Cox Commits To River, Retains Lead In Bassmaster Elite At Lake St. Clair
Bassmaster Elite at Lake St. Clair with a two-day total of 45 pounds, 6 ounces.
Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
August 21, 2020
MACOMB COUNTY, Mich. — After splitting Day 1 between the main lake and the St. Clair River, John Cox of DeBary, Fla., devoted his entire day to the latter and retained his lead in the YETI Bassmaster Elite at Lake St. Clair with a two-day total of 45-6.
“I thought about going into the lake, but I felt so comfortable in the river,” Cox said. “I feel like anytime I pitch my bait out there, I might catch a big one. I didn’t feel any need to leave, so I just hung out.”
Contrasting Day 1, Friday yielded more quantity than quality, as Cox added 20-10 to his opening round weight of 24-12 — the event’s heaviest bag so far.
“I wasn’t catching giants, but I caught way more fish today,” he said. “The key is if you run into them when they’re in one of (the key spots), you can get right quick.”
Cox started his day in the St. Clair River delta where he fished the south and middle channels. He focused his efforts on seawalls, docks and other hard structure. Current eddies from the nearby channel were essential to fish positioning.
Mirroring Day 1, Cox caught all of his fish on a drop-shot rig. His top lure for the rig was the Berkley MaxScent Flat Worm, but he also used the Berkley MaxScent Flatnose Jerk Shad.
“I stuck with the drop shot because they were eating it,” Cox said. “I think fish were just moving in and off those banks with eddies.”
Cox made a midday run farther north and fished main-river spots close to Lake Huron but found that the water was not running as swiftly as he’d expected. Abandoning that area, he returned to the delta, where he made two key culls.
“At the end of the day, there was a spot I was trying to recall where it was, but I didn’t enter into my Lowrance,” Cox said. “I had a couple of waypoints I had marked in practice so I said, ‘I wonder if it’s those waypoints?’
“I pulled in and I caught a big one and it had four or five with it, so I threw back in there and caught another big one. Those culled my two smallest fish.”
Looking ahead, Cox said he plans on sticking with the river. He still has several areas that he has not fished, and the likelihood of his previous area reloading is very good.
“I loved it today; I had so many bites and caught so many fish,” Cox said. “I’m more excited going into tomorrow than I was this morning.”
Clark Wendlandt of Leander, Texas, is in second place with 44-5. He began his day north of the community hole known as the Metro Flat and moved to a nearby spot later in the morning to preserve his main area.
Fishing a mix of crankbaits and drop shots, Wendlandt added 24-5 to the 20 pounds he weighed Thursday. Noting that his fish were not relating to any particular area, Wendlandt said he spent his day rotating between waypoints and searching for roaming schools of smallmouth.
“I started on the exact same place I did yesterday, but after that, I went someplace different,” he said. “I had decided I wasn’t going to fish in that humongous crowd. Yesterday I fished around it for the last part of the day. I just don’t think that (community hole) can hold up, there are just too many boats.”
Jay Yelas of Lincoln City, Ore., is in third place with 43-15. Fishing a broad flat with low grass and scattered cabbage, Yelas struggled through a slow morning and ended up catching most of his weight after noon. He caught most of his weight on a bladed jig with a Yamamoto Paddletail Zako trailer.
“I got fortunate and got some big ones this afternoon; my biggest was 5-3,” Yelas said. “It was sunny, not a cloud in the sky and light winds. Normally, that’s not the best time to fish moving baits, but it must be that the fish get more active and they’re feeding that time of the day."
Ed Loughran III of Richmond, Va., is in the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors with his 6-5 smallmouth.
The Top 40 remaining anglers will take off Saturday at 6:30 a.m. ET from Lake St. Clair Metropark. The weigh-in will be held at the park at 3:10 p.m.
After Saturday, only the Top 10 will advance to Championship Sunday with a chance to win the $100,000 first-place prize.
Live coverage of the event will be available starting at 8 a.m. on Bassmaster LIVE at Bassmaster.com with simulcasts on ESPN2 and ESPN3. Check local listings for ESPN2 times.
2020 Bassmaster Elite at Lake St. Clair 8/20-8/23
Lake St. Clair, Macomb County MI.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 2
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. John Cox Debary, FL 10 45-06 100
Day 1: 5 24-12 Day 2: 5 20-10
2. Clark Wendlandt Leander, TX 10 44-05 99
Day 1: 5 20-00 Day 2: 5 24-05
3. Jay Yelas Lincoln City, OR 10 43-15 98
Day 1: 5 21-01 Day 2: 5 22-14
4. Shane LeHew Catawba, NC 10 43-09 97
Day 1: 5 21-13 Day 2: 5 21-12
5. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 10 43-06 96
Day 1: 5 24-02 Day 2: 5 19-04
6. Cory Johnston Cavan CANADA 10 43-00 95
Day 1: 5 21-11 Day 2: 5 21-05
7. Chris Johnston Peterborough Ontario CA 10 42-14 94
Day 1: 5 21-11 Day 2: 5 21-03
8. Cody Hollen Beaverton, OR 10 42-11 93
Day 1: 5 19-12 Day 2: 5 22-15
9. Taku Ito Chiba JAPAN 10 42-06 92
Day 1: 5 21-11 Day 2: 5 20-11
10. Frank Talley Temple, TX 10 42-04 91
Day 1: 5 19-10 Day 2: 5 22-10
11. Austin Felix Eden Prairie, MN 10 42-01 90
Day 1: 5 20-10 Day 2: 5 21-07
12. Chad Morgenthaler Reeds Spring, MO 10 41-04 89
Day 1: 5 21-10 Day 2: 5 19-10
13. Bill Weidler Helena, AL 10 41-00 88
Day 1: 5 20-08 Day 2: 5 20-08
14. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 10 40-04 87
Day 1: 5 21-00 Day 2: 5 19-04
15. Drew Benton Blakely, GA 10 40-03 86
Day 1: 5 20-09 Day 2: 5 19-10
16. Jake Whitaker Fairview, NC 10 40-01 85
Day 1: 5 18-07 Day 2: 5 21-10
17. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 10 39-13 84
Day 1: 5 21-08 Day 2: 5 18-05
18. Seth Feider New Market, MN 10 39-07 83
Day 1: 5 20-11 Day 2: 5 18-12
19. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 10 39-05 82
Day 1: 5 17-15 Day 2: 5 21-06
20. Bob Downey Hudson, WI 10 39-02 81
Day 1: 5 18-03 Day 2: 5 20-15
21. Randy Sullivan Breckenridge, TX 10 39-01 80
Day 1: 5 17-10 Day 2: 5 21-07
22. Ray Hanselman Jr Del Rio, TX 10 39-00 79
Day 1: 5 22-03 Day 2: 5 16-13
23. Brandon Card Salisbury, NC 10 38-11 78
Day 1: 5 17-09 Day 2: 5 21-02
24. Hunter Shryock Newcomerstown, OH 10 38-09 77
Day 1: 5 18-09 Day 2: 5 20-00
25. Brett Preuett Monroe, LA 10 38-08 76
Day 1: 5 18-00 Day 2: 5 20-08
26. Destin DeMarion Grove City, PA 10 38-07 75
Day 1: 5 17-11 Day 2: 5 20-12
27. Clent Davis Montevallo, AL 10 38-06 74
Day 1: 5 18-13 Day 2: 5 19-09
28. Tyler Carriere Youngsville, LA 10 38-03 73
Day 1: 5 17-05 Day 2: 5 20-14
29. Drew Cook Midway, FL 10 38-01 72
Day 1: 5 16-05 Day 2: 5 21-12
30. Brian Snowden Reeds Spring, MO 10 37-13 71
Day 1: 5 19-04 Day 2: 5 18-09
31. Mike Huff Corbin, KY 10 37-11 70
Day 1: 5 17-03 Day 2: 5 20-08
32. Micah Frazier Newnan, GA 10 37-05 69
Day 1: 5 20-11 Day 2: 5 16-10
33. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 10 36-15 68
Day 1: 5 19-09 Day 2: 5 17-06
34. Chris Groh Spring Grove, IL 10 36-15 67 $1,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-04 Day 2: 5 18-11
35. Matt Herren Ashville, AL 10 36-14 66
Day 1: 5 17-07 Day 2: 5 19-07
36. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 10 36-06 65
Day 1: 5 15-06 Day 2: 5 21-00
37. Brandon Cobb Greenwood, SC 10 36-02 64
Day 1: 5 20-14 Day 2: 5 15-04
38. Ed Loughran III Richmond, VA 10 36-00 63 $1,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-10 Day 2: 5 19-06
39. Todd Auten Lake Wylie, SC 10 36-00 62
Day 1: 5 16-14 Day 2: 5 19-02
40. Derek Hudnall Denham Springs, LA 10 35-14 61
Day 1: 5 19-05 Day 2: 5 16-09
41. Gary Clouse Winchester, TN 10 35-11 60 $7,500.00
Day 1: 5 19-05 Day 2: 5 16-06
42. Jesse Tacoronte Kissimmee, FL 10 35-10 59 $7,500.00
Day 1: 5 18-13 Day 2: 5 16-13
43. Lee Livesay Longview, TX 10 35-04 58 $7,500.00
Day 1: 5 15-12 Day 2: 5 19-08
44. Patrick Walters Summerville, SC 10 34-14 57 $7,500.00
Day 1: 5 19-05 Day 2: 5 15-09
45. Bryan Schmitt Deale, MD 10 34-13 56 $7,500.00
Day 1: 5 13-02 Day 2: 5 21-11
46. Randy Pierson Oakdale, CA 10 34-09 55 $5,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-10 Day 2: 5 19-15
47. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 10 34-09 54 $5,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-03 Day 2: 5 16-06
48. Greg DiPalma Millville, NJ 10 34-08 53 $5,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-04 Day 2: 5 16-04
49. Gerald Swindle Guntersville, AL 10 34-06 52 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 18-08 Day 2: 5 15-14
50. Dale Hightower Mannford, OK 10 34-03 51 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 18-08 Day 2: 5 15-11
51. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 10 34-00 50 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 14-05 Day 2: 5 19-11
52. Chris Zaldain Fort Worth, TX 10 34-00 49 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 18-13 Day 2: 5 15-03
53. Jason Williamson Wagener, SC 10 33-14 48 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 13-15 Day 2: 5 19-15
54. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 10 33-06 47 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 16-05 Day 2: 5 17-01
55. Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 10 33-04 46 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 14-05 Day 2: 5 18-15
56. Wes Logan Springville, AL 10 33-02 45 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 17-06 Day 2: 5 15-12
57. Koby Kreiger Alva, FL 10 32-14 44 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 17-10 Day 2: 5 15-04
58. Jamie Hartman Newport, NY 9 32-08 43 $2,500.00
Day 1: 4 12-12 Day 2: 5 19-12
59. Harvey Horne Bella Vista, AR 10 31-14 42 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 18-13 Day 2: 5 13-01
60. Brad Whatley Bivins, TX 10 31-13 41 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 18-01 Day 2: 5 13-12
61. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 10 31-02 40 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 16-04 Day 2: 5 14-14
62. Luke Palmer Coalgate, OK 10 30-15 39 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 18-00 Day 2: 5 12-15
63. Kyle Welcher Opelika, AL 10 30-06 38 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 13-07 Day 2: 5 16-15
64. Tyler Rivet Raceland, LA 9 30-02 37 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 18-06 Day 2: 4 11-12
65. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 10 29-07 36 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 14-13 Day 2: 5 14-10
66. David Fritts Lexington, NC 10 29-01 35 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 14-03 Day 2: 5 14-14
67. Matt Arey Shelby, NC 10 29-00 34 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 15-00 Day 2: 5 14-00
68. Caleb Sumrall New Iberia, LA 9 28-12 33 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 17-08 Day 2: 4 11-04
69. Garrett Paquette Canton, MI 8 28-11 32 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 19-15 Day 2: 3 08-12
70. Caleb Kuphall Mukwonago, WI 8 27-14 31 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 17-02 Day 2: 3 10-12
71. Rick Morris Lake Gaston, VA 7 27-12 30 $2,500.00
Day 1: 2 07-10 Day 2: 5 20-02
72. Scott Canterbury Odenville, AL 10 27-12 29 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 13-01 Day 2: 5 14-11
73. Shane Lineberger Lincolnton, NC 9 27-07 28 $2,500.00
Day 1: 4 13-12 Day 2: 5 13-11
74. Quentin Cappo Prairieville, LA 9 27-06 27 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 16-07 Day 2: 4 10-15
75. Kyle Monti Okeechobee, FL 10 27-04 26 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 13-09 Day 2: 5 13-11
76. Jeff Gustafson Keewatin Ontario CANADA 9 26-05 25 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 14-10 Day 2: 4 11-11
77. Buddy Gross Chickamauga, GA 10 25-08 24 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 14-02 Day 2: 5 11-06
78. Skylar Hamilton Dandridge, TN 10 25-07 23 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 13-11 Day 2: 5 11-12
79. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 7 25-02 22 $2,500.00
Day 1: 2 03-04 Day 2: 5 21-14
80. Chad Pipkens Dewitt, MI 9 24-06 21 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 13-00 Day 2: 4 11-06
81. Robbie Latuso Gonzales, LA 10 23-12 20 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 09-08 Day 2: 5 14-04
82. Rob Digh Denver, NC 10 23-10 19 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 12-05 Day 2: 5 11-05
83. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 10 20-03 18 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 08-14 Day 2: 5 11-05
84. Carl Jocumsen Queensland TN AUSTRALIA 6 19-10 17 $2,500.00
Day 1: 1 02-15 Day 2: 5 16-11
85. Hank Cherry Jr Lincolnton, NC 5 16-12 16 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 16-12 Day 2: 0 00-00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1 Chris Groh Spring Grove, IL 06-00 $1,000.00
2 Ed Loughran III Richmond, VA 06-05 $1,000.00
Hawkeye Swindle says, “Finders Keepers.”
Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships
Like most of us over 40, bass fishing’s funniest man, Gerald Swindle sometimes needs assistance from prescription eyewear. But when it comes to distance vision, Swindle was on par with the eyesight of a Lake St. Clair seagull during Wednesday’s final day of practice at the YETI Bassmaster Elite Series tournament.
“My videographer Shannon Wheeler was riding with me and lost his treasured Tyler Childers baseball hat his daughter got him. I spotted it barely floating in the middle of this freshwater ocean, and we recovered it. Then I looked down in the water and saw a cool looking crankbait somebody had lost,” explains the longtime Team Toyota pro.
Swindle plucked the yellow perch painted diving plug from St. Clair’s massive 275,000 surface acres, noticed it had 3’ feet of line hanging off it, and took it for safe keeping back to the house he’s renting this week 10 miles from the weigh-in.
“I showed it to Gary Clouse from Phoenix Boats, and he told me it looked a lot like the crankbait Clent Davis had shown him. So, Gary text Clent a photo of it – and sure enough it was Clent’s,” laughed Swindle. “I don’t even know what it is, other than a high dollar plug that Clent says is dang good here on St. Clair.”
So, Swindle isn’t giving it back to his fellow Alabama pro – and Davis is being a good sport about it, even though that particular lure was broken off in practice by a healthy smallmouth Davis hooked.
“I already had more overnighted to fish the rest of the tournament with,” says Davis with a grin.
Davis enters Day 2 in 27th place, Swindle in 32nd. And no, the unique crankbait actually never made it out of Swindle’s rod locker Thursday.
In fact, even though it would make for one heck of an end to the story, it would probably be best if the diving-billed treasure “’Ol Hawkeye” spotted is not a determining factor in the final outcome come Sunday.
But you know the age-old saying, “Finders keepers …..”
Cox Mixes Lake And River Work To Take Lead At Bassmaster Elite At St. Clair
John Cox, of DeBary, Fla., is leading after Day 1 of the 2020 YETI Bassmaster Elite at Lake St. Clair with 24 pounds, 12 ounces.
Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
August 20, 2020
MACOMB COUNTY, Mich. — Employing a blended strategy, John Cox of DeBary, Fla., caught a five-bass limit that weighed 24 pounds, 12 ounces to take the Day 1 lead at the YETI Bassmaster Elite at Lake St. Clair.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, anglers were limited to the U.S. waters of St. Clair, the St. Clair River, Lake Huron and the upper part of the Detroit River. But the fishery still kicked out 18 bags of 20 pounds or better.
Starting his day on Lake St. Clair, Cox searched broad flats in 12 to 15 feet and caught a solid limit of smallmouth by 9 a.m. From there, he transitioned to the St. Clair River, where he made two key upgrades with a pair of 5-pound smallmouth that bolstered him to the leading weight.
“I left the lake with about 20 pounds, and then I caught two 5-pounders in the river, and then I went practicing,” said Cox, a veteran pro who is fishing his first season on the Elite Series. “On the lake, I was bouncing around a couple of grass clumps, but I don’t know about tomorrow. It was kind of rough out there, so I might just fish the river tomorrow.
“I felt more comfortable in the river, that’s for sure. The lake is not my thing. It just felt good when I was fishing in the river. I could move around and it was like ‘This looks good, I’ll stop here.’ It was kinda nice.”
On the lake, Cox rotated between three grass clumps and found his bass on the sandy perimeters. All of his fish bit drop shots with various worms.
“I went from the Berkley MaxScent Flat Worm to the Flatnose Jerk Shad; even The General when I started running low on those,” Cox said. “As long as it had the MaxScent (formula), you could sling it out there and they’d eat it.
“The drop shot also produced in the river. I wanted to throw other stuff, but I think that’s the best chance to catch a big one.”
Cox made a big run up the St. Clair River and fished near the Lake Huron inflow.
“I was just kind of fishing, drifting down with the current and just throwing at anything that looked good — docks, walls, whatever,” Cox said. “If I came to a current seam, I’d throw into it. Or if I saw one under the boat, I’d pitch out in front of it.
“I caught those two 5-pounders during a slow period. I caught one, then I went for another 45 minutes. I was catching a few small ones and then caught another big one.”
Noting that he got lucky on Lake St. Clair Thursday, Cox said he found more spots in the river than he fished — and he’s hopeful he can exploit more of the river’s potential on Day 2.
“Today was pretty amazing, but who knows what will happen tomorrow,” he said.
Trailing Cox by 10 ounces, Dave Mullins of Mt. Carmel, Tenn., is in second place with 24-2. Committing his day to Lake St. Clair, Mullins said he made a key morning move to a 5-acre area that produced all of his weight.
“I stayed a little too long and caught only one 3-pounder, but as soon as I moved a couple of miles and shut down on a place where I’d gotten some bites in practice, I started getting bit frequently,” he said. “With a west wind and bright bluebird skies, it was a perfect smallmouth day.”
Mullins mixed up his presentations between a drop shot and a Ned rig. He rigged the former with a Strike King Dream Shot, while the latter held a Z-Man Finesse TRD. All of his plastic baits were green pumpkin.
Ray Hanselman of Del Rio, Texas, is in third place with 22-3. Sticking with the 15- to 17-foot range on St. Clair, Hanselman tried to avoid congested areas, locate isolated schools of fish and stay on top of them. A mix of crankbaits and drop shots produced his bites.
“I stayed ahead of them and I didn’t pressure them too much,” Hanselman said. “In practice, it was hard to catch a 5-pounder, so when I was throwing back 4 (pounders) around noon, I knew it was time to leave.
“I found a couple of other spots and culled two more times — small culls of a few ounces. I left everything else alone and just went practicing.”
Chris Groh of Spring Grove, Ill., is in the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors with his 6-pound smallmouth.
Friday’s takeoff is scheduled for 6:30 a.m. ET at Lake St. Clair MetroPark. The weigh-in will be held at the park at 3:10 p.m.
The 85-angler field will be cut to the Top 40 after Friday’s round.
Live coverage of the event will be available starting at 7 a.m. on Bassmaster LIVE at Bassmaster.com with simulcasts on ESPN2 and ESPN3. Check local listings for ESPN2 times.
2020 Bassmaster Elite at Lake St. Clair 8/20-8/23
Lake St. Clair, Macomb County MI.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. John Cox DeBary, FL 5 24-12 100
Day 1: 5 24-12
2. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 5 24-02 99
Day 1: 5 24-02
3. Ray Hanselman Jr Del Rio, TX 5 22-03 98
Day 1: 5 22-03
4. Shane LeHew Catawba, NC 5 21-13 97
Day 1: 5 21-13
5. Taku Ito Chiba JAPAN 5 21-11 96
Day 1: 5 21-11
5. Chris Johnston Peterborough Ontario CA 5 21-11 96
Day 1: 5 21-11
5. Cory Johnston Cavan CANADA 5 21-11 96
Day 1: 5 21-11
8. Chad Morgenthaler Reeds Spring, MO 5 21-10 93
Day 1: 5 21-10
9. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 5 21-08 92
Day 1: 5 21-08
10. Jay Yelas Lincoln City, OR 5 21-01 91
Day 1: 5 21-01
11. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 5 21-00 90
Day 1: 5 21-00
12. Brandon Cobb Greenwood, SC 5 20-14 89
Day 1: 5 20-14
13. Seth Feider New Market, MN 5 20-11 88
Day 1: 5 20-11
13. Micah Frazier Newnan, GA 5 20-11 88
Day 1: 5 20-11
15. Austin Felix Eden Prairie, MN 5 20-10 86
Day 1: 5 20-10
16. Drew Benton Blakely, GA 5 20-09 85
Day 1: 5 20-09
17. Bill Weidler Helena, AL 5 20-08 84
Day 1: 5 20-08
18. Clark Wendlandt Leander, TX 5 20-00 83
Day 1: 5 20-00
19. Garrett Paquette Canton, MI 5 19-15 82
Day 1: 5 19-15
20. Cody Hollen Beaverton, OR 5 19-12 81
Day 1: 5 19-12
21. Frank Talley Temple, TX 5 19-10 80
Day 1: 5 19-10
22. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 5 19-09 79
Day 1: 5 19-09
23. Gary Clouse Winchester, TN 5 19-05 78
Day 1: 5 19-05
23. Derek Hudnall Denham Springs, LA 5 19-05 78
Day 1: 5 19-05
23. Patrick Walters Summerville, SC 5 19-05 78
Day 1: 5 19-05
26. Brian Snowden Reeds Spring, MO 5 19-04 75
Day 1: 5 19-04
27. Clent Davis Montevallo, AL 5 18-13 74
Day 1: 5 18-13
27. Harvey Horne Bella Vista, AR 5 18-13 74
Day 1: 5 18-13
27. Jesse Tacoronte Kissimmee, FL 5 18-13 74
Day 1: 5 18-13
27. Chris Zaldain Fort Worth, TX 5 18-13 74
Day 1: 5 18-13
31. Hunter Shryock Newcomerstown, OH 5 18-09 70
Day 1: 5 18-09
32. Dale Hightower Mannford, OK 5 18-08 69
Day 1: 5 18-08
32. Gerald Swindle Guntersville, AL 5 18-08 69
Day 1: 5 18-08
34. Jake Whitaker Fairview, NC 5 18-07 67
Day 1: 5 18-07
35. Tyler Rivet Raceland, LA 5 18-06 66
Day 1: 5 18-06
36. Greg DiPalma Millville, NJ 5 18-04 65
Day 1: 5 18-04
36. Chris Groh Spring Grove, IL 5 18-04 65 $1,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-04
38. Bob Downey Hudson, WI 5 18-03 63
Day 1: 5 18-03
38. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 5 18-03 63
Day 1: 5 18-03
40. Brad Whatley Bivins, TX 5 18-01 61
Day 1: 5 18-01
41. Luke Palmer Coalgate, OK 5 18-00 60
Day 1: 5 18-00
41. Brett Preuett Monroe, LA 5 18-00 60
Day 1: 5 18-00
43. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 5 17-15 58
Day 1: 5 17-15
44. Destin DeMarion Grove City, PA 5 17-11 57
Day 1: 5 17-11
45. Koby Kreiger Alva, FL 5 17-10 56
Day 1: 5 17-10
45. Randy Sullivan Breckenridge, TX 5 17-10 56
Day 1: 5 17-10
47. Brandon Card Salisbury, NC 5 17-09 54
Day 1: 5 17-09
48. Caleb Sumrall New Iberia, LA 5 17-08 53
Day 1: 5 17-08
49. Matt Herren Ashville, AL 5 17-07 52
Day 1: 5 17-07
50. Wes Logan Springville, AL 5 17-06 51
Day 1: 5 17-06
51. Tyler Carriere Youngsville, LA 5 17-05 50
Day 1: 5 17-05
52. Mike Huff Corbin, KY 5 17-03 49
Day 1: 5 17-03
53. Caleb Kuphall Mukwonago, WI 5 17-02 48
Day 1: 5 17-02
54. Todd Auten Lake Wylie, SC 5 16-14 47
Day 1: 5 16-14
55. Hank Cherry Jr Lincolnton, NC 5 16-12 46
Day 1: 5 16-12
56. Ed Loughran III Richmond, VA 5 16-10 45
Day 1: 5 16-10
57. Quentin Cappo Prairieville, LA 5 16-07 44
Day 1: 5 16-07
58. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 5 16-05 43
Day 1: 5 16-05
58. Drew Cook Midway, FL 5 16-05 43
Day 1: 5 16-05
60. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 5 16-04 41
Day 1: 5 16-04
61. Lee Livesay Longview, TX 5 15-12 40
Day 1: 5 15-12
62. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 5 15-06 39
Day 1: 5 15-06
63. Matt Arey Shelby, NC 5 15-00 38
Day 1: 5 15-00
64. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 5 14-13 37
Day 1: 5 14-13
65. Jeff Gustafson Keewatin Ontario CANADA 5 14-10 36
Day 1: 5 14-10
65. Randy Pierson Oakdale, CA 5 14-10 36
Day 1: 5 14-10
67. Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 5 14-05 34
Day 1: 5 14-05
67. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 5 14-05 34
Day 1: 5 14-05
69. David Fritts Lexington, NC 5 14-03 32
Day 1: 5 14-03
70. Buddy Gross Chickamauga, GA 5 14-02 31
Day 1: 5 14-02
71. Jason Williamson Wagener, SC 5 13-15 30
Day 1: 5 13-15
72. Shane Lineberger Lincolnton, NC 4 13-12 29
Day 1: 4 13-12
73. Skylar Hamilton Dandridge, TN 5 13-11 28
Day 1: 5 13-11
74. Kyle Monti Okeechobee, FL 5 13-09 27
Day 1: 5 13-09
75. Kyle Welcher Opelika, AL 5 13-07 26
Day 1: 5 13-07
76. Bryan Schmitt Deale, MD 5 13-02 25
Day 1: 5 13-02
77. Scott Canterbury Odenville, AL 5 13-01 24
Day 1: 5 13-01
78. Chad Pipkens Dewitt, MI 5 13-00 23
Day 1: 5 13-00
79. Jamie Hartman Newport, NY 4 12-12 22
Day 1: 4 12-12
80. Rob Digh Denver, NC 5 12-05 21
Day 1: 5 12-05
81. Robbie Latuso Gonzales, LA 5 09-08 20
Day 1: 5 09-08
82. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 5 08-14 19
Day 1: 5 08-14
83. Rick Morris Lake Gaston, VA 2 07-10 18
Day 1: 2 07-10
84. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 2 03-04 17
Day 1: 2 03-04
85. Carl Jocumsen Queensland TN AUSTRALIA 1 02-15 16
Day 1: 1 02-15
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1 Chris Groh Spring Grove, IL 06-00 $1,000.00
Delaware’s Mitchell Wins Toyota Series Northern Division Event on Lake Erie
SANDUSKY, Ohio (Aug. 20, 2020) – Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit angler Kurt Mitchell of Milford, Delaware, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Thursday weighing 15 pounds, 8 ounces to win the three-day Toyota Series at Lake Erie tournament in Sandusky, Ohio. Mitchell’s three-day total of 15 bass weighing 60-2 earned him the win by a 2-pound, 10-ounce margin over second-place angler Mike Trombly of Belleville, Michigan, and earned Mitchell the top payout of $27,706 in the second tournament of the 2020 Toyota Series Northern Division.
Today was a nail biter, I really thought I only had like 12½ pounds,” said Mitchell, who pushed his career earnings to more than $250,000. “It really hasn’t sunk in yet. Right now, I just feel relieved. I really thought I blew a 6-pound lead. That would have been horrible.
“I thought I was going to catch them today,” Mitchell continued. “The wind changed directions today, and it was really cool last night. It felt like a really high-pressure day, and they weren’t eating. I had two bites in the morning, and they were eating weird, they would sit and tap and tap a drop-shot or a Ned rig and not suck it in. It was bad, it was horrible, I lost like two or three big ones and broke off like six fish today.”
Mitchell had two primary patterns throughout the week - one was a rock jetty underwater and the other was a series of hard spots. Today, the rock jetty was almost a deal-breaker.
“The gobies were in there thick today, and the smallmouths were picking at my drop-shot just like the gobies,” says Mitchell. “So, I would really let them have it, and the gobies would take my bait right into the rocks, and if the bass would bite after, I would snap off every time.”
Mitchell’s primary bait was a drop-shot with a Yamamoto Shad Shape Worm in blue pearl silver flake in stained water and natural shad in clearer water. On days one and two, he used a 3/8- and a ½-ounce weight, but lighter wind and a tougher bite saw him downsize to a ¼-ounce weight today. Mitchell also used a Ned rig with a 1/8-ounce Picasso Rhino Ned Head and a shortened Yamamoto Senko in the crushed goby color.
Mitchell hails from Delaware, which is not really known for its smallmouth, but he’s got a real knack for the Great Lakes.
“I have a really good feel for when smallmouth get pressured,” said Mitchell. “It lets me know when to go or stay, or when to slow down. At Buffalo last year, I was throwing a (Strike King) Z Too in practice, and they were crushing it. As soon as a bunch of boats rolled into that area, they quit biting it, and I downsized my baits and ended up catching 20 pounds.
“I’m not an expert by any means, but I can usually find a couple areas and pound them out.”
The top 10 pros on Lake Erie finished:
1st: Kurt Mitchell of Milford, Del., 15 bass, 60-2, $27,706
2nd: Mike Trombly of Belleville, Mich., 15 bass, 57-8, $10,049
3rd: Randy Ramsey of Burlington, Mich., 15 bass, 56-15, $7,780
4th: Hugh Cosculleula of The Woodlands, Texas, 14 bass, 50-11, $7,483
5th: Pat Upthagrove of Monroe, Mich., 15 bass, 48-13, $5,835
6th: Chase Serafin of White Lake, Mich., 14 bass, 48-5, $5,186
7th: Edward Levin of Westerville, Ohio, 15 bass, 47-6, $4,538
8th: Justin Hicks of Roanoke, Va., 14 bass, 41-10, $3,890
9th: Jonathan Dietz of Corry, Pa., 14 bass, 39-7, $3,242
10th: Jason Kervin of Ramond, Maine, 12 bass, 36-15, $2,593
A complete list of results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Cosculleula took home an extra $1,000 as the highest finishing FLW PHOENIX 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 FLW PHOENIX BONUS contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.
Dan Mundy of Swartz Creek, Michigan, won the Co-angler Division Thursday with a three-day total of 13 bass weighing 41 pounds, 6 ounces. Mundy took home the top prize package of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard motor.
The top 10 co-anglers on Lake Erie finished:
1st: Dan Mundy of Swartz Creek, Mich., 13 bass, 41-6, Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat w/115-hp outboard
2nd: Gary Haraguchi of Phoenix, Ariz., 14 bass, 39-11, $3,353
3rd: Melinda Hays of Rogers, Ark., 14 bass, 37-14, $2,682
4th: Edwin Bartlett of Casco, Maine, nine bass, 36-1, $2,396
5th: Matt Hummel of Lancaster, Pa., 13 bass, 36-0, $2,012
6th: Mike Urbania of Mentor, Ohio, 14 bass, 34-0, $1,677
7th: Ed Keplinger of Farmersburg, Ind., 11 bass, 31-4, $1,341
8th: Kyle Gelles of Pingree, Idaho, 13 bass, 30-14, $1,424
9th: Brandon Cline of Wheelersburg, Ohio, 12 bass, 30-9, $1,006
10th: Joshua Miller of Toledo, Ohio, 10 bass, 26-12, $838
The Toyota Series at Lake Erie was hosted by the City of Sandusky and the Lake Erie Shores & Islands Welcome Center. It was the second of three regular-season tournaments in 2020 for Northern Division anglers. The next events for Toyota Series anglers will take place on Sept. 2-4 – the Toyota Series at Fort Gibson Lake in Wagoner, Oklahoma, and the Toyota Series at Neely Henry Lake in Gadsden, Alabama. For a complete schedule, visit FLWFishing.com.
The Toyota Series consists of eight divisions – Central, Eastern, Northern, Plains, Southeastern, 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 Championship for a shot at winning $235,000 cash, including a $35,000 FLW PHOENIX Bonus for qualified anglers. The winning co-angler at the championship earns a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard. The 2020 Toyota Series Championship will be held Dec. 3-5 on Lake Cumberland in Burnside, Kentucky, and is hosted by the Somerset Tourist & Convention Commission and the Burnside Tourism Commission.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Toyota Series on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
Alabama Bass Trail Hires Justin Graves As Tournament Director
Decatur, Ala. (August 20, 2020) – The Alabama Bass Trail (ABT) is pleased to announce its hiring of Justin Graves, who will serve as tournament director. Graves will be responsible for working with ABT Program Director Kay Donaldson to promote the state of Alabama as a year-round fishing destination and coordinate all events held by the ABT while serving as the main contact for anglers. He will assume responsibilities on November 1, 2020.
“I am very excited to welcome Justin to the Alabama Bass Trail staff. Having worked in Division I athletics for numerous years, he is no stranger to large event logistics and execution. Justin is an avid angler who has a passion and love for the outdoors, and we are excited to see what new energy and ideas he brings to the role of tournament director,” said Program Director Kay Donaldson.
Graves comes to the ABT with 19 years of professional communications and marketing experience. He spent the previous three years working in Division I college athletics as the Director of Sports Information at Alabama A&M University. While at Alabama A&M, he served as the primary media contact for the university’s athletic programs while overseeing gameday operations for football, men and women’s basketball, women’s soccer and baseball. During 2018, he oversaw a rebranding campaign for Alabama A&M athletics, which included the redesign of the department’s website, aamusports.com. He also oversaw the operations of the Alabama A&M athletics media platforms, which includes the digital streaming of all football, men’s basketball and women’s basketball games.
Prior to arriving at Alabama A&M, Graves spent seven years as a sportswriter at The Decatur Daily and five years as the sports editor at The Cullman Times.
A Florence native and a graduate of the University of North Alabama, he is an avid outdoorsman who has fished competitively since he was a teenager in high school. He now resides in Cullman with his wife and daughter.
“I am extremely excited about this opportunity with the Alabama Bass Trail. As someone who has competed as an angler in this tournament series, I know from experience that the Alabama Bass Trail is an outstanding organization that creates millions of dollars in tourism revenue for the state of Alabama while providing its anglers an elite tournament experience. I would like to thank ABT Program Director Kay Donaldson for providing the opportunity to work with this great organization which helps promote the state’s outstanding fisheries,” said Graves.
Graves replaces Clay Baldis who resigned July 29, 2020, but will remain on contract through October 2020.
“The Alabama Bass Trail’s board of directors graciously accepted the resignation of Clay Baldis effective July 29th. We want to recognize the countless hours he dedicated to the Alabama Bass Trail and wish him well as he begins a new chapter. The Alabama Bass Trail will continue to contract with Clay through the 2020 season where he will be training the new tournament director, Justin Graves,” said ABT Board of Directors Chairwoman Thereasa Hulgan.
For more information, call Donaldson at 855.934.7425 or visit www.alabamabasstrail.org.
Alabama’s Lay Lake To Host Rescheduled Bassmaster Eastern Open
August 20, 2020
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Lay Lake, the same storied fishery that has hosted four Bassmaster Classics, will host the Basspro.com Bassmaster Eastern Open Dec. 3-5, 2020.
This tournament replaces the Basspro.com Bassmaster Eastern Open originally scheduled for August 6-8, 2020 on Oneida Lake, in Syracuse, N.Y., on the series’ schedule. After two spring Bassmaster Opens Series tournaments were initially postponed, the Oneida tournament was due to be the Eastern Division’s second stop of the 2020 season. The Open event on Lay Lake will now cap off the Eastern Opens, which will have held tournaments on Florida’s Kissimmee Chain of Lakes, South Carolina’s Lake Hartwell and Tennessee’s Cherokee Lake.
“We want our anglers to have every opportunity to fish a full schedule as they compete for the Falcon Rods Angler of the Year title and a coveted invitation to join the Elite Series,” said Chris Bowes, Bassmaster Opens Senior Tournament Manager. “We are thankful to the local hosts who have worked so diligently with us to make this happen.”
Best known for its spotted and largemouth bass fishing, Lay Lake, a 12,000-acre Southern Company reservoir, is a top choice for anglers year-round.
The tournament is being hosted by DiscoverShelby.com, and daily takeoffs and weigh-ins will be held at Beeswax Park in Columbiana, Ala.
“Shelby County, Alabama and B.A.S.S. have a long and successful collaborative history, and we are extremely pleased Lay Lake will once again be the host of championship fishing with a Bassmaster Open,” said Shelby County Manager Chad Scroggins. “Anglers will be treated to one of the nation’s top fisheries.”
With fan interest at an all-time high and a stacked field of anglers that includes some of the sport’s biggest names, B.A.S.S. officials have expanded live coverage options and implemented new technology for the 2020 tournaments.
Beginning June 18 with the Basspro.com Bassmaster Central Open at Arkansas River, both boaters and co-anglers began using BASSTrakk for real-time updates. Fans can also follow the final-day drama by streaming Nationwide Bassmaster Opens LIVE presented by Grizzly as camera boats provide coverage of the leaders.
For a complete schedule, including all of the Basspro.com Bassmaster Opens, visit Bassmaster.com.
Low Budget Live's Luke Dunkin to head up NPFL Live in 2021
The National Professional Fishing League Welcomes Luke Dunkin
20 August 2020 St Louis, Missouri, The National Professional Fishing League is proud to announce that Luke Dunkin of Lawrenceburg, TN, will head up the live stream broadcast team for the 2021 season. Luke will be responsible for anchoring the broadcast from our live studio. Luke will also contribute heavily to the development of the live broadcast, angler round tables and live weigh-in productions.
Luke comes to The NPFL with a lot of experience in multiple facets of the fishing industry. He worked his way up from the co-angler side of the FLW Tour and fished as a Pro from 2015-2019. Luke’s experience on tour will serve him well while commenting on the 2021 TNPFL season.
Luke is employed at TH Marine where he has worked for over 15 years. He currently holds the title of Regional Sales Manager. His insights into the business side of the industry give him a unique perspective on the day-to-day happenings around the industry.
He also has plenty of experience in front of the camera. His experience on the sets of BASS Live, FLW Live and last year’s FLW All- American allowed him to hone his craft and develop the necessary skills to carry our broadcast. Luke currently hosts the very popular Podcast called “Low Budget Live”. Luke’s endearing fans called, “Low Lifers” tune in every Monday to get Luke’s take on what’s happening around the fishing industry. He is also the ringmaster of the “Luke Dunkin’s Traveling Circus” YouTube Channel which features the popular series, "Boats and Pros”, and “Show Up and Shut Up”.
Luke is easily the clear choice for us. His personality and demeanor fit perfectly with our team. Initial meetings felt more like we were catching up after not seeing each other for a while rather than an initial meeting.
It was vital for us to find the right person who clearly understands our goals and shares our passion for growing the industry. Our only direction to Luke is for him to be himself and to go out and do what he does best. We have given Luke the proverbial keys to the on air show and we can’t wait to see him bring the Traveling Circus to the big time!
Up and Down on Lake St Clair
Courtesy of Luke Stoner - Dynamic Sponsorships
Matt Arey was excited to get day one of the YETI Bassmaster Elite on Lake St. Clair underway, but he wasn’t hesitant to admit his three days of practice had been ‘up and down’. The Team Toyota pro explained the giant smallmouth St. Clair is known for are still here for the taking, they just seemed to be more scattered than he is used to.
“The anglers are grouped up but the smallmouth are not,” Arey said with a laugh. “It’s still the same old St. Clair, its just going to fish a little differently this time around. The big bites were random and spread out for me. On Tuesday for example the first two fish I caught were five pounds, but they came two miles apart.”
Bassmaster Elite Series competitors may be more grouped up than normal due to Canadian waters being off limits on account of COVID restrictions. While there are a plethora of great fishing opportunities on the U.S. side, “the grass is always greener on the other side” as they say.
Arey has a solid track record on this massive fishery and lucky for him most of those good finishes have come on the U.S. side of the lake. The North Carolina native is no stranger to the drifting techniques that excel on St. Clair; he just wishes the fish were a bit more concentrated than he’s experienced this week.
“It’s a mental grind knowing you need to weigh-in five bigguns a day here with the fish being so spread out,” Arey explained. “I’m sure I’ll be fishing around a bunch of other guys and I hate to use the word luck in bass fishing, but at times it does feel like luck out there. It’ll be up and down everyday in my boat I’d guess.”
Speaking of up and down, that’s what Arey expects this event to do to anglers in the Angler of the Year race. With the way St. Clair is fishing, he predicts this event could make or break positions in the points race before heading into the southern swing to close the season.
Arey current sits in 3rd place in the Angler of the Year race and knows he needs a strong finish here to hold that position. With any luck he’ll collide with enough fat bronzebacks each day to keep himself in the AOY hunt when he hops in his Tundra following this event.
Brandon Lester talks spicy chicken and St. Clair smallmouth
Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships
Brandon Lester has done very well in past events on Lake St. Clair, and he doesn’t hide his love of the smallmouth and the refreshing Southeast Michigan weather. The Team Toyota pro just wishes he had time to sample some of the better food offerings in the area.
Q: When somebody says the words “Lake St. Clair” – what’s the first thing that pops to mind?
Lester: That’s easy, big waves and big smallmouth!
Q: What should fans keep their eye on during this week’s Bassmaster Elite Series event?
Lester: It’s gonna be another full-blown smallmouth beatdown. I’m not sure the average smallmouth is quite as fat this year as they were last September when we were here, but it’s still going to be pretty dang impressive. Honestly, I’m not sure I’ve ever seen this place be anything short of awesome.
Q: This area is famous for a lot of great food includingdeep fried perch and Coney Island hot dogs. What’s the best thing you’ve eaten in the five days you’ve been here so far?
Lester: Oh man, I’m staying in a hotel all by myself. So I’m hurting in the good food department. It’s been all about ‘fast and easy’ the past five days. So probably a spicy chicken sandwich from Popeyes.
Q: What are you most looking forward to in this particular Bassmaster Elite event on St. Clair?
Lester: The weather, and I love catching smallmouth! We have plenty of big smallmouth at home in Tennessee, but it’s brutally hot there, and it feels like early fall here. It was 57degrees this morning when I launched.
Q: Lastly, name three lures you won’t leave the dock without Thursday morning.
Lester: An X-Zone Slammer on a drop shot, an X-Zone Ned Zone, and a crankbait that will run 12 to 15-feet deep.
MITCHELL SWINGS INTO THE LEAD ON ERIE
August 19, 2020 by Jody White/FLWFishing.com
Day two of the Toyota Series Northern Division event on Lake Erie was tough on some, but it was a party for Kurt Mitchell. Weighing 24 pounds, 11 ounces, he moved up from second into the lead with a 44-10 total. Only the top 10 fish on the final day and they’ll have a steep hill to climb to catch Mitchell.
“It was pretty unbelievable,” says Mitchell. “I started off the day and caught about 21 pounds in the first hour and a half. Then I left that spot, and I went to my best area, and I saw fish all over the graph. I caught one and my co-angler caught a 4, and we left it to save it for tomorrow. Then I hit one more hard spot, and caught two more and then I caught a 6-pounder, so I just came in.”
Fishing shallower hard spots in about 10 feet of water, Mitchell added to his pattern today.
“When they’re not on the hard spots, I couldn’t figure out where they are going,” says Mitchell. “Today, I drifted way off the spot, and there’s one little strip of rocks, and they’re set up right on the backside of them. That’s where they were today.”
Mitchell’s secondary rock is in about 16 feet, so still fairly shallow, but it proved to be a difference-maker today. Like on day one, a Yamamoto Shad Shape Worm on a drop-shot did damage, but today he mixed in a Ned rig as well.
Mitchell has earned over $200,000 with FLW and fished the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit for five years, but this is his best shot yet at a win.
“I feel pretty good,” says Mitchell. “The one area, it’s a big strip of rocks, it looks like an underwater jetty, and those fish stay there all day. The hard spot areas, they’re hit or miss, but I’ve got at least one spot I feel really confident in and two spots that could be really good.”
2. Randy Ramsey – Burlington, Mich. – 38-9 (10)
In second place, Randy Ramsey is a tick more than 6 pounds behind Mitchell, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t put together a great tournament. Notably, he’s also doing it with mixed bags, having weighed some largemouths and smallmouths each day.
“I’m fishing isolated cover, kind of away from a lot of stuff,” says Ramsey. “There are so many places you can fish with hundreds of boulders and rock piles, but the stuff I’m fishing, there isn’t anything around it. Now, I’m down to three main areas and everything I’m doing is finesse – Ned rigs, and some Texas rig stuff and a finesse jig when I’m largemouth fishing.”
Running west of takeoff and staying in Erie, Ramsey is fishing some deep stuff, in about 20 feet, as well as one shallow spot in about 12 feet. Catching both species was part of the plan all along for Ramsey, and it’s allowed him to stay really consistent.
“If [Mitchell] hadn’t have busted 24 pounds today, I’d really be in the hunt,” says Ramsey. “You hope if one of the species doesn’t fire the other one does.”
3. Chase Serafin – White Lake, Mich. – 37-10 (10)
Running to the Detroit River each day, Chase Serafin just banked his second top 10 of the year in the Northern Division, but he’s facing some complications for the final day.
“I ran all the way there with no problem, then I ran out of the river and hit one spot in the mouth of the river, caught a 4-pounder, and went to take off,” says Serafin. “My motor kinda missed a step, trying to get on pad, and I couldn’t get on plane.”
Serafin ended up getting a ride back to takeoff with Scott Dobson, but his boat situation is a little in question for the final day. However it shakes out, he’s planning on running west again, but maybe not into the Detroit River.
“We ran down to the same spot I fished yesterday, and I hooked a good one on the first cast and lost it under the boat,” says Serafin, who is starting on a river ledge in the Detroit River. “Then, I caught three fish on three casts, and I thought it was going to be lights out.”
Unfortunately, it slowed down from there, until Serafin and his co-angler fired them back up. Then, Serafin went to work with a Rapala DT14 and DT20 to catch the bulk of his weight. Catching about 25 keepers, he did all he needed to stay in the top five. Still, he’s not even sure if he’ll go back to that spot tomorrow.
“I knew the high-end of that spot was 18 to 20 pounds, but in pre-practice, I found some stuff in Michigan in Erie,” says Serafin. “Now that I’ve got myself in the top 10, I might go over there and try to get five bites, because if I do, they’ll be big ones.”
4. Mike Trombly – Belleville, Mich. – 36-1 (10)
Mike Trombly, who is actually staying with Steve Clapper for the tournament, put another solid day up, but it didn’t go nearly as smoothly as day one.
“It was a very tough bite today,” says Trombly, who is running west from takeoff. “I only caught four fish in the areas where I was catching them, we definitely had to grind them out. My mian area had mudded up a little bit, hopefully tomorrow that water clears up.”
On his way back, Trombly stopped at one of the islands and plucked a 2-pounder off a boulder to fill his limit, but it still only added up to 16-9 on the day. Like on day one, he employed a tube and a Carolina-rig, but he also mixed in an umbrella rig for one fish today.
“It’s gonna be a roll of the dice,” says Trombly about his prospects for day three. “It’s a matter of whether they show. The places I’ve caught my best fish in practice, I haven’t caught one yet. They’re rock humps and rough spots, and the fish can pull up easily, but they can pull off just as easily. But I will probably run a little bit more water tomorrow, if it is calm.”
5. Hugh Cosculluela – The Woodlands, Texas – 32-12 (10)
Staying pretty close to takeoff around the islands, Hugh Cosculluela has put up consistent bags to edge into the top five.
“My game plan initially was to go fish around Gull Island, but with the wind, I didn’t get out there,” says Cosculluela. “I pretty much caught all my fish around Kelley’s.”
Throwing a drop-shot and a Ned rig around boulders in 13 to 18 feet, Cosculluela is only catching six or seven fish per day, but the recent Pro Circuit event prepared him for that.
“I watched how they fished, and how many they thought were in an area,” he says. “I watched Boyd Duckett and Grae Buck fish the same hole for an hour, and I think if you find fish, there are a lot there, but I probably dropped on 10 fish today and didn’t get a single one to bite.”
Notably, Cosculluela is from Texas, and he’s really enjoying the northern summer.
“My grandparents have a house in western Michigan, and it’s a little hot in Texas,” says Cosculluela. “I think the “feels like” temperature where I live was 111° today.
Top 10 pros
1. Kurt Mitchell – Milford, De. – 44-10 (10)
2. Randy Ramsey – Burlington, Mich. – 38-9 (10)
3. Chase Serafin – White Lake, Mich. – 37-10 (10)
4. Mike Trombly – Belleville, Mich. – 36-1 (10)
5. Hugh Cosculluela – The Woodlands, Texas – 35-12 (10)
6. Eddie Levin – Westerville, Ohio – 33-8 (10)
7. Pat Upthagrove – Monroe, Mich. – 30-14 (10)
8. Jason Kervin – Raymond, Me. – 29-15 (10)
9. Justin Hicks – Roanoke, Va. – 29-13 (10)
10. Jonathan Dietz – Corry, Penn. – 29-2 (10)
Sumrall: St. Clair isn’t all about tubes and drop shots
Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships
Caleb Sumrall cut his bass fishing teeth on the shallow bayous of Southern Louisiana pitching soft plastic lures around cypress trees and thick vegetation – pretty much bass fishing’s polar opposite of what he’ll face this week at the YETI Bassmaster Elite on Lake St. Clair.
But the former petroleum industry supply yard worker is a quick learner – and bagged a Top 20 at his very first tournament on St. Clair last September.
Not only did he learn really fast the waves here get equally as big as the smallmouth, but he’ll also be quick to tell you it’s not all about dragging a tube or drop shot around. Instead, crankbaits are a major player on St. Clair too.
“Obviously, there’s plenty of history to prove that you can do really well, or even win tournaments here with a tube or drop shot. But it’s really hard to cover this massive body of open water, especially in practice, with just tubes and drop shots. So that’s where the beauty of a crankbait shines. I can cover a lot more water with it, and smallmouth flat-out eat crankbaits here,” explains Sumrall.
When asked why he believes St. Clair smallies have an appetite for ‘diving plugs’ he reasons it’s because they largely feed by sight, often roaming in open water looking for abundant numbers of yellow perch and gizzard shad, looking up and outward in the water column, as opposed to purely searching the bottom for crawdads or the occasional goby.
Sumrall also warns that spending too much time riding around looking at sonar screens in search of schools hanging on a ledge or drop like one might do at Guntersville, Pickwick, or Toledo Bend can be a waste of time on St. Clair.
“You typically don’t see a lot of schools on the bottom here like you do at those famous largemouth fisheries,” says Sumrall. “Here, you’re looking for really subtle changes on the bottom that might hold fish, but mostly casting to find the fish, rather than just dropping waypoints on organized schools,” says Sumrall, who trusts a Yamaha-powered Xpress aluminum boat on these big waters.
Point is, smallmouth roam and hunt, versus southern largemouth that lay and wait on the food to pass by. Hopefully, this week, St. Clair’s smallmouth will hunt down Sumrall’s Spro Fat Papa crankbait that dives 10 to 14-feet deep.
If so, look for the highly likeable pro from deep in Southern Louisiana to bag another Top 20 -- roughly a 19-hour drive from the shallow flooded cypress trees back home.
FLW Angler of the Year and FLW Rookie of the Year in the House!
This week Chris & The Circus welcome in the 2020 FLW Tour Angler of the Year Ron Nelson & 2020 Rookie of the Year Kyle Hall to talk about their 2020 season, as crazy as its been and help preview next weeks TITLE on Sturgeon Bay. Blonde Girl Behind the Scenes Michele Eichstead is still with us for picks and the guys debate technology..... And the mystery of Fishing. Stay instinctive guys & gals, just hit play!
Major League Fishing General Tire World Championship Wraps Production in Grand Rapids
Bass Fishing Event Completes Week-Long Shoot in Northern Minnesota with 16 Pro Anglers Competing to Win 2020 World Championship
TULSA, Okla. (Aug. 19, 2020) – Major League Fishing (MLF) recently wrapped production at the 2020 General Tire World Championship event in Grand Rapids, Minnesota.
The event, hosted by Visit Grand Rapids and filmed entirely for television broadcast, was shot over six days in late July and featured 16 of the world’s best pro anglers culminating their MLF Cup season as they compete for the top prize of $100,000 and the title of Major League Fishing General Tire World Champion. The League previously visited the area to film the 2017 MLF Summit Cup event.
“We had a fantastic, record-breaking catch when MLF visited the area in 2017, and it made the decision to return for our World Championship event a no-brainer,” said Marty Stone, Director of Event Research and Program Analyst for Major League Fishing. “There is such a great mixture of fisheries in this area. Deep-water fishing, shallow-water fishing, largemouth or smallmouth, these northern lakes seem to have it all. It was a great week of fishing for our anglers and I can’t wait to watch it all play out on the Discovery Channel later this Fall.”
The six-episode, two-hour series features the professional anglers visiting Northern Minnesota to compete on four different fisheries across the region, including Pokegama Lake, Wabana Lake, Turtle Lake, and Spider Lake. The fisheries are unknown to the anglers prior to competing. An aspect of MLF Cup competition is the anglers do not learn where they are competing until they arrive to the launch ramp each morning of competition, which makes bait selection and electronics pre-event research less of a factor in MLF Cups.
“We are so grateful to Megan Christianson at Visit Grand Rapids and legendary Minnesota Fishing Guide Tom Neustrom for all of their hard work and guidance in making the General Tire World Championship a success,” said Michael Mulone, MLF Senior Director of Events & Partnerships. “Megan and the community once again rolled out the red carpet. Tom worked tirelessly to ensure the angler and staff experience, both on and off the water, was second to none. Fans are going to be so excited to watch the action from one of America’s premier fishing destinations.”
The 16 anglers fishing in the General Tire World Championship are: Casey Ashley, Brent Ehrler, Edwin Evers, Bobby Lane, Jordan Lee, Jared Lintner, Aaron Martens, Cody Meyer, Andy Montgomery, Michael Neal, Takahiro Omori, Jacob Powroznik, Mark Rose, Jeff Sprague, Greg Vinson and Jacob Wheeler. For more information on the qualifying process, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com/MLF-101.
The General Tire World Championship, hosted by Visit Grand Rapids, will air on the Discovery Channel as six, two-hour original episodes each Saturday morning starting Oct. 10, 2020, airing from 7 to 9 a.m. EDT. The full television schedule can be found atMajorLeagueFishing.com/tv-schedule.
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.
Perch are tops on the menu at St. Clair
Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships
Benvenuto’s Family Restaurant, Sugarbush Tavern, pick your favorite, there’s no shortage of great places around Lake St. Clair to gobble up great fried perch.
“My favorite place for fried perch is Benvenuto’s,” says Gene Gilliland, Conservation Director for B.A.S.S., and a hard-core bass angler who makes an annual pilgrimage from his home in Oklahoma to chase St. Clair’s legendary smallmouth each year with a group of good buddies.
Fact is, at St. Clair, yellow perch are the top menu item of choice not just for guys like Gilliland, but smallmouth too. “There are plenty of gobies in St. Clair, but they’re not necessarily the star of the show at St. Clair like they are on the St. Lawrence, and that’s largely because gobies eat zebra mussels which thrive on rockier bottoms, and St. Clair is largely a sandy lake bottom,” says Gilliland, who worked 32 years for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife, focusing largely on bass research.
Ironically, St. Clair was the first American fishery in which zebra mussels were discovered in 1990, and sure enough the gobies soon followed to chow down on them. But yearly populations of mussels and gobies have fluctuated, whereas natives like yellow perch, crawfish, spottail shiners, gizzard shad, and emerald shiners have remained far more prolific and consistent forage options.
“When the Bassmaster Elite Series was here in 2013 there was actually concern about the smallmouth looking so skinny, and we think it was because the goby population that our buddy Mark Zona calls “chicken wings for smallmouth” was badly depleted. It was like the smallmouth forgot how to find perch and shiners because they had become so accustomed to eating gobies for a few years prior,” grins Gilliland.
Certainly, isolated rocky areas still hold gobies on St. Clair, but open water pelagic species like perch and emerald shiners remain the daily special. And anywhere you find aquatic vegetation blended with St. Clair’s thousands of acres of sand, you’ll likely find plenty of ‘salad’ eating crawfish too.
“As a St. Clair smallmouth angler, you quickly figure out crankbaits and jerkbaits that swim through the middle of the water column are just as likely to get crushed by big smallies as bottom bouncers because these fish are used to feeding by sight in more open water situations,” explains Gilliland.
For example, Gilliland throws a Rapala DT10 crankbait in a yellow perch color that dives down to 10 feet deep over 13-feet of water, because the fish aren’t necessarily on the bottom, but instead suspended and looking for a fat perch to eat.
This week, Gilliland will work diligently on behalf of B.A.S.S. at the Bassmaster Elite Series tournament to assure excellent care of the St. Clair smallmouth he treasures, but in the evenings look for him at Benvenuto’s in Harrison Township with a plate full of fried perch.
Alabama Bass Trail Tournament Series Sells Out, Breaks Registration Record Third Straight Year
North and south divisions sell out with a total of 450 teams.
Decatur, Ala. (August 18, 2020) – Tournament officials announce registration is closed for the 2021 Alabama Bass Trail Tournament Series (ABTTS), with all 450 of the available boat entries in the north and south divisions selling out in a record 25 minutes. The 2021 tournament series gets underway February 20.
Registration for the 2021 tournament series opened to the public August 15, 2020. According to Program Director Kay Donaldson, registration for both divisions had reached its limit within 25 minutes. In 2019, registration was full for the south division in three hours and in 17 hours for the north division.
“The near-immediate sellout validates the confidence anglers have put in the Alabama Bass Trail program. This year, we had more pre-registrations than in years past, which probably contributed to how quickly registration sold out. Thank you to the anglers, our great sponsors and host cities who are willing to invest their time and resources into the Alabama Bass Trail in 2021. We look forward to another year of outstanding competitive bass fishing in the great state of Alabama,” said Donaldson.
Teams will be traveling from nine states: Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi, Georgia, Florida, Arkansas, Kentucky, Illinois and North Carolina to compete in the 2021 tournament series. The Alabama Bass Trail creates an estimated economic impact of $4 million dollars for the state of Alabama annually.
Sanctioned by BASS (Bass Anglers Sportsman Society), the ABT Tournament Series contains two divisions, North and South, and each division is made up of five tournaments on five different lakes. The maximum number of boats for each tournament is 225. Teams must fish in all five tournaments in their respective division.
Dates and locations for the 2021 tournament series are as follows:
South Division:
February 20, 2021 Lake Martin / Hosted by the Alexander City Chamber of Commerce
March 27, 2021 Lake Eufaula / Hosted by the Eufaula-Barbour County Chamber of Commerce
April 24, 2021 Lay Lake / Hosted by the Shelby County Commission
May 8, 2021 Alabama River / Hosted by the City of Prattville Parks and Recreation
June 12, 2021 Logan Martin Lake / Hosted by the Pell City Chamber of Commerce
North Division:
February 27, 2021 Pickwick Lake / Hosted by Florence Lauderdale Tourism Board
March 13, 2021 Lake Guntersville / Hosted by the Marshall County CVB
April 10, 2021 Wheeler Lake / Hosted by Decatur Morgan County Tourism
May 15, 2021 Weiss Lake / Hosted by the Town of Leesburg
June 19, 2021 Neely Henry Lake / Hosted by the City of Gadsden
Hosted by the Chamber of Commerce of Walker County, the championship tournament will be held October 22-23, 2021, on Lewis Smith Lake.
The no-entry fee championship event will include up to 185 boats. The 185 boats are comprised of the 10 regular season winners, top 75 teams in points from both divisions that fished all five events in their respective divisions, along with the top 15 student teams, top five college teams and the top five couples teams collectively from both divisions that fished all five events in their respective division.
Each regular season tournament features a $10,000 guaranteed first place prize and pays 40 places totaling over $47,000. The no-entry fee championship will feature a $100,000 payout with a first place prize of $50,000. There is also a $5,000 bonus cash prize for Angler of the Year and $2,500 for runner-up Angler of the Year. According to Donaldson, over $580,000 in cash and prizes will be awarded when the ABT Tournament Series wraps up its season in 2021.
2021 Payout Schedule:
First place $10,000
Second place $ 5,000
Third place $ 4,000
Fourth place $ 3,000
Fifth place $ 2,000
Sixth place $ 1,500
Seventh place $ 1,100
Eighth place $ 1,100
Ninth place $ 1,100
Tenth place $ 1,100
11th – 20th $ 750 each
21st – 40th $ 500 each
2021 Championship Payout:
First place $50,000
Second place $10,000
Third place $ 5,000
Fourth place $ 4,000
Fifth place $ 3,000
Sixth place $ 2,500
Seventh place $ 2,200
Eighth place $ 2,000
Ninth place $ 1,800
Tenth place $ 1,500
11th-15th $ 1,200 each
16th-25th $ 1,100 each
Big Fish $500 daily
ABT Tournament sponsors include Phoenix Bass Boats; Bill Penney Toyota; Alabama Tourism Department; America’s First Federal Credit Union; Academy Sports & Outdoors; Garmin; T-H Marine Supplies, Inc.; Alabama Power Company; Buffalo Rock, Inc.; Jack’s; Wedowee Marine; Lews Fishing; FishNeelyHenry.com; Power-Pole; Big Bite Baits; YETI; Zone Repellents and Hydrowave. AnglersChannel will film and produce the Alabama Bass Trail television series for Fox Sports Southeast and Southern Stream Live will continue the live-streaming and video production services.
BASS FISHING HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES TO BE HONORED WITH COMMEMORATIVE ‘CHALLENGE COINS’
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – For Immediate Release – 8.18.2020 — The five legendary anglers and sportfishing industry leaders who comprise the Class of 2020 inductees into the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame are being honored by new, limited edition Bass Fishing Hall of Fame commemorative coins bearing their names.
The newest Hall of Fame members include two Bassmaster Classic champions — Jay Yelas and the late Bryan Kerchal — along with pioneering lure designer James Heddon, fishing educator Ron Lindner, and Steve Bowman, an innovator in bass fishing media and the professional fishing competitions.
They were to have been celebrated during the annual Bass Fishing Hall of Fame Induction Banquet scheduled for September 24 in Johnny Morris’ Wonders of Wildlife Museum and Aquarium in Springfield, but the dinner was postponed until 2021 because the COVID-19 pandemic would have made travel to the event difficult for many participants.
“While it’s unfortunate that we had to postpone our 2020 induction dinner, this first-year edition of the new Bass Fishing Hall of Fame commemorative challenge coin creates a lasting tribute to both our inductees and our celebration of the sport,” said John Mazurkiewicz, president of the Hall of Fame Board of Directors. “We appreciate the efforts of our volunteer board members in making this project become a reality, and we look forward to future editions for upcoming Hall of Fame induction classes.”
Challenge coins have long been popular among military service members, law enforcement personnel and first responders, who use them to confirm membership in elite organizations or teams. They are also created to honor outstanding individuals or commemorate important events, and they are highly prized as collectible items.
In addition to having their names on the coins, the five will be enshrined in the Hall of Fame museum, which opened in November 2017 within the Wonders of Wildlife complex at the flagship Bass Pro Shops store in Springfield. They will be inducted officially into the Hall of Fame along with the Class of 2021 in festivities to be held in the fall of 2021.
The beautifully minted coins bear the names of the 2020 inductees on one side and the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame logo and mission statement on the other. The coins will not be sold but will be given free to anyone who joins or renews membership as a supporter of the Hall of Fame during the annual membership drive now through the end of the year. (Visit BassfishingHoF.com to join or obtain more information.)
Supporters have the privilege of nominating individuals for consideration as inductees into the Hall of Fame. Nominees who meet the criteria for induction and are ratified by the Board of Directors are voted on by a select panel of 30 sportfishing industry leaders, media and professional anglers.
Supporter membership dues of $25 per year, combined with proceeds from the annual induction banquet and fundraising auction, enable the Hall of Fame Board to fulfill its mission of celebrating, promoting and preserving the sport of bass fishing. The Hall of Fame auction, offering valuable prizes, one-of-a-kind items and bucket-list fishing trips, will be held online this year starting on Tuesday, September 22. More details can be found on the BFHOF website and Facebook page.
In addition, the Board is currently reviewing applications for conservation grants to benefit bass fishing resources. Winners will be announced soon.
The Bass Fishing Hall of Fame is a nonprofit organization dedicated to honoring anglers, manufacturers, innovators and media representatives who have furthered the sport of bass fishing. On display at Johnny Morris’ Wonders of Wildlife Museum and Aquarium are artifacts, photos and biographical information about the 77 Hall of Famers who have been inducted since 2001. To become a supporting member of the Hall, visit https://www.bassfishinghof.com/membership.
YETI To Sponsor Elite Event At Lake St. Clair
August 18, 2020
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Premium outdoor brand YETI has signed on as the title sponsor for this week’s smallmouth showcase on Michigan’s Lake St. Clair, B.A.S.S. announced today. The 2020 YETI Bassmaster Elite at Lake St. Clair will be held Aug. 20-23 in Macomb County, Mich.
“We’re honored to be sponsoring this year’s Elite Series event at Lake St. Clair and supporting some of the most skilled anglers in professional bass fishing,” said Bill Neff, Vice President, Consumer Marketing at YETI. “This community has always been incredibly supportive of us, and we’re proud to show our support for them.”
YETI currently sponsors Elite Series angler Brandon Palaniuk, who came from fifth place on Championship Sunday to win the recent Bassmaster Elite at Lake Champlain.
Live coverage of the YETI Bassmaster Elite at Lake St. Clair starts Thursday, Aug. 20 at 7 a.m. EST, and fans will enjoy three ways to catch on-the-water action. In addition to insightful Bassmaster LIVE coverage on Bassmaster.com and ESPN3, all four days of the tournament will also be aired live on ESPN2. Weigh-ins will be aired on Bassmaster.com. Check local listings for ESPN2 broadcast times.
“Coverage of our three most recent tournaments on ESPN2 drew millions of sports fans to bass fishing — some for the first time,” said B.A.S.S. CEO Bruce Akin. “This summer, the public has flocked to fishing as the ideal way to responsibly reconnect with family and enjoy an escape in nature, making this the perfect time for YETI to partner with B.A.S.S. to reach an audience of outdoor enthusiasts.”
Post Pro Circuit, Sandusky Now Readies for Toyota Series Event
SANDUSKY, Ohio (Aug. 17, 2020) – Fresh off of last week’s big Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit event at Lake Erie in Sandusky, the fishery is now set to host another bass-fishing competition this week with the Toyota Series Northern Division at Lake Erie. The three-day event, hosted by the City of Sandusky and the Lake Erie Shores & Islands Welcome Center, takes place Aug. 18-20 and will feature the region’s best bass-fishing pros and co-anglers as they cast for a top prize of up to $65,000, plus a $35,000 bonus if the winner is a qualified Phoenix Boat owner.
Anglers will take off daily at 6:30 a.m. EDT from the Shelby St. Public Boat Launch, located at 101 Shelby St., in Sandusky. Weigh-ins will also be held at the boat launch and will begin at 2:30 p.m. Attendance is limited to anglers and essential staff and fans are encouraged to follow the event online through the “FLW Live” weigh-in broadcasts and daily coverage at FLWFishing.com.
In Toyota Series regular-season competition, payouts are based on the number of participants competing in the event, scaling up for every 20 boats over 160 and scaling down for every boat below 160. With a 160-boat field, pros fish for a top prize of $40,000, plus an extra $35,000 if FLW PHOENIX BONUS qualified. Co-anglers cast for the top prize of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard (valued at $33,500). With a 260-boat field, pros fish for a top award of $65,000, plus an extra $35,000 if FLW PHOENIX BONUS qualified. Co-anglers cast for the top prize of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard (valued at $33,500) plus $5,000 cash.
The Toyota Series consists of eight divisions – Central, Eastern, Northern, Plains, Southeastern, 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 Championship for a shot at winning $235,000 cash, including a $35,000 FLW PHOENIX Bonus for qualified anglers. The winning co-angler at the championship earns a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard. The 2020 Toyota Series Championship will be held Dec. 3-5 on Lake Cumberland in Burnside, Kentucky, and is hosted by the Somerset Tourist & Convention Commission and the Burnside Tourism Commission.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Toyota Series on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
Holmen’s Shaver Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Mississippi River at Prairie du Chien
Wilton’s Fry Wins Co-angler Title
PRAIRIE DU CHIEN, Wis. (Aug. 17, 2020) – Boater Jeremiah Shaver of Holmen, Wisconsin, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 15 pounds, 7 ounces to win the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine event on the Mississippi River in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. Shaver earned $3,879. for his victory.
“I threw a black and yellow Spro Bronzeye Frog all day – I never picked up another rod,” said Shaver, who earned the first tournament win of his career. “I made a long run to the top of Pool 9. It took me about an hour and a half to get there through the lock.
“I was fishing a cheese mat – literally the most disgusting, yellow cheese mat that you’d ever seen,” Shaver continued. “I caught a limit there for around 13½ pounds and made the trip back down around 11:30 (a.m.). I had two key culls late in the day that really helped.
“The wind kind of made the bite sporadic, but I just stayed confident with the frog and didn’t put it down,” Shaver went on to say. “It’s exciting to finally get a win – it was long overdue.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:
1st: Jeremiah Shaver of Holmen, Wis., five bass, 15-7, $3,879
2nd: Douglas Chapin of Green Bay, Wis., five bass, 14-8, $2,440
3rd: Mike Mertens of Mount Pleasant, Iowa, five bass, 14-3, $1,293
4th: Ryan Doty of Galena, Ill., five bass, 13-13, $905
5th: Travis Madrazo of Owatonna, Minn., five bass, 13-10, $1,291
6th: Josh Ystenes of La Crosse, Wis., five bass, 13-9, $711
7th: Kevin Ruh of Onalaska, Wis., five bass, 13-5, $647
8th: Jordan Hirt of Glenwood, Iowa, five bass, 13-4, $582
9th: Rick Bosshard of Hartland, Wis., five bass, 13-0, $485
9th: Brad Wessling of Elkhorn, Wis., five bass, 13-0, $485
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Madrazo claimed the day’s Boater Big Bass Award of $515 after bringing a 5-pound bass to the scale.
Chapin was the highest-finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member and took home an extra $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 FLW PHOENIX BONUS contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.
Austin Frye of Wilton, Wisconsin, won the Co-angler Division and $1,940 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 13 pounds even.
The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:
1st: Austin Frye of Wilton, Wis., five bass, 13-0, $1,940
2nd: Andrew Hegerty of Colgate, Wis., five bass, 12-13, $970
3rd: Tyler Ackerlund of Colfax, Wis., five bass, 12-5, $646
3rd: Troy Sippl of Sussex, Wis., five bass, 12-0, $453
5th: Chris Thomas of Milan, Ill., five bass, 11-15, $388
6th: Douglas Ley of Janesville, Wis., five bass, 11-14, $356
7th: Alan Bernicky of Joliet, Ill., five bass, 11-4, $523
8th: Christopher Morgan of Greendale, Wis., five bass, 11-1, $291
9th: Bill Borgert of Boyceville, Wis., five bass, 10-10, $259
10th: Neil Stensland of Houston, Minn., five bass, 10-7, $226
Steve Schaefer of Palmyra, Missouri, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, weighing in at 4 pounds, 3 ounces. The catch earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $257.
The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on the Mississippi River in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, was the third of five qualifying tournaments in the Great Lakes division.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the Great Lakes Division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 22-24 Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Table Rock Lake in Branson, Missouri, hosted by ExploreBranson.com. 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 co-anglers will fish for a new 18-foot Phoenix bass boat with a 200-horsepower outboard.
The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.
The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American will be held Nov. 11-13 at Lake Hartwell in Anderson, South Carolina and is hosted by Visit Anderson. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division earn priority entry into the FLW Series, the pathway to the FLW Pro Circuit and ultimately the MLF Bass Pro Tour, where top pros compete with no entry fees.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
Bertrand Banks Toyota Bonus Bucks at Lake Erie
Courtesy of Luke Stoner - Dynamic Sponsorships
Photo Courtesy of Jody White//FLW
When it comes to finding and catching smallmouth bass, few people on this planet rival the skills of Major League Fishing pro Josh Bertrand. The ‘cool as a cucumber’ Arizona native proved this yet again at the FLW Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Super Tournament on Lake Erie with a 3rd place finish and an extra $3,000 prize from Toyota Bonus Bucks.
Bertrand’s Tundra features a Berkley PowerBait MaxScent wrap, and it comes as no surprise that a green pumpkin MaxScent Flat Worm rigged on a dropshot was responsible for every fish he weighed in last week.
“We’ve heard it a lot this year, but the Flat Worm was absolutely crucial,” Bertrand explained. “I have 100% confidence in a Flat Worm and a dropshot for northern smallmouth. I literally never strayed from that presentation in practice or the tournament, which made me much more efficient. I was able to focus on finding fish, not weeding through different baits.”
The Berkley pro successfully milked his areas on Lake Erie for all they were worth and was happy to be making the 30-hour haul back to Arizona with a top three finish. Long drives have been a constant theme for Bertrand throughout his career, and so has towing with a Toyota Tundra.
“I’m currently driving my 3rd Tundra and the reliability is absolutely my favorite thing about my truck,” Bertrand said. “In eight years I’ve logged close to 300,000 miles towing a boat, and I’ve literally never had a problem. I can’t explain how comforting it is to know I’m driving a reliable vehicle when cruising through the desert or in the middle of nowhere. It can’t be overstated.”
Bertrand estimates he has earned somewhere in the ballpark of $25,000 of contingency rewards from Toyota Bonus Bucks over the last eight years. But Bonus Bucks isn’t only for touring professional anglers – you can get in on the rewards, too!
As long as you drive a 2016 or newer Toyota tow vehicle, have registered (for free) for the program, and fish one of the hundreds of supported bass or walleye tournaments you are eligible for Bonus Bucks.
For program information, full lists of events, or to get registered for the program follow this link: https://www.toyotatrucksbonusbucks.com/ . If you’d rather call than click, dial (918) 742-6424 and Chip or Kendell will be happy to help you out.
Indiana’s Wagner Wins Saturday, Idaho’s Gelles Wins Sunday at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Double-Header on Detroit River
Co-angler Division Victories go to Plainwell’s Laupp and Birch Run’s Hall
TRENTON, Mich. (Aug. 17, 2020) – It was a double-header for weekend bass anglers this past weekend in Trenton with the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on the Detroit River events.
Boater Heath Wagner of Angola, Indiana, brought a five-bass limit to the scale weighing 22 pounds, 2 ounces to win on Saturday and earn $3,794, then pro Kyle Gelles of Pingree, Idaho, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Sunday weighing 20 pounds, 14 ounces to win $4,003.
The double-header events were the third and fourth of five events in the Michigan Division presented by A.R.E. Truck Caps.
I ran to St. Clair and fished deep,” said Wagner, who earned his sixth career BFL win – all on the Detroit River and Lake St. Clair. “It took me a day to find them, but the key was using my electronics to locate them. Every fish that I caught came watching my graph.
“I caught them all on a drop-shot rig with a variety of baits – mostly Z-Man,” Wagner continued. “I fished a Z-Man TRD and a Strike King Z-Too. I even caught one on the famous Ned rig.”
The top five boaters on Saturday were:
1st: Heath Wagner of Angola, Ind., five bass, 22-2, $3,794
2nd: Alex Redwine of Cincinnati, Ohio, five bass, 21-14, $1,897
3rd: Daniel Sepeck of Norwood, Ohio, five bass, 21-8, $1,265
4th: Tom Beale of St. Clair Shores, Mich., five bass, 21-5, $885
5th: Angel Rosario of Kalamazoo, Mich., five bass, 20-4, $727
5th: Scott Allen of New Philadelphia, Ohio, five bass, 20-4, $727
Complete results for Saturday’s event can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Kyle Greene of Ortonville, Michigan, earned the day’s Boater Big Bass Award of $495 after bringing a 6-pound, 2-ounce bass to the scale.
Devon Banks of West Bloomfield, Michigan, was the highest-finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member and took home an extra $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 FLW PHOENIX BONUS contingency program can be found atPhoenixBassBoats.com.
Zach Laupp of Plainwell, Michigan, won the Co-angler Division and $1,897 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 22 pounds, 9 ounces.
The top five co-anglers on Saturday were:
1st: Zach Laupp of Plainwell, Mich., five bass, 22-9, $1,897
2nd: Austin Freed of Wolcottville, Ind., five bass, 19-7, $949
3rd: Michael Lukich of Chillicothe, Ill., five bass, 18-5, $633
4th: Mark Lyons of Marion, Ind., five bass, 18-1, $443
5th: Trent Norman of Union, Ky., five bass, 18-0, $379
Jeff Copley of Marengo, Ohio, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, weighing in at 6 pounds, 1 ounce and earned him Saturday’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $247.
On Sunday winning boater Kyle Gelles did not go to Lake St. Clair, but instead fished the mouth of the Detroit River.
“I didn’t want to run all the way up the river today and deal with St. Clair, so I stuck tight and caught some good fish,” said Gelles, a rookie on the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit who finished the season ranked No. 55. “The key to my win was maximizing my fishing time,
“I caught my fish on a variety of baits – everything from a spybait to a tube to a drop-shot rig to a crankbait,” Gelles continued. “A lot of my big fish came on the drop-shot rig, throwing the Berkley (Powerbait Maxscent) Flat Worm. I just covered a lot of water and tried to catch the good ones.”
The top five boaters on Sunday were:
1st: Kyle Gelles of Pingree, Idaho, five bass, 20-14, $4,003
2nd: Mike Raber of Wolcottville, Ind., five bass, 20-2, $1,777
3rd: Terry McWilliams of Greenfield, Ind., five bass, 20-0, $1,185
4th: Dayton Land of Coatesville, Ind., five bass, 19-4, $829
5th: Angel Rosario of Kalamazoo, Mich., five bass, 19-3, $711
Complete results for Sunday’s event can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Bill Crapsey of Monroe, Michigan, earned Sunday’s $455 Boater Big Bass award with a 5-pound, 8-ounce bass.
Cody Kelley of Portage, Michigan, took home an extra $500 as the highest finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member.
Zack Hall of Birch Run, Michigan, earned the win Sunday in the Co-angler Division after catching five bass weighing 22 pounds, 3 ounces. For his victory Hall earned $1,777.
The top five co-anglers Sunday finished as follows:
1st: Zack Hall of Birch Run, Mich., five bass, 22-3, $1,777
2nd: Logan Roller of Tremont, Ill., five bass, 19-11, $888
3rd: Corey Gue of Huntington, W. Va., five bass, 18-2, $592
4th: Nathan O’Hara of Warsaw, Ind., five bass, 18-0, $415
5th: Craig Fanning of Elwood, Ill., five bass, 17-7, $355
Ken Ramsey of Cassopolis, Michigan, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, weighing in at 5 pounds, 7 ounces. The catch earned him Sunday’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $227.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the Michigan Division presented by A.R.E. Truck Caps based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 15-17 Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on the Mississippi River in La Crosse, Wisconsin, hosted by Explore La Crosse. 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 co-anglers will fish for a new 18-foot Phoenix bass boat with a 200-horsepower outboard.
The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.
The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American will be held Nov. 11-13 at Lake Hartwell in Anderson, South Carolina and is hosted by Visit Anderson. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division earn priority entry into the FLW Series, the pathway to the FLW Pro Circuit and ultimately the MLF Bass Pro Tour, where top pros compete with no entry fees.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
Ohio’s Shaffer Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at Ohio River in Maysville
Louisiana’s Horne Wins Co-angler Division
MAYSVILLE, Ky. (Aug. 17, 2020) – Boater Dick Shaffer of Rockford, Ohio, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 8 pounds, 2 ounces to win the 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine event on the Ohio River in Maysville, Kentucky. For his victory, Shaffer earned a total of $3,879.
The tournament was the third of five events in the Buckeye Division presented by A.R.E. Truck Caps.
“It’s been a long time – my last win was in 2011 – so I feel a lot better, now,” said Shaffer, who earned his 16th career victory in FLW competition. “I was just upriver, fishing main-river stuff. I haven’t been up in that area for four or five years, so I just went fishing blind.”
Shaffer said that he caught his fish on two baits – a Yamamoto Senkoand a Zoom Speed Craw.
“I got lucky and caught two off of one stump on back-to-back casts,” Shaffer said. “Then I saw a green tree that looked good, so I stopped and fished it. I ended up catching four fish off of it.
“Late in the day I caught a fish off of a dock that culled me up a half-pound and that one ended up making the difference and getting me the win.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:
1st: Dick Shaffer of Rockford, Ohio, five bass, 8-2, $3,879
2nd: Roger Hahn of Fairfield, Ohio, five bass, 7-13, $1,940
3rd: Jamie Cunnagin of New Lebanon, Ohio, five bass, 7-7, $1,293
4th: Brandon Cline of Wheelersburg, Ohio, four bass, 7-4, $1,405
5th: Brody Campbell of Oxford, Ohio, five bass, 7-0, $776
6th: Donald Sibley of Strasburg, Ohio, five bass, 6-3, $679
6th: Ronald Nutter of Newark, Ohio, three bass, 6-3, $679
8th: Josh Smith of Hamilton, Ohio, five bass, 6-1, $582
9th: Benjamin Quisno of Maineville, Ohio, two bass, 5-6, $517
10th: Brad Baldwin of Waynesville, Ohio, five bass, 5-5, $430
10th: Pete Justice of Sharonville, Ohio, four bass, 5-5, $430
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
David Spivey of Hamilton, Ohio, claimed the day’s Boater Big Bass Award of $515 after bringing a 4-pound, 13-ounce bass to the scale.
Cline was the highest-finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member and took home an extra $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 FLW PHOENIX BONUS contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.
Michael Horne of Dodson, Louisiana, won the Co-angler Division and $2,197 Saturday after catching two bass weighing 5 pounds, 7 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:
1st: Michael Horne of Dodson, La., two bass, 5-7, $2,197
2nd: Austin Brock of Liberty Township, Ohio, four bass, 5-3, $1,170
3rd: Ryan Lancaster of Oxford, Ohio, three bass, 4-10, $646
4th: Jordon Smith of Middletown, Ohio, three bass, 3-13, $453
5th: Ryan Rich of Eaton, Ohio, one bass, 3-9, $372
5th: Derrick Sadlowski of Steubenville, Ohio, two bass, 3-9, $372
7th: Ron Weisenburger of Continental, Ohio, two bass, 3-7, $307
7th: John Lane of Findlay, Ohio, two bass, 3-7, $307
9th: Darrell Carroll of Independence, Ky., two bass, 3-2, $259
10th: James Wilcox of Cincinnati, Ohio, two bass, 3-1, $465
10th: J.R. Selke of Waynesville, Ohio, two bass, 3-1, $215
Horne also caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, weighing in at 3 pounds, 13 ounces. The catch added to his winnings as he earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $257.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the Buckeye Division presented by A.R.E. Truck Caps based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 16-18 Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Cherokee Lake in Jefferson City, Tennessee, hosted by the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce. 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 co-anglers will fish for a new 18-foot Phoenix bass boat with a 200-horsepower outboard.
The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.
The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American will be held Nov. 11-13 at Lake Hartwell in Anderson, South Carolina and is hosted by Visit Anderson. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division earn priority entry into the FLW Series, the pathway to the FLW Pro Circuit and ultimately the MLF Bass Pro Tour, where top pros compete with no entry fees.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
Maryland’s Wedding and New York’s Balachvili Earn Wins at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Double-Header on Potomac River
Co-angler Victories go to Pennsylvania’s Mellott and New Jersey’s Hutchinson
MARBURY, Md. (Aug. 17, 2020) – It was a double-header for bass anglers this past weekend in Marbury with the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine event on the Potomac River events.
Boater Robert Wedding of Welcome, Maryland, brought a five-bass limit to the scale weighing 14 pounds, 8 ounces to win on Friday and earn $3,153, then Tom Balachvili of Scarsdale, New York, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 16 pounds, 10 ounces to win $2,793.
A person holding a sign
Description automatically generated“I focused all day on the mid-river area, from Mattawoman to the Belmont area,” said Wedding. “I stayed in those two areas and bounced back and forth.”
Wedding said that he fished shallow, staying right on the grass edges.
“I was dragging a (Yamamoto) Senko, (green-pumpkin) with a 1/8-ounce Titan Tungsten pegged weight,” Wedding continued. “I also caught a few on a Dave’s Tournament Tackle swimjig (black-and-blue and green-pumpkin).”
The top five boaters on Friday were:
1st: Robert Wedding of Welcome, Md., five bass, 14-8, $3,153
2nd: Cody Pike of Powhatan, Va., five bass, 13-5, $1,919
3rd: Barton Wines of Marshall, Va., five bass, 12-12, $948
4th: Michael Sentore of Gloucester City, N.J., five bass, 12-8, $862
5th: Mike Rodevitz of Colebrook, N.H., five bass, 12-2, $568
Complete results for Friday’s event can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Wedding also earned Friday’s $315 Boater Big Bass award with a 4-pound, 8-ounce largemouth bass.
Pike took home an extra $500 as Friday’s highest finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member. Boaters are eligible to win up to an extra $7,000 per event in each Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine tournament if all requirements are met. More information on the FLW PHOENIX BONUS contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.
Jeff Mellott of Warfordsburg, Pennsylvania, earned the win in the Co-angler Division Friday after catching five bass weighing 9 pounds, 13 ounces. For his victory Mellott earned $1,419.
The top five co-anglers on Friday were:
1st: Jeff Mellott of Warfordsburg, Pa., five bass, 9-13, $1,419
2nd: Michael Burke of Breinigsville, Pa., five bass, 8-9, $710
3rd: Anthony Shanz of Selbyville, Del., two bass, 6-13, $402
4th: Devon Kitson of Montclair, N.J., three bass, 6-13, $402
5th: Dubi Mejia of Georgetown, Del., three bass, 6-7, $284
David Compton Jr. of Mount Bethel, Pennsylvania, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division Friday, weighing in at 4 pounds, 2 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $157.
On Saturday, winning boater Tom Balachvili said that he stuck to Belmont Bay.
“I spent the day in Belmont Bay, throwing a Zoom Trick Worm – sometimes on a shaky-head rig, sometimes on a drop-shot rig,” Balachvili said. “The key was the tide. I didn’t have much practice so on Friday I didn’t leave when the bite stopped, I just waited them out. On Saturday I knew when the bite was going to be on, so I was able to use my time more efficiently.”
Balachvili said that he threw two different colors on the Trick Worm – black and green-pumpkin with a chartreuse tail.
“I put my heart and soul into fishing and there is a lot more disappointment than victories,” Balachvili went on to say. “But, when the victories come, it feels amazing and makes all of the hard work worth it.’
The top five boaters on Saturday were:
1st: Tom Balachvili of Scarsdale, N.Y., five bass, 16-10, $2,793
2nd: Kermit Crowder of Matoaca, Va., five bass, 14-13, $1,597
3rd: Michael Sentore of Gloucester City, N.J., five bass, 13-15, $1,631
4th: Joseph Thompson of Coatesville, Pa., five bass, 13-12, $652
5th: Barton Wines of Marshall, Va., five bass, 11-8, $559
Complete results for Saturday’s event can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Jason Tibbetts of Centreville, Virginia, earned Saturday’s $310 Boater Big Bass award with a 5-pound, 8-ounce largemouth bass.
Sentore took home an extra $500 as the highest finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member.
Frank Hutchinson of Mullica Hill, New Jersey, earned the win in the Co-angler Division Saturday after catching four bass weighing 9 pounds, 1 ounce. For his victory Hutchinson earned $1,397.
The top five co-anglers Saturday finished as follows:
1st: Frank Hutchinson of Mullica Hill, N.J., four bass, 9-1, $1,397
2nd: Matt Hummel of Lancaster, Pa., five bass, 8-12, $698
3rd: Tim McGlenn of Welcome, Md., four bass, 7-15, $465
4th: Richard Jensen of Virginia Beach, Va., four bass, 7-11, $326
5th: Richard Favire of Alpine, N.Y., three bass, 7-6, $279
Joshua Torres of Brandywine, Maryland, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 4 pounds even. The catch earned him Saturday’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $155.
The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine Double-Header on the Potomac River was the third and fourth of five qualifying events in the Northeast Division.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the Northeast Division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 8-10 Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on the James River in Richmond, Virginia, hosted by Richmond Region Tourism. 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 co-anglers will fish for a new 18-foot Phoenix bass boat with a 200-horsepower outboard.
The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.
The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American will be held Nov. 11-13 at Lake Hartwell in Anderson, South Carolina and is hosted by Visit Anderson. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division earn priority entry into the FLW Series, the pathway to the FLW Pro Circuit and ultimately the MLF Bass Pro Tour, where top pros compete with no entry fees.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
Davis Fishes Familiar Habitat For La Crosse Win
Barry Davis, of Startex, S.C., won the Huk Bassmaster B.A.S.S. Nation Kayak Series at Mississippi River powered by TourneyX presented by Abu Garcia with a five-fish limit measuring 88 inches.
Photo by B.A.S.S.
August 15, 2020
LA CROSSE, Wisc. — He was more than 700 miles from home, but Barry Davis of Startex, S.C., targeted a familiar scenario to win the Huk B.A.S.S. Nation Kayak Series at the Mississippi River powered by TourneyX presented by Abu Garcia. Davis’ five fish measured 88 inches.
Davis’ individual fish were 18 1/2, 18 1/4, 17 3/4, 17 1/4 and 16 1/4. For his achievement, he earned a $5,553 prize package of cash and merchandise.
In the third of five regular-season events, anglers were allowed to launch at any public ramp or public access area within tournament waters, which comprised of Upper Mississippi Pools 7, 8 and 9, along with any connecting creeks and canals. Fishing from a Bonafide SS127, Davis fished Pool 9 and spent his day focusing on sloughs with habitat similar to his home waters.
“I was fishing the crossover sloughs midpool all day long,” Davis said. “I was fishing 6 feet or less on cut-back banks with wood close by. The key was I found where current was in a bend that had laydowns all in it.
“With that cut-back bank, I’m familiar with fishing that because a lot of our rivers in South Carolina are about the same size as that cut-through. When I found that on Wednesday, that felt like home to me. I felt comfortable with it.”
Davis reports a fast start that yielded 12 fish in the first hour.
“I put my limit up in the first 30 minutes and upgraded my last fish just after that hour,” he said. “Everything else I caught the rest of the day was 14 to 15 inches, but I broke off a good fish late today.”
Davis caught his fish on shaky heads with Victory Tackleworks Clutch Craws in watermelon green and green pumpkin. The former was his morning color, while the latter served him better later in the day.
“I mainly used a 1/16-ounce shaky head, but I also had a 3/16-ounce rigged up for deeper water,” Davis said. “All but one of my fish came on the 1/6-ounce.”
To ensure he got on his early morning bite, Davis recently installed a Torqeedo 1103 ultralight outboard motor. The 3hp unit gave him the edge in reaching a prime area first.
“There were 13 competitors putting in where I [launched] this morning, and later in the day six of them told me they had planned to go to the area I fished,” he said. “That was my key — the drag race was won by me.”
Joey Vanyo of Lakeville, Minn., placed second with 87 inches. Fishing Pool 9, he focused on current breaks and island sand humps. Vanyo caught fish on a shad color Storm Arashi squarebill, a 3/8-ounce silver/shad Warbird spinnerbait and a Carolina-rigged black/blue Zoom Brush Hog.
“The key was I increased current and I found a ledge on the main-river channel where the bass were keying on an undercut bank,” Vanyo said. “I was using the Carolina rig in that spot.”
Brady Storrs of Gibbon, Neb., finished third with 87 inches. Ties are broken by the single largest fish, in this case a 19 3/4-incher caught by Vanyo. Storrs committed his day to Pool 7, where he did all of his work by fishing a leopard color Spro popping frog over mats.
“I caught a few fish around wood that was in the mat, but for the most part, it was just straight mat,” Storrs said. “If the mat had deeper water closer to it, I felt like there was a higher quantity of larger fish there. I was also fishing mats with a lot [of] cleaner water and I think that had them in there, too.”
Rounding out the Top 10 were Mike Elsea (86 3/4), Zach Gibbons (85 1/2), Eric Siddiqi (85 1/2), Zach Humphries (85 1/4), Lance Burris (84 3/4), Casey Reed (84 1/4) and Cody Milton (83 1/2).
For complete results, visit TourneyX.com.
The tournament was hosted by Explore La Crosse.
Lucas Wins Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit at Lake Erie
Fresh off MLF Win at Sturgeon Bay, Alabama Pro Drop-Shots Berkley Flat Worm to Another Victory and Wins $160K in Sandusky, Ohio
SANDUSKY, Ohio (Aug. 14, 2020) – Major League Fishing (MLF) pro Justin Lucas of Guntersville, Alabama, brought a five-bass limit to the stage Friday weighing 19 pounds, 10 ounces, to win the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit at Lake Erie. Lucas’ four-day total of 20 bass weighing 79-2 gave him the victory by just one ounce over the No. 1 ranked angler in the world, second-place pro Jacob Wheeler of Harrison, Tennessee, and earned Lucas the top prize of $160,000, including the lucrative $35,000 FLW PHOENIX Bonus contingency award. The victory was the first pro-level win of Lucas’ career in FLW competition.
“I’m at a loss for words because when I went out today, I was not expecting to win,” said Lucas, who pushed his career earnings to more than $1.68 million. “I expected to go out there and try to catch a big bag., but I really felt like Wheeler and Bertrand were going to put something special together.
“Then, to only win by one ounce… I’ve had that fall the other way on me before,” Lucas continued. “Early in my career I lost by 3 ounces to Scott Martin on the Potomac River, and I really needed the money back then. It was a big deal – a $90,000 difference. And this one was even bigger – a $125,000 difference. So, for it go in my favor this time is huge.”
Lucas said that he spent most of his week targeting a big piece of sunken steel off of a shoal near Kelly Island.
“I don’t know if was a sunken boat or an old channel marker or what – I’ve been calling it the space missile all week – but the fish were using the backside of it as a current break,” Lucas said. “It wasn’t hard to stay on because it was big – like 16 feet long and 5 feet tall.”
Lucas used the same bait all week, also the same bait that he dominated the MLF Bass Pro Tour event at Sturgeon Bay with last month – a Berkley PowerBait Maxscent Flat Worm (green-pumpkin). He fished the worm on a drop-shot rig with a ½-ounce weight and an unnamed No. 2 drop-shot hook on Berkley X5 Braid Line Crystal tied to an 8-pound Trilene 100% fluorocarbon leader. His rod and reel setup was a 7-foot medium-action Abu Garcia Fantasista Premier Spinning Rod paired with a size 30 Abu Garcia REVO MGXtreme Spinning Reel.
“I really felt like I had found the right quality of fish in practice and I knew that if I could go out there and capitalize on my bites – get 5 to 7 bites a day – I could make it work,” Lucas said.
“The last two years have been a struggle. I got my butt kicked in the first four tournaments this season. So to end my season like this, cashing five checks in a row and winning this one – the most money I’ve ever won in my life – I definitely feel like I turned my entire season around,” Lucas went on to say.
The top 10 pros on Lake Erie finished:
1st: Justin Lucas of Guntersville, Ala., 20 bass, 79-2, $160,000
2nd: Jacob Wheeler of Harrison, Tenn., 20 bass, 79-1, $35,000
3rd: Josh Bertrand of San Tan Valley, Ariz., 20 bass, 74-10, $30,000
4th: Scott Dobson of Clarkston, Mich., 20 bass, 74-6, $25,000
5th: Spencer Shuffield of Hot Springs, Ark., 20 bass, 73-12, $22,000
6th: Alton Jones Jr. of Lorena, Texas, 20 bass, 72-14, $21,000
7th: David Dudley of Lynchburg, Va., 20 bass, 68-7, $19,000
8th: Jim Moynagh of Carver, Minn., 19 bass, 67-10, $18,000
9th: Russ Lane of Prattville, Ala., 20 bass, 66-12, $17,200
10th: Jason Lambert of Michie, Tenn., 15 bass, 53-3, $16,000
Complete results for the entire field can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Overall there were 44 bass weighing 144 pounds, 8 ounces caught by pros Friday. Eight of the final 10 pros weighed in five-bass limits.
Television coverage of the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit at Lake Erie will premiere at 7 p.m. EDT, Sept. 25 on the Outdoor Channel. Running now through Dec. 27, FLW will air 312 hours of Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit action on the Outdoor Channel and the Sportsman Channel. Each two-hour long episode goes in-depth to break down the final rounds of each regular-season competition. Episodes premiere in Friday night primetime slots on the Outdoor Channel, with additional re-airings on the Outdoor Channel and the Sportsman Channel.
The Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Super Tournament at Lake Erie was hosted by the City of Sandusky and the Lake Erie Shores & Islands Welcome Center. The total purse for the event was more than $1.3 million, including a top prize of up to $160,000.
In Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Super Tournament competition, the full field of 187 pro anglers competed in the two-day opening rounds on Tuesday and Wednesday. The top 50 pros based on their two-day accumulated weight advanced to Thursday. Only the top 10 pros will continue competition on Championship Friday, with the winner determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from the four days of competition.
Pro Ron Nelson of Berrien Springs, Michigan, the 2019 Polaris Rookie of the Year, clinched the 2020 AOY title this week after his 34thplace finish. Nelson will receive his entry fees paid for the entire 2021 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit season for his win.
FLW anglers are vying for valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the Tackle Warehouse FLW TITLE presented by Toyota, the Pro Circuit championship. The 2020 Tackle Warehouse FLW TITLE presented by Toyota will be held on Lake Michigan in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, Aug. 24-29.
MLF pros competing in the Pro Circuit Super Tournaments will fish for prize money only. No points will be awarded toward any championship or title to MLF competitors. Only the original Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit anglers will compete for the AOY title throughout the remainder of the season. AOY points in the final events will be awarded based on Pro Circuit anglers finishing order. The top-finishing FLW pro will receive “first-place points” regardless of where he finishes in the overall standings, and so on.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
Giant Smallmouth Will Determine Outcome Of Bassmaster Elite Series Event At Lake St. Clair
Michigan smallmouth mecca Lake St. Clair will host the Bassmaster Elite at Lake St. Clair Aug. 20-23, 2020.
Photo by B.A.S.S.
August 13, 2020
MACOMB COUNTY, Mich. — Tucked between Lake Huron and Lake Erie, Lake St. Clair may live in the shadow of its Great Lakes neighbors, but these bountiful waters will offer plenty of opportunities when the Bassmaster Elite Series visits Aug. 20-23.
Renowned as a smallmouth powerhouse, the lake shared by the United States and Canada has a history of impressive tournament showings, including last year’s Bassmaster Angler of the Year Championship, which Minnesota pro Seth Feider won with a three-day total of 77 pounds, 15 ounces.
Daily takeoffs will be at 6:30 a.m. ET from Lake St. Clair Metro Parks in Harrison Township. Weigh-ins will be held back at the park each day at 3:10 p.m. A first-place prize of $100,000 will be on the line, along with valuable AOY points that will help anglers earn berths in the 2021 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic.
Texan Clark Wendlandt took third in that event, and he’s looking forward to another shot at the waters known by some as “the Sixth Great Lake.”
“Going by local tournament reports, I think the fishing’s going to be great,” Wendlandt said. “A lot of fish are going to be caught and I think some big weights. Seth (averaged over) 25 a day, and I think we can expect something like that.”
At 26 miles long and 24 miles wide, St. Clair covers 430 square miles. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers maintains a shipping channel that reaches about 27 feet deep, but the lake averages only about 11 feet.
Due to Canada’s COVID-19 restrictions, anglers are limited to the U.S. waters of Lake St. Clair and all connecting rivers, creeks and canals, including Lake Huron. Anglers will not be allowed to travel south of the Ambassador Bridge (Hwy. 3) spanning the Detroit River.
Wendlandt believes all of the U.S. tournament waters could be in play. Most of the anglers will disperse across St. Clair’s main body where they’ll seek isolated rockpiles with scattered weeds, sometimes a little of both. Also, channel markers, particularly their anchor chains, have been known to give up sizable smallmouth.
“I think guys that spend time in the Detroit River will have a chance, but there will be plenty of tournament waters to fish,” said Wendlandt, who currently ranks sixth in the Bassmaster AOY standings. “Lake St. Clair is just perfect for smallmouth. Gobies and maybe perch are going to be the main forage. But just like all the Great Lakes, it has come on like gangbusters since the gobies entered the system.”
An invasive species that reached the Great Lakes during the 1990s, the round goby has played a significant role in the quality of St. Clair’s smallmouth fishery. Anglers will target their fish with drop shots, tubes, Carolina rigs and crankbaits.
Variables include:
Weather — St. Clair is notorious for turning brutally rough when strong winds blow. Big waves increase running time and decrease fishing time. With drifting a common tactic, inclement weather could limit opportunities for some.
The playing field — Much of the field has fished Lake St. Clair before, but with tournament waters reduced, some will find key waypoints are no longer in play.
Lake Huron — Traversing the west side of the St. Clair River, anglers have access to Huron’s west side, in particular, the fertile Saginaw Bay area. A long run could yield opportunity with little to no competition, but it will chew up a lot of valuable fishing time. Feider said he’s not expecting a lot of Huron reports.
“St. Clair is on fire and the good stuff in Huron, with the exception of the mouth of the St. Clair River, is too far to go,” he said. “Saginaw Bay is 70 to 80 miles from the mouth of the river.”
Wherever anglers fish, the weigh-ins will likely see most bringing five-bass limits to the stage. Several are likely to break the 20-pound mark each day, and the elusive Century Club (100 pounds) is not out of the picture.
After Chris Johnston came close during his win on the St. Lawrence River in late July, a triple-digit weight would mark the first time an angler has caught 100 pounds of smallmouth in a B.A.S.S. event.
That’s no easy task. But there are only a handful of fisheries where such a feat is conceivable, and Lake St. Clair is definitely one of them.
Real-time action from the Bassmaster Elite at Lake St. Clair will be carried on Bassmaster LIVE at Bassmaster.com and ESPN3 beginning at 7 a.m. ET. Coverage will also be broadcast on ESPN2. Check your local listings for details.
Bertrand Reclaims Lead at Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit at Lake Erie
SANDUSKY, Ohio (Aug. 13, 2020) – The stage is now set for a dramatic regular-season finale Friday at the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit at Lake Erie. The top 10 is loaded with former FLW Cup champions, Anglers of the Year, and an accomplished local pro with a vast wealth of experience on Lake Erie, the Detroit River and Lake St. Clair.
MLF pro Josh Bertrand of San Tan Valley, Arizona, who led the tournament after day one, weighed a five-bass limit Thursday totaling 22 pounds, 14 ounces to reclaim the lead with a three-day total of 62-12.
Pro Jacob Wheeler of Harrison, Tennessee, (60-9), who has finished 1stand 2nd in the previous two Super Tournament events, vaulted into second place after bringing in a limit weighing 22-5. Justin Lucas of Guntersville, Alabama, (59-8), Arkansas’ Spencer Shuffield (57-14) and Alton Jones Jr. of Lorena, Texas, (57-0) round out the top five. Local angler Scott Dobson of Clarkston, Michigan, (55-4) sits in sixth place.
The four-day event featured 187 of the world’s best bass-fishing professionals from FLW and Major League Fishing (MLF) angling for a piece of $1.3 million, including the first-place prize of up to $160,000.
With the field now cut to 10 and a 2-pound, 3-ounce cushion heading into the final day, Bertrand is ready to see how it all shakes out on Championship Friday.
“This morning I caught two fish early that really helped me slow down,” said Bertrand, who finished the MLF Bass Pro Tour season ranked No. 20 overall. “I had six hours to get just three more bites, and it turned out to be a great day of fishing. I even made a couple of culls, and that’s about as much as you can ask for in this tournament right now.
“Every day, as guys fall off it opens more water up,” Bertrand continued. “Yesterday, I was sharing a spot with 7 or 8 guys. Today, it was three. Tomorrow, it’ll likely be just one or two of us in the area. There is less fish, for sure, but we have the freedom to move around now and that at least gives me a chance.”
Bertrand said that his key baits and spots have remained the same all week – he’s drop-shotting a small island shoal with a Berkley PowerBait Maxscent Flat Worm.
“I’m definitely excited to be leading going into the final day,” Bertrand said. “We’ll try to get a good night’s rest and prepare for anything tomorrow. I’m hoping to go back out to the same spot and burn it up. But it could be blowing 20 miles per hour in the morning and I might be fishing for largemouth. Who knows what’ll happen, but either way I’m super excited and ready to see how it all shakes out.”
The top 10 pros advancing to the final day of competition on Lake Erie are:
1st: Josh Bertrand of San Tan Valley, Ariz., 15 bass, 62-12
2nd: Jacob Wheeler of Harrison, Tenn., 15 bass, 60-9
3rd: Justin Lucas of Guntersville, Ala, 15 bass, 59-8
4th: Spencer Shuffield of Hot Springs, Ark., 15 bass, 57-14
5th: Alton Jones Jr. of Lorena, Texas, 15 bass, 57-0
6th: Scott Dobson of Clarkston, Mich., 15 bass, 55-4
7th: Jim Moynagh of Carver, Minn., 15 bass, 54-6
8th: Jason Lambert of Michie, Tenn., 15 bass, 53-3
9th: David Dudley of Lynchburg, Va., 15 bass, 52-11
10th: Russ Lane of Prattville, Ala., 15 bass, 52-2
Finishing in 11th through 30th are:
11th: John Cox of DeBary, Fla, 15 bass, 52-2, $14,000
12th: Grae Buck of Green Lane, Pa., 15 bass, 51-8, $14,000
13th: Brent Ehrler of Redlands, Calif, 15 bass, 51-4, $14,000
14th: Boyd Duckett of Guntersville, Ala., 14 bass, 49-14, $14,000
15th: Joseph Webster of Winfield, Ala., 14 bass, 49-11, $14,000
16th: Matt Becker of Finleyville, Pa., 15 bass, 49-4, $14,000
17th: Randy Howell of Guntersville, Ala., 15 bass, 49-3, $14,000
18th: Todd Faircloth of Jasper, Texas, 13 bass, 48-11, $14,000
19th: Jason Reyes of Huffman, Texas, 14 bass, 47-15, $14,000
20th: Jeremy Lawyer of Sarcoxie, Mo., 12 bass, 47-10, $14,000
21st: Cole Floyd of Leesburg, Ohio., 15 bass, 47-9, $11,000
22nd: Keith Poche of Pike Road, Ala., 13 bass, 47-8, $11,000
23rd: Fred Roumbanis of London, Ark., 14 bass, 47-4, $11,000
24th: Skeet Reese of Auburn, Calif., 13 bass, 45-13, $11,000
25th: Mitch Crane of Columbus, Miss.., 15 bass, 45-1, $11,000
26th: Kyle Hall of Granbury, Texas, 15 bass, 45-1, $11,000
27th: Jon Canada of Helena, Ala., 15 bass, 44-15, $11,000
28th: Jonathon VanDam of Kalamazoo, Mich., 15 bass, 44-0, $11,000
29th: Cliff Pace of Petal, Miss., 15 bass, 43-8, $11,000
30th: Joshua Weaver of Macon, Ga., 14 bass, 43-6, $11,000
Full results for the entire field can be/ found at FLWFishing.com.
Overall there were 181 bass weighing 567 pounds, 14 ounces caught by 44 pros Thursday. The catch included 26 five-bass limits.
The Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Super Tournament at Lake Erie is hosted by the City of Sandusky and the Lake Erie Shores & Islands Welcome Center. The total purse for the event is more than $1.3 million, including a top prize of up to $160,000.
In Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Super Tournament competition, the full field of 187 pro anglers competed in the two-day opening rounds on Tuesday and Wednesday. The top 50 pros based on their two-day accumulated weight advanced to Thursday. Now, only the top 10 pros will continue competition on Championship Friday, with the winner determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from the four days of competition.
Pro Ron Nelson of Berrien Springs, Michigan, the 2019 Polaris Rookie of the Year, clinched the 2020 AOY title this week after his 34thplace finish. Nelson will receive his entry fees paid for the entire 2021 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit season for his win.
FLW anglers are vying for valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the Tackle Warehouse FLW TITLE presented by Toyota, the Pro Circuit championship. The 2020 Tackle Warehouse FLW TITLE presented by Toyota will be held on Lake Michigan in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, Aug. 24-29.
MLF pros competing in the Pro Circuit Super Tournaments will fish for prize money only. No points will be awarded toward any championship or title to MLF competitors. Only the original Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit anglers will compete for the AOY title throughout the remainder of the season. AOY points in the final events will be awarded based on Pro Circuit anglers finishing order. The top-finishing FLW pro will receive “first-place points” regardless of where he finishes in the overall standings, and so on.
The final 10 anglers will take off at 7 a.m. EDT Friday from the Shelby St. Public Boat Launch, located at 101 Shelby St., in Sandusky. Friday’s championship weigh-in will be held at the Paper District Marina, located at 611 W. Shoreline Drive, beginning at 4 p.m.
Attendance is limited to competing anglers and essential staff only. Fans are encouraged to forgo the daily takeoffs and weigh-ins and follow the event online through the expanded four-day “FLW Live” on-the-water broadcasts and weigh-in coverage at FLWFishing.com.
Television coverage of the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit at Lake Erie will premiere at 7 p.m. EDT, Sept. 25 on the Outdoor Channel. Running now through Dec. 27, FLW will air 312 hours of Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit action on the Outdoor Channel and the Sportsman Channel. Each two-hour long episode goes in-depth to break down the final rounds of each regular-season competition. Episodes premiere in Friday night primetime slots on the Outdoor Channel, with additional re-airings on the Outdoor Channel and the Sportsman Channel.
The popular FLW Live on-the-water broadcast will air on all four days of competition, featuring live action from the boats of the tournament’s top pros each day. Host Travis Moran is joined by Toyota Series pro Todd Hollowell and MLF’s Marty Stone to break down the extended action each day from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. On-the-water broadcasts will be live streamed on FLWFishing.com.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
AnglersChannel.com - Your #1 Tournament Resource
AnglersChannel.com is your one-stop resource for all things Tournament Bass fishing. We have the largest Tournament calendar, weekly results, podcasts and more to give you the edge in your next Tournament. Coast to coast, at any level. AnglersChannel.com, YOUR #1 Tournament Resource!
New York Bassmaster Elite Events Reel In More Than 7 Million Viewers
Bassmaster Elite Series angler Jamie Hartman treats a live audience to one of his many fish catches during his four days on Lake Champlain.
Photo by B.A.S.S.
August 13, 2020
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Historic victories, record fish catches and dramatic finishes during back-to-back events proved to be must-watch television for sports fans as the Bassmaster Elite Series’ New York swing drew in a combined audience of 7.2 million viewers over eight days of coverage on ESPN2.
Between televised coverage on ESPN2 and the livestream on Bassmaster.com and ESPN3, fans watched more than 214 million minutes of live tournament coverage during the two events.
The action started at the SiteOne Bassmaster Elite at the St. Lawrence River, where on Day 1 of the event Paul Mueller, of Naugatuck, Conn., produced on-screen fireworks when he landed a 7-pound, 13-ounce smallmouth bass — believed to be the biggest smallmouth ever caught in an Elite Series tournament. On the final day, Mueller and Chris Johnston, of Peterborough, Ontario, battled treacherous waves and 20 mph gusts on Lake Ontario as both anglers fought to reach the 100-pound mark. After coming from behind to capture the win, Johnston fell just short of the century mark but took home the coveted blue trophy with a whopping four-day total of 20 smallmouth bass that weighed 97 pounds, 8 ounces and made history bybecoming the first Canadian to win an Elite Series tournament.
Heading into the tournament, Johnston was ready to provide anglers and fans a much-needed enthusiasm boost. “It’s been a weird year, and I think we need to be out there on the water doing what we love to do. With ESPN2 covering the events, it was a great couple of weeks for the fans watching there and on Bassmaster LIVE.”
Savvy fishing enthusiasts knew weights would be close on Lake Champlain, but with less than 3 pounds separating 10th place from first, Championship Sunday was set up perfectly for viewers craving another exciting finish. ESPN2 coverage had just kicked off for the afternoon when Idaho’s Brandon Palaniuk went on a 45-minute flurry that helped him leapfrog from fifth place to claim his fourth B.A.S.S. win.
In the midst of this action, Palaniuk took time to explain to viewers how he used electronics to locate and catch large bass, continuing the trend of explaining techniques and offering tips to new anglers that viewers have seen over the past three events and have traditionally found on Bassmaster LIVE.
“I want our broadcasts to be entertaining and educational for anglers of all levels whether it’s the first or 100th event they have watched,” said Palaniuk. “That’s why I do my best to explain what I’m seeing out there in the moment.
“With more people working from home we have more people enjoying fishing, so being able to share our tournaments with many of those people through a network like ESPN2 is huge!”
B.A.S.S. worked in conjunction with local hosts to ensure the tournaments adhered to guidelines issued by the State of New York for professional sports competitions, which included diagnostic testing as well as protocols for daily health screenings for all athletes and staff via the CrewMinders safety check platform and a host of other safety and social distancing measures. Under these guidelines, no fans or spectators could attend the tournaments.
“We are thankful to all of our local hosts as well as our partners at ESPN, who have helped B.A.S.S. safely bring the fun of competition and beauty of these fisheries into the homes of millions of fans during our three most recent tournaments,” said Bruce Akin, B.A.S.S. CEO.
The 2020 Bassmaster Elite season continues on Michigan’s Lake St. Clair Aug. 20-23, with live coverage on Bassmaster.com, ESPN2 and ESPN3. Weigh-ins will be aired on Bassmaster.com. Check local listings for ESPN2 broadcast times.
A complete schedule can be found at Bassmaster.com/tv-schedule.
AC Insider Podcast - Jamie "The Hammer" Hartman
This week Chris and the boys welcome in Jamie "The Hammer" Hartman to the show to talk about his Elite Series season thus far and how making the decision to "go Pro" later in life has helped his journey be so successful. Michele joins the crew for the second half of the show and David gets a little out of hand. Check it out!
Lucas Moves into Lead, Nelson Clinches AOY Title at Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit at Lake Erie
SANDUSKY, Ohio (Aug. 12, 2020) – Major League Fishing (MLF) pro Justin Lucas of Guntersville, Alabama, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Wednesday weighing 19 pounds, 14 ounces, to take the lead after day two of the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit at Lake Erie in Sandusky, Ohio. Lucas’ two-day total of 10 bass weighing 41-5 gives him a slim 3-ounce advantage heading into day three of the four-day Super Tournament that features 187 of the world’s best bass-fishing professionals from FLW and MLF angling for a piece of $1.3 million, including the first-place prize of up to $160,000.
A group of people in a boat on a body of water
Description automatically generatedThe 2016 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American Champion Jeremy Lawyer of Sarcoxie, Missouri, sits in second place, just 3 ounces behind Lucas with 41-2. Pro Alton Jones Jr. of Lorena, Texas, has a two-day total of 40-13, good for third place, while day one leader Arizona’s Josh Bertrand fell to fourth with a two-day total of 39-14. The field is now cut to 50 for Thursday’s competition with only the top 10 anglers advancing to Championship Friday.
“It looks really good on the scales, but it was not easy,” said Lucas, who won the final MLF Bass Pro Tour event of the season last month in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. “I only had seven keeper bites today, and I lost two of them. I only put five keepers in the boat and I never culled one time. So, it looks good but it was really tough to get there today.”
Lucas said that he spent the day hunting for active smallmouth that are ready to feed.
“They’re hard to find, but there are a few out there,” Lucas said. “Most of mine are coming on my 2D sonar. I think they’re attracted to the boat. I see them come up under the boat and then I drop straight down onto them. It can be awhile, between bites, though. Today it was hours.”
Lucas said that all of his fish came on a Berkley PowerBait Maxscent Flat Worm, and that he is “all in” on his spots.
“I don’t really have a backup plan,” Lucas said. “I do have one other area that I haven’t hit yet, but I don’t think the fish are as big there. I think 18 pounds would be a good bag there, but I think it’ll take 20 pounds a day to win this thing.
“I’m trying to stay away from the crowd – there just isn’t enough fish out there to go around,” Lucas went on to say. “I have a lot of confidence here in the summer, though. I know I can find some little sweet spots out there.”
The top 20 pros after day two on Lake Erie are:
1st: Justin Lucas of Guntersville, Ala., 10 bass, 41-5
2nd: Jeremy Lawyer of Sarcoxie, Mo., 10 bass, 41-2
3rd: Alton Jones Jr. of Lorena, Texas, 10 bass, 40-13
4th: Josh Bertrand of San Tan Valley, Ariz., 10 bass, 39-14
5th: Spencer Shuffield of Hot Springs, Ark., 10 bass, 38-11
6th: Jacob Wheeler of Harrison, Tenn., 10 bass, 38-4
7th: Todd Faircloth of Jasper, Texas, 10 bass, 37-9
8th: Scott Dobson of Clarkston, Mich., 10 bass, 37-4
9th: Fred Roumbanis of London, Ark., 10 bass, 36-5
10th: Jim Moynagh of Carver, Minn., 10 bass, 36-2
11th: Jason Reyes of Huffman, Texas, 10 bass, 35-4
12th: Randy Howell of Guntersville, Ala., 10 bass, 35-1
13th: Boyd Duckett of Guntersville, Ala., nine bass, 34-15
14th: Russ Lane of Prattville, Ala., 10 bass, 34-12
15th: Keith Poche of Pike Road, Ala., 10 bass, 34-12
16th: Joseph Webster of Winfield, Ala., 10 bass, 34-6
17th: David Dudley of Lynchburg, Va., 10 bass, 34-6
18th: Ron Nelson of Berrien Springs, Mich., 10 bass, 34-4
19th: Brent Ehrler of Redlands, Calif., 10 bass, 34-4
20th: Grae Buck of Green Lane, Pa., 10 bass, 33-11
Full results for the entire field can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Anglers were also vying for the prestigious 2020 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Angler of the Year (AOY) title that is determined by the most points accumulated over the six Pro Circuit events in 2020.
Pro Ron Nelson of Berrien Springs, Michigan, the 2019 Polaris Rookie of the Year, clinched the 2020 AOY title Wednesday, after bringing in a limit and ending the day in 18th place. Nelson can finish no worse than 50th place, which clinches the title for the Michigan pro after bringing a 73-point lead into the event. Nelson will receive his entry fees paid for the entire 2021 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit season for his win.
Nelson also won the $500 Berkley Big Bass award Wednesday in the pro division after bringing a 6pound largemouth to the scale.
Overall there were 754 bass weighing 2,206 pounds, 8 ounces caught by 174 pros Wednesday. The catch included 121 five-bass limits.
The Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Super Tournament at Lake Erie is hosted by the City of Sandusky and the Lake Erie Shores & Islands Welcome Center. The total purse for the event is more than $1.3 million, including a top prize of up to $160,000.
In Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Super Tournament competition, the full field of 187 pro anglers competed in the two-day opening rounds on Tuesday and Wednesday. Now, the top 50 pros based on their two-day accumulated weight advance to Thursday. Only the top 10 pros will continue competition on Championship Friday, with the winner determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from the four days of competition.
FLW anglers are vying for valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the Tackle Warehouse FLW TITLE presented by Toyota, the Pro Circuit championship. The 2020 Tackle Warehouse FLW TITLE presented by Toyota will be held on Lake Michigan in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, Aug. 24-29.
MLF pros competing in the Pro Circuit Super Tournaments will fish for prize money only. No points will be awarded toward any championship or title to MLF competitors. Only the original Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit anglers will compete for the AOY title throughout the remainder of the season. AOY points in the final events will be awarded based on Pro Circuit anglers finishing order. The top-finishing FLW pro will receive “first-place points” regardless of where he finishes in the overall standings, and so on.
Anglers will take off at 7 a.m. EDT each day from the Shelby St. Public Boat Launch, located at 101 Shelby St., in Sandusky. The weigh-in each day will be held at the Paper District Marina, located at 611 W. Shoreline Drive, beginning at 4 p.m.
Attendance is limited to competing anglers and essential staff only. Fans are encouraged to forgo the daily takeoffs and weigh-ins and follow the event online through the expanded four-day “FLW Live” on-the-water broadcasts and weigh-in coverage at FLWFishing.com.
Television coverage of the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit at Lake Erie will premiere at 7 p.m. EDT, Sept. 25 on the Outdoor Channel. Running now through Dec. 27, FLW will air 312 hours of Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit action on the Outdoor Channel and the Sportsman Channel. Each two-hour long episode goes in-depth to break down the final rounds of each regular-season competition. Episodes premiere in Friday night primetime slots on the Outdoor Channel, with additional re-airings on the Outdoor Channel and the Sportsman Channel.
The popular FLW Live on-the-water broadcast will air on all four days of competition, featuring live action from the boats of the tournament’s top pros each day. Host Travis Moran is joined by Toyota Series pro Todd Hollowell and MLF’s Marty Stone to break down the extended action each day from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. On-the-water broadcasts will be live streamed on FLWFishing.com.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
Gleason’s Don’t Want the Party to End
Courtesy of Luke Stoner - Dynamic Sponsorships
I was leaving the Shelby Street boat launch at the conclusion of take off for day one of the final FLW Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit event of the year when I saw Randi Gleason pulling out of the parking lot.
Randi’s husband is Darold Gleason. An FLW Pro Circuit rookie and one of several anglers who came to Lake Erie on the bubble to make the Tackle Warehouse TITLE presented by Toyota. Anglers have to finish in the top 50 in points to qualify.
I’m not sure she’d admit it, but I’m fairly certain Randi was already checking FLW’s Live Leaderboard when I saw her… ten minutes after boats had launched. The Gleason’s pull no punches when it comes to their steadfast support of one another or their enthusiasm for competitive fishing.
“Say a prayer for five nice ones if you would,” Randi said emphatically. “He’s gotta catch them today so we can keep this thing going… we don’t want the party to end!”
The party Randi refers to is traveling around the country together for Darold’s professional fishing career. A full time pro bass fishing gig is something both Gleasons’ have dreamt of for years.
Darold has been a part of the fishing industry for over a decade. As a legendary guide on Toledo Bend Reservoir, as a field staff staple for Toyota Bonus Bucks, Carhartt, and Yamaha Power Pay, as a talented regional competitor, and as one of the good dudes of the sport.
So when Gleason qualified for the FLW Pro Circuit at the end of 2019, they knew what they were getting into. And they were all in.
Their 2020 season began on a high note, with great finishes at Sam Rayburn and the Harris Chain. Randi and their pup “Rowdy” enthusiastically traveled with Darold, making up team Gleason and it seemed their dream season was off to the races… until 2020 decided to throw a wrench in everyone’s plans.
The struggles began with a less-than-desired performance at Lake Martin for Gleason, who credited bad decision making en route to a triple digit finish. Followed by a global pandemic essentially shutting the world down and redefining the Gleason’s “new-normal”, as Randi is a Cystic Fibrosis patient.
Cystic Fibrosis is the most common fatal genetic disease in the United States, and puts patients at far greater risk when it comes to the effects of COVID-19. The Gleason’s love for each other is so strong they couldn’t fathom finishing the 2020 season without being attached at the hip to one another.
So days before the Lake Chickamauga event, they bought themselves a 5th wheel trailer so Randi could travel to and from FLW tournaments safely and comfortably. Darold, a long-time Toyota Bonus Bucks participant, tows his Phoenix boat with the Tundra and Randi tows the 5th wheel with her brother’s borrowed truck.
Both Darold and Randi have hearts and personalities big enough to fill Lake Erie; throw their dog Rowdy in the mix and you start to understand “the party” theme Randi referred to.
After another substandard finish at Lake Chickamauga, and shooting par on the Mississippi River, Gleason came into this event in 53rd place in the points race. And he’s certainly feeling the pressure to qualify for the Tackle Warehouse TITLE on Sturgeon Bay later this month.
“I’ve got my work cut out for me but that’s indicative of my entire career,” Gleason said before day one. “I’m sure most of my peers feel the same way, but it never comes easy for me. I feel like I always have to out work my competition. Either way, I’m grateful to have a chance to qualify this week. I’m feeling the pressure for sure, but I guess I’m prepared for it in a way.”
That pressure was only compounded by the fact this Louisiana born angler had never seen any of the Great Lakes, let alone fished them. To make matters worse he heard the whispers and dock talk of anglers saying they needed to make a 100-mile run to Lake St. Clair if they wanted to excel in this tournament.
“My poor brain was spinning in circles every night after practice,” Gleason joked. “Four days of practice sounds like a lot but it doesn’t feel that way when trying to break down a Great Lake. I decided to maximize my fishing time and not make any long runs.”
Gleason’s decision proved fruitful as he currently sits in 25thplace after weighing 16+ pounds of Lake Erie smallmouth on day one. Randi’s supportive prayers came true and their dreams live to fight another day.
If Darold can back up his day one efforts today and tomorrow the Gleason’s might have to fire up some Robert Earl Keen at the Sandusky campground, cause this party ain’t over yet!
Arizona’s Bertrand Leads Day One of Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit at Lake Erie
SANDUSKY, Ohio (Aug. 11, 2020) – Major League Fishing (MLF) pro Josh Bertrand of Sun Tan Valley, Arizona, brought five bass to the scale Tuesday weighing 22 pounds, 6 ounces, to jump out to the early lead after day one of the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit at Lake Erie in Sandusky, Ohio. Bertrand will now bring an 8-ounce advantage into day two of the four-day Super Tournament that features 187 of the world’s best bass-fishing professionals from FLW and MLF angling for a piece of $1.3 million, including the first-place prize of up to $160,000.
The main decision facing tournament competitors Tuesday was where they wanted to fish. With Lake Erie, the Detroit River and Lake St. Clair all in play for anglers, the field was spread out, with an estimated 30 to 40 boats making the long 80-mile run from Sandusky to Lake St. Clair. Tournament leader Bertrand was not among those that made the trip – he stuck to Lake Erie and had to grind out his day on the water.
“It was pretty risky both ways you went,” said the 31-year-old Bertrand, who has career earnings of more than $710,000 “It was risky to make the long run and try to fish for numbers, and it turned out to also be risky fishing close. I was around a lot of guys that did not catch a limit today, and it was very difficult to catch five fish.”
Bertrand said that he spent his day cycling through about 15 different spots, and that he managed seven keeper bites.
“It was not an easy day of fishing, but it worked out perfectly,” Bertrand said. “Things just clicked for me. I’m not really doing anything different – just drop-shotting a Berkley (PowerBait Maxscent) Flat Worm, like everyone else. It was just one of those days that you’re really thankful for, because it all worked out.
“I don’t feel great about any of the days moving forward, because I have no idea how they’re going to go,” Bertrand went on to say. “They could all go really well like today. But it’s always tough fishing in waves. You have to do everything a bit slower and really take your time. Fighting a fish, driving your boat, pulling up to a new area – you can’t get in a rush. Slow and steady will win the race when we’re fishing the rough water.”
The top 10 pros after day one on Lake Erie are:
1st: Josh Bertrand of San Tan Valley, Ariz., five bass, 22-6
2nd: Boyd Duckett of Guntersville, Ala., five bass, 21-14
3rd: Justin Lucas of Guntersville, Ala., five bass, 21-7
4th: Jeremy Lawyer of Sarcoxie, Mo., five bass, 20-14
4th: Joseph Webster of Winfield, Ala., five bass, 20-14
6th: Jacob Wheeler of Harrison, Tenn., five bass, 20-6
7th: Gerald Spohrer of Gonzales, La., five bass, 20-0
8th: Tommy Dickerson of Orange, Texas, five bass, 19-13
9th: Kelly Jordon of Flint, Texas, five bass, 19-10
10th: Todd Faircloth of Jasper, Texas, five bass, 19-1
For a full list of results visit FLWFishing.com.
Dustin Connell of Clanton, Alabama, won Tuesday’s $500 Berkley Big Bass award in the pro division with a 5-pound, 14-ounce smallmouth bass.
Overall there were 767 bass weighing 2,132 pounds, 10 ounces caught by 180 pros Tuesday. The catch included 122 five-bass limits.
The Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Super Tournament at Lake Erie is hosted by the City of Sandusky and the Lake Erie Shores & Islands Welcome Center. The total purse for the event is more than $1.3 million, including a top prize of up to $160,000.
In Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Super Tournament competition, the full field of 187 pro anglers compete in the two-day opening round on Tuesday and Wednesday. The top 50 pros based on their two-day accumulated weight advance to Thursday. Only the top 10 pros continue competition on Championship Friday, with the winner determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from the four days of competition.
FLW anglers are vying for valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the Tackle Warehouse FLW TITLE presented by Toyota, the Pro Circuit championship. The 2020 Tackle Warehouse FLW TITLE presented by Toyota will be held on Lake Michigan in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, Aug. 24-29.
MLF pros competing in the Pro Circuit Super Tournaments will fish for prize money only. No points will be awarded toward any championship or title to MLF competitors. Only the original Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit anglers will compete for the AOY title throughout the remainder of the season. AOY points in the final events will be awarded based on Pro Circuit anglers finishing order. The top-finishing FLW pro will receive “first-place points” regardless of where he finishes in the overall standings, and so on.
Anglers will take off at 7 a.m. EDT each day from the Shelby St. Public Boat Launch, located at 101 Shelby St., in Sandusky. The weigh-in each day will be held at the Paper District Marina, located at 611 W. Shoreline Drive, and will begin at 3 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday and at 4 p.m. on Thursday and Friday.
Attendance is limited to competing anglers and essential staff only. Fans are encouraged to forgo the daily takeoffs and weigh-ins and follow the event online through the expanded four-day “FLW Live” on-the-water broadcasts and weigh-in coverage at FLWFishing.com.
Television coverage of the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit at Lake Erie will premiere at 7 p.m. EDT, Sept. 25 on the Outdoor Channel. Running now through Dec. 27, FLW will air 312 hours of Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit action on the Outdoor Channel and the Sportsman Channel. Each two-hour long episode goes in-depth to break down the final rounds of each regular-season competition. Episodes premiere in Friday night primetime slots on the Outdoor Channel, with additional re-airings on the Outdoor Channel and the Sportsman Channel.
The popular FLW Live on-the-water broadcast will air on all four days of competition, featuring live action from the boats of the tournament’s top pros each day. Host Travis Moran is joined by Toyota Series pro Todd Hollowell and MLF’s Marty Stone to break down the extended action each day from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. On-the-water broadcasts will be live streamed on FLWFishing.com.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
California Delta Set to Host Toyota Series Return
OAKLEY, Calif. (Aug. 11, 2020) – The 2020 Toyota Series Western Division is set to return to competition next week in Oakley, California, with the Toyota Series event at the California Delta, Aug. 19-21. Hosted by the City of Oakley, the three-day tournament will feature a return to action for the region’s best bass-fishing pros and co-anglers as they cast for a top prize of up to $65,000, plus a $35,000 bonus if the winner is a qualified Phoenix Boat owner.
The event will be the first western tournament FLW has held since the organization paused all competition in mid-March due to the coronavirus pandemic. The tournament will be held under an abundance of caution, with limited attendance to anglers and essential tournament staff only.
“The California Delta has been fishing a little bit stingy as of late, but it’s still the Delta and the potential is always there to see the big 25+ pound limits,” said pro Blake Dyer of Walnut Creek, California, who won the Toyota Series event on the fishery in 2019. “The key to doing well in this one is going to be time management. We’ve got a shorter day, and we’re going out of Big Break Marina – not Russo’s – so it will definitely change things up a bit from last year.
“The fish are going to be set up in their typical summertime patterns,” Dyer continued. “We’re going to see a lot of fish caught on topwater and there is going to be a lot of guys punching. The tide is always a factor. It’ll be important to find areas that have some current flow, clean grass and baitfish present in the area.”
In 2019, Dyer won the event with a three-day total of 62 pounds, 13 ounces. Dyer predicted that this event will see a slight drop in the winning weight.
“I think 18 pounds a day would be pretty good, and if you could catch 20 (pounds) a day over three days, that would certainly be special,” Dyer went on to say. “That being said, anything is possible on the Delta. I’m guessing it’ll take a weight in the high 50s to win.”
Anglers will take off daily at 6:30 a.m. PDT from Big Break Marina, located at 100 Big Break Road, in Oakley. Weigh-ins will also be held at Big Break Harbor and will begin at 12:30 p.m. Attendance is limited and fans are encouraged to follow the event online through the “FLW Live” weigh-in broadcasts and daily coverage at FLWFishing.com.
In Toyota Series regular-season competition, payouts are based on the number of participants competing in the event, scaling up for every 20 boats over 160 and scaling down for every boat below 160. With a 160-boat field, pros fish for a top prize of $40,000, plus an extra $35,000 if FLW PHOENIX BONUS qualified. Co-anglers cast for the top prize of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard (valued at $33,500). With a 260-boat field, pros fish for a top award of $65,000, plus an extra $35,000 if FLW PHOENIX BONUS qualified. Co-anglers cast for the top prize of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard (valued at $33,500) plus $5,000 cash.
The Toyota Series consists of eight divisions – Central, Eastern, Northern, Plains, Southeastern, 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 Championship for a shot at winning $235,000 cash, including a $35,000 FLW PHOENIX Bonus for qualified anglers. The winning co-angler at the championship earns a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard. The 2020 Toyota Series Championship will be held Dec. 3-5 on Lake Cumberland in Burnside, Kentucky, and is hosted by the Somerset Tourist & Convention Commission and the Burnside Tourism Commission.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Toyota Series on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook,Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
Tennessee Lakes To Host Bassmaster High School And Junior National Championships
August 10, 2020
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — National championships for the fastest-growing youth and high school fishing circuits in the country will be held on Tennessee fisheries, B.A.S.S. announced today.
The Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School Championship presented by Academy Sports + Outdoorswill return to Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley at Paris, Tenn., for the sixth time, while the Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster Junior Championship for second- through eighth-grade anglers will be held on the Carroll County 1000 Acre Recreational Lake at Huntingdon, Tenn.
“We are thrilled to continue our partnership with B.A.S.S. and once again host the Bassmaster High School Championship at Paris Landing on beautiful Kentucky Lake,” said Tara Wilson, Assistant Director of the Henry County Tourism Authority. “Kentucky Lake is undoubtedly one of the top lakes in the country for bass fishing, and we are proud to be able to showcase this fishery and welcome all the participants to Henry County.”
As many as 275 high school teams are expected to compete Oct. 22-24 for the high school championship crown. Each two-angler team is accompanied by a coach who runs the boat and can give advice on fishing techniques and patterns.
Student anglers qualify for the championship through four High School Opens.
“They are the best of the best among 13,000 high school B.A.S.S. members representing more than 1,300 high school fishing clubs nationwide,” said Hank Weldon, High School & Youth Series Senior Manager. “Young anglers have faced a variety of challenges this year, but we’re so excited to give this resilient group the opportunity to compete for a national title.”
The High School Series debuted in 2013 and has grown immensely since its inception. The program emphasizes sportsmanship, academics and a conservation ethic while giving young anglers a chance to improve and test their fishing skills in competition among their peers.
In March 2020, high school fishing took center stage at the Super Bowl of Bass Fishing when back-to-back high school national champions Grayson Morris and Tucker Smith from Briarwood Christian School alongside their boat driver, local college angler J.T. Russell, became the first high school anglers to fish alongside the pros at the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk. Smith has notched two Top 20 finishes in Bassmaster High School Series events in 2020 while Morris has moved on to compete in the college ranks.
Another growing tournament program is the Bassmaster Junior Series, which will field up to 70 teams in that group’s championship Oct. 19-20 at the Carroll County 1000 Acre Recreational Lake. As in the high school competitions, they will compete as two-angler teams accompanied by a coach.
“All roads to the Junior Bassmaster National Championship bring anglers to Carroll County, and we are excited to have these talented juniors and their families in our community,” said Brad Hurley, President of the Carroll County Chamber of Commerce. “We expect the 2020 tournament to be the best ever!”
Bethel University is hosting both tournaments in conjunction with the Carroll County Chamber of Commerce for the Junior Championship and Henry County Tourism Authority for the High School Championship.
“We are delighted to be hosting the Bassmaster High School and Junior Championships again,” said Bethel University Athletic Director Dale Kelley. “It has been a tremendous success in past years and we expect nothing less for this year's event. Bethel University, along with the Carroll County Chamber of Commerce and Henry Country Tourism Authority, will be working hand in hand to make for another successful championship event."
Each tournament will be covered on Bassmaster.com.
Wisconsin’s Laufenberg, Illinois’ Shoraga Earn Wins at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Double-Header on Ohio River in Paducah
PADUCAH, Ky. (Aug. 10, 2020) – It was a double-header for bass anglers this past weekend in Paducah with two Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on the Ohio River events.
Boater Cade Laufenberg of Onalaska, Wisconsin, brought a five-bass limit to the scale totaling 11 pounds, 8 ounces to win Saturday’s event and $3,842, while Dan Shoraga of West Frankfort, Illinois, brought in five bass weighing 13 pounds, 4 ounces on Sunday to earn the win and $4,671.
"This is my first win away from home, so it feels so good to finally have a ‘signature’ win,” said Laufenberg, who earned his third career FLW victory. “I’ve been fishing these Illini division events to qualify for the Regional Championship in La Crosse, so to now have the automatic-qualification feels unbelievable.
“I caught them early, and had my weight by 8:30 (a.m.),” Laufenberg continued. “The river is stabilizing now, but it had been dropping and the fish were seeking the strongest current. I targeted sandbars and rock points with a drop-shot rig to catch a couple, then I threw a white Big Bite Baits tube on a jig head, just dragging it off the drops.
“I also caught a few on a Carolina rig,” Laufenberg went on to say. “The key was just mixing it up. We did a lot of different things but stayed in one area for most of the day. Most of our fish were smallmouth, but we did catch a few largemouth as well.”
The top five boaters on Saturday were:
1st: Cade Laufenberg of Onalaska, Wis., five bass, 11-8, $3,842
2nd: Jay Peterson of Clinton, Ill., four bass, 10-1, $1,921
3rd: Jeremy Mull of Pawnee, Ill., four bass, 9-9, $1,792
4th: Riley Walk of Neoga, Ill., four bass, 9-8, $789
4th: Peyton Coleman of Paducah, Ky., three bass, 9-8, $1,289
4th: Bobby McMullin of Pevely, Mo., four bass, 9-8, $789
Complete results for Saturday can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Mull brought a 5-pound, 9-ounce bass to the scale to earn Saturday’s Boater Big Bass award of $510.
Coleman was the highest-finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member and took home an extra $500 Saturday. Boaters are eligible to win up to an extra $7,000 per event in each Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine tournament if all requirements are met. More information on the FLW PHOENIX BONUS contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.
Amanda Black of Toledo, Illinois, won the Co-angler Division and $1,921 Saturday after catching four bass weighing 8 pounds, 10 ounces.
The top five co-anglers Saturday finished as follows:
1st: Amanda Black of Toledo, Ill., four bass, 8-10, $1,921
2nd: Steven Yeun of Elgin, Ill., four bass, 7-15, $960
3rd: Eugene Kim of Lindenhurst, Ill., three bass, 7-5, $641
4th: David Short of Royalton, Ill., three bass, 7-1, $448
5th: Kristian Dus of Chicago, Ill., three bass, 6-6, $384
Sunday’s winner, Dan Shoraga, said that he targeted one 60-yard stretch on the Cumberland to earn his victory.
“They bit a little bit better for me on Sunday than they did on Saturday,” Shoraga said. “It was still pretty tough – I only had six bites all day, and I lost one and one was a short fish.
“I wasn’t doing anything special, just fishing below the dam with a shaky-head rig in 6 to 8 feet of water,” Shoraga continued. “I had four or five really good eddies that I just kept working, rotating through back and forth.”
The top five boaters on Sunday were:
1st: Dan Shoraga of West Frankfort, Ill., four bass, 13-4, $4,671
2nd: Scott Freeman of Chicago, Ill., three bass, 11-5, $2,305
3rd: Justin Berger of Murray, Ky., four bass, 11-0, $1,224
4th: Ryan Lewis of Glasford, Ill., five bass, 10-2, $856
5th: Bobby McMullin of Pevely, Mo., four bass, 9-10, $734
Complete results for Sunday’s event on the Ohio River can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Ron Dickens of Doniphan, Missouri, brought a 4-pound, 3-ounce bass to the scale to win Sunday’s Boater Big Bass award of $235.
Brandon Broadway of Golconda, Illinois, was the highest-finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member on Sunday and took home the $500 contingency award.
Mike Swetland of Tamaroa, Illinois, won the Co-angler Division and $2,535 Sunday after catching a five-bass limit weighing 7 pounds, 11 ounces.
The top five co-anglers Sunday finished as follows:
1st: Mike Swetland of Tamaroa, Ill., five bass, 7-11, $2,535
2nd: Dale Renth of Mascoutah, Ill., three bass, 6-1, $918
3rd: Ryan Murphy of Paris, Ill., five bass, 5-14, $612
4th: Joe Andres of New Athens, Ill., two bass, 5-3, $428
5th: Andy Paschedag of Worden, Ill., three bass, 5-0, $367
Dickens caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, weighing in at 4 pounds, 3 ounces. The catch earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $235.
The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine Double-Header on the Ohio River was the third and fourth of five qualifying events in the Illini Division.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the Illini Division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 15-17 Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on the Mississippi River in La Crosse, Wisconsin, hosted by Explore La Crosse. 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 co-anglers will fish for a new 18-foot Phoenix bass boat with a 200-horsepower outboard.
The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.
The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American will be held Nov. 11-13 at Lake Hartwell in Anderson, South Carolina and is hosted by Visit Anderson. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division earn priority entry into the FLW Series, the pathway to the FLW Pro Circuit and ultimately the MLF Bass Pro Tour, where top pros compete with no entry fees.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
Hamilton Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on James River
Apex’s Joyce Wins Co-angler Division
HENRICO, Va. (Aug. 10, 2020) – Local boater Jeff Hamilton of Henrico, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 17 pounds, 9 ounces to win the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine event on the James River in Henrico, Virginia. Hamilton earned a total of $3,756 for his victory.
I stayed in the Chickahominy, bouncing around to a couple of different spots,” said Hamilton, who earned his first career FLW win. “I mainly rotated between a shaky-head rig and a (Z-Man Evergreen JackHammer) ChatterBait. Later in the day the clouds started blocking the sun and we had a little bit of shade, so I picked up a Pop-R and ended up culling three or four times. I also caught my biggest fish – around 5 pounds – on it.
“The key was to just keep moving,” Hamilton continued. “I was just rotating spots, letting them rest for a little bit, then I’d keep moving. The lucky 5-pounder at the end of the day helped a lot, too.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:
1st: Jeff Hamilton of Henrico, Va., five bass, 17-9, $3,756
2nd: Chris Daves of Spring Grove, Va., five bass, 17-3, $1,878
3rd: Jacob Powroznik of North Prince George, Va., five bass, 16-13, $1,743
4th: Ryan Powroznik of Hopewell, Va., five bass, 15-14, $876
5th: Robert Ramsey of Hubert, N.C., five bass, 15-12, $751
6th: Todd Harris of Clemmons, N.C., five bass, 15-1, $689
7th: Chris Atwell of Mechanicsville, Va., five bass, 14-12, $626
8th: James Wall of Greensboro, N.C., five bass, 14-5, $563
9th: Rob Uzzle of Hampton, Va., five bass, 14-4, $1,001
10th: Michael Coleman of South Chester, Va., five bass, 14-2, $438
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Jacob Powroznik won the day’s $490 Boater Big Bass Award after bringing a 5-pound, 7-ounce bass to the scale.
Uzzle took home an extra $500 as the highest finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member. Boaters are eligible to win up to an extra $7,000 per event in each Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine tournament if all requirements are met. More information on the FLW PHOENIX BONUS contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.
Keith Joyce of Apex, North Carolina, won the Co-angler Division and $1,878 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 16 pounds, 4 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:
1st: Keith Joyce of Apex, N.C., five bass, 16-4, $1,878
2nd: Victor Riveras of Newport News, Va., five bass, 13-6, $939
3rd: Brad Hendrix of Greensboro, N.C., five bass, 11-2, $627
4th: Ryan Drewery of Petersburg, Va., five bass, 10-9, $438
5th: Nathan Grose of Summersville, W. Va., five bass, 10-8, $376
6th: Eric Hubbard of Broad Run, Va., five bass, 10-5, $344
7th: Tim Garner of Margo, Va., five bass, 10-0, $297
7th: Matt Hall of Woodlawn, Va., five bass, 10-0, $297
9th: Aaron Anders of Wake Forest, N.C., five bass, 9-12, $250
10th: Tracy Gravely of Petersburg, Va., five bass, 9-7, $208
10th: Doug Griles of Providence Forge, Va., five bass, 9-7, $208
Michael Baldwin Jr. of Petersburg, Virginia, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 5 pounds, 4 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award and earned $245.
The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on the James River was the fourth of five qualifying events in the Piedmont Division.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the Piedmont Division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 22-24 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Lake Lanier in Gainesville, Georgia, hosted by the Gainesville Convention & Visitors Bureau. 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 co-anglers will fish for a new 18-foot Phoenix bass boat with a 200-horsepower outboard.
The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.
The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American will be held Nov. 11-13 at Lake Hartwell in Anderson, South Carolina and is hosted by Visit Anderson. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division earn priority entry into the FLW Series, the pathway to the FLW Pro Circuit and ultimately the MLF Bass Pro Tour, where top pros compete with no entry fees.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
Evansville’s Sisk Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Tournament on Ohio River in Cannelton
Columbus’ Smith Earns Co-angler Victory
CANNELTON, Ind. (Aug. 10, 2020) – Boater Marty Sisk of Evansville, Indiana, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 7 pounds, 9 ounces to win the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine event on the Ohio River in Cannelton, Indiana. For his victory, Sisk earned a total of $3,718.
Sisk was one of just two limits weighed in Saturday, as the Ohio River was fishing tough for competitors. Sisk said that he was happy to have caught five.
“I caught my first bass of the day on a spinnerbait, and the rest came flipping a black neon-colored tube,” said Sisk, who earned his sixth career FLW victory. “It was very tough, but I was happy to catch what I had.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:
1st: Marty Sisk of Evansville, Ind., five bass, 7-9, $3,718
2nd: Mark Dove of North Vernon, Ind., five bass, 7-5, $1,859
3rd: Chris Wilkinson of Farmersburg, Ind., four bass, 6-4, $1,238
4th: Jeramiah Sifers of Sellersburg, Ind., two bass, 6-1, $1,352
5th: Kevin Meunier of Lamar, Ind., three bass, 5-11, $744
6th: Scott Bateman of Jasper, Ind., three bass, 5-8, $682
7th: Brandon Barker of Magnet, Ind., three bass, 4-12, $620
8th: Shane Oxford of St. Meinrad, Ind., four bass, 4-9, $527
8th: James White of Martinsville, Ind., four bass, 4-9, $527
10th: Danny Abrams of Greensfork, Ind., three bass, 4-6, $434
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Sifers earned the day’s $485 Boater Big Bass award with a 4-pound, 14-ounce bass.
Boater Nick Uebelhor of Loogootee, Indiana, took home an extra $500 as the highest finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member. Boaters are eligible to win up to an extra $7,000 per event in each Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine tournament if all requirements are met. More information on the FLW PHOENIX BONUS contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.
Bill Smith of Columbus, Indiana, earned the win in the Co-angler Division Saturday after catching four bass weighing 5 pounds, 14 ounces. Smith earned $1,859 for his victory.
The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:
1st: Bill Smith of Columbus, Ind., four bass, 5-14, $1,859
2nd: Steven Sanders of Orleans, Ind., one bass, 3-15, $1,171
3rd: Kade Oliver of Muncie, Ind., three bass, 3-11, $619
4th: Dustin Burton of Hamilton, Ohio, two bass, 3-8, $403
5th: Cory Malcolm of Bremen, Ind., three bass, 3-8, $403
6th: Charlie Kuebler of Jasper, Ind., three bass, 3-4, $341
7th: Dan Miller of Greenwood, Ind., three bass, 2-15, $310
8th: John Chaney of Evansville, Ind., one bass, 2-14, $279
9th: Bo Bivins of Evansville, Ind., two bass, 2-11, $248
10th: Conner Sevier of Fort Branch, Ind., two bass, 2-9, $217
Sanders caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 3 pounds, 15 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $242.
The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on the Ohio River in Cannelton was the fourth of five qualifying events in the Hoosier Division.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the Hoosier Division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 15-17 Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on the Mississippi River in La Crosse, Wisconsin, hosted by Explore La Crosse. 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 co-anglers will fish for a new 18-foot Phoenix bass boat with a 200-horsepower outboard.
The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.
The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American will be held Nov. 11-13 at Lake Hartwell in Anderson, South Carolina and is hosted by Visit Anderson. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division earn priority entry into the FLW Series, the pathway to the FLW Pro Circuit and ultimately the MLF Bass Pro Tour, where top pros compete with no entry fees.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
About FLW
Bright Line and Smelly Baits Matt Lee’s Tips for Smallmouth
Courtesy of Luke Stoner - Dynamic Sponsorships
Major League Fishing pro Matt Lee may have cut his teeth fishing for largemouth and spotted bass south of the Mason-Dixon line, but the Alabama native has proven his smallmouth chops time and again throughout his professional career. Lee looks forward to the yearly northern swing, when tournament trails head north to famed bronze-bass fisheries.
Lake Erie out of Sandusky, OH is the playing field for FLW Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit anglers this week and it’s sure to come with its share of drama. Big water, big brown bass, and long runs are on the minds of all competing anglers. Lee is coming off two solid tournaments on Sturgeon Bay and the Mississippi River out of La Crosse, where smallmouth were key for both finishes.
While it sounds like the Lake Erie smallmouth have been somewhat unreliable for the Carhartt pro this week, Lee still graciously laid out two tips for catching more smallmouth that you can take to the bank.
Use bright braided line
Finesse equipment is synonymous with northern smallies like spaghetti is with meatballs. Lee is an expert with his spinning setups and doesn’t hesitate to admit they do the lion share of his heavy lifting when catching smallmouth. Lee’s first tip comes before he ever begins to decide what lure(s) he might throw; first he fills his size 30 Quantum Smoke S3 Spinning Reels with highly visible 30-lb. Seaguar Smackdown braid.
“Using a super high-vis line color is extremely helpful,” Lee said. “I’ve been using the ‘Flash Green’ color. Having a bright main line helps in multiple ways. It makes it easier for me to see what my bait is doing, and it helps me detect bites. You’ll be able to see if your bait is on the bottom or still sinking, and if your line jumped with a bite or if it’s swimming off to the side much, much easier.”
Lee always ties a Seaguar Tatsu Fluorocarbon leader to his braided main line when finesse fishing. So he still gets the sneaky, subtle advantages of fluorocarbon, while also taking advantage of the visibility, sensitivity, and durability of braid.
“I’m still young but I’m not scared to admit that bright line helps me keep eyes on it,” Lee joked. “In all seriousness, seeing what your bait is doing while it’s on the bottom is a big deal in finesse fishing. It also saves me a lot of money cause I’m only going through 8-15 feet of fluorocarbon leader line at a time instead of a whole spool.”
Add scent to your soft plastics
A second step Matt Lee takes when he knows he’s headed to battle with smallmouth is adding different scents to his soft plastic finesse baits. Its no secret smallmouth are aggressive sight feeders and locate most of their meals with their eyes. Ironically, that’s why Lee believes scents work so well on bronzebacks.
“Smallmouth might see your lure from a long way off but they don’t always just race in and eat it,” Lee explained. “I think your lure catches their attention and a lot of times they’ll come in for a closer look. That’s where adding scent is key. When that bait has natural scent flowing off of it I don’t think those smallmouth can help themselves.”
While you might not think of clear water fisheries as ideal places to start boosting soft plastics with scent, Lee conceded he only takes this step when targeting northern smallmouth. He genuinely believes this process gives him a potential edge over his competition. And when you fish against the bunch Lee does, you can’t take anything for granted.
“I must have gone through two bottles of scent adding them to my 6th Sense Ned Fry Worms at Sturgeon Bay,” Lee admitted. “There isn’t any brand or particular flavor I live and die by, I’ve tried them all. Pro-cure, Gulp, BANG – they all seem to work. As long as you have some kind of scent for those smallmouth to key in on when they cruise by your bait, you’ll catch more fish.”
The 2020 Bass Champs Team Championship presented by Yamaha headed to the Red River - Shreveport, LA
Courtesy of Bass Champs:
Guaranteed payback over $200,000 - details listed below
We are excited to be going back to Shreveport for the 2020 Championship.
We have made a few adjustments for this year's event.
The length limit on all fish will be 12 inches.
AOY teams will be boats 1-4 on day one, all other teams will draw
their boat #'s at registration and will go in reverse order on day 2.
Click here for Featured Lodging locations
The Red River is off-limits Monday, September 14th - Wednesday, October 6th
Official Practice Days are October 7th - 9th
(ONLY COMPETITORS ARE ALLOWED IN BOAT DURING OFFICIAL PRACTICE DAYS)
Competition days are October 10th-11th
Competition is limited to pools 3,4,& 5
Registration is from 3:00 - 5:30 PM on Friday, October 9th (at Red River Marina)
Entry fee is $320 per team
(James Wood Bonus free entry fees and Junior Discounts
are not available for Championship)
Dinner with door prizes on Friday at 6:00 PM
Marina and Tournament location:
Red River South Marina
250 Red River South Marina Road
(Use 7154 Barksdale Blvd for GPS)
Bossier City LA 71111
Phone: 318.747.9545
http://redriversouthmarinala.com
To see a map of the off-limits areas click here
5 fish limits both days - 12" length limit
* No information rule *
During the off limits period, official practice, and competition days, other than
using publicly-available information (e.g. newspaper and Internet reports)
competitors cannot solicit, receive, or gather any information via phone,
electronic devices, or any other means about locating or catching fish
on tournament waters from non-competitors. All information must be
accessed prior to official off limits periods
Fishing License: A Louisiana license is required by all anglers
and may be purchased by calling 888.765.2602.
* Anyone born after January 1st, 1984 must have completed a “Free” Boating safety course, which can be taken on line.
This is required of boat operator only.
LAW&F web site is: http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Registration- Dinner & Banquet: Red River South Marina
Friday, October 9th, 2015
Registration: 3:00 p.m.- 5:30 p.m.
Dinner & Banquet 6:00 p.m.
Red River South Marina (There will be a large tent set up in the parking lot of the marina)
FREE DOOR PRIZES - Tickets will be handed out @ Friday Registration
Day 1 of competition
Saturday, October 10th:
Red River South Marina
Take-off at safe light - 1st flight will be due in at 3:00 PM
Boat #'s will be provided during Friday night registration
(flights will be reversed on day 2)
Day 2 of competition
Sunday, October 11th:
Red River South Marina
Take-off at safe light - 1st flight will be due in at 3:00 PM
Awards & Check distribution approximately 4:30-5:00 PM
Dowdy & Lamb win with 3 bass for 21.10!!!
Courtesy of Extreme Bass Series Social Media
You don't always need a 5 bass limit to win. Earl Dowdy and Andrew Lamb proved that today by winning stop #7 for the Polk County Division at Lake Parker. They bested the 21 boat field with 3 bass totaling 21.10 pounds! The 9.87 pound TrophyCatch Florida kicker that anchored their bag was also the event's Big Bass. Second place went to the team of Jason Brewer and Steven Coleman with a 15.32 pound bag. Brian Stahl and Sean Larsen took third place with 14.38 pounds, followed by DrTramell Vickers and Terry Pierce with 13.16 pounds to finish in 4th.
| Place | Team | Alternate | # of Fish | Big Fish | Weight | Winnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Earl Dowdy & Eddie Yearry | 3 | 9.87 | 21.10 | $1,060.00 | |
| 2 | Steve Coleman & Jason Brewer | 5 | 15.32 | $420.00 | ||
| 3 | Brian Stahl & Sean Larsen | 5 | 14.38 | $200.00 | ||
| 4 | Trammel Vickers & Terry Pierce | 5 | 13.16 | $120.00 | ||
| 5 | Cole Shmucker & Jacob Schmucker | 5 | 9.79 | |||
| 6 | Jeff Herndon & Yovani Crespo | 5 | 9.08 | |||
| 7 | Jason Danes & Dell Danes | 5 | 7.58 | |||
| 8 | Will Evans & Colby Evans | Colby Evans & Cory Vrabel | 4 | 6.73 | ||
| 9 | Chris Clark & Robert Cramer | 2 | 6.29 | |||
| 10 | Bubba Coleman & Kyle Brewer | 5 | 5.50 | |||
| 11 | Andrew Hall & Casey Hall | 0 | 0.00 | |||
| 11 | Tony Bartels & Zach Bach | 0.00 | ||||
| 11 | Dave Ochs & Wayne Combs | 0.00 | ||||
| 11 | Verbon Goble & Mark Krutzky | 0.00 | ||||
| 11 | Chris Futrell & Jessica Young | 0.00 | ||||
| 11 | Sean Clark & Tom Sell | 0.00 | ||||
| 11 | Ron Dowdy & Hunter Dowdy | 0.00 | ||||
| 11 | Daniel Garcia & Robert Garcia | 0.00 | ||||
| 11 | Tyson Dunlap & Tyler Banniza | 0.00 | ||||
| 11 | Jacob Eaton & Austin Reynolds | 0.00 | ||||
| 11 | Travis Finley & Willie Finley | 0.00 | ||||
Females in Fisheries Conservation Scholarships Awarded
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The fourth annual Noreen Clough Memorial Scholarships for Females in Fisheries have been awarded to Katherine Abbott, of Amherst, Mass., a doctoral student at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and Audrey Baetz, of Northville, Mich., who is studying at Nicholls State University.
Noreen Clough blazed many trails in the field of fisheries. As the first female regional director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and later as the B.A.S.S. Conservation Director, her long and distinguished career was dedicated to the conservation and management of fish and wildlife. Clough passed away in January 2015 from pancreatic cancer. As a tribute to her, friends and colleagues established an endowment to provide a scholarship for female students working toward a career in fisheries conservation.
Abbott is working with the Massachusetts Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit at UMass Amherst to understand how dam removals impact small streams across the state. There are thousands of small, obsolete dams in Massachusetts that impair natural river connectivity by interrupting fish passage, flow, sediment and nutrient movement. Dam removal is increasingly used as a tool for stream restoration, yet the extent and timescale of ecological recovery following removal is not well understood. Abbott’s research objectives include providing state agencies — including the Massachusetts Division of Ecological Restoration and MassWildlife — with data on water quality, invertebrates and fish.
As a new member of “Gar Lab” at Nicholls State University, Baetz’s research will focus on species diversity, life history and trophic ecology in restored Mississippi River floodplains. Her project will primarily focus on gar, a prehistoric family of fish often dependent on floodplain connectivity for foraging, spawning and nursery habitat. By using stable isotope analysis and tracking their movements throughout the floodplain, Baetz hopes to gain information that will be used for the conservation and management of these fish.
“Both of these young women have a bright future in fisheries, but in addition to their academic strengths, they stood out from many of the other applicants because they were avid anglers,” said Gene Gilliland, B.A.S.S. Conservation Director.
Gordon Robertson, retired Vice President of Government Affairs for the American Sportfishing Association and a long-time colleague of Clough’s, added, “Noreen put a high value on lessons learned from recreational fishing from both a resource understanding and appreciation perspective but also from a perspective of understanding anglers and how they think and react to resource and social issues. She saw this basis as being valuable to researchers, field managers and administrators when attempting to get resource user groups to respect and understand one another and be able to work toward a common goal for the resource in a constructive manner.”
Abbott and Baetz will each be awarded a $1,000 scholarship to be used for college expenses.
Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Set to Visit Sandusky For Final Event of Season
Super Tournament on Lake Erie to Feature FLW and Major League Fishing Pro Anglers Competing for $1.3 Million Purse
SANDUSKY, Ohio (Aug. 5, 2020) – The Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit is set to visit Sandusky, Aug. 11-14, for its sixth and final regular-season event – the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit at Lake Erie. Hosted by the City of Sandusky and the Lake Erie Shores & Islands Welcome Center, the lucrative bass-fishing Super Tournament will feature nearly 200 anglers from FLW and Major League Fishing (MLF) competing for a piece of more than $1.3 million, with a top award of $160,000.
The event will also showcase the exciting finale to the extremely competitive 2020 Pro Circuit Angler of the Year (AOY) and Polaris Rookie of the Year (ROY) races. Michigan pro Ron Nelson holds a 73-point lead in the AOY race, while 23-year-old Texan Kyle Hall leads the ROY race, holding a slim lead over Tennessee’s Jimmy Washam.
“This is going to be a really exciting tournament to end the season,” said Nelson, who was the 2019 Polaris Rookie of the Year. “The biggest factor in this event is going to be the wind. If it is calm, guys are going to be making long runs. If it’s rough, we’re going to have to fish the islands and the bay and you’re going to really have to change your strategy.
“Personally, I’m going to be more conservative and won’t be making any long run unless I make the Top 50 cut on Thursday,” Nelson continued. “My priorities are a little different than most, though. I’m not going for the tournament win – I’m going for the AOY win. Consistency is the key, there.”
Nelson said that he expects to see both largemouth and smallmouth bass play a big role in the event, and that a lot of competitors would weigh in both species over the event.
“For the smallmouth guys, Ned rigs, drop-shot rigs and tubes will all be important baits,” Nelson said. “The guys targeting largemouth will be throwing typical swimjigs, ChatterBaits, flipping jigs and frogging.
“The key to doing well in this one is going to be landing the fish that you hook,” Nelson went on to say. “Everyone is going to find fish, but the guy who fishes clean and lands everything that bites is going to win.”
The Super Tournament will also feature MLF pro anglers competing in the event alongside the FLW pros. MLF announced an abbreviated 2020 Bass Pro Tour schedule due to their mid-season pause related to the coronavirus, which prompted FLW Executive Vice President Kathy Fennel to create the opportunity for both FLW and MLF pros. Pros competing in this event include former FLW champions Bryan Thrift, Justin Atkins, John Cox, Brad Knight, Anthony Gagliardi, Jacob Wheeler, Brent Ehrler, David Dudley and Darrel Robertson. They’ll be joined by numerous MLF anglers, including Bobby Lane, Skeet Reese and Keith Poche.
Anglers will take off at 6:30 a.m. EDT each day from the Shelby St. Public Boat Launch, located at 101 Shelby St., in Sandusky. The weigh-in each day will also be held at the Boat Launch and will begin at 3 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday and at 4 p.m. on Thursday and Friday.
Attendance is limited to competing anglers and essential staff only. Fans are encouraged to forgo the daily takeoffs and weigh-ins and follow the event online through the expanded four-day “FLW Live” on-the-water broadcasts and weigh-in coverage at FLWFishing.com.
The total purse for the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit at Lake Erie is more than $1.3 million, including $10,000 through 100th place.
In Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit competition, the full field of pro anglers compete in the two-day opening round on Tuesday and Wednesday. The top 50 pros based on their two-day accumulated weight advance to Thursday. Only the top 10 pros continue competition on Championship Friday, with the winner determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from the four days of competition.
FLW anglers are vying for valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the Tackle Warehouse TITLE presented by Toyota, the Pro Circuit championship. The 2020 Tackle Warehouse TITLE presented by Toyota will be held on Lake Michigan in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, Aug. 24-29.
MLF pros competing in the Pro Circuit Super Tournaments will fish for prize money only. No points will be awarded toward any championship or title to MLF competitors. Only the original Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit anglers will compete for the AOY title throughout the remainder of the season. AOY points in the final events will be awarded based on Pro Circuit anglers finishing order. The top-finishing FLW pro will receive “first-place points” regardless of where he finishes in the overall standings, and so on.
The popular FLW Live on-the-water broadcast will air on all four days of competition, featuring live action from the boats of the tournament’s top pros each day. Host Travis Moran is joined by Toyota Series pro Todd Hollowell and MLF’s Marty Stone to break down the extended action each day from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. On-the-water broadcasts will be live streamed on FLWFishing.com.
Television coverage of the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit at Lake Erie will premiere at 7 p.m. EDT, Sept. 25 on the Outdoor Channel. Running now through Dec. 27, FLW will air 312 hours of Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit action on the Outdoor Channel and the Sportsman Channel. Each two-hour long episode goes in-depth to break down the final rounds of each regular-season competition. Episodes premiere in Friday night primetime slots on the Outdoor Channel, with additional re-airings on the Outdoor Channel and the Sportsman Channel.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
AC Insider Podcast - "Welcome Home"
This week Chris and the boys welcome in the Champlain Champ, Mr. Brandon Palaniuk to the show to talk about his recent Elite Series win on lake Champlain! Michele joins the crew again for the Sportsmans Wrap up and more!
Bishop Hartley High School Wins FLW High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing Lake Erie Open
SANDUSKY, Ohio (Aug. 3, 2020) – Ohio’s Bishop Hartley High School duo of Braden McNamara and Mike Abbott brought five bass to the scale Saturday weighing 15 pounds, 15 ounces to win the FLW High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing Lake Erie Open.
For their win on Lake Erie, the team now advances to the 2021 High School Fishing National Championship.
The top two teams that qualified for the 2021 High School Fishing National Championship are:
1st: Bishop Hartley High School, Columbus, Ohio – Braden McNamara and Mike Abbott, five bass, 15-15
2nd: A1 Angler Development Club – Derek Rodriguez of Okemos, Mich., and Cougar Fagan of Albion, Mich., five bass, 15-2
Rounding out the top 10 were:
3rd: Wheelersburg High School, Wheelersburg, Ohio – Matthew Strickland and Pete Newman, five bass, 14-1
4th: Bag 5 Bassin’ – Brock Sauder of Carlock, Ill., and Brayden Blunier of Roanoke, Ill., five bass, 13-14
5th: St. Francis Desales High School, Columbus, Ohio – Nicholas Seitz and Brock Vogel, five bass, 13-2
6th: Renegades Bass Club – Rance Eddleblute of Stockport, Ohio, and Levi Jarvis of McConnelsville, Ohio, five bass, 12-1
7th: Renegades Bass Club – Brant Moore and Eli Ponchak, both of McConnelsville, Ohio, five bass, 12-5
8th: Shelby High School, Shelby, Ohio – Brayden Hoehn and Joel Berelsman, five bass, 11-5
9th: Howell High School, Howell, Mich. – Owen Januszewski and Mathias Dahline, four bass, 10-10
10th: Chambersburg High School, Chambersburg, Pa. – Dylan Barefoot and Carson Forrester, five bass, 10-0
Complete results from the event can be found at FLWFishing.com.
The event launched from the Shelby St. Public Boat Launch in Sandusky, Ohio, and was hosted by the City of Sandusky.
The FLW High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing Lake Erie Open was a free, two-person (team) event for students in grades 7-12 and open to any FLW and Student Angler Federation-affiliated high school club. The top 10 percent of teams at each Open event along with the TBF High School Fishing state championships will advance to the 2021 High School Fishing National Championship. The High School Fishing national champions will each receive a $5,000 college scholarship to the school of their choice.
In addition to the High School Fishing National Championship, all High School Fishing anglers nationwide automatically qualify for the world’s largest open high school bass tournament, the 2021 High School Fishing World Finals, held in conjunction with the National Championship. More than $2.8 million in scholarships and prizes were offered at the 2020 World Finals.
Full schedules and the latest announcements are available at HighSchoolFishing.org and FLWFishing.com.
Bowling Green State University Wins Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI Tournament on Lake Erie
SANDUSKY, Ohio (Aug. 3, 2020) – The Bowling Green State University team of Jamesen Simion of Saline, Michigan, and Cameron Wilt of Alvada, Ohio, won the Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI at Lake Erie event Friday with a five-bass limit weighing 16 pounds, 1 ounce. The victory earned the Bowling Green bass club $2,000 and qualified them to compete in the 2021 College Fishing National Championship.
The Falcons duo won by a thin 2-ounce margin over the second-place team of Blake Johnson and Zachary Graham from Adrian College, who weighed in five bass totaling 15 pounds, 15 ounces. The tournament launched from the Shelby Street Boat Launch in Sandusky, Ohio.
The top 10 teams that advanced to the 2021 College Fishing National Championship are:
1st: Bowling Green State University – Jamesen Simion, Saline, Mich., and Cameron Wilt, Alvada, Ohio, five bass, 16-1, $2,000
2nd: Adrian College – Blake Johnson, Mooresville, Ind., and Zachary Graham, Gallipolis, Ohio, five bass, 15-15, $1,000
3rd: Adrian College – Alex Henderson, Adrian, Mich., and Griffin Fernandes, McCordsville, Ind., five bass, 15-10, $500
4th: Adrian College – Tyler VanBrandt, Morenci, Mich., and Jarrod Layton, Maybee, Mich., five bass, 15-2, $500
5th: Kent State University – Tanner Ward, Coshocton, Ohio, five bass, 14-13, $500
6th: Adrian College – Shane Nelson, Wadsworth, Ohio, and Sean Mercier, Brighton, Mich., five bass, 14-10
7th: Adrian College – Hunter Schneider, Milin, Ind., and Brayden Federer, Deerfield, Mich., five bass, 14-7
8th: Adrian College – Cody Batterson, Pleasant Hill, Iowa, and Matthew Davis, Coloma, Mich., five bass, 14-1
9th: University of Rio Grande – Eli Daniels, Portsmouth, Ohio, and Evan Bowman, Gallipolis, Ohio, five bass, 14-1
10th: Ramapo College – Alex Johnson, Milltown, N.J., and Zachary Potter, Haddon Township, N.J., five bass, 13-13
Complete results for the entire field can be found at FLWFishing.com.
The Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI event on Lake Erie was hosted by the City of Sandusky. It was the second of three regular-season qualifying tournaments for Northern Conference anglers. The next events for College Fishing anglers will be on Aug. 21 – the Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI at the Mississippi River in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and the Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI at the California Delta in Oakley, California.
Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI teams compete in regular-season qualifying tournaments in one of five conferences – Central, Northern, Southern, Southeastern and Western. The top ten teams from each division’s three regular-season tournaments and the top 20 teams from the annual Abu Garcia College Fishing Open advance to the following year’s Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI National Championship.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
BREAKING DOWN POCHE’S DISQUALIFICATION
Courtesy of FLW
August 3, 2020
Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Rule No. 12 regarding Boat and Horsepower Regulation recently came under scrutiny after Major League Fishing pro Keith Poche’s day one weight was disqualified at the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit at the Mississippi River presented by OPTIMA Batteries.
The rule is written as follows:
12. BOAT & HORSEPOWER REGULATION • All boats must be propeller-driven, a minimum of 18 feet in length and have a rear deck. All boats must be equipped with wheel steering; no other steering device will be permitted. Each boat must have all required U.S. Coast Guard safety equipment. Boats must contain a properly aerated livewell space to maintain alive a limit catch of bass. Minimum horsepower for all outboards used in tournament competition will be 150 horsepower. Maximum horsepower for all outboards used in tournament competition will be 250 horsepower, not to exceed the horsepower capacity set forth on the “Maximum Capacities” placard described below. (Abbreviated for this article; full rules for the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit can be found at FLWFishing.com.)
Poche fished out of an aluminum boat with a 90-horsepower outboard motor on day one of the event, not meeting the minimum 150-horsepower outboard motor requirement for all anglers on the Pro Circuit.
“We have an obligation to our anglers and the sport to enforce the rules, in letter and intent, without exception,” says Kathy Fennel FLW Executive Vice President and General Manager. “These rules are readily available to all competitors and the general public. It’s unfortunate that Keith was unaware of our rule regarding the minimum outboard horsepower requirements, but we would have been doing a disservice to the other 199 anglers competing in the event had we not disqualified his weight for the day.”
The 150-horsepower outboard requirement rule was instituted in 2012, after pro John Cox used a 17-foot aluminum boat with a small 75-horsepower outboard engine to win the 2011 FLW Tour event at the Red River. The rule was implemented at the request of the FLW Tour pro field and has been reviewed by the advisory board every year since. It has never been brought up to be eliminated.
The rule regarding minimum outboard requirements only applies to the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit. There are no minimum outboard requirements for any other FLW circuits, including the Toyota Series, the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine, Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI and High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing.
Rules are evaluated on an annual basis through the angler board and released each fall for the following year’s events. Updated rules and details for the 2021 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit are expected to be finalized in mid- to late-October 2020.
Lawton’s Mallory Claims Title at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Lake St. Clair
Indiana’s Bauer Wins Co-angler Division
HARRISON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (Aug. 3, 2020) – Boater Buck Mallory of Lawton, Michigan, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 25 pounds, 5 ounces to win the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine event at Lake St. Clair in Harrison Township, Michigan. For his victory, Mallory earned a total of $4,652.
" src="blob:https://anglerschannel.com/7c178de2-44fb-426c-953a-abd3f3bb97c3" alt="A person wearing a helmet Description automatically generated" align="right" hspace="12" v:shapes="Picture_x0020_2" class="Apple-web-attachment Singleton" style="width: 4in; height: 2.25in; opacity: 1;">The tournament was the second of five events in the Michigan Division presented by A.R.E. Truck Caps.
“I was fishing in the main lake on St. Clair,” said Mallory, who earned the first victory of his career. “The key was sticking around and grinding it out. I didn’t leave a 100-yard stretch the whole day. I just did circles and circles and circles until I couldn’t do them anymore. And then I did it five more times and caught one more good one that got me the win.”
Mallory said that his key bait was a drop-shot rig with a Strike King ElazTech Z Too soft jerkbait with an Eco Pro Tungsten Full Contact drop-shot weight.
“I didn’t realize that I would be so emotional when I finally got a win,” Mallory went on to say. “I was so due. I’m really excited.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:
1st: Buck Mallory of Lawton, Mich., five bass, 25-5, $4,652
2nd: Mike Raber of Wolcottville, Ind., five bass, 24-10, $2,326
3rd: Heath Wagner of Angola, Ind., five bass, 23-3, $1,318
4th: Beau Bickford of Findlay, Ohio, five bass, 23-3, $1,318
5th: Hugh Cosculluela of The Woodlands, Texas., five bass, 22-12, $894
6th: Wyatt Walker of Parma, Mich., five bass, 22-9, $820
7th: Robert Lefere of Jackson, Mich, five bass, 22-1, $708
7th: Wayne Macklin of Linden, Mich., five bass, 21-10, $708
9th: Chris Stanford of Omaha, Neb., five bass, 21-6, $596
10th: Andrew Smith of Chesterfield Township, Mich., five bass, 21-3, $496
10th: Chase Morgan of Danville, Ind., five bass, 21-3, $496
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Smith earned the day’s Boater Big Bass Award of $685 after bringing a 5-pound, 11-ounce bass to the scale.
Cosculluela was also the highest-finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member and took home an extra $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 FLW PHOENIX BONUS contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.
Tom Bauer of Martinsville, Indiana, won the Co-angler Division and $2,326 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 23 pounds, 10 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:
1st: Tom Bauer of Martinsville, Ind., five bass, 23-10, $2,326
2nd: Austin Freed of Wolcottville, Ind., five bass, 22-14, $1,163
3rd: Kenneth Lesner of Westland, Mich., five bass, 22-4, $777
4th: Davis Stutzman of Shipshewana, Ind., five bass, 21-12, $543
5th: Daniel Hechler of Franklin, Ohio, five bass, 21-4, $465
6th: Marvin Washington of Canton, Mich., five bass, 21-3, $426
6th: Aaron Stahley of Batavia, Ohio, five bass, 20-12, $388
8th: Matthew Kime of Holland, Ohio, five bass, 19-14, $349
9th: Scott Sims of Morgantown, Ind., five bass, 19-13, $310
10th: Bill Miller of Metamora, Mich., five bass, 19-12, $613
Miller caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, weighing in at 6 pounds, 5 ounces. The catch added to his winnings as he earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $342.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the Michigan Division presented by A.R.E. Truck Caps based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 15-17 Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on the Mississippi River in La Crosse, Wisconsin, hosted by Explore La Crosse. 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 co-anglers will fish for a new 18-foot Phoenix bass boat with a 200-horsepower outboard.
The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.
The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American will be held Nov. 11-13 at Lake Hartwell in Anderson, South Carolina and is hosted by Visit Anderson. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division earn priority entry into the FLW Series, the pathway to the FLW Pro Circuit and ultimately the MLF Bass Pro Tour, where top pros compete with no entry fees.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
Georgia’s Carter Wins Toyota Series Tournament on Wheeler Lake
DECATUR, Ala. (Aug. 2, 2020) – Boater Kip Carter of Mansfield, Georgia, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 15 pounds, 8 ounces to win the three-day Toyota Series at Wheeler Lake tournament in Decatur, Alabama. Carter’s three-day total of 15 bass weighing 41-14 earned him the win by a comfortable 4-pound, 11-ounce margin over second-place angler Harry Peyton of Guntersville, Alabama, and earned Carter the top payout of $22,286 in the second tournament of the 2020 Toyota Series Southeastern Division.
Carter’s win this week was particularly special to him since he used his 2002 aluminum tunnel hull “beater” rig to help him get the job done.
“I’ve had that tunnel hull for 16 years,” said Carter, who has 50 career top-10 finishes in FLW competition. “It’s a special boat to me. I bought it to fish the Ocmulgee River, which is a shallow, shoaly-type river, and it didn’t take long for me to realize that it worked pretty darn good in a lot of lakes that have shallow backwaters and silted-in creeks.
“To be able to just run in out of creeks – over those big silted-in flats – at will, without worrying about hitting anything makes it an invaluable tool here on these lakes in the southeast.”
When it comes to shallow, silted-in creeks and backwaters, Wheeler Lake fits the bill, and Carter knew his tunnel hull would be an asset this week.
After running a lot of creeks in practice, Carter settled on Limestone Creek as his best shot at winning. Limestone has multiple tiny creeks seeping into it, and Carter utilized several of them throughout the week.
“I would fish back in the true creeks when it was sunny and slick,” he says. “And I did catch a few fish that way, but if the wind got up and we got some clouds, I’d go back out into the flats. When it got right in those flats, I could catch those better 4-pound fish out there.”
During the week, Carter did most of his damage with two lures: a 3/8-ounce Dirty Jigs buzzbait teamed with a black Zoom Horny Toad and a 3/8-ounce white swim jig with a Zoom Super Chunk, also white.
“The first couple of days, the swim jig was the key player,” Carter said. “Today, it was all about the buzzbait. The wind and clouds probably helped that bite – and I had some vicious bites on it today.
“This win has been a long time coming,” Carter went on to say. “I did a lot of celebrating out on the water today with some special fish catches. It’s something to finally pull one of these tournaments off; I get choked up just thinking about it.”
The top 10 pros on Wheeler Lake finished:
1st: Kip Carter of Mansfield, Ga., 15 bass, 41-14, $22,286
2nd: Harry Peyton of Guntersville, Ala., 15 bass, 36-15, $8,636
3rd: Dustin Smith of Grand Island, Fla., 14 bass, 34-8, $7,686
4th: Andrew Johnson of Glencoe, Ala., 15 bass, 34-2, $5,572
5th: Lavoyd Lemmond of Decatur, Ala., 15 bass, 32-8, $5,214
6th: Jesse Millsaps of Jasper, Ga., 14 bass, 31-8, $4,514
7th: Josh Bragg of Jacksonville, Ala., 15 bass, 30-3, $3,900
8th: Lynn Johnson of Attalla, Ala., 13 bass, 29-12, $3,343
9th: Dustin Neat of Dunnville, Ky., 14 bass, 27-10, $2,786
10th: Bill Spratlin of Rockford, Ala., 12 bass, 26-9, $2,229
A complete list of results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Smith took home an extra $1,000 as the highest finishing FLW PHOENIX 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 FLW PHOENIX BONUS contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.
Millsaps brought a 5-pound, 5-ounce largemouth bass to the scale Thursday – the largest fish weighed by a boater in the event.
Cal Culpepper of Hamilton, Georgia, won the Co-angler Division Saturday with a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 28 pounds, 13 ounces. Culpepper took home the top prize package of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard motor.
The top 10 co-anglers on Wheeler Lake finished:
1st: Cal Culpepper of Hamilton, Ga., 15 bass, 28-13, Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat w/115-hp outboard
2nd: Flint Davis of Leesburg, Ga., 14 bass, 25-7, $2,909
3rd: Lew Moore of Roanoke, Ala., 13 bass, 24-13, $2,367
4th: Jeffrey Ford of Trion, Ga., 11 bass, 19-0, $2,037
5th: Todd Lee of Jasper, Ala., 10 bass, 18-11, $1,746
6th: Hayden O’Barr of Gurley, Ala., 11 bass, 18-0, $1,705
7th: Ryan Methvin of Leoma, Tenn., 10 bass, 15-15, $1,164
8th: Josh Webster of New Market, Ala., nine bass, 14-11, $1,018
9th: James Littich of Davidson, N.C., eight bass, 14-3, $873
10th: Ryan Arnold of Gadsden, Ala., seven bass, 11-3, $727
The Toyota Series at Wheeler Lake was hosted by Decatur Morgan County Tourism. It was the second of three regular-season tournaments in 2020 for Southeastern Division anglers. The next event for Toyota Series anglers will be the Toyota Series at Lake Erie in Sandusky, Ohio, Aug. 18-20. For a complete schedule, visit FLWFishing.com.
The Toyota Series consists of eight divisions – Central, Eastern, Northern, Plains, Southeastern, 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 Championship for a shot at winning $235,000 cash, including a $35,000 FLW PHOENIX Bonus for qualified anglers. The winning co-angler at the championship earns a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard. The 2020 Toyota Series Championship will be held Dec. 3-5 on Lake Cumberland in Burnside, Kentucky, and is hosted by the Somerset Tourist & Convention Commission and the Burnside Tourism Commission.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Toyota Series on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
