"Focused and Ready to Win" - Featuring Pat Schlapper
This week Chris & the boys welcome in BASS NATION Champ Pat Schlapper to the show to talk about his incredible run this season not only in the NATION events but also in the Eastern Opens. With one event remaining he has a chance to double qualify for both the Classic & the Elites. Chris runs his mouth on the recent BOT roster & remembers an old friend. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!
Columbia’s Culbertson Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Wild Card Championship on Lake of the Ozarks presented by Fish-Intel.com
Co-angler Victory Goes to Kentucky’s Long
OSAGE BEACH, Mo. (Nov. 24, 2020) Boater Austin Culbertson of Columbia, Missouri, brought a two-day total of eight bass to the scale weighing 25 pounds, 9 ounces to win the no-entry fee Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine Wild Card Championship on Lake of the Ozarks presented by Fish-Intel.com. For his victory, Culbertson earned one of the final berths into the 2021 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American Championship.
The Wild Card tournament is a last-chance shot at the All-American for Bass Fishing League anglers that didn’t qualify for a Regional Championship.
“This is incredible,” said Culbertson. “I wasn’t able to practice, but luckily I’m from the area so I was able to get on the water and just adjust to what the fish were doing.
“I caught my first fish on a Zara Spook and it was a five-pounder so it was a great start. I continued to chase that bite for several hours before switching to a jig and catching my three other keepers. I tried to find that fifth keeper from 9:30 a.m. on, with no luck. I finished the first day with only four fish at 13 pounds even.”
Culbertson said he started day two right back where he caught the five-pounder.
“I was thinking the topwater bite would be better on day two due to the weather, but I chased it for more than two hours with only one bite. Around 11:30 a.m. on Saturday I caught my first keeper on a jerkbait.
“I noticed the fish had moved up off the bottom and were more suspended, so I made a slight adjustment,” continued Culbertson. “I found a good cove and was able to secure two more keepers on the jerkbait.”
Culbertson said he spent the rest of the day looking for the last two fish he needed to get his limit.
“Right at the end of the day, I ran to a spot where I’d had success with big fish in the past, but hadn’t fished all week. I fished the jerkbait along a bluff wall, and caught close to a 5-pound largemouth. I fought it for three or four minutes around the boat and got it in with just enough time to throw a few more casts before running back for the weigh-in.”
Culbertson came in to the weigh-in with only four fish again on the final day.
“I was around the right ones, just not enough of them, but it turned out to be enough for the win,” said Culbertson.
The top six boaters that qualified for 2021 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American were:
1st: Austin Culbertson of Columbia, Mo., eight bass, 25-9
2nd: Kyle Kitts of Joplin, Mo., 10 bass, 21-1
3rd: Harmon Davis of Marlow, Okla., seven bass, 20-9
4th: Joey Schmidt of Hickory, Ky., 10 bass, 20-6
5th: Garrett Johnson of Indianapolis, Ind., six bass, 20-2
6th: Richie Marsh of Excelsior Springs, Mo., seven bass, 19-15
Rounding out the top 10 boaters were:
7th: Mick Fenn of Grove, Okla., six bass, 18-14
8th: Kevin Bishop of Ashland, Ky., eight bass, 18-10
9th: Jim Eakin of Clarksville, Tenn., six bass, 18-9
10th: Chris Gable of Hopkinsville, Ky., eight bass, 18-8
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Boater Brent Barnes of Chattanooga, Tennessee, weighed the heaviest bass of the tournament Friday – a 6-pound, 10-ouncer - that won the day’s Boater Big Bass Award of $225.
Kitts took home an extra $500 as the highest finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member. Boaters are eligible to win up to an extra $7,000 per event in each Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine tournament if all requirements are met. More information on the FLW PHOENIX BONUS contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.
Raymie Long of Stanford, Kentucky, weighed in a two-day total of eight bass weighing 11 pounds, 11 ounces to win the Co-angler Wild Card Championship and advance to the 2021 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.
The top six co-anglers that qualified for the 2021 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American were:
1st: Raymie Long of Stanford, Ky., eight bass, 11-11
2nd: Zach Barnes of Chickamauga, Ga., six bass, 11-4
3rd: Cotton Snodgrass of Norman, Okla., seven bass, 11-3
4th: Bryan Schuster of Oklahoma City, Okla., five bass, 11-0
5th: Jeff Cave of Mount Juliet, Tenn., four bass, 10-5
6th: Chris Gebhardt of Columbia, Mo., five bass, 9-11
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers were:
7th: Robert Holliday of Greensboro, Ga., five bass, 9-4
8th: Jim McLaughlin of Vinita, Okla., four bass, 8-13
9th: Larry Chadwick of Phenix City, Ala., four bass, 8-11
10th: Joe Tucker of Osceola, Mo., four bass, 8-9
The Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine Wild Card tournament on Lake of the Ozarks was hosted by Fish-Intel.com.
The 2020 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 co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.
The 2021 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American will be held June 3-5 at Douglas Lake in Dandridge, Tennessee, and is hosted by the Jefferson County Department of Tourism. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division earn priority entry into the Toyota Series, the pathway to the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit and ultimately the Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour.
Marietta Bassmasters Club Wins FLW High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing Lake Hartwell Open
ANDERSON, S.C. (Nov. 23, 2020) – The Marietta Bassmasters Club duo of Carter Koza of Marietta, Georgia, and Tanner Hadden of Evans, Georgia, brought five bass to the scale Saturday weighing 12 pounds, 10 ounces to win the FLW High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing Lake Hartwell Open in Anderson, South Carolina.
For their win on Lake Hartwell, the team now advances to the 2021 High School Fishing National Championship.
The top ten teams that qualified for the 2021 High School Fishing National Championship are:
1st: Marietta Bassmasters Club, Marietta, Ga. – Carter Koza, and Tanner Hadden, five bass, 12-10
2nd: North Hall High School, Gainesville, Ga. – Caleb Tanner and Brandon Martin, five bass, 12-7
3rd: Union County High School, Blairsville, Ga. – Coby Thompson and Bentley Floyd, five bass, 11-4
4th: Travelers Rest High School, Travelers Rest, S.C. – Cole Sanders and Hunter Dill, five bass, 10-14
5th: Greenbrier High School Bass Club, Evans, Ga. – Hunter Knutson and Gauge Toole, five bass, 10-11
6th: James F. Byrnes High School, Duncan, S.C. – Marshall Robinson and Mason Fulmer, five bass, 10-5
7th: North Forsyth High School, Cumming, Ga. – Jacob Frank and Carsen Newman, five bass, 10-2
8th: James F. Byrnes High School, Duncan, S.C. – Cody Abbott and Mitchell Robinson, five bass, 10-1
9th: Palmetto High School, Palmetto, Ga. – Ross Davis and Ethan Thrasher, five bass, 9-12
10th: Indiana Student Anglers – Elijah Meyers, Fort Wayne, Ind., and Dalton Defelice, Howe, Ind., five bass, 9-8
Complete results from the event can be found at FLWFishing.com.
The event launched from Green Pond Landing in Anderson, South Carolina, and was hosted by the Anderson Convention & Visitors Bureau.
The FLW High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing Lake Hartwell Open in Anderson, South Carolina, was a free, two-person (team) event for students in grades 7-12 and open to any FLW and Student Angler Federation-affiliated high school club. The top 10 percent of teams at each Open event along with the TBF High School Fishing state championships will advance to the 2021 High School Fishing National Championship. The High School Fishing national champions will each receive a $5,000 college scholarship to the school of their choice.
In addition to the 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 are available at HighSchoolFishing.org and FLWFishing.com.
Stable Conditions On Tap For Bassmaster Eastern Open On Lay Lake
Alabama's historic Lay Lake will host the Basspro.com Bassmaster Eastern Open Dec. 3-5, 2020.
Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
November 24, 2020
COLUMBIANA, Ala. — Extended warmth has made the fall transition challenging this year, but Bassmaster Elite Series pro Scott Canterbury believes the milder conditions could deliver solid potential for the Basspro.com Bassmaster Eastern Open on Lay Lake.
Competition days will be Dec. 3-5 with daily takeoffs from Beeswax Park at 6:15 a.m. CT and weigh-ins each day at the park at 2:15 p.m.
Making his home in Odenville, Ala., Canterbury calls Lay his home lake. Anticipating a good fall bite, he’s registered to compete on this 12,000-acre Coosa River reservoir that has played host to four Bassmaster Classics.
“Everything is really good, the water clarity is good, the water level is good,” Canterbury said. “We haven’t had any rain lately, but a little rain might help as far as current and a little color. The Coosa normally fishes a little better when it has a little stain to it.”
During his preThanksgiving practice trips, Canterbury found stable conditions. The water level is a few inches below full pool and that’s likely to remain fairly steady through the tournament.
Two weeks before the event, Canterbury was measuring Lay Lake water temperatures in the low 60s. He said he expects a minor cooling could reach into the upper 50s by early December. But, barring any major cold fronts, that should keep the fish active.
“I signed up hoping it would be a lot colder and maybe with a little more rain,” Canterbury said. “It’s probably not going to be those conditions, but everything will be good.”
Canterbury said he expects most competitive bags to include a mix of species. The common scenario will find anglers securing a limit of spotted bass and then hunting a kicker largemouth. Canterbury said the fact that the lake has recently produced impressive examples of both should bode well for tournament anglers.
“If you can just catch 3 1/2-pound spots, you’re doing well, but 4-pound spots are big ones on this lake,” he said. “There have been 6-pounders weighed in this year in tournaments that I’ve fished and in a recent tournament, a guy weighed in a largemouth over 8.
“I’ve fished a couple of tournaments (on Lay) this year where I had over 20 pounds and had 6-pound largemouths in the mix. There are a lot of 4- to 6-pound largemouth and a whole lot of 2 3/4- to 4-pound spots.”
Noting that Lay’s entire 48-mile length will be in play, Canterbury said specific site selection will come down to an angler’s target species. Largemouth will mostly relate to shallow grass and wood, while spots are typically found around standing timber, creek channels, current breaks and occasionally near shallow cover — provided bait schools are present.
“Spotted bass could be anywhere from the Logan Martin Dam (downstream) to the Lay Dam,” Canterbury said. “The largemouth are most prevalent from about midlake on down because that’s where you start getting into bigger feeder creeks and there’s more grass on this lower end.”
Canterbury said that the relatively mild water temperatures will likely make swimming a jig around the shallow cover one of the top largemouth presentations. Casting spinnerbaits and flipping jigs or Texas-rigged plastics into grass or cover will also produce. Those targeting spots will do so with jigs, swimbaits, crankbaits, jerkbaits and shaky heads.
“I’ve heard some people say it’s going to take 19 pounds a day to win, but it won’t,” Canterbury said. “Nineteen might be leading the first day, but if someone can catch 16 a day, they’re going to be right there.
“I think the winning weight will be (approximately) 49. That’s just a touch over 16 a day. If you catch 50 pounds, you’re going to be hard to catch.”
Canterbury said he wouldn’t be surprised to see someone weigh a 20-pound bag. However, he believes that doing so more than once is highly unlikely.
“Like everywhere in the country, it’s been a little tougher this fall than it normally is,” he said. “But Lay Lake is one of the best on the Coosa Chain, so it’s gonna be good.”
Since this is the final Eastern Open of the season, the Top 4 anglers in the Eastern Division standings after the event will be in line for invitations to fish the 2021 Bassmaster Elite Series. The division’s current Top 4 includes Patrick Walters of Summerville, S.C., with 581 points, Joshua Stracner of Vandiver, Ala., (580), Pat Schlapper of Eleva, Wis., (550) and Scott Martin of Clewiston, Fla., (541). Jason Christie of Park Hill, Okla., leads the Falcon Rods Bassmaster Opens Angler of the Year Standings with 1,179 points.
Plano Signs on to Support Berkley Abu Garcia High School Bass Class
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Grand Prairie, TX (November 24, 2020) - Leading fishing brands continue to sign on in support of the Berkley Abu Garcia High School Bass Class seminar program, including storage solution manufacturer Plano.
Plano, the go-to source for outdoor storage solutions, has signed on as a presenting sponsor of the bass fishing seminar program for high school and middle school anglers. Having previously supported the event through in-kind donations, Plano is increasing its commitment to youth anglers through sponsorship of the event.
"We are proud to be a part of this young angler education program." Stated Chris Russell, Marketing Director for Plano Molding. "These young men and women are changing our sport; they have become a force as they move up in the ranks of pro tournaments and it is exciting to get to work with them face to face. Sharing our knowledge, telling some fish stories and encouraging new anglers to get involved in the sport of fishing is what Plano is all about."
A two-day classroom format experience, the High School Bass Class is open to middle school and high school anglers. With Plano's support, attendees will have access to a robust list of industry professionals - business leaders and professional anglers - to learn about all facets of the fishing industry.
"I don't know of anyone that has ever fished that didn't have a Plano box of some kind to store their favorite baits," said Neil Paul, co-founder of the High School Bass Class. "Plano is a well established leader in the fishing industry and their commitment to the next generation of anglers is strong - we're proud to have them on board as a partner."
The experience provides sessions on angling skills and conservation education and creates awareness of young anglers' professional and post-graduate opportunities. Exposing middle school and high school anglers to the fishing industry and the prospect of developing a career in the industry is invaluable as young anglers navigate school paths and attempt to align with their passions.
Registration is now open for the December event, and high school and middle school anglers can register online at www.highschoolbassclass.com. The two-day event is $95 and includes a shirt, gift bag with sponsor items, a networking lunch on Saturday, dinner on Saturday night and breakfast on Sunday morning.
About High School Bass Class
Founded in 2016, High School Bass Class is an experience designed to provide education, exposure and connections for high school and middle school anglers. The program offers opportunities to foster engagement with the broader bass fishing industry on the topics of on-the-water skills, conservation, networking and career development. For more information, visit www.highschoolbassclass.com.
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Major League Fishing Announces Cancellation of REDCREST 2021 Outdoor Sports Expo, Confirms Tulsa for REDCREST 2022
Expo Scheduled for February 26-28 in Tulsa Cancelled, REDCREST 2021 – the Bass Pro Tour Championship – to Proceed as Scheduled on Grand Lake
TULSA, Okla. (Nov. 24, 2020) – Major League Fishing (MLF) announced today that the REDCREST 2021 Outdoor Sports Expo, scheduled to be held Feb. 26-28, 2021 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, has been cancelled. REDCREST 2021, the MLF Bass Pro Tour Championship, will proceed as scheduled on Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees showcasing the top 40 Bass Pro Tour anglers from the 2020 season competing for the REDCREST title and the top prize of $300,000.
In addition to the cancellation, MLF also announced that Tulsa and the River Spirit Expo Square will host the REDCREST 2022 Outdoor Sports Expo on March 25-27, 2022. Competition will again be held on Grand Lake.
MLF officials remained in close contact with VisitTulsa and the Tulsa Sports Commission – divisions of Tulsa Regional Tourism – throughout the year in planning for the 2021 event. Mounting uncertainty due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, combined with travel restrictions and a guest capacity reduction at Expo Square has rendered continuing with the Expo inadvisable. MLF expects the decision will help exhibitors, attendees and sponsors plan accordingly.
“The past eight months has challenged everyone, including our industry and sports events in general. This proactive decision will allow our partners enough time to plan accordingly for 2021,” said Michael Mulone, MLF Senior Director of Events and Partnerships. “The decision to cancel the expo is a tough one, but we believe it is the right one. Every week we had to expand the show floor plan because of demand, and we expected to sell out the entire facility. Now, with more than a year of lead time, we are already looking ahead to REDCREST 2022.”
The REDCREST 2021 Outdoor Sports Expo had been a much-anticipated event and was expected to be a big win for the local Tulsa economy. In addition to the sponsors, exhibitors and media, tens of thousands of fans were expected to converge on Tulsa and the Northeastern Oklahoma area.
“We are disappointed that the Major League Fishing REDCREST Championship Expo is being postponed due to the lingering pandemic. We are partnering with all involved parties to prioritize the safety of event participants and the right decision is to postpone,” said Ray Hoyt, President, Tulsa Regional Tourism. “This event is expected to deliver millions of dollars in total economic impact for the region, and we look forward to hosting this world-renowned event in the Tulsa area in March, 2022.”
“While the cancellation of the REDCREST 2021 Expo is disappointing, it is a decision that we understand and fully support,” said Gary Lancina, Senior Director of Marketing at Mercury Marine. “We will certainly miss the public interaction and activation, but are committed to the safety and well-being of the fishing community. We look forward to a great 2021 REDCREST competition and anticipate the excitement of an Expo as part of REDCREST 2022.”
For complete details and updated information on REDCREST 2021, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
Tennessee’s Lipscomb University Wins Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI Tournament on Lake Hartwell
ANDERSON, S.C. (Nov. 23, 2020) –Lipscomb University angler Dalton Dowdy of Chapin, South Carolina, won the Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI at Lake Hartwell event Friday with a five-bass limit weighing 15 pounds even. The victory earned the Lipscomb bass club $2,000 and qualified Dowdy to compete in the 2021 College Fishing National Championship.
In Abu Garcia College Fishing competition, each team generally consists of two anglers. However, if one team member is unable to attend the tournament an angler is permitted to fish alone with approval from the tournament director. Dowdy won by a 1-pound margin over the second-place team of Grayson Morris and Jacob Pfundt from the University of Montevallo, who weighed in five bass totaling 14 pounds even. The tournament launched from Green Pond Landing in Anderson, South Carolina.
The top 10 teams that advanced to the 2021 College Fishing National Championship are:
1st: Lipscomb University – Dalton Dowdy, Chapin, S.C., five bass, 15-0, $2,000
2nd: University of Montevallo – Grayson Morris, Birmingham, Ala., and Jacob Pfundt, Canton, Ga., five bass, 14-0, $1000
3rd: Bryan College – Mason Cizek, Knoxville, Tenn., and Jake Lee, Powell, Tenn., five bass, 14-4, $500
4th: Erskine College – Brycen Williamson, Wagener, S.C., and Jack Hunt, Townville, S.C., five bass, 13-14, $500
5th: University of Montevallo – Chance Schwartz, Ball Ground, Ga., and James Willoughby, Gulfport, Miss., five bass, 13-9, $500
6th: Carson Newman University – Matthew Hughes, Dandridge, Tenn., and Maddux Walters, Canton, Ga., five bass, 13-9
7th: Brewton-Parker College – Corey Yaden, Grovetown, Ga., and Blake Stephenson, Evans, Ga., five bass, 13-1
8th: Catawba Valley Community College – Lane Bailey, Granite Falls, N.C., and Adam Seagle, Lincolnton, N.C., five bass, 13-1
9th: University of Montevallo – Trey Dickert, Taylors, S.C., and Miller Spivey, Tyler, Ala., five bass, 12-11
10th: Emmanuel College – Garrett Ankerich, Harwell, Ga., and Matthew Benson, Watkinsville, Ga., five bass, 12-6
Complete results for the entire field can be found at FLWFishing.com.
The Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI event on Lake Hartwell was hosted by the Anderson Convention and Visitors Bureau. It was the third and final qualifying tournament for Southeastern Conference anglers and the last event of the year for the 2020 Abu Garcia College Fishing season.
Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI teams compete in regular-season qualifying tournaments in one of five conferences – Central, Northern, Southern, Southeastern and Western. The top ten teams from each division’s three regular-season tournaments and the top 20 teams from the annual Abu Garcia College Fishing Open advance to the following year’s Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI National Championship.
Marietta Bassmasters Club Wins FLW High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing Lake Hartwell Open
ANDERSON, S.C. (Nov. 23, 2020) – The Marietta Bassmasters Club duo of Carter Koza of Marietta, Georgia, and Tanner Hadden of Evans, Georgia, brought five bass to the scale Saturday weighing 12 pounds, 10 ounces to win the FLW High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing Lake Hartwell Open in Anderson, South Carolina.
For their win on Lake Hartwell, the team now advances to the 2021 High School Fishing National Championship.
The top ten teams that qualified for the 2021 High School Fishing National Championship are:
1st: Marietta Bassmasters Club, Marietta, Ga. – Carter Koza, and Tanner Hadden, five bass, 12-10
2nd: North Hall High School, Gainesville, Ga. – Caleb Tanner and Brandon Martin, five bass, 12-7
3rd: Union County High School, Blairsville, Ga. – Coby Thompson and Bentley Floyd, five bass, 11-4
4th: Travelers Rest High School, Travelers Rest, S.C. – Cole Sanders and Hunter Dill, five bass, 10-14
5th: Greenbrier High School Bass Club, Evans, Ga. – Hunter Knutson and Gauge Toole, five bass, 10-11
6th: James F. Byrnes High School, Duncan, S.C. – Marshall Robinson and Mason Fulmer, five bass, 10-5
7th: North Forsyth High School, Cumming, Ga. – Jacob Frank and Carsen Newman, five bass, 10-2
8th: James F. Byrnes High School, Duncan, S.C. – Cody Abbott and Mitchell Robinson, five bass, 10-1
9th: Palmetto High School, Palmetto, Ga. – Ross Davis and Ethan Thrasher, five bass, 9-12
10th: Indiana Student Anglers – Elijah Meyers, Fort Wayne, Ind., and Dalton Defelice, Howe, Ind., five bass, 9-8
Complete results from the event can be found at FLWFishing.com.
The event launched from Green Pond Landing in Anderson, South Carolina, and was hosted by the Anderson Convention & Visitors Bureau.
The FLW High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing Lake Hartwell Open in Anderson, South Carolina, was a free, two-person (team) event for students in grades 7-12 and open to any FLW and Student Angler Federation-affiliated high school club. The top 10 percent of teams at each Open event along with the TBF High School Fishing state championships will advance to the 2021 High School Fishing National Championship. The High School Fishing national champions will each receive a $5,000 college scholarship to the school of their choice.
In addition to the 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 are available at HighSchoolFishing.org and FLWFishing.com.
Rather Outdoors’ SVP of Sales Phil Marks Passes
Lexington, S.C. – November 23, 2020 –
It is with great sadness that Rather Outdoors announces the passing of Senior Vice President of Sales, Phil Marks. Marks passed on the morning of Saturday November 21 at home in Dallas, Tex. with his family, following a long battle with cancer. He is survived by his wife Robin and children Taylor and her husband Austin, Payton, and Hunter. His father Phil and his sister Leann and her husband Nathan.
Marks, a proud graduate of Texas A&M, spent his professional life in the fishing industry. Marks served as the head of Research and Development for many years at Strike King, and was critical in collaborating with key pro anglers over the years to produce baits that claimed numerous titles at every level of tournament angling. From Bassmaster Classic titles, Bassmaster and FLW Angler of the Year titles and numerous wins on Bassmaster, FLW and MLF tours and events the world over, his influence and accomplishments within the fishing industry cannot be easily measured.
While many would know his work as a lure designer, Marks was also an accomplished tournament angler. In his fishing career, Marks competed in 49 FLW events, notching three victories, and 14 top 10 finishes.
Outside of his business pursuits and his passion for the outdoors, Marks was a devoted family man, coaching sports teams for his children and sharing his passion for life with family and friends. He experienced more in his 55 years of life than most do in 90. Marks was larger-than-life and that was reflected in his incredibly deep and genuine relationships with his colleagues.
“From day one upon joining the team, the family culture within Strike King was palpable and real. Through John Barns leadership, accompanied by Doug & Mary Minor, Crispin Powley, Phil and others, I was offered the opportunity to be made part of their family. Over the years since, I got to know the core of the Strike King team more deeply, and can say without question that Phil Marks left his unique mark on me, as he did so many others. The best words I have to describe Phil is that he uniquely embodied everything that is right about the fishing industry and this lifestyle we’re all so passionate about. Phil was unique, genuine and authentic in everything he did, both within his profession, and his life overall. He will be deeply missed, and I consider him a truly irreplaceable part of our company, and my life, along with the many other lives he’s touched over the years”, said CEO, Ken Eubanks.
Marks leaves behind a catalog of contributions to the fishing community, as well as a significant void in the company he loved, but more importantly, in the lives of the people fortunate enough to enter his world; he will be sorely missed.
Tim & Judy Reneau Win TTZ Championship in Choke Canyon with 61.01 two-day total & 12.38 Big Fish!
PL ANGLER 1 ANGLER 2 FISH BIG BASS WEIGHT PRIZE BONUS
1 TIM RENEAU JUDY RENEAU 10 12.38 61.01 $10,000 + $820 BIG BASS + BASS ASSETS $100 Product Certificate
2 CHARLES WHITED BRENDAN KENNELL 10 6.42 40.03 $5,000
3 TOM GRIDLEY BRAD DENTON 10 0.00 36.63 $3,000
4 DEAN ALEXANDER ADRIAN SANCHEZ 10 0.00 36.43 $1,500
5 RICK SCHEEN AUSTIN QUIET 10 4.27 36.30 $1,000
6 JASON WILLIAMS JEREMY WRIGHT 10 0.00 35.79 $750
7 PATRICK STARNES THOMAS HARALSON 10 0.00 35.68 $500
8 BARRY MOTT MATT HILL 10 0.00 33.70 $425
9 DANIEL BARNES ADRIAN BARNES 10 0.00 33.31 $350
10 JUSTIN HUMMEL LEONARD DEBRASKA 10 6.93 32.56 $300
11 LANCE DILLARD BLAKE DILLARD 10 0.00 31.44 $0
12 PHIL WARREN BRIAN MATER 10 4.69 30.43 $0
13 LOGAN CLARK TRAVIS COCKERHAM 10 0.00 30.24 $0
14 LYNN PIERCE TERRY HALL 10 0.00 30.18 $0
15 JASON MURPHREE PATRICK AMICK 10 0.00 29.96 $0
16 SETH KELM MIKE BATES 10 0.00 29.39 $0
17 TREY EPICH BRANDON DICKENSON 10 0.00 28.23 $0
18 BRYAN SCOTT TYLER TORWICK 10 0.00 27.30 $0
19 QUINN VANCE CHRIS BERTELSON 10 0.00 27.28 $0
20 PHILIP THOMPSON THOMAS HOWE 10 5.16 27.04 $0
21 STEVE MAGNELIA CLINT ROBERTSON 10 0.00 26.83 $0
22 JACOB FROESE GARY FRIEDEL 10 0.00 26.73 $0
23 BILLY MCCRARY II DONNIE O'NEAL 10 0.00 26.33 $0
24 JASON OLIVO BOBBY ACOSTA 10 0.00 26.16 $0
25 SAM MORROW COLT DIETZ 10 0.00 25.51 $0
26 DUSTIN TRIMUAR WAYNE ALBERTHAL 10 0.00 25.23 $0
27 ERIC CRUMLEY RONNY MAYNARD 10 0.00 25.01 $0
28 JACKY ROBERTS EDDIE PELFREY 10 0.00 24.48 $0
29 SHANE LOGAN TONY FERDINANDO 9 0.00 24.07 $0
30 TERRY WILLIAMS JR BILLY WALDSCHMIDT 10 0.00 24.03 $0
31 RYAN BODE FRANK WIGET 10 0.00 24.00 $0
32 DARRELL WUENSCHE ANDREW SWEET 9 0.00 23.62 $0
33 SCOTT SMITH TODD IVINS 8 0.00 23.47 $0
34 JAYSON KISSELBURG DEAN GOLMON 8 0.00 22.68 $0
35 KEN WILKINS KEITH HEINRICH 9 0.00 22.67 $0
36 ALLEN GASS JOHN RATLIFF 9 0.00 22.57 $0
37 SHAWN TAMEZ CRAIG CORDOVA 9 5.72 22.24 $0
38 DAMON ROSS DONNIE ROSS 10 0.00 21.61 $0
39 MIKE MCEACHEM JOSEPH KENNEDY 9 0.00 20.74 $0
40 JASON BUCHANAN JAKE BUCHANAN(Y) 9 0.00 20.29 $0
41 BUBBA WAMPLER HANK FRY 9 0.00 19.41 $0
42 RUSTY REEDY AYDEN REEDY(Y) 8 0.00 19.05 $0
43 GARY JOHNSON MIKE SODEN 8 0.00 18.34 $0 Pre-Registration Prize Winners-Shimano Clarus Rod
44 WESLEY MCCLAIN MIKE HARMAN 8 0.00 17.85 $0
45 TONY MALDONADO RICK HAMILTON 6 0.00 14.97 $0
46 JAMIE SLAYDEN BRANDON HOUSTON 4 8.81 14.23 $0
47 DARREL ROUTON JACK CULBREATH 6 0.00 13.77 $0 Shoreline Decal $250 Fuel Card Winners
48 MICKEY SANDERS ROGER MEEK 9 0.00 13.59 $0
49 ANDY TOLLEY TYLER TOLLEY 4 5.62 12.12 $0
50 JASON TRUITT JOHNNY RAY 5 0.00 11.71 $0
51 DAVID ACHILLES JOHN MILLS 5 0.00 11.55 $0
52 CHUCK WARE CODY FRAISER 5 0.00 11.37 $0
53 TRENT BLAKE SHAWN MARKGRAFF 5 0.00 11.33 $0
54 TOM GUIDRY DUSTIN ISBELL 5 0.00 11.12 $0
55 BRINTON HASKINS MICHAEL ATKINS 5 0.00 10.41 $0
56 RYAN KESSLER PATRICK KESSLER(Y) 4 0.00 10.03 $0
57 JUSTIN WISIAN KENNETH FAIRLY 4 0.00 9.60 $0
58 ROBERT KESSLER RUSSELL KESSLER 4 0.00 9.40 $0
59 MICHAEL KILE 4 0.00 8.22 $0
60 JUSTIN MAY GARY FERGUSON 4 0.00 7.99 $0
61 DENNIS WHITED MAX KIPP 4 0.00 7.71 $0
61 WILL BERNHARD DARYL PRICE 4 0.00 7.71 $0
63 GRANT GOODNER JAMES GOODNER 2 5.28 6.64 $0
64 CHRISTOPHER WASHINGTON JARRID HOHENSEE 4 0.00 6.59 $0
65 CRAIG BULLOCK DAVID BARATZ 3 0.00 5.57 $0
66 WYATT RAE HUNTER PRICE 2 0.00 3.23 $0
67 RICK LOWE BRONWYN LOWE 1 0.00 1.53 $0
68 JOHN WARDEN CHARLES DORTCH 1 0.00 1.48 $0
69 DANNY HARRELL MICHAEL NOBLE 0 0.00 0.00 $0
69 DON GORDON JAMES ROBERTS 0 0.00 0.00 $0
69 ANDY ARMENDARIZ SR 0 0.00 0.00 $0
69 BYRON ALBRECHT MIKE JOHNSON 0 0.00 0.00 $0
69 MICHAEL ZIBERT 0 0.00 0.00 $0
69 BRYAN RICHARDS MAT KEVIL 0 0.00 0.00 $0
69 MATT CANNON JARED SIEGELER 0 0.00 0.00 $0
69 WARREN KEPKE BUSTER JOHNSON 0 0.00 0.00 $0
69 NATHEN LABAY BRANDON BUSSELL 0 0.00 0.00 $0
69 SPENCER SCHNEIDER BRIAN HUGHES 0 0.00 0.00 $0
69 DONNIE WEBER JOHN KAPALDO 0 0.00 0.00 $0
69 JUSTIN MADDING STERLING MARTIN 0 0.00 0.00 $0
69 JJ LARSON JASON LARSON 0 0.00 0.00 $0
69 DAVID REID ROBBIE THORSTEINSON 0 0.00 0.00 $0 David Reid-Shimano Loyalty Program Winner-SLX Reel
Williams Claims Victory At Tough Bassmaster Central Open On Lewisville Lake
Tommy Williams, of Shepherdsville, Ky., has won the Basspro.com Bassmaster Central Open at Lewisville Lake with a three-day total of 41 pounds, 15 ounces.
Photo by James Overstreet/B.A.S.S.
November 21, 2020
LEWISVILLE, Texas — Enduring a tough day marked by mishaps and disappointment, Tommy Williams of Shepherdsville, Ky., won the Basspro.com Bassmaster Central Open on Lewisville Lake with a three-day total of 41 pounds, 15 ounces.
On Day 1, Williams caught a second-place limit of 18-8 and trailed early leader Brandon Dillard by 6-1. Adding a Day 2 limit of 15-8 sent him into Championship Saturday with a 6-3 lead.
On Saturday, that margin proved essential as Williams found only three keepers for 7-15, but held on to claim the top prize of $35,933 and a berth in the 2021 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk scheduled for March 19-21 on Lake Ray Roberts.
“Everybody knows how tough it is to win a tournament when you have a missed opportunity and I had a couple of them,” Williams said. “The fish bit funny today. I had fish blow up on a spinnerbait and I lost fish on a flipping stick.
“I fished clean all week, but today, they just pulled off. But it’s been a wonderful experience. Texas has treated me well. This is the first time I’ve been in contention to win one of these events.”
Williams spent his tournament in three areas. Two comprised windward pockets with baitfish blown into dense tangles of shallow wood. The third was a main-lake flat.
“I spent seven days of practice and it came together on the third day,” he said. “I fished my strengths through the whole thing.”
He flipped the wood with a Texas-rigged green pumpkin creature bait with the tails dipped in chartreuse. On the flat, he fished a 1/4-ounce spinnerbait with a single No. 3 willow-leaf blade and a chartreuse curly tail grub for a trailer.
The two-pronged attack served him the first two days, but he struggled in the final round.
“My first fish this morning came off when I pinned him against a log,” Williams said. “He was about a 2 1/2-pounder and I said ‘This is how it’s gonna go.’
“The next bite, I caught a good one, then the next fish came off. Then it was the dink-fest. I caught more short (undersized) fish in an hour and a half than I caught all week.”
Williams added another keeper mid-morning, but after multiple days of fishing pressure from him and other competitors sharing the area, the shallow wood bite fizzled.
“I told the camera crew ‘I have some spinnerbait fish that I’m going to have to go fish sometime today,” he said.
Making that move in the latter part of the day, Williams experienced one of his most frustrating moments around 1:30. Williams had a big fish boil under his spinnerbait without committing. When he followed up with the creature bait, the fish bit but missed the hook.
“I threw in there and he thumped it, but I missed it — twice,” Williams lamented.
Notably, Williams caught his third and final keeper on his spinnerbait spot, but he caught it on the Texas-rigged creature bait.
Branden Hollingshead of Azle, Texas, finished second with 40-6. Turning in the tournament’s biggest comeback, Hollingshead struggled with the Day 1 wind, catching only a pair of keepers for 7 pounds and placed 51st place.
With calmer conditions on Day 2, he found a limit of 20-12 and moved into third. Continuing his improvement, he caught a final-round limit of 12-10 and gained one more spot in the standings.
Targeting deeper rocks on ledges and a couple of isolated trees in 12 to 16 feet, Hollingshead caught his bass on a 3/8-ounce jig with a Yamamoto craw trailer.
“The bite was a lot tougher and I think the fishing pressure was getting to them,” he said. “I could see a lot of fish were suspended up in the water column. I was just hoping one or two of them would pull up there to feed and I could catch them.”
Brian Clark of Haltom City, Texas, finished third with 37-11. Days 1 and 2 saw Clark miss his limit by one fish with weights of 12-12 and 9-3 that put him in 12th, then eighth place.
He made up for those deficits on Day 3 by catching the day’s only limit. Clark anchored his 15-12 — the final day’s biggest catch — with a 7-10 largemouth. He caught his bass on a YUM Vibra King tube, a Strike King 5XD crankbait, a 1/2-ounce mop jig and a Lucky Craft 1.5 squarebill.
“I caught fish from 5 inches of water to 12 feet,” Clark said. “I knew I could go into this tournament trying to get a lot of bites or try to get five big ones a day.”
Brandon Dillard of Grapevine, Texas, won the $750 Phoenix Boats Big Bass award for the 8-11 largemouth he caught on Day 1. Hollingshead won the $500 Garmin Tournament Rewards prize.
Joe Lee of Midlothian, Texas, won the co-angler division title with a three-day total of 20-15. He sealed the win Saturday with a three-bass limit that weighed 7-7.
Michael Grossman of Dallas, Texas, won the $250 Phoenix Boats Big Bass award among co-anglers with a 6-4 largemouth.
Jason Christie of Park Hill, Okla., won the Central Opens Angler of the Year title with 719 points. He earns an automatic invitation to fish the 2021 Bassmaster Elite Series.
Louisiana pro Greg Hackney (716) finished second in the points race, followed by Japanese pro Kenta Kimura (713) and Georgia’s Marc Frazier (688). They will also receive invitations to fish the 2021 Bassmaster Elite Series.
Christie also leads the Falcon Rods Bassmaster Opens Angler of the Year standings with 1,179 points. The final Basspro.com Bassmaster Opens event is scheduled for Dec. 3-5 on Alabama’s Lay Lake.
2020 Basspro.com Bassmaster Central Open at Lewisville Lake 11/19-11/21
Lewisville Lake, Lewisville TX.
(BOATER) Standings Day 3
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Tommy Williams Shepherdsville, KY 13 41-15 200 $35,933.00
Day 1: 5 18-08 Day 2: 5 15-08 Day 3: 3 07-15
2. Branden Hollingshead Azle, TX 12 40-06 199 $17,953.00
Day 1: 2 07-00 Day 2: 5 20-12 Day 3: 5 12-10
3. Brian Clark Haltom City, TX 13 37-11 198 $12,320.00
Day 1: 4 12-12 Day 2: 4 09-03 Day 3: 5 15-12
4. Bryan New Belmont, NC 11 33-05 197 $10,267.00
Day 1: 3 06-10 Day 2: 5 16-11 Day 3: 3 10-00
5. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 12 31-11 196 $8,932.00
Day 1: 5 17-01 Day 2: 4 07-10 Day 3: 3 07-00
6. Brandon Dillard Grapevine, TX 8 31-09 195 $8,963.00
Day 1: 5 24-09 Day 2: 2 03-04 Day 3: 1 03-12
7. Blake Whatley Harleton, TX 13 30-08 194 $7,700.00
Day 1: 5 09-13 Day 2: 5 13-00 Day 3: 3 07-11
8. Ken Iyobe Tokoname, Aichi JAPAN 10 27-05 193 $7,187.00
Day 1: 3 05-15 Day 2: 5 15-00 Day 3: 2 06-06
9. Shawn Temple Krugerville, TX 10 26-08 192 $5,647.00
Day 1: 5 11-04 Day 2: 4 11-10 Day 3: 1 03-10
10. Billy Cline Argyle, TX 9 26-06 191 $4,620.00
Day 1: 5 12-01 Day 2: 2 09-12 Day 3: 2 04-09
11. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 11 25-09 190 $4,107.00
Day 1: 4 12-02 Day 2: 5 09-05 Day 3: 2 04-02
12. Austin Cranford Norman, OK 9 23-06 189 $3,593.00
Day 1: 3 07-14 Day 2: 5 12-15 Day 3: 1 02-09
Iowa Angler Cole Claims B.A.S.S. Nation Kayak Series Victory At Chickamauga Lake
Tyler Cole, of Hopkinton, Iowa, has won the Huk Bassmaster B.A.S.S. Nation Kayak Series powered by TourneyX presented by Abu Garcia at Chickamauga Lake with a five-fish limit measuring 89.5 inches.
Photo by Kyle Jessie/B.A.S.S.
November 21, 2020
DAYTON, Tenn. — With the help of a last-minute giant, Tyler Cole, of Hopkinton, Iowa, secured the victory at the Huk Bassmaster B.A.S.S. Nation Kayak Series powered by TourneyX presented by Abu Garcia at Chickamauga Lake with five bass that measured 89.5 inches.
Cole earned $6,907 and will join the Top 29 anglers from this event at the Huk Bassmaster B.A.S.S. Nation Kayak Series National Championship scheduled at Lewisville Lake March 17-18 in conjunction with the 2021 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk.
“This has been pretty amazing,” Cole said. “Especially after the Lake Fork event this spring. I had four good fish down there and I lost my fifth fish at the net that would have gotten me to the Top 3. This gave me a little redemption from that. All I’ve ever wanted is one of these blue trophies and now I’ve got it.”
Cole used his grass-fishing experience on the Mississippi River, fishing only a Booyah Pad Crasher to catch his bass.
“Frogging is my forte back home so I stuck with something I know. I caught two smaller fish on a ChatterBait and two on a frog (in practice), one was 18 and one was 19.5,” Cole said. “And I thought if I could string together five of those bites, I should be able to get up there pretty good. I thought it was going to take more than 89.5 to get there.”
Cole launched from Chester Frost Park on the Southern end of Chickamauga — an area that has been historically productive — and targeted grasslines in 2 to 3 feet of water. He started slow, catching just one bass in the opening hours before he landed back-to-back fish around 10 a.m.
The rest of the day, Cole worked the same stretch of his most productive water. One bass short of a limit and minutes removed from losing another quality fish, Cole landed a 21-inch bass with 15 minutes remaining to fill his limit and ultimately secure the win.
Tennessee angler Brandon Strock found success fishing in the same area as Cole, catching 87 inches of largemouth to finish in second place and earning $3,207. Strock focused on grasslines that had rock present.
He crawled a Z-Man JackHammer ChatterBait across the rock and when he got hung, ripped the bait out of the grass.
“It is a known winning area,” Strock said. “I started out throwing an A-rig and I missed a couple on that first thing in the morning. It wasn’t really productive, so I switched to a ChatterBait.”
After switching lures, Strock was able to find a rhythm, catching four keepers by midday. Then he went searching for a kicker — and with about five minutes to go, he landed a 21-incher to fill his limit.
“I knew if I had one good fish, I would at least give myself a shot,” he said. “I was like Iaconelli back there, just whooping and hollering, and everyone in the campground was looking at me.”
While Cole and Strock caught all largemouth, Minnesota angler Scott Stuhlmann caught 81.5 inches of smallmouth to finish third. With the water level approaching winter pool, Stuhlmann said he had a feeling smallmouth could play.
While foggy conditions hurt his early morning bite, Stuhlmann found success cranking rocky shelves with a DT 16 and a DT 10 on the very North end of Chickamauga.
“The bite picked up after the fog burned off,” he said. “All the places we had marked from before were really active.”
South Carolina’s Terry Smith landed the B.A.S.S. Nation Big Bass of the tournament, a 23-inch largemouth that earned him $500.
The 2021 National Championship at Lewisville Lake will be a two-day event, starting on March 17 and concluding on March 18. The awards ceremony will be held on the Bassmaster Classic stage in Fort Worth on March 19 prior to the Day 1 Classic weigh-in.
The tournament was hosted by the Rhea County Economic Development & Tourism Council. Digital coverage was presented by Old Town Canoes.
Secondary Pattern Pushes Williams Into Lead At Bassmaster Central Open On Lewisville
Tommy Williams, of Shepherdsville, Ky., is leading after Day 2 of the Basspro.com Bassmaster Central Open at Lewisville Lake with a two-day total of 34 pounds.
Photo by James Overstreet/B.A.S.S.
November 20, 2020
LEWISVILLE, Texas — A change in fish behavior led Tommy Williams of Shepherdsville, Ky., to discover a secondary pattern that helped propel him into the Day 2 lead of the Basspro.com Bassmaster Central Open on Lewisville Lake with a two-day total of 34 pounds.
Thursday’s first round saw Williams catch a second-place limit of 18-8 and trail Day 1 leader Brandon Dillard by 6-1. On Friday, Williams added another limit that went 15-8. He enters Championship Saturday with a 6-3 margin over Dillard.
Williams returned to the same windblown pocket he fished on Day 1 and spent much of his time flipping shallow wood. The key to this area, he said, was the baitfish that had been blown into the shallows.
Confident that his area still held quality fish, Williams again flipped the cover with a Texas-rigged creature bait. Just like Thursday, precise casts and slow presentations were essential to getting bit. However, the action was considerably more sparing than he found on Day 1.
“The fish kind of laid me down today; it was a lot harder to get bites,” Williams said. “I had a lot of company and a lot of pressure on those fish. There are a couple of guys in the Top 12 that were fishing in there — we all found the same fish.
“They’re moving around a little bit and we’ve had to fish a little harder for them. Actually, my primary area let me down most of the day.”
Faced with a leaner outlook on his main pattern, Williams backed away from the shallow cover and explored nearby flats. There, he discovered he could get bites with a spinnerbait.
“I may have stumbled onto a little something for tomorrow,” he said. “As long as the wind doesn’t completely lay down, they’re going to eat the spinnerbait. That’s going to be the ticket for me.”
Carrying two potentially productive patterns into the final round gives him cause for optimism, but Williams said he’s unsure if his area will be able to produce a final competitive limit.
“The fish are either going away or they’ve all been caught,” he said. “It is a very small area that I’m fishing in and it has a lot of pressure.”
While solitude would have been preferable, Williams credited his fellow competitors for cooperative interactions.
“I have to hand it to the guys who’ve been in there with me,” he said. “We’ve all been courteous to one another. We have been gunnel to gunnel at times — literally — and we’ve all gotten along.”
Hailing from Grapevine, Texas, Dillard set the high mark on Day 1 with a limit of 24-9. On Friday, Lewisville treated the local guide with far less generosity and he found only two keepers for 3-4. He’s in second with a two-day total of 27-13.
“I ran a lot of the same stuff and I ran a lot of new stuff,” Dillard said. “I’m not really sure what changed. Like I said yesterday, Lewisville is feast or famine. One day you can go out and really wreck ’em and the next day it can be tough as nails. That’s what I experienced today.
“I was bouncing in and out, doing the same thing I did yesterday. I had some bites that just didn’t commit. Tomorrow’s a pre-front day, so maybe they’ll chomp. I’m just glad I get to fish the final day.”
Dillard fished a variety of shallow and deep habitats and caught one of his keepers on a spinnerbait and the other on a shaky head.
Branden Hollingshead of Azle, Texas, is in third place with 27-12. After catching two keepers for 7 pounds and placing 51st on Day 1, he added a limit of 20-12 and gained 48 spots.
“The wind died down and let me fish what I wanted to fish today,” Hollingshead said. “Yesterday I couldn’t fish my spots, so I scrambled and put together what I had. Today, I quit fishing by 9 o’clock.”
Anchoring his Day 2 limit with a 6-9 largemouth, Hollingshead targeted deeper rock on ledges and a couple of isolated trees. Working in 12 to 16 feet, he fished slow presentations. Friday’s lighter wind allowed him to detect subtle bites.
“There’s a lot of bait in my area,” he said. “The fish are starting to move back and I’m getting them at the mouths of these transition areas.”
Dillard is in the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors with the 8-11 largemouth he caught on Day 1.
Joe Lee of Midlothian, Texas, holds the overall lead in the co-angler division with a two-day total of 13-8. He placed third on Day 1 with a limit of 7-13 and rose to the top Friday by adding two keepers for 5-11.
Michael Grossman of Dallas, Texas, holds the Phoenix Boats Big Bass lead among co-anglers with a 6-4 largemouth.
Jason Christie of Park Hill, Okla., leads the Central Open standings with 719 points, followed by Greg Hackney with 717. Kenta Kimura is third with 713, Marc Frazier is fourth with 688 and Darold Gleason is fifth with 684.
Christie also leads the Falcon Rods Bassmaster Opens Angler of the Year Standings with 1,179 points.
The Top 12 remaining anglers in each division will take off at 7 a.m. CT Saturday from Lewisville Lake Park. The weigh-in will be held at the Park at 3 p.m.
2020 Basspro.com Bassmaster Central Open at Lewisville Lake 11/19-11/21
Lewisville Lake, Lewisville TX.
(BOATER) Standings Day 2
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Tommy Williams Shepherdsville, KY 10 34-00 200
Day 1: 5 18-08 Day 2: 5 15-08
2. Brandon Dillard Grapevine, TX 7 27-13 199
Day 1: 5 24-09 Day 2: 2 03-04
3. Branden Hollingshead Azle, TX 7 27-12 198
Day 1: 2 07-00 Day 2: 5 20-12
4. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 9 24-11 197
Day 1: 5 17-01 Day 2: 4 07-10
5. Bryan New Belmont, NC 8 23-05 196
Day 1: 3 06-10 Day 2: 5 16-11
6. Shawn Temple Krugerville, TX 9 22-14 195
Day 1: 5 11-04 Day 2: 4 11-10
7. Blake Whatley Harleton, TX 10 22-13 194
Day 1: 5 09-13 Day 2: 5 13-00
8. Brian Clark Haltom City, TX 8 21-15 193
Day 1: 4 12-12 Day 2: 4 09-03
9. Billy Cline Argyle, TX 7 21-13 192
Day 1: 5 12-01 Day 2: 2 09-12
10. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 9 21-07 191
Day 1: 4 12-02 Day 2: 5 09-05
11. Ken Iyobe Tokoname, Aichi JAPAN 8 20-15 190
Day 1: 3 05-15 Day 2: 5 15-00
12. Austin Cranford Norman, OK 8 20-13 189
Day 1: 3 07-14 Day 2: 5 12-15
13. Shaun Haag Montgomery, TX 8 20-13 188 $2,823.00
Day 1: 3 08-00 Day 2: 5 12-13
14. Keith Poche Pike Road, AL 8 20-08 187 $2,823.00
Day 1: 5 12-08 Day 2: 3 08-00
15. Kenta Kimura Osaka JAPAN 7 20-07 186 $2,823.00
Day 1: 5 12-12 Day 2: 2 07-11
16. Dustin Reneau Mckinney, TX 7 20-06 185 $2,823.00
Day 1: 2 04-00 Day 2: 5 16-06
17. Matt Robertson Kuttawa, KY 6 20-06 184 $2,823.00
Day 1: 2 04-01 Day 2: 4 16-05
18. Luke Plunkett Pinson, AL 7 20-01 183 $2,823.00
Day 1: 4 09-14 Day 2: 3 10-03
19. Trey Swindle Cleveland, AL 6 19-15 182 $2,823.00
Day 1: 5 15-06 Day 2: 1 04-09
20. Chris Jones Bokoshe, OK 8 19-13 181 $2,823.00
Day 1: 4 11-06 Day 2: 4 08-07
21. Matthew Nobile Sorrento, LA 8 19-10 180 $2,567.00
Day 1: 5 12-03 Day 2: 3 07-07
22. Cody Ryan Greaney Manchaca, TX 7 18-15 179 $2,567.00
Day 1: 4 10-08 Day 2: 3 08-07
23. Gerald Swindle Guntersville, AL 7 18-11 178 $2,567.00
Day 1: 2 03-07 Day 2: 5 15-04
24. Lance Crawford Broken Bow, OK 7 18-11 177 $2,567.00
Day 1: 5 13-02 Day 2: 2 05-09
25. Terry Peacock Royse City, TX 6 18-01 176 $2,567.00
Day 1: 5 14-07 Day 2: 1 03-10
26. KJ Queen Catawba, NC 5 18-00 175 $2,361.00
Day 1: 4 13-03 Day 2: 1 04-13
27. Terry Bollom Frisco, TX 7 17-05 174 $2,361.00
Day 1: 5 14-02 Day 2: 2 03-03
28. Chandler Stewart Waco, TX 5 17-01 173 $2,361.00
Day 1: 3 11-13 Day 2: 2 05-04
29. Jason Christie Park Hill, OK 8 16-12 172 $2,361.00
Day 1: 5 09-15 Day 2: 3 06-13
30. Joey Nania Cropwell, AL 4 16-08 171 $2,361.00
Day 1: 3 12-08 Day 2: 1 04-00
31. Cody Bird Granbury, TX 6 16-07 170 $2,361.00
Day 1: 2 05-03 Day 2: 4 11-04
32. Billy Billeaud Lafayette, LA 7 16-04 169 $2,361.00
Day 1: 5 10-15 Day 2: 2 05-05
33. Paul Browning Pecos, TX 6 16-00 168 $2,361.00
Day 1: 2 05-07 Day 2: 4 10-09
34. Chancy Walters West Des Moines, IA 4 15-12 167 $2,361.00
Day 1: 2 05-01 Day 2: 2 10-11
35. Drew Sloan Scurry, TX 4 15-09 166 $2,361.00
Day 1: 4 15-09 Day 2: 0 00-00
36. Jeff Lugar Princeton, TX 5 15-05 165 $2,361.00
Day 1: 4 11-05 Day 2: 1 04-00
37. Jake Rossi Columbus, OH 5 15-05 164 $2,361.00
Day 1: 2 05-03 Day 2: 3 10-02
38. James Stricklin Fort Smith, AR 6 15-04 163 $2,361.00
Day 1: 4 11-01 Day 2: 2 04-03
39. Bradley Hallman Norman, OK 8 15-00 162 $2,361.00
Day 1: 3 06-03 Day 2: 5 08-13
40. Kylie Sparks Denham Spgs, LA 6 14-13 161 $2,361.00
Day 1: 2 04-10 Day 2: 4 10-03
41. Joel Willert Prior Lake, MN 5 14-09 160
Day 1: 4 10-12 Day 2: 1 03-13
42. Marc Schilling Shady Shores, TX 7 14-07 159
Day 1: 3 06-15 Day 2: 4 07-08
43. Spike Stoker Stephenville, TX 5 14-06 158
Day 1: 5 14-06 Day 2: 0 00-00
44. David Drinkard Sour Lake, TX 6 14-05 157
Day 1: 2 04-08 Day 2: 4 09-13
45. Robert Parkison Marshall, TX 5 14-01 156
Day 1: 4 12-06 Day 2: 1 01-11
46. Marc Frazier Newnan, GA 5 13-11 155
Day 1: 3 08-02 Day 2: 2 05-09
47. Justin Prisock Robinson, TX 6 13-07 154
Day 1: 5 11-07 Day 2: 1 02-00
48. Mark Watson Midlothian, TX 4 13-07 153
Day 1: 2 06-10 Day 2: 2 06-13
49. Wes Nofire Tahlequah, OK 4 12-15 152
Day 1: 3 09-04 Day 2: 1 03-11
50. Garrett Rose Pipecreek, TX 5 12-13 151
Day 1: 3 08-11 Day 2: 2 04-02
51. Josh Bragg Jacksonville, AL 4 12-11 150
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 4 12-11
52. Theron Caldwell Decatur, TX 4 12-09 149
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 4 12-09
53. Brian Latimer Belton, SC 6 12-09 148
Day 1: 5 11-00 Day 2: 1 01-09
54. Doug Vahrenberg Higginsville, MO 4 12-01 147
Day 1: 1 01-13 Day 2: 3 10-04
55. Scott Pellegrin Chippewa Falls, WI 4 11-15 146
Day 1: 4 11-15 Day 2: 0 00-00
56. Daisuke Aoki Minamitsurugun Yamanash 4 11-11 145
Day 1: 1 01-07 Day 2: 3 10-04
57. Darold Gleason Many, LA 5 11-11 144
Day 1: 3 07-10 Day 2: 2 04-01
58. Masayuki Matsushita Tokoname-Shi JAPAN 4 11-06 143
Day 1: 2 06-13 Day 2: 2 04-09
59. Greg Yates Oak Point, TX 5 11-01 142
Day 1: 4 07-03 Day 2: 1 03-14
60. Caleb Gibson Locust Grove, OK 4 11-00 141
Day 1: 3 07-13 Day 2: 1 03-03
61. David Gillham Heath, TX 4 10-12 140
Day 1: 4 10-12 Day 2: 0 00-00
62. John Hunter Jr Shelbyville, KY 3 10-08 139
Day 1: 2 07-08 Day 2: 1 03-00
63. Dakota Ebare Dehnam Springs, LA 5 10-07 138
Day 1: 4 08-10 Day 2: 1 01-13
64. Shonn Goodwin Moore, OK 4 10-07 137
Day 1: 3 07-12 Day 2: 1 02-11
65. Jed Holt Livingston, TX 5 10-06 136
Day 1: 4 08-10 Day 2: 1 01-12
66. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 6 10-05 135
Day 1: 2 03-07 Day 2: 4 06-14
67. Justin Atkins Florence, AL 3 09-14 134
Day 1: 1 03-10 Day 2: 2 06-04
68. Marshall Hughes Hemphill, TX 4 09-10 133
Day 1: 2 02-13 Day 2: 2 06-13
69. Greg Mansfield Olathe, KS 4 09-09 132
Day 1: 1 03-02 Day 2: 3 06-07
70. Ron Wells Claremore, OK 3 09-08 131
Day 1: 1 02-08 Day 2: 2 07-00
71. Lee Livesay Longview, TX 4 09-07 130
Day 1: 1 03-06 Day 2: 3 06-01
72. Billy Smith Montgomery, TX 3 09-06 129
Day 1: 1 05-05 Day 2: 2 04-01
73. James Biggs Euless, TX 4 09-05 128
Day 1: 3 07-04 Day 2: 1 02-01
74. Todd Castledine Nacogdoches, TX 4 09-05 127
Day 1: 1 03-14 Day 2: 3 05-07
75. Larry Puckett Decatur, TX 4 09-04 126
Day 1: 1 01-08 Day 2: 3 07-12
76. Floyd Teat Valley Mills, TX 4 09-03 125
Day 1: 3 06-08 Day 2: 1 02-11
77. Jerod Hawkes Eagle Pass, TX 3 09-03 124
Day 1: 1 02-13 Day 2: 2 06-06
78. Bryant Smith Roseville, CA 4 09-01 123
Day 1: 1 01-15 Day 2: 3 07-02
79. Jim Dillard West Monroe, LA 4 08-15 122
Day 1: 1 02-03 Day 2: 3 06-12
80. Travis Ledford Tuttle, OK 5 08-14 121
Day 1: 1 01-10 Day 2: 4 07-04
81. Kazuki Kitajima Corinth, TX 4 08-12 120
Day 1: 3 07-04 Day 2: 1 01-08
82. Bart Stanisz Brookeland, TX 3 08-06 119
Day 1: 2 04-13 Day 2: 1 03-09
83. Stephen Browning Hot Springs, AR 5 07-14 118
Day 1: 2 03-00 Day 2: 3 04-14
84. Cody Morrison Collinsville, TX 3 07-11 117
Day 1: 3 07-11 Day 2: 0 00-00
85. Steve Sennikoff Edgewood, TX 4 07-11 116
Day 1: 3 04-12 Day 2: 1 02-15
86. Teb Jones Hattiesburg, MS 4 07-05 115
Day 1: 2 03-04 Day 2: 2 04-01
87. Spencer Lambert West Monroe, LA 2 07-04 114
Day 1: 2 07-04 Day 2: 0 00-00
88. Jay Brainard Mountain Home, OK 3 07-03 113
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 07-03
89. Hunter Denmark Saraland, AL 3 07-02 112
Day 1: 2 05-11 Day 2: 1 01-07
90. Cameron Mattison Bossier City, LA 2 07-02 111
Day 1: 1 02-02 Day 2: 1 05-00
91. Matt Pangrac Broken Arrow, OK 4 07-02 110
Day 1: 1 02-08 Day 2: 3 04-10
92. Jake Boomer Spokane Valley, WA 4 07-01 109
Day 1: 4 07-01 Day 2: 0 00-00
93. Casey Bennett Waco, TX 3 07-01 108
Day 1: 2 05-08 Day 2: 1 01-09
94. Randy Blaukat Joplin, MO 2 07-00 107
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 07-00
95. Logan Latuso Gonzales, LA 3 06-13 106
Day 1: 3 06-13 Day 2: 0 00-00
96. Kenny Mittelstaedt Minnetonka, MN 4 06-12 105
Day 1: 4 06-12 Day 2: 0 00-00
97. Denny Fiedler Wabasha, MN 3 06-08 104
Day 1: 2 04-00 Day 2: 1 02-08
98. Brad Shuflin Windsor, CO 1 06-07 103
Day 1: 1 06-07 Day 2: 0 00-00
99. Kyle Dorsett Odenville, AL 3 06-04 102
Day 1: 3 06-04 Day 2: 0 00-00
100. Brandon Mcdonald Longview, TX 2 06-04 101
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 06-04
101. Brian Post Janesville, WI 3 05-15 100
Day 1: 2 04-00 Day 2: 1 01-15
102. Kevin Ledoux Choctaw, OK 3 05-12 99
Day 1: 3 05-12 Day 2: 0 00-00
103. Brandon Ackerson Afton, OK 3 05-07 98
Day 1: 1 01-10 Day 2: 2 03-13
104. Randy Qualls Streetman, TX 2 05-05 97
Day 1: 1 01-14 Day 2: 1 03-07
105. Toby Hartsell Afton, OK 3 05-05 96
Day 1: 1 02-05 Day 2: 2 03-00
106. John Hammersmith Branson, MO 3 05-04 95
Day 1: 3 05-04 Day 2: 0 00-00
107. Wardell Motley Jr Cleburne, TX 2 05-04 94
Day 1: 1 02-11 Day 2: 1 02-09
108. Clark Reehm Elm Groove, LA 2 05-02 93
Day 1: 1 01-11 Day 2: 1 03-07
109. James Davis Jr Ferriday, LA 2 04-13 92
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 04-13
110. Steven Caldwell Whitesboro, TX 3 04-12 91
Day 1: 2 03-06 Day 2: 1 01-06
111. Andy Hribar Lakeville, MN 2 04-11 90
Day 1: 1 03-05 Day 2: 1 01-06
112. Jerry Riddle Jr Summit, MS 3 04-10 89
Day 1: 2 03-02 Day 2: 1 01-08
113. Wes Logan Springville, AL 2 04-06 88
Day 1: 2 04-06 Day 2: 0 00-00
114. Wyatt Burkhalter Coker, AL 1 04-04 87
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 04-04
115. Kyle Hogg Hewitt, TX 2 04-00 86
Day 1: 2 04-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
116. RJ Chandler Jr. Vinton, LA 2 03-12 85
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 03-12
117. Joey Cifuentes III Clinton, AR 2 03-10 84
Day 1: 2 03-10 Day 2: 0 00-00
118. Andrew Upshaw Tulsa, OK 2 03-06 83
Day 1: 1 01-08 Day 2: 1 01-14
119. Neels Beneke Amanzimtoti SOUTH AFRIC 1 03-04 82
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 03-04
120. Scott Siller Milwaukee, WI 2 03-04 81
Day 1: 1 01-05 Day 2: 1 01-15
121. Ryan Dusek Azle, TX 2 03-02 80
Day 1: 2 03-02 Day 2: 0 00-00
122. Cody Huff Ava, MO 1 02-15 79
Day 1: 1 02-15 Day 2: 0 00-00
122. Ernie Stumpf III Frisco, TX 1 02-15 79
Day 1: 1 02-15 Day 2: 0 00-00
124. Jay Stidham China Spring, TX 2 02-14 77
Day 1: 2 02-14 Day 2: 0 00-00
125. Scott Martin Clewiston, FL 1 02-14 76
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 02-14
126. Tommy Murray Bedford, TX 1 02-13 75
Day 1: 1 02-13 Day 2: 0 00-00
127. Jake Biram Tulsa, OK 1 02-11 74
Day 1: 1 02-11 Day 2: 0 00-00
128. James Caldemeyer Gilmer, TX 1 02-05 73
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 02-05
129. Greg Vance Delhi, IA 1 02-04 72
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 02-04
129. Trait Zaldain Fort Worth, TX 1 02-04 72
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 02-04
131. Gary Hall Wardville, OK 1 02-03 70
Day 1: 1 02-03 Day 2: 0 00-00
131. Brian Mathis Cedar Park, TX 1 02-03 70
Day 1: 1 02-03 Day 2: 0 00-00
133. Jacob Powroznik North Prince George, VA 1 02-00 68
Day 1: 1 02-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
134. Jeff Bridges Prosper, TX 1 01-15 67
Day 1: 1 01-15 Day 2: 0 00-00
135. Dale Hightower Mannford, OK 1 01-14 66
Day 1: 1 01-14 Day 2: 0 00-00
135. Andrew Wright Plano, TX 1 01-14 66
Day 1: 1 01-14 Day 2: 0 00-00
137. Brent Homan Graham, TX 1 01-10 64
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 01-10
138. Troy O'Rourke Bentonville, AR 1 01-08 63
Day 1: 1 01-08 Day 2: 0 00-00
139. Andrew Thomasson Dublin, VA 1 01-04 62
Day 1: 1 01-04 Day 2: 0 00-00
140. Chris Bachta Grapevine, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
140. Chris Bailey Eddy, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
140. Lucas Bradley Flippin, AR 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
140. Justin Hallmark Bertram, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
140. Mark Hicks Glouster, OH 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
140. Larry Jenkins Leesburg, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
140. Lyvon Kennard Harker Hts, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
140. Terry Luedtke Burton, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
140. Bill McNutt Henry, IL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
140. Chad Mrazek Montgomery, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
140. Allan Nail Sand Springs, OK 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
140. Lance Rose Pipe Creek, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
140. Bill Watts Beaumont, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
140. Dirk Wenzlaff Frisco, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
140. Jd Williams Mckinney, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
Clemson brings accessibility to professional wildlife and fisheries resources degree
Steven Bradley, Media Relations
November 16, 2020
For Josh Caldwell, serving as active-duty military in Utah, getting a professional degree to further his goals for employment with a state or federal fish hatchery when his military career is over didn’t seem feasible at a traditional brick-and-mortar school.
Clemson University graduate student Breanna Ondich observes a turtle during her work at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center. Ondich is one of many students taking advantage of the added accessibility of Clemson’s fully online professional wildlife and fisheries resources degree program.
Image Credit: Clemson University
For Breanna Ondich, already working in her desired field at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, advancing her education was something she felt necessary to keep up with her peers but difficult to do from her current job’s location on a barrier island off the coast.
For both, the Master of Wildlife and Fisheries Resources (MWFR) degree in Clemson University’s College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences offered the key ingredient to making their educational goals possible: accessibility.
With a new online delivery option for students with experience in natural resources who wish to enhance their professional degree skills, the non-thesis program is in a fully online format, allowing lectures to be available 24/7.
Program Coordinator Thea Hagan said it is a widely appealing option for students who are passionate about wildlife and would like to get into the field, but did their undergraduate work at a non-land-grant university or one without a wildlife-specific program and who need to narrow their academic focus as they move into graduate work.
“Most, if not all, of them would like to come to campus and do a thesis-based degree, but they can’t for any number of reasons — financial or because they are place-bound or otherwise,” Hagan said. “So, within that group, we’ve made a degree available to people who would not have been able to pursue it otherwise. They can work full time and still take our classes, and nearly 100 percent of the students in the program have a full-time job and are doing the degree and take one or two classes each semester.”
That is true for Ondich, who said she has been able to “ease in” to the degree program in a manner and speed that allowed her to continue her research work at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center while also pursuing an advanced degree.
Ondich was hired at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, a wildlife rehabilitation hospital that also has a learning center for education located on Jekyll Island, after completing her undergraduate work. And while graduate school always remained a possibility for her future plans, Ondich said she did not want to risk giving up a full-time position in her chosen field.
Now two years into the program, Ondich said she would need “about a year” to complete it at a pace she is comfortable with.
“I’ve been doing about one class per semester, and one of the things that is helpful to me is my employer offers tuition reimbursement up to a certain amount per fiscal year, so that was also a motivator to me to do this program because I don’t know if I could afford it on my own,” she said.
Cost was also a concern for Caldwell, who is stationed at Hill Air Force Base in Utah and working as a weather forecaster, as he sought to pursue the master’s degree he needed to further his biology degree.
“Trying to figure out how to pay for school without going into debt and going straight from undergraduate to graduate to Ph.D. is so expensive because you can’t really work full-time while you’re doing that,” Caldwell said.
Clemson University graduate student Josh Caldwell smiles and poses after returning home from UAE and being reunited with his now wife.
Image Credit: Clemson University
While Caldwell admitted that many military members were able to attend “brick-and-mortar” schools during their service, he noted that it was often for more general degrees that don’t require labs or a thesis.
“Because a typical master’s degree requires labs and thesis work, doing that as active duty is almost impossible,” he said. “With something else, like a leadership degree or something, you might be able to do the research and write it at home. But you really can’t do that without equipment for a science degree.
“The program is still young and they’re still adding new classes, but what I’ve taken so far has been extremely interesting and rewarding — and very stressful, because it’s still graduate-level education,” he added.
For Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation Chair Todd Petty, who was recently hired to the role after serving for the past five years as an Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at West Virginia University, creating a program such as the Master of Wildlife and Fisheries Resources degree would have been his top priority upon arrival at Clemson … had it not already existed.
“In the environmental conservation field, a professional degree is necessary in order to do what you want — an undergrad degree is not enough — and what happens in the real world is it creates this enormous bottleneck for master’s degrees,” Petty said. “There’s limited space in professors’ labs … but the profession demands grad students. What the online master’s can do is it can help to break that bottleneck. It gives advanced education in a profession that demands it and it gives it in a way that becomes accessible.”
Petty said another key component of the program’s success has been Hagan’s prowess at maintaining the quality of education and experience in a learning environment that is remote rather than in-person.
“Thea is very innovative in helping our faculty add the experiential pieces that are needed in our profession into these online classes,” Petty said. “Accessibility to this highly valued Clemson education — you’re not just throwing out this education and putting Clemson’s name on it. It’s a Clemson education that you’re making more accessible, and you’ve got to be innovative in order to do that, in order to keep that whole package together.”
Major League Fishing Unveils 2021 Bass Pro Tour Roster
TULSA, Okla. (Nov. 20, 2020) – Major League Fishing (MLF) announced today the 2021 Bass Pro Tour angler roster. The roster includes 75 returning anglers, headlined by 2020 Angler of the Year (AOY), Heavy Hitters winner and General Tire World Champion Jordan Lee, five-time MLF event winner Jacob Wheeler, Ott DeFoe, Edwin Evers, and the man considered by many to be the greatest professional angler of all-time, Kevin VanDam.
Joining the 75 returning anglers will be DeBary, Florida’s John Cox. A perennial AOY contender during his 10-year FLW Tour/Pro Circuit career, and the 2016 Forrest Wood Cup Champion, Cox was an original invitee when the Bass Pro Tour roster was filled in 2018. He opted not to accept that invitation then, but still fished the FLW Tour and Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit in 2019 and 2020, respectively. Cox now plans to fish both the Bass Pro Tour and the Pro Circuit in 2021, setting the table to fish upwards of 20 pro-level events if he qualifies for REDCREST and MLF Cups.
“I like the lakes on the schedule, I like the payouts, and I like that I can fish a lot of tournaments,” Cox said. “I don’t know exactly how I’ll do in the MLF format for a full season, but even if I don’t do great, I feel good about my chances to make a few top 10s and cash checks. There are a few places on that 2021 schedule where I think to myself ‘Hmmm, I know a spot or two here or there, I think I might do quite well in that one.’ I’m excited about it.”
The four remaining roster spots at the seven regular-season Bass Pro Tour events will be filled by the top anglers from each Pro Circuit event in 2021. The top four finishers from each individual Pro Circuit event will receive automatic invitations to compete in the Bass Pro Tour events that follow, opening the door for the Pro Circuit’s top performers to compete in the MLF catch, weigh, immediate-release format and another opportunity at a $100,000 first-place check.
The four roster spots at the Bass Pro Tour Stage One event at Sam Rayburn Reservoir (March 21-26) will be filled based on the 2020 Pro Circuit AOY standings; Pro Circuit event number one – Feb. 11-14 at Lake Okeechobee, Florida – will then feed Bass Pro Tour Stage Two at Lake Travis (April 30-May 5) and so on.
“We’re all fishing to try to make the Bass Pro Tour, and this will be a really good opportunity for a guy to get his feet wet in that format,” said 11-year Pro Circuit veteran angler Bill McDonald, who got his first taste of the MLF format at the 2020 TITLE championship at Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. “You can tell yourself that the Bass Pro Tour format isn’t really that much more pressure, but I can tell you from experience that it takes a strong mental game. It’s the highest of highs to hear your name at the top (of SCORETRACKER®), but your brain goes crazy when you drop rapidly. It’ll be valuable experience to qualify for one of those (Bass Pro Tour) events.”
The 76 professional anglers that will compete on the 2021 Bass Pro Tour are:
Casey Ashley
Adrian Avena
Josh Bertrand
Tommy Biffle
Zack Birge
Stephen Browning
Brent Chapman
Luke Clausen
Dustin Connell
Brandon Coulter
John Cox
Cliff Crochet
Mark Daniels Jr.
Mark Davis
Ott DeFoe
Boyd Duckett
David Dudley
Brent Ehrler
James Elam
Paul Elias
Edwin Evers
Todd Faircloth
Shin Fukae
Anthony Gagliardi
Shaw Grigsby
Roy Hawk
Brett Hite
Timmy Horton
Randy Howell
Alton Jones
Alton Jones Jr.
Kelly Jordon
Gary Klein
Jeff Kriet
Jason Lambert
Bobby Lane
Chris Lane
Russ Lane
Jordan Lee
Matt Lee
Dave Lefebre
Jared Lintner
Justin Lucas
Aaron Martens
Mike McClelland
Cody Meyer
Ish Monroe
Andy Montgomery
Andy Morgan
John Murray
Britt Myers
Michael Neal
Takahiro Omori
Cliff Pace
Keith Poche
Skeet Reese
Marty Robinson
Dean Rojas
Mark Rose
Fred Roumbanis
Bradley Roy
Terry Scroggins
Fletcher Shryock
Gerald Spohrer
Jeff Sprague
Wesley Strader
Scott Suggs
Randall Tharp
Bryan Thrift
Kevin VanDam
Jonathan VanDam
Greg Vinson
David Walker
James Watson
Jacob Wheeler
Jesse Wiggins
In 2021 MLF Bass Pro Tour competition, anglers are vying for valuable points in hopes of qualifying for REDCREST 2022, the world championship of professional bass fishing. Each stage of the Bass Pro Tour includes six days of competition using the catch, weigh, immediate-release format, broadcast live on the Major League Fishing app, MyOutdoorTV (MOTV), and MajorLeagueFishing.com, totaling more than 450 hours of original programming. Fans can also follow the on-the-water action as it unfolds on the live SCORETRACKER® leaderboard.
The 2021 MLF Bass Pro Tour will air on Discovery Channel beginning in July 2021 and the Sportsman Channel in early 2022.
2021 MLF Bass Pro Tour Schedule
· Feb. 23-27 REDCREST 2021 at Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees – Tulsa, Okla.
· March 21-26 Bass Pro Tour Stage One at Sam Rayburn Reservoir – Jasper, Texas
· April 9-14 General Tire HEAVY HITTERS at Falls Lake, Jordan Lake & Shearon Harris Reservoir – Raleigh, N.C.
· April 30-May 5 Bass Pro Tour Stage Two at Lake Travis – Austin, Texas
· May 21-26 Bass Pro Tour Stage Three at Harris Chain of Lakes – Leesburg, Fla.
· June 4-9 Bass Pro Tour Stage Four at Lake Chickamauga – Dayton, Tenn.
· June 25-30 Bass Pro Tour Stage Five at St. Lawrence River – Massena, N.Y.
· Aug. 5-10 Bass Pro Tour Stage Six at Lake Champlain – Plattsburgh, N.Y.
· Sept. 10-15 Bass Pro Tour Stage Seven at Lake St. Clair – St. Clair Shores, Mich.
LAMBERT CAPTURES NATIONAL CROWN ON HOME WATERS AT HOBIE B.O.S. ANCHORED BY POWER-POLE TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS
Tennessee Anglers Sweep Top Three Spots. Gregory clinches A.O.Y. honors.
OCEANSIDE, Calif. (November 20, 2020) - When the splashing ended, drags stopped screaming and howling wind finally subsided, Ryan Lambert’s name stood alone atop the leader board at the Hobie Bass Open Series (B.O.S.) Tournament of Champions (T.O.C.) sponsored by Power-Pole. Held last weekend on the famed Tennessee River System bass waters that slice through the heart of Knoxville and hosted the 2019 49th Annual Bassmaster’s Classic, the contest featured an elite field of 50 kayak bass fishing sharpies who qualified for their limited slots based on performance during nine B.O.S. series events spread across the country, plus a one-day Shootout held in Knoxville, on Friday.
Simply put, the 34-year old Lambert, from Chattanooga, Tennessee, showed the world how to get ‘er done on his home waters. Dusting the field by nearly 11 inches with a tally of 186.25” for the two-day event, he finished ahead of fellow local angler Jordan Marshall (175.50”), and Kristine Fischer (172”), as the Tennesseans swept the top three spots in what is arguably the most prestigious of kayak bass fishing championships.
“This really was an amazing event, and a terrific way to wrap up our B.O.S. season,” said tournament director, A.J. McWhorter. “When you put the best anglers in our series together, it can be anybody's game – and there were a lot of folks who had a reasonable chance of claiming this crown. In the end, the top spots went to local anglers who were familiar with the waters and best able to adapt to the changing conditions. No matter where you go this time of year, Nature can play rough and our competitors got a full dose of her fury with cool temperatures and heavy fog on Saturday morning, strong currents on both days, and a heavy storm with 60 m.p.h. wind gusts that blew through around lunchtime on Sunday. Through it all, Ryan Lambert was the only one who managed to sustain super-high catch levels across both days and that’s why he’s our champion. He earned it with an amazing performance.”
For his efforts, Lambert collected a $30,000 first-place check while Marshall pocketed $8,000 and Fischer took home $5,500. In total, the tournament paid out a whopping $61,000 to the top ten finishers, plus an additional $1,000 to Cole Kleffman, who edged out Lambert by a quarter-inch for Bassin’ Magazine Big Bass honors with a 20.75” brute. All told, competitors caught, measured and released 437 fish, a mix of smallmouths and largemouths, with the bronzebacks dominating the money spots. In addition to his substantial cash prize, Lambert also qualified for the Hobie Worlds 10 and the 2021 T.O.C. Fischer, it should be noted, finished higher than has any other female competitor in a kayak fishing national championship event.
“I love river fishing for smallmouths and these waters are local for me, so I felt pretty good heading into this tournament,” said Lambert. “Still, to win it all? I just couldn’t imagine that. I’ve had several second- and third-place finishes at national events, but I’ve been lacking that signature win on the big stage. For it to come at the Holy Grail of kayak bass fishing, well, that’s hard to believe. If I were going to pick one kayak event to win, this would be it. The competition here is the best you’ll find anywhere, and this tournament is so well run, so respected. I’ve got to tell you, it feels really good!”
For Lambert, the T.O.C. was perfectly timed. While he didn’t have a national title to his credit, he was coming off a solid season, qualifying for the championship back in March at the Lake Norman B.O.S. event in Mooresville, North Carolina. He competed in a total of four B.O.S. events during the year and captured the Kayak Anglers Society of Tennessee (KAST) State Championship in mid-October on the same Knoxville waters where he would claim his Hobie Crown.
“That KAST competition was the key for me,” revealed Lambert. “It was there I found a productive area where some big bass seemed to pile up. Honestly, it was an unassuming stretch of the French Broad riverbank that featured some flooded timber in the water and a rock pile with grass on it a little further down. I figured if they could just hang tight until the T.O.C. I’d be in good shape. Luckily, they did.”
Arriving at his launch site on Day 1, Lambert found nearly a dozen kayaks ready to head out so he opted to put in at another site five miles upstream and paddle back to his hot spot in hopes of keeping it quiet. He didn’t catch a fish until about 11 a.m., but then culled a 95” limit in a 45-minute span using a Z-Man SlingbladeZ™ spinnerbait and a Z-Man Ned rig.
“It was a pretty strong bite once it got started and I finished in the top spot for Day 1,” revealed Lambert. “I knew then that if I could buy five bites on Day 2, I’d be in the running. I got six, but I had to work a lot slower to earn each strike. I had to sit on those fish all day long with a Ned rig to post 91.25” of bass. Fortunately, that was enough!” said the winner, who acknowledged having tears of relief in his eyes upon claiming his fifth and final fish of the tournament.
Marshall, 25, from Maryville, Tennessee, spent his time covering as much water as possible while targeting smallmouth bass with homemade custom spinnerbaits on the Holston River. He found himself in fourth place at the end of Day 1 with 91” of bass and followed that up with a Day 2 total of 84.5”, good for second behind Lambert.
“I was throwing the same pattern that helped me cash a check at the T.O.C. last year,” he said. “It’s a half-ounce, natural shad color presentation with double willow blades. I’d say it’s accounted for 80% of my fish in the last two Hobie B.O.S. championships. I was looking for banks that had a lot of current, and outside bends and little shoots. The rocks in these river situations make small eddies and a little bit of slack water where big smallmouths like to hide.”
Conditions were tough, noted Marshall, especially on Sunday when the storm rolled through the region. “That was probably the strongest wind I’ve ever fished through,” he stated. “Overall, I’m quite happy with my performance, but I’ve got to tip my hat to Ryan. I’d have paid him to fish the stretch he chose. I know these waters well and I didn’t think that area would hold enough big bass to put him over the top. Heck of a job.”
Fischer pinned her hopes on patterning smallmouths along cut banks and shoreline indentations that featured some slack water. It took her until 10:30 a.m. to find her first fish as the fog lifted on Day 1 to reveal a flat at the tip of an island where the French Broad splits. “There was a large area of slack water there,” she said, “and I was able to align my Hobie with a blowdown and work a solid school of bass by fan-casting the flats. I’d drilled eight or nine fish there on an underspin before deciding to save the spot for Day 2. At the end of Day 1, I was in second place with 94” of bass, just an inch behind Ryan. That left me with some exciting prospects.”
Returning to the same area for the second day of the tournament, Fischer found the bite had slowed and resorted to a shaky head presentation. By 12:30 p.m. she had dug up four fish. “Getting that fifth one was tough,” she admitted, “especially once the weather changed for the worse. I really needed the sun to make that flat bite work. With about an hour to go, I finally filled my limit with an 18.75” smallmouth that inhaled a Z-Man Shaky HeadZ® with a Turbo CrawZ™ trailer. Unfortunately, my fish ran a bit smaller than the day before, and I could only work my way up to ninth place for Day 2, which left me in third overall.”
Like Marshall, Fischer offered props to Lambert’s achievement. “I dropped a big fish late in the tournament,” she recalled. “But even with that one, I didn’t have the bites to beat him. Ryan really brought his A-game and had a stellar performance. It was a very well-deserved win.”
Both Marshall and Fischer noted that their Hobie Mirage 360 Pro Angler 14 kayaks with Kick Up Fins proved a big help in attaining and holding superior casting positions during the tournament, especially as the winds increased on Sunday. “The way that wind was blowing on Sunday, I couldn’t imagine finishing in the top three with any other kayak,” said Marshall.” There were times I was drifting at six or seven m.p.h. but with the balance, strength and MirageDrive on my Hobie, I could back-up and tuck into the spots I needed to reach, line up my casts, and hold my position to make a solid presentation.”
“My Hobie was a huge advantage in this contest,” added Fischer. “Its maneuverability is the best on the market. It allowed me to cut through current seams and hold steady in ways no other kayak can do. It really put me in a great position to maximize my fishing and casting skills.”
While all fifty anglers were battling for the T.O.C. championship title, at least a dozen more were seriously in the hunt for Hobie’s Angler of the Year (A.O.Y.) honors. Heading into the contest, A.O.Y. point leaders Jody Queen and Rus Snyders were in control of their own destinies, a top-three finish virtually assuring victory for either competitor. But it was Drew Gregory, from Ohio, who clawed his way from the third position to overtake the leaders and secure the title. Ron Champion of Georgia took second while Marshall grabbed the third spot to cap a great day. This year’s A.O.Y. first-place prize package included $5,000 cash and a fully rigged, custom-colored, orange and black B.O.S. camo Hobie Mirage 360 Pro Angler 14 outfitted with a Power Pole, Lowrance Unit on a Scotty base, and Dakota Lithium batteries. In addition to cash and prize packages, the top three A.O.Y. winners also received invitations to the Hobie Worlds 10.
For McWhorter, the end of Hobie’s tournament season brings some relief, but plans for the 2021 Hobie B.O.S. sponsored by Power-Pole are already well underway. “After a season full of challenges that still showed record growth for our series, I just want to thank all of our anglers for their continued support, willingness to travel, and everything they do to make this tourney trail so awesome. We wouldn’t be able to do it without you. Our competitors are the stars of this show, and we can’t wait to showcase even more of you next year.”
As for the city of Knoxville, McWhorter offered plenty of praise. “What an amazing time of year to be here,” he concluded. “To witness the leaves changing and the morning sun rising above these bass-filled waters and the Great Smokey Mountains has been magnificent. This was a spectacular venue for a terrific tournament, and this city has been so friendly and helpful. I’d highly recommend you find some time to visit Knoxville when you can. There’s a great mix of city and outdoors life to experience here. We’ll certainly be coming back.”
For more information on the Hobie B.O.S. Anchored by Power-Pole, or to view the final T.O.C. standings, go to: https://tourneyx.com/app/tourney/hobie-bos-tournament-of-champions.
All photos by Shane Durrance Productions
McKinney Wins Bassmaster College Classic Bracket On Lay Lake, Earns Dream Classic Berth
McKendree University's Trevor McKinney has won the 2020 Carhartt College Classic Bracket presented by Bass Pro Shops on Lay Lake and earned a berth in the 2021 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk.
Photo by Kyle Jessie/B.A.S.S.
November 19, 2020
COLUMBIANA, Ala. — Thanks to a morning flurry, McKendree University senior Trevor McKinney caught 11 pounds, 11 ounces to win the Carhartt Bassmaster College Classic Bracket presented by Bass Pro Shops at Lay Lake, defeating McKendree teammate Blake Jackson by just over a pound.
With the victory, McKinney qualified for the 2021 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk scheduled for March 19-21 on Lake Ray Roberts.
“It’s been my dream since I was a little kid to make the Classic. I watched it every Sunday morning when I was a kid. Now I can say I’m going to the Classic,” McKinney said. “All of my friends and family are superproud.
“I'm not trying to sound cocky, but I’ve had a feeling all week that this was mine to win.”
McKinney caught the biggest bag of the event on Day 1 with 12-4 but stumbled a little on Day 2 with 7-12. With Jackson weighing the heaviest bag of Day 2 with 9-8, McKinney said he knew it would be a close battle in the championship round.
“I know how good of a fisherman Blake is. I knew he was fishing his strengths, and I knew he was going to be hard to beat today,” McKinney said.
During the first two days, McKinney focused on the back of one pocket on Lay Lake that had a plethora of baitfish in shallow water. As the tournament wore on, he noticed he was catching fewer fish and knew he had to make an adjustment.
So, to start the championship round, McKinney started on the point outside of the pocket where he hadn’t caught fish the first two days. He caught around 40 fish, filling his limit within an hour.
“I knew fish were leaving the area and the first place they are going to stop is that point. And that point had a lot of current coming around it too,” he said. “There was actually a hard spot off the point about 15 yards, and all of those fish were right on the hard spot.
“Even though I didn’t catch them on the point yesterday, I could see them on the graph. When I started there this morning they were biting.”
After using an underspin with a baby fluke on Day 1 and a jerkbait on Day 2, McKinney used a Rapala DT 6 crankbait to catch the majority of his fish in the final round. While he had been catching mostly largemouth the first two days, he caught all spotted bass on the final day.
“It was different for me every day,” McKinney said. “If I had come into the tournament with a mindset to do one thing, I wouldn’t have caught them.”
When the bite stalled on the point, McKinney moved to a deeper bank and used a DT 10 to make two critical culls to put the tournament out of reach.
Jackson also had a productive morning, catching all five of his keepers before the 10:30 a.m. break. He only trailed McKinney by 6 ounces at the time.
The afternoon bite never materialized for him, however, and as McKinney culled up, Jackson was unable to land another keeper fish.
“(Going back to the dock) was one of the hardest things I’ve endured. I was pretty emotional about it,” McKinney said. “If there was anyone I wanted to win this tournament other than me, it was Blake. He’s my best friend.”
Along with the Classic berth, McKinney earned $7,500 courtesy of Carhartt and will receive paid entry into all of the 2021 Basspro.com Bassmaster Opens. McKinney will fish the Opens out of a Nitro Z20 rigged with Humminbird and Minn Kota products and have the use of a Toyota Tundra tow vehicle.
Discover Shelby County, AL hosted the event.
2020 Carhartt College Classic Bracket presented by Bass Pro Shops 11/17-11/19
Lay Lake, Columbiana AL.
(BOATER) Standings Day 3
Angler Club/School No./Weight
Trevor McKinney McKendree University 5 11-11
Blake Jackson McKendree University 5 10-06
Big Bite Anchors Dillard’s Day 1 Bag At Bassmaster Central Open On Lewisville
Lewisville Leader Dillard.jpg
Brandon Dillard of Grapevine, Texas,is leading after Day 1 of the Basspro.com Bassmaster Central Open at Lewisville Lake with 24 pounds, 9 ounces.
Photo by James Overstreet/B.A.S.S.
November 19, 2020
LEWISVILLE, Texas — Abundant options nearly overwhelmed Brandon Dillard, but a moment of inspiring clarity set him on a course that led him to a 24-pound, 9-ounce limit that topped Day 1 of the Basspro.com Bassmaster Central Open on Lewisville Lake.
Hailing from Grapevine, Texas, the Lewisville guide said mentally sorting through his vast local knowledge nearly kept him up all night before the opening round. Rising with only an hour of sleep was less than ideal, but an early text from his mother, who was recently diagnosed with cancer, provided a calming influence.
“She said, ‘Just have fun and go fishing,’ and that’s what I did,” Dillard said. “I had my weight by noon and then I stopped fishing. My main thing today was to just stay calm, have fun and not put a lot of pressure on myself.”
Anchoring his bag with an 8-11, Dillard said versatility was essential to his success.
“I fished from 1 foot to 17 feet; I caught shallow fish and deep fish,” Dillard said. “I have 175 brushpiles (marked on Lewisville), so I’m hitting some brushpiles and I’m hitting some rock.”
Sky conditions guided the timing of Dillard’s various targets. The morning saw cloudy skies yielding to bright blue skies by midday. Knowing the fish would reposition with the day’s developing complexion, Dillard adjusted accordingly.
“I’m hitting the shallow stuff early — what’s left of the buckbrush,” he said. “Most of the buckbrush is out of play this time of year, so anywhere you can find some kind of shallow cover like laydowns or stumps early, it’s good.
“When it turned sunny, I transitioned out to deeper (brushpiles), but I stayed shallow while we had the cloud cover and the wind.”
Keeping it textbook, Dillard hit his shallow spots with reaction baits and then switched to slower presentations once he moved deep. His biggest fish, which came off a deep brushpile, required some extra attention, but Dillard’s experience ensured the trophy bass’s safe release.
“When it bit, it felt like a perch and when I swung on it, she came right to the boat with her mouth open the whole time,” Dillard said. “I had to fizz her and I was having trouble getting her to fizz (release excess air from the swim bladder), so I spent about an hour doing that. I wound up getting her stabilized, so she made it.”
Dillard said he plans to repeat his game plan tomorrow. Knowing the lake intimately, he knows he has his work cut out for him.
“This lake can be great one day and a real struggle the next,” he said. “So, I’m going to do the same thing; I’m going to have fun and give it all I’ve got. I’ll fish the same patterns, but I’ll fish some new water tomorrow.”
Tommy Williams of Shepherdsville, Ky., is in second place with 18-8. His day started early and he had his weight by 9 a.m. After that, he simply guarded his area for Day 2.
Williams caught his fish out of shallow wood targets in pockets where wind had blown baitfish against the shoreline. Finding particular areas where he could leverage a wind break enabled him to effectively work his spots.
“I was fishing a creature bait dead slow — almost deadsticking the bait,” Williams said. “Also, very precise flips were important. You had to really fish for them.”
Greg Hackney of Gonzalez, La., is in third place with 17-1. In his first visit to Lewisville, Hackney reported fishing a mid-depth range and targeting a particular habitat feature with slow presentations. Covering a lot of water and eliminating the unproductive areas was central to his strategy.
“It’s painstakingly slow; you don’t get very many bites,” Hackney said. “I had a handful of bites in practice and I’m just running my practice, but there’s a lot of dead water for me. I just caught my fish out of a few key places.”
Dillard is in the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors with his 8-11.
Jeff Arnold of Lewisville, Texas, holds the overall lead in the co-angler division with 9-8. Brian Hamaker of Huntsville, Ala., holds the Phoenix Boats Big Bass lead among co-anglers with a 5-12.
Hackney leads the Basspro.com Bassmaster Central Open standings with 718 points, followed by Jason Christie with 717. Kenta Kimura is third with 717, Darold Gleason is fourth with 697 and Marc Frazier is fifth with 696.
Christie leads the Falcon Rods Bassmaster Opens Angler of the Year standings with 1,177 points.
Friday’s takeoff is scheduled for 7 a.m. CT from Lewisville Lake Park. The weigh-in will be held at the park at 3 p.m. After Friday’s weigh-in, the Top 12 anglers will advance to Championship Saturday.
The tournament is being hosted by the Lewisville Convention & Visitors Bureau.
2020 Basspro.com Bassmaster Central Open at Lewisville Lake 11/19-11/21
Lewisville Lake, Lewisville TX.
(BOATER) Standings Day 1
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Brandon Dillard Grapevine, TX 5 24-09 200
Day 1: 5 24-09
2. Tommy Williams Shepherdsville, KY 5 18-08 199
Day 1: 5 18-08
3. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 5 17-01 198
Day 1: 5 17-01
4. Drew Sloan Scurry, TX 4 15-09 197
Day 1: 4 15-09
5. Trey Swindle Cleveland, AL 5 15-06 196
Day 1: 5 15-06
6. Terry Peacock Royse City, TX 5 14-07 195
Day 1: 5 14-07
7. Spike Stoker Stephenville, TX 5 14-06 194
Day 1: 5 14-06
8. Terry Bollom Frisco, TX 5 14-02 193
Day 1: 5 14-02
9. KJ Queen Catawba, NC 4 13-03 192
Day 1: 4 13-03
10. Lance Crawford Broken Bow, OK 5 13-02 191
Day 1: 5 13-02
11. Kenta Kimura Osaka JAPAN 5 12-12 190
Day 1: 5 12-12
12. Brian Clark Haltom City, TX 4 12-12 189
Day 1: 4 12-12
13. Keith Poche Pike Road, AL 5 12-08 188
Day 1: 5 12-08
14. Joey Nania Cropwell, AL 3 12-08 187
Day 1: 3 12-08
15. Robert Parkison Marshall, TX 4 12-06 186
Day 1: 4 12-06
16. Matthew Nobile Sorrento, LA 5 12-03 185
Day 1: 5 12-03
17. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 4 12-02 184
Day 1: 4 12-02
18. Billy Cline Argyle, TX 5 12-01 183
Day 1: 5 12-01
19. Scott Pellegrin Chippewa Falls, WI 4 11-15 182
Day 1: 4 11-15
20. Chandler Stewart Waco, TX 3 11-13 181
Day 1: 3 11-13
21. Justin Prisock Robinson, TX 5 11-07 180
Day 1: 5 11-07
22. Chris Jones Bokoshe, OK 4 11-06 179
Day 1: 4 11-06
23. Jeff Lugar Princeton, TX 4 11-05 178
Day 1: 4 11-05
24. Shawn Temple Krugerville, TX 5 11-04 177
Day 1: 5 11-04
25. James Stricklin Fort Smith, AR 4 11-01 176
Day 1: 4 11-01
26. Brian Latimer Belton, SC 5 11-00 175
Day 1: 5 11-00
27. Billy Billeaud Lafayette, LA 5 10-15 174
Day 1: 5 10-15
28. David Gillham Heath, TX 4 10-12 173
Day 1: 4 10-12
28. Joel Willert Prior Lake, MN 4 10-12 173
Day 1: 4 10-12
30. Cody Ryan Greaney Manchaca, TX 4 10-08 171
Day 1: 4 10-08
31. Jason Christie Park Hill, OK 5 09-15 170
Day 1: 5 09-15
32. Luke Plunkett Pinson, AL 4 09-14 169
Day 1: 4 09-14
33. Blake Whatley Harleton, TX 5 09-13 168
Day 1: 5 09-13
34. Wes Nofire Tahlequah, OK 3 09-04 167
Day 1: 3 09-04
35. Garrett Rose Pipecreek, TX 3 08-11 166
Day 1: 3 08-11
36. Dakota Ebare Dehnam Springs, LA 4 08-10 165
Day 1: 4 08-10
36. Jed Holt Livingston, TX 4 08-10 165
Day 1: 4 08-10
38. Marc Frazier Newnan, GA 3 08-02 163
Day 1: 3 08-02
39. Shaun Haag Montgomery, TX 3 08-00 162
Day 1: 3 08-00
40. Austin Cranford Norman, OK 3 07-14 161
Day 1: 3 07-14
41. Caleb Gibson Locust Grove, OK 3 07-13 160
Day 1: 3 07-13
42. Shonn Goodwin Moore, OK 3 07-12 159
Day 1: 3 07-12
43. Cody Morrison Collinsville, TX 3 07-11 158
Day 1: 3 07-11
44. Darold Gleason Many, LA 3 07-10 157
Day 1: 3 07-10
45. John Hunter Jr Shelbyville, KY 2 07-08 156
Day 1: 2 07-08
46. James Biggs Euless, TX 3 07-04 155
Day 1: 3 07-04
46. Kazuki Kitajima Corinth, TX 3 07-04 155
Day 1: 3 07-04
48. Spencer Lambert West Monroe, LA 2 07-04 153
Day 1: 2 07-04
49. Greg Yates Oak Point, TX 4 07-03 152
Day 1: 4 07-03
50. Jake Boomer Spokane Valley, WA 4 07-01 151
Day 1: 4 07-01
51. Branden Hollingshead Azle, TX 2 07-00 150
Day 1: 2 07-00
52. Marc Schilling Shady Shores, TX 3 06-15 149
Day 1: 3 06-15
53. Logan Latuso Gonzales, LA 3 06-13 148
Day 1: 3 06-13
54. Masayuki Matsushita Tokoname-Shi JAPAN 2 06-13 147
Day 1: 2 06-13
55. Kenny Mittelstaedt Minnetonka, MN 4 06-12 146
Day 1: 4 06-12
56. Bryan New Belmont, NC 3 06-10 145
Day 1: 3 06-10
57. Mark Watson Midlothian, TX 2 06-10 144
Day 1: 2 06-10
58. Floyd Teat Valley Mills, TX 3 06-08 143
Day 1: 3 06-08
59. Brad Shuflin Windsor, CO 1 06-07 142
Day 1: 1 06-07
60. Kyle Dorsett Odenville, AL 3 06-04 141
Day 1: 3 06-04
61. Bradley Hallman Norman, OK 3 06-03 140
Day 1: 3 06-03
62. Ken Iyobe Tokoname, Aichi JAPAN 3 05-15 139
Day 1: 3 05-15
63. Kevin Ledoux Choctaw, OK 3 05-12 138
Day 1: 3 05-12
64. Hunter Denmark Saraland, AL 2 05-11 137
Day 1: 2 05-11
65. Casey Bennett Waco, TX 2 05-08 136
Day 1: 2 05-08
66. Paul Browning Pecos, TX 2 05-07 135
Day 1: 2 05-07
67. Billy Smith Montgomery, TX 1 05-05 134
Day 1: 1 05-05
68. John Hammersmith Branson, MO 3 05-04 133
Day 1: 3 05-04
69. Cody Bird Granbury, TX 2 05-03 132
Day 1: 2 05-03
69. Jake Rossi Columbus, OH 2 05-03 132
Day 1: 2 05-03
71. Chancy Walters West Des Moines, IA 2 05-01 130
Day 1: 2 05-01
72. Bart Stanisz Brookeland, TX 2 04-13 129
Day 1: 2 04-13
73. Steve Sennikoff Edgewood, TX 3 04-12 128
Day 1: 3 04-12
74. Kylie Sparks Denham Spgs, LA 2 04-10 127
Day 1: 2 04-10
75. David Drinkard Sour Lake, TX 2 04-08 126
Day 1: 2 04-08
76. Wes Logan Springville, AL 2 04-06 125
Day 1: 2 04-06
77. Matt Robertson Kuttawa, KY 2 04-01 124
Day 1: 2 04-01
78. Denny Fiedler Wabasha, MN 2 04-00 123
Day 1: 2 04-00
78. Kyle Hogg Hewitt, TX 2 04-00 123
Day 1: 2 04-00
78. Brian Post Janesville, WI 2 04-00 123
Day 1: 2 04-00
78. Dustin Reneau Mckinney, TX 2 04-00 123
Day 1: 2 04-00
82. Todd Castledine Nacogdoches, TX 1 03-14 119
Day 1: 1 03-14
83. Joey Cifuentes III Clinton, AR 2 03-10 118
Day 1: 2 03-10
84. Justin Atkins Florence, AL 1 03-10 117
Day 1: 1 03-10
85. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 2 03-07 116
Day 1: 2 03-07
85. Gerald Swindle Guntersville, AL 2 03-07 116
Day 1: 2 03-07
87. Steven Caldwell Whitesboro, TX 2 03-06 114
Day 1: 2 03-06
88. Lee Livesay Longview, TX 1 03-06 113
Day 1: 1 03-06
89. Andy Hribar Lakeville, MN 1 03-05 112
Day 1: 1 03-05
90. Teb Jones Hattiesburg, MS 2 03-04 111
Day 1: 2 03-04
91. Ryan Dusek Azle, TX 2 03-02 110
Day 1: 2 03-02
91. Jerry Riddle Jr Summit, MS 2 03-02 110
Day 1: 2 03-02
93. Greg Mansfield Olathe, KS 1 03-02 108
Day 1: 1 03-02
94. Stephen Browning Hot Springs, AR 2 03-00 107
Day 1: 2 03-00
95. Cody Huff Ava, MO 1 02-15 106
Day 1: 1 02-15
95. Ernie Stumpf III Frisco, TX 1 02-15 106
Day 1: 1 02-15
97. Jay Stidham China Spring, TX 2 02-14 104
Day 1: 2 02-14
98. Marshall Hughes Hemphill, TX 2 02-13 103
Day 1: 2 02-13
99. Jerod Hawkes Eagle Pass, TX 1 02-13 102
Day 1: 1 02-13
99. Tommy Murray Bedford, TX 1 02-13 102
Day 1: 1 02-13
101. Jake Biram Tulsa, OK 1 02-11 100
Day 1: 1 02-11
101. Wardell Motley Jr Dallas, TX 1 02-11 100
Day 1: 1 02-11
103. Matt Pangrac Broken Arrow, OK 1 02-08 98
Day 1: 1 02-08
103. Ron Wells Claremore, OK 1 02-08 98
Day 1: 1 02-08
105. Toby Hartsell Afton, OK 1 02-05 96
Day 1: 1 02-05
106. Jim Dillard West Monroe, LA 1 02-03 95
Day 1: 1 02-03
106. Gary Hall Wardville, OK 1 02-03 95
Day 1: 1 02-03
106. Brian Mathis Cedar Park, TX 1 02-03 95
Day 1: 1 02-03
109. Cameron Mattison Bossier City, LA 1 02-02 92
Day 1: 1 02-02
110. Jacob Powroznik North Prince George, VA 1 02-00 91
Day 1: 1 02-00
111. Jeff Bridges Prosper, TX 1 01-15 90
Day 1: 1 01-15
111. Bryant Smith Roseville, CA 1 01-15 90
Day 1: 1 01-15
113. Dale Hightower Mannford, OK 1 01-14 88
Day 1: 1 01-14
113. Randy Qualls Streetman, TX 1 01-14 88
Day 1: 1 01-14
113. Andrew Wright Plano, TX 1 01-14 88
Day 1: 1 01-14
116. Doug Vahrenberg Higginsville, MO 1 01-13 85
Day 1: 1 01-13
117. Clark Reehm Elm Groove, LA 1 01-11 84
Day 1: 1 01-11
118. Brandon Ackerson Afton, OK 1 01-10 83
Day 1: 1 01-10
118. Travis Ledford Tuttle, OK 1 01-10 83
Day 1: 1 01-10
120. Troy O'Rourke Bentonville, AR 1 01-08 81
Day 1: 1 01-08
120. Larry Puckett Decatur, TX 1 01-08 81
Day 1: 1 01-08
120. Andrew Upshaw Tulsa, OK 1 01-08 81
Day 1: 1 01-08
123. Daisuke Aoki Minamitsurugun Yamanash 1 01-07 78
Day 1: 1 01-07
124. Scott Siller Milwaukee, WI 1 01-05 77
Day 1: 1 01-05
125. Andrew Thomasson Dublin, VA 1 01-04 76
Day 1: 1 01-04
126. Chris Bachta Grapevine, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
126. Chris Bailey Eddy, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
126. Neels Beneke Amanzimtoti SOUTH AFRIC 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
126. Randy Blaukat Joplin, MO 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
126. Lucas Bradley Flippin, AR 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
126. Josh Bragg Jacksonville, AL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
126. Jay Brainard Mountain Home, OK 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
126. Wyatt Burkhalter Coker, AL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
126. James Caldemeyer Gilmer, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
126. Theron Caldwell Decatur, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
126. RJ Chandler Jr. Vinton, LA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
126. James Davis Jr Ferriday, LA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
126. Justin Hallmark Bertram, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
126. Mark Hicks Glouster, OH 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
126. Brent Homan Graham, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
126. Larry Jenkins Leesburg, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
126. Lyvon Kennard Harker Hts, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
126. Terry Luedtke Burton, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
126. Scott Martin Clewiston, FL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
126. Brandon Mcdonald Longview, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
126. Bill McNutt Henry, IL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
126. Chad Mrazek Montgomery, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
126. Allan Nail Sand Springs, OK 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
126. Lance Rose Pipe Creek, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
126. Greg Vance Delhi, IA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
126. Bill Watts Beaumont, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
126. Dirk Wenzlaff Frisco, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
126. Jd Williams Mckinney, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
126. Trait Zaldain Fort Worth, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 18 327 836-04
----------------------------------
18 327 836-04
2020 Basspro.com Bassmaster Central Open at Lewisville Lake 11/19-11/21
Lewisville Lake, Lewisville TX.
(NON_BOATER) Standings Day 1
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Jeff Arnold Lewisville, TX 3 09-08 200
Day 1: 3 09-08
2. Brian Hamaker Huntsville, AL 2 08-05 199
Day 1: 2 08-05
3. Joe Lee Midlothian, TX 3 07-13 198
Day 1: 3 07-13
4. David Booth Erin, TN 2 05-14 197
Day 1: 2 05-14
5. Steven Hatch Long Beach, MS 3 05-09 196
Day 1: 3 05-09
6. Brandon Clayton Haslet , TX 2 05-09 195
Day 1: 2 05-09
7. Michael Grossman Dallas, TX 3 05-06 194
Day 1: 3 05-06
8. Leroy Mcdonald Jr Blanchard, OK 3 05-05 193
Day 1: 3 05-05
9. Carson Denmark Malcolm, AL 2 05-04 192
Day 1: 2 05-04
10. Allen Heston Pittsburg, TX 3 05-03 191
Day 1: 3 05-03
11. Trever Moore Lantana, TX 2 05-00 190
Day 1: 2 05-00
12. Chad McClendon Grapevine, TX 2 04-09 189
Day 1: 2 04-09
13. Lonnie Mesar Sanger, TX 2 04-07 188
Day 1: 2 04-07
14. Johnny Matthews Laguna Park, TX 1 04-04 187
Day 1: 1 04-04
15. John Connell Marion, IL 2 04-03 186
Day 1: 2 04-03
16. Will Major Port Allen, LA 2 04-01 185
Day 1: 2 04-01
17. Jorge Benitez Wallis, TX 2 03-14 184
Day 1: 2 03-14
18. Chuck Boso Oklahoma City, OK 1 03-14 183
Day 1: 1 03-14
19. Jason Childers Aubrey, TX 1 03-12 182
Day 1: 1 03-12
20. Russell Baca Sherman, TX 1 03-10 181
Day 1: 1 03-10
21. Jessie Ayers Antlers, OK 2 03-08 180
Day 1: 2 03-08
21. Dustin Keys Nevada, MO 2 03-08 180
Day 1: 2 03-08
23. Will Williford Orange, TX 1 03-05 178
Day 1: 1 03-05
24. Jason Phillips Bulverde, TX 1 03-02 177
Day 1: 1 03-02
25. Sieg Kilby Kilgore, TX 1 03-01 176
Day 1: 1 03-01
26. Ethen Preston Tower City, ND 2 03-00 175
Day 1: 2 03-00
27. Adam Boyd Humble, TX 1 02-15 174
Day 1: 1 02-15
28. Jeremy Montgomery Burleson, TX 1 02-14 173
Day 1: 1 02-14
29. Robert Paxton Jr Flower Mound, TX 1 02-13 172
Day 1: 1 02-13
30. Dylan Smith Midlothian, TX 1 02-12 171
Day 1: 1 02-12
31. Glenn Dolezal Houston, TX 1 02-11 170
Day 1: 1 02-11
31. Daren Scott Aledo, TX 1 02-11 170
Day 1: 1 02-11
33. Cody Shry Pinehrst, TX 1 02-09 168
Day 1: 1 02-09
34. Joe Olivas Worthington, OH 1 02-07 167
Day 1: 1 02-07
35. Shigekazu Tateno Dallas, TX 1 02-06 166
Day 1: 1 02-06
36. Grant Chapman Denver, CO 1 02-03 165
Day 1: 1 02-03
36. John Goebel Lumberton, TX 1 02-03 165
Day 1: 1 02-03
38. Larry Beauboeuf Bossier City, LA 1 02-02 163
Day 1: 1 02-02
39. Aaron Hansen Irving, TX 1 02-01 162
Day 1: 1 02-01
40. Jeff Queen Catawba, NC 1 02-00 161
Day 1: 1 02-00
41. Colton Anders Burton, TX 1 01-15 160
Day 1: 1 01-15
42. William Young Livingston, TX 1 01-14 159
Day 1: 1 01-14
43. Trey Bigger Celina, TX 1 01-13 158
Day 1: 1 01-13
44. Mike Allcorn Mckinney, TX 1 01-12 157
Day 1: 1 01-12
44. Craig Schmidt Columbus, NE 1 01-12 157
Day 1: 1 01-12
46. Eric Jenkins Arnold, MO 1 01-11 155
Day 1: 1 01-11
46. Brent Shimanek Fort Worth, TX 1 01-11 155
Day 1: 1 01-11
48. Scott Bunday Plano, TX 1 01-10 153
Day 1: 1 01-10
49. Nathan Adams House Springs, MO 1 01-09 152
Day 1: 1 01-09
49. Paul Starnes Flowermound, TX 1 01-09 152
Day 1: 1 01-09
51. Dwain Vogelpohl Cambridge, MN 1 01-08 150
Day 1: 1 01-08
52. Russell Seynaeve Justin, TX 1 01-04 149
Day 1: 1 01-04
53. Todd Drury Haslet, TX 1 01-03 148
Day 1: 1 01-03
54. Bo Rhodes Argyle, TX 1 01-02 147
Day 1: 1 01-02
55. Keith Allen Springfield, MO 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Noel Allen Jr Brandon, MS 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Ruben Arevalos Poth, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Brad Bailey Saint Louis, MO 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Brandon Beaver Durant, OK 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. John Bickley Weatherford, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Bud Biram Tulsa, OK 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Isaac Booth Washburn, TN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Paul Bosco Lantana, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Kurt Bundick Hillsboro, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Bob Burgess Millington, TN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Troy Burton Lewisville, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Sam Chapman Norman, OK 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Matt Connolly Duluth, GA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. John Cummings Alexander, AR 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Lee Deboer Mckinney, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Jim Dillingham Arlington, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Keith Eddleman Buda, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Eugene Eisenmann Jr Frisco, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Spence Fowler Ganado, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Dusty Frank West Point, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Elliot Gardner Brenham, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Ralph Gibson Locust Grove, OK 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. David Gibson Red Oak, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Steven Gilliam Blanchard, OK 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. John Goul Philadelphia, MS 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Jason Grammer Roland, AR 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Todd Greenwood Chesterfield, VA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Montana Hand Weatherford, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Eugene Hermes Muenster, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Darrell Hille Springfield, TN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Chris Jeffery Sedan, KS 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Mike Jensen Cameron, WI 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Jon Jezierski Troy, MI 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Gary Kaehler Strawn, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Paul Keys III Nevada, MO 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Casey Lawson Terrell, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Kevin Mallow Kansas, OK 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Jake Marsac Round Rock, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Roger Mcdowell Springtown, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Billy Messer Spartanburg, SC 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Lee Midkiff Mckinney, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Richard Miller Janesville, WI 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Lonnie Miller Broken Arrow, OK 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Jon Mohon Sr Houston, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Cameron Naquin Gray, LA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Jenny Nevans Dayton, TN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Bryan Nickelson Flower Mound, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Matt Palesano Chickasha, OK 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Rick Parker Kaufman, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Jimmy Patterson Amarillo, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Robert Pennell Cuero, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Jerad Perry Marshall, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Terry Petchinsky Lewisville, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Mike Petty Merkel, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Johnny Ramos Odessa, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Wade Richardson Texico, NM 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Robert Robinson Duncanville, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Lynn Roller Fort Worth, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Steven Schmidt Flower Mound, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Rob Schuppenhauer Azle, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Clarence Schwarz Bedford, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Gregory Shimanek Keller, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Bobby Shockley Springfield, MO 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Ben Shuler Midland, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Shane Soriano Merced, CA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Jon Stidham Mcclelland, IA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Ryan Stimmel Seminole, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Shane Stockton Fort Worth, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Justin Suchy Shreveport, LA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Kayden Tanner Millsap, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Robb Taylor Irving, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Joe Thielen La Grange, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Keith Thomas Naples, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Daniel Travis The Colony, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Dakota Treat Oklahoma City, OK 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Marty Trent Dodge City, KS 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Kerry Trent Dodge City, KS 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Raymond Vargas Hattiesburg, MS 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Stephen Vogel Muenster, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Randy Waddell Guntersville, AL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Scotty Walton Oklahoma City, OK 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Frank Williams Saint Charles, MO 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Billy Wilson Highland Village, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Steve Wright Plano, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Ronald Young New Braunfels, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
55. Michael Zierath Flower Mound, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
142. Gary Bates Athens, AL 0 -1-00 0
Day 1: 0 -01-00
MLF Announces Lake Chickamauga as Location of 2021 Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI Open
Top 20 Teams at Seventh-Annual College Fishing Open Advance to the 2022 College Fishing National Championship – First Place Club Earns $33,500 Phoenix 518 Pro boat with 115-horsepower Mercury outboard
BENTON, Ky. (Nov. 19, 2020) – Major League Fishing (MLF) announced today that Dayton, Tennessee will host the 2021 Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI Open on March 30-31 at Lake Chickamauga. The famed big-bass fishery has produced some of the best trophy bass fishing opportunities in the country and has served as a highly competitive playing field for many major bass " tournaments over the years.
“We are extremely excited to give our college anglers the opportunity to compete on Lake Chickamauga,” said Kevin Hunt, MLF Senior Director of Tournament Operations, College and High School. “This will be the first experience for many college anglers on this fishery, and with the tournament set for late March we expect to see plenty of big bass and an awesome competition.”
The two-day event will be hosted by Fish Dayton and the Rhea Economic & Tourism Council, a proud and prominent supporter of bass fishing and the substantial economic impact it brings to the region.
“Fish Dayton is thrilled to host the 2021 Abu Garcia College Fishing Open on Lake Chickamauga,” said John Bamber, Executive Director of Rhea Economic and Tourism. “We are excited to see some great weights brought in by these talented college anglers and are thankful for their stewardship of this fishery.”
The 60-mile-long impoundment of the Tennessee River provides diverse cover and substantial space for the hundreds of anglers and boats that will be competing in the event. The top 20 teams from the 2021 College Fishing Open advance to the 2022 Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI National Championship presented by Lowrance, where the top two teams will advance to the 2022 Toyota Series Championship to compete as pros, for a shot at winning as much as $235,000. In addition to the automatic berth into the 2022 College Fishing National Championship, the first-place team will also earn a new Phoenix 518 Pro boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard, valued at $33,500. Additional teams will qualify for the National Championship if the Open field size exceeds 200 boats.
As in all College Fishing events, the College Fishing Open at Lake Chickamauga will feature live weigh-in coverage on both days of competition.
Priority entry for the 2021 Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI season opens at 8 a.m. CT on December 14, 2020, for teams from schools represented in the 2020 College Fishing National Championship. All other teams may enter beginning December 15, 2020. Teams can enter at FLWFishing.com or by calling (270) 252-1000. The entry fee remains the same for 2021 – $75 per team for teams who enter prior to onsite check-in and $100 for teams who enter onsite.
Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI teams compete in three regular-season qualifying tournaments in one of five conferences – Central, Northern, Southeastern, Southern 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 presented by Lowrance.
Complete rules for the 2021 Abu Garcia College Fishing program can be found online at FLWFishing.com.
For complete details and updated information, visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow Abu Garcia College Fishing on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
GOAT BOXCO Disrupts Cooler Industry with Launch of High-Performance Food and Gear Storage Solution Engineered for People Who Live Ready
GOAT Cooler System Debuts Customizable Modular Design, Delivering the Ultimate Base Camp
Austin, TX (Nov 19, 2020) – GOAT BOXCO is launching their all-new GOAT Cooler System, a high-performance food and gear storage solution built by, and for, people who GO AT life. Engineered to flip the switch on the cooler industry, the first-of-its-kind GOAT Cooler System delivers customizable storage and organization in a fully integrated, modular design that allows consumers to tailor their ultimate prep kit for any outdoor adventure or emergency preparedness need.
“If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that life is unpredictable,” says GOAT BOXCO founder Jack Robbins. “Our mission at GOAT is to equip people everywhere with the smart tools and essentials they need to live ready – because when you’re prepared, you can confidently tackle whatever life throws your way. We’re proud to launch our brand with this revolutionary product system that redefines how our adventure-driven consumers approach functional, intuitive gear storage and empowers them to live fully committed to the moment.”
The GOAT Cooler System’s modular product and storage design consists of four key innovations. At the centerpiece, the GOAT HUB 70 cooler is constructed with heavy-duty rotomolding and features four integrated turrets that secure the system’s interchangeable GOAT CANs. Each compartment offers handy storage for tools, food and essential gear that can be easily removed, replaced and kept well-organized in the GOAT RACK when not in use.
For additional convenience, GOAT will also offer a suite of customized gear kits that have been curated by like-minded, premium brand partners in the outdoor, camping, emergency preparedness, first aid and nutrition spaces. Each pre-packed kit will be organized to stash easily within the GOAT CANs which load into the HUB 70 performance cooler for any adventure or emergency. Initially, GOAT has partnered with more than twenty industry-leading brands, including MyMedic, ReadyWise, Katadyn, HydraPak, UCO, Havalon, NOCO, Argali, Dizzy Pig and Sea to Summit, just to name a few... Additional kits and partner brands are in the works and ready to be announced soon.
“GOAT is not just another cooler brand,” Robbins notes. “Our team has devoted extensive research in the thoughtful design of this multifaceted system to disrupt the space and reinvent the functionality of coolers in a whole new way. We’re thrilled to team up with the best brands in the industry and are grateful for the work of our extremely talented crew in launching the GOAT brand.”
Individual components of the GOAT Cooler System are available for purchase at GoatBoxCo.com.
GOAT BOXCO: The Base Camp for Your Base Camp
The GOAT HUB 70 changes the high-performance cooler game. The HUB blends functional, intuitive gear storage features with heavy-duty rotomolded construction. Built for storing and organizing outdoor gear at base camp — not to mention keeping food and brews frosty — the HUB’s exterior Quick-Stash cargo net keeps crucial items close at hand, while its integrated turrets securely house interchangeable GOAT CANs that hold gear for any situation.
MSRP: $399.99 (with 4 CANs)
Volume: 62.29QT (58.95L)
Weight: 42.2LBS
The fundamental component of GOAT’s modular gear storage system, GOAT CANs are sized to hold essential gear for any situation, from rippin’ lips to running fence wire. Designed to securely integrate into GOAT’s HUB 70 and RACK storage solutions, and able to be removed and replaced in a matter of seconds, GOAT CANs are ready for the action when you are.
MSRP: $29.99
Dimensions (LxWxH): 5.5”x4.6”x14.75”
No more digging through overflowing plastic bins to find your outdoor gear. The GOAT RACK organizes your interchangeable GOAT CANs in a single centralized location, providing a garage or mudroom gear storage solution for your essential gear kits.
MSRP: $99.99
Dimensions (LxWxH): 26” x 18” x 13.25”
The Kits feature like-minded, premium brands in the outdoor, camping, emergency preparedness, first aid, and nutrition spaces-- including BBQ-- to curate essential gear kits pre-packed with everything needed to be prepared for any situation. The Kits fit directly into the GOAT CANs.
MSRP: $59.99-$269.99
About GOAT BOXCO
GOAT is built by, and for, people who GO AT life. GOAT’s gear is the ultimate reflection of their ideals: always prepared to quickly, confidently, and completely face any situation and see it through. Always there when you need it, intuitive, damn-near indestructible and as versatile as your favorite multi-tool. GOAT’s modular system of storage and organization products are made to be taken anywhere, from the tailgate to the trailhead. Because when you’re prepared, you’re ready for anything. #LiveReady. To learn more, visit www.GoatBoxCo.com
Rather Outdoors Continued Evolution
Lexington, S.C. – November 19, 2020 –
In alignment with the recent announcement regarding Lew’s Holdings Corp transitioning to Rather Outdoors, CEO Ken Eubanks orchestrated additional changes within the organizations leadership structure in an effort to maximize Rathers ability to respond to recent consumer trends and capitalize on future opportunities within the fishing market as the organization continues to adapt to a global footprint.
“For the past few years, I have had the privilege of serving as CEO and President of North America, as we have seen our company grow and transition towards a global organization. Reflection of recent events combined with the steps required to make the transition of becoming an efficient and capable global organization have revealed to me that, in the best interest of our company, it is no longer ideal that I continue to serve in both capacities. Therefore, I have asked Rocky Kalsow to assume the role as President of North America and provide the North America business unit the leadership our team deserves,” said Eubanks.
With the transition, Rocky Kalsow assumes responsibility for heading Brand/Product Development, Sales, Marketing and Operations for all North American initiatives. Kalsow is excited about the role and the opportunity to continue to strengthen the Rather Outdoors brands within the U.S. market. “Our brands and business are all about people. Be it the end user of our products who we strive to enhance their time on the water; the retailers who trust us as partners in the success of their business; or the passionate team at Rather Outdoors who love and live fishing and get up every day dedicated to what we stand for,” he said. “I consider it a great honor to step into this role and I am humbled and excited to help lead us towards our goals.”
In an effort to further address the organizations evolution, Jason McKee has taken on the role of VP Marketing North America, allowing industry veteran, David May to assume the newly created role of Chief Digital Marketing Officer (CDMO). Mays new role will allow him to address the consumer trend toward digital content and on-line shopping that has seen dramatic acceleration recently and develop a comprehensive global Digital strategy for Rather Outdoors.
“While I feel we have done a sufficient job in engaging our consumers on digital platforms to date, recent shifts in consumer activity brought to light the need to accelerate further evolution in our digital strategy and ecommerce capabilities,” said Eubanks. “I am confident that David’s experience and skill set will help us to reshape our company, ensuring that we are at the forefront of the digital transformation that is taking place.”
With the rapidly changing landscape in both domestic and global marketplaces, the leadership at Rather Outdoors remains focused on continually evaluating and ensuring the responsiveness of the organization to ensure that the Rather family of brands remains capable of meeting the needs and demands of fellow anglers and consumers.
About Rather Outdoors
Rather Outdoors is a global outdoors corporation uniting some of the most recognizable brands in the fishing space. With historic and iconic brands such as Lew’s, Strike King, Fox, Matrix, Salmo and Fox Rage, Rather Outdoors provides a wide assortment of fishing products worldwide in an effort to enhance angler’s success and the enjoyment of outdoor pursuits. To learn more about the Rather Outdoors brands, visit www.ratheroutdoors.com.
McKendree Teammates Advance To Bassmaster College Bracket Championship On Lay Lake
Trevor McKinney (left) and Blake Jackson (right) of McKendree University have advanced to the final round of head-to-head competition in the 2020 Carhartt College Classic Bracket presented by Bass Pro Shops on Lay Lake.
Photo by Kyle Jessie/B.A.S.S.
November 18, 2020
COLUMBIANA, Ala. — McKendree University teammates Blake Jackson and Trevor McKinney won their individual matchups in the semifinal round of the Carhartt Bassmaster College Classic Bracket presented by Bass Pro Shops at Lay Lake on Wednesday, advancing to the championship round of the elimination-style event.
It is the second-straight season when regular season teammates will compete for a spot in the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk after Cody Huff and Carter McNeil from Bethel University squared off last season.
“It’s superexciting, especially coming in being the seven seed and eight seed,” McKinney said. “I think it says a lot about our program at McKendree and the caliber of our anglers. We just fish hard. It wasn’t likely we were going to make it to the last round, but I think it says a lot about Blake and I and a lot about McKendree as a whole.”
Using a shad colored Rapala DT 6 crankbait, Jackson caught 9 pounds, 8 ounces on Day 2 to defeat University of North Alabama’s Cole Thompson, who caught 4-9. Jackson said he has been running main-lake points and channel swings and has found success on a few key areas that have baitfish present.
“There is a lot of bait on a few of these points in 15 to 30 foot,” Jackson said. “These fish are pushing the bait on these points and that’s when I’m catching them. It’s really a timing deal.
“When you catch one, normally you are going to have a little bit of a flurry for 15 to 20 minutes.”
After an afternoon flurry lifted him to victory on Day 1, Jackson caught most of his bass on Day 2 in the morning hours. His final keeper came around 9 a.m., a 2-13 spotted bass that anchored his bag.
“I did lose a couple fish today that I thought were going to cost me,” Jackson said. “Going into tomorrow I’m pretty confident. I didn’t have to pressure my fish too badly today. I went looking for a lot of new areas and found one more area that I will have in my back pocket.”
While he wasn’t able to match his 12-4 bag from Day 1, McKinney secured 7-12 to win his semifinal matchup against Benson Dowler, who weighed in 2-6. Unlike Day 1, the morning bite was productive for McKinney, who caught his first two bass in the first few minutes and caught his limit before the 10:30 a.m. break.
“After that, it got slow for me,” McKinney said. “My bite turned off a little bit which was surprising to me because yesterday the afternoon bite was actually my best bite. It got tough this afternoon for me.”
McKinney caught almost every fish he weighed on Day 2 on a jerkbait. The largemouth bite has been the most productive, he said, but added he lost two quality spotted bass during the morning hours.
Although his afternoon areas did not pan out, McKinney said he saw a 2-pounder jump out of the water in pursuit of shad as he idled away and headed to check-in.
“I’m pretty sure they are there,” he said. “This might sound crazy, but God might just be saving them for tomorrow, the most important day.”
McKinney and Jackson will takeoff from Beeswax Landing Thursday at 6:30 a.m. CT and fish until 3 p.m. Bassmaster LIVE coverage will begin on Bassmaster.com at 8 a.m.
The winner will not only qualify for the Bassmaster Classic, they will also receive $7,500 from Carhartt and paid entry into all eight 2021 Basspro.com Bassmaster Opens, plus the use of a Toyota Tundra and Nitro Z20 powered by Mercury and equipped with Humminbird electronics and Minn Kota Trolling Motor and Shallow Water Anchors.
“We both can put them in the boat,” Jackson said. “He’s just as good if not better than me. I would love to fish the Bassmaster Classic, but I’m going to walk away with my head held high even if I don’t make it tomorrow because I know a really good angler and a best friend in life is getting to.”
2020 Carhartt College Classic Bracket presented by Bass Pro Shops 11/17-11/19
Lay Lake, Columbiana AL.
(BOATER) Standings Day 2
Angler Club/School No./Weight
Blake Jackson McKendree University 5 09-08
Cole Thompson University of North Alabama 4 04-09
Trevor McKinney McKendree University 5 07-12
Benson Dowler University of North Alabama 3 02-06
Bassmaster Opens Angler Of The Year Race Heats Up In Texas
Jason Christie, of Park Hill, Okla., is leading the Bassmaster Central Opens points race heading into this week's Basspro.comBassmaster Central Open at Lewisville Lake.
Photo by B.A.S.S.
November 18, 2020
LEWISVILLE, Texas — Up for grabs this week are three coveted prizes at the Basspro.com Bassmaster Central Open at Lewisville Lake. Those are the overall winner titles for the top boater and co-angler; an invitation for the boater to the 2021 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk; and four invitations to the 2021 Bassmaster Elite Series. Those will come from the restructured format of the Falcon Rods Bassmaster Opens Angler of the Year points race.
This is the last shot for Central Opens anglers to achieve any of those goals. The Central Open at Lewisville, which runs Nov. 19-21, is the final event of the season. The Eastern Opens wrap up Dec. 3-5 at Lay Lake in Alabama.
The overall Opens AOY title will be determined by combined points for anglers competing in both the Central and Eastern Opens. Falcon Rods will award a $10,000 prize to the overall points winner in the pro division. The top co-angler will earn paid entry fees into the 2021 Basspro.com Bassmaster Opens division of their choice.
This season, each Opens division has four tournaments and there are three ways to qualify for one of the coveted 12 Bassmaster Elite Series invitations. The Top 4 from both the Central and Eastern Divisions get invites, along with the Top 4 overall anglers in the points standings. That explains why more than 50 boater anglers signed up for both divisions, up from just 16 in 2019.
At Lewisville Lake, everyone is gunning for the winner’s trophy, while others are also drilling down on the Elite Series invitations. Going into the tournament, the Central division’s Top 5 are Jason Christie of Park Hill, Okla., with 547 points, Darold Gleason of Many, La., (540), Lee Livesay of Longview, Texas (539), Marc Frazier of Newnan, Ga., (533) and Brandon Palaniuk of Rathdrum, Idaho (531).
Livesay failed to qualify for the Classic through the Bassmaster Elite Series. His goal this week is to win the tournament to make it in. He gets another shot at the Eastern Opens finale next month at Lay Lake.
Livesay and Palaniuk are both double-qualified as Elite Series pros. That potentially leaves the door open for sixth place Central Opens AOY angler Kenta Kimura, the Japanese pro who has regularly competed in the Opens since 2013.
Christie, also second overall in the overall AOY race, is only two points out of the lead held by Justin Atkins.
“I’d really like to win it, obviously, and Falcon Rods is also one of my sponsors, and I’d like to win it for them,” Christie said. “The goal though is to qualify for the Classic.”
In the overall AOY race, Atkins has 1009 points and Frazier is third with 1003 points. In fourth place is Matt Robertson with 964 points. The Kentucky angler plans to pursue sponsors for an Elite Series move should he receive the invitation.
Of keen interest is the AOY campaign of Scott Martin. The high-profile Florida pro started the year strong after posting a fifth-place finish at the season opener at the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes. He sank after low finishes in June and September at the Arkansas River and Sam Rayburn Reservoir, respectively. After a rebound and fifth-place finish at Lake Hartwell, he finished poorly at the next two events at Neely Henry Lake and Cherokee Lake. Martin is currently ranked seventh with 945 points. There are two more opportunities for Martin to improve on his ranking and gain the Elite Series invite that he set forth as his goal for this year.
The tournament is being hosted by the Lewisville Convention & Visitors Bureau
AC Insider Podcast with Uncharted Supply CEO Christian Schauf
This week Chris & the boys welcome in Uncharted Supply Co. CEO and founder Christian Schauf to the show to talk about some of the survival systems & other products his company creates to help you escape extraordinary circumstances. The boys look at past derbies & then look ahead to the weekend.
McKendree, UNA Dominate Day 1 Of Bassmaster College Classic Bracket On Lay Lake
Trevor McKinney, Benson Dowler, Blake Jackson and Cole Thompson have advanced to the second round of head-to-head competition in the 2020 Carhartt College Classic Bracket presented by Bass Pro Shops on Lay Lake.
Photo by Chris Mitchell/B.A.S.S.
November 17, 2020
COLUMBIANA, Ala. — McKendree University teammates Trevor McKinney and Blake Jackson and University of North Alabama teammates Cole Thompson and Benson Dowler all secured individual victories in the first round of the Carhartt Bassmaster College Classic Bracket presented by Bass Pro Shops on a stingy Lay Lake Tuesday afternoon, securing spots in the semifinal round of the elimination-style tournament.
McKinney had the biggest catch of the day with a mixed bag of 12 pounds, 4 ounces and defeated Bryan College senior and 2020 Bassmaster College Series champion Conner DiMauro, who caught the second-highest weight of the day with 11-12.
“The Lord blessed me today with guidance,” McKinney said. “There was a bait laying in the rod locker I never even thought I would throw and I tied it on and caught every fish I weighed on it.”
After finding quality fish under similar conditions during the only day of official practice, McKinney was expecting the fishing to be much better. But after finding little success in the areas where he practiced, McKinney scrapped his game plan and found quality fish in a new section of Lay Lake.
“At the halftime break, I had two fish for about a pound,” McKinney said. “I fished hard until about noon. It wasn’t going how I planned it. I scrapped it all and just went fishing. I found an area that is supergood. It has a lot of fish in it and I milked it.”
With 15 minutes left, McKinney landed a 4-pound largemouth that anchored his bag and gave him the advantage over DiMauro.
“Conner and Cole (Sands) are both phenomenal fishermen. I knew coming into it if I could beat either of them, I would have a good chance to win this tournament. It was very nerve-wracking because, at the halftime break, Conner had four fish for 9 pounds. I knew it was going to be close.”
McKinney will take on Dowler in the semifinal round after Dowler secured 7-11 to defeat Georgia Southern University’s Ty Black.
Thompson advanced to the second round with 7-12, beating Georgia Southern’s Avry Thomason, who caught 6-1. After spending most of his practice day running and evaluating the lake, Thompson said he didn’t know what to expect when he began fishing.
“I really wasn’t sure what I had or where I was going to catch my fish,” he said. “I was just hoping that the areas I thought looked right were going to pay off. I had a good little flurry this morning.”
During practice, Thompson had not seen any schooling fish, but around 9:30 a.m. in a main-lake pocket, he found feeding fish and caught four bass in about 10 minutes with a crankbait. About an hour later, right before the halftime break, Thompson caught his biggest fish of the day, a 2-6 spotted bass.
While he battled trolling motor problems the rest of the day, Thompson found a secondary area he hopes can produce quality largemouth Wednesday.
“I had two big bites and I missed both of them,” he added.
Thompson will match up against Jackson on Day 2. Jackson caught 7-1 to narrowly beat Bryan College senior Cole Sands by 7 ounces.
“I thought the weights were pretty high today compared to how yesterday was looking,” Thompson said. “I’m going to have to keep catching them to beat these boys. I’m going to have to grind tomorrow and try to make the bites that I get count.”
The final four anglers will take off from Beeswax Landing Wednesday at 6:30 a.m. CT and fish until 3 p.m. The two winners of the head-to-head matchups will advance to the final day and compete for a spot in the 2021 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk.
2020 Carhartt College Classic Bracket presented by Bass Pro Shops 11/17-11/19
Lay Lake, Columbiana AL.
(BOATER) Standings Day 1
Angler Club/School No./Weight
Cole Sands Bryan College 5 06-11
Blake Jackson McKendree University 5 07-01
Cole Thompson University of North Alabama 5 07-12
Avry Thomason Georgia Southern University 5 06-01
Conner DiMauro Bryan College 5 11-12
Trevor McKinney McKendree University 5 12-04
Benson Dowler University of North Alabama 4 07-11
Ty Black Georgia Southern University 3 05-02
FOX Sports To Feature Live Coverage Of All Bassmaster Elite Events And Bassmaster Classic Beginning 2021
Fans can catch live coverage of all nine Bassmaster Elite Series tournaments and the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk courtesy of a new partnership between FOX Sports and Bassmaster.
Photo by B.A.S.S.
November 17, 2020
FOX Sports To Feature Live Coverage Of All Bassmaster Elite Events And Bassmaster Classic Beginning 2021
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — For the first time in history, all nine Bassmaster Elite events, as well as the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk will feature live television coverage as the Elite Series moves to the FOX Sports platforms beginning in February 2021.
This new multi-year partnership between FOX Sports and Bassmaster allows for more expansive coverage of the tournaments, giving fans an opportunity to follow the action live as the world’s best anglers battle big bass — and each other — on some of America’s most legendary fisheries.
Highlighting the coverage is the iconic Bassmaster Classic on Lake Ray Roberts March 19-21, which will feature three hours of content on the FOX broadcast network and three hours of content on FS1.
Fans enjoy two new ways to catch the action during live weekend broadcasts. During the FOX television programming, an additional livestream with additional anglers will be featured on Bassmaster.com.
On days and times when the Bassmaster Classic and Elite Series tournaments are not being broadcast on FOX or FS1, the award-winning Bassmaster LIVE show will be streamed at Bassmaster.com and on the FOX Sports digital platforms. Bassmaster LIVE, which debuted in 2015, features expert commentary and insight while following the top-ranked Elite anglers.
“There is a huge appetite for live bass fishing and this partnership with FOX provides an incredible opportunity to reach new fans as a record number of people participate in fishing,” said B.A.S.S. CEO Bruce Akin. “Fishing license sales are up by double-digits this year, and we commend our anglers as well as the Bassmaster LIVE hosts for making use of time on-screen to explain the sport as well as offer tips and techniques to help fans of all levels improve their fishing.”
The Bassmaster Elite Series was one of the only major sports able to complete their full 2020 season, which drew both enthusiastic fans of bass fishing and sports fans craving the thrill of competition to live broadcasts of the Elite Series tournaments. Not only are both dedicated fans and newcomers alike eagerly tuning in to Bassmaster, but participation in the sport is booming across the country.
According to the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable, 81% of Americans say they’ve spent time enjoying outdoor activities during the pandemic, 31% for the first time. Many of those people are flocking to fishing, as states across the country have seen remarkable growth in fishing license sales. In the first half of 2020, the number of new fishing licenses sold is up 40% according to the DNR. Iowa, Minnesota, Vermont and Louisiana all report more than 50% higher fishing license sales in 2020, according to their state conservation agencies. Considered a hotbed of recreational fishing, even Alabama — where B.A.S.S. is headquartered — has experienced a 37% jump in resident fishing license sales.
The FOX Sports platforms reach more than 100 million viewers each weekend with their coverage of NASCAR, NFL, NHL, MLB, NCAA football and beyond.
“FOX Sports sees this as a unique opportunity to work with Bassmaster to elevate a best-in-class sports property to a new level and to an expanded audience,” said Bill Wanger, FOX Sports EVP, Head of Programming and Scheduling. “It’s going to be a lot of fun showcasing the best anglers in the world competing from lakes and rivers across the country on live television.”
A full 2021 Bassmaster Elite Series schedule will be released at a later date. Visit Bassmaster.com for more details.
About FOX Sports
FOX Sports is the umbrella entity representing FOX Corporation’s wide array of multi-platform US-based sports assets. Built with brands capable of reaching more than 100 million viewers in a single weekend, the business has ownership and interests in linear television networks, digital and mobile programming, broadband platforms, multiple web sites, joint-venture businesses and several licensing relationships. FOX Sports includes the sports television arm of the FOX Network; FS1, FS2, FOX Soccer Plus and FOX Deportes. FOX Sports’ digital properties include FOXSports.com and the FOX Sports App, which provides live streaming video of FOX Sports content, instant scores, stats and alerts to iOS and Android devices. Additionally, FOX Sports and social broadcasting platform, Caffeine jointly own Caffeine Studios which creates exclusive eSports, sports and live entertainment content. Also included in FOX Sports’ portfolio are FOX’s interests in joint-venture business Big Ten Network, a licensing and commercial relationship with The Stars Group that created the FOX Bet sports betting platform and the FOX Sports Super 6 free-to-play game, and a licensing agreement that established the FOX Sports Radio Network.
Louisiana’s Ruston High School Wins FLW High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing Sam Rayburn Open
BROOKELAND, Texas (Nov. 16, 2020) – Louisiana’s Ruston High School duo of Garrett Pody and Zachary McMillan brought five bass to the scale Saturday weighing 16 pounds, 1 ounce to win the FLW High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing Sam Rayburn Open in Brookeland, Texas.
For their win on the Sam Rayburn Reservoir, the team now advances to the 2021 High School Fishing National Championship.
The top three teams that qualified for the 2021 High School Fishing National Championship are:
1st: Ruston High School, Ruston, La. – Garrett Pody and Zachary McMillan, five bass, 16-1
2nd: Splendora High School, Splendora, Texas – Kendale Pagan and Connor Canada, five bass, 15-9
3rd: Little Cypress-Mauriceville High School, Orange, Texas – Brandon Brones and Dakota Posey, five bass, 13-1
Rounding out the top 10 were:
4th: West Monroe High School, West Monroe, La. – Mack Green and Bradley Newcomb, five bass, 12-13
5th: Conroe High School, Conroe, Texas – Tyler Kitkoski and Cade Lipham, five bass, 12-12
6th: Elizabeth High School, Elizabeth, La. – Gage Shepherd and Ty Haymon, five bass, 11-13
7th: Livingston High School, Livingston, Texas – Kaden Mueck and Breckett Long, five bass, 11-4
8th: Haughton Fishing Team, Haughton, La. – Jase White and Cole Golden, five bass, 11-3
9th: Ruston High School, Ruston, La. – Julianna McMillan and John Randall Stansbury, five bass, 10-14
10th: Nederland High School, Nederland, Texas – Zachary Garsea and Logan Williams, five bass, 10-7
Complete results from the event can be found at FLWFishing.com.
The event launched from the Umphrey Family Pavilion in Brookeland, Texas, and was hosted by the Jasper County Development District.
The FLW High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing Sam Rayburn Open in Brookeland, Texas, was a free, two-person (team) event for students in grades 7-12 and open to any FLW and Student Angler Federation-affiliated high school club. The top 10 percent of teams at each Open event along with the TBF High School Fishing state championships will advance to the 2021 High School Fishing National Championship. The High School Fishing national champions will each receive a $5,000 college scholarship to the school of their choice.
In addition to the 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 are available at HighSchoolFishing.org and FLWFishing.com.
Stephen F. Austin University Wins Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI Tournament on Sam Rayburn
BROOKELAND, Texas (Nov. 16, 2020) – The Stephen F. Austin University team of Cooper Thor of Mansfield, Texas, and Cody Barchenger of Taylor, Texas, won the Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI at Sam Rayburn event Friday with a five-bass limit weighing 19 pounds, 7 ounces. The victory earned the Stephen F. Austin bass club $2,000 and qualified them to compete in the 2021 College Fishing National Championship.
The Lumberjacks duo won by a 1-pound, 4-ounce margin over the second-place team of Maguire Parker and Kyle McAllen from Northwestern State University, who weighed in five bass totaling 18 pounds, 3 ounces. The tournament launched from the Umphrey Family Pavilion in Brookeland, Texas.
The top 10 teams that advanced to the 2021 College Fishing National Championship are:
1st: Stephen F. Austin University – Cooper Thor, Mansfield, Texas, and Cody Barchenger, Taylor, Texas, five bass, 19-7, $2,000
2nd: Northwestern State University – Maguire Parker, Stonewall, La., and Kyle McAllen, Stonewall, La., five bass, 18-3, $1,000
3rd: Louisiana State University – Jack Thomas, Prairieville, La., and Connor Turner, Albany, La., five bass, 18-0, $500
4th: Louisiana State University – Heath Pinell, Plaquemine, La., and Bryan Bergeron, Port Allen, La., five bass, 16-12, $500
5th: Texas A&M University-Commerce – Frederick Arenas, Alba, Texas, and Brady Gaines, Caddo Mills, Texas, five bass, 15-10, $500
6th: Stephen F. Austin University – Hunter Muncrief, Pineland, Texas, and River Lee, Nacogdoches, Texas, five bass, 15-4
7th: Texas State University – Hamilton Tarbett, Plano, Texas, and Collin Lansdale, San Marcos, Texas, five bass, 15-4
8th: Dallas Baptist University – Michael Postlewait, Astoria, Ore., and Andrew Rickman, Canton, Texas, five bass, 14-6
9th: Drury University – Grant Harris, Springfield, Mo., and Beau Browning, Hot Springs, Ark., five bass, 14-5
10th: East Texas Baptist University – Jacob Keith, Jefferson, Texas, and Cannon Bird, Marshall, Texas, five bass, 14-0
Complete results for the entire field can be found at FLWFishing.com.
The Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI event on Sam Rayburn Reservoir was hosted by the Jasper County Development District. It was the third and final regular-season qualifying tournament for Southern Conference anglers. The next event for College Fishing anglers will be on Nov. 20 – the Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI at Lake Hartwell in Anderson, South Carolina.
Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI teams compete in regular-season qualifying tournaments in one of five conferences – Central, Northern, Southern, Southeastern and Western. The top ten teams from each division’s three regular-season tournaments and the top 20 teams from the annual Abu Garcia College Fishing Open advance to the following year’s Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI National Championship.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
Scroggins says now is the time for punching bugs
Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships
Terry “Big Show” Scroggins has done it all. The generous Florida pro caught a 9-pounder out of a Toledo Bend brushpile on a drop shot rig, a 44-pound limit on Falcon Lake dragging a Carolina Rig across a submerged roadbed, qualified for 11 Bassmaster Classics, and has won $2 Million dollars in prize money.
But when “Big Show” burst on to the pro bassing scene in 2001 – much of his momentum came from his supreme knowledge of pulling big fish from tremendously thick and matted vegetation. And according to Scroggins, right now – late autumn through winter is prime time for punching small soft plastics through the thick stuff.
“Everybody thinks of thick green summertime vegetation when you talk about punching shallow, but right now is the absolute best time to be punching the big weight through the mats,” says the former autobody tech.
Proof of this statement came two weeks ago when Scroggins’ Team Toyota buddy Mike Iaconelli recorded the best bass fishing day of his life – catching a (5) bass limit from public water that totaled 41 pounds – punching big weights through thick vegetation.
“Whether you’re talking about Okeechobee, Kissimmee Chain, or even along the shoreline at a place like Lay Lake, Alabama, bass get in the matted vegetation because it holds heat during the coldest months of the year, and then serves as a pre-spawn staging area,” he explains.
In fact, one of his more famous exploitations of this pattern came during the chilly 2007 Bassmaster Classic on Lay Lake, AL when he caught 39-pounds of bass from the shallow matted vegetation around the shoreline in that late February event … even though water temps were in the 50s.
Tackle needs
This is the ultimate in heavy cover, big equipment bassin’ – so Scroggins uses a 7’ 9” heavy action rod from Mud Hole, spools up with 65-pound braid, and uses a 1.5-ounce weight in front of the 3.25” Big Show Soft Plastics Punch Bug. Asked to choose his all-time favorite color, he cited black/blue with silver fleck.
Relate to the roots
“The water willow and other grass at Lay had a vine in it that thickened up the canopy to make it even better. Roots are key to this pattern. Roots beneath the canopy act the like corner posts on a shaded boat dock,” explains Scroggins.
Weather makes a big difference
“This bite can change daily based on the weather,” says Scroggins. “Typically, they’ll eat the Punch Bug while it’s falling, but if a cold front comes through - you may have to pick it up and kind of hold it still against the underside of the canopy until one grabs ahold of it,” he says.
Don’t jerk too soon
Scroggins ends his tutorial on wintertime punchin’ by warning not to make the biggest mistake most anglers do with this pattern. “Most people jerk way too fast when they get a bite in the mats. Let the fish pull it down just a bit and you’ll catch 90% more fish than if you jerk like you’re trying to club ‘em with a big jig in a flooded bush,” he warns.
And should you make that common mistake – let the area rest – come back a couple hours later – and there’s a real good chance that same fish will bite again in the exact same patch of grass.
Clark Wendlandt Comes from Behind to Win 2020 B.A.S.S. Elite AOY
Courtesy of Rather Outdoors
Lexington, S.C. – November 16, 2020 – Strike King has long held a reputation for having one of the premier pro staff teams in the business. The team has earned a long list of impressive titles in all of the major tours, and the records keep piling up.
On November 7, at the Bassmaster Elite Series Toyota Texas Fest, Strike King pro team member Clark Wendlandt clinched the title of 2020 Bassmaster Angler of the Year. The Leander, Tex. pro has proven his consistent excellence throughout his long professional career. With his season-long win, Wendlandt adds the Bassmaster Angler of the Year title to his three FLW Tour Angler crowns from 1997, 2000 and again in 2009.
Wendlandt began the 2020 season with a 19th place finish in the season opening event at the St. Johns River, had two top 10 finishes and a top five finish at the Lake St. Clair event in August, and averaged a 25th place finish for the year to win the title with 680 points for the season.
With this title, he joins an impressive list of bass fishing legends who have won the title as a part of the Strike King team. Previous Strike King pro team Bassmaster Angler of the Year winners are seven-time winner Kevin VanDam, three-time winners, Bill Dance and Mark Davis, 1986 winner Jimmy Houston, 1987 winner Denny Brauer and 2014 winner Greg Hackney.
He said that the Strike King product line was key to his performance throughout the season. "The great thing about being a part of the Strike King family is that they have everything I need to compete no matter the fishery," he said. "This season presented a lot of variables, and everything from the Thunder Cricket to the KVD 1.5 and 2.5, to the Poppin Perch, soft plastics and the XD Series of crankbaits played a role for me. They just flat have it all, and it helps me compete every day."
Mark Copley, Director of Pro Staff and Media Relations said that they are proud of the accomplishment, but not surprised. " When we added Clark to the team, we knew that we were getting not only a world class angler, but a quality person as well, "said Copley. "In our history as a company, Strike King's pro staff has collected every major trophy in the sport, and we are proud of Clark's season, pleased to have played a role in it, and even more so to have him as a part of Team Strike King."
Follow along as Wendlandt begins his victory lap as the 2020 Bassmaster Angler of the Year as the Bassmaster Elite Series kicks off its 2021 season and leads the team into the 2021 Bassmaster Classic in Fort Worth, Tex. and Lake Ray Roberts in March.
Jordan Lee Wins 2020 General Tire World Championship
Alabama Superstar Catches 2-Pounder in Final Minutes to Overtake Casey Ashley in Dramatic Finale, Earns Johnny Morris Award and Top Payout of $100,000
GRAND RAPIDS, Minn. (Nov. 16, 2020) – The 29-year-old Alabama superstar did it again. Major League Fishing (MLF) pro Jordan Lee of Cullman, Alabama, caught 37 bass totaling 69 pounds, 4 ounces, to narrowly edge out South Carolina’s Casey Ashley and win the 2020General Tire World Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops in Grand Rapids, Minnesota and the top prize of $100,000.
It was a nail-biting finale that came down to the wire in the final day Championship Round that aired Saturday on Discovery. Lee caught his last fish – a 2-pound, 2-ounce largemouth – with just 14 minutes to spare in the final period, overtaking Ashley, who had put together a frantic 17 bass third-period rally to move to the top of the leaderboard. Lee’s last fish came on a Berkley PowerBait MaxScent The General worm.
“Oh man, what a feeling,” said Lee, who was the 2020 Bass Pro Tour Angler of the Year, winner of the inaugural Heavy Hitters tournament in February, and now the 2020 General Tire World Champion. “Casey was just killing it right there at the end. It seemed like every time I caught one, he would catch two. It was gut-wrenching. I was listening to him bumping up the SCORETRACKER® and he just kept coming and I couldn’t do anything about it. I just had to keep my head down and focus on every single bite. That last fish turned out to be the difference maker. We fished all day long and I won by less than a pound. Unreal.”
Lee started out his day on Spider Lake targeting largemouth with a vibrating jig and a swimjig, before mixing in a frog and eventually the Berkley The General worm (black and black-and-blue) as the day progressed. He keyed on the shallow reeds and lily pads on the 1,392-acre lake.
“It was mostly a fun day of flipping and frogging, and that is what I love to do,” Lee said. “I mixed up a couple of different baits to start with, but the swim jig really got me started. It clued me in that the fish were around the reeds and the pads, and then I started catching some good ones.”
Lee led after Period 1 of competition and had a near 20-pound lead into Period 2 before his bite slowed in Period 3. Meanwhile, Ashley’s pattern caught fire. Ashley took the lead with 40 minutes remaining in the event, and the two anglers battled back and forth before Lee’s last-minute heroics clinched the victory.
“We were so close, I pretty much knew that whoever caught the last scorable bass was going to win,” said Lee. “As the clock ticked down, I kept expecting my boat official to tell me that Casey had caught one at the very end to take it, but luckily for me that didn’t happen.
“To win this event is just the best feeling in the world,” Lee went on to say. “MLF puts us out in the middle of nowhere – down dirt roads, places we’ve never fished before. I love that part of this game. It’s a level playing field, and to come away with a win against this bunch of guys – they’re the best in the world. This has been a special, special week. Nothing comes easy in this sport and I don’t take it for granted. I’ve had a great year. I’m fishing with confidence and I hope I can keep the good vibes going next season.”
The final six anglers at the 2020 General Tire World Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops in Grand Rapids, Minnesota finished:
1st: Jordan Lee of Cullman, Ala., 37 bass, 69-4
2nd: Casey Ashley of Donalds, S.C., 35 bass, 68-5
3rd: Edwin Evers of Talala, Okla., 28 bass, 48-2
4th: Takahiro Omori of Tokyo, Japan, 29 bass, 46-10
5th: Jacob Powroznik of Prince George, Va., 20 bass, 43-6
6th: Cody Meyer of Star, Idaho, 10 bass, 21-10
Complete results and photos from the event can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Meyer caught the Berkley Big Bass of the day – a 5-pound, 2-ounce largemouth at the end of Period One that came on an unnamed finesse worm.
Overall, there were 159 bass weighing 297 pounds, 5 ounces caught by the final six pros during the Championship Round of competition on Spider Lake.
The 2020 General Tire World Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops was hosted by Visit Grand Rapids and premiered on the Discovery Channel as six, two-hour original episodes debuting on Oct. 10, 2020, and running through Nov. 14, 2020. The event, shot over six days in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, showcased 16 MLF pro anglers culminating the 2020 Cup season and competing for the top prize of $100,000.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
BERKLEY PRO JORDAN LEE RIDES POWERBAIT MAXSCENT TO VICTORY IN MLF’S 2020 GENERAL TIRE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Largemouth gamble pays off, resulting in a $100,000 payday and a third major championship.
COLUMBIA, S.C. (November 16, 2020) — Looking at his fourth new lake in four days, Berkley Pro Jordan Lee had a decision to make. After sliding into the championship round of the 2020 General Tire World Championship in the sixth and final spot, Lee had 30 minutes to decide his plan of attack for the final day: go after the greater numbers of smallmouth or fish for the bigger largemouth? Either could be boom or bust, but he felt confident the fishery held championship-clinching largemouth.
Luckily, his boat held a lot of Berkley PowerBait MaxScent, the same bait that dominated the professional tournament trails in 2020.
Predominantly flipping PowerBait MaxScent The General around lily pads, Lee recorded 69 pounds, 4 ounces of largemouth in the championship round of Major League Fishing’s 2020 General Tire World Championship, picking up another major championship and a $100,000 first-place payout. With the win, the list of successes for both Lee and PowerBait MaxScent grew even longer.
The win gives Lee, who also has back-to-back Bassmaster Classic wins to his credit, his third major championship while adding to PowerBait MaxScent’s incredible 2020 highlight reel. Earlier this year, PowerBait MaxScent dominated predominantly smallmouth tournaments as the major professional bass fishing tours took their northern swings. But you won’t find the Alabama angler pigeonholing PowerBait MaxScent.
“Largemouth, smallmouth, it doesn’t matter. MaxScent makes me not want to fish with anything else because my confidence is so high with it,” said Lee, who is quick to remind that Berkley’s bait scientists tested PowerBait MaxScent almost exclusively on largemouth during the product’s lengthy development period. “It gets more bites. And if something gets more bites then that’s what I’m going to be using.”
Flipping black and junebug PowerBait MaxScent The General with a 1/4-ounce tungsten weight and a Berkley Fusion19 4/0 straight-shank flipping hook, Lee’s gear consisted of a 7-foot, 6-inch Abu Garcia Fantasista Premier rod paired with a 7.3:1 Revo Premier spooled with 50-pound-test Berkley X9 braid—key for getting fish out of thick swaths of lily pads. As consistent as the bites were as Lee fished the edges of the lily pad jungles, so was the tendency of the hooked fish to try to wrap him around the roots of the pads. With X9, Lee was able to muscle the fish straight to the boat, which he did repeatedly on his way to building a commanding lead.
Lee entered the third period of competition with a 20-plus-pound advantage over second place, but the lead was evaporating as other anglers began to key in on quality fish. With 15 minutes remaining in the event, Lee’s 20-plus-pound lead from the third period was gone and he trailed the new first-place leader by a pound. Absent the time needed to get to new water, Lee decided to make one more pass through his favorite stretch of lily pads, confident that the PowerBait MaxScent could fool even pressured fish. It did, producing a two-pounder to seal the victory.
“Without MaxScent, I wouldn’t have gone back to a spot I had already hit that hard earlier in the day. With all that pressure, these fish just wouldn’t be caught without it,” Lee said. “MaxScent just gets bites when other baits won’t—even these pressured fish. The lake wasn’t big, and it was getting a lot more pressure than it normally ever sees.
“People can talk about PowerBait MaxScent for smallmouth all they want—and it’s definitely the best smallmouth bait I’ve ever used— but I’m an even bigger believer in fishing for largemouth with MaxScent because it gets bites that other soft plastic baits won’t.”
Major League Fishing’s made-for-TV 2020 General Tire World Championship wrapped in July, but competitors were barred from revealing the outcome until it could air on Discovery Channel on November 14.
“It was a long wait to find out what happened, but when we saw what Jordan was able to do with the PowerBait MaxScent on such a big stage, it was the perfect ending to an incredible year for both our pros and this incredibly effective line of baits,” said Berkley Vice President of Marketing Jon Schlosser. “We’re incredibly proud of Jordan for his clutch performance in such a pressure-filled situation and can’t wait to see him and the rest of our pros continue this hot streak in 2021.”
Humminbird® Introduces the APEX™ Series: A Premium MFD with a Full-HD Display, First-Class Sonar and Networking Options
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MISSOURI’S MACY WINS PHOENIX BASS FISHING LEAGUE PRESENTED BY T-H MARINE ALL-AMERICAN ON LAKE HARTWELL
ANDERSON, S.C. (Nov. 13, 2020) – Boater Chris Macy of Diamond, Missouri, won the 37th annual Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine All-American on Lake Hartwell presented by TINCUP Friday, bringing a five-bass limit to the scale weighing 13 pounds, 1 ounce. Macy’s three-day total of 15 bass weighing 34-10 was enough to overtake second-place angler Todd Goade of White Pine, Tennessee – who led the event after the second day of competition – by a 2-pound, 4-ounce margin. For the win, Macy earned the top payout of $100,000.
A person that is standing in the grass
Description automatically generated“This is unbelievable – going in to today, I really didn’t think I had a shot at it,” said Macy, who qualified for this tournament through the Bass Fishing League Ozark Division. “I went out this morning and thought that if I could catch 10 pounds, I’d be happy. When you make it to the last day, you kind of look at the payscale and you know that every spot you can hold or move up is another thousand bucks in your pocket. My goal was just to hang in there.
“I stumbled on to something around 1 o’clock this afternoon, and it absolutely went crazy from there,” Macy continued. “On the LiveScope, I would watch my swimbait come across the brush piles and if I could get the fish to follow it, I would kill it and let that swimbait go straight to the bottom. Every one of those fish would nose down on it, and as soon as I popped that swimbait up off the bottom, they would eat it every time.”
Macy said that of the 15 keepers he brought to the weigh-in stage this week, 14 of them came on a Keitech 2.8-inch swimbait in Tennessee Shad and Sexy Shad colors. He credited his electronics as being crucial to his win.
“Every fish that I caught came off of a brush pile,” Macy said. “My Garmin LiveScope was crucial. Every fish that I caught this week, I watched it bite. Most of the water I fished was 20- to 30-feet-deep, and if I could get the fish sitting up on top of the brush piles, it was game on.
“Overall, it has just been a super three days,” Macy went on to say. “I was just so happy to be fishing on the third day of the All-American, and I knew that if I could put a big one in the bag today that anything could happen. When it’s your time, it’s your time and today was just my day.”
The top 10 boaters on Lake Hartwell finished:
1st: Chris Macy, Diamond, Mo., 15 bass, 34-10, $100,000
2nd: Todd Goade, White Pine, Tenn., 15 bass, 32-6, $20,000
3rd: Cole Floyd, Leesburg, Ohio, 15 bass, 31-11, $15,000
4th: Jayme Rampey, Liberty, S.C., 15 bass, 31-7, $21,000
5th: Bryan Dowdy, Florence, Ala., 15 bass, 30-7, $18,000
6th: Roger Fitzpatrick, Eldon, Mo., 15 bass, 28-1, $12,000
7th: Randall Allen, Owens Cross Roads, Ala., 15 bass, 27-11, $12,000
8th: Kip Carter, Mansfield, Ga., 15 bass, 27-11, $10,000
9th: Dustin Lippe, Lampe, Mo., 12 bass, 25-11, $9,000
10th: Dennis Berhorst, Holts Summit, Mo., 13 bass, 23-11, $8,000
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Overall, there were 45 bass weighing 77 pounds, 5 ounces, caught by the final 10 boaters Friday. The catch included eight five-bass limits.
Justin Kimmel of Athens, Georgia, won the co-angler division and $50,000 Friday with a three-day total of 14 bass weighing 26 pounds, 9 ounces, followed by Larry Rothweil of Saint Charles, Missouri, in second place with 12 bass weighing 22-2, good for $10,000.
The top 10 co-anglers finished:
1st: Justin Kimmel, Athens, Ga., 14 bass, 26-9, $50,000
2nd: Larry Rothweil, St. Charles, Mo., 12 bass, 22-2, $10,000
3rd: Kibbee McCoy, Knoxville, Tenn., 12 bass, 19-14, $6,000
4th: David Blankinship, Cushing, Okla., 13 bass, 19-6, $5,000
5th: Dalton Steele, Cherokee, Ala., 10 bass, 18-5, $4,500
6th: Cole Sands, Calhoun, Tenn., 12 bass, 17-11, $4,000
7th: Andrew Wiley, Joppa, Md., 13 bass, 17-7, $3,500
8th: Leo Reiter, Greenup, Ill., 13 bass, 16-13, $3,000
9th: Jeff Rikard, Leesville, S.C., 11 bass, 16-2, $3,000
10th: Kerry Harris, Bethel Island, Calif., 11 bass, 16-1, $2,000
Overall, there were 30 bass weighing 40 pounds, 6 ounces, caught by the final 10 co-anglers Friday. The catch included two five-bass limits.
In addition to the cash payouts, the highest-finishing boater and co-angler from each of six Regional Championships, the Wild Card Championship and The Bass Federation (TBF) National Championship at the All-American now advance to the 2020 Toyota Series Championship next month on Lake Cumberland for a shot at winning $235,000 and $33,500, respectively.
The eight boaters and co-anglers that now advance to the 2020 Toyota Series Championship are:
Region 1 (Lake Hartwell) Boater Champion: Todd Goade, White Pine, Tenn.
Region 2 (Lake Seminole) Boater Champion: Randall Allen, Owens Cross Roads, Ala.
Region 3 (Kentucky-Barkley lakes) Boater Champion: Kerry Frey, Middlebury, Ind.
Region 4 (Potomac River) Boater Champion: Bradford Beavers, Summerville, S.C.
Region 5 (Lake Guntersville) Boater Champion: Cole Floyd, Leesburg, Ohio
Region 6 (Grand Lake) Boater Champion: Chris Macy, Diamond, Mo.
WildCard (Kentucky Lake) Boater Champion: Bryan Dowdy, Florence, Ala.
TBF (Kentucky Lake) Boater Champion: Blake Wilson, Benton, Ark.
Region 1 (Lake Hartwell) Boater Champion: Justin Kimmel, Athens, Ga.
Region 2 (Lake Seminole) Boater Champion: Jeff Rikard, Leesville, S.C.
Region 3 (Kentucky-Barkley lakes) Boater Champion: David Blankinship, Cushing, Okla.
Region 4 (Potomac River) Boater Champion: Mark Blankenship, Christiansburg, Va.
Region 5 (Lake Guntersville) Boater Champion: Dalton Steele, Cherokee, Ala.
Region 6 (Grand Lake) Boater Champion: Larry Rothweil, Saint Charles, Mo.
WildCard (Kentucky Lake) Boater Champion: Leo Reiter, Greenup, Ill.
TBF (Kentucky Lake) Boater Champion: Andrew Wiley, Joppa, Md.
Schlapper Wins B.A.S.S. Nation Championship, Earns Classic Berth At Pickwick
Pat Schlapper, of Eleva, Wis., has won the 2020 TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Championship at Pickwick Lake with a three-day total of 51 pounds, 10 ounces.
Photo by Chris Brown/B.A.S.S.
November 13, 2020
FLORENCE, Ala. — Pat Schlapper had nothing but good fortune on Friday the 13th when he caught the heaviest limit of the week for a come-from-behind win in the TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Championship on Pickwick Lake located in the northwest corner of Alabama.
Schlapper, a 38-year-old resident of Eleva, Wis., caught five bass during the final round that weighed 23 pounds, 3 ounces, which was 6 1/2 pounds heavier than any other limit weighed at McFarland Park this week. Combined with his limits of 14-11 on Wednesday and 13-12 on Thursday, Schlapper had a 51-10 total and won the championship by more than 7 pounds.
Schlapper’s win brought a wealth of riches, including a $20,000 cash prize, an invitation to compete on the 2021 Bassmaster Elite Series and $16,000 in paid entry fees to those tournaments. B.A.S.S. also will loan Schlapper a bass boat, complete with a “Nation's Best” wrap, to use in Elite Series events.
But without a doubt, Schlapper’s most precious prize is a berth in the 2021 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic. The most prestigious fishing tournament in the world will be held on Lake Ray Roberts in Texas on March 19-21.
“My buddies have been saying for a long time, ‘Let’s go to the Classic one year,’” Schlapper said. “I told them, ‘I’m not going to the Classic until I’m fishing in it.’ I’ve been saying that since I was 18, and now I’m finally going.”
Schlapper was in sixth place after Day 1 and jumped to second on Day 2, trailing Louisiana’s Blake Sylvester, who led Days 1 and 2. He trailed Sylvester by only 6 ounces heading into the final day but wasted no time pulling ahead — and away — from the 11 other anglers who made the cut and fished Friday.
“I got lucky,” he told a B.A.S.S. official after the final weigh-in, debunking the lore that only bad omens come on Friday the 13th.
The good luck struck Schlapper early on Friday when current was moving quickly on the Tennessee River. Schlapper was having a difficult time staying in place on a spot he wanted to fish about five minutes from McFarland Park, so he motored above the spot and began drifting back to it. He caught an undersized bass on the drift, which prompted him to cast a few more times to the same area.
The key was putting a 3/4-ounce jighead on the paddletail swimbait (shad color) he’d used throughout the tournament. The switch got his lure to the river bottom and it ignited a smallmouth feeding frenzy. By 10 a.m., Schlapper had 21 pounds and made his final upgrade (a 2-pound bump) at midafternoon.
He considered heading back to shore at noon to weigh his haul, but he stuck it out until 45 minutes before the 2 p.m. weigh-in.
“I put all my eggs in the basket with the smallmouth,” he said. “The current here is a lot like what I fish back home on the Mississippi River.”
Schlapper’s heaviest smallmouth weighed 5-3, and his smallest was just shy of 4 pounds.
“I caught a lot of good fish on a 1/2-ounce jig this week, but the 3/4-ounce made the bait swim right,” he said. “It was like the smallmouths had never seen it before.”
Sylvester, a 29-year-old angler from Plaquemine, La., finished second with 43-2 over three days, including 14-5 on Friday, to earn the second of three Classic bids up for grabs. He also won $15,000 for the runner-up finish, as well as entry into the 2021 Basspro.com Bassmaster Opens.
Sylvester pounded a grassy stretch of the river all three days, using a Delta Lures Thunder Jig, a Humdinger bladed jig and a Missile Baits Shockwave (green pumpkin).
“I just wanted to make the third day and give myself a shot (at the Classic),” Sylvester said. “It worked out.”
Justin Kerr of Lake Havasu, Ariz., finished third with 40-7 and secured his own spot in the Classic. He won $10,000 and invitations to all of next year’s Basspro.com Bassmaster Opens.
Kerr, 39, rotated between a Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap and an Evergreen Stealth Blade to catch his biggest bass on Pickwick. After 20 years of professional fishing, he was elated to finally qualify for the Classic.
“It’s been a major goal of mine for as long as I can remember,” he said. “After all this time, I’ve got it.”
In all, 94 anglers qualified for the tournament, including 48 in the boater division and 46 in the co-angler field, all competing for a share of $176,800 in cash and prizes. All but four states were represented, with only Alaska, Connecticut, Hawaii and North Dakota not competing.
2020 TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Championship at Pickwick Lake 11/11-11/13
Pickwick Lake, Florence AL.
(BOATER) Standings Day 3
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Pat Schlapper Eleva, WI 15 51-10 0 $20,500.00
Day 1: 5 14-11 Day 2: 5 13-12 Day 3: 5 23-03
2. Blake Sylvester Plaquemine, LA 15 43-02 0 $15,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-10 Day 2: 5 12-03 Day 3: 5 14-05
3. Justin Kerr Lake Havasu, AZ 15 40-07 0 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-04 Day 2: 5 11-13 Day 3: 5 14-06
4. Bryan Gunter Ninety Six, SC 13 36-01 0 $5,000.00
Day 1: 3 09-06 Day 2: 5 15-02 Day 3: 5 11-09
5. Joel Smith Guin, AL 14 35-07 0 $4,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-01 Day 2: 4 08-03 Day 3: 5 14-03
6. Jason Hickey Weiser, ID 13 33-07 0 $3,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-09 Day 2: 3 08-03 Day 3: 5 12-11
7. Michael Comeau Alburgh, VT 12 31-07 0 $2,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-05 Day 2: 5 13-07 Day 3: 2 04-11
8. Josh Ray Alexander, AR 11 29-03 0 $1,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-15 Day 2: 2 03-13 Day 3: 4 09-07
9. Cody Hollen Beaverton, OR 11 28-00 0 $1,000.00
Day 1: 4 09-03 Day 2: 5 14-11 Day 3: 2 04-02
10. Josh Cotier Clinton, MA 11 26-12 0 $1,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-07 Day 2: 4 09-00 Day 3: 2 04-05
11. Eddie Levin Westerville, OH 8 23-10 0 $500.00
Day 1: 5 16-01 Day 2: 3 07-09 Day 3: 0 00-00
12. Terry Peterson West Jordan, UT 9 23-09 0 $10,500.00
Day 1: 5 14-10 Day 2: 3 06-13 Day 3: 1 02-02
13. Richard Lindgren Lakeville, MN 7 20-10 0
Day 1: 5 15-04 Day 2: 2 05-06 Day 3: 0 00-00
14. Matthew Robertson Kuttawa, KY 8 20-07 0
Day 1: 4 10-08 Day 2: 4 09-15 Day 3: 0 00-00
15. Ray Trudeau Saint Cloud, FL 8 18-12 0
Day 1: 5 11-14 Day 2: 3 06-14 Day 3: 0 00-00
16. Brent Shores Boise, ID 9 18-07 0
Day 1: 4 08-05 Day 2: 5 10-02 Day 3: 0 00-00
17. Christian Gladfelter Albuquerque, NM 6 18-02 0
Day 1: 5 14-09 Day 2: 1 03-09 Day 3: 0 00-00
18. Bert Collins Heaters, WV 7 17-15 0
Day 1: 3 09-12 Day 2: 4 08-03 Day 3: 0 00-00
19. Trevor Kettles Waukee, IA 8 17-14 0
Day 1: 4 08-02 Day 2: 4 09-12 Day 3: 0 00-00
20. Nate Caldwell Fort Collins, CO 7 17-13 0
Day 1: 5 13-02 Day 2: 2 04-11 Day 3: 0 00-00
21. Jeremy Sadowski Valuntower, CT 7 17-07 0 $1,000.00
Day 1: 4 11-05 Day 2: 3 06-02 Day 3: 0 00-00
22. Jesse Jordan Stilwell, KS 7 17-04 0
Day 1: 4 08-01 Day 2: 3 09-03 Day 3: 0 00-00
23. Josh Hubbard Braidwood, IL 6 16-11 0
Day 1: 5 15-01 Day 2: 1 01-10 Day 3: 0 00-00
24. Jeff Lugar Cross Junction, VA 8 16-11 0
Day 1: 5 10-02 Day 2: 3 06-09 Day 3: 0 00-00
25. Justin Hicks Gunnison, CO 7 16-09 0
Day 1: 5 11-06 Day 2: 2 05-03 Day 3: 0 00-00
26. Chris Killoren Marcellus, NY 6 15-03 0
Day 1: 4 11-06 Day 2: 2 03-13 Day 3: 0 00-00
27. David Cavell Prairieville, LA 6 14-14 0
Day 1: 4 08-00 Day 2: 2 06-14 Day 3: 0 00-00
28. Jason Crone Kalispell, MT 6 13-11 0
Day 1: 2 04-09 Day 2: 4 09-02 Day 3: 0 00-00
29. Jacob Coverdale Frederica, DE 7 13-10 0
Day 1: 5 10-03 Day 2: 2 03-07 Day 3: 0 00-00
30. Michael Cash Louisburg, NC 6 13-07 0
Day 1: 5 11-07 Day 2: 1 02-00 Day 3: 0 00-00
31. Matt Reagan Hudsonville, MI 6 13-03 0
Day 1: 3 07-02 Day 2: 3 06-01 Day 3: 0 00-00
32. Timothy Wells Clovis, CA 6 13-01 0
Day 1: 5 09-08 Day 2: 1 03-09 Day 3: 0 00-00
33. Paul Gietka Abingdon, MD 5 12-13 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 5 12-13 Day 3: 0 00-00
34. Derek Severns West Mifflin, PA 5 11-11 0
Day 1: 4 10-01 Day 2: 1 01-10 Day 3: 0 00-00
35. Michael McMahon Hackettstown, NJ 6 11-07 0
Day 1: 1 02-04 Day 2: 5 09-03 Day 3: 0 00-00
36. Tom Wennerlund Tonto Basin, AZ 4 10-12 0
Day 1: 2 06-14 Day 2: 2 03-14 Day 3: 0 00-00
37. Mark Pierce Cadiz, KY 4 10-06 0
Day 1: 2 04-08 Day 2: 2 05-14 Day 3: 0 00-00
38. Dave Andrews Hudson, MA 5 10-05 0
Day 1: 4 08-10 Day 2: 1 01-11 Day 3: 0 00-00
39. Ken Day Kennewick, WA 5 10-05 0
Day 1: 3 06-02 Day 2: 2 04-03 Day 3: 0 00-00
40. John Thomsen Creston, IA 5 09-04 0
Day 1: 4 07-09 Day 2: 1 01-11 Day 3: 0 00-00
41. Jeff Napier Martinsville, IN 3 09-02 0
Day 1: 1 02-04 Day 2: 2 06-14 Day 3: 0 00-00
42. Jared Miller Norman, OK 3 07-10 0
Day 1: 2 06-04 Day 2: 1 01-06 Day 3: 0 00-00
43. Dan Jordan Camas, WA 4 07-04 0
Day 1: 2 02-15 Day 2: 2 04-05 Day 3: 0 00-00
44. Jay Beffa Festus, MO 3 06-08 0
Day 1: 1 02-05 Day 2: 2 04-03 Day 3: 0 00-00
45. Ken Carter Enterprise, FL 3 06-00 0
Day 1: 1 01-09 Day 2: 2 04-07 Day 3: 0 00-00
46. Albert Collins Nacogdoches, TX 3 05-13 0
Day 1: 1 02-00 Day 2: 2 03-13 Day 3: 0 00-00
47. David Gorman Canton, GA 2 04-07 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 04-07 Day 3: 0 00-00
48. Scott Robert Greene, ME 2 03-14 0
Day 1: 2 03-14 Day 2: 0 00-00 Day 3: 0 00-00
49. Eric Storms Winner, SD 1 01-13 0
Day 1: 1 01-13 Day 2: 0 00-00 Day 3: 0 00-00
Sylvester Holds On To Lead At B.A.S.S. Nation Championship
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TENNESSEE’S GOADE TAKES LEAD AT PHOENIX BASS FISHING LEAGUE PRESENTED BY T-H MARINE ALL-AMERICAN ON LAKE HARTWELL
ANDERSON, S.C. (Nov. 12, 2020) – Fifty-five of the top weekend boaters and co-anglers from across the country continued their three-day battle Thursday for a top prize of $120,000 at the 37th annual Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine All-American on Lake Hartwell A picture containing person, holding, standing, front
Description automatically generatedpresented by TINCUP.
Rainy weather, which had been heavy overnight, greeted anglers to start the second day of competition. The rain tapered off after takeoff, then cloudy and slick conditions set in before turning in to a pleasant weather day, with lots of sun and a nice breeze. After weighing a respectable 11-pound, 7-ounce limit on the opening day of competition, boater Todd Goade of White Pine, Tennessee, vaulted to the top of the leaderboard after Day 2 by weighing a five-bass limit for 13 pounds, 2 ounces. Goade’s two-day catch of 10 bass weighing 24 pounds, 9 ounces gives him a 1-pound, 13-ounce lead over second place angler Roger Fitzpatrick of Eldon, Missouri, heading into the third and final day of competition.
The 2020 All-American features a field of the top 55 boaters and 55 co-anglers from across the 24-division Bass Fishing League, The Bass Federation, Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI and High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing, competing for a grand prize of up to $120,000 in the boater division and $50,000 in the co-angler division.
“The last two days, I’ve made the right decisions at the right times and it has worked out, so far,” said Goade, who qualified for this event out of the Bass Fishing League Volunteer division. “During practice I noticed that you needed to be in certain places at a certain time, and the fish that I’m trying to catch, I need the sun to shine for them to be on target.
“It’s been cloudy, so I’ve been stopping pretty short of my target and just working my way up to them. I’ve caught a lot of fish before I even get to the cover. As the sun came out today, the fishing got better in the afternoon. So, it’s worked out real well. I’m trying not to force anything and just let it happen.”
Goade estimated that he caught 12 to 13 keepers on Wednesday, then added another 15 to 20 keepers today. He said he’s done the majority of his damage with a Zoom worm on a shaky-head rig and a 1/8-ounce Pulse jig with an unnamed Damiki plastic.
“The fish are feeding on really small bait right now,” Goade said. “Normally they’re eating 3- to 5-inch herring, but right now they’re eating 1- to 1½-inch shad, so I’ve kind of matched the hatch with that Pulse jig.”
When asked if he was feeling any nerves leading this event heading into the final day of competition, Goade said he was hopeful, but content.
“Even if I zero tomorrow, this has already been one of the best weeks I’ve ever had in my fishing career,” Goade said. “I don’t feel any extra pressure. When it’s your time, it’s your time and if it’s meant to be it’ll happen. I’m going to do the same thing that I’ve done the last two days, and I’m just going fishing.”
The top 10 boaters advancing to the final day of competition on Lake Hartwell are:
1st: Todd Goade, White Pine, Tenn., 10 bass, 24-9
2nd: Roger Fitzpatrick, Eldon, Mo., 10 bass, 22-12
3rd: Bryan Dowdy, Florence, Ala., 10 bass, 22-5
4th: Dustin Lippe, Lampe, Mo., 10 bass, 22-4
5th: Chris Macy, Diamond, Mo., 10 bass, 21-9
6th: Jayme Rampey, Liberty, S.C., 10 bass, 21-9
7th: Cole Floyd, Leesburg, Ohio, 10 bass, 20-9
8th: Dennis Berhorst, Holts Summit, Mo., 10 bass, 20-7
9th: Randall Allen, Owens Cross Roads, Ala., 10 bass, 20-1
10th: Kip Carter, Mansfield, Ga., 10 bass, 20-0
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Overall, there were 214 bass weighing 391 pounds, 14 ounces, caught by 52 boaters Thursday. The catch included 34 five-bass limits.
Justin Kimmel of Athens, Georgia, leads the Co-angler Division with 10 bass weighing 18 pounds, 12 ounces, followed by Dalton Steele of Cherokee, Alabama, in second place with 10 bass weighing 18 pounds, 5 ounces.
The final 10 co-anglers are:
1st: Justin Kimmel, Athens, Ga., 10 bass, 18-12
2nd: Dalton Steele, Cherokee, Ala., 10 bass, 18-5
3rd: David Blankinship, Cushing, Okla., 10 bass, 16-8
4th: Kerry Harris, Bethel Island, Calif., 10 bass, 14-13
5th: Jeff Rikard, Leesville, S.C., 10 bass, 14-10
6th: Andrew Wiley, Joppa, Md., 10 bass, 14-8
7th: Leo Reiter, Greenup, Ill., 10 bass, 13-6
8th: Cole Sands, Calhoun, Tenn., 10 bass, 13-6
9th: Larry Rothweil, St. Charles, Mo., 10 bass, 12-14
10th: Kibbee McCoy, Knoxville, Tenn., 10 bass, 12-14
Overall, there were 138 bass weighing 219 pounds, 5 ounces, caught by 46 co-anglers Thursday. The catch included 13 five-bass limits.
The final 10 All-American boaters and co-anglers will take off from Green Pond Landing, located at 470 Green Pond Road in Anderson, at 7:30 a.m. EST Friday. Friday’s Championship weigh-in will be held at the landing at 4 p.m. Attendance is limited to anglers, family and essential staff. Fans are encouraged to follow the event online through the daily coverage, live blogs and photos at FLWFishing.com.
Brunswick Corporation Launches Consumer Advisory Board Dedicated to Shaping the Next Generation of Boating
METTAWA, Ill. (November 12, 2020) – Brunswick Corporation (NYSE: BC) has announced the formation of Rpl, a consumer advisory board dedicated to shaping the future of recreational boating. As home to the world’s leading marine brands like Mercury Marine, Boston Whaler, Sea Ray and Lund, Brunswick’s community of boaters will have unprecedented access to the industry’s most coveted brands.
“We want to spend more time with new boaters who we believe will help us elevate the boating experience for everyone,” said Lauren Beckstedt, CMO, Brunswick Divisions. “In reference to the Board’s name, feedback from the Rpl community will create a ripple effect in our business that we expect will make big waves in how Brunswick defines the future of the industry. Drawing from brand experiences in other industries, new boaters offer a heightened sensitivity to engagement- and product-needs that we want to be able to tap.”
This season, Brunswick brands outperformed the industry in appeal to new boaters, with some brands seeing new boater warranty registrations of more than 50 percent. Brunswick’s boat brands averaged a 99 percent increase in web traffic by women year to date, and all brands saw an increase in online activity and purchase from a younger demographic, demonstrating the need for new boaters to have more direct influence in the company strategy.
Rpl will bring together diverse boating perspectives to collaborate on topics aimed at driving retention among new boaters and increasing appeal and access to boating for all. In addition to participating in brand research initiatives, the Rpl community will have access to new product innovation previews, brand events in their area and weigh-in on the trends they want to see recreational marine adopt.
“This group will be the voice for recreational boating of the future,” said Beckstedt. “And the boating future that Brunswick is shaping will be more diverse, more accessible, more versatile and bring with it the same exhilaration and thrill that so many boaters around the world have made core to their lifestyles.”
To learn more about the RPL Advisory Board, visit brunswick.com/RPL-Consumer-Advisory-Board
AC Insider Podcast - "Hammer Time!"
Thats right folks, we are dialed in this week with not one but TWO Hammers on the show. Elite Series AOY Clark Wendlandt joins us to talk all things BASS & AOY & in a surprise, Chris' man crush, the one & only Patrick Walters joins the boys to talk fashion statements, jerkbaits, BIG fish & more!
THE UGLY STIK WORLD’S LARGEST SANTA CLAUS BASS TOURNAMENT POISED TO SET WORLD RECORD ON LAKE NORMAN
Anglers will compete in Santa suits for major prizes and a chance to be a part of history
COLUMBIA, S.C. (November 11, 2020) — From the first time they sink an earthworm beneath a red-and-white bobber, anglers everywhere dream of setting a world record. This Christmas season, iconic fishing brand Ugly Stik is giving them their chance.
The Ugly Stik World’s Largest Santa Claus Bass Tournament, set to take place Saturday, December 12 on North Carolina’s Lake Norman, will give anglers the opportunity to set a world record for the largest bass tournament comprised of anglers competing in Santa Claus costumes. The event, which will benefit Toys for Tots, will see hundreds of bass anglers competing for big payouts and prizes while wearing the iconic red Santa suit.
The one-day, two-angler team tournament, operated by Fishers of Men, will launch out of Queen’s Landing at the McCrary Creek ramp. Entry fees for the event are $100 per team; entry fee includes a Santa suit for both competitors as well as valuable fishing products from Ugly Stik and Berkley. Guaranteed payout for first place is $5,000 with a 1 in 5 payback. A big-bass pot and an under-18 pot will also be available to competitors.
With the eyes of the world watching, an expected field of hundreds of competitors will gather to set the record for the most Santas competing in a bass tournament. Anglers will also have a chance to meet some of the top Bassmaster Elite Series and Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour pros who will be on hand to share tips, sign autographs and help distribute raffle prizes from industry-leading brands like Ugly Stik, Abu Garcia, Berkley, Humminbird, Minn Kota, Academy Sports + Outdoors, DuraSafe, Costa and others.
“This is an opportunity to not only be a part of history, this is a chance to showcase the sport of fishing and encourage more people to get outside and enjoy one of America’s favorite recreational activities,” said Ugly Stik’s Vice President of Marketing Jon Schlosser. “The holiday season is ideal for a good-time brand like Ugly Stik to celebrate how much fun it is to fish, while also benefiting a fantastic charity.”
For registration and more information on The Ugly Stik World’s Largest Santa Claus Bass Tournament, visit www.fomntt.com. For more information on Ugly Stik products, including the recently released Ugly Tuff reels and Ugly Tools, go to www.purefishing.com/pages/ugly-stik
Event Details
The Ugly Stik World’s Largest Santa Claus Bass Tournament
Benefitting Toys for Tots
Date: Saturday, December 12
Location: Lake Norman (Queen’s Landing/McCrary Creek)
Format: Two-angler team, one-day tournament
Entry Fee: $100 per team (includes Santa suit and valuable fishing gear)
Guaranteed Payout: $5,000 for first place
Payout Structure: 1 in 5
Appearances and Giveaways: Top B.A.S.S. and MLF pros will be on site to help award prizes to competitors from industry-leading brands like Ugly Stik, Abu Garcia, Berkley, Humminbird, Minn Kota, Academy Sports + Outdoors, DuraSafe, Costa and other industry-leading brands.
Tournament Operations: Fishers of Men (FoM membership not required for participation)
For registration and more information, visit www.fomntt.com.
Costa Sunglasses Video Series - "How Water Holds Us Up."
New Freedom Series
Daytona Beach, Fla. – October 8, 2020 – Long known for high-quality, on-water eyewear, Costa®Sunglasses is proud to announce its latest special line of frames, the Freedom Series, highlighting the brand’s partnership with Freedom Fighter Outdoors (FFO).
The new Freedom Series sunglasses feature many of the most popular Costa frame styles in patriotic-inspired colorways, while supporting Freedom Fighters Outdoors’ initiative to help get veterans out on the water and participating in recreational outdoor activities.
Including 16 frame styles across the brand’s core performance and beach lifestyle categories, the Freedom Series is inspired by the most patriotic themes—featuring unique frame colors like: Matte Freedom Fade, Matte USA Red, Shiny American Sky, and Matte Blue Firework. Additionally, small flag-inspired accents, including logo decals and temple designs are embedded into frames within the lineup.
“As advocates for our watery world, we are thrilled to join forces with the like-minded team at Freedom Fighter Outdoors,” said T.J. McMeniman, vice president of marketing at Costa. “As a veteran, I understand how impactful programs like this can be for our injured service members. Providing support to give veterans a once in a lifetime experience on the water is extremely important to us. We’re proud to play a small role in honoring and empowering our nation’s heroes.’”
"FFO is very fortunate to be a part of this collaboration with Costa,” said Vincent LaSorsa, founder/president of Freedom Fighter Outdoors. “The brand’s support and generosity to our organization and our nations veterans is the highest honor. We are so thankful that Costa is seeing the good side of our mission to honor our nations veterans.”
The Freedom Series is now available in a variety of Costa frame styles with Costa 580® lens technology in both Lightwave® glass and impact-resistant polycarbonate, which provides 100 percent UV protection and polarization. The line will range in price from $179 to $279, depending on frame and lens combination. For more information on the new frames and the full line of Costa sunglasses, visit https://www.costadelmar.com/en-us/collections/freedom-series.
MISSOURI’S LIPPE LEADS PHOENIX BASS FISHING LEAGUE PRESENTED BY T-H MARINE ALL-AMERICAN ON LAKE HARTWELL
ANDERSON, S.C. (Nov. 11, 2020) – Boater Dustin Lippe of Lampe, Missouri, took the early lead Wednesday at the 37th annual Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine All-American on Lake Hartwell presented by TINCUP with a five-bass limit weighing 12 pounds even. Right behind Lippe in second place is Leesburg, Ohio’s Cole Floyd, who brought five bass to the scale good for 11 pounds, 10 ounces.
A person holding a fish
Description automatically generatedThe 2020 All-American features a field of the top 55 boaters and 55 co-anglers from across the 24-division Bass Fishing League, The Bass Federation, Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI and High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing, all competing for a grand prize of up to $120,000 in the boater division and $50,000 in the co-angler division.
“It was tough out there today,” said Lippe, who qualified through the Bass Fishing League Ozark Division. “Practice seemed to be pretty good – I could catch numbers, and the size was better than I anticipated. This morning, that was not the case. I started off with a small limit – like 7 pounds – and I eventually stumbled on to one that weighed close to 3½ (pounds) and that helped.
“It was slow the rest of the day, then in the last 10 minutes I caught one that culled up my weight another pound and a half. I weighed in all spotted bass. I had been catching some largemouth, but I could not get them to bite today.”
The Missouri angler said that the key to his day was covering a lot of water.
“I’m watching them on my electronics – I’ve got LiveScope – and just video game fishing and covering a lot of water,” Lippe said. “That can be very frustrating too, at times, because I can see them and then they don’t bite. I’ve just been throwing a lot of reaction baits.
“I caught 11 or 12 keepers, which sounds better than it is because quite a few were 13-inchers,” Lippe went on to say. “I need to figure out if I’m going to try to do the same thing tomorrow or change it up. I’m happy with 12 pounds, but I only had three good fish and I know that I’ll need something more. I’m excited to get out there tomorrow, but I’m not sure what’s going to happen.”
The top 10 boaters after day one on Lake Hartwell are:
1st: Dustin Lippe, Lampe, Mo., five bass, 12-0
2nd: Cole Floyd, Leesburg, Ohio, five bass, 11-10
3rd: Todd Goade, White Pine, Tenn., five bass, 11-7
3rd: Bryan Dowdy, Florence, Ala., five bass, 11-7
5th: Chris Macy, Diamond, Mo., five bass, 11-6
6th: Wesley Sandifer, Chapin, S.C., five bass, 11-4
7th: Dennis Berhorst, Holts Summit, Mo., five bass, 11-1
8th: Mitch Crane, Columbus, Miss., five bass, 10-12
9th: Ryan Davidson, Branchland, W.Va., five bass, 10-10
10th: Michael Miller, Greenville, S.C., five bass, 10-9
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Overall, there were 233 bass weighing 431 pounds, 8 ounces, caught by 53 boaters Wednesday. The catch included 36 five-bass limits.
Larry Rothweil of Saint Charles, Missouri, leads the Co-angler Division with five bass weighing 10 pounds, 5 ounces, followed by Michael Duarte of Baltimore, Maryland, in second place with five bass weighing 9 pounds, 14 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers are:
1st: Larry Rothweil, Saint Charles, Mo., five bass, 10-5
2nd: Michael Duarte, Baltimore, Md., five bass, 9-14
3rd: Kerry Harris, Bethel Island, Calif., five bass, 9-2
4th: Justin Kimmel, Athens, Ga., five bass, 9-0
5th: Kibbee McCoy, Knoxville, Tenn., five bass, 8-11
6th: Alan Scott, Shelbyville, Ind., five bass, 8-4
7th: David Blankinship, Cushing, Okla., five bass, 8-1
7th: Leo Reiter, Greenup, Ill., five bass, 8-1
7th: Andrew Wooley, Little Rock, Ark., five bass, 8-1
10th: Chad Cartwright, Eddyville, Ky., five bass, 8-0
Overall, there were 170 bass weighing 262 pounds even, caught by 52 co-anglers Wednesday. The catch included 18 five-bass limits.
All-American competitors will take off from Green Pond Landing, located at 470 Green Pond Road in Anderson, at 7:30 a.m. EST each morning. Weigh-in will be held at the landing at 4 p.m. daily. Attendance is limited to anglers, family and essential staff. Fans are encouraged to follow the event online through the daily coverage, live blogs and photos at FLWFishing.com.
The 2020 All-American field of 55 boaters and 55 co-anglers is comprised of the top six boaters and co-anglers from each of the six Bass Fishing League Regional Championships held in 2019, along with the top six boaters and co-anglers from the 2019 Wild Card tournament. They are joined by the top boater and co-angler from each of the seven divisions at the 2020 TBF National Championship, along with both members of the second, third and fourth-place teams at the 2020 Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI National Championship presented by Lowrance, who compete as boaters. The fifth and sixth place teams from the College Fishing National Championship and the winning team from the 2019 High School Fishing National Championship compete as co-anglers.
In addition to the cash payouts, the highest-finishing boater and co-angler from each of seven Regional Championships (including the Wild Card) at the All-American will advance to the 2020 Toyota Series Championship next month on Lake Cumberland for a shot at winning $235,000 and $33,500, respectively.
The full field of anglers compete on Wednesday and Thursday, with only the top 10 boaters and top 10 co-anglers based on cumulative weight from the first two days continuing to Championship Friday. The 2020 All-American champions will be determined by the heaviest three-day total weight.
Sylvester Takes Early Lead At B.A.S.S. Nation Championship On Pickwick Lake
Blake Sylvester, of Plaquemine, La., is leading after Day 1 of the TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Championship at Pickwick Lake with 16 pounds, 10 ounces.
Photo by Chris Brown/B.A.S.S.
November 11, 2020
FLORENCE, Ala. — Blake Sylvester only caught five keeper bass during Wednesday’s first round of the TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Championship, but he made each bite count.
Sylvester, a 29-year-old resident of Plaquemine, La., weighed a limit of five largemouth that totaled 16 pounds, 10 ounces. That gave him an early lead in this three-day event on Pickwick Lake where $176,800 in cash and prizes is up for grabs, not to mention three precious slots in the 2021 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic scheduled for March 19-21 on Lake Ray Roberts in Texas.
Sylvester, the B.A.S.S. Nation champ from the Bayou State, finished third overall in the Central Regional held last month at Toledo Bend Reservoir, and he kept the hot hand on Pickwick. He was the second boat on the water Wednesday (following only last year’s Nation Championship winner Cody Hollen of Beaverton, Ore.), and Sylvester wasted no time getting quality bass in his livewell.
“I caught my two biggest fish first thing this morning,” Sylvester said. “There was a 4 3/4-pounder and another one that was just shy of 4 pounds. I wanted to get something going this morning. You can’t win a tournament on Day 1, but you definitely can lose a tournament on Day 1.”
Despite the fast start, Sylvester struggled to find a consistent bite. He estimated he only caught 10 bass, and half of those were undersized. He said he pounded two particular areas but didn’t boat his fifth keeper until 1:30 p.m., only minutes before he needed to scramble back to McFarland Park for weigh-in.
“I’m from Louisiana, so you know I’m looking for grass,” Sylvester said. “It wasn’t hard to find it, but I couldn’t find many fish to go with that grass. Nothing was easy today. It was a grind.”
Still, Sylvester has had momentum on his side recently, and it’s showing in his recent results. He said he can stay atop the leaderboard at Pickwick if he has a little luck Thursday.
“A couple more 4-pounders would be nice,” he said with a laugh. “But it’s gonna be tough again. I was the No. 2 boat out today, but the area I’m on isn’t (a time-sensitive bite) and I haven’t seen anybody else fishing it. I’m confident, but I just don’t know what I have left there. I’ve got a couple of other spots I think I can get bit on if I need it.”
Eddie Levin of Westerville, Ohio, is in second place with 16-1. The 27-year-old firefighter caught his best bass before the wind picked up midmorning.
“My first fish was about a 5-pounder or so, but I lost it,” Levin said. “I had all my weight by 9 o’clock, but my area got blown out, and I kind of went pre-fishing. I caught a lot more fish doing that. I really hope the wind lays down tomorrow. If it does, I think you’re going to see a really big bag.”
Josh Ray of Alexander, Ark., is third in the boater division (15-15), followed by Richard Lindgren of Lakeville, Minn., (15-4) and Josh Hubbard of Braidwood, Ill., (15-1).
Utah’s Terry Peterson took the lead in the co-angler division with a five-bass limit that weighed 14-10. He fished with New Mexico’s Christian Gladfelter, who had 14-9 and is in seventh place in the boater division.
“He put me on some good fish,” Peterson said. “That’s all you can ask for. We figured some things out. It was good teamwork and fortunately, the bites we had were good ones.”
Mike Caul of Petersburg, Va., is second among co-anglers with 13-9. Lewis Mendall of Winthrop, Mass., is third (12-13), followed by Aaryn Coroneos of Henderson, Nev., (11-6) and Steve Hinkle of Mount Nebo, W.Va., (9-9).
B.A.S.S. Nation champions from 46 different states are competing, with only North Dakota, Connecticut, Hawaii and Alaska not represented. Hollen, who received an automatic berth as the defending champ, and Paralyzed Veterans of American Angler of the Year Ken Carter bumped the boater division to 48 total competitors.
The Top 10 anglers following Thursday’s weigh-in will survive the cut and fish Friday’s championship round, as will the leading two anglers from each of the five B.A.S.S. Nation regions (Southeast, Northeast, Northern, Western and Central) if they aren’t among the overall Top 10.
The top co-angler, who will win $10,000 in paid entries to 2021 Basspro.com Bassmaster Opens tournaments, will also fish Friday, and so will any co-angler whose two-day total exceeds the 10th-place total in the boater division.
Day 2 of the TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Championship will begin with a 6 a.m. CT takeoff Thursday from McFarland Park. Weigh-in will be held back at the park at 2 p.m.
2020 TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Championship at Pickwick Lake 11/11-11/13
Pickwick Lake, Florence AL.
(BOATER) Standings Day 1
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Blake Sylvester Plaquemine, LA 5 16-10 0
Day 1: 5 16-10
2. Eddie Levin Westerville, OH 5 16-01 0
Day 1: 5 16-01
3. Josh Ray Alexander, AR 5 15-15 0
Day 1: 5 15-15
4. Richard Lindgren Lakeville, MN 5 15-04 0
Day 1: 5 15-04
5. Josh Hubbard Braidwood, IL 5 15-01 0
Day 1: 5 15-01
6. Pat Schlapper Eleva, WI 5 14-11 0
Day 1: 5 14-11
7. Christian Gladfelter Albuquerque, NM 5 14-09 0
Day 1: 5 14-09
8. Justin Kerr Lake Havasu, AZ 5 14-04 0
Day 1: 5 14-04
9. Josh Cotier Clinton, MA 5 13-07 0
Day 1: 5 13-07
10. Michael Comeau Alburgh, VT 5 13-05 0
Day 1: 5 13-05
11. Nate Caldwell Fort Collins, CO 5 13-02 0
Day 1: 5 13-02
12. Joel Smith Guin, AL 5 13-01 0
Day 1: 5 13-01
13. Jason Hickey Weiser, ID 5 12-09 0
Day 1: 5 12-09
14. Ray Trudeau Saint Cloud, FL 5 11-14 0
Day 1: 5 11-14
15. Michael Cash Louisburg, NC 5 11-07 0
Day 1: 5 11-07
16. Justin Hicks Gunnison, CO 5 11-06 0
Day 1: 5 11-06
17. Chris Killoren Marcellus, NY 4 11-06 0
Day 1: 4 11-06
18. Jeremy Sadowski Valuntower, CT 4 11-05 0
Day 1: 4 11-05
19. Matthew Robertson Kuttawa, KY 4 10-08 0
Day 1: 4 10-08
20. Jacob Coverdale Frederica, DE 5 10-03 0
Day 1: 5 10-03
21. Jeff Lugar Cross Junction, VA 5 10-02 0
Day 1: 5 10-02
22. Derek Severns West Mifflin, PA 4 10-01 0
Day 1: 4 10-01
23. Bert Collins Heaters, WV 3 09-12 0
Day 1: 3 09-12
24. Timothy Wells Clovis, CA 5 09-08 0
Day 1: 5 09-08
25. Bryan Gunter Ninety Six, SC 3 09-06 0
Day 1: 3 09-06
26. Cody Hollen Beaverton, OR 4 09-03 0
Day 1: 4 09-03
27. Dave Andrews Hudson, MA 4 08-10 0
Day 1: 4 08-10
28. Brent Shores Boise, ID 4 08-05 0
Day 1: 4 08-05
29. Trevor Kettles Waukee, IA 4 08-02 0
Day 1: 4 08-02
30. Jesse Jordan Stilwel, KS 4 08-01 0
Day 1: 4 08-01
31. David Cavell Prairieville, LA 4 08-00 0
Day 1: 4 08-00
32. John Thomsen Creston, IA 4 07-09 0
Day 1: 4 07-09
33. Matt Reagan Hudsonville, MI 3 07-02 0
Day 1: 3 07-02
34. Tom Wennerlund Tonto Basin, AZ 2 06-14 0
Day 1: 2 06-14
35. Jared Miller Norman, OK 2 06-04 0
Day 1: 2 06-04
36. Ken Day Kennewick, WA 3 06-02 0
Day 1: 3 06-02
37. Jason Crone Kalispell, MT 2 04-09 0
Day 1: 2 04-09
38. Mark Pierce Cadiz, KY 2 04-08 0
Day 1: 2 04-08
39. Scott Robert Greene, ME 2 03-14 0
Day 1: 2 03-14
40. Dan Jordan Camas, WA 2 02-15 0
Day 1: 2 02-15
41. Jay Beffa Festus, MO 1 02-05 0
Day 1: 1 02-05
42. Michael McMahon Hackettstown, NJ 1 02-04 0
Day 1: 1 02-04
42. Jeff Napier Martinsville, IN 1 02-04 0
Day 1: 1 02-04
44. Albert Collins Nacogdoches, TX 1 02-00 0
Day 1: 1 02-00
45. Eric Storms Winner, SD 1 01-13 0
Day 1: 1 01-13
46. Ken Carter Enterprise, FL 1 01-09 0
Day 1: 1 01-09
47. Paul Gietka Abingdon, MD 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
47. David Gorman Canton, GA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 19 169 427-02
----------------------------------
19 169 427-02
2020 TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Championship at Pickwick Lake 11/11-11/13
Pickwick Lake, Florence AL.
(NON_BOATER) Standings Day 1
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Terry Peterson West Jordan, UT 5 14-10 0
Day 1: 5 14-10
2. Mike Caul Petersburg, VA 5 13-09 0
Day 1: 5 13-09
3. Lewis Mendall Winthrop, MA 5 12-13 0
Day 1: 5 12-13
4. Aaryn Coroneos Henderson, NV 3 11-06 0
Day 1: 3 11-06
5. Steve Hinkle Mount Nebo, WV 3 09-09 0
Day 1: 3 09-09
6. Joe Combs Jonesboro, AR 3 08-07 0
Day 1: 3 08-07
7. Brian Kline Dysart, PA 3 08-05 0
Day 1: 3 08-05
8. Zeke Abegg Clarksville, TN 2 08-04 0
Day 1: 2 08-04
9. Jonathan Barnette Jasper, AL 2 06-09 0
Day 1: 2 06-09
10. Chris Heltemes Franklin, MA 3 06-02 0
Day 1: 3 06-02
11. Michael Johnson Crawford, TX 3 05-15 0
Day 1: 3 05-15
12. Clif Gallagher Saint George, UT 2 04-13 0
Day 1: 2 04-13
13. Larry Carter Lucedale, MS 2 04-10 0
Day 1: 2 04-10
14. James Topmiller III Orlando, FL 2 04-03 0
Day 1: 2 04-03
14. Coleton Usher Atkins, IA 2 04-03 0
Day 1: 2 04-03
16. Scott Hrcka Homer, MI 2 04-01 0
Day 1: 2 04-01
17. Connor Rushing Pride, LA 1 03-13 0
Day 1: 1 03-13
18. Tas Moua Fresno, CA 1 03-07 0
Day 1: 1 03-07
19. Danny Fourr Waterflow, NM 2 03-05 0
Day 1: 2 03-05
20. Kevin Mullins Brooklyn, IN 1 03-02 0
Day 1: 1 03-02
21. Matt Byrnes Hudson, WI 1 02-09 0
Day 1: 1 02-09
22. Kyle Slomba Baltimore, MD 1 02-08 0
Day 1: 1 02-08
23. Toby Cross Bowdoinham, ME 1 02-05 0
Day 1: 1 02-05
24. Larry Wigmore Smyrna, DE 1 02-03 0
Day 1: 1 02-03
25. Bryce Hauf Winner, SD 1 02-02 0
Day 1: 1 02-02
26. Mike Bell OGDENSBURG, NY 1 01-15 0
Day 1: 1 01-15
27. Colten Didion Westerville, OH 1 01-14 0
Day 1: 1 01-14
28. Austin Johnson Noxon, MT 1 01-13 0
Day 1: 1 01-13
29. Sean Bowen Midwest City, OK 1 01-12 0
Day 1: 1 01-12
30. Ryan Bone Douglasville, GA 1 01-10 0
Day 1: 1 01-10
31. Kenneth Ellis Bowman, SC 1 01-07 0
Day 1: 1 01-07
31. Greg Jager Kennewick, WA 1 01-07 0
Day 1: 1 01-07
33. Tyler Lawwill Asheville, NC 1 01-06 0
Day 1: 1 01-06
34. Kirk Albrecht Fort Collins, CO 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
34. Dennis Carroll Ashland, NE 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
34. Phil Clopton Macks Creek, MO 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
34. David Dias Brattleboro, VT 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
34. Tim Kellam Crittenden, KY 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
34. Nathanial Kimberling Coeur D Alene, ID 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
34. Kyle Klein Hutchinson, KS 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
34. Bryan Larson Waconia, MN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
34. Bill Lionetta Jr Alton Bay, NH 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
34. Matthew Marques Seneca, IL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
34. John Serge Philadelphia, PA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
34. Scott Seros Bend, OR 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
34. Hayden Spradling Gilbert, AZ 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
Lake Fork Hosts B.A.S.S. Nation Clean-Up Challenge
Volunteers collected pounds of trash from the shores of Lake Fork as part of the activities surrounding the Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest benefiting Texas Parks & Wildlife Department.
Photo by B.A.S.S.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 11, 2020
QUITMAN, Texas— Just hours before Semifinal Saturday kicked off at the Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest benefiting Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, volunteers from 13 high schools spread out along the shores of Lake Fork to collect trash as part of the B.A.S.S. Nation Clean-Up Challenge sponsored by AFTCO and Huk.
“It was important to me to be part of the clean-up efforts," said Jimmy Fisher, a sophomore from Wylie East High School. “I am fishing a tournament here next week and know we need to keep the lake and boat ramps clean for everyone.”
That sentiment was echoed by Grace Community School junior Caleb Carpenter, “Keeping the lake clean isn't just important for the environment, it is a way we can help the entire community.”
Volunteers from local high school teams and the Texas High School Bass Association collected bags of trash at the Sabine River Authority (SRA) — Lake Fork, site of daily takeoffs and weigh-ins for the Bassmaster Elite Series event. In addition to plastic bottles and other litter, the student anglers reported collecting a few unusual items from the lakeshore.
“Our team found a couch, tires and even plastic chairs,” said first-year angler Samantha Collins of Grand Saline High School.
High school teams from around the region were represented, including Royse City, Winnsboro, Whitehouse, Wylie East, Lindale, Van, Celeste, Rains, Grapevine, Van Alstyne, Grand Saline, McKinney Christian Academy and Grace Community School.
Conservation efforts are a cornerstone of the B.A.S.S. tradition, and leading efforts to collect litter can have a sizable impact on the waterways the organization and its fans frequent.
“B.A.S.S. was founded on three things: tournament fishing competition, youth participation and conservation,” B.A.S.S. Conservation Director Gene Gilliland said. “(B.A.S.S. Founder) Ray Scott used to always talk about the three-legged stool. This is one of the legs, and it doesn’t get talked about a lot.
“One of the things that we want to try to do is to improve the resource anytime we have a chance,” Gilliland said. “An event like this builds camaraderie between those participating. It builds goodwill with the communities that host our events.
“Most importantly, it helps us leave the venue better than we found it.”
And leaving a fishery cleaner than it started is particularly important to McKinney Christian Academy senior Matthew Free, who plans to pursue a degree in Marine Fisheries. “I'd like to join a fishing team in college and if we all want to keep fishing for years to come, keeping our lakes healthy and clean is essential.”
The latest information on B.A.S.S. conservation efforts can be found on their group Facebook page or at Bassmaster.com.
2021 Military Team Bass Tournament Registration Now Open
Athens, AL, November 10, 2020 – American Bass Anglers announced today the 2021 Annual Military Team Bass Tournament will be held on May 2-8, 2021, on Lake Marion and Moultrie, SC, and hosted by Santee Cooper Country. This event brings all branches together for a fun-filled week of competition and ultimate Service bragging rights.
Members of the United States Armed Forces from all over the country will make the drive to compete in the 30th annual event at Santee Cooper SC. All active duty or retired Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, National Guard, Reserve, or Coast Guard member are invited to participate. Immediate family of military members, honorably discharged veterans, Department of Defense civilians, and contractors may also fish this event.
“We are looking forward to hosting the American Bass Anglers Military Team Tournament next May here on the Santee Cooper lakes. I know that everyone will be welcomed with good Southern hospitality. The Santee Cooper lakes are known as a world-class fishing destination for anglers and a great vacation location,” said Jane Powell of Santee Cooper Country.
“The annual Military Team Bass Tournament is designed to promote bass fishing among all Military Members and provide a platform for bragging rights among the Services. Santee Cooper County is the ideal host for this event with the warm welcome they give all Military members,” said Morris Sheehan, president of American Bass Anglers.
Registration will open on Veterans Day, November 11, at 8:00 am central time. For more information on this tournament, call ABA at 256-232-0406 or see www.americanbassanglers.com.
To learn more about the Military Team Bass Tournament visit
AmericanBassAnglers.com/Military.php
Toyota Series Wraps Up Angler of the Year Awards
Eight Division Winners Earn $5,000 for Pros and $2,000 for Co-Anglers
BENTON, Ky. (Nov. 10, 2020) – Major League Fishing (MLF) and Fishing League Worldwide (FLW) announced today the final standings for the 2020 Toyota Series and the eight division Strike King Angler of the Year (AOY) title winners. The top pro and co-angler from the point standings after each division’s three regular-season tournaments won the Strike King Angler of the Year A group of people in a small boat in a body of water
Description automatically generated($5,000) and Co-angler of the Year ($2,000) titles.
“We had a fantastic year with a lot of great anglers vying for points, so we are excited to offer our Strike King AOY winners an additional payout for their efforts,” said Mark McWha, Director of Tournament Operations for the Toyota Series. “Early summer tournaments were rescheduled back-to-back this fall due to COVID-19, which wasn’t ideal, but we feel very fortunate to have completed our full season and to have fished more anglers than we did in 2019, despite the pandemic. Our Toyota Series anglers and AOY title winners should be extremely proud.”
The 2020 Strike King Angler of the Year and Co-angler of the Year from each Toyota Series division are:
Central Division:
Pro AOY – Ricky Robinson, of Greenback, Tenn., 748 points, $5,000
Co-AOY – Josh Lockard of Somerset, Ky., 768 points, $2,000
Eastern Division:
Pro AOY – David Williams of Maiden, N.C., 766 points, $5,000
Co-AOY – James Roten of West Jefferson, N.C., 768 points, $2,000
Northern Division:
Pro AOY – Chase Serafin of White Lake, Mich., 763 points, $5,000
Co-AOY – Dan Mundy of Swartz Creek, Mich., 776 points, $2,000
Plains Division:
Pro AOY – Jason Lieblong of Conway, Ark., 755 points, $5,000
Co-AOY – Matt Krekovich of Granite City, Ill., 752 points, $2,000
Southeastern Division:
Pro AOY – Dustin Smith of Grand Island, Fla., 745 points, $5,000
Co-AOY – Cal Culpepper of Hamilton, Ga., 778 points, $2,000
Southern Division:
Pro AOY – Trevor Fitzgerald of Belleview, Fla., 740 points, $5,000
Co-AOY – Edwin Bartlett of Casco, Maine, 765 points, $2,000
Southwestern Division:
Pro AOY – David Curtis of Trinity, Texas, 760 points, $5,000
Co-AOY – Robert Kessler of Spring, Texas, 762 points, $2,000
Western Division:
Pro AOY – Tai Au of Glendale, Ariz., 771 points, $5,000
Co-AOY – Zack Eggleston of Goleta, Calif., 749 points, $2,000
Final standings for each division can be found at FLWFishing.com.
The 2020 Toyota Series Championship at Lake Cumberland is set to take place next month, Dec. 3-5, in Burnside, Kentucky. The three-day, no-entry-fee event – hosted by the Somerset Tourist and Convention Commission and the Burnside Tourism Commission – features pros and co-anglers competing for a share of nearly $700,000, including a top prize of up to $235,000 for the winning pro and a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury for the winning co-angler.
Fall is for fishing small
Vance McCullough
Maybe not in terms of lure selection.
Big baits still catch big bass.
Smaller lures catch numbers; sometimes big bass among them.
But when it comes to lake selection, I like to go small in the fall. I pick little pothole ponds, swamps swollen with October rainfall or the back ends of flooded creeks where curios bass seek out terrestrial prey washed in during our wettest month.
I live in the deep, deep South along the Florida/Georgia border where November brings those chilly temperatures – daytime highs in low 80’s as opposed to nearly 90 degrees. Shortened days cool the water just the same and our fish do as most around the country do this time of year.
They roam.
That’s why I like small waters.
On the nearby St Johns River baitfish can be here today but gone tomorrow. Bass will often follow. I have to cover miles in search of the meandering schools, or I’ll likely do a lot more fishing than catching. That’s how it goes on the big water. But on my favorite little landlocked pond, tucked away beneath towering pines and blushing maples with bright red holly berries clumped behind stands of cattails, I have only a few acres to sort through in search of active fish. Among the reasons anglers enjoy fall fishing is the simple fact that many of their number have taken to hanging on tree stands in the hunting woods, and the ski boat navy has retired for the year.
Solitude is bliss.
To completely get away from the crowds, go to places that are less travelled to begin with. This is best accomplished via kayak or some small boat able to be dragged through the woods or up the streams beyond the reach of motorboats. Dumb, hungry fish feasting up like a family at the Thanksgiving table will make for a memorable trip. Water depth in such places is limited so tackle selection can be as well.
Take fun stuff – fast-moving topwater plugs and things that splash or spin. Keep moving. There are no suspended fish in three feet of water. I fish so shallow this time of year that the top is the bottom, and I can cover both on the same cast.
Yesterday, while bank fishing, I had a porty two-pounder blast my surface plug almost beneath my feet. The hookset swept him onto the bank in one swift, rod bending motion as braided line screeched in protest.
What the fight lacked in duration it made up for with intensity. I was reminded of one of my favorite quotes, “Those who have never horsed them have no idea what they can make you feel,” – Ernest Hemingway. Esteemed as much for his prowess with rod as with word, Hemingway was talking about trout fishing where the practice of hauling fish out in inglorious fashion was frowned upon by ‘sporting’ men. As did Hemingway, who was known to step outside a bar and brawl with bare knuckles on occasion, I enjoy a good fight, especially from a fish.
The bass, too, is a deep bellied bar room brawler looking to whoop some bait. It’s America’s fish for good reason. Quick and mean, the bass is that guy who could ‘win a fight in a phone booth’ or run you down from a block away. I’ve found that I can’t reel too fast this time of year. Speed triggers bites. If not, then I’m fishing in the wrong place and I need to move until I find feeding fish because, somewhere, they are chewing. Again, this is much easier to do on small waters where the fish are hemmed in and can’t swim to the next county. By eliminating variables (such as where fish are located and how deep they are positioned) you are controlling variables so you can focus the very few remaining variables (most notably, the speed of your retrieve).
This fall spend less time looking for a fight and more time scrapping with bass. Pick a fight in a phone booth.
Feider’s 9-pounder at Lake Fork wins him a Tundra
Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships
Seth Feider paced the front deck for nearly four days at Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest wondering if the 9-pound 9-ounce bass he caught on Day 1 of the tournament would be large enough to win him a brand-new Toyota Tundra.
In the end, the Lake Fork beast was the biggest bass of the history-rich event, and the mullet man from Minnesota grabbed the oversized trophy key like an air guitar at the final weigh-in Sunday afternoon.
“It’s been stressful. I’ve probably checked BASSTrakk more times than Patrick Walter’s mom to see if anybody had caught one bigger than me today,” said Feider.
The Tundra-winning bass bit a green gizzard shad-colored Ott’s Garage Rapala Slim tied to 12-pound line in 4 feet of water.
“I just want to thank Toyota for investing in the sport we all love, for sponsoring B.A.S.S., and supporting anglers the way they do. I really appreciate all Toyota does for bass fishing,” Feider told fans from the weigh-in stage.
The 381-HP Tundra, which is assembled in San Antonio, will certainly serve Feider well. Whether he’s driving down a dusty road in search of mallards this off season or towing his boat safely to the 2021 Bassmaster Classic in Fort Worth, he’ll always be thankful the 9-pounder he caught on Day 1 held-up for four days to earn him a brand-new Toyota.
