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Kuphall Maintains Lead At Bassmaster Elite Series Event On Lake Guntersville

Caleb Kuphall, of Mukwonago, Wis., is leading after Day 2 of the 2021 Berkley Bassmaster Elite at Lake Guntersville with a two-day total of 43 pounds, 4 ounces.
Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.

May 21, 2021

SCOTTSBORO, Ala. — On Thursday, Caleb Kuphall said he was concerned he’d exhausted his Day 1 hot spot, but the area still held enough quality fish to help him maintain his lead at the Berkley Bassmaster Elite at Lake Guntersville with a two-day total of 43 pounds, 4 ounces.

Sacking up a Day 1 limit of 27-10 — the tournament’s biggest bag so far — the pro from Mukwonago, Wis., carried a lead of 6-7 into Friday’s competition. Adding 15-10, Kuphall heads into Saturday’s semifinal round with a 4-9 margin over Canadian Chris Johnston.

Starting both days on a large milfoil bed not far from takeoff, Kuphall has done most of his work in a relatively small area within this sprawling habitat. Other boats were fishing around him, but Kuphall has dialed in a particular sweet spot.

“There’s a lot of pressure in that spot; today, there was another two boats in there and another one came in later on,” Kuphall said. “There’s still a lot of fish there; I got bit pretty much up until I left around 9:30. I just don’t think I can get another two days out of it.”

Kuphall is catching his bass on a Zoom Z-Hog in the California 420 color. He’s rigging the bait on a 4/0 extra-wide gap hook with a 3/4-ounce tungsten weight.

Once his starting spot fizzled, Kuphall ran about 15 minutes uplake to fish a matted milfoil bed. This area holds scattered pads, but he said the secondary habitat isn’t factoring into his game plan.

“You have the mat line, and what I’m fishing is out from that,” he said. “It’s a little deeper water and the isolated grass clumps are key to getting my bites. I really haven’t gotten any bites fishing the line.

“I’m using the Z-Hog here too, but I’m using a 1-ounce weight. If the wind blows again tomorrow, I may have to go to an ounce and a quarter or an ounce and a half.”

On Day 1, Kuphall’s second spot yielded two sizable culls, but on Friday it afforded only a 1/4-pound upgrade. He noted that Friday’s wind impeded his efficiency on his uplake area.

“The wind was coming right up the gut and I had my trolling motor on 80 to 100% just to hold in that area,” he said. “When you’re shallow like that in the mats, I think I was spooking a lot of fish before I was getting to them.”

Assessing his day, Kuphall said he’s pleased with his position but thankful for a huge first round, which buoyed his weight. Overall, Friday proved considerably more challenging.

“One of my areas is drying up on me and the other one ... I just didn’t catch them today,” he said. “I think I’m going to have to look for something else to do because I don’t see that first spot holding up another two days.

“It was a grind today. I only caught about 10 fish today. I was hoping I’d get some bigger bites, but I didn’t get them. But tomorrow’s another day.”

Kuphall said he plans on giving his starting spot another look Saturday, but he won’t burn much time there unless he finds a big bite early.

“I have a couple of other areas that I haven’t touched yet,” he said. “They’re (mostly) keeper areas; just limit areas. If I get into trouble, I can go and get a couple of bites.”

Hailing from Peterborough, Ontario, Johnston added 19-10 to the 19-1 he caught Thursday and gained three spots from fifth with a total weight of 38-11.

Johnston caught three of his limit fish by throwing a bream-colored Spro Poppin’ Frog over pads. He caught the other two while fishing a drop shot with a Roboworm in the morning dawn color over an offshore hard spot in about 10 feet.

“I didn’t go to my frog area on Day 1 because I had two 3-pounders blow up on it in practice and I was saving it in case I needed it,” Johnston said. “Luckily, it worked out today and there were more fish there than I thought. I wasn’t expecting to get those big ones and that many.”

Luke Palmer of Coalgate, Okla., is in third with 37-3. After placing eighth on Day 1 with 17-12, Palmer added a limit of 19-7, which included a 5 1/2-pounder.

Palmer divided his day between throwing a Zara Spook in shallow water and rotating through a drop shot, jerkbait and rattlebait in deeper grass.

“I’m just mixing it up and trying to figure out what the fish want,” Palmer said. “You’re liable to go down one stretch, turn around and come back with another bait and just wreck them.”

Caleb Sumrall of New Iberia, La., is in the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors with his 7-6.

Seth Feider of New Market, Minn., leads the Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings with 612 points. Brandon Palaniuk of Rathdrum, Idaho, is in second with 557, followed by Jason Christie of Park Hill, Okla., with 554, Johnston with 548 and Patrick Walters of Summerville, S.C., with 541.

Bryan New of Belmont, N.C., leads the Rookie of the Year standings with 463 points.

Saturday’s takeoff is scheduled for 5:30 a.m. CT from Scottsboro's Goose Pond Colony Resort Marina. The weigh-in will be held back at Goose Pond at 2 p.m. After Saturday’s weigh-in, only the Top 10 remaining anglers will advance to Championship Sunday with a chance at the $100,000 first-place prize.

Live coverage of the event can be streamed on Bassmaster.com and the FOX Sports digital platforms. FS1 will also broadcast the action live with the leaders beginning at 7 a.m.

by AnglersChannel

Britt Myers Wrestles With Wrist Injury and 9-lber

Courtesy of Luke Stoner - Dynamic Sponsorships

Major League Fishing pro Britt Myers woke up Wednesday morning to start practice on the Harris Chain of Lakes for Stage Three of the Bass Pro Tour but immediately felt something was seriously wrong with his right wrist. The General Tires pro said his wrist was completely fine when he went to bed, but woke up to a swollen hand and intense pain.

Myers is one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet off the water, but he’s a fierce competitor on the water; he’s fished through pain plenty of times in his career but this time it was almost unbearable. He gave up precious practice time to head to the local Urgent Care.

“I seriously think I am dealing with maybe 10% function in my right hand,” Myers said. “The nurse at the Urgent Care couldn’t tell me exactly what it was. She thought it could be tendonitis but I’ve had surgeries in the past and know all about tendonitis. This one feels different.”

After spending a lot of time icing and babying his wrist, the longtime owner of CS Motorsports in North Carolina decided he was just going to have to grit his teeth and fish through the discomfort to the best of his abilities on the Harris Chain.

While day one of his Qualifying Round didn’t go as well as it could have without dealing with the injury, Myers certainly made the most of his predicament; catching 25-lbs. of bass, including a 9-pound 8-ounce giant, to finish the day in 13th place.

“I literally fished the entire day one handed,” Myers said in disbelief. “I lost so many fish that could have been scoreables because I couldn’t set the hook properly. I was a mess out there. But I’m super thankful for that big bass and the other fish I did catch… today could have been much more of a train wreck.”

Like most, Myers is right handed. He typically casts with his right hand, reels with his right hand, and grabs big bass at the edge of his boat with his right hand. Today that all had to change.

“As long as I could keep the rod straight and the fish came right at me, I could reel them in like I was working a pencil sharpener without too much pain,” Myers said. “But as soon as a fish would surge to the left or right I was practically helpless. My range of motion is so limited right now and I can’t put tension on my right hand.”

Myers promises the scene was absolute chaos when he hooked and eventually landed the big bass of the day, which earned him $1000, and he believes he caught it all on GoPro. That video will likely publish on his social media pages in the days to come, but first Myers is going to focus on rehabbing his wrist and qualifying for the Knockout Round.

by AnglersChannel

Steady Winds Will Play a Factor on Harris Chain

Courtesy of Luke Stoner -Dynamic Sponsorships

Major League Fishing pros headed out on the vast and beautiful Harris Chain of Lakes in Leesburg, Florida to kick off the Favorite Fishing Stage Three this morning. The eight individual lakes of the Harris Chain covering over 75,000 acres of water offer a myriad of ways Bass Pro Tour anglers can target scoreable bass this week.

While it’s hard to know what to expect in terms of presentations, techniques, or bait selection; one thing MLF pros anticipate is strong winds from the east these first two days of competition.

“The winds have been blowing hard out of the east since we got here,” James Elam said. “It’s not dangerous or anything, but it definitely limited the areas you could effectively fish in practice. The wind has churned up the water in a lot of spots I thought could be good and affected the water quality.”

The Oklahoma native and longtime Toyota Bonus Bucks member said the easterly winds will have both fish and anglers bunched up in certain areas on the Harris Chain. Something Elam and the rest of the Major League Fishing pros are used to in the sunshine state.

“Florida fisheries always seem to fish small,” Elam said. “But I don’t get too worried if I’m fishing around other anglers down here. If the fish are there, sometimes you have to be willing to fish around a crowd.”

Sure some areas will be negatively affected by turbulent water due to the steady winds, but the same breeze will undoubtedly turn other areas and groups of fish on like a light switch.

Kevin VanDam has made millions of dollars throughout his career capitalizing on this type of scenario. KVD plans on leaning into the wind, using his equipment to help deal with what Mother Nature throws at him and his fellow competitors.

“It’s all about the grass down here in Florida. Whether it’s Kissimmee grass and lily pads around the shoreline or the offshore eelgrass and hydrilla,” VanDam explained. “Taking advantage of the Minn Kota Raptors, electronics, and spot lock capabilities on my boat are going to be key in all this wind.”

VanDam relies on these tools because they give him the ability to make pinpoint casts and presentations to fish keying in on subtleties in the aquatic vegetation. Shallow water anchors like Power Poles and Raptors always play an important role for anglers when fishing in Florida, and that’ll be no different for Major League Fishing pros on the Harris Chain this week.

by AnglersChannel

Sumrall’s birthday bass is biggest of the day at Guntersville Elite

Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships

Caleb Sumrall may not be leading the Berkley Bassmaster Elite Series tournament at Lake Guntersville, but catching the biggest bass of the day on his 34^th birthday provided a pretty strong gift. Sumrall caught the 7 pound 6 ounce beast of a largemouth at high noon after a morning that fell well short of a party.

“This fish was a total day saver, or maybe even a tournament saver, because the first five hours of my birthday out there was not a good scene,” smiled Sumrall.

Sumrall sees life’s big picture clearly, realizing that catching fish is his job, but not his highest priority. “I’ve got two awesome healthy kids, a super sweet and supportive wife, and I’m fishing for a living, that’s a pretty good place to be at age 34, and while there’s still stress, it’s a different kind of stress than I had in my previous job,” says the Carhartt pro.

One of bass fishing’s all-time great Cinderella stories, Sumrall had just been laid-off from his job in the oil field industry when he won the B.A.S.S. Nation Championship on Lake Hartwell in October, 2017 to make enough money to keep the bills paid and get an invite to the Bassmaster Elite Series.

“I was managing 100 employees and trying to keep a $25 Million dollar a year company happy before I lost that job. That was stressful. And obviously this career is stressful too, but a better kind of stress,” says a reflective Sumrall.

Sumrall is rooming with Chris and Cory Johnston, as well as his close buddy Lee Livesay, and ironically, May 20^th is Cory’s birthday too, so there’s a strong chance a few celebratory ‘cold pops’ might get consumed in Guntersville among the fun-loving bunch Thursday night.

But at the core of his 34^th birthday is gratefulness and fellowship.

“Five years from now when I turn 39, I want to be known as a good guy, an honest and fun guy to be around, and hopefully have a couple Elite Series wins under my belt. The fellowship among the Elite Series pros is the best it’s ever been, and why not shoot for the stars, right?” quizzed Sumrall in conclusion.

You bet, pal. It’s your birthday. Shoot for the stars. And the 7-pounder you caught on your 34^th birthday should provide a big boost toward a great weekend ahead.

by AnglersChannel

Kuphall Builds Hefty Lead At Bassmaster Elite Series Event On Guntersville

Caleb Kuphall, of Mukwonago, Wis., is leading after Day 1 of the 2021 Berkley Bassmaster Elite at Lake Guntersville with 27 pounds, 10 ounces.
Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.

May 20, 2021

SCOTTSBORO, Ala. — A fast start plus two afternoon upgrades yielded a five-bass limit of 27 pounds, 10 ounces for Caleb Kuphall of Mukwonago, Wis., who leads Day 1 of the Berkley Bassmaster Elite at Lake Guntersville.

Heading into Day 2, Kuphall holds a lead of 6-7 over veteran South Carolina pro Todd Auten.

According to BassTrakk’s unofficial standings, Kuphall had secured a limit of approximately 19-4 by 6:58 a.m. Registering his first keeper — a 2-12 — 24 minutes after the 5:30 takeoff, Kuphall quickly added four more keepers, including two over 5 pounds.

About 30 minutes after securing the day’s first limit, Kuphall upgraded to 21-12. Several hours passed without further improvement, but shortly after noon, he added a 4-8 and followed with a 5-8 just before 1 p.m.

Noting that he fished two different areas, Kuphall described his primary spot as a classic postspawn staging area. Located in a large spawning cove, the area he targeted provided a natural stopping point for bass on their way out toward summer habitat.

“It was a point with a big mat of milfoil going out to the main lake,” he said. “I got back-to-back bites — in the morning, I caught a 6- and a 5 1/2-pounder on the very next cast.

“I kind of had two things going today, and the first one was a supershallow deal. I caught two of my weigh-in fish in about 3 feet of water, and the rest of them came in about 6 feet.”

Kuphall kept his bait details guarded, but he noted that a bottom-oriented presentation tempted all of his bites. He used multiple colors, but he said the appearance is less important than the presentation.

“It’s a reaction bite; a fast-fall kind of deal,” he said.

Kuphall said he ended up having to fish his area out, as a fellow competitor was showing interest. He’s hopeful that a few quality fish remain, so he’ll explore it again on Day 2.

“I hit it pretty hard, I don’t think there’s much left there,” he said. “I’m going to give it a go tomorrow and hopefully get a few bites off of it.

“It’s not something that’s going to hold up for multiple days. It’s pretty much a one-and-done deal.”

In second place, Auten sacked up a limit that weighed 21-3. His morning also started quickly, but it took a few hours for him to dial in the quality bites.

“About 9:30, I had one fish — a 7-pounder — but I pulled into a little place and caught a couple of good ones, messed around and caught another good one,” Auten said. “That was about it on the big fish and then I caught a couple more 2-pounders.

“I struggled, really. I just got lucky and got a couple of good bites. It might be the area. I’ll have to go back in there tomorrow and see.”

Auten described his most productive area as a windblown point where prespawn and postspawn fish were staging. A crankbait and spinnerbait produced all of his weight, with the 7-pounder biting the latter.

Brandon Palaniuk of Rathdrum, Idaho, is in third with 20-12. One week after winning the Basspro.com Bassmaster Northern Open at James River, Palaniuk took a mobile approach to tracking down Guntersville’s transitioning bass.

Having gone through about 35 baits Thursday, Palaniuk said he caught all of his weight on two reaction baits. One of them was a Storm Arashi Glide Bait in the black silver shad color.

“I saw a piece of cover and said, ‘I have to stop and throw a glide on that,’” he said. “I caught a 3-pounder and one that was about 5 1/2.

“I was just trying to cover water. I feel like these fish are moving so much, you have to stay on top of them.”

Caleb Sumrall of New Iberia, La., is in the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors with his 7-6.

Seth Feider of New Market, Minn., maintained his lead in the Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings with 602 points. Patrick Walters of Summerville, S.C., is in second with 574, followed by Palaniuk with 560, Jason Christie of Park Hill, Okla., with 552 and Chris Johnston of Peterborough, Canada, with 545.

KJ Queen of Catawba, N.C., leads the Rookie of the Year standings with 451 points.

Friday’s takeoff is scheduled for 5:30 a.m. CT from Goose Pond Landing. The weigh-in will be held at Goose Pond at 2 p.m. Only the Top 48 anglers will advance after Friday’s weigh-in to fish the semifinal round on Saturday.

Live coverage of the event can be streamed on Bassmaster.com and the FOX Sports digital platforms.

2021 Berkley Bassmaster Elite at Lake Guntersville 5/20-5/23
Lake Guntersville, Scottsboro AL.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 1

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

1. Caleb Kuphall Mukwonago, WI 5 27-10 100
Day 1: 5 27-10
2. Todd Auten Lake Wylie, SC 5 21-03 99
Day 1: 5 21-03
3. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 5 20-12 98
Day 1: 5 20-12
4. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 5 19-05 97
Day 1: 5 19-05
5. Chris Johnston Otonabee Ontario CANADA 5 19-01 96
Day 1: 5 19-01
6. Jason Christie Park Hill, OK 5 18-12 95
Day 1: 5 18-12
7. Brett Preuett Monroe, LA 5 18-06 94
Day 1: 5 18-06
8. Luke Palmer Coalgate, OK 5 17-12 93
Day 1: 5 17-12
9. Lee Livesay Longview, TX 5 17-10 92
Day 1: 5 17-10
10. Cory Johnston Cavan CANADA 5 17-06 91
Day 1: 5 17-06
11. Patrick Walters Summerville, SC 5 17-00 90
Day 1: 5 17-00
12. Marc Frazier Newnan, GA 5 16-14 89
Day 1: 5 16-14
13. KJ Queen Catawba, NC 5 16-13 88
Day 1: 5 16-13
14. Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 5 16-12 87
Day 1: 5 16-12
15. Derek Hudnall Denham Springs, LA 5 16-05 86
Day 1: 5 16-05
16. Drew Benton Blakely, GA 5 16-02 85
Day 1: 5 16-02
16. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 5 16-02 85
Day 1: 5 16-02
16. Shane LeHew Catawba, NC 5 16-02 85
Day 1: 5 16-02
16. Pat Schlapper Eleva, WI 5 16-02 85
Day 1: 5 16-02
20. Kyle Welcher Opelika, AL 5 16-00 81
Day 1: 5 16-00
20. Jake Whitaker Fairview, NC 5 16-00 81
Day 1: 5 16-00
22. Gregory DiPalma Millville, NJ 5 15-15 79
Day 1: 5 15-15
22. Hunter Shryock Ooltewah, TN 5 15-15 79
Day 1: 5 15-15
24. Seth Feider New Market, MN 5 15-12 77
Day 1: 5 15-12
25. Shane Lineberger Lincolnton, NC 5 15-10 76
Day 1: 5 15-10
26. Austin Felix Eden Prairie, MN 5 15-07 75
Day 1: 5 15-07
26. Matt Herren Ashville, AL 5 15-07 75
Day 1: 5 15-07
28. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 5 15-06 73
Day 1: 5 15-06
29. Matt Arey Shelby, NC 5 15-04 72
Day 1: 5 15-04
30. Bryan Schmitt Deale, MD 5 15-03 71
Day 1: 5 15-03
31. Skylar Hamilton Dandridge, TN 5 14-15 70
Day 1: 5 14-15
31. Bryan New Belmont, NC 5 14-15 70
Day 1: 5 14-15
33. Bob Downey Hudson, WI 5 14-13 68
Day 1: 5 14-13
34. John Cox Debary, FL 5 14-10 67
Day 1: 5 14-10
34. Matt Robertson Kuttawa, KY 5 14-10 67
Day 1: 5 14-10
36. Yusuke Miyazaki Forney, TX 5 14-09 65
Day 1: 5 14-09
37. Scott Canterbury Odenville, AL 5 14-05 64
Day 1: 5 14-05
37. Buddy Gross Chickamauga, GA 5 14-05 64
Day 1: 5 14-05
37. Randy Pierson Oakdale, CA 5 14-05 64
Day 1: 5 14-05
40. Carl Jocumsen Queensland AUSTRALIA 5 14-04 61
Day 1: 5 14-04
41. Caleb Sumrall New Iberia, LA 4 14-04 60 $1,000.00
Day 1: 4 14-04
42. Jay Yelas Lincoln City, OR 5 14-02 59
Day 1: 5 14-02
43. Wes Logan Springville, AL 5 14-01 58
Day 1: 5 14-01
43. Chad Morgenthaler Reeds Spring, MO 5 14-01 58
Day 1: 5 14-01
45. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 5 14-00 56
Day 1: 5 14-00
46. Brandon Cobb Greenwood, SC 5 13-15 55
Day 1: 5 13-15
47. Drew Cook Cairo, GA 5 13-15 54
Day 1: 5 13-15
48. Ray Hanselman Jr Del Rio, TX 5 13-14 53
Day 1: 5 13-14
49. Garrett Paquette Canton, MI 5 13-12 52
Day 1: 5 13-12
50. Taku Ito Chiba JAPAN 5 13-11 51
Day 1: 5 13-11
51. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 5 13-07 50
Day 1: 5 13-07
51. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 5 13-07 50
Day 1: 5 13-07
53. Hank Cherry Jr Lincolnton, NC 5 13-06 48
Day 1: 5 13-06
54. Harvey Horne Bella Vista, AR 5 13-05 47
Day 1: 5 13-05
55. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 5 13-03 46
Day 1: 5 13-03
56. Jamie Hartman Newport, NY 5 13-01 45
Day 1: 5 13-01
57. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 5 12-15 44
Day 1: 5 12-15
57. Kelley Jaye Dadeville, AL 5 12-15 44
Day 1: 5 12-15
57. Joshua Stracner Vandiver, AL 5 12-15 44
Day 1: 5 12-15
60. Mike Huff Corbin, KY 5 12-14 41
Day 1: 5 12-14
60. Bill Weidler Helena, AL 5 12-14 41
Day 1: 5 12-14
62. Jason Williamson Wagener, SC 5 12-09 39
Day 1: 5 12-09
63. Gerald Swindle Guntersville, AL 5 12-08 38
Day 1: 5 12-08
64. Koby Kreiger Alva, FL 5 12-06 37
Day 1: 5 12-06
65. Frank Talley Temple, TX 5 12-05 36
Day 1: 5 12-05
66. Destin DeMarion Grove City, PA 5 12-03 35
Day 1: 5 12-03
67. Darold Gleason Many, LA 5 12-02 34
Day 1: 5 12-02
67. Brian Snowden Reeds Spring, MO 5 12-02 34
Day 1: 5 12-02
69. Tyler Rivet Raceland, LA 5 11-14 32
Day 1: 5 11-14
69. Clark Wendlandt Leander, TX 5 11-14 32
Day 1: 5 11-14
71. Jeff Gustafson Keewatin Ontario CANADA 5 11-12 30
Day 1: 5 11-12
72. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 5 11-08 29
Day 1: 5 11-08
72. Cody Hollen Beaverton, OR 5 11-08 29
Day 1: 5 11-08
72. Brad Whatley Bivins, TX 5 11-08 29
Day 1: 5 11-08
75. Randy Sullivan Breckenridge, TX 5 11-08 26
Day 1: 5 11-08
76. Robbie Latuso Gonzales, LA 5 11-02 25
Day 1: 5 11-02
77. Justin Atkins Florence, AL 5 11-01 24
Day 1: 5 11-01
78. Dale Hightower Mannford, OK 5 10-12 23
Day 1: 5 10-12
79. Chad Pipkens Dewitt, MI 5 10-12 22
Day 1: 5 10-12
80. Scott Martin Clewiston, FL 5 10-09 21
Day 1: 5 10-09
81. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 5 10-09 20
Day 1: 5 10-09
82. Justin Hamner Northport, AL 5 10-06 19
Day 1: 5 10-06
83. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 5 10-04 18
Day 1: 5 10-04
83. Chris Zaldain Fort Worth, TX 5 10-04 18
Day 1: 5 10-04
85. Clent Davis Montevallo, AL 4 10-03 16
Day 1: 4 10-03
86. Chris Groh Spring Grove, IL 5 10-00 15
Day 1: 5 10-00
87. Kenta Kimura Osaka JAPAN 5 09-09 14
Day 1: 5 09-09
88. Ed Loughran III Richmond, VA 4 08-08 13
Day 1: 4 08-08
89. Quentin Cappo Prairieville, LA 4 08-06 12
Day 1: 4 08-06
90. Rob Digh Denver, NC 3 08-00 11
Day 1: 3 08-00
91. David Fritts Lexington, NC 4 07-15 10
Day 1: 4 07-15
92. Micah Frazier Newnan, GA 4 07-13 9
Day 1: 4 07-13
93. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 4 07-12 8
Day 1: 4 07-12
94. Brandon Card Salisbury, NC 3 07-03 7
Day 1: 3 07-03
95. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 3 07-01 6
Day 1: 3 07-01
96. Kyle Monti Okeechobee, FL 2 06-07 5
Day 1: 2 06-07
97. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 3 05-13 4
Day 1: 3 05-13
98. Rick Morris Lake Gaston, VA 2 03-15 3
Day 1: 2 03-15

by AnglersChannel

Swindle: heavy spaghetti and soaking crankbaits at Guntersville Elite

Courtesy of Alan McGuckin -Dynamic Sponsorships

At the end of a speed walk back from a boat ramp bathroom, and just before launching at Day 1 of the Berkley Bassmaster Elite Series on Lake Guntersville, Team Toyota’s Gerald Swindle took time to talk about everything from soaking his Rapala crankbaits to wife Lulu’s spaghetti.

Q: You posted a picture on social media last night of Rapala crankbaits soaking in water inside a Y’all Sweet Tea mug, what was going on there?

Swindle: I had drilled four microscopic holes in them to let the water soak into the famous Rapala balsa wood, which will make ‘em sink a little better, and dive a little deeper.

Q: How many pounds would you be happy with catching today to go to bed tonight knowing you had a great day, and a solid chance at Sunday’s Top 10?

Swindle: 21-pounds

Q: What’s the very first lure you’re going to throw today?

Swindle: One of those custom-soaked DT crankbaits.

Q: How was Lulu’s spaghetti last night?

Swindle: Good and gone. I put four paper plates together to hold the weight of it all.

Q: You’re a music lover. What song is stuck in your head right now?

Swindle: Old school country – John Conlee’s “Rose Colored Glasses.”

“These rose colored glasses that I'm looking through show only the beauty. 'Cause they hide all the truth.” – John Conlee (1978).

by AnglersChannel

Scaife, Waters Win Wolfson Tourney with over 30 pounds of St Johns River bass!

Courtesy of Vance McCullough

Photos courtesy of Becky Williams

“Saturday was an absolute blur!” said Will Scaife. “When God does something, He makes sure there is no doubt or question, and He was definitely with us! Winning the Wolfson Bass Tournament is a life-long dream that so many can relate to, and you honestly don’t know if it will ever happen. To bust 30lbs for the first time and do it in the biggest tournament in the southeast is an indescribable feeling.”

“God has blessed us with a special opportunity to catch these fish,” said Branden Waters. “It was a special opportunity to get to fish the Wolfson together. 48 hours ago, I wasn’t even sure I was going to fish. We fished extremely clean and had a really fun day fishing.”

Scaife and Waters topped a field of 395 boats to win the 32^nd Woldson Children’s Hospital Bass Tournament out of Palatka, Fla. and collect the top prize of $10,000.

Their total weight was 30.66 pounds (5-fish limit) and included a kicker that weighed 8.01.

“We should have lost two fish in the net nut didn’t,” noted Scaife. “Just blessed.”

Sight-fishing was the main game for Scaife and Waters but a locally made, semi-secret topwater lure provided two key catches. “Out of the five we weighed,” said Scaife, “a couple of them came on topwater, a Devil’s Horse, well, actually the Heaberlin horse, as we call it, made a local guy, Bryan Heaberlin.” “It’s modified to work,” said Waters of the special plug.

The duo used Lucky Strike G4 tubes to pull the rest of their weight off of beds in Lake George where bass are still spawning under record cool temperatures that included overnight lows in the 50’s for at least 3 nights prior to Saturday’s tournament. “We were tickled that we had to put the hoodies on this morning,” said Scaife. Waters said, “I told him if it stayed cool, we were going to catch them.”

Runners-up Kevin Duncan and Austin Duncan weighed-in 23.05 pounds.

Phillip Turwitt and Jason Jackson placed 3^rd with 21.74, followed closely by Brandon Wilkes and Jimmy Cornn with 21.63.

Justin Woods and Clayton Woods rounded out the Top 5 with 20.97 pounds.

Big bass honors went to James Sojka and Andrew Pulliam with a 9.59-pound beauty that ate a Strike King Red Eye Shad in Rodman Reservoir.

Organizers and anglers generated well over $400,000 for the hospital at this year’s event.

by AnglersChannel

Zaldain talks heavy metal and uprooted eel grass prior to Guntersville Elite

Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships

Thanks to early sunrises and late sunsets, most pros have logged 13-hour practice days in preparation for the Berkley Bassmaster Elite on Guntersville that begins Thursday.

Chris Zaldain was certainly among them. He was one of the very last pros to come off the water Wednesday. But the always classy and even-keeled caster of oversized swimbaits graciously took time at the dock to share his thoughts with fans on the eve of competition.

Q: Let’s start with an easy one, where did the nickname “Zaldaingerous” come from?

CZ: Brandon Palaniuk started calling me that during one of the very first seasons we competed as pros when I made a lot of Top 10 cuts.

Q: What’s going to be the biggest challenge on Guntersville this week?

CZ: Making a clear cast among on the uprooted, chopped up, eel grass floating on the surface.

Q: Every fishery is in a constant state of ecological change, but what remains Guntersville’s greatest asset?

CZ: The abundance of aquatic vegetation and shad here is still amazing.

Q: How much weight will an angler need to average here each day to get a Top 10?

CZ: I’ll say 17-pounds a day.

Q: What four lures can fans watching on Bassmaster.com and Fox Sports 1 expect to see pros using a bunch?

CZ: Frogs, soft plastic stick worms, deep diving crankbaits, and a swimjig

Q: What music or podcasts are you listening to most right now?

CZ: Heavy metal – a lot of Avenged Sevenfold

by AnglersChannel

Jason Abram - Finding his groove again

This week Chris and David welcome in MLF Pro Circuit Winner Jason Abram to the show to talk about his recent win on Lake Eufaula. With KG out practicing or the Toyota Series Event on Chickamauga, the pair check in to see how his week is going.

by AnglersChannel

B.A.S.S. Announces Inaugural High School Combine To Debut This Fall

May 19, 2021

BIRMINGHAM, Ala — B.A.S.S. officials announced today that 100 high school anglers will have the opportunity to showcase their talents in front of colleges during the inaugural Abu Garcia Bassmaster High School Combine, which is set to debut October 15-17 on Wheeler Lake in Decatur, Ala.

“This is something we have dreamed of for years,” said Hank Weldon, senior manager of the B.A.S.S. College and High School program. “B.A.S.S. is constantly looking for ways to grow the High School and College platforms and give young anglers opportunities to excel not only in the sport but also in the industry. What better way than to give college coaches a chance to see all of the skills these high school anglers possess and possibly award scholarships?”

The Abu Garcia Bassmaster High School Combine will be a three-day event where anglers will perform multiple tasks to show their skillset not only on the water but also display their knowledge of the sport as a whole. After the first day, colleges will have the opportunity to select anglers for a “second look” where they can further explore everything that angler has to offer and see if they would be the perfect fit for their fishing program.

The following 16 colleges have already signed up to participate in this inaugural event:

Adrian College
Bethel University
Blue Mountain College
Bryan College
Campbellsville University
Carson-Newman University
Dallas Baptist University
Drury University
Emmanuel College
Faulkner University
Florida Gateway College
Kentucky Christian University
University of Kentucky
University of Montevallo
University of North Alabama
Wabash Valley College

“Decatur Morgan County Tourism is very proud to host the Bassmaster High School Combine. This is an incredible opportunity for The City of Decatur,” said Don Dukemineer, Director of Sports Development for Decatur Morgan County Tourism. “We are always proud to showcase the beautiful Tennessee River. We will work diligently to create a fantastic experience for all of the participants. We always enjoy working with this wonderful organization and look forward to our continued partnership.”

Registration for the Abu Garcia Bassmaster High School Combine will open at 8 a.m. CT on June 1 at Bassmaster.com/high-school and remain open until 100 participants have registered. The $500 registration fee includes accommodations for two nights and all meals for the weekend.

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

by AnglersChannel

Arey says Guntersville’s exceptional water clarity is altering patterns

Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships

Matt Arey’s not saying Guntersville’s water clarity is anywhere near that of the bottled water for sale at the lake’s iconic Waterfront Bay Grocery & Tackle store. But he will tell you it’s the clearest he’s ever seen Guntersville in his 13 years of fishing professional tournaments on the famed Northeastern Alabama bass fishery.

“I fished my first pro level event here in 2007 or 2008, and I’ll promise you, I’ve never seen Guntersville this clear. There are places where you can see your lure 5-feet below the surface,” said Arey while fueling up next to Seth Feider at Waterfront Grocery after two days of practice.

The Team Toyota pro believes much of G’Ville’s newfound clarity is the result of an abundance of eel grass (Zostera) that acts as a natural filter. And while bass and their prey love living in it, Arey says it will definitely alter the typical early summer patterns fans are accustomed to seeing Elite Series pros rely on.

Arey finished 3rd here in June of 2019 by mining a classic off-shore structure spot in 17 to 20’ of water with a ¾-ounce football jig and a deep diving crankbait. But he says those kinds of magical isolated spots are less of a player now because the eel grass beds offer so many top-notch stopping locations between the spawning areas and deeper creek and river channels.

“At one point today, I was offshore with a spinning reel and a dropshot rig trying to find some deep fish in that clearer water and Hank Cherry found it so rare and funny he stopped and took a picture of me with his cell phone,” grinned Arey.

“I’d guess only 20% of the field will focus on the classic off-shore, post-spawn ledge bite or isolated structure spots this week,” says Arey. “And I still think you’ll need to average 17-pounds a day to make the Top 10 cut, but you’ll see a lot of limits being caught around shallower grass on a topwater and other baits like Jamie Hartman wrecked ‘em on the final day of our 2019 event here,” concludes Arey.

by AnglersChannel

Alhambra Bulldawg Bassin Wins U.S. Army High School Fishing Presented by Favorite Fishing at the California Delta

OAKLEY, Calif. (May 18, 2021) – The Alhambra Bulldawg Bassin duo of Luke Beaty and Emmett Gargaro, both of Martinez, California, won the U.S. Army High School Fishing Presented by Favorite Fishing at the California Delta Presented by Googan Baits on Sunday in Oakley, California. The event was hosted by the City of Oakley and the victory advanced the winning team to the 2021 U.S. Army High School Fishing Presented by Favorite Fishing National Championship.

TOP 20 RESULTS

RANK	SCHOOL/CLUB NAME/CITY	ANGLER NAME(S)	BASS	WEIGHT
1^st	Alhambra Bulldawg Bassin*	Luke Beaty Emmett Gargaro	5	23-6
2^nd	Delta Teen Team*	Hunter Binns Guy Laackmann	5	19-11
3^rd	Heritage High School*	Asher Haynes Sean O’Malley	5	18-3
4^th	Delta Teen Team*	Max Gonzalez Tyler Wood	5	18-2
5^th	Rio Vista*	Daniel Hurley Dominic Vieira	5	18-0
6^th	Grizzly Bass Masters*	Lucas Gerondakis Jon Loya	5	16-7
7^th	Grizzly Bass Masters*	Sam Houston Riley Malonoey	5	16-5
8^th	Roosevelt*	Chee Moua Vang Keith Yang	5	16-4
9^th	Liberty High School*	Joaquin Elliott Vince Fonte	5	14-14
10^th	Freedom*	Tyler Hurney Silas Jones	5	14-8
11^th	Lake County HS Fishing Club*	Joey Gentle Justin Gentle	5	14-5
12^th	SO CAL Junior Bass Anglers*	Connor Dreas Tyler Parks	5	14-5
13^th	SO CAL Junio Bass Anglers*	Logan Howarter Kaine Navarro	5	14-0
14^th	Vista Del Lago*	Christopher Gritts Westly Gritts	5	13-12
15^th	Del Oro	Wyatt Holthaus Ryan Vinci	5	13-11
16^th	Livermore	Jadrien Garcia Colin Perotti	5	13-8
17^th	NOR CAL Junior Bass Club	Ian Maynard Arian Valencia	5	12-13
18^th	Delta Teen Team	Maxwell Kaneko Sam Shimabukuro	5	12-7
19^th	San Joaquin Bassmasters	Zackary Anderson Joshua Marlin	5	12-0
20^th	Oakdale	Michael Brush Levi Duesterhaus	4	11-4

*The top 20% of teams advance to the 2021 U.S. Army High School Fishing Presented by Favorite Fishing National Championship. (This event was a double qualifier, combining the MLF Open and the TBF California State Championship.)

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

2021 UPCOMING QUALIFICATION OPPORTUNITIES

EVENT	DATE	LOCATION	HOST
U.S. Army High School Fishing Presented by Favorite Fishing Sam Rayburn Open	June 5	Potomac River, Marbury, Md.	The Commissioners of Charles County MD
2021 U.S. Army High School Fishing National Championship & World Finals	Jun. 30 – Jul. 3	Lake Hartwell, Anderson, S.C.	Anderson Convention & Visitors Bureau

The first 25 high school teams that enter each U.S. Army High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing tournament will receive a free Favorite Fishing package, including one Favorite Fishing casting rod and reel, one Favorite Fishing spinning rod and reel, six packs of Googan Baits and two Favorite Fishing hats, a total package value of $230. Most tournaments will also be hosted by a Bass Pro Tour angler or Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit angler, giving high school students the chance to meet the sport’s top pros. As an added bonus, the winning team at each tournament will receive a guided fishing trip with their pro angler host.

U.S. Army High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing tournaments are free, two-person (team) events for students in grades 7-12 and are open to any MLF and Student Angler Federation-affiliated high school club. The top 10 percent of teams at each Open event along with the TBF High School Fishing state championships will advance to the 2021 U.S. Army High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing National Championship. The U.S. Army High School Fishing national champions will each receive a $5,000 college scholarship to the school of their choice.

In addition to the U.S. Army High School Fishing National Championship, all High School Fishing anglers nationwide automatically qualify for the world’s largest open high school bass tournament, the 2021 High School Fishing World Finals, held in conjunction with the National Championship. More than $2.8 million in scholarships and prizes were offered at the 2020 World Finals.

Full schedules and the latest announcements, photos and articles are available at HighSchoolFishing.org and MajorLeagueFishing.com.

by AnglersChannel

New B.A.S.S. Program Inspires And Educates Families On Outdoor Exploration

The Go Out{side} lifestyle initiative was designed to inspire and educate families as they begin exploring the outdoors.

Photo by B.A.S.S.

May 18, 2021

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — As more people reconnect with each other and nature, B.A.S.S. has announced a new lifestyle initiative to inspire and educate families as they begin exploring the great outdoors. The Go Out{side} program encourages a new audience of burgeoning outdoor enthusiasts who can turn to the authorities at B.A.S.S. for guidance on a variety of outdoor topics, including fishing, camping, hiking, cooking, travel, gear and conservation.

“The stories, videos and information found on Go Out{side} are truly designed to be easy-to-follow and practical for people of any skill level who are ready to explore,” explained Go Out{side} Director Laurie Tisdale. “In fact, our entire Simple 7 series was created to offer simple steps to get you safely in nature now.”

2020 saw a surge in people turning to outdoor activities for recreation and an opportunity to interact responsibly with each other. According to the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable, 81% of Americans say they spent time enjoying outdoor activities during the pandemic, 31% for the first time. But many of these people struggle with the basics of getting started.

“For five decades, B.A.S.S. and the Bassmaster brand have inspired millions of people to spend time in the outdoors, fueled the passion for fishing and led efforts to promote youth fishing and conservation,” said B.A.S.S. Chairman Chase Anderson. “Go Out{side} is a natural extension of our commitment to introduce people of all skill levels and backgrounds to fishing and the outdoors. Go Out{side} is particularly focused on providing an easy gateway to the outdoors for families to create memorable experiences outside. The entire Bassmaster family encourages you to go outside and enjoy God’s beautiful creation!”

Along with the knowledgeable writers and staff from B.A.S.S., Go Out{side} Ambassadors including Chef Jimmy Kennedy, outdoor bloggers and photographers Philip and Corey Hunt from Two Dog Outdoors, tournament angler Kristine Fischer and multispecies kayak angler John Deshauteurs will lend their expertise to the program.

“We hope that people can take our tips and create new memories with their friends and families,” said Deshauteurs. “Getting involved with the Go Out{side} program was important to us because it allowed us to get outdoors as a family even more! Experiencing life with our family is why we do what we do, and to be able to share those experiences with the Go Out{side} team has been such a gift.”

In addition to enjoying a variety of information resources on Bassmaster.com, families can also delve into a variety of outdoor activities during the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk June 11-13 in Fort Worth, Texas. As part of the Bassmaster Classic Outdoors Expo, the Go Out{side} Experience will offer fun, free options including inflatable archery, cornhole, jumping dogs, knot tying and more. Kids can even catch their first fish at an on-site catfish pond.

For helpful tips, videos and more information on the Go Out{side} program, visit Bassmaster.com/go-outside.

Go Out{side} Launch Partner: Eukanuba

Go {Fish} Supporting Sponsor: AFTCO

Go {Gear Up} Supporting Sponsor: Grizzly Coolers

Go {Cook} Supporting Sponsor: Big Green Egg

Go {Camp) Supporting Sponsor: Go RVing

by AnglersChannel

Melton Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by Googan Baits on Center Hill Lake

Kentucky’s Parnell Wins Strike King Co-Angler Division

SPARTA, Tenn. (May 18, 2021) – Boater Jay Melton of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, won the Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine at Center Hill Lake Presented by Googan Baits in Sparta, Tennessee, Sunday. Melton earned $4,350 for his victory at the event.

TOP 10 RESULTS

RANK	BOATER NAME/HOMETOWN	BASS	WEIGHT	AWARD
1^st	Jay Melton of Murfreesboro, Tenn.	5	13-13	$4,350
2^nd	Beau Grissim of Lebanon, Tenn.	5	13-9	$2,175
3^rd	Terry Steele of Sparta, Tenn.	5	13-6	$1,451
4^th	Brandon Edel of Hendersonville, Tenn.	5	13-5	$1,015
5^th	Adam Wagner of Cookeville, Tenn.	5	13-0	$1,334
5^th	Tony Eckler of Lebanon, Tenn.	5	13-0	$834
7^th	Hunter Bouldin of McMinnville, Tenn.	5	12-15	$725
8^th	John Hopkins of Hendersonville, Tenn.	5	12-13	$653
9^th	Jacob Daily of Rossville, Ga.	5	12-12	$580
10^th	Jeremy Nash of Cookeville, Tenn.	5	12-8	$508

RANK	STRIKE KING CO-ANGLER NAME/HOMETOWN	BASS	WEIGHT	AWARD
1^st	Kendall Parnell of Monticello, Ky.	5	9-14	$2,064
2^nd	Bobby Harris of McEwen, Tenn.	4	9-10	$1,032
3^rd	Mark Gilbert of Murfreesboro, Tenn.	4	9-6	$813
4^th	James Roye of Altamont, Tenn.	4	9-1	$447
4^th	Josh Underhill of Watertown, Tenn.	4	9-1	$447
6^th	Jake Cross of Byrdstown, Tenn.	4	8-12	$378
7^th	Pop Catalin of Cookeville, Tenn.	4	7-11	$344
8^th	Ricky England of Sparta, Tenn.	5	7-10	$310
9^th	Garrett Davis of Manchester, Tenn.	3	7-5	$275
10^th	Wayne Crouch of Jamestown, Tenn.	4	6-7	$229
10^th	Travis Akers of Morehead, Ky.	3	6-7	$229

CONTINGENCY AWARDS

AWARD	NAME	CONTINGENCY	PAYOUT
Boater Big Bass	John Wells of Nashville, Tenn.	4-pound, 5-ounce bass	$615
Strike King Co-Angler Berkley Big Bass	Richard Hawkes of Murfreesboro, Tenn.	4-pound, 3-ounce bass	$287
Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus	Adam Wagner of Cookeville, Tenn.	Eligible Phoenix Boat*	$500

* Boaters are eligible to win up to an extra $7,000 per event in each Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine tournament if all requirements are met. More information on the Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.

WINNING BAITS

ANGLER	BAIT	COLOR
Boater	Strike King Rage Bug	N/A
Strike King Co-Angler	Strike King KVD Perfect Plastic Game Hawg	N/A

2021 QUALIFICATION OPPORTUNITIES

EVENT	DATE	LOCATION	HOST
Music City Division – Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championship	Oct. 7-9	Wheeler Lake, Decatur, Ala.	Decatur Morgan County Tourism
Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American	June 3-5	Douglas Lake, Dandridge, Tenn.	Jefferson County Department of Tourism

The 2021 MLF 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 Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championships. Boaters will compete for a $60,000 prize package, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while Strike King co-anglers will fish for a new Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.

The top six finishers in each regional will then qualify 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 Toyota Series, the pathway to the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit and ultimately the MLF Bass Pro Tour.

For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube .

by AnglersChannel

Shipton Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League on Potomac River

Virginia’s Williams Wins Strike King Co-Angler Division

MARBURY, Md. (May 18, 2021) – Boater Jason Shipton of Muncy, Pennsylvania, won the Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine at the Potomac River in Marbury, Maryland. Shipton earned $4,082 for his victory at the event.

TOP 10 RESULTS

RANK	BOATER NAME/HOMETOWN	BASS	WEIGHT	AWARD
1^st	Jason Shipton of Muncy, Pa.	5	18-6	$4,082
2^nd	Richard Hare of Fredericksburg, Va.	5	17-5	$1,701
2^nd	Keith Estes of Spring Grove, Va.	5	17-5	$1,901
4^th	Jesepth Hughes of King George, Va.	5	17-0	$952
5^th	Joe Wilkerson of Falls Church, Va.	5	16-11	$816
6^th	Al Fiorille of Mount Airy, Md.	5	16-4	$748
7^th	Lenny Baird of Stafford, Va.	5	16-1	$680
8^th	Matthew Caffi of Fairfax, Va.	5	15-11	$612
9^th	Robert Henderson of King George, Va.	5	15-7	$544
10^th	Fred Aldridge of Brandystation, Va.	5	14-15	$452
10^th	Fredderick Chandler of Mount Airy, Md.	5	14-15	$452

RANK	STRIKE KING CO-ANGLER NAME/HOMETOWN	BASS	WEIGHT	AWARD
1^st	David Williams of Fredericksburg, Va.	5	16-7	$2,491
2^nd	Gilbert Brown of Fredericksburg, Va.	5	15-13	$1,301
3^rd	Jeramy Evans of Galax, Va.	5	15-7	$683
4^th	John Castro of Lorton, Va.	5	15-2	$476
5^th	Jeff Mellott of Warfordsburg, Pa.	5	14-11	$408
6^th	Rickey Mummert Jr. of Hanover, Pa.	5	14-7	$340
6^th	Christopher Butler of Glen Allen, Va.	5	14-7	$340
6^th	Jonathan Patkus of Columbia, Md.	5	14-7	$340
9^th	David Deciucis of Chester, Va.	4	13-15	$272
10^th	Travis Waterman of Fredericksburg, Va.	5	13-12	$238

CONTINGENCY AWARDS

AWARD	NAME	CONTINGENCY	PAYOUT
Boater Big Bass	David Wright of Fort Meade, Md.	5-pound, 4-ounce bass	$560
Strike King Co-Angler Berkley Big Bass	Gilbert Brown of Fredericksburg, Va.	5-pound, 4-ounce bass	$280
Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus	Joseph Thompson of Coatesville, Pa.	Eligible Phoenix Boat*	$500

WINNING BAITS

ANGLER	BAIT	COLOR
Boater	Yamamoto Senko & Z-Man ChatterBait	N/A
Strike King Co-Angler	Yamamoto Senko	N/A

2021 QUALIFICATION OPPORTUNITIES

EVENT	DATE	LOCATION	HOST
Shenandoah Division – Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championship	Oct. 14-16	Lake Murray, Columbia, S.C.	Capital City/Lake Murray Country
Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American	June 3-5	Douglas Lake, Dandridge, Tenn.	Jefferson County Department of Tourism

The top six finishers in each regional will then qualify for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.

by AnglersChannel

College Anglers Win with Costa Compete + Conserve

Courtesy of Luke Stoner - Dynamic Sponsorships

The first major tournament win of Jack Dice’s college fishing career came with plenty of surprises for the 21-year old Digital Marketing major. Dice, a junior attending Liberty University, was as shocked as anyone when he found out he had won the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series tournament on Lake Hartwell back in April.

While most of the 200+ boats he was competing against consisted of two person teams, Dice was fishing alone, and after an up and down practice the Lynchburg, Virginia native was just hoping to catch five keepers each day of the derby.

Fast forward to the end of the event not only did Dice hoist the first place trophies, but he became the first collegiate angler to win through the brand new Costa Compete + Conserve contingency program.

“Of course I was pumped to win the tournament, but after the initial excitement waned I got fired up all over again when the folks from Costa contacted me,” Dice explained. “My parents bought me a pair of Costa Del Mar sunglasses with Green Mirror lenses for my birthday five or six years ago. I absolutely love them and have been wearing them ever since.”

Dice began tournament fishing as a co-angler in Bassmaster Open events around the age of 16. While he already had an affinity for the outdoors, Dice fell in love with tournament bass fishing. He began fishing the former FLW BFLs as a boater, started a popular YouTube channel ObsessedFishing, and took up college fishing tournaments upon attending Liberty University.

Dice’s first tournament win came just days after Costa announced their new bass fishing rewards program. College anglers have the chance to win through the Compete + Conserve program in all Carhartt Bassmaster College Series events and MLF Abu Garcia College Series tournaments.

The highest finishing registered angler / team wins a Costa prize package including a free pair of Costa Sunglasses, a branded Costa back pack, and Costa apparel / swag for all “regular season” events. For the two Championship Tournaments, the highest finishing college team will win an incredible $2,500!

Whether they win a Costa prize package or cash, college anglers still choose a Conservation Partner to receive a $250 donation on behalf of Costa and themselves. Of the five conservation organizations included, the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation resonated with Dice the most.

“In the tournament fishing world we as anglers are often incentivized by what we can win, so it’s super cool to see Costa offer a program where not only does the angler win, but the resource wins some too,” Dice said. “With more anglers on the water and increased fishing pressure, having a company like Costa help support the environment is critical and helps all of us catch more fish.”

For more information, a full list of supported events, or to get registered for Compete + Conserve, follow this link: https://www.costacompeteandconserve.com/. If you’d rather call than click, give (309) 202-2018 a call and Luke will be happy to help you.

by AnglersChannel

Williams Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League on Lake Dardanelle

Hardy’s Herring Wins Strike King Co-Angler Division

RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. (May 18, 2021) – Boater Charles Williams of Clarksville, Arkansas, wins the Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine at Lake Dardanelle Presented by Abu Garcia in Russellville, Arkansas. Williams earned $4,964 for his victory at the event, hosted by Russellville Advertising & Promotion.

TOP 10 RESULTS

RANK	BOATER NAME/HOMETOWN	BASS	WEIGHT	AWARD
1^st	Charles Williams of Clarksville, Ark.	5	17-6	$4,964
2^nd	Wayne Dixon of Morrilton, Ark.	5	15-4	$2,364
3^rd	Shawn Gordon of Russellville, Ark.	5	14-4	$2,039
3^rd	Marty Scudder of Rison, Ark.	5	14-4	$1,339
5^th	Brian Bean of Hot Springs, Ark.	5	13-14	$946
6^th	Quincy Houchin of Mabelvale, Ark.	5	13-10	$1,367
7^th	Karson Hamilton of Hot Springs, Ark.	5	13-8	$1,023
8^th	Justin Swayze of Gurdon, Ark.	3	12-6	$709
9^th	Robert Stevens of Hot Springs, Ark.	5	12-2	$631
10^th	Beau Browning of Hot Springs, Ark.	5	12-1	$552

RANK	STRIKE KING CO-ANGLER NAME/HOMETOWN	BASS	WEIGHT	AWARD
1^st	Kyle Herring of Hardy, Ark.	4	11-9	$2,364
2^nd	Ron Knight of Hot Springs, Ark.	5	11-1	$1,182
3^rd	Steve Meredith of Jessieville, Ark.	3	10-10	$1,140
4^th	Bill Hockaday of Nashville, Ark.	4	9-14	$552
5^th	Jody Jones of Harvey, Ark.	4	9-5	$433
5^th	John Duvall of Atkins, Ark.	5	9-5	$433
5^th	Tim Allen of Murfreesboro, Ark.	5	9-5	$433
8^th	Trever Jones of Bigelow, Ark.	5	9-0	$355
9^th	Andrew Wooley of Little Rock, Ark.	3	8-8	$315
10^th	Todd Garner of Pocola, Okla.	4	8-5	$276

CONTINGENCY AWARDS

AWARD	NAME	CONTINGENCY	PAYOUT
Boater Big Bass	Mike Webster of Pottsville, Ark.	4-pound, 9-ounce bass	$235
Boater Big Bass	Charles Williams of Clarksville, Ark.	4-pound, 9-ounce bass	$235
Boater Big Bass	Karson Hamilton of Hot Springs, Ark.	4-pound, 9-ounce bass	$235
Strike King Co-Angler Berkley Big Bass	Steve Meredith of Jessieville, Ark.	5-pound, 3-ounce bass	$352
Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus	Quincy Houchin of Mabelvale, Ark.	Eligible Phoenix Boat*	$500

WINNING BAITS

ANGLER	BAIT	COLOR
Boater	Did Not Disclose	N/A
Strike King Co-Angler	Did Not Disclose	N/A

2021 QUALIFICATION OPPORTUNITIES

EVENT	DATE	LOCATION	HOST
Arkie Division – Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championship	Oct. 7-9	Lake Norfork, Mountain Home, Ark.	Mountain Home Area Chamber of Commerce
Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American	June 3-5	Douglas Lake, Dandridge, Tenn.	Jefferson County Department of Tourism

The top six finishers in each regional will then qualify for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.

by AnglersChannel

Grissim Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League on Center Hill Lake

White Bluff’s Cheshire Wins Strike King Co-Angler Division

SPARTA, Tenn. (May 18, 2021) – Boater Beau Grissim of Lebanon, Tennessee, wins the Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine at Center Hill Lake in Sparta, Tennessee. Grissim earned $4,498 for his victory at the event.

TOP 10 RESULTS

RANK	BOATER NAME/HOMETOWN	BASS	WEIGHT	AWARD
1^st	Beau Grissim of Lebanon, Tenn.	5	14-9	$4,498
2^nd	Anthony Nash of Quebeck, Tenn.	5	14-7	$2,249
3^rd	Terry Steele of Sparta, Tenn.	5	14-2	$1,498
4^th	Josh Tramel of Smithville, Tenn.	5	13-15	$975
4^th	Drew Boggs of Lebanon, Tenn.	5	13-15	$975
6^th	Brandon Edel of Hendersonville, Tenn.	5	13-10	$825
7^th	Dillon Massia of Mt. Juliet, Tenn.	5	13-9	$750
8^th	Tom Bowker of Terre Haute, Ind.	5	13-6	$1,625
9^th	Matt Underhill of Lascassas, Tenn.	5	13-0	$562
9^th	Ryan Dowell of Brandenburg, Ky.	5	13-0	$562

RANK	STRIKE KING CO-ANGLER NAME/HOMETOWN	BASS	WEIGHT	AWARD
1^st	Daniel Cheshire of White Bluff, Tenn.	5	11-14	$2,197
2^nd	Christopher Stites, Jr. of La Vergne, Tenn.	5	9-13	$1,098
3^rd	Pop Catalin of Cookeville, Tenn.	4	8-9	$733
4^th	Brian Haworth of Cookeville, Tenn.	4	8-6	$513
5^th	Chris Rushing of Gamaliel, Ky.	4	8-1	$439
6^th	Dustin Forrest of Knob Lick, Ky.	3	7-10	$603
7^th	Alexander Villarreal of Franklin, Tenn.	5	7-8	$366
8^th	Billy Johnson of Nashville, Tenn.	2	7-1	$315
9^th	Todd Mowery of Munford, Tenn.	4	6-14	$293
10^th	Jake Cross of Byrdstown, Tenn.	2	6-4	$256

CONTINGENCY AWARDS

AWARD	NAME	CONTINGENCY	PAYOUT
Boater Big Bass	Dwight Fox of Gainesboro, Tenn.	4-pound, 8-ounce bass	$645
Strike King Co-Angler Berkley Big Bass	Billy Johnson of Nashville, Tenn.	4-pound bass	$315
Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus	Tom Bowker of Terre Haute, Ind.	Eligible Phoenix Boat*	$500

WINNING BAITS

ANGLER	BAIT	COLOR
Boater	Unspecified Beaver	N/A
Strike King Co-Angler	Unspecified Shaky Head & Frog	N/A

2021 QUALIFICATION OPPORTUNITIES

EVENT	DATE	LOCATION	HOST
Music City Division – Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championship	Oct. 7-9	Wheeler Lake, Decatur, Ala.	Decatur Morgan County Tourism
Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American	June 3-5	Douglas Lake, Dandridge, Tenn.	Jefferson County Department of Tourism

The top six finishers in each regional will then qualify for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.

by AnglersChannel

McCulley Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League on Lake Ferguson

Lena’s Harrell Wins Strike King Co-Angler Division

GREENVILLE, Miss. (May 18, 2021) – Boater Brad McCulley of Batesville, Mississippi, wins the Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine at Lake Ferguson Presented by Googan Baits in Greenville, Mississippi. McCulley earned $3,418 for his victory at the event, hosted by the Greenville/Washington County CVB.

TOP 10 RESULTS

RANK	BOATER NAME/HOMETOWN	BASS	WEIGHT	AWARD
1^st	Brad McCulley of Batesville, Miss.	5	21-5	$3,418
2^nd	Andy Graves of Clarksdale, Miss.	5	21-0	$1,709
3^rd	John Anderson of Baysprings, Miss.	5	20-6	$1,838
4^th	Jason Honnoll of Starkville, Miss.	5	20-3	$798
5^th	Kirk Tisdale of Ellisville, Miss.	5	18-6	$684
6^th	Lloyd Pickett, Jr. of Bartlett, Tenn.	5	18-3	$627
7^th	Bradley Perkins of Raymond, Miss.	5	17-6	$570
8^th	Rob Livingston of Cleveland, Miss.	5	17-1	$513
9^th	Denny Patterson of Horn Lake, Miss.	5	17-0	$456
10^th	Charlie Jennings of Greenville, Miss.	5	16-14	$399

RANK	STRIKE KING CO-ANGLER NAME/HOMETOWN	BASS	WEIGHT	AWARD
1^st	Ramey Harrell of Lena, Miss.	5	20-6	$1,709
2^nd	Colin Fogerty of Memphis, Tenn.	5	18-0	$855
3^rd	Clay Atkins of Hamilton, Miss.	5	16-9	$570
4^th	Greg Hamblin of New Albany, Miss.	5	14-15	$399
5^th	Daniel McAfee of Smithville, Miss.	5	14-14	$342
6^th	Keith Whipple of Luka, Miss.	5	14-10	$313
7^th	Anthony House of New Albany, Miss.	5	13-7	$285
8^th	Scott Kirk of Houston, Miss.	5	13-2	$256
9^th	Thomas Sanderson of Amory, Miss.	5	12-7	$228
10^th	John Harrell of Lena, Miss.	5	12-6	$199

CONTINGENCY AWARDS

AWARD	NAME	CONTINGENCY	PAYOUT
Boater Big Bass	Clay Lucas of Columbus, Miss.	5-pound, 12-ounce bass	$420
Strike King Co-Angler Berkley Big Bass	Elton Bryant of Flowood, Miss.	4-pound, 13-ounce bass	$210
Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus	John Anderson of Baysprings, Miss.	Eligible Phoenix Boat*	$500

WINNING BAITS

ANGLER	BAIT	COLOR
Boater	Unspecified Craw Tube	Black/Blue
Strike King Co-Angler	Zoom Brush Hog	Watermelon

2021 QUALIFICATION OPPORTUNITIES

EVENT	DATE	LOCATION	HOST
Mississippi Division – Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championship	Oct. 21-23	Lake Ouachita, Mt. Ida, Ark.	Visit Hot Springs
Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American	June 3-5	Douglas Lake, Dandridge, Tenn.	Jefferson County Department of Tourism

The top six finishers in each regional will then qualify for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.

by AnglersChannel

Choctaw’s Waner Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League on Lake Eufaula

EUFAULA, Okla. (May 18, 2021) – Boater Paul Waner of Choctaw, Oklahoma, wins the Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine at Lake Eufaula Presented by Berkley in Eufaula, Okla. Waner earned $5,645 for his victory at the event.

TOP 10 RESULTS

RANK	BOATER NAME/HOMETOWN	BASS	WEIGHT	AWARD
1^st	Paul Waner of Choctaw, Okla.	5	23-9	$5,645
2^nd	Shonn Goodwin of Moore, Okla.	5	19-14	$2,453
3^rd	Brett King of Kinta, Okla.	5	18-8	$1,635
4^th	Chris M. Jones of Bokoshe, Okla.	5	17-4	$1,063
4^th	Hunter McClary of Stigler, Okla.	5	17-4	$1,063
6^th	Jacob Capps of Muskogee, Okla.	5	16-14	$1,399
7^th	Darin Crowder of Claremore, Okla.	5	16-9	$818
8^th	Jeff Clark of Van Buren, Ark.	5	15-11	$736
9^th	Trevor Yates of Norman, Okla.	5	15-9	$654
10^th	Jeremy Johnson of Henryetta, Okla.	5	15-8	$543
10^th	Justin Phillips of Checotah, Okla.	5	15-8	$543

RANK	STRIKE KING CO-ANGLER NAME/HOMETOWN	BASS	WEIGHT	AWARD
1^st	Clay Campbell of Owasso, Okla.	5	16-2	$2,453
2^nd	Andrew Sharp of Fort Smith, Ark.	4	15-3	$1,226
3^rd	Glynn Reid of Baton Rouge, La.	5	14-3	$816
4^th	Justin Fuller of Broken Arrow, Okla.	5	14-0	$942
5^th	Timothy Cartwright of Sand Springs, Okla.	5	13-7	$491
6^th	Coby Fourkiller of Tahlequah, Okla.	5	12-14	$450
7^th	Patrick Weir of Park Hill, Okla.	5	12-12	$409
8^th	Aaron Warren of Inola, Okla.	5	12-10	$368
9^th	Nathan Colwell of Pryor, Okla.	5	12-7	$652
10^th	Jake Hess of Tulsa, Okla.	5	11-14	$286

CONTINGENCY AWARDS

AWARD	NAME	CONTINGENCY	PAYOUT
Boater Big Bass	Paul Waner of Choctaw, Okla.	7-pound, 5-ounce bass	$740
Strike King Co-Angler Berkley Big Bass	Justin Fuller of Broken Arrow, Okla.	5-pound, 3-ounce bass	$370
Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus	Jacob Capps of Muskogee, Okla.	Eligible Phoenix Boat*	$500

WINNING BAITS

ANGLER	BAIT	COLOR
Boater	Custom Spinnerbait	N/A
Strike King Co-Angler	Custom Spinnerbait	N/A

2021 QUALIFICATION OPPORTUNITIES

EVENT	DATE	LOCATION	HOST
Okie Division – Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championship	Oct. 21-23	Lake Ouachita, Mt. Ida, Ark.	Visit Hot Springs
Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American	June 3-5	Douglas Lake, Dandridge, Tenn.	Jefferson County Department of Tourism

The top six finishers in each regional will then qualify for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.

by AnglersChannel

MLF Toyota Series Central Division Finale Set for Lake Chickamauga

DAYTON, Tenn. (May 18, 2021) – The Major League Fishing (MLF) Toyota Series presented by A.R.E. is headed to Lake Chickamauga this week, May 20-22, for the Central Division Presented by Neat Companies regular-season finale with the Toyota Series Presented by A.R.E. at Lake Chickamauga Presented by Googan Baits . Hosted by the Fish Dayton and the Rhea Economic & Tourism Council, the three-day tournament will feature the region’s best bass-fishing pros and Strike King co-anglers casting for a top prize of up to $65,000, plus an additional $35,000 bonus if the winner is a qualified Phoenix Boat owner

Bass Pro Tour angler John Murray of Spring City, Tennessee, said that he expects to see a lot of different patterns and techniques in play this week.

“Every day is different on Chickamauga, and I think we’ll see guys doing a variety of things to do well,” Murray said. “So much is happening on the lake right now. Some fish are still spawning, some have already spawned – I don’t think it’ll be just ledge-fishing or shallow-water fishing that will do well. You’re not going to be able to have one key spot, just yet. The guys that do well are going to be in more of a general area or two, with a couple of different patterns going.”

With warm weather on tap for this week, Murray said that he thinks the fishing will be pretty good for the Toyota Series anglers.

“We just had a big bass event this week with hundreds of boats on the water fishing for big ones, and a 9-pounder was the biggest and a 7-pounder finished in second,” Murray said. “That’s a little odd for Chickamauga – the big fish were not biting. But we’re about to go from 40- to 50-degree nights to 60- to 70-degree nights this week and it should change some things up. There will be a lot of options to catch them.”

Murray said that if he was fishing in this event, he’d be throwing a ChatterBait, jigs, a wacky-rigged Senko and a frog.

“I think if you can catch 17 pounds a day you’ll likely make the top 10,” Murray went on to say. “Overall, I think the three-day winner is going to need to average 19 to 20 pounds a day, so my winning weight prediction is 57 to 60 pounds.”

Anglers will take off daily at 6 a.m. ET from the Dayton Boat Dock in Dayton. Weigh-ins will also be held at the Dayton Boat Dock and will begin at 2 p.m. Fans are encouraged to follow the event online through the “MLF Live” weigh-in broadcasts and daily coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

In Toyota Series regular-season competition, payouts are based on the number of participants competing in the event, scaling up for every 20 boats over 160 and scaling down for every boat below 160. With a 160-boat field, pros fish for a top prize of $40,000, plus an extra $35,000 if Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus qualified. Strike King co-anglers cast for the top prize of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard (valued at $33,500). With a 260-boat field, pros fish for a top award of $65,000, plus an extra $35,000 if Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus qualified. Strike King co-anglers cast for the top prize of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard (valued at $33,500) plus $5,000 cash.

The 2021 Toyota Series presented by A.R.E. consists of six divisions – Central, Northern, Plains, Southern, Southwestern and Western – each holding three regular-season events, along with the International division. Anglers who fish all three qualifiers in any of the eight divisions and finish in the top 25 will qualify for the no-entry-fee Toyota Series presented by A.R.E. Championship for a shot at winning $235,000 cash, including a $35,000 Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus for qualified anglers. The winning Strike King co-angler at the championship earns a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard. The 2021 Toyota Series Championship presented by A.R.E. will be held Oct. 28-30 on Pickwick Lake in Counce, Tennessee, and is hosted by the Hardin County Convention and Visitors Bureau.

For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Toyota Series presented by A.R.E. on the MLF BIG5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

by AnglersChannel

Logan Huntze Wins Toyota Series Event on California Delta

Huntze Brothers Complete Clean Sweep at the Cal Delta, Winning Both Boater and Strike-King Co-angler Divisions

OAKLEY, Calif. (May 17, 2021) – Toyota Series angler Logan Huntze of Discovery Bay, California, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 19 pounds, 7 ounces to win the three-day Toyota Series Presented by A.R.E. at California Delta in Oakley, California. Logan’s three-day total of 15 bass weighing 64-12 earned him the win by a 1-pound, 6-ounce margin over second-place angler Phillip Dutra of Antioch, California, and earned him the top payout of $24,293 in the first tournament of the 2021 Toyota Series Western Division.

Putting more than 27 pounds on the scale on Day 1, Logan kicked off the event with a bang. After weighing a mere 18 pounds on Day 2, he fell to second behind Ish Monroe; however, with another 19 pounds, 7 ounces on Day 3, Logan earned his second MLF win.

Logan’s brother Colby Huntze also took the top prize on the Strike King co-angler side. Leading wire-to-wire, Colby weighed 11-8 on the final day for a total of 45-13. For his win, Colby earned a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat.

Logan has fished the California Delta events for the past three years on the boater side and his finishes have gotten progressively better each time. He had an 11^th-place showing in 2019, followed by an eighth-place finish last summer, before notching the win on Saturday.

The week ended extremely well for Logan, but a rough start threatened him early on. Engine issues on the first day caused him to only be able to idle and cost him valuable hours of fishing time toward the end of the day.

Fishing the central Delta, Logan caught his winning bags by punching and throwing a frog, two of the best ways to catch big bass on the California Delta.

“I was fortunate that I found some mats that were protected from the wind,” said Logan. “My area was calmer and that really helped me on the first day. I caught an 8, a 5 and a 4 before my engine troubles. My co-angler that day was really positive and that helped, and I couldn’t really complain because I already had a good bag. I was able to catch two more 5-pounders in areas I saw while I was idling to get a ride back in.”

His key fish on the first two days came on a Missile Baits D Bomb in either green pumpkin or candy grass. He fished them on a 4/0 Gamakatsu Heavy Cover Flippin’ Hook with a 1 ¼-ounce tungsten weight.

On the second day with a fully functional outboard, he ran back to his best area from the first day.

“There were a bunch of sea lions in the mats, and I couldn’t get a bite,” Logan recalled. “I had to run some new stuff and I was able to scratch up 18 pounds punching, including a 6-pounder. I was fortunate to get a good bite each of the first two days to keep me in it.”

On the final day, he switched gears again and primarily threw a frog en route to the win, although punching also contributed to a few bass.

“I fished more new stuff and caught two big ones on a frog and about ten smaller ones,” Logan said. “With the wind blowing so much the first two days, today was much easier to run around and fish where I wanted to.”

His frog of choice was a Snag Proof Bobby’s Perfect Frog in either sparrow or tweety.

With so much vegetation in the system, Logan said he keyed in on areas that were deep enough to hold fish based on the tide chart during the event.

“I was fishing hyacinth mats, some primrose, and dead tules,” he said. “Some of the areas had some grass mixed in. They had three to four feet of water on them during the high tide, which made for a good bite each morning. On the last day, I focused on the cheese mats with the frog.”

The top 10 pros on the California Delta finished:
1^st:           Logan Huntze of Discovery Bay, Calif., 15 bass, 64-12, $24,293
2^nd:          Phillip Dutra of Antioch, Calif., 15 bass, 63-6, $9,413
3^rd:          Mark Lassagne of Dixon, Calif., 15 bass, 58-6, $7,788
4^th:           Ish Monroe of Oakdale, Calif., 14 bass, 57-2, $6,073
5^th:           Nick Salvucci of Atascadero, Calif., 15 bass, 55-12, $5,466
6^th:           Blake Dyer of Concord, Calif., 15 bass, 52-5, $4,859
7^th:           Michael Caruso of Peoria, Ariz., 15 bass, 51-4, $4,251
8^th:           Michael Moreno of Salida, Calif., 15 bass, 50-5, $3,644
9^th:           Tuan Nguyen of Woodland, Calif., 15 bass, 49-3, $3,037
10^th:        Jordan Collom of Canyon Lake, Calif., 15 bass, 49-0, $2,429

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

Christopher Owen of Poway, California, took home an additional $66 for the Day One Berkley Big Bass award in the pro division, with a bass weighing 9 pounds, 10 ounces. Rodney Brinser of Discovery Bay, California, won the Day Two Berkley Big Bass award of $66 in the pro division, bringing a 7-pound, 5-ounce bass to the scale.

Justin Patti of Peoria, Arizona, took home an extra $1,000 as the highest finishing Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus member. Boaters are eligible to win up to an extra $35,000 per event in each Toyota Series tournament if all requirements are met. More information on the Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.

Colby Huntze of Discovery Bay, California, won the Strike King Co-angler Division Saturday with a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 45 pounds, 13 ounces. Huntze took home the top prize package of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard motor.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers on the California Delta finished:

1^st:           Colby Huntze of Discovery Bay, Calif., 15 bass, 45-13, Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat w/115-hp Mercury outboard
2^nd:          Aaron Agner of Redding, Calif., 15 bass, 42-14, $3,334
3^rd:          Michael Walsh of El Cajon, Calif., 14 bass, 42-6, $2,532
4^th:           Larry Rogers of Riverside, Calif., 15 bass, 38-2, $2,215
5^th:           Scott Bern of San Rafael, Calif., 12 bass, 35-3, $1,899
6^th:           Zack Eggleston of Goleta, Calif., 15 bass, 34-5, $1,582
7^th:           Jacob Traba of Pacifica, Calif., 14 bass, 34-0, $1,266
8^th:           Roy Desmangles of Lincoln, Calif., 13 bass, 31-12, $1,108
9^th:           Corey Vasquez of Porterville, Calif., 11 bass, 27-9, $949
10^th:        Camron Diatte of Salinas, Calif., 10 bass, 26-0, $791

In the Strike King co-angler division, the $44 Day One Berkley Big Bass award winner was Aaron Agner of Redding, California, with a 8-pound, 11-ounce bass, while the $44 Day Two award went to Zach Ham of Byron, California, with a 7-pound, 2-ounce bass.

The Toyota Series at California Delta was hosted by the City of Oakley. It was the first of three regular-season tournaments in 2021 for Western Division anglers. The next event for Toyota Series anglers will take place on May 20-22 – the Toyota Series at Lake Chickamauga Presented by Googan Baits in Dayton, Tennessee. For a complete schedule, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.

The 2021 Toyota Series Championship presented by A.R.E. will be held Oct. 28-30 on Pickwick Lake in Counce, Tennessee, and is hosted by the Hardin County Convention and Visitors Bureau.

by AnglersChannel

Darold Gleason’s sentimental Tiny Torpedo

Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships

Sometimes cousins are more like brothers. That’s certainly the case with Bassmaster Elite Series pro Darold Gleason and his younger cousin Jared Burns, and a nearly 30-year old Tiny Torpedo topwater lure on the dashboard of Gleason’s Toyota Tundra serves as a daily reminder of that bond.

“I grew up mostly fishing in ponds, and this Tiny Torpedo was one of the first artificial lures I ever used as a teenager,” remembers Gleason, winner of the 2019 Central Open on Toledo Bend. “Jared is six years younger than me, so as I got older and started fishing from a bass boat, I gave him this exact Tiny Torpedo to use in his pond fishing.”

The iconic topwater found its way full circle back to Gleason several years later in 2015 when he qualified for BASSfest on Kentucky Lake, nine hours northeast of he and Burns’ homeland near Toledo Bend.

“That tournament was a turning point in my life and fishing career, because it was really the first true pro event I ever qualified for. Jared obviously realized the significance of it because he executed a friendly little sneak attack and taped this Tiny Torpedo and a heartfelt ‘good luck’ note on my truck right before I left,” Gleason remembers fondly.

The good luck Tiny Torpedo brought good vibes in the form of 61-pounds of Kentucky Lake largemouth Gleason caught on a football jig and deep diving crankbait. The quality-sized bass he likes to call “Ocean Ponies” lead to a 14^th place finish and a check for $11,000 in his pro debut.

The Torpedo has been on his Tundra’s dash for six years since that pivotal early summer event on Kentucky Lake, and Gleason now in his rookie season the Bassmaster Elite Series, finds himself glancing at the sacred lure often amid the 30,000 miles he and bride Randi travel annually.

“The toughest part of life as a pro angler is time away from home and the people you love. Little tokens like this make you feel a little better connected to them while you’re away. And the fact Jared always cheers me on so faithfully is pretty dang special – just like this 30-year-old topwater of he and I’s,” concluded Gleason.

by AnglersChannel

Jason Abram Wins Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Grundéns Stop 4 Presented by A.R.E. at Lake Eufaula

Piney Flats, Tennessee Pro Earns Second Career Victory on Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit in As Many Years, Wins $100,000 on Alabama’s Lake Eufaula

EUFAULA, Ala. (May 16, 2021) – Pro Jason Abram of Piney Flats, Tennessee, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Sunday weighing 14 pounds, 1 ounce to win the MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by Bad Boy Mowers, Grundéns Stop 4 Presented by A.R.E. at Lake Eufaula . Abram’s four-day total of 20 bass weighing 66 pounds, 4 ounces earned him the win by a 1-pound, 1-ounce margin over Bass Pro Shops angler David Walker of Sevierville, Tennessee, and earn the top prize of $100,000.

Link to Photo of Grundéns Stop 4 Winner Jason Abram
Link to Photo Gallery of Abram’s Championship Day
Link to Video of Day 4 Championship Weigh-In from Grundéns Stop 4 at Lake Eufaula
Link to Video of Fish Catch Highlights from Day 4 of Grundéns Stop 4 at Lake Eufaula

“In my wildest dreams I never thought I could win a tournament on Eufaula in mid-May fishing shallow,” Abrams said to MLF reporters after the event. “This lake is known for deep ledges and brush piles this time of year. But I came here to do my thing and fish the way I like to fish and it turned into a win – that’s pretty special.”

Coming into Lake Eufaula, Abram said his plan was to fish shallow. He did not think the tournament would be won shallow, he just wanted to fish shallow to get back to his fishing roots: an East Tennessee run-and-gun approach.

“Over the last two tournaments, I sort of got side-tracked trying to fish deep,” Abram said. “I came here with the intention of fishing shallow to get a decent check, get some solid points and find my groove again.”

Abram fished up in the Chattahoochee River portion of Eufaula, targeting channel swing banks that had some kind of wood providing shade over an eddy in the current, either in the form of an overhang tree or a piece of dead wood collecting flotsam to form a canopy over the eddy.

Abram would pitch a jig into the shaded eddy and sort of pop it through the current seam, allowing the current to suck it down about 2 feet between pops. His unique retrieve provoked a reaction response from bass set up in the eddy to feed on current-driven shad.

Abram’s jig of choice was a white custom 5/8-ounce swimjig – handmade by a friend named Craig France – with a Reaction Innovation Spice Beaver trailer. The jig features a flatter head to “float” in the current a little better.

“I could only find about 18 or 19 small spots that fit the pattern,” Abram said. “And they were spread out in about an 18-mile stretch of the river, so I did a lot of running and gunning. It’s how I fish back home. Once I know exactly what I’m looking for, I’ll run 20 miles to find a few more of them.”

Abram spent as much time running as he did fishing. He would often fish a place only three to five minutes before running to the next sweet shade spot.

“Those fish were set up to feed in those spots,” he continued. “They usually bit on the first flip or two into a current seam so it didn’t take long to fish one. And I would visit some of the same spots sometimes four to five times a day.”

Second-place finisher David Walker, who pushed his career earnings to $1.97 million, also did most of his damage this week on a swimjig.

“I caught all my fish around the bank on jigs,” the Tennessee pro said. “I was using a Z-Man CrossEyez swimjig in the morning to get a limit, then I’d come back up the lake and start flipping a jig.

“I’ve really got no excuses – there is nothing I would have done any differently,” Walker went on to say. “It’s been a great week. When you’re a tournament fishing, there are a lot more bad days than good days, so to have a good week really makes up for the bad weeks. I am very happy with how this event shook out.”

The top 10 pros at the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Grundéns Stop 4 on Lake Eufaula finished:

1^st:          Jason Abram, Piney Flats, Tenn., 20 bass, 66-4, $100,500
2^nd:         David Walker, Sevierville, Tenn., 20 bass, 63-3, $30,500
3^rd:         Trevor Fitzgerald, Belleview, Fla., 19 bass, 62-12, $25,000
4^th:         Bobby Lane, Lakeland, Fla., 20 bass, 60-7, $20,000
5^th:         Ryan Davidson, Branchland, W.Va., 19 bass, 55-14, $19,000
6^th:         Mitch Crane, Columbus, Miss., 20 bass, 55-6, $18,000
7^th:         Skeet Reese, Auburn, Calif., 20 bass, 50-13, $17,000
8^th:         Dicky Newberry, Houston, Texas, 20 bass, 50-8, $16,000
9^th:         Cole Floyd, Leesburg, Ohio, 17 bass, 47-8, $15,000
10^th:       Ramie Colson Jr., Cadiz, Ky., 17 bass, 45-1, $14,000

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

Overall, there were 43 bass weighing 103 pounds, 15 ounces caught by the final 10 pros Sunday. The catch included seven five-bass limits.

The four top performers who now qualify to compete in the MLF Bass Pro Tour General Tire Stage Five at the St. Lawrence River in Massena, New York, June 25-30, are Jason Abram, Trevor Fitzgerald, Ryan Davidson and Mitch Crane.

The MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by Bad Boy Mowers, Grundens Stop 4 Presented by A.R.E. – Lake Eufaula event will feature a two-hour action-packed television show that will premiere on the Outdoor Channel on Sunday, August 22 from 7 to 9 a.m. ET and re-air on the Sportsman Channel this fall.

The MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by Bad Boy Mowers, Grundens Stop 4 Presented by A.R.E. at Lake Eufaula was hosted by the Eufaula Barbour County Chamber of Commerce.

In Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit competition, the full field of anglers competed in the two-day opening round on Thursday and Friday. The top 50 pros based on their two-day cumulative weight advanced to Saturday. Only the top 10 pros continued competition on Sunday, with the winner determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from the four days of competition.

Throughout the season, anglers are also vying for valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the 2021 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit TITLE presented by Mercury, the Pro Circuit Championship, where they will compete for up to $235,000. The 2021 TITLE will be on the Mississippi River in La Crosse, Wisconsin on Aug. 17-22, and is hosted by Explore La Crosse.

For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit presented by Bad Boy Mowers on the MLF BIG5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

by AnglersChannel

Florida’s Fitzgerald Jumps to Lead at Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Grundéns Stop 4 at Lake Eufaula

EUFAULA, Ala. (May 15, 2021) – Rookie Trevor Fitzgerald of Belleview, Florida, jumped from third place into first on Day 3 of the MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by Bad Boy Mowers, Grundéns Stop 4 Presented by A.R.E. at Lake Eufaula in Eufaula, Alabama, bringing a 20-pound, 12-ounce limit to the stage. Lake Eufaula has been anything but predictable during the four-day event, which features bass fishing professionals from around the world, competing for a top prize of up to $135,000; however, a handful of anglers have consistently stayed in the top 10 all three days to move on to Championship Sunday.

Fitzgerald’s three-day total of 53 pounds, 14 ounces moved him from third place into first giving him a 1 pound, 11-ounce advantage going into the final day, with pros Jason Abram of Piney Flats, Tennessee and David Walker of Sevierville, Tennessee within striking distance of the top spot. Abram maintained his second-place position for the third day in a row, bringing in an 18-pound, 11-ounce limit to put his three-day total at 52 pounds, 3 ounces, while Walker jumped from seventh place into third, with a limit weighing 20-12, to bring his total to 50 pounds, 15 ounces.

Fitzgerald, who brought in his biggest limit of the week on Day 3, has continued to improve his weights each day of the competition by focusing on little brush piles scattered across Lake Eufaula.

“I’m not fishing the big, beautiful piles set out on the obvious contour breaks,” said Fitzgerald. “Instead, I’m focusing on more isolated objects scattered out across vast flats. Some of it is brush, but smaller pieces of brush that have been there for a while – a single limb or laydown buried in the bottom.”

While other anglers are running bigger brush piles, Fitzgerald said he has 20 isolated pieces he has been rotating through and hasn’t had much traffic around those areas.

One pile, which Fitzgerald referred to as “magic brush”, has produced half of his total weight for the event.

“I don’t know what it is about this one brush top,” said Fitzgerald. “It doesn’t look like anything special – just a little top about half the size of my boat. There are a hundred others out there just like it, but for some reason I catch a good fish there every time I stop to fish it. I have not seen a single boat around it all week, but I had a couple spectators around me today, so I’m hoping they don’t fish it before tomorrow.

“I think the shad in the area are probably a factor because I can see balls of shad all around it on my LiveScope and when I catch a bass there, it’s belly is full of shad. I haven’t stopped there long enough to see how many I can catch off of it, but I may just go fish it all day tomorrow and see what it can produce.”

The top 10 pros advancing to the final day of competition Sunday on Lake Murray are:
1^st:           Trevor Fitzgerald of Belleview, Fla., 15 bass, 53-14
2^nd:          Jason Abram of Piney Flats, Tenn., 15 bass, 52-3
3^rd:          David Walker of Sevierville, Tenn., 15 bass, 50-15
4^th:           Bobby Lane of Lakeland, Fla., 15 bass, 47-14
5^th:           Cole Floyd of Leesburg, Ohio, 15 bass, 43-13
6^th:           Ryan Davidson of Branchland, W.V., 14 bass, 42-6
7^th:           Mitch Crane of Columbus, Miss., 15 bass, 41-0
8^th:           Dicky Newberry of Houston, Texas, 15 bass, 40-13
9^th:           Skeet Reese of Auburn, Calif., 15 bass, 40-11
10^th:        Ramie Colson, Jr. of Cadiz, Ky., 15 bass, 40-4

Anglers finishing 11^th through 20^th are:
11^th:        Michael Neal of Dayton, Tenn., 15 bass, 40-4, $11,000
12^th:        Chris Lane of Guntersville, Ala., 14 bass, 40-2, $11,000
13^th:        Dakota Ebare of Brookeland, Texas, 15 bass, 40-0, $11,000
14^th:        J. Todd Tucker of Moultrie, Ga., 15 bass, 39-7, $11,000
15^th:        Kyle Hall of Granbury, Texas, 15 bass, 39-3, $11,000
16^th:        Jon Englund of Farwell, Minn., 15 bass, 39-3, $11,000
17^th:        Tommy Dickerson of Orange, Texas, 14 bass, 38-14, $11,000
18^th:        Jim Tutt of Longview, Texas, 15 bass, 38-13, $11,000
19^th:        Casey Ashley of Donalds, S.C., 15 bass, 38-12, $11,000
20^th:        Chad Warren of Sand Springs, Okla., 15 bass, 38-9, $11,000

For a full list of results visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Overall, there were 213 bass weighing 503 pounds, 14 ounces caught by 50 pros Saturday. The catch included 31 five-bass limits.

The MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by Bad Boy Mowers, Grundens Stop 4 Presented by A.R.E. at Lake Eufaula is hosted by the Eufaula Barbour County Chamber of Commerce.

In Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit competition, the full field of anglers competed in the two-day opening round on Thursday and Friday. The field was cut to 50 anglers on Saturday. Now, the top 10 pros based on their three-day cumulative weight advance to Sunday where the winner will be determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from all four days of competition.

Anglers will take off at 6:30 a.m. CT on Sunday from Lakepoint Resort State Park, located at 104 Lakepoint Drive in Eufaula. Weigh-ins will also be held at the park Sunday at 3 p.m. Fans are encouraged to follow the action online through the MLF NOW! live stream and coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

The MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by Bad Boy Mowers, Grundens Stop 4 Presented by A.R.E. – Lake Eufaula event will feature live on-the-water coverage and a two-hour action-packed television show that will premiere on the Outdoor Channel on Sunday, August 22 from 7 to 9 a.m. ET and re-air on the Sportsman Channel this fall. Weigh-in will be streamed and fans can catch live on-the-water action all day Sunday, May 16 on MLF NOW! beginning at 7 a.m. CT at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

by AnglersChannel

Palaniuk Notches First Bassmaster Opens Victory On James River

Brandon Palaniuk, of Rathdrum, Idaho, has won the 2021 Basspro.com Bassmaster Northern Open at James River with a three-day total of 53 pounds, 12 ounces.
Photo by Andy Crawford/B.A.S.S.

May 15, 2021
RICHMOND, Va. — Brandon Palaniuk had three days to sack up the winning total of 53 pounds, 12 ounces, but two memorable hours delivered most of his weight at the Basspro.com Bassmaster Northern Open on the James River.

After placing 50th on Day 1 with 13-11, Palaniuk caught the event’s heaviest bag — 22-6 — in the final hour of Day 2 and took over the lead. On Saturday, he tallied 17-11, also in the final hour and surged across the finish line by nearly 3 1/2 pounds.

A five-time Bassmaster Elite Series winner, the pro from Rathdrum, Idaho, notched his first Opens victory and collected a top prize of $52,000.

“I’ve fished the James River five times now in the Northern Opens; this was my fourth final day,” Palaniuk said. “I’ve come close and I’ve been trying to get this monkey off my back for a while and, dang, it feels good.”

Palaniuk spent his tournament in the Chickahominy River, which flows into the James downriver from the take-off site at Osborne Park & Boat Landing. The first day, he fished natural habitat features, but Days 2 and 3 saw him capitalizing on a fast-paced opportunity at Walkers Dam, about 22 miles upstream.

“I got beat to this spot on Day 1, but I figured out the cast late in the day yesterday,” Palaniuk said. “You had to make the exact cast. If you were off 2 feet left or right, you wouldn’t get bit. It would happen in the first five cranks of the reel handle.

“The incoming tide was best because it held the bait and the fish higher in the water.”

The week’s tide schedule brought outgoing water in the morning, then a rising cycle around midday. Tides advance approximately 50 minutes each day, so the second and third rounds presented Palaniuk with a narrow window of opportunity.

“Yesterday, I had three fish with an hour to go and I caught 22 pounds in the last hour,” he said. “I knew it was because of the incoming tide, so I told my marshal today ‘Low tide is at 12:35 (in the Chickahominy). We’re going to have 25 minutes of incoming tide before we have to leave. We’re going to push it to the last minute.'”

Both days, Palaniuk found that targeting specific current seams was critical to enticing bites. He observed large gizzard shad in the area and recognized that the bass were leveraging current dynamics to capture their meals.

Palaniuk caught his best fish on 6- and 8-inch Megabass Magdraft swimbaits in the albino color. He also caught fish on a drop shot with a green pumpkin/blue fleck XZone Lures Deception Worm, which he fished over isolated cover off the bank.

“I just cycled through it because it just seemed like there would be little feed windows,” Palaniuk said. “It changed every 10 minutes and you’d have to figure out where they were positioned. Once you found that, you could catch a couple pretty quick.”

Nicholas Bodsford of Richmond, Va., placed second with 50-5. The local favorite turned in one of the event’s most consistent performances with daily weights of 16-10, 16-7 and 17-4.

Bodsford caught his bass cranking shallow cover with a Lucky Craft 1.5 squarebill and flipping a Texas-rigged Missile Baits D Bomb. With changing water clarity and a minor cold front at the tournament’s beginning, his performance hinged on adaptation.

“Practice just got thrown out the window and every day, I had to start over,” Bodsford said. “I didn’t do the same thing one day; I just made adjustments.

“Where I caught them the first day, it was muddy and high yesterday. I ran back upriver and caught enough (to make the Top 10). Today, I scrapped everything. I just went fishing and it worked out.”

Jeff Queen of Catawba, N.C., finished third with 50-4. Keeping himself in the Top 10 the entire time, Queen placed eighth on Day 1 with 17-9, rose to second after adding 17-11 and ended his run Saturday with an even 15 pounds.

Queen caught his bass on a swim jig converted into a bladed jig with a Switch Blade made by his Queen Tackle company with a Jenko Tremor Shad trailer. He also caught fish on a 1/4-ounce tungsten finesse jig with a craw trailer.

“I had a good day and at the end, I stopped right across from the boat ramp and caught my biggest fish."

Tommy Williams of Shepherdsville, Ky., won the $750 Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors with his 8-7.

Greg Alexander of Hebron, Md., won the $500 Garmin Tournament Rewards.

Palaniuk leads the Northern Open standings with 200 points. Bodsford is second with 199, followed by Queen with 198, Justin Margraves of Diana, Texas, with 197 and Alexander with 196.

Jacob Powroznik of North Prince George, Va., leads the Falcon Rods Bassmaster Opens Angler of the Year points standings with 687.

2021 Basspro.com Bassmaster Open at James River 5/13-5/15
James River, Richmond VA.
(BOATER) Standings Day 3

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

1. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 15 53-12 200 $52,267.00
Day 1: 5 13-11 Day 2: 5 22-06 Day 3: 5 17-11
2. Nicholas Bodsford Richmond, VA 15 50-05 199 $25,387.00
Day 1: 5 16-10 Day 2: 5 16-07 Day 3: 5 17-04
3. Jeff Queen Catawba, NC 15 50-04 198 $17,920.00
Day 1: 5 17-09 Day 2: 5 17-11 Day 3: 5 15-00
4. Justin Margraves Diana, TX 15 47-11 197 $14,933.00
Day 1: 5 11-08 Day 2: 5 19-10 Day 3: 5 16-09
5. Greg Alexander Hebron, MD 15 47-06 196 $13,492.00
Day 1: 5 21-02 Day 2: 5 13-04 Day 3: 5 13-00
6. Mike Hicks Goochland, VA 15 43-13 195 $11,947.00
Day 1: 5 18-13 Day 2: 5 12-05 Day 3: 5 12-11
7. Tommy Williams Shepherdsville, KY 15 42-02 194 $11,950.00
Day 1: 5 10-02 Day 2: 5 20-05 Day 3: 5 11-11
8. Jonathan Kelley Old Forge, PA 15 42-02 193 $10,453.00
Day 1: 5 19-06 Day 2: 5 13-15 Day 3: 5 08-13
9. Hugh Cosculluela Spring, TX 15 41-00 192 $8,213.00
Day 1: 5 18-03 Day 2: 5 12-02 Day 3: 5 10-11
10. Bo Boltz Jr New Kent, VA 15 38-10 191 $6,720.00
Day 1: 5 18-08 Day 2: 5 12-14 Day 3: 5 07-04

by AnglersChannel

Cold Weather Layers and Flip-Flops

Courtesy of Luke Stoner - Dynamic Sponsorships

It’s May in Alabama, but it hasn’t exactly been balmy the past two mornings at Smith Lake Park for the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series boat launch. We certainly won’t complain about the weather, as the afternoons have been absolutely gorgeous. But temperatures have dipped into the 40s each night here in Cullman making it feel more like the originally scheduled mid April date for this event.

Morning launch has seen lots of college anglers layered up with warm Carhartt outerwear, plenty of beanies, hoodies, and heavy rain gear even though the sun is shining. So you’ll understand my surprise when I’ve seen countless collegiate fishermen sporting flip-flops as their footwear of choice this week.

Cade Rudiger and Cooper Thor attend Stephen F. Austin University in Nacogdoches, Texas and they are two such anglers who like to accentuate their Carhartt rain suits with sandals or flip-flops.

“It gets warm around 10:00a.m, so you gotta have some flops man,” Thor said with a smile. “We are making a long run first thing this morning which is why we’re all bundled up everywhere else. The layers keep us warm in the morning and the flip-flops are clutch when it gets hot this afternoon.”

The Lumberjacks are making their long run in Rudiger’s 2019 Skeeter boat powered by a 250HP Yamaha Outboard that they officially registered for the Yamaha Power Pay contingency program this week at tournament registration. The bass fishing rewards program offered by Yamaha is free to register for and pays out on select college tournaments just like professional and grassroots level events.

Thor and Rudiger didn’t have the day one they were hoping for, weighing in just one solid Smith Lake keeper, but the Texas natives were both still smiling and ready to greet the day with a good attitude.

“Our fishing tackle is about as all over the place as our clothes,” Rudiger joked. “Heavy jackets and sandals or topwaters and deep diving crankbaits… we’ve got all the bases covered. In all seriousness we’re just excited to go have some fun and see what happens. It’ll be a good day either way.”

by AnglersChannel

Greenville University Plans for a Big Saturday

Courtesy of Luke Stoner - Dynamic Sponsorships

The conclusion of the day one weigh-in for the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series at Smith Lake found Nate Overocker and Evan Seggerman of Greenville University in 48th place. Just under 10-lbs of Smith Lake spotted bass had the Greenville Panthers in a solid position going into the final day of competition on Saturday.

Seggerman, a senior with a degree in Biology and Overocker, a junior studying Mathematics were pleased with their day one results, but are hoping to move up the leaderboard far enough to earn a coveted spot in the 2021 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series National Championship.

Overocker and Seggerman have been well traveled this year, competing in all three Bassmaster College Series events so far, and would love to nail down a qualification here in Cullman, Alabama.

“Throughout practice and again today we are catching our better fish first thing in the morning,” Seggerman said. “We were able to put three solid keepers in the boat before 7:00am, and then had to grind all day for our final two keeper bites.”

Both spotted and largemouth bass have to be over 15-inches in order to be a keeper this week on Smith Lake, and they have certainly been tough to come by for most of the 200+ boat field. Weights are bunched up around 7 to 10-pounds, with just over 12-pounds having teams in the top ten.

“We’re keying in on a bit of shad spawn activity,” Overocker offered. “If we can replicate our day one results but add just one more quality bite I think we’ll move quite a ways up the leaderboard. It all starts with a good morning though, that will be key.”

The central Illinois natives made the ten-hour drive to Smith Lake in Overocker’s 2018 Toyota Tundra, which is another reason why they are eager to improve their position. Overocker is proudly registered for Toyota Bonus Bucks College Series, and would love to finish high enough to earn his second Bonus Bucks check of 2021.

“We drive that truck all over the country to and from fishing tournaments and I never have to worry about reliability,” Overocker said. “It’s a great vehicle and the Bonus Bucks program gives us the chance to make some extra money while we’re at it!”

The College Series portion of the popular contingency program offered by Toyota is similar to the official program in that an angler doesn’t have to win an event to earn the rewards; you just have to be the highest placing registered participant in a supported event.

For college anglers, there are no year restrictions when it comes to Bonus Bucks. If you are a college angler towing your boat with a Toyota tow vehicle, whether it’s a 2018 or a 2002, you are eligible for Toyota Bonus Bucks College Series. The program offers the opportunity to earn money for yourself and a matching amount for your school’s fishing club.

With any luck, Seggerman and Overocker will be making the drive back to Illinois on Sunday with a National Championship berth, and maybe a few Bonus Bucks in their back pocket.

by AnglersChannel

Bobby Lane Pads Lead at Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Grundéns Stop 4 at Lake Eufaula

EUFAULA, Ala. (May 14, 2021) – Berkley pro Bobby Lane of Lakeland, Florida, brought a five-bass limit totaling 16 pounds, 6 ounces to the scale Friday to extend his lead after Day 2 of the MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by Bad Boy Mowers, Grundéns Stop 4 Presented by A.R.E. at Lake Eufaula in Eufaula, Alabama. Lane’s two-day total of 10 bass weighing 36 pounds, 14 ounces gives him a 3-pound, 6-ounce advantage heading into Day 3 of the four-day competition featuring bass fishing professionals from around the world, battling it out for up to $135,000.

Pro Jason Abram of Piney Flats, Tennessee, held onto second place, weighing 13 pounds, 5 ounces on Friday for a two-day total of 33-8, with rookie Trevor Fitzgerald making a leap from 12^th place to loom only 6 ounces behind Abram in third, with a total of 33 pounds, 2 ounces. Pro Cole Floyd of Leesburg, Ohio, who entered the event leading the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Angler of the Year (AOY) race, brought the biggest bag of the day to the stage Friday with a limit weighing 18 pounds, 8 ounces, vaulting him from 54^th place into the top 10.

While the weights on Day 2 fluctuated a fair amount, with anglers at the top of the leaderboard struggling and a few pros lower in the standings hammering out big bags, Lane continued his hot streak on Lake Eufaula by fishing shallow.

“Yesterday I started down the lake on what I thought was a good shad spawn,” said Lane. “Today I ran up the river first thing and found the shad to be a lot more active in that area.”

Lane caught a near 6-pounder early to get his day started off right.

“That big one really eased my mind,” said Lane. “Fish like that make the rest of the day go so much better.”

That relaxed mindset helped the Berkley pro make good strategic decisions later in the day when boat traffic and fishing pressure became an issue.

“There’s a lot of traffic up there and everything is getting beat on,” said Lane. “By the time everyone starts running around mid-morning, the banks get muddy and the fish seem to shut off for a while. That’s when I started picking up the flipping stick and going to work in more protected places.”

With only 50 tournament boats on the water tomorrow, Lane said he is hoping the muddy water on the banks will improve.

“The water level didn’t drop as low last night as it had previous nights, so it looks like the river has stabilized,” said Lane. “I’m hoping for a warmer night tonight to make the shad active again in the morning.”

The top 20 pros after Day 2 on Lake Eufaula are:

1^st:           Bobby Lane of Lakeland, Fla., 10 bass, 36-14
2^nd:          Jason Abram of Piney Flats, Tenn., 10 bass, 33-8
3^rd:          Trevor Fitzgerald of Belleview, Fla., 10 bass, 33-2
4^th:           Brad Knight of Lancing, Tenn., 10 bass, 31-6
5^th:           Skeet Reese of Auburn, Calif., 10 bass, 30-13
6^th:           Dicky Newberry of Houston, Texas, 10 bass, 30-11
7^th:           David Walker of Sevierville, Tenn., 10 bass, 30-3
8^th:           Chad Warren of Sand Springs, Okla., 10 bass, 30-2
9^th:           Jared McMillan of Clewiston, Fla., 10 bass, 30-2
10^th:        Cole Floyd of Leesburg, Ohio, 10 bass, 30-0
11^th:        Justin Lucas of Guntersville, Ala., 10 bass, 30-0
12^th:        Mitch Crane of Columbus, Miss., 10 bass, 29-15
13^th:        Jeremy Lawyer of Sarcoxie, Mo., 10 bass, 29-10
14^th:        Ron Nelson of Berrien Springs, Mich., 10 bass, 29-9
15^th:        Kyle Hall of Granbury, Texas, 10 bass, 28-13
16^th:        Ramie Colson, Jr. of Cadiz, Ky., 10 bass, 27-15
17^th:        Jon Englund of Farwell, Minn., 10 bass, 27-7
18^th:        John Cox of DeBary, Fla., nine bass, 27-3
19^th:        Cal Lane of Guntersville, Ala., 10 bass, 27-2
20^th:        Tommy Dickerson of Orange, Texas, 10 bass, 27-1

For a full list of results visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Blake Smith of Lakeland, Florida won the day's $500 Berkley Big Bass award in the pro division after bringing a largemouth weighing 7 pounds, 13 ounces to the scale.

Overall, there were 638 bass weighing 1,496 pounds, 15 ounces caught by 153 pros Friday. The catch included 89 five-bass limits.

The MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by Bad Boy Mowers, Grundens Stop 4 Presented by A.R.E. at Lake Eufaula is hosted by the Eufaula Barbour County Chamber of Commerce.

In Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit competition, the full field of anglers competed in the two-day opening round on Thursday and Friday. The top 50 pros based on their two-day cumulative weight now advance to Saturday. Only the top 10 pros will continue competition on Sunday, with the winner determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from the four days of competition.

Anglers will take off at 6:30 a.m. CT Saturday and Sunday from Lakepoint Resort State Park, located at 104 Lakepoint Drive in Eufaula. Weigh-ins will also be held at the park daily at 3 p.m. Fans are encouraged to follow the action online through the MLF NOW! live stream and coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

The MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by Bad Boy Mowers, Grundens Stop 4 Presented by A.R.E. – Lake Eufaula event will feature live on-the-water coverage and a two-hour action-packed television show that will premiere on the Outdoor Channel on Sunday, August 22 from 7 to 9 a.m. ET and re-air on the Sportsman Channel this fall. Weigh-ins will be streamed daily and fans can catch live on-the-water action all day Saturday and Sunday, May 15-16 on MLF NOW! beginning at 7 a.m. CT at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

by AnglersChannel

Late-Day Rally Lifts Palaniuk To Bassmaster Open Lead At James River

Brandon Palaniuk, of Rathdrum, Idaho, is leading after Day 2 of the 2021 Basspro.com Bassmaster Northern Open at James River with a two-day total of 36 pounds, 1 ounce.
Photo by Brenden Kanies/B.A.S.S.

May 14, 2021

RICHMOND, Va. — Saving the best for last, Bassmaster Elite Series pro Brandon Palaniuk sacked up a late-day limit of 22 pounds, 6 ounces to rise 49 spots and lead Day 2 of the Basspro.com Bassmaster Northern Open at James River.

Hailing from Rathdrum, Idaho, Palaniuk claimed the event’s heaviest bag, which bolstered his Day 1 catch of 13-11 to tally 36-1. Heading into Championship Saturday, Palaniuk leads Jeff Queen by 13 ounces.

Following a slow start, Palaniuk made a key decision to relocate to a spot he identified on Day 1. The results were unquestionable.

“With an hour to go, I had three fish; then I pulled up on a spot and filled my limit and culled three times,” Palaniuk said. “I caught a 5-11 and a 5 1/2 and then I caught one that was pushing 5 in that last hour. It was just incredible.”

Noting that he’s fishing a very specific situation in Chickahominy Creek, Palaniuk was understandably guarded with his details. He did, however, state that he accomplished most of his work on a small area where precision was as important as bait selection.

“It’s not big; it’s a one-cast deal,” Palaniuk said of his replicable scenario. “It’s hard cover, but there’s more to it.”

Traveling to Richmond directly from last week’s Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Neely Henry Lake, Palaniuk had approximately one full day of James River practice. Given his brief period of preparation, he decided to commit to waters he’s fished during past visits.

“I’ve never fished anywhere else,” he said. “I only had a total of eight hours, coming from Neely Henry, I had to go with what’s familiar to me.”

Timing seems to be the key component to Palaniuk’s success. As he explained, the bass are positioning with obvious feeding intent, so repetitive casting to a specifically defined area is essential for keeping his bait in the strike zone.

“If you hit the timing right, you can catch (a lot of weight),” Palaniuk said. “What I saw today, there’s 25 to 30 pounds there. Those fish are there to eat, for sure. I think there are new fish coming to me.”

Feeding windows are common to tidal fisheries and that definitely contributed to Palaniuk’s big catch. However, his afternoon flurry hinged on a more complex strategy.

“I made a slight adjustment and I think that, along with timing, were the two keys,” he said. “I figured out the angle I needed to get the right bites.”

Palaniuk said he used a mix of reaction baits and slower presentations. Both techniques produced big bites.

“I hope I fish tomorrow because I don’t know what could happen,” he said. “I’ve made the Top 10 here before quite a few times, but I’ve never been able to pull off the win.”

Hailing from Catawba, N.C., Queen is in second place with 35-4. Adding 17-11 to his eighth-place opening-round limit of 17-9, Queen demonstrated impressive consistency that belied a Day 2 challenge.

“I caught a couple of fish — including one of my big ones — on the reaction bait I fished on Day 1, but I had to go finesse fishing with a wacky-rigged green pumpkin purple flake Senko today,” Queen said. “This afternoon, they did a little better.

“I only had five by about 12 o’clock, but I made an adjustment and caught 11 in the last two hours. I caught those fish on a prototype bladed jig with a straight-tail fluke-style trailer and a squarebill.”

Day 1 leader Greg Alexander of Hebron, Md., is in third place with 34-6. After weighing 21-2 — the event’s second-heaviest bag — on Day 1, he added 13-4 Friday.

Alexander caught a couple of his fish on the 1/2-ounce Cheeseburger Jig and chunk trailer that produced his Day 1 bag, but he caught most of his fish on an unweighted Texas-rigged Yamamoto Senko.

“Today, I had half the bites that I had yesterday,” Alexander said. “I had 30 bites yesterday and about 15 today. I had a shorter day, but the water didn’t move much today. When the water doesn’t move, they don’t bite."

Tommy Williams of Shepherdsville, Ky., is in the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors with his 8-7.

Cody Stahl of Griffin, Ga., won the co-angler division with 20-14. Leading Day 1 with 11-5, he added 9-9 Friday. As Stahl explained, dialing in a particular presentation was the key to his success.

“I figured out that there were some fish still on beds and they were spawning around cypress trees,” Stahl said. “They were relating to the back sides of the trees where it was protected from the wind and boat wakes and it was in the shade.

“I caught my fish on a TrueSouth Custom Lures jig with a Big Bite Baits Swimming Craw with the (pinchers) dyed chartreuse. When I was reeling my jig up, I noticed my bait matched the river shad that were chasing it. I believe those shad and bluegill were trying to eat those bass eggs.”

On Day 2, Stahl caught his fish with a TrueSouth bladed jig and a Big Bite Baits Swimon trailer. He caught one of his keepers around spatterdock and made two late-day culls when his boater took him to a tree he spotted on Day 1.

James Johnson of Chester, Va., won the $250 Phoenix Boats Big Bass award among co-anglers with a 5-15.

Palaniuk leads the Northern Open standings with 200 points. Queen is in second with 199, followed by Alexander with 198, Jonathan Kelley of Old Forge, Pa., with 197 and Nicholas Bodsford of Richmond, Va., with 196.

Jacob Powroznik of North Prince George, Va., leads the overall Falcon Rods Opens Angler of the Year standings with 687 points.

Saturday’s takeoff is scheduled for 6 a.m. ET from Osborne Park & Boat Landing. The weigh-in will be held at the Bass Pro Shops in Ashland, Va., at 3 p.m.

2021 Basspro.com Bassmaster Open at James River 5/13-5/15
James River, Richmond VA.
(BOATER) Standings Day 2

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

1. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 10 36-01 200
Day 1: 5 13-11 Day 2: 5 22-06
2. Jeff Queen Catawba, NC 10 35-04 199
Day 1: 5 17-09 Day 2: 5 17-11
3. Greg Alexander Hebron, MD 10 34-06 198
Day 1: 5 21-02 Day 2: 5 13-04
4. Jonathan Kelley Old Forge, PA 10 33-05 197
Day 1: 5 19-06 Day 2: 5 13-15
5. Nicholas Bodsford Richmond, VA 10 33-01 196
Day 1: 5 16-10 Day 2: 5 16-07
6. Bo Boltz Jr New Kent, VA 10 31-06 195
Day 1: 5 18-08 Day 2: 5 12-14
7. Justin Margraves Diana, TX 10 31-02 194
Day 1: 5 11-08 Day 2: 5 19-10
8. Mike Hicks Goochland, VA 10 31-02 193
Day 1: 5 18-13 Day 2: 5 12-05
9. Tommy Williams Shepherdsville, KY 10 30-07 192
Day 1: 5 10-02 Day 2: 5 20-05
10. Hugh Cosculluela Spring, TX 10 30-05 191
Day 1: 5 18-03 Day 2: 5 12-02
11. Jefferson Hamilton Henrico, VA 10 30-04 190 $5,973.00
Day 1: 5 18-06 Day 2: 5 11-14
12. Brad Webb Hampton, VA 10 29-09 189 $5,227.00
Day 1: 5 12-03 Day 2: 5 17-06
13. Garrett Geouge Lanexa, VA 10 29-09 188 $4,107.00
Day 1: 5 15-06 Day 2: 5 14-03
14. Curtis Richardson Belleville Ontario CANA 10 29-08 187 $4,107.00
Day 1: 5 15-13 Day 2: 5 13-11
15. James Mignanelli Harmony, PA 10 29-07 186 $4,107.00
Day 1: 5 16-07 Day 2: 5 13-00
16. Masayuki Matsushita Tokoname-Shi JAPAN 10 29-06 185 $4,107.00
Day 1: 5 15-04 Day 2: 5 14-02
17. Michael Iaconelli Pitts Grove, NJ 10 29-01 184 $4,107.00
Day 1: 5 15-00 Day 2: 5 14-01
18. Gary Adkins Green Bay, WI 10 28-14 183 $4,107.00
Day 1: 5 18-07 Day 2: 5 10-07
19. Ryan Broughman Corapeake, NC 10 28-01 182 $4,107.00
Day 1: 5 16-08 Day 2: 5 11-09
20. Chris Beaudrie Princeton, KY 10 28-00 181 $4,107.00
Day 1: 5 13-10 Day 2: 5 14-06
21. Drake Hundley Church Road, VA 10 27-13 180 $3,733.00
Day 1: 5 11-15 Day 2: 5 15-14
22. Gregory DiPalma Millville, NJ 10 27-12 179 $3,733.00
Day 1: 5 16-01 Day 2: 5 11-11
23. Spike Stoker Cisco, TX 10 27-11 178 $3,733.00
Day 1: 5 13-05 Day 2: 5 14-06
24. John Conway, Jr. Jr Henrico, VA 10 27-10 177 $3,733.00
Day 1: 5 15-07 Day 2: 5 12-03
25. Jeff Jensen Beech Creek, PA 10 27-07 176 $3,733.00
Day 1: 5 12-12 Day 2: 5 14-11
26. Christiana Bradley Goldvein, VA 10 26-14 175 $3,435.00
Day 1: 5 14-13 Day 2: 5 12-01
27. Michael Rowe Providence Forge, VA 10 26-14 174 $3,435.00
Day 1: 5 13-10 Day 2: 5 13-04
28. Marc Schilling Shady Shores, TX 10 26-12 173 $3,435.00
Day 1: 5 11-14 Day 2: 5 14-14
29. Reese Hudson Broomall, PA 10 26-12 172 $3,435.00
Day 1: 5 14-06 Day 2: 5 12-06
30. Alex Redwine Blue Ash, OH 10 26-12 171 $3,435.00
Day 1: 5 13-08 Day 2: 5 13-04
31. Cameron Smith Wareham, MA 10 26-10 170 $3,435.00
Day 1: 5 07-03 Day 2: 5 19-07
32. Nick Radtke Greenwood Lake, NY 10 26-09 169 $3,435.00
Day 1: 5 12-06 Day 2: 5 14-03
33. Tommy Little Chester, VA 10 26-08 168 $3,435.00
Day 1: 5 15-00 Day 2: 5 11-08
34. Jeremy Sadowski Valuntower, CT 10 26-06 167 $3,435.00
Day 1: 5 14-09 Day 2: 5 11-13
35. Jacob Powroznik North Prince George, VA 10 26-06 166 $3,435.00
Day 1: 5 13-10 Day 2: 5 12-12
36. Stanley Sypeck Jr Sugarloaf, PA 10 26-03 165 $3,435.00
Day 1: 5 13-13 Day 2: 5 12-06
37. Garrett Paquette Canton, MI 10 26-01 164 $3,435.00
Day 1: 5 13-09 Day 2: 5 12-08
38. Nolan Minor Charlottesville, VA 10 25-15 163 $3,435.00
Day 1: 5 13-10 Day 2: 5 12-05
39. Ryan Whitacre Chicago, IL 10 25-13 162 $3,435.00
Day 1: 5 14-03 Day 2: 5 11-10
40. Chris Atwell Mechanicsville, VA 10 25-09 161 $3,435.00
Day 1: 5 11-14 Day 2: 5 13-11
41. Tyler Williams Belgrade, ME 10 25-08 160
Day 1: 5 17-09 Day 2: 5 07-15
42. Alex Wetherell Middletown, CT 10 25-05 159
Day 1: 5 12-05 Day 2: 5 13-00
43. Matt Pangrac Bixby, OK 10 25-03 158
Day 1: 5 11-02 Day 2: 5 14-01
44. JT Thompkins Myrtle Beach, SC 10 25-00 157
Day 1: 5 10-07 Day 2: 5 14-09
45. Tanner Ward Woodsfield , OH 10 24-14 156
Day 1: 5 13-09 Day 2: 5 11-05
46. Glynn Goodwin Marietta, OH 10 24-13 155
Day 1: 5 11-14 Day 2: 5 12-15
47. Blake Sylvester Plaquemine, LA 10 24-11 154
Day 1: 5 09-04 Day 2: 5 15-07
48. Ryan Powroznik Prince George, VA 10 24-10 153
Day 1: 5 07-09 Day 2: 5 17-01
49. Nate Kendrick Milford, VA 10 24-09 152
Day 1: 5 09-13 Day 2: 5 14-12
50. Matt Funk Suffolk, VA 10 24-08 151
Day 1: 5 11-12 Day 2: 5 12-12
51. Chase Clarke Virginia Beach, VA 10 24-07 150
Day 1: 5 13-15 Day 2: 5 10-08
52. Paul Kimball Glastonbury, CT 10 24-06 149
Day 1: 5 13-12 Day 2: 5 10-10
53. Greg Mansfield Olathe, KS 10 24-04 148
Day 1: 5 14-03 Day 2: 5 10-01
54. Sheron Brown Leminster, MA 10 24-04 147
Day 1: 5 10-09 Day 2: 5 13-11
55. Jacob Kupselaitis Powhatan, VA 10 24-03 146
Day 1: 5 12-05 Day 2: 5 11-14
56. Burley Langford Jr. S.Chesterfield, VA 10 24-01 145
Day 1: 5 13-14 Day 2: 5 10-03
57. Brent Shores Boise, ID 10 24-01 144
Day 1: 5 10-14 Day 2: 5 13-03
58. Tyler Morgan Schuylkill Haven, PA 10 24-00 143
Day 1: 5 13-05 Day 2: 5 10-11
59. Daisuke Aoki Minamitsurugun Yamanash 10 23-15 142
Day 1: 5 10-04 Day 2: 5 13-11
60. Harvey Horne Bella Vista, AR 10 23-15 141
Day 1: 5 10-07 Day 2: 5 13-08
61. Timothy Chaffin Quinton, VA 10 23-13 140
Day 1: 5 13-08 Day 2: 5 10-05
62. Mark Heatwole Penn Laird, VA 10 23-12 139
Day 1: 5 15-09 Day 2: 5 08-03
63. Rob Uzzle Hampton, VA 9 23-11 138
Day 1: 5 16-14 Day 2: 4 06-13
64. Matthew Mccarthy Marysville, OH 9 23-11 137
Day 1: 5 11-06 Day 2: 4 12-05
65. Christopher Bryant Disputanta, VA 10 23-10 136
Day 1: 5 11-12 Day 2: 5 11-14
66. Whitney Stephens Waverly, OH 10 23-07 135
Day 1: 5 13-08 Day 2: 5 09-15
67. Stephen Estes Auburn, NH 10 23-06 134
Day 1: 5 14-07 Day 2: 5 08-15
68. Shayne Berlo Mclean, VA 10 23-05 133
Day 1: 5 11-13 Day 2: 5 11-08
69. Destin DeMarion Grove City, PA 10 23-04 132
Day 1: 5 10-02 Day 2: 5 13-02
70. Jake Biram Tulsa, OK 10 23-04 131
Day 1: 5 11-02 Day 2: 5 12-02
71. Coop Gallant Bowmanville Ontario CAN 10 23-04 130
Day 1: 5 11-08 Day 2: 5 11-12
72. Brad Leuthner Independence, MN 10 23-03 129
Day 1: 5 14-09 Day 2: 5 08-10
73. Donnie Bell Jr Hopewell, VA 10 23-02 128
Day 1: 5 11-02 Day 2: 5 12-00
74. Julius Mazy Phoenix, AZ 10 23-02 127
Day 1: 5 11-10 Day 2: 5 11-08
75. Scott Pellegrin Chippewa Falls, WI 10 23-01 126
Day 1: 5 13-05 Day 2: 5 09-12
76. Denny Fiedler Wabasha, MN 10 22-12 125
Day 1: 5 13-15 Day 2: 5 08-13
77. Craig Chambers Midland, NC 10 22-10 124
Day 1: 5 14-03 Day 2: 5 08-07
78. Eddie Levin Westerville, OH 10 22-10 123
Day 1: 5 10-00 Day 2: 5 12-10
79. Kevin Park Waymart, PA 10 22-07 122
Day 1: 5 12-04 Day 2: 5 10-03
80. Marshall Johnson Montpelier, VA 8 22-06 121
Day 1: 5 16-12 Day 2: 3 05-10
81. Willy Dennison Iii III Willoughby Hills, OH 10 22-05 120
Day 1: 5 16-06 Day 2: 5 05-15
82. Travis Manson Conshohocken, PA 10 22-05 119
Day 1: 5 14-13 Day 2: 5 07-08
83. Andrew Upshaw Tulsa, OK 8 22-05 118
Day 1: 5 14-01 Day 2: 3 08-04
84. Lucas Murphy Lexington, MI 10 22-05 117
Day 1: 5 08-09 Day 2: 5 13-12
85. Brian Brooks Chesterfield, VA 8 22-04 116
Day 1: 3 06-05 Day 2: 5 15-15
86. Kirk McMullen Greensburg, PA 8 22-01 115
Day 1: 5 14-09 Day 2: 3 07-08
87. Jonathan Ceaser Maidens, VA 10 22-01 114
Day 1: 5 13-06 Day 2: 5 08-11
88. Jason Burger Bridgeton, NJ 10 22-00 113
Day 1: 5 10-15 Day 2: 5 11-01
89. Steve Morella Townshend, VT 10 21-14 112
Day 1: 5 06-11 Day 2: 5 15-03
90. Christopher Fiore Midlothian, VA 10 21-14 111
Day 1: 5 09-15 Day 2: 5 11-15
91. Michael Zampese Haskell, NJ 10 21-14 110
Day 1: 5 11-01 Day 2: 5 10-13
92. Turner Hart Ashland, VA 8 21-13 109
Day 1: 5 14-01 Day 2: 3 07-12
93. Mike Caul South Prince George, VA 10 21-13 108
Day 1: 5 13-01 Day 2: 5 08-12
94. Joe Lucarelli Center Harbor, NH 10 21-13 107
Day 1: 5 10-11 Day 2: 5 11-02
95. Pete Gluszek Mount Laurel, NJ 10 21-12 106
Day 1: 5 12-05 Day 2: 5 09-07
96. Douglas Reed Bridgeton, NJ 10 21-11 105
Day 1: 5 12-05 Day 2: 5 09-06
96. Cass Terrance Akwewsane, NY 10 21-11 105
Day 1: 5 09-06 Day 2: 5 12-05
98. Joe Carr Lanexa, VA 10 21-10 103
Day 1: 5 07-01 Day 2: 5 14-09
99. Randy Elliott Severn, MD 10 21-10 102
Day 1: 5 13-05 Day 2: 5 08-05
100. Brian Post Janesville, WI 10 21-09 101
Day 1: 5 12-01 Day 2: 5 09-08
101. Trevor Jancasz White Pigeon, MI 10 21-09 100
Day 1: 5 10-11 Day 2: 5 10-14
102. Steven Colgin Lanexa, VA 10 21-08 99
Day 1: 5 08-11 Day 2: 5 12-13
103. Jonathan Dietz Corry, PA 10 21-06 98
Day 1: 5 10-04 Day 2: 5 11-02
104. Cavin Young Sr Prince George, VA 10 21-01 97
Day 1: 5 11-08 Day 2: 5 09-09
105. Timmy Thompkins Myrtle Beach, SC 10 21-01 96
Day 1: 5 10-11 Day 2: 5 10-06
106. Brian Bylotas Scott Township, PA 10 21-00 95
Day 1: 5 09-02 Day 2: 5 11-14
107. Jared Williams Hampton, VA 10 21-00 94
Day 1: 5 10-12 Day 2: 5 10-04
108. Michael Murphy East Syracuse, NY 8 20-12 93
Day 1: 5 16-15 Day 2: 3 03-13
109. John Garrett Union City, TN 10 20-12 92
Day 1: 5 11-06 Day 2: 5 09-06
110. Joe Labarbera Montrose, PA 10 20-12 91
Day 1: 5 09-11 Day 2: 5 11-01
111. Joel Willert Prior Lake, MN 8 20-11 90
Day 1: 5 16-07 Day 2: 3 04-04
112. Austin Cranford Moore, OK 10 20-11 89
Day 1: 5 13-04 Day 2: 5 07-07
113. Justin Dodson Chesterfield, VA 10 20-11 88
Day 1: 5 12-01 Day 2: 5 08-10
114. Jeff Salmon Chester, VA 9 20-11 87
Day 1: 4 09-00 Day 2: 5 11-11
115. Regan Coffey North Chesterfield, VA 10 20-10 86
Day 1: 5 08-11 Day 2: 5 11-15
116. Caleb Gibson Tahlequah, OK 10 20-08 85
Day 1: 5 10-06 Day 2: 5 10-02
117. Harrison Baker Quinton, VA 10 20-07 84
Day 1: 5 11-04 Day 2: 5 09-03
118. George Yund Albany, NY 10 20-05 83
Day 1: 5 14-03 Day 2: 5 06-02
119. Chad Pipkens Dewitt, MI 9 20-05 82
Day 1: 5 11-07 Day 2: 4 08-14
120. Kraig Kettelkamp Clifton Springs, NY 7 20-05 81
Day 1: 4 10-01 Day 2: 3 10-04
121. Greg Fisher Zanesville, OH 10 20-04 80
Day 1: 5 09-09 Day 2: 5 10-11
122. Frankie Appaluccio Franklin, NJ 10 20-02 79
Day 1: 5 12-08 Day 2: 5 07-10
123. Frank Arthur Fallston, MD 10 20-02 78
Day 1: 5 08-15 Day 2: 5 11-03
124. Richard Owen Bracey , VA 7 20-00 77
Day 1: 2 06-02 Day 2: 5 13-14
125. Casey Smith Macedon, NY 9 19-14 76
Day 1: 4 08-05 Day 2: 5 11-09
126. Keith Smith Leesburg, VA 10 19-14 75
Day 1: 5 11-07 Day 2: 5 08-07
127. Zak Fadden Plymouth, MI 10 19-13 74
Day 1: 5 10-04 Day 2: 5 09-09
128. Damian Szlachta Center Valley, PA 9 19-12 73
Day 1: 5 11-10 Day 2: 4 08-02
129. Kerry Frey Middlebury, IN 10 19-11 72
Day 1: 5 14-00 Day 2: 5 05-11
130. Garrett Rose Pipecreek, TX 10 19-10 71
Day 1: 5 06-14 Day 2: 5 12-12
131. Zach Goutremout Chaumont, NY 8 19-08 70
Day 1: 5 14-00 Day 2: 3 05-08
132. Trait Zaldain Fort Worth, TX 9 19-08 69
Day 1: 5 12-05 Day 2: 4 07-03
133. Brian Brooks Pittsgrove, NJ 10 19-03 68
Day 1: 5 09-11 Day 2: 5 09-08
134. Sam George Athens, AL 8 18-15 67
Day 1: 5 15-07 Day 2: 3 03-08
135. Jeffrey Brown Church Road, VA 9 18-15 66
Day 1: 4 08-09 Day 2: 5 10-06
136. Brad Elwood Clear Spring, MD 10 18-11 65
Day 1: 5 09-15 Day 2: 5 08-12
137. Matt Noraas Pamplin, VA 10 18-11 64
Day 1: 5 09-01 Day 2: 5 09-10
138. Douglas Lyon Glendale, OH 10 18-10 63
Day 1: 5 10-08 Day 2: 5 08-02
139. Wayne Vaughan Jr Chester, VA 10 18-09 62
Day 1: 5 11-15 Day 2: 5 06-10
140. Chancy Walters West Des Moines, IA 10 18-09 61
Day 1: 5 10-08 Day 2: 5 08-01
141. Wyatt Burkhalter Coker, AL 10 18-09 60
Day 1: 5 08-08 Day 2: 5 10-01
142. Trevor McKinney Benton, IL 10 18-07 59
Day 1: 5 07-00 Day 2: 5 11-07
143. Kyle Austin Ridgeville, SC 10 18-06 58
Day 1: 5 11-07 Day 2: 5 06-15
144. Jeremy Maye Windsor, VA 6 18-04 57
Day 1: 5 15-02 Day 2: 1 03-02
145. Tyler Ashby Swanton, MD 10 18-03 56
Day 1: 5 10-03 Day 2: 5 08-00
146. John Pelletier Castleton, NY 8 18-02 55
Day 1: 5 11-08 Day 2: 3 06-10
147. Rick Hawkins Roanoke, VA 9 18-02 54
Day 1: 5 08-04 Day 2: 4 09-14
148. Christian Mazzola Sr Walnutport, PA 10 18-00 53
Day 1: 5 08-09 Day 2: 5 09-07
149. Austin Hoke Lititz, PA 9 18-00 52
Day 1: 4 08-10 Day 2: 5 09-06
150. Parker Mott Winter Garden, FL 8 18-00 51
Day 1: 5 08-12 Day 2: 3 09-04
151. Bradley Hallman Norman, OK 9 17-15 50
Day 1: 4 08-10 Day 2: 5 09-05
152. Denis Karachopan Rocky Point, NY 8 17-12 49
Day 1: 5 12-11 Day 2: 3 05-01
153. Steven Camp Mechanicsvlle, VA 10 17-11 48
Day 1: 5 04-11 Day 2: 5 13-00
154. Tyler Conde Chepachet, RI 9 17-11 47
Day 1: 5 10-06 Day 2: 4 07-05
155. Joshua Geyer Loganton, PA 10 17-09 46
Day 1: 5 07-09 Day 2: 5 10-00
156. Lucas Bogosian Harrington Park, NJ 10 17-09 45
Day 1: 5 09-11 Day 2: 5 07-14
157. Patrick Martin St Roch De L Achigan Qu 10 17-07 44
Day 1: 5 06-05 Day 2: 5 11-02
158. Terry Baksay Bridgeport, CT 10 17-06 43
Day 1: 5 07-07 Day 2: 5 09-15
159. Scott Noel Loveland, OH 7 17-03 42
Day 1: 5 13-12 Day 2: 2 03-07
160. Trevor Lo Maplewood, MN 10 17-02 41
Day 1: 5 08-10 Day 2: 5 08-08
161. Matthew Szczoczarz Cumberland, RI 7 16-14 40
Day 1: 4 11-05 Day 2: 3 05-09
162. Tom Knee Newtown Square, PA 8 16-13 39
Day 1: 5 12-01 Day 2: 3 04-12
163. Ed Powell Sandyville, WV 7 16-11 38
Day 1: 5 12-02 Day 2: 2 04-09
164. Daniel Snyder Annandale, VA 9 16-10 37
Day 1: 5 09-09 Day 2: 4 07-01
165. Teb Jones Hattiesburg, MS 8 16-06 36
Day 1: 3 03-15 Day 2: 5 12-07
166. John Zeolla Oak Park, CA 8 16-04 35
Day 1: 5 10-00 Day 2: 3 06-04
167. Josh Summerville Lilly, PA 6 16-04 34
Day 1: 4 06-12 Day 2: 2 09-08
168. Jason Tibbetts Centreville, VA 9 15-15 33
Day 1: 4 03-15 Day 2: 5 12-00
169. Tj Milton Chester, VA 7 15-13 32
Day 1: 5 12-04 Day 2: 2 03-09
170. Ed Melton Houston, TX 7 15-11 31
Day 1: 3 06-11 Day 2: 4 09-00
171. Mike Rodevitz Colebrook, NH 6 15-10 30
Day 1: 1 04-13 Day 2: 5 10-13
172. Kenny Mittelstaedt Paynesville, MN 10 15-08 29
Day 1: 5 08-02 Day 2: 5 07-06
173. Gunnar Meger Otsego, MN 8 15-07 28
Day 1: 5 12-09 Day 2: 3 02-14
174. Jason Bishop North Prince George, VA 9 15-07 27
Day 1: 4 04-10 Day 2: 5 10-13
175. Chaz Carrington Suffolk, VA 8 15-07 26
Day 1: 5 08-06 Day 2: 3 07-01
176. Barry Brandt Jr. Newport News, VA 8 15-02 25
Day 1: 5 07-14 Day 2: 3 07-04
177. Ed Stiefel Mahwah, NJ 10 15-02 24
Day 1: 5 07-09 Day 2: 5 07-09
178. Steve Miller Mechanicsville, VA 5 14-13 23
Day 1: 5 14-13 Day 2: 0 00-00
179. Luke Plunkett Pinson, AL 9 14-11 22
Day 1: 5 10-06 Day 2: 4 04-05
180. Wilson Burton Jr Findlay, OH 7 14-08 21
Day 1: 3 05-00 Day 2: 4 09-08
181. Randy Lamanche Marcellus, NY 8 14-08 20
Day 1: 4 08-09 Day 2: 4 05-15
182. Justin Salisbury Binghamton, NY 10 14-08 19
Day 1: 5 07-01 Day 2: 5 07-07
183. Austin Archer Anniston, AL 10 14-04 18
Day 1: 5 08-02 Day 2: 5 06-02
184. Keith Nemcek St Charles, IL 8 14-03 17
Day 1: 5 11-00 Day 2: 3 03-03
185. Oliver Ngy Frisco, TX 7 14-01 16
Day 1: 5 12-05 Day 2: 2 01-12
186. Charlie Hartley Grove City, OH 7 13-10 15
Day 1: 5 10-15 Day 2: 2 02-11
187. Eddie Casey Whiteford, MD 6 13-06 14
Day 1: 5 12-04 Day 2: 1 01-02
188. Darryl Halbert Enoree, SC 8 13-06 13
Day 1: 4 05-03 Day 2: 4 08-03
189. Carmen Peluso Pittsburgh, PA 6 13-04 12
Day 1: 3 07-07 Day 2: 3 05-13
190. Andy Hribar Lakeville, MN 8 13-03 11
Day 1: 5 08-15 Day 2: 3 04-04
191. Randy Huffman Charleston, WV 8 13-03 10
Day 1: 5 07-05 Day 2: 3 05-14
192. Matthew Kite Powhatan, VA 5 13-02 9
Day 1: 5 13-02 Day 2: 0 00-00
193. Frank Poirier North Prince George, VA 8 13-02 8
Day 1: 5 09-08 Day 2: 3 03-10
194. Alex Peric Krum, TX 10 13-00 7
Day 1: 5 06-11 Day 2: 5 06-05
195. Bart Stanisz Wichita Falls , TX 6 12-05 6
Day 1: 3 07-04 Day 2: 3 05-01
196. David Boelkins Lake Zurich, IL 10 12-04 5
Day 1: 5 07-11 Day 2: 5 04-09
197. Steven Hatala Harrison Township, MI 8 12-04 4
Day 1: 5 07-03 Day 2: 3 05-01
198. Hunter Bland Williston, FL 9 12-02 3
Day 1: 5 07-05 Day 2: 4 04-13
199. John Mcgraw Hamilton Sq, NJ 6 11-15 2
Day 1: 1 02-06 Day 2: 5 09-09
200. Kevin Ledoux Choctaw, OK 9 11-07 1
Day 1: 5 04-12 Day 2: 4 06-11
201. Joe Spano Scranton, PA 6 10-15 0
Day 1: 2 03-03 Day 2: 4 07-12
202. Mike Cherry Hampton, VA 10 10-12 0
Day 1: 5 10-12 Day 2: 5 00-00
203. Jason Putman Cicero, NY 5 10-11 0
Day 1: 5 10-11 Day 2: 0 00-00
204. Tommy Stalb Manheim, PA 5 10-09 0
Day 1: 3 05-14 Day 2: 2 04-11
205. Troy Baxter Canton, NY 7 10-07 0
Day 1: 5 07-13 Day 2: 2 02-10
206. Chris Kingree Inverness, FL 7 10-07 0
Day 1: 5 07-07 Day 2: 2 03-00
207. Robert Hinds South Prince George, VA 6 09-13 0
Day 1: 4 06-05 Day 2: 2 03-08
208. Danny McGarry Newcastle CANADA 7 09-07 0
Day 1: 2 03-02 Day 2: 5 06-05
209. Gary Krammes Pottsville, PA 6 09-05 0
Day 1: 4 05-10 Day 2: 2 03-11
210. John Watts Jr Flushing, MI 5 09-01 0
Day 1: 4 07-10 Day 2: 1 01-07
211. Cody Bertrand Dyer, IN 9 08-11 0
Day 1: 4 08-11 Day 2: 5 00-00
212. Brian Mullaney New Market, MD 5 08-08 0
Day 1: 5 08-08 Day 2: 0 00-00
213. Danger Kelly Somerset, KY 5 08-08 0
Day 1: 2 02-13 Day 2: 3 05-11
214. Linwood Shores Powhatan, VA 5 08-07 0
Day 1: 5 08-07 Day 2: 0 00-00
215. Brock Belik Orchard, NE 5 08-01 0
Day 1: 4 06-03 Day 2: 1 01-14
216. Shane Rees Middletown, IN 5 08-00 0
Day 1: 5 08-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
217. Jonathan Carter Portland, ME 4 07-09 0
Day 1: 2 03-02 Day 2: 2 04-07
218. Billy Gilbert Hamburg, NY 5 06-15 0
Day 1: 5 06-15 Day 2: 0 00-00
219. Brian Hughes Barrie CANADA 4 06-14 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 4 06-14
220. Joe Ford Bewdely CANADA 4 06-04 0
Day 1: 4 06-04 Day 2: 0 00-00
221. Justin Dalton Green Bay, VA 4 06-00 0
Day 1: 4 06-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
222. Burley Warf Moneta, VA 4 05-10 0
Day 1: 2 03-15 Day 2: 2 01-11
223. Michelle Jalaba Birmingham, MI 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
223. Charlie Machek Midlothian, VA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 187 1046 2419-12
2 153 941 2056-05
----------------------------------
340 1987 4476-01

2021 Basspro.com Bassmaster Open at James River 5/13-5/15
James River, Richmond VA.
(NON_BOATER) Standings Day 2

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

1. Cody Stahl Griffin, GA 6 20-14 200 $22,553.00
Day 1: 3 11-05 Day 2: 3 09-09
2. Phillip Arnold Powhatan, VA 6 17-04 199 $5,307.00
Day 1: 3 06-10 Day 2: 3 10-10
3. Ryan Drewery South Prince George, VA 6 16-08 198 $3,980.00
Day 1: 3 10-11 Day 2: 3 05-13
4. Brian Langford South Chesterfield, VA 6 16-03 197 $2,985.00
Day 1: 3 07-08 Day 2: 3 08-11
5. Andy Semonco Chester, VA 6 16-02 196 $2,786.00
Day 1: 3 09-15 Day 2: 3 06-03
6. Donnie Meade Richmond, VA 6 16-01 195 $2,653.00
Day 1: 3 06-07 Day 2: 3 09-10
7. Bill Butler Chester, VA 6 16-00 194 $2,521.00
Day 1: 3 08-10 Day 2: 3 07-06
8. Stacey Jefferson Conway, SC 6 15-15 193 $2,388.00
Day 1: 3 09-09 Day 2: 3 06-06
9. Charles James Richmond, VA 6 15-04 192 $2,189.00
Day 1: 3 08-03 Day 2: 3 07-01
10. Bryan Folino Williamstown, MA 6 15-02 191 $1,990.00
Day 1: 3 05-07 Day 2: 3 09-11
11. Brad Goetz Montello, WI 6 14-12 190 $1,857.00
Day 1: 3 06-04 Day 2: 3 08-08
12. Joe Franzwa Pittsgrove, NJ 6 14-12 189 $1,725.00
Day 1: 3 07-14 Day 2: 3 06-14
13. Lynn Hoeffer Newport News, VA 6 14-10 188 $1,459.00
Day 1: 3 06-08 Day 2: 3 08-02
14. Robert Bruguiere Roseland, VA 6 14-08 187 $1,327.00
Day 1: 3 06-08 Day 2: 3 08-00
15. Marco Flores Topeka KS JAPAN 6 14-07 186 $1,194.00
Day 1: 3 08-03 Day 2: 3 06-04
16. James Schneider Watervliet, NY 6 14-04 185 $1,061.00
Day 1: 3 08-04 Day 2: 3 06-00
17. Michael Rustin Henrico, VA 6 13-07 184 $995.00
Day 1: 3 07-10 Day 2: 3 05-13
18. Akira Okuyama Forest Hills, NY 6 13-06 183 $995.00
Day 1: 3 03-15 Day 2: 3 09-07
19. Lenny Baird Stafford, VA 6 13-04 182 $995.00
Day 1: 3 08-14 Day 2: 3 04-06
20. Tommy Hamilton Disputanta, VA 6 13-03 181 $995.00
Day 1: 3 05-06 Day 2: 3 07-13
21. Austin Minton Prince George, VA 6 13-01 180 $929.00
Day 1: 3 07-02 Day 2: 3 05-15
22. Connor Westerman New Castle, PA 6 12-12 179 $929.00
Day 1: 3 05-06 Day 2: 3 07-06
23. James Johnson Chester, VA 4 12-10 178 $1,179.00
Day 1: 2 03-09 Day 2: 2 09-01
24. Jess Salmon Milford, NJ 6 12-10 177 $929.00
Day 1: 3 06-08 Day 2: 3 06-02
25. Mike Mueller Medway, MA 6 12-09 176 $929.00
Day 1: 3 06-02 Day 2: 3 06-07
26. Joe Mantione West Milford, NJ 5 12-08 175 $796.00
Day 1: 3 08-12 Day 2: 2 03-12
27. EJ Thomas Roanoke, VA 6 12-06 174 $796.00
Day 1: 3 07-08 Day 2: 3 04-14
28. A J Negley Charlotte, NC 6 12-05 173 $796.00
Day 1: 3 08-01 Day 2: 3 04-04
29. Alan Alfonso Jr. Ruther Glen, VA 6 12-05 172 $796.00
Day 1: 3 05-14 Day 2: 3 06-07
30. Ryan Lachniet Gum Spring, VA 6 12-04 171 $796.00
Day 1: 3 06-01 Day 2: 3 06-03
31. Brian Durham Dinwiddie, VA 5 12-01 170 $730.00
Day 1: 3 06-09 Day 2: 2 05-08
32. David Deciucis CHESTER, VA 6 12-00 169 $730.00
Day 1: 3 06-06 Day 2: 3 05-10
33. Scott Stephenson III South Prince George, VA 6 12-00 168 $730.00
Day 1: 3 06-03 Day 2: 3 05-13
34. Jon Jezierski Troy, MI 6 11-09 167 $730.00
Day 1: 3 05-00 Day 2: 3 06-09
35. Shon Pulley Greenfield, IN 6 11-09 166 $730.00
Day 1: 3 06-01 Day 2: 3 05-08
36. Lou Britos Disputanta, VA 5 11-08 165 $730.00
Day 1: 2 04-12 Day 2: 3 06-12
37. Jason Holder Powhatan, VA 6 11-08 164 $730.00
Day 1: 3 04-13 Day 2: 3 06-11
38. Jim Opetaia-Williamson Winter Garden, FL 6 11-08 163 $730.00
Day 1: 3 04-14 Day 2: 3 06-10
39. Travis Ruddock Mechanicsville, VA 6 11-08 162 $730.00
Day 1: 3 06-00 Day 2: 3 05-08
40. Kyle Patrick Cooperstown, NY 5 11-07 161 $730.00
Day 1: 3 08-09 Day 2: 2 02-14
41. Jesse Kidd Chesterfield, VA 6 11-07 160
Day 1: 3 07-04 Day 2: 3 04-03
42. Derek Brown Charlottesville, VA 6 11-06 159
Day 1: 3 04-13 Day 2: 3 06-09
43. Bill Telesca Cicero, NY 6 11-03 158
Day 1: 3 06-06 Day 2: 3 04-13
44. Aaron Bartlett New Kent, VA 6 11-03 157
Day 1: 3 06-03 Day 2: 3 05-00
45. Jody Gardner Tippecanoe, OH 6 11-02 156
Day 1: 3 05-06 Day 2: 3 05-12
46. Sakae Ushio Tonawanda, NY 5 10-15 155
Day 1: 3 07-15 Day 2: 2 03-00
47. Tevinn Rollins Hampton, VA 6 10-15 154
Day 1: 3 07-00 Day 2: 3 03-15
48. Chris Underwood Oak Hill, VA 5 10-14 153
Day 1: 2 05-13 Day 2: 3 05-01
49. Jack Pollio Lincolnton, NC 4 10-13 152
Day 1: 3 08-03 Day 2: 1 02-10
50. Cory Hartfield Centerburg, OH 6 10-12 151
Day 1: 3 06-00 Day 2: 3 04-12
51. Joe Stalb Manheim, PA 5 10-10 150
Day 1: 3 06-13 Day 2: 2 03-13
52. Mike Rinaldi North Haledon, NJ 6 10-10 149
Day 1: 3 04-13 Day 2: 3 05-13
53. Brok Schwartzkopf New Prague, MN 6 10-10 148
Day 1: 3 05-00 Day 2: 3 05-10
54. John Dunn Deltaville, VA 6 10-08 147
Day 1: 3 07-05 Day 2: 3 03-03
55. James Tilley Aylett, VA 6 10-08 146
Day 1: 3 07-01 Day 2: 3 03-07
56. Ralph Gibson Locust Grove, OK 4 10-08 145
Day 1: 2 05-08 Day 2: 2 05-00
57. Ryan Park Mount Joy, PA 6 10-05 144
Day 1: 3 02-14 Day 2: 3 07-07
58. Les Forrest Chesterfield, VA 6 10-00 143
Day 1: 3 06-05 Day 2: 3 03-11
59. Kevin Hesson Seneca, PA 5 09-14 142
Day 1: 2 05-04 Day 2: 3 04-10
60. Mike Anderson Harlem, GA 5 09-14 141
Day 1: 2 05-01 Day 2: 3 04-13
61. Chuck Boso Oklahoma City, OK 5 09-12 140
Day 1: 2 02-14 Day 2: 3 06-14
62. Bryce Bason Mill Hall, PA 4 09-11 139
Day 1: 2 03-04 Day 2: 2 06-07
63. Gerald Heffler Chester, VA 4 09-10 138
Day 1: 3 08-02 Day 2: 1 01-08
64. Roger Walters Jr Colonial Heights, VA 6 09-10 137
Day 1: 3 04-13 Day 2: 3 04-13
65. Eddie James Newport News, VA 5 09-09 136
Day 1: 3 07-08 Day 2: 2 02-01
66. Rodney Manson Glen Burnie, MD 5 09-09 135
Day 1: 3 05-01 Day 2: 2 04-08
67. Levi Allgeier Bardstown, KY 3 09-08 134
Day 1: 3 09-08 Day 2: 0 00-00
67. Shane Nelson Wadsworth, OH 3 09-08 134
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 09-08
69. Jacob Thompkins Myrtle Beach, SC 5 09-06 132
Day 1: 3 06-03 Day 2: 2 03-03
70. Timothy Nichols Pittsgrove, NJ 6 09-06 131
Day 1: 3 06-01 Day 2: 3 03-05
71. Avery Neely Richmond, VA 6 09-06 130
Day 1: 3 05-00 Day 2: 3 04-06
72. Joshua McGeary Mt. Pleasant, PA 3 09-04 129
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 09-04
73. Jamie Newton Falls Church, VA 4 09-04 128
Day 1: 1 03-05 Day 2: 3 05-15
74. Mark Kendra Great Meadows, NJ 5 09-03 127
Day 1: 3 06-10 Day 2: 2 02-09
75. JC Henry Elkton, MD 6 09-02 126
Day 1: 3 05-11 Day 2: 3 03-07
76. Travis Wyatt Disputanta, VA 4 09-01 125
Day 1: 1 01-01 Day 2: 3 08-00
77. David Booth Erin, TN 4 09-01 124
Day 1: 3 06-08 Day 2: 1 02-09
78. Tim Mcglenn Welcome, MD 6 09-00 123
Day 1: 3 06-09 Day 2: 3 02-07
79. Christopher McCarthy Woonsocket, RI 5 08-15 122
Day 1: 2 02-10 Day 2: 3 06-05
80. Angela Mayo Maiden, NC 3 08-13 121
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 08-13
81. Nicole Jacobs Saint Paul, MN 5 08-10 120
Day 1: 2 02-03 Day 2: 3 06-07
82. Dylan Walsh Greensboro, NC 5 08-10 119
Day 1: 3 03-13 Day 2: 2 04-13
83. Curtis Hall II Lenore, WV 6 08-10 118
Day 1: 3 03-15 Day 2: 3 04-11
84. Rick Williams Jr Sandston, VA 4 08-09 117
Day 1: 1 00-15 Day 2: 3 07-10
85. Anthony Griles Providence Forge, VA 5 08-08 116
Day 1: 3 06-03 Day 2: 2 02-05
86. Tri Nguyen Hampton, VA 4 08-08 115
Day 1: 1 03-03 Day 2: 3 05-05
87. Kevin Gregory Midlothian, VA 4 08-08 114
Day 1: 2 04-12 Day 2: 2 03-12
88. Samuel Jenesky Jr Cecil, PA 4 08-04 113
Day 1: 3 04-00 Day 2: 1 04-04
89. Shaun Clarke Midlothian, VA 4 08-03 112
Day 1: 3 06-14 Day 2: 1 01-05
90. Thomas Ulintz Mars, PA 4 08-02 111
Day 1: 3 06-15 Day 2: 1 01-03
91. Devon Norwood Kitson Montclair , NJ 5 08-01 110
Day 1: 3 06-00 Day 2: 2 02-01
92. Jordan Laclair Morristown, NY 5 08-00 109
Day 1: 3 04-04 Day 2: 2 03-12
93. Timothy Austin Urbanna, VA 4 07-13 108
Day 1: 1 01-14 Day 2: 3 05-15
94. Chris Whittaker Waverly, VA 5 07-12 107
Day 1: 3 04-06 Day 2: 2 03-06
95. Nathaniel Kilgore Franklin, VA 4 07-11 106
Day 1: 3 07-11 Day 2: 1 00-00
96. George Petrak Binghamton, NY 3 07-11 105
Day 1: 3 07-11 Day 2: 0 00-00
97. Chip Stith Piscataway, NJ 5 07-10 104
Day 1: 2 04-06 Day 2: 3 03-04
98. Scott Seros Redmond, OR 6 07-09 103
Day 1: 3 02-12 Day 2: 3 04-13
99. Tim Byers Emporia, VA 3 07-09 102
Day 1: 2 04-09 Day 2: 1 03-00
100. Richard Stewart Chesterfield, VA 5 07-09 101
Day 1: 3 03-09 Day 2: 2 04-00
101. Michael Oley North Chesterfield, VA 4 07-08 100
Day 1: 1 01-12 Day 2: 3 05-12
102. Travis Heath Chester, VA 4 07-07 99
Day 1: 2 03-09 Day 2: 2 03-14
103. John Barnes Henrico, VA 4 07-05 98
Day 1: 3 05-11 Day 2: 1 01-10
104. Jim Calhoun Norfolk, VA 4 07-04 97
Day 1: 3 05-13 Day 2: 1 01-07
105. Skyler Anderson Harlem, GA 4 07-03 96
Day 1: 2 03-07 Day 2: 2 03-12
106. Chris Newton Whitesboro, NY 5 07-01 95
Day 1: 2 02-00 Day 2: 3 05-01
107. Harry Moore Clarington, OH 3 07-00 94
Day 1: 3 07-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
108. Cody Wilson Ladson, SC 5 06-15 93
Day 1: 3 03-11 Day 2: 2 03-04
109. Christopher House Walworth, NY 5 06-14 92
Day 1: 2 03-04 Day 2: 3 03-10
110. Pete Kenny Yorktown, VA 4 06-11 91
Day 1: 3 05-13 Day 2: 1 00-14
111. Robert Winward Jr Newark, DE 5 06-10 90
Day 1: 2 01-15 Day 2: 3 04-11
112. Roland Burton Hopewell, VA 6 06-08 89
Day 1: 3 02-13 Day 2: 3 03-11
113. Matthew Strykul Falls Church, VA 4 06-07 88
Day 1: 1 00-14 Day 2: 3 05-09
114. Bobby Harris Sr Disputanta, VA 3 06-05 87
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 06-05
115. Paul Propst Jr. Kearneysville, WV 4 06-05 86
Day 1: 1 01-02 Day 2: 3 05-03
116. Dawson Wisner Westminster, MD 6 06-04 85
Day 1: 3 00-10 Day 2: 3 05-10
117. Jerry Tyler Weldon, NC 5 06-04 84
Day 1: 3 04-04 Day 2: 2 02-00
118. Trey Grow III Mechanicsville, VA 4 06-04 83
Day 1: 3 04-03 Day 2: 1 02-01
119. Mike Bell Lisbon, NY 3 06-03 82
Day 1: 3 06-03 Day 2: 0 00-00
120. Josh Hollins Chapel Hill, NC 4 06-03 81
Day 1: 1 01-11 Day 2: 3 04-08
121. Joseph Zapf Oak Ridge, NJ 5 06-02 80
Day 1: 2 02-15 Day 2: 3 03-03
122. Trevor Wright Chesterfield, VA 5 06-01 79
Day 1: 2 02-03 Day 2: 3 03-14
123. William Condrey Chesterfield, VA 3 06-00 78
Day 1: 3 06-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
123. David Dickerson Colonial Heights, VA 3 06-00 78
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 06-00
123. Daryl Moody Newport News, VA 3 06-00 78
Day 1: 3 06-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
126. Ashley Wilmore White Stone, VA 3 05-15 75
Day 1: 3 05-15 Day 2: 0 00-00
127. Jed Dickerson Chesterfield, VA 5 05-15 74
Day 1: 2 03-02 Day 2: 3 02-13
128. Brent Temple BREWERTON, NY 2 05-14 73
Day 1: 1 03-01 Day 2: 1 02-13
129. Wayne Drewery South Prince George, VA 3 05-11 72
Day 1: 3 05-11 Day 2: 0 00-00
130. Ben Jacobi Richmond, VA 4 05-10 71
Day 1: 3 04-12 Day 2: 1 00-14
131. Michael Mawyer Midlothian, VA 3 05-09 70
Day 1: 1 02-01 Day 2: 2 03-08
132. Rich Knisely Jr. Disputanta, VA 4 05-08 69
Day 1: 3 04-03 Day 2: 1 01-05
133. Taurus Lopez Ellenville, NY 3 05-07 68
Day 1: 3 05-07 Day 2: 0 00-00
134. Vinny Livingston Ivor, VA 3 05-05 67
Day 1: 3 05-05 Day 2: 0 00-00
135. Bud Biram Tulsa, OK 3 05-05 66
Day 1: 1 01-06 Day 2: 2 03-15
136. Austin Burton North Prince George, VA 4 05-05 65
Day 1: 2 02-04 Day 2: 2 03-01
137. Vince Stuccio Chesapeake, VA 4 05-04 64
Day 1: 3 03-12 Day 2: 1 01-08
138. Brian West Gloucester, VA 4 05-03 63
Day 1: 1 02-05 Day 2: 3 02-14
139. Michael Baldwin Jr South Chesterfield, VA 5 05-01 62
Day 1: 2 01-13 Day 2: 3 03-04
140. Brian Landkrohn Nashport, OH 3 05-01 61
Day 1: 1 02-07 Day 2: 2 02-10
141. Greg Mauldin Archdale, NC 4 05-00 60
Day 1: 1 00-12 Day 2: 3 04-04
142. David Everhart Kearneysville, WV 3 04-15 59
Day 1: 3 04-15 Day 2: 0 00-00
143. Jonathan Patkus Columbia, MD 2 04-15 58
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 04-15
144. Rusty Girard Norfolk, VA 4 04-15 57
Day 1: 2 03-00 Day 2: 2 01-15
145. Charles Cotton Hemingway, SC 3 04-14 56
Day 1: 2 04-00 Day 2: 1 00-14
146. Mark Westrick Hastings, PA 3 04-14 55
Day 1: 1 01-00 Day 2: 2 03-14
147. Gary Hall Delbarton, WV 3 04-13 54
Day 1: 3 04-13 Day 2: 0 00-00
148. Ron Ryals Jr Live Oak, FL 2 04-09 53
Day 1: 2 04-09 Day 2: 0 00-00
149. Daniel Istik Cranberry Twp, PA 3 04-09 52
Day 1: 1 02-06 Day 2: 2 02-03
150. Donnie Bowman Quinton, VA 3 04-07 51
Day 1: 3 04-07 Day 2: 0 00-00
151. Eric Hawks Galax, VA 3 04-07 50
Day 1: 1 01-09 Day 2: 2 02-14
152. Ricky Meyers Fredericksburg, VA 3 04-06 49
Day 1: 3 04-06 Day 2: 0 00-00
152. Josh Mossey Hillsborough, NC 3 04-06 49
Day 1: 3 04-06 Day 2: 0 00-00
154. Michael Mcmanama Hopewell, VA 2 04-04 47
Day 1: 2 04-04 Day 2: 0 00-00
155. Nathan Seymour Chester, VA 2 04-01 46
Day 1: 2 04-01 Day 2: 0 00-00
156. Chris Moore Mechanicsville, VA 3 04-00 45
Day 1: 3 04-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
157. Brendan Rhatigan Slingerlands, NY 2 04-00 44
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 04-00
158. Corey Burton Canton, OH 3 03-15 43
Day 1: 3 03-15 Day 2: 0 00-00
159. Tim Gunter York, PA

by AnglersChannel

Auburn University Pair Takes Lead In Bassmaster College Series Event At Smith Lake

Connor Jacob and Sam Smith, of Auburn University, are leading after Day 1 of the 2021 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series at Smith Lake presented by Bass Pro Shops with 14 pounds, 14 ounces.
Photo by Kyle Jessie/B.A.S.S.

May 14, 2021

CULLMAN, Ala. — A year after Connor Jacob and Sam Smith struggled to find quality bass on this fishery, the tandem from Auburn University is atop the leaderboard after Day 1 of the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series at Smith Lake presented by Bass Pro Shops.

Jacob and Smith, both 20-year-old sophomores, caught a limit of five bass Friday that totaled 14 pounds, 14 ounces. That gave them a narrow lead over the University of Michigan’s Paul Tabisz and James Ge, who are in second place with 14-8.

In all, 192 teams from 27 states are competing in the two-day tournament here in north-central Alabama.

Jacob and Smith had some quality catches on Friday, led by the 4-5 largemouth Smith hooked later in the day when the duo retreated from the high sun into the back of pockets off the main lake.

“We were on these trash mats, flipping around the edges, and I saw something that looked like fry swimming around,” Smith said. “I dropped down right through it and set the hook where (the 4-5) was.”

That bass likely bumped Jacob and Smith into the lead, though they were productive throughout the postcard-perfect day, with sunny skies and temperatures in the mid-70s.

The tandem fished swim jigs around docks first thing Friday morning and wound up with an early limit of spotted bass, including a 3-pounder. That was the same technique they tried last February during the College Series event here, but it didn’t work, and they wound up finishing 127th.

It was a different story on Friday, though.

“We were a year ahead of ourselves,” Jacob said, laughing. “Honestly, we expected it to be pretty slow today. We had two horrible days of practice. But within the first 45 minutes, we had that limit. I think it’s the ending of a shad spawn we saw last week. We spent the last few hours looking for new water. We didn’t catch too many that helped us today, but we found some places that can help us tomorrow.”

Jacob and Smith said they’ve caught bass in all three phases of the spawn since they began practicing on Lewis Smith Lake earlier this week. They think they can exploit any of those bites and make a run at the tournament title on Saturday.

“We caught a couple that had eggs coming out of them,” Jacob said. “We caught a bed fish in practice, and the big one Sam caught today, I’m pretty sure that was a prespawn fish. It was weird to see all that happening, but we’re happy with how we did today.”

Tabisz and Ge weighed five spotted bass on Friday and said they’ll target those again on Day 2.

“We couldn’t get anything going on largemouth in practice, but we found something pretty special on the spots,” Tabisz said. “We had our limit by about 9 o’clock. The bite’s been consistent since about Wednesday afternoon, so I think the weather holding steady for us has helped.”

Jacob Witkowksi and Layton Brown of Dallas Baptist University are in third place with a limit that weighed 13-8. Auburn anglers have the fourth and fifth spots locked down currently — Garrett Warren and Will Jones are fourth with 13-6 and Sam Hoesley and Sam Hanggi are fifth with 13-3.

The entire field will fish again Saturday with the top 10 percent of anglers (19 teams) advancing to the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series National Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops. That event will be held later this year at a location yet to be disclosed.

The Smith Lake tournament originally was scheduled to be held in April but was postponed following heavy rains last month that caused water levels in the fishery to swell. A Bassmaster Open event also scheduled for the lake was postponed, as well.

The second and final day of the tournament is set to begin with a 5:45 a.m. CT takeoff from Smith Lake Park. Weigh-in is scheduled to begin back at the park at 1:45.

2021 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series at Smith Lake presented by Bass Pro Shops 5/14-5/15
Smith Lake, Cullman AL.
(BOATER) Standings Day 1

Angler Club/School Pts

1. Connor Jacob - Sam Smith Auburn University 250
Day 1: 5 14-14 Total: 5 14-14
2. Paul Tabisz - James Ge University of Michigan 249
Day 1: 5 14-08 Total: 5 14-08
3. Jacob Witkowski - Layton Brown Dallas Baptist Univesity 248
Day 1: 5 13-08 Total: 5 13-08
4. Garrett Warren - Will Jones Auburn University 247
Day 1: 5 13-06 Total: 5 13-06
5. Sam Hoesley - Sam Hanggi Auburn University 246
Day 1: 5 13-03 Total: 5 13-03
6. Britt Myers - Tyler Anderson Lander University 245
Day 1: 5 13-02 Total: 5 13-02
7. Tyler Price - Ethan Shaw Bryan College 244
Day 1: 5 13-01 Total: 5 13-01
8. Hayden Scott - Griffin Fernandes Adrian College 243
Day 1: 5 12-15 Total: 5 12-15
9. Chris Payne - Terry Sentell Tennessee 242
Day 1: 5 12-13 Total: 5 12-13
9. Kollin Smith - Lilly Smith Emmanuel College 242
Day 1: 5 12-13 Total: 5 12-13
11. Gunner Whitaker - Mitchell Johnson Kentucky Christian University 240
Day 1: 5 12-12 Total: 5 12-12
12. Jack York - Jacob Miller Stephen F Austin State Universit 239
Day 1: 5 12-11 Total: 5 12-11
13. Landon Lawson - Donavan Carson King University 238
Day 1: 5 12-10 Total: 5 12-10
13. Colin Slentz - Evan Slentz Lander University 238
Day 1: 5 12-10 Total: 5 12-10
15. Grayson Morris - Jacob Pfundt University of Montevalllo 236
Day 1: 5 11-15 Total: 5 11-15
16. Ethan Jones - Joseph Bruener McKendree University 235
Day 1: 5 11-14 Total: 5 11-14
17. Judd Morgan - Joey Bissing University of Tennessee 234
Day 1: 5 11-13 Total: 5 11-13
18. Gus Mclarry - Dawson Cassidy 233
Day 1: 5 11-10 Total: 5 11-10
19. Landon Smith - Jacob Schrimsher Calhoun Community College 232
Day 1: 5 11-09 Total: 5 11-09
20. Jackson Staib - Baylor Howell Bethel University 231
Day 1: 5 11-08 Total: 5 11-08
21. Brooks Anderson - Parker Guy Emmanuel College 230
Day 1: 5 11-04 Total: 5 11-04
21. Ryan Feehan - Perry Marvin Virginia Tech 230
Day 1: 5 11-04 Total: 5 11-04
21. Lucas Smith - Dalton Mize Jacksonville State University 230
Day 1: 5 11-04 Total: 5 11-04
24. Brad Ableman - K.P Palmer Bethel University 227
Day 1: 5 11-03 Total: 5 11-03
25. Luke Glasgow - Connor Gable Itawamba Community College 226
Day 1: 5 11-02 Total: 5 11-02
26. Dustan Jones - Will Sams University of Kentucky 225
Day 1: 5 11-01 Total: 5 11-01
26. Daelyn Whaley - Cy Casey Emmanuel College 225
Day 1: 5 11-01 Total: 5 11-01
28. Jacob Butts - Trevor Gorman Erskine College 223
Day 1: 5 11-00 Total: 5 11-00
28. Kyle Kunst - Mitchell Gunn 223
Day 1: 5 11-00 Total: 5 11-00
30. Jack Tindell - Brett Fregia Lamar State College Orange 221
Day 1: 5 10-15 Total: 5 10-15
31. Jake Blumling - Nathanael Wright Emmanuel College 220
Day 1: 5 10-14 Total: 5 10-14
31. Thomas Mingle - Stone Payne Univerity of Tennessee 220
Day 1: 5 10-14 Total: 5 10-14
31. Caden Sweeten - Samuel Heichel 220
Day 1: 5 10-14 Total: 5 10-14
34. Chase Mundhenke - Blake Milligan Auburn University 217
Day 1: 5 10-11 Total: 5 10-11
35. Luke Henderson - Logan Hawkins Campbellsville University 216
Day 1: 5 10-10 Total: 5 10-10
36. Ty Mundhenke - Cam Busby 215
Day 1: 5 10-10 Total: 5 10-10
37. Rob Lindsey - Mason Cizek Bryan College 214
Day 1: 5 10-08 Total: 5 10-08
38. Matthew Bradham - Caleb Stephenson Campbellsville University 213
Day 1: 5 10-06 Total: 5 10-06
39. Tristan McCormick - Stevie Mills Bethel University 212
Day 1: 5 10-05 Total: 5 10-05
40. Logan Parks - Tucker Smith Auburn University 211
Day 1: 5 10-04 Total: 5 10-04
41. Rudy Worley - John Nowlin Blue Mountain College 210
Day 1: 5 10-03 Total: 5 10-03
42. Austin Carr - Justin Carr 209
Day 1: 5 10-02 Total: 5 10-02
42. Brian Linder - Nathan Thompson 209
Day 1: 5 10-02 Total: 5 10-02
42. Levi Mullins - Chase Milholen Bethel University 209
Day 1: 5 10-02 Total: 5 10-02
45. Joe McClosky - Ryan Winchester Bethel University 206
Day 1: 5 10-01 Total: 5 10-01
46. Drew Gill - Zebulon Frasure Wabash Valley College 205
Day 1: 4 10-01 Total: 4 10-01
47. Hunter Haraway - Malcolm Patton Calhoun Community College 204
Day 1: 4 10-00 Total: 4 10-00
48. Evan Seggerman - Nate Overocker Greenville University 203
Day 1: 5 09-15 Total: 5 09-15
49. Cade Fortenberry - Landon Baudoin Nicholls State University 202
Day 1: 5 09-14 Total: 5 09-14
50. Ty Black - Avry Thomason Georgia Southern University 201
Day 1: 5 09-13 Total: 5 09-13
50. Gunner Wilson - Zach Manneback Adrian College 201
Day 1: 5 09-13 Total: 5 09-13
52. Chase Carey - Dylan Akins Emmanuel College 199
Day 1: 5 09-12 Total: 5 09-12
52. Brady Harp - Jordan McCaleb 199
Day 1: 5 09-12 Total: 5 09-12
52. Jarred Jones - Logan Tate Jacksonville State University 199
Day 1: 5 09-12 Total: 5 09-12
55. Cole Breeden - Cameron Smith Drury University 196
Day 1: 5 09-11 Total: 5 09-11
55. Adam Carroll - Trey Dickert University of Montevallo 196
Day 1: 5 09-11 Total: 5 09-11
55. Jade Craft - Parker Mcmahan Arkansas Tech 196
Day 1: 5 09-11 Total: 5 09-11
55. Brenton Godwin - Hunter Odom University of Montevallo 196
Day 1: 5 09-11 Total: 5 09-11
55. Dalton Smith - Cade Hayford Campbellsville University 196
Day 1: 5 09-11 Total: 5 09-11
60. Bryar Chambers - Clent Blackwood Wallace State 191
Day 1: 5 09-09 Total: 5 09-09
61. Grant Gallagher - Ben Statly Adrian College 190
Day 1: 5 09-09 Total: 5 09-09
62. Cole Holloway - Taylor Mcmullen Emmanuel College 189
Day 1: 5 09-08 Total: 5 09-08
62. Tyler Lubbat - Hayden O'barr University of Alabama 189
Day 1: 5 09-08 Total: 5 09-08
64. Jordan Nicely - Sam Clark Georgetown 187
Day 1: 4 09-07 Total: 4 09-07
65. Wil Rigdon - Dustin Jones Campbellsville University 186
Day 1: 5 09-06 Total: 5 09-06
66. Emily Freeman - Braiden Koerber Murray State University 185
Day 1: 4 09-06 Total: 4 09-06
67. Ben Cully - William Gaddis Carson-Newman University 184
Day 1: 3 09-06 Total: 3 09-06
68. Colton Parrott - Jackson Denny 183
Day 1: 5 09-04 Total: 5 09-04
69. Tyler Vanbrandt - Jarrod Layton Adrian College 182
Day 1: 5 09-03 Total: 5 09-03
70. Jeremy Dellinger - Nathan Smith Catawba Valley Community College 181
Day 1: 5 09-01 Total: 5 09-01
71. Weston Bison - Tommy Teaster Lander University 180
Day 1: 5 08-13 Total: 5 08-13
71. Teddy Peznola - Jonathan Ayers University of Tennessee 180
Day 1: 5 08-13 Total: 5 08-13
73. Conner Crosby - James Cobbs Auburn University 178
Day 1: 4 08-12 Total: 4 08-12
73. Noah Pressler - Jacob Silver 178
Day 1: 4 08-12 Total: 4 08-12
75. Hunter Waldrop - Mark Kershaw University of South Carolina Uni 176
Day 1: 4 08-09 Total: 4 08-09
76. Dawson Burton - Jonathan Fraley Kentucky Christian University 175
Day 1: 5 08-08 Total: 5 08-08
77. Conner Johnson - Jake Thomas Georgetown college 174
Day 1: 5 08-07 Total: 5 08-07
78. Benjamin Moore - Hunter Ruber Eastern Kentucky University 173
Day 1: 4 08-05 Total: 4 08-05
79. Brycen Hendriks - Alex Palomba 172
Day 1: 5 08-02 Total: 5 08-02
80. Drew Elrod - Luke Byerly University of Tennessee Knoxvill 171
Day 1: 4 08-02 Total: 4 08-02
81. Benson Dowler - Tyler Pendergrass university of north alabama 170
Day 1: 4 08-00 Total: 4 08-00
82. Cordell Beckman - David Bartlett Greenville University 169
Day 1: 5 07-13 Total: 5 07-13
82. Isaac Duncan - Taylor Owens Blue Mountain College 169
Day 1: 5 07-13 Total: 5 07-13
84. Alden Keel Jr - Lake Norsworthy Blue Mountain College 167
Day 1: 4 07-13 Total: 4 07-13
85. Wyatt Pearman - Kyle Workman Campbellsville University 166
Day 1: 4 07-12 Total: 4 07-12
86. Aaron Cherry - Chandler Holt University of Montevallo 165
Day 1: 3 07-10 Total: 3 07-10
87. Bo Thomas - Kurt Antonowitsch Western Michigan University 164
Day 1: 4 07-09 Total: 4 07-09
88. Brody Kitchings - Nikolas Beckstein Mississippi State 163
Day 1: 4 07-06 Total: 4 07-06
89. Matt Short - Colton Combs Eastern Kentucky University 162
Day 1: 4 07-04 Total: 4 07-04
90. Lucas Oliver - Spencer Black Catawba Valley Community College 161
Day 1: 3 07-02 Total: 3 07-02
91. John Sells - Cooper Hesling Georgia Southern University 160
Day 1: 3 07-00 Total: 3 07-00
92. Sean Clayton - Owen Dimaio Clemson University 159
Day 1: 3 06-14 Total: 3 06-14
93. Hunter Bond - GL Compton Clemson University 158
Day 1: 4 06-13 Total: 4 06-13
93. Griffin Heffington - Drake Hemby Carson-Newman University 158
Day 1: 4 06-13 Total: 4 06-13
93. Hunter Jones - Colby Kerr Kentucky Christian University 158
Day 1: 4 06-13 Total: 4 06-13
96. Nate Triplett - Cody Barnes University of North Alabama 155
Day 1: 4 06-12 Total: 4 06-12
97. Cal Culpepper - Mason Waddell University of Montevallo 154
Day 1: 3 06-12 Total: 3 06-12
97. Wesley Livingston - Garrison Hendrix 154
Day 1: 3 06-12 Total: 3 06-12
99. Kaiden Dubose - Trace Moore 152
Day 1: 3 06-11 Total: 3 06-11
99. Dale Hansard - Mason Lee Jacksonville State University 152
Day 1: 3 06-11 Total: 3 06-11
101. Justin Botts - Conner Dimauro Bryan college 150
Day 1: 4 06-10 Total: 4 06-10
101. Fisher Overton - Fisher Young Blue Mountain College 150
Day 1: 4 06-10 Total: 4 06-10
103. Seth Jenkins - Taylor Green Emmanuel College 148
Day 1: 4 06-10 Total: 4 06-10
104. Drew Traffanstedt - Dakendrick Patterson University of Montevallo 147
Day 1: 4 06-08 Total: 4 06-08
105. Louis Monetti - 146
Day 1: 3 06-08 Total: 3 06-08
106. Tyler Campbell - Caleb Hudson Emmanuel College 145
Day 1: 3 06-07 Total: 3 06-07
107. Ryan Corcoran - Matthew Welcher 144
Day 1: 3 06-06 Total: 3 06-06
107. Cody Gregory - Hunter Fillmore Bethel University 144
Day 1: 3 06-06 Total: 3 06-06
107. Carson Maddux - Jake Maddux Auburn University 144
Day 1: 3 06-06 Total: 3 06-06
110. Jake Kimbrough - Grant Busby Blue Mountain College 141
Day 1: 3 06-04 Total: 3 06-04
111. Garrett Smith - Jonathan Hanna Erskine College 140
Day 1: 4 06-01 Total: 4 06-01
112. Matthew Benson - Garrett Ankerich Emmanuel College 139
Day 1: 3 06-01 Total: 3 06-01
112. Parker Brown - Reece Martin Dallas Baptist University 139
Day 1: 3 06-01 Total: 3 06-01
112. Jacob Klicman - Kent State University 139
Day 1: 3 06-01 Total: 3 06-01
115. Trevor Topken - Nicholas Nobles 136
Day 1: 3 06-01 Total: 3 06-01
116. Jackson Pontius - Riley Underwood University of Montevallo 135
Day 1: 3 05-15 Total: 3 05-15
116. Collin Sutherland - Aiden Free Erskine College 135
Day 1: 3 05-15 Total: 3 05-15
118. Jacob Emery - Aaron Jagdfeld Adrian College 133
Day 1: 3 05-14 Total: 3 05-14
119. Bradley Martin - Jack Baron University of Montevallo 132
Day 1: 2 05-14 Total: 2 05-14
120. Tate Sloan - Thad Simerly Tennessee Tech University 131
Day 1: 3 05-13 Total: 3 05-13
121. Lafe Messer - Matt Messer Kentucky Christian University 130
Day 1: 2 05-12 Total: 2 05-12
122. Jacob Davis - Auston Ballard Itawamba community college 129
Day 1: 4 05-11 Total: 4 05-11
123. Wyatt Wright - Austin Francis Emmanuel College 128
Day 1: 3 05-09 Total: 3 05-09
123. Corey Yaden - Blake Stephenson Brewton Parker college 128
Day 1: 3 05-09 Total: 3 05-09
125. Tommy Sendek - Andrew Howell University of Montevallo 126
Day 1: 3 05-08 Total: 3 05-08
126. Daniel Schroeder - Lukas Mckinney Murray State University 125
Day 1: 3 05-07 Total: 3 05-07
127. Tim Herrmann - bryan college 124
Day 1: 3 05-03 Total: 3 05-03
128. Hudson Tinnell - Sam Shiver Faulkner University 123
Day 1: 2 05-03 Total: 2 05-03
129. Harbor Lovin - Allen Mullins Murray State University 122
Day 1: 3 05-00 Total: 3 05-00
130. Robert Gee - Chase Dawson University of Tennessee 121
Day 1: 2 04-12 Total: 2 04-12
131. Austin Owen - Carter Thompson Clemson University 120
Day 1: 2 04-10 Total: 2 04-10
132. Garrett Thompson - Ethan Perry West Virginia University 119
Day 1: 3 04-08 Total: 3 04-08
133. David George - Jacob Lovell King University 118
Day 1: 2 04-08 Total: 2 04-08
133. Braden Perry - Aidan England Carson-Newman University 118
Day 1: 2 04-08 Total: 2 04-08
135. Morgan Miracle - Jake Thornbury Campbellsville University 116
Day 1: 3 04-07 Total: 3 04-07
136. Grant Olsen - Colsyn Head Mckendree University 115
Day 1: 2 04-06 Total: 2 04-06
137. Brock Bila - Jacob Welch Drury University 114
Day 1: 2 04-03 Total: 2 04-03
138. Tyler Greenlee - Cam Cornelius Georgetown College 113
Day 1: 2 04-01 Total: 2 04-01
139. Russel Buffa - Brayden Federer Adrian College 112
Day 1: 2 04-00 Total: 2 04-00
140. K.D. Sizemore - Auburn University 111
Day 1: 2 03-13 Total: 2 03-13
141. Thomas Millraney - Zachary Bowen Bethel University 110
Day 1: 1 03-13 Total: 1 03-13
142. Matthew Cummings - Joseph Woods Bethel University 109
Day 1: 2 03-11 Total: 2 03-11
142. Drew Jennings - Cody Griffith Auburn University 109
Day 1: 2 03-11 Total: 2 03-11
144. Jack Dice - Liberty University 107
Day 1: 2 03-10 Total: 2 03-10
144. Garrett McWilliams - John Berry Hinds community college 107
Day 1: 2 03-10 Total: 2 03-10
146. Christian Wright - Conner Giles Bryan college 105
Day 1: 2 03-09 Total: 2 03-09
147. Braden Jenkins - Bailey Rene Indiana University Southeast 104
Day 1: 1 03-09 Total: 1 03-09
148. Peyton McCord - Caleb Whitehurst Auburn University 103
Day 1: 2 03-05 Total: 2 03-05
149. Gavin Cloutier - Calvin Rogers King University 102
Day 1: 2 03-04 Total: 2 03-04
150. Austin Parr - Chase Cole Erskine College 101
Day 1: 1 03-04 Total: 1 03-04
151. Robert Cruvellier - Sam Harvey Auburn University 100
Day 1: 2 03-02 Total: 2 03-02
152. Avery Whitwell - Jackson Holbert University of North Alabama 99
Day 1: 1 03-02 Total: 1 03-02
153. Aaron Atwood - Jacob Drake Auburn University 98
Day 1: 2 03-01 Total: 2 03-01
154. Dustin Bauer - Cody Cissell Campbellsville University 97
Day 1: 1 03-00 Total: 1 03-00
155. Christopher Daniels - Alex Cummings Erskine College 96
Day 1: 2 02-15 Total: 2 02-15
156. Cole Dodson - Trent Jones University of Montevallo 95
Day 1: 1 02-15 Total: 1 02-15
157. Tyler Cory - Elliot Torode University of Montevallo 94
Day 1: 2 02-13 Total: 2 02-13
158. Dax Ewart - Wilson Smith Bethel University 93
Day 1: 1 02-11 Total: 1 02-11
159. Cade Rudiger - Cooper Thor Stephen F. Austin University 92
Day 1: 1 02-09 Total: 1 02-09
160. Preston Kendrick - Bryan College 91
Day 1: 1 02-08 Total: 1 02-08
161. Michael Childers - Calhoun Community College 90
Day 1: 1 02-07 Total: 1 02-07
162. Reese Kingston - Caleb Barrow Brewton-Parker College 89
Day 1: 1 02-04 Total: 1 02-04
163. Kyle Zainitzer - Walker Sahagun University of North Alabama 88
Day 1: 2 02-03 Total: 2 02-03
164. Calvin Currie - Hayden Fuhr Lander University 87
Day 1: 1 02-03 Total: 1 02-03
165. Connor Handley - Wallace State 86
Day 1: 1 02-02 Total: 1 02-02
166. Brandon Leach - Lain Peake Eastern Kentucky Unversity 85
Day 1: 1 02-01 Total: 1 02-01
167. Kaden Brown - Eastern Kentucky University 84
Day 1: 1 01-15 Total: 1 01-15
167. Chase Hubble - Brent May Florida Gateway College 84
Day 1: 1 01-15 Total: 1 01-15
169. Bryant Marsh - Tyler Hill Blue Mountain College 82
Day 1: 1 01-13 Total: 1 01-13
170. TJ Edwards - Camdon Lewis Blue Mountain College 81
Day 1: 1 01-12 Total: 1 01-12
170. Andrew Fisher - Bryan College 81
Day 1: 1 01-12 Total: 1 01-12
172. Dalton Coleman - Noah Hurford Kentucky Christian University 79
Day 1: 1 01-11 Total: 1 01-11
172. John Wesley Wardlaw - Easton Lindus Emmanuel College 79
Day 1: 1 01-11 Total: 1 01-11
174. Christopher Buckhart - Arkansas State University- Mount 77
Day 1: 1 01-10 Total: 1 01-10
175. Coleman Bingham - Cy Lambert Bethel 76
Day 1: 1 01-08 Total: 1 01-08
175. Seth Elkins - John Russell Reaves Jacksonville State University 76
Day 1: 1 01-08 Total: 1 01-08
177. Hunter Bailey - JR Young Jacksonville State University 74
Day 1: 1 01-07 Total: 1 01-07
178. Chandler Ellis - Parker Lambert Lander University 73
Day 1: 1 01-05 Total: 1 01-05
179. Kooper Abernathy - Geordan Grant Lamar State College Orange 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
179. Tanner Barclay - Lloyd Laconsay 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
179. Chase Clarke - Jk Guin Auburn University 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
179. Hunter Enlow - Lander University 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
179. Jon Gekiere - Carter Welch University of Arkansas 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
179. Avery Hammock - Daniel Wilson Erskine College 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
179. Elijah Kirk - Austin Goins bryan college 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
179. Austin Marley - Alex Belin Georgia Southern University 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
179. Shane Nelson - Adrian College 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
179. Chandler Olivier - Josiah Campbell University of Montevallo 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
179. Eion Patterson - Brandon Dayvault 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
179. Ashton Smith - Brewton-Parker College 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
179. Tyson Stork - University of Illinois 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
179. Cole Thompson - Chase Fernandez University of North Alabama 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00

by AnglersChannel

Old Boats Don’t Bother Clemson

Courtesy of Luke Stoner - Dynamic Sponsorships

Part of the spectacle of a Carhartt Bassmaster College Series tournament is the wide variety of boats, tow vehicles, and fishing equipment you see anglers using.

College fishing has elevated to a point that most teams fish out of relatively new, top of the line bass fishing vessels. But there are still plenty of smaller tin rigs and old boats that have a lot of character, with maybe a little JB Weld on the trailer or duct tape on the seats.

Enter GL Compton and Hunter Bond of Clemson University. Compton, who recently graduated with an Environmental Science degree and Bond, a senior studying Computer Science are here at Smith Lake this week competing out of a 1995 BassCat with the original 150hp Mariner outboard engine on the back.

Both Compton and Bond were born in 1997, which makes this bass fishing boat their elder. How many tournament anglers can say that nowadays?

“This boat is a legend,” laughed Bond. “We’ve been fishing out of this thing together for years and we really haven’t had many problems with it. It’s a bit of a beater but it’s treated us well.”

Compton’s family bought the boat about 12 years ago so he could use it in high school fishing tournaments. Instead of seeing the old boat as a disadvantage or a hindrance, Bond and Compton couldn’t be more proud of their tournament rig.

“Like Hunter said this boat has been good to us. We actually won the South Carolina High School State Championship out of this boat,” Compton beamed. “I don’t know that I’d trade it if I could.”

After working extra shifts last week to earn some gas money for the six-hour drive to Smith Lake from South Carolina, Bond and Compton were pleasantly surprised with what they found in practice. Day one of the tournament proved to be tougher than expected, but the duo from Clemson grinded out four keeper bass that weighed 6-lbs 13-ounces.

Not what they were hoping for, but they gave themselves a chance to catch a big bag on the final day of the event to shoot up the leaderboard and qualify for the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Championship later this summer.

“This is our last year fishing together in college so we’re just trying to make the most of it,” Compton said with a smile. “These past four years have been an absolute blast getting to meet new fishing buddies and travel around the country. I don’t want it to end.”

Compton and Bond embody many of the best aspects of college fishing as far as I’m concerned. A couple dudes who love fishing, aren’t afraid of hard work, and do their best to get the job done by any means necessary without much for excuses. Like many of their college fishing peers, they “get it”… and it has very little to do with fishing.

by AnglersChannel

Bobby Lane Leads Day 1 of Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Grundéns Stop 4 at Lake Eufaula

EUFAULA, Ala. (May 13, 2021) – Pro Bobby Lane of Lakeland, Florida, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 20 pounds, 8 ounces Thursday to grab the early lead after Day One of the MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by Bad Boy Mowers, Grundéns Stop 4 Presented by A.R.E. at Lake Eufaula. Pro Jason Abram of Piney Flats, Tennessee, ended the day in second place, just 5 ounces behind Lane after bringing a 20-3 limit to the scale. The fourth stop on the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit features bass fishing professionals from around the world competing for a shot to win up to $135,000.

Lake Eufaula was a bit stingy on Day 1 of the event, with only 90 pros catching a limit and less than half the field bringing more than 10 pounds to the stage. However, that didn’t seem to affect Lane or the other anglers atop the leaderboard.

Although he finished the day leading the pack, Lane said the morning did not start as he had anticipated.

“My initial plan was to catch them on a swim jig up on the shad spawn, but with the high winds and lower water levels this morning, it was hard to even keep the bait in the grass,” said Lane. “I thought I’d catch 12 to 15 pounds there easily – that’s what happened every morning during practice – but today it was super muddy and tough.

“Once I realized I wasn’t having any luck, I decided to switch to my back-up plan and run up North. I caught a 4-pound, 8-ounce bass first, followed by a 5-pounder and before I knew it, I had a limit.”

Feeling a little more secure, Lane said he started running waypoints, and to his surprise was able to cull and upgrade fish at every single one.

“At the end of the day, I pulled up in the creek [close to the ramp] and caught a real nice 4-pounder that culled a 2-pound fish, to get me over 20 pounds,” said Lane.

When it comes to his game plan for tomorrow, Lane said he’ll just have to see what Lake Eufaula has to offer and where he needs to adjust.

“I have no idea what tomorrow brings – I went almost three hours today without even a bite, fishing stuff that I should have been getting bit on,” said Lane. “I think they are feeding early so I’m hoping they are moving in and out of the same areas and I can be there to catch them early each day.

“This is the time of year I love to be on the water and I’m doing what I love to do – throwing a swim jig, a frog and flipping. It’s Lake Eufaula, so the fish live shallow year-round. I’m just hoping I can fish clean tomorrow and go out there and have fun.

“If I catch them tomorrow, I catch them, and if not, I caught enough today to probably survive and get a decent finish no matter what.”

The top 10 pros after Day 1 on Lake Eufaula are:

1^st:           Bobby Lane, Lakeland, Fla., five bass, 20-8
2^nd:          Jason Abram, Piney Flats, Tenn., five bass, 20-3
3^rd:          John Cox, DeBary, Fla., five bass, 19-2
4^th:           Evan Barnes, Hot Springs, Ark., five bass, 18-6
5^th:           Justin Lucas, Guntersville, Ala., five bass, 18-3
6^th:           Skeet Reese, Auburn, Calif., five bass, 17-4
7^th:           John Voyles, Petersburg, Ind., five bass, 16-13
8^th:           Ryan Davidson, Branchland, W.Va., five bass, 16-6
9^th:           Brad Knight, Lancing, Tenn., five bass, 16-4
10^th:        Mitch Crane, Columbus, Miss., five bass, 16-0

For a full list of results visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Abram won the day's $500 Berkley Big Bass award in the pro division after bringing a largemouth weighing 6 pounds, 6 ounces to the scale.

Overall, there were 637 bass weighing 1,522 pounds, 15 ounces caught by 157 pros Thursday. The catch included 90 five-bass limits.

The MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by Bad Boy Mowers, Grundens Stop 4 Presented by A.R.E. at Lake Eufaula is hosted by the Eufaula Barbour County Chamber of Commerce.

In Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit competition, the full field of anglers compete in the two-day opening round on Thursday and Friday. The top 50 pros based on their two-day cumulative weight advance to Saturday. Only the top 10 pros continue competition on Sunday, with the winner determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from the four days of competition.

Anglers will take off at 6:30 a.m. CT each day from Lakepoint Resort State Park, located at 104 Lakepoint Drive in Eufaula. Weigh-ins will also be held at the park daily at 3 p.m. Fans are encouraged to follow the action online through the MLF NOW! live stream and coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

The MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by Bad Boy Mowers, Grundens Stop 4 Presented by A.R.E. – Lake Eufaula event will feature live on-the-water coverage and a two-hour action-packed television show that will premiere on the Outdoor Channel on Sunday, August 22 from 7 to 9 a.m. ET and re-air on the Sportsman Channel this fall. Weigh-ins will be streamed daily and fans can catch live on-the-water action all day Saturday and Sunday, May 15-16 on MLF NOW! beginning at 7 a.m. CT at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

by AnglersChannel

Specific Cypress Pattern Gives Alexander Bassmaster Open Lead At James River

Greg Alexander, of Hebron, Md., is leading after Day 1 of the 2021 Basspro.com Bassmaster Northern Open at James River with 21 pounds, 2 ounces.

Photo by Brenden Kanies/B.A.S.S.

May 13, 2021

RICHMOND, Va. — Greg Alexander of Hebron, Md., made the most of his James River debut by sacking up a Day 1 limit of 21 pounds, 2 ounces to lead the Basspro.com Bassmaster Northern Open at the James River.

“I fish the Potomac and other tidal rivers, so I’m familiar with tidal fisheries,” Alexander said. “In practice, it seemed like you could catch them better on the high outgoing water than at any other time, but today I caught them all day.”

Alexander attributes his success to dialing in productive areas in practice and then giving them time to produce today.

“I could catch a lot of fish in a lot of places, but I found a couple of areas that were holding a little better fish,” Alexander said. “So, I just put my nose down and fished extremely slow through these areas.”

Alexander said he caught approximately 30 keepers today, including one around 6 pounds around 11 a.m. He started his day with a 5-pounder in the first hour.

Alexander spent his day on the James River and caught his fish around cypress trees. There’s no lack of this hard cover on the James, but Alexander said his fish were in specific scenarios.

“Everybody’s fishing cypress trees, but I got keyed in on a little deal,” Alexander said. “I could look at (a spot) and say, there’s one there.

“The way the trees are set up is key for me. I’m catching them shallow; they’re in 1 to 4 feet. Some of these fish are getting ready to spawn, and it looked like some of them have been done (spawning) for a long time and they’re just up there eating.”

While a Senko, shaky head, ChatterBait and beaver-style bait produced for him, Alexander caught his weight fish on a 1/2-ounce Cheeseburger Jig with a chunk trailer. An unnamed color proved essential for Alexander, but he also found that a specific presentation made a difference.

“I got keyed in on a jig that I like; I have just the right size, the right color, the right weight — I can go right behind people and catch them,” he said. “I’m definitely trying to do something specific with that jig.”

Jonathan Kelley of Old Forge, Pa., is in second place with 19-6. With multiple patterns established, Kelley worked through his options to recover from a disappointing morning that was likely caused by the mild cold front that lowered water temperatures by several degrees.

“I started on what I knew would get me a big limit, but the cold weather that came in and the low tide we had this morning really affected those fish,” Kelley said. “I scrapped that plan of fishing a pad field and I went to fish wood, but the tide was so low, I struggled.

“I ended up just picking one fish here, one fish there. It really came down to good decision-making on specific tides. That’s what got me the right bites. I was expecting to catch over 50 fish today, but I only caught 10.”

Kelley ended up catching his fish on rock structure in the Chickahominy and the James. Noting that he caught his fish on several different baits, Kelley said the cooler water temperatures required a slow retrieve.

Mike Hicks of Goochland, Va., is in third place with 18-13. While he had fared well in the pits (mining areas off the main river) during practice, devoting time to that pattern stung him today.

“I ran downriver and actually did better down there, and I only caught one fish that helped me once I came back up around noon, so I gave up at least three and a half hours of not catching anything today.”

Downriver, Hicks targeted cypress trees and caught his fish on a variety of baits, including a popping frog, crankbait, ChatterBait, flipping rig and dropshot.

Kerry Frey of Middlebury, Ind., is in the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors with his 6-8.

Cody Stahl of Griffin, Ga., leads the co-angler division with 11-5. Reporting a midday flurry that produced the bulk of his action, Stahl anchored his bag with a 5-9 that put up a nail-biting fight after biting in shallow wood cover.

“In practice, I figured something out about what they were doing — how they’re positioning in the cover,” Stahl said. “Today, it just came together for me.”

Bill Butler of Chester, Va., holds the Phoenix Boats Big Bass lead among co-anglers with a 5-11.

Alexander leads the Basspro.com Bassmaster Northern Open points standings with 200 points. Kelley is in second with 199, followed by Hicks with 198, Bo Boltz Jr. of New Kent, Va., with 197 and Gary Adkins of Green Bay, Wis., with 196.

Masayuki Matsushita of Tokoname-shi, Japan, leads the overall Falcon Rods Bassmaster Opens Angler of the Year points standings with 677.

Friday’s takeoff is scheduled for 6 a.m. ET at Osborne Park & Boat Landing. The weigh-in will be held back at the landing at 2 p.m.

2021 Basspro.com Bassmaster Open at James River 5/13-5/15
James River, Richmond VA.
(BOATER) Standings Day 1

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

1. Greg Alexander Hebron, MD 5 21-02 200
Day 1: 5 21-02
2. Jonathan Kelley Old Forge, PA 5 19-06 199
Day 1: 5 19-06
3. Mike Hicks Goochland, VA 5 18-13 198
Day 1: 5 18-13
4. Bo Boltz Jr New Kent, VA 5 18-08 197
Day 1: 5 18-08
5. Gary Adkins Green Bay, WI 5 18-07 196
Day 1: 5 18-07
6. Jefferson Hamilton Henrico, VA 5 18-06 195
Day 1: 5 18-06
7. Hugh Cosculluela Spring, TX 5 18-03 194
Day 1: 5 18-03
8. Jeff Queen Catawba, NC 5 17-09 193
Day 1: 5 17-09
8. Tyler Williams Belgrade, ME 5 17-09 193
Day 1: 5 17-09
10. Michael Murphy East Syracuse, NY 5 16-15 191
Day 1: 5 16-15
11. Rob Uzzle Hampton, VA 5 16-14 190
Day 1: 5 16-14
12. Marshall Johnson Montpelier, VA 5 16-12 189
Day 1: 5 16-12
13. Nicholas Bodsford Richmond, VA 5 16-10 188
Day 1: 5 16-10
14. Ryan Broughman Corapeake, NC 5 16-08 187
Day 1: 5 16-08
15. James Mignanelli Harmony, PA 5 16-07 186
Day 1: 5 16-07
15. Joel Willert Prior Lake, MN 5 16-07 186
Day 1: 5 16-07
17. Willy Dennison Iii III Willoughby Hills, OH 5 16-06 184
Day 1: 5 16-06
18. Gregory DiPalma Millville, NJ 5 16-01 183
Day 1: 5 16-01
19. Curtis Richardson Belleville Ontario CANA 5 15-13 182
Day 1: 5 15-13
20. Mark Heatwole Penn Laird, VA 5 15-09 181
Day 1: 5 15-09
21. John Conway, Jr. Jr Henrico, VA 5 15-07 180
Day 1: 5 15-07
21. Sam George Athens, AL 5 15-07 180
Day 1: 5 15-07
23. Garrett Geouge Lanexa, VA 5 15-06 178
Day 1: 5 15-06
24. Masayuki Matsushita Tokoname-Shi JAPAN 5 15-04 177
Day 1: 5 15-04
25. Jeremy Maye Windsor, VA 5 15-02 176
Day 1: 5 15-02
26. Michael Iaconelli Pitts Grove, NJ 5 15-00 175
Day 1: 5 15-00
26. Tommy Little Chester, VA 5 15-00 175
Day 1: 5 15-00
28. Travis Manson Conshohocken, PA 5 14-13 173
Day 1: 5 14-13
28. Steve Miller Mechanicsville, VA 5 14-13 173
Day 1: 5 14-13
30. Christiana Bradley Goldvein, VA 5 14-13 171
Day 1: 5 14-13
31. Brad Leuthnev Independence, MN 5 14-09 170
Day 1: 5 14-09
31. Kirk McMullen Greensburg, PA 5 14-09 170
Day 1: 5 14-09
31. Jeremy Sadowski Valuntower, CT 5 14-09 170
Day 1: 5 14-09
34. Stephen Estes Auburn, NH 5 14-07 167
Day 1: 5 14-07
35. Reese Hudson Broomall, PA 5 14-06 166
Day 1: 5 14-06
36. Craig Chambers Midland, NC 5 14-03 165
Day 1: 5 14-03
36. Greg Mansfield Olathe, KS 5 14-03 165
Day 1: 5 14-03
36. Ryan Whitacre Chicago, IL 5 14-03 165
Day 1: 5 14-03
36. George Yund Albany, NY 5 14-03 165
Day 1: 5 14-03
40. Turner Hart Ashland, VA 5 14-01 161
Day 1: 5 14-01
40. Andrew Upshaw Tulsa, OK 5 14-01 161
Day 1: 5 14-01
42. Kerry Frey Middlebury, IN 5 14-00 159
Day 1: 5 14-00
42. Zach Goutremout Chaumont, NY 5 14-00 159
Day 1: 5 14-00
44. Chase Clarke Virginia Beach, VA 5 13-15 157
Day 1: 5 13-15
44. Denny Fiedler Wabasha, MN 5 13-15 157
Day 1: 5 13-15
46. Burley Langford Jr. S.Chesterfield, VA 5 13-14 155
Day 1: 5 13-14
47. Stanley Sypeck Jr Sugarloaf, PA 5 13-13 154
Day 1: 5 13-13
48. Paul Kimball Glastonbury, CT 5 13-12 153
Day 1: 5 13-12
48. Scott Noel Loveland, OH 5 13-12 153
Day 1: 5 13-12
50. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 5 13-11 151
Day 1: 5 13-11
51. Chris Beaudrie Princeton, KY 5 13-10 150
Day 1: 5 13-10
51. Nolan Minor Charlottesville, VA 5 13-10 150
Day 1: 5 13-10
51. Jacob Powroznik North Prince George, VA 5 13-10 150
Day 1: 5 13-10
51. Michael Rowe Providence Forge, VA 5 13-10 150
Day 1: 5 13-10
55. Garrett Paquette Canton, MI 5 13-09 146
Day 1: 5 13-09
55. Tanner Ward Woodsfield , OH 5 13-09 146
Day 1: 5 13-09
57. Timothy Chaffin Quinton, VA 5 13-08 144
Day 1: 5 13-08
57. Alex Redwine Blue Ash, OH 5 13-08 144
Day 1: 5 13-08
57. Whitney Stephens Waverly, OH 5 13-08 144
Day 1: 5 13-08
60. Jonathan Ceaser Maidens, VA 5 13-06 141
Day 1: 5 13-06
61. Randy Elliott Severn, MD 5 13-05 140
Day 1: 5 13-05
61. Tyler Morgan Schuylkill Haven, PA 5 13-05 140
Day 1: 5 13-05
61. Scott Pellegrin Chippewa Falls, WI 5 13-05 140
Day 1: 5 13-05
61. Spike Stoker Cisco, TX 5 13-05 140
Day 1: 5 13-05
65. Austin Cranford Moore, OK 5 13-04 136
Day 1: 5 13-04
66. Matthew Kite Powhatan, VA 5 13-02 135
Day 1: 5 13-02
67. Mike Caul South Prince George, VA 5 13-01 134
Day 1: 5 13-01
68. Charlie Machek Midlothian, VA 5 13-00 133
Day 1: 5 13-00
69. Jeff Jensen Beech Creek, PA 5 12-12 132
Day 1: 5 12-12
70. Denis Karachopan Rocky Point, NY 5 12-11 131
Day 1: 5 12-11
71. Gunnar Meger Otsego, MN 5 12-09 130
Day 1: 5 12-09
72. Frankie Appaluccio Franklin, NJ 5 12-08 129
Day 1: 5 12-08
73. Nick Radtke Greenwood Lake, NY 5 12-06 128
Day 1: 5 12-06
74. Pete Gluszek Mount Laurel, NJ 5 12-05 127
Day 1: 5 12-05
74. Jacob Kupselaitis Powhatan, VA 5 12-05 127
Day 1: 5 12-05
74. Oliver Ngy Frisco, TX 5 12-05 127
Day 1: 5 12-05
74. Douglas Reed Bridgeton, NJ 5 12-05 127
Day 1: 5 12-05
74. Alex Wetherell Middletown, CT 5 12-05 127
Day 1: 5 12-05
74. Trait Zaldain Fort Worth, TX 5 12-05 127
Day 1: 5 12-05
80. Eddie Casey Whiteford, MD 5 12-04 121
Day 1: 5 12-04
80. Tj Milton Chester, VA 5 12-04 121
Day 1: 5 12-04
80. Kevin Park Waymart, PA 5 12-04 121
Day 1: 5 12-04
83. Brad Webb Hampton, VA 5 12-03 118
Day 1: 5 12-03
84. Ed Powell Sandyville, WV 5 12-02 117
Day 1: 5 12-02
85. Justin Dodson Chesterfield, VA 5 12-01 116
Day 1: 5 12-01
85. Tom Knee Newtown Square, PA 5 12-01 116
Day 1: 5 12-01
85. Brian Post Janesville, WI 5 12-01 116
Day 1: 5 12-01
88. Drake Hundley Church Road, VA 5 11-15 113
Day 1: 5 11-15
88. Wayne Vaughan Jr Chester, VA 5 11-15 113
Day 1: 5 11-15
90. Chris Atwell Mechanicsville, VA 5 11-14 111
Day 1: 5 11-14
90. Glynn Goodwin Marietta, OH 5 11-14 111
Day 1: 5 11-14
90. Marc Schilling Shady Shores, TX 5 11-14 111
Day 1: 5 11-14
93. Shayne Berlo Mclean, VA 5 11-13 108
Day 1: 5 11-13
94. Christopher Bryant Disputanta, VA 5 11-12 107
Day 1: 5 11-12
94. Matt Funk Suffolk, VA 5 11-12 107
Day 1: 5 11-12
96. Julius Mazy Phoenix, AZ 5 11-10 105
Day 1: 5 11-10
96. Damian Szlachta Center Valley, PA 5 11-10 105
Day 1: 5 11-10
98. Coop Gallant Bowmanville Ontario CAN 5 11-08 103
Day 1: 5 11-08
98. Justin Margraves Diana, TX 5 11-08 103
Day 1: 5 11-08
98. John Pelletier Castleton, NY 5 11-08 103
Day 1: 5 11-08
98. Cavin Young Sr Prince George, VA 5 11-08 103
Day 1: 5 11-08
102. Kyle Austin Ridgeville, SC 5 11-07 99
Day 1: 5 11-07
102. Chad Pipkens Dewitt, MI 5 11-07 99
Day 1: 5 11-07
102. Keith Smith Leesburg, VA 5 11-07 99
Day 1: 5 11-07
105. John Garrett Union City, TN 5 11-06 96
Day 1: 5 11-06
105. Matthew Mccarthy Marysville, OH 5 11-06 96
Day 1: 5 11-06
107. Matthew Szczoczarz Cumberland, RI 4 11-05 94
Day 1: 4 11-05
108. Harrison Baker Quinton, VA 5 11-04 93
Day 1: 5 11-04
109. Donnie Bell Jr Hopewell, VA 5 11-02 92
Day 1: 5 11-02
109. Jake Biram Tulsa, OK 5 11-02 92
Day 1: 5 11-02
109. Matt Pangrac Bixby, OK 5 11-02 92
Day 1: 5 11-02
112. Michael Zampese Haskell, NJ 5 11-01 89
Day 1: 5 11-01
113. Keith Nemcek St Charles, IL 5 11-00 88
Day 1: 5 11-00
114. Jason Burger Bridgeton, NJ 5 10-15 87
Day 1: 5 10-15
115. Charlie Hartley Grove City, OH 5 10-15 86
Day 1: 5 10-15
116. Brent Shores Boise, ID 5 10-14 85
Day 1: 5 10-14
117. Mike Cherry Hampton, VA 5 10-12 84
Day 1: 5 10-12
117. Jared Williams Hampton, VA 5 10-12 84
Day 1: 5 10-12
119. Trevor Jancasz White Pigeon, MI 5 10-11 82
Day 1: 5 10-11
119. Joe Lucarelli Center Harbor, NH 5 10-11 82
Day 1: 5 10-11
119. Jason Putman Cicero, NY 5 10-11 82
Day 1: 5 10-11
119. Timmy Thompkins Myrtle Beach, SC 5 10-11 82
Day 1: 5 10-11
123. Sheron Brown Leminster, MA 5 10-09 78
Day 1: 5 10-09
124. Douglas Lyon Glendale, OH 5 10-08 77
Day 1: 5 10-08
124. Chancy Walters West Des Moines, IA 5 10-08 77
Day 1: 5 10-08
126. Harvey Horne Bella Vista, AR 5 10-07 75
Day 1: 5 10-07
126. JT Thompkins Myrtle Beach, SC 5 10-07 75
Day 1: 5 10-07
128. Tyler Conde Chepachet, RI 5 10-06 73
Day 1: 5 10-06
128. Caleb Gibson Tahlequah, OK 5 10-06 73
Day 1: 5 10-06
128. Luke Plunkett Pinson, AL 5 10-06 73
Day 1: 5 10-06
131. Daisuke Aoki Minamitsurugun Yamanash 5 10-04 70
Day 1: 5 10-04
131. Jonathan Dietz Corry, PA 5 10-04 70
Day 1: 5 10-04
131. Zak Fadden Plymouth, MI 5 10-04 70
Day 1: 5 10-04
134. Tyler Ashby Swanton, MD 5 10-03 67
Day 1: 5 10-03
135. Destin DeMarion Grove City, PA 5 10-02 66
Day 1: 5 10-02
135. Tommy Williams Shepherdsville, KY 5 10-02 66
Day 1: 5 10-02
137. Kraig Kettelkamp Clifton Springs, NY 4 10-01 64
Day 1: 4 10-01
138. Eddie Levin Westerville, OH 5 10-00 63
Day 1: 5 10-00
138. John Zeolla Oak Park, CA 5 10-00 63
Day 1: 5 10-00
140. Brad Elwood Clear Spring, MD 5 09-15 61
Day 1: 5 09-15
140. Christopher Fiore Midlothian, VA 5 09-15 61
Day 1: 5 09-15
142. Nate Kendrick Milford, VA 5 09-13 59
Day 1: 5 09-13
143. Lucas Bogosian Harrington Park, NJ 5 09-11 58
Day 1: 5 09-11
143. Brian Brooks Pittsgrove, NJ 5 09-11 58
Day 1: 5 09-11
143. Joe Labarbera Montrose, PA 5 09-11 58
Day 1: 5 09-11
146. Greg Fisher Zanesville, OH 5 09-09 55
Day 1: 5 09-09
146. Daniel Snyder Annandale, VA 5 09-09 55
Day 1: 5 09-09
148. Frank Poirier North Prince George, VA 5 09-08 53
Day 1: 5 09-08
149. Cass Terrance Akwewsane, NY 5 09-06 52
Day 1: 5 09-06
150. Blake Sylvester Plaquemine, LA 5 09-04 51
Day 1: 5 09-04
151. Brian Bylotas Scott Township, PA 5 09-02 50
Day 1: 5 09-02
152. Matt Noraas Pamplin, VA 5 09-01 49
Day 1: 5 09-01
153. Jeff Salmon Chester, VA 4 09-00 48
Day 1: 4 09-00
154. Frank Arthur Fallston, MD 5 08-15 47
Day 1: 5 08-15
154. Andy Hribar Lakeville, MN 5 08-15 47
Day 1: 5 08-15
156. Parker Mott Winter Garden, FL 5 08-12 45
Day 1: 5 08-12
157. Regan Coffey North Chesterfield, VA 5 08-11 44
Day 1: 5 08-11
157. Steven Colgin Lanexa, VA 5 08-11 44
Day 1: 5 08-11
159. Cody Bertrand Dyer, IN 4 08-11 42
Day 1: 4 08-11
160. Trevor Lo Maplewood, MN 5 08-10 41
Day 1: 5 08-10
161. Bradley Hallman Norman, OK 4 08-10 40
Day 1: 4 08-10
161. Austin Hoke Lititz, PA 4 08-10 40
Day 1: 4 08-10
163. Christian Mazzola Sr Walnutport, PA 5 08-09 38
Day 1: 5 08-09
163. Lucas Murphy Lexington, MI 5 08-09 38
Day 1: 5 08-09
165. Jeffrey Brown Church Road, VA 4 08-09 36
Day 1: 4 08-09
165. Randy Lamanche Marcellus, NY 4 08-09 36
Day 1: 4 08-09
167. Wyatt Burkhalter Coker, AL 5 08-08 34
Day 1: 5 08-08
167. Brian Mullaney New Market, MD 5 08-08 34
Day 1: 5 08-08
169. Linwood Shores Powhatan, VA 5 08-07 32
Day 1: 5 08-07
170. Chaz Carrington Suffolk, VA 5 08-06 31
Day 1: 5 08-06
171. Casey Smith Macedon, NY 4 08-05 30
Day 1: 4 08-05
172. Rick Hawkins Roanoke, VA 5 08-04 29
Day 1: 5 08-04
173. Austin Archer Anniston, AL 5 08-02 28
Day 1: 5 08-02
173. Kenny Mittelstaedt Paynesville, MN 5 08-02 28
Day 1: 5 08-02
175. Shane Rees Middletown, IN 5 08-00 26
Day 1: 5 08-00
176. Barry Brandt Jr. Newport News, VA 5 07-14 25
Day 1: 5 07-14
177. Troy Baxter Canton, NY 5 07-13 24
Day 1: 5 07-13
178. David Boelkins Lake Zurich, IL 5 07-11 23
Day 1: 5 07-11
179. John Watts Jr Flushing, MI 4 07-10 22
Day 1: 4 07-10
180. Joshua Geyer Loganton, PA 5 07-09 21
Day 1: 5 07-09
180. Ryan Powroznik Prince George, VA 5 07-09 21
Day 1: 5 07-09
180. Ed Stiefel Mahwah, NJ 5 07-09 21
Day 1: 5 07-09
183. Terry Baksay Bridgeport, CT 5 07-07 18
Day 1: 5 07-07
183. Chris Kingree Inverness, FL 5 07-07 18
Day 1: 5 07-07
185. Carmen Peluso Pittsburgh, PA 3 07-07 16
Day 1: 3 07-07
186. Hunter Bland Williston, FL 5 07-05 15
Day 1: 5 07-05
186. Randy Huffman Charleston, WV 5 07-05 15
Day 1: 5 07-05
188. Bart Stanisz Wichita Falls , TX 3 07-04 13
Day 1: 3 07-04
189. Steven Hatala Harrison Township, MI 5 07-03 12
Day 1: 5 07-03
189. Cameron Smith Wareham, MA 5 07-03 12
Day 1: 5 07-03
191. Joe Carr Lanexa, VA 5 07-01 10
Day 1: 5 07-01
192. Justin Salisbury Binghamton, NY 5 07-01 9
Day 1: 5 07-01
193. Trevor McKinney Benton, IL 5 07-00 8
Day 1: 5 07-00
194. Billy Gilbert Hamburg, NY 5 06-15 7
Day 1: 5 06-15
195. Garrett Rose Pipecreek, TX 5 06-14 6
Day 1: 5 06-14
196. Josh Summerville Lilly, PA 4 06-12 5
Day 1: 4 06-12
197. Steve Morella Townshend, VT 5 06-11 4
Day 1: 5 06-11
197. Alex Peric Krum, TX 5 06-11 4
Day 1: 5 06-11
199. Ed Melton Houston, TX 3 06-11 2
Day 1: 3 06-11
200. Patrick Martin St Roch De L Achigan Qu 5 06-05 1
Day 1: 5 06-05
201. Robert Hinds South Prince George, VA 4 06-05 0
Day 1: 4 06-05
202. Brian Brooks Chesterfield, VA 3 06-05 0
Day 1: 3 06-05
203. Joe Ford Bewdely CANADA 4 06-04 0
Day 1: 4 06-04
204. Brock Belik Orchard, NE 4 06-03 0
Day 1: 4 06-03
205. Richard Owen Bracey , VA 2 06-02 0
Day 1: 2 06-02
206. Justin Dalton Green Bay, VA 4 06-00 0
Day 1: 4 06-00
207. Tommy Stalb Manheim, PA 3 05-14 0
Day 1: 3 05-14
208. Gary Krammes Pottsville, PA 4 05-10 0
Day 1: 4 05-10
209. Darryl Halbert Enoree, SC 4 05-03 0
Day 1: 4 05-03
210. Wilson Burton Jr Findlay, OH 3 05-00 0
Day 1: 3 05-00
211. Mike Rodevitz Colebrook, NH 1 04-13 0
Day 1: 1 04-13
212. Kevin Ledoux Choctaw, OK 5 04-12 0
Day 1: 5 04-12
213. Steven Camp Mechanicsvlle, VA 5 04-11 0
Day 1: 5 04-11
214. Jason Bishop North Prince George, VA 4 04-10 0
Day 1: 4 04-10
215. Jason Tibbetts Centreville, VA 4 03-15 0
Day 1: 4 03-15
216. Teb Jones Hattiesburg, MS 3 03-15 0
Day 1: 3 03-15
217. Burley Warf Moneta, VA 2 03-15 0
Day 1: 2 03-15
218. Joe Spano Scranton, PA 2 03-03 0
Day 1: 2 03-03
219. Jonathan Carter Portland, ME 2 03-02 0
Day 1: 2 03-02
219. Danny McGarry Newcastle CANADA 2 03-02 0
Day 1: 2 03-02
221. Danger Kelly Somerset, KY 2 02-13 0
Day 1: 2 02-13
222. John Mcgraw Hamilton Sq, NJ 1 02-06 0
Day 1: 1 02-06
223. Brian Hughes Barrie CANADA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
223. Michelle Jalaba Birmingham, MI 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 188 1051 2432-12
----------------------------------
188 1051 2432-12

2021 Basspro.com Bassmaster Open at James River 5/13-5/15
James River, Richmond VA.
(NON_BOATER) Standings Day 1

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

1. Cody Stahl Griffin, GA 3 11-05 200
Day 1: 3 11-05
2. Ryan Drewery South Prince George, VA 3 10-11 199
Day 1: 3 10-11
3. Andy Semonco Chester, VA 3 09-15 198
Day 1: 3 09-15
4. Stacey Jefferson Conway, SC 3 09-09 197
Day 1: 3 09-09
5. Levi Allgeier Bardstown, KY 3 09-08 196
Day 1: 3 09-08
6. Lenny Baird Stafford, VA 3 08-14 195
Day 1: 3 08-14
7. Joe Mantione West Milford, NJ 3 08-12 194
Day 1: 3 08-12
8. Bill Butler Chester, VA 3 08-10 193
Day 1: 3 08-10
9. Kyle Patrick Cooperstown, NY 3 08-09 192
Day 1: 3 08-09
10. James Schneider Watervliet, NY 3 08-04 191
Day 1: 3 08-04
11. Marco Flores Topeka KS JAPAN 3 08-03 190
Day 1: 3 08-03
11. Charles James Richmond, VA 3 08-03 190
Day 1: 3 08-03
11. Jack Pollio Lincolnton, NC 3 08-03 190
Day 1: 3 08-03
14. Gerald Heffler Chester, VA 3 08-02 187
Day 1: 3 08-02
15. A J Negley Charlotte, NC 3 08-01 186
Day 1: 3 08-01
16. Sakae Ushio Tonawanda, NY 3 07-15 185
Day 1: 3 07-15
17. Joe Franzwa Pittsgrove, NJ 3 07-14 184
Day 1: 3 07-14
18. Nathaniel Kilgore Franklin, VA 3 07-11 183
Day 1: 3 07-11
18. George Petrak Binghamton, NY 3 07-11 183
Day 1: 3 07-11
20. Michael Rustin Henrico, VA 3 07-10 181
Day 1: 3 07-10
21. Eddie James Newport News, VA 3 07-08 180
Day 1: 3 07-08
21. Brian Langford South Chesterfield, VA 3 07-08 180
Day 1: 3 07-08
21. EJ Thomas Roanoke, VA 3 07-08 180
Day 1: 3 07-08
24. John Dunn Deltaville, VA 3 07-05 177
Day 1: 3 07-05
25. Jesse Kidd Chesterfield, VA 3 07-04 176
Day 1: 3 07-04
26. Austin Minton Prince George, VA 3 07-02 175
Day 1: 3 07-02
27. James Tilley Aylett, VA 3 07-01 174
Day 1: 3 07-01
28. Harry Moore Clarington, OH 3 07-00 173
Day 1: 3 07-00
28. Tevinn Rollins Hampton, VA 3 07-00 173
Day 1: 3 07-00
30. Thomas Ulintz Mars, PA 3 06-15 171
Day 1: 3 06-15
31. Shaun Clarke Midlothian, VA 3 06-14 170
Day 1: 3 06-14
32. Joe Stalb Manheim, PA 3 06-13 169
Day 1: 3 06-13
33. Phillip Arnold Powhatan, VA 3 06-10 168
Day 1: 3 06-10
33. Mark Kendra Great Meadows, NJ 3 06-10 168
Day 1: 3 06-10
35. Brian Durham Dinwiddie, VA 3 06-09 166
Day 1: 3 06-09
35. Tim Mcglenn Welcome, MD 3 06-09 166
Day 1: 3 06-09
37. David Booth Erin, TN 3 06-08 164
Day 1: 3 06-08
37. Robert Bruguiere Roseland, VA 3 06-08 164
Day 1: 3 06-08
37. Lynn Hoeffer Newport News, VA 3 06-08 164
Day 1: 3 06-08
37. Jess Salmon Milford, NJ 3 06-08 164
Day 1: 3 06-08
41. Donnie Meade Richmond, VA 3 06-07 160
Day 1: 3 06-07
42. David Deciucis CHESTER, VA 3 06-06 159
Day 1: 3 06-06
42. Bill Telesca Cicero, NY 3 06-06 159
Day 1: 3 06-06
44. Les Forrest Chesterfield, VA 3 06-05 157
Day 1: 3 06-05
45. Brad Goetz Montello, WI 3 06-04 156
Day 1: 3 06-04
46. Aaron Bartlett New Kent, VA 3 06-03 155
Day 1: 3 06-03
46. Mike Bell Lisbon, NY 3 06-03 155
Day 1: 3 06-03
46. Anthony Griles Providence Forge, VA 3 06-03 155
Day 1: 3 06-03
46. Scott Stephenson III South Prince George, VA 3 06-03 155
Day 1: 3 06-03
46. Jacob Thompkins Myrtle Beach, SC 3 06-03 155
Day 1: 3 06-03
51. Mike Mueller Medway, MA 3 06-02 150
Day 1: 3 06-02
52. Ryan Lachniet Gum Spring, VA 3 06-01 149
Day 1: 3 06-01
52. Timothy Nichols Pittsgrove, NJ 3 06-01 149
Day 1: 3 06-01
52. Shon Pulley Greenfield, IN 3 06-01 149
Day 1: 3 06-01
55. William Condrey Chesterfield, VA 3 06-00 146
Day 1: 3 06-00
55. Cory Hartfield Centerburg, OH 3 06-00 146
Day 1: 3 06-00
55. Daryl Moody Newport News, VA 3 06-00 146
Day 1: 3 06-00
55. Devon Norwood Kitson Montclair , NJ 3 06-00 146
Day 1: 3 06-00
55. Travis Ruddock Mechanicsville, VA 3 06-00 146
Day 1: 3 06-00
60. Ashley Wilmore White Stone, VA 3 05-15 141
Day 1: 3 05-15
61. Alan Alfonso Jr. Ruther Glen, VA 3 05-14 140
Day 1: 3 05-14
62. Jim Calhoun Norfolk, VA 3 05-13 139
Day 1: 3 05-13
62. Pete Kenny Yorktown, VA 3 05-13 139
Day 1: 3 05-13
64. Chris Underwood Oak Hill, VA 2 05-13 137
Day 1: 2 05-13
65. John Barnes Henrico, VA 3 05-11 136
Day 1: 3 05-11
65. Wayne Drewery South Prince George, VA 3 05-11 136
Day 1: 3 05-11
65. JC Henry Elkton, MD 3 05-11 136
Day 1: 3 05-11
68. Ralph Gibson Locust Grove, OK 2 05-08 133
Day 1: 2 05-08
69. Bryan Folino Williamstown, MA 3 05-07 132
Day 1: 3 05-07
69. Taurus Lopez Ellenville, NY 3 05-07 132
Day 1: 3 05-07
71. Jody Gardner Tippecanoe, OH 3 05-06 130
Day 1: 3 05-06
71. Tommy Hamilton Disputanta, VA 3 05-06 130
Day 1: 3 05-06
71. Connor Westerman New Castle, PA 3 05-06 130
Day 1: 3 05-06
74. Vinny Livingston Ivor, VA 3 05-05 127
Day 1: 3 05-05
75. Kevin Hesson Seneca, PA 2 05-04 126
Day 1: 2 05-04
76. Rodney Manson Glen Burnie, MD 3 05-01 125
Day 1: 3 05-01
77. Mike Anderson Harlem, GA 2 05-01 124
Day 1: 2 05-01
78. Jon Jezierski Troy, MI 3 05-00 123
Day 1: 3 05-00
78. Avery Neely Richmond, VA 3 05-00 123
Day 1: 3 05-00
78. Brok Schwartzkopf New Prague, MN 3 05-00 123
Day 1: 3 05-00
81. David Everhart Kearneysville, WV 3 04-15 120
Day 1: 3 04-15
82. Jim Opetaia-Williamson Winter Garden, FL 3 04-14 119
Day 1: 3 04-14
83. Derek Brown Charlottesville, VA 3 04-13 118
Day 1: 3 04-13
83. Gary Hall Delbarton, WV 3 04-13 118
Day 1: 3 04-13
83. Jason Holder Powhatan, VA 3 04-13 118
Day 1: 3 04-13
83. Mike Rinaldi North Haledon, NJ 3 04-13 118
Day 1: 3 04-13
83. Roger Walters Jr Colonial Heights, VA 3 04-13 118
Day 1: 3 04-13
88. Ben Jacobi Richmond, VA 3 04-12 113
Day 1: 3 04-12
89. Lou Britos Disputanta, VA 2 04-12 112
Day 1: 2 04-12
89. Kevin Gregory Midlothian, VA 2 04-12 112
Day 1: 2 04-12
91. Tim Byers Emporia, VA 2 04-09 110
Day 1: 2 04-09
91. Ron Ryals Jr Live Oak, FL 2 04-09 110
Day 1: 2 04-09
93. Donnie Bowman Quinton, VA 3 04-07 108
Day 1: 3 04-07
94. Ricky Meyers Fredericksburg, VA 3 04-06 107
Day 1: 3 04-06
94. Josh Mossey Hillsborough, NC 3 04-06 107
Day 1: 3 04-06
94. Chris Whittaker Waverly, VA 3 04-06 107
Day 1: 3 04-06
97. Chip Stith Piscataway, NJ 2 04-06 104
Day 1: 2 04-06
98. Jordan Laclair Morristown, NY 3 04-04 103
Day 1: 3 04-04
98. Jerry Tyler Weldon, NC 3 04-04 103
Day 1: 3 04-04
100. Michael Mcmanama Hopewell, VA 2 04-04 101
Day 1: 2 04-04
101. Trey Grow III Mechanicsville, VA 3 04-03 100
Day 1: 3 04-03
101. Rich Knisely Jr. Disputanta, VA 3 04-03 100
Day 1: 3 04-03
103. Nathan Seymour Chester, VA 2 04-01 98
Day 1: 2 04-01
104. Samuel Jenesky Jr Cecil, PA 3 04-00 97
Day 1: 3 04-00
104. Chris Moore Mechanicsville, VA 3 04-00 97
Day 1: 3 04-00
106. Charles Cotton Hemingway, SC 2 04-00 95
Day 1: 2 04-00
107. Corey Burton Canton, OH 3 03-15 94
Day 1: 3 03-15
107. Curtis Hall II Lenore, WV 3 03-15 94
Day 1: 3 03-15
107. Akira Okuyama Forest Hills, NY 3 03-15 94
Day 1: 3 03-15
110. Dylan Walsh Greensboro, NC 3 03-13 91
Day 1: 3 03-13
111. Tim Gunter York, PA 2 03-13 90
Day 1: 2 03-13
112. Sherman Moss Charlottesville, VA 1 03-13 89
Day 1: 1 03-13
113. Vince Stuccio Chesapeake, VA 3 03-12 88
Day 1: 3 03-12
114. Cody Wilson Ladson, SC 3 03-11 87
Day 1: 3 03-11
115. Richard Stewart Chesterfield, VA 3 03-09 86
Day 1: 3 03-09
116. Travis Heath Chester, VA 2 03-09 85
Day 1: 2 03-09
116. James Johnson Chester, VA 2 03-09 85
Day 1: 2 03-09
118. Skyler Anderson Harlem, GA 2 03-07 83
Day 1: 2 03-07
119. David Williams Fredericksburg, VA 3 03-06 82
Day 1: 3 03-06
120. Jamie Newton Falls Church, VA 1 03-05 81
Day 1: 1 03-05
121. Bryce Bason Mill Hall, PA 2 03-04 80
Day 1: 2 03-04
121. Christopher House Walworth, NY 2 03-04 80
Day 1: 2 03-04
123. Christopher Mcdaniel Victoria , VA 1 03-03 78
Day 1: 1 03-03
123. Tri Nguyen Hampton, VA 1 03-03 78
Day 1: 1 03-03
125. Jed Dickerson Chesterfield, VA 2 03-02 76
Day 1: 2 03-02
126. Brent Temple BREWERTON, NY 1 03-01 75
Day 1: 1 03-01
127. Rusty Girard Norfolk, VA 2 03-00 74
Day 1: 2 03-00
128. Joseph Zapf Oak Ridge, NJ 2 02-15 73
Day 1: 2 02-15
129. Ryan Park Mount Joy, PA 3 02-14 72
Day 1: 3 02-14
130. Chuck Boso Oklahoma City, OK 2 02-14 71
Day 1: 2 02-14
131. Roland Burton Hopewell, VA 3 02-13 70
Day 1: 3 02-13
132. Scott Seros Redmond, OR 3 02-12 69
Day 1: 3 02-12
133. Christopher McCarthy Woonsocket, RI 2 02-10 68
Day 1: 2 02-10
134. Donnie Estes Richmond, VA 1 02-08 67
Day 1: 1 02-08
135. Brian Landkrohn Nashport, OH 1 02-07 66
Day 1: 1 02-07
135. Robert Wedding Welcome, MD 1 02-07 66
Day 1: 1 02-07
137. Will Kaiser Newcomerstown, OH 2 02-06 64
Day 1: 2 02-06
138. Daniel Istik Cranberry Twp, PA 1 02-06 63
Day 1: 1 02-06
138. Colton Kentopp Coopersburg, PA 1 02-06 63
Day 1: 1 02-06
140. Brian West Gloucester, VA 1 02-05 61
Day 1: 1 02-05
141. Austin Burton North Prince George, VA 2 02-04 60
Day 1: 2 02-04
142. Nicole Jacobs Saint Paul, MN 2 02-03 59
Day 1: 2 02-03
142. Trevor Wright Chesterfield, VA 2 02-03 59
Day 1: 2 02-03
144. Michael Mawyer Midlothian, VA 1 02-01 57
Day 1: 1 02-01
145. Chris Newton Whitesboro, NY 2 02-00 56
Day 1: 2 02-00
146. Kevin Ritchie Trenton, OH 1 02-00 55
Day 1: 1 02-00
147. Robert Winward Jr Newark, DE 2 01-15 54
Day 1: 2 01-15
148. Robbie Anderson Powhatan, VA 1 01-14 53
Day 1: 1 01-14
148. Timothy Austin Urbanna, VA 1 01-14 53
Day 1: 1 01-14
150. Michael Baldwin Jr South Chesterfield, VA 2 01-13 51
Day 1: 2 01-13
150. Mike Hedrick Chester, VA 2 01-13 51
Day 1: 2 01-13
152. James Cloud Portsmouth, VA 2 01-12 49
Day 1: 2 01-12
153. Michael Oley North Chesterfield, VA 1 01-12 48
Day 1: 1 01-12
153. Rich Williams Chester, VA 1 01-12 48
Day 1: 1 01-12
155. Josh Hollins Chapel Hill, NC 1 01-11 46
Day 1: 1 01-11
156. Eric Hawks Galax, VA 1 01-09 45
Day 1: 1 01-09
157. Leo Boisvert Virginia Beach, VA 1 01-08 44
Day 1: 1 01-08
158. Michael Schrader North Attleboro, MA 1 01-07 43
Day 1: 1 01-07
159. Bud Biram Tulsa, OK 1 01-06 42
Day 1: 1 01-06
160. Blake Herrmann Bremo Bluff, VA 1 01-04 41
Day 1: 1 01-04
161. Mark Dimarzio Franconia, NH 1 01-02 40
Day 1: 1 01-02
161. Paul Propst Jr. Kearneysville, WV 1 01-02 40
Day 1: 1 01-02
161. Antuan Vincent Newport News, VA 1 01-02 40
Day 1: 1 01-02
164. David Patterson Flowood, MS 1 01-01 37
Day 1: 1 01-01
164. Travis Wyatt Disputanta, VA 1 01-01 37
Day 1: 1 01-01
166. Mark Westrick Hastings, PA 1 01-00 35
Day 1: 1 01-00
167. Arthur Carrier Colonial Heights, VA 1 00-15 34
Day 1: 1 00-15
167. Rick Williams Jr Sandston, VA 1 00-15 34
Day 1: 1 00-15
169. Matthew Strykul Falls Church, VA 1 00-14 32
Day 1: 1 00-14
170. Billy Boyd Hampton, VA 1 00-12 31
Day 1: 1 00-12
170. Carrie Cates Florida, NY 1 00-12 31
Day 1: 1 00-12
170. Todd Davis Toano, VA 1 00-12 31
Day 1: 1 00-12
170. Greg Mauldin Archdale, NC 1 00-12 31
Day 1: 1 00-12
170. Seth Nieman Falls Church, VA 1 00-12 31
Day 1: 1 00-12
170. Jiles Richards New Carrollton, MD 1 00-12 31
Day 1: 1 00-12
176. Dawson Wisner Westminster, MD 3 00-10 25
Day 1: 3 00-10
177. Justin Adkins New Kent, VA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
177. Ashley Bishop Chesapeake, VA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
177. David Chamberlain Toms River, NJ 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
177. Cj Combs Sandston, VA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
177. David Dickerson Colonial Heights, VA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
177. Steve Grubb Roanoke, VA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
177. Bobby Harris Sr Disputanta, VA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
177. Ronald Humiston Wallingford, CT 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
177. Aj Jackson Newport News, VA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
177. Craig Johnson Mars, PA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
177. Roger Lewis Jr North Prince George, VA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
177. Angela Mayo Maiden, NC 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
177. Joshua McGeary Mt. Pleasant, PA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
177. Lewis Mendall Winthrop, MA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
177. Shane Nelson Wadsworth, OH 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
177. Andrew Packard Fresno, CA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
177. Brooks Parker Bridgeville, DE 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
177. Jonathan Patkus Columbia, MD 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
177. Brendan Rhatigan Slingerlands, NY 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
177. Joe Shastay Chester, NJ 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
177. Ronald Stclair Claremont, VA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
177. John Stoughtenger Waterloo, NY 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
177. Steve Webb Montpelier, VA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00

by AnglersChannel

Carhartt College Anglers Preview Smith Lake

Courtesy of Luke Stoner - Dynamic Sponsorships

Beautiful Smith Lake in Cullman, Alabama serves as the stadium tomorrow for a full field of 250+ boats in the third stop of the 2021 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series trail. Around 500 college fishermen and women met at Smith Lake Park this evening for registration and are eager to get on the water in the morning.

This event was originally scheduled for one month ago in mid-April, but flooding conditions forced Bassmaster officials to postpone the tournament until this week. Instead of dangerous high water, anglers will experience stable water levels with the lake at full pool.

Smith Lake is absolutely full of spotted bass with a solid population of largemouth bass, too. Knowing which species to target and how to adapt based on the conditions and fishing pressure will be key for the eventual winners of this event.

Part of what makes college fishing so cool is the different stories each one of these anglers carries with them. They come from all corners of the country with vastly different backgrounds in bass fishing, but are all brought together for some fun and competition. We caught up with Hayden Gaddis, Jacob Schrimsher, and Riley Sells to learn a little more about them and pick their brains on what to expect from Smith the next two days.

Q – What year in school are you and what is your major?

Schrimsher, Calhoun Community College – “I’m a junior getting my degree in Computer Science.”

Sells, Georgia Southern University – “I just finished my sophomore year and am studying Construction Management.”

Gaddis, Carson-Newman University – “I’m going to be a junior next fall and am majoring in Business with a Marketing minor.”

Q – What’s your school mascot and would they be good at bass fishing?

Schrimsher, Calhoun Community College – “We’re the War Hawks (not to be confused with warthogs) and I’m thinking our mascot would have to be pretty good at fishing. I mean hawks are hunters, right?”

Sells, Georgia Southern University – “We’re the Eagles so you already know our mascot can fish. Eagles are natural predators.”

Gaddis, Carson-Newman University – “Hey, we’re the Eagles, too. Fishing comes natural to an eagle for sure. Heck, I’d bet our mascot can out fish me!”

Q – Based on your practice, what percentage of the fish do you feel are postspawn on Smith Lake right now?

Schrimsher, Calhoun Community College – “Honestly I’d put that number somewhere around 90%. Most of the fish here are done.”

Sells, Georgia Southern University – “I’m going to say almost all of the fish are postspawn here on Smith Lake. Like upper 90’s in terms of percent.”

Gaddis, Carson-Newman University – “Probably something like 80% are done with their spawning deal. Definitely the majority.”

Q – Will the eventual winners of this tournament weigh-in 10 largemouth, 10 spotted bass, or a mixture of the two?

Schrimsher, Calhoun Community College – “We go to school about 45 minutes from here, so we fish Smith often. This time of the year, I’m going to say a mixture. I could see mostly spots with one or two nice largemouth mixed in winning. Somewhere around the 30-lb. mark for two days of fishing.”

Sells, Georgia Southern University – “I think all largemouth will win it… Spotted bass are more of a safe bet here it seems, but I have a feeling with the water levels someone will figure out the largemouth.” Gaddis, Carson-Newman University – “Spots seem to be in a biting mood, so I’ll say 10 spots will win this thing. They are more consistent it seems for sure.”

by AnglersChannel

Seasonal Diversity On Tap For Lake Guntersville Elite

Scottsboro, Ala., will host the 2021 Berkley Bassmaster Elite at Lake Guntersville May 20-23.

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

May 13, 2021

SCOTTSBORO, Ala. — As Gerald Swindle contemplates northeast Alabama’s spring weather patterns, he’s expecting a familiar tune with a couple of different notes at the Berkley Bassmaster Elite at Lake Guntersville.

Competition days will be May 20-23 with daily takeoffs from Goose Pond Colony Resort Marina in Scottsboro at 5:30 a.m. CT and weigh-ins each day back at Goose Pond at 2 p.m.

Coming off a third-place finish at the Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Neely Henry Lake, where flood conditions postponed the scheduled start by a day, Swindle notes a similar scenario playing out on Guntersville. Neely Henry is a Coosa River reservoir, while Guntersville takes the form of a Tennessee River impoundment. Nevertheless, both are subject to the same weather impacts.

“Guntersville is 50 miles from Neely Henry, and they got the same amount of rain,” Swindle said. “The water jumped up a foot and then (the Tennessee Valley Authority) ripped it downstream and it was muddy. It was the same thing on Neely Henry — it was up and down, the shad were trying to spawn, there were fish left on the bed — so I’m thinking Guntersville’s going through the same change.”

About a week prior to the tournament, Swindle drove the roadways around Guntersville to check out the conditions. Finding the lake back down to normal pool, with relatively clean water and slower current, he knows that means even more change for fish already weary from fluctuations.

“I think it’s going to be a little bit of a guessing game because we haven’t had an extremely warm spring,” Swindle said. “We haven’t had many hot days, but in the last month, we’ve had some high-30-degree nights. I think what you’re going to see is a lingering shad spawn and a few more fish shallower than what guys expect.

“Will there be some deep? Yeah, but I don’t know yet if there’ll be loads of them deep. For a May tournament, this is going to be extremely different. It’s not just going to be full bore, big spoons and crankbaits.”

With plenty of Guntersville fish having completed their bedding cycle, part of the field will, no doubt, spend much of the event looking for that classic postspawn offshore bite. Swindle, though, makes a telling prediction.

“I’m betting that three of the Top 10 will come shallow, if not four,” he said. “We may possibly see somebody make a run for it flipping docks.

“Our bream are still bedding. There are just so many variables that say Guntersville is probably going to fish as big this time as we’ve ever fished it.”

Also, given the seasonal warming, Swindle said a mayfly hatch could be a strong possibility, so he’ll be watching streetlights every morning for clouds of newly-hatched insects. On top of these variables, Swindle points to Guntersville’s recent eelgrass explosion as a detail demanding attention.

“Guntersville has more grass than it’s ever had, but it has more eelgrass,” he said. “It has less hydrilla and milfoil than it’s ever had, so anglers are going to have to learn where they go in the eelgrass. There are places where the eelgrass is on top of humps 10-12 feet where we normally (fish crankbaits).

“I don’t think you can come here anymore and say, ‘I’m putting six cranking rods up there and I’m gonna fish deep.’ I think the guys are going to have to consider eelgrass, whereas most of the time, it’s not even considered a factor in May. You cannot ignore it or you will get beat.”

Given the seasonal transitions and the eelgrass proliferation, Swindle expects Guntersville to offer potential winning opportunities end to end. Essentially, since the fish have not yet fully committed to their traditional offshore move, pockets of opportunity are more broadly scattered.

“I think you could see someone threaten to win it somewhere up the river where Frank Talley won it last year, and I think it could be won all the way down by the dam because of the (diversity), the shad spawn, the way the grass has changed and what the fish are moving to,” Swindle said. “If we were here in the dead-end of June, I’d say this is pretty much going to be grind and wind and offshore dragging.”

Swindle said spinnerbaits, topwaters and crankbaits will likely dominate the event, but shallow flipping and skipping baits will likely make a strong showing. Should the mayfly hatch ignite, look for poppers and frogs to play.

Swindle predicts an average of 18 pounds a day will make the Top 10 cut for Championship Sunday, with a winning total estimated at about 60. Winning, Swindle said, will demand diversity.

“There’s no way you can win with one pattern, because from what I know of May, there probably won’t be enough out there and the ones that are out there have already been found, so you won’t have them alone,” he said. “I think a guy’s going to need two primary patterns and two styles of fishing to stay consistent for four days.

“You’re going to have to move around; there’s just not enough fish (in any given scenario) to sit on it and win it. And even if you sit on it one day, you’re not going to sit on it the next day because there’s going to be people there.”

Live coverage for all four days of the event can be streamed on Bassmaster.com and the FOX Sports digital platforms. FS1 will also broadcast live with the tournament leaders beginning at 7 a.m. CT on Saturday and Sunday.

by AnglersChannel

Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour Set to Visit Harris Chain of Lakes for Favorite Fishing Stage Three

Leesburg to Host 80 of the Top Professional Anglers in the World Competing for Purse of More than $805,000 in Third Bass Pro Tour Event of Season, Filmed for Discovery Channel

LEESBURG, Fla. (May 13, 2021) – The third event of the 2021 season for the Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Tour, bass fishing’s premier professional circuit, is set for Leesburg next week, May 21-26 with the Favorite Fishing Stage Three Presented by Bass Cat Boats at the Harris Chain of Lakes.

The six-day event, hosted by Lake County, will feature 80 of the best professional anglers in the world, including superstars like Kevin VanDam, Jordan Lee, and Jacob Wheeler – as well as local favorites like Lakeland’s Bobby Lane, Gainesville’s Shaw Grigsby and DeBary’s John Cox – competing for a purse of more than $805,000, including a top payout of $100,000 and valuable points in hopes of qualifying for REDCREST 2022, the Bass Pro Tour championship.

“We are thrilled to welcome the Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour to Lake County and the historic Harris Chain of Lakes," said Lake County Commissioner and Tourist Development Council Chairman Doug Shields. "Lake County has some of the best bass fishing in the state of Florida as well as so many things to do off of the water. We look forward to showcasing our slice of central Florida to all MLF fans and invite them to visit us in ‘Real Florida. Real Close.’ really soon.”

The tournament will be fished using MLF’s catch, weigh, immediate-release format, in which the anglers try to catch as much weight as they can each day, while also feeling the pressure and intensity of the SCORETRACKER® leaderboard. The tournament is being filmed for broadcast later this year on the Discovery Channel.

Although the Harris Chain of Lakes has played host to numerous MLF BIG5 (previously FLW) tournaments and the 2016 MLF Challenge Cup, 2021 will mark the first time that the MLF Bass Pro Tour has visited Central Florida’s Lake County. Lakeland’s Bobby Lane, who won the 2016 Challenge Cup event and is currently leading the 2021 Bass Pro Tour Angler of the Year (AOY) race, thinks that the Harris Chain will offer great fishing that will allow anglers to fish their strengths.

“I think the thing I’m most excited about for this event is being close to home, knowing that all of my family and friends will be there if I’m doing well,” Lane said. “I’ve been on the road quite a bit already this year, so it’s nice to know I’m only an hour from my house.

“Harris has really come a long way from when we used to fish it 10 years ago,” Lane continued. “It used to be 13 to 16 pounds would win any tournament here, but now you need at least 25 to 26 pounds every day to have a shot. I predict the big females will be feeding up, and I expect the postspawn fish will be aggressive. I think guys are going to be catching them any way they want – flipping, fishing hydrilla, fishing brush piles, even shallow fishing up on the bank.”

Lane said that the key to doing well in this tournament will be ignoring the smaller fish – which are plentiful on the Chain – and keying in on fishing for big ones only.

“This place has a lot of fish, and a lot of smaller fish in it,” Lane said. “When I won the Challenge Cup, I had 16 to 18 fish one day that weighed something like 31 pounds. There wasn’t very many over 2 pounds. So, I think the guy that fishes his strengths, catches a few big ones in practice, and sticks with that the whole tournament will do well. I don’t think it’s going to be the guy running and gunning and fishing a bunch different stuff. I think to do well you’re going to have to have patience, and not get spun out. It’s going to be hot. The sun will be shining. It could be slick calm, and there are days when those fish don’t bite at all. Then, out of nowhere, there will be a 45-minute window where they’ll turn on and you’ll catch 4 or 5 good ones on a stretch that 10 guys have already fished. It’s kind of like brush pile fishing. You have to try to get on the right stretch, at the right time.”

Although he predicts fishing fans will see a variety of baits and tactics in play at this event, Lane is already developing his game plan on how he will approach the tournament.

“I’m going to have a Berkley Choppo tied on, the big one,” Lane said. “I’ll have a 10-inch Power Worm tied on, and I’ll be using the Berkley Diggers and Dredgers, cranking some of those brush piles. And I’ll definitely have a bladed jig with a Grass Pig Jr. on it. Trailers are pretty key, and that Grass Pig stays on that bladed jig so much better than a lot of the other baits.”

The Harris Chain of Lakes (Big Harris, Lake Eustis, Lake Dora, Lake Carlton, Horseshow Lake, Little Lake Harris, Lake Denham and Lake Beauclair) and the canals within the chain will be used for the Qualifying and Knockout Rounds. Locking is not allowed to Lake Apopka and Lake Griffin. Lake Griffin and the canals within the lake will be used for Championship Round. Locking to Lake Eustis is not allowed

Anglers will take off from the Venetian Gardens Ski Beach Boat Ramp, located at 201 E. Lake Harris Drive, in Leesburg, at 6:30 a.m. ET during the Qualifying and Knockout Rounds, and from Herlon Park, located at 700 N. Blvd. E., in Leesburg for the Championship Round. Each Qualifying and Knockout Round day’s General Tire Takeout will be held at the Gardens, beginning at 3:30 p.m., while the final-day Championship Round Takeout will be held at Herlon Park. Fans are welcome to attend, but encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLF NOW!® live stream and SCORETRACKER® coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

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

The Bass Pro Tour features a field of 76 of the top professional anglers in the world – joined at each event by 4 pros that qualify from the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit – competing across seven regular-season tournaments around the country, competing for millions of dollars and valuable points to qualify for the annual Heavy Hitters all-star event and the REDCREST 2022 championship.

The four pros from the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit that will join the Bass Pro Tour to compete at the Favorite Fishing Stage Three Presented by Bass Cat Boats at the Harris Chain of Lakes are Spencer Shuffield, Kyle Cortiana, Kyle Hall and Tai Au. Those anglers qualified via their finishes in the second Pro Circuit event of the year – the Covercraft Stop 2 at Lewis Smith Lake.

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

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

Television coverage of the Bass Pro Tour Favorite Fishing Stage Three Presented by Bass Cat Boats at the Harris Chain of Lakes will be showcased across two two-hour episodes, premiering at 7 a.m. ET, Sept. 25 on the Discovery Channel. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on the Discovery Channel, with additional re-airings on the Outdoor Channel and the Sportsman Channel. Each two-hour long reality-based episode goes in-depth to break down each day of competition.

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

by AnglersChannel

MLF Reschedules Phoenix Bass Fishing League Buckeye Division Opener at Ohio River

WHAT:
The first event of the Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine Buckeye Division, the Ohio River Presented by TINCUP Whiskey, scheduled for this Saturday, May 15, has been postponed due to high water levels. The new date for this event is Sunday, Aug. 15. The event will be a part of a Buckeye Division double-header, with the first event held Saturday, Aug. 14 and the second event held on Sunday.

WHERE:
Phoenix Bass Fishing League at the Ohio River Presented by TINCUP Whiskey
Lawrenceburg Ramp
Tanners Creek Drive (Off Highway 50)
Lawrenceburg, Ind. 45240

NOTES:
Tournament entries will automatically carry over to the rescheduled event unless the angler contacts MLF Customer Service at (270)-252-1000.

UPDATED 2021 Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine Buckeye Division Schedule:

June 26 Grand Lake-St. Mary’s Presented by TINCUP Whiskey Celina, Ohio
July 24 Mosquito Lake Presented by TINCUP Whiskey Cortland, Ohio
Aug. 14 Ohio River-Tanners Creek Presented by TINCUP Whiskey Lawrenceburg, Ind.
Aug. 15 Ohio River-Tanners Creek Presented by TINCUP Whiskey Lawrenceburg, Ind.
Sept. 11-12 Lake Erie Presented by TINCUP Whiskey Sandusky, Ohio

For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the MLF BIG5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

by AnglersChannel

Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI at California Delta Cancelled due to Travel Restrictions

WHAT:
The Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI at the California Delta event scheduled for this Saturday, May 15, has been cancelled due to continued collegiate travel restrictions due to COVID.

NOTES:
The Toyota Series at the California Delta, will run as scheduled, May 13-15, as will the accompanying U.S. Army High School Fishing Open Presented by Googan Baits event set for May 16.

The next event for MLF College Fishing Western Conference anglers will be Aug. 3-5 – the Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI at the California Delta, launching out of the Big Break Marina in Oakley, California.

Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI teams compete in regular-season qualifying tournaments in one of five conferences – Central, Northern, Southern, Southeastern and Western. Registration is accepted from any eligible college team from across the United States. The top 10 teams from each division’s regular-season tournaments and the top 20 teams from the annual Abu Garcia College Fishing Open advance to the following year’s Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI National Championship.

by AnglersChannel

High School All-Americans Spend Dream Day With Elite Pros

The 2021 Bassmaster High School All-American Fishing Team presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors was recognized at the recent Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Neely Henry Lake.

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

May 12, 2021

GADSDEN, Ala. — Twelve outstanding high school anglers lived a dream by competing in the Bassmaster High School All-American Bass Tournament, held during the Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Neely Henry Lake.

The students are members of the exclusive Bassmaster High School All-American Fishing Team presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors. Each angler was paired with a Bassmaster Elite Series pro for the exhibition held Sunday on Weiss Lake, part of the Coosa River system. The weigh-in was held on the Bassmaster Elite Series stage used by the pros at Coosa Landing in Downtown Gadsden.

The team of Elite Series pro Quentin Cappo, of Prairieville, La., and All-American Carter Doren, of Las Vegas, Nev., weighed 8 pounds, 8 ounces to take the win. The pair used a wacky-rigged Senko to flip docks on a muddy Weiss Lake.

“Coming from out West, I've never fished water this color before," explained Doren. This has been a big year for the junior who also took home the 2020 Big Bass Zone Junior Championship title. "Fishing here is just completely different."

“I love going out with the All-Americans and seeing the enthusiasm they have for fishing," said Cappo. "They all bring the same passion to an exhibition derby as an Elite Series pro does competing for $100,000. And every time I go out with a member of the All-American team we learn something from each other."

Doren credits Cappo with spending the day teaching him more about positioning the boat and throwing a buzzbait.

Elite Series pro Darold Gleason of Many, La., and Mitchell Straffon, a junior from Fenton High School in Fenton, Mich., took second with 7-6.

“I learned so much from Darold," said Straffon. "Before coming to Neely Henry, I had never fished a shad spawn."

Qualification criteria for All-American Team underscores the prestige and popularity of the program. Over 300 applications nominating students in grades 10-12 were submitted from 34 states across the nation. Of these, 47 students were chosen as Bassmaster All-State anglers. After considering tournament résumés, conservation efforts, community service activities and recommendations from school officials and coaches, a panel of judges consisting of representatives from the sportfishing industry, media and conservation groups further narrowed the field to the Top 12 high school anglers in the country.

Doren won four tournaments in the 2020 tournament season, including the BBZ JC National Championship. Additionally, Doren was the 2020 Co-Angler of the Year for the Nevada Bass Anglers, an adult fishing club, where he placed in the Top 5 multiple times. Off the water, he is the social media director for his high school’s fishing club and is working to develop the local adult fishing club’s social media presence as well. And, although he is only a junior, Doren has already received a $38,000 scholarship to Bethel University for fishing.

Doren has also developed and run a fishing seminar for high school kids at his local pond, where he helped give away rods, reels and baits to youth and junior anglers who did not have the proper equipment. He has also volunteered with Bass Pros Shops’ Bluegill Tank teaching local children about catch-and-release techniques.

HSAA Clinic.jpgStudents from the Boys & Girls Club of Gadsden enjoyed a shopping spree in Academy Sports + Outdoors before attending a fishing clinic taught by the All-American anglers earlier in the week. Following the clinic, the All-Americans attended an awards banquet, where they received commemorative tournament jerseys and a gift card from Academy Sports + Outdoors. All events were held at the store in Gadsden.

2021 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster High School All-American Bass Tournament
Final Standings

Carter Doren - Quentin Cappo 8-8
Mitchell Straffon - Darold Gleason 7-4
Tyson Verkaik - Cody Hollen 7-2
Zachary Ward - Clifford Pirch 5-8
Turner Hart - Skylar Hamilton 4-3
Cole Moulton - Rob Digh 3-2
Hunter Keller - Brett Preuett 2-11
Hayden Marbut - Tyler Rivet 1-15
Carter Dunn - Shane Lineberger 1-7
Laindree Richards - Justin Hamner 1-5
Alexis Grandstaff - Randy Pierson 1-6
Cole Rountree - Lee Livesay 0-0

by AnglersChannel

Robert Terkla Joins Prominent MLF Pros at the Wiley X High School Fishing Camp

Cofounder of the Googan Squad and Star of LunkersTV Teams Up with MLF Pros – Limited Space Available, June 2 Registration Deadline

TULSA, Okla. (May 12, 2021) – Major League Fishing (MLF), the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, announced today that Robert Terkla, cofounder of the Googan Squad and star of LunkersTV, will join an incredible lineup of MLF pros at the upcoming Wiley X High School Fishing Camp Presented by Tackle Warehouse . The star-studded group includes REDCREST Champion Dustin Connell and Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit champion Skeet Reese , along with nine other MLF pros, who will provide hands-on instruction aimed to help campers develop their fishing expertise and enhance fishing-career readiness.

The list of 2021 MLF pros serving as camp instructors includes:

Adrian Avena	Justin Lucas
Matt Becker	Bill McDonald
Greg Bohannan	Keith Poche
Dustin Connell	Skeet Reese
Mark Daniels, Jr.	Fletcher Shryock
Bobby Lane

This year's camp will be held June 9-11, 2021, on the Murray State University campus, with daily activities at Kentucky Lake – the South’s Great Lake. The all-inclusive, three-day camp is designed for serious high school anglers, parents and coaches who want to gain an edge on the competition by getting hands-on bass fishing experience alongside the biggest names in the industry.

The MLF Foundation benefit tournament will follow the camp on Saturday, June 12 at Kentucky Lake. Tournament participants will have the opportunity to win thousands of dollars in cash prizes, with the winner taking home the MLF High School Fishing Cup, $1,000 and a new Jackson Kayak. One lucky participant will also be selected to fish with a Bass Pro Tour or Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit angler.

The benefit tournament, which raises funds for youth fishing programs and High School Fishing grants benefiting students nationwide, will launch out of Moors Resort and Marina, located at 570 Moors Road in Gilbertsville, Kentucky and weigh-in before the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine tournament at the same location. The tournament is open to all student anglers, including middle school and elementary school students accompanied by an adult. Participation in the Wiley X High School Fishing Camp is not required; however, participants must supply their own boat to compete in the tournament.

Cost for the camp is $300 per person, which includes all housing, meals and accommodations at Murray State University in Murray, Kentucky. Participation is open to high school students (incoming freshmen starting in the fall of 2021 through recent high school graduates from the spring 2021 semester) plus parents and coaches. Limited space is available. Registration is accepted on a first-come, first-served basis, and will remain open until all available spots are filled or until the registration deadline of June 2, 2021.

Adults will have the option to drop off their students or stay throughout the camp to participate in special panel discussions geared to identify best practices that give high school anglers and fishing teams the edge they need to thrive in the industry.

Although most activities will take place outside, all camp activities will follow COVID-19 guidelines at the time of camp, including wearing a mask and social distancing, as required by local health officials.

Important Dates:

Registration – April 20 - June 2
Camp – June 9-11 (Wednesday, Thursday & Friday)
MLF Foundation Tournament – June 12 (Saturday)

To register or for more information about the Wiley X High School Fishing Camp Presented by Tackle Warehouse and the MLF Foundation benefit tournament, please visit MajorLeagueFishing.com/Camp.

For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more on MLF High School Fishing, follow the U.S. Army High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing on the MLF BIG5 social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter , Instagram and YouTube.

by AnglersChannel

Nothing but Winners!

This week Chris & the boys welcome in not one but TWO Champs from the past couple of weekends! First up is your newest Bassmaster Elite Series Champ, the little ball of hate himself Wes Logan! Later in the show Cumberland College Champ Jack Dice joins us to talk about winning solo on a team tournament and how he prepares for his tournaments!

by AnglersChannel

Wiley X Summit Cup Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches at Lake Murray Set to Premiere Saturday on Outdoor Channel

Thirty MLF Anglers Compete in Columbia, S.C., over Six Days for 2021 Summit Cup

COLUMBIA, S.C. (May 11, 2021) – The Major League Fishing (MLF) 2021 Wiley X Summit Cup Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches is set to premiere with a two-hour episode this Saturday, May 15, at 2 p.m. ET on the Outdoor Channel. The event, shot over six days in early February at Lake Murray in Columbia, South Carolina, showcases 30 of the top pro anglers in the world competing in the final event of the 2021 MLF Cup season.

Lake Murray has played host to numerous major bass-fishing championship events, including the 2008, 2014 and 2017 FLW Cup Championships, and a 2018 MLF Challenge Select event – won by pro Keith Poche (competing in this event). The Wiley X Summit Cup presented by B&W Trailer Hitches will mark just the second time that MLF has visited the “Jewel of South Carolina.”

The first episode premiering Saturday will feature the anglers in Group 1 competing in their opening Elimination Round. Episode two will feature the anglers in Group 2; Episode three the anglers in Group 3. The top six finishers from each group’s Elimination Round advance to the two-day Sudden Death Round – episodes four and five – where nine anglers compete each day and try to finish in the top four. The sixth and final episode will feature the final eight anglers competing in the Championship Round to catch the most weight that they can to be crowned the 2021 Summit Cup Champion.

The anglers in Group 1 that compete this Saturday (May 15) on Day One of the 2021 Wiley X Summit Cup are:

Tommy Biffle of Wagoner, Okla.
Brent Chapman of Lake Quivira, Kan.
Brandon Coulter of Knoxville, Tenn.
James Elam of Tulsa, Okla.
Andy Morgan of Dayton, Tenn.
Bradley Roy of Lancaster, Ky.
Fletcher Shryock of Guntersville, Ala.
Bryan Thrift of Shelby, N.C.
Jonathon VanDam of Kalamazoo, Mich.

The anglers in Group 2 that compete next Saturday (May 22) on Day Two of the 2021 Wiley X Summit Cup are:

Cliff Crochet of Pierre Part, La.
Shinichi Fukae of Osaka, Japan
Bobby Lane of Lakeland, Fla.
Jordan Lee of Cullman, Ala.
Michael Neal of Dayton, Tenn.
Jacob Powroznik of Prince George, Va.
Skeet Reese of Auburn, Calif.
Gerald Spohrer of Gonzales, La.
Jeff Sprague of Point, Texas
Greg Vinson of Wetumpka, Ala.

The anglers in Group 3 that compete in the final Elimination Round (May 29) on Day Three of the 2021 Wiley X Summit Cup are:

Justin Atkins of Florence, Ala.
Luke Clausen of Spokane, Wash.
Dustin Connell of Clanton, Ala.
Tim Horton of Muscle Shoals, Ala.
Alton Jones Jr. of Waco, Texas
Ish Monroe of Oakdale, Calif.
Takahiro Omori of Tokyo, Japan
Keith Poche of Pike Road, Ala.
Marty Robinson of Lyman, S.C.
Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Mich.

The 2021 Wiley X Summit Cup Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches was hosted by Capital City/Lake Murray Country. The event will air on the Outdoor Channel as six, two-hour original episodes each Saturday afternoon starting May 15, 2021, and running through June 19, airing from 2 to 4 p.m. ET. Each episode will be available for viewing on the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) streaming app on the Monday morning following each episode’s Saturday premiere.

The full 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.

by AnglersChannel

Elite Champion Wes Logan has been Wearing Costa Sunglasses since age 9

Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships

Alabama’s Wes Logan still remembers the day when he was 9-years-old and his dad bought him his first pair of Costa Sunglasses at Mark’s Outdoors in the Birmingham suburbs.

Fast forward 17 years to Monday in front of a huge crowd at his home lake of Neely Henry, when Logan, now age 26, cried his eyes out behind a pair of Costa Fantail frames while hoisting his first Bassmaster Elite Series blue trophy.

His victory will pay $100,000 from B.A.S.S. with a $3,000 bonus from Costa’s new Compete + Conserve contingency program. Ironically, he lost a pair of Costas in the heat of competition on Neely Henry when he scratched his head in a moment of deep contemplation.

“I had my Costas on the back of my head over my ballcap until the sun got bright, scratched my head stressing out over what my next move should be, and my glasses fell into the Coosa River,” he grinned backstage.

Not only will the $3,000 Compete + Conserve bonus buy another pair of sunglasses and a lot of boat gas, but Logan will also get to choose a Conservation Organization to receive a $500 donation in his name from Costa.

If you wear Costa eyewear and compete in fishing tournaments, make sure you visit http://costacompeteandconserve.com/ to get registered or for more information on this exciting new program. It’s absolutely free to sign up and eligible for anglers of all levels.

by AnglersChannel

Bensema and McArdle Leverage Bluegill Spawn for TXTT Rayburn Win

BROOKELAND, Texas — Knowing when to pull the plug proved critical for Josh Bensema and Matthew McArdle who caught a 5-bass limit of 20.45 pounds and won the second of two back-to-back Texas Team Trail presented by Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s events at Lake Sam Rayburn.

Hailing from Willis and Magnolia, Texas, respectively, Bensema and McArdle spent most of their day fishing the Canyons area near the 147 Bridge. Both had fared well there in a recent tournament, but the bite they sought wasn’t happening.

“At 1 o’clock we had two small keepers in the well and made the decision to go down to the Buck Bay area,” McArdle said.

Plan B found them focusing their attention on flooded bushes in about 4-5 feet. That’s a common Rayburn scenario, but Bensema said he and his partner dialed one large bush with a few smaller bushes on its perimeter. The lane between them was money.

“I think bluegill were spawning around this bush; that’ s the only way to explain 20 pounds of bass coming off one bush,” Bensema said. “This would have been the main plan about a week ago before that water came up, but once it rose, that spread the fish out. It was those bluegill beds that kept the fish on this one bush.”

Describing a 1-2 punch strategy, Bensema said McArdle skipped a 3/8-ounce shad pattern Santone Swim jig with a white Strike King Menace through the gap and kept it high in the water column. Meanwhile, Bensema worked the bottom with a 1/2-ounce Buckeye Football Mop Jig in peanut butter and jelly with a Big Bite Baits College Craw in tilapia. Covering both levels was key, but precision proved essential

“Definitely, it was an angle deal,” McArdle said. “There was plenty of water behind this bush, but you had to make the perfect cast to bring your bait through a specific area. I think it just lined up with the bream beds and kept our baits in the strike zone longer.”

Noting that the flooded bush pattern exceeded their expectations, Benesema said he and McArdle visited their key spot three times between 1 and 2:30. Thanks to the bream bed attraction, the spot kept reloading and each subsequent visit produced at least one good fish that contributed to their overall weight.

For their efforts Bensema and McArdle earned a Nitro Z18 with a Mercury 150 Pro XS. In addition, they claimed $2,370 of Anglers Advantage cash and a $500 Garmin electronics bonus. Their total payday was $36,465.

Wilson-Flowers second

Kris Wilson and Brandon Flowers bucked the trend, did their own thing and sacked up a second-place limit that went 19.49. Staying in the mid-lake region, they targeted postspawn fish that were leaving the shallows.

“With the water being high, it had (most) of the competitors up in the bushes, so we stayed away from the bushes and focused on places in 12-16 feet of water where they were coming out,” Wilson said. “Hard bottom was the key; a couple of places had shell.”

Wilson and Flowers caught their fish on dragging presentations. Specifically, they threw a 3/4-ounce football jig with a Strike King Rage Bug trailer and Carolina rigs with a mix of flukes, Zoom Brush Hogs and straight tail worms.

For second place, Wilson and Flowers won $7,163, which included $1,738 of Anglers Advantage cash.

Griffin-Tidwell third

Mike Griffin and Larry Tidwell focused their efforts on secondary points with flooded bushes and trees in 8-12 feet of water and placed third with 19.44. While their morning yielded only small fish on moving baits, they found their success by slowing down and Carolina rigging a Junebug Zoom Magnum Lizard and dropshotting a 6-inch Roboworm in the margarita mutilator color.

“We figured they would be up shallower with the higher water, but the big fish were out deeper, so we went out deeper,” Griffin said. “We caught 20 keepers today and the dropshot produced the most. They wanted it really slow today.”

For third place, Griffin and Tidwell won $4,835, which included $1,580 of Anglers Advantage cash.

Goodwyn-Crelia fourth, Imhoff-London fifth

TJ Goodwyn and Phillip Crelia weighed five bass worth 19.26 pounds, taking fourth place and earning $4,598 (including the $1,085 Big Bass bonus for their 7.31). Behind them was Will Imhoff and Shane London with 18.81 pounds. For fifth place, they earned $2,812.50

Rest of the best

Rounding out the top 10 teams:

6th: Mark Martin—Chris McClain - 16.81

7th: Ed Whaley—Darren Sebek - 16.51

8th: Todd Castledine—Jason Bonds - 16.02

9th: Brian Shook-Danny Iles - 16.01

10th: Robert Emmert-Kody Emmert - 15.65

Castledine and Bonds are leading the Team of the Year standings. Castledine said finishing eighth exemplified the mindset he and Bonds bring to each event.

“We know how to go out and catch 13 pounds on Rayburn, but we decided not to do that, we decided to take a chance and do something different,” Castledine said. "We don’t think about winning Team of the Year and we don’t play it safe. We take and when we do, it usually turns out well.”

by AnglersChannel

DOUBLE DIP LIFTS HILL AND FRAZIER TO FRIDAY RAYBURN WIN

By David A. Brown

BROOKELAND, Texas — If it worked once it should work again: That philosophy delivered the win for Tommy Hill and Bubba Frazier, who topped the first of two back-to-back Texas Team Trail presented by Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s events at Lake Sam Rayburn with a 5-bass limit that weighed 22.91 pounds.

Fishing the mid-lake region, the anglers from Tyler, Texas started their day targeting a creek drop in about 5 feet of water. Slinging a Carolina rig with a Zoom Super Fluke in the California 420 color, Frazier tempted his team’s biggest fish — a 7.48 — on their first cast. About 5 hours later, lightning struck twice and Frazier added a 6-pounder on the same spot.

Frazier said recent rains have raised Rayburn’s water level about two feet in the past week and a half. This, he said, has created tough conditions and displaced fish.

“We’re on the water a lot and we had these areas that we knew were good, but then it got muddy and shut them down,” Frazier said. “It cleared up and the right fish were there.”

Hill said he believes the rising water has also made it difficult to stay on top of the spawning cycle. “I think there are probably still a few on beds, but I think it’s mostly postspawn. I bed fish a lot, but you can’t hardly stay with them with the lake coming up like it is.”

After their morning bite faded, the winners transitioned to a more active strategy of targeting main lake hay grass with 7/16-ounce Santone swim jigs. Using Reaction Innovations Skinny Dippers in the white trash color, their mid-morning plan was one of mobility.

“We put the trolling motor on 50 percent and covered a lot of water,” Frazier said. “We did better with the swim jigs when the wind was blowing.”

Around 12:30, Hill and Frazier decided to revisit their starting spot. The plan was to show up, eat a quick lunch and then focus on fishing. Frazier said a sudden interruption was most welcome.

"We were going to eat deer sausage wrap-ups, but I took one bite of my sandwich, I got a bite on my Carolina rig, set the hook and it was that second big fish,” Frazier said. “It was about the same cast that I made for the first fish.

“We’re old guys; we’re not going to go hungry on the water. We’re going to eat and Carolina rig and hope one bites while we’re eating.”

Noting that he and Frazier caught 15-20 keepers, Hill said they added their last limit fish — a 3 1/2-pounder — at 12:30. After that, they leisurely made their way back toward the weigh in site and allowed themselves a comfortable travel window.

“We quit an hour and 15 minutes (early) and then we just finished up around the ramp,” Hill said. “We knew that over 22 1/2 pounds would get a good check. We didn’t think it would win, but we didn’t want to be way up the lake and not be able to get back because of motor trouble or whatever.”

For their efforts Hill and Frazier earned a Nitro Z18 with a 150 Mercury ProXS. In addition, they claimed $2,445 of Anglers Advantage cash. Their total payday was $36,040.

Moorhead-Moorhead second

Jason Moorhead and Ty Moorhead found four of their five spots unfishable, but settling on one key area, they sacked up the second-place limit of 18.89 pounds. The Moorheads anchored their bag with a 7.23.

Jason Moorhead said they ran up the Attoyac arm and fished clay points with scattered stumps in 14-16 feet of water. It took them a while to dial in their search, but once they eliminated the unproductive areas, they got their work done in about two hours.

“We had five spots selected, but the mud (from recent rains) has been steadily working downstream and it blew out four of our spots,” Jason said. “We finally got on our last spot and caught our fish between 10 and 12.”

The Moorheads caught their fish on Carolina rigs with a fluke style baits in the watermelon red magic color on a 4-foot leader. Slowly dragging their baits through a saddle was the key.

For second place, the Moorheads won $7,393, which included $1,793 of Anglers Advantage cash.

Little-Shelman third

Shifting gears from practice paid off for John Little and Daniel Shelman who caught the third-place limit of 18.25 pounds. After starting their morning throwing spinnerbaits in Alligator Creek, Little and Shelman moved to Five Fingers Bay and Carolina rigged watermelon red lizards with the tails dyed chartreuse.

Little said they found the event’s biggest fish — an 8.66 — on a long point. With the rising water, the fish was in about 10 feet, but Little said its bloody tail likely indicated a spawner.

The anglers also picked up a keeper near the entrance to Little Caney Creek and ended their day on the rock islands in front of the takeoff area. The latter yielded three good culls, including their second-biggest fish — a 3 3/4-pounder. Carolina rigs produced all of their fish.

Noting that he had been on a good flipping bite in practice, Little said he made the call Thursday night to change strategies. Using Garmin Livescope and Humminbird 360 to carefully read the bottom allowed him and Shelman to pinpoint their target areas and avoid bogging in hydrilla.

“I didn’t feel like (flipping bushes) was gong to be good enough today,” Little said. “With the water coming up, the bank is so far back I don’t think you can reach some of the places the fish are. I just made a change and was a good change."

For third place, Little and Shelman won $6,860, which included $1,630 of Anglers Advantage cash, a $250 Ranger Boats bonus, a $500 electronics bonus and the $1,120 Big Bass bonus.

Wilson-Flowers fourth, Waguspack-Lloyd fifth

Kris Wilson and Brandon Flowers weighed five bass worth 18.18 pounds, taking fourth place and earning $3,626. Behind them was Anthony Waguspack and Jimmy Lloyd with 17.32 pounds. For fifth place, they earned $2,903.

Rest of the best

Rounding out the top 10 teams:

6th: Lance Robelia—Cody Pratka - 16.78

7th: Brian Shook — Danny Iles - 16.74

8th: Tony Rogers — Ed Klobas - 15.76

9th: Alton Powell-Bill Powell - 15.49

10th: Nathan Prine-Mike Scalise - 15.28

Full Results

by AnglersChannel

Local Pro Wes Logan Gets First Bassmaster Elite Series Victory At Neely Henry Lake

Wes Logan, of Springville, Ala., has won the 2021 Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Neely Henry Lake with a four-day total of 57 pounds, 9 ounces.
Photo by James Overstreet/B.A.S.S.
May 10, 2021

GADSDEN, Ala. — Wes Logan said memories came flooding back to him throughout the Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Neely Henry Lake.

That’s bound to happen when you’ve fished a place since you were 5 years old.

Logan now has countless new reasons to think fondly of his home water after claiming the tournament title here on Championship Monday. The 26-year-old from Springville, only a 30-mile drive from the Gadsden City Boat Docks, caught a four-day total of 20 bass weighing 57 pounds, 9 ounces. He capped the competition with a 14-1 limit Monday, the third-heaviest of the day.

Logan earned $100,000 for the win, his first in 26 B.A.S.S. events.

The second-year Elite Series angler charged into the lead on Day 3 with a 16-15 bag that tied for the heaviest of the tournament. That made him the last man to weigh in Monday and the only one with a chance to knock Connecticut pro Paul Mueller from the hot seat.

Logan peeked silently at the scale while his bass were weighed. When his winning total flashed on screen, he let out a victorious yell and pumped his right fist over his head. Then he hugged Mueller and hoisted his first blue trophy for his home-based fans to see.

“I started tournament fishing with my dad when I was 5,” Logan said. “We’d come here, Logan Martin and Weiss … I went into practice trying to not put pressure on myself. I wanted to fish like I’d never seen the place before. I wanted to figure out a pattern.”

Having an open mind, even on water he knows so well, was critical this week. Neely Henry was a difficult read for most of the 98 anglers who started the tournament on Friday, postponed by a day because of heavy rains earlier in the week. The storms sent the water table rising and shot sediment throughout the lake. The Elites scrambled to find stable water, many relying on junk fishing to see which lures and techniques produced the best bites.

A trio of lures worked best for Logan — a 5/8-ounce Dirty Jigs Matt Herren flipping jig (black/blue skirt) with a Zoom Big Salty sapphire blue Chunk; a Dirty Jigs No Jack swim jig with a Zoom Super Speed Craw trailer; and a frog, which he used to fill his Day 3 limit.

Logan started the tournament strongly, putting 14-1 on the board Friday, good enough for ninth place. He caught 12-8 on Day 2, climbing to eighth and surviving the cut to 48. He made his move on Day 3 with the 16-5 haul, pointing to a pair of unusual catches as the turning point.

“I caught two bass under a bridge right by the Gadsden City Boat Docks on a crankbait,” he said “I’m not a crankbait fisherman. It was about 11:30, and I only had two keepers at the time. But I caught a 2 1/2 there, and then two casts later, I caught a 5 1/4. I only got one more bite that day.

“When you get that kind of bite when you’re not supposed to, that let me know I had a chance to win. Stuff like that just doesn’t happen all the time.”

Logan didn’t divulge specifics on the crankbait, other than to say it’s specially painted, similar to a black/chartreuse combo.

“I keep that one in my hand around here,” he said. “It’s a confidence thing.”

Logan planned to fish down-lake from the start, but low water in that area made him choose otherwise. Each of the 20 bass he weighed was caught between Cove Creek and Minnesota Bend — both only a 10-minute run from the Gadsden City Boat Docks.

Mueller, meanwhile, went straight for the lower end of Neely Henry and found success. He seized the lead after Day 2 and was in second place going into Day 4, trailing Logan by just more than a pound. Mueller caught the heaviest bass of the tournament Monday, a 6-6 largemouth, but his 13-13 closing weight wasn’t enough to overtake Logan.

“My pattern went away today and I knew that would be the deal,” Mueller said. “I had to fish new water. I was able to catch some fish, and I had a good day. I’m glad at the way this turned out. As short as the morning bite was, I could have been sitting in sixth or seventh right now.”

Mueller caught his best bass, including the 6-6, on a Deps Evoke 2.0 squarebill crankbait (chartreuse/brown back). He earned an additional $2,000 for having the Phoenix Boats Big Bass on Day 4 and overall.

Alabama native Gerald Swindle caught the second-heaviest bag on Day 4 (a 15-0 limit) and finished third with 54-2 overall.

Mueller took home an additional $3,000 for being the highest-placing entrant in the Toyota Bonus Bucks program, and fourth-place finisher Jason Christie of Park Hill, Okla., earned $2,000 for being the second-highest placing entrant.

As part of the Yamaha Power Pay program, Logan earned $4,000 for winning while Christie claimed an additional $1,500 for being the second-highest placing entrant.

Minnesota pro Seth Feider finished 12th in the derby and didn’t qualify for Championship Monday, but he still left Gadsden with a commanding lead in the Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings. His season total of 525 points gives him a 41-point cushion over Patrick Walters of Summerville, S.C., (484) with three tournaments remaining.

Brock Mosley of Collinsville, Miss., is third with 464, followed by Brandon Palaniuk of Rathdrum, Idaho, with 462 and Christie with 457.

Bryan New of Belmont, N.C., is leading the Rookie of the Year standings with 372 points.

The City of Gadsden and the Greater Gadsden Area Tourism hosted the event.

2021 Whataburger Bassmaster at Neely Henry Lake 5/7-5/10
Neely Henry Lake, Gadsden AL.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 4

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

1. Wes Logan Springville, AL 20 57-09 100 $100,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-01 Day 2: 5 12-08 Day 3: 5 16-15 Day 4: 5 14-01
2. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 20 56-03 99 $37,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-03 Day 2: 5 15-03 Day 3: 5 12-00 Day 4: 5 13-13
3. Gerald Swindle Guntersville, AL 20 54-02 98 $30,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-03 Day 2: 5 13-03 Day 3: 5 11-12 Day 4: 5 15-00
4. Jason Christie Park Hill, OK 20 52-13 97 $25,000.00
Day 1: 5 11-03 Day 2: 5 12-15 Day 3: 5 14-14 Day 4: 5 13-13
5. Matt Arey Shelby, NC 20 52-01 96 $20,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-04 Day 2: 5 10-07 Day 3: 5 11-04 Day 4: 5 15-02
6. Bryan New Belmont, NC 20 50-02 95 $19,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-07 Day 2: 5 09-11 Day 3: 5 11-07 Day 4: 5 12-09
7. Bob Downey Hudson, WI 20 49-10 94 $18,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-15 Day 2: 5 13-02 Day 3: 5 13-11 Day 4: 5 08-14
8. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 20 47-07 93 $17,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-15 Day 2: 5 12-14 Day 3: 5 08-00 Day 4: 5 09-10
9. Austin Felix Eden Prairie, MN 20 46-04 92 $16,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-10 Day 2: 5 11-07 Day 3: 5 12-14 Day 4: 5 08-05
10. Todd Auten Lake Wylie, SC 17 42-11 91 $15,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-02 Day 2: 5 14-04 Day 3: 5 08-09 Day 4: 2 04-12
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1 Clark Wendlandt Leander, TX 05-04 $1,000.00
2 Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 05-11 $1,000.00
3 Jay Yelas Lincoln City, OR 05-06 $1,000.00
4 Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 06-06 $1,000.00

by AnglersChannel

Takahiro Omori Wins 2021 MLF USAA Patriot Cup

Japanese Pro Catches 7½ Pounds in Final 30 Minutes to Overtake California Pro Jared Lintner and Claim Title in Kissimmee, Florida

KISSIMMEE, Fla. (May 10, 2021) – Major League Fishing (MLF) pro Takahiro Omori of Tokyo, Japan, caught 16 bass totaling 35 pounds, 11 ounces, to win the Championship Round of the 2021 MLF USAA Patriot Cup Presented by Berkley in Kissimmee, Florida, which premiered Saturday on the Outdoor Channel. The win was the second MLF Cup win in as many years for the Japanese pro, who also claimed the 2020 Wiley X Summit Cup Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches Title at Lake of the Ozarks.

Omori said that he did the bulk of his damage on two baits – an unnamed 1.5 squarebill crankbait and a vibrating jig with a swimbait trailer. He fished boat docks, around the bank and in pockets in 3- to 5-feet of water.

“I love shallow-cranking, and I was thinking the conditions were perfect for me,” Omori said. “The 1.5 did it for me. It’s my most trusted bait right now.

“In the final period I come into the back of the creek where the wind was blowing, and I said if this doesn’t happen right here, I’m done. But, it did.”

With two Cup wins under his belt, the veteran Japanese angler now knows that he can excel at the MLF catch, weigh, immediate-release format.

“I wasn’t that good in the beginning. It took me seven years to really understand this format, but now that I do, I love it,” Omori went on to say.

The final eight anglers at the 2021 USAA Patriot Cup Presented by Berkley in Kissimmee, Florida, finished:

1^st:          Takahiro Omori, Tokyo, Japan, 16 bass, 35-11
2^nd:         Jared Lintner, Arroyo Grande, Calif., 15 bass, 33-8
3^rd:         Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., 15 bass, 26-9
4^th:         Jesse Wiggins, Addison, Ala., 10 bass, 23-7
5^th:         Terry Scroggins, Palatka, Fla., 12 bass, 22-1
6^th:         John Murray, Spring City, Tenn., 11 bass, 19-8
7^th:         Mike Iaconelli, Runnemede, N.J., nine bass, 16-14
8^th:         Mark Rose, Wynne, Ala., nine bass, 15-1

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

Wiggins caught the Berkley Big Bass of the day – a nice 8-pound, 9-ounce largemouth that came on a finesse worm.

Overall, there were 97 bass weighing 192 pounds, 11 ounces caught by the final eight pros during the Championship Round of competition on Lake Bellalago.

The 2021 21 USAA Patriot Cup Presented by Berkley was hosted by Experience Kissimmee and premiered on the Outdoor Channel as six, two-hour original episodes each Saturday afternoon debuting on April 3, 2021, and running through May 8, 2021.

All six episodes of the event are available for viewing on the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) streaming app.

The event was shot over six days in November 2020, in Kissimmee and featured 28 MLF pro anglers competing on three different fisheries across the region, including John’s Lake, Lake Toho and Lake Bellalago. The fisheries are unknown to the anglers – they do not learn where they are competing until they arrive to the launch ramp each morning of competition.

by AnglersChannel

Thliveros Wins Toyota Series Event on Lake Seminole

St. Augustine Angler Wins by 1-pound, 12-ounce Margin, Earning $37,809

BAINBRIDGE, Ga. (May 10, 2021) – Toyota Series angler Nick Thliveros of St. Augustine, Florida, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 21 pounds, 13 ounces to win the three-day Toyota Series Presented by A.R.E. at Lake Seminole in Bainbridge, Georgia. Thliveros’ three-day total of 15 bass weighing 62-11 earned him the win by a 1-pound, 12-ounce margin over second-place angler Matt Baty of Bainbridge, Georgia, and earned Thliveros the top payout of $37,809 in the third and final tournament of the 2021 Toyota Series Southern Division.

Settling down in Spring Creek, Thliveros said he fished one 50-yard stretch all week.

“It’s something I’ve had some previous knowledge on but I’ve never really been here at the right time for it,” said Thliveros. “I’ve never been here far enough in the postspawn to make those fish get in the deeper water.

“It’s basically a sand spot with hydrilla on the edge. The water’s about 10-foot deep around it and the sand is in 15 feet of water. It’s a depression and today they were on the sand.”

The unique aspect of his area was that Thliveros was essentially fishing side-by-side the fourth-place finisher Braxton Clements all three days. The two fished different areas all week, though the areas were nearly a cast apart.

“I have to give a huge shoutout to Braxton,” Thliveros said. “You got to watch him because that boy can fish and he is first class. We were 40 yards apart every day. I didn’t know him, but that’s a good man right there. We worked together – he had his hole, I had mine. We’d congratulate each other on catching fish all week and in this sport you don’t see that often, so to be a part of it is amazing.”

Thliveros said dissecting the grass and sand was a repetitive and meticulous process the entire week. Getting bites early in the day helped to reinforce the fact that the tiny spot still had fish and gave him the confidence to keep grinding.

“I’ve never been in a situation where you can go to one spot and just catch ‘em all three days,” he said. “Today, I could see them on my down imaging and I backed off and it was awesome.”

Thliveros kept it simple and a bit old school with two worms of choice – a Strike King Cut-R Worm or a Strike King Anaconda worm rigged on a 3/16- or ¼-ounce Bullet Weights Tactical Tungsten weight. Though he tried other baits, Thliveros said the worm was his primary producer.

“My dad has, you know, 35 years in [tournament fishing on a worm], so I had a pretty good teacher,” he said. “He taught me how to drag a worm and that’s what it took this week.”

With his family cheering him on from the crowd, Thliveros was emotional on stage when his name was announced as champion.

“It’s been two years since my last win,” he said. “I won Okeechobee [2019] and I hadn’t cashed a check since the end of that year, but I came back on this one. I’ve got to thank my family and sponsors, because without y’all I wouldn’t be here. I’m speechless.”

The top 10 pros on Lake Seminole finished:
1^st:       Nick Thliveros of St. Augustine, Fla., 15 bass, 62-11, $37,809
2^nd:      Matt Baty of Bainbridge, Ga., 15 bass, 60-15, $15,651
3^rd:       Clint Brown of Bainbridge, Ga., 15 bass, 59-14, $11,343
4^th:       Braxton Clements of Donalson, Ga., 15 bass, 51-3, $9,452
5^th:       Joey Cifuentes of Clinton, Ark., 15 bass, 50-04, $8,507
6^th:       Brandon Classon, Sr. of Leesburg, Ga., 15 bass, 48-11, $7,562
7^th:       David Ellis of Crestview, Fla., 11 bass, 47-7, $6,617
8^th:       Anthony Ford of New Smyrna, Fla., 12 bass, 44-4, $5,671
9^th:       Nicholas Davico of Cantonment, Fla., 12 bass, 42-2, $4,726
10^th:     Terry Segraves of Kississimmee, Fla., 13 bass, 37-2, $3,781

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

Cole Hewett of Orange Park, Florida, took home an additional $136 for the Day One Berkley Big Bass award in the pro division, with a bass weighing 7 pounds, 15 ounces. Nolan Gaskin of Broussard, Louisiana, won the Day Two Berkley Big Bass award in the pro division, bringing an 6-pound, 12-ounce bass to the scale.

Pro Matt Baty of Bainbridge, Georgia, took home an extra $1,000 as the highest finishing Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus member. Boaters are eligible to win up to an extra $35,000 per event in each Toyota Series tournament if all requirements are met. More information on the Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.

Stephen Draghi of Sparrowbush, New York won the Strike King Co-angler Division Saturday with a three-day total of 13 bass weighing 34 pounds, 6 ounces. Draghi took home the top prize package of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard motor.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers on Lake Seminole finished:

1^st:       Stephen Draghi of Sparrowbush, N.Y., 13 bass, 34-6, Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat w/115-hp outboard
2^nd:      Joe Cifuentes of Clinton, Ark., 11 bass, 32-3, $4,762
3^rd:       Allen Carter of Bainbridge, Ga., 13 bass, 31-5, $3,809
4^th:       Brandon St. Pierre of Cape Coral, Fla., 12 bass, 28-7, $3,333
5^th:       John Stahl of Land O’Lakes, Fla., 10 bass, 26-1, $2,947
6^th:       Gary Haraguchi of San Jose, Calif., eight bass, 23-13, $2,381
7^th:       Ronald Young of New Braunfels, Texas, eight bass, 21-9, $1,905
8^th:       George Kapiton of Inverness, Fla., eight bass, 21-6, $1,667
9^th:       John Ebbe of Wisconsin Rapids, Wisc., seven bass, 20-7, $1,428
10^th:     Mark Denney, Jr. of Perry, Ga., 10 bass, 19-0, $1,515

In the Strike King co-angler division, the $90 Day One Berkley Big Bass award winner was Charles Tucker of Eustis, Florida, with a 6-pound, 6-ounce bass, while the $90 Day Two award went to John Stahl of Land O’Lakes, Florida, with a 7-pound, 10-ounce bass.

The Toyota Series at Lake Seminole was hosted by the Bainbridge Convention and Visitors Bureau. It was the third and final regular-season tournament in 2021 for Southern Division anglers. The next event for Toyota Series anglers will take place May 13-15 – the Toyota Series at the California Delta in Oakley, California. For a complete schedule, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com .

The 2021 Toyota Series Championship presented by A.R.E. will be held Oct. 28-30 on Pickwick Lake in Counce, Tennessee, and is hosted by the Hardin County Convention and Visitors Bureau.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Toyota Series presented by A.R.E. on the MLF BIG5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

by AnglersChannel

Lake Eufaula Set to Host MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit – Grundéns Stop 4

162 Professional Anglers Descend on Eufaula to Compete for Purse of More than $900,000, including Up to $135,000 to Winner

EUFAULA, Ala. (May 10, 2021) – Major League Fishing (MLF), the world’s largest tournament organization, is set to visit Eufaula, Alabama, this week, May 13-16, for the MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by Bad Boy Mowers, Grundéns Stop 4 Presented by A.R.E. at Lake Eufaula . This is the third event of the 2021 Pro Circuit season – hosted by the Eufaula Barbour County Chamber of Commerce – and offers competitors the opportunity to compete for a total purse of more than $900,000.

In its 26^th season, the circuit (formerly known as the FLW Tour) features a roster of the world’s best bass-fishing professionals competing across six regular-season events, each with a top award of up to $135,000. The field also competes for valuable points to qualify for the 2021 Tackle Warehouse TITLE presented by Mercury, the Pro Circuit Championship, and the opportunity to compete for up to $235,000.

This event will mark the sixth time the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit has visited Lake Eufaula. The Pro Circuit last visited the Big Bass Capital of the World in May 2015, when North Carolina pro Bryan Thrift played the numbers game, hitting as many solitary objects – stumps, brush piles, rocks, logs – on the bottom of the lake as humanly possible to rack up a four-day total of 69 pounds, 14 ounces and take home $125,000. In 2013, pro Randy Haynes put on an off-shore clinic on Lake Eufaula, winning the event with a four-day total of 79 pounds, 1 ounce – an 11-ounce margin over then runner-up Thrift, who had multiple second-place finishes on Lake Eufaula prior to his 2015 victory.

Pro Clayton Batts of Butler, Georgia, who will be competing in this event, fished his first bass tournament in Eufaula, Alabama, at 10 years of age with fishing legend Tom Mann, and his first big tournament on Lake Eufaula when he was 12.

“This is probably the first big tournament I’ve ever fished on a lake where I’ve grown up fishing,” said Batts. “Lake Eufaula can be a competitive challenge, because the water level and clarity are constantly changing from day to day, so you have to really stay on the fish.

“Guys will have to be versatile during this event – I don’t expect to see one guy fishing one pattern the entire time. Even if they’re on a deep bite, they’re still going to have to find something shallow and have a shad or bluegill spawn or something else to go with it.”

Batts said he anticipates it will take around 20 pounds a day to win the tournament and bringing in consistent weight all four days will be the hardest part of the event.

“This is one of the best times to come to Lake Eufaula because everyone is going to be able to fish their strengths during this tournament,” continued Batts. “If a guy wants to go flip a frog all day he can, or if guys want to fish off-shore or run way up the river – it’s possible to win doing all of it.

“You’re going to have all three phases of pre-spawn, spawn and post-spawn, with the majority of the fish being post-spawn. I think we’ll see guys flipping and fishing shallow with swim jigs, frogs and all your basic power fishing stuff, but we’ll also see guys off-shore throwing big crankbaits, swimbaits, big worms, swim jigs and a variety of baits.”

While the fishery is very versatile this time of year, pro Clabion Johns of Social Circle, Georgia, said he believes anglers will still have to dial in on specific patterns and baits if they want to stay relevant in the competition.

“Lake Eufaula fishes so well early in the year because there are always waves of fish coming to the bank, on the bank and leaving the bank,” said the Georgia pro. “However, usually by the end of April, the fish will go out the deepest I’ve seen on any lake I’ve ever been on – out to water more than 30-feet-deep. Once that last spawn wave hits, it gets tough as nails and the off-shore, deep-fishing guys start crushing it.”

Johns said later in May, with bluegill bedding and mayfly hatches, the bite moves up shallow again – so this will be an interesting time on Lake Eufaula to find the fish between those two stages.

“The shallow guys will have to get real specific to be competitive during this event,” said Johns. “It’s easy to catch a limit on Lake Eufaula, but it’s a lot harder to compete at the top of the leaderboard. The guys that know how to dial them in can catch big bags up there, but one bad decision can blow the entire tournament.”

Anglers will take off at 6:30 a.m. CT Thursday through Sunday from Lakepoint Resort State Park, located at 104 Lakepoint Drive in Eufaula. Weigh-ins will also be held at the park daily at 3 p.m. Due to COVID-19 precautions, attendance is limited to competing anglers, family, essential staff and media covering the event. Fans are encouraged to follow the action online through the MLF NOW! live stream and coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com .

The MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by Bad Boy Mowers, Grundens Stop 4 Presented by A.R.E. – Lake Eufaula event will feature live on-the-water coverage and a two-hour action-packed television show that will premiere on the Outdoor Channel on Sunday, August 22 from 7 to 9 a.m. ET and re-air on the Sportsman Channel this fall. Weigh-ins will be streamed daily and fans can catch live on-the-water action all day Saturday and Sunday, May 15-16 on MLF NOW! beginning at 7 a.m. CT at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

The 2021 season culminates with the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit TITLE presented by Mercury, where the top 48 pros in the points standings plus, 2020 TITLE Champion Rusty Salewske of Alpine, California, and 2020 Angler of the Year Ron Nelson of Berrien Springs, Michigan, will compete for as much as $235,000. The 2021 TITLE will be on the Mississippi River in La Crosse, Wisconsin on Aug. 17-22, and is hosted by Explore La Crosse.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit presented by Bad Boy Mowers on the MLF BIG5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

by AnglersChannel

Team Arey: Big “Shishes” and Strawberry Shortcake

To most fans, anybody making a living in the professional bass fishing business has the coolest job in the world. But what gets overlooked so often is the loneliness of being away from home and the people you love hundreds of nights a year. And few miss home and his three girls more than top pro Matt Arey.

“Absolutely, 120-percent, no doubt, the toughest part of my job is the time I’m away from my awesome wife Emily and my two little girls,” said Arey minutes prior to Championship Monday at the Whataburger Bassmaster Elite on Neely Henry.

Emily certainly feels the heart-tugging sacrifice of her husband’s career too. So like she’s done roughly 20 other times during their 15-year marriage, as soon as the scales stopped spinning Sunday afternoon, and she knew for certain Matt had made the championship round, she packed up and headed-off in a hurry from their Shelby, NC home to be there in person to cheer him on.

“The girls and I were watching Sunday’s weigh-in at home, and we knew it was going to come down to ounces whether Matt squeaked into the Top 10. So, I refused to start packing the Sequoia until we knew for sure he’d made it because I didn’t want to jinx it,” she said with a smile on the dock Monday morning standing next to Matt.

She and daughters Reese, age 8, and Wren, age 3, drove six hours, arriving in Gadsden just before midnight Sunday night. Matt had called a local hotel and reserved them a room not far from the official launch ramp so they’d have a safe and comfortable place to land, while he slept 45 minutes away at fellow pro Scott Canterbury’s house, where he’s stayed all week.

“They were crazy wild excited to get here and sang songs from Strawberry Shortcake at the top of their lungs for pretty much the entire drive,” laughed Emily. “When they weren’t singing, Wren was talking about her daddy catching big “shishes” – that’s how she says “fishes”.”

Daddy will need his share of big “shishes” on Championship Monday to make a run at winning from the 10th position, but on this fishery it’s certainly possible. He plans to throw a big topwater walking bait to seek strikes from above average sized Coosa River largemouth.

“No matter where I finish – hero or zero – I’ve got my girls here – so I kinda feel like I’ve already won without making a cast,” concluded the Team Toyota pro before morning launch.

by AnglersChannel

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