Two Bassmaster National Championships To Be Decided In Tennessee
Chickamauga Lake in Dayton, Tenn., will host the 2021 Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School National Championship presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors July 29-31.
Photo by B.A.S.S.
April 28, 2021
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — National championships for the fastest-growing youth and high school fishing circuits in the country will be held on Tennessee fisheries, B.A.S.S. announced today.
The 2021 Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School National Championship presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors will head to Chickamauga Lake in Dayton, Tenn., while the 2021 Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster Junior National Championship for second- through eighth-grade anglers will be held on Carroll County 1000 Acre Recreational Lake in Huntingdon, Tenn.
As many as 275 high school teams are expected to compete July 29-31 for the high school championship crown. Each two-angler team is accompanied by a coach who runs the boat and can give advice on fishing techniques and patterns.
Student anglers qualify for the championship through four High School Opens held on Florida’s Harris Chain of Lakes, Kentucky’s Lake Cumberland, Alabama’s Lay Lake and Michigan’s Saginaw Bay.
“They are the best of the best among 13,000 high school B.A.S.S. members representing more than 1,300 high school fishing clubs nationwide,” said Hank Weldon, High School & Youth Series Senior Manager. “We are thrilled to give these high school anglers an opportunity to tackle Chickamauga — a fishery with a reputation for producing giant bass — as they compete for a national title.”
2021 will mark the first time the Bassmaster High School National Championship has been decided on Chickamauga Lake, which has previously hosted four major B.A.S.S. tournaments. The seven previous High School National Championship tournaments have been held on Kentucky Lake.
“We have had a fantastic partner in the Henry County Tourism Authority and both our anglers and their families have loved the experience of fishing Kentucky Lake, which has historically been one of the top lakes in the country,” said Weldon. “We look forward to future events on Kentucky Lake.”
The Briarwood Christian School duo of Tucker Smith and Hayden Marbut claimed the 2020 Bassmaster High School National Championship title with a three-day total of 47 pounds, 5 ounces. The National Championship victory was the third-straight title for Smith, who has continued fishing in college, and the first for Marbut, who was recently named to the prestigious Bassmaster High School All-American Fishing Team presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors.
The Bassmaster High School Series debuted in 2013 and has grown immensely since its inception. The program emphasizes sportsmanship, academics and conservation while giving young anglers a chance to improve and test their fishing skills in competition among their peers.
Another growing tournament program is the Bassmaster Junior Series, which will field up to 70 teams in that group’s championship Oct. 8-9 at Carroll County 1000 Acre Recreational Lake. As in the high school competitions, they will compete as two-angler teams accompanied by a coach. In 2020, Rhea County (Tenn.) seventh graders Turner Tharpe and Blake James came back from fourth place to win the championship with a two-day total of 13 pounds, 15 ounces and earn a $2,500 scholarship.
Walters and Cappo Collect Yamaha Power Pay
Courtesy of Alan McGuckin. Dynamic Sponsorships
Quitman, Texas - Patrick Walters and Quentin Cappo both fished a strong tournament during the record-setting Bassmaster® Elite Series on legendary Lake Fork. While their performances fell short of hometown favorite Lee Livesay’s mind-boggling 42-pound limit on Championship Sunday, they both went home with Yamaha Power Pay bonus money.
Walters and Cappo also chimed in backstage during the weigh-in about why they choose Yamaha power during competition.
“One word. Reliability,” said Walters. “Every time I turn the key, I know my Yamaha is going to get me where I need to be with zero issues.”
Cappo agreed. “Reliability and dependability are what I love most about my outboard. If I can see it on the map, I know my Yamaha can get me there to fish it.”
Explosive topwater strikes were also central to the two anglers’ success on Lake Fork. Walters caught a 9-pounder the final day on a topwater. Cappo says topwater is what he loves to do best, so as long as Lake Fork’s numerous giants were crushing it, he kept throwing it.
In the end, it was a great week in East Texas for both Yamaha pros. But you don’t have to be one of the world’s best topwater anglers or a touring pro to cash-in on Yamaha’s Power Pay contingency money, and you don’t have to win tournaments to take home Power Pay cash.
Anglers simply have to be the highest finishing registered participant in a Power Pay-supported tournament. Power Pay is not just for bass anglers - it also includes eligible saltwater, walleye, high school and college anglers (over the age of 18) through hundreds of events.
Introduced in the fall of 2019, Power Pay gives anglers the opportunity to receive compensation for running eligible Yamaha outboards. Eligible anglers running Yamaha outboards can sign up for the program by visiting yamahapowerpay.com. All applicants are required to accept and adhere to the Yamaha Angler Code of Ethics before completing the registration for the program. Once registered, the highest placing angler in specified Power Pay sanctioned tournaments that meets all eligibility requirements will be compensated by Yamaha accordingly.
New tournaments for 2021 include the MLF Bass Pro Tour, Bass Champs Texas, Carolina Bass Challenge, Texas Team Trail®, Skeeter XFL, Nichols Team Series Oklahoma, Phoenix BFL Regionals, EFL™ Redfish Contender Series and EFL™ Redfish Tour. Additional eligible Power Pay tournaments and trails include the Bassmaster Classic®, Bassmaster® Angler of the Year, Bassmaster Opens, B.A.S.S. Nation®, Bassmaster Elites, Bassmaster College Series, Bassmaster High School series, A.B.A. Bass Pro Shops® Open Series, Alabama Bass Trail, MWC, The National Walleye Tour®, AIM® Walleye, Kingfish Cup and Flatsmasters®.
For more information and complete terms and conditions about Power Pay, visit yamahapowerpay.com. Some restrictions apply. Void where prohibited by law.
Yamaha Marine products are marketed throughout the United States and around the world. Yamaha Marine Engine Systems, based in Kennesaw, Ga., supports its 2,000 U.S. dealers and boat builders with marketing, training and parts for Yamaha’s full line of products and strives to be the industry leader in reliability, technology and customer service. Yamaha Marine is the only outboard brand to have earned NMMA®’s C.S.I. Customer Satisfaction Index award every year since its inception. Visit www.yamahaoutboards.com.
Bryan College Wins Opening MLF Wiley X College Faceoff at Lake Guntersville
GUNTERSVILLE, Ala. (April 27, 2021) – The Bryan College duo of Conner DiMauro of Dayton, Tennessee, and Cole Sands of Calhoun, Tennessee, won the season-opening Major League Fishing (MLF) Wiley X College Faceoff at Lake Guntersville in Guntersville, Alabama, Saturday. The Lions’ bass club boated six bass weighing 15 pounds, 6 ounces – including a dramatic late catch with just two minutes left in the competition – to win the first of four Wiley X College Faceoff Events in the 2021 season and earn the win by a 2-pound, 7-ounce margin over Montevallo University’s Aaron Cherry and Chandler Holt.
The 10 teams that competed in the Wiley X College Faceoff at Lake Guntersville finished:
1st: Bryan College – Cole Sands, Calhoun, Tenn., and Conner DiMauro, Dayton, Tenn., six bass, 15-6
2nd: Montevallo University – Aaron Cherry, Kinsey, Ala., and Chandler Holt, Sterett, Ala., five bass, 13-15
3rd: Emmanuel College – Tyler Campbell, Martin, Ga., and Caleb Hudson, Evans, Ga., three bass, 11-2
4th: Bethel University – Brad Ableman, Watervliet, N.Y., and Kyle Palmer, Estill Springs, Tenn., four bass, 10-5
5th: Bethel University – Dax Ewart, Humboldt, Tenn., and Wilson Smith, Southaven, Miss., four bass, 9-4
6th: Montevallo University – Cade Holcomb and Kopeland Rosser, both of Helena, Ala., three bass, 8-6
7th: Bryan College – Eli Stevenson and Justin Botts, both of Bluff City, Tenn., two bass, 8-6
8th: Auburn University – Will Jones, Andalusia, Ala., and Garrett Warren, Hoover, Ala., three bass, 7-1
9th: Auburn University – Noah Coleman, Pinson, Ala., and Dalton Johnson, Smiths Station, Ala., three bass, 6-10
10th: Emmanuel College – Lillian Smith, Abbeville, S.C., and Kollin Smith, Bowersville, Ga., one bass, 2-2
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The Wiley X College Faceoffs are single-day tournaments where competitors fish in an MLF-style catch, weigh, immediate-release format at each event. The College Faceoff tournaments occur the Saturday following an Abu Garcia College Fishing competition, on the same body of water. The results from the College Fishing tournament the previous day determine the 20 competitors for the Wiley X College Faceoff, with the top two teams (four anglers) from the top five schools in the regular season tournament qualifying to fish in the ten-boat faceoff the following day.
The Wiley X College Faceoff tournament was hosted by the Marshall County Convention & Visitors Bureau. It was the first of four Faceoff events for MLF collegiate anglers. The next College Faceoff event will be held June 12 at Lake O’ the Pines in Jefferson, Texas.
Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI teams compete in three regular-season qualifying tournaments in one of five conferences – Central, Northern, Southern, Southeastern and Western. Registration is accepted from any eligible college team from across the United States. The top ten teams from each division’s three regular-season tournaments and the top 20 teams from the annual Abu Garcia College Fishing Open advance to the following year’s Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI National Championship. One additional team will automatically qualify for the National Championship for every 10 teams over 200 competing.
Zaldain loves big baits and Toyota Bonus Bucks
courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships
At the recent Bassmaster Elite Series event on Lake Fork, Chris Zaldain’s penchant for launching 8 to 10” glide baits and swimbaits led to 93 pounds of largemouth, a 5th place finish, and a $3,000 bonus from the Toyota Bonus Bucks contingency program.
“I love Lake Fork because there are so many fish over 5-pounds that I can fish the way I love to fish most. I felt like I was truly fishing to win with every cast.” says Zaldain. “And while I fell a few places short, it’s always a good feeling when you find out you won the Toyota Bonus Bucks even though you didn’t win the tournament.”
Asked what he loves most about his Toyota Tundra, Zaldain quickly stated, “Pure reliability. I never have to worry about my Tundra getting me to the boat ramp when I turn the key every day at 4:30 in the morning, not to mention the long drives from Fort Worth to Florida, up to New York, and back home again.”
Much like Chris, you too can cash-in on Toyota Bonus Bucks without winning your tournament. You just have to own or lease a 2017 or newer Toyota Truck, sign up free for Bonus Bucks, and be the highest finishing registered participant in one of the hundreds of
Whataburger Serves Up Title Sponsorship For Bassmaster Elite At Neely Henry
April 27, 2021
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Whataburger, known for big flavors and fresh ingredients served up just like you like it with 18 locations across Alabama, has signed on as the tournament title sponsor for the Bassmaster Elite Series on Alabama’s Neely Henry Lake, a Coosa River fishery renowned for its spotted bass. The 2021 Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Neely Henry Lake — the second of three Elite events scheduled in Alabama during the 2021 season — will be held May 6-9 in Gadsden.
“Just like B.A.S.S., Whataburger is known for their loyal fans,” said Bruce Akin, B.A.S.S. CEO. “We are thrilled to partner with Whataburger as they begin to reach into new markets and explore opportunities in sportfishing, and we’re looking forward to introducing Whataburger to Bassmaster fans at the weigh-in events in Gadsden.”
“At Whataburger, we enjoy being involved in and around the local communities where we do business in Alabama, and especially love good, friendly competition,” said Jeff Altman, Whataburger’s Director of Sponsorships, Marketing & Innovation. “We’re looking forward to the Bassmaster Elite and hope to see you in Gadsden.”
“As a huge fan of Whataburger’s food and what they’ve done to support sports in my own community, I’m excited to welcome them on as title sponsor for the Elite at Neely Henry Lake,” said Texas native and Elite Series champion Lee Livesay. “In 2020, I finished in the Top 25 at the Basspro.com Bassmaster Central Open on Neely Henry and can’t wait to get back!”
Live coverage of all four days of the Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Neely Henry Lake starts Thursday, May 6 on Bassmaster.com and the FOX Sports digital platforms. FS1 will also broadcast live with the tournament leaders beginning at 8 a.m. ET on Saturday and Sunday.
Sportsmans Warehouse Dream Tourney Preview!
This week Chris visits with Sportsmans Warehouse, Chattanooga store GM Karl Schiltz to find out more about the 15th annual Sportsmans Dream Tournament. If you are close to Chickamauga on April 30-May 1 you need to stop by the store and sign up and fish!
BUCK & BUCK BEAT A RECORD TURNOUT FOR THE BIG CHECK
CLEWISTON, FL – Saturday marked the start of the Roland Martin Marine Center Series 2021 Season presented by Huk. Apparently, our anglers were itching to get back to competing — and then some. At safelight just outside the lock in Clewiston, a record 193 boats set out to capture the first big check of the season. And that honor went to the father and son team of Ron and Ronnie Buck.
With a huge 30 pound sack of Lake Okeechobee bass, including an 8.01 lb. big bass kicker, they came out of the gate charging.
“We started catching fish right from the start and caught at least 70 and were culling 4 pounders by 10 o’clock, ” said Ronnie Buck. “It was a day to remember.”
All of their fish came on Gambler Swim Jigs in black and blue and paired with a medium sized EZ trailer.
“The fish were moving in from the lake, they were all white and looked like pre-spawners. It was just an amazing day,” the younger Buck admitted.
“When Ronnie caught a 6 pounder with about 45 minutes left, I thought, we’re good,” said Ron Buck. “And to do this with my son, doesn’t get any better.”
So let’s break out the calculator. That’s a first place check for $8,000. US Sugar Big Bass award for $500. Huk Gear award for $250. Mercury award for another $250. And the Bruiser Baits Big Bag for $150. That’s a one-day total of $9,150. Yeah, that’s what you get when you bring down the hammer on the Highest Paying Team Tournament Trail in Florida.
In second place, with 29.29 pounds and 7.03 lb. kicker, was the team of Jessie Mizell and Jerold Boltz, collecting $4,000.
Third place, with 23.83 pounds and a 7.09 lb. kicker, was the team of Rene Gonzalez and Conner Swindle, cashing out at $2,100.
With a record 193 boats, and a true 100% payback format, the payouts continued big and deep down to the top 32 finishers. Additional contingency winners (that the Buck’s didn’t snatch up) were Rene González, picking up $500 as the Ranger Cuphighest finisher. Dustin Royer collecting $100 for the Gambler Bucks 2nd Big Bass at 7.78 lbs. Conner Swindle collected $100 as the top Mercury Youth Angler. Amber Bass collected $100 from Mary Ann Martin as the top Lady Angler. And winning big for going small, the team of Alonzo Cunnington and Dominic Spain turned the smallest limit of the event into $300 presented by AV Inspection.
It was a great turnout for the first qualifier of the 2021 season. But with a desire to always go bigger and better, we’re just getting started. Be sure to join us all season long as we continue to GO BIG on Legendary Lake Okeechobee in Clewiston, Florida.
NOTE: Next Qualifier is June 12, 2021. Teams must fish 3 of the 4 qualifiers to qualify for the Series Championship in December. Check the 2021 Schedule for more.
Mathews Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League on Greers Ferry Lake
Conway’s Choate Wins Strike King Co-Angler Division
TOP 10 RESULTS
| RANK | BOATER NAME/HOMETOWN | BASS | WEIGHT | AWARD |
| 1st | Jason Mathews of Batesville, Ark. | 5 | 13-9 | $4,763 |
| 2nd | Matt Wood of Jessieville, Ark. | 5 | 12-12 | $2,381 |
| 3rd | Carl Jowers of Searcy, Ark. | 5 | 11-15 | $1,585 |
| 4th | Jamey Black Sheridan, Ark. | 5 | 11-6 | $1,532 |
| 4th | CJ Brustrom of Sulphur Rock, Ark. | 5 | 11-6 | $1,032 |
| 6th | Von Kinsey of Clarksville, Ark. | 5 | 11-2 | $1,583 |
| 7th | Billy Littleton of Batesville, Ark. | 5 | 11-1 | $794 |
| 8th | Cody Nickles of Wynne, Ark. | 5 | 11-0 | $635 |
| 8th | Paul Combs of Russellville, Ark. | 5 | 11-0 | $635 |
| 8th | Stephen Browning of Hot Springs, Ark. | 5 | 11-0 | $635 |
| RANK | STRIKE KING CO-ANGLER NAME/HOMETOWN | BASS | WEIGHT | AWARD |
| 1st | Brian Choate of Conway, Ark. | 5 | 10-10 | $2,381 |
| 2nd | Danny Brustrom of Sulphur Rock, Ark. | 5 | 10-9 | $1,191 |
| 3rd | Robert Cole of Boles, Ark. | 5 | 10-7 | $791 |
| 4th | Todd Christen of Conway, Ark. | 5 | 9-14 | $556 |
| 5th | Ron Knight of Hot Springs, Ark. | 5 | 9-11 | $831 |
| 6th | James Grant of Wynne, Ark. | 5 | 9-9 | $397 |
| 6th | Jonathan Simms of Hot Springs, Ark. | 5 | 9-9 | $397 |
| 6th | Jarred Kibbey of Little Rock, Ark. | 5 | 9-9 | $397 |
| 9th | Michael Gross of Malvern, Ark. | 5 | 9-6 | $282 |
| 9th | Keith Brannon of Greenwood, Ark. | 5 | 9-6 | $282 |
| 9th | Robert Chavers of Knoxville, Ark. | 5 | 9-6 | $282 |
CONTINGENCY AWARDS
| AWARD | NAME | CONTINGENCY | PAYOUT |
| Boater Big Bass | Von Kinsey of Clarksville, Ark. | 4-pound, 2-ounce bass | $710 |
| Strike King Co-Angler Berkley Big Bass | Ron Knight of Hot Springs, Ark. | 3-pound, 11-ounce bass | $355 |
| Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus | Jamey Black of Sheridan, Ark. | Eligible Phoenix Boat* | $500 |
WINNING BAITS
| ANGLER | BAIT | COLOR |
| Boater | Did Not Divulge | N/A |
| Strike King Co-Angler | Did Not Divulge | N/A |
2021 QUALIFICATION OPPORTUNITIES
| EVENT | DATE | LOCATION | HOST |
| Arkie Division – Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championship | May 16 | Lake Dardanelle, Russellville, Ark. | Russellville Advertising & Promotion |
| 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.
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.
Hidden Lake Big Bass Wins U.S. Army High School Fishing at Lake Guntersville
TOP 10 RESULTS
| RANK | SCHOOL/CLUB NAME/CITY | ANGLER NAME | BASS | WEIGHT |
| 1st | Hidden Lake Big Bass* | Dalton Defelice Elijah Meyers |
5 | 17-11 |
| 2nd | Bibb County High School* | Evan Dunn AJ McGee |
5 | 14-11 |
| 3rd | Rhea County* | Andon Goins Blake Wheat |
5 | 14-8 |
| 4th | North Paulding HS Bass Team* | Andrew Thompson Eli Wiggins |
5 | 14-6 |
| 5th | Falkville Fishing Club* | Owen Teague Wyatt Tomlin |
5 | 13-14 |
| 6th | Riley’s Catch-Indian Trail, N.C. | Michael McNulty Sailor Whitehead |
5 | 13-10 |
| 7th | Buckhorn Bass Fishing | Hunter Edwards Cooper Shepard |
5 | 13-4 |
| 8th | Guntersville HS Bass Club | Cole Green Brayden Leonard |
5 | 12-10 |
| 9th | Guntersville HS Bass Club | Jarred Bodine Carson Floyd |
5 | 12-7 |
| 10th | Dar Patriots Fishing | Cole Edwards Jayden Fernatt |
5 | 11-12 |
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 Smith Mountain Lake Open | May 1 | Smith Mountain Lake, Huddleston, Va. | Visit Bedford |
| 2021 U.S. Army High School Fishing National Championship & World Finals | Jun. 30 – Jul. 3 | Lake Hartwell, Anderson, S.C. | Anderson Convention & Visitors Bureau |
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.
University of Montevallo Wins Abu Garcia College Fishing Tournament on Lake Guntersville
| RANK | COLLEGE NAME | ANGLER NAME/HOMETOWN | BASS | WEIGHT | AWARD |
| 1st | University of Montevallo | Aaron Cherry of Kinsey, Ala. Chandler Holt of Sterrett, Ala. |
5 | 18-14 | $2,000 |
| 2nd | Bryan College | Conner Dimauro of Dayton, Tenn. Cole Sands of Calhoun, Tenn. |
5 | 17-15 | $1,000 |
| 3rd | Wabash Valley College | Zebulon Frasure of Stendhal, Ind. Drew Gill of Mount Carmel, Ill. |
5 | 17-14 | $500 |
| 4th | Emmanuel College | Brooks Anderson of Marietta, Ga. Parker Guy of Ocilla, Ga. |
5 | 17-8 | $500 |
| 5th | Auburn University | Noah Coleman of Pinson, Ala. Dalton Johnson of Smiths Station, Ala. |
5 | 17-1 | $500 |
| 6th | Bryan College | Justin Botts of Bluff City, Tenn. Eli Stevenson of Dechard, Tenn. |
5 | 17-0 | |
| 7th | Bryan College | Tim Herrmann of Groveland, Ill. Hunter Palmer of Wartrace, Tenn. |
5 | 16-15 | |
| 8th | University of Southern Indiana | Wayne Ellison of Evansville, Ind. Jacob Ramsey of Williams, Ind. |
5 | 16-13 | |
| 9th | Bryan College | Conner Giles of Riceville, Tenn. Christian Wright of Clinton, Tenn. |
5 | 16-12 | |
| 10th | Bethel University | Brad Ableman of Watervliet, N.Y. Kyle Palmer of Estill Springs, Tenn. |
5 | 15-8 |
Complete results for the entire field can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
2021/2022 QUALIFICATION OPPORTUNITIES
| EVENT | DATE | LOCATION | HOST |
| Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI | April 30 | Smith Mountain Lake, Huddleston, Va. | Visit Bedford |
| Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI National Championship Presented by Lowrance | TBA - 2022 | TBA | TBA |
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. The top ten teams from each division’s three regular-season tournaments and the top 20 teams from the annual Abu Garcia College Fishing Open advance to the following year’s Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI National Championship.
TWRA releases identity of boater who died in Douglas Lake boating accident
This article courtesy of the Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency website.
UPDATE: The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency has released the identity of the angler who lost his life in Saturday's Douglas Lake boating accident.
Officials say 65-year-old Billy Ray Martin, of Pikeville, Kentucky died Saturday following a boating accident on Douglas Lake.
Martin and another passenger were fishing with a bass club that launched out of Walter’s Bridge Access Area early Saturday morning. At approximately 9:30 a.m., Martin's boat collided with another boat upstream of Douglas Dam in the vicinity of Anchor Down campground.
Martin, Martin's passenger and both occupants of the other boat were ejected into the water during the collision, according to authorities. All four individuals were wearing life jackets at the time of the accident.
Officials report the boaters were recovered by other bass fishermen and taken to the dock at Anchor Down campground. Billy Ray Martin died at the scene and his passenger was transported to UT Medical Center with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
Jefferson County Boating Officer Chase Rich says, “Life jackets were definitely a factor in saving several lives in this accident. When someone is in the water without a life jacket on there is always a possibility of drowning but when you add other factors such as cold water/air and extra clothing to protect from the elements, it makes survivability that much harder. Also, impacting the water at any rate of speed can increase the possibility of being knocked unconscious. That’s why the use of life jackets is always important.”
This accident remains under investigation.
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Wildlife officers with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency are investigating a fatal boating accident that occurred on Douglas Lake at approximately 9:30 Saturday morning.
Officials say two bass boats collided near Anchor Down campground. One occupant of one boat is confirmed dead and the other occupant is being treated for serious injuries at UT hospital. Both occupants of the other boat are uninjured.
Check back for updates.
Brand New Phoenix Boat Equals Big Pay Day for Michael Cox and Colt Boyette on the Alabama Bass Trail
By Jason Duran
Photos By Chris Brown
Lay Lake was the third stop for the Alabama Bass Trail South Division, and once again, Mother Nature wasn’t providing favorable fishing conditions. A strong weather system was predicted to move through the area on Saturday with high winds, tornados and possible hail. After consulting with local weather officials and EMA, the decision was made to postpone the tournament to Sunday to keep anglers safe and out of harm’s way. The system moved through on Saturday and conditions improved allowing the tournament to be held on Sunday. When the sun rose Sunday morning, 225 teams were anxious to get back in action to claim the $10,000 first place payday.
Every time you hear anglers talk about catching fish at Lay Lake, you also hear them mention a swim jig. It seems it’s almost impossible to come to Lay Lake and not throw a swim jig. The lake is abundant with shallow vegetation and current. When you add in an early spring shad spawn, you have ideal conditions for a swim jig bite.
The first place team of Michael Cox and Colt Boyett did just that and caught 19.27. However, they didn’t throw the typical swim jig. They caught their better fish in the grass in the back of a pocket on a homemade jig with a Dirty Jigs skirt in Alabama Brim color paired up with a Strike King Rage Menace trailer. They filled out a limit with this bait early and caught a kicker fish weighing 6.23 pounds. They broke outside the norm throwing a White Swim Jig and opted for using the Alabama craw color that mimicked brim. A key for them was how they rigged the Menace: instead of rigging it flat, they rigged it so the tail was vertical and portrayed a swimming motion much like a brim.
After filling their limit, they changed areas and baits. They also used a War Eagle fitness 5/16oz inch Chartreuse Moose with a gold Indiana Blade. They fished small pockets in a major creek channel on the lower end of the lake because all the rain caused water to flow out of the creeks. Why not use this flow to their advantage to catch fish? Fish were staging up in the small pockets and points to get out of the current, so as they fished through the creek, they positioned the boat downstream from a point and made cast upstream to allow the spinner bait to work back to the boat with the current using this pattern throughout the creek. Boat position was critical, and they felt the need to set up just outside the point in the current and cast into the point which caused a little eddy where the fish staged up. The fish were in 6-10 feet of water, and they would cast up to 3 feet working it back to the boat.
Today was a huge payday for them! They won in a brand new Phoenix Bass boat purchased from Wedowee Marine just over a week ago, so they added to their first prize winnings with bonuses from Phoenix and Wedowee. Last time they got a new boat, they won the next tournament, and the same thing happened today. They also purchased a truck from Bill Penny Toyota cashing a Toyota bonus check for that as well. Today’s winnings including bonuses total $18,500.
The second place team of Matt Adams and Chris Wages said practice for them was very spotty. They spent a lot of time trying to find bedding fish during practice and were able to find a few saving them for tournament day. “Having the tournament on Sunday helped us,” they said. The plan for them today was to capitalize on practice and catch the bedding fish they found and hope to build on that. “Today the bite was better than in practice,” and they could tell the fish size was a little better as well. They described their key spot as a spawning bay where fish have been moving in and out. The first stop was on a bedding fish they weren’t able to catch but staying in the area led them to a 3 pounder they were able to land. They said the wind made it a little difficult to sight fish, but they were able to fish the grass and catch a solid bag weighing 18.14 pounds. All their fish came on a Dirty Jigs white swim jig. Matt said they actually lost a good fish twice that caused them the win today. He said second place today kind of “feels like kissing your sister,” especially because they had the winning fish on today. He said it was a good win against a very difficult field. They took home $5000 for their 2nd place finish.
The third place team of Brandon Jones and Barry Jones decided to fish today without any practice. Brandon said “we just haven’t had any time to practice and although this is what we consider to be their home lake, we still feel this lake is a hard place to do well.” They planned to come today and just go fishing. He said, “we hoped we could scratch out a limit, keep some points and move on to the next event.” They knew a few places to go and a spot where the fish push shad up early in the morning. Barry said, “while waiting for take-off this morning, I decided to tie on a Pop-R and see if they would hit it today.” On that first spot with the first cast one blew up on it, but he missed it. They continued to work the area getting more and more bites. Eventually, they worked back through the area a second time and caught two fish on back to back cast. Within 2.5 hours they had a limit “just fishing.” Their key baits were a Spro Poppin Frog, a Berkley Chopo, and a Stanley Ribbit Buzz Frog- all in white. All their fish came in 2 feet of water or less. They said they were a little surprised at the third place finish especially since they didn’t have any time to practice. Today they just went fishing and caught 17.94- good enough for 3rd place and $4000.
Top ten standings are below for a complete list see: https://www.alabamabasstrail.org/tournament-series/wl-results/
Download and listen to the ABT Podcast on your favorite Podcast app by searching for “Alabama Bass Trail Podcast.” The Podcast is released each week on Tuesday. This week will feature the winners of Lay Lake Michael Cox and Colt Boyett.
Poboril & Powe win over $20,000 on LBJ. Martin & Behrend win over $10,000 with 4th, Skeeter & Spark bonus Cash.
| Place | Boat | Truck | Angler 1 | Angler 2 | Fish | Big Bass | Wt. | Prize Amt. | |
| 1 | GERALD POBORIL TEMPLE , TX |
JACK POWE KEMPNER , TX |
5 | 9.80 | 23.15 |
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| 2 | JOSH WALLACE WOODCREEK , TX |
TODD GOLD WIMBERLEY , TX |
5 | 0 | 20.18 |
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| 3 |  |
PHILLIP MASSOLETTI BURNET , TX |
NOEL LOWE NEED INFO |
5 | 0 | 19.28 |
|
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| 4 |  |
STERLING MARTIN COMFORT , TX |
COURTNEY BEHREND COMFORT , TX |
5 | 0 | 18.61 |
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| 5 | |
RAY TOMASITS LEANDER , TX |
CARY LAUDADIO AUSTIN , TX |
5 | 0 | 18.45 |
|
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| 6 | |
ROBERT KESSLER SPRING , TX |
RUSSELL KESSLER LA VERNIA , TX |
5 | 0 | 17.66 |
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| 7 | |
BRENNAN FERTIG BELLVILLE , TX |
JAMES BEAUCHAMP SUNRISE BEACH , TX |
5 | 0 | 17.34 |
|
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| 8 | JOSHUA RHODES SAN ANTONIO , TX |
DAVY CRANDAL HONDO , TX |
5 | 0 | 17.03 |
|
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| 9 | |
DAVID SHUSTER GEORGETOWN , TX |
CHARLES GERHART SALADO , TX |
5 | 0 | 16.64 |
|
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| 10 | |
KEN PARKER BOERNE , TX |
JASON GALLAS BLANCO , TX |
5 | 0 | 16.56 |
|
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| 11 | |
ANTHONY GOODSON DRIFTWOOD , TX |
TRAVIS DAUGHERTY BURNET , TX |
5 | 0 | 15.95 |
|
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| 12 | |
RONNY MAYNARD GEORGETOWN , TX |
ERIC CRUMLEY LEANDER , TX |
5 | 0 | 15.78 |
|
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| 13 | BRIAN STEVENS MARBLE FALLS , TX |
JESSE STEVENS HORSESHOE BAY , TX |
5 | 0 | 15.31 |
|
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| 14 | RYAN WARREN GATESVILLE , TX |
JASON DERRICK VALLEY MILLS , TX |
5 | 0 | 15.25 |
|
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| 15 | BASIL WILSON COMFORT , TX |
JEFF WILSON COMFORT , TX |
5 | 0 | 14.43 |
|
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| 16 | TREY GROCE DRIPPING SPRINGS , TX |
CHARLES WHITED SAN MARCOS , TX |
5 | 0 | 14.34 |
|
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| 17 | DAVID UNDERWOOD WACO , TX |
CHARLES SIMMONS WACO , TX |
5 | 0 | 14.11 |
|
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| 18 | STEVE MAGNELIA AUSTIN , TX |
MICHAEL TENNANT PFLUGERVILLE , TX |
5 | 0 | 14.05 |
|
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| 19 | |
LARRY SMITH LAMPASAS , TX |
KEN EVERETT BERTRAM , TX |
5 | 0 | 13.93 |
|
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| 20 | |
MATT HILL JONESTOWN , TX |
BARRY MOTT LIBERTY HILL , TX |
5 | 0 | 13.71 |
|
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| 21 | CHASE MEIER COMFORT , TX |
TYLER ROY FAIR OAKS , TX |
5 | 0 | 13.53 |
|
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| 22 | ADAM AMICK BOERNE , TX |
JOSH BECKETT BOERNE , TX |
5 | 0 | 13.02 |
|
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| 23 | |
DAMON ROSS GEORGETOWN , TX |
DYLAN ROSS GEORGETOWN , TX |
5 | 0 | 12.89 |
|
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| 24 | |
MICHAEL GRIMES GEORGETOWN , TX |
TRAVIS OWEN GEORGETOWN , TX |
4 | 0 | 12.87 |
|
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| 25 | CHASE BRINCAT SAN ANTONIO , TX |
JAKE LONG BRADY , TX |
4 | 0 | 12.74 |
|
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| 26 | |
BRENT SMITH BERTRAM , TX |
WILLIAM FESLER LAMPASAS , TX |
5 | 0 | 12.49 |
|
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| 27 | |
PATRICK ANDERSON BUDA , TX |
DOUG HAMILTON LAKEWAY , TX |
5 | 0 | 12.17 |
|
||
| 28 | RICH RAYNOR ROUND ROCK , TX |
HOLLY RAYNOR ROUND ROCK , TX |
4 | 0 | 12.16 |
|
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| 29 | TOM GRIDLEY WIMBERLEY , TX |
DEREK ROGERS MALAKOFF , TX |
3 | 0 | 12.02 |
|
|||
| 30 | MICHAEL REEVE KINGSLAND , TX |
MICHAEL REEVE CHATTANOOGA , TN |
5 | 0 | 11.82 |
|
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| 31 | |
BRANDON BRAY MARBLE FALLS , TX |
JOE BRAY MARBLE FALLS , TX |
5 | 0 | 11.78 |
|
||
| 32 | TRENT ERXLEBEN ROUND ROCK , TX |
DERON MUELLER ROUND ROCK , TX |
5 | 0 | 11.76 |
|
|||
| 33 | |
TERRY KIRCUS BURNET , TX |
JASON BUCHANAN BURNET , TX |
5 | 0 | 11.75 |
|
||
| 34 | |
TULLY WILLIAMS GATESVILLE , TX |
TYELER WILLIAMS GATESVILLE , TX |
3 | 0 | 11.62 |
|
||
| 35 | |
JJ LARSON LEANDER , TX |
JASON LARSON LEANDER , TX |
5 | 0 | 11.59 |
|
||
| 36 | NORMAN WILSON JR KILLEEN , TX |
NORM WILSON SR HUTTO , TX |
5 | 0 | 11.57 |
|
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| 37 | |
BRIAN MATER AUSTIN , TX |
PHILLIP WARREN AUSTIN , TX |
4 | 0 | 11.30 |
|
||
| 38 | JACK MEREDITH TEMPLE , TX |
STEVEN BREAZEALE TEMPLE , TX |
5 | 0 | 11.18 |
|
|||
| 39 | SHAWN TAYLOR ABILENE , TX |
DUSTIN WALTON ABILENE , TX |
5 | 0 | 11.17 |
|
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| 40 | |
JARED TALBERT CHINA SPRING , TX |
JESSE RAWLS CHINASPRING , TX |
4 | 0 | 11.09 |
|
||
| 41 | |
WAYNE ORENDER JR PFLUGERVILLE , TX |
TOM NILSSEN NEW BRAUNFELS , TX |
5 | 0 | 10.91 |
|
||
| 42 | KENNETH FRY CYPRESS MILL , TX |
JESSE FRY GRANITE SHOALS , TX |
5 | 0 | 10.50 |
|
|||
| 43 | |
WENDELL RAMSEY SR SAN ANGELO , TX |
WENDELL RAMSEY JR PFLUGERVILLE , TX |
4 | 0 | 10.27 |
|
||
| 44 | |
BUBBA WAMPLER BERTRAM , TX |
RONNIE ANDREWS LIBERTY HILL , TX |
5 | 0 | 10.02 |
|
||
| 45 | |
BRANDON HOUSTON GEORGETOWN , TX |
JAMIE SLAYDEN AUSTIN , TX |
5 | 0 | 9.90 |
|
||
| 46 | BYRON ALBRECHT WACO , TX |
MICHAEL JOHNSON CRAWFORD , TX |
4 | 0 | 9.55 |
|
|||
| 47 | LOWELL BENNETT HEWITT , TX |
CHARLES REAGAN THORNTON , TX |
4 | 0 | 8.76 |
|
|||
| 48 | |
JUSTIN KETCHUM LEANDER , TX |
SEAN CLAMPITT ROUND ROCK , TX |
4 | 0 | 8.74 |
|
||
| 49 | TERRY PAYNE AUSTIN , TX |
PRICE PAYNE AUSTIN , TX |
2 | 0 | 8.64 |
|
|||
| 50 | DALE HUGHES SAN ANGELO , TX |
BARRY STUARD CANYON LAKE , TX |
3 | 0 | 8.51 |
|
|||
| 51 | JASON METZGAR CHINA SPRING , TX |
JARROD METZGAR MEADOWLAKES , TX |
4 | 0 | 8.35 |
|
|||
| 52 | |
DALE READ LEANDER , TX |
JIM SUNVISON PFLUGERVILLE , TX |
4 | 0 | 8.26 |
|
||
| 53 | TOM GUIDRY NEW BRAUNFELS , TX |
DUSTIN ISBELL KINGSLAND , TX |
3 | 0 | 8.14 |
|
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| 54 | MAT KEVIL MANOR , TX |
ANDY ARMENDARIZ SR BURNET , TX |
2 | 0 | 8.06 |
|
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| 55 | |
ROBERT BROWN ROUND ROCK , TX |
CHARLES PURSELL AUSTIN , TX |
2 | 0 | 7.68 |
|
||
| 56 | |
GERY TRUITT KERENS , TX |
RICHARD MIRANDA SAN ANTONIO , TX |
1 | 7.67 | 7.67 |
|
||
| 57 | GARY WAFFORD CEDAR PARK , TX |
GREG WAFFORD CEDAR PARK , TX |
2 | 4.89 | 7.19 |
|
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| 58 | |
KEVIN DAVIS LAGO VISTA , TX |
JIM HARCROW MCKINNEY , TX |
4 | 0 | 6.98 |
|
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| 59 |  |
KEITH HONEYCUTT TEMPLE , TX |
SAM JONES ROGERS , TX |
3 | 0 | 6.88 |
|
||
| 60 | |
GREG MIRANDA BROWNWOOD , TX |
ROGER SOTO BROWNWOOD , TX |
1 | 6.87 | 6.87 |
|
||
| 61 | |
TAYLOR DARDEN LOMETA , TX |
JOEY WYNN EARLY , TX |
3 | 0 | 6.60 |
|
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| 62 | |
BLAINE BUTLER CEDAR PARK , TX |
HANK GRAVES LAGO VISTA , TX |
1 | 6.51 | 6.51 |
|
||
| 63 | |
KELLY NORRIS LIBERTY HILL , TX |
KEVIN THRESS GEORGETOWN , TX |
3 | 0 | 6.48 |
|
||
| 64 | DOBIE NEW GEORGETOWN , TX |
NICKALES CASTLEBERRY GEORGETOWN , TX |
2 | 0 | 6.27 |
|
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| 65 | |
MARK DOREMUS EARLY , TX |
TIM MANLEY BROWNWOOD , TX |
2 | 0 | 6.17 |
|
||
| 66 | |
 |
ZACH BROWN GEORGETOWN , TX |
MIKE RICHARDSON THORNDALE , TX |
3 | 0 | 5.86 |
|
|
| 67 | DENTON COOPER SMITHVILLE , TX |
DANIEL HARRIS SMITHVILLE , TX |
3 | 0 | 5.77 |
|
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| 68 | JACK WILLIAMS PFLUGERVILLE , TX |
JASON CHARTOUNI ROUND ROCK , TX |
2 | 0 | 5.72 |
|
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| 69 | MATTHEW PURYEAR LAKEWAY , TX |
MICHAEL BAYER AUSTIN , TX |
2 | 0 | 5.53 |
|
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| 70 | BRINTON HASKINS NEW BRAUNFELS , TX |
MICHAEL ATKINS NEW BRAUNFELS , TX |
2 | 0 | 5.51 |
|
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| 71 | MICKEY SANDERS SPICEWOOD , TX |
ANDREW WHITEHEAD PFLUGERVILLE , TX |
4 | 0 | 5.46 |
|
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| 72 | JOE GARCIA HOBSON , TX |
JORGE BENITEZ WALLIS , TX |
2 | 0 | 5.12 |
|
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| 73 | |
BRANDON JONES FAIR OAKS , TX |
THOMAS WEIMER CEDAR PARK , TX |
1 | 4.86 | 4.86 |
|
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| 74 | DAVID HESSKEW BLANCO , TX |
VICTOR STEPHENS LEANDER , TX |
1 | 0 | 3.81 |
|
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| 75 | CHAD HECK SALADO , TX |
CHANCE HECK SALADO , TX |
1 | 0 | 2.57 |
|
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| 76 | DANIEL GIBSON CEDAR PARK , TX |
LEANN BENNETT CEDAR PARK , TX |
1 | 0 | 2.19 |
|
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| 77 | |
LON SHIPE LEAGUE CITY , TX |
FARREN MOUNTS PRESCOTT , AZ |
1 | 0 | 2.08 |
|
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| 78 | JAMES SEYMOUR OGLESBY , TX |
TONY MCBRIDE WEST , TX |
1 | 0 | 2.01 |
|
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| 79 | |
GARY WEIMER LEANDER , TX |
JEREMIAH WAFFORD CEDAR PARK , TX |
1 | 0 | 1.93 |
|
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| 80 | |
CODY MILLER GEORGETOWN , TX |
CRAIG MILLER BANGS , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
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| 80 | BRYAN COTTER CEDAR PARK , TX |
BILL GUZMAN AUSTIN , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
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| 80 | DEREK ANDERSEN GEORGETOWN , TX |
BILL KIMBERLY JARRELL , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
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| 80 | |
RICHIE LAND LIBERTY HILL , TX |
NATE LABAY LIBERTY HILL , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
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| 80 | BLAKE ARAPIS BURNET , TX |
CHARLES WILSON JR BRIGGS , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 80 | |
|
BRANDON BLAYLOCK BROWNWOOD , TX |
ADAM MIRANDA BROWNWOOD , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|
| 80 | |
SHAWN MARKGRAF BURNET , TX |
BRIAN BOOKER BURNET , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
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| 80 | |
LEVAR JENKINS AUSTIN , TX |
DWAYNE KINLEY AUSTIN , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 80 | |
RONALD SISK RIO VISTA , TX |
TAYLOR HUFFERD JOSHUA , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 80 | |
NICK BOATRIGHT LIBERTY HILL , TX |
CHARLES SMITH BUDA , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 80 | |
STAN KAMINSKI JONESTOWN , TX |
CODY BAILEY JONESTOWN , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
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| 80 | ANDER MEINE KILLEEN , TX |
JORDAN FELKNER LAMPASAS , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
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| 80 | |
CHARLES MEREDITH JR FLORENCE , TX |
DALTON MULLINS KILLEEN , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 80 | |
WESLEY BAXLEY CYPRESS , TX |
AUSTIN WOODDELL CYPRESS , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
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| 80 | JAMES STANLEY SAN ANTONIO , TX |
ANTHONY SKOUBY CIBOLO , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
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| 80 | |
DON PEARSON CEDAR PARK , TX |
JUSTIN KING BRYAN , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
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| 80 | STEVEN PITCOX KINGSLAND , TX |
BRANDI PITCOX KINGSLAND , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
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| 80 | KYLER ROBERTS FLORENCE , TX |
AUSTIN JALASEK KEMPNER , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 80 | |
CODY BRISTOW BURNET , TX |
BEAU BRISTOW BURNET , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
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| 80 | JOEY KIRKLAND SAN ANTONIO , TX |
TIMOTHY WEBER SAN ANTONIO , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 80 | |
|
DAVID LAINE HORSESHOE BAY , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 80 | CLAYTON FRENCH LAMPASAS , TX |
KELLY HUDSON LAMPASAS , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 80 | JEFFREY JONES SAN ANTONIO , TX |
FRANKIE BENITEZ SAN ANTONIO , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 80 | ROBBY PAYNE BUCHANAN DAM , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||||
| 80 | WYATT RAE LEANDER , TX |
HUNTER PRICE LEANDER , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 80 | BRAEDON METZGAR COLLEGE STATION , TX |
BAILEY COBURN LAWTON , OK |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 80 | JOSEPH MARTIN HORSESHOE BAY , TX |
GREG MEHAFFEY GATESVILLE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 80 | PAUL NEELY LAMPASAS , TX |
ALAN KING BURNETT , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 80 | DAVE MANGELSDORF GEORGETOWN , TX |
GROVER CHAMBLISS LEANDER , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 80 | JIMMY WILLOUGHBY TROY , TX |
JASON LEATHERWOOD NOLANVILLE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 80 | |
SHAWN FISCHER HOLLAND , TX |
STACEY PLOUGH LITTLE RIVER ACADEMY , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 80 | MICHAEL ZIBERT GARDEN RIDGE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||||
| 80 | JASPER HUNTER JARRELL , TX |
JEFFERY HUNTER JARRELL , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 80 | |
MARK BIONDI SR BURLESON , TX |
MARK BIONDI JR BURLESON , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 80 | |
BYRON BIONDI TERRELL , TX |
JASON GREENFIELD KENNEDALE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 80 | TIM BOYES LEAGUE CITY , TX |
TROY ROGERS LEAGUE CITY , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 80 | |
BRANDON DICKENSON MONTGOMERY , TX |
TREY EPICH PLANO , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 80 | WILLIAM JACOBS EL PASO , TX |
MANUEL ERIVES EL PASO , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 80 | ALLEN GASS LLANO , TX |
JOHN RATLIFF KINGSLAND , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 80 | CARY DECUIR ROUND ROCK , TX |
KIMBERLEY DECUIR ROUND ROCK , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 80 | MIKE PICKWELL DRIPPING SPRINGS , TX |
CHUCK EBBINGHAUS WIMBERLY , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 80 | |
MIKE LUNA NOLANVILLE , TX |
JAMES CHRISTMAN BELTON , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 80 | RANDY HIBLER MARBLE FALLS , TX |
RANDALL CHRISTIAN TOW , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 80 | COREY MARTENSON AUSTIN , TX |
JOHN WEBBER FREDERICKSBURG , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 80 | |
LEE BENTON BURNET , TX |
CODY SMITH NEW BRAUNFELS , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 80 | DANIEL BARNES BELTON , TX |
TANNER BARNES BELTON , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 80 | LINO GUTIERREZ COTTONWOOD WOOD SHORES , TX |
RUBEN RIBERA MARBLE FALLS , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 80 | TERRY STEVENS HUTTO , TX |
JASON HARPER MONTGOMERY , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 80 | |
JAMES SCOGIN AUSTIN , TX |
ROLAND LOERA AUSTIN , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 80 | |
ROY STEGER BELTON , TX |
CHET SUTTON SALADO , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 80 | |
MICHAEL SIERRA SAN ANTONIO , TX |
KEVIN JACKSON PLEASANTON , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 80 | |
|
ALLEN SHELTON FARMERS BRANCH , TX |
BRAD DRAKE IRVING , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|
| 80 | |
DARRELL WUENSCHE THRALL , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 80 | |
DAVID WENCIL BUCHANAN DAM , TX |
JEFF WHITEHEAD SLATON , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 80 | JOHNNY ZUNKER NEW BRAUNSFELS , TX |
WADE MEHAFFEY NEW BRAUNFELS , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 80 | CHAD KALLINA LAGO VISTA , TX |
ERIC JOHNSON BUDA , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 80 | |
CHRISTOPHER SULLIVAN EARLY , TX |
ROBBIE DUDLEY BROWNWOOD , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 80 | |
PAUL MIGAS AUSTIN , TX |
SEAN EVANS KILLEEN , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 80 | |
GENE FUESSEL AUSTIN , TX |
GERALD MUELLER JR HUTTO , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 80 | GARY JOHNSON BELTON , TX |
DON SCHUETZE TEMPLE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 80 | JOHNNY HOMANN KYLE , TX |
J. HESS LOCKHART , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 80 | |
CHARLES HICE BURNET , TX |
CHRISTOPHER STANLEY MARBLE FALLS , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 80 | |
DAVID REID CANYON LAKE , TX |
JUSTIN WOJCIK BULVERDE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 80 | |
CRAIG MIRANDA BROWNWOOD , TX |
BRANDON LOFSTROM BRADY , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 80 | |
KYLE MAREK LAGO VISTA , TX |
DYLAN LOOZE LEANDER , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 80 | JUSTYN PARRISH LAGO VISTA , TX |
LUCAS LARSON HUTTO , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 80 | RICKY PIERCE THORNDALE , TX |
RHETT PIERCE THORNDALE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 80 | |
STEPHEN COOKSEY BULLARD , TX |
TROY SLAUGHTER TRINIDAD , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 80 | |
LANCE DILLARD LLANO , TX |
BLAKE DILLARD LLANO , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 80 | |
WESTON BROWN HOUSTON , TX |
DAVID DOONAN CALDWELL , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 80 | WILLIAM BERNHARD LEANDER , TX |
DARYL PRICE ROUND ROCK , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 80 | |
|
COLT DIETZ AUSTIN , TX |
JOHN WARDEN DRIPPING SPRINGS , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|
| 80 | TONY FERDINANDO SPICEWOOD , TX |
MATT COOPER SMITHVILLE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 80 | KARL GOEHRING ROUND TOP , TX |
ROBERT BECK CARMINE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 80 | |
RONNIE CHARANZA BROWNWOOD , TX |
WESLEY FLETCHER BROWNWOOD , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 80 | CHRIS CLEMENTS ROUND ROCK , TX |
CHRIS WOEHL CEDAR PARK , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
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| 80 | |
ADAM CLARK DRIPPING SPRINGS , TX |
RICK CLARK TERRELL , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
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| 80 | |
FRED CATES SR ROCKDALE , TX |
KC CARLTON LIBERTY HILL , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
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| 80 | |
DAVID CHILES WACO , TX |
KYLE ROWE WACO , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
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| 80 | |
|
LEE BEUERSHAUSEN MARBLE FALLS , TX |
RANDY GROUNDS HORSESHOE BAY , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
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| 80 | ED WHALEY MONTGOMERY , TX |
DAREN SEBEK TEMPLE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
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| 80 | |
GARRETT GILL TEMPLE , TX |
ROBERT GILL BELTON , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
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| 80 | KEVIN DEWBRE JOHNSON CITY , TX |
COLE DEWBRE JOHNSON CITY , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
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| 80 | |
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CLIFF BROWN HARKER HEIGHTS , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
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| 80 | STEVE SCHORCK HORSESHOE BAY , TX |
CAYLIN RICE LLANO , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
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| 80 | SCOTT SMITH HORSESHOE BAY , TX |
PRESTON DANNA MARBLE FALLS , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
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| 80 | ROBERT WILBURN KINGSLAND , TX |
LILY WILBURN KINGSLAND , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
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| 80 | |
JAMES CANTWELL KINGSLAND , TX |
DONNA CANTWELL KINGSLAND , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
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| 80 | HANK FRY SPICEWOOD , TX |
MICHAEL SHAFFER MARBLE FALLS , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
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| 80 | KENNETH WITEK SAN ANTONIO , TX |
ERIC TAUER KIRBY , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
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| 80 | |
GARRETT HENNING BELTON , TX |
BRANDON MCQUEEN TEMPLE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
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| 80 | |
BRAD DOBBS HUDSON OAKS , TX |
MIKE GROUNDS MARBLE FALLS , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
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| 80 | RUSTY REEDY SPRING BRANCH , TX |
AYDEN REEDY SPRING BRANCH , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
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| 80 | JOHN PRICE LA GRANGE , TX |
DUSTY FRANK WEST POINT , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
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| 80 | THOMAS MCCOMIC MIDLAND , TX |
CHARLES SIMS | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
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| 80 | MICHAEL ALLPHIN LEANDER , TX |
JONATHAN SHOLTIS LEANDER , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
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| 80 | |
BRANDON ODELL KYLE , TX |
LARRY LAWSON AUSTIN , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
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| 80 | |
DUSTIN SMITH LEANDER , TX |
JARED SMITH LEANDER , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
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| 80 | THOMAS MARTENS CEDAR PARK , TX |
CHRIS COLLINS CEDAR PARK , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
Keith Carson goes wire-to-wire to win NPFL Wright Patman stop!
By Justin Brouillard | Photos Tanner & Travis Lyons
Texarkana, Texas – Keith Carson started the event with 25-pounds on day one, followed that up with 22-pounds, 4-ounces on day two, and brought 20-pounds, 6-ounces to the scale on Showdown Saturday. His 4-day total of 67-pounds, 10-ounces gives Carson his first NPFL win and he did it in dominant fashion.
Carson employed a run and gun pattern this week on Wright Patman after scrapping his entire practice early on day one. With the water falling, Carson reverted to pure instinct and never looked back. The Debary, Florida pro rotated through a Texas rig and chatterbait all week to catch his fish and the final day once again proves how dialed in Carson was.
“This morning, I has no idea where I was going to start. I had been starting on new water every day and on different parts of the creek. Today, the wind changed and blew out of the North West. I pulled up on a wind-blown bank. I had not fished here all week but I was feeling it.”
On his first two casts, his Abu Garcia rod loaded up but the fish got off. Ten casts later, another bite and another lost fish. Carson believed the fish were not bass, but picked up a flipping bait to keep it honest.
“I flipped that bait in and bam. I caught a 4-pounder and realized they were bass. That was the only fish I could get off that point. I went flipping and was getting bites every fifteen minutes but they were all small. I caught another 4.5 around 9am, and at that point I started to feel good.”
Two hours later, Carson had no bites and another instinct decision lead him back to the chatterbait and those wind-blown points.
“I went by a bush I have been fishing all week and it was all dry. I knew I had to make a move. I put that chatterbait in my hand with the Berkley Meaty Chunk trailer and basically caught all my weight that way. I only hooked about 50% of the fish I had bite for whatever reason but it didn’t matter.”
Carson used Abu Garcia Fantasista Premier casting rods all week – 7’3” medium-heavy for the chatterbait and a 7’6” heavy rod for flipping bushes. Spooled with 50-pound X5 braid, Carson relied on Abu Garcia Revo Premier reels in 7.3:1 gear ratio. The big key, the size of his flipping weight.
“I was flipping a 1-ounce tungsten all week. I said differently earlier in the week because I didn’t want that to get out. That weight allowed me to fly around and get that bait anywhere I wanted quickly. I was able to cover way more water while still fishing thoroughly.”
Nick Prvonozac
Nick Prvonozac once again finds himself at the top of the leaderboard in NPFL competition. The Warren, Ohio pro tallied 58-pounds, 4-ounces of Wright Patman bass anchored by his 23-pound day one. Jumping one spot from 3rd place, Prvonozac’s 16-pound, 6-ounce effort on day three landed him in 2ndplace this week.
“On the first two days, I caught fish steadily but they were the right quality. Today, I started in an area that I had not hit since day one. The water had fallen so much and I never got settled in. I moved around and made it to an area I was catching some smaller fish before, missed a big one and caught a small keeper.”
Prvonozac made a move to where he ended day two and caught the rest of his weight. The final day was a lot slower for the Ohio angler but his 3-day total put him a pound ahead of the next closest competitor.
“That area I ended on today was special. It has a bit cleaner water and lots of isolated cover off the bank – that was the key. I flipped a Yum Wooly Bug all week paired with a 5/16th weight.
Sheldon Collings
Sheldon Collings combined increasing bags of 16-pounds, 12 ounces on day one, 18-pounds, 14-ounces on day two, and a final day weight of 21-pounds, 8-ounces to slide into the 3rd place spot. Jumping from 12th place on the final day, the Grove, Oklahoma pro weighed the biggest bag on the final day.
Michael Yoder
Texarkana’s own, Michael Yoder yielded a 20-pound bag on the final day to give him a 3-day total of 55-pounds, 12-ounces and a cool 4th place finish on Wright Patman. With more experience than any other competitor, Yoder has a decision to make this week and he executed it flawlessly, almost.
“My simple game plan this week was to keep a bait wet in the area with the biggest population on the lake. All those fish were in a certain section of the lake and with the falling water and muddy water, that cut off 40% of the lake.”
Yoder knew he could go for gold, or semi play it safe. Avoiding the hero or zero, Yoder grinded all week and kept a 6th Sense bait in his hand and flipped his way to what he calls a blessing of a week.
“I could have easily won, or easily lost. I am very fortunate and blessed to have the type of event I has. The lake was fishing hard and I am thrilled with a top 10. The one thing I wish I could do over would be to spend more time in the main lake in practice.”
Yoder gambled and spent too much time in the river, trying to force a bite that was dying. With more time in the main lake, and an executed big bite, things could have been different.
“I have caught and weighed about 27 bass over ten pounds on this lake. On day two, I lost one that was between 8.5 and 10-pounds. That fish would have culled a small fish and I knew right then my shot to win was gone.”
Yoder credits 6th Sense baits for his week, flipping a Stroke and Pawn soft plastic to catch most of his fish. He mixed in a little chatterbait and a little frog and wanted to thank Garmin Electronics and Jones Trolling Motor as well.
Cody Ryan Greaney
Cody Ryan Greaney rallied on two 20-pounds bags the last 2 days to jump inside the top 5 with a total weight of 55-pounds, 10-ounces. Starting the day in the 16th spot, the Texas pro jumped to 5th place riding a bite he found on day two.
“I basically scratched my practice after day one. There were so many people where I wanted to fish, I couldn’t get into a groove. I should have had over 20-pounds on day one also but everyone was losing them so it definitely happens fishing around bushes.
Getting away from other anglers, Greaney went junk fishing, rotating between 8 or 10 rods and just started plucking them off one at a time. Fishing what looked good, a key timeframe was when things started to click.
“I had a magic hour; I could call my shots on the main lake. I was fishing windblown points with a spinnerbait and ended up catching a giant.”
On the final day, the weather threw another curve ball. Going back to the points, Greaney noticed the water has changed and two small bites has him looking to make moves.
“I stopped on a shad spawn deal and caught a good one. I happened to look over and noticed my best flipping stretch had nobody on t and I went right there.”
The rest is history as Greaney caught 20-pounds, 5-ounces to end his event.
“I want to thank my family and my lord and savior. He allowed us all to fish this week and kept us safe. My sponsors, Keystone Bank and Kids Outdoor Zone, I couldn’t do any of this without them.”
Shawn Murphy
Shawn Murphy made the biggest jump on the final day going from 19th after two days to the 6th place spot with a 20-pound, 14-ounce bag on day three. His 3-day total of 55-pounds, 6-ounces came by fishing high pressure areas and working a different presentation behind the “flippers.”
“I caught my fish by fishing behind anglers and getting baits way back up into the bushes. I swapped between a ½-ounce spinnerbait and a ½-ounce Buckeye Lures swim jig, both black and blue color.”
The Nicholasville, Kentucky pro stayed in one creek all week but scrambled on the final day and ran new after away from other anglers.
“At 11:30 am, I had 11-pounds or so and made a move across the lake and found them on mud banks with single laydown trees. I caught all my weight on those trees. Big thanks to Kentucky Sonar, Day’s Boat Sales, Mercury, Lowrance, and Power Pole.”
Josh Ray
Josh Ray relied on strong days one and two to go with his 14-pound, 6-ounce limit today. With a 3-day total of 55-pounds, 2-ounce, the Alexander, Arkansas pro ended his event in 7th place.
Eddie Carper
Eddie Carper tallied increasing bags all three days to finish in 8th place. Moving from the 17th spot, Carper brought 19-pounds, 13-ounces to the scales and ended with a 3-day total of 54-pounds, 14 ounces.
“I didn’t make any changes this week. I stuck to my guns and flipped bushes with a green pumpkin brush hog and 5/16th ounce Woo Tungsten. I flipped 25-pound Seaguar fluorocarbon and my Kistler rods got them out of the thick stuff. The only thing that changed was the win and it made the water dirtier than it was.”
Missing some small fish on the final day, Carper landed a key bass early on to get him in a groove.
“I flipped a root wad and saw a fish flash. I dropped down and let her eat it good. I set the hook and went to boat flip it. Little did I know but she was over 6 and it bounced off the rub rail and back into the drink. Thankfully I was able to get her in the boat.”
The Valliant, Oklahoma pro had one big bass and 3 rats for the longest time and about noon time landed a 4-pounder to help his bag. He kept moving on points and caught another big one.
“That 5-pounder was about it. I had one small fish I couldn’t get rid of but I want to thank Rugged Products for sending us to Texarkana with a pile of stuff to give away to the anglers and fans. They make a variety of things, sun block, bug spray, skin care products and it is all natural.”
Marc Schilling
Texas angler Marc Schilling brought 19-pounds, 14-ounces to the scale on the final day to give him a 3-day total of 54-pounds, 1-ounce. Too many lost fish cost him a chance for the win on day two, but several key changes lead to a top 10 finish here at Wrigt Patman.
“Today I began by getting two 4-pounders on a spinnerbait and then I swapped to the spinning rod. I landed three of the six 5-pound bites I got on the senko and that was basically the day.”
The first day, Schilling got his fish flipping and day two saw the spinnerbait get the most action. Looking for fish in spawning coves, the Texas pro just kept moving.
“There were too many guys in my areas and I just fished a lot of new water. I want to thank my sponsors, SEI Roofing, Mercury, Up River Rod Sleeves, Power Pole, Sartin Marine, South Western Parts and Service, and of course, my lovely girlfriend.”
Brian Hatfield
Brian Hatfield brought in 19-pounds, 10-ounces on the final day to round out the top 10 with a 3-day total of 53-pounds, 15-ounces.
Monster Bag Lifts Livesay To Bassmaster Elite Series Victory At Lake Fork
Lee Livesay, of Longview, Texas, has won the 2021 Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork with a four-day total of 112 pounds, 5 ounces.
Photo by James Overstreet/B.A.S.S.
April 25, 2021
QUITMAN, Texas — For three days, Lee Livesay caught quality fish, but nothing close to the Lake Fork potential he intimately knows. On Championship Sunday, the third-year Elite Series pro and local guide showcased his home lake’s treasures by winning the Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork with a phenomenal four-day total of 112 pounds, 5 ounces.
As the 32nd individual to enter the prestigious Bassmaster Century Club (a five-fish limit of 100 pounds or more), Livesay outpaced Day 1 leader Patrick Walters by a 10-pound margin. Along with his second Elite trophy — his first came last fall at Chickamauga Lake — Livesay won a first-place award of $100,000.
For Livesay, it was a monster final-day limit that weighed 42-3 and ranks as the third-heaviest, single-day weight in Bassmaster history that sealed the deal.
“I have no words right now, it’s amazing,” he said. “I’ve been around them, but I haven’t caught any big ones all week; I just survived. Everything just worked out and it never goes like that.”
Hailing from Longview, Texas, Livesay made no assumptions and fished hard until the last minute. But when the smallest bass in your five-fish limit goes 7 pounds, 6 ounces, good things are likely.
“I caught big ones everywhere I went,” he said. “I started off with big ones (a 9-2 at 7:14 a.m.) and ended with big ones (7-14 at 1:10 p.m.). It was just one of those surreal days, and it was amazing because I’ve spent a lot of time on this lake.”
Spending his tournament in Little Caney Creek, Livesay rotated among several secondary points where bass were chasing big gizzard shad. His main spot — a bar extending off a small island — allowed him to sneak into range of bass schooling on the opposite side without spooking them.
Throughout the tournament, Livesay caught fish on a mixed arsenal that included a 3:16 Lure Company line-through Rising Son swimbait, a 3:16 Lure Company Work Horse glidebait, a Megabass Vision 110 jerkbait, a Carolina rig with a Netbait Little Spanky, a 6th Sense Magnum Squarebill and a bone color Heddon Saltwater Super Spook.
On Sunday, the latter produced all of his weight fish. A 7-foot medium-heavy Halo HFX cranking rod and 40-pound braided line was essential for reaching distant fish and keeping them connected.
“Those fish are wanting to feed up and they’re seeing so many swimbaits, they’re just not eating them,” he said. “I kept getting bites and I kept throwing it.
“Working that big topwater really erratic and just getting them to react was the deal. I think they really think it’s a shad.”
Livesay kept himself in the hunt all week, starting with a seventh-place bag of 25-6 on Day 1. He slipped two spots on Day 2 after catching 17-14, but put himself within striking distance on Semifinal Saturday by adding 26-14 and improving to fifth.
Overcoming the hometown curse — succumbing to the pressure of local expectations — made Livesay’s victory even sweeter.
“I’ve spent thousands of days with clients and fun fishing on this lake,” Livesay said. “I never thought I had it. I knew I was around them, but I never thought I’d catch 42 pounds.
“So, doing it in front of family and friends, and a lot of sponsors were here, too, it’s just amazing. I couldn’t ask for anything better.”
Notably, Walters claimed his second Century Club belt after earning his first at last November’s Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest benefiting Texas Parks and Wildlife Department with a four-day Lake Fork total of 104-12.
Hailing from Summerville, S.C., Walters started strong this week by leading Day 1 with 32-14. He slipped to third on Day 2 with a smaller limit of 15-7.
Walters got back on track Saturday with 22-13 and reached the final round in fourth place. Adding 31-3 Sunday, he tallied 102-5 and was the only competitor to break 30 pounds twice.
He did most of his work at the mouth of Little Caney where prespawners were staging on the breaks. Leveraging his forward-facing Garmin Panoptix LiveScope, he fished a mix of jerkbaits, swimbaits and topwaters.
After a slow start, Walters got rolling with a midmorning rally that produced several big topwater bites. He steadily chipped away at the lead Livesay had built for much of the morning until the leader’s midday rally put the event out of reach.
“If you’re going to get beat on Lake Fork, it has to be a 40-pound bag,” Walters said. “Big hats off to Lee, he is the man. I had a great week; I really do love this place.”
Quentin Cappo of Prairieville, La., held the second-place spot for the first three days and finished third with 99-6. He turned in daily weights of 28-15, 25-13, 19-4 and 25-6.
Cappo targeted shallow areas with shell bottom in Caney Creek looking for submerged root masses, where deflecting a Strike King KVD 4.0 squarebill triggered strikes. When bass drove gizzard shad topside, he threw a Strike King Sexy Dawg topwater.
“The topwater came into play huge today, as expected,” he said. “One to 3 o’clock has been my window. I was just pacing around, hitting as much as I could and looking for bait activity.
“When that water temperature got warm throughout the day, they would come up and get active. And when the wind pushed those shad against the bank, they showed themselves.”
Clifford Pirch of Payson, Ariz., won the $1,000 Phoenix Boats Big Bass award for his 9-13 largemouth. He also won $1,000 for the biggest bass of Day 2. Walters claimed Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors for Days 1 and 4 (8-14 and 9-5), while Australian pro Carl Jocumsen took the award on Day 3 with a 9-5.
Brandon Card of Salisbury, N.C., took home $3,000 for being the highest-placing entrant in the Toyota Bonus Bucks program, and Chris Zaldain of Fort Worth, Texas, earned $2,000 for being the second-highest placing entrant.
As part of the Yamaha Power Pay program, Walters earned $2,500 for being the highest-placing entrant, while Cappo claimed an additional $1,500 for being the second-highest placing entrant.
Seth Feider of New Market, Minn., leads the Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings with 436 points. Walters is in second with 432, followed by Drew Cook of Cairo, Ga., with 387, Livesay with 385 and Chris Johnston of Peterborough, Canada, with 384.
Josh Stracner of Vandiver, Ala., leads the Rookie of the Year standings with 333 points.
2021 Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork 4/22-4/25
Lake Fork, Quitman TX.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 4
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Lee Livesay Longview, TX 20 112-05 100 $100,000.00
Day 1: 5 25-06 Day 2: 5 17-14 Day 3: 5 26-14 Day 4: 5 42-03
2. Patrick Walters Summerville, SC 20 102-05 99 $37,000.00
Day 1: 5 32-14 Day 2: 5 15-07 Day 3: 5 22-13 Day 4: 5 31-03
3. Quentin Cappo Prairieville, LA 20 99-06 98 $30,000.00
Day 1: 5 28-15 Day 2: 5 25-13 Day 3: 5 19-04 Day 4: 5 25-06
4. Brandon Card Salisbury, NC 20 97-03 97 $25,000.00
Day 1: 5 27-06 Day 2: 5 28-01 Day 3: 5 21-10 Day 4: 5 20-02
5. Chris Zaldain Fort Worth, TX 19 93-00 96 $20,000.00
Day 1: 5 27-01 Day 2: 5 15-10 Day 3: 5 29-03 Day 4: 4 21-02
6. Seth Feider New Market, MN 20 86-11 95 $19,000.00
Day 1: 5 22-03 Day 2: 5 20-14 Day 3: 5 22-11 Day 4: 5 20-15
7. Taku Ito Chiba JAPAN 20 83-14 94 $18,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-01 Day 2: 5 33-03 Day 3: 5 18-07 Day 4: 5 17-03
8. Chad Morgenthaler Reeds Spring, MO 20 83-10 93 $17,000.00
Day 1: 5 25-15 Day 2: 5 20-12 Day 3: 5 21-13 Day 4: 5 15-02
9. Chris Johnston Otonabee Ontario CANADA 20 80-14 92 $16,000.00
Day 1: 5 24-02 Day 2: 5 15-11 Day 3: 5 22-07 Day 4: 5 18-10
10. Austin Felix Eden Prairie, MN 20 80-03 91 $15,000.00
Day 1: 5 25-11 Day 2: 5 18-07 Day 3: 5 20-00 Day 4: 5 16-01
Becker Earns First Career Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Victory at Googan Baits Stop 3 at Lake Murray
COLUMBIA, S.C. (April 25, 2021) – Favorite Fishing pro Matt Becker of Finleyville, Pennsylvania, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Sunday weighing 17 pounds, 11 ounces, to hold off a massive charge from local favorite Anthony Gagliardi of Prosperity and win the four-day MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by Bad Boy Mowers, Googan Baits Stop 3 Presented by Favorite Fishing – Lake Murray in Columbia, South Carolina. Becker’s four-day total of 20 bass weighing 76-5 earned him the victory by a 2½-pound margin over Gagliardi and earned Becker the top prize of $137,500, including the lucrative $35,000 MLF Phoenix BIG5 Bonus.
“This has been years and years in the making,” said an emotional Becker on stage after being crowned champion. “I was really beginning to think that I couldn’t win. I’ve always been consistent, near the top of the standings. But I was really starting to doubt that I could win. Just to make a top 10 against this group of hammers is unbelievable. They always say when it’s your time, it’s your time. And man, did I live that this week.”
The 2018 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Rookie of the Year started Day 1 of the event with a plan to target docks and sight-fish spawning bass. But, before doing that, Becker slotted in a little time to try a risky timing/herring-spawn pattern, and he ended up never changing. He kept hitting, and re-hitting, as many points as possible knowing that eventually the schools of bass would move shallow to feed.
“The spot I caught them Day 2, I had fished three times before I caught them,” said Becker. “I knew the fish were there, but I rotated through multiple times and never had a bite. Then I came back and they were there and they were eating. I went from zero to 14 pounds in minutes.”
Becker said his key baits throughout the week were a couple of different soft-plastic jerkbaits, with the Googan Baits Dart (Green Gizzard Shad) being his best option. He rigged the Dart on rigged on a TroKar TK 180 hook with a TroKar TK 300 treble hook as a stinger. He threw that on a 7-foot, 5-inch medium-heavy Favorite Fishing Hex rod, Favorite Fishing Soleus XCS reel and 15-pound-test Seaguar InvizX fluorocarbon line.
“All week, the little things just always lined up,” Becker said. “Today, I pulled into a cove and I got this overwhelming feeling I was going to go to the first point and catch a 3 ½-pounder, and then I’d go to the second point and catch another 3 ½-pounder. And that’s exactly what happened. That pretty much got me the win.”
The top 10 pros on Lake Murray finished are:
1st: Matt Becker of Finleyville, Pa., 20 bass, 76-5, $137,500
2nd: Anthony Gagliardi of Prosperity, S.C., 20 bass, 73-13, $30,000
3rd: Michael Neal of Dayton, Tenn., 20 bass, 71-8, $25,000
4th: Adrian Avena of Vineland, N.J., 20 bass, 68-2, $20,000
5th: David Williams of Maiden, N.C., 20 bass, 64-13, $19,000
6th: Tai Au of Glendale, Ariz., 20 bass, 64-9, $18,500
7th: Evan Barnes of Hot Springs, Ark., 20 bass, 63-10, $17,000
8th: Cody Huff of Ava, Mo., 20 bass, 63-0, $16,000
9th: Derrick Snavely of Piney Flats, Tenn., 18 bass, 60-2, $15,000
10th: Skeet Reese of Auburn, Calif., 17 bass, 57-9, $14,000
Full results for the entire field can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Overall, there were 46 bass weighing 151 pounds, 5 ounces caught by the final 10 pros Sunday. The catch included eight five-bass limits.
The four top performers who now qualify to compete in the MLF Bass Pro Tour B&W Trailer Hitches Stage Four at Lake Chickamauga in Dayton, Tennessee, June 4-9, are Matt Becker, David Williams, Tai Au and Evan Barnes.
The MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit presented by Bad Boy Mowers, Googan Baits Stop 3 Presented by Favorite Fishing – Lake Murray air on a two-hour action-packed television show that premieres on the Outdoor Channel on Sunday, July 25 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, Googan Baits Stop 3 Presented by Favorite Fishing – Lake Murray was hosted by the Capital City Lake Murray Country Regional Tourism Board. The next event for Pro Circuit anglers will be the Grundéns Stop 4 Lake Eufaula in Eufaula, Alabama, May 13-16, 2021.
In Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit competition, the full field of 161 anglers competed in the two-day opening round on Thursday and Friday. The field was cut to 50 anglers on Saturday. Only the top 10 pros based on their three-day cumulative weight advanced to Sunday where the winner was determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from all 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.
Card Overcomes Setbacks To Lead Bassmaster Elite Event On Lake Fork
Brandon Card, of Salisbury, N.C., maintains the lead after Day 3 of the 2021 Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork with a three-day total of 77 pounds, 1 ounce.
Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
April 24, 2021
QUITMAN, Texas — Despite a slow start, a big loss and a painful injury, Brandon Card caught a Day 3 limit of 21 pounds, 10 ounces and retained the lead at the Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork.
Entering Semifinal Saturday with an 11-ounce lead over Louisiana pro Quentin Cappo, Card bolstered his first two days’ weights of 27-6 and 28-1 to tally a three-day total of 77-1. Card heads into Championship Sunday with a 3-pound cushion over Cappo.
Camping in Little Caney Creek the first two days, Card spent most of his time on a shallow point he called his “Hammer Hole” and leveraged a shad spawn for the majority of his fish. Today, that bite proved elusive and Card had to make position and presentation changes.
“My morning bite was completely dead today, and I only caught two little fish on my Hammer Hole,” said Card, a veteran pro from Salisbury, N.C. “I moved to another spot about 7 to 8 minutes away and fished one of the schools I had found. There wasn’t a shad spawn there; it was just prespawners staging on a point.
“I had fished that spot the two previous days and two of my weight fish came from there on Day 1. I was just trying different baits and different depths.”
After catching bass on a jerkbait, swimbait and crankbait throughout the first two days, Card made a key adjustment and pulled out a 1/2-ounce white hair jig. Noting that this bait has served him well on Tennessee River reservoirs, Card said he felt the fish needed a different look and the pulsing hair skirt seemed to be triggering reluctant bass.
He also caught fish on an unnamed crankbait. That 10- to 14-foot diver definitely helped his cause, but not without significant grief.
“I lost a 6-pounder on that bait and then the next cast, I hooked a 2-pounder that shook as I was releasing it and stuck a hook in my (right index finger),” Card said.
Card and his marshal tried to remove the hook with the common technique of pushing down on the shank to rotate the barb angle and then using no-stretch braided line, tied to the bend, to quickly snap the hook free.
Two attempts failed, so Card had to push the hook through his skin far enough for fellow competitor Matt Herren to clip the point and barb. From there, the hook easily slid back out of his finger.
“I had two options: I could go to the emergency room or I could push it through,” Card recalled. “Thankfully, my finger was numb, and it really didn’t hurt as bad as it looked.”
Card said he still believes in his Hammer Hole’s potential, so he’ll give it a good look Sunday morning and then adjust as needed. With only the Top 10 anglers fishing, he’s expecting greater freedom of movement.
“I really put the time in during practice and spent hours upon hours idling and not seeing anything and I found three schools of fish (in Little Caney),” Card said. “Hopefully, between those schools, it will hold up and we can go catch another big bag tomorrow.
“That shad spawn may or may not be there, but I think tomorrow I’ll be able to rotate my spots a little bit better. A couple times today, I’d run and there would be a boat sitting on my spot and I’d just have to turn around.”
Looking at Sunday’s forecast for warm, stable weather, Card has this final-round expectation: “There have been a few of us flirting with 30 pounds this week. I think somebody will catch 28 to 30 tomorrow.”
Maintaining the second-place spot since Day 1, Cappo experienced a dip in productivity and turned in a limit of 19-4. Adding this weight to his previous limits of 28-15 and 25-13 sends him into Championship Sunday with 74 pounds.
Sticking with the pattern he’s exploited since the tournament’s start, Cappo is targeting shallow areas with shell bottom. His key spots are the submerged root masses, where deflecting a Strike King KVD 4.0 squarebill has consistently triggered bites.
Wind and the presence of jumbo gizzard shad have been the keys to Cappo’s bite. Both elements were there today but in different form.
“Today, it was a different wind (direction) and it positions the bait differently,” Cappo said. “Today, (the bass) never showed themselves. Usually, they’ll come up between 1 and 3 o’clock. They’ll start eating shad at the surface and you’ll see exactly where they’re positioned.”
Without that surface action, Cappo never got bit on the Strike King Sexy Dawg topwater he threw Friday. Also, changing squarebill colors from citrus shad to sexy shad seemed to trigger more bites.
“I’m committed to that pattern because one swing of the bat, you can be right back in this game,” he said. “I’m going to live by it or die by it. That pattern has gotten me this far, so I’m going to go out swinging tomorrow and try to get that blue trophy.”
Chris Zaldain of Fort Worth, Texas, is in third with 71-14. Rising from 12th place on Day 2, Zaldain added 29-3 — the day’s biggest bag — to his first two limits of 27-1 and 15-10.
Zaldain targeted windward points where bass were eating giant gizzard shad. He used an 8-inch Megabass Magdraft swimbait and a 10-inch Tater Hog glidebait designed to closely mimic this hefty forage.
“While a lot of guys are fishing for spawning fish, I’ve been targeting pre- and postspawn fish,” Zaldain said. “I like fishing for these fish when they’re actually feeding and chasing.
“I’m just running and gunning, throwing big baits and doing what I like to do. It was an amazing day today and I hope to have an amazing day tomorrow.”
Clifford Pirch of Payson, Ariz., is in the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors with his 9-13 largemouth caught on Day 2.
Seth Feider of New Market, Minn., leads the Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings with 434 points. Patrick Walters of Summerville, S.C., is in second with 430, followed by Drew Cook of Cairo, Ga., with 387, Chris Johnston of Peterborough, Canada, with 383 and Lee Livesay of Longview, Texas, with 381.
Josh Stracner of Vandiver, Ala., leads the Rookie of the Year standings with 333 points.
Sunday’s takeoff is scheduled for 6:45 a.m. CT at Sabine River Authority (SRA) — Lake Fork. The weigh-in will be held at SRA at 3 p.m
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. CT.
2021 Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork 4/22-4/25
Lake Fork, Quitman TX.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 3
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Brandon Card Salisbury, NC 15 77-01 100
Day 1: 5 27-06 Day 2: 5 28-01 Day 3: 5 21-10
2. Quentin Cappo Prairieville, LA 15 74-00 99
Day 1: 5 28-15 Day 2: 5 25-13 Day 3: 5 19-04
3. Chris Zaldain Fort Worth, TX 15 71-14 98
Day 1: 5 27-01 Day 2: 5 15-10 Day 3: 5 29-03
4. Patrick Walters Summerville, SC 15 71-02 97 $1,000.00
Day 1: 5 32-14 Day 2: 5 15-07 Day 3: 5 22-13
5. Lee Livesay Longview, TX 15 70-02 96
Day 1: 5 25-06 Day 2: 5 17-14 Day 3: 5 26-14
6. Chad Morgenthaler Reeds Spring, MO 15 68-08 95
Day 1: 5 25-15 Day 2: 5 20-12 Day 3: 5 21-13
7. Taku Ito Chiba, JAPAN 15 66-11 94
Day 1: 5 15-01 Day 2: 5 33-03 Day 3: 5 18-07
8. Seth Feider New Market, MN 15 65-12 93
Day 1: 5 22-03 Day 2: 5 20-14 Day 3: 5 22-11
9. Austin Felix Eden Prairie, MN 15 64-02 92
Day 1: 5 25-11 Day 2: 5 18-07 Day 3: 5 20-00
10. Chris Johnston Otonabee Ontario CANADA 15 62-04 91
Day 1: 5 24-02 Day 2: 5 15-11 Day 3: 5 22-07
11. Carl Jocumsen Queensland, AUSTRALIA 15 61-13 90 $11,000.00
Day 1: 5 20-06 Day 2: 5 17-13 Day 3: 5 23-10
12. Jay Yelas Lincoln City, OR 15 61-02 89 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 11-02 Day 2: 5 21-05 Day 3: 5 28-11
13. Matt Herren Ashville, AL 15 60-04 88 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 22-13 Day 2: 5 16-03 Day 3: 5 21-04
14. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 15 60-01 87 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-10 Day 2: 5 17-10 Day 3: 5 23-13
15. Brian Snowden Reeds Spring, MO 15 59-10 86 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 23-00 Day 2: 5 20-13 Day 3: 5 15-13
16. Joshua Stracner Vandiver, AL 15 59-06 85 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 24-11 Day 2: 5 15-03 Day 3: 5 19-08
17. Skylar Hamilton Dandridge, TN 15 59-05 84 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-15 Day 2: 5 25-13 Day 3: 5 17-09
18. Matt Arey Shelby, NC 15 59-02 83 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-12 Day 2: 5 18-04 Day 3: 5 21-02
19. Drew Benton Blakely, GA 15 59-01 82 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-04 Day 2: 5 15-13 Day 3: 5 22-00
20. John Cox Debary, FL 15 58-00 81 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-05 Day 2: 5 20-12 Day 3: 5 15-15
21. Caleb Sumrall New Iberia, LA 15 57-14 80 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-13 Day 2: 5 18-00 Day 3: 5 18-01
22. Kyle Welcher Opelika, AL 15 57-11 79 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-04 Day 2: 5 18-15 Day 3: 5 17-08
23. Scott Martin Clewiston, FL 15 57-06 78 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-09 Day 2: 5 18-13 Day 3: 5 19-00
24. Shane LeHew Catawba, NC 15 57-04 77 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-02 Day 2: 5 20-06 Day 3: 5 19-12
25. Brandon Cobb Greenwood, SC 15 57-01 76 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 25-00 Day 2: 5 19-08 Day 3: 5 12-09
26. Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 15 56-11 75 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 24-08 Day 2: 5 18-08 Day 3: 5 13-11
27. Cory Johnston Cavan CANADA 15 56-10 74 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 22-09 Day 2: 5 15-04 Day 3: 5 18-13
28. Chad Pipkens Dewitt, MI 15 56-10 73 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-14 Day 2: 5 15-12 Day 3: 5 19-00
29. Wes Logan Springville, AL 15 55-09 72 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-11 Day 2: 5 16-05 Day 3: 5 19-09
30. Jeff Gustafson Keewatin Ontario CANADA 15 55-00 71 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-03 Day 2: 5 21-12 Day 3: 5 14-01
31. Drew Cook Cairo, GA 15 54-14 70 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-06 Day 2: 5 16-01 Day 3: 5 20-07
32. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 15 54-04 69 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-05 Day 2: 5 20-07 Day 3: 5 18-08
33. Justin Atkins Florence, AL 14 53-00 68 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-14 Day 2: 4 14-03 Day 3: 5 16-15
34. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 15 52-08 67 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-05 Day 2: 5 16-13 Day 3: 5 14-06
35. Luke Palmer Coalgate, OK 15 51-14 66 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 20-02 Day 2: 5 14-14 Day 3: 5 16-14
36. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 15 51-11 65 $11,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-05 Day 2: 5 21-05 Day 3: 5 17-01
37. Jason Williamson Wagener, SC 15 51-09 64 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 24-01 Day 2: 5 12-03 Day 3: 5 15-05
38. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 15 51-09 63 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-09 Day 2: 5 14-01 Day 3: 5 15-15
39. Gerald Swindle Guntersville, AL 15 51-06 62 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 20-15 Day 2: 5 17-06 Day 3: 5 13-01
40. Matt Robertson Kuttawa, KY 14 48-14 61 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 23-12 Day 2: 5 14-00 Day 3: 4 11-02
41. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 15 48-11 60 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-11 Day 2: 5 16-15 Day 3: 5 12-01
42. Scott Canterbury Odenville, AL 14 48-09 59 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-01 Day 2: 5 20-10 Day 3: 4 08-14
43. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 13 47-14 58 $10,000.00
Day 1: 4 11-04 Day 2: 5 24-00 Day 3: 4 12-10
44. Jason Christie Park Hill, OK 15 47-03 57 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-02 Day 2: 5 19-01 Day 3: 5 11-00
45. Shane Lineberger Lincolnton, NC 13 44-09 56 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 11-07 Day 2: 5 20-12 Day 3: 3 12-06
46. Cody Hollen Beaverton, OR 14 43-08 55 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-11 Day 2: 5 20-15 Day 3: 4 08-14
47. Derek Hudnall Denham Springs, LA 12 43-06 54 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-10 Day 2: 5 15-12 Day 3: 2 08-00
48. Buddy Gross Chickamauga, GA 12 41-05 53 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-02 Day 2: 5 18-07 Day 3: 2 04-12
49. Frank Talley Temple, TX 10 36-00 52 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 20-02 Day 2: 4 13-05 Day 3: 1 02-09
50. Jamie Hartman Newport, NY 10 32-01 51 $5,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-09 Day 2: 5 13-08
Becker Extends Lead at Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Googan Baits Stop 3 at Lake Murray
COLUMBIA, S.C. (April 24, 2021) – Pro Matt Becker of Finleyville, Pennsylvania, padded his Day 2 lead Saturday, bringing a five-bass limit to the scale weighing 17 pounds, 8 ounces to remain in control of the leaderboard after Day 3 of the MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by Bad Boy Mowers, Googan Baits Stop 3 Presented by Favorite Fishing – Lake Murray in Columbia, South Carolina. Becker’s three-day total of 15 bass for 58-10 will give him a 7-pound, 4-ounce cushion heading into the fourth and final day of competition.
Pro Derrick Snavely of Piney Flats, Tennessee, held on to second place with four bass weighing 13 pounds even, for a three-day total of 51-6. Rookie Tai Au of Glendale, Arizona, jumped from 24th place into 9th on Day 3 with a five-bass limit weighing 17-11, while pro Cody Huff of Ava, Missouri, made the biggest leap from 39th place, barely squeezing into the 10th spot by a mere ounce.
With more than a 7-pound lead, Becker is set up nicely for championship Sunday and with the current weather forecast, it seems the sun – and his herring-spawn streak – will continue to shine. However, with a stacked field in the top 10, Becker said he is hedging his excitement and focused on hard fishing on championship Sunday.
“It doesn’t really matter to be in the lead now,” said Becker. “Some of the best fishermen in the world are right behind me – [Anthony] Gagliardi, the hottest fisherman in the world right now Michael Neal – those are some real hammers and they’re right behind me.”
Despite the weather change and rainy conditions Saturday, the 2018 Pro Circuit Rookie of the Year continued his risk versus reward pattern, hitting the edges of points in hopes of finding schooling fish – a pattern that once again kept him at the front of the pack.
“I caught a lot more small fish today, and didn’t catch as many,” said Becker. “I caught three in 10 minutes in the morning and only had two small flurries where I caught three in three casts right before the last storms hit this afternoon. It was not as hot and heavy as it has been, but I’m hoping it was just the weather.”
Becker said once the rain started coming down hard, he was basically just wasting time – time he didn’t have to waste if he wanted to hold on to his lead.
“It was crowded [on the points today], and I got in a bad rotation,” said Becker. “There was a boat on a lot of the spots I wanted to fish. Fortunately, we cut 40 guys after today, so hopefully that opens the lake up more.”
Becker said now it’s just a matter of finishing strong.
“I can’t look in the rearview mirror,” said Becker. “I just have to go out and do my thing. All that really matters is that I catch them because the other guys will really have to catch them to pass me. Hopefully the sun pops out, the fish bite, and I sack up another 17 to 20 pounds to seal the deal.”
The top 10 pros advancing to the final day of competition Sunday on Lake Murray are:
1st: Matt Becker of Finleyville, Pa., 15 bass, 58-10
2nd: Derrick Snavely of Piney Flats, Tenn., 14 bass, 51-6
3rd: Michael Neal of Dayton, Tenn., 15 bass, 51-6
4th: Anthony Gagliardi of Prosperity, S.C., 15 bass, 51-4
5th: Skeet Reese of Auburn, Calif., 15 bass, 51-2
6th: Evan Barnes of Hot Springs, Ark., 15 bass, 50-9
7th: Adrian Avena of Vineland, N.J., 15 bass, 50-0
8th: David Williams of Maiden, N.C., 15 bass, 49-11
9th: Tai Au of Glendale, Ariz., 15 bass, 49-1
10th: Cody Huff of Ava, Mo., 15 bass, 49-1
Anglers finishing 11th through 20th are:
11th: Miles Howe of San Juan Capistrano, Calif., 14 bass, 49-0, $11,000
12th: Ryan Salzman of Huntsville, Ala., 15 bass, 48-11, $11,000
13th: Casey Ashley of Donalds, S.C., 15 bass, 48-8, $11,000
14th: Jason Reyes of Huffman, Texas, 15 bass, 48-8, $11,000
15th: Matthew Stefan of Junction City, Wisc., 15 bass, 48-4, $11,000
16th: Cody Meyer of Star, Idaho, 15 bass, 48-1, $11,000
17th: Kurt Mitchell of Milford, Del., 15 bass, 46-5, $11,000
18th: Cole Floyd of Leesburg, Ohio, 15 bass, 46-5, $11,000
19th: Mike McClelland of Blue Eye, Mo., 15 bass, 46-1, $11,000
20th: Dean Rojas of Lake Havasu City, Ariz., 14 bass, 46-0, $11,000
For a full list of results visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Overall, there were 222 bass weighing 632 pounds, 10 ounces caught by the 50 pros Saturday. The catch included 36 five-bass limits.
The MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit presented by Bad Boy Mowers, Googan Baits Stop 3 Presented by Favorite Fishing – Lake Murray is hosted by the Capital City Lake Murray Country Regional Tourism Board.
In Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit competition, the full field of 161 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.
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.
The final 10 anglers will take off at 6:30 a.m. ET on Sunday from Dreher Island State Park, located at 3677 State Park Road in Prosperity. Weigh-in will also be held at the park on Sunday at 3 p.m. 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, Googan Baits Stop 3 Presented by Favorite Fishing – Lake Murray will feature live on-the-water coverage and a two-hour action-packed television show that will premiere on the Outdoor Channel on Sunday, July 25 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, April 25 on MLF NOW! beginning at 7 a.m. ET at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Becker Moves Ahead on Day Two of Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Googan Baits Stop 3 at Lake Murray
COLUMBIA, S.C. (April 23, 2021) – Pro Matt Becker of Finleyville, Pennsylvania, caught five bass weighing 19 pounds, 9 ounces Friday to move from second into first place after Day 2 of the MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by Bad Boy Mowers, Googan Baits Stop 3 Presented by Favorite Fishing – Lake Murray in Columbia, South Carolina. Becker’s two-day total of 10 bass weighing 41 pounds, 2 ounces gives him a 2-pound, 12-ounce advantage heading into Day 3 of the four-day competition that features a field of 161 bass-fishing professionals from around the world competing for a top cash award of up to $135,000.
Pro Derrick Snavely of Piney Flats, Tennessee, jumped from 15th place to 2nd with a five-bass limit weighing 20 pounds, 15 ounces, giving him a two-day total of 38 pounds, 6 ounces.
Becker managed to turn only a couple 10-minute flurries into some of the biggest bags on Lake Murray. Utilizing great timing and a schooling-fish pattern, he turned three flurries into 21 pounds, 9 ounces on Day 1, followed by just one flurry on Day 2 that helped him toward his 19-9 bag – putting him in the lead with 41-2 total.
“We survived another day, but boy was it stressful and risky,” said Becker, the 2018 Pro Circuit Rookie of the Year. “I was super lucky on my timing again where I pulled up and was able to catch four of the five I weighed in within a few minutes. Otherwise, it was a struggle.”
Becker said that flurry came at 9 a.m. but before that, he hadn’t had a bite.
“I fished that spot three times today before I caught anything,” said Becker. “I knew the fish were there, but I rotated through multiple times and never had a bite. Then I came back and they were there and they were eating. I went from zero to 14 pounds in minutes.”
Becker said he originally planned to just hit the edges of the points quickly on the first morning before moving on to bed-fishing or fishing docks, but was fortunate to get a couple bites early on Day 1 to point him in the right direction.
Although that timing has held out so far, a significant storm system is set to roll through the region early tomorrow morning, with a 100-percent chance of severe thunderstorms most of Saturday, which could change everything for Becker, as well as the other pros.
“I say we cancel tomorrow. It’s one less day I have to hang on to the lead,” laughed Becker. “I think it’s going to be really hard and it’s going to hurt my fish. The sun has been real important, and that rain is probably going to put a damper on that tomorrow. With this weather changing, it’s anyone’s game going into the weekend.”
The top 20 pros after Day 2 on Lake Murray are:
1st: Matt Becker of Finleyville, Pa., 10 bass, 41-2
2nd: Derrick Snavely of Piney Flats, Tenn., 10 bass, 38-6
3rd: Miles Howe of San Juan Capistrano, Calif., 10 bass, 37-9
4th: Evan Barnes of Hot Springs, Ark., 10 bass, 37-0
5th: Dean Rojas of Lake Havasu City, Ariz., 10 bass, 35-9
6th: Tommy Dickerson of Orange, Texas, 10 bass, 34-15
7th: Skeet Reese of Auburn, Calif., 10 bass, 34-14
8th: Clabion Johns of Social Circle, Ga., 10 bass, 34-9
9th: Matthew Stefan of Junction City, Wisc., 10 bass, 34-9
10th: Adrian Avena of Vineland, N.J., 10 bass, 33-13
11th: Casey Ashley of Donalds, S.C., 10 bass, 33-10
12th: Jim Tutt of Longview, Texas, 10 bass, 33-5
13th: Jamie Horton of Centerville, Ala., 10 bass, 33-4
14th: David Williams of Maiden, N.C., 10 bass, 33-3
15th: Josh Butler of Hayden, Ala., 10 bass, 32-14
16th: Michael Neal of Dayton, Tenn., 10 bass, 32-11
17th: Kurt Mitchell of Milford, Del., 10 bass, 32-10
18th: Anthony Gagliardi of Prosperity, S.C., 10 bass, 32-5
19th: Mitch Crane of Columbus, Miss., 10 bass, 32-4
20th: Jimmy Reese of Witter Springs, Calif., 10 bass, 32-1
For a full list of results and to see the top 50 anglers that will continue to Day 3, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Zack Birge of Blanchard, Oklahoma, won the day's $500 Berkley Big Bass award bringing a largemouth weighing 7 pounds, 11 ounces to the scale.
Overall, there were 744 bass weighing 1,983 pounds even caught by 160 pros Friday. The catch included 133 five-bass limits.
The MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit presented by Bad Boy Mowers, Googan Baits Stop 3 Presented by Favorite Fishing – Lake Murray is hosted by the Capital City Lake Murray Country Regional Tourism Board.
In Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit competition, the full field of 161 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 will continue 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.
Anglers will take off at 6:30 a.m. ET Saturday and Sunday from Dreher Island State Park, located at 3677 State Park Road in Prosperity. Weigh-ins will also be held at the park daily at 3 p.m. 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, Googan Baits Stop 3 Presented by Favorite Fishing – Lake Murray will feature live on-the-water coverage and a two-hour action-packed television show that will premiere on the Outdoor Channel on Sunday, July 25 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, April 24-25 on MLF NOW! beginning at 7 a.m. ET at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
One Keeper Vaults Bosley To B.A.S.S. Nation Regional Win On Milford
New Mexico B.A.S.S. Nation team angler Kris Bosley, of Amarillo, Texas, has won the TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Central Regional at Milford Lake with a three-day total of 23 pounds, 5 ounces.
Photo by Brenden Kanies/B.A.S.S.
April 23, 2021
JUNCTION CITY, Kan. – Kris Bosley was certain he had to catch more than one bass Friday to come from behind and win the TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Central Regional.
But as difficult as Milford Lake fished this week, a 3-pound, 14-ounce largemouth on the final day was enough to give the 42-year-old financial advisor a victory in the heart of the Sunflower State.
Bosley finished with a three-day total of nine bass weighing 23-5. He collected a $5,000 cash prize courtesy of Ranger and earned his third trip to the TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Championship.
“I thought I needed at least two fish today to hold off Christian (Gladfelter) for the team lead,” Bosley said, referring to his New Mexico teammate who placed second overall among boaters after catching 10 bass weighing 22-12 in the three-day event.
“But I really wanted to win the whole tournament, and to do that, I thought I’d probably need four fish. I didn’t expect to win with only one fish today, so it’s a real surprise. But still, it’s a really great feeling.”
Bosley lives in Amarillo, Texas, but qualified for the regional through the New Mexico B.A.S.S. Nation. He’ll represent the state again in the Nation Championship on the Ouachita River in Louisiana on Nov. 3-5.
Bosley has qualified for nationals twice before, finishing 34th on South Carolina’s Lake Hartwell in 2019 and 23rd on Lake Dardanelle in Arkansas in 2013.
The 3-14 largemouth he caught Friday was the ticket to this year’s championship. He hooked the bass fishing a point near the Milford Lake Dam with a Delta Craw squarebill crankbait on 12-pound line.
“I threw that squarebill between two tree trunks about 6 inches apart,” Bosley said. “It deflected off the tree and, as soon as it did, she immediately jumped all over it. She swallowed it whole.”
Other than one keeper, Bosley struggled to find bites, as did each of the 40 anglers that survived the cut to fish Friday.
“The only other bites I had were six short fish and one drum,” Bosley said, laughing. “The drum was the most fun of the day up until the keeper!”
Milford Lake, which normally produces a solid mix of bass in various stages of the spawn this time of year, was a mystery to every one of the 160 competitors who started the tournament Wednesday. A late-season snowstorm dumped nearly 6 inches of powder in central Kansas overnight on Monday, and it shut down what had been a productive bite in the days leading up to the tournament.
Anglers scattered across the 15,700-acre reservoir to find bites of any sort, but they struggled mightily – 89 of the 160 zeroed on Day 1 and 116 didn’t weigh a fish on Day 2. Nineteen of the 40 that fished Friday didn’t weigh a bass, either.
That unfortunate group included Chris Johnson, a Farmington, Ark., resident who led the regional on Days 1 and 2.
“I couldn’t get anything going today,” Johnson said. “It was a real grind the whole tournament, but I was able to get a few things going on the first two days … But no disappointments. I’m going to nationals.”
Of the 80 competitors in the boater division, Bosley was one of two who caught a limit of five bass on Day 1. That 13-5 haul put him in third place and he jumped to second on Day 2, despite adding only three bass and 6-2 to his weight.
Bosley entered Friday only an ounce behind. Gladfelter jumped ahead of Johnson, too, finishing second and collecting $3,000. Johnson placed third and won $2,000.
Hunter Neuville, an 18-year-old high school student from New Iberia, La., won the co-angler division with a three-day total of four bass that weighed 9-10. Like Bosley, Neuville only needed one bass to earn the win Friday.
“I caught one short fish today and I missed one good one,” Neuville said. “I was fishing with (Gladfelter), and he said, ‘Last cast,’ and that’s when I caught my keeper. It was only 2-5, but this is one of the toughest tournaments I’ve ever fished.”
Neuville won $2,500 courtesy of Yamaha for his co-angler victory.
Sixteen anglers (the top boater and co-angler from each of the eight teams in the regional) qualified for the B.A.S.S. Nation Championship in November. The top anglers split a purse of $34,500 this week.
Johnson won a $500 cash prize for having the heaviest bass of the regional, a 7-pounder he caught early on Day 1 that vaulted him into the lead.
Colorado won the team title on Thursday with a two-day total of 34 bass that weighed 84-9. The 20-angler team earned a $5,000 prize courtesy of Ranger with the win. New Mexico finished in second place, and Texas was third, with Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri and Louisiana rounding out the eight-team field.
The tournament was one of five B.A.S.S. Nation derbies this year leading up to the championship in November.
2021 TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Central Regional Milford Lake 4/21-4/23
Milford Lake, Junction City KS.
(BOATER) Standings Day 3
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Kris Bosley Amarillo, TX (NM) 9 23-05 0
2. Christian Gladfelter Albuquerque, NM (NM) 10 22-12 0
3. Chris Johnson Farmington, AR (AR) 6 19-08 0
4. Brandon Moss Blanchard, OK (OK) 9 18-02 0
5. Chad Petrie McKinney, TX (TX) 7 17-02 0
6. Jared Miller Norman, OK (CO) 6 15-10 0
7. Nick Luna Grain Valley, MO (KS) 7 14-09 0
8. Mike Wheaton Ottumwa, IA (MO) 4 14-05 0
9. Travis Sneith Elizabeth, CO (CO) 6 13-09 0
10. Shane Morgan Littleton, CO (CO) 4 12-08 0
11. Nate Caldwell Fort Collins, CO (CO) 5 12-07 0
12. Jeremy Fuentes Carlsbad, NM (NM) 6 11-01 0
13. Jay Beffa Festus, MO (MO) 5 10-14 0
14. Doug Thompson Mabelvale, AR (AR) 5 10-12 0
15. Matt Pangrac Bixby, OK (OK) 4 10-09 0
16. Jeff Lugar Princeton, TX (TX) 5 10-09 0
17. David Cavell Prairieville, LA (LA) 3 09-12 0
18. Daniel Ward Sage, AR (AR) 4 09-04 0
19. Casey Welch Arvada, CO (CO) 3 08-03 0
20. Robert Paxton Jr Flower Mound, TX (TX) 3 07-13 0
21. Justin Royal Bridge City, TX (TX) 4 07-09 0
22. Nicholas Kincaid Coweta, OK (OK) 3 07-09 0
23. Garrett Kemp Port Allen, LA (LA) 4 07-03 0
24. Jesse Jordan Stilwel, KS (KS) 3 06-14 0
25. Larry Stoafer Leavenworth, KS (KS) 3 06-09 0
26. Maurice Gutierrez Albuquberque, NM (NM) 2 06-02 0
27. Travis Rivest Smithville, MO (MO) 2 06-00 0
28. Larry Triplett Castle Rock, CO (CO) 3 05-14 0
29. Matthew Abeyta Albuquerque, NM (NM) 2 05-10 0
30. Ronald Giebel Penrose, CO (CO) 2 05-05 0
31. Justin Privett Bald Knob, AR (AR) 2 05-01 0
32. Branden Garrison Gladstone, MO (KS) 2 04-10 0
33. Nathan Pratt Albuquerque, NM (NM) 2 04-06 0
34. Robert Royal Vidor, TX (TX) 1 04-01 0
35. Brandon Simoneaux Lumberton, TX (TX) 1 03-15 0
36. Cole Buser Farmington, NM (NM) 2 03-15 0
37. Kevin Johnston Sedalia, MO (MO) 2 03-14 0
38. Brock Enmeier Bixby, OK (OK) 1 03-09 0
39. Jim Simpson Canyon, TX (TX) 1 03-07 0
40. Byron Albrecht Waco, TX (TX) 1 03-02 0
40. Troy Morrison Malvern, AR (AR) 1 03-02 0
42. Mike Zachary Ada, OK (OK) 1 03-01 0
43. Alan Daniels Kansas City, KS (MO) 1 03-00 0
44. Klint VonFeldt Hays, KS (KS) 1 02-14 0
45. Brian Stangel Albuquerque, NM (NM) 1 02-10 0
46. Rick Wheeler Whitewater, KS (KS) 1 02-08 0
47. Tony Grubbs Pryor, OK (OK) 1 02-07 0
48. Mike Chain Stillwater, OK (OK) 1 02-06 0
49. Kenny Turpin El Dorado, KS (KS) 1 02-05 0
50. Dalton Warrington Tishimingo , OK (OK) 1 02-04 0
51. Gabriel Rivera Portales, NM (NM) 1 02-01 0
52. Paul Lampron Penrose, CO (CO) 1 01-13 0
53. Braxton Resweber Saint Martinville, LA ( 1 01-12 0
54. Dean Amos San Antonio, TX (TX) 0 00-00 0
54. Jason Baird Gypsum, KS (KS) 0 00-00 0
54. Jim Coyner Ofallon, MO (MO) 0 00-00 0
54. Jamie Dumas El Dorado, AR (AR) 0 00-00 0
54. David Flemming Littleton, CO (CO) 0 00-00 0
54. Teddy Granier Thibodaux, LA (LA) 0 00-00 0
54. Mike Harris Cowgill, MO (MO) 0 00-00 0
54. Jan Hebert Houma, LA (LA) 0 00-00 0
54. Alex Heintze Denham Springs, LA (LA) 0 00-00 0
54. Michael Henager Harrah, OK (OK) 0 00-00 0
54. Keith Hendrix Monroe City, MO (MO) 0 00-00 0
54. Adam Johnson Pontiac, MO (MO) 0 00-00 0
54. Johnny Johnson Bloomfield, NM (NM) 0 00-00 0
54. Kenny King El Dorado, AR (AR) 0 00-00 0
54. Jamie Laiche Gonzales, LA (LA) 0 00-00 0
54. Travis Laurent Gonzales, LA (LA) 0 00-00 0
54. Cory Leita Victoria, TX (TX) 0 00-00 0
54. JP Mcvay Hermitage, AR (AR) 0 00-00 0
54. Mike Meadows El Dorado, AR (AR) 0 00-00 0
54. Matthew Mesplay Wichita, KS (KS) 0 00-00 0
54. Jeremy Norris Ama, LA (LA) 0 00-00 0
54. Brandon Pedigo Lawton, OK (OK) 0 00-00 0
54. Josh Pladies Belton, MO (KS) 0 00-00 0
54. Scott Sheldon Loveland, CO (CO) 0 00-00 0
54. Harold Stark Eldon, MO (MO) 0 00-00 0
54. Joe Ward Cave City, AR (AR) 0 00-00 0
80. Blake Marionneaux Brusly, LA (LA) 0 -2-00 0
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 2 97 244-11
2 1 49 115-15
3 0 21 46-14
----------------------------------
3 167 407-08
INDIVIDUAL STANDINGS Day 3
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
KANSAS
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Nick Luna Grain Valley, MO 7 14-09 0
2 Jesse Jordan Stilwel, KS 3 06-14 0
3 Larry Stoafer Leavenworth, KS 3 06-09 0
4 Branden Garrison Gladstone, MO 2 04-10 0
5 Klint VonFeldt Hays, KS 1 02-14 0
6 Rick Wheeler Whitewater, KS 1 02-08 0
7 Kenny Turpin El Dorado, KS 1 02-05 0
8 Jason Baird Gypsum, KS 0 00-00 0
8 Matthew Mesplay Wichita, KS 0 00-00 0
8 Josh Pladies Belton, MO 0 00-00 0
OKLAHOMA
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Brandon Moss Blanchard, OK 9 18-02 0
2 Matt Pangrac Bixby, OK 4 10-09 0
3 Nicholas Kincaid Coweta, OK 3 07-09 0
4 Brock Enmeier Bixby, OK 1 03-09 0
5 Mike Zachary Ada, OK 1 03-01 0
6 Tony Grubbs Pryor, OK 1 02-07 0
7 Mike Chain Stillwater, OK 1 02-06 0
8 Dalton Warrington Tishimingo , OK 1 02-04 0
9 Michael Henager Harrah, OK 0 00-00 0
9 Brandon Pedigo Lawton, OK 0 00-00 0
LOUISIANA
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 David Cavell Prairieville, LA 3 09-12 0
2 Garrett Kemp Port Allen, LA 4 07-03 0
3 Braxton Resweber Saint Martinville, LA 1 01-12 0
4 Teddy Granier Thibodaux, LA 0 00-00 0
4 Jan Hebert Houma, LA 0 00-00 0
4 Alex Heintze Denham Springs, LA 0 00-00 0
4 Jamie Laiche Gonzales, LA 0 00-00 0
4 Travis Laurent Gonzales, LA 0 00-00 0
4 Jeremy Norris Ama, LA 0 00-00 0
10 Blake Marionneaux Brusly, LA 0 -2-00 0
MISSOURI
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Mike Wheaton Ottumwa, IA 4 14-05 0
2 Jay Beffa Festus, MO 5 10-14 0
3 Travis Rivest Smithville, MO 2 06-00 0
4 Kevin Johnston Sedalia, MO 2 03-14 0
5 Alan Daniels Kansas City, KS 1 03-00 0
6 Jim Coyner Ofallon, MO 0 00-00 0
6 Mike Harris Cowgill, MO 0 00-00 0
6 Keith Hendrix Monroe City, MO 0 00-00 0
6 Adam Johnson Pontiac, MO 0 00-00 0
6 Harold Stark Eldon, MO 0 00-00 0
ARKANSAS
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Chris Johnson Farmington, AR 6 19-08 0
2 Doug Thompson Mabelvale, AR 5 10-12 0
3 Daniel Ward Sage, AR 4 09-04 0
4 Justin Privett Bald Knob, AR 2 05-01 0
5 Troy Morrison Malvern, AR 1 03-02 0
6 Jamie Dumas El Dorado, AR 0 00-00 0
6 Kenny King El Dorado, AR 0 00-00 0
6 JP Mcvay Hermitage, AR 0 00-00 0
6 Mike Meadows El Dorado, AR 0 00-00 0
6 Joe Ward Cave City, AR 0 00-00 0
TEXAS
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Chad Petrie McKinney, TX 7 17-02 0
2 Jeff Lugar Princeton, TX 5 10-09 0
3 Robert Paxton Jr Flower Mound, TX 3 07-13 0
4 Justin Royal Bridge City, TX 4 07-09 0
5 Robert Royal Vidor, TX 1 04-01 0
6 Brandon Simoneaux Lumberton, TX 1 03-15 0
7 Jim Simpson Canyon, TX 1 03-07 0
8 Byron Albrecht Waco, TX 1 03-02 0
9 Dean Amos San Antonio, TX 0 00-00 0
9 Cory Leita Victoria, TX 0 00-00 0
NEW MEXICO
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Kris Bosley Amarillo, TX 9 23-05 0
2 Christian Gladfelter Albuquerque, NM 10 22-12 0
3 Jeremy Fuentes Carlsbad, NM 6 11-01 0
4 Maurice Gutierrez Albuquberque, NM 2 06-02 0
5 Matthew Abeyta Albuquerque, NM 2 05-10 0
6 Nathan Pratt Albuquerque, NM 2 04-06 0
7 Cole Buser Farmington, NM 2 03-15 0
8 Brian Stangel Albuquerque, NM 1 02-10 0
9 Gabriel Rivera Portales, NM 1 02-01 0
10 Johnny Johnson Bloomfield, NM 0 00-00 0
COLORADO
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Jared Miller Norman, OK 6 15-10 0
2 Travis Sneith Elizabeth, CO 6 13-09 0
3 Shane Morgan Littleton, CO 4 12-08 0
4 Nate Caldwell Fort Collins, CO 5 12-07 0
5 Casey Welch Arvada, CO 3 08-03 0
6 Larry Triplett Castle Rock, CO 3 05-14 0
7 Ronald Giebel Penrose, CO 2 05-05 0
8 Paul Lampron Penrose, CO 1 01-13 0
9 David Flemming Littleton, CO 0 00-00 0
9 Scott Sheldon Loveland, CO 0 00-00 0
2021 TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Central Regional Milford Lake 4/21-4/23
Milford Lake, Junction City KS.
(NON_BOATER) Standings Day 3
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Hunter Neuville New Iberia, LA (LA) 4 09-10 0
2. Ray Cates Overland Park, KS (MO) 4 09-08 0
3. Russell Vines El Dorado, AR (AR) 3 07-06 0
4. Brad Hauf Las Cruces, NM (NM) 4 07-05 0
5. Glenn Hahn San Antonio, TX (TX) 3 06-12 0
6. Morgan Fitzgerald Durango, CO (CO) 3 06-06 0
7. Bobby Maynard Jr Eastland, TX (TX) 2 06-06 0
8. Scooter Wright Chickasha, OK (OK) 2 06-01 0
9. Richard Heflin Topeka, KS (KS) 2 06-01 0
10. Ryan Fontenot Baton Rouge, LA (LA) 3 05-14 0
11. Todd Newchurch Livonia, LA (LA) 2 05-04 0
12. Scott Hausman Owasso, OK (OK) 2 05-02 0
13. Lewis Decker III McGregor, TX (TX) 2 04-03 0
14. John Santos Colorado Springs, CO (C 2 04-03 0
15. Dj Buser Jr Farmington, NM (NM) 2 04-02 0
16. Deforest Hall Edmond, OK (OK) 1 03-15 0
17. Christopher Dollard Mountain Homes, AR (AR) 2 03-14 0
18. Jeffrey Mooter Midwest City, OK (OK) 2 03-11 0
19. Randy Fleeman Copperas Cove, TX (TX) 2 03-09 0
20. Darrell Hecht Decatur, AR (AR) 2 03-06 0
21. Nathan Fideldy Hutchinson, KS (KS) 1 03-04 0
22. Don Evans Canon City, CO (CO) 1 02-09 0
22. Blake Forsyth Paulina, LA (LA) 1 02-09 0
24. Austin Abadie Saint Amant, LA (LA) 1 02-08 0
24. Joel Porter Yates Center, KS (KS) 1 02-08 0
26. Danny Fourr Waterflow, NM (NM) 1 02-04 0
27. Kyle Torkelson Coweta, OK (KS) 1 02-03 0
28. Andrew Bowman Aurora, CO (CO) 1 02-02 0
29. Chris Hamilton Wellington, CO (CO) 1 02-01 0
29. Todd Tigar Osage Beach, MO (MO) 1 02-01 0
31. Kris Cartrite Dumas, TX (TX) 1 01-15 0
31. Justin Harris McPherson, KS (KS) 1 01-15 0
33. Charlie Harrington New Cambria, MO (MO) 1 01-14 0
34. Hayden Pinho Patterson, LA (LA) 1 01-13 0
35. Jered Grooms Ada, OK (OK) 1 01-12 0
35. Mike Turner Berryton, KS (KS) 1 01-12 0
37. Scott Phillips El Dorado , AR (AR) 1 01-11 0
38. Russel Wilson Redfield, AR (AR) 1 01-08 0
39. Heath Andersen Lakewood, CO (CO) 0 00-00 0
39. Felix Appelt Goliad, TX (TX) 0 00-00 0
39. Macky Bosley III Canyon, TX (NM) 0 00-00 0
39. Jason Bryant Fort Sill, OK (MO) 0 00-00 0
39. Jason Campbell Berwick, LA (LA) 0 00-00 0
39. Aaron Carroll Nixa, MO (MO) 0 00-00 0
39. Danny Compton Pocahontas, AR (AR) 0 00-00 0
39. Bill Denniston II Ottumwa, IA (MO) 0 00-00 0
39. Jameson Dowler Ashland, MO (MO) 0 00-00 0
39. Curtis Farley Saint Peters, MO (MO) 0 00-00 0
39. Brent Goss Leavenworth, KS (MO) 0 00-00 0
39. Tye Grissom Austin, TX (TX) 0 00-00 0
39. Michael Guillory Prairieville, LA (LA) 0 00-00 0
39. Luther Harris Albuquerque, NM (NM) 0 00-00 0
39. Randy Heavin Del City, OK (OK) 0 00-00 0
39. Justin Hebert Gray, LA (LA) 0 00-00 0
39. Dennis Heusser Strasburg, CO (CO) 0 00-00 0
39. James Hollensworth El Dorado, AR (AR) 0 00-00 0
39. Kevin Holmes Russellville, AR (AR) 0 00-00 0
39. Joby Houghtaling Artesia, NM (NM) 0 00-00 0
39. Jeremy Jackson Cassoday, KS (KS) 0 00-00 0
39. Chris Jarvis Albuquerque, NM (NM) 0 00-00 0
39. Keith Kimbrough Woden, TX (TX) 0 00-00 0
39. Zane Leibhart Stillwater, OK (OK) 0 00-00 0
39. Andrew Madison Mustang, OK (OK) 0 00-00 0
39. Joseph Martin Baton Rouge, LA (LA) 0 00-00 0
39. Meleah Meadows Norman, OK (OK) 0 00-00 0
39. Randal Moyer Denver, CO (CO) 0 00-00 0
39. Hieu Nguyen Stillwater, OK (OK) 0 00-00 0
39. Cody Paxton Independence, MO (KS) 0 00-00 0
39. Carly Perry Albuquerque, NM (NM) 0 00-00 0
39. Ron Price Canon City, CO (CO) 0 00-00 0
39. Clayton Rudman Victoria, KS (KS) 0 00-00 0
39. Gary Schipporeit Westminster, CO (CO) 0 00-00 0
39. Ed Shay Keller, MO (TX) 0 00-00 0
39. Reggie Smithson El Dorado, KS (KS) 0 00-00 0
39. Eric Snow Forsyth, MO (MO) 0 00-00 0
39. Justin Taylor Las Cruces, NM (NM) 0 00-00 0
39. Ray Thomasson Jr El Dorado, AR (AR) 0 00-00 0
39. Cecil Tubb Dike, TX (TX) 0 00-00 0
39. Terry Wilson Carlsbad, NM (NM) 0 00-00 0
39. Jared Wood Clarksville, AR (AR) 0 00-00 0
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 2 38 87-13
2 1 21 46-03
3 0 8 16-15
----------------------------------
3 67 150-15
INDIVIDUAL STANDINGS Day 3
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
KANSAS
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Richard Heflin Topeka, KS 2 06-01 0
2 Nathan Fideldy Hutchinson, KS 1 03-04 0
3 Joel Porter Yates Center, KS 1 02-08 0
4 Kyle Torkelson Coweta, OK 1 02-03 0
5 Justin Harris McPherson, KS 1 01-15 0
6 Mike Turner Berryton, KS 1 01-12 0
7 Jeremy Jackson Cassoday, KS 0 00-00 0
7 Cody Paxton Independence, MO 0 00-00 0
7 Clayton Rudman Victoria, KS 0 00-00 0
7 Reggie Smithson El Dorado, KS 0 00-00 0
OKLAHOMA
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Scooter Wright Chickasha, OK 2 06-01 0
2 Scott Hausman Owasso, OK 2 05-02 0
3 Deforest Hall Edmond, OK 1 03-15 0
4 Jeffrey Mooter Midwest City, OK 2 03-11 0
5 Jered Grooms Ada, OK 1 01-12 0
6 Randy Heavin Del City, OK 0 00-00 0
6 Zane Leibhart Stillwater, OK 0 00-00 0
6 Andrew Madison Mustang, OK 0 00-00 0
6 Meleah Meadows Norman, OK 0 00-00 0
6 Hieu Nguyen Stillwater, OK 0 00-00 0
LOUISIANA
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Hunter Neuville New Iberia, LA 4 09-10 0
2 Ryan Fontenot Baton Rouge, LA 3 05-14 0
3 Todd Newchurch Livonia, LA 2 05-04 0
4 Blake Forsyth Paulina, LA 1 02-09 0
5 Austin Abadie Saint Amant, LA 1 02-08 0
6 Hayden Pinho Patterson, LA 1 01-13 0
7 Jason Campbell Berwick, LA 0 00-00 0
7 Michael Guillory Prairieville, LA 0 00-00 0
7 Justin Hebert Gray, LA 0 00-00 0
7 Joseph Martin Baton Rouge, LA 0 00-00 0
MISSOURI
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Ray Cates Overland Park, KS 4 09-08 0
2 Todd Tigar Osage Beach, MO 1 02-01 0
3 Charlie Harrington New Cambria, MO 1 01-14 0
4 Jason Bryant Fort Sill, OK 0 00-00 0
4 Aaron Carroll Nixa, MO 0 00-00 0
4 Bill Denniston II Ottumwa, IA 0 00-00 0
4 Jameson Dowler Ashland, MO 0 00-00 0
4 Curtis Farley Saint Peters, MO 0 00-00 0
4 Brent Goss Leavenworth, KS 0 00-00 0
4 Eric Snow Forsyth, MO 0 00-00 0
ARKANSAS
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Russell Vines El Dorado, AR 3 07-06 0
2 Christopher Dollard Mountain Homes, AR 2 03-14 0
3 Darrell Hecht Decatur, AR 2 03-06 0
4 Scott Phillips El Dorado , AR 1 01-11 0
5 Russel Wilson Redfield, AR 1 01-08 0
6 Danny Compton Pocahontas, AR 0 00-00 0
6 James Hollensworth El Dorado, AR 0 00-00 0
6 Kevin Holmes Russellville, AR 0 00-00 0
6 Ray Thomasson Jr El Dorado, AR 0 00-00 0
6 Jared Wood Clarksville, AR 0 00-00 0
TEXAS
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Glenn Hahn San Antonio, TX 3 06-12 0
2 Bobby Maynard Jr Eastland, TX 2 06-06 0
3 Lewis Decker III McGregor, TX 2 04-03 0
4 Randy Fleeman Copperas Cove, TX 2 03-09 0
5 Kris Cartrite Dumas, TX 1 01-15 0
6 Felix Appelt Goliad, TX 0 00-00 0
6 Tye Grissom Austin, TX 0 00-00 0
6 Keith Kimbrough Woden, TX 0 00-00 0
6 Ed Shay Keller, MO 0 00-00 0
6 Cecil Tubb Dike, TX 0 00-00 0
NEW MEXICO
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Brad Hauf Las Cruces, NM 4 07-05 0
2 Dj Buser Jr Farmington, NM 2 04-02 0
3 Danny Fourr Waterflow, NM 1 02-04 0
4 Macky Bosley III Canyon, TX 0 00-00 0
4 Luther Harris Albuquerque, NM 0 00-00 0
4 Joby Houghtaling Artesia, NM 0 00-00 0
4 Chris Jarvis Albuquerque, NM 0 00-00 0
4 Carly Perry Albuquerque, NM 0 00-00 0
4 Justin Taylor Las Cruces, NM 0 00-00 0
4 Terry Wilson Carlsbad, NM 0 00-00 0
COLORADO
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Morgan Fitzgerald Durango, CO 3 06-06 0
2 John Santos Colorado Springs, CO 2 04-03 0
3 Don Evans Canon City, CO 1 02-09 0
4 Andrew Bowman Aurora, CO 1 02-02 0
5 Chris Hamilton Wellington, CO 1 02-01 0
6 Heath Andersen Lakewood, CO 0 00-00 0
6 Dennis Heusser Strasburg, CO 0 00-00 0
6 Randal Moyer Denver, CO 0 00-00 0
6 Ron Price Canon City, CO 0 00-00 0
6 Gary Schipporeit Westminster, CO 0 00-00 0
Consistency Lands Card In Lead At Bassmaster Elite Event On Lake Fork
Brandon Card, of Salisbury, N.C., is leading after Day 2 of the 2021 Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork with a two-day total of 55 pounds, 7 ounces.
Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
April 23, 2021
QUITMAN, Texas — Brandon Card of Salisbury, N.C., committed to a spot he called the “Hammer Hole” and nailed down a limit of 28 pounds, 1 ounce to lead Day 2 of the Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork.
Rising from third place, Card bolstered his Day 1 weight of 27-6 for a two-day total of 55-7 that leads Quentin Cappo of Prairieville, La., by 11 ounces.
Working in Little Caney Creek, Card’s key spot was a subtle point adjacent to multiple spawning pockets with a creek channel in close proximity. What’s interesting is that Card encountered this fish-laden staging area on his way to inspect other spots.
“I’m really fortunate I found this spot,” he said. “It didn’t look like much when I saw it on my side scan, but it looked like just enough to make me want to make a cast in there.
“I caught them at the mouth of Little Caney really good (during the Elite event) in 2019. I had two giant schools, so I checked that out and they weren’t there. So, I just kept going farther in there.”
With two fish over 6 pounds in his bag, Card did most of his work with a Yo-Zuri 3DB 110 jerkbait. He also caught fish on a 3DB 110 Deep, a Yo-Zuri Hardcore Crank 3+ and a 4-inch hand-poured swimbait on a 1/2-ounce lead head.
“Changing angles and trying to stay fresh on the baits was important,” he said. “I’m just thinking, ‘What else can I throw out there?’ I’ll rig up some new stuff tonight.”
Noting that he had his weight by about 9:45 a.m., Card said, “What a morning. There wasn’t much to speak of after the morning. I did catch a 4 1/2-pounder that didn’t help, but I couldn’t get on anything (productive) after I left the Hammer Hole.
“Hopefully, that place keeps reloading. It’s a pretty magical spot.”
Addressing the obvious question of why he left the Hammer Hole, Card said that his bite slowed down — possibly a casualty of meteorological disruptions from an approaching storm system that prompted B.A.S.S. to move up Friday’s weigh-in by one hour.
“Also, I didn’t want to just sit there and protect the spot, and I didn’t want to just sit there and keep fishing,” Card said of his fish-management strategy. “I didn’t want to catch a 4-pounder that didn’t help today because I might need it for tomorrow.”
Card’s largest fish — a 6-12 — bit the swimbait after he effectively retrieved the bait through a labyrinth of submerged timber off a deeper section of his point. Thinking he may be onto something, he repeated his cast, but at that point the wheels came off.
“The very next cast, I hung up,” he said. “I didn’t want to go in there and get it, so I broke it off and tied on another one. I threw back out there and, on the next cast, I got hung again and had to break that one off.
“Literally two casts later, I get hung again and break off the third swimbait. I was like, ‘What is going on?’ It’s like I couldn’t get back in there after I caught the big one. I’ll have to rig up a jighead with a weedguard tonight.”
Holding steady in second place, Cappo added 25-13 to the 28-15 he caught Thursday to keep himself in contention with 54-12. Returning to the Caney Creek areas he fished on Day 1, Cappo anchored his bag with a 7-1 shortly before 9 a.m.
“My main area was a little underwater point with a rootball from an old tree,” he said. “They stage right there coming in and out, so if you can hit that rootball with a crankbait and deflect, they’ll come out and attack it.”
Wind exposure is key to Cappo’s success, and both days he saw clear examples of how an increase in surface disturbance would trigger feeding. Also, his area holds scattered pods of big gizzard shad, so he threw sizable baits — a Strike King KVD 4.0 squarebill and a Strike King Sexy Dawg topwater.
“They were eating kind of funny today,” he said. “I could tell by the way they were grabbing my crankbait. But it’s just one of those deals where you have to keep your head down and go because you know it’s going to happen, you just don’t know when.
“I was fortunate, because with an hour (before check-in), I had three big bites (3-15, 5-11 and 6-3). You just have to let it happen, and it definitely happened today.”
Day 1 leader Patrick Walters of Summerville, S.C., saw a dramatic decline to the intense Day 1 action that produced the event’s second-heaviest bag — 32-14 (behind fourth-place Taku Ito’s Day 2 limit of 33-3). On Friday, Walters started strong with an 8-12 at 7:18, but quality bites eluded him the rest of the day and he weighed a limit of 15-7.
Having won his first Elite title on Fork last year with a four-day total of 104 pounds, 12 ounces, Walters remained committed to the game plan of hunting fish with his Garmin Panoptix LiveScope. He’s throwing jerkbaits over contour breaks for staging prespawners.
“I guess it was the weather conditions; something changed pressure-wise,” he said. “The fish are still there on all the spots I fished today. The bad thing was they would come look at your bait and almost take a nip at it. They would follow your bait for 40 feet and never commit.
“I’m going all in (tomorrow) because if I can catch them, it’s going to be a big bag. If I don’t, it’s going to be a very little bag.”
Clifford Pirch of Payson, Ariz., took the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors with his 9-13 largemouth.
Seth Feider of New Market, Minn., leads the Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings with 432 points. Walters is second with 431, followed by Kyle Welcher of Opelika, Ala., with 385, Lee Livesay of Longview, Texas, with 377 and Chris Johnston of Peterborough, Canada, with 375.
Joshua Stracner of Vandiver, Ala., leads the Rookie of the Year standings with 332 points.
Saturday’s takeoff is scheduled for 6:45 a.m. CT at Sabine River Authority (SRA) — Lake Fork. The weigh-in will be held at SRA at 3 p.m.
Only the Top 10 anglers after Saturday’s weigh-in will advance to Championship Sunday with a chance to win 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. CT.
2021 Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork 4/22-4/25
Lake Fork, Quitman, TX
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 2
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Brandon Card Salisbury, NC 10 55-07 100
Day 1: 5 27-06 Day 2: 5 28-01
2. Quentin Cappo Prairieville, LA 10 54-12 99
Day 1: 5 28-15 Day 2: 5 25-13
3. Patrick Walters Summerville, SC 10 48-05 98 $1,000.00
Day 1: 5 32-14 Day 2: 5 15-07
4. Taku Ito Chiba JAPAN 10 48-04 97
Day 1: 5 15-01 Day 2: 5 33-03
5. Chad Morgenthaler Reeds Spring, MO 10 46-11 96
Day 1: 5 25-15 Day 2: 5 20-12
6. Brandon Cobb Greenwood, SC 10 44-08 95
Day 1: 5 25-00 Day 2: 5 19-08
7. Austin Felix Eden Prairie, MN 10 44-02 94
Day 1: 5 25-11 Day 2: 5 18-07
8. Brian Snowden Reeds Spring, MO 10 43-13 93
Day 1: 5 23-00 Day 2: 5 20-13
9. Lee Livesay Longview, TX 10 43-04 92
Day 1: 5 25-06 Day 2: 5 17-14
10. Seth Feider New Market, MN 10 43-01 91
Day 1: 5 22-03 Day 2: 5 20-14
11. Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 10 43-00 90
Day 1: 5 24-08 Day 2: 5 18-08
12. Chris Zaldain Fort Worth, TX 10 42-11 89
Day 1: 5 27-01 Day 2: 5 15-10
13. John Cox Debary, FL 10 42-01 88
Day 1: 5 21-05 Day 2: 5 20-12
14. Skylar Hamilton Dandridge, TN 10 41-12 87
Day 1: 5 15-15 Day 2: 5 25-13
15. Jeff Gustafson Keewatin Ontario CANADA 10 40-15 86
Day 1: 5 19-03 Day 2: 5 21-12
16. Kyle Welcher Opelika, AL 10 40-03 85
Day 1: 5 21-04 Day 2: 5 18-15
17. Joshua Stracner Vandiver, AL 10 39-14 84
Day 1: 5 24-11 Day 2: 5 15-03
18. Chris Johnston Otonabee Ontario CANADA 10 39-13 83
Day 1: 5 24-02 Day 2: 5 15-11
19. Caleb Sumrall New Iberia, LA 10 39-13 82
Day 1: 5 21-13 Day 2: 5 18-00
20. Scott Canterbury Odenville, AL 10 39-11 81
Day 1: 5 19-01 Day 2: 5 20-10
21. Matt Herren Ashville, AL 10 39-00 80
Day 1: 5 22-13 Day 2: 5 16-03
22. Scott Martin Clewiston, FL 10 38-06 79
Day 1: 5 19-09 Day 2: 5 18-13
23. Gerald Swindle Guntersville, AL 10 38-05 78
Day 1: 5 20-15 Day 2: 5 17-06
24. Carl Jocumsen Queensland AUSTRALIA 10 38-03 77
Day 1: 5 20-06 Day 2: 5 17-13
25. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 10 38-02 76
Day 1: 5 21-05 Day 2: 5 16-13
26. Matt Arey Shelby, NC 10 38-00 75
Day 1: 5 19-12 Day 2: 5 18-04
27. Cory Johnston Cavan CANADA 10 37-13 74
Day 1: 5 22-09 Day 2: 5 15-04
28. Matt Robertson Kuttawa, KY 10 37-12 73
Day 1: 5 23-12 Day 2: 5 14-00
29. Chad Pipkens Dewitt, MI 10 37-10 72
Day 1: 5 21-14 Day 2: 5 15-12
30. Shane LeHew Catawba, NC 10 37-08 71
Day 1: 5 17-02 Day 2: 5 20-06
31. Drew Benton Blakely, GA 10 37-01 70
Day 1: 5 21-04 Day 2: 5 15-13
32. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 10 36-10 69
Day 1: 5 19-11 Day 2: 5 16-15
33. Buddy Gross Chickamauga, GA 10 36-09 68
Day 1: 5 18-02 Day 2: 5 18-07
34. Jason Williamson Wagener, SC 10 36-04 67
Day 1: 5 24-01 Day 2: 5 12-03
35. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 10 36-04 66
Day 1: 5 18-10 Day 2: 5 17-10
36. Jason Christie Park Hill, OK 10 36-03 65
Day 1: 5 17-02 Day 2: 5 19-01
37. Justin Atkins Florence, AL 9 36-01 64
Day 1: 5 21-14 Day 2: 4 14-03
38. Wes Logan Springville, AL 10 36-00 63
Day 1: 5 19-11 Day 2: 5 16-05
39. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 10 35-12 62
Day 1: 5 15-05 Day 2: 5 20-07
40. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 10 35-10 61
Day 1: 5 21-09 Day 2: 5 14-01
41. Derek Hudnall Denham Springs, LA 10 35-06 60
Day 1: 5 19-10 Day 2: 5 15-12
42. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 9 35-04 59
Day 1: 4 11-04 Day 2: 5 24-00
43. Luke Palmer Coalgate, OK 10 35-00 58
Day 1: 5 20-02 Day 2: 5 14-14
44. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 10 34-10 57 $1,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-05 Day 2: 5 21-05
45. Cody Hollen Beaverton, OR 10 34-10 56
Day 1: 5 13-11 Day 2: 5 20-15
46. Drew Cook Cairo, GA 10 34-07 55
Day 1: 5 18-06 Day 2: 5 16-01
47. Frank Talley Temple, TX 9 33-07 54
Day 1: 5 20-02 Day 2: 4 13-05
48. Jay Yelas Lincoln City, OR 10 32-07 53
Day 1: 5 11-02 Day 2: 5 21-05
49. Shane Lineberger Lincolnton, NC 10 32-03 52
Day 1: 5 11-07 Day 2: 5 20-12
50. Jamie Hartman Newport, NY 10 32-01 51 $5,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-09 Day 2: 5 13-08
51. KJ Queen Catawba, NC 9 32-00 50 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 21-02 Day 2: 4 10-14
52. Koby Kreiger Alva, FL 10 32-00 49 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 17-01 Day 2: 5 14-15
53. Hunter Shryock Ooltewah, TN 10 31-14 48 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 17-06 Day 2: 5 14-08
54. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 10 31-12 47 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 16-13 Day 2: 5 14-15
55. Garrett Paquette Canton, MI 8 30-13 46 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 17-14 Day 2: 3 12-15
56. Tyler Rivet Raceland, LA 8 29-12 45 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 20-15 Day 2: 3 08-13
57. Hank Cherry Jr Lincolnton, NC 9 29-11 44 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 18-12 Day 2: 4 10-15
58. Randy Sullivan Breckenridge, TX 10 29-10 43 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 13-00 Day 2: 5 16-10
59. Destin DeMarion Grove City, PA 10 29-10 42 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 16-06 Day 2: 5 13-04
60. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 10 29-08 41 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 16-14 Day 2: 5 12-10
61. Micah Frazier Newnan, GA 8 29-06 40 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 19-07 Day 2: 3 09-15
62. Kelley Jaye Dadeville, AL 10 28-15 39 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 15-15 Day 2: 5 13-00
63. Brad Whatley Bivins, TX 8 28-06 38 $2,500.00
Day 1: 3 10-00 Day 2: 5 18-06
64. Chris Groh Spring Grove, IL 10 27-13 37 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 17-12 Day 2: 5 10-01
65. Mike Huff Corbin, KY 8 27-08 36 $2,500.00
Day 1: 3 10-10 Day 2: 5 16-14
66. Darold Gleason Many, LA 7 27-04 35 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 22-05 Day 2: 2 04-15
67. Pat Schlapper Eleva, WI 9 26-15 34 $2,500.00
Day 1: 4 10-06 Day 2: 5 16-09
68. Justin Hamner Northport, AL 9 26-14 33 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 19-06 Day 2: 4 07-08
69. Ray Hanselman Jr Del Rio, TX 10 26-12 32 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 15-07 Day 2: 5 11-05
70. Kenta Kimura Osaka JAPAN 7 26-11 31 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 22-03 Day 2: 2 04-08
71. Rick Morris Lake Gaston, VA 10 26-03 30 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 15-00 Day 2: 5 11-03
72. Todd Auten Lake Wylie, SC 8 26-00 29 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 20-09 Day 2: 3 05-07
73. Jake Whitaker Fairview, NC 10 26-00 28 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 12-11 Day 2: 5 13-05
74. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 10 25-14 27 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 12-00 Day 2: 5 13-14
75. Marc Frazier Newnan, GA 10 25-13 26 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 10-06 Day 2: 5 15-07
76. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 10 25-12 25
Day 1: 5 13-06 Day 2: 5 12-06
77. Robbie Latuso Gonzales, LA 7 25-08 24
Day 1: 5 15-10 Day 2: 2 09-14
78. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 10 25-04 23
Day 1: 5 14-03 Day 2: 5 11-01
79. Caleb Kuphall Mukwonago, WI 7 24-14 22
Day 1: 5 21-14 Day 2: 2 03-00
80. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 10 24-07 21
Day 1: 5 11-07 Day 2: 5 13-00
81. Dale Hightower Mannford, OK 7 22-13 20
Day 1: 5 19-07 Day 2: 2 03-06
82. Bryan Schmitt Deale, MD 7 22-07 19
Day 1: 5 18-04 Day 2: 2 04-03
83. Kyle Monti Okeechobee, FL 8 22-04 18
Day 1: 3 10-08 Day 2: 5 11-12
84. Randy Pierson Oakdale, CA 10 22-01 17
Day 1: 5 11-14 Day 2: 5 10-03
85. Bryan New Belmont, NC 6 22-00 16
Day 1: 5 20-01 Day 2: 1 01-15
86. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 6 22-00 15
Day 1: 5 18-07 Day 2: 1 03-09
87. Bill Weidler Helena, AL 7 22-00 14
Day 1: 5 14-14 Day 2: 2 07-02
88. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 6 21-14 13
Day 1: 4 16-01 Day 2: 2 05-13
89. Ed Loughran III Richmond, VA 7 21-13 12
Day 1: 5 16-11 Day 2: 2 05-02
90. Rob Digh Denver, NC 7 21-00 11
Day 1: 5 13-01 Day 2: 2 07-15
91. Gregory DiPalma Millville, NJ 7 20-10 10
Day 1: 5 13-15 Day 2: 2 06-11
92. Bob Downey Hudson, WI 6 19-03 9
Day 1: 5 17-02 Day 2: 1 02-01
93. Clark Wendlandt Leander, TX 5 18-11 8
Day 1: 5 18-11 Day 2: 0 00-00
94. Brett Preuett Monroe, LA 9 18-10 7
Day 1: 5 09-11 Day 2: 4 08-15
95. Clent Davis Montevallo, AL 6 17-12 6
Day 1: 5 16-06 Day 2: 1 01-06
96. Gary Clouse Winchester, TN 6 13-11 5
Day 1: 3 08-08 Day 2: 3 05-03
97. Yusuke Miyazaki Forney, TX 6 12-13 4
Day 1: 5 11-10 Day 2: 1 01-03
98. Harvey Horne Bella Vista, AR 5 09-15 3
Day 1: 3 05-10 Day 2: 2 04-05
99. David Fritts Lexington, NC 2 05-11 2
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 05-11
Christie Cashes in with Costa Sunglasses
Courtesy of Luke Stoner - Dynamic Sponsorships
Bassmaster Elite Series pro Jason Christie is among the first anglers to cash in with the brand new Costa Compete + Conserve contingency program thanks to his win two weeks ago on the Sabine River.
Christie pocketed an additional $3,000 cash bonus for being the highest finishing registered angler wearing Costa Sunglasses from this exciting new program.
“For tournament anglers Costas are a small investment when compared to some of the other equipment we buy and with Compete + Conserve you have the opportunity to win bonus money for yourself and the outdoors,” Christie said. “How can you beat that?”
The “conserve” component of Costa’s new bass fishing rewards program is especially exciting for folks in the fishing industry. The highest finishing program participant gets to choose between one of five pre-approved conservation organizations to receive a cash donation on behalf of Costa and the angler.
Christie’s connection to the outdoors runs much deeper than being a professional angler and he was thrilled to learn about the conservation donation. He chose The National Fish & Wildlife Foundation to receive $500 on his behalf.
Not only is Christie a huge proponent of all the goodness Costa’s new contingency program brings on, he also is a big believer in the advantages his sunglasses give him on the water.
“A quality pair of sunglasses are a necessity for anyone who spends time on the water,” Christie added. “Personally, my Costas equate to key fish each tournament and certainly each season. Being able to see what’s underwater, whether I’m seeing fish or a hidden piece of cover, makes a huge difference. At the Sabine they also helped me dodge obstructions while driving way up a creek to my primary area.”
Compete + Conserve wasn’t the only contingency program Christie reaped the rewards of after his finish on the Sabine however. The Oklahoma native also made $3,000 from Toyota Bonus Bucks for towing with a Toyota Tundra and an additional $4,000 from the popular Yamaha Power Pay program for running a Yamaha powered Xpress boat. Bringing Christie’s grand total to a mind-blowing $10,000 of bonus money for supporting brands who support the sport of bass fishing.
All three of these tournament angler contingency programs are absolutely free to register for as long as you own and use the products covered under the rewards programs. And you don’t have to be a professional angler like Jason Christie; these programs cover hundreds of tournaments for weekend anglers all the way up to the pros.
For more information on the brand new Costa Compete + Conserve program, follow this link https://www.costacompeteandconserve.com/or call (918) 742-6424 and ask for Luke.
Sportsmans Check-In and Product Spotlights!
This week Chris catches up with Sportsmans Warehouse Chattanooga associate Rob Lindsey. Rob, a college angler from nearby Bryant College gives us the 411 on what's going on in the Southeast this week and weekend.
3 bed fishing tips from Elite Series pro Darold Gleason
Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships
Darold “The Silver Fox” Gleason caught a 22-pound limit of Lake Fork bass on Day 1 of the Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite Series event as though he has done it many times before.
Technically, Gleason is a tour rookie, but he’s also an accomplished sight fishing angler and guide. Thus, his sight fishing performance on Fork was well-founded in experience and confidence.
And if you know Gleason, a former school teacher and coach from Louisiana, you know that not only has he caught twelve bass over 10-pounds, but also that he’s as gracious as he is hilarious. So his willingness to offer three key tips to make all of us better ‘bed’ fishermen comes as no surprise.
Don’t get too close
“The biggest mistake people make is trying to get way too close to a bedding fish,” warns Gleason. “I realize it’s natural to want to study their behavior, and you can do that when you’re locating beds, but when it’s time to cast, you need to back off. The closer you get, the less willing they’ll be to bite.”
Two lures to get it done
“A huge majority of the time I throw either a white V & M J-Bug that I can see really well on the super shallow beds, or a blue shadow colored V & M Flat Wild to the slightly deeper beds,” he says. “Treat the white J-Bug like a bobber, when it disappears, that means she’s engulfed it, set the hook!”
Gleason, who relies heavily on his Costa polarized eyewear, actually uses a slightly heavier 3/8-ounce weight on the white J-Bug he pitches shallow because he wants perfect accuracy when trying to land it in the sweet spot of the bed.
Straight braid
“This surprises a lot of people, but I always use 65-pound braid on my baitcasters when sight fishing,” grins Gleason. “You have to realize those fish aren’t studying that lure to eat it. They’re reacting out of anger to defend the nest, so I want maximum towing power when they bite, with nothing left to chance.”
Don’t get too close, lean on two key lures, and spool-up with braided line, three keys that have made “The Silver Fox” one of the country’s top bass snatchers when the spawn is on.
AC Insider Rookie Podcast - Who is Kenta Kimura?
This week, the one and only David Xiong makes his Rookie Podcast hosting debut with Bassmaster Elite Series Rookie Kenta Kimura. Kenta is traveling the Elite Series trail while his home is still in Japan. Learn all about him and his journey to the Elites!
Johnson Maintains Lead At Tough B.A.S.S. Nation Regional On Milford Lake
Chris Johnson, of Farmington, Ark., is leading after Day 2 of the TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Central Regional at Milford Lake with a two-day total of 19 pounds, 8 ounces.
Photo by Brenden Kanies/B.A.S.S.
April 22, 2021
JUNCTION CITY, Kan. — Chris Johnson said he likes a tournament that makes anglers “grind.”
He’s at the right event.
The 160 competitors in the TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Central Regional struggled to find fish for a second consecutive day on Milford Lake here in the center of the Sunflower State. A late-season snowstorm rolled through the heartland overnight Monday, and the 6 inches of powder it dumped completely disrupted what in recent weeks had been a quality bite on the 15,700-acre reservoir.
The freak storm was a curveball that anglers from eight different states have struggled to hit. A total of 89 anglers zeroed Wednesday and 116 didn’t weigh a fish Thursday – 53 of 80 entered in the boater division and 63 of 80 in the co-angler field.
Johnson, a 51-year-old Farmington, Ark., resident, has been one of the bright spots this week, starting with the four bass he caught Wednesday that weighed a day’s best 14 pounds, 12 ounces. He struggled to catch two bass for an additional 4-12 Thursday, but the 19-8 total was just enough to maintain the lead.
“It’s really tough out there,” Johnson said. “The wind switched around on me today, coming straight out of the south. I had a later start too, and when I got to the spot where I caught the 7-pounder yesterday, there were eight boats already there. I just had to get in there and mix it up.”
Problem was, there were hardly any bass biting.
“I caught my first keeper, my first bite, at about 11 o’clock,” he said. “I had to scramble and find some new water upriver. I’m fishing shallow rock and I’ve got to have moving water, but it really took all day to get the two fish I had.”
Johnson’s lead is slim, with Kris Bosley of Amarillo, Texas, an ounce behind with 19-7.
Bosley, who qualified for the regional through the New Mexico B.A.S.S. Nation, caught one of only four limits Wednesday — a 13-5 total that put him in third place. He managed only three bass Thursday for 6-2, but still scratched his way into second.
“The lake is fishing really small,” Bosley said. “There’s a lot of pressure on the fish right now and that snowstorm earlier in the week certainly didn’t help.”
Bosley said he’s fishing a reaction bite, doing everything he can to tempt the smallmouth he’s targeting.
“The good strong north wind blowing yesterday hit a couple of my key spots and it helped me,” he said. “Today, it was slick and I couldn’t get them to react … I just hunkered down and counted the rocks until the wind picked up a bit in the afternoon.”
Bosley is sharing water with New Mexico teammate Christian Gladfelter, who was the big mover on Thursday with five bass weighing 11-15. The Albuquerque angler caught one of only two limits weighed on Day 2, with the other coming from fellow New Mexico competitor Brad Hauf, who weighed in three bass for 5-5, gaining him third place in the co-angler division.
Ray Cates of Overland Park, Kan., leads co-anglers with three bass weighing 7-7. Russell Vines of El Dorado, Ark., is second with three bass for 7-6.
A total of 40 anglers survived Thursday’s cut and will fish Friday. The field includes the Top 16 anglers in both divisions, as well as four additional anglers who were in the Top 2 from their state but not among the Top 16 in their respective divisions.
They’re all fighting for a share of the $34,500 total purse. The winning boater will take home $5,000 courtesy of Ranger and the leading co-angler will net $2,500 courtesy of Yamaha.
Colorado won the team competition that ended Thursday with a two-day total of 34 bass that weighed 84-9. The 20-person squad (10 boaters and 10 co-anglers) stormed to a 19-pound lead on Day 1 and held on to win $5,000 courtesy of Ranger and Yamaha for finishing first in team totals.
New Mexico made a hard charge at the team title, but settled for second with 36 bass weighing 81-13. The squad, which won $3,000 for finishing second, caught 19 bass on Day 2 weighing 42-11 to challenge Colorado for team honors.
Texas was third with 27 bass for 66-3 and won $2,000. Other teams included, fourth, Arkansas (27, 65-8); fifth, Oklahoma (24, 59-14); sixth, Kansas (23, 53-13); seventh, Missouri (19, 49-7); and eighth, Louisiana (15, 33-7).
Friday’s final-round takeoff will be at 6:30 a.m. CT from Acorns Resort, and the weigh-in will be held back at the resort at 2:30 p.m.
The tournament is one of five B.A.S.S. Nation regionals this year. Leading anglers at each qualify for the TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Championship to be held Nov. 3-5 on the Ouachita River in Louisiana.
2021 TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Central Regional Milford Lake 4/21-4/23
Milford Lake, Junction City KS.
(BOATER) Standings Day 2
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Chris Johnson Farmington, AR (AR) 6 19-08 0
2. Kris Bosley Amarillo, TX (NM) 8 19-07 0
3. Christian Gladfelter Albuquerque, NM (NM) 7 16-10 0
4. Mike Wheaton Ottumwa, IA (MO) 4 14-05 0
5. Jared Miller Norman, OK (CO) 5 13-05 0
6. Nick Luna Grain Valley, MO (KS) 6 13-00 0
7. Shane Morgan Littleton, CO (CO) 4 12-08 0
8. Brandon Moss Blanchard, OK (OK) 6 11-14 0
9. Jay Beffa Festus, MO (MO) 5 10-14 0
10. Doug Thompson Mabelvale, AR (AR) 5 10-12 0
11. Travis Sneith Elizabeth, CO (CO) 4 10-03 0
12. Nate Caldwell Fort Collins, CO (CO) 4 10-01 0
13. Chad Petrie McKinney, TX (TX) 4 09-13 0
14. Daniel Ward Sage, AR (AR) 4 09-04 0
15. Jeremy Fuentes Carlsbad, NM (NM) 5 09-02 0
16. Matt Pangrac Bixby, OK (OK) 3 08-06 0
17. Casey Welch Arvada, CO (CO) 3 08-03 0
18. Jeff Lugar Princeton, TX (TX) 4 07-14 0
19. Robert Paxton Jr Flower Mound, TX (TX) 3 07-13 0
20. Justin Royal Bridge City, TX (TX) 4 07-09 0
21. Nicholas Kincaid Coweta, OK (OK) 3 07-09 0
22. Jesse Jordan Stilwel, KS (KS) 3 06-14 0
23. Larry Stoafer Leavenworth, KS (KS) 3 06-09 0
24. David Cavell Prairieville, LA (LA) 2 06-07 0
25. Maurice Gutierrez Albuquberque, NM (NM) 2 06-02 0
26. Travis Rivest Smithville, MO (MO) 2 06-00 0
27. Larry Triplett Castle Rock, CO (CO) 3 05-14 0
28. Matthew Abeyta Albuquerque, NM (NM) 2 05-10 0
29. Ronald Giebel Penrose, CO (CO) 2 05-05 0
30. Justin Privett Bald Knob, AR (AR) 2 05-01 0
31. Branden Garrison Gladstone, MO (KS) 2 04-10 0
32. Nathan Pratt Albuquerque, NM (NM) 2 04-06 0
33. Robert Royal Vidor, TX (TX) 1 04-01 0
34. Brandon Simoneaux Lumberton, TX (TX) 1 03-15 0
35. Cole Buser Farmington, NM (NM) 2 03-15 0
36. Kevin Johnston Sedalia, MO (MO) 2 03-14 0
37. Garrett Kemp Port Allen, LA (LA) 2 03-10 0
38. Brock Enmeier Bixby, OK (OK) 1 03-09 0
39. Jim Simpson Canyon, TX (TX) 1 03-07 0
40. Byron Albrecht Waco, TX (TX) 1 03-02 0
40. Troy Morrison Malvern, AR (AR) 1 03-02 0
42. Mike Zachary Ada, OK (OK) 1 03-01 0
43. Alan Daniels Kansas City, KS (MO) 1 03-00 0
44. Klint VonFeldt Hays, KS (KS) 1 02-14 0
45. Brian Stangel Albuquerque, NM (NM) 1 02-10 0
46. Rick Wheeler Whitewater, KS (KS) 1 02-08 0
47. Tony Grubbs Pryor, OK (OK) 1 02-07 0
48. Mike Chain Stillwater, OK (OK) 1 02-06 0
49. Kenny Turpin El Dorado, KS (KS) 1 02-05 0
50. Dalton Warrington Tishimingo, OK (OK) 1 02-04 0
51. Gabriel Rivera Portales, NM (NM) 1 02-01 0
52. Paul Lampron Penrose, CO (CO) 1 01-13 0
53. Braxton Resweber Saint Martinville, LA ( 1 01-12 0
54. Dean Amos San Antonio, TX (TX) 0 00-00 0
54. Jason Baird Gypsum, KS (KS) 0 00-00 0
54. Jim Coyner Ofallon, MO (MO) 0 00-00 0
54. Jamie Dumas El Dorado, AR (AR) 0 00-00 0
54. David Flemming Littleton, CO (CO) 0 00-00 0
54. Teddy Granier Thibodaux, LA (LA) 0 00-00 0
54. Mike Harris Cowgill, MO (MO) 0 00-00 0
54. Jan Hebert Houma, LA (LA) 0 00-00 0
54. Alex Heintze Denham Springs, LA (LA) 0 00-00 0
54. Michael Henager Harrah, OK (OK) 0 00-00 0
54. Keith Hendrix Monroe City, MO (MO) 0 00-00 0
54. Adam Johnson Pontiac, MO (MO) 0 00-00 0
54. Johnny Johnson Bloomfield, NM (NM) 0 00-00 0
54. Kenny King El Dorado, AR (AR) 0 00-00 0
54. Jamie Laiche Gonzales, LA (LA) 0 00-00 0
54. Travis Laurent Gonzales, LA (LA) 0 00-00 0
54. Cory Leita Victoria, TX (TX) 0 00-00 0
54. JP Mcvay Hermitage, AR (AR) 0 00-00 0
54. Mike Meadows El Dorado, AR (AR) 0 00-00 0
54. Matthew Mesplay Wichita, KS (KS) 0 00-00 0
54. Jeremy Norris Ama, LA (LA) 0 00-00 0
54. Brandon Pedigo Lawton, OK (OK) 0 00-00 0
54. Josh Pladies Belton, MO (KS) 0 00-00 0
54. Scott Sheldon Loveland, CO (CO) 0 00-00 0
54. Harold Stark Eldon, MO (MO) 0 00-00 0
54. Joe Ward Cave City, AR (AR) 0 00-00 0
80. Blake Marionneaux Brusly, LA (LA) 0 -2-00 0
Johns and Dickerson Tied at Top After Day 1 of Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Googan Baits Stop 3 at Lake Murray
COLUMBIA, S.C. (April 22, 2020) – A field of 161 bass fishing professionals from around the world began their four-day competition for a top award of up to $135,000 at the MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by Bad Boy Mowers, Googan Baits Stop 3 Presented by Favorite Fishing – Lake Murray Thursday in Columbia, South Carolina.
Pros Clabion Johns of Social Circle Georgia, and Tommy Dickerson of Orange, Texas , both weighed a five-bass limit totaling 21 pounds, 12 ounces to sit tied atop the leaderboard and share the early lead after Day 1. The pair holds a mere 3-ounce lead over pro Matt Becker of Finleyville, Pennsylvania, who caught five bass weighing 21-9, good for second place.
With anglers having numerous patterns available to them across the fishery, Day 1 saw pros catching fish down the lake, up the river, sight-fishing, chasing the herring spawn, throwing topwater baits and more. However, with 34-degree air temperatures making for a cold morning bite, Dickerson said he was pretty worried halfway through the day.
The Texas pro had hoped to get on a herring-spawn bite first thing, only to find no herring up shallow due to the cold. He then decided to try sight-fishing, to no avail, and found himself without a fish at 11:30 a.m.
“I was starting to get negative,” said Dickerson. “I kept thinking I’ve got to stick with what I know worked, because I was catching some big fish in practice with the herring spawn. Even if I caught two today, they could weigh 10 pounds and I’d have a chance for another day.”
The sun finally peeked out and Dickerson said it didn’t take him long to get dialed in.
“I pulled up on one place and I caught four in about 10 minutes, and one of those was over 5 pounds. After that, I knew what I was doing the rest of the day.”
Surprisingly enough, Johns had almost the exact opposite day as Dickerson.
“I spent the day blind bed-fishing, (catching) fry guarders, fished a little bit of the shad spawn and fishing bank grass. Today fit perfectly in my wheelhouse,” said Johns. “I did a little swim jigging, flipping, threw a frog and a spinnerbait – it all worked and worked right away. I figured I could catch 15 pounds easy. But when I caught a 4-pound and a 5-pound fish early, I figured I’d just go for big bites the rest of the day.”
Johns said he typically finds remote areas serve him the best, but he didn’t even go to his best area on Thursday.
“I fished the water everyone else leaves alone,” said Johns. “I fished the mud and the nastiest stuff I could because that’s what gets left alone. I went to areas I looked at on Google Earth – I knew it was going to be scary, but I knew that I could get there.’”
Those secluded areas provided Johns some very unpressured fish, making him all the more excited to get back out on the water on Friday to see what his best area may hold.
Dickerson said he’s a little less enthused going into Friday.
“Tomorrow is calling for clouds, and I need the sun,” said Dickerson of his herring-spawn pattern. “So, we’ll just see what happens. I may have to figure out how to get them to bite, but if the herring are still there, the bigger bass will be, too.”
The top 10 pros after Day 1 on Lake Murray are:
1st: Tommy Dickerson of Orange, Texas, five bass, 21-12
1st: Clabion Johns of Social Circle, Ga., five bass, 21-12
3rd: Matt Becker of Finleyville, Pa., five bass, 21-9
4th: Miles Howe of San Juan Capistrano, Calif., five bass, 21-2
5th: Dean Rojas of Lake Havasu City, Ariz., five bass, 21-0
6th: Jim Tutt of Longview, Texas, five bass, 19-8
7th: Lance Crawford of Broken Bow, Okla., five bass, 18-9
8th: Cody Meyer of Star, Idaho, five bass, 18-8
9th: Chase Serafin of White Lake, Mich., five bass, 18-4
10th: Joseph Webster of Winfield, Ala., five bass, 17-13
For a full list of results visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Rojas won the day's $500 Berkley Big Bass award in the pro division after bringing a largemouth weighing 6 pounds, 12 ounces to the scale.
Overall, there were 766 bass weighing 2,122 pounds, 9 ounces caught by 159 pros Thursday. The catch included 144 five-bass limits.
The MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit presented by Bad Boy Mowers, Googan Baits Stop 3 Presented by Favorite Fishing – Lake Murray is hosted by the Capital City Lake Murray Country Regional Tourism Board.
In Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit competition, the full field of 161 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.
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.
Anglers will take off at 6:30 a.m. ET Friday through Sunday from Dreher Island State Park, located at 3677 State Park Road in Prosperity. Weigh-ins will also be held at the park daily at 3 p.m. 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, Googan Baits Stop 3 Presented by Favorite Fishing – Lake Murray will feature live on-the-water coverage and a two-hour action-packed television show that will premiere on the Outdoor Channel on Sunday, July 25 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, April 24-25 on MLF NOW! beginning at 7 a.m. ET at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Walters Takes Lead With Massive Catch At Bassmaster Elite On Lake Fork
Patrick Walters, of Summerville, S.C., is leading after Day 1 of the 2021 Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork with 32 pounds, 14 ounces.
Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
April 22, 2021
QUITMAN, Texas — Patrick Walters of Summerville, S.C., took advantage of a dramatic increase in opportunity to sack up a five-bass limit of 32 pounds, 14 ounces to lead Day 1 of the Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork.
November saw Walters capture his first Elite title on Fork by topping the Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest benefiting Texas Parks and Wildlife Department with a four-day total of 104-12. In that fall event, Walters targeted standing timber, but today’s leading limit came from staging areas outside the spawning pockets.
“My plan this morning was to start on shallow points and catch one or two fish,” Walters said. “When I got out there, I was surprised how many fish I started to see; it was like they multiplied from practice.
“I caught my first 7-pounder (around 7 a.m.) and I said, ‘That’s the fish I was here for.’ Then, I caught my second one and I was like, ‘Whoa, this may happen.’”
From there, Walters began running points and inspecting each spot with his Garmin Panoptix LiveScope. He reported finding bass grouped in numbers far exceeding anything he’d found in practice.
“Every point I started going to, the fish quadrupled on the places I found them, whereas in practice, on my starting spot, I caught one on a glidebait and it had one with it. I went back there today and there were 15 fish sitting on that spot.
“After that, I just starting running areas like that, and I’m pretty surprised what’s showing up. They almost seem prespawn, so I don’t know if that bite is going to get even better.”
Noting that he caught one small fish in 45 minutes of bed fishing, Walters said he spent the majority of his day throwing a glidebait and multiple jerkbaits on the offshore spots.
He wants to see his fish in a particular depth zone, as this indicates an interest in feeding. Walters found that not all of the fish he spotted on LiveScope were actually ready to go.
“I’m really surprised by the fish that are showing on the majority of spots I’m fishing, but it’s just getting them to bite,” he said. “There’s a weird bite going on; you have to fish slow sometimes, but I think if we keep our foot on the gas and fish for the aggressive fish, I think we can catch some fish this week.
“Hopefully we can just ride it out and make it to the weekend. That’s the plan — just make it to Championship Sunday.”
Friday’s forecast for rainy, windy conditions could play well for Walters. Many of his competitors spent larger portions of their day sight fishing. A dimmer day will significantly limit that pursuit, but Walters is prepared to deal with any impacts on his game plan.
“You can’t control any of the variables, especially Mother Nature, so you just have to adapt and go with whatever you’re presented with,” he said. “We’re just going to go fishing tomorrow and stay on our toes, adapt as much as possible and hopefully get five good bites.”
Enjoying a quick start, Walters tallied approximately 20 pounds with four fish by about 8:20 a.m. A dry spell followed, until Bassmaster LIVE saw him come tight on a serious fish that went 8-14.
About 30 minutes later, he culled a 2-pounder with a 5-8. Hooked in the back, that fish put Walters through a nail-biting battle before rising into reach.
Quentin Cappo of Prairieville, La., is in second place with 28-15. Starting his day with an 8-3 at 7:25, Cappo did his damage on shallow, rocky bottom.
“I’m excited to go out tomorrow; I’ve found them, I know where they’re at, it’s just a timing thing,” Cappo said. “I need wind on my spots. When the wind blows, I can catch them.”
Cappo caught all of the bass he weighed on a large-body squarebill. He’s using an aggressive presentation he described as “dredging” to stir up the bottom and trigger bites.
“The fish are feeding on big gizzard shad and I’m looking for five good quality bites,” Cappo said. “Fortunately, I had 18 keepers in the 3- to 8-pound range. I stepped on the gas because you don’t know what tomorrow’s going to bring.
“This is a heavily pressured lake and they see these baits (often), so something different gets them fired up. When I’m there at the right time, it’s fast and then I get off of them.”
Brandon Card of Salisbury, N.C., is in third place with 27-6. Bed fishing was his opening game plan and while Card sight fished a 4 1/2-pounder, he ended up catching all of his weight fish by targeting offshore hard spots from 7 to 20 feet.
“I actually found a couple more areas that had some really good spawners, but the carp had muddied them up and finally, I said, ‘Forget this, I’m going to go out there and fish offshore like I like to fish,’ and it just kind of unfolded.
“I had some offshore places that I was confident about but I didn’t know how good they were going to be. On my best spot, I thought I was going to be able to catch a few, but it was unbelievable. I probably caught 20 fish off that spot.”
Card said he caught some fish with dragging presentations but most bit reaction baits.
There were 36 bags of 20 pounds or more caught and 10 bass over 7 pounds. Walters is in the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors with his 8-14 largemouth.
Walters leads the Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings with 433 points. Seth Feider of New Market, Minn., is in second with 424, followed by Chris Johnston of Peterborough, Canada, with 382.
Josh Stracner of Vandiver, Ala., leads the Rookie of the Year standings with 340 points.
Friday’s takeoff is scheduled for 6:45 a.m. CT from Sabine River Authority (SRA) — Lake Fork. The weigh-in will be held at SRA at 3 p.m.
The Top 49 anglers after Friday’s weigh-in will advance to Saturday’s semifinal round.
Live coverage for the event can be streamed on Bassmaster.com and the FOX Sports digital platforms.
2021 Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork 4/22-4/25
Lake Fork, Quitman, TX
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 1
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Patrick Walters Summerville, SC 5 32-14 100 $1,000.00
Day 1: 5 32-14
2. Quentin Cappo Prairieville, LA 5 28-15 99
Day 1: 5 28-15
3. Brandon Card Salisbury, NC 5 27-06 98
Day 1: 5 27-06
4. Chris Zaldain Fort Worth, TX 5 27-01 97
Day 1: 5 27-01
5. Chad Morgenthaler Reeds Spring, MO 5 25-15 96
Day 1: 5 25-15
6. Austin Felix Eden Prairie, MN 5 25-11 95
Day 1: 5 25-11
7. Lee Livesay Longview, TX 5 25-06 94
Day 1: 5 25-06
8. Brandon Cobb Greenwood, SC 5 25-00 93
Day 1: 5 25-00
9. Joshua Stracner Vandiver, AL 5 24-11 92
Day 1: 5 24-11
10. Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 5 24-08 91
Day 1: 5 24-08
11. Chris Johnston Otonabee Ontario CANADA 5 24-02 90
Day 1: 5 24-02
12. Jason Williamson Wagener, SC 5 24-01 89
Day 1: 5 24-01
13. Matt Robertson Kuttawa, KY 5 23-12 88
Day 1: 5 23-12
14. Brian Snowden Reeds Spring, MO 5 23-00 87
Day 1: 5 23-00
15. Matt Herren Ashville, AL 5 22-13 86
Day 1: 5 22-13
16. Cory Johnston Cavan CANADA 5 22-09 85
Day 1: 5 22-09
17. Darold Gleason Many, LA 5 22-05 84
Day 1: 5 22-05
18. Seth Feider New Market, MN 5 22-03 83
Day 1: 5 22-03
18. Kenta Kimura Osaka JAPAN 5 22-03 83
Day 1: 5 22-03
20. Justin Atkins Florence, AL 5 21-14 81
Day 1: 5 21-14
20. Caleb Kuphall Mukwonago, WI 5 21-14 81
Day 1: 5 21-14
20. Chad Pipkens Dewitt, MI 5 21-14 81
Day 1: 5 21-14
23. Caleb Sumrall New Iberia, LA 5 21-13 78
Day 1: 5 21-13
24. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 5 21-09 77
Day 1: 5 21-09
25. John Cox Debary, FL 5 21-05 76
Day 1: 5 21-05
25. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 5 21-05 76
Day 1: 5 21-05
27. Drew Benton Blakely, GA 5 21-04 74
Day 1: 5 21-04
27. Kyle Welcher Opelika, AL 5 21-04 74
Day 1: 5 21-04
29. KJ Queen Catawba, NC 5 21-02 72
Day 1: 5 21-02
30. Tyler Rivet Raceland, LA 5 20-15 71
Day 1: 5 20-15
30. Gerald Swindle Guntersville, AL 5 20-15 71
Day 1: 5 20-15
32. Todd Auten Lake Wylie, SC 5 20-09 69
Day 1: 5 20-09
33. Carl Jocumsen Queensland AUSTRALIA 5 20-06 68
Day 1: 5 20-06
34. Luke Palmer Coalgate, OK 5 20-02 67
Day 1: 5 20-02
34. Frank Talley Temple, TX 5 20-02 67
Day 1: 5 20-02
36. Bryan New Belmont, NC 5 20-01 65
Day 1: 5 20-01
37. Matt Arey Shelby, NC 5 19-12 64
Day 1: 5 19-12
38. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 5 19-11 63
Day 1: 5 19-11
38. Wes Logan Springville, AL 5 19-11 63
Day 1: 5 19-11
40. Derek Hudnall Denham Springs, LA 5 19-10 61
Day 1: 5 19-10
41. Scott Martin Clewiston, FL 5 19-09 60
Day 1: 5 19-09
42. Micah Frazier Newnan, GA 5 19-07 59
Day 1: 5 19-07
42. Dale Hightower Mannford, OK 5 19-07 59
Day 1: 5 19-07
44. Justin Hamner Northport, AL 5 19-06 57
Day 1: 5 19-06
45. Jeff Gustafson Keewatin Ontario CANADA 5 19-03 56
Day 1: 5 19-03
46. Scott Canterbury Odenville, AL 5 19-01 55
Day 1: 5 19-01
47. Hank Cherry Jr Lincolnton, NC 5 18-12 54
Day 1: 5 18-12
48. Clark Wendlandt Leander, TX 5 18-11 53
Day 1: 5 18-11
49. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 5 18-10 52
Day 1: 5 18-10
50. Jamie Hartman Newport, NY 5 18-09 51
Day 1: 5 18-09
51. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 5 18-07 50
Day 1: 5 18-07
52. Drew Cook Cairo, GA 5 18-06 49
Day 1: 5 18-06
53. Bryan Schmitt Deale, MD 5 18-04 48
Day 1: 5 18-04
54. Buddy Gross Chickamauga, GA 5 18-02 47
Day 1: 5 18-02
55. Garrett Paquette Canton, MI 5 17-14 46
Day 1: 5 17-14
56. Chris Groh Spring Grove, IL 5 17-12 45
Day 1: 5 17-12
57. Hunter Shryock Ooltewah, TN 5 17-06 44
Day 1: 5 17-06
58. Jason Christie Park Hill, OK 5 17-02 43
Day 1: 5 17-02
58. Bob Downey Hudson, WI 5 17-02 43
Day 1: 5 17-02
58. Shane LeHew Catawba, NC 5 17-02 43
Day 1: 5 17-02
61. Koby Kreiger Alva, FL 5 17-01 40
Day 1: 5 17-01
62. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 5 16-14 39
Day 1: 5 16-14
63. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 5 16-13 38
Day 1: 5 16-13
64. Ed Loughran III Richmond, VA 5 16-11 37
Day 1: 5 16-11
65. Clent Davis Montevallo, AL 5 16-06 36
Day 1: 5 16-06
65. Destin DeMarion Grove City, PA 5 16-06 36
Day 1: 5 16-06
67. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 4 16-01 34
Day 1: 4 16-01
68. Skylar Hamilton Dandridge, TN 5 15-15 33
Day 1: 5 15-15
68. Kelley Jaye Dadeville, AL 5 15-15 33
Day 1: 5 15-15
70. Robbie Latuso Gonzales, LA 5 15-10 31
Day 1: 5 15-10
71. Ray Hanselman Jr Del Rio, TX 5 15-07 30
Day 1: 5 15-07
72. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 5 15-05 29
Day 1: 5 15-05
73. Taku Ito Chiba JAPAN 5 15-01 28
Day 1: 5 15-01
74. Rick Morris Lake Gaston, VA 5 15-00 27
Day 1: 5 15-00
75. Bill Weidler Helena, AL 5 14-14 26
Day 1: 5 14-14
76. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 5 14-03 25
Day 1: 5 14-03
77. Gregory DiPalma Millville, NJ 5 13-15 24
Day 1: 5 13-15
78. Cody Hollen Beaverton, OR 5 13-11 23
Day 1: 5 13-11
79. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 5 13-06 22
Day 1: 5 13-06
80. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 5 13-05 21
Day 1: 5 13-05
81. Rob Digh Denver, NC 5 13-01 20
Day 1: 5 13-01
82. Randy Sullivan Breckenridge, TX 5 13-00 19
Day 1: 5 13-00
83. Jake Whitaker Fairview, NC 5 12-11 18
Day 1: 5 12-11
84. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 5 12-00 17
Day 1: 5 12-00
85. Randy Pierson Oakdale, CA 5 11-14 16
Day 1: 5 11-14
86. Yusuke Miyazaki Forney, TX 5 11-10 15
Day 1: 5 11-10
87. Shane Lineberger Lincolnton, NC 5 11-07 14
Day 1: 5 11-07
87. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 5 11-07 14
Day 1: 5 11-07
89. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 4 11-04 12
Day 1: 4 11-04
90. Jay Yelas Lincoln City, OR 5 11-02 11
Day 1: 5 11-02
91. Mike Huff Corbin, KY 3 10-10 10
Day 1: 3 10-10
92. Kyle Monti Okeechobee, FL 3 10-08 9
Day 1: 3 10-08
93. Marc Frazier Newnan, GA 5 10-06 8
Day 1: 5 10-06
94. Pat Schlapper Eleva, WI 4 10-06 7
Day 1: 4 10-06
95. Brad Whatley Bivins, TX 3 10-00 6
Day 1: 3 10-00
96. Brett Preuett Monroe, LA 5 09-11 5
Day 1: 5 09-11
97. Gary Clouse Winchester, TN 3 08-08 4
Day 1: 3 08-08
98. Harvey Horne Bella Vista, AR 3 05-10 3
Day 1: 3 05-10
99. David Fritts Lexington, NC 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
Keith Carson leads after Day One of TNPFL with 25 pounds and a 6-13 Lunker.
By Justin Brouillard | Photos Tanner & Travis Lyons
Did day one go exactly as planned for Debary, Florida pro Keith Carson? Not exactly, but it didn’t take long to get back on track as Carson cruised to the day one lead on Texarkana’s Wright Patman Lake with 25-pounds even. Carson caught the day’s biggest bass weighing in at 6-pounds, 13-ounces.
“I got to my first spot this morning and I wasn’t feeling it. The water had dropped since the final day of practice on Tuesday and the bank brush stuff is getting so shallow you can’t flip up to it much. I scrapped my whole practice and ran all new stuff today.”
Carson was seen flipping on Live Coverage late in the morning after most of his work had already been done. Flipping a Berkley Pit Boss in “darker colors” with a ½-ounce weight was key and he was targeting areas where the fish had nowhere to go to with the falling water.
“I am just flipping and moving fast. The fish are spawning and I am working the bait through the cover and into the fish. With the number of snakes and crappies in this place, the fish are aggressive and if you can hit them, they knock slack in the line.”
A 25-pound bag gives Carson a good start to this event but the 30-pound bag he talked about on Live Coverage was oh so close to becoming a reality.
“I lost a 10-pounder and a 6-pounder. I flipped in and the water was super shallow. I watched that big fish eat it and turned her on the hook set. She just didn’t have it good. I also felt some fish that bit and never got it either – I might be able to catch those tomorrow.”
With weather moving in overnight, nobody knows how tomorrow will play out and Carson is looking forward to fishing new water when he gets the chance to go.
“I may go through some of the stuff I found in practice, but I might just run new stuff and look for fresh fish. Guys were in my areas at the end of the day so that’s another big reason I am going to keep moving.”
Nick Prvonozac
In 2nd place on Wright Patman, Nick Prvonozac is looking to make it back-to-back top 5 fishes in the NPFL season. Fresh off a 4th place at Eufaula, the Warren, Ohio pro got to work early this morning and kept it going on his way to a 23-pound limit.
“I caught them pretty good this morning and then went to my second spot and caught another limit. I ran around some more and caught a few more at my other spot.”
Prvonozac, like everyone else, is keying in on specific types of shoreline and bushes and is probing the shallow cover with Yum plastics.
“I may have burned my starting spot because I went back through there and didn’t get bit. I have a bunch of stuff left to fish as I only hit 3 spots today.”
River Lee
With a limit of 22-pounds even, River Lee ended the day in 3rd place on Wright Patman. Riding a slow and steady flipping bite, Lee was able to cull his way to the top 5 despite not capitalizing on some big bites first thing this morning.
“I lost two nice fish that would have given me at or close to 20-pounds earlier this morning but I made a move and caught two others that culled me up to 20 to 21-pounds.
Flipping a Strike King Rage Bug in the bushes, rotating between black/blue and junebug, the Nacogdoches, Texas pro was able to overcome missed opportunities and get back on track later in the day.
“Tomorrow is anyone’s guess with the weather but I will probably run some of the same stuff I fished today and I have several areas I didn’t hit today.”
Marc Schilling
With 21-pounds, 13-ounces, Marc Schilling is looking for his second straight top ten to begin the NPFL Season. The Richardson, Texas pro worked a combination of flipping and moving baits to catch his fish today and a few missed opportunities gives Schilling plenty of optimism for the rest of the event.
“It was a grind, and 30-pounds man, I didn’t believe it, but it’s here. I had them on, but getting them to the boat is hard.”
Schilling struggled for the first couple hours but went to work during a two-hour window and put his weight together in a short period of time. Keying in on specific brush, Schilling opted not to give up information on specifics but is looking forward to the rest of the week.
“I am blessed to have what I had, but I am going for 30-pounds tomorrow.”
Josh Ray
Rounding out the top 5 on Wright Patman, Josh Ray brought a day one weight of 21-pounds, 10-ounces to the scale to end the day in 5th place. The Alexander, Arkansas pro flipped bushes and keyed in on a specific type of bush to catch his weight.
“I was just flipping, nothing special. I found something different and was keyed in on a precise bush.”
Relying on a Big Bite Baits Yo Mama creature bait, Ray worked a small stretch of bank to catch his weight. Having just one bass at 11:30 AM, he relied on that small area to get up over 20-pounds on the day.
“With 20 minutes left, I made a little move to another area and culled up to my bag for today. I have a few more places saved for the rest of the week.”
Rest of the Best
6. Douglas Chapin 21-3
7. Shawn Murphy 20-10
8. Donnie O’Neal 20-10
9. Brandon Perkins 20-0
10. Chad Aaron 19-15
Lester says 25-pounds may only be good enough for 10th place Thursday
Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships
Brandon Lester was saving the waypoints of every 3-pound bass and bigger he put eyes on during the first day of practice on at the Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite on Lake Fork. But by the second day, he realized 3-pounders were so plentifully visibly on spawning beds they may not even be worthy of marking their locations.
“It may be 45-degrees out here this morning, but look, it was even colder yesterday morning, and that didn’t slow down a wave of even more huge females from hitting the bank. This bunch is gonna blast ‘em today!” warned the Team Toyota pro in the predawn of Day 1.
Lester is self-taught and very comfortable with his sight fishing skills, and says the biggest thing he’s learned is that if a bedding bass won’t acknowledge his lure within about 15-minutes, it’s probably time to move along and look for a more aggressive fish. Especially in a tournament like this where so many are visible, and time is money.
“I’m not scared to pick up a spinning reel with a 12-pound leader to coax a shy fish to bite, because on this lake they get so much pressure that’s what it takes sometimes. But if I had my wish of course, I’d rather pitch in there with 20-pound Vicious line and jack on ‘em,” he grins.
Speaking of fishing pressure, it doesn’t just come from the Elite Series field. For three decades now, Lake Fork has simply been one of America’s Top 5 most popular trophy bass fisheries, which translates to thousands of guide fishing trips hunting down these fat shallow water spawners too. Heck, some guide boats even mount small ratchet-strapped step ladders to the front deck to help them see the spawners easier.
“Friday’s stormy weather may slow things down slightly, but there’s a full moon on the way, and sunny weather forecasted this weekend. So yes, it’s fixin’ to get real serious, and I don’t doubt that 25 pounds on Day 1 will only be good enough for around 10th place,” concluded Lester.
Seasonal Delays Could Unleash Pickwick’s Potential During Bassmaster Central Open
Pickwick Lake will host the Basspro.com Bassmaster Central Open April 29-May 1, 2021.
Photo by Dalton Tumblin/B.A.S.S.
April 22, 2021
COUNCE, Tenn. — Spring conditions have slowed Pickwick Lake’s seasonal progression, but Bassmaster Elite Series pro Justin Atkins believes that could bode well for anglers competing in the Basspro.com Bassmaster Central Open.
Competition days will be April 29-May 1 with daily takeoffs from Pickwick Landing State Park at 6 a.m. CT and weigh-ins each day at the park at 2 p.m.
Making his home in Florence, Ala., site of the season’s third Elite event, Atkins has called Pickwick his home waters for the past seven years. Keeping close tabs on this TVA reservoir, Atkins notes that the year started with a temperamental mood.
“We’ve had a really strange (year) with a lot of high water; it’s been cold — it’s still cold,” Atkins said. “I was home last week after the Elite on the Sabine River and it was 40 degrees every morning.”
As Atkins explained, a sustained warming trend could trigger a massive spawning wave and advance bass through their seasonal cycle. Conversely, a cold spell could further delay the party.
“We’re right in the middle of a situation where, if a couple of things happen, one (pattern) is going to take wide open; or, if a couple things happen another way, another deal could be way better. It could change during practice or the first day of the tournament.
“The guy that wins that tournament will be on his toes and keeping up with daily fish movement. There’ll be a lot of ways to catch fish, but the guy that pays attention and stays on a movement of fish and finds that right class of fish will be the one that wins.”
Water level is always an integral element for Tennessee River impoundments and, while recent weeks have seen dramatic fluctuations, the Central Open field will not have to deal with the extreme conditions that plagued the Elite event held mid-March from Florence’s McFarland Park. The flooding and high current that postponed that event’s start by two days created challenging conditions with significant fish repositioning.
“The lake has gotten down, it flooded again since (the Elite event) and now it’s back to normal pool — they (the TVA) suck it in and out pretty quickly,” Atkins said. “After the Elite event, the water got a foot or two deep in the parking lot at McFarland Park. It’s back down now and they’re really not running any current.”
A week prior to the Central Open, Pickwick stood at approximately 413.75 feet, just a few inches shy of normal pool. Average hourly inflows and outflows were around 25,000 to 27,000 cubic feet per second.
All this to say that Pickwick Lake — one of the most productive TVA reservoirs — could be primed for a spring explosion. Habitat diversity — offshore bars, islands, points, bluffs, shallow vegetation, rocks, docks, numerous spawning pockets — will offer plenty of opportunity.
“There should be fish doing a lot of different things,” Atkins said. “It’s actually the perfect time of year to have an Open because you’ll have fish on the bank, you’ll have fish out deep, you’ll have fish up at the (Wilson Dam) tailrace up at the north end and you’ll have fish getting caught all the way down in Tennessee.
“There’ll be a lot going on and that should really spread people out. You may have some shad spawn going on, you’ll have some fish on beds, and the potential for some to be out deep is always a possibility.”
Despite the low current levels, the Wilson Dam tailrace feeding Pickwick will remain a viable option. We won’t see the perilous flows that inundated the islands and bars of the area’s famed Horseshoe, but that doesn’t eliminate the underlying attraction of deep, cool water.
“The tailrace always plays until May,” Atkins said. “Those fish just live up there; they spawn up there, they feed up there. Until the summer months when they go postspawn, those big smallmouth just live up there and guys will figure out how to catch them one way or another.”
So, will there be any standout patterns? Any potential game changers? Certainly possible, but Atkins said it will all come down to meteorological variables.
“Normally, a shad spawn or those deeper fish are playing by this point, but the water isn’t even to that 70-degree mark where you’re going to have that (major) shad spawn,” said Atkins, who plans on fishing the tournament. “That may not even be a player; I really don’t know.
“It’s going to be interesting to see what becomes the dominant deal because it could be any one of the three stages of the spawn, depending on how the weather turns out. Guys will catch them a lot of different ways and it will be really fun.”
Noting the likelihood of largemouth and smallmouth segregating for spawning purposes, Atkins said he expects fewer mixed bags than the Elite tournament saw. That being said, Pickwick holds whoppers of both flavors, so anglers could excel with either.
“To win this three-day tournament, it will take 65 pounds,” Atkins estimates. “To make the Top 10 will take 17 a day. Somebody’s going to have a big bag one day and then back it up with some high teens.
“Now, if there are no fish out deep, and the spawners are hard to catch, and there’s no shad spawn, I could see 53 to 55 win. But if one thing or another goes right — if the spawners are really good or if the shad spawn really takes off or a guy finds a big wad of fish out deep — it could take a really large bag."
The full field will compete the first two days before the boater side is cut to the Top 10 anglers for Championship Saturday. The co-angler champion will be crowned after the Day 2 weigh-in. Coverage of the event will be available at Bassmaster.com.
Matt Arey: Sight fishing is like playing checkers
Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships
Team Toyota pro Matt Arey hasn’t been around as long as the game of checkers, it’s been around 800 years. But Arey has definitely competed in enough bed fishing dominated multi-day pro events to know good outcomes hinge on having tons of beds located, followed by the strategic use of every dang one of them.
“You might win a 1-day tournament around the house by locating a handful of spawning beds, but here at Fork this week, if you want to get out of here with a Top 10, you’re probably going to need dozens waypointed,” emphasizes Arey.
Think about it, first off, everybody and their dog knows the vast majority of Fork’s largemouth are spawning or about to, so that automatically puts nearly every boat near the bank.
Then add the pressure applied by fishing guides and their clients on this immensely popular trophy bass lake, plus a weekend forecast for sunshine and temps in the 70s, and you’ve got the makings of a bed fishing beat down the next four days.
“I don’t want to over-hype this deal, but it’s not unreasonable to say a guy could catch a 15 to 18-pound limit of 3-pound males in one pocket here without ever catching the heavier females,” says Arey. “So, the biggest key is having enough beds located, and choosing which ones to fish at the right time.”
Considerations range from which beds are most obvious, hence having been cast to by other anglers a thousand times, as well as weather, realizing that Friday’s forecasted rain will make sight fishing a lot tougher – so you’d better have a few ‘easy ones’ in your back pocket to target that day.
“Sight fishing is like a game of checkers. Every move you make better be the right one if you expect to win,” concludes Arey.
Johnson Takes Early Lead During Cold B.A.S.S. Nation Regional At Milford Lake
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Caldemeyer weighs-in on Fork’s “SmashFest” potential
Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships
Terms like ‘SmashFest’ and “Big Bass Beatdown” are being used to describe the potential of this week’s Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork.
Drastic changes in Friday’s weather will certainly have a lot to say about the eventual accuracy of those exciting descriptors, but highly respected guide James Caldemeyer says a huge number of bass currently swimming shallow offer the potential for a very memorable week on the legendary Texas reservoir, where water temps should range from 65 to 70 the next few days.
“What makes this week special is there’s never been an Elite Series or Toyota Texas Bass Classic this early in the year,” reflects Caldemeyer. “All those great past events have always been in May, June, and most recently early November, but never right in the heart of the spawning season when such a huge percentage of the bass population is in less than 6-feet of water.”
While folks in places like Pennsylvania and Michigan awoke to a rare April snow on Wednesday, sunrise temps for the final day of practice on Fork were strangely cold too, hovering near 39-degrees before eventually reaching 60 this afternoon.
But even as the major cold front blew-in Tuesday, Caldemeyer proved Fork is still primed for a great week by catching the 7-pounder he’s holding in the photo as winds gusted to 30 mph and whitecaps covered his home waters. That green beast ate a big glide bait, however he expects everything from wacky-rigged Senkos to squarebill crankbaits to get plenty of use the next four days.
“There is no doubt that bed fishing will play a major role this week, but I truly don’t think a guy will be able to bed fish four straight days to win, especially if it’s storming and raining on Friday,” he predicts.
“That’s what makes this tournament exciting in my opinion. It’s not solely a bed fishing tournament, or purely a post-spawn event for offshore experts like it was in past events here. It could be anybody’s ballgame doing a variety of shallow water things this week,” concludes Caldemeyer who has boated more than 100 bass over 10-pounds the last 17 years on Fork.
Austin Set to Host Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour – Berkley Stage Two at Lake Travis Presented by Mercury
Second Event of Season to Showcase 80 Bass Pro Tour Anglers Competing on Lake Travis Over Six Days for a Purse of More than $805,000, Fans Encouraged to Attend for First Time Since March 2020
AUSTIN, Texas (April 21, 2021) – Major League Fishing (MLF), the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, is set to visit Austin next week, April 30-May 5, for the second regular-season tournament of the 2021 Bass Pro Tour season – the Berkley Stage Two at Lake Travis Presented by Mercury. The six-day event, hosted by the Austin Sports Commission , will feature 80 of the best professional anglers in the world – including superstars like Kevin VanDam, Ott DeFoe, Jordan Lee and Jacob Wheeler – competing for a top payout of $100,000 and valuable points in hopes of qualifying for REDCREST 2022, the Bass Pro Tour championship.
As part of the event, fans will also be treated to the Hill Country Hangout at Bass Pro Shops in Round Rock, Texas, on Friday from 4 to 7 p.m., and on Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The free event includes the opportunity to interact with Bass Pro Tour anglers, enjoy activities and special fan-only giveaways provided by MLF sponsors, and learn more about the sport of fishing and other outdoor activities in fishing seminars. All activities are free and open to the public. For more information on the Hill Country Hangout hosted by Bass Pro Shops, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.
“We are thrilled to welcome the Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour and the 80 top anglers in the world to Austin,” said Drew Hays, Director of the Austin Sports Commission. “This event will showcase Austin and Lake Travis as a world class destination for sports and outdoor activities and certainly signals the return of major events to our city.”
For the first time since March of 2020, fans are encouraged to attend all of the happenings surrounding the event. Anglers will take off from the Mansfield Dam Park, located at 4370 Mansfield Dam Park Road in Austin, at 6:30 a.m. CT each morning. Each day’s General Tire Takeout will also be held at the park, beginning at 3:30 p.m. Fans are also encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLF NOW!® live stream and SCORETRACKER® coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
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. The total purse up for grabs at the Berkley Stage Two at Lake Travis Presented by Mercury is more than $805,000.
Although Lake Travis has played host to MLF BIG5 (previously FLW) tournaments over the years, 2021 will mark the first time that the MLF Bass Pro Tour has visited the central Texas reservoir. One angler that has had success there in the past and is excited to get back is pro Bryan Thrift of Shelby, North Carolina, who finished runner-up on Lake Travis when the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit (previously FLW Tour) visited in 2017.
“I’ve only been to Lake Travis twice, and both times were in February, so I expect the fishing to be a little different this time around,” said Thrift, who has career earnings of more than $3.1 million. “I’d imagine that the fish have got to be postspawn by this point, so that’s how I’m going to approach this tournament. It’s a fun fishery, and I’m excited to return and try to get some redemption.”
Thrift said that with water levels down, he is expecting the water clarity to be clear.
“Travis tends to generally be clearer than a lot of lakes we visit, and the water is down 25 to 30 feet since I was last there. They haven’t had not a lot of rain, lately, so I’d imagine we’re going to see a lot of clear-water tactics,” Thrift said. “We’re going to see a lot of finesse fishing, and lots of topwater baits.
“The whole deal with Lake Travis is that it’s got a lot of fish in it, but it’s hard to catch multiple big fish,” Thrift continued. “It has a ton of fish under 2 pounds, and some fish that are 5 (pounds) or more. The key will be figuring out what those bigger than average fish are doing and putting yourself into the best situation to catch the 2+ pounders. I hope it’s a strong topwater bite.”
The Berkley Stage Two at Lake Travis Presented by Mercury will feature anglers competing with a 1-pound, 8-ounce minimum weight requirement. 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 Berkley Stage Two at Lake Travis Presented by Mercury are Jim Neece Jr., Dicky Newberry, Bill McDonald and Miles Burghoff. Those anglers qualified via their finishes in the first Pro Circuit event of the year – the 13 Fishing Stop 1 at Lake Okeechobee.
The 40 Anglers in Group A compete in their two-day qualifying round on Lake Travis 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. In the final day Championship Round, 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 Berkley Stage Two at Lake Travis Presented by Mercury will be showcased across two two-hour episodes, premiering at 7 a.m. ET, Sept. 11 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.
MLF Announces Return of the Wiley X High School Fishing Camp Presented by Tackle Warehouse, MLF Foundation Benefit Tournament
TULSA, Okla. (April. 21, 2021) – Major League Fishing (MLF), the world’s largest tournament organization, announced today the return of the Wiley X High School Fishing Camp Presented by Tackle Warehouse, June 9-11, in Murray, Kentucky. Held on the beautiful Murray State University campus with daily activities on the shores of Kentucky Lake, the Wiley X High School Fishing Camp is the ultimate summer camp for serious high school anglers, boat captains, coaches and parents who are interested in pursuing their students’ next steps in tournament fishing and aim to push their skills to a higher level.
Over the three-day event – hosted by Murray State University – student anglers from across the nation will receive instruction from top MLF professionals and industry executives poised to help students continue to develop their fishing expertise and enhance fishing-career readiness.
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.
Adults will have the option to drop off their students or stay throughout the camp to participate in special panel discussions aimed to identify best practices that give high school anglers and fishing teams the edge they need to thrive in the industry. The camp fee is $300 per student/adult.
The Wiley X High School Fishing Camp begins Wednesday, June 9, and concludes Friday, June 11, followed by an MLF Foundation benefit tournament 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.
Onsite registration and a pretournament meeting will take place June 11 at Murray State University, located at 102 Curris Center in Murray, Ky. The tournament entry fee is $100 per boat, plus an additional $50 per boat for bonus categories with the opportunity to win an extra $500. Each boat may have up to three participants assigned.
MLF Foundation Benefit Tournament Payout:
- Winner = $1,000 + Jackson Kayak
- 2nd Place = $500
- 3rd Place = $250
- Family (at least two anglers related) = $500
- Men’s (all male team) = $500
- Women’s (all female team) $500
- High School (at least one angler in 9th, 10th 11, or 12th grade) = $500
- Big Fish (any species, artificial lures only) = $500
- Registration – April 21 - June 2
- Camp – June 9-11 (Wednesday, Thursday & Friday)
- MLF Foundation Tournament – June 12 (Saturday)
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.
Lake Hartwell Hosts B.A.S.S. Nation Southeast Regional
South Carolina's Lake Hartwell will host the TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Southeast Regional April 28-30, 2021.
Photo by Shane Durrance/B.A.S.S.
April 21, 2021
ANDERSON, S.C. — When the B.A.S.S. Nation state team qualifiers arrive for the 2021 TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Southeast Regional at Lake Hartwell April 28-30, they can expect a lake that will provide several different ways to catch fish, according to Bassmaster Elite Series pro and South Carolina native Jason Williamson.
“Everybody will catch fish,” he said. “It’s a great lake. The potential is there for a 20-pound bag, but it’s really hard to duplicate. You’ll see a pretty big bag or two weighed in and see some consistency around the 12-pound mark. Someone who can stay consistently around a 15- to 16-pound average will have a great shot to win the event.”
Located on the border of Georgia and South Carolina, Lake Hartwell has been the site of many historic Bassmaster events, including three Bassmaster Classics, and was recently named the host fishery for the 2022 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk. Most recently, in March 2021, Carson-Newman University anglers Ben Cully and Hayden Gaddis won the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series at Lake Hartwell presented by Bass Pro Shops with a two-day total of 35 pounds, 10 ounces. In two days, a giant field of 261 teams caught just over 4,536 pounds of bass.
Lake Hartwell is made up of two rivers, the Seneca and the Tugaloo, which meet 7 miles above the Hartwell dam. The lake offers both quality largemouth and spotted bass fishing, and for most of the year, the bass chase blueback herring.
But in April, Williamson said you can expect fish in a couple of different places on Lake Hartwell.
“Normally towards the end of April, you’ll have a few spawners that get around the bank,” he said. “You’ll have some postspawners that are going to sit under docks. You’ll also have some fish that are going to start chasing blueback herring on hard-bottom points. There will be three things going on there.”
Wacky rigs will be a key to catching spawning fish and postspawn fish around the numerous docks on Lake Hartwell, as well as a shaky head and a jig. While they are up around the docks, the bass will feed on bluegill.
For the blueback herring eaters, walking topwater baits and flukes have historically been productive lures, as well as a Carolina rig and a drop shot.
“In April, your flatter points that are in pockets and creeks will start to see some blueback spawning activity and schooling activity,” Williamson said. “Those will be the red-clay points and hard-bottom points.”
The tournament is one of five regional championship events the B.A.S.S. Nation has scheduled around the country this year. Anglers will be competing for cash prizes and a spot in the TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Championship.
The event is being hosted by Visit Anderson.
“We are very excited for the opportunity to host the B.A.S.S. Nation Southeast Regional Championship at Lake Hartwell, Green Pond Landing and Anderson County,” said Neil Paul, Executive Director of Visit Anderson. “Our local leadership has invested significantly in our lake and facilities and our community has seen, firsthand, the significant economic impact that comes with hosting B.A.S.S. events of all levels in Anderson County. We look forward to hosting the anglers, families and spectators in our community as well as the staff from B.A.S.S. for what will be another first-class event. ”
Daily takeoffs for the 2021 TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Southeast Regional Championship will be at 6:30 a.m. ET from Green Pond Landing & Event Center and weigh-ins each day at the same facility at 2:30 p.m. Coverage of the event will be available at Bassmaster.com.
Costa Announces Bass Fishing Contingency Program Costa Compete + Conserve
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Costa Sunglasses is excited to announce Costa Compete + Conserve, a new contingency program for bass anglers who wear Costa sunglasses and compete in select tournament trails. Anglers who compete in a sanctioned tournament and post the highest-place finish will be eligible to receive a cash payout. In addition, Costa will make a corresponding cash donation to one of five program conservation partners on behalf of the angler.
Anglers and Conservation will both benefit from this tournament bonus program.
Registration for the program is FREE. All you have to do is own a pair of Costa Sunglasses to qualify. Upon registration anglers just need to compete in a sanctioned fishing tournament, wear their Costa Sunglasses during competition, and have them visible on the weigh-in stage to be eligible for payouts.
The highest placing registered participant in a Costa Compete + Conserve supported tournament will be awarded a cash bonus, and will choose a pre-approved conservation organization to receive the Costa donation upon verification of eligibility requirements.
“Costas are the best sunglasses in the world and now anglers are going to get paid to fish in them. The payouts are incredible, you don’t have to win to get paid, and on top of all that, this program gives money to organizations that conserve our waterways. It’s a win-win for the whole fishing community,” said longtime Costa titled pro Casey Ashley.
Tournament trails eligible for Compete + Conserve include the Bassmaster Elite Series, Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour, MLF Big5 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit, MLF Big5 Toyota Series, Bassmaster Opens, Bassmaster College Series, MLF Big5 College Series, and the Bass Pro Shops U.S. Open National Bass Fishing Amateur Team Championships.
Conservation Partners for this environmentally friendly contingency program include Friends of Reservoirs, The Bass Fishing Hall of Fame, American Rivers, the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation, and the Johnny Morris Foundation.
“Costa has a longstanding history in the bass fishing community and we wanted to go even further to solidify that commitment to our tournament Bass Anglers. Coupled with the opportunity to give back to numerous conservation efforts, something that is part of our brand DNA, we jumped at the chance to create this program. To be able to support a crowd that has supported us over the years and to make a difference while doing it, creating the Costa Compete + Conserve Contingency program was a no-brainer for us.” said Evan Russell, Costa Pro & Ambassador Manager.
For more information on the official program rules, eligible tournament trails, Conservation Partners, or to get registered with your Costa sunglasses please visit www.costacompeteandconserve.com.
For more information about Costa Sunglasses and its collection of award-winning sunglasses, visit http://www.costadelmar.com.
About Costa Del Mar
As the first manufacturer of color-enhancing all-polarized sunglass lenses, Costa combines superior lens technology with unparalleled fit and durability. Costa has made the highest quality, best performing sunglasses and prescription sunglasses (Rx) for outdoor enthusiasts since 1983, and now its product portfolio includes optical frames. Costa’s growing cult-brand status ties directly to its mission to provide high-quality products with a focus on sustainability and conservation as the company works hard to protect the waters it calls home. From the use of sustainable materials to its Kick Plastic initiative, IndiFly Foundation, and strong partnership with shark research organization OCEARCH, Costa encourages people to help protect the Earth’s natural resources in any way they can. Find out more on Costa’s website and join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter at @CostaSunglasses.
New Baits, Partner Announcement, Hall of Fame & more!!!
This week Chris, Kenneth and David take a few minutes to talk about a few things happening in the Tournament Bass Fishing World and give their thoughts and opinions on tackle shortages. Check it out!
Youth Fishing League Wins U.S. Army High School Fishing at Lake Somerville
TOP 10 RESULTS
| RANK | SCHOOL/CLUB NAME/CITY | ANGLER NAME | BASS | WEIGHT |
| 1st | Youth Fishing League* | Zane Parker Garrett Wilson |
5 | 24-13 |
| 2nd | All Around Anglers | Colton Hill Dylan Kallus |
2 | 15-4 |
| 3rd | CS Anglers | Colby Ash Aiden Service |
1 | 5-14 |
| 4th | Central High School | Jacob Childress Justin Nash |
1 | 4-1 |
| 5th | A&M Cons | Luke Bennett Chase Sodolak |
1 | 2-12 |
2021 UPCOMING QUALIFICATION OPPORTUNITIES
| EVENT | DATE | LOCATION | HOST |
| U.S. Army High School Fishing Presented by Favorite Fishing Lake Guntersville Open Presented by Googan Baits | April 24 | Lake Guntersville, Guntersville, Ala. | Marshall County Convention & Visitors Bureau |
| 2021 U.S. Army High School Fishing National Championship & World Finals | Jun. 30 – Jul. 3 | Lake Hartwell, Anderson, S.C. | Anderson Convention & Visitors Bureau |
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.
Gould Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League on Clarks Hill Lake
| RANK | BOATER NAME/HOMETOWN | BASS | WEIGHT | AWARD |
| 1st | Christopher Gould of Grovetown, Ga. | 5 | 19-6 | $6,000 |
| 2nd | Jason Burroughs of Hodges, S.C. | 5 | 19-3 | $3,500 |
| 3rd | Jayme Rampey of Liberty, S.C. | 5 | 18-10 | $2,000 |
| 4th | Jeremy Strong of Elberton, Ga. | 5 | 18-0 | $1,400 |
| 5th | Stephen A. Gravely of Greenville, S.C. | 5 | 16-10 | $1,900 |
| 6th | Cain Waller of Hartwell, Ga. | 5 | 16-3 | $1,100 |
| 7th | Joe Eubanks of Marietta, Ga. | 5 | 16-1 | $900 |
| 7th | Dearal Rodgers of Camden, S.C. | 5 | 16-1 | $900 |
| 7th | Wesley Sandifer of Chapin, S.C. | 5 | 16-1 | $900 |
| 10th | Bo Price of Seneca, S.C. | 5 | 15-15 | $636 |
| 10th | Brian Tidwell of Seneca, S.C. | 5 | 15-15 | $636 |
| 10th | Derek Schlotterback of Simpsonville, S.C. | 5 | 15-15 | $636 |
| RANK | STRIKE KING CO-ANGLER NAME/HOMETOWN | BASS | WEIGHT | AWARD |
| 1st | Corey Yaden of Grovetown, Ga. | 5 | 14-4 | $3,000 |
| 2nd | David Few of Lake Wylie, S.C. | 5 | 13-14 | $1,500 |
| 3rd | John Hagins of Roswell, Ga. | 5 | 13-7 | $1,000 |
| 4th | Paul Casey of Evans, Ga. | 5 | 12-14 | $700 |
| 5th | Colby Martin of Edgefield, S.C. | 5 | 11-15 | $600 |
| 6th | Jacob Turner of Donalds, S.C. | 5 | 11-12 | $550 |
| 7th | Chuck Bond of Laurens, S.C. | 5 | 11-6 | $475 |
| 7th | Jordan Cobb of Townville, S.C. | 5 | 11-6 | $475 |
| 9th | Cory Guinn of Mountain Rest, S.C. | 5 | 11-0 | $400 |
| 10th | Damion Northern of Grovetown, Ga. | 5 | 10-13 | $350 |
| AWARD | NAME | CONTINGENCY | PAYOUT |
| Boater Big Bass | Justin Hadden of Leesville, S.C. | 7-pound, 2-ounce bass | $1,000 |
| Strike King Co-Angler Berkley Big Bass | Brandon Hendrix of Anderson, S.C. | 5-pound, 8-ounce bass | $500 |
| Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus | Jason Burroughs of Hodges, S.C. | Eligible Phoenix Boat* | $500 |
| ANGLER | BAIT | COLOR |
| Boater | Did Not Divulge | N/A |
| Strike King Co-Angler | Did Not Divulge | N/A |
| EVENT | DATE | LOCATION | HOST |
| Savannah River Division – Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championship | Oct. 14-16 | Lake Murray, Columbia, S.C. | Capital City Lake Murray Country Regional Tourism Board |
| 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.
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.
Watson Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League on Table Rock Lake
Treiber Wins Strike King Co-Angler Division
TOP 10 RESULTS
| RANK | BOATER NAME/HOMETOWN | BASS | WEIGHT | AWARD |
| 1st | James Watson of Lampe, Mo. | 5 | 20-3 | $7,000 |
| 2nd | Wesley Rogers of Thayer, Mo. | 5 | 19-0 | $3,000 |
| 3rd | Cody Ellison of Fordland, Mo. | 5 | 18-2 | $2,000 |
| 4th | Casey Martin of Brownsboro, Ala. | 5 | 16-7 | $1,400 |
| 5th | Aaron Martin of Wildwood, Mo. | 5 | 15-14 | $1,150 |
| 5th | Connor Cunningham of Springfield, Mo. | 5 | 15-14 | $1,650 |
| 7th | Josh Busby of Rogersville, Mo. | 5 | 15-1 | $1,000 |
| 8th | Christopher Smith of North Branch, Minn. | 5 | 15-0 | $1,100 |
| 9th | Clint Williams of Fayetteville, Ark. | 5 | 14-14 | $800 |
| 10th | Chris Macy of Diamond, Mo. | 5 | 14-13 | $1,700 |
| RANK | STRIKE KING CO-ANGLER NAME/HOMETOWN | BASS | WEIGHT | AWARD |
| 1st | Steve Treiber of Eureka, Mo. | 5 | 14-14 | $3,000 |
| 2nd | Zach Ritter of Holts Summit, Mo. | 5 | 14-1 | $1,500 |
| 3rd | BJ Davis of Mountain Home, Ark. | 5 | 13-12 | $1,000 |
| 4th | Kelby Humble of Marshfield, Mo. | 5 | 12-10 | $700 |
| 5th | Dennis Spell of Bonne Terre, Mo. | 5 | 12-1 | $600 |
| 6th | Sam Cox of Imperial, Mo. | 5 | 11-11 | $550 |
| 7th | Brock Krohne of Belton, Mo. | 5 | 11-8 | $500 |
| 8th | Kevin Dickey of Harrison, Ark. | 4 | 11-5 | $450 |
| 9th | Joe Dietz of O’Fallon, Mo. | 4 | 11-1 | $375 |
| 9th | Rick McGuire of Monroe City, Mo. | 5 | 11-1 | $375 |
CONTINGENCY AWARDS
| AWARD | NAME | CONTINGENCY | PAYOUT |
| Boater Big Bass | Chris Macy of Diamond, Mo. | 6-pound, 4-ounce bass | $1,000 |
| Strike King Co-Angler Berkley Big Bass | Izac Sumpter of Cuba, Mo. | 5-pound, 4-ounce bass | $500 |
| Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus | Connor Cunningham of Springfield, Mo. | Eligible Phoenix Boat* | $500 |
WINNING BAITS
| ANGLER | BAIT | COLOR |
| Boater |
|
Did Not Disclose |
| Strike King Co-Angler | Shaky Head | Green Pumpkin |
2021 QUALIFICATION OPPORTUNITIES
| EVENT | DATE | LOCATION | HOST |
| Ozark 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.
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.
B.A.S.S. Nation Championship Returns To Louisiana’s Ouachita River
Louisiana's Ouachita River will host the TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Championship Nov. 3-5, 2021.
Photo by B.A.S.S.
April 20, 2021
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Grass-roots anglers from around the country will take to the waters of the Ouachita River in Monroe, La., to compete for one of three berths into the 2022 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk during the TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Championship Nov. 3-5, 2021.
“B.A.S.S. has had such great experiences in Monroe that we’re extremely excited to return,” said Jon Stewart, B.A.S.S. Nation director. “This will be our fourth championship on the river, and the competition, as in years past, should be incredible.”
The 605-mile Ouachita River last hosted the B.A.S.S. Nation Championship in 2015, when Texas angler Albert Collins claimed the coveted Bryan V. Kerchal Memorial Trophy. In 2014, just months after weighing the heaviest bag in Bassmaster Classic history, Paul Mueller reeled in the B.A.S.S. Nation Championship and earned an Elite Series berth on Ouachita. Mueller has earned two Elite Series victories.
Anglers from across the country qualify via regional championship tournaments held on Lake Havasu, Ariz., Milford Lake, Kan., Lake Hartwell, S.C., — site of the 2022 Bassmaster Classic — Lake Erie/Presque Isle Bay, Pa., and the Upper Mississippi River, Wis. The Paralyzed Veterans of American Tour will also send its Angler of the Year winner to compete.
“Discover Monroe-West Monroe looks forward to welcoming all the B.A.S.S. Nation anglers to Louisiana and letting them see our Southern hospitality firsthand,” said Scott Bruscato, Senior Vice President of Sales for the Monroe-West Monroe Convention and Visitors Bureau. “It is our privilege and honor to host this great event on the Ouachita River, and we look to providing a terrific atmosphere at the tournament site.”
The Top 3 anglers from the overall championship standings will not only earn a berth to the 2022 Bassmaster Classic, the B.A.S.S. Nation champion will earn the title of “Nation’s Best,” which includes an Elite Series berth and the use of a fully-rigged Nation’s Best tournament boat for a year. The second- and third-place finishers and nonboater champion will each earn paid Basspro.com Bassmaster Opens entry fees for all divisions.
Texas A&M Wins Abu Garcia College Fishing Tournament on Lake Somerville
| RANK | COLLEGE NAME | ANGLER NAME/HOMETOWN | BASS | WEIGHT | AWARD |
| 1st | Texas A&M | Garret Bean of College Station, Texas Aaron Hawkins of Cypress, Texas |
5 | 28-0 | $2,000 |
| 2nd | East Texas Baptist University | Cody Ross of Livingston, Texas Ethan Thurston of Kaufman, Texas |
5 | 25-2 | $1,000 |
| 3rd | Texas Tech University | Brooks Lundgren of Midland, Texas Ryan Stimmel of Seminole, Texas |
5 | 19-14 | $500 |
| 4th | Stephen F. Austin | River Lee of Nacogdoches, Texas Hunter Muncrief of Pineland, Texas |
3 | 17-0 | $500 |
| 5th | Baylor University | Jude Bugenhagen of The Woodlands, Texas Parker Greer of Waco, Texas |
4 | 16-15 | $500 |
| 6th | Texas A&M – Galveston | Trey Dawson of Montgomery, Texas Derek Pietsch of Montgomery, Texas |
5 | 16-10 | |
| 7th | East Texas Baptist University | Cannon Bird of Marshall, Texas Jacob Keith of Jefferson, Texas |
5 | 16-8 | |
| 8th | Texas A&M – Commerce | Dawson Cassidy of Gainesville, Texas Augustus McLarry of Quinlan, Texas |
5 | 16-4 | |
| 9th | Schreiner University | Colby Calongne of Cypress, Texas Taylor Strange of Whitehouse, Texas |
5 | 15-1 | |
| 10th | Texas A&M | Broxson Daigle of Katy, Texas Gabe Talley of Conroe, Texas |
4 | 13-11 |
Complete results for the entire field can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
2021/2022 QUALIFICATION OPPORTUNITIES
| EVENT | DATE | LOCATION | HOST |
| Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI | April 23 | Lake Guntersville, Guntersville, Ala. | Marshall County Convention and Visitors Bureau |
| Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI National Championship presented by Lowrance | TBA - 2022 | TBA | TBA |
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. The top ten teams from each division’s three regular-season tournaments and the top 20 teams from the annual Abu Garcia College Fishing Open advance to the following year’s Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI National Championship.
Rogers Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League on Table Rock Lake
| RANK | BOATER NAME/HOMETOWN | BASS | WEIGHT | AWARD |
| 1st | Wesley Rogers of Thayer, Mo. | 5 | 19-12 | $7,000 |
| 2nd | Aaron Stanphill of Bella Vista, Ark. | 5 | 18-8 | $3,500 |
| 3rd | James Watson of Lampe, Mo. | 5 | 18-7 | $2,000 |
| 4th | Cole Findley of Forsythe, Mo. | 5 | 18-2 | $1,400 |
| 5th | Marcus Sykora of Osage Beach, Mo. | 5 | 17-6 | $1,150 |
| 5th | Drew Tabor of Harrison, Ark. | 5 | 17-6 | $1,150 |
| 7th | Clint Williams of Fayetteville, Ark. | 5 | 17-4 | $2,000 |
| 8th | Dakota Millican of Highlandville, Mo. | 5 | 17-3 | $900 |
| 9th | Dustin Lippe of Lampe, Mo. | 5 | 17-2 | $800 |
| 10th | Shawn Kowal of Linn Creek, Mo. | 5 | 17-0 | $700 |
| RANK | STRIKE KING CO-ANGLER NAME/HOMETOWN | BASS | WEIGHT | AWARD |
| 1st | Caleb Arterberry of Republic, Mo. | 5 | 16-5 | $3,000 |
| 2nd | Clay Henderson of Purdy, Mo. | 5 | 15-1 | $1,500 |
| 3rd | Jon Cordray of House Springs, Mo. | 5 | 14-1 | $1,000 |
| 4th | Scott Suver of South Greenfield, Mo. | 5 | 13-15 | $825 |
| 5th | Ronin Picker of Moscow Mills, Mo. | 5 | 13-11 | $600 |
| 6th | Russell Taylor of Springdale, Ark. | 5 | 13-2 | $550 |
| 7th | BJ Davis of Mountain Home, Ark. | 5 | 12-15 | $475 |
| 7th | Kory Ries of Union, Mo. | 4 | 12-15 | $475 |
| 9th | James Waggoner of Richmond, Mo. | 5 | 12-14 | $375 |
| 9th | Mark Shields of Springfield, Mo. | 5 | 12-14 | $375 |
| AWARD | NAME | CONTINGENCY | PAYOUT |
| Boater Big Bass | Clint Williams of Fayetteville, Ark. | 5-pound, 14-ounce bass | $1,000 |
| Strike King Co-Angler Berkley Big Bass | Joseph Lurkins of Jefferson City, Mo. | 5-pound, 5-ounce bass | $500 |
| Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus | Aaron Stanphill of Bella Vista, Ark. | Eligible Phoenix Boat* | $500 |
| ANGLER | BAIT | COLOR |
| Boater | Did Not Divulge | N/A |
| Strike King Co-Angler | Did Not Divulge | N/A |
| EVENT | DATE | LOCATION | HOST |
| Ozark 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.
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.
Brown Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League on Mississippi River in LaCrosse
Pierschalla Wins Strike King Co-Angler Division
| RANK | BOATER NAME/HOMETOWN | BASS | WEIGHT | AWARD |
| 1st | Aidan Brown of Onalaska, Wisc. | 5 | 18-1 | $4,915 |
| 2nd | Mike Brueggen of La Crosse, Wisc. | 5 | 17-6 | $2,049 |
| 2nd | Devin Teigen of Nelson, Wisc. | 5 | 17-6 | $2,549 |
| 4th | Nick Trim of Galesville, Wisc. | 5 | 17-0 | $1,147 |
| 5th | Ben Potaracke of La Crosse, Wisc. | 5 | 16-3 | $983 |
| 6th | Cade Laufenberg of La Crosse, Wisc. | 5 | 16-2 | $901 |
| 7th | Chia Vang of Holmen, Wisc. | 5 | 15-15 | $819 |
| 8th | Dustin Bliss of Brooklyn Park, Minn. | 5 | 15-13 | $737 |
| 9th | Brandon Gann of Sparta, Wisc. | 5 | 15-6 | $655 |
| 10th | Joe Pollak of Lake Geneva, Wisc. | 5 | 14-14 | $544 |
| 10th | Kory Krienke of Annandale, Minn. | 5 | 14-14 | $544 |
| RANK | STRIKE KING CO-ANGLER NAME/HOMETOWN | BASS | WEIGHT | AWARD |
| 1st | Alan Pierschalla of Slinger, Wisc. | 5 | 15-3 | $2,458 |
| 2nd | Thomas Clearman of De Soto, Wisc. | 5 | 14-3 | $1,229 |
| 3rd | Ron Mairet of Columbus Junction, Iowa | 5 | 12-12 | $817 |
| 4th | Ryan Coon of LeClaire, Iowa | 5 | 11-5 | $532 |
| 4th | Nicole Jacobs Stelmach of Saint Paul, Minn. | 4 | 11-5 | $532 |
| 6th | Alan Bernicky of Joliet, Ill. | 4 | 10-7 | $901 |
| 7th | Mike Marr of Oxford, Wisc. | 4 | 9-5 | $410 |
| 8th | Thad Vettrus of Chippewa Falls, Wisc. | 3 | 9-4 | $369 |
| 9th | Cody Rothstein of Rogers, Minn. | 4 | 9-1 | $328 |
| 10th | Kalvin Korotka of Manawa, Wisc. | 4 | 8-14 | $287 |
| AWARD | NAME | CONTINGENCY | PAYOUT |
| Boater Big Bass | Troy Anderson of Galesville, Wisc. | 5-pound, 2-ounce bass | $750 |
| Strike King Co-Angler Berkley Big Bass | Eric Breitkreutz of Sheboygan, Wisc. | 5-pound, 6-ounce bass | $375 |
| Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus | Devin Teigen of Nelson, Wisc. | Eligible Phoenix Boat* | $500 |
| ANGLER | BAIT | COLOR |
| Boater | Unspecified Ned Rig | Black/Blue |
| Strike King Co-Angler | Berkley Powerbait Maxscent The General Worm | Green Pumpkin |
| EVENT | DATE | LOCATION | HOST |
| Great Lakes 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.
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.
Ison Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League on Rough River Lake
| RANK | BOATER NAME/HOMETOWN | BASS | WEIGHT | AWARD |
| 1st | Richard Ison of New Washington, Ind. | 5 | 13-4 | $7,330 |
| 2nd | Chris Martinkovic of Hamilton, Ohio | 5 | 12-5 | $2,615 |
| 3rd | Bryan Jenkins of Indianapolis, Ind. | 5 | 12-1 | $1,609 |
| 4th | Eric Hardesty of Nineveh, Ind. | 5 | 11-4 | $1,127 |
| 5th | Terry McWilliams of Greenfield, Ind. | 5 | 11-3 | $966 |
| 6th | Charlie Land of Coatesville, Ind. | 5 | 11-1 | $885 |
| 7th | Clint Bissonett of Beaver Creek, Ohio | 5 | 10-12 | $805 |
| 8th | Brody Campbell of Oxford, Ohio | 5 | 10-8 | $724 |
| 9th | Nathan Harrison of Reynolds Station, Ky. | 5 | 10-5 | $644 |
| 10th | Caleb Carnes of Harned, Ky. | 5 | 10-3 | $563 |
| RANK | STRIKE KING CO-ANGLER NAME/HOMETOWN | BASS | WEIGHT | AWARD |
| 1st | Jeffery Johnson of Austin, Ind. | 5 | 10-5 | $2,560 |
| 2nd | Hunter Bowden of Terre Haute, Ind. | 3 | 8-6 | $1,652 |
| 3rd | Tom Harber of Kokomo, Ind. | 4 | 8-2 | $787 |
| 4th | John Albertson of Bloomington, Ind. | 5 | 7-7 | $551 |
| 5th | David Rector of Brazil, Ind. | 5 | 7-3 | $472 |
| 6th | Devon Welter of Connersville, Ind. | 4 | 6-11 | $433 |
| 7th | Josh Ford of Camden, Ohio | 4 | 6-2 | $373 |
| 7th | Luke Robinson of Hardinsburg, Ky. | 5 | 6-2 | $373 |
| 9th | Brian Liming of Dillsboro, Ind. | 5 | 6-1 | $315 |
| 10th | Steven Sanders of Orleans, Ind. | 3 | 6-0 | $275 |
| AWARD | NAME | CONTINGENCY | PAYOUT |
| Boater Big Bass | Justin Henderson of Bargersville, Ind. | 4-pound, 15-ounce bass | $720 |
| Strike King Co-Angler Berkley Big Bass | Hunter Bowden of Terra Haute, Ind. | 4-pound, 4-ounce bass | $347 |
| Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus | Richard Ison of New Washington, Ind. | Eligible Phoenix Boat* | $2,500 |
| ANGLER | BAIT | COLOR |
| Boater | Berkley PowerBait | Did Not Divulge |
| Strike King Co-Angler | Secret Lures Stupid Tube | Did Not Divulge |
| EVENT | DATE | LOCATION | HOST |
| Hoosier 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.
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.
Galloway Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League on Grenada Lake
Tisdale Wins Strike King Co-Angler Division
TOP 10 RESULTS
| RANK | BOATER NAME/HOMETOWN | BASS | WEIGHT | AWARD |
| 1st | Grant Galloway of Houlka, Miss. | 5 | 15-15 | $4,426 |
| 2nd | Billy Doyle of Somerville, Tenn. | 5 | 14-14 | $1,713 |
| 3rd | Justin McKee of Pheba, Miss. | 5 | 13-3 | $1,141 |
| 4th | Connor Martin of Oakland, Tenn. | 5 | 13-1 | $799 |
| 5th | Andy Graves of Clarksdale, Miss. | 5 | 12-7 | $685 |
| 6th | Mark Clark of Crawford, Miss. | 5 | 12-5 | $628 |
| 7th | Jim Phillips of Greenwood, Miss. | 5 | 12-1 | $571 |
| 8th | Steve Ruth of Columbus, Miss. | 4 | 10-1 | $514 |
| 9th | Kirk Tisdale of Ellisville, Miss. | 5 | 9-1 | $457 |
| 10th | Clint Pegg of Caledonia, Miss. | 5 | 8-14 | $380 |
| 10th | Logan Main of Lumberton, Miss. | 5 | 8-14 | $380 |
| RANK | STRIKE KING CO-ANGLER NAME/HOMETOWN | BASS | WEIGHT | AWARD |
| 1st | Jimmy Tisdale of Ellisville, Miss. | 5 | 13-12 | $1,713 |
| 2nd | Chaz Douglas of Wesson, Miss. | 3 | 12-14 | $1,071 |
| 3rd | Jason Mitchell of Hamilton, Miss. | 5 | 8-13 | $571 |
| 4th | Mitchell Bond of Collins, Miss. | 4 | 8-9 | $400 |
| 5th | Blake Jeffreys of Booneville, Miss. | 4 | 8-8 | $343 |
| 6th | Billy Carpenter of Mason, Tenn. | 5 | 7-10 | $314 |
| 7th | Chris Mitchell of Millport, Ala. | 2 | 6-10 | $285 |
| 8th | Colin Fogerty of Memphis, Tenn. | 3 | 6-6 | $257 |
| 9th | Eric Melton of Flowood, Miss. | 2 | 5-15 | $202 |
| 9th | Ryan LeCompte of Picayune, Miss. | 3 | 5-15 | $202 |
| 9th | Matthew Cooper of Brooksville, Miss. | 2 | 5-15 | $202 |
CONTINGENCY AWARDS
| AWARD | NAME | CONTINGENCY | PAYOUT |
| Boater Big Bass | Dathan Lambeth of Hamilton, Miss. | 5-pound, 1-ounce bass | $430 |
| Strike King Co-Angler Berkley Big Bass | Chaz Douglas of Wesson, Miss. | 5-pound, 15-ounce bass | $215 |
| Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus | George Christian of Indianola, Miss. | Eligible Phoenix Boat* | $500 |
WINNING BAITS
| ANGLER | BAIT | COLOR |
| Boater |
|
Did Not Divulge |
| Strike King Co-Angler |
|
Chartreuse/White |
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.
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.
Mathias Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League at Chesapeake Bay
Mellott Wins Strike King Co-Angler Division
TOP 10 RESULTS
| RANK | BOATER NAME/HOMETOWN | BASS | WEIGHT | AWARD |
| 1st | Jeremy Mathias of Monrovia, Md. | 5 | 20-3 | $4,938 |
| 2nd | Joe A. Zombek, II of Scranton, Pa. | 5 | 19-12 | $3,214 |
| 3rd | Trent Cole of Sewell, N.J. | 5 | 19-8 | $1,646 |
| 4th | Michael Duarte of Baltimore, Md. | 5 | 18-0 | $1,152 |
| 5th | Adam Janerella of Jersey Shore, Pa. | 5 | 17-13 | $1,488 |
| 6th | Joe Booker of Elkton, Md. | 5 | 17-5 | $905 |
| 7th | Ernie Freeman of Broad Run, Va. | 5 | 15-11 | $1,323 |
| 8th | Randy Caruso of Liberty, N.Y. | 5 | 15-8 | $741 |
| 9th | Joe Morgan of Newfield, N.J. | 5 | 14-11 | $617 |
| 9th | Teimuraz (Tom) Balachvili of Scarsdale, N.Y. | 5 | 14-11 | $617 |
| RANK | STRIKE KING CO-ANGLER NAME/HOMETOWN | BASS | WEIGHT | AWARD |
| 1st | Jeff Mellott of Warfordsburg, Pa. | 5 | 17-5 | $2,469 |
| 2nd | Tom Rufenacht of Bel Air, Md. | 4 | 16-10 | $1,235 |
| 3rd | David Paszkiewicz of Kearny, N.J. | 5 | 16-4 | $823 |
| 4th | Roberto Laboy of Geigertown, Pa. | 5 | 15-11 | $576 |
| 5th | Tim Nichols of Pittsgrove, N.J. | 5 | 13-3 | $494 |
| 6th | Jacob Zimmerman of Warrenton, Va. | 4 | 12-3 | $453 |
| 7th | Brandon Humbertson of Walkersville, Md. | 4 | 11-13 | $412 |
| 8th | Chris Slater of Dorchester, Mass. | 3 | 11-9 | $370 |
| 9th | Ryan Fronina of Mohrsville, Pa. | 3 | 9-7 | $329 |
| 10th | Jerome Louie of Bear, Del. | 3 | 9-5 | $288 |
CONTINGENCY AWARDS
| AWARD | NAME | CONTINGENCY | PAYOUT |
| Boater Big Bass | Joe A. Zombek, II, Scranton, Pa. | 6-pound, 11-ounce bass | $745 |
| Strike King Co-Angler Berkley Big Bass | John Redmond, North Potomac, Md. | 5-pound, 11-ounce bass | $372 |
| Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus | Ernie Freeman of Broad Run, Va. | Eligible Phoenix Boat* | $500 |
WINNING BAITS
| ANGLER | BAIT | COLOR |
| Boater | Strike King KVD 2.5 Hard Knock Squarebill Crankbait | Tennessee Shad |
| Strike King Co-Angler | Z-Man Evergreen Chatterbait Jack Hammer | Green Pumpkin |
2021 QUALIFICATION OPPORTUNITIES
| EVENT | DATE | LOCATION | HOST |
| Northeast Division – Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championship | Oct. 14-16 | Potomac River, Marbury, Md. | Charles County Board of Commissioners |
| 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.
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.
5
15-8
$741
9th
Joe Morgan of Newfield, N.J.
5
14-11
$617
9th
Teimuraz (Tom) Balachvili of Scarsdale, N.Y.
5
14-11
$617
RANK
STRIKE KING CO-ANGLER NAME/HOMETOWN
BASS
WEIGHT
AWARD
1st
Jeff Mellott of Warfordsburg, Pa.
5
17-5
$2,469
2nd
Tom Rufenacht of Bel Air, Md.
4
16-10
$1,235
3rd
David Paszkiewicz of Kearny, N.J.
5
16-4
$823
4th
Roberto Laboy of Geigertown, Pa.
5
15-11
$576
5th
Tim Nichols of Pittsgrove, N.J.
5
13-3
$494
6th
Jacob Zimmerman of Warrenton, Va.
4
12-3
$453
7th
Brandon Humbertson of Walkersville, Md.
4
11-13
$412
8th
Chris Slater of Dorchester, Mass.
3
11-9
$370
9th
Ryan Fronina of Mohrsville, Pa.
3
9-7
$329
10th
Jerome Louie of Bear, Del.
3
9-5
$288
CONTINGENCY AWARDS
AWARD
NAME
CONTINGENCY
PAYOUT
Boater Big Bass
Joe A. Zombek, II, Scranton, Pa.
6-pound, 11-ounce bass
$745
Strike King Co-Angler Berkley Big Bass
John Redmond, North Potomac, Md.
5-pound, 11-ounce bass
$372
Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus
Ernie Freeman of Broad Run, Va.
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 KVD 2.5 Hard Knock Squarebill Crankbait
Tennessee Shad
Strike King Co-Angler
Z-Man Evergreen Chatterbait Jack Hammer
Green Pumpkin
2021 QUALIFICATION OPPORTUNITIES
EVENT
DATE
LOCATION
HOST
Northeast Division – Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championship
Oct. 14-16
Potomac River, Marbury, Md.
Charles County Board of Commissioners
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.
Bass Champs - Double Header Weekend on Amistad Results, Tim Flowers & Brian Ankrum win South Region AOY
Logan & Jerry McDonald
| Place | Boat | Truck | Angler 1 | Angler 2 | Fish | Big Bass | Wt. | Prize Amt. | |
| 1 | LOGAN MCDONALD CARLSBAD , TX |
JERRY MCDONALD COLEMAN , TX |
5 | 8.03 | 18.48 |
|
|||
| 2 | |
RANDALL EDWARDS MIDLAND , TX |
CORY WHISMAN MIDLAND , TX |
5 | 8.19 | 18.16 |
|
||
| 3 | MIKE REID ANDREWS , TX |
MICHAEL REID ANDREWS , TX |
5 | 6.38 | 17.78 |
|
|||
| 4 | |
MIKE PERKINS DALLAS , TX |
STAN GERZENYI DEL RIO , TX |
5 | 7.62 | 17.17 |
|
||
| 5 | BILL GUZMAN AUSTIN , TX |
5 | 7.50 | 16.72 |
|
||||
| 6 | ERIC CAVANAGH DEL RIO , TX |
RIDGY GRAHAM DEL RIO , TX |
5 | 0 | 16.14 |
|
|||
| 7 | |
JOHN CASPARIS DEL RIO , TX |
WELDON MCGUIRE ODESSA , TX |
5 | 7.75 | 15.85 |
|
||
| 8 | |
CHAD BLACK CANYON LAKE , TX |
CHUCK BLACK LOGAN , NM |
5 | 0 | 15.59 |
|
||
| 9 | JIMMY SHELTON GRANBURY , TX |
CHARLES WHITED SAN MARCOS , TX |
5 | 0 | 15.09 |
|
|||
| 10 | KYLE CAMPBELL MIDLAND , TX |
BEN DONAHUE HOBBS , NM |
5 | 6.99 | 14.93 |
|
|||
| 11 | STEVIE RAY RODRIGUEZ DEL RIO , TX |
RAY RODRIGUEZ DEL RIO , TX |
5 | 0 | 14.87 |
|
|||
| 12 | RICHARD DRAKE FAIR OAKS RANCH , TX |
CHRISTOPHER EYHORN SAN ANTONIO , TX |
5 | 0 | 14.82 |
|
|||
| 13 | CULLEN CARRUTH ANDREWS , TX |
CHISHOLM CARRUTH ODESSA , TX |
5 | 0 | 14.68 |
|
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| 14 | WILLIAM BLAINE SAN ANGELO , TX |
ROSS JEWELL SAN ANGELO , TX |
5 | 0 | 14.62 |
|
|||
| 15 | ZANE WASHBURN GATESVILLE , TX |
ERIC WASHBURN GATESVILLE , TX |
5 | 0 | 14.58 |
|
|||
| 16 | |
BJ CAROTHERS GATESVILLE , TX |
THOMAS WELLS JR TEMPLE , TX |
5 | 0 | 14.51 |
|
||
| 17 | |
RYAN CRAWFORD GATESVILLE , TX |
TULLY WILLIAMS GATESVILLE , TX |
5 | 0 | 14.50 |
|
||
| 18 | |
DEAN ALEXANDER CEDAR PARK , TX |
ADRIAN SANCHEZ GEORGETOWN , TX |
5 | 0 | 14.28 |
|
||
| 19 | |
JAKE SALVAGNO BEEVILLE , TX |
RODNEY MARBACH SPRING BRANCH , TX |
5 | 0 | 14.19 |
|
Charlie Forster & Mike Bingham
| Place | Boat | Truck | Angler 1 | Angler 2 | Fish | Big Bass | Wt. | Prize Amt. | |
| 1 | |
CHARLIE FORSTER CENTER POINT , TX |
MIKE BINGHAM KERRVILLE , TX |
5 | 7.79 | 21.12 |
|
||
| 2 | |
WAYNE JACKSON RIO FRIO , TX |
JASON SCHNEEMANN D'HANIS , TX |
5 | 8.98 | 20.12 |
|
||
| 3 | |
FORREST WILSON SPRING BRANCH , TX |
DERICK KUYRKENDALL BERGHEIM , TX |
5 | 0 | 19.64 |
|
||
| 4 | |
RYAN CRAWFORD GATESVILLE , TX |
TULLY WILLIAMS GATESVILLE , TX |
5 | 0 | 19.34 |
|
||
| 5 | BRITTEN GAMBREL DEL RIO , TX |
RUSSEL GAMBREL DEL RIO , TX |
5 | 0 | 19.25 |
|
|||
| 6 | |
TIM FLOWERS MIDLAND , TX |
BRIAN ANKRUM HONDO , TX |
5 | 0 | 18.03 |
|
||
| 7 | |
BJ CAROTHERS GATESVILLE , TX |
THOMAS WELLS JR TEMPLE , TX |
5 | 0 | 16.78 |
|
||
| 8 | BOBBY BURKEEN CARLSBAD , NM |
BRANDON BURKEEN CARLSBAD , NM |
5 | 8.37 | 16.65 |
|
|||
| 9 | RICHARD DRAKE FAIR OAKS RANCH , TX |
CHRISTOPHER EYHORN SAN ANTONIO , TX |
5 | 0 | 16.35 |
|
|||
| 10 | LOGAN MCDONALD CARLSBAD , TX |
JERRY MCDONALD COLEMAN , TX |
5 | 0 | 15.97 |
|
|||
| 11 | |
TIM BLANCHETTE BLESSING , TX |
TOMMIE COLLIER VICTORIA , TX |
5 | 0 | 15.91 |
|
||
| 12 | |
KENNETH FAIRLY LOCKHART , TX |
RUSTY REEDY SPRING BRANCH , TX |
5 | 7.33 | 15.87 |
|
||
| 13 | |
JAKE SALVAGNO BEEVILLE , TX |
RODNEY MARBACH SPRING BRANCH , TX |
5 | 0 | 15.30 |
|
||
| 14 | |
CRAIG CRIM VICTORIA , TX |
DANIEL RODRIGUEZ NEW BRAUNFELS , TX |
5 | 8.06 | 15.11 |
|
||
| 15 | MIKE REID ANDREWS , TX |
MICHAEL REID ANDREWS , TX |
5 | 0 | 15.01 |
|
|||
| 16 | |
THOMAS DAVILA MIDLAND , TX |
ROGER MONTEJANO DEL RIO , TX |
5 | 0 | 14.83 |
|
||
| 17 | RYAN WATKINS ROCKPORT , TX |
BRENDON KENNELL BOERNE , TX |
5 | 0 | 14.64 |
|
|||
| 17 | ROLAND HERNANDEZ DEL RIO , TX |
HECTOR RUBIO DEL RIO , TX |
5 | 0 | 14.64 |
|
|||
| 19 | ZANE WASHBURN GATESVILLE , TX |
ERIC WASHBURN GATESVILLE , TX |
5 | 0 | 14.63 |
BASS' Trip Weldon and Gene Gilliland inducted into 2021 Bass Fishing Hall of Fame
NOTED CONSERVATIONIST, ‘MODERN ERA’ JOURNALIST, ‘SET THE STANDARD’ TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR
INDUCTED IN BFHOF 2021 CLASS
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – For Immediate Release – 4.19.21 - As part of its mission to celebrate those who have made major contributions to the sport, the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame Board of Directors has announced the induction class of 2021, which includes three deserving individuals – Gene Gilliland, Jason Lucas and Trip Weldon. The trio will be honored on Thursday, September 30 at Johnny Morris’ Wonders of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium at a special reception within the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame venue, followed by the Hall’s annual dinner and induction activities.
“On behalf of our entire Board, we’re thrilled that we’ll be able to honor Gene Gilliland and Trip Weldon in person, along with Jason Lucas posthumously, when the bass fishing world comes together to celebrate in Springfield this fall,” said BFHOF Board President John Mazurkiewicz. “Each of them has made lasting contributions to the sport and we’re excited to see them take their rightful place in the Hall of Fame.”
The three members of the 2021 class distinguished themselves in various facets of the sport - spanning conservation, media and tournament operations.
Gilliland is known for his extensive work in fisheries management and bass conservation efforts and continues that involvement as conservation director for B.A.S.S. He is a tireless advocate for bass fishing on numerous national boards and councils.
Lucas, the former fishing editor for Sports Afield, is considered one of the modern era’s ‘fathers of bass fishing.’ His book Lucas on Bass Fishing, published in 1947, was one of the first bass fishing how-to books and helped ignite the popularity of the sport. He later wrote about bass fishing for Sports Illustrated, providing the sport with meaningful exposure in the mainstream sports world. Lucas passed away in 1975.
While he enjoyed competing in bass tournaments, including top-5 finishes in Red Man All-American events, Weldon set the standard for tournament directors during his nearly 20 years presiding over B.A.S.S events. Known among professional bass anglers for his fairness and strict adherence to the rule book, he became one of the most respected tournament directors in the history of the sport. Weldon retired from B.A.S.S. in 2020.
In overseeing the induction process for the BFHOF Board, nominations committee chairman Todd Hammill said, “We appreciate the involvement of our past inductees and supporters of the Hall in nominating worthy individuals for this honor, and especially our 30-member selection panel for their transparent efforts in identifying the qualified nominees who deserve a place in the Hall.”
The annual Bass Fishing Hall of Fame induction banquet continues to be a must-attend event. While the spotlight will shine on Gilliland, Lucas and Weldon, the Hall’s 2020 class, which included Steve Bowman, Bryan Kerchal, James Heddon, Ron Lindner and Jay Yelas, will also be recognized. Last year’s induction celebration was canceled due to the worldwide pandemic.
“We do thank all who supported our online auction last year that helped the Board function through the pandemic and with projects such as our conservation grants,” said BFHOF Board Vice President Tim Carini. “We look forward to September 30 in Springfield when the bass fishing world comes together to help us celebrate, promote and preserve our sport.”
Tickets to the induction dinner and information about the Hall of Fame and its mission are available at www.Bassfishinghof.com.
