, Milledgeville, Ga., 10 bass, 21-7
6^th:         Ryan Powroznik, Hopewell, Va., 10 bass, 21-6
7^th:         Andy Wicker, Cayce, S.C., 10 bass, 20-12
8^th:         Jonathan Crossland, Chapin, S.C., 10 bass, 20-7
9^th:         Justin Kimmel, Athens, Ga., 10 bass, 20-4
10^th:       Mike Reid, Greenville, Texas, 10 bass, 19-5

Finishing in 11^th through 49^th are:

11^th:       Drew Tabor, Harrison, Ark., 10 bass, 19-4, $3,000
12^th:       Wade Ramsey, Choctaw, Okla., 10 bass, 18-15, $3,000
13^th:       Mike Brueggen, La Crosse, Wis., 10 bass, 18-8, $3,000
14^th:       George Brown, Camby, Ind., 10 bass, 18-6, $3,000
15^th:       Preston Henson, College Grove, Tenn., 10 bass, 18-4, $3,000
16^th:       Matthew Marinelli, Salem, Conn., 10 bass, 18-4, $3,000
17^th:       Brad Kell, Benton, Ky., 10 bass, 18-4, $3,000
18^th:       Brad Jelinek, Lincoln, Mo., 10 bass, 18-2, $3,000
19^th:       Brody Campbell, Oxford, Ohio, 10 bass, 17-13, $3,000
20^th:       David Bright, Mooresville, N.C., 10 bass, 17-6, $3,000
21^st:       Chris Wilkinson, Farmersburg, Ind., 10 bass, 17-2, $2,000
22^nd:      Laker Howell, Guntersville, Ala., 10 bass, 17-1, $2,000
23^rd:      Matt Henry, Milledgeville, Ga., 10 bass, 17-1, $2,000
24^th:       Jarrett Martin, Mansfield, Ohio, 10 bass, 17-0, $2,000
25^th:       Darren Ashley, Calhoun Falls, S.C., 10 bass, 16-14, $2,000
26^th:       Kevin Brown, Hot Springs, Ark., 10 bass, 16-9, $2,000
27^th:       Taylor Parker, Lake View, Ala., 10 bass, 16-9, $2,000
28^rd:      Perry Dawson, Rockwood, Tenn., 10 bass, 16-8, $2,000
29^rd:      Michael Duarte, Baltimore, Md., 10 bass, 16-7, $2,000
30^th:       Steve Phillips, Douglas, Ga., 10 bass, 16-7, $2,000
31^th:       Chase Stewart, Ware Shoals, S.C., 10 bass, 15-10, $1,500
32^nd:      Kevin Powers, Unicoi, Tenn., 10 bass, 15-5, $1,500
33^th:       Robert Crosnoe, Inverness, Fla., nine bass, 15-3, $1,500
34^th:       Paul Bottali, York, Pa., 10 bass, 15-2, $1,500
35^th:       Scott Browning, Franklin, N.C., nine bass, 14-6, $1,500
36^th:       Jim Vitaro, Wooster, Ohio, 10 bass, 14-3, $1,500
37^th:       Brien Vaughn, Walnut Shade, Mo., 10 bass, 14-0, $1,500
38^th:       Ryan Deal, Evansville, Ind., nine bass, 13-11, $1,500
39^th:       David Rice, Galena, Mo., nine bass, 13-10, $1,500
40^th:       Eddie Hinojosa, Kingsburg, Calif., nine bass, 13-3, $1,500
41^nd:      Christopher Helfer, Baltimore, Ohio, nine bass, 13-3, $1,500
42^th:       Jordan Hirt, Glenwood, Iowa, 10 bass, 13-3, $1,500
43^th:       Randy Siemens, Kalispell, Mont., nine bass, 13-2, $1,500
44^th:       Scott Bonnema, Deerwood, Minn., nine bass, 12-7, $1,500
45^th:       Bill Buckner, Scottsburg, Ind., 10 bass, 11-14, $1,500
46^rd:      Hunter Litchfield, Macomb, Ill., nine bass, 11-12, $1,500
47^st:       Tyler Smith, Selma, Ala., eight bass, 10-8, $1,500
48^nd:      Christopher Chavis, Guyton, Ga., seven bass, 9-11, $1,500
49^th:       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:

1^st:          Cory Guinn, Mountain Rest, S.C., 10 bass, 18-7
2^nd:         Clint Horton, Falkner, Miss., 10 bass, 14-15
3^rd:         Brendan Vinton, Braintree, Vt., nine bass, 14-8
4^th:         Zachary Verbugge, Lake Havasu, Ariz., 10 bass, 14-8
5^th:         Eric Eden, Hartsville, Tenn., 10 bass, 13-15
6^th:         Evan Eldred, Gaines, Mich., nine bass, 13-14
7^th:         Hunter Dahnke, Missoula, Mont., 10 bass, 13-11
8^th:         Jeffery Johnson, Austin, Ind., 10 bass, 13-1
9^th:         Alan Hill, Ada, Okla., eight bass, 12-15
10^th:       Steven Obester, Palatka, Fla., seven bass, 12-12

Finishing in 11^th through 49^th are:

11^th:       Chandler White, Covington, Ga., seven bass, 12-11, $1,500
12^th:       Kenneth Hunnicut, Jacksonville, Fla., eight bass, 12-7, $1,500
13^th:       Billy Rusher, Lincoln, Ark., six bass, 12-6, $1,500
14^th:       Scott Blaesi, Maxwell, Neb., eight bass, 11-12, $1,500
15^th:       Harold Addison II, Columbia, S.C., eight bass, 10-15, $1,500
16^th:       Harrison McCall, Salisbury, N.C., eight bass, 10-10, $1,500
17^th:       Brian Short, Oxford, Ohio, seven bass, 10-8, $1,500
18^th:       Randy Allen, Russellville, Ark., 10 bass, 10-7, $1,500
19^th:       Gilbert Jolley, Livingston, Tenn., eight bass, 10-6, $1,500
20^th:       Kim Sapetti, Chatham, Ill., seven bass, 10-0, $1,500
21^st:       Drew Cress, Highland, Ill., six bass, 9-7, $1,000
22^nd:      Gary Owens, Columbus, Ind., seven bass, 9-1, $1,000
23^rd:      Randy Paquette, Sarasota, Fla., eight bass, 9-1, $1,000
24^th:       B.K. Kelley, Chester, Va., seven bass, 9-0, $1,000
25^th:       Brian Choate, Conway, Ark., seven bass, 8-12, $1,000
26^th:       Brad Smith, Montevallo, Ala., seven bass, 8-5, $1,000
27^th:       Andy Vance, Danville, Ind., five bass, 8-4, $1,000
28^th:       Carl Whipple, Manassas, Va., seven bass, 8-1, $1,000
29^th:       Patrick Weir, Park Hill, Okla., four bass, 7-9, $1,000
30^th:       Kyle Rogers, Cleveland, Ga., seven bass, 7-6, $1,000
31^st:       Pop Catalin, Cookeville, Tenn., six bass, 7-1, $750
32^nd:      Steve Sorrell, Beavercreek, Ohio, eight bass, 7-1, $750
33^rd:      Blake Hollingsworth, Oxford, Ala., six bass, 6-14, $750
34^th:       Danny Robinson, Fairland, Ind., five bass, 6-4, $750
35^th:       Gary Meredith, Mount Juliet, Tenn., six bass, 6-0, $750
36^th:       Tyler Stuart, Manchester, Mo., five bass, 5-10, $750
37^th:       Randy Hudson, Columbus, N.C., five bass, 5-8, $750
38^th:       Brian Zelinskas, Beavercreek, Ohio, four bass, 5-5, $750
39^th:       John Martin, Ridley Park, Pa., four bass, 5-5, $750
40^th:       Andrew Wooley, Little Rock, Ark., four bass, 5-2, $750
41^st:       Samuel Jones, Fuquay Varina, N.C., five bass, 5-0, $750
42^nd:      Luke Schmits, Alexandria, Ky., four bass, 5-0, $750
43^rd:      Jarrod Bailey, Salyersville, Ky., three bass, 4-15, $750
44^th:       James Menold, Amory, Miss., four bass, 4-14, $750
45^th:       David Ondrla, Elmhurst, Ill., four bass, 4-8, $750
46^th:       Max Stawinoga, Prairie du Sac, Wis., three bass, 3-7, $750
47^th:       Max Meister, Atco, N.J., three bass, 3-5, $750
48^th:       Russell Woodson, Jonesville, S.C., three bass, 3-1, $750
49^th:       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 39^th 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.

by AnglersChannel

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

by AnglersChannel

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.

by AnglersChannel

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
----------------------------------
76 425 1258-11

by AnglersChannel

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 39^th 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:

1^st:          Connor Cunningham, Springfield, Mo., five bass, 17-8
2^nd:         Ryan Powroznik, Hopewell, Va., five bass, 12-14
3^rd:         Sean Wieda, Alexandria, Ky., five bass, 12-8
4^th:         Hunter Eubanks, Inman, S.C., five bass, 11-14
5^th:         Brian Bean, Hot Springs, Ark., five bass, 11-13
6^th:         Preston Henson, College Grove, Tenn., five bass, 11-7
7^th:         Brad Jelinek, Lincoln, Mo., five bass, 11-3
8^th:         David Lowery, Milledgeville, Ga., five bass, 11-0
9^th:         Andy Wicker, Cayce, S.C., five bass, 10-14
10^th:       Jonathan Crossland, Chapin, S.C., five bass, 10-13
11^th:       Wade Ramsey, Choctaw, Okla., five bass, 10-6
12^th:       Drew Tabor, Harrison, Ark., five bass, 10-3
12^th:       David Bright, Mooresville, N.C., five bass, 10-3
14^th:       Kevin Brown, Hot Springs, Ark., five bass, 10-2
15^th:       Justin Kimmel, Athens, Ga., five bass, 9-9
16^th:       Chris Wilkinson, Farmersburg, Ind., five bass, 9-7
17^th:       Steve Phillips, Douglas, Ga., five bass, 9-1
18^th:       Mike Reid, Greenville, Texas, five bass, 9-0
18^th:       Matthew Marinelli, Salem, Conn., five bass, 9-0
20^th:       Jarrett Martin, Mansfield, Ohio, five bass, 8-14
20^th:       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:

1^st:          Billy Rusher, Lincoln, Ark., five bass, 11-4
2^nd:         Evan Eldred, Gaines, Mich., five bass, 9-15
3^rd:         Hunter Dahnke, Missoula, Mont., five bass, 9-0
4^th:         Cory Guinn, Mountain Rest, S.C., five bass, 8-14
5^th:         Kenneth Hunnicut, Jacksonville, Fla., five bass, 7-13
6^th:         Zachary Verbugge, Lake Havasu, Ariz., five bass, 7-10
6^th:         Jeffery Johnson, Austin, Ind., five bass, 7-10
8^th:         Clint Horton, Falkner, Miss., five bass, 7-2
9^th:         Scott Blaesi, Maxwell, Neb., five bass, 6-11
10^th:       Eric Eden, Hartsville, Tenn., five bass, 6-10
11^th:       Harrison McCall, Salisbury, N.C., five bass, 6-5
12^th:       Chandler White, Covington, Ga., five bass, 6-1
13^th:       Pop Catalin, Cookeville, Tenn., five bass, 6-0
14^th:       Gary Owens, Columbus, Ind., five bass, 5-13
15^th:       Alan Hill, Ada, Okla., three bass, 5-12
16^th:       Tyler Stuart, Manchester, Mo., five bass, 5-10
17^th:       Randy Hudson, Columbus, N.C., five bass, 5-8
18^th:       Randy Paquette, Sarasota, Fla., four bass, 5-3
19^th:       Luke Schmits, Alexandria, Ky., four bass, 5-0
19^th:       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 39^th 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.

by AnglersChannel

Saginaw Bay Set To Host Bassmaster College Series

Michigan's Saginaw Bay will host the 2022 Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops June 9-10.

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

June 2, 2022

BAY CITY, Mich. — Last year, the Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops made its inaugural journey to Saginaw Bay, and anglers reported catching 50 to 60 bass in a day along with multiple 20-pound bags of both smallmouth and largemouth.

This year, young anglers will make the trip North again for the Bassmaster College Series at Saginaw Bay June 9-10. Former Elite Series pro Garrett Paquette, who currently competes in the St. Croix Bassmaster Opens presented by Mossy Oak Fishing, believes the fishing could be even better.

“There’s a little part inside of me that is going to be selfishly disappointed when the world is exposed to how great the fishery is,” the Canton, Mich., native said. “If they have good weather for this tournament, it is going to open a lot of eyes around the country.”

Located on the southwestern side of Lake Huron, Saginaw Bay has flown under the radar as a premier smallmouth fishery — and the largemouth fishing has improved greatly over the past couple of years in both quality and quantity.

The Auburn University duo of Tucker Smith and Logan Parks won last year’s tournament with a two-day total of 40 pounds, 9 ounces, catching both smallmouth and largemouth.

“The cool thing about Saginaw Bay is, you don’t have to run to one certain area to catch bigger fish. There are fish along all the shorelines, all of the islands,” Paquette said. “Guys are going to find stretches of spawning fish and big prespawn females, but you don’t have to run to a certain area to win. I know tournaments get won on every little corner of that bay, which is really unique.”

Winter and spring have been on the cooler side in the Northern part of the country, according to Paquette, and he thinks that will push back the prime smallmouth spawning time to around the start of the tournament. The prespawn and spawning smallmouth will likely set up on rock-related structures like boulders, gravel and rock-to-sand transitions. If there are smallmouth on bed, anglers will likely be able to see them.

A wide range of baits, including drop shots, Ned rigs, spinnerbaits, swimbaits and jerkbaits might come into play.

“Right around Memorial Day is usually the prime fishing time,” he said. “But with this year being so cold, it is setting up to probably be best when these teams are going to be there. If the weather is good and guys can get around, smallmouth are going to win most likely.”

Near the shoreline, the largemouth will get in the cattails, reeds and other grasses and are also prevalent in the Saginaw River. Paquette said numbers of largemouth are easy to come by, but with higher water levels the past couple of years, the quality has improved to the point that anglers can compete with a mixed bag or largemouth alone. The largemouth will likely be postspawn, biting topwaters, swim jigs and flipping baits.

“It is probably the most underrated largemouth fishery there is,” he said. “It is nothing to go up there and catch 60, 70 to 100 largemouth a day close to the bank and in the grass. It used to be that you could only catch 2- and 3-pound largemouth, and they were fun to catch but didn’t have an impact in tournaments. But now, it is getting to the point where guys are catching 4- to 6-pound fish.”

The most prevalent factor on Saginaw Bay is the wind, and Paquette said some of the roughest water he has experienced was on that fishery.

The full field will compete June 9-10 with daily takeoffs from Independence Boat Launch at the USS Edison Battle Ship at 5:30 a.m. ET. Weigh-ins will take place back at the ramp at 2:30 p.m. Coverage can be found on Bassmaster.com.

The 2022 Abu Garcia Bassmaster High School Series at Saginaw Bay presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors and the Bassmaster Junior Series at Saginaw Bay will be held on June 11.
The tournaments are being hosted by the Michigan B.A.S.S. Nation.

by AnglersChannel

Lester and Swindle talk Vols, Tide and Pickwick

Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships

Brandon Lester and Gerald Swindle grew up in neighboring rival states. Tennessee and Alabama. The Vols versus the Crimson Tide. And this week they find themselves competing at the Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Pickwick Lake, a reservoir on the border of their home states.

They had fun sharing their thoughts on what fans can expect from the Tennessee River impoundment on the eve of competition.

Q: What percentage of your practice was spent staring at your sonar screens versus actually fishing?

Lester: 70% looking at sonar.

Swindle: 85% looking at sonar.

Q: What’s your best guess at the heaviest limit we’ll see weighed-in on Thursday?

Lester: 24 pounds

Swindle: 22 pounds

Q: What concerns you most about this tournament?

Lester: Timing – stopping at the right spot at the right time.

Swindle: There’s 6 to 10 big schools of largemouth, and everybody knows where they’re at. So, the term “slugfest” might take on a whole new meaning in this derby.

Q: If you only had two lures to fish with in June for the rest of your life, what would you choose?

Lester: Strike King 6XD crankbait, and a redbug colored Zoom Magnum Trick worm.

Swindle: Rapala DT 20 crankbait, and a plum colored Zoom Magnum Trick Worm on a ½ ounce Buckeye Spot Remover jig head.

Q: Who is your favorite athlete of all time from your favorite university?

Lester: Peyton Manning – but look, my wife Kim is really the hard-core Vols fan in our marriage.

Swindle: Derrick Henry – I think his life’s story is even more impressive than his football career.

Q: What’s your favorite feature of the all-new 2022 Toyota Tundra

Lester: Rides like a luxury car, the 10-speed transmission pulls super smooth, and the gas mileage is solid too.

Swindle: Torque, horsepower and comfort.

by AnglersChannel

Pickwick guide makes Elite Series Predictions

Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships

Pickwick fishing guide Jimmy Mason holds a college degree in electrical engineering, but now spends 200 days a year as a bass fishing guide on the Tennessee River. He says conditions are wired perfectly for a very successful Bassmaster Elite Series event this week on the 43,000-acre impoundment where Tennessee, Alabama, and Mississippi kiss one another.

Q: What can fans look forward to most this week?

Mason: They’ll be a lot of fish caught, because while the month of May was exceptionally void of rainfall, the past week gave us the rain we needed to get the current flowing, and that gets the post-spawners out on the river ledges positioned to bite really well.

Q: What depth will most of the fish be caught in, and what kind of weights does an Elite Series pro need to average each day to score a Top 10 finish?

Mason: Guys will catch a few shallow topwater fish early, but 75% of the fish weighed-in this week will be caught from the ledges in 12 to 25-feet of water. You’ll see some 20-pound limits for sure, and you better average at least 18-pounds a day to get a Top 10.

Q: What will be the biggest challenge this week?

Mason: Modern day electronics are so good that the historically best areas could get really crowded this week.

Q: Will the famous tailraces below Wilson Dam roughly 60 miles from this week’s launch at Pickwick Landing State Park be a factor?

Mason: I really don’t think so. The smallmouth dominate that pattern, and they’re pretty much totally nocturnal feeders at this time of year. When Davy Hite won up there it was mid-April. But at this time of year the tailraces aren’t much of a factor.

Q: What about this giant your holding in the photo?

Mason: My longtime tournament partner Lance Walker caught this 15-pound giant. It’s the unofficial Pickwick Lake record. He caught it in January of 2012 on an Alabama Rig, soon after that rig became known to the world.

Q: How do folks get in touch with you if they’d like to hire you as their guide?

Mason: They’re welcome to call my cell at (256) 762-0014, or visit JimmyMasonBassFishing.com

by AnglersChannel

LeBoom & The Side Show!

This week David and KG welcome in Pro Circuit Guntersville Champ Nick LeBrun to the show to talk about his win and what his future holds. Chris is still MIA so the "SideShow" picks up his slack and brings you guys the info you want to know! Check it out!

by AnglersChannel

11th Annual Toyota Bonus Event to take place at Table Rock in October

Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships

Ridgedale, MO (May 1, 2022) – The 11th annual Toyota Bonus Bucks Owners event will be held at iconic Table Rock Lake in the autumn-rich Ozark Mountains of Southwest Missouri the weekend of October 15-16, 2022, and once again, one lucky attendee will win an all-new 2022 Toyota Tundra in a random drawing.

There’s no entry fee, but pack your crankbaits if you plan to attend, because lures featuring diving bills took home the win on the rocky 64-year-old reservoir at both the 2018 and 2021 Bonus Bucks events held there.

The weekend kicks-off Saturday afternoon with a registration meeting at the Bass Pro Shops Outdoor Shooting Academy where Team Toyota Pro Anglers will be on hand to greet guests. B.A.S.S. tournament staff will conduct the tournament and be onsite Saturday afternoon for angler registration, where participants will receive a generous amount of free gear, along with a complimentary dinner.

“There’s so much we love about hosting this exciting event for 11 years and counting,” says Nicole Peterson, Sponsorship Manager - National Partnerships of Toyota Motor North America. “Connecting with guests and loyal Toyota Bonus Bucks members for this one-of-a-kind experience at Table Rock Lake is at the very top of the list.”

Launch and weigh-in for Sunday’s competition will take place at Long Creek Marina on Table Rock Lake, and the top 31 teams in the tournament are guaranteed a paycheck.

Only one of the two team members must be currently registered in the Toyota Bonus Bucks Program to be eligible to compete in the 2022 Toyota Bonus Bucks Owners Tournament. (To be eligible to participate in the Toyota Bonus Bucks Program-participants must own or lease a 2018 or newer Toyota Tundra, Tacoma, Sequoia, or 4Runner).

Visit toyotafishing.com for more program details. Bassmaster Elite Series, MLF Bass Pro Tour and Pro Circuit anglers are not eligible to participate in the Toyota Owners Tournament. Participants are encouraged to sign up as soon as possible for this prize-rich event. Registration is limited to 300 teams.

To register, visit: https://ownersevent.toyotatrucksbonusbucks.com . If you have questions, or need assistance, contact the Toyota Bonus Bucks Headquarters via email: [email protected].

by AnglersChannel

Whataburger Serves Up Title Sponsorship For Bassmaster Elite At Pickwick Lake

May 31, 2022

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Whataburger, known for big flavors and fresh ingredients served up just like you like it, has signed on as the tournament title sponsor for the Bassmaster Elite Series at Pickwick Lake.

The 2022 Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Pickwick Lake — the second Elite event scheduled in Tennessee during the 2022 season — will be held June 2-5 in Counce.

“We enjoy being involved in local events within Whataburger’s communities and are pleased to continue supporting the friendly competition at this year’s Bassmaster Elite,” said Jeff Altman, Whataburger’s Director of Sponsorships, Marketing & Innovation. “We selected Pickwick Lake for its great location near our restaurants in Northern Alabama, plus our recent expansion into Nashville and upcoming opening in Memphis.”

Pickwick offers vast opportunities for anglers, with a good mix of offshore fishing and shallow structure and solid populations of largemouth and smallmouth bass. Beautiful scenery paired with a chance to catch a trophy trifecta — smallmouth, largemouth and spotted bass of above-average size — are why the fishery was ranked one of Bassmaster Magazine’s Top 10 Best Bass Lakes for 2021.

This is the second time the Texas-based chain has sponsored a B.A.S.S. event. In 2021, Whataburger sponsored the Bassmaster Elite at Neely Henry Lake. Alabama pro Wes Logan charged from eighth place to claim the Day 3 lead at the event and held on to win his first Elite Series title.

Live coverage of all four days of the Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Pickwick Lake, Tennessee starts Thursday, June 2 on Bassmaster.com and the FOX Sports digital platforms. FS1 will also broadcast live with the tournament leaders beginning at 8 a.m. ET on Saturday and Sunday.

Whataburger is also partnering with B.A.S.S. to honor fans with the “Your Best Bass” sweepstakes. Avid anglers simply upload a photo of their best or most interesting catch on social media and tag both brands in the post, with winners receiving incredible prizes from Whataburger. Full details and rules can be found at Bassmaster.com/current-sweepstakes.

by AnglersChannel

Wallace State’s Chambers & Blackwood Win the 2022 BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops

Parks & Smith from Auburn University take 2nd, Drury University anglers Bila & Chambers finish 3rd

FLORENCE, AL (May 27, 2022) – The 2022 BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops is in the books. The Association of Collegiate Anglers’ 17th annual National Championship awarded $30,000 in prizes and contingencies, crowned a National Champion, and named a number one team in the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia. Bryar Chambers and Clent Blackwood from Wallace State take top honors with 46.91 pounds. Auburn University anglers Logan Parks and Tucker Smith finish in 2nd place, and Brock Bila and Dylan Chambers of Drury University wind up in 3rd.

Hundreds of college fishing’s most elite anglers competed for two days on the Tennessee River at Pickwick and Wilson Lakes in Florence, Alabama. The early summer months are some of the best times of the year to be out on this famed fishery. Following the spring spawn, a majority of the bass population in Pickwick Lake migrates out to the deep water haunts and ledges located along the main river channel to feed up on shad and baitfish that wash by in the current.

During this year’s BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops, anglers scanned and casted to those ledges in search of the winning fish. Chambers and Blackwood from Wallace State found the winning spot that produced 46.91 pounds of bass over two days. The team located a spot near the Pickwick Dam that yielded the Overall Big Bass of the event, as well as nine other key bites that led Chambers and Blackwood to become the 2022 National Champions.

Along with the $5,000 cash prize that is awarded to 1st place, the Wallace State anglers claimed the $500 Garmin Tournament Rewards and a Power-Pole certificate for Overall Big Bass Honors. Chambers and Blackwood’s prize winnings total over $6,500.

Following the conclusion of official weigh-in, ACA staff totaled the points in the final standings for the 2021-22 Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia. The University of Montevallo finished the season ranked number one, besting 2nd ranked Auburn by more than 1,000 points. McKendree University rounds out the top three for this season’s national rankings. Montevallo becomes just the third team ever to win the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia in consecutive seasons.

by AnglersChannel

Patrick Walters Wins it all on Watts Bar

Leading after both days one and two, Walters Finale Friday began with a 9-ounce lead and ended with a 2-pound, 5-ounce victory. With 15-pounds, 9-ounces on day three, he claims his first NPFL victory with a three-day total of 45-pounds, 9-ounces.

Walters fished a run and gun pattern this week on Watts Bar and averaged just over 15-pounds a day under tough conditions. With the sun shining once again on day three, Walters was able to take advantage of fish setting up how he needed them and caught fish in small flurries throughout the day.

“I was fishing high percentage areas, brush and stumps, and I was running a ton of spots every day. Yesterday we had cloud and they were not set up correct and it was a tougher day. Today the sunshine came back out and it got them set up where I could catch them.”

While not fishing for the fish on live sonar, Walters was able to locate his high percentage targets with dialed in electronics set up and installed by Sonar Pros. He fished a big worm all week and rotated between two different Zoom Baits.

“I fished a Texas rig Zoom Magnum Trick Worm in plum color and a Zoom Ol’ Monster in redbug. I fished them on a heavy action 7’ 6” Daiwa Tatula Elite rod and used 17 or 20-pound Suffix fluorocarbon.

Sheldon Collings

Sheldon Collings caught 14-pounds, 10-ounces on day three to finish the tournament in the 2nd place spot. With a three-day total of 43-pounds, 4-ounces, Collings worked a combination of shallow docks and offshore brush piles to catch his fish this week.

After a really slow morning, with only 9 or 10-pounds at 2 PM, Collings went to a stretch of docks and within 5 minutes did his damage for the day.

“I pulled in and literally first flip I caught a 5-pounder, the next flip was a 4-pounder, and then a few minutes after I got the 3-pounder. That was basically all my weight and I never caught a fish the rest of the day.”

Collings wanted to thank his sponsors for their support. Baseline Labs, Fish Tek, Mark Collings Construction, Sports Center in Grove, OK, Whiz Plumbing, Phoenix Boats and Bills Marina in Skiatook, OK.

Pug Clements

Adding 14-pounds, 9-ounces on day three, Pug Clements fished a combination of a shad spawn bite and a swim jig around marina docks to finish the event in the 3rd place spot with a total weight of 41-pounds, 5-ounces.

Matt Massey

Matt Massey caught the biggest bag of the tournament on day two, and added 12-pounds on the final day to finish the event in 4th place. He amassed a three-day total of 40-pounds, 7-ounces and worked a pattern that involved a bladed jig and transition areas to catch his fish this week.

“Today I focused more on the isolated patches of coontail grass. The area was in the back of a pocket and there was a little ditch that came out of the back - the fish were stacked around the grass.”

To get his bait through the area without getting hung, Massey relied on a Strike King Thunder Cricket in 3/8 ounce and paired it with a Strike King Range Grub trailer. He used several retrieves to keep the bait moving with an erratic action and that was key to getting those bigger bites.

“After a rough practice, I am thrilled with this finish. I located some fish but by no means did I expect a top five finish. I didn’t lose any fish and I executed this week and I absolutely cannot complain – it was a great week.”

Ryan Satterfield

Ryan Satterfield added 9-pounds, 14-ounces to his total to finish the event in the 5th place spot with a total weight of 39-pounds, 5-ounces. Satterfield worked a channel swing flat near a spawning area and was targeting isolated grass patches.

Rest of the Best:

6th James Clements 38-10

7th Bryant Smith 36-1

8th Brad Knight 35-12

9th Louis Fernandes 35-10

10th Todd Goade 35-7

by AnglersChannel

Chambers and Blackwood from Wallace State Take Day 1 Lead at Pickwick Lake

Parks & Smith from Auburn University are in 2nd, and

Kentucky Christian’s Whitaker & Johnson sit in 3rd

after Day 1 of the 2022 BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops

FLORENCE, AL (May 26, 2022) – An elite field of collegiate bass fishing teams took to Pickwick Lake this morning to compete in the 2022 BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops. Competing for their share of $30,000 in prizes & contingencies, a National Championship, and the coveted Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia, anglers fished the waters of Pickwick and Wilson Lakes in search of a quality Day 1 limit. Bryar Chambers & Clent Blackwood from Wallace State are in 1st place after Day 1 of tournament competition with a total weight of 23.66 pounds. Logan Parks & Tucker Smith from 2nd ranked Auburn University are in 2nd place with 21.53 pounds, and Kentucky Christian’s Gunner Whitaker & Mitch Johnson sit in 3rd with 19.40 pounds.

Day 1 – 2nd Place – Auburn University

Day 1 of tournament competition began with a rainy start, as showers and storms pushed through the Shoals Region until approximately 11:00 AM this morning. Once those storms cleared out, anglers were greeted with blue skies and windy conditions. The windy conditions created a challenge for anglers returning to weigh-in this afternoon, resulting in numerous late penalties being assessed to teams that did not make it to check-in on time. All assessed penalties are included in the official Day 1 tournament standings that can be viewed HERE.

Day 1 Results

Day 1 – 3rd Place – Kentucky Christian University

A majority of the anglers are reporting that the fish are spread out across a variety of shallow water and transition areas across the lake. While there are some bigger fish out on the famed Tennessee River ledges that Pickwick Lake is known for, teams seemed to be focusing on shallow water spots and transitional areas located just off of the main river ledges. Everything from drop shots to big soft plastics were mentioned as baits that produced bites on Day 1 of tournament competition.

Taking a quick glance at the Day 1 standings, the Top 10 is separated by approximately six pounds. Out on Pickwick Lake, that’s a margin that can be easily made up on just one cast. In the past, the magic number for a two-day total at this event has been 40 pounds. If a team is able to get to 40 pounds after Day 2, they have a real shot at taking home the National Championship trophy.

As it pertains to the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia, several of the top ranked schools have teams in the Top 25 of the standings. The big race to watch is between top-ranked University of Montevallo, and 2nd ranked Auburn University. Auburn University’s two highest-placing teams at the moment are in 2nd and 21st overall. Montevallo’s two best teams are in 15th and 46th. Who will finish the season ranked as the number one team in the nation? Find out tomorrow following the conclusion of Day 2 weigh-in!

Day 2 of tournament competition will begin tomorrow morning at 6:00 AM with the start of official takeoff at McFarland Park. Follow along with the live blog on the ACA website as tournament action unfolds out on Pickwick Lake. Weigh-in coverage will begin at 2:00 PM (CT) on the Outdoor Action TV app. Get ready for all of the action as we crown a National Champion, name the 2021-22 Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia, and award over $30,000 in prizes and contingencies.

by AnglersChannel

Walters Maintains Watts Bar Lead in TNPFL Tournament

Adding 13-pounds, 2-ounces on day two to his day one tournament leading 16-pounds, 14-ounces, Patrick Walters retains the NPFL Watts Bar lead with a two-day total of 30-pounds. Walters was seen on live covering water both shallow and deep and had a slower start to his day than expected. He holds a 9-ounce lead going into Showdown Saturday.

“I didn’t get to my good water until later this afternoon but I thought I could catch more fish on the way up there than I actually did – It was a grinder. I am fishing a lot of spots but I slowed down some today to try and work some areas more.”

Tomorrow, Walters is planning to fish double the waypoints he did today and try to convince some of the bigger bass in each area to bite. Getting into a rhythm is key and it just didn't seem to work out for him on day two.

“These fish are educated and if you get one to bite and break up the group, they just settle back in and won't t bite again. I am fishing mainly a Zoom Trick Worm and a Mag Trick worm and have been trying to get the cranking deal going but it just hasn’t happened yet. If they eat the Rapala DT20 tomorrow it will be a different ballgame."

Ryan Satterfield

With his biggest bag of the tournament thus far, Ryan Satterfield weighed in 15-pounds, 10-ounces on day two for a two-day total of 29-pounds, 7-ounces to finish in the 2^nd place spot. After a practice period with little or nothing to go to during the tournament, Satterfield settled in on an inside channel swing loaded with grass and post spawn bass.

“I don’t have a lot of spots, and yesterday I caught them in twenty minutes. Today I didn’t get as many bites, but still was able to leave them alone early in the day. They are the right size fish for this tournament and I got the right bites today; I was done by 10:30 AM this morning and left it alone.”

Focusing on a high percentage area that’s perfect for holding post spawn bass, Satterfield is fishing the outside bend of a creek channel on the edge of a big spawning flat. The other key, its loaded with grass.

“So far, I have not had to change my approach much, and I am dropping my Powerpoles in shallow water and casting out into the channel. If I can float a bait through the grass, I am getting bites. It’s a high percentage area and I am definitely around the right fish - I can't wait to get back out there and see what happens.”

Sheldon Collings

With a two-day total of 28-pounds, 10-ounces, Sheldon Collings finishes day two in the 3^rd place spot. Collings relied on a late afternoon charge to catch his bag of 13-pounds, 14-ounces after a slow start to his day on Live Coverage. The patience paid off as he landed on a school willing to bite and was able to cull up to his final weight.

“I have been catching them on docks and shallow wood but it was not going today at all. I fished a pile of new water and eventually got back to where I caught my bigger bass yesterday. I happened to notice some grass and brush out in front of the docks on my live sonar and went to work with a jerkbait.”

After culling up to his weight for the day in less than ten minutes, Collings used his final hour of the tournament to idle the pocket and mark all of the brush in the area. Depending on the weather, either the bass will slide back under docks or hang out on the cover in front.

“If I can catch them on Livescope and a jerkbait, I am happy. If they slide back under docks, I will be able to catch them there. There are a lot of fish in that area and I just have to adapt to the conditions tomorrow.”

Matt Massey

With the biggest bag of the tournament, including a lunker weighing 7-pounds even, Matt Massey weighed 19-pounds, 10-ounces to finish day two in the 4^th place spot. He has a two-day total of 28-pounds, 7-ounces. Massey expanded on his day one water and specifically fished new water on day two.

“Man, it was one of those days. I stayed close this morning to get a quick limit, and I had about 8-pounds by 9 AM. After that, I just focused on transition areas where I thought they would go to after spawning.”

Massey was able to figure out a subtlety to the type of transition area he was running and made a lot of good decisions. He is fishing old school type presentations, rotating through three confidence baits from the days he has spent in Colorado fishing rock and wood.

“I was almost able to call my shots – I could do no wrong. Once I figured out the way it was working, I ran new water all day and caught fish between 1 foot and 22 feet deep. I didn’t lose any fish today and the areas I fished I have never seen before, I just expanded on what I fished yesterday.”

Massey is confident he can run around on day three and try to duplicate his success.

Pug Clements

Adding 12-pounds, 2-ounces on day two, Pug Clements worked his junk fishing pattern again to finish in the 5^th place spot with a two-day total of 26-pounds, 12-ounces. Starting on a shad spawn deal to begin his day, he fished a spot he had saved and was able to capitalize on some bigger bites.

“I caught two of the fish in my bag on the shad spawn deal this morning and I think Taylor (Watkins) caught some there too. I then went to a place I have been saving and I caught the other three. Everyone probably saw on live but I was fishing a specific way I fish back home and its very specific to get bites.”

Making only one pass on his productive stretch, Clements is looking forward to putting the hammer down and trying to catch a big bag. He is fishing a bait and technique he is very comfortable with and hopes with changing conditions he can up his weight on Showdown Saturday.

“I really think I can catch them good in there and as of now I am the only one in there. I have to present the bait very specifically and it’s a tight window. The only thing I am comfortable with is a white swim jig - once you can figure out the rate of fall and the retrieve, you can really catch them.”

Clements is fishing his swim jig on a Jenko DCBR High Roller Rod in a 7’ 1” medium heavy action.

Rest of the best:
6th Michael Brewer 26-3
7th Louis Fernandes 25-11
8th Eddie Carper 24-14
9th Marc Schilling 24-9
10th Shawn Murphy 24-2

by AnglersChannel

Inaugural Bassmaster High School Combine Nets Over $2.6 Million In Scholarships; Registration Opens Soon For 2022

The 2022 Abu Garcia Bassmaster High School Combine will be held Sept. 16-18, giving high school anglers an opportunity to showcase their skills to college fishing coaches.

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

May 26, 2022

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — After a wildly successful debut year, the Abu Garcia Bassmaster High School Combine returns to Wheeler Lake in Decatur, Ala., Sept. 16-18 for a weekend combining skills challenges and recruiting visits in hopes of reeling in college fishing scholarship money. The first Combine generated more than $2.6 million in scholarship offers.

“These high school anglers represent some of the finest athletes in the country, and it took the same drive and commitment to get here as it does to excel in any sport,”
said Abu Garcia Vice President of Marketing Communications Marc Kemper.
“They truly represent the ethos of Abu Garcia — Fish to Win.”

Only schools offering bass fishing scholarships were invited to the inaugural High School Combine, and coaches from 19 colleges attended. The experience offered young anglers and college coaches a chance to leverage rare face time to find the best fit for students ready to further both their education and their fishing at the next level.

“The Combine has given me the opportunity to meet and recruit anglers that I would've never been able to evaluate otherwise,” said Campbellsville University coach Tony Miracle. “It also gives kids the opportunity to meet and talk to universities and coaches that they never would've had the chance to meet. It's an unbelievable opportunity for both sides.

“I signed two anglers from last year’s Bassmaster High School Combine and am excited to get them on campus and start their journey. I'm also recruiting several high school juniors for next year. I absolutely will be back this year. I wouldn't miss it!”

The Abu Garcia Bassmaster High School Combine will be a three-day event where anglers will perform multiple tasks to showcase their skills not only on the water but also display their knowledge of the sport as a whole. Each of the disciplines will operate on a point system and will be timed by an official judge. Each angler will accumulate points to determine an overall winner.

After the first day, colleges will have the opportunity to select anglers for a “second look” where they can further explore everything that angler has to offer and see if they would be the perfect fit for their fishing program.

Fifty-seven scholarship offers came out of the first-ever High School Combine, with many students signing with a university on-site. Overall winner Levi Thibodaux of Thibodaux, La., inked an offer to fish for the Louisiana State University-Shreveport Pilots and Coach Charles Thompson, while Justin Frey of Landisburg, Pa., took home the victory in Casting Accuracy as well as an offer to fish for Bethel University.

“I connected with two universities during the combine that both have fantastic programs at an elite level,” said Frey. “What separated them the most in my mind was that both coaches were awesome, caring individuals. I was ecstatic and very blessed to sign with an athletic scholarship from Bethel University thanks to Coach Garry Mason ... it’s been a dream come true.”

Prior to the combine, Frey was not being recruited by Bethel University, which was the first college in America to offer bass fishing scholarships and has claimed 11 national titles.

“B.A.S.S. is constantly looking for ways to grow the High School and College platforms and give young anglers opportunities to excel not only in the sport, but also in the industry,” said Glenn Cale, B.A.S.S. Nation tournament manager — College, High School and Junior. “The inaugural Abu Garcia Bassmaster High School Combine was a great success, and we’re looking forward to growing this experience for both these high school anglers and the coaches who attend.”

Registration for the Abu Garcia Bassmaster High School Combine will open at 1 p.m. CT on June 7 at Bassmaster.com/high-school and remain open until 100 participants have registered. The $500 registration fee includes accommodations for two nights and all meals for the weekend.

For more information, visit Bassmaster.com/high-school.

by AnglersChannel

A gallon a day for Aaron

Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships

Summer hit Texas like Cowboy’s linebacker Micah Parsons last week. It was only mid-May, but I swear even the turtles were sweating at Lake Fork during the Bassmaster Elite Series event.

Following Day 3 of competition, at a lonely boat ramp parking lot, stood one of pro bass fishing’s modern-day heroes, Greg Hackney, buckling down his Phoenix, securing transom straps, and slugging water from a gallon jug to rehydrate before climbing into his 2022 Toyota Tundra for the six-hour drive home.

“My wife Julie got me started drinking a gallon of water a day about two years ago. She’s the super structured one of our marriage. Never misses a fitness workout, and always drinks her gallon of water each day,” says Hackney.

Hackney is 10-pounds lighter than he was three years ago and feels great at age 48. He credits water consumption as playing a huge role in his wellness. And his recent top performances prove his commitment to hydration is having a noticeable impact.

“I grew up with guys like Rick Clunn as my hero, and he was always looking for performance advantages ranging from meditation to diet. People thought he was a weirdo. Nah man, he was just ahead of the curve. And now he’s kind of the last man standing from his generation,” says Hackney with deep respect.

Friday, on Day 2 of the Bassmaster Elite Series at Lake Fork, Hackney admits he fell way short of drinking his daily gallon, and he felt it that evening.

“I had zero energy. My back hurt. I didn’t even feel like working on my tackle for the next day. That was a lesson learned,” he admits.

According to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, Engineers, and Medicine, we should drink 3.7 liters of water daily -- right at 1-gallon – to aid with ridding waste, lubricating joints, protecting tissues and so much more.

That’s good science. But for Hackney, there’s a sentimental side to his new habit too.

“Aaron Martens always had a gallon jug of water riding next to him on the floor of his boat,” Hackney’s voice begins to crack, as he pauses briefly to collect his emotions. “Aaron was the most naturally gifted angler we’ve ever known, and his commitment to healthy living was pretty admirable.”

If for no other reason, that’s reason enough for all anglers to drink more water as the turtles begin to sweat here at the start of summer. A gallon a day this summer and beyond. To hydrate properly. To feel better. To fish better. And to remember Aaron.

I’ll promise you, Greg Hackney will be the first to drink a jug of water to that.

by AnglersChannel

Walters Takes Watts Bar Lead

With a limit of 16-pounds, 14 ounces including a 6-pound, 6-ounce kicker, Patrick Walters takes the day one lead at the NPFL stop three on Tennessee's Watts Bar Reservoir. After a slow start to his morning, Walters was able to nickel and dime his way to a solid limit on the day.

“I was boat five and I knew I had my choice of an area. I wanted to start shallow but I started offshore and it just wasn’t happening. I bounced around and ran both shallow and deeper water for a while and finally got my first keeper at 8 AM. It took a lot longer than I thought it would.”

Walters used around 16 or 17 rods on the day and kept one side for shallow and one side for offshore bite. He does not believe that timing matters much throughout the day but noted they definitely bite better when there was water moving.

“I think they are going to be pulling some water tomorrow and I have a long day. Today I felt like my back was against the wall a little with time but it should be good tomorrow. I am looking at them on my electronics and scanning around for my bait, fish and any structure.”

Sheldon Collings

With 14-pounds, 12-ounces, Sheldon Collings brought a limit to the scales on day one good enough to finish in the 2nd place spot. After a quick start to his morning that included a limit in the first twenty minutes, Collings moved around the rest of the day looking for bigger bites.

“I was semi surprised with today as my practice was not great. I started on schooling fish and got that quick limit and then mixed up a ton of baits and a ton of spots to expand on my early 11-pound limit.”

With a longer day coming tomorrow, Collings is excited to go get back out but warns that the lack of sun (tomorrow) may affect his pattern as the tournament progresses along. Relying on bigger fish, he knows that the key to staying near the top throughout the week is getting those bites.

“All my weight came basically because of those three bigger bites. I am catching a ton of keepers but those few got me up there in weight. I did lose a big one today, probably a five pounder and it wrapped me around a tree.”

Pug Clements

Finishing the day in the 3^rd place spot, Pug Clements ran a junk fishing pattern to catch his 14 pounds, 10 ounces on day one. He visited several types of areas, both shallow and deep, and use several types of baits and noted that the big bites were few and far between.

“There isn't much to say unfortunately; I caught some fish all over. I got two good bass on a shad spawn deal this morning, caught two others from my bag flipping laydowns and caught one off a brush pile in 24-foot.”

Admitting to preferring to have a pattern to run, versus running around junk fishing, Clements is sticking with his guns on day two and hoping for a couple more bigger bites to anchor his bag.

“The only deal I was able to catch a fish over 3-pounds is on that shad spawn or flipping laydowns. I am getting a bunch of bites but a lot of those are short fish mixed in. I have no idea what's going to happen, I am just fishing.”

Shawn Murphy

After a rough practice period, Shawn Murphy relied on a “just go fishing” mentality and weeded through several small schools of fish to catch 14-pounds, 9-ounces to finish the day in the 4^th place spot.

“I tried to find some offshore schools in practice and never made it happen. The shallow bite wasn’t going for me either and this morning I didn’t know what I was going to do or what I was going to catch.”

Spending some time behind the wheel and locating small groups of fish now and then, Murphy was able to capitalize on bass that were set up correctly for him to effectively present his bait. As for tomorrow, more of the same.

“I honestly never got on any schooling fish or found anything to start on and I just have to go and try to find some of those same fish and look for new ones too. I did catch a few on Active Target in front of the boat and watched them eat my bait.”

Dale Prinkey

With 14-pounds, 7-ounces on day one, Dale Prinkey ended the day in the 5^th place spot by relying on just one spot he found on day two of practice and one productive bait.

“I didn’t get on this spot until early afternoon and I saw guys on it most of the morning but I mixed up a lot of different baits and there is only one in particular I can get them to commit to.”

Obviously not wanting to let the cat out of the bag just yet, Prinkey is confident if he can get back on the spot and settle in with some current moving, he has a shot to catch more on day two.

“There is a lot of fish there if they move water at all, they stack up and I should be able to get on it again.”

Rest of the best:

6^th Ryan Satterfield 13-13

7^th Paul Browning 13-12

8^th Louis Fernandes 13-10

9^th Chance Woodard 13-4

10^th Michael Brewer 13-2

by AnglersChannel

Elite Angler Yelas Takes Medical Hardship

May 25, 2022

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — After dealing with severe tendinitis in both of his arms for the majority of the year, Bassmaster Elite Series angler Jay Yelas has decided to take a medical hardship and will miss the remainder of the season.

The pain began during the second event of the year at the Harris Chain of Lakes when Yelas made an awkward hook set that caused extreme pain in his right arm. Over time, that same pain began to take over his left arm from relying heavily on it to carry the weight that his right arm could no longer take.

The former Bassmaster Classic champion dealt with the pain and battled through it until Semifinal Saturday of the Simms Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork. Despite the fact that Yelas was sitting in 13th place heading into Day 3, the pain had become so unbearable that he had to sit out the remainder of the event.

After a sports medicine doctor examined Yelas, he came to the conclusion that the best thing to do is take the medical hardship and let the condition heal rather than further irritate the injury.

“It’s really been a bummer,” said Yelas. “I’ve been having one of my better seasons that I’ve had in a while. After Friday’s weigh-in, I was sitting around 30th in Progressive Insurance Bassmaster Angler of the Year points.

“I went and saw a sports medicine doctor on Monday morning, and she suggested that I just need to cool it. It’s really common sense — if something is harming your body, you need to stop doing that thing.”

While the Oregon pro looked into short-term solutions, it was deemed that the risk for further injury was much greater if he didn’t get things worked out now, as opposed to after the season.

As it stands now, Yelas plans on resting and rehabbing his arms in hopes of being back to full health in four to six months.

“It’s just a matter of stretching, strengthening and rehabbing it with physical therapy to get it back to where it needs to be,” he said. “I’ve been really fortunate to never have an injury like this over the course of my 35 years fishing professionally.”

by AnglersChannel

Hamner, Hopper Team Together To Win Bassmaster High School All-American Exhibition

The 2022 Bassmaster High School All-American Fishing Team presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors was recognized at the Simms Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork, where Alabama pro Justin Hamner and high school angler Braxton Hopper won the Bassmaster High School All-American Exhibition Tournament presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors.

Photos courtesy of Chris Reynolds and Ken Golubjatkinov

May 25, 2022

HSAA 2022 winners.jpg QUITMAN, Texas — Bassmaster Elite Series pro Justin Hamner and Bassmaster High School All-American Braxton Hopper have been lifelong competitors on the local tournament scene in their home state of Alabama.

They’ve been taking one another’s money for years.

But on Saturday, they teamed together to win the Bassmaster High School All-American Exhibition Tournament presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors at Lake Quitman. They were one of 12 teams — each made up of an Elite pro and an All-American — who were allowed to weigh in one bass apiece.

Hopper weighed a 6-pound, 7-ounce largemouth, and Hamner weighed a 9-7 lunker that ranked as the largest of the event, and the pair won with a Texas-sized two-fish total of 15-14.

“Fishing one day with an Elite pro gave me a whole new perspective on things,” said Hopper, who lives in Chelsea, Ala. “There’s a certain mindset you have to have to compete in this sport, and I understand that now. I didn’t think about it this way before, but now I see what it takes.

“If you’re not fishing to win, you shouldn’t be out there.”

Like most of the All-Americans, Hopper has aspirations of fishing at the professional level — and Hamner said he’s well on his way to being ready.

“We caught a 6-pounder off a brushpile, I caught that 9-pounder and we lost another one that was about 8,” Hamner said. “Then he caught that 6-pounder on a frog. It was a great day.

“Braxton and his dad have been hurting people’s feelings in the tournaments I fish back home for a long time. So, I knew he could fish before he ever stepped in the boat.”

While two Alabama anglers who were familiar with one another took first, the two anglers who finished second were about as different as they could be.

2022 BASS HS All American Fritts.jpg AllAmerican Rein Golubjatnikov, a self-described “shallow-water specialist” from Pittsford, N.Y., was paired with 1993 Bassmaster Classic champion and 1994 Angler of the Year David Fritts, a Southerner who’s known as one of the best offshore anglers in the history of the sport.

They stuck with Fritts’ specialty, graphing deep-water areas until they found just the right spot for a Carolina rig. Golubjatnikov caught a 4-4 and Fritts caught a 4-1 for the second-place weight of 8-5.

“We spent about half an hour graphing and we found a gravel pile and basically stayed there all day,” Golubjatnikov said. “We just went back and forth through there throwing different baits and the Carolina rig is what worked for us.

“He’s pretty much the opposite of me. I pretty much became an All-American from catching smallmouth shallow. So, I definitely learned a lot today.”

Though they’re different, Fritts said one thing about the young man was familiar.

“Just the energy and enthusiasm he has reminds me of me at that age,” Fritts said. “He’s kind of quiet, listens really well, just wants to soak it all in. It’s been my experience that those are the kinds of people who succeed in this business.”

The 12 Bassmaster High School All-Americans were chosen during an annual process earlier this year that involves hundreds of applications from all over the country. The winners were announced in late April, and on Friday they were treated to a banquet at Academy Sports + Outdoors in Greenville, Texas, where they taught a fishing clinic for children from the Boys & Girls Club and then were treated to a shopping spree inside the store.

The All-Americans also received swag bags with everything from tackle and clothing to Humminbird LakeMaster cards chosen specifically for the region of the country where they live.

“When I first found out that High School All-American was even something that could be done, I told myself no matter what I did, it would go toward getting to this moment right here,” Hopper said. “It’s been everything I dreamed it would be.”
2022 Bassmaster High School All-American Exhibition Tournament presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors
Final Standings

Braxton Hopper-Justin Hamner 15-14

Rein Golubjatnikov-David Fritts 8-5

Tyson Verkaik-Ray Hanselman 7-15

Jared Mizell-Jake Whitaker 7-13

Nathan Reynolds-Clifford Pirch 7-4

Cole Berry-Austin Felix 7-1

Levi Thibodaux-Jay Przekurat 6-12

Evan Fields-Alex Redwine 6-5

Hudson Choquette-Clent Davis 5-14

Connor Dunn-Taku Ito 5-1

Gabriel Clark-Caleb Sumrall 3-14

Banks Shaw-Jonathan Kelley 0-0

by AnglersChannel

MLF Toyota Series Western Division Finale Set for California Delta

BETHEL ISLAND, Calif. (May 24, 2022) – Major League Fishing (MLF), the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, is set to return to California for a tournament next week, June 1-3– the Toyota Series Presented by A.R.E. at the California Delta at Russo’s Marina in Bethel Island The three-day bass fishing tournament is the third and final event of the regular season for the Toyota Series Western Division.

The tournament will showcase a field of the west’s best bass-fishing pros and Strike King co-anglers casting for a top prize package of up to $75,000 in the pro division and a new Phoenix 518 pro boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard motor, in the co-angler division, and valuable points to qualify for November’s 2022 Toyota Series Championship.

“Man, I love fishing the Delta – it is my home away from home,” said pro Tai Au of Glendale, Arizona, who has four top-10 finishes on the California Delta in MLF competition. “It’s crazy, but you can literally win the tournament anywhere at the Delta. All the way from north to south, you basically just have to find an area that has good grass and good water quality and then run into those right bite windows to sack up a monster bag.

“I think it’s going to be hard to consistently catch those bigger bags, but I think the winner will have something like a high 20-pound limit, followed up by a few bags close to 20 pounds. My prediction is that it will take 63 to 64 pounds to win.”

Au said that he expects there will still be some late straggler bass that are still spawning during the event, but that competitors would be able to catch fish on a variety of baits and tactics.

“The weather is definitely the most important factor. The fish there are really, really affected by cold fronts and pressure systems – they like stable water,” Au said. “I think we’re going to see a ton of different tactics in play. Buzzbaits, frogs, flipping and punching. I’ll have a (Z-Man) Jack Hammer in my hand with a (Yamamoto) Zako trailer, and a 6- or 7-inch (Yamamoto) Senko . Topwater baits are going to be important looking for those big kicker bites. Believe it or not, a drop-shot rig can catch some big ones there. It’s going to be wide open, and a lot of fun.”

With just one event remaining in the Toyota Series Southern Division regular season, pro Kyle Grover of Rancho Santa Margarita, California, leads the Western Division Pro Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 517 points, while Zack Eggleston of Goleta, California, leads the Western Division Strike King Co-Angler Division AOY race with 508 points. The AOY in the Pro Division will receive $5,000 and the winning Strike King Co-angler will receive $2,000.

Anglers will launch each day at 6 a.m. PT from Russo’s Marina, located at 3995 Willow Road in Bethel Island. Weigh-ins will also be held at Russo’s Marina, beginning at 2 p.m. each day. Fans are welcome to attend and encouraged to follow the event online through the “MLF Live” weigh-in broadcasts and daily coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

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

The 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.

by AnglersChannel

Hot Springs and Lake Hamilton Set to Host 39th Annual Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American Championship Presented by T-H Marine

Major League Fishing’s Grassroots Bass-Fishing Championship to Take Place Next Week in Hot Springs for Record Sixth Time

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. (May 24, 2022) – Major League Fishing (MLF) is set to return to Hot Springs, Arkansas, next week, June 2-4, for the 39th annual Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American Championship on Lake Hamilton Presented by T-H Marine. The three-day tournament, hosted by the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism and Visit Hot Springs, will showcase the nation’s best weekend grassroots anglers, and awards the winning boater a top prize of up to $120,000, and a top prize of $50,000 for the winning Strike King co-angler.

The no-entry-fee-event is the sixth All-American Championship to be held in Hot Springs – a record for the most times a city has hosted the tournament. It is projected to provide an estimated $1 million economic impact to the region.

“We are very pleased to welcome Major League Fishing back to Hot Springs for the 39th annual All-American Championship,” said Steve Arrison, Visit Hot Springs CEO. “Our community loves bass fishing, and it is an honor to host this prestigious grassroots championship for the record sixth time. We know the anglers from around the country are going to have a great time in Hot Springs and we look forward to seeing the big bass that they bring to the weigh-in scales.”

The championship was previously held on Lake Hamilton in 2000, 2001, 2004 and 2008 and on DeGray Lake, also in the region, in 2010. The event often serves as a steppingstone for anglers who wish to advance to the Toyota Series, Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit and ultimately the Bass Pro Tour. Former All-American champions who currently compete on the Bass Pro Tour and the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit include Shaw Grigsby (1984), Stephen Browning (1996), Jacob Wheeler (2011), Kerry Milner (2013), Jeremy Lawyer (2016) and Nick LeBrun (2018).

“The All-American absolutely jump-started my career, and it jumpstarted the careers of several great anglers – (Rick) Clunn, Clark Wendlandt, Joe Thomas – the list is long,” said Bass Pro Tour angler Stephen Browning of Hot Springs, who won the 1996 All-American Championship on the Arkansas River. “It was a bucket list event to even make the All-American. To win it was certainly a bonus and gave me the opportunity to be financially comfortable starting my career.”

In addition to being a former All-American champion, the Hot Springs angler also resides on Lake Hamilton and expects a fun, competitive tournament this year.

“I live on the banks of Lake Hamilton and fish it quite often,” Browning said. “In early June, the fishery can be kind of tricky. A lot of the kids are out of school, and there is a lot more boat traffic. But, with that said, Lake Hamilton has a tremendous population of fish. It’s not a big fish factory, but there are some really good fish here and the BFL anglers are going to catch a bunch.”

Browning said that if he was competing in the event, he would be starting the event fishing shallow and move deeper as the day progressed.

“I’d be throwing a buzzbait or a Jack Hammer, fishing shallow around water willow and boat docks in the early morning,” Browning said. “Then, from mid-morning through the rest of the day, I would be out in that 12 to 15 feet range fishing brush piles and drop-offs throwing a crankbait – a No. 4 or No. 5 Jackall Digle.

“The key is going to be not getting spun out,” Browning continued. “Don’t get frustrated if you don’t catch fish in a certain area where you thought you were going to. This is a pattern lake, and after a good spawn a week ago I think the bite will move around and get better as the week goes on. So, revisit areas, and don’t lose confidence in a technique even though it didn’t work to perfection the day before.”

Browning went on to predict that the three-day winner would have a cumulative weight from 38 to 42 pounds.

The full field of 42 boaters and 42 Strike King co-anglers will 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.

by AnglersChannel

Bassmaster Redfish Cup Returns To Port Aransas In 2022

The Yamaha Bassmaster Redfish Cup Championship presented by Skeeter returns to Port Aransas, Texas, Nov. 4-6. In 2021, Elite Series pro Chris Zaldain and IFA Redfish Tour angler Ryan Rickard took home the victory.

Photo by James Overstreet/B.A.S.S.

May 24, 2022

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Ten teams will compete for their share of a $100,000 purse when the 2022 Yamaha Bassmaster Redfish Cup Championship presented by Skeeter returns to Port Aransas, Texas, Nov. 4-6.

2021 marked the return of the Bassmaster Redfish Cup Championship after a 12-year hiatus. The all-star team of Elite Series pro Chris Zaldain and IFA Redfish Tour angler Ryan Rickard came from third place on the final day to claim the title on Aransas with a six-fish, three-day total of 43 pounds, 4 ounces.

“We’re excited to be returning to Port Aransas, which really lived up to its reputation last year,” said Tournament Director Hank Weldon. “Fans last year enjoyed an exciting event where all 10 teams were in contention all the way to the end of the third day. It was fun to see a mix of inshore and bass tactics being used, and the competitors, sportfishing fans and viewers really embraced this format.”

The 10 teams will only be allowed to weigh two fish in the 20- to 28-inch slot per day rather than the standard five-fish limit for B.A.S.S. events.

Once more the contest will feature a mix of championship-caliber professional redfish teams along with five all-star teams featuring Bassmaster pro anglers paired with redfish pros. In addition to the defending champions Rickard and Zaldain, Elite Series pro Scott Martin along with Elite champions Drew Cook, Wes Logan and Brandon Palaniuk are slated to compete as part of all-star teams. Their partners will be announced at a later date.

These all-star teams will be joined by redfish teams representing the Professional Redfish League, Elite Redfish Series and Power-Pole Pro Redfish Tour.

“The return of the Redfish Cup Championship last year was a big success, and we expect it to grow even more in 2022, ” said Susan Camp, Division Manager, Marketing, Yamaha U.S. Marine Business Unit. “This tournament is unique because it pairs fresh and saltwater anglers together and, by doing so, expands the reach of the Yamaha and Skeeter brands within competitive fishing. We look forward to a great event this fall.”

Fans can catch Bassmaster Redfish LIVE coverage all three days of the tournament on Bassmaster.com. FS1 will broadcast live Nov. 5-6.

“Port Aransas is known as the fishing capital of Texas, and in particular a great redfish fishery,” said Brett Stawar, president and CEO for the Port Aransas Tourism Bureau & Chamber of Commerce. “Hosting the Redfish Cup Championship last year brought the best of the best to Port Aransas to fish our waters and truly showcased our family-friendly destination filled with beaches, fishing, amazing seafood and island-style shopping. We are very excited to once again demonstrate the greatness of Port Aransas through this championship and look forward to hosting some of the finest fishermen here with us.”

by AnglersChannel

Wrangler® Reels in Fishing Styles with New ATG Wrangler AnglerTM Collection and Will Serve as the Official Sponsor of the Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour in 2022

Wrangler® Reels in Fishing Styles with New ATG Wrangler Angler^TM Collection and Will Serve as the Official Sponsor of the Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour in 2022
As interest in recreational fishing soars, the ATG Wrangler Angler™ Collection expands on the success of the All Terrain Gear - ATG by Wrangler® line with quality fishing pieces

May 24, 2022 — Greensboro, NC — Wrangler®, a global icon in jeanswear and casual apparel, today announced the expansion of its successful All Terrain Gear by Wrangler™ line of outdoor and athleisure apparel to include high-performance fishing styles with the launch of the ATG Wrangler Angler™ Collection . Designed for functionality, comfort and durability, the collection meets the unique needs of anglers everywhere, incorporating key features including increased ventilation, stretch and range of motion.

The collection is a direct response to increased interest in recreational fishing over the past few years, specifically among casual fisherman. According to data collected from the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation’s 2021 Special Report on Fishing, 18% of the U.S. population ages six and up went fishing at least one time in 2020, making it an ideal time for new and returning anglers to explore new fishing gear as the sport’s popularity continues to grow.

“Wrangler was born as an outdoor brand. With the launch of the ATG Wrangler Angler Collection, we are harnessing our unique understanding of the importance of durability and versatility for outdoor apparel, to bring style and comfort to the sportfishing space,” said Tom Waldron, EVP, Co-Chief Operating Officer, Global Brand President – Wrangler. “At Wrangler we are committed to strategic growth that is true to our roots. We are excited to continue to grow our outdoor collection to meet the dynamic needs of outdoor enthusiasts.”

Building off features and attributes of the men’s and women’s ATG by Wrangler line, the dual-gender Wrangler Angler™ Collection couples performance with effortless style to take consumers from the office to the outdoors. Key products available in the ATG Wrangler Angler Collection include:

The Men’s LS Sun Performance Sun Shirt, Hike-to-Fish SS Shirt, and LS Angler Shirt and Women’s Hooded Sun Tee and LS Angler Shirt, all of which feature moisture-wicking fabric and UPF protection.
The Men’s Angler Short and Angler Utility Short, which feature increased stretch and range of motion.
The Women’s SS Angler Dress, which offers lightweight material that provides breathability and comfort, as well as increased ventilation for warm days on the water.

Aligning with the launch of the ATG Wrangler Angler™ Collection, Wrangler has aligned itself as a sponsor of Major League Fishing, the world’s largest tournament fishing organization and premier outdoor entertainment brand. Wrangler will serve as the Official Sponsor of the Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour.

“We’re thrilled to be working with Wrangler this year and are proud to associate with a brand that’s helping to address some of the biggest issues that anglers face when shopping for typical fishing attire,” said Jim Wilburn, President and CEO of Major League Fishing. “The collaboration was a natural fit for Major League Fishing, as the Wrangler brand feels synonymous with what we and the sport are all about – hard work, an adventurous spirit and courageous individuality.”

Apparel from the ATG Wrangler Angler™ Collection is available on Wrangler.com and at retailers nationwide, including Amazon. Retail prices range from $28.99- $55.99. To learn more about the ATG Wrangler Angler™ Collection, visit www.wrangler.com.

by AnglersChannel

MATER AND BUTLER WIN TTZ 2022 CHAMPIONSHIP ON CHOKE CANYON WITH 52.88lbs.

PL	ANGLER 1	ANGLER 2	FISH 1	BIG BASS 1	DAY 1 WT	FISH 2	BIG BASS 2	DAY 2 WT	TOTAL WT	PRIZE
1	ROBERT BUTLER	BRIAN MATER	5		22.44	5	10.11	30.44	52.88	$20,000 + $680 BIG BASS
2	CHARLES WHITED	TREY GROCE	5		20.59	5	9.57	28.81	49.40	$5000
3	JJ LARSON	HUNTER ARTHUR	5	8.36	26.67	5		22.66	49.33	$2500
4	ALLEN GASS	DANIEL ABERNATHY	5		20.23	5		24.73	44.96	$1500
5	TERRY KIRCUS	JASON BUCHANAN	5	7.01	27.20	5		16.60	43.80	$750
6	PHILLIP MASSOLETTI	NOEL LOWE	5		17.35	5	9.22	26.43	43.78	$600
7	DALE READ	JAKE READ	5		19.55	5	8.05	22.13	41.68	$500
8	RONNY MAYNARD	ERIC CRUMLEY	5		24.45	5		17.18	41.63	$450
9	DARRELL WUENSCHE		5		15.84	5		25.28	41.12
10	MIKE NICHELINI	JEFF DEFORGE	5		10.59	5	7.70	30.07	40.66
11	JEFF ANDERSON	FRANK WIGET	5		16.90	5	7.98	21.69	38.59
12	LANCE DILLARD	BLAKE DILLARD	5	9.01	20.17	5		18.30	38.47
13	KENNETH FAIRLY	AYDEN REEDY (Y)	5	7.67	25.82	5		12.38	38.20
14	LYNN PIERCE	TERRY HALL	5	6.52	22.41	5		13.78	36.19
15	JAMES HENRY	COREY SCHNAUTZ	5		22.91	5		13.20	36.11
16	TYLER TORWICK	BRYAN SCOTT	5	6.97	22.72	5		11.00	33.72
17	ADRIAN SANCHEZ	DEAN ALEXANDER	5		18.19	5		15.44	33.63
18	TONY FERDINANDO	SHANE LOGAN	5		17.63	5		15.55	33.18
19	TOM LORDEN	MATT HELMS	5		17.88	5		14.36	32.24
20	RANDY HIBLER	RANDALL CHRISTIAN	5		21.63	5		9.81	31.44
21	PAUL SCHROEDER	BRAD ANKRUM	5		11.36	5		20.02	31.38
22	JUSTIN MAY	HOLLY ROBERSON	5		19.70	5		9.80	29.50
23	BILL KIMBERLY	WILLIAM SQUIRES	5		15.11	5		14.31	29.42
24	JOSHUA RHODES	DAVY CRANDALL	3		5.31	5		23.38	28.69
25	JAYSON KISSELBURG	LAKE KISSELBURG	5		16.91	5		11.69	28.60
26	DEREK TAYLOR		5		8.53	5	7.54	19.63	28.16
27	DAVID REID	ANTHONY KEANE	5		11.65	5		16.00	27.65
28	BRANDON BRAY	JESSE FRY	5		14.50	5		12.23	26.73
29	JACK CULBREATH	DARREL ROUTON	5		12.58	5		13.81	26.39
30	EDDIE PELFREY	DAVID LANDRY	5		10.45	5		15.64	26.09
31	HUFF MCINTOSH	DAVID MEAD	5		15.20	4		9.38	24.58
32	PHILLIP DOUBEK	ANDREW SWEET	5		10.77	5		13.54	24.31
33	THOMAS WEIMER	BRANDON JONES	5		11.15	5		12.16	23.31
34	KAENA FREITAS	ANDY ZAVALA	5		12.40	5		10.23	22.63
35	SEAN CLAMPITT	AARON GILBERT	5		10.17	5		12.27	22.44
36	JEREMIAH WAFFORD	GARY WEIMER	5		11.27	5		10.06	21.33
37	STAN KAMINSKI	ROBERT WHITEHEAD	5		8.63	5		12.15	20.78
38	MIKE MCEACHERN	JOSEPH KENNEDY	5		10.65	5		9.48	20.13
39	LES COPELAND	BLAKE ROBERSON	5		9.43	5		9.66	19.09
40	MEL BARKER	KELVIN MILAM	5		9.69	5		9.04	18.73
41	MARK RAGER	JUSTIN NIXON	5		12.15	2		5.28	17.43
42	RICK HAMILTON	TONY MALDONADO	5		9.50	5		7.89	17.39
43	JACOB MEREDITH	JIMMY MEREDITH	4		6.19	4		9.57	15.76
44	TRAVIS PROFFITT	STEPHEN MALINA	5		14.99				14.99
45	ANTHONY GOODSON	TRAVIS DAUGHERTY	5		14.86				14.86
46	JAMES SCOGIN	ROLAND LOERA	5	5.89	14.74				14.74
47	MATTHEW HATHAWAY		5		14.65				14.65
48	CURTIS WESLEY	ROBBIE THORSTEINSON	5		12.58				12.58
49	SHAE SEALE	LARRY HOLYBEE	5		12.49				12.49
50	LOGAN CLARK	TRAVIS COCKERHAM	5		12.47				12.47
51	TIMOTHY STACK	BRETT ORLICH	5		12.31				12.31
52	ROBBY PAYNE		5		11.92				11.92
53	CLINT ROBERTSON	STEVE MAGNELIA	5		11.72				11.72
54	ROBERT NUERNBERG	JUNIOR NUERNBERG	5		10.60				10.60
55	JARRED THOMAS	JACE THOMAS	5		10.56				10.56
56	CHARLES YOUNG	RONNIE ANDREWS	5		9.98				9.98
57	HAL GATEWOOD	CHRIS BERTELSON	5		9.37				9.37
58	JASON OLIVO	TRENT BLAKE	5		8.65				8.65
59	COLT SLAYDEN	JAMIE SLAYDEN	5		8.61				8.61
60	JACOB MARSAC	TYLER LUDEMANN	5		7.97				7.97
61	SAL SANCHEZ	DOUG DURDEN	4		7.72				7.72
62	STEVEN KIRKWOOD		5		7.15				7.15
63	DANIEL HAMER	CODY HAMER	5		5.14				5.14
64	JOSHUA HUETT	BRENDEN HELINSKI	1		2.53				2.53
65	ADRIAN BARNES	DANIEL BARNES							0
65	AUSTIN VANDERVEER	BRODIE FARCO (Y)							0
65	SAM MORROW	COLT DIETZ							0
65	TYLER FONSECA	RODNEY THOMPSON							0

by AnglersChannel

Lee Tops Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Lake Dardanelle

Logan Wins Strike King Co-Angler Division

RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. (May 23, 2022) – Boater Brandon Lee of Ratcliff, Arkansas, caught five bass Saturday weighing 17 pounds, 7 ounces, to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on Lake Dardanelle . The tournament, hosted by Russellville Advertising and Promotion, was the fourth event for the Bass Fishing League Arkie Division. Lee earned $4,584 for his victory.

“I started the morning fishing a shad spawn using a Dart Frog-colored BOOYAH Pad Crasher (Frog) in the mid-lake area near Piney Bay,” Lee said. “I was fishing shallow; I never even turned a graph on all day.”

Later in the day Lee, who notched a BFL win at Lake Dardanelle in 2014, said he employed the use of a white ½-ounce BOOYAH Mobster Swimjig with a white YUM Craw Chunk trailer around reeds in less than 2 feet of water. Lee’s efforts resulted in nine keepers during competition.

“I knew I had a shot at winning around noon when I made my last cull,” Lee said. “I had all 3-pounders at that point and one that was 4½, but I figured it would take 18 pounds to win it. I knew I was close.

“This win is awesome,” Lee added. “They are so hard to come by. I was in the first flight, so I had to sit there for two hours after I weighed in and watch everyone weigh in. My nerves were shot at the end of the day.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1st:          Brandon Lee, Ratcliff, Ark., five bass, 17-7, $4,584
2nd:        Kirk Smith, Edmond, Okla., five bass, 15-9, $2,292
3rd:        Shonn Goodwin, Moore, Okla., five bass, 15-0, $1,729
4th:         James Boyett, Mountain Home, Ark., four bass, 14-14, $1,070
5th:         Cody Ross, Livingston, Texas, five bass, 14-12, $1,592
6th:         Chris Huselton, Conway, Ark., five bass, 13-2, $840
7th:         Quincy Houchin, Mabelvale, Ark., five bass, 12-13, $1,464 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
8th:         Aubrey Walker, Ola, Ark., four bass, 12-6, $688
9th:         Mike Scoggins, Danville, Ark., five bass, 12-3, $573
9th:         Doug Thompson, Mabelvale, Ark., five bass, 12-3, $573

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Ross caught a largemouth weighing 5 pounds, 1 ounce – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division – to earn the day’s Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $675.

Steven Logan of Hugo, Oklahoma, won the Strike King Co-angler Division and $2,592 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 12 pounds, 15 ounces.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:

1st:          Steven Logan, Hugo, Okla., five bass, 12-15, $2,592
2nd:        Chuck Harney, Perryville, Ark., four bass, 12-11, $1,146
3rd:        Dusty Rhoades, Gravelly, Ark., three bass, 11-4, $765
4th:         Derrick Damon, Clarksville, Ark., five bass, 11-0, $535
5th:         Kyle Huneycutt, Malvern, Ark., four bass, 9-11, $458
6th:         Alvin Williams, Hartman, Ark., four bass, 8-14, $420
7th:         Andrew Wooley, Little Rock, Ark., three bass, 8-11, $382
8th:         Joshua James, Talihina, Okla., four bass, 8-4, $344
9th:         Steve Boone, Mountain Pine, Ark., four bass, 7-12, $306
10th:      Aaron Calvert, Russellville, Ark., four bass, 7-8, $267

Larry Carter of Little Rock, Arkansas, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 5 pounds, 5 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Berkley Big Bass Co-angler award of $337.

After four events, Kevin Brown of Hot Springs, Arkansas, leads the Bass Fishing League Arkie Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 967 points, while Andrew Wooley of Little Rock, Arkansas, leads the Strike King Co-Angler Division AOY race with 943 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 Grand Lake in Grove, Oklahoma. Boaters will compete for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.

The 2022 Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six Regional Championships where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American. The 2022 All-American will be held June 2-4 at Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas and is hosted by the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism and Visit Hot Springs.

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.

by AnglersChannel

Nesbitt Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Indian Lake

Smith Claims Strike King Co-Angler Division Victory

LAKEVIEW, Ohio (May 23, 2022) – Boater Michael Nesbitt of St. Paris, Ohio, caught five bass Saturday weighing 10 pounds, 3 ounces, to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on Indian Lake . The tournament was the season-opener for the Bass Fishing League Buckeye Division. Nesbitt earned $5,154 for his victory.

“We went back to the Game Preserve where there was one spot I wanted to fish, and there were already boats there,” Nesbitt said. “I’m a big frog fisherman, but there were people already frogging there, so I just went to finesse fishing. We had boats literally right beside us all day. I threw a wacky rig and a swimbait, then caught one right at the end of the day on a frog that was a good cull up.”

Nesbitt said he made long casts to fish guarding fry around grass and lily pads and said the key to his success was bait placement more than anything else. He said he caught nine fish, all keepers, during the tournament.

“It was a pretty simple day, really,” Nesbitt said. “We just battled it out in one little area.

“All of my fish came on a spinning rod in the heavy vegetation,” Nesbitt added. “I was really trying to focus on winning this event and pre-fished four or five times for it. I’ve spent a lot of time on that lake.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1st:          Michael Nesbitt, St. Paris, Ohio, five bass, 10-3, $5,154
2nd:        Josh Smith, Hamilton, Ohio, five bass, 9-12, $3,477 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
3rd:        Quentin Smith, Minford, Ohio, five bass, 9-7, $1,719
4th:         Cody Seeger, Lewistown, Ohio, five bass, 9-4, $1,117
4th:         Dave Fricke, Hamilton, Ohio, five bass, 9-4, $1,117
6th:         Jeffrey Cummins, Marion, Ohio, five bass, 9-2, $945
7th:         Benjamin Quisno, Waynesville, Ohio, five bass, 8-12, $859
8th:         Dan Fry, Marysville, Ohio, five bass, 8-11, $973
9th:         Tanner Ward, Woodsfield, Ohio, five bass, 8-9, $687
10th:      Brandon Cline, Wheelersburg, Ohio, five bass, 8-5, $601

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Jarrett Martin of Mansfield, Ohio, caught a largemouth weighing 4 pounds, 6 ounces – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division – to earn the day’s Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $795.

Jeffrey Smith won the Strike King Co-angler Division and $2,512 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 10 pounds, 1 ounce.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:

1st:          Jeffrey Smith, five bass, 10-1, $2,512
2nd:        Jacob Alltop, Lewistown, Ohio, five bass, 8-13, $1,256
3rd:        Braden Fairbanks, five bass, 6-15, $712
3rd:        Brian Reynolds, five bass, 6-15, $712
5th:         Justin Smith, Middletown, Ohio, four bass, 6-10, $602
6th:         Brad Lyon, Dublin, Ohio, five bass, 6-7, $461
7th:         Aaron Lewis, five bass, 5-13, $419
8th:         Christopher Chapman, four bass, 5-11, $377
9th:         Howard Smith, Hamilton, Ohio, three bass, 5-7, $535
10th:      Brent Wilkens, Hamilton, Ohio, four bass, 5-4, $293

Larry Dew of Allison Park, Pennsylvania, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 3 pounds, 2 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Berkley Big Bass Co-angler award of $387.

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.

by AnglersChannel

Akemon Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Lake Cumberland

Chambers Bests Strike King Co-Angler Division Field

MONTICELLO, Ky. (May 23, 2022) – Boater Jason Akemon of McKee, Kentucky, caught five bass Saturday weighing 16 pounds, 6 ounces, to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on Lake Cumberland . The tournament was the third event for the Bass Fishing League Mountain Division. Akemon earned $5,550 for his victory.

“I went looking for post-spawn largemouth that might be up feeding on shad, but I didn’t find any,” Akemon said. “What I did find was fish on the inside edge of the short pockets on the main lake. If there was mud with big chunk rock, there were smallmouth there. They were stacked up in 10 to 15 feet just sitting there.”

Akemon said he targeted the smallmouth with a Keitech 3.3-inch Swing Impact FAT Swimbait with a ¼-ounce head. He noted they bit well until the sun came out, then shied away. Akemon said he then shifted to a Carolina rig with a Zoom Super Speed Craw to catch his bass. He said he caught 15 fish during the course of the tournament, 10 of which were keepers.

“I had a limit by 10 o’clock and then just started upgrading,” Akemon said. “I won the BFL event on Lake Cumberland in 2018 by sight fishing, which is my strength. But I wanted to win it again.

“A lot of the places I caught fish were places I had been night fishing with my mentor years ago when he was teaching me to fish,” Akemon added. “So this win was pretty sentimental to me.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1st:          Jason Akemon, McKee, Ky., five bass, 16-6, $5,550
2nd:        Chip Chambers, Elizabethton, Tenn., five bass, 13-15, $2,615
3rd:        Eldon Newcomb, Mt. Vernon, Ky., five bass, 13-14, $1,609
4th:         Clay Reece, Lexington, Ky., five bass, 13-6, $1,127
5th:         Taylor Stumbo, Prestonburg, Ky., five bass, 13-4, $966
6th:         Jeff Carman, Liberty, Ky., five bass, 12-7, $804
6th:         Michael Morrison, Stamping Ground, Ky., five bass, 12-7, $804
6th:         Ryan White, Lancaster, Ky., five bass, 12-7, $1,104
9th:         Ryan Davidson, Branchland, W.V., five bass, 11-10, $1,144 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
10th:      Bailey Gay, Union, Ky., five bass, 11-8, $563

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Akemon caught a bass weighing 3 pounds, 15 ounces – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division – earning him the day’s Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $720.

Caleb Chambers of Elizabethton, Tennessee, won the Strike King Co-angler Division and $2,515 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 13 pounds, 10 ounces.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:

1st:          Caleb Chambers, Elizabethton, Tenn., five bass, 13-10, $2,515
2nd:        Ralph Feldman, Lancaster, Ky., five bass, 10-4, $1,207
3rd:        James Wheatley, Coxs Creek, Ky., four bass, 10-3, $806
4th:         Tobie Ummel, Leitchfield, Ky., three bass, 8-13, $523
4th:         Joe Harmeyer, Greensburg, Ind., four bass, 8-13, $523
6th:         Lenny Bays, Dayton, Ky., five bass, 8-11, $443
7th:         Todd Stopher, London, Ky., four bass, 7-12, $402
8th:         Andrew Adams, Science Hill, Ky., three bass, 7-11, $362
9th:         Bryan Whittaker, Richmond, Ky., four bass, 7-9, $302
9th:         Levi Allgeier, Bardstown, Ky., four bass, 7-9, $302

Barry King of Liberty, Kentucky, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 4 pounds, 8 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Berkley Big Bass Co-angler award of $360.

After three events, Tristan Abbott of Somerset, Kentucky, leads the Bass Fishing League Mountain Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 725 points, while Todd Stopher of London, Kentucky, leads the Strike King Co-Angler Division AOY race with 710 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 Smith Lake in Cullman, Alabama. Boaters will compete for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.

by AnglersChannel

Drinnon Wins Rescheduled Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Cherokee Lake

Vick Tops Strike King Co-Angler Division

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. (May 23, 2022) – Boater Bobby Drinnon of Rogersville, Tennessee, caught five bass Sunday weighing 17 pounds, 15 ounces, to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on Cherokee Lake Presented by Lithium Pros . The rescheduled tournament, hosted by the Economic Development Alliance Jefferson County, was the fourth of the season for the Bass Fishing League Volunteer Division. Drinnon earned $4,806 for his victory.

“I had a late boat draw, so I started pretty close to takeoff because I didn’t really have any place specific to go,” Drinnon said. “I just had a simple shad spawn pattern I was running. I just ran as much of that water as quickly as I could and had all of my weight by 8 o’clock.”

Drinnon said the early catch didn’t give him much comfort, because he didn’t cull a fish after 8 a.m. He said he caught the early bass on a homemade jig by throwing toward the bank in less than three feet of water and retrieving it back steadily. Drinnon said he caught 15-20 bass during the course of the day, including one he lost. All of the bass during the tournament were keepers except one.

“Overall, it was a great day, and I’m really blessed,” said Drinnon, who had three BFL wins in co-angler competition before switching to the boater side. “I knew how good the bite was, and there were a few others who figured out the bite as well, because the weights were really tight.

“I was really nervous about it, to be honest,” Drinnon added. “I felt I really needed the one that I had lost. I thought that was going to cost me, but it ended up working out.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1st:        Bobby Drinnon, Rogersville, Tenn., five bass, 17-15, $4,806
2nd:       Dale Pelfrey, Rockwood, Tenn., five bass, 17-7, $3,403 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
3rd:       Brian Vicchio, Gray, Tenn., five bass, 16-7, $2,330
4th:        Brant Grimm, Church Hill, Tenn., five bass, 16-4, $1,121
5th:        Jeff Knight, Cleveland, Tenn., five bass, 15-1, $961
6th:        Timothy Wacker, Clinton, Tenn., five bass, 15-0, $1,281
7th:        Joshua Short, Bean Station, Tenn., five bass, 14-11, $801
8th:        Bill Humbard, New Market, Tenn., five bass, 14-3, $721
9th:        Matthew Rock, Bristol, Va., five bass, 14-0, $641
10th:     Kevin Powers, Unicoi, Tenn., five bass, 13-15, $561

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Vicchio had a largemouth that weighed 5 pounds, 14 ounces that was the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division and earned the day’s Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $725.

Stephen Vick of Dandridge, Tennessee, won the Strike King Co-angler Division and $2,343 Sunday after catching five bass weighing 13 pounds, 6 ounces.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:

1st:        Stephen Vick, Dandridge, Tenn., five bass, 13-6, $2,343
2nd:       Jason Vaught, Powell, Tenn., five bass, 11-1, $1,172
3rd:       Chris Hamby, Harriman, Tenn., five bass, 10-13, $781
4th:        Matt Hall, Woodlawn, Va., four bass, 10-3, $547
5th:        Brandon Hartgrove, Hilton, Va., three bass, 9-15, $469
6th:        James Roten, West Jefferson, N.C., five bass, 9-8, $430
7th:        Steven Byrd, Maryville, Tenn., five bass, 9-7, $391
8th:        Michale Conn, Ermine, Ky., four bass, 9-2, $351
9th:        Henry Bryan, Sevierville, Tenn., five bass, 8-15, $312
10th:     Tanner Shannon, three bass, 8-9, $273

Denvelle Ketron of Kingsport, Tennessee, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 4 pounds, 15 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Berkley Big Bass Co-angler award of $345.

After four events, Jacob Woods of Loudon, Tennessee, leads the Bass Fishing League Volunteer Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 911 points, while Brad Barton of Middlesboro, Kentucky, leads the Strike King Co-Angler Division AOY race with 953 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 Smith Lake in Cullman, Alabama. Boaters will compete for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.

The 2022 Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six Regional Championships where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American. The 2022 All-American will be held June 2-4 at Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and is hosted by the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism and Visit Hot Springs.

by AnglersChannel

Anders Claims Victory at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Clarks Hill Lake

Akins Wins Strike King Co-Angler Division

APPLING, Ga. (May 23, 2022) – Boater Joe Anders of Easley, South Carolina, caught five bass Saturday weighing 19 pounds, 12 ounces, to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on Clarks Hill Lake . The tournament, hosted by the Columbia County Board of Commissioners, was the fourth event for the Bass Fishing League Savannah River Division. Anders earned $11,117, including a $7,000 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus, for his victory.

“I had a good practice Friday,” said Anders, who notched the second BFL win of his MLF career. “I located some bigger fish shallow that were cruising on flats, and I told my fishing partner that I could win if I could get one of those fish to bite.

“I had found two or three places that I could catch the quality of fish that everyone else was catching fairly easily,” Anders continued. “I caught basically what the top 5 caught in the first hour of fishing. And then I caught my second kicker fish about 1:15.”

Anders said he targeted larger bass on flats around flooded trees in less than 2 feet of water with a Manley Custom Tackle Buzz Toad paired with an Undertaker Bait Company bluegill-colored fluke bait. He said he also relied on a Megabass Magdraft swimbait and a bluegill-colored Texas-rig. He added he caught topwater fish on an Evergreen JT 95 Topwater Walking Bait .

“I was due for this win,” Anders said. “I’ve had some decent finishes at Clarks Hill before. There have been tournaments I felt I should have won, but I’ve had some mishaps – losing fish or equipment malfunctions – that cost me the win. But it wound up right this time. When it’s your time to win, it’s your time. I certainly don’t take these wins for granted, because I know how hard they are to get.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1st:          Joe Anders, Easley, S.C., five bass, 19-12, $11,117 (includes $7,000 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
2nd:        Jason Burroughs, Hodges, S.C., five bass, 17-13, $2,358
3rd:        Greg Glouse, Liberty, S.C., five bass, 16-11, $1,307
4th:         Kyle Ricker, Greenville, S.C., five bass, 16-10, $914
5th:         Todd Pearson, Anderson, S.C., five bass, 16-4, $783
6th:         Sterling Banks, Beech Island, S.C., five bass, 16-2, $718
7th:         Justin Hadden, Warrenville, S.C., five bass, 15-5, $653
8th:         Garrett Guinan, Marietta, Ga., five bass, 15-2, $588
9th:         Cole Pearson, five bass, 14-14, $522
10th:      D.J. Hadden, Appling, Ga., five bass, 14-12, $457

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.Brad Benfield of Demorest, Georgia, caught a largemouth weighing 5 pounds, 14 ounces – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division – to earn the day’s Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $520.

James Akins of Cumming, Georgia, won the Strike King Co-angler Division and $1,958 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 14 pounds, 13 ounces.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:

1st:          James Akins, Cumming, Ga., five bass, 14-13, $1,958
2nd:        Darren Jeter, Candler, N.C., five bass, 13-3, $979
3rd:        Jody Hughes, Baldwin, Ga., five bass, 10-7, $653
4th:         Johnny Hancox, West Union, S.C., three bass, 10-6, $784
4th:         Corey Veal, Royston, Ga., five bass, 10-6, $424
6th:         Dwayne Parton, Anderson, S.C., five bass, 9-13, $359
7th:         Joseph Scarlett, Columbia, S.C., five bass, 9-11, $326
8th:         Darryl Huntsinger, Canon, Ga., five bass, 9-10, $294
9th:         Joey Alexander, Salem, S.C., five bass, 9-6, $244
9th:         Kyle Davis, Liberty, S.C., five bass, 9-6, $244

Hancox caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 5 pounds, 9 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Berkley Big Bass Co-angler award of $260.After four events, Jason Burroughs of Hodges, South Carolina, leads the Bass Fishing League Savannah River Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 993 points, while Johnny Hancox of West Union, South Carolina, leads the Strike King Co-Angler Division AOY race with 956 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 Smith Lake in Cullman, Alabama. Boaters will compete for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.

by AnglersChannel

Laufenberg Bests Field at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on the Mississippi River

Swanson Wins Strike King Co-Angler Division

LA CROSSE, Wis. (May 23, 2022) – Boater Cade Laufenberg of La Crosse, Wisconsin, caught five bass Saturday weighing 17 pounds, 3 ounces, to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on the Mississippi River . The tournament, hosted by the La Crosse County Convention and Visitors Bureau, was the second event for the Bass Fishing League Great Lakes Division. Laufenberg earned $12,327, including a $7,000 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus, for his victory.

“I had a plan to go catch some largemouth first thing in the morning, and I got to my spot and there was another boat on it,” Laufenberg said. “So I had to turn around and make a 20-minute boat ride all the way back to where I came from.

“I basically had to start my mindset all over,” Laufenberg added. “I had three rods rigged for largemouth on my deck, and I had to put those away and get my smallmouth rods out.”

Laufenberg said he had two fish in the livewell when his co-angler caught a 5-pound smallmouth, and he became excited thinking he had figured out a way to post a big tournament bag. Laufenberg said he relied on a green-pumpkin Strike King Rage Twin Tail Menace Grub fished on a 1/8-ounce jighead to target the smallmouth. He said he fished the grub out of current and cast toward the bank to focus on fish in all three stages of the spawn – prespawn, spawning and post-spawn. Laufenberg said he caught 40 to 50 fish during the tournament - 20 of which were keepers.

“Once my co-angler caught that big fish it gave me the confidence to stick with the smallmouth and hop from place to place and pick one off here and there,” Laufenberg said. “Then I lucked into a bonus largemouth – a 3¾-pounder – that was the biggest fish of the day. It was a day that didn’t start the way I wanted it to, but it led me down a winning path.

“It was one of those days you hear about that when it’s your time to win, it’s your time to win, and you can’t really stop it,” Laufenberg added. “This is my hometown, and there are a lot of really talented locals who fish in these events, so when you are able to be the best on any given Saturday in a BFL tournament, you really have an accomplishment.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1st:        Cade Laufenberg, La Crosse, Wis., five bass, 17-3, $12,327 (includes $7,000 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
2nd:       Clayton Reitz, Morton, Ill., five bass, 15-13, $2,064
3rd:       Mike Gabel, St. Charles, Ill., five bass, 15-9, $1,577
4th:        Robby Tufte, Fountain City, Wis., five bass, 15-2, $963
5th:        Conner Choate, Toddville, Iowa, five bass, 15-1, $825
6th:        Darren Zumach, Onalaska, Wis., five bass, 15-0, $757
7th:        Joseph Titus, Bemidji, Minn., five bass, 14-14, $688
8th:        Tanner Bock, Davenport, Iowa, five bass, 14-10, $619
9th:        Kevin Wolfram, Chicago, Ill., five bass, 14-9, $550
10th:     Jeff Ritter, Prairie du Chien, Wis., five bass, 14-8, $457
10th:     Jacob Ambrose, La Crosse, Wis., five bass, 14-8, $457

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Joseph Vazquez of Oak Forest, Illinois, had a fish that weighed 4 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 $575.

Jason Swanson of Waterloo, Iowa, won the Strike King Co-angler Division and $2,351 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 15 pounds, 5 ounces.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:

1st:        Jason Swanson, Waterloo, Iowa, five bass, 15-5, $2,351
2nd:       Mark Folsom, Waterville, Iowa, five bass, 15-2, $1,060
2nd:       Will Ahnen, Fennimore, Wis., five bass, 15-2, $860
4th:        Chad Plaskey, West Bend, Wis., five bass, 14-14, $482
5th:        Benjamin Gusciora, Goodfield, Ill., five bass, 14-2, $413
6th:        Alan Bernicky, Joliet, Ill., five bass, 14-0, $628
7th:        Chase Traeger, Lino Lakes, Minn., five bass, 13-10, $344
8th:        Ed Remian, Schiller Park, Ill., five bass, 13-7, $292
8th:        Cody Oberfoell, Marion, Iowa, five bass, 13-7, $292
10th:     Dilan Trester, Winona, Minn., five bass, 12-14, $241

Swanson caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 5 pounds even. The catch earned him the day’s Berkley Big Bass Co-angler award of $287.

After two events, Darren Zumach of Onalaska, Wisconsin, leads the Bass Fishing League Great Lakes Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 495 points, while Alan Bernicky of Joliet, Illinois, leads the Strike King Co-Angler Division AOY race with 494 points.

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 2022 All-American will be held June 2-4 at Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and is hosted by the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism and Visit Hot Springs.

by AnglersChannel

Lilly Earns Victory at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Douglas Lake

Barton Wins Strike King Co-Angler Division

DANDRIDGE, Tenn. (May 23, 2022) – Boater Travis Lilly of Bluff City, Tennessee, caught five bass Saturday weighing 16 pounds, 5 ounces, to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on Douglas Lake Presented by Lithium Pros . The tournament, hosted by the Economic Development Alliance Jefferson County, was the third event for the Bass Fishing League Volunteer Division. Lilly earned $5,874 for his victory.

Lilly said he targeted the lower end of Douglas Lake near Flat Creek, fishing a shad spawn pattern and “whatever looked good.”

“The key was just junk fishing and being in the right place at the right time,” Lilly said. “I used a white homemade jig, a Lake Fork Flutter Spoon and an Azuma Timmy Horton Z Boss crankbait.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1st: Travis Lilly, Bluff City, Tenn., five bass, 16-5, $5,874
2nd: Corey Neece, Bristol, Tenn., five bass, 16-2, $3,045 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
3rd: Eddie Ball, Newport, Tenn., five bass, 15-4, $1,898
4th: Greg McDavid, Blountville, Tenn., five bass, 14-11, $1,487
5th: Derek Turner, Jacksboro, Tenn., five bass, 14-4, $1,018
6th: Mark Pappas, Dandridge, Tenn., five bass, 14-2, $933
7th: Jeremy Shuman, Louisville, Tenn., five bass, 13-13, $848
8th: Matthew Rock, Bristol, Va., five bass, 13-9, $721
8th: Brant Grimm, Church Hill, Tenn., five bass, 13-9, $721
10th: Corey Brooks, Louisville, Tenn., five bass, 13-8, $594

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Lilly had a largemouth that weighed 5 pounds, 7 ounces that was the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division and earned the day’s Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $785.

Brad Barton of Middlesboro, Kentucky, won the Strike King Co-angler Division and $2,607 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 12 pounds, 2 ounces.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:

1st: Brad Barton, Middlesboro, Ky., five bass, 12-2, $2,607
2nd: Keith Gunsauls, Dandridge, Tenn., four bass, 12-1, $1,635
3rd: Don Raines, five bass, 11-12, $837
4th: Hunter Cseledy, Waynesville, N.C., five bass, 11-11, $585
5th: Peyton Kent, McDonald, Tenn., five bass, 11-7, $501
6th: Jeremy Haney, Crossville, Tenn., five bass, 11-3, $460
7th: Kiel Guin, Knoxville, Tenn., five bass, 11-0, $418
8th: Nick Coker, Knoxville, Tenn., five bass, 10-14, $576
9th: Dennis Putthoff, Old Hickory, Tenn., five bass, 10-13, $334
10th: Thai Tatum, Lebanon, Va., five bass, 10-9, $277
10th: Pop Catalin, Cookeville, Tenn., five bass, 10-9, $277

Gunsauls caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 4 pounds, 12 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Berkley Big Bass Co-angler award of $382.

After three events, Jacob Woods of Loudon, Tennessee, leads the Bass Fishing League Volunteer Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 694 points, while Brad Barton of Middlesboro, Kentucky, leads the Strike King Co-Angler Division AOY race with 730 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 Smith Lake in Cullman, Alabama. Boaters will compete for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.

The 2022 Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six Regional Championships where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American. The 2022 All-American will be held June 2-4 at Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and is hosted by the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism and Visit Hot Springs.

by AnglersChannel

Michael Hood and Randy Wiggins Win the ABT on Wheeler Lake with 24.27

By Jason Duran

Decatur, Ala May 22— The Alabama Bass Trail North Division completed stop number four on Wheeler Lake. In recent years the lake has seen a huge rebound. In this event, many teams reported catching 70-100 fish throughout the day. With the return of the grass and the healthy bass population, Wheeler Lake is arguably one of, if not the best, lakes in Alabama. The team of Michael Hood and Randy Wiggins agree saying, “this is probably one of our favorite lakes right now, and to get this win against these guys, is a huge win we really wanted.”

Michael Hood and Randy Wiggins 24.27 pounds finished first. “We had a terrible practice; we fished until 3:30 on two spots and only caught 4 fish. We started our day at the first spot on a grass mat not far from take-off,” an area also found by many other teams in the event. They spent some time fishing around in the area using “a Jack Hammer Chatter bait with a Strike King green pumpkin trailer” and catching a limit of 10-11 pounds around 7:00.” Because it was so crowded and the team realized they needed to upgrade those fish to have a chance, they moved to the second area they found in practice. This area is described as a “dirt shallow area.” The team positioned the boat in “1.9 – 2.0 feet of water and made casts up shallower where we believed the fish were still spawning. We made a cast and caught a 4.08 smallmouth and made another cast to catch a 5-pound largemouth- both fish barely had enough water over their backs, so it was so shallow. We believe the fish had just moved up on a hard spot.” Most of their quality fish were caught from 10:30 to 12:00 which is usually the worst time of the day to catch quality fish. They focused their time working the shallow area and caught 15 fish culling probably 15 pounds to reach the 24.27-pounds that won the money. With this win they collected $10,000 and punched their ticket to the ABT Championship on Lake Jordan in October.

Jamie Smith and Michael Rains finished second place with 21.68. “In practice we found a little spot of fish but didn’t really know what was there. We ran straight to them this morning and got really lucky. We hadn’t seen a 5-pound fish in practice, but we caught two of them first thing. About 6:45 we had a limit and started culling from there.” The team spent the day in the Decatur Flats area just a mile or so from take-off catching fish near the river ledge. The fish they caught were post spawn fish that were making their way out to the river ledge. “We used a Freedom Tackle Chatterbait and a NetBait C-Mac 11 worm in plum apple along with American Bait Works Bait Fuel and believe it was the difference maker for us. We have fished the ABT from the beginning, and this is the third time we have finished second. We were sitting in 19^th place in AOY before this event, so hopefully this will bump us up a little more to qualify to fish the BASS Team Championship. We are headed to our home, Lake Guntersville, for the next event and are really looking forward to that.” For second place, the team collected a $5,000 check.

Tommy Reyer and Jeremy White finished in third place with 21.09. Their morning started on a spot they found late Friday afternoon in practice described by them as “a shell bed with milfoil grass surrounding it.” They began fishing the spot using a topwater but quickly realized that bait was not going to produce for them. After changing to go with a custom-made chatterbait they call “Daddy Hammer because a buddy’s daddy makes it for” them, they began to get some quality 3-pound fish catches. For the next two hours they caught fish every cast. Deciding about mid-day that they had really worked the spot over and possibly caught all the fish there, they decided to let that spot rest, so they headed down river to another spot. After sitting on the new spot about an hour, they caught one that weighed about 3-pounds. They thought about heading back to the original spot, but soon after they caught a 4-pound fish and decided to stay and continue to fish the area. About 2:00 they decided to slowly make the run back to weigh in to make sure to take good care of the fish they had. They caught about 100 fish off the first spot using baits that matched the blue gill bait fish. Those baits include a “Zoom Ol’ Monster in blue flake, a blue gill colored Senko- when we ran out of those, we use green pumpkin blue Senko and green pumpkin blue swirl Senko. We caught most of our better fish on the custom-made chatter bait in bluegill with a Strike King Menace trailer.” The team collected a $4,000 pay day for their finish.

The Top 10 places are below for a complete list of standings visit: https://www.alabamabasstrail.org/wheeler-lake/results/

There is one more event in the regular season and one more chance to qualify for the ABT Championship and the BASS Team Championship as well as the coveted title of Angler of the year. Listed below are the top 12 in AOY after 4 events:

1 Gregory Lamb/David Powell 833

2 Wesley Sams/Jordan Wiggins 826

3 Luke Kyle/Arch Cornett 803

4 Mitch Mitchell/Candler Mccollum 802

5 Justin Lane/Luke Mason 780

6 Jamie Smith/Michael Rains 765

7 Benjie Seaborn/Johnathan Seaborn 759

8 Nolen Spencer/Jonathon Reese 752

8 Jacob Davis /Chris Wages 752

10 Craig Grubbs/Matt Ferguson 740

11 Zachary Taylor/Josh Austin 738

12 Bryan Dowdy/Kyle Lewellen 727

12 Damien Willis/Tyler Kiker 727

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, and this week will feature the winners form Wheeler Lake.

by AnglersChannel

Josh Stracner scores Toyota Bonus Bucks at Fork

Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships

Long before Bassmaster Elite Series pro Josh Stracner became the 2021 Rookie of the Year award winner, he was a dominant force in amateur events around talent-rich Alabama, and subsequently, he was cashing a lot of Toyota Bonus Bucks checks.

“For a while there, back when I was fishing a lot of BFL events, the Toyota Bonus Bucks checks I’d get in the mail pretty much paid for all my entry fees,” grinned Stracner on Championship Sunday at Lake Fork.

The 97-pounds of largemouth he dredged up at the Lake Fork Bassmaster Elite using a couple different Strike King crankbaits was good enough for a 7^th place finish, and a Texas-sized Toyota Bonus Bucks check.

“I bought my 2018 Toyota Tundra 100-percent because I wanted to be eligible for Bonus Bucks. And the fact it’s a beast when it comes to towing power and reliability makes it a no-brainer to buy a Toyota as a tournament fisherman,” reasons the former commercial construction superintendent.

Best of all, you don’t have to a Bassmaster Elite Series Rookie of the Year or even a full time pro to be eligible for Bonus Bucks, but you do have to make sure you’re signed-up.

To learn more about Toyota Bonus Bucks, and to register for the program, please visit https://www.toyotatrucksbonusbucks.com/

by AnglersChannel

Livesay Wins Second-Straight Bassmaster Elite Series Title On Lake Fork

Lee Livesay of Longview, Texas, has won the 2022 Simms Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork with a four-day total of 113 pounds, 11 ounces.
Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
May 22, 2022

QUITMAN, Texas — Lee Livesay definitely expected to do well; he just never expected his second consecutive victory on his home waters to be fueled by a “junk” spot.

But that’s exactly what happened, as the Longview, Texas, pro turned in a four-day total of 113 pounds, 11 ounces to win the Simms Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork.

Livesay caught 32 pounds on Day 1 and finished just 5 ounces out of the top spot. A second-round limit of 28-10 then gave him the lead with a 4-pound margin over Brandon Palaniuk of Rathdrum, Idaho.

Livesay added 27-5 on Semifinal Saturday and entered Championship Sunday with a 3 1/2-pound advantage over Palaniuk. Then his final limit of 25-12 sealed the victory and pushed him past Palaniuk and Gerald Swindle of Guntersville, Ala. — both with 102-2 — by a margin of 11-9.

Ties are broken by the heaviest single-day weight. Palaniuk’s 30-1 limit on Day 2 topped Swindle’s Day 1 limit of 29-7.

“This week is the most stressful week ever for me because I want to do good for every single person in this crowd that supports me — friends, family, sponsors, everybody,” Livesay said. “This place is special to a lot of people, but it’s special to me because it’s home.

“It’s hard to win on your home lake, but I’m a very blessed man.”

It marked the third Elite title for Livesay, who won at Lake Fork in 2021 and Chickamauga Lake in 2020. In addition to the $100,000 first-place prize, Livesay claimed his second Century Club belt for breaking 100 pounds in a four-day event. His first was for last year’s Lake Fork winning total of 112-5.

Despite intimate Lake Fork knowledge earned through a lifetime of fishing and several years of guiding, Livesay lamented a tough tournament. The lake is down 5 1/2 feet for dam repairs, so many of the spots he fished last year were inaccessible, if not high and dry.

With several of his fishable areas failing to impress, Livesay turned to an unlikely option that ended up producing much of his weight. Located on the west side of the Lake Fork Creek arm, Livesay’s main target comprised a 40-foot by 40-foot high spot reaching into nearby timber in about 13 to 17 feet of water.

Devoid of cover, the spot had a hard bottom where large gizzard shad were congregating. Big bass would periodically pull up to feed and when they did, Livesay could expect aggressive bites.

“I caught every fish today and every one but one yesterday on a spot I found in practice that I never looked at in my life,” Livesay said. “I’ve covered every piece of water on this lake a million times over and that’s what’s crazy. I didn’t catch anything where I normally do.”

Locating this spot was more by default than intent. Nevertheless, Livesay is thankful he found it.

“I only went looking (for new spots) because the first day of practice there was another tournament here and I didn’t want to be seen on anything good. I just went looking at junk and junk turned into 100 grand.”

Livesay anchored his final limit with an 8-3 at 2:38 p.m. He caught most of his Day 4 bass on a 3/4-ounce 6th Sense Divine Hybrid Jig with a Netbait Paca Craw and a Hog Farmer Magnum Shaky Head with a Netbait C-Mac worm. His biggest fish ate a 5-inch 6th Sense Flutter Spoon.

He became the 14th angler with three Elite wins and the fourth to win Elite events in three consecutive seasons. Livesay, 36, is also the second youngest (behind Palaniuk) to reach his third Elite title.

It all happened for the Texas pro less than a month after he won his first St. Croix Bassmaster Open presented by Mossy Oak Fishing at Ross Barnett on April 30.

Palaniuk, who turned in daily weights of 26-9, 30-1, 27-13 and 17-11, earned his first Century Club belt. Spending his tournament on two main spots in the lake’s lower basin, he targeted shallow points in 10 to 25 feet. The less-obvious spots were his preference.

“These were places that I somehow managed to have to myself that didn’t have any pressure,” Palaniuk said. “I think that allowed those fish to set up and stay there. They weren’t constantly getting beat on, so I could kind of cycle back and forth and get those bites.”

Palaniuk caught most of his fish on a Rapala DT-16 and a flutter spoon.

Swindle, who added a Century Club entry to the one he earned on California’s Clear Lake in 2007, turned in daily limits of 29-7, 22-5, 29-2 and 21-4.

For much of the tournament, Swindle caught his fish by working a Zoom Magnum Trick Worm on a 3/4-ounce shaky head amid trees in the Lake Fork Creek arm. When that bite fizzled on Day 4, he transitioned to flipping a 1/2-ounce Boss jig with a Zoom Z-Craw trailer.

Swindle had earlier noticed bream rising to eat bass fry next to timber, so he tipped the trailer in chartreuse dye to match the panfish tails. After catching a limit this way, he upgraded with two bass — one a 6-13 — by fishing a big worm over a bream bed.

Late in the day, Swindle was stuck at 99 pounds, 15 ounces when he stopped on a dock en route to the weigh-in. With about 12 minutes left, he swam the Boss jig down the dock perimeter and caught a 4-pounder that pushed him over 100.

“That was the only jig that I had in my hand so I just threw it over there and started swimming it,” he said. “I was running by that dock and my gut was telling me ‘Do it, do it, do it,’ so I turned around and went back to it. If nothing else, it’s a reinforcement to always trust my gut.”

Marc Frazier of Newnan, Ga., won the $1,000 Phoenix Boats Big Bass award with the 8-12 largemouth he caught Sunday.

Florida pro Cliff Prince won the $2,000 VMC Monster Bag award with his 32-5 limit from Day 1.
Josh Stracner of Vandiver, Ala., took home an additional $3,000 for being the highest-placing entrant in the Toyota Bonus Bucks program, while Todd Auten of Lake Wylie, S.C., also earned $2,000 for being the second-highest placing entrant.

As part of the Yamaha Power Pay program, Palaniuk earned an additional $2,500 as the highest-placing entrant and Bill Lowen of Brookville, Ind., claimed an additional $1,500 for being the second-highest placing entrant.

Palaniuk leads the Progressive Insurance Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings with 442 points. John Cox of DeBary, Fla., is in second with 422, followed by David Mullins of Mt. Carmel, Tenn., with 401, Drew Benton of Blakely, Ga., with 381 and Brandon Lester of Fayetteville, Tenn., with 377.

Jay Przekurat of Stevens Point, Wis., leads the Falcon Rods Rookie of the Year standings with 320 points.

2022 Simms Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork 5/19-5/22
Lake Fork, Quitman TX.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 4

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

1. Lee Livesay Day 1: 5 32-00 2. Brandon Palaniuk Day 1: 5 26-09 3. Gerald Swindle Day 1: 5 29-07 4. Shane LeHew Day 1: 5 26-11 5. Marc Frazier Day 1: 5 20-15 6. Bryan New Day 1: 5 23-07 7. Joshua Stracner Day 1: 5 17-02 8. Bill Lowen Day 1: 5 24-12 9. Derek Hudnall Day 1: 5 24-05 10. Chris Johnston Day 1: 5 26-04 ------------------ Longview, TX 20 113-11 100 $100,000.00
Day 2: 5 28-10 Day 3: 5 27-05 Day 4: 5 25-12
Rathdrum, ID 20 102-02 99 $36,000.00
Day 2: 5 30-01 Day 3: 5 27-13 Day 4: 5 17-11
Guntersville, AL 20 102-02 98 $30,000.00
Day 2: 5 22-05 Day 3: 5 29-02 Day 4: 5 21-04
Catawba, NC 20 100-09 97 $25,000.00
Day 2: 5 24-07 Day 3: 5 21-13 Day 4: 5 27-10
Newnan, GA 20 99-01 96 $22,000.00
Day 2: 5 25-05 Day 3: 5 26-04 Day 4: 5 26-09
Saluda, SC 20 98-14 95 $19,000.00
Day 2: 5 28-14 Day 3: 5 23-00 Day 4: 5 23-09
Vandiver, AL 20 97-14 94 $18,000.00
Day 2: 5 27-00 Day 3: 5 30-10 Day 4: 5 23-02
Brookville, IN 20 96-12 93 $17,000.00
Day 2: 5 20-02 Day 3: 5 26-03 Day 4: 5 25-11
Denham Springs, LA 20 92-04 92 $16,000.00
Day 2: 5 23-02 Day 3: 5 22-09 Day 4: 5 22-04
Otonabee Ontario CANADA 20 92-02 91 $15,000.00
Day 2: 5 20-03 Day 3: 5 24-12 Day 4: 5 20-15
-----------------------------------------------------

PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1 Gary Clouse Winchester, TN 08-10 $1,000.00
2 Chad Pipkens Dewitt, MI 08-11 $1,000.00
3 Jeff Gustafson Keewatin Ontario CANADA08-09 $1,000.00
4 Marc Frazier Newnan, GA 08-12 $1,000.00

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Marc Frazier Newnan, GA 08-12 $1,000.00
VMC MONSTER BAG
Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 32-05 $2,000.00

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 85 447 1676-05
2 81 441 1605-01
3 44 224 931-15
4 10 50 234-07
----------------------------------
220 1162 4447-12

by AnglersChannel

Semento Rallies to Win Toyota Series Southern Division Finale on the Harris Chain of Lakes

LEESBURG, Fla. (May 22, 2022) – Despite only weighing in four bass totaling 9 pounds, 15 ounces that had him buried in 119^th place after Day 1, pro angler Jonathan Semento of Okahumpka, Florida, rallied on the final two days – including a 25-pound, 3-ounce final-day limit – to win the Toyota Series Presented by A.R.E. at the Harris Chain of Lakes and win the top payout of $80,500, including the lucrative $35,000 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus. Semento’s three-day total of 14 bass weighing 60-1 earned him the victory by a 3-pound, 12-ounce margin over second place pro Andrew Ready of Auburndale, Florida, who caught 15 bass weighing 56-5 to finish second and earn $17,000.

The three-day bass fishing tournament, hosted by Visit Lake County, was the third and final event of the regular season for the Toyota Series Southern Division.

“It feels great to come back from so far and win like this,” Semento told MLF reporter Rob Newell. “I was pretty frustrated that first day. But I knew those big fish were offshore and I just needed to relocate them. On the second day, I moved around a lot more and found them about 200 yards from where I caught them two weeks ago.

“What made it possible to relocate them was the fact that I had the whole lake to myself,” he added. “If 80 boats went over there every day, I wouldn’t have been able to hop around and fish as freely. Having no pressure over there was definitely a big key.”

The lake that Semento fished in was Lake Griffin, which was avoided by many tournament competitors after recent hydrilla spraying, algae blooms and rising water temperatures had colored the water into a hue that resembled pea soup. Despite the tougher conditions, Semento, a resident of nearby Okahumpka, had placed second in a local tournament after fishing in Griffin a couple of weeks ago and decided that he was going to stick with the lake for this event.

Semento’s key area in Lake Griffin was a 100-yard stretch of clumpy eelgrass in 4 to 6 feet of water. To do his work, Semento utilized two ChatterBaits: one was a 3/8-ounce golden shiner color for shallower 4-foot clumps and the other was a ½-ounce chartreuse and white model for deeper clumps in 6 feet. He trailed both with Yamamoto Zako trailers in matching colors to the ChatterBaits. He fished both on 15-pound-test P-Line.

“Sometimes with tournament fishing, it just comes down to being stubborn enough until it pays off,” Semento said. “Some people might think I was crazy to go right back over to Griffin after catching 9 pounds there the first day. But this fishing game can get personal, and it comes down to knowing you are doing the right thing even when your weigh-in ticket doesn’t reflect it the first day. I knew in my heart what lived there and I was determined to prove it.”

The top 10 pros on the Harris Chain of Lakes finished:

1^st:          Jonathan Semento, Okahumpka, Fla., 14 bass, 60-1, $80,500
2^nd:         Andrew Ready, Auburndale, Fla., 15 bass, 56-5, $17,000
3^rd:         Flint Davis, Leesburg, Ga., 15 bass, 53-10, $12,750
4^th:         Austin Baskette, Leesburg, Fla., 15 bass, 53-1, $10,750
5^th:         Kennie Steverson, Umatilla, Fla., 15 bass, 52-7, $9,750
6^th:         Eric Conant, Lakeland, Fla., 15 bass, 52-4, $8,375
7^th:         Mike Surman, Boca Raton, Fla., 15 bass, 51-10, $7,300
8^th:         Dustin Smith, Grand Island, Fla., 15 bass, 51-2, $6,300
9^th:         Val Osinski, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., 15 bass, 50-9, $5,300
10^th:       Ben McCann, Bradenton, Fla., 15 bass, 49-6, $4,200

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Pro Nolan Gaskin of Broussard, Louisiana, won the $500 Day 1 Berkley Big Bass award in the pro division Thursday with a largemouth weighing 8 pounds, 3 ounces. Grant Valkaria, Florida’s Jonathan Mickler earned Friday’s $500 Berkley Big Bass award with a 9-pound, 5-ounce kicker.

Semento took home an extra $35,000 as the highest finishing Phoenix MLF Bonus member. Boaters are eligible to win up to an extra $35,000 per event in each Toyota Series tournament if all requirements are met. More information on the Phoenix MLF Bonus contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.

Nate Bloom of Winter Springs, Florida, won the Strike King Co-angler Division Saturday with a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 37 pounds, 10 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 Harris Chain of Lakes finished:

1^st:          Nate Bloom, Winter Springs, Fla., 15 bass, 37-10, Phoenix 518 Pro boat w/115-hp Mercury outboard
2^nd:         Mason Chapman, Lenexa, Kan., 15 bass, 37-7, $5,375
3^rd:         William Lewis, Jacksonville, Fla., 15 bass, 36-7, $4,300
4^th:         Billy Schwach, Summerville, S.C., 15 bass, 36-2, $3,650
5^th:         Shane Zelazo, Pollocksville, N.C., 15 bass, 36-0, $3,150
6^th:         Hunter Kaiser, Lakeland, Fla., 13 bass, 35-3, $2,650
7^th:         Colten Drawdy, Plant City, Fla., 15 bass, 34-15, $2,150
8^th:         Erik Kraft, Port Saint Lucie, Fla., 14 bass, 33-12, $1,825
9^th:         Blaine Partee, Oviedo, Fla., 15 bass, 33-5, $1,530
10^th:       Jeff Turner, Plainfield, Ill., 15 bass, 33-5, $1,490

The Day 1 Berkley Big Bass $150 award winner in the Strike King co-angler division, was Justin Thompson of Marshall, Virginia, with an 8-pound, 15-ounce bass, while the Day 2 $150 award went to Hunter Rudd of Leesburg, Georgia, who weighed in a 7-pound, 15-ounce largemouth.

Now that the three regular-season events in the Toyota Series Southern Division are complete, pro Christian Greico of Tampa, Florida, has won the Toyota Series Southern Division Pro Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 711 points, while Mason Chapman of Lenexa, Kansas – son of Bass Pro Tour angler Brent Chapman – won the Strike King Co-Angler Division AOY race with 757 points.

The next event for Toyota Series anglers will take place June 1-3 – the Toyota Series Presented by A.R.E. at the California Delta in Bethel Island, California. For a complete schedule, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.

by AnglersChannel

Late Rally Lifts Gregory To Bassmaster Kayak Series Win On Smith Lake

Drew Gregory of Kent, Ohio, has won the 2022 Yamaha Rightwaters Bassmaster Kayak Series at Lewis Smith Lake powered by TourneyX with a five-fish limit of 89.5 inches.

Photo by Mark Cisneros/B.A.S.S.

May 21, 2022

JASPER, Ala. — Drew Gregory of Kent, Ohio, gave his new kayak the best possible debut by totaling 89.5 inches and earning the victory at the Yamaha Rightwaters Bassmaster Kayak Series at Lewis Smith Lake powered by TourneyX.

With his best five bass measuring 19.75, 19.25, 17.25, 16.75 and 16.5 inches, Gregory earned the first-place prize of $3,000.

Making the maiden trip in the 11-foot, 10-inch Crescent Kayaks Shoalie that he designed, Gregory fished the narrow reaches of creeks on Smith’s upper end. He targeted shallow, clear water where Alabama (spotted) bass roam.

“I like to get way back in these creeks where there would be low, clear-water pools, then the water would go down some riffles into another pool,” Gregory said. “The fish were around any wood that was in the water. I’d also fish any rock in the middle or anywhere they could sit and ambush.”

Gregory caught his bass on a spinnerbait and a River2Sea Whopper Plopper. If a fish missed the topwater, he’d follow up with a Z-Man MiniMax ChatterBait in a bream pattern with a 4-inch green pumpkin Z-Man Diesel MinnowZ trailer that he shortened slightly.

Gregory said his day started slowly and by about 1:30 p.m., he had only what he considered a mid-pack total. His day changed dramatically when he located a pool that was loaded with aggressive fish.

“Between 1:30 and 2:10 I replaced my entire (total), Gregory said. “I locked the Whopper Plopper in my hand and hit the right pools.”

With the fish extremely wary in the high visibility, Gregory made long casts and eventually resorted to fishing from a seated position. His preferred standing position, he said, would spook the fish.

In April, Gregory took home his first Bassmaster Kayak Series title on Oklahoma's Grand Lake.

Chris Hartman of Jacksonville, Ark., placed second with 89 inches. Fishing out of a 13.2 Old Town Predator PDL, he fished a creek on the lake’s southeast end and fared best when targeting shaded areas with a finesse presentation.

“I started out throwing a little bit of everything, then I figured out that the fish weren’t up against the bank, they were up against trees in 2 to 3 feet of water,” Hartman said. “I caught all my fish on a green pumpkin YUM Dinger on a 1/16-ounce VMC weighted wacky jig.”

Harman caught about 20 fish by 10:30, then his bite slowed. His best five measured 19, 18.75, 18, 17.25 and 16 inches. Hartman won $1,500.

Tim Perkins of Heflin, Ala., placed third with 84.75 inches. His best five bass went 19.75, 18.25, 17.5, 14.75 and 14.5 inches. He earned $1,000.

Fishing from a Woodland Systems Recon 120 with a Torqueedo electric motor, Perkins stayed in the Butlers Brand area, where he focused on buck brush along the edge of a branch channel and caught his bass in a foot of water or less.

Perkins used a 3/8-ounce chartreuse and white Redline River Series spinnerbait with tandem willow-leaf and Colorado blades and a Zoom Twin Tail trailer. He chose this bait to mimic the bream he found in his area.

“I did best when the wind was breaking up my profile and the sun was out,” Perkins said.

Greg Harper, who finished ninth, won the $500 Big Bass award for his 21-inch fish.

by AnglersChannel

Livesay Maintains Lead In Bassmaster Elite Series Event On Lake Fork

Lee Livesay of Longview, Texas, is leading after Day 3 of the 2022 Simms Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork with a three-day total of 87 pounds, 15 ounces.
Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
May 21, 2022

QUITMAN, Texas — Despite a lifetime of fishing Lake Fork and several years of guiding on the East Texas powerhouse, Lee Livesay found something he’d never seen before and that revelation delivered a Day 3 limit of 27 pounds, 5 ounces that kept him atop the Simms Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork with a three-day weight of 87-15.

Livesay heads into Championship Sunday with a 3 1/2-pound advantage over Idaho superstar Brandon Palaniuk — and he credits much of his success to that new discovery.

“Most of the fish I’ve caught this week have come from a spot I’ve never even caught a bass on,” said Livesay, who won his first St. Croix Bassmaster Open presented by Mossy Oak Fishing at Ross Barnett on April 30. “I found them the first day of practice and thought they were little, but they grew. I got lucky yesterday and got an 8-pounder on another spot where it was just her.”

Livesay knows Fork intimately, but the spot he’s leveraging this week was so unassuming that it had never caught his eye. During practice, another tournament crowded the lake’s diminished waters — the lake level is down 5 1/2 feet for dam repairs — so Livesay searched for less obvious spots.

“I went looking at off-the-wall stuff I’d never looked at,” he said. “When I found them, I thought they were catfish. I came back the second day of practice and caught two under 4 pounds.

“I kind of wrote it off because usually a big one will bite before the little ones. But I went to it (during the tournament) and caught most of my bag there yesterday and all but my biggest one there today.”

Livesay described his spot as a small point reaching into the standing timber with a high spot. That 30-foot by 30-foot section has hard bottom where bass pull up to feed.

While the first two days saw Livesay catching fish early and securing all of his weight by late morning, Saturday kept him waiting until 9:15 a.m. for his first keeper. Another difference: Livesay couldn’t find the big afternoon bites the first two days, but he caught an 8-2 Saturday shortly after noon.

That kicker came off a deep point that was loaded with white bass — a common forage for Lake Fork giants.

Livesay caught all of his bass on a 6th Sense Divine Hybrid Jig with a Netbait Paca Craw.

Palaniuk caught 26-9 on Day 1 to place eighth before adding a second-round limit of 30-1 — his first limit of 30-plus in Bassmaster competition — to rise to second. His Day 3 bag of 27-13 gave the former Bassmaster Angler of the Year a total of 84-7.

While many anglers reported flurries of activity, Palaniuk caught one good fish each hour from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. He started with a 5-1 at 7:21, added a 3-9 at 8:44, then a 3-10 (9:01), a 6-6 (10:03), a 5-15 (11:46) and a 6-13 (12:06).

“Yesterday, I had a major flurry; today I just didn’t,” Palaniuk said. “The fish were moving around a lot, they wouldn’t stay in my places and really set up.

“I would have thought that with today’s lighter wind, they would have hunkered down, but with less wind, the bait’s probably moving differently, it’s not pushed up against there and the bass just moved with the bait.”

Returning to the same spots in the lake's lower basin where he fished the previous two days, Palaniuk caught his bass over hard bottom with a variety of Rapala crankbaits and a big spoon.

Gerald Swindle of Guntersville, Ala., is in third place with 80-14. After placing third on Day 1 with 29-7, he added 22-5 and slipped to fourth on Day 2. His Day 3 limit of 29-2 helped him move up a notch with 80-14.

Swindle said the key to surging ahead Saturday was switching locations and baits. He spent the majority of his day flipping a Zoom Magnum Trick Worm on a 3/4-ounce shaky head amid trees in the Lake Fork Creek arm. With more than half his day gone, Swindle relocated to a point in 25 feet of water and picked up a deep-diving crankbait.

“I left that area and I had about 26 pounds; I’d done all I could do and I guarded it a while to make sure they didn’t keep biting,” Swindle said. “At noon, I was convinced they were not going to bite the rest of the day, so I went and checked one more point.

“I graphed the point and (the fish) that were there the second day of practice hadn’t been there in the tournament, but I pulled in there today and I’m like, ‘Well, there they are.’ I caught a 6-4 and a 5-6 off of it. I caught two more 4s and a 3 that wouldn’t help me.”

Notably, Swindle had just switched to a lighter-action rod prior to catching his 5-6. That fish was hooked in the top of the head — a common occurrence with treble-hook baits — and the new rod’s flexibility allowed him to finesse it to the boat without popping the hook loose.

Chad Pipkens of DeWitt, Mich., still leads for Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors with an 8-11 largemouth.

Day 1 leader Cliff Prince of Palatka, Fla., leads the race for VMC Monster Bag with his 32-5 limit from Day 1.

Jay Przekurat of Stevens Point, Wis., leads the Falcon Rods Rookie of the Year standings with 320 points.

The Top 10 remaining anglers will take off at 7 a.m. CT Sunday from SRA Headquarters — Lake Fork. The weigh-in will be held at the same location at 3:10 p.m., with the winner earning $100,000. 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 Simms Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork 5/19-5/22
Lake Fork, Quitman TX.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 3

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

1. Lee Livesay Longview, TX 15 87-15 100
Day 1: 5 32-00 Day 2: 5 28-10 Day 3: 5 27-05
2. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 15 84-07 99
Day 1: 5 26-09 Day 2: 5 30-01 Day 3: 5 27-13
3. Gerald Swindle Guntersville, AL 15 80-14 98
Day 1: 5 29-07 Day 2: 5 22-05 Day 3: 5 29-02
4. Bryan New Saluda, SC 15 75-05 97
Day 1: 5 23-07 Day 2: 5 28-14 Day 3: 5 23-00
5. Joshua Stracner Vandiver, AL 15 74-12 96
Day 1: 5 17-02 Day 2: 5 27-00 Day 3: 5 30-10
6. Shane LeHew Catawba, NC 15 72-15 95
Day 1: 5 26-11 Day 2: 5 24-07 Day 3: 5 21-13
7. Marc Frazier Newnan, GA 15 72-08 94
Day 1: 5 20-15 Day 2: 5 25-05 Day 3: 5 26-04
8. Chris Johnston Otonabee Ontario CANADA 15 71-03 93
Day 1: 5 26-04 Day 2: 5 20-03 Day 3: 5 24-12
9. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 15 71-01 92
Day 1: 5 24-12 Day 2: 5 20-02 Day 3: 5 26-03
10. Derek Hudnall Denham Springs, LA 15 70-00 91
Day 1: 5 24-05 Day 2: 5 23-02 Day 3: 5 22-09
11. Todd Auten Lake Wylie, SC 15 69-04 90 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-05 Day 2: 5 24-08 Day 3: 5 25-07
12. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 15 67-14 89 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 22-14 Day 2: 5 23-13 Day 3: 5 21-03
13. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 15 67-12 88 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 28-07 Day 2: 5 16-10 Day 3: 5 22-11
14. Kenta Kimura Osaka JAPAN 15 67-12 87 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-11 Day 2: 5 28-01 Day 3: 5 23-00
15. Tyler Rivet Raceland, LA 15 66-15 86 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 22-04 Day 2: 5 21-05 Day 3: 5 23-06
16. Caleb Kuphall Mukwonago, WI 15 66-03 85 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 25-05 Day 2: 5 16-14 Day 3: 5 24-00
17. Matt Robertson Kuttawa, KY 15 66-00 84 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 23-02 Day 2: 5 20-06 Day 3: 5 22-08
18. Pat Schlapper Eleva, WI 15 65-14 83 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-07 Day 2: 5 26-06 Day 3: 5 20-01
19. Chad Pipkens Dewitt, MI 15 65-05 82 $11,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-12 Day 2: 5 27-08 Day 3: 5 19-01
20. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 15 65-04 81 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 32-05 Day 2: 5 18-06 Day 3: 5 14-09
21. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 15 64-02 80 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 27-07 Day 2: 5 21-07 Day 3: 5 15-04
22. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 15 63-13 79 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 20-13 Day 2: 5 21-13 Day 3: 5 21-03
23. Matty Wong Honolulu, HI 15 63-06 78 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 27-11 Day 2: 5 13-06 Day 3: 5 22-05
24. Jeff Gustafson Keewatin Ontario CANADA 15 63-03 77 $11,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-06 Day 2: 5 18-10 Day 3: 5 26-03
25. Seth Feider New Market, MN 15 62-09 76 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 24-05 Day 2: 5 17-06 Day 3: 5 20-14
26. Scott Canterbury Odenville, AL 15 60-15 75 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-02 Day 2: 5 15-15 Day 3: 5 25-14
27. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 15 60-15 74 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 24-11 Day 2: 5 15-05 Day 3: 5 20-15
28. Jacob Foutz Charleston, TN 15 60-11 73 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 24-00 Day 2: 5 16-14 Day 3: 5 19-13
29. Jason Christie Park Hill, OK 15 60-02 72 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-08 Day 2: 5 19-12 Day 3: 5 18-14
30. Jamie Hartman Newport, NY 15 59-15 71 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 23-06 Day 2: 5 19-08 Day 3: 5 17-01
31. Carl Jocumsen Queensland AUSTRALIA 15 57-10 70 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-13 Day 2: 5 24-15 Day 3: 5 17-14
32. John Cox Debary, FL 15 57-09 69 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-14 Day 2: 5 23-03 Day 3: 5 12-08
33. Gregory DiPalma Millville, NJ 15 57-08 68 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 23-05 Day 2: 5 21-04 Day 3: 5 12-15
34. Patrick Walters Summerville, SC 15 57-08 67 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-03 Day 2: 5 22-09 Day 3: 5 19-12
35. Daisuke Aoki Minamitsurugun Yamanash 15 57-08 66 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-06 Day 2: 5 17-08 Day 3: 5 18-10
36. Jacob Powroznik North Prince George, VA 15 57-03 65 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-02 Day 2: 5 21-13 Day 3: 5 19-04
37. Josh Douglas Isle, MN 14 56-12 64 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 25-05 Day 2: 4 10-02 Day 3: 5 21-05
38. Skylar Hamilton Dandridge, TN 15 56-08 63 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 20-10 Day 2: 5 17-15 Day 3: 5 17-15
39. Darold Gleason Many, LA 15 56-03 62 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 23-04 Day 2: 5 19-08 Day 3: 5 13-07
40. Chris Zaldain Fort Worth, TX 14 54-09 61 $10,000.00
Day 1: 4 17-15 Day 2: 5 18-02 Day 3: 5 18-08
41. Drew Benton Blakely, GA 15 54-07 60 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-10 Day 2: 5 20-07 Day 3: 5 17-06
42. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 15 53-14 59 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-15 Day 2: 5 19-15 Day 3: 5 19-00
43. Ed Loughran III Richmond, VA 15 51-06 58 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-06 Day 2: 5 13-06 Day 3: 5 16-10
44. Luke Palmer Coalgate, OK 15 51-00 57 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-13 Day 2: 5 17-04 Day 3: 5 14-15
45. Jay Yelas Turner, OR 10 46-03 56 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 23-04 Day 2: 5 22-15 Day 3: 0 00-00
46. Bob Downey Detroit Lakes, MN 13 45-07 55 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-02 Day 2: 5 23-13 Day 3: 3 05-08
47. Matt Herren Ashville, AL 9 37-00 54 $10,000.00
Day 1: 3 11-12 Day 2: 5 22-09 Day 3: 1 02-11
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1 Gary Clouse Winchester, TN 08-10 $1,000.00
2 Chad Pipkens Dewitt, MI 08-11 $1,000.00
3 Jeff Gustafson Keewatin Ontario CANADA08-09 $1,000.00

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 85 447 1676-05
2 81 441 1605-01
3 44 224 931-15
----------------------------------
210 1112 4213-05

by AnglersChannel

Livesay Takes Day 2 Lead In Bassmaster Elite Series Slugfest On Lake Fork

Lee Livesay of Longview, Texas, is leading after Day 2 of the 2022 Simms Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork with a two-day total of 60 pounds, 10 ounces.
Photo by Andy Crawford/B.A.S.S.
May 20, 2022

Livesay Takes Day 2 Lead In Bassmaster Elite Series Slugfest On Lake Fork

QUITMAN, Texas — Lee Livesay couldn’t find what he was looking for, but the pro from Longview, Texas, found what he needed to lead Day 2 of the Simms Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork with a total weight of 60 pounds, 10 ounces.

Livesay, who won last year’s Lake Fork event, started the day trailing opening-round leader Cliff Prince of Palatka, Fla., by 5 ounces. But after adding 28-10 to his first-round weight of 32 pounds, Livesay heads into Semifinal Saturday leading Brandon Palaniuk of Rathdrum, Idaho, by 4 pounds.

An active morning saw Livesay catch all of his weight by 10 a.m. Anchoring his bag with a 7-10, he spent the rest of the day searching for one of the mega-schools that he knows hold the caliber of bass that could’ve pushed his total past his Day 1 effort.

“I had a 4-11 and I jumped one good one off that would have helped me a little bit,” Livesay said. “I thought for sure I was going to run into a school that was right to catch a 7-plus-pounder this afternoon, but it just didn’t happen.

“Obviously, I’m happy with leading the tournament. I can’t complain; I’m just a little frustrated not finding a new group yet.”

Livesay said he’s hopeful that a smaller Day 3 field — only the Top 47 competitors — will afford him greater opportunities. With Lake Fork’s water level down about 5 feet for dam repairs, plus big winds rendering a lot of areas unfishable, Livesay struggled to find anything that would cull.

“I’m thinking that losing 45 guys tomorrow is going to let some stuff rest a little bit,” Livesay said. “I haven’t been able to get on anything that was fresh in the afternoon, and the wind has been blowing so hard I haven’t been able to backtrack on my schools.

“It’s going to take a lot of luck, and I think I’m going to need a fresh group or two of fish to keep it going.”

Coming off his first St. Croix Bassmaster Open presented by Mossy Oak Fishing win at Ross Barnett on April 30, Livesay started his day fishing a point in 8 to 14 feet. He caught one of his keepers there and then moved deeper to the 12- to 15-foot range.

“One of my deeper fish came on a spot where a timber edge and a fenceline come together; there’s a high, hard spot there with a channel swing,” he said. “The other ones were on a little point with timber.”

Livesay caught his bass on a 6th Sense Crush 300DD crankbait, a 6th Sense Divine Hybrid Jig with a NetBait Paca Craw and a Hog Farmer hair jig. He said the crankbait fish preferred a fast presentation. Also, positioning was key.

“When I’m throwing in that timber, I’m trying to get the best angle to get the fish out of the timber,” he said. “I usually like to stay farther away from them when I’m casting to them, but you have to be able to get them out.”

After his offshore searching came up empty, Livesay moved shallow and threw a topwater. He caught a few bass that way, but none upgraded his weight.

Palaniuk, who placed eighth on Day 1 with 26-9, added 30-1 for a 56-10 total. This was Palaniuk’s first 30-pound limit in his Bassmaster career.

“It was awesome — I’ve been trying to do that for years,” Palaniuk said. “I got close this year at Santee Cooper, I’ve been close other times before, so when I caught that last 6-pounder today, I was excited.

“I was stuck at 28 pounds forever with a 4-pounder, and I had lost a 6-pounder earlier in the day and it was just eating at me and eating at me. I finally caught that 6-2 around 1:00.”

Palaniuk attributed his success to investing the time to locate the right groups of fish. Bass school by size, so he referenced his practice search, during which his Humminbird MEGA Imaging allowed him to identify groups of higher-quality fish.

Fishing the lake's lower basin, Palaniuk caught his bass over hard bottom with a variety of Rapala crankbaits.

Bryan New of Saluda, S.C., is in third place with 52-5. After placing 17th on Day 1 with 23-7, he added 28-14.

Rotating through a series of spots — mostly hard bottom on long points — New tried to intercept groups of bass as they moved up to feed. One fortunate encounter yielded a 15-minute flurry that included two fish in the 7-pound class, a 6 and a 5.

“I was just running around and trying to get on a place,” New said. “If you get on a place at the right time, and can get them going, it happens that quick.”

New caught his fish on a Spro Little John Super DD, a hollow-belly swimbait and a Zoom Magnum Trick Worm on a Greenfish Tackle football head. His two biggest ate the swimbait.

Chad Pipkens of DeWitt, Mich., is in the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors with an 8-11 largemouth.

Prince is currently in the lead for the VMC Monster Bag with his 32-5 limit from Day 1.

Palaniuk leads the Progressive Insurance Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings with 442 points. John Cox of DeBary, Fla., is in second with 438, followed by David Mullins of Mt. Carmel, Tenn., with 415, Drew Benton of Blakely, Ga., with 383 and Brandon Lester of Fayetteville, Tenn., with 374.

Jay Przekurat of Stevens Point, Wis., leads the Falcon Rods Rookie of the Year standings with 320 points.

Saturday’s takeoff is scheduled for 7 a.m. CT at SRA Headquarters — Lake Fork. The weigh-in will be held at the same location at 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.

2022 Simms Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork 5/19-5/22
Lake Fork, Quitman TX.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 2

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

1. Lee Livesay Longview, TX 10 60-10 100
Day 1: 5 32-00 Day 2: 5 28-10
2. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 10 56-10 99
Day 1: 5 26-09 Day 2: 5 30-01
3. Bryan New Saluda, SC 10 52-05 98
Day 1: 5 23-07 Day 2: 5 28-14
4. Gerald Swindle Guntersville, AL 10 51-12 97
Day 1: 5 29-07 Day 2: 5 22-05
5. Shane LeHew Catawba, NC 10 51-02 96
Day 1: 5 26-11 Day 2: 5 24-07
6. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 10 50-11 95
Day 1: 5 32-05 Day 2: 5 18-06
7. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 10 48-14 94
Day 1: 5 27-07 Day 2: 5 21-07
8. Derek Hudnall Denham Springs, LA 10 47-07 93
Day 1: 5 24-05 Day 2: 5 23-02
9. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 10 46-11 92
Day 1: 5 22-14 Day 2: 5 23-13
10. Chris Johnston Otonabee Ontario CANADA 10 46-07 91
Day 1: 5 26-04 Day 2: 5 20-03
11. Chad Pipkens Dewitt, MI 10 46-04 90 $1,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-12 Day 2: 5 27-08
12. Marc Frazier Newnan, GA 10 46-04 89
Day 1: 5 20-15 Day 2: 5 25-05
13. Jay Yelas Turner, OR 10 46-03 88
Day 1: 5 23-04 Day 2: 5 22-15
14. Pat Schlapper Eleva, WI 10 45-13 87
Day 1: 5 19-07 Day 2: 5 26-06
15. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 10 45-01 86
Day 1: 5 28-07 Day 2: 5 16-10
16. John Cox DeBary, FL 10 45-01 85
Day 1: 5 21-14 Day 2: 5 23-03
17. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 10 44-14 84
Day 1: 5 24-12 Day 2: 5 20-02
18. Kenta Kimura Osaka JAPAN 10 44-12 83
Day 1: 5 16-11 Day 2: 5 28-01
19. Gregory DiPalma Millville, NJ 10 44-09 82
Day 1: 5 23-05 Day 2: 5 21-04
20. Joshua Stracner Vandiver, AL 10 44-02 81
Day 1: 5 17-02 Day 2: 5 27-00
21. Todd Auten Lake Wylie, SC 10 43-13 80
Day 1: 5 19-05 Day 2: 5 24-08
22. Tyler Rivet Raceland, LA 10 43-09 79
Day 1: 5 22-04 Day 2: 5 21-05
23. Matt Robertson Kuttawa, KY 10 43-08 78
Day 1: 5 23-02 Day 2: 5 20-06
24. Jamie Hartman Newport, NY 10 42-14 77
Day 1: 5 23-06 Day 2: 5 19-08
25. Darold Gleason Many, LA 10 42-12 76
Day 1: 5 23-04 Day 2: 5 19-08
26. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 10 42-10 75
Day 1: 5 20-13 Day 2: 5 21-13
27. Caleb Kuphall Mukwonago, WI 10 42-03 74
Day 1: 5 25-05 Day 2: 5 16-14
28. Seth Feider New Market, MN 10 41-11 73
Day 1: 5 24-05 Day 2: 5 17-06
29. Jason Christie Park Hill, OK 10 41-04 72
Day 1: 5 21-08 Day 2: 5 19-12
30. Matty Wong Honolulu, HI 10 41-01 71
Day 1: 5 27-11 Day 2: 5 13-06
31. Jacob Foutz Charleston, TN 10 40-14 70
Day 1: 5 24-00 Day 2: 5 16-14
32. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 10 40-00 69
Day 1: 5 24-11 Day 2: 5 15-05
33. Bob Downey Detroit Lakes, MN 10 39-15 68
Day 1: 5 16-02 Day 2: 5 23-13
34. Carl Jocumsen Queensland AUSTRALIA 10 39-12 67
Day 1: 5 14-13 Day 2: 5 24-15
35. Daisuke Aoki Minamitsurugun Yamanash 10 38-14 66
Day 1: 5 21-06 Day 2: 5 17-08
36. Skylar Hamilton Dandridge, TN 10 38-09 65
Day 1: 5 20-10 Day 2: 5 17-15
37. Jacob Powroznik North Prince George, VA 10 37-15 64
Day 1: 5 16-02 Day 2: 5 21-13
38. Patrick Walters Summerville, SC 10 37-12 63
Day 1: 5 15-03 Day 2: 5 22-09
39. Drew Benton Blakely, GA 10 37-01 62
Day 1: 5 16-10 Day 2: 5 20-07
40. Jeff Gustafson Keewatin Ontario CANADA 10 37-00 61
Day 1: 5 18-06 Day 2: 5 18-10
41. Luke Palmer Coalgate, OK 10 36-01 60
Day 1: 5 18-13 Day 2: 5 17-04
42. Chris Zaldain Fort Worth, TX 9 36-01 59
Day 1: 4 17-15 Day 2: 5 18-02
43. Josh Douglas Isle, MN 9 35-07 58
Day 1: 5 25-05 Day 2: 4 10-02
44. Scott Canterbury Odenville, AL 10 35-01 57
Day 1: 5 19-02 Day 2: 5 15-15
45. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 10 34-14 56
Day 1: 5 14-15 Day 2: 5 19-15
46. Ed Loughran III Richmond, VA 10 34-12 55
Day 1: 5 21-06 Day 2: 5 13-06
47. Matt Herren Ashville, AL 8 34-05 54
Day 1: 3 11-12 Day 2: 5 22-09
48. David Williams Newton, NC 10 34-00 53 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 14-05 Day 2: 5 19-11
49. Drew Cook Cairo, GA 10 33-12 52 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 13-00 Day 2: 5 20-12
50. Cory Johnston Cavan CANADA 10 33-09 51 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 18-14 Day 2: 5 14-11
51. Kyle Welcher Opelika, AL 10 33-07 50 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 10-02 Day 2: 5 23-05
52. Joseph Webster Hamilton, AL 10 32-12 49 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 16-03 Day 2: 5 16-09
53. Buddy Gross Chattanooga, TN 10 32-09 48 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 14-07 Day 2: 5 18-02
54. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 8 32-05 47 $2,500.00
Day 1: 3 14-10 Day 2: 5 17-11
55. Michael Iaconelli Pittsgrove, NJ 10 32-02 46 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 11-00 Day 2: 5 21-02
56. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 10 32-02 45 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 16-13 Day 2: 5 15-05
57. Caleb Sumrall New Iberia, LA 10 31-08 44 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 17-12 Day 2: 5 13-12
58. Justin Hamner Northport, AL 10 31-07 43 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 09-02 Day 2: 5 22-05
59. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 10 31-05 42 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 21-08 Day 2: 5 09-13
60. Clent Davis Montevallo, AL 10 31-05 41 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 15-02 Day 2: 5 16-03
61. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 10 30-13 40 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 13-04 Day 2: 5 17-09
62. Clark Wendlandt Leander, TX 10 30-11 39 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 17-12 Day 2: 5 12-15
63. Brandon Cobb Greenwood, SC 10 30-09 38 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 15-10 Day 2: 5 14-15
64. David Fritts Lexington, NC 8 30-06 37
Day 1: 5 21-03 Day 2: 3 09-03
65. Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 9 30-04 36
Day 1: 5 18-02 Day 2: 4 12-02
66. Matt Arey Shelby, NC 10 29-13 35
Day 1: 5 16-15 Day 2: 5 12-14
67. Mike Huff London, KY 10 29-13 34
Day 1: 5 15-03 Day 2: 5 14-10
68. Hank Cherry Jr Lincolnton, NC 10 29-06 33
Day 1: 5 11-07 Day 2: 5 17-15
69. Cody Huff Ava, MO 9 29-05 32
Day 1: 5 18-07 Day 2: 4 10-14
70. Jake Whitaker Fairview, NC 10 29-02 31
Day 1: 5 17-01 Day 2: 5 12-01
71. Masayuki Matsushita Tokoname-Shi JAPAN 10 28-05 30
Day 1: 5 12-14 Day 2: 5 15-07
72. Taku Ito Chiba JAPAN 10 28-04 29
Day 1: 5 11-13 Day 2: 5 16-07
73. Micah Frazier Newnan, GA 10 27-13 28
Day 1: 5 14-13 Day 2: 5 13-00
74. Jay Przekurat Stevens Point, WI 10 27-09 27
Day 1: 5 14-00 Day 2: 5 13-09
75. Hunter Shryock Ooltewah, TN 10 27-03 26
Day 1: 5 16-12 Day 2: 5 10-07
76. KJ Queen Catawba, NC 10 26-15 25
Day 1: 5 16-13 Day 2: 5 10-02
77. Frank Talley Temple, TX 10 26-12 24
Day 1: 5 12-13 Day 2: 5 13-15
78. Jason Williamson Wagener, SC 7 26-05 23
Day 1: 2 06-10 Day 2: 5 19-11
79. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 10 25-12 22
Day 1: 5 13-10 Day 2: 5 12-02
80. Ray Hanselman Jr Del Rio, TX 10 25-11 21
Day 1: 5 12-10 Day 2: 5 13-01
81. Alex Redwine Blue Ash, OH 10 25-02 20
Day 1: 5 11-07 Day 2: 5 13-11
82. Bryan Schmitt Deale, MD 8 24-11 19
Day 1: 3 06-02 Day 2: 5 18-09
83. Gary Clouse Winchester, TN 5 24-08 18 $1,000.00
Day 1: 4 18-11 Day 2: 1 05-13
84. Brandon Card Salisbury, NC 9 24-07 17
Day 1: 5 17-04 Day 2: 4 07-03
85. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 8 22-07 16
Day 1: 5 15-14 Day 2: 3 06-09
86. Jonathan Kelley Old Forge, PA 10 22-04 15
Day 1: 5 08-08 Day 2: 5 13-12
87. Scott Martin Clewiston, FL 10 22-03 14
Day 1: 5 12-13 Day 2: 5 09-06
88. Austin Felix Eden Prairie, MN 7 19-14 13
Day 1: 3 08-14 Day 2: 4 11-00
89. Chad Morgenthaler Reeds Spring, MO 8 19-13 12
Day 1: 5 13-08 Day 2: 3 06-05
90. Justin Atkins Florence, AL 8 19-07 11
Day 1: 5 14-02 Day 2: 3 05-05
91. Koby Kreiger Alva, FL 10 19-06 10
Day 1: 5 11-00 Day 2: 5 08-06
92. Wes Logan Springville, AL 8 19-04 9
Day 1: 5 13-08 Day 2: 3 05-12
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1 Gary Clouse Winchester, TN 08-10 $1,000.00
2 Chad Pipkens Dewitt, MI 08-11 $1,000.00

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 85 447 1676-05
2 81 441 1605-01
----------------------------------
166 888 3281-06

by AnglersChannel

“Legends of the Outdoors” Hall of Fame Founder - Garry Mason Releases the 2022 Event Information

May 11, 2022 – SPRINGVILLE, TN – Founder of the “Legends of the Outdoors” Hall of Fame, Garry Mason, has released the information for the 20th annual Banquet and Induction Ceremony.

We are happy to announce that we will be returning to Springfield, MO!! We will again be at the John A. & Genny Morris Convention Center for this year’s event. Come join us Saturday, August 20th. Doors will open at 9am and the event will start at 10:30. There will be a luncheon and entertainment included.

The 2022 “Legends of the Outdoors” Inductees will be: Boyd Duckett, professional angler and owner of Duckett Fishing; Bill Cooksey, outdoor writer, championship duck caller, and conservationist; Kelly Powers, championship goose caller and co-owner of Final Flight Outfitters; Michael Waddell, television show host, outdoor personality, and owner and creator of The Bone Collector; Larry Rea, outdoor writer and editor and syndicated radio show host; Tom Nelson, host of The American Archer, outdoor writer, and member of the Archery Hall of Fame;Billy Blakely, professional hunting and fishing guide and B ‘n M Pro Staff Member; and Wade Middleton, President of CareCo TV, television show host, and creator of Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Bass Fishing.

More information will be released as it becomes confirmed.

The event is open to the public. Sponsorship information and individual ticket reservations may be obtained through the “Legends of the Outdoors” website at www.legendsoftheoutdoors.com, or by calling 731-693-7770. Reservations must be made and purchased before July 31, 2022.

by AnglersChannel

Swindle plans to milk Day 1’s magic spot

Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships

Gerald Swindle has been playing this game a long time -- 24 years in fact -- and his two Bassmaster Angler of the Year titles, coupled with 19 Classic appearances prove he could make country music legend Kenny Rogers proud with his wit for knowing when to hold ‘em and when to fold ‘em.

Friday, on Day 2 of the Simm’s Bassmaster Elite Series at Lake Fork, Swindle plans to hold ‘em after smashing a 29-pound mega-limit from one magical little spot.

“To leave would be a gamble,” reasons the Team Toyota angler. “This lake is fishing way too small to think that running to different areas is a good idea, when I know I’ve got a spot that’s holding quality fish.”

The hilarious Alabama pro says he found the little honey hole in practice and caught a few good fish off it. He says he knew it had potential, but didn’t think it’d be a 29-pound glory hole.

“I had a good practice. I had days when I caught 25-pounds, but that’s not a huge deal on Lake Fork. And again, the place where I caught them today wasn’t necessarily magical in practice. But any spot that gives a man 29-pounds to start the tournament is worth milking for all it’s worth,” he grins.

Swindle says as long as he can get a good bite every hour, he’ll not leave. And his weapon of choice will be a Zoom Ol’ Monster worm on an oversized shaky head, thrown on 16-pound Sunline with his signature series 7’ 6” medium heavy rod from 13 Fishing.

“The thing that concerns me most is the south winds gusting to 30 mph. Spot-Lock technology helps, but it still allows the boat to move a little in strong winds. Boat positioning will be a huge challenge Friday,” he says.

With age comes wisdom, and after 24 years on tour, Swindle knows Friday will be a good day to play the really good hand he’s been dealt and milk it for all it’s worth.

by AnglersChannel

Prince Takes Narrow Lead In Bassmaster Elite On Windy Lake Fork

Cliff Prince of Palatka, Fla., is leading after Day 1 of the 2022 Simms Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork with 32 pounds, 5 ounces.
Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
May 19, 2022

Prince Takes Narrow Lead In Bassmaster Elite On Windy Lake Fork

QUITMAN, Texas. — Early success gave Cliff Prince the comfort and confidence to look for the big bites he needed to amass an eye-popping Day 1 limit of 32 pounds, 5 ounces that leads the Simms Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork.

Hailing from Palatka, Fla., site of the Elite season opener on the St. Johns River, Prince leads last year’s Lake Fork champion, local pro Lee Livesay of Longview, Texas, by 5 ounces.

“I had one place when I was working my way to the back of a pocket, and I caught 25 to 26 pounds off of that spot by about 9:30,” Prince said. “I caught everything I had off that first spot in about 20 minutes.

“I caught 10 fish there and they were still biting when I left.”

Knowing he had positioned himself well, Prince transitioned to a more aggressive strategy. Essentially, he became more discerning, as he sought quality over quantity.

Crowding throughout the lake, plus a strong Southwest wind blowing 15 to 20 mph, compelled him to remain in the creek where he started and diligently seek its greatest potential.

“Having 25 pounds early allowed me to go find what I found this afternoon,” he said. “I wasn’t in a hurry to go anywhere because I knew the wind was going to wipe out a lot of the stuff. I knew (big fish) live in that creek, and I knew it was the right place to be.

“I fished around in that area and tried to find something else and, late this afternoon, I tried to duplicate (my morning spot) and I ran across two other points that had some fish. On the second one I fished, I caught two 7-pounders. That’s what made the difference.”

Prince was understandably lean on details, but he did note that his morning and afternoon spots shared similar features. A particular type of bottom and specific positioning in the creek were key to his success.

Most of Prince’s bites came in 4 feet of water. Locating fish with his electronics helped him make the targeted casts that hit the right zone.

Prince said he caught a couple of keepers on a Carolina rig, but all of the bass he weighed bit reaction baits. He had two main baits — one with a moderate pace and the other, a faster presentation.

“The bigger fish like the faster bait better,” Prince said.

With Fork’s water level about 5 feet below normal pool, the lake’s fishable area has shrunk considerably. This definitely worked in Prince’s favor, as he found feeding competition whipping the concentrated fish into a frenzy.

“I used my Garmin Panoptix to see them,” Prince said. “Once you found where they were sitting, you could catch them. If they were there, they’d bite.”

Livesay is in second place with 32 pounds. While he fully expected to do most of his work in the 8- to 14-foot range during the afternoon period, Livesay ended up catching all of his weight around timber in the 18- to 25-foot range.

Fishing a 6th Sense Crush 300DD crankbait, a 6th Sense Divine Hybrid jig with a Netbait Paca Craw and a Hawg Caller Magnum Shaky Head with a 10-inch straight tail worm, Livesay anchored his bag with a 7-12. Once he reached 32, Livesay spent the rest of his day trying to find a bigger bite

“I needed a couple of 7-pounders to push my weight higher; I wanted to be closer to 35,” Livesay said. “I got lucky and caught some bigger fish than I thought I would on those mid-depth spots. I just had a good morning.

“After that, I went and looked at a bunch of other stuff, because eventually, I’m going to run out of fish. I left a bunch of fish biting in that mid-depth because I didn’t think I was going to catch the 7- to 8-pounder I needed.”

Gerald Swindle of Guntersville, Ala., is in third place with 29-7. Patience and persistence proved essential for the two-time Elite Series Angler of the Year, who struggled to find a fishable spot much of the day.

“I spent a lot of gas trying to get on two spots — those were the only two I could fish,” Swindle said. “At one point, I spent an hour and five minutes running and never stopped and got on a place.

“I ran around a bunch and I knew it was going to be that way because I had a really late boat draw. Some of the spots are so small, even if someone tells you that you can (fish a spot they’re fishing), you can’t make the right cast.”

When Swindle finally found a spot he could fish, he caught his weight on crankbaits, jigs and big worms. Targeting a hard spot amid standing timber, he used his Garmin LiveScope in conjunction with Humminbird 360 to locate the right targets and monitor fish positioning.

Gary Clouse of Winchester, Tenn., is in the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors with an 8-10 largemouth.

Prince is currently in the lead for the VMC Monster Bag.

Brandon Palaniuk of Rathdrum, Idaho, leads the Progressive Insurance Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings with 436 points. John Cox of DeBary, Fla., is in second with 429, followed by David Mullins of Mt. Carmel, Tenn., with 416, Drew Benton of Blakely, Ga., with 367 and Clifford Pirch of Payson, Ariz., with 367.

Jay Przekurat of Stevens Point, Wis., leads the Falcon Rods Rookie of the Year standings with 323 points.

Friday’s takeoff is scheduled for 7 a.m. CT at SRA Headquarters — Lake Fork. The weigh-in will be held at the same location at 3:10 p.m. Full coverage can be streamed on Bassmaster.com and FOX Sports digital platforms. Omnia Fishing and B.A.S.S. have partnered to simulcast Day 2 of Bassmaster LIVE as a shoppable stream on Omnia’s website and mobile app.

2022 Simms Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork 5/19-5/22
Lake Fork, Quitman TX.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 1

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

1. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 5 32-05 100
Day 1: 5 32-05
2. Lee Livesay Longview, TX 5 32-00 99
Day 1: 5 32-00
3. Gerald Swindle Guntersville, AL 5 29-07 98
Day 1: 5 29-07
4. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 5 28-07 97
Day 1: 5 28-07
5. Matty Wong Honolulu, HI 5 27-11 96
Day 1: 5 27-11
6. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 5 27-07 95
Day 1: 5 27-07
7. Shane LeHew Catawba, NC 5 26-11 94
Day 1: 5 26-11
8. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 5 26-09 93
Day 1: 5 26-09
9. Chris Johnston Otonabee Ontario CANADA 5 26-04 92
Day 1: 5 26-04
10. Josh Douglas Isle, MN 5 25-05 91
Day 1: 5 25-05
10. Caleb Kuphall Mukwonago, WI 5 25-05 91
Day 1: 5 25-05
12. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 5 24-12 89
Day 1: 5 24-12
13. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 5 24-11 88
Day 1: 5 24-11
14. Seth Feider New Market, MN 5 24-05 87
Day 1: 5 24-05
14. Derek Hudnall Denham Springs, LA 5 24-05 87
Day 1: 5 24-05
16. Jacob Foutz Charleston, TN 5 24-00 85
Day 1: 5 24-00
17. Bryan New Saluda, SC 5 23-07 84
Day 1: 5 23-07
18. Jamie Hartman Newport, NY 5 23-06 83
Day 1: 5 23-06
19. Gregory DiPalma Millville, NJ 5 23-05 82
Day 1: 5 23-05
20. Darold Gleason Many, LA 5 23-04 81
Day 1: 5 23-04
20. Jay Yelas Turner, OR 5 23-04 81
Day 1: 5 23-04
22. Matt Robertson Kuttawa, KY 5 23-02 79
Day 1: 5 23-02
23. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 5 22-14 78
Day 1: 5 22-14
24. Tyler Rivet Raceland, LA 5 22-04 77
Day 1: 5 22-04
25. John Cox Debary, FL 5 21-14 76
Day 1: 5 21-14
26. Jason Christie Park Hill, OK 5 21-08 75
Day 1: 5 21-08
26. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 5 21-08 75
Day 1: 5 21-08
28. Daisuke Aoki Minamitsurugun Yamanash 5 21-06 73
Day 1: 5 21-06
28. Ed Loughran III Richmond, VA 5 21-06 73
Day 1: 5 21-06
30. David Fritts Lexington, NC 5 21-03 71
Day 1: 5 21-03
31. Marc Frazier Newnan, GA 5 20-15 70
Day 1: 5 20-15
32. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 5 20-13 69
Day 1: 5 20-13
33. Skylar Hamilton Dandridge, TN 5 20-10 68
Day 1: 5 20-10
34. Pat Schlapper Eleva, WI 5 19-07 67
Day 1: 5 19-07
35. Todd Auten Lake Wylie, SC 5 19-05 66
Day 1: 5 19-05
36. Scott Canterbury Odenville, AL 5 19-02 65
Day 1: 5 19-02
37. Cory Johnston Cavan CANADA 5 18-14 64
Day 1: 5 18-14
38. Luke Palmer Coalgate, OK 5 18-13 63
Day 1: 5 18-13
39. Chad Pipkens Dewitt, MI 5 18-12 62
Day 1: 5 18-12
40. Gary Clouse Winchester, TN 4 18-11 61 $1,000.00
Day 1: 4 18-11
41. Cody Huff Ava, MO 5 18-07 60
Day 1: 5 18-07
42. Jeff Gustafson Keewatin Ontario CANADA 5 18-06 59
Day 1: 5 18-06
43. Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 5 18-02 58
Day 1: 5 18-02
44. Chris Zaldain Fort Worth, TX 4 17-15 57
Day 1: 4 17-15
45. Caleb Sumrall New Iberia, LA 5 17-12 56
Day 1: 5 17-12
45. Clark Wendlandt Leander, TX 5 17-12 56
Day 1: 5 17-12
47. Brandon Card Salisbury, NC 5 17-04 54
Day 1: 5 17-04
48. Joshua Stracner Vandiver, AL 5 17-02 53
Day 1: 5 17-02
49. Jake Whitaker Fairview, NC 5 17-01 52
Day 1: 5 17-01
50. Matt Arey Shelby, NC 5 16-15 51
Day 1: 5 16-15
51. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 5 16-13 50
Day 1: 5 16-13
51. KJ Queen Catawba, NC 5 16-13 50
Day 1: 5 16-13
53. Hunter Shryock Ooltewah, TN 5 16-12 48
Day 1: 5 16-12
54. Kenta Kimura Osaka JAPAN 5 16-11 47
Day 1: 5 16-11
55. Drew Benton Blakely, GA 5 16-10 46
Day 1: 5 16-10
56. Joseph Webster Hamilton, AL 5 16-03 45
Day 1: 5 16-03
57. Bob Downey Detroit Lakes, MN 5 16-02 44
Day 1: 5 16-02
57. Jacob Powroznik North Prince George, VA 5 16-02 44
Day 1: 5 16-02
59. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 5 15-14 42
Day 1: 5 15-14
60. Brandon Cobb Greenwood, SC 5 15-10 41
Day 1: 5 15-10
61. Mike Huff London, KY 5 15-03 40
Day 1: 5 15-03
61. Patrick Walters Summerville, SC 5 15-03 40
Day 1: 5 15-03
63. Clent Davis Montevallo, AL 5 15-02 38
Day 1: 5 15-02
64. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 5 14-15 37
Day 1: 5 14-15
65. Micah Frazier Newnan, GA 5 14-13 36
Day 1: 5 14-13
65. Carl Jocumsen Queensland AUSTRALIA 5 14-13 36
Day 1: 5 14-13
67. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 3 14-10 34
Day 1: 3 14-10
68. Buddy Gross Chattanooga, TN 5 14-07 33
Day 1: 5 14-07
69. David Williams Newton, NC 5 14-05 32
Day 1: 5 14-05
70. Justin Atkins Florence, AL 5 14-02 31
Day 1: 5 14-02
71. Jay Przekurat Stevens Point, WI 5 14-00 30
Day 1: 5 14-00
72. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 5 13-10 29
Day 1: 5 13-10
73. Wes Logan Springville, AL 5 13-08 28
Day 1: 5 13-08
73. Chad Morgenthaler Reeds Spring, MO 5 13-08 28
Day 1: 5 13-08
75. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 5 13-04 26
Day 1: 5 13-04
76. Drew Cook Cairo, GA 5 13-00 25
Day 1: 5 13-00
77. Masayuki Matsushita Tokoname-Shi JAPAN 5 12-14 24
Day 1: 5 12-14
78. Scott Martin Clewiston, FL 5 12-13 23
Day 1: 5 12-13
78. Frank Talley Temple, TX 5 12-13 23
Day 1: 5 12-13
80. Ray Hanselman Jr Del Rio, TX 5 12-10 21
Day 1: 5 12-10
81. Taku Ito Chiba JAPAN 5 11-13 20
Day 1: 5 11-13
82. Matt Herren Ashville, AL 3 11-12 19
Day 1: 3 11-12
83. Hank Cherry Jr Lincolnton, NC 5 11-07 18
Day 1: 5 11-07
83. Alex Redwine Blue Ash, OH 5 11-07 18
Day 1: 5 11-07
85. Michael Iaconelli Pittsgrove, NJ 5 11-00 16
Day 1: 5 11-00
85. Koby Kreiger Alva, FL 5 11-00 16
Day 1: 5 11-00
87. Kyle Welcher Opelika, AL 5 10-02 14
Day 1: 5 10-02
88. Justin Hamner Northport, AL 5 09-02 13
Day 1: 5 09-02
89. Austin Felix Eden Prairie, MN 3 08-14 12
Day 1: 3 08-14
90. Jonathan Kelley Old Forge, PA 5 08-08 11
Day 1: 5 08-08
91. Jason Williamson Wagener, SC 2 06-10 10
Day 1: 2 06-10
92. Bryan Schmitt Deale, MD 3 06-02 9
Day 1: 3 06-02
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1 Gary Clouse Winchester, TN 08-10 $1,000.00

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 85 447 1676-05
----------------------------------
85 447 1676-05

by AnglersChannel

MLF 2022 Wiley X Summit Cup Filmed on Florida’s Space Coast Set to Premiere Saturday on Outdoor Channel

Twenty-Four MLF Anglers Compete on Headwaters Lake, Kenansville Lake, Lake Garcia Reservoir or Stick Marsh over Six Days for Prestigious Summit Cup

PALM BAY, Fla. (May 19, 2022) – The Major League Fishing (MLF) 2022 Wiley X Summit Cup Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches, filmed over six days in December on lakes surrounding the Palm Bay area, is set to premiere this Saturday, May 21, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. ET on the Outdoor Channel and on-demand on the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) streaming app. The event showcases 24 of the top pro anglers in the world competing in the third MLF Cup event of the 2022 season.

“The Space Coast is a fishing paradise with the availability of freshwater, saltwater, surf, and deep-sea fishing opportunities including new Headwaters Lake, the local trophy largemouth bass fishery. It’s unlike any other freshwater lake in the U.S.,” said Space Coast Office of Tourism Executive Director Peter Cranis. “We’re looking forward to watching the Summit Cup and can’t wait to see the winning catch.”

The first episode, set to premiere Saturday, features the eight anglers in Group 1 competing in their opening Elimination Round. Episode two features the eight anglers in Group 2; Episode three will feature the eight anglers in Group 3. The top six finishers from each group’s Elimination Round advance to the two-day Sudden Death Round – episodes four and five – where nine anglers compete each day and try to finish in the top four. The sixth and final episode will feature the final eight anglers competing in the Championship Round to catch the most weight that they can to be crowned the 2022 Summit Cup Champion.

The 24 Anglers that compete in the 2022 Wiley X Summit Cup Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches in Florida are:
Stephen Browning, Hot Springs, Ark.
Luke Clausen, Spokane, Wash.
Dustin Connell, Clanton, Ala.
Brandon Coulter, Knoxville, Tenn.
David Dudley, Lynchburg, Va.
Paul Elias, Laurel, Miss.
Anthony Gagliardi, Prosperity, S.C.
Alton Jones, Jr., Waco, Texas
Gary Klein, Mingus, Texas
Jason Lambert, Michie, Tenn.
Bobby Lane, Lakeland, Fla.
Russ Lane, Prattville, Ala.
Matt Lee, Cullman, Ala.
Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn.
Skeet Reese, Auburn, Calif.
Mark Rose, Wynne, Ark.
Fred Roumbanis, Russellville, Ark.
Bradley Roy, Lancaster, Ky.
Fletcher Shryock, Guntersville, Ala.
Jeff Sprague, Wills Point, Texas
Wesley Strader, Spring City, Tenn.
Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C.
Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn.
Jesse Wiggins, Addison, Ala.
The 2022 Wiley X Summit Cup Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches was hosted by Florida’s Space Coast Office of Tourism. The event will air on the Outdoor Channel as six, two-hour original episodes each Saturday afternoon starting May 21, 2022, and running through June 25, airing from 2 to 4 p.m. ET. Each episode is available for viewing on the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) streaming app on the Monday morning following each episode’s Saturday premiere.

The 2022 Wiley X Summit Cup Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches features 24 MLF pro anglers visiting the Space Coast of Florida to compete on either Headwaters Lake, Kenansville Lake, Garcia Reservoir or Stick Marsh on each day of competition. The fisheries are unknown to the anglers – they do not learn where they are competing until they arrive to the launch ramp each morning of competition.

The full television schedule can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

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

by AnglersChannel

What Iaconelli feeds Lake Fork’s giant bass

Courtesy of Alan McGuckin / Dynamic Sponsorships

Mike Iaconelli has a long history on Lake Fork, and to the best of his memory, he counts at least 9 bass over 7-pounds he’s caught during pro tournaments on the famed Texas reservoir.

When asked over a burger at Lake Fork Marina, featuring nothing but meat and cheese, what three lures he would call his “Greatest of All Time” on Lake Fork, the passionate New Jersey pro barely stopped chewing to name his starting line-up.

Football Jig – “Of those 9 really big ones I’ve weighed-in here, I’d say right at 50% of them ate a football jig,” says Iaconelli. “I either use aMissile Baits ½ or ¾ ounce jig, and I tie it to 20-pound fluorocarbon.”

Deep Crankbait – “Either a Rapala DT 14 or DT 20 depending on what depth I’m cranking. But the whole key is you better be hitting bottom or trees, or some piece of cover, on every retrieve,” he emphasizes.

Big Shaky Head – “Look, even on Lake Fork there are tough days. And when things aren’t good, a shaky head on spinning tackle saves the day. But I throw a little bigger one here on Fork. I’ll start as small as ¼-ounce, but I use the bigger 3/8-ounce here a lot too.”

Three very different lures, all designed to search out giants on the bottom of the lake. And for Iaconelli, all three are time-proven to be eaten by fat bass like hungry anglers hammering cheeseburgers at a lakeside diner.

by AnglersChannel

Top Lake Fork fishing guide makes Elite Series predictions

Courtesy of Alan McGuckin / Dynamic Sponsorships

James Caldemeyer has made a living as one of Lake Fork’s most respected and popular fishing guides for nearly 20 years, boating well over 100 bass exceeding 10-pounds for he and his clients in that time period.

An all-around good guy, Caldemeyer has also fished a number of Bassmaster Opens too. So, he understands both the challenges and phenomenal opportunities the Bassmaster Elite Series pros are about to face, and he graciously shared his thoughts on the eve of competition.

Q: How many days a year are you on Lake Fork?

Caldemeyer: About 260 days a year.

Q: Let’s start with the obvious question everybody is asking, how much weight will an Elite Series pro have to average each day for a chance to win?

Caldemeyer: History proves that no matter how we doubt this place, you better have at least 25 pounds a day.

Q: What do you think the winning pattern will be this week?

Caldemeyer: It’s going to be an offshore slugfest with football jigs, deep crankbaits, and Carolina rigs all being major players.

Q: What’s the biggest challenge Elite Series pros will face?

Caldemeyer: The lake is 5+ feet low, that shrinks the playing field a lot, so managing your best fishing spots for three or four days of competition is going to be really tough.

Q: How do folks get in touch with you if they want to book a fishing trip?

Caldemeyer: Please check out my website and get ahold of me there at https://officiallakeforktrophybass.com/

by AnglersChannel

Arey: Chewing seeds and chasing pigs

Courtesy of Alan McGuckin / Dynamic Sponsorships

Matt Arey caught an 8-pounder and a 9-pounder during the past three days of practice for the Simms Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork.

Let’s be honest, most anglers don’t catch two bass that big in a lifetime. And crazier yet, he believes he’ll need to keep catching largemouth of that magnitude this week in order to have a chance at winning.

“I’m not saying it’s quite as good now as it was when Keith Combs averaged 37-pounds a day to win the Toyota Texas Bass Classic here at this exact same time of year in 2014 … but it’s darn close,” Arey said adamantly while chewing sunflower seeds at the end of a sweaty 13-hour practice day.

“I truly believe you’ll need at least two bass over 8-pounds every day for a shot to win,” he continues. “Do the math. If you need to average at least a 30-pound limit each day to win, that means you need to catch at least five bass over 6-pounds each day.”

It sounds unrealistic. And on just about any body of water in America it would be. But not here. That’s what makes Lake Fork iconic. And therefore, it makes this particular week of competition absolutely magical.

These Texas giants get big by consuming a steady diet of beefy gizzard shad. And much like you don’t feed Jenny Craig snack bars to NFL lineman, you can leave the finesse baits in the truck this week in favor of lures more in sync with chicken fried steak and mashed taters.

“A big Spook and an 8” Tater Hog swimbait are the size of baits you’re going to see a bunch of guys throwing this week. We’re trophy hunting this week,” grins Arey.

He’ll toss big topwaters on 50-pound P-Line braid and tie the pricy Tater Hog to 20-pound fluorocarbon.

He says there’s still a bit of a shallow bite going on around the shad spawn, and obviously a great deal of fish out deep, but in Arey’s mind there’s a lot of magic to be had in the 10 to 15-foot deep zone too.

So, what’s the winning pattern when it comes to sunflower seeds?

Arey says he leans heaviest on sunflower seeds during long drives in his Tundra to keep his mind occupied, a habit he’s had for about a decade now

“If you buy this Chinook brand, make sure you get the jalapeno ranch flavor. But if you buy the BIGS brand of seeds, you gotta have the Old Bay Seasoning flavor,” advises Arey.

And much like the BIGS brand promises to only package the highest quality jumbo seeds, you can bet Arey will be focused on Lake Fork giants this week with every swing of the bat.

by AnglersChannel

B.A.S.S. Announces Partnership With Dyehard Fan Supply To Expand And Elevate Merchandise Offering

May 18, 2022

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — B.A.S.S. has announced a new partnership with Dyehard Fan Supply, an event and retail merchandise marketing and e-commerce company, to create a new and expanded assortment of elevated B.A.S.S. branded apparel available at tournaments and online.

“We’re pleased to work alongside Dyehard to create fresh designs and merchandise for our fans, whether they are at our exciting events or shopping through our sleek new online store at Bassmaster.shop,” said Chase Anderson, B.A.S.S. CEO.

Dyehard serves as the official merchandising partner for several major collegiate and professional programs and athletic leagues, including the University of Arkansas, Auburn University, the University of North Carolina, Rutgers University, the University of Pittsburgh, Michigan State, Mississippi State, Iowa State, LouCity FC, Kentucky Derby and ProRodeo.

Leading factors in B.A.S.S.’s selection of Dyehard were the merchandise company’s unique partnership-focused model and their ability to nimbly adapt product assortments that cater to the expanding B.A.S.S. fan base. Dyehard will manage the official Bassmaster online store, have a retail presence at their annual Bassmaster Classic and execute experiential pop-up shops at Elite Series events.

“We are incredibly excited to have been selected as the official merchandising and retail partner for Bassmaster,” said Dyehard CEO Wes Day. “The Dyehard Fan Supply team is particularly excited about working with the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport.”

“In true partnership fashion, we look forward to collaborating with the B.A.S.S team in order to elevate the overall customer experience through unique product offerings online, at their annual Bassmaster Classic expo and in-venue at their Elite Series tournament stops,” added Anna Kolda, Dyehard SVP of Business Development & Partnerships.

by AnglersChannel

Elite Angler Whatley Takes Medical Hardship Ahead Of Lake Fork

May 17, 2022

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — For the last 12 years, Texas angler Brad Whatley has dealt with the autoimmune disorder known as Crohn’s disease. Fortunately, over the last eight to nine years, the disease was in remission and caused him few issues — until the beginning of 2022.

Earlier this year, the disease flared up again, causing excruciating pain. The flare-up was bad enough that Whatley spent several days in the hospital in January, just before the start of the Bassmaster Elite Series season, and he has been forced to go back to the hospital four times since then.

After battling the pain through the first four events of the season, the two-time Classic qualifier will take a medical hardship and focus on getting the disease back in remission.

“Out of the four events I’ve fished this season on the Elites, two of them I had absolutely no business being out there,” said Whatley. “I’ve had to miss a quarter of the practices this season because I just physically couldn’t do it. I’ve tried to battle through it, but at the end of the day, it’s taken its toll on me.”

Since the flare-ups began again, Whatley was placed on new medication, and he feels confident that this will help get him back to better health.

“This new medicine will hopefully put it back in remission and I can get back to who I was,” said Whatley. “I’m never truly 100% because there’s no cure for Crohn’s, but as long as I can get back in remission and avoid these major flare-ups, I’ll be good to get back out there.”

In the coming weeks, Whatley is set to have a procedure to help give the doctors a better idea of what they’re up against and also determine if surgery is needed to fix the issue long-term.

“If I don’t require surgery, and this new medicine works, it’s possible that the disease will be back in remission in six to eight weeks,” said Whatley when asked what’s next. “It’s no different than if someone were to break their leg. When that happens, you have to rehabilitate that. That’s pretty much where I’m at with this right now — I can deal with pain, but I can’t deal with the injury.”

Given the fact that the Texan previously recorded Top 30 finishes or better on the fisheries hosting the next three Elite events, he was ready to turn his season around and jump back up in the points. Whatley realizes that this is a far more important issue to handle.

“I’m going to fight this like I would fight anything else in my life — I’m going to fight this head-on,” he said. “Hopefully this is all a short-term deal. I’d like to get this back in remission and get back to fishing as soon as possible.”

by AnglersChannel

Riojas Wins Rescheduled Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Lake Eufaula

Bissett Earns Strike King Co-Angler Victory

EUFAULA, Okla. (May 16, 2022) – Boater Mario “Mark” Riojas of Blanchard, Oklahoma, caught five bass Sunday weighing 13 pounds, 2 ounces, to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on Lake Eufaula presented by Flamingo Fish and Marine . The tournament was the third event of the season for the Bass Fishing League Okie Division and the second event in a two-event Bass Fishing League double-header on Lake Eufaula over the weekend. Riojas earned $4,009 for his victory.

“It’s been brutally tough for Lake Eufaula for this time of year,” said Riojas. “Saturday, when I fished the first BFL of the weekend here, the lake was up and muddy. I ended up with one fish, and my co-angler pulled out two at the very end of the day.

“I stewed over that on Saturday night and decided to go back to the same spot because that’s the only spot I had caught fish,” Riojas added. “I worked a half-mile stretch of bank in the Porum Landing area back and forth all day and pulled out five keeper bites flipping buck brush in about 6 feet of water.”

Riojas said the day’s bites were few and far between and described the tournament as a “grind.” Riojas said his bait of choice for the day was a 4/0 flipping hook with a 5/16-ounce pegged weight and a green pumpkin Zoom Brush Hog.

“I’m pretty excited to win this,” Riojas said. “This was my 81^st event that I’ve fished with Major League Fishing, and I’ve never had a win. The closest I came was in 2020 at the Toyota Series Championship on Lake Cumberland as a co-angler.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1st:        Mario Riojas, Blanchard, Okla., five bass, 13-2, $4,009
2nd:       Chad Schmidt, Clearwater, Kan., five bass, 12-12, $2,705
3rd:       Justin Phillips, Checotah, Okla., four bass, 12-8, $1,886
4th:        Wyatt Ryan, Ada, Okla., five bass, 11-0, $935
5th:        Phillip Lunceford, Stigler, Okla., three bass, 10-10, $802
6th:        Jason Green, Oklahoma City, Okla., five bass, 9-15, $735
7th:        Harmon Davis, Marlow, Okla., two bass, 9-6, $668
8th:        Brent Homan, Graham, Texas, four bass, 9-0, $601
9th:        Ian Leybas, McAlester, Okla., three bass, 7-0, $474
9th:        Jeff Clark, Van Buren, Ark., three bass, 7-0, $474
9th:        Robert Myers, Broken Arrow, Okla., three bass, 7-0, $474

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Phillips 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 $550.

Wesley Bissett of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, won the Strike King Co-angler Division and $2,005 Sunday after catching four bass weighing 8 pounds, 9 ounces.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:

1st:        Wesley Bissett, Broken Arrow, Okla., four bass, 8-9, $2,005
2nd:       Preston Hickert, Wichita, Kan., three bass, 6-11, $1,002
3rd:       Arturo Baquera, Noble, Okla., two bass, 6-5, $768
4th:        Mike Ketcher, Bunch, Okla., two bass, 6-2, $618
5th:        Jacob Cooper, Leon, Kan., three bass, 5-11, $401
6th:        Brock Krohne, Belton, Mo., two bass, 5-7, $368
7th:        Mike Huddleston, Broken Arrow, Okla., one bass, 5-0, $609
8th:        Thomas Fink, Tulsa, Okla., one bass, 4-9, $301
9th:        Mike Clark, Spiro, Okla., two bass, 4-3, $267
10th:     Anthony Lewis, Arlington, Texas, two bass, 4-2, $434

Huddleston caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 5 pounds even. The catch earned him the day’s Berkley Big Bass Co-angler award of $275.

After three events, Brian Bean of Hot Springs, Arkansas, leads the Bass Fishing League Okie Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 742 points, while Jonathan Simms of Hot Springs, Arkansas, leads the Strike King Co-Angler Division AOY race with 735 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 the Mississippi River in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Boaters will compete for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.

The 2022 Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six Regional Championships where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American. The 2022 All-American will be held June 2-4 at Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and is hosted by the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism and Visit Hot Springs.

by AnglersChannel

Hamrick Bests Field at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Kerr Lake

Rock Wins Strike King Co-Angler Division

HENDERSON, N.C. (May 16, 2022) – Boater Scott Hamrick of Denver, North Carolina, caught five bass Sunday weighing 19 pounds, 8 ounces, to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on Kerr Lake . The tournament, hosted by Vance County Tourism Development Authority, was the fourth event of the season for the Bass Fishing League Shenandoah Division. Hamrick earned $6,415 for his victory.

“I fished Kerr Saturday and finished fourth in the BFL North Carolina Division event, and I had found something and keyed in on it and knew I could probably catch them again Sunday,” Hamrick said. “I was fishing a Shooter Lures jig and I caught more than 20 keepers.

“It started out a little slow, but I had a limit after about an hour,” Hamrick added. “I knew I had a good one in the box, and I thought if I could get another big one in the box I’d have a good shot at winning.

“I figured it would take 16 or 17 pounds to win,” Hamrick added. “Once I got to 15 pounds and caught the day’s 5-3 Berkley Big Bass, I knew it was pretty much over.”

Hamrick has notched 41 top-10 finishes and five career wins in MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League competition, and Sunday’s win was his second victory on Kerr Lake.

“I’ve won a lot of big tournaments there, but the BFL field is the best of the best on Kerr Lake, so it’s pretty cool,” Hamrick said.

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1st:        Scott Hamrick, Denver, N.C., five bass, 19-8, $6,415
2nd:       Chad Poteat, Mount Airy, N.C., five bass, 16-1, $3,060
3rd:       Tyler Trent, Nathalie, Va., five bass, 15-2, $2,074 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
4th:        Ron Rousseau III, Raleigh, N.C., five bass, 14-9, $1,101
5th:        Mark Blankenship, Christiansburg, Va., five bass, 14-5, $944
6th:        Tyler Purcell, Townsville, N.C., five bass, 14-0, $865
7th:        Greg Fernandez, Chesterfield, Va., five bass, 13-8, $787
8th:        Rob Digh, Denver, N.C., five bass, 13-1, $708
9th:        Jeffrey Davis, Raleigh, N.C., five bass, 12-2, $629
10th:     Broderick Luckey, Roanoke, Va., five bass, 12-1, $523
10th:     Aaron Falwell, Forest, Va., five bass, 12-1, $523

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Hamrick’s largemouth that weighed 5 pounds, 3 ounces was the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division and earned the day’s Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $695.

Matthew Rock of Bristol, Virginia, won the Strike King Co-angler Division and $2,360 Sunday after catching five bass weighing 14 pounds, 5 ounces.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:

1st:        Matthew Rock, Bristol, Va., five bass, 14-5, $2,360
2nd:       Alex Ortiz, Asheboro, N.C., five bass, 11-0, $1,180
3rd:       Wes Dacey, Henrico, Va., five bass, 10-1, $887
4th:        Rickey Wood, Smithfield, Va., five bass, 10-0, $551
5th:        Safulla Rana, Warrenton, Va., five bass, 9-9, $472
6th:        David Slaybaugh, Colonial Heights, Va., three bass, 9-5, $780
7th:        Pat Kendrick, Bumpass, Va., five bass, 8-13, $593
8th:        David Williams, Fredericksburg, Va., three bass, 8-12, $484
8th:        Carl Enos, Bracey, Va., five bass, 8-12, $334
10th:     Lenny Baird, Stafford, Va., three bass, 7-14, $275

Slaybaugh caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 5 pounds, 5 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Berkley Big Bass Co-angler award of $347.

After four events, Chris Brummett of Lynch Station, Virginia, leads the Bass Fishing League Shenandoah Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 941 points, while Lenny Baird of Stafford, Virginia, leads the Strike King Co-Angler Division AOY race with 930 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 2022 All-American will be held June 2-4 at Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and is hosted by the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism and Visit Hot Springs.

by AnglersChannel

Readhimer Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Percy Priest Lake

Haworth Claims Strike King Co-Angler Division Victory

SMYRNA, Tenn. (May 16, 2022) – Boater Kelly Readhimer of Beech Bluff, Tennessee, caught five bass Saturday weighing 18 pounds, 1 ounce, to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on Percy Priest Lake presented by Lithium Pros. The tournament was the third event of the season for the Bass Fishing League Music City Division. Readhimer earned $4,235 for his victory.

“I practiced on Friday and caught probably 13 or 14 pounds in one school,” Readhimer said. “I threw a crankbait into it and didn’t get bit, so I spun the boat around and fired up onto the point in 8 to 10 feet of water. I caught three 3-pounders in a row. So I marked those fish.”

Readhimer said he began the tournament Saturday fishing a shad spawn and didn’t catch a bass. He said he returned to the school he found the previous day, but nothing bit the crankbait he threw. He switched to a brown ¾-ounce football mop jig and cast to the point, hopped the jig twice and landed a 4½-pound bass.

Readhimer said he focused on the Hobson Pike Bridge area and targeted a shallow flat that ran from an island to the bank and featured a lot of large rocks. He hopped the jig, caught a couple of keeper bass, and fished the spot until he filled his limit.

“All I was doing was stroking that big mop jig,” Readhimer said. “You couldn’t drag it and get bit. I was stroking it so hard with 30 minutes left in the tournament that my right arm was cramping.”

Readhimer said he had been to Percy Priest only five times and felt fortunate to get the win.

“I don’t have a lot of experience on the lake, but I knew it was fishing tough,” Readhimer said. “Basically, I had two spots and I just milked them for all it was worth. The way I found those fish was just luck.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1st:        Kelly Readhimer, Beech Bluff, Tenn., five bass, 18-1, $4,235
2nd:       Billy Hinson, Mount Juliet, Tenn., five bass, 17-5, $2,618 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
3rd:       Josh Tramel, Smithville, Tenn., five bass, 16-14, $1,413
4th:        Chris Fondren, Lebanon, Tenn., five bass, 15-14, $988
5th:        Zach Youngblood, Smithville, Tenn., five bass, 15-6, $811
5th:        Mike Bryant, Cookeville, Tenn., five bass, 15-6, $1,011
7th:        Brandon Edel, Hendersonville, Tenn., five bass, 15-1, $706
8th:        Bryden Mugleston, Mount Juliet, Tenn., five bass, 14-3, $1,225
9th:        Michael Tuck, Old Hickory, Tenn., three bass, 13-2, $565
10th:     Dylan Wright, Murfreesboro, Tenn., five bass, 12-8, $494

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Mugleston had a largemouth that weighed 6 pounds, 6 ounces that was the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division and earned the day’s Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $590.

Brian Haworth of Cookeville, Tennessee, won the Strike King Co-angler Division and $2,413 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 14 pounds, 11 ounces.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:

1st:        Brian Haworth, Cookeville, Tenn., five bass, 14-11, $2,413
2nd:       Harvey Daniels, Portland, Tenn., four bass, 10-9, $1,059
3rd:       Robert Moore, Elkmont, Ala., five bass, 10-8, $806
4th:        Gary Haraguchi, Murfreesboro, Tenn., four bass, 9-7, $494
5th:        Teddy Baggett, Nashville, Tenn., four bass, 9-0, $424
6th:        Grant Frazier, Manchester, Tenn., four bass, 7-15, $388
7th:        Matt Perkins, Smyrna, Tenn., three bass, 7-11, $353
8th:        Keith Whipple, Iuka, Miss., three bass, 7-4, $318
9th:        Logan Stewart, Nashville, Tenn., four bass, 7-1, $282
10th:     Ricky England, Sparta, Tenn., three bass, 6-9, $247

Haworth caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 4 pounds, 8 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Berkley Big Bass Co-angler award of $295.

After three events, Jade Keeton of Florence, Alabama, leads the Bass Fishing League Music City Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 705 points, while Grant Frazier of Manchester, Tennessee, leads the Strike King Co-Angler Division AOY race with 732 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 2022 All-American will be held June 2-4 at Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and is hosted by the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism and Visit Hot Springs.

by AnglersChannel

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