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Langford Wins Two-Day Phoenix Bass Fishing League event on Smith Mountain Lake

Co-angler Victory Goes to Woodlawn’s Hall

HUDDLESTON, Va. (Sept. 21, 2020) Boater Todd Langford of Great Falls, Virginia, brought a two-day total of 10 bass to the scale weighing 33 pounds, 4 ounces to win the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine Piedmont Division Super-Tournament at Smith Mountain Lake. For his victory, Langford earned $5,065.

“The best fishermen in the state compete in these events. They’re super tough to win, so when you’re fortunate enough to get one, it feels really great,” said Langford, who earned his second career win. “I didn’t catch a ton of fish, but the ones that I did catch were good ones.”

Langford said that he targeted flats in the mid-lake area that had fish pulled up feeding.

“It got cold this week, which really helped – they were eating,” said Langford. “I caught all of my fish this week on a Steve Robert’s Cheeseburger jig. Steve is a local legend down here – they call him the godfather of jig fishing. He made me a half-dozen of these jigs a few months ago and they were just eating it this weekend.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:

1^st: Todd Langford of Great Falls, Va., 10 bass, 33-4, $5,065

2^nd: Bobby Rakes of Max Meadows, Va., 10 bass, 32-5, $2,532

3^rd: Bryan Humphreys of Lewisburg, W.Va., nine bass, 28-5, $1,687

4^th: Travis Christian of Riner, Va., 10 bass, 27-7, $1,182

5^th: Trevis Towe of Daleville, Va., 10 bass, 26-13, $1,013

6^th: Ben Reynolds of Callands, Va., 10 bass, 25-9, $929

7^th: Tyler Trent of Nathalie, Va., 10 bass, 24-13, $844

8^th: David Williams of Maiden, N.C., 10 bass, 23-11, $1,260

9^th: Martin Villa of Charlottesville, Va., seven bass, 20-12, $675

10^th: Derik Hudson of Concord, Va., 10 bass, 19-2, $791

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Mike Miller of Trinity, North Carolina, earned the day’s $311 Boater Big Bass award with a 5-pound, 2-ounce bass.

Chad Pilson of Bassett, Virginia, 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.

Matt Hall of Woodlawn, Virginia, earned the win in the Co-angler Division Saturday after catching a two-day total of seven bass weighing 22 pounds, 14 ounces. Hall earned $2,466 for his victory.

The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:

1^st: Matt Hall of Woodlawn, Va., seven bass, 22-14, $2,466

2^nd: Tim Garner of Margo, Va., nine bass, 22-2, $1,233

3^rd: James Roten of West Jefferson, N.C., eight bass, 16-8, $823

4^th: David Mills of Wirtz, Va., five bass, 16-1, $723

5^th: Jacob Yelton of Christiansburg, Va., six bass, 15-2, $493

6^th: Jacob Zimmerman of Warrenton, Va., five bass, 12-10, $452

7^th: Brandon McCallister of Wytheville, Va., six bass, 11-7, $411

8^th: Chris Jackson of Marshall, Va., three bass, 9-13, $370

9^th: Terry Graham of Leesburg, Va., three bass, 9-0, $477

10^th: Adam Lester of Huddleston, Va., four bass, 8-13, $288

Graham earned the event’s Co-angler Big Bass Award of $148 with, a fish weighing in at 5 pounds, 6 ounces.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on Smith Mountain Lake was the fifth and final qualifying event in the 2020 Piedmont Division.

Now 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.

by AnglersChannel

Trim Wins Two-Day Phoenix Bass Fishing League Super Tournament on Mississippi River in La Crosse

Juen Takes Home Co-angler Title

LA CROSSE, Wis. (Sept. 21, 2020) – Boater Nick Trim of Galesville, Wisconsin, brought a two-day total of 10 bass to the scale weighing 34 pounds, 9 ounces to win the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine Great Lakes Division Super-Tournament at the Mississippi River. For his victory, Trim earned $6,690.

“I made the lock to Pool 7 on both days and primarily fished wingdams with a topwater,” said Trim, who earned his second career win in Bass Fishing League competition this year. “Every fish that I weighed in came on a (Heddon) Zara Spook.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:

1^st: Nick Trim of Galesville, Wis., 10 bass, 34-9, $6,690

2^nd: Mike Brueggen of La Crosse, Wis., 10 bass, 30-13, $2,845

3^rd: Brandon Gann of Sparta, Wis., 10 bass, 30-10, $1,897

4^th: Rob Leidholdt of Milton, Wis., 10 bass, 28-14, $1,328

5^th: Tom Monsoor of La Crosse, Wis., 10 bass, 28-13, $1,138

6^th: Kyle Von Ruden of Stoddard, Wis., 10 bass, 28-12, $1,043

7^th: Rick Bosshard of Hartland, Wis., 10 bass, 28-12, $948

8^th: Brian Fitzpatrick of La Crosse, Wis., 10 bass, 28-1, $853

9^th: Kevin Wolfram of Chicago, Ill., 10 bass, 27-1, $759

10^th: Jerry Robackouski of Joliet, Ill., 10 bass, 26-15, $664

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Dakota Proft of Onalaska, Wisconsin, earned the day’s $742 Boater Big Bass award with a 5-pound, 2-ounce bass.

Kevin Ruh of Onalaska, Wisconsin, 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.

Brad Juen of La Crosse, Wisconsin, earned the win in the Co-angler Division Sunday after catching a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 25 pounds, 4 ounces. Juen earned $2,845 for his victory.

The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:

1^st: Brad Juen of La Crosse, Wis., 10 bass, 25-4, $2,845

2^nd: Richard Conrad of Arcadia, Wis., 10 bass, 24-4, $1,422

3^rd: Michael Black of Toledo, Ill., nine bass, 21-3, $948

4^th: Arden Damberg of Wheatland, Iowa, 10 bass, 20-9, $664

5^th: Thad Vettrus of Chippewa Falls, Wis., eight bass, 19-11, $569

6^th: Scott Miller of Burlington, Wis., seven bass, 18-11, $893

7^th: Lee Lewis of Peoria, Ill., seven bass, 16-11, $474

8^th: Jason Swanson of Waterloo, Iowa, eight bass, 16-6, $427

9^th: Ed Remian of Schiller Park, Ill., six bass, 15-11, $379

10^th: Levi Schmidt of Caledonia, Minn., seven bass, 13-6, $332

Miller earned the event’s Co-angler Big Bass Award of $371 with a fish weighing in at 5 pounds, 11 ounces.

The Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine Super Tournament on the Mississippi River in La Crosse, Wisconsin, was hosted by the La Crosse County Convention & Visitors Bureau. It was the fifth and final qualifying tournament in the 2020 Great Lakes division.

Now 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.

by AnglersChannel

Sifers Wins Two-Day Phoenix Bass Fishing League Tournament on Rough River Lake

Sorrels Earns Co-angler Victory

FALLS OF ROUGH, Ky. (Sept. 21, 2020) – Boater Jeramiah Sifers of Sellersburg, Indiana, brought a two-day total of 10 bass to the scale this weekend weighing 22 pounds, 14 ounces to win the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine Hoosier Division Super-Tournament at the Rough River. Sifers earned a total of $6,917 for his victory.

Sifers caught a monster limit weighing 19 pounds, 11 ounces on day one of the event that gave him a near 10-pound lead to start the second day of competition. Sifers said he targeted shallow water in the north end.

“I flipped a black and blue jig, threw a Whopper Plopper, a buzzbait and a spinnerbait,” Sifers said. “It was just a shallow-water deal – the fish were really keying on the channel stumps.

“This is my third career win, but I haven’t won since 2004,” Sifers went on to say. “I’ve had lots of second- and third-place finishes since, but it’s awesome to get the win. When it’s your time, it’s your time.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:

1^st: Jeramiah Sifers of Sellersburg, Ind., seven bass, 22-14, $6,917

2^nd: Michael Bays of Bellevue, Ky., 10 bass, 18-5, $2,628

3^rd: B.J. Fitzgerald of Whitesville, Ky., nine bass, 17-1, $1,752

4^th: Chris Martinkovic of Hamilton, Ohio, 10 bass, 17-0, $1,927

5^th: Ryan Deal of Elberfeld, Ind., 10 bass, 15-14, $1,051

6^th: Brody Campbell of Oxford, Ohio, nine bass, 15-14, $964

7^th: Phil Hunt of Connersville, Ind., eight bass, 15-12, $876

8^th: Larry Sisk of Evansville, Ind., nine bass, 15-9, $788

9^th: Chris Wilkinson of Farmersburg, Ind., eight bass, 14-15, $701

10^th: Craig Carns of Noblesville, Ind., seven bass, 14-11, $613

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Sifers brought a 6-pound, 12-ounce largemouth bass to the scale to win the Boater Big Bass award of $660.

Frank Haysley of Louisville, Kentucky, 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.

Colby Sorrels of Fordsville, Kentucky, won the Co-angler Division and $2,958 Sunday after catching a two-day total of six bass weighing 14 pounds, 4 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:

1^st: Colby Sorrels of Fordsville, Ky., six bass, 14-4, $2,958

2^nd: Ronnie Gill of Indianapolis, Ind., seven bass, 12-7, $1,314

3^rd: Jeffery Johnson of Austin, Ind., seven bass, 12-7, $1,077

4^th: Mark Sollman of Haubstadt, Ind., seven bass, 11-7, $613

5^th: Ryan Sykes of Hamilton, Ohio, five bass, 11-0, $526

6^th: Lincoln Bowen of Crothersville, Ind., six bass, 8-15, $482

7^th: Cory Malcom of Bremen, Ind., six bass, 8-13, $438

8^th: Payne Blackburn of Muncie, Ind., five bass, 8-9, $394

9^th: Chris Hogue of Bargersville, Ind., four bass, 8-9, $350

10^th: Rod Yoder of West Lafayette, Ind., six bass, 8-3, $307

Sorrels also caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 5 pounds, 4 ounces. The catch earned him the Co-angler Big Bass award and added $330 to his winnings.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine Super Tournament on the Rough River was the fifth and final qualifying event in the Hoosier Division.

Now 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.

by AnglersChannel

Georgia’s Rockefeller Wins Two-Day Phoenix Bass Fishing League event on Clarks Hill Lake

Co-angler Victory Goes to Hollywood’s Hoy

MCCORMICK, S.C. (Sept. 21, 2020) – Boater Joshua Rockefeller of Harlem, Georgia, brought a two-day total of nine bass to the scale weighing 21 pounds even to win the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine South Carolina Division Super-Tournament at Clarks Hill Lake. For his victory, Rockefeller earned $4,668.

“I caught them frogging,” said Rockefeller, who earned his first career Bass Fishing League victory. “I was throwing a Zoom Horny Toad and a (Stanley) Ribbit frog, and I was also mixing it up with a Strike King hollow-body frog.

“The key was never putting it down,” Rockefeller continued. “I was on the north end, fishing about three miles north of the bridge, right around Murray Creek. I kept that frog in my hand all day – you’d get the bites, but you had to keep your bait in the water. It feels awesome to get the win.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:

1^st: Joshua Rockefeller of Harlem, Ga., nine bass, 21-0, $4,668

2^nd: Ross Burns of Columbia, S.C., 10 bass, 20-14, $2,334

3^rd: Jeremiah Jensen of Columbia, S.C., seven bass, 20-2, $1,557

4^th: Donald Miller of Thomson, Ga., 10 bass, 18-13, $1,636

5^th: Chuck Howard of Elloree, S.C., nine bass, 14-4, $934

6^th: Sandy Oliver of Hartsville, S.C., six bass, 13-13, $856

7^th: Jerry Pelfrey of Laurens, S.C., 10 bass, 13-13, $778

8^th: Austin Johnson of Chesnee, S.C., 10 bass, 13-11, $700

9^th: Winston Husband of Gilbert, S.C., eight bass, 12-10, $622

10^th: Nick Gant of Myrtle Beach, S.C., eight bass, 12-9, $545

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Miller earned the day’s $547 Boater Big Bass award with a 5-pound, 5-ounce bass.

Roger Medlock of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, 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.

Jack Daniel Hoy of Hollywood, South Carolina, earned the win in the Co-angler Division Sunday after catching a two-day total of nine bass weighing 16 pounds, 6 ounces. Hoy earned $2,334 for his victory.

The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:

1^st: Jack Daniel Hoy of Hollywood, S.C., nine bass, 16-6, $2,334

2^nd: Roger Coggins of Greenville, S.C., eight bass, 12-15, $1,167

3^rd: Blake Winans of Sumter, S.C., six bass, 11-7, $779

4^th: Jeff Rikard of Leesville, S.C., six bass, 11-5, $1,045

5^th: Markice Johnson of Thomson, Ga., nine bass, 10-15, $467

6^th: Michael Penney of Columbia, S.C., five bass, 10-14, $702

7^th: Dave Leggett of McCormick, S.C., seven bass, 10-3, $389

8^th: Thomas Robbins of Jackson, S.C., eight bass, 9-1, $350

9^th: Ken Hodges of Hodges, S.C., five bass, 8-11, $311

10^th: Eddie Hall of Inman, S.C., five bass, 8-7, $272

Penney earned the event’s Co-angler Big Bass Award of $274 with a fish weighing in at 4 pounds, 4 ounces.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on Clarks Hill Lake was the fifth and final qualifying event in the 2020 South Carolina Division.

Now the top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the South Carolina Division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 16-18 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Lake Cherokee 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.

by AnglersChannel

Grand Lake to Host 2021 Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI National Championship

Nation’s Top Collegiate Bass Anglers to Visit Oklahoma for Three-Day Tournament in Grove

GROVE, Okla. (Sept. 21, 2020) – FLW announced Monday that the 12th annual Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI National Championship will be held on Oklahoma’s Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees in 2021. The tournament, slated for March 3-5, showcases the nation’s best collegiate anglers and awards the winners a $33,500 prize package, including a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard and automatic entry into the 2021 Toyota Series Championship where they will compete for a top prize of up to $235,000.

The event on Grand Lake will directly follow Major League Fishing’s REDCREST, the Bass Pro Tour’s championship event and outdoor show. Although the fishery has never hosted a collegiate national championship, Grand Lake has played host to numerous major bass-fishing tournaments over the years and proved to be a fantastic fishery as anglers hauled in high numbers of solid limits.

“We couldn’t be more excited to be bringing the 2021 National Championship to Grand Lake,” said Kevin Hunt, Senior Director of Tournament Operations for Abu Garcia College Fishing. “The entire bass-fishing world will have their focus on Oklahoma and Grand Lake for REDCREST, and we are pumped for the opportunity to follow it with the sport’s next generation of stars competing on one of the top fisheries in the country.”

The championship, hosted by the Grove Convention and Tourism Bureau and the City of Grove, will launch from the Wolf Creek Park Marina, located at 963 N. 16^th St. in Grove.

“The City of Grove is very excited to be chosen as the site for the prestigious College Fishing National Championship,” said Grove Mayor Ed Trumbull. “We look forward to having the best collegiate anglers in the nation in our community, utilizing Wolf Creek Park, and fishing on Grand Lake O’ The Cherokees.”

Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI teams compete in three regular-season qualifying tournaments in one of five conferences – Central, Northern, Southern, Southeastern and Western. The top 10 teams from each division’s three regular-season tournaments along with 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.

The complete schedule and rules for the 2021 Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI season will be announced this fall. The full schedule and rules will be posted online at 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.

by AnglersChannel

Dalton Kelly from Top Ranked Murray State Wins Bass Pro Shops Big Bass Bash presented by Berkley

Berkley Choppo Dominates Day 2 Fish Catches During Tournament Action on Kentucky Lake

PARIS, TN (September 20, 2020) – The final weigh-in session has concluded, and anglers are now on their way home from the 2020 Bass Pro Shops Big Bass Bash presented by Berkley. Paris, TN and Kentucky Lake proved yet again why this is considered one of the top tournament destinations in the country. Anglers enjoyed beautiful weather conditions and a plentiful number of quality bites during the two days of competition. The final day, which featured anglers using only Berkley baits, lived up to its billing as one of the most anticipated days of the year.

Matthew Cummings started things off with a bang as he brought a 4.78 pound bass across the stage to claim top honors for Day 2 Session 1 presented by Abu Garcia. He caught the session winning fish on a Berkley Hit Worm, a finesse style soft plastic. Cummings became the third Bethel University angler to win a session at this weekend’s tournament. By taking 1st Place in that session, he received a $300 Bass Pro Shops gift card, Abu Garcia Veritas rod, and an Abu Garcia Revo S reel.

A Berkley topwater bait helped to reel in the winning fish of Day 2 Session 2 presented by Berkley. Evan Hill from the University of Tennessee caught a bass weighing 4.07 pounds on the Berkley Choppo. “We were just fishing along a nothing bank near a marina,” said Hill. “That fish came up and hit that Berkley Choppo.” The Choppo is a propellor style topwater bait that excels when being reeled continuously across the surface of the water. Many anglers in the field received one of these baits as part of their swag bags before the event began.

Dalton Kelly from number one ranked Murray State University won Session 3, and claimed 1st place overall for the entire event, with a largemouth bass weighing 5.53 lbs. “Honestly, I can’t believe that just happened,” noted Kelly. “I caught that fish on a Berkley Choppo.” Kelly, who had already weighed in during another session earlier in the day, became the second angler on day two of competition to win a session using the Berkley Choppo. He earned a $1,000 Bass Pro Shops gift card, Abu Garcia Revo Ike spinning reel, and an Abu Garcia Veritas rod.

Murray State University entered the Bass Pro Shops Big Bass Bash presented by Berkley in 1st place for Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia. Kelly’s victory will earn the team 1,000 points to go along with their second highest finishing angler inside of the Top 100. Murray has consistently finished at the top of the School of the Year standings over the course of the last 10 years. A hot start to the 2020-2021 season could go a long ways in helping them secure their first School of the Year title in team history.

by AnglersChannel

Lieblong Wins Toyota Series Tournament at Lake Dardanelle presented by Fish-Intel

Arkansas Pro Takes Home Top Payout of $70,000

RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. (Sept. 21, 2020) – Conway, Arkansas’ Jason Lieblong weighed five bass totaling 15 pounds, 15 ounces, Saturday – the largest limit of the event – to win the three-day Toyota Series at Lake Dardanelle presented by Fish-Intel tournament in Russellville, Arkansas. Lieblong’s three-day total of 15 bass weighing 40-9 earned him the top payout of $70,227, including the lucrative $35,000 FLW PHOENIX BONUS contingency award, in the first tournament of the 2020 Toyota Series Plains Division.

Lieblong spent most of the tournament in a relatively small area in the lower part of Lake Dardanelle that teemed with baitfish. He caught most of them on a white Z-Man ChatterBait Jack Hammer and a bone colored topwater by Paycheck Baits called The One, which is no longer produced. He also flipped wood cover with a green pumpkin Zoom Brush Hog.

Discouraged from nearly a half decade of futility on his home lake, Lieblong said he dedicated himself this year to winning this Toyota Series event. He fished many small tournaments throughout the summer and paid close attention to prominent local anglers like Kevin Short, who finished 10th in this event.

“That’s the best of the best,” Lieblong said. “Fishing against those guys every weekend, you’re doing something. It’s time on the water. Find a spot here and there and find out what’s going on. It’s making the right choices, like coming back downriver yesterday when we weren’t getting bit upriver.

“The lake level was high on the lower end, which makes it good for my kind of fishing,” Lieblong explained. “The wind pushed the bait out, but they were still on points in 2 to 3 feet of water. The shad were so thick you could almost walk on them. We threw a ChatterBait or Spook to fire them up, and it never stopped.”

The top 10 pros on Lake Dardanelle finished:

1^st: Jason Lieblong of Conway, Ark., 15 bass, 40-9, $70,227

2^nd: Kevin Riney of Bono, Ark., 15 bass, 38-5, $13,069

3^rd: Teddy Bogard of Rison, Ark., 15 bass, 36-1, $10,118

4^th: Joe Bennett of Ashland, Mo., 14 bass, 34-0, $8,432

5^th: Steve Floyd of Leesburg, Ohio, 14 bass, 33-12, $7,589

6^th: Dicky Newberry of Houston, Texas, 15 bass, 33-3, $6,745

7^th: Billy Doak of Centerview, Mo., 15 bass, 32-5, $5,902

8^th: Kyle Weisenburger of Columbus Grove, Ohio, 13 bass, 32-0, $5,172

9^th: Cody Bird of Granbury, Texas, 14 bass, 31-8, $4,216

10^th: Kevin Short of Fairfield Bay, Ark., 11 bass, 24-4, $3,373

A complete list of results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Lieblong took home an extra $35,000 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.

Jeremy Parker of Batavia, Illinois, won the Co-angler Division Saturday with a three-day total of nine bass weighing 17 pounds, 1 ounce. Parker 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 Dardanelle finished:

1^st: Jeremy Parker of Batavia, Ill., nine bass, 17-1, Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat w/115-hp outboard

2^nd: Bill Amis of Shawnee, Kan., seven bass, 16-12, $4,376

3^rd: Scott Parsons of Rogers, Ark., six bass, 16-1, $3,478

4^th: Don Billiot of Hot Springs Village, Ark., seven bass, 15-15, $3,011

5^th: Derrick Wright of Carl Junction, Mo., eight bass, 15-4, $2,581

6^th: John Kozel of Overland Park, Kan., seven bass, 15-3, $2,151

7^th: Matt Kelley of Willard, Mo., six bass, 13-14, $1,757

8^th: John Foster Case of Clarksville, Ark., seven bass, 13-11, $1,505

9^th: Jaret Rushing of Hampton, Ark., eight bass, 12-13, $1,290

10^th: Kendrick Hopes of Lonoke, Ark., seven bass, 12-0, $1,075

The Toyota Series at Lake Dardanelle presented by Fish-Intel was hosted by Russellville Advertising and Promotions. It was the first of three regular-season tournaments in 2020 for Plains Division anglers. The next event for Toyota Series anglers will take place Sept. 24-26 – the Toyota Series at Clear Lake in Clearlake, California. 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.

by AnglersChannel

Dobson Wins Toyota Series Event on Detroit River

TRENTON, Mich. (Sept. 21, 2020) – Pro Scott Dobson of Clarkston, Michigan, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 18 pounds, 9 ounces to win the three-day Toyota Series at the Detroit River event in Trenton, Michigan. Dobson’s three-day total of 15 bass weighing 59-3 earned him the win by a 1-pound, 7-ounce margin over second-place angler Troy Stokes of Brownstown, Michigan, and earned Dobson the top payout of $27,534 in the third and final tournament of the 2020 Toyota Series Northern Division.

Dobson said that he caught fish on more than a half dozen baits and weighed fish from the mouth of the Detroit River near Erie to the mouth of the St. Clair River in St. Clair.

“I appreciate them making the call to keep us all in the river day one and two, I don’t think I’ve ever fished 16 hours in the Detroit River in two tournament days,” said Dobson. “I grew up here in Trenton, I see a lot of Trenton people here, it’s awesome to win a big tournament out of Trenton.”

Dobson’s baits this week ran the gamut, but aside from a few fish caught on dragging baits, his main players were moving baits. His umbrella rig of choice was a Shane’s Baits Mini Blades of Glory with Keitech Swing Impact FAT swimbaits. For his spinnerbait, he used a ¾-ounce War Eagle Spinnerbait with gold and silver willow blades and a trailer hook. On the jerkbait side of things, Dobson wielded a Megabass Vision 110+1, a Lucky Craft Pointer 100 and a Duo Realis Jerkbait 100DR.

His dragging baits included a 5-inch tube on a ¾-ounce head and a magnum Ned rig with a Z-Man Giant TRD cut in half on a ½-ounce Nichols Lures Magnum Ned Rig Jig Head. He also mixed in a drop-shot with a Poor Boy's Erie Darter and a 3/8-ounce weight.

On days one and two, Dobson targeted fish in the river, catching a few off a rock pile on a flat, but catching most of his fish in current on the faces of points and breaks. In some places, he threw the umbrella rig, and on other spots he slow-rolled the spinnerbait in water as deep as 15 feet.

Saturday, Dobson started in the river on a community hole at the mouth, some shallow rock and a couple of deeper current spots. Then he burned up to the mouth of the St. Clair River.

“I knew it was still going to be rough, but I wanted to get three in the box,” Dobson said. “I knew there was another tournament up there, and I wanted some fish in the box in case I got there and couldn’t get on anything or they had snatched a few.”

Once in St. Clair, Dobson got on a spot at the mouth of the river that was loaded with fish, but they were barely catchable for him. His first cast produced a 4-pounder, he broke off another on the next cast and then failed to catch any quality the rest of the time. So, he headed back down into the river.

“With 5-minutes to go I caught a 4-pounder,” says Dobson. “I slow-rolled the spinnerbait up the face of a point, probably 12 feet down, and she hammered it, and then I came in.”

The top 10 pros on the Detroit River finished:

1^st: Scott Dobson of Clarkston, Mich., 15 bass, 59-3, $27,534

2^nd: Troy Stokes of Brownstown, Mich., 15 bass, 57-12, $10,669

3^rd: Wilson Burton of Findlay, Ohio, 15 bass, 56-15, $9,260

4^th: Josh Kolodzaike of Toledo, Ohio, 15 bass, 56-5, $6,883

5^th: Mike Trombly of Belleville, Mich., 15 bass, 54-11, $6,195

6^th: Chase Serafin of White Lake, Mich., 15 bass, 54-5, $5,507

7^th: Randy Ramsey of Burlington, Mich., 15 bass, 52-0, $4,818

8^th: Matt Becker of Finleyville, Pa., 15 bass, 49-3, $4,130

9^th: Robert Lefere of Jackson, Mich., 15 bass, 48-14, $3,442

10^th: Ryan Davidson of Branchland, W.Va., 12 bass, 40-4, $2,753

A complete list of results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Burton 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.

Tony Grubb of Ann Arbor, Michigan, won the Co-angler Division Saturday with a three-day total of 14 bass weighing 46 pounds, 5 ounces. Grubb 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 the Detroit River finished:

1^st: Tony Grubb of Ann Arbor, Mich., 14 bass, 46-5, Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat w/115-hp outboard

2^nd: Rod Mackinnon of Middletown, N.Y., 13 bass, 45-3, $3,625

3^rd: Jon Witt of Allegan, Mich., 13 bass, 43-8, $2,863

4^th: John Husnay of Marcy, N.Y., 12 bass, 38-3, $2,481

5^th: Dan Mundy of Swartz Creek, Mich., 14 bass, 36-15, $2,127

6^th: Mark Sturgill of Brownstown, Mich., 12 bass, 32-15, $1,772

7^th: Darwin Griva of Hamilton, Ind., 10 bass, 32-5, $1,418

8^th: Zac Mumford of Covington, Ohio, nine bass, 28-14, $1,241

9^th: Arnold Payne Jr. of Kokomo, Ind., eight bass, 23-3, $1,063

10^th: Aaron Stahley of Batavia, Ohio, seven bass, 21-6, $886

The Toyota Series at the Detroit River was hosted by the Detroit Sports Commission and the City of Trenton Parks and Recreation. It was the third and final regular-season tournaments in 2020 for Northern Division anglers. The next event for Toyota Series anglers will take place Sept. 24-26 – the Toyota Series at Clear Lake in Clearlake, California. For a complete schedule, visit FLWFishing.com.

The 2020 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.

by AnglersChannel

STOKES LEADS TOYOTA SERIES ON THE DETROIT RIVER

September 17, 2020 by Jody White

Wind kept the pros in the Toyota Series Northern Division event on the Detroit River pinned to the actual river, but the fishing was still very good. Plenty of anglers brought in 17 pounds or more, and the leaders are all concentrated around the 20-pound mark. In first, Troy Stokes of Brownstown, Mich., weighed 21 pounds, 4 ounces to kick things off. In second, Scott Dobson cracked 20-14, and Dan Mittlestat and Wilson Burton also crossed the 20-pound barrier.

Complete results

With the wind forecasted to be even stronger on day two, the anglers will be fishing in the river again tomorrow. For Stokes, that’s not the worst thing, because he’s been making the trek from Sandusky to the Detroit River for most of the season.

Troy Stokes

Today, Stokes pulled out most of the stops to stay away from the crowd.

“It was crazy, I started fishing, and I hit some honey holes first thing, and there’s like 10 boats on everything,” says Stokes. “I have some other stuff that no one is fishing, and I just kept bouncing around until I hit them.”

Stokes says that he never fished next to another boat after his starting spot, and he caught his bigger fish one at a time.

“I’ve got maybe one school, but they’re not big,” he says. “But, it’s a good spot to get a limit. The spots where I caught the big ones, it was pretty much just one big one. I didn’t do anything special, just regular smallmouth stuff. I caught one on a spinnerbait, other than that, it was a drop-shot for the most part.”

Fishing right on the bank and in more than 20 feet of water, Stokes covered about everything the river has to offer. Given the chance to go anywhere he wants, he says he’s got some stuff in Erie to hit, but he’s not too disappointed to be stuck in the river.

2. Scott Dobson – Clarkston, Mich. – 20 - 14 (5)

As is so often the case for Scott Dobson, he caught a bunch of smallmouths on moving baits in a river.

“Everything right now is predicated on the shad and the current and moving baits,” says Dobson. “Spinnerbaits, crankbaits, a-rigs, swimbaits, jerkbaits. I’m sure guys are catching them on a drop-shot, but the big fish are keying in on big shad. Every one of my fish came on a moving bait.”

Fishing a whole slew of spots from shallow to deep, Dobson says that more moderate current is key. He also did markedly better later in the day, catching most of his big ones from about 11 a.m. on.

“The floating grass was a big problem today,” says Dobson. “The eelgrass is dying off, it’s starting to float downriver and usually a north wind for a few days will blow it out, but it’s everywhere now.”

3. Dan Mittlestat – Woodhaven, Mich. – 20 - 9 (5)

A Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine Michigan Division stalwart, Dan Mittlestat put his local knowledge to work on day one.

“For me to catch 20 pounds today was pretty special,” says Mittlestat. “I had a terrible practice on St. Clair and an even worse practice down here.”

Still, Mittlestat ended up putting it together nicely.

“It started off awful, the current was ripping, and the water I was fishing was pretty dirty,” he says. “So, I scrubbed my plan and went back to the basics. I’m local, so I just went back to some old jump holes and the current slowed down enough to get them to set up on some boulders. So, I just kept my bait vertical and caught them pretty good between 11 and 12 o’clock.”

Culling twice and catching perhaps 12 keepers, Mittlestat isn’t too sure about tomorrow, but things are definitely looking up after day one.

4. Wilson Burton – Findlay, Ohio – 20 - 7 (5)

Had the tournament only been 30 minutes long, Wilson Burton would have locked up the W in a hurry.

“I went out to my spot and there were like five boats in the area,” says Burton. “I drifted off to the left, and I started doing something different than everybody else and it started producing.”

Burton says he caught his limit in about 10 casts once he started doing the right thing, catching fish on back-to-back casts multiple times.

“Tomorrow is going to be tough,” Burton says. “People saw what I was doing and they moved in, and I’m going to be a late boat tomorrow.”

Still, Burton isn’t too mad to be in the river. He says he’s practiced a lot in the river, and even if the weather calmed down and he could go anywhere, he’d still be sticking it out in the Detroit River.

5. Josh Kolodzaike – Toledo, Ohio – 19 - 10 (5)

One of two pros who caught 19 pounds, Josh Kolodzaike doesn’t want to give too much up, especially considering the crowded nature of some parts of the Detroit River.

“I caught a limit pretty early and then went to a couple other spots and culled up to catch some bigger ones,” says Kolodzaike. “I caught them on some shallow spots, and I lost one good one, but other than that I fished pretty clean.”

Kolodzaike says that the amount of boats isn’t really the issue, but the amount the fish are moving is.

“I’m not worried too much about the pressure, but the size is an issue,” he says. “There were good ones on a couple spots today, and if the wrong ones are there tomorrow, I could easily catch 15 pounds instead. There’s skinny ones and fat ones, and if the fat ones are there, you’re going to have a good day.”

Top 10 pros

1. Troy Stokes – Brownstown, Mich. – 21 - 4 (5)

2. Scott Dobson – Clarkston, Mich. – 20 - 14 (5)

3. Dan Mittlestat – Woodhaven, Mich. – 20 - 9 (5)

4. Wilson Burton – Findlay, Ohio – 20 - 7 (5)

5. Josh Kolodzaike – Toledo, Ohio – 19 - 10 (5)

6. Jim Vitaro – Wooster, Ohio – 19 - 2 (5)

7. Tom Beale – St. Clair Shores, Mich. – 18 - 13 (5)

8. Randy Ramsey – Burlington, Mich. – 18 - 9 (5)

9. Mike Trombly – Belleville, Mich. – 18 - 4 (5)

10. Matthew Kiefer – Fort Wayne, Ind. – 18 - 1 (5)

Complete results

by AnglersChannel

KING TOPS DAY 1 AT DARDANELLE TOYOTA SERIES

September 17, 2020 by Marshall Ford

Zach King of Clarksville, Ark., used a Heddon Zara Spook to catch 14 pounds, 11 ounces claim the day one lead in the Toyota Series Plains Division event on Lake Dardanelle presented by Fish-Intel. King will take a 6-ounce lead over Matt Wood of Jessieville, Ark., into day two.

Complete results

“I caught 15 keepers junk fishing mostly,” King says. “I caught some on a Rat-L-Trap, and I caught some on a worm. I caught some on a River2Sea Whopper Plopper, but the main bait I’ve been catching them on is a (Zara) Spook. I caught them all day on it.”

King says it took him until about 9:30 a.m. to find a groove. After that, he says he caught fish consistently on light-colored lures.

“I didn’t have a fish at 9 o’clock,” King says. “I pulled up on a spot, and at 9:25 I was culling. When I figured that out, I started running that pattern, and I caught them all day.”

Although current surged through the lake all morning, King says current was not a factor for him.

“I have some places that have got current, and I have some places where there is no current,” King says. “They’re keying in on shad right now. I don’t think current’s going to bother them too much.”

King has fished Dardanelle his entire life and says the lake is true to its usual mid-September form.

“This time of year, the pattern I’m running is pretty good,” King says.

Matt Wood

2. Matt Wood – Jessieville, Ark. – 14 - 5 (5)

After an unproductive practice, Matt Wood feared he was doomed to a dud tournament, but a single hot spot put him in contention.

“Practice was brutal, to say the least,” Wood says. “I caught just a few keepers all week long. I found one little area that had some fish. I ran to it this morning, and they were biting.”

Wood had his weigh-in limit by 9:30 a.m. Plenty of fish remained, but Wood left them because he said there were none that would improve his weight.

“I hated to set the hook on many more because I knew 12-13 pounds a day was going to be good,” Wood says. “My scale said had 14, so I knew I was all over it.”

Wood says he caught his fish in shallow structure, but it isn’t part of a reliable pattern. His spot just happened to pop on Thursday.

“That’s the way this lake is. You find one spot that has fish and they’re either going to bite or not,” Wood says. “Tomorrow I could zero, but I’m optimistic I can catch them.”

KYLE WEISENBURGER

3. Kyle Weisenburger – Columbus Grove, Ohio – 13 - 12 (5)

Like Wood, Kyle Weisenburger practiced poorly, and his slump continued until 1 p.m. on Thursday. His fortunes improved dramatically when he found fish in shallow grass in the back of a pocket. He only caught five fish all day, but they were the right kind.

“I saw a bunch of bait and I started flipping some grass in there, and I came across four good bites to finish off the day,” Weisenburger says.

Weisenburger says he caught his fish inside the grass. The bites were quick and decisive.

“Looking at Google Maps, that’s what I wanted to do down here, but I really struggled to make that bite happen,” Weisenburger says. “Luckily I decided to go back to it at the end of the day, and luckily there was a group of fish in there. Truly, I thought it might be a zero day after about the first two hours, but it turned into a good day.”

Like Wood, Weisenburger says his spot is situational and not linked to a reliable pattern. There was no current on his spot Thursday, and visibility was about 1 foot deep. He said the key factor was sunlight and wind pushing bait into the pocket.

“That made it come alive,” Weisenburger says. “I’m going to swing for the fences tomorrow. I’m catching quality fish doing what I’m doing.”

4. Joe Bennett – Ashland, Mo. – 13 - 6 (5)

Unlike the top three anglers, Joe Bennett came out of the gate in full gallop and caught a 4-pounder on a spinnerbait in the first five minutes to set a quick pace. Unfortunately, electrical problems cost him the last two hours of fishing.

“I culled quite a few, but my cranking battery died, and then my aerators wouldn’t work,” Bennett says. “I couldn’t fish the last two hours.”

Bennett says his pattern is strong, and nothing can happen overnight to help or hurt him.

“I just have to put them in the boat,” Bennett says. “I lost a couple of fish today. One was over 5 pounds and it just jumped and came off. I could have culled a 14-inch fish with that 5-pounder. The malfunctions hurt quite a bit, too.”

Steve Floyd

5. Steve Floyd – Leesburg, Ohio – 13 - 1 (5)

Flipping a Strike King Rage Bug on shallow wood cover in an up-lake backwater enabled Steve Floyd to catch nine keepers, including five that totaled 13-1.

Floyd says his pattern is strong, but it would be stronger if the water rose.

“Current is not important where I was at,” Floyd says. “The water fell today, and it hurt. They’ve been biting real good in the morning.”

Many anglers said they lost fish and they complained that bites were not aggressive. Floyd experienced it, too.

“I lost a couple of fish early that kind of hurt,” Floyd says. “They’re biting funny. They really are. I’d put it in a laydown and the line would jump. I’d set the hook and get nothing. There was a lot of that.”

Baitfish were key to Floyd’s area. He caught fish in practice around bait with spinnerbaits and buzzbaits, but bass wouldn’t hit them Thursday.

“I just had to bear down and flip most of the day,” Floyd says. “They’re biting early. The shad are popping and then it’ll go dead a little bit about 9:30 or 10 o’clock. and then it picks back up later in the day.”

Top 10 pros

1. Zach King – Clarksville, Ark. – 14 - 11 (5)

2. Matt Wood – Jessieville, Ark. – 14 - 5 (5)

3. Kyle Weisenburger – Columbus Grove, Ohio – 13 - 12 (5)

4. Joe Bennett – Ashland, Mo. – 13 - 6 (5)

5. Steve Floyd – Leesburg, Ohio – 13 - 1 (5)

6. Teddy Bogard – Rison, Ark. – 12 - 5 (5)

7. Dylan Hays – Hot Springs, Ark. – 11 - 14 (5)

8. Spencer Shuffield – Hot Springs, Ark. – 11 - 13 (5)

9. Jason Lieblong – Conway, Ark. – 11 - 10 (5)

10. Israel Mills – Donaldson, Ark. – 11 - 8 (5)

Complete results

Bill Amis

Amis Seizes Co-Angler Lead

Fishing soft plastics over a sandy drop enabled Bill Amis of Shawnee, Kan., to nail down the co-angler lead with four bass weighing 11 pounds, 5 ounces.

Amis says his pattern was being paired with a generous pro, DeWayne French of Mammoth Spring, Ark., that put Amis in a position to catch fish.

“I had a good guide and he done great,” Amis says. “You can’t catch them from the back of the boat unless they put you on them.”

Once on them, Amis put them in the boat dragging green pumpkin Zoom Baby Brush Hog on drops.

Complete results

by AnglersChannel

MONTEVALLO TAKES COLLEGE OPEN TITLE ON KY LAKE

September 17, 2020 by Justin Onslow

As tough as Kentucky Lake was fishing this week in the Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI Open, Grayson Morris and Jacob Pfundt of the University of Montevallo leading after day one and finishing the job on Thursday resulted in one of the more impressive wins you’ll see.

After weighing in a day-one best 12-13, the duo backed it up with another 12-7 on day two for the victory, displaying the kind of consistency it takes to grind it out in tough fishing conditions. For their efforts, Morris and Pfundt were awarded a new Phoenix bass boat with a 115-hp Mercury outboard.

Complete results

The Montevallo duo was the only team in the entire tournament to weigh in a limit both days. It’s sometimes cliché to talk about just bringing a limit to the scales to have a shot, but this week, it couldn’t have been more accurate.

“Consistency always pays off,” Morris says. “Everyone out here can catch fish. When you have a pattern that you think you can get five bites a day off of, especially on Kentucky Lake, you might as well grind it out and stick to that.”

Jacob Pfundt, Grayson Morris

Morris and Pfundt got more than five bites a day, but only barely, and only because they had confidence in the one area they found in practice in which they got more than one bite.

“Yesterday, we had eight bites, but only five of them kept,” Pfundt says. “Today, we got eight bites, and all of them would have kept, but we only culled once.”

“Either way, we didn’t get that many bites,” Morris adds. “It was just a grind.”

It was a grind for the entire field, due in part to rising water at a time of year when bass want to be moving off the bank and closer to deeper water to corral baitfish. That high water also caused fish to be scattered more than they otherwise would be, which is why finding the area they did was so key for Morris and Pfundt.

Plying the same stretch of bank they found in practice and plucked 12-13 from on day one, the pair went to work on the final day in search of a few key bites. With the wind blowing harder than the day before, Morris and Pfundt found their stretch of bank was windswept with bait being pushed right up into it.

Two baits got the job done from there: A Reaction Innovations Vixen and a River2Sea Whopper Plopper 130, both in the bone color. The team didn’t have another rod on the deck. They covered water, running the same bank all day save for a brief period in which they ran to some deeper brush, only to pump the brakes and return to their best area.

“We messed around with it (brush) a little bit, but pretty much as soon as we went there, we had a bad feeling about it and ran back to our main area,” Pfundt says. “We didn’t catch a keeper in the brush yesterday, but we figured we should check and keep it honest.”

Again, it came down to faith in their best area – or least the realization that it probably wouldn’t get much better than that spot.

Jacob Pfundt, Grayson Morris

“When we got two bites on the same bank, we thought it had to mean something,” Morris explains. “Everybody else was getting two or three bites a day. It’s huge this time of year, just finding some fish.”

Morris has had success on Kentucky Lake in the past, particularly in high school tournaments, but that prior success did little to reassure Morris and Pfundt after a tough practice period. Those high school tournaments taught Morris two important things, though: Getting bites on Kentucky Lake can be a grind, and sticking with the good game plan is the only way around it.

“We knew we had to catch five,” Pfundt says. “It was just relief. We caught our fifth at probably at 12 o’clock. It was more of a relief than anything because we were just worried about bringing in five.”

As it turns out, they had good reason to be relieved. Winning by just 1 pound, 15 ounces, anything less than a full limit probably would have spelled disaster.

“We’re feeling just shocked,” Morris says after weigh-in. “It doesn’t even feel real. I’ve had a lot of success on this lake, and I just continue to be blessed on it. Me and Jacob had a great day. We had a lot of bonding time and had a good time on the water catching some fish.”

It sure is easier to have a good time when there’s a winner check waiting for you at the weigh-in stage.

Grayson Morris, Jacob Pfundt

Top 10 teams

1. Grayson Morris and Jacob Pfundt – University of Montevallo – 25-4 (10) – $30,000

2. Joseph McClosky and Ryan Winchester – Bethel University – 23-5 (9)

3. Mark Harris and Reece Martin – Dallas Baptist University – 23-1 (9)

4. Dalton Kelly and Jacob Autry – Murray State University – 22-12 (9)

5. Harbor Lovin and Luke McKinney – Murray State University – 20-2 (7)

6. Matt Marcel and Hunter Palmer – Bryan College – 19-4 (8)

7. Kaden Proffitt and Cason Ragsdale – East Texas Baptist University – 18-8 (7)

8. Tristan McCormick and Steven Mills – Bethel University – 17-6 (7)

9. Cody Ross and Cameron Tullis – East Texas Baptist University – 17-1 (8)

10. Wil Rigdon and Hunter Grant Adams – Campbellsville University – 16-15 (7)

by AnglersChannel

Warm Fall Temperatures Await Anglers At Bassmaster Eastern Open On Hartwell

ANDERSON, S.C. — Autumn officially arrives a day before the Basspro.com Bassmaster Eastern Open on Lake Hartwell begins. That means anglers will be dealing with summer’s lingering swelter as they seek to unlock this 56,000-acre reservoir straddling the Georgia/South Carolina border.

September began with the tournament’s host city, Anderson, S.C., sweating through daytime highs around 90. Weather forecasts show that number sliding into the upper 70s by tournament week. Even with overnight lows dipping into the 50s, that likely will not have time to impact surface temperatures, which have been holding in the low to mid-80s for most of the summer.

Competition days will be Sept. 23-25 with daily takeoffs at 7 a.m. ET from Green Pond Landing and Event Center. Weigh-ins will be held back at Green Pond each day at 3 p.m., with a full field fishing Days 1 and 2 and the Top 12 in the pro and co-angler divisions competing on Championship Friday.

While the calendar says fall, Bassmaster Elite Series pro Patrick Walters of South Carolina said he expects to hear the dog days barking through tournament week.

“It’s been extremely warm, but I think there will a shallow and a deep bite,” Walters said. “One of the keys will be staying conditioned; being able to fish for eight hours.”

Hartwell owes its existence to the namesake dam, completed in 1962 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The dam backs up the Savannah River, which is formed by the confluence of the Tugaloo and Seneca rivers, 7 miles upstream. At normal pool elevation, Hartwell extends 49 miles up the former and 45 up the latter.

At its deepest, the lake is 185 feet, but it averages 45. With Hartwell standing just a few inches over normal pool of 660 feet, there’s plenty of shallow cover available. With that said, Walters believes the tournament will show off just about every feature Hartwell has to offer.

“The entire lake will play; the lower part will be better for schoolers, while the upper part will offer a mix of all (options),” Walters said. “There’s not one spot that it will be won on this time of year.

“There will be guys fishing from the dam to way up the rivers. That’s what makes fall so interesting.”

For spotted bass schooling in 30 to 40 feet of water, Walters likes big, shiny topwaters like Rapala’s 5 1/4-inch Skitter V 13 in chrome. Long popping-style baits like the Cotton Cordell Pencil Popper or the Lucky Craft Gunfish also work.

When the deep bite turns tough, Walters suggests sending a drop shot through suspended fish. Spots that don’t want to run topside will chase down a tiny pink finesse worm heading for the bottom.

For shallow largemouth, topwater lures — walkers, smaller poppers and frogs — offer an effective and enticing way to cover water and find active bass, while flipping wood and docks is Largemouth 101 anywhere in the country. It’s possible there may even be some late-season bluegill bedding activity, but anywhere panfish congregate, largemouth will find the food source.

This time of year, Walters said anglers have to carefully weigh their options and use their time wisely. Spotted bass are abundant, but it’s easy to burn a lot of time on fish that won’t help the limit.

“It’s easy to catch lots of spots, but it’s going to take you all day to get five good ones,” he said. “You’re going to catch a lot of fish, but you’ll have to weed through a lot of little ones.

“There are fewer largemouth, but there’s (the potential for) better quality. You’re not going to catch as many largemouth, but the chances of catching a big fish are higher.”

Walters said he expects the majority of anglers will spend their days chasing spotted bass. Committing to this program means releasing a lot of fish, but a flurry of good bites could quickly elevate an angler in the standings.

Conversely, a shallow game plan will almost certainly prove far less active, while exposing anglers to a potentially bitter reality.

“The largemouth are scattered,” Walters said. “You could spend a day fishing for them and only come in with three. That’s the risk of targeting largemouth this time of year.”

Ultimately, neither approach offers much assurance during this transitional season. Whether an angler chooses to pursue quantity (spotted bass) or quality (largemouth), it’s a gamble either way.

“Mobility will be important, but you have to have confidence in what you’re doing,” Walters said. “It’s going to be hot, it’s going to be a grind, so you have to be able to stick to what you’re doing.”

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 on Bassmaster.com. Both boaters and co-anglers will be logging their catches 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.

The Lake Hartwell derby will be the fourth of eight Basspro.com Bassmaster Opens. After three tournaments, Bryan New, of Belmont, N.C., holds a narrow lead in the Falcon Rods Bassmaster Opens Angler of the Year race.

The tournament is being hosted by Visit Anderson.

by AnglersChannel

Annual Bass Fishing Hall of Fame Auction Achieves Unprecedented Scale

Fishing fans can bid on one-of-a-kind experiences, jerseys, and top-quality gear

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — For Immediate Release — 9.16.20 — The Bass Fishing Hall of Fame is excited to announce its first Digital Hall of Fame Week, which will be anchored by a massive online auction offering up an incredible selection of fishing-related items not available elsewhere. All proceeds from the event will fund the Hall’s continuing efforts to celebrate, promote and preserve the sport of bass fishing. Last month the Hall’s Board of Directors announced that it was funding grants for four conservation efforts. Those projects and others will be the direct beneficiaries of the auction’s revenue.

“Unfortunately, we were not able to hold our 2020 induction banquet as planned,” said Hall of Fame President John Mazurkiewicz. “Nevertheless, the fishing community has demonstrated its strength and resilience by coming together around this common goal. We have been truly overwhelmed by the generosity of the industry and pro bass anglers in filling this auction with amazing items, and we are glad that the public will be able to participate.”

Whether you are looking for a signed jersey from your favorite pro, a fishing trip to a world-class lake, or some top-of-the-line gear, this event has something for everyone. Most notably, it offers one-of-a-kind items, not available anywhere else, like coaching sessions with Kevin VanDam, a day of angling on Jimmy Houston’s ranch, or a fishing trip with 2017 Bassmaster Angler of the Year Brandon Palaniuk. For a full list of items, click here.

“I got very excited the first time I saw all 100+ premium auction items up for grabs in one place,” said board member Casey Shedd, President of AFTCO. “There are trips throughout the country, and even into Canada, along with rare memorabilia and enough tackle to outfit a complete college team.”

Because the Board decided to hold this event exclusively in the digital arena, the five new members of the Hall – Steve Bowman, James Heddon, Bryan Kerchal, Ron Lindner and Jay Yelas – will be honored in person at the 2021 banquet to ensure that their contributions to the sport are properly celebrated.

All Digital Hall of Fame Week event details are located here.

EVENT DETAILS

Event Preview – You can learn more about the event at this link: https://one.bidpal.net/bassfishinghof/welcome Bidding starts Tuesday, September 22 at 9 am ET and ends Friday, September 25 at 2 pm ET. Please be sure you register your account.

by AnglersChannel

AC Insider Podcast - Family First, Fishing Second

This week Chris and the boys talk with newly announced National Professional League Angler, Jeff Dobson about his move from the FLW Tour to the newly formed NPFL. We ask Jeff the tough questions and ultimately its family first then fishing. As it should be.

by AnglersChannel

Toyota Series to Host Event on Clear Lake

CLEARLAKE, Calif. (Sept. 15, 2020) – The 2020 Toyota Series Western Division will finish out their season with a tournament next week in Clearlake, California, Sept. 24-26, with the Toyota Series at Clear Lake. The three-day tournament will feature the region’s best bass-fishing pros and co-anglers casting for a top prize of up to $65,000, plus a $35,000 bonus if the winner is a qualified Phoenix Boat owner.

“There will be stellar competition at Clear Lake, which will make for an exciting tournament,” said Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit TITLE ChampionRusty Salewske of Alpine, California, who has two top-10 finishes on Clear Lake in Toyota Series competition. “The locals fishing in this event have spent a lot of time in different levels of bass fishing, from FLW to Bassmaster to Major League Fishing and back.

“This time of year frees up a lot of anglers – MLF pros Jared Lintner and Brett Hite will be there – I’ve heard rumors that MLF pros Brent Ehrler and Ish Monroe may be competing as well. There will be a lot of hammers and some amazing anglers so it will be a very tough competition.”

Salewske said fall tournaments on Clear Lake have been won both on topwater and in 20 feet of water, so the big bites could come anywhere, making it exciting this time of year.

“I’m looking forward to the possibility of a 30-pound stringer every time I go out on the water,” Salewske continued. “I predict 17 pounds per day will win this tournament. It could be as high as 25 per day, but a three-day bag of 51 pounds should do it.”

Anglers will take off daily at 7 a.m. PT from the Redbud Park Boat Ramp, located at 14655 Lakeshore Drive in Clearlake. Weigh-ins will also be held at the Redbud Park Boat Ramp and will begin at 3 p.m. Attendance is limited to competing anglers and essential staff only. Fans are encouraged to follow the event online through the “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.

by AnglersChannel

American Baitworks Pro Lenny DeVos Wins Renegade Bass Tour Canadian Championship

DeVos and partner Jeff Desloges take the win on St. Lawrence River

September 16, 2020, Ocean Springs, Mississippi – When it comes to fishing the St. Lawrence River, the weather is always a factor. Idyllic conditions on Saturday made for great fishing and big weights, with 15 teams weighing in 20lbs+ limits of 5 fish. Sunday’s conditions saw the switch flip, on the St. Lawrence, as high South winds and heavy bands of rain turned conditions upside down, on the famed smallmouth river.

American Baitworks Pro Lenny DeVos and his partner Jeff Desloges finished Day 1 of the Canadian Championship in 3rd place, sacking 22.51lbs of St Lawrence Smallmouth, trailing Day 1 leaders, American Baitworks Pros Scott Lecky and Steve Bean, who weighed in an unreal 25.66lbs.

Day 2’s major weather shift, would also result in a major change in the standings, as high winds and intermittent heavy rains would hamper the teams targeting shallow water smallmouth and open the window for the deep fish bite, to dominate the final championship day.

DeVos’ Day 1 bite would rely on fishing for deep smallmouth in 25’ to 45’ of water and he continued that pattern on Day 2. DeVos relied on Set The Hook Co.’s drop shot baits; Crush Worms and Drifters in Smokin Joe pattern (https://americanbaitworks.com/products/stumpy-crush-worm) (https://americanbaitworks.com/products/the-drifter), as well as, Carolina Rigging using a Halo Fishing XD III Pro 7’3” Medium Heavy (https://americanbaitworks.com/products/xdiii-pro).

DeVos and Desloges would wind up bringing the final day’s biggest bag to the scales of 23.06lbs and a winning two-day total of 45.57lbs.

“We had an incredible two days on the water and got the critical bites we needed because of the STH Crush Worm and Drifter.” said the 2020 RBT Canadian Champion Lenny DeVos “This is our third championship and I’m proud to say we took the win relying on American Baitworks products.”

Lenny DeVos will be the guest on American Baitworks Live Wednesday, September 16, 2020, at 7 pm ET on Facebook.

by AnglersChannel

Abu Garcia® Veritas® Rods Get Lighter and Stronger with an Infusion of Powerlux®

COLUMBIA, S.C. (September 15, 2020) — Abu Garcia’s Veritas line of rods is undergoing a significant change to their composition and performance with the introduction of Powerlux^® 100 Micro resins, which allowed the designers to decrease weight by 5%* for increased sensitivity while simultaneously increasing the rod’s strength by 15%**. The new Veritas rod family gives anglers the performance, sensitivity and durability they need to win on the water, whether they’re fishing for fun or for a paycheck.

Built around the same Powerlux technology previously only employed in rods costing twice as much, the new Veritas rods offer uncompromising strength and durability required by serious anglers without asking them to sacrifice weight or sensitivity. Powerlux nano resin’s unique molecular structure fills in evenly around the 30 Ton carbon fibers as it bakes into the blank. This allows for a stronger bond that previously was only achieved by adding additional resin or fiber which increased a rod’s weight. The result is a rod with higher break strengths and improved impact and fracture resistance without sacrificing sensitivity.

The new Veritas rods are equipped with a custom Abu Garcia-designed reel seat for hypersensitivity around the exposed blank sections, which, along with the weight savings, leads to improved comfort conditions for anglers. Abu Garcia anglers fish long and hard, so these features help lessen fatigue and missed bites during long days on the water. The rod family’s performance features are also enhanced by titanium alloy guides with Zirconium inserts and EVA split grips. The grips on the new Veritas rods are constructed of a closed-cell foam that is easy to clean and keep looking brand new regardless of how many fish it brings to the boat.

The Veritas rod lineup features 48 different models, including eight casting and three spinning models equipped with custom Winn^® grips. The rods are available in Winch actions, which are more parabolic and ideal for crankbaits, as well as Toro actions for large baits like A-rigs and swimbaits. Prices of the new Veritas rods range from an MSRP of $99.95 to $199.95, depending on configuration. For more information, visit AbuGarcia.com

*On average, based on controlled lab testing, compared to identically constructed Veritas rods without Powerlux resin. Results may vary.
** On average, based on controlled lab setting, compared to prior generation Veritas rods without Powerlux resin. Results may vary

Abu Garcia Veritas rods: Specifications

Casting: 14 SKUs • MSRP: $99.95
Casting (7 feet, 4 inches and longer): 9 SKUs • MSRP $119.95
Spinning: 11 SKUs • MSRP: $99.95
Toro: 3 SKUs • MSRP: $149.95 to $199.95
WINN Grip Casting: 8 SKUs • MSRP: $119.95 to $149.95
WINN Grip Spinning: 3 SKUs • MSRP: $119.95

Key Features:
• Powerlux^® delivers a 15 percent stronger rod while remaining 5 percent lighter and well balanced
• Ergonomic Abu Garcia-designed reel seat
• ROCS^™ (Robotically Optimized Casting System) guide train for maximized casting distance with lighter lures
• Titanium alloy guides with ultralight Zirconium inserts save more weight and help retain balance
• High-density EVA for greater sensitivity and durability
• Limited 3-year warranty

by AnglersChannel

Berkley Expands Fusion19 Line of Hooks

COLUMBIA, S.C. (September 15, 2020) — Innovator in science and technology, Berkley^® introduces its latest additions to the Fusion19^™ line of ultra-sharp hooks with the launch of three new painted EWG Treble Hook colors, Frog Hooks and Weighted Frog Hooks. Fusion19 hooks are designed for use across all types of fishing with needle points that create easier penetration and increase hook-up ratios.

Ideal for use with soft body frogs like the Berkley PowerBait^® Buzz’n Speed Toad and Beat’n Paddle Frog, both the Berkley Fusion19 Frog Hook and Weighted Frog Hook feature needle points designed for easier penetration on top water hits in heavy cover. The round bend and double hooks, forged for increased lateral strength, keep fish hooked up all the way back to the boat. The Weighted Frog Hook features an 1/8-ounce molded weight to stabilize the keel of the bait and increase casting distance. Both varieties of Berkley Frog Hooks are available in 4/0 and 5/0 hook sizes and come in an innovative, resealable clam package for tackle management.

In addition to frog hooks, the Fusion19 EWG Treble hooks feature a strong, lightwire design for improved hook-ups. The lightwire shank on these hooks makes them ideal for pairing with high action and small profile baits. In addition to its current lineup the new colors of Fusion19 EWG Treble Hooks include white, chartreuse and orange and will be available nationwide beginning September 2020.

Fusion19^™: Specifications

Berkley® Fusion19 Frog Hook

4/0 Frog Hook
Hooks per pack: 2
MSRP: $5.99

5/0 Frog Hook
Hooks per pack: 2
MSRP: $5.99

Key Features:
• Needle Point for easier penetration
• Forged hook for increased lateral strength
• The round bend, double hook keeps fish on all the way to the boat
• Package features innovative resealable clam for tackle management

Berkley Fusion19 Weighted Frog Hook

4/0 Weighted Frog Hook
Hooks per pack: 2
MSRP: $5.99

5/0 Weighted Frog Hook
Hooks per pack: 2
MSRP: $5.99

Key Features:
• Needle point for easier penetration
• Forged hook for increased lateral strength
• The round bend, double hook keeps fish on all the way to the boat
• 1/8-ounce molded weight stabilizes the keel of the bait and adds casting distance
• Package features innovative resealable clam for tackle management

Berkley Fusion19 EWG Treble

Size 8 EWG Treble
Hooks per pack: 6
MSRP: $5.99

Size 6 EWG Treble
Hooks per pack: 6
MSRP: $5.99

Size 4 EWG Treble
Hooks per pack: 6
MSRP: $5.99

Key Features:
• Needle point for easier penetration
• EWG bend for increased hook ups and keeping fish on
• Strong lightwire design for improved penetration
• Lightwire shank ideal for high action and small profile baits
• Forged hook for increased lateral strength
• Package features innovative resealable clam for tackle management

by AnglersChannel

Berkley Adds New Shape, Sizes and Colors to Gulp! And Gulp! Alive! Lines

COLUMBIA, S.C. (September 15, 2020) – Continuing its ongoing leadership in bait-development technology, Berkley^® is expanding its saltwater Gulp!^® and Gulp! Alive!^® portfolios with the addition of the all new Paddleshad shape, color and size extensions to the popular Swimming Mullet, and a new size for the Grub. In addition to the new sizes and firetail color additions, all of these new baits feature the scientifically proven Gulp! guarantee to catch 30 percent more fish while allowing anglers to forego expensive and short-lived live bait.

“We owe it to saltwater anglers to continue innovating and expanding our offering of Gulp! baits that have been lab and field tested to help them catch more fish,” said Berkley Vice President of Marketing Jon Schlosser. “Whether we’re developing a completely new shape like the Paddleshad, or we’re working on new colors or sizes for the Swimming Mullet and Grub, the angler is at the forefront of everything we do, and these shapes are no exception.”

Outperforming real and artificial bait, Gulp! has 400 times the scent dispersion of the best competing soft plastic, making it one of the best alternatives to live bait ever produced. Gulp! Alive! baits have all of the same benefits of standard Gulp!, but come in half pints or pint jars and are soaked in the powerful attractant. Simply put the bait back in the bucket to recharge its effectiveness and stop dealing with the hassles of live bait.

The new Gulp! Paddleshad has a lifelike baitfish profile with an optimized nose for rigging jig heads. Its body and tail design work together to provide fast actions and slow speed movement. Sizes range from three to six inches and colors include a variety of standard and firetail offerings.

Now available in all new firetail colors, the Gulp! Swimming Mullet features a realistic body and tail design that work together to deliver key action. The high-action swimming tail and Gulp! scent dispersion attracts fish quicker and longer than other soft baits.

Within the Gulp! family, the Gulp! and Gulp! Alive! Grub is now available in a 4-inch size and is ideal for use on jigs or as a trailer. A leading favorite among saltwater anglers, the proven tail action of the Grub swims under all conditions.

For more information on the full offering of Berkley Gulp! and Gulp! Alive! visit www.berkley-fishing.com.

Gulp! and Gulp! Alive Specifications:

Gulp! & Gulp! Alive! Paddleshad

Sizes: 3-inch, 4-inch, 5-inch and 6-inch
Colors
- Arkansas Glow
- Black Gold
- Black Silver
- Chartreuse
- Chartreuse Pepper Neon
- Glow
- Morning Glory/Chartreuse
- Mullet
- New Penny
- Pearl White
- Pearl White/Chartreuse
- Pearl White/Pink
- Root Beer Gold/Chartreuse
- Silver Mullet

Gulp! Swimming Mullet

Sizes: 3-inch, 4-inch, 5-inch and 6-inch
New Colors
- Glow (new for 3” size)
- Glow/Orange
- Nuclear Chicken (new for 6” size)
- Pearl White/Chartreuse
- Pearl White/Pink
- Root Beer Gold/Chartreuse

Gulp! Alive! Swimming Mullet

Sizes: 3-inch, 4-inch, 5-inch and 6-inch
New Colors
- Chartreuse
- Glow
- Glow/Orange
- Nuclear Chicken
- Pink
- Pearl White
- Pearl White/Chartreuse
- Pearl White/Pink
- Root Beer Gold/Chartreuse

Gulp! & Gulp! Alive! Grub

Size 4-inch
Colors
- Chartreuse
- Nuclear Chicken
- Pearl White
- Pink
- Pink Shine
- Salmon Red

by AnglersChannel

NOCO Sponsors Elite Event At Lake Guntersville

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — NOCO, which designs and creates premium consumer electronics including battery chargers, jump starters and related power accessories, has signed on as the title sponsor when the Bassmaster Elite Series heads to Scottsboro, Ala., to take on historic Lake Guntersville Sept. 30-Oct. 3. The NOCO Bassmaster Elite at Lake Guntersvillekicks off a busy schedule of fall derbies that will take the Elite Series pros to South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.

“We are thrilled to partner with the team at NOCO to present what is sure to be an exciting event,” said B.A.S.S. CEO Bruce Akin. “Everyone from enthusiastic fishing fans to complete novices have been following the excitement as our anglers compete on the country’s incredible fisheries, making this the ideal platform for NOCO to showcase its innovative products to a broad audience of sports fans.”

Bass fishing has become one of the summer’s hottest sports with an audience of more than 13.2 million viewers tuning in to ESPN2 to catch 16 days of live coverage of the four most recent Bassmaster Elite Series tournaments. Between televised coverage on ESPN2 and the livestream on Bassmaster.com and ESPN3, avid fans devoured more than 398 million minutes of tournament coverage.

“B.A.S.S. presents an excellent opportunity for NOCO to engage with some of the most loyal and passionate sporting fans in competitive fishing today,” said Jonathan Nook, Chief Visionary Officer for NOCO. “Its professional anglers and many avid followers demand reliable, high-performance gear, which closely aligns with our relentless pursuit of quality."

Not only are both dedicated fans and newcomers alike eagerly tuning in to Bassmaster tournaments, but participation in the sport is booming across the country.

According to the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable, 81% of Americans say they’ve spent time enjoying outdoor activities during the pandemic, 31% for the first time. Many of those people are flocking to fishing, as states across the country have seen remarkable growth in fishing license sales. Iowa, Minnesota, Vermont and Louisiana all report more than 50% higher fishing license sales in 2020, according to their state conservation agencies. Considered a hotbed of recreational fishing, even Alabama has experienced a 37% jump in resident fishing license sales.

Live coverage of the NOCO Bassmaster Elite at Lake Guntersville starts Wednesday, Sept. 30 on Bassmaster.com.

by AnglersChannel

Honnerlaw Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League event on Lake Okeechobee

Moore Haven Angler Wins Weather-Shortened Super Tournament. Earns $6,817

OKEECHOBEE, Fla. (Sept. 14, 2020) Boater Bryan Honnerlaw of Moore Haven, Florida, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Sunday weighing 22 pounds, 9 ounces to win the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine Gator Division Super-Tournament at Lake Okeechobee. For his victory, Honnerlaw earned $6,817.

The tournament was the fifth and final event in the 2020 Gator Division presented by A.R.E. Truck Caps. Originally scheduled for two days, competition was canceled on Saturday due to Hurricane Sally.

“This win feels great, especially with how the day started,” said Honnerlaw. “I only had two fish by noon and was pretty upset around 12:30. The worst thing that can happen to you in a tournament is to get spun out, but I stayed positive and feel very blessed.”

Honnerlaw said the key to his victory was running to the river and letting himself calm down.

“After fishing a few places and getting little to no bites, I ran back to the river and fished a ledge with a Gambler Power Ned with a Gambler Fat Ace,” Honnerlaw continued. “I caught three big ones in a row before my co-angler caught a few good ones. Then I picked up a crankbait and caught another big one to finish out the day.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:

1^st: Bryan Honnerlaw of Moore Haven, Fla., five bass, 22-9, $6,817

2^nd: Doug Vest of Okeechobee, Fla., five bass, 22-2, $2,909

3^rd: Brian Divito of Seminole, Fla., five bass, 19-9, $1,939

4^th: Mitchell Liss of Grand Island, Fla., five bass, 19-2, $2,629

5^th: Mark Lundgren of Saint Cloud, Fla., five bass, 18-3, $1,163

6^th: Steve Boogie Brown of Altamonte Springs, Fla., five bass, 18-2, $1,066

7^th: Gary Milicevic of Labelle, Fla., five bass, 18-2, $970

8^th: Ron Veale of Okeechobee, Fla., five bass, 17-12, $873

9^th: Justin Morgan of Okeechobee, Fla., five bass, 17-12, $776

10^th: Chris Crow of Lake Placid, Fla., five bass, 17-2, $679

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Liss earned the day’s $772 Boater Big Bass award with a 7-pound, 10-ounce bass.

Liss also 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.

Andrew Pulliam of Spring Hill, Florida, earned the win in the Co-angler Division Sunday after five bass weighing 17 pounds, 11 ounces. Pulliam earned $2,909 for his victory.

The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:

1^st: Andrew Pulliam of Spring Hill, Fla., five bass, 17-11, $2,909

2^nd: Austin Baskette of Leesburg, Fla. five bass, 17-11, $1,454

3^rd: Justin Brown of Frostproof, Fla., five bass, 16-0, $1,170

4^th: Kenneth Hunnicutt of Jacksonville, Fla., five bass, 15-8, $679

5^th: Theron Asbery of Longwood, Fla., five bass, 15-2, $968

6^th: Nihad Basic of Saint Petersburg, Fla., five bass, 14-11, $533

7^th: J.P. Sims of Port St. Lucie, Fla., five bass, 13-12, $485

8^th: Doug Back of Monticello, Fla., five bass, 13-11, $436

9^th: Ernie Thompson of Anthony, Fla., five bass, 13-11, $388

10^th: Aaron Gengler of Lakeland, Fla., five bass, 13-6, $339

Asbery earned the event’s Co-angler Big Bass Award of $386 with a fish weighing in at 8 pounds, 7 ounces.

Now the top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the Gator Division presented by A.R.E. Truck Caps, based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will advance to the Oct. 22-24 Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Lake Lanier in Gainesville, Georgia, hosted by Okeechobee County Tourist & Development Council. 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.

by AnglersChannel

Andalusia’s Smith Wins Two-Day Phoenix Bass Fishing League event at Lake Eufaula

Co-angler Victory Goes to Trion’s Brown

EUFAULA, Ala. (Sept. 14, 2020) Boater Michael M. Smith of Andalusia, Alabama brought a two-day total of 10 bass to the scale weighing 40 pounds, 4 ounces to win the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine Bama Division Super-Tournament at Lake Eufaula. For his victory, Smith earned $6,329.

“The key to this win was running as many places as I could where I had found big fish over the past couple months,” said Smith. “I probably pulled the trolling motor up more than fifty times today and the key was to just keep moving.

“Almost every fish I caught this weekend was on the first or second cast on a spot, so if I’d made five casts and hadn’t caught one, I’d move somewhere else,” Smith continued. “I spent a lot of time practicing up here and finding as many places as I could and it certainly paid off.”

Smith said this was his third BFL win and he was excited to get a win on one of his home lakes.

“Out deep I was cranking a 6^th Sense C20 and C15 Crankbait in a custom color, so I had something a little different than anyone else on the lake,” Smith said. “I’ve run my Mercury outboard all over this place the past two days. Having great equipment definitely helps, as well as using products you’re confident in and trusting what you’ve got.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:

1^st: Michael M. Smith of Andalusia, Ala, 10 bass, 40-4, $6,329

2^nd: Ryan Ingram of Phenix City, Ala., 10 bass, 32-14, $2,664

3^rd: Dustin Wood of Eufaula, Ala., 10 bass, 32-13, $1,777

4^th: Robert Werner of Spanish Fort, Ala., 10 bass, 31-3, $1,925

5^th: Josh Stracner of Vandiver, Ala., 10 bass, 30-9, $1,066

6^th: Clayton Batts of Butler, Ga., 10 bass, 29-0, $1,477

7^th: Ashley Brasher of Clanton, Ala., eight bass, 26-14, $888

8^th: Ethan Greene of Eufaula, Ala., 10 bass, 25-13, $799

9^th: Scott Daughtry of Abbeville, Ala., 10 bass, 24-11, $710

10^th: Guy Jordan of Gainesville, Ga., 10 bass, 24-1, $622

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Werner earned the day’s $682 Boater Big Bass award with a 6-pound, 4-ounce bass.

Batts 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.

Garrett Brown of Trion, Georgia earned the win in the Co-angler Division Saturday after catching a two-day total of eight bass weighing 20 pounds,11 ounces. Brown earned $2,658 for his victory.

The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:

1^st: Garrett Brown of Trion, Ga., eight bass, 20-11, $2,658

2^nd: Mark Denney of Perry, Ga., 10 bass, 20-10, $1,329

3^rd: Charles Davis of Wetumpka, Ala., seven bass, 19-5, $886

4^th: Michael Anderson of Newton, Ala., nine bass, 18-11, $620

5^th: Jacob Smith of Daleville, Ala., seven bass, 17-5, $532

6^th: Christian Bladen of Dothan, Ala., nine bass, 16-2, $487

7^th: Randy Hill of Athens, Ala., nine bass, 15-10, $443

8^th: Randy Brooks of Dozier, Ala., eight bass, 15-2, $399

9^th: Keith Lynch of River Falls, Ala., seven bass, 14-12, $354

10^th: Keith Reynolds of Ozark, Ala., six bass, 13-9, $310

Girdner earned the event’s Co-angler Big Bass Award of $334 with a fish weighing in at 5 pounds, 9 ounces.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on Lake Eufaula was the fifth and final qualifying event in the 2020 Bama Division.

Now the top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the Bama Division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will advance to the Oct. 8-10 Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Lake Chickamauga in Dayton, Tennessee, hosted by Rhea Economic and Tourism Council. 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.

by AnglersChannel

Bethel Springs’ Amerson Wins Two-Day Phoenix Bass Fishing League event on Kentucky/Barkley Lakes

Co-angler Victory Goes to Paducah’s Dunn

BUCHANAN, Tenn. (Sept. 14, 2020) Boater Keith Amerson of Bethel Springs, Tennessee, brought a two-day total of six bass to the scale weighing 22 pounds, 7 ounces to win the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine LBL Division Super-Tournament at Kentucky and Barkley Lakes. For his victory, Amerson earned $5,376.

“I came into this event really confident,” said Amerson. “I feel like I’ve had an opportunity to win every event we’ve had this year, but it finally came together the past two days and I got the bites I needed for my first BFL win.

“I was dreading today because of the cloud cover, but I went to my first stop where I caught a 4-11 yesterday and ended up catching a five pounder and two more, which got me to my limit before 7:30 this morning,” Amerson continued. “That settled me down and allowed me to run my points and catch seven keepers throughout the rest of the day.”

Amerson said he was throwing a Strike King Rage Thumper Worm with a ½-ounce Strike King Tour Grade Tungsten Weight throughout most of the tournament.

“I’ve caught just about every bass I’ve weighed on that combination this year, just dragging it around on shallow bars and shallow humps,” said Amerson.

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:

1^st: Keith Amerson of Bethel Springs, Tenn., six bass, 22-7, $5,376

2^nd: Marty Sisk of Evansville, Ind., six bass, 20-9, $2,563

3^rd: Bill Schroeder III of Benton, Ky., six bass, 19-12, $1,709

4^th: Drew Boggs of Lebanon, Tenn., six bass, 16-14, $1,196

5^th: Ramie Colson, Jr. of Cadiz, Ky., six bass, 16-14, $1,025

6^th: Jeff Johnston of Marion, Ark., four bass, 16-11, $1,570

7^th: Edward Gettys of Paris, Tenn., six bass, 16-1, $1,354

8^th: Ryan Kirkpatrick of Benton, Ky., six bass, 15-15, $769

9^th: Billy Schroeder of Paducah, Ky., four bass, 14-2, $683

10^th: Gary Singleton of Dickson, Tenn., four bass, 13-5, $598

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Johnston earned the day’s $630 Boater Big Bass award with a bass weighing in at 8-pounds even.

Gettys 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.

Wesley Dunn of Paducah, Kentucky, earned the win in the Co-angler Division Saturday after catching a two-day total of five bass weighing 13 pounds, 7 ounces. Dunn earned $2,434 for his victory.

The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:

1^st: Wesley Dunn of Paducah, Ky., five bass, 13-7, $2,434

2^nd: Jeff Turner of Plainfield, Ill., five bass, 11-3, $1,217

3^rd: Johnny Brantley of Medon, Tenn., four bass, 10-13, $813

4^th: Frank Haysley of Louisville, Ky., four bass, 9-11, $568

5^th: Alan Brasher of Decaturville, Tenn., four bass, 9-10, $487

6^th: Orville Gowen of Leitchfield, Ky., four bass, 9-6, $446

7^th: Pat Rapp of Hawesville, Ky., four bass, 9-3, $606

8^th: Jojo Walsh of Lyles, Tenn., three bass, 8-4, $365

9^th: Chuck Ledbetter of Fort Campbell, Ky., two bass, 7-13, $617

10^th: Dave Roberts of Indianapolis, Ind., two bass, 7-10, $284

Ledbetter earned the event’s Co-angler Big Bass Award of $292 with a fish weighing in at 5 pounds, 7 ounces.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on Kentucky/Barkley Lakes was the fifth and final qualifying event in the 2020 LBL Division.

Now the top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the LBL Division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will advance to the Oct. 8-10 Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Chickamauga Lake in Dayton, Tennessee, hosted by Henry County Tourism Authority. 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.

by AnglersChannel

Morgan Wins Two-Day Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Lake Norman

Mooresville Angler Wins Third BFL North Carolina Division Event in 2020

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Sept. 14, 2020) – Boater Brian Morgan of Mooresville, North Carolina, brought a two-day total of 10 bass to the scale this weekend weighing 24 pounds, 10 ounces to win the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine North Carolina Division Super-Tournament at Lake Norman. Morgan earned a total of $5,831 for his victory – his third win of the year in the North Carolina division.

“To be honest, I kind of want to cry right now,” said Morgan, who earned a total of $16,693 in Bass Fishing League tournaments this season. “I can’t even think straight. To win three in a year… unbelievable.”

Morgan said that his key bait throughout the weekend was a jig.

“I caught most of my fish on a jig, but I got my biggest one of the day Sunday on a buzzbait,” Morgan said. “I worked hard for this one. I spent almost three months planting brush piles.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:

1^st: Brian Morgan of Mooresville, N.C., 10 bass, 24-10, $5,831

2^nd: Chris Baumgardner of Gastonia, N.C., 10 bass, 24-2, $3,702

3^rd: Craig Chambers of Charlotte, N.C., 10 bass, 23-0, $1,945

4^th: John Parker of Gaffney, S.C., 10 bass, 22-14, $1,361

5^th: Maurice Freeze of Concord, N.C., 10 bass, 22-12, $1,166

6^th: Bryan Thrift of Shelby, N.C., 10 bass, 22-10, $1,069

7^th: Drew Montgomery of Maiden, N.C., nine bass, 22-7, $972

8^th: Kyle Austin of Ridgeville, S.C., 10 bass, 21-12, $875

9^th: Donald Poteat of Morganton, N.C., 10 bass, 21-10, $777

10^th: Scott Hamrick of Denver, N.C., 10 bass, 21-3, $680

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Baumgardner brought a 4-pound, 1-ounce bass to the scale to win the Boater Big Bass award of $787.

Jake Monti of Mooresville, North Carolina, 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.

Hunter Harwell of Hickory, North Carolina, won the Co-angler Division and $2,916 Sunday after catching a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 20 pounds, 2 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:

1^st: Hunter Harwell of Hickory, N.C., 10 bass, 20-2, $2,916

2^nd: Carson Palmer of Richfield, N.C., nine bass, 16-4, $1,458

3^rd: Dale Surrett of Midland, N.C., seven bass, 13-10, $971

4^th: Willard Taylor of Newton, N.C., seven bass, 13-5, $680

5^th: David Miller of China Grove, N.C., eight bass, 13-3, $583

6^th: Logan Anderson of Catawba, N.C., seven bass, 13-0, $535

7^th: David Deciucis of Chester, Va., eight bass, 12-5, $628

8^th: Bryon Medeiros of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., four bass, 11-8, $565

9^th: Steven Jacobs of Sanford, N.C., seven bass, 11-1, $502

10^th: Artie Phillips of Monroe, N.C., six bass, 11-0, $439

Medeiros caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 4 pounds, 12 ounces. The catch earned him the Co-angler Big Bass award and added $394 to his winnings.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine Super-Tournament on Lake Norman was hosted by the Marshall County Convention & Visitors Bureau. It was the fifth and final qualifying event in the 2020 North Carolina Division.

Now, the top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the North Carolina Division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 8-10 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.

by AnglersChannel

Charleston’s Foutz Wins Two-Day Phoenix Bass Fishing League event on Lake Chickamauga

Co-angler Victory Goes to Ten Mile’s Steele

DAYTON, Tenn. (Sept. 14, 2020) Boater Jacob Foutz of Charleston, Tennessee, brought a two-day total of 10 bass to the scale weighing 29 pounds, 12 ounces to win the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine Northeast Division Super-Tournament at Lake Chickamauga. For his victory, Foutz earned $5,126.

According to post-tournament reports, Foutz mainly had success targeting grass with a jig and junk-fishing to catch his 10 keepers.

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:

1^st: Jacob Foutz of Charleston, Tenn., 10 bass, 29-12, $5,126

2^nd: Kevin Drake of Cleveland, Tenn., 10 bass, 29-1, $2,563

3^rd: Craig Powers of Rockwood, Tenn., nine bass, 27-12, $2,339

4^th: Seth Davis of Harrison, Tenn., 10 bass, 26-14, $1,696

5^th: Thomas Helton of Charleston, Tenn., 10 bass, 26-13, $1,225

6^th: Steve Barnes of Harrison, Tenn., 10 bass, 25-4, $940

7^th: Taylor Watkins of Clinton, Tenn., eight bass, 22-0, $854

8^th: John Murray of Spring City, Tenn., 10 bass, 21-10, $769

9^th: Brent Butler of Vonore, Tenn., nine bass, 21-6, $683

10^th: Jim Leary of Guntersville, Ala., 10 bass, 20-15, $598

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Powers earned the day’s $630 Boater Big Bass award with a 7-pound, 10-ounce largemouth bass.

Davis 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.

William Steele of Ten Mile, Tennessee, earned the win in the Co-angler Division Saturday after catching a two-day total of seven bass weighing 18 pounds, 5 ounces. Steele earned $2,563 for his victory.

The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:

1^st: William Steele of Ten Mile, Tenn., seven bass, 18-5, $2,563

2^nd: Cody Lewis of Ooltewah, Tenn., six bass, 16-5, $1,281

3^rd: Travis Pridemore of White Pine, Tenn., six bass, 14-12, $853

4^th: Jason Sosebee of Knoxville, Tenn., five bass, 14-2, $848

5^th: Robert Ford of Boones Mill, Va., five bass, 14-0, $513

6^th: Darren Kelly of Wartburg, Tenn., five bass, 13-9, $670

7^th: Harold Parsons of Fairfield, Ohio, six bass, 12-9, $427

8^th: Curtis Brown of Loudon, Tenn., five bass, 11-1, $384

9^th: David Perron of Dayton, Tenn., five bass, 10-14, $342

10^th: Ben Arnold of LaFollette, Tenn., five bass, 9-8, $299

Charles Douglas of Wesson, Mississippi, earned the event’s Co-angler Big Bass Award of $315 with a fish weighing in at 4 pounds, 15 ounces.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on Lake Chickamauga was the fifth and final qualifying event in the 2020 Volunteer Division.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the Volunteer Division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 8-10 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.

by AnglersChannel

Mabelvale Boater Houchin Wins Two-Day Phoenix Bass Fishing League event on Lake Hamilton

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. (Sept. 14, 2020) Boater Quincy Houchin of Mabelvale, Arkansas, brought a two-day total of nine bass to the scale weighing 23 pounds, 5 ounces to win the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine Arkie Division Super-Tournament at Lake Hamilton. For his victory, Houchin earned $13,460, which includes the lucrative FLW PHOENIX BONUS contingency payout.

“There were a lot of great anglers fishing this event with a vast amount of experience on this lake, so it feels good to pull out a win,” said Houchin. “I was in second place at the end of day one and was worried about being so close to a victory and losing it. That would have been a hard pill to swallow, but it come through.

“I started out yesterday with a (River2Sea) Whopper Plopper and covered a ton of water fishing shallow, windy points, rock and brown grass,” Houchin continued. “I actually lost my fifth fish several times Sunday, but finished strong to bring home the fifth BFL win in my career.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:

1^st: Quincy Houchin of Mabelvale, Ark., nine bass, 23-5, $13,460

2^nd: Spencer Shuffield of Hot Springs, Ark., 10 bass, 21-14, $3,442

3^rd: Adam Wright of Benton, Ark., 10 bass, 21-8, $1,820

4^th: Evan Barnes of Hot Springs, Ark. 10 bass, 21-2, $1,274

5^th: Brian Bean of Hot Springs, Ark. 10 bass, 20-4, $1,092

6^th: Kevin Brown of Hot Springs, Ark., 10 bass, 18-10, $1,001

7^th: Carl Cole of Little Rock, Ark., 10 bass, 18-5, $910

8^th: Josh Ray of Alexander, Ark., 10 bass, 16-12, $819

9^th: Chris Layton of North Little Rock, Ark., nine bass, 15-11, $728

10^th: Bill Hughan of Little Rock, Ark., 10 bass, 15-9, $637

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Shuffield earned the day’s $712 Boater Big Bass award with a 5-pound, 1-ounce bass.

Houchin took home an extra $7,000 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.

David Dam of Maumelle, Arkansas, earned the win in the Co-angler Division Sunday after catching a two-day total of eight bass weighing 16 pounds, 15 ounces. Dam earned $2,730 for his victory.

The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:

1^st: David Dam of Maumelle, Ark., eight bass, 16-15, $2,730

2^nd: John McCullar of Benton, Ark., six bass, 12-12, $1,721

3^rd: Ethan Sutton of Hot Springs, Ark., six bass, 12-12, $909

4^th: Ron Knight of Hot Springs, Ark., seven bass, 10-7, $637

5^th: Matt Russell of Prairie Grove, Ark., eight bass, 10-7, $546

6^th: Chris Cusick of Hot Springs, Ark., five bass, 10-3, $501

7^th: Zachary Morrow of Lonsdale, Ark., eight bass, 9-8, $455

8^th: Josh Castleberry of Jessieville, Ark., seven bass, 8-13, $410

9^th: Melinda Hays of Hot Springs, Ark., five bass, 7-14, $364

10^th: Dakota Scott of Benton, Ark., seven bass, 7-3, $319

McCullar earned the event’s Co-angler Big Bass Award of $356 with a fish weighing in at 4 pounds, 6 ounces.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on Lake Hamilton was the fifth and final qualifying event in the 2020 Arkie Division.

Now the top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the Arkie Division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will advance to the Oct. 22-24 Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Table Rock Lake in Branson, Missouri, hosted by Explore Branson. 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.

by AnglersChannel

Freeburg’s Dickneite Earns Victory at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Tournament on Lake of the Ozarks

WARSAW, Mo. (Sept. 14, 2020) – Boater Andre Dickneite of Freeburg, Missouri, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Sunday weighing 18 pounds, 7 ounces to win the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine event on Lake of the Ozarks in Warsaw, Missouri. For his victory, Dickneite earned a total of $3,794.

The tournament was the fourth of five events in the Ozark Division presented by Tournament Anglers Group (TAG).

“My wife let me go fishing a few weeks ago on Labor Day, and on that trip I found the docks that I caught them off of today,” said Dickneite, who earned his fourth career tournament win in FLW competition. “I caught them on two different jigs. I have one combination that I use in dirty water, and one combination for cleaner water.”

With more big tournaments upcoming, including two Toyota Series events at Lake Dardanelle and Lake of the Ozarks in the next month, Dickneite declined to divulge the specifics of his jig.

“I caught all of my fish flipping,” Dickneite said. “I had to have the wind, I had to have shade and I had to have shad. The color of the jig is the whole key.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:

1^st: Andre Dickneite of Freeburg, Mo., five bass, 18-7, $3,794

2^nd: Adam Boehle of Warrenton, Mo., five bass, 17-10, $1,897

3^rd: Bob Bueltmann of Osage Beach, Mo., four bass, 17-1, $1,760

4^th: Chris Aswegan of Tiffin, Iowa, five bass, 16-12, $822

4^th: Kyle Alsop of Overland Park, Kan., five bass, 16-12, $1,322

6^th: Chad Deaver of Russellville, Mo., five bass, 15-4, $696

7^th: Jacob Welch of Jefferson City, Mo., five bass, 15-3, $632

8^th: Mike Malone of Lake Ozark, Mo., five bass, 14-12, $569

9^th: Jason Rhyne of Foristell, Mo., five bass, 14-7, $506

10^th: Andy Newcomb of Camdenton, Mo., five bass, 14-0, $443

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Bueltmann caught a bass weighing 5 pounds, 10 ounces to earn the day’s $495 Boater Big Bass award.

Alsop 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.

Walter Hammond of Lees Summit, Missouri, earned the win in the Co-angler Division Sunday after catching five bass weighing 12 pounds, 10 ounces. Hammond earned $1,897 for his victory.

The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:

1^st: Walter Hammond of Lees Summit, Mo., five bass, 12-10, $1,897

2^nd: Michael Clark of Richland, Mo., four bass, 11-7, $949

3^rd: Bryan Plyter of Greeley, Colo., four bass, 9-4, $633

4^th: David Rice of Galena, Mo., four bass, 9-0, $411

4^th: Dennis Young of Olathe, Kan., three bass, 9-0, $411

6^th: Zach Wilson of Kansas City, Kan., five bass, 7-9, $348

7^th: Ed Lawrence of Florissant, Mo., two bass, 7-4, $316

8^th: Shawn Kemper of Iberia, Mo., two bass, 6-2, $269

8^th: Troy Ladehoff of Kansas City, Mo., three bass, 6-2, $519

10^th: Paul Davis of Battlefield, Mo., two bass, 5-15, $210

10^th: Jeremy Fiedler of Sullivan, Mo., three bass, 5-15, $210

Mark Landis of Ballwin, Missouri, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 4 pounds, 14 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $247.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the Ozark Division presented by TAG, 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.

by AnglersChannel

Hallsville’s Wallis Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Tournament on Lake Truman

Joliet, Illinois’ Bernicky Earns Co-angler Victory

WARSAW, Mo. (Sept. 14, 2020) – Boater Mike Wallis of Hallsville, Missouri, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 19 pounds, 14 ounces to win the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine event on Lake Truman in Warsaw, Missouri. For his victory, Wallis earned a total of $5,009.

The tournament was the third of five events in the Ozark Division presented by Tournament Anglers Group (TAG).

“My day started off real slow – I went to primary spot and didn’t have fish before 10 o’clock,” said Wallis, who was fishing in his first career Bass Fishing League event. “After the sun popped out I caught a couple of big ones, then the sun went back in and they stopped. Later in the day they started biting again and I caught three more.”

Wallis said that his key baits were a shaky-head rig and a Pig Sticker jig.

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:

1^st: Mike Wallis of Hallsville, Mo., five bass, 19-14, $5,009

2^nd: Kyle Alsop of Overland Park, Kan., five bass, 19-2, $2,505

3^rd: Darrell Reach of Kansas City, Mo., five bass, 18-10, $1,336

4^th: Andy Newcomb of Camdenton, Mo., five bass, 18-0, $935

5^th: Mark Tucker of Kirkwood, Mo., five bass, 17-12, $802

6^th: Chris Aswegan of Tiffin, Iowa, five bass, 17-10, $735

7^th: Roger Fitzpatrick of Eldon, Mo., five bass, 17-9, $668

8^th: Tom Alsop of Overland Park, Kan., five bass, 16-7, $601

8^th: Jared Knuth of Wahoo, Neb., five bass, 16-1, $535

10^th: Keith Nickell of Raymore, Mo., five bass, 15-12, $468

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

McCormick earned the day’s $550 Boater Big Bass award with a 6-pound, 11-ounce bass.

Alan Bernicky of Joliet, Illinois, earned the win in the Co-angler Division Saturday after catching five bass weighing 14 pounds, 15 ounces. Bernicky earned $2,705 for his victory.

The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:

1^st: Alan Bernicky of Joliet, Ill., five bass, 14-15, $2,705

2^nd: Ryan Stagner of Robertsville, Mo., five bass, 14-14, $1,002

3^rd: Anthony Johnson of Excelsior Springs, Mo., five bass, 14-3, $668

4^th: Brian Huber of Saint Peters, Mo., four bass, 12-4, $468

5^th: Cameron Rieder of Independence, Mo., four bass, 11-7, $401

6^th: Larry Rothweil of Saint Charles, Mo., five bass, 10-15, $368

7^th: William Hoffert of Columbia, Mo., four bass, 9-9, $334

8^th: Tim Sisco of Fair Grove, Mo., two bass, 9-4, $301

9^th: Jon Cordray of House Springs, Mo., three bass, 9-3, $250

9^th: Kyle Anderson of Foley, Mo., three bass, 9-3, $250

Steve Schaefer of Palmyra, Missouri, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 5 pounds, 12 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $275.

by AnglersChannel

Abu Garcia® Expands on its Successful Launch of Virtual Rods with the Addition of Virtual Combos

COLUMBIA, S.C. (September 14, 2020) — Anglers looking for a way to take their fishing to the next level have been spending this season putting the Abu Garcia Virtual rods to the test. These innovative rods have given anglers the ability to plan, record and improve their fishing success by gathering real-time fishing data like waypoints and catch records with the push of button, linking the rods to the ANGLR^™ app via Bluetooth-enabled cell phones. Now, Abu Garcia is making it even easier for anglers to pair their cutting-edge rod technology with custom-matched reels through the new Virtual combos.

The new Virtual combos are designed for all-around performance regardless of species being targeted or whether anglers are fishing from a boat, a personal watercraft or the bank. The combos feature baitcast reels with eight bearings, a 6.4:1 gear ratio and 18 pounds of max drag. The spinning reels on the Virtual combos are equipped with six bearings, a 5.1:1 gear ratio and 14 pounds of max drag.

The Virtual series of rods is the first to integrate this type of technology and has been created in concert with ANGLR, an innovation company that offers a free fishing intelligence app that helps anglers plan, record and improve their fishing. The Virtual rods allow the angler to simply press a button to record catches, double-click to drop editable waypoints at their exact location and press and hold the button to indicate a change in tackle. The action to record a catch also compiles location, weather and water data with the stored catch information.

Building on this powerful functionality, the ANGLR app can simultaneously and seamlessly transfer waypoints bi-directionally onto compatible Lowrance^®multifunction displays. The NMEA-based sync also allows data sharing from Lowrance sensors back to the app, providing greater precision by importing precise depth, water temperature, real-time GPS routes and other data to be added to the user’s logbook. This information, coupled with the durability and performance of Abu Garcia rod technology, will provide anglers a complete package as they look to maximize their time on the water.

Abu Garcia is known for delivering gear that gives anglers what they need to “fish to win," and that reputation takes on an additional dimension with the Virtual combos. When connected to friends via the ANGLR app, anglers can compete for bragging rights even when they aren’t fishing together, setting the stage for “virtual” tournaments whenever it’s time to go fishing.

The Virtual rod connects to the free ANGLR app on iPhone and Android devices. It also enables the phone’s camera to add a photo. All recorded fishing data is 100 percent private by default. The rod does not require charging and delivers a 2-year battery life. It works regardless of cell service for off-the-grid fishing and is ideal for small-water and small-vessel anglers who typically have not had access to electronics while fishing. Paired together, the ANGLR app and Virtual rods allow anglers of all experience levels the ability to capture and review their trips so they can strategize how they can fish to win even bigger on their next trip.

The Abu Garcia Virtual combo lineup includes two different baitcast combos, each available in either right- or left-handed configuration, as well as two different spinning combos, each available in either a 1- or 2-piece rod configuration. Virtual baitcast combos have an MSRP of $179.95; spinning combos have an MSRP of $159.95. For more information on the Virtual rod and Virtual combos, visit http://bit.ly/AbuGarciaVirtual.

Abu Garcia Virtual Combos: Specifications

Baitcast Combos

Rod Length: 7 feet
Rod Power: Medium Heavy
Reel Bearings: 8
Gear Ratio: 6.4:1
Max Drag: 18 pounds
MSRP: $179.95

Rod Length: 7 feet, 3 inches
Rod Power: Heavy
Reel Bearings: 8
Gear Ratio: 6.4:1
Max Drag: 18 pounds
MSRP: $179.95

Virtual Baitcast Combo Key Features:
• Both Virtual baitcast combos are available in either left- or right-handed configurations
• 7 ball bearings + 1 roller bearing
• Machined aluminum spool
• Power Disk^™ drag system
• One-piece graphite frame
• Graphite sideplate
• 1-piece rod
• Integrates with the ANGLR app via Bluetooth-enabled cell phones

Spinning Combos

Rod Length: 6 feet, 6 inches
Rod Power: Medium
Reel Bearings: 6
Gear Ratio: 5.1:1
Max Drag: 14 pounds
MSRP: $159.95

Rod Length: 7 feet
Rod Power: Medium
Reel Bearings: 6
Gear Ratio: 5.1:1
Max Drag: 14 pounds
MSRP: $159.95

Virtual Spinning Combo Key Features:
• Both Virtual spinning combos are available with either a 1- or 2-piece rod
• 5 ball bearings +1 roller bearing for smooth operation
• Lightweight graphite body and rotor
• Machined aluminum spool for strength without extra weight
• Everlast^™ bail system for improved durability
• Slow Oscillation for even line lay with all types of line
• Rocket Line Management^™ system for better control of all types of line
• Rocket Spool Lip Design^™ for increased control of line coming off of spool
• Integrates with the ANGLR app via Bluetooth-enabled cell phones
• Each Virtual spinning combo comes in either a 1- or 2-piece rod configuration

by AnglersChannel

New Ugly Tools for Anglers that Fish Ugly

COLUMBIA, S.C. (September 14, 2020) — Fishing isn’t always pretty. Some anglers want tools that look nice on the boat or in their tackle box, but an Ugly Stik fisherman isn’t fooled by looks. They want tools that stand up to whatever gets thrown at them - from being dropped, left out in the rain, thrown in the back of the truck and everything in between. An Ugly Stik angler wants new Ugly Tools that can take a beating the Ugly Stik way.

Engineered to over deliver on durability, Ugly Tools make tasks like filleting a walleye or skinning a catfish on the dock at your buddy’s fishing camp a breeze. Rugged metals with hardy coatings ensure plier jaws and fillet blades will not corrode or pit with exhaustive use, and ergonomic, custom Ugly Tuff™ grips enhance control and the feel of the tool in the angler’s hand. These tools are so durable they’ll stand up to just about any punishment that gets thrown at them – that’s why all Ugly Stik tools are also backed with an unprecedented 7-year warranty.

“We knew if we were going to put the Ugly Stik name on tools they better be able to hold up to just about anything an angler can throw at them, so we designed these tools with real-life use situations in mind,” said Ugly Stik Vice President of Marketing Jon Schlosser. “We’ve taken the iconic toughness of Ugly Stik and incorporated it through a broad line of Ugly Tools built on durability and dependability, ranging from knives to shears and pliers.”

New Ugly Tools feature a variety of items including a fish skinner, pliers and marine shears. Ugly Tools knives feature blades that extend fully through the handle creating the most durable design to avoid breakage via pressure. The sheaths include a protective shielding and aeration to allow the blades to dry while in the sheath. The 7-inch Tapered Knife and the 9-inch Flex Knife also include a sharpening mechanism in the sheath to maximize usage and durability.

Tools and their uses:

Ugly Tools 7-inch Serrated Knife: Best for cutting through tough skin, scales and light bone. A semi-stiff and semi-thick blade make it easier to start fillet cuts on thick skinned or scaled fish.

Ugly Tools 7-inch Tapered Knife: Smaller to medium-sized fish; some flex allows for easy filleting and a short blade helps cut around bones salvaging as much meat as possible.

Ugly Tools 90-Degree Pliers: Used to remove hooks and baits from toothy fish or fish that are hooked deep. The extended 90-degree handle design allows for best line of sight when working in tight spaces.

Ugly Tools 9-inch Flex Knife: Medium to large-sized fish, extended length and flex allow for easy filleting of larger fish allowing maximum meat on fillets with even cuts.

Ugly Tools 9-inch Pliers: All-around tool used for removing hooks, modifying baits, cinching knots, cutting line, etc.

Ugly Tools Fish Skinner: Used to strip skin from meat when preparing table fare.

Ugly Tools Gut Hook Bait Knife: With nearly zero flex, this is best used as a bait board knife and can be used to skin fish.

Ugly Tools Marine Shears: Designed for any cutting task, including cutting chunks, fin snipping, rope cuts, etc. Also includes a scaler and measuring scale for quick reference when needed.

Ugly Tools Utility Knife: Less Flex and a thicker blade allow for steaking, breaking and bait fish work including cutting chum chunks.

Ugly Tools: Specifications

Knives
• Ugly Tools 9-inch Flex Knife: $29.99
• Ugly Tools 7-inch Tapered Knife: $24.99
• Ugly Tools 7-inch Serrated Knife: $24.99
• Ugly Tools 7-inch General Utility Knife: $29.99
• Ugly Tools 5-inch Gut Hook Bait Knife: $19.99

Marine Shears
• Robust Non-Slip Ugly Tuff™ Grips provide control even in wet/slippery conditions
• 420 Stainless Steel Blades
• Air-through Sheath – protects anglers, pets and blades when not in use
• Scaler – expose bait oils for more prolific scent dispersion
• Fin Snip – modify bait action to attract more bites
• Measuring Scale – quickly measure cut chunks for best results
• Blades Separate – easy clean up and go
• MSRP: $24.99

Fish Skinner
• Robust Non-Slip Ugly Tuff™ Grips provide control even in wet/slippery conditions
• 420 Stainless Steel Jaws
• Triggered Reverse Grip Handle Design
• Spring loaded – one hand operation
• Coiled Lanyard – allows angler to extend reach up to 36 inches
• Textured Jaws – grips skin better
• MSRP: $19.99

90-Degree Pliers
• Robust Non-Slip Ugly Tuff™ Grips provide control even in wet/slippery conditions
• High Carbon Steel Jaws
• 90-degree triggered handle equals maximum leverage with line of sight
• Spring loaded – one hand operation
• Coiled Lanyard – allows angler to extend reach up to 36” inches
• MSRP: $29.99

9-inch Pliers with Cutter
• Robust Non-Slip Ugly Tuff™ Grips provide control even in wet/slippery conditions
• High Carbon Steel Jaws
• Spring loaded – one hand operation
• Adjustable Vented Sheath with Belt Clip – Easy access for wear without inference on either right or left side
• Coiled Lanyard – allows angler to extend reach up to 36 inches
• Carbide Cutters – cuts nylons and superlines
• Triggered Reverse Grip Handle Design
• Cutters up – allows angler direct line of sight in tight working spaces
• Cutters down – allows angler to apply heavy pressure when needed
• Serrated Jaws – maximum friction and control
• Hook Cinching Notch – tighten line knots to hook limiting the angler’s risk of being stuck
• MSRP: $29.99

by AnglersChannel

Maupin Wins Toyota Series Event on Potomac River

Virginia Pro Wins by 7-Ounce Margin, Earns $24,293

MARBURY, Md. (Sept. 13, 2020) – Toyota Series angler James Maupin of Stanardsville, Virginia, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 13 pounds, 13 ounces to win the three-day Toyota Series at the Potomac River tournament in Marbury, Maryland. Maupin’s three-day total of 15 bass weighing 40-11 earned him the win by a 7-ounce lead over second-place angler Todd Walters of Kernersville, North Carolina, and earned Maupin the top payout of $24,293 in the second tournament of the 2020 Toyota Series Eastern Division.

Maupin was ecstatic just to make a top 10 in a field with Potomac hammers like this event featured, but to win was even more special.

“This win means a lot,” Maupin said. “It definitely makes all the hard work worth it to know I can compete with these guys.”

The two areas Maupin spent the majority of his time on this week were Greenway Flats and Mason Neck. Each area had a 200-yard stretch that he would work back and forth, no matter the tide, and each produced fish throughout the day.

“I’m not very familiar with tides, so I just put my head down and fished,” said the 42-year-old angler. “I got on this bite Wednesday and it was so consistent. When the sun would peek out I couldn’t get a bite going, but when it was cloudy I had success throwing a spinnerbait down those grass lines. Thankfully it was consistently cloudy all three days of the tournament.”

The bread and butter for Maupin was a 3/8-ounce Terminator spinnerbait with two gold willow blades. He had two identical spinnerbaits rigged on the deck, one on 15-pound-test fluorocarbon and the other on 20-pound-test to help the bait run lower or higher in the water. When the sun came out, especially on day two, Maupin ran a V&M swim jig with a Zoom Fat Albert Twin Tail Grub as a trailer to get a few bites.

As a brick mason by day, Maupin is more than happy to see fish pay the bills for a change. Though he may not be ready to dive into fishing full-time, he’s excited to keep competing at this level.

“This is seriously one of the greatest moments of my life,” said Maupin. “It’s just amazing. I’m going to use this check to pay off my house, so it’s cool to say I was able to do that by fishing. I’m not sure what I’m going to fish next year, but I definitely want to keep it going."

The top 10 pros on the Potomac River finished:

1^st: James Maupin of Stanardsville, Va., 15 bass, 40-11, $24,293

2^nd: Todd Walters of Kernersville, N.C., 15 bass, 40-4, $9,413

3^rd: Bryan Schmitt of Deale, Md., 15 bass, 38-4, $7,288

4^th: Wayne Vaughan of Chester, Va., 14 bass, 37-14, $6,139

5^th: Michael Hall of Annandale, Va., 14 bass, 32-9, $5,532

6^th: Kurt Mitchell of Milford, Del., 15 bass, 31-7, $5,059

7^th: Danny Kirk of Bartow, Ga., 12 bass, 30-15, $4,251

8^th: David Williams of Maiden, N.C., 14 bass, 30-15, $3,644

9^th: Cody Pike of Powhatan, Va., 12 bass, 27-12, $4,037

10^th: Joseph Thompson of Coatesville, Pa., 11 bass, 26-8, $2,429

A complete list of results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Pike 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.

James Roten of West Jefferson, North Carolina won the Co-angler Division Saturday with a three-day total of 12 bass weighing 27 pounds, 9 ounces. Roten 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 the Potomac River finished:

1^st: James Roten of West Jefferson, N.C., 12 bass, 27-9, Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat w/115-hp outboard

2^nd: Michael Duarte of Baltimore, Md., 12 bass, 26-3, $3,165

3^rd: Jarrod Egolf of Frederick, Md., 13 bass, 24-1, $2,532

4^th: Gary Haraguchi of Phoenix, Ariz., 14 bass, 22-2, $2,215

5^th: Lenny Baird of Stafford, Va., 11 bass, 21-6, $1,899

6^th: Jeff Mellott of Warfordsburg, Pa., nine bass, 19-1, $1,582

7^th: Logan Fitzpatrick of Pennsville, N.J., eight bass, 18-13, $1,266

8^th: Jason Hinger of Timberlake, N.C., 11 bass, 18-3, $1,808

9^th: Derek Brown of Charlottesville, Va., nine bass, 13-15, $949

10^th: Tony Toombs of Drakes Branch, Va., eight bass, 13-15, $791

The Toyota Series at the Potomac River was hosted by the Charles County Board of Commissioners. It was the second of three regular-season tournaments in 2020 for Eastern Division anglers. The next event for Toyota Series anglers will take place on Sept. 24-26 – the Toyota Series at Clear Lake in Clearlake, California. For a complete schedule, visitFLWFishing.com.

by AnglersChannel

Shelbyville’s Martha Layne Collins High School Wins FLW High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing Ohio River Open

PADUCAH, Ky. (Sept. 14, 2020) – Shelbyville’s Martha Layne Collins High School duo of Johnathan Brian and Evan Hellman brought three bass to the scale Saturday weighing 7 pounds even to win the FLW High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing Ohio River Open in Paducah, Kentucky.

For their win on the Ohio River, 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: Martha Layne Collins High School, Shelbyville, Ky. – Johnathan Brian and Evan Hellmann, three bass, 7-0

2nd: Estill County High School, Irvine, Ky. – Brandon Vanderpool and Summer Evans, two bass, 5-7

Rounding out the top 10 were:

3rd: Calloway County High School, Murray, Ky. – Landon Morgan and Ross Kearns, two bass, 4-14

4th: Ohio County High School, Hartford, Ky. – Carson Fitzgerald and Clayton Cruze, one bass, 4-8

5th: West Tennessee Home Education Association – Caleb Griffin and Bryson Bailey, two bass, 4-1

6th: East Prairie High School, East Prairie, Mo. – Jase Archie and Sam Small, two bass, 3-11

7th: Bag 5 Bassin’. – Blake Schuster and Charlie Remmers, both of Roanoke, Ill., one bass, 3-7

8th: Bag 5 Bassin’– Brock Sauder, Carlock, Ill., and Brayden Blunier, Roanoke, Ill., two bass, 3-3

9th: McCracken County High School, Paducah, Ky. – Dalton Skinner and Harley Valerius, one bass, 2-11

10th: East Prairie High School, East Prairie, Mo – Mark Bixler and Coy Small, one bass, 2-9

Complete results from the event can be found at FLWFishing.com.

The FLW High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing Ohio River Open in Paducah, Kentucky, 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.

by AnglersChannel

Western Illinois University Wins Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI Tournament on Ohio River

PADUCAH, Ky. (Sept. 14, 2020) – The Western Illinois University team of Hunter Litchfield of Macomb, Illinois, and Hunter Imhof of Wilmington, Illinois, won the Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI at the Ohio River event Friday with a five-bass limit weighing 7 pounds, 14 ounces. The victory earned the Western Illinois bass club $2,000 and qualified them to compete in the 2021 College Fishing National Championship.

The Leathernecks duo won by an 8-ounce margin over the second-place team of Luke Ripple and Blake Albertson from Murray State University, who weighed in four bass totaling 7 pounds, 6 ounces. The tournament launched from the Ohio River Ramp in Paducah, Kentucky.

The top 10 teams that advanced to the 2021 College Fishing National Championship are:

1^st: Western Illinois University – Hunter Litchfield, Macomb, Ill., and Hunter Imhof, Wilmington, Ill., five bass, 7-14, $2,000

2^nd: Murray State University – Luke Ripple, Murray, Ky., and Blake Albertson, Bloomington, Ind., four bass, 7-6, $1,000

3^rd: Eastern Kentucky University – Chris LeMaster, Argillite, Ky., and Chase Terry, Whitley City, Ky., three bass, 6-14, $500

4^th: University of Illinois – Robbie Schmidt, Tolono, Ill., and Tyson Stork, Strawn, Ill., four bass, 6-5, $500

5^th: University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point – Neal Wisinski, Stevens Point, Wis., and Jesse Pliska of Wisconsin Rapids, Wis., four bass, 6-5, $500

6^th: University of Central Missouri – Tyler Bartlett, Lees Summit, Mo., and Tad Deatherage, Concordia, Mo., five bass, 5-9

7^th: McKendree University – Parker Domschke, Bolingbrook, Ill., and Ethan Jones, Sparta, Wis., three bass, 5-8

8^th: Murray State University – Zachary Martin, Murray, Ky, and Harbor Lovin, Fayetteville, Ohio, three bass, 5-4

9^th: Murray State University – Dalton Kelly, Keenes, Ill., and Jacob Autry, Beaver Dam, Ky., three bass, 4-9

10^th: Western Illinois University – Brandon Briscoe, McHenry, Ill., and John Ott Jr., Lindenhurst, Ill., three bass, 4-6

Complete results for the entire field can be found at FLWFishing.com.

The Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI event on the Ohio River was the third and final regular-season qualifying tournament for Central Conference anglers. The next event for College Fishing anglers will be this week, Sept. 16 – the Abu Garcia College Fishing OPEN presented by YETI event at Kentucky and Barkley lakes in Gilbertsville, Kentucky.

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.

by AnglersChannel