AnglersChannel

Major League Fishing Reverses Zack Birge Penalty

BENTON, Ky. (June 12, 2024) – Major League Fishing (MLF) announced Wednesday that it is reversing a penalty that was assessed on Zack Birge of Blanchard, Oklahoma, during Sunday’s final round of Bass Pro Tour Stage Five on the Chowan River. MLF is reinstating the weight of seven bass that were removed from SCORETRACKER^®. The weight – 14 pounds, 13 ounces – moves Birge from eighth to seventh place in the final standings.

While it was ruled that Birge violated Bass Pro Tour rule 18 A, which prohibits an angler from leaving his boat to make it more accessible to fishing waters, it was subsequently determined that he did so with the understanding that permission had been granted by the tournament director and assistant tournament director.

Birge asked for permission to remove his drain plug so that his boat would temporarily fill with water, float lower and pass under a bridge to access water that he had not previously fished. The question was asked Sunday morning prior to takeoff, and permission was granted by the tournament director, as this is not a rule violation. Birge was not reminded at the time, however, that he could not exit his boat per rule 18 A to remove the drain plug. The tournament director operated under the incorrect assumption that Birge could reach the plug and remove it without leaving his boat, and Birge understood the ruling to mean that he could enter the water and remove his drain plug so long as he didn’t let go of the boat.

“After investigating the incident, it is clear that MLF tournament officials contributed to the violation,” said Kathy Fennel, MLF Executive Vice President and General Manager. “As such, it is unfair for us to hold an angler responsible for a violation when our actions and inactions implied express permission. We are therefore reinstating the weight of the bass Birge caught after passing under the low-hanging bridge.”

The assistant tournament director was the official in the boat with Birge at the time of the incident, and he did not immediately inform Birge that exiting his boat to remove his drain plug in this situation constituted a rule violation. If he had, the situation could have been resolved in real time.

“Mistakes were made,” Fennel said. “Our team has learned from them to make sure they do not happen again.”

Updated results from Bass Pro Tour Stage Five are as follows:

1st:         Drew Gill, Mount Carmel, Ill., 22 bass, 58-14, $100,000
2nd:        Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., 18 bass, 44-14, $45,000
3rd:        Dustin Connell, Clanton, Ala., 20 bass, 41-14, $38,000
4th:         Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn., 12 bass, 36-1, $32,000
5th:         Justin Lucas, Guntersville, Ala., 12 bass, 31-4, $30,000
6th:         Alton Jones Jr., Waco, Texas, 13 bass, 31-0, $26,000
7th:         Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla., 12 bass, 26-5, $23,000
8th:         Matt Becker, Ten Mile, Tenn., seven bass, 25-10, $21,000
9th:         Ott DeFoe, Blaine, Tenn., six bass, 11-8, $19,000
10th:       Fred Roumbanis, Russellville, Ark., three bass, 9-15, $16,000

About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery Channel, Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 17 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.

by AnglersChannel

Matt Becker Wins Group B Qualifying Round at U.S. Air Force Stage Five at Chowan River

Tennessee pro catches two-day total of 62-6 to win Group B Qualifying Round, field of 20 set for Saturday’s Knockout Round

EDENTON, N.C. (June 7, 2024) – The Knockout Round field is set at the Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Tour U.S. Air Force Stage Five at the Chowan River Presented by WIX Filters, and it's a clash of old-school and new-school fishing styles in eastern North Carolina.

It's still too early to tell which approach will produce victory, but reigning Fishing Clash Angler of the Year Matt Becker of Ten Mile, Tennessee, who entered Friday in second place, used the latter to top Group B with a two-day total of 62 pounds, 6 ounces. Alongside Group A winner Dustin Connell of Clanton, Alabama , Becker will lead the 20-angler field out of Pembroke Creek Park to start tomorrow's Knockout Round.

Jacob Wheeler of Harrison, Tennessee, the Day 1 leader for Group B, admitted that he planned to use the second day of qualifying to search for more water. He tallied four bass for 7-15, falling to fourth place. But where it counts will be the last two days of this event, and Wheeler is still one of the heavy favorites to win for a third time this season. Drew Gill of Mount Carmel, Illinois , (59-3) and Zack Birge of Blanchard, Oklahoma, (55-14) finished between Becker and Wheeler in second and third, respectively.

The fishing continues to be solid, and big bass are still being caught, including a tournament-best 8-3 Berkley Big Bass caught by Alton Jones, Sr., of Lorena, Texas, Friday. That lunker helped push him into Saturday’s Knockout Round, showing how crucial those big bites could be in determining a winner this week.

While there’s been some variance day to day, 30 pounds looks like it could be the key mark to qualify for Sunday’s Championship Round, with a handful of anglers putting that on SCORETRACKER® every day. Becker has now done it two days in a row, adding a day's best 31-8 to 30-14 from his group's opening day of fishing.

"Today went well and better than expected because I fished almost all new water," he said. "I only fished one spot today that I did the first day. I spent most of the day expanding and looking for new water."

Becker experienced a slow start to the event, boating just one scorable bass during his first morning of competition.

"I only had one fish at 12:30 p.m. the first day, and then I started putting the clues together," he said. "I had all the puzzle pieces from practice but only started figuring out where they go that afternoon. I got a bite doing it and then ran that the rest of the day and then all day today. It was like a light bulb went off in my head."

While not willing to disclose the details of his pattern, Becker did share that he was able to duplicate his success in several areas Friday, many of which are holding groups of fish.

"Every spot I caught fish on had multiples there," he said. "I feel good about that, because I now have a lot of those little spots to hit. It's hard to tell how many of those will bite, because I would catch one and then leave to look for new areas today."

After catching 30 pounds or more both days, Becker feels that will be the mark needed to advance after weights zero overnight but cautions that it could be much higher.

"I feel like 30 pounds will be good enough to advance, but they are starting to catch them pretty well," he said. "The thing is, though, many of these guys haven't put their foot on the gas yet. I could have pressed a little harder today and caught a few more, but there was no sense in doing that today."

A Bass Pro Tour rookie, Gill continued his stellar run to begin his career at the top level, showing he can catch them on a variety of fisheries. He opened the week on the Chowan with 28-7 and added 30-12 Friday, which surprised him after his practice.

"I did not expect to catch that because practice was mediocre at best," he said. "I knew a deal that was working but didn't know what made it different. The tournament is where I started to refine it. Now, I've refined it so much that I don't know if I have enough water left to fish."

Gill isn't looking too far ahead but knows he will need more areas to have a shot to win.

"I'm feeling upbeat — that would be a good word for it," he said. "I wasn't expecting even to make it, so I'm ecstatic to get to the Knockout Round."

Still, while Gill is grateful, he knows he has work to do if he hopes to advance one more time and contend for the win on Sunday.

"I feel like I can catch 25 pounds again; if I do that, I'll let the chips fall where they may," he said. "In the best-case scenario, I can do that and then look for more areas if I can advance. It will take at least 45 or 55 to win that last day, and I know I'm not on the fish to do that right now."

The top 10 pros from Group B that now advance to Saturday’s Knockout Round on Chowan River are:

1st:          Matt Becker, Ten Mile, Tenn., 23 bass, 62-6
2nd:        Drew Gill, Mount Carmel, Ill., 28 bass, 59-3
3rd:         Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla., 23 bass, 55-14
4th:         Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn., 22 bass, 55-4
5th:         Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., 19 bass, 53-11
6th:         Bobby Lane, Lakeland, Fla., 22 bass, 52-15
7th:         Alton Jones, Lorena, Texas, 16 bass, 51-0
8th:         Adrian Avena, Vineland, N.J., 23 bass, 50-12
9th:         Ott DeFoe, Blaine, Tenn., 21 bass, 45-2
10th:       Keith Poche, Pike Road, Ala., 18 bass, 39-2

Eliminated from competition are:

11th:      Skeet Reese, Auburn, Calif., 18 bass, 38-3
12th:      Ron Nelson, Berrien Springs, Mich., 16 bass, 37-3
13th:      Andy Montgomery, Blacksburg, S. C., 16 bass, 35-13
14th:      Cliff Crochet, Pierre Part, La., 12 bass, 34-3
15th:      Andy Morgan, Dayton, Tenn., 14 bass, 30-4
16th:      Keith Carson, DeBary, Fla., 16 bass, 29-14
17th:      Brandon Coulter, Knoxville, Tenn., 11 bass, 29-9
18th:      Jeff Sprague, Wills Point, Texas, 14 bass, 29-7
19th:      Edwin Evers, Talala, Okla., 12 bass, 28-6
20th:      Fletcher Shryock, Guntersville, Ala., eight bass, 26-7
21st:      Marshall Robinson, Landrum, S.C., eight bass, 26-1
22nd:     Matt Lee, Cullman, Ala., 10 bass, 26-1
23rd:      Casey Ashley, Donalds, S.C., 14 bass, 25-7
24th:      Cole Floyd, Leesburg, Ohio, 11 bass, 25-0
25th:      David Walker, Huntingdon, Tenn., nine bass, 24-12
26th:      Justin Cooper, Zwolle, La., 12 bass, 24-10
27th:      Grae Buck, Green Lane, Penn., 10 bass, 23-11
28th:      Todd Faircloth, Jasper, Texas, 11 bass, 22-11
29th:      Gerald Spohrer, Gonzales, La., eight bass, 20-15
30th:      Shin Fukae, Osaka, Japan, nine bass, 20-5
31st:      Takahiro Omori, Tokyo, Japan, eight bass, 18-4
32nd:     Jacopo Gallelli, Florence, Italy, seven bass, 15-15
33rd:      Ryan Salzman, Huntsville, Ala., eight bass, 14-15
34th:      Brent Chapman, Lake Quivira, Kan., six bass, 11-7
35th:      Britt Myers, Lake Wylie, S.C., five bass, 11-5
36th:      Jared Lintner, Covington, Ga., five bass, 9-15
37th:      Josh Bertrand, Queen Creek, Ariz., four bass, 8-0
38th:      Joshua Weaver, Macon, Ga., three bass, 7-7
39th:      Dean Rojas, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., one bass, 2-6

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

Overall, there were 235 scorable bass weighing 565 pounds, 5 ounces, caught by 37 pros Friday, which included one 8-pounder, one 6-pounder, seven 5-pounders, 13 4-pounders and 20 3-pounders.

Wheeler is still the man to beat for yet another Fishing Clash Angler of the Year title, but he can't afford to slip at all. Eight of the Top 10 anglers in the points standings coming into this event are fishing in tomorrow's Knockout Round. And with just two events remaining after this one, every day on the water matters. The action the rest of the week will help shape the race as it rounds into the stretch run.

Alton Jones, Sr., of Lorena, Texas, earned Friday’s $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award with an 8-pound, 3-ounce largemouth bass that he caught on a drop-shot rig during Period 3. Berkley awards $1,000 to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass each day, and a $3,000 bonus to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass of the tournament.

The six-day tournament, hosted by the Town of Edenton, the Chowan County Tourism Development Authority and Harbor Towns Cruises, showcases 78 of the top professional anglers in the world, competing for a purse of $659,000, including a top payout of $100,000 and valuable Fishing Clash Angler of the Year (AOY) points in hopes of qualifying for the General Tire Heavy Hitters all-star event and REDCREST 2025, the Bass Pro Tour championship.

The 39 Anglers in Group A competed in their two-day Qualifying Round on Tuesday and Thursday – the 39 anglers in Group B on Wednesday and Friday. Now that each two-day Qualifying Round is complete, the anglers that finished first through 10th from both groups advance to Saturday’s Knockout Round. In the Knockout Round, weights are zeroed, and the remaining 20 anglers compete to finish in the top 10 to advance to Sunday’s 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 at 7:30 a.m. ET each day from Pembroke Creek Park, located at 716 W. Queen Street in Edenton. Each day’s General Tire Takeout will be held at the park, beginning at 4 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend all launch and takeout events and also encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLFNOW!® live stream and SCORETRACKER® coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com .

The MLFNOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action live on the final four days of competition from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET. MLFNOW!®  will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app.

On Saturday and Sunday, June 8-9, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. MLF welcomes fans of all ages to visit Colonial Waterfront Park, located at 510 S. Broad St. in Edenton, for the MLF Watch Party and Kids Fishing Derby. Fans can watch the pros live on the MLFNOW! big screen, enjoy free food, enter to win hourly giveaways and cheer on their favorite pros. The first 50 kids 14 and under will receive a free rod and reel from Pure Fishing each day. Additional fishing gear will be provided onsite for the fishing derby or kids can bring their own. The final 10 Championship Round Bass Pro Tour anglers will be on hand at the trophy celebration on Championship Sunday to meet and greet fans, sign autographs and take selfies.

The U.S. Air Force Stage Five at Chowan River Presented by WIX Filters features the MLF catch, weigh, immediate-release format, in which anglers catch as much weight as they can each day, while also feeling the pressure and intensity of the SCORETRACKER® leaderboard. The tournament features anglers competing with a 1-pound, 8-ounce minimum weight requirement for a bass to be deemed scorable. The MLF Fisheries Management Division determines minimum weights for each body of water that the Bass Pro Tour visits, based on the productivity, bass population and anticipated average size of fish in each fishery.

The Bass Pro Tour features a field of 79 of the top professional anglers in the world, competing across seven regular-season tournaments around the country, for millions of dollars and valuable points to qualify for the annual General Tire Heavy Hitters all-star event and the REDCREST 2025 championship.

Fishing Clash, an interactive 3D fishing simulation game that’s played by more than 80 million people worldwide, is the official AOY sponsor of the Bass Pro Tour, Tackle Warehouse Invitationals, Toyota Series and Phoenix Bass Fishing League. You can download Fishing Clash for free in the App Store and on Google Play or log on to www.fishingclash.game for more information.

Television coverage of the U.S. Air Force Stage Five at Chowan River Presented by WIX Filters Knockout Round will air as a two-hour episode starting at 7 a.m. ET, on Saturday, Oct. 26 on Discovery, with the Championship Round premiering on Nov. 2. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on Discovery, with re-airings on Outdoor Channel.

Proud sponsors of the 2024 MLF Bass Pro Tour include: Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, BUBBA, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, Garmin, General Tire, Humminbird, Lowrance, Mercury, MillerTech, Minn Kota, Mossy Oak Fishing, NITRO, Onyx, Plano, Power-Pole, Rapala, REDCON1, Star brite, Suzuki, Toyota, WIX Filters and U.S. Air Force.

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, X, Instagram and YouTube.

About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery Channel, Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 17 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.

by AnglersChannel

Dustin Connell Earns Group A Qualifying Round Win at U.S. Air Force Stage Five at Chowan River

Reigning REDCREST Champion boats two-day total of 74-5 to win Group A Qualifying Round, Top 10 pros advance to Saturday’s Knockout Round

EDENTON, N.C. (June 6, 2024) – Windy conditions on the Chowan River enabled the trailering policy Thursday at the Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Tour U.S. Air Force Stage Five at the Chowan River Presented by WIX Filters, but the blustery weather couldn’t stop the anglers from catching piles of bass.  It certainly didn’t slow down Mercury pro Dustin Connell of Clanton, Alabama, (who had every intention of spending his second day on the water “practicing”), as he sacked up another 14 bass for 26 pounds, 13 ounces on the day. His two-day total was 74-5, over 20 pounds ahead of General Tire pro Alton Jones Jr. of Waco, Texas, with 53-06 for the Qualifying Round.

As with all elimination days on the Bass Pro Tour, there was plenty of drama on SCORETRACKER® as anglers made clutch catches while jockeying for position. The improved fishing also helped, as many anglers posted big numbers and made runs toward the top. Two anglers with more than 30 pounds, Justin Lucas of Guntersville, Alabama, and Gary Klein of Mingus, Texas , jumped into the Top 10 and will advance to Saturday’s Knockout Round.

The fishing appears to be improving on the Chowan River and connected waters or the anglers are just putting the puzzle pieces together better. Either way, things are looking good for a stellar finish to this event.

The top 10 anglers advancing from Group A will now have an off day from competition Friday, while the 39 anglers competing in Group B will complete their two-day Qualifying Round. The top 10 anglers from each group advance to Saturday’s Knockout Round. In the Knockout Round, weights are zeroed, and the remaining 20 anglers compete to finish in the top 10 to advance to the Championship Round. In Sunday’s final day Championship Round, weights are zeroed, and the highest one-day total wins the top prize of $100,000.

Dustin Connell’s Day 3 total was the fifth best on the day, made even more impressive by the fact that he was actively searching for new areas. Nothing he had previously fished was part of his plan on Thursday.

“I really like this place,” he said. “I went practicing all day and didn’t intend to reel them in like that. The Chowan River has a lot of fish, and I feel like I’m figuring this place out. I ran new stuff all day and maybe added 25 percent more to what I’d already found.”

Even catching a solid weight, Connell doesn’t regret leaning on them the way he did.

“I didn't catch a lot of big ones – a few 2s and only one over 3 pounds,” he said.

Connell surmised that this fishery is about being in the right areas and that there are big congregations of fish in small areas, mixed in between voids of any activity.

“You can fish for a mile and not catch a fish and then get into one little stretch and it’s like ‘Oh, here they are,’” he said. “This place is area-based and finding those key little areas with the groups of fish is important. I feel really good about what I’ve found and how it will hold up for the rest of the tournament.”

Both Klein and Lucas were safely within the cut to get paid, but each wanted more. They both got it done and will advance to the Knockout Round, with Klein jumping from 16th to eighth and Lucas vaulting from 13th to fourth to end the day.

They were the only two anglers to eclipse the 30-pound mark. Lucas did it with a strong final frame and Klein did most of his damage during Period 2.

“The day started off good and then I went through a long dead period where I basically learned a lot of bad stretches,” Lucas said. “This afternoon, the bite was on fire, and I hope to build off of that. The whole key here is getting on the right rotation because so many of us are fishing the same stretches. Not every area has fish, but if you hit a good one, you can get right quickly.”

Klein’s 30-pound total exceeded his expectations, and while he felt safe at the end of Period 2, the cutline got a little too close for comfort.

“I thought based on my practice and first day that 18 pounds would be a very good day for me,” he said. “I was surprised catching 30 today, but also encouraged. I was 10 pounds ahead of the cut at the end of the second period and thought there was no way I wouldn’t make it, and I was sort of lollygagging. Then, it got to within 4 pounds of me and I lost two nice ones before I finally got another one. That’s the intensity of this format; you have to fish clean with flawless execution to compete against these guys.”

The top 10 pros from Group A that now advance to Saturday’s Knockout Round on Chowan River are:

1st:          Dustin Connell, Clanton, Ala., 33 bass, 74-5
2nd:         Alton Jones Jr., Waco, Texas, 22 bass, 53-6
3rd:         Mark Daniels Jr., Tuskegee, Ala., 18 bass, 51-7
4th:         Justin Lucas, Guntersville, Ala., 19 bass, 47-14
5th:         Stephen Browning, Hot Springs, Ark., 21 bass, 47-2
6th:         Fred Roumbanis, Russellville, Ark., 20 bass, 44-15
7th:         Martin Villa, Charlottesville, Va., 20 bass, 44-14
8th:         Gary Klein, Mingus, Texas, 17 bass, 44-1
9th:         Dylan Hays, Hot Springs, Ark., 18 bass, 43-12
10th:       John Hunter, Shelbyville, Ky., 19 bass, 42-3

Eliminated from competition are:

11th:       Wesley Strader, Spring City, Tenn., 16 bass, 38-4
12th:       Luke Clausen, Spokane, Wash., 16 bass, 36-6
13th:       Nick LeBrun, Bossier, La., 15 bass, 36-5
14th:       Jacob Wall, New Hope, Ala., 19 bass, 36-2
15th:       David Dudley, Lynchburg, Va., 18 bass, 35-10
16th:       Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., 16 bass, 35-9
17th:       Chris Lane, Guntersville, Ala., 15 bass, 35-0
18th:       James Elam, Tulsa, Okla., 13 bass, 34-0
19th:       Anthony Gagliardi, Prosperity, S.C., 13 bass, 33-5
20th:       Mark Davis, Mount Ida, Ark., 13 bass, 31-9
21st:       Spencer Shuffield, Hot Springs, Ark., 15 bass, 31-0
22nd:      Nick Hatfield, Greeneville, Tenn., 11 bass, 29-4
23rd:       Colby Schrumpf, Highland, Ill., 15 bass, 27-11
24th:       Terry Scroggins, San Mateo, Fla., nine bass, 24-11
25th:       Jeremy Lawyer, Sarcoxie, Mo., 10 bass, 24-11
26th:       Marty Robinson, Lyman, S.C., 11 bass, 23-6
27th:       John Murray, Spring City, Tenn., nine bass, 20-8
28th:       Mark Rose, Wynne, Ark., eight bass, 17-11
29th:       Bradley Roy, Lancaster, Ky., seven bass, 17-9
30th:       Randy Howell, Guntersville, Ala., six bass, 17-0
31st:       Greg Vinson, Wetumpka, Ala., six bass, 16-11
32nd:      Jonathon VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich., seven bass, 16-5
33rd:      Kelly Jordon, Flint, Texas, seven bass, 15-13
34th:      Brent Ehrler, Redlands, Calif., seven bass, 13-9
35th:      Boyd Duckett, Guntersville, Ala., seven bass, 13-6
36th:      Jason Vance, Battle Ground, Ind., five bass, 9-11
37th:      Matthew Stefan, Junction City, Wis., two bass, 4-4
38th:      Jesse Wiggins, Addison, Ala., two bass, 3-12
39th:      Dave Lefebre, Erie, Penn., two bass, 3-3

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

Overall, there were 264 scorable bass weighing 627 pounds even, caught by 37 pros Thursday, which included one 7-pounder, one 6-pounder, seven 5-pounders, eight 4-pounders and 35 3-pounders.

Jacob Wheeler of Harrison, Tennessee, is still in the driver’s seat for another Fishing Clash Angler of the Year title, but the anglers right behind him won’t make it easy. Alton Jones, Jr. finished the day in second place and punched his ticket to the Knockout Round along with Connell, who came into the event in third place in the points race.

Toyota pro Terry Scroggins of San Mateo, Florida, earned Thursday’s $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award with a 7-pound, 2-ounce largemouth bass that he caught on a shaky head during Period 2. Berkley awards $1,000 to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass each day, and a $3,000 bonus to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass of the tournament.

The six-day tournament, hosted by the Town of Edenton, the Chowan County Tourism Development Authority and Harbor Towns Cruises, showcases 78 of the top professional anglers in the world, competing for a purse of $659,000, including a top payout of $100,000 and valuable Fishing Clash Angler of the Year (AOY) points in hopes of qualifying for the General Tire Heavy Hitters all-star event and REDCREST 2025, the Bass Pro Tour championship.

Anglers will launch at 7:30 a.m. ET each day from Pembroke Creek Park, located at 716 W. Queen Street in Edenton. Due to forecasted high winds, MLF has enacted the MLF Trailering Policy for Friday, June 7, meaning pros can trailer their boats and drive them to any ramp on the fishery closer to where they plan to start fishing. Pros taking advantage of the MLF Trailering Policy will leave Pembroke Creek Park at 7 a.m. ET and will begin fishing at 8 a.m. ET (Lines In) with the full field.

Each day’s General Tire Takeout will be held at the park, beginning at 4 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend all launch and takeout events and also encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLFNOW!® live stream and SCORETRACKER® coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

The MLFNOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action live on the final four days of competition from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET. MLFNOW!®  will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app.

On Saturday and Sunday, June 8-9, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. MLF welcomes fans of all ages to visit Colonial Waterfront Park, located at 510 S. Broad St. in Edenton, for the MLF Watch Party and Kids Fishing Derby. Fans can watch the pros live on the MLFNOW! big screen, enjoy free food, enter to win hourly giveaways and cheer on their favorite pros. The first 50 kids 14 and under will receive a free rod and reel from Pure Fishing each day. Additional fishing gear will be provided onsite for the fishing derby or kids can bring their own. The final 10 Championship Round Bass Pro Tour anglers will be on hand at the trophy celebration on Championship Sunday to meet and greet fans, sign autographs and take selfies.

The U.S. Air Force Stage Five at Chowan River Presented by WIX Filters features the MLF catch, weigh, immediate-release format, in which anglers catch as much weight as they can each day, while also feeling the pressure and intensity of the SCORETRACKER® leaderboard. The tournament features anglers competing with a 1-pound, 8-ounce minimum weight requirement for a bass to be deemed scorable. The MLF Fisheries Management Division determines minimum weights for each body of water that the Bass Pro Tour visits, based on the productivity, bass population and anticipated average size of fish in each fishery.

The Bass Pro Tour features a field of 79 of the top professional anglers in the world, competing across seven regular-season tournaments around the country, for millions of dollars and valuable points to qualify for the annual General Tire Heavy Hitters all-star event and the REDCREST 2025 championship.

Fishing Clash, an interactive 3D fishing simulation game that’s played by more than 80 million people worldwide, is the official AOY sponsor of the Bass Pro Tour, Tackle Warehouse Invitationals, Toyota Series and Phoenix Bass Fishing League. You can download Fishing Clash for free in the App Store and on Google Play or log on to www.fishingclash.game for more information.

Television coverage of the U.S. Air Force Stage Five at Chowan River Presented by WIX Filters Knockout Round will air as a two-hour episode starting at 7 a.m. ET, on Saturday, Oct. 26 on Discovery, with the Championship Round premiering on Nov. 2. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on Discovery, with re-airings on Outdoor Channel.

Proud sponsors of the 2024 MLF Bass Pro Tour include: Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, BUBBA, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, Garmin, General Tire, Humminbird, Lowrance, Mercury, MillerTech, Minn Kota, Mossy Oak Fishing, NITRO, Onyx, Plano, Power-Pole, Rapala, REDCON1, Star brite, Suzuki, Toyota, WIX Filters and U.S. Air Force.

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, X, Instagram and YouTube.

About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery Channel, Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 17 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.

by AnglersChannel

Wheeler Cruises to Group B Lead at MLF Bass Pro Tour U.S. Air Force Stage Five

Two-Time Bass Pro Tour Angler of the Year leads Group B by 16 pounds, 7 ounces after Day 1, Group A to wrap up two-day Qualifying Round Thursday

EDENTON, N.C. (June 5, 2024) – It was more of the same for Group B at the Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Tour U.S. Air Force Stage Five at the Chowan River Presented by WIX Filters , with plenty of bass caught and beautiful scenery to enjoy. Also the same, Jacob Wheeler of Harrison, Tennessee, took a commanding lead after one day of fishing with 18 bass for 47 pounds, 5 ounces.

Wheeler, who’s already won twice this season, has proved he doesn’t have a specific type of fishery on which he shines; in reality, it’s anywhere bass swim. He’s a threat to win any tournament, any time. The Chowan River was a mystery to nearly everyone in the field before this week, and Wheeler appears to have figured it out fairly quickly.

He was in command most of the day and has a lead of more than 16 pounds over reigning Fishing Clash Angler of the Year (AOY) Matt Becker of Ten Mile, Tennessee , who tallied 13 bass for 30-14 to finish the day in second. Becker’s day included a 6-7 catch in the second period, which stood as the Berkley Big Bass until Marshall Robinson’s 7-5 midway through the third period.

The six-day tournament, hosted by the Town of Edenton , the Chowan County Tourism Development Authority and Harbor Towns Cruises, showcases 78 of the top professional anglers in the world, competing for a purse of $659,000, including a top payout of $100,000 and valuable Fishing Clash Angler of the Year (AOY) points in hopes of qualifying for the General Tire Heavy Hitters all-star event and REDCREST 2025, the Bass Pro Tour championship.

Like his friend and roommate Dustin Connell yesterday, Wheeler easily outpaced the field after one day of Group B competition. The two have a friendly rivalry, and each has won twice this year. Both look like solid favorites to add to that winning resume. For the record, Connell led his group by 16-5 and Wheeler by 16-7, but where it matters will be how the rest of the week unfolds.

With a solid cushion over the field, Wheeler has one plan for Friday when he returns to the Chowan River.

“Practicing. That’s what I’ll be doing Friday,” Wheeler said. “My goal for today was to catch as much as possible and give myself a cushion, and I think I did that. The cut weight is a little more than half of what I had today, which takes some of the pressure off. I can come back out Friday, have fun, and I shouldn’t have to worry about catching too many of them. It feels good.”

One of the best in the sport at playing the strategy game, Wheeler is already looking ahead to the Knockout and Championship Rounds.

“Weather is going to be a huge factor in a place this big,” he said. “The wind will dictate where you can fish; if it’s calm, you can fish it all. That will be part of my plan for Friday as I look for new areas for the different wind directions.”

Wheeler did visit the Chowan River before it went off-limits, and some of that helped, but he’s looking for more recent data as he seeks yet another Bass Pro Tour win.

“I came down before it went off limits for a day and a quarter and mainly just ran around,” he said. “I covered a few hundred miles and liked what I saw, but I still didn’t know what to expect this week. Much of what I saw then and even what I found in practice becomes irrelevant because these events are so long from when we start practice to the final day. Having a cushion over the cut and a chance to look (around) Friday is a huge deal because it’s the most up-to-date information possible.”

Unwilling to give up much of the goods this early in the event, Wheeler did share that he’s fishing a large area rather than just one spot. Also, his primary technique seems to be working for both numbers and quality of fish.

“It’s a big zone of 25 or 30 miles that I’m fishing, and I feel like I can catch a lot of fish doing what I’m doing,” he said. “This event will be all about those bigger bites and won’t be won catching big numbers of 1-8 and 1-9 bass. You’ll need some mid-grade fish between 4 and 6 pounds to win. I feel good about today because I had three over 4 pounds today.”

The 39 anglers in Group B will now have an off day from competition Thursday, while the 39 anglers competing in Group A will wrap up their two-day Qualifying Round. Group B will finish their Qualifying Round on Friday.

The top 20 pros in Group B after Day 1 on Chowan River are:

1st:          Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn., 18 bass, 47-5
2nd:        Matt Becker, Ten Mile, Tenn., 13 bass, 30-14
3rd:        Drew Gill, Mount Carmel, Ill., 14 bass, 28-7
4th:         Alton Jones, Lorena, Texas, 10 bass, 28-5
5th:         Adrian Avena, Vineland, N.J., 13 bass, 27-4
6th:         Ott DeFoe, Blaine, Tenn., 12 bass, 27-0
7th:         Andy Montgomery, Blacksburg, S.C., 12 bass, 26-3
8th:         Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla., 11 bass, 26-3
9th:         Bobby Lane, Lakeland, Fla., 11 bass, 25-8
10th:      Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., eight bass, 24-11
11th:      Skeet Reese, Auburn, Calif., 10 bass, 20-0
12th:      Keith Poche, Pike Road, Ala., eight bass, 19-3
13th:      Justin Cooper, Zwolle, La., nine bass, 17-13
14th:      Brandon Coulter, Knoxville, Tenn., seven bass, 17-1
15th:      Jeff Sprague, Wills Point, Texas, nine bass, 16-14
16th:      Casey Ashley, Donalds, S.C., nine bass, 16-11
17th:      Fletcher Shryock, Guntersville, Ala., five bass, 16-10
18th:      Marshall Robinson, Landrum, S.C., five bass, 16-6
19th:      Takahiro Omori, Tokyo, Japan, seven bass, 16-6
20th:      Ron Nelson, Berrien Springs, Mich., seven bass, 16-0

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

Overall, there were 266 scorable bass weighing 618 pounds, 8 ounces caught by 37 pros Thursday, which included one 7-pounder, two 6-pounders, four 5-pounders, 10 4-pounders and 31 3-pounders.

Wheeler had a solid 23-point lead in the Fishing Clash Angler of the Year race heading into this event and can widen the gap even further. His closest pursuers also had strong starts to the event, so the rest of this tournament will be critical and help shape the race with just two events remaining after this week.

Alton Jones, Jr. of Waco, Texas, was second in the points behind Wheeler and finished in seventh after one day of fishing in Group A. Connell was just behind Jones and led his group yesterday, and Bass Pro Tour Rookie Drew Gill of Mount Carmel, Illinois, was behind Connell and finished up in third today. It’s still too early to tell, but the top anglers who have done well all season have come to play this week in Edenton.

Rookie Marshall Robinson of Landrum, South Carolina, earned the $1,000 Berkley Big Bass award after a 7-pound, 5-ounce largemouth bit his drop-shot rig in Period 3. Berkley awards $1,000 to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass each day, and another $3,000 bonus to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass of the tournament.

The 39 Anglers in Group A compete in their two-day Qualifying Round on Tuesday and Thursday – the 39 anglers in Group B on Wednesday and Friday. After each two-day Qualifying Round is complete, the anglers that finish first through 10th from both groups advance to Saturday’s Knockout Round. In the Knockout Round, weights are zeroed, and the remaining 20 anglers compete to finish in the top 10 to advance to Sunday’s 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 at 7:30 a.m. ET each day from Pembroke Creek Park, located at 716 W. Queen Street in Edenton. Due to forecasted high winds, MLF has enacted the MLF Trailering Policy for Thursday, June 6, meaning pros can trailer their boats and drive them to any ramp on the fishery closer to where they plan to start fishing. Pros taking advantage of the MLF Trailering Policy will leave Pembroke Creek Park at 7 a.m. ET and will begin fishing at 8 a.m. ET (Lines In) with the full field.

Each day’s General Tire Takeout will be held at the park, beginning at 4 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend all launch and takeout events and also encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLFNOW!® live stream and SCORETRACKER® coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com .

The MLFNOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action live on the final four days of competition from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET. MLFNOW!®  will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com  and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app.

On Saturday and Sunday, June 8-9, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. MLF welcomes fans of all ages to visit Colonial Waterfront Park, located at 510 S. Broad St. in Edenton, for the MLF Watch Party and Kids Fishing Derby. Fans can watch the pros live on the MLFNOW! big screen, enjoy free food, enter to win hourly giveaways and cheer on their favorite pros. The first 50 kids 14 and under will receive a free rod and reel from Pure Fishing each day. Additional fishing gear will be provided onsite for the fishing derby or kids can bring their own. The final 10 Championship Round Bass Pro Tour anglers will be on hand at the trophy celebration on Championship Sunday to meet and greet fans, sign autographs and take selfies.

The U.S. Air Force Stage Five at Chowan River Presented by WIX Filters features the MLF catch, weigh, immediate-release format, in which anglers catch as much weight as they can each day, while also feeling the pressure and intensity of the SCORETRACKER® leaderboard. The tournament features anglers competing with a 1-pound, 8-ounce minimum weight requirement for a bass to be deemed scorable. The MLF Fisheries Management Division determines minimum weights for each body of water that the Bass Pro Tour visits, based on the productivity, bass population and anticipated average size of fish in each fishery.

The Bass Pro Tour features a field of 79 of the top professional anglers in the world, competing across seven regular-season tournaments around the country, for millions of dollars and valuable points to qualify for the annual General Tire Heavy Hitters all-star event and the REDCREST 2025 championship.

Fishing Clash, an interactive 3D fishing simulation game that’s played by more than 80 million people worldwide, is the official AOY sponsor of the Bass Pro Tour, Tackle Warehouse Invitationals, Toyota Series and Phoenix Bass Fishing League. You can download Fishing Clash for free in the App Store and on Google Play or log on to www.fishingclash.game for more information.

Television coverage of the U.S. Air Force Stage Five at Chowan River Presented by WIX Filters Knockout Round will air as a two-hour episode starting at 7 a.m. ET, on Saturday, Oct. 26 on Discovery, with the Championship Round premiering on Nov. 2. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on Discovery, with re-airings on Outdoor Channel.

Proud sponsors of the 2024 MLF Bass Pro Tour include: Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, BUBBA, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, Garmin, General Tire, Humminbird, Lowrance, Mercury, MillerTech, Minn Kota, Mossy Oak Fishing, NITRO, Onyx, Plano, Power-Pole, Rapala, REDCON1, Star brite, Suzuki, Toyota, U.S. Air Force and WIX Filters.

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, X,  Instagram and YouTube.

About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery Channel, Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 17 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.

by AnglersChannel

Dustin Connell Rockets to Early Lead at Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour U.S. Air Force Stage Five

Reigning REDCREST Champion weighs in 47 pounds, 8 ounces to lead after Day 1 for Group A – Group B begins competition Wednesday

EDENTON, N.C. (June 4, 2024) – Like the rest of the Bass Pro Tour field, Rapala pro Dustin Connell of Clanton, Alabama, arrived at the Chowan River with no idea what to expect during the Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Tour U.S. Air Force Stage Five at the Chowan River Presented by WIX Filters . Turns out, as is the case just about everywhere, he didn’t need much time to find a healthy population of bass in the coastal river.

Connell, already a winner at Stage One on Toledo Bend and REDCREST on Lay Lake this year, boated 19 scorable bass totaling 47 pounds, 8 ounces during the first day of qualifying. That gives him a 16-pound, 5-ounce cushion over Mark Daniels Jr. of Tuskegee, Alabama , atop the leaderboard in Group A. Behind Connell, the standings are much more tightly bunched, with second through fifth place separated by 3-11.

Overall, the debut day of national tournament competition on the Chowan River yielded plenty of scorable bass – 24 of the 39 anglers in Group A totaled at least 10 pounds – plus a few big ones. Six largemouth over 5 pounds hit the scales, headlined by pro Martin Villa’s 7-7, which earned him the $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Bonus.

The six-day tournament, hosted by the Town of Edenton , the Chowan County Tourism Development Authority and Harbor Towns Cruises, showcases 79 of the top professional anglers in the world, competing for a purse of $659,000, including a top payout of $100,000 and valuable Fishing Clash Angler of the Year (AOY) points in hopes of qualifying for the General Tire Heavy Hitters all-star event and REDCREST 2025, the Bass Pro Tour championship.

The 39 anglers in Group A will now have an off day from competition Wednesday, while the 39 anglers competing in Group B will begin their first day of competition. Group A will resume competition on Thursday.

While Connell had never visited the Chowan River prior to official practice for Stage Five, he entered Tuesday with a lofty goal: stack enough weight on SCORETRACKER® that he could devote the second day of qualifying entirely to practice.

Mission accomplished.

With more than 30 pounds of cushion over 10th place, Connell’s spot in the Knockout Round should be secure. That’s key for two reasons: Every additional chance to scout new water on the vast, cover-rich Chowan River is especially valuable given the field’s lack of history on the fishery, and the wind is forecast to blow hard out of the southwest on Thursday. With wind being the primary driver of current and water level on the Albemarle Sound tributary, that could drop the water and change the bite.

“I really wanted to catch them good today just because I know that we’ve got a lot of wind coming in on Thursday, on our (Group A’s) second day,” Connell explained. “And I didn’t want to put myself in a bind on Thursday trying to fight the wind. It may blow right down the chute. The wind tide changes a lot of things. So that was what I really wanted to do today is just go ahead and make this cut and be done with it.”

While the Chowan doesn’t have a strong natural current, Connell used the moving-water knowledge he honed growing up on the Coosa River in Alabama to identify a few likely locations during practice based on the wind current. It didn’t take long for those areas to produce Tuesday, as Connell landed five scorable bass for 12-11 in the first hour.

“I love fishing current, so I understand what current does to fish; I know how they act,” Connell said. “Coming here, I’ve never seen the place before. I had three days of practice, and I just kind of found me an area that I liked and then I just went from there.”

As the day progressed, Connell successfully expanded his pattern elsewhere. His most frenetic flurry came shortly after noon, when he added 11-7 to his total with five bass in just 13 minutes. By the end of the day, he had returned to practice mode, running new water.

While Connell didn’t want to reveal any details about how he’s catching his fish, he did say he’s optimistic he can continue to replicate his success in more areas. Don’t expect SCORETRACKER® to reflect that when he returns to the water Thursday, though.

“I don’t plan on catching any,” Connell said. “I’m just going to go practice and see what I can muster up.”

Overall, Connell likes what he’s seen from the Chowan River during its first few days hosting a field of touring pros.

“This place is incredible,” he said. “It’s full of bass, and it’s a very unique place just because of the salt content and the way these fish move. They’ll eat crabs, they’ll eat shad, it just depends on what section of the river you’re in. But it’s a very, very healthy fishery.”

The top 20 pros in Group A after Day 1 on Chowan River are:

1st:        Dustin Connell, Clanton, Ala., 19 bass, 47-8
2nd:       Mark Daniels Jr., Tuskegee, Ala., 12 bass, 31-3
3rd:        Martin Villa, Charlottesville, Va., 13 bass, 29-14
4th:        Stephen Browning, Hot Springs, Ark., 13 bass, 28-12
5th:        Dylan Hays, Hot Springs, Ark., 12 bass, 27-8
6th:        Fred Roumbanis, Russellville, Ark., 12 bass, 25-2
7th:        Alton Jones Jr., Waco, Texas, nine bass, 24-7
8th:        John Hunter, Shelbyville, Ky., 11 bass, 23-9
9th:        James Elam, Tulsa, Okla., seven bass, 17-9
10th:      Mark Davis, Mount Ida, Ark., eight bass, 17-7
11th:      Nick LeBrun, Bossier City, La., seven bass, 17-6
12th:      Marty Robinson, Lyman, S.C., seven bass, 16-2
13th:      Justin Lucas, Guntersville, Ala., six bass, 14-12
14th:      Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., seven bass, 14-12
15th:      Wesley Strader, Spring City, Tenn., seven bass, 14-1
16th:      Gary Klein, Mingus, Texas, six bass, 14-1
17th:      Jacob Wall, New Hope, Ala., seven bass, 13-14
18th:      Mark Rose, Wynne, Ark., six bass, 13-6
19th:      Chris Lane, Guntersville, Ala., six bass, 13-2
20th:      Colby Schrumpf, Highland, Ill., eight bass, 13-2

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

Overall, there were 242 scorable bass weighing 547 pounds, 10 ounces caught by 38 pros Thursday, which included one 7-pounder, one 6-pounder, four 5-pounders, 10 4-pounders and 20 3-pounders.

One of the few things Connell hasn’t accomplished during his Major League Fishing career is claiming an Angler of the Year crown. Arriving at the Chowan River in third place of this year’s Fishing Clash Angler of the Year race , he looks like he’ll have a legitimate shot down the stretch.

Connell entered Stage Five 25.5 points behind leader Jacob Wheeler and 13.5 behind Alton Jones Jr. While Wheeler is competing in Group B this week, Jones is also positioned to make the Knockout Round, although he still has a bit of work to do Thursday to secure his spot among the Top 10. Jones finished the day in seventh place with 24-7.

Martin Villa of Charlottesville, Virginia, earned Tuesday’s $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award after a 7-pound, 7-ounce largemouth bit his wacky rig in Period 1. Berkley awards $1,000 to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass each day, and another $3,000 bonus to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass of the tournament.

The 39 Anglers in Group A compete in their two-day Qualifying Round on Tuesday and Thursday – the 39 anglers in Group B on Wednesday and Friday. After each two-day Qualifying Round is complete, the anglers that finish first through 10th from both groups advance to Saturday’s Knockout Round. In the Knockout Round, weights are zeroed, and the remaining 20 anglers compete to finish in the top 10 to advance to Sunday’s 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 at 7:30 a.m. ET each day from Pembroke Creek Park, located at 716 W. Queen Street in Edenton. Each day’s General Tire Takeout will be held at the park, beginning at 4 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend all launch and takeout events and also encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLFNOW!® live stream and SCORETRACKER® coverage at  MajorLeagueFishing.com.

The MLFNOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action live on the final four days of competition from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET. MLFNOW!®  will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com  and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app.

On Saturday and Sunday, June 8-9, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. MLF welcomes fans of all ages to visit Colonial Waterfront Park, located at 510 S. Broad St. in Edenton, for the MLF Watch Party and Kids Fishing Derby. Fans can watch the pros live on the MLFNOW! big screen, enjoy free food, enter to win hourly giveaways and cheer on their favorite pros. The first 50 kids 14 and under will receive a free rod and reel from Pure Fishing each day. Additional fishing gear will be provided onsite for the fishing derby or kids can bring their own. The final 10 Championship Round Bass Pro Tour anglers will be on hand at the trophy celebration on Championship Sunday to meet and greet fans, sign autographs and take selfies.

The U.S. Air Force Stage Five at Chowan River Presented by WIX Filters features the MLF catch, weigh, immediate-release format, in which anglers catch as much weight as they can each day, while also feeling the pressure and intensity of the SCORETRACKER® leaderboard. The tournament features anglers competing with a 1-pound, 8-ounce minimum weight requirement for a bass to be deemed scorable. The MLF Fisheries Management Division determines minimum weights for each body of water that the Bass Pro Tour visits, based on the productivity, bass population and anticipated average size of fish in each fishery.

The Bass Pro Tour features a field of 79 of the top professional anglers in the world, competing across seven regular-season tournaments around the country, for millions of dollars and valuable points to qualify for the annual General Tire Heavy Hitters all-star event and the REDCREST 2025 championship.

Fishing Clash, an interactive 3D fishing simulation game that’s played by more than 80 million people worldwide, is the official AOY sponsor of the Bass Pro Tour, Tackle Warehouse Invitationals, Toyota Series and Phoenix Bass Fishing League. You can download Fishing Clash for free in the App Store and on Google Play or log on to www.fishingclash.game for more information.

Television coverage of the U.S. Air Force Stage Five at Lake Eufaula Presented by WIX Filters Knockout Round will air as a two-hour episode starting at 7 a.m. ET, on Saturday, Oct. 26 on Discovery, with the Championship Round premiering on Nov. 2. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on Discovery, with re-airings on Outdoor Channel.

Proud sponsors of the 2024 MLF Bass Pro Tour include: Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, BUBBA, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, Garmin, General Tire, Humminbird, Lowrance, Mercury, MillerTech, Minn Kota, Mossy Oak Fishing, NITRO, Onyx, Plano, Power-Pole, Rapala, REDCON1, Star brite, Suzuki, Toyota, U.S. Air Force and WIX Filters.

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, X,  Instagram and YouTube.

About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery Channel, Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 17 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.

by AnglersChannel

Lee Leads Wire-to-Wire to Win MLF General Tire Heavy Hitters 2024 Presented by Bass Pro Shops on the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes

Alabama pro earns third MLF Bass Pro Tour win on fishery and earns $100,000 top prize, Kevin VanDam catches 7-12 largemouth to win $100,000 Big Bass award

KISSIMMEE, Fla. (May 23, 2024) – The first time Abu Garcia pro Jordan Lee of Cullman, Alabama, ever tasted tournament victory, competing on Lake Guntersville at age 17, he earned the win throwing a topwater frog. Ever since, he’s continued to hone his skills with his favorite technique, waiting for a chance to show them off on the national stage.

When he finally got the chance at General Tire Heavy Hitters Presented by Bass Pro Shops on the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes, Lee made sure to take advantage.

Lee caught each of his seven scorable bass during Thursday’s Championship Round and nearly all his weight throughout the event walking a Berkley Swamp Lord over matted hydrilla on Lake Toho. His 27-pound, 14-ounce final-day total proved just enough to clinch a second Heavy Hitters championship belt.

Lee entered this week as the clear favorite thanks to his two prior wins on the Kissimmee Chain in Bass Pro Tour competition, including the inaugural Heavy Hitters event in June 2020. And for much of the event, he made it look easy. He led Group B through both days of qualifying, stacking more than 60 pounds on SCORETRACKER® during a Day 1 he called “insane,” then won the Knockout Round.

Come Championship Thursday, though, his fish proved far less cooperative. Whether due to five days of fishing pressure, the variable minimum weight increasing to 3 pounds or the calm, blue-sky conditions that greeted the Top 10, the entire field had to grind for bites, Lee included. It took him two hours to book his first scorable bass.

But, leaning on the hundreds of hours he’s spent frogging mats on Guntersville through the years, the Alabama native eventually figured out which tricks to try to generate just enough bites. He crawled his frog painfully slowly, especially when he knew he was around active fish. He also doctored one frog, removing the silicone strand legs and replacing them with super-glued jig rattles, saying the added noise helps attract bass through the thicker slop.

Most important was knowing where to look amid a sea of hydrilla. Lee learned during practice that he could get more bites through bigger mats than small, matted clumps. From there, he covered water to identify which areas were better than others, using the extra practice time he earned during the Qualifying Round to expand his list of waypoints. That proved vital, as Lee said certain mats stopped producing during the course of the event due to fishing pressure and boat traffic.

“They had to be hollow underneath, … and where you had that kind of cheese,” Lee explained. “They weren’t way out on the outside where there was isolated clumps. I was looking for the bigger mats in areas where they just looked fresh almost, and I was looking for blowholes, where fish come up, blowing through the mat.

“It’s Guntersville 101. I do this every fall since I was 16, the exact fishing that I did this week. It was no different. The grass was the same, and it was just awesome because of how identical it fishes to there.”

Lee used beefed-up tackle to throw his Swamp Lords, which he believes was key. He primarily wielded a Jordan Lee signature series 7-6 heavy rod from Abu Garcia — designed to be a flipping stick — instead of his usual, 7-3 frog rod. He also turned to a 7-9 punching rod in the thickest mats, spooling both with 50-pound Berkley X5 braid. The heavier rods gave him more power to winch bass out of the thick grass.

“I didn’t want to mess up the mats,” Lee said. “That’s kind of what I’ve learned about going in and getting them, you ruin a place, and then you’ve got to drag them out. You can catch a fish right there in the same hole that you’ve caught one before, and that happened a ton this week where you’d find them just packed in out of the same spot.”

Lee bounced from spot to spot Thursday morning before landing on a mat that produced a three-fish flurry in the final half four of Period 1, giving him the lead. He extended his advantage with two more scorable bass around noon.

Then, his bite went dormant. Lee went more than two hours without adding to his total. During that time, several anglers crept within one scorable bass of his lead, and Poche eventually passed him with a little more than 90 minutes left in the competition day.

Lee didn’t panic, though. He returned to one of the mats he’d fished early in the morning. While he didn’t get any bites there initially, he’d noticed that it didn’t show signs of fishing pressure. The decision proved to be worth $100,000.

“I thought there was some fish around there,” Lee said. “I had some bites throughout the week right there. But I just decided that was really my only other place I thought wasn’t getting a lot of fishing pressure.”

While Lee lifting a trophy (or, in this case, a belt) has become a common sight at the highest level of tournament fishing, he’ll remember this win for how he pulled it off.

“I’m really just blown away how good it was to me this week, catching them one of my favorite ways, fishing this heavy hydrilla,” Lee said. “I grew up fishing like this. I was really comfortable when I found this bite. And it was just a special bite. It got tougher as the week went on, but I stayed patient, and man, it was just awesome.”

The top 10 pros at the General Tire Heavy Hitters 2024 Presented by Bass Pro Shops on the Kissimmee Chain finished:

1st:        Jordan Lee, Cullman, Ala., seven bass, 27-14, $110,000
2nd:       Keith Poche, Pike Road, Ala., five bass, 23-10, $25,000
3rd:       Matt Becker, Ten Mile, Tenn., five bass, 19-4, $20,000
4th:        Kevin VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich., four bass, 18-14, $118,000
5th:        Brandon Coulter, Knoxville, Tenn., three bass, 12-5, $20,000
6th:        Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., two bass, 8-7, $44,500
7th:        Todd Faircloth, Jasper, Texas, two bass, 8-1, $13,500
8th:        Brent Ehrler, Redlands, Calif., one bass, 7-0, $17,500
9th:        Dakota Ebare, Brookeland, Texas, two bass, 6-12, $11,000
10th:     Alton Jones, Jr., Waco, Texas, zero bass, 0-0, $8,000

Full results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Overall, there were 31 scorable bass weighing 132 pounds, 3 ounces caught by the final 10 pros in Thursday’s Championship Round. A bass had to weigh at least 3 pounds to be deemed scorable in the Championship Round.

The six-day General Tire Heavy Hitters Presented by Bass Pro Shops at the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes was hosted by Experience Kissimmee and showcased the top 30 pros that qualified via the Bass Pro Tour competing in a no-entry fee tournament for massive daily Big Bass Bonuses and a payout of $100,000 to the winner.

The 15 Anglers in Group A competed in their two-day qualifying round on Saturday and Monday – the 15 anglers in Group B on Sunday and Tuesday. After each two-day qualifying round was complete, the top eight anglers from both groups advanced to Wednesday’s Knockout Round. In the Knockout Round weights were zeroed, and the remaining 16 anglers competed to finish in the top 10 to advance to the Championship Round. In Thursday’s final-day Championship Round, weights were zeroed, and the highest one-day total won the top prize of $100,000.

Television coverage of the General Tire Heavy Hitters 2024 Presented by Bass Pro Shops will be showcased across six two-hour episodes, premiering at 7 a.m. ET, Aug. 10 and running each Saturday through Sept. 14 on Discovery. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on Discovery, with re-airings on the Outdoor Channel.

Proud sponsors of General Tire Heavy Hitters 2024 Presented by Bass Pro Shops at the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes include: Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Barbasol, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, BUBBA, Fishing Clash, General Tire, Kubota, Lowrance, Lucas Oil, Mercury, Mossy Oak Fishing, NITRO, Onyx, Plano, Power-Pole, REDCON1, Star brite, Toyota, U.S. Air Force and YETI.

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, X,  Instagram and  YouTube.

About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery Channel, Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 17 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.

by AnglersChannel

Jordan Lee Leads Final 10 into Knockout Round, Thrift Banks $30K Big Bass Award at MLF General Tire Heavy Hitters

Lee earns Knockout Round win by 7-13, Thrift boats 7-pound, 11-ounce largemouth to win $30K Knockout Round Big Bass Award, Final 10 anglers set for Thursday’s Championship Round

KISSIMMEE, Fla. (May 22, 2023) – The two anglers who dominated their respective groups during the Qualifying Round at General Tire Heavy Hitters Presented by Bass Pro Shops picked up right where they left off during Wednesday’s Knockout Round.

Abu Garcia pro Jordan Lee of Cullman, Alabama, led the way with 49 pounds, 14 ounces. Trading the top spot with him throughout the day was pro Brandon Coulter of Knoxville, Tennessee, who wound up right behind him with 42-1. California pro Brent Ehrler , the only angler to find a consistent bite during a grueling third period, finished third with 40-2, while Bryan Thrift’s 7-11 won him $30,000 as the Berkley Big Bass.

While it’s not often that the same bite in the same areas holds up throughout an entire Bass Pro Tour event, it sure looks like Thursday’s Championship Round is shaping up to be a slugfest between Coulter and Lee, both of whom have done their damage in matted hydrilla in Lake Toho with Berkley Swamp Lord frogs. The two anglers have been the most dialed in since competition began on the Kissimmee Chain, and both secured their spots in the Top 10 during the first period Wednesday before laying off their best water.

There will be no holding back during the Championship Round, when not only will $100,000 and the title belt be on the line for the tournament winner, but another $100,000 will be up for grabs for the angler who catches the biggest bass. Watch the action from 7:45 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. ET on the MLFNOW! live stream at MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV app.

Link to Hi-Res Photo of Knockout Round Winner Jordan Lee
Link to Hi-Res Photo of Bryan Thrift’s $30,000 Big Bass Winner
Link to Photo Gallery of Knockout Round Highlights
Link to Video of Fish-Catch Highlights from Knockout Round of Heavy Hitters on the Kissimmee Chain

No surprise, Lee started the Knockout Round in the area that produced the bulk of his 63-4 total from his first day of qualifying – still the best day any angler has put together all week. However, he found “the grass had changed, so the fishing kind of changed with it.”

That forced Lee to adjust his location a bit. He didn’t land his first scorable bass until almost an hour after lines in. But once he relocated a school, the beatdown was on.

During a two-hour window that included a 15-minute period break, Lee stacked 12 scorable bass totaling 33-4 onto SCORETRACKER®, more than enough to cement his place among the Top 10.

“It was awesome,” he said. “I didn’t really know how many fish I could catch after a couple days of fishing, but I think it went really good.”

The key for Lee was covering water quickly to find sweet spots within the vast expanse of hydrilla. He explained that most of the bass seem to be congregated within small zones, the locations of which have changed a bit during the event due to grass growth and fishing pressure.

“It’s not a lot of big, giant mats with just fish everywhere,” he said. “It’s more like you find them, and they’re schooled up in one spot, and that’s where I’m catching them.”

Around 11 a.m., realizing his spot in the Championship Round was secure, Lee eased off the gas and shifted his focus to finding new hotspots and trying to catch the biggest bass of the day. He said he succeeded in the former and nearly in the latter, boating a 7-3 lunker midway through the third period.

Lee also saved a few areas that he’s discovered during the event for the Championship Round. His plan is to run from spot to spot until he finds one with a population that he thinks can earn him a second Heavy Hitters belt and a third BPT win on the Kissimmee Chain.

“I bounced around a lot,” he said, “and that’s what I’m going to do tomorrow is bounce around and try to find the area that’s most productive.”

One variable Lee and the rest of the Championship Round field will have to contend with is a boosted variable minimum weight. In a wrinkle unique to Heavy Hitters, bass will have to weigh at least 3 pounds to count toward anglers’ totals. As a result, Lee thinks the winning strategy will center less around finding numbers of fish and more on generating a handful of the right bites. Landing those bigger bites – far from a given when fishing a frog among thick mats – will also be pivotal.

“I still think you’re going to have to catch six or seven, at least – maybe a few more – to get the win, and some big ones, some of those 6- and 7-pounders,” Lee said. “You’ve always got to have your best day on the last day to win.”

The top 10 pros from the Knockout Round that advance to Thursday’s Championship Round on the Kissimmee Chain are:

1st:        Jordan Lee, Cullman, Ala., 16 bass, 49-14
2nd:       Brandon Coulter, Knoxville, Tenn., 13 bass, 42-1
3rd:       Brent Ehrler, Redlands, Calif., 13 bass, 40-13
4th:        Matt Becker, Ten Mile, Tenn., seven bass, 25-4
5th:        Kevin VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich., five bass, 21-15
6th:        Alton Jones, Jr., Waco, Texas, five bass, 20-13
7th:        Todd Faircloth, Jasper, Texas, seven bass, 20-10
8th:        Dakota Ebare, Brookeland, Texas, seven bass, 20-9
9th:        Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., four bass, 16-6
10th:     Keith Poche, Pike Road, Ala., four bass, 13-2

Eliminated from competition after the Knockout Round on the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes are:

11th:     Marty Robinson, Lyman, S.C., four bass, 12-12
12th:     Jeff Sprague, Wills Point, Texas, five bass, 12-9
13th:     Ryan Salzman, Huntsville, Ala., five bass, 12-7
14th:     Ott DeFoe, Blaine, Tenn., four bass, 12-4
15th:     Mark Rose, Wynne, Ark., three bass, 11-4
16th:     Takahiro Omori, Tokyo, Japan, two bass, 4-6

Full results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Overall, there were 104 bass weighing 337 pounds, 1 ounce caught by the 16 pros on Wednesday, which included three 7-pounders, two 6-pounders and two 5-pounders caught from the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes.

Berkley Big Bass Bonus Award Winners:

Group A Day 1: Ryan Salzman, Huntsville, Ala. (9-3), $10,000
Group B Day 1: Jordan Lee, Cullman, Ala. (7-14), $10,000
Group A Day 2: Brandon Coulter, Knoxville, Tenn. & Brent Ehrler, Redlands, Calif. (7-10), $10,000
Group B Day 2: Mark Rose, Wynne, Ark. (7-9), $10,000
Knockout Round: Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C. (7-11), $30,000
Championship Round: TBD, $100,000

The General Tire Heavy Hitters at the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes Presented by Bass Pro Shops features the MLF catch, weigh, immediate-release format, in which anglers catch as much weight as they can each day, while also feeling the pressure and intensity of the SCORETRACKER® leaderboard. A bass must meet the 2-pound minimum weight requirement for a bass to be deemed scorable in the Qualifying and Knockout Rounds, but for the final day Championship Round a bass must weigh at least 3 pounds to be deemed scorable.

The 15 Anglers in Group A competed in their two-day qualifying round on Saturday and Monday – the 15 anglers in Group B on Sunday and Tuesday. After each two-day qualifying round was complete, the top eight anglers from both groups advanced to Wednesday’s Knockout Round. In the Knockout Round weights were zeroed, and the remaining 16 anglers competed to finish in the top 10 to advance to the Championship Round. In Thursday’s final-day Championship Round, weights are zeroed, and the highest one-day total wins the top prize of $100,000.

The final 10 anglers will launch Thursday at 7:30 a.m. ET from Big Toho Marina located at 69 Lakeview Drive in Kissimmee. The General Tire Takeout will be held at the park, beginning at 4 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend all launch and takeout events and also encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLFNOW! live stream and SCORETRACKER® coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

To qualify for General Tire Heavy Hitters, the weight of an angler’s single-largest bass from each event of the seven 2023 Bass Pro Tour events was recorded. The 30 anglers with the heaviest total from those seven bass qualified to compete in this event.

The MLFNOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action on Championship Thursday from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET. MLFNOW!®  will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com, the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app, and Rumble.

Television coverage of the General Tire Heavy Hitters 2024 Presented by Bass Pro Shops will be showcased across six two-hour episodes, premiering at 7 a.m. ET, Aug. 10 and running each Saturday through Sept. 14 on Discovery. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on Discovery, with re-airings on the Outdoor Channel.

Proud sponsors of General Tire Heavy Hitters Presented by Bass Pro Shops include: Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Barbasol, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, BUBBA, Fishing Clash, General Tire, Kubota, Lowrance, Lucas Oil, Mercury, Mossy Oak Fishing, NITRO, Onyx, Plano, Power-Pole, REDCON1, Star brite, Toyota, U.S. Air Force and YETI.

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, X,  Instagram and  YouTube.

About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery Channel, Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 17 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.

by AnglersChannel