Thrift Leads on Day One of REDCREST 2021 Presented by Old Wisconsin Sausage on Lake Eufaula
North Carolina Pro Catches 13 Bass Weighing 45 Pounds Even, Full Field of 40 Anglers to Compete Again Tuesday
EUFAULA, Ala. (Feb. 22, 2021) – A field of the top 40 pros from the Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour converged on Lake Eufaula in Eufaula, Alabama, this morning for the start of REDCREST 2021, the Bass Pro Tour championship. The five-day competition, which awards a top cash prize of $300,000 to the winner, is being live-streamed online and filmed for television broadcast on CBS, the Discovery Channel and the Outdoor Channel.
Pro Bryan Thrift of Shelby, North Carolina, weighed in 13 bass totaling 45 pounds even, to take the early lead after Day One of the Qualifying Round. Thrift holds a 13-pound, 14-ounce, lead over Ott DeFoe of Blaine, Tennessee, who caught nine bass weighing 31-2, good for second place.
“Today went about as good as I could have imagined,” said Thrift in the post-game General Tire Take Out show. “It started out kind of slow – it took me an hour, an hour and a half to kind of figure out where the fish were setting. Once I found them, I ended up catching five or six on a jerkbait and a Damiki swimbait. When they quit, I went running around and caught a couple on a shaky-head and hit another spot and ended up catching a 7 (pounder) and a 5 (pounder). I couldn’t have asked for a better day.
“I’ve got about 50 rods on my deck, and I think I caught a bass on most of them today,” Thrift joked. “I caught fish on a lot of different baits. My big one came on a 4-inch swimbait with light line – when I first hooked it and was fighting it on the light line I felt like it was way too big to be a bass. I caught it with a 7-foot medium-heavy Fitzgerald Stunner rod paired with a (Abu Garcia) Revo MGX reel and P-Line Tactical 10-pound-test fluorocarbon line.”
With only the top 20 pros advancing after tomorrow’s day of competition, Thrift’s 30-pound cushion over 20th place will allow him to spend Tuesday’s day of competition expanding on his pattern and looking for new areas.
“I’m going to use tomorrow as a practice day,” Thrift went on to say. “I don’t think I have enough right now to win the event, so I’ve got to try to find more. There are going to be a lot of fish in new water in the next few days – we’re looking at three days of sunshine and 70-degree weather. The water is going to warm a lot, and these fish could change up really quickly. It’s almost March in Southern Alabama, so these fish are ready to spawn. Two or three of these hot sunny days, they can push up shallow. The first person to find that can definitely win this event, so I’m going to spend a lot of time looking for that tomorrow.”
Like Thrift, DeFoe credited a jerkbait as a big part of his success today as well.
“I switched up to the jerkbait this morning and that was the big player for me today,” DeFoe said. “The 13 Fishing Loco Special was the deal. Those fish wanted something a little slower, something you could pause and let hang right in front of their faces. I did catch a really nice one late in the day on a Terminator Pro Series spinnerbait, but the jerkbait was key. I feel like I’m in pretty good shape and all in all, today was a great start. I’ve got a little bit of a cushion, so tomorrow I’m going to try to find something else for later this week to go with what I’ve got.”
The top 20 pros after Day One on Lake Eufaula are:
1st: Bryan Thrift of Shelby, N.C., 13 bass, 45-0
2nd: Ott DeFoe of Blaine, Tenn., nine bass, 31-2
3rd: Stephen Browning of Hot Springs, Ark., nine bass, 26-4
4th: Brent Chapman of Lake Quivira, Kan., nine bass, 26-3
5th: Andy Morgan of Dayton, Tenn., seven bass, 26-3
6th: Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Mich., six bass, 20-10
7th: Zack Birge of Blanchard, Okla., five bass, 20-9
8th: Mark Davis of Mount Ida, Ark., five bass, 20-8
9th: Takahiro Omori of Tokyo, Japan, six bass, 19-15
10th: Andy Montgomery of Blacksburg, S.C., six bass, 18-9
11rh: Alton Jones Jr. of Waco, Texas, six bass, 17-5
12th: Dustin Connell of Clanton, Ala., five bass, 15-5
13th: Fred Roumbanis of Russellville, Ark., six bass, 15-2
14th: Mark Rose of Wynne, Ark., five bass, 14-11
15th: David Dudley of Lynchburg, Va., three bass, 13-7
16th: Randall Tharp of Port St. Joe, Fla., four bass, 12-14
17th: Anthony Gagliardi of Prosperity, S.C., five bass, 12-5
18th: Scott Suggs of Alexander, Ark., three bass, 11-13
19th: Wesley Strader of Spring City, Tenn., four bass, 9-14
20th: Jacob Wheeler of Harrison, Tenn., two bass, 9-10
A complete list of results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Overall, there were 156 bass weighing 492 pounds, 8 ounces caught by 38 pros on Monday, which included one 7-pounder, one 6-pounder and 11 5-pounders caught from Lake Eufaula.
Thrift won Monday’s $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award, weighing in a 7-pound, 1-ounce largemouth during Period 2. Berkley will award $1,000 to the angler that weighs the biggest bass each day, and a $7,000 bonus to the angler who weighs the largest bass of the tournament.
REDCREST 2021 Presented by Old Wisconsin Sausage, the Bass Pro Tour championship at Lake Eufaula, is hosted by the Eufaula Barbour County Chamber of Commerce.
All 40 Anglers compete on Day 1 (Monday) and 2 (Tuesday) of the event. After two days of competition, the field is cut to just the top 20 based on two-day total cumulative weight. The remaining 20 anglers are split into two groups – 10 compete on Day 3 (Wednesday) and 10 compete on Day 4 (Thursday). The top five anglers from each group based on total single-day weight will advance to the fifth and final day of competition (Friday), where weights are zeroed and the angler that catches the highest total weight on the final day will be crowned the REDCREST 2021 champion.
Attendance is limited to competing anglers, essential staff and media covering the event only. Fans are encouraged to follow the event online through the MLF NOW!® live stream and SCORETRACKER® coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com
The 2020 Bass Pro Tour featured a field of 80 of the top professional anglers in the world competing in a COVID-shortened five regular-season tournaments around the country. The top 40 anglers in the Angler of the Year (AOY) standings after the five events qualified to compete in Bass Pro Shops REDCREST 2021 presented by Old Wisconsin Sausage.
The MLF NOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee, Marty Stone and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action each day of competition from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. MLF NOW!® will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com. and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app.
Television coverage of REDCREST 2021 presented by Old Wisconsin Sausage, the Bass Pro Tour championship, will be showcased across two two-hour episodes, premiering at 7 a.m. ET, July 3 on the Discovery Channel. A one-hour special episode of MLF Inside the REDCREST will premiere at 2 p.m. ET, Sunday, July 18 on CBS. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on the Discovery Channel, with additional re-airings on the Outdoor Channel and the Sportsman Channel. Each two-hour long reality-based episode goes in-depth to break down each day of competition.
For complete details and updated information on 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.
Larry Walters and Shane Patterson win Alabama Bass Trail South Lake Martin with 13.91 pounds
By Jason Duran
Photos: Chris Brown
Lake Martin hosted the Alabama Bass Trail South division for the start of another season. After a deep freeze blanketed the south for nearly a week, anglers arrived Saturday morning to find the weather on what some would consider to be a warming trend. Fishing conditions were blue bird skies with temps in the 50s at midday, causing many anglers to adapt after a very cold practice. Catching fish isn’t typically a problem at Lake Martin with teams often catching over 30-50 fish a day, and the winning bag being anchored with a five pounder. The team of Larry Walters and Shane Patterson broke outside the numbers to bring home the win on the first stop of the ABT South Division.
Larry Walters and Shane Patterson made a 35 mile run in 27 degree temps past Parker Creek to a spot they found in practice to be holding fish. When they arrived, they quickly went to work and “caught a fish within ten minutes, but after that it kind of went dry,” said Shane. They cycled through about 12-15 spots fishing brush piles and were able to boat a limit of just 6 pounds. With that small limit about noon they returned to their starting spot, and this time the fish were ready. Here they caught a key 5-pound fish which was the kicker to put them over the top.
They targeted fish in 30 feet of water using a Ned rig with a ¼ oz round head teamed up with a green pumpkin senko, cut down to 4 inches. Larry said the real key for them “was using 6-pound test line fishing that deep.” He said, “the fish that deep are line shy and you really have to have small line.” They weighed in a mixed bag of four spotted bass and one largemouth. The team expected it to take over 16 pounds to win, so with just 13.91, they were excited to claim the win and the $10,000 first place check.
David Newman and Chris Patterson caught 13.25 for second place. The team said practice was really tough for them. They “found a spot on the last afternoon of practice where they felt they could scratch out a limit then go off-shore and hope to maybe catch 8 pounds.” Shane said “that was the plan, and by 7:30 I caught a 4.5 pounds spot helping us realize the big fish were starting to move up shallow and we needed to stay” in that spot.
They described their most productive spot as a rocky point with docks for cover. “It had a shelf in 5 to 6 feet of water where we felt fish might come up and spawn and stage under the docks.” They spent most of the morning in this area “flipping to the dock corners in 12 feet of water and dragging it out to 20 feet.” Their key baits were a homemade ¼ oz and 3/8 oz shaky head paired up with a green pumpkin blue flake trick worm and a smoke and purple trick worm.
They said, “once the sun came up high and the water calmed, our bite changed. We got a limit and culled up three times, but at 11:00 the bite died so we made a run up the lake to try and get a big largemouth. We were unable to get anything to bite.”
With 12.81 Rob Lee and Steve Winslett finished third. They are no strangers to Lake Martin winning here in 2019 with over 20 pounds and a 4thplace finish here in the ABT Championship. Practice was very productive for them locating fish up shallow in 2 feet of water or less. “The cold weather doesn’t bother these fish, and once they commit up shallow they stay. Today was much different for us than practice; the blue bird skies really hurt us today.”
They started their morning with the hopes to catch 10 pounds of spotted bass on their first spot and then go shallow. In practice Steve said he caught a 2 pounder and when he got it to the boat, there were others chasing trying to get his bait away from the other fish. They describe this area as a high spot with a rock pile going into a spawning pocket, in about 10 feet of water. A ¼ oz Davis Baits shaky head with a Zoom trick worm in Alabama craw and one in green pumpkin were their key spotted bass baits. They were only able to catch two fish on this spot, so they had to make the move shallow.
They spent the rest of the day fishing shallow brush piles with a “homemade jig in black and blue using a Big Salty Trailer in black and blue and one in green pumpkin orange.” Fishing about 50-70 brush piles to finish out their limit in the afternoon, they caught two big largemouth: one weighing about 5 pounds and the other about 4.25 pounds. Their bites were very few and they only boated 8 fish all day.
Top five standings are below. For a complete list see https://www.alabamabasstrail.org/tournament-series/lm-results/
Download and listen to the ABT Podcast on your favorite Podcast app by searching for “Alabama Bass Trail Podcast.” The Podcast is released each week on Tuesday. This week podcast will feature winners Larry Walters and Shane Patterson.
KVD MLF REDCREST: Throwing blades and eating pork
(Editors Note: This is the first of a series of short daily accounts of Kevin VanDam’s MLF REDCREST event this week as told to Alan McGuckin of Dynamic Sponsorships.)
With high muddy water, Kevin VanDam and the rest of the field at the Major League Fishing REDCREST Championship on Lake Eufaula, Alabama are hungry for just a handful of good keepers today.
And when it’s time for lunch, the angler most consider the greatest of all time will satiate his appetite with a pulled pork sandwich.
“When I thought we were headed to Lake Palestine in East Texas where all the residents, restaurants and stores had been so badly affected by ice and snow, I filled-up on plenty of my own groceries including some pulled pork that I brought in a cooler I packed in my Tundra,” grinned VanDam prior to Monday’s take-off.
As far as ‘groceries’ he plans to feed Eufaula’s largemouth, he says a spinnerbait and Strike King’s Thunder Cricket vibrating jig will be major players in the high muddy 48-degree water. He’ll mix in a structure jig and a medium diving crankbait as back-ups.
“The biggest X-factor this week is the weather because we’re starting with heavy clouds, passing rain, and pretty cold water, but we have lots of sunshine coming this way, and it’s going to change everything for the better – big time – as this tournament progresses,” says an optimistic VanDam.
He practiced until dark Sunday on the only allotted practice day, then worked on prepping tackle until 9:30 p.m. while his buddy who owns the lakeside home he’s staying in grilled them a steak.
But today, it’s pulled pork. And hopefully seven or eight keeper bites that will total around 17 pounds based on what VanDam predicts it will take to do well. And as of this writing at 11:00 a.m., according to SCORETRACKER™, he was more than halfway there.
Washam Goes Wire-to-Wire, Wins Toyota Series Event on Lake Guntersville presented by Googan Baits
Tennessee Pro Wins by 5-pound, 10-ounce margin, Earns $55,650
GUNTERSVILLE, Ala. (Feb. 20, 2021) – Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit angler Jimmy Washam of Covington, Tennessee, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Friday weighing 18 pounds, 15 ounces to win the three-day Toyota Series presented by A.R.E. at Lake Guntersville presented by Googan Baits in Guntersville, Alabama. Washam led the event wire-to-wire, and his three-day total of 15 bass weighing 58-5 earned him the win by a 5-pound, 10-ounce margin over second-place angler Sloan Pennington of Childersburg, Alabama . Washam earned the top payout of $55,650 in the first tournament of the 2021 Toyota Series Central Division presented by Neat Companies.
Looking back on the three-day tournament, Washam said Day 1 was a grind, with only two fish in the livewell by noon; however, he just happened to land on them later in the day.
“I went back to an earlier spot I’d fished, and they were just turned on,” he said. “They were trying to take the [bladed jig] out of my hand. I caught the 7-5 and the 4 [pounder] in the last 10 minutes.”
Washam brought in his smallest bag of the tournament on Thursday (Day 2), but it was big enough to provide him with a 5-plus-pound lead going into the final day.
His pattern throughout the week was a carbon copy of most other anglers in the field.
“The fish were in the grass,” he said. “That was no secret.”
Like most pros, Washam had an array of rods and baits on the front deck, but the one lure he said he depended on the most on Lake Guntersville was a Profound Outdoors Azuma Shaker Z lipless crankbait.
“They just really ate it this week,” he said. “It’s got more of a subtle action and a good flutter to it. Out of all the lipless crankbaits I tried in practice, it was the one that got the most bites.”
The top 10 pros on Lake Guntersville finished:
1st: Jimmy Washam of Covington, Tenn., 15 bass, 58-5, $55,650
2nd: Sloan Pennington of Childersburg, Ala., 15 bass, 52-11, $22,000
3rd: Jeff McLain of Columbus, Miss., 15 bass, 48-11, $15,250
4th: Ethan Greene Tracy of Eufaula, Ala., 15 bass, 46-3, $13,250
5th: Brennon McCord of Thompsonville, Ill., 15 bass, 46-1, $13,250
6th: Blake Hall of Guntersville, Ala., 14 bass, 44-6, $9,625
7th: Terry Fisher of Madison, Ala., 15 bass, 43-8, $8,300
8th: Mickey Beck of Lebanon, Tenn., 10 bass, 35-4, $7,300
9th: Cody Nichols of Fayette, Ala., 12 bass, 34-9, $6,300
10th: Steve Lopez of Oconomowoc, Wisc., 10 bass, 29-9, $4,700
A complete list of results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Washam also won the Berkley Big Bass award in the pro division Wednesday, with a largemouth weighing 7 pounds, 5 ounces. Greg Lamb of Birchwood, Tennessee, won Thursday’s Berkley Big Bass award in the pro division, bringing an 8-pound, 9-ounce bass to the scale. Both anglers earned an additional $150.
McCord took home an extra $1,000 as the highest finishing Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus member. Boaters are eligible to win up to an extra $35,000 per event in each Toyota Series tournament if all requirements are met. More information on the Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.
Larry Franks, Jr. of Wilsonville, Alabama, won the Strike King Co-angler Division Friday with a three-day total of 14 bass weighing 41 pounds, 11 ounces. Franks took home the top prize package of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard motor.
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers on Lake Guntersville finished:
1st: Larry Franks, Jr. of Wilsonville, Ala., 14 bass, 41-11, Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat w/115-hp outboard
2nd: Keith Newsom of Memphis, Tenn., 12 bass, 36-4, $6,625
3rd: Zach Britton of Hazel Green, Ala., 10 bass, 28-5, $5,300
4th: Wayne Crouch of Jamestown, Tenn., nine bass, 26-1, $4,150
5th: Hayden Marbut of Birmingham, Ala., nine bass, 25-15, $3,650
6th: Shane Combs of New Hope, Ala., eight bass, 23-1, $3,150
7th: Jared Murphree of Toney, Ala., nine bass, 22-12, $2,650
8th: Blake Lewis of Pace, Fla., seven bass, 21-5, $2,075
9th: Alex Moore of Chester, Ill., seven bass, 20-14, $1,630
10th: Terry Ezzell of Russellville, Ala., seven bass, 19-9, $1,390
In the co-angler division, the Day One Berkley Big Bass award winner was Kyle Roy of Jamestown, Kentucky, with a 6-pound, 7-ounce bass, while the Day Two award went to Adam Slupcznynski of Austell, Georgia, with an 8-pound, 5-ounce bass. Both anglers earned a $100 bonus.
The Toyota Series at Lake Guntersville was presented by Googan Baits and was hosted by the Marshall County Convention and Visitors Bureau. It was the first of three regular-season tournaments in 2021 for anglers in the Central Division presented by Neat Companies. The next event for Toyota Series anglers will take place March 4-6 – the Toyota Series at Lake of the Ozarks presented by Fenwick in Osage Beach, Missouri. For a complete schedule, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The 2021 Toyota Series presented by A.R.E. consists of six divisions – Central, Northern, Plains, Southern, Southwestern and Western – each holding three regular-season events, along with the International division. Anglers who fish all three qualifiers in any of the eight divisions and finish in the top 25 will qualify for the no-entry-fee Toyota Series presented by A.R.E. Championship for a shot at winning $235,000 cash, including a $35,000 Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus for qualified anglers. The winning Strike King co-angler at the championship earns a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard.
The 2021 Toyota Series Championship presented by A.R.E. will be held Oct. 28-30 on Pickwick Lake in Counce, Tennessee, and is hosted by the Hardin County Convention and Visitors Bureau.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Toyota Series presented by A.R.E. on the MLF BIG5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
Second Bassmaster Elite Series Event Of 2021 Set For Tennessee River In Knoxville
The waters of Fort Loudoun Reservoir and Tellico Lake will play host to the Bassmaster Elite at Tennessee River Feb. 25-28.
Photo by B.A.S.S.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Although it was the first time Knoxville had hosted a Bassmaster event, the 2019 Bassmaster Classic was one of the most memorable Classics ever, particularly for sixth-place finisher Brandon Lester, who was floored by the support from his fellow Tennesseans.
“It was awesome. It made me proud to be from Tennessee, it really did,” the Elite Series veteran from Fayetteville, Tenn., said. “Putting in right next to Neyland Stadium was a really cool experience. We had massive crowds every morning cheering us on, and it was really a cool deal. I was excited when I saw Knoxville pop back up on the schedule this year, and I’m definitely looking forward to getting back up there.
“I’m hoping I can tap back into what I found in practice then and pick up where I left off a little bit.”
Competition for the Bassmaster Elite at Tennessee River will be Feb. 25-28 on the waters of Fort Loudoun Reservoir and Tellico Lake. Daily takeoffs will be at 7 a.m. ET from Calhoun’s On The River Boat Dock. Weigh-ins on Days 1 and 2 will be held at 3 p.m. at Volunteer Landing Marina before shifting to World’s Fair Park Performance Lawn for Days 3 and 4.
With the exception of this week’s frigid weather, Lester said Eastern Tennessee has had a fairly mild winter and the Tennessee River has avoided any major flooding. He said that should set up for a tournament similar to that 2019 Classic, which Knoxville resident Ott DeFoe won with a three-day total of 49-3.
“Most of the fish caught were caught in less than 6 or 7 feet, which is typical of the Tennessee River this time of the year, and I don’t see it being any different,” Lester said. “I figure it will be another late winter to early spring prespawn. I think it will still be won shallow, predominantly with largemouth.”
Current plays a key role on this section of the Tennessee River, Lester said, and it provides several different options for anglers to target, including flats, creeks, bluff walls and rock transitions. He said bridges could also come into play, along with boat docks. Shallow-running crankbaits, jigs, bladed jigs and spinnerbaits will be productive lures, with jerkbaits coming into play if the water clarity is right.
Largemouth and smallmouth are the dominant species, but a keeper smallmouth bass must measure at least 18 inches. Lester said while very few anglers went to Tellico in the 2019 Classic, the lake has big smallmouth and anglers that figure out the bite in that lake have a chance to excel.
“Tellico is kind of the X factor. In that Classic last time, I think there were only a couple of guys who fished on Tellico Lake. It is a lot clearer and it has some big smallmouth, but nobody really tapped into that,” Lester said. “If somebody ever does, smallmouth may be a bigger player than they were in that Classic. There is a good population of them on Loudoun as well, and you will see them show up.
“There will be some mixed bags, just like last time. As a matter of fact, on the third day of the Classic, I think I had 18 pounds and had two big smallmouth in my bag. There is always that chance of catching a big smallmouth.”
While 8- to 10-pound fish are a rarity on Loudoun and Tellico, Lester said there could be a couple of bags over 20 pounds weighed, and a four-day total of 64 pounds will likely be hard to beat.
The full field of anglers will fish the first two days, with only the Top 50 advancing to the semifinal round on Saturday. The Top 10 remaining anglers will fish Championship Sunday with a $100,000 first-place prize on the line.
Live coverage for all four days of the event can be streamed on Bassmaster.com and the FOX Sports digital platforms. FS1 will also broadcast live from the tournament beginning at 8 a.m. ET on Saturday and Sunday.
Texas Reservoir To Host Bassmaster Kayak Series National Championship
February 19, 2021
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — After kicking off the inaugural tournament at the 50th Bassmaster Classic in March 2020, the country’s best kayak anglers are Classic-bound once more, this time competing for a National Championship trophy and over $97,000 in prizes. Officials have announced that the Bassmaster B.A.S.S. Nation Kayak Series National Championship will be held at Possum Kingdom Lake in Mineral Wells, Texas, as part of festivities surrounding the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk in nearby Fort Worth.
The National Championship at Possum Kingdom Lake will be a two-day event, June 9-10, 2021. The awards ceremony will be held on the Bassmaster Classic stage at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth on June 11 prior to the Day 1 Classic weigh-in.
“With this new trail, we wanted to give kayak anglers an opportunity to show what they can do from a small craft,” B.A.S.S. Nation Director Jon Stewart said. “Both the anglers and host communities have embraced these tournaments during the first season and we’re looking forward to 2021 and to naming our first Kayak National Champion in June.
“It’s just one more opportunity for bass anglers. That’s what we’re all about.”
Possum Kingdom Lake, located in the rugged canyon country of the Brazos River Valley, was the first water supply reservoir constructed in the Brazos River basin and is renowned for offering some of the clearest water in the southwest.
After launching the Kayak Series 2020 season on Logan Martin Lake in Pell City, Ala., the series made stops at Lake Fork in Alba, Texas, Mississippi River in La Crosse, Wis., Clear Lake in Lakeport, Calif., and concluded the season at Chickamauga Lake in Dayton, Tenn.
Among the anticipated field of 270 anglers who qualified for the National Championship will be 2020 event winners Jim Davis of Knoxville, Tenn., Cody Milton of Heber Springs, Ark., Barry Davis of Startex, S.C., Rus Snyders of Nashville, Tenn., and Tyler Cole of Hopkinton, Iowa. B.A.S.S. officials will be contacting all eligible participants with tournament specifics and registration information.
Instead of a standard weigh-in that uses scales to measure pounds and ounces, anglers will practice “catch, photograph and release” to determine the standings.
When an angler catches a bass, he or she will photograph the fish lying on a standard-issue measuring board and submit the photo through a special mobile app provided by TourneyX. The boards will measure each fish in inches down to a quarter of an inch, and the angler with the longest five-bass limit will win.
For more information, visit Bassmaster.com/kayak.
Major League Fishing Shifts REDCREST 2021 to Alabama’s Lake Eufaula
| Inclement Weather Forces Tournament Organization to Shift Championship Event to Lake Eufaula – Bass Fishing Capital of the World
EUFAULA, Ala. (Feb. 18, 2021) – Major League Fishing announced today that due to the winter storms, inclement weather, and uncertain conditions in Texas and the entire Southern region, REDCREST 2021 presented by Old Wisconsin Sausage, the Bass Pro Tour Championship, has been shifted to Lake Eufaula in Eufaula, Alabama. The tournament dates and competition schedule will remain the same – practice will start for the anglers on Sunday, Feb. 21 and the tournament will take place Monday through Friday, Feb. 22-26, on Lake Eufaula at Lakepoint State Park. “We’ve exhausted every option available to try to remain at Lake Palestine, but with the disaster-like conditions that the area is currently facing we couldn’t, as an organization, come in and use their valuable resources – water, electricity, food, hotel rooms – and celebrate our championship event when the local community is suffering,” said Michael Mulone, MLF Senior Director of Events & Partnerships. “We are grateful for our relationship with the Villages Marina, the Holiday Inn Conference Center in Tyler and the entire region. “We are also extremely grateful to Ann Sparks and the Eufaula Chamber, Mayor Jack Tibbs, Lakepoint State Park and the Eufaula community,” Mulone continued. “We were facing a very tough situation and they have welcomed us with open arms. We’ve held several successful events at Lake Eufaula in the past and we’re comforted knowing that we’re still going to be able to pull off our championship event next week on an absolute world-class fishery.” “It wouldn’t be Major League Fishing without a curveball being thrown at us,” said Ott DeFoe, who serves on the MLF angler advisory board. “All things considered, this was absolutely the right decision. I was very excited to fish at Lake Palestine, but with the weather conditions they have faced over the last week it wouldn’t have been right to roll into town and try to hold a bass-fishing tournament. I look forward to when we get to fish there. But, Lake Eufaula is a fantastic secondary option. I can’t believe everything came together as quickly as it did. I’m excited to get out there next week and compete for $300,000 and to try to become a REDCREST champion.” All 40 anglers will compete on Days 1 (Monday) and 2 (Tuesday) of the event. After two days of competition, the field is cut to just the top 20 based on two-day total cumulative weight. The remaining 20 anglers are split into two groups – 10 compete on Day 3 (Wednesday) and 10 compete on Day 4 (Thursday). The top five anglers from each group based on total single-day weight will advance to the sixth and final day of competition (Friday), where weights are zeroed and the angler that catches the highest total weight on the final day will be crowned the REDCREST 2021 champion. Due to COVID-19 protocols, attendance at the tournament is limited to competing anglers, essential staff and media covering the event. Fans are encouraged to follow the event online through the MLF NOW!® live stream and SCORETRACKER® coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com The MLF NOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee, Marty Stone and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action on all five days of competition from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. MLF NOW!® will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com. and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app. For complete details and the latest 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. |
Plano Renews Sponsorship with Major League Fishing
Leading Supplier of Plastic Organizational Products Renews as Official Sponsor of Major League Fishing Cup and Bass Pro Tour events
TULSA, Okla. (Feb. 18, 2021) – Major League Fishing (MLF), the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, announced today that Plano Molding, an industry leader in outdoor equipment protection and storage solutions, has extended its sponsorship agreement through the 2021 season.
“Plano’s EDGE™ series of tackle organizers give our anglers the advantage they need across all levels of MLF tournaments,” said MLF President and CEO Jim Wilburn. “Competitive anglers know that they don’t have any time to waste. They need to be able to grab the right bait at a moment’s notice, and Plano’s innovative solutions make that possible. We are excited to feature Plano across our media platforms and look forward to continuing our successful partnership.”
Plano will receive exposure through MLF’s website and social media communities and will be the presenting sponsor of the Tackle Box Challenge, a fun feature segment produced for web, social and in-show broadcast that showcases various MLF pro anglers trying to guess which of their fellow anglers a tackle box belongs to. The brand will also be prominently featured in the filmed-for-television MLF Cup events, including logos on the angler jerseys and wrapped boats.
“The top pros have been using Plano storage for years. All you have to do is look in their boats and you will see dozens of Plano boxes in use, so really we have always been a part of tournament fishing,” commented Chris Russell, Marketing Director for Plano Molding. “We work closely with many of the best anglers to create storage solutions that give them an edge on the water and we are looking forward to showcasing that with the MLF fans.”
For more information about MLF, their tournaments and sponsors, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. To learn more about Plano, visit PlanoMolding.com.
Batteries Plus Announces Partnership with RELiON Battery
Retailer will offer RELiON lithium batteries in over 170 stores across the U.S.
CHARLOTTE, N.C., and HARTLAND, WI (February 18, 2021) – In celebration of National Battery Day, the nation’s largest and fastest-growing battery, light bulb, key fob and repair franchise, Batteries Plus, is pleased to announce a new agreement with global lithium battery company, RELiON Battery. The company announced today the addition of RELiON’s lithium battery products in select stores across the U.S. With increasing consumer demand for lithium batteries, Batteries Plus aims to provide customers with an alternative to conventional lead-acid batteries as lithium batteries are inherently lightweight, have a longer life and charge quickly, among many other benefits.
“As the nation’s leading battery retailer, we are always looking for opportunities to build mutually beneficial partnerships and that is exactly what RELiON offers,” said Shawn Budiac, VP Category Management for Batteries Plus. “As a leader in manufacturing lithium iron phosphate
batteries, RELiON offers a high-quality solution for our customers looking to elevate their battery needs for outdoor recreational vehicles, solar energy systems and commercial applications.”
RELiON Battery is leading the industry with innovative power options as many consumers shift to lithium batteries for high power applications such as bass fishing, sailing, recreational vehicles, overland, solar, electric vehicles, and more. RELiON’s lithium batteries are built to withstand harsh environmental elements, while being maintenance-free and highly efficient. They allow those seeking an outdoor lifestyle to do so without worrying if their batteries will last.
“We are thrilled to bring our lithium battery solutions to Batteries Plus customers across the U.S.,” said RELiON Battery CEO Paul Hecimovich. “RELiON and Batteries Plus have the same goal: to provide reliable, long-lasting power so customers can go where they want, when they want with ease. We look forward to this partnership and continuing to bring industry-leading lithium batteries to the forefront.”
Batteries Plus will offer customers RELiON’s most popular lithium products, including 12V, 24V and 48V batteries that can power all types of equipment. In addition, customers that purchase RELiON Battery products are also supporting the planet, as the company donates 1% of annual revenue to nonprofits fighting for a healthier and more sustainable environment.
To learn more about Batteries Plus and RELiON Battery, visit batteriesplus.com and relionbattery.com.
Marathon To Sponsor Bassmaster Studios And Tournament Trail
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Marathon Petroleum Corporation, which operates the nation’s largest refining system and thousands of retail locations from coast to coast, has signed on as the title sponsor for Bassmaster Studios and as a Supporting Sponsor for the Bassmaster Tournament Trail, B.A.S.S. officials announced today.
“Marathon has always helped Americans fuel their passion, and millions of people have discovered — or rediscovered — a passion for fishing in the past year,” said B.A.S.S. CEO Bruce Akin. “We are proud to help Marathon reach our anglers and fans. Whether anglers are traveling to a dream destination or hauling their boat to home waters, Marathon is sure to be nearby to help them reach their destination.”
“In 2021, we’re all looking for new places to explore,” said John Rice, Marathon’s Manager–Advertising & Brand Management. “It’s a new year and a chance to see how far we can go. Bassmaster is the perfect opportunity for Marathon to dive into an incredible partnership.”
Beginning with the Bassmaster Elite Series season-opener last week on Florida’s St. Johns River, Marathon will be heavily featured during the award-winning Bassmaster LIVE show. The show, which is broadcast on FS1 and streamed on Bassmaster.com and the FOX Sports digital platforms, will be hosted from the Marathon Bassmaster Studios.
“A new season always comes with an extra measure of excitement and this 2021 season has definitely got that,” said Bassmaster LIVE Host Tommy Sanders. “We have an expanded field with some very impressive anglers, plus the newly christened Marathon Bassmaster Studios represents a terrific new partnership for the new year.”
As a Supporting Sponsor for the Bassmaster Elite Series, Basspro.com Bassmaster Opens Series, Carhartt Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School Series presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors, Bassmaster Team Championship and the grass-roots TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation regional and championship tournaments, Marathon will enjoy exposure in Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times magazines and across various social media platforms. Among the new Marathon-sponsored content will be new “Peak Performance” interviews which focus on the pros’ winning ways and aim to help anglers of all levels improve their own techniques.
“Partnering with Bassmaster makes perfect sense,” said Rice. “At Marathon, we focus on providing quality fuels to achieve peak performance. At Bassmaster, anglers need to reach their peak performance to come out on top. It’s really a perfect partnership when you think about it.”
Professional Angler Terry “Big Show” Scroggins Starts 15th Year with Toyota Pro Angler Reaches Milestone with Automaker as his Title Sponsor
Palatka, Fla. – February 2, 2021 - Professional bass fisherman Terry “Big Show” Scroggins has accumulated plenty of accolades throughout his eighteen-year fishing career, but 2021 represents a special milestone for Scroggins; 15 years of partnership with Toyota trucks.
The Palatka, Florida native represents Toyota on the Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour tournament trail along with sponsors such as Triton Boats, Carhartt apparel, Mercury Marine, Power Pole, and Mud Hole Custom Tackle.
There have been plenty of changes during Scroggins’ stint as a pro fisherman, but treating others how he’d want to be treated, widespread respect from his peers, and loyalty to Toyota have remained constant themes.
Scroggins is a favorite among fans and competitors alike. Whether he’s on the water competing, helping a fellow angler troubleshoot their equipment, or grilling up rib eye steaks for tournament staff you can bet Scroggins is wearing a Toyota hat and a smile.
“I’m proud to be a part of Team Toyota for a long list of reasons,” explained Scroggins. “Not only does Toyota support me, they support the fishing industry as a whole. They sponsor every major bass fishing league in the country and facilitate the Toyota Bonus Bucks program, which rewards anglers whether they’re a pro or a weekend warrior. If you fish, Toyota has your back.”
Scroggins estimates he’s logged nearly a million miles in a Toyota Tundra – almost entirely while towing a bass boat. More impressive than his mileage total is Scroggins’ complete lack of major mechanical failures or issues.
He said it is the reliability of his Tundra that would make it his choice regardless. “I would be using a Toyota Tundra to tow my tournament rig across the country even if I wasn’t representing the brand,” said Scroggins. “In order to make a living on a professional fishing trail, you have to show up no matter the conditions; my Toyota Tundra has gotten me there every time without anything other than standard maintenance; if only the fishing was that dependable.”
In between long hauls Scroggins has accrued over $2 million in tournament winnings, which includes five professional wins and eleven trips to the Bassmaster Classic. Pretty impressive for a former automotive painter turned full-time tournament angler, after local performances offered the opportunity to compete at a professional level. With his success, Scroggins gratitude and loyalty to his supporters has never waivered.
The Bass Pro Tour tournament season kicks off March 21st on the legendary Sam Rayburn Reservoir for Scroggins and his fellow competitors. This east Texas fishery is rich with fishing history and is famous for big bass. After undergoing a total knee replacement in the fall of 2020 to “fix his bad wheel”, Scroggins is excited to put on a “Big Show” in 2021.
About Terry “Big Show” Scroggins
Known as “Big Show” MLF angler Terry Scroggins has lived up to his nickname throughout his career. the Florida native is a veteran of hundreds of professional fishing tournaments, Scroggins has claimed five victories, 47 top 10 finishes and earned more than $1.9-million in his professional fishing career, and was a member of the four-man team that won the very first Toyota Texas Bass Classic in 2007. His sponsors include Toyota, Triton, Boat Mercury, Carhartt, Power-Pole, Mud Hole, T-H Marine, Stanford Baits, Minn Kota, Humminbird and Lew's. Follow him on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/bigshowscroggins, on Twitter at https://twitter.com/terry_scroggins and Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/bigshowscroggins.
Major League Fishing Announces Champions Club Membership Program
Membership Offering Includes New Bass Fishing Tackle Subscription and Webinars tied to the MLF Bass Pro Tour
TULSA, Okla. (Feb. 18, 2021) – As part of several new membership program offerings from Major League Fishing (MLF) in 2021, MLF recently announced the Champions Club, a unique fishing subscription service tailored specifically to anglers looking to take their skills to the next level with content and products from the sport’s top pros and industry-leading brands. Champions Club is available for preorder now and will officially launch in March, with the first subscription boxes delivered in just a few weeks.
The MLF Champions Club is the first and only monthly subscription service that follows a professional bass fishing tour, offering a wide variety of benefits including five to six premium lures from industry-leading brands delivered each month, exclusive discount codes on fishing gear and outdoor products, exclusive webinars and an 8x10 Champion’s Collectors Photo, along with opportunities to win loads of free product through monthly members-only Champions Challenges.
“The Champions Club is the premier monthly tackle subscription in the industry and a no-brainer for bass anglers that are looking to learn how to perfect the same baits that we throw out on the Bass Pro Tour,” said Berkley Baits pro Jordan Lee, the 2020 Bass Pro Tour Angler of the Year.
Each month subscribers will find a new Champions Club subscription box at their doorstep. The MLF team is constantly working with professional anglers and top brands to identify the hottest baits on the market. These premium selections are sourced from all over the industry and hand-picked for inclusion in each pack. Each product included in the Champions Club is accompanied by an in-depth, how-to video to maximize its effectiveness on the water.
In addition to sourcing the premium lures, MLF has also partnered with top outdoor brands to provide exclusive discounts to Champions Club members. Discount offerings will change each month, including offers on items such as rods, reels, baits, equipment, sunglasses, apparel and other outdoor products.
A Champions Club subscription is $29.99 per month, with each monthly pack containing an estimated value of $150.
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.
Major League Fishing Adds Old Wisconsin Sausage to Sponsorship Lineup
Premier Provider of Premium Hand-Crafted Naturally Smoked Meat Snacks Signs on as Presenting Sponsor of REDCREST 2021
TULSA, Okla. (Feb. 17, 2021) – Major League Fishing (MLF), the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, has announced a sponsorship agreement with Old Wisconsin Sausage, a leading provider of premium, hand-crafted, naturally-smoked meat snacks for the 2021 season. The agreement marks the first time that Old Wisconsin Sausage will enter into the fishing and outdoors realm and market to the loyal MLF consumer base.
“When the opportunity arose for us to collaborate with Major League Fishing to become the presenting sponsor of the REDCREST Tournament, we jumped on it immediately,” said Tom Buddig, Executive Vice President of Old Wisconsin. “Expanding the Old Wisconsin Sausage consumer marketing efforts to grow brand awareness and product sales, while strengthening its relationships with retail partners, has been a No. 1 priority for the company. It’s exciting to know this national sponsorship will allow the brand a chance to significantly expand its promotional footprint and to engage with Major League Fishing fans in a meaningful way. Our end goal is to delight as many consumers as possible with the Old Wisconsin, great-tasting, hard-wood smoked sausage snacks. And this partnership provides a certain avenue to help us accomplish it.”
As part of the agreement, the Sheboygan, Wisconsin-based company will receive exposure through multiple MLF outlets, including the MLF website and social media communities, as well as the presenting sponsorship of REDCREST 2021, the Bass Pro Tour Championship, scheduled for Feb. 22-26 at Lake Palestine in Flint, Texas. Old Wisconsin Sausage will also run a sweepstakes contest in 2021 with the top prize being a day on the water fishing with MLF pro angler Edwin Evers.
“Old Wisconsin Sausages are a quality product that we are thrilled to be partnering with,” said MLF President and CEO Jim Wilburn. “Their line of smoked meat snacks are a perfect fit with Major League Fishing. In the boat, in the car, or at home, Old Wisconsin Sausages are a delicious snack that can be enjoyed anywhere. We look forward to an extremely successful partnership, starting with REDCREST 2021 later this week.”
For more information about MLF, their tournaments and sponsors, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. To learn more about Old Wisconsin Sausage, visit OldWisconsin.com.
Bryan New - Batting a Thousand
Your Rookie Elite Series Winner on the St. Johns last week, Bryan New joins the show to talk about being 1 for 1 so far in his Elite series career. Blonde Girl Behind the Scenes Michele Eichstead joins us to give Bryan a hard time and Chris reveals the U-Pick-em winners!
Rather Outdoors Acquires Zebco
Rather Outdoors (“Rather”), a global leader in the fishing industry, is pleased to announce that it has acquired Zebco Brands (“Zebco”), the Tulsa, Oklahoma-based manufacturer of fishing rods, reels and accessories.
Zebco is a preeminent marketer of fishing tackle and outdoor gear. Operational since 1949, it is now one of the oldest companies in the Rather Outdoors portfolio of brands and is indisputably one of the most important names in the fishing industry.
Ken Eubanks, CEO of Rather, said “We are thrilled to welcome Zebco to the Rather family of brands. From a company perspective, this business represents robust growth potential for Rather Outdoors and enables us to continue building a complementary offering for our most important partner, our consumers in the fishing community.”
The fishing equipment space has seen a consistent upward trajectory in consumer participation in the sport. In the past year alone, consumer interest has grown substantially, particularly in the segments of youth anglers and new anglers, areas where the Zebco brands have excelled. “This bold acquisition positions Rather Outdoors to take full advantage of the sport’s growth and momentum,” Eubanks said.
A key component of the Zebco acquisition is the strong Europe portfolio, which includes Telford, England based Preston Innovations (“Preston”), and Zebco Europe, located in Tostedt, Germany. Preston, a leading UK match fishing brand, has an established presence in coarse, carp and bait segments of the European market. Zebco Europe distributes the namesake Zebco brand, but also has a strong share of Europe’s predator fishing with Quantum, which originally launched in the United States in 1984, and is well-established in the lexicon of American and European angling. Together, the acquisition of Zebco Brands solidifies Rather’s goal of attaining a leading global position in the fishing tackle space.
Eubanks added, “What the Zebco acquisition means for our retail partners is of utmost importance to Rather. A strong partnership between Rather and our retailers is in this company’s DNA. We believe this deal will enhance consumer engagement and provide retail customers with a full complement to our heritage brands.”
Steve Smits, President and Chief Operating Officer of Zebco offered, “The team here at Zebco is proud of our past and the strong traditions of our brands. We believe that the leadership of Rather Outdoors remains committed to delivering the highest quality products to the loyal consumers of Zebco Brands.”
About Rather Outdoors
Rather Outdoors is a global Outdoors corporation uniting some of the most recognizable names in the fishing space. With historic and iconic brands such as Lew’s, Strike King, Salmo, and Fox, Rather Outdoors provides a wide assortment of fishing products worldwide in an effort to enhance anglers’ success and the enjoyment of outdoor pursuits. To learn more about the Rather Outdoors brands, visit www.ratheroutdoors.com.
3 lipless crank colors that made KVD a million bucks
Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships
If you were smoking chicken wings on the grill next to Kevin VanDam, you can bet he’d do everything in his power to make sure his tasted better than yours. But he’d also fetch you a cold beverage of your choice. Yup, the Team Toyota pro is an awesome blend of fierce competitor and humble class.
So when asked how much of his $6 Million career total he’s won on these three colors of Strike King’s Red Eye Shad – at first, with humility he hesitated to say – but then stated it was for sure a million bucks – and was gracious enough to share a first-hand look into his tackle box.
“Lipless crankbaits are fish catchers year-round, but late winter and really early spring, when water temps are 45 to 55 is the ideal time to throw them. And if I had to pick three colors I’ve had the most success on, it would be Delta Craw, Chartreuse Perch and Gold Sexy Shad,” says VanDam, bass fishing’s all-time leading money winner.
Delta Craw
“Most people know red is a great color during the early pre-spawn, and I love it anytime I’m around vegetation – especially in Texas,” he says.
Chartreuse Perch
“This is my stained water special. I’ve had great luck with it at places like Kentucky Lake, Wheeler, and Guntersville along the Tennessee River. You don’t need aquatic vegetation for this one to shine. It’s great when you’ve got off colored water around gravel bars, secondary points, or when the back of creeks get a little dirty after a springtime rain.”
Gold Sexy Shad
“Sort of the opposite of Chartreuse Perch being awesome in heavily stained water, Gold Sexy Shad is my favorite when the water is clearer, like it was when I won the 2010 Classic on Lay Lake in late February throwing it in the back of a creek around stumps where gizzard shad were present.”
Make it shimmie, and use great hooks
VanDam says the magic of the Red Eye Shad is that it ‘shimmies’ from side to side as it falls on slack line, hence the reason he rips and yo-yos it amid the retrieve, versus simply winding it straight in each time. He also emphasizes the importance of his proven rod, reel, line, hook system playing in perfect harmony when casting a lipless crank.
“I use a 7’ medium action composite rod with plenty of flex in the tip so cold water bass have plenty of chances to suck it in, and you’re not going to tear the hooks free once they eat it,” he explains. His reel of choice is a 6.2:1 Lew’s KVD baitcaster spooled with 17-pound fluorocarbon, and he can’t emphasize enough how critical it is to change all factory hooks to Mustad KVD TripleGrip #2 treble hooks.
“If you look in my tackle box, you’ll notice I’ve taken time to replace the hooks on every single ½ ounce Red Eye Shad in there,” punctuates VanDam in much the same way he speaks of how to smoke the perfect batch of chicken wings.
MLF Postpones Two Phoenix Bass Fishing League Events Scheduled for Saturday
Mississippi Division Event at Ross Barnett Reservoir and Ozark Division Event at Table Rock Lake to be Rescheduled Due to Inclement Weather, Rescheduled Dates and Locations Announced
TULSA, Okla. (Feb. 16, 2021) – Major League Fishing (MLF) announced today that two Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine events scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 20, 2021, have been canceled due to inclement weather. The Mississippi Division event at Ross Barnett Reservoir in Brandon, Mississippi and the Ozark Division at Table Rock Lake in Kimberling, Missouri, will both be rescheduled.
The Phoenix Bass Fishing League Gator Division event at Harris Chain of Lakes and North Carolina Division event at Lake Norman will proceed as scheduled.
Due to inclement weather, four Phoenix Bass Fishing League events have been cancelled over the past week. MLF is working to reschedule those events and to alert participants as quickly as possible.
The current Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine rescheduled dates and locations are:
- Cowboy Division at Toledo Bend presented by Berkley, originally scheduled for Feb. 13, has been moved to Sam Rayburn Reservoir in Brookeland, Texas, and will be held on Sunday, Mar. 7, following the Cowboy Division event on Sam Rayburn on Saturday, Mar. 6.
- Arkie Division at Lake Ouachita presented by Abu Garcia, originally scheduled for Feb. 13, has been rescheduled at Lake Ouachita in Mount Ida, Ark., on Sunday, Mar. 7.
- Mississippi Division at Ross Barnett Reservoir presented by Googan Baits, originally scheduled for Feb. 20, has been moved to Pickwick Lake in Iuka, Miss., and rescheduled to Saturday, Mar. 13.
- Ozark Division at Table Rock Lake presented by Finwick, originally scheduled for Feb. 20, will be rescheduled at a later date.
Angler registration for the postponed events will automatically be carried over to the rescheduled events. For questions, call the MLF BIG5 customer service department at (270) 252-1000.
The 2021 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championships. Boaters will compete for a $60,000 prize package, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while Strike King co-anglers will fish for a new Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
Toro and Major League Fishing Announce Sponsorship Agreement
Toro Named Exclusive Lawn Mower Provider of Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour, Title Sponsor of Bass Pro Tour Stage One at Sam Rayburn Reservoir
TULSA, Okla. (Feb. 16, 2021) – Major League Fishing (MLF), the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, and Toro, a leading worldwide provider of innovative solutions for the outdoor environment, announced today a sponsorship agreement that will showcase the Toro brand to millions of outdoor and fishing enthusiasts. The tremendous marketing benefits offered by MLF in digital assets, social media and connections with the top anglers in the world make the organization a perfect fit for Toro, now the exclusive lawn mower provider of the MLF Bass Pro Tour.
“We are pleased that another major non-endemic brand has tapped into the sport of professional bass fishing,” said Jim Wilburn, MLF President and CEO. “Our MLF fans and anglers have shown tremendous loyalty to our sponsors’ products, and we are confident that Toro will find this partnership extremely beneficial. Toro is a great brand, and we’re excited that they’ve chosen the Bass Pro Tour to showcase their products.”
Toro has been named the title sponsor of the Bass Pro Tour Stage One event at Sam Rayburn Reservoir and will sponsor the “Toro Cut Line” – a television feature segment that will showcase anglers that are on the elimination bubble at each event. Toro will also receive exclusive exposure across numerous MLF media platforms, including its many tournaments and activation opportunities, website and MLF social media outlets.
“The partnership with Major League Fishing and Toro is a natural fit,” said Greg Janey, Toro VP of Residential and Landscape Contractor Businesses. “We’re avid fishing fans – and so are our customers. We’re thrilled to partner with Major League Fishing and two outstanding anglers in Jeff and Brent for the 2021 season.”
Bass Pro Tour anglers Jeff Sprague of Point, Texas, and Brent Chapman of Lake Quivira, Kansas, have been selected to represent Toro as brand ambassadors while competing across the country on the 2021 Bass Pro Tour. Sprague has finished in the top 5 of the ultra-competitive Angler of the Year race in each of the last two seasons, while Chapman finished the 2020 season ranked No. 12 and will look to build on his more than $2.2 million in career earnings.
“When I represent a major sponsor, it needs to be a company that I believe in and can really endorse wholeheartedly,” Sprague said. “I am honored to represent Toro in 2021. The company has been around for more than 100 years and they are known for upholding the highest of standards throughout their product line. That is extremely important to me, and I know this will be a successful partnership. I am extremely excited to get the 2021 Bass Pro Tour season underway.”
Along the same lines, Chapman said, "Having the support of a great sponsor like Toro is amazing and extremely valuable while I’m competing on the Bass Pro Tour. Now that we live on 20 acres and have a big beautiful lawn to mow, it’s great to have my Z Master 4000 from Toro to make the job fun and easy. The comfort of MyRIDE suspension and the great cut I get from the Turbo Force deck allows me to save time and get back to working on tackle and prepare for competition. Last year was a phenomenal season, and I’m looking forward to carrying that momentum for Toro right into 2021."
For more information about MLF, their tournaments and sponsors, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. To learn more about Toro, visit Toro.com.
Bassmaster Elite At Sabine River Rescheduled For August
February 16, 2021
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River, originally scheduled for April 8-11, has been moved to the designated Elite Series make-up date Aug. 19-22.
Previous Elite events in Orange, Texas have drawn record-breaking crowds — in three previous visits, the crowds totaled more than 96,000; however, regional mandates currently in place would dramatically reduce the number of fans permitted on-site.
“Our priority is keeping everyone safe, the anglers, staff, community and all of the fans who want to attend this exciting event,” said Orange County Judge John Gothia. “We’re happy to be able to work with B.A.S.S. on rescheduling due to ongoing COVID safety concerns. Previous tournaments have brought Orange County waterways to the forefront in the fishing world, and we look forward to welcoming the Elite Series and its fans back to Orange, Texas later in the year.”
B.A.S.S. has emphasized over the past year that the organization is dedicated to ensuring both competition and fan activities are held in a safe and responsible manner and is working closely with local hosts and authorities to monitor each state’s mandates on crowd sizes and public spaces.
As the dates shift to August, when temperatures at this fishery on the Texas/Louisiana border are likely to soar, fish care will also be a major priority.
“In these hot, late-summer tournaments it is incumbent on the anglers and our team to be at the very top of our game to protect the fish,” said B.A.S.S. National Conservation Director Gene Gilliland. “Our goal is for all of these fish to be returned to the waters so that they can be caught again by other passionate bass anglers.”
Another Texas tournament, the Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork scheduled for April 22-25, is being hosted in Quitman, which is not currently experiencing the same local conditions restricting the size of outdoor gatherings.
Major League Fishing Launches MLF SHOP – New Online Merchandise Store
TULSA, Okla. (Feb. 16, 2021) – Major League Fishing (MLF) announced today the launch of a new, improved MLF SHOP , a new online store featuring authentic merchandise from professional bass fishing’s premier tournament organization. MLF’s e-commerce site went live Monday and is located at the recently re-vamped MajorLeagueFishing.com. The shop is an extension of the MLF brand identity, featuring the highest quality fishing and casual apparel with pricing at or below standard retail price. In addition, MLF members will receive a permanent 25% discount on every order at the MLF SHOP.
The launch of the MLF SHOP is based on a multi-phase approach heading into the start of the 2021 bass-fishing season. The first phase is focused on the new retail e-commerce and providing customers with a streamlined website and improved shopping experience. The next phase will highlight new designs, apparel, and swag. The final phase will emphasize site enhancements and showcase new angler products.
“We worked with a talented group of designers who have a passion for the outdoors,” said Michael Mulone, MLF Senior Director of Events & Partnerships. “The quality, along with the on-trend creative designs have brought the shop to a new level. We appreciate our fans and anglers and want to give them plenty of opportunities to wear MLF gear, on and off the water.
“Keeping the pricing competitive and putting in a hefty discount for members was one of our first decisions when revamping the online store,” Mulone continued.
Consumers of MLF’s official online store have access to a full catalog of men’s, women’s and youth apparel, headwear, accessories, and collections. New gear, including compelling, creative designs will be added throughout the year.
For complete details and updated information on the new MLF SHOP visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
Skeeter Extends Long-Standing Partnership With Bassmaster Tournament Trail
February 16, 2021
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Skeeter, a world-class manufacturer of high-performance boats, has signed a multi-year deal to continue as an Official Premier Boat Sponsor of the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk and the prestigious Bassmaster Tournament Trail through 2024.
“There is simply no better way for Skeeter to reach enthusiastic anglers and fans of fishing at all levels than through the Bassmaster events,” said B.A.S.S. CEO Bruce Akin. “Skeeter has a long heritage of helping anglers build memories on the water, and we’re thrilled to continue working with Skeeter on initiatives designed to reach new anglers and help fans experience the beauty of America’s waterways.”
Skeeter, which has been a B.A.S.S. sponsor since 2008, will be a Premier Sponsor for the Bassmaster Classic, Bassmaster Elite Series, Basspro.com Bassmaster Opens Series, Carhartt Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School Series presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors, Bassmaster Team Championship and the grass-roots TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation regional and championship tournaments.
“B.A.S.S. and Skeeter have a long history together and we’re excited to continue our relationship with an organization that shares our passion for fishing and boating,” said Jeff Stone, Senior Vice President, Skeeter Boats. “B.A.S.S. has a way of generating enthusiasm for competitive fishing that stands above the rest of the industry. We look forward to watching our Skeeter pros compete during the next four years, and we also look forward to introducing new boaters and anglers to the sport through our B.A.S.S. sponsorship.”
As a Premier Sponsor, Skeeter will be highlighted during Bassmaster LIVE, which is streamed on Bassmaster.com and broadcast Saturday and Sunday mornings on the FOX Sports platforms, and enjoy exposure in Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times magazines and across various social media platforms as well as showcasing their boats at live events, including the well-attended Bassmaster Classic Outdoors Expo.
During the 2021 season, 19 Elite Series pros will be depending on the reliability of their Skeeter boat, including two-time 2020 winner Brandon Palaniuk and rookie Pat Schlapper, who double-qualified for the 2021 Elite Series via the Basspro.com Bassmaster Opens and as TNT B.A.S.S. Nation Champion.
“I have run Skeeter boats since 2004,” said Schlapper. “Layout, drivability and reliability are all key factors for me. Skeeter has them all. Another huge bonus is their Real Money program. I won an extra $15,000 in Skeeter contingency money last year alone. I couldn't be more excited to be running a Skeeter FXR21 for another season.”
University of North Florida Wins Abu Garcia College Fishing Tournament on the Harris Chain of Lakes
Duo Sets New All-Time Single-Day Record with Heaviest Five-Fish Weight in MLF College Fishing History
LEESBURG, Fla. (Feb. 15, 2021) – The University of North Florida’s Nicholas Oldham of Jacksonville, Florida and Jacob Sanders of Julington Creek, Florida, took the win on Friday at the Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI at Harris Chain of Lakes . The victory earned the University of North Florida bass club $2,000 and qualified the duo to compete in the 2021 College Fishing National Championship.
Their limit of 31 pounds, 11 ounces, set a new all-time single-day record with the heaviest five-fish weight in College Fishing history. The record was previously set in 2009 on Falcon Lake by the Tarleton State University team of John Anderson and Tanner Morgan, with a limit of 29 pounds, 13 ounces.
TOP 10 RESULTS*
| RANK | COLLEGE NAME | ANGLER NAME/HOMETOWN | BASS | WEIGHT | AWARD |
| 1st | University of North Florida | Nicholas Oldham of Jacksonville, Fla. Jacob Sanders of Julington Creek, Fla. |
5 | 31-11 | $2,000 |
| 2nd | University of South Carolina | Andre Eaton of Naples, Fla. Trevor Topken of Warwick, N.Y. |
5 | 30-1 | $1,000 |
| 3rd | Lander University | Kaleb Brown of Greenwood, S.C. Caleb Sheldon of Lexington, S.C. |
5 | 27-4 | $500 |
| 4th | Auburn University | Connor Jacob of Peoria, Ill. | 5 | 26-14 | $500 |
| 5th | Auburn University | Cam Busby of Huntsville, Ala. Ty Mundhenke of Chatham, Ill. |
5 | 21-6 | $500 |
| 6th | Emmanuel College | Brooks Anderson of Marietta, Ga. Parker Guy of Ocilla. Ga. |
5 | 21-0 | |
| 7th | University of South Carolina | Jackson Denny of Myrtle Beach, S.C. Colton Parrott of Simpsonville, S.C. |
5 | 20-14 | |
| 8th | Emmanuel College | Cole Holloway of Madison, Ga. Taylor McMullen of Oxford, Ga. |
5 | 20-9 | |
| 9th | University of West Alabama | Tyler Elmore of Demopolis, Ala. Nathan Williams of Linden, Ala. |
5 | 19-14 | |
| 10th | University of Montevallo | Brenton Godwin of Stapelton, Ala. Hunter Odom of Chunchula, Ala. |
5 | 19-13 |
*Top 10 teams advance to the 2021 College Fishing National Championship
Complete results for the entire field can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
2021 QUALIFICATION OPPORTUNITIES
| EVENT | DATE | LOCATION | HOST |
| Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI at Lake Guntersville | April 23 | Guntersville, Ala. | Marshall County Convention and Visitors Bureau |
| Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI National Championship presented by Lowrance at Grand Lake | Mar. 3-5 | Grove, Okla. | Grove Convention and Tourism Bureau & City of Grove |
The event was the first of three qualifying tournaments for Southeastern Conference anglers and was hosted by Visit Lake County, Florida.
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 MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI on MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook , Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
Okeechobee High School Wins U.S. Army High School Fishing Open at Harris Chain of Lakes
LEESBURG, Fla. (Feb. 15, 2021) – The Okeechobee High School duo of Tyler Scott and Zack Zainitzer, both of Palm City, Florida, won the U.S. Army High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing Open at the Harris Chain of Lakes on Saturday in Leesburg, Florida. The event was hosted by Visit Lake County, Florida and the victory advanced the winning team to the 2021 U.S. Army High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing National Championship.
TOP 10 RESULTS
| RANK | SCHOOL/CLUB NAME/CITY | ANGLER NAME | BASS | WEIGHT |
| 1st | Okeechobee High School* | Tyler Scott Zack Zainitzer |
5 | 23-3 |
| 2nd | Southern Boone High School* | Isaac Jacober Nathan Vandelicht |
5 | 19-5 |
| 3rd | Marion County Bass Masters* | Claude Loftin Tyson Verkaik |
5 | 17-8 |
| 4th | Oneida Lake Bassmasters Club | Christian Misciagna Owen Niles |
3 | 17-2 |
| 5th | Harmony High School | Grant Jackson Grady Johnson |
5 | 17-1 |
| 6th | Umatilla High School | Hayden Mooney Owen Vanzant |
5 | 15-1 |
| 7th | Hidden Lake Big Bass Club | Dalton Defelice Elijah Meyers |
5 | 15-0 |
| 8th | Central Florida Youth Anglers | Bryce Balentine Carson Russell |
5 | 14-8 |
| 9th | Mulberry Bassmasters Club | Andrew Ready Garrett Thomas |
5 | 13-11 |
| 10th | Detroit Lakes High School | Anthony Bender Noah Besser |
5 | 13-3 |
*National Championship Qualifier. The top 10% of teams advance to the 2021 U.S. Army High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing National Championship
Complete results from the event can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
2021 UPCOMING QUALIFICATION OPPORTUNITIES
| EVENT | DATE | LOCATION | HOST |
| U.S. Army High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing Table Rock Lake Open | Mar. 27 | Branson, Mo. | Explore Branson |
| 2021 U.S. Army High School Fishing National Championship & World Finals | Jun. 30 – Jul. 3 | Lake Hartwell, Anderson, S.C. | Anderson Convention & Visitors Bureau |
The first 25 high school teams that enter each U.S. Army High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing tournament will receive a free Favorite Fishing package, including one Favorite Fishing casting rod and reel, one Favorite Fishing spinning rod and reel, six packs of Googan Baits and two Favorite Fishing hats, a total package value of $230. Most tournaments will also be hosted by a Bass Pro Tour angler or Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit angler, giving high school students the chance to meet the sport’s top pros. As an added bonus, the winning team at each tournament will receive a guided fishing trip with their pro angler host.
U.S. Army High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing tournaments are free, two-person (team) events for students in grades 7-12 and are open to any MLF and Student Angler Federation-affiliated high school club. The top 10 percent of teams at each Open event along with the TBF High School Fishing state championships will advance to the 2021 U.S. Army High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing National Championship. The U.S. Army High School Fishing national champions will each receive a $5,000 college scholarship to the school of their choice.
In addition to the U.S. Army High School Fishing National Championship, all High School Fishing anglers nationwide automatically qualify for the world’s largest open high school bass tournament, the 2021 High School Fishing World Finals, held in conjunction with the National Championship. More than $2.8 million in scholarships and prizes were offered at the 2020 World Finals.
Full schedules and the latest announcements, photos and articles are available at HighSchoolFishing.org and MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Epting Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League on Lake Murray
Boiling Springs’ Pennell Wins Strike King Co-Angler Division
PROSPERITY, S.C. (Feb. 15, 2021) – Boater Chris Epting of Chapin of South Carolina won the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine at Lake Murray in Prosperity, South Carolina, earning $6,509 for his victory.
TOP 10 RESULTS
| RANK | BOATER NAME/HOMETOWN | BASS | WEIGHT | AWARD |
| 1st | Chris Epting of Chapin, S.C. | 5 | 24-06 | $6,509 |
| 2nd | Cody Hoyle of Rutherfordton, N.C. | 5 | 23-0 | $2,555 |
| 3rd | Ross Burns of Columbia, S.C. | 5 | 20-2 | $1,336 |
| 4th | Jeremiah Jensen of Columbia, S.C. | 5 | 19-7 | $935 |
| 5th | Christopher Marshall of Forest City, N.C. | 5 | 18-15 | $802 |
| 6th | Andy Wicker of Pomaria, S.C. | 5 | 18-4 | $735 |
| 7th | Ronald W. Catoe, Jr. of Lugoff, S.C. | 5 | 17-15 | $668 |
| 8th | Michael Stephens of Gastonia, N.C. | 5 | 17-2 | $601 |
| 9th | Justin Hadden of Leesville, S.C. | 5 | 16-14 | $535 |
| 10th | Ronnie Wilson of Grover, N.C. | 5 | 16-11 | $468 |
| RANK | STRIKE KING CO-ANGLER NAME/HOMETOWN | BASS | WEIGHT | AWARD |
| 1st | Thomas Pennell, III of Boiling Springs, S.C. | 5 | 18-9 | $2,005 |
| 2nd | Brennan Gunther of Mount Pleasant, S.C. | 5 | 14-3 | $1,002 |
| 3rd | Michael Campbell of Pineville, S.C. | 5 | 13-1 | $668 |
| 4th | Rodney Tapp of Inman, S.C. | 5 | 12-13 | $434 |
| 4th | Andrew Starnes of Chapin, S.C. | 5 | 12-13 | $434 |
| 6th | Bill Hawkins of Piedmont, S.C. | 3 | 11-11 | $568 |
| 7th | Zahreed McClinton of Fort Bragg, N.C. | 4 | 10-10 | $334 |
| 8th | Richie Dixon of Camden, S.C. | 4 | 10-7 | $301 |
| 9th | Lonnie Drusch of Sumter, S.C. | 3 | 10-0 | $267 |
| 10th | Brian Bultman of Aiken, S.C. | 3 | 9-10 | $234 |
A complete list of results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
CONTINGENCY AWARDS
| AWARD | NAME | CONTINGENCY | PAYOUT |
| Boater Berkley Big Bass | Cody Hoyle of Rutherfordton, N.C. | 8-pound, 12-ounce bass | $550 |
| Strike King Co-Angler Berkley Big Bass | Markice Johnson of Thomson, Ga. | 7-pound bass | $275 |
| Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus | Chris Epting of Chapin, S.C. | Eligible Phoenix Boat* | $2,500 |
* Boaters are eligible to win up to an extra $7,000 per event in each Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine tournament if all requirements are met. More information on the Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.
WINNING BAITS
| ANGLER | BAIT | COLOR |
| Boater | Did Not Divulge | Did Not Divulge |
| Strike King Co-Angler | Square Bait | Did Not Divulge |
2021 QUALIFICATION OPPORTUNITIES
| EVENT | DATE | LOCATION | HOST |
| South Carolina Division – Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championship | Oct. 21-23 | St. Johns River, Palatka, Fla. | Putnam County Tourist Development Council |
| Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American | June 3-5 | Douglas Lake, Dandridge, Tenn. | Jefferson County Department of Tourism |
The 2021 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championships. Boaters will compete for a $60,000 prize package, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while Strike King co-anglers will fish for a new Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.
The top six finishers in each regional will then qualify for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.
The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division will also earn priority entry into the Toyota Series, the pathway to the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit and ultimately the MLF Bass Pro Tour.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
McCay Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League on Lake Lanier
Blue Ridge’s Pack Wins Strike King Co-Angler Division
GAINESVILLE, Ga. (Feb. 15, 2021) – Boater J.R. McCay of Robertstown, Georgia, won the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine at Lake Lanier presented by Googan Baits in Gainesville, Georgia. McCay earned $6,000 for his victory at the event, which was hosted by the Gainesville Convention & Visitors Bureau.
TOP 10 RESULTS
| RANK | BOATER NAME/HOMETOWN | BASS | WEIGHT | AWARD |
| 1st | J.R. McCay of Robertstown, Ga. | 5 | 18-11 | $6,000 |
| 2nd | Brad Stalnaker of Eatonton, Ga. | 5 | 17-0 | $3,000 |
| 3rd | Carter Koza of Marietta, Ga. | 5 | 16-13 | $2,000 |
| 4th | Kim Carver of Milledgeville, Ga. | 5 | 16-6 | $1,400 |
| 5th | Joe Eubanks of Marietta, Ga. | 5 | 16-1 | $1,200 |
| 6th | Randy Dover of Buford, Ga. | 5 | 15-8 | $1,100 |
| 7th | Jason Densmore of Dawsonville, Ga. | 5 | 15-2 | $1,000 |
| 8th | Michael Conley of Bainbridge, Ga. | 5 | 15-0 | $900 |
| 8th | Chris Williams of Kennesaw, Ga. | 5 | 14-10 | $800 |
| 10th | Jody Holland of Clermont, Ga. | 5 | 14-9 | $665 |
| 10th | Jeff Hendricks of Hull, Ga. | 5 | 14-9 | $665 |
| RANK | STRIKE KING CO-ANGLER NAME/HOMETOWN | BASS | WEIGHT | AWARD |
| 1st | Jerrit Pack of Blue Ridge, Ga. | 5 | 17-4 | $3,500 |
| 2nd | Justin Nalley of Fayetteville, Ga. | 5 | 13-8 | $1,500 |
| 3rd | Steve Hall of Mableton, Ga. | 5 | 12-6 | $1,000 |
| 4th | Wayne Hancock of Cumming, Ga. | 5 | 12-5 | $700 |
| 5th | Joshua Little of Cartersville, Ga. | 5 | 12-2 | $600 |
| 6th | Tyler Campbell of Martin, Ga. | 5 | 11-13 | $550 |
| 7th | Bobby Rogers of Acworth, Ga. | 5 | 11-12 | $475 |
| 7th | Dustin Elrod of Jasper, Ga. | 5 | 11-12 | $475 |
| 9th | Jonathon Schooler of Lula, Ga. | 5 | 11-6 | $400 |
| 10th | Timothy Logan of Jasper, Ga. | 5 | 11-2 | $350 |
Full results from the event can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
CONTINGENCY AWARDS
| AWARD | NAME | CONTINGENCY | PAYOUT |
| Boater Berkley Big Bass | Lamontie Walters of Warner Robins, Ga. | 6-pound, 5-ounce bass | $1,000 |
| Strike King Co-Angler Berkley Big Bass | Jerrit Pack of Blue Ridge, Ga. | 6-pound, 4-ounce bass | $500 |
| Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus | Jayme Rampey of Liberty, S.C. | Eligible Phoenix Boat* | $500 |
* Boaters are eligible to win up to an extra $7,000 per event in each Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine tournament if all requirements are met. More information on the Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.
WINNING BAITS
| ANGLER | BAITS | COLOR |
| Boater | Spot Sticker Swimbait with a ¾-ounce swimbait head | Not Disclosed |
| Strike King Co-Angler | Unnamed Crankbait | Not Disclosed |
2021 QUALIFICATION OPPORTUNITIES
| EVENT | DATE | LOCATION | HOST |
| Bulldog Division – Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championship | Oct. 21-23 | St. Johns River, Palatka, Fla. | Putnam County Tourist Development Council |
| Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American | June 3-5 | Douglas Lake, Dandridge, Tenn. | Jefferson County Department of Tourism |
The 2021 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championships. Boaters will compete for a $60,000 prize package, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while Strike King co-anglers will fish for a new Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.
The top six finishers in each regional will then qualify for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.
The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division will also earn priority entry into the Toyota Series, the pathway to the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit and ultimately the MLF Bass Pro Tour.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram , and YouTube.
Palmer Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League on Lake Guntersville
Tennessee’s Roye Wins Strike King Co-Angler Division
SCOTTSBORO, Ala. (Feb. 15, 2021) – Boater Freddy Palmer of Estill Springs, Tennesssee, won the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine at Lake Guntersville in Scottsboro, Alabama. Palmer earned $7,000 for his victory at the event, which was hosted by the Mountain Lakes Chamber of Commerce.
TOP 10 RESULTS
| RANK | BOATER NAME/HOMETOWN | BASS | WEIGHT | AWARD |
| 1st | Freddy Palmer of Estill Springs, Tenn. | 5 | 21-6 | $7,000 |
| 2nd | Hunter Eubanks of Inman, S.C. | 5 | 20-2 | $3,000 |
| 3rd | Michael Lowry of Soddy-Daisy, Tenn. | 5 | 19-12 | $2,000 |
| 4th | William Merrick of Mount Juliet, Tenn. | 5 | 19-4 | $1,900 |
| 5th | Roger Chisenall of Flat Rock, Ala. | 5 | 19-1 | $1,200 |
| 6th | Greg Lamb of Birchwood, Tenn. | 5 | 18-15 | $2,100 |
| 7th | Tyler Pendergrass of Cullman, Ala. | 5 | 18-7 | $1,000 |
| 8th | Andrew Clayton of Westpoint, Tenn. | 5 | 17-15 | $850 |
| 8th | Tracy Robinson of Gadsden, Ala. | 5 | 17-15 | $850 |
| 10th | Heath Gilmore of Meridian, Miss. | 5 | 17-8 | $700 |
| RANK | STRIKE KING CO-ANGLER NAME/HOMETOWN | BASS | WEIGHT | AWARD |
| 1st | James Roye of Altamont, Tenn. | 5 | 15-14 | $3,000 |
| 2nd | Brian Koch of Hixson, Tenn. | 5 | 15-1 | $1,500 |
| 3rd | Matt Marcel of Tullahoma, Tenn. | 5 | 14-11 | $1,000 |
| 4th | Philip Moore of Batesville, Miss. | 4 | 14-5 | $700 |
| 5th | T.J. Anderson of Sumter, S.C. | 5 | 14-2 | $600 |
| 6th | Raymond Hanlon of Chattanooga, Tenn. | 4 | 13-13 | $550 |
| 7th | Rich Frey of Owens Cross Roads, Ala. | 5 | 13-7 | $500 |
| 8th | Ron Creasy of Florence, Ala. | 5 | 13-6 | $425 |
| 8th | Robert Moore of Mobile, Ala. | 5 | 13-6 | $425 |
| 10th | Michael Roush of Mobile, Ala. | 5 | 13-2 | $350 |
Full results from the event can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
CONTINGENCY AWARDS
| AWARD | NAME | CONTINGENCY | PAYOUT |
| Boater Berkley Big Bass | Greg Lamb of Birchwood, Tenn. | 7-pound, 8-ounce bass | $1,000 |
| Strike King Co-Angler Berkley Big Bass | Johnny Hancox of West Union, S.C. | 4-pound, 12-ounce bass | $497 |
| Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus | William Merrick of Mount Juliet, Tenn. | Eligible Phoenix Boat* | $500 |
* Boaters are eligible to win up to an extra $7,000 per event in each Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine tournament if all requirements are met. More information on the Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.
WINNING BAITS
| ANGLER | BAITS | COLOR |
| Boater | - Umbrella rig - Jig - Swimbait |
N/A |
| Strike King Co-Angler | - Strike King Bitsy Bug | Not Disclosed |
2021 QUALIFICATION OPPORTUNITIES
| EVENT | DATE | LOCATION | HOST |
| Choo Choo Division – Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championship | Oct. 21-23 | St. Johns River, Palatka, Fla. | Putnam County Tourist Development Council |
| Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American | June 3-5 | Douglas Lake, Dandridge, Tenn. | Jefferson County Department of Tourism |
The 2021 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championships. Boaters will compete for a $60,000 prize package, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while Strike King co-anglers will fish for a new Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.
The top six finishers in each regional will then qualify for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.
The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division will also earn priority entry into the Toyota Series, the pathway to the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit and ultimately the MLF Bass Pro Tour.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram , and YouTube.
"New" in Name Only
Vance McCullough - AnglersChannel.com
Photo Courtesy of BASS
Bass afficionados know who Bryan New is. Contrary to his name, New has been around the tournament scene, steadily building his career first as a co-angler, then last year as the Bassmaster Opens Angler of the Year. But given his win at the St Johns River in his first-ever Bassmaster Elite Series tournament, now the whole fishing world knows New’s name.
“A week and a half ago I didn’t have a title sponsor,” shared New behind the Bassmaster stage as he waited to weigh-in on Championship Sunday. “I have no idea what is about to happen,” he continued, voice trembling, knowing that he had a strong shot at winning.
When emcee Dave Mercer called the weight - 26 pounds, 11 ounces - Knew went nuts. So did the delighted, rain-soaked crowd gathered beside the river in Palatka, Florida.
Minutes later it became apparent that New had taken his first Big Blue Trophy in as many attempts, a feat only accomplished by Derek Remitz in his debut 14 years ago.
Starting the day in 6th place New consistently upgraded his weight until he had overcome the more than 5-pound deficit he began with, turning it into a 9-pound, 9-ounce margin of victory.
His total weight was 79-07.
A few main river shell bar bass ate a lipless plug and kept New in contention throughout the week, but his heavyweight beatdown took place in the pads that lined a creek south of Lake George. He pitched a Texas-rigged stick worm to unseen bass that were spawning or thinking about it. Most of his best action came from scattered or isolated pads where he figures increased sunlight made those areas more attractive than shaded waters beneath thicker stands of pads.
Greg Hackney pitched around super shallow cypress tress in Lake George to place runner-up with 69-14 on the week.
Seth Feider caught at least some of his fish in the big river’s numerous canals. He placed 3rd with 69-06.
Budding star Patrick Walters spent the tournament in Rodman Reservoir where he fished a little deeper than many of the sight-fishers who didn’t fare as well in Rodman. His 68-13 total was good for 4th place.
Mark Menendez returned to Elite Series action following a medical hiatus. It was a good week for him. Qualifying for the final round in 10th place, Menendez climbed to 5th by fishing among shallow cypress trees on Crescent Lake.
MLF to Delay REDCREST start by One Day due to inclement weather.
FLINT, Texas (Feb. 15, 2021) – Major League Fishing announced today that the dates for REDCREST 2021 presented by Old Wisconsin Sausage, the Bass Pro Tour Championship, has been delayed one day due to inclement weather in the region. The championship event, scheduled to start on Sunday, Feb. 21, has been postponed one day to allow for safer travel conditions. The tournament will now take place Monday through Friday, Feb. 22-26, on Lake Palestine in Flint. The practice day for the anglers will now be on Sunday, Feb. 21.
“The safety of our anglers and their families, our staff, our sponsors and our fans are priority number one,” said Michael Mulone, MLF Senior Director of Events & Partnerships. “With the tough weather conditions that a large part of our country is currently facing, we made the decision to postpone the start of the event by one day to allow everyone an extra day to safely travel to the event. The competition will start on Monday and we look forward to a very successful championship tournament.”
All 40 Anglers will compete on Days 1 (Monday) and 2 (Tuesday) of the event. After two days of competition, the field is cut to just the top 20 based on two-day total cumulative weight. The remaining 20 anglers are split into two groups – 10 compete on Day 3 (Wednesday) and 10 compete on Day 4 (Thursday). The top five anglers from each group based on total single-day weight will advance to the sixth and final day of competition (Friday), where weights are zeroed and the angler that catches the highest total weight on the final day will be crowned the REDCREST 2021 champion.
Due to COVID-19 protocols, attendance at the tournament is limited to competing anglers, essential staff and media covering the event. Fans are encouraged to follow the event online through the MLF NOW!® live stream and SCORETRACKER® coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The MLF NOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee, Marty Stone and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action on all five days of competition from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. MLF NOW!® will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com. and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app.
For complete details and updated information on 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 .
Skeet Reese Brings Home the Win at Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit on Lake Okeechobee
CLEWISTON, Fla. (Feb. 14, 2021) – General Tire pro Skeet Reese of Auburn, California, already had a stacked resume when he crossed the stage on Sunday at the Major League Fishing Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by Bad Boy Mowers, 13 Fishing Stop 1 – Lake Okeechobee in Clewiston, Florida. With 10 career victories, a 2007 Elite Series Angler of the Year title and a 2009 Bassmaster Classic championship, Reese is one of the top 5 tournament money-winners of all-time with more than $3.4 million in earnings. Reese added another monumental victory to the Major League Fishing (MLF) record books and is bringing a $100,000 check and a big trophy back home to California.
The win brought the 2019 merger of FLW (now known as the MLF BIG5) and MLF full circle and was a moment that marked the significance of the unity that now exists between the blended MLF family.
Reese weighed a five-bass limit on Sunday totaling a whopping 27 pounds, 9 ounces, to win by a 7-pound, 9-ounce margin over fellow Bass Pro Tour angler Chris Lane of Guntersville, Alabama. Lane weighed in five bass for 20 pounds, 1 ounce, including an 8-pound, 13-ounce giant, which carried him to a second place finish on the final day of competition.
“This feels really good,” said an emotional Reese. “I’ve had some tough fishing the last few years and to be able to come back and win; it is recognition that my new mindset and hard work paid off. Everybody who fishes tournaments does it to win and to be able to do it against this level of competition, with this big of a field – it’s priceless.”
Reese said he mixed up his approach each day and alternated between two key lures for the win, a 6″ Berkley PowerBait The General and an unnamed green-pumpkin-colored vibrating jig with a Berkley PowerBait The Deal in the Skeet’s green money-color serving as the trailer.
“The first day, I focused on the isolated clumps of reeds that were a little deeper,” said Reese. “I targeted water that was four feet deep because all of the shallower stuff was getting so much pressure. I stayed out a little further from the bank on the isolated pencil reeds and caught a few good ones the second day by pitching The General on a 5/O hook with a ¼-ounce weight on 25-pound-test Berkley Trilene 100% fluorocarbon.”
On the second day, Reese said he opted to stay solely off the bank and was able to catch a 21-pound bag that included the day’s biggest bass, an 8-pound, 8-ounce giant.
The final two days offered vastly different weather conditions, with wind speeds picking up throughout the lake. Reese said this caused him to make a change to the vibrating jig and helped him seal the win.
“It got too windy and made it hard to flip and pitch The General,” Reese said. “I also think it moved some of those fish out a little deeper. On the final day, it seemed like every big female was set up out in the open.”
Reese said the area had cleaner water and he felt it offered him the best chance to get multiple bites.
“I maximized what little I had and fished it all four days,” he continued. “I was trying to be in an area and get as many bites as I could. I never thought I was on the winning fish this week. I’m a believer that everything happens for a reason.”
The top 10 pros on Lake Okeechobee finished:
2nd: Chris Lane, Guntersville, Ala., 20 bass, 75-5, $30,000
3rd: Jim Neece, Jr., Bristol, Tenn., 20 bass, 74-2, $25,000
4th: Dicky Newberry, Houston, Texas, 20 bass, 72-12, $20,000
5th: Bill McDonald, Greenwood, Ind., 20 bass, 71-0, $19,000
6th: Miles Burghoff, Soddy-Daisy, Tenn., 20 bass, 70-11, $18,200
7th: Pete Ponds, Madison, Miss., 20 bass, 66-7, $17,000
8th: Ryan Salzman, Huntsville, Ala., 20 bass, 64-3, $16,000
9th: Cole Floyd, Leesburg, Ohio, 20 bass, 63-14, $15,000
10th: Anthony Gagliardi, Prosperity, S.C., 20 bass, 63-2, $14,000
Overall, there were 50 bass weighing 173 pounds, 5 ounces caught by the final 10 pros on Sunday. All 10 weighed in a five-bass limit.
The Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by Bad Boy Mowers, 13 Fishing Stop 1 – Lake Okeechobee’s two-hour action-packed television show will premiere on the Outdoor Channel on Sunday, July 11 from 7 to 9 a.m. ET and re-air on the Sportsman Channel this fall.
The Major League Fishing Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by Bad Boy Mowers, 13 Fishing Stop 1 – Lake Okeechobee was hosted by the Hendry County Tourism Development Council and Roland & Mary Ann Martin’s Marina & Resort. The next event for Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit anglers will be the Major League Fishing Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit presented by Bad Boy Mowers, Covercraft Stop 2 – Smith Lake , Mar. 11-14, in Cullman, Alabama. The tournament will be hosted by the Cullman Area Local Organizing Committee.
In Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit competition, the full field of 163 anglers competed in the two-day opening round on Thursday and Friday. The top 50 pros based on their two-day cumulative weight advanced to fish on Saturday. Only the top 10 pros continued competition on Sunday, with the winner determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from the four days of competition.
Throughout the season, anglers are also vying for valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the 2021 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit TITLE presented by Mercury, the Pro Circuit Championship, where they will compete for up to $235,000. The 2021 TITLE will be on the Mississippi River in La Crosse, Wisconsin on Aug. 17-22, and is hosted by Explore La Crosse.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit presented by Bad Boy Mowers on the MLF BIG5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
New Notches Victory In Bassmaster Elite Series Debut At St. Johns River
Bryan New, of Belmont, N.C., has won the 2021 AFTCO Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River with a four-day total of 79 pounds, 7 ounces.
Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
February 14, 2021
PALATKA, Fla. — Bryan New launched his rookie season in blockbuster form by topping a stout field of well-established finalists and winning the AFTCO Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River with a four-day total of 79 pounds, 7 ounces.
Starting Championship Sunday in sixth place, New trailed Day 3 leader and rising star Patrick Walters by 5-7. Saving his best for last, New posted the event’s second-heaviest bag, 26-4, and edged Elite veteran Greg Hackney by a margin of 9-9. For his efforts, New earned $101,000.
New caught most of his fish out of lily pads, but he found a few keepers over main-river shellbars about halfway between Palatka and Dunn’s Creek, which connects to Crescent Lake. Targeting bars in about 5 to 7 feet, he fished a Berkley Warpig lipless crankbait in the bleeding shiner color with a slow yo-yoing technique.
“That wasn’t a winning-fish deal, but without those fish, I don’t win this tournament,” New said.
The pads that produced the bulk of his weight were located at the lower end of Lake George. Fishing 5-inch black and blue Zoom Zlinky worms Texas-rigged on a 5/0 Berkley Fusion hook with a 1/8- and 1/4-ounce weights, New said he focused on isolated pads.
“I fished dense pads too, but I definitely liked the sparse pads for multiple reasons,” he said. “First, on an isolated target, it’s easier to pick out where the fish are sitting and they have more light penetration. That’s important for the spawning fish I was targeting.”
The key, New said, was a meticulous presentation that maximized every aspect of his target area.
“You don’t just have one target on each cast; sometimes you’ll have 10 targets on each cast,” he said. “You can feel the sweet spots. You can feel a little rough patch on the bottom where there’s a bed or you can feel the hard spot of the root. Sometimes, you can even feel a little depression.
“I’ve always heard that slow and steady wins the race,” New said. “That’s not always my style, but I can do it.”
New caught good numbers the first three days. Day 1, which was shortened by a three-hour fog delay, yielded 12 pounds and put him in 22nd place. The second day, he added 20-3 and rose to ninth before securing his Championship Sunday berth with a Day 3 limit of 21 pounds, which pushed him up to sixth.
Following the Day 3 weigh-in, New said he’d approach Championship Sunday focused on getting the big bites. On Sunday, he caught four in the 5-pound class and another over 4.
New qualified for the Elites by winning the Falcon Rods Bassmaster Opens Angler of the Year title, an accomplishment that began with a win at his first 2020 tournament — the Basspro.com Bassmaster Eastern Open on Florida’s Kissimmee Chain.
Before the St. Johns event began, New stated that his 2021 goals included winning Bassmaster Angler of the Year — not only Rookie of the Year — and winning the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk, which is set for June 11-13 on Lake Ray Roberts.
New summarized his Elite debut: “I have a pretty good start!”
Hackney committed his tournament to fishing cypress trees on Lake George’s east side. He caught 12-7 on Day 1 and placed 19th and then rose to third on Day 2 by adding 22-10. He’d improve to second on Day 3 and held that final position with weights of 23-6 and 11-7.
Returning to the Elites after a two-year break, the Gonzales, La., pro caught all of his fish on a junebug-colored Strike King Rage Bug rigged on a 5/0 Hack Attack Flipping hook with a 1/4-ounce Tour Grade Tungsten weight.
“There’s not any cover left in the lake (2017’s Hurricane Irma killed the eelgrass) and this was one of the few areas that had enough depth and enough protection from the elements for those lake fish to spawn on.
“There’s only a handful of docks and cypress trees in the lake and I spent one whole day in practice fishing all the way around (Lake George). I knew this was the area of the lake where the biggest population of fish lived and I knew where they used to spawn. I just looked for anything that was close by.”
Seth Feider of New Market, Minn., finished third with 69-6. He turned in daily weights of 8-3, 18-8, 25-8 and 17-3.
Derek Hudnall of Denham Springs, La., and Brandon Palaniuk of Rathdrum, Idaho, split the event’s Phoenix Boats Big Bass award of $1,000 for their 9-pound, 8-ounce fish. Hudnall won $1,000 for the big bass of Day 1, while Palaniuk claimed the Day 2 award. Wes Logan of Springville, Ala., won the Day 3 award with his 8-8 and New won the Day 4 award with his 5-14.
2020 Bassmaster Classic champion Hank Cherry of Lincolnton, N.C., took home $3,000 for being the highest-placing entrant in the Toyota Bonus Bucks program, and Cliff Prince of Palatka, Fla., earned $2,000 for being the second-highest placing entrant.
2021 AFTCO Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River 2/11-2/14
St. Johns River, Palatka, FL
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 4
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Bryan New Belmont, NC 20 79-07 100 $101,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-00 Day 2: 5 20-03 Day 3: 5 21-00 Day 4: 5 26-04
2. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 20 69-14 99 $35,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-07 Day 2: 5 22-10 Day 3: 5 23-06 Day 4: 5 11-07
3. Seth Feider New Market, MN 20 69-06 98 $30,000.00
Day 1: 5 08-03 Day 2: 5 18-08 Day 3: 5 25-08 Day 4: 5 17-03
4. Patrick Walters Summerville, SC 20 68-13 97 $25,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-03 Day 2: 5 19-00 Day 3: 5 26-07 Day 4: 5 10-03
5. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 20 67-05 96 $20,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-02 Day 2: 5 17-05 Day 3: 5 17-08 Day 4: 5 16-06
6. Hank Cherry Jr Lincolnton, NC 18 66-05 95 $19,000.00
Day 1: 3 12-14 Day 2: 5 17-01 Day 3: 5 23-07 Day 4: 5 12-15
7. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 20 66-02 94 $18,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-12 Day 2: 5 14-12 Day 3: 5 21-01 Day 4: 5 12-09
8. Bryan Schmitt Deale, MD 20 64-08 93 $17,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-08 Day 2: 5 15-08 Day 3: 5 21-11 Day 4: 5 11-13
9. Derek Hudnall Denham Springs, LA 20 63-03 92 $17,500.00
Day 1: 5 22-05 Day 2: 5 16-00 Day 3: 5 15-04 Day 4: 5 09-10
10. Gary Clouse Winchester, TN 14 54-01 91 $15,000.00
Day 1: 5 25-12 Day 2: 5 19-05 Day 3: 2 06-04 Day 4: 2 02-12
MLF Shifts Dates of Toyota Series Central Opener
Originally Scheduled for Feb. 16-18, Toyota Series Central Opener moves to Feb. 17-19
GUNTERSVILLE, Ala. (Feb. 14, 2021) – Major League Fishing, the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, announced today that due to inclement weather in the region, the organization will shift the dates for the Toyota Series presented by A.R.E. at Lake Guntersville presented by Googan Baits . The Central division presented by Neat Companies’ season kickoff was originally scheduled Tuesday through Thursday, Feb. 16-18, but has been postponed one day to allow for safer travel conditions. The tournament will now take place Wednesday through Friday, Feb. 17-19, in Guntersville, Alabama.
Anglers will take off daily at 6:30 a.m. CT from Lake Guntersville State Park in Guntersville. Weigh-ins will also be held at the park and will begin at 2:30 p.m. Attendance is limited to competing anglers and essential staff only. Fans are encouraged to follow the event online through the “MLF Live” weigh-in broadcasts and daily coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The 2021 Toyota Series presented by A.R.E. consists of six divisions – Central, Northern, Plains, Southern, Southwestern and Western – each holding three regular-season events, along with the International division. Anglers who fish all three qualifiers in any of the eight divisions and finish in the top 25 will qualify for the no-entry-fee Toyota Series presented by A.R.E. Championship for a shot at winning $235,000 cash, including a $35,000 Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus for qualified anglers. The winning Strike King co-angler at the championship earns a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard.
The 2021 Toyota Series Championship presented by A.R.E. will be held Oct. 28-30 on Pickwick Lake in Counce, Tennessee, and is hosted by the Hardin County Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Tennessee’s Neece Reclaims Lead at Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit on Lake Okeechobee
Tennessee rookie Jim Neece, Jr., who led the tournament on Day One, brought a limit of 18 pounds, 2 ounces to the scale on Saturday, moving back into the lead after dropping to 3rd place on Day Two. Neece’s three-day total of 56 pounds, 11 ounces gives him a slim 10-ounce advantage over pro Miles Burghoff of Soddy-Daisy, Tennessee, who dropped to 2nd place with a limit worth 13 pounds, 2 ounces, for a three-day total of 56 pounds, 1 ounce.
Bass Pro Tour angler Skeet Reese of Auburn, California, (55-5), and pros Bill McDonald of Greenwood, Indiana, (55-4) and Chris Lane of Guntersville, Alabama, (55-4) round out the top five.
Pro Cole Floyd of Leesburg, Ohio, made a jump from 15th place into 8th, while pro Ryan Salzman of Huntsville, Alabama , made a dramatic leap from 49th, into the 10th and final qualifying spot.
Neece said catching a 7-pound kicker early helped him get the day started in the right direction.
“That 7-pounder was the first bite of the day,” said Neece. “About an hour later, I lost one that was even bigger – it straightened out my hook.”
He said the fish he needs to win are in his area, north of King’s Bar, and he plans to go back again to vie for the win on Sunday.
“I’ve been in the same place all week, but have had to switch baits to get bites,” Neece said. “The first two days, I mainly fished a Zoom Ultra Vibe Speed Worm and a frog, but they just weren’t biting them as well today.”
Due to the changing weather, Neece said he decided to fish a vibrating jig Saturday, which helped him put together his limit.
“I had to switch it up because of all of the wind in my area,” he said. “Today, the [vibrating jig] was the key.”
The top 10 pros after Day Three on Lake Okeechobee are:
2nd: Miles Burghoff, Soddy-Daisy, Tenn., 15 bass, 56-1
3rd: Skeet Reese, Auburn, Calif., 15 bass, 55-5
4th: Bill McDonald, Greenwood, Ind., 15 bass, 55-4
5th: Chris Lane, Guntersville, Ala., 15 bass, 55-4
6th: Dicky Newberry, Houston, Texas, 15 bass, 53-6
7th: Pete Ponds, Madison, Miss., 15 bass, 50-15
8th: Cole Floyd, Leesburg, Ohio, 15 bass, 49-15
9th: Anthony Gagliardi, Prosperity, S.C., 15 bass, 49-13
10th: Ryan Salzman, Huntsville, Ala., 15 bass, 48-7
12th: Bobby Lane, Lakeland, Fla., 15 bass, 46-9, $11,000
13th: Brandon McMillan, Clewiston, Fla., 15 bass, 46-8, $11,000
14th: Justin Lucas, Guntersville, Ala., 14 bass, 46-0, $11,000
15th: Kurt Mitchell, Milford, Del., 15 bass, 46-0, $11,000
16th: Jason Vance, Battle Ground, Ind., 15 bass, 45-5, $11,000
17th: Mike Surman, Boca Raton, Fla., 15 bass, 44-13, $11,000
18th: Robert Nakatomi, Sacramento, Calif., 15 bass, 44-1, $11,000
19th: Dylan Hays, Hot Springs, Ark., 15 bass, 43-4, $11,000
20th: Clabion Johns, Social Circle, Ga., 15 bass, 43-1, $11,000
Overall, there were 238 bass weighing 603 pounds, 5 ounces caught by 50 pros on Saturday, which included 42 five-bass limits.
The Major League Fishing Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by Bad Boy Mowers, 13 Fishing Stop 1 – Lake Okeechobee is hosted by the Hendry County Tourism Development Council and Roland & Mary Ann Martin’s Marina & Resort.
In Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit competition, the full field of 162 anglers competed in the two-day opening round on Thursday and Friday. The field was cut to 50 anglers on Saturday. Now, the top 10 pros based on their three-day cumulative weight advance to Sunday where the winner will be determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from all four days of competition.
Throughout the season, anglers are also vying for valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the 2021 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit TITLE presented by Mercury, the Pro Circuit Championship, where they will compete for up to $235,000. The 2021 TITLE will be on the Mississippi River in La Crosse, Wisconsin on Aug. 17-22, and is hosted by Explore La Crosse.
Anglers will take off at 7:30 a.m. ET on Sunday from Roland and Mary Ann Martin’s Marina and Resort, located at 920 E. Del Monte Ave. in Clewiston. Weigh-in will also be held at the marina on Sunday at 3 p.m. Attendance is limited to competing anglers, family, essential staff and media covering the event. Fans are encouraged to follow the action online through the MLF NOW! live stream and coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com .
The Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by Bad Boy Mowers, 13 Fishing Stop 1 – Lake Okeechobee will feature live on-the-water coverage and a two-hour action-packed television show that will premiere on the Outdoor Channel on Sunday, July 11 from 7 to 9 a.m. ET and re-air on the Sportsman Channel this fall. Weigh-in will be streamed and fans can catch live on-the-water action all day Sunday, Feb. 14 on MLF NOW! beginning at 8 a.m. ET at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit presented by Bad Boy Mowers on the MLF BIG5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
With Run To Rodman, Walters Takes Lead At Bassmaster Elite On St. Johns River
Patrick Walters, of Summerville, S.C., is leading after Day 3 of the 2021 AFTCO Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River with a three-day total of 58 pounds, 10 ounces.
Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
February 13, 2021
PALATKA, Fla. — For three days, the question lingered: would Rodman Reservoir play a significant role in the AFTCO Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River. Today, Patrick Walters of Summerville, S.C., erased any doubt with a five-bass limit of 26 pounds, 7 ounces that gave him the lead with a three-day total of 58-10.
Walters enters Championship Sunday with a 3-ounce lead over Greg Hackney of Gonzales, La.
“Rodman didn’t play two years ago, and it didn’t play last year because (it was in a drawdown). So, I thought it has to be good this year,” Walters said. “I flipped a coin on it and it worked.
“The biggest thing is the time constraint. We need enough time to fish and to come back.”
Located south of Palatka, Rodman is technically upriver, as the St. Johns flows south to north. Covering about 9,500 acres, the reservoir offers an abundance of standing timber and stumps as well as various bank vegetation and floating mats. Anglers access Rodman through a canal and lock west of the river.
With the St. Johns fishery still suffering from massive eelgrass loss suffered during Hurricane Irma in 2017, anglers have been spending more time exploring tributaries and connected lakes. Today, stumps and pads produced all of Walters’ fish.
While Rodman’s timber was reminiscent of Walters’ dominant Lake Fork victory at the 2020 Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest benefitting Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Walters said this week he’s found the bass are in a different stage now.
“I’m using my electronics and I’m catching some fish jerking, but they’re setting up differently,” he said. “These fish are starting to spawn and I’m catching them in transition.
“In practice, they were in the standing timber, but they transitioned up shallow to about 5 feet.”
Walters was not alone in Rodman, but he’s put together the most successful performance. After placing 15th on Day 1 with 13-3, he improved to 10th with a Day 2 limit of 19-0. Today’s bag of 26-7 was the event’s largest catch.
Walters said he executed on his day’s game plan, but he had to chuckle when relating the tale of incidentally finding himself in a productive stretch.
“I was fishing a little stump field and I said ‘I’m going to fish to that little grass mat over there and then I’m going to leave,” Walters explained. “That mat was maybe 100 yards away and as I’m fishing to it, I keep looking up and thinking ‘How have I not made it to that mat?’
“Turns out it was floating and I probably caught eight fish while I was trying to reach it. I just kept working to it and it kept drifting away.”
Walters caught most of his bass on a mix of jerkbaits, which he rotated based on sky conditions and water clarity. He also caught keepers on a Zoom Zlinky and a Fluke Stick. For the plastics, he used Texas-rigging and Neko-rigging techniques.
“I thought I was going to catch them pretty quick this morning with that cloud cover because, in practice, they bit when it was cloudy and rainy; but I started super slow,” Walters said. “Once that sun started peeking out around 10:30, I started catching them.
“The biggest fish I caught was the last spot I hit in Rodman — five minutes before the lock closed. I wanted to hit this stump yesterday, but I would have been late for the lock. So I said, ‘Just save it for (Day 3).’ On my first cast, I caught my 7-pounder on a jerkbait.”
Hackney caught 12-7 on Day 1 to place 19th, then climbed to third on Day 2 with 22-10. On Saturday, he turned in his best effort — a limit of 23-6 — and tallied 58-7.
Hackney committed the majority of his day to a 1/2-mile stretch of cypress shoreline on the east side of Lake George. This habitat, he said, filled the void left by the eelgrass decline.
“Those fish don’t have the stuff they used to have, so that was the next best thing,” he said. “I knew if they lived in the area, that’s where they’d have to spawn.”
Amid the vast cypress habitat, Hackney targeted high spots where bass were most likely to bed. He caught all of his fish on a Strike King Rage Bug (junebug color), Texas rigged on a 5/0 Hack Attack flipping hook and a 1/4-ounce Tour Grade tungsten sinker.
“I was using 25-pound fluorocarbon because I wanted some stretch,” Hackney said. “That water was so shallow, sometimes, you can rip the bait out of their mouth with braid.”
Derek Hudnall of Denham Springs, La., is in third place with 53-9. He placed second on Day 1 with 22-5 and held that spot with a second-round limit of 16-0. Hudnall added 15-4 Saturday.
Returning to a spawning area near Astor (south of Lake George) where he’d fished the previous two days, Hudnall fared well by skipping a wacky-rigged Missile Baits 48 into gaps amid shoreline vegetation. On Friday and Saturday, he lost several key fish that were clearly in bed-guarding mode.
“When they’re spawning, they’re not eating; they’re protecting, so they don’t typically get it really deep,” Hudnall said. “I spent about two hours in my main area and caught a 6-pounder on my first cast and then a couple of little ones.
“It became obvious that this area was gone. I started running new water and filled out my limit in the river while I was running back.”
Hudnall and Brandon Palaniuk of Rathdrum, Idaho, are tied for the lead in the race for Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors at 9-8 each.
The Top 10 remaining anglers will take off at 7 a.m. ET from Palatka City Docks. The weigh-in will be held at the Palatka Riverfront Park at 3 p.m. The winner will earn $100,000 and one of the coveted blue trophies awarded to every Elite Series winner.
FS1 will broadcast live from the tournament beginning at 8 a.m. Coverage of the event can be streamed on Bassmaster.com and the FOX Sports digital platforms.
2021 AFTCO Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River 2/11-2/14
St. Johns River, Palatka, FL
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 3
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Patrick Walters Summerville, SC 15 58-10 100
Day 1: 5 13-03 Day 2: 5 19-00 Day 3: 5 26-07
2. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 15 58-07 99
Day 1: 5 12-07 Day 2: 5 22-10 Day 3: 5 23-06
3. Derek Hudnall Denham Springs, LA 15 53-09 98 $1,000.00
Day 1: 5 22-05 Day 2: 5 16-00 Day 3: 5 15-04
4. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 15 53-09 97
Day 1: 5 17-12 Day 2: 5 14-12 Day 3: 5 21-01
5. Hank Cherry Jr Lincolnton, NC 13 53-06 96
Day 1: 3 12-14 Day 2: 5 17-01 Day 3: 5 23-07
6. Bryan New Belmont, NC 15 53-03 95
Day 1: 5 12-00 Day 2: 5 20-03 Day 3: 5 21-00
7. Bryan Schmitt Deale, MD 15 52-11 94
Day 1: 5 15-08 Day 2: 5 15-08 Day 3: 5 21-11
8. Seth Feider New Market, MN 15 52-03 93
Day 1: 5 08-03 Day 2: 5 18-08 Day 3: 5 25-08
9. Gary Clouse Winchester, TN 12 51-05 92
Day 1: 5 25-12 Day 2: 5 19-05 Day 3: 2 06-04
10. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 15 50-15 91
Day 1: 5 16-02 Day 2: 5 17-05 Day 3: 5 17-08
11. Mike Huff Corbin, KY 15 50-14 90 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-08 Day 2: 5 19-14 Day 3: 5 18-08
12. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 13 50-04 89 $10,000.00
Day 1: 3 07-05 Day 2: 5 21-12 Day 3: 5 21-03
13. Matt Herren Ashville, AL 15 50-02 88 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-09 Day 2: 5 17-03 Day 3: 5 16-06
14. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 14 49-15 87 $11,000.00
Day 1: 4 07-04 Day 2: 5 18-00 Day 3: 5 24-11
15. Wes Logan Springville, AL 15 49-06 86 $11,000.00
Day 1: 5 10-06 Day 2: 5 21-02 Day 3: 5 17-14
16. Caleb Kuphall Mukwonago, WI 15 48-11 85 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-04 Day 2: 5 16-09 Day 3: 5 18-14
17. Cory Johnston Cavan CANADA 15 48-07 84 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-15 Day 2: 5 14-00 Day 3: 5 16-08
18. Joshua Stracner Vandiver, AL 15 47-14 83 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-02 Day 2: 5 14-15 Day 3: 5 16-13
19. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 15 47-13 82 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 09-08 Day 2: 5 17-04 Day 3: 5 21-01
20. Clent Davis Montevallo, AL 15 47-08 81 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 06-04 Day 2: 5 21-05 Day 3: 5 19-15
21. Carl Jocumsen Queensland TN AUSTRALIA 15 43-10 80 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-02 Day 2: 5 11-10 Day 3: 5 13-14
22. Brian Snowden Reeds Spring, MO 12 43-06 79 $10,000.00
Day 1: 2 03-06 Day 2: 5 23-08 Day 3: 5 16-08
23. Drew Cook Cairo, GA 15 43-06 78 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 11-01 Day 2: 5 19-00 Day 3: 5 13-05
24. Jeff Gustafson Keewatin Ontario CANADA 15 42-12 77 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 09-14 Day 2: 5 19-10 Day 3: 5 13-04
25. Gerald Swindle Guntersville, AL 15 42-06 76 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-07 Day 2: 5 16-00 Day 3: 5 13-15
26. Justin Hamner Northport, AL 15 42-00 75 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 10-08 Day 2: 5 16-14 Day 3: 5 14-10
27. Drew Benton Blakely, GA 15 41-08 74 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 09-08 Day 2: 5 18-05 Day 3: 5 13-11
28. Buddy Gross Chickamauga, GA 15 41-05 73 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-05 Day 2: 5 17-00 Day 3: 5 08-00
29. KJ Queen Catawba, NC 15 41-05 72 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 11-10 Day 2: 5 13-11 Day 3: 5 16-00
30. Ed Loughran III Richmond, VA 13 41-01 71 $10,000.00
Day 1: 3 07-00 Day 2: 5 17-01 Day 3: 5 17-00
31. Randy Pierson Oakdale, CA 14 41-00 70 $10,000.00
Day 1: 4 11-10 Day 2: 5 11-04 Day 3: 5 18-02
32. Luke Palmer Coalgate, OK 15 40-08 69 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 07-08 Day 2: 5 16-15 Day 3: 5 16-01
33. Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 14 40-01 68 $10,000.00
Day 1: 4 11-11 Day 2: 5 13-11 Day 3: 5 14-11
34. Chris Johnston Otonabee Ontario CANADA 15 39-13 67 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-06 Day 2: 5 11-09 Day 3: 5 15-14
35. Bill Weidler Helena, AL 15 39-08 66 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-13 Day 2: 5 15-03 Day 3: 5 09-08
36. Micah Frazier Newnan, GA 13 38-08 65 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-00 Day 2: 5 12-02 Day 3: 3 12-06
37. John Cox Debary, FL 13 38-07 64 $10,000.00
Day 1: 3 07-01 Day 2: 5 15-07 Day 3: 5 15-15
38. Darold Gleason Many, LA 15 37-08 63 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 11-09 Day 2: 5 10-13 Day 3: 5 15-02
39. Austin Felix Eden Prairie, MN 15 37-03 62 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-08 Day 2: 5 12-11 Day 3: 5 12-00
40. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 13 36-13 61 $10,000.00
Day 1: 3 06-02 Day 2: 5 19-13 Day 3: 5 10-14
41. Brad Whatley Bivins, TX 15 36-12 60 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 06-12 Day 2: 5 16-04 Day 3: 5 13-12
42. Quentin Cappo Prairieville, LA 15 35-04 59 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 08-07 Day 2: 5 17-04 Day 3: 5 09-09
43. Matt Arey Shelby, NC 15 35-02 58 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 09-13 Day 2: 5 14-05 Day 3: 5 11-00
44. Rob Digh Denver, NC 15 34-01 57 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 08-14 Day 2: 5 15-08 Day 3: 5 09-11
45. Justin Atkins Florence, AL 13 34-00 56 $10,000.00
Day 1: 3 05-09 Day 2: 5 17-01 Day 3: 5 11-06
46. Hunter Shryock Ooltewah, TN 15 33-12 55 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 11-04 Day 2: 5 12-06 Day 3: 5 10-02
47. Kyle Welcher Opelika, AL 15 32-11 54 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 10-07 Day 2: 5 12-12 Day 3: 5 09-08
48. Brandon Cobb Greenwood, SC 14 32-04 53 $10,000.00
Day 1: 5 11-06 Day 2: 5 12-04 Day 3: 4 08-10
49. Kenta Kimura Osaka JAPAN 10 32-01 52 $10,000.00
Day 1: 3 05-02 Day 2: 5 20-04 Day 3: 2 06-11
50. Lee Livesay Longview, TX 10 22-09 51 $5,000.00
Day 1: 5 08-04 Day 2: 5 14-05 Day 3: 0 00-00
Lester: St. Johns is Constantly Changing
Courtesy of Luke Stoner - Dynamic Sponsorships
The St. Johns River has been a staple of the Bassmaster Elite Series schedule the past decade, but history can seemingly haunt you on this iconic Florida fishery. Just ask Brandon Lester, who has an impressive resume when competing on this body of water, but swears he has never caught fish in the same area in any of his five trips to Palatka.
Due to factors such as weather, disappearing aquatic vegetation, and water quality Lester believes it’s best to have a short memory when he launches his boat on the St. Johns.
“Every single year we fish here this place is different,” Lester said. “I used to focus exclusively on eel grass when we came here and posted some good finishes doing so. The last two years I’ve caught my fish on more traditional river fishing pieces of hard cover like docks, seas walls, and even wood.”
The Elites have started their season on the St. Johns the past two years and the first day of competition has proved less than desirable for the Team Toyota pro. In 2020 Lester bounced back with a 20-pound five fish limit on day two after a dismal first day. Yesterday Lester rallied with a similar result after bringing nearly 22-pounds of feisty Florida largemouth to the scales.
Throughout his career Lester has proven to be incredibly consistent, so his day one struggles on the St. Johns the past two years has been a bit perplexing to Bassmaster fans and Lester alike. When I asked him why he thinks that’s been the case, the even-keeled Tennesee pro answered with, “change.”
“This place not only changes year to year, but day to day,” Lester explained. “You might find the mother load one day in practice only to find they are gone the next morning. It can be frustrating, but that’s part of the game. One thing that hasn’t changed for me on the St. Johns is it seems I have to fish at a snails pace to really catch them.”
That logic was on full display yesterday when Lester milked one little area for one of the biggest bags of fish of the day. Using a wacky-rigged soft plastic on a #2 Mustad TitanX Neko Hook Lester fished slow and in return moved up the leaderboard fast, entering today in 21st place.
During the brief fog delay before competition began this morning Lester was all smiles. The weather forecast in Tennessee is currently calling for snow as opposed to the 70-degree weather Elite pros are expecting today. While he is eager to get home to his wife Kimberly and daughters Shiloh and Leann, Lester admitted he isn’t excited to drive his Tundra north out of this Florida weather.
Tennessee’s Burghoff Takes Lead at Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit on Lake Okeechobee
CLEWISTON, Fla. (Feb. 12, 2021) – Pro Miles Burghoff of Soddy-Daisy, Tennessee, caught five bass weighing 16 pounds, 13 ounces Friday to take control of the leaderboard after Day Two of the Major League Fishing Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by Bad Boy Mowers, 13 Fishing Stop 1 – Lake Okeechobee in Clewiston, Florida. Burghoff's two-day total of 10 bass weighing 42 pounds, 15 ounces moved him up into the top spot heading into Day Three after starting the day in second place. The four-day competition, hosted by the Hendry County Tourism Development Council and Roland & Mary Ann Martin's Marina & Resort, features a field of 162 bass fishing professionals from around the world competing for a top cash award of up to $135,000.
MLF Bass Pro Tour pro, Skeet Reese of Auburn, California, jumped from 16th place into 2nd, with a five-bass-limit weighing 21 pounds, 9 ounces, for a two-day total of 39 pounds, 5 ounces – just 3-pounds, 10-ounces behind Burghoff.
“It all changed today, and the pressure in my area was incredibly strong,” said Burghoff. “There were 25 boats in that spot and I was within a pitch or two from at least one other boat for the entire day.”
Burghoff said with the amount of pressure being a factor, he tried to find something fresh and target things other anglers may have overlooked.
“I had to switch it up to get bites,” he said. “I was still flipping and pitching, but looked for places others weren’t hitting and tried to find little stretches with less traffic.”
He said his plan for tomorrow is to join the crowd again because he believes there are enough fish in that area to get another solid limit.
“There are still some big females in there so I am going out with the same plan in the morning,” said Burghoff. “I’m sticking with that area until I’m told otherwise by the fish.”
The top 20 pros after Day Two on Lake Okeechobee are:
2nd: Skeet Reese, Auburn, Calif., five bass, 39-5
3rd: Jim Neece, Jr., Bristol, Tenn., five bass, 38-9
4th: Dicky Newberry, Houston, Texas, five bass, 38-0
5th: Bill McDonald, Greenwood, Ind., five bass, 37-8
6th: Anthony Gagliardi, Prosperity, S.C., five bass, 37-6
7th: Pete Ponds, Madison, Miss., five bass, 36-12
8th: Justin Lucas, Guntersville, Ala., five bass, 36-7
9th: Chris Lane, Guntersville, Ala., five bass, 35-8
10th: Kurt Mitchell, Milford, Del., five bass, 35-3
11th: Mike Surman, Boca Raton, Fla., five bass, 34-11
12th: Bobby Lane, Lakeland, Fla., five bass, 34-9
13th: Jamie Horton, Centerville, Ala., five bass, 33-13
14th: Jason Vance, Battle Ground, Ind. five bass, 32-12
15th: Cole Floyd, Leesburg, Ohio, five bass, 32-6
16th: Dylan Hays, Hot Springs, Ark., five bass, 32-1
17th: Rusty Salewske, Alpine, Calif., five bass, 31-9
18th: Matt Reed, Madisonville, Texas, five bass, 31-6
19th: Jim Tutt, Longview, Texas, five bass, 31-4
20th: Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., five bass, 31-4
Overall, there were 741 bass weighing 1,773 pounds, 2 ounces caught by 162 pros on Thursday, which included 131 five-bass limits.
In Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit competition, the full field of 162 anglers competed in the two-day opening round on Thursday and Friday. Now, the top 50 pros based on their two-day cumulative weight advance to Saturday. Only the top 10 pros continue competition on Sunday, with the winner determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from the four days of competition.
Throughout the season, anglers are also vying for valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the 2021 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit TITLE presented by Mercury, the Pro Circuit Championship, where they will compete for up to $235,000. The 2021 TITLE will be on the Mississippi River in La Crosse, Wisconsin on Aug. 17-22, and is hosted by Explore La Crosse.
Anglers will take off at 7:30 a.m. ET Saturday and Sunday from Roland and Mary Ann Martin’s Marina and Resort, located at 920 E. Del Monte Ave. in Clewiston. Weigh-ins will also be held at the marina daily at 3 p.m. Attendance is limited to competing anglers, family, essential staff and media covering the event. Fans are encouraged to follow the action online through the MLF NOW! live stream and coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by Bad Boy Mowers, 13 Fishing Stop 1 – Lake Okeechobee will feature live on-the-water coverage and a two-hour action-packed television show that will premiere on the Outdoor Channel on Sunday, July 11 from 7 to 9 a.m. ET and re-air on the Sportsman Channel this fall. Weigh-ins will be streamed daily and fans can catch live on-the-water action all day Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 13-14 on MLF NOW! beginning at 8 a.m. ET at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit presented by Bad Boy Mowers on the MLF BIG5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
Clouse Maintains Lead At Bassmaster Elite Series Event On The St. Johns River
Gary Clouse, of Winchester, Tenn., is leading after Day 2 of the 2021 AFTCO Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River with a two-day total of 45 pounds, 1 ounce.
Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
February 12, 2021
PALATKA, Fla. — Despite having longer to fish on Friday, Gary Clouse found fewer big bites than he did during Thursday’s fog-shortened first round.
Nevertheless, the Tennessee angler sacked up a five-bass limit of 19 pounds, 5 ounces and held on to his lead in the AFTCO Bassmaster Elite at the St. Johns River with a two-day total of 45-1.
Clouse is making a nearly two-hour run south of Palatka, so Thursday’s fog delay, which postponed the scheduled 7 a.m. takeoff until 10:15, left him with about an hour of actual fishing time. Despite the limitation, he led the day with a limit of 25-12 — the tournament’s heaviest catch so far.
On Friday, Clouse seemed to have a hard time replicating his opening results, which he called the most amazing day of fishing he’s ever experienced.
“It was a struggle today, but I’ll take it,” Clouse said. “Yesterday, I caught everything in an hour; today it took me four hours to get what I had. I think I’m wearing my area out; I hope there are some more coming in.
“Yesterday was one of those days you dream about as a fisherman. Everything just worked. Today, I didn’t fish as well; I think I was a little amped up early. I don’t feel like I presented my baits as well, and I moved around too fast.”
Clouse is targeting small patches of reeds scattered across a supershallow flat. Some of the bass were relating to the cover, while others positioned around the perimeter.
“I caught my first big one out away from it and I caught my second big one close to it; I think they’re just roaming around back there,” Clouse said. “I really haven’t seen any fish on a bed. I’ve seen some beds, but it’s hard to tell what’s going on because I have to stay way back and there’s so many other fish — tilapia, carp — back there.
“I can’t say that I’m bed fishing. They’re just in there roaming around and possibly trying to bed.”
Clouse used a 1/4-ounce swim jig and a 1/4-ounce ChatterBait, both with Yamamoto Zako trailers, to cover water and find fish. He didn’t end up weighing anything on the reaction baits, but they helped him locate active areas where a Texas-rigged Zoom Magnum Ultravibe Speed Worm earned the bites.
Around 1 p.m., with a limit of approximately 15-4, Clouse switched from braided line to fluorocarbon. Within minutes, he caught a 6-2 that culled out a 1 1/2-pounder (all weights estimated per BassTrakk).
The warming trend that arrived Wednesday has prompted good numbers of big bass to move into spawning zones like the one Clouse has been fishing. However, after two days of stable weather, Saturday’s forecast for wind and rain will likely change the playing field.
This won’t necessarily kill the bite. But shallow, exposed areas like Clouse's will likely get blown out at some point. He’s hopeful he can squeeze another day of productivity and secure a Top 10 spot for Championship Sunday.
“If I have to try something different, I’m in trouble,” Clouse said. “I tried for three days in practice and that’s all I have.”
Derek Hudnall of Denham Springs, La., remains in second place with 38-5. Sticking with the same game plan that yielded 22-5 on Day 1, he added 16-0 Friday.
Hudnall has been targeting spawning fish tucked into gaps in shoreline cover by skipping a wacky-rigged Missile Baits 48 worm in the bruiser flash and junebug colors with 15-pound braided line facilitating precise presentations.
Today, after missing several big-fish opportunities, Hudnall made a key adjustment.
“I had a handful of big ones that had the bait for just a second and would just pull off immediately,” he said. “It was really hard to get that bait in their mouth, but around midday, I downsized my hook from a Size 1 Gamakatsu G-Finesse Weedless Stinger Hook, to a Size 2.
“It’s not (significantly) smaller but can make a difference. When I made that adjustment, I started hooking up with more of those fish. They’re locked on beds right now, so they’re not eating; they’re 100% protecting.”
Greg Hackney of Gonzales, La., is in third place with 35-1. Clearly benefiting from a full fishing day, Hackney gained 13 spots by adding 22-10 to his Day-1 weight of 12-7.
“Today, I just got to fish a lot slower,” Hackney said. “I just fished over those fish yesterday. I knew they were there yesterday, but I just couldn’t slow down enough to catch them, because I knew I had to catch five so I fished a little quicker.
“Today, I fished the same 300-yard stretch, and it took me all day. I seined it, and I’m going to go back there tomorrow. I knew better than to leave because I’d see them every now and then.”
Hackney said his spot is a protected shoreline with a mix of wood cover and shallow vegetation — an ideal spawning scenario. He caught all of his fish by flipping a Strike King Rage Craw.
Hudnall is in the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors with his 9-8.
The Top 50 remaining anglers will take off Saturday from Palatka City Docks at 7 a.m. ET. Saturday’s weigh-in will be held at Palatka Riverfront Park at 3 p.m., with only the Top 10 anglers advancing to Championship Sunday.
FS1 will broadcast live from the tournament beginning at 8 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Coverage of the event can be streamed on Bassmaster.com and the FOX Sports digital platforms.
The AFTCO Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River is being hosted by the Putnam County Tourist Development Council and Putnam County Chamber of Commerce.
AFTCO Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River Video Highlights (For media use. Please credit B.A.S.S.)
Media Contact: Emily Harley, B.A.S.S. Communications Manager, 205-313-0945, eharley@bassmaster.com
2021 AFTCO Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River 2/11-2/14
St. Johns River, Palatka, FL.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 2
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Gary Clouse Winchester, TN 10 45-01 100
Day 1: 5 25-12 Day 2: 5 19-05
2. Derek Hudnall Denham Springs, LA 10 38-05 99 $1,000.00
Day 1: 5 22-05 Day 2: 5 16-00
3. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 10 35-01 98
Day 1: 5 12-07 Day 2: 5 22-10
4. Matt Herren Ashville, AL 10 33-12 97
Day 1: 5 16-09 Day 2: 5 17-03
5. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 10 33-07 96
Day 1: 5 16-02 Day 2: 5 17-05
6. Buddy Gross Chickamauga, GA 10 33-05 95
Day 1: 5 16-05 Day 2: 5 17-00
7. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 10 32-08 94
Day 1: 5 17-12 Day 2: 5 14-12
8. Mike Huff Corbin, KY 10 32-06 93
Day 1: 5 12-08 Day 2: 5 19-14
9. Bryan New Belmont, NC 10 32-03 92
Day 1: 5 12-00 Day 2: 5 20-03
10. Patrick Walters Summerville, SC 10 32-03 91
Day 1: 5 13-03 Day 2: 5 19-00
11. Cory Johnston Cavan CANADA 10 31-15 90
Day 1: 5 17-15 Day 2: 5 14-00
12. Wes Logan Springville, AL 10 31-08 89 $1,000.00
Day 1: 5 10-06 Day 2: 5 21-02
13. Joshua Stracner Vandiver, AL 10 31-01 88
Day 1: 5 16-02 Day 2: 5 14-15
14. Bryan Schmitt Deale, MD 10 31-00 87
Day 1: 5 15-08 Day 2: 5 15-08
15. Drew Cook Cairo, GA 10 30-01 86
Day 1: 5 11-01 Day 2: 5 19-00
16. Bill Weidler Helena, AL 10 30-00 85
Day 1: 5 14-13 Day 2: 5 15-03
17. Hank Cherry Jr Lincolnton, NC 8 29-15 84
Day 1: 3 12-14 Day 2: 5 17-01
18. Caleb Kuphall Mukwonago, WI 10 29-13 83
Day 1: 5 13-04 Day 2: 5 16-09
19. Carl Jocumsen Queensland AUSTRALIA 10 29-12 82
Day 1: 5 18-02 Day 2: 5 11-10
20. Jeff Gustafson Keewatin Ontario CANADA 10 29-08 81
Day 1: 5 09-14 Day 2: 5 19-10
21. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 8 29-01 80
Day 1: 3 07-05 Day 2: 5 21-12
22. Gerald Swindle Guntersville, AL 10 28-07 79
Day 1: 5 12-07 Day 2: 5 16-00
23. Drew Benton Blakely, GA 10 27-13 78
Day 1: 5 09-08 Day 2: 5 18-05
24. Clent Davis Montevallo, AL 10 27-09 77
Day 1: 5 06-04 Day 2: 5 21-05
25. Justin Hamner Northport, AL 10 27-06 76
Day 1: 5 10-08 Day 2: 5 16-14
26. Brian Snowden Reeds Spring, MO 7 26-14 75
Day 1: 2 03-06 Day 2: 5 23-08
27. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 10 26-12 74
Day 1: 5 09-08 Day 2: 5 17-04
28. Seth Feider New Market, MN 10 26-11 73
Day 1: 5 08-03 Day 2: 5 18-08
29. Micah Frazier Newnan, GA 10 26-02 72
Day 1: 5 14-00 Day 2: 5 12-02
30. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 8 25-15 71
Day 1: 3 06-02 Day 2: 5 19-13
31. Quentin Cappo Prairieville, LA 10 25-11 70
Day 1: 5 08-07 Day 2: 5 17-04
32. Kenta Kimura Osaka JAPAN 8 25-06 69
Day 1: 3 05-02 Day 2: 5 20-04
33. Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 9 25-06 68
Day 1: 4 11-11 Day 2: 5 13-11
34. KJ Queen Catawba, NC 10 25-05 67
Day 1: 5 11-10 Day 2: 5 13-11
35. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 9 25-04 66
Day 1: 4 07-04 Day 2: 5 18-00
36. Austin Felix Eden Prairie, MN 10 25-03 65
Day 1: 5 12-08 Day 2: 5 12-11
37. Luke Palmer Coalgate, OK 10 24-07 64
Day 1: 5 07-08 Day 2: 5 16-15
38. Rob Digh Denver, NC 10 24-06 63
Day 1: 5 08-14 Day 2: 5 15-08
39. Matt Arey Shelby, NC 10 24-02 62
Day 1: 5 09-13 Day 2: 5 14-05
40. Ed Loughran III Richmond, VA 8 24-01 61
Day 1: 3 07-00 Day 2: 5 17-01
41. Chris Johnston Otonabee Ontario CANADA 10 23-15 60
Day 1: 5 12-06 Day 2: 5 11-09
42. Hunter Shryock Ooltewah, TN 10 23-10 59
Day 1: 5 11-04 Day 2: 5 12-06
43. Brandon Cobb Greenwood, SC 10 23-10 58
Day 1: 5 11-06 Day 2: 5 12-04
44. Kyle Welcher Opelika, AL 10 23-03 57
Day 1: 5 10-07 Day 2: 5 12-12
45. Brad Whatley Bivins, TX 10 23-00 56
Day 1: 5 06-12 Day 2: 5 16-04
46. Randy Pierson Oakdale, CA 9 22-14 55
Day 1: 4 11-10 Day 2: 5 11-04
47. Justin Atkins Florence, AL 8 22-10 54
Day 1: 3 05-09 Day 2: 5 17-01
48. Lee Livesay Longview, TX 10 22-09 53
Day 1: 5 08-04 Day 2: 5 14-05
49. John Cox Debary, FL 8 22-08 52
Day 1: 3 07-01 Day 2: 5 15-07
50. Darold Gleason Many, LA 10 22-06 51
Day 1: 5 11-09 Day 2: 5 10-13
51. Jamie Hartman Newport, NY 10 22-01 50 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 14-10 Day 2: 5 07-07
52. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 8 21-11 49 $2,500.00
Day 1: 3 06-05 Day 2: 5 15-06
53. Robbie Latuso Gonzales, LA 7 20-15 48 $2,500.00
Day 1: 2 03-03 Day 2: 5 17-12
54. Kelley Jaye Dadeville, AL 8 20-12 47 $2,500.00
Day 1: 3 05-01 Day 2: 5 15-11
55. Clark Wendlandt Leander, TX 10 20-06 46 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 10-11 Day 2: 5 09-11
56. Shane LeHew Catawba, NC 9 20-04 45 $2,500.00
Day 1: 4 06-10 Day 2: 5 13-10
57. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 9 20-01 44 $2,500.00
Day 1: 4 06-01 Day 2: 5 14-00
58. Chad Pipkens Dewitt, MI 10 19-11 43 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 08-11 Day 2: 5 11-00
59. Tyler Rivet Raceland, LA 10 19-09 42 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 11-06 Day 2: 5 08-03
59. Matt Robertson Kuttawa, KY 10 19-09 42 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 08-03 Day 2: 5 11-06
61. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 8 19-08 40 $2,500.00
Day 1: 3 11-10 Day 2: 5 07-14
62. Tyler Carriere Youngsville, LA 10 19-08 39 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 09-08 Day 2: 5 10-00
63. Jason Christie Park Hill, OK 9 19-06 38 $2,500.00
Day 1: 4 06-04 Day 2: 5 13-02
64. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 10 19-06 37 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 08-14 Day 2: 5 10-08
65. Koby Kreiger Alva, FL 8 19-04 36 $2,500.00
Day 1: 3 08-14 Day 2: 5 10-06
66. Shane Lineberger Lincolnton, NC 8 18-12 35 $2,500.00
Day 1: 4 06-00 Day 2: 4 12-12
67. Pat Schlapper Eleva, WI 7 18-11 34 $2,500.00
Day 1: 2 03-04 Day 2: 5 15-07
68. Kyle Monti Okeechobee, FL 10 18-10 33 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 08-09 Day 2: 5 10-01
69. Frank Talley Temple, TX 10 18-00 32 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 11-13 Day 2: 5 06-03
70. Chad Morgenthaler Reeds Spring, MO 10 17-13 31 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 06-15 Day 2: 5 10-14
71. Jason Williamson Wagener, SC 9 17-04 30 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 11-05 Day 2: 4 05-15
72. Gregory DiPalma Millville, NJ 8 16-06 29 $2,500.00
Day 1: 3 10-04 Day 2: 5 06-02
73. Scott Martin Clewiston, FL 8 15-14 28 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 08-07 Day 2: 3 07-07
74. Taku Ito Chiba JAPAN 8 15-09 27 $2,500.00
Day 1: 3 05-08 Day 2: 5 10-01
75. Scott Canterbury Odenville, AL 8 15-08 26 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 11-10 Day 2: 3 03-14
76. Brandon Card Salisbury, NC 7 15-05 25
Day 1: 3 06-14 Day 2: 4 08-07
77. Marc Frazier Newnan, GA 10 15-04 24
Day 1: 5 07-01 Day 2: 5 08-03
78. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 6 15-03 23
Day 1: 1 02-01 Day 2: 5 13-02
79. Chris Zaldain Fort Worth, TX 6 14-06 22
Day 1: 1 01-02 Day 2: 5 13-04
80. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 5 14-02 21
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 5 14-02
81. Chris Groh Spring Grove, IL 7 13-09 20
Day 1: 3 05-09 Day 2: 4 08-00
82. Skylar Hamilton Dandridge, TN 8 13-08 19
Day 1: 3 04-05 Day 2: 5 09-03
83. Caleb Sumrall New Iberia, LA 8 13-06 18
Day 1: 3 05-05 Day 2: 5 08-01
84. Yusuke Miyazaki Forney, TX 6 13-00 17
Day 1: 1 02-02 Day 2: 5 10-14
85. Jay Yelas Lincoln City, OR 5 13-00 16
Day 1: 4 09-15 Day 2: 1 03-01
86. Randy Sullivan Breckenridge, TX 6 12-13 15
Day 1: 2 04-00 Day 2: 4 08-13
87. Bob Downey Hudson, WI 8 12-11 14
Day 1: 5 08-05 Day 2: 3 04-06
88. Rick Morris Lake Gaston, VA 7 12-09 13
Day 1: 2 04-01 Day 2: 5 08-08
89. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 7 11-07 12
Day 1: 2 03-01 Day 2: 5 08-06
90. Ray Hanselman Jr Del Rio, TX 6 10-01 11
Day 1: 1 02-11 Day 2: 5 07-06
91. Jake Whitaker Fairview, NC 4 09-00 10
Day 1: 1 01-01 Day 2: 3 07-15
92. Destin DeMarion Grove City, PA 4 07-09 9
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 4 07-09
93. Garrett Paquette Canton, MI 4 07-01 8
Day 1: 1 03-00 Day 2: 3 04-01
94. Todd Auten Lake Wylie, SC 2 05-10 7
Day 1: 1 02-10 Day 2: 1 03-00
95. Cody Hollen Beaverton, OR 4 05-09 6
Day 1: 3 04-02 Day 2: 1 01-07
96. Dale Hightower Mannford, OK 3 05-07 5
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 05-07
97. Harvey Horne Bella Vista, AR 3 05-05 4
Day 1: 1 00-15 Day 2: 2 04-06
98. Brett Preuett Monroe, LA 2 02-15 3
Day 1: 2 02-15 Day 2: 0 00-00
99. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1 Derek Hudnall Denham Springs, LA 09-08 $1,000.00
2 Wes Logan Springville, AL 08-08 $1,000.00
U.S. Army Signs as Title Sponsor of MLF High School Fishing
With multiple scholarship and advancement opportunities and a partnership with The Bass Federation (TBF) – including the opportunity to compete for more than $3 million in scholarships and prizes at the High School Fishing National Championship and World Finals – MLF High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing is an excellent introduction to tournament bass fishing for teenage anglers.
“This partnership will allow the U.S. Army to connect with today’s outdoor enthusiasts across the United States,” said Sgt. 1st Class Andrew M. Benedict, Army Outdoor Team Leader. “We will share our experiences in the Army and demonstrate that you can serve your country while still pursuing your passions in the woods or on the water.
“We will also highlight how the U.S. Army assists soldiers in continuing the pursuit of their passions through programs such as Morale Welfare and Recreation (MWR) and others, where soldiers can rent equipment or book hunting expeditions around the world.”
The first 25 high school teams that enter each U.S. Army High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing tournament will receive a free Favorite Fishing package, including one Favorite Fishing casting rod and reel, one Favorite Fishing spinning rod and reel, six packs of Googan Baits and two Favorite Fishing hats, a total package value of $230. Most tournaments will also be hosted by a Bass Pro Tour angler or Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit angler, giving high school students the chance to meet the sport’s top pros. As an added bonus, the winning team at each tournament will receive a guided fishing trip with their host.
“We are thrilled to welcome the U.S. Army and their Army Outdoors Team to our fishing family,” said Jim Wilburn, MLF President and CEO. “The U.S. Army’s diverse range of individual soldiers with unique backgrounds and heart-felt passions creates a seamless connection with the youth of today. We are excited to explore this partnership throughout the 2021 season and to continue to invest in our students across the nation.”
U.S. Army High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing tournaments are two-person (team) events for students in grades 7-12 and are open to any SAF-affiliated high school team in the United States. The top 10-percent of each High School Open, TBF State Championship and TBF Challenge tournament held prior to June 14, 2021, will advance to the 2021 U.S. Army High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing National Championship, held in conjunction with the High School Fishing World Finals June 30-July 3 on Lake Hartwell in Anderson, South Carolina. Launched by TBF in 2010, the World Final is the world’s largest open high school bass tournament, where student anglers compete for more than $3 million in scholarships and prizes.
For more information about MLF, their tournaments and sponsors, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. To learn more about the U.S. Army, visit GoArmy.com or follow Army Outdoor social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the U.S. Army High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing on the MLF BIG5 social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
AC Rookie Podcast - Time to Shine
On this weeks Rookie Podcast Jason checks in with MLF Big 5 Pro Circuit Rookie Trevor Fitzgerald. TF has been in this game in multiple facets for a long time and now its his time to play with the boys and show them how its done.
Mercury Introduces the 7.6L V12 600hp Verado
Mercury Marine introduces the all‑new V12 600hp Verado engine — redefining outboard performance
FOND DU LAC, Wis. (Feb. 11, 2021) — Mercury Marine®, a division of Brunswick Corporation (NYSE: BC), today introduced the new 7.6‑liter V12 600hp Verado® outboard engine. With this launch, Mercury continues to transform the high‑horsepower outboard market, providing its most powerful and capable outboard, which includes several industry‑first features for a wide variety of applications.
“With boats continuing to grow bigger and performance expectations continuing to rise, boaters have been asking for a better, more capable high‑horsepower solution to meet their needs. The V12 Verado outboard is Mercury’s answer,” said Chris Drees, Mercury Marine president. “Using our advanced engineering and design capabilities, we completely redefined outboard performance. The V12 Verado outboard delivers boaters unrivaled freedom, luxury and power to pursue their passions on the water. This is a remarkable engine that will change the future of boating.”
Groundbreaking product innovations include the following:
- The world’s first V12 outboard, the 600hp Verado engine features a naturally aspirated, large‑displacement, quad‑cam powerhead that generates impressive torque to get heavy boats out of the hole and on plane quickly, and to accelerate up to rated speed rapidly.
- The industry’s first two‑speed automatic transmission for an outboard optimizes engine rpm according to workload, facilitating powerful acceleration and highly efficient performance at cruise.
- The industry’s first steerable gearcase on an outboard pivots independently underwater while the engine’s powerhead remains in a space‑saving fixed position. This provides more room for multi‑engine configurations and a wider steering angle for agile handling. With help from contra‑rotating propellers, it also has better “bite” in the water for docking and other close‑quarters maneuvering.
- Several enhanced Mercury technologies work in conjunction to enable the V12 Verado outboard to deliver exceptional fuel economy and range.
“The V12 Verado outboard delivers everything boaters want and more in a high-horsepower outboard. This engine makes boats easy to maneuver near the dock and provides superior handling at all speeds. It’s incredibly fuel efficient, so boaters can go farther and stay out longer. It’s so smooth and quiet that you can have a conversation while the engines are running. It’s durable, reliable and easy to maintain. There’s nothing else like the V12 Verado outboard in the marketplace today,” Drees said.
The development of the V12 Verado outboard is a product of Mercury’s continued commitment to investing in R&D and manufacturing expansion, which includes more than $1.5 billion of investment since 2008.
“We’ve dedicated substantial investments and years of effort toward enhancing our ability to turn highly creative ideas into practical, functional and dependable solutions,” said Tim Reid, Mercury Marine vice president of development and engineering. “That work has positioned us well to anticipate and respond to shifts in the marketplace. We listened carefully to boaters’ needs and wishes, and we created new product capabilities aimed at exceeding their highest expectations.”
The Mercury Marine V12 Verado outboard will be available this spring. For more information, visit mercurymarine.com/v12.
For more information on the V12 Verado outboard’s features and benefits, see the Innovations and Advancements document.
See the V12 Verado product‑launch video on the Mercury Marine Facebook page.
Gleason trades Sumrall ham for hooks
Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships
Bassmaster Elite Series rookie Darold Gleason is a combination of mature fishing talent, a big heart, hard work, and endlessly hilarious one-liners. In the 15 years I’ve known him, I’ve never seen him in a sour mood.
In fact, if you need a little boost for your spirit, or inspiration for what a great relationship should look like, put yourself in the presence of Darold and wife Randi, who has earned 10 pink Cadillacs as a Mary Kay cosmetics consultant.
But when Gleason found himself in need of Gamakatsu flipping hooks prior to the start of Day 2 on the St. Johns, he phoned close friend and fellow Elite Series pro Caleb Sumrall -- and started bartering with ham.
Not just any ham. This is ham from their home state of Louisiana from highly famous Grayson’s BBQ, where people reserve their smoked hams a year in advance of the holiday season.
Randi got this morning’s particular pork from Aunt Bonnie who used to live in Louisiana, but now lives in South Florida, and has Grayson’s hams shipped to her. She traveled five hours to the Elite Series this week to cheer on Darold, and thought she’d bring them a taste of home.
Randi paired the ham slices with off-the-block extra sharp cheddar slices, and tucked them into a warm croissant, then transported them to morning blast off in tinfoil.
Gleason, who has caught 10 bass over 10 pounds from his home waters of Toledo Bend, ate three of the morning treats quickly, but held back the fourth for Sumrall in exchange for flippin hooks.
Sumrall, who is built like an outside linebacker, thought it was a more than fair deal. He met Gleason when he was still working in the oil field supply yard, and the two were making their way upward through the Cajun State’s highly competitive amateur bass fishing ranks.
Sumrall had a really tough day Thursday, but Gleason, who is focused on catching spawning fish, sits solidly in 29th place heading into Friday’s competition.
Surely both will have a good Friday. It seems impossible not to when fueled by great friendship, sharp flippin’ hooks, and a belly full of homemade Grayson’s ham and sharp cheddar breakfast croissants.
Clouse Makes Long Run To Take Lead At Bassmaster Elite On St. Johns River
Gary Clouse, of Winchester, Tenn., is leading after Day 1 of the 2021 AFTCO Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River with 25 pounds, 12 ounces.
Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
February 11, 2021
PALATKA, Fla. — Gary Clouse knew what he had to do, and he was determined that not even a three-hour fog delay was going to stop him.
It was a good call for the Tennessee pro who caught a five-bass limit that weighed 25 pounds, 12 ounces Thursday to lead Day 1 of the AFTCO Bassmaster Elite at the St. Johns River.
After dense fog created hazardous navigational conditions, B.A.S.S. delayed Thursday’s scheduled 7 a.m. takeoff until 10:15.
Taking off in the 69th position in a field of 99 boats, Clouse had plenty of time to contemplate his game plan, which involved making what he called a long run.
“I was fishing bedding areas and bed fish too; it was a little of both,” Clouse said. “I feel like the fish are coming to me because I went into this area in practice and I had a couple of bites, but I had no idea it was going to be loaded like that.”
With this week’s new moon plus a warming trend that started Wednesday, the stage was set for a textbook spawning movement. Clouse said he believed his distant spot offered him the best opportunity, but he admits he had to ignore his mental question marks.
“I had all kinds of doubts while I was running,” he said. “I thought maybe I should just pull over here and try to catch one. That crossed my mind — like I shouldn’t make this run.
“It was a huge gamble. The smarter money would have been to stay close and get a couple fish and hopefully get a long day tomorrow. But I just decided to go for it and I’m glad I did.”
Clouse was understandably guarded with his tactical details, but he said he caught his fish on a mix of moving baits and reaction baits. Targeting bass that were moving up to spawn, he had only six bites, but they were mostly quality fish.
“It really didn’t matter what you threw,” Clouse said. “You just had to get around one.”
The smallest bass in Clouse’s bag was a 2-pounder. According to BassTrakk, between 1:51 and 2:37, he caught three in the 5-pound class and one about 4 pounds.
“I had a really unbelievable day; things just went right,” he said. “It was just my day. There wasn’t anything magical about it. Everything lined up for me.
“I may have burned up everything I had. I could zero tomorrow probably easier than catching 25 pounds. We’ll see what happens.”
Derek Hudnall of Baton Rouge, La., is in second place with 22-5. Making a long run south, Hudnall focused on areas with gaps and openings in shoreline vegetation where spawning fish would likely position themselves out of sight.
“I’m not looking at these fish,” Hudnall said. “It’s extremely shallow, and anywhere those fish can get to the bank, that’s where they’re moving up and spawning.
“If you have available cover, like an overhanging limb, and the fish can get to the bank, that’s where the fish are going to spawn. This area has some great big ones in it, and when those fish move up, I can pinpoint where those fish are going to be.”
Hudnall caught all of his bass on a wacky-rigged Missile Baits 48 worm in the bruiser flash and junebug colors. Fishing his bait on 15-pound braided line was essential for making long skips into the cover to avoid spooking the fish.
Australian pro Carl Jocumsen is in third place with 18-2. Running about an hour south of takeoff was a risky call for him as well, but Jocumsen said practice allowed him to dial in an area with the right mix of habitat and conditions.
“I fished from one end of (tournament waters) to the other, and I felt like that was the area where it was going to happen,” he said. “I started to see better water temperature, more life and fish.
“I targeted anywhere I thought they were going to spawn and anywhere I thought no one else was casting. I wasn’t looking at them, I’m just fishing where I think they are and I think that’s helping me run into some fresh fish.”
Jocumsen caught his bass on a Texas-rigged X Zone Lures Deception Worm in the plum color.
Hudnall is in the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors with his 9-8.
Friday’s takeoff is scheduled for 7 a.m. ET from Palatka City Docks. The weigh-in will be held at Palatka Riverfront Park at 3 p.m.
After Friday’s round, only the Top 50 anglers will advance to Saturday’s semifinals. The Top 10 remaining pros will fish Championship Sunday with a chance at the $100,000 first-place prize.
Live coverage of the event can be streamed on Bassmaster.com and the FOX Sports digital platforms. FS1 will also broadcast live from the tournament beginning at 8 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
The AFTCO Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River is being hosted by the Putnam County Tourist Development Council and Putnam County Chamber of Commerce.
2021 AFTCO Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River 2/11-2/14
St. Johns River, Palatka, FL.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 1
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Gary Clouse Winchester, TN 5 25-12 100
Day 1: 5 25-12
2. Derek Hudnall Denham Springs, LA 5 22-05 99 $1,000.00
Day 1: 5 22-05
3. Carl Jocumsen Queensland AUSTRALIA 5 18-02 98
Day 1: 5 18-02
4. Cory Johnston Cavan CANADA 5 17-15 97
Day 1: 5 17-15
5. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 5 17-12 96
Day 1: 5 17-12
6. Matt Herren Ashville, AL 5 16-09 95
Day 1: 5 16-09
7. Buddy Gross Chickamauga, GA 5 16-05 94
Day 1: 5 16-05
8. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 5 16-02 93
Day 1: 5 16-02
8. Joshua Stracner Vandiver, AL 5 16-02 93
Day 1: 5 16-02
10. Bryan Schmitt Deale, MD 5 15-08 91
Day 1: 5 15-08
11. Bill Weidler Helena, AL 5 14-13 90
Day 1: 5 14-13
12. Jamie Hartman Newport, NY 5 14-10 89
Day 1: 5 14-10
13. Micah Frazier Newnan, GA 5 14-00 88
Day 1: 5 14-00
14. Caleb Kuphall Mukwonago, WI 5 13-04 87
Day 1: 5 13-04
15. Patrick Walters Summerville, SC 5 13-03 86
Day 1: 5 13-03
16. Hank Cherry Jr Lincolnton, NC 3 12-14 85
Day 1: 3 12-14
17. Austin Felix Eden Prairie, MN 5 12-08 84
Day 1: 5 12-08
17. Mike Huff Corbin, KY 5 12-08 84
Day 1: 5 12-08
19. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 5 12-07 82
Day 1: 5 12-07
19. Gerald Swindle Guntersville, AL 5 12-07 82
Day 1: 5 12-07
21. Chris Johnston Otonabee Ontario CANADA 5 12-06 80
Day 1: 5 12-06
22. Bryan New Belmont, NC 5 12-00 79
Day 1: 5 12-00
23. Frank Talley Temple, TX 5 11-13 78
Day 1: 5 11-13
24. Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 4 11-11 77
Day 1: 4 11-11
25. Scott Canterbury Odenville, AL 5 11-10 76
Day 1: 5 11-10
25. KJ Queen Catawba, NC 5 11-10 76
Day 1: 5 11-10
27. Randy Pierson Oakdale, CA 4 11-10 74
Day 1: 4 11-10
28. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 3 11-10 73
Day 1: 3 11-10
29. Darold Gleason Many, LA 5 11-09 72
Day 1: 5 11-09
30. Brandon Cobb Greenwood, SC 5 11-06 71
Day 1: 5 11-06
30. Tyler Rivet Raceland, LA 5 11-06 71
Day 1: 5 11-06
32. Jason Williamson Wagener, SC 5 11-05 69
Day 1: 5 11-05
33. Hunter Shryock Ooltewah, TN 5 11-04 68
Day 1: 5 11-04
34. Drew Cook Cairo, GA 5 11-01 67
Day 1: 5 11-01
35. Clark Wendlandt Leander, TX 5 10-11 66
Day 1: 5 10-11
36. Justin Hamner Northport, AL 5 10-08 65
Day 1: 5 10-08
37. Kyle Welcher Opelika, AL 5 10-07 64
Day 1: 5 10-07
38. Wes Logan Springville, AL 5 10-06 63
Day 1: 5 10-06
39. Gregory DiPalma Millville, NJ 3 10-04 62
Day 1: 3 10-04
40. Jay Yelas Lincoln City, OR 4 09-15 61
Day 1: 4 09-15
41. Jeff Gustafson Keewatin Ontario CANADA 5 09-14 60
Day 1: 5 09-14
42. Matt Arey Shelby, NC 5 09-13 59
Day 1: 5 09-13
43. Drew Benton Blakely, GA 5 09-08 58
Day 1: 5 09-08
43. Tyler Carriere Youngsville, LA 5 09-08 58
Day 1: 5 09-08
43. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 5 09-08 58
Day 1: 5 09-08
46. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 5 08-14 55
Day 1: 5 08-14
47. Rob Digh Denver, NC 5 08-14 54
Day 1: 5 08-14
48. Koby Kreiger Alva, FL 3 08-14 53
Day 1: 3 08-14
49. Chad Pipkens Dewitt, MI 5 08-11 52
Day 1: 5 08-11
50. Kyle Monti Okeechobee, FL 5 08-09 51
Day 1: 5 08-09
51. Quentin Cappo Prairieville, LA 5 08-07 50
Day 1: 5 08-07
51. Scott Martin Clewiston, FL 5 08-07 50
Day 1: 5 08-07
53. Bob Downey Hudson, WI 5 08-05 48
Day 1: 5 08-05
54. Lee Livesay Longview, TX 5 08-04 47
Day 1: 5 08-04
55. Seth Feider New Market, MN 5 08-03 46
Day 1: 5 08-03
55. Matt Robertson Kuttawa, KY 5 08-03 46
Day 1: 5 08-03
57. Luke Palmer Coalgate, OK 5 07-08 44
Day 1: 5 07-08
58. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 3 07-05 43
Day 1: 3 07-05
59. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 4 07-04 42
Day 1: 4 07-04
60. Marc Frazier Newnan, GA 5 07-01 41
Day 1: 5 07-01
61. John Cox Debary, FL 3 07-01 40
Day 1: 3 07-01
62. Ed Loughran III Richmond, VA 3 07-00 39
Day 1: 3 07-00
63. Chad Morgenthaler Reeds Spring, MO 5 06-15 38
Day 1: 5 06-15
64. Brandon Card Salisbury, NC 3 06-14 37
Day 1: 3 06-14
65. Brad Whatley Bivins, TX 5 06-12 36
Day 1: 5 06-12
66. Shane LeHew Catawba, NC 4 06-10 35
Day 1: 4 06-10
67. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 3 06-05 34
Day 1: 3 06-05
68. Clent Davis Montevallo, AL 5 06-04 33
Day 1: 5 06-04
69. Jason Christie Park Hill, OK 4 06-04 32
Day 1: 4 06-04
70. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 3 06-02 31
Day 1: 3 06-02
71. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 4 06-01 30
Day 1: 4 06-01
72. Shane Lineberger Lincolnton, NC 4 06-00 29
Day 1: 4 06-00
73. Justin Atkins Florence, AL 3 05-09 28
Day 1: 3 05-09
73. Chris Groh Spring Grove, IL 3 05-09 28
Day 1: 3 05-09
75. Taku Ito Chiba JAPAN 3 05-08 26
Day 1: 3 05-08
76. Caleb Sumrall New Iberia, LA 3 05-05 25
Day 1: 3 05-05
77. Kenta Kimura Osaka JAPAN 3 05-02 24
Day 1: 3 05-02
78. Kelley Jaye Dadeville, AL 3 05-01 23
Day 1: 3 05-01
79. Skylar Hamilton Dandridge, TN 3 04-05 22
Day 1: 3 04-05
80. Cody Hollen Beaverton, OR 3 04-02 21
Day 1: 3 04-02
81. Rick Morris Lake Gaston, VA 2 04-01 20
Day 1: 2 04-01
82. Randy Sullivan Breckenridge, TX 2 04-00 19
Day 1: 2 04-00
83. Brian Snowden Reeds Spring, MO 2 03-06 18
Day 1: 2 03-06
84. Pat Schlapper Eleva, WI 2 03-04 17
Day 1: 2 03-04
85. Robbie Latuso Gonzales, LA 2 03-03 16
Day 1: 2 03-03
86. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 2 03-01 15
Day 1: 2 03-01
87. Garrett Paquette Canton, MI 1 03-00 14
Day 1: 1 03-00
88. Brett Preuett Monroe, LA 2 02-15 13
Day 1: 2 02-15
89. Ray Hanselman Jr Del Rio, TX 1 02-11 12
Day 1: 1 02-11
90. Todd Auten Lake Wylie, SC 1 02-10 11
Day 1: 1 02-10
91. Yusuke Miyazaki Forney, TX 1 02-02 10
Day 1: 1 02-02
92. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 1 02-01 9
Day 1: 1 02-01
93. Chris Zaldain Fort Worth, TX 1 01-02 8
Day 1: 1 01-02
94. Jake Whitaker Fairview, NC 1 01-01 7
Day 1: 1 01-01
95. Harvey Horne Bella Vista, AR 1 00-15 6
Day 1: 1 00-15
96. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
96. Destin DeMarion Grove City, PA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
96. Dale Hightower Mannford, OK 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
96. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1 Derek Hudnall Denham Springs, LA 09-08 $1,000.00
Tennessee Rookie Neece Leads Day One of Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Season Opener on Lake Okeechobee
CLEWISTON, Fla. (Feb. 11, 2021) – Bass fishing professionals from around the world began their four-day competition for a top award of up to $135,000 at the Major League Fishing Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by Bad Boy Mowers, 13 Fishing Stop 1 – Lake Okeechobee on Thursday. Rookie pro Jim Neece, Jr. of Bristol, Tennessee, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 27 pounds even, to take the early lead after Day One. Neece holds a 14-ounce lead over pro Miles Burghoff of Soddy-Daisy, Tennessee, who caught five bass weighing 26-2, good for second place.
“I got to my spot on the north end of the lake and had no idea what it was going to be like until I pulled up on it,” said Neece. “I quickly caught a solid bass and then four more between 9:30 and 10 (a.m.), but only had about 12 pounds.”
Neece said about an hour later the fish really turned on.
“I just kept throwing moving baits and about noon the big ones started to hit. I caught 15 keepers and ended the day with two 7-pound bass and three more smaller ones.”
Neece said his plan is to go back to the same spot tomorrow and hope his luck holds.
“Practice went okay, but with two days of practice you can’t really sit and catch them, so you just try to get bit and hope for the best when you come back,” he said. “I didn’t realize 27 pounds of fish were in that area, so who knows what will happen tomorrow. That’s all I got – it’s either going to hold up or it’s not.”
2nd: Miles Burghoff, Soddy-Daisy, Tenn., five bass, 26-2
3rd: Anthony Gagliardi, Prosperity, S.C., five bass, 24-0
4th: Jamie Horton, Centerville, Ala., five bass, 22-6
5th: Tyler Stewart, West Monroe, La., five bass, 21-11
6th: Clabion Johns, Social Circle, Ga., five bass, 20-12
6th: Dicky Newberry, Houston, Texas, five bass, 20-12
8th: Tim Frederick, Leesburg, Fla., five bass, 20-5
8th: Justin Lucas, Guntersville, Ala., five bass, 20-5
10th: Mike Surman, Boca Raton, Fla., five bass, 20-1
Overall, there were 749 bass weighing 1,954 pounds, 13 ounces caught by 162 pros on Thursday, which included 129 five-bass limits.
The Major League Fishing Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by Bad Boy Mowers, 13 Fishing Stop 1 – Lake Okeechobee is hosted by the Hendry County Tourism Development Council and Roland & Mary Ann Marin’s Marina & Resort.
In Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit competition, the full field of 163 anglers compete in the two-day opening round on Thursday and Friday. The top 50 pros based on their two-day cumulative weight advance to Saturday. Only the top 10 pros continue competition on Sunday, with the winner determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from the four days of competition.
Throughout the season, anglers are also vying for valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the 2021 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit TITLE presented by Mercury, the Pro Circuit Championship, where they will compete for up to $235,000. The 2021 TITLE will be on the Mississippi River in La Crosse, Wisconsin on Aug. 17-22, and is hosted by Explore La Crosse.
Anglers will take off at 7:30 a.m. ET Friday through Sunday from Roland and Mary Ann Martin’s Marina and Resort, located at 920 E. Del Monte Ave. in Clewiston. Weigh-ins will also be held at the marina daily at 3 p.m. Attendance is limited to competing anglers, family, essential staff and media covering the event. Fans are encouraged to follow the action online through the MLF NOW! live stream and coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com .
The Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by Bad Boy Mowers, 13 Fishing Stop 1 – Lake Okeechobee will feature live on-the-water coverage and a two-hour action-packed television show that will premiere on the Outdoor Channel on Sunday, July 11 from 7 to 9 a.m. ET and re-air on the Sportsman Channel this fall. Weigh-ins will be streamed daily and fans can catch live on-the-water action all day Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 13-14 on MLF NOW! beginning at 8 a.m. ET at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit presented by Bad Boy Mowers on the MLF BIG5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
Major League Fishing Postpones Two Phoenix Bass Fishing League Events Scheduled for Saturday
Cowboy Division event at Toledo Bend Reservoir and Arkie Division event at Lake Ouachita to Be Rescheduled Due to Inclement Weather
TULSA, Okla. (Feb. 11, 2021) – Major League Fishing (MLF) announced today that two Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine events scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 13, 2021, have been canceled due to inclement weather. The Cowboy Division event at Toledo Bend Reservoir in Zwolle, Louisiana, and the Arkie Division event at Lake Ouachita in Mount Ida, Arkansas, will both be rescheduled at a later date.
The Phoenix Bass Fishing League Bulldog Division event at Lake Lanier, South Carolina Division event at Lake Murray and Choo Choo Division event at Lake Guntersville will proceed as scheduled.
Angler registrations for the postponed event will automatically be carried over to the rescheduled events. For questions, call the MLF BIG5 customer service department at (270)-252-1000.
The 2021 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championships. Boaters will compete for a $60,000 prize package, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while Strike King co-anglers will fish for a new Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
B.A.S.S. Moves College Season-Opener To Lake Hartwell
February 11, 2021
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The Carhartt Bassmaster College Series at Lake Norman presented by Bass Pro Shops, originally scheduled for March 5-6 in Cornelius, N.C., will instead move 145 miles down I-85 to South Carolina’s Lake Hartwell, B.A.S.S. officials announced today.
“While disappointing to move the tournament, we understand the current climate of the pandemic in Mecklenburg County and the timing of this event,” said Travis Dancy, Director of Sales at Visit Lake Norman. “We look forward to welcoming some of the best collegiate anglers in 2022 on Lake Norman and continuing our long-standing relationship in hosting B.A.S.S. events.”
North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper recently extended a variety of measures designed to curb the spread of COVID-19, including restricting outdoor gatherings to no more than 25 participants. While that order is set to expire February 28, officials did not want to risk a last-minute cancellation should the restrictions be extended once more.
“It is disappointing any time you have to move a tournament, but it is especially important when college anglers are taking time away from their studies to compete that we respect that time,” said College Series Senior Manager Hank Weldon. “B.A.S.S. has emphasized over the past year that we will heed each state’s mandates on crowd sizes and public spaces to ensure both competition and fan activities can resume safely.
“We are thankful to our friends at Visit Anderson to be able to move the event to the always popular Lake Hartwell and maintain the original competition dates.”
Hartwell has hosted three previous Bassmaster Classics and six major B.A.S.S. events as well as a number of B.A.S.S. Nation, college and high school tournaments. Plus, the lake has consistently been ranked as one of the country’s Top 100 Best Bass Lakes in Bassmaster Magazine’s annual rankings, making the coveted list four times since 2015.
At this time no changes are planned for the Basspro.com Bassmaster Southern Open at Lake Norman currently scheduled to take place Sept. 23-25.
B.A.S.S. is pursuing options with the local host to offer a 2022 tournament on Lake Norman.
Yelas and Zaldain preview Elite Series on St. Johns
Jay Yelas and Chris Zaldain talk treasured memories, new puppies, lures, and make their weight predictions prior to the start of the AFTCO Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River.
Q: What is your favorite memory from the many times the Bassmaster Elite Series has visited Palatka’s St. Johns River?
Yelas: Seeing Rick Clunn win two Elites here in 2016 and 2019 over the age of 70.
Zaldain: My rookie year, getting an invite to dinner at Terry Scroggins’ house down the road, and looking around to realize I was sharing a meal on the eve of my first Elite Series tournament with Kevin VanDam and about a dozen more guys who were my bass fishing heroes.
Q: What will be the biggest challenge this week?
Yelas: Catching enough big ones, because 3-pounders don’t lead to wins on the St. Johns.
Zaldain: Keeping an open mind to ignore a lot of what happened on colder practice days. Temps are going to get way warmer during the tournament, and throw a lot of what we learned in practice right out the window.
Q: As a brand-new season begins, what was the highlight of your off-season?
Yelas: Having family together for Christmas at our home in Lincoln City, Oregon.
Zaldain: Getting a new Belgian Malinois puppy.
Q: Name four lures fans can expect to see used a lot this week?
Yelas: Flipping a punch rig, Texas rigged worm, lipless crankbait, and a Carolina rig
Zaldain: Soft plastic stick worm, flipping a Texas rig, a swim jig, and a topwater prop bait.
Q: How much weight will you need to average each day to get a Top 10?
Yelas: 15 pounds
Zaldain: 15+ pounds
Swindle’s 3 Overlooked Tools for Florida Success
When most fishermen think of Florida bass fishing, they imagine endless aquatic vegetation, heavy braided line, big weights, and giant warm-water dependent largemouth. Two-time Bassmaster Angler of the Year Gerald Swindle admits he envisions similar scenes when dreaming of Florida, but 26 years as a professional angler has educated G-Man on the nuances of fishing in the sunshine state.
Through the School of Hard Knocks Swindle has learned there are lots of overlooked tools in an angler’s toolbox that can help lead to success when fishing a body of water like the St. Johns River; the playing field this week for the start of the 2021 Elite Series season.
The Team Toyota pro offered three items that he leans on and always makes his starting line-up when he sees a Florida tournament on the schedule.
- A Jack Plate
Bass fishing in Florida is typically synonymous with shallow water, which is why the first item on Swindle’s list is a jack plate for his outboard motor. Swindle uses a TH Marine Atlas Hydraulic Jack Plate, and it allows him to raise or lower his motor depending on where he runs his Phoenix boat.
“A jack plate might not sound as sexy as high end electronics or a new fancy trolling motor, but they’ll save you when running shallow water,” Swindle said. “I spend lots of time idling the shallows in Florida and my hydraulic jack plate helps keep sand and mud out of my water pump. When running (fast) on pad through shallow water, a jack plate can mean the difference between a functioning and a destroyed lower unit.”
- Quality pair of sunglasses
A quality pair of polarized sunglasses is another tool Swindle depends on when fishing anywhere in the country around the spawn, especially in Florida. Not only do sunglasses help him see fish and spawning beds, but they also allow G-man to clearly see holes, clumps or irregularities in underwater grass patches.
“I swear by Costas and wear the Reefton with a Sunrise lens, but there are lots of good options available,” Swindle offered. “A quality pair of shades is genuinely worth the investment if you plan to come down to Florida to fish. Being able to see six extra inches might mean the difference between seeing a 10-pound behemoth on bed or missing her altogether. Don’t skimp and get you some!”
- Prop style topwater
Swindle’s last pick is a lure he feels doesn’t get the attention it deserves. A prop style topwater, similar to the iconic Devil’s Horse made famous years ago on the St. Johns and surrounding fisheries, is his third item.
Nowadays Swindle prefers the Rapala X-Rap 11 and believes the subtle action of this style of topwater is key when targeting Florida bass in super skinny water.
“My buddy Big Show (Terry Scroggins) showed me this lure over ten years ago and called it the ‘River Donkey’. When I asked why that name he said ‘cause it’ll kick your you-know-what on this river,” Swindle laughed. “You hardly ever hear about a bait like this anywhere in the country except when we come down to Florida. They’ll bite it other places, but not like they’ll eat it here. You can’t overlook it.”
Swindle will have these three tools and many more working to the best of their abilities today for the first day of Elite Series competition in hopes of bringing a big bag of fish back to the Palatka City Boat Dock.
Lake Palestine Readies for Bass Pro Shops REDCREST 2021 Presented by Old Wisconsin Sausage
Bass Pro Tour Championship to Showcase Top 40 Anglers Competing on Lake Palestine for $300,000 Top Prize
FLINT, Texas (Feb. 10, 2021) – Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Shops REDCREST 2021 presented by Old Wisconsin Sausage is set to visit Lake Palestine and the Flint, Texas area next week, Feb. 21-25, to crown the newest Bass Pro Tour champion. The five-day tournament, shot for television broadcast on CBS, the Discovery Channel and the Outdoor Channel, will showcase the top 40 Bass Pro Tour anglers from the 2020 season competing for the prestigious REDCREST Championship and the top prize of $300,000.
The Old Wisconsin Sausage Company, a premier provider of premium hand-crafted naturally smoked meat snacks, have signed on as the presenting sponsor of REDCREST 2021. Additional details of the sponsorship agreement will be forthcoming.
Originally scheduled to be held at Oklahoma’s Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees, MLF officials agreed to shift REDCREST 2021 to Texas’ Lake Palestine in mid-December after the cancellation of the Outdoor Sports Expo that had been scheduled to be held in conjunction with the event in Tulsa. The 18-mile long Texas reservoir is known for its tremendous bass-fishing and the numerous 10-plus-pound largemouth that live throughout the lake and will provide the perfect venue for the best bass fishermen in the world to crown their champion.
“This event is going to be a lot of fun. Big championships where the top pros in the world can bring their different strong suits to the table and play them are special events,” said Bass Pro Tour superstar Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Michigan , who will be competing in his first career REDCREST championship. “Everyone will be able to fish their strengths here. The crankers can crank, the flippers can flip, the swimbaiters can reel their offerings in and around anything they want. The lake has got everything a guy could want to fish, too, with the exception of offshore hydrilla and milfoil. But there’s plenty of shoreline vegetation that looks good for vibrating jigs and pitching.
“Not many people nationally have heard of Lake Palestine, but they’re going to know about it soon,” VanDam continued. “There are no big ramp facilities where big tournaments can put in, so it usually stays under the radar from the big circuits. Tournament history there is scarce, and that fact alone gets me pumped. Palestine has a lot of quality bass in it. They live there — we’re not fishing for unicorns on this one. If we get good weather, this thing could be epic.”
Tennessee pro Ott DeFoe is another competitor that is extremely excited about his return to the Lone Star State.
“I’ve never fished on Lake Palestine, but from what I’ve researched it looks like an excellent fishery,” DeFoe told MLF reporter Dave Landahl. “I’ve always loved fishing in Texas. My first FLW Tour (now Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit) event was on Lake Travis, I finished in the Top 10. I had a Top 10 at the Classic on Lake Conroe, I won the Bass Pro Tour event on Lake Fork and Lake Athens, and have cashed a lot of checks in that state over the years. I do well there, I’m always consistent. There’s a lot to get excited about when you fish for bass in Texas.”
All 40 Anglers will compete on Days 1 (Sunday) and 2 (Monday) of the event. After two days of competition, the field is cut to just the top 20 based on two-day total cumulative weight. The remaining 20 anglers are split into two groups – 10 compete on Day 3 (Tuesday) and 10 compete on Day 4 (Wednesday). The top five anglers from each group based on total single-day weight will advance to the sixth and final day of competition, where weights are zeroed and the angler that catches the highest total weight on the final day will be crowned the REDCREST 2021 champion.
Attendance is limited to competing anglers, essential staff and media covering the event only. Fans are encouraged to follow the event online through the MLF NOW!® live stream and SCORETRACKER® coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com
The 2020 Bass Pro Tour featured a field of 80 of the top professional anglers in the world competing in a COVID-shortened five regular-season tournaments around the country. The top 40 anglers in the Angler of the Year (AOY) standings after the five events qualified to compete in Bass Pro Shops REDCREST 2021 presented by Old Wisconsin Sausage.
The MLF NOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee, Marty Stone and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action on all five days of competition from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. MLF NOW!® will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com. and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app.
Television coverage of the Bass Pro Shops REDCREST 2021 presented by Old Wisconsin Sausage will be showcased across two two-hour episodes, premiering at 7 a.m. ET, July 3 on the Discovery Channel. A one-hour special episode of MLF Inside the REDCREST will premiere at 2 p.m. ET, Sunday, July 18 on CBS. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on the Discovery Channel, with additional re-airings on the Outdoor Channel and the Sportsman Channel. Each two-hour long reality-based episode goes in-depth to break down each day of competition.
For complete details and updated information on 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 .
MATT ROBERTSON BECOMES THE FIRST MEMBER OF THE UGLY STIK PRO STAFF
Long known as a rod that’s always ready for a good time on the water, Ugly Stik Carbon rods are ready to compete at one of the highest levels of professional bass fishing.
COLUMBIA, S.C. (Feb. 10, 2021) — Already the choice of anglers everywhere who just want to have fun regardless of what’s biting, Ugly Stik is taking its legacy for durability and accessibility to the 2021 Bassmaster Elite Series with the addition of Matt Robertson as the brand’s first pro staff member.
The self-proclaimed “working man” said he feels right at home being the first pro to represent the brand known for being tough as nails and ideal for any angler.
“I’m a regular guy working my way from the bottom to the top, and I did it using the working man’s gear. To be the first Ugly Stik Pro, to represent all the working people out there and be on the Bassmaster Elite Series using the working man’s rod, it’s an honor,” Robertson said. “After the excitement that Ugly Stik has brought me and millions of anglers, I’m here to prove that an Ugly Stik can not only be your first rod, it can be your last, too.”
For the Bassmaster Elite Series, Robertson will be fishing with the Ugly Stik Carbon, which debuted in 2019 and quickly gained the attention of bass anglers with its lightweight sensitivity and the legendary toughness that have become synonymous with Ugly Stik. The 2021 Bassmaster Elite Series kicks off Feb. 11 on Florida’s St. Johns River.
To learn more about Ugly Stik and the Carbon series, visit www.uglystik.com.
AC Insider Podcast - "Z-Train Coming Atcha!"
This weeks Chris & the Boys have a HUGE Show coming' at you. First off Al McCulloch from the NPFL gives us a State of the Union Address with less than 30 days from their first event. Then all hell breaks loose as "Z-Train" Rolls into the show and things get interesting!
4 Lures Lester says will star at St. Johns Elite Series
Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships
Perhaps the coolest thing about asking Brandon Lester to share four lures with fans he thinks will be major players on the St. Johns River is that he currently has no soft plastic or crankbait sponsor. So, what you’re getting here is unbiased authenticity in its purest form.
Plus, Lester has fished several Bassmaster Elite Series events on this famed Northeast Florida river, including leading after Day 1 of the 2016 Elite Series event, thanks to a 9-pounder he caught from a bed. Thus, his opinions are not only authentic, but dripping with experience too.
“The biggest key in this event is how much warm weather we get the next three days in order to push the water temps from where they’re currently at in the low 60s, up to around 68-degrees,” says Lester. “If it warms that much, we’ll see a huge wave of largemouth get shallow to spawn. So, I’m choosing the following four lures with hopes of that being the case.”
Rapala X Rap Prop – This bait is really similar to the famous old Devil’s Horse topwater prop lure bass are famous for eating in Florida around the spawn. Its magic resides in the fact you can float it directly over a spawning bed with a long pause between rips, and big fish simply can’t stand not to rise up and smash it.
3/8-ounce swim jig with a Zoom Z Craw trailer – This is a great lure for covering a lot of water like one might do with a Chatterbait or spinnerbait. Lester plans to swim it around everything from laydown trees to lily pads on the St. Johns.
1.5-ounce Texas rigged punch bait – If Florida had a mascot for a bass fishing lure, this might very well be it. It’s designed to “punch” through the thousands of acres of floating matted pennywort to get the fast attention of largemouth laying just beneath in a couple feet of water. Lester uses a Mustad tungsten weight, a stout 4/0 Mustad straight-shank hook and a Berkley MaxScent Creature Hawg.
Soft stick bait – Lester theorizes that since the St. Johns unfortunately lost a great deal of its once famous eel grass, a lot of bass are now forced to spawn on lily pad stems. And a slender stick bait like Berkley’s “The General” is perfect for pitching around the pads.
While millions of Bassmaster fans freeze around the country in frigid temps, Elite Series pros like Team Toyota’s Brandon Lester are anticipating the 78-degree temps forecasted for Palatka, Florida the next three days will bring an absolute heat wave to the weigh-in scales.
AFTCO Expands Sponsorship Of Bassmaster Events
February 10, 2021
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — After serving as title sponsor for the Elite Series season-opener and as a conservation partner for two years, AFTCO is expanding its partnership with B.A.S.S. The brand, renowned for its performance fishing clothing and precision tackle, will now serve as a Supporting Sponsor for the Bassmaster Tournament Trail and outfit all staff and marshals for these events.
“We are proud to partner with AFTCO on what is sure to be an exciting 2021 season across every level of competition,” said Bruce Akin, B.A.S.S. CEO. “Both brands have a long history focused on both conservation and growing the sport of bass fishing, and our enthusiastic fans are the perfect audience for AFTCO to promote their gear and clothing. Their generous support is also allowing us to enrich our already popular Elite Series Marshal program and lake cleanup efforts.”
As a Supporting Sponsor for the Bassmaster Elite Series, Basspro.com Bassmaster Opens Series, Carhartt Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School Series presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors, Bassmaster Team Championship and the grass-roots TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation regional and championship tournaments, AFTCO will enjoy exposure in Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times magazines and across various social media platforms as well as on the award-winning show Bassmaster LIVE.
“The entire AFTCO Team is extremely excited to expand our partnership with B.A.S.S. for the 2021 season,” said Matt Florentino, Marketing Director. “As a Supporting Sponsor for B.A.S.S. we have the unique opportunity to outfit all marshals and B.A.S.S. staff for the season. You have seen the AFTCO Pro Team reap the benefits of our gear in all weather conditions, and now the marshals and B.A.S.S. staff will get to do the same both on the water and behind the scenes.”
Marshals join different Elite anglers to spend two to three days on the water. Marshals are not allowed to fish, but they are encouraged to take photos, send blog posts to Bassmaster.com and serve as an extra set of eyes for B.A.S.S. tournament officials, making sure all rules are observed. Additionally, marshals operate the digital BassTrakk scoring system that enables fans to follow the action in real-time. New for the 2021 season, AFTCO will be rewarding marshals with a shirt, hat, sun mask, gift card and other items with a total value of $100, plus a 20% off coupon for future purchases.
When the AFTCO Bassmaster Elite Series at St. Johns River launches on Feb. 11, the field will feature 19 members of the AFTCO Pro Team. Highlighting the AFTCO-aligned anglers are Hank Cherry, who won the 2020 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk, and Frank Talley, who claimed his first Elite Series victory last year on Lake Guntersville.