AnglersChannel Extra - Pro Charging Systems, ReLion Batteries & more!
On this episode, Chris visits the Pro Charging systems facility in Tennessee and gains a load of knowledge on charging systems and how they work. Later on Chris and Kenneth swap out heavy batteries and charger for lighter more efficient versions and get ready to hit the water!
PURE FISHING ANNOUNCES THE CLOSE OF PURCHASE FOR PLANO SYNERGY HOLDINGS INC. WITH PURE FISHING TO RETAIN STRATEGIC BRANDS FROM THE PLANO PORTFOLIO
COLUMBIA, S.C. (April 16, 2021) — Pure Fishing Inc., the world’s largest fishing tackle company, announces the close of its purchase of Plano Synergy Holdings Inc., effective today. As part of the closing of this purchase, Pure Fishing also announces it has closed the sale of Plano Synergy’s archery and hunting accessories brands to GSM Outdoors, the leader in the enthusiast hunting, sport shooting, and rugged outdoor market, also effective today.
Pure Fishing will retain ownership of the iconic Plano and Frabill brands to complement the company’s existing footprint in the global fishing tackle market. Pure Fishing will also retain ownership of Plano’s storage and fall storage business, as well as the Creative Options and Caboodles brands. This strategic acquisition is the third for Pure Fishing in two years under the ownership of private equity firm Sycamore Partners.
“This acquisition allows Pure Fishing to continue to build upon its industry-leading position within the fishing industry, something that remains a priority for the company,” said Pure Fishing CEO Harlan Kent. “By selling the archery and hunting accessories brands to GSM Outdoors, already a leader in the hunting and outdoors industry, we have created great brand alignment for both companies, which allows each of us to play to our own unique strengths.”
Through its purchase of the Plano Synergy archery and hunting accessory brands, GSM Outdoors adds Wildgame Innovations, Ameristep, Tenzing, Zink, Halo Optics, Flextone, Avian X, Evolved, Barnett and Zero Trace to its existing portfolio of 33 hunting- and shooting-related brands. This strategic acquisition is the fourth for GSM Outdoors under the partnership with Gridiron Capital.
“We are thrilled about the acquisition of the best-in-class Synergy Outdoors brands which will significantly enhance GSM’s offerings,” stated GSM Outdoors CEO Eddie Castro. “This allows us to continue to add significant value to our retailers and ultimately end consumers as we strengthen our one-stop-shop offering.”
Closing terms for each sale are not disclosed.
Swisher’s Swimbait Yields Lead At Bassmaster Open On Douglas Lake
Jackson Swisher, of Lake City, Fla., is leading after Day 1 of the 2021 Basspro.com Bassmaster Southern Open at Douglas Lake with 16 pounds, 15 ounces.
Photo by Chris Mitchell/B.A.S.S.
April 15, 2021
DANDRIDGE, Tenn. — Douglas Lake gave Jackson Swisher a generous birthday gift with a five-fish limit of 16 pounds, 15 ounces that leads Day 1 of the Basspro.com Bassmaster Southern Open on this French Broad River impoundment.
Turning 19 today, the pro from Lake City, Fla., devoted his day to fishing bluffs close to the Douglas Dam. This pattern delivered a productive day and included a 5-10 that’s in the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors.
Swisher targeted the vertical rock walls with a 7-inch white Megabass Magdraft swimbait. He said he dialed in his pattern during practice, but today yielded a favorable twist.
“All week I’ve been catching some big smallmouth, but today the largemouth showed up,” Swisher said. “That 5-10 was my second fish of the morning, so that was a great way to start the day.”
Thanking his father for driving eight hours from Florida to deliver five swimbaits before the tournament started, Swisher said he believes the lake’s falling water level — down about 4 feet since the weekend — pulled the smallmouth off the wall.
“I noticed the water was (significantly lower) because this morning, I was going to fish a laydown I found in practice, and it was out of the water,” Swisher said.
Adjusting to the falling water, Swisher paralleled the bluff and slow rolled his bait through the strike zone.
“I was putting that swimbait right on the bank and running it right down the edge,” he said. “It was 35 feet deep on the edge of the bluff wall and the swimbait was going about 20 feet down. They were just killing it.”
Long casts were essential for covering big sections of the bluff and attracting attention. Knowing the tendency for noncommittal bass to trail swimbaits and lose interest, Swisher said he kept an eye on his Garmin LiveScope.
“Whenever I’d see one chase it, I’d speed up and then kill it,” he said. “That was really the key to (triggering bites).”
Swisher said he had his limit by about 10 o’clock. Admitting his day turned out better than expected, he said he made several upgrades throughout the day, including one that gave him a pure largemouth bag.
“I actually had a 2-pound smallmouth and I culled that one with a 4-pound largemouth,” Swisher said. “I had a really good day; I actually lost two close to 5 pounds at the end of the day, so I could have had 20 to 21 pounds.
“I’m hoping tomorrow I can go out there and execute and catch the fish I lost today and hopefully have an even better day tomorrow.”
Josh Douglas of Isle, Minn., is in second place with 16-9. Weighing a mixed bag of three largemouth and two hefty smallmouth, Douglas said he fished midlake and caught all of his fish on an offshore saddle in about 15 to 20 feet.
“I have largemouth on one side of the spot and smallmouth on the other side,” Douglas said. “They’re both hanging in the same area, but just not together.”
Douglas caught most of his fish on reaction baits in the morning. Although the afternoon was less productive, he remained on his area to guard its potential.
“I stayed there all day to make sure nobody else got it, so I can fish it tomorrow,” Douglas said. “It wasn’t a very big area; I have a 100-foot cast one way and a 100-foot cast the other way.
“When they slowed down later in the day, I had to switch to finesse baits to keep them biting.”
Mike Keyso of North Port, Fla., is in third place with 15-14. Fishing a flat-sided squarebill in 4 feet of water, Keyso targeted a mudline and found his fish sitting behind that transition.
“I was targeting secondary points,” he said. “I could run that and get bit anywhere. I hit probably 25 points, but three of them were most productive. I hit the three good ones three different times and caught fish on them every time.”
Keyso said his day was marked with tragedy and triumph.
“I lost two big ones first thing, but made up some ground later,” he said. “Hopefully, I can catch them again tomorrow.”
Alex Prince of Blue Ridge, Ga., leads the co-angler division with 10-11. Devoting his day to dragging a shaky head with a 5-inch green pumpkin Senko, Prince nabbed an afternoon day-maker.
“I cast behind the boat and caught a 4-12 at 3:30 — about 20 minutes before we had to check in,” Prince said. “I had about a 2-pounder that I got rid of.
“It was about the luckiest thing that could have happened. I had to sit down; I was shaking.”
Prince’s best fish holds the Phoenix Boats Big Bass lead among co-anglers.
David Williams of Newton, N.C., leads the Southern Open points standings with 378. Jacob Foutz of Charleston, Tenn., is second with 365, followed by Swisher with 356, Andy Hribar of Lakeville, Minn., with 355 and Blake Smith of Lakeland, Fla., with 353.
Friday’s takeoff is scheduled for 6:45 a.m. ET at Dandridge Boat Ramp. The weigh-in will be held at the ramp at 2:45 p.m.
Options Abound For Bassmaster Elite Series Event At Lake Fork
Quitman, Texas, will host the 2021 Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork April 22-25.
Photo by B.A.S.S.
April 15, 2021
QUITMAN, Texas — It’s been six months since Lake Fork hosted a B.A.S.S. event, but while the seasonal complexion will be significantly different when the Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite comes to town, this East Texas powerhouse stands ready to produce another impressive showing.
Competition days will be April 22-25 with daily takeoffs from Sabine River Authority (SRA) — Lake Fork at 6:45 a.m. CT and weigh-ins each day at the same facility at 3 p.m.
With 25 years of Lake Fork experience, third-year Elite Series pro Frank Talley said he expects a fairly stable scenario. Speaking a week and a half before the tournament, Talley said the lake was sitting about 3 inches low, with a seasonally expected clarity range.
“On the north end, both arms are stained to really off-colored, while midlake to down south by the dam has good visibility,” he said. “Water temperatures are between 59 and 52.
“We’ve had some warm days, but by the start of practice, we’re supposed to start getting some mild weather with highs in the upper 60s and lows in the 40s. That’s definitely going to change up some stuff.”
Specifically, Talley believes the cooler weather could lower water temperature and interrupt the current spawning activity. Fortunately, these late-season fronts typically lack the punch of first-quarter weather systems and Fork’s well-managed population of Florida-strain largemouth will offer plenty of options.
“Right now, the lake is on fire,” Talley said. “There are fish in all three stages; there are prespawn fish, there are fish stacked on beds, there are fish that have already spawned.
“If the weather was going to be warm leading up to the tournament, there would definitely be a big shad spawn. There will be a little bit of a shad spawn regardless, but with the forecast for cooler weather, that’s probably going to slow down that bite.”
Given this V-shaped lake’s layout — two major arms (Lake Fork Creek to the west and Caney Creek to the east), along with several lesser creeks — the spawning season typically starts in the creeks’ upper ends, progresses through midlake and then into the southern end.
The fish that have yet to spawn may press the pause button until the cool weather passes, but they’re not leaving their shallow staging areas.
“Once those fish commit, they’re going to be up there,” Talley said. “Right now, the biggest wave has moved and they’re going to filter in and out (of the spawning grounds) until mid-May.”
Common spawning habitats will include pondweed, reeds, scattered milfoil and hydrilla; while pre- and postspawn staging takes place on the points, contour breaks and grasslines just outside the spawning flats. Bladed jigs, Texas-rigged craws and creature baits, wacky rigs and spinnerbaits comprise Fork’s common spring lineup. For shad spawns, add topwaters.
Talley’s advice: Look beyond the obvious.
“Guys have to consider that it’s not just the major creeks that will have the spawning going on,” he said. “There are a lot of little hidey-hole spots that could hold six or eight good spawning fish in the back of a pocket that may only be 40 to 50 yards deep.”
Also important, Talley said, is fishing the appropriate spawn stage for each section of the lake. He’s confident the entire lake will play, to varying degrees. But each part might not specifically play for the spawn phase. Another timely consideration — heavy boat traffic.
“This time of year, the lake is going to be packed with guides and locals; you’ll be able to walk over boats,” Talley said. “March through May, Fork gets its most visitors, so we’re going to have to share a lot of water with (other boats).
“If someone who can find a pattern within a pattern in an area that’s getting heavily pressured, or just do something off the wall, that might play. The bottom line is there’s no secrets or hidden spots on Fork.”
That being said, Talley foresees a show possibly rivaling Patrick Walters’ record-setting performance at last year’s event (104 pounds, 12 ounces). Despite the minor cooldown, Talley believes the lake is strong enough to deliver big numbers.
“It’ll definitely take 20 to 21 pounds a day to make the Top 10,” he said. “In my opinion, I think you’ll see the winner break the century mark. I think it will take 102 to 103 pounds.
“It’s going to be a good tournament; I think we’re going to hit it just right.”
Live coverage for all four days of the event can be streamed on Bassmaster.com and the FOX Sports digital platforms. FS1 will also broadcast live with the tournament leaders beginning at 7 a.m. CT on Saturday and Sunday.
Alton Jones Wins MLF General Tire Heavy Hitters
| Texas pro Dominates Final Day, Catches 12 Bass Totaling 45 Pounds, 9 Ounces to Win Heavy Hitters Title and $100,000 Top Prize, Fellow Texas pro Jeff Sprague Catches 5-pound, 3-ounce Fish to Earn $100,000 Big Bass Bonus
RALEIGH, N.C. (April 14, 2021) – It was a sight-fishing clinic on Shearon Harris Reservoir in Raleigh on Wednesday, and pro Alton Jones of Woodway, Texas, was the professor. The Texas angler boated 12 bass weighing 45 pounds, 9 ounces to dominate the final-day Championship Round and win the top prize of $100,000 at the Major League Fishing (MLF) General Tire Heavy Hitters Presented by Bass Pro Shops in North Carolina. Jones won by a 15-pound, 5-ounce margin over pro Jeff Sprague of Point, Texas, who caught eight bass totaling 30-4. Sprague, however, was not disappointed in his finish as he earned the top Big Bass Bonus of $100,000 with a 5-pound, 3-ounce largemouth. Just 23 minutes into Period 2, Jones caught a 3-pound, 3-ounce bass to move into the top position on the leaderboard and he never relinquished it. The tall Texan showed MLF NOW! viewers why he has long been considered one of the top sight-fishing anglers in the game. “This feels so, so good. It’s been a while since I’ve won a Tour-level event like this, and it was a very special day,” said an emotional Jones when he came off of the water. “After my practice time, I knew that I had found several key areas that had the potential to be really special for this event, if I could just make the final rounds. “When we did our morning ride-through this morning and I got on the trolling motor, I found about 10 3-pounders in my first pass through the cove, and I thought to myself, ‘you know what, this could actually happen.’ I didn’t know if they were going to bite, but if they did I was going to have a chance. And sure enough, here I am. I still can’t believe that I’m the Heavy Hitters Champion.” Jones saw the majority of the fish that he caught on Wednesday on beds, and managed to boat a dozen keepers flipping an “old-school” Texas-rigged Canyon Plastics Gitzit tube (green-pumpkin with purple and black metal flake). “I really like throwing a tube during the spawn – it’s a bait that will catch a 2-pounder, a 3-pounder, but it will also catch a 10-pounder,” Jones said. “So, it’s good bait to fish for numbers and size. My Kistler rods were also very important – I used a Kistler Z Bone. That rod is super-light, super-sensitive, and super-strong and helped me out a lot today.” Jones also shared some of his sight-fishing prowess with the crowd gathered at the takeout ramp. “Every fish that I caught today was an individual,” Jones said. “I had to figure out what each fish was doing, and how to work that particular fish. That’s one of the things that I love about sight fishing – you treat every fish as an individual. What makes one fish hot, the other fish will ignore. So, it’s kind of a thinking man’s game. It’s a stealthy game, because you can see them, but they can also see you. I try to hide from the fish, and I’ve got a few other little tricks that I like to pull and today, it all worked out for me.” Second-place angler Jeff Sprague was also emotional and exhausted after a long week of competition. “I scratched by every day this week,” Sprague said. “The first day at Lake Jordan was great – I caught so many fish and had a phenomenal day. The second day, we literally scratched by and barely made it into the Knockout Round. Then, in the Knockout Round, to tie for the last position in and to get through via a tiebreaker. And now, on Championship Day, to catch the big bass and win 100 grand and finish second overall, this has just been a stellar week.” The top 10 pros from the General Tire Heavy Hitters event in Raleigh, North Carolina, finished: 1st: Alton Jones, Woodway, Texas, 12 bass, 45-9, $100,000 A complete list of results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com. Overall, there were 57 bass weighing 211 pounds, 10 ounces, caught by the final 10 pros on Wednesday, which included two 5-pounders, 13 4-pounders, and 42 3-pounders caught from Shearon Harris Reservoir. The MLF General Tire Heavy Hitters Presented by Bass Pro Shops was hosted by the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance. Television coverage of the General Tire Heavy Hitters Presented by Bass Pro Shops will be showcased across six two-hour episodes, premiering at 7 a.m. ET, July 17 on the Discovery Channel. A one-hour special episode of MLF Inside Heavy Hitters will also air on CBS in late 2021. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on the Discovery Channel, with additional re-airings on the Outdoor Channel and the Sportsman Channel. Each two-hour long reality-based episode goes in-depth to break down each day of competition. For complete details and updated information on General Tire Heavy Hitters, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. |
Milford Lake To Host B.A.S.S. Nation Central Regional
Milford Lake will host the TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Central Regional April 21-23, 2021.
Photo courtesy of Geary County Convention and Visitors Bureau
April 14, 2021
JUNCTION CITY, Kan. — When grass-roots anglers from eight states arrive at Lake Milford in Kansas for the 2021 TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Central Regional April 21-23, the spawn will likely be in full swing, according to Kansas B.A.S.S. Nation President Richard Heflin.
“April is an interesting time for Milford,” Heflin said. “You are kind of going to be right in the heart of the spawn. You are going to have prespawn, spawn and postspawn going on.”
Located several miles northwest of Junction City, Milford Lake is home to the Kansas state record smallmouth, a 6-pound, 8-ounce fish caught in early April 2010, and Heflin suspects the next record-breaking smallmouth will also be caught in Milford.
The lake has hosted a couple of Bassmaster tournaments through the years, including the 2018 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Classic Bracket presented by Bass Pro Shops held in August.
Milford is a predominantly rocky lake with lots of offshore structure, including brushpiles, although the upper end of the lake has a large section of mud flats that can stain the water during heavy rains. While tournament anglers will be focusing on smallmouth and largemouth bass, weekend anglers visit the lake for crappie, walleye and catfish.
“It is right next to the military base, and we have a lot of people fish for a lot of species,” Heflin said. “There’s a lot of hidden brushpiles that some of the crappie fishermen put out. Locating some of that stuff could be a key player for guys that come in.”
While most bass anglers visit the lake to target smallmouth bass, Heflin said he wouldn’t be surprised to see a 6-pound smallmouth and a 6-pound largemouth weighed in on the same day.
Heflin said he expects the smallmouth to be at the tail end of the spawn or in the early postspawn phase, while the largemouth will be locking down on bed. Largemouth will be in classic spawning pockets and flats, and creature baits and jigs have historically caught those fish.
“The thing about Milford is the channels that go back in the pockets are fairly deep, so you are going to have edges and flats that are conducive to spawning. Depending on the rain volume, there's a 50/50 chance that there will be some flooded vegetation and other flooded cover that will be good for largemouth.”
For smallmouth bass, Heflin said banks that transition from clay to chunk rock, clay to sand, or clay to pea gravel will be productive areas to cover with jigs and tubes.
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 the Geary County Convention and Visitors Bureau.
“Junction City and Geary County, Kan., are very honored to have been selected as the host of the 2021 TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Central Regional Tournament,” said Michele Stimatze, Geary County Convention and Visitors Bureau Director.
“This will be an exciting time for Milford Lake, the largest lake in Kansas, and for our citizens and visitors. Having worked with B.A.S.S. Nation in the past, we know this event will attract visitors from across the nation and put the spotlight on Kansas bass fishing. Our team is already working to make it a great event, and we look forward to making everyone feel welcome.”
Bassmaster Introduces New Fantasy Fishing Game
April 14, 2021
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — In 2020, more than 37,500 engaged fans played Rapala Bassmaster Fantasy Fishing, a number that has grown steadily over the past decade. This week, Bassmaster launched a second fantasy game — Mercury Bassmaster Drain the Lake Challenge. Fans can set their rosters by 6 a.m. ET on April 22 to play along during the Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork.
The Drain the Lake Challenge, using elimination pool rules, requires players to use an entirely different strategy than standard Fantasy Fishing. When building their team, players can only use an Elite Series angler once over the course of the season. Unlike traditional Fantasy Fishing, there are no buckets. Tournament players select any eight Elite Series anglers. After choosing an angler for a specific event, players can no longer select that angler for the remainder of the season.
An angler’s points will be based on their finish in the tournament, just like Fantasy Fishing. The angler who wins each Elite Series event will receive double points while the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk champion will garner triple points, so choosing the winning angler will be big in terms of winning the overall grand prize.
The Drain the Lake Challenge winning player, along with the rest of the Top 5 points leaders for each event, will receive a prize pack including a Mercury backpack, Mercury 12-can cooler bag, Mercury hat and Mercury hoodie. A $500 Bass Pro Shops gift card will be rewarded to any individual prize winner who is a B.A.S.S. member. The 2021 Drain the Lake Challenge overall winner will enjoy a fishing trip with Bassmaster LIVE host Mark Zona in Michigan, with airfare and hotel included.
Registration for both games, along with full rules and a description of each prize package, can be found at Bassmaster.com/fantasy.
Lake Murray Readies for Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit
163 Professional Anglers To Compete for up to $135,000 in Columbia – Season Purse Exceeds $6.4 Million
COLUMBIA, S.C. (April 14, 2021) – Major League Fishing (MLF), the world’s largest tournament organization, is set to head to Columbia, South Carolina, next week, April 22-25, for the MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by Bad Boy Mowers, Googan Baits Stop 3 Presented by Favorite Fishing – Lake Murray . This is the third event of the 2021 Pro Circuit season – hosted by the Capital City Lake Murray Country Regional Tourism Board – offering competitors the opportunity to compete for a total purse of more than $900,000.
“Capital City Lake Murray Country is proud to welcome Major League Fishing's Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit to our region and to Lake Murray,” said Miriam Atira, President/CEO of Capital City Lake Murray Country RTB. “Our continued relationship with this national tournament organization provides a significant economic impact to our region and plays a vital role in our efforts to promote tourism and outdoor recreation.”
In its 26th season, the circuit formerly known as the FLW Tour features 163 of the world’s best bass-fishing professionals competing across six regular-season events, each with a top award of up to $135,000. The field will also compete for valuable points to qualify for the 2021 Tackle Warehouse TITLE presented by Mercury, the Pro Circuit Championship, and the opportunity to compete for up to $235,000.
This event will mark the eighth time the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit has visited the fishery in the Palmetto State.
Most of the MLF history on Lake Murray has taken place in the summertime, when the fishing is somewhat tough, with the most recent being Justin Atkins’ win in 2017. However, next week’s event will be a true testament of what Lake Murray really has to offer with prespawn, postspawn and spawning fish up for grabs.
Prior to Atkins’ win, Anthony Gagliardi of Prosperity, South Carolina, won the FLW Cup in 2014, tallying up 51-2 to win by 1 ounce in front of his hometown fans. Gagliardi had a previous win on Lake Murray in February 2006 when he hauled in 89-2 over four days, with a 26-pound bag on day one and a 28-pound limit on the final day.
“Lake Murray has been really good to me over the years, but I won’t have an advantage this time of year,” said Gagliardi. “With it being spawning season, the fish will be more accessible and that really levels the playing field.”
Gagliardi said he expects to see guys throwing a little bit of everything at this event, from pitching and flipping wacky-rigged worms and creature baits like the Berkley PowerBait MaxScent Hit Worm and a Berkley PowerBait MaxScent The General Worm in stained water to throwing topwater buzzbaits and popper baits.
“Anything goes this time of year and you can find fish just about any way you like to catch them,” said Gagliardi. “If we get a lot of sun and no wind, the sight-fishing might play a little more into it, but if it’s cloudy and overcast, we’ll probably have to do a little more strategic fishing.
“If it gets real slick and sunny, the weights will also fall off a bit, but they should be up more if we have some inclement weather roll in towards the end of the event.”
Gagliardi said as far as winning weights go, again, this time of year makes things a bit tricky to predict.
“I’ve thought a lot about what kind of weight it’s going to take to win this tournament and it’s really hard to know until I get out there and fish. If an angler can average 18 pounds a day over four days, he’d be positioned pretty well for the win,” continued Gagliardi. “I think it will take slightly under 80 pounds to win, but it will be close. I don’t foresee much separation between the weights at the top of the scoreboard.”
Anglers will take off at 6:30 a.m. ET, Thursday 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.
In Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit competition, the full field of 163 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.
The Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Googan Baits Stop 3 Presented by Favorite Fishing at 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.
The 2021 season culminates with the Tackle Warehouse TITLE presented by Mercury, the Pro Circuit Championship, where the top 48 pros in the points standings plus 2020 TITLE Champion Rusty Salewske of Alpine, California, and 2020 Angler of the Year Ron Nelson of Berrien Springs, Michigan, will compete for at top prize of $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.
AC Insider Podcast - 21K Solo!!
This week Chris and the Circus welcome in Terry Peacock, Winner of the Bass Champs North Division Ray Roberts event this past weekend. Terry fished the event solo and won with 26.43 pound limit including a GIANT Kicker! Hit play to check it out!!
Sabine River Community Lends Helping Hands
Courtesy of Luke Stoner - Dynamic Sponsorships
Waking up to a vandalized truck, including a stolen catalytic converter, is about the last thing any angler wants to encounter on the road, but that’s exactly what Bassmaster Elite Series pro Brandon Lester experienced before day two of competition on the Sabine River last week.
The felony offense of stealing catalytic converters is on the rise all throughout the country right now due to demands on precious metals. Lester, John Cox, and a few others that travel with the tournament crew can now say they’ve experienced this crime first hand.
Sadly, theft and the occasional run in with criminals is a very real part of traveling with expensive equipment. It’s something professional anglers must think about when booking lodging arrangements no matter where they are in the country. There is no sugar coating it… there are some bad people in this world and dealing with a situation like Lester was forced to is less than ideal to put it lightly.
Thankfully there are good people in this world, too. Just when it would have been easy for those affected to simmer in the bad, the good ones showed up to stand in contrast to the evil.
First Andy Stallings and the ever-reliable service crew came calling. They drove to the hotel and helped Lester get his boat to the launch on time so he could try to focus on making a top 50 cut. Once Lester was on the water, they drove back to the hotel and changed his damaged tire. The local police officers were extremely accommodating and quick on the scene to file reports and do their best to catch the criminals.
Then came phone calls and Facebook messages from Cecil Atkission Toyota, the local Toyota dealership here in Orange who went absolutely above and beyond for Lester and others affected by the thieves. The dealership is pictured in the photo above over Lester’s right shoulder.
Members of the service department were immediately on the phone helping to source parts to repair the damaged vehicles. The Service Manager, Daryl Tucker, offered a loner Toyota Camry to Lester so he could get around town while his truck was being worked on.
Brady Williams, the owner of a local muffler shop (AA Muffler) graciously opened the doors to his business over the weekend so he could lend a helping hand. The local host and the surrounding Sabine River community all sprang into action to help remedy the situation as quick as possible.
Williams and several employees of Cecil Atkission Toyota stayed late, opened early, and worked tirelessly to get everyone’s vehicles back on the road.
“It’d be easy for me to dwell on the negative but it’s hard not to feel thankful when so many people jumped in to help out,” Lester said. “What happened is a sad reality of traveling sometimes, but at the end of the day folks at the local Toyota dealership and many others pitched in and helped get me back on the road to see my girls as quickly as possible. For that I’m grateful.”
Bad things happen. It’s a fact of life and something we will all be affected by. Most times we can’t control the bad things that happen, but we can control how we respond to them. It’s not easy to stay positive when dealing with a tough situation, but being surrounded by people who are quick to offer support makes all the difference in the world. Always look for the good, even in the bad times.
Thank you to all the great people of Orange, Texas and the Sabine River community for showing up when Lester and others needed you.
Jacob Wheeler Catches 7½-Pound Largemouth to Earn $50K, Final 10 Set for Championship Round at General Tire Heavy Hitters
| Morgan Wins Knockout Round to Advance, $100,000 Top Prize and $100,000 Big Bass Bonus Up for Grabs on Wednesday
RALEIGH, N.C. (April 13, 2021) – One fish. $50,000. Pro Jacob Wheeler of Harrison, Tennessee, boated a 7-pound, 8-ounce, largemouth Tuesday afternoon on Shearon Harris Reservoir, the largest fish of the day, to win $50,000 at the Major League Fishing (MLF) General Tire Heavy Hitters Presented by Bass Pro Shops in Raleigh, North Carolina. Wheeler finished the day in 2nd place and punched his ticket straight to Wednesday’s final-day Championship Round. Link to Photo of Knockout Round Big Bass Winner Jacob Wheeler “50 g’s, heck yeah, that is unreal,” Wheeler said in his post-game interview. “That will be a fish that I remember for the rest of my life. I was cruising down the bank and when I saw that fish, I literally stopped and was like ‘Whoa, that’s a $50,000 bass.’ It took me about 45 minutes trying to figure out how to catch her, and it was pretty dang awesome when I did.” Wheeler caught the big bass on a Googan Baits Lunker Log, although he credited a different bait as being his key for the day. “The (Googan) Bandito Bug was the big player for me today and I caught several of my fish doing that,” Wheeler said. “But, I also caught a couple, including the big ‘un, on the Lunker Log. “I got really close to winning here two years ago, and I’d love to try to take home the title and get a little pay back on this lake this time around. So far, after today, it’s treating me pretty solid. Shearon Harris… I love you.” |
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Joining Wheeler in the Championship Round will be pro Andy Morgan of Dayton, Tennessee, who won Tuesday’s Knockout Round with 15 bass weighing 46 pounds, 11 ounces.
“It was a great day for me, and well beyond my expectations,” said Morgan. “It was pretty simple fishing – just looking for spawning fish. They were up super-shallow, right around the bank. Weed clumps, trees, logs – whatever they could get around. “I caught them on just a couple of baits,” Morgan continued. “I threw a ½-ounce Strike King Thunder Cricket with a chartreuse and white-colored Zoom Swimmer on the back. I also caught them flipping a Zoom Brush Hog and a Zoom Z-Craw . Some of the fish were actually feeding – those ones I’d catch on the Cricket. The bass that I caught flipping were primarily all spawning.” Morgan fished the Thunder Cricket on a 7-foot, 2-inch medium-heavy Favorite Fishing Big Sexy casting rod, paired with a Lew’s 6:3:1 reel and spooled with 16-pound fluorocarbon line. For his flipping setup, he Texas-rigged the creature baits and threw them on a Favorite Fishing Pro Series The GOAT rod paired with an 8:3:1 Lew’s Flipping and Pitching reel and 20-pound fluorocarbon line. Wednesday’s Championship Round will feature Qualifying Round winners Fletcher Shryock and Bryan Thrift, along with the top eight anglers from Tuesday’s Knockout Round, competing in a final-day shootout for the top prize of $100,000. In addition to the tournament purse, a $100,000 Big Bass Bonus will be awarded to the angler that lands the single biggest fish on the final day. The top eight pros from the Knockout Round that advanced to Wednesday’s final-day Championship Round on Shearon Harris Reservoir are: 1st: Andy Morgan, Dayton, Tenn., 15 bass, 46-11 Eliminated from competition after the Knockout Round on Shearon Harris Reservoir are: 9th: Adrian Avena, Vineland, N.J., eight bass, 27-7, $4,000 A complete list of results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com. Overall, there were 143 bass weighing 453 pounds even caught by the 18 pros on Tuesday, which included one 7-pounder, one 6-pounders and seven 5-pounders caught from Shearon Harris Reservoir. The MLF General Tire Heavy Hitters Presented by Bass Pro Shops is hosted by the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance. The 20 Anglers in Group A competed in their two-day qualifying round on Jordan Lake on Friday and Sunday – the 20 anglers in Group B on Falls Lake on Saturday and Monday. The anglers that finished in 2nd through 10th place from both groups advanced to Tuesday’s Knockout Round on Shearon Harris, while the winner of each group advanced directly to Wednesday’s Championship Round on Shearon Harris. In Wednesday’s final-day Championship Round, weights are zeroed and the highest one-day total wins. Attendance is limited to competing anglers, essential staff and media covering the event only. Fans are encouraged to follow the event online through the MLF NOW!® live stream and SCORETRACKER® coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com The MLF NOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee, Marty Stone and J.T. Kenney will break down the Championship Round action from 7:15 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET Wednesday. MLF NOW!® will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com. and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app. Television coverage of the General Tire Heavy Hitters Presented by Bass Pro Shops will be showcased across six two-hour episodes, premiering at 7 a.m. ET, July 17 on the Discovery Channel. A one-hour special episode of MLF Inside Heavy Hitters will also air on CBS in late 2021. 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. |
Powroznik Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League on Smith Mountain Lake
Howard Wins Strike King Co-Angler Division
HUDDLESTON, Va. (April 13, 2021) – Boater Ryan Powroznik of Hopewell, Virginia, wins the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine at Smith Mountain Lake in Huddleston, Virginia. Powroznik earned $6,573 for his victory at the event.
TOP 10 RESULTS
| RANK | BOATER NAME/HOMETOWN | BASS | WEIGHT | AWARD |
| 1st | Ryan Powroznik of Hopewell, Va. | 5 | 23-6 | $6,573 |
| 2nd | Gregory Stallings of Dry Fork, Va. | 5 | 21-0 | $2,829 |
| 3rd | Zach Peaslee of Draper, Va. | 5 | 20-6 | $1,886 |
| 4th | Jessie Moore of Severn, Md. | 5 | 20-1 | $1,820 |
| 5th | Mike Hawks of Galax, Va. | 5 | 19-4 | $1,132 |
| 6th | Cody Pike of Powhatan, Va. | 5 | 19-2 | $1,537 |
| 7th | Martin Villa of Charlottesville, Va. | 5 | 19-0 | $943 |
| 8th | Scott Dameron of Beckley, W.V. | 5 | 18-11 | $879 |
| 9th | Bill Deeds of Orange, Va. | 5 | 18-8 | $754 |
| 10th | Elliot Pilson of Stuart, Va. | 5 | 18-1 | $660 |
| RANK | STRIKE KING CO-ANGLER NAME/HOMETOWN | BASS | WEIGHT | AWARD |
| 1st | Scott Howard of Bedford, Va. | 5 | 16-1 | $2,791 |
| 2nd | Mark Blankenship of Christiansburg, Va. | 5 | 15-0 | $1,395 |
| 3rd | Dylan Gray of Gladys, Va. | 5 | 14-15 | $931 |
| 4th | Robert Wedding of Welcome, Md. | 5 | 13-8 | $901 |
| 5th | Daniel Eubank, Moneta, Va. | 5 | 12-6 | $558 |
| 6th | Jacob Waller of Chatham, Va. | 3 | 11-1 | $512 |
| 7th | Eric Hawks of Galax, Va. | 4 | 10-13 | $465 |
| 8th | Seth Brogan of Montvale, Va. | 2 | 10-10 | $395 |
| 8th | Tyrell Collins of Galax, Va. | 4 | 10-10 | $395 |
| 10th | Demon Pittman of Timberlake, N.C. | 3 | 9-14 | $326 |
| AWARD | NAME | CONTINGENCY | PAYOUT |
| Boater Big Bass | Ryan Powroznik of Hopewell, Va. | 7-pound bass | $915 |
| Strike King Co-Angler Berkley Big Bass | Dwayne Downey of Covington, Va. | 6-pound, 13-ounce bass | $447 |
| Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus | Cody Pike of Powhatan, Va. | Eligible Phoenix Boat* | $500 |
WINNING BAITS
| ANGLER | BAIT | COLOR |
| Boater | Did Not Divulge | N/A |
| Strike King Co-Angler | Did Not Divulge | N/A |
| EVENT | DATE | LOCATION | HOST |
| Piedmont 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.
Pechacek Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League on Lake Okeechobee
Dunn Wins Strike King Co-Angler Division
CLEWISTON, Fla. (April 13, 2021) – Boater David Pechacek of Winter Garden, Florida, wins the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine at Lake Okeechobee in Clewiston, Florida. Pechacek earned $5,519 for his victory at the event.
TOP 10 RESULTS
| RANK | BOATER NAME/HOMETOWN | BASS | WEIGHT | AWARD |
| 1st | David Pechacek of Winter Garden, Fla. | 5 | 20-3 | $5,519 |
| 2nd | Brian MacDougall of La Belle, Fla. | 5 | 19-4 | $2,298 |
| 2nd | Kevin Izzi of Smithville, Texas | 5 | 19-4 | $2,298 |
| 4th | Jessie Mizell of Myakka City, Fla. | 5 | 18-15 | $1,288 |
| 5th | Garrett Farmer of Estero, Fla. | 5 | 18-3 | $1,104 |
| 6th | Brandon Medlock of Lake Placid, Fla. | 5 | 18-0 | $1,012 |
| 7th | Trevor Hamlin of Cape Coral, Fla. | 5 | 17-4 | $1,805 |
| 8th | Joe Callahan of Plantation, Fla. | 5 | 16-9 | $828 |
| 9th | Clay Batson of Bradenton, Fla. | 5 | 16-8 | $736 |
| 10th | Tony Bennett of Tarpon Springs, Fla. | 5 | 15-14 | $644 |
| RANK | STRIKE KING CO-ANGLER NAME/HOMETOWN | BASS | WEIGHT | AWARD |
| 1st | Joshua Dunn of Mulberry, Fla. | 5 | 22-0 | $2,760 |
| 2nd | Jonathan Miller of Dundee, Ohio | 5 | 19-3 | $1,380 |
| 3rd | Chris Nickle of Sanford, Fla. | 5 | 14-8 | $918 |
| 4th | Edwin Rivera of Orlando, Fla. | 5 | 14-7 | $644 |
| 5th | Dawson Wiles of Fruit Cove, Fla. | 5 | 13-6 | $552 |
| 6th | Randy Paquette of Sarasota, Fla. | 5 | 12-13 | $506 |
| 7th | Brandon St. Pierre of Lehigh Acres, Fla. | 5 | 12-11 | $460 |
| 8th | Jose Valasquez of Gibsonton, Fla. | 5 | 12-10 | $414 |
| 9th | Giovanni Pizza of Boca Raton, Fla. | 5 | 12-8 | $368 |
| 10th | Barry Colbert of Port Saint Lucie, Fla. | 5 | 12-2 | $322 |
| AWARD | NAME | CONTINGENCY | PAYOUT |
| Boater Big Bass | Trevor Hamlin of Cape Coral, Fla. | 7-pound, 10-ounce bass | $885 |
| Strike King Co-Angler Berkley Big Bass | Bruce McFayden of Deerfield Beach, Fla. | 8-pound, 2-ounce bass | $442 |
| Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus | Jared McMillan of Clewiston, Fla. | Eligible Phoenix Boat* | $500 |
WINNING BAITS
| ANGLER | BAIT | COLOR |
| Boater | Outkast Tackle RTX Flipping Jig Zoom Super Speed Craw |
Black & Blue Did Not Divulge |
| Strike King Co-Angler | Havoc Devil Spear | Brown & Purple |
| EVENT | DATE | LOCATION | HOST |
| Gator Division – Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championship | Oct. 21-23 | St. Johns River, Palatka, Fla. | Putnam County Tourist Development Council |
| 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.
Carter Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League on Lake Sinclair
Madison’s Thomas Wins Strike King Co-Angler Division
MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. (April 13, 2021) – Boater Kip Carter of Eatonton, Georgia wins the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine at Lake Sinclair in Milledgeville, Georgia. Carter earned $6,673 for his victory at the event.
TOP 10 RESULTS
| RANK | BOATER NAME/HOMETOWN | BASS | WEIGHT | AWARD |
| 1st | Kip Carter of Eatonton, Ga. | 5 | 20-08 | $6,673 |
| 2nd | Girard Jones of Macon, Ga. | 5 | 17-11 | $2,837 |
| 3rd | Jackson Brown of Bogart, Ga. | 5 | 16-14 | $1,891 |
| 4th | Willie McMullen of Covington, Ga. | 5 | 16-6 | $1,324 |
| 5th | Justin Kimmel of Athens, Ga. | 5 | 15-11 | $1,385 |
| 6th | Jason Cheek of Eatonton, Ga. | 5 | 15-8 | $1,040 |
| 7th | Michael Wilder of Lizella, Ga. | 5 | 15-1 | $946 |
| 8th | Jimmy Millsaps of Canton, Ga. | 5 | 14-9 | $851 |
| 9th | Tony Couch of Buckhead, Ga. | 5 | 14-4 | $756 |
| 10th | Ben-Oni Maldonado of Covington, Ga. | 5 | 14-1 | $662 |
| RANK | STRIKE KING CO-ANGLER NAME/HOMETOWN | BASS | WEIGHT | AWARD |
| 1st | Will Thomas of Madison, Ga. | 5 | 13-6 | $2,844 |
| 2nd | James Murphy of Phenix City, Ala. | 5 | 11-3 | $1,185 |
| 3rd | Kyler Turner of Perry, Ga. | 5 | 11-3 | $1,385 |
| 4th | Thomas Pierce of Calhoun, Ga. | 4 | 10-14 | $664 |
| 5th | Troy Harris of Watkinsville, Ga. | 5 | 10-9 | $1,029 |
| 6th | Travis Wilkes of Covington, Ga. | 5 | 9-15 | $521 |
| 7th | Bruce Jeffrey of Lithonia, Ga. | 5 | 9-6 | $474 |
| 8th | Spencer Sato of Warner Robins, Ga. | 4 | 9-3 | $427 |
| 9th | Jerry Bryant of Douglas, Ga. | 5 | 8-13 | $379 |
| 10th | Donald Peppers of Good Hope, Ga. | 5 | 8-12 | $332 |
| AWARD | NAME | CONTINGENCY | PAYOUT |
| Boater Big Bass | William Glawson, Macon, Ga. | 6-pound,11-ounce bass | $925 |
| Strike King Co-Angler Berkley Big Bass | Troy Harris, Watkinsville, Ga. | 6-pound, 6-ounce bass | $460 |
| Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus | John Duvall, Madison, Ga. | Eligible Phoenix Boat* | $500 |
| ANGLER | BAIT | COLOR |
| Boater | Generic ½ ounce spinnerbait | Did Not Divulge |
| Strike King Co-Angler | Zoom Trick Worm | June Bug |
| EVENT | DATE | LOCATION | HOST |
| Bulldog Division – Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championship | Oct. 21-23 | St. Johns, Palatka, Fla. | Putnam County Tourist Development Council |
| 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.
Bowman Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League on Dale Hollow Lake
Rickman’s Beaty Wins Strike King Co-Angler Division
BYRDSTOWN, Tenn. (April 12, 2021) – Boater Anthony Bowman of Monterey, Tennessee, wins the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine at Dale Hollow Lake in Byrdstown, Tennessee. Bowman earned $6,658 for his victory at the event, hosted by the Star Point Marina and Resort.
TOP 10 RESULTS
| RANK | BOATER NAME/HOMETOWN | BASS | WEIGHT | AWARD |
| 1st | Anthony Bowman of Monterey, Tenn. | 5 | 19-13 | $6,658 |
| 2nd | Eric Snow of Clarksville, Ind. | 5 | 18-13 | $2,829 |
| 3rd | Christian Nash of Cookeville, Tenn. | 5 | 18-11 | $2,386 |
| 4th | Clay Reece of Lexington, Ky. | 5 | 18-8 | $1,320 |
| 5th | Adam Militana of Saluda, N.C. | 5 | 18-7 | $1,037 |
| 5th | Mark Neal of Livingston, Tenn. | 5 | 18-7 | $1,037 |
| 5th | Austin Poston of Cookeville, Tenn. | 5 | 18-7 | $1,037 |
| 8th | Chris Burton of Somerset, Ky. | 5 | 18-6 | $849 |
| 9th | Kyle Gelles of Pingree, Idaho | 5 | 18-3 | $707 |
| 9th | Danny Abrams of Greensfork, Ind. | 5 | 18-3 | $707 |
| RANK | STRIKE KING CO-ANGLER NAME/HOMETOWN | BASS | WEIGHT | AWARD |
| 1st | Todd Beaty of Rickman, Tenn. | 5 | 15-13 | $2,760 |
| 2nd | Drew Campbell of Cookeville, Tenn. | 4 | 14-15 | $1,822 |
| 3rd | Bert Kissick of Danville, Ky. | 5 | 13-13 | $918 |
| 4th | Craig Marsh of Mount Juliet, Tenn. | 5 | 13-2 | $644 |
| 5th | Bobby Richardson of Gainesboro, Tenn. | 4 | 12-13 | $552 |
| 6th | Kellen Wilson of Somerset, Ky. | 5 | 12-9 | $506 |
| 7th | Will Carnes of Stanford, Ky. | 4 | 12-7 | $460 |
| 8th | Pop Catalin of Cookeville, Tenn. | 5 | 12-2 | $414 |
| 9th | Jonathan Combs of Winchester, Ky. | 5 | 12-1 | $368 |
| 10th | Matt Hall of Frankfort, Ky. | 4 | 11-11 | $322 |
| AWARD | NAME | CONTINGENCY | PAYOUT |
| Boater Big Bass | Matt Smith of Bowling Green, Ky. | 5-pound, 15-ounce bass | $915 |
| Strike King Co-Angler Berkley Big Bass | Drew Campell of Cookeville, Tenn. | 5-pound, 7-ounce bass | $442 |
| Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus | Christian Nash of Cookeville, Tenn. | Eligible Phoenix Boat* | $500 |
WINNING BAITS
| ANGLER | BAIT | COLOR |
| Boater | Did Not Divulge | N/A |
| Strike King Co-Angler | Did Not Divulge | N/A |
| EVENT | DATE | LOCATION | HOST |
| Mountain 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.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook , Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
Reitzell Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League on Lake of the Pines
League City’s Matzke Wins Strike King Co-Angler Division
JEFFERSON, Texas (April 12, 2021) – Boater Stephen Reitzell of Colfax, Louisiana, wins the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine at Lake of the Pines in Jefferson, Texas. Reitzell earned $5,229 for his victory at the event.
TOP 10 RESULTS
| RANK | BOATER NAME/HOMETOWN | BASS | WEIGHT | AWARD |
| 1st | Stephen Reitzell of Colfax, La. | 5 | 23-10 | $5,229 |
| 2nd | Kraig Chapman of Bossier City, La. | 5 | 21-12 | $2,614 |
| 3rd | Judah Morris of Forest Hill, La. | 5 | 18-14 | $1,745 |
| 4th | Brad Morgan of Ashdown, Ark. | 5 | 18-10 | $1,220 |
| 5th | Edwin Baker of Gilmer, Texas | 5 | 18-3 | $1,046 |
| 6th | Troy Roder of Brookeland, Texas | 5 | 17-15 | $959 |
| 7th | Arthur Johnson of Judson, Texas | 5 | 17-9 | $871 |
| 8th | Red Ballard of Sulphur, La. | 5 | 17-6 | $1,284 |
| 9th | Robert Riche of Houma, La. | 5 | 16-14 | $697 |
| 10th | Randy Deaver of Blanchard, La. | 5 | 16-11 | $860 |
| RANK | STRIKE KING CO-ANGLER NAME/HOMETOWN | BASS | WEIGHT | AWARD |
| 1st | JJ Matzke of League City, Texas | 5 | 14-9 | $2,614 |
| 2nd | Tyrell Harmon of Manor, Texas | 5 | 14-6 | $1,307 |
| 3rd | Floyd Pittman of Covington, La. | 5 | 14-4 | $872 |
| 4th | Greg Dennis of Fort Worth, Texas | 5 | 14-1 | $566 |
| 4th | Albert Ignacio of Dallas, Texas | 5 | 14-1 | $566 |
| 6th | Robert Massey of Calhoun, La. | 5 | 13-10 | $479 |
| 7th | Calvin Bogan of Livingston, Texas | 5 | 13-0 | $436 |
| 8th | Brandon Begnaud of Texas City, Texas | 5 | 12-14 | $392 |
| 9th | Cameron Petras of Biloxi, Miss. | 4 | 12-12 | $349 |
| 10th | Tim Woodard of Rosepine, La. | 5 | 12-6 | $430 |
| AWARD | NAME | CONTINGENCY | PAYOUT |
| Boater Big Bass | Louis Ferguson of Woodville, Texas | 7-pound, 10-ounce bass | $815 |
| Strike King Co-Angler Berkley Big Bass | Lat Nichols of Deport, Texas | 8-pound, 12-ounce bass | $407 |
| Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus | Red Ballard of Sulphur, La. | Eligible Phoenix Boat* | $500 |
| ANGLER | BAIT | COLOR |
| Boater | Generic Spinnerbait/Jig | N/A |
| Strike King Co-Angler | Dropshot-Rigged Soft Plastic Jerkbait | Orange Magnum |
| EVENT | DATE | LOCATION | HOST |
| Cowboy 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 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division will also earn priority entry into the Toyota Series, the pathway to the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit and ultimately the MLF Bass Pro Tour.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook , Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
Thrift Tops Qualifying Round Group B at General Tire Heavy Hitters
| North Carolina Pro Weighs Two-Day Total of 18 Bass for 62 Pounds, 6 Ounces To Top Group B, 18 Anglers Set for Tuesday’s Knockout Round
RALEIGH, N.C. (April 12, 2021) – Pro Bryan Thrift of Shelby, North Carolina, caught five scorable bass totaling 17 pounds, 15 ounces to win the two-day Qualifying Group B round Monday at the Major League Fishing (MLF) General Tire Heavy Hitters Presented by Bass Pro Shops . Thrift’s two-day total of 18 bass weighing 62 pounds, 6 ounces earned him the round win by an 11-pound, 14-ounce margin and advances him straight into Wednesday’s final-day Championship Round of competition. The six-day all-star event in Raleigh, North Carolina, showcases 40 of the best bass anglers in the world competing for a purse of more than $535,000, with a top prize of $100,000 going to the winner and Big Bass Bonuses of $25,000, $50,000 and $100,000 being awarded for the single biggest fish in each round of competition. Link to Photo of Qualifying Round Group B Winner Bryan Thrift “It was kind of a long, frustrating day for me,” Thrift said in his post-game interview. “I’ve been stressed out since lines in this morning at 7:30, but luckily I caught enough and now I get to skip the Knockout Round and go straight to the Championship Round to fish for 200 grand, and that is an amazing feeling.” The fishing on Monday at Falls Lake was different than competitors faced there on Saturday. “I only managed to get five scorable bites all day,” Thrift said. “The good thing is that it was enough to extend my lead, and I had a little bit of a cushion all day long,” Thrift continued. “My Plan A – a white frog – only got me one bite. Luckily, I had a little backup plan – fishing rockpiles offshore with a Texas rig in 1½- to 3-feet of water, and I ended up catching four bass doing that and kind of saved my day. “I’m not sure why, but it was a lot different than Day 1,” Thrift continued. “The water came up, and the carp were up spawning and thrashing around in the bushes. I’m not sure if it spooked the bass or what was happening, but I just did the best I could with what we had. I’m so thankful that I had a backup plan with the Texas rig. Hopefully I’ll be able to figure them out again, one more day, on Shearon Harris.” Erie, Pennsylvania pro Dave Lefebre won the Group B $25,000 Berkley Big Bass Bonus award Monday when he boated an 8-pound, 3-ounce largemouth in Period 3 on a soft stickbait. A $50,000 payout will be awarded to the angler that catches the largest bass of the day Tuesday, and $100,000 will be awarded to the angler that catches the heaviest bass on Championship Wednesday. “I caught one bass Saturday on a soft stickbait, so I knew that they would bite it, but it definitely was not on my radar before the tournament began,” Lefebre said. “A frog got me most of my bites on Day 1 but today with the post-frontal conditions and the bluebird skies, that bite totally died. So, I put down the frog and picked up the stickbait and I am so glad that I did.” Although Lefebre did not divulge the brand name of his worm, he did offer some tips on how he fished it. “It was green-pumpkin-colored, with red-and-black flake,” the Pennsylvania pro said. “I like to rough them up before I even take them out of the package, especially when I’m fishing in muddier water. I went to a longer rod, just from my experiences on the first day. These fish swim at you 100 miles per hour when they bite, so I’m just trying to make sure I get that hookset in them and that definitely helped. “I also went down to a lighter weight – 3/16-ounce – and a smaller 3/0 hook,” Lefebre continued. “I didn’t skimp on the line, though. I stayed up there with the 20-pound test. Overall, I’m really happy about how my day turned out and it was a great day of fishing on Falls Lake.” With the Qualifying Round now complete, the anglers that finished in 2nd through 10th place from each group advance to Tuesday’s Knockout Round on Shearon Harris Reservoir. The Knockout Round will feature 18 anglers competing to finish in the top eight. Wednesday’s Championship Round will feature Qualifying Round winners Fletcher Shryock and Bryan Thrift, along with the top eight anglers from the Knockout Round competing in a final-day shootout for the top prize of $100,000. The top 10 pros from Qualifying Group B that now advance to Tuesday’s Knockout Round on Shearon Harris Reservoir are: 1st: Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., 18 bass, 62-6 (ADVANCES DIRECTLY TO CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND) Finishing in 11th through 20th in Qualifying Group B are: 11th: James Elam, Tulsa, Okla., 12 bass, 28-12 A complete list of results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com. Overall, there were 83 bass weighing 268 pounds, 15 ounces caught by 19 pros on Monday, which included one 8-pounder, one 7-pounder, three 6-pounders and two 5-pounders caught from Falls Lake. The MLF General Tire Heavy Hitters Presented by Bass Pro Shops is hosted by the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance. The 20 Anglers in Group A competed in their two-day qualifying round on Jordan Lake on Friday and Sunday – the 20 anglers in Group B on Falls Lake on Saturday and Monday. Now, with each two-day qualifying round completed, the anglers that finished in 2nd through 10th place from both groups advance to Tuesday’s Knockout Round on Shearon Harris, while the winner of each group advances directly to Wednesday’s Championship Round on Shearon Harris. In the Knockout Round, weights are zeroed and the remaining 18 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. |
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Attendance is limited to competing anglers, essential staff and media covering the event only. Fans are encouraged to follow the event online through the MLF NOW!® live stream and SCORETRACKER® coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The MLF NOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee, Marty Stone and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action each day of competition from 7:15 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET. MLF NOW!® will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com. and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app. Television coverage of the General Tire Heavy Hitters Presented by Bass Pro Shops will be showcased across six two-hour episodes, premiering at 7 a.m. ET, July 17 on the Discovery Channel. A one-hour special episode of MLF Inside Heavy Hitters will also air on CBS in late 2021. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on the Discovery Channel, with additional re-airings on the Outdoor Channel and the Sportsman Channel. Each two-hour long reality-based episode goes in-depth to break down each day of competition. For complete details and updated information on General Tire Heavy Hitters, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. |
Brock Mosley Doubles Down on Toyota Bonus Bucks
Courtesy of Luke Stoner - Dynamic Sponsorships
Bassmaster Elite Series pro Brock Mosley kept his bank teller busy the past month after adding $5,000 of Toyota Bonus Bucks thanks to two consecutive second place finishes at Pickwick Lake and the Sabine River.
While Mosley is happy to leave the Dovetail Games Bassmaster Elite on the Sabine River with another great finish, he’d be lying if he didn’t say coming so close to becoming an Elite Series champion burned a little bit.
“I’m happy with another second place but man… it’s so hard to put yourself in a position to win one of these events,” Mosley admitted. “My time is going to come one of these days and I’ll get my hands on one of those blue trophies.”
The Dakota Lithium Batteries pro was making a long run nearly all the way to Houston the first three days of competition on the Sabine River.
But after struggling to connect with the better than average bass he had been catching on day three, Mosley called an audible. Staying close to takeoff to try and rundown day three leader, and eventual champion Jason Christie. Mosley nearly did just that using a two-pronged approach of fishing a ½-ounce Z-man Jack Hammer with a Yamamota Zako trailer in his primary area and junk fishing “swamp cover” on the final day.
This was Mosley’s third top ten finish in a row and his second consecutive tournament finishing as the runner up. Instead of dwelling on the near misses, Mosley draws from the positive momentum he has right now and the extra contingency money he’s earned by towing with a 2019 Toyota Tundra.
“This is my third Toyota Tundra, and this truck alone has made me at least $9,000,” Mosley said. “No other truck brand supports the fishing industry like Toyota and you certainly can’t win Bonus Bucks with any other tow vehicle. I’m proud to support a company that gives so much back to us anglers.”
Mosley was the second highest Toyota Bonus Bucks finisher at the Sabine River behind Jason Christie, which earned him a $2,000 check from the popular contingency program. The additional $3,000 came from being the highest placing program participant at Pickwick Lake a few weeks ago.
Highlighting one of the best facets of Bonus Bucks, you don’t need to win an event to get paid, you just have to place higher than other anglers signed up for the program.
Bonus Bucks supports hundreds of bass and walleye tournaments for anglers of all levels. Follow this link https://www.toyotatrucksbonusbucks.com/ to learn more about the program, to find a full list of eligible tournaments and payouts, or to get registered. If you’d rather call than click, dial (918) 742-6424 and ask for Chip or Kendell – they’ll get you signed up.
BERKLEY AND BOATUS SEEK ENTRIES FOR RECAST & RECYLE CONTEST
Teams and individuals can submit entries through May 14, 2021 for a chance at winning one of three cash prizes totaling $30,000.
COLUMBIA, S.C. (April 12, 2021) — Anglers have long sought a solution to eliminate waste and reduce their environmental impact. The current process for repurposing fishing line is complicated and time-consuming, while recycling programs for other tackle are virtually non-existent.
Berkley has teamed up with the BoatUS Foundation for the Recast & Recycle Contest to generate innovative ideas to improve the fishing tackle recycling process, increase the amount of fishing line that can be recycled, develop products from recycled items and discover new ways to reuse fishing line.
Contest submissions can address any and all of these goals to improve the recycling process, and winning entries will receive $15,000 for first place, $10,000 for second place and $5,000 for third place.
Entries can include either a link to a video demonstration of the concept or a one-page graphic summary and must be submitted by the May 14, 2021 deadline. Berkley encourages professionals, amateur anglers and students to participate, either as individuals or part of a group collaboration.
A team of judges will evaluate submissions based on workability, practicality, innovation and potential impact on the overall recycling process with the winner announced later this summer.
To learn more about the Recast & Recycle contest and submit your entry, visit BoatUS.org/Contest.
Lance Whitaker and Jeremy Briscoe win Wheeler Lake with 25.43 pounds of smallmouth.
By Jason Duran Photos by Chris Brown
Decatur, AL, April 11, 2021- The Alabama Bass Trail North Division teams had to wait one more day to get their shot at $10,000 on Wheeler Lake. Fishing was delayed until Sunday due to a strong weather system that moved through the area on Saturday. When the sun rose on Sunday, 225 teams were anxious to see if their practice would pay off. Many teams found their areas changed a lot with the water rising on Saturday from all the rain. However, on Sunday the water level began falling because both dams were wide open and the current was really strong giving teams one more obstacle to adjust to. In the end, Wheeler Lake showed out in a strong way with 51 teams catching over 15 pounds, and the the top 8 teams all weighing in over 20 pounds. The team of Lance Whitaker and Jeremy Briscoe took home the win with 25.43 pounds of smallmouth.
Lance and Jeremy said practice went really well for them; they spent two days trying to find current seams and places where smallmouth and spots would set up just inside the current waiting to feed. Since there has been so much rain over the last few weeks, they thought the current was going to be in their favor, so they made the run to an area they know well just below the Guntersville Dam. We “knew all the floodgates were on and when the flood gates are on, we always fish this way.” For them the key was making the right cast- “it’s really important to cast as close as you can to the current seam. Sometimes you cast in the current and let your bait fall with the current, and sometimes you can cast on the slack current side, but the fish really set up in the middle and stay almost in the current. You just have to try to make the right cast.” Lance and Jeremy used spinning tackle all day along with two baits: A NetBait 5 inch flex worm in Keylime pie and NetBait T-Mac Straight tail worm in Alabama Craw both rigged on a shaky head with 10 pound fluorocarbon leader and 15 pound braid. They had over 25 fish catches all day and probably lost 20 pounds, but they stayed in the same spot all day. A limit was caught around 8:30, and the fishing was good all day.
The second place team of Blake Hall and Triston Crowder caught 23.38 pounds for $5000. Practice for them was slow, not getting many bites. On tournament day they decided to head west out of Ingalls Harbor to build on their practice. Their plan was to fish shallow water and primarily target pad stems and bank grass in 1 foot of water with a spinner bait and Chatterbait. They caught a limit around 11:00 with a total of 15 keepers all day. Throughout the day they worked through about 30 spots saying, “it was all about covering water, so they were glad to see the rain on Saturday because they felt it kept the water up in the areas they were fishing.”
Luke Kyle and Arch Cornett finished in third place. “We started off the morning fishing shallow flipping and caught a limit early, so we decided to change it up and move around to different areas. We changed baits to a Bill Lewis square bill trying to find bigger fish, but we really never got a kicker fish. Later in the day we were able to upgrade by fishing some current seams” fishing mainly in the mid-lake area. Eric grew up “fishing this lake and sometimes that can help you or hurt you. I always feel I have some areas I can go and catch fish. When the wind picked up, it was helpful to have that local knowledge to be able to go and get out of the wind.” Their primary baits were a Green Pumpkin Jig, Bill Lewis Square Bill and a Green Pumpkin Zoom Baby Brush hog. Eric said, we “probably caught 70 fish throughout the day, and at one point, we just quit getting the net for 3 pounders because it really wasn’t helping us cull up any.” They weighed in 21.57 for $4000 plus a Garmin bonus.
Top ten standings are below for a complete list see: https://www.alabamabasstrail.org/tournament-series/wl-results/
Newcomb Wins Toyota Series Event on Grand Lake
Missouri Angler Wins By 11 Ounces, Takes Home $76,500
GROVE, Okla. (April 12, 2021) – Toyota Series angler Andy Newcomb of Camdenton, Missouri, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 15 pounds, 11 ounces to win the three-day Toyota Series presented by A.R.E. at Grand Lake presented by Fenwick in Grove, Oklahoma. Newcomb’s three-day total of 15 bass weighing 52-13 earned him the win by a 11-ounce margin over second-place angler Chris Jones of Bokoshe, Oklahoma , and earned Newcomb the top payout of $76,500, including a lucrative $35,500 Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus, in the second tournament of the 2021 Toyota Series Plains Division.
After finishing second in the first Toyota Series Plains Division event at Lake of the Ozarks back in March, Newcomb dropped 17 pounds, 13 ounces on Day 1 of the event to sit in ninth place. He backed it up on Day 2 with 19-5 to take the lead, followed by 15-11 on Day 3 to earn his first career Toyota Series win.
“It’s incredible,” Newcomb said of his win. “Just the fact that I was able to edge out Chris (Jones) is incredible – Chris is the man. Eric Olliverson is another buddy of mine that catches them everywhere. To beat those guys… I’ve worked hard at it and I’ve never felt I was truly at that level.
So, to win one feels really, really good.
“Thursday, I caught all of my fish off of chunky gravel and my good ones came halfway back in pockets,” Newcomb said. “If I went back further I could only catch small keepers, and towards the main lake I couldn’t catch anything.”
With no wind, warmer temperatures and clear skies on Day 2, Newcomb said he tried to force his “chunky gravel” pattern, but to no avail.
“I tried for a long time to make that pattern from Day 1 work,” he said. “Finally, I rolled up to a bluff and I thought that it looked like a place I could catch one.
“I threw out there and had one hit it and that changed my whole tournament. Even though I didn’t land it, that fish biting made me think, ‘there’s fish here.’ I went a little further down and had another bite and told my co-angler we were going to camp there. In the last hour and a half of the day, they turned on. I went from 9 pounds to over 19 in a hurry.”
Newcomb said as far as baits go, he stuck with Grand Lake staples – a jig and a spinnerbait.
“In cleaner water, I was either throwing a BOOYAH Covert Spinnerbait with a small, gold Colorado blade and a bigger, silver willow blade or a chartreuse War Eagle spinnerbait – I swapped the painted blades out for smaller willow blades so I could fish it a little faster, which made the fish swallow it instead of just biting it.”
Newcomb said he also added a BioSpawn ExoSwim (Feider shad) to his spinnerbait for extra bulk and dyed the tail chartreuse. He threw his blades on a 7-foot, 4-inch Daiwa Tatula Elite vibrating jig rod with a Daiwa Tatula reel, spooled with 17-pound-test Vicious Pro Elite fluorocarbon line.
A ½-ounce Apex Tackle Company Dirk’s Jig got a key bite on Day 2, but did all of the heavy lifting on the final day. He put a Zoom Ultravibe Speed Craw on the back and pitched it to any rock or wood he could along the bank. His jig tackle consisted of a 7-foot, 1-inch Tatula Elite rod, with the same Tatula reel as the spinnerbait and he ran 20-pound Vicious Pro Elite fluorocarbon on it.
“It’s a very small jig, with just a few strands of skirt,” Newcomb said. “Color didn’t seem to matter. If you got it in front of one they would bite, but they just ate funny. I think I weighed every fish today on the jig and most everything the first two days on a spinnerbait.”
With the trophy in hand, Newcomb said he’s happy that his fish-to-win mentality finally paid off on the big stage and he’s hoping it may lead to an even bigger stage soon.
“At the end of the day, whether I win or lose, I know I did everything I could to win,” he said. “Sometimes it doesn’t work out, but when it does, boy it feels really, really good.”
The top 10 pros on Grand Lake finished:
1st: Andy Newcomb of Camdenton, Mo., 15 bass, 52-13, $76,500
2nd: Chris M. Jones of Bokoshe, Okla., 15 bass, 52-2, $15,500
3rd: Kyle Minke of Lindstrom, Minn., 15 bass, 51-15, $12,000
4th: Joey Cantrell of Whitesboro, Texas, 15 bass, 51-8, $10,000
5th: T.J. Martin of Claremore, Okla., 15 bass, 49-4, $9,000
6th: Brent Algeo of Ozark, Mo., 15 bass, 48-12, $8,000
7th: James Watson of Lampe, Mo., 15 bass, 48-9, $7,150
8th: Eric Olliverson of Lampe, Mo., 15 bass, 48-0, $6,000
9th: Kyle Weisenburger of Columbus Grove, Ohio, 15 bass, 46-8, $5,000
10th: Toby Hartsell of Afton, Okla., 45-13, $4,000
A complete list of results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Pro James Watson of Lampe, Missouri took home an additional $150 for the Day 1 Berkley Big Bass award in the pro division, with a bass weighing 8 pounds, 1 ounces. Nathen Luce of Claremore, Oklahoma won the Day Two Berkley Big Bass award in the pro division, bringing an 6-pound, 11-ounce bass to the scale.
Newcomb added an extra $35,000 to his winnings as the highest finishing Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus member. Boaters are eligible to win up to an extra $35,000 per event in each Toyota Series tournament if all requirements are met. More information on the Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.
Derek Felton of Willard, Missouri won the Strike King Co-angler Division Saturday with a three-day total of 14 bass weighing 37 pounds, 6 ounces. Felton took home the top prize package of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard motor.
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers on Grand Lake finished:
1st: Derek Felton of Thayer, Mo., 14 bass, 37-6, Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat w/115-hp outboard
2nd: Matt Krekovich of Granite City, Ill., 13 bass, 36-3, $4,969
3rd: Andrew Brandstrom of White Bear Lake, Minn., 12 bass, 35-12, $3,975
4th: Tate Brumnett of Wagoner, Okla., 14 bass, 35-12, $3,478
5th: Rob Crane of Fairview Heights, Ill., 14 bass, 33-13, $2,981
6th: Josh Klinghagen of Kokomo, Ind., 13 bass, 32-0, $2,484
7th: John Hoyer of Orono, Minn., 12 bass, 31-13, $1,987
8th: Todd Adamitis of Glen Carbon, Ill, 12 bass, 31-11, $1,739
9th: Dennis Young of Olathe, Kan., 10 bass, 30-9, $1,491
10th: Joey Bohannon of Rogers, Ark., 10 bass, 26-7, $1,242
In the Strike King co-angler division, the $100 Day 1 Berkley Big Bass award winner was John Bowdre of Hernando, Mississippi, with a 6-pound bass, 8-ounce bass, while the $99 Day 2 award went to Felton with a 6-pound, 14-ounce bass.
The Toyota Series at Grand Lake was presented by Fenwick and was hosted by the City of Grove. It was the second of three regular-season tournaments in 2021 for Plains Division anglers. The next event for Toyota Series anglers will take place on April 28-30 – the Toyota Series at Sam Rayburn presented by Berkley in Brookeland, Texas. For a complete schedule, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The 2021 Toyota Series presented by A.R.E. consists of six divisions – Central, Northern, Plains, Southern, Southwestern and Western – each holding three regular-season events, along with the International division. Anglers who fish all three qualifiers in any of the eight divisions and finish in the top 25 will qualify for the no-entry-fee Toyota Series presented by A.R.E. Championship for a shot at winning $235,000 cash, including a $35,000 Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus for qualified anglers. The winning Strike King co-angler at the championship earns a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard.
The 2021 Toyota Series Championship presented by A.R.E. will be held Oct. 28-30 on Pickwick Lake in Counce, Tennessee, and is hosted by the Hardin County Convention and Visitors Bureau.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Toyota Series presented by A.R.E. on the MLF BIG5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
Terry Peacock goes solo & wins over $21,000
5 fish limit for 26.48 with a 10.02 Kicker!!!!!
| Place | Boat | Truck | Angler 1 | Angler 2 | Fish | Big Bass | Wt. | Prize Amt. | |
| 1 | TERRY PEACOCK ROYSE CITY , TX |
SCOTT DEAN TERRELL , TX |
5 | 10.02 | 26.48 |
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| 2 |  |
BUSTER JOHNSON KRUM , TX |
ZACH PARKER DENTON , TX |
5 | 9.67 | 25.98 |
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| 3 | CRAIG DOWIS DALLAS , TX |
MICHAEL VASQUEZ TEMPLE , TX |
5 | 8.85 | 25.06 |
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| 4 |  |
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JEREMY LAMBERT DECATUR , TX |
BRANDEN HOLLINGSHEAD AZLE , TX |
5 | 0 | 24.95 |
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| 5 | KEITH CULLUM CORINTH , TX |
JIM FENNELL WHITESBORO , TX |
5 | 0 | 23.59 |
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| 6 | NOLAN JACKSON ROYSE CITY , TX |
DREW SLOAN SCURRY , TX |
5 | 0 | 23.39 |
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| 7 | MIKE COGBURN QUINLAN , TX |
CRAIG MARTIN QUINLAN , TX |
5 | 0 | 23.33 |
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| 8 | SHAWN TEMPLE KRUGERVILLE , TX |
COLE TEMPLE FORT WORTH , TX |
5 | 0 | 23.31 |
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| 9 |  |
TEDDY REYNOLDS SANGER , TX |
DAYTON HAWKINS SANGER , TX |
5 | 0 | 22.32 |
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| 10 | TOM WURST NEW CANEY , TX |
BOB RICHARDS SANGER , TX |
5 | 8.58 | 21.84 |
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| 11 | |
MARK CHILD ARLINGTON , TX |
ANDY SALLEE NRH , TX |
5 | 0 | 21.47 |
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| 12 | |
CHRIS MOORE ROCKWALL , TX |
KY MARTIN GRANDVIEW , TX |
5 | 0 | 21.23 |
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| 13 | BRAD SHUFLIN LAKE KIOWA , TX |
RYAN SHUFLIN LAKE KIOWA , TX |
5 | 8.92 | 20.57 |
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| 14 | ROBERT SPLAWN GAINESVILLE , TX |
RICKY SPRAYBERRY GAINESVILLE , TX |
5 | 5.33 | 20.39 |
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| 15 | BILL SIMS GREENVILLE , TX |
JASON CONN ANNA , TX |
5 | 0 | 20.37 |
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| 16 | |
CHRIS BAUGH PROSPER , TX |
MATTHEW LEE NORTH RICHLAND HILLS , TX |
5 | 8.69 | 20.00 |
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| 17 | |
ZACHARY SHIMON MCKINNEY , TX |
HEATH COLEMAN CARROLLTON , TX |
5 | 0 | 19.53 |
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| 18 | ED MELTON HOUSTON , TX |
JEFF RANDOLPH HUNTSVILLE , TX |
5 | 0 | 19.39 |
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| 19 | |
JAMES BIGGERSTAFF LINDALE , TX |
BRADLEY BIGGERSTAFF FAIRFIELD , TX |
5 | 0 | 19.13 |
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| 20 | |
TOMMY HULSEY JR CORSICANA , TX |
JUSTIN GARNETT FAIRFIELD , TX |
5 | 0 | 18.93 |
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| 21 | |
 |
JEFF NORRIS DECATUR , TX |
RONNIE NORRIS BOYD , TX |
5 | 0 | 18.78 |
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| 22 | |
TERRY JOHNSON FATE , TX |
TODD JOHNSON FORNEY , TX |
5 | 0 | 18.38 |
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| 23 | |
KEVIN DRITSCHLER PROSPER , TX |
TIM BROCKWAY KAUFMAN , TX |
5 | 0 | 18.30 |
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| 24 | KEVIN ALLEN JEWETT , TX |
BRANDON BROSSETT GROESBECK , TX |
5 | 0 | 18.11 |
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| 25 | TAD KIRCHOFF GAINESVILLE , TX |
SCOTT FORD GAINESVILLE , TX |
3 | 0 | 17.70 |
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| 26 | BEAU SULLIVAN FORT WORTH , TX |
JOE SWANEY GAINESVILLE , TX |
5 | 0 | 17.46 |
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| 27 | JERRY DAVID II PILOT POINT , TX |
JACOB DAVID PILOT POINT , TX |
5 | 0 | 17.31 |
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| 28 | RYAN AUTERY RICHARDSON , TX |
5 | 0 | 17.18 |
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| 29 | TRENT MENEES NORTHLAKE , TX |
TERRY BOLLOM FRISCO , TX |
5 | 0 | 16.92 |
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| 30 | ROCKIE MARTIN ROCKWALL , TX |
CLINT NOWELL FORT WORTH , TX |
3 | 0 | 16.66 |
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| 31 | |
MARK BIONDI JR BURLESON , TX |
MARK BIONDI SR BURLESON , TX |
5 | 0 | 16.34 |
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| 32 | JACOB SHANNON ARLINGTON , TX |
JAMES SHAMBURGER MABANK , TX |
5 | 0 | 15.83 |
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| 33 | |
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JOE ROME FLOWER MOUND , TX |
JOEL MCBRIDE CORINTH , TX |
4 | 0 | 15.60 |
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| 34 | |
JOE SMITH FORNEY , TX |
KENNETH GERECHT PALMER , TX |
4 | 0 | 15.59 |
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| 35 | PERRY SWEARINGEN ROCKWALL , TX |
BRAD SWEARINGEN WESTLAKE , TX |
5 | 6.92 | 15.44 |
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| 36 | STEVE SCHMIDT MIDLOTHIAN , TX |
BILLY RYAN MANSFIELD , TX |
5 | 0 | 15.15 |
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| 37 | ROBERT BROOKS ARDMORE , OK |
BRYAN BROOKS ARDMORE , OK |
4 | 0 | 14.87 |
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| 38 | |
ALAN SWARTS MT VERNON , TX |
DAN BENSON COMBINE , TX |
5 | 0 | 14.84 |
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| 39 | DANIEL STEWART MURPHY , TX |
JD YARBROUGH MURPHY , TX |
5 | 0 | 14.81 |
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| 40 | |
DANIEL RAMSEY TRINIDAD , TX |
GARRETT THOMAS MALAKOFF , TX |
3 | 0 | 14.74 |
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| 41 | |
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ROB MEDDERS CELINA , TX |
ROB WILSON SHERMAN , TX |
4 | 0 | 14.65 |
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| 42 | |
TIM CLINE SHERMAN , TX |
CHRIS TILTON WYLIE , TX |
5 | 0 | 14.47 |
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| 43 | JACOB BAKER TERRELL , TX |
MATTHEW KIRKLIN HOLLY LAKE RANCH , TX |
5 | 0 | 14.43 |
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| 44 | |
STEVE FOUSHEE MURPHY , TX |
BRYAN TUCKER CARROLLTON , TX |
5 | 0 | 14.01 |
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| 45 | MARK RHODES ODESSA , TX |
EVAN MULLEN ODESSA , TX |
4 | 0 | 13.83 |
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| 46 | KENNETH MOORE RED OAK , TX |
KEITH GLASBY OVILLA , TX |
5 | 0 | 13.55 |
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| 47 | |
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ALLEN SHELTON FARMERS BRANCH , TX |
JOHN MCCALMONT ROCKWALL , TX |
5 | 0 | 13.51 |
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| 48 | |
KENT SIKES ROANOKE , TX |
DARRELL CAMPBELL ALBA , TX |
5 | 0 | 13.50 |
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| 49 | CLINT CLOPTON LEWISVILLE , TX |
RANDLE DAVIS SANGER , TX |
4 | 0 | 13.47 |
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| 50 | AARON WALKER MT VERNON , TX |
STEVEN STROMAN SCROGGINS , TX |
4 | 0 | 13.35 |
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| 51 | |
BOBBY WALKER PONCA CITY , OK |
RAY SPEAR WATAUGA , TX |
5 | 0 | 13.32 |
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| 52 | DEREK ROGERS MALAKOFF , TX |
BRANDON MOBLEY DAWSON , TX |
4 | 0 | 13.25 |
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| 53 | |
COLE MASSEY JUSTIN , TX |
CLAY WHITE NEWARK , TX |
3 | 0 | 13.23 |
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| 54 | |
ART PASLEY DALLAS , TX |
JON PASLEY KAUFMAN , TX |
4 | 0 | 13.18 |
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| 54 | DA SHON PECK THE COLONY , TX |
ALONZA BROWN MCKINNEY , TX |
4 | 0 | 13.18 |
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| 56 | |
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ROGER RITCHIE WICHITA FALLS , TX |
RICHARD RITCHIE BENTON , AR |
4 | 0 | 12.79 |
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| 57 | |
KEITH BRYAN DECATUR , TX |
COLBY BRYAN DECATUR , TX |
5 | 0 | 12.75 |
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| 58 | STEVE TRIMBLE DUNCANVILLE , TX |
DAKOTA TRIMBLE KAUFMAN , TX |
5 | 0 | 12.73 |
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| 59 | STEVE SIMS SANGER , TX |
RONNIE SIMS LEWISVILLE , TX |
5 | 0 | 12.71 |
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| 60 | CHRIS GILROY FRISCO , TX |
MICHAEL FULLER BLUE RIDGE , TX |
5 | 0 | 12.66 |
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| 61 | KEITH IVY PONDER , TX |
TOMMY MURRAY BEDFORD , TX |
3 | 0 | 12.62 |
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| 62 | CHASE WELCH CRANDALL , TX |
CHASE WOOD COMBINE , TX |
4 | 0 | 12.61 |
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| 63 | LEE YOWELL ENNIS , TX |
MARK CROW PALMER , TX |
5 | 0 | 12.60 |
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| 64 | CHRISTOPHER WALLING PALESTINE , TX |
JON GRAHAM PALESTINE , TX |
4 | 0 | 12.56 |
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| 65 | |
DAVID REYNOLDS MCKINNEY , TX |
ROBERT BROCK JR MCKINNEY , TX |
5 | 0 | 12.39 |
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| 66 | BRETT KILMER ROCKWALL , TX |
BRANNON MCMILLAN WEST TAWAKONI , TX |
3 | 0 | 12.34 |
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| 67 | SCOTT BARNETT MANSFIELD , TX |
BRIAN CLARK HALTOM CITY , TX |
4 | 0 | 12.21 |
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| 68 | |
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JEFF LITTLE KELLER , TX |
KEVIN LAIN KELLER , TX |
3 | 0 | 12.17 |
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| 69 | |
CHRIS FORD WINNSBORO , TX |
DAVID EASLEY KELLER , TX |
5 | 0 | 12.08 |
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| 70 | |
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JOE HUCHOWSKI AZLE , TX |
NORMAN MINERICH FORT WORTH , TX |
5 | 0 | 11.86 |
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| 71 | ANDY MOOTY NORTH RICHLAND HILLS , TX |
NOAH SKOLNICK MISSION HILLS , KS |
4 | 0 | 11.62 |
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| 72 | |
JUSTIN TUNNELL RICHARDSON , TX |
PATRICK TUNNELL HAWKINS , TX |
2 | 0 | 11.54 |
|
||
| 73 | RONNIE CASTLEBURY ELGIN , OK |
JAKE CASTLEBURY ELGIN , OK |
4 | 0 | 11.45 |
|
|||
| 74 | |
TANNER SPURGIN MCKINNEY , TX |
TYLER HOLMES RICHARDSON , TX |
4 | 0 | 11.32 |
|
||
| 75 | MIKE BURNS ALLEN , TX |
ROB BURNS PLANO , TX |
5 | 0 | 11.22 |
|
|||
| 76 | |
SCOT MCDONALD CELINA , TX |
KEITH KRZEMINSKI AUBREY , TX |
4 | 0 | 11.21 |
|
||
| 77 | JEFF ARNOLD LEWISVILLE , TX |
RICK NEWTON GRAPEVINE , TX |
4 | 0 | 11.18 |
|
|||
| 78 | |
KURT KLOSOWSKI PLANO , TX |
TOM MOCNY LITTLE ELM , TX |
2 | 0 | 10.91 |
|
||
| 79 | MIKE REID FATE , TX |
RON ROGERS ROCKWALL , TX |
5 | 0 | 10.75 |
|
|||
| 80 | BLAKE HENDERSON ATHENS , TX |
BRAD CARTER SCURRY , TX |
3 | 0 | 10.50 |
|
|||
| 81 | |
MIKE HITT CRANDALL , TX |
KEVIN BROWN GRAND SALINE , TX |
3 | 0 | 10.19 |
|
||
| 82 | |
|
JUSTIN DUBOSE PARADISE , TX |
STEVE LYNAM SOUTHLAKE , TX |
5 | 0 | 10.14 |
|
|
| 83 | DAN JEZEK TIOGA , TX |
JOHN JEZEK AUBREY , TX |
3 | 0 | 9.98 |
|
|||
| 84 | |
|
JOHN BYLER ARGYLE , TX |
3 | 0 | 9.83 |
|
||
| 85 | ANDREW RICKMAN JR CANTON , TX |
MIKE CRAIN AZLE , TX |
3 | 0 | 9.81 |
|
|||
| 86 | |
|
MARK PERRY RUNAWAY BAY , TX |
MIKE PETROVIC ALVIN , TX |
3 | 0 | 9.69 |
|
|
| 87 | |
JUSTIN KELLEY JOSHUA , TX |
RAY BOSQUEZ JR FORT WORTH , TX |
3 | 0 | 9.42 |
|
||
| 88 | RUSSELL LEE SACHSE , TX |
JODIE HONZA ENNIS , TX |
2 | 0 | 9.28 |
|
|||
| 89 | |
KODY SARGENT WEATHERFORD , TX |
TREY WINSTEAD WEATHERFORD , TX |
3 | 0 | 9.17 |
|
||
| 90 | |
JIMMY HARRISON SR BOYD , TX |
DONALD HARRISON ARLINGTON , TX |
4 | 0 | 9.10 |
|
||
| 91 | CODY BURDINE BRIDGEPORT , TX |
BOBBY POINTER ALVORD , TX |
1 | 9.02 | 9.02 |
|
|||
| 92 | |
AARON ASHMORE IVANHOE , TX |
ROBERT NULL PONDER , TX |
3 | 0 | 9.00 |
|
||
| 93 | KELLY FERGUSON FATE , TX |
JAXON FERGUSON FATE , TX |
2 | 0 | 8.95 |
|
|||
| 94 | |
SCOTTY GALBREAITH WEATHERFORD , TX |
JASON GALBREAITH BURLESON , TX |
3 | 0 | 8.93 |
|
||
| 95 | |
CODY MASON SULPHUR SPRINGS , TX |
CHADD DEAREN ROWLETT , TX |
3 | 0 | 8.74 |
|
||
| 96 | |
|
DEREK THOMPSON ARGYLE , TX |
BRIT LEQUIEU JUSTIN , TX |
4 | 0 | 8.70 |
|
|
| 97 | |
CHRIS BACHTA GRAPEVINE , TX |
CHARLIE JOHNSON DECATUR , TX |
3 | 5.58 | 8.68 |
|
||
| 98 | ANDY WILBURN ROYSE CITY , TX |
JOEL CHAPMAN WYLIE , TX |
3 | 0 | 8.49 |
|
|||
| 99 | |
|
EDDIE HALL CADDO MILLS , TX |
BRANDON BREWER CADDO MILLS , TX |
4 | 0 | 8.37 |
|
|
| 100 | |
JUSTIN LONG MANSFIELD , TX |
RYAN LONG MIDLOTHIAN , TX |
3 | 0 | 8.35 |
|
||
| 101 | ED BLACKBURN GRAND PRAIRIE , TX |
RONNIE HAMBY AURORA , TX |
4 | 0 | 8.23 |
|
|||
| 102 | |
ANDREW MILLER LOS LUMAS , NM |
GARY MILLS ALBUQUERQUE , NM |
3 | 0 | 7.93 |
|
||
| 103 | |
CHRIS DUROY KINGSTON , OK |
BOE FOSSETT KINGSTON , OK |
3 | 0 | 7.75 |
|
||
| 104 | CHARLIE HERRON EUSTACE , TX |
DAVID COLE COMBINE , TX |
3 | 0 | 7.73 |
|
|||
| 105 | |
SCOTT WHITTEN SPRINGTOWN , TX |
MATTHEW BIEHL BELLEVUE , TX |
1 | 7.58 | 7.58 |
|
||
| 106 | |
TIM WILCOXSON EDGEWOOD , TX |
JERAMY MARINELLI ROYSE CITY , TX |
3 | 0 | 7.50 |
|
||
| 107 | MICHAEL HUTTON ROYSE CITY , TX |
BRET BERTRAND VILLE PLATTE , LA |
4 | 0 | 7.40 |
|
|||
| 108 | |
MARIO LUCCHETTI COMMERCE , TX |
JASON AMPERSE COMMERCE , TX |
2 | 0 | 6.99 |
|
||
| 109 | |
JONATHAN BOOTEN FORT WORTH , TX |
PETE HERNANDEZ WEATHERFORD , TX |
3 | 0 | 6.71 |
|
||
| 110 | |
STEVEN RIZZO PROSPER , TX |
CHRIS STRATTA LITTLE ELM , TX |
1 | 6.60 | 6.60 |
|
||
| 111 | |
PERRY POWELL ALBA , TX |
JARED TAYLOR SOUTHLAKE , TX |
2 | 0 | 6.29 |
|
||
| 112 | TOM MCELROY NORTH RICHLAND HILLS , TX |
CHERYL SPEAR NORTH RICHLAND HILLS , TX |
1 | 6.22 | 6.22 |
|
|||
| 113 | JORDAN LOGAN FORT WORTH , TX |
CHASE KELLEY AZLE , TX |
2 | 0 | 6.02 |
|
|||
| 114 | J BRAD KOELHER BROKEN ARROW , OK |
DWAYNE LIKENS MILLS , TX |
1 | 5.87 | 5.87 |
|
|||
| 115 | |
MATT MORTON DALLAS , TX |
MICHAEL BURNSIDE ANNA , TX |
3 | 0 | 5.79 |
|
||
| 116 | |
DIRK SMITH FARMERSVILLE , TX |
BRYON HARRISON QUINLAN , TX |
2 | 0 | 5.78 |
|
||
| 117 | JEFF LOONEY TEAGUE , TX |
FRANK POLLEY OAK POINT , TX |
1 | 5.19 | 5.19 |
|
|||
| 118 | |
VIRGIL KUYKENDALL MALAKOFF , TX |
DEREK JOHNSON MALAKOF , TX |
2 | 0 | 4.42 |
|
||
| 119 | |
COREY NEWBY ALLEN , TX |
BRANDON LEHMER GUNTER , TX |
1 | 4.22 | 4.22 |
|
||
| 120 | |
RICKY CONWAY SULPHUR SPRINGS , TX |
HADEN SICKLES SULPHUR SPRINGS , TX |
1 | 4.15 | 4.15 |
|
||
| 121 | |
PAT LESIAK TROPHY CLUB , TX |
TYLER LESIAK TROPHY CLUB , TX |
2 | 0 | 3.91 |
|
||
| 122 | RONALD TROUTT CORINTH , TX |
BENJAMIN TROUTT CORINTH , TX |
1 | 0 | 3.85 |
|
|||
| 123 | |
JAMES SMILEY MCKINNEY , TX |
RYAN DELAUGHTER CORINTH , TX |
2 | 0 | 3.63 |
|
||
| 124 | |
BRUCE POWELL WINNSBORO , TX |
SCOTT SCROGGINS SULPHUR SPRNGS , TX |
2 | 0 | 3.51 |
|
||
| 125 | DAVID THOMAS MELISSA , TX |
KYLE ROBINSON ANNA , TX |
1 | 0 | 3.49 |
|
|||
| 126 | |
LARRY BOTTOM WILLOW PARK , TX |
KYLE BOTTOM ALEDO , TX |
1 | 0 | 3.24 |
|
||
| 127 | |
WESLEY BARNARD HALLSVILLE , TX |
ANDREW SCOTT MARSHALL , TX |
1 | 0 | 3.15 |
|
||
| 128 | BRYAN FLENNIKEN FORT WORTH , TX |
JASON FLENNIKEN MIDWEST CITY , OK |
1 | 0 | 2.85 |
|
|||
| 129 | |
GRADY CHAMBERS JUSTIN , TX |
DOUG CHAMBERS PILOT POINT , TX |
1 | 0 | 2.48 |
|
||
| 130 | |
STEVEN LOFTICE VAN ALSTYNE , TX |
MONTY EDGE VAN ALSTYNE , TX |
1 | 0 | 2.35 |
|
||
| 131 | |
|
TIM WILCOXSON ROCKWALL , TX |
ERIC ELDER SCROGGINS , TX |
1 | 0 | 2.10 |
|
|
| 132 | DENNIS CHRISTOPHER JR BURLESON , TX |
TIM WILSON ALVARADO , TX |
1 | 0 | 2.09 |
|
|||
| 133 | |
GEORGE RIDDLE MCKINNEY , TX |
ROCKY EPPS BEDFORD , TX |
1 | 0 | 1.79 |
|
||
| 134 | JOSEPH RAINS GAINESVILLE , TX |
TRAVIS MULLICAN TOM BEAN , TX |
1 | 0 | 1.72 |
|
|||
| 135 | |
RORY LAYNE EMORY , TX |
BRIAN JACKSON ALBA , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 135 | JOHNNY TRAMMELL BOYD , TX |
DOYLE REDDELL MINERAL WELLS , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 135 | |
MARK MAYBEN PLANO , TX |
JOHN MAYBEN DALLAS , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 135 | |
MARK WYLIE KELLER , TX |
MARK PARKER GRAPEVINE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 135 | TERRY EASLEY CANTON , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||||
| 135 | |
JOHN MCDIFFITT GRANBURY , TX |
BOBBY VINCENT HUDSON OAKS , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 135 | RANDY SPENCE TERRELL , TX |
BOBBY BADARACK FT WORTH , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 135 | RONNIE ELMS SCURRY , TX |
DOYLE HATCHER SCURRY , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 135 | |
LARRY BENCH DENISON , TX |
HI HILLBURN COLBERT , OK |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 135 | DON KUYKENDALL GUN BARRREL CITY , TX |
ARON BOLDEN TAYLOR , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 135 | |
KENT SKOGLUND TIOGA , TX |
KYLE SKOGLUND DECATUR , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 135 | ANTHONY SMITH ATHENS , TX |
WILLIAM THORNTON EDGEWOOD , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 135 | |
BUTCH SCHEPPLER ALBA , TX |
RICKY CAMPBELL ALBA , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 135 | |
SAM MCCOLLUM CORSICANA , TX |
PAUL MCCOLLUM CORSICANA , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 135 | |
BRANDON POTTER DECATUR , TX |
ANDREW COX FT WORTH , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 135 | MATT WILSON NORTH RICHLAND HILLS , TX |
DANIEL HERRING WATUAGA , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 135 | MICHAEL MURPHY ROCKWALL , TX |
DILLON FITZGERALD QUINLAN , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 135 | |
ZACHARY WYMER YANTIS , TX |
MATT CARR SCURRY , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 135 | DAVID HOWARD DALLAS , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||||
| 135 | LEE BATSON HEATH , TX |
JOHN FLEMING COMBINE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 135 | |
TYLER STOUT RED OAK , TX |
ELDON STOUT MESQUITE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 135 | |
DEREK SWINDLER WAXAHACHIE , TX |
STEPHEN HAMPTON WILLS POINT , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 135 | JEFF PITRUCHA GREENVILLE , TX |
GARY COOPER COMBINE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 135 | |
RYAN REYNOLDS LAVON , TX |
JAYSON FUNKHOUSER WYLIE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 135 | |
GLEN STOGSDILL SANGER , TX |
STEVE STOGSDILL KRUM , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 135 | |
TYLER WOODS FT WORTH , TX |
MATTHEW ANTHONY FT WORTH , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 135 | GARY WILCOXSON HAWKINS , TX |
JAY WILCOXSON MINEOLA , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 135 | GARY TUGGLE WYLIE , TX |
TANNER YOUNG WYLIE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 135 | |
MITCHELL VINES WOLFE CITY , TX |
BRANDON MURPHY QUINLAN , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 135 | JOHNNY UNDERFUSSER DENISON , TX |
RON SAUCEMAN COLLINSVILLE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 135 | |
DANIEL WILLIAMSON FT WORTH , TX |
DOUG DURRWACHTER GRAPEVINE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 135 | |
WILLIAM PALMER MIDLOTHIAN , TX |
JERAMIE BYRD MIDLOTHIAN , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 135 | KEITH TAYLOR ROCKWALL , TX |
LARRY LADNIER ROCKWALL , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 135 | |
JEREMY SIMS EMORY , TX |
ZACH HUGHES QUITMAN , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 135 | |
VENTURA TORREZ FORT WORTH , TX |
MICHAEL ALLS FT WORTH , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 135 | THERRELL THOMAS PALESTINE , TX |
ROBERT BAXTER BULLARD , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 135 | |
JD LAUGHERY ROCKWALL , TX |
STAN LAWING POETRY , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 135 | JONATHAN LANCASTER QUITMAN , TX |
JOSH PRIEST QUITMAN , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 135 | |
WAYLON REYNOLDS JARALES , NM |
TODD REYNOLDS BELEN , NM |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 135 | CODY MORRISON COLLINSVILLE , TX |
BARRETT MCCLENDON DENTON , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 135 | |
MARK MCWHIRTER ARGYLE , TX |
ZEB STRICKLAND TIOGA , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 135 | RUSTY NELSON AZLE , TX |
GINO NAPOLI WEATHERFORD , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 135 | |
CODY NIX PLANO , TX |
CORY NIX DALLAS , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 135 | |
JAY EICHLER EMORY , TX |
TROY THOMAS ANNA , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 135 | DERRICK CORSO MCKINNEY , TX |
BRANDT BIGGERSTAFF FRISCO , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 135 | KEITH CARNEY ARLINGTON , TX |
KEVIN CARNEY ARLINGTON , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 135 | CRAIG HATCHEL WHITESBORO , TX |
CHANCE HATCHEL WHITESBORO , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 135 | BEN FALLIS MIDLOTHIAN , TX |
BILLY MULLEN EULESS , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 135 | |
BRET GRAVES FORT WORTH , TX |
CHRIS TUINSTRA MCKINNEY , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 135 | MICHAEL GROSSMAN DALLAS , TX |
JAY KENDRICK IRVING , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 135 | DALE BOREN FORT WORTH , TX |
JODY HOLUBEK FORT WORTH , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 135 | |
GARY KINARD FORNEY , TX |
JACOB KINARD ROCKWALL , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 135 | |
DEAN TRUDELL HIGHLAND VILLAGE , TX |
MIKE KUBANEK HIGHLAND VILLAGE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 135 | DEVIN BUSHLAND ALLEN , TX |
CARSON KIRKHUFF COLLEYVILLE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 135 | JOHN LITTLE TEXARKANA , AR |
DANIEL SHELMAN NEED INFO |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 135 | RICHARD OSBORN CARROLLTON , TX |
CHRIS MCLAIN SANGER , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 135 | |
CECIL TUBB DIKE , TX |
SAM HOOTEN WINNSBORO , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 135 | |
GEORGE SHIPPEY MT PLEASANT , TX |
RICHARD FAULKNER PROVIDENCE VILLAGE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 135 | |
WILLIAM BRUNSON LIBERTY HILL , TX |
RORY LAYNE EMORY , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 135 | DON STAPLETON YANTIS , TX |
CHUCK RIZUTO ALBA , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 135 | DWIGHT BOUTTE FRISCO , TX |
DAMON NEAL PROSPER , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 135 | SHAWN BROOKS BOYD , TX |
MICHAEL HARVEY TULSA , OK |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 135 | |
SPENCER BARNETT DURANT , OK |
CALEB NOBLE DENISON , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 135 | |
DALE BROWN ARLINGTON , TX |
MARK MCCLURE NORTH RICHLAND HILLS , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 135 | WILLIE BENSLEY MESQUITE , TX |
JOHN PHELPS FT WORTH , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 135 | |
JOHN ADAMS FRISCO , TX |
RICK CLARK TERRELL , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 135 | |
RICKY MAYO ARDMORE , OK |
SEAN DAVIS DENISON , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 135 | |
CHUCK BISHOP SANGER , TX |
JUNIOR MITCHELL KRUGERVILLE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 135 | |
STEVEN BROOM AZLE , TX |
ROBERT BENTON HUDSON OAKS , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 135 | BENSON KELLY PONDER , TX |
KENNETH CUMMINS SANGER , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 135 | MIKE ALLISON FRISCO , TX |
COREY NELSON PLANO , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 135 | |
JEFF CADE MCKINNEY , TX |
LISA CADE MCKINNEY , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 135 | TYLER WILSON CARLSBAD , NM |
TRAVIS FLETCHER ANDREWS , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 135 | |
STEVE WRIGHT PLANO , TX |
MITCHELL FRIEDMAN COLLEYVILLE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 135 | DON MEEK PILOT POINT , TX |
MERLE LITTLE FARMERSVILLE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 135 | |
SHANE MOORE ARGYLE , TX |
DAN WILSON PILOT POINT , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 135 | DAVID ROULSTON ALLEN , TX |
VANGEIL GELEKAS THE COLONY , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 135 | |
CODY MCBEE DENTON , TX |
KODY WEGER DENTON , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 135 | DAVID SPEAKMAN PLANO , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||||
| 135 | |
DYLAN LYONS POTTSBORO , TX |
COY DEVOLL POTTSBORO , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 135 | |
WAYNE BROWN ARDMORE , OK |
LARRY WOOD ARDMORE , OK |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 135 | SAMUEL RHODES FRISCO , TX |
DEVON REYNOLDS LEWISVILLE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 135 | JON JOHNSON PILOT POINT , TX |
NICK PRESTWOOD MERIDIAN , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 135 | |
DEE CAGLE KELLER , TX |
BILL MCCURDY ROCKWALL , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 135 | JAY WATKINS FORT WORTH , TX |
DENNIS HASTINGS FLOWER MOUND , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 135 | |
LOGAN FRY CHICO , TX |
MIKE PICHA DECATUR , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 135 | |
BRIAN HARRISON PONDER , TX |
COREY LANE PONDER , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 135 | |
CHRIS COLE BELLS , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 135 | |
ROBIN MCGUIRE DALLAS , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 135 | |
CALEB HAND ANNA , TX |
CHAD OWEN CELESTE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 135 | KEVIN TRIMBLE NEED INFO |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||||
| 135 | |
JUSTIN KEITHLEY ARLINGTON , TX |
JOSH KEITHLEY FORT WORTH , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 135 | |
BYRON BIONDI TERRELL , TX |
JASON GREENFIELD KENNEDALE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 135 | |
CHAD DAVIS SPRINGTOWN , TX |
RODNEY BROOKS DURANT , OK |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 135 | JEFF MCBRIDE WINNSBORO , TX |
DAKOTA MCBRIDE WINNSBORO , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 135 | JOHN BIONDI ARLINGTON , TX |
JASON MARVICSIN DUNCANVILLE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 135 | MARK LAMB TROPHY CLUB , TX |
SHANE THOMPSON FORNEY , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 135 | ROBERT WEST MCKINNEY , TX |
LOGAN FORBESS NEVADA , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 135 | JIMMY ERWIN FORT WORTH , TX |
JAMES LONGINO SPRINGTOWN , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 135 | |
KELVIN HOGG ARLINGTON , TX |
BRIAN ROUSSEL ARLINGTON , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 135 | MICHAEL NANTZ LINDALE , TX |
DUSTIN BLACK CANTON , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 135 | SHANE GRAY PALESTINE , TX |
DUSTIN GRAY ELKHART , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 135 | FARREN HANSEN RED OAK , TX |
DEVON CROWE KAUFMAN , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 135 | BOBBY SLADOVNIK ROYSE CITY , TX |
JUSTIN JONES ROYSE CITY , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 135 | |
CHARLES GRAHAM DALLAS , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 135 | DALE STOVER KINGSTON , OK |
SHANE FRANKS KINGSTON , OK |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 135 | TERRY HAWKINS CORSICANA , TX |
MITCHELL HAWKINS FORNEY , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 135 | DARIN HADDOCK CORINTH , TX |
KARL ASWAD FLOWER MOUND , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 135 | JOHN CARTER MABANK , TX |
JOHN CARTER SR MABANK , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 135 | BRADY MATASKA PETROLIA , TX |
WAYNE HARTSBURG WICHITA FALLS , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 135 | JOE BARNHILL BOWIE , TX |
WELDON DUFF RINGGOLD , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 135 | SHANE JANSEN FT WORTH , TX |
COREY HALBARDIER NOCONA , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 135 | SHAWN TACINA AUBREY , TX |
ANDRUE TACINA AUBREY , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 135 | DAVID SMITH RICHLAND HILLS , TX |
LANCE INGRAM WAXAHACHIE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 135 | |
SHAY EVANS COLLINSVILLE , TX |
DOYLE SCRUGGS GAINSVILLE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 135 | BRYCE CAIN COLLEYVILLE , TX |
JEFFERY JOHNSON MOUNT PLEASANT , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 135 | KODY HAVERKAMP SOUTHLAKE , TX |
ROGER HAVERKAMP SOUTHLAKE , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 135 | RANDY DIXON BORGER , TX |
MIKE BRIDGE BORGER , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 135 | |
NATHAN SPRABARY SANGER , TX |
TORY SWEATMAN SANGER , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||
| 135 | CHAD CRAWFORD ARLINGTON , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
||||
| 135 | CODY WILSON VALLEY VIEW , TX |
JOSH WILLIAMS NEWCASTLE , OK |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 135 | BEN JEZEK III DENTON , TX |
CHRIS HIGGINS DALLAS , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
|||
| 135 | |
TYLER JONES KELLER , TX |
PEYTON PUNCHES SANGER , TX |
0 | 0 | 0.00 |
Jason Christie Earns Sixth Bassmaster Win At Sabine River Elite
With a four-day total of 43 pounds, 15 ounces, Jason Christie of Park Hill, Okla., has won the 2021 Dovetail Games Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River sponsored by Bassmaster Fishing 2022 – the official video game of B.A.S.S.
Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
April 11, 2021
ORANGE, Texas — Sticking with a bold plan, but making key adjustments was the winning formula for Jason Christie of Park Hill, Okla., whose four-day total of 43 pounds, 15 ounces topped the Dovetail Games Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River sponsored by Bassmaster Fishing 2022 – the official video game of B.A.S.S.
Claiming his sixth Bassmaster victory, Christie posted his best effort on Day 1 with a second-place limit of 15-1. He took over the top spot on Friday by adding 13-14 and held that position on Day 3 with a limit of 6-12. He closed the deal with a Championship Sunday limit that weighed 8-4.
After entering the final round with a 15-ounce lead over Day 1 leader Brock Mosley, Christie edged Mosley by a margin of 1-6.
For four days, Christie committed the majority of his time to a narrow creek about two hours upriver from takeoff. Locating the spot in practice, Christie recognized its mix of shallow wood and cut banks as prime bass habitat, while the distant run discouraged all but one competitor from fishing the area.
“There’s a lot of backwaters downriver from this area, but then there’s like a 20-mile stretch where there’s nothing until you get to this spot,” Christie said. “The first two days of the event it was super treacherous to run; there were logs, sandbars, stuff like that. That’s what kept people from going up there."
After two strong days of skillfully picking apart the visible cover, Christie returned to his spot on Day 3 to find it 6 to 7 feet deeper. Increased water releases from Toledo Bend Dam swelled the upper Sabine and inundated his creek.
“Before the water came up, there were isolated targets and it wasn’t hard,” Christie said. “But once it came up, it was almost impossible. That’s why today I ran as far up that thing as I could.
“The further you get, the banks get higher and there wasn’t as much back flow coming from the river. That was my goal today — to get to where I could keep the fish between the bank and me.”
Knowing his best option was covering water quickly, Christie relied on a 1/2-ounce chartreuse/white/blue Booyah Covert spinnerbait with tandem nickel and gold Colorado blades. This bait equally appealed to the creek’s largemouth and spotted bass.
“With the largemouth, you had to lay it on the bank; it’s almost like their backs would be out of the water,” Christie said. “The spotted bass would be in the current around the eddies.”
While Christie’s 21-foot XPress aluminum boat was ideal for the shallow habitat he fished, fuel management was essential for ensuring he could make the return trip. After a strong Day 1 performance, he had to allow for the weight of a cameraperson and gear.
Removing approximately 150 pounds of tackle and 14 of his usual 20 rods helped, but Christie noted that the higher water of Days 3 and 4 slightly reduced his fuel consumption by allowing him to safely run a straighter course through the Sabine’s many turns.
Carefully calculating his fuel plan and running time, Christie allowed himself a generous return window each day. Reaching the takeoff area with approximately an hour to spare, he flipped shallow targets with a black/blue flake YUM Spine Craw.
On Sunday, that strategy allowed him to make two small culls that contributed to his winning margin.
Hailing from Collinsville, Miss., Mosley tallied a four-day total of 42-9. After taking the Day 1 lead with 15-10 — the event’s heaviest bag — Mosley held the second-place spot for the tournament’s remainder with weights of 12-4, 6-14 and 7-13.
The first three days, Mosley ran 110 miles west to fish Clear Creek on the east side of metro Houston. There, he did most of his work with a 1/2-ounce chartreuse/white Z-Man JackHammer ChatterBait with a white Yamamoto Zako trailer.
Mosley, who also placed second at the previous Elite on Pickwick Lake, switched his strategy and stayed closed to takeoff where he allowed himself maximum fishing time. Starting his day with a reaction bite inspired hope for a big outcome, but the opportunities never materialized.
“I caught my first fish on a spinnerbait and then I thought it was game-on, but I never got another bite on it,” he said. “I ended up catching my limit by flipping a Yamamoto Flappin Hog, then I picked up a frog and went to Adams Bayou. I had the bites, they just never connected.
“At 2:40, I came back up by takeoff and threw the ChatterBait. I had a big one pull off and that kind of stings. I fished as hard as I could; I have no regrets.”
Taku Ito of Chiba, Japan, finished third with 40-12. Turning in a solid performance that accelerated in the second half, Ito caught limits of 9-2, 8-5, 12-4 and 11-1. As he explained, the tough fishing of his Japanese home waters prepared him to capitalize on the late-day downturns, during which he excelled.
“Most anglers are good at catching feeding fish on ChatterBaits, flipping, spinnerbait; but I don’t like shallow fishing, I don’t like power fishing, I don’t like cover — I like finesse fishing,” Ito said. “The afternoon is tough. The current stops, it’s sunny — that’s good for me.”
Targeting the shady areas of a broken bridge near takeoff, Ito caught his bass on Nories Sankaku-T-San (a T-shaped soft-plastic bait) rigged on a 2/0 Ryugi Infini hook with a 3/16- to 1/4-ounce nail weight. His final-round limit included a 3-pounder at 12:20 p.m. and a 3-14 at 2:40.
Marc Frazier of Newnan, Ga., won the Phoenix Boats Big Bass award for his 6-6.
Seth Feider of New Market, Minn., leads the Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings with 341 points, followed by Patrick Walters of Summerville, S.C., with 333, Drew Cook of Cairo, Ga., with 317. Christie with 303 and Mosley with 302.
Bryan New of Belmont, N.C., leads the Rookie of the Year standings with 261 points.
Christie took home $3,000 for being the highest-placing entrant in the Toyota Bonus Bucks program, and Mosley earned $2,000 for being the second-highest placing entrant.
As part of the Yamaha Power Pay program, Christie also earned $4,000 for winning while Ito claimed an additional $1,500 for being the second-highest placing entrant.
2021 Dovetail Games Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River is sponsored by Bassmaster Fishing 2022 – the official video game of B.A.S.S. 4/8-4/11
Sabine River, Orange TX.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 4
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Jason Christie Park Hill, OK 20 43-15 100 $100,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-01 Day 2: 5 13-14 Day 3: 5 06-12 Day 4: 5 08-04
2. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 20 42-09 99 $35,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-10 Day 2: 5 12-04 Day 3: 5 06-14 Day 4: 5 07-13
3. Taku Ito Chiba JAPAN 20 40-12 98 $32,000.00
Day 1: 5 09-02 Day 2: 5 08-05 Day 3: 5 12-04 Day 4: 5 11-01
4. Chris Johnston Otonabee Ontario CANADA 20 39-15 97 $25,000.00
Day 1: 5 09-04 Day 2: 5 12-04 Day 3: 5 10-11 Day 4: 5 07-12
5. Drew Cook Cairo, GA 20 39-14 96 $20,000.00
Day 1: 5 09-15 Day 2: 5 07-07 Day 3: 5 11-10 Day 4: 5 10-14
6. Seth Feider New Market, MN 20 39-07 95 $19,000.00
Day 1: 5 09-13 Day 2: 5 10-13 Day 3: 5 10-02 Day 4: 5 08-11
7. Caleb Sumrall New Iberia, LA 20 38-01 94 $18,000.00
Day 1: 5 09-11 Day 2: 5 09-09 Day 3: 5 11-06 Day 4: 5 07-07
8. Kyle Welcher Opelika, AL 20 37-06 93 $17,000.00
Day 1: 5 10-02 Day 2: 5 07-11 Day 3: 5 11-12 Day 4: 5 07-13
9. Lee Livesay Longview, TX 20 36-13 92 $16,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-08 Day 2: 5 08-10 Day 3: 5 08-04 Day 4: 5 07-07
10. KJ Queen Catawba, NC 20 35-15 91 $16,000.00
Day 1: 5 11-05 Day 2: 5 09-12 Day 3: 5 08-01 Day 4: 5 06-13
Fletcher Shryock Wins Qualifying Round for Group A at General Tire Heavy Hitters
| Alabama Pro Advances Straight into Wednesday’s Championship Round, 2nd- through 9th-place finishers Prep for Tuesday’s Knockout Round
RALEIGH, N.C. (April 11, 2021) – The Major League Fishing (MLF) General Tire Heavy Hitters Presented by Bass Pro Shops event certainly lived up to it’s billing, Sunday, as the best bass anglers in the world caught numerous big fish throughout the day on Jordan Lake that made for a very exciting broadcast for fishing fans. After the last fish had been tallied, pro Fletcher Shryock of Guntersville, Alabama , earned the Group A Qualifying Round victory, catching a two-day total of 23 bass weighing 88 pounds, 13 ounces, and punching his ticket directly into Wednesday’s Championship Round. Link to Photo of Qualifying Round Group A Winner Fletcher Shryock Shryock also won the $25,000 Berkley Big Bass Bonus award Sunday after catching the biggest bass of the two-day Group A Qualifying Round, boating a giant 9-pound, 4-ounce largemouth that he caught flipping a Yamamoto Fat Ika right near the end of Period 2. Berkley Big Bass Bonuses are awarded throughout the competition, with payouts of $25,000, $50,000 and $100,000 being awarded for the single biggest fish in the Qualifying, Knockout and Championship rounds. “I had a pretty incredible day – not just because I won the round, but to catch that many big ones in one day was just awesome,” said Shryock, who earned the first Qualifying Round win of his MLF career. “I got to fish exactly the way that I like to fish, and catching a 9 (pounder) flipping bushes and willows and stuff like that, it just doesn’t happen a lot. These lakes are incredible.” Shryock said his key bait Sunday was the Yamamoto Fat Ika, fished on a prototype Favorite Fishing rod – expected to launch this year at ICAST – with 40-pound Vicious braided line. “I came out today really just trying to stay inside the top-10 cut, but the next thing I knew it was 5-pounder, 4-pounder, 4-pounder, and I just worked my way up the leaderboard. Today was just a great day of fishing, and winning $25,000 and going straight to the Championship Round just makes it that much sweeter.” Pro Dean Rojas of Lake Havasu City, Arizona, also had a special day. After catching just two bass on Friday and ending the first day of competition in dead-last 20th place, Rojas skyrocketed up the leaderboard Sunday, boating 15 bass weighing 57-11 to end the day inside the Toro Cut Line in 6th place and advance to the Knockout Round with a two-day total of 17 bass for 63-5. “I had a great day today, a day that you dream about, especially in competition,” Rojas said. “Especially after only catching five pounds on the first day. Coming back and catching 55 pounds today, what an awesome dream day. And there is no better time to do it than today to move on to the Knockout Round at Heavy Hitters.” The 10 anglers advancing from Group A will have a day off Monday, while the 20 anglers in Group B will complete their two-day Qualifying Round of competition. The Knockout Round, featuring 18 anglers competing to finish in the top eight, will take place on Tuesday. Wednesday’s Championship Round will feature Shryock, Monday’s Group B Qualifying Round winner, and the top eight anglers from the Knockout Round competing in a final-day shootout for the top prize of $100,000. The top 10 pros from Qualifying Group A that now advance to Tuesday’s Knockout Round on Shearon Harris Reservoir are: 1st: Fletcher Shryock, Guntersville, Ala., 23 bass, 88-13 (ADVANCES DIRECTLY TO CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND) Finishing in 11th through 20th in Qualifying Group A are: 11th: Mike McClelland, Blue Eye, Mo., 12 bass, 47-4 A complete list of results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com. Overall, there were 113 bass weighing 405 pounds, 15 ounces caught by 19 pros on Sunday, which included one 9-pounders, two 8-pounders, one 7-pounder and three 6-pounders caught from Jordan Lake. The MLF General Tire Heavy Hitters Presented by Bass Pro Shops is hosted by the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance. The 20 Anglers in Group A competed in their two-day qualifying round on Jordan Lake on Friday and Sunday – the 20 anglers in Group B on Falls Lake on Saturday and Monday. After each two-day qualifying round is complete, the anglers that finish in 2nd through 10th place from both groups advance to Tuesday’s Knockout Round on Shearon Harris, while the winner of each group advances directly to Wednesday’s Championship Round on Shearon Harris. In the Knockout Round, weights are zeroed and the remaining 18 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. |
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Attendance is limited to competing anglers, essential staff and media covering the event only. Fans are encouraged to follow the event online through the MLF NOW!® live stream and SCORETRACKER® coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com
The MLF NOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee, Marty Stone and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action each day of competition from 7:15 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET. MLF NOW!® will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com. and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app. Television coverage of the General Tire Heavy Hitters Presented by Bass Pro Shops will be showcased across six two-hour episodes, premiering at 7 a.m. ET, July 17 on the Discovery Channel. A one-hour special episode of MLF Inside Heavy Hitters will also air on CBS in late 2021. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on the Discovery Channel, with additional re-airings on the Outdoor Channel and the Sportsman Channel. Each two-hour long reality-based episode goes in-depth to break down each day of competition. For complete details and updated information on General Tire Heavy Hitters, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. |
Despite High Water, Christie Maintains Lead At Bassmaster Elite On Sabine River
With a three-day total of 35 pounds, 11 ounces, Jason Christie of Park Hill, Okla., is leading after Day 3 of the 2021 Dovetail Games Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River sponsored by Bassmaster Fishing 2022 – the official video game of B.A.S.S.
Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
April 10, 2021
ORANGE, Texas — Jason Christie had more gas than he needed and more water than he wanted, but the Park Hill, Okla., angler’s three-day total of 35 pounds, 11 ounces allowed him to maintain his lead on Day 3 of the Dovetail Games Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River sponsored by Bassmaster Fishing 2022 – the official video game of B.A.S.S.
Christie placed second on Day 1 with 15-1 and took over the top spot Friday by adding 13-14. On Saturday, the Sabine was in a stingier mood and Christie found only a small limit of 6-12. He holds a 15-ounce lead over Day 1 leader Brock Mosley.
Returning to the same narrow backwater about two hours upriver, Christie found that increased water releases from Toledo Bend Dam had raised the water level in his region about 6 to 7 feet.
With the extra weight of a cameraperson and gear in his boat Friday and Saturday, Christie has been carefully monitoring fuel consumption. On Saturday, the high water facilitated his run but it inundated his playing field.
“Once I got about 15 miles from where I was going, the (river) water was up in the trees,” Christie said. “The good thing was I could run a little straighter line and I had more gas left, but it doesn’t help when you don’t catch a lot of fish.
“I went from 40 to 50 bites a day to seven. I don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow, but at least I got (a limit) today.”
Christie is a shallow-water specialist who surgically picks apart visible targets like the laydowns, cypress knees and cut banks abounding in his backwater spot. On Saturday, the extra water covered much of those features and scattered the bass into the surrounding forest.
Despite his flipping prowess, Christie relied on a 1/2-ounce chartreuse/white/blue Booyah Covert spinnerbait with tandem nickel and gold Colorado blades to catch a limit of spotted bass, including one about 2 1/4 pounds.
“There’s not that many (quality fish) in there and when you quadruple the amount of water, it just spreads them out,” he said. “I’m sure some people might say, ‘Pick up a flipping stick and go to work,’ but with only four hours to fish, I don’t have time to stop and flip.”
After losing a good fish early and struggling to find additional opportunities, Christie pushed farther into the creek. Days 1 and 2, he fished a half mile in. On Saturday, he went about twice as far.
Same as the first two days, Christie allowed himself sufficient time to make the downstream run to weigh-in. Arriving with time to spare, he flipped a few spots close to the ramp with a YUM Spine Craw and culled out his smallest spot with a largemouth.
Despite the changing conditions, Christie’s confident the area he’s fished for three days offers his best opportunity to win.
“I’ve just kept myself in the only place I feel like there’s a big concentration of fish,” he said. “If the water’s still high, I have a couple of places that I tried to get into in practice and I should be able to get into.
“I can’t stay (close to takeoff) and fish. I can’t do it; that’s not me. I gotta go with what got me here.”
Hailing from Collinsville, Miss., Mosley ran 110 miles West to fish Clear Creek near the metro Houston area. He’s made that run each day, but Saturday yielded a small limit of 6-14 to go with his previous weights of 15-10 and 12-4. His three-day total is 34-12.
Mosley started with his game plan of fishing a 1/2-ounce chartreuse/white Z-Man JackHammer ChatterBait with a white Yamamoto Zako trailer along seawalls, docks and shoreline wood. On Saturday, he also reached deeper into the area’s backwaters.
“The last couple of days, I haven’t been able to move around because I’ve been spending some of my day playing defense and keeping (competitors) off the spots where I’ve been catching my better fish,” Mosley said. “Today, I was able to move around a little bit.
“I don’t think my areas are necessarily going dry, but today it seemed like the tide stayed up and I never really felt like the water was moving really strong. I had a lot of bites, but they were just slapping it; they weren’t eating it like they were the last two days.”
Chris Johnston of Peterborough, Canada, is in third with 32-3. After weighing bags of 9-4 and 12-4, he added 10-11 Saturday.
Johnston, who became the first Canadian to win an Elite event with his 2020 victory at the St. Lawrence River, targeted shallow backwaters in the Neches River. He varied his presentations based on tide stage.
“I caught quite a few fish on an unweighted black floating worm when the water was low,” Johnston said. “That seems to be the way I can get a limit. I hadn’t caught any big fish on it all week, but today, I caught a 3 1/4-pounder on it.
“When the water gets back into the (vegetation), that’s when I flip. I caught my biggest fish (3 1/2) flipping a Strike King Rage Bug with a 3/8-ounce Woo Tungsten weight.”
Marc Frazier of Newnan, Ga., is in the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors with his 6-6 largemouth.
Seth Feider of New Market, Minn., leads the Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings with 343 points, followed by Patrick Walters of Summerville, S.C., with 333 and Drew Cook of Cairo, Ga., with 312.
Bryan New of Belmont, N.C., leads the Rookie of the Year standings with 261 points.
The remaining 10 anglers will take off at 6:45 a.m. CT Sunday from the City of Orange Boat Ramp. The weigh-in will be held at the ramp 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 Dovetail Games Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River is sponsored by Bassmaster Fishing 2022 – the official video game of B.A.S.S. 4/8-4/11
Sabine River, Orange TX.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 3
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Jason Christie Park Hill, OK 15 35-11 100
Day 1: 5 15-01 Day 2: 5 13-14 Day 3: 5 06-12
2. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 15 34-12 99
Day 1: 5 15-10 Day 2: 5 12-04 Day 3: 5 06-14
3. Chris Johnston Otonabee Ontario CANADA 15 32-03 98
Day 1: 5 09-04 Day 2: 5 12-04 Day 3: 5 10-11
4. Seth Feider New Market, MN 15 30-12 97
Day 1: 5 09-13 Day 2: 5 10-13 Day 3: 5 10-02
5. Caleb Sumrall New Iberia, LA 15 30-10 96
Day 1: 5 09-11 Day 2: 5 09-09 Day 3: 5 11-06
6. Taku Ito Chiba JAPAN 15 29-11 95 $1,000.00
Day 1: 5 09-02 Day 2: 5 08-05 Day 3: 5 12-04
7. Kyle Welcher Opelika, AL 15 29-09 94
Day 1: 5 10-02 Day 2: 5 07-11 Day 3: 5 11-12
8. Lee Livesay Longview, TX 15 29-06 93
Day 1: 5 12-08 Day 2: 5 08-10 Day 3: 5 08-04
9. KJ Queen Catawba, NC 15 29-02 92 $1,000.00
Day 1: 5 11-05 Day 2: 5 09-12 Day 3: 5 08-01
10. Drew Cook Cairo, GA 15 29-00 91
Day 1: 5 09-15 Day 2: 5 07-07 Day 3: 5 11-10
11. Matt Robertson Kuttawa, KY 15 28-08 90 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 10-11 Day 2: 5 09-00 Day 3: 5 08-13
12. Caleb Kuphall Mukwonago, WI 15 27-15 89 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-00 Day 2: 5 09-03 Day 3: 5 05-12
13. Randy Sullivan Breckenridge, TX 15 27-10 88 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 08-03 Day 2: 5 07-12 Day 3: 5 11-11
14. Yusuke Miyazaki Forney, TX 15 27-03 87 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 08-10 Day 2: 5 08-05 Day 3: 5 10-04
15. Brandon Cobb Greenwood, SC 15 26-12 86 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 11-14 Day 2: 5 06-14 Day 3: 5 08-00
16. John Cox Debary, FL 15 26-07 85 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 09-04 Day 2: 5 11-05 Day 3: 5 05-14
17. Tyler Rivet Raceland, LA 15 25-14 84 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 10-09 Day 2: 5 07-14 Day 3: 5 07-07
18. Hank Cherry Jr Lincolnton, NC 15 25-12 83 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 10-09 Day 2: 5 07-11 Day 3: 5 07-08
19. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 15 25-08 82 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 05-12 Day 2: 5 09-04 Day 3: 5 10-08
20. Brett Preuett Monroe, LA 15 25-07 81 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 08-07 Day 2: 5 09-13 Day 3: 5 07-03
21. Quentin Cappo Prairieville, LA 15 25-02 80 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 06-10 Day 2: 5 08-08 Day 3: 5 10-00
22. Pat Schlapper Eleva, WI 15 25-02 79 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 07-13 Day 2: 5 07-11 Day 3: 5 09-10
23. Ray Hanselman Jr Del Rio, TX 15 25-01 78 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 07-09 Day 2: 5 10-00 Day 3: 5 07-08
24. Luke Palmer Coalgate, OK 15 24-15 77 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 09-01 Day 2: 5 10-07 Day 3: 5 05-07
25. Harvey Horne Bella Vista, AR 15 24-12 76 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 07-05 Day 2: 5 08-10 Day 3: 5 08-13
26. Marc Frazier Newnan, GA 12 24-06 75 $11,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-02 Day 2: 2 02-15 Day 3: 5 09-05
27. Hunter Shryock Ooltewah, TN 15 24-01 74 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 06-13 Day 2: 5 08-02 Day 3: 5 09-02
28. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 15 24-00 73 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 09-02 Day 2: 5 08-00 Day 3: 5 06-14
29. Bob Downey Hudson, WI 15 23-10 72 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 10-01 Day 2: 5 07-03 Day 3: 5 06-06
30. Clark Wendlandt Leander, TX 15 22-14 71 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 07-14 Day 2: 5 06-14 Day 3: 5 08-02
31. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 15 22-10 70 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 06-13 Day 2: 5 08-05 Day 3: 5 07-08
32. Patrick Walters Summerville, SC 15 22-07 69 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 08-09 Day 2: 5 06-09 Day 3: 5 07-05
33. Justin Atkins Florence, AL 15 22-04 68 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 09-11 Day 2: 5 06-01 Day 3: 5 06-08
34. Gerald Swindle Guntersville, AL 15 21-05 67 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 06-11 Day 2: 5 08-05 Day 3: 5 06-05
35. Brad Whatley Bivins, TX 15 20-13 66 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 05-14 Day 2: 5 09-01 Day 3: 5 05-14
36. Matt Arey Shelby, NC 15 20-13 65 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 07-08 Day 2: 5 07-11 Day 3: 5 05-10
37. Scott Martin Clewiston, FL 14 19-14 64 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 07-04 Day 2: 5 08-15 Day 3: 4 03-11
38. Robbie Latuso Gonzales, LA 11 19-13 63 $10,000.00
Day 1: 2 05-10 Day 2: 5 09-03 Day 3: 4 05-00
39. Matt Herren Ashville, AL 13 19-08 62 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 09-03 Day 2: 5 06-02 Day 3: 3 04-03
40. Brandon Card Salisbury, NC 10 19-06 61 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 07-11 Day 2: 5 11-11 Day 3: 0 00-00
41. Jake Whitaker Fairview, NC 12 19-02 60 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 07-09 Day 2: 5 07-12 Day 3: 2 03-13
42. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 13 18-02 59 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 07-02 Day 2: 5 07-13 Day 3: 3 03-03
43. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 12 18-01 58 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 04-02 Day 2: 5 10-11 Day 3: 2 03-04
44. Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 11 17-10 57 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 10-03 Day 2: 4 04-07 Day 3: 2 03-00
45. Skylar Hamilton Dandridge, TN 12 17-10 56 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 10-00 Day 2: 5 05-08 Day 3: 2 02-02
46. Brian Snowden Reeds Spring, MO 11 17-06 55 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 08-12 Day 2: 5 07-12 Day 3: 1 00-14
47. Koby Kreiger Alva, FL 11 16-14 54 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 07-10 Day 2: 5 07-03 Day 3: 1 02-01
48. Destin DeMarion Grove City, PA 11 16-06 53 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 06-02 Day 2: 5 08-13 Day 3: 1 01-07
49. Drew Benton Blakely, GA 10 14-11 52 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 07-04 Day 2: 5 07-07 Day 3: 0 00-00
Bryan Thrift Leads Qualifying Group B at General Tire Heavy Hitters
| North Carolina Pro Catches 13 Bass Weighing 44 Pounds, 7 Ounces on Wake Forest’s Falls Lake to Lead Group B’s Qualifying Round after Day 1, Group A to Wrap Up Their Qualifying Round Sunday on Jordan Lake
RALEIGH, N.C. (April 10, 2021) – Pro Bryan Thrift of Shelby, North Carolina, boated 13 scorable bass totaling 44 pounds, 7 ounces to lead after day 1 for Qualifying Group B at the General Tire Heavy Hitters Presented by Bass Pro Shops. Thrift will bring a 6-pound, 12-ounce, lead over second-place pro Stephen Browning of Hot Springs, Arkansas, into Monday’s second day of competition in the Qualifying Round for Group B. Browning landed 11 scorable bass totaling 37-11, while pro Cliff Pace of Petal, Mississippi, rounds out the top three, catching 11 bass totaling 36-10 to end the day in third place. Link to Photo of Qualifying Round Group B Leader Bryan Thrift Sunday will be the third day of competition in the six-day all-star tournament that showcases 40 anglers that qualified from the 2020 Bass Pro Tour season competing for more than $535,000, including a top prize of $100,000, and Big Bass Bonuses with payouts of $25,000, $50,000 and $100,000 being awarded for the single biggest fish in the Qualifying, Knockout and Championship rounds. The 20 anglers in Group B will now have a day off on Sunday, while the 20 anglers from Group A will wrap up their two-day Qualifying Round. Group B will finish their Qualifying Round on Monday. “Today was a pretty good day, but I’m glad it’s over because I am tired and starting to cramp up,” said Thrift in the post-game interview. “Every bass that I caught today came from the same vicinity. I left for a couple of hours and tried to get bit elsewhere, but I never could put anything else together. I came back in here about midway through the third period and that was the end of it.” Thrift credited two baits as being the key to his day. “I caught all of my fish today on two baits – a white frog and a 5-inch black-and-red flake-colored Damiki Stinger,” Thrift said. “I threw the frog on my Signature Series 7-foot, 2-inch, medium-heavy Fitzgerald Frog rod, paired with an Abu Garcia Revo STX reel and spooled with 50-pound P-Line TCBX braid. “For the Stinger, I fished it Texas-rigged and weightless,” Thrift continued. “I like throwing the weightless Stinger on a baitcaster, rather than a spinning rod. It flies through the air very streamlined, and you can use a little bigger line and can get a better hookset. This allows me to get it into tighter places and a little thicker cover and not worry about breaking fish off.” Thrift’s Damiki Stinger setup was a 7-foot heavy Fitzgerald Stunner rod paired with the Abu Garcia Revo STX and 15-pound P-Line fluorocarbon line and a 5/0 Berkley Fusion 19 worm hook. Stephen Browning was enthusiastic about his day on the water Saturday, excitedly talking about how he went “old-school” to catch his 11 fish. “I got to fish in my wheelhouse today, the way I like fishing – kicking up the mud with the trolling motor and getting way back in the super-skinny water,” Browning said. “It was just my day, today. There was a timeframe right near the beginning of the second period where I struggled a little bit, but for the most part I made good moves all day. “The fish were sitting in about 18 inches of water, and I went old-school on them,” Browning continued. “My equipment wasn’t old-school – I used a 7-foot, 4-inch St. Croix Legend heavy rod with a Lew’s Tournament Pro reel and 20-pound Gamma line, but just threw an old-school tube. I used a 5/0 Owner hook, and green-pumpkin and black and red flake were good in the morning, while green-pumpkin was better in the afternoon. It had to be a real subtle presentation.” Third-place angler Cliff Pace credited his decisions on the water for his strong performance as well. “Today is the best day that I’ve had since I’ve been here, so anytime that you can say that you have to be happy,” the Mississippi pro said. “I just had one of those days where pretty much everything I did worked. Every decision I made paid off in some way or another. I just kind of rolled with the flow today and was fortunate enough to continually just catch some throughout the day. I can’t complain, at all.” The standings for the 20 pros from Qualifying Group B after Day 1 on Falls Lake are: A complete list of results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com. Overall, there were 111 bass weighing 356 pounds, 8 ounces caught by the 20 pros on Saturday, which included six 6-pounders, nine 5-pounders and twelve 4-pounders caught from Falls Lake. Coulter weighed in the biggest bass of the day, a 6-pound, 14-ounce largemouth that he caught flipping a jig during Period 3. If Coulter’s fish remains the largest bass weighed by Group B after the conclusion of their Qualifying Round on Monday, he will take home a $25,000 Big Bass Bonus. Big Bass Bonuses are awarded throughout the competition, with payouts of $25,000, $50,000 and $100,000 being awarded for the single biggest fish in the Qualifying, Knockout and Championship rounds The MLF General Tire Heavy Hitters Presented by Bass Pro Shops is hosted by the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance. The 20 Anglers in Group A compete in their two-day qualifying round on Jordan Lake on Friday and Sunday – the 20 anglers in Group B on Falls Lake on Saturday and Monday. After each two-day qualifying round is complete, the anglers that finish in 2nd through 10th place from both groups advance to Tuesday’s Knockout Round on Shearon Harris, while the winner of each group advances directly to Wednesday’s Championship Round on Shearon Harris. In the Knockout Round, weights are zeroed and the remaining 18 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. |
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Attendance is limited to competing anglers, essential staff and media covering the event only. Fans are encouraged to follow the event online through the MLF NOW!® live stream and SCORETRACKER® coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com
The MLF NOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee, Marty Stone and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action each day of competition from 7:15 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET. MLF NOW!® will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com. and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app. Television coverage of the General Tire Heavy Hitters Presented by Bass Pro Shops will be showcased across six two-hour episodes, premiering at 7 a.m. ET, July 17 on the Discovery Channel. A one-hour special episode of MLF Inside Heavy Hitters will also air on CBS in late 2021. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on the Discovery Channel, with additional re-airings on the Outdoor Channel and the Sportsman Channel. Each two-hour long reality-based episode goes in-depth to break down each day of competition. For complete details and updated information on General Tire Heavy Hitters, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. |
Christie Pushes Deep For Lead In Bassmaster Elite Series Event At Sabine River
With a two-day total of 28 pounds, 15 ounces, Jason Christie of Park Hill, Okla., is leading after Day 2 of the 2021 Dovetail Games Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River sponsored by Bassmaster Fishing 2022 – the official video game of B.A.S.S.
Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
April 9, 2021
ORANGE, Texas — Putting significant distance between himself and the rest of the 98-boat field, Jason Christie amassed a two-day total of 28 pounds, 15 ounces and took over the Day 2 lead of the 2021 Dovetail Games Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River sponsored by Bassmaster Fishing 2022 – the official video game of B.A.S.S.
Placing second on Thursday with 15-1, the pro from Park Hill, Okla., added 13-14 Friday.
Christie is running nearly two hours up the Sabine River to fish a small backwater area with abundant shallow cover and clear water. He caught fish flipping yesterday, but with more inflowing water, a 1/2-ounce chartreuse/white/blue Booyah Covert spinnerbait with tandem nickel and gold Colorado blades produced best Friday.
“The water was high and the current was ripping in there and I’m starting to think that the best thing to do is just cover water when it’s high,” Christie said. “Tomorrow, I might go up there and it might be low and the current’s slowed down and I can catch them flipping again. I’ll just have to see what happens when I get there.”
Christie had previously visited his general area when the Elites last visited the Sabine in 2018. Expanding his waters led him to greater opportunity.
“I just didn’t go far enough the last time we were here, and it seems like they’re tucked in there a little ways,” Christie said. “I had practiced up there and, honestly, I had written it off, but I got home and looked at Google Earth and there was one place I hadn’t been.
“The bites I had in other places had been one here, one there, so I needed a place like I found that had a lot of fish.”
Christie has the place to himself, but that’s largely because of the daunting run through a winding river peppered with sandbars, floating logs and other day-wreckers. He’s running up and back at a cautious 35 to 40 mph.
“I could run faster, but maybe that was a blessing, because as soon as you start thinking you can run up there, you hit something,” Christie said. “So, I’m just cruising.”
The other consideration is fuel consumption. Christie runs a 21-foot XPress aluminum boat, which is significantly lighter than similar-sized fiberglass boats. To further lighten his load and increase fuel economy, he removed about 150 pounds of tackle from his boat.
Nevertheless, with no fueling options upriver from the takeoff site, Christie had to account for the extra weight of a cameraperson and related gear.
“I ran it in practice and I ran it the first day of the tournament by myself and, both times, when I shut down in my place, I’d have 20.8 or 20.6 gallons left, which is almost half of what I can carry,” Christie said. “Today, when I shut down, I had 19.4, so I knew that I had to do some switching.
“I dropped two gallons per hour and cruised at 10 to 11 and it really helped. The best I can figure, I (returned with) 3/4 gallon left.”
Christie said his conservative approach was essential for making the Top 49 cut. On Saturday, he’ll still carefully monitor fuel flow on his Garmin unit, but he may fish longer.
“Tomorrow, I feel like to have a chance to win I’m going to have to push it a little bit,” he said. “But it’s very nerve-wracking as far as fuel and getting back.”
Day 1 leader Brock Mosley again made the long run to the Houston area, added 12-4 to his opening weight of 15-10 — the event’s largest bag — and tallied 27-14. Facing windier conditions today, Mosley was initially planning to remain in the Sabine, but he made a spontaneous call to replicate his first day’s game plan.
“I asked a lot of my buddies on tour what they would do; most of them said they would go in a heartbeat," Mosley said. “I made up my mind last night that I wasn’t going, but I was sitting there before takeoff and (fellow Elites) Drew Benton and Drew Cook were like, ‘Why aren’t you going?’
“I said, ‘I don’t think I can make it,’ and they said, ‘You know you already have enough to make the cut, you might as well try to win this thing and you’re not going to win it over here.’”
Returning to the same bayou on Houston’s east side, Mosley again targeted seawalls, docks and shoreline wood with a 1/2-ounce chartreuse/white Z-Man ChatterBait JackHammer with a white Yamamoto Zako trailer.
“I got over there, caught a couple of good ones really quick, left a little before 12 and got back a little after 2,” Mosley said. “I actually made it there quicker than I did yesterday, but I gave myself over three hours to get back. It only took me a little over two.”
Caleb Kuphall of Mukwonago, Wis., held steady in third place with 22-3. Adding 9-3 to the 13 pounds he weighed in on Day 1, Kuphall returned to the same area and fished a series of small channels off the main river.
“I spent most of my day in there and caught most of my keepers, but it’s getting hit hard and I may have to get something else going,” Kuphall said. “I caught my biggest fish in a different area with a similar scenario.”
Kuphall caught most of his fish on a homemade 3/8-ounce green pumpkin flipping jig with a craw chunk-style trailer. He caught his biggest fish on a spinnerbait.
Marc Frazier of Newnan, Ga., is in the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors with his 6-6 largemouth that he caught on Day 1.
Seth Feider of New Market, Minn., leads the Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings with 340 points, followed by Patrick Walters of Summerville, S.C., with 331 and Christie with 303.
Bryan New of Belmont, N.C., leads the Rookie of the Year standings with 261 points.
Saturday’s takeoff is scheduled for 6:45 a.m. CT at the City of Orange Boat Ramp. The weigh-in will be held at the ramp at 3 p.m., with the Top 10 anglers advancing to Championship Sunday.
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 Dovetail Games Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River is sponsored by Bassmaster Fishing 2022 – the official video game of B.A.S.S. 4/8-4/11
Sabine River, Orange TX.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 2
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Jason Christie Park Hill, OK 10 28-15 100
Day 1: 5 15-01 Day 2: 5 13-14
2. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 10 27-14 99
Day 1: 5 15-10 Day 2: 5 12-04
3. Caleb Kuphall Mukwonago, WI 10 22-03 98
Day 1: 5 13-00 Day 2: 5 09-03
4. Chris Johnston Otonabee Ontario CANADA 10 21-08 97
Day 1: 5 09-04 Day 2: 5 12-04
5. Lee Livesay Longview, TX 10 21-02 96
Day 1: 5 12-08 Day 2: 5 08-10
6. KJ Queen Catawba, NC 10 21-01 95 $1,000.00
Day 1: 5 11-05 Day 2: 5 09-12
7. Seth Feider New Market, MN 10 20-10 94
Day 1: 5 09-13 Day 2: 5 10-13
8. John Cox Debary, FL 10 20-09 93
Day 1: 5 09-04 Day 2: 5 11-05
9. Matt Robertson Kuttawa, KY 10 19-11 92
Day 1: 5 10-11 Day 2: 5 09-00
10. Luke Palmer Coalgate, OK 10 19-08 91
Day 1: 5 09-01 Day 2: 5 10-07
11. Brandon Card Salisbury, NC 10 19-06 90
Day 1: 5 07-11 Day 2: 5 11-11
12. Caleb Sumrall New Iberia, LA 10 19-04 89
Day 1: 5 09-11 Day 2: 5 09-09
13. Brandon Cobb Greenwood, SC 10 18-12 88
Day 1: 5 11-14 Day 2: 5 06-14
14. Tyler Rivet Raceland, LA 10 18-07 87
Day 1: 5 10-09 Day 2: 5 07-14
15. Hank Cherry Jr Lincolnton, NC 10 18-04 86
Day 1: 5 10-09 Day 2: 5 07-11
16. Brett Preuett Monroe, LA 10 18-04 85
Day 1: 5 08-07 Day 2: 5 09-13
17. Kyle Welcher Opelika, AL 10 17-13 84
Day 1: 5 10-02 Day 2: 5 07-11
18. Ray Hanselman Jr Del Rio, TX 10 17-09 83
Day 1: 5 07-09 Day 2: 5 10-00
19. Taku Ito Chiba JAPAN 10 17-07 82
Day 1: 5 09-02 Day 2: 5 08-05
20. Drew Cook Cairo, GA 10 17-06 81
Day 1: 5 09-15 Day 2: 5 07-07
21. Bob Downey Hudson, WI 10 17-04 80
Day 1: 5 10-01 Day 2: 5 07-03
22. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 10 17-02 79
Day 1: 5 09-02 Day 2: 5 08-00
23. Yusuke Miyazaki Forney, TX 10 16-15 78
Day 1: 5 08-10 Day 2: 5 08-05
24. Brian Snowden Reeds Spring, MO 10 16-08 77
Day 1: 5 08-12 Day 2: 5 07-12
25. Scott Martin Clewiston, FL 10 16-03 76
Day 1: 5 07-04 Day 2: 5 08-15
26. Harvey Horne Bella Vista, AR 10 15-15 75
Day 1: 5 07-05 Day 2: 5 08-10
27. Randy Sullivan Breckenridge, TX 10 15-15 74
Day 1: 5 08-03 Day 2: 5 07-12
28. Justin Atkins Florence, AL 10 15-12 73
Day 1: 5 09-11 Day 2: 5 06-01
29. Skylar Hamilton Dandridge, TN 10 15-08 72
Day 1: 5 10-00 Day 2: 5 05-08
30. Pat Schlapper Eleva, WI 10 15-08 71
Day 1: 5 07-13 Day 2: 5 07-11
31. Matt Herren Ashville, AL 10 15-05 70
Day 1: 5 09-03 Day 2: 5 06-02
32. Jake Whitaker Fairview, NC 10 15-05 69
Day 1: 5 07-09 Day 2: 5 07-12
33. Matt Arey Shelby, NC 10 15-03 68
Day 1: 5 07-08 Day 2: 5 07-11
34. Patrick Walters Summerville, SC 10 15-02 67
Day 1: 5 08-09 Day 2: 5 06-09
35. Quentin Cappo Prairieville, LA 10 15-02 66
Day 1: 5 06-10 Day 2: 5 08-08
36. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 10 15-02 65
Day 1: 5 06-13 Day 2: 5 08-05
37. Marc Frazier Newnan, GA 7 15-01 64 $1,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-02 Day 2: 2 02-15
38. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 10 15-00 63
Day 1: 5 05-12 Day 2: 5 09-04
39. Gerald Swindle Guntersville, AL 10 15-00 62
Day 1: 5 06-11 Day 2: 5 08-05
40. Brad Whatley Bivins, TX 10 14-15 61
Day 1: 5 05-14 Day 2: 5 09-01
41. Destin DeMarion Grove City, PA 10 14-15 60
Day 1: 5 06-02 Day 2: 5 08-13
42. Hunter Shryock Ooltewah, TN 10 14-15 59
Day 1: 5 06-13 Day 2: 5 08-02
43. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 10 14-15 58
Day 1: 5 07-02 Day 2: 5 07-13
44. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 10 14-13 57
Day 1: 5 04-02 Day 2: 5 10-11
45. Robbie Latuso Gonzales, LA 7 14-13 56
Day 1: 2 05-10 Day 2: 5 09-03
46. Koby Kreiger Alva, FL 10 14-13 55
Day 1: 5 07-10 Day 2: 5 07-03
47. Clark Wendlandt Leander, TX 10 14-12 54
Day 1: 5 07-14 Day 2: 5 06-14
48. Drew Benton Blakely, GA 10 14-11 53
Day 1: 5 07-04 Day 2: 5 07-07
49. Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 9 14-10 52
Day 1: 5 10-03 Day 2: 4 04-07
50. Buddy Gross Chickamauga, GA 10 14-09 51 $5,000.00
Day 1: 5 09-02 Day 2: 5 05-07
51. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 10 14-07 50 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 06-00 Day 2: 5 08-07
52. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 10 14-04 49 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 08-03 Day 2: 5 06-01
53. Jason Williamson Wagener, SC 10 14-03 48 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 08-09 Day 2: 5 05-10
54. Chris Groh Spring Grove, IL 9 14-01 47 $2,500.00
Day 1: 4 05-11 Day 2: 5 08-06
55. Carl Jocumsen Queensland AUSTRALIA 8 14-01 46 $2,500.00
Day 1: 3 06-04 Day 2: 5 07-13
56. Ed Loughran III Richmond, VA 10 14-00 45 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 05-00 Day 2: 5 09-00
57. Joshua Stracner Vandiver, AL 10 14-00 44 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 07-03 Day 2: 5 06-13
58. Justin Hamner Northport, AL 10 13-05 43 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 08-01 Day 2: 5 05-04
59. Darold Gleason Many, LA 9 13-03 42 $2,500.00
Day 1: 4 06-07 Day 2: 5 06-12
60. Kenta Kimura Osaka JAPAN 6 13-01 41 $2,500.00
Day 1: 1 01-00 Day 2: 5 12-01
61. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 9 13-00 40 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 07-07 Day 2: 4 05-09
62. Chris Zaldain Fort Worth, TX 9 12-12 39 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 06-04 Day 2: 4 06-08
63. Rick Morris Lake Gaston, VA 7 12-07 38 $2,500.00
Day 1: 3 05-04 Day 2: 4 07-03
64. Shane LeHew Catawba, NC 10 12-06 37 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 05-01 Day 2: 5 07-05
65. Wes Logan Springville, AL 10 12-03 36 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 07-12 Day 2: 5 04-07
66. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 8 12-03 35 $2,500.00
Day 1: 3 04-11 Day 2: 5 07-08
67. Bill Weidler Helena, AL 9 12-01 34 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 06-06 Day 2: 4 05-11
68. Randy Pierson Oakdale, CA 10 11-15 33 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 06-05 Day 2: 5 05-10
69. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 10 11-13 32 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 06-08 Day 2: 5 05-05
70. Cory Johnston Cavan CANADA 8 11-04 31 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 07-15 Day 2: 3 03-05
71. Scott Canterbury Odenville, AL 7 11-03 30 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 08-10 Day 2: 2 02-09
72. Jeff Gustafson Keewatin Ontario CANADA 8 10-13 29 $2,500.00
Day 1: 3 04-10 Day 2: 5 06-03
73. Austin Felix Eden Prairie, MN 8 10-11 28 $2,500.00
Day 1: 4 04-05 Day 2: 4 06-06
74. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 6 10-10 27 $2,500.00
Day 1: 1 02-10 Day 2: 5 08-00
75. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 8 10-10 26 $2,500.00
Day 1: 3 03-09 Day 2: 5 07-01
76. Jay Yelas Lincoln City, OR 6 10-08 25
Day 1: 1 01-02 Day 2: 5 09-06
77. Gregory DiPalma Millville, NJ 8 09-15 24
Day 1: 5 06-14 Day 2: 3 03-01
78. Gary Clouse Winchester, TN 7 09-13 23
Day 1: 3 04-04 Day 2: 4 05-09
79. Bryan New Belmont, NC 8 09-10 22
Day 1: 4 04-10 Day 2: 4 05-00
80. Jamie Hartman Newport, NY 8 09-09 21
Day 1: 3 03-04 Day 2: 5 06-05
81. Derek Hudnall Denham Springs, LA 8 09-09 20
Day 1: 4 05-00 Day 2: 4 04-09
82. Mike Huff Corbin, KY 8 09-07 19
Day 1: 5 06-02 Day 2: 3 03-05
83. Clent Davis Montevallo, AL 10 09-06 18
Day 1: 5 05-06 Day 2: 5 04-00
84. Frank Talley Temple, TX 8 09-05 17
Day 1: 5 06-09 Day 2: 3 02-12
85. Micah Frazier Newnan, GA 8 08-15 16
Day 1: 3 03-00 Day 2: 5 05-15
86. Todd Auten Lake Wylie, SC 8 08-15 15
Day 1: 3 03-08 Day 2: 5 05-07
87. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 8 08-08 14
Day 1: 5 05-09 Day 2: 3 02-15
88. David Fritts Lexington, NC 8 08-05 13
Day 1: 3 03-03 Day 2: 5 05-02
89. Shane Lineberger Lincolnton, NC 8 08-02 12
Day 1: 5 04-10 Day 2: 3 03-08
90. Bryan Schmitt Deale, MD 6 07-06 11
Day 1: 1 01-02 Day 2: 5 06-04
91. Cody Hollen Beaverton, OR 5 07-05 10
Day 1: 1 01-05 Day 2: 4 06-00
92. Kyle Monti Okeechobee, FL 5 07-01 9
Day 1: 5 07-01 Day 2: 0 00-00
93. Garrett Paquette Canton, MI 5 06-03 8
Day 1: 2 02-07 Day 2: 3 03-12
94. Chad Morgenthaler Reeds Spring, MO 5 06-02 7
Day 1: 1 01-11 Day 2: 4 04-07
95. Chad Pipkens Dewitt, MI 5 05-13 6
Day 1: 1 01-01 Day 2: 4 04-12
96. Kelley Jaye Dadeville, AL 3 04-09 5
Day 1: 1 01-05 Day 2: 2 03-04
97. Rob Digh Denver, NC 2 02-15 4
Day 1: 2 02-15 Day 2: 0 00-00
98. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 1 01-09 3
Day 1: 1 01-09 Day 2: 0 00-00
Michael Neal Grabs Early Lead Friday at General Tire Heavy Hitters
| Dayton, Tennessee Pro Weighs 13 Bass Totaling 51 Pounds, 15 Ounces to Lead Qualifying Group A after Day 1, Group B to Compete Saturday
RALEIGH, N.C. (April 9, 2021) – The big bass were chewing on Jordan Lake, Friday. Pro Michael Neal of Dayton, Tennessee, caught 13 scorable bass weighing 51 pounds, 15 ounces to jump out to the early lead on day 1 for Qualifying Group A at the General Tire Heavy Hitters Presented by Bass Pro Shops . The six-day all-star tournament showcases 40 anglers that qualified from the 2020 season competing for more than $535,000, with a top prize of $100,000 going to the winner of the event, and Big Bass Bonuses during the competition with payouts of $25,000, $50,000 and $100,000 being awarded for the single biggest fish in the Qualifying, Knockout and Championship rounds. Link to Photo of Qualifying Round Group A Leader Michael Neal Neal will bring a 5-pound, 3-ounce, lead into Sunday’s second day of competition for Group A. In second place on the SCORETRACKER® leaderboard is pro Boyd Duckett of Guntersville, Alabama, who has 24 top-10 finishes and more than $1.8 million in career winnings, who caught 12 bass totaling 46-12. Fellow Guntersville, Alabama pro Chris Lane sits in third place, 6 pounds, 8 ounces back of Neal with 12 bass weighing 45-7. The 20 anglers in Group A will now enjoy a day off Saturday, while the 20 anglers in Group B will begin their Day 1 Qualifying Round. Group A resumes competition on Sunday. “Today was awesome – everything worked out just like I thought it would,” said the 29-year-old Neal, who has more than $1 million in career earnings. “Not catching a bass in the second period was disappointing, but at the same time I had some other ideas that I thought might work and it allowed me to get those our of the way. “The fish are still much more prespawn than I thought that they would be,” Neal continued. “The water temperature is over 70 degrees, and I would have thought that the fish would be in the backs of the creeks and bays and pockets trying to spawn. But, when you look at them, they’re all real fat, healthy, big fish and about to bust. And they’re still on more of what I would call wintertime or early spring jerkbait-type looking banks, and I’m really not sure why they are still there.” Neal said that every bass that he landed Thursday came on a Z-Man ChatterBait. “I caught everything today, every single one of them, on a ½-ounce ChatterBait,” Neal said. “I threw it on 7-foot, 2-inch medium-heavy Denali Kovert rod with 20-pound Sunline Sniper line. These are big fish, and you don’t want to come out here with light line. “Jordan is a great lake and I can’t wait to get back out here Sunday,” Neal went on to say. “It’s going to be another knockdown, drag-out fight all the way to the end. I’ve got a good pattern, and I really don’t think it’s going to go anywhere. I’m hoping that the wind will blow a little more like it did this afternoon – it really helped the bite.” Second-place angler Boyd Duckett would almost assuredly have had the day one lead over Neal if he hadn’t lost some key fish. “It was a very frustrating day for me. I lost a lot of big fish today – I think I lost around 23 pounds, visibly, and that hurts a lot,” Duckett said. “I had a good lead at one point, but that’s how it goes some days. The good news is that I had a great day and I’m right there at it in second place. It’s all going to come down to what happens on Sunday.” Third-place pro Chris Lane said he had a very fun day on the water, despite having to fish much slower than usual. “Anytime you’re in contention to win the round after the first day, that’s a good thing,” Lane said. “I think the biggest for me today was that I had to fish slow. And that’s very hard to do when you’re on the clock. I was casting a Bass Pro Shops soft plastic on a 7-foot, 3-inch medium-heavy Duckett rod and just having fun. We were able to catch a lot of really nice fish, and I think moving forward it will continue to be good.” The standings for the 20 pros from Qualifying Group A after Day 1 on Jordan Lake are: A complete list of results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com. Overall, there were 173 bass weighing 591 pounds, 10 ounces caught by the 20 pros on Thursday, which included two 7-pounders, six 6-pounders and ten 5-pounders caught from Jordan Lake. Gagliardi weighed in the biggest bass of the day Thursday, a 7-pound, 15-ounce largemouth that he caught flipping a creature bait during Period 2. If Gagliardi’s fish remains the largest bass weighed by Group A after the conclusion of the Qualifying Round on Sunday, he will take home a $25,000 Big Bass Bonus. Big Bass Bonuses are awarded throughout the competition, with payouts of $25,000, $50,000 and $100,000 being awarded for the single biggest fish in the Qualifying, Knockout and Championship rounds The MLF General Tire Heavy Hitters Presented by Bass Pro Shops is hosted by the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance. The 20 Anglers in Group A compete in their two-day qualifying round on Jordan Lake on Friday and Sunday – the 20 anglers in Group B on Falls Lake on Saturday and Monday. After each two-day qualifying round is complete, the anglers that finish in 2nd through 10th place from both groups advance to Tuesday’s Knockout Round on Shearon Harris, while the winner of each group advances directly to Wednesday’s Championship Round on Shearon Harris. In the Knockout Round, weights are zeroed and the remaining 18 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. |
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Attendance is limited to competing anglers, essential staff and media covering the event only. Fans are encouraged to follow the event online through the MLF NOW!® live stream and SCORETRACKER® coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com
The MLF NOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee, Marty Stone and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action each day of competition from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. MLF NOW!® will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com. and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app. Television coverage of the General Tire Heavy Hitters Presented by Bass Pro Shops will be showcased across six two-hour episodes, premiering at 7 a.m. ET, July 17 on the Discovery Channel. A one-hour special episode of MLF Inside Heavy Hitters will also air on CBS in late 2021. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on the Discovery Channel, with additional re-airings on the Outdoor Channel and the Sportsman Channel. Each two-hour long reality-based episode goes in-depth to break down each day of competition. For complete details and updated information on General Tire Heavy Hitters, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. |
Sumrall Feeling at Home on Sabine
Courtesy of Luke Stoner - Dynamic Sponsorships
Before Caleb Sumrall ever weighed a solid five fish limit on day one of the Dovetail Games Bassmaster Elite at the Sabine River, it was easy to see the Carhartt pro was feeling right at home.
Sumrall likes the way this fishery sets up, but most importantly he has his family here in Orange, Texas this week. Having his wife Jacie, their daughter Clelie, and son Axel in town has provided a sense a peace far more critical than any particular fishing detail.
“My family is always my support crew when I’m at these tournaments, but it’s not too often I get to have them here,” Sumrall said with a smile. “Knowing I get to see their faces at weigh-in and can give them a hug at the end of the day makes all the difference in the world.”
Sumrall lives just two short hours from this notorious river system and while he didn’t finish where he would have liked to on his first trip here in 2018, he left knowing he could improve on his result.
“In 2018 I learned I can attack this place exactly like I fish at home on the Atchafalaya Basin,” Sumrall explained. “I’ll talk more specifically about how I’m catching my fish tomorrow, but it’s straight up shallow water power fishing. I haven’t even been putting my electronics on the front deck of my boat this week. I’m committed to skinny water and I love it!”
Much like many of his fellow competitors, Sumrall is making a relatively long 45-mile run in his Yamaha powered Xpress Boat to his primary area each day and is fishing around several other anglers. The lighter aluminum boat coupled with his Yamaha Outboard’s performance in super shallow water is something Sumrall believes gives him an edge over his peers.
Sumrall is able to access harder to reach places where some other anglers simply can’t get. When every single keeper bite is crucial like on the Sabine River, small subtleties and details are magnified. Sumrall is wisely leaning into the advantages his equipment provides for this tournament.
Another important factor Sumrall has on his side this week is momentum. Sumrall is coming off back-to-back top 20 finishes on the Tennessee River and Pickwick Lake. He is fishing well and feeling extremely good mentally and physically; all important pieces of the puzzle that play into professional anglers’ performance on the water.
The 2017 B.A.S.S. Nation Champion finished day one tied for 17th place and hopes to bring another solid five fish limit to the scales to give his family and support crew something to cheer about. But at the end of the day, he knows the people around his boat are far more important than the fish in his livewell.
Mosley’s Long Run Earns Lead In Bassmaster Elite Series Event At Sabine River
With a first-day weight of 15 pounds, 10 ounces, Brock Mosley of Collinsville, Miss., is leading after Day 1 of the 2021 Dovetail Games Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River sponsored by Bassmaster Fishing 2022 – the official video game of B.A.S.S.
Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
April 8, 2021
ORANGE, Texas — A last-minute decision to run two hours to the Houston area rewarded Brock Mosley with a five-fish limit of 15 pounds, 10 ounces, which leads Day 1 of the 2021 Dovetail Games Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River sponsored by Bassmaster Fishing 2022 – the official video game of B.A.S.S.
Familiar with the potential of the tournament’s western boundary, Mosley, who hails from Collinsville, Miss., ran the Intracoastal Waterway, crossed Galveston Bay and settled into a narrow waterway on Houston’s east side. While he was pleased with his decision, he admitted he made the commitment shortly before takeoff.
“I was one of the last boats to check out (Boat 97), so I knew all the spots around Orange would be covered up,” Mosley said. “I spent three days of practice trying to talk myself out of making that run, but this morning, I decided to go.
“Also, I knew the wind wasn’t going to blow today, but it’s supposed to blow tomorrow and I know I can’t go back tomorrow. It’s going to be 20- to 30-mph winds and there’s no way.”
Refueling near his starting spot allowed Mosley to fish uninterrupted until making the 100-plus-mile ride back to weigh-in. Targeting a mix of docks, seawalls, cypress trees, shade and current breaks, Mosley said he saw evidence of recent spawning.
“I saw a lot of fry (recently hatched bass); I don’t know if those fish were guarding fry or what they were doing, but they were biting,” he said. “I don’t know if they even get fished very often.”
Mosley caught his fish on a 1/2-ounce chartreuse/white Z-Man ChatterBait JackHammer with a white Yamamoto Zako trailer.
“There are other ways to catch them, but that’s the way I like to catch them because I can fish so fast,” Mosley said. “I know guys like to slow down and flip, but in tough tournaments, I like to cover as much water as I can.”
Mosley said his day exceeded his expectations, both in terms of quality and quantity.
“I had no idea I was going to catch that kind of weight today,” he said. “I went over there hoping to catch 9 or 10 pounds and I got a 5 1/2-pound kicker. It took me 20 minutes to catch a limit when I got there.
“It’s a long ride and it’s hard on you; it’s a lot of wear and tear. It just paid off today.”
Fishing pressure in the Sabine River and its local tributaries was Mosley’s main motivator to even consider the Houston trip. Having competed in a previous Elite event on the Sabine in 2018, he recognized that he’d be facing a more limited scenario this year.
“After being here in ’18, there’s not as many places to get multiple bites,” he said. “Where there are, there’s a lot of boats. That was the key.
“I tried to catch all I could catch today, and then if I can catch 7 or 8 pounds tomorrow around Orange, I’ll still be in the game.”
Jason Christie of Park Hill, Okla., is in second place with 15-1. Focusing on a shallow backwater area, Christie said he fished a variety of shallow cover and used a wide selection of reaction and flipping baits.
Noting that he had a busy day with several keepers, Christie said he was pleasantly surprised with the caliber of fish he caught.
“I was fortunate enough the last day of practice to find two areas that had some fish in them,” Christie said. “I really didn’t think they were that big. What I thought were keepers turned into good ones.
“I had two areas; I used one of those today, went to another area, caught one and started heading back. It was really fast and furious.”
Caleb Kuphall of Mukwonago, Wis., is in third place with 13 pounds.
While he expected to be picking through high numbers of bass in hopes of finding a quality bite, Kuphall said he was thankful to find two “luck bites.”
“Out here, anything over 3 pounds, I’d consider it a luck bite,” Kuphall said. “My practice didn’t go that well; on my best day, I probably had 8 pounds. Today, I got lucky and caught two giants (approximately 4-2 and 3-11).”
Kuphall said he caught four of his keepers on an unspecified jigging presentation. He also caught one on a topwater bait.
“My two kickers were in two completely different areas,” Kuphall said. “Where I caught the first one, I had high hopes for that one. I culled out everything I caught early this morning in that area. I didn’t hit it too hard today, so I think there’s more there.”
Marc Frazier of Newnan, Ga., is in the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors with his 6-6 largemouth.
Patrick Walters of Summerville, S.C., leads the Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings with 336 points, followed by Seth Feider of New Market, Minn., with 331 and Greg Hackney of Gonzales, La., with 311.
Justin Hamner of Northport, Ala., leads the Rookie of the Year standings with 274 points.
Friday’s takeoff is scheduled for 6:45 a.m. CT at the City of Orange Boat Ramp. The weigh-in will be held at the ramp at 3 p.m., with the Top 49 anglers advancing to Saturday’s semifinal round.
Live coverage for the event can be streamed on Bassmaster.com and the FOX Sports digital platforms.
Douglas Lake May Be Heading To Opportune Scenario For Bassmaster Open
Tennessee's Douglas Lake will host the Basspro.com Bassmaster Southern Open April 15-17, 2021.
Photo by Gerald Crawford/B.A.S.S.
April 8, 2021
DANDRIDGE, Tenn. — Consistency will be critical at the Basspro.com Bassmaster Southern Open on Douglas Lake, but Tennessee pro John Garrett says Mother Nature has been stirring the pot.
Fluctuations have been significant, but the long view shows a potential scenario that could work out well for competitors.
Competition days will be April 15-17 with daily takeoffs from Dandridge Boat Ramp at 6:45 a.m. ET. Weigh-ins Days 1 and 2 will take place at the ramp at 2:45 p.m., with the final-day weigh-in moving to the Bass Pro Shops in Kodak, Tenn., at 3:45 p.m.
“I’ve been keeping up with the water level, and it’s insane how much Douglas is changing day by day right now,” Garrett said about a week before the tournament. “We had a lot of rain (two weeks prior to the event) and it was coming up a foot a day for five days.
“It reached 990 feet, which is full pool, it remained stable for about two days and it’s been falling back about a foot a day for the past four days. It is projected to fall a foot a day for (several more days).”
As Garrett explains, muddy water is the immediate concern, while falling water also reduces the amount of fishable shoreline habitat. In Douglas’ case, a lot of the rock and wood that will soon be drained was only temporarily in play during the high water, so that may not have a dramatic impact.
The real story here is bass fishing 101: Spawning fish do not like fluctuations. They want to know it is safe to commit to a shallow-water move and if there’s any hint of significant depth and/or clarity changes, bass hit the pause button.
“The water’s still muddy, so we’re currently looking at prespawn conditions because the water level hasn’t stabilized yet,” Garrett said. “Those fish aren’t going to go into full-blown spawn mode until that water level stabilizes for a couple of days.
“If it stabilizes (soon), we could be looking at possibly a spawning movement by the time we’re there. Even if it’s not an all-out spawn, we’ll have enough color in the water where everything is going to be shallow. I’m thinking it’s going to be a pretty good tournament.”
Douglas Dam impounds Eastern Tennessee’s French Broad River — about 32 miles upstream from where its confluence with the Holston River creates the storied Tennessee River. The 30,400-acre Douglas Reservoir extends 43 miles upriver through the Smoky Mountain foothills.
The entire lake could be in play, with accessibility possibly dwindling in the extreme upper reaches based on water level. While the Tennessee Valley Authority manages Douglas, Garrett notes that this lake doesn’t resemble the more notable TVA reservoirs downstream.
“Douglas acts like a mix between a TVA lake and a highland reservoir,” Garrett said. “It fluctuates 45 feet from winter to full pool and that has a lot to do with it.
“Also, the current on Douglas is very, very minimal, so a lot of times, these fish don’t set up on current-oriented places like they do on Chickamauga, Pickwick or Kentucky Lake.”
Garrett said there’s an outside chance that could factor into the equation. Specifically, if the region’s mostly warm weather continues, a seasonal acceleration might see a postspawn movement to offshore structure.
In the more likely shallow scenario, Garrett points to water clarity as the key. If the tournament finds Douglas with a favorable level of visibility, sight fishing could become one of the dominant patterns, if not the winning deal.
“Also, a lot of smallmouth bass could come into play if that water cleans up,” Garrett said. “On lakes that don’t fluctuate a lot, the smallmouth normally spawn a little before; but on Douglas they all tend to push up at one time — when the water level stabilizes.”
With smallmouth spawning deeper on bluff banks, rocky humps, etc., this is more of a drop shot, swimbait, Ned rig or cranking strategy. For largemouth, Texas-rigged worms, lizards and creature baits handle the sight-fishing opportunities, while buzzbaits, shallow crankbaits and bladed jigs will tempt staging prespawners.
With conditions generally moving in the right direction, Garrett said he’s expecting Douglas to make a good showing. He thinks it will take 13 to 14 pounds a day to reach the Top 10, with the winner averaging 15 to 16.
“You’ll have to get a couple of good (kicker) bites; I think you’ll have to run into a couple of 3 1/2- to 4 1/2-pound bites. Also, you’ll have to have enough water to rotate for at least two days.
“The only way I can see a particular spot winning this tournament is if we get a big spawning wave (before the event) and we get an offshore bite. It won’t be eight of the Top 10 doing that. It might be one or two schools of fish that move out and one person might key in on it.”
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.
B.A.S.S. Reschedules College Tournament Amid Flooding
Flooding at Smith Lake Park in Cullman, Ala., has prompted B.A.S.S. to move the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series at Lewis Smith Lake presented by Bass Pro Shops to May 14-15, 2021.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Heavy spring rains across central Alabama have caused water levels to soar, prompting B.A.S.S. and officials with local hosts at the Cullman Area Chamber of Commerce to postpone the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series at Lewis Smith Lake presented by Bass Pro Shops until May 14-15, 2021.
“Safety is always our top priority for anglers, Bassmaster staff and local volunteers. It is disappointing any time you have to move a tournament, but it is especially important when college anglers are taking time away from their studies to compete that we respect that time,” said College Series Senior Manager Hank Weldon. “These waters should return to normal levels soon, and we're thankful to have found a date in May to ensure this event is rescheduled quickly.”
According to Alabama Power Company, Lewis Smith Lake is not expected to fall to summer pool until mid-April and the forecast is calling for additional rainfall. The ramp and surrounding areas where the tournament was to take place are currently flooded after lake levels reached over 521 feet last week. Smith Dam does not have spillway gates or floodgates but does have a natural spillway designed to allow the lake to overflow safely when it reaches an elevation of 522 feet.
All payments will be transferred to the new tournament date. Any teams who wish to cancel their tournament registration may email the B.A.S.S. tournament department at [email protected] for a refund.
Flooding in the area also prompted officials to postpone the Basspro.com Bassmaster Central Open at Lewis Smith Lake until Oct. 7-9, 2021.
John Cox & Brandon Lester Preview Sabine
Courtesy of Luke Stoner - Dynamic Sponsorships
Bassmaster Elite Series pros John Cox and Brandon Lester were in their boats putting the finishing touches on tackle as I checked in to the hotel here in Orange, Texas. Tomorrow morning marks the start of the Dovetail Games Bassmaster Elite at the Sabine River; a body of water often characterized by fickle fishing, long boat rides, and shallow water techniques.
Both Lester and Cox are known for their shallow water prowess and you’d be hard pressed to find two more steady, even keeled anglers than this pair. Before I let them go eat dinner and celebrate Lester’s birthday, I asked them to preview all things Sabine River.
This week is the first time John Cox has ever fished the Sabine, but his love of sneaking around shallow water hidey-holes in his aluminum Crestliner boat is well documented. Team Toyota’s Brandon Lester has fished two Elite Series derbies here and has cashed a check each time. If anyone can break down the intricate puzzle the Sabine River offers after a few short days of practice, it would be these two.
- The Sabine River is known for some strange and unique “bycatch” when the Elite Series comes to town. What species of fish, other than bass, have you caught this week?
Lester: “I’ve caught a couple big redfish, catfish, gar, a bowfin, and some kind of weird bluegill lookin’ thing. Plenty of fish in this river system no doubt!”
Cox: “I actually can’t say I caught any trash fish during practice. I’ve seen quite a few redfish, some great big ones, and I tried to catch them but I couldn’t get them to eat.”
- What percentage of the population of bass in this fishery do you think are spawning?
Lester: “In my opinion I think most of these fish are done spawning, I’d say 15% at most are still spawning.”
Cox: “I’ve been looking for spawners but I haven’t found much to talk about. Actually, that’s not true… I got stuck for four hours the other day trying to get into what looked like a sweet little spawning pond. Unfortunately I found out there was no water back there and I had to wait until the tide came in. Anyway, I’ll say 10% or less are still spawning.”
- How much weight will an angler need to catch each day to make Championship Sunday?
Lester: “If a guy can catch ten pounds per day, I think they’d find themselves fishing on Sunday.”
Cox: “Shoot, if someone catches ten pounds per day they might win! The weights will be really tight, but I’d agree somewhere around the upper nines or ten pounds per day.”
- What are two techniques you could see excelling this week on the Sabine River?
Lester: “Flipping and pitching soft plastics always plays a role when we come to this place, I’d expect a lot of guys to be doing that and for my second I’d say a spinnerbait.”
Cox: “As you can see by the amount of rods I have on my front deck, I’m definitely not dialed in to just two techniques… but I’d say flipping a soft plastic and a topwater frog.”
2021 Bassmaster High School All-American Team Names 12 New Members
The Top 12 high school anglers in the country have been named to the 2021 Bassmaster High School All-American Fishing Team presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors.
April 7, 2021
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Twelve of the top high school anglers in the country have been selected as new members of the notable Bassmaster High School All-American Fishing Team presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors.
“For seven years, the Bassmaster High School All-American program has identified and honored some of the most accomplished student athletes in the country,” said Bruce Akin, B.A.S.S. CEO. “We’ve seen past members go on to decorated college fishing careers and even compete in the iconic Bassmaster Classic, and know that this group of 12 outstanding All-Americans is equally as talented. We appreciate Academy Sports + Outdoors for partnering with B.A.S.S. to recognize these athletes’ fishing skills and commitment to academics, conservation and community service.”
Over 300 applications nominating students in grades 10-12 were submitted from 34 states across the nation. Of these, 47 students were chosen as Bassmaster All-State anglers. After considering tournament résumés, conservation efforts, community service activities and recommendations from school officials and coaches, a panel of judges consisting of representatives from the sportfishing industry, media and conservation groups further narrowed the field to the Top 12 high school anglers in the country.
“Congratulations to our newest Bassmaster High School All-Americans,” said Hank Weldon, senior manager of the B.A.S.S. High School program. “Our program is exclusive to only the most well-rounded and driven high school anglers, and each of these 12 young anglers and their parents should be proud of this accomplishment. I am looking forward to honoring their achievements at the Neely Henry Elite in May.”
The 2021 All-American team has been invited to participate in an exclusive Bassmaster High School All-American Tournament, which will be held in conjunction with the 2021 Bassmaster Elite at Neely Henry Lake, scheduled to take place May 6-9 in Gadsden, Ala. Each All-American angler will be paired with an Elite Series pro for the one-day derby to be held on a nearby fishery.
Congratulations to the following student athletes for being named to the 2021 Bassmaster High School All-American Fishing Team presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors. Following are short biographies of the 2021 team members. (Only tournament records from the past 12 months were considered.)
Alexis Grandstaff, Headland, Ala.
Alexis Grandstaff, a senior at Headland High School, amassed an impressive two wins in the 2020 tournament season as well as 10 Top 5 finishes and 10 Top 20 finishes. She is a two-time Bassmaster High School National Championship Qualifier (2019 and 2021) as well as the recipient of two Big Fish Awards at Lake Wedowee and Lake Eufaula.
“She has proven herself a fierce competitor in the field of high school bass fishing,” says Shannon V. Smith, Headland Bass Team Head Coach. “She has continuously excelled in her academics and leadership roles. She has been a trusted friend and Bass Team member to many. All of these qualities and more are what make Alexis Grandstaff a top candidate for the Top 12 Bassmaster High School All-American.”
Grandstaff has also served as the Headland Bass Team Secretary, Treasurer and President. Two of her goals were to qualify for the Alabama B.A.S.S. Nation High School Championship and the Bassmaster High School National Championship — since accomplishing both of those goals, she has now set her sights on qualifying for the Bassmaster High School Classic.
Hayden Marbut, Vestavia, Ala.
Hayden Marbut, a senior at Vestavia High School, joins the ranks of the 2021 Bassmaster High School All-American team after netting two first-place finishes in the past 12 months, including winning the 2020 Bassmaster High School National Championship against a 250-plus boat field. He has also racked up seven Top 5 finishes and nine Top 20 finishes.
“In my field, I have met many hardworking, determined, motivated, energetic and intelligent students,” says Curtis Gossett, Briarwood Christian School Fishing Coach. “However, I have never met one as humble, confident and deserving as Hayden Marbut. I can say, undoubtedly, that Hayden will not only succeed in his pursuit of his fishing goals, but in his pursuit of an education and in life as well.”
Marbut not only excels on the water, but he also acts as the captain of the Vestavia Hills High School bass team. He plans to fish on the collegiate level for Auburn University and also fish the Basspro.com Bassmaster Opens in hopes of one day qualifying for the Bassmaster Elite Series.
Zachary Ward, Cabot, Ark.
Cabot High School senior Zachary Ward won three tournaments in the 2020 season as well as an impressive eight Top 5 finishes. The 2020 All-State angler has found success both on the water and in the classroom, maintaining a 3.8 GPA.
“Zach’s combination of academic achievement, leadership and personal character make him an ideal candidate,” says Lindsey Peerson, Cabot High School Algebra 3 teacher. “He is an active member in numerous clubs, some of which include Student Council, National Honor Society and the Cabot Community Fishing Club.”
Ward is not only a leader on the water and in the classroom, but the community as well. He has participated in Heroes Hooked on Fishing, where he helps veterans learn how to fish, and participated in fishing derbies with younger anglers where he acts as a mentor.
Cole Rountree, Clermont, Fla.
Cole Rountree, a junior at South Lake High School, won two tournaments in the 2020 season, as well as netting ten Top 5 finishes and seven Top 20 finishes. He has placed 5th place or higher in every tournament he has participated in during the 2020 and 2021 tournament seasons.
“Cole excels academically and currently maintains a weighted grade point average of 4.65,” says Steven W. Benson II, South Lake High School principal. “I have been excited to hear about Cole’s exploits and successes as an angler, as well as his nonprofit work in the community, including the Buses and Backpacks program and Florida Scrub Jay Youth Camp.”
Rountree is still fairly new to the fishing game, having only picked up fishing in the last three years. In his first year, he earned 5th place in Angler of the Year for the Lake County Teen Sportfishing Association. By his second year, he won Angler of the Year, and he currently holds that same position. His fishing goals include qualifying for state in the B.A.S.S. Nation High School Series, qualifying for the Bassmaster High School National Championship, fishing on the collegiate level and eventually pursuing his dream of competing on the national level.
Tyson Verkaik, Eustis, Fla.
First Academy-Leesburg junior Tyson Verkaik has amassed an impressive three tournament wins, one Top 5 finish and four Top 20 finishes in the 2020 season. Verkaik and his partner finished 2nd in the 2019 Florida Federation Fall Regional which qualified them for the 2020 Bassmaster High School National Championship.
“Tyson is self-motivated with a unique understanding of academia,” says Kelly L. Bonaparte, First Academy-Leesburg Marine Science teacher. “He is able to readily draw from his studies and observations to develop thoughtful responses. Tyson is constantly challenging himself to perform better. He is very mature for his age and he approaches his studies with an astute sense of objectivity.”
Verkaik is an active member of the National Honor Society and very involved in the Student Government Association. He is a citizen volunteer with the University of Florida Lake Watch program where he regularly submits field reports and water samples from his home lake (Lake Woodward) to the University of Florida laboratory for testing and research. Verkaik and his partner are currently ranked in the top spot in the Florida State Trail and hope to return to the Bassmaster High School National Championship.
Laindree Richardson, Benton, Ill.
Laindree Richardson, a junior at Benton Consolidated High School, claimed two first-place finishes, as well as three Top 5 finishes and four Top 20 finishes in the 2020 tournament season. She has competed at every single Bassmaster High School Open in the past three years and plans to continue her success on the collegiate level at Wabash Valley College upon graduation.
“Though Laindree loves to fish, she loves her community even more,” says Lacey Hagerman, Benton Consolidated High School English teacher. “When COVID unexpectedly hit our country in March of last year, Laindree worked to sew over 3,000 masks. She then donated these masks to hospitals, nursing homes, prisons, navy squadrons, youth detention facilities and to local schools. Laindree is the type of strong, female role model that little girls need. She is selfless and unafraid to face new challenges.”
Richardson was selected as a 2020 Bassmaster High School All-State angler and put in hard work on the water, in the classroom and in her community to earn her the title of 2021 Bassmaster High School All-American angler.
Mitchell Straffon, Fenton, Mich.
Mitchell Straffon, a junior at Fenton High School, captured three wins during the 2020 season as well as three Top 5 and two Top 20 finishes. Straffon also competed in a local adult-level tournament series, Cash For Bass, where he notched two wins and three Top 5 finishes. He is a two-time Bassmaster High School National Championship qualifier and placed fourth overall in the Michigan B.A.S.S. Nation Team Tournament in 2020.
Vera Hazlett, a teacher at Fenton High School, says, “Mitchell is always willing to take the lead in the discussion and encourage his classmates to participate. This is typical of Mitchell’s dedication to his commitments; he is thorough and dedicated to quality and meaning.”
In 2020, Straffon volunteered at the Michigan Ultimate Fishing Show and several Bassmaster Elite Series events as well as with the Fenton Fire Department Food Pantry. Alongside fishing and volunteer work, Straffon works a part-time job and plays on his high school’s junior varsity golf team, all whilst maintaining a 3.76 GPA.
Cole Moulton, Enfield, N.H.
Cole Moulton, a junior at Mascoma Valley Regional High School, netted three wins in the 2020 tournament season as well as one Top 20 finish. He is a three-time qualifier for the Bassmaster High School National Championship (2019-2021) and a two-time qualifier for the Bassmaster Junior National Championship (2017-2018). Moulton started a community fishing club in order to compete in high school fishing tournaments. In 2020 this club became the official bass fishing team of Mascoma High School, where he serves as team captain.
“He personally petitioned for our school to attain ‘club’ status in New Hampshire for a Bass Fishing Team. With Cole as a catalyst, Mascoma High School has begun the process of making fishing a varsity-level sport,” says Keli S. Green, Mascoma Varsity soccer coach, driver educator and mathematics teacher.
Moulton also serves as president of the New Hampshire Junior Bassmasters and plays defensive position on the Mascoma Varsity Soccer Team, where he was selected by his teammates to serve as co-captain during his senior year.
Carter Doren, Las Vegas, Nev.
Green Valley High School junior Carter Doren won four tournaments in the 2020 tournament season, including the BBZ JC National Championship. BBZ JC Tournament Director William Siemantel describes Doren’s win, “His attitude and demeanor was nothing less than a seasoned professional that had grace and poise. He showed no ego, was gracious to all the supporting sponsors and showed professional respect to all of his competing anglers.”
Additionally, Doren was the 2020 Co-Angler of the Year for the Nevada Bass Anglers, an adult fishing club, where he placed in the Top 5 multiple times. Off the water, he is the social media director for his high school’s fishing club and is working to develop the local adult fishing club’s social media presence as well. And, although he is only a junior, Doren has already received a $38,000 scholarship to Bethel University for fishing.
Doren has also developed and run a fishing seminar for high school kids at his local pond, where he helped give away rods, reels and baits to youth and junior anglers who did not have the proper equipment. He has also volunteered with Bass Pros Shops’ Bluegill Tank teaching local children about catch-and-release techniques.
Hunter Keller, Morganton, N.C.
Hunter Keller, a senior at Freedom High School, won three tournaments in the 2020 season, as well as two Top 5s and three Top 20s, including a sixth-place finish in the Bassmaster High School National Championship, which featured a field of 240-plus boats. He also competed in the Foothills Marine Tuesday Night Tournaments, where in the span of 15 tournaments he won once, placed in the Top 5 twice and secured an additional five Top 10 finishes.
“His passion for fishing led him to start the Freedom High School Bass Team,” said Dustin Haigler, Freedom High School club advisor. “Since its initiation, the club has performed exceptionally well in tournaments but also in reaching out to help serve local businesses and supporters, all of which Hunter has had a direct influence over.”
Keller was the highest-placing Yamaha Engine in the Bassmaster High School National Championship, which netted him $10,000 through the Yamaha Power Pay program. He was the eighth recruit in the nation for Top Tier Fishing and the first in the state of North Carolina. He currently sits in first place in points standings for the North Carolina High School B.A.S.S. Nation and finished in the Top 5 in 2019 and 2020. Alongside his fishing and community service work, Keller also runs his own lure-making business, Dirty Dawgs Custom Lures, works as a farmhand at a local ranch and works as a seasonal employee at a Christmas tree farm.
Connor Dunn, Lucas, Texas
Lovejoy High School junior, Connor Dunn, netted three big wins in the 2020 tournament season, all of which were against fields that featured 170-plus boats. He also placed in the Top 20 twice against fields of similar sizes. He placed eighth for the 2019-2020 Texas High School Bass Association North Division Angler of the Year and is currently in first place for the 2020-2021 Angler of the Year title.
Jasen R. Eairheart, a teacher at Lovejoy High School, says, “Whether furthering his education in demanding courses, diligently preparing for his next soccer match or fishing tournament, or sacrificing his time to better the community, Connor strives to grasp the most from life.”
Dunn is the Lovejoy High School Fishing Club leader and is also on track to earn a Service Cord before his graduation, a cord earned by completing at least 400 hours of philanthropy service during high school. His community service involvement is extensive, and he has also worked with a variety of nonprofit organizations, including but not limited to, Allen Ministerial Alliance Food Pantry, Allen Community Outreach, Amazing Grace Food Pantry, Feed My Starving Children and Operation Christmas Child. He does all this whilst being enrolled in multiple AP classes, where he maintains a 4.29 GPA.
Turner Hart, Ashland, Va.
Patrick Henry High School senior, Turner Hart, captured two tournament wins as well as eight Top 5 finishes and two Top 20s. As a junior he earned a spot in the 2020 Bassmaster High School National Championship in Tennessee. He is currently confirmed as a pro angler in the upcoming Basspro.com Bassmaster Northern Open on the James River in mid-May.
Prior to his sophomore year, Hart worked with the B.A.S.S. Nation of Virginia State Youth Director Jack Babcock to establish a high school fishing team since his school did not have one. “Turner adapts to the situations that are presented to him with an open mind, calm temperament and professional manner,” says Babcock. “Turner is a wonderful young man with the courage, strength and ability to pursue his education and professional career goals.” In his sophomore and junior year, Hart’s team finished 5th and 2nd respectively in the Virginia B.A.S.S. Nation High School State Championship.
Alongside fishing tournaments, Hart participates in cleanup activities along the Chickahominy and James River. He does so while maintaining a 3.9 GPA and playing as midfielder on the Patrick Henry High School Varsity Soccer team, where as a sophomore he was named leading scorer and offensive MVP.
"86 thousand reasons to smile"
This week Chris and the boys welcome in Toyota Series Pro and Champ Adam Wagner to the show to talk about his most recent win on a stingy Dale Hollow Lake. Adam doesn't share all the juice but enough to get us excited about shallow water fishing. Check it out!
Experience The Thrill Of Big Bass Fishing With Bassmaster Fishing 2022, Coming This Fall
April 6, 2021
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Gamers and anglers alike can celebrate as Dovetail Games, developer and publisher of authentic simulation titles, announced a new partnership with B.A.S.S. to create the biggest bass fishing video game ever made, Bassmaster Fishing 2022.
As part of the partnership, Dovetail Games and Bassmaster Fishing 2022, the official video game of B.A.S.S., will be featured as the title sponsor of this week’s Bassmaster Elite at the Sabine River in Orange, Texas.
“B.A.S.S. remains at the forefront of promoting fishing and reaching out to new audiences,” said B.A.S.S. CEO Bruce Akin. “We are incredibly excited to be partnering with Dovetail Games on Bassmaster Fishing 2022, and we can’t wait to see our tournaments and anglers featured in-game. Having the official video game as the title sponsor for the Elite event at the Sabine River demonstrates how successful this partnership is going to be.”
Bassmaster Elite Series angler Scott Martin is working closely with Dovetail Games to help create this exciting new simulation title and will be featured prominently throughout the game and its career modes. Martin’s dream of competing on the Elite Series, qualifying for the iconic Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk and fulfilling his family’s legacy is well-known in the fishing world, and soon players will be able to see if they have what it takes to become a Bassmaster Classic champion.
“I’m pumped to be working with Dovetail Games again,” said Martin. “Everyone knows I have unfinished family business and my aim is to win the biggest prize in bass fishing. I’m so excited that fans will get the opportunity to try to do the same through the game. It would be incredible to win my first Elite Series event when Bassmaster Fishing 2022 is the title sponsor.”
Jon Rissik, CEO of Dovetail Games, echoes Akin and Martin’s enthusiasm. “Partnering with a prestigious organization like B.A.S.S. and an Elite angler like Scott Martin is incredibly exciting, especially for our passionate team of anglers creating the game. The expertise, experience and knowledge of the Bassmaster team and Scott will help ensure a fantastic and authentic sportfishing experience.”
In development for the PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One family of devices including the Xbox One X and Windows PC via Steam, the in-depth fishing simulation will release in North America and Europe this fall.
More information about the new technology and features being added to Bassmaster Fishing 2022 to enhance immersion and deliver an authentic angling experience will be announced in the coming months.
Visit Bassmasterthegame.com as well as Bassmaster and Scott Martin’s social channels for updates.
Raleigh Readies for Major League Fishing’s General Tire Heavy Hitters Event
| All-Star Tournament to Showcase 40 Bass Pro Tour Anglers Targeting Big Bass Over Six Days for a Purse of More than $535,000
RALEIGH, N.C. (April 5, 2021) – Major League Fishing (MLF), the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, is set to visit Raleigh this week for the kickoff of the second-annual General Tire Heavy Hitters Presented by Bass Pro Shops , April 9-14. Hosted by the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance, the tournament will showcase 40 anglers that qualified from the 2020 Bass Pro Tour season competing for more than $535,000, with a top prize of $100,000 going to the winner of the event, and Big Bass Bonuses during the competition with payouts of $25,000, $50,000 and $100,000 being awarded for the single biggest fish in the Qualifying, Knockout and Championship rounds. Bass-fishing phenom Jordan Lee was the big winner at the first-ever Heavy Hitters event in 2020 at the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes in Kissimmee, Florida. The Alabama pro pocketed $200,000 at that event - $100,000 for the biggest fish in the Championship Round and $100,000 for winning the event. The 2021 Heavy Hitters tournament will be contested on the same waters that produced a big-fish bonanza when the Bass Pro Tour visited Raleigh in 2019 – Jordan Lake, Falls Lake and Shearon Harris Reservoir. That event produced 57 largemouth weighing 6 pounds or more, including a 9-pound, 4-ounce giant caught by Texas pro Todd Faircloth. Unlike the Raleigh event in 2019 where anglers flip-flopped back and forth between Jordan and Falls lakes in the five days leading up to the Championship Round on Shearon Harris, this time around the 20 anglers in Group A will fish both of their Heavy Hitters qualifying days (Friday and Sunday) on Jordan Lake while Group B will focus two days solely on Falls Lake (Saturday and Monday). That change will allow anglers to focus their three-day practice time on one less lake, providing them a better chance to identify big-fish patterns on the lakes they’ll fish. “The fact that we don’t have to break down three lakes in three days is a huge, huge deal,” said GEICO pro Mike McClelland of Blue Eye, Missouri, who will be among the 40 anglers competing in the event. “It allows a guy to maybe figure out how to catch one of those $25,000 or $50,000 fish by spending more time on one particular body of water. This event has a major focus on catching big ones, and generally, you’ll catch bigger ones the more time you spend on one body of water.” As part of Group A, McClelland will fish two days on Jordan’s 13,900 acres. That fishery – which produced one of the best days of big-fish action in recent memory on Day 1 of the 2019 Bass Pro Tour event – is loaded with hard cover in the form of riprap, submerged roadbeds, etc. The 12,000-acre Falls of the Neuse River is a mix of riverine water on the upper end and wider, flatter, deeper water on the lower end. “Falls and Jordan are really different fisheries,” McClelland said. “At Jordan, you’re more than likely going to be catching them shallow one way or another, but at Falls, you have the option to go up the river as far as you can go, or you can go to the bottom end, which is totally different. Focusing on just one lake, hopefully, you can get on some kind of solid pattern, and then maybe think ‘What will I drag out of the tackle box that’ll get a big ol’ one to bite?’ You’ll have a better opportunity to focus on big fish.” As part of the event, MLF sponsor MossBack Fish Habitat has partnered with the MLF Fisheries Management Division for a habitat restoration project on Lake Mackintosh on Saturday, April 10 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. With assistance from the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, MLF pro and MossBack pro staffer Greg Vinson will team up with five high school anglers from the area to construct the MossBack habitat and then drop the structures in a few different locations in Lake Mackintosh. Vinson and two of the high school anglers will return to fish the structures on Wednesday, April 14 to show how quickly bass in the lake adapt to the new structures. Additional details about the habitat restoration will be forthcoming. The 20 Anglers in Group A compete in their two-day qualifying round on Jordan Lake on Friday and Sunday – the 20 anglers in Group B on Falls Lake on Saturday and Monday. After each two-day qualifying round is complete, the anglers that finish in 2nd through 10th place from both groups advance to Tuesday’s Knockout Round on Shearon Harris, while the winner of each group advances directly to Wednesday’s Championship Round on Shearon Harris. In the Knockout Round, weights are zeroed and the remaining 18 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. In addition to the tournament, Big Bass Bonuses are awarded in each round of competition with payouts of $25,000, $50,000 and $100,000 awarded to the single biggest fish in the Qualifying, Knockout and Championship rounds. |
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| To qualify for the 2021 General Tire Heavy Hitters event, the weight of an angler’s single-largest bass from each event of the five 2020 Bass Pro Tour events was recorded. The 40 anglers with the heaviest big-fish totals from those five events qualified to compete in this event.
Attendance is limited to competing anglers, essential staff and media covering the event only. Fans are encouraged to follow the event online through the MLF NOW!® live stream and SCORETRACKER® coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com The MLF NOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee, Marty Stone and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action on all five days of competition from 7:15 a.m. to 4 p.m. MLF NOW!® will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com. and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app. Television coverage of the General Tire Heavy Hitters Presented by Bass Pro Shops will be showcased across six two-hour episodes, premiering at 7 a.m. ET, July 17 on the Discovery Channel. A one-hour special episode of MLF Inside Heavy Hitters will also air on CBS in late 2021. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on the Discovery Channel, with additional re-airings on the Outdoor Channel and the Sportsman Channel. Each two-hour long reality-based episode goes in-depth to break down each day of competition. For complete details and updated information on General Tire Heavy Hitters, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. |
Grand Lake Set to Host Toyota Series Event
GROVE, Okla. (April 5, 2021) – The Major League Fishing (MLF) Toyota Series presented by A.R.E. Plains Division will continue its 2021 season with a tournament this week in Grove, Oklahoma, April 8-10, with the Toyota Series presented by A.R.E. at Grand Lake presented by Fenwick . Hosted by the City of Grove, the three-day tournament will feature the region’s best bass-fishing pros and Strike King co-anglers casting for a top prize of up to $65,000, plus an additional $35,000 bonus if the winner is a qualified Phoenix Boat owner.
“Grand Lake is an awesome part of the country to be in,” said MLF pro James Elam of Tulsa, Oklahoma, who has three career wins – one on Grand Lake . “It’s a good place to learn and a fun place to fish a bass tournament.
“The best thing about Grand Lake is that it fishes really well across the entire fishery, compared to a lot of places I’ve fished around the country. Tournaments can be won in several different ways, all over the lake.”
Elam said Grand is a pattern lake, so if anglers can get on the fish and find certain baits to catch them, they can duplicate that in a lot of different areas on the fishery.
“The fish seem to be fat and healthy right now – any time a lake freezes over like Grand did in February, it usually kills the shad, which makes for a fat, happy bass, because they feed really well. A harsh winter typically pushes the spawn back a little further than it would normally be, but that also makes it a better spawn because all the bass come up at once.”
Elam said he anticipates bass will be moving up to spawn over the next week or so and predicts an average of 19 pounds per day will get anglers in the top three for the tournament.
“Where fish are spawning, I expect to see guys sight-fishing, throwing a wacky rig and topwater baits,” said Elam. “Areas of the lake where fish are still in pre-spawn patterns, we’ll probably see more of a jig, crankbait and spinnerbait bite.”
Anglers will take off daily at 7 a.m. CT from Wolf Creek Park in Grove. Weigh-ins will also be held at the park and will begin at 3 p.m. Attendance is limited to competing anglers and essential staff only. Fans are encouraged to follow the event online through the “MLF Live” weigh-in broadcasts and daily coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
In Toyota Series regular-season competition, payouts are based on the number of participants competing in the event, scaling up for every 20 boats over 160 and scaling down for every boat below 160. With a 160-boat field, pros fish for a top prize of $40,000, plus an extra $35,000 if Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus qualified. Strike King co-anglers cast for the top prize of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard (valued at $33,500). With a 260-boat field, pros fish for a top award of $65,000, plus an extra $35,000 if Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus qualified. Strike King co-anglers cast for the top prize of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard (valued at $33,500) plus $5,000 cash.
The 2021 Toyota Series presented by A.R.E. consists of six divisions – Central, Northern, Plains, Southern, Southwestern and Western – each holding three regular-season events, along with the International division. Anglers who fish all three qualifiers in any of the eight divisions and finish in the top 25 will qualify for the no-entry-fee Toyota Series presented by A.R.E. Championship for a shot at winning $235,000 cash, including a $35,000 Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus for qualified anglers. The winning Strike King co-angler at the championship earns a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard. The 2021 Toyota Series Championship presented by A.R.E. will be held Oct. 28-30 on Pickwick Lake in Counce, Tennessee, and is hosted by the Hardin County Convention and Visitors Bureau.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Toyota Series presented by A.R.E. on the MLF BIG5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram , and YouTube.
Saginaw Bay Lands Three Summer Bassmaster Events
Three Bassmaster tournaments will be held on Saginaw Bay June 16-19.
Photo courtesy of Michigan Department of Natural Resources
April 5, 2021
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Michigan’s massive Saginaw Bay will host three regular-season events this June, B.A.S.S. officials announced today. College bass anglers will head north for the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, which will be held June 16-17. Meanwhile young anglers will get their opportunity to weigh in a giant Saginaw smallmouth during the Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School Series presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors and Mossy Oak Fishing Junior Series tournaments, both on June 19.
“We’re excited to give young anglers an opportunity to compete on Lake Huron and Saginaw Bay,” said College and High School Series Senior Manager Hank Weldon. “B.A.S.S. is always looking for opportunities to let college and high school anglers compete on a diverse range of water. Many of these teams might be experiencing a northern fishery for the first time, but it also gives teams who can’t travel to events in other parts of the country a chance to qualify for 2021 National Championship tournaments.”
Weldon credits local host Bangor Charter Township along with strong partners from the Michigan B.A.S.S. Nation and Great Lakes Bay Area Convention & Visitors Bureau with bringing these large tournaments — and their boost to the local economy — to Saginaw Bay. Due to overwhelming interest in the series, B.A.S.S. will once more cap the College and High School Series field sizes at 250 boats. Each high school event will also include a field of up to 50 boats for competitors ranging from second to eighth grade as part of the Junior Series.
At more than 1,100 square miles, Saginaw is not only the largest of Lake Huron’s bays but is also the largest freshwater coastal wetland in the United States. While the fishery hosts healthy populations of both largemouth and smallmouth bass, the area has been known traditionally for walleye fishing.
In 2019, Saginaw Bay ranked No. 8 on Bassmaster Magazine’s Best Bass Lakes list. The fishery has appeared on the Top 100 Best Bass Lakes list five times since 2016.
Online registration for the College, High School and Junior Series will open Thursday, April 8 at 4 p.m. CT. For more information, visit Bassmaster.com.
Wagner Dominates Toyota Series Event on Dale Hollow Lake
Cookeville Angler Goes Wire-To-Wire on Back-to-Back Wins, Brings Home $86,575
BYRDSTOWN, Tenn. (April 3, 2021) – Toyota Series angler Adam Wagner of Cookeville, Tennessee, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Friday weighing 16 pounds, 10 ounces to win the three-day Toyota Series presented by A.R.E. at Dale Hollow Lake in Byrdstown, Tennessee. Wagner’s three-day total of 15 bass weighing 53-11 earned him the win by a whopping 10-pound, 12-ounce margin over second-place angler Brandon Cline of Wheelersburg, Ohio , and earned Wagner the top payout of $86,575, including the lucrative $35,000 Phoenix MLF BIG5 contingency award, in the second tournament of the 2021 Toyota Series Central Division Presented by Neat Companies.
“It was pretty awesome being able to lead wire-to-wire,” Wagner said of his most recent of 16 career wins in MLF competition – four on Dale Hollow. “My win last year [on Dale Hollow Lake] was really awesome, too. That was one of my favorite wins because of the way I found them and the comeback, but this one is pretty special, too.”
His finish adds another Top-10 finish to Wagner’s resume, bringing his total Top-10 finishes to 70 in the last 20 years.
“I was rattled coming into the final day because I only had five bites on Day Two,” he admitted. “I had one area that I had saved that I thought I could go in and catch five. I saved it for today and they bit really good. I caught all my fish in that one area.
“[On Day 2] I pulled into that area I was saving, and I almost fished it, but I’m really glad I didn’t.”
Wagner weighed in 10-pounds, 13-ounces less on Thursday than he did on Wednesday, and said he was certain his lead would evaporate by the end of the Day 2 weigh-in. However, nearly everyone strugged that day due to a cold front that moved Dale Hollow’s impressive bass population off the bank.
Wagner said he knew he’d need to at least catch a limit on Championship Friday to contend for the victory, so he picked up his flipping stick, as he had done all week, and went up shallow.
“I caught every fish in this tournament on a Big Bite Baits Craw Tube in watermelon red, flipping dirt-shallow near run-ins on Wednesday with the rain, and off the bank a little more on Thursday as the cold front pushed fish further from their future beds,” said Wagner.
A second day of cold, sunny conditions moved those same fish back up ultra-shallow on Championship Friday and Wagner said he was ready for them, bringing in a 16-10 bag on a day when Bass Pro Tour angler Bryan Thrift was the only other pro to weigh in a limit.
Wagner said confidence is what made all the difference in this tournament.
“I don’t know what to say about it,” he said. “It’s just a confidence thing – I’ve done this for so long – I just have confidence in everything I do.”
The top 10 pros on the Dale Hollow Lake finished:
1st: Adam Wagner of Cookeville, Tenn., 15 bass, 53-11, $86,575
2nd: Brandon Cline of Wheelersburg, Ohio, 13 bass, 42-15, $20,250
3rd: Bryan Thrift of Shelby, N.C., 14 bass, 42-9, $14,250
4th: Jimmy Washam of Covington, Tenn., 13 bass, 41-1, $12,250
5th: Robert Reagan of Byrdstown, Tenn., 12 bass, 37-12, $11,250
6th: Derek Remitz of Grant, Ala., 12 bass, 37-7, $9,125
7th: Ryan Salzman of Huntsville, Ala., 12 bass, 35-9, $7,900
8th: Derik Hudson of Concord, Va., 12 bass, 33-14, $7,100
9th: Chase Henley of Kingston, Tenn., 10 bass, 30-7, $5,900
10th: Steve Lopez of Oconomowoc, Wis., 11 bass, 29-2, $4,500
A complete list of results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Wagner and Mason Sapp of Campbellsville, Kentucky, each took home an additional $75 for the Day One Berkley Big Bass award in the pro division, with a bass weighing 5 pounds, 11 ounces. Ethan McDonald of Livingston, Tennessee, won the Day Two Berkley Big Bass award in the pro division, bringing a bass weighing 6-pounds even to the scale.
Wagner’s winning total included an extra $35,000 as the highest finishing Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus member. Boaters are eligible to win up to an extra $35,000 per event in each Toyota Series tournament if all requirements are met. More information on the Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.
Bryan McNeal of Cabot, Arkansas, won the Strike King Co-angler Division Friday with a three-day total of seven bass weighing 25 pounds, 5 ounces. McNeal took home the top prize package of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard motor.
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers on Dale Hollow Lake finished:
1st: Bryan McNeal of Cabot, Ark., seven bass, 25-5, Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat w/115-hp outboard
2nd: Timothy Jolley of Monroe, Tenn., eight bass, 24-2, $6,125
3rd: Steven Curtsinger of Buffalo, Ky., nine bass, 24-0, $4,900
4th: Chad Cartwright of Eddyville, Ky., eight bass, 24-0, $3,950
5th: Chris Graham of Blue Ridge, Ga., nine bass, 22-11, $3,450
6th: Pop Catalin of Cookeville, Tenn., eight bass, 22-2, $2,950
7th: Jared Mataczynski of Wausau, Wis., eight bass, 21-15, $2,450
8th: Zach Haitz of Ripley, Ohio, six bass, 21-0, $1,975
9th: Bobby Gray of Lexington, Ky., seven bass, 19-9, $1,590
10th: Bud McKelvey of Knoxville, Tenn., five bass, 15-8, $1,350
In the Strike King co-angler division, the $100 Day One Berkley Big Bass award winner was Danell McKinney of West Liberty, Kentucky, with a 5-pound, 8-ounce bass, while the $100 Day Two award went to McNeal with a 5-pound, 5-ounce bass.
The Toyota Series at Dale Hollow Lake was hosted by the Byrdstown-Pickett County Chamber of Commerce. It was the second of three regular-season tournaments in 2021 for Central Division Presented by Neat Companies anglers. The next event for Toyota Series anglers will take place on April 8-10 – the Toyota Series at Grand Lake presented by Fenwick in Grove, Oklahoma. For a complete schedule, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The 2021 Toyota Series presented by A.R.E. consists of six divisions – Central, Northern, Plains, Southern, Southwestern and Western – each holding three regular-season events, along with the International division. Anglers who fish all three qualifiers in any of the eight divisions and finish in the top 25 will qualify for the no-entry-fee Toyota Series presented by A.R.E. Championship for a shot at winning $235,000 cash, including a $35,000 Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus for qualified anglers. The winning Strike King co-angler at the championship earns a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard.
The 2021 Toyota Series Championship presented by A.R.E. will be held Oct. 28-30 on Pickwick Lake in Counce, Tennessee, and is hosted by the Hardin County Convention and Visitors Bureau.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Toyota Series presented by A.R.E. on the MLF BIG5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
East Texas Baptist University Wins Seventh-Annual Abu Garcia College Fishing Open at Lake Chickamauga
DAYTON, Tenn. (April 1, 2021) – The East Texas Baptist University duo of Cannon Bird of Marshall, Texas and Jacob Keith of Jefferson, Texas, won the seventh-annual Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI Open tournament at Lake Chickamauga on Wednesday. The team’s two-day cumulative total of 10 bass weighing 38 pounds, 13 ounces, gave them a mere 3-ounce-margin over the second-place team, Bryan College’s Cole Sands of Calhoun, Tennessee, and Conner DiMauro of Dayton, Tennessee, who brought 10 bass to the stage weighing 38-10. The ETBU victory earned the duo a $33,500 prize package, including a new Phoenix 518 Pro with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard, and an automatic berth into the 2022 Abu Garcia College Fishing National Championship.
A total of 228 teams competed in the event on Lake Chickamauga, setting the record for the most teams in Major League Fishing history to compete in the College Fishing Open. With such a large field of competitors, Keith and Bird said they didn’t initially believe they could vault to the win based off of their Day One results.
“We didn’t think we had a shot,” Bird said. “There were guys that dropped some really big bags on Day One and we only had 18 pounds.”
After Tuesday’s sun-splashed day and beautiful blue skies, Wednesday brought in cold, driving rain. But Keith and Bird had a plan and executed it methodically and deliberately.
The duo said they had practiced around the marinas dotting Harrison Bay, and that training session gave them confidence for the finale.
“Going into Day Two, we figured, let’s start right back where we caught the 4 (pounder) and the 3 (pounder) the day before,” said Keith. “And immediately Cannon caught another one that was about 3½ pounds.”
Keith and Bird threw a Z-Man Evergreen ChatterBait Jack Hammer – black and blue and fire craw – with the same green pumpkin V&M J-Bug trailers.
The duo said they fished the same pattern both days but thought poor planning may have cost them the chance at a win after Day One.
“We left our stuff down south, probably about 10 o’clock or 10:30 on Day One and started running back toward the weigh-in, just panicking trying to put together a limit,” said Bird. “We were worried that decision had hurt us, but in the long run, it actually helped us because it made us save stuff that we needed to pull out the win on Day Two.”
Bird said winning the tournament is something he will never forget.
“I’ve fished a lot of BFL’s and other tournaments, but I’ve never won a big tournament like this, so it’s crazy.”
The 22 teams that advanced to the 2022 Abu Garcia College Fishing National Championship were:
1st: East Texas Baptist University – Jacob Keith, Jefferson, Texas, and Cannon Bird, Marshall, Texas, 10 bass, 38-13
2nd: Bryan College – Cole Sands, Calhoun, Tenn., and Conner DiMauro, Dayton, Tenn., 10 bass, 38-10
3rd: University of Tennessee – Robert Gee and Reed Noyes, both of Knoxville, Tenn., 10 bass, 35-12
4th: Murray State University – Adam Puckett, Murray, Ky., and Nick Montilino, Edina, Minn., nine bass, 35-8
5th: Emmanuel College – Chase Carey, Hoschton, Ga., and Dylan Akins, Buford, Ga., 10 bass, 33-15
6th: Bethel University – Chase Milholen, Lexington, Tenn., and Levi Mullins, Nineveh, Ind., nine bass, 33-12
7th: University of Montevallo – Chandler Holt, Sterett, Ala., and Aaron Cherry, Kinsey, Ala., 10 bass, 32-15
8th: University of Montevallo – Trey Dickert, Taylors, S.C., and Adam Carroll, Carrollton, Ga., 10 bass, 32-11
9th: Carson Newman University – Caz Anderson, Haysville, N.C., and Lee Rose Koza, Marietta, Ga., 10 bass, 31-15
10th: Drury University – Beau Browning, Hot Springs, Ark., and Hunter Baird, Gypsum, Kan., 10 bass, 31-10
11th: Missouri Western State University – Gaige Blanton and Kody Mazur, both of Saint Joseph, Mo., 10 bass, 30-15
12th: Bryan College – Bailey Fain, Lenoir City, Tenn., and Preston Kendrick, Mount Olive, Ind., 10 bass, 29-10
13th: Bethel University – Cody Gregory, Troy, Tenn., and Seth Roberts, Jacksboro, Tenn., 10 bass, 29-4
14th: Carson Newman University – Braden Perry, Bluff City, Tenn., and Aidan England, Wise, Va., 10 bass, 28-15
15th: University of Louisville – Tyler Thompson, Radcliff, Ky., and Charles Snawder Rougeux, Louisville, Ky., nine bass, 27- 11
16th: Georgia Southern – Avry Thomason, Dalton, Ga., and Ty Black, Cumming, Ga., 10 bass, 27-11
17th: University of Tennessee – Teddy Peznola, Knoxville, Tenn., and Jonathan Ayers, Jacksboro, Tenn., seven bass, 26-15
18th: Murray State University – Harbor Lovin, Fayetteville, Ohio, and Allen Mullins, Murray, Ky., seven bass, 26-15
19th: Campbellsville University – Wil Rigdon, Campbellsville, Ky., and Dustin Jones, Stanford, Ky., 10 bass, 26-12
20th: Bethel University – Wilson Smith, Southaven, Mo., and Dax Ewart, Humboldt, Tenn., eight bass, 26-11
21st: Catawba Valley Community College – Nathan Dellinger and Spencer Black, both of Hickory, N.C., 10 bass, 26-11
22nd: Bryan College – Justin Botts, Bluff City, Tenn., and Eli Stevenson, Dechard, Tenn., 10 bass, 26-6
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI Open tournament was hosted by Fish Dayton and the Rhea Economic & Tourism Council. The next event for MLF collegiate anglers will be a Southern Conference tournament, scheduled for April 16 on Lake Somerville in Brenham, 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 State. 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.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI on MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
Capitalizing on the Smith Lake Postponement – Carhartt College Fishing Buddies
Courtesy of Luke Stoner - Dynamic Sponsorships
One of the coolest parts of college bass fishing has nothing to do with the on-the-water experience or sponsorship opportunities a young angler can garner from fishing at the college level; instead it has to do with the friendships made during these formative years.
Current Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Champion Trevor McKinney along with former college fishing Bassmaster Classic representatives John Garrett and Cody Huff are perfect examples. Outside of college fishing, McKinney didn’t necessarily have much in common with Garrett or Huff. All three dudes were born in different states and were brought together by their common interest… bass fishing.
“I met both John and Cody through college fishing probably three or four years ago,” McKinney recalled. “They both fished for Bethel University and were a force to be reckoned with in college. I use to congratulate them when they’d kick my butt and we grew to be buddies.”
McKinney, Garrett, and Huff are now traveling and rooming together while competing in the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens. All three young men are salt of the earth type people whom you’d be happy to grab a bite to eat or spend a few hours on the lake with. Furthermore, they are incredibly skilled anglers whose names we will be hearing in the tournament fishing scene for a long time.
Garrett and McKinney both had solid finishes in the first Open of the year on the Harris Chain and were eager to keep their momentum rolling at Central Open on Smith Lake in Alabama. Unfortunately, flooding and dangerous conditions forced B.A.S.S. officials to postpone the Open days before competition was to begin.
After making the long haul in his McKendree University wrapped Toyota Tundra and Nitro Boat, McKinney wasn’t thrilled with the idea of turning right around to drive back to southern Illinois.
“John called me as soon as I got into Cullman, Alabama and told me to check my email,” McKinney said. “After realizing the Open was postponed, we decided we oughta try to find a tournament to jump into before heading home. We looked at Lake Guntersville and Kentucky Lake, but ultimately found a Fishers of Men derby on Pickwick Lake.”
Neither Garrett nor McKinney had made a cast on Pickwick in 2021, but they’ve both fished multiple college events on the famed Tennessee River reservoir and figured they might as well go fishing.
The lack of practice on Pickwick didn’t slow these former Carhartt Bassmaster College Series standouts down at all. McKinney and Garrett ended up winning the tournament with five bass that weighed over 22-pounds and had a big time in the process.
“We caught fish all day and had an absolute blast,” McKinney said with a smile. “We fished a place John knew about first thing in the morning and had a limit within 30 minutes. From there we focused on current breaks and junk fished to cull up throughout the day. We caught a lot of fish cranking a Rapala DT-6, a couple bigguns on a jig, and just really had a fun day.”
A great day on the water filled with lots of laughs and plenty of bass. Instead of dwelling on the negative news surrounding the Smith Lake Open, McKinney and Garrett made the most of their trip and now have a story they’ll remember for the rest of their lives.
MLF Cancels Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Percy Priest Lake Presented By Googan Baits Due To High Water Levels
Tournament Rescheduled to Center Hill Lake
WHAT:
The Major League Fishing (MLF) Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine event on Percy Priest Lake Presented by Googan Baits, originally scheduled for Saturday, April 3, has been canceled due to extremely high water levels and unsafe conditions. The event has been rescheduled to take place on Sunday, May 16, on Center Hill Lake in Sparta, Tennessee.
WHEN:
Sunday, May 16, 2021
Takeoff: 6 a.m. CT. Weigh-In: 2 p.m. CT
WHERE:
Center Hill Lake
Ragland Bottom Recreation Area
1423 Ragland Bottom Road
Sparta, Tenn. 38583
NOTES:
Tournament entries will automatically carry over to the rescheduled event unless the angler contacts MLF Customer Service at (270)-252-1000.
Standard MLF BIG5 off limits apply. A Tennessee license is required and may be purchased over the phone at 888.891.8972 or online at takemefishing.org.
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.
Sabine River Offers Vast Fishery, Uncertain Conditions For Bassmaster Elite
Orange, Texas, will host the Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River April 8-11.
Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
April 1, 2021
ORANGE, Texas — Greg Hackney has had plenty of opportunities to familiarize himself with the Sabine River, but in terms of current events, he acknowledges an understandable mystique enshrouding the Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River.
Competition days will be April 8-11 with daily takeoffs from City of Orange Boat Ramp at 6:45 a.m. CT and weigh-ins each day at the ramp at 3 p.m.
“The funny thing about the Sabine is you can’t gather information like you can other lakes,” he said. “It’s a great fishery, but it’s not (a common tournament destination) because it lays just south of two of the best fisheries in the country — Toledo Bend and Rayburn. So, it’s not a fishery where you can get a lot of information off the internet.”
Good thing is, Hackney has history here. Having fished the Sabine on each of the Elites’ three prior visits, he claimed his most recent of six B.A.S.S. titles there in June 2018. This year, Hackney suspects the seasonal patterns may be running later than normal.
“Spring is later this year because that area was impacted by the (extreme winter storm of mid-February); it’s about three weeks behind,” he said. “Typically, the fish should be done spawning by the end of February, but everything just seems to be way behind this year.”
In 2018, Hackney caught his summer fish by throwing a 1/4-ounce black Hack Attack Select ToadBuzz rigged with a black plastic toad (no skirt) and a Strike King Sexy Frog, and by flipping a Strike King Rage Bug. This time around, he’s anticipating more spawn/postspawn patterns.
Calling the Sabine River a “target-rich environment,” Hackney said Texas-rigged plastics will likely dominate the show. But he expects to see plenty of squarebills, topwater frogs, spinnerbaits, buzzbaits and swimbaits making the rounds. Traditional southern colors matched to water clarities will work, but the presence of marine forage like cocahoe minnows, mullet and blue crabs may influence strategic selections.
With tournament waters extending northward to the Toledo Bend Dam and southwest to Galveston County, the Sabine’s mid to upper reaches offer traditional river scenarios with lots of sandbars, bends and shallow wood. The river also holds a significant amount of cypress and tupelo swamp, while the lower end — below Interstate 10 — sprouts flat, grassy marshlands.
Emptying into Sabine Lake, which connects to the Gulf of Mexico, this is a tidal river, with daily ebb and flow. A couple of miles north of Orange, that influence dwindles and eventually yields to traditional river current — in the Sabine’s case, rather slow.
This, Hackney said, could affect strategies, in terms of tidal planning. Later in the year, anglers often “run” the tide — moving up or downriver to stay with a favorable tide stage. A spring event, he said, puts more emphasis on the reproductive priorities.
“Tides make a big difference later in the year because of feeding windows,” Hackney said. “But in spring, you rarely run the tide for feeding, as opposed to finding a good area and fish it through the tide.
“The fish will be spawning, postspawn or guarding fry. They’re not going to be moving around much.”
That being said, anglers have the option of staying close to find those special areas or burning a lot of their time — and fuel — making long runs to areas of greater promise. Three years ago, Hackney stayed fairly close to the launch site, while others targeted distant options, including the 100-plus-mile one-way trip to the fertile waters of Galveston Bay.
Addressing the risk-reward calculations, Hackney said, “In that whole system, it’s a gamble. It’s not a gamble of fishing, it’s a gamble with your equipment.”
One thing Hackney will be closely watching is the wind. With minimal tidal fluctuation throughout much of this fishery, strong south winds common to this time of year can pile up the water and prevent it from receding.
“If the water stays up, that’s not so good, because it could be muddy,” Hackney said. “The water tends to clear up when it falls. The whole deal there is water clarity — that will spread people out.”
Another variable may be fish population. The historic 2020 hurricane season saw two major storms — Laura (Aug. 27, Category 4) and Delta (Oct. 10, Category 2) — making landfall just east of the Sabine. Despite the influx of rainwater, Hackney notes how a seasonal factor may have had an impact.
“It just depends on if there was any fish kill,” Hackney said. “That place has had some really bad freshwater floods, but those storms last summer came during times of the year when water levels were low, and that can bring a saltwater surge (which can kill freshwater species).”
Overall, Hackney believes the Sabine River will deliver as it has in past years — heavier on quantity than quality. “There’s a lot of fish there. Not a lot of big ones, but it’s loaded with keeper bass.”
In that 2018 event, Hackney posted a Day 1 limit of 16-3, which included a 5-14 kicker. (Brock Mosley won the Phoenix Boats Big Bass award with a 6-3.) He’d add three more limits of 11-15, 12-14 and 7-5.
This year, Hackney said he’s looking for similar numbers. Around 14 to 15 pounds a day should be very competitive, while 10 a day will likely earn a Championship Sunday spot.
“In the past, guys that have done well had a couple areas,” Hackney said. “Typically, you have to micromanage your fish. You can burn them up in a day.”
Live coverage for all four days of the event can be streamed on Bassmaster.com and the FOX Sports digital platforms. FS1 will also broadcast live with the tournament leaders beginning at 7 a.m. CT on Saturday and Sunday.
Major League Fishing Prohibits Berkley PowerBait MaxScent in Bass Pro Tour Competition
Citing Unfair Competitive Advantage, League Announces New Rule to Even Playing Field
EDITORS NOTE: THIS STORY HAS BEEN DEEMED AN APRILS FOOLS JOKE......
TULSA, Okla. (March 31, 2021) – Major League Fishing (MLF), the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, announced today a rule change to Bass Pro Tour Rule No. 7 regarding Tackle and Equipment, which addresses the usage of Berkley PowerBait MaxScent baits on the MLF Bass Pro Tour. Effective immediately, anglers that compete on the Bass Pro Tour are prohibited from using any Berkley PowerBait MaxScent product, both in practice and competition.
“MLF has studied the use of the Berkley PowerBait MaxScent since its launch in 2018, and we’ve made the decision to no longer permit its usage on the Bass Pro Tour,” Aaron Beshears, MLF Bass Pro Tour Director said. “The ban applies only to Berkley PowerBait MaxScent baits. At this time, original Berkley PowerBait and Berkley Gulp! baits are not included in this restriction.
“The bait has simply evolved to a point that it provides an unfair competitive advantage to Bass Pro Tour anglers that cannot use the product – whether through limited availability or competing sponsorship restrictions,” Beshears continued. “That said, Berkley PowerBait MaxScent baits will still be permitted in our MLF BIG5 tournament circuits. This decision is consistent with the wishes of the majority of our Bass Pro Tour anglers.”
Berkley remains a sponsor of MLF and the Bass Pro Tour, and MLF is currently in discussions with the company and its stakeholders regarding this decision.
For further clarification on the elimination of Berkley PowerBait MaxScent from Bass Pro Tour competition, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.
“We are proud to be an angler-driven league and to continue to support our anglers and their livelihood with this decision,” said Boyd Duckett, MLF co-founder and President of the Professional Bass Tour Anglers’ Association (PBTAA). “The Alabama Rig was banned in 2013 for similar reasons and we believe this is the next crucial step to creating a level playing field and ensuring no one angler or group of anglers has an unfair advantage over the rest of the field.
“Since 2012, we have prided ourselves on listening to our anglers, providing them with excellent tournaments on premium fisheries and a game that can be played and won by any competitor. We believe the game must continue to evolve as well in order to preserve the integrity of the sport.”
The Berkley PowerBait MaxScent products which are now prohibited from usage on the Bass Pro Tour are:
- PowerBait MaxScent Creature Hawg
- PowerBait MaxScent Critter Hawg
- PowerBait MaxScent D-Worm
- PowerBait MaxScent Flat Worm
- PowerBait MaxScent Flatnose Jerk Shad
- PowerBait MaxScent Flatnose Minnow
- PowerBait MaxScent Hit Worm
- PowerBait MaxScent Hit Worm Magnum
- PowerBait MaxScent Kingtail
- PowerBait MaxScent Lizard
- PowerBait MaxScent Lunch Worm
- PowerBait MaxScent Meaty Chunk
- PowerBait MaxScent Power Chunk
- PowerBait MaxScent The General
The 2021 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 next event for Bass Pro Tour anglers will be the 2021 General Tire Heavy Hitters Event, held April 9-14 at Falls Lake, Jordan Lake & Shearon Harris Reservoir in Raleigh, North Carolina.
For complete details and updated information on Major League Fishing and the Bass Pro Tour, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
Lowen Locks Down His First Elite Series Win Despite Changing Water Conditions on Pickwick Lake
Courtesy of Gunpowder
It can be difficult for amateur anglers to relate to the professionals fishing the Bassmaster Elite Series. But long-time Minn Kota® and Humminbird® Pro Team Member Bill Lowen is about as relatable as they get.
He fishes out of a bad-to-the-bone Xpress aluminum boat, approaches his profession with a blue-collar work ethic and is a true family man that travels the country with his wife and kids.
So it is fitting that Lowen claimed his first blue trophy at the Bassmaster Elite at Pickwick Lake, a tournament that required anglers to be on their toes in the face of ever-changing conditions. Using his years of tournament angling experience and expertise in fishing flowing waters—and fully leveraging his Humminbird and Minn Kota One-Boat Network™—Lowen was able to adapt and overcome to claim the win.
Upon arriving at Pickwick, the Elite Series anglers were quickly dealt a big curveball.
“When we got here the lake was down,” said the Indiana-based Lowen. “And me being a shallow-water angler, it kind of threw me off because the best shallow cover was high and dry.”
But Lowen was able to figure out a game plan fast on the first day of practice.
“I kind of figured out a way to catch some fish that I was really comfortable with on offshore grass,” he said. “Then the big floods came in and kind of changed everything.”
These floods, caused by major storms upriver, forced Bassmaster officials to postpone the tournament by two days. Upon his return to the water after the delay, Lowen was greeted by an entirely different body of water, which rose nearly six feet since the last time he had launched his boat.
“When we got back out there, we were starting from scratch,” Lowen said. “I had this gut feeling that the fish in my area would push to the banks for whatever cover they could get to get out of that current.”
Lowen pointed to his water level offset feature on his Humminbird LakeMaster® charts on his HELIX®units as highly advantageous to navigating and fishing in the drastically changing conditions. He used this feature to adjust the depth of his map for the new pool level, which kept any guesswork out of the equation when it came to running or finding fishable water. This strategy paid off for Lowen on day one, as he ended up with a 21 pounds, 3 ounces, enough to put him in third place.
With day one in the books and a solid third-place position, Lowen headed into the second day looking to add to his weight and climb the ranks.
“The water was absolutely ripping on the first two days of the tournament,” Lowen said. “These conditions can be frustrating because without the right technology, you’d spend more time repositioning the boat than fishing.”
Alternating between his Minn Kota Ultrex™ trolling motor and his new Minn Kota Raptor™ shallow-water anchors, Lowen picked apart the wood and other structure along the flowing banks. With every fish catch or other break in the action, Lowen would quickly lock himself in place with Spot-lock™ or by using his Raptors with Active Anchoring™ technology to ensure that he wouldn’t slide downstream.
The second tournament day saw Lowen bring 23 pounds, 13 ounces to the weigh-in stand, moving him up one spot to second place behind his Minn Kota and Humminbird teammate, Koby Kreiger.
The third day of the tournament dealt more change. With the Tennessee Valley Authority rapidly dropping water levels, Lowen’s go-to spots dried up.
Luckily, the competition struggled as well and Lowen’s total of 17 pounds, 10 ounces was enough to move him into a tie with fellow Humminbird and Minn Kota teammate, Chad Pipkens for first place. It was on this day that Lowen’s MEGA 360 Imaging® proved its worth by enabling him to find fish he wouldn’t have otherwise.
“With the big change in water levels, I was looking to just find more spots that provided a current break for the fish. I was running MEGA 360 Imaging on a dedicated unit on my bow all day because it would often point out structure that I couldn't see with my eye.
At one point, I saw a laydown out there on 360 that I never knew was there,” Lowen said. Bill flipped his ‘Lowen Signature’ jig out to that laydown and caught a solid +3lb keeper. “That fish helped me a ton and I never would have caught it without 360 and the quality of MEGA Imaging.”
“A lot of the structure I was catching my fish on were actually dry, so I had to scratch my whole area and basically start over,” Lowen said about the final day’s challenges. “So, I looked at my Humminbird LakeMaster and found some key deeper spots adjacent to where I had been catching them. Fortunately, I caught my limit and caught a giant fish off of a dock.”
The tournament’s dynamic conditions put Lowen in position to win, given his experience fishing rivers with changing conditions and utilizing his entire arsenal of Humminbird and Minn Kota products.
“I think everything in my boat played a role this week. The river had a tremendous amount of current in it,” Lowen said.
Lowen emphasized the importance of staying in place as the water rushed around the boat using his Raptor shallow water anchor.
“My first impressions of Raptor have been truly amazing,” Lowen added. “No matter the bottom or conditions, they lock down and adjust to the changing conditions. I’ve just never had anything that has that kind of holding power.”
Additionally, the Spot-Lock™ GPS Anchor on Lowen’s Minn Kota Ultrex trolling motor proved invaluable to him in the strong current.
“With that current ripping, when I’d catch one I could just Spot-lock down and stay right there. When I got done putting fish down in the livewell, I’d be in the same spot—not be half a mile down the river.
“They say when it’s your time to win everything works out, and it definitely did this week.”
Humminbird and Minn Kota pro anglers had additional success at the Bassmaster Elite competition with Brandon Palanuik and Chad Pipkens both finishing in the Top 10 and Koby Kreiger just missing the final day cut line.
Palanuik and Pipkens were also forced to make their own adaptations to the unexpected water levels. Palaniuk’s MEGA 360 enabled him to find sweet spots on the fly in areas he wasn’t familiar with.
“As the water rose and the fish repositioned, it was key for me to be able to find new underwater targets that would block the current for the fish, so I went to the areas that I had located fish in practice and then used my MEGA 360 to identify any current breaks that were closest to those areas. Being able to make pinpoint casts was critical to be able to present your bait as natural as possible in that strong current,” Palaniuk said.
Chad Pipkens also relied heavily on MEGA 360 Imaging, Spot-Lock and LakeMaster for his more methodical approach to casting.
A key thing for me was getting into the area and really slowing down and picking things apart,” Pipkens said. “There were two current seams that I focused on and maybe four to five specific clumps of grass within those seams where I really caught over 90 percent of my fish.
I could see those clumps on my MEGA 360 Imaging, and I would line up and literally say ‘this is the deal, this is the spot’ and I would Spot-lock and make multiple casts every 2-3 feet from left to right just to make sure I got 5-10 casts in that little bed of grass and then I would kind of move up.”
“The Humminbird LakeMaster charts were another key thing for me. Those charts showed ditches and turns better than anything—it just helps you identify where to focus your time when you’re grass fishing, you know, there’s so much grass and so many ditches. You can look at the LakeMaster and it will let you know where you should be starting.”
With the Bassmaster Elite Series heading into its fourth regular-season event of 2021, the Minn Kota and Humminbird Pro Team Members already have two big wins on the Elite Series to their credit.
Both victories demonstrate how anglers can still dominate—even in adverse conditions—with the confidence boost that comes from knowing their boat is rigged with the best equipment available.
Trying to "Survive" and Cashing THE Check!
This week Chris and David welcome in BFL Winner Ryan McCarthy to the show to talk about his recent win in the Shenandoah BFL event on Kerr Lake. An event he just wanted to "survive," Ryan found a way to win the event and almost 7k in prize $$!! Chris jumps on a stump about Auburn Fishing Team suspension and more!
Editors Note: Shortly after releasing this podcast, the Auburn University's Bass Fishing Teams suspension was recently shortened from December 31, 2021 to April 31, 2021. Chris is still ticked off.......
The 2021 MLF USAA Patriot Cup Presented by Berkley Set to Premiere Saturday on Outdoor Channel
MLF Pros Compete in Kissimmee, Florida, over Six Days for Prestigious Patriot Cup
KISSIMMEE, Fla. (March 30, 2021) – The Major League Fishing (MLF) 2021 USAA Patriot Cup Presented by Berkley will premiere with a two-hour episode this Saturday, April 3, at 2 p.m. ET on the Outdoor Channel. The event, shot over six days in November in Kissimmee, Florida, showcases 28 of the top pro anglers in the world continuing the 2021 MLF Cup season.
The first episode premiering Saturday will feature the anglers in Group 1 competing in their opening Elimination Round. Episode two will feature the anglers in Group 2; Episode three the anglers in Group 3. The top six finishers from each group’s Elimination Round advance to the two-day Sudden Death Round – episodes four and five – where nine anglers compete each day and try to finish in the top four. The sixth and final episode will feature the final eight anglers competing in the Championship Round to catch the most weight that they can to be crowned the 2021 Patriot Cup Champion.
The anglers in Group 1 that compete this Saturday (April 3) on Day One of the 2021 USAA Patriot Cup are:
- Mark Daniels Jr. of Tuskegee, Ala.
- Mark Davis of Mount Ida, Ark.
- Ott DeFoe of Blaine, Tenn.
- Roy Hawk of Lake Havasu City, Ariz.
- Mike Iaconelli of Runnemede, N.J.
- Cody Meyer of Star, Idaho
- John Murray of Spring City, Tenn.
- Britt Myers of Lake Wylie, S.C.
- Michael Neal of Dayton, Tenn.
The anglers in Group 2 that compete next Saturday (April 10) on Day Two of the 2021 USAA Patriot Cup are:
- Zack Birge of Blanchard, Okla.
- Jeff Kriet of Ardmore, Okla.
- Jared Lintner of Arroyo Grande, Calif.
- Aaron Martens of Leeds, Ala.
- Andy Montgomery of Blacksburg, S.C.
- Mark Rose of Wynne, Ark.
- Terry Scroggins of Palatka, Fla.
- Jacob Wheeler of Harrison, Tenn.
- Jesse Wiggins of Addison, Ala.
The anglers in Group 3 that compete in the final Elimination Round (April 17) on Day Three of the 2021 USAA Patriot Cup are:
- Josh Bertrand of Queen Creek, Ariz.
- Dustin Connell of Clanton, Ala.
- Shaw Grigsby of Gainesville, Fla.
- Kelly Jordon of Flint, Texas
- Russ Lane of Prattville, Ala.
- Takahiro Omori of Tokyo, Japan
- Fred Roumbanis of Russellville, Ark.
- Scott Suggs of Alexander, Ark.
- Randall Tharp of Port Saint Joe, Fla.
- James Watson of Lampe, Mo.
The 2021 USAA Patriot Cup Presented by Berkley was hosted by Experience Kissimmee. The event will air on the Outdoor Channel as six, two-hour original episodes each Saturday afternoon starting April 3, 2021, and running through May 8, airing from 2 to 4 p.m. ET. Each episode will be available for viewing on the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) streaming app on the Monday morning following each episode’s Saturday premiere.
The 2021 USAA Patriot Cup Presented by Berkley features 28 MLF pro anglers visiting the Kissimmee, Florida, area to compete on three different fisheries across the region, including John’s Lake, Lake Toho and Lake Bellalago. The fisheries are unknown to the anglers – they do not learn where they are competing until they arrive to the launch ramp each morning of competition.
The full television schedule can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
McCarthy Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League on Kerr Lake
Adams Wins Strike King Co-Angler Division
HENDERSON, N.C. (March 30, 2021) – Boater Ryan McCarthy of Warrenton, Virginia, wins the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine at Kerr Lake in Henderson, North Carolina. McCarthy earned $6,894 for his victory at the event, hosted by the Vance County Tourism Development Authority.
TOP 10 RESULTS
| RANK | BOATER NAME/HOMETOWN | BASS | WEIGHT | AWARD |
| 1st | Ryan McCarthy of Warrenton, Va. | 5 | 17-5 | $6,894 |
| 2nd | Marty Warren of Elon, N.C. | 5 | 17-0 | $1,940 |
| 3rd | Jeff Gafford of Pamplin, Va. | 5 | 15-6 | $1,293 |
| 4th | Carlton Owens of Franklin, Va. | 5 | 14-12 | $905 |
| 5th | Travis Lugar of McGaheysville, Va. | 5 | 13-12 | $776 |
| 6th | Brandon Cox of Ruther Glen, Va. | 5 | 13-10 | $711 |
| 7th | Paul Smith of Victoria, Va. | 5 | 13-9 | $647 |
| 8th | Tim Kowalewski of Bumpass, Va. | 5 | 13-8 | $1,032 |
| 9th | Ben Reynolds of Callands, Va. | 5 | 13-7 | $517 |
| 10th | Tyler Trent of Nathalie, Va. | 5 | 13-3 | $453 |
| RANK | STRIKE KING CO-ANGLER NAME/HOMETOWN | BASS | WEIGHT | AWARD |
| 1st | Tyrone Adams, Jr. of Fredericksburg, Va. | 5 | 11-4 | $1,940 |
| 2nd | David Williams of Fredericksburg, Va. | 5 | 10-12 | $1,095 |
| 3rd | Carl Whipple of Manassas, Va. | 4 | 10-2 | $646 |
| 4th | William Lisenby of Centreville, Va. | 5 | 9-13 | $453 |
| 5th | Nelson class of Woodbridge, Va. | 4 | 9-12 | $388 |
| 6th | Gerrit Vanvoorhees of Lenexa, Va. | 5 | 9-10 | $356 |
| 7th | Ricky Grant of Callands, Va. | 5 | 9-3 | $291 |
| 7th | Tyler Folts of Ashburn, Va. | 5 | 9-3 | $291 |
| 7th | Steven Jacobs of Sanford, N.C. | 5 | 9-3 | $291 |
| 10th | Justin Faison of South Prince George, Va. | 5 | 8-13 | $226 |
| AWARD | NAME | CONTINGENCY | PAYOUT |
| Boater Big Bass | Ryan McCarthy of Warrenton, Va. | 4-pound, 15-ounce bass | $515 |
| Strike King Co-Angler Berkley Big Bass | Robert Reid of Clinton, Md. | 4-pound bass | $257 |
| Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus | Ryan McCarthy of Warrenton, Va. | Eligible Phoenix Boat* | $2,500 |
| ANGLER | BAIT | COLOR |
| Boater | Missile Jig | Did Not Divulge |
| Strike King Co-Angler | Generic Spinnerbait | Did Not Divulge |
| EVENT | DATE | LOCATION | HOST |
| Shenandoah Division – Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championship | Oct. 14-16 | Lake Murray, Columbia, S.C. | Capital City Lake Murray Country 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.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook , Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
Watkins Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League at Columbus Pool
Terry’s Speake Wins Strike King Co-Angler Division
COLUMBUS, Miss. (March 30, 2021) – Boater David R. Watkins of Caledonia, Mississippi, wins the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine at Columbus Pool in Columbus, Mississippi. Watkins earned $4,394 for his victory at the event, hosted by the Columbus-Lowndes Convention and Visitors Bureau.
TOP 10 RESULTS
| RANK | BOATER NAME/HOMETOWN | BASS | WEIGHT | AWARD |
| 1st | David R. Watkins of Caledonia, Miss. | 5 | 17-2 | $4,394 |
| 2nd | Jeffery Davis of Steens, Miss. | 5 | 15-0 | $1,940 |
| 3rd | Tim McDaniel of Grenada, Miss. | 5 | 13-7 | $1,293 |
| 4th | Gene Brown of West Point, Miss. | 5 | 12-11 | $905 |
| 5th | Jamie Long of Okolona, Miss. | 5 | 12-4 | $776 |
| 6th | Mitch Crane of Columbus, Miss. | 5 | 11-14 | $711 |
| 7th | Denny Patterson of Horn Lake, Miss. | 5 | 11-10 | $647 |
| 8th | Wayne Parish of Aberdeen, Miss. | 5 | 11-8 | $582 |
| 9th | Jim Pierce of Medon, Tenn. | 5 | 11-5 | $485 |
| 9th | Timmy Ming of Louisville, Miss. | 5 | 11-5 | $485 |
| RANK | STRIKE KING CO-ANGLER NAME/HOMETOWN | BASS | WEIGHT | AWARD |
| 1st | Bobby Speake of Terry, Miss. | 5 | 14-6 | $1,940 |
| 2nd | Ramey Harrell of Lena, Miss. | 5 | 13-11 | $1,227 |
| 3rd | Mitchell Bond of Collins, Miss. | 5 | 10-13 | $646 |
| 4th | Curtis Ray of Yazoo City, Miss. | 5 | 9-9 | $453 |
| 5th | Jacob Denton of Muscle Shoals, Ala. | 3 | 9-6 | $388 |
| 6th | Ray Gleason of Aberdeen, Miss. | 4 | 8-13 | $356 |
| 7th | Clark Bain of Carrollton, Ala. | 4 | 8-6 | $323 |
| 8th | Lance Jackson of Starkville, Miss. | 4 | 6-15 | $291 |
| 9th | Ryan Lecompte of Picayune, Miss. | 3 | 6-9 | $259 |
| 10th | Joe Lipsey of Southaven, Miss. | 3 | 6-4 | $215 |
| 10th | Jerry Smith of Byhalia, Miss. | 3 | 6-4 | $215 |
| AWARD | NAME | CONTINGENCY | PAYOUT |
| Boater Big Bass | David R. Watkins of Caledonia, Miss. | 6-pound, 1-ounce bass | $515 |
| Strike King Co-Angler Berkley Big Bass | Ramey Harrell of Lena, Miss. | 5-pound, 1-ounce bass | $257 |
| Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus | John Anderson of Baysprings, Miss. | Eligible Phoenix Boat* | $500 |
| ANGLER | BAIT | COLOR |
| Boater | Generic Spinnerbait | Did Not Divulge |
| Strike King Co-Angler | War Eagle Spinnerbait | Did Not Divulge |
| 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.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook , Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
Wasden Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League on Kentucky-Barkley Lake
Saint Croix Falls’ Knutson Wins Strike King Co-Angler Division
GILBERTSVILLE, Ky. (March 30, 2021) – Boater Michael Wasden of Paris Tennessee, wins the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine at Kentucky-Barkley Lake in Gilbertsville, Kentucky. Wasden earned $4,244 for his victory at the event, hosted by the Kentucky Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau.
TOP 10 RESULTS
| RANK | BOATER NAME/HOMETOWN | BASS | WEIGHT | AWARD |
| 1st | Michael Wasden of Paris, Tenn. | 5 | 22-13 | $4,244 |
| 2nd | Marty Sisk of Evansville, Ind. | 5 | 18-0 | $2,722 |
| 3rd | Chad Sellars of Henderson, Ky. | 5 | 17-15 | $1,413 |
| 4th | Lance Freeman of Eddyville, Ky. | 5 | 16-7 | $1,490 |
| 5th | Stu Eversole of Middletown, Ohio | 5 | 15-12 | $849 |
| 6th | Terry Bolton of Benton, Ky. | 5 | 15-11 | $778 |
| 7th | Justin Berger of Murray, Ky. | 4 | 15-8 | $707 |
| 8th | Josh Malone of Alma, Ill. | 5 | 15-2 | $637 |
| 9th | David Young of Mayfield, Ky. | 5 | 14-7 | $566 |
| 10th | Dan Martin of Elmhurst, Ill. | 5 | 13-11 | $470 |
| 10th | Toby Corn of Paducah, Ky. | 5 | 13-11 | 470 |
| RANK | STRIKE KING CO-ANGLER NAME/HOMETOWN | BASS | WEIGHT | AWARD |
| 1st | Erik Knutson of Saint Croix Falls, Wisc. | 5 | 17-13 | $2,118 |
| 2nd | Chad Cartwright of Eddyville, Ky. | 5 | 16-3 | $1,059 |
| 3rd | Alan Scott of Shelbyville, Ind. | 5 | 15-3 | $706 |
| 4th | Barrett Washburn of Benton, Ky. | 4 | 13-13 | $494 |
| 5th | Ricky Boehringer of Troy, Ohio | 5 | 12-15 | $424 |
| 6th | Lonnie Swatzell of Eddyville, Ky. | 4 | 12-12 | $388 |
| 7th | Carl Oelker of Greenbrier, Tenn. | 4 | 11-11 | $353 |
| 8th | TJ Ferry of Hopkinsville, Ky. | 5 | 11-10 | $318 |
| 9th | EJ Gunter of Fairview, Tenn. | 3 | 11-1 | $282 |
| 10th | Joshua Smith of Benton, Ky. | 5 | 10-15 | $247 |
| AWARD | NAME | CONTINGENCY | PAYOUT |
| Boater Big Bass | Marty Sisk of Evansville, Ind. | 6-pound, 11-ounce bass | $600 |
| Strike King Co-Angler Berkley Big Bass | Jonathan Blattel of Cape Girardeau, Mo. | 6-pound bass | $295 |
| Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus | Lance Freeman of Eddyville, Ky. | Eligible Phoenix Boat* | $500 |
WINNING BAITS
| ANGLER | BAIT | COLOR |
| Boater | Ignite Swimbait | Did Not Divulge |
| Strike King Co-Angler | Crankbait, Jig | Black/Blue |
| EVENT | DATE | LOCATION | HOST |
| LBL Division – Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championship | Oct. 7-9 | Norfork Lake, 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.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook , Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
