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Cook Holds Lead At Bassmaster Elite Series Event On Santee Cooper As Big Bags Roll In

Drew Cook of Cairo, Ga., is leading after Day 3 of the 2022 Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite on Santee Cooper Lakes with a three-day total of 80 pounds, 12 ounces.

Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.

March 20, 2022

CLARENDON COUNTY, S.C. — When the threat of strong winds and storms postponed the third day of the Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at Santee Cooper Lakes, Drew Cook watched from his rental house as boat after boat entered the area where he has dominated the event.

But despite the local boat traffic and a day off with no idea what happened to his area, Cook sacked a limit weighing 24 pounds, 3 ounces to maintain his lead with a three-day total of 80-12. With previous bags of 31-13 and 24-12, Cook holds more than a 4-pound lead over Idaho's Brandon Palaniuk (76-6) and Oklahoma pro Luke Palmer (76-3).

“I’m staying across the creek from the cove I’ve fished every day, and it was pretty brutal to sit there and watch it happen,” Cook said. “I can’t complain. I still have a 4-pound lead and we are one day away.

“Having that lead is nice, but a 4-pound lead here really isn’t much. I could go catch 20 pounds tomorrow and Luke (Palmer) could catch 24 pounds and there goes my lead. That is one bass here and there is a pile of 4-pounders.”

The Georgia resident continued sight fishing for bedding bass on Day 3, catching eight total fish with his biggest weighing approximately 7 pounds on BassTrakk. Throughout the week, Cook has struggled during the morning hours and one big bass he saw on Friday was gone when he went back Sunday.

While there are new fish, both males and females, Cook was surprised he didn’t see more.

“If you would have said there was going to be a day off, you would think there would be more bass pulling up than there was,” he said. “A lot of that could have been from the local pressure. There were still new ones up there, and I’m sure there will be new ones tomorrow too.”

Cook plans to start Championship Monday in the same area on a big bass he saw Sunday and give the rest of the area a look. But he will likely be fishing new water much of the day.

“I still have some stuff on the other side of the lake I haven’t been to yet,” he said. “I won’t be going to any fish I have marked anymore after my first one in the morning. I marked some males, but they were only 3-pounders, and we are going to need more than 3-pounders.”

With multiple 25-pound-plus bags weighed Sunday, Cook knows he will need to catch a big bag Monday to claim his first Elite Series victory.

“To win one would be a dream come true,” he said. “I have really busted my butt my whole career and been close a couple of times but haven’t had that event where everything goes right.

“I have had opportunities to win tournaments, but it has always been from behind. To finally not dig myself a hole on Day 1 and come out swinging has helped tremendously.”

While a tough morning on Day 2 left him scrambling to find bedding bass, Palaniuk started Day 3 strong and weighed in 27-7, increasing his three-day total to 76-6. He did most of his damage during the first two hours with a crankbait and a jerkbait.

After filling his limit, he made a crucial cull around 12:30 p.m. to fill out his bag.

“I changed it up today,” Palaniuk said. “Hopefully that plays out tomorrow. I could catch 30-plus in 15 or 20 minutes if the right ones would just bite. Or, I could go there and catch nothing.

“I thought I wasn’t going to catch anything and then I caught a 4-pounder. I made a change and caught a 6-pounder and a 5 1/2-pounder on back-to-back casts.”

The higher winds Saturday resulted in a cooler night, which Palaniuk believes helped his bite on Day 3. He is hoping an even cooler night Sunday will keep those bass in place.

“The nastier the better for me because I’m doing something different than most of the guys,” Palaniuk said. “I feel like that will give me the best chance. I hope we have a freeze warning tonight. That would be the best thing for me.”

Palaniuk also fished more than two hours Sunday for a bass that he believes could be bigger than the 8-12 he caught Saturday. But the smaller male bass bit instead, and he was unable to catch the lunker he wanted.

“I promise you I will go check it again tomorrow,” he said. “We are within striking distance. I mean someone is going to win with a 30-pound bag tomorrow.”

Palmer landed the current VMC Monster Bag of the Tournament on Day 3 with 33-5 — the biggest bag of his career and one that launched him into third place with a three-day total of 76-3. He also landed the Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the Day with a 9-4 largemouth.

With a Falcon Cara Amistad flipping stick in hand and Sunline spooled on his reel, Palmer said he finally got to fish to his strengths.

“It is almost like dreaming,” he said. “We don’t have that type of sack in Oklahoma. To do it with stuff I have used my whole life, it was fun. I have never gotten to do it (on tour) the way I really want to catch them.”

After ending Day 1 in 43rd place, Palmer recovered with 26-7 on Day 2. He tried to make the upper end of Lake Marion work on the first and second days. But with much dirtier water moving through that area, he found a home down lake and pitched a Yum Bad Mamma and Wooly Bug to catch the majority of his bass.

He added that many of the bass he is catching are spawning and while he can’t see them with his eyes, he can see them on his fish finder.

“It was my time today,” he said. “I have one more stretch where I caught a three, broke one off and then went to ‘Scoping trees and didn’t even flip for them because I could see how big they were.

“I thought if I could get to 75 pounds, I would have a chance at a Century Belt. I would love to have a trophy over the belt. Everything today was a big blessing.”

By making the Top 10, John Cox leads the Progressive Insurance Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings with 283 points. David Mullins is second with 265 points and Stetson Blaylock is third with 257.

Jay Przekurat leads the Falcon Rods Bassmaster Rookie of the Year standings with 232 points. Joseph Webster is second with 183 points and Jonathan Kelley is 167 points.

The Top 10 will launch from John C Land III Sport Fishing Facility starting at 7:30 a.m. ET and return for weigh-in at 3:30 p.m., with the winner earning a coveted blue trophy and a $100,000 first-place prize. Live coverage can be streamed on Bassmaster.com.

2022 Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at Santee Cooper Lakes 3/17-3/20
Santee Cooper Lakes, Clarendon County SC.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 3

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

1. Drew Cook Cairo, GA 15 80-12 100
Day 1: 5 31-13 Day 2: 5 24-12 Day 3: 5 24-03
2. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 15 76-06 99
Day 1: 5 26-02 Day 2: 5 22-13 Day 3: 5 27-07
3. Luke Palmer Coalgate, OK 15 76-03 98 $1,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-07 Day 2: 5 26-07 Day 3: 5 33-05
4. Caleb Kuphall Mukwonago, WI 14 73-14 97
Day 1: 5 29-10 Day 2: 4 13-00 Day 3: 5 31-04
5. Drew Benton Blakely, GA 15 68-01 96
Day 1: 5 17-03 Day 2: 5 22-01 Day 3: 5 28-13
6. Cory Johnston Cavan CANADA 15 67-03 95
Day 1: 5 20-04 Day 2: 5 24-02 Day 3: 5 22-13
7. Pat Schlapper Eleva, WI 15 67-01 94 $1,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-12 Day 2: 5 26-04 Day 3: 5 22-01
8. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 15 66-10 93
Day 1: 5 27-14 Day 2: 5 20-03 Day 3: 5 18-09
9. John Cox DeBary, FL 15 66-03 92
Day 1: 5 19-03 Day 2: 5 26-13 Day 3: 5 20-03
10. Brandon Cobb Greenwood, SC 15 64-13 91
Day 1: 5 19-14 Day 2: 5 22-00 Day 3: 5 22-15
11. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 15 64-11 90 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-13 Day 2: 5 26-13 Day 3: 5 21-01
12. Bryan New Saluda, SC 13 64-03 89 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-03 Day 2: 3 15-14 Day 3: 5 29-02
13. Chad Morgenthaler Reeds Spring, MO 15 63-04 88 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-14 Day 2: 5 20-08 Day 3: 5 25-14
14. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 15 62-03 87 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-08 Day 2: 5 22-00 Day 3: 5 20-11
15. KJ Queen Catawba, NC 15 61-04 86 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-13 Day 2: 5 22-10 Day 3: 5 24-13
16. Joseph Webster Hamilton, AL 15 60-12 85 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-10 Day 2: 5 18-08 Day 3: 5 22-10
17. Gerald Swindle Guntersville, AL 15 60-07 84 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-00 Day 2: 5 21-04 Day 3: 5 18-03
18. Skylar Hamilton Dandridge, TN 15 60-01 83 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-02 Day 2: 5 20-10 Day 3: 5 22-05
19. Patrick Walters Summerville, SC 15 59-11 82 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 22-04 Day 2: 5 15-07 Day 3: 5 22-00
20. Chris Zaldain Fort Worth, TX 13 58-06 81 $10,000.00
Day 1: 3 11-10 Day 2: 5 24-12 Day 3: 5 22-00
21. Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 15 58-02 80 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-09 Day 2: 5 17-06 Day 3: 5 24-03
22. Matt Arey Shelby, NC 14 57-15 79 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 22-01 Day 2: 5 19-08 Day 3: 4 16-06
23. Clark Wendlandt Leander, TX 15 57-11 78 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-15 Day 2: 5 20-08 Day 3: 5 21-04
24. Jay Przekurat Stevens Point, WI 15 57-02 77 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-08 Day 2: 5 24-08 Day 3: 5 17-02
25. Mike Huff London, KY 15 56-12 76 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-10 Day 2: 5 20-08 Day 3: 5 19-10
26. Jonathan Kelley Old Forge, PA 14 56-04 75 $10,000.00
Day 1: 4 08-15 Day 2: 5 25-10 Day 3: 5 21-11
27. Taku Ito Chiba JAPAN 15 55-12 74 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-10 Day 2: 5 15-13 Day 3: 5 18-05
28. David Williams Newton, NC 15 55-09 73 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-13 Day 2: 5 20-15 Day 3: 5 21-13
29. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 15 55-03 72 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-10 Day 2: 5 21-05 Day 3: 5 15-04
30. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 15 54-14 71 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-04 Day 2: 5 18-02 Day 3: 5 19-08
31. Hunter Shryock Ooltewah, TN 15 54-05 70 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-14 Day 2: 5 20-06 Day 3: 5 18-01
32. Marc Frazier Newnan, GA 15 54-03 69 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-10 Day 2: 5 24-04 Day 3: 5 14-05
33. Carl Jocumsen Queensland AUSTRALIA 15 53-05 68 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-14 Day 2: 5 15-08 Day 3: 5 17-15
34. Kyle Welcher Opelika, AL 15 52-15 67 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-15 Day 2: 5 19-02 Day 3: 5 19-14
35. Seth Feider New Market, MN 15 52-14 66 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-04 Day 2: 5 18-00 Day 3: 5 16-10
36. Shane LeHew Catawba, NC 15 52-03 65 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 20-10 Day 2: 5 15-08 Day 3: 5 16-01
37. Tyler Rivet Raceland, LA 15 51-08 64 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-04 Day 2: 5 16-03 Day 3: 5 18-01
38. Josh Douglas Isle, MN 13 51-05 63 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-08 Day 2: 5 28-02 Day 3: 3 07-11
39. Hank Cherry Jr Lincolnton, NC 13 50-15 62 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 26-14 Day 2: 5 12-09 Day 3: 3 11-08
40. Jacob Powroznik North Prince George, VA 15 49-02 61 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-06 Day 2: 5 16-09 Day 3: 5 13-03
41. Matt Herren Ashville, AL 14 48-07 60 $10,000.00
Day 1: 4 13-14 Day 2: 5 21-04 Day 3: 5 13-05
42. Derek Hudnall Denham Springs, LA 14 48-07 59 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-07 Day 2: 5 20-11 Day 3: 4 14-05
43. Todd Auten Lake Wylie, SC 11 47-15 58 $11,000.00
Day 1: 5 27-02 Day 2: 4 10-14 Day 3: 2 09-15
44. Jason Williamson Wagener, SC 14 45-10 57 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-01 Day 2: 5 20-09 Day 3: 4 12-00
45. Wes Logan Springville, AL 10 42-02 56 $10,000.00
Day 1: 4 12-11 Day 2: 5 23-10 Day 3: 1 05-13
46. Ray Hanselman Jr Del Rio, TX 11 41-02 55 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-00 Day 2: 4 15-15 Day 3: 2 06-03
47. Koby Kreiger Alva, FL 11 35-09 54 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-11 Day 2: 5 19-08 Day 3: 1 01-06
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1 Todd Auten Lake Wylie, SC 08-15 $1,000.00
2 Pat Schlapper Eleva, WI 09-10 $1,000.00
3 Luke Palmer Coalgate, OK 09-04 $1,000.00

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 74 424 1462-06
2 71 420 1557-06
3 38 214 891-10
----------------------------------
183 1058 3911-06

by AnglersChannel

Despite Disappointment, Largen Wins Bassmaster Kayak Series On Harris Chain

Virginia angler Justin Largen has won the 2022 Yamaha Rightwaters Bassmaster Kayak Series at Harris Chain powered by TourneyX with a five-fish limit of 93.25 inches.

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

March 19, 2022

LEESBURG, Fla. — Plan B delivered in a big way for Justin Largen of Roanoke, Va., who tallied 93.25 inches to win the Yamaha Rightwaters Bassmaster Kayak Series at Harris Chain powered by TourneyX.

Edging Brandon Brylinsky by 4 1/2 inches, Largen entered five bass that measured 22.25, 21.5, 17.75, 16.25 and 15.50 inches and earned $4,000. The top seven finishers earned invitations to the 2023 Yamaha Rightwaters Bassmaster Kayak Series Championship powered by TourneyX (location TBD).

Launching his 12 1/2-foot Hobie Outback Mirage into Trout Lake — a smaller body on Lake Eustis’ northeast side — Largen split his time between a hydrilla bed in 3 to 5 feet and a residential seawall near a canal. Finding success in his secondary patterns made the win particularly sweet.

“This was very unexpected,” Largen said. “This was my backup plan. I had found big bed fish in practice, but they were all gone the day before the event. I heard a local went in there and (caught most of the bed fish).

“I was really excited when I found these fish, I was really dejected yesterday, but about halfway through today, I was back on Cloud 9 again.”

Largen said he started his day on a patch of hydrilla he located during practice after realizing his bed-fishing plan was gone. He caught his bass on a Strike King Hybrid Hunter crankbait.

“I was ripping it through the grass and they were crushing it,” Largen said.

While the grass yielded quality bites, Largen said a mid-morning adjustment helped seal his victory. As he explained, it was all about expanding his effort and recognizing a feeding scenario.

“There was a seawall a couple hundred yards past the grass and I found fish busting bait along that area,” Largen said. “I was seeing bait flickering and fish boiling, but it was hard to distinguish this from the waves breaking along the seawall. Once I got dialed in on what I was looking for, I started catching fish.”

Largen threw the Hybrid Hunter along the seawall, but he also made two afternoon upgrades with a 6 1/2-inch Missile Baits Quiver worm in junebug. He Texas-rigged the bait on a 2/0 hook with a 1/8-ounce weight.

“I would just pitch it and dead stick it for 10 to 15 seconds and if I didn’t get bit, I’d move on,” Largen said. “I caught my biggest fish and the 17.75 doing this.”

Largen said that, while he recently bought several Hybrid hunters for his Potomac River home waters, he noticed Texas pro Ray Hansleman used this bait to earn a third-place finish at the SiteOne Bassmaster Elite at the Harris Chain of Lakes.

“I really hadn’t played around with that bait much until I was down here,” Largen said. “I saw he had done well with it, so I figured I’d see if I could make that thing work around the grass.

“I also knew everybody throws a ChatterBait now, so that would be a little different look with a similar vibration.”

Hailing from Ithaca, N.Y., Brylinsky placed second with 88.75 inches. His top five fish measured 22.5, 18.25, 17, 15.75 and 15.25 inches and earned him $2,500.

Devoting his day to Lake Apopka, Brylinsky worked from a 14-foot Hobie Pro Angler 360 and spent his day around the lake’s dense hydrilla. Dialing in the sweet spot was the key to his success.

“I spent most of my time on a 1/2-mile stretch, but I caught all of my better fish in a 1000-yard area,” Brylinsky said. “This area had a good patch of reeds along the shoreline, with hydrilla out front.”

Brylinsky caught his bass on a 3/4-ounce Z-Man ChatterBait JackHammer with a Berkley The Deal trailer and a 1/2-ounce Gambler Heavy Cover swim jig with an XZone Mega Swammer. White colors worked best because the fish were feeding on shad.

“The big thing seemed to be getting the bait hung up in the weed and then pop it free,” Brylinsky said. “They were grabbing it on the pop.”

Todd Patrick of Fairfield Township, Ohio, finished third, also with 88.75 inches. Ties are broken by the single largest fish and Patrick’s best bass measured 22.25. With his other four measuring 19, 16.25, 16.25 and 15 inches, he earned $1,500.

Fishing out of a 14-foot Hobie Pro Angler, Patrick stayed in Little Lake Harris and focused on cypress trees in 3 to 5 feet of water. He found his best success around trees standing behind a significant grass line.

“In practice, I got my better bites on a wacky-rigged 5-inch Strike King KVD Ocho in Okeechobee Craw color on a 1/0 VMC wacky hook,” Patrick said. “The Okeechobee craw was working better than any other color because of the water clarity. When I ran out, my bite slowed down.”

Patrick said his fish bit best in the first couple of hours before the rising sun diminished shadow pockets. His first fish was the 22.25 and he had a limit by 8:24 a.m. A noon cull finished his effort.

Thanking his travel friends, Mike Fink and Eric Siddiqi (winner of the 2022 Yamaha Rightwaters Bassmaster Kayak Series Championship powered by TourneyX on Richard B. Russell Lake), Patrick said: “I give all the honor and glory to God for my performance.”

James Busch of Carrsville, Va., won the $500 Big Bass award for his 25-inch fish. Busch placed 34th with 72.5 inches.

by AnglersChannel

Severe Weather Forces Day 3 Cancellation Of Bassmaster Elite At Santee Cooper Lakes

March 19, 2022

CLARENDON COUNTY, S.C. — Forecasts of high winds and severe weather have forced the cancellation of Day 3 at the Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite on Santee Cooper Lakes.

"Safety for our anglers and marshals is our primary concern," said Lisa Talmadge, Tournament Director-Bassmaster Elite Series. "We have been monitoring the weather closely alongside the local National Weather Service. Beginning mid-morning and into the afternoon, the NWS is calling for gusts to 30 mph, lightning and large hail.

"In addition to considering the safety of those on the water, we also want to ensure fans coming to our Outdoors Expo and weigh-in stay safe."

The competition will resume Sunday morning at 7:30 a.m. ET when the Top 47 anglers launch onto Santee Cooper Lakes for Championship Sunday.

FS1 will broadcast live with the tournament leaders beginning at 8 a.m. ET. Live coverage can also be streamed on Bassmaster.com and the FOX Sports digital platforms.

by AnglersChannel

Cook Maintains Lead At Bassmaster Elite Series Event On Santee Cooper Lakes

Drew Cook of Cairo, Ga., is leading after Day 2 of the 2022 Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite on Santee Cooper Lakes with a two-day total of 56 pounds, 9 ounces.

Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.

March 18, 2022

CLARENDON COUNTY, S.C. — Former Bassmaster Rookie of the Year Drew Cook had never led an Elite Series event until Day 1 of the Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at Santee Cooper Lakes, but Cook took the milestone in stride by catching 24 pounds, 12 ounces on Day 2 to stretch his lead in the event.

After a catch of 31-13 on the first day, which leads the VMC Monster Bag standings as the tournament's heaviest bag, Cook now has a two-day mark of 56-9 that gives him a sizeable lead over Idaho pro Brandon Palaniuk (second, 48-15) and Louisiana pro Greg Hackney (third, 48-1).

“I should have had another really big bag,” said Cook, who resides in Cairo, Ga. “When it is going your way, it is going your way. At 10 o’clock I didn’t have a bass. I stayed on a female for too long and I left, went to another one, caught her. Then I went back to that (first) one and, on the first cast, I caught her.

“It’s been going right and hopefully it will keep going right.”

Despite a slow start, Cook continued to show off his sight-fishing prowess, picking off bedding bass with a Big Bite Baits Fighting Frog in tilapia magic. His heaviest fish weighed 7-8.

“I never spun out or anything. I kept my head in it, I thought, really well,” Cook said. “This is the first time I’ve ever been in this situation. It could have easily gone the other way. I caught one female, then another one and then a big male. Once we got things rolling we kept on.”

Calm sunny conditions prevailed for almost the entire second day, but the forecast for Day 3 calls for wind and potential rain and storms. With weather conditions and the quantity of big females moving onto the beds uncertain, Cook said he isn’t sure he can keep his current pace.

He does, however, know two big bass are still left in his area and hopes he can wrangle them on Semifinal Saturday.

“I did lose one big female this afternoon with 30 minutes to go,” he said. “Hopefully I can get her to bite again tomorrow. There was another one that was a 6-pounder, but I couldn’t get her to bite.

“I’m hoping the weather isn’t as bad as they say it is going to be, because if it is that bad that lake is going to be nasty.”

Palaniuk jumped up the leaderboard on Day 2 by catching 22-13 and increasing his two-day total to 48-15. The five-time Elite Series champion struggled much of the day, but Palaniuk landed an 8-12 largemouth with just 30 minutes to go before check-in time to salvage the day.

“It was a big grind today. What I wanted to do today did not work out this morning and I had to gamble,” Palaniuk said. “Things weren’t clicking so I went and fished all new water and I ended up catching that 8-12. That made a huge difference and really made my entire bag.”

With little success on his primary pattern from Thursday, Palaniuk punted and sight fished during the afternoon hours. Although he loves to sight fish, he said the tactic makes consistency difficult. Nothing is guaranteed and a lot of time is spent looking for new bass.

“All the fish I was catching that were staging all flooded the bank I think,” he said. “I’ll start (Saturday) doing what I did (Thursday) and see. The weather could change things and hold some of those fish back. I could catch a big bag early and if I can do that, it could make the afternoon a lot more fun.”

With 20-3 on Day 2, Hackney maintained his third-place position with 48-1. Unlike Cook and Palaniuk, Hackney got off to a hot start, securing a limit within the first three hours in the same area where he had success on Day 1.

With dirtier water in his area, Hackney picked apart shallow cover for bass he believed were on bed, but that he could not see. He “fished like a snail,” making multiple presentations to the same piece of cover.

“I caught a lot of fish today,” said Hackney, who has six B.A.S.S. wins to his credit. “I fished where I was yesterday and then I expanded on some other stuff. Where I thought I would catch big ones, I didn’t. All the fish I caught today were completely spawned out.”

After catching postspawn bass Friday, Hackney is unsure what his strategy will be moving forward, but the predicted weather conditions tomorrow may play in his favor.

“The fishing here is better when the weather is bad. When fish are spawning, when you are fishing for them and not looking at them, they bite better. They can’t see either,” Hackney said. “I’ll have to get up in the morning and see.

“I want to go down that lake and look. I have some areas where I saw 500 bass, but I didn’t see any 8-pounders.”

Wisconsin native Pat Schlapper claimed the Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the Day award with a 9-10 largemouth.

After Day 2, John Cox leads the Progressive Insurance Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings with 288 points. David Mullins of Tennessee is second with 278 points, followed by Palaniuk with 255.

By jumping into 15th place on Day 2 with 40-0, young Wisconsin pro Jay Pzrekurat continues to dominate the Falcon Rods Bassmaster Rookie of the Year race with 241 points. Alabamian Joseph Webster is second with 179 points and Minnesota’s Josh Douglas is third with 161.

The Top 47 will take off from John C. Land III Sport Fishing Facility at 7:30 a.m. ET Saturday and return for weigh-in at 3:30 p.m. The Top 10 after Saturday’s round will compete for the blue trophy and a $100,000 first-place prize on Championship Sunday.

FS1 will broadcast live with the tournament leaders beginning at 8 a.m. ET on Saturday and Sunday. Live coverage can also be streamed on Bassmaster.com and the FOX Sports digital platforms.

2022 Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at Santee Cooper Lakes 3/17-3/20
Santee Cooper Lakes, Clarendon County SC.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 2

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

1. Drew Cook Cairo, GA 10 56-09 100
Day 1: 5 31-13 Day 2: 5 24-12
2. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 10 48-15 99
Day 1: 5 26-02 Day 2: 5 22-13
3. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 10 48-01 98
Day 1: 5 27-14 Day 2: 5 20-03
4. John Cox DeBary, FL 10 46-00 97
Day 1: 5 19-03 Day 2: 5 26-13
5. Pat Schlapper Eleva, WI 10 45-00 96 $1,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-12 Day 2: 5 26-04
6. Cory Johnston Cavan CANADA 10 44-06 95
Day 1: 5 20-04 Day 2: 5 24-02
7. Josh Douglas Isle, MN 10 43-10 94
Day 1: 5 15-08 Day 2: 5 28-02
8. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 10 43-10 93
Day 1: 5 16-13 Day 2: 5 26-13
9. Luke Palmer Coalgate, OK 10 42-14 92
Day 1: 5 16-07 Day 2: 5 26-07
10. Caleb Kuphall Mukwonago, WI 9 42-10 91
Day 1: 5 29-10 Day 2: 4 13-00
11. Gerald Swindle Guntersville, AL 10 42-04 90
Day 1: 5 21-00 Day 2: 5 21-04
12. Brandon Cobb Greenwood, SC 10 41-14 89
Day 1: 5 19-14 Day 2: 5 22-00
13. Matt Arey Shelby, NC 10 41-09 88
Day 1: 5 22-01 Day 2: 5 19-08
14. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 10 41-08 87
Day 1: 5 19-08 Day 2: 5 22-00
15. Jay Przekurat Stevens Point, WI 10 40-00 86
Day 1: 5 15-08 Day 2: 5 24-08
16. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 10 39-15 85
Day 1: 5 18-10 Day 2: 5 21-05
17. Marc Frazier Newnan, GA 10 39-14 84
Day 1: 5 15-10 Day 2: 5 24-04
18. Hank Cherry Jr Lincolnton, NC 10 39-07 83
Day 1: 5 26-14 Day 2: 5 12-09
19. Drew Benton Blakely, GA 10 39-04 82
Day 1: 5 17-03 Day 2: 5 22-01
20. Joseph Webster Hamilton, AL 10 38-02 81
Day 1: 5 19-10 Day 2: 5 18-08
21. Todd Auten Lake Wylie, SC 9 38-00 80 $1,000.00
Day 1: 5 27-02 Day 2: 4 10-14
22. Skylar Hamilton Dandridge, TN 10 37-12 79
Day 1: 5 17-02 Day 2: 5 20-10
23. Patrick Walters Summerville, SC 10 37-11 78
Day 1: 5 22-04 Day 2: 5 15-07
24. Taku Ito Chiba JAPAN 10 37-07 77
Day 1: 5 21-10 Day 2: 5 15-13
25. Chad Morgenthaler Reeds Spring, MO 10 37-06 76
Day 1: 5 16-14 Day 2: 5 20-08
26. Mike Huff London, KY 10 37-02 75
Day 1: 5 16-10 Day 2: 5 20-08
27. KJ Queen Catawba, NC 10 36-07 74
Day 1: 5 13-13 Day 2: 5 22-10
28. Clark Wendlandt Leander, TX 10 36-07 73
Day 1: 5 15-15 Day 2: 5 20-08
29. Chris Zaldain Fort Worth, TX 8 36-06 72
Day 1: 3 11-10 Day 2: 5 24-12
30. Wes Logan Springville, AL 9 36-05 71
Day 1: 4 12-11 Day 2: 5 23-10
31. Hunter Shryock Ooltewah, TN 10 36-04 70
Day 1: 5 15-14 Day 2: 5 20-06
32. Seth Feider New Market, MN 10 36-04 69
Day 1: 5 18-04 Day 2: 5 18-00
33. Shane LeHew Catawba, NC 10 36-02 68
Day 1: 5 20-10 Day 2: 5 15-08
34. Jacob Powroznik North Prince George, VA 10 35-15 67
Day 1: 5 19-06 Day 2: 5 16-09
35. Carl Jocumsen Queensland AUSTRALIA 10 35-06 66
Day 1: 5 19-14 Day 2: 5 15-08
36. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 10 35-06 65
Day 1: 5 17-04 Day 2: 5 18-02
37. Matt Herren Ashville, AL 9 35-02 64
Day 1: 4 13-14 Day 2: 5 21-04
38. Bryan New Saluda, SC 8 35-01 63
Day 1: 5 19-03 Day 2: 3 15-14
39. Ray Hanselman Jr Del Rio, TX 9 34-15 62
Day 1: 5 19-00 Day 2: 4 15-15
40. Jonathan Kelley Old Forge, PA 9 34-09 61
Day 1: 4 08-15 Day 2: 5 25-10
41. Koby Kreiger Alva, FL 10 34-03 60
Day 1: 5 14-11 Day 2: 5 19-08
42. Derek Hudnall Denham Springs, LA 10 34-02 59
Day 1: 5 13-07 Day 2: 5 20-11
43. Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 10 33-15 58
Day 1: 5 16-09 Day 2: 5 17-06
44. David Williams Newton, NC 10 33-12 57
Day 1: 5 12-13 Day 2: 5 20-15
45. Jason Williamson Wagener, SC 10 33-10 56
Day 1: 5 13-01 Day 2: 5 20-09
46. Tyler Rivet Raceland, LA 10 33-07 55
Day 1: 5 17-04 Day 2: 5 16-03
47. Kyle Welcher Opelika, AL 10 33-01 54
Day 1: 5 13-15 Day 2: 5 19-02
48. Clent Davis Montevallo, AL 9 32-15 53 $2,500.00
Day 1: 4 13-08 Day 2: 5 19-07
49. Gary Clouse Winchester, TN 10 32-14 52 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 17-14 Day 2: 5 15-00
50. Scott Canterbury Odenville, AL 10 32-07 51 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 12-02 Day 2: 5 20-05
51. Kenta Kimura Osaka JAPAN 9 32-04 50 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 19-03 Day 2: 4 13-01
52. Chris Johnston Otonabee Ontario CANADA 10 32-03 49 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 16-11 Day 2: 5 15-08
53. Buddy Gross Chattanooga, TN 10 31-08 48 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 13-10 Day 2: 5 17-14
54. Jamie Hartman Newport, NY 10 31-03 47 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 16-09 Day 2: 5 14-10
55. Jacob Foutz Charleston, TN 10 31-02 46 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 20-12 Day 2: 5 10-06
56. Darold Gleason Many, LA 10 31-01 45 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 14-00 Day 2: 5 17-01
57. Scott Martin Clewiston, FL 10 31-01 44 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 17-00 Day 2: 5 14-01
58. Lee Livesay Longview, TX 10 30-04 43 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 15-08 Day 2: 5 14-12
59. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 10 29-11 42 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 14-11 Day 2: 5 15-00
60. Cody Huff Ava, MO 10 29-08 41 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 12-01 Day 2: 5 17-07
61. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 10 29-05 40 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 15-01 Day 2: 5 14-04
62. Alex Redwine Blue Ash, OH 10 29-00 39 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 12-03 Day 2: 5 16-13
63. Justin Atkins Florence, AL 9 28-13 38 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 19-08 Day 2: 4 09-05
64. Brad Whatley Bivins, TX 7 28-12 37 $2,500.00
Day 1: 4 11-09 Day 2: 3 17-03
65. Jake Whitaker Fairview, NC 10 28-10 36 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 13-02 Day 2: 5 15-08
66. Jeff Gustafson Keewatin Ontario CANADA 10 28-06 35 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 15-13 Day 2: 5 12-09
67. Masayuki Matsushita Tokoname-Shi JAPAN 7 28-04 34 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 23-08 Day 2: 2 04-12
68. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 7 28-03 33
Day 1: 4 16-10 Day 2: 3 11-09
69. Jay Yelas Turner, OR 9 28-02 32
Day 1: 4 11-11 Day 2: 5 16-07
70. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 9 28-02 31
Day 1: 5 12-02 Day 2: 4 16-00
71. Austin Felix Eden Prairie, MN 10 27-15 30
Day 1: 5 17-10 Day 2: 5 10-05
72. Caleb Sumrall New Iberia, LA 10 27-12 29
Day 1: 5 14-03 Day 2: 5 13-09
73. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 10 27-09 28
Day 1: 5 12-08 Day 2: 5 15-01
74. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 10 27-09 27
Day 1: 5 14-02 Day 2: 5 13-07
75. Brandon Card Salisbury, NC 10 27-08 26
Day 1: 5 13-10 Day 2: 5 13-14
76. Ed Loughran III Richmond, VA 10 27-07 25
Day 1: 5 15-07 Day 2: 5 12-00
77. Chad Pipkens Dewitt, MI 9 27-07 24
Day 1: 5 14-00 Day 2: 4 13-07
78. Matt Robertson Kuttawa, KY 8 27-01 23
Day 1: 5 16-07 Day 2: 3 10-10
79. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 9 26-13 22
Day 1: 4 10-12 Day 2: 5 16-01
80. Jesse Tacoronte Kissimmee, FL 9 25-08 21
Day 1: 5 10-04 Day 2: 4 15-04
81. Daisuke Aoki Minamitsurugun Yamanash 7 25-00 20
Day 1: 5 17-13 Day 2: 2 07-03
82. Joshua Stracner Vandiver, AL 10 23-06 19
Day 1: 5 13-04 Day 2: 5 10-02
83. Justin Hamner Northport, AL 8 23-04 18
Day 1: 3 07-07 Day 2: 5 15-13
84. Michael Iaconelli Pitts Grove, NJ 8 21-03 17
Day 1: 5 13-14 Day 2: 3 07-05
85. Bob Downey Detroit Lakes, MN 7 19-10 16
Day 1: 2 04-05 Day 2: 5 15-05
86. David Fritts Lexington, NC 3 19-00 15
Day 1: 1 05-12 Day 2: 2 13-04
87. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 5 17-04 14
Day 1: 1 02-03 Day 2: 4 15-01
88. Gregory DiPalma Millville, NJ 6 16-08 13
Day 1: 1 02-06 Day 2: 5 14-02
89. Bryan Schmitt Deale, MD 5 15-07 12
Day 1: 4 09-09 Day 2: 1 05-14
90. Frank Talley Temple, TX 4 15-00 11
Day 1: 1 03-15 Day 2: 3 11-01
91. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 5 12-12 10
Day 1: 3 09-00 Day 2: 2 03-12
92. Micah Frazier Newnan, GA 3 10-03 9
Day 1: 2 07-02 Day 2: 1 03-01
93. Jason Christie Park Hill, OK 1 04-02 8
Day 1: 1 04-02 Day 2: 0 00-00
94. Matty Wong Honolulu, HI 1 03-05 7
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 03-05
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1 Todd Auten Lake Wylie, SC 08-15 $1,000.00
2 Pat Schlapper Eleva, WI 09-10 $1,000.00

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 74 424 1462-06
2 71 420 1557-06
----------------------------------
145 844 3019-12

by AnglersChannel

Fort Gibson Lake Set to Host 2022 Abu Garcia College Fishing National Championship

Nation’s Top College Fishing Anglers Compete for the Opportunity to Fish as a Pro in the 2022 Toyota Series Championship and the Chance to Win up to $235,000

WAGONER, Okla. (Mar. 18, 2022) – The best college fishing teams from all across the nation will head to Wagoner, Oklahoma in two weeks, March 29-31, for the 2022 Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI National Championship Presented by Lowrance at Fort Gibson Lake. The 13^th annual College Fishing National Championship – hosted by the Wagoner Area Chamber of Commerce and the City of Wagoner – will feature 178 of the nation’s best collegiate anglers, competing for a $33,500 prize package, including a new Phoenix 518 pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard, and the chance to advance to the 2022 Toyota Series Championship to compete as a pro for a top prize of up to $235,000.

“The City of Wagoner and the Wagoner Area Chamber of Commerce are honored to host the 2022 Abu Garcia College Fishing National Championship,” said Kristen Mallett, Executive Director of the Wagoner Area Chamber of Commerce. “We’re excited to have collegiate anglers from across the country coming to Wagoner to compete on Fort Gibson Lake and our businesses and community welcome you with open arms.”

Both members of the winning team and the runners-up at the 2022 Abu Garcia College Fishing National Championship will advance to the 2022 Toyota Series Championship where they will compete as pros for a top prize of up to $235,000. Both members of the third-place team will advance to the 2021 Toyota Series Championship to compete as co-anglers for a shot at winning a $33,500 Phoenix 518 pro with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard.

The Drury University duo of Cole Breeden of Eldridge, Missouri and Cameron Smith of Nixa, Missouri took home the trophy last year at the 2021 College Fishing National Championship on Grand Lake in Grove, Oklahoma – the first national title for Drury. The young anglers will be among the teams competing in this year’s event and are looking forward to one last hurrah in their college fishing partnership, and a chance to defend their title.

“Last year was such an awesome experience,” said Breeden. “Neither of us had ever fished in Oklahoma before, but during the whole tournament it just felt like we were fishing at home.

“Winning that championship was the greatest moment I’ve had in college fishing,” continued Breeden. “That type of opportunity doesn’t come around very often and all our family was there to witness it – I’ve never had a better experience than that.”

Smith graduated in 2021, but the Missouri duo qualified for the upcoming National Championship during the spring of his senior year, which means the two will be paired up one final time to take on Fort Gibson Lake.

“We haven’t had many events so far this year, so I’m hoping the National Championship will be a really good way to kick off the year,” said Breeden, who is set to graduate this spring with a bachelor’s degree in marketing.

“My College Fishing partner for this year [Hunter Baird of Springfield, Missouri] and I just qualified for the 2023 National Championship, finishing in 11^th place at the MLF College Fishing Open on Lake Chickamauga a few weeks ago, so that was a great start to my final college-fishing season.”

Breeden said the championship win in 2021 was a huge motivating factor for him throughout the 2021 season and furthered fueled his passion and fishing aspirations.

“There are a lot of emotions when you have a big win like that and it really is a motivating factor, even moving into this year,” said Breeden. “We’re the defending champs and I’d love to defend our title and bring home another win.”

Abu Garcia College Fishing anglers who qualified for the National Championship will have an on-site tournament meeting and registration, followed by pro angler seminars and more on Sunday, March 27^th at the SageNet Center in Tulsa, in conjunction with REDCREST 2022 – the Bass Pro Tour World Championship.

“I’m really excited about the Sunday that we get to spend at the MLF Outdoor Sports Expo with the Bass Pro Tour anglers during REDCREST,” said Breeden. “That will be a cool opportunity and a great way to start off our week – meeting sponsors and putting us in a good place to network and make it more attainable for those of us looking to further our fishing careers.”

Anglers will take off from Taylor’s Ferry North, located on Dock Road in Wagoner at 7 a.m. CTeach day of competition. Weigh-ins will be held at Taylor’s Ferry North starting at 3 p.m. and will be livestreamed daily. Fans are welcome to attend the event or tune in to the weigh-in and follow the online coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com .

Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI teams compete in three regular-season qualifying tournaments in one of five conferences – Central, Northern, Southern, Southeastern and Western. The top ten teams from each division’s three regular-season tournaments and the top 20 teams from the annual Abu Garcia College Fishing Open advance to the following year’s Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI National Championship.

Proud sponsors of the 2022 MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI include: 4WP, 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, A.R.E. Truck Caps, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, E3, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, Gary Yamamoto Baits, General Tire, Lew’s, Lowrance, Lucas Oil, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, Wiley X and YETI.

For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI on MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

by AnglersChannel

Lake Norman Hosts Bassmaster College Series

North Carolina's Lake Norman will host the Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops March 25-26, 2022.

Photo by Andy Crawford/B.A.S.S.

March 18, 2022

CORNELIUS, N.C. — Talented college fishing teams from across the country will converge on Lake Norman March 25-26, 2022 for the second stop on the Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops circuit.

Located in the western part of the state, the Catawba River reservoir holds both largemouth and spotted bass, and Bassmaster Elite Series pro Shane LeHew of Catawba, N.C., said he expects both species to play.

“The bass usually bed there around the end of March,” LeHew said. “So, there’s a chance they could be arriving at just the right time for a shallow-water event. That could mean bigger weights than usual.”

The normal pool for Lake Norman is close to 100 feet, but LeHew said the lake has been down over the winter, but it’s back to 96.8 feet now.

Shallow-water success, according to LeHew, will be found fishing shallow-running crankbaits and jigs around rocky banks, docks and some boat ramps that are in the water, while some deep-water success could be found around rock and brushpiles in 17 to 45 feet of water with Ned rigs, spoons and finesse jigs.

The larger fish in Lake Norman tend to live shallower, LeHew said, while schools of smaller spotted bass can be caught in deeper water.

The last College Series event held on Lake Norman in 2019 was won by the Jacksonville State University duo of William Nichols and Jamon Phillips, who weighed in 37 pounds, 15 ounces during the three-day event in late February.

The 2022 Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops season will feature four two-day regular-season events with the full field fishing both days of the competition. Teams will launch Friday and Saturday at 7:10 a.m. ET from Blythe Landing in Huntersville, N.C., with weigh-in back at Blythe Landing starting at 3:30 p.m.

Full coverage will be available on Bassmaster.com.

by AnglersChannel

Cook Rides Stellar Day 1 Catch To Early Lead At Bassmaster Elite On Santee Cooper Lakes

Drew Cook of Cairo, Ga., is leading after Day 1 of the 2022 Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite on Santee Cooper Lakes with 31 pounds, 13 ounces.

Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.

March 17, 2022

CLARENDON COUNTY, S.C. — Drew Cook has a history of making life difficult for himself with tough Day 1 performances.

But by catching 31 pounds, 13 ounces, Cook shed his streak of bad opening rounds and leads the field of 94 anglers after the first day of the Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite Series on Santee Cooper Lakes.

The Cairo, Ga., resident holds more than a 2-pound lead over Wisconsin pro Caleb Kuphall, who landed in second with 29-10, and nearly a 4-pound lead over Louisiana pro Greg Hackney.

“I said I was going to act like I was 12 pounds behind from the get-go,” Cook said. “I have never won one of these things and have never really had a good start to an event. Hopefully, with a good start, we can keep it going.”

Cook secured his catch a couple of hours after takeoff at John C. Land III Sport Fishing Facility, all by sight fishing. He found many of the bass he caught on Thursday during practice, but they had not locked onto a bed. There was one male, however, that had locked on during practice and Cook located those females around that male on tournament day.

“I only had two females to start on, and I caught one of them right off the bat and then I caught the next one,” Cook said. “A couple of the ones I had seen swimming around had moved onto bed. We were done at like 11 a.m. I watched every one of them (eat it). It was a lot of fun.”

Right before the beginning of the official practice period, a front moved through the area bringing colder temperatures and rain to Lakes Marion and Moultrie, which have been a few feet lower than normal. But the subfreezing lows for the weekend and the beginning of the week have now been replaced with warmer days and nights.

Storms also blew through on the scheduled off day Wednesday, which allowed the water to rise some in Cook’s area, a key for getting those big females to commit to spawning. But the news wasn’t all good.

“What also happened with the water level coming up is carp are spawning in a lot of the areas now,” Cook said. “So, the water is kind of a chalky color.”

After the quick start, Cook used the rest of the afternoon to look for more bass that had moved up to spawn and found two that might help him Friday.

“I caught one male that I had marked today and I threw him back,” he said. “I found two more 6- or 7-pounders. It was really hard today because I had a 5-8, but I found a 7-pounder. I left both of them and hopefully, they made it through the afternoon.

“We are going to give it a shot. There still should be fish coming.”

Kuphall, meanwhile, had a much different approach to the Santee Cooper Lakes, targeting prespawn bass he could not see. It was a relatively slow day for the Mukwonago, Wis., native, but the ones that did bite were the right size.

“I only caught eight fish today,” he said. “It was really one area. I caught an 8-pounder, a 5 1/4 and a 6-pounder within probably 20 minutes just in one little stretch. I’m not sight fishing, I’m just pitching at cypress trees.

“These were prespawn fish. That 8-pounder I caught was ready.”

Kuphall said the fish he caught Thursday were not there during practice. The water level has stayed mostly stable in his area, and with warmer weather continuing, he hopes the fishing improves.

“I’m hoping more fish pull up throughout the night tonight,” he said. “We are going to have another warm night. I have fish in my areas that are coming to me, I’m just not getting that many bites. My morning bite has been really bad, and as the day progresses it gets better.”

During the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk earlier this month on Lake Hartwell, Hackney’s wife suggested to him they should retire to the host city of Greenville, S.C., but he rejected that idea for one reason.

“If she had said she wanted to come to Santee Cooper and retire, I would be all in,” he said. “I love this place. It is like where I grew up at home. It is the only place we go that is like that. I just enjoy fishing here.”

Hackney certainly made himself feel at home Thursday with 27-14. With water levels expected to rise more and air and water temperatures rising as well, the Gonzales, La., native said it should be the “perfect storm” for giant bags.

“I didn’t know I was going to catch that,” he said. “I had a much better day than I expected. I think things got better today, honestly. I was very fortunate and got the right bites.”

With conditions improving, Hackney hopes he will be able to move around some and capitalize in other areas.

“I’m afraid that it is going to get better in other places,” Hackney said. “Every time I’ve been here, it has been cold in practice and then warmed up and fish just start showing up everywhere.

“I fished where I had the best chance of catching 20 (pounds). I looked a lot and probably saw lots of bass the second day of practice, but never saw one I thought weighed 6 pounds.”

Lake Wylie, S.C., native Todd Auten anchored his 27-2 fourth-place bag with an 8-15 largemouth, earning him Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the Day honors.

Heading into Day 2, John Cox of DeBary, Fla., has taken over the Progressive Insurance Bassmaster Angler of the Year lead with 271 points while Japan's Masayuki Matsushita is leading the Falcon Rods Bassmaster Rookie of the Year race with 210 points.

The full field will take off from John C Land III Sport Fishing Facility at 7:30 a.m. ET Friday and return for weigh-in starting at 3:30 p.m. The field will be cut to the Top 48 after the Day 2 weigh-in, with the Top 10 anglers from Day 3 advancing to compete on Championship Sunday for the first-place prize of $100,000.

Full coverage will be available on Bassmaster.com.

2022 Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at Santee Cooper Lakes 3/17-3/20
Santee Cooper Lakes, Clarendon County SC.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 1

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

1. Drew Cook Cairo, GA 5 31-13 100
Day 1: 5 31-13
2. Caleb Kuphall Mukwonago, WI 5 29-10 99
Day 1: 5 29-10
3. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 5 27-14 98
Day 1: 5 27-14
4. Todd Auten Lake Wylie, SC 5 27-02 97 $1,000.00
Day 1: 5 27-02
5. Hank Cherry Jr Lincolnton, NC 5 26-14 96
Day 1: 5 26-14
6. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 5 26-02 95
Day 1: 5 26-02
7. Masayuki Matsushita Tokoname-Shi JAPAN 5 23-08 94
Day 1: 5 23-08
8. Patrick Walters Summerville, SC 5 22-04 93
Day 1: 5 22-04
9. Matt Arey Shelby, NC 5 22-01 92
Day 1: 5 22-01
10. Taku Ito Chiba JAPAN 5 21-10 91
Day 1: 5 21-10
11. Gerald Swindle Guntersville, AL 5 21-00 90
Day 1: 5 21-00
12. Jacob Foutz Charleston, TN 5 20-12 89
Day 1: 5 20-12
13. Shane LeHew Catawba, NC 5 20-10 88
Day 1: 5 20-10
14. Cory Johnston Cavan CANADA 5 20-04 87
Day 1: 5 20-04
15. Brandon Cobb Greenwood, SC 5 19-14 86
Day 1: 5 19-14
15. Carl Jocumsen Queensland AUSTRALIA 5 19-14 86
Day 1: 5 19-14
17. Joseph Webster Hamilton, AL 5 19-10 84
Day 1: 5 19-10
18. Justin Atkins Florence, AL 5 19-08 83
Day 1: 5 19-08
18. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 5 19-08 83
Day 1: 5 19-08
20. Jacob Powroznik North Prince George, VA 5 19-06 81
Day 1: 5 19-06
21. John Cox DeBary, FL 5 19-03 80
Day 1: 5 19-03
21. Kenta Kimura Osaka JAPAN 5 19-03 80
Day 1: 5 19-03
21. Bryan New Saluda, SC 5 19-03 80
Day 1: 5 19-03
24. Ray Hanselman Jr Del Rio, TX 5 19-00 77
Day 1: 5 19-00
25. Pat Schlapper Eleva, WI 5 18-12 76
Day 1: 5 18-12
26. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 5 18-10 75
Day 1: 5 18-10
27. Seth Feider New Market, MN 5 18-04 74
Day 1: 5 18-04
28. Gary Clouse Winchester, TN 5 17-14 73
Day 1: 5 17-14
29. Daisuke Aoki Minamitsurugun Yamanash 5 17-13 72
Day 1: 5 17-13
30. Austin Felix Eden Prairie, MN 5 17-10 71
Day 1: 5 17-10
31. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 5 17-04 70
Day 1: 5 17-04
31. Tyler Rivet Raceland, LA 5 17-04 70
Day 1: 5 17-04
33. Drew Benton Blakely, GA 5 17-03 68
Day 1: 5 17-03
34. Skylar Hamilton Dandridge, TN 5 17-02 67
Day 1: 5 17-02
35. Scott Martin Clewiston, FL 5 17-00 66
Day 1: 5 17-00
36. Chad Morgenthaler Reeds Spring, MO 5 16-14 65
Day 1: 5 16-14
37. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 5 16-13 64
Day 1: 5 16-13
38. Chris Johnston Otonabee Ontario CANADA 5 16-11 63
Day 1: 5 16-11
39. Mike Huff London, KY 5 16-10 62
Day 1: 5 16-10
40. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 4 16-10 61
Day 1: 4 16-10
41. Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 5 16-09 60
Day 1: 5 16-09
41. Jamie Hartman Newport, NY 5 16-09 60
Day 1: 5 16-09
43. Luke Palmer Coalgate, OK 5 16-07 58
Day 1: 5 16-07
43. Matt Robertson Kuttawa, KY 5 16-07 58
Day 1: 5 16-07
45. Clark Wendlandt Leander, TX 5 15-15 56
Day 1: 5 15-15
46. Hunter Shryock Ooltewah, TN 5 15-14 55
Day 1: 5 15-14
47. Jeff Gustafson Keewatin Ontario CANADA 5 15-13 54
Day 1: 5 15-13
48. Marc Frazier Newnan, GA 5 15-10 53
Day 1: 5 15-10
49. Josh Douglas Isle, MN 5 15-08 52
Day 1: 5 15-08
49. Lee Livesay Longview, TX 5 15-08 52
Day 1: 5 15-08
49. Jay Przekurat Stevens Point, WI 5 15-08 52
Day 1: 5 15-08
52. Ed Loughran III Richmond, VA 5 15-07 49
Day 1: 5 15-07
53. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 5 15-01 48
Day 1: 5 15-01
54. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 5 14-11 47
Day 1: 5 14-11
54. Koby Kreiger Alva, FL 5 14-11 47
Day 1: 5 14-11
56. Caleb Sumrall New Iberia, LA 5 14-03 45
Day 1: 5 14-03
57. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 5 14-02 44
Day 1: 5 14-02
58. Darold Gleason Many, LA 5 14-00 43
Day 1: 5 14-00
58. Chad Pipkens DeWitt, MI 5 14-00 43
Day 1: 5 14-00
60. Kyle Welcher Opelika, AL 5 13-15 41
Day 1: 5 13-15
61. Michael Iaconelli Pittsgrove, NJ 5 13-14 40
Day 1: 5 13-14
62. Matt Herren Ashville, AL 4 13-14 39
Day 1: 4 13-14
63. KJ Queen Catawba, NC 5 13-13 38
Day 1: 5 13-13
64. Brandon Card Salisbury, NC 5 13-10 37
Day 1: 5 13-10
64. Buddy Gross Chattanooga, TN 5 13-10 37
Day 1: 5 13-10
66. Clent Davis Montevallo, AL 4 13-08 35
Day 1: 4 13-08
67. Derek Hudnall Denham Springs, LA 5 13-07 34
Day 1: 5 13-07
68. Joshua Stracner Vandiver, AL 5 13-04 33
Day 1: 5 13-04
69. Jake Whitaker Fairview, NC 5 13-02 32
Day 1: 5 13-02
70. Jason Williamson Wagener, SC 5 13-01 31
Day 1: 5 13-01
71. David Williams Newton, NC 5 12-13 30
Day 1: 5 12-13
72. Wes Logan Springville, AL 4 12-11 29
Day 1: 4 12-11
73. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 5 12-08 28
Day 1: 5 12-08
74. Alex Redwine Blue Ash, OH 5 12-03 27
Day 1: 5 12-03
75. Scott Canterbury Odenville, AL 5 12-02 26
Day 1: 5 12-02
75. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 5 12-02 26
Day 1: 5 12-02
77. Cody Huff Ava, MO 5 12-01 24
Day 1: 5 12-01
78. Jay Yelas Turner, OR 4 11-11 23
Day 1: 4 11-11
79. Chris Zaldain Fort Worth, TX 3 11-10 22
Day 1: 3 11-10
80. Brad Whatley Bivins, TX 4 11-09 21
Day 1: 4 11-09
81. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 4 10-12 20
Day 1: 4 10-12
82. Jesse Tacoronte Kissimmee, FL 5 10-04 19
Day 1: 5 10-04
83. Bryan Schmitt Deale, MD 4 09-09 18
Day 1: 4 09-09
84. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 3 09-00 17
Day 1: 3 09-00
85. Jonathan Kelley Old Forge, PA 4 08-15 16
Day 1: 4 08-15
86. Justin Hamner Northport, AL 3 07-07 15
Day 1: 3 07-07
87. Micah Frazier Newnan, GA 2 07-02 14
Day 1: 2 07-02
88. David Fritts Lexington, NC 1 05-12 13
Day 1: 1 05-12
89. Bob Downey Detroit Lakes, MN 2 04-05 12
Day 1: 2 04-05
90. Jason Christie Park Hill, OK 1 04-02 11
Day 1: 1 04-02
91. Frank Talley Temple, TX 1 03-15 10
Day 1: 1 03-15
92. Gregory DiPalma Millville, NJ 1 02-06 9
Day 1: 1 02-06
93. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 1 02-03 8
Day 1: 1 02-03
94. Matty Wong Honolulu, HI 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1 Todd Auten Lake Wylie, SC 08-15 $1,000.00

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 74 424 1462-06
----------------------------------
74 424 1462-06

by AnglersChannel

AC Insider Podcast "Following His Heart"

This week Chris & The boys welcome in Bass Pro Tour Angler Timmy Horton to discuss his recent retirement announcement at the end of the season and his new found focus and direction.

by AnglersChannel

Rookie Christian Greico Wins MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Bass Boat Technologies Stop 2 on the Harris Chain of Lakes

Greico Boats Final-Day Tally of 18 Pounds, 5 Ounces to Best 157 Anglers and Earn Top Prize of $100,000

LEESBURG, Fla. (March 16, 2022) – The last time Major League Fishing had held an event on the Harris Chain of Lakes – the AAA-level 2021 Toyota Series – 22-year-old Tampa, Florida angler Christian Greico landed “Jim Thomas”, a 9-pound, 12-ounce giant largemouth that had been tagged by the Friends of Lake Apopka and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission as part of the Lake Apopka Fish Tag Challenge. Greico was awarded the top prize of $5,000 for catching that bass, and used those winnings as part of his deposit to compete in his rookie season against the pros on the 2022 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by Fuel Me.

Wednesday, it all came full circle for the Florida rookie. Greico weighed in a five-bass limit totaling 18 pounds, 5 ounces, to win the four-day Bass Boat Technologies Stop 2 at the Harris Chain of Lakes Presented by Frogg Toggs in Leesburg, Florida. Greico edged the second-place pro Andrew Loberg of Rocklin, California, by 1-pound, 8-ounces, and earned the top payout of $100,000 – or 20 tagged bass.

“I really can’t believe how this week turned out,” Greico said. “Coming back to the ramp with only 18 pounds today – I thought for sure that someone had busted a 20+ pound bag. I was thrilled to just be in the top 10 and standing there on the final day with (MLF emcee) Chris Jones. To get it done today – man, I’ve had a blessed week. All glory to God on this one.”

After targeting offshore shell beds in Lake Harris with a Carolina-rigged Googan Slim Shake and a Googan Dart on the first three days of competition, Greico pivoted on the final day and scrapped his shell bed pattern to run to Lake Apopka and flip a jig for the day.

“I could tell yesterday that the shell bite was deteriorating on me. I decided to start on the pattern first thing this morning, but once I drug through there for 10 to 15 minutes and didn’t get a bite, I knew it probably wasn’t going to happen in Lake Harris. So, I made the decision to run to Apopka and put the flipping stick in my hand. I knew if those fish were biting, it was only a matter of time until I caught a few big ones.

“It took me about five minutes before I got my first bite, and that’s when I knew it could happen,” the 23-year-old pro said.

Greico’s flipping fish came on a Googan Nuke Punch, with a ¾-ounce weight.

Despite the fast start to his career, Greico plans to play it conservative and ensure he remains in the sport for the long haul.

“The money is great, don’t get me wrong, but I’m not out here for the money,” Greico went on to say. “I do this because I love it, and to earn these trophies. This is a huge confidence booster – this is where I’m meant to be. I can have a career as a pro bass fisherman and go toe-to-toe against the best guys. It’s an honor to even be out here competing against them. To win, in just my second event – it blows my mind.

“I’m probably going to bed early tonight, and I’m putting this money in the bank and saving it. It can get pretty expensive chasing around these bass.”

The top 10 pros at the Bass Boat Technologies Stop 2 on the Harris Chain of Lakes finished:

1^st:          Christian Greico, Tampa, Fla., five bass, 18-5
2^nd:         Andrew Loberg, Rocklin, Calif., five bass, 16-13
3^rd:         Shonn Goodwin, Moore, Okla., five bass, 16-0
4^th:         Corey Neece, Bristol, Tenn., five bass, 15-1
5^th:         Jason Reyes, Huffman, Texas, five bass, 14-14
6^th:         Mark Rose, Wynne, Ark., five bass, 14-14
7^th:         Grae Buck, Green Lane, Pa., five bass, 11-8
8^th:         Grant Galloway, Houlka, Miss., five bass, 10-14
9^th:         Jeff Reynolds, Calera, Okla., four bass, 10-11
10^th:       Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., five bass, 9-12

For a full list of results visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Overall, there were 49 bass weighing 138 pounds, 12 ounces caught by the final 10 pros Wednesday. Nine of the final 10 pros weighed in a five-bass limit.

The four-day MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Bass Boat Technologies Stop 2 on the Harris Chain of Lakes Presented by Frogg Toggs was hosted by Visit Lake County. The event will premiere on the CBS Sports Network on Saturday, July 16 from 7 to 9 a.m. ET.

In Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit competition, the full field of anglers competed in the two-day opening round on Sunday and Monday. The top 50 pros based on their two-day cumulative weight advanced to Tuesday, then only the top 10 pros based on cumulative weight from the first three days continued competition on Championship Wednesday, where weights were zeroed and the winner was determined by the heaviest weight from the final day of competition.

The Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Bass Boat Technologies Stop 2 on the Harris Chain of Lakes Presented by Frogg Toggs marked the second regular-season event of the year for the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by Fuel Me. The next event for Pro Circuit anglers will be the Lithium Pros Stop 3 at Pickwick Lake Presented by Covercraft, April 21-24 in Counce, Tennessee.

Throughout the season, anglers are also vying for valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the 2022 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit TITLE Presented by Mercury, the Pro Circuit Championship, where they will compete for up to $235,000. The 2022 TITLE will be on the St. Lawrence River in Massena, New York on Aug. 16-21, and is hosted by the Town of Massena.

Proud sponsors of the 2022 MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by Fuel Me include: 4WP, 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, A.R.E. Truck Caps, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, E3, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, Gary Yamamoto Baits, General Tire, Lew’s, Lowrance, Lucas Oil, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, Wiley X and YETI.

For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit on the MLF5 social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

by AnglersChannel

Tulsa and Grand Lake Ready for Major League Fishing’s REDCREST 2022 Presented by Costa Sunglasses

Bass Pro Tour Championship to Showcase Top 41 Anglers Competing on Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees for $300,000 Top Prize, Outdoor Sports Expo to Take Place at Tulsa’s SageNet Center at Expo Square

TULSA, Okla. (March 16, 2022) – Major League Fishing’s (MLF) REDCREST 2022 presented by Costa Sunglasses, the Bass Pro Tour championship, is set to visit Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees next week, March 23-27, to crown professional bass fishing’s newest world champion.

The five-day tournament, shot for television broadcast on CBS, the Discovery Channel and the Outdoor Channel, will showcase the top 41 Bass Pro Tour anglers from the 2021 season competing for the prestigious REDCREST Championship and the top prize of $300,000.

Originally scheduled to be held at Oklahoma’s Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees last year, MLF officials shifted REDCREST 2021 to another venue after the cancellation of the REDCREST Outdoor Sports Expo that had been scheduled to be held in conjunction with the event. It’s now all systems go for 2022 and the league, the professional anglers, and fishing fans from all over the country are excited for Tulsa-based Major League Fishing’s Homecoming event.

“We are proud to host the Major League Fishing Bass Pro Shops REDCREST 2022 next week,” Tulsa Mayor G. T. Bynum said. “This will be a large, family-friendly event with world-class anglers, and we also get to watch a Tulsa-based company thrive and shine on a national stage.”

“Working hand-in-hand with Major League Fishing on this event is always a joy and this year is no different,” said Ashleigh Bachert, Interim SVP for Tulsa Regional Tourism. “You can definitely feel the local investment from this Tulsa company as their all-in mentality for putting on the absolute best event is dialed to eleven. REDCREST 2022 will be one for the - hooks.”

The General Tire Take Off Ceremony will begin each day at 6:45 a.m. at the Wolf Creek Park and Boating Facility, located at 963 N. 16^th St. in Grove, Oklahoma. Anglers will depart daily at 7:30 a.m. from the park and return after competition ends at 4 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend all launch events and also encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLF NOW!® live stream and SCORETRACKER® coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

“We’re hitting it right when the lake is coming out of hibernation – it’s probably the best week of the year that this event could happen,” said Edwin Evers of Talala, Oklahoma, who won the inaugural REDCREST event in 2019 on the Mississippi River. “It’s like light-switch week. The weather is looking good, and this event could be off the charts good.

“Guys are going to be able to catch them every way you can possibly imagine,” Evers continued. “I expect that it will mainly be a prespawn, staging-type bite, but I would not at all be shocked if there were fish spawning by the end of next week. The key to doing well is going to be staying fluid and changing with the conditions.”

Evers said that he thinks if an angler could catch 10 to 12 scorable bass per day they will be doing alright.

“The Bass Pro Tour can be so hard to predict, because of the catch-all-you-can format and the zeroing of the weights – it could be anywhere from 45 to 90 pounds on that final day,” Evers said. “But the lake is in really good shape, and guys are going to be spread out.

“I’m most excited about this event happening right here, in the heart of the country,” Evers said. “This community eats, sleeps, and breathes bass fishing. I expect that a lot of people are going to have a lot of fun, and this one is going to be a really special event.”

As part of the event, Major League Fishing is hosting a FREE, family-friendly Outdoor Sports Expo Presented by Costa throughout the weekend, March 25-27 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day at the SageNet Center at Expo Square in Tulsa. Fishing and outdoor enthusiasts will have the opportunity to visit more than 130 booths and vendors, showcasing the latest and greatest in fishing, boating, hunting, camping and more. The biggest names in the outdoor industry will be on hand, including all 80 of the professional anglers that compete on the Bass Pro Tour, fishing legend Jimmy Houston and The Bone Collector’s Michael Waddell. Children are welcome to visit the Bank of Oklahoma Kids Zone to meet Skye & Marshall from PAW Patrol, fish for catfish in the Kids Fishing Pond, show off their artistic skills at the coloring stations, and more. Country music star Blane Howard will perform free concerts at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, March 25 and Saturday, March 26, while Clayton Anderson will headline the free concert series with a performance on Sunday, March 27 at 4:30 p.m. Giveaways and prizes include signed MLF angler jerseys, rods and reels, 50” and 60” TVs, gift cards , and more. On Friday and Saturday night, one lucky attendee will play for $100,000 in the Bully Dog Pick ‘Til You Win game, and on Sunday one lucky attendee will walk away with a brand new 2022 Toyota Tundra. For more information on the MLF Outdoor Sports Expo Presented by Costa, visit REDCRESTExpo.com.

REDCREST 2022 Presented by Costa at Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees will feature anglers competing with a 2-pound minimum weight requirement for a bass to be deemed scorable. Minimum weights are determined individually for each competition waters that the Bass Pro Tour visits, based on the productivity, bass population and anticipated average size of fish in each fishery.

All 41 Anglers will compete on Days 1 (Wednesday) and 2 (Thursday) of the event. After two days of competition, the field is cut to just the top 20 based on two-day total cumulative weight. The remaining 20 anglers are split into two groups – 10 compete on Day 3 (Friday) and 10 compete on Day 4 (Saturday). The top five anglers from each group based on total single-day weight will advance to the fifth and final day of competition (Sunday), where weights are zeroed and the angler that catches the highest total weight on the final day will be crowned the REDCREST 2022 champion.

The 2021 Bass Pro Tour featured a field of 80 of the top professional anglers in the world competing across seven regular-season tournaments around the country. The top 41 anglers in the Angler of the Year (AOY) standings after the seven events qualified to compete in REDCREST 2022 Presented by Costa.

The MLF NOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee, Marty Stone and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action on all five days of competition from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. MLF NOW!® will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app.

Television coverage of REDCREST 2022 Presented by Costa will be showcased across two two-hour episodes, premiering at 7 a.m. ET, July 2 and July 9 on the Discovery Channel. A one-hour special episode of MLF REDCREST 2022 Presented by Costa will premiere at 2 p.m. ET, Sunday, July 17 on CBS. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on the Discovery Channel, with additional re-airings on the Outdoor Channel. Each two-hour long reality-based episode goes in-depth to break down each day of competition.

Proud sponsors of the 2022 MLF Bass Pro Tour include: 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, A.R.E. Truck Caps, B&W Trailer Hitches, BallyBet, Bass Cat, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, Covercraft, Favorite Fishing, Garmin, General Tire, Googan Baits, Grundéns, Guaranteed Rate, Humminbird, Lowrance, Luminox, Mercury, Minn Kota, Mossy Oak, Nitro Performance Boats, Onyx, Plano, Power-Pole, Power Stop, Rapala, Starbrite, Toro, Toyota, Wrangler, Yellowstone Bourbon and Zoom.

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

by AnglersChannel

California Rookie Loberg Paces Field at MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Bass Boat Technologies Stop 2 on the Harris Chain of Lakes

Final 10 Anglers Now Set for Final-Day Shootout for $135k on Championship Wednesday

LEESBURG, Fla. (March 15, 2022) – Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit rookie Andrew Loberg of Rocklin, California, caught a five-bass limit Tuesday weighing 22 pounds, 10 ounces to lead the final 10 anglers and advance to the final day of competition at the Bass Boat Technologies Stop 2 at the Harris Chain of Lakes Presented by Frogg Toggs in Leesburg, Florida. Loberg narrowly edged the reigning Pro Circuit Angler of the Year (AOY) Michael Neal of Dayton, Tennessee, by just 8 ounces.

After starting the day in 31^st place, Neal weighed in the largest limit of the event – five bass totaling 27-11 – to vault up the leaderboard into second place. Oklahoma pro Jeff Reynolds also catapulted up the leaderboard, weighing in a limit totaling 27-4 to end the day in third after starting the day in 44^th place. Tampa, Florida rookie Christian Greico, who led the tournament after Day 2, fell to 8^thwith a limit weighing 11-4.

The final 10 anglers are now set, and competition will resume tomorrow morning on Championship Wednesday, where weights are zeroed, and the angler that catches the heaviest five-fish weight will earn the top prize of up to $135,000.

The four-day tournament, hosted by Visit Lake County, marks the second regular-season event of the year for the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by Fuel Me.

“I’m stoked to be fishing Day 4,” Loberg said. “This is the first time I’ve ever made the final day of a four-day event. Usually, it’s always been three days for me. So I’m really excited for tomorrow. The weights are zeroed, everyone is even, and I’m just going to have to go out and fish my hardest and get everything I can get.”

Loberg spent Tuesday fishing in Lake Eustis, targeting postspawn fish in the grass.

“The fishing here really reminds me of Clear Lake, which is my home lake in California,” Loberg said. “There is lots of shallow grass, the tules, and dirty-ish water. I really like targeting postspawn fish and they love going to the grass after they spawn. I found a few areas and I’ve really just capitalized on those and milked them each day. And that has helped, because I’ve learned more and more each day about the spots and what is going on.

“The bites are coming in little spurts,” Loberg continued. “The morning bite each day has been my best deal, especially for the bigger bites. As the day goes on, it’s harder to get multiple bites – it’s kind of one here, one there. But the weather is changing so much, and I fished a lot of different baits today. You kind of almost have to practice in your areas to see how they are going to bite with the changing conditions.”

With just one day of competition left, Loberg is excited at his chances.

“I feel like I’ve learned where the sweet spots are, and if I can figure out a few other baits it could be a good day. I know I’m going to be throwing a big swimbait tomorrow – it’s definitely going to take more than 20 pounds to win, so I really need to capitalize on them in the morning. I’ve put a lot of pressure on that area over the last two days, we’ll see how it holds up.”

The top 10 pros advancing to the final day of competition on the Harris Chain of Lakes are:

1^st:          Andrew Loberg, Rocklin, Calif., 15 bass, 57-11
2^nd:         Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., 15 bass, 57-3
3^rd:         Jeff Reynolds, Calera, Okla., 15 bass, 55-5
4^th:         Grant Galloway, Houlka, Miss., 15 bass, 52-7
5^th:         Shonn Goodwin, Moore, Okla., 15 bass, 51-6
6^th:         Mark Rose, Wynne, Ark., 15 bass, 49-14
7^th:         Corey Neece, Bristol, Tenn., 15 bass, 49-11
8^th:         Christian Greico, Tampa, Fla., 15 bass, 49-4
9^th:         Grae Buck, Green Lane, Pa., 15 bass, 48-4
10^th:       Jason Reyes, Huffman, Texas, 15 bass, 48-2

Finishing in 11^th through 50^th are:

11^th:       Clark Reehm, Elm Grove, La., 15 bass, 47-13, $11,000
12^th:       Aaron Britt, Yuba City, Calif., 15 bass, 47-12, $11,000
13^th:       Justin Lucas, Guntersville, Ala., 15 bass, 47-8, $12,000
14^th:       Chase Serafin, White Lake, Mich., 15 bass, 47-7, $11,000
15^th:       Kurt Mitchell, Milford, Del., 15 bass, 47-4, $11,000
16^th:       Lance Crawford, Broken Bow, Okla., 15 bass, 47-1, $11,000
17^th:       Miles Howe, San Juan Capistrano, Calif., 15 bass, 46-14, $11,000
18^th:       Todd Walters, Kernersville, N.C., 15 bass, 46-7, $11,000
19^th:       Michael Matthee, Centurion, South Africa, 15 bass, 46-0, $11,000
20^th:       Jimmy Neece Jr., Bristol, Tenn., 15 bass, 45-14, $11,000
21^st:       Mitch Crane, Columbus, Miss., 15 bass, 45-3, $10,500
22^nd:      Dicky Newberry, Houston, Texas, 15 bass, 45-2, $10,500
23^rd:      Casey Scanlon, Eldon, Mo., 15 bass, 45-0, $10,500
24^th:       Spencer Shuffield, Hot Springs, Ark., 15 bass, 44-14, $10,500
25^th:       Skeet Reese, Auburn, Calif., 15 bass, 44-12, $10,500
26^th:       Kerry Milner, Fisher, Ark., 15 bass, 44-8, $10,500
27^th:       Wesley Strader, Spring City, Tenn., 15 bass, 44-6, $10,500
28^th:       Keith Carson, DeBary, Fla., 15 bass, 44-5, $10,500
29^th:       Cole Floyd, Leesburg, Ohio, 15 bass, 44-5, $10,500
30^th:       Rusty Salewske, Alpine, Calif., 15 bass, 44-2, $10,500
31^st:       Derrick Snavely, Piney Flats, Tenn., 15 bass, 44-0, $10,000
32^nd:      Ramie Colson Jr., Cadiz, Ky., 15 bass, 43-15, $10,000
33^rd:      Bill McDonald, Greenwood, Ind., 14 bass, 43-13, $10,000
34^th:       Justin Cooper, Zwolle, La., 15 bass, 43-8, $10,000
35^th:       Jacopo Gallelli, Florence, Italy, 15 bass, 43-6, $10,000
36^th:       Matt Becker, Finleyville, Pa., 15 bass, 43-0, $10,000
37^th:       Steve York, Bronson, Mich., 15 bass, 42-9, $10,000
38^th:       Jacob Wall, New Hope, Ala., 15 bass, 42-7, $10,000
39^th:       Brad Knight, Lancing, Tenn., 15 bass, 42-7, $10,000
40^th:       Mike McClelland, Blue Eye, Mo., 15 bass, 42-5, $10,000
41^st:       Colby Miller, Elmer, La., 15 bass, 41-15, $10,000
42^nd:      Laramy Strickland, Bushnell, Fla., 15 bass, 41-15, $10,000
43^rd:      Tommy Dickerson, Orange, Texas, 15 bass, 41-2, $10,000
44^th:       Jon Canada, Helena, Ala., 15 bass, 39-9, $10,000
45^th:       Randy Howell, Guntersville, Ala., 15 bass, 39-9, $10,000
46^th:       Dakota Ebare, Brookeland, Texas, 14 bass, 39-6, $10,000
47^th:       Jimmy Reese, Witter Springs, Calif., 15 bass, 37-15, $10,000
48^th:       Tom Monsoor, La Crosse, Wis., 15 bass, 35-14, $10,000
49^th:       Phillip Dutra, Guntersville, Ala., 14 bass, 35-14, $10,000
50^th:       Stuart Arthur, Benton, Mo., 15 bass, 35-9, $10,000

For a full list of results visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Overall, there were 249 bass weighing 716 pounds, 13 ounces caught by the 50 pros Tuesday. The catch included 49 five-bass limits.

In Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit competition, the full field of 157 anglers competed in the two-day opening round on Sunday and Monday. The top 50 pros based on their two-day cumulative weight advanced to Tuesday. Now, only the top 10 pros, based on cumulative weight from the first three days, will continue competition on Championship Wednesday, where weights will be zeroed and anglers will compete in a one-day shootout for the grand prize of up to $135,000, including the lucrative $35,000 Phoenix MLF Bonus for qualified anglers.

The four-day MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Bass Boat Technologies Stop 2 on the Harris Chain of Lakes Presented by Frogg Toggs features a total purse of more than $850,000.

The final 10 anglers will launch at 7:30 a.m. ET Wednesday from the Ski Beach at the Venetian Gardens, located at 201 E. Lake Harris Drive in Leesburg. Wednesday’s Championship weigh-in will also be held at the Ski Beach at 3:30 p.m. Fans are encouraged to attend the morning take off and afternoon weigh-in, and also follow the live on-the-water action online on MLF NOW!beginning at 8 a.m. ET at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

The MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Bass Boat Technologies Stop 2 on the Harris Chain of Lakes Presented by Frogg Toggs will feature live on-the-water coverage and a two-hour action-packed television show that will premiere on the CBS Sports Network on Saturday, July 16 from 7 to 9 a.m. ET.

by AnglersChannel

Bassmaster Kayak Series Tackles Harris Chain

The Yamaha Rightwaters Bassmaster Kayak Series powered by TourneyX will visit the Harris Chain March 19.

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

March 15, 2022

LEESBURG, Fla. — For the first time in the young history of the Yamaha Rightwaters Bassmaster Kayak Series powered by TourneyX, anglers will travel to Florida to tackle the Harris Chain of Lakes March 19. Bassmaster Elite Series veteran Cliff Prince of Palatka, Fla., believes the bass will be in all stages of the spawn when they arrive.

“There should be plenty of grass and the fish should be in all three stages of the spawn,” Prince said. “It ought to be really good fishing this time of the year and, with it being a kayak tournament, the Harris Chain has ramps everywhere and they are all pretty convenient.”

Known as one of the best big bass venues in the country, the Harris Chain of Lakes has hosted a multitude of major tournaments including a Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops stop in January and an Elite Series event in February already this year.
In kayak tournaments, instead of a standard weigh-in that requires scales measuring pounds and ounces, when a kayak angler catches a bass they will photograph it lying on an approved measuring board and submit the photo through a special mobile app provided by TourneyX. The boards will measure each bass in inches down to a quarter of an inch, and the angler with the longest five-bass limit will win.

At any given one-day bass boat event, Prince said it generally takes 30-plus pounds — the equivalent of more than 100 inches in a kayak tournament — to win.

During this time of the year, Prince said any of the eight lakes on the chain could produce a winning bag. Each lake sets up a little bit differently and varies in water clarity. Some of the smaller lakes on the Harris Chain like Beauclair and Carlton could be easier for kayak anglers to break down.

There are several different types of grass that the bass will spawn around this time of the year, Prince said.

“A lot of fish spawn in the Kissimmee grass and a lot of fish spawn on the pads around the bank,” he said. “Since the hydrilla and eelgrass have started coming back, a lot of those fish spawn offshore. It depends on what they prefer to do. This place is really diverse and you can fish your strengths. It is a really neat place to fish.”

Flipping around any type of grass will be a productive pattern for many anglers, Prince said, while a lipless crankbait, ChatterBait and a Carolina rig have historically caught big bags when bass are in and around the spawn.

“If you like flipping and pitching, you can do that,” he said. “Then you can throw a lipless and a ChatterBait offshore and maybe even throw a jerkbait if the water is good enough.”

Anglers will be able to take off from any public launch and begin fishing at 7:15 a.m. ET. Fishing will conclude at 3:15 p.m. and winners will be announced at 4:45 p.m. at the Venetian Center in Leesburg.

Fans can follow the live leaderboard on Bassmaster.com and TourneyX.com.

by AnglersChannel

Rookie Greico Vaults into Lead at MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Bass Boat Technologies Stop 2 on the Harris Chain of Lakes

Tampa, Florida Pro Boats Limit Weighing 22-5 To Lead After Day 2, Top 50 Advance to Tuesday

LEESBURG, Fla. (March 14, 2022) – After starting the day in 28^th place, rookie pro Christian Greico of Tampa, Florida, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Monday weighing 22 pounds, 5 ounces, to take the lead after Day 2 of the Bass Boat Technologies Stop 2 at the Harris Chain of Lakes Presented by Frogg Toggs . Greico’s two-day total of 10 bass weighing 38 pounds even gives him a 1-pound, 13-ounce cushion heading into Day 3 of the four-day competition that features 157 professional bass-fishing anglers competing for a top cash award of up to $135,000.

The event, hosted by Lake County, Florida, marks the second regular-season event of the year for the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by Fuel Me.

The 2013 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American Champion Kerry Milner of Fisher, Arkansas, sits in second place with 36-3. South African pro Michael Matthee weighed the largest limit of the day – 22 pounds, 6 ounces – to move inside the top 50 cut in 18^th place, while Abu Garcia pro Justin Lucas of Guntersville, Alabama, also moved into the top 50 in 24^th place with a limit weighing 21-10. Reigning Angler of the Year Michael Neal of Dayton, Tennessee, also made the top-50 cut and will start Day 3 in 31st place with 29-8. The field is now cut to 50 for Tuesday’s competition with only the top 10 anglers advancing to Championship Wednesday.

“It feels really good to be leading,” an excited Greico said after weighing in. “When I saw the schedule last year and saw the Harris Chain, I knew this was probably going to be my best shot at winning one of these events on the Pro Circuit. Today started off slow, but as the water heated up it got pretty good. It seemed like every decision that I made today just worked out for me.”

Greico said he spent the day fishing a mix of offshore shell bars and flipping Kissimmee grass lines. He estimated that he caught around 10 keepers throughout the day, with half coming deep and half coming shallow. Although he declined to mention any specifics, Greico hinted that he was dragging just one bait out deep.

“There are definitely a lot of fish offshore – I can see them on my LiveScope,” Greico said. “They’re just not biting well right now, and I really have to grind it out on the spots to get them to bite.

“Tomorrow I’m going to run back to the offshore stuff first thing in the morning and see if they bite for me,” Greico continued. “If that’s not going on, I’ll go up shallow and put the flipping stick in my hand and get to work. Then I’ll go check the offshore fish later in the day to see if they’ll fire.”

The top 50 pros that made the cut after Day 2 and will fish Tuesday on the Harris Chain of Lakes are:

1^st:          Christian Greico, Tampa, Fla., 10 bass, 38-0
2^nd:         Kerry Milner, Fisher, Ark., 10 bass, 36-3
3^rd:         Jason Reyes, Huffman, Texas, 10 bass, 35-10
4^th:         Keith Carson, DeBary, Fla., 10 bass, 35-6
5^th:         Andrew Loberg, Rocklin, Calif., 10 bass, 35-1
6^th:         Shonn Goodwin, Moore, Okla., 10 bass, 34-8
7^th:         Aaron Britt, Yuba City, Calif., 10 bass, 34-3
8^th:         Skeet Reese, Auburn, Calif., 10 bass, 34-2
9^th:         Grant Galloway, Houlka, Miss., 10 bass, 33-10
10^th:       Colby Miller, Elmer, La., 10 bass, 33-1
11^th:       Jacob Wall, New Hope, Ala., 10 bass, 32-15
12^th:       Miles Howe, San Juan Capistrano, Calif., 10 bass, 32-13
13^th:       Dicky Newberry, Houston, Texas, 10 bass, 32-10
14^th:       Chase Serafin, White Lake, Mich., 10 bass, 32-9
15^th:       Corey Neece, Bristol, Tenn., 10 bass, 31-14
16^th:       Mitch Crane, Columbus, Miss., 10 bass, 31-11
17^th:       Laramy Strickland, Bushnell, Fla., 10 bass, 31-6
18^th:       Michael Matthee, Centurion, South Africa, 10 bass, 31-2
19^th:       Casey Scanlon, Eldon, Mo., 10 bass, 31-0
20^th:       Kurt Mitchell, Milford, Del., 10 bass, 30-15
21^st:       Wesley Strader, Spring City, Tenn., 10 bass, 30-11
22^nd:      Rusty Salewske, Alpine, Calif., 10 bass, 30-9
23^rd:      Todd Walters, Kernersville, N.C., 10 bass, 30-7
24^th:       Justin Lucas, Guntersville, Ala., 10 bass, 30-5
25^th:       Clark Reehm, Elm Grove, La., 10 bass, 30-5
26^th:       Derrick Snavely, Piney Flats, Tenn., 10 bass, 30-5
27^th:       Matt Becker, Finleyville, Pa., 10 bass, 29-14
28^th:       Jon Canada, Helena, Ala., 10 bass, 29-13
29^th:       Mark Rose, Wynne, Ark., 10 bass, 29-10
30^th:       Lance Crawford, Broken Bow, Okla., 10 bass, 29-9
31^st:       Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., 10 bass, 29-8
32^nd:      Mike McClelland, Blue Eye, Mo., 10 bass, 29-7
33^rd:      Ramie Colson Jr., Cadiz, Ky., 10 bass, 29-7
34^th:       Bill McDonald, Greenwood, Ind., nine bass, 29-6
35^th:       Jimmy Neece Jr., Bristol, Tenn., 10 bass, 29-6
36^th:       Tom Monsoor, La Crosse, Wis., 10 bass, 29-2
37^th:       Cole Floyd, Leesburg, Ohio, 10 bass, 28-14
38^th:       Justin Cooper, Zwolle, La., 10 bass, 28-13
39^th:       Stuart Arthur, Benton, Mo., 10 bass, 28-4
40^th:       Grae Buck, Green Lane, Pa., 10 bass, 28-4
41^st:       Spencer Shuffield, Hot Springs, Ark., 10 bass, 28-4
42^nd:      Tommy Dickerson, Orange, Texas, 10 bass, 28-3
43^rd:      Jacopo Gallelli, Florence, Italy, 10 bass, 28-1
44^th:       Jeff Reynolds, Calera, Okla., 10 bass, 28-1
45^th:       Brad Knight, Lancing, Tenn., 10 bass, 28-0
46^th:       Dakota Ebare, Brookeland, Texas, 10 bass, 27-13
47^th:       Phillip Dutra, Guntersville, Ala., nine bass, 27-10
48^th:       Randy Howell, Guntersville, Ala., 10 bass, 27-9
49^th:       Jimmy Reese, Witter Springs, Calif., 10 bass, 27-8
50^th:       Steve York, Bronson, Mich., 10 bass, 27-6

A full list of results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Lucas earned Monday’s $1,000 Berkley Big Bass award with a largemouth that weighed 9 pounds, 13 ounces.

Overall, there were 746 bass weighing 1,913 pounds even caught by 156 pros Monday. The catch included 138 five-bass limits.

In Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit competition, the full field of 157 anglers competed in the two-day opening round on Sunday and Monday. Now the top 50 pros based on their two-day cumulative weight advance to Tuesday. Only the top 10 pros, based on cumulative weight from the first three days, will continue competition on Championship Wednesday, where weights will be zeroed and anglers will compete in a one-day shootout for the grand prize of up to $135,000, including the lucrative $35,000 Phoenix MLF Bonus for qualified anglers.

The four-day MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Bass Boat Technologies Stop 2 on the Harris Chain of Lakes Presented by Frogg Toggs, hosted by Visit Lake County, features a total purse of more than $850,000.

Anglers will take off at 7:30 a.m. ET each day from the Ski Beach at the Venetian Gardens, located at 201 E. Lake Harris Drive in Leesburg. Weigh-ins will also be held at the Ski Beach daily at 3:30 p.m. Fans are encouraged to attend the morning take offs and afternoon weigh-ins, and also follow the live on-the-water action all four days of competition online on MLF NOW! beginning at 8 a.m. ET at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

by AnglersChannel

THE FUTURE OF FISHING SCENT TECHNOLOGY: BAITFUEL FISH ATTRACTANT

OCEAN SPRINGS, MISSISSIPPI – March 5, 2022. Building on two-plus years of development and testing by American Baitworks’ world-class science research team, the company is pleased to announce the future of fishing scent technology - BaitFuel Fish Attractant has arrived.

BaitFuel products have undergone extensive scientific research and testing to ensure the mix of bite-inducing ingredients is fully optimized for maximum performance in BaitFuel Gel and BaitFuel integrated soft plastics. BaitFuel is supercharged with F.A.S.T. (Fish Active Scent Technology) – water-based technology that releases scent easily and mimics the smell and taste of real prey – getting more bites and longer hold times for your bait! BaitFuel is scientifically engineered to stimulate a fish’s predator instinct.

Learn more about BaitFuel by visiting BaitFuel.com

BaitFuel Gel

BaitFuel Gel works with any bait type. – It can easily be added to your favorite bag of soft plastics to marinate your baits overnight or on tournament day – giving you the full power of BaitFuel with every cast. Because it is a gel, BaitFuel will stay on your baits longer and is super-slick to help your lure slide through cover easier. Unlike other scents – BaitFuel Gel is virtually odorless to humans and will not stain your carpets.

You can even try BaitFuel Gel on your hard baits! Bassmaster Pro Bryan New has been using BaitFuel on his jerk baits and believes it is giving him a definite performance advantage when finicky bass are only nosing the bait.

BaitFuel Soft Plastics

Coming soon to NetBait and NetBait STH Finesse Series products, anglers will get to fish with the maximum potency of BaitFuel. We achieve this by infusing each bait, in the manufacturing process, with the scent and taste enhancers throughout. When in water, the soft plastic bait releases BaitFuel creating a powerful scent cloud around your Paca Craw, Flat Sided Shad, and all your favorite NetBait and STH Finesse Series Baits.

Stay tuned for new product releases from NetBait with BaitFuel later this Spring.

Proven on the water BaitFuel is scientifically engineered to stimulate a fish’s predator instinct.

BaitFuel Availability

BaitFuel Fish Attractant Gel will be available very soon at major tackle retailers and national chains across the country.

NetBait and NetBait STH Finesse Series integrated soft plastics will be available in early May at your favorite tackle retailer.

Tackle dealers should note: BaitFuel Gel and Bait samples are available now by contacting American Baitworks.

About American Baitworks

American Baitworks Co. is an innovative American-based fishing tackle company that provides custom manufacturing of fishing lures and products for our customer’s specifications. Our family of brands includes BaitFuel, NetBait, Halo Fishing, Snag Proof, Scum Frog, Freedom Tackle, and STH Bait Co.

Our passion for fishing runs deep at American Baitworks Co. where our focus on innovation and advancing the sport of fishing never ends.

From our manufacturing and distribution center on the coast of Mississippi, USA, we want anglers of every level to have the best experience every time they’re on the water.

See BaitFuel Fish Attractant at work on our Facebook Page: American Baitworks

by AnglersChannel

Texas A&M-Commerce Wins MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing Tournament on Sam Rayburn Reservoir

BROOKELAND, Texas (March 14, 2022) – The Texas A&M-Commerce duo of Gus McLarry of Caddo Mills, Texas, and Jared West of Royse City, Texas, won the MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI event on Sam Rayburn Reservoir Friday with a five-bass limit weighing 28 pounds, 9 ounces. The victory earned the Lions’ bass club $2,000 and a slot in the 2023 MLF College Fishing National Championship.

“I would say we had most of our weight - probably 23 pounds - in the first 20 minutes,” McLarry said. “We made a 20-minute run up-lake and started off in a deeper channel swing cranking a Wild Shad-colored 6^th Sense Cloud 9 Series Crankbait. Then the bite just died off. So, at noon we decided to go around and scan some offshore timber.”

The team targeted bass with a 6^th Sense Provoke 106 Sinking Jerkbait and culled up with bigger bass twice with that approach. McLarry said they also caught a number of fish on a Carolina rig, but none of those fish added to their final weight. McLarry added that they caught 25 keepers during the course of the day and that their biggest bass of the day, an 8½-pounder, fell for the C25 crankbait.

“We’ve worked really hard to win a college tournament,” McLarry said. “This is my third year and Jared’s first. I’ve been on Rayburn a few times, and it’s always kicked my butt, so it felt really good to come out here and get a win on a lake that’s kicked my butt so many times.”

The top 10 teams that advanced to the 2023 College Fishing National Championship are:

1st: Texas A&M-Commerce – Gus McLarry, Caddo Mills, Texas, and Jared West, Royse City, Texas, five bass, 28-9, $2,000
2nd: Sam Houston State – Blake Castleberry and Garrett Moss, both of Huntsville, Texas, five bass, 28-6, $1,000
3rd: Stephen F. Austin State University – Nolan Yeager, Lucas, Texas, five bass, 27-4, $500
4^th: Louisiana Tech University – Kent Berry, Calhoun, La., and Will Lambert, West Monroe, La., five bass, 27-2, $500
5^th: University of Wisconsin-Platteville – Nathan Lee, Eau Claire, Wis., and Nathan Meyers, Freeport, Ill., five bass, 27-0, $500
6^th: University of North Carolina at Charlotte – Samuel Dunson, Chapel Hill, N.C., and Jake Monti, Mooresville, N.C., five bass, 25-14
7^th: Stephen F. Austin State University – J.D. Clarke, Chester, Texas, and Hunter Muncrief, Pineland, Texas, five bass, 25-14
8th: Stephen F. Austin State University – Cal Cameron, Coppell, Texas, and Ryan Pero, Allen, Texas, five bass, 24-13
9th: East Texas Baptist University – Brent Jolley, Kingwood, Texas, and Cade Nettles, Stonewall, La., five bass, 23-8
10th: Stephen F. Austin State University – Jacob Miller, Fort Worth, Texas, and Jack York, Nacogdoches, Texas, five bass, 22-12

MLF also advances one additional team to the National Championship for every 10 teams over 100 that compete. A total of 152 teams participated in this event, so also advancing to the 2023 College Fishing National Championship are:

11th: University of Central Florida – Jonathan Waters, Orlando, Fla., and Marshall Wiggins, Eustis, Fla., five bass, 20-7
12th: Louisiana State University Shreveport – Brayden Nichols, Blanchard, La, and William Tew, Bossier City, La., five bass, 20-0
13th: University of Oklahoma – Sam Dover and Cade Shropshire, both of Norman, Okla., five bass, 19-14
14th: Northeastern State University-Tahlequah – Grayson Hudson, Keifer, Okla., and Matthew Huffman, Park Hill, Okla., three bass, 19-11
15th: Grand Valley State University – Eric Hanover, Linwood, Mich., and Zachary McNary, Crown Point, Ind., five bass, 19-9

Complete results for the entire field can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

The Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI event on Sam Rayburn Reservoir was hosted by the Jasper County Development District. It was the second of three regular-season tournaments for Southern Conference anglers. The next event for College Fishing anglers will be the 2022 MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI National Championship Presented by Lowrance, March 29-31, at Fort Gibson Lake in Wagoner, Oklahoma.

MLF College Fishing teams compete in three regular-season tournaments in one of five conferences – Central, Northern, Southern, Southeastern and Western. The top 10 teams from each division’s three regular-season tournaments and the top 20 teams from the annual Abu Garcia College Fishing Open will advance to the following season’s National Championship. The 2022 MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI National Championship Presented by Lowrance will be held on Fort Gibson Lake in Wagoner, Oklahoma, March 29-31, and is hosted by the Wagoner Area Chamber of Commerce.

For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular College Fishing updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

by AnglersChannel

Odom Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Ross Barnett Reservoir

Brandon’s Stewart Wins Strike King Co-Angler Division

BRANDON, Miss. (March 14, 2022) – Boater Taylor Odom of Flowood, Mississippi, caught five bass Saturday weighing 17 pounds, 7 ounces, to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on Ross Barnett Reservoir . The tournament was the second of the season for the Bass Fishing League Mississippi Division. Odom earned $5,403 for his victory.

“I found a really good group of fish during practice that I wanted to target,” Odom said. “Another boater that I know, Allen Shoemaker, had found the same group of fish, and we talked about it and said we would both go back to that group of fish and just work it out and both fish the same group.

“I ended up being randomly paired with Allen in a boater-boater draw,” Odom continued. “What a crazy scenario that turned out to be.”

Odom said the bass he targeted were “hunkered down”, so he went with a common approach for Ross Barnett – dragging a black 8-inch Zoom “Magnum” Lizard in about 3 feet of water.

Odom said he had experienced engine malfunctions during practice and was concerned his boat’s performance would affect his tournament. The boat held up for Odom’s win and Shoemaker finished 14^th.

“All I can say is God is good,” Odom said. “I wasn’t even sure that I was going to get to fish Saturday morning because of my boat.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

                  1st:          Taylor Odom, Flowood, Miss., five bass, 17-7, $5,403
2nd:        Joel Barber, Brandon, Miss., five bass, 16-9, $1,859
3rd:        Corey Sullivan, Brandon, Miss., five bass, 14-13, $1,238
4th:         Blake Daugherty, Pope, Miss., five bass, 13-4, $867
5th:         Teddy Cranford, Collins, Miss., five bass, 12-14, $744
6th:         Timmy Ming, Louisville, Miss., five bass, 12-5, $682
7th:         Noel Allen Jr., Brandon, Miss., five bass, 11-4, $620
8th:         Red Ballard, Sulphur, La., five bass, 11-3, $1,058 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
9th:         Will Dupler, Columbus, Miss., four bass, 10-2, $496
10th:      John Coggins, Guntown, Miss., four bass, 9-15, $434

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Odom had an 8-pound, 4-ounce largemouth that was the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division and earned the day’s Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $485.

Larry Stewart Jr. of Brandon, Mississippi, won the Strike King Co-angler Division and $2,116 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 12 pounds, 6 ounces.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:

1st:          Larry Stewart Jr., Brandon, Miss., five bass, 12-6, $2,116
2nd:        Michael Morris, Sumrall, Miss., three bass, 8-4, $908
3rd:        Blake Koenigsberger, Columbus, Miss., three bass, 6-9, $606
4th:         David Huey, Tupelo, Miss., two bass, 6-4, $424
5th:         Sank Payton, Bay Springs, Miss., three bass, 6-0, $363
6th:         Brandon Bell, Starkville, Miss., three bass, 5-13, $333
7th:         Quentin Bremenkamp, Brandon, Miss., one bass, 5-8, $535
8th:         Vernon Hearn, Lena, Miss., one bass, 5-1, $272
9th:         Daniel Corkern, Florence, Miss., two bass, 4-15, $392
10th:      Chris Brown, Fulton, Miss., one bass, 4-8, $212

Bremenkamp caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 5 pounds, 8 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Berkley Big Bass Co-angler award of $232.

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.

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.

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

Haynes And Thomas Follow Herring For Bassmaster High School Series Win On Smith Lake

Will Haynes and Austin Thomas of Curry High School have won the Abu Garcia Bassmaster High School Series at Lewis Smith Lake presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors with a total of 13 pounds, 8 ounces.

Photo by Emily Hand/B.A.S.S.

March 13, 2022

CULLMAN, Ala. — When Will Haynes and Austin Thomas found the food, they found enough bass to catch a 13-pound, 8-ounce limit that delivered a narrow victory at the Abu Garcia Bassmaster High School Series at Lewis Smith Lake presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors.

Spending their day in the mid-lake region, Haynes and Thomas, both Curry High School seniors, edged Benjamin Travis and Andrew Kunz of Spain Park High School by 8 ounces.

“We got a bite in 30 to 40 feet and we were fishing in ditches for fish suspended under blueback herring,” Thomas said. “We found the key areas in practice, but we just didn’t know that amount of fish was there until today.

“We caught two right off the bat and then it was kind of slow until about 11 o’clock. We finally got it keyed in and that’s when we got our keeper bites.”

The winners caught their bass on Reaction Innovations Little Dipper swimbaits fished on 8-pound fluorocarbon. Haynes said the smoke gray color best matched the natural forage.

“We used the Garmin LiveScope a pretty good bit today,” Haynes said. “We would find them suspended and throw about 5 to 10 yards past them and bring it right in front of their face and they would just kill it.

“We had to throw at some of them more than once, but eventually, we got them to bite.”

Haynes said he and his partner caught seven of the nine fish that bit. They had their limit by noon and amassed their winning total, which included a 3-6, by 2 p.m.

“We rotated between two to three main areas,” Thomas said. “One spot ended up being more productive. It was a high spot in a ditch with brush on top. The herring would suspend over the brush and that’s where we caught our fish.”

Haynes said that, while he and Thomas tried multiple techniques in practice, they realized the fish were not biting larger baits. They entered the tournament knowing smaller presentations on light line would be their best option.

Joe Vaulton and Walker LaRue of Alcoa High School finished third with 11-15.

Tanner Mason and Landon Sims of DAR High School won the Big Bass award for their 4-5.

2022 Abu Garcia Bassmaster High School Series at Lewis Smith Lake presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors 3/13-3/13
Lewis Smith Lake, Cullman AL.
(BOATER) Standings Day 1

Angler Club/School Pts

1. Will Haynes - Austin Thomas Curry High School 0
Day 1: 5 13-08 Total: 5 13-08
2. Benjamin Travis - Andrew Kunz Spain Park 0
Day 1: 5 13-00 Total: 5 13-00
3. Joe Vaulton - Walker LaRue Alcoa High School (644) 0
Day 1: 5 11-15 Total: 5 11-15
4. Jordan Guest - Landon Guest Skyline High School 0
Day 1: 5 11-00 Total: 5 11-00
5. Brady Vest - Connor Ward Cullman High School 0
Day 1: 4 11-00 Total: 4 11-00
6. Brady Whitworth - Hunter Becke Faith Christian 0
Day 1: 5 10-14 Total: 5 10-14
7. Cooper Johnson - Beau England West Morgan Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 4 10-05 Total: 4 10-05
8. Braxton Hopper - Jake Woodward Chelsea Anglers 0
Day 1: 5 10-03 Total: 5 10-03
9. Nathan Reynolds - Westin Moss Backwoods Bassin 0
Day 1: 5 10-00 Total: 5 10-00
10. J Braden McNamara - Nathan Fiant Hartley's Hawgs 0
Day 1: 5 09-15 Total: 5 09-15
11. Bre Arnold - Connor Clark Good Hope Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 5 09-14 Total: 5 09-14
11. Hunter Travis - Jameson Norris Baldwin County High (396) 0
Day 1: 5 09-14 Total: 5 09-14
11. Peter West - Zach Knight Gallatin High School 0
Day 1: 5 09-14 Total: 5 09-14
14. Logan Gibson - Caleb Martinez Falcon Anglers 0
Day 1: 5 09-13 Total: 5 09-13
15. Jack Mcillwain - Dyson Weaver Creekwood High School 0
Day 1: 5 09-12 Total: 5 09-12
16. Mason Snider - Dalton Benson Mount Juliet Fishing 0
Day 1: 4 09-12 Total: 4 09-12
17. Miles Allen - Nick Biller St. Xavier High School 0
Day 1: 5 09-11 Total: 5 09-11
17. Miles Smith - Casen Rogers Central Lafourche High School 0
Day 1: 5 09-11 Total: 5 09-11
19. Carter Nutt - John Nutt Sale Creek 0
Day 1: 5 09-07 Total: 5 09-07
20. Parker Batts - Brody Jones Jefferson County Patriot Anglers 0
Day 1: 5 08-15 Total: 5 08-15
21. Landon Myers - Jacob Teffeteller Alcoa Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 5 08-14 Total: 5 08-14
22. AJ McGee - Evan Dunn Bibb County 0
Day 1: 5 08-13 Total: 5 08-13
23. Dylan Ingram - Jacob Bailey Auburn Anglers 0
Day 1: 4 08-12 Total: 4 08-12
24. Cody Brooks - Fisher Anaya Brewer High School 0
Day 1: 5 08-09 Total: 5 08-09
25. Levi Harris - Zane Roberts Fairview High School 0
Day 1: 4 08-07 Total: 4 08-07
26. Connor Mclaughlin - Barclay Butler Scottsboro High School BassCats 0
Day 1: 4 07-14 Total: 4 07-14
27. Wayland Adkisson - Clay George BGA High School 0
Day 1: 4 07-11 Total: 4 07-11
28. Houston Snell - Logan Kirkland Rehobeth High School 0
Day 1: 4 07-06 Total: 4 07-06
29. Joshua Roberts - Carter Green Valley Bass team 0
Day 1: 3 07-06 Total: 3 07-06
30. TJ Cox - Dalton Cochran Brookwood High School 0
Day 1: 4 07-04 Total: 4 07-04
30. Tucker McCoy - Ethan Hopkins Mortimer Jordan Bass Club 0
Day 1: 4 07-04 Total: 4 07-04
32. Max Himmel - Tyler Morris Catholic High School of Baton Ro 0
Day 1: 4 07-03 Total: 4 07-03
33. Nick Seitz - Brock Vogel 419 Fishing 0
Day 1: 3 07-03 Total: 3 07-03
34. Cole Reid - Jordan Thomas Hayden Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 4 07-02 Total: 4 07-02
34. Ethan Tedder - Eli Saint Muscle Shoals High School 0
Day 1: 4 07-02 Total: 4 07-02
36. Elijah Lawler - Landon Reed New Hope High School 0
Day 1: 3 07-02 Total: 3 07-02
37. Ryder Rousseau - Rockwell Petersen White Bear Lake 0
Day 1: 3 07-01 Total: 3 07-01
38. Walker Whitworth - Brodie Dodson 0
Day 1: 3 06-15 Total: 3 06-15
39. Jace Griffin - Ty Clark Curry High School 0
Day 1: 4 06-12 Total: 4 06-12
40. James Sumrell - Soddy Daisy 0
Day 1: 3 06-12 Total: 3 06-12
41. Luke Bell - Robert Stanley Escambia Academy 0
Day 1: 4 06-10 Total: 4 06-10
42. Chase Fluty - JL Simmons Sumner County Bass Team 0
Day 1: 3 06-08 Total: 3 06-08
43. Andon Goins - Daniel Moon Rhea County High School 0
Day 1: 4 06-07 Total: 4 06-07
44. Grant West - Lydia West Scottsboro High School BassCats 0
Day 1: 3 06-05 Total: 3 06-05
44. Logan Withrow - Braden Crumley Chilhowee Bassmasters 0
Day 1: 3 06-05 Total: 3 06-05
46. Braxton Strickland - William Olaire Gardendale High School 0
Day 1: 3 06-04 Total: 3 06-04
47. Jacob Hodge - Henry Garett Greenbrier Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 3 06-02 Total: 3 06-02
48. Jackie Hatfield - Graham Willis Alcoa Fishing Team (244) 0
Day 1: 4 06-00 Total: 4 06-00
49. Brantley Barrentine - Bode Smith Pisgah Anglers 0
Day 1: 2 05-10 Total: 2 05-10
50. Jack Fitzgerald - Landen Manning MT. PLEASANT BASS TEAM 0
Day 1: 3 05-09 Total: 3 05-09
51. Peyton Deloney - Robert Turner Rehobeth 0
Day 1: 3 05-07 Total: 3 05-07
52. Spencer Cothran - Keaton Owens Chapman pathers 0
Day 1: 3 05-06 Total: 3 05-06
53. Blane Holcombe - Gibson Huntley Chapman High School 0
Day 1: 2 05-05 Total: 2 05-05
53. Trey Woliver - Hayden Poe Heritage High School 0
Day 1: 2 05-05 Total: 2 05-05
55. Jamison Drake - Alex Girodo East Limestone High School 0
Day 1: 3 05-03 Total: 3 05-03
56. Cole Kelley - Luke Sparkman Jasper High School 0
Day 1: 3 05-01 Total: 3 05-01
57. Landen Scruggs - Joseph Wilson Chapman panthers (548) 0
Day 1: 2 05-01 Total: 2 05-01
58. Rein Golub - Matthew Pitcher Pittsford High School 0
Day 1: 3 05-00 Total: 3 05-00
59. Parker Ramsey - Luke Hoesley Hoover High School 0
Day 1: 3 04-14 Total: 3 04-14
60. Fischer Barber - Wells Johnson Heritage Christian Academy 0
Day 1: 3 04-12 Total: 3 04-12
61. Fisher Sickafoose - Austin Tolbert Corner Community Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 3 04-11 Total: 3 04-11
62. Avery Shoemaker - Samuel Shoemaker Buford High School 0
Day 1: 2 04-10 Total: 2 04-10
63. Dalton Johnson - Bradley Sims Mary G Montgomery 0
Day 1: 3 04-06 Total: 3 04-06
64. Mason Hill - Ben Shinkunas Athens High School 0
Day 1: 2 04-06 Total: 2 04-06
65. Tanner Mason - Landon Sims Dar High School 0
Day 1: 1 04-05 Total: 1 04-05
66. James Lamberth - Taylor Williams Alabama Christian Academy 0
Day 1: 2 04-03 Total: 2 04-03
67. Eli Galloway - Mylan Tuberville Baldwin county 0
Day 1: 2 04-03 Total: 2 04-03
67. Grant Maples - Blake Pence New Hope High School 0
Day 1: 2 04-03 Total: 2 04-03
69. Easton Drennon - Aaron Lane Mt. Juliet Fishing 0
Day 1: 2 04-01 Total: 2 04-01
70. Brody Mitchell - Adyn Middlebrooks Grissom Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 2 03-12 Total: 2 03-12
71. Carter Bechet - Gavin Ring Mount Pleasant (257) 0
Day 1: 2 03-09 Total: 2 03-09
71. Talan Leith - Bryson Glover Chapman High School 0
Day 1: 2 03-09 Total: 2 03-09
71. Riley North - Karson Peterman Rehobeth High School 0
Day 1: 2 03-09 Total: 2 03-09
74. Alexander Costanza - Conner Cordle Alabama Christian Academy 0
Day 1: 2 03-07 Total: 2 03-07
75. Emory Olinger - Banks Shaw Bledsoe County High School 0
Day 1: 3 03-06 Total: 3 03-06
76. Jake Carney - Knox Whalen Soddy Daisy High School 0
Day 1: 2 03-06 Total: 2 03-06
76. Easton Morris - Hunter Thrash Jemison High School 0
Day 1: 2 03-06 Total: 2 03-06
76. John Tyler Prather - Douglas Pate Carbon Hill High School 0
Day 1: 2 03-06 Total: 2 03-06
76. Thomas Stewart - Jackson Reed Scottsboro High School BassCats 0
Day 1: 2 03-06 Total: 2 03-06
80. Hayden Short - Archer Smith Burgin Independent 0
Day 1: 2 03-05 Total: 2 03-05
81. Brady Raines - Chase McConnell Mt. Juliet High School Fishing 0
Day 1: 2 03-04 Total: 2 03-04
82. Brody Hopper - Bryce Hopper Cullman High School 0
Day 1: 2 03-03 Total: 2 03-03
83. Cooper Lively - Cole Green Gardendale High School 0
Day 1: 2 03-02 Total: 2 03-02
84. Austin Benson - Brendan Brown Mount Juliet 0
Day 1: 2 03-01 Total: 2 03-01
85. Josh Burns - Cody Burns Mortimer Jordan 0
Day 1: 1 03-01 Total: 1 03-01
86. Andrew Blanton - Landon Scruggs Chesnee High school 0
Day 1: 2 02-15 Total: 2 02-15
87. Brandon Berry - Hunter Bright Helena High School 0
Day 1: 1 02-08 Total: 1 02-08
87. Connor Green - Harley Gosdin Valley High School 0
Day 1: 1 02-08 Total: 1 02-08
89. Lainie Holbert - Sarah Swindle Riverside Bass Team 0
Day 1: 1 02-07 Total: 1 02-07
89. Seth Loggins - Briley Mattox Good Hope Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 1 02-07 Total: 1 02-07
89. Adrian Stewart - Elijah Page Good Hope Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 1 02-07 Total: 1 02-07
89. Braylan Tyler - Michael Brewer Jr Franklin County High School 0
Day 1: 1 02-07 Total: 1 02-07
93. Slade Beasley - Lucas Jackson Mortimer Jordan 0
Day 1: 1 02-06 Total: 1 02-06
94. Hunter Orman - Eli Jones Muscle Shoals 0
Day 1: 1 02-05 Total: 1 02-05
95. Cole Edwards - Seth Stubblefield DAR High School 0
Day 1: 1 02-04 Total: 1 02-04
95. Jordan Houston - Luke Hurst Mortimer Jordan 0
Day 1: 1 02-04 Total: 1 02-04
95. William Miller - Vann Mefford New Hope High School 0
Day 1: 1 02-04 Total: 1 02-04
98. Kaden Randles - Landon Black DAR 0
Day 1: 1 02-03 Total: 1 02-03
99. Drew Bradstreet - Kamden Bradstreet Seminole Junior Anglers 0
Day 1: 1 02-02 Total: 1 02-02
99. Lacy Woods Kee - Trinity Kee West Point High School 0
Day 1: 1 02-02 Total: 1 02-02
99. Will Travis - Colton Teffer Rhea County High 0
Day 1: 1 02-02 Total: 1 02-02
102. Chase Bryan - Wyatt Bryan Saraland High School 0
Day 1: 1 02-01 Total: 1 02-01
102. Jackson Mitchell - Ethan England Hueytown Student Anglers 0
Day 1: 1 02-01 Total: 1 02-01
104. Kai Barnett - Eason Carlisle Shelby County High School 0
Day 1: 1 02-00 Total: 1 02-00
105. Langston Martin - Coleman Mezick Lee County Anglers 0
Day 1: 1 01-15 Total: 1 01-15
105. Garrett Sharp - Landon Story East Limestone High School 0
Day 1: 1 01-15 Total: 1 01-15
107. Colt Canterberry - Abram Whitehead Hayden High School 0
Day 1: 1 01-14 Total: 1 01-14
107. Brice Davis - Garrett Angotti Cooter High School 0
Day 1: 1 01-14 Total: 1 01-14
107. Carson Holbert - Landon Dial William Blount (506) 0
Day 1: 1 01-14 Total: 1 01-14
107. Drake Middleton - Avery Johnson Riverside high school 0
Day 1: 1 01-14 Total: 1 01-14
111. Noah Carruth - Matthew Mcgregor West Morgan Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 1 01-12 Total: 1 01-12
111. Ethen Gardner - Hayes Boyd Alabama Christian Academy 0
Day 1: 1 01-12 Total: 1 01-12
111. Benjamin Hester - Mason Caldwell Rhea County High School 0
Day 1: 1 01-12 Total: 1 01-12
111. Trayton Overton - Garrett Mcconnell Mortimer Jordan Bass Club 0
Day 1: 1 01-12 Total: 1 01-12
111. Gavin Schmitz - Addison Sikes Saraland High School Fishing Tea 0
Day 1: 1 01-12 Total: 1 01-12
116. Mason Mcgregor - Logan Maples West Morgan Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 1 01-11 Total: 1 01-11
116. Laindree Richardson - Gannon Stork Benton High School 0
Day 1: 1 01-11 Total: 1 01-11
116. Bracyn Sullivan - Zachary Hudgens Scotts Hill High School 0
Day 1: 1 01-11 Total: 1 01-11
119. Reece Knight - Hunter Baldwin Albertville High School 0
Day 1: 1 01-10 Total: 1 01-10
119. Jaden Purkey - Tanner Herndon Jefferson County High School 0
Day 1: 1 01-10 Total: 1 01-10
119. JD Stack - Elijah Blankenship Scotts Hill 0
Day 1: 1 01-10 Total: 1 01-10
122. Briar Dodson - Chris Fallon Gardendale High 0
Day 1: 1 01-09 Total: 1 01-09
122. William Hoskins - Joshua Vanderpool Wilson Christian Academy 0
Day 1: 1 01-09 Total: 1 01-09
124. Cason Mcnutt - Mason Melton Mt Juliet High School 0
Day 1: 2 01-08 Total: 2 01-08
125. Reece Keeney - Bryce Moder Northeast Wisconsin Bass 0
Day 1: 1 01-08 Total: 1 01-08
126. Asher Peters - James Quinlivan Headland High School 0
Day 1: 1 01-07 Total: 1 01-07
127. Josh Foshee - Lance Roberts Mortimer Jordan 0
Day 1: 1 01-06 Total: 1 01-06
128. Corbin Hall - Nathan Whitehead Muscle Shoals 0
Day 1: 1 01-05 Total: 1 01-05
129. Braden Watson - Logan Deloney Rehobeth High School 0
Day 1: 1 01-03 Total: 1 01-03
130. DJ Arias Jr. - Brody Shepherd Rehobeth High School 0
Day 1: 1 00-00 Total: 1 00-00
130. Tucker Beck - Jaret Tidwell Curry High 0
Day 1: 1 00-00 Total: 1 00-00
130. Kristian King - Eli Sanders Skyline High School 0
Day 1: 1 00-00 Total: 1 00-00
133. Buckner Anderson - Greyson Widgeon Scottsboro High School BassCats 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
133. Brayden Bastien - Ethan Layhew New Hope High School 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
133. Isaac Bauer - Cason Ewing Cullman High School 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
133. Jacob Baugh - Scott York Skyline High School 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
133. Nicholas Boggs - Brady Howard Louisa Bass Club High School Fis 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
133. Tristen Boyd - Dylan Meeks Grundy County High School 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
133. Christian Bradford - Hunter Cales FCHS 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
133. Chance Bryars - Noah Bryars Baldwin County High School 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
133. Riley Carver - Mason Chappell Corner Community Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
133. Kaden Casey - Collin French Montgomery County High School 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
133. Tucker Cook - Cooper Wilson Mount Juliet 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
133. Kaden Cornelius - Noah Drake Good Hope Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
133. William Cothran - Taedem Ashworth Mt. Pleasant High School 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
133. Derek Davis - Connor Jaco Mt.Pleasant Bass Team 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
133. Griffin Davison - Carson Wilson Escambia Academy Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
133. Carson Debord - Daniel Rogers Sequatchie County High School 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
133. Austin Denmark - Colton Odom Citronelle Community Fishing Tea 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
133. Bryant Erwin - Ridge Pritchett New Hope High School 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
133. Hayes Finch - Matthew Jenkins Alabama Christian Academy 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
133. Matthew Franks - Kaleb Arnold New Hope High School 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
133. Emma Gellness - Cloe Waters cold springs fishing team 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
133. Alex Gore - Kobi May Jefferson County 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
133. Landon Grider - Kolby Clark Scottsboro High School BassCats 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
133. Alex Hall - Evan Thompson Muscle Shoals 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
133. Bryson Hatcher - Harlyn Nelson Wb 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
133. Griffin Hunter - Nicolas Thompson Muscle Shoals 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
133. Charly Hutson - Chloe Wisniewski Henry county high school 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
133. Kade Jennings - Logan Weeks Hayden High School 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
133. Annie Lassiter - Telisha Torres warren county pioneer anglers 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
133. Eli Ledbetter - Colllin Ledbetter junior southwest bassmasters den 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
133. Ivie Lemley - Tyler Dunn New Hope High School 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
133. Hayden Marshall - Jackson Boone Gardendale High School 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
133. Brady Mccamy - Jacob Gipson Albertville High School 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
133. Connor Montgomery - Kaleb Bagala Corner Community Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
133. Destin Morales - Samuel Cobb Jr Livingston Parish High School 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
133. Ridge Mullis - Hayden Cook Hillcrest High School 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
133. Eli Newberry - Judd Linette Daviess County BASS 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
133. Palmer Norris - Lucas Jones Scottsboro High School BassCats 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
133. Canyon Odom - Christopher Johnson Baldwin County High School 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
133. Daniel Olinger - Bryant Kennamer Skyline High School 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
133. Avery Padgett - Ethan Young Zion Chapel 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
133. Jace Patton - Spencer White Rhea Eagle Anglers 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
133. Carter Pjesky - JD McBroom Kaneland High School 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
133. Zach Pocos - Brett Hill Hartleys Hawgs Bass Team 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
133. Cayden Redd - Chase Woodham Rehobeth High School 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
133. Camden Rogers - Michael Strickland Mary G Montgomery 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
133. Zachary Rooker - Dylan Smith cold springs fishing team 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
133. Gabriel Sanders - Chilhowee Bassmasters 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
133. Trevor Sanford - Greer Gammon Mount Juliet Fishing 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
133. Brendin Simich - Ben Ivey Oak Mountain High School 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
133. Emma Simon - Victoria Lemmler Central High School 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
133. Austin Smith - Christopher Dowdy New Hope High School 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
133. Hunter Spry - Garrett Journell Mt. Juliet Fishing 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
133. C.J. Stanley - Colton Parten Rhea County Eagle Anglers 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
133. Joshua Stokes - Ryan Smith Mortimer Jordan Bass Club 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
133. Talon Stone - Hayden Jennette Benton County Bass Anglers 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
133. Levi Thibodaux - Jace Andras Lafourche Bassmaster 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
133. Alex Townsend - Drew Hardin Benton county 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
133. Kayden Waller - Luke Malik Mt. Juliet high school 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
133. Cameron Whitehead - Austin Kelly Rehobeth High School Bass Team 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
133. Garrett Wilson - Garett Cron Holy Spirit Tuscaloosa 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
133. Matthew Wilson - Grady Mcclendon Holy Spirit Tuscaloosa (293) 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
133. Hayden Winn - Zeb Lambert Cullman High School 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
196. Grant Laney - Trey Trotter Fairview High School 0
Day 1: 0 -01-00 Total: 0 -1-00
196. Reed Potter - Holland Griggs Scottsboro High School BassCats 0
Day 1: 0 -01-00 Total: 0 -1-00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
BIG BASS OF TOURN
Tanner Mason-Landon Sims Grant, AL 04-05 $0.00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 20 333 649-02
----------------------------------
20 333 649-02

by AnglersChannel

Grant Galloway Grabs Early Lead at MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Bass Boat Technologies Stop 2 on the Harris Chain of Lakes

Former Mississippi State Collegiate Fishing Standout Catches Five Bass Weighing 23-9 To Lead on Day 1 of Four-Day Event

LEESBURG, Fla. (March 13, 2022) – After practicing earlier this week in 70- and 80-degree temperatures, MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit anglers were greeted by chilly 30-degree temperatures Sunday morning on Day 1 of the Bass Boat Technologies Stop 2 at the Harris Chain of Lakes Presented by Frogg Toggs. Despite the cold temperatures early, the afternoon warmed up and the big bass were still chewing. Pro Grant Galloway of Houlka, Mississippi , weighed a five-bass limit totaling 23 pounds, 9 ounces to grab the early lead after Day 1, while Florida guru “The Honey Badger” Randall Tharp of Port Saint Joe, Florida, looms large right behind Galloway in second place, just 10 ounces back with a five-bass limit weighing 22-15.

Link to Photo of Day 1 Leader Josh Butler

The four-day event, hosted by Visit Lake County, features a roster of 157 of the world’s best bass-fishing professionals competing for a top award of up to $135,000. The tournament marks the second of six regular-season Pro Circuit events in 2022 and offers competitors a total purse of more than $850,000.

"Welcoming the Major League Fishing Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit is a pleasure," Lake County Commissioner and Tourist Development Council Chairman Doug Shields said. "Our Harris Chain of Lakes are perfect for travelers looking to fish on a competitive level while our surrounding areas provide wonderful accommodations and entertainment."

Sunday was a great day for Galloway, a former College Fishing angler from Mississippi State University. The sophomore pro caught two giants early – an 8- and a 9-pounder.

“First thing this morning I got to the area I was fishing and it was really windy,” Galloway said. “I had one windblown point that I liked, so I bombed a big stickbait up there and she bit, then wrapped me up in the vines and pads. I hightailed it to her and reached down and grabbed her and got her in the boat.

“I was in shock,” Galloway continued. “After I had passed out and come back twice, I worked down the bank and I saw another blowed-in trashmat. That’s what I call it – just a mix of eelgrass and hydrilla. I pitched to it and felt a thump – I set the hook and just pinned it. I again hightailed over to it, and I could only see her lip sticking through the mat. I just put my hand in and pulled it out, not having a clue how big it was. Once I saw it, I was like, ‘oh my.’ I had two for 17. And those were my first two fish of the day.”
After boating his two giants, Galloway spent the rest of the day combing though keepers to fill out his limit.

“I had a little jerkbait and caught a limit pretty quick, but I felt like I was just burning through fish,” Galloway said. “So I went out on a flat and threw a crankbait in the grass – I caught probably another 15 fish on the crankbait – and culled three or four times, but just ounces.

“The wind made things really tough,” Galloway said. “I wasn’t able to fish thorough – I had a couple of stretches that I intentionally wanted to fish very slow – pitching, flipping and picking them apart. But the wind was so bad I couldn’t do anything, so hopefully tomorrow I can capitalize on some of those areas.

“Today was just a blessing,” Galloway went on to say. “I fished clean, and I was fortunate and blessed to get those two big Florida bites, and that’s what you need here if you’re going to compete. I’m excited to see how it shakes out tomorrow.”

The top 20 pros after Day 1 on the Harris Chain of Lakes are:

1^st:          Grant Galloway, Houlka, Miss., five bass, 23-9
2^nd:         Randall Tharp, Port Saint Joe, Fla., five bass, 22-15
3^rd:         Kerry Milner, Fisher, Ark., five bass, 22-13
4^th:         Corey Neece, Bristol, Tenn., five bass, 21-1
5^th:         Chase Serafin, White Lake, Mich., five bass, 20-0
6^th:         Andrew Loberg, Rocklin, Calif., five bass, 19-9
7^th:         Cole Hewett, Orange Park, Fla., five bass, 19-6
8^th:         Justin Cooper, Zwolle, La., five bass, 18-15
9^th:         Jason Reyes, Huffman, Texas, five bass, 18-7
10^th:       Keith Carson, DeBary, Fla., five bass, 18-5
11^th:       Kurt Mitchell, Milford, Del., five bass, 18-4
12^th:       Clark Reehm, Elm Grove, La., five bass, 18-2
13^th:       Dicky Newberry, Houston, Texas, five bass, 17-11
14^th:       Bill McDonald, Greenwood, Ind., five bass, 17-9
15^th:       Colby Miller, Elmer, La., five bass, 17-5
16^th:       Matt Becker, Finleyville, Pa., five bass, 17-2
17^th:       Aaron Britt, Yuba City, Calif., five bass, 17-1
18^th:       Tom Monsoor, La Crosse, Wis., five bass, 16-13
18^th:       Tommy Dickerson, Orange, Texas, five bass, 16-13
20^th:       Jacopo Gallelli, Florence, Italy, five bass, 16-8

A full list of results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Tharp weighed in Sunday’s Berkley Big Bass – a largemouth that totaled 9 pounds, 7 ounces – to win the $1,000 bonus.

Overall, there were 748 bass weighing 1,928 pounds, 10 ounces caught by 157 pros Sunday. The catch included 139 five-bass limits.

In Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit competition, the full field of 157 anglers compete in the two-day opening round on Sunday and Monday. The top 50 pros based on their two-day cumulative weight will advance to Tuesday. Only the top 10 pros, based on cumulative weight from the first three days, will continue competition on Championship Wednesday, where weights will be zeroed and anglers will compete in a one-day shootout for the grand prize of up to $135,000, including the lucrative $35,000 Phoenix MLF Bonus for qualified anglers.

Proud sponsors of the 2022 MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit include: 4WP, 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, A.R.E. Truck Caps, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, E3, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, Gary Yamamoto Baits, General Tire, Lew’s, Lowrance, Lucas Oil, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, Wiley X and YETI.

by AnglersChannel

Damien Wills and Tyler Kiker with 15.42 to win Frigid ABT on Lewis Smith Lake

By Jason Duran

Gadsden, Ala— March 13, The Alabama Bass Trail North Division faced the conditions and completed another successful event at Lewis Smith Lake. Teams prepared throughout the week ahead of the event with springtime weather conditions and temps in the 70s. However, on tournament day, the conditions drastically changed back to winter conditions with temps in the low 30s and winds at 15 mph and snowfall. ABT anglers are some of the best in the country, and the weights prove they can catch them no matter the conditions.

The first-place team of Damien Wills and Tyler Kiker weighed in 15.42 pounds. They spent Thursday and Friday practicing expecting the conditions to change as predicated. During practice, they felt the fish were moving up shallow due to the warmer weather and warming water. Expecting the change to push the fish out deeper, they spent most of Friday locating areas of deeper water where they should go when the conditions changed. They were able to catch some big fish in practice out deep and hoped more would move out there. On tournament day it was really a tough start. The air temps were very cold. “We started our morning targeting fish in deeper areas we found in practice. Spending most of the morning trying to locate the fish out deep only produced two small fish, and we were just about ready to go home. We decided to abandon this plan and make a change at 11:00.” The decision was to use a “Rapala DT10 Crank bait in crawfish color and run the stuff that looks good, so we picked out what we liked best and went to fishing.” The wind was strong, so they used that to their advantage. Smith Lake is a deep clear water lake, and when the wind blows, it often makes the fishing better. “We fished areas that were some of the windiest spots on the lake and had these all to ourselves because most teams were trying to get out of the wind. The wind was key in positioning the fish just right. The DT10 crankbait is easy to throw in the wind, so it was also a big factor to catching these fish because we could make the cast in the wind. We caught 20-25 fish running this pattern and culled up to the 15.42 pounds and collected $10,000 first place prize plus bonuses from Phoenix Boats, Wedowee Marine, and Garmin making the total pay day $18,000.”

Gregory Lamb and David Powell who took second place with 14.87 pounds shared, “we had a pretty good practice and found an area early Wednesday that had some good largemouth in it, so we left it alone. This morning when we pulled in there, the wind had beat it to death, pushing the fish on the bank. We probably didn’t catch a fish over three feet deep. We are shallow water fishermen. We caught fish on a finesse worm, a square bill and a chatter bait. The area we fished was a little shallow bank with a soft plateau on it. It was full of three- and four-pound largemouth. In practice we made one pass over it and decided this was where we were going to go. Despite the drastic change in air temperature, the water temps were still 57° today just like they were in practice. We were surprised at how well the area held up. We lost a couple of fish that probably could have moved us up, but that’s just how it goes.” They collected a nice $5,000 pay day.

The third-place team of Kelly White and Rich Welch weighed in 14.53 pounds bouncing back after zeroing their first event. They spent three days of practice preparing for this event and planned to start in the back of a creek in the Duncan Bridge area. When they arrived, someone was already fishing that spot, so they decided to scramble and find another area settling on a shallow point with brush and gravel. In this area they used a wacky-rig and shaky head and caught a bunch of 13–16-inch slot limit fish they had to release. They realized there were a lot of fish in the area though. “The colder weather seemed to make the spotted settle down in an area because earlier in the week when the temperatures were warmer, the fish were chasing bait and more spread out. This time of year, you want to be on a north facing shallow clay bank, and that’s exactly where we were today.” They used the forward facing sonar to their advantage and, later in the day, were able to “move off the point a little and see the fish to find there were more fish there than they realized.” They made a couple more moves throughout the day and were able to catch fish each time they moved. Today they mostly caught slot fish and probably caught 15-20 fish from Rock Creek to Duncan Bridge. They caught the biggest fish of the event at 5.67 pounds.

This event once again proved that ABT anglers can catch fish in the toughest conditions.

200 of 250 teams checked in to fish, and at the end of the day, 127 Teams had a five fish limit. 185 teams weighed in at least one fish. 40^th place had 10.81 pounds and was the last place to get a check of $500. This is one of the reasons why ABT teams are so successful at the next level because even when they face tough conditions, they still come out successful.

The Top 10 places are below for a complete list of standings visit:

https://www.alabamabasstrail.org/lewis-smith-lake/results/

Download and listen to the ABT Podcast on your favorite Podcast app by searching for “Alabama Bass Trail Podcast.” The podcast is released each week on Tuesday.

by AnglersChannel

Big Bass Tour - Berkley Lake Breakdown - LAKE NORMAN

Lake Norman Set For a Shootout

By Pete Robbins

Lake Norman is one of the toughest events regularly on the Big Bass Tour schedule, not because it’s tough fishing – on the contrary, competitors can expect to catch lots of largemouth and spotted bass – but rather because the weights tend to be so tight. We’ve weighed in one bass there over 7 pounds in the last seven events, back in April of 2019, and the winner is usually a 6-plus, with a trail of 5-pounders bringing up the top 10. You’re just as likely to have none over 6 pounds as you are to have two or three of them.

That leaves anglers with a competitive conundrum. If you catch a 4- or 5-pounder, do you weigh it in at a given hour. Even 3-pounders grab hourly checks. The big, developed lake in the Charlotte suburbs prevents great strategic questions.

Veteran Bassmaster pro Shane LeHew has plenty of experience on Norman, and thoughts about how to catch bigger-than-average bass there. The three-time Bassmaster Classic qualifier would look super-shallow for this upcoming three-day test of the best. While the weekend prior was marked by freezing temperatures and precipitation, there’s a warming trend heading into the tournament and it should be comfortable and warm every day.

“There is a full moon so I would probably be fishing some shallow docks and looking for one on the bed,” he explained. The best docks will likely be very shallow, with big black floats to hold warmth, and brush underneath definitely help. “Those big females stage on the shallowest docks.”

The good news for competitors is that they should be able to spread out. No single section of Norman has a stranglehold on the biggest largemouths. “It could be good up lake around the 150 area,” LeHew explained. “That’s probably a place for a big largemouth. Even midlake around Governor’s Island could be a layer. The water temperatures are in the upper fifties now. It’s still a little cold. People always say that 62 degrees is the magic number for them to spawn, but if you have the right conditions, like a full moon, they’ll want to get up there.”

He'd also consider making a long run up the river to try to get into the muddier water. There’s been a lot of rain lately, and that section of the lake tend to be colder than everywhere else. Tie of a vibrating jig and get to work. “It’s almost like three lakes in one,” he stated.

His primary tool around the docks would be a Berkley MaxScent General, although he wouldn’t hesitate to mix in a belly-weighted 5- or 6-inch Berkley Hollow Belly to tempt a true giant to grab an easy meal.

While a largemouth will almost certainly claim big bass honors and probably the entirety of the top ten, anglers looking for hourly checks could also focus on or spend some time chasing the lake’s prolific spotted bass. They might not frequently show up in the 4-pound-plus range, but there are plenty of threes that can put money in your pocket. He’d focus down lake with a Berkley Stunna jerkbait to fire them up. There may also still be a deep bite for spotted bass and his primary tool in that situation would be a 4-inch Berkley General on a Half Head Jig.

Anglers can expect to catch lots of bass anytime we visit Norman in the spring, but catching the right one will require a bit of luck, a bit of strategy, and close attention to the live leaderboard.

by AnglersChannel

MLF Bass Fishing League Piedmont Division Tournament on Kerr Lake Postponed Due to Severe Storms

WHAT:
The BFL Piedmont Division tournament on Kerr Lake, scheduled for Saturday, March 12, has been postponed due to severe storms and inclement weather. The event, hosted by Vance County Tourism, will be rescheduled at a later date to be determined.

NOTES:
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each Piedmont Division qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 6-8 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Lake Murray in Prosperity, South Carolina.

by AnglersChannel

Expect A Shallow-Water Beatdown In Bassmaster Elite Event On Santee Cooper Lakes

South Carolina will host the 2022 Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at Santee Cooper Lakes March 17-20, 2022.

Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.

March 10, 2022

CLARENDON COUNTY, S.C. — As spring arrives in the Low Country of South Carolina, Elite Series anglers will likely have the opportunity to catch massive bags during the 2022 Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at Santee Cooper Lakes and prove why the fishery was ranked the third-best bass lake of 2021 by Bassmaster Magazine.

Competition days will be March 17-20, with anglers taking off each morning at 7:30 a.m. ET from John C. Land III Sport Fishing Facility in Summerton and weighing in back at the facility at 3:30 p.m.

Made up of Lake Marion to the west and Lake Moultrie to the east, Santee Cooper was not only ranked as the third-best bass fishing lake in the country in Bassmaster’s annual list of 100 Best Bass Lakes in 2021, but was also named the 23rd-best lake of the decade in 2020. The two reservoirs cover over 170,000 acres combined, plus a 6-mile diversion canal that connects the two.

The lakes hold the record for the third-heaviest four-day winning weight in Elite Series history (115 pounds, 15 ounces) set by Preston Clark in 2006. In only the second visit by the Elite Series to Santee Cooper in October 2020, an event originally scheduled for March but moved due to COVID-19, Brandon Palaniuk sealed his fifth career Elite Series victory by catching 72-2 on various parts of Lake Marion.

With thousands of cypress trees and several different types of bank grass, Santee Cooper is a diverse fishery that Elite Series champion Patrick Walters has called home his whole bass fishing life.

“There are so many different faces to this lake and so many different types of fishing you can do on Marion and Moultrie,” the Summerville, S.C., native said. “There’s bluffs, flats, cypress trees, flooded timber, grass, depressions. Anything you can imagine to fish, you can fish here and it is such a huge fishery and so diverse.

“With 170,000 acres, that is huge and I like that. The hard part about coming here is trying to break it down.”

As the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk at Lake Hartwell highlighted, temperatures across the Southeast have been on the rise and bass have been pushing toward the shallows. With a cold front moving through the weekend before official practice begins, followed by warming temperatures as high as 80 degrees predicted during the tournament, Walters said he expects this event to be a shallow-water beatdown with bass transitioning from prespawn to spawn.

With a week to go before the first takeoff, Walters said the lakes were about a foot low. But with rain pushing through the areas, it is expected to rise some, which he thinks will only help the fishing.

“The cold front will come through Saturday and Sunday with lows in the 20s. The fish, I think, are already up there shallow,” Walters said. “There is pollen on my truck and spring is in the air. The cold front will knock them back some and what I’m hoping is, with a full moon and temperatures back in the 80s, that the bass will have spring fever.

“It could line up for the perfect storm. A lot of the fish wait for the water level to get right before they spawn and if it rises even a half a foot, it is going to be scary.”

While the two lakes have some distinct differences, Walters said a lot of the same elements play on both lakes and either has the potential to kick out massive bags. He added, however, Moultrie is less likely to sustain its production over the course of a four-day event.

“Lake Moultrie looks like Okeechobee,” he said. “It is a complete circle and doesn’t have much timber in the middle of it. That lake was finished when they flooded it while Lake Marion was not. Marion is a more scenic lake and a lot harder to get around.

“Moultrie has more actual channels and Marion doesn’t have as many natural creeks and stuff. There is still the same kind of cover base, but it lays out a little differently.”

On either lake, the bass will be making a push toward spawning flats and creeks, giving anglers a multitude of options when it comes to shallow cover. Flipping and pitching around cypress trees and flooded cover will play a role as well as spinnerbaits.

The lake also features lily pads, gator grass, water willow and other bank grasses where anglers can pick up a key bite.

“Sight fishing is going to play a big factor,” Walters added.

No matter what the predominant pattern ends up being, Walters said he expects the four-day totals to creep up to or surpass the century mark.

“I think both lakes will play and I think it will be a good shallow-water tournament,” he explained. “It is going to be weird when we get there for practice. But come tournament time, it will open some eyes. I think it will take 90 to 100 pounds to win.”

With two Elite Series events completed, Tennessee native David Mullins holds a slim lead (193 points) in the Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year race over Floridian John Cox (191 points), while Georgia’s Micah Frazier holds third place with 179 points.

Wisconsin native Jay Przekurat is leading the Falcon Rods Bassmaster Rookie of the Year standings with 155 points.

Full coverage from all four days of the Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at Santee Cooper Lakes will be available on Bassmaster.com and the FOX Sports digital platforms. FS1 will also broadcast live with the tournament leaders on Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 19-20 beginning at 8 a.m. ET.

by AnglersChannel

Country Music Artist Clayton Anderson to Headline Free Concert Presented by Ugly Stik at REDCREST 2022 Outdoor Sports Expo in Tulsa

Anderson Will Perform at Major League Fishing’s REDCREST 2022 Presented by Costa – Pro Bass Fishing’s World Championship

TULSA, Okla. (March 10, 2022) – Country music star Clayton Anderson (Visionary Media Group ) will perform a free concert on the Mossy Oak Music stage at the SageNet Center at Expo Square in Tulsa on Sunday, March 27, beginning at 4 p.m. before the world’s premier bass anglers return from Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees to crown the REDCREST 2022 Champion – professional bass fishing’s world championship. Fans of all ages are encouraged to attend the free concert which is presented by Ugly Stik.

Anderson’s latest hit: “Show Me Your Fish” resonates with anglers of all ages and included mention of the iconic fishing brand Ugly Stik throughout the song. The summertime anthem, which had its World Premiere on Country Music Television (CMT) earlier this week, is sure to be heard blasting from boats and trucks across the country this year as he encourages fishermen and women of all ages to break out their Ugly Stiks and show off their best catch.

“I’m so pumped to be headlining REDCREST this year. Country music and fishin’, what goes together better than that,” said Anderson. “And it couldn’t be better timing with the release of ‘Show Me Your Fish’. As a little kid floating the East Fork of the White River, if you told me this would be happening, I’d never believed ya. Really looking forward to grabbing an Ugly Stik, getting out there and hanging with the pros, amateurs, and all the fishin’ fans. Gonna be a heckuva time.”

A country singer-songwriter with a midwestern rock flair, Anderson grew up on the lakes of Southern Indiana — fishing, boating, and playing his guitar. As a student at Indiana University, he kicked off his music career, building a grassroots fan following playing local bars and parties. In 2008, he walked onstage at Kenny Chesney’s Next Big Star Battle in Cincinnati and walked off as the winner. He released his debut album, Torn Jeans & Tailgates, in 2011, followed by Right Where I Belong (2014) and Only to Borrow (2016). Pre-COVID, he toured nonstop, opening for Eric Church, Blake Shelton, Jason Aldean, Jimmy Buffett, Thomas Rhett, Lee Brice, and Carly Pearce.

During the pandemic, Anderson got creative, going virtual and diving back into his roots on the water with a lineup of Lake Tour concerts. To kick off 2022, Anderson released two brand new singles: “Nothin’ But Net” (produced by Grammy-winning Dave Audé and as heard on ESPN for College Basketball Season) and “Get After It” (produced by Nash Overstreet), a song that celebrates hard work and getting the job done. Stay tuned for much more to come from Clayton in 2022.

Anderson’s appearance at REDCREST 2022 is presented by Ugly Stik. The brand will also be hosting a meet and greet with Anderson at the Berkley booth during the expo and hand out Ugly Stik giveaways to fishing fans who watch his appearance on the Mossy Oak Music Stage. More information on Anderson’s appearance can be found by following Ugly Stik on Facebook and Instagram.

Hosted by VisitTulsa, REDCREST 2022 Presented by Costa will take place March 23-27, 2022, with competition set for Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees, and the REDCREST Outdoor Sports Expo Presented by Costa in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The event will showcase the top 41 Bass Pro Tour anglers from the 2021 season competing for the prestigious REDCREST Championship and the top prize of $300,000.

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

Follow Clayton on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and YouTube.

by AnglersChannel

X Zone Lures 3.25" Hot Shot Minnow Release!

The much anticipated 3.25” Hot Shot Minnow is finally here! Released on March 4^th, it came to the market, just on time for the 2022 Bassmasters Classic which started on March 4^th.

The Hot Shot Minnow from X Zone Lures is the newest bait designed by Elite Series Pro, Brandon Palaniuk.Palaniuk’s attention to detail in bait design is matched by only the best bait designers in the fishing industry.

It is perfect for Drop Shot, Ned Rig and Damiki Rig presentations for Bass, Walleye and many other species.

It has been designed with a unique hook slot which allows for perfect rigging of the bait every time when using it on a drop shot rig. Its high buoyancy materials give it the perfect presentation for Ned Rigging.

The highly developed tail underwent multiple designs to get it just right to present an irresistible action that fish cannot resist.

The realistic body shape and high-quality materials (no cheap fillers) round out the features of this bait to make it a must have in your arsenal.

Applications include:

Drop Shot

Ned Rig

Neko Rig

Damiki Rig

by AnglersChannel

Worlds Fishing Fair slated for March 30-April 3!

Learn More about the event at this link!

by AnglersChannel

Fully Loaded Classic Recap!

This week Chris and David are back from the Classic, they recap the event along with AC Insider Kenneth Grover. They talk about the show, the expo, the competition, the lake and more, another great show!

by AnglersChannel

MLF Bass Fishing League Volunteer Division Tournament on Cherokee Lake Postponed Due to Inclement Weather

WHAT:
The BFL Volunteer Division tournament on Cherokee Lake, scheduled for Saturday, March 12, has been postponed due to freezing temperatures, high winds and unsafe conditions. The event, hosted by the Economic Development Alliance of Jefferson County, has been rescheduled to take place on Sunday, May 22. All takeoff and weigh-in times will remain the same.

WHEN:
Sunday, May 22
Takeoff: 6:30 a.m. ET
Weigh-In: 2:30 p.m. ET

WHERE:
TVA Dam Boat Launch, Renfro Road, Jefferson City, Tenn.

NOTES:
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each Arkie Division qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 20-22 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Smith Lake in Cullman, Alabama.

by AnglersChannel

Millennium Marine Pro-M Series Boat Seats: Our Toughest, Strongest Boat Seats

Pearl, MS (March 8, 2022) – Millennium’s ComfortMAX contoured, tight sling seats have brought peace and comfort to the backsides of untold numbers of hunters and fishermen. For anglers who play in harsh, saltwater environments, Pro-M Series Boat Seats are the obvious choice.

Millennium Marine’s ComfortMAX contoured, tight sling seat with breathable, cool fabric that dries quickly for those wet days is at the heart of every Pro-M Series product. The mesh seat fabric’s mold-, mildew-, and UV-resistant properties provide years of solid use, and the tough reinforced anodized aluminum frame will ward off unruly saltwater corrosion.

The Pro-M 100 Boat Seats lets anglers sit back and relax or cast and reel all day long. They feature an adjustable folding backrest with lumbar support, which folds down flatter than competitors’ seats, allowing better visibility when the boat is underway. The included adjustable armrest straps help support the seat back when it’s unfolded and allow extra comfort for the anglers. With a generous 19” wide by 16.5” deep seat bottom, the Pro-M 100 provides unmatched comfort from all angles that diehard anglers will appreciate.

Pro-M 300 Palma Horse Seats are designed with generous downward curves on front and rear to allow fishermen to comfortably lean, sit, or straddle the seat. With a

Every Millennium Pro-M Series boat seat carries a 1-year warranty and features a standard bolt hole pattern so that they can be mounted on any standard boat seat pedestal. Each model is available in white or gray.

Millennium Pro-M 100 Boat Seat Features:

Exclusive, patented ComfortMAX contoured, tight-sling seat for all-day comfort
Folding backrest with lumbar support
Backrest is adjustable
Reinforced anodized aluminum frame
Breathable, cool fabric promotes fast drying
UV resistant to sun and elements
Mold and mildew resistant
Folds flatter than competitors' seats
Mounts to any boat seat pedestal
1-year warranty

Millennium Pro-M 100 Boat Seat Specifications:

Frame Material: Anodized Aluminum
Capacity: 400 pounds
Weight: 9.4 pounds
Size: 21” H x 19” W x 16.5” L
Available Colors: White, Gray
Model No.: P-100-00

Millennium Pro-M 300 Palma Horse Seat Features:

Exclusive, patented ComfortMAX contoured, tight-sling seat for all-day comfort
Designed for sitting, leaning, straddling, and casting
Reinforced anodized aluminum frame
No plastic components
Breathable, cool fabric promotes fast drying
UV resistant to sun and elements
Mold and mildew resistant
Mounts to any boat seat pedestal
1-year warranty

Millennium Pro-M 300 Palma Horse Seat Specifications:

Frame Material: Anodized Aluminum
Capacity: 400 pounds
Weight: 5 pounds
Size: 6” H x 19” W x 13.5” L
Available Colors: White, Gray
Model No.: S-300-00

by AnglersChannel

Lake County, Florida Set to Host MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Bass Boat Technologies Stop 2 on the Harris Chain of Lakes

Second Stop of 2022 Season Showcases 158 Professional Anglers Competing Over Four Days for Top Prize of $135,000 and Season Purse of More Than $6 Million

LEESBURG, Fla. (March 8, 2022) – Major League Fishing (MLF) is set to return to Lake County, Florida, this week, March 13-16, for the second event of the 2022 MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by Fuel Me regular-season – the Bass Boat Technologies Stop 2 on the Harris Chain of Lakes Presented by Frogg Toggs.

Hosted by Visit Lake County, the four-day tournament marks the second of six regular-season Pro Circuit events, the sport’s premier five-fish-limit tournament circuit. The event will feature 158 of the top anglers from around the country – including 19 pros from Florida – competing for a total purse of more than $850,000, and valuable points to qualify for the 2022 Tackle Warehouse TITLE Presented by Mercury, the Pro Circuit Championship, and the coveted Pro Circuit Angler of the Year (AOY) title.

The event will mark the fourth time the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit (formerly the FLW Tour) has competed on the Harris Chain of Lakes. When the Circuit last visited Leesburg in February 2020, local pro Laramy Strickland of Bushnell, Florida, fishing in his rookie season, won the weather-shortened event with a three-day total of 61 pounds, 4 ounces. Strickland won by flipping a Reaction Innovations Spicy Beaver throughout a 600-acre duck marsh in Lake Griffin. This time around, Strickland says that he expects the bass to be in multiple different phases, and anglers will be able to fish their strengths and do well with numerous different baits and tactics.

“The key to doing well in this tournament is going to be picking an area where the fish are coming and going,” said Strickland. “I think we’re going to see fish in all three stages of the spawn – pre-spawn, spawning and post-spawn. I think the majority of fish have spawned already, but we’ll still catch fish from all three stages and you can expect to see everything in this tournament.

“The (Harris) Chain has been beat up a little bit with the number of tournaments there the past few weeks, but it still is fishing really well,” Strickland continued. “It’s going to take at least 75 to 80 pounds to win this one, no doubt.”

The Harris Chain of Lakes includes Lake Harris, Lake Apopka, Lake Griffin, Lake Eustis, Lake Dora, Lake Carlton, Horseshoe Lake, Little Lake Harris, Lake Denham and Lake Beauclair. In all, the pros have the run of 10 lakes, plus the residential canals, rivers and backwaters that spread out from them.

“I imagine that the field will be pretty spread out,” Strickland said. “Most of the guys in the field will have had experience here and will be spread all over the map. That being said, it’s still Florida-fishing and we’re going to see some areas that are pretty popular. I think Banana Cove in Lake Harris will be a big player.”

Strickland said that he expects the standard Florida-fare of baits to be popular choices amongst tournament competitors.

“Guys are going to catch them on ChatterBaits and (Zoom) Speed Worms. I think we’ll see some topwater fish play. We’re going to see some flipping fish. Lipless crankbaits. With all three phases of the spawn in play, we’ll be able to catch them pretty much however we feel most comfortable.”

In Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit competition, the full field of 158 anglers compete in the two-day opening round on Sunday and Monday. The top 50 pros based on their two-day cumulative weight will advance to Tuesday. Only the top 10 pros, based on cumulative weight from the first three days, will continue competition on Championship Wednesday, where weights will be zeroed and anglers will compete in a one-day shootout for the grand prize of up to $135,000, including the lucrative $35,000 Phoenix MLF Bonus for qualified anglers.

Anglers will take off at 7:30 a.m. ET, Sunday through Wednesday, from the Ski Beach at the Venetian Gardens, located at 201 E. Lake Harris Drive in Leesburg. Weigh-ins will also be held at the Ski Beach daily at 3:30 p.m. Fans are encouraged to attend the morning take offs and afternoon weigh-ins, and also follow the live on-the-water action all four days of competition online on MLF NOW! beginning at 8 a.m. ET at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

The 2022 season culminates with the Tackle Warehouse TITLE Presented by Mercury, the Pro Circuit Championship, where the top 48 pros in the points standings, along with the 2021 TITLE Champion and 2021 Angler of the Year, will compete for a top prize of $235,000. The 2022 TITLE will be on the St. Lawrence River in Massena, New York, Aug. 16-21, and is hosted by the Town of Massena.

by AnglersChannel

Dustin Connell Earns Second Career MLF Bass Pro Tour Win at Favorite Fishing Stage Three on Lewis Smith Lake Presented by Mercury

Favorite Fishing Pro Weighs in 33 Bass Totaling 71 Pounds, 2 Ounces to Earn Second Bass Pro Tour Win and Top Award of $100,000

CULLMAN, Ala. (March 7, 2022) – For the second time in two years, Alabama is ‘home sweet home’ for MLF pro angler and 2021 REDCREST Champion Dustin Connell of Clanton, Alabama, who caught a total of 33 bass weighing 71 pounds, 2 ounces during Monday’s Championship Round to take home the big, red trophy and $100,000 at the Favorite Fishing Stage Three on Lewis Smith Lake Presented by Mercury in Cullman, Alabama. This was Connell’s second major national win in his home state, the first being REDCREST 2021 on Lake Eufaula, in Eufaula, Alabama.

Monday marked the seventh time Connell has qualified for the Championship Round on the MLF Bass Pro Tour. The MLF NOW!® broadcast team coined the Alabama pro “Connell the Conqueror” – a moniker that just may stick after battling it out with a star-studded field of fierce competitors and a headliner list of some of the best in the business.

Connell said he felt blessed to be able to find his honey-hole on Lewis Smith Lake and that everything lined up the way it did on the final day.

“I rolled in here during the afternoon of the Knockout Round. When I saw the fish and the opportunity in here my adrenaline started rushing and I thought, ‘Oh my goodness – this is the winning spot’,” said Connell. “I knew if I could make it into the Championship Round, it could happen. I woke up this morning and told my wife and my camera guy Brett, ‘It could happen today.’

“I think I ended up catching over 70 scorable bass today – I got a little bit of ‘bass thumb’ going on,” laughed Connell.

The Alabama pro said he attributes his success on Championship Monday in large part to the current on Lewis Smith Lake.

“The water has been high on this fishery all week, but they started pulling off two turbines in preparation for the rain today, which is a lot of current,” said Connell. “I could see a lot of spotted bass stacked up on a big rock ridge on my Lowrance ActiveTarget . Any time they got up off the bottom and on bait, I could pitch over to them, and it was an automatic bite.

“I caught a lot of my fish using my ActiveTarget, on Favorite Fishing 6-foot 10-inch and 7-foot 2-inch Hex Series rods, spooled with 15-pound Seaguar Smackdown braided line with a 12-pound Seaguar Gold Label Fluorocarbon Leader.”

While the numbers looked great at the end of the third period, the final day wasn’t a runaway by any means. Connell had Berkley pro Jordan Lee – a Cullman local who ended the day in second place – on his heels, getting within 12 pounds of him twice throughout the day.

“Kudos to Jordan, man, he caught them good,” said Connell. “I just kept listening to my SCORETRACKER® updates and thinking, ‘Please don’t break that 10-pound barrier’, because you can easily catch two five-pounders here and then boom, someone else is leading.

“I caught those last few fish and was thinking ‘I just won the tournament’, but I was still checking with my competition official with three minutes left on the clock,” laughed Connell.

And what a confidence-booster for Connell – to win another major event before going into REDCREST 2022 – the prestigious Bass Pro Tour World Championship – in just a few short weeks in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

“I felt like I was in a bit of a slump after last season ended, because I hadn’t made a top 10, other than REDCREST 2021,” said Connell. “I came close several times, but it just didn’t ever work out.

“The first two events this year were tough for me, so I did not see this week going the way it did. I knew something special could happen, but I’d have to find the right little zone for everything to work out.”

And find it he did, during the Knockout Round, with one hour left of competition.

“Outside of the current, I think the biggest key for me this week on Smith Lake was the warm weather, followed by warm rain,” said Connell. “It kind of put all the fish in the creeks in a funk because they are wanting to spawn but weren’t really ready to get up there yet.

“The water throughout most of the fishery was high and muddy all week – but the fish up at the dam where I fished today were hardcore, pre-spawn bass, which was a game-changer. The water temp was 52 degrees there, whereas it’s 62 up in the creeks, and those fish by the dam were all grouped up. I knew if someone could find them in that deep, clear water, they could win the tournament.”

The top 10 pros at the Favorite Fishing Stage Three Presented by Mercury finished:

1^st:           Dustin Connell, Clanton, Ala., 33 bass, 71-2, $100,000
2^nd:          Jordan Lee, Cullman, Ala., 29 bass, 56-1, $45,000
3^rd:          Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., 24 bass, 52-2, $38,000
4^th:           Jesse Wiggins, Addison, Ala., 17 bass, 34-1, $32,000
5^th:           Edwin Evers, Talala, Okla., 13 bass, 30-2, $30,000
6^th:           Wesley Strader, Spring City, Tenn., 13 bass, 27-8, $26,000
7^th:           Ott DeFoe, Blaine, Tenn., 13 bass, 25-1, $23,000
8^th:           Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn., 12 bass, 24-5, $21,000
9^th:           Brent Ehrler, Redlands, Calif., five bass, 11-15, $19,000
10^th:        Randy Howell, Guntersville, Ala., five bass, 9-7, $16,000

Full results for the entire field can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Overall, there were 164 scorable bass weighing 341 pounds, 12 ounces caught by the 10 pros Monday.

Evers and Ehrler both caught spotted bass weighing 4-pounds, 10-ounces in the third period to tie for the final day $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award, which will be split between the two pros, with pro Randall Tharp of Port Saint Joe, Florida winning the $3,000 Berkley Big Bass of the tournament with his 6-7 largemouth caught on Friday. Berkley awards $1,000 to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass each day, and a $3,000 bonus to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass of the tournament.

The Favorite Fishing Stage Three on Lewis Smith Lake Presented by Mercury featured anglers competing with a 1-pound, 8-ounce minimum weight requirement for a bass to be deemed scorable. Minimum weights are determined individually for each competition waters that the Bass Pro Tour visits, based on the productivity, bass population and anticipated average size of fish in each fishery.

The Favorite Fishing Stage Three Presented by Mercury, hosted by Cullman Parks, Recreation and Sports Tourism, Cullman County Parks and Rec and the Cullman Area Chamber of Commerce, showcased 80 of the top professional bass-fishing anglers in the world competing over six days for a total purse of $805,000, including a top cash prize of $100,000 to the winner.

Television coverage of the Favorite Fishing Stage Three on Lewis Smith Lake Presented by Mercury will premiere at 7 a.m. ET, Oct. 1 on the Discovery Channel. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on the Discovery Channel, with additional re-airings on the Outdoor Channel. Each two-hour long reality-based episode goes in-depth to break down each day of competition.

The Bass Pro Tour features a field of 80 of the top professional anglers in the world competing across seven regular-season tournaments around the country, competing for millions of dollars and valuable points to qualify for the annual General Tire Heavy Hitters all-star event and the REDCREST 2023 championship.

by AnglersChannel

Vandalen and Bloom Tie for Win at Rescheduled Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Harris Chain of Lakes

LEESBURG, Fla. (March 7, 2022) – Boaters Devin Vandalen of Umatilla, Florida, and Joey Bloom of Winter Springs, Florida, each caught five bass Sunday weighing 22 pounds, 7 ounces, to tie for the victory at the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on Harris Chain of Lakes. The tournament, hosted by Visit Lake County, Florida, was rescheduled from Jan. 29 due to high water levels and unsafe conditions, and was the third event for the Bass Fishing League Gator Division Presented by Revital Outdoors. For their efforts, Vandalen and Bloom each earned $4,500.

“I fished shell bars on Big Harris and knew it was going to be hit or miss,” Bloom said. “I pulled up and saw a bunch of fish on my Lowrance ActiveTarget Sonar, so I threw a black and blue 13 Fishing Bubble Butt Worm and caught all of my big fish on that. I also caught a couple of keepers on a Tennessee Shad-colored Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap.

“This is my first BFL win,” Bloom continued. “I literally sat in the boat yesterday and cried. All of my family was there, and it was an amazing experience to have the people who support me there to see it. It is one of the coolest things that has ever happened in my life.”

Vandalen’s win was not the typical tournament day. He said his intention was to target bass on shell bars using a white Z-Man Evergreen ChatterBait Jack Hammer. He said he was a mile from his first spot when his lower unit malfunctioned.

“I made it to the bank and used the trolling motor to fish two miles of bank and ended up finding a shell bar and caught a small limit that went about 4 pounds,” Vandalen said.

Vandalen received a replacement boat from tournament officials and continued the competition.

“When I got the boat, I went to my other spot and I ended up culling all my fish out,” Vandalen said. “I caught my biggest fish at about 2 o’clock, and that was pretty much my day.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1st:        Devin Vandalen, Umatilla, Fla., five bass, 22-7, $4,500
1st:        Joey Bloom, Winter Springs, Fla., five bass, 22-7, $4,500
3rd:       Ben McCann, Bradenton, Fla., five bass, 21-15, $3,000
4th:        Greg Jones, Sarasota, Fla., five bass, 20-0, $1,400
5th:        Billy Jackson Jr., Ocala, Fla., five bass, 19-12, $1,200
6th:        Santos Solis, Vero Beach, Fla., five bass, 19-2, $1,100
7th:        Kyle Wieczorek, Nokomis, Fla., five bass, 18-4, $1,000
8th:        Eric Panzironi, Longwood, Fla., five bass, 18-0, $900
9th:        Mark Lundgren, Saint Cloud, Fla., five bass, 17-10, $800
10th:     Tray Bozeman, Anthony, Fla., five bass, 16-7, $700

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

McCann had an 8-pound, 12-ounce largemouth that was the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division and earned the day’s Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $1,000.

Randy Paquette of Sarasota, Florida, won the Strike King Co-angler Division and $3,000 Sunday after catching five bass weighing 19 pounds, 12 ounces.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:

1st:        Randy Paquette, Sarasota, Fla., five bass, 19-12, $3,000
2nd:       Greg Fox, Bonita Springs, Fla., five bass, 16-9, $1,700
3rd:       James Sponaugle, Auburndale, Fla., five bass, 16-2, $1,000
4th:        Antoni Bicy, Lehigh Acres, Fla., five bass, 15-4, $700
5th:        Walter McClure, Apopka, Fla., five bass, 14-4, $1,100
6th:        Davis Dimauro, Longwood, Fla., five bass, 14-3, $550
7th:        Kevin Thomas, Miramar, Fla., five bass, 13-8, $500
8th:        Steve England, Soddy Daisy, Tenn., five bass, 13-6, $450
9th:        Paul Giove, Punta Gorda, Fla., three bass, 12-11, $400
10th:     Sean Ripley, Lakeland, Fla., three bass, 12-8, $350

McClure caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 8 pounds, 12 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Berkley Big Bass Co-angler award of $500.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 6-8 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Lake Murray in Prosperity, South Carolina. Boaters will compete for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.

by AnglersChannel

Liberty High School Wins MLF High School Fishing Open on Lake Havasu

LAKE HAVASU CITY, Ariz. (March 7, 2022) – The Liberty High School team of Tanner Cleghorn and J.D. Farage, both of Discovery Bay, California, brought five bass to the scale Sunday weighing 19 pounds, 2 ounces, to win the MLF High School Fishing Presented by Favorite Fishing Open on Lake Havasu.

The no-entry fee tournament launched from Lake Havasu State Park in Lake Havasu City.

The top 10 teams that advanced to the 2022 High School Fishing National Championship are:

1st: Liberty High School, Brentwood, Calif. – Tanner Cleghorn and J.D. Farage, both of Discovery Bay, Calif., five bass, 19-2
2nd: Lake Havasu High School, Lake Havasu City, Ariz. – Zachary Verbrugge and Brandon Verbrugge, both of Lake Havasu City, Ariz., five bass, 17-12
3rd: Oakdale High School, Oakdale, Calif. – Lex Bairos and Michael Brush, both of Oakdale, Calif., five bass, 16-12
4th: Lake Havasu High School, Lake Havasu City, Ariz. – Branden Kuhn and Aaron Stopke, both of Lake Havasu City, Ariz., five bass, 16-5
5th: Lake Havasu High School, Lake Havasu City, Ariz. – Steven Brady and Daniel McCoy, both of Lake Havasu City, Ariz., five bass, 15-15
6th: Arizona High School Bassmasters, Phoenix, Ariz. – James Murphy Jr., Gilbert, Ariz., and Hayden White, Mesa, Ariz., five bass, 15-5
7th: Lake County High School Fishing Club, Lake County, Calif. – Tyler Bryant and Joey Gentle, both of Kelseyville, Calif., four bass, 10-14
8th: Paso Robles High School, Paso Robles, Calif. – Cody Domingos and Kyle Goldstein, both of Paso Robles, Calif., five bass, 10-0
9th: Oakdale High School, Oakdale, Calif. – Troy Cox and Zane Ravalin, both of Oakdale, Calif., three bass, 9-7
10th: Green Valley High School, Henderson, Nev. – Carter Doren, Las Vegas, Nev., and Ryan Lachniet, Gum Spring, Va., two bass, 7-9

Complete results from the event can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

The MLF High School Fishing Presented by Favorite Fishing Open on Lake Havasu was hosted by Go Lake Havasu. The next event for High School Fishing anglers will be the MLF High School Fishing Presented by Favorite Fishing Open on Sam Rayburn Reservoir, March 12 in Brookeland, Texas.

MLF High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing tournaments are free, two-person (team) events for students in grades 7-12 and are open to any MLF and TBF Student Angler Federation-affiliated high school club. The top 10% of teams at each Open event, along with the TBF High School Fishing state championships, will advance to the 2022 High School Fishing National Championship. The 2022 MLF High School Fishing National Championship will be held on Pickwick and Wilson Lakes in Florence, Alabama, June 22-25, and is hosted by the Florence-Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau.

The High School Fishing National Champions will each receive a $5,000 college scholarship to the school of their choice and advance to the 2022 MLF Toyota Series Championship to compete as co-anglers.

For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular High School Fishing updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

by AnglersChannel

Dallas Baptist University Wins MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing Tournament on Lake Havasu

LAKE HAVASU CITY, Ariz. (March 7, 2022) – The Dallas Baptist University duo of Mark Harris of Lindale, Texas, and Jacob Witkowski of Dallas, Texas, won the MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI event on Lake Havasu Saturday with a five-bass limit weighing 20 pounds, 2 ounces. The victory earned the Patriot’s bass club $2,000 and a slot in the 2023 MLF College Fishing National Championship.

“On the last day of practice we found a pretty good swimbait bite going through some of the flatter pockets,” Witkowski said. “So, the morning of the tournament, we ran to our first spot to do the same thing but we didn’t find any fish.”

“We were super stressed out because we had a really good practice,” Harris said. “That morning bite was super important to us.”

The Dallas Baptist team were targeting artificial fish habitat that have been placed in Lake Havasu to offer growing fish refuge and protection from predators. The team used a Garmin Panoptix LiveScope System to scan structure in 10 to 15 feet of water for quality bass that were staging to spawn.

“We ran probably four or five creeks and didn’t see any action,” Witkowski said. “We didn’t have any fish in the boat three hours into the day. We started running shade lines and picked up one with a wacky rig with a green pumpkin-colored Yamamoto Senko, and that was the pivotal bite for us that changed the mood of the day.”

The team discovered that as a cold front moved in during the day the bass had moved to structure in 25 feet of water.

“We ran to a flatter creek that had another shade line, and we were throwing 8-inch Megabass Magdraft swimbaits,” Witkowski added. “We boated a 6-pounder and thought, ‘We can definitely make something out of today.’”

“We only had six bites all day, but they were the right ones,” Witkowski continued. “Right at the end of the day we picked up a 5¼-pounder, and that’s when we thought we seriously had a shot to win.”

The team of DBU juniors are competing in their third year of College Fishing competition, and the Lake Havasu event is their first win.

“We’re getting to live the dream, and this never gets old,” Harris said. “DBU’s backing is great and truly a blessing.”

The top 10 teams that advanced to the 2023 College Fishing National Championship are:

1st: Dallas Baptist University – Mark Harris, Lindale, Texas, and Jacob Witkowski, Dallas, Texas, five bass, 20-2, $2,000
2nd: Simpson University – Myles Davis, Redding, Calif., and Austin Rojas, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., five bass, 17-5, $1,000
3rd: Oregon State University – Jeffrey Coleman and Tyler Parr, both of Corvallis, Ore., four bass, 13-9, $500
4th: Sonoma State University – Aaron King, Windsor, Calif., and Richard Maloney, Ukiah, Calif., three bass, 7-14, $500
5th: Tarleton State-Stephenville – Jordan Kenny, Fort Worth, Texas, and Davion Spiller, Killeen, Texas, two bass, 6-14, $500
6th: Tarleton State-Stephenville – Jason Ashlock, Azle, Texas, and Jacob Burton, Springtown, Texas, two bass, 6-12
7th: Simpson University – Ryan Beaty, Martinez, Calif., and James Hawkinson, Granite Bay, Calif., three bass, 6-9
8th: University of Idaho – Ethan Leininger, Vina, Calif., three bass, 6-7
9th: Simpson University – Jayden Nezy, Page, Ariz., and Nathan Phillips, Kelseyville, Calif., three bass, 6-1
10th: Fresno State – Nathan Seibert, Fresno, Calif., and Clark Vue, Clovis, Calif., three bass, 5-0

Complete results for the entire field can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

The Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI event on Lake Havasu was hosted by Go Lake Havasu. It was the first of three regular-season tournaments for Western Conference anglers. The next event for College Fishing anglers will be the Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI event on Sam Rayburn Reservoir, March 11 in Brookeland, Texas.

by AnglersChannel

Hartman Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Kentucky-Barkley Lakes

GILBERTSVILLE, Ky. (March 7, 2022) – Boater Jordan Hartman of Benton, Kentucky, caught five bass Saturday weighing 19 pounds, 11 ounces, to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on Kentucky-Barkley Lake. The tournament, hosted by the Kentucky Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau, was the season-opener for the Bass Fishing League LBL Division. Hartman earned $5,839 for his victory.

“I knew it was going to be windy, so I wanted to try to hit some of my better stuff as early as possible to catch what I could before the wind got up,” Hartman said. “I ran down to the Paris Landing area and fished the main lake there.”

Hartman said he had a limit of 12 pounds of smallmouth after spending 20 minutes at his first stop. Hartman said the smallmouth fell for a String King Pro Model 5XD crankbait. Hartman spent the rest of the day moving around and culling fish.

“Every place I stopped it just didn’t seem to go wrong,” Hartman said. “I just kept culling up. I probably caught 25 keepers.

“This win has been a goal of mine ever since I moved from Illinois to go to Murray State University,” Hartman added. “I started fishing these tournaments three or four years ago. It’s very hard to win when you’re fishing against all of the locals, so this is pretty special to me. It makes all of the time you spend on the water worth it.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1st:        Jordan Hartman, Benton, Ky., five bass, 19-11, $5,839
2nd:       Marty Sisk, Evansville, Ind., five bass, 18-1, $2,419
3rd:       Brad Kell, Benton, Ky., five bass, 18-0, $1,614
4th:        Bill Schroeder III, Benton, Ky., five bass, 17-1, $1,129
5th:        Harold Buchmeier, Gilbertsville, Ky., five bass, 16-3, $968
6th:        Drew Boggs, Lebanon, Tenn., five bass, 15-12, $887
7th:        Jeff Defew, Benton, Ky., five bass, 15-11, $806
8th:        Mike Suddoth, Dickson, Tenn., five bass, 15-3, $726
9th:        Chris Hellebuyck, Waterford, Mich., five bass, 15-2, $1,845 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
10th:     Ray Barga, Benton, Ky., five bass, 14-4, $565

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Ron Smith of Walton, Kentucky, had a 5-pound, 1-ounce largemouth that was the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division and earned the day’s Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $730.

Blake Smith of Tennessee Ridge, Tennessee, won the Strike King Co-angler Division and $2,419 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 13 pounds, 5 ounces.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:

1st:        Blake Smith, Tennessee Ridge, Tenn., five bass, 13-5, $2,419
2nd:       Andrew Dunford, Christopher, Ill., three bass, 11-3, $1,210
3rd:       Bill Wasden, Paris, Tenn., four bass, 11-1, $807
4th:        Ethan Wheeler, Mayfield, Ky., two bass, 10-1, $930
5th:        Peyton Coleman, Paducah, Ky., three bass, 10-0, $484
6th:        John Dunn, Paducah, Ky., three bass, 9-15, $444
7th:        Frank Haysley, Louisville, Ky., four bass, 9-14, $403
8th:        Ed Daniell, West Frankfort, Ill., four bass, 8-12, $513
9th:        Dean Hesse, Brandenburg, Ky., three bass, 8-5, $323
10th:     Colin Fogerty, Memphis, Tenn., three bass, 7-10, $282

Wheeler caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 6 pounds, 4 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Berkley Big Bass Co-angler award of $365.

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.

by AnglersChannel

Partee Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Harris Chain of Lakes

LEESBURG, Fla. (March 7, 2022) – Boater Blaine Partee of Oviedo, Florida, caught five bass Saturday weighing 26 pounds, 12 ounces, to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on Harris Chain of Lakes. The tournament, hosted by Visit Lake County, Florida, was the third event for the Bass Fishing League Gator Division Presented by Revital Outdoors. Partee earned $6,000 for his victory.

“First thing in the morning I stopped at a shell bar not far from the boat ramp, and in the first 15 minutes I had four fish that weighed 21 pounds,” Partee said. “Then they just seemed to shut off on us and we moved around from here to there to other shell bars and I eventually caught another 5-pounder, and that basically sealed the deal for me.”

Partee said he targeted specific shell bars that featured wind current and used a Carolina rig tipped with a Bitter’s Magic Wand to land three of his fish and a chartreuse-back Rapala DT10 crankbait to complete his bag with two keepers. Partee said he caught 14 keepers in 8 to 13 feet of water during the course of the day.

“This win is awesome,” Partee said. “I’ve been trying a long time to win one of these events, and I finally got it done. It’s pretty amazing.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1st:        Blaine Partee, Oviedo, Fla., five bass, 26-12, $6,000
2nd:       Eric Panzironi, Longwood, Fla., five bass, 26-6, $3,000
3rd:       Kolbi Morgan, Land O Lakes, Fla., five bass, 26-0, $2,000
4th:        Ben McCann, Bradenton, Fla., five bass, 24-12, $1,400
5th:        Rob Milbut, Alapaha, Ga., five bass, 22-3, $1,200
6th:        Levi Crossway, Callahan, Fla., five bass, 21-0, $1,100
7th:        Ricky Grant, Inverness, Fla., five bass, 20-4, $2,000
8th:        James McLees, Eustis, Fla., five bass, 19-14, $900
9th:        Jeffrey Harper, Fleming Island, Fla., five bass, 19-6, $800
10th:     Arnie Lane, Lakeland, Fla., five bass, 18-7, $700

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Grant had a 9-pound, 13-ounce largemouth that was the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division and earned the day’s Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $1,000.

Loren Hepler of Mulberry, Florida, won the Strike King Co-angler Division and $3,000 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 21 pounds, 13 ounces.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:

1st:        Loren Hepler, Mulberry, Fla., five bass, 21-13, $3,000
2nd:       Jesse Taylor, Jacksonville, Fla., five bass, 18-5, $1,500
3rd:       Kenneth Bivins, Orlando, Fla., five bass, 18-2, $1,500
4th:        Robert Kinder, Tampa, Fla., five bass, 15-12, $700
5th:        Clayton Stokes, Haines City, Fla., five bass, 15-11, $600
6th:        Aaron Gengler, Lakeland, Fla., five bass, 14-8, $525
6th:        Steven Obester, Palatka, Fla., five bass, 14-8, $525
8th:        Clint Sterling, Safety Harbor, Fla., five bass, 14-1, $450
9th:        Steven Hollingsworth, Lakeland, Fla., five bass, 13-15, $400
10th:     Justin Brown, Frostproof, Fla., five bass, 13-11, $550

Bivins caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 7 pounds, 2 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Berkley Big Bass Co-angler award of $500.

by AnglersChannel

Trent Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Kerr Lake

HENDERSON, N.C. (March 7, 2022) – Boater Tyler Trent of Nathalie, Virginia, caught five bass Saturday weighing 20 pounds, 11 ounces, to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on Kerr Lake . The tournament, hosted by the Vance County Tourism Development Authority, was the season-opener for the Bass Fishing League Shenandoah Division. Trent earned $12,229, including the lucrative $7,000 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus, for his victory.

“I started close to takeoff and started catching fish immediately,” said Trent, who now has three Phoenix Bass Fishing League wins on Kerr Lake. “I caught two good ones that I ended up weighing in, and I caught them off and on all day.

“Most of the day I was fishing mid-lake targeting rock with a homemade green-pumpkin and orange jig and a Zoom Super Chunk Jr. trailer,” added Trent.

Trent was in the last flight and caught two of his biggest bass in the last hour of competition. He said he caught about 25 keepers over the course of the day. Trent said his familiarity with Kerr Lake was the key to his victory Saturday.

“I fish here all the time and have plenty of places to hit,” Trent said.

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1st:        Tyler Trent, Nathalie, Va., five bass, 20-11, $12,229 (includes $7,000 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
2nd:       Brian Calloway, Danville, Va., five bass, 17-13, $2,614
3rd:       Cody Pike, Powhatan, Va., five bass, 17-9, $1,745
4th:        Rick Tilley, Vinton, Va., five bass, 17-5, $2,035
5th:        Ryan Powroznik, Hopewell, Va., five bass, 17-3, $1,002
5th:        Rodney Sorrell, Stokesdale, N.C., five bass, 17-3, $1,002
7th:        Jacob Floyd, Ruckersville, Va., five bass, 16-14, $871
8th:        Brian Bersik, Chesterfield, Va., five bass, 16-12, $784
9th:        Rick Mills, Manassas, Va., five bass, 16-7, $697
10th:     Kevin Kane, Woodbridge, Va., five bass, 16-6, $610

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Tilley had a 6-pound, 5-ounce largemouth that was the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division and earned the day’s Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $815.

David Slaybaugh of Colonial Heights, Virginia, won the Strike King Co-angler Division and $2,614 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 12 pounds, 5 ounces.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:

1st:        David Slaybaugh, Colonial Heights, Va., five bass, 12-5, $2,614
2nd:       Shaquille Freeman, Meherrin, Va., five bass, 12-3, $1,307
3rd:       Thomas Elliott, Lake Waccamaw, N.C., four bass, 10-7, $872
4th:        Lenny Baird, Stafford, Va., five bass, 10-1, $916
4th:        Jeramy Evans, Forest, Va., three bass, 10-1, $566
6th:        Ken Eng, Abingdon, Md., three bass, 9-6, $682
7th:        Jesse Ketchum, Columbia, Md., three bass, 9-1, $436
8th:        Stephen Smith, Archer Lodge, N.C., three bass, 8-13, $392
9th:        Travis Garrett, Charlottesville, Va., four bass, 8-6, $349
10th:     Robert Wedding, Welcome, Md., three bass, 8-2, $305

Carter Atkins of Greenville, Virginia, and Eng each caught fish weighing in at 5 pounds, 4 ounces to split the day’s Berkley Big Bass Co-angler award. Both Atkins and Eng each received $203.

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

Monti Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Lake Norman

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. (March 7, 2022) – Boater Jake Monti of Mooresville, North Carolina, caught five bass Saturday weighing 17 pounds, 2 ounces, to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on Lake Norman . The tournament, hosted by Visit Lake Norman, was the season-opener for the Bass Fishing League North Carolina Division. Monti earned $9,158, including a $2,500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus, for his victory.

“In practice on Friday I found a bed on the lower end of the lake where I saw a male locked on the bed,” Monti said. “He was about a 3½-pounder, and I could see the female sitting off to the side underneath a dock. I thought she would go about 6 pounds, because she was real wide across the back.

“Usually when the female is sitting off the bed like that you don’t have a real good chance of catching her unless you catch the male first and she moves up to protect the bed,” Monti added.

Monti said he had a good takeoff draw with boat No. 10, and he ran to the bedding pair of bass to start his tournament day. He said he targeted the pair with a Queen Tackle Tungsten Hammer Shake Shaky Head tipped with a Bizz Baits Cutter Craw.

“The female bit on the first cast I made there,” Monti said. “She ended up being a 5-pounder. The male bit on my next flip. So within the first 10 minutes of my day I had 9 pounds with two fish.”

Monti said he then made his way up the lake and focused on pre-spawn fish using a Rapala DT 6 Series crankbait as well as a Fluke. He said he caught about 20 keepers during the course of the tournament – none of which were short fish.

“I didn’t want to stay down the lake with the crowd down there, so I filled out the rest of my limit with pre-spawners,” Monti said.

“This feels amazing,” Monti said. “I’ve been waiting for one of these wins, and it feels great for my hard work to finally pay off.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1st:        Jake Monti, Mooresville, N.C., five bass, 17-2, $9,158 (includes $2,500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
2nd:       Stephen Cannon, Wilkesboro, N.C.., five bass, 16-4, $2,357
2nd:       Michael Webster, Gastonia, N.C., five bass, 16-4, $2,357
4th:        Chad Sims, Lancaster, S.C., five bass, 15-11, $1,520
5th:        Ben Robertson, Walnut Cove, N.C., five bass, 15-5, $1,132
6th:        Aaron Digh, Denver, N.C., five bass, 15-4, $1,037
7th:        Kevin Farley, East Bend, N.C., five bass, 15-2, $1,858
8th:        James Blankenship, Siler City, N.C., five bass, 14-13, $1,049
9th:        Chris Dover, Blacksburg, S.C., five bass, 14-12, $754
10th:     Shane Lineberger, Lincolnton, N.C., five bass, 14-4, $627
10th:     Ben Hudson, Lynchburg, Va., five bass, 14-4, $627

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Farley had a 6-pound, 13-ounce largemouth that was the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division and earned the day’s Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $915.

Chris McMillan of Charlotte, North Carolina, won the Strike King Co-angler Division and $2,829 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 11 pounds, 4 ounces.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:

1st:        Chris McMillan, Charlotte, N.C., five bass, 11-4, $2,829
2nd:       Alex Ortiz, Asheboro, N.C., five bass, 11-2, $1,414
3rd:       Hunter Harwell, Maiden, N.C., five bass, 10-9, $945
4th:        Jonathan Strickland, Graham, N.C., five bass, 10-8, $660
5th:        Travis Ruff, Connelly Springs, N.C., five bass, 9-12, $542
5th:        Wayne Smelser, Wytheville, Va., five bass, 9-12, $542
7th:        Byran Lefever, Statesville, N.C., five bass, 9-9, $471
8th:        Mike Shatley, North Wilkesboro, N.C., five bass, 9-6, $400
8th:        Hunter Carpenter, Lincolnton, N.C., four bass, 9-6, $400
10th:     Justin Strickland, Roseboro, N.C., five bass, 9-4, $330

Kyle Allred of Lexington, North Carolina, 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 $457.

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

Anderson Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Dale Hollow Lake

BYRDSTOWN, Tenn. (March 7, 2022) – Boater Brent Anderson of Kingston Springs, Tennessee, caught five bass Saturday weighing 24 pounds, 2 ounces, to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on Dale Hollow Lake. The tournament, hosted by Star Point Marina, was the season-opener for the Bass Fishing League Music City Division. Anderson earned $15,000, including the lucrative $7,000 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus, for his victory. The win followed Anderson’s Choo Choo Division victory earlier this season at the Phoenix Bass Fishing League on Pickwick Lake on Feb. 26.

“My day started off pretty rough,” said Anderson, who now has 10 career Phoenix Bass Fishing League wins. “I made a long run up the river where I thought I could catch a quick limit finesse fishing, but after 3½ hours I only had two bites and I didn’t have a keeper.

“I ran back down to a stretch in the mid-lake area where I had caught one good fish in practice,” Anderson added. “I just took a look at the conditions and started focusing on wind-blown points on the main lake.”

Anderson said he used a white Z-Man Evergreen Chatterbait Jack Hammer and a homemade white and chartreuse spinnerbait to target bass sitting in three to five feet of water. He said he would cast to the bank and slow roll the bait down the point. Anderson said he caught 20 fish, including 15 keepers, during the course of the day.

“Once I figured out the pattern I’d catch fish every stop,” Anderson said.

Anderson said his inexperience on Dale Hollow, combined with the slow start to his day, had him doubting his chances for a quality finish in the tournament.

“At 12:30 if you would have asked me if I was ready to put the boat on the trailer, I would have probably left,” Anderson said. “I was that far beat mentally. And then a light went off. I said, ‘Dude, it’s easy. It’s 70 degrees and the wind is crashing these banks. You know the fish are going to be sitting up shallow.’ I made the right stop, then looked at my map and kept duplicating it. By the end of the day I was calling my shots. Talk about going from zero to hero.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1st:        Brent Anderson, Kingston Springs, Tenn., five bass, 24-2, $15,000 (includes $7,000 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
2nd:       Tristan Abbott, Somerset, Ky., five bass, 19-4, $3,000
3rd:       Greg Perry, Lost Creek, W.V., five bass, 18-12, $2,500
4th:        Mike Bryant, Cookeville, Tenn., five bass, 17-15, $1,400
5th:        Robert Reagan, Byrdstown, Tenn., five bass, 17-10, $1,150
5th:        Kelly Readhimer, Beech Bluff, Tenn., five bass, 17-10, $1,150
7th:        Colton Chambers, Elizabethton, Tenn., five bass, 17-4, $1,000
8th:        Billy Baugus, Lebanon, Tenn., five bass, 16-12, $900
9th:        Mitchell Major, Lancaster, Ky., five bass, 16-10, $800
10th:     Jake Cross, Byrdstown, Tenn., five bass, 16-3, $700

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Anderson had a 9-pound, 10-ounce largemouth that was the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division and earned the day’s Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $1,000.

Gilbert Jolley of Livingston, Tennessee, won the Strike King Co-angler Division and $3,200 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 18 pounds, 7 ounces.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:

1st:        Gilbert Jolley, Livingston, Tenn., five bass, 18-7, $3,200
2nd:       Grant Frazier, Manchester, Tenn., five bass, 17-5, $1,500
3rd:       Jordan Garrett, Jamestown, Tenn., five bass, 14-0, $1,000
4th:        Pop Catalin, Cookeville, Tenn., five bass, 13-15, $700
5th:        Robert Pepiot III, Lexington, Ky., four bass, 13-14, $1,100
6th:        Bradley Yaden, London, Ky., five bass, 13-13, $550
7th:        Kenny Botts, Alvaton, Ky., five bass, 13-10, $500
8th:        Ben Pridemore, Cookeville, Tenn., five bass, 13-6, $425
8th:        Caleb Barnes, Murfreesboro, Tenn., five bass, 13-6, $425
10th:     Casey Carpenter, Gallatin, Tenn., five bass, 13-3, $350

Pepiot caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 5 pounds, 8 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Berkley Big Bass Co-angler award of $500.

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. 13-5 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.

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

Tomlin Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Lake Martin

ALEXANDER CITY, Ala. (March 7, 2022) – Boater Blake Tomlin of Greenville, Georgia, caught five bass Saturday weighing 21 pounds, 11 ounces, to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on Lake Martin. The tournament, hosted by the Lake Martin Tourism Association, was the season-opener for the Bass Fishing League Bama Division. Tomlin earned $5,911 for his victory.

“We started out fishing the shoals and caught a few fish pretty quick,” said Tomlin. “I caught two 3-pounders back-to-back on my first stop, and then it was really slow after that until about 9:30 when I caught my second- and third-biggest fish within 15 minutes of each other on a Z-Man Original ChatterBait.”

Tomlin said after he had four fish in the livewell he relocated to fill out his limit. He said he waited for the water to warm up and went back to the spot where he caught his two big fish at 9:30. The move resulted in his largest bass of the day that fell for a flipping jig. Tomlin said he then moved back down the lake to get close to the ramp.

“I thought I had 18, maybe 19 pounds, and I thought I had a pretty good chance at that point to win,” Tomlin said. “I finished out the last hour fishing around there and ended up catching a 3½-pound spotted bass on a swimbait.”

Tomlin said the win was special to him because he struggled in competition for a couple of years and didn’t cash a tournament check.

“I knew I could better than what I was doing,” Tomlin said. “I wasn’t even catching decent bags. I had a rough go at it for a couple of years. So, I took a year off and then started back again and did pretty good in a Regional Championship and pretty decent in the All-American, and that kind of lit my fire and I have been really wanting to win.

“I’ve only fished Lake Martin four times,” Tomlin added. “I thought Martin would be a good lake to have a chance to win, because you can get lucky and catch some decent ones and have a shot whether you know the lake really well or not.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1st:        Blake Tomlin, Greenville, Ga., five bass, 21-11, $5,911
2nd:       Timothy Hatcher, Trussville, Ala., five bass, 15-0, $2,561
3rd:       Brady Vernon, Birmingham, Ala., five bass, 14-13, $1,705
4th:        Lucas Lindsay, Opelika, Ala., five bass, 14-12, $1,195
5th:        Tommy Gunn, Cusseta, Ala., five bass, 14-9, $1,024
6th:        Rob Cruvellier, Auburn, Ala., five bass, 12-10, $896
6th:        Dusty Robinson, Eclectic, Ala., five bass, 12-10, $896
8th:        Hunter Davidson, Reform, Ala., five bass, 12-9, $768
9th:        Charles Davis, Wetumpka, Ala., five bass, 12-7, $683
10th:     Mark Stewart, Ashville, Ala., five bass, 12-5, $598

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Tomlin had a 5-pound, 7-ounce largemouth that was the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division and earned the day’s Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $790.

Cameron Petras of Biloxi, Mississippi, won the Strike King Co-angler Division and $2,561 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 11 pounds, 12 ounces.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:

1st:        Cameron Petras, Biloxi, Miss., five bass, 11-12, $2,561
2nd:       Mike L. Hardin Sr., Robertsdale, Ala., five bass, 11-4, $1,280
3rd:       Scott Bussey, Hayden, Ala., four bass, 10-12, $1,249
4th:        Darrell Eller, Montgomery, Ala., five bass, 10-4, $598
5th:        Thomas Eyler, Ashford, Ala., five bass, 10-3, $512
6th:        William Yoerg, Springville, Ala., five bass, 10-2, $669
7th:        Justin Foster, Zebulon, Ga., five bass, 9-15, $405
7th:        Randall Norton, Ashland, Ala., five bass, 9-15, $405
9th:        Michael Ward, Dadeville, Ala., five bass, 9-5, $341
10th:     Daniel Buswell Jr., Fayetteville, Ga., five bass, 9-1, $299

Bussey caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 3 pounds, 15 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Berkley Big Bass Co-angler award of $395.

by AnglersChannel

Wayne County High School Wins MLF High School Fishing Open on Lake Guntersville

GUNTERSVILLE, Ala. (March 7, 2022) – The Wayne County High School team of Elijah Adkins and Austin Criswell, both of Monticello, Kentucky, brought five bass to the scale Saturday weighing 20 pounds, 12 ounces, to win the MLF High School Fishing Presented by Favorite Fishing Open on Lake Guntersville.

A field of 85 teams competed in the no-entry fee tournament, which launched from Lake Guntersville State Park in Guntersville. In MLF and The Bass Federation (TBF) High School Fishing competition, the top 10% of teams competing advance to the High School Fishing National Championship.

The top eight teams that advanced to the 2022 High School Fishing National Championship are:

1st: Wayne County High School, Monticello, Ky. – Elijah Adkins and Austin Criswell, both of Monticello, Ky., five bass, 20-12
2nd: Alcoa High School, Alcoa, Tenn. – Walker Larue, Alcoa, Tenn., and Joe Vaulton, Knoxville, Tenn., five bass, 19-8
3rd: Fenton Community Bass Club, Fenton, Mich. – Mitchell Straffon and Henri Sturm, both of Fenton, Mich., five bass, 19-4
4th: Oneonta City School, Oneonta, Ala. – Luke Coleman and Bobby McCray, both of Pinson, Ala., five bass, 19-0
5th: Rhea County High School, Evensville, Tenn. – Riley Faulkner, Jacksboro, Tenn., and Blake Wheat, Evensville, Tenn., five bass, 18-2
6th: Pickens Anglers High School Fishing Club, Reform, Ala. – Daniel Birmingham, Reform, Ala., and Kaden Posey, Gordo, Ala., four bass, 17-14
7th: Bibb County High School, Centreville, Ala. – Evan Dunn, Centreville, Ala., and A.J. McGee, Brierfield, Ala., five bass, 17-3
8th: Bullitt East High School, Mount Washington, Ky. – Tyler Leachman, Mount Washington, Ky., and Ethan Martin, Shepherdsville, Ky., five bass, 16-1

Rounding out the top 10 teams were:

9th: Edinburg Community USD, Edinburg, Ill. – Lane Argo and Levi Kohl, both of Edinburg, Ill., five bass, 15-10
10th: Carlson Marauders Fishing Team, Gibraltar, Mich. – Tristan Fawley, Gibraltar, Mich., and Van Price, Rockwood, Mich., five bass, 15-7

Complete results from the event can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

The MLF High School Fishing Presented by Favorite Fishing Open on Lake Guntersville was hosted by Marshall County Tourism and Sports. The next event for High School Fishing anglers will be the MLF High School Fishing Presented by Favorite Fishing Open on Sam Rayburn Reservoir, March 12in Brookeland, Texas.

Proud sponsors of the 2022 MLF High School Fishing Presented by Favorite Fishing include: 4WP, 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, A.R.E. Truck Caps, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, E3, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, Gary Yamamoto Baits, General Tire, Lew’s, Lowrance, Lucas Oil, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, Wiley X and YETI.

by AnglersChannel

Florida Gateway College Wins MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing Tournament on Lake Guntersville

GUNTERSVILLE, Ala. (March 7, 2022) – The Florida Gateway College duo of Seth Slanker and Jackson Swisher, both of Lake City, Florida, won the MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI event on Lake Guntersville Friday with a five-bass limit weighing 29 pounds, 12 ounces. The victory, which earned the Titans’ bass club $2,000, came after a season-opening sixth-place finish in January at the Harris Chain of Lakes, which earned the team a slot in the 2023 MLF College Fishing National Championship.

“We practiced all week to try to find shallow fish that had pulled up to try to spawn,” Slanker said. “Our first fish was a 5-pounder, then we had a few smaller fish, and as the day went on we culled up, and the last fish we culled was an 8-pounder, and that was our biggest fish.”

Slanker said the team caught about 45 bass during the course of the tournament, including 25 keepers. Their bait of choice was a red ½-ounce Z-Man Evergreen Chatterbait Jack Hammer. Slanker said the water temperature hovered at 60 degrees on the shallow grass flats they were targeting.

“The day was a day that was like it was meant to be,” said Swisher. “It was one of those days where you did no wrong.

“With the ChatterBait, we always struggle to land most of our fish,” Swisher added. “Every now and then with the ChatterBait you’re going to jump off a couple of big fish. During the tournament, though, they just chugged it. We were fishing slow and methodically and we were able to put together a big bag.

“It feels great to finally win one,” Swisher said. “We’d been close before, and I’d always wanted to win a College Fishing event before I graduated. And it felt good to win it doing something we like doing – fishing shallow, spawning fish.”

The top 10 teams that advanced to the 2023 College Fishing National Championship are:

1st: Florida Gateway College – Seth Slanker and Jackson Swisher, both of Lake City, Fla., five bass, 29-12, $2,000
2nd: Catawba Valley Community College – Cabe Mackey, Denver, N.C., and Nathan Smith, Granite Falls, N.C., five bass, 24-14, $1,000
3rd: Mississippi State University – James Broderick, Birmingham, Ala., and James Ikerd, Canton, Ga., five bass, 23-12, $500
4th: University of North Alabama – Chandler Brewer, Meridianville, Ala., and Walker Brown, Loretto, Tenn., five bass, 23-8, $500
5th: University of Tennessee – Joseph Bissing, Libertyville, Ill., and Jackson Payden, Knoxville, Tenn., five bass, 21-13, $500
6th: Central Alabama Community College – Jackson Kelly and Brody Milstead, both of Alexander City, Ala., five bass, 20-14
7th: Southeastern Louisiana University – Wyatt Ensminger, Pride, La., five bass, 20-6
8th: Carson Newman University – Brady Duncan, Lebanon, Tenn., and Steven Mills, White Bluff, Tenn., five bass, 20-4
9th: Auburn University – Hayden Marbut, Birmingham, Ala., and Garrett Warren, Hoover, Ala., five bass, 20-2
10th: Wabash Valley College – Mason Gross, Carmi, Ill., and Isaac Irvin, Harrisburg, Ill., five bass, 20-1

MLF also advances one additional team to the National Championship for every 10 teams over 100 that compete. A total of 219 teams participated in this event, so also advancing to the 2023 College Fishing National Championship are:

11th: Bryan College – Justin Botts, Bluff City, Tenn., and Conner Dimauro, Longwood, Fla., five bass, 19-11
12th: Florida Gateway College – Chase Hubble, Plant City, Fla., and Brent May, five bass, 19-9
13th: Bethel University – Colten Drawdy, Plant City, Fla., and Braden Leffew, Lebanon, Tenn., five bass, 19-8
14th: Lander University – Ryan Latham, Greenwood, S.C., and Caleb Sheldon, Lexington, S.C., five bass, 19-7
15th: University of Montevallo – Cal Culpepper, Hamilton, Ga., and Easton Fothergill, Grand Rapids, Minn., five bass, 19-3
16th: University of North Alabama – Tyler Finley, Mount Pleasant, Tenn., and Lane Lassiter, McMinnville, Tenn., five bass, 19-3
17th: Georgia College – Dawson Ricks, Milledgeville, Ga., and David Stith, Mabelton, Ga., five bass, 19-2
18th: Bryan College – Austin Goins, Dayton, Tenn., and Tim Herrmann, Groveland, Ill., five bass, 19-1
19th: Bethel University – Matthew Cummings, Union City, Tenn., and Levi Mullins, Nineveh, Ind., five bass, 18-14
20th: Auburn University – Cody Griffith, and Drew Jennings, both of Auburn, Ala., five bass, 18-11
21st: Blue Mountain College – John Berry, Mount Olive, Miss., and Blake Bullock, Seminary, Miss., five bass, 18-8

Complete results for the entire field can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

The Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI event on Lake Guntersville was hosted by Marshall County Tourism and Sports. It was the second of three regular-season tournaments for Southeastern Conference anglers. The next event for College Fishing anglers will be the Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI event on Sam Rayburn Reservoir, March 11 in Brookeland, Texas.

by AnglersChannel

Christie Defeats Ghosts From The Past, Earns First Bassmaster Classic Victory On Lake Hartwell

Jason Christie of Park Hill, Okla., has won the 2022 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk with a three-day total of 54 pounds.

Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.

March 6, 2022

GREENVILLE, S.C. — For years, Jason Christie has had to live with the crushing weight of leading pro fishing’s biggest event twice on the final day, only to fall short.

But no more.

The 48-year-old pro from Park Hill, Okla., led once again going into Championship Sunday and this time sealed the deal in dramatic fashion with a final-day limit of 17 pounds, 9 ounces that made him the champion of the 52nd Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk at Lake Hartwell. His three-day total of 54-0 was only 5 ounces better than that of second-place finisher Kyle Welcher, who shared the lead with Christie going into the final day.

The event drew a Classic-record 154,932 fans.

“Honestly, when I was sitting at the door waiting to come in and weigh my fish, I thought I had given it away again,” said Christie, who pushed his career earnings with B.A.S.S. to $1,668,011 with the $300,000 victory. “Stetson Blaylock had just weighed in a big bag, and Kyle Welcher used to be a professional poker player, so I knew he had more than what he was saying.

“I knew it was gonna be close. I honestly thought there could be a tie, and that was scary for me because I didn’t have any fish left.”

Christie certainly found plenty of fish throughout the week as he alternated between deep- and shallow-water patterns that were about as different as two techniques can be.

He caught half of his weight targeting bass on Garmin LiveScope in a 15- to 30-foot drain that he said held “hundreds of fish” the first two days. He used a spinning rod with a 3/16-ounce jighead and a prototype lure from Yum that only this week earned an official name, the FF Sonar Minnow, which stands for “Forward Facing Sonar Minnow.”

“It’s a bait that I can cast to the fish and work the rod and keep it on him; the bait does not move forward,” Christie said. “It’s a technique that I’ve been working on for about five years now.

“A lot of times you throw a swimbait over the top of them and they’ll just trail it. But you can drop this bait right to the fish and keep it on top of him.”

The drain was good to Christie the first two days. But when he arrived there early on Sunday, he found what he described as a “ghost town.” A spot that had produced half of his weigh-in fish during the week produced only one on the final day — and even though it was his biggest bass of the day, a 4-11 largemouth, he admittedly started thinking, “Here we go again.”

Luckily, his shallow-water technique paid off big-time.

Known as one of the best power-fishermen in the world, Christie utilized a 5/8-ounce War Eagle Jiu-Jigsu Jig with a Yum Craw Chunk in green pumpkin/purple. He used a green pumpkin/orange jig until the final day when he switched to straight green pumpkin because he “banged all of the other ones off docks” until they were unusable.

“It’s just a heavier jig,” Christie said. “I was fishing a foot to 3 feet and people think you need a smaller jig in that situation. But when the water is clear, I want it to go fast.”

He fished the setup on a 7-4 Falcon Rods Jason Christie Flipping Stick with a Lew’s Pro SP reel spooled with 20-pound Sunline Shooter. He keyed on the shallowest parts of boat docks where bass were likely preparing to spawn.

“If it was touching the bank, it was high-percentage,” he said. “That’s what they usually do right before they spawn. They’ll get up there as close to the bank as they can, and then they’ll build their bed out in the sunlight a couple of feet away.”

Besides carrying the weight of past near misses in the Classic, Christie said he also had to fight the urge to rely on the lure he’s known most for — the spinnerbait. Despite some limited success with it during practice, he said the small amount of stained water that was available wasn’t dark enough for his liking.

He also knew the areas would likely be crowded all week.

“I fought the demons here as far as where I’ve won in the past,” said Christie, an Xpress Boats pro who became the first angler to win the Classic in an aluminum boat. “I wanted to go into a pocket with dirty water and throw a spinnerbait, and I caught a 6-pounder doing that in practice. That fish was trying to lure me in, but I put the spinnerbait away and said, ‘This tournament can’t be won on a spinnerbait.’

“Too many people have watched too many shows. I knew I could go into clear water and not see a boat. I could go into dirty water and see not only our guys, but locals doing circles around each other.”

Good decisions like that mean he’ll no longer have to hear the questions that have dogged him since he finished second at Grand Lake in the 2016 Classic and third at Hartwell in 2018.

“No mas,” Christie said with a grin. “Every event that I’ve ever won came when I least expected it. I cannot believe I won with the amount of fish I had found.

“I honestly felt like this might be my last best chance — and I got it done.”

Welcher earned $50,000 for finishing second with 53-11, and Blaylock earned $47,000 in third place with 53-5, which includes a $7,000 bonus for his Sunday catch of 20-9 that ranked as the Rapala Monster Bag of the Week.

As a member of the Yamaha Power Pay program, Christie is bringing home an additional $20,000.

South Carolina pro Brandon Cobb earned $2,500 for overall Berkley Big Bass of the Week with the 6-12 largemouth he caught on Day 2.

Christie also took home an additional $7,500 for being the highest-placing entrant in the Toyota Bonus Bucks program, while North Carolina’s Hank Cherry earned $2,500 for being the second-highest placing entrant.

South Carolina pro Bryan New earned the $1,000 BassTrakk contingency for the closest estimate of his weight throughout the first two days of the event.

2022 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk 3/4-3/6
Lake Hartwell, Anderson SC.
(ANGLER) Standings Day 3

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

1. Jason Christie Park Hill, OK 15 54-00 0 $300,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-01 Day 2: 5 19-06 Day 3: 5 17-09
2. Kyle Welcher Opelika, AL 15 53-11 0 $50,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-13 Day 2: 5 17-10 Day 3: 5 17-04
3. Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 15 53-05 0 $47,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-05 Day 2: 5 15-07 Day 3: 5 20-09
4. Justin Hamner Northport, AL 15 49-07 0 $30,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-08 Day 2: 5 16-10 Day 3: 5 16-05
5. Chris Johnston Otonabee Ontario CANADA 15 49-04 0 $25,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-07 Day 2: 5 17-08 Day 3: 5 18-05
6. Luke Palmer Coalgate, OK 15 48-02 0 $22,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-00 Day 2: 5 17-06 Day 3: 5 15-12
7. Taku Ito Chiba JAPAN 15 47-14 0 $21,500.00
Day 1: 5 13-06 Day 2: 5 18-07 Day 3: 5 16-01
8. Taylor Smith Valleyford, WA 15 47-13 0 $21,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-13 Day 2: 5 16-09 Day 3: 5 17-07
9. Bryan New Saluda, SC 15 46-10 0 $21,500.00
Day 1: 5 20-00 Day 2: 5 13-07 Day 3: 5 13-03
10. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 15 46-04 0 $20,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-13 Day 2: 5 16-12 Day 3: 5 13-11
11. Lee Livesay Longview, TX 15 46-01 0 $15,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-14 Day 2: 5 16-08 Day 3: 5 12-11
12. Patrick Walters Summerville, SC 15 45-09 0 $15,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-02 Day 2: 5 13-10 Day 3: 5 13-13
13. Joey Nania Cropwell, AL 15 45-06 0 $15,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-10 Day 2: 5 14-15 Day 3: 5 13-13
14. Matt Arey Shelby, NC 15 45-03 0 $15,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-12 Day 2: 5 14-01 Day 3: 5 15-06
15. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 15 43-12 0 $15,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-09 Day 2: 5 11-09 Day 3: 5 13-10
16. Caleb Sumrall New Iberia, LA 15 43-06 0 $13,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-11 Day 2: 5 16-05 Day 3: 5 12-06
17. Hank Cherry Jr Lincolnton, NC 15 42-09 0 $13,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-00 Day 2: 5 19-09 Day 3: 5 11-00
18. Nick LeBrun Bossier City, LA 15 42-06 0 $13,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-12 Day 2: 5 15-11 Day 3: 5 12-15
19. Scott Martin Clewiston, FL 15 41-13 0 $13,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-09 Day 2: 5 15-04 Day 3: 5 11-00
20. Buddy Gross Chattanooga, TN 15 40-09 0 $13,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-07 Day 2: 5 15-07 Day 3: 5 10-11
21. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 15 39-13 0 $13,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-07 Day 2: 5 11-02 Day 3: 5 10-04
22. Brandon Card Salisbury, NC 15 39-08 0 $13,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-05 Day 2: 5 15-06 Day 3: 5 09-13
23. Wes Logan Springville, AL 15 38-14 0 $13,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-03 Day 2: 5 15-10 Day 3: 5 09-01
24. Gerald Swindle Guntersville, AL 14 38-08 0 $13,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-06 Day 2: 5 13-03 Day 3: 4 07-15
25. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 14 35-14 0 $13,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-09 Day 2: 5 11-08 Day 3: 4 05-13
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
BERKLEY BIG BASS
Brandon Cobb Greenwood, SC 06-12 $2,500.00
RAPALA MONSTER BAG
Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 20-09 $7,000.00

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 52 269 775-01
2 54 273 768-10
3 23 123 336-05

by AnglersChannel

Randy Howell Leads Final Eight to Championship Round at MLF Bass Pro Tour Favorite Fishing Stage Three on Lewis Smith Lake Presented by Mercury

Inclement Weather Prompts Tournament Officials to Start Championship Day One Hour Earlier, Final 10 Anglers Set for Championship Monday and Final-Day Shootout for $100,000

CULLMAN, Ala. (March 6, 2022) – Amid strong south winds and cloudy, overcast conditions that foreshadowed the impending weather change expected over the next 24 hours, pro Randy Howell of Guntersville, Alabama caught a total of 18 bass Sunday, weighing 41 pounds even, to win the Knockout Round and advance to the final day of competition at the Favorite Fishing Stage Three on Lewis Smith Lake Presented by Mercury in Cullman, Alabama.

After taking the lead early in the day, Howell held off several fierce competitors and rose to the top of a stacked field going into Monday’s Championship Round. Among the star-studded field of pros that will compete in the Championship Round are 2019 REDCREST Champion and 2019 Bally Bet Angler of the Year (AOY) Edwin Evers of Talala, Oklahoma and 2021 REDCREST Champion Dustin Connell of Clanton, Alabama, along with Bass Pro Tour multi-event champions pro Ott DeFoe of Blaine, Tennessee, 2020 Bally Bet AOY Jordan Lee of Cullman, Alabama and the 2021 Bally Bet AOY Jacob Wheeler of Harrison, Tennessee.

Late Sunday, MLF officials made the decision to start Monday’s Championship Round one hour earlier due to the possibility of incoming inclement weather.

“Our number one priority is the safety of our anglers, their families, our staff and fans,” said Aaron Beshears, Bass Pro Tour Tournament Director. “After discussing with the MLF team, including our pro anglers, the decision was made to start Championship Monday an hour earlier in an effort to get as much fishing in as possible, in the event of a potential lightning delay or the possibility of having to cut the tournament day short due to inclement weather.”

The final 10 anglers are now set, and competition will resume Monday morning with Lines In at 7 a.m. CT in the Championship Round, where weights are zeroed, and the angler that catches the most one-day weight will win the top prize of $100,000.

The six-day event, hosted by Cullman Parks, Recreation and Sports Tourism, Cullman County Parks and Rec and the Cullman Area Chamber of Commerce, showcases 80 of the top professional bass-fishing anglers in the world competing for a total purse of $805,000.

The top eight pros from Sunday’s Knockout Round that will compete in Monday’s Championship Round on Lewis Smith Lake are:

1^st:           Randy Howell, Guntersville, Ala., 18 bass, 41-0
2^nd:          Edwin Evers, Talala, Okla., 16 bass, 38-6
3^rd:          Wesley Strader, Spring City, Tenn., 17 bass, 34-15
4^th:           Jesse Wiggins, Addison, Ala., 15 bass, 34-8
5^th:           Dustin Connell, Clanton, Ala., 17 bass, 34-4
6^th:           Ott DeFoe, Blaine, Tenn., 16 bass, 34-0
7^th:           Jordan Lee, Cullman, Ala., 13 bass, 31-10
8^th:           Brent Ehrler, Redlands, Calif., 14 bass, 27-1

They’ll be joined by Qualifying Round winners:

Group A: Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn.
Group B: Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn.

Full results for the entire field can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

“Praise the Lord for a good day,” said Howell. “Man, it feels good, I just wish it was the last day. We got one more day to fight, but what a blessing this has been. I’ve caught a lot and haven’t lost any – I just need to beat nine more anglers tomorrow to win that big red trophy and that $100,000 prize.

“I am fired up and excited and this is exactly where we want to be at the end of tomorrow’s competition. The Lord has blessed me so much this season and everything has just been falling into place. It’s all about making good decisions and staying on course, working hard to figure it out and put the puzzle together. I didn’t even know what I was going to do until the first tournament day, and it all finally started coming together.”

The pieces certainly seem to be falling into place for the Alabama native, who has made it to two of the three Championship Rounds this season and broke the Bass Pro Tour record twice, two days in a row, for the largest bass ever weighed in Bass Pro Tour competition during Stage One of the 2022 season – with a bass weighing 10-11 and again with a bug-eyed largemouth weighing 12-14.

“The pattern I’ve been fishing is holding up, and I’m moving around a lot,” said Howell. “I caught eighteen keepers today and a bunch of little ones, so there are a lot of fish in the area.

“We’ve got rain and storms coming in tomorrow, so the fishing’s probably going to be really good,” continued Howell. “The conditions are already changing and the water’s falling fast, so I’ve got all the Daiwa rods rigged up and a variety of Livingston jerkbaits and crankbaits ready to go. I caught a bass today that spit out a big crawfish, so I’m definitely going to have a red Livingston Howllertied on tomorrow.”

Rounding out the top 40 finishers were:

11^th:        Shin Fukae, Thomson, Ga. and Osaka, Japan, 12 bass, 26-13, $10,000
12^th:        Kevin VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich., 10 bass, 23-4, $10,000
13^th:        Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla., 11 bass, 21-8, $10,000
14^th:        Clabion Johns, Social Circle, Ga., eight bass, 21-8, $10,000
15^th:        Andy Morgan, Dayton, Tenn., seven bass, 21-5, $10,000
16^th:        Fred Roumbanis, Russellville, Ark., 12 bass, 20-14, $10,000
17^th:        Adrian Avena, Vineland, N.J., 11 bass, 20-3, $10,000
18^th:        Anthony Gagliardi, Prosperity, S.C., 11 bass, 19-4, $10,000
19^th:        Justin Lucas, Guntersville, Ala., 10 bass, 19-1, $10,000
20^th:        John Murray, Spring City, Tenn., eight bass, 18-15, $10,000
21^st:        Gerald Spohrer, Gonzales, La., nine bass, 18-13, $10,000
22^nd:       Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., nine bass, 17-13, $10,000
23^rd:       Dylan Hays, Hot Springs, Ark., nine bass, 16-15, $10,000
24^th:        Marty Robinson, Lyman, S.C., eight bass, 16-15, $10,000
25^th:        Todd Faircloth, Jasper, Texas, seven bass, 15-7, $10,000
26^th:        Randall Tharp, Port St. Joe, Fla., six bass, 15-4, $10,000
27^th:        Josh Bertrand, Queen Creek, Ariz., seven bass, 14-12, $10,000
28^th:        Matt Lee, Cullman, Ala., seven bass, 14-4, $10,000
29^th:        Tommy Biffle, Wagoner, Okla., seven bass, 14-2, $10,000
30^th:        Mark Rose, Wynne, Ark., six bass, 13-7, $10,000
31^st:        Casey Ashley, Donalds, S.C., six bass, 12-8, $10,000
32^nd:       Alton Jones, Jr., Waco, Texas, seven bass, 12-1, $10,000
33^rd:       Jeremy Lawyer, Sarcoxie, Mo., six bass, 9-13, $10,000
34^th:        Luke Clausen, Spokane, Wash., four bass, 6-13, $10,000
35^th:        Andy Montgomery, Blacksburg, S.C., three bass, 6-3, $10,000
36^th:        Cole Floyd, Leesburg, Ohio, three bass, 5-12, $10,000
37^th:        Terry Scroggins, San Mateo, Fla., two bass, 4-3, $10,000
38^th:        Russ Lane, Prattville, Ala., two bass, 3-12, $10,000
39^th:        Fletcher Shryock, Guntersville, Ala., two bass, 3-7, $10,000
40^th:        Mark Daniels, Jr., Tuskegee, Ala., two bass, 3-2, $10,000

Overall, there were 338 scorable bass weighing 713 pounds, 13 ounces caught by the 38 pros Sunday.

Johns caught a 5-pound, 12-ounce largemouth on a bladed swim jig early in the first period that earned him Sunday’s $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award. Berkley awards $1,000 to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass each day, and a $3,000 bonus to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass of the tournament.

The 40 Anglers in Group A competed in their two-day qualifying round on Wednesday and Friday – the 40 anglers in Group B on Thursday and Saturday. After the two-day Qualifying Round, the anglers that finished in 2^nd through 20^thplace from both groups advanced to Sunday’s Knockout Round, while the winner of each group advanced directly to Monday’s Championship Round. In the Knockout Round, weights are zeroed, and the remaining 38 anglers competed to finish in the top 8 to advance to the Championship Round. Tomorrow, in the final day Championship Round, weights are zeroed, and the highest one-day total wins the top prize of $100,000.

Due to anticipated inclement weather throughout the day, the final 10 anglers competing in Monday’s Championship Round will launch at 6:30 a.m. from the Smith Lake State Park, located at 403 County Road 386 in Cullman, Alabama. The General Tire Takeout will be held at the park, beginning at 3:30 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend all launch and takeout events and also encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLF NOW!® live stream and SCORETRACKER® coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

The Favorite Fishing Stage Three on Lewis Smith Lake Presented by Mercury features anglers competing with a 1-pound, 8-ounce minimum weight requirement for a bass to be deemed scorable. Minimum weights are determined individually for each competition waters that the Bass Pro Tour visits, based on the productivity, bass population and anticipated average size of fish in each fishery.

The MLF NOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee, Marty Stone and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action on Championship Monday from 6:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. CT. MLF NOW!® will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app.

by AnglersChannel

Christie, Welcher Share Classic Lead Heading Into Championship Sunday On Lake Hartwell

Jason Christie of Park Hill, Okla., and Kyle Welcher of Opelika, Ala., are tied with 36 pounds, 7 ounces after Day 2 of the 2022 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk.

Photos by Chris Brown and Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.

March 5, 2022

GREENVILLE, S.C. — With one day remaining, the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk could not be much tighter, especially at the top of the standings.

Veteran Oklahoma pro Jason Christie and third-year Alabama pro Kyle Welcher moved into a tie for the lead during Saturday’s second round on Lake Hartwell, and only 7 pounds separate first place and 25th place as the anglers prepare for Championship Sunday.

Christie pushed his total to 36-7 by adding 19-6 on Saturday to the 17-1 he caught Friday. Welcher reached the mark by adding 17-10 to his Day 1 catch of 18-13.

After leading two previous Classics on the final day — only to fall just short of a victory — Christie joked that he was almost happy not having the lead to himself.

“That’s the best you can have if you feel like leading is bad luck,” he said, laughing. “All week, I’ve just felt like it’s my time. If it’s not, I don’t know when it is. I’m getting older and the fish are getting harder and these young guys are getting better.

“So, if this is not my time, I don’t know if it ever will be.”

The fishing, Christie said, was not as good as his 19-plus bag suggested. While he said he believes he’s on the right fish to win, the bites came few and far between.

“Right now, you feel like you could go out and get two bites more or two bites less and change your whole day,” he said. “Today, for me, if it had been two bites less, I would have weighed in somewhere between 13 or 14 pounds instead of 19.”

Utilizing Garmin LiveScope for offshore fishing, coupled with his vast knowledge of shallow-water tactics, Christie used two unnamed lures to catch bass from depths ranging from 6 inches to 30 feet. Unlike many of the anglers fishing this week’s event, he said he hasn’t been able to dial in a pattern around the lake’s massive number of boat docks.

“I don’t know if there are just not that many fish there or if I’m just not around them or what, but I just still haven’t gotten into the groove on the dock deal,” he said. “I keep trying. Today, I even fished new water — went to a creek I haven’t even been in — and didn’t catch anything.

“Tomorrow, I’ll just go run the stuff that’s been working and we’ll see.”

Christie will share the leader’s spot with Welcher — one of the up-and-coming young anglers he referenced.

A 29-year-old pro from Opelika, Ala., Welcher cut his teeth on Chattahoochee River fisheries like West Point Lake, Lake Harding and Lake Eufaula. He said Hartwell reminds him a lot of West Point with clear water, plenty of clay and sand, the same types of rocks and the same depths of water close to the bank.

“I’m doing exactly the same stuff here that I would be doing on West Point — it’s almost identical,” Welcher said. “Since I fish those kinds of areas a lot, I just kind of know where the largemouth get. There’s way more spotted bass in this lake than largemouth, and if you can find those places where the largemouth continuously get, your weight’s usually going to be a little higher.”

On Friday, Welcher weighed in four largemouth and one spot. His ratio was a little off Saturday — three spots and two largemouth — but his two largemouth weighed 5-12 and 4-12.

He’s hoping for five largemouth on Championship Sunday.

“Whatever bites, I want to catch,” he said. “But I would sure like to have another 17 pounds. I think it would give me a good chance. In a perfect world, I’ll weigh in five largemouth — five big ones.”

South Carolina pro Bryan New, who caught 20 pounds on Day 1 to take the early lead, slipped to third after catching only 13-7 Saturday. The bright sunshine from the opening round was replaced Saturday by heavy cloud cover for most of the day, and New believes that killed the dock pattern that was so good to him Friday.

“I knew it was gonna be a little tougher because of the clouds,” New said. “But I didn’t expect it to be as tough. It was literally nonexistent.”

In scramble mode, New picked up a spinning rod and used several baits — including a Zoom Zlinky — to catch just enough weight to stay in the hunt.

“The Zlinky saved me today,” he said. “I caught a 4-4 with 30 minutes to go and a 2-8 that culled a 1-14 on my very last cast. I ran in and had about a minute to go.

“The sun came out at the end of the day today, so that should already help the docks some. If it stays out, I think it could go right back like it was Friday.”

New is holding the lead for Rapala’s Monster Bag prize, which will pay $7,000 to the angler with the heaviest single-day bag during the Classic.

South Carolina pro Brandon Cobb, who was one of the favorites coming into the event, missed the Championship Sunday cut in 34th place. But he took the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the week with a 6-12 largemouth that now ranks as the biggest bass caught in any of the four Classics held on Hartwell.

The tournament concludes Sunday with the Top 25 anglers taking off at 7 a.m. ET from Green Pond Landing and Event Center. They will be competing for a $300,000 first-place prize, a portion of the $1 million total purse and the most coveted trophy in pro fishing.

Fans can catch all of the action with streaming coverage on Bassmaster.com. The Classic will also feature four hours of live Championship Sunday coverage on FS1 beginning at 8 a.m.

Sunday will mark the final day of the annual Bassmaster Classic Outdoors Expo presented by Marathon at the Greenville Convention Center. Exhibitors will be on-site from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. selling a variety of merchandise for fishing, hunting, camping and more.

The Bassmaster Classic is being hosted by Visit Anderson and VisitGreenvilleSC.

2022 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk 3/4-3/6
Lake Hartwell, Anderson SC.
(ANGLER) Standings Day 2

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

1. Jason Christie Park Hill, OK 10 36-07 0
Day 1: 5 17-01 Day 2: 5 19-06
1. Kyle Welcher Opelika, AL 10 36-07 0
Day 1: 5 18-13 Day 2: 5 17-10
3. Bryan New Saluda, SC 10 33-07 0
Day 1: 5 20-00 Day 2: 5 13-07
4. Lee Livesay Longview, TX 10 33-06 0
Day 1: 5 16-14 Day 2: 5 16-08
5. Justin Hamner Northport, AL 10 33-02 0
Day 1: 5 16-08 Day 2: 5 16-10
6. Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 10 32-12 0
Day 1: 5 17-05 Day 2: 5 15-07
7. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 10 32-09 0
Day 1: 5 15-13 Day 2: 5 16-12
8. Luke Palmer Coalgate, OK 10 32-06 0
Day 1: 5 15-00 Day 2: 5 17-06
9. Taku Ito Chiba JAPAN 10 31-13 0
Day 1: 5 13-06 Day 2: 5 18-07
10. Patrick Walters Summerville, SC 10 31-12 0
Day 1: 5 18-02 Day 2: 5 13-10
11. Hank Cherry Jr Lincolnton, NC 10 31-09 0
Day 1: 5 12-00 Day 2: 5 19-09
12. Joey Nania Cropwell, AL 10 31-09 0
Day 1: 5 16-10 Day 2: 5 14-15
13. Caleb Sumrall New Iberia, LA 10 31-00 0
Day 1: 5 14-11 Day 2: 5 16-05
14. Chris Johnston Otonabee Ontario CANADA 10 30-15 0
Day 1: 5 13-07 Day 2: 5 17-08
15. Scott Martin Clewiston, FL 10 30-13 0
Day 1: 5 15-09 Day 2: 5 15-04
16. Gerald Swindle Guntersville, AL 10 30-09 0
Day 1: 5 17-06 Day 2: 5 13-03
17. Taylor Smith Valleyford, WA 10 30-06 0
Day 1: 5 13-13 Day 2: 5 16-09
18. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 10 30-02 0
Day 1: 5 18-09 Day 2: 5 11-09
19. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 10 30-01 0
Day 1: 5 18-09 Day 2: 5 11-08
20. Buddy Gross Chattanooga, TN 10 29-14 0
Day 1: 5 14-07 Day 2: 5 15-07
21. Matt Arey Shelby, NC 10 29-13 0
Day 1: 5 15-12 Day 2: 5 14-01
22. Wes Logan Springville, AL 10 29-13 0
Day 1: 5 14-03 Day 2: 5 15-10
23. Brandon Card Salisbury, NC 10 29-11 0
Day 1: 5 14-05 Day 2: 5 15-06
24. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 10 29-09 0
Day 1: 5 18-07 Day 2: 5 11-02
25. Nick LeBrun Bossier City, LA 10 29-07 0
Day 1: 5 13-12 Day 2: 5 15-11
26. Marc Frazier Newnan, GA 10 29-06 0 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-01 Day 2: 5 12-05
27. Cory Johnston Cavan CANADA 10 29-06 0 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-06 Day 2: 5 14-00
28. Bryan Schmitt Deale, MD 10 29-05 0 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-02 Day 2: 5 16-03
29. Hunter Shryock Ooltewah, TN 10 29-02 0 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-03 Day 2: 5 12-15
30. Chris Zaldain Fort Worth, TX 10 29-00 0 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-13 Day 2: 5 12-03
31. Daisuke Aoki Minamitsurugun Yamanash 10 28-12 0 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-01 Day 2: 5 13-11
32. Matt Herren Ashville, AL 9 28-11 0 $10,000.00
Day 1: 4 09-00 Day 2: 5 19-11
33. Tyler Rivet Raceland, LA 10 28-10 0 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 09-08 Day 2: 5 19-02
34. Brandon Cobb Greenwood, SC 10 28-04 0 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 10-14 Day 2: 5 17-06
35. Tristan McCormick Burns, TN 10 27-14 0 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-01 Day 2: 5 13-13
36. Jacob Powroznik North Prince George, VA 10 27-10 0 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 11-04 Day 2: 5 16-06
37. Joshua Stracner Vandiver, AL 10 27-05 0 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 11-00 Day 2: 5 16-05
38. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 10 27-03 0 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-15 Day 2: 5 13-04
39. Chad Pipkens Dewitt, MI 10 26-00 0 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-15 Day 2: 5 12-01
40. Austin Felix Eden Prairie, MN 10 25-15 0 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-01 Day 2: 5 09-14
41. Jeff Gustafson Keewatin Ontario CANADA 10 25-12 0 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-12 Day 2: 5 13-00
42. Jared Miller Norman, OK 8 25-05 0 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-11 Day 2: 3 08-10
43. Drew Benton Blakely, GA 10 25-04 0 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 11-12 Day 2: 5 13-08
44. John Cox Debary, FL 10 25-02 0 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-09 Day 2: 5 08-09
45. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 10 23-09 0 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 11-12 Day 2: 5 11-13
46. Matt Robertson Kuttawa, KY 10 23-06 0 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-07 Day 2: 5 09-15
47. Seth Feider New Market, MN 10 23-02 0 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 11-11 Day 2: 5 11-07
48. KJ Queen Catawba, NC 10 22-13 0 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 09-06 Day 2: 5 13-07
49. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 10 22-09 0 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-01 Day 2: 5 10-08
50. Shane LeHew Catawba, NC 10 22-07 0 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 11-01 Day 2: 5 11-06
51. Drew Cook Cairo, GA 10 22-04 0 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 10-14 Day 2: 5 11-06
52. Ray Hanselman Jr Del Rio, TX 8 20-00 0 $10,000.00
Day 1: 3 07-07 Day 2: 5 12-09
53. Shane Powell Dothan, AL 10 19-07 0 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-14 Day 2: 5 06-09
54. Matty Wong Honolulu, HI 10 19-07 0 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 08-14 Day 2: 5 10-09
55. Keith Tuma Brainerd, MN 7 11-09 0 $10,000.00
Day 1: 2 04-04 Day 2: 5 07-05

by AnglersChannel

Stalvey And Deel Leverage Surface Activity For Bassmaster High School Classic Win

2022 High School Exhibition Winners.jpg
Parker Stalvey and Jacob Deel of Clay High School have won the 2022 Abu Garcia Bassmaster High School Classic presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors with 16 pounds, 4 ounces.
Photo by Chris Mitchell /B.A.S.S.

March 5, 2022

GREENVILLE, S.C. — Parker Stalvey and Jacob Deel of Clay High School in Florida capitalized on an early discovery to sack up a five-bass limit of 16 pounds, 4 ounces and win the Abu Garcia Bassmaster High School Classic presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors on Lake Keowee.

As Deel explained, the deep reservoir presented a stark contrast to the shallow stained water he and Stalvey are used to fishing.

“It’s a lot different here — it’s clear water,” he said. “We were going down the river and found schooling fish so we stopped in 100 feet of water. We picked up an Alabama rig and it was almost every other cast. We had a lot of fun.”

Deel said the average depth where they caught bass was about 52 feet. Their Alabama rigs carried 3/16-ounce swimbait heads on the rig’s perimeter and a 1/4-ounce head in the center “target” position. All of the heads held white 3.3 Keitech Swing Impact Fat swimbaits.

“We kind of figured out from the get-go that if we just burned the rig nothing happened,” Deel said. “So, we said, ‘Alright, let’s do the complete opposite. We reeled it as slow as day and started getting more bites on it.

“Sometimes we would kind of rip it off the bottom. We’d reel it up to a certain point in the water column and just kept it there. You had to find that point in the water column every few casts. Once we found where the fish were suspended, we’d get to catching them.”

Stalvey said the Alabama rig contributed four of the winning bass. The fifth bit a topwater bait.

“Our first fish ate a big chrome-colored Heddon Zara Spook — the biggest one they make,” Stalvey said. “As soon as we shut down this morning, they started schooling. I grabbed the Spook and, literally, my first cast was the biggest fish we had — it was a spot about 3 to 3 1/2 pounds.”

The winning anglers ended up catching all of their fish out of schooling activity. They boated a quick limit in the first hour and hopped around to various spots where they had seen schoolers in practice.

Noting that he and Deel completed their winning weight by about 1:30 p.m., Stalvey said a stealthy approach seemed to keep the fish in a more cooperative mood.

“When we shut down the back graphs, we started getting a lot more bites,” he said. “I guess they can pick up the frequency on that graph.

“Also, making long casts helped — as long as you could throw. They wanted a very active retrieve.”

2022 Abu Garcia Bassmaster High School Classic presented by Academy 3/5-3/5
Lake Keowee, Greenville/Anderson SC.
(BOATER) Standings Day 1

Angler Club/School Pts

1. Parker Stalvey - Jacob Deel Clay High School 0
Day 1: 5 16-04 Total: 5 16-04
2. Brayden Ruckman - Nate Helmreich Freeland High School 0
Day 1: 5 13-14 Total: 5 13-14
3. Nathan Reynolds - Jimmy Oguin Backwoods Bassin 0
Day 1: 5 12-06 Total: 5 12-06
4. Caleb Bridges - Brady Duncan Bryan College 0
Day 1: 5 08-12 Total: 5 08-12
5. Caleb Reynolds - Lex Thompson Bainbridge High School 0
Day 1: 5 07-07 Total: 5 07-07
6. Ari Clark - Bo Hollen Mon Valley Bassmaster's 0
Day 1: 5 07-00 Total: 5 07-00
7. Brody Hopper - Landon Franks Cullman High School 0
Day 1: 5 06-06 Total: 5 06-06
8. Jacob Lycans - William Copley Louisa Bass Club High School Fis 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
8. Fletcher Phillips - Will Phillips Gardendale High School 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
8. Brady Pinwar - Alec Albrecht Midland High School 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 7 35 72-01

by AnglersChannel

Neal Runs Away with Group B Qualifying Round Win at MLF Bass Pro Tour Favorite Fishing Stage Three on Lewis Smith Lake Presented by Mercury

Tennessee Pro Holds off Alabama’s Fletcher Shryock by 21 Pounds, 1 Ounce to Advance Straight to Monday’s Championship Round, Field of 38 Anglers Set for Sunday’s Knockout Round

CULLMAN, Ala. (March 5, 2022) – After taking over the lead early in the day, and holding off several hard-charging pros in the third period, pro Michael Neal of Dayton, Tennessee held his ground to finish first Saturday, catching 21 bass weighing 44 pounds even, to cruise to a Group B Qualifying Round win at the Favorite Fishing Stage Three on Lewis Smith Lake Presented by Mercury in Cullman, Alabama. Neal’s two-day total of 35 bass weighing 69 pounds, 12 ounces advances him directly to Monday’s Championship Round as the competition continues for the top award of $100,000.

This will mark Neal’s 11^th Championship Round appearance on the Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Tour and the second time the Tennessee pro has won the automatic berth straight to the final round – the first of which carried him to the win at the 2021 Bass Pro Tour Stage Seven on Lake St. Clair.

“It’s definitely good to make it into the Championship Round,” said Neal. “If I can have another day like I had today, I have a shot to win. We’ll have very different weather on the final day, so I’m not sure how the bass in this area will like that, but I’m ready to find out.”

Neal spent the day out in open water – over 100-feet deep – using forward-facing sonar to target suspended fish that were chasing bait.

“It was a grind in that second period again, so I don’t know if I’m going to have to leave this area during the second period and then come back in the third or try something different,” said Neal. “It’s not really late enough in the day to be able to get on an evening bite, but there are tons of fish here – all pretty decent-sized – and I’m looking forward to coming back out here on Monday.

“There are still a lot of fish in this area to catch, and while it would be nice to be out here tomorrow and continue practicing and figuring things out, I can’t win if I don’t make it to Championship Day. I have to take the automatic berth, skip the Knockout Round and go straight to the final day.”

Favorite Fishing pro Fletcher Shryock of Guntersville, Alabama caught a two-day total of 24 bass weighing 48-11 to finish the round in second place, while Berkley pro Jordan Lee of Cullman, Alabama ended the round in third place with a two-day total of 24 bass weighing 48 pounds even. Jasper, Texas pro Todd Faircloth caught 23 bass weighing 46-7 to land in fourth, while pro Gerald Spohrer of Gonzales, Louisiana advanced to the Knockout Round in fifth place with a two-day total of 21 bass weighing 44-5.

General Tire pro Ott DeFoe of Blaine, Tennessee sat without a scorable bass after the first two periods before going on a flurry in period three to catch 10 bass for 22 pounds, 10 ounces and slide into the Knockout Round in 18^th place.

After hovering around the Toro Cut Line throughout most of the day, local pro Jesse Wiggins of Addison, Alabama made a clutch catch with eight minutes remaining in the final period, boating a 3-pound, 3-ounce spotted bass to jump over the cut line and end the day in 20^th place.

“We got in by the skin of our teeth, on my home lake,” said Wiggins. “I hate that it was that close, but I caught some big ones today, and several that were close to 3 pounds. I caught tons of fish in one area – none that were above the 1 pound, 8-ounce mark to be scorable – but we made it. I caught most of my fish on a 7-foot 6-inch Medium St. Croix Legend Xtreme Spinning Rod, with a 2.8-inch Jackall Rhythm Wave Swimbait and a Keitech Swimbait.

“It was tough, I mean that was a freaking grind. But just knowing this one little stretch to end on saved me and thank the good Lord it did. We’re tied for first place now,” Wiggins laughed.

The remaining 38 anglers – 19 from each group – now advance to Sunday’s Knockout Round, where weights are zeroed, and the anglers compete to finish in the top eight to advance to the Championship Round on Monday. The Championship Round will feature Group A winner Jacob Wheeler, Group B winner Michael Neal, and the top eight finishers from the Knockout Round, competing in a final-day shootout for the top prize of $100,000.

The top 20 pros in Qualifying Group B that now advance to Sunday’s Knockout Round on Lewis Smith Lake are:

1^st:           Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., 35 bass, 69-12 – ADVANCES TO CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND
2^nd:          Fletcher Shryock, Guntersville, Ala., 24 bass, 48-11
3^rd:          Jordan Lee, Cullman, Ala., 24 bass, 48-0
4^th:           Todd Faircloth, Jasper, Texas, 23 bass, 46-7
5^th:           Gerald Spohrer, Gonzales, La., 21 bass, 44-5
6^th:           Tommy Biffle, Wagoner, Okla., 19 bass, 42-0
7^th:           Alton Jones, Jr., Waco, Texas, 18 bass, 40-7
8^th:           Marty Robinson, Lyman, S.C., 20 bass, 38-14
9^th:           Clabion Johns, Social Circle, Ga., 18 bass, 38-8
10^th:        Fred Roumbanis, Russellville, Ark., 21 bass, 38-5
11^th:        Cole Floyd, Leesburg, Ohio, 17 bass, 37-6
12^th:        Brent Ehrler, Redlands, Calif., 19 bass, 37-2
13^th:        Matt Lee, Cullman, Ala., 19 bass, 36-13
14^th:        Dustin Connell, Clanton, Ala., 17 bass, 36-12
15^th:        Dylan Hays, Hot Springs, Ark., 17 bass, 35-3
16^th:        Shin Fukae, Thomson, Ga. and Osaka, Japan, 19 bass, 35-1
17^th:        Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., 16 bass, 33-14
18^th:        Ott DeFoe, Blaine, Tenn., 15 bass, 31-11
19^th;        Anthony Gagliardi, Prosperity, S.C., 17 bass, 30-11
20^th:        Jesse Wiggins, Addison, Ala., 14 bass, 30-6

A complete list of results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Overall, there were 295 scorable bass weighing 583 pounds, 14 ounces caught by the 39 pros Saturday.

Bass Pro Shops pro David Walker of Sevierville, Tennessee caught a 4-pound, 12-ounce largemouth on a jig in the third period that earned him Saturday’s $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award. Berkley awards $1,000 to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass each day, and a $3,000 bonus to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass of the tournament.

The 40 Anglers in Group A competed in their two-day qualifying round on Wednesday and Friday – the 40 anglers in Group B on Thursday and Saturday. Now that the Qualifying Round is complete, the anglers that finish in 2nd through 20th place from both groups advance to Sunday’s Knockout Round, while the winner of each group advances directly to Monday’s Championship Round. In the Knockout Round, weights are zeroed, and the remaining 38 anglers compete to finish in the top 8 to advance to the Championship Round. In the final day Championship Round, weights are zeroed, and the highest one-day total wins the top prize of $100,000.

The 38 anglers competing in Sunday’s Knockout Round will launch at 7:30 a.m. from the Smith Lake State Park, located at 403 County Road 386 in Cullman, Alabama. The General Tire Takeout will be held at the park, beginning at 4:30 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend all launch and takeout events and also encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLF NOW!® live stream and SCORETRACKER® coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

The MLF NOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee, Marty Stone and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action on all six days of competition from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CT. MLF NOW!® will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app.

by AnglersChannel

Wheeler Cruises to Group A Qualifying Round Win at MLF Bass Pro Tour Favorite Fishing Stage Three on Lewis Smith Lake Presented by Mercury

Academy Sports + Outdoors Pro Hammers Out Two-Day Total of 41 Bass Weighing 80 Pounds, 13 Ounces – 19 Anglers Advance to Sunday’s Knockout Round

CULLMAN, Ala. (March 4, 2022) – Academy Sports + Outdoors pro Jacob Wheeler of Harrison, Tennessee caught 11 scorable bass weighing 23 pounds, 12 ounces to earn the win Friday and advance directly to his seventh straight Championship Round at the Favorite Fishing Stage Three on Lewis Smith Lake Presented by Mercury in Cullman, Alabama. This will mark the fourth time Wheeler has earned an automatic berth to the Championship Round on the Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Tour.

Wheeler’s two-day Qualifying Round total of 41 bass weighing 80 pounds, 13 ounces earned him the Group A Day 2 win by a broad 24-pound, 11-ounce margin over second-place angler Favorite Fishing pro Zack Birge of Blanchard, Oklahoma, who caught a two-day total of 29 bass totaling 56-2. Pro Randy Howell of Guntersville, Alabama, ended the day in third place with a two-day total of 22 bass weighing 52-12, while pro Casey Ashley of Donalds, South Carolina , slipped down two spots to finish the round in fourth place with a two-day total of 22 bass weighing 51-4. Pro Andy Morgan of Dayton, Tennessee, rounded out the top five with a two-day total of 25 bass weighing 50 pounds, 10 ounces.

Wheeler again spent the day out in open water over extremely deep timber catching spotted bass.

“Suspended fish can be one of the toughest to catch,” said Wheeler. “I targeted a lot of suspended fish today with the Rapala Jigging Rap and a (Storm) Largo Shad. I had a solid lead going into today, so I was just trying to figure out if there was a pattern to it. I figured out some areas and things that helped me dial in and find the bass a little quicker. Overall, it seems to be less of a pattern and more of a zone that I need to target on Monday.”

Wheeler is sitting in a great spot once again, with two days off and the entire weekend to rest and put his game plan together for the Championship Round.

“It’s been a good week so far,” said Wheeler. “We finished on top, and it feels great to advance straight to the Championship Round.

“I know a lot is going to change between now and then, so I’ll probably rig up a mixture of rods and be ready to try a variety of techniques when we get back out here on Monday. Obviously, the docks will definitely play more down the lake, but with the conditions we are expecting, I’ll just have to pay attention to what the weather is doing.

“We’ll sort of hodge-podge it up,” continued Wheeler. “I guarantee you it’s going to be a hodge-podge kind of day on Championship Monday.”

There was also additional excitement around the Toro Cut Line today during the final period, with pro John Murray of Spring City, Tennessee, beginning the third period in 32^nd place before catching a flurry of 14 bass weighing 20-12 to catapult into 10^thplace.

Bass Pro Shops pro Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Michigan, finished the day in 19^th place, throwing Strike King crankbaits.

“Man, what a struggle today,” said VanDam. “I went the whole first period and didn’t catch a scorable bass, despite running some really good stuff. I’m just thrilled to be moving on to the Knockout Round and to have a chance to continue fishing this event.

“Obviously, some of the other guys have really got something figured out, but on this lake, anything can happen at any point. I’ve had some pretty good flurries and have seen what’s possible here, so that’s what we’re going to be shooting for in the Knockout Round.”

Bass Pro Tour newcomer Jeremy Lawyer of Sarcoxie, Missouri was sweating it out during his first time on the Toro Cut Line, before finishing the day in 20^th place.

“I’m the last guy in, and it was a grind today – that third period just chewed me up,” said Lawyer. “I had a game plan of sticking with the docks and finesse-fishing around the docks with a couple of little swimbaits on a Freedom Lures Swimbait Head, and almost got caught. But that’s the best thing about the Bass Pro Tour – when we start on the water again on Sunday, we’re all even. Doesn’t matter if you’re first or twentieth. I’m just thankful to be out here and to go see what we can do in the Knockout Round.”

The top 20 anglers from Group A will now enjoy an off day, while the 40 anglers in Qualifying Group B will complete their two-day Qualifying Round of competition on Saturday. The Knockout Round, featuring 38 anglers competing to finish in the top eight, will take place Sunday. Monday’s Championship Round will feature Wheeler, Saturday’s Group B winner, and the top eight anglers from the Knockout Round competing in a final-day shootout for the top prize of $100,000.

The top 20 pros in Qualifying Group A that now advance to Sunday’s Knockout Round on Lewis Smith Lake are:

1^st:           Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn., 41 bass, 80-13 – ADVANCES TO CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND
2^nd:          Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla., 29 bass, 56-2
3^rd:          Randy Howell, Guntersville, Ala., 22 bass, 52-12
4^th”:         Casey Ashley, Donalds, S.C., 22 bass, 51-4
5^th:           Andy Morgan, Dayton, Tenn., 25 bass, 50-10
6^th:           Justin Lucas, Guntersville, Ala., 20 bass, 46-8
7^th:           Wesley Strader, Spring City, Tenn., 19 bass, 42-10
8^th:           Josh Bertrand, Queen Creek, Ariz., 19 bass, 42-1
9^th:           Edwin Evers, Talala, Okla., 21 bass, 40-11
10^th:        John Murray, Spring City, Tenn., 20 bass, 40-6
11^th:        Andy Montgomery, Blacksburg, S.C., 19 bass, 39-3
12^th:        Mark Daniels, Jr., Tuskegee, Ala., 17 bass, 38-4
13^th:        Adrian Avena, Vineland, N.J., 19 bass, 37-5
14^th:        Terry Scroggins, San Mateo, Fla., 19 bass, 35-9
15^th:        Mark Rose, Wynne, Ark., 17 bass, 35-0
16^th:        Russ Lane, Prattville, Ala., 15 bass, 31-1
17^th:        Luke Clausen, Spokane, Wash., 14 bass, 29-11
18^th:        Randall Tharp, Port St. Joe, Fla., 12 bass, 29-3
19^th:        Kevin VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich., 14 bass, 28-10
20^th:        Jeremy Lawyer, Sarcoxie, Mo., 14 bass, 27-6

A complete list of results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.Overall, there were 300 scorable bass weighing 616 pounds, 12 ounces caught by the 40 pros Friday.

Tharp caught a 6-pound, 7-ounce largemouth on a jig in the third period that catapulted him up into the top 20 and earned him the third $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award of the event. Berkley awards $1,000 to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass each day, and a $3,000 bonus to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass of the tournament.

The 40 Anglers in Group A competed in their two-day qualifying round on Wednesday and Friday – the 40 anglers in Group B on Thursday and Saturday. After each two-day qualifying round is complete, the anglers that finish in 2nd through 20th place from both groups advance to Sunday’s Knockout Round, while the winner of each group advances directly to Monday’s Championship Round. In the Knockout Round, weights are zeroed, and the remaining 38 anglers compete to finish in the top 8 to advance to the Championship Round. In the final day Championship Round, weights are zeroed, and the highest one-day total wins the top prize of $100,000.

Anglers will launch each day at 7:30 a.m. from the Smith Lake State Park, located at 403 County Road 386 in Cullman, Alabama. Each day’s General Tire Takeout will be held at the park, beginning at 4:30 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend all launch and takeout events and also encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLF NOW!® live stream and SCORETRACKER® coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

by AnglersChannel

T-H Marine Announces Acquisition of YakGear, Inc

Acquisition expands aftermarket position in burgeoning paddle sports vertical and further bolsters the Parts & Accessories business of T-H Marine Supplies and OneWater

HOUSTON, TX – March 4, 2022 – T-H Marine Supplies, LLC., a division of OneWater Marine (NASDAQ: ONEW), is announcing that it has acquired YakGear, Inc. (“YakGear”) of Houston, Texas, an industry-leading supplier of kayak equipment, paddle sports accessories, and boat mounting accessories. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Marking T-H Marine's second acquisition of 2022 and its 16th add-on acquisition overall, YakGear will function as a standalone division of T-H Marine that will continue to operate at its current facility in Houston, Texas.

“Since 2006, YakGear Founder and President Bill Bragman and his team have done a remarkable job providing accessories to kayak, canoe, and stand up paddle board enthusiasts, earning YakGear’s reputation as a household name among their audience,” said Jeff Huntley Sr., Chief Executive Officer for T-H Marine. “We're thrilled to add the YakGear team, including Jerron Wosel, YakGear’s Director of Procurement and now President of the YakGear division, and their expansive portfolio of paddle sport products."

Along with its extensive line of marine accessories, YakGear has exclusive distribution agreements to provide Railblaza® products in the United States and agreements for other countries abroad. While RAILBLAZA USA will operate as a separate entity to maintain its Amazon presence and some private label sales, T-H Marine's YakGear division will retain sales of RAILBLAZA products to most customers, including direct online sales, OEM boat or kayak builders, big box retailers, distributors, online retailers, and specialty stores. These products will now be extended to T-H Marine's extensive customer list, including OEMs and aftermarket channels, with the YakGear team putting their experience to work in the process.

"For 16 years I've woken up each morning with the singular purpose of making YakGear a major force in the Paddle Sport Industry, so it's an honor to take what we've done and pursue even more opportunity with T-H Marine," stated Bill Bragman, founder and President of YakGear, Inc. “It was particularly important for me to find the right synergy because YakGear and all its employees are a family. We know T-H Marine will be a mutual extension of that, where they'll continue our tradition of providing great products and great customer service to the Paddle Sport and Marine Industries just like they have done as a family-run business over the last 45 years."

Built upon a multi-channel presence that caters to an exploding boater demographic, YakGear has taken a modernized approach to aftermarket sales. This mirrors T-H Marine's escalation of access to the consumer-facing side of its brands since launching their first ecommerce website nearly 10 years ago. For T-H Marine and the OneWater alike, YakGear also complements opportunities for exposure to more audiences and new footholds with paddle sports retailers and consumers.

“The OneWater family looks forward to welcoming the YakGear team as we continue to diversify our suite of aftermarket marine products," said Austin Singleton, Chief Executive Officer for OneWater. "YakGear is T-H Marine’s second acquisition of 2022, underscoring the ability of T-H Marine’s acquisition engine to add horsepower to OneWater’s business model, aftermarket diversification, and growth strategy. Between T-H Marine’s leading omni-channel presence in the marine industry and YakGear’s position in the world of kayaking and paddle sports, we believe the combined forces are poised for further success."

“It’s a win-win with each company we bring into the fold, putting our resources behind their great products and providing business owners what they need to take some chips off the table, retire, or move on to other opportunities,” Huntley added. “With a successful blueprint of previous acquisitions, we create an avenue for business owners to find reassurance and trust in going through this process, while ensuring that their legacies are a top priority as they join T-H Marine. Together, we can continue to grow in value to all our customers, pair our offerings with a strategy of new product innovation and meet demand opportunities as the industry-leading manufacturer of quality marine products and accessories.”

by AnglersChannel

With Both Arms Working, New Takes Day 1 Lead At Bassmaster Classic On Lake Hartwell

Bryan New of Saluda, S.C., is leading after Day 1 of the 2022 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk with 20 pounds.

Photo by Chris Brown/B.A.S.S.

March 4, 2022

GREENVILLE, S.C. — As it turns out, competing in professional bass fishing’s biggest event is quite a bit easier with two good arms.

After struggling through last year’s world championship with a broken right wrist, a healthy Bryan New weighed in five bass Friday for 20 pounds to take the first-round lead in the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk on Lake Hartwell.

New, who has extensive tournament history on Hartwell, narrowly outpaced Alabama pro Kyle Welcher (18-13), Louisiana veteran Greg Hackney (18-9) and Alabamian Steve Kennedy (18-9) on a day when 18 anglers brought at least 16 pounds to the scales.

“Honestly, I feel like this is my first Classic,” said New, who suffered the broken wrist during practice for last year’s Classic on Lake Ray Roberts in Texas. “I’m not saying I would have won last year if I had two hands. But I’m a natural right-hander, so trying to learn how to reel left-handed at the Classic wasn’t a good situation.”

New targeted boat docks Friday to catch five bass that were all in the 3 1/2- to 5-pound range. He was tight-lipped about his baits and presentations, saying only that he’s using a combination of “slow-moving baits and fast-moving reaction baits.”

But he said all the bass he weighed came off boat docks — and since that’s easily his favorite structure to fish, he plans to stick with them as long as he can.

“I think there’s a really good chance this tournament could be won fishing boat docks,” said New, who holds career victories on the St. Croix Bassmaster Opens presented by Mossy Oak Fishing circuit and the Bassmaster Elite Series. “I probably fished a hundred docks today and really caught them off six or seven.

“Those docks may replenish or they may not, but there are plenty of docks on this lake. It’s not like you’re gonna run out.”

While he plans to start right back on his dock pattern Saturday, New knows there could be a time when he has to catch a fish around some other type of structure before the tournament is done.

“At some point in the tournament, I’ll have to mix in some other stuff,” he said. “Maybe not tomorrow, but then again maybe tomorrow.

“It’s not something I want to do. I caught my very first bass around a boat dock — and as of right now, the very last one.”

Welcher was even more tight-lipped about how he caught his bass, saying only that he expected more fish to be moving shallow with the weather as warm as it’s been.

Putting almost 19 pounds in the livewell Friday reminded him of one solid day he had during practice. But he said he also had days when he only got a handful of bites and it was hard to catch even a 3-pounder.

“The bass can literally be anywhere here,” Welcher said. “The difference between catching a 1 1/4-pounder or catching a 4-pounder can be just a few casts. It’s a really fine line between bringing in 12 pounds and bringing in 20.

“I’m just gonna try to get as many bites as I can and hope they weigh a lot.”

Like New, Kennedy spent time targeting docks and managed to land the Berkley Big Bass of the day — a 6-7 largemouth — around one after whiffing on the fish the first time it bit. He wouldn’t say which bait the big bass missed. But after resisting the urge to cast back to it, he came back almost an hour later and landed the fish on a wacky-rigged Senko.

“I saw the fish come up and inhale the bait the first time it bit, and I didn’t even nick it,” Kennedy said. “It’s just hard when you see it all happen in front of you. I didn’t hammer it to death with that same bait. I just circled back around to it later and caught it on that Senko.”

Kennedy said he saw bass all day on his electronics, but getting them to bite in superclear water was tough. While he caught 15 bass, he said he could have caught a lot more.

“I felt like it was just a terrible day of execution,” Kennedy said. “I lost a 5-pounder that I had hooked up. I missed that 6-7 the first time it bit.

“I just always say if I catch the bites I get, I’ll be in the hunt. I didn’t do it completely today.”

Hackney said he spent his day “junk fishing,” meaning he did a little bit of everything — largely because he couldn’t dial in a single pattern that produced all day. His bag included a 5-pound largemouth and a 4-pound spotted bass.

“It was hard for me to get bites,” Hackney said. “I chose the area I’m fishing because I can fish for one species and turn around [and] fish for the other.

“The spots have gotten bigger on this lake — and a 4-pounder is a 4-pounder.”

The tournament resumes Saturday with takeoff at 7 a.m. ET from Green Pond Landing and Event Center. After Saturday’s weigh-in, only the Top 25 anglers will advance to Championship Sunday with a $300,000 first-place prize and the most coveted trophy in the sport on the line.

Fans can catch all of the action with streaming coverage on Bassmaster.com. The Classic will also feature four hours of live coverage on the FOX broadcast network Saturday beginning at 8 a.m. ET, as well as four hours of Championship Sunday coverage on FS1 beginning at 8 a.m.

The annual Bassmaster Classic Outdoors Expo presented by Marathon will be held at the Greenville Convention Center with exhibitors on-site selling a variety of merchandise for fishing, hunting, camping and more. Hours for the Expo will be 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday.

2022 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk 3/4-3/6
Lake Hartwell, Anderson SC.
(ANGLER) Standings Day 1

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

1. Bryan New Saluda, SC 5 20-00 0
Day 1: 5 20-00
2. Kyle Welcher Opelika, AL 5 18-13 0
Day 1: 5 18-13
3. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 5 18-09 0
Day 1: 5 18-09
3. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 5 18-09 0
Day 1: 5 18-09
5. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 5 18-07 0
Day 1: 5 18-07
6. Patrick Walters Summerville, SC 5 18-02 0
Day 1: 5 18-02
7. Gerald Swindle Guntersville, AL 5 17-06 0
Day 1: 5 17-06
8. Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 5 17-05 0
Day 1: 5 17-05
9. Jason Christie Park Hill, OK 5 17-01 0
Day 1: 5 17-01
9. Marc Frazier Newnan, GA 5 17-01 0
Day 1: 5 17-01
11. Lee Livesay Longview, TX 5 16-14 0
Day 1: 5 16-14
12. Chris Zaldain Fort Worth, TX 5 16-13 0
Day 1: 5 16-13
13. Jared Miller Norman, OK 5 16-11 0
Day 1: 5 16-11
14. Joey Nania Cropwell, AL 5 16-10 0
Day 1: 5 16-10
15. John Cox DeBary, FL 5 16-09 0
Day 1: 5 16-09
16. Justin Hamner Northport, AL 5 16-08 0
Day 1: 5 16-08
17. Hunter Shryock Ooltewah, TN 5 16-03 0
Day 1: 5 16-03
18. Austin Felix Eden Prairie, MN 5 16-01 0
Day 1: 5 16-01
19. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 5 15-13 0
Day 1: 5 15-13
20. Matt Arey Shelby, NC 5 15-12 0
Day 1: 5 15-12
21. Scott Martin Clewiston, FL 5 15-09 0
Day 1: 5 15-09
22. Cory Johnston Cavan CANADA 5 15-06 0
Day 1: 5 15-06
23. Daisuke Aoki Minamitsurugun Yamanash 5 15-01 0
Day 1: 5 15-01
24. Luke Palmer Coalgate, OK 5 15-00 0
Day 1: 5 15-00
25. Caleb Sumrall New Iberia, LA 5 14-11 0
Day 1: 5 14-11
26. Buddy Gross Chatanooga, TN 5 14-07 0
Day 1: 5 14-07
27. Brandon Card Salisbury, NC 5 14-05 0
Day 1: 5 14-05
28. Wes Logan Springville, AL 5 14-03 0
Day 1: 5 14-03
29. Tristan McCormick Burns, TN 5 14-01 0
Day 1: 5 14-01
30. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 5 13-15 0
Day 1: 5 13-15
30. Chad Pipkens Dewitt, MI 5 13-15 0
Day 1: 5 13-15
32. Taylor Smith Valleyford, WA 5 13-13 0
Day 1: 5 13-13
33. Nick LeBrun Bossier City, LA 5 13-12 0
Day 1: 5 13-12
34. Chris Johnston Otonabee Ontario CANADA 5 13-07 0
Day 1: 5 13-07
34. Matt Robertson Kuttawa, KY 5 13-07 0
Day 1: 5 13-07
36. Taku Ito Chiba JAPAN 5 13-06 0
Day 1: 5 13-06
37. Bryan Schmitt Deale, MD 5 13-02 0
Day 1: 5 13-02
38. Shane Powell Dothan, AL 5 12-14 0
Day 1: 5 12-14
39. Jeff Gustafson Keewatin Ontario CANADA 5 12-12 0
Day 1: 5 12-12
40. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 5 12-01 0
Day 1: 5 12-01
41. Hank Cherry Jr Lincolnton, NC 5 12-00 0
Day 1: 5 12-00
42. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 5 11-12 0
Day 1: 5 11-12
43. Drew Benton Blakely, GA 5 11-12 0
Day 1: 5 11-12
44. Seth Feider New Market, MN 5 11-11 0
Day 1: 5 11-11
45. Jacob Powroznik North Prince George, VA 5 11-04 0
Day 1: 5 11-04
46. Shane LeHew Catawba, NC 5 11-01 0
Day 1: 5 11-01
47. Joshua Stracner Vandiver, AL 5 11-00 0
Day 1: 5 11-00
48. Brandon Cobb Greenwood, SC 5 10-14 0
Day 1: 5 10-14
48. Drew Cook Cairo, GA 5 10-14 0
Day 1: 5 10-14
50. Tyler Rivet Raceland, LA 5 09-08 0
Day 1: 5 09-08
51. KJ Queen Catawba, NC 5 09-06 0
Day 1: 5 09-06
52. Matt Herren Ashville, AL 4 09-00 0
Day 1: 4 09-00
53. Matty Wong Honolulu, HI 5 08-14 0
Day 1: 5 08-14
54. Ray Hanselman Jr Del Rio, TX 3 07-07 0
Day 1: 3 07-07
55. Keith Tuma Brainerd, MN 2 04-04 0
Day 1: 2 04-04
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 52 269 775-01
----------------------------------
52 269 775-01

by AnglersChannel

Siddiqi Sticks With Key Spot For Bassmaster Kayak Series Championship Victory

March 4, 2022

ANDERSON, S.C. — Patience and persistence paid off big for Eric Siddiqi of Cincinnati, Ohio, who tallied a two-day total of 188 inches to win the 2022 Yamaha Rightwaters Bassmaster Kayak Series Championship Powered by TourneyX on Richard B. Russell Lake.

Edging second-place John Milchling by 1/4 inch, Siddiqi won the $20,000 first-place award.

Russell Lake covers 26,650 acres, but Siddiqi said he needed only the latter end of one creek to get the job done. Sticking with this spot, he said, went against his run-and-gun nature, but the decision proved prudent.

“I found this place on Sunday and I just went there and checked on them every day,” Siddiqi said. “I like to fish a lot, so it was really hard not to do that.

“When I first found the spot, I caught a 22 1/2-inch largemouth, so I knew I had a special area. When I was looking at a map of the lake, nothing else looked like this area of the lake.”

Siddiqi targeted an area with a lot of riprap and cutoff ponds that he suspected could be linked to underwater culverts. Fishing in 6 to 15 feet of water, Siddiqi caught most of his fish on a 4.3-inch Keitech Swing Impact Fat in Tennessee shad color on a 1/4-ounce Keitech tungsten ball head.

“There was a little 10-foot hole back there with depths of about 6 feet around it,” Siddiqi said. “There was a bunch of fish sitting around that. I caught two big spotted bass back-to-back on the second day.

“It was really rocky; it was great bottom. I was just crawling that Keitech. There were a lot of fish there, but they weren’t easy to catch. I’d have to make 50 to 100 casts in the right area before I got one to bite.”

He caught nine of the 10 fish he entered on this spot. He caught the 10th on a wobblehead jig with a Gene Larew Biffle Bug that he fished over a roadbed running across the pocket.

“The first day, I tried to take it easy,” he said. “After I got my five, I pulled off a little bit and went to that roadbed. I upgraded a 17 1/4-inch fish with a 19 1/2.”

On Day 2, Siddiqi experienced a late-day flurry, but despite the surge, he was unsure of his final placement. (Competitors are able to monitor one another’s progress through the TourneyX live leaderboard).

“A friend of mine came down from Cincinnati and he had a drone and was watching me from the bank,” Siddiqi said. “He watched me catch four in a row in the last hour. I had a 15-incher and I upgraded with a 16 1/2. Then I caught a 17 3/4 that upgraded me from the 16 1/2.

“That was the last upgrade I had, then the leaderboard went off. That was the last time I knew I was up by 1/4 inch. I thought for sure (Milchling) was going to upgrade. He had a 23-incher on the first day, so I knew if he upgraded even 1/4 inch, I was done.”

Siddiqi placed second on Day 1 with 94 inches. His Top 5 bass measured 19.5, 19.25, 19, 18.25 and 18 inches. Turning in the same total on Day 2, Siddiqi’s top fish measured 20.25, 19.75, 19, 17.75 and 17.25 inches.

by AnglersChannel

Brock Reinkemeyer Wins Toyota Series at Lake of the Ozarks

OSAGE BEACH, Mo. (March 4, 2022) – Pro Brock Reinkemeyer of Warsaw, Missouri, brought a final-day total of five bass weighing 17 pounds, 4 ounces to the scale Thursday to win the Toyota Series Presented by A.R.E. at Lake of the Ozarks Presented by Smart Digital. Reinkemeyer’s three-day total of 15 bass weighing 59-13 earned him the win by a 2-pound, 12-ounce margin over second-place angler Josh Shirley of Cabot, Arkansas, and earned Reinkemeyer the top payout of $41,750 in the first tournament of the 2022 Toyota Series Plains Division Presented by Outlaw Ordnance.

“Wow, this feels even better than I thought it would feel,” Reinkemeyer said. “I am in awe right now. Some of these guys that I was fishing against this final day – it’s crazy. They’re my buddies, and they’re better than I am. They all put in more work than I do. To come out on top today is just unreal.”

Reinkemeyer said he spent the week mainly fishing in the Gravois Arm.

“I wanted to make sure that I wasn’t running all over the place,” Reinkemeyer said. “I had a 15-mile zone, and I didn’t stray from it. I grew up in Lee’s Summit, and Gravois is my homeland. The biggest thing was the early morning bite, from 7 (a.m.) to 10 (a.m.). The fish were setting up on the brush piles and rocks and they would show themselves a lot more. Later in the day, they weren’t nearly as active, so I really had to capitalize in that three-hour period.”

Reinkemeyer said he caught his fish on three baits – a Yumbrella Flash Mob Umbrella Rig with Strike King (Rage) Swimmers, a Megabass Vision 110 jerkbait, and a Motion Fishing finesse jig with a Zoom Speed Craw.

“I couldn’t catch them on the bank, so I had to fish a little deeper,” Reinkemeyer said. “I mainly targeted 14 to 22 feet, and the majority came from 18 to 22 (feet). I got one key bite each day in like 14 foot, but most of them were a bit deeper.

“I thought my fish were smaller than they were and that I was leaving the door open today – those last four hours of the day were pretty stressful,” Reinkemeyer went on to say. “Luckily it turned out that I had enough.”

The top 10 pros on Lake of the Ozarks finished:

1^st:          Brock Reinkemeyer, Warsaw, Mo., 15 bass, 59-13, $41,750
2^nd:         Josh Shirley, Cabot, Ark., 15 bass, 57-1, $15,500
3^rd:         Justin Miller, Grain Valley, Mo., 15 bass, 51-3, $12,000
4^th:         Travis Harriman, Huntsville, Ark., 13 bass, 49-4, $10,000
5^th:         Austin Culbertson, ,Moberly, Mo., 15 bass, 48-3, $9,000
6^th:         Grant Akers, Richmond, Mo., 15 bass, 48-2, $8,000
7^th:         Michael Harlin, Sunrise Beach, Mo., 15 bass, 47-4, $7,000
8^th:         Brad Jelinek, Lincoln, Mo., 15 bass, 46-10, $7,000 (includes $1,000 Phoenix MLF Bonus)
9^th:         Chris Bridges, Clinton, Mo., 15 bass, 46-5, $5,200
10^th:       Chris Digino, Dallas, Texas, 15 bass, 45-14, $4,000

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Pro Kyle Minke of Lindstrom, Minnesota, won the $500 Day 1 Berkley Big Bass award in the pro division Tuesday with a largemouth weighing 6 pounds, 10 ounces. Reinkemeyer and Ben Verhoef of Osage Beach split Wednesday’s $500 Berkley Big Bass award, as both weighed in a 6-pound, 7-ounce bass to each take home a $250 bonus.

Jelinek took home an extra $1,000 as the highest finishing Phoenix MLF Bonus member. Boaters are eligible to win up to an extra $35,000 per event in each Toyota Series tournament if all requirements are met. More information on the Phoenix MLF Bonus contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.

Alan Bernicky of Joliet, Illinois, won the Strike King Co-angler Division Thursday with a three-day total of 12 bass weighing 34 pounds even. Bernicky took home the top prize package worth $33,700, including a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard motor.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers on Lake of the Ozarks finished:

1^st:          Alan Bernicky, Joliet, Ill., 12 bass, 34-0, Phoenix 518 Pro boat w/115-hp Mercury outboard + $5,000
2^nd:         Hank Goen, Columbia, Mo., 11 bass, 31-4, $5,000
3^rd:         Jeff Moss, Oronogo, Mo.., 11bass, 31-2, $4,000
4^th:         Jason Swanson, Waterloo, Iowa, 13 bass, 27-12, $3,500
5^th:         Dan Bowman, Osage Beach, Mo., 11 bass, 26-11, $3,000
6^th:         Tom Shewey, Climax Springs, Mo., 11 bass, 26-3, $2,500
7^th:         Jason Sandidge, Centerton, Ark., 11 bass, 25-13, $2,000
8^th:         Scott Parsons, Rogers, Ark., nine bass, 25-3, $1,750
9^th:         Dennis Young, Olathe, Kan., nine bass, 24-8, $1,500
10^th:       Anthony Scoma, Spring Hill, Kan., nine bass, 23-10, $1,250

The Day 1 Berkley Big Bass $150 award winner in the Strike King co-angler division, was Mark Reynolds of Warrensburg, Missouri, with a 5-pound, 3-ounce bass, while the Day 2 $150 award went to Joseph Blackburn of Dixon, Missouri, with a 6-pound, 10-ounce largemouth.

The Toyota Series Presented by A.R.E. at Lake of the Ozarks Presented by Smart Digital was hosted by the Tri-County Lodging Association. It was the first tournament in the Toyota Series Plains Division Presented by Outlaw Ordnance. The next event for Toyota Series anglers will take place on March 31-April 2 – the Toyota Series Presented by A.R.E. at Dale Hollow Lake in Byrdstown, Tennessee, hosted by the Byrdstown-Pickett County Chamber of Commerce. For a complete schedule, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.

The 2022 Toyota Series Presented by A.R.E. consists of six divisions – Central, Northern, Plains Presented by Outlaw Ordnance, Southern, Southwestern Presented by Outlaw Ordnance and Western – each holding three regular-season events, along with the International and Wild Card divisions. Anglers who fish in any of the six divisions and finish in the top 25 – or the top 12 from the Wild Card division – will qualify for the no-entry-fee Toyota Series Presented by A.R.E. Championship for a shot at winning up to $235,000 cash. The winning Strike King co-angler at the championship earns a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard. The 2022 Toyota Series Presented by A.R.E. Championship will be held Nov. 3-5 on Lake Guntersville in Guntersville, Alabama, and is hosted by Marshall County Tourism and Sports.

Proud sponsors of the 2022 MLF Toyota Series Presented by A.R.E. include: 4WP, 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, AFTCO, A.R.E. Truck Caps, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, E3, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, Gary Yamamoto Baits, General Tire, Lew’s, Lowrance, Lucas Oil, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Outlaw Ordnance, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, Wiley X and YETI.

For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the MLF Toyota Series on the MLF5 social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

by AnglersChannel

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