Mullins Tops Field at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Lake Monroe
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (July 18, 2022) – Boater Levi Mullins of Nineveh, Indiana, caught three bass Saturday weighing 12 pounds, 12 ounces, to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on Lake Monroe . The tournament was the third event for the Bass Fishing League Hoosier Division. Mullins earned $5,635 for his victory.
“I knew my starting spot had some potential, but I got there and started with a topwater bait and couldn’t get anything going,” Mullins said. “I switched to a shaky head and picked off a few fish in stumps in eight feet of water.”
Mullins said he caught 10 bass during the course of the tournament – six of which were keepers – in the main lake area of Monroe.
“I didn’t know how close I was to winning until I got to weigh-in,” Mullins said. “I just felt like I needed one more quality bite. This is just awesome.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Levi Mullins, Nineveh, Ind., three bass, 12-12, $5,635
2nd: Jerry Koller, Paragon, Ind., three bass, 12-1, $2,118
3rd: Tyler Mosier, Bloomington, Ind., three bass, 11-15, $1,413
4th: Mike Quinlin, Mooresville, Ind., three bass, 11-7, $988
5th: Doug Ruster, New Palestine, Ind., three bass, 10-13, $847
6th: Rob Flowers, West Harrison, Ind., three bass, 10-4, $776
7th: Robert Gilliland Sr., Bloomington, Ind., three bass, 10-3, $670
7th: Nick Uebelhor, Jasper, Ind., three bass, 10-3, $1,170 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
9th: Dave Tinsman, Losantville, Ind., three bass, 10-0, $565
10th: Colby Reed, Bloomington, Ind., three bass, 9-12, $494
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Phillip Ralston of Terre Haute, Indiana, had a largemouth that weighed 6 pounds even that was the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division and earned the day’s Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $590.
Colsyn Head of Poland, Indiana, won the Strike King Co-angler Division and $2,082 Saturday after catching three bass weighing 10 pounds, 7 ounces.
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:
1st: Colsyn Head, Poland, Ind., three bass, 10-7, $2,082
2nd: John Bradley Atkins, Mooresville, Ind., three bass, 9-5, $1,041
3rd: Guy Linville, Camby, Ind., two bass, 9-4, $692
4th: Jay Backer, Henderson, Ky., three bass, 7-2, $486
5th: Steven Sanders, Orleans, Ind., three bass, 6-13, $416
6th: Douglas Salzman, Newburgh, Ind., two bass, 6-9, $382
7th: Kevin Freese, Danville, Ind., three bass, 5-15, $447
8th: Andy Lundy, Camby, Ind., one bass, 5-13, $602
9th: Gary Owens, Columbus, Ind., three bass, 5-12, $278
10th: Austin Tinsman, Losantville, Ind., two bass, 5-11, $243
Lundy caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 5 pounds, 13 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Berkley Big Bass Co-angler award of $290.
After three events, Chris Martinkovic of Hamilton, Ohio, leads the Bass Fishing League Hoosier Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 728 points, while Austin Tinsman of Losantville, Indiana, leads the Strike King Co-Angler Division AOY race with 718 points.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 13-15 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on the Mississippi River in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Boaters will compete for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.
The 2022 Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six Regional Championships where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.
The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division will also earn priority entry into the MLF Toyota Series, the pathway to the MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit and ultimately the MLF Bass Pro Tour.
Proud sponsors of the 2022 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 4WP, 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, AFTCO, A.R.E. Truck Caps, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, E3, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, Gary Yamamoto Baits, General Tire, Lew’s, Lowrance, Lucas Oil, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Revital Outdoors, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, Wiley X, YETI and Yo-Zuri.
For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Bass Fishing League updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
Copley Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Lake St. Clair
HARRISON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (July 18, 2022) – Boater Jeff Copley of Marengo, Ohio, caught five bass Saturday weighing 26 pounds, 4 ounces, to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on Lake St. Clair . The tournament was the second event for the Bass Fishing League Michigan Division. Copley earned $8,407, including a $2,500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus, for his victory.
“We pulled up on some areas where I thought I had them pretty planned out, but I struggled for a while,” Copley said. “I ended up locating a school I had found Friday and spent the rest of the day making drifts and alternating between a swimbait and a drop-shot.”
Copley said he was fishing 13 to 16 feet deep and targeting isolated grass clumps in the Anchor Bay area. Copley said he caught an estimated 20 fish during the course of the day, all of which were keepers.
“I don’t typically weigh fish,” Copley said. “If they’re over four pounds, they go in the livewell, and if they’re under four pounds they get a cull tag. At one point I had culled everything that had a cull tag, and then I caught a 6-pounder. At that point I knew I had significantly more than 21 pounds.
“I’ve learned from some of the best out there by fishing as a co-angler,” Copley said. “To be able to go out there and put it together myself was pretty amazing.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Jeff Copley, Marengo, Ohio, five bass, 26-4, $8,407 (includes $2,500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
2nd: Kyle Greene, Ortonville, Mich., five bass, 23-8, $2,436
3rd: Brayden Federer, Deerfield, Mich., five bass, 22-9, $1,623
4th: Todd Schmitz, Coldwater, Mich., five bass, 22-4, $1,137
5th: Kevin Langlands, Macomb, Mich., five bass, 21-13, $974
6th: Jeremy Reese, Powell, Ohio, five bass, 21-11, $893
7th: Scott Dobson, Clarkston, Mich., five bass, 21-6, $1,012
8th: Aaron Jagdfeld, Rochester, Mich., five bass, 21-3, $731
9th: Austin Freed, LaGrange, Ind., five bass, 21-0, $650
10th: John Lovin, Fayetteville, Ohio, five bass, 20-15, $568
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Copley also caught the heaviest bass of the tournament - 6 pounds, 3 ounces, to earn the day’s Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $735.
Benjamin Mott of North Royalton, Ohio, won the Strike King Co-angler Division and $2,736 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 22 pounds even.
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:
1st: Benjamin Mott, North Royalton, Ohio, five bass, 22-0, $2,736
2nd: Tom Stark, Angola, Ind., five bass, 20-7, $1,218
3rd: Zach Wolfe, Mokena, Ill., five bass, 20-1, $814
4th: Greg Elswick, Goshen, Ind., five bass, 20-0, $568
5th: Todd Layne, Poca, W.V., five bass, 19-6, $837
6th: Gregory Jantovsky, Westland, Mich., five bass, 19-3, $447
7th: Ashten Lynch, Lebanon, Ohio, five bass, 18-14, $406
8th: Jason Hayward, Otsego, Mich., five bass, 18-7, $365
9th: Greg Surratt, Canal Winchester, Ohio, five bass, 18-4, $325
10th: Todd Taylor, Bargersville, Ind., five bass, 17-12, $284
Matt Knox of Metamora, Illinois, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 5 pounds, 14 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Berkley Big Bass Co-angler award of $367.
After two events, Kyle Greene of Ortonville, Michigan, leads the Bass Fishing League Michigan Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 498 points, while Greg Elswick of Goshen, Indiana, leads the Strike King Co-Angler Division AOY race with 490 points.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 13-15 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on the Mississippi River in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Boaters will compete for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.
The 2022 Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six Regional Championships where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.
The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division will also earn priority entry into the MLF Toyota Series, the pathway to the MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit and ultimately the MLF Bass Pro Tour.
Proud sponsors of the 2022 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 4WP, 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, AFTCO, A.R.E. Truck Caps, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, E3, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, Gary Yamamoto Baits, General Tire, Lew’s, Lowrance, Lucas Oil, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Revital Outdoors, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, Wiley X, YETI and Yo-Zuri.
For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Bass Fishing League updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
17-Year-Old Trey McKinney Claims Second Straight Illini Division Victory at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Rend Lake
SESSER, Ill. (July 18, 2022) – Boater Trey McKinney of Carbondale, Illinois, the reigning Illini Division Angler of the Year (AOY), caught five bass Saturday weighing 16 pounds, 1 ounces, to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on Rend Lake. The tournament was the third event for the Bass Fishing League Illini Division. McKinney earned $5,244 for his victory.
The 17-year-old McKinney said his approach to tournament fishing of sticking to techniques, locations and baits he has confidence in paid off, and it didn’t take him long to catch his tournament-winning bag Saturday morning, as he stuck to his plan he had developed during practice for the event.
“My main strategy was to run back and forth, hitting key stretches that were high-probability areas,” McKinney said. “
McKinney said he had success on shallow wood laydowns in pockets, the deepest of which was in six feet of water. His bait of choice was a natural-colored jig that imitated bluegill that were present in the lake.
“I had my five fish that I weighed in at 8:11 (Saturday) morning,” McKinney said. “It was unreal that it happened so fast. I knew I had a good bag, but I didn’t think I had 16 pounds. I was thinking I needed one more 4-pounder to have good odds at winning.
“If you think you have enough, you just don’t fish the same as if you think you need one more,” McKinney added. “I always want to underestimate my weight, so I always need that one more bite.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Trey McKinney, Carbondale, Ill., five bass, 16-1, $5,244
2nd: Brennan McCord, Thompsonville, Ill., five bass, 14-4, $2,622 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
3rd: Larry Diveley, Saint Jacob, Ill., five bass, 13-2, $1,413
4th: Greg Hirsch, Saint Jacob, Ill., five bass, 13-1, $990
5th: Gabe Jelley, Mulkeytown, Ill., five bass, 12-5, $849
6th: Riley Walk, Neoga, Ill., four bass, 11-13, $778
7th: Scott Neighbors, Makanda, Ill., four bass, 11-7, $1,707
8th: Neil McCord, West Frankfort, Ill., four bass, 11-2, $637
9th: Mike Hudson, Creal Springs, Ill., five bass, 10-11, $566
10th: Patrick Odell, Windsor, Ill., five bass, 10-8, $495
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Neighbors had a largemouth that weighed 5 pounds, 10 ounces that was the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division and earned the day’s Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $600.
Patrick Lesicko of Staunton, Illinois, won the Strike King Co-angler Division and $2,122 Saturday after catching four bass weighing 10 pounds, 15 ounces.
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:
1st: Patrick Lesicko, Staunton, Ill., four bass, 10-15, $2,122
2nd: Shannon Schloss, West Frankfort, Ill., four bass, 9-6, $1,061
3rd: Sheldon Ayers, Goreville, Ill., three bass, 9-1, $707
4th: G.W. Gass, West Frankfort, Ill., two bass, 6-14, $495
5th: Gary Denney, Livingston, Ill., one bass, 5-15, $724
6th: Jeff Anderson, St. Louis, Mo., three bass, 5-10, $389
7th: Drake Horn, Murphysboro, Ill., three bass, 5-8, $354
8th: Jason Gosnell, Paris, Ill., three bass, 5-6, $318
9th: Matthew Hackman, Creal Springs, Ill., two bass, 5-0, $283
10th: Matthew Tinsman, Peoria, Ill., two bass, 4-14, $248
Denney caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 5 pounds, 15 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Berkley Big Bass Co-angler award of $300.
After three events, Trey McKinney of Carbondale, Illinois, leads the Bass Fishing League Illini Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 745 points, while Jojo Johnson of Benton, Illinois, leads the Strike King Co-Angler Division AOY race with 721 points.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 13-15 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on the Mississippi River in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Boaters will compete for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.
The 2022 Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six Regional Championships where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.
The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division will also earn priority entry into the MLF Toyota Series, the pathway to the MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit and ultimately the MLF Bass Pro Tour.
Proud sponsors of the 2022 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 4WP, 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, AFTCO, A.R.E. Truck Caps, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, E3, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, Gary Yamamoto Baits, General Tire, Lew’s, Lowrance, Lucas Oil, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Revital Outdoors, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, Wiley X, YETI and Yo-Zuri.
For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Bass Fishing League updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
Uzzle Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on the James River
HENRICO, Va. (July 18, 2022) – Boater Rob Uzzle of Hampton, Virginia, caught five bass Saturday weighing 17 pounds, 15 ounces, to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on the James River . The tournament was the fourth event for the Bass Fishing League Piedmont Division. Uzzle earned $7,152, including a $2,500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus, for his victory.
“I had a major change in plans during the tournament,” Uzzle said. “I had planned on staying up on the James River instead of running down to the Chickahominy River, but after checking the tides and seeing it would be low tide at 10:30, I felt like I needed to go on down to Gordon’s Creek and do my normal milk run. It ended up being the right decision.”
Uzzle said his approach varied greatly during the day, but it resulted in a quality five-fish limit that included four fish that weighed more than four pounds each and one that weighed more than 3 pounds. The fish fell for a buzzbait, a square-bill crankbait, a Profound Outdoors crankbait and a topwater popping bait.
“My four quality fish came on four different baits,” Uzzle said. “It was junk fishing at its finest. There was no topwater bite or crankbait bite. It was just me fishing the moment.
“To come out of the Chickahominy with more than 17 pounds at 11 o‘clock… not a bad place to be,” Uzzle added with a laugh.
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Rob Uzzle, Hampton, Va., five bass, 17-15, $7,152 (includes $2,500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
2nd: Harrison McCall, Salisbury, N.C., five bass, 17-6, $2,526
3rd: Cullen Hoover, Chesterfield, Va., five bass, 16-1, $1,551
4th: Bryan Elrod, Mechanicsville, Va., five bass, 15-4, $1,086
5th: Frank Poirier, North Prince George, Va., five bass, 15-3, $930
6th: Scott Rogers, Midlothian, Va., five bass, 15-1, $853
7th: Kevin Chandler, New London, N.C., five bass, 14-13, $1,460
8th: Jason Agpalza, Woodbridge, Va., five bass, 14-11, $698
9th: Tim Chaffin, Quinton, Va., five bass, 14-4, $620
10th: Todd Langford, Great Falls, Va., five bass, 14-0, $543
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Chandler had a largemouth that weighed 6 pounds, 10 ounces that was the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division and earned the day’s Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $685.
Dustin Riddle of Hiwassee, Virginia, won the Strike King Co-angler Division and $2,326 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 12 pounds, 7 ounces.
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:
1st: Dustin Riddle, Hiwassee, Va., five bass, 12-7, $2,326
2nd: Justin Faison, South Prince George, Va., five bass, 11-9, $1,163
3rd: Micah Mitten, Powhatan, Va., five bass, 10-6, $777
4th: Nathan Pulley, Chester, Va., five bass, 10-4, $578
4th: Gerrit Vanvoorhees, Lenexa, Va., five bass, 10-4, $628
4th: Greg Ravitsky, Palmyra, Va., two bass, 10-4, $820
7th: Callahan Cochran, Chantilly, Va., three bass, 10-2, $388
8th: Shaquille Freeman, Meherrin, Va., five bass, 10-1, $349
9th: Brandon Miskell, Vienna, Va., five bass, 9-14, $310
10th: Maurice Curley, Prince George, Va., five bass, 9-13, $257
Ravitsky caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 8 pounds, 11 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Berkley Big Bass Co-angler award of $342.
After four events, Todd Langford of Great Falls, Virginia, leads the Bass Fishing League Piedmont Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 935 points, while David Deciucis of Chester, Virginia, leads the Strike King Co-Angler Division AOY race with 952 points.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 6-8 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Lake Murray in Prosperity, South Carolina. Boaters will compete for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.
The 2022 Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six Regional Championships where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.
The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division will also earn priority entry into the MLF Toyota Series, the pathway to the MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit and ultimately the MLF Bass Pro Tour.
Proud sponsors of the 2022 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 4WP, 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, AFTCO, A.R.E. Truck Caps, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, E3, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, Gary Yamamoto Baits, General Tire, Lew’s, Lowrance, Lucas Oil, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Revital Outdoors, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, Wiley X, YETI and Yo-Zuri.
For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Bass Fishing League updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
Major League Fishing to Unveil General Tire Team Series Draft Results Thursday at ICAST 2022 Media Event
WHAT:
On Thursday, Major League Fishing (MLF), the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, will announce the results of the inaugural General Tire Team Series Draft in the MLF booth at ICAST 2022. Media, sponsors and anglers are invited to come and celebrate with MLF and professional anglers from the Bass Pro Tour as they recreate the ceremonial first pick and reveal the anglers that comprise all 27 three-man teams.
WHEN:
Thursday, July 21, 4:30 – 5:30 p.m. ET
WHERE:
Major League Fishing (MLF) Booth #1449
Happy Hour drinks and appetizers will be available.
NOTES:
The General Tire Team Series will showcase the 80 anglers that compete on the Bass Pro Tour, joined by the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit TITLE champion, competing as three-man teams across four events for hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash payouts. The General Tire Team Series will succeed the current MLF Cup events, which have aired for 13 seasons on the Outdoor Channel.
The Team Series Draft took place on Wednesday, June 1, in Spring City, Tennessee, where the top 27 Bass Pro Tour anglers – based on 2021 Angler of the Year (AOY) point standings – selected two additional Bass Pro Tour anglers to create 27 three-man teams that will compete over three qualifying events.
Each qualifying event will feature nine teams, divided into three groups. Each group competition will feature three teams competing over two days to accumulate the highest total two-day weight. The group winners – three teams from each qualifying event – will advance to the General Tire Team Series Championship, which will showcase the nine winning teams competing for a top prize of $300,000.
For complete details and updated information on Major League Fishing and the MLF General Tire Team Series events, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
Przekurat Makes History With Bassmaster Elite Series Win At St. Lawrence
Jay Przekurat of Stevens Point, Wis., has won the 2022 Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River with a four-day total of 102 pounds, 9 ounces.
Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
July 17, 2022
CLAYTON, N.Y. — The question: could it happen?
Could an angler win a Bassmaster Elite Series event with a four-day limit of 20 smallmouth bass that weighed 100 pounds or more?
It was asked by many throughout the week, and rookie Jay Przekurat of Stevens Point, Wis., gladly answered with a four-day total of 102 pounds, 9 ounces that won the Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River.
Prior to this event, no angler in recorded sportfishing history had ever reached 100 pounds solely with smallmouth. But with a rare stretch of calm, sunny weather and Wednesday’s super moon igniting the fish, Przekurat did just that.
His feat earned him a spot in the prestigious Bassmaster Century Club, which recognizes a four-day total of 100 pounds. It also earned him one of the most prestigious trophies in pro fishing and the $100,000 top prize.
“Trying to take in the moment during the day of the tournament is pretty hard because you’re just focused on catching 5-pounders out there,” Przekurat said. “You’re running back to the ramp and you start getting a little emotional. There’s no other feeling like it.”
Technically, second-place finisher Cory Johnston of Cavan, Canada, was the first to enter the Century Club with all smallmouth. Starting Championship Sunday in eighth place, Johnston took the stage before Przekurat and tallied 100-5.
Nevertheless, Przekurat said winning against a final field stacked with heavy hitters was particularly rewarding.
“One of my goals was to beat the Johnston brothers (Cory and sixth-place Chris),” Przekurat joked. “They’ve been coming to my home waters of Sturgeon Bay and taking our money for years, so I had to come over here and take theirs this time.”
Przekurat started the event with his biggest catch — a 26-13 limit that put him 1-2 behind Day 1 leader and fellow rookie Jacob Foutz of Charleston, Tenn. Adding 25-8 on Day 2 sent Przekurat into Semifinal Saturday with a 1-13 lead over Cory Johnston.
Weighing 24-12 on Day 3 extended his advantage to a margin of 2-15 over Bob Downey of Detroit Lakes, Minn. Przekurat surged across the finish line with a final catch of 25-8 and edged Johnston by 2-4.
Przekurat caught his fish on a drop shot with a green pumpkin Strike King Half Shell. He used a No. 2 Gamakatsu G-Finesse drop-shot hook and a 1/4-ounce tungsten cylinder weight.
Przekurat spent all four days in Lake Ontario, south of Chaumont Bay. His starting spot was the north bank of Black River Bay — a postspawn staging area in 15 to 20 feet where smallmouth were gorging on abundant baitfish.
When fishing pressure and calm conditions took their toll on the bite, he would relocate to another postspawn spot, this one in 8 to 12 feet outside of Chaumont Bay. Windy and rainy weather limited practice efforts, but fortunately, Przekurat found enough potential to last four days.
“I settled on these areas because that’s all I had and I really didn’t feel like exploring during the tournament,” he said. “I know in smallmouth tournaments, you need to hunker down and focus on fishing because you need to be catching 5-pounders. Sometimes, it takes a while to catch those fish.”
In addition to making history in the Century Club, Przekurat also became the youngest Elite Series champion. At 23 years and 26 days old, he broke the record previously held by Casey Ashley, who won the 2007 Elite on Smith Mountain Lake at 23 years, four months and nine days old — also in his rookie season.
Johnston spent all of his time in Lake Ontario, mostly near the Wolfe Island area. Looking for postspawn fish roaming the shallows, he caught the majority of his bass on a drop shot with a green pumpkin SPRO CJ Smasher.
Over the first three days, Johnston turned in limits of 26-3, 24-5 and 21-5. Day 4 saw him catch 28-8 — the event’s heaviest bag, which included a 6-1.
“That was my goal going into today — to catch 28 and break 100 pounds,” Johnston said. “I knew (Przekurat) was going to catch 24 to 25 pounds, so I did all I could out there. I left it all out there.”
Stetson Blaylock of Little Rock, Ark., finished third with 98-15. Buoying his performance with a monster Day 2 limit of 27-11, Blaylock opened with 21-15, then added 23-3 and 26-2 the last two days.
Spending most of his time on Lake Ontario, Blaylock caught most of his bass drop shotting a YUM Warning Shot. He also caught bass on a Ned rig with a 1/6-ounce head and a YUM Ned Dinger and a small swimbait.
“Day 2, when I had that big bag, I had two big ones that I caught in the river right in front of takeoff,” Blaylock said. “I caught some other good ones throughout the day, but those two fish were huge in that big bag that allowed me to be here on the final day.”
Kyle Welcher of Opelika, Ala., won the $2,000 Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors with his 6-12 from Day 1. Cory Johnston earned the daily $1,000 Phoenix Boats Big Bass award for his 6-1 Sunday.
Cory Johnston also won the $2,000 VMC Monster Bag award with his catch of 28-8 on Championship Sunday.
Chris Zaldain of Fort Worth, Texas, took home $3,000 for being the highest-placing entrant in the Toyota Bonus Bucks program, and Paul Mueller of Naugatuck, Conn., earned $2,000 for being the second-highest placing entrant.
As part of the Yamaha Power Pay program, Zaldain earned an additional $2,500 as the highest-placing entrant and North Carolina pro Shane LeHew claimed an additional $1,500 for being the second-highest placing entrant.
Ed Loughran III of Richmond, Va., won the $1,000 BassTrakk Contingency award for the most accurate weight reporting.
Brandon Palaniuk of Rathdrum, Idaho, extended his lead in the Progressive Insurance Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings with 612 points. David Mullins of Mt. Carmel, Tenn., is in second with 571, followed by John Cox of DeBary, Fla., with 561, Brandon Lester of Fayetteville, Tenn., with 546 and Drew Benton of Blakey, Ga. with 527.
Przekurat leads the Falcon Rods Rookie of the Year standings with 455 points, followed Foutz (444), Cody Huff of Ava, Mo., (388), Joseph Webster of Hamilton, Ala., (386) and Josh Douglas of Isle, Minn., with 348.
2022 Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River 7/14-7/17
St. Lawrence River, Clayton NY.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 4
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Jay Przekurat Stevens Point, WI 20 102-09 100 $100,000.00
Day 1: 5 26-13 Day 2: 5 25-08 Day 3: 5 24-12 Day 4: 5 25-08
2. Cory Johnston Cavan CANADA 20 100-05 99 $38,000.00
Day 1: 5 26-03 Day 2: 5 24-05 Day 3: 5 21-05 Day 4: 5 28-08
3. Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 20 98-15 98 $31,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-15 Day 2: 5 27-11 Day 3: 5 23-03 Day 4: 5 26-02
4. Chris Zaldain Fort Worth, TX 20 98-06 97 $25,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-08 Day 2: 5 23-11 Day 3: 5 27-04 Day 4: 5 25-15
5. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 20 98-05 96 $20,000.00
Day 1: 5 25-09 Day 2: 5 21-10 Day 3: 5 25-12 Day 4: 5 25-06
6. Chris Johnston Otonabee Ontario CANADA 20 98-01 95 $19,000.00
Day 1: 5 24-10 Day 2: 5 24-06 Day 3: 5 22-10 Day 4: 5 26-07
7. Shane LeHew Catawba, NC 20 97-07 94 $19,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-13 Day 2: 5 25-09 Day 3: 5 27-06 Day 4: 5 25-11
8. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 20 94-03 93 $17,000.00
Day 1: 5 24-04 Day 2: 5 24-12 Day 3: 5 24-01 Day 4: 5 21-02
9. Clark Wendlandt Leander, TX 20 92-04 92 $16,000.00
Day 1: 5 25-02 Day 2: 5 22-12 Day 3: 5 24-01 Day 4: 5 20-05
10. Bob Downey Detroit Lakes, MN 20 91-07 91 $15,000.00
Day 1: 5 22-13 Day 2: 5 25-11 Day 3: 5 25-10 Day 4: 5 17-05
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1 Kyle Welcher Opelika, AL 06-12 $1,000.00
2 Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 06-11 $1,000.00
3 Shane LeHew Catawba, NC 06-11 $1,000.00
4 Cory Johnston Cavan CANADA 06-01 $1,000.00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Kyle Welcher Opelika, AL 06-12 $1,000.00
VMC MONSTER BAG
Cory Johnston Cavan, 28-08 $2,000.00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 90 450 1881-07
2 90 450 1845-01
3 47 235 1001-15
4 10 50 242-05
----------------------------------
237 1185 4970-12
Przekurat Adjusts To Maintain Lead In Bassmaster Elite Event At St. Lawrence
Jay Przekurat of Stevens Point, Wis., is leading after Day 3 of the 2022 Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River with a three-day total of 77 pounds, 1 ounce.
Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
July 16, 2022
CLAYTON, N.Y. — Jay Przekurat had never fished the St. Lawrence River/Lake Ontario prior to this week, but drawing on similar experience from other fisheries, he caught a Day 3 limit of 24 pounds, 12 ounces Saturday to maintain his lead in the Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River.
After catching 26-13 on Day 1 and 25-8 on Day 2, Przekurat, who hails from Stevens Point, Wis., holds the lead going into Championship Sunday with a three-day total of 77-1.
With a margin of 2-15 over Bob Downey of Detroit Lakes, Minn., Przekurat said the scope of his current standing is starting to sink in.
“I’m kind of speechless, to be honest,” Przekurat said. “The last few days have been nothing but stellar. I can almost do nothing wrong. If I lose a fish or break off a fish, I can go somewhere else and catch another big one.
“We do a lot of this type of fishing back home. I fish Sturgeon Bay a lot and it fishes almost identically to this place. I love fishing the Great Lakes and I love catching big smallmouth. I guess I just have a knack for it this week.”
Essential to Przekurat’s success was knowing when to pull the plug on the area that had produced most of his action the past two days. Located in a bay south of the river mouth, Przekurat’s starting spot was a classic postspawn setup with lots of baitfish providing ample feeding opportunities.
“I caught two of my keepers there on a drop shot, but I think the pressure is getting to those fish,” Przekurat said. “Also, it would have helped if there was a little bit of a breeze there (like previous days). You have pressure and slick calm water — they get smart pretty fast.
“I left my main area around 10 and started to run back. I stopped on my secondary area and that’s where I caught my big fish (a 6-10) and filled my limit. They were there and they were biting.”
Przekurat noted that he figured out a specific bait and presentation that triggered the bass on his second spot. He kept those details confidential, but said he believes he can repeat his success on Championship Sunday after giving his first spot a fair look.
Even before anglers arrived for practice, many floated the notion of this event producing the first Century Club entry (100 pounds over four days) comprising all smallmouth. More than 3/4 of the way to that unprecedented achievement, Przekurat addressed this premise with a confident grin.
“I think I’m in a good position,” he said. “I only need about 23 pounds and out here, that’s nothing.”
Downey caught a Day 3 limit of 25-10 and placed second with 74-2. Building on his first two days’ weights of 22-13 and 25-11, he improved from his Day 2 position of eighth.
Committed to the St. Lawrence River, Downey said his third day was mostly a template of the previous two, except for an extra level of thoroughness that provided a key upgrade.
“I caught four off of one area that I’ve been starting on each day,” he said. “I’ve been getting a limit off that spot each day and I only got four today. But one was a 6 1/2-pounder, another was 5 1/2 and then there were a couple of other good ones.”
Downey left the spot for a while but returned during the afternoon hours to catch a smallmouth that helped his cause.
“I went back to that spot around 2 o’clock to try and catch a decent one because I still had a 4-pounder in my bag,” he said. “My first drift, I caught one (approximately 4 3/4 pounds).”
Elite veteran Greg Hackney of Gonzalez, La., is in third with 73-1 after being impressively consistent with daily catches of 24-4, 24-12 and 24-1.
“I sight fished a lot of them,” Hackney said of the shallow flat he’s working just outside the river mouth. “I caught some off the bed the first day, but the (bed fish) are all gone. These fish are just cruising in packs.
“It does seem like if I can find multiples, it’s easier to get one of them to bite just out of aggression. One will go at it and when it does, it will fire another one to eat. Regardless of how it turns out, this has literally been one of the most fun tournaments I’ve ever fished.”
Throwing mostly a tube, Hackney assembled a limit of approximately 21 pounds within the first 20 minutes Saturday.
“I hadn’t even got the trolling motor down or turned my depthfinders on, I looked over and saw a 4-pounder on a rock,” he said. “I caught that one, got everything set up and caught another 4-pounder. It was phenomenal.”
Kyle Welcher of Opelika, Ala., is in the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors for biggest bass of the week with a 6-12. Shane LeHew of Catawba, N.C., earned the daily $1,000 Phoenix Boats Big Bass award Saturday for his 6-11.
Jacob Foutz of Charleston, Tenn., holds the lead for the VMC Monster Bag with his 27-15 limit from Day 1.
Brandon Palaniuk of Rathdrum, Idaho, leads the Progressive Insurance Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings with 612 points. David Mullins of Mt. Carmel, Tenn., moved into second with 571, followed by John Cox of DeBary, Fla., with 561, Brandon Lester of Fayetteville, Tenn., with 546 and Drew Benton of Blakey, Ga., with 527.
Przekurat leads the Falcon Rods Bassmaster Rookie of the Year standings with 455 points. Foutz is second with 444, followed by Cody Huff of Ava, Mo., with 388, Joseph Webster of Hamilton, Ala., with 386, and Josh Douglas of Isle, Minn., with 348.
The Top 10 remaining anglers will take off at 7 a.m. ET Sunday from the Antique Boat Museum. The weigh-in will be held at the museum at 3 p.m., with the winning angler taking home $100,000.
Coverage will be available on Bassmaster.com and the FOX Sports digital platforms. FS1 will also broadcast live with the tournament leaders beginning at 8 a.m.
2022 Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River 7/14-7/17
St. Lawrence River, Clayton NY.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 3
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Jay Przekurat Stevens Point, WI 15 77-01 100
Day 1: 5 26-13 Day 2: 5 25-08 Day 3: 5 24-12
2. Bob Downey Detroit Lakes, MN 15 74-02 99
Day 1: 5 22-13 Day 2: 5 25-11 Day 3: 5 25-10
3. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 15 73-01 98
Day 1: 5 24-04 Day 2: 5 24-12 Day 3: 5 24-01
4. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 15 72-15 97
Day 1: 5 25-09 Day 2: 5 21-10 Day 3: 5 25-12
5. Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 15 72-13 96 $1,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-15 Day 2: 5 27-11 Day 3: 5 23-03
6. Chris Zaldain Fort Worth, TX 15 72-07 95
Day 1: 5 21-08 Day 2: 5 23-11 Day 3: 5 27-04
7. Clark Wendlandt Leander, TX 15 71-15 94
Day 1: 5 25-02 Day 2: 5 22-12 Day 3: 5 24-01
8. Cory Johnston Cavan CANADA 15 71-13 93
Day 1: 5 26-03 Day 2: 5 24-05 Day 3: 5 21-05
9. Shane LeHew Catawba, NC 15 71-12 92 $1,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-13 Day 2: 5 25-09 Day 3: 5 27-06
10. Chris Johnston Otonabee Ontario CANADA 15 71-10 91
Day 1: 5 24-10 Day 2: 5 24-06 Day 3: 5 22-10
11. Austin Felix Eden Prairie, MN 15 70-13 90 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 25-00 Day 2: 5 25-00 Day 3: 5 20-13
12. Patrick Walters Summerville, SC 15 70-12 89 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 24-07 Day 2: 5 24-13 Day 3: 5 21-08
13. Taku Ito Chiba JAPAN 15 70-08 88 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 22-05 Day 2: 5 26-01 Day 3: 5 22-02
14. Drew Benton Blakely, GA 15 70-02 87 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 20-15 Day 2: 5 26-00 Day 3: 5 23-03
15. Justin Atkins Florence, AL 15 69-04 86 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 22-04 Day 2: 5 23-06 Day 3: 5 23-10
16. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 15 69-02 85 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-08 Day 2: 5 23-03 Day 3: 5 24-07
17. Matt Robertson Kuttawa, KY 15 69-02 84 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 23-14 Day 2: 5 23-03 Day 3: 5 22-01
18. Kenta Kimura Osaka JAPAN 15 69-01 83 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 22-15 Day 2: 5 22-11 Day 3: 5 23-07
19. Derek Hudnall Denham Springs, LA 15 68-14 82 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 25-02 Day 2: 5 20-04 Day 3: 5 23-08
20. Hunter Shryock Ooltewah, TN 15 68-11 81 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 20-13 Day 2: 5 23-10 Day 3: 5 24-04
21. Jason Christie Park Hill, OK 15 68-10 80 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 23-06 Day 2: 5 23-07 Day 3: 5 21-13
22. Drew Cook Cairo, GA 15 67-10 79 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-06 Day 2: 5 27-06 Day 3: 5 20-14
23. Jeff Gustafson Keewatin Ontario CANADA 15 67-01 78 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 22-07 Day 2: 5 24-02 Day 3: 5 20-08
24. Kyle Welcher Opelika, AL 15 67-01 77 $11,000.00
Day 1: 5 22-01 Day 2: 5 23-10 Day 3: 5 21-06
25. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 15 66-14 76 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 25-03 Day 2: 5 21-03 Day 3: 5 20-08
26. Alex Redwine Blue Ash, OH 15 66-10 75 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 23-04 Day 2: 5 22-03 Day 3: 5 21-03
27. Jacob Foutz Charleston, TN 15 66-05 74 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 27-15 Day 2: 5 20-02 Day 3: 5 18-04
28. KJ Queen Catawba, NC 15 66-01 73 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 23-01 Day 2: 5 22-08 Day 3: 5 20-08
29. Lee Livesay Longview, TX 15 65-11 72 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-15 Day 2: 5 24-02 Day 3: 5 19-10
30. Koby Kreiger Alva, FL 15 65-09 71 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 25-07 Day 2: 5 22-05 Day 3: 5 17-13
31. Luke Palmer Coalgate, OK 15 65-03 70 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-09 Day 2: 5 20-08 Day 3: 5 23-02
32. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 15 65-01 69 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-10 Day 2: 5 24-15 Day 3: 5 20-08
33. Caleb Sumrall New Iberia, LA 15 64-12 68 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-11 Day 2: 5 20-11 Day 3: 5 22-06
34. Seth Feider New Market, MN 15 64-08 67 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 23-08 Day 2: 5 18-06 Day 3: 5 22-10
35. Masayuki Matsushita Tokoname-Shi JAPAN 15 64-06 66 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-03 Day 2: 5 22-07 Day 3: 5 22-12
36. Todd Auten Lake Wylie, SC 15 64-03 65 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 22-08 Day 2: 5 21-03 Day 3: 5 20-08
37. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 15 63-07 64 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 22-09 Day 2: 5 22-05 Day 3: 5 18-09
38. Matt Arey Shelby, NC 15 62-15 63 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-13 Day 2: 5 21-12 Day 3: 5 21-06
39. Pat Schlapper Eleva, WI 15 62-12 62 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 23-02 Day 2: 5 20-04 Day 3: 5 19-06
40. Brandon Card Salisbury, NC 15 62-10 61 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 20-11 Day 2: 5 21-15 Day 3: 5 20-00
41. Chad Pipkens Dewitt, MI 15 62-08 60 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-10 Day 2: 5 20-05 Day 3: 5 20-09
42. Cody Huff Ava, MO 15 61-04 59 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-08 Day 2: 5 21-05 Day 3: 5 18-07
43. Jacob Powroznik North Prince George, VA 15 60-10 58 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-12 Day 2: 5 19-15 Day 3: 5 18-15
44. Jamie Hartman Newport, NY 15 59-05 57 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-07 Day 2: 5 24-07 Day 3: 5 13-07
45. Gerald Swindle Guntersville, AL 15 58-10 56 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 23-04 Day 2: 5 21-07 Day 3: 5 13-15
46. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 15 58-05 55 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 20-09 Day 2: 5 21-11 Day 3: 5 16-01
47. Caleb Kuphall Mukwonago, WI 15 56-15 54 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-05 Day 2: 5 23-10 Day 3: 5 12-00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1 Kyle Welcher Opelika, AL 06-12 $1,000.00
2 Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 06-11 $1,000.00
3 Shane LeHew Catawba, NC 06-11 $1,000.00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 90 450 1881-07
2 90 450 1845-01
3 47 235 1001-15
----------------------------------
227 1135 4728-07
Przekurat Takes Lead In Bassmaster Elite Series Event At St. Lawrence River
Jay Przekurat of Stevens Point, Wis., is leading after Day 2 of the 2022 Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River with a two-day total of 52 pounds, 5 ounces.
Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
July 15, 2022
CLAYTON, N.Y. — Leveraging a Bass Fishing 101 concept, rookie Jay Przekurat caught a Day 2 limit of 25 pounds, 8 ounces and took over the lead of the Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River with a two-day total of 52-5.
Hailing from Stevens Point, Wis., Przekurat heads into Semifinal Saturday with a margin of 1-13 over Canadian Cory Johnston.
Returning to Lake Ontario where he caught 26-13 on Day 1, Przekurat fished a drop shot and a marabou jig to put together his second-round weight. Finding his bass in what he termed a mid-depth range, Przekurat said the postspawn zone held an obvious attraction.
“This is an area where postspawners are trickling out,” Przekurat said. “The only difference between that area and other areas I have is there’s bait there. You can see it on the graph; it’s all over the place.
“The fish come up and jump and eat bait. It’s crazy.”
Przekurat said his area is rich with big bass, but the abundance of food — a typical postspawn priority — is making them difficult to catch. Competing with nature’s seasonal buffet is always challenging, but Przekurat said lure selection is not his only consideration.
“Baits don’t matter; it’s all about time of day and when the wind picks up,” he said. “This morning, I couldn’t do anything wrong. I’d throw (a bait) in there and they’d bite it.”
An early wind blowing onto his spot also benefitted Przekurat’s effort.
“Once it slicked off, it got really hard to get a bite,” he said. “This morning, when we turned the corner (out of the river), all of a sudden the wind was blowing. When I got there, it was instantly bang, bang, bang.
“Once 10 o’clock came around, it got really tough. They’d follow a bait down, look at it, touch it, but they wouldn’t bite it. I probably had 50 fish that did that. You could try every bait in the house, but you’re not going to get a bite.”
Przekurat said he enjoyed a good morning bite, but the midday doldrums tested his patience. The afternoon saw a resurgence, but Przekurat made a strategic decision to relocate.
“I got out of there because I wanted to start making my way back at noon,” he said. “I actually have another area where I caught a 5 1/2 and a 4 1/2 by 12:30.
“That’s my secondary area that I was going to save, but I had to go to it today. I was only at, like, 23 pounds and I knew I needed to get up there again.”
After boosting his bag in that second spot, Przekurat started making his way back to the weigh-in site. He made a stop in the St. Lawrence River and missed a final upgrade opportunity when a 5-pounder bit but came unbuttoned.
Johnston, who makes his home in Cavan, Canada, added 24-5 to the 26-3 he weighed on Day 1 and gained a spot from third to second, with a two-day total of 50-8. Johnston, winner of last year’s Bassmaster Northern Open on the St. Lawrence River, started his day fishing familiar spots on Lake Ontario.
“I ran straight to the lake and then I finished off in the river today,” Johnston said. “I just had some specific spots in the lake I wanted to get to before other guys got to them.
“I have a lot of spots in the lake that I haven’t even gotten to. I don’t know what I (might be) saving, because I don’t know what’s on a lot of them.”
Johnston said the fishery currently has fish in spawning and prespawn mode, so he’s leveraging both options. He threw a wide array of finesse presentations and caught his limit on several different baits.
Austin Felix of Eden Prairie, Minn., has turned in a remarkably consistent performance by matching the 25-pound bag he weighed on Day 1 exactly on Day 2 for an even 50-pound total. Despite his success, Felix said he’s planning to adjust his game plan for Day 3.
“I’ve been starting shallower each day because I figured the shallow fish would be heartier and I wouldn’t have to worry as much about fish care,” Felix said. “But it seems like the shallower fish are not as far along in the spawn, so they’re actually weaker.
“I’ve been culling out most of my bag with deep fish, so tomorrow I think I’m just going to go straight to the deep fish.”
Noting that he’s fishing a group of islands south of the river mouth, Felix threw drop shots and Ned rigs in 25 to 40 feet. He mostly targeted rock spines, high spots and sandy spots he had marked in previous tournaments.
Kyle Welcher of Opelika, Ala., is in the lead for the Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the week with a 6-12. Arkansas pro Stetson Blaylock took the $1,000 daily prize for catching Friday’s biggest bass with a 6-11.
Jacob Foutz of Charleston, Tenn., led the event on Day 1 with five bass that weighed 27-15 — a total that is currently in the lead for the VMC Monster Bag. Foutz caught 20-2 on Friday and fell to 10th with 48-1.
Brandon Palaniuk of Rathdrum, Idaho, leads the Progressive Insurance Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings with 618 points. John Cox of DeBary, Fla., is in second with 561, followed by David Mullins of Mt. Carmel, Tenn., with 555, Brandon Lester of Fayetteville, Tenn., with 545 and Drew Benton of Blakey, Ga., with 526.
Foutz leads the Falcon Rods Rookie of the Year standings with 461 points, followed by Przekurat (455), Cody Huff of Ava, Mo., with 392, Joseph Webster of Hamilton, Ala., with 386 and Josh Douglas of Isle, Minn., with 348.
Saturday’s takeoff is scheduled for 7 a.m. ET at the Antique Boat Museum. The weigh-in will be held at the museum at 3 p.m. Only the Top 10 anglers will advance to Championship Sunday with a chance to win the $100,000 first-place prize.
Coverage will be available on Bassmaster.com and the FOX Sports digital platforms. FS1 will also broadcast live with the tournament leaders beginning at 8 a.m.
2022 Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River 7/14-7/17
St. Lawrence River, Clayton NY.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 2
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Jay Przekurat Stevens Point, WI 10 52-05 100
Day 1: 5 26-13 Day 2: 5 25-08
2. Cory Johnston Cavan CANADA 10 50-08 99
Day 1: 5 26-03 Day 2: 5 24-05
3. Austin Felix Eden Prairie, MN 10 50-00 98
Day 1: 5 25-00 Day 2: 5 25-00
4. Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 10 49-10 97 $1,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-15 Day 2: 5 27-11
5. Patrick Walters Summerville, SC 10 49-04 96
Day 1: 5 24-07 Day 2: 5 24-13
6. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 10 49-00 95
Day 1: 5 24-04 Day 2: 5 24-12
7. Chris Johnston Otonabee Ontario CANADA 10 49-00 94
Day 1: 5 24-10 Day 2: 5 24-06
8. Bob Downey Detroit Lakes, MN 10 48-08 93
Day 1: 5 22-13 Day 2: 5 25-11
9. Taku Ito Chiba JAPAN 10 48-06 92
Day 1: 5 22-05 Day 2: 5 26-01
10. Jacob Foutz Charleston, TN 10 48-01 91
Day 1: 5 27-15 Day 2: 5 20-02
11. Clark Wendlandt Leander, TX 10 47-14 90
Day 1: 5 25-02 Day 2: 5 22-12
12. Koby Kreiger Alva, FL 10 47-12 89
Day 1: 5 25-07 Day 2: 5 22-05
13. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 10 47-03 88
Day 1: 5 25-09 Day 2: 5 21-10
14. Matt Robertson Kuttawa, KY 10 47-01 87
Day 1: 5 23-14 Day 2: 5 23-03
15. Drew Benton Blakely, GA 10 46-15 86
Day 1: 5 20-15 Day 2: 5 26-00
16. Jason Christie Park Hill, OK 10 46-13 85
Day 1: 5 23-06 Day 2: 5 23-07
17. Drew Cook Cairo, GA 10 46-12 84
Day 1: 5 19-06 Day 2: 5 27-06
18. Jeff Gustafson Keewatin Ontario CANADA 10 46-09 83
Day 1: 5 22-07 Day 2: 5 24-02
19. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 10 46-06 82
Day 1: 5 25-03 Day 2: 5 21-03
20. Lee Livesay Longview, TX 10 46-01 81
Day 1: 5 21-15 Day 2: 5 24-02
21. Jamie Hartman Newport, NY 10 45-14 80
Day 1: 5 21-07 Day 2: 5 24-07
22. Kyle Welcher Opelika, AL 10 45-11 79 $1,000.00
Day 1: 5 22-01 Day 2: 5 23-10
23. Justin Atkins Florence, AL 10 45-10 78
Day 1: 5 22-04 Day 2: 5 23-06
24. Kenta Kimura Osaka JAPAN 10 45-10 77
Day 1: 5 22-15 Day 2: 5 22-11
25. KJ Queen Catawba, NC 10 45-09 76
Day 1: 5 23-01 Day 2: 5 22-08
26. Alex Redwine Blue Ash, OH 10 45-07 75
Day 1: 5 23-04 Day 2: 5 22-03
27. Derek Hudnall Denham Springs, LA 10 45-06 74
Day 1: 5 25-02 Day 2: 5 20-04
28. Chris Zaldain Fort Worth, TX 10 45-03 73
Day 1: 5 21-08 Day 2: 5 23-11
29. Caleb Kuphall Mukwonago, WI 10 44-15 72
Day 1: 5 21-05 Day 2: 5 23-10
30. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 10 44-14 71
Day 1: 5 22-09 Day 2: 5 22-05
31. Gerald Swindle Guntersville, AL 10 44-11 70
Day 1: 5 23-04 Day 2: 5 21-07
32. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 10 44-11 69
Day 1: 5 21-08 Day 2: 5 23-03
33. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 10 44-09 68
Day 1: 5 19-10 Day 2: 5 24-15
34. Hunter Shryock Ooltewah, TN 10 44-07 67
Day 1: 5 20-13 Day 2: 5 23-10
35. Shane LeHew Catawba, NC 10 44-06 66
Day 1: 5 18-13 Day 2: 5 25-09
36. Todd Auten Lake Wylie, SC 10 43-11 65
Day 1: 5 22-08 Day 2: 5 21-03
37. Pat Schlapper Eleva, WI 10 43-06 64
Day 1: 5 23-02 Day 2: 5 20-04
38. Cody Huff Ava, MO 10 42-13 63
Day 1: 5 21-08 Day 2: 5 21-05
39. Brandon Card Salisbury, NC 10 42-10 62
Day 1: 5 20-11 Day 2: 5 21-15
40. Caleb Sumrall New Iberia, LA 10 42-06 61
Day 1: 5 21-11 Day 2: 5 20-11
41. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 10 42-04 60
Day 1: 5 20-09 Day 2: 5 21-11
42. Luke Palmer Coalgate, OK 10 42-01 59
Day 1: 5 21-09 Day 2: 5 20-08
43. Chad Pipkens Dewitt, MI 10 41-15 58
Day 1: 5 21-10 Day 2: 5 20-05
44. Seth Feider New Market, MN 10 41-14 57
Day 1: 5 23-08 Day 2: 5 18-06
45. Jacob Powroznik North Prince George, VA 10 41-11 56
Day 1: 5 21-12 Day 2: 5 19-15
46. Masayuki Matsushita Tokoname-Shi JAPAN 10 41-10 55
Day 1: 5 19-03 Day 2: 5 22-07
47. Matt Arey Shelby, NC 10 41-09 54
Day 1: 5 19-13 Day 2: 5 21-12
48. Carl Jocumsen Queensland AUSTRALIA 10 41-07 53 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 21-12 Day 2: 5 19-11
49. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 10 41-01 52 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 20-06 Day 2: 5 20-11
50. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 10 41-00 51 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 21-04 Day 2: 5 19-12
51. Scott Martin Clewiston, FL 10 40-13 50 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 20-09 Day 2: 5 20-04
52. Josh Douglas Isle, MN 10 40-10 49 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 20-11 Day 2: 5 19-15
53. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 10 40-09 48 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 18-12 Day 2: 5 21-13
54. Gregory DiPalma Millville, NJ 10 40-03 47 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 20-01 Day 2: 5 20-02
55. Wes Logan Springville, AL 10 40-02 46 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 20-00 Day 2: 5 20-02
56. Skylar Hamilton Dandridge, TN 10 39-14 45 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 20-12 Day 2: 5 19-02
57. Buddy Gross Chattanooga, TN 10 39-10 44 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 22-06 Day 2: 5 17-04
58. John Cox Debary, FL 10 39-09 43 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 21-08 Day 2: 5 18-01
59. Bryan New Saluda, SC 10 39-08 42 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 15-15 Day 2: 5 23-09
60. Clent Davis Montevallo, AL 10 39-02 41
Day 1: 5 17-11 Day 2: 5 21-07
61. Bryan Schmitt Deale, MD 10 39-02 40
Day 1: 5 20-11 Day 2: 5 18-07
62. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 10 39-02 39
Day 1: 5 18-12 Day 2: 5 20-06
63. Micah Frazier Newnan, GA 10 39-01 38
Day 1: 5 19-14 Day 2: 5 19-03
64. Mike Huff London, KY 10 39-00 37
Day 1: 5 20-08 Day 2: 5 18-08
65. Marc Frazier Newnan, GA 10 38-11 36
Day 1: 5 22-04 Day 2: 5 16-07
66. Frank Talley Temple, TX 10 38-11 35
Day 1: 5 17-08 Day 2: 5 21-03
67. Tyler Rivet Raceland, LA 10 38-06 34
Day 1: 5 20-00 Day 2: 5 18-06
68. Michael Iaconelli Pittsgrove, NJ 10 38-03 33
Day 1: 5 21-01 Day 2: 5 17-02
69. Ray Hanselman Jr Del Rio, TX 10 38-03 32
Day 1: 5 20-10 Day 2: 5 17-09
70. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 10 38-02 31
Day 1: 5 20-08 Day 2: 5 17-10
71. Brandon Cobb Greenwood, SC 10 37-14 30
Day 1: 5 18-08 Day 2: 5 19-06
72. Jason Williamson Aiken, SC 10 37-06 29
Day 1: 5 17-09 Day 2: 5 19-13
73. Hank Cherry Jr Lincolnton, NC 10 37-05 28
Day 1: 5 18-12 Day 2: 5 18-09
74. Ed Loughran III Richmond, VA 10 36-07 27
Day 1: 5 22-00 Day 2: 5 14-07
75. Scott Canterbury Odenville, AL 10 36-00 26
Day 1: 5 20-04 Day 2: 5 15-12
76. Joshua Stracner Vandiver, AL 10 35-12 25
Day 1: 5 19-08 Day 2: 5 16-04
77. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 10 35-09 24
Day 1: 5 16-15 Day 2: 5 18-10
78. Matty Wong Honolulu, HI 10 35-02 23
Day 1: 5 18-06 Day 2: 5 16-12
79. Jonathan Kelley Old Forge, PA 10 35-02 22
Day 1: 5 17-03 Day 2: 5 17-15
80. Justin Hamner Northport, AL 10 34-06 21
Day 1: 5 19-02 Day 2: 5 15-04
81. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 10 33-00 20
Day 1: 5 14-14 Day 2: 5 18-02
82. Matt Herren Ashville, AL 10 32-15 19
Day 1: 5 18-06 Day 2: 5 14-09
83. Daisuke Aoki Minamitsurugun Yamanash 10 32-09 18
Day 1: 5 16-07 Day 2: 5 16-02
84. Gary Clouse Winchester, TN 10 31-14 17
Day 1: 5 17-02 Day 2: 5 14-12
85. Darold Gleason Many, LA 10 31-05 16
Day 1: 5 17-09 Day 2: 5 13-12
86. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 10 30-06 15
Day 1: 5 14-01 Day 2: 5 16-05
87. David Williams Newton, NC 10 30-02 14
Day 1: 5 14-10 Day 2: 5 15-08
88. Joseph Webster Hamilton, AL 10 28-15 13
Day 1: 5 17-09 Day 2: 5 11-06
89. Jake Whitaker Hendersonville, NC 10 28-10 12
Day 1: 5 17-02 Day 2: 5 11-08
90. David Fritts Lexington, NC 10 26-15 11
Day 1: 5 15-08 Day 2: 5 11-07
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1 Kyle Welcher Opelika, AL 06-12 $1,000.00
2 Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 06-11 $1,000.00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 90 450 1881-07
2 90 450 1845-01
----------------------------------
180 900 3726-08
The NPFL announces its six-event 2023 schedule with tournaments ranging from Texas to Michigan
Story by Justin Brouillard | Photos by Tanner & Travis Lyons
Festus, MO (July 15, 2022) — The National Professional Fishing League (NPFL) announces its 2023 season schedulewith a stop in Texas at Lake Amistad to kick things off March 2nd through March 4th in Del Rio, Texas.
“The City of Del Rio, Texas is excited to host the quantity and quality of people coming in with the NPFL next spring. In addition to the financial impact to the local economy, we look forward to the NPFL showcasing all that Del Rio has to offer, on and off the water,” said Quote Blanca Larson Executive Director Explore Del Rio Amistad Oasis. “We want to ensure Anglers from all over see the value of coming to Del Rio, TX to fish historic Lake Amistad.”
Following stop one, the NPFL returns to Texarkana, Texas for its second trip to Wright Patman April 20th through the 22nd. In 2021, Florida pro Keith Carson went wire-to-wire to take the victory at Wright Patman in route to winning the Progressive Angler of the Year Title.
“The City of Texarkana and Wright Patman Lake will always be special to our organization,” said Brad Fuller of the NPFL. They are great partners and provide an extremely welcoming environment for ‘the League’ and our anglers. This year will prove different with a new location for the weigh-in for spectators to attend. We are looking forward to strong ‘Texas Start’ for 2023.”
From Texas, stop three brings the anglers and their families to big bass factory of Santee Cooper Lakes, May 25ththrough May 27th, hosted by Clarendon County. Santee Cooper continues to host several of the top bass fishing trails and the anglers never seem disappointed.
“Anyone who fishes for bass knows about the Santee Cooper Lakes,” says Justin Marlow, Clarendon County Chamber of Commerce. “This place has a long history of being one of the best big bass factories in the world, and the NPFL is coming in at one of the prime times for great fishing. We expect the shallow bite will be in play on both Lake Marion and Lake Moultrie with plenty of big bags and even a few limits around the 30-pound mark – It will be a fun event for sure.”
One of the draws for the hosting an NPFL event is the approach ‘the league’ takes to highlight the uniqueness of the of City’s and show viewers what makes them great besides the bass fishing.
“Fishing is a top attraction for Santee Cooper and its lakes, but it’s all of the other things that work together to make it a true destination. With their help, we hope to give the anglers, staff and fans a taste of our outdoor lover’s paradise,” said Jesse Surette, Director of Tourism at Clarendon County Chamber of Commerce. “This is great chance to partner with an evolving league to broadcast Clarendon County and the Santee Cooper Lakes to a new potential audience.”
For stop four, the league returns North to Bay City, Michigan and the big water of Lake Huron, July 20th through the 22nd. In 2021, Saginaw Bay showed out with over 80 anglers brining a tournament limit to the scales all three days. In the end, Gary Adkins took the victory with all smallmouth narrowly beating Trent Palmer with a mix of both smallmouth and largemouth.
“The City of Bay City could not be more excited to welcome back the NPFL in July of 2023. The fishing in the Saginaw River and Saginaw Bay should be spectacular at that time and provide an awesome event for the pros and spectators,” said Ed Clements, Bay City Fishing Committee. “We also look forward to showcasing our beautiful Wenonah Park for the weigh-ins in our beautiful downtown; it will be a festival atmosphere enjoyable for all.”
After its Northern swing, stop 5 of NPFL season heads to Eufaula, Oklahoma to Eufaula Lake on September 28ththrough 30th. The giant reservoir is part of the Canadian River and sits just 27-miles North of the Arkansas River. Returning to Oklahoma after visiting Grand Lake in 2021, the NPFL anglers will have the choice to target both small and largemouth bass on Eufaula.
“The Eufaula Conservation & Fishing Association is extremely excited to bring the professional bass anglers of the NPFL to our great fishery next September. Our 106,000-acre lake fishes so strong in the fall months and these anglers are going to love the diversity “the Gentle Giant” provides,” says Zach Bandi – President Eufaula Conservation & Fishing Association. “Good luck to all the anglers for the upcoming 2023 season and be ready for a great event here on Lake Eufaula, Oklahoma.”
2023 National Professional Fishing League Schedule
Stop 1 – Lake Amistad: Del Rio, Texas, March 2 – March 4
Stop 2 – Wright Patman: Texarkana, Texas, April 20 – 22
Stop 3 – Santee Cooper: Clarendon County, South Carolina, May 25 – 27
Stop 4 – Saginaw Bay: Bay City, Michigan, July 20 – 22
Stop 5 – Lake Eufaula, Eufaula, Oklahoma, September 28-30
Stop 6 – TBD
Stop number 6 will be announced when details are finalized.
Spinning Rods & Little Bitty Swim Jigs
Z-Man unveils 'Ned-friendly' Midwest Finesse Swim Jig
Ladson, SC (June 23, 2022) – Hop aboard the boats of legendary anglers Ned Kehde or Drew Reese and you’ll probably witness two different but equally effective bass tricks. You might discover, for instance, that Midwest finesse fishing often transcends TRDs™ and mushroom-shaped jigs. While Ned masterfully coaxes dozens of bites with one of his little red mushroom jigs, Reese might work heavier cover, plucking bass from brush and grass with his Midwest Finesse Swim Jig—another ace trick from the finesse architects at Z-Man Fishing.
“I’m a diehard finesse guy, but I also recognize plenty of situations in which standard exposed-hook Ned rig stuff isn’t quite so efficient,” believes Reese, among the greatest angling tacticians of his era (Reese finished 7th at the first ever Bassmaster Classic.) “A major motivation behind the design of the Midwest Finesse Swim Jig was to give anglers another tool in their finesse arsenal that fishes faster and shines in heavier cover where standard mushroom jigs aren’t so efficient.”
“I also wanted a head shape that slid cleanly through cover and allowed the lure and its ElaZtech® trailer to shimmy slightly on the retrieve, but without rolling over. I knew if we could fit all these elements into one finesse swim jig, we’d give anglers something pretty special.”
The other inspiration behind the Midwest Finesse Swim Jig, says Reese, originated from the need to cast with light line and spinning tackle. “Sometimes, you simply need a jig that can be fished a little faster, maybe across a grassy flat or around submerged wood. While slower-moving Finesse ShroomZ™ jigheads and small ElaZtech baits shine in loads of situations, bass often react even more favorably to a faster swimming presentation, especially in a downsized package.”
Two of the more prominent issues with most smaller swim jigs, Reese found, related to incongruent hooks and ill-suited weedguards. “Smaller baits, optimal light wire hooks and light line simply result in exponentially more bites and more importantly, boosted hookup ratios,” he believes. “During our initial testing, we found that the hookup ratio with most normal or even so-called ‘finesse’ swim jigs was very poor due to the heavy wire hooks and stiff weedguards. The challenge was to hit the sweet spot with both jig attributes, while still matching up with 4- to 6-pound line.”
Anyone who’s ever fished with Reese knows his on-water trials take things to other levels of meticulous. (He’s been known, for example, to cycle through five different rod-reel-lure combos in turn, making 20 casts with each, while logging the results in his Memorex-like mind.)
Following a season of splicing heads, hooks, skirts and weedguards—leaving a mountain of experiments in his wake—Reese discovered that a specific, compact, light-wire needlepoint 3/0 hook efficiently pegged fish with light line. Built to spec, Reese’s ultimate hook fit his favorite ElaZtech finesse baits, held snugly in place with a welded wire bait keeper.
Armed with the sharpest cutting point attainable, Reese—a habitual hook-sharpener—caught a staggering 50 bass on a final prototype jighook before he felt it required re-sharpening. “I went on to catch 86 bass on that first jig prototype before retiring it,” he concedes.
Crushin’ it with the Kicker CrabZ
Z-Man® cultivates first-ever, side-propelled inshore crab swimbait
Ladson, SC (July 11, 2022) – Call it a ruse. An evolutionary act of deception. An athletic, evasive action, not unlike the quick-footed sidestep of a running back. In water, a crab’s forward-facing eyes and claws trick predators into thinking slow, straightforward easy meal. But when a redfish or tarpon attacks, a crab launches into an unexpected sideways flush of bubbles and debris. Claws and appendages fold back and trail its shell in an oddball orientation that doesn’t make sense.
Unless you’re a crab.
In which case, the sideways sashay offers your best means of escape; and your worst chance to survive. All of which explains the excitement surrounding Z-Man’s new Kicker CrabZ™, the first-ever true-to-life imitation of a crab’s active, side-swimming, claw-kicking antics.
While anglers today can choose from a pile of different soft plastic crab imitations, few are angler friendly, and exactly none of them match the way a crab truly swims when fleeing predators,” suggests Daniel Nussbaum, Kicker CrabZ designer and president of Z-Man Fishing. “We’re especially eager to get this new ElaZtech® inshore bait in angler’s hands because it not only moves just like a side-swimming crab, but it also matches the active way most anglers prefer to cast and retrieve lures.
While anglers today can choose from a pile of different soft plastic crab imitations, few are angler friendly, and exactly none of them match the way a crab truly swims when fleeing predators,” suggests Daniel Nussbaum, Kicker CrabZ designer and president of Z-Man Fishing. “We’re especially eager to get this new ElaZtech® inshore bait in angler’s hands because it not only moves just like a side-swimming crab, but it also matches the active way most anglers prefer to cast and retrieve lures.
Sculpted with a realistic profile and streamlined, castable body contour, the Z-Man 3.5-inch Kicker CrabZ exhibits segmented legs, large beady eyes and protruding antennae. An accentuated, paddletail-like kicker claw adds to the illusion, thumping and waggling at all retrieve speeds, including on the fall. Visually, the claw precisely copycats the trailing pincer of a real crab as it flutters through the water. When you pause it, the Kicker CrabZ’ buoyant ElaZtech composition prompts the claw to elevate and strike a pose, copycatting a crab’s menacing defensive posture. Drop the bait into a swarm of fleeing crabs and it might become a Where’s Waldo? scenario.
“Crabs represent a significant forage species for redfish, trout, tarpon and other inshore predators,” notes Nussbaum. “But most of the available soft plastic imitations are pretty one-dimensional—they don’t act like real crabs— which rarely sit motionless on bottom for long. While deadsticking a crab might work for super technical sight fishing, it’s not so good for covering water or fishing the way most people are accustomed to actively casting and retrieving.
“Because it’s designed to swim sideways, we built the Kicker CrabZ with a streamlined shape that casts much better than other pre-rigged crabs that tend to helicopter through the air—mostly due to awkward hook placement and a wide profile.”
Easy to rig and fun to fish, the aerodynamic, angler-friendly Kicker CrabZ casts well in wind and can be crawled along the bottom or swum in classic paddletail swimbait fashion. In other words, the versatile, lively little crustacean moves and responds just like a crab under duress.
For straight-retrieve stability, Z-Man crafted the bait with a special keeled belly that keeps it upright yet shimmying ever so slightly. To ease weedless rigging, a dorsal hook pocket offers protection until a fish crunches down, compresses the soft material and exposes the hookpoint. Composed of ecologically safe, 10X Tough ElaZtech, the Kicker CrabZ is both deceptively soft and durable—for the highest fish-per-bait ratio available.
Z-Man’s easy-to-rig Kicker CrabZ body accepts a variety of weighted hooks and jigheads already in most anglers’ boxes. Rigged on a 3/0 or 4/0 Z-Man ChinlockZ™ SWS hook, the buoyant Kicker CrabZ sinks slowly and can be slow-rolled just beneath the surface or allowed to spiral toward bottom. Rigging the bait on an ¼-ounce or heavier articulated jighead like the SnakelockZ™ or Texas Eye™ yields active swimming through the water column or hopping and slowly crawling the Kicker CrabZ along the bottom. A Pro BulletZ™ jighead is another perfect match, especially where weedless rigging is required.
“In Florida, I’ve been having a blast slow-rolling the Kicker CrabZ on a 3/0 ChinlockZ hook across shallow, 2-foot flats,” notes Richardson. “You can use the bait to cover quite a bit of water, blind-casting. Rigged on a lighter-weight ChinlockZ hook, the Kicker CrabZ stays up close to the surface where predators frequently encounter and snack on crabs in nature. Lately, speckled trout have been hammering it.”
For redfish and black drum, Richardson has found great success while sight fishing, rigging the Kicker CrabZ on a heavier ¼-ounce Pro BulletZ jighead. Tarpon, too. “We’ve got these big hill tides that drain huge shallow flats, where hundreds of thousands of crabs flush right through narrow passes,” adds Richardson. “Tarpon watch for crabs flying by and clinging to vegetation in the tide, picking them off grass patties like potato chips. It’s been a perfect scenario for swimming the Kicker CrabZ on a jighead.”
Testament to the bait’s convincing illusion, redfish and other inshore predators nearly always inhale and attempt to kill the bait. Nussbaum, who frequently slow-rolls, hops and drags the bait in front of tailing reds, offers a thrilling glimpse of the Kicker CrabZ’ allure: “You can’t believe the ferocity with which redfish eat this bait—the polar opposite of a subtle bite. No matter how you fish the Kicker CrabZ, redfish flat out crush it; they’re so convinced it’s real that they immediately inhale the bait and try to pulverize its shell with the pharyngeal teeth in their throats, completely convinced they’ve just eaten a real saltwater snack.”
A first-of-its-kind crab imitation that precisely mimics a live, sideways swimming crab, the new Z-Man 3.5-inch Kicker CrabZ is set for retail release in July 2022. Featuring ten alluring inshore patterns, including Blue Claw, Slam Shady and Redfish Toad, the Kicker CrabZ comes in 3-packs, MSRP $4.99.
Legendary Fish Scientist John Prochnow Inducted in the 2022 Class of Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame
The Fresh Water Hall of Fame recognizes Berkley’s John Prochnow’s contribution to freshwater fishing by bestowing upon him highest honor
COLUMBIA, S.C. (July 15, 2022) – Berkley Chemist John Prochnow has used his knowledge to improve fishing for millions of anglers over the past 36 years through his work at Berkley Fishing. Serving as one of the world’s leading inventors, lure designers, and technical liaisons with the outdoor press and professionals in the fishing industry, Prochnow’s global impact on angling and anglers has led to products that have been used for decades worldwide in both freshwater and saltwater. His work as the Research and Development Team Lead for Berkley Fishing has not only revolutionized the fishing world, but it has also earned him a well-deserved induction into the Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame.
Apart from being one of the original inventors of Berkley PowerBait, Berkley Gulp! and Berkley MaxScent, Prochnow holds multiple patents for fish attractant delivery systems for baits and lures. He is well-known internationally and travels around the globe teaching anglers about the use and importance of fish attractants with an emphasis on how fish react to various chemo-receptive stimuli and baits. Prochnow’s experience includes a lifetime study of all types of fishing and fishing techniques. He fished the PWT as a co-angler and worked with many of the legendary anglers of the past and present to develop new and innovative baits and lures. As an avid angler and innovator, Prochnow was named one of Outdoor Life’s Top 25 Most Influential in Hunting and Fishing in the December/January 2008 issue of Outdoor Life Magazine. In addition, he has aided in the development and scale-up of multi-million-dollar manufacturing processes and research facilities to produce and study fishing baits and lures, including the development of a full-scale carp bait research and manufacturing facility in Holland.
In addition to his work at Berkley Fishing, Prochnow’s contributions of time and product to various outdoor groups such as the Boy Scouts, Ducks Unlimited, Coastal Conservation Association and various other local youth fishing events are unprecedented. He enjoys sharing his knowledge with anglers of all ages by way of radio talk shows, magazine and video interviews, as well as social media. He is often seen walking around fishing areas handing out baits to young anglers and explaining how to use them to catch more fish. Prochnow is driven by seeing people have more fun in the outdoors with the products he has helped develop. Berkley Fishing is proud of the work that Prochnow has done and in his well-deserved induction into the 2022 Class of Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame.
Prochnow’s induction ceremony will take place during the Pure Fishing press conference at the fishing industry’s largest trade show, ICAST, on Tuesday, July 19, 2022, at 3:30pm in the Orange County Convention Center South Concourse Room S310A-B in Orlando, FL. Media and industry professionals are invited to attend the event.
Ugly Stik Carbon Inshore Rod
COLUMBIA, S.C. (July 15, 2022) – The new Ugly Stik Carbon Inshore Rod expands its offerings, becoming a must-have inshore fishing rod for those who demand toughness from their equipment and want to master precision fishing techniques. Designed for the avid angler, every detail of this rod has been modified explicitly for ultimate success.
Ugly Stik’s Carbon Inshore Rod maintains the legendary toughness, evolving its Ugly Tech rod construction featuring a 24-ton, 100-percent graphite blank, with a solid graphite tip that offers anglers a lightweight well-balanced rod with crisp actions and increased sensitivity throughout all nine models. Available in both spinning and casting models, this rod features one-piece stainless steel Ugly Tuff guides that eliminate insert pop-outs and fishes phenomenally with all line types. The rod is finished with an Ugly Stik Solid Graphite Tip to provide increased sensitivity.
This rod offers a premium-cork fore grip for sensitive touch and feel and a shrink tube rear handle for extended durability. All rods come with Fuji reel seats with styles that vary by model. With nine best-selling, tried-and-true rod actions, the Carbon Inshore lineup comes in six spinning models and three casting models that fit most inshore applications.
The Carbon Inshore rods are Ugly Stik’s most technique-specific rod series and are excellent for various applications. They feature beautiful seafoam ocean-blue cosmetics and the traditional Ugly Stik diamond wrap, which gives anglers a fresh look making this a go-to rod for every avid fisherman.
Key Features
• Ugly Stik solid graphite tip
• Ugly Tech rod construction – 100-percent, 24-ton graphite
• Ugly Tuff one-piece stainless steel guides
• Premium cork fore grip (select models)
• Shrink tube rear handles
• 7-year rod warranty
• 9 Models: 3 Casting & 6 Spinning
MSRP: $99.95
Available: July 2022
Foutz Capitalizes On Shallow Bite To Lead Bassmaster Elite At St. Lawrence River
Jacob Foutz of Charleston, Tenn., is leading after Day 1 of the 2022 Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River with 27 pounds, 15 ounces.
Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
July 14, 2022
CLAYTON, N.Y. — Jacob Foutz said he’s a big fan of smallmouth, especially when they do the things that allow him to tally a big limit like the 27-pound, 15-ounce bag that leads Day 1 of the Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River.
With mild and mostly sunny conditions, Thursday yielded a Bassmaster Elite Series record 61 bags of 20 pounds or more. Foutz, a rookie from Charleston, Tenn., heads into Day 2 leading fellow rookie Jay Przekurat, of Stevens Point, Wis., by 1-2.
“That’s my biggest bag of smallmouth, and that’s the biggest bag I’ve weighed in a tournament, as well,” Foutz said. “It’s pretty cool to do it with smallmouth.
“That’s my favorite thing in the whole world. I grew up in East Central Ohio fishing Lake Erie, so I feel at home out here. This place is so much fun. I love catching smallmouth and this place is unreal.”
A productive morning saw Foutz target shallow shoals along a 200-yard stretch near the river mouth where he secured his weight within three hours of takeoff. Noting that he caught his fish from 6 inches to 5 feet, Foutz said his smallmouth were mostly postspawn, but he’s not discounting possible spawning activity.
“I think the full moon (on Wednesday) has a bunch of fish up shallow,” he said. “In practice, I managed to catch a few shallow and then go deep, but today I never had to go deep.
“I caught most of my weight by 9:30 and then went and messed around the rest of the day. I really went and practiced for three-quarters of the day. Hopefully, I found a few places that will help me (going forward).”
Foutz was understandably guarded with his bait details, but he said he caught all of his bass on one traditional smallmouth finesse bait. While he’s confident with his game plan and execution, Foutz also expressed appreciation for some astronomical alignment.
“I got lucky to catch 27-15,” he said. “My two biggest ones followed my bait all the way back to the boat and pretty much hit their noses on my trolling motor. They turned around and started swimming away, I flipped to both of them and caught both of them.
“Stuff like that doesn’t happen. It was just one of those days when everything goes your way.”
Foutz said he plans on repeating his general game plan on Day 2, but he might expand his area. He believes this week’s full moon phase might pull more fish shallow.
“I feel comfortable fishing for smallmouth; they’ve always been good to me,” Foutz said. “I feel like I’m at home this week; I feel like I’m on Erie. The good thing about this lake is that the fish are bigger and there are way more of them.”
Putting himself in position to capitalize on seasonal movements of smallmouth allowed Przekurat to leverage a steady stream of fish that were coming to him. This strategy yielded a second-place limit of 26-13.
“I’m just fishing normal smallmouth stuff for this time of the year,” Przekurat said. “The fish are (mostly) done spawning and they’re making their way out to that deeper stuff in Lake Ontario.
“I’m focusing on that mid-depth range. They’re not out in that 30- to 40-foot range yet.”
Using a mix of drop shots, tubes and Ned rigs, Przekurat fared better than he had anticipated. Getting his work done before noon, he leisurely made his way back to the weigh-in while exploring new areas.
“I actually stumbled on a different school today that I did not find in practice, so I’m looking forward to getting back out there (on Friday),” Przekurat said. “The first hour, I caught a couple of small fish, then about 9:30 or 10 o’clock, I realized that the big ones had moved to a smaller spot.
“I was done around 11:45 and then I made my way back. I didn’t want to risk anything because I had a pretty big bag.”
Cory Johnston of Cavan, Canada, is in third place with 26-3. Johnston, who won last year’s Bassmaster Northern Open on the St. Lawrence River, started his day at the river mouth, where he checked a flat known for random roamers.
When that spot yielded nothing impressive, Johnston devoted the rest of his day to Lake Ontario. Splitting his time between U.S. and Canadian waters, Johnston caught his bass on a trio of finesse baits in 10 to 25 feet.
“There were no surprises today,” Johnston said of his main area’s dependability. “I stayed away from it in practice for obvious reasons. I made one quick pass through there, saw a few and got out of there.”
Kyle Welcher of Opelika, Ala., is in the lead for overall Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors with his 6-12. He earned $1,000 for the daily Big Bass award.
Brandon Palaniuk of Rathdrum, Idaho, leads the Progressive Insurance Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings with 631 points. John Cox of DeBary, Fla., is in second with 581, followed by David Mullins of Mt. Carmel, Tenn., with 549, Brandon Lester of Fayetteville, Tenn., with 514 and Chris Johnston of Otonabee, Canada, with 498.
Just as they’re battling at the top of the tournament standings, Foutz and Przekurat are running neck and neck in the race for the Falcon Rods Bassmaster Rookie of the Year title. Foutz moved into the lead with 470 points, while Przekurat jumped into second with 454. Joseph Webster is third with 397, followed by Cody Huff with 389 and Josh Douglas with 351.
Friday’s takeoff is scheduled for 7 a.m. ET at the Antique Boat Museum. The weigh-in will be held back at the museum at 3 p.m., with only the Top 47 anglers advancing to Semifinal Saturday. Complete coverage can be streamed on Bassmaster.com.
2022 Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River 7/14-7/17
St. Lawrence River, Clayton NY.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 1
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Jacob Foutz Charleston, TN 5 27-15 100
Day 1: 5 27-15
2. Jay Przekurat Stevens Point, WI 5 26-13 99
Day 1: 5 26-13
3. Cory Johnston Cavan CANADA 5 26-03 98
Day 1: 5 26-03
4. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 5 25-09 97
Day 1: 5 25-09
5. Koby Kreiger Alva, FL 5 25-07 96
Day 1: 5 25-07
6. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 5 25-03 95
Day 1: 5 25-03
7. Derek Hudnall Denham Springs, LA 5 25-02 94
Day 1: 5 25-02
7. Clark Wendlandt Leander, TX 5 25-02 94
Day 1: 5 25-02
9. Austin Felix Eden Prairie, MN 5 25-00 92
Day 1: 5 25-00
10. Chris Johnston Otonabee Ontario CANADA 5 24-10 91
Day 1: 5 24-10
11. Patrick Walters Summerville, SC 5 24-07 90
Day 1: 5 24-07
12. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 5 24-04 89
Day 1: 5 24-04
13. Matt Robertson Kuttawa, KY 5 23-14 88
Day 1: 5 23-14
14. Seth Feider New Market, MN 5 23-08 87
Day 1: 5 23-08
15. Jason Christie Park Hill, OK 5 23-06 86
Day 1: 5 23-06
16. Alex Redwine Blue Ash, OH 5 23-04 85
Day 1: 5 23-04
16. Gerald Swindle Guntersville, AL 5 23-04 85
Day 1: 5 23-04
18. Pat Schlapper Eleva, WI 5 23-02 83
Day 1: 5 23-02
19. KJ Queen Catawba, NC 5 23-01 82
Day 1: 5 23-01
20. Kenta Kimura Osaka JAPAN 5 22-15 81
Day 1: 5 22-15
21. Bob Downey Detroit Lakes, MN 5 22-13 80
Day 1: 5 22-13
22. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 5 22-09 79
Day 1: 5 22-09
23. Todd Auten Lake Wylie, SC 5 22-08 78
Day 1: 5 22-08
24. Jeff Gustafson Keewatin Ontario CANADA 5 22-07 77
Day 1: 5 22-07
25. Buddy Gross Chattanooga, TN 5 22-06 76
Day 1: 5 22-06
26. Taku Ito Chiba JAPAN 5 22-05 75
Day 1: 5 22-05
27. Justin Atkins Florence, AL 5 22-04 74
Day 1: 5 22-04
28. Marc Frazier Newnan, GA 5 22-04 73
Day 1: 5 22-04
29. Kyle Welcher Opelika, AL 5 22-01 72 $1,000.00
Day 1: 5 22-01
30. Ed Loughran III Richmond, VA 5 22-00 71
Day 1: 5 22-00
31. Lee Livesay Longview, TX 5 21-15 70
Day 1: 5 21-15
32. Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 5 21-15 69
Day 1: 5 21-15
33. Carl Jocumsen Queensland AUSTRALIA 5 21-12 68
Day 1: 5 21-12
33. Jacob Powroznik North Prince George, VA 5 21-12 68
Day 1: 5 21-12
35. Caleb Sumrall New Iberia, LA 5 21-11 66
Day 1: 5 21-11
36. Chad Pipkens Dewitt, MI 5 21-10 65
Day 1: 5 21-10
37. Luke Palmer Coalgate, OK 5 21-09 64
Day 1: 5 21-09
38. John Cox Debary, FL 5 21-08 63
Day 1: 5 21-08
38. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 5 21-08 63
Day 1: 5 21-08
38. Chris Zaldain Fort Worth, TX 5 21-08 63
Day 1: 5 21-08
41. Cody Huff Ava, MO 5 21-08 60
Day 1: 5 21-08
42. Jamie Hartman Newport, NY 5 21-07 59
Day 1: 5 21-07
43. Caleb Kuphall Mukwonago, WI 5 21-05 58
Day 1: 5 21-05
44. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 5 21-04 57
Day 1: 5 21-04
45. Michael Iaconelli Pittsgrove, NJ 5 21-01 56
Day 1: 5 21-01
46. Drew Benton Blakely, GA 5 20-15 55
Day 1: 5 20-15
47. Hunter Shryock Ooltewah, TN 5 20-13 54
Day 1: 5 20-13
48. Skylar Hamilton Dandridge, TN 5 20-12 53
Day 1: 5 20-12
49. Josh Douglas Isle, MN 5 20-11 52
Day 1: 5 20-11
50. Brandon Card Salisbury, NC 5 20-11 51
Day 1: 5 20-11
51. Bryan Schmitt Deale, MD 5 20-11 50
Day 1: 5 20-11
52. Ray Hanselman Jr Del Rio, TX 5 20-10 49
Day 1: 5 20-10
53. Scott Martin Clewiston, FL 5 20-09 48
Day 1: 5 20-09
53. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 5 20-09 48
Day 1: 5 20-09
55. Mike Huff London, KY 5 20-08 46
Day 1: 5 20-08
56. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 5 20-08 45
Day 1: 5 20-08
57. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 5 20-06 44
Day 1: 5 20-06
58. Scott Canterbury Odenville, AL 5 20-04 43
Day 1: 5 20-04
59. Gregory DiPalma Millville, NJ 5 20-01 42
Day 1: 5 20-01
60. Wes Logan Springville, AL 5 20-00 41
Day 1: 5 20-00
61. Tyler Rivet Raceland, LA 5 20-00 40
Day 1: 5 20-00
62. Micah Frazier Newnan, GA 5 19-14 39
Day 1: 5 19-14
63. Matt Arey Shelby, NC 5 19-13 38
Day 1: 5 19-13
64. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 5 19-10 37
Day 1: 5 19-10
65. Joshua Stracner Vandiver, AL 5 19-08 36
Day 1: 5 19-08
66. Drew Cook Cairo, GA 5 19-06 35
Day 1: 5 19-06
67. Masayuki Matsushita Tokoname-Shi JAPAN 5 19-03 34
Day 1: 5 19-03
68. Justin Hamner Northport, AL 5 19-02 33
Day 1: 5 19-02
69. Shane LeHew Catawba, NC 5 18-13 32
Day 1: 5 18-13
70. Hank Cherry Jr Lincolnton, NC 5 18-12 31
Day 1: 5 18-12
70. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 5 18-12 31
Day 1: 5 18-12
70. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 5 18-12 31
Day 1: 5 18-12
73. Brandon Cobb Greenwood, SC 5 18-08 28
Day 1: 5 18-08
74. Matt Herren Ashville, AL 5 18-06 27
Day 1: 5 18-06
74. Matty Wong Honolulu, HI 5 18-06 27
Day 1: 5 18-06
76. Clent Davis Montevallo, AL 5 17-11 25
Day 1: 5 17-11
77. Joseph Webster Hamilton, AL 5 17-09 24
Day 1: 5 17-09
77. Jason Williamson Aiken, SC 5 17-09 24
Day 1: 5 17-09
79. Darold Gleason Many, LA 5 17-09 22
Day 1: 5 17-09
80. Frank Talley Temple, TX 5 17-08 21
Day 1: 5 17-08
81. Jonathan Kelley Old Forge, PA 5 17-03 20
Day 1: 5 17-03
82. Gary Clouse Winchester, TN 5 17-02 19
Day 1: 5 17-02
83. Jake Whitaker Hendersonville, NC 5 17-02 18
Day 1: 5 17-02
84. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 5 16-15 17
Day 1: 5 16-15
85. Daisuke Aoki Minamitsurugun Yamanash 5 16-07 16
Day 1: 5 16-07
86. Bryan New Saluda, SC 5 15-15 15
Day 1: 5 15-15
87. David Fritts Lexington, NC 5 15-08 14
Day 1: 5 15-08
88. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 5 14-14 13
Day 1: 5 14-14
89. David Williams Newton, NC 5 14-10 12
Day 1: 5 14-10
90. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 5 14-01 11
Day 1: 5 14-01
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1 Kyle Welcher Opelika, AL 06-12 $1,000.00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 90 450 1881-07
----------------------------------
90 450 1881-07
Major League Fishing’s REDCREST 2022 Presented by Costa to Air Sunday on CBS
TULSA, Okla. (July 14, 2022) – Major League Fishing’s REDCREST 2022 Presented by Costa – the Bass Pro Tour Championship filmed earlier this year on Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees and in Tulsa, Oklahoma – will premiere nationwide Sunday, July 17, on the CBS Television Network from 2 to 3 p.m. ET. The program, which will also stream on Paramount+, showcases the 40 top professional bass anglers from the 2021 Bass Pro Tour, competing across five days at Grand Lake for the prestigious REDCREST Championship and the top prize of $300,000.
Sunday’s airing on CBS will showcase the highlights from all five days of the event with behind-the-scenes angler commentary and interviews, as well as a thrilling final-day shootout between some of the top anglers in the sport, including Bobby Lane, Luke Clausen and Jacob Wheeler. The event was hosted by Tulsa Regional Tourism.
The full, updated television schedule can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
Swindle has learned to love marabou jigs
Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships
After 300 pro fishing derbies, Alabama’s Gerald Swindle is living proof that at age 52 you can still teach a dude with plenty of grey hair in his sideburns a few new tricks – specifically, that marabou, a featherymaterial from storks and turkeys makes a savory snack for fat smallmouth.
In fact, Swindle left the dock on Day 1 of the 2022 Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite on the St. Lawrence River with a tiny marabou jig tied to more than half the rods on his front deck.
“I got my first marabou jigs 20 years ago from a pro named Carey Beaver when he and I were both on Team Lucky Craft. He sent them to me and told me they were the ‘secret juice’ to catching big smallies up north. I looked at them and thought there ain’t no way I’m throwing my grandpa’s crappie jig to catch big smallies. So, they sat in a box for about 18 years,” grins Swindle.
Well, enough trips to places like Mille Lacs and the St. Lawrence taught Swindle those tiny little jigs were truly part of the “smallmouth underground” and kept somewhat secret by hard core northern anglers for good reason.
“Last year (2021) was the first year I truly committed to fishing withmarabou, and the first time a 5-pounder came out of super shallow water and smoked it, I was like, okay dummy, maybe it’s time you learn to use these little suckers,” remembers Swindle
His open-mindedness to adopt a new technique netted Swindle 56-pounds of St. Lawrence smallmouth at the 2021 Elite Series on the St. Lawrence – good enough for 23rd place and a check for $10,000.
While nobody seems to know exactly what food source big bronzebacks think the tiny piece of black feather represents, Swindle says he’s certain the key is to not add much action to the lure.
“I try to fish it like a tiny little micro-spinnerbait. I throw it over 2 to 5-feet of water with my trolling motor moving slow and steady, and just slowly wind it in,” explains the Team Toyota pro.
“You ain’t trying to get jiggy with it. Just retrieve it slow and steady. And out of nowhere, here comes a big old ‘black shark’ to just absolutely smoke it!” says Swindle.
About 90% of the little black marabou jigs hard-core smallie chasers throw are black in color and weigh 1/8 or a super light 1/16. So, what’s with the purple one Swindle had tied on?
“Oh, the purple one is for guys like me with Attention Deficit Disorder. When I’ve had all I can stand of the black one, I switch to purple to keep my head in the game,” laughed bass fishing’s funniest angler.
Black, purple, whatever it takes, just know there’s at least one greybeard in this tenacious field of Elite Series anglers who’s planning to cast a little marabou jig about 90-percent of the time on Day 1, proving full well that even after 300 pro tournaments he’s still willing to learn a new trick.
Z-Man® Salty Ned ShrimpZ
Z-Man HellraiZer
Ladson, SC (July 6, 2022) - What sort of conjuring could have breathed so much life into such a singular lure? What happens when you converge heartrending vibration with the style and the soul of a ChatterBait®?
Uncover the answers when you slash Z-Man’s ingenious HellraiZer lure across the surface . . . and confront some of the craziest topwater action of your life.
Created by original ChatterBait architect Ron Davis, the new Z-Man HellraiZer carves the water with a familiar pulse and sound— and a mad, desperate action only a predator and its prey can appreciate.
But when you tie it on and crank it across the surface, something happens to your heartbeat. You can’t put your finger on the feeling, though your instincts tell you something electrifying and a little dangerous is about to happen. You keep winding, witnessing the lure’s strangely familiar fleeing action, listening to its hypnotic, water-churning invitations. Like you’re observing a wounded fish or some other critter sneaking its way across the surface—trying desperately not to be detected from beneath.
Iaconelli’s best memories at the 1,000 Islands
Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships
Some say a fishing guide’s wife invented Thousand Island salad dressing on the St. Lawrence River, yet others say it was a chef at the iconic Boldt Castle. Team Toyota’s Mike Iaconelli isn’t sure who invented it, but he’s positive the famous salad dressing is awesome on a Reuben sandwich, and the smallmouth are biting as good as ever on the St. Lawrence River.
“Ike” has a long and treasured history on the ultra-clear river connecting Lake Ontario and the Atlantic, but three memories stand out a bit betterthan others.
Blood on the back deck
“I remember fishing a Bassmaster Invitational here back in 1995 when I was like 23 years old. I drew Tom Mann Jr., and I was fired-up because he was a dude I grew up reading about,” smiles Iaconelli.
“We targeted largemouth, because back then, believe it or not, smallmouth weren’t much of a factor here. Anyhow, we started catching pike and largemouth like crazy on a spinnerbait that rainy day, and at one point a pike cut me, and I bled all over the carpet of Tom’s rear deck. About 10 years later I ran into him at a gas station, and he still remembered all the blood.”
Catalyst to a Classic victory
The year was 2002, and “Ike” was fishing the Opens, and B.A.S.S. sent the top three anglers in the Opens points standings to the Bassmaster Classic.
“I was running down the St. Lawrence to Lake Ontario, and some dude started waiving his hands telling me and my partner to turn around. I went anyway and encountered the biggest waves of my life here. They were legit 8-footers, with an occasional 12-footer. I tore off my trolling motor, and one wave knocked my helmet off,” he clearly remembers.
“I had a spare trolling motor. Caught 17-pounds in 45-minutes, made a Top 10, earned enough points to qualify for the 2003 Bassmaster Classic, won that, and my life changed forever,” Ike says humbly, still shaken by the sequence of events.
Becky’s the One
Iaconelli will be the first one to tell you his wife Becky is the best thing that’s ever happened to him. And the 1,000 Islands provided the stage to an epiphany that told him with heartfelt certainty “she was the one.”
“I think it was a tournament here in either 2007 or 2008. Becky was traveling with me, and I had rented a dumpy cabin. It was pretty bad. But she never complained. She stuck with me all week and cheered me alongto a Top 10. And to this day I can still remember realizing she was the girl I needed to marry. Best decision of my life – right here on the St. Lawrence,” says Ike with heartfelt sincerity.
At this point, the St. Lawrence could only provide one more memory to perfectly punctuate Iaconelli’s iconic career. A Bassmaster Elite Series victory. Don’t bet against him this week. He’s at home here. And he’s got27 years of great memories to prove it.
Z-Man DieZel Eye™ Jighead
Ladson, SC (June 30, 2022) – Sometimes, you need a bigger hammer . . . Great advice if you’re an amateur carpenter or some guy named Fred Flintstone. If you’re an angler, however, particularly someone seeking a jighead big and tough enough to tame jumbo soft plastics and apex predators, we suggest you step away from the piles of mismatched jigheads and tie on a DieZel Eye™ for size.
Orders of magnitude beyond wimpy jigs with flimsy hooks and incompatible heads, the new Z-Man DieZel Eye Jighead is an entirely different animal. Want to arm your 5- and 7-inch DieZel MinnowZ™ and other supersized soft plastics with a wicked-sharp, anvil-strong 6/0 or 8/0 hook? Grab a DieZel Eye and go to work.
“Anvil-strong” isn’t just lip service. Zoom in on the DieZel Eye’s impressive black nickel Tri-Forge™ Power Hook and you’ll note the precision-cut angles—a strength-enforcing, three-sided configuration yielding muscle mass and a definitive cutting-edge tapering toward the hookpoint.
“While standard jig hooks are forged on two-sides, we equipped the DieZel Eye Jighead with exclusive Tri-Forge™ hooks, which feature a triangular cross section at the bend for unmatched strength,” notes Z-Man President Daniel Nussbaum. “Our hook-strength tests showed that the Tri-Forge Power Hooks were significantly stronger than traditional hooks. Makes all the difference in the world when you’re wrenching on a heavyweight saltwater predator. The points on these hooks are also sticky sharp for penetrating the toughest, boniest jaws that bite.”
Crafted in concert with the jighead maestros at Eye Strike Fishing, Z-Man’s supersized DieZel Eye leads with its ocular assets. “From every angle, the jig’s oversized 3D eyes grab your attention—that goes for fish and humans alike,” says Dave Fladd, optical engineer and co-owner of Eye Strike Fishing. “Based on decades of fishing, we understood that preyfish eyes provide the most prominent and compelling strike target in every aquatic environment. Matching all Eye Strike designs, the DieZel Eye Jighead leads with its eyeballs.”
South Carolina inshore legend and Eye Strike Fishing co-owner, Ralph Phillips elaborates on the ever-important eye factor. “Over decades of successful fishing, the most productive lures, by far, proved to be those sporting bright, prominent eyes,” observes Phillips. “No other strike target can match the eyes in terms of provoking a predatory response. It’s why large, vibrant, lifelike eyeballs dominate the DieZel Eye Jighead.”
Overshadowing each DieZel Eye Jighead, 3D Red, Glow or Chartreuse eyes neutralized the need to add additional color. On the largest 3-ounce, 8/0 size, the eyes measure a full ½-inch across. For fish, the effect proves visually alluring, irresistible. “We want predators to key on the eyes at all times, without distraction. It’s why strikes on these jigheads rarely come up short,” adds Phillips.
Housing these authentic attractors, the DieZel Eye’s jighead features an all-new, purpose driven profile. “We built the head to fit seamlessly with and maximize the horizontal action of paddletail swimbaits like the DieZel MinnowZ. We also gave it a pronounced, natural-looking nose and rounded chin, so it’s less likely to hang up in rocks or other cover,” notes Fladd. The base of the head is flattened to rest upright and stable on bottom, allowing buoyant ElaZtech baits to tilt slightly tail-up. The 60-degree eyelet to hook-shank angle also accentuates side-to-side shimmy action on a straight retrieve.
More valuable assets encircle the jighead’s neckline. “We endowed the collar with sharp, dual bait barbs that keep soft plastics affixed tightly in place,” Fladd observes. “Then, for adding an EZ Skirt® ahead of an ElaZtech bait, we built in a second skirt keeper or retainer collar. Complementing an ElaZtech trailer with a colorful, lively jig skirt can be a huge enticement for big redfish, black sea bass and stripers. It’s another cool little asset many jighead makers neglect.”
Swimming with a smooth, shimmying action, the DieZel Eye Jighead matches elite paddletail baits like the 5- and 7-inch DieZel MinnowZ or 6-inch SwimmerZ™. Or, step up to a giant 8/0 DieZel Eye, which provides ample hook-shank length and bite to roll with an 8-inch Mag SwimZ™ or StreakZ XL™ all the way up to a 10-inch HeroZ™. Retrieved horizontally or vertically jigged, the DieZel Eye activates your chosen softbait with style and distinction— balanced and ever-alert for the next bite.
Forged in eight hook-weight combinations, from a 3/8-ounce-6/0 size to a depth-probing 3-ounce-8/0 beast—each in Red, Glow or Chartreuse— the DieZel Eye Jighead taunts predatory giants to take their best shot. MSRP $5.99 to $11.99 per 2-pack - available in August.
Charlotte, Lake Norman Selected to Host Major League Fishing’s REDCREST IV, the World Championship of Pro Bass Fishing
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (July 13, 2022) – Major League Fishing (MLF)’s REDCREST, the world championship of professional bass fishing, is heading to the Queen City.
MLF, in conjunction with the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority (CRVA), Visit Lake Norman and the Mecklenburg County Park & Recreation Department , announced today that Lake Norman and Charlotte, North Carolina, have been named the location and hosts of REDCREST IV, the Bass Pro Tour championship event, and the MLF Outdoor Sports Expo, March 10-12, 2023.
REDCREST IV will showcase the top 40 anglers from the 2022 Bass Pro Tour season competing for the REDCREST Championship trophy and the top prize of $300,000. Previous winners of the prestigious event include Bobby Lane (2022), Dustin Connell (2021) and Edwin Evers (2019).
In addition to the tournament and the international media coverage it receives, the MLF Outdoor Sports Expo featuring hundreds of exhibitors and activities will be held at The Park Expo & Conference Center in Charlotte. Fishing and outdoor enthusiasts will have the opportunity to visit 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 Bass Pro Tour anglers. Visitors from around the globe will not only watch the world's best bass-fishing action, but they’ll also receive great deals on everything from crankbaits to rods and reels to bass boats at the outdoor show.
As Charlotte’s hospitality industry continues to see strong recovery, we are ecstatic to welcome Major League Fishing’s REDCREST IV championship next year,” said Tom Murray, Chief Executive Officer of the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority. “Charlotte offers a diverse mix of experiential activities for travelers and locals alike including thrilling outdoor adventures. We look forward to welcoming MLF fans and outdoor enthusiasts to the Queen City.”
“Following an exciting and successful REDCREST in Tulsa, we’re thrilled to announce that we’re bringing REDCREST IV to Charlotte. The city has a passionate outdoor community and offers numerous locations and facilities that will enable us to build the tournament and outdoor show in unique ways,” said Michael Mulone, MLF Vice President of Strategic Business Planning. “We are excited to work with the CRVA, Visit Lake Norman and the Mecklenburg Park and Recreation Department to deliver a memorable celebration of fishing and the outdoors to our fans and outdoor enthusiasts.”
Although Lake Norman has played host to dozens of MLF (and former FLW) tournaments over the years, this event will mark the first time that the MLF Bass Pro Tour will visit Lake Norman. The majority of MLF experience is limited to some Phoenix Bass Fishing League tournaments, a handful of Toyota Series events and five Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit events – the last in 2016. This tournament will feature 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.
“REDCREST IV is the most prestigious fishing event Lake Norman has ever hosted, and we very much appreciate the partnership with MLF, and formerly FLW, in hosting their events over the last couple of decades. Also, we could never host this type of event without our continued partnerships with the CRVA and Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation. We are thrilled to partner in making sure this is the best REDCREST yet,” said Sally Ashworth, Executive Director of Visit Lake Norman.
Each day of competition will be livestreamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app. Television coverage of REDCREST IV will be showcased across two two-hour episodes, premiering next summer on the Discovery Channel. A one-hour special episode, MLF REDCREST IV, is also scheduled to air next summer on CBS.
Proud sponsors of the 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, REDCREST IV 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.
2023 Bassmaster Opens Will Feature New Elite Qualification Format
Current Elite Series angler Jacob Powroznik fished all nine tournaments in the 2021 Bassmaster Opens Series en route to earning his invitation to join the Elites in 2022.
Photo by B.A.S.S.
July 13, 2022
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Beginning in 2023, anglers hoping to earn a coveted invitation to join the Bassmaster Elite Series can only qualify by competing in all nine tournaments comprising the St. Croix Bassmaster Opens Series presented by Mossy Oak Fishing, B.A.S.S. officials announced today. Anglers competing in every tournament will form the Bassmaster Opens Elite Qualifiers.
The Top 9 anglers in the Bassmaster Opens Elite Qualifiers standings will earn an invitation to join the prestigious Bassmaster Elite Series in 2024. With the exception of a berth going to the TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation champion, fishing all nine events and participating in the Opens EQ will be the exclusive route for earning entry into the Elite Series. This season, an unprecedented 83 anglers registered for all nine Bassmaster Opens tournaments.
“We are looking forward to launching the new Bassmaster Opens EQ,” said B.A.S.S. CEO Chase Anderson. “From the length of the season to the variety of waters and regions where these anglers will compete, this model is as close as you can get to competing at the Elite level and will bring even more attention to the skills and incredible commitment made by anglers striving to reach the Bassmaster Elite Series.”
Bassmaster Opens events will continue to be divided into three divisions with three tournaments each, and event winners will still earn a Classic berth if they compete in all three tournaments in that division.
“The new Elite Qualifiers format really allows the Opens to serve two groups of anglers moving forward,” said Hank Weldon, Bassmaster Opens tournament director. “Those who want to make fishing a full-time career and pursue the Elite Series have a clear direction preparing them for that path. But there are also nine opportunities for those who’ve always aspired to fish the Classic to chase that dream.”
The 2023 schedule for the Bassmaster Opens Series will be released this fall.
For more information, visit Bassmaster.com/Opens.
Revital Outdoors - Keeping you Competitive!
This week Chris welcomes in Kyle Smith and Theron Asbery with Revital Outdoors. Revital is a Premium CBD Company based in NE Florida that focuses on us Outdoorsman and keeping us on the water and in the woods longer! David and Kenneth join in later in the show to talk pre-Icast new stuff and more. Check it out!
Freedom Tackle FT Ultra Diver Shad
The Freedom Tackle Ultra Diver Shad from American Baitworks is changing the way anglers’ fish with a deep-diving crankbait. The forward-weighted design and clover leaf bill create a radical deflection action off structure and ensure that this bait stays at maximum depth for longer. Plus, with a seamless one-piece bill design and sonic-welded body, you can be sure this bait will last through even the most intense battles. Finished with premium black nickel hooks - available in two sizes…pick your color and tie on a Freedom Tackle Ultra Diver Shad!
Freedom Tackle FT Ultra Diver Minnow
The FT Ultra Diver Minnow is just the bait you need to up your fishing game. The design team at American Baitworks developed the FT Ultra Diver Minnow with a forward-weighted design which ensures the minnow is primed and ready to dive deep as soon as it hits the water. The cloverleaf bill design also creates a radical deflection action that is sure to attract fish. This bait is built to perform, with a 3-piece sonic-welded body, an integrated one-piece bill, and premium VMC black nickel hooks that come together to provide ultimate durability, action, and strength. You'll be cranking in big ones in no time with the Ultra Diver Minnow.
Freedom Tackle FT Tailspin
The Freedom Tackle FT Tailspin by American Baitworks is a versatile bait perfect for targeting bass or walleye. FT Tailspin features a hard body that wobbles and generates an erratic swimming action all the way to the boat. This bait was designed to be fished slow, with maximum action relying on our patent-pending Kilter Blade that’s built with a unique shape that creates increased flash and action, even on an ultra-slow retrieve.
The FT Tailspin is available in multiple sizes with premium black nickel treble hooks. Fish it year-round in almost any depth! When you hook into a fish on the Tailspin, it’s going to be an epic fight!
Speed Freak Spinnerbaits
Run it as fast as you want with this keel head spinnerbait designed to keep its head down and stay down on those Mach-speed retrieves! The new Speed Freak Spinnerbait can achieve high-speed retrieves because of its unique down-winged head design that slices through the water while also creating downforce with the bait.
The head design is finished with a 2-barb super sticky bait keeper that is fully integrated with our premium black nickel hook – sized matched for the spinnerbait weight which, is size-stamped directly on the head. The head design also relies on a proprietary collar to increase skirt flair.
The other key to the Speed Freak’s performance is the patent-pending Kilter blade which allows for an erratic action from the bait and the skirt that guaranteed fish haven’t felt before with an absolutely unique vibration & flash!
Compact and Full Frame versions are available in multiple sizes and colors.
Snag Proof SmashMouth Popping Frog
The SmashMouth Popping Frog is built around Snag Proof’s custom 5/0 double frog hook which rests perfectly on the back of the frog to make the frog virtually snag-proof and the point angle has been engineered for max hook-up ratio. The streamlined shape of the SmashMouth ensures impressive casting distance and the ability to SMASH through the thickest cover.
Each SmashMouth body is digitally painted based on hand-designed colors by the award-winning, American lure designing legend, Andrew Gardner. The front end of the SmashMouth is engineered to maximize both popping action and water displacement to generate more bites while allowing the frog to track well when being worked aggressively in open water or through sparse cover. The versatility of the SnagProof SmashMouth makes it a MUST ADD to your frogging arsenal. Available in 12 color designs, the SmashMouth Popping Frog is the deal!
NetBait Paca Slim
Double Down with Paca™ Technology in the solid-body design of the Paca™ Slim with NetBait's patented claw design. The Paca™ Slim was developed to maximize Flaps-Per-Second with a 180-degree pivot ratio in an alternating pattern when swimming or jigging. When flipped or pitched, the claws of the Paca™ Slim have a helicopter effect which slows the decent of this bait. The Paca™ Slim features a solid and sleek, round-ribbed body that can easily be applied to any Texas-rig, and a spectrum of jigs. Now infused with BaitFuel and salted to perfection, which supercharges all the go-to color patterns in the Paca™ Slim that anglers demand.
Freedom Tackle 5.5” Mischief Minnow
Bigger and BADDER - the 5.5" Mischief Minnow is the perfect bait for those looking to take their fishing game to the next level. With its durable paint finish and great castability thanks to an all-new Weight Transfer System, this bait is ready to take on any predator.
The patent-pending Kilter Blade design gives this bait an extra edge creating a captivating flash and vibration that predators cannot resist, while also making it easy for everyone to fish correctly. Additionally, the through wire design ensures that the pull point is connected to all hooks on the bait, making for a stronger hold. With multiple colors to choose from – the Mischief Minnow is going to get’em good on the water.
Freedom Tackle Jeremy Lawyer Magnum Shakey Head
Go Big… finesse style with the FT Magnum Shakey Head! Designed by Major League Fishing Pro Jeremy Lawyer in partnership with the team at American Baitworks, this magnum shakey is armed with an extra durable powder-coated, uniquely shaped head. This head shape allows your bait to stand-up better off of a mix of bottom cover, and to come through rocks and structure, without getting snagged.
The FT Magnum Shakey Head sports an oversized Black Nickel hook with a 45-degree rotated flat-eye which translates power from your hookset directly through to the hook for maximum penetration. The hook is perfectly aligned with a premium center screw lock to keep your bait firmly in place.
Available in multiple sizes in Black and Green Pumpkin with each size stamped on the head.
NetBait Lollipop DS
The evolution in finesse baits is the Lollipop DS!
The Lollipop DS (Drop Shot) is infused with BaitFuel and is the go-to for a drop shot and other finesse techniques.
The Lollipop has a tapered body with an enlarged tail section giving this bait an authentic look that mimics virtually any baitfish. Available in all the fish-catching colors that mimic prey, the Lollipop DS is neutrally buoyant so, it can be fished in any situation where you want to keep the bait elevated off the bottom.
Scum Frog Launch Frog XS
A smaller Profile can equal BIG BITES. The all-new, ultra-long casting Launch Frog XS is the new pinnacle of technical design and performance in a topwater frog in a sized-down version of the original Launch Frog.
The key to the Launch Frog XS’ performance is the unique tungsten “parasite” weight system which adds weight without the bulk to the hook shank. This allows the Launch Frog XS to achieve long casting distances with a smaller body size. The Launch Frog XS gives you maximum distance in a smaller profile topwater frog while premium frog hooks and high compression body deliver the highest hook-up rate possible in a hollow body frog. The Launch Frog XS delivers a super-soft high compression wide-body design wrapped around a premium 5/0 double frog hook for maximum water displacement and buoyancy.
The Launch Frog XS also takes advantage of the famous Scum Frog brass button rear-weight to maintain a nose-up frog profile critical to frog performance. Every Launch Frog XS is finished in a 40-strand premium silicone skirt.
NetBait Crush Worm
The Crush Worm is one of the most life-like baits available on the market today, thanks to a super-soft, high-float plastic integrated with BaitFuel – the ultimate combination to get fish to bite and hang on! The three size profiles give anglers the option to size down between the Crush Worm and Jr. Crush Worm for more subtle presentations or use a slightly wider bait profile with the Stumpy Crush.
The Crush Worm has quickly become the mainstay drop shot bait for a wide range of anglers. We recommend using an extremely subtle technique with minimal rod tip movement as it’s been proven, consistently that slight twitches and dead sticking of the Crush Worm optimize the bait’s performance. Finesse Fishing just got even better with the NetBait Crush Worm infused with BaitFuel giving it the triple threat of color, action, and powerful scent performance.
NetBait ION
With its subtle natural action and perfect fall rate, The NetBait ION with BaitFuel will positively catch more fish! The secret to the ION’s performance is the amount of BaitFuel infused in the body, which creates a perfect fall rate with a subtle side-to-side wiggle releasing a powerful scent cloud around your bait to trigger a predatory response in fish.
Freedom Tackle Finesse Jig
Master the finesse game and get the perfect presentation every time with the FT Finesse Jig. The tapered lead head provides a streamlined profile, while the double-barb bait keeper ensures your trailer stays put. The head design is tapered down to reduce the head size and extended down the hook shank for a more horizontal fall. The powder-coat finish in multiple color options ensures maximum paint durability. Choose from multiple sizes to find the perfect FT Finesse jig for your fishing needs.
NetBait Drifter Minnow
The Drifter Minnow is designed for serious smallmouth anglers with subtle features that bring the perfect blend of art and science to smallmouth fishing.
The secret of the Drifter Minnow is centered around the hand-finished 3D eyes that truly mimic a baitfish coupled with a unique, pintail design that delivers unreal action when the bait is presented as either a drop shot, vertical jig, or with the Flatty Jig.
The Drifter Minnow boasts the same key features that make all Drifter series baits so good; premium high float plastic infused with BaitFuel gives the bait incredible action accentuated through a ribbed body design and in colors that smallmouth can’t resist.
NetBait Drifter
One of the best baits available for finesse applications like drop shot, jig head, and the Flatty Jig. A classic, handcrafted, hand-poured bait with a year-round application for bass, walleye, and ice fishing. The Drifter is infused with BaitFuel, which contains our exclusive X55 F.A.S.T. (Fish Active Scent Technology) formula that generates more bites. The Drifter is 2.75 inches/69 mm in length. Super soft, and infused with BaitFuel, the Drifter moves freely in drop shot applications without you having to shake it. 3D eyes give the Drifter a life-like appearance to get every fish to stop and have a look.
Mustad LEGACY COMBO SERIES
- Well-balanced Rod and Reel Combos for either Youth or Adult Anglers
- Industry-first Team Combo that pairs Youth and Adult combos together in a Single Package
- Two-Piece Graphite Composite Rods
- Durable Ball Bearing Spinning Reels
- Pre-spooled with Monofilament Line
SIONYX Launches Nightwave, Making Night as Clear as Day
The new ultra-low-light marine digital camera system guides boaters of all skill levels safely through any maritime environment
BEVERLY, Mass. (July 12, 2022) – SIONYX™, a leader in digital color night vision technology, announces the launch of Nightwave, the first-of-its-kind marine camera system. Built around the brand’s proprietary Black Silicon BSI CMOS sensor, Nightwave allows mariners to navigate safely by easily spotting hazards and debris in moonless starlight without additional illumination, maximizing time on the water.
Built to operate in the toughest marine environments, the night vision camera is IP67 waterproof and shock rated. Nightwave seamlessly integrates to any vessel's electronics by connecting to major brand MFDs via the analog video output. With flexible mounting and setup, Nightwave can also connect to a mobile device via Wi-Fi for an enhanced user experience. At an MSRP of $1,595.00, Nightwave sets a new standard of affordability for night vision, making it accessible to boaters of all levels.
"Developing solutions to increase safety on the water and navigate with confidence is part of our mission,” said Gio Lepore, Global Product Manager at SIONYX. “Nightwave’s digital color night vision allows anglers and boaters to be active on the water as early or as late at night as they’d like. This technology provides clear color images in near-total darkness and is simple to install and operate. It should be a standard piece of equipment on every vessel to ensure a safe trip at any time.”
Notable Features Include:
- <1mlx moonless starlight sensitivity allows mariners to see well beyond human eyesight and detect a man-sized object at 150 meters
- The system’s high resolution detector provides upgraded quality imaging capability in near total darkness
- Wide 44o field of view increases situational awareness to spot unexpected obstacles, debris, markers, vessels, and more
- Convenient installation flexibility: permanent mounting hardware is included, as well as a standard 1/4”-20 mount interface.
- Nightwave can be oriented ball-up or ball-down, to meet any challenging mounting requirements
- Lightweight and portable (870 G)
- Stay up to date: the latest firmware and software releases are available through the SIONYX mobile app
The Mobile App:
Nightwave mobile app features include:
- Connect to Nightwave for additional features and capabilities
- Set camera orientation and position for optimal viewing experiences
- IR cut filter control
- Over the air updates
- Manage firmware updates to your Nightwave camera through Wi-Fi
- Initial release will be android compatible, with iOS releasing shortly after
- Future releases will include additional features such as wireless video streaming
Built rugged, connected, and capable, Nightwave is an impressive addition to any vessel. For more information on SIONYX or to reserve your unit, please visit www.sionyx.com/products/nightwave.
Miller Claims Victory at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on St. Lawrence River
Steele Wins Strike King Co-Angler Division
MASSENA, N.Y. (July 11, 2022) – Boater Gary Miller of Stouffville, Ontario, caught five bass Saturday weighing 28 pounds, 14 ounces, to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on the St. Lawrence River. The tournament, hosted by the Town of Massena, was the third event for the Bass Fishing League Northeast Division. Miller earned $3,990 for his victory.
“We made a pretty long, 65- to 70-mile run, down to Lake Ontario to some spots I had picked out during pre-fishing,” Miller said. “Every spot I stopped at worked out, and I got a big fish on each one. And that really made up the bag that I weighed in.”
Miller said clear and sunny weather helped him succeed in the tournament. Miller said he relied on a hair jig and a Ned rig to land his six fish of the day, all of which were keepers.
“I was targeting big fish only, so pretty early on I knew I had a pretty good bag,” Miller said. “Most of my fish were over five pounds, so I knew it was a pretty good bag for this time of year.
“Any time you have a day like that you have to be pretty happy about it,” Miller added. “It doesn’t always go that way.”
Miller’s win was also the first Major League Fishing event he had fished, and said it was nice to have the effort he put into preparing for the tournament pay off.
“The event was very organized and easy to fish,” Miller said. “It was a pleasure to fish with MLF and made the win even better.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Gary Miller, Stouffville, Ontario, five bass, 28-14, $3,990
2nd: Jesse Spellicy, Gouverneur, N.Y., five bass, 24-13, $2,273 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
3rd: Matt Dobson, Millbrook, Ontario, five bass, 23-3, $1,181
4th: Alec Morrison, Peru, N.Y., five bass, 22-5, $827
5th: James Ciferni, Hammond, N.Y., five bass, 22-0, $909
6th: Jack Dice, Lynchburg, Va., five bass, 21-7, $620
6th: Brian Campbell, Uniontown, Pa., five bass, 21-7, $620
8th: Brad Paradis, Ogdensburg, N.Y., five bass, 20-15, $532
9th: Rick Harris, Kingsland, Texas, five bass, 20-4, $473
10th: Ronald Penders Jr., Webster, N.Y., five bass, 20-2, $414
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Miller also caught the heaviest bass of the tournament – 6 pounds, 6 ounces, to earn the day’s Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $445.
Toby Steele of Ten Mile, Tennessee, won the Strike King Co-angler Division and $1,973 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 21 pounds, 15 ounces.
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:
1st: Toby Steele, Ten Mile, Tenn., five bass, 21-15, $1,973
2nd: Frank Garcia, Cranford, N.J., five bass, 17-11, $886
3rd: Daniel Miguel, Ajax, Ontario, five bass, 16-4, $591
4th: Bradley Petrie, Johnstown, N.Y., five bass, 16-1, $414
5th: Jeff Turner, Plainfield, Ill., five bass, 15-14, $355
6th: Tyler Anderson, York, S.C., five bass, 15-9, $325
7th: Michael Fox, East Greenville, Pa., five bass, 15-7, $295
8th: Robert Hockley, Annville, Pa., five bass, 15-0, $366
9th: Justin Thompson, Stafford, Va., five bass, 14-11, $236
10th: Lazarus Durham, Dumfries, Va., five bass, 14-9, $357
Michael Bahnweg of Union Dale, Pennsylvania, 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 $222.
After three events, Ernie Freeman of Broad Run, Virginia, leads the Bass Fishing League Northeast Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 714 points, while Richard Jensen of Virginia Beach, Virginia, leads the Strike King Co-Angler Division AOY race with 706 points.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 20-22 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on the James River in Richmond, Virginia. Boaters will compete for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.
The 2022 Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six Regional Championships where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.
The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division will also earn priority entry into the MLF Toyota Series, the pathway to the MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit and ultimately the MLF Bass Pro Tour.
Proud sponsors of the 2022 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 4WP, 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, AFTCO, A.R.E. Truck Caps, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, E3, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, Gary Yamamoto Baits, General Tire, Lew’s, Lowrance, Lucas Oil, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Revital Outdoors, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, Wiley X, YETI and Yo-Zuri.
For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Bass Fishing League updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
Dowdy Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Kentucky/Barkley Lakes
Griffin Tops Strike King Co-Angler Division
GILBERTSVILLE, Ky. (July 11, 2022) – Boater Josh Dowdy of Mayfield, Kentucky, caught three bass Saturday weighing 13 pounds even to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on Kentucky/Barkley Lakes. The tournament, hosted by Kentucky Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau, was the fourth event for the Bass Fishing League LBL Division. Dowdy earned $4,684 for his victory.
“I got to the first spot and got bit there and put my biggest fish in the boat,” Dowdy said. “Then the breeze changed from the south to out of the north, and that really set me up pretty good to get on some of the offshore spots I wanted to fish.”
Dowdy said the wind allowed him to position and hold his boat to make more methodical and efficient casts.
“When you’re dealing with small schools of fish – say fix or six fish – it really pays to get that first cast right in there where you want it,” Dowdy said. “You have to catch the first one in the school, because there won’t be another one. It’s just fishing one here and one there, picking them out throughout the day.”
Dowdy said he relied on slow, methodical technique, throwing a football jig as well as a Carolina rig to catch a total of six keepers during the course of the day.
“I was targeting ledges, gravel and shell bars 10 to 15 feet deep during the day,” Dowdy said. “I couldn’t get bit on brush. I just moved out to the main lake and started fishing the same old Kentucky Lake patterns everybody knows.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Josh Dowdy, Mayfield, Ky., three bass, 13-0, $4,684
2nd: Tim Griggs, Paducah, Ky., three bass, 12-13, $2,059
3rd: Lance Freeman, Eddyville, Ky., three bass, 11-9, $2,274 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
4th: Harold Buchmeier, Gilbertsville, Ky., three bass, 10-10, $1,261
5th: Ray Barga, Benton, Ky., three bass, 10-3, $824
6th: Harry Barber, Earlington, Ky., three bass, 10-0, $755
7th: Michael Wasden, Paris, Tenn., three bass, 9-13, $686
8th: Andrew Suggs, Cunningham, Tenn., three bass, 9-8, $618
9th: Ryan Deal, Evansville, Ind., three bass, 9-7, $549
10th: Stuart Arthur, Benton, Mo., three bass, 9-6, $456
10th: David Hames, Trezevant, Tenn., three bass, 9-6, $456
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Dowdy also had a largemouth that weighed 4 pounds, 15 ounces that was the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division and earned the day’s Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $565.
Demetrius Griffin of Sturgis, Kentucky, won the Strike King Co-angler Division and $2,059 Saturday after catching three bass weighing 9 pounds, 13 ounces.
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:
1st: Demetrius Griffin, Sturgis, Ky., three bass, 9-13, $2,059
2nd: Todd Mowery, Madison, Ala., three bass, 9-1, $1,030
3rd: Alan Brasher, Decaturville, Tenn., three bass, 8-14, $687
4th: Ethan Wheeler, Mayfield, Ky., three bass, 8-4, $480
5th: Gary Gustafson, Gilbertsville, Ky., three bass, 8-3, $412
6th: Cory York, Benton, Ky., three bass, 7-13, $378
7th: Hayden Jett, Memphis, Ind., three bass, 7-11, $343
8th: Ed Daniell, West Frankfort, Ill., three bass, 5-15, $459
9th: Alexis Joyce, Benton, Ky., two bass, 5-13, $275
10th: Frank Haysley, Louisville, Ky., one bass, 5-9, $722
Haysley caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 5 pounds, 9 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Berkley Big Bass Co-angler award of $282.
After four events, Toby Corn of Paducah, Kentucky, leads the Bass Fishing League LBL Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 921 points, while Ed Daniell of West Frankfort, Illinois, leads the Strike King Co-Angler Division AOY race with 966 points.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 13-15 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Pickwick Lake in Counce, Tennessee. Boaters will compete for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.
The 2022 Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six Regional Championships where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.
The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division will also earn priority entry into the MLF Toyota Series, the pathway to the MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit and ultimately the MLF Bass Pro Tour.
Proud sponsors of the 2022 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 4WP, 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, AFTCO, A.R.E. Truck Caps, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, E3, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, Gary Yamamoto Baits, General Tire, Lew’s, Lowrance, Lucas Oil, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Revital Outdoors, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, Wiley X, YETI and Yo-Zuri.
For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Bass Fishing League updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
Brumnett Tops Field at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Fort Gibson Lake
Thompson Wins Strike King Co-Angler Division
WAGONER, Okla. (July 11, 2022) – Boater Brett Brumnett of Wagoner, Oklahoma, caught three bass Saturday weighing 13 pounds, 15 ounces, to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on Fort Gibson Lake . The tournament was the fourth event for the Bass Fishing League Okie Division. Brumnett earned $12,199, including the lucrative $7,000 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus, for his victory.
“I started out fishing mid-lake throwing a (River2Sea) Whopper Plopper, and I caught a keeper on it early,” Brumnett said. “So, I fished there for the first couple of hours and then moved to the upper end of the lake and started fishing laydowns and stumps. I ended up catching two more keepers up there flipping a Gene Larew Biffle Bug and a 10-inch Berkley Powerbait Power Worm. Then I finished the day fishing rock piles and upgraded twice.
“I probably caught 15 fish, and 12 of those were keepers,” Brumnett added. “I pulled up on one of my rock piles and caught a 4½-pounder and that put me at about 12 pounds at that time. I hit a few more of my spots and didn’t get any bites, so I went back to that rock pile with 20 minutes to go and caught another 4½-pounder off of it.”
Brumnett’s win was his second BFL victory on Fort Gibson Lake. His first came in 2017.
“The lake’s been fishing tough, and I had two sons who fished on the boater side, so I had to work around them,” Brumnett added with a laugh. His son, Eli, finished sixth in the event, and son Tate placed 33rd.
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Brett Brumnett, Wagoner, Okla., three bass, 13-15, $12,199 (includes $7,000 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
2nd: Sheldon Collings, Grove, Okla., three bass, 13-6, $2,100
3rd: Dillon Roberts, Claremore, Okla., three bass, 12-8, $1,983
4th: Brent Homan, Graham, Texas, three bass, 12-3, $910
4th: Wyatt Ryan, Ada, Okla., three bass, 12-3, $910
6th: Eli Brumnett, Wagoner, Okla., three bass, 11-11, $770
7th: Steven McLarty, Broken Arrow, Okla., three bass, 11-6, $700
8th: Nick Kincaid, Coweta, Okla., three bass, 11-2, $830
9th: Lane Kindle, Stilwell, Okla., three bass, 10-14, $560
10th: Jason Horton, Eucha, Okla., three bass, 10-4, $490
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Roberts caught a largemouth that weighed 5 pounds, 5 ounces that was the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division and earned the day’s Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $585.
Doug Thompson of Mabelvale, Arkansas, won the Strike King Co-angler Division and $2,100 Saturday after catching three bass weighing 10 pounds even.
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:
1st: Doug Thompson, Mabelvale, Ark., three bass, 10-0, $2,100
2nd: Nathan Christie, Claremore, Okla., three bass, 9-0, $1,050
3rd: Chip Porche, Bixby, Okla., three bass, 8-8, $701
4th: Harold Frazier, Okmulgee, Okla., three bass, 8-2, $590
5th: Michael Shinstine, Springdale, Ark., three bass, 8-0, $420
6th: Alan Hill, Ada, Okla., three bass, 7-7, $385
7th: David Hamilton, Rogers, Ark., three bass, 7-6, $350
8th: Jerrod Madden, Purcell, Okla., two bass, 7-5, $315
9th: Thad Hewitt, Delaware, Okla., three bass, 7-1, $262
9th: Patrick Sanchez, Muskogee, Okla., two bass, 7-1, $262
Derrick Skinner of Muskogee, Oklahoma, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 4 pounds, 14 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Berkley Big Bass Co-angler award of $292.
After four events, Ian Leybas of McAlester, Oklahoma, leads the Bass Fishing League Okie Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 974 points, while David Blankinship of Cushing, Oklahoma, leads the Strike King Co-Angler Division AOY race with 968 points.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 13-15 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on the Mississippi River in La Crosse, Wis. Boaters will compete for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.
The 2022 Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six Regional Championships where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.
The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division will also earn priority entry into the MLF Toyota Series, the pathway to the MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit and ultimately the MLF Bass Pro Tour.
Proud sponsors of the 2022 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 4WP, 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, AFTCO, A.R.E. Truck Caps, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, E3, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, Gary Yamamoto Baits, General Tire, Lew’s, Lowrance, Lucas Oil, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Revital Outdoors, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, Wiley X, YETI and Yo-Zuri.
For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Bass Fishing League updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
Shrimp Run on the St. Johns
Courtesy of Luke Stoner - Dynamic Sponsorships
It’s only mid-July, but it’s safe to say the dog days of summer are here. Much of the country has been experiencing a brutal heat wave, featuring dangerously high daily temps making it difficult to do anything outdoors past 10 A.M. About this time every year competitive bass anglers start bemoaning the ultra-warm water and tough fishing in the southern U.S., which is why we see many professional tournament trails head north during the late summer months.
But you won’t hear any whining from Florida native “Big Show” Terry Scroggins. While Scroggins said he loves the northern swing as much as the next guy, right now through October is absolutely one of his favorite times of year to fish his home waters of the St. Johns River in northeast Florida. And it’s directly related to saltwater shrimp.
You read that correctly. Every year saltwater shrimp run into the freshwaters of the St. Johns River and several different species of saltwater game fish come with them.
“The shrimp run changes the game around here each year,” Scroggins said with a smile. “The presence of shrimp makes the bass fishing better and a lot of other fish follow them, too. Folks target shrimp with cast nets starting in late August or September once they get a little bigger, but several species of fish feed on them from now all the way into November unless we get big rains.”
Heavy rainfall can cut the shrimp run short and send the delicious crustaceans back to the ocean past Jacksonville, but on a good year the shrimp run can last through Thanksgiving.
Scroggins regularly catches redfish and flounder on bass tackle during the annual shrimp run, but he’s also caught juvenile Tarpon, Jack Crevalle, and Mangrove Snappers that take temporary residence in the St. Johns this time of year.
While Big Show said he’ll adjust his lure size and profile based on the current proportions of shrimp that are present, he doesn’t really change his techniques or tactics. He largely treats his days on the water the same as he would a typical Bass Pro Tour tournament.
“I never target other species specifically besides bass,” Scroggins explained. “The deal is redfish, flounder, and other gamefish follow the shrimp into the river and use the same places the bass do. They all gang up on shellbars and offshore spots near the river channel. I just go bass fishing and look for schools of fish on my electronics, knowing I’m liable to catch anything on any cast. It’s about as much fun as you can have on the water.”
Scroggins recalled numerous occasions where he’s literally caught four or five pound largemouth and 30-inch redfish on back-to-back casts with a lipless crankbait or Carolina rig. When shrimp are in the mix, Big Show said you never know what you might catch.
The element of the unknown coupled with the overall health of the fishery improving due to the presence of the new forage makes it easy to understand why Scroggins looks forward to the dog days of summer on the St. Johns River. While the Team Toyota pro is eager to make the haul up to Cayuga Lake in New York for Stage Six, you can bet Big Show will be equally as excited to see what bites his cricket when he gets back to his unique home waters.
Sentimental Spot Delivers Smith’s Bassmaster Northern Open Win On Oneid
Casey Smith of Victor, N.Y., has won the 2022 St. Croix Bassmaster Northern Open at Oneida Lake presented by Mossy Oak Fishing with a three-day total of 55 pounds, 13 ounces.
Photo by Andy Crawford/B.A.S.S.
July 9, 2022
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Returning to a favorite family spot, Casey Smith of Victor, N.Y., found the quality bites he needed to win the St. Croix Bassmaster Northern Open at Oneida Lake presented by Mossy Oak Fishing with a three-day total of 55-13.
A solid start gave Smith a Day 1 limit of 18-7 that put him in sixth place. He took over the lead with a second-round bag that went 18-12 and after sacking up a Day 3 limit of 18-10, he closed the door with a 2-pound winning margin over his fishing pal Liam Blake of Syracuse, N.Y.
Smith won the first-place prize of $52,300 and qualified for the 2023 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk to be held in Knoxville, Tenn., March 24-26. Bassmaster Opens anglers are Classic eligible if they commit to fishing all three events of the division in which they win.
“I kinda forgot about the Classic; it hit me last night while I was rigging tackle,” Smith admitted. “The priority was winning at home in front of my people. I won a major event on another tour about six years ago, but I wanted to win that trophy at home.”
Smith recalled struggling with a slow morning and midday until moving to a spot that made sense from a fishing perspective but also held deep sentimental value. The Billington Bay shoal with about 3 feet on top and 12 on the sides was the spot where Smith and his wife Tiffany fished seven years ago when they were expecting their son Travis.
Last year, the family spent their Independence Day week in the area and fished the same spot. Today, that bar delivered epic serendipity.
“My son had a lacrosse game in Sackets Harbor (about an hour north) and when they came out and started watching me around 11:30, I had four fish,” Smith said. “I caught everything I weighed in on that high spot with them right in front of me.
“I culled out everything I had on that same bar where we fished when my wife was pregnant with my son. That was a special moment catching giants.”
On this high spot, Smith targeted a variety of irregularities including transitions of rock to sand, rock to grass, rock spines, depressions and rock drops.
“Every cast I made was to the highest-percentage zone I could see on my screen,” Smith said. “I couldn’t have done it without Humminbird 360. I was constantly casting at some type of irregularity. I just stayed far away from them and targeted where they sit and live.”
Throughout the tournament, Smith mentioned using standard smallmouth bass finesse techniques. That included 1/5- and 1/4-ounce Ned heads with a ZMan Finessed TRD in green goby, a 4-inch green pumpkin tube on a 1/2-ounce jighead and a drop shot with Berkley PowerBait MaxScent Flatworm in brown back.
“I was rotating the baits based on conditions and how I felt the fish were behaving,” Smith said. “If I felt the fish were over-pressured, or if I busted up the school with a tube, I’d throw something else in there. The drop shot produced all the fish I weighed in today.”
Hailing from Syracuse, N.Y., Blake caught 17-10 on Day 1 and placed 16th before adding 17-14 and climbing 10 spots to sixth. Turning in his best bag — 18-5 — on Championship Saturday, he finished second with 53-13.
“(Local knowledge) really helped me this week; I was able to run a bunch of different areas and make a bunch of specific casts,” the hometown angler said. “Today was a lot tougher — I only had six bites all day, but they were bigger ones.”
Blake caught his fish on a 1/8-ounce black hair jig, a drop shot with a 4-inch green pumpkin Yamamoto Senko and a 1/2-ounce football jig with a Strike King Rage Craw.
“I rotated through 12 to 15 spots a day and I would keep coming back to the (better) ones and hope that the fish would filter back in there,” Blake said.
Cooper Gallant of Bowmansville, Ontario, Canada, turned in daily weights of 16-15, 17-9 and 18-15 and finished third with 53-7.
Gallant, who won the St. Croix Bassmaster Southern Open on Cherokee Lake presented by Mossy Oak Fishing on April 2, did most of his work on a main-lake flat with clumps of grass in 12 feet. He amassed his weight by pitching a drop shot with an XZone Lures Hotshot Minnow to bass he spotted on his Garmin LiveScope.
“Practice was super up and down, so to come in here and get a Top 10, that was my goal,” Gallant said. “I caught them on the same bait I used on Cherokee. I was LiveScoping and dropping it on their heads.”
Daisuke Kita of Ohtsu Shiga, Japan, won the $750 Phoenix Boats Big Bass award with his 4-14.
As part of the Yamaha Power Pay program, Bassmaster Elite Series pro Kenta Kimura took home an additional $1,500.
Kimura of Hirakata Osaka, Japan, leads the Northern Open standings with 394 points. Alex Wetherell of Middletown, Conn., is second with 388, followed by Kyoya Fujita of Minamitsuru, Yamanashi, Japan, with 376, Cody Meyer of Eagle, Idaho, with 371 and Elite pro Michael Iaconelli of Pittsgrove, N.J., with 365.
John Soukup of Sapulpa, Okla., leads the overall Opens standings with 826 points. He is followed by Gallant (807), Alabama pro Keith Poche (781), Kimura (768) and New York angler Kyle Patrick (757).
2022 St. Croix Bassmaster Northern Open at Oneida Lake presented by Mossy Oak Fishing 7/7-7/9
Oneida Lake, Syracuse NY.
(BOATER) Standings Day 3
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Casey Smith Victor, NY 15 55-13 200 $52,300.00
Day 1: 5 18-07 Day 2: 5 18-12 Day 3: 5 18-10
2. Liam Blake Syracuse, NY 15 53-13 199 $25,160.00
Day 1: 5 17-10 Day 2: 5 17-14 Day 3: 5 18-05
3. Cooper Gallant Bowmanville Ontario CAN 15 53-07 198 $17,760.00
Day 1: 5 16-15 Day 2: 5 17-09 Day 3: 5 18-15
4. Cody Meyer Eagle, ID 15 53-03 197 $14,800.00
Day 1: 5 16-07 Day 2: 5 19-03 Day 3: 5 17-09
5. Josh Summerville Lilly, PA 15 52-07 196 $12,876.00
Day 1: 5 16-11 Day 2: 5 17-11 Day 3: 5 18-01
6. Jacopo Gallelli Horton ITALY 15 52-05 195 $11,840.00
Day 1: 5 19-14 Day 2: 5 17-03 Day 3: 5 15-04
7. Kenta Kimura Osaka JAPAN 15 52-05 194 $11,100.00
Day 1: 5 18-15 Day 2: 5 17-03 Day 3: 5 16-03
8. Grae Buck Green Lane, PA 15 52-01 193 $10,360.00
Day 1: 5 16-13 Day 2: 5 17-10 Day 3: 5 17-10
9. Craig Townsend Westampton, NJ 12 41-08 192 $8,140.00
Day 1: 5 18-12 Day 2: 5 17-05 Day 3: 2 05-07
10. Alex Wetherell Middletown, CT 12 38-05 191 $6,660.00
Day 1: 5 18-01 Day 2: 5 16-03 Day 3: 2 04-01
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Daisuke Kita Ohtsu Shiga JAPAN 04-14 $750.00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 145 902 2723-09
2 123 841 2394-03
3 8 44 150-01
----------------------------------
276 1787 5267-13
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Consistent Smith Takes Over Lead At Bassmaster Northern Open On Oneida
Casey Smith of Victor, N.Y., is leading after Day 2 of the 2022 St. Croix Bassmaster Northern Open at Oneida Lake presented by Mossy Oak Fishing with a two-day total of 37 pounds, 3 ounces.
Photo by Andy Crawford/B.A.S.S.
July 8, 2022
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Casey Smith admitted he spent most of the day not knowing when or where he would find his next bite, but the pro from Victor, N.Y., made the right decisions and found what he needed to take over the Day 2 lead in the St. Croix Bassmaster Northern Open at Oneida Lake presented by Mossy Oak Fishing.
After placing sixth on Day 1 with 18-7, Smith demonstrated remarkable consistency by adding 18-12 Friday and grabbed the top spot with a two-day total of 37 pounds, 3 ounces. He heads into Championship Saturday with a 2-ounce lead over Jacopo Gallelli, an Italian angler who now lives in Horton, Ala.
“These fish are moving nonstop all day,” Smith said of his day’s disjointed feel. “They’re here one minute, gone the next; sometimes there’s one there, sometimes there’s not.
“I don’t want to say it’s timing, but there’s something going on there. I don’t have that part of it figured out.”
What Smith did figure out was that the bass he was catching were going to be in one of two specific depth zones. He kept those details confidential for one more day but noted the difference was not significant.
“This time of year, they’re going to move out anyway,” he said. “The spawn was a little while ago, they’re just now getting fat, so they’re starting to move, and staying on top of that is going to be key.”
Smith caught his bass on what he termed “typical smallmouth finesse.” The Oneida fish are indiscriminate diners, as evidenced by livewell regurgitations, so once Smith found them, they were generally cooperative.
“I’ve seen them spit up everything — crawdads, perch fry, mayflies, gobies, baitfish,” Smith said. “They did that all through practice and they’ve done it all through the tournament.”
With four nations — the United States, Canada, Italy and Japan — represented in the Top 10, the field of finalists heads into Championship Saturday with less than 3 pounds separating first place from 10th. Smith said he’s hopeful the refinement he was able to accomplish on Day 2 will serve him in the final round, but he knows he needs to figure out a key element.
“I caught more fish today than yesterday, but overall, my size was less,” he said. “I had those five good ones, but more smaller fish showed up. I needed today’s longer day (later flight) to put that together.
“I made some significant upgrades later in the day. They seem to be set up in the morning, but then there’s a midday lull. There’s definitely a morning deal and an afternoon deal, but the midday deal — I need to figure that out tomorrow.”
Gallelli, who placed third on Day 1 with 19-14, caught a Day 2 limit of 17-3 and moved up to second with 37-1. While he opted to keep his details thin, he echoed his Day 1 statement of adjusting to what the day gave him.
“With the wind coming, today was totally different and luckily, the lake made the right decision for me,” he said of his open-minded approach to daily conditions. “I caught more fish than I did yesterday, but doing what I’m doing, it’s more difficult to get to the quality I was getting yesterday.
“I struggled in the beginning, but when the wind picked up, I went to a spot where it was rough, but I caught many. I caught over 15 fish today.”
Gallelli said he caught one big bass on a reaction bait and filled the rest of his limit with finesse baits. The combination of Humminbird 360 and Garmin LiveScope helped him make the right presentations.
Bassmaster Elite Series pro Kenta Kimura of Japan turned in daily weights of 18-15 and 17-3 to place third with 36-2. While most of his competitors were dropping or casting to particular spots, Kimura took a radically different approach.
“I only caught seven keepers today, but the way I’m fishing usually catches bigger ones,” he said. “When the wind started, I was just drifting my spot, just going back and forth.
“I was fishing a Texas-rigged Berkley creature that I designed for Berkley Japan, but I was fishing it without a weight. I would start about 50 yards up from my spot and let the bait drift down. It takes at least 10 minutes each cast, which I hate to do, but nobody else does this.”
Daisuke Kita, also of Japan, is in the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors with his 4-14.
Co-angler winner John Danza of Andover, N.J., aced his Opens debut with a two-day total of 21-11. Edging Day 1 leader David Winters by 10 ounces, Danza’s victory earned him a first-place award of $22,780.
“I’m dumbfounded right now; my first major tournament ends up being a win,” Danza said. “I just want to thank my Lord and savior Jesus Christ who put this in my heart and it worked out.”
After filling his Day 1 limit of 11-10 with smallmouth, Danza turned in a second-round bag with two smallies and one largemouth that totaled 10-1. He caught his fish on a mix of reaction and finesse baits.
“In the morning, the topwater was key for catching an anchor fish and in the afternoon, it was about putting that Ned rig and drop shot on the right rock,” Danza said. “Later in the day, we went shallow and that’s where I caught my largemouth on a wacky-rigged Berkley PowerBait MaxScent The General.
“My first cast with a popper was a 3 1/2-pounder and I was like ‘Okay, that was a good start.’ But ever since then, it was a grind. I didn’t catch another fish for four hours, but I just caught the right ones.”
Lamar Spade of Saylorsburg, Pa., won the $250 Phoenix Boats Big Bass award on the co-angler side for his 5-13.
Kimura leads the Northern Open standings with 398 points. Alex Wetherell of Middletown, Conn., is second with 388, followed by Kyoya Fujita of Minamitsuru, Yamanashi, Japan, with 376, Cody Meyer of Eagle, Idaho, with 370 and Elite pro Michael Iaconelli of Pittsgrove, N.J., with 365.
John Soukup of Sapulpa, Okla., leads the overall Bassmaster Opens standings with 826 points.
Saturday’s takeoff is scheduled for 6 a.m. ET at Oneida Shores Park. The weigh-in will be held at the park at 2 p.m.
2022 St. Croix Bassmaster Northern Open at Oneida Lake presented by Mossy Oak Fishing 7/7-7/9
Oneida Lake, Syracuse NY.
(BOATER) Standings Day 2
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Casey Smith Victor, NY 10 37-03 200
Day 1: 5 18-07 Day 2: 5 18-12
2. Jacopo Gallelli Horton ITALY 10 37-01 199
Day 1: 5 19-14 Day 2: 5 17-03
3. Kenta Kimura Osaka JAPAN 10 36-02 198
Day 1: 5 18-15 Day 2: 5 17-03
4. Craig Townsend Westampton, NJ 10 36-01 197
Day 1: 5 18-12 Day 2: 5 17-05
5. Cody Meyer Eagle, ID 10 35-10 196
Day 1: 5 16-07 Day 2: 5 19-03
6. Liam Blake Syracuse, NY 10 35-08 195
Day 1: 5 17-10 Day 2: 5 17-14
7. Cooper Gallant Bowmanville Ontario CAN 10 34-08 194
Day 1: 5 16-15 Day 2: 5 17-09
8. Grae Buck Green Lane, PA 10 34-07 193
Day 1: 5 16-13 Day 2: 5 17-10
9. Josh Summerville Lilly, PA 10 34-06 192
Day 1: 5 16-11 Day 2: 5 17-11
10. Alex Wetherell Middletown, CT 10 34-04 191
Day 1: 5 18-01 Day 2: 5 16-03
11. Patrick Martin St Roch De L Achigan Qu 10 34-04 190 $5,920.00
Day 1: 5 17-15 Day 2: 5 16-05
12. Hugh Cosculluela Spring, TX 10 34-04 189 $5,180.00
Day 1: 5 17-04 Day 2: 5 17-00
13. Tristan McCormick Burns, TN 10 34-01 188 $4,070.00
Day 1: 5 17-06 Day 2: 5 16-11
14. Joey Nania Cropwell, AL 10 34-00 187 $4,070.00
Day 1: 5 17-13 Day 2: 5 16-03
15. Jordan Sypeck Weston, PA 10 34-00 186 $4,070.00
Day 1: 5 17-10 Day 2: 5 16-06
16. Kyoya Fujita Minamitsuru, Yamanashi 10 33-13 185 $4,070.00
Day 1: 5 20-03 Day 2: 5 13-10
17. Joel Willert Prior Lake, MN 10 33-08 184 $4,070.00
Day 1: 5 16-06 Day 2: 5 17-02
18. Jacob Walker Springville, AL 10 33-07 183 $4,070.00
Day 1: 5 16-09 Day 2: 5 16-14
19. Teb Jones Yalaha, MS 10 33-06 182 $4,070.00
Day 1: 5 18-00 Day 2: 5 15-06
20. Michael Iaconelli Pittsgrove, NJ 10 33-05 181 $4,070.00
Day 1: 5 16-15 Day 2: 5 16-06
21. John Garrett Union City, TN 10 33-04 180 $3,700.00
Day 1: 5 15-05 Day 2: 5 17-15
22. Kyle Patrick Cooperstown, NY 10 33-03 179 $3,700.00
Day 1: 5 17-14 Day 2: 5 15-05
23. AJ Slegona Jr Pine Bush, NY 10 33-00 178 $3,700.00
Day 1: 5 17-08 Day 2: 5 15-08
24. Paul Flint Valatie, NY 10 32-13 177 $3,700.00
Day 1: 5 16-14 Day 2: 5 15-15
25. Logan Parks Auburn, AL 10 32-12 176 $3,700.00
Day 1: 5 16-06 Day 2: 5 16-06
26. Jody White Shaftsbury, VT 10 32-11 175 $3,404.00
Day 1: 5 17-08 Day 2: 5 15-03
27. Scott Pellegrin Chippewa Falls, WI 10 32-09 174 $3,404.00
Day 1: 5 16-04 Day 2: 5 16-05
28. David Gaston Sylacauga, AL 10 32-04 173 $3,404.00
Day 1: 5 15-03 Day 2: 5 17-01
29. Lucas Murphy West Columbia, MI 10 32-03 172 $3,404.00
Day 1: 5 16-00 Day 2: 5 16-03
30. Steve Morella Townshend, VT 10 32-01 171 $3,404.00
Day 1: 5 16-08 Day 2: 5 15-09
31. Brett Carnright Plattsburgh, NY 10 32-01 170 $3,404.00
Day 1: 5 16-06 Day 2: 5 15-11
32. Chad Pipkens Dewitt, MI 10 32-00 169 $3,404.00
Day 1: 5 17-12 Day 2: 5 14-04
33. Ian Renfrew Phoenix, NY 10 31-14 168 $3,404.00
Day 1: 5 16-12 Day 2: 5 15-02
33. Chad Smith Minnetonka, MN 10 31-14 168 $3,404.00
Day 1: 5 15-02 Day 2: 5 16-12
35. Garrett Paquette Canton, MI 10 31-14 166 $3,404.00
Day 1: 5 15-13 Day 2: 5 16-01
36. Bart Stanisz Wichita Falls , TX 10 31-13 165 $3,404.00
Day 1: 5 16-04 Day 2: 5 15-09
37. Tyler Morgan Pine Grove, PA 10 31-12 164 $3,404.00
Day 1: 5 16-01 Day 2: 5 15-11
38. Gunnar Meger Otsego, MN 10 31-10 163 $3,404.00
Day 1: 5 17-02 Day 2: 5 14-08
39. Sam George Athens, AL 10 31-09 162 $3,404.00
Day 1: 5 16-13 Day 2: 5 14-12
40. Keith Poche Pike Road, AL 10 31-07 161 $3,404.00
Day 1: 5 15-14 Day 2: 5 15-09
41. Austin Cranford Moore, OK 10 31-03 160
Day 1: 5 15-11 Day 2: 5 15-08
42. Timothy Reams Morgantown, WV 10 31-03 159
Day 1: 5 15-09 Day 2: 5 15-10
43. Greg Alexander Hebron, MD 10 31-01 158
Day 1: 5 16-14 Day 2: 5 14-03
44. Zach Goutremout Chaumont, NY 10 31-01 157
Day 1: 5 15-15 Day 2: 5 15-02
45. John Duarte Jr Conway, SC 10 31-01 156
Day 1: 5 15-02 Day 2: 5 15-15
46. John Soukup Sapulpa, OK 10 31-00 155
Day 1: 5 17-06 Day 2: 5 13-10
47. Eddie Casey Whiteford, MD 10 30-15 154
Day 1: 5 15-10 Day 2: 5 15-05
48. Jason Putman Cicero, NY 10 30-14 153
Day 1: 5 15-13 Day 2: 5 15-01
49. Adam Rasmussen Sturgeon Bay, WI 9 30-12 152
Day 1: 4 13-01 Day 2: 5 17-11
50. JT Thompkins Myrtle Beach, SC 10 30-11 151
Day 1: 5 16-07 Day 2: 5 14-04
51. Barry Brandt Jr. Newport News, VA 10 30-07 150
Day 1: 5 12-15 Day 2: 5 17-08
52. Stanley Sypeck Jr Sugarloaf, PA 10 30-07 149
Day 1: 5 16-03 Day 2: 5 14-04
53. Daisuke Kita Ohtsu Shiga JAPAN 10 30-07 148
Day 1: 5 15-02 Day 2: 5 15-05
54. James Loomis III Parish, NY 10 30-06 147
Day 1: 5 14-09 Day 2: 5 15-13
55. Brad Webb Hampton, VA 10 30-04 146
Day 1: 5 16-07 Day 2: 5 13-13
56. Billy Gilbert Hamburg, NY 9 30-01 145
Day 1: 4 12-08 Day 2: 5 17-09
57. Brian Mullaney Ijamsville, MD 10 30-01 144
Day 1: 5 15-06 Day 2: 5 14-11
58. Cole Sands Calhoun , TN 10 29-14 143
Day 1: 5 16-10 Day 2: 5 13-04
59. Tommy Williams Shepherdsville, KY 10 29-14 142
Day 1: 5 14-10 Day 2: 5 15-04
60. Shaun Brown Slippery Rock, PA 10 29-13 141
Day 1: 5 16-03 Day 2: 5 13-10
61. Richard Ortiz Fort Ann, NY 10 29-12 140
Day 1: 5 16-04 Day 2: 5 13-08
62. Cole Huskins Gastonia, NC 10 29-10 139
Day 1: 5 15-01 Day 2: 5 14-09
63. Kurt Dove Del Rio, TX 10 29-09 138
Day 1: 5 16-12 Day 2: 5 12-13
64. Jamey Caldwell Carthage, NC 10 29-09 137
Day 1: 5 16-08 Day 2: 5 13-01
65. Kenny Mittelstaedt Minnetonka, MN 9 29-08 136
Day 1: 5 20-07 Day 2: 4 09-01
66. Seiji Kato Outsu Shiga JAPAN 9 29-04 135
Day 1: 5 16-13 Day 2: 4 12-07
67. Steven Camp Mechanicsvlle, VA 10 29-04 134
Day 1: 5 15-01 Day 2: 5 14-03
68. Bradley Hallman Edmond, OK 10 29-03 133
Day 1: 5 17-03 Day 2: 5 12-00
69. Joe Labarbera Montrose, PA 9 29-02 132
Day 1: 4 12-09 Day 2: 5 16-09
70. Tyler Williams Belgrade, ME 10 29-02 131
Day 1: 5 15-04 Day 2: 5 13-14
71. Ryan Broughman Corapeake, NC 9 29-01 130
Day 1: 5 18-00 Day 2: 4 11-01
72. Mike Raber Elkhart, IN 9 29-01 129
Day 1: 5 17-03 Day 2: 4 11-14
73. Craig Chambers Midland, NC 10 29-00 128
Day 1: 5 16-02 Day 2: 5 12-14
74. Chancy Walters West Des Moines, IA 9 28-15 127
Day 1: 5 17-07 Day 2: 4 11-08
75. Michael Kinard Concord, NC 10 28-13 126
Day 1: 5 15-11 Day 2: 5 13-02
76. Wesley Gore Clanton, AL 10 28-13 125
Day 1: 5 15-00 Day 2: 5 13-13
77. Tanner Ward Woodsfield, OH 10 28-11 124
Day 1: 5 15-06 Day 2: 5 13-05
78. Trey Swindle Cleveland, AL 10 28-10 123
Day 1: 5 14-06 Day 2: 5 14-04
79. Bryan Schmitt Deale, MD 10 28-08 122
Day 1: 5 15-03 Day 2: 5 13-05
80. Cole Drummond Effingham, SC 10 28-08 121
Day 1: 5 14-11 Day 2: 5 13-13
81. Shane Lineberger Lincolnton, NC 9 28-06 120
Day 1: 5 16-00 Day 2: 4 12-06
82. Tj Milton Chester, VA 10 28-04 119
Day 1: 5 10-08 Day 2: 5 17-12
83. Harvey Horne Bella Vista, AR 9 28-01 118
Day 1: 5 16-15 Day 2: 4 11-02
84. Pete Gluszek Mount Laurel, NJ 10 27-15 117
Day 1: 5 17-01 Day 2: 5 10-14
85. Trent Cole Mullica Hill, NJ 10 27-14 116
Day 1: 5 15-04 Day 2: 5 12-10
86. Ed Loughran III Richmond, VA 10 27-14 115
Day 1: 5 14-06 Day 2: 5 13-08
87. Anthony Cicero Palmyra, PA 9 27-13 114
Day 1: 4 10-14 Day 2: 5 16-15
88. Trevor McKinney Benton, IL 10 27-12 113
Day 1: 5 15-02 Day 2: 5 12-10
89. Michael Duarte Middle River, MD 10 27-10 112
Day 1: 5 15-09 Day 2: 5 12-01
90. Frankie Appaluccio Ogdensburg, NJ 10 27-10 111
Day 1: 5 13-02 Day 2: 5 14-08
91. Brian Brooks Sea Isle City, NJ 10 27-06 110
Day 1: 5 13-07 Day 2: 5 13-15
92. Jeremy Sadowski Voluntown, CT 9 27-05 109
Day 1: 4 11-12 Day 2: 5 15-09
93. Cody Detweiler Guntersville, AL 10 27-05 108
Day 1: 5 13-02 Day 2: 5 14-03
94. John Conway Jr Henrico, VA 8 27-04 107
Day 1: 3 09-12 Day 2: 5 17-08
95. John Watts Jr Flushing, MI 9 27-03 106
Day 1: 5 14-07 Day 2: 4 12-12
96. Brian Trieschman Ellicott City, MD 10 26-15 105
Day 1: 5 14-06 Day 2: 5 12-09
97. Bill Perkins Rochester, NY 9 26-13 104
Day 1: 5 16-02 Day 2: 4 10-11
98. David Perdue Wirtz, VA 10 26-11 103
Day 1: 5 13-05 Day 2: 5 13-06
99. Brad Leuthner Independence, MN 10 26-07 102
Day 1: 5 14-14 Day 2: 5 11-09
100. Austin Hoke Lititz, PA 8 26-06 101
Day 1: 3 09-15 Day 2: 5 16-07
101. Kayden Tanner Tolar, TX 10 26-02 100
Day 1: 5 14-02 Day 2: 5 12-00
102. Darold Gleason Many, LA 10 26-00 99
Day 1: 5 13-06 Day 2: 5 12-10
103. Tanner Sanderson Ackerly, TX 10 25-12 98
Day 1: 5 13-09 Day 2: 5 12-03
104. Scott Ashmore Broken Arrow, OK 10 25-10 97
Day 1: 5 14-01 Day 2: 5 11-09
105. Caiden Sinclair Wilsonville, AL 10 25-08 96
Day 1: 5 13-03 Day 2: 5 12-05
106. Jared Miller Norman, OK 9 25-06 95
Day 1: 4 10-11 Day 2: 5 14-11
107. Chris Beaudrie Princeton, KY 9 25-03 94
Day 1: 5 13-06 Day 2: 4 11-13
108. Sheron Brown Leominster, MA 9 25-02 93
Day 1: 4 10-13 Day 2: 5 14-05
109. Jon Jezierski Troy, MI 9 25-01 92
Day 1: 4 11-09 Day 2: 5 13-08
110. Blake Sylvester Plaquemine, LA 9 25-01 91
Day 1: 5 13-03 Day 2: 4 11-14
111. Andrew Upshaw Hemphill, TX 9 25-00 90
Day 1: 5 15-06 Day 2: 4 09-10
112. Douglas Lyon Glendale, OH 9 24-10 89
Day 1: 5 13-09 Day 2: 4 11-01
113. Tom Testa Port Crane, NY 10 24-05 88
Day 1: 5 12-14 Day 2: 5 11-07
114. Charlie Hartley Grove City, OH 10 24-05 87
Day 1: 5 12-01 Day 2: 5 12-04
115. Douglas Reed Bridgeton, NJ 9 24-04 86
Day 1: 5 16-03 Day 2: 4 08-01
116. Paul Kimball Glastonbury, CT 7 24-03 85
Day 1: 2 06-05 Day 2: 5 17-14
117. Oliver Ngy Frisco, TX 8 24-03 84
Day 1: 5 13-13 Day 2: 3 10-06
118. Jeremy Radford Huntly, VA 9 23-15 83
Day 1: 5 14-00 Day 2: 4 09-15
119. Scout Echols Monticello, AR 8 23-14 82
Day 1: 3 10-01 Day 2: 5 13-13
120. Brian Kelly Liverpool, NY 10 23-07 81
Day 1: 5 11-03 Day 2: 5 12-04
121. Wesley Cashwell Roanoke Rapids, NC 10 23-05 80
Day 1: 5 10-09 Day 2: 5 12-12
121. Michael Crocker Pasadena, MD 10 23-05 80
Day 1: 5 12-12 Day 2: 5 10-09
123. Whitney Stephens Waverly, OH 8 23-02 78
Day 1: 3 06-13 Day 2: 5 16-05
124. Lucas Bogosian Harrington Park, NJ 8 23-01 77
Day 1: 5 16-03 Day 2: 3 06-14
125. Ed Stiefel Mahwah, NJ 9 22-11 76
Day 1: 5 10-12 Day 2: 4 11-15
126. Keith Tuma Brainerd, MN 7 22-10 75
Day 1: 4 13-11 Day 2: 3 08-15
127. Matt Pangrac Bixby, OK 8 22-06 74
Day 1: 5 14-11 Day 2: 3 07-11
128. Ryan Whitacre Chicago, IL 8 22-05 73
Day 1: 3 09-13 Day 2: 5 12-08
129. Jake Maddux Birmingham, AL 7 22-04 72
Day 1: 5 18-03 Day 2: 2 04-01
130. Luke Losey Kersey, PA 8 22-04 71
Day 1: 4 12-02 Day 2: 4 10-02
131. Chris Dillow Waynesboro, VA 8 22-02 70
Day 1: 4 10-02 Day 2: 4 12-00
132. Jim Dillard West Monroe, LA 7 21-15 69
Day 1: 2 05-14 Day 2: 5 16-01
133. Destin DeMarion Harborcreek, PA 8 21-15 68
Day 1: 5 13-12 Day 2: 3 08-03
134. Mark Dimarzio McDonald, PA 9 21-12 67
Day 1: 5 13-15 Day 2: 4 07-13
135. Michael Zampese Haskell, NJ 8 21-12 66
Day 1: 5 13-07 Day 2: 3 08-05
136. Michael Murphy East Syracuse, NY 7 21-06 65
Day 1: 5 16-03 Day 2: 2 05-03
137. Brent Shores Boise, ID 7 21-04 64
Day 1: 5 16-06 Day 2: 2 04-14
138. Denny Fiedler Wabasha, MN 8 21-04 63
Day 1: 5 16-01 Day 2: 3 05-03
139. Joey Murphy Elkton, MD 7 21-03 62
Day 1: 5 16-00 Day 2: 2 05-03
140. Jason Borofka Lavon, TX 9 21-03 61
Day 1: 5 12-02 Day 2: 4 09-01
141. Joe McClosky Swanton, MD 7 21-00 60
Day 1: 5 16-04 Day 2: 2 04-12
142. Kerry Frey Middlebury, IN 7 20-15 59
Day 1: 5 15-07 Day 2: 2 05-08
143. Logan Johnson Jasper, AL 8 20-15 58
Day 1: 5 12-07 Day 2: 3 08-08
144. Gregory DiPalma Millville, NJ 8 20-14 57
Day 1: 5 13-14 Day 2: 3 07-00
145. Julius Mazy Phoenix, AZ 7 20-12 56
Day 1: 5 15-04 Day 2: 2 05-08
146. Jeff Jensen Beech Creek, PA 9 20-09 55
Day 1: 4 08-00 Day 2: 5 12-09
147. Jonathan Carter Portland, ME 9 20-08 54
Day 1: 5 13-07 Day 2: 4 07-01
148. Chaz Carrington Suffolk, VA 9 20-06 53
Day 1: 5 13-01 Day 2: 4 07-05
149. Kyle Austin Ridgeville, SC 8 20-06 52
Day 1: 3 07-14 Day 2: 5 12-08
150. Cody Bertrand Dyer, IN 7 20-05 51
Day 1: 2 05-08 Day 2: 5 14-13
151. Ed Powell Sandyville, WV 10 20-04 50
Day 1: 5 10-09 Day 2: 5 09-11
152. Tom Knee Newtown Square, PA 6 20-02 49
Day 1: 5 16-11 Day 2: 1 03-07
153. Daniel Dooner Wyckoff, NJ 7 19-15 48
Day 1: 2 04-13 Day 2: 5 15-02
154. Chris Keeble Lenoir City, TN 8 19-13 47
Day 1: 3 08-00 Day 2: 5 11-13
155. Raymond Jones III Mocksville, NC 7 19-07 46
Day 1: 2 05-10 Day 2: 5 13-13
156. Ryan Matylewicz Tunkhannock, PA 6 19-03 45
Day 1: 1 03-02 Day 2: 5 16-01
157. Jeff Salmon Chester, VA 9 19-01 44
Day 1: 5 10-00 Day 2: 4 09-01
158. Nick Radtke Greenwood Lake, NY 7 18-15 43
Day 1: 5 14-07 Day 2: 2 04-08
159. Ken Golubjatnikov Pittsford, NY 6 18-08 42
Day 1: 4 10-14 Day 2: 2 07-10
160. Justin Margraves Diana, TX 8 18-05 41
Day 1: 4 06-11 Day 2: 4 11-10
161. Hunter Sales Blaine, TN 6 18-02 40
Day 1: 5 16-07 Day 2: 1 01-11
162. Bobby "J" Nakatomi Sacramento, CA 6 18-01 39
Day 1: 5 16-07 Day 2: 1 01-10
163. Christopher Fiore Midlothian, VA 7 17-14 38
Day 1: 3 07-09 Day 2: 4 10-05
164. Yusuke Miyazaki Forney, TX 7 17-13 37
Day 1: 2 05-06 Day 2: 5 12-07
165. Jason Bishop North Prince George, VA 6 17-03 36
Day 1: 4 10-13 Day 2: 2 06-06
166. Andy Buss North Liberty, IN 6 16-15 35
Day 1: 1 03-15 Day 2: 5 13-00
167. Caden Acree Powder Springs, GA 6 16-15 34
Day 1: 2 05-03 Day 2: 4 11-12
168. Danny Snyder Annandale, VA 5 16-08 33
Day 1: 3 10-13 Day 2: 2 05-11
169. Luke Shrader Maple Shade, NJ 6 16-07 32
Day 1: 5 14-06 Day 2: 1 02-01
170. Tommy Stalb Manheim, PA 6 16-06 31
Day 1: 5 13-04 Day 2: 1 03-02
171. Josh Cotier Clinton, MA 5 16-02 30
Day 1: 5 16-02 Day 2: 0 00-00
172. Randy Sullivan Breckenridge, TX 5 16-01 29
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 5 16-01
173. Tim Malone Kodak, TN 6 16-01 28
Day 1: 1 03-01 Day 2: 5 13-00
174. Douglas Dulin Apex, NC 5 15-06 27
Day 1: 1 03-03 Day 2: 4 12-03
175. Cody Salzmann Southgate, MI 7 15-05 26
Day 1: 3 06-13 Day 2: 4 08-08
176. Kaoru O'Bryan Louisville, KY 7 15-04 25
Day 1: 2 03-11 Day 2: 5 11-09
177. Jon Canada Helena, AL 5 15-03 24
Day 1: 5 15-03 Day 2: 0 00-00
178. Shayne Berlo Mclean, VA 5 15-00 23
Day 1: 3 09-13 Day 2: 2 05-03
179. Chris Hellebuyck Waterford, MI 6 14-14 22
Day 1: 3 07-12 Day 2: 3 07-02
180. Chris Price Church Hill, MD 5 14-12 21
Day 1: 5 14-12 Day 2: 0 00-00
181. Randy Huffman Charleston, WV 6 14-11 20
Day 1: 5 13-12 Day 2: 1 00-15
182. Danny Rodriguez Monkton, MD 7 14-08 19
Day 1: 5 09-05 Day 2: 2 05-03
183. Reese Hudson Broomall, PA 5 14-04 18
Day 1: 5 14-04 Day 2: 0 00-00
184. Christiana Bradley Goldvein, VA 6 14-01 17
Day 1: 3 06-04 Day 2: 3 07-13
185. Frank Poirier North Prince George, VA 5 13-15 16
Day 1: 5 13-15 Day 2: 0 00-00
186. Matt Maze Johnsonburg, PA 5 13-12 15
Day 1: 3 08-02 Day 2: 2 05-10
187. Travis Lugar McGaheysville, VA 7 13-08 14
Day 1: 2 04-12 Day 2: 5 08-12
188. Quentin Cappo Prairieville, LA 4 12-15 13
Day 1: 2 06-08 Day 2: 2 06-07
189. Noah Boyett Mountain Home, AR 5 12-09 12
Day 1: 5 12-09 Day 2: 0 00-00
190. Chris Kingree Inverness, FL 5 12-09 11
Day 1: 2 03-01 Day 2: 3 09-08
191. John Vanore Mullica Hill, NJ 4 12-06 10
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 4 12-06
192. Tyler Ashby Swanton, MD 5 12-02 9
Day 1: 3 08-11 Day 2: 2 03-07
193. Woo Daves Spring Grove, VA 5 12-01 8
Day 1: 3 07-06 Day 2: 2 04-11
194. Kane Stein Jeannette, PA 4 11-12 7
Day 1: 4 11-12 Day 2: 0 00-00
195. Marcus Griffin North East, MD 5 11-10 6
Day 1: 1 02-15 Day 2: 4 08-11
196. Troy Coney Endicott, NY 4 11-10 5
Day 1: 1 03-01 Day 2: 3 08-09
197. Richard Kaluba Litchfield, OH 4 11-10 4
Day 1: 2 06-09 Day 2: 2 05-01
198. Brian Post Janesville, WI 4 11-04 3
Day 1: 3 09-08 Day 2: 1 01-12
199. Eric Miller Clifton Park, NY 4 11-01 2
Day 1: 2 04-12 Day 2: 2 06-05
200. Cass Terrance Akwewsane, NY 4 10-11 1
Day 1: 2 05-11 Day 2: 2 05-00
201. Jody Gardner Tippecanoe, OH 3 10-02 0
Day 1: 1 03-14 Day 2: 2 06-04
202. Mike McKay Manlius, NY 3 09-12 0
Day 1: 1 02-10 Day 2: 2 07-02
203. Rick Hawkins Roanoke, VA 3 09-06 0
Day 1: 1 03-01 Day 2: 2 06-05
204. Ethen Preston Tower City, ND 4 08-13 0
Day 1: 2 05-05 Day 2: 2 03-08
205. Michael Rowe Providence Forge, VA 4 08-12 0
Day 1: 2 04-03 Day 2: 2 04-09
206. Koby Kreiger Alva, FL 3 08-07 0
Day 1: 3 08-07 Day 2: 0 00-00
207. Brandon Brown Lockport, NY 3 08-05 0
Day 1: 2 05-11 Day 2: 1 02-10
208. Burley Warf Moneta, VA 5 08-03 0
Day 1: 4 07-01 Day 2: 1 01-02
209. Tony Dumitras Winston, GA 3 07-06 0
Day 1: 2 04-06 Day 2: 1 03-00
210. Phillip Kroll Otego, NY 3 06-12 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 06-12
211. Greg Secord Salem, SC 3 05-04 0
Day 1: 1 02-06 Day 2: 2 02-14
212. Randy Elliott Severn, MD 3 05-02 0
Day 1: 2 05-02 Day 2: 1 00-00
213. Richard Vonnordick Jarrettsville, MD 2 04-15 0
Day 1: 2 04-15 Day 2: 0 00-00
214. Bridget Allen Manheim, PA 2 04-11 0
Day 1: 1 03-00 Day 2: 1 01-11
215. Hunter Bland Williston, FL 1 04-10 0
Day 1: 1 04-10 Day 2: 0 00-00
216. Vincent Melfi Bellmawr, NJ 1 02-11 0
Day 1: 1 02-11 Day 2: 0 00-00
216. Ronald Young New Braunfels, TX 1 02-11 0
Day 1: 1 02-11 Day 2: 0 00-00
218. Dave Husnay Conklin, NY 1 02-08 0
Day 1: 1 02-08 Day 2: 0 00-00
219. D.J. Ellis Crestview, FL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
219. Joe Ford Bewdely CANADA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
219. Wayne Hall Cottonwood, AZ 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
219. Keith Moyer Canfield, OH 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 145 902 2723-09
2 123 841 2394-03
----------------------------------
268 1743 5117-12
2022 St. Croix Bassmaster Northern Open at Oneida Lake presented by Mossy Oak Fishing 7/7-7/9
Oneida Lake, Syracuse NY.
(NON_BOATER) Standings Day 2
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. John Danza Andover, NJ 6 21-11 200 $22,780.00
Day 1: 3 11-10 Day 2: 3 10-01
2. David Winters Rock Hill, SC 6 21-01 199 $5,361.00
Day 1: 3 12-02 Day 2: 3 08-15
3. William Gaston Sylacauga, AL 6 19-13 198 $4,021.00
Day 1: 3 08-13 Day 2: 3 11-00
4. Jason Ginder Winamac, IN 6 19-11 197 $3,015.00
Day 1: 3 11-05 Day 2: 3 08-06
5. Marc Fellows New York Mills, NY 6 19-09 196 $2,814.00
Day 1: 3 10-05 Day 2: 3 09-04
6. Brent Temple BREWERTON, NY 6 19-08 195 $2,680.00
Day 1: 3 11-02 Day 2: 3 08-06
7. Joe Franzwa Pittsgrove, NJ 6 19-06 194 $2,546.00
Day 1: 3 08-15 Day 2: 3 10-07
8. David Camp Sterling, OH 6 19-05 193 $2,412.00
Day 1: 3 11-14 Day 2: 3 07-07
9. Jim Murphy Walker, MI 6 19-02 192 $2,211.00
Day 1: 3 08-08 Day 2: 3 10-10
10. Blake Phillips Norco, LA 6 19-00 191 $2,010.00
Day 1: 3 11-02 Day 2: 3 07-14
11. Rich Knisely Jr. Disputanta, VA 6 18-15 190 $1,876.00
Day 1: 3 09-12 Day 2: 3 09-03
12. Robert Bruguiere Roseland, VA 6 18-12 189 $1,742.00
Day 1: 3 10-08 Day 2: 3 08-04
13. Jacob Thompkins Myrtle Beach, SC 6 18-10 188 $1,474.00
Day 1: 3 08-07 Day 2: 3 10-03
14. Tim Ward Coshocton, OH 6 18-10 187 $1,340.00
Day 1: 3 09-11 Day 2: 3 08-15
15. David Pilcher De Ruyter, NY 6 18-09 186 $1,206.00
Day 1: 3 10-06 Day 2: 3 08-03
16. John Boandl Moscow, PA 6 18-08 185 $1,072.00
Day 1: 3 10-04 Day 2: 3 08-04
17. Tyler Caldwell Portsmouth, VA 6 18-07 184 $1,005.00
Day 1: 3 10-11 Day 2: 3 07-12
18. Bird Jones Loxahatchee, FL 6 18-05 183 $1,005.00
Day 1: 3 08-06 Day 2: 3 09-15
19. Akira Okuyama Forest Hills, NY 6 18-05 182 $1,005.00
Day 1: 3 08-10 Day 2: 3 09-11
20. Logan Buttolph Doswell, VA 6 18-04 181 $1,005.00
Day 1: 3 08-12 Day 2: 3 09-08
21. Nat Lussi Plains, PA 5 18-00 180 $938.00
Day 1: 3 11-15 Day 2: 2 06-01
22. Jakob Labelle Hinesburg, VT 6 18-00 179 $938.00
Day 1: 3 08-04 Day 2: 3 09-12
23. Brad Goetz Montello, WI 6 17-11 178 $938.00
Day 1: 3 09-03 Day 2: 3 08-08
24. Mickey Soler Newington, CT 5 17-09 177 $938.00
Day 1: 3 11-05 Day 2: 2 06-04
25. Jimmy Schaffer Oak Ridge, NJ 6 17-06 176 $938.00
Day 1: 3 06-06 Day 2: 3 11-00
26. Satoshi Egawa New York, NY 6 17-06 175 $804.00
Day 1: 3 08-01 Day 2: 3 09-05
27. Jordan LaClair Ogdensburg, NY 6 17-06 174 $804.00
Day 1: 3 08-02 Day 2: 3 09-04
28. Jeff Turner Plainfield, IL 6 17-06 173 $804.00
Day 1: 3 08-11 Day 2: 3 08-11
29. Joseph Strauss Lititz, PA 6 17-03 172 $804.00
Day 1: 3 09-00 Day 2: 3 08-03
30. Chip Stith Piscataway, NJ 6 17-00 171 $804.00
Day 1: 3 07-06 Day 2: 3 09-10
31. Liam Kendra Great Meadows, NJ 6 17-00 170 $737.00
Day 1: 3 09-01 Day 2: 3 07-15
32. Stephen Brady Woodlawn, VA 6 16-14 169 $737.00
Day 1: 3 08-11 Day 2: 3 08-03
33. Mike Steckel Las Vegas, NV 6 16-13 168 $737.00
Day 1: 3 10-03 Day 2: 3 06-10
34. Hunter Stone Dansville, NY 6 16-12 167 $737.00
Day 1: 3 09-03 Day 2: 3 07-09
35. Samuel Ferroni Poggio A Caiano ITALY 6 16-11 166 $737.00
Day 1: 3 11-05 Day 2: 3 05-06
36. Scott Spencer Raleigh, NC 6 16-10 165 $737.00
Day 1: 3 10-00 Day 2: 3 06-10
37. Jacob Zaremski Rochester, NY 6 16-08 164 $737.00
Day 1: 3 09-05 Day 2: 3 07-03
38. David Bales Mottville, NY 6 16-01 163 $737.00
Day 1: 3 08-10 Day 2: 3 07-07
39. Timothy O'connor Lisle, NY 5 15-12 162 $737.00
Day 1: 3 09-09 Day 2: 2 06-03
40. Jamie Petrowski Westfield, IN 5 15-11 161 $737.00
Day 1: 2 06-11 Day 2: 3 09-00
41. Chris Longo Tunkhannock, PA 5 15-04 160
Day 1: 3 08-06 Day 2: 2 06-14
42. Mike Mueller Mechanicsburg, PA 5 15-03 159
Day 1: 2 06-07 Day 2: 3 08-12
43. Benjamin Antoniewicz Ringle, WI 5 15-02 158
Day 1: 2 06-04 Day 2: 3 08-14
44. Brian Durham Dinwiddie, VA 4 15-02 157
Day 1: 2 07-04 Day 2: 2 07-14
45. Beanie Leuer Lockport, NY 6 15-00 156
Day 1: 3 05-02 Day 2: 3 09-14
46. George Yund Albany, NY 5 15-00 155
Day 1: 2 05-03 Day 2: 3 09-13
47. Sakae Ushio Tonawanda, NY 5 14-15 154
Day 1: 3 09-12 Day 2: 2 05-03
48. Mark Westrick Hastings, PA 5 14-13 153
Day 1: 3 09-02 Day 2: 2 05-11
49. Bryce Bason Mill Hall, PA 5 14-13 152
Day 1: 3 08-06 Day 2: 2 06-07
50. Andrew Pruitt Utica, NY 5 14-12 151
Day 1: 3 09-12 Day 2: 2 05-00
51. Jimmy Fellegy Lakeville, MN 6 14-08 150
Day 1: 3 07-08 Day 2: 3 07-00
52. Joshua Lewis Lake City, FL 5 14-04 149
Day 1: 2 05-10 Day 2: 3 08-10
52. Jim Opetaia-Williamson Winter Garden, FL 5 14-04 149
Day 1: 2 05-10 Day 2: 3 08-10
54. Scott Bannerman Stratford CANADA 4 14-04 147
Day 1: 2 07-04 Day 2: 2 07-00
55. Tim Mcglenn Welcome, MD 5 14-03 146
Day 1: 3 10-05 Day 2: 2 03-14
56. Levi Allgeier Bardstown, KY 5 14-03 145
Day 1: 3 09-08 Day 2: 2 04-11
57. Chase Clarke Virginia Beach, VA 6 14-02 144
Day 1: 3 09-01 Day 2: 3 05-01
58. Scott Johnsen Wallkill, NY 6 14-01 143
Day 1: 3 06-10 Day 2: 3 07-07
59. Troy Bowings Essex, MD 5 14-00 142
Day 1: 3 09-02 Day 2: 2 04-14
60. Laz Durham Dumfries, VA 5 14-00 141
Day 1: 2 05-10 Day 2: 3 08-06
61. Michael Duell II Syracuse, NY 5 13-15 140
Day 1: 2 04-14 Day 2: 3 09-01
62. Ronald Humiston Oakville, CT 6 13-15 139
Day 1: 3 06-06 Day 2: 3 07-09
63. Scott Weiland Saddle Brook, NJ 4 13-14 138
Day 1: 3 10-12 Day 2: 1 03-02
64. Tom Tennity Ontario, NY 4 13-13 137
Day 1: 3 11-06 Day 2: 1 02-07
65. Brooks Parker Bridgeville, DE 4 13-13 136
Day 1: 3 09-03 Day 2: 1 04-10
66. James Tilley Aylett, VA 4 13-12 135
Day 1: 1 03-03 Day 2: 3 10-09
67. Jason Chier Port Crane, NY 5 13-10 134
Day 1: 2 05-02 Day 2: 3 08-08
68. Sam Milazzo Niles, IL 4 13-10 133
Day 1: 2 08-05 Day 2: 2 05-05
69. Joe Lineberry Selwn CANADA 5 13-10 132
Day 1: 3 07-13 Day 2: 2 05-13
70. Andrea Cozzolino Milano ITALY 4 13-06 131
Day 1: 3 09-02 Day 2: 1 04-04
71. Mitchell Eychner Rome, NY 6 13-05 130
Day 1: 3 07-06 Day 2: 3 05-15
72. Joshua Vanvalkenburg Norwich, NY 4 13-04 129
Day 1: 3 11-04 Day 2: 1 02-00
73. Josh Dees Mt. Olive, AL 5 13-03 128
Day 1: 3 07-12 Day 2: 2 05-07
74. Sam Leary Canaan, CT 5 13-02 127
Day 1: 2 05-08 Day 2: 3 07-10
75. David Compton Mount Bethel, PA 5 13-00 126
Day 1: 2 05-06 Day 2: 3 07-10
76. Jess Salmon Milford, NJ 6 13-00 125
Day 1: 3 07-04 Day 2: 3 05-12
77. Cody Steckel Las Vegas, NV 4 12-15 124
Day 1: 3 09-06 Day 2: 1 03-09
78. Jonathan Lakota Memphis, NY 5 12-15 123
Day 1: 3 08-05 Day 2: 2 04-10
79. Chad Bushnaq Buffalo, NY 5 12-12 122
Day 1: 3 08-02 Day 2: 2 04-10
80. Mark Kendra Great Meadows, NJ 4 12-10 121
Day 1: 3 09-05 Day 2: 1 03-05
81. Ray Cates Overland Park, KS 5 12-09 120
Day 1: 2 05-10 Day 2: 3 06-15
82. Erik Brztowski Lemont, IL 4 12-04 119
Day 1: 2 06-14 Day 2: 2 05-06
83. Joe Stalb Manheim, PA 6 12-02 118
Day 1: 3 07-06 Day 2: 3 04-12
84. Ryan Naylor Montour Falls, NY 4 12-01 117
Day 1: 3 09-10 Day 2: 1 02-07
85. Lance Owen Greer, SC 5 12-01 116
Day 1: 2 05-03 Day 2: 3 06-14
86. Matt Noraas Pamplin, VA 4 12-01 115
Day 1: 2 06-01 Day 2: 2 06-00
87. James Schneider Watervliet, NY 3 12-00 114
Day 1: 3 12-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
88. Gus Kneidinger Prospect, PA 4 12-00 113
Day 1: 3 09-09 Day 2: 1 02-07
89. John Brzozowski Plymouth, PA 4 11-12 112
Day 1: 1 02-08 Day 2: 3 09-04
90. Anthony Ell Stanhope, NJ 6 11-12 111
Day 1: 3 06-13 Day 2: 3 04-15
91. Dave McQuate Doylestown, PA 4 11-12 110
Day 1: 2 05-07 Day 2: 2 06-05
92. Ron Ryals Jr Live Oak, FL 4 11-10 109
Day 1: 3 09-10 Day 2: 1 02-00
93. Neal Wisinski Stevens Point, WI 4 11-10 108
Day 1: 2 06-05 Day 2: 2 05-05
94. Jason Sherwood Damascus, MD 5 11-06 107
Day 1: 3 07-05 Day 2: 2 04-01
95. David Booth Erin, TN 4 11-04 106
Day 1: 3 08-12 Day 2: 1 02-08
96. Joseph Zapf Oak Ridge, NJ 4 11-01 105
Day 1: 1 02-14 Day 2: 3 08-03
97. Riley Kolich Long Beach, CA 4 11-00 104
Day 1: 3 08-05 Day 2: 1 02-11
98. Mathew Thompson Hogansburg, NY 4 10-14 103
Day 1: 3 08-13 Day 2: 1 02-01
99. James Williams Sims, NC 4 10-14 102
Day 1: 3 08-06 Day 2: 1 02-08
100. Somang Kim Ridgefield, CT 3 10-11 101
Day 1: 2 07-03 Day 2: 1 03-08
101. Austin Blair Morgan City, LA 4 10-09 100
Day 1: 3 07-00 Day 2: 1 03-09
102. Kenny Simmons Dahlonega, GA 3 10-08 99
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 10-08
103. Christopher Trovinger Sabillasville, MD 4 10-07 98
Day 1: 3 08-05 Day 2: 1 02-02
104. Andrew Packard Fresno, CA 5 10-07 97
Day 1: 3 05-07 Day 2: 2 05-00
105. Gary Hall Wardville, OK 4 10-05 96
Day 1: 1 02-11 Day 2: 3 07-10
106. Todd Covert Afton, NY 3 10-05 95
Day 1: 1 03-05 Day 2: 2 07-00
107. Joshua Torres Port Tobacco, MD 5 10-05 94
Day 1: 3 05-13 Day 2: 2 04-08
108. Roland Gittings Perryville, MD 3 10-04 93
Day 1: 1 03-06 Day 2: 2 06-14
109. PJ Mcmanamon Jr Ruby, NY 3 10-04 92
Day 1: 1 03-15 Day 2: 2 06-05
110. Jason Gibson Iron Station, NC 4 10-03 91
Day 1: 2 03-15 Day 2: 2 06-04
111. Angela Mayo Maiden, NC 4 09-15 90
Day 1: 1 02-12 Day 2: 3 07-03
112. Hayden Reed Millville, NJ 3 09-14 89
Day 1: 3 09-14 Day 2: 0 00-00
113. Michael Hunt Watertown, NY 4 09-14 88
Day 1: 2 05-12 Day 2: 2 04-02
114. Johnnie Garrett Union City, TN 4 09-10 87
Day 1: 3 07-02 Day 2: 1 02-08
115. Rick Jerman Springfield, VA 3 09-09 86
Day 1: 1 02-10 Day 2: 2 06-15
116. Christopher Mcdaniel Victoria , VA 3 09-08 85
Day 1: 2 08-03 Day 2: 1 01-05
117. Lynn Hoeffer Chesapeake, VA 3 09-06 84
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 09-06
118. Jeff Corley Trussville, AL 3 09-06 83
Day 1: 2 07-10 Day 2: 1 01-12
119. Steve Mortenson Oshkosh, WI 3 09-06 82
Day 1: 2 06-05 Day 2: 1 03-01
120. Bill Lesiak Flemington, NJ 3 09-03 81
Day 1: 1 02-03 Day 2: 2 07-00
121. Lamar Spade Saylorsburg, PA 3 09-01 80 $250.00
Day 1: 3 09-01 Day 2: 0 00-00
122. Clayton Weber West Salem, WI 3 09-00 79
Day 1: 3 09-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
123. Chad Boyer Elizabethtown, PA 3 08-11 78
Day 1: 3 08-11 Day 2: 0 00-00
124. Chris McCarthy Woonsocket, RI 3 08-11 77
Day 1: 2 05-14 Day 2: 1 02-13
125. Guy Cisternino Oak Ridge, NJ 3 08-10 76
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 08-10
125. Joshua Geyer Loganton, PA 3 08-10 76
Day 1: 3 08-10 Day 2: 0 00-00
127. Curtis Hall II Lenore, WV 3 08-09 74
Day 1: 3 08-09 Day 2: 0 00-00
128. Brandon Brylinsky Ithaca, NY 3 08-09 73
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 08-09
129. Taurus Lopez Greenwood Lake, NY 4 08-08 72
Day 1: 2 04-01 Day 2: 2 04-07
130. Eric Davis Athens, AL 3 08-06 71
Day 1: 3 08-06 Day 2: 0 00-00
131. Ryan Patterson Scott Township, PA 4 08-06 70
Day 1: 1 01-10 Day 2: 3 06-12
132. John Sturdivant Obion, TN 3 08-05 69
Day 1: 3 08-05 Day 2: 0 00-00
133. Dale Salzmann Hazel Green, WI 3 08-03 68
Day 1: 2 05-12 Day 2: 1 02-07
134. Scott Devault New Philadelphia, OH 3 08-00 67
Day 1: 2 06-06 Day 2: 1 01-10
135. Jim O'Connell Jr Castle Rock, CO 3 07-13 66
Day 1: 2 04-11 Day 2: 1 03-02
136. Christopher Underwood Oak Hill, VA 3 07-12 65
Day 1: 3 07-12 Day 2: 0 00-00
137. Frank Williams Jackson, MO 3 07-10 64
Day 1: 2 04-04 Day 2: 1 03-06
138. John Dupont Walkerton, IN 3 07-08 63
Day 1: 3 07-08 Day 2: 0 00-00
139. Ernest Brabon Albion, NY 3 07-07 62
Day 1: 3 07-07 Day 2: 0 00-00
140. Joe Mantione West Milford, NJ 3 07-06 61
Day 1: 3 07-06 Day 2: 0 00-00
141. Harry Nurk Elkton, MD 3 07-01 60
Day 1: 3 07-01 Day 2: 0 00-00
142. Matt Kraemer Fleming Island, FL 3 07-01 59
Day 1: 1 01-09 Day 2: 2 05-08
143. Rob Tipton III Pitman, NJ 2 06-15 58
Day 1: 2 06-15 Day 2: 0 00-00
144. Joshua McGeary Mt. Pleasant, PA 3 06-15 57
Day 1: 2 03-10 Day 2: 1 03-05
145. Rick Ganoung Chenango Forks, NY 3 06-14 56
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 06-14
146. Scott Holmes Odenville, AL 3 06-13 55
Day 1: 3 06-13 Day 2: 0 00-00
146. John Stoughtenger Waterloo, NY 3 06-13 55
Day 1: 3 06-13 Day 2: 0 00-00
148. Eugene Kim Lindenhurst, IL 3 06-13 53
Day 1: 2 05-01 Day 2: 1 01-12
149. Roxanne Przelski Poland, NY 3 06-11 52
Day 1: 3 06-11 Day 2: 0 00-00
150. Mark Ely Chester Springs, PA 2 06-10 51
Day 1: 1 03-12 Day 2: 1 02-14
151. Jim Boyce Massena, NY 3 06-09 50
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 06-09
152. TJ Dobs Oneida , NY 2 06-09 49
Day 1: 2 06-09 Day 2: 0 00-00
153. Richard Greene Ocala, FL 2 06-09 48
Day 1: 1 04-12 Day 2: 1 01-13
154. Anthony Boris Kansasville, WI 4 06-09 47
Day 1: 2 04-05 Day 2: 2 02-04
155. Aaron Wilkie North Bennington, VT 2 06-08 46
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 06-08
156. Tommy Young II Linden, NC 2 06-06 45
Day 1: 1 04-02 Day 2: 1 02-04
157. Corey Novotny New Hartford, NY 3 06-03 44
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 06-03
158. Joe Sodora Garfield, NJ 2 06-03 43
Day 1: 1 03-10 Day 2: 1 02-09
159. Jared Phillips Addison, NY 3 06-02 42
Day 1: 3 06-02 Day 2: 0 00-00
160. Cory Weaver Ankeny, IA 2 05-13 41
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 05-13
161. Richard Dodge Utica, NY 2 05-11 40
Day 1: 1 03-03 Day 2: 1 02-08
161. Ricardo Jimenez Bethlehem, PA 2 05-11 40
Day 1: 1 03-03 Day 2: 1 02-08
163. Kenny Stelter Forest Lake, MN 2 05-07 38
Day 1: 1 02-09 Day 2: 1 02-14
164. Mike Bell Lisbon, NY 2 05-06 37
Day 1: 2 05-06 Day 2: 0 00-00
165. Josh Nelson Port Clinton, OH 2 05-03 36
Day 1: 1 02-15 Day 2: 1 02-04
166. Gavin English Atwater, OH 2 05-01 35
Day 1: 2 05-01 Day 2: 0 00-00
167. Jeff Straka Kenmore, NY 2 04-12 34
Day 1: 2 04-12 Day 2: 0 00-00
168. Nathan Hubbell Columbus, IN 2 04-12 33
Day 1: 2 04-12 Day 2: 0 00-00
169. George Epley Livingston Manor, NY 2 04-11 32
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 04-11
170. Morris Collins Fairfield, OH 2 04-06 31
Day 1: 2 04-06 Day 2: 0 00-00
171. Amos Troyer Millersburg, IN 2 04-02 30
Day 1: 1 02-00 Day 2: 1 02-02
172. Keith McFall Waverly, NY 2 04-01 29
Day 1: 1 01-12 Day 2: 1 02-05
173. Todd Hughes Mount Bethel, PA 1 03-15 28
Day 1: 1 03-15 Day 2: 0 00-00
174. Cody Griffey Williamsburg, VA 1 03-12 27
Day 1: 1 03-12 Day 2: 0 00-00
175. Rick Amato Canastota, NY 1 03-05 26
Day 1: 1 03-05 Day 2: 0 00-00
175. David Slonaker Howard, OH 1 03-05 26
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 03-05
177. Steve Sheridan Mount Vernon, IL 2 03-02 24
Day 1: 2 03-02 Day 2: 0 00-00
178. Dan O'Callaghan Chalfont, PA 1 03-02 23
Day 1: 1 03-02 Day 2: 0 00-00
178. Steve Plude Franklin, VA 1 03-02 23
Day 1: 1 03-02 Day 2: 0 00-00
180. Darin Ferguson Dix, IL 1 03-00 21
Day 1: 1 03-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
181. Gary Hall Delbarton, WV 1 02-12 20
Day 1: 1 02-12 Day 2: 0 00-00
182. Paul Grove Jr Lancaster, PA 1 02-08 19
Day 1: 1 02-08 Day 2: 0 00-00
183. John Barnes Henrico, VA 1 02-04 18
Day 1: 1 02-04 Day 2: 0 00-00
183. Clayton Payne The Plains, VA 1 02-04 18
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 02-04
185. AJ Jones Lutz, FL 1 02-03 16
Day 1: 1 02-03 Day 2: 0 00-00
185. Charlie Pulay Fulton, MD 1 02-03 16
Day 1: 1 02-03 Day 2: 0 00-00
185. Richard Slomba Dundalk, MD 1 02-03 16
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 02-03
188. Karl Tripple Ilion, NY 1 02-03 13
Day 1: 1 02-03 Day 2: 0 00-00
189. Christopher House Walworth, NY 1 02-00 12
Day 1: 1 02-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
190. Kevin Mallow Kansas, OK 1 01-15 11
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 01-15
191. Shawn Devine Springfield, MA 1 01-14 10
Day 1: 1 01-14 Day 2: 0 00-00
192. Jim Calhoun Norfolk, VA 1 01-13 9
Day 1: 1 01-13 Day 2: 0 00-00
192. George Petrak Montrose, PA 1 01-13 9
Day 1: 1 01-13 Day 2: 0 00-00
194. Heath Fellows New York Mills, NY 1 01-08 7
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 01-08
195. George Bizub Toms River, NJ 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
195. Bob Harper Lombard, IL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
195. Greg Mauldin Archdale, NC 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
195. Dan Murphy Epping, NH 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
195. Pauley Pitcher Huntsville, AL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
195. Michael Price Millbury, MA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
195. Stephen Schneider Selden, NY 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 98 418 1216-10
2 71 332 910-04
----------------------------------
169 750 2126-14
"If you're not First...... You're Last."
This week Chris and the circus welcome in Elite Series Pro and Humminbird / MinnKota Pro Wes Logan to the show to talk FG knots, his fishing thus far this year and a new toy he has on his boat that just might give him a competitive edge, Shake and bake baby, its time to talk new products, gadgets and gizmo's!
