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 an@bassmaster.com 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.
Howard Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League on Santee Cooper Presented by Googan Baits
Strike King Co-Angler Division Win Goes to Chapin’s Starnes
SUMMERTON, S.C. (March 30, 2021) – Boater Chuck Howard of Elloree, South Carolina, won the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine at Santee Cooper Presented by Googan Baits in Summerton, South Carolina. Howard earned $4,686 for his victory at the event.
TOP 10 RESULTS
| RANK | BOATER NAME/HOMETOWN | BASS | WEIGHT | AWARD |
| 1st | Chuck Howard of Elloree, S.C. | 5 | 26-15 | $4,686 |
| 2nd | Todd Smith of Bonneau, S.C. | 5 | 26-14 | $2,343 |
| 3rd | Casey Warren of Longs, S.C. | 5 | 26-5 | $1,562 |
| 4th | Daniel Howell of Prosperity, S.C. | 5 | 24-13 | $1,093 |
| 5th | Spencer McNeill of Ladson, S.C. | 5 | 24-11 | $937 |
| 6th | Chris Jones of Conway, S.C. | 5 | 24-2 | $859 |
| 7th | Bryce Matthews of Olanta, S.C. | 5 | 24-1 | $781 |
| 8th | Chris Epting of Chapin, S.C. | 5 | 24-0 | $1,203 |
| 9th | Cecil Wolfe of Summerton, S.C. | 5 | 23-13 | $625 |
| 10th | Ken Ellis of Bowman, S.C. | 5 | 23-7 | $547 |
| RANK | STRIKE KING CO-ANGLER NAME/HOMETOWN | BASS | WEIGHT | AWARD |
| 1st | Andrew Starnes of Chapin, S.C. | 5 | 20-7 | $2,343 |
| 2nd | Keith Thomasson of Abbeville, S.C. | 5 | 18-8 | $1,172 |
| 3rd | Wayne Frierson of Manning, S.C. | 4 | 14-15 | $781 |
| 4th | Samuel Jones of Raleigh, N.C. | 5 | 14-5 | $547 |
| 5th | Terry Coleman of Sumter, S.C. | 5 | 14-2 | $469 |
| 6th | Mike Sather of Beech Island, S.C. | 3 | 13-7 | $430 |
| 7th | Brian Bultman of Aiken, S.C. | 5 | 13-1 | $371 |
| 7th | Jeff Bissen of Lake Irmo, S.C. | 5 | 13-1 | $371 |
| 9th | Brennan Gunther of Mount Pleasant, S.C. | 3 | 13-0 | $312 |
| 10th | Robert Derrick Jr. of Charlotte, N.C. | 2 | 12-12 | $259 |
| 10th | Beau Wilder of Charlotte, N.C. | 3 | 12-12 | $259 |
CONTINGENCY AWARDS
| AWARD | NAME | CONTINGENCY | PAYOUT |
| Boater Berkley Big Bass | Jason Morse of Sumter, S.C. | 9-pound, 10-ounce bass | $690 |
| Strike King Co-Angler Berkley Big Bass | Randy Brown of Lugoff, S.C. | 7-pound, 11-ounce bass | $345 |
| Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus | Chris Epting of Chapin, S.C. | Eligible Phoenix Boat* | $500 |
| ANGLER | BAITS | COLOR |
| Boater | - Yamamoto Senko | - Green Pumpkin |
| Strike King Co-Angler | - Wacky-rig | N/A |
| EVENT | DATE | LOCATION | HOST |
| South Carolina Division – Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championship | Oct. 21-23 | St. Jons 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.
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.
Lawrenceburg’s Suratt Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League on Pickwick Lake
Afton’s Frazier Wins Strike King Co-Angler Division
FLORENCE, Ala. (March 30, 2021) – Boater Trent Suratt of Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, wins the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine at Pickwick Lake in Florence, Alabama. Suratt earned $6,241 for his victory at the event, hosted by Florence-Lauderdale Tourism.
TOP 10 RESULTS
| RANK | BOATER NAME/HOMETOWN | BASS | WEIGHT | AWARD |
| 1st | Trent Suratt of Lawrenceburg, Tenn. | 5 | 25-0 | $6,241 |
| 2nd | Tony Harvey of Rogersville, Ala. | 5 | 22-5 | $2,620 |
| 3rd | Logan Brewer of Town Creek, Ala. | 5 | 21-10 | $1,748 |
| 4th | Ethan Seitz of Hixson, Tenn. | 5 | 21-9 | $1,223 |
| 5th | Christopher Keeble of Lenoir City, Tenn. | 5 | 21-5 | $1,048 |
| 6th | Michael Wooley of Booneville, Miss. | 5 | 21-0 | $961 |
| 7th | Dawson Lenz of Newnan, Ga. | 5 | 19-8 | $1,698 |
| 8th | Donny Beck of Killen, Ala. | 5 | 19-5 | $786 |
| 9th | Garrett Warren of Hoover, Ala. | 5 | 19-2 | $699 |
| 10th | Robert Werner of Spanish Fort, Ala. | 5 | 18-11 | $611 |
| RANK | STRIKE KING CO-ANGLER NAME/HOMETOWN | BASS | WEIGHT | AWARD |
| 1st | Chris Frazier of Afton, Tenn. | 5 | 16-13 | $2,777 |
| 2nd | Larry Hughes of Summertown, Tenn. | 5 | 16-4 | $1,288 |
| 3rd | Kade Suratt of Lawrenceburg, Tenn. | 5 | 16-1 | $858 |
| 4th | Justin Stringer of Hartselle, Ala. | 5 | 15-14 | $601 |
| 5th | Dustin Hambright of Killen, Ark. | 5 | 15-9 | $515 |
| 6th | Kevin Reardon of Corinth, Miss. | 5 | 15-8 | $472 |
| 7th | Beau Bennett of Lawrenceburg, Tenn. | 5 | 15-5 | $429 |
| 8th | Daniel Corkern of Florence, Miss. | 5 | 15-3 | $637 |
| 9th | Keith Whipple of Iuka, Miss. | 5 | 15-1 | $344 |
| 10th | Kyle Holt of Section, Ala. | 5 | 14-4 | $301 |
| AWARD | NAME | CONTINGENCY | PAYOUT |
| Boater Big Bass | Dawson Lenz of Newnan, Ga. | 6-pound, 8-ounce bass | $825 |
| Strike King Co-Angler Berkley Big Bass | Johnny Suratt of Lawrenceburg, Tenn. | 6-pound, 4-ounce bass | $397 |
| Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus | Jeff Kitchens of Auburn, Ala. | Eligible Phoenix Boat* | $500 |
| ANGLER | BAIT | COLOR |
| Boater | Swimbait | Did Not Disclose |
| Strike King Co-Angler | Z-Man Evergreen Chatterbait Jack Hammer | Did Not Disclose |
| EVENT | DATE | LOCATION | HOST |
| Choo Choo 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.
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.
VanDam picks 3 lures for Easter weekend
Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships
For as long as Kevin VanDam can remember, Easter weekend has involved a huge in-store promotion at his family’s well-known D & R Sports Center retail store. Kevin met many of his fishing heroes at the store as a young man, and has since served as one of many famous pros who attend the annual event to meet with fans.
But for those of you who won’t be at D & R Sports Center in Kalamazoo this coming weekend, Kevin chose three categories of lures he says should work just about anywhere in America as Peter Cottontail comes hopping down the bunny trail.
“April is a time when everything heats up in the bass fishing world, even up north,” says VanDam. “And across the south, bass are totally relating to the spawn. So there’s a ton of fish shallow, and Easter weekend is just a great time to be on the water.”
Shallow squarebill crankbait – “There are very few lures that rival a KVD 1.5 squarebill in water less than 6-feet deep. And because there are so many fish shallow at Easter, it’s a great choice. The whole key is to make sure it’s crashing into logs, rocks, or stumps when you’re retrieving it.”
Jerkbait – “This is just a phenomenal pre-spawn bait anytime you’ve got fairly clear water. From Table Rock to Lake St. Clair, and all sorts of fisheries like those, a KVD 300 jerkbait is pretty tough to beat at Easter time. And because the water is getting warmer, you don’t have to pause for several seconds between jerks like you do in late winter.”
Frog – “Some people might be surprised that I’d pick a topwater frog as one of three baits at Easter time, because a lot of people think of frogs as summer lures. But that’s not true. Anytime the water temp gets around 58 or higher … it’s frogging time. Especially when the water is high in the springtime and a lot of great shallow habitat is a little flooded.”
“Man, I think if people will try one of these three lures over Easter, it should make a great holiday even better. We’ll go to church, then head to my mom and dad’s for a ton of great food. They’ll be an Easter ham of course, but we’ll be grilling too. And who knows, maybe we’ll even deep fry some bluegills we caught through the ice this past winter,” grins VanDam.
GEICO Returns to Major League Fishing Sponsorship Lineup
Second-Largest Auto Insurer in the U.S. to Be Prominently Showcased at General Tire Heavy Hitters Event
TULSA, Okla. (March 30, 2021) – Major League Fishing (MLF), the world’s premier tournament-fishing organization, today announced that insurance giant GEICO, the second-largest auto insurer in the United States, has re-signed a sponsorship agreement with the organization and will be prominently showcased at the upcoming General Tire Heavy Hitters mid-season all-star event.
In the Heavy Hitters event, anglers compete not only to win the tournament, but also for massive big bass payouts during each day of competition. Heavy Hitters airs live, broadcasting all six (6) days of competition on the MLF Now! Livestream, which reaches an estimated 300,000+ unique viewers, along with six two-hour television programs which will air each Saturday from July 17 through Aug. 21 on the Discovery Channel in 2021.
"The Heavy Hitters events are always fun and exciting for the fans and anglers," commented GEICO's Assistant Vice President of Marketing Bill Brower. "The daily and series competitions showcase great fishing, and GEICO is pleased to continue our longstanding support as a sponsor of Major League Fishing."
GEICO first became a sponsor of MLF in 2011 and has been a presenting and title sponsor of numerous MLF tournaments in that time period. They’ve also been showcased with the GEICO Selects tournament series, as well as numerous digital offerings at MajorLeagueFishing.com, including the GEICO Full Coverage tournament recap videos.
“Entering their eighth season as a sponsor of Major League Fishing, GEICO has been effective in maximizing our relationship by developing campaigns that engage our fans, members and anglers, both on and off the water,” MLF President and CEO Jim Wilburn said. “Being showcased this year at one of our most prestigious events – Heavy Hitters – ensures that the GEICO brand will remain highly visible to our fans and anglers.”
B.A.S.S. Announces 2022 Bassmaster Classic Will Be Held At Lake Hartwell
Sportfishing's most iconic event is returning to South Carolina as Greenville and nearby Lake Hartwell will partner to host the 2022 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk March 4-6, 2022.
Photo by B.A.S.S
March 30, 2021
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The world’s most prestigious professional bass tournament will be returning next year to the site of some of the best moments in the sport’s famed history.
B.A.S.S. officials, along with Visit Anderson and VisitGreenvilleSC, announced today that the 2022 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk will be held for the fourth time at scenic Lake Hartwell, March 4-6, with takeoffs from Green Pond Landing & Event Center. Daily weigh-ins will be held at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena and the annual Bassmaster Classic Outdoors Expo will take place at the Greenville Convention Center, both of which are in nearby Greenville.
B.A.S.S. CEO Bruce Akin said the organization is excited to once again visit a venue that has become the gold standard for professional bass fishing events.
“Everything about Lake Hartwell and the city of Greenville make them the perfect setting for the Super Bowl of Professional Bass Fishing,” Akin said. “The Bassmaster Classic is not only a chance for the best anglers in the world to showcase their abilities, it’s an annual celebration of the sport itself.
“Lake Hartwell provides the perfect site for amazing competition, and the city of Greenville provides the hotels, restaurants and other facilities you need for an event the size of the Classic.”
Hartwell is a 56,000-acre man-made reservoir situated between Georgia and South Carolina and encompassing portions of the Savannah, Tugaloo and Seneca rivers. It features a vast array of habitat and a good population of both largemouth and spotted bass that are likely to be in the prespawn phase when the Classic competitors arrive.
The fishery has hosted three previous Classics that each provided action-packed finishes.
In 2008, Texas pro Alton Jones Sr. went into the final day with little more than a pound lead, but managed to hold off the rest of the field and claim his only Classic trophy. In 2015, when temperatures dipped as low as a frigid 9 degrees, hometown favorite Casey Ashley of South Carolina came from behind on the final day to win his only title. Then in 2018, young Alabama pro Jordan Lee jumped from sixth place on the final day to win his second-straight Classic.
The fans turned out in droves for all three visits, creating an electric atmosphere for the weigh-ins and packing the Expo all three days.
“The Upstate of South Carolina is thrilled to welcome the Bassmaster Classic back to Lake Hartwell for the fourth time since initially hosting back in 2008,” said David Montgomery, Vice President of Sales for VisitGreenvilleSC. “Not only has the Classic set attendance records each year it has returned, but it has proven to be one of our largest economic impact events for the Greenville region.”
In 2018, a then-record crowd of 143,323 fans attended all of the Classic-related events. That Classic won a Sports Destination Management Innovation in Sports Tourism award for its ability to have two destinations working together for such a large economic impact.
"We are very excited for the opportunity to host the Bassmaster Classic once again on Lake Hartwell,” said Neil Paul, Executive Director of Visit Anderson. “The leadership of Anderson County has made a significant commitment to Green Pond Landing and the marketing efforts of Lake Hartwell, and we expect another record-breaking event with our teammates from Greenville.
“Hosting our fourth Bassmaster Classic on Lake Hartwell is significant to our community because no other fishery will have hosted more Bassmaster Classic events. Having hosted this great event in the past, we can speak firsthand to the significant economic impact it will have on the Upstate of South Carolina and the impact of residual tourism that will be felt in Anderson County for years to come."
Since the 2018 Classic, Hartwell has hosted several other high-level B.A.S.S. events, including a 2019 Bassmaster Elite Series tournament that was won by South Carolina pro Brandon Cobb. Just last year, another South Carolina pro, Patrick Walters, won the Basspro.com Bassmaster Eastern Open on Lake Hartwell.
Most recently, Hartwell hosted a Bassmaster College Series tournament that was won by Carson-Newman University anglers Ben Cully and Hayden Gaddis with a two-day total of 35 pounds, 10 ounces. In two days, a giant field of 261 teams caught just over 4,536 pounds of bass.
The 2022 Classic will feature 55 qualifiers who will earn their berths through the Elite Series, the Opens, the TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation circuit, the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops and the Bassmaster Team Championship plus the defending Bassmaster Classic champion and winner of the final Elite Series event of the 2021 season. They will compete in the no-entry fee event for their share of a whopping $1 million purse, with the champion earning $300,000.
“Since its inception, the Classic has been a tournament that changes lives,” said B.A.S.S. Chairman Chase Anderson. “The payday is great, sure. But the opportunity to refer to yourself as ‘Bassmaster Classic champion’ for the rest of your life — there’s no greater clout in our sport.”
The Bassmaster Classic is being hosted locally by Visit Anderson and VisitGreenvilleSC.
Illinois’ Dunlap High School Wins U.S. Army High School Fishing Open at Table Rock
BRANSON, Mo. (March 29, 2021) – The Dunlap High School duo of Brock Blazier of Dunlap, Illinois, and Charles Woolsey of Gardner, Illinois, won the U.S. Army High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing Open at Table Rock Lake Presented by Googan Baits on Saturday in Branson, Missouri. The event was hosted by Explore Branson and the victory advanced the winning team to the 2021 U.S. Army High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing National Championship.
TOP 10 RESULTS
| RANK | SCHOOL/CLUB NAME/CITY | ANGLER NAME | BASS | WEIGHT |
| 1st | Dunlap High School, Dunlap, Ill. | Brock Blazier Charles Woolsey |
5 | 17-7 |
| 2nd | Trigg County High School, Cadiz, Ky.* | Jordan Hampton Hunter Shelton |
5 | 17-0 |
| 3rd | Vilonia High School, Vilonia, Ark.* | Mason Davis Kevin Finch |
5 | 15-11 |
| 4th | 782 Bass Club* | Colton Kuykendall, Big Lake, Texas Will Shepherd, Overland Park, Kan. |
5 | 14-12 |
| 5th | NCA Fishing* | Lane King & Coleman Phillips, both of Harrison, Ark. | 5 | 14-1 |
| 6th | Gardner South Wilmington High School, Gardner, Ill.* | Cameron Carpenter Ryan Olsen |
5 | 13-15 |
| 7th | PCR 3 Bass Fishing Club* | Nathan Vanek & Austin Vanek, both of Platte City, Mo. | 5 | 13-11 |
| 8th | Camdenton High School, Camdenton, Mo.* | Caden Kowal Reece Waters |
5 | 13-7 |
| 9th | Buhler High School, Buhler, Kan.* | Marissa Fideldy Nathan Fideldy |
5 | 12-14 |
| 10th | Blue Eye High School, Blue Eye, Mo. | Trey Lippe Colton Spinning |
5 | 12-12 |
| EVENT | DATE | LOCATION | HOST |
| 2021 U.S. Army High School Fishing National Championship & World Finals | Jun. 30 – Jul. 3 | Lake Hartwell, Anderson, S.C. | Anderson Convention & Visitors Bureau |
The first 25 high school teams that enter each U.S. Army High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing tournament will receive a free Favorite Fishing package, including one Favorite Fishing casting rod and reel, one Favorite Fishing spinning rod and reel, six packs of Googan Baits and two Favorite Fishing hats, a total package value of $230. Most tournaments will also be hosted by a Bass Pro Tour angler or Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit angler, giving high school students the chance to meet the sport’s top pros. As an added bonus, the winning team at each tournament will receive a guided fishing trip with their pro angler host.
In addition to the U.S. Army High School Fishing National Championship, all High School Fishing anglers nationwide automatically qualify for the world’s largest open high school bass tournament, the 2021 High School Fishing World Finals, held in conjunction with the National Championship. More than $2.8 million in scholarships and prizes were offered at the 2020 World Finals.
Full schedules and the latest announcements, photos and articles are available at HighSchoolFishing.org and MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Southern Illinois University Wins Abu Garcia College Fishing Tournament on Table Rock Lake
BRANSON, Mo. (March 29, 2021) – The Southern Illinois University duo of Thomas Johns of Carbondale, Illinois and Andrew Novotney of Peru, Illinois, earned the win on Friday at the Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI at Table Rock Lake in Branson, Missouri. The victory awarded the SIU bass club $2,000 and qualified the duo to compete in the 2022 College Fishing National Championship.
TOP 10 RESULTS*
| RANK | COLLEGE NAME | ANGLER NAME/HOMETOWN | BASS | WEIGHT | AWARD |
| 1st | Southern Illinois University | Thomas Johns of Carbondale, Ill. Andrew Novotney of Peru, Ill. |
5 | 19-11 | $2,000 |
| 2nd | Greenville University | Hannah Hill of Centralia, Ill. Nate Overocker of Dana, Ill. |
5 | 18-1 | $1,000 |
| 3rd | Tarleton State University | Kasen Keese of Stephenville, Texas | 5 | 17-6 | $500 |
| 4th | Drury University | Brock Bila of Overland Park, Kan. Jack Rankin of Manhattan, Kan. |
5 | 17-5 | $500 |
| 5th | Missouri State University | Keegan Barger of Springfield, Mo. Jackson Donato of St. Charles, Mo. |
5 | 17-1 | $500 |
| 6th | Kansas State University | Michael Mueting of Lincoln, Neb. Zach Vielhauer of Shawnee, Kan. |
5 | 16-5 | |
| 7th | Kansas State University | Justin Janzing of Wichita, Kan. Austin Wiley of Manhattan, Kan. |
5 | 16-2 | |
| 8th | Rogers State University | Tanner Bracken of Louisville, Ky. Tyler Dunlap of Chelsea, Okla. |
5 | 16-1 | |
| 9th | Bellarmine University | Ryan Kleine-Kracht of Louisville, Ky. Kaden Woo of Louisville, Ky. |
5 | 16-0 | |
| 10th | Drury University | Cole Breeden of Eldridge, Mo. Cameron Smith of Nixa, Mo. |
5 | 15-11 |
Complete results for the entire field can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
2021 QUALIFICATION OPPORTUNITIES
| EVENT | DATE | LOCATION | HOST |
| Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI 2022 National Championship presented by Lowrance at TBD | TBD, 2022 | TBD | TBD |
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. 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.
Tanner Spurgin wins Mega Bass event on Fork with a 15 pounder!!!!
Tanner Spurgin tops over 1700 anglers & wins a record setting Mega Bass
with a 15.47 giant. Takes home a New Skeeter ZX 200 + $15,000
| Angler | City | State | Weight | Prize Amount | |
| MARK SPURGIN | McKinney | TX | 15.47 |
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| MARK SPURGIN | McKinney | TX | 15.47 |
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| RYAN BADDERS | Diana | TX | 10.34 |
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| STEVEN MOSELEY | Taylor | AR | 9.76 |
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| CHAD ONEAL | Amity | AR | 9.53 |
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| JD FOSTER | Waxahachie | TX | 9.38 |
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| RILEY GILL | Melissa | TX | 9.37 |
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| SCOT MCDONALD | Celina | TX | 8.85 |
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| TYLER STANLEY | San Antonio | TX | 7.60 |
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| RODNEY PLY | Diamond City | AR | 5.85 |
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| RAY WARD | Emory | TX | 3.05 |
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| JAMES HUMBERSON | Gilmer | TX | 2.71 |
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| DENIS HANLEY | Robinson | TX | 2.64 |
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| COLTEN PUSATERI | Allen | TX | 2.60 |
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| JAYSON TOERCK | Nocona | TX | 2.39 |
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| BRANDON TINGLE | Stonewall | LA | 2.39 |
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| ANDREW WRIGHT | Plano | TX | 3.20 |
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| JERRY GREEN | Glenwood | AR | 2.74 |
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| JOE SMITH | Forney | TX | 2.71 |
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| STEVE NUCKOLLS | Sulphur Springs | TX | 2.63 |
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| COLTEN PUSATERI | Allen | TX | 2.62 |
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| JUSTIN DUBOSE | Paradise | TX | 2.50 |
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| BOBBY PEEK | Greenville | TX | 2.69 |
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| DAVID JONES | Friendswood | TX | 2.66 |
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| RICK CLARK | Terrell | TX | 2.59 |
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| RAYMOND DARNALL | Saginaw | TX | 2.55 |
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| RODNEY HESSER | Granbury | TX | 2.51 |
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| BRANDON POTTER | Decatur | TX | 2.45 |
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| BRIAN FLENNIKEN | Fort Worth | TX | 2.34 |
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| DOUG DONK | Arlington | TX | 2.64 |
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| JAMES PARDO | Glen Heights | TX | 2.55 |
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| KEITH WHITE | Decatur | TX | 2.53 |
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| STEVE HODGE | Emory | TX | 2.51 |
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| MICHAEL BURKS | Conroe | TX | 2.50 |
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| MARK ANGELO | Richardson | TX | 2.43 |
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| KURT MORGAN | Lufkin | TX | 2.32 |
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| TREY BIGGER | Celina | TX | 2.63 |
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| DUDLEY HARDIN | Clovis | NM | 2.51 |
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| WILLIAM MCFALL | Clinton | AR | 2.49 |
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| DUSTIN SOULES | Grand Saline | TX | 2.48 |
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| DEVIN BUSHLAND | Allen | TX | 2.48 |
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| RANDY STEELE | Sulphur Springs | TX | 2.30 |
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| CASIE TELLES | Princeton | TX | 2.36 |
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| JOSH MOORE | Amarillo | TX | 2.36 |
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| CLIFF WALDROP | Anna | TX | 2.56 |
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| KELLY PERRY | Greenville | TX | 2.50 |
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| JAMES SHACKELFORD | Lake Charles | LA | 2.48 |
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| ANDY HOWARD | Mexia | TX | 2.46 |
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| MARK MCCAIN | Alba | TX | 2.39 |
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| WILSON WALTHALL | Magnolia | AR | 2.28 |
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| MICHAEL WEDGMAN | Montgomery | TX | 2.55 |
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| TRAVIS WHITE | Fort Worth | TX | 2.44 |
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| JASON MAY | Grand Prairie | TX | 2.41 |
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| DAVID WALDROP | Carthage | TX | 2.35 |
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| JOE THOMAS | Fort Worth | TX | 2.28 |
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| BRADLEY CREAMER | Fruitvale | TX | 2.25 |
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| LUCAS GASTON | Benbrook | TX | 2.45 |
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| DARRELL CAMPBELL | Alba | TX | 2.45 |
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| JEREMY THOMISON | Euless | TX | 2.54 |
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| JERRY PAGE | Kilgore | TX | 2.40 |
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| PAUL MECCA | Dallas | TX | 2.40 |
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| JAMES WRIGHT | Brownsboro | TX | 2.31 |
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| JAMES BIGGERSTAFF | Lindale | TX | 2.27 |
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| VERLON CRONEY | Alba | TX | 2.20 |
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| STEPHEN RUSSELL | Van | TX | 2.52 |
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| KENNY MOSER | Alba | TX | 2.44 |
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| PASCUAL TORRES | Robinson | TX | 2.38 |
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| BRADLEY WASHBURN | Wayland | MI | 2.30 |
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| GORDON HUNTINGTON | Lake Jackson | TX | 2.26 |
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| DAVID HOWARD | Dallas | TX | 2.19 |
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| LANCE AWE | Van Alstyne | TX | 2.38 |
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| STEVE SULLIVAN | Frisco | TX | 2.38 |
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| BEN KINDER | Valley Mills | TX | 2.50 |
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| WESLEY JOHNSON | Raytown | MO | 2.49 |
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| CURTIS WHITT | Ingram | TX | 2.41 |
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| CODY GREANEY | LaGrange | TX | 2.37 |
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| ROBERT FOUST | West Monroe | LA | 2.35 |
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| MARK SPURGIN | McKinney | TX | 2.35 |
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| DUSTIN MORENO | Pittsburg | TX | 2.29 |
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| SHANE SMITH | Texarkana | TX | 2.28 |
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| RICHARD OSBORN | Carrollton | TX | 2.24 |
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| JAYSON TOERCK | Nocona | TX | 2.23 |
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| KEVIN CROUCH | Crowley | TX | 2.20 |
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| DAVID HATHAWAY | Greenup | IL | 2.16 |
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| JIM OSBORN | Derry | NH | 2.16 |
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Arkansas’ Barnes Wins Toyota Series Event on Lake Texoma
KINGSTON, Okla. (March 28, 2021) – Toyota Series angler Evan Barnes of Hot Springs, Arkansas, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 13 pounds even to win the three-day Toyota Series presented by A.R.E. at Lake Texoma Presented by Abu Garcia in Kingston, Oklahoma. Barnes’ three-day total of 14 bass weighing 42-10 earned him the win by a 3-pound, 3-ounce margin over second-place angler Cameron Mattison of Benton, Louisiana and earned Barnes the top payout of $40,906 in the second tournament of the 2021 Toyota Series Southwestern Division.
“I’ve had a tough year, on the [Pro Circuit], missing checks and stuff,” said Barnes. “This year, I felt like I was led to fish full-time and I made that big leap of faith. Because I’ve had such a tough year, and financially there were a lot of questions, I really didn’t know if I was going to come to this tournament. I wanted to come, but, I’m telling you, I literally started praying. I was like ‘Lord, if you want me to come to this tournament, then you need to let me know.’ I felt Him urging me to go and knew I was going, but without that nudge, I wouldn’t even be standing here today.”
A pastor and a constant participant in Meet the Pros ministry events on the Pro Circuit, Barnes speaks about his faith as eloquently as anyone. On Saturday, after catching nothing off all his best areas, his hopes of a win were slipping away.
“I didn’t have a bass at 1 o’clock,” said Barnes. “Man, I pulled up on this point, right by weigh-in, and I caught a 2-pound smallmouth. I wanted to go back to my main areas and give them one more shot, but for whatever reason, it had to be the Lord, I just turned around and made a few more casts. I bombed that swimbait up and caught like a 4-pounder. We literally caught all of our fish over there, I caught my last one with 10 minutes to go and half the people here were watching me fish.
“It was just nuts – I didn’t have a single bass at 1 o’clock. Then I pulled up on that point and caught five and my co-anger caught four and we both win the event.
Barnes caught his fish off shallow brush and a pair of clutch points, using HI-SEAS fluorocarbon, Phenix Recon Elite rods and Daiwa reels. He targeted brush in less than 10 feet of water with a Duo Realis Apex Vibe painted by Curry’s Customs and a Black’s Custom Lures Widow Maker A-rig with three ¼-ounce heads from Motivated Fishing and 3.3-inch Keitech Swing Impact FAT swimbaits in the crystal shad color.
The brush fish were difficult to catch, but Barnes said his Garmin LiveScope helped tremendously.
“I think there were at least three or four fish this week I would not have caught without LiveScope,” said Barnes. “It was very difficult to get the fish to bite. You could see them everywhere, they were on every brush pile, and you could throw an A-rig out there and they wouldn’t bite. But every once in a while, you’d get one to track it. One of the big ones I caught this week, I watched it track it, and finally shook it right in her face and she grabbed it.”
The story of Day 1, and the entire event to an extent, was the flurry of smallmouth that Barnes ignited to stake the lead. With a few fish in the livewell, Barnes pulled up on a point where he’d gotten a few bites and landed a 2-pound bass in practice.
“I rolled over there to that point, and the first one I catch is a 4-pounder,” said Barnes.
He and co-angler Billy Sammons proceeded to light the world on fire. At one point, Barnes had a fish breaking water with his bait in his mouth while he was getting ready to net a fish for Sammons. Somehow, not only did he not lose his rod overboard, he landed the fish.
“That just goes to show you,” said Barnes. “When it’s your time, you can’t do anything to stop it.”
The top 10 pros on Lake Texoma finished:
1st: Evan Barnes of Hot Springs, Ark., 14 bass, 42-10, $40,906
2nd: Cameron Mattison of Benton, La., 15 bass, 39-7, $15,270
3rd: Billy Cline of Bartonville, Texas, 13 bass, 38-10, $11,822
4th: Christopher Temple of Krugerville, Texas, 11 bass, 35-0, $11,102
5th: Blake Schroeder of White House, Texas, 12 bass, 33-1, $8,866
6th: Chad Mrazek of Montgomery, Texas, nine bass, 30-6, $7,881
7th: Mitchell Webb of Skiatook, Okla., nine bass, 29-8, $7,042
8th: Tommy Dickerson of Orange, Texas, 11 bass, 28-10, $5,911
9th: Wesley Dawson of Chester, Texas, nine bass, 27-10, $4,926
10th: James Ware of Longview, Texas, 10 bass, 26-15, $3,941
A complete list of results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Christopher Temple of Krugerville, Texas took home an extra $1,000 as the highest finishing Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus member. Boaters are eligible to win up to an extra $35,000 per event in each Toyota Series tournament if all requirements are met. More information on the Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.
Bill Bean of Eufaula, Oklahoma, won the Strike King Co-angler Division Saturday with a three-day total of 13 bass weighing 31 pounds, 5 ounces. Bean took home the top prize package of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard motor.
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers on Lake Texoma finished:
2nd: Keith Honeycutt of Temple, Texas, 12 bass, 30-7, $4,935
3rd: Hank Williams of Claremore, Okla., 11 bass, 23-14, $3,948
4th: Mike Crain of Oklahoma City, Okla., seven bass, 22-4, $3,454
5th: Jake Inderman of Allen, Texas, six bass, 17-11, $2,961
6th: Ben Burns of Lucas, Texas, eight bass, 17-5, $2,467
7th: Billy Sammons of Whitesboro, Texas, five bass, 16-14, $1,974
8th: Joshua Williams of Newcastle, Okla., five bass, 16-1, $1,727
9th: Trever Tinkle of Liberty, Texas, seven bass, 15-11, $1,480
10th: Johnny Burke of Bristow, Okla., five bass, 13-4, $1,234
In the Strike King co-angler division, the $97 Day One Berkley Big Bass award winner was Thomas Martens of Cedar Park, Texas, with a 8-pound bass, while the $97 Day Two award went to Paul Reutlinger of Mineola, Texas, with a 6-pound bass.
The Toyota Series at Lake Texoma was presented by Abu Garcia and was hosted by Discover Durant. It was the second of three regular-season tournaments in 2021 for Southwestern Division anglers. The next event for Toyota Series anglers will take place March 31 – April 2 – the Toyota Series at Dale Hollow Lake in Monroe, Tennessee. 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.
DeFoe Wins Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour Toro Stage One at Sam Rayburn Reservoir
Tennessee Pro Wins Nail-biter over Washington’s Luke Clausen in Closest Margin of Victory in Bass Pro Tour History
JASPER, Texas (March 26, 2021) –In one of the craziest endings to a tournament in Major League Fishing (MLF) history, pro Ott DeFoe of Blaine, Tennessee, caught two key fish late in the day to overtake Spokane, Washington’s Luke Clausen and win the Bass Pro Tour Toro Stage One at Sam Rayburn Reservoir presented by Power-Pole with a final day total of 13 bass weighing 30 pounds, 2 ounces.
Link to Photo of Sam Rayburn Champion Ott DeFoe
Link to Video of DeFoe’s Trophy Presentation
Link to Video of Fish Catch Highlights from DeFoe’s Final Day
The ending was crazy because of the area that DeFoe had been fishing in – a secluded spot way up the Angelina River on the north end of Sam Rayburn. Cellular coverage was extremely spotty, so when Defoe boated a back-to-back 2-12 and a 2-13 with about 20 minutes left in the event to overtake Clausen, it didn’t register on the SCORETRACKER leaderboard until very near the end of competition. His first bass – the 2-12 – tied him with Clausen, and the 2-13 earned him the victory by that margin.
“I just love fishing this time of year,” said DeFoe, who earned his second career Bass Pro Tour victory – both in Texas. “The end of the day was a bit of disaster due to the area that I was in… the service was bad, but the fishing was really good.”
DeFoe said that he found his area on the first day of practice and committed to fishing it for the entire event.
“The very first day of practice I spent up there and got a fair number of bites, and I liked what I saw,” DeFoe said. “I spent the second day of practice down the lake and saw how much boat traffic there was, and there wasn’t much traffic up on the north end, so that is where I committed to. I ended up fishing there every single day.
“I had one really key little spot that there were so many bass in, and really just going through a rotation of baits is what worked for me this week,” DeFoe continued. “My key baits were a squarebill crankbait; I caught some fish on a Rapala DT4, another homemade squarebill crankbait that will eventually be in the OG line from Rapala, a Bass Pro Magnum Fin-Eke Worm ended up being a big player for me, and a Bass Pro Wacky Stik worm was also a big deal.
“I give all of the thanks to God – he gets all of the credit for everything,” DeFoe went on to say. “I just love this time of year – the Easter season is upon us and I am so excited for next week. This week has been incredible, though, and I just can’t believe it. All I can say is God Bless Texas!”
Clausen lost an estimated 5- or 6-pounder in Period 1 that ended up being the difference maker for him.
“I’ll be thinking about the one that I lost for a long time,” Clausen said. “I knew today when it happened, that fish, if I didn’t win it was going to hurt me pretty dang bad. And it did.
“I really don’t know that I could have done anything different today, other than land that fish,” Clausen continued. “I didn’t have a lot figured out, and I knew it was going to be one of those kind of deals where I knew it was just going to be about me going fishing. I could catch them on a ChatterBait and on a stickbait, and other than that it was just grinding it out. I did what I thought I needed to do at the right times and got some of the right bites, but obviously it was not enough.”
The top 10 pros at the Bass Pro Tour Toro Stage One at Sam Rayburn Reservoir finished:
1st: Ott DeFoe, Blaine, Tenn., 13 bass, 30-2, $100,000
2nd: Luke Clausen, Spokane, Wash., nine bass, 27-5, $45,000
3rd: Gerald Spohrer, Gonzales, La., nine bass, 26-8, $38,000
4th: Tommy Biffle, Wagoner, Okla., nine bass, 20-3, $32,000
5th: Justin Lucas, Guntersville, Ala., six bass, 20-0, $30,000
6th: Mark Davis, Mount Ida, Ark., six bass, 19-1, $26,000
7th: Cliff Crochet, Pierre Part, La., five bass, 14-1, $23,000
8th: Jeff Sprague, Point, Texas, three bass, 8-3, $21,000
9th: Cliff Pace, Petal, Miss., two bass, 4-14, $19,000
10th: Bobby Lane, Lakeland, Fla., one bass, 4-2, $16,000
Full results for the entire field can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
There were 63 bass weighing 174 pounds, 7 ounces caught by the final 10 pros Friday.
Clausen won Friday’s $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award, weighing in a 5-pound, 3-ounce largemouth that bit his wacky-rigged worm just 20 minutes into Period 3. Connell won the $3,000 Berkley Big Bass award for the largest bass of the event with his 9-pound, 5-ounce bass that he weighed in on Day 1 of competition.
Television coverage of the Bass Pro Tour Toro Stage One at Sam Rayburn Reservoir presented by Power-Pole will be showcased across two two-hour episodes, premiering at 7 a.m. ET, Aug. 28 on the Discovery Channel. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on the Discovery Channel, with additional re-airings on the Outdoor Channel and the Sportsman Channel. Each two-hour long reality-based episode goes in-depth to break down each day of competition.
The MLF Bass Pro Tour Toro Stage One at Sam Rayburn Reservoir Presented by Power-Pole was hosted by the Jasper County Development District and the Jasper/Lake Sam Rayburn Chamber of Commerce.
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.
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.
For complete details and updated information on 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.
B.A.S.S. Reschedules Central Open Amid Flooding
March 26, 2021
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Heavy rainfall across central Alabama over the past two weeks has caused water levels to soar and the Smith Lake Public Boat Ramp to flood, prompting B.A.S.S. and local officials to postpone the Basspro.com Bassmaster Central Open at Lewis Smith Lake until Oct. 7-9, 2021.
According to Alabama Power Company, Lewis Smith Lake is expected to reach 8 feet above summer pool levels by Monday, with more rain in the forecast.
"Due to excessive rainfall, the continued threat of severe weather and rising water levels on Lewis Smith Lake, we agree with the decision made by B.A.S.S. to reschedule the Bassmaster Central Open Tournament that was scheduled for April 1-3," said Linda Lewis, president of the Chamber of Commerce of Walker County. "Safety is always our top priority for anglers, Bassmaster staff and local volunteers. We appreciate the continued partnership with B.A.S.S. in bringing these tournaments to our community."
All payments will be transferred to the new tournament date. Any angler who wishes to cancel their tournament registration may email the B.A.S.S. tournament department at an@bassmaster.com for a refund.
TH Marine Acquires BHP Marine
Huntsville, AL - On January 28, 2021, T-H Marine completed its eleventh add-on acquisition. BHP Marine (“BHP” or the “Company”) has a proprietary product line and is an online retailer of marine anchoring and mooring products, as well as accessories. Signature product categories include anchors, anchor lines, dock lines, and fenders. The Company was founded in 2003 and headquartered in Mooresville, NC.
The acquisition of BHP offers T-H Marine complimentary product offerings with a successful, plug-and play ecommerce store and access to an invaluable network of customer relationships. Furthermore, the transaction deepens T-H Marine’s brand portfolio with the addition of sought-after brands including Anchoring.com™, Norestar™, and Komo Covers®.
“We’re are excited about the acquisition of this dynamic company,” said T-H Marine CEO, Jeff Huntley. “The addition of BHP’s proprietary product lines will give us an immediate foothold in the anchoring and mooring categories. Furthermore, their customer base and reach will position us deeper into the saltwater fishing and pleasurecraft boat markets. The addition of BHP’s group of ecommerce specialists coupled with the expertise of our already strong team will further T-H Marine’s objective of capitalizing on the explosive growth opportunities presented in all of the aftermarket channels for all our brands. We will continue to aggressively seek great acquisitions, such as BHP, to increase the portfolio of awesome products that we offer to boating and fishing enthusiasts who love our brands.”
Lucas Wins Knockout Round, Final 10 Anglers Set for Finale at Major League Fishing’s Toro Stage One at Sam Rayburn Reservoir
Alabama Pro Has Best Single Day of Tournament to Advance to Championship Round
JASPER, Texas (March 25, 2021) – Berkley pro Justin Lucas of Guntersville, Alabama, had the highest single-day weight total of the entire event Thursday, catching nine bass totaling 36 pounds, 13 ounces to win the Knockout Round and advance at the Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Tour Toro Stage One at Sam Rayburn Reservoir presented by Power-Pole . The final 10 anglers are now set and competition will resume Friday morning with the Championship Round, the sixth and final day of competition. Weights are zeroed, and the angler that catches the most weight will win the top prize of $100,000.
The top eight pros from Thursday’s Knockout Round that will compete in Friday’s Championship Round on Sam Rayburn Reservoir are:
1st: Justin Lucas, Guntersville, Ala., nine bass, 36-13
2nd: Cliff Pace, Petal, Miss., 10 bass, 27-15
3rd: Luke Clausen, Spokane, Wash., seven bass, 24-0
4th: Jeff Sprague, Point, Texas, eight bass, 23-15
5th: Tommy Biffle, Wagoner, Okla., seven bass, 22-7
6th: Bobby Lane, Lakeland, Fla., eight bass, 21-11
7th: Mark Davis, Mount Ida, Ark., six bass, 20-10
8th: Cliff Crochet, Pierre Part, La., six bass, 19-2
They’ll be joined by Qualifying Round Winners:
Group A: Ott DeFoe, Blaine, Tenn.
Group B: Gerald Spohrer, Gonzales, La.
Lucas said that he took a finesse approach with a drop-shot rig, a strategy he adopted after a solid round on Wednesday.
“I was trying to force myself to catch fish on the bank and they just weren’t there,” Lucas said. “There’s millions of fish in this lake and they all aren’t on the bank. I’m finding them on big grass flats in 3 or 4 feet of water. They’re prespawn and spawning out there.”
Lucas caught the majority of his fish on the drop-shot rig, but it was a big swimbait fish he caught during Wednesday that really brought the finesse mindset to the forefront.
“When I caught that 7-14 on a swimbait on Wednesday, I knew that I needed to switch things up,” Lucas said. “I told myself to back off these fish, get away from the bank and look for areas in these flats where they can be spawning or staging. It worked out and I think I know how I’m going to attack tomorrow.”
The SCORETRACKER® provided plenty of drama for fans and anglers alike Thursday afternoon, especially for anglers trying to finish above the Toro Cut Line. Pro Mark Davis led the Qualifying Group B Round on his first day at Sam Rayburn but found himself outside the top eight with only 20 minutes remaining in the Knockout Round.
Davis was able to find some new water and brought in a crucial 6½-pound largemouth to rocket up SCORETRACKER® and into the top eight. As he took his boat out of the water and prepared himself to fish another Championship Round, Davis expressed the relief he felt after landing that bass.
“That fish meant everything to me,” Davis said. “I could only figure out one way to get a bite all day, and that was with a Carolina rig. To be able to catch that fish right there at the end and lock up a second-straight Top-10 finish was a great feeling.”
Luke Clausen was another angler who found himself outside of the top eight with time winding down. The Washington pro added a 2-14, 4-3 and 3-14 over the final two hours to lock up a spot in the Championship Round.
“I was getting really stressed because I went from third place to out of the top eight in such a hurry,” Clausen recapped. “I caught that 3-14 in the final few minutes to secure my spot and I’m glad I did because I was afraid I was going to fall out. I’m excited to get out there tomorrow and give it a shot at winning this thing.”
Rounding out the top 40 finishers were:
9th: Spencer Shuffield, Hot Springs, Ark., six bass, 18-9
10th: Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn., six bass, 16-11
11th: Fred Roumbanis, Russellville, Ark., five bass, 16-11
12th: Shin Fukae, Osaka, Japan, six bass, 16-9
13th: Alton Jones Jr., Waco, Texas, five bass, 16-7
14th: Brent Chapman, Lake Quivira, Kan., six bass, 16-2
15th: Dean Rojas, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., five bass, 16-0
16th: Jeff Kriet, Ardmore, Okla., seven bass, 15-11
17th: Brent Ehrler, Redlands, Calif., seven bass, 15-6
18th: Greg Vinson, Wetumpka, Ala., three bass, 14-3
19th: Mark Daniels Jr., Tuskegee, Ala., six bass, 13-7
20th: Kevin VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich., five bass, 12-3
21st: Fletcher Shryock, Guntersville, Ala., four bass, 10-10
22nd: Takahiro Omori, Tokyo, Japan, four bass, 9-11
23rd: Matt Becker, Finleyville, Pa., four bass, 9-6
24th: Ish Monroe, Oakdale, Calif., three bass, 9-6
25th: Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla., four bass, 9-5
26th: Dustin Connell, Clanton, Ala., three bass, 9-2
27th: Skeet Reese, Auburn, Calif., three bass, 8-12
28th: Stephen Browning, Hot Springs, Ark., three bass, 8-6
29th: Marty Robinson, Lyman, S.C., three bass, 8-2
30th: Timmy Horton, Muscle Shoals, Ala., three bass, 7-11
31st: Anthony Gagliardi, Prosperity, S.C., three bass, 6-12
32nd: Wesley Strader, Spring City, Tenn., three bass, 6-10
33rd: Brett Hite, Phoenix, Ariz., two bass, 6-4
34th: Edwin Evers, Talala, Okla., two bass, 4-14
35th: Jason Lambert, Michie, Tenn., two bass, 4-9
36th: Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., one bass, 2-8
37th: Brandon Coulter, Knoxville, Tenn., one bass, 2-7
38th: Randall Tharp, Port Saint Joe, Fla., zero bass, 0-0
Full results for the entire field can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
There were 176 bass weighing 508 pounds, 15 ounces caught by 37 pros Thursday, which included four 6-pounders and six 5-pounders caught from Sam Rayburn Reservoir.
Shuffield won the $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award on Thursday, catching a 6-pound, 9-ounce largemouth in Period 3. Berkley will award $1,000 to the angler that weighs the biggest bass each day, and a $3,000 bonus to the angler who weighs the largest bass of the tournament.
The MLF Bass Pro Tour Toro Stage One at Sam Rayburn Reservoir Presented by Power-Pole is hosted by the Jasper County Development District and the Jasper/Lake Sam Rayburn Chamber of Commerce.
The 40 Anglers in Group A competed in their two-day qualifying round on Sunday and Tuesday – the 40 anglers in Group B on Monday and Wednesday. After the two-day Qualifying Round, the anglers that finished in 2nd through 20th place from both groups advanced to Thursday’s Knockout Round, while the winner from each group advanced directly to Friday’s Championship Round. In the Knockout Round, the weights were zeroed and the remaining 38 anglers competed to finish in the top 8 to advance to the Championship Round. Tomorrow, in the final day Championship Round, weights are zeroed and the highest one-day total wins. Full breakdown of the format can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
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 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 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 Bass Pro Tour Toro Stage One at Sam Rayburn Reservoir presented by Power-Pole will be showcased across two two-hour episodes, premiering at 7 a.m. ET, Aug. 28 on the Discovery Channel. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on the Discovery Channel, with additional re-airings on the Outdoor Channel and the Sportsman Channel. Each two-hour long reality-based episode goes in-depth to break down each day of competition.
Recent Storms, High Water Could Play A Role In Bassmaster Central Open At Lewis Smith Lake
Alabama's Lewis Smith Lake will host the Basspro.com Bassmaster Central Open April 1-3, 2021.
Photo by B.A.S.S.
March 25, 2021
JASPER, Ala. — The state of Alabama has endured severe storms and heavy rainfall during the past week, causing water levels to soar.
With more severe weather and rain in the forecast ahead of the Basspro.com Bassmaster Central Open at Lewis Smith Lake April 1-3, anglers will find a different landscape at the historic fishery than in years past, according to Bassmaster Opens competitor and Jasper native David Kilgore.
Anglers will take off each day from Smith Lake Public Boat Ramp at 6:30 a.m. CT. Weigh-ins on Days 1 and 2 will be held at the boat ramp starting at 2:30 p.m., and the final-day weigh-in will move to Bass Pro Shops in Leeds, Ala., at 4 p.m.
“What we are facing now is, the lake is superhigh. Depending on how much rain we get, I don’t know how low they are going to be able to get this thing before the tournament starts,” said Kilgore, a four-time B.A.S.S. winner and two-time qualifier for the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk. “You are going to have flooded trees and bushes. It is going to be a whole different lake.
“When it’s normal, I know right where to go, but this time I’m not sure. Right now, the lake is up 5 feet over full pool.”
Lewis Smith Lake, a 21,000-acre reservoir located just north of Birmingham, is a generally rocky reservoir with plenty of creek arms and fishable docks during normal conditions. The presence of blueback herring controls the attitude of the bass — and while there is a healthy largemouth population, spots are the predominant species.
Historically, Kilgore said the beginning of April is when the spawn begins, and he normally focuses on the spotted bass spawn rather than the largemouth.
“I don’t fool with the largemouth much just because of the population. They are harder to find,” he said. “Spots spawn all over the lake. They will spawn in the back of a pocket in a foot of water and sometimes they will spawn in the middle of the lake on a point.
“With the herring, they are there one day and gone the next. They will come to the bank and spawn and then they’ll go back to eating herring.”
Depending on the air and water temperatures, the 2014 Bassmaster Open champion at Smith Lake thinks this tournament could be more of a prespawn event than a spawning situation.
“This is usually the week the spawning starts and I doubt it will be much different,” Kilgore said. “It is still cool here now and the water is still cool.
“By the tournament, if they get the water down to a reasonable level, it’s not difficult to catch 10 or 11 pounds, but it is more difficult to catch 13 or 14. If you catch that for multiple days, you are doing really well.”
Kilgore added that he doesn’t believe the high-water conditions will affect the spawn; the bass will just be spawning in deeper water.
Although the 2020 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series event on Smith was won with largemouth bass in high water by Ethan Jones and Andrew Althoff from McKendree University, with their Day 1 bag weighing just under 20 pounds, Kilgore doesn’t anticipate that happening during the Open.
“It’s going to scatter the largemouth and, in my opinion, it will make them harder to catch,” he said. “What they had there was the perfect storm. I’ve caught over 20 pounds there with largemouth multiple times, but during the spawn, no. I’ve done it when it’s cold.”
Crankbaits, spinnerbaits and worms are a few of the baits Kilgore expects to play. If the bass are chasing herring, he said a topwater bait could come into play as well.
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.
Major League Fishing Pros Partner With Toro For Spring Clean Up At Texas Marine’s Residence
JASPER, Texas (March 25, 2021) – While 40 Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Tour anglers were out competing on Sam Rayburn Reservoir Tuesday, the real work was taking place off the water. Toro-sponsored anglers Brent Chapman and Jeff Sprague were joined by fellow pros Skeet Reese and James Watson for a “Spring Clean Up” event at the residence of local Jasper resident, Kamron Slaydon.
Slaydon was raised in Jasper, Texas, and graduated from Jasper High School in 2018. Immediately after graduation, Slaydon joined the U.S. Marine Corp and committed his life to serving our country. However, in January of 2019, while at home in Jasper while on leave, Slaydon was severely injured in an accidental shooting which damaged his C4 and C5 vertebrae, resulting in him being a quadriplegic.
Since the accident, Slaydon has spent the last two years doing everything possible in an effort to regain his independence. He has visited multiple physicians, therapists and specialists and spent hundreds of hours doing numerous different treatments and therapies. Slaydon and his family are raising money to help with the expense of an epidural stimulator to help him regain as much mobility as he can in his upper and lower extremities.
When the MLF anglers learned of Slaydon’s story, they immediately wanted to do something to help. Sprague and Chapman called in a few favors and the idea for a “Spring Clean Up” event was born. Sprague and Chapman recruited their fellow competitors, Reese and Watson, and arranged for Toro distributor, Professional Turf Products and a local Toro dealer, Scooter’s Lawnmower in Beaumont, Texas to allow them to use the equipment. The group of anglers spent a few hours on their day off Tuesday doing yard work for the Slaydon family, mowing, trimming and blowing the entire residence.
“We wanted to do something to give back, and this is one of those things that maybe doesn’t seem like much, but it’s one of those chores that just needs to get done and we were more than happy to come out here and meet Kamron and do some yard work for him and his family,” Chapman said.
“It was great for Toro to step up and help out the way they did today, and their equipment made the job quick and easy,” Chapman continued. “We are incredibly lucky to be able to fish for a living, so the least we could do on our day off is to come out here and give back a little bit and thank Kamron for his service to our country.”
Sprague manned the Toro Z Master 4000 MyRide zero-turn mower, while Chapman trimmed the entire property with a Toro 60V Battery String Trimmer. Reese was assigned the Toro 22-inch Recycler All-Wheel Drive walk-behind mower and Watson was given the Toro 60V Battery Leaf Blower to clean up the trimmings around the house, because “Watson is used to blowing a lot of hot air,” Sprague joked. The clean-up event took about two hours and when the anglers were finished the Slaydon family was grateful.
“It really means a lot just for someone to reach out and want to help, and then to show up and be such a great help and great conversation,” Slaydon said. “I enjoyed meeting the guys and talking about hunting and fishing, and they cleaned up our yard quickly and efficiently.”
“Words are powerless to express my appreciation,” said Jodi Slaydon, Kamron’s mother. “For the guys to take their day off and come out to show support for Kamron was amazing to witness. I think Kamron’s heart was full of gratitude and appreciation and he can’t wait to watch these anglers succeed on the water.
“Kamron has always worked hard to achieve the goals he has set for his life, and so many have already been accomplished. He’s a determined young man, full of positive vibes and strong in his faith. With a little help and support from friends, family and people like y’all – there will be no limit to his achievements. We are very thankful.”
As a thank you to Slaydon for his service, the anglers donated a jersey autographed by many of the anglers competing in the Bass Pro Tour event at Sam Rayburn. The Slaydon family has a few upcoming fundraising events scheduled to help raise money for their medical expenses, so a second jersey was donated to raise money for their silent auction, and the semi-local Sprague donated a four-hour fishing trip on an East Texas fishery on behalf of Toro, also to be auctioned off.
“Even though we were working, we had a lot of fun today,” said Sprague. “The strength that Kamron has, and his perseverance to get through the obstacles that life has thrown at him are truly inspirational. My hat goes off to that young man and his family and I am grateful that we had the opportunity to give back a little bit and do our part.”
For Major League Fishing fans in East Texas looking to support Slaydon, two upcoming fundraisers are currently scheduled. A Skeet Shoot, Crawfish Boil and Auction benefit is scheduled for Saturday, March 27th at 10 a.m. at 214 County Road 259 in Jasper, and a Barbecue Cook-Off and Washer Tournament is scheduled for Saturday, April 17, 2021 at the Jasper Country Club.
For fans unable to make it to Jasper but still wishing to support Kamron Slaydon and his family, a GoFundMe page has been set up to help raise money for their medical and travel expenses. To donate, visit GoFundMe.com.
Getting ready for Summer with ISO-Chill!
This week Chris and the boys welcome in Fishing and Hunting Category Manager for Under Armour Mr. Travis Gessley to talk about the new ISO-Chill line up of UA Clothing to help you stay cool and collected on the water. Products made for athletes like us fisherman that help us stay on the water longer and perform!
Spohrer Wins Qualifying Group B of Major League Fishing’s Toro Stage One at Sam Rayburn Reservoir
Louisiana Angler Catches Two-Day Total of 50 Pounds to Advance Directly to Friday’s Championship Round to Compete for $100,000, Field of 38 Set for Thursday’s Knockout Round
JASPER, Texas (March 24, 2021) – Pro Gerald Spohrer of Gonzales, Louisiana, boated eight scorable bass Wednesday weighing 23 pounds, 14 ounces to win the two-day Qualifying Group B round at the Toro Stage One at Sam Rayburn Reservoir presented by Power-Pole . Spohrer’s two-day total of 15 bass weighing 50 pounds even earned him the victory by a 2-pound, 1-ounce margin and advances him directly into Friday’s final-day Championship Round of competition. The six-day tournament is being filmed for television broadcast on the Discovery Channel and the Outdoor Channel later this year and live-streamed online.
Pro Randall Tharp of Port Saint Joe, Florida, caught a two-day total of 16 bass weighing 47-15 to end the round in second place, and Japanese pro Shinichi Fukae finished the round in third place with a two-day total of 15 bass weighing 43-13.
The remaining 38 anglers – 19 from Group A and 19 from Group B – will now compete Thursday in the Knockout Round, where weights are zeroed, and the anglers compete to finish in the top eight to advance to Championship Friday. Friday’s Championship Round will feature Group A winner Ott DeFoe, Group B winner Spohrer, and the top eight anglers from the Knockout Round competing in a final-day shootout for the top prize of $100,000.
“This is my first round that I’ve won with Major League Fishing, and it’s overwhelming the joy that I have right now,” Spohrer said. “Duking it out with my buddy, Randall Tharp, right at the end was exciting, and to get to do it right here, on Sam Rayburn, is a big deal to me.”
Spohrer credited his equipment as being the key to his success – the same 7-foot Quantum Smoke heavy-action casting rod paired with a Quantum Smoke 8:1 reel and spooled with 50-pound-test Seaguar Smackdown braided line (stealth gray) has caught every one of his fish this week.
“I’ve been a one-trick pony the last two days,” Spohrer said. “If you’ve been watching the live stream, you probably saw how deep I was getting my swimjig into the wood and dragging those fish out of there. It’s all worked out for me and I can’t tell you how happy I am.
“Now I get a day off and I’m going to get ready for the Championship Round,” Spohrer went on to say. “There will only be 10 of us, so I start the year automatically with a top-10 finish and now I’ve got a real legitimate chance to compete for that red trophy. I can’t wait.”
Despite his second-place finish, Tharp was very happy to see his good friend win and advance directly to the Championship Round.
“That’s why I’ve always loved tournament fishing – when it comes down to the last second, the last cast, and having the opportunity like I did,” Tharp said. “My hat’s off to Gerald. I hope I made him sweat a little bit, because I sure had a good time this afternoon. I had my opportunities.”
Tharp said that he relied on just two rods Wednesday, and likely would only use two in the Knockout Round as well.
“Basically, I’m just flipping bushes and trees, and anything in front of me,” the Florida pro said. “I threw a Zoom Z-Hog with a 5/16-ounce weight and a straight shank flipping hook. Later in the day I picked up a little frog and that baby was awful good to me today. The average bite on the frog was way better than the flipping bite. I’m probably going to keep those two rods in my hand all day tomorrow and go to work and hopefully make the Championship Round.”
An emotional Jeff Kriet of Ardmore, Oklahoma, was the last man in, finishing the day in 20th place.
“Thank God, man. It has been such a stressful day,” Kriet said. “I needed this. I’ve been sucking, and I haven’t been catching them. Last year, in the first two tournaments of the year, I finished like dead last. I only made a couple of cuts last year. I need a good year, badly. This gives me confidence and that’s important, because I’d lost all confidence. I was literally thinking I might have to hang this stuff up. I know it’s not like I won the tournament today, but making the cut really means a lot to me. It’s not easy to do. And it’s some positive momentum. I’m tickled that I get to come back out here, tomorrow.”
Kriet credited two baits – a wacky-rigged Big Bite Baits Trick Stick and a Big Bite Baits Methiolate Floating Worm – for his success in the Qualifying Round.
The top 20 pros from Qualifying Group B that now advance to Thursday’s Knockout Round on Sam Rayburn Reservoir are:
1st: Gerald Spohrer, Gonzales, La., 15 bass, 50-0 (ADVANCES DIRECTLY TO CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND)
2nd: Randall Tharp, Port Saint Joe, Fla., 16 bass, 47-15
3rd: Shinichi Fukae, Osaka, Japan, 15 bass, 43-13
4th: Mark Daniels Jr., Tuskegee, Ala., 15 bass, 42-0
5th: Brent Ehrler, Redlands, Calif., 12 bass, 41-9
6th: Brandon Coulter, Knoxville, Tenn., 13 bass, 37-8
7th: Justin Lucas, Guntersville, Ala., 11 bass, 36-12
8th: Mark Davis, Mount Ida, Ark., 15 bass, 34-8
9th: Skeet Reese, Auburn, Calif., nine bass, 32-3
10th: Tommy Biffle, Wagoner, Okla., 11 bass, 32-2
11th: Jeff Sprague, Point, Texas, 12 bass, 31-0
12th: Matt Becker, Finleyville, Pa., 10 bass, 30-9
13th: Bobby Lane, Lakeland, Fla., 11 bass, 30-5
14th: Greg Vinson, Wetumpka, Ala., 12 bass, 29-6
15th: Takahiro Omori, Tokyo, Japan, 12 bass, 29-1
16th: Alton Jones Jr., Waco, Texas, 11 bass, 28-5
17th: Timmy Horton, Muscle Shoals, Ala., 11 bass, 27-2
18th: Stephen Browning, Hot Springs, Ark., nine bass, 26-0
19th: Brent Chapman, Lake Quivira, Kan., 10 bass, 24-11
20th: Jeff Kriet, Ardmore, Okla., 11 bass, 23-6
Full results for the field can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Overall Wednesday, there were 194 bass weighing 543 pounds, 13 ounces caught by 39 pros, which included two 7-pounders, three 6-pounders and three 5-pounders caught from Sam Rayburn Reservoir.
Lucas won the $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award on Wednesday, catching a 7-pound, 14-ounce largemouth which bit a swimbait in Period 2. Berkley will award $1,000 to the angler that weighs the biggest bass each day, and a $3,000 bonus to the angler who weighs the largest bass of the tournament.
The MLF Bass Pro Tour Toro Stage One at Sam Rayburn Reservoir Presented by Power-Pole is hosted by the Jasper County Development District and the Jasper/Lake Sam Rayburn Chamber of Commerce.
The 40 Anglers in Group A competed in their two-day qualifying round on Sunday and Tuesday – the 40 anglers in Group B on Monday and Wednesday. With both groups two-day Qualifying Round complete, the anglers that finished in 2nd through 20th place from both groups now advance to Thursday’s Knockout Round, while the winner from each group advances directly to Friday’s Championship Round. In the Knockout Round, weights are zeroed and the remaining 38 anglers compete to finish in the top 8 to advance to the Championship Round. In the final day Championship Round, weights are zeroed and the highest one-day total wins. Full breakdown of the format can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
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 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 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 Bass Pro Tour Toro Stage One at Sam Rayburn Reservoir presented by Power-Pole will be showcased across two two-hour episodes, premiering at 7 a.m. ET, Aug. 28 on the Discovery Channel. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on the Discovery Channel, with additional re-airings on the Outdoor Channel and the Sportsman Channel. Each two-hour long reality-based episode goes in-depth to break down each day of competition.
For complete details and updated information on 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.
Bassmaster Brings Back Redfish Cup Championship For 2021
March 24, 2021
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Officials from B.A.S.S., Yamaha Marine and Skeeter Boats announced today that, after a 12-year hiatus, the popular Redfish Cup will be returning in 2021.
The Yamaha Bassmaster Redfish Cup Championship presented by Skeeter will be held Nov. 10-12 in Port Aransas, Texas, with 10 teams targeting the powerful predator fish that reside in brackish water marshes and often reach weights of more than 40 pounds. The two-person teams will compete with no entry fees for a top prize of $50,000.
“Our goal is to help grow sportfishing while supporting and encouraging anglers — whether they are on the St. Lawrence River fishing for smallmouth bass or targeting redfish in the Gulf of Mexico,” said B.A.S.S. CEO Bruce Akin. “We are thrilled to partner with Yamaha and Skeeter to host this exciting tournament for the first time since 2009.”
The Redfish Cup field will feature six teams from the Elite Redfish Tournament Series, Power-Pole Pro Redfish Tour and Redfish World Series, along with four all-star teams made up of a redfish pro paired with a Bassmaster Elite Series angler.
“The Redfish Cup Championship adds another layer to the valuable relationship between Yamaha, Skeeter and B.A.S.S.,” said Ben Speciale, President, Yamaha U.S. Marine Business Unit. “The Yamaha and Skeeter brands expand across fresh and saltwater competitive fishing, and we’re excited to partner with B.A.S.S. for the first time in the saltwater realm. The tournament represents our collective commitment to grow competitive and recreational fishing.”
Because bass and redfish behave similarly, many anglers across the country enjoy targeting both.
Like bass, redfish are ambush predators that will violently strike reaction lures like spinnerbaits, buzzbaits and topwater plugs. Redfish hang around common bass-fishing structure like riprap, pencil reeds and aquatic vegetation, where they prey on everything from baitfish to crabs and shrimp. The fish are so similar that anglers sometimes catch both from the same stretch of shoreline.
Powerful strikes and hard fights make redfishing an action-packed pursuit — and fans will be able to follow all of the action live.
Coverage will be provided all three tournament days on Bassmaster LIVE, and real-time scoring will be available on the same BassTrakk tool used for all B.A.S.S. events. Avid bass anglers will also be able to learn more on Bassmaster.com as the site launches new how-to videos and tips for crossing over from freshwater fishing to catching redfish.
Those who watch the Redfish Cup Championship will also learn more about the beautiful Port Aransas area.
Located on Mustang Island, Port Aransas is famed for its abundant inshore fishing grounds that are home to flounder and speckled trout as well as redfish. Competitors in the Redfish Cup Championship will be able to target areas like the aptly named Redfish Bay.
“Port A is a one-of-a-kind fishing destination, and the sport supports a large part of the Port Aransas tourism economy,” said Port Aransas Tourism Bureau & Chamber of Commerce CEO and President, Brett Stawar. “Known as the ‘Fishing Capital of Texas,’ there simply are not many gems like this one around!”
Originally launched in 2003, the Redfish Cup was produced by pioneering outdoor television company JM Associates, which is now owned by B.A.S.S. The series featured four to eight tournaments each year, culminating in the Redfish Cup Championship.
The Yamaha Bassmaster Redfish Cup Championship presented by Skeeter is just one way the three brands have partnered to foster interest in sportfishing. Yamaha and Skeeter recently signed multiyear deals to continue their sponsorship of the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk and the prestigious Bassmaster Tournament Trail through 2024. Yamaha is an Official Premier Engine Sponsor of the trail while Skeeter will continue as an Official Premier Boat Sponsor.
For more information on the schedule and competing teams as it becomes available, please visit Bassmaster.com.
Seventh-Annual Abu Garcia College Fishing Open Set for Lake Chickamauga
Hundreds of College Anglers Descend on Lake Chickamauga to Compete for Automatic Berth into 2022 National Championship and a $33,500 Prize Package
DAYTON, Tenn. (March 24, 2021) – Major League Fishing, the world’s largest tournament fishing organization, returns to Lake Chickamauga, March 30-31, for the seventh-annual Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI Open tournament. Hosted by Fish Dayton and the Rhea Economic & Tourism Council, the tournament allows registration from any eligible college team from across the United States. Anglers who finish within the top 20, along with one additional team for every 10 teams over 200 competing, will automatically qualify for the 2022 Abu Garcia College Fishing National Championship, and the Open champions will take home a new Phoenix 518 Pro with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard – a $33,500 prize package.
“There’s been a lot of rain in that area recently so the currents are up on the Tennessee River,” said Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit angler Cole Floyd of Leesburg, Ohio, a former College Fishing angler from Bethel University. “If more rain comes in, I think a lot of the fish will be caught on current breaks out on main river bars and ditches. However, the fish are in their springtime pattens right now, so I could also see a lot of guys catching them real shallow on ChatterBaits and flipping to fish moving up to spawn.”
Floyd predicts it will take 40 pounds to win the event, and a solid 20-pound limit per day to keep anglers in the competition.
“Events like this are such a great opportunity for these college anglers,” said Floyd. “I recommend they start fishing in high school and work their way up through the college ranks. That helps tremendously in networking with people and companies because it gives them the opportunity to get in front of those individuals – I’m here now fishing the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit in large part due to that foundation.
“On top of that exposure, winning a boat in a college event – what more could you ask for?” continued Floyd. “Most college anglers are just working their way up, trying to get their name out there and get sponsors on board, so it’s a huge opportunity.”
Registration for the Open will be Monday, March 29, from 3-5 p.m. CT at the Dayton Boat Dock, located at 175 Lakeshore Street in Dayton, with a pre-tournament ZOOM meeting following registration at 5:15 p.m.
Anglers will take off from the Dayton Boat Dock at 7:30 a.m. CT on both days of competition and the entire field of competitors will compete both days of the tournament. Weigh-ins will be held lakeside at the boat dock each day, beginning at 3:30 p.m. and will be live streamed both days. Due to COVID-19 protocols, attendance at takeoff or weigh-in is limited to competing anglers, family, essential staff and media covering the event. Fans are encouraged to tune in to the weigh-in and follow the online coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
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. 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.
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.
Dale Hollow Lake Readies to Host Toyota Series Event
BYRDSTOWN, Tenn. (March 24, 2021) – The Major League Fishing (MLF) Toyota Series presented by A.R.E. will continue its season next week, March 31-April 2 in Byrdstown, Tennessee, with the Toyota Series presented by A.R.E. at Dale Hollow Lake . Hosted by the Byrdstown-Pickett County Chamber of Commerce, 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. The tournament is the second of three events in the Toyota Series Central Division presented by Neat Companies.
“We had a lot of rain early on that brought the water level up and put some color back in the water, so Dale Hollow was fishing really good in early March,” said Toyota Series angler Adam Wagner of Cookeville Tennessee, who has three career victories on Dale Hollow Lake in MLF competition. “However, since then, it’s dropped back down and a cold front came through this past weekend, making the fishing a little more difficult.”
Despite the angst to get to the bank and target spawning bass, Wagner said he believes it will still be a bit too early for that at this event on Dale Hollow.
“I think the majority of the fishing is still going to be pre-spawn,” Wagner said. “There’s a possibility that there will be a wave of fish moving up next week to spawn, but I think we are still about a week too early for that. Next week is a toss-up, though. It could go both ways.
“I’m hoping the fish will pull up a bit before the tournament begins,” Wagner continued. “I’m also excited for the chance to fish for this kind of money only 40 minutes from home – that’s an amazing opportunity.”
Wagner predicted it will take a solid 17 pounds per day to win the event, with a three-day total pushing up to 51 pounds.
“I expect to see jerkbaits, Alabama rigs and spinnerbaits play big at this event – I think those are going to be a lot of guys go-to baits.”
Anglers will take off daily at 7 a.m. CT from Sunset Marina and Resort in Monroe, Tennessee. Weigh-ins will also be held at the marina and will begin at 3 p.m. daily. 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.
Veteran Angler Lowen Earns First Bassmaster Elite Series Victory At Pickwick
Bill Lowen has won the 2021 Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at Pickwick Lake with a four-day total of 83 pounds, 5 ounces.
Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
March 23, 2021
FLORENCE, Ala. — Bill Lowen turned in an impressively consistent performance at the Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at Pickwick Lake, but he’ll never forget the 8-pound, 5-ounce largemouth that buoyed his Championship Tuesday performance and delivered a winning total of 83-5.
The only competitor to break 20 pounds three of the four days, Lowen placed third on Day 1 with 21-3 and improved to second a day later by adding 23-13. He earned his final-round berth on Day 3 with a limit of 17-10 that put him in a first-place tie with Chad Pipkens.
On Tuesday, Lowen surged across the finish line with a limit of 20-11. Edging second-place Brock Mosley by 2-10, Lowen claimed his first Elite win and earned $102,000, which includes the daily and overall Phoenix Boats Big Bass awards.
Lowen’s game-changing kicker bit around 10:30 a.m., when he skipped his black and blue Signature Series 3/8-ounce Lure Parts Online jig with a chunk trailer under a dock near Kogers Island. He initially snagged a piece of submerged cover, but then his line tightened.
“I had to pitch way up in there so the bait could get down in the current and sweep it through,” Lowen said. “I felt my jig get into a limb or a piece of brush, and as I hopped the jig over I felt the bite.
“I hesitated because I wanted to be sure, but when I got big pressure, I set the hook and it was game on.”
Lowen described that emotional catch: “There were so many feelings going through my head. You could hear me screaming and hollering and that’s not me. But that’s 14 years of excitement built up for this day. It all came out.”
The Tennessee Valley Authority steadily worked the volume through the system. But with Wilson Dam dumping approximately 180,000 cubic feet per second into Pickwick, the rising water and intense current dramatically changed Lowen’s game plan.
“My main goal was to start the tournament out on the grass flat by Koger Island. When all this rain and current came through I (was concerned) because I didn’t have anything else.
“The first morning of the event I ran down there and saw what was going on, and I said, ‘These fish have to slide to the sides — whether it’s on the island where I was fishing or the docks on the other side.’ Fortunately, when I pulled up and started flipping trees I got a bite, which keyed me in.”
That pattern worked for three days, but in the final round, falling water had drained much of Lowen’s prime habitat.
“Today, my main area (shallow cover on the outskirts of Kogers) was a foot and a half low,” he said. “A lot of the wood I was catching fish on was dry, so I started running some deeper stuff. I switched from the 3/8-ounce jig to a 1/2 and caught a couple key fish.”
Earlier in the tournament, Lowen used the 3/8-ounce jig so he could float it through the shallow, current-swept cover without getting hung up. He also used a Strike King Rodent Texas-rigged on a 5/0 Hayabusa flipping hook with a 5/16-ounce Reins tungsten weight for flipping reeds.
“Anytime I’m fishing current and I can keep a flipping rod in my hand, that’s my comfort zone,” Lowen said. “I grew up on the Ohio River, which looks just like (Pickwick) when it’s flooded. I’m used to rising, muddy water; it doesn’t affect me or make me get spun out. I just went out and fished the way I’d fish at home.”
Brock Mosley of Collinsville, Miss., finished second with 80-11. Entering the final day in sixth place, Mosley caught the day’s heaviest limit — 22-14. His previous weights were 19-9, 21-8 and 16-12.
Having cut his teeth on Pickwick, Mosley said he knew the famous Horseshoe area of the Wilson Dam tailrace held tremendous potential, but he waited until the final day to fish this area.
“I’ve been waiting all week for the current to slow down,” Mosley said. “I don’t like fishing the tailrace when it’s 120,000 CFS. I saw that it was going to slow down yesterday, but you usually give them a half day to reposition.
“I went up there this morning and threw a 3/4-ounce spinnerbait with tandem willow-leaf blades. In the first 10 minutes, I hooked up with two good ones.”
After leaving the tailrace, Mosley fished a big paddletail swimbait on the bluffs across from McFarland Park. He would rotate his areas once more and pick up a 5-pound fish 15 minutes before check-in.
Cory Johnston of Cavan, Canada, entered Championship Tuesday in third place and ended in that position with 79 pounds. His daily weights were 18-9, 15-3, 25-5 and 19-15.
After focusing on main-river current breaks the previous days, Johnston realized his opportunities were dwindling in the falling water. Transitioning to docks with 8 to 10 feet of water at the ends proved to be strategic adjustment.
Johnston caught his fish on a 7/16-ounce black/blue Punisher jig with a matching chunk trailer.
Patrick Walters of Summerville, S.C., leads the Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings with 264 points. Seth Feider of New Market, Minn., is in second with 246, followed by Brandon Palaniuk of Rathdrum, Idaho, with 245, Greg Hackney of Gonzales, La., with 242 and Bryan New of Belmont, N.C., with 239.
New leads the Rookie of the Year standings with 239 points.
Lowen took home $3,000 for being the highest-placing entrant in the Toyota Bonus Bucks program, and Hank Cherry of Lincolnton, N.C., earned $2,000 for being the second-highest placing entrant.
As part of the Yamaha Power Pay program, Lowen earned $2,500 for being the highest-placing entrant while Palaniuk claimed an additional $1,500 for being the second-highest placing entrant.
2021 Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at Pickwick Lake 3/20-3/23
Pickwick Lake, Florence AL.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 4
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 20 83-05 100 $102,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-03 Day 2: 5 23-13 Day 3: 5 17-10 Day 4: 5 20-11
2. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 20 80-11 99 $35,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-09 Day 2: 5 21-08 Day 3: 5 16-12 Day 4: 5 22-14
3. Cory Johnston Cavan CANADA 20 79-00 98 $31,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-09 Day 2: 5 15-03 Day 3: 5 25-05 Day 4: 5 19-15
4. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 20 77-04 97 $25,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-11 Day 2: 5 20-09 Day 3: 5 17-09 Day 4: 5 20-07
5. Hank Cherry Jr Lincolnton, NC 20 73-11 96 $21,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-08 Day 2: 5 22-09 Day 3: 5 19-12 Day 4: 5 15-14
6. Tyler Rivet Raceland, LA 20 73-09 95 $19,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-12 Day 2: 5 20-15 Day 3: 5 21-00 Day 4: 5 14-14
7. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 20 73-03 94 $18,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-12 Day 2: 5 20-09 Day 3: 5 18-12 Day 4: 5 16-02
8. Bryan Schmitt Deale, MD 20 72-01 93 $17,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-04 Day 2: 5 23-08 Day 3: 5 20-03 Day 4: 5 15-02
9. Chad Pipkens Dewitt, MI 17 68-14 92 $16,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-02 Day 2: 5 18-05 Day 3: 5 23-03 Day 4: 2 06-04
10. Buddy Gross Chickamauga, GA 19 64-11 91 $15,000.00
Day 1: 5 23-03 Day 2: 5 17-00 Day 3: 5 16-10 Day 4: 4 07-14
Yamaha Introduces Upgraded V MAX SHO, Battery Management System and Analog Gauge Lines
KENNESAW, Ga., March 23, 2021 — Yamaha Marine’ s newly upgraded 4.2-liter V MAX SHO® outboard has a full 40 percent more charging capacity and contemporary styling as it enters a new era of reliable service. Joining the upgraded outboard in this month’s announcement are a suite of new analog gauges and a battery management system that promises to improve offshore boaters’ experiences on the water.
“The newly upgraded 4.2-liter V MAX SHO follows a familiar theme requested by Yamaha customers: make it better, but don’t change it too much,” said Ben Speciale, President, Yamaha U.S. Marine Business Unit. “The V MAX SHO was the first outboard to prove a four-stroke outboard could be as light and powerful as a two-stroke. It now takes battery charging capability from 50 to 70 amps, a full 40 percent more. That extra juice greatly improves the boat’s power margins and gives anglers confidence that the systems on their boat have plenty of power to take them wherever they need to go.”
Tested by tournament anglers and weekend warriors alike, V MAX SHO outboards are renowned for their power, performance and reliability coupled with smooth, quiet operation and incredible fuel economy.
At 200, 225 or 250 prop-shaft horsepower, and with select models available with a 25-inch shaft, these outboards are appropriate for a variety of applications, fresh water and coastal. Yamaha also offers an optional isolator lead to better charge house or trolling batteries.
Also new is Yamaha’s exclusive TotalTiltÔ feature. With a double tap of the trim button, new SHO models will tilt from current position to full tilt up (or to tilt limit setting, whichever is lowest) or down to the engagement of the trim rams without further interaction by the operator (for safety, a warning horn will sound before and during these operations). A simple push of the tilt button can also stop movement anywhere in between. TotalTilt eliminates the need to hold the trim button making it easier for trailering or trimming the outboard up in shallow situations.
The newly upgraded 4.2-liter V MAX SHO remains mechanically operated and uses hydraulic steering, so it maintains familiarity, ease of rigging and service. It is suitable for cable-driven foot pedal applications. With flexible gauge options from conventional analog gauges, or digital with the new CL5 digital touchscreen display or the CL7 full function MFD, the SHO outboards offer the power, performance and reliability boaters demand along with added charging power.
Yamaha’s new V MAX SHO will be available in May.
All-New Yamaha Battery Management System (BMS)
With today’s increased demand for on-board DC power, the layout and management of necessary power systems is both more important and complex. Yamaha’s new Battery Management System (BMS) simplifies and streamlines DC power systems for Yamaha-powered boats in twin-quint DEC engine configurations using the Helm Master® EX system.
Yamaha’s new Battery Management System provides advanced on-board power management that’s simpler, cleaner and faster to install than typical conventional systems. It requires only two starting batteries on triple through quint installations to reliably and confidently start the outboards, all while keeping them safely charged and ready. BMS also provides the potential for more room in the boat and a cleaner bilge, while making battery care and management significantly easier for the customer.
BMS also provides more flexibility for battery use and configuration.
Yamaha’s new BMS also reduces the number of starting batteries required in triple through quint installations to just two. That means more room and less weight in the boat or the option for more batteries in the house bank.
The all-new Yamaha Battery Management System will be available this summer with the quint version available in fall.
New Classic and Sport Yamaha Analog Gauge Lines
Many of today’s boats use analog gauges to complete their look and provide the operator with vital engine and boat information. Yamaha now has two new complete lines of analog gauges. Stylish and precise, these gauges are available in either Classic or Sport styles. For greater customization, each line comes with four different combinations to better compliment many of today’s boats that use analog gauges. Each combination features a 7000-rpm tachometer and a 50-mph or 75-mph speedometer in standard four-inch size, and fuel, trim, water pressure and voltmeter gauges in matching two-inch size.
The new Yamaha Analog Gauge lines will be available in April 2021.
Yamaha Marine products are marketed throughout the United States and around the world. Yamaha Marine Engine Systems, based in Kennesaw, Ga., supports its 2,000 U.S. dealers and boat builders with marketing, training and parts for Yamaha’s full line of products and strives to be the industry leader in reliability, technology and customer service. Yamaha Marine is the only outboard brand to have earned NMMA®’s C.S.I. Customer Satisfaction Index award every year since its inception. Visit www.yamahaoutboards.com.
DeFoe Cruises to Win Qualifying Group A of Major League Fishing’s Toro Stage One at Sam Rayburn Reservoir
Tennessee pro Advances Directly to Friday’s Championship Round, 19 Anglers Advance to Thursday’s Knockout Round
JASPER, Texas (March 23, 2021) – Pro Ott DeFoe of Blaine, Tennessee, caught 14 bass Tuesday totaling 34 pounds, 4 ounces to vault to the top of the leaderboard and win the two-day Qualifying Group A round at the Toro Stage One at Sam Rayburn Reservoir presented by Power-Pole . DeFoe’s two-day total of 25 bass weighing 59 pounds, 11 ounces earned him the win by a 9½-pound margin and now advances him directly into the Championship Round of competition, set for Friday. The six-day tournament is being live-streamed online and filmed for television broadcast on the Discovery Channel and the Outdoor Channel later this year.
Alabama’s Dustin Connell, the reigning REDCREST Champion, caught a two-day total of 16 bass weighing 50-3 to finish the round in second place, while day one leader Spencer Shuffield of Hot Springs, Arkansas, boated a two-day total of 13 bass weighing 41-10 to end the round in third place.
The top 20 anglers from Group A will now enjoy an off day, while the 40 anglers in Qualifying Group B will complete their two-day Qualifying Round of competition on Wednesday. The Knockout Round, featuring 38 anglers competing to finish in the top eight, will take place on Thursday. Friday’s Championship Round will feature DeFoe, Wednesday’s Group B winner, and the top eight anglers from the Knockout Round competing in a final-day shootout for the top prize of $100,000.
“It’s such a huge relief to win and not have to come back out here to compete in the Knockout Round,” DeFoe said. “And now, I don’t have to beat my fish up again and the way I’ve been fishing that is a huge, huge plus. I can let those fish rest and don’t have to try to catch them two days in a row. I only have to come back out when it really matters, so I’m very excited about that.”
DeFoe got off to a fast start, catching eight scorable bass in Period 1, but his day slowed immensely in the final two periods with just two scorable bass in Period 2 and a three-fish flurry right around 3:30 p.m. in the final period. He said that he caught his fish on five different moving baits.
“What worked for me on Sunday morning worked again for me this morning, and that got me off to a really solid start,” DeFoe said. “The midday deal was a lot harder for me today. I spent a lot of the final period looking and I finally hit a place that was good and caught the three scorable fish really quick in the final period. I might have figured a little something out, and that could be a difference maker for me in the end.”
DeFoe plans to return to the same areas during Friday’s Championship Round and said he hopes it will have enough to earn him his second Texas victory on the Bass Pro Tour in two seasons.
“I’m all in on where I’m at,” DeFoe went on to say. “I’m incredibly excited to get back out there – equally as excited as I was last year for the final day on Lake Athens.”
Other than DeFoe’s 34-pound day, Spring City, Tennessee’s Wesley Strader had the second-highest weight on the day, catching six bass totaling 28 pounds, 15 ounces – including a 8-9 and a 6-1. Strader’s two-day total of 10 bass for 39-5 landed him in fifth place.
“We had a really fun day today,” the Tennessee pro said. “Hopefully things keep improving and we can expand a little bit on what we had going this morning. I’m looking forward to spending tomorrow regrouping and getting retied and everything ready to go for the Knockout Round.”
Although DeFoe’s 9½-pound margin of victory didn’t really lend much dramatics at the top of the leaderboard, the race to finish above the Toro Cut Line inside the top 20 proved very intense. Pro Brett Hite of Phoenix, Arizona, boated a 3-pound, 3-ouncer, with less than 10 minutes remaining in Period 3 to move into the Cut Line and knock out Texan Alton Jones, who finished in 21st place.
“Wow, that was intense. That, right there, is what Major League Fishing is all about – fish hard right to the end and never give up,” Hite said. “I had a rough day, and I worked my butt off. I had a real tough morning, but made the decision to make a long run at the end of the second period into the third period and it ended up being the right call. That’s one of the biggest things out here – you have to go with your gut and trust that you are making the right decision. Today, it paid off, and I’m really looking forward to getting back out here on Thursday.”
The top 20 pros from Qualifying Group A that now advance to Thursday’s Knockout Round on Sam Rayburn Reservoir are:
1st: Ott DeFoe, Blaine, Tenn., 25 bass, 59-11 (ADVANCES DIRECTLY TO CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND)
2nd: Dustin Connell. Clanton, Ala., 16 bass, 50-3
3rd: Spencer Shuffield, Hot Springs, Ark., 13 bass, 41-10
4th: Wesley Strader, Spring City, Tenn., 10 bass, 39-5
5th: Kevin VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich., 12 bass, 34-2
6th: Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla., 10 bass, 31-12
7th: Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., 13 bass, 30-15
8th: Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn., nine bass, 30-9
9th: Ish Monroe, Oakdale, Calif., nine bass, 30-7
10th: Cliff Crochet, Pierre Part, La., 10 bass, 30-1
11th: Anthony Gagliardi, Prosperity, S.C., 12 bass, 29-4
12th: Cliff Pace, Petal, Miss., six bass, 28-0
13th: Dean Rojas, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., 11 bass, 27-9
14th: Marty Robinson, Lyman, S.C., 10 bass, 26-10
15th: Luke Clausen, Spokane, Wash., nine bass, 26-2
16th: Fletcher Shryock, Guntersville, Ala., 10 bass, 25-15
17th: Edwin Evers, Talala, Okla., six bass, 25-10
18th: Jason Lambert, Michie, Tenn., eight bass, 25-1
19th: Brett Hite, Phoenix, Ariz., eight bass, 23-0
20th: Fred Roumbanis, Russellville, Ark., eight bass, 22-0
Full results for the field can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Overall, there were 149 bass weighing 434 pounds, 13 ounces caught by 38 pros Tuesday, which included two 8-pounders, two 7-pounders, two 6-pounders and six 5-pounders caught from Sam Rayburn Reservoir.
Pace won Tuesday’s $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award, weighing in an 8-pound, 11-ounce largemouth which bit a jerkbait in Period 1. Berkley will award $1,000 to the angler that weighs the biggest bass each day, and a $3,000 bonus to the angler who weighs the largest bass of the tournament.
The MLF Bass Pro Tour Toro Stage One at Sam Rayburn Reservoir Presented by Power-Pole is hosted by the Jasper County Development District and the Jasper/Lake Sam Rayburn Chamber of Commerce.
The 40 Anglers in Group A competed in their two-day qualifying round on Sunday and Tuesday – the 40 anglers in Group B on Monday and Wednesday. After each two-day qualifying round is complete, the anglers that finish in 2nd through 20th place from both groups advance to Thursday’s Knockout Round, while the the winner of each group advances directly to Friday’s Championship Round. In the Knockout Round, weights are zeroed and the remaining 38 anglers compete to finish in the top 8 to advance to the Championship Round. In the final day Championship Round, weights are zeroed and the highest one-day total wins. Full breakdown of the format can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
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 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 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.
Matt Lee suggest three fishing items for your Easter basket
Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships
Carhartt pro Matt Lee has treasured memories of Easter egg hunts with eight cousins on his Nan and Pop’s property that contained a pond full of 4-pound bass where he and brother Jordan fell in love with fishing.
Twenty years later, Lee hunts largemouth bass for a living, and with a Carhartt College Championship to his credit, along with numerous Top 20 finishes as a pro angler, he’s more than qualified to make thoughtful recommendations about what you or your favorite angler might hope the Easter bunny brings the first weekend of April.
Onyx A/M-24 Inflatable Life Vest – “The one I love not only looks cool with Mossy Oak Elements camo on it, but more importantly, when I wear an inflatable life vest, I want one that fits my body really well like this one. I’ve worn several lesser-quality vest that don’t fit well. But this is a great one.”
Quantum Smoke S3 spinning reel – “This is the only spinning reel I use. I like the size 30. It’s super smooth with an awesome drag, doesn’t get dreaded line twists, and is very durable. No matter how hard core you are, everybody who fishes needs a great spinning reel, and this Smoke S3 is awesome.”
Lure Lock tackle tray – “What angler wouldn’t like to have another tackle storage box? So get a Lure Lock box with patented TakLogic™ sticky gel pads in it to keep your weights, lures, hooks, and even small spools of line better organized and firmly in place.”
Lee says the Easter Bunny was to be taken as seriously as Santa Claus growing up. And these days he days he takes his fishing equipment pretty darn serious too. So hopefully his three great recommended pieces of equipment above will lead to a treasured memory on your future trips to the lake.
Davidson Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League on Dale Hollow
Cookeville’s Catalin Wins Strike King Co-Angler Division
BYRDSTOWN, Tenn. (March 23, 2021) – Boater Ryan Davidson of Branchland, West Virginia, wins the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine at Dale Hollow in Byrdstown, Tennessee. Davidson earned $14,250 for his victory at the event, hosted by the Star Point Resort.
TOP 10 RESULTS
| RANK | BOATER NAME/HOMETOWN | BASS | WEIGHT | AWARD |
| 1st | Ryan Davidson of Branchland, W.V. | 5 | 17-15 | $14,250 |
| 2nd | David Stephens of Bowling Green, Ky. | 5 | 17-13 | $3,000 |
| 3rd | Jonathan Green of East Bernstadt, Ky. | 5 | 17-6 | $2,000 |
| 4th | Beau Grissim of Lebanon, Tenn. | 5 | 17-5 | $1,400 |
| 5th | Robert Reagan of Byrdstown, Tenn. | 5 | 16-10 | $1,200 |
| 6th | Brandon Maynard of Cookeville, Tenn. | 5 | 16-2 | $1,100 |
| 7th | Eric Daniel Moore of Union, Ky. | 5 | 16-0 | $1,000 |
| 8th | Mike Bryant of Cookeville, Tenn. | 5 | 15-14 | $900 |
| 9th | Chris Holland of Winchester, Tenn. | 5 | 15-13 | $800 |
| 10th | Josh Gaffney of Crab Orchard, Ky. | 5 | 15-12 | $700 |
| RANK | STRIKE KING CO-ANGLER NAME/HOMETOWN | BASS | WEIGHT | AWARD |
| 1st | Pop Catalin of Cookeville, Tenn. | 5 | 11-7 | $3,000 |
| 2nd | Christopher Stites, Jr. of La Vergne, Tenn. | 5 | 11-5 | $1,500 |
| 3rd | Caleb Chambers of Elizabethton, Tenn. | 5 | 11-4 | $1,000 |
| 4th | Taylor Wisniewski of Lexington, Ky. | 5 | 11-1 | $650 |
| 4th | Travis Giddens of Cookeville, Tenn. | 5 | 11-1 | $775 |
| 6th | Les Baker of Lawrenceville, Ill. | 4 | 10-14 | $550 |
| 7th | Bob Wiles of Hunington, W.V. | 3 | 10-3 | $975 |
| 7th | Abbie Greynolds of Liberty, Ky. | 3 | 10-3 | $475 |
| 9th | Ricky England of Sparta, Tenn. | 3 | 9-15 | $400 |
| 10th | Dakota Cantrell of Decherd, Tenn. | 5 | 9-9 | $350 |
| AWARD | NAME | CONTINGENCY | PAYOUT |
| Boater Big Bass | Pat Eichmann of Nancy, Ky. | 5-pound, 3-ounce bass | $1000 |
| Strike King Co-Angler Berkley Big Bass | Bob Wiles of Hunington, W.V. | 5-pound, 1-ounce bass | $500 |
| Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus | Ryan Davidson of Branchland, W.V. | Eligible Phoenix Boat* | $7,000 |
| ANGLER | BAIT | COLOR |
| Boater | Generic moving baits | N/A |
| Strike King Co-Angler | Worm | Brown with blue flake |
| EVENT | DATE | LOCATION | HOST |
| Music City Division – Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championship | Oct. 7-9 | Wheeler Lake, Decatur, Ala. | Decatur Morgan County Tourism |
| Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American | June 3-5 | Douglas Lake, Dandridge, Tenn. | Jefferson County Department of Tourism |
The top six finishers in each regional will then qualify for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.
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.
Davis Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League on Grand Lake
Arkansan Wedel Wins Strike King Co-Angler Division
GROVE, Okla. (March 23, 2021) – Boater Harmon Davis of Marlow, Oklahoma, wins the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine at Grand Lake Presented by Abu Garcia in Grove, Oklahoma. Davis earned $5,961 for his victory at the event, hosted by the City of Grove.
TOP 10 RESULTS
| RANK | BOATER NAME/HOMETOWN | BASS | WEIGHT | AWARD |
| 1st | Harmon Davis of Marlow, Okla. | 5 | 21-15 | $5,961 |
| 2nd | Andy Carroll of Greenwood, Ark. | 5 | 17-7 | $2,760 |
| 3rd | Brent Haggard of Sallisaw, Okla. | 5 | 17-4 | $1,837 |
| 4th | Thomas Canady of Collinsville, Okla. | 5 | 15-10 | $1,788 |
| 5th | Kord Hudkins of Pocola, Okla. | 5 | 15-6 | $1,546 |
| 6th | Larry Crouch of Carthage, Mo. | 5 | 15-5 | $1,012 |
| 7th | Gunner West of Spiro, Okla. | 5 | 14-12 | $920 |
| 8th | Wayne Diffee of Bernice, Okla. | 5 | 14-8 | $828 |
| 9th | Ryan Stinchcomb of Fort Smith, Ark. | 5 | 14-3 | $736 |
| 10th | Brit Sumter of Prairie Grove, Ark. | 5 | 13-8 | $644 |
| RANK | STRIKE KING CO-ANGLER NAME/HOMETOWN | BASS | WEIGHT | AWARD |
| 1st | Jason Wedel of Lowell, Ark. | 5 | 12-9 | $2,744 |
| 2nd | Fred Fielder of Tahlequah, Okla. | 5 | 12-0 | $1,372 |
| 3rd | Shaun Bradley of Edmond, Okla. | 5 | 10-12 | $917 |
| 4th | Jim McLaughlin of Vinita, Okla. | 5 | 9-11 | $640 |
| 5th | Alan Hill of Ada, Okla. | 4 | 9-4 | $549 |
| 6th | Keith Baucom of Haskell, Okla. | 4 | 8-11 | $503 |
| 7th | Nolan Wilson of Edmond, Okla. | 3 | 8-3 | $457 |
| 8th | Jake Hess of Tulsa, Okla. | 3 | 7-14 | $412 |
| 9th | Brady Short of Oxford, Kan. | 3 | 7-8 | $366 |
| 10th | Scott Smith of Blanchard, Okla. | 2 | 7-4 | $320 |
| AWARD | NAME | CONTINGENCY | PAYOUT |
| Boater Big Bass | Kord Hudkins of Pocola, Okla. | 5-pound, 14-ounce bass | $442 |
| Boater Big Bass | Harmon Davis of Marlow, Okla. | 5-pound, 14-ounce bass | $442 |
| Strike King Co-Angler Berkley Big Bass | Brandon (long) Nguyen of Overland Park, Kan. | 5-pound, 11-ounce bass | $440 |
| Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus | Thomas Canady of Collinsville, Okla. | Eligible Phoenix Boat* | $500 |
| ANGLER | BAIT | COLOR |
| Boater | Santone Lures Spinnerbaits | White |
| Strike King Co-Angler | Googan Baits Saucy Swimmer Swimbait | Did Not Disclose |
| EVENT | DATE | LOCATION | HOST |
| Okie Division – Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championship | Oct. 21-23 | Lake Ouachita, Mt. Ida, Ark. | Visit Hot Springs |
| Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American | June 3-5 | Douglas Lake, Dandridge, Tenn. | Jefferson County Department of Tourism |
The top six finishers in each regional will then qualify for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.
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.
There’s A Tie At The Top At Pickwick Elite
Bill Lowen of Brookville, Ind., and Chad Pipkens of Holt, Mich., are tied for first place after Day 3 of the 2021 Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at Pickwick Lake with a three-day total of 62 pounds, 10 ounces.
Photos by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
March 22, 2021
FLORENCE, Ala. — Tomorrow, there can be only one winner, but Bill Lowen and Chad Pipkens share the Day 3 lead at the Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at Pickwick Lake.
Both anglers head into Championship Tuesday with 62 pounds, 10 ounces.
If a tie occurs in the tournament’s final round, the winner will be determined by a fish-off between the tied competitors.
Hailing from Brookville, Ind., Lowen improved from second place by adding 17-10 to his previous days’ limits of 21-3 and 23-13. Pipkens, who lives in Holt, Mich., moved up from sixth. His daily weights were 21-2, 18-5 and 23-3.
Since last week’s fierce storm, the Tennessee Valley Authority has been moving a tremendous volume of water through Pickwick. Lowen started his day fishing main-river current breaks on the backside of Kogers Island and continued his quest to determine how the fish are adjusting.
As the water level slowly declines, warming conditions have set the stage for a possible spawning movement.
“It just seems like every day the morning has been the deal, that first three hours,” Lowen said. “After that, I just have to beat around and try other things. I’m just trying to find out where the fish have gone.
“I feel like the current is pushing those fish off the flats. I have some areas that they should be going to. I keep checking them, but they haven’t shown up yet.”
Lowen caught his fish on his signature series 3/8-ounce Lure Parts Online jig with a chunk trailer. This bait’s weight and buoyancy allows it to sweep across shallow wood cover without snagging.
Later in the morning, Lowen started exploring other habitat features, including tall stands of flat reeds where spawners may eventually move. Signs are pointing in that direction, he said, but Lowen’s not ready to commit his final day to this uncertain stage.
“At the end of the day, I had some fish come up on a swim jig that didn’t get it,” Lowen said. “I’ve been saying it all day that it’s time for that to happen. Tomorrow, I’m going down there and starting on that same stretch. The only thing I was missing today were those big bites. Hopefully tomorrow some of those big females will move up.”
Spending his day on the backside of a small island upstream of Kogers, Pipkens focused on a grassy ditch. Receding water seems to be working in his favor.
“The first day I caught every fish I weighed up close to that island on a current seam because the water was so high,” Pipkens said. “At the end of the day I caught a couple about 100 yards back, and yesterday I caught most of them [farther] back.
“Today, I caught them all there, except for one at the end. I think they’re starting to scatter back throughout that ditch. I’m ready to move around tomorrow.”
Pipkens anchored his bag with a 5-pounder around 10:46 a.m., but a 4-pounder at 2:14 p.m. gave him a key cull that secured his first-place tie. He caught his fish on a ChatterBait with a trailer hook and a swimbait trailer. Pipkens said his bites were subtle.
“There’s so much current, they’re just sitting down there and they’re not eating until the bait comes over them,” Pipkens said.
Pipkens is hopeful that tomorrow’s forecasted rain and dim skies could trigger a more aggressive bite.
“With tomorrow’s weather, it could get right,” he said. “I’ve said if you can catch 15 to 20 fish in this area, you can weigh in 25 to 30 pounds. I was one big bite away today and I only caught six. The right ones bit today."
Cory Johnston of Cavan, Canada, is in third place with 59-1. Moving up from 22nd place, he added the day’s heaviest bag, 25-5, to his previous weights of 18-9 and 15-3.
“I caught most of my fish offshore in the Kogers Island area on current breaks in 3 to 8 feet, and then I went looking for some other stuff,” Johnston said. “I ended up finding some stuff on the bank and caught a 5-pounder.
“Up shallow, it was wood and junk they’re sitting behind out of the current. I was just trying to expand my options, but it’s hard to say which might play tomorrow. I’ll try both.”
Johnston said he rotated through a selection of 10 reaction baits. Continuously giving the fish different looks was the key to his success.
Hank Cherry of Lincolnton, N.C., is in the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors with his 7-11.
Patrick Walters of Summerville, S.C., leads the Angler of the Year standings with 264 points. Seth Feider of New Market, Minn., is in second with 246, followed by Brandon Palaniuk of Rathdrum, Idaho, with 245, Greg Hackney of Gonzales, La., with 242 and Bryan New of Belmont, N.C., with 239.
Tuesday’s takeoff is scheduled for 6:45 a.m. CT at McFarland Park. The weigh-in will be held at the park at 3 p.m.
Live coverage of the event can be streamed on Bassmaster.com and the FOX Sports digital platforms.
2021 Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at Pickwick Lake 3/20-3/23
Pickwick Lake, Florence AL.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 3
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 15 62-10 100
Day 1: 5 21-03 Day 2: 5 23-13 Day 3: 5 17-10
1. Chad Pipkens Dewitt, MI 15 62-10 99
Day 1: 5 21-02 Day 2: 5 18-05 Day 3: 5 23-03
3. Cory Johnston Cavan CANADA 15 59-01 98 $1,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-09 Day 2: 5 15-03 Day 3: 5 25-05
4. Tyler Rivet Raceland, LA 15 58-11 97
Day 1: 5 16-12 Day 2: 5 20-15 Day 3: 5 21-00
5. Hank Cherry Jr Lincolnton, NC 15 57-13 96 $1,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-08 Day 2: 5 22-09 Day 3: 5 19-12
6. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 15 57-13 95
Day 1: 5 19-09 Day 2: 5 21-08 Day 3: 5 16-12
7. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 15 57-01 94
Day 1: 5 17-12 Day 2: 5 20-09 Day 3: 5 18-12
8. Bryan Schmitt Deale, MD 15 56-15 93
Day 1: 5 13-04 Day 2: 5 23-08 Day 3: 5 20-03
9. Buddy Gross Chickamauga, GA 15 56-13 92
Day 1: 5 23-03 Day 2: 5 17-00 Day 3: 5 16-10
10. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 15 56-13 91
Day 1: 5 18-11 Day 2: 5 20-09 Day 3: 5 17-09
11. Koby Kreiger Alva, FL 13 56-05 90 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 25-12 Day 2: 5 19-15 Day 3: 3 10-10
12. Patrick Walters Summerville, SC 15 56-00 89 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-00 Day 2: 5 16-13 Day 3: 5 21-03
13. Kyle Welcher Opelika, AL 15 54-07 88 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-01 Day 2: 5 16-11 Day 3: 5 24-11
14. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 15 54-03 87 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-13 Day 2: 5 19-11 Day 3: 5 17-11
15. Caleb Sumrall New Iberia, LA 14 53-09 86 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-12 Day 2: 4 14-07 Day 3: 5 20-06
16. Wes Logan Springville, AL 15 52-14 85 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-07 Day 2: 5 18-14 Day 3: 5 20-09
17. Ray Hanselman Jr Del Rio, TX 15 52-08 84 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-13 Day 2: 5 17-00 Day 3: 5 18-11
18. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 15 52-03 83 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-12 Day 2: 5 18-08 Day 3: 5 16-15
19. Bryan New Belmont, NC 15 51-10 82 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-00 Day 2: 5 19-03 Day 3: 5 13-07
20. Gregory DiPalma Millville, NJ 15 50-13 81 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-15 Day 2: 5 15-02 Day 3: 5 19-12
21. Scott Martin Clewiston, FL 13 50-08 80 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-05 Day 2: 5 22-13 Day 3: 3 09-06
22. Matt Herren Ashville, AL 15 50-06 79 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-12 Day 2: 5 19-02 Day 3: 5 17-08
23. Joshua Stracner Vandiver, AL 15 50-05 78 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-13 Day 2: 5 15-00 Day 3: 5 15-08
24. Chris Johnston Otonabee Ontario CANADA 15 50-03 77 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-11 Day 2: 5 16-13 Day 3: 5 16-11
25. Seth Feider New Market, MN 15 49-12 76 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-06 Day 2: 5 17-11 Day 3: 5 15-11
26. Brad Whatley Bivins, TX 14 49-07 75 $10,000.00
Day 1: 4 12-03 Day 2: 5 19-14 Day 3: 5 17-06
27. Marc Frazier Newnan, GA 15 48-07 74 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-14 Day 2: 5 15-09 Day 3: 5 18-00
28. Lee Livesay Longview, TX 15 48-06 73 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-02 Day 2: 5 21-10 Day 3: 5 13-10
29. Drew Cook Cairo, GA 13 47-15 72 $10,000.00
Day 1: 3 08-14 Day 2: 5 20-13 Day 3: 5 18-04
30. Brandon Card Salisbury, NC 14 47-03 71 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-10 Day 2: 4 08-06 Day 3: 5 21-03
31. Chris Zaldain Fort Worth, TX 14 46-11 70 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-02 Day 2: 5 13-14 Day 3: 4 11-11
32. Jason Christie Park Hill, OK 15 46-02 69 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-07 Day 2: 5 14-14 Day 3: 5 14-13
33. Shane LeHew Catawba, NC 15 45-15 68 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-14 Day 2: 5 15-00 Day 3: 5 14-01
34. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 15 45-09 67 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-09 Day 2: 5 12-01 Day 3: 5 18-15
35. Hunter Shryock Ooltewah, TN 13 44-09 66 $10,000.00
Day 1: 4 11-02 Day 2: 5 19-03 Day 3: 4 14-04
36. Skylar Hamilton Dandridge, TN 13 43-01 65 $10,000.00
Day 1: 4 12-06 Day 2: 5 17-08 Day 3: 4 13-03
37. Frank Talley Temple, TX 15 43-01 64 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-04 Day 2: 5 11-03 Day 3: 5 15-10
38. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 14 43-01 63 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-07 Day 2: 4 12-09 Day 3: 5 16-01
39. Pat Schlapper Eleva, WI 13 42-14 62 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-10 Day 2: 5 18-15 Day 3: 3 07-05
40. Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 13 42-00 61 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-01 Day 2: 5 15-14 Day 3: 3 10-01
41. Kyle Monti Okeechobee, FL 13 41-11 60 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-14 Day 2: 5 13-08 Day 3: 3 10-05
42. Todd Auten Lake Wylie, SC 15 41-10 59 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-13 Day 2: 5 11-15 Day 3: 5 11-14
43. Luke Palmer Coalgate, OK 14 41-03 58 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-09 Day 2: 5 14-09 Day 3: 4 10-01
44. Ed Loughran III Richmond, VA 13 40-14 57 $10,000.00
Day 1: 3 08-00 Day 2: 5 17-13 Day 3: 5 15-01
45. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 14 40-04 56 $10,000.00
Day 1: 4 11-09 Day 2: 5 14-10 Day 3: 5 14-01
46. Randy Sullivan Breckenridge, TX 13 39-05 55 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-05 Day 2: 5 17-15 Day 3: 3 08-01
47. Drew Benton Blakely, GA 12 39-03 54 $10,000.00
Day 1: 4 10-04 Day 2: 4 15-01 Day 3: 4 13-14
48. Robbie Latuso Gonzales, LA 11 38-12 53 $10,000.00
Day 1: 4 13-08 Day 2: 5 19-13 Day 3: 2 05-07
49. KJ Queen Catawba, NC 10 26-05 52 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-08 Day 2: 5 13-13 Day 3: 0 00-00
50. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 9 25-04 51 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-06 Day 2: 4 10-14 Day 3: 0 00-00
Davis Leads Qualifying Group B of Major League Fishing’s Toro Stage One at Sam Rayburn Reservoir
Arkansas Veteran Jumps out to Early Lead after Day 1 for Qualifying Group B with 10 Bass in First Period Flurry
JASPER, Texas (March 22, 2021) – For Major League Fishing (MLF) fans following the MLF Now!® live stream, it looked like pro Mark Davis was having a very tough day on the water. Mid-way through the second period, the Mount Ida, Arkansas, veteran had yet to weigh a single fish and he remained at the bottom of the leaderboard without a scorable bass. Then, all of a sudden, Davis returned to an area that had cellular service and the SCORETRACKER® leaderboard lit up.
In actuality, Davis had a fantastic morning, boating 10 bass in the first period and jumping out to a big lead on day 1 of Qualifying Group B at the Toro Stage One at Sam Rayburn Reservoir presented by Power-Pole. It just happened to be in an area that did not have cellular coverage, and therefore his SCORETRACKER updates were unable to send. When all was said and done, Davis caught a total of 12 bass weighing 28 pounds, 2 ounces, Monday to gain the early lead after Group B’s day 1, midway through their two-day Qualifying Round.
Pro Gerald Spohrer of Gonzales, Louisiana, sits comfortably in second place, just two pounds back of Davis with seven bass totaling 26-2. Brent Ehrler of Redlands, California, finished the day in third place with seven bass for 22-2, six pounds behind the leader. The six-day event awards a top cash prize of $100,000 to the winner and is being live-streamed online and filmed for television broadcast on the Discovery Channel and the Outdoor Channel later this year.
The 40 anglers in Group B will now enjoy an off day on Tuesday, while the 40 anglers in Qualifying Group A will complete their two-day Qualifying Round of competition. Group B will resume competition on Wednesday.
“I caught my fish this morning on a Strike King Red Eye Shad,” Davis said. “I had found this area in practice and I knew that the fish were there. I went in there this morning and started fishing shallow and there wasn’t much going on, then I saw a couple of them come up and bust, way out off of the bank.
“The trick was that I had to cast it out and let the bait sink, then kind of pump it,” Davis said. “It took a cadence with that lure to get them to bite. They wouldn’t just bite it on my cast and retrieve. You had to pump it, you had to work it out and kind of feel it around in the grass.”
Davis said that he threw the Red Eye Shad on a Lew’s KVD Composite Cranking rod paired with a Lew’s Hyper Mag reel, spooled with 15-pound test line.
“The fish were really biting it good - just swallowing it,” Davis said. “But, when it was over, it was done. I mean, it was done. I went to a Carolina rig and was able to catch a few more, but they were small. The shad were there and when the fish were ready to feed, they’ll feed. They’ll probably feed again later this afternoon.”
Spohrer did not have as fast of a start to the morning as Davis did, but his bite managed to be a bit more consistent throughout the entire day.
“The way my morning started, it wasn’t looking good,” the Louisiana pro said. “I had an area that I thought I was going to be my best spot where I’d get the most bites, and I didn’t get anything. I just kept my head down and kept fishing, swimming a jig all day and covering water. I figured out a little deal around the cypress trees, and it proved to be a good method for me.
“The fish are moving around, but I think I have a good feel for what they are doing and it should keep getting better and better for me. Hopefully I can get back out here on Wednesday and try to win the round to advance to Championship Friday,” Spohrer went on to say.
“It ended up being a brutal day for me,” said third-place angler Ehrler. “It started off really well – I felt like I was getting in a groove – then I went the entire second period without catching anything. Then with just an hour left in the third period I finally caught one more 3-pounder. So really, after the first period, I sucked pretty much all day. I’ve got some decisions to make here before Wednesday because I’m just really not comfortable. Hopefully I can change some things up and advance.”
The top 20 pros from Qualifying Group B after Day 1 on Sam Rayburn Reservoir are:
1st: Mark Davis, Mount Ida, Ark., 12 bass, 28-2
2nd: Gerald Spohrer, Gonzales, La., seven bass, 26-2
3rd: Brent Ehrler, Redlands, Calif., seven bass, 22-2
4th: Brandon Coulter, Knoxville, Tenn., seven bass, 21-4
5th: Mark Daniels Jr., Tuskegee, Ala., seven bass, 19-2
6th: Skeet Reese, Auburn, Calif., six bass, 18-10
7th: Stephen Browning, Hot Springs, Ark., six bass, 17-11
8th: Matt Becker, Finleyville, Pa., five bass, 17-1
9th: Brent Chapman, Lake Quivira, Kan., seven bass, 16-10
10th: Randall Tharp, Port Saint Joe, Fla., six bass, 16-3
11th: Tommy Biffle, Wagoner, Okla., five bass, 15-8
12th: Jeff Sprague, Point, Texas, six bass, 15-5
13th: Terry Scroggins, San Mateo, Fla., three bass, 13-15
14th: Cody Meyer, Star, Idaho, five bass, 13-8
15th: David Dudley, Lynchburg, Va., five bass, 12-11
16th: Chris Lane, Guntersville, Ala., four bass, 12-3
17th: Randy Howell, Guntersville, Ala., five bass, 11-10
18th: Casey Ashley, Donalds, S.C., four bass, 11-9
19th: Bobby Lane, Lakeland, Fla., five bass, 11-8
20th: Jeff Kriet, Ardmore, Okla., five bass, 10-13
A complete list of results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Overall, there were 167 bass weighing 457 pounds, 11 ounces caught by 39 pros on Monday, which included two 7-pounders and six 5-pounders caught from Sam Rayburn.
Scroggins won Monday’s $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award, weighing in a 7-pound, 9-ounce largemouth which bit on a bladed swimjig right at the end of Period 3. Berkley will award $1,000 to the angler that weighs the biggest bass each day, and a $3,000 bonus to the angler who weighs the largest bass of the tournament.
The MLF Bass Pro Tour Toro Stage 1 at Sam Rayburn Reservoir presented by Power-Pole is hosted by the Jasper County Development District and the Jasper/Lake Sam Rayburn Chamber of Commerce.
The 40 Anglers in Group A compete in their two-day qualifying round on Sunday and Tuesday – the 40 anglers in Group B on Monday and Wednesday. After each two-day qualifying round is complete, the anglers that finish in 2nd through 20th place from both groups advance to Thursday’s Knockout Round, while the the winner of each group advances directly to Friday’s Championship Round. In the Knockout Round, weights are zeroed and the remaining 38 anglers compete to finish in the top 8 to advance to the Championship Round. In the final day Championship Round, weights are zeroed and the highest one-day total wins. Full breakdown of the format can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
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 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 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 Bass Pro Tour Toro Stage 1 at Sam Rayburn Reservoir presented by Power-Pole will be showcased across two two-hour episodes, premiering at 7 a.m. ET, Aug. 28 on the Discovery Channel. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on the Discovery Channel, with additional re-airings on the Outdoor Channel and the Sportsman Channel. Each two-hour long reality-based episode goes in-depth to break down each day of competition.
Scroggins’ alternatives to Rayburn Red
Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships
To say largemouth bass eat a bunch of reddish orange-colored lures on Sam Rayburn Reservoir is like saying Terry “Big Show” Scroggins likes to toss a ribeye on the grill, or that Taco Bell sells a bunch of nacho fries. It’s sort of overstating the obvious.
Heck, the famous East Texas fishery that’s home to this week’s Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour can take full credit for inventing a color simply known as “Rayburn Red” in the same way Scroggins takes credit as pro bass fishing’s best backyard chef.
So how then does one of the world’s best anglers like Scroggins set himself apart from the menu offerings of thousands of other fishermen who visit Rayburn?
“Look, I’m definitely going to have my fair share of Rayburn Red tied on, but I’ll promise you it’s not the only thing they eat on this lake,” says Scroggins. “They’ll dang sure eat a green pumpkin ChatterBait, and a shad colored jerkbait here too.”
ChatterBaits will be among the top three most popular lures this week on “Big Sam” but Scroggins insist green pumpkin should never be shelved – even at Rayburn.
“Man, green pumpkin still works anywhere you go in America, and that includes a green pumpkin ChatterBait in East Texas,” says Scroggins, who favors a 1/2-ounce version most of the time.
Soft plastic trailers with a lot of kicker tails tend to make a ChatterBait rise higher than sometimes desired, especially if you’re trying to keep it a hair deeper over submerged vegetation or under the floats of a dock. So Scroggins says the weight of a 1/2 -ounce version offsets that rise nicely and says the Big Show Twin Minn makes for a great all-around trailer.
As for the jerkbait, he says it simply gets mis-labeled as a cold water lure far too often, when in reality it catches fish darn near 12 months a year.
“A lot of people think of jerkbaits as a smallmouth weapon up north or a late winter tool further south, but they’re an awesome tool anytime you’re trying to present a bait over submerged vegetation that’s a bit more subtle at a place like Rayburn that gets so much fishing pressure,” explains Scroggins.
His jerkbait of choice is a MegaBass Vision 110 on 12-pound line that will get down to about 7-feet, and if he can ‘tick’ the tops of the vegetation or get it snagged in the salad a tad-bit now and then, that’s a bonus to triggering strikes.
So while Rayburn Red lipless baits will likely always be the top “go to” – just as they’ve been for 30 years in East Texas -- you can bet Terry “Big Show” Scroggins will be serving up some proven tasty offerings not seen quite as often to Big Sam’s seasoned largemouth.