David Xiong

Major League Fishing’s 2023 Tackle Warehouse Invitationals to Premiere Saturday on CBS Sports

Major League Fishing’s Tackle Warehouse Invitationals Set to Premiere on CBS Sports, New Episodes Premiere Every Saturday from 9-11 a.m. ET

BENTON, Ky. (Sept. 28, 2023) –Major League Fishing’s (MLF) 2023 Tackle Warehouse Invitationals are set to premiere this weekend, Saturday, Sept. 30 at 9 a.m. ET with a two-hour episode on CBS Sports.

Each MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitational featured a field of 150 anglers competing over three days in a five-fish, weigh-in format. In addition to the lucrative prize money, the winner of each of the six Invitationals receives an invitation to compete in REDCREST 2025, Major League Fishing’s most prestigious tournament. Top pros in Tackle Warehouse Invitational AOY standings at the end of the season will receive an invitation to compete in the 2025 Bass Pro Tour.

The first two-hour episode of Major League Fishing’s Tackle Warehouse Invitationals premiering Saturday will showcase the first event of the season – the Power-Pole Stop 1 at Lake Okeechobee Presented by Phoenix Boats. Each week a new episode will premiere on CBS Sports, through mid-November.

The complete air schedule for the 2023 Tackle Warehouse Invitationals on CBS Sports is:

- Sept. 30    Power-Pole Stop 1 at Lake Okeechobee Presented by Phoenix Boats
- Oct. 7        Toyota Stop 2 at Clarks Hill Lake Presented by Lowrance
- Oct. 14      Epic Baits Stop 3 at Lake Eufaula Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches
- Oct. 21      Phoenix Boats Stop 4 at Lake of the Ozarks Presented by Mystik Lubricants
- Oct. 28      T-H Marine Stop 5 at the Potomac River
- Nov. 4 Mercury Stop 6 at the Mississippi River
- Nov. 11 (9 a.m. ET) Abu Garcia College Fishing 2023 National Championship at Lake Toho Presented by Lowrance
- Nov. 11 (10 a.m. ET) Phoenix Bass Fishing League 2023 All-American at Lake Hartwell Presented by T-H Marine

The full television schedule can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Proud sponsors of the 2023 MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitationals include: 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, E3, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, Fox Rent a Car, General Tire, Grundéns, Lew’s, Lowrance, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Mystik Lubricants, Onyx, Phoenix Boats, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Wiley X and YETI.

For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Bass Fishing League updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

by David Xiong

B.A.S.S. announces three-division schedule for 2024 Bassmaster Opens

The 2024 St. Croix Bassmaster Opens Series will feature nine tournaments — three each in three divisions — covering eight states.

Photo by Kyle Jessie/B.A.S.S.

September 28, 2023

B.A.S.S. announces three-division schedule for 2024 Bassmaster Opens

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — B.A.S.S. officials announced Thursday the schedule for the 2024 St. Croix Bassmaster Opens, once again mixing frequent destinations with some that have barely been touched by the organization during its 55-year history.

The Opens circuit, which has become one of the most competitive and most followed in the sport, will again feature three divisions with three events in each. Winners of all events will be eligible for a berth in the 2025 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Toyota, but only the anglers who fish the Elite Qualifiers Division (all nine events) will be eligible to earn invitations to the 2025 Bassmaster Elite Series.

Opens Tournament Director Hank Weldon said he’s looking forward to another hotly contested journey across the country with some of the finest anglers in the world.

“We’re still wrapping up our 2023 season, and it’s been an amazing ride visiting such a variety of fisheries over a seventh-month stretch,” Weldon said. “It’s exciting to think it’s only going to get better with a 2024 schedule that we’re really proud of.”

The schedule will kick off with a trip to the world-famous largemouth factory of Lake Okeechobee in Clewiston, Fla., Feb. 1-3. The “Big O,” which ranked 10th overall on Bassmaster Magazine's annual 100 Best Bass Lakes list, has hosted 23 major B.A.S.S. events, including the 2023 Bassmaster Elite Series season-opener that was won by Louisiana pro Tyler Rivet with 86 pounds, 15 ounces.

The remainder of the Division 1 slate will play out over the following eight months with a pair of trips to South Carolina.

The first Palmetto State stop will be March 7-9 at Santee Cooper Lakes in Clarendon County, S.C., where Georgia pro Drew Cook won an Elite in 2022 with a whopping 105-5 and Oklahoma pro Luke Palmer followed by winning an Elite event held there this year with 96-14. The Division 1 slate will wrap up on Oct. 10-12 in Anderson, S.C., with a visit to Lake Hartwell — the site of four previous Bassmaster Classics.

Officials from the Clarendon County Chamber of Commerce, host for the Santee Cooper Lakes event, said they are thrilled to have B.A.S.S. visiting the venue again.

“Clarendon County is beyond excited to welcome B.A.S.S. to the Santee Cooper Lakes,” said Jesse Surette, director of tourism, Clarendon County Chamber of Commerce. “This historic fishery has been a staple in the top level of the sport for decades, and this event will be a great opportunity for Bassmaster Opens anglers to earn their way onto the Bassmaster Elite Series and fish for a chance to compete on the biggest stage in bass fishing, the Bassmaster Classic.”

The schedule for Division 2 will get its start Feb. 15-17 on a fishery that hasn’t been nearly as familiar to B.A.S.S. — Lake Ouachita in Hot Springs, Ark. It’ll be the organization’s first trip to Ouachita in more than two decades and only its fourth stop for a major event on the 40,000-acre fishery since Tennessee legend Bill Dance won the first B.A.S.S. event held there in 1969.

“Hot Springs is eagerly looking forward to being the host city for the first Bassmaster Opens Series (Division 2) Tournament of 2024 on Lake Ouachita in February,” said Steve Arrison, CEO of Visit Hot Springs. “Our city knows fishing, and we can’t wait to show the Bassmaster competitors a great venue for their tournament, as well as the wide array of attractions and activities that ‘America’s Spa’ has to offer. We guarantee everyone is going to have a great time both on and off the water.”

From Arkansas, the Division 2 lineup will move to Alabama’s Logan Martin Lake, May 2-4. Unlike previous events at Logan Martin, which have been held more toward the lower end of the 17,000-acre Coosa River fishery, this tournament will be held in Lincoln, Ala. — more toward the upper end of the lake — at the new 38-acre Lincoln’s Landing facility.

Then it’ll be back to Lake Eufaula, Okla., for the conclusion of the Division 2 slate June 20-22. B.A.S.S. made just its fourth trip to the super-fertile 102,000-acre fishery in Eufaula, Okla., this year for a wildly entertaining Open that was won by Alabama pro Joey Nania with a three-day total of 52-8.

Division 3 will represent the Northern swing for the Opens, beginning with an event on the smallmouth paradise of Lake St. Clair (ranked seventh overall on Bassmaster Magazine’s 2023 100 Best Bass Lakes list) in Macomb County, Mich., July 11-13. The lake has hosted nine major B.A.S.S. events, including a 2023 Elite that was won by the 2023 Dakota Lithium Bassmaster Rookie of the Year Joey Cifuentes with 91-8 — the highest winning weight ever in a B.A.S.S. tournament on St. Clair.

Following St. Clair, Division 3 will feature perhaps the most intriguing stop on the 2024 schedule with an event on Leech Lake in Walker, Minn., Aug. 22-24. If the venue sounds unfamiliar to fishing fans, it’s because B.A.S.S. has never held a major event on the 102,947-acre fishery in north-central Minnesota.

The lake, which lies mainly within the Leech Lake Indian Reservation and completely within the Chippewa National Forest, is the third-largest body of water in Minnesota and is home to both largemouth and smallmouth bass.

“We are thrilled to welcome the Bassmaster Open to Leech Lake in 2024,” said Leech Lake Area Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Cindy Wannarka. “This caliber of tournament will offer many positive outcomes, and we are looking forward to partnering with B.A.S.S. and planning for the tournament. We are certain that the Bassmaster Open will not only have a tremendous impact on our local economy, but will also give the Leech Lake area exposure to attract future visitors. We are excited to begin working with the staff and participants as we introduce them to one of the finest fisheries in Minnesota. We are positive that once they visit, they will want to return to our community.”

The conclusion for Division 3 will take place Sept. 12-14 on the Mississippi River in La Crosse, Wis. The fishery has hosted 11 previous major B.A.S.S. events, with Maryland's Bryan Schmitt winning a recent 2022 Elite there with 63-4.

“When we say this schedule has a little bit of everything, we mean it,” Weldon said. “From Okeechobee largemouth to a mixed bag in Minnesota, anglers who fish all nine events will have their knowledge and abilities tested to the extreme.”

The final event in each division will feature live television coverage on FS1. Through two divisional finals in 2023, more than 780,000 viewers have enjoyed exciting Opens LIVE broadcast coverage from Tennessee's Watts Bar Reservoir and the Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri.

Registration will open November 7, beginning with B.A.S.S. Life and Nation anglers who want to participate in the Opens EQ Division.

For more information, visit Bassmaster.com/Opens.

2024 St. Croix Bassmaster Opens

Division 1

Feb. 1-3, Lake Okeechobee, Clewiston, Fla.

March 7-9, Santee Cooper Lakes, Clarendon County, S.C.

Oct. 10-12, Lake Hartwell, Anderson, S.C.

Division 2

Feb. 15-17, Lake Ouachita, Hot Springs, Ark.

May 2-4, Logan Martin Lake, Lincoln, Ala.

June 20-22, Lake Eufaula, Eufaula, Okla.

Division 3

July 11-13, Lake St. Clair, Macomb County, Mich.

Aug. 22-24, Leech Lake, Walker, Minn.

Sept. 12-14, Mississippi River, La Crosse, Wis.

by David Xiong

Crappie fishing is giving Scroggins a Ph. D. in FFS

Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships

Team Toyota’s Terry “Big Show” Scroggins believes that in order to keep his illustrious pro career of two decades competitive, having a professor’s level of knowledge regarding forward-facing sonar is imperative. So, he’s been utilizing dozens of crappie fishing trips on his home waters of the St. Johns River to dial-in his understanding of “FFS” with great precision.

“When forward facing sonar first came out, I didn’t pay a lot of attention to it. Early on, I’d say only about 30% of the pros were using it, and it was mostly when we went to northern smallmouth fisheries. Now, it’s a player in every region of the country. Whether you’re scanning cypress trees in 4-feet of water in South Carolina or throwing a drop shot 30-feet deep in New York … you’d better be using it,” emphasizes Scroggins.

Recent crappie fishing trips have taught “Big Show” three valuable forward-facing sonar lessons he graciously shares to help all FFS users be more efficient.

Set the range to 25-feet when you’re around fish

Rather than leave the transducer’s beam to range out 100 feet all the time, or even closer at 50 feet, Scroggins has learned when he knows he’s around fish, to reduce the range down to 25 feet, which in turn provides a far more detailed look at how the fish are behaving, and reacting to his lure.

“When I set the range at 25-feet, not only can I see exactly where my tiny little 1/32 ounce crappie jig is in relation to the fish or brushpile, but I can also literally see their tail fins moving, and tell whether they’re swimming toward my jig or away from it,” insist Scroggins.

Choose your screen’s color schemes carefully

All brands of modern-day sonar units offer anglers their choice of various color shades on the screen. However, the color that one person’s eyes see best, may differ from their fishing buddy’s. So, try various shades until you’re confident you’re seeing the most detail.

“I like the black emerald color scheme a ton. It’s probably my favorite most days. But I also like midnight blue and orange crawfish. It all depends on your individual vision, clouds versus sun, and even the shade of lens in your sunglasses. So, utilize the color pallet that shows the most detail for your eyes, based on all those factors,” he suggests.

Turn your other sonar units off

One of the many peculiar observances Scroggins has made amid his in-depth study of FFS is the manner in which too many transducer signals making a “pinging” or “clicking” noise under the water, spooks fish.

“There’s no doubt in my mind, when you’ve got two, three, or four sonar units all turned on at the same time, all that pinging noise from the transducers spooks fish. I’ve watched it happen. So, when I’m working on catching a school of them, I turn all the sonar off, except for the one unit I’m looking at,” says Scroggins.

So, whether you’re still considering adopting forward facing sonar, or simply trying to learn how to use it better, surely Scroggins’ detailed observances while crappie fishing will lead you to catching more bass too, just as it has for him in recent months.

by David Xiong

Boat gets sucked into Tennessee dam spillway, killing angler onboard, officials say

As reported by Makiya Seminera - Charlotte Observer

Two men were pulled into a Tennessee dam spillway while they were fishing, officials say. One of the men was killed. Getty Images/iStockphoto

Two anglers fishing below a Tennessee dam were thrown from their boat after being pulled into the spillway, killing one, officials say. The two men were fishing near Fort Loudoun Dam on Tuesday, Sept. 26, when their boat was sucked into the dam’s spillway and capsized, “sending both men into the water,” the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency told McClatchy News in an email.

One of the men was “quickly rescued by another angler” in another boat, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency said, but the other man was found later by the dam’s workers and died. Both men were wearing life jackets when they were thrown from the boat, the agency said. The boat was later recovered and “has been taken by wildlife officers for an analysis,” the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency said.

The agency said it will not release the identity of the man who was killed in the incident until Wednesday, Sept. 27. An investigation is ongoing. A similar incident occurred in 2020 when two fishermen were pulled into the Fort Loudoun dam spillway after their boat’s engine failed, as reported by WBIR. One man was killed, but bystanders rescued the other man.

Multiple deaths have been reported onFort Loudoun Lake within the past few years. In August, two bodies were found in the water within two days, WBIR reports. The dam is a “hydroelectric facility” that stretches across the Tennessee River and is about 30 miles southwest of Knoxville. The Fort Loudoun reservoir is a popular fishing and boating spot, and the “tailwater area immediately below the dam is an excellent site for viewing a variety of waterbirds,” the Tennessee Valley Authority said.

Safety issues on the lake caused the Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission to create a “no wake” zone in the area, WATE reports. No wake zones are areas where boats must go at a wake speed that is “not sufficient to cause possible injury or damage to other persons, boats, or property,” according to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.

by David Xiong

Kayak anglers visit smallmouth paradise on Susquehanna to wrap Bassmaster season

Pennsylvania's Susquehanna River will host the Yamaha Rightwaters Bassmaster Kayak Series powered by TourneyX October 7-8, 2023.

Photo by Mark Cisneros/B.A.S.S.

September 27, 2023

LEWISBURG, Pa. — The Yamaha Rightwaters Bassmaster Kayak Series powered by TourneyX will end with a bang as anglers from across the country head to the mighty Susquehanna River at arguably the best time of year, according to West Virginia kayak pro Jody Queen.

“In October, this place is wide open,” Queen said. “It is just a good time to be here.”

Competition days are scheduled for October 7-8, with the final berths to the 2024 Yamaha Rightwaters Bassmaster Kayak Series Championship powered by TourneyX to be awarded and the 2023 Dakota Lithium Bassmaster Kayak Series Angler of the Year to be decided. The live leaderboard can be found on Bassmaster.com throughout the tournament, with the awards ceremony streaming live on the Bassmaster YouTube channel October 8 at 5 p.m. ET.

Snaking through the state of Pennsylvania, the Susquehanna River is a relatively shallow river with a healthy smallmouth population. In this section of river, largemouth are not a prominent player. The boundaries for this event present a large playing field where anglers will be able to spread out.

“A lot of it will depend on water levels, but usually in October, the water levels are pretty good with a normal flow. Usually low and clear is normal,” Queen said.

The fall feed will likely be underway when anglers arrive, which could make for exciting topwater and power fishing opportunities. The main river will be the most productive water, while some of the creek mouths will also hold bass.

Several different types of shad, including redhorse sucker chubs and river shiners, along with crawfish, will be the most prominent forage types. These smallies will also school up, which can provide some of the best opportunities to catch a quick limit.

“If you find those fish, it is an all-out smashfest. It is so fun to find them when they are schooling like that,” Queen said.

Current, and the cover that breaks that current, are important factors on the Susquehanna. For Queen, grassbeds play an important role, while rocks and laydowns serve as current breaks. River ledges will also allow smallmouth to ambush baitfish.

“Topwater is usually really good,” Queen said. “Moving baits like crankbaits, spinnerbaits and JackHammers are really good, as well as any type of crawfish imitators. Just about anything goes up here. It will be a good bite.”

Baits like shaky heads, Ned rigs and Fluke-style baits like a Z-Man Jerk ShadZ will also catch smallies.

While many of the smallmouth fisheries B.A.S.S. visits present opportunities to fish with light line, Queen says the Susquehanna is the opposite. If anglers use line that’s too light, it is almost guaranteed they will get their feelings hurt.

In this catch, measure, release-style tournament, anglers will be allowed to launch from any public launch in eligible boundaries beginning at 7 a.m. ETand will make their first cast at 7:30 a.m. on both days. Lines out is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.

The top finishers will meet at the Best Western Country Cupboard Inn in Lewisburg for an awards ceremony following competition hours on Day 2.

Going into the final tournament of the season, Rus Snyders, who won March’s Kayak Series Championship on Chickamauga Lake and has finished no lower than 15th this season, is leading the Dakota Lithium Bassmaster Kayak Series Angler of the Year standings with 733 points. Snyders holds a narrow lead over Nick Dyer (727), Elite Series pro Greg DiPalma (726), who won the season’s first tournament, and Marty Hughes Jr. (723).

Competitors can register for the Susquehanna event through September 29 at Bassmaster.com.

by David Xiong

Your Guide to Landing Net Material

EGO Fishing helps anglers choose the right netting material for every sportfishing situation—from bank fishing to big waters.

Caldwell, ID (September 27, 2023) – Idaho, USA-based fishing accessories designer and manufacturer, EGO Fishing, offers several netting material options to provide anglers with exactly the right net for every fishing application.

Honestly, there’s a lot of confusion among anglers with what type of landing net to buy. All they know is they don’t want to spend time pulling out tangled trebles, yet want something strong and streamlined, and also something that’s easy on a fish for hearty and healthy trophy releases.

“Over the last six or seven years there’s been a growing trend toward anglers choosing rubber mesh landing net material, especially clear rubber mesh,” says Grant Corbett, EGO Fishing Founder.

“We have two options: clear rubber mesh and black rubber mesh. Steelhead anglers and other clear-water anglers believe that the clear rubber mesh doesn’t spook fish,” volunteers Corbett.

“For years, bass and walleye anglers have gravitated to our black rubber mesh because—like our clear rubber mesh—hooks don't get snagged in it. And if you fish catch & release, it's very soft on the fish. It doesn’t remove the protective slime coating on many fish species and fins don’t get damaged. It also resists knotting up like some inferior mesh-based landing net materials,” says Corbett.

The downside to rubber mesh—clear or black—says Corbett, is it’s more expensive than other netting material options. It also has the most water drag and isn’t as durable as PVC options.

Rubber mesh works exceptionally for fish without fangs, like largemouth and smallmouth bass, and panfish. Releasing healthy fish is major tenet in bass fishing. Rubber mesh is gentle on their fins and doesn’t wipe away the slime.

“If you’re fishing for walleyes and you tie into a giant pike or muskie, it's possible that the pike might slip through the bottom of a rubber mesh net because their teeth are so sharp. Pike can literally cut through rubber. If you’re fishing pike, rubber mesh is not the best option. However, we do have the right net for the job,” continues Corbett.

For pike, muskies, and toothy saltwater species, Corbett recommends EGO Fishing’s PVC net material options. EGO’s PVC material is a woven fabric that’s completely encased in another coating of PVC rubber. Like rubber mesh, PVC nets do not knot up.

“Another bonus is that PVC net material is pretty easy on fish health for catch & release fishing. Plus, the woven fabric is a very difficult thing for pike, muskies, and saltwater fish to cut through. So, PVC is one of the most durable landing net material options out there,” notes Corbett.

Other pluses to PVC net material? First, less water drag than rubber and it’s slightly less expensive. So, if you're dealing with pike or other fish species with sharp teetch, PVC is your best option.

If there’s a downside, it’s that PVC net material somewhat less “hook friendly” as EGO Fishing’s clear or black rubber mesh options.

“With our PVC net material, panels are put together with seams, and if your hook gets into one of the seams, there’s a possibility of getting snagged. But the seams don’t run throughout the entire net mesh, and the PVC coating tends to keep hookpoints away,” offers Corbett.

“In terms of sales, we sell more PVC netting than any other mesh type. It is the most common and popular landing net materiaol out there,” concludes Corbett.

EGO Fishing Net Material Types

Clear Rubber

Pro: Doesn’t spook fish
Pro: Excellent hook-snag resistance
Pro: Easy on fish for catch & release
Pro: Doesn’t knot up
Con: Some water drag
Con: Most expensive option

Black Rubber

Pro: Excellent hook-snag resistance
Pro: Easy on fish for catch & release
Pro: Doesn’t knot up
Con: Some water drag
Con: Most expensive option

PVC

Pro: PVC woven netting material with additional PVC coating
Pro: Easy on fish for catch & release
Pro: Most durable netting material option available
Pro: Most popular net material option on-the-water
Con: Possibility of hooking a seam

Traditional Nylon

Pro: Thinner nylon string construction
Pro: Super lightweight
Pro: Very minimal water drag
Con: Prone to knots
Con: Hard on fish for catch & release fishing
Con: Snag-prone, especially with treble hooks

Coated Nylon

Pro: Thinner nylon string construction
Pro: Super lightweight
Pro: Very minimal water drag
Pro: Coating prevents most hook snags
Pro: Easier on fish than traditional nylon for catch & release
Con: Harder on fish than rubber or PVC options
Con: Snag-prone, especially with treble hooks

Black Rubber Mesh

Proper Landing Net Use

“Our nets were designed so you could reach out in real-time, net the fish, and then retract the handle before you ever put full lifting loads on the product. That does two things: First, it brings the weight way back closer to your body, so it's way easier to lift. Second, the handle is retracted and in its strongest position and the angler can lift the weight more vertically rather than perpendicular to the body or shoulder,” instructs Corbett.

Corbett says if you use a landing net as explained above, you can land really big fish with no error or equipment failure.

“Bill Dance landed a catfish that was close to 70-pound using an EGO S2 Slider net as described above. That’s a pretty big fish! So, they are designed to land big fish, but you can’t abuse your landing net. You have to use it right.”

“One of the biggest problems involves anglers extending their landing net all the way out and then lifting the fish and net perpendicular to their body. Some anglers will also try to use a landing net like a shovel. Used in these two manners, the tip thread can break or cause another failure. Of course, then the angler thinks the net is defective, when it’s actually been misused,” observes Corbett.

Bigger Fish Call For Bigger EGO Landing Nets

Corbett says there’s also been a trend of anglers looking for nets with bigger hoops than 24-27 inches. Many are looking for 33-inch, 36-inch, and even bigger hoops.

“We’re at a place right now where we’re designing nets with extendable handles but hoops and netting material options in these requested, gigantuan sizes. It’s a smaller market, but we like to cater to all angers, so we are working on them. In the meantime, we do have the EGO Big Game Series with hoop frames up to 36 inches. They’re very popular with your big fish crowd,” says Corbett.

Wade Net with Clear Rubber Mesh

Best of the Best: EGO Fishing Netting Construction Materials

“In terms of the construction materials, what we’ve strived to do from day one is find the best balance between strength, lightness, durability, and cost, because you have to kind of juggle all those factors. We could go all out and design an all-carbon fiber landing net, but its cost would be approximately $300. And then how big is your market? And then how big is your market? So we’ve focused on delivering durability, strength, and quality without our customers having to break the bank to buy a reliable landing net,” offers Corbett.

In terms of actual construction materials, EGO fishing utilizes aluminum, corrosion-resistant stainless steel parts, and polypropylene-injected molded parts, besides the obvious netting materials composed of clear and black rubber, PVC, nylon, and coated nylon.

by David Xiong

Potomac River Set to Host Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Tournament

Potomac River to Host 200 Boaters and Co-anglers from Four BFL Divisions Competing for Spot in 2024 BFL All-American, Top Prize of $60,000

MARBURY, Md. (Sept. 26, 2023) – The Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine’s Buckeye, North Carolina, Northeast and Piedmont divisions will wrap up their 2023 season in Marbury, Maryland next week, Oct. 5-7, with the Phoenix BFL Presented by T-H Marine Regional Event at the Potomac River.

Hosted by the Charles County Board of Commissioners, the three-day regional tournament will feature the top 45 boaters and co-anglers plus tournament winners from all four divisions, battling it out for a top prize of $60,000, including a Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, along with lucrative contingency awards, including up to an additional $7,000 Phoenix MLF Bonus. Strike King co-anglers will compete for a top prize of $50,000, including a Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard. Winners will be determined by the heaviest three-day catch.

The top six finishers in each regional will qualify for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American. The highest finishing boater from each division will also receive a $1,000 bonus and the highest finishing co-angler from each division will receive a $500 bonus.

“The Potomac was fishing a little bit tough for the Toyota Series tournament last weekend, but I expect it will get better,” said pro Grae Buck of Green Lane, Pennsylvania, who finished that tournament in seventh place – his third career top-10 finish on the Potomac River. “The tropical storm will have cleared up, and it should clear up the water as well.

“There was a lot of grass, and it’s going to clear away some of the hydrilla and take away some of the punch bite,” Buck continued. “But, that’ll open up more winding baits – Rat-L-Traps and ChatterBait JackHammers will both be strong players.”

Buck said he expects the fish will be stacked up, and guys are going to have to fish in a crowd to likely do well.

“The whole river will be in play – down south, all the way to D.C.,” Buck continued. “But the guys that do well are going to find the areas that have a large population of fish, and they’re likely going to have to out-fish the crowd. It’s going to be important to determine what those fish are wanting to eat, before your competitors do.

“I think 50 pounds is going to be really strong,” Buck went on to say. “If you can catch 17 pounds a day average, you should be right there at the end.”

Anglers will launch at 7 a.m. ET each morning from Smallwood State Park, located at 2750 Sweden Point Road, in Marbury. Weigh-ins will also be held at the State Park and will begin at 3 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend the event or follow the action online through the “MLF Live” weigh-in broadcasts at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

The 2023 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine consisted of 24-divisions devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season and five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, advance to one of six Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regionals. The 2024 BFL All-American will be held May 29-31 at Cherokee Lake in Jefferson County, Tennessee

The top boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division will also earn priority entry into the Toyota Series, the pathway to the Tackle Warehouse Invitationals and ultimately the Bass Pro Tour.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Proud sponsors of the 2023 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, E3, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, General Tire, Grundéns, Gill, Lew’s, Lowrance, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Mystik Lubricants, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, Wiley X and YETI.

by David Xiong

Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Tournament Set for Lake Eufaula

Lake Eufaula Set to Host 200 Boaters and Co-anglers from Four BFL Divisions Competing for Spot in 2024 BFL All-American, Top Prize of $60,000

EUFAULA, Okla. (Sept. 26, 2023) – The Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine’s Arkie, Cowboy, Mississippi and Ozark divisions will finish out the 2023 season in Eufaula, Oklahoma, Oct. 5-7, with the Phoenix BFL Presented by T-H Marine Regional Event at Lake Eufaula.

Hosted by the Eufaula Area Chamber of Commerce, the three-day regional tournament will feature the top 45 boaters and co-anglers plus tournament winners from all four divisions, battling it out for a top prize of $60,000, including a Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, along with lucrative contingency awards, including up to an additional $7,000 Phoenix MLF Bonus. Strike King co-anglers will compete for a top prize of $50,000, including a Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard. Winners will be determined by the heaviest three-day catch.

“The water levels on Lake Eufaula are always important to watch leading up to the event,” said pro Kelly Jordon of Flint, Texas, who won on the Tackle Warehouse Invitational tournament on Lake Eufaula earlier this season. “The water is at full pool right now, which really isn’t high. But watch the weather leading up to the event – if there is any rain or the water comes up, you’ll have to get to town on the bank.

“Water clarity is very important, too,” Jordon continued. “There is plenty of muddy water, but I expect most anglers will likely concentrate on the clear water on the lower end of the lake. It’s fall, so the fish are chasing shad. The main-lake bite could be tough – the fish offshore are scattered. But with forward-facing sonar, someone can find those fish and really pick them apart.”

Jordon said that he expects shallow-water pros to be beating the bank throwing spinnerbaits, crankbaits and topwater baits, while anglers fishing offshore will be throwing jerkbaits, swimbaits and Alabama rigs.

“The A-rig shines in the fall,” Jordon said. “That could definitely be a big player in this tournament. And it’s Oklahoma – the spinnerbait is going to play. I usually downsize the blades this time of year.

“It’s a great fishery and full of really good fish – 20 pounds a day is always doable there,” Jordon said. “That being said, fall can be really funky and it’s usually a feast or a famine. I think the winner of this one is going to weigh in right around 50 pounds over the three days.”

Anglers will launch at 7:30 a.m. CT each morning from the South Point-Nichols Point landing, located at 400 Lakeshore Drive, in Eufaula. Weigh-ins will also be held at the landing and will begin at 3:30 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend the event or follow the action online through the “MLF Live” weigh-in broadcasts at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

by David Xiong

Big Bass Tour - Berkley Lake Breakdown - Best Baits for Douglas Lake

By Pete Robbins

Ott DeFoe, the 2019 Bassmaster Classic champion, has spent thousands of hours on Douglas Lake, and has seen it change over the past few years. While the fish population remains healthy, there aren’t as many 6- and 7-pounders as in years past.

Despite that, he said that big baits will be the way to go at the upcoming Big Bass Tour event from October 6-8.

“The lake hasn’t gotten clear,” he said. “But a lot of guys are winning these days on glide baits and big topwaters. That big stuff is producing.” In a five-fish tournament, he’d lean on them heavily especially in the case of cloudy and/or windy conditions, but in a one-fish event like this one, the weather matters less. He’d choose one or two and glue those rods in his hands. “It could happen anytime, anywhere.”

He believes that more of the 5-pound and larger bass live in the mid- to lower section of the lake. As you go up the rivers, and fish shallower and with more traditional lures, “the chance of a 5 goes down, but the chance of a 3 ½ or 4 goes up. You’ll still get paid, but maybe you won’t win the boat.”

The other thing that has changed for him is where the bass live. Of course, as the water drops he’d focus on transition banks and isolated pieces of wood with water on them. However, whereas 20 years ago he “wouldn’t slow the boat down” to fish a boat dock, now they’ve become “the thing.” There are increasing numbers of them, and the key is figuring out which ones consistently hold bass.

If you’re committed to the topwater game, he recommends either a big walking bait or a plopper style bait, usually in bone.

For those anglers who can’t bring themselves to do the big bait thing, he recommends a rock jig or football jig.

“There’s always a population of crawfish-oriented bass,” he explained. “They’ll eat that, and day in, day out those fish will be better than average. The water is clean but not clear, so I’d recommend something brown or green pumpkin with orange, nothing crazy.”

Expect there to be multiple bass in the 5- to 6-pound class. Indeed, A fish under 6 pounds has won the Douglas BBT the last three years. In 2019, there was a 6.09 and there were 7+-pound bass weighed in every year from 2015 through 2017. One of those giants could show up again, and it would be a shame to waste a 5- or even 6-pounder against it. Make sure to pay attention to the live leaderboard if you’re angling for big money, or even if you just want to slide in and get an hourly check. This is a great opportunity to catch a lot of fish and get paid.

Berkley Picks for Douglas

Anglers fishing the Big Bass Tour at Douglas will have a lot of options, but big baits are playing an outsized role in recent events there. If you can get your hands on one, consider the Berkley Powerbait Nessie or Cull Shad. They’re new, so the fish won’t have seen them. Glue that rod in your hand and cover water.

Alternatively, big topwaters should bring bass up from the depths. Try a Berkley Choppo in Bone or HD Threadfin Shad. If the skies are dark, Maverick is a good choice. Another great surface option is the Berkley Drift Walker – thanks to its three trebles it hooks slashing bass and keeps them pinned throughout the fight.

If you’re headed up the river to escape boat traffic, a Berkley Slobberknocker will get the job done, but if you’re staying down toward the dam, pick out a non-bladed jig that fits your needs – everything from the Skippin’ Jig for docks to the Football Jig for rocks.

by David Xiong

Catch Bassmaster College Classic Bracket coverage live from Kansas

Tucker Smith and Hayden Marbut from Auburn University, who won the 2023 Strike King Bassmaster College National Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops, will be among the eight competitors at the Bassmaster College Classic Bracket presented by Lew's Sept. 29-Oct. 2 on Lake Milford.
Photo by Chase Sansom/B.A.S.S.

September 26, 2023

JUNCTION CITY, Kan. — Fishing fans and college sports enthusiasts alike will have three days to catch live coverage of the Bassmaster College Classic Bracket presented by Lew's on Milford Lake from Junction City, Kan., Sept. 29-Oct. 2

The event pits the season’s eight top college anglers against one another for a coveted spot in the 2024 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Toyota. On Day 1 of the event, all eight anglers will compete individually to determine seeding and set the bracket for head-to-head competition.

FS1 kicks off a day of college sports with morning action from Day 2 of the tournament beginning at 7 a.m. CT. Bassmaster College Classic Bracket LIVE will feature real-time coverage from every boat on Saturday and Sunday as anglers battle to advance. Continuing coverage of the tournament each afternoon and on Monday can be streamed on Bassmaster.com and the FOX Sports digital platforms.

The 2023 Bassmaster College Team of the Year — Easton Fothergill and Nick Dumke from the University of Montevallo — automatically punched their ticket to the College Classic Bracket to compete alongside the Top 3 teams from the Strike King Bassmaster College Series National Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops in this individual, elimination-style tournament.

Fothergill has endured a harrowing few weeks, undergoing emergency surgery to remove a brain abscess just days after finishing fifth at the National Championship. After enduring what he described as the scariest moments of his life, Fothergill was medically cleared to compete in the Bracket last week.

“When this all happened, my first thought was, ‘Oh my gosh, I put all this work in and finally made it to the Bracket, and I’m not going to be able to fish it,’” Fothergill said. “I was really down in the hospital thinking about it. But, luckily, I came through and all the doctors came together and got me feeling up to it.”

Joining Fothergill and Dumke will be national champions Hayden Marbut and Tucker Smith from Auburn University, Levi Mullins and Matthew Cummings from Bethel University and a second Montevallo team, Brody Robison and Jack Alexander.

This is the second trip to the College Classic Bracket for Smith, who finished second by just 3 ounces in 2021.

The event is being hosted by the Geary County, Kansas Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Date	Time (All times Central)	Network
Saturday, September 30	7 a.m. – 11 a.m.	FS1; FOX Sports Digital; Bassmaster.com
	12 p.m. – 2 p.m.	Bassmaster.com
	3:30 p.m. – 4 p.m.	Bassmaster.com
Sunday, October 1	7 a.m. – 10 a.m.	FS1; FOX Sports Digital; Bassmaster.com
	11 a.m. – 2 p.m.	Bassmaster.com
	3:30 p.m. – 4 p.m.	Bassmaster.com
Monday, October 2	7 a.m. – 11 a.m.	Bassmaster.com
	12 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.	Bassmaster.com

by David Xiong

Vaal Wins Two-Day Phoenix Bass Fishing League Super Tournament on Kentucky and Barkley Lakes

Bowlin Earns Strike King Co-Angler Division Victory

CALVERT CITY, Ky. (Sept. 25, 2023) – Boater Dustin Vaal of Farmington, Kentucky, caught 10 bass weighing 32 pounds, 1 ounce, to win the two-day MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on Kentucky and Barkley Lakes Presented by Country Boy Brewing in Calvert City, Kentucky. The tournament, hosted by the Kentucky Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau, was the fifth and final regular-season event for the Bass Fishing League Illini Division. Vaal earned $6,137 for the win, his first career BFL victory.

“This feels really good. I’ve been close a lot of times in these September tournaments, and this time around I finally kept enough on to win, so it feels great,” Vaal said.

“The lake is in a hardcore fall transition right now,” Vaal continued. “The shad are anywhere from 22-feet-deep all the way up to 2-feet. So, you can find them deep, you can find them shallow, and they’re all in the mix. We had a little bit of warm weather over the weekend that had them kind of funky. In the morning it was pretty good, but then you’d have to grind to get the remainder of your bites the rest of the day.”

Vaal said that he mainly threw moving baits but was forced to slow things down later in the day.

“It was pretty much like it used to be ledge fishing – you had to alternate through the baits to get them to bite,” Vaal said. “I caught them on topwater, spinnerbaits, jerkbaits – a wide variety of things. Once you got them fired up, you could keep catching them for a little bit, and then you’d have to move spots after you wore them out.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1st:        Dustin Vaal, Farmington, Ky., 10 bass, 32-1, $6,137
2nd:       Garrett McDowell, Windsor, Ill., 10 bass, 29-0, $2,899
3rd:       Levi Kohl, Edinburg, Ill., 10 bass, 26-6, $1,712
4th:        Billy Schroeder, Paducah, Ky., nine bass, 26-5, $1,199
5th:        Jeff Defew, Benton, Ky., 10 bass, 25-11, $1,027
6th:        Bobby McMullin, Pevely, Mo., eight bass, 23-8, $942
7th:        Jerry Hall, Ledbetter, Ky., 10 bass, 21-8, $856
8th:        Brennon McCord, Thompsonville, Ill., eight bass, 20-11, $1,271 (includes $500 Phoenix Bonus)
9th:        David Carroll, Manitou, Ky., nine bass, 20-7, $685
10th:     Keith Amerson, Selmer, Tenn., six bass, 19-15, $599

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Kevin Meunier of Lamar, Indiana, caught a bass that weighed 5 pounds, 5 ounces – the heaviest bass weighed in the boater division – and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $645.

Jordan Bowlin of Benton, Illinois, won the Strike King Co-angler Division and $2,891 Sunday after catching a two-day total of six bass weighing 20 pounds, 2 ounces.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:

1st:        Jordan Bowlin, Benton, Ill., six bass, 20-2, $2,891
2nd:       Aaron Arning, Walnut Hill, Ill., seven bass, 18-8, $1,284
3rd:       Jason Gosnell, Paris, Ill., six bass, 14-4, $858
4th:        Bill Kissinger, Obion, Tenn., four bass, 10-6, $599
5th:        Mike Swetland, Tamaroa, Ill., four bass, 10-3, $864
6th:        Brady Kendall, Paducah, Ky., four bass, 9-2, $471
7th:        Brad Thacher, Hardin, Ky., four bass, 8-13, $428
8th:        Jimmy Null, Bethalto, Ill., four bass, 8-12, $385
9th:        Joe Andres, Effingham, Ill., four bass, 8-11, $342
10th:     Brandon Depew, Odin, Ill., three bass, 7-7, $300

Bowlin also caught the largest bass in the Strike King Co-angler Division, a fish weighing 4 pounds, 7 ounces. The catch earned him the Berkley Big Bass Co-angler award of $322.

With the regular season now complete, boater Garrett McDowell of Windsor, Illinois, won the 2023 Bass Fishing League Illini Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with a five-event total of 1,347 points to earn the $1,000 boater AOY award. Aaron Arning of Walnut Hill, Illinois, won the 2023 Strike King Co-Angler Illini Division AOY race with 1,310 points and earned the $500 Strike King Co-angler of the Year award.

Now, the top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will advance to compete in the Oct. 12-14 Bass Fishing League Regional Tournament on Dale Hollow Lake in Byrdstown, Tennessee. Boaters will fish for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $50,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.

The 2023 Phoenix BFL Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 events throughout the season, five qualifying tournaments in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five qualifying event winners, will advance to one of six BFL 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 BFL All-American.

The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division will also earn priority entry into the MLF Toyota Series, the pathway to the MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitationals and ultimately the MLF Bass Pro Tour.

by David Xiong

California Transplant Phillip Dutra Earns Victory at Two-Day Phoenix Bass Fishing League Super Tournament on Lake Guntersville

Davenport Wins Strike King Co-Angler Division

SCOTTSBORO, Ala. (Sept. 25, 2023) – Boater Phillip Dutra of Arab, Alabama, caught 10 bass weighing 39 pounds, 10 ounces to win the two-day MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on Lake Guntersville in Scottsboro, Alabama. The tournament, hosted by the Mountain Lake Chamber of Commerce, was the fifth and final regular-season event for the Bass Fishing League Choo Choo Division. Dutra earned $7,717 for his victory.

“I fished a mixture of baits, mainly topwater and flipping,” said Dutra, who earned his first career victory after eight previous top-10 finishes in MLF competition. “I fished up and down the lake and located a couple of areas that had quality fish. Then I just cycled through those areas.”

A longtime Toyota Series Western division pro, Dutra recently moved to Alabama and was competing in his first ever Phoenix BFL tournament.

“I think that was the key to my win – pretty much just fishing the way I used to fish out west at the California Delta,” Dutra said. “I covered a lot of water and fished all throughout the lake. I didn’t have one spot, or one area.”

Dutra estimated that he had around 15 bites on Day 1, and around nine or 10 on Day 2.

“I threw quite a few different baits, but a Damiki Rambler, Damiki Knockout, a Snag Proof Bobby’s Perfect Frog and a Bobby D Buzzbait all got me some bites,” Dutra said. “I was using the brand new SEVIIN reels from St. Croix and was blown away at how far my casts were going. I paired that with 50-pound P-Line X-Braid for my topwater and flipping, and my equipment, no doubt, made a huge difference in how I ended up.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1st:        Phillip Dutra, Arab, Ala., 10 bass, 39-10, $7,717
2nd:       Alex Davis, Albertville, Ala., 10 bass, 38-10, $3,709
3rd:       Terry Fisher, Decatur, Ala., 10 bass, 37-12, $2,674
4th:        Logan Dyar, Cleveland, Ala., 10 bass, 35-6, $1,731
5th:        Fisher Anaya, Eva, Ala., 10 bass, 35-2, $1,115, $1,483
6th:        Scott Wiley, Jr., Bay Minette, Ala., 10 bass, 33-15, $1,360
7th:        Kent Ware, Guntersville, Ala., 10 bass, 33-7, $1,736 (includes $500 Phoenix Bonus)
8th:        Jordan Lee, Cullman, Ala., 10 bass, 33-5, $1,113
9th:        Ryan Salzman, Huntsville, Ala., 10 bass, 33-2, $989
10th:     Chandler Brewer, Meridianville, Ala, 10 bass, 32-11, $865

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

John Janick of Adams, Tennessee, caught the heaviest bass in the boater division, a bass that weighed 6 pounds, 13 ounces to win the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $1,132.

John Davenport of Huntsville, Alabama, won the Strike King Co-angler Division and $3,652 Sunday after catching a two-day total of nine bass weighing 30 pounds, 8 ounces.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:

1st:        John Davenport, Huntsville, Ala., nine bass, 20-1, $3,652
2nd:       Cy Matlock, Crump, Tenn., seven bass, 17-15, $1,826
3rd:       Rich Frey, Guntersville, Ala., seven bass, 16-11, $1,218
4th:        Scott Mascadri, Southside, Ala., five bass, 14-1, $852
5th:        Chris Allen, Bremen, Ga., seven bass, 13-7, $730
6th:        Toby Lawson, Trussville, Ala., five bass, 13-7, $669
7th:        Tony Pendley, Oakman, Ala., five bass, 13-4, $609
8th:        Christian Jones, Cadiz, Ky., five bass, 11-13, $548
9th:        Larry Franks, Jr., Wilsonville, Ala., five bass, 11-0, $487
10th:     Jamie Bladow, Houston, Ala., four bass, 9-4, $426

Alex Ross of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and Brian Carroll of Glencoe, Alabama, tie for the largest bass in the Strike King Co-angler Division, as each caught a bass weighing 5 pounds, 3 ounces. They split the $550 Berkley Big Bass Co-angler award and each brought home $275.

With the regular season now complete, boater Jordan Lee of Cullman, Alabama, won the 2023 Bass Fishing League Choo Choo Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with a five-event total of 1,305 points to earn the $1,000 boater AOY award. Justin Stephenson of Jasper, Alabama, won the 2023 Strike King Co-Angler Choo Choo Division AOY race with 1,328 points and earned the $500 Strike King Co-angler of the Year award.

Now, the top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will advance to compete in the Oct. 12-14 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Lake Eufaula in Eufaula, Alabama. Boaters will fish for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $50,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.

by David Xiong

Black Targets Schooling Fish to Win Two-Day Phoenix Bass Fishing League Super Tournament on Lake Hamilton

Leland Nixon Earns Strike King Co-Angler Division Victory

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. (Sept. 25, 2023) – Boater Jamey Black of Sheridan, Arkansas, caught 10 bass weighing 23 pounds even to win the two-day MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas. The tournament was the fifth and final regular-season event for the Bass Fishing League Arkie Division. Black earned $8,075 for his victory, including a $2,500 Phoenix contingency bonus.

“I found a couple of good areas that had schooling fish, and I just tried to stay in those areas following them around,” said Black, who has 18 top-10 finishes in BFL competition. “I mainly fished mid-lake and down. They were following big bait balls around, so I just tried to follow them as best as I could with (Garmin) LiveScope and threw a topwater at them whenever they would come up schooling.”

Black said his schools were deep – anywhere from 20 to 50 feet – but they would surface wherever the bait was. He credited a big fish that he caught on a frog late in the day on Day 1 as being the key to his strong finish.

“I had a decent stringer on Sunday, but I never would have even had the opportunity if it weren’t for that frog fish on Saturday afternoon,” Black went on to say. “I’m just so very happy to win this one. It’s been since 2006 since I last earned one of these winner trophies, so this win, against this level of competition, feels really, really good.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1st:        Jamey Black, Sheridan, Ark., 10 bass, 23-0, $8,075 (includes $2,500 Phoenix Bonus)
2nd:       Larry Selig, Alexander, Ark., 10 bass, 22-1, $2,787
3rd:       Brian Bean, Hot Springs, Ark., 10 bass, 21-12, $1,860
4th:        Spencer Shuffield, Hot Springs, Ark., 10 bass, 21-9, $1,301
5th:        Chris Darby, Hot Springs, Ark., 10 bass, 21-5, $1,115
6th:        James Stricklin, Jr., Fort Smith, Ark., 10 bass, 21-0, $1,022
7th:        Bryce Boatright, Sheridan, Ark., 10 bass, 19-5, $1,656
8th:        Ben Blaschke, Roland, Okla., 10 bass, 19-0, $836
9th:        Austin Johnston, Mena, Ark., 10 bass, 18-13, $743
10th:     Jeremiah Kindy, Benton, Ark., 10 bass, 18-9, $650

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Bryce Boatright of Sheridan, Arkansas, caught a bass that weighed 5 pounds even – the heaviest bass weighed in the boater division – and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $727.

Leland Nixon of Bee Branch, Arkansas, won the Strike King Co-angler Division and $2,694 Sunday after catching a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 20 pounds, 1 ounce.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:

1st:        Leland Nixon, Bee Branch, Ark., 10 bass, 20-1, $2,694
2nd:       Brock Krohne, Belton, Mo., 10 bass, 17-15, $1,347
3rd:       Michael Massey, Amity, Ark., nine bass, 16-11, $899
4th:        Clayton Self, Benton, Ark., eight bass, 14-1, $1,178
5th:        Jason Baggett, Mansfield, Ark., seven bass, 13-7, $539
6th:        Aaron Calvert, Russellville, Ark., 10 bass, 13-7, $494
7th:        Todd Garner, Spiro, Okla., nine bass, 13-4, $449
8th:        John McCullar, Benton, Ark., six bass, 11-13, $404
9th:        Derek Dixon, Hot Springs, Ark., seven bass, 11-0, $359
10th:     Nathan Hall, Hensley, Ark., seven bass, 9-4, $314

Randy Allen of Russellville, Arkansas, caught the largest bass in the Strike King Co-angler Division, a fish weighing 3 pounds, 3 ounces. The catch earned him the Berkley Big Bass Co-angler award of $345.

With the regular season now complete, boater Wayne Dixon of Morrilton, Arkansas, won the 2023 Bass Fishing League Arkie Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with a five-event total of 1,297 points to earn the $1,000 boater AOY award. Blake Defoor of Waldron, Arkansas, won the 2023 Strike King Co-Angler Arkie Division AOY race with 1,303 points and earned the $500 Strike King Co-angler of the Year award.

Now, the top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will advance to compete in the Oct. 5-7 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Lake Eufaula in Eufaula, Oklahoma. Boaters will fish for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $50,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.

by David Xiong

Ramsey Wins Two-Day Phoenix Bass Fishing League Super Tournament on Detroit River

Porento Tops Strike King Co-Angler Division

TRENTON, Mich. (Sept. 25, 2023) – Boater Randy Ramsey of Burlington, Michigan, caught 10 bass weighing 44 pounds, 6 ounces, to win the two-day MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on Detroit River Presented by FVP in Trenton, Michigan. The tournament was the fifth and final regular-season event for the Bass Fishing League Michigan Division. Ramsey earned $5,875 for his victory.

Ramsey said he caught the majority of his fish in about 19 feet of water, fairly close to shore, on a drop-shot rig.

“Anything that is made of floating plastic is key, the trick is to have that lure floating up off the bottom,” said Ramsey. “I was also throwing a Ned rig in between rocks and a Texas-rigged creature bait. I could let that creature bait really get down into the rocks, which made a huge difference on Day 2 of the event.

“After some rough rides and big waves, the bite was really slow, so we just had to be patient,” Ramsey continued. “I was working lures along the bottom, and I had to just barely crawl them over the rocks. Most of the time if I popped them off a rock, I’d get bit.”

Ramsey said the changing weather conditions during the two-day event certainly impacted his game plan.

“The water clarity was a lot better on Day 1 – on the second day of competition I could barely see down to my trolling motor,” said Ramsey. “The southeast winds stirred the shoreline sediment up pretty good, so when the winds shifted to the northeast, it pulled that sediment off the shore and muddied up my area, which changed the bite drastically from day to day.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1^st:           Randy Ramsey, Burlington, Mich., 10 bass, 44-6, $5,875
2^nd:          Michael Sitko, Pinckney, Mich., 10 bass, 42-12, $3,844
3^rd:          Patrick Goodman, Sturgis, Mich., 10 bass, 42-11, $1,860
4^th:           Nicholas Seitz, Maumee, Ohio, 10 bass, 41-9, $1,301
5^th:           Brayden Federer, Adrian, Mich., 10 bass, 41-8, $1,115
6^th:           Jeremy Antrup, Fremont, Ind., 10 bass, 41-0, $1,022
7^th:           Wilson Burton, Findlay, Ohio, 10 bass, 39-2, $$1,629 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
8^th:           Heath Wagner, Angola, Ind., 10 bass, 38-13, $836
9^th:           Evan Eldred, Gaines, Mich., 10 bass, 38-7, $993
10^th:        Austin Anderson, Ashley, Ind., 10 bass, 36-4, $650

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Michael Sitko of Pinckney, Michigan, caught a bass weighing 7 pounds, 12 ounces that was the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division to earn the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $727.

Paul Porento of Lowell, Indiana, won the Strike King Co-angler Division and $2,788 Sunday after catching a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 37 pounds, 6 ounces.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:

1^st:           Paul Porento, Lowell, Ind., 10 bass, 37-6, $2,788
2^nd:          Ryan Legg, Parma, Ohio, 10 bass, 34-12, $1,394
3^rd:          Jason Hayward, Otsego, Mich., 10 bass, 34-5, $929
4^th:           Richard Jarasun, Taylor, Mich., 10 bass, 33-12, $650
5^th:           Evan Ellis, Greentown, Ind., 10 bass, 33-9, $558
6^th:           Bill Miller, Metamora, Mich., 10 bass, 33-7, $511
7^th:           John Wall, Western Springs, Ill., 10 bass, 33-6, $465
8^th:           Scott Davis, Morenci, Mich., nine bass, 33-3, $418
9^th:           Scott Lutz, Bremen, Ind., 10 bass, 31-15, $522
10^th:        Alex Newman, Celina, Ohio, 10 bass, 31-10, $325

Daniel Dumais of Trenton, Michigan, caught the largest bass in the Strike King Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 5 pounds, 5 ounces. The catch earned him the Berkley Big Bass Co-angler award of $364.

With the regular season now complete, boater Patrick Goodman of Sturgis, Michigan, won the 2023 Bass Fishing League Michigan Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with a five-event total of 1,345 points to earn the $1,000 boater AOY award. Gavin Weted of Muont, Michigan, won the 2023 Strike King Co-Angler Michigan Division AOY race with 1,293 points and earned the $500 Strike King Co-angler of the Year award.

Now, the top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will advance to compete in the Oct. 12-14 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Dale Hollow Lake in Byrdstown, Tennessee. Boaters will fish for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $50,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.

by David Xiong

Hoyle Posts Win at Two-Day Phoenix Bass Fishing League Super Tournament on Lake Norman

Deciucis Tops Strike King Co-Angler Division

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Sept. 25, 2023) – Boater Cody Hoyle of Rutherfordton, North Carolina, caught 10 bass weighing 29 pounds, 9 ounces, to win the two-day MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on Lake Norman in Mooresville, N.C. The tournament, hosted by the Mooresville Convention and Visitors Bureau, was the fifth and final regular-season event for the Bass Fishing League North Carolina Division. Hoyle earned $5,446 for his victory.

“This win feels pretty good,” said Hoyle. “I wasn’t really expecting it, but everything just lined up for me today.”

Hoyle said he caught his fish mid-lake on a custom-made green pumpkin and red jig and felt his key to victory was keeping the trolling motor wide open throughout the day.

Hoyle said he is planning to fish the three-day Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional at Lake Norman Oct. 19-21 and opted not to reveal further information about his success on the fishery in this event.

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1st:          Cody Hoyle, Rutherfordton, N.C., 10 bass, 29-9, $5,446
2^nd:          Scott Hamrick, Denver, N.C., 10 bass, 28-6, $2,723
3^rd:          Chad Poteat, Mount Airy, N.C., 10 bass, 26-10, $3,396 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
4^th:           David Cooke, Mooresville, N.C., 10 bass, 26-7, $1,271
5^th:           Michael Stephens, Gastonia, N.C., 10 bass, 25-8, $1,089
6^th:           Dalton Eury, Oakboro, N.C., 10 bass, 25-8, $998
7^th:           Isaac Ledford, Dallas, N.C., 10 bass, 24-14, $908
8^th:           Aaron Digh, Denver, N.C., 10 bass, 24-12, $1,514
9^th:           Tyler Trent, Nathalie, Va., 10 bass, 23-12, $726
10^th:        Conrad Manuel, Pilot Mountain, N.C., nine bass, 23-4, $635

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Aaron Digh of Denver, North Carolina, caught a bass weighing 4 pounds, 11 ounces that was the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division to earn the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $697.

David Deciucis of Chester, Virginia, won the Strike King Co-angler Division and $3,272 Sunday after catching a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 23 pounds, 1 ounce.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:

1^st:           David Deciucis, Chester, Va., 10 bass, 23-1, $3,272
2^nd:          Jonathan Strickland, Graham, N.C., 10 bass, 19-0, $1,361
3^rd:          Samuel Dunson, Chapel Hill, N.C., nine bass, 18-15, $908
4^th:           Eric Tressel, Cornelius, N.C., eight bass, 18-2, $635
5^th:           George Hirapetian, Charlotte, N.C., nine bass, 17-14, $545
6^th:           Wayne Smelser, Wytheville, Va., eight bass, 16-11, $499
7^th:           Bobby Henderson, Charlotee, N.C., nine bass, 16-5, $654
8^th:           Wes House, Knightdale, N.C., nine bass, 15-13, $408
9^th:           Hunter Carpenter, Lincolnton, N.C., eight bass, 15-9, $363
10^th:        Greg Fox, Hudson, N.C., eight bass, 15-0, $318

Deciucis caught the largest bass in the Strike King Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 5 pounds, 12 ounces. The catch earned him the Berkley Big Bass Co-angler award of $349.

With the regular season now complete, boater Jason Barnes of Concord, North Carolina, won the 2023 Bass Fishing League North Carolina Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with a five-event total of 1,310 points to earn the $1,000 boater AOY award. Wes House of Knightdale, North Carolina, won the 2023 Strike King Co-Angler North Carolina Division AOY race with 1,337 points and earned the $500 Strike King Co-angler of the Year award.

Now, the top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will advance to compete in the Oct. 5-7 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Potomac River in Marbury, Maryland. Boaters will fish for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $50,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.

by David Xiong

Country Music Superstar Cody Johnson Announces Concert in Birmingham during REDCREST 2024; MLF To Give Away Pair of Front-Row Tickets

Win Tickets Before They Go On Sale! Register now at MajorLeagueFishing.com/Promos to Win a Pair of Front-Row Tickets!

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (Sept. 25, 2023) –Country music superstar Cody Johnson, with special guests Justin Moore and Dillon Carmichael, today announced a concert in Birmingham on Saturday, March 16, 2024, and Major League Fishing is offering a sweepstakes to win two front row tickets to the show before they go on sale to the public. Both the concert, at the Legacy Arena, and the REDCREST Outdoor Sports Expo, will be held at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex.

“REDCREST is a massive celebration and has quickly become one of the biggest parties in the outdoor industry,” said Michael Mulone, Vice President of Marketing & Business Development at MLF. “The three-day Outdoor Sports Expo is going to be jam packed with fun, and the Saturday evening concert will be a wonderful addition to the weekend’s festivities.”

Starting today, MLF fans can enter a sweepstakes at MajorLeagueFishing.com to win a pair of front-row seats to the show on Saturday night, before they go on sale to the public. Fans can enter the contest daily, through Wednesday, Oct. 4. Tickets for the show go on-sale to the general public beginning Friday, Oct. 6.

Known for his explosive live shows and electrifying stage presence, Cody Johnson has established a following of passionately loyal fans who regularly sell out shows across the country. The Tennessean claimed, “Cody Johnson showcases rising mastery of his country craft. When decent will no longer cut the mustard, and excellence makes you an award-winner, then ‘burgeoning mastery of the craft’ becomes the standard that defines why and how you achieve your following accomplishments.” That performance is included among the 40 concerts Johnson sold-out in 2022.

Johnson’s new studio album, Leather, is the follow up to his 2019 Ain’t Nothin’ To It studio album and 2021’s Human The Double Album. His major label catalog also includes Cody Johnson & The Rockin’ CJB Live and A Cody Johnson Christmas.

REDCREST, the world championship of professional bass fishing, showcases the top Major League Fishing anglers competing for the REDCREST Championship trophy and a top prize of $300,000. Anglers compete using the MLF catch, weigh, immediate-release live-scoring format, with on-the-water tournament action livestreamed to create the biggest watch party in bass fishing. The MLF Outdoor Sports Expo will be held March 15-17, 2024, at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex in Birmingham.

For complete details and updated information on Major League Fishing and the Bass Pro Tour, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

by David Xiong

Figuring Out Transition Bass

Sharpen your early fall bass game with these tips from SRD20’s Jackson Perry.

Lafayette, LA (September 25, 2023) – No matter where they target bass, the fall transition period can be a difficult one for anglers ranging from beginners to pros. “The temperature is falling, the winds pick up and bait is on the move, so it’s little wonder there are some tough days this time of year,” says SRD20 affiliate, Jackson Perry. “I’ll tell you what, though; find the bait and you’ll find the fish just like any other time of year.”

That may be true, but where do you start? Perry suggests keying on shad if they are available. “Fall offers the chance for your biggest bass of the year,” says the 26-year-old winner of the Cabela’s Big Bass Tour event held on the Mississippi River in La Crosse, WI, back in August. Unlike traditional bass fishing tournaments where anglers weigh in five bass at the end of each day, this format provides the opportunity to win multiple daily payouts during seven hourly weigh-ins that pay ten cash payouts each. That’s 210 hourly cash payouts over the three-day events – with the angler entering the largest bass overall taking home the Grand Prize of a brand new, fully rigged Nitro Z18 powered by Mercury^® 150HP valued at $52,000. Perry weighed the two largest bass at the event.

“That really was a breakthrough performance for me,” says Perry, who admits it’s taken some time to grow familiar with his new settings after moving to Wisconsin from Kentucky two years ago. “One thing that has really helped me find the fish in these new waters has been making sure to key on the bait – and I think that becomes even more important than ever as the bass transition from their late summer haunts to their fall hangouts. While this time of year can sometimes be frustrating, fall is when the biggest bags get weighed on the Mississippi, and in most areas I’ve fished over the years. The bass now are super-healthy as they bulk up for winter and they can really pack on a lot of weight. Especially in the north, fall is your chance to catch a true giant.”

According to Perry, bass in most waters by this point are intent on bulking-up for the long winter ahead, and that usually means they’ll be keying on larger baitfish. Shad, where available, are the primary target for the biggest bass this time of year, he believes, although some fish will continue to prey on crayfish, too. The important thing to remember, he suggests, is that to look for baitfish that are either holding around structure or pocketed in areas of current.

“The point to keep in mind is that the baitfish are transitioning, too,” advises Perry. “Fall shad are considerably larger than they were back in the summer, so they need more water to live. Rather than holding on shallow flats in lakes or tight to the bottom in deeper river pockets, as they might in summer, they are moving to more open water and greater depths. That means you may have to search a lot to pin them down – but it’s worth the effort. Having side-imaging electronics really helps pick out submerged bait schools. If you don’t have electronics look for areas where riffles give away sand bars and cast to the back where the water drops off.”

Perry’s idea of the perfect river habitat to fish on big bait in the fall is an area with a lot of current running over a sand drop with a deep hole on the backside. Under those conditions, he’s throwing a lipless crankbait, such as a Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap®, as far up onto the flat as possible before bringing it off the edge where the sand drops into the deep hole. It’s right on the slope, he says, that the strikes usually happen.

“I really like Rat-L-Traps because they let me cover a lot of water quickly at various depths, and they come through the weeds pretty good, too” reveals Perry. “Depending on the conditions and mood of the fish, I might also toss a Carolina rig, a ChatterBait^®, or a swim jig if I suspect the bass are still feeding on craws.”

Of course, every day is a little different during the fall. One day the bass want the lure moving slowly toward the surface and the next it might be a straight retrieve that does the trick – so keep experimenting and let the fish tell you what they really want.

When casting around big fall baits Perry favors a 7’10” medium-heavy custom composite rod built by Kistler Rods. He spools up with 14-pound-test Suffix Advanced Fluorocarbon line on a Shimano Metanium 7:1 gear ratio casting reel. The long rod, he notes, allows for far casts so he can keep the boat away from his quarry.

“Fall fish are skittish fish and they don’t want to feel the boat at all,” he reveals. “I always throw my lipless crankbaits with a composite rod that has a lot of parabolic bend because these lures carry treble hooks that require both significant power to drive the points home and some give in the stick to keep the fish buttoned up on the way to the boat. The 14-pound-test fluorocarbon line also provides plenty of power when setting the hook. With this setup, I don’t drop many fish.”

Like most bassin’ sharpies, Perry is particular about keeping his tackle and gear in tip-top shape, and the same goes for his boat. “A clean boat is a confident boat,” he states, “and SRD20 products are what I use to keep mine looking sharp. From their Pink Boat Soap to Graphene Ceramic Spray Coating and Protectant, Waterless Wash & Wax, and Vinyl Protectant, I’ve been impressed with their ease of use and effectiveness.”

The first thing Perry noticed when he tried SRD20’s popular Pink Boat Soap, was how the calcium scum line came right off the hull with little labor. “I also like their Graphene Ceramic Spray Coating and Protectant,” continues Perry. “It has an unobtrusive glossy finish that doesn’t streak. Some competing products I’ve used streaked heavily around the motor cowlings. SRD20 has been a real game-changer for me in that regard. If you are going to hold up a big fish for the camera, you want to do it in a great-looking boat!”

by David Xiong

Patrick notches surprising win at Bassmaster Open on Lake of the Ozarks

Kyle Patrick of Cooperstown, N.Y., has won the 2023 St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Lake of the Ozarks with a three-day total of 53 pounds, 11 ounces.

Photo by Chase Sansom/B.A.S.S.

September 24, 2023

OSAGE BEACH, Mo. — No one was surprised that Kyle Patrick won the St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Lake of the Ozarks.

Except for Kyle Patrick himself.

The pro from Cooperstown, N.Y., put together a stellar week of work that yielded a three-day total of 53 pounds, 11 ounces. Admittedly, Patrick did so on a lake where he never would have anticipated winning.

“It’s hard to take it in right now; it really is, because this is the last place I would think this would happen,” Patrick said. “People always say, when it’s your time, it’s your time. I genuinely could not do anything wrong this week.

“I had my prop go (on Day 2). I had a lower unit issue in practice. I had all these things stack up, but I just kept catching them.”

Patrick started strong by turning in a Day 1 limit of 19-15 and sharing the lead with JT Thompkins of Myrtle Beach, S.C. Adding a second-round limit of 15-6, Patrick slipped to second, just 1 ounce off the lead.

Championship Sunday saw Patrick step on the gas with a limit of 18-6 that secured the win by a margin of 3-4 over Japanese stick Daisuke Kita. Patrick won $44,134 and earned an automatic berth in the 2024 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Toyota scheduled for March 22-24on Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees near Tulsa, Okla.

“It wasn’t like I was doing anything special, I was throwing a jig and a dropshot around brushpiles and docks,” Patrick said. “I guess I just found the right spots.”

Patrick said he caught a few keepers each day on a dropshot with a Missile Baits Magic Worm, but a 3/4-ounce football jig with a Missile Baits Chunky D trailer tempted all of his limit fish.

As he explained, flexibility and an open mind were essential to his final round success. Starting on a spot where he had caught fish the day before, Patrick nabbed two 4 1/2-pounders right off the bat. After that, he just went fishing.

“I did not fish any of the same water, other than that one hole,” Patrick said. “I had seen bait pushing into this area (earlier in the event), but the fish weren’t loaded in there. There were just two big ones on brushpiles.”

Patrick caught one more fish on that spot — a barely legal keeper — and decided to pull the plug.

“I pulled into another spot where I had gotten bit in practice, and it was very different from the docks I was fishing earlier in the week,” he said. “It was a flatter bank underneath the dock and then a pretty good drop right at the end of the dock. I ran that pattern the rest of the day and caught my fish.”

Hailing from Ostu Shiga, Japan, Kita kept himself near the top all week and finished second with 50-7. He placed seventh on Day 1 with an 18-pound limit, then added 13-10 to make the cut in 10th place. On Championship Sunday, Kita caught his biggest bag — 18-13.

Banking on big bites from fall bass looking to start their seasonal gluttony, Kita committed to a DRT Tiny Klash glidebait. Fishing this hefty bait around docks, Kita said he hit approximately 200 spots on Day 3.

“I couldn’t get bit more than once at each spot,” Kita said with translation assistance.

For much of the day, Kita held the bottom spot with one small keeper. An afternoon flurry would deliver a scorching run that saw him boat two 5-pounders within about five minutes.

“It was slow in the morning because of the cloudy skies,” he said. “But when the sun came out, the fish moved closer to the docks and I was able to catch them.”

John Garrett of Union City, Tenn., placed third with 47-12. His daily weights were 16-6, 15-6 and 16-0.

Coming off a fifth-place finish at last week’s Open on Watts Bar Reservoir, Garrett leveraged the momentum that he partially credits to his expanded family.

“My wife (Morgan) and I had a baby girl last month and my wife told me (my momentum) is because I have a new girl,” Garrett said. “I told her, if that’s the case, we’ll have one every year if I keep catching them.”

Garrett said he caught all of his fish on a dropshot with a Strike King Filler Worm and a Texas-rigged Strike King Rage Cut-R-Worm. He fished from 20 to 50 feet.

Bassmaster Elite Series pro Luke Palmer of Coalgate, Okla., tied Darold Gleason of Many, La., for the Phoenix Boats Big Bass award. Each angler caught a bass weighing 6-5 and received $375.

As part of the Yamaha Power Pay program, Garrett took home a $2,000 bonus.

Patrick won the $500 Garmin Tournament Rewards bonus.

Thompkins leads the Bassmaster Open Elite Qualifiers standings with 1,480 points. He is followed by Garrett (1,461), Trey McKinney of Carbondale, Ill., (1,417), Robert Gee of Knoxville, Tenn., (1,372) and Japanese pro Kenta Kimura (1,355). The top nine anglers in the Opens EQ standings will receive an invitation to compete in the Elite Series.

For complete EQ standings, visit Bassmaster.com.

2023 St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Lake of the Ozarks 9/22-9/24
Lake of the Ozarks, Osage Beach MO.
(BOATER) Standings Day 3

Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$

1. Kyle Patrick Cooperstown, NY 15 53-11 200 $44,134.00
Day 1: 5 19-15 Day 2: 5 15-06 Day 3: 5 18-06
2. Daisuke Kita Ostu Shiga JAPAN 15 50-07 199 $21,194.00
Day 1: 5 18-00 Day 2: 5 13-10 Day 3: 5 18-13
3. John Garrett Union City, TN 15 47-12 198 $14,960.00
Day 1: 5 16-06 Day 2: 5 15-06 Day 3: 5 16-00
4. Andy Newcomb Camdenton, MO 15 47-00 197 $12,467.00
Day 1: 5 16-06 Day 2: 5 16-14 Day 3: 5 13-12
5. Robert Gee Knoxville, TN 15 46-14 196 $10,846.00
Day 1: 5 13-12 Day 2: 5 18-15 Day 3: 5 14-03
6. Brad Jelinek Lincoln, MO 15 46-14 195 $9,973.00
Day 1: 5 16-01 Day 2: 5 15-10 Day 3: 5 15-03
7. JT Thompkins Myrtle Beach, SC 15 44-14 194 $9,350.00
Day 1: 5 19-15 Day 2: 5 13-06 Day 3: 5 11-09
8. Tyler Williams Belgrade, ME 15 43-11 193 $8,727.00
Day 1: 5 16-00 Day 2: 5 17-02 Day 3: 5 10-09
9. Jamie Bruce Kenora Ontario CANADA 14 41-09 192 $6,857.00
Day 1: 5 18-09 Day 2: 5 16-13 Day 3: 4 06-03
10. Andrew Hargrove Moody, TX 12 40-07 191 $5,610.00
Day 1: 5 18-02 Day 2: 5 15-11 Day 3: 2 06-10
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Darold Gleason Many, LA 06-05 $375.00
Luke Palmer Coalgate, OK 06-05 $375.00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 117 776 1918-14
2 104 712 1726-09
3 8 46 131-04
----------------------------------
229 1534 3776-11

by David Xiong

Bruce takes razor-thin lead on Day 2 of Bassmaster Open at Lake of the Ozarks

Jamie Bruce of Kenora, Ontario, Canada, is leading after Day 2 of the 2023 St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Lake of the Ozarks with a two-day total of 35 pounds, 6 ounces.

Photo by Chase Sansom/B.A.S.S.

September 23, 2023

OSAGE BEACH, Mo. — No one’s calling Jamie Bruce a fibber, but for a guy who claims to be making his first visit to Lake of the Ozarks, he sure isn’t acting like it.

After placing fourth with an opening-round limit of 18 pounds, 9 ounces, the pro from Kenora, Ontario, added 16-13 and leads Day 2 of the St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Lake of the Ozarks with 35-6.

Bruce heads into Championship Sunday with a 1-ounce lead over Kyle Patrick of Cooperstown, N.Y.

“This lake is a lot of fun,” Bruce said. “I can catch more largemouth in a day than I can catch in a week in Canada.”

The first day of competition saw Bruce delivering the goods on the locally favored tactic of dock skipping — something he had never done in a tournament. Day 2 required adjustments, but Bruce made the right decisions and secured his second Top 10 of the season. He also had a third-place finish at the St. Lawrence River.

“Yesterday, all of my fish were on the backs of the docks, but today, they were out deeper,” Bruce said. “I had one good stretch that I can get a good bite on, and I’ve been lucky enough to get that bite early enough to clue me in.

“That’s the only spot I can go to and (definitely) catch a fish. Then I just take that and fish a bunch of new water.”

After giving the dock bite a good look, Bruce determined that deeper brush was the day’s preference. Some of the brush was located near docks, while others were free-standing in deeper water. Long points were one of Bruce’s most productive scenarios.

Bruce caught all of his bass on a homemade 3/4-ounce jig with a green pumpkin Z-Man Turbo CrawZ. The heavier weight, he said, boosted his efficiency.

“I can fish that jig faster,” Bruce said. “When you really don’t know where you’re going, efficiency and speed are key.”

After a good start, Bruce experienced a mechanical issue that limited his day.

“I had a battery go down at 1 o’clock today and I had about 15 pounds,” Bruce said. “I went and changed it out. By the time I did that, I was way back down the lake and I underestimated the boat traffic out there.

“I couldn’t run back up to where I was (before the battery issue), so I fished down here, ran the same pattern and caught a few more quality fish.”

Bruce caught all of his fish on a 7-foot, 3-inch medium-heavy 13 Fishing Envy rod with 20-pound fluorocarbon. He chose his tackle based on his personal style.

“I like to swing really hard, so I have to gear it down a little bit instead of using a pool cue,” Bruce said. “I wanted to go to 25-pound line in practice, but I couldn’t skip good enough, so I’ve been sticking with 20-pound, and I boat flipped every one of my fish.”

Patrick turned in a Day 1 limit of 19-15 and backed that up with a second-round catch that weighed 15-6. Starting Day 2 with a ton of momentum, Patrick’s morning began with an equipment mishap.

“While I was running to my first spot, I threw a prop ear,” Patrick said. “I went to the shore and tried to use my prop wrench to get it off, but it was too tight. The Mercury service crew was able to help me.

“I burned about 45 minutes, and I was a little worried. I felt a little rushed, but I knew that if I just settled down and (fished diligently) I could get some keeper bites.”

As fortune would have it, Patrick experienced a mid-morning flurry that delivered all of his weight in less than an hour. A 3/4-ounce football jig with a Missile Baits Chunky D trailer earned all of his bites.

“I had three small fish around 11 a.m. when I pulled into a creek near the takeoff, and in like 45 minutes, I got all my weight,” Patrick said. “Yesterday, when my jig was falling, they would really chase it. Today, they were more lethargic and they bit when I was dragging my jig across the bottom.”

Andrew Hargrove of Moody, Texas, placed third with 33-13. After placing sixth on Day 1 with 18-2, Hargrove added 15-11.

Hargrove said his first-round action followed perfectly with what he had found in practice, but Day 2 brought frustration.

“Yesterday, I didn’t lose any fish that would have helped me and everything went like it was supposed to,” he said. “Today, I lost (two good fish) that broke my line under a dock. That’s how my day started.”

After running a few more spots, Hargrove got his day turned around when a 4 1/4-pounder bit his dropshot and made it into the livewell. After that, Hargrove scratched up four more keepers to fill his limit.

Hargrove caught three of his bass on a dropshot with a Roboworm in the morning dawn color. The other two bit a 1/2-ounce finesse jig with a Zoom Speed Craw trailer.

Bassmaster Elite Series pro Luke Palmer of Coalgate, Okla., tied Darold Gleason of Many, La., for the lead in Phoenix Boats Big Bass standings with a 6-5.

Aaron Lorenz of Reeds Spring, Mo., won the nonboater division with a two-day total of 22-15. Lorenz led Day 1 with a limit of 13-5, which he anchored with a 5-pounder.

Adding 9-10 on Day 2 pushed Lorenz across the finish line by a margin of 4-10 over Jacob Collins of Hillsboro, Ill. Lorenz won the top prize of $13,940.

Lorenz caught his Day 1 bass on a Berkley Choppo, a Texas-rigged green pumpkin Zoom Brush Hog and a 1/2-ounce black and blue Crock-O-Gator jig with a creature bait trailer. The latter two baits produced his second-round limit.

“I caught some on docks, but I also caught some dragging out on points,” Lorenz said. “Some of my fish were super shallow and some were in 15 to 20 feet.

“It seemed like slowly dragging my baits was the key today. I made a couple of good culls with the jig about 2 o’clock this afternoon.”

Chad Stahl of Barnesville, Ga., won the $250 Phoenix Boats Big Bass title among nonboaters with a 6-3.

Sunday’s takeoff is scheduled for 7 a.m. CT at Public Beach #2 in Osage Beach with weigh-in back at the launch site at 3:15 p.m. Live coverage of Championship Sunday action will be broadcast on FS1 and streamed on Bassmaster.com beginning at 7 a.m.

2023 St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Lake of the Ozarks 9/22-9/24
Lake of the Ozarks, Osage Beach MO.
(BOATER) Standings Day 2

Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$

1. Jamie Bruce Kenora Ontario CANADA 10 35-06 200
Day 1: 5 18-09 Day 2: 5 16-13
2. Kyle Patrick Cooperstown, NY 10 35-05 199
Day 1: 5 19-15 Day 2: 5 15-06
3. Andrew Hargrove Moody, TX 10 33-13 198
Day 1: 5 18-02 Day 2: 5 15-11
4. JT Thompkins Myrtle Beach, SC 10 33-05 197
Day 1: 5 19-15 Day 2: 5 13-06
5. Andy Newcomb Camdenton, MO 10 33-04 196
Day 1: 5 16-06 Day 2: 5 16-14
6. Tyler Williams Belgrade, ME 10 33-02 195
Day 1: 5 16-00 Day 2: 5 17-02
7. Robert Gee Knoxville, TN 10 32-11 194
Day 1: 5 13-12 Day 2: 5 18-15
8. John Garrett Union City, TN 10 31-12 193
Day 1: 5 16-06 Day 2: 5 15-06
9. Brad Jelinek Lincoln, MO 10 31-11 192
Day 1: 5 16-01 Day 2: 5 15-10
10. Daisuke Kita Ostu Shiga JAPAN 10 31-10 191
Day 1: 5 18-00 Day 2: 5 13-10
11. Logan Johnson Jasper, AL 10 31-08 190 $4,987.00
Day 1: 5 16-10 Day 2: 5 14-14
12. Jack Dice Lynchburg, VA 10 31-07 189 $4,363.00
Day 1: 5 14-04 Day 2: 5 17-03
13. Aaron Johnson Shreveport, LA 10 31-04 188 $3,428.00
Day 1: 5 15-05 Day 2: 5 15-15
14. Darold Gleason Many, LA 10 30-12 187 $3,428.00
Day 1: 5 19-14 Day 2: 5 10-14
15. Keith Brumfield Vicksburg, MS 10 29-15 186 $3,428.00
Day 1: 5 15-14 Day 2: 5 14-01
16. Trey McKinney Carbondale, IL 10 29-08 185 $3,428.00
Day 1: 5 18-03 Day 2: 5 11-05
17. Matt Mollohan Batesburg, SC 10 29-06 184 $3,428.00
Day 1: 5 15-08 Day 2: 5 13-14
18. Dillon Saffle Eureka, MO 10 29-05 183 $3,428.00
Day 1: 5 15-13 Day 2: 5 13-08
19. Blake Smith Lakeland, FL 10 29-04 182 $3,428.00
Day 1: 5 15-06 Day 2: 5 13-14
20. Scout Echols Monticello, AR 10 29-02 181 $3,428.00
Day 1: 5 10-04 Day 2: 5 18-14
21. Chad Grigsby Maple Grove, MN 10 29-02 180 $3,117.00
Day 1: 5 17-00 Day 2: 5 12-02
22. Blake Sylvester Plaquemine, LA 10 28-15 179 $3,117.00
Day 1: 5 14-12 Day 2: 5 14-03
23. Bailey Boutries Springfield, MO 10 28-06 178 $3,117.00
Day 1: 5 16-03 Day 2: 5 12-03
24. Logan Parks Auburn, AL 10 28-02 177 $3,117.00
Day 1: 5 16-02 Day 2: 5 12-00
25. Luke Palmer Coalgate, OK 10 28-02 176 $3,117.00
Day 1: 5 13-08 Day 2: 5 14-10
26. Lafe Messer Warfield, KY 10 27-14 175 $2,867.00
Day 1: 5 16-13 Day 2: 5 11-01
27. Mamoru Kagiya Amagun Aichi JAPAN 10 27-13 174 $2,867.00
Day 1: 5 16-10 Day 2: 5 11-03
28. Joey Nania Cropwell, AL 10 27-09 173 $2,867.00
Day 1: 5 15-07 Day 2: 5 12-02
29. Derek Lehtonen Woodruff, SC 10 27-08 172 $2,867.00
Day 1: 5 13-07 Day 2: 5 14-01
30. Dale Hightower Mannford, OK 10 27-05 171 $2,867.00
Day 1: 5 12-15 Day 2: 5 14-06
31. Greg Bohannan Bentonville, AR 10 27-01 170 $2,867.00
Day 1: 5 12-13 Day 2: 5 14-04
32. Miles Burghoff Dayton, TN 10 26-14 169 $2,867.00
Day 1: 5 16-04 Day 2: 5 10-10
33. Alex Heintze Denham Springs, LA 10 26-10 168 $2,867.00
Day 1: 5 11-08 Day 2: 5 15-02
34. Tim Frederick Leesburg, FL 10 26-09 167 $2,867.00
Day 1: 5 10-13 Day 2: 5 15-12
35. Craig Danna West Monroe, LA 8 26-05 166 $2,867.00
Day 1: 3 08-10 Day 2: 5 17-11
36. Billy Billeaud Lafayette, LA 9 26-02 165 $2,867.00
Day 1: 4 11-03 Day 2: 5 14-15
37. Keith Poche Pike Road, AL 10 25-15 164 $2,867.00
Day 1: 5 11-13 Day 2: 5 14-02
38. Gary Clouse Winchester, TN 9 25-13 163 $2,867.00
Day 1: 4 12-04 Day 2: 5 13-09
39. Adam Rasmussen Sturgeon Bay, WI 10 25-10 162 $2,867.00
Day 1: 5 13-08 Day 2: 5 12-02
40. Jeremy Johnson Kansas City, KS 10 25-10 161 $2,867.00
Day 1: 5 13-04 Day 2: 5 12-06
41. Sam George Athens, AL 10 25-09 160
Day 1: 5 13-04 Day 2: 5 12-05
42. Cody Huff Ava, MO 10 25-08 159
Day 1: 5 12-01 Day 2: 5 13-07
43. Trevor McKinney Benton, IL 10 25-07 158
Day 1: 5 10-12 Day 2: 5 14-11
44. Phil Killian Solomon, AZ 10 25-06 157
Day 1: 5 14-11 Day 2: 5 10-11
45. Kyle Goltz Cornell, WI 10 25-01 156
Day 1: 5 11-01 Day 2: 5 14-00
46. Ben Milliken New Caney, TX 10 25-01 155
Day 1: 5 12-13 Day 2: 5 12-04
47. Cole Drummond Effingham, SC 10 24-15 154
Day 1: 5 10-09 Day 2: 5 14-06
48. Keith Brashers Rogers, AR 10 24-15 153
Day 1: 5 13-10 Day 2: 5 11-05
49. Austin Cranford Norman, OK 10 24-15 152
Day 1: 5 13-02 Day 2: 5 11-13
50. Kyle Metzger Pearl River, LA 10 24-13 151
Day 1: 5 08-04 Day 2: 5 16-09
51. Jimmy Washam Stantonville, TN 10 24-13 150
Day 1: 5 14-08 Day 2: 5 10-05
52. Casey Scanlon Eldon, MO 10 24-08 149
Day 1: 5 15-02 Day 2: 5 09-06
53. Kyle Austin Ridgeville, SC 10 24-08 148
Day 1: 5 11-04 Day 2: 5 13-04
54. Craig Chambers Midland, NC 9 24-07 147
Day 1: 4 09-11 Day 2: 5 14-12
55. Brian Maloney Osage Beach, MO 10 24-06 146
Day 1: 5 16-03 Day 2: 5 08-03
56. Yusuke Miyazaki Forney, TX 10 24-06 145
Day 1: 5 13-09 Day 2: 5 10-13
57. Bobby Lane Jr. Lakeland, FL 10 24-03 144
Day 1: 5 13-01 Day 2: 5 11-02
58. Michael Scalise Port Allen, LA 9 24-02 143
Day 1: 4 10-11 Day 2: 5 13-07
59. Cody Stahl Barnsville, GA 10 23-15 142
Day 1: 5 09-02 Day 2: 5 14-13
60. Matt Pangrac Shawnee, OK 10 23-15 141
Day 1: 5 10-06 Day 2: 5 13-09
61. Brian Post Janesville, WI 8 23-14 140
Day 1: 3 05-08 Day 2: 5 18-06
62. Brady Vernon Sterrett, AL 9 23-12 139
Day 1: 4 09-06 Day 2: 5 14-06
63. Louis Monetti Brielle, NJ 10 23-03 138
Day 1: 5 14-09 Day 2: 5 08-10
64. Clark Reehm Elm Grove, LA 9 23-03 137
Day 1: 4 11-00 Day 2: 5 12-03
65. Chris Blanchette Edisto Island, SC 10 23-02 136
Day 1: 5 12-03 Day 2: 5 10-15
66. Wyatt Ryan Ada, OK 9 22-15 135
Day 1: 5 13-02 Day 2: 4 09-13
67. Chad Warren Sand Springs, OK 10 22-13 134
Day 1: 5 09-02 Day 2: 5 13-11
68. Taylor Watkins Clinton, TN 9 22-10 133
Day 1: 5 14-05 Day 2: 4 08-05
69. John Soukup Sapulpa, OK 10 22-10 132
Day 1: 5 10-08 Day 2: 5 12-02
70. Stephen Browning Hot Springs, AR 8 22-04 131
Day 1: 5 17-01 Day 2: 3 05-03
71. Kenta Kimura Osaka JAPAN 9 22-04 130
Day 1: 4 11-11 Day 2: 5 10-09
72. Buck Mallory Lawton, MI 10 22-00 129
Day 1: 5 11-11 Day 2: 5 10-05
73. Shaine Campbell Brookeland, TX 9 21-13 128
Day 1: 5 14-14 Day 2: 4 06-15
74. Steven Caldwell Whitesboro, TX 10 21-12 127
Day 1: 5 11-02 Day 2: 5 10-10
75. Jonathan Dietz Corry, PA 10 21-10 126
Day 1: 5 13-08 Day 2: 5 08-02
76. Paul Browning Pecos, TX 8 21-08 125
Day 1: 5 15-10 Day 2: 3 05-14
77. Kyle Monti Okeechobee, FL 8 21-07 124
Day 1: 3 07-12 Day 2: 5 13-11
78. Brian Mullaney Ijamsville, MD 8 21-02 123
Day 1: 5 14-04 Day 2: 3 06-14
79. Jason Lambert Savannah, TN 8 21-02 122
Day 1: 5 13-10 Day 2: 3 07-08
80. Kenji Yamada Hixson, TN 10 21-01 121
Day 1: 5 10-05 Day 2: 5 10-12
81. JT Russell Mc Calla, AL 9 20-15 120
Day 1: 4 08-09 Day 2: 5 12-06
82. Tyler Lubbat Wheeling, IL 9 20-12 119
Day 1: 4 09-12 Day 2: 5 11-00
83. Wesley Gore Clanton, AL 8 20-11 118
Day 1: 4 11-01 Day 2: 4 09-10
84. Teb Jones Yalaha, MS 9 20-10 117
Day 1: 5 11-05 Day 2: 4 09-05
85. Cody Bird Granbury, TX 9 20-07 116
Day 1: 4 10-03 Day 2: 5 10-04
86. Jordan Knutson Saint Croix Falls, WI 10 20-04 115
Day 1: 5 09-05 Day 2: 5 10-15
87. Ty Faber Pagosa Springs, CO 10 20-03 114
Day 1: 5 08-13 Day 2: 5 11-06
88. Troy O'Rourke Bentonville, AR 10 20-03 113
Day 1: 5 10-09 Day 2: 5 09-10
89. Andrew Harp Linden, TX 10 20-01 112
Day 1: 5 11-03 Day 2: 5 08-14
90. Paul Bouvier Kingston CANADA 10 20-01 111
Day 1: 5 11-01 Day 2: 5 09-00
91. Lucas Bradley Flippin, AR 10 20-01 110
Day 1: 5 10-02 Day 2: 5 09-15
92. Jason Meninger Yulee, FL 10 20-00 109
Day 1: 5 11-07 Day 2: 5 08-09
93. Julius Mazy Phoenix, AZ 7 19-14 108
Day 1: 5 14-03 Day 2: 2 05-11
94. Todd Castledine Nacogdoches, TX 10 19-14 107
Day 1: 5 09-11 Day 2: 5 10-03
95. Bronk Mcdaniel Alexandria, LA 10 19-12 106
Day 1: 5 09-11 Day 2: 5 10-01
96. Cole Mcfarland Lake Ozark, MO 10 19-12 105
Day 1: 5 09-13 Day 2: 5 09-15
97. Brent Shores Boise, ID 10 19-08 104
Day 1: 5 10-01 Day 2: 5 09-07
98. Destin DeMarion Harborcreek, PA 10 19-06 103
Day 1: 5 10-05 Day 2: 5 09-01
99. Denny Fiedler Wabasha, MN 7 19-05 102
Day 1: 5 14-13 Day 2: 2 04-08
100. Shane Lineberger Lincolnton, NC 8 19-05 101
Day 1: 5 11-15 Day 2: 3 07-06
101. Zeke Gossett Pell City, AL 10 19-03 100
Day 1: 5 10-04 Day 2: 5 08-15
102. Christian Shoda Homosassa, FL 9 19-02 99
Day 1: 5 10-10 Day 2: 4 08-08
103. Chris Beaudrie Princeton, KY 10 19-01 98
Day 1: 5 07-06 Day 2: 5 11-11
104. Wil Dieffenbauch III Hundred, WV 8 18-15 97
Day 1: 5 11-06 Day 2: 3 07-09
105. Terry Peacock Royse City, TX 8 18-13 96
Day 1: 4 10-07 Day 2: 4 08-06
106. Jacob Bigelow Cecil, WI 8 18-12 95
Day 1: 5 11-14 Day 2: 3 06-14
107. Jack Tindel III Orange, TX 8 18-11 94
Day 1: 5 13-03 Day 2: 3 05-08
108. Alex Murray Lake Charles, LA 8 18-11 93
Day 1: 4 09-15 Day 2: 4 08-12
109. Cory Leita Victoria, TX 7 18-10 92
Day 1: 5 11-15 Day 2: 2 06-11
110. Andrew Upshaw Hemphill, TX 10 18-10 91
Day 1: 5 07-13 Day 2: 5 10-13
111. James Niggemeyer Van, TX 8 18-08 90
Day 1: 5 11-11 Day 2: 3 06-13
112. Christopher Whisenant Bonner Springs, KS 7 18-01 89
Day 1: 3 06-00 Day 2: 4 12-01
113. Josh Hubbard Dunnellon, FL 9 17-12 88
Day 1: 4 08-04 Day 2: 5 09-08
114. Scott Ashmore Broken Arrow, OK 8 17-10 87
Day 1: 3 06-02 Day 2: 5 11-08
115. Steve Tennison Lexington, OK 6 17-08 86
Day 1: 3 07-12 Day 2: 3 09-12
116. Evan Kung Pickering Ontario CANAD 8 17-07 85
Day 1: 5 11-04 Day 2: 3 06-03
117. Kurt Mitchell Milford, DE 9 17-06 84
Day 1: 5 08-07 Day 2: 4 08-15
118. Chancy Walters West Des Moines, IA 8 17-02 83
Day 1: 5 09-15 Day 2: 3 07-03
119. Kelly Rebel Rifle, CO 8 16-15 82
Day 1: 3 05-12 Day 2: 5 11-03
120. Takayuki Koike Otsu-City JAPAN 8 16-14 81
Day 1: 5 08-11 Day 2: 3 08-03
121. Bo Thomas Edwardsburg, MI 5 16-13 80
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 5 16-13
122. Robbie Latuso Gonzales, LA 9 16-13 79
Day 1: 5 08-08 Day 2: 4 08-05
123. Charlie Hartley Grove City, OH 8 16-10 78
Day 1: 3 06-01 Day 2: 5 10-09
124. Tripp Noojin Bryant, AL 7 16-09 77
Day 1: 2 06-06 Day 2: 5 10-03
125. Keltyn Hendrix Maysville, OK 9 16-09 76
Day 1: 5 09-10 Day 2: 4 06-15
126. Justin Kimmel Athens, GA 7 16-08 75
Day 1: 5 11-02 Day 2: 2 05-06
127. Jack York Emory, TX 8 16-06 74
Day 1: 3 06-10 Day 2: 5 09-12
128. Chandler Stewart Canyon Lake, TX 8 16-06 73
Day 1: 5 09-02 Day 2: 3 07-04
129. Harvey Horne Bella Vista, AR 8 16-02 72
Day 1: 4 08-07 Day 2: 4 07-11
130. Billy McDonald Greenwood, IN 7 16-00 71
Day 1: 5 11-04 Day 2: 2 04-12
131. Griffin Phillips Mount Olive, AL 8 16-00 70
Day 1: 4 07-12 Day 2: 4 08-04
132. Brandon McMillan Clewiston, FL 8 15-11 69
Day 1: 3 06-05 Day 2: 5 09-06
133. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 8 15-09 68
Day 1: 4 09-00 Day 2: 4 06-09
134. Allan Nail Sand Springs, OK 7 15-09 67
Day 1: 4 08-11 Day 2: 3 06-14
135. Darrell Davis Dover, FL 8 15-08 66
Day 1: 4 07-05 Day 2: 4 08-03
136. Josh Bragg Fayetteville, GA 8 15-06 65
Day 1: 5 11-09 Day 2: 3 03-13
137. B.J. Usie Bourg, LA 5 15-03 64
Day 1: 3 06-06 Day 2: 2 08-13
138. Keith Tuma Brainerd, MN 7 14-12 63
Day 1: 4 08-07 Day 2: 3 06-05
139. Kevin Ledoux Choctaw, OK 7 14-08 62
Day 1: 2 03-13 Day 2: 5 10-11
140. Jake Maddux Birmingham, AL 6 14-06 61
Day 1: 3 07-09 Day 2: 3 06-13
141. Kazuki Kitajima Corinth, TX 8 14-03 60
Day 1: 5 08-10 Day 2: 3 05-09
142. Dave Holbrook Lake Ozark, MO 6 14-02 59
Day 1: 3 04-15 Day 2: 3 09-03
143. Joey Hanna Corsicana, TX 7 14-00 58
Day 1: 2 03-12 Day 2: 5 10-04
144. Matt Henry Milledgeville, GA 8 13-11 57
Day 1: 5 10-07 Day 2: 3 03-04
145. Brock Belik Orchard, NE 4 13-10 56
Day 1: 2 06-13 Day 2: 2 06-13
146. David Perdue Wirtz, VA 7 13-09 55
Day 1: 5 10-06 Day 2: 2 03-03
147. Brett Cannon Kiln, MS 6 13-09 54
Day 1: 5 09-12 Day 2: 1 03-13
148. Dane Thibodeaux Lake Charles, LA 5 13-04 53
Day 1: 5 13-04 Day 2: 0 00-00
149. Chris Kingree Inverness, FL 7 13-01 52
Day 1: 2 03-08 Day 2: 5 09-09
150. Chris Miller Spirit Lake, IA 4 13-01 51
Day 1: 2 05-07 Day 2: 2 07-10
151. Andy Beloat Montgomery, TX 7 12-09 50
Day 1: 4 07-06 Day 2: 3 05-03
152. Matt Messer Warfield, KY 5 12-06 49
Day 1: 5 12-06 Day 2: 0 00-00
153. Scott Kerslake Okeechobee, FL 3 12-05 48
Day 1: 2 10-02 Day 2: 1 02-03
154. David Wootton Collierville, TN 7 12-00 47
Day 1: 5 08-03 Day 2: 2 03-13
155. Jacob Thompkins Myrtle Beach, SC 6 11-15 46
Day 1: 3 06-05 Day 2: 3 05-10
156. Billy Smith Montgomery, TX 5 11-08 45
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 5 11-08
157. Cody Detweiler Guntersville, AL 5 11-08 44
Day 1: 3 08-02 Day 2: 2 03-06
158. Ryan Melcher Rifle, CO 6 11-06 43
Day 1: 3 06-04 Day 2: 3 05-02
159. Jim Dillard West Monroe, LA 5 11-05 42
Day 1: 5 11-05 Day 2: 0 00-00
160. Lance Owen Greer, SC 5 11-04 41
Day 1: 3 06-01 Day 2: 2 05-03
161. Kyle Dowdy El Paso, IL 5 10-15 40
Day 1: 2 03-15 Day 2: 3 07-00
162. Philip Roesener Choctaw, OK 5 10-15 39
Day 1: 2 04-14 Day 2: 3 06-01
163. Mark Watson Victoria, TX 5 10-12 38
Day 1: 1 03-01 Day 2: 4 07-11
164. Trey Swindle Cleveland, AL 5 10-03 37
Day 1: 5 10-03 Day 2: 0 00-00
165. Ryan Clark Whitby Ontario CANADA 7 10-03 36
Day 1: 4 07-00 Day 2: 3 03-03
166. Brad Leuthner Victoria, MN 5 10-02 35
Day 1: 5 10-02 Day 2: 0 00-00
167. Chase Clarke Virginia Beach, VA 5 09-10 34
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 5 09-10
168. Danny Ramsey Trinidad, TX 4 09-10 33
Day 1: 2 05-09 Day 2: 2 04-01
169. Brad Hillebrandt Florien, LA 4 09-09 32
Day 1: 4 09-09 Day 2: 0 00-00
170. Tony Dumitras Winston, GA 4 09-06 31
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 4 09-06
171. Jason Carpenter Castle Pines, CO 5 09-03 30
Day 1: 3 04-00 Day 2: 2 05-03
172. Ish Monroe Oakdale, CA 5 09-02 29
Day 1: 5 09-02 Day 2: 0 00-00
173. Daniel Valois Gomez Caracas FL VENEZUELA 4 08-09 28
Day 1: 2 03-15 Day 2: 2 04-10
174. A.J. Menssen Bloomington, IL 4 08-02 27
Day 1: 2 03-02 Day 2: 2 05-00
175. Brayden Rakes Winston Salem, NC 4 07-10 26
Day 1: 2 03-04 Day 2: 2 04-06
176. Lucas Ragusa Gonzales, LA 4 07-08 25
Day 1: 4 07-08 Day 2: 0 00-00
177. Jacopo Gallelli Horton AL ITALY 4 07-06 24
Day 1: 4 08-06 Day 2: 0 -01-00
178. Corey Stewart Lees Summit, MO 5 06-03 23
Day 1: 5 06-03 Day 2: 0 00-00
179. Frank Williams Mountain Home, AR 3 05-11 22
Day 1: 3 05-11 Day 2: 0 00-00
180. Curtis King Plaquemine, LA 2 05-06 21
Day 1: 2 05-06 Day 2: 0 00-00
181. Michelle Jalaba Waterford, MI 2 04-04 20
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 04-04
182. Scott Isaacs Ladonia, TX 1 02-13 19
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 02-13
183. Hunter Sales Blaine, TN 2 02-08 18
Day 1: 2 02-08 Day 2: 0 00-00
184. Mike Mayo Athens, TX 1 02-08 17
Day 1: 1 02-08 Day 2: 0 00-00
185. Travis Ledford Tuttle, OK 1 02-04 16
Day 1: 1 02-04 Day 2: 0 00-00
186. Jeremy Simmons Argyle, MO 1 01-05 15
Day 1: 1 01-05 Day 2: 0 00-00
187. Matt Robertson Kuttawa, KY 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 117 776 1918-14
2 104 712 1726-09
----------------------------------
221 1488 3645-07
2023 St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Lake of the Ozarks 9/22-9/24
Lake of the Ozarks, Osage Beach MO.
(NON_BOATER) Standings Day 2

Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$

1. Aaron Lorenz Reeds Spring, MO 6 22-15 200 $13,940.00
Day 1: 3 13-05 Day 2: 3 09-10
2. Jacob Collins Hillsboro, IL 6 18-05 199 $3,280.00
Day 1: 3 08-12 Day 2: 3 09-09
3. Sakae Ushio Tonawanda, NY 6 17-09 198 $2,460.00
Day 1: 3 07-15 Day 2: 3 09-10
4. Bradley Pierce Gretna, NE 6 16-08 197 $1,845.00
Day 1: 3 06-07 Day 2: 3 10-01
5. John Wixson Kansas City, MO 5 15-11 196 $1,722.00
Day 1: 3 09-08 Day 2: 2 06-03
6. Cory Weaver Ankeny, IA 6 14-15 195 $1,640.00
Day 1: 3 09-04 Day 2: 3 05-11
7. Mao Matsuzaki Tokoname-Shi JAPAN 6 13-14 194 $1,558.00
Day 1: 3 08-15 Day 2: 3 04-15
8. Darren Gates Macon, IL 5 13-12 193 $1,476.00
Day 1: 3 06-15 Day 2: 2 06-13
9. Hiroya Hyodo Funabashi city Chibaken 5 13-03 192 $1,353.00
Day 1: 2 06-05 Day 2: 3 06-14
10. Jason Fontenot Lake Charles, LA 5 13-01 191 $1,230.00
Day 1: 3 05-14 Day 2: 2 07-03
11. John Goul Philadelphia, MS 4 12-11 190 $1,148.00
Day 1: 3 07-07 Day 2: 1 05-04
12. Brian Forcier Akron, IA 6 12-09 189 $1,066.00
Day 1: 3 05-00 Day 2: 3 07-09
13. Dee Sheperd Mountain View, OK 6 12-06 188 $902.00
Day 1: 3 04-06 Day 2: 3 08-00
14. Gary Haraguchi Murfreesboro, TN 6 12-05 187 $820.00
Day 1: 3 04-14 Day 2: 3 07-07
15. Avery Williams Murrells Inlt, SC 6 12-04 186 $738.00
Day 1: 3 06-11 Day 2: 3 05-09
16. Matt Molitor Canton, IL 5 12-03 185 $656.00
Day 1: 2 05-10 Day 2: 3 06-09
17. Trey Gulley Alton, TX 5 12-02 184 $615.00
Day 1: 3 08-01 Day 2: 2 04-01
18. Nick Melcher Gypsum, CO 6 12-01 183 $615.00
Day 1: 3 06-08 Day 2: 3 05-09
19. Scott Rice Cobden, IL 5 12-00 182 $615.00
Day 1: 2 04-10 Day 2: 3 07-06
20. Steve Jarrett Fenton, MO 6 11-04 181 $615.00
Day 1: 3 05-06 Day 2: 3 05-14
21. Mike Daley Taylorville, IL 6 11-02 180 $574.00
Day 1: 3 04-06 Day 2: 3 06-12
22. Tyler Boyet Imperial, MO 5 10-15 179 $574.00
Day 1: 2 05-02 Day 2: 3 05-13
23. Riley Nielsen Murray, UT 4 10-12 178 $574.00
Day 1: 3 07-01 Day 2: 1 03-11
24. David Riggs Highland, IL 5 10-11 177 $574.00
Day 1: 2 05-07 Day 2: 3 05-04
25. Chad Stahl Barnesville, GA 3 10-09 176 $824.00
Day 1: 1 06-03 Day 2: 2 04-06
26. Jerry Gonzalez Rivero Torreon Coah MEXICO 5 10-07 175 $492.00
Day 1: 3 06-10 Day 2: 2 03-13
27. Robert Hunt Ozark, MO 6 10-06 174 $492.00
Day 1: 3 05-13 Day 2: 3 04-09
28. Garry Torpea St. Louis, MO 4 10-02 173 $492.00
Day 1: 2 04-15 Day 2: 2 05-03
29. Allen Williford West Frankfort, IL 4 10-01 172 $492.00
Day 1: 3 08-11 Day 2: 1 01-06
30. Sean Fullerton Bixby, OK 4 09-11 171 $492.00
Day 1: 3 07-13 Day 2: 1 01-14
31. Yu Kawamura Kashiwashi JAPAN 5 09-08 170 $451.00
Day 1: 2 04-02 Day 2: 3 05-06
32. Eugene Kim Lindenhurst, IL 4 09-08 169 $451.00
Day 1: 2 04-02 Day 2: 2 05-06
33. Joel Johnson Kansas City, KS 4 09-01 168 $451.00
Day 1: 1 01-03 Day 2: 3 07-14
34. Joe Cantrell Lone Jack, MO 3 08-15 167 $451.00
Day 1: 3 08-15 Day 2: 0 00-00
35. Alex Ferguson St James, MO 4 08-15 166 $451.00
Day 1: 1 01-04 Day 2: 3 07-11
36. Mark Ripp Belmont, WI 4 08-11 165 $451.00
Day 1: 1 02-00 Day 2: 3 06-11
37. John Matt Roach, MO 3 08-08 164 $451.00
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 08-08
38. John Stewart Lone Jack, MO 3 08-06 163 $451.00
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 08-06
39. John Hammersmith Branson, MO 3 07-13 162 $451.00
Day 1: 2 06-05 Day 2: 1 01-08
40. Larry Beauboeuf Bossier City, LA 4 07-12 161 $451.00
Day 1: 3 05-15 Day 2: 1 01-13
41. Dwain Vogelpohl Cambridge, MN 2 07-09 160
Day 1: 2 07-09 Day 2: 0 00-00
42. Joe Tucker Osceola, MO 4 07-09 159
Day 1: 1 02-01 Day 2: 3 05-08
43. Rick Cheatham Carterville, IL 3 07-08 158
Day 1: 1 02-04 Day 2: 2 05-04
44. Chris Gaudin East Camden, AR 4 07-07 157
Day 1: 2 02-15 Day 2: 2 04-08
45. Ray Larson Springfield, IL 4 07-06 156
Day 1: 3 06-07 Day 2: 1 00-15
46. Wyatt Wisian Ardmore, OK 4 07-04 155
Day 1: 3 06-04 Day 2: 1 01-00
47. Bobby Ketcher Wilburton, OK 4 07-03 154
Day 1: 2 04-09 Day 2: 2 02-10
48. John Higginbotham Slaughter, LA 3 07-02 153
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 07-02
49. Allen Heston Pittsburg, TX 3 06-14 152
Day 1: 3 06-14 Day 2: 0 00-00
49. Keith Ketcher Stark City, MO 3 06-14 152
Day 1: 3 06-14 Day 2: 0 00-00
51. Shane Kuehn Bennington, NE 3 06-13 150
Day 1: 1 02-00 Day 2: 2 04-13
52. Jason Switzer Sapulpa, OK 4 06-13 149
Day 1: 3 04-11 Day 2: 1 02-02
53. Hunter Neuville New Iberia, LA 4 06-10 148
Day 1: 3 05-07 Day 2: 1 01-03
54. Jon Akers Mt.Vernon, IA 4 06-10 147
Day 1: 2 02-15 Day 2: 2 03-11
55. Mark Cowart Kearney, MO 2 06-07 146
Day 1: 1 03-06 Day 2: 1 03-01
56. Gary Bates Athens, AL 3 06-06 145
Day 1: 2 03-11 Day 2: 1 02-11
57. Adam Tims Royse City, TX 3 06-04 144
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 06-04
58. Mike Dempsey Wentzville, MO 4 06-04 143
Day 1: 3 04-05 Day 2: 1 01-15
59. Scott Nielsen Murray, UT 2 06-04 142
Day 1: 1 02-00 Day 2: 1 04-04
60. Logan Slaughter Coppell, TX 3 06-00 141
Day 1: 1 01-06 Day 2: 2 04-10
61. Dylan Mayo Athens, TX 2 05-14 140
Day 1: 1 03-07 Day 2: 1 02-07
62. Michael Foelsch Ofallon, MO 2 05-11 139
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 05-11
63. Derek Felton Willard, MO 3 05-11 138
Day 1: 1 02-06 Day 2: 2 03-05
64. Jacob Roark Plattsmouth, NE 3 05-11 137
Day 1: 1 02-11 Day 2: 2 03-00
65. Drew Boehle Saint Peters, MO 2 05-10 136
Day 1: 2 05-10 Day 2: 0 00-00
66. Tray Amsden Centerville, MO 3 05-10 135
Day 1: 2 03-08 Day 2: 1 02-02
67. Perry See Rochester, MN 3 05-09 134
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 05-09
68. Willy Becker Kansas City, MO 2 05-09 133
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 05-09
69. Chris Gebhardt Columbia, MO 2 05-09 132
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 05-09
70. Garret Akers Wichita, KS 3 05-07 131
Day 1: 3 05-07 Day 2: 0 00-00
71. Michael Otway Gainesville, TX 2 05-06 130
Day 1: 1 03-01 Day 2: 1 02-05
72. Steven Doolittle Chelsea, OK 2 05-06 129
Day 1: 1 02-13 Day 2: 1 02-09
73. Jason Barber Gun Barrel City, TX 3 05-05 128
Day 1: 3 06-05 Day 2: 0 -01-00
74. Scott Gower Pleasant Hill, MO 3 05-01 127
Day 1: 2 02-05 Day 2: 1 02-12
75. Oliver Siebert Fenton, MO 4 05-00 126
Day 1: 1 00-09 Day 2: 3 04-07
76. Skip Rayborn Hammond, LA 2 04-15 125
Day 1: 1 02-12 Day 2: 1 02-03
77. Marco Flores Topeka, KS 3 04-13 124
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 04-13
78. Will Major Port Allen, LA 2 04-10 123
Day 1: 2 04-10 Day 2: 0 00-00
79. Mason Chambers Galena, MO 2 04-07 122
Day 1: 2 04-07 Day 2: 0 00-00
80. Tony Delgado Whittier, CA 2 04-06 121
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 04-06
81. Troy Enmeier Enid, OK 2 04-02 120
Day 1: 0 -01-00 Day 2: 2 05-02
82. Christopher Lemon Martinsville, IN 2 04-01 119
Day 1: 1 02-02 Day 2: 1 01-15
83. David Booth Erin, TN 1 03-14 118
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 03-14
84. Gary Hall Wardville, OK 2 03-12 117
Day 1: 2 03-12 Day 2: 0 00-00
85. Justin Blackert Olathe, KS 3 03-11 116
Day 1: 3 04-11 Day 2: 0 -01-00
86. Jay Budde Foley, MO 1 03-11 115
Day 1: 1 03-11 Day 2: 0 00-00
87. Tiffany Leal Austin, TX 2 03-09 114
Day 1: 1 01-15 Day 2: 1 01-10
88. Jack Ferrell Jefferson City, MO 2 03-02 113
Day 1: 1 01-04 Day 2: 1 01-14
89. Takaaki Kojima Temecula CA JAPAN 2 02-15 112
Day 1: 1 01-14 Day 2: 1 01-01
90. Bob Burgess Millington, TN 1 02-12 111
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 02-12
91. Ronald Bentley Lees Summit, MO 2 02-10 110
Day 1: 1 01-04 Day 2: 1 01-06
92. Brian Mcelyea Camdenton, MO 2 02-07 109
Day 1: 2 02-07 Day 2: 0 00-00
93. Ken Sanders Point Blank, TX 1 02-06 108
Day 1: 1 02-06 Day 2: 0 00-00
94. Stewart Bigelow Linn Creek, MO 1 02-05 107
Day 1: 1 02-05 Day 2: 0 00-00
94. Gene Mitchell Stuart, OK 1 02-05 107
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 02-05
96. Steve Kline Hilltop Lakes, TX 1 02-04 105
Day 1: 1 02-04 Day 2: 0 00-00
97. Jacob Altman Edgewood, TX 1 02-01 104
Day 1: 1 02-01 Day 2: 0 00-00
97. Cody Sheeler La Porte, IN 1 02-01 104
Day 1: 1 02-01 Day 2: 0 00-00
99. Larry Davis Gladewater, TX 1 02-00 102
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 02-00
99. Kirk Stickler Eden, UT 1 02-00 102
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 02-00
101. Jimmy Fellegy Mustang, OK 1 01-13 100
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 01-13
102. Steve Duncan Amarillo, TX 1 01-08 99
Day 1: 1 01-08 Day 2: 0 00-00
103. Matt Holder Chillicothe, MO 1 01-02 98
Day 1: 1 01-02 Day 2: 0 00-00
104. David Brand Dittmer, MO 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
104. Matthew Brown Mclouth, KS 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
104. Steve Byrd Coalgate, OK 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
104. Morgan Ellingson Stevens Point, WI 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
104. Johnnie Garrett Union City, TN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
104. Jordan Gautreaux Walker , LA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
104. Kyle Gentry Stronghurst, IL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
104. Nathan Harbison Jasper, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
104. Ty Kenyon Dodgeville, WI 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
104. Erik Knutson Saint Croix Falls, WI 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
104. Jordan Lane Conroe, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
104. Shane Morgan Littleton, CO 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
104. James Rackers Jefferson City, MO 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
104. Johnny Ramos Odessa, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
104. Paul Reutlinger Mineola, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
104. Craig Schmidt Prague, NE 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
104. Jarod Shelton Centralia, MO 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
104. Scott Troutt Corinth, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
104. Kyle Wilcox Littleton, CO 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
123. Scott Hill Osage Beach , MO 0 -1-00 0
Day 1: 0 -01-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 35 177 398-00
2 31 166 379-11
----------------------------------
66 343 777-11

by David Xiong

Florida Angler Christian Greico Wins Weather-Shortened MLF Toyota Series Northern Division Finale at Potomac River

MARBURY, Md. (Aug. 23, 2023) – Tropical Storm Ophelia blew into the Marbury area Saturday morning, forcing the cancellation of the final day of competition at the Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats at Potomac River Presented by Rabid Baits. Due to the weather-shortened event, Day 2 winner and pro Christian Greico of Tampa, Florida, took home the win with a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 33 pounds, 10 ounces, earning him the top payout of $40,345. Greico held a 1-pound, 3-ounce margin over Michigan’s Ron Nelson, who finished second with a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 32-7, good for $15,436.

Despite the unexpected win, Greico’s narrow advantage didn’t come easy on Day 2, with the Florida pro reeling in a 3-pounder in the last 10 minutes to finish the day on top.

“This win feels good, a little anticlimactic, but I’ll take a win where I can get a win,” said Greico. “On Day 2, I just tried to stay calm the whole day because I knew if I could get five fish in the boat I would have the weight I needed.”

Greico said he spent both days of competition flipping matted grass in the back of Mattawoman Creek.

“I won a BFL on Okeechobee, and caught every single fish punching,” said Greico. “At the Harris Chain, I spent the final day flipping. Ultimately, all three of my wins have come with the big stick, so it’s definitely been good to me. If there’s a flipping bite, then I’m happy.”

While Greico said he caught one keeper on a white frog, every other fish was caught punching a 1 ½-ounce Epic Tungsten Flipping Weight and a Googan Bandito Bug in Bama Bug on 65-pound braid. Greico said he fished with a 13 Fishing Concept A2 in the 8.3:1 gear ratio and a prototype 13 Fishing Muse Black rod.

“On Day 2 I was able to find the same fish I ended up catching the first day of practice, but I got maybe three bites,” said Greico. “I just figured if I went back in there and exploited the area I might come up with something. One of the fish I hooked was a 4-pounder, so I knew that the quality was there.

“There’s a lot of matted grass right now, but a lot of it tapers off, or there’s not a good canopy. The mats I was targeting had a good canopy and I think that was really key.”

The top 10 pros on the Potomac River finished:

1^st:           Christian Greico, Tampa, Fla., 10 bass, 33-10, $40,345
2^nd:          Ron Nelson, Berrien Springs, Mich., 10 bass, 32-7, $15,436
3^rd:          Chase Serafin, White Lake, Michigan, 10 bass, 27-1, $12,563
4^th:           Bryan Schmitt, Deale, Md., 10 bass, 26-13, $9,636
5^th:           Jim Vitaro, Wooster, Ohio, 10 bass, 26-10, $8,673
6^th:           Todd Langford, Great Falls, Va., 10 bass, 26-5, $7,709
7^th:           Grae Buck, Green Lane, Pa., 10 bass, 26-3, $6,745
8^th:           Connor MacDougall, Cape Coral, Fla., 10 bass, 25-11, $5,782
9^th:           Jacob Powroznik, North Prince George, Va., 10 bass, 25-11, $4,818
10^th:        Britt Myers, Lake Wylie, S.C., 10 bass, 25-11, $3,854

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Pro Jarrett Martin of Mansfield, Ohio won the $500 Day 1 Berkley Big Bass award in the pro division Thursday with a bass weighing 6 pounds, 1 ounce. On Friday, pro Ron Nelson of Berrien Springs, Michigan, earned the $500 Berkley Big Bass prize after bringing a 5-pound, 8-ounce bass to the scale.

Chase Serafin of White Lake, Michigan, took home an extra $1,000 as the highest finishing Phoenix MLF Bonus member. Boaters are eligible to win up to an extra $35,000 per event in each Toyota Series tournament if all requirements are met. More information on the Phoenix MLF Bonus contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.

Stephen Hosken of Barrington, New Hampshire, won the Strike King Co-angler Division with a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 23 pounds, 14 ounces. Stephen took home the top prize package worth $33,500, including a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard motor.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers on the Potomac River finished:

1^st:           Stephen Hosken, Barrington, N.H., 10 bass, 23-14, Phoenix 518 Pro boat w/115-hp Mercury outboard
2^nd:          Luke Shrader, Monticello, Ky., 10 bass, 20-1, $4,986
3^rd:          Anthony Bell Jr., Cincinnati, Ohio, 10 bass, 19-13, $3,868
4^th:           Cooper Jett, Norton Shores, Mich., 10 bass, 19-13, $3,385
5^th:           Alex Bradley, Wellford, S.C., nine bass, 19-3, $2,901
6^th:           Jacob Rice, Osceola Mills, Pa., 10 bass, 18-14, $2,418
7^th:           Rumnea Kelly, Boyds, Md., eight bass, 18-14, $1,934
8^th:           Anthony Buzzeo, Bel Alton, Md., 10 bass, 18-13, $1,692
9^th:           Adam Lester, Huddleston, Va., nine bass, 18-1, $1,451
10^th:        Logan Kaplon, Rural Valley, Pa., seven bass, 17-14, $1,209

Lee Moore of Aldie, Virginia, was the Berkley Big Bass $150 award winner in the Strike King co-angler division, Thursday, with a 4-pound, 10-ounce bass, while the Day 2 $150 award went to Shannon Probst of Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, with a 5-pound, 9-ounce fish.

The three regular-season events in the Toyota Series Northern Division are now complete, closing out the Northern Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race. Pros Alec Morrison of Peru, New York, and Ben McCann of Bradenton, Florida, both finished with 707 points, however, Morrison won the total weight tiebreaker and was crowned the 2023 Northern Division Pro Angler of the Year and awarded the $5,000 AOY bonus. Cooper Jett of Norton Shores, Michigan won the 2023 Northern Division Strike King Co-angler AOY race and the $2,000 AOY bonus with 743 points.

The Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats at Potomac River was hosted by the Charles County Board of Commissioners. It was the third and final regular-season event for the Toyota Series Northern Division. The next event for the top 25 anglers in the Toyota Series Northern Division AOY standings will be the Toyota Series Championship at Table Rock Lake, Nov. 2-4, in Branson, Missouri. For a complete schedule of events, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.

The 2023 Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats consists of six divisions – Central, Northern, Plains, Southern, Southwestern and the Western Division Presented by Tackle Warehouse – each holding three regular-season events, along with the International and Wild Card divisions. Anglers who fish in any of the six divisions or the Wild Card division and finish in the top 25 will qualify for the no-entry-fee Toyota Series Championship for a shot at winning up to $235,000 and a qualification to REDCREST V. The winning Strike King co-angler at the championship earns a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard. The 2023 Toyota Series Championship will be held Nov. 2-4 on Table Rock Lake in Branson, Missouri, and is hosted by ExploreBranson.com.

Proud sponsors of the 2023 MLF Toyota Series include: 4WP, 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Black Rifle Coffee Company, E3, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, Fox Rent a Car, General Tire, Gill, Grundéns, Lew’s, Lowrance, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Next Gen Lithium, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Wiley X and YETI.

For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Toyota Series updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the MLF5 social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

by David Xiong

Patrick and Thompkins tie for lead at Bassmaster Open on Lake of the Ozarks

Kyle Patrick of Cooperstown, N.Y., and JT Thompkins of Myrtle Beach, S.C., are tied for the lead after Day 1 of the 2023 St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Lake of the Ozarks with 19 pounds, 15 ounces.

Photo by Chase Sansom/B.A.S.S.

September 22, 2023

OSAGE BEACH, Mo. — They took different courses, but Kyle Patrick and JT Thompkins tied for the Day 1 lead of the St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Lake of the Ozarks with limits weighing 19 pounds, 15 ounces.

The leaders head into Day 2 with a 1-ounce lead over Darold Gleason of Many, La.

Patrick of Cooperstown, N.Y., struck first with a limit that included a 5-6. While he fished new water, Patrick said he mirrored the productive scenario he found late in his practice.

“The last hour of the last day, I caught one 4-pounder and said, ‘I’m going to start here (on Day 1),’” Patrick said. “I pull into this one little area that was close to where I practiced, and I catch a 4, a 5 and a 5-6. I was like, ‘Holy smokes! This is going to be a good day.’

“I left there around 10:30 to save some fish so I can go back up there tomorrow.”

Patrick said his practice had been spread out until he happened upon a promising scenario upriver from the tournament site. Getting that one big bite encouraged him to cement his game plan.

“I felt the most confident with how I got the bite, which was flipping a jig in brush; and the brush has to be a little off the dock,” Patrick said. “The fish are mostly suspended off the brush, but some are down in it.

“I’m seeing the fish on (Garmin) LiveScope and they’re eating the jig either on the fall, or I’ll let it hit the bottom and then I’ll reel it really quickly and they eat it. It was a reaction bite either way.”

Patrick caught his fish on a 3/4-ounce football jig with a Missile Baits Chunky D trailer. The football head proved helpful in smoothly traversing the rocky bottom where brush was anchored, but occasional entanglements actually worked to his advantage.

“One of my bites came when I got hung in the brush,” Patrick said. “When I pulled it out, a fish smoked it. I saw it all on LiveScope.”

Coming off a second-place finish in last week’s Open at Watts Bar Reservoir, Thompkins of Myrtle Beach, S.C., said his prepractice back in July helped him dial in a 3-mile area with what he considered the greatest potential. Concentrating on this region during the event’s official practice allowed him to dial in exactly where he wanted to fish.

“I was focusing on an area of the lake that I felt confident had the biggest concentration of fish,” Thompkins said. “I knew I was around big ones. I just had to put it in front of as many as I could throughout the day.

“I ended up getting a good bit of bites. I was culling 2 1/4- and 2 1/2-pounders. Hopefully, we can get out there and do it again tomorrow.”

Fishing midlake, Thompkins threw a 3/4-ounce jig with a Strike King Baby Rage Craw trailer and targeted a mix of rocks, brushpiles, docks, cables and concrete blocks. Most of his bites were in less than 15 feet of water, although one came out of 25.

“Two of the fish I caught today came off of spots I fished in prepractice,” Thompkins said. “I had a limit at 9:30, and I had 16 pounds by 11:30. I made my final cull in the last 45 minutes of my day.”

Sitting in third with 19-14, Gleason anchored his bag with a 6-5. That catch, he said, was one of those meant-to-be moments.

“That 6-5 was my second bass today, around 9:30 or 10,” Gleason said. “That fish bit a 1/2-ounce V&M jig with a V&M J-Bug trailer 10 feet from the boat. It was amazing I was able to get it in. I don’t know how I was able to keep it together, but I’m grateful I did.”

Gleason stuck with the jig all day and focused his efforts on docks and brush. Covering a lot of water was essential to his plan.

“It’s September and I haven’t seen a lot of fish in any one place. It’s amazing, you’ll run into one pocket and catch two or three and then you’ll run five pockets and not get a bite.”

Gleason is in the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors with his 6-5.

Aaron Lorenz of Reeds Spring, Mo., leads the nonboater division with 13-5. Lorenz anchored his bag with a 5-pounder and had another around 4-11.

“One (of my limit fish) was really shallow, one was on a steep wall and one was on a dock,” Lorenz said.

Chad Stahl of Barnesville, Ga., holds the Phoenix Boats Big Bass lead among nonboaters with a 6-3.

Saturday’s takeoff is scheduled for 7 a.m. CT at Public Beach #2 in Osage Beach with weigh-in back at the launch site at 3:15 p.m. Full coverage can be found at Bassmaster.com.

2023 St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Lake of the Ozarks 9/22-9/24
Lake of the Ozarks, Osage Beach MO.
(BOATER) Standings Day 1

Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$

1. Kyle Patrick Cooperstown, NY 5 19-15 200
Day 1: 5 19-15
1. JT Thompkins Myrtle Beach, SC 5 19-15 200
Day 1: 5 19-15
3. Darold Gleason Many, LA 5 19-14 198
Day 1: 5 19-14
4. Jamie Bruce Kenora Ontario CANADA 5 18-09 197
Day 1: 5 18-09
5. Trey McKinney Carbondale, IL 5 18-03 196
Day 1: 5 18-03
6. Andrew Hargrove Moody, TX 5 18-02 195
Day 1: 5 18-02
7. Daisuke Kita Ostu Shiga JAPAN 5 18-00 194
Day 1: 5 18-00
8. Stephen Browning Hot Springs, AR 5 17-01 193
Day 1: 5 17-01
9. Chad Grigsby Maple Grove, MN 5 17-00 192
Day 1: 5 17-00
10. Lafe Messer Warfield, KY 5 16-13 191
Day 1: 5 16-13
11. Logan Johnson Jasper, AL 5 16-10 190
Day 1: 5 16-10
11. Mamoru Kagiya Amagun Aichi JAPAN 5 16-10 190
Day 1: 5 16-10
13. John Garrett Union City, TN 5 16-06 188
Day 1: 5 16-06
13. Andy Newcomb Camdenton, MO 5 16-06 188
Day 1: 5 16-06
15. Miles Burghoff Dayton, TN 5 16-04 186
Day 1: 5 16-04
16. Bailey Boutries Springfield, MO 5 16-03 185
Day 1: 5 16-03
16. Brian Maloney Osage Beach, MO 5 16-03 185
Day 1: 5 16-03
18. Logan Parks Auburn, AL 5 16-02 183
Day 1: 5 16-02
19. Brad Jelinek Lincoln, MO 5 16-01 182
Day 1: 5 16-01
20. Tyler Williams Belgrade, ME 5 16-00 181
Day 1: 5 16-00
21. Keith Brumfield Vicksburg, MS 5 15-14 180
Day 1: 5 15-14
22. Dillon Saffle Eureka, MO 5 15-13 179
Day 1: 5 15-13
23. Paul Browning Pecos, TX 5 15-10 178
Day 1: 5 15-10
24. Matt Mollohan Batesburg, SC 5 15-08 177
Day 1: 5 15-08
25. Joey Nania Cropwell, AL 5 15-07 176
Day 1: 5 15-07
26. Blake Smith Lakeland, FL 5 15-06 175
Day 1: 5 15-06
27. Aaron Johnson Shreveport, LA 5 15-05 174
Day 1: 5 15-05
28. Casey Scanlon Eldon, MO 5 15-02 173
Day 1: 5 15-02
29. Shaine Campbell Brookeland, TX 5 14-14 172
Day 1: 5 14-14
30. Denny Fiedler Wabasha, MN 5 14-13 171
Day 1: 5 14-13
31. Blake Sylvester Plaquemine, LA 5 14-12 170
Day 1: 5 14-12
32. Phil Killian Solomon, AZ 5 14-11 169
Day 1: 5 14-11
33. Louis Monetti Brielle, NJ 5 14-09 168
Day 1: 5 14-09
34. Jimmy Washam Stantonville, TN 5 14-08 167
Day 1: 5 14-08
35. Taylor Watkins Clinton, TN 5 14-05 166
Day 1: 5 14-05
36. Jack Dice Lynchburg, VA 5 14-04 165
Day 1: 5 14-04
36. Brian Mullaney Ijamsville, MD 5 14-04 165
Day 1: 5 14-04
38. Julius Mazy Phoenix, AZ 5 14-03 163
Day 1: 5 14-03
39. Robert Gee Knoxville, TN 5 13-12 162
Day 1: 5 13-12
40. Keith Brashers Rogers, AR 5 13-10 161
Day 1: 5 13-10
40. Jason Lambert Savannah, TN 5 13-10 161
Day 1: 5 13-10
42. Yusuke Miyazaki Forney, TX 5 13-09 159
Day 1: 5 13-09
43. Jonathan Dietz Corry, PA 5 13-08 158
Day 1: 5 13-08
43. Luke Palmer Coalgate, OK 5 13-08 158
Day 1: 5 13-08
43. Adam Rasmussen Sturgeon Bay, WI 5 13-08 158
Day 1: 5 13-08
46. Derek Lehtonen Woodruff, SC 5 13-07 155
Day 1: 5 13-07
47. Sam George Athens, AL 5 13-04 154
Day 1: 5 13-04
47. Jeremy Johnson Kansas City, KS 5 13-04 154
Day 1: 5 13-04
47. Dane Thibodeaux Lake Charles, LA 5 13-04 154
Day 1: 5 13-04
50. Jack Tindel III Orange, TX 5 13-03 151
Day 1: 5 13-03
51. Austin Cranford Norman, OK 5 13-02 150
Day 1: 5 13-02
51. Wyatt Ryan Ada, OK 5 13-02 150
Day 1: 5 13-02
53. Bobby Lane Jr. Lakeland, FL 5 13-01 148
Day 1: 5 13-01
54. Dale Hightower Mannford, OK 5 12-15 147
Day 1: 5 12-15
55. Greg Bohannan Bentonville, AR 5 12-13 146
Day 1: 5 12-13
56. Ben Milliken New Caney, TX 5 12-13 145
Day 1: 5 12-13
57. Matt Messer Warfield, KY 5 12-06 144
Day 1: 5 12-06
58. Gary Clouse Winchester, TN 4 12-04 143
Day 1: 4 12-04
59. Chris Blanchette Edisto Island, SC 5 12-03 142
Day 1: 5 12-03
60. Cody Huff Ava, MO 5 12-01 141
Day 1: 5 12-01
61. Cory Leita Victoria, TX 5 11-15 140
Day 1: 5 11-15
61. Shane Lineberger Lincolnton, NC 5 11-15 140
Day 1: 5 11-15
63. Jacob Bigelow Cecil, WI 5 11-14 138
Day 1: 5 11-14
64. Keith Poche Pike Road, AL 5 11-13 137
Day 1: 5 11-13
65. Buck Mallory Lawton, MI 5 11-11 136
Day 1: 5 11-11
65. James Niggemeyer Van, TX 5 11-11 136
Day 1: 5 11-11
67. Kenta Kimura Osaka JAPAN 4 11-11 134
Day 1: 4 11-11
68. Josh Bragg Fayetteville, GA 5 11-09 133
Day 1: 5 11-09
69. Alex Heintze Denham Springs, LA 5 11-08 132
Day 1: 5 11-08
70. Jason Meninger Yulee, FL 5 11-07 131
Day 1: 5 11-07
71. Wil Dieffenbauch III Hundred, WV 5 11-06 130
Day 1: 5 11-06
72. Jim Dillard West Monroe, LA 5 11-05 129
Day 1: 5 11-05
72. Teb Jones Yalaha, MS 5 11-05 129
Day 1: 5 11-05
74. Kyle Austin Ridgeville, SC 5 11-04 127
Day 1: 5 11-04
74. Evan Kung Pickering Ontario CANAD 5 11-04 127
Day 1: 5 11-04
74. Billy McDonald Greenwood, IN 5 11-04 127
Day 1: 5 11-04
77. Andrew Harp Linden, TX 5 11-03 124
Day 1: 5 11-03
78. Billy Billeaud Lafayette, LA 4 11-03 123
Day 1: 4 11-03
79. Steven Caldwell Whitesboro, TX 5 11-02 122
Day 1: 5 11-02
79. Justin Kimmel Athens, GA 5 11-02 122
Day 1: 5 11-02
81. Paul Bouvier Kingston CANADA 5 11-01 120
Day 1: 5 11-01
81. Kyle Goltz Cornell, WI 5 11-01 120
Day 1: 5 11-01
83. Wesley Gore Clanton, AL 4 11-01 118
Day 1: 4 11-01
84. Clark Reehm Elm Grove, LA 4 11-00 117
Day 1: 4 11-00
85. Tim Frederick Leesburg, FL 5 10-13 116
Day 1: 5 10-13
86. Trevor McKinney Benton, IL 5 10-12 115
Day 1: 5 10-12
87. Michael Scalise Port Allen, LA 4 10-11 114
Day 1: 4 10-11
88. Christian Shoda Homosassa, FL 5 10-10 113
Day 1: 5 10-10
89. Cole Drummond Effingham, SC 5 10-09 112
Day 1: 5 10-09
89. Troy O'Rourke Bentonville, AR 5 10-09 112
Day 1: 5 10-09
91. John Soukup Sapulpa, OK 5 10-08 110
Day 1: 5 10-08
92. Matt Henry Milledgeville, GA 5 10-07 109
Day 1: 5 10-07
93. Terry Peacock Royse City, TX 4 10-07 108
Day 1: 4 10-07
94. Matt Pangrac Shawnee, OK 5 10-06 107
Day 1: 5 10-06
94. David Perdue Wirtz, VA 5 10-06 107
Day 1: 5 10-06
96. Destin DeMarion Harborcreek, PA 5 10-05 105
Day 1: 5 10-05
96. Kenji Yamada Hixson, TN 5 10-05 105
Day 1: 5 10-05
98. Scout Echols Monticello, AR 5 10-04 103
Day 1: 5 10-04
98. Zeke Gossett Pell City, AL 5 10-04 103
Day 1: 5 10-04
100. Trey Swindle Cleveland, AL 5 10-03 101
Day 1: 5 10-03
101. Cody Bird Granbury, TX 4 10-03 100
Day 1: 4 10-03
102. Lucas Bradley Flippin, AR 5 10-02 99
Day 1: 5 10-02
102. Brad Leuthner Victoria, MN 5 10-02 99
Day 1: 5 10-02
104. Scott Kerslake Okeechobee, FL 2 10-02 97
Day 1: 2 10-02
105. Brent Shores Boise, ID 5 10-01 96
Day 1: 5 10-01
106. Chancy Walters West Des Moines, IA 5 09-15 95
Day 1: 5 09-15
107. Alex Murray Lake Charles, LA 4 09-15 94
Day 1: 4 09-15
108. Cole Mcfarland Lake Ozark, MO 5 09-13 93
Day 1: 5 09-13
109. Brett Cannon Kiln, MS 5 09-12 92
Day 1: 5 09-12
110. Tyler Lubbat Wheeling, IL 4 09-12 91
Day 1: 4 09-12
111. Todd Castledine Nacogdoches, TX 5 09-11 90
Day 1: 5 09-11
111. Bronk Mcdaniel Alexandria, LA 5 09-11 90
Day 1: 5 09-11
113. Craig Chambers Midland, NC 4 09-11 88
Day 1: 4 09-11
114. Keltyn Hendrix Maysville, OK 5 09-10 87
Day 1: 5 09-10
115. Brad Hillebrandt Florien, LA 4 09-09 86
Day 1: 4 09-09
116. Brady Vernon Sterrett, AL 4 09-06 85
Day 1: 4 09-06
117. Jordan Knutson Saint Croix Falls, WI 5 09-05 84
Day 1: 5 09-05
118. Ish Monroe Oakdale, CA 5 09-02 83
Day 1: 5 09-02
118. Cody Stahl Barnsville, GA 5 09-02 83
Day 1: 5 09-02
118. Chandler Stewart Canyon Lake, TX 5 09-02 83
Day 1: 5 09-02
118. Chad Warren Sand Springs, OK 5 09-02 83
Day 1: 5 09-02
122. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 4 09-00 79
Day 1: 4 09-00
123. Ty Faber Pagosa Springs, CO 5 08-13 78
Day 1: 5 08-13
124. Takayuki Koike Otsu-City JAPAN 5 08-11 77
Day 1: 5 08-11
125. Allan Nail Sand Springs, OK 4 08-11 76
Day 1: 4 08-11
126. Kazuki Kitajima Corinth, TX 5 08-10 75
Day 1: 5 08-10
127. Craig Danna West Monroe, LA 3 08-10 74
Day 1: 3 08-10
128. JT Russell Mc Calla, AL 4 08-09 73
Day 1: 4 08-09
129. Robbie Latuso Gonzales, LA 5 08-08 72
Day 1: 5 08-08
130. Kurt Mitchell Milford, DE 5 08-07 71
Day 1: 5 08-07
131. Harvey Horne Bella Vista, AR 4 08-07 70
Day 1: 4 08-07
131. Keith Tuma Brainerd, MN 4 08-07 70
Day 1: 4 08-07
133. Jacopo Gallelli Horton AL ITALY 4 08-06 68
Day 1: 4 08-06
134. Kyle Metzger Pearl River, LA 5 08-04 67
Day 1: 5 08-04
135. Josh Hubbard Dunnellon, FL 4 08-04 66
Day 1: 4 08-04
136. David Wootton Collierville, TN 5 08-03 65
Day 1: 5 08-03
137. Cody Detweiler Guntersville, AL 3 08-02 64
Day 1: 3 08-02
138. Andrew Upshaw Hemphill, TX 5 07-13 63
Day 1: 5 07-13
139. Griffin Phillips Mount Olive, AL 4 07-12 62
Day 1: 4 07-12
140. Kyle Monti Okeechobee, FL 3 07-12 61
Day 1: 3 07-12
140. Steve Tennison Lexington, OK 3 07-12 61
Day 1: 3 07-12
142. Jake Maddux Birmingham, AL 3 07-09 59
Day 1: 3 07-09
143. Lucas Ragusa Gonzales, LA 4 07-08 58
Day 1: 4 07-08
144. Chris Beaudrie Princeton, KY 5 07-06 57
Day 1: 5 07-06
145. Andy Beloat Montgomery, TX 4 07-06 56
Day 1: 4 07-06
146. Darrell Davis Dover, FL 4 07-05 55
Day 1: 4 07-05
147. Ryan Clark Whitby Ontario CANADA 4 07-00 54
Day 1: 4 07-00
148. Brock Belik Orchard, NE 2 06-13 53
Day 1: 2 06-13
149. Jack York Emory, TX 3 06-10 52
Day 1: 3 06-10
150. B.J. Usie Bourg, LA 3 06-06 51
Day 1: 3 06-06
151. Tripp Noojin Bryant, AL 2 06-06 50
Day 1: 2 06-06
152. Brandon McMillan Clewiston, FL 3 06-05 49
Day 1: 3 06-05
152. Jacob Thompkins Myrtle Beach, SC 3 06-05 49
Day 1: 3 06-05
154. Ryan Melcher Rifle, CO 3 06-04 47
Day 1: 3 06-04
155. Corey Stewart Lees Summit, MO 5 06-03 46
Day 1: 5 06-03
156. Scott Ashmore Broken Arrow, OK 3 06-02 45
Day 1: 3 06-02
157. Charlie Hartley Grove City, OH 3 06-01 44
Day 1: 3 06-01
157. Lance Owen Greer, SC 3 06-01 44
Day 1: 3 06-01
159. Christopher Whisenant Bonner Springs, KS 3 06-00 42
Day 1: 3 06-00
160. Kelly Rebel Rifle, CO 3 05-12 41
Day 1: 3 05-12
161. Frank Williams Mountain Home, AR 3 05-11 40
Day 1: 3 05-11
162. Danny Ramsey Trinidad, TX 2 05-09 39
Day 1: 2 05-09
163. Brian Post Janesville, WI 3 05-08 38
Day 1: 3 05-08
164. Chris Miller Spirit Lake, IA 2 05-07 37
Day 1: 2 05-07
165. Curtis King Plaquemine, LA 2 05-06 36
Day 1: 2 05-06
166. Dave Holbrook Lake Ozark, MO 3 04-15 35
Day 1: 3 04-15
167. Philip Roesener Choctaw, OK 2 04-14 34
Day 1: 2 04-14
168. Jason Carpenter Castle Pines, CO 3 04-00 33
Day 1: 3 04-00
169. Kyle Dowdy El Paso, IL 2 03-15 32
Day 1: 2 03-15
169. Daniel Valois Gomez Caracas FL VENEZUELA 2 03-15 32
Day 1: 2 03-15
171. Kevin Ledoux Choctaw, OK 2 03-13 30
Day 1: 2 03-13
172. Joey Hanna Corsicana, TX 2 03-12 29
Day 1: 2 03-12
173. Chris Kingree Inverness, FL 2 03-08 28
Day 1: 2 03-08
174. Brayden Rakes Winston Salem, NC 2 03-04 27
Day 1: 2 03-04
175. A.J. Menssen Bloomington, IL 2 03-02 26
Day 1: 2 03-02
176. Mark Watson Victoria, TX 1 03-01 25
Day 1: 1 03-01
177. Hunter Sales Blaine, TN 2 02-08 24
Day 1: 2 02-08
178. Mike Mayo Athens, TX 1 02-08 23
Day 1: 1 02-08
179. Travis Ledford Tuttle, OK 1 02-04 22
Day 1: 1 02-04
180. Jeremy Simmons Argyle, MO 1 01-05 21
Day 1: 1 01-05
181. Chase Clarke Virginia Beach, VA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
181. Tony Dumitras Winston, GA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
181. Scott Isaacs Ladonia, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
181. Michelle Jalaba Waterford, MI 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
181. Matt Robertson Kuttawa, KY 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
181. Billy Smith Montgomery, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
181. Bo Thomas Edwardsburg, MI 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 117 776 1918-14
----------------------------------
117 776 1918-14
2023 St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Lake of the Ozarks 9/22-9/24
Lake of the Ozarks, Osage Beach MO.
(NON_BOATER) Standings Day 1

Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$

1. Aaron Lorenz Reeds Spring, MO 3 13-05 200
Day 1: 3 13-05
2. John Wixson Kansas City, MO 3 09-08 199
Day 1: 3 09-08
3. Cory Weaver Ankeny, IA 3 09-04 198
Day 1: 3 09-04
4. Joe Cantrell Lone Jack, MO 3 08-15 197
Day 1: 3 08-15
4. Mao Matsuzaki Tokoname-Shi JAPAN 3 08-15 197
Day 1: 3 08-15
6. Jacob Collins Hillsboro, IL 3 08-12 195
Day 1: 3 08-12
7. Allen Williford West Frankfort, IL 3 08-11 194
Day 1: 3 08-11
8. Trey Gulley Alton, TX 3 08-01 193
Day 1: 3 08-01
9. Sakae Ushio Tonawanda, NY 3 07-15 192
Day 1: 3 07-15
10. Sean Fullerton Bixby, OK 3 07-13 191
Day 1: 3 07-13
11. Dwain Vogelpohl Cambridge, MN 2 07-09 190
Day 1: 2 07-09
12. John Goul Philadelphia, MS 3 07-07 189
Day 1: 3 07-07
13. Riley Nielsen Murray, UT 3 07-01 188
Day 1: 3 07-01
14. Darren Gates Macon, IL 3 06-15 187
Day 1: 3 06-15
15. Allen Heston Pittsburg, TX 3 06-14 186
Day 1: 3 06-14
15. Keith Ketcher Stark City, MO 3 06-14 186
Day 1: 3 06-14
17. Avery Williams Murrells Inlt, SC 3 06-11 184
Day 1: 3 06-11
18. Jerry Gonzalez Rivero Torreon Coah MEXICO 3 06-10 183
Day 1: 3 06-10
19. Nick Melcher Gypsum, CO 3 06-08 182
Day 1: 3 06-08
20. Ray Larson Springfield, IL 3 06-07 181
Day 1: 3 06-07
20. Bradley Pierce Gretna, NE 3 06-07 181
Day 1: 3 06-07
22. Jason Barber Gun Barrel City, TX 3 06-05 179
Day 1: 3 06-05
23. John Hammersmith Branson, MO 2 06-05 178
Day 1: 2 06-05
23. Hiroya Hyodo Funabashi city Chibaken 2 06-05 178
Day 1: 2 06-05
25. Wyatt Wisian Ardmore, OK 3 06-04 176
Day 1: 3 06-04
26. Chad Stahl Barnesville, GA 1 06-03 175
Day 1: 1 06-03
27. Larry Beauboeuf Bossier City, LA 3 05-15 174
Day 1: 3 05-15
28. Jason Fontenot Lake Charles, LA 3 05-14 173
Day 1: 3 05-14
29. Robert Hunt Ozark, MO 3 05-13 172
Day 1: 3 05-13
30. Drew Boehle Saint Peters, MO 2 05-10 171
Day 1: 2 05-10
30. Matt Molitor Canton, IL 2 05-10 171
Day 1: 2 05-10
32. Garret Akers Wichita, KS 3 05-07 169
Day 1: 3 05-07
32. Hunter Neuville New Iberia, LA 3 05-07 169
Day 1: 3 05-07
34. David Riggs Highland, IL 2 05-07 167
Day 1: 2 05-07
35. Steve Jarrett Fenton, MO 3 05-06 166
Day 1: 3 05-06
36. Tyler Boyet Imperial, MO 2 05-02 165
Day 1: 2 05-02
37. Brian Forcier Akron, IA 3 05-00 164
Day 1: 3 05-00
38. Garry Torpea St. Louis, MO 2 04-15 163
Day 1: 2 04-15
39. Gary Haraguchi Murfreesboro, TN 3 04-14 162
Day 1: 3 04-14
40. Justin Blackert Olathe, KS 3 04-11 161
Day 1: 3 04-11
40. Jason Switzer Sapulpa, OK 3 04-11 161
Day 1: 3 04-11
42. Will Major Port Allen, LA 2 04-10 159
Day 1: 2 04-10
42. Scott Rice Cobden, IL 2 04-10 159
Day 1: 2 04-10
44. Bobby Ketcher Wilburton, OK 2 04-09 157
Day 1: 2 04-09
45. Mason Chambers Galena, MO 2 04-07 156
Day 1: 2 04-07
46. Mike Daley Taylorville, IL 3 04-06 155
Day 1: 3 04-06
46. Dee Sheperd Mountain View, OK 3 04-06 155
Day 1: 3 04-06
48. Mike Dempsey Wentzville, MO 3 04-05 153
Day 1: 3 04-05
49. Yu Kawamura Kashiwashi JAPAN 2 04-02 152
Day 1: 2 04-02
49. Eugene Kim Lindenhurst, IL 2 04-02 152
Day 1: 2 04-02
51. Gary Hall Wardville, OK 2 03-12 150
Day 1: 2 03-12
52. Gary Bates Athens, AL 2 03-11 149
Day 1: 2 03-11
53. Jay Budde Foley, MO 1 03-11 148
Day 1: 1 03-11
54. Tray Amsden Centerville, MO 2 03-08 147
Day 1: 2 03-08
55. Dylan Mayo Athens, TX 1 03-07 146
Day 1: 1 03-07
56. Mark Cowart Kearney, MO 1 03-06 145
Day 1: 1 03-06
57. Michael Otway Gainesville, TX 1 03-01 144
Day 1: 1 03-01
58. Jon Akers Mt.Vernon, IA 2 02-15 143
Day 1: 2 02-15
58. Chris Gaudin East Camden, AR 2 02-15 143
Day 1: 2 02-15
60. Steven Doolittle Chelsea, OK 1 02-13 141
Day 1: 1 02-13
61. Skip Rayborn Hammond, LA 1 02-12 140
Day 1: 1 02-12
62. Jacob Roark Plattsmouth, NE 1 02-11 139
Day 1: 1 02-11
63. Brian Mcelyea Camdenton, MO 2 02-07 138
Day 1: 2 02-07
64. Derek Felton Willard, MO 1 02-06 137
Day 1: 1 02-06
64. Ken Sanders Point Blank, TX 1 02-06 137
Day 1: 1 02-06
66. Scott Gower Pleasant Hill, MO 2 02-05 135
Day 1: 2 02-05
67. Stewart Bigelow Linn Creek, MO 1 02-05 134
Day 1: 1 02-05
68. Rick Cheatham Carterville, IL 1 02-04 133
Day 1: 1 02-04
68. Steve Kline Hilltop Lakes, TX 1 02-04 133
Day 1: 1 02-04
70. Christopher Lemon Martinsville, IN 1 02-02 131
Day 1: 1 02-02
71. Jacob Altman Edgewood, TX 1 02-01 130
Day 1: 1 02-01
71. Cody Sheeler La Porte, IN 1 02-01 130
Day 1: 1 02-01
71. Joe Tucker Osceola, MO 1 02-01 130
Day 1: 1 02-01
74. Shane Kuehn Bennington, NE 1 02-00 127
Day 1: 1 02-00
74. Scott Nielsen Murray, UT 1 02-00 127
Day 1: 1 02-00
74. Mark Ripp Belmont, WI 1 02-00 127
Day 1: 1 02-00
77. Tiffany Leal Austin, TX 1 01-15 124
Day 1: 1 01-15
78. Takaaki Kojima Temecula CA JAPAN 1 01-14 123
Day 1: 1 01-14
79. Steve Duncan Amarillo, TX 1 01-08 122
Day 1: 1 01-08
80. Logan Slaughter Coppell, TX 1 01-06 121
Day 1: 1 01-06
81. Ronald Bentley Lees Summit, MO 1 01-04 120
Day 1: 1 01-04
81. Alex Ferguson St James, MO 1 01-04 120
Day 1: 1 01-04
81. Jack Ferrell Jefferson City, MO 1 01-04 120
Day 1: 1 01-04
84. Joel Johnson Kansas City, KS 1 01-03 117
Day 1: 1 01-03
85. Matt Holder Chillicothe, MO 1 01-02 116
Day 1: 1 01-02
86. Oliver Siebert Fenton, MO 1 00-09 115
Day 1: 1 00-09
87. Willy Becker Kansas City, MO 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. David Booth Erin, TN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. David Brand Dittmer, MO 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. Matthew Brown Mclouth, KS 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. Bob Burgess Millington, TN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. Steve Byrd Coalgate, OK 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. Larry Davis Gladewater, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. Tony Delgado Whittier, CA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. Morgan Ellingson Stevens Point, WI 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. Jimmy Fellegy Mustang, OK 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. Marco Flores Topeka, KS 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. Michael Foelsch Ofallon, MO 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. Johnnie Garrett Union City, TN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. Jordan Gautreaux Walker , LA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. Chris Gebhardt Columbia, MO 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. Kyle Gentry Stronghurst, IL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. Nathan Harbison Jasper, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. John Higginbotham Slaughter, LA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. Ty Kenyon Dodgeville, WI 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. Erik Knutson Saint Croix Falls, WI 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. Jordan Lane Conroe, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. John Matt Roach, MO 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. Gene Mitchell Stuart, OK 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. Shane Morgan Littleton, CO 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. James Rackers Jefferson City, MO 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. Johnny Ramos Odessa, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. Paul Reutlinger Mineola, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. Craig Schmidt Prague, NE 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. Perry See Rochester, MN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. Jarod Shelton Centralia, MO 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. John Stewart Lone Jack, MO 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. Kirk Stickler Eden, UT 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. Adam Tims Royse City, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. Scott Troutt Corinth, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
87. Kyle Wilcox Littleton, CO 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
122. Troy Enmeier Enid, OK 0 -1-00 0
Day 1: 0 -01-00
122. Scott Hill Osage Beach , MO 0 -1-00 0
Day 1: 0 -01-00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 35 177 398-00
----------------------------------
35 177 398-00

by David Xiong

Tenkiller to host Bassmaster Kayak Series National Championship

Lake Tenkiller in Tahlequah, Okla., will host the Yamaha Rightwaters Bassmaster Kayak Series Championship powered by TourneyX March 20-21, 2024.

Photo by Mark Cisneros/B.A.S.S.

September 22, 2023

Tenkiller to host Bassmaster Kayak Series National Championship

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — For just the second time in the series’ history, the country’s best kayak anglers are heading to Oklahoma, this time competing for a National Championship on Lake Tenkiller. The Yamaha Rightwaters Bassmaster Kayak Series Championship powered by TourneyX will be held on Lake Tenkiller in Tahlequah, Okla., as part of the festivities surrounding the 2024 Academy Sports + Outdoor Bassmaster Classic presented by Toyota in Tulsa.

The championship at Lake Tenkiller will be a two-day event, March 20-21, 2024. The awards ceremony will be held on the Bassmaster Classic stage at the BOK Center in downtown Tulsa March 22 prior to the Day 1 Classic weigh-in.

“On behalf of Tour Tahlequah and Explore Cherokee County, Oklahoma Tourism, we gladly welcome Bassmaster back to the beautiful Lake Tenkiller,” said Greater Tenkiller Area Association Executive Director Kenyatta Wright. “We are so excited to have the opportunity of sharing our beautiful lake with fellow anglers from all over the nation. Welcome to Lake Tenkiller and Tahlequah!”

The last time the Bassmaster Kayak Series visited the Sooner State, Drew Gregory bested the field at Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees en route to winning the Dakota Lithium Bassmaster Kayak Series Angler of the Year race. With one event left in the 2023 season, Gregory is currently in 10th place in the AOY standings. 2023 Kayak Series Championship winner Rus Snyders (733 points), Nick Dyer (727 points) and Elite Series pro Greg DiPalma (726 points) hold the top three spots heading into the last tournament.

Anglers will take to the waters of Pennsylvania’s Susquehanna River October 7-8 for one last chance to qualify for the championship. Competitors can register for the event through September 29 at Bassmaster.com.

The Yamaha Rightwaters Bassmaster Kayak Series Championship presented by TourneyX is being hosted by Tour Tahlequah, Explore Cherokee County, Okla., and the Greater Tenkiller Area Association.

For more information, visit Bassmaster.com/kayak.

by David Xiong

MLF Announces Schedules for 2024 Abu Garcia College Fishing and High School Fishing Programs

BENTON, Ky. (Sept. 21, 2023) – Major League Fishing (MLF), the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, announced today the schedules for the 2024 Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI season and the High School Fishing season, with each circuit providing numerous prizes, scholarships and advancement opportunities for qualified teams.

"As we make our offseason preparations for the 16th season of College Fishing and 14th season of High School Fishing, we are excited to release the very competitive 2024 College Fishing and High School Fishing schedules," said Kevin Hunt, MLF Senior Director of Tournament Operations, College and High School Fishing. “It has been so exciting and rewarding to see the level of competition increase every year. These circuits, while challenging, are a fantastic way to provide student anglers the opportunity to compete on the water for scholarships and prizes. We can’t wait to kick off the season in early January down in Florida.”

In 2024, MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing teams can compete in up to nine qualifying tournaments around the country. The top 12% of teams from each event will advance to the 2025 College Fishing National Championship.

The 2024 MLF High School Fishing circuit will feature teams competing in seven open tournaments, with the majority held in conjunction with Abu Garcia College Fishing events to allow students and parents to network with prospective college teams and coaches during college weigh-ins. MLF High School Fishing Opens are two-person (team) events for students in grades 7-12, and open to any Student Angler Federation (SAF)-affiliated high school club in the United States. The top 10% of teams in each tournament advance to the High School Fishing National Championship.

2024 MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI Schedule:
Jan. 5 Harris Chain of Lakes                                                    Leesburg, Fla.
Jan. 9-11              NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP at Lake Toho Kissimmee, Fla.
March 8               Clear Lake Lakeport, Calif.
April 5 Table Rock Lake Branson, Mo.
April 26 Lake Guntersville Guntersville, Ala.
May 5                   Lake Havasu Lake Havasu City, Ariz.
June 8 California Delta Oakley, Calif..
Aug. 25 St. Lawrence River Massena, N.Y.
Sept. 27               Sam Rayburn Reservoir Brookeland, Texas
Oct. 18 Lake Chickamauga Dayton, Tenn.

2024 MLF High School Fishing Opens Schedule:
Jan. 6 Harris Chain of Lakes Leesburg, Fla.
April 6                  Table Rock Lake Branson, Mo.
April 27 Lake Guntersville Guntersville, Ala.
May 5                   Lake Havasu Lake Havasu City, Ariz.
June 8 California Delta Oakley, Calif.
June 19 -21         NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP at Lake Hartwell Anderson, S.C.
Sept. 28               Sam Rayburn Reservoir Brookeland, Texas
Oct. 19 Lake Chickamauga Dayton, Tenn.

Complete rules and entry dates for both the 2024 MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI and MLF High School Fishing programs will be announced later this fall.

For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular College and High School Fishing updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

by David Xiong

Lester Previews Pickwick Ahead of Toyota Owners Tournament

Courtesy of Luke Stoner - Dynamic Sponsorships

With the 12th annual Toyota Bonus Bucks Owners Tournament returning to Pickwick Lake next month, we caught up with Tennessee River expert Brandon Lester to pick his brain on what anglers attending the event should expect from a fishing and fellowship standpoint.

Lester took home his first blue trophy the last time the Elite Series visited Pickwick in June of 2022 and he was loading up his family to go camping and crappie fishing on another TVA impoundment, Lake Guntersville, when I called. Few professional anglers spend more time on the water during the offseason than Lester, and a large majority of his fall trips find the Team Toyota pro traveling to one of the famous fisheries on the Tennessee River Chain.

Lester is the perfect person to preview Pickwick ahead of the Toyota Owners Tournament and he was happy to provide a few useful suggestions.

“My first tip, honestly, is to register and to do everything you can to make it to this event,” Lester said sincerely. “If you own a 2019 or newer Toyota tow-vehicle, or you have a buddy that does, you really ought to get to Pickwick next month. That weekend is more about fun and camaraderie than it is a hardcore tournament and it’s something my whole family looks forward to every year. It’s like a mini vacation. It’s free to enter, competitors get piles of free gear, plus we all get to hang out and talk fishing. It’s a win-win.”

Lester nailed it. While there is a $5,000 guaranteed first-place prize on the line and payouts to the top 31 teams, this no-entry fee tournament is far more about community than cutthroat competition. It’s the perfect event to fish as a husband-and-wife team, to take your young kids or parents to, or to register and fish with an old friend while you catch up.

Registration will be held at McFarland Park in Florence, Alabama on Saturday, October 21st and the tournament takes place Sunday the 22nd. From a fishing perspective, if Lester was fishing this event he’d be focused on one of two predominant patterns: the tailrace or grass.

“You can’t overlook the Wilson Dam tailrace on Pickwick right near where you’ll launch,” Lester explained. “The tailrace is always a player with both smallmouth and largemouth, even though it gets a lot of pressure. You can bet you’ll be fishing around a lot of boats, but you just have to commit to the area if you have confidence. The key is doing something a little different. Whether that’s a unique bait, using something lighter or heavier than the norm, or finding a special drift. You want to do something different than the crowd.”

Historically, there have been a lot of tournaments won in the few-mile-stretch of river near the tailrace. If fishing current and staying close to the ramp isn’t your cup of tea, Lester advisestargeting aquatic vegetation on Pickwick.

“The other thing I’d be thinking about and trying to key in on is fishing grass,” Lester offered. “I think the grass is really healthyright now down around Kogers Island and the Natchez Trace Bridge. There should be some hydrilla and other species of grass mixed in which is always a good place to catch bass, especially in the fall. It’s a great place to start your search anyway.”

The Tennessee native said without any pre-practice he’d be logging onto MidwayUSA’s website to stock up on topwater walking baits, soft plastic jerkbaits, and some 1/4 to 3/8-ounce jigheads to outfit with small three- or four-inch swimbaits for Pickwick in late October.

Registration closes October 13th, so there is still time to register for this yearly celebration of all things Toyota and bass fishing. To learn more and get signed-up, follow this link: https://ownersevent.toyotatrucksbonusbucks.com/ or send an email to [email protected].

by David Xiong

The Power-Pole Move ZR Wins the 2023 Anglers' Choice Award

Anglers everywhere were invited to experience the excitement of ICAST and vote for this award competition

Alexandria, Va. – September 20, 2023 –Last month, anglers everywhere voted for their favorite new fishing product in the second annual Anglers’ Choice Award competition. Of the 37 New Product Showcase Best of Category products that debuted at ICAST 2023, Power-Pole's new trolling motor - the Move ZR - is the winner.

Produced by the American Sportfishing Association (ASA), ICAST – the International Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades – draws thousands of tackle buyers and media members each July to the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. for the world’s largest sportfishing trade show. It’s where hundreds of manufacturers debut tackle, gear, accessories and apparel in the highly anticipated New Product Showcase.

The dedicated display area on the show floor showcases hundreds of the best of the best in new fishing product innovation; all competing against each other to take home one of 37 “Best of Category” trophies and the overall “Best of Show” award. The Power-Pole Move ZR was this year’s winner in the Best Motorized Boating Accessory category.

"The New Product Showcase is the recreational fishing industry's equivalent of the Oscars,” said Blake Swango, ASA’s vice president for Trade Show and Membership. "Because ICAST is a trade event and not open to the public, we decided to launch the Anglers’ Choice Award giving everyone with a passion for fishing a chance to join in the excitement that defines ICAST.”

“It’s my pleasure to congratulate Power-Pole's Move ZR for winning the second annual Anglers’ Choice Award.”

“We won the Best of Category award at ICAST for Best Motorized Boating Accessory but this is extra special” said Robert Shamblin, vice president, Sales and Marketing, for Power-Pole. “We couldn't be more excited.”

by David Xiong

CELEBRATE BASS FISHING WEEK’ ONLINE AUCTION GOES LIVE TO SUPPORT BASS FISHING HALL OF FAME’S CELEBRATE-PROMOTE-PRESERVE MISSION

Begins at 9 a.m. Friday, Sept. 22

SPRINGFIELD, MO – For Immediate Release – Sept. 21, 2023 – If bass fishing is your thing, you can have all kinds of fun this coming week even if you don’t get on the water. Bass fishing enthusiasts in both the U.S. and Canada have a great opportunity to not only bid on tackle, lures and gear, tournament pro jerseys, exclusive fishing trips with expert anglers and more, but also support the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame’s mission by participating in the ‘Celebrate Bass Fishing Week’ online auction presented by Major League Fishing. Simply log in with your smartphone, tablet or computer to https://one.bidpal.net/bfhof/browse/all to access the auction-dedicated website or text BFHOF to 243-725.

The website will be ‘live’ from 9 a.m. EST Friday, Sept. 22 through 9 p.m. EST on Thursday, Sept. 28, the night when many involved in the bass fishing world will be gathered to celebrate the induction of Glen Andrews, Bruce Holt, and Michael Iaconelli into the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame, located within Johnny Morris’ Wonders of Wildlife Aquarium & Museum.

The auction is loaded with tournament jerseys from dozens of pro anglers along with rods, reels, lure assortments and technical clothing, not to mention unique items, experiences and fishing and hunting trips to some premier destinations. Here’s a sampling of what’s up for grabs:

Fishing trips – alongside noted tournament bass pros or Bass Fishing HOF inductees, to famed waters like Clear Lake, Lake O.H. Ivie, Lake Amistad, Lake Guntersville, Lake Tenkiller, Table Rock Lake, the St. Lawrence River, Lake St. Clair, and Lake Havasu.
One angler, along with a friend who is so very lucky, will spend a day on the water with the legendary Bill Dance.
An extremely unique experience fishing and filming with the staff from Wire2fish in northern Minnesota, including dinner with the W2F crew and two-nights lodging at the Timberlake Hotel in Grand Rapids, MN; or how about being the co-host on the popular Bass Talk Live podcast with Matt Pangrac, who then will take you fishing for trophy crappie and send you home with a freezer bag full of cleaned filets.
Interested in hunting? There’s a black bear trip and turkey hunt in eastern Oklahoma, and even a night-vision ‘Sasquatch Hunt’ with pro angler Greg Hackney at his camp in south Mississippi. You’ll need to log into the ‘Celebrate Bass Fishing Week’ online auction to read all the interesting info on this trip.

“There are more than 200 packages to bid on, and we will continue to add a few more items during the week,” said BFHOF inductee Steve Bowman, who also volunteers on the BFHOF Board of Directors as chair of its Development/Fundraising committee. “We made it a point to have a nice assortment of tackle and assorted fishing gear that may go for a great price, along with many considered ‘bucket list’ items. Those interested will bid them up into the thousands, and in part contribute to the conservation grants and scholarship program administered by the Board, along with our induction ceremony and efforts at tournament and other industry events.”

The Bass Fishing Hall of Fame acknowledges the major sponsorship support from Major League Fishing, B.A.S.S., Phoenix Boats, Bass Cat, PRADCO Brands, Bass Pro Shops/Cabela’s, Wired2fish, Daiwa, Yamaha, Rather Outdoors, Shimano, Rapala, AFTCO, the Bass Fishing Archives, Sunline, the Costa Compete + Conserve program, Simms, and St. Croix.

Any problems in accessing the online auction site - https://one.bidpal.net/bfhof/browse/all - please contact the Hall’s Executive Director Barbara Bowman at [email protected]– or text your inquiry to 501.541.6660. Visit the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame website for more information on the Hall and its inductees, articles about the history of bass fishing, details on the BFHOF conservation grants and scholarship at https://www.bassfishinghof.com – or check out the Hall on both Facebook and Instagram.

by David Xiong

MLF Toyota Series Set to Close Plains Division with Tournament at Lake of the Ozarks

OSAGE BEACH, Mo. (Sept. 20, 2023) – The Major League Fishing (MLF) Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats is set to visit Osage Beach, and the Lake of the Ozarks next week, Sept. 28-30, for the third and final event in the Toyota Series Plains Division – the Toyota Series at Lake of the Ozarks Presented by FVP.

The three-day tournament, hosted by the Tri-County Lodging Association, will feature the region’s best bass-fishing pros and Strike King co-anglers competing for a top prize of up to $100,000 in the pro division and a new Phoenix 518 Pro boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard motor in the co-angler division.

“Lake of the Ozarks has been fishing really good, and over the next couple of weeks it’s only going to get better and better,” said pro Payden Hibdon of Versailles, Missouri, who has three top-10 finishes on Lake of the Ozarks in MLF competition. “The fish are loosening up a bit and guys are going to be able to catch them how they want, deep or shallow. There is no limit – it’s going to be typical, fall Ozarks fishing.”

Hibdon said that despite the topwater bite not ever coming to fruition in the BFL Super Tournament on Lake of the Ozarks last weekend, he expects that bite to be a big player in this one.

“I expect we’re going to be able to catch them better on topwater, next week,” Hibdon said. “That bite went away during the Super Tournament, which was odd, because we had been catching them on topwater leading up to that event. So I think that bite is coming back and by next weekend it should be busted wide open.

“The key is going to be getting 1 or 2 of the ‘right’ bites, and then having a decent limit to go along with them,” Hibdon continued. “I think 16 pounds a day is the goal – if you can catch 16 pounds a day you’ll be right there at the end, and I predict it’ll take 48 pounds to win this thing.”

Hibdon, who will be competing in this tournament, said he’ll be throwing his family’s signature jig.

“This time of year, we always throw the Hibdon Hammer jig – a ¾-ounce out deep, and 3/8- and ½-ounce for skipping boat docks,” Hibdon said. “I’ll start out the mornings fishing topwater – buzzbaits, Whopper Ploppers, Zara Spooks – then spend the rest of the day with the jig.”

Anglers will launch at 7 a.m. CT each day from Public Beach No. 2 at Lake of the Ozarks State Park, located at 711 Public Beach Road in Osage Beach. Weigh-ins will also be held at the beach and will begin at 3 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend and encouraged to follow the event online through the “MLF Live” weigh-in broadcasts and daily coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

In Toyota Series regular-season competition, payouts are based on the number of participants competing in the event, scaling up for every 20 boats over 160 and scaling down for every boat below 160. With a 160-boat field, pros fish for a top prize of $40,000, plus an extra $35,000 if Phoenix MLF Bonus qualified. Strike King co-anglers cast for the top prize of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard (valued at $33,500). With a 260-boat field, pros fish for a top award of $65,000, plus an extra $35,000 if Phoenix MLF Bonus qualified. Strike King co-anglers cast for the top prize of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard (valued at $33,500) plus $5,000 cash.

The 2023 Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats consists of six divisions – Central, Northern Division Presented by Rabid Baits, Plains, Southern, Southwestern and the Western Division Presented by Tackle Warehouse – each holding three regular-season events, along with the International and Wild Card divisions. Anglers who fish in any of the six divisions or the Wild Card division and finish in the top 25 will qualify for the no-entry-fee Toyota Series Championship for a shot at winning up to $235,000 and a qualification to REDCREST 2024. The winning Strike King co-angler at the championship earns a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard. The 2023 Toyota Series Championship will be held Nov. 2-4 on Table Rock Lake in Branson, Missouri, and is hosted by ExploreBranson.com.

Proud sponsors of the 2023 MLF Toyota Series include: 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Black Rifle Coffee Company, E3, Favorite Fishing, Fox Rent a Car, General Tire, Gill, Grundéns, Lew’s, Lowrance, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Next Gen Lithium, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Wiley X and YETI.

by David Xiong

MLF Announces Schedule for 2024 Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine

Cherokee Lake in Jefferson County, Tennessee Revealed as Site of 2024 All-American

BENTON, Ky. (September 20, 2023) – Major League Fishing announced today the schedule for the 2024 Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine , the premier grassroots tournament circuit for weekend anglers. The Phoenix Bass Fishing League offers grassroots tournament anglers the best payouts, media coverage and advancement opportunities for the lowest entry fees available in the sport and provides anglers a clear path to the Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats, Tackle Warehouse Invitationals and ultimately the Bass Pro Tour.

“As we unveil the 2024 Phoenix Bass Fishing League schedule, I’m thrilled to welcome anglers from across the nation to a season filled with passion, camaraderie and unmatched opportunities,” said Kathy Fennel, MLF Executive Vice President and General Manager. “This year’s robust schedule offers weekend anglers not only the best payouts in the sport, but the opportunity to experience the essence of competitive bass fishing close to home, with advancement opportunitiesto the All-American, Toyota Series Championship and REDCREST – the Bass Pro Tour Championship.”

The 2024 regular season will kick off in early January at Sam Rayburn Reservoir in Brookeland, Texas, and run through late September when it wraps up at Lake Cherokee in Jefferson City, Tennessee.

After six regional tournaments featuring payouts over 200 percent, the 2024 Phoenix Bass Fishing League season will culminate with the prestigious All-American, the pinnacle of grassroots competition and one of the longest-running championships in bass-fishing history. The 2024 All-American will take place May 29-31, at Cherokee Lake in Jefferson County, Tennessee, hosted by Visit Jefferson County, TN.

“We are thrilled to once again welcome Major League Fishing back to Jefferson County and Lakeside of the Smokies for the All-American Championship,” said Lauren Hurdle, Visit Jefferson County Tourism Director. “This time anglers will fish the waters of Cherokee Lake, located in Jefferson City, and we can’t wait to see how the best weekend anglers from across the country showcase our amazing smallmouth fishery.”

Full program rules, entry dates and details for the 2024 Phoenix Bass Fishing League will be announced later this year.

2024 Phoenix Bass Fishing League Schedule:

Arkie Division
March 2 Lake Ouachita, Mount Ida, Ark.
March 23 Greers Ferry, Greers Ferry, Ark.
April 20 DeGray Lake, Arkadelphia, Ark.
June 8 Lake Dardanelle, Russellville, Ark.
Sept. 21-22 Bull Shoals Lake, Bull Shoals, Ark.

Bama Division
Feb. 24 Lake Martin, Alexander City, Ala.
April 20 Lake Mitchell, Clanton, Ala.
May 4 Lake Demopolis, Demopolis, Ala.
July 20 Neely Henry, Gadsden, Ala.
Sept. 14-15 Alabama River, Prattville, Ala.

Buckeye Division
May 18                   Ohio River-Tanners Creek, Lawrenceburg, Ind.
June 8                     Mosquito Lake, Cortland, Ohio
June 29                   Ohio River-Tanners Creek, Lawrenceburg, Ind.
Aug. 3 Lake Erie, Sandusky, Ohio
Sept. 14-15 Indian Lake, Lakeview, Ohio

Bulldog Division
Feb. 17 Lake Lanier, Gainesville, Ga.
March 9 Lake Lanier, Gainesville, Ga.
April 6 Lake Eufaula, Eufaula, Ala.
April 27 Lake Sinclair, Milledgeville, Ga.
Sept. 21-22 Lake Oconee, Buckhead, Ga.

Choo Choo Division
Feb. 10 Lake Guntersville, Scottsboro, Ala.
March 23 Pickwick Lake, Florence, Ala.
April 13 Lake Guntersville, Scottsboro, Ala.
July 13 Neely Henry, Gadsden, Ala.
Sept. 28-29 Wheeler Lake, Rogersville, Ala.

Cowboy Division
Jan. 6 Sam Rayburn Reservoir, Brookeland, Texas
Jan. 27                   Lake of the Pines, Jefferson, Texas
March 9 Toledo Bend Lake, Zwolle, La.
April 6                   Sam Rayburn Reservoir, Brookeland, Texas
Sept. 7-8 Sam Rayburn Reservoir, Brookeland, Texas

Gator Division
Jan. 20 Harris Chain of Lakes, Leesburg, Fla.
Feb. 10 Lake Toho, Kissimmee, Fla.
March 2 Harris Chain of Lakes, Leesburg, Fla.
April 20 Lake Okeechobee, Clewiston, Fla.
Sept. 28-29 Lake Okeechobee, Clewiston, Fla.

Great Lakes Division
April 27 Mississippi River-La Crosse, La Crosse, Wis.
May 18 Mississippi River-La Crosse, La Crosse, Wis.
June 15 Wolf River Chain, Winneconne, Wis.
Aug. 17 Mississippi River-Prairie du Chien, Prairie du Chien, Wis.
Sept. 21-22 Mississippi River-La Crosse, La Crosse, Wis.

Hoosier Division
April 13 Lake Patoka, Birdseye, Ind.
May 11                   Ohio River-Rocky Point, Cannelton, Ind.
June 15                   Ohio River-Tanners Creek, Lawrenceburg, Ind.
July 27                   Lake Monroe, Bloomington, Ind.
Sept. 28-29 Ohio River-Tanners Creek, Lawrenceburg, Ind.

Illini Division
May 18                   Lake Shelbyville, Shelbyville, Ill.
June 29                   Rend Lake, Sesser, Ill.
July 13                   Ohio River, Paducah, Ky.
Aug. 3 Lake Shelbyville, Shelbyville, Ill.
Sept. 7-8 Rend Lake, Sesser, Ill.

LBL Division
Feb. 24 Kentucky-Barkley Lake, Gilbertsville, Ky.
April 6 Kentucky-Barkley Lake, Gilbertsville, Ky.
May 4 Kentucky-Barkley Lake, Gilbertsville, Ky.
July 20 Kentucky-Barkley Lake, Gilbertsville, Ky.
Aug. 24-25 Kentucky-Barkley Lake, Buchanan, Tenn.

Michigan Division
June 29 Detroit River, Trenton, Mich.
July 13 Detroit River, Trenton, Mich.
Aug. 10 Detroit River, Trenton, Mich.
Aug. 24 Detroit River, Trenton, Mich.
Sept. 21-22 Detroit River, Trenton, Mich.

Mississippi Division
March 23 Ross Barnett Reservoir, Ridgeland, Miss.
April 20 Grenada Lake, Grenada, Miss.
May 11 Lake Sardis, Sardis, Miss.
July 20 Lake Ferguson, Greenville, Miss.
Sept. 21-22 Pickwick Lake, Iuka, Miss.

Mountain Division
March 2 Dale Hollow Lake, Byrdstown, Tenn.
March 23 Dale Hollow Lake, Byrdstown, Tenn.
April 13 Lake Cumberland, Monticello, Ky.
June 22 Barren River, Scottsville, Ky.
Sept. 14-15 Lake Cumberland, Monticello, Ky.

Music City Division
March 24 Dale Hollow Lake, Byrdstown, Tenn.
April 20 Tims Ford, Winchester, Tenn.
May 11 Center Hill, Sparta, Tenn.
June 15 Old Hickory Lake, Gallatin, Tenn.
Sept. 7-8 Dale Hollow Lake, Byrdstown, Tenn.

North Carolina Division
Feb. 24 Lake Norman, Huntersville, N.C.
April 13 Kerr Lake, Henderson, N.C.
May 4 Kerr Lake, Henderson, N.C.
June 15 High Rock Lake, Lexington, N.C.
Sept. 28-29 Lake Norman, Mooresville, N.C.

Northeast Division
May 18 Potomac River, Marbury, Md.
June 29 Lake Oneida, Brewerton, N.Y.
July 20 St. Lawrence River, Massena, N.Y.
Aug. 17 Lake Champlain, Plattsburgh, N.Y.
Sept. 14-15 Potomac River, Marbury, Md.

Okie Division
Feb. 10 Grand Lake, Grove, Okla.
March 16 Lake Eufaula, Eufaula, Okla.
April 27 Fort Gibson Lake, Wagoner, Okla.
June 22 Arkansas River, Muskogee, Okla.
Sept. 14-15 Grand Lake, Grove, Okla.

Ozark Division
Feb. 17 Table Rock Lake, Kimberling City, Mo.
March 30 Lake of the Ozarks, Osage Beach, Mo.
May 4 Lake of the Ozarks, Osage Beach, Mo.
June 15 Truman Lake, Warsaw, Mo.
Sept. 7-8 Table Rock Lake, Kimberling City, Mo.

Piedmont Division
March 9 Smith Mountain Lake, Huddleston, Va.
April 27 Kerr Lake, Henderson, N.C.
June 8 High Rock Lake, Lexington, N.C.
Aug. 3 James River, Henrico, Va.
Sept. 21-22 Kerr Lake, Henderson, N.C.

Savannah River Division
Jan. 27 Lake Keowee, Seneca, S.C.
Feb. 24 Lake Hartwell, Anderson, S.C.
April 13 Lake Hartwell, Lavonia, Ga.
June 15 Clarks Hill, Appling, Ga.
Aug. 24-25 Lake Hartwell, Anderson, S.C.

Shenandoah Division
April 6 Smith Mountain Lake, Huddleston, Va.
May 11 Potomac River, Marbury, Md.
June 22 Potomac River, Marbury, Md.
July 27 James River, Henrico, Va.
Sept. 7-8 James River, Henrico, Va.

South Carolina Division
March 9 Lake Hartwell, Seneca, S.C.
April 6 Santee Cooper Lakes, Summerton, S.C.
April 27 Lake Hartwell, Seneca, S.C.
June 22 Clarks Hill, Appling, Ga.
Sept. 7-8 Lake Murray, Prosperity, S.C.

Volunteer Division
March 9 Norris Lake, Andersonville, Tenn.
April 20 South Holston Lake, Bristol, Tenn.
May 11 Douglas Lake, Dandridge, Tenn.
June 8 Watts Bar Lake, Spring City, Tenn.
Sept. 28-29 Lake Cherokee, Jefferson City, Tenn.

2024 Regional Tournaments:

Oct. 3-5 Pickwick Lake, Counce, Tenn.
Divisions: LBL, Mountain, Ozark & Savannah River
Hosted by Hardin County Convention & Visitors Bureau

Oct. 3-5 Kerr Lake, Henderson, N.C.
Divisions: Buckeye, Northeast, Shenandoah & South Carolina
Hosted by Vance County Tourism Development Authority

Oct. 10-12 Mississippi River, Quad Cities, Ill.
Divisions: Great Lakes, Hoosier, Illini & Michigan
Hosted by Visit Quad Cities

Oct. 10-12 Santee Cooper Lakes, Clarendon County, S.C.
Divisions: Bama, Bulldog, Gator & North Carolina
Hosted by Clarendon County Chamber of Commerce

Oct. 17-19 Clarks Hill Lake, Appling, Ga.
Divisions: Choo Choo, Music City, Piedmont & Volunteer
Hosted by Columbia County, Georgia

Oct. 17-19 Wright Patman Lake, Texarkana, Texas
Divisions: Arkie, Cowboy, Mississippi & Okie
Hosted by City of Texarkana, Texas

Oct. 25-26 Wild Card: TBA

2024 All-American:

May 29-31 Cherokee Lake, Jefferson County, Tenn.
Hosted by Visit Jefferson County, Tenn.

by David Xiong

Abu Garcia Revo SX-SS Low Profile Casting Reel

Abu Garcia’s addition to the Revo reel lineup is perfect for anglers who love to skip

COLUMBIA, S.C. (Sept. 26, 2023) – Pitchers, flippers, and skippers rejoice with the all-new Abu Garcia Revo SX-SS. An extension of the Abu Garcia Revo SX family, the Revo SX-SS is built for anglers who love to flip, pitch and skip. Featuring a shallow spool design, the Revo SX-SS makes it easier for anglers who like to skip docks, and has the perfect amount of line for anglers who love to flip and pitch.

KEY FEATURES:
• 9+1 stainless steel bearing system
• Asymmetric X2-Craftic alloy frame that allows for a more ergonomic platform
• EXD concept for improved casting distance
• IVCB-6 braking system
• Power stack carbon matrix drag: 22lbs
• DuraGear Gen II gear system
• Shallow spool design for skipping, pitching, flipping, topwater, and lighter braid applications
• 90mm bowed aluminum handle w/ oversized handle knobs
• 8.1:1 gear ratio for fast line pick up

MSRP: $189.95
Available: September 2023

by David Xiong

Swindle predicted Welcher would win AOY

Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships

It’s doubtful you’ll see Team Toyota’s Gerald Swindle working as a fortune teller at your local county fair this fall, but after choosing fellow Alabamian Kyle Welcher to win the Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year title six months prior to it coming true, perhaps we should all pay close attention when Swindle makes his AOY predictions for next year.

His spot-on prognostication occurred in late February at Lake Seminole when asked to hypothetically choose an angler he’d team up with for the best chance to win the AOY points title.

Swindle chose Welcher based on his love of Welcher’s dry sense of humor, and his ability to think outside the box as an angler. Sure enough, seven events later, there stood Swindle with a congratulatory arm around Welcher as he held the AOY trophy backstage on the banks of the St. Lawrence River.

“I talked to Kyle last winter before the season started, and I could tell he was pretty mad at himself for not fishing well in the 2022. When he showed up at Okeechobee for the first event of this season, I could tell he was rifle focused, and when you couple that with his natural talent and out-of-the-box thinking, you’ve got a dangerous young competitor on your hands,” reflects Swindle, one of the few men in history to win more than one Bassmaster AOY title.

Swindle says Welcher’s versatility reminds him a lot of his own, and that the 30-year old’s exceptional analytical thought process enables him to break-down a fishery in a manner that often puts him ahead of the competition.

“The nickname “Stone Cold Kyle Welcher” fits him well. He’s an ice water in his veins kind of competitor, and that will carry you a really long way in a sport that’s filled with so many natural highs and lows,” reasons Swindle.

“His approach to our sport reminds me a lot of myself, especially when I was his age. But I gotta tell ya, he’s got way better hair than I did back then,” laughs Swindle.

It seems Swindle’s prediction was actually far more a case of “it takes one to know one” than a lucky guess six months ago when it comes to knowing what constitutes an angler’s chances of winning a Bassmaster Angler of the Year title.

Swindle would certainly know. He’s got two of them.

by David Xiong

How the Global DAIWA Bass Team Dominated

U.S.A.’s Patrick Walters takes tops (105 lbs.) at the St. Lawrence River B.A.S.S. Elite; Canada’s Chris Johnston finishes second (103-12); Japan’s Kyoya Fujita places third (102-5) – a DAIWA Bass Pro trifecta win.

FOOTHILL RANCH, CA (September 19, 2023) – I there’s one thing anglers have learned in professional bass fishing over the past decade or so, it’s that the ability to catch smallmouth bass can pay huge dividends. Yes, long gone are the days of cashing big checks solely with the time-proven formula of power fishing, structure flipping, and running shorelines/docks.

With a very diverse roadmap of tournament locations across the United States, B.A.S.S. has chosen numerous bodies of waters with healthy smallmouth bass populations. Thus, today’s well-rounded pro bass angler cannot only pull green fish from junk and shallow waters, they must dial in deeper, offshore brown (and green) fish bites. Case in point: Gussy’s Classic win.

Such was the case at the recent B.A.S.S. Elite event on the St. Lawrence River where DAIWA pros representing the U.S., Canada, and Japan finished first, second, and third, respectively, all with 100-plus-pound bags of giant Great Lakes bronzebacks. The three DAIWA bass pros earned Century Club belts, an outstanding achievement, especially with 100% smallmouth bass weighed.

Patrick Walters (Photo courtesy of B.A.S.S.)

On Patrick Walters’ Win

29-year-old Eutawville, South Carolina native and DAIWA bass pro, Patrick Walters, says for the longest time he couldn’t catch smallmouths to save his life.

“I used to pull up on a bunch of two-pounders and catch ‘em for an hour or two and think I was doing good. After all, that would be a good day for us down south. But that’s not how you play the game competing on big smallmouth waters with competitors like the Johnston brothers, Gussy, and the other Northern guys who really know how to catch big smallmouths,” relays Walters.

“Growing up in South Carolina, we don't have access to smallmouth fishing on big water. We caught some, sure, but they were smaller fish from river streams. I just didn’t grow up fishing smallies at the level it takes to compete now. We don’t fish ‘em like that in the south. I had to learn from other guys on tour.”

Walters says it’s hard to believe just how good the Johnston brothers and Gussy are at catching big smallmouth bass.

“I love fishing with them and against them because it makes all the anglers better as a whole, because they are going to catch them, and competition drives success. Bass fishing is just like college football. If Alabama plays a small school they might not bring out their best. But if they're playing LSU, everybody shows up and plays. Same for fishing: you play toward your competition and competition drives success. You must up your game fishing against the best smallmouth bass anglers in the world. It took me three seasons on the Elite Series to go from zero smallmouth skills to where I’m at today. I had no idea how to target big smallies on large bodies of water. I listened to what these guys had to say and learned to be better from the absolute best in the game.”

“The new Tatula MQ LT spinning reel is the best reel on the market—and that comes from someone who also owns more expensive models. For $200, you just can’t go wrong. Absolutely tournament-grade. And no-fail. The drag is so smooth the fish almost fight longer because they don’t feel anything. It’s not jerky, it’s super smooth,” remarks Walters.

Specifically, what did you learn from these guys about catching smallies on big waters?

“First, If you're not catching them, you're not around them. That’s probably the biggest thing. They group up by size. However, you must find ‘em, so you have to cover a lot of water—and find out what kind of structure they’re relating to and what forage they’re eating. That’s the biggest thing,” shares Walters.

Walters says he also learned to keep moving until he finds aggressive fish.

“Dave Mercer helped me a lot because he was like, ‘Patrick, you're gonna be really good at smallmouth someday’ and he recommended I go out and fish like I normally fish and avoid overthinking it. So, fishing big-water smallies has become fun for me. It’s almost like saltwater fishing. Once you find the bait and you find the right structure, the fish are there every single time. So just move until you find the aggressive fish.”

Walters, an alum of the University of South Carolina bass fishing team, won the 2015 National Championship (Lake Murray), and his progression onto the national B.A.S.S. tour and Elite Series since 2019 has been outstanding from the get-go. Still, and again admittedly, he had trouble catching the caliber of smallmouths needed to compete at some events.

“I have a history of struggling on the St. Lawrence,” divulges Walters. “But I learned a lot over time from the guys who are good at catching big smallies, like fellow DAIWA pro, Chris Johnston. So, to capitalize on what was a real deficiency in my game feels good now—even better that I weighed over 100 pounds at this Elite and earned my third Century Belt.”

Not only did Walters surpass the 100 pound mark, he did it with a surplus of five pounders for an even 105 pounds weight, the heaviest finish with all smallmouth bass in B.A.S.S. Elite tournament history.

“I told my wife afterwards, ‘I’ve got no complaints on the win whatsoever, but why can’t we win a typical 80-pound tournament?’”

Photo courtesy of B.A.S.S.

Pre-Fishing the St. Lawrence/Lake Ontario

Turns out Walters only had two-and-a-half days of practice prior to the recent St. Lawrence Elite event.

“I caught a good one the first day, but ran 138 miles around Lake Ontario looking for the right fish. But I didn’t dial anything in. And the wind steadily picked up, so I decided to play it safe and find fish in the St. Lawrence river,” says Walters.

“Honestly, I don’t like fishing the river. It’s a good fishery, but the lake is one of my top three favorite fisheries in the world. And both fish completely different. So, I did what I do and that’s fish to the conditions and not history. By 1 pm the first day I had 17 pounds, and it was really windy. I wanted to get out and hunker down on the lake but just didn’t do it. I was nervous at 1 pm. I was shooting for 20 pounds. So, I moved to another spot. I was fishing down a shoal and could see fish, but they wouldn’t bite. Then all of a sudden a big one followed my bait to the boat and that got my hopes up. I dropped straight down, and it weighed 6-1. I was like ‘here we go, we got us a big fish!’ I had a 2-10 and a 3-5 in the livewell so all I needed was two more good fish.

Walters decided to run farther upriver to a hump he’d marked on his map during pre-fishing—and caught fish on a couple years prior. One of his first few casts he was rewarded with a 4-12, leaving him in need of one more big fish. With about 30 minutes to weigh-in he kept casting, knowing the ride back to the launch would take him 15 minutes. He proceeded to catch four 12-inch fish and was almost ready to call it quits when something told him to drop his bait down again quick.

Good thing. Walters hoisted a 5-1.

“It was like everything was just meant to be. So, I pulled up to the next hump with just minutes to fish and caught three right away, including a 4-14. I pulled up the trolling motor and told my marshal, a French-Canadian named Pierre, that we were heading in and all he could do was cheer. It was pretty cool. So, we went from 17 to 24 pounds in 45 minutes. That’s just how it goes sometimes.”

Walters ran back out to the spot on Day 2, but it was vacant of any activity until he pulled right on top of the hump and caught a 3-pounder.

“So, I Spot-Locked and caught four fish in a row right on top, bringing my weight to 17-19. Then all I needed was a five-pounder. Then by 10:30 – in two and a half hours – I had 27 pounds. On Day 1 I had 24 and tied for ninth, then caught 27 on Day 2. So, I felt like we reached our goal weight. So, I spent the rest of day just pre-fishing around,” recalls Walters.

Patrick Walters (Photo courtesy of B.A.S.S.)

On Day 3, Walters returned to the spot, but it was no longer loaded.

“Thinking about it now, I could have caught more on Day 2 if I had leaned into them, but smallies move around and you just don’t know what they’re going to do. Still, on Day 3, I caught 24 or 25 pounds off the spot and thought that was pretty good. Then, every time I’d pull up to a new spot, I’d catch a 5-pounder, ending up at 28-5 on Day 3. I mean, I culled a 5-2 and a 5-3; you just don’t do that. I was triple-checking weights. It was nerve-racking. But it was magical. I was literally giggling,” recounts Walters.

Walters returned to the weigh-in an hour early and we knew we were sitting good. “You don’t really cull after you catch 28-5 in smallmouths,” says Walters.

He says the fourth day was pretty touch with an east wind and something possibly going on with barometric pressure and currents changing.

“I went to my main area right away because I knew I needed 20 pounds to break the Century mark and a possible win. One of my first spots had a ton of 4-and-a-half pounders on it. I caught a couple and ended up hitting 20 pounds by 10:30. Then I hit 21 by 1 pm and finished the day on a point where Chris Johnston and Fujita both set up on, too, probably 50 to 100 yards from me. Then Corey Johnston pulls up and there are four of us all working the same point. Then, with 45 minutes remaining I hit 23 pounds.

Then Chris caught a 5-4 right in front of me. I could hear his heavy breaking and hollered at him to quiet down. That’s how close we were. I was just giving him a hard time; really respect those guys a lot. So, I turned the corner of the point and caught another good one that put me on top. Again, it was just magical. It’s hard to explain how everything went; it was almost like it was meant to be. Everything just lined up perfectly.”

Chris Johnston

Forage, Techniques, and Tackle

While there are many different forage types available to fish on Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River, Walters thinks the fish he was targeting were feeding primarily on round gobies. That said, bottom-baits were in order: Ned Rigs, tubes, and in Walters’ case, shorter leader drop-shot rigs.

“Without a doubt, the drop-shot is the number one smallmouth tournament presentation out there. It’s just super-efficient. In later fall you might want to throw a bladebait or Rattle Trap but for me, the drop-shot was key.”

Walters had eight rod & reel combos on deck during the event: two drop-shots on reserve and two that he alternated between while casting.

Walters’ Main Drop-Shot Rod, Reel, Line, & Tackle: DAIWA 7’ Tatula Elite AGS Medium-Light Power Cody Meyers “Finesse” Drop Shot Spinning Rod (BLXSG6101LFS); DAIWA Tatula MQ LT 4000; 8-lb. Sufix 832 braid (blue color) to 8-lb. Sufix Advance fluorocarbon; VMC Finesse Neko Hook; VMC 3/8-ounce tungsten tear drop drop-shot weight; various minnow- and creature-style soft plastics.

Walters’ Finesse Drop-Shot Rod, Reel, Line, & Tackle: DAIWA 6’10” BLX Light Power, Fast Action Spinning Rod (BLXSG6101LFS); DAIWA Tatula MQ LT 4000; 6-lb. Sufix 832 braid (blue color) to 6-lb. Sufix Advance fluorocarbon; VMC Finesse Neko Hook; VMC 3/8-ounce tungsten tear drop drop-shot weight; various small minnow- and creature-style soft plastics.

“The 6’10” BLX Light Action Power Spinning Rod is the same stick the Johnston brothers use,” divulges Walters. “While its power is rated light, it’s super light. I use it to catch bream and shad at home in South Carolina. Anyway, they got me hooked on it about two years ago. While it’s a light power rod, you can hook fish and never lose one. And I use the same Tatula MQ LT 4000 reel with it. I like the larger spool for farther casts, the fact that its size also prevents fluoro from coiling, and overall, it just balances with the rod better. I come from the saltwater school, so I’ve always loved bigger reels. With this rig I’ll nose-hook smaller baits when smallies are finicky. It’s the perfect set-up for that.”

Kyoya Fujita (Photo courtesy of B.A.S.S.)

Advice To Young, Aspiring Bass Pros

Although there was no high school bass fishing team at the time of Walters primary schooling, he did sign up for the University of South Carolina bass fishing team on his first day of college. Still a young man himself at 27 years old, Walters has some words of wisdom for up-and-coming young bass anglers.

“The first thing is fish and enjoy it. Get your education and don’t be too worried about trying to make it professionally, getting sponsors, and all of that. Just have fun. If you’re good at it, bass fishing will take you where you need to be. But make your education top priority,” advises Walters.

“But never miss a tournament. I always operated on the notion that you can always retake a class, but you can’t ever retake a tournament. And if a teacher won’t let you out of class, I’d tell them you’ll see them next semester. At least for me, I wasn’t going to miss a single tournament. That’s just how it was,” continues Walters.

A Word From DAIWA

DAIWA Seinor Marketing Manager, Marc Mills, concludes: “This was an historical event for Daiwa and professional bass fishing. We feel very honored to have what we feel is the strongest professional bass team in the industry—and I think this recent Elite event on the St. Lawrence illustrates that. Patrick (USA) took first, Chris Johnston (CANADA) finished second, and Kyoya Fujita (JAPAN) placed third – and all with over 100 pounds of Great Lakes smallmouth bass, hitting the Century Mark in one event. It just illustrates that DAIWA is a global fishing manufacturer catering to the high-end needs of anglers from around the world, whether they’re top-performing pro anglers or those just starting up with the sport.”

by David Xiong

INTRODUCING THE 1912 PERFECT FLY REEL BY HARDY FLY FISHING

A tribute to Timeless Craftsmanship and Heritage

COLUMBIA, S.C. (Sept. 19, 2023) — Hardy Fly Fishing, a name synonymous with innovation and master craftsmanship, is proud to announce the release of its latest masterpiece: The 1912 Perfect Fly Reel. A modern rendition of an iconic reel, this piece is set to captivate both anglers and collectors alike.

Crafted in the heart of Alnwick, England, by the renowned Hardy Bros master craftsmen, the 1912 Perfect Fly Reel embodies over a century of fly fishing expertise and passion. This reel is not just a fishing tool; it's a piece of history brought to life in the hands of modern anglers.

“In every turn and click of the 1912 Perfect Fly Reel, you’ll find a seamless blend of history and modern innovation. At Hardy, our commitment to unparalleled craftsmanship and dedication to the sport is unwavering,” said Jim Murphy, Director of Fly Fishing for Hardy. “This reel is a testament to our journey over the years, capturing the essence of our heritage and the vision for the future in one exquisite piece. It's more than just a reel; it’s a part of the Hardy legacy.”

Since its inception, Hardy Fly Fishing has been at the forefront of fly fishing innovation. The original 1912 Perfect reel is a reflection of this legacy — a reel that, in its time, set the standard for reliability and craftsmanship. The reimagined 1912 Perfect Fly Reel is not just a nod to our illustrious past; it’s a celebration of a rich heritage that continues to inspire and shape the future of fly fishing.

KEY FEATURES:

Iconic 1912 Check Mechanism: A testament to its original design, providing an unparalleled user experience.
Red Agate Line Guard: A nod to the quality and craftsmanship owned only by Hardy
Classic Narrow Spool Design: Faithfully capturing the timeless aesthetics of its predecessor.
Deep Anodized Gunmetal Finish: A robust, sleek finish that ensures longevity and elegance.
Material Excellence: Engineered from bar stock aluminum with a naval brass 1-piece spindle, this reel boasts not only beauty but durability.
Available in both left and right-hand models to cater to all angling enthusiasts.
Authentic Hardy Reel Pouch: Each reel is supplied in a soft leather, sheepskin-lined Hardy reel pouch, a luxurious touch for safe storage and transport.

MSRP: The 1912 Perfect Fly Reel is available immediately with an MSRP of $895.

For anglers and collectors who cherish the history and legacy of fly fishing, the 1912 Perfect Fly Reel is more than just a reel; it's an embodiment of tradition and innovation, capturing the soul of Hardy Fly Fishing.

by David Xiong

The Next Bite TV Educating the Fishing Masses Powered by X2Power Batteries

The Next Bite TV crew has partnered with X2Power Batteries and will be educating their fanbase on how to best use their premium AGM and lithium batteries

HARTLAND, Wisc. (Sept. 19, 2023) – X2Power Batteries, a trailblazer in advanced battery solutions, is proud to announce a groundbreaking partnership with The Next Bite TV, a leading name in fishing entertainment and education. This collaboration is set to redefine the fishing industry by introducing state-of-the-art battery technology to power the next generation of angling adventures.

The partnership between X2Power Batteries and The Next Bite TV is driven by a shared commitment to education, sustainability, and enhancing the angler's experience. X2Power Batteries brings to the table a range of high-performing lithium and AGM batteries designed to exceed the demands of any angler or boater. In parallel, The Next Bite TV, a respected authority in fishing entertainment, is dedicated to educating and entertaining anglers of all skill levels. By integrating X2Power's battery technology into their fishing expeditions, The Next Bite TV will showcase the advantages of these batteries in real-world fishing scenarios. Viewers can look forward to insightful content that highlights the ways in which X2Power's batteries can elevate their fishing experiences.

"We are thrilled to embark on this partnership with The Next Bite TV," said Shawn Budiac, VP of Category Management of X2Power Batteries. "As we continue to support anglers and boaters alike, we recognize the importance of collaborating with a visionary partner like The Next Bite TV. Together, we will assist in educating anglers on how to best and most efficiently power their vessel."

In response, Chase Parsons, host of The Next Bite TV, expressed excitement about the collaboration. "At The Next Bite TV, we're always seeking ways to enhance the fishing experience for our audience.Partnering with X2Power Batteries aligns perfectly with our mission. We can't wait to demonstrate the advantages of these batteries in our fishing adventures and share the benefits with our viewers."

by David Xiong

Dowell Posts Win at Two-Day Phoenix Bass Fishing League Super Tournament on Old Hickory Lake

Gilbert Tops Strike King Co-Angler Division

GALLATIN, Tenn. (Sept. 18, 2023) – Boater Ryan Dowell of Brandenburg, Kentucky, caught 10 bass weighing 31 pounds, 2 ounces, to win the two-day MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on Old Hickory Lake in Gallatin, Tennessee. The tournament, hosted by Sumner County Tourism, was the fifth and final regular-season event for the Bass Fishing League Music City Division. Dowell earned $4,944 for his victory.

“I practiced Thursday up the river and caught most of my fish on topwater,” Dowell said. “I found a creek that had a few good fish in it, and I didn’t hook very many of them in practice; I kind of left them alone. I didn’t really know what it would turn into. But, on Saturday, I went there and got my limit pretty quickly, and ended up picking up a big one on the main river.

“Sunday, I went there, caught my limit, culled two or three times, and had what I had,” Dowell went on to say.

Dowell said he never left the creek during the tournament and relied on a buzzbait and spinnerbait thrown near any wood, with the bigger bass coming from cover hanging over water 5 to 6 feet deep. Dowell said he approached the final weigh-in doubtful of his chances for a win.

“I had a bad feeling when I came in that I didn’t have enough,” Dowell said. “I thought I needed one more kicker. But I had a little bit more weight than I thought I had.”

Dowell’s fears of not having enough weight turned out to be unfounded, as he won by more than 4 pounds.

“This win is a relief,” Dowell said. “You never know if you’re good enough to win or not. Being able to get it done feels really good.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1st:          Ryan Dowell, Brandenburg, Ky., 10 bass, 31-2, $4,944
2nd:        Josh Womack, Gallatin, Tenn., 10 bass, 26-11, $2,372
3rd:        Brandon Edel, Hendersonville, Tenn., 10 bass, 26-6, $1,579
4th:         Anthony Guffie, Lafayette, Tenn., 10 bass, 25-15, $1,107
5th:         Preston Henson, College Grove, Tenn., nine bass, 23-3, $949
6th:         Gavin Daniels, Kingston, Tenn., 10 bass, 21-10, $870
7th:         Garrett Albert, Winchester, Tenn., nine bass, 20-15, $791
8th:         Beau Grissim, Lebanon, Tenn., 10 bass, 20-5, $712
9th:         Brady Duncan, Lebanon, Tenn., nine bass, 20-4, $633
10th:      Wade Werner, Portland, Tenn., 10 bass, 19-14, $1,123

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Wade Werner of Portland, Tennessee, had a bass that weighed 5 pounds, 3 ounces that was the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $570.

Mark Gilbert of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, won the Strike King Co-angler Division and $2,766 Sunday after catching a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 20 pounds, 1 ounce.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:

1st:          Mark Gilbert, Murfreesboro, Tenn., 10 bass, 20-1, $2,766
2nd:        Rocky Williams, Portland, Tenn., eight bass, 19-8, $1,660
3rd:        Eric White, Cullman, Ala., eight bass, 16-10, $790
4th:         Gilbert Jolley, Livingston, Tenn., eight bass, 14-11, $552
5th:         Kenny Botts, Alvaton, Ky., six bass, 12-9, $473
6th:         Larry Billings, Murfreesboro, Tenn., seven bass, 12-5, $434
7th:         Lamar Oxford, Dale, Ind., six bass, 11-10, $394
8th:         Darren Kelly, Wartburg, Tenn., six bass, 11-9, $505
9th:         Mark Talbert, Dickson, Tenn., five bass, 9-9, $315
10th:      Justin Clark, White House, Tenn., four bass, 8-14, $276

Rocky Williams of Portland, Tennessee, caught the largest bass in the Strike King Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 4 pounds, 1 ounce. The catch earned him the Berkley Big Bass Co-angler award of $277.

With the regular season now complete, boater Josh Womack of Gallatin, Tennessee, won the 2023 Bass Fishing League Music City Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with a five-event total of 1,308 points to earn the $1,000 boater AOY award. Rocky Williams of Portland, Tennessee, won the 2023 Strike King Co-Angler Music City Division AOY race with 1,350 points and earned the $500 Strike King Co-angler of the Year award.

Now, the top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will advance to compete in the Oct. 12-14 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Lake Eufaula in Eufaula, Alabama. Boaters will fish for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $50,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.

by David Xiong

Mohn Records Back-to-Back Wins With Two-Day Phoenix Bass Fishing League Super Tournament on Mississippi River at La Crosse

Oppegard Tops Strike King Co-Angler Division

LA CROSSE, Wis. (Sept. 18, 2023) – Boater Dan Mohn of Lansing, Iowa, caught 10 bass weighing 37 pounds, 4 ounces, to win the two-day MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on the Mississippi River at La Crosse Presented by FVP in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The tournament, hosted by Explore La Crosse, was the fifth and final regular-season event for the Bass Fishing League Great Lakes Division. Mohn earned $7,534 for his victory.

Mohn has been hot as of late, and his Super Tournament win comes on the heels of a BFL win on the Mississippi River at Prairie du Chien on Aug. 19.

“The fish are starting to move into the current a little more, into more of a fall-transition period,” Mohn said. “I was looking for a mix of grass and rock, and if it had some wood nearby, that was even better. The big thing was that what I was fishing just needed some bait around it. It was a typical fall, find-the-bait, find-the-fish type of thing.”

Although he fished in both Pool 8 and Pool 9, Mohn said his bigger fish came out of Pool 8 both days. He employed a variety of baits during the tournament, including a SPRO topwater walking bait, a jig tipped with a Big Bite Baits College Craw trailer, a SPRO Essential Series Aruku Shad Lipless Crankbait , a SPRO Mike McClelland McStick 115 Jerkbait, and a Missile Baits D Bomb Creature Bait. His tactics produced a mixed bag, composed of primarily largemouth.

“The fall pattern really plays to my strengths,” Mohn said. “I’ve had a really great run coming off my last BFL win. I’ve had a couple of other wins in some other events recently. My confidence is sky-high right now. I got a new boat after the last BFL win, and it’s been treating me well so far.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1st:          Dan Mohn, Lansing, Iowa, 10 bass, 37-4, $7,534
2nd:        Jeff Ritter, Prairie du Chien, Wis., 10 bass, 33-0, $3,102
3rd:        Fernando Lobato, Sparta, Wis., 10 bass, 31-5, $2,404 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
4th:         Cade Laufenberg, Onalaska, Wis., 10 bass, 30-14, $1,331
5th:         Chris Aswegan, Tiffin, Iowa, 10 bass, 29-10, $1,141
6th:         Brandon Gann, Sparta, Wis., 10 bass, 29-9, $1,046
7th:         Kyle Seubert, Chaseburg, Wis., 10 bass, 29-1, $951
8th:         Severin Tubbin, Viroqua, Wis., 10 bass, 28-14, $856
9th:         Brandyn Baum, La Crosse, Wis., 10 bass, 28-1, $1,139
10th:      Casey Goode, La Crosse, Wis., 10 bass, 27-9, $665

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Mike Brueggen and Brandyn Baum, both of La Crosse, Wisconsin, both had bass that weighed 4 pounds, 11 ounces that were the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division. Each angler earned a Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $378.

Justin Oppegard of Eagen, Minnesota, won the Strike King Co-angler Division and $2,852 Sunday after catching a two-day total of eight bass weighing 19 pounds, 13 ounces.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:

1st:          Justin Oppegard, Eagen, Minn., eight bass, 19-13, $2,852
2nd:        Will Ahnen, Fennimore, Wis., eight bass, 19-6, $1,576
3rd:        Logan Sullivan, Waunakee, Wis., eight bass, 18-15, $950
4th:         Jason Swanson, Waterloo, Iowa, nine bass, 18-9, $666
5th:         Chris Stelter, Chisago, Minn., eight bass, 18-8, $570
6th:         Richard Conrad, Arcadia, Wis., nine bass, 18-5, $923
7th:         Thad Vettrus, Chippewa Falls, Wis., eight bass, 16-13, $475
8th:         Brian Brecka, Alma, Wis., eight bass, 16-9, $428
9th:         Brad Juen, La Crosse, Wis., eight bass, 16-2, $380
10th:      Shane Kuehn, Bennington, Neb., seven bass, 14-10, $333

Austin Frye of Ontario, Wisconsin, caught the largest bass in the Strike King Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 3 pounds, 15 ounces. The catch earned him the Berkley Big Bass Co-angler award of $379.

With the regular season now complete, boater Jeff Ritter of Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, won the 2023 Bass Fishing League Great Lakes Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with a five-event total of 1,349 points to earn the $1,000 boater AOY award. Hertz Skaer of Holmen, Wisconsin, won the 2023 Strike King Co-Angler Great Lakes Division AOY race with 1,322 points and earned the $500 Strike King Co-angler of the Year award.

Now, the top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will advance to compete in the Oct. 19-21 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Lake of the Ozarks in Osage Beach, Missouri. Boaters will fish for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $50,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.

by David Xiong

Stalvey Probes Home-Waters to Win at Two-Day Phoenix Bass Fishing League Super Tournament on the St. Johns River

White Tops Strike King Co-Angler Division

PALATKA, Fla. (Sept. 18, 2023) – Boater Lee Stalvey of Palatka, Florida, caught 10 bass weighing 43 pounds, 6 ounces, to win the two-day MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on the St. Johns River in Palatka, Florida. The tournament, hosted by the Putnam County Tourist Development Council, was the fifth and final regular-season event for the Bass Fishing League Gator Division. Stalvey earned $6,362 for his victory.

“I went south the first day,” Stalvey said. “It went good, but it didn’t pan out like I’d planned. I had a big group of fish found, but I only caught one fish out of it. So, I didn’t feel really confident about going back to them.

“So, I went north this morning and stayed close to the ramp, but went to a ton of places,” Stalvey continued. “I was just checking different shell beds, docks and seawalls. I’ve fished this place for 35 years, so there’s tons of places I know. I ended up getting a couple of lucky big bites.”

Stalvey said he fished a variety of baits and techniques, including topwater in the morning, crankbaits, a Carolina rig, and a big worm. Stalvey said he hooked a large bass, an 8-pound, 3-ounce largemouth, that changed his outlook on the event.

“That fish really changed the ballgame,” Stalvey said. “I was rolling down the river and said, ‘You know what, I had some fish here in practice.’ There had been boats all over the spot Saturday, and then on Sunday nobody was there. I saw fish on the spot, and they were good ones. It hit my third cast with a ChatterBait. It was the only bite I got on a ChatterBait.”

Stalvey’s son, Parker, finished third in the tournament, and Stalvey said that fact made the win even more special for him.

“I’d been saying all along I’d love for him to win and for me to finish second,” Stalvey said.

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1st:          Lee Stalvey, Palatka, Fla., 10 bass, 43-6, $6,362
2nd:        Lonnie Cercy, Middleburg, Fla., 10 bass, 39-14, $3,181
3rd:        Parker Stalvey, Green Cove Springs, Fla., 10 bass, 39-8, $2,122
4th:         Austin Black, East Palatka, Fla., 10 bass, 39-4, $1,485
5th:         Tracen Phillips, Lake Placid, Fla., 10 bass, 33-11, $1,272
6th:         Ryan Crowley, Fleming Island, Fla., 10 bass, 31-8, $1,166
7th:         Joey Bloom, Winter Springs, Fla., 10 bass, 31-2, $1,560 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
8th:         Aaron Yavorsky, Palm Harbor, Fla., 10 bass, 28-13, $954
9th:         Cliff Prince, Palatka, Fla., 10 bass, 28-13, $848
10th:      Allen Hopper, San Mateo, Fla., 10 bass, 28-13, $742

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Earl Garcia of Tampa, Florida, had a bass that weighed 7 pounds, 3 ounces that was the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $900.

David White of Winter Garden, Florida, won the Strike King Co-angler Division and $3,631 Sunday after catching a two-day total of seven bass weighing 24 pounds, 1 ounce.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:

1st:          David White, Winter Garden, Fla., seven bass, 24-1, $3,631
2nd:        Garrett Gomes, Dunnellon, Fla., eight bass, 23-3, $1,591
3rd:        Pat Herolt, Citrus Springs, Fla., 10 bass, 22-7, $1,061
4th:         Tyler Lewis, Geneva, Fla., six bass, 17-2, $742
5th:         Rodney Yavorsky, Palm Harbor, Fla., 10 bass, 16-11, $636
6th:         Luke Cocke, Valdosta, Ga., six bass, 16-5, $783
7th:         Dean Haughey, Babson Park, Fla., seven bass, 16-1, $530
8th:         Doug Back, Monticello, Fla., eight bass, 13-5, $627
9th:         Ben Arnold, LaFollette, Tenn., seven bass, 13-2, $424
10th:      Chris Westhelle, Sanford, Fla., eight bass, 13-0, $371

White also caught the largest bass in the Strike King Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 8 pounds even. The catch earned him the Berkley Big Bass Co-angler award of $450.

With the regular season now complete, boater Brandon Medlock of Lake Placid, Florida, won the 2023 Bass Fishing League Gator Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with a five-event total of 1,254 points to earn the $1,000 boater AOY award. Tyler Nekolny of Coral Springs, Florida, won the 2023 Strike King Co-Angler Gator Division AOY race with 1,305 points and earned the $500 Strike King Co-angler of the Year award.

Now, the top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will advance to compete in the Oct. 12-14 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Lake Eufaula in Eufaula, Alabama. Boaters will fish for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $50,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.

by David Xiong

Stoupa ‘Stays Put’, Wins Two-Day Phoenix Bass Fishing League Super Tournament on the Potomac River

Prince George Angler Also Earns Season-Long Angler of the Year Title

MARBURY, Md. (Sept. 18, 2023) – Boater Zachary Stoupa of Prince George, Virginia, caught 10 bass weighing 29 pounds, 1 ounce, to win the two-day MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on the Potomac River in Marbury, Maryland. The tournament, hosted by the Charles County Board of Commissioners, was the fifth and final regular-season event for the Bass Fishing League Shenandoah Division. Stoupa earned $5,575 for his victory. Stoupa also secured the 2023 Bass Fishing League Shenandoah Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race Sunday.

“Going into this event, I had a good lead in the Angler of the Year race, so my plan was to try and fish kind of close, so I didn’t have to make a long run anywhere,” Stoupa said. “I did a lot of damage in Mattawoman Creek, and that really worked out in my favor. I didn’t have to run very long to secure Angler of the Year and picked up a win in the process.”

Stoupa said he focused his efforts on grass where he had gotten bites in practice. Stoupa’s bait of choice for his mid-river fish was a vibrating jig. He said the key was “staying put and not running around” and sticking to where he knew he had located fish.

“I didn’t boat my first fish until about 11 o’clock,” Stoupa said. “It took off from there. I never really got nervous, though, because I knew I had locked up the Angler of the Year title, and that was my main goal this week. Making the second day of the tournament I knew I couldn’t finish worse than 19^th, so that was a bonus.

“It’s been a great season,” Stoupa went on to say. “I can’t even find words for it. My worst finish was at Smith Mountain Lake, where I finished 14^th, and I’ve had four top-10s. It’s just been a great year.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1st:          Zachary Stoupa, Prince George, Va., 10 bass, 29-1, $5,575
2nd:        Myles Paugh, Aurora, W.V., 10 bass, 28-0, $2,787
3rd:        Robert Henderson, King George, Va., 10 bass, 27-10, $1,860
4th:         Adam Harkness, Hebron, Md., 10 bass, 27-4, $1,301
5th: Nathan Grose, Morgantown, W.V., 10 bass, 25-2, $1,615 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
6th:         Frank Poirer, North Prince George, Va., 10 bass, 24-11, $1,022
7th:         Nolan Gaskin, Broussard, La., 10 bass, 24-1, $929
8th:         Fred Chandler, Mount Airy, Md., 10 bass, 23-10, $1,166
9th:         Ron Ruosseau, Raleigh, N.C., 10 bass, 22-10, $743
10th:      Chris Brummett, Lynch Station, Va., nine bass, 22-8, $1,150

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.Mike Keyser of Elkridge, Maryland, caught a bass weighing 4 pounds, 15 ounces that was the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division to earn the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $727.

Larry Freeman, Jr., of La Crosse, Virginia, won the Strike King Co-angler Division and $2,788 Sunday after catching a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 24 pounds, 2 ounces.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:

1st:          Larry Freeman, Jr., La Crosse, Va., 10 bass, 24-2, $2,788
2nd:        Richard Williams, Sutherland, Va., nine bass, 22-3, $1,394
3rd:        David Lewis, Abingdon, Md., seven bass, 19-10, $1,293
4th:         Ted Kephart, Phillipsburg, Pa., nine bass, 19-4, $650
5th:         Jeff Turner, Morris, Ill., nine bass, 19-0, $758
6th:         Roland Gittings, Perryville, Md., eight bass, 18-3, $711
7th:         Joseph Beckler, Great Mills, Md., nine bass, 18-1, $465
8th:         Sean Lane, Culpeper, Va., 10 bass, 17-9, $418
9th:         Todd Hurst, Copper Hill, Va., eight bass, 17-0, $372
10th:      Robert Wedding, Welcome, Md., seven bass, 14-9, $325

David Lewis of Abingdon, Maryland, caught the largest bass in the Strike King Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 4 pounds, 10 ounces. The catch earned him the Berkley Big Bass Co-angler award of $364.With the regular season now complete, boater Zachary Stoupa of Prince George, Virginia, won the 2023 Bass Fishing League Shenandoah Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with a five-event total of 1,345 points to earn the $1,000 boater AOY award. David Deciucis of Chester, Virginia, won the 2023 Strike King Co-Angler Shenandoah Division AOY race with 1,324 points and earned the $500 Strike King Co-angler of the Year award.

Now, the top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will advance to compete in the Oct. 19-21 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Lake Norman in Huntersville, North Carolina. Boaters will fish for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $50,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.

by David Xiong

Lawson Hibdon Scrambles, Secures ‘Surprise’ Victory at Two-Day Phoenix Bass Fishing League Super Tournament on Lake of the Ozarks

Greil Tops Strike King Co-Angler Division

OSAGE BEACH, Mo. (Sept. 18, 2023) – Boater Lawson Hibdon of Versailles, Missouri, caught 10 bass weighing 32 pounds, 12 ounces, to win the two-day MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on Lake of the Ozarks in Osage Beach, Missouri. The tournament, hosted by the Tri-County Loding Association, was the fifth and final regular-season event for the Bass Fishing League Ozark Division. Hibdon earned $7,695 for his victory.

The tournament was noted as a family affair for the Hibdon family – in addition to Lawson’s victory, father Dion finished the event in fourth place, while brother Payden ended the tournament in 10th.

“On Saturday, I caught 18 pounds in the first hour and a half,” Hibdon said. “Most of the day I shook them off because I knew that I’d be fishing on the second day. I shook off maybe 15 or so that I thought were good bites.

“I went back through that stuff on the second day and didn’t even get a bite; It was miserable,” Hibdon went on to say. “I was excited because the sun was supposed to come out and put the fish under the boat docks, like it’s supposed to do. But it wasn’t like that.”

Hibdon said he kept a 9/16-ounce Hibdon Hammer jig in his hand almost the entire tournament and admitted he threw a buzzbait “way too much.” He also relied on a 7-inch Bojangles Trickster worm on a shaky-head rig to catch bass.

“I didn’t get to practice at all, so when I got out there and saw how good it was, I was pretty excited,” Hibdon said. “I burned a full tank of gas the first day trying to figure out where I could catch them, and a full tank the second day trying to relocate them.”

Hibdon said he fished about three miles outside of the Grand Glaize area Sunday, then ran 45 miles into the Osage River.

“I had shaken a bunch off there the day before, and that’s where I really like to fish, and I got back there, and bites were non-existent,” Hibdon said. “I bailed and came back down the lake.

“I was just scrambling around trying to figure something out because I knew somebody was going to really catch them,” Hibdon said. “Somebody will always catch them here. This win was definitely a surprise. But it all turned out, and that’s all that matters.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1st:          Lawson Hibdon, Versailles, Mo., 10 bass, 32-12, $7,695
2nd:        Michael Harlin, Sunrise Beach, Mo., 10 bass, 31-15, $3,848
3rd:        Brandon Ackerson, Afton, Okla., 10 bass, 30-10, $3,065 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
4th:         Dion Hibdon, Versailles, Mo., 10 bass, 30-6, $1,796
5th:         Jeremy Medina, Louisburg, Mo., 10 bass, 29-9, $1,539
6th:         Nick Ault, Gravois Mills, Mo., 10 bass, 27-11, $1,411
7th:         James Lewis, Osage Beach, Mo., 10 bass, 27-6, $1,283
8th:         Ben Verhoef, Osage Beach, Mo., 10 bass, 26-15, $1,154
9th:         Corey Cook, Lebanon, Mo., 10 bass, 26-14, $1,026
10th:      Payden Hibdon, Versailles, Mo., 10 bass, 26-12, $898

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Darrell Ivey, Jr., of Lebanon, Missouri, caught a bass weighing 6 pounds, 4 ounces that was the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division to earn the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $1,200.

Jeremy Greil of Imperial, Missouri, won the Strike King Co-angler Division and $3,848 Sunday after catching a two-day total of eight bass weighing 21 pounds, 14 ounces.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:

1st:          Jeremy Greil, Imperial, Mo., eight bass, 21-14, $3,848
2nd:        Trenton White, Tipton, Mo., eight bass, 18-8, $1,924
3rd:        Austin Chandler, Ketchum, Okla., nine bass, 16-3, $1,281
4th:         Kevin Mahlke, Wentzville, Mo., six bass, 16-3, $898
5th:         Christopher Fierce, Dixon, Mo., six bass, 15-8, $770
6th:         Chris McClellan, Desoto, Mo., 10 bass, 15-2, $905
7th:         Craig Rose, Olathe, Kansas, six bass, 14-15, $641
8th:         Koby Murrell, Lebanon, Mo., seven bass, 14-2, $577
9th:         Justin Layton, Kirbyville, Mo., seven bass, 14-0, $513
10th:      Gary St. Clair, Hamilton, Mo., seven bass, 13-13, $449

Matthew Morton of Wichita, Kansas, caught the largest bass in the Strike King Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 4 pounds, 15 ounces. The catch earned him the Berkley Big Bass Co-angler award of $600.

With the regular season now complete, boater Brandon Ackerson of Afton, Oklahoma, won the 2023 Bass Fishing League Ozark Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with a five-event total of 1,265 points to earn the $1,000 boater AOY award. Adler Odle of Willow Springs, Missouri, won the 2023 Strike King Co-Angler Ozark Division AOY race with 1,245 points and earned the $500 Strike King Co-angler of the Year award.

by David Xiong

Illinois’ McNamara claims overall title at 2023 Skeeter Bassmaster High School Combine

Eli French of Lucedale, Miss., (Technical Challenge), Joe McNamara of Rockford, Ill., (Technical Challenge & Overall), Dylan Sorrells of Dallas, Texas, (Casting Accuracy) and Tanner Hamilton of Winter Park, Fla., (Long-Distance Casting) took home awards at the 2023 Skeeter Boats Bassmaster High School Combine.

Photos by Kyle Jessie/B.A.S.S.

September 18, 2023

DECATUR, Ala. — Talented high school anglers from across the U.S. gathered for the third Skeeter Boats Bassmaster High School Combine on Wheeler Lake in Decatur, Ala., for a weekend combining skills challenges and recruiting visits in hopes of reeling in college fishing offers. After three challenges — Long-Distance Casting, Technical and Casting Accuracy — the Combine’s overall points winner was Joe McNamara of Rockford, Ill.

With a three-event total of 368 points, the junior at Boylan Catholic High School took home the Overall Skills Competition trophy. In addition to the Overall trophy, McNamara also tied for the win in the Technical Challenge with fellow competitor Eli French of Lucedale, Miss.

When McNamara heard about the Bassmaster High School Combine early last year, he knew he wanted to be a part of the event to help put his fishing career on the fast track to success.

“There’s really no other event like this,” McNamara said. “We signed up the day that registration opened just to make sure we could be here.”

The Illinois angler took full advantage of being exposed to the top college fishing programs in the country by finishing inside the Top 10 in all three skills challenges and winning the Overall Skills Challenge by a convincing margin of 21 points.

“I just wanted to go out and do my best,” he said. “I knew that I had a chance to do pretty well, but I really didn’t expect to win.”

Despite his impressive numbers overall, McNamara didn’t get off to a great start with the three bonus-points challenges, which tested one-cast accuracy, knot tying and boater safety, but picked up momentum in a big way once he went to the Casting Accuracy Challenge.

“I missed my first flip and then made every single flip after that one to finish in under 50 seconds,” he said in regard to getting the momentum back in his favor. “Then I got to the Long-Distance Casting (Challenge) and got off three casts before the time expired, with the longest cast being almost 68 yards, which I was happy about.”

McNamara ended his day on a high note by tying for the fastest score in the Technical Challenge, where he maneuvered the provided Skeeter FX20 to knock down the casting targets in just 13 seconds.

“I knew that I was doing pretty good before I got to the Technical Challenge, but didn’t realize how good,” he said. “I put the trolling motor on 100 and hit the targets pretty fast. I knew that if I was casting at the targets before I got up super-close to them then I would have a chance to be quicker than everyone else.

“I grew up fishing docks and shallow cover, so I consider my ability to fish shallow to be a big reason that I was able to have success in the casting challenges.”

Taking home hardware is certainly an accomplishment at the High School Combine, but McNamara feels that what he gained through interaction with coaches from the top college fishing teams across the country is what will help to continue his fishing journey.

“I didn’t really know what to expect from interacting with the colleges, but it really opened my eyes to what the colleges look for in high schoolers,” he said. “I think the biggest takeaway from the Combine is that I’m looking at schools that I may not have considered otherwise.”

Technical Challenge

French was the co-champion of the Technical Challenge, tying McNamara’s time of 13 seconds. The 11th grader used his fishing strengths to his advantage to take home the trophy.

“The way we fish rivers back home is to put the trolling motor on high and cover as much water as possible,” said French. “We usually have to keep the trolling motor on 7 to 10 and make precise casts and flips to individual targets, so I felt right at home with the Technical Challenge.”

Much like McNamara, French put the trolling motor on 10 and focused on making pinpoint casts to knock down the targets quickly.

“I made three total flips to the targets,” he said. “I was more worried about making precise casts to the targets rather than rushing up to the targets and making short flips.”

Long-Distance Casting

With a cast measuring 72 yards, Tanner Hamilton of Winter Park, Fla., took home first place in the Long-Distance Casting challenge. Third cast was the charm for Hamilton, as he used his ProFISHiency rod and reel to air out his longest cast of the competition on his third and final attempt.

Hamilton loves to fish offshore, so casting long distances is a big part of his game.

“I pretty much strictly fish offshore,” said the junior at Chain of Lakes Collegiate High School. “I live on the Harris Chain, so I’m pretty much always making long casts at shellbars, brushpiles and other offshore cover.”

Hamilton paid close attention to his competitors in hopes of figuring out the key to making the longest cast possible.

“I was constantly taking notes on how the wind was working,” he said. “My first two casts were pretty bad, but I opened the reel up and let it fly on the last cast.”

Casting Accuracy

With a blazing speed of 32 seconds, Dylan Sorrells of Dallas, Texas, took home the top spot in the Casting Accuracy Challenge. As a shallow-water power fisherman, Sorrells felt right at home making accurate casts when the challenge came around.

“I love flipping docks and laydowns, so that’s why I was able to have success flipping and pitching to the buckets,” said Sorrells, a junior at Highland Park High School who just notched a Top 20 finish at the Strike King Bassmaster High School Championship presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors. “I was able to practice a little bit before, but I was honestly shocked that I was able to make it in each bucket as quickly as I did. It just seemed surreal.”

At the end of the weekend, seven anglers signed with three different schools — Faulkner University, Murray State College and Troy University. In the first two years of the Combine, more than $4.5 million in scholarships have been awarded to participating anglers.

The 2023 Skeeter Bassmaster High School Combine was hosted by Decatur Morgan County Tourism.

2023 Skeeter Boats Bassmaster High School Combine Points Totals

			Casting Accuracy	Technical	Long Cast	Bonus Points	Total Points
1	Joe McNamara	Rockford, IL	118	125	119	6	368
2	Ridge Faircloth	Bristol, FL	103	112	122	10	347
3	Jon Foster	Maiden, NC	123	121	91	9	344
4	Dylan Sorrells	Dallas, TX	125	120	90	7	342
5	Briley West	Lakeland, FL	124	91	114	8	337
6	Joey Cotromano	Yulee, FL	105	112	111	8	336
7	Landon Rollison	Cross City, FL	114	115	92	10	331
8	Drew Turnbull	Crane Hill, AL	78	120	123	8	329
9	Chase McCarter	Sevierville, TN	120	101	96	8	325
10	Caden Alexander	Huntington, TX	117	123	76	8	324
10	David Robinson	Vancleave, MS	123	120	66	11	320
12	RJ Sanger	Lakeland, FL	114	115	80	10	319
13	Landon Loper	Semmes, AL	83	123	102	9	317
14	Braylon Carden	Valley, AL	103	91	116	7	317
15	Carsen Adcock	Haughton, LA	87	101	117	9	314
15	Carson Owen	Ardmore, OK	75	120	105	10	310
17	Tanner Hamilton	Winter Haven, FL	75	101	125	7	308
18	Hunter Stuckey	Kilgore, TX	78	112	112	5	307
19	Eli French	Lucedale, MS	93	125	79	8	305
20	Rowdie Thacker	Denham Springs, LA	108	83	105	7	303
21	Will Shepherd	Overland Park, KS	85	83	124	10	302
22	Zach Knight	Gallatin, TN	110	101	82	8	301
23	Griffin Ralph	Hot Springs, AR	106	112	72	9	299
24	Kaden Dorman	Lake City, IA	63	112	113	10	298
25	Hayden Barnett	Kingston, TN	112	60	115	10	297

by David Xiong

Logan Parks Fishing Foundation Announces High-Stakes Bass Fishing Tournament for College and High School Anglers

With the help of Abu Garcia, the LPFF is providing a high dollar fishing tournament to allow college and high school anglers an opportunity to win big

COLUMBIA, S.C. (Sept. 18, 2023) – The Logan Parks Fishing Foundation, founded by tournament angler Logan Parks, is thrilled to announce the inaugural High School/College Chaos Tournament presented by Abu Garcia. Set to take place Wednesday, November 8th to Sunday, November 12th in Auburn, Alabama, this event is a golden opportunity for high school anglers to showcase their talent and for college teams to scout the next generation of fishing stars. This tournament, run through the Fishing Chaos App and its software, will bring together high school and college anglers for a unique, competitive fishing experience on Lake Martin. Student anglers will have the opportunity to compete for over $100,000 in cash, scholarships, and prizes.

The Logan Parks Fishing Foundation, with its mission to empower the future of competitive anglers by nurturing the talents of high school and college anglers, has designed an entirely new tournament format. Rooted from a deep commitment to giving back to the fishing community and encouraging growth within the sport, this event promises an unforgettable experience for young anglers.

The tournament format is designed to challenge and prepare young anglers for success. Each team consists of a college angler, who will serve as the boater, and a high school angler who will be the co-angler. This unique format encourages collaboration and mentorship, fostering a sense of camaraderie among participants. The tournament operates utilizing a catch, weigh, photo, Fishing Chaos app submission, and release format, where bass weighing at least one pound will count towards your total. A live leaderboard will track each team’s progress, visible to both participants and spectators.

The event consists of three rounds with two 15-minute breaks in between rounds:
• Round 1 (6:30 am - 10 am):
• After Round 1, the top 75 teams advance to the SURVIVAL round while the bottom 50 advance to SUDDEN DEATH, with total weights carrying over.

• Round 2 (10:15 am - 1 pm)
• Round 2 sees the top 15 SURVIVAL teams and the top 5 SUDDEN DEATH teams advancing to the CHAMPIONSHIP round, while others enter the CONSOLATION or LAST CHANCE rounds.

• CHAOS Round (1:15 pm - 3 pm): Teams aim to avoid elimination by racing against time and competitors.
• In Round 3 (CHAOS), all weights reset, and teams compete within their respective brackets, with the live leaderboard disabled. After a 1 hour 45-minute shootout, anglers will return to Auburn, AL to uncover the winner.

"We're excited to bring this innovative format to the high school and college bass fishing community," said Logan Parks, Founder of the Logan Parks Fishing Foundation. "It's a unique way to truly test the skills of even the most experienced student anglers. We're confident that this tournament will be a fun addition for the sport and create some unforgettable moments on the water for the anglers."

The High School/College Chaos Tournament, presented by Abu Garcia, is all about empowering the next generation of competitive bass fishing stars. This tournament is more than just a competition; it's a platform where high school anglers can showcase their talents and aspirations to some of the top college fishing programs in the nation. This event provides a rare opportunity for high school anglers to make a name for themselves, and for college coaches, presidents, and teams to discover and recruit the next generation of fishing prodigies.

"The High School/College Chaos Tournament is not just a competition; it's a stage for young anglers to shine and for college programs to discover hidden talent," said Marc Kempter, VP Marketing Communications for Abu Garcia. "We believe in the potential of young anglers to shape the future of competitive bass fishing and are excited to be partnering with Logan Parks for this tournament. It is our hope that tournaments like this can create meaningful opportunities for these individuals, ensuring that their passion for the sport can flourish into successful careers."

Key Highlights of the High School/College Chaos Tournament:

1. Generous Payouts and Prizes: Thanks to the support of title sponsor Abu Garcia, this tournament offers massive payouts and incredible prizes that will provide a valuable boost to young anglers' education and fishing careers. This event offers a larger payout than any other high school or college fishing tournament.

2. Education and Networking: Participants will have the opportunity to attend angler training classes, campus tours, college networking events, and engage with guest speakers, enhancing both their fishing skills and education.

3. Scholarships: High school anglers have the chance to win scholarships towards their college tuition, further aligning the tournament with the foundation's commitment to education.

The tournament kicks off with official practice on November 8th - 10th, followed by Draft Day on November 11th, where college anglers will select their high school teammates. On November 12th, the action begins with a 6:00 am blast-off at a public boat launch on Lake Martin, continuing until 4:30 pm in Auburn, where the trophy presentation will take place.

"We're incredibly excited to host this tournament and create a platform for young anglers to showcase their skills," said Parks. "It's an opportunity for them to take their passion for bass fishing to new heights and a chance for the community to come together and support these rising stars."

The Logan Parks Fishing Foundation extends its gratitude to Abu Garcia and all sponsors for their support in making this event a reality. With their support, the foundation is casting a brighter future for the world of competitive bass fishing, one angler at a time.

Registration for the tournament is now open on a first come first serve basis and will be capped at 125 boats. For more information on the High School/ College Chaos Tournament, please visit https://app.fishingchaos.com/tournament/2023-lpff-hscc

by David Xiong

Williams’ versatility delivers win at Bassmaster Open on Watts Bar Reservoir

Tyler Williams of Belgrade, Maine, has won the 2023 St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Watts Bar Reservoir with a three-day total of 41 pounds, 4 ounces.

Photo by Andy Crawford/B.A.S.S.

September 16, 2023

KINGSTON, Tenn. — Tyler Williams makes no bones about his narrowly focused bait preference, but he’s no one-trick pony.

Proving his versatility, the angler from Belgrade, Maine, won the St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Watts Bar Reservoir with a three-day total of 41 pounds, 4 ounces.

Williams placed second on Day 1 with 14-15 and added a second-round limit of 14-6 to take the lead on Day 2. Then with a Championship Saturday limit of 11-15, Williams edged South Carolina pro JT Thompkins by 2-7.

For his efforts, Williams won $42,267 and earned an automatic berth in the 2024 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Toyotascheduled for March 22-24 on Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees near Tulsa.

“This is exciting,” Williams said. “It will probably hit me on the drive to (next week’s Opens Series event at) Lake of the Ozarks.”

Williams caught most of his bass by targeting isolated current-washed cover with a 3/4-ounce Greenfish Tackle living rubber jig fitted with a Yamamoto Flappin' Hog trailer. When Day 3 brought overcast skies, wind, afternoon rains and minimal current, Williams stuck with his go-to bait but adjusted his presentations to target fish holding higher in the water column.

“I fished exactly how I like to fish this week,” Williams said of his trusty jig. “That jig is a good search bait; I can read fish really well with it (on forward-facing sonar).

“I worked it almost like a hair jig, so I think that living rubber skirt gave it some extra action and triggered some of those fish.”

As Williams explained, the final round’s dimmer conditions and lack of water movement contrasted the first two days in which partly sunny skies and dependable afternoon current positioned fish in predictable feeding positions.

“I was crawling the jig until today, and today the fish wanted to suspend more with no current and clouds,” Williams said. “I would reel the jig really quickly and get it to hop off the bottom, then hit my (reel’s thumb bar) and let it free spool and they’d eat it.”

Williams’ road to victory began with a Day 1 disaster. On his first spot, his trolling motor and shallow-water anchors malfunctioned, thereby depriving him of key boat positioning strategies.

Drifting through key areas, Williams would lean over his bow to manually adjust his forward-facing sonar transducer. Despite this severe limitation, he made the most of his casting angles and sacked up his best bag of the event.

“Once I got my trolling motor running (for Day 2), I was able to run some schooling fish,” he said. “Today, I had a spot that I think had 1,000 fish on it. That jig was really effective.

“Sometimes, I’d speed reel it, kill it, speed reel it, kill it, speed reel it, kill it and then I’d let it sit there and they’d eat it.”

Hailing from Myrtle Beach, S.C., Thompkins placed 17th on Day 1 with 11-13 and, despite several key fish losses, he moved into third with a Day 2 limit of 13-5. Closing with the final round’s biggest bag — 13-11 — Thompkins settled at second with 38-13.

Earlier in the event, Thompkins caught his bass on a Strike King Sexy Dog topwater and an Outkast Tackle Juice jig with a Strike King Rage Bug trailer. The final round saw him stepping up the aggression.

“My buddy Tyler (Williams) outfished me Day 1 and Day 2, but I didn’t want him to outfish me again on Day 3, so I put a Garage Hyper Shad glidebait, along with an Outkast Tackle jig and a Strike King Sexy Dawg in my hand and I just had fun all day,” Thompkins said. “This was one of the most fun days of fishing I’ve ever had.”

Thompkins’ final-round limit included the day’s biggest bass — a 5-1. He caught that bass on a jig.

Trey McKinney of Carbondale, Ill., placed third with 37-10. He turned in daily weights of 12-4, 16-2 and 9-4.

McKinney spent most of his time offshore, where he worked isolated targets in 20 to 30 feet. He caught his bass on a Strike King Caffeine Shad in the glacier color and a 3/8-ounce Strike King Baby Structure jig in black and blue or peanut butter and jelly with a green pumpkin Strike King Menace trailer.

“I used the Baby Menace for deep water and the full-sized Menace for shallow water,” McKinney said. “I want my jig to sink fast, so that’s why I go with the Baby Menace offshore.”

McKinney now owns three second-place finishes in St. Croix Bassmaster Open competition this season. He also was runner-up at Toledo Bend and Lake Eufaula (Okla). He earned an additional $500 as the highest-finishing registered pro fishing St. Croix rods thanks to the St. Croix Rod Rewards program.

Ninth-place finisher Ish Monroe of Oakdale, Calif., won the $750 Phoenix Boats Big Bass award for his 5-2.

As part of the Yamaha Power Pay program, Williams took home a $2,000 bonus.

Thompkins leads the St. Croix Bassmaster Open Elite Qualifiers standings with 1,286. Tennessee's John Garret is in second with 1,263 points. McKinney is in third with 1,232 points. The top nine finishers in the EQ Division will earn invitations to the 2024 Elite Series. For full standings, visit Bassmaster.com.

2023 St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Watts Bar 9/14-9/16
Watts Bar Reservoir, Kingston TN.
(BOATER) Standings Day 3

Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$

1. Tyler Williams Belgrade, ME 15 41-04 200 $42,267.00
Day 1: 5 14-15 Day 2: 5 14-06 Day 3: 5 11-15
2. JT Thompkins Myrtle Beach, SC 15 38-13 199 $20,287.00
Day 1: 5 11-13 Day 2: 5 13-05 Day 3: 5 13-11
3. Trey McKinney Carbondale, IL 14 37-10 198 $14,320.00
Day 1: 5 12-04 Day 2: 5 16-02 Day 3: 4 09-04
4. Greg Bohannan Bentonville, AR 15 36-11 197 $11,933.00
Day 1: 5 10-02 Day 2: 5 14-07 Day 3: 5 12-02
5. John Garrett Union City, TN 15 36-04 196 $10,382.00
Day 1: 5 13-01 Day 2: 5 11-11 Day 3: 5 11-08
6. Jason Lambert Savannah, TN 15 35-00 195 $9,547.00
Day 1: 5 12-11 Day 2: 5 11-01 Day 3: 5 11-04
7. Chase Henley Kingston, TN 13 34-05 194 $8,950.00
Day 1: 4 07-01 Day 2: 5 16-13 Day 3: 4 10-07
8. Wesley Gore Clanton, AL 15 34-03 193 $8,353.00
Day 1: 5 12-02 Day 2: 5 11-07 Day 3: 5 10-10
9. Ish Monroe Oakdale, CA 12 31-02 192 $7,313.00
Day 1: 4 08-07 Day 2: 5 15-08 Day 3: 3 07-03
10. Bobby Lane Jr. Lakeland, FL 13 30-05 191 $5,370.00
Day 1: 5 15-02 Day 2: 5 09-01 Day 3: 3 06-02
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Ish Monroe Oakdale, CA 05-02 $750.00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 61 569 1212-08
2 53 552 1203-02
3 6 44 104-02
----------------------------------
120 1165 2519-12

by David Xiong

Williams moves into lead at Bassmaster Open on Watts Bar Reservoir

Tyler Williams of Belgrade, Maine, is leading after Day 2 of the 2023 St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Watts Bar Reservoir with a two-day total of 29 pounds, 5 ounces.

Photo by Andy Crawford/B.A.S.S.

September 15, 2023

KINGSTON, Tenn. — After limping his way through Day 1, Tyler Williams enjoyed full use of his equipment Friday and tallied a two-day total of 29 pounds, 5 ounces to lead the St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Watts Bar Reservoir.

Williams, a Belgrade, Maine, angler who entered the day 3 ounces out of the lead, will now head into Championship Saturday with a lead of 15 ounces over Trey McKinney of Carbondale, Ill.

“When my trolling motor clicked on this morning, I’ve never been so happy to hear that sound,” said Williams, whose trolling motor and shallow-water anchors went down on Day 1. “Everything worked fine today.”

Williams actually caught a little more on Day 1 with 14-15, but Friday’s 14-6 was harder to come by. While Day 1 saw a modest front bring cooler temperatures, clouds and wind, the second round brought warm, mostly still conditions, which seemed to return the bass to their generally challenging late-summer disposition.

“It takes a certain way to get them to bite and you have to keep moving until you find ones that want to eat,” Williams said. “It’s a lot of angles and speed. I’m reading fish on my Garmin LiveScope to see how they react.”

Noting that he was fishing “near the bank, but off the bank,” Williams said he was targeting isolated structure. He basically did the same thing on Day 1, but with his trolling motor down, he had significantly less ability to pan his forward-facing sonar transducer.

“Yesterday, I could just make one shot and hope for the best,” he said. “That was almost a blessing because I didn’t fish any of my really good spots. Today, I got to hit those and it was fresh water.”

Williams said he caught all of his bass on a single bait. He kept the details under wraps but said he was fishing a slow presentation.

“It’s timing,” he said. “I was trying to time my areas perfectly. It seemed like I have my rotation okay, but the morning is pretty slow because they’re not pulling any current.”

Williams said he fished the entire length of the lake. For safety, he started at the lower end and worked his way back up. In the event of another mechanical issue, he wanted to make sure he was closer to other competitors later in the day.

But Williams said he enjoyed strategic solitude most of the day.

“I have a lot of water to myself,” he said. “I haven’t seen many boats, other than driving by people.

“This lake spreads people out. I think (most) people are fishing shallow and I’m fishing offshore.

Williams said he’s all in for the same pattern on Championship Saturday. Should all of his decisions align perfectly, he believes a 20-pound bag is not unrealistic.

“If I get my timing right, it could get scary,” he said. “I caught two 6-pounders on Tuesday.”

McKinney placed 13th on Day 1 with 12-4. In the second round, he added 16-2 — the tournament’s second-largest bag — for a 28-6 total.

When McKinney found himself with no fish at 2 p.m., he thought he had blown his day.

“I was spinning out and my mind was going in all different directions,” he said. “I passed (Williams) and he gave me the confidence to get it done.”

Fortunately, the afternoon power generation schedule brought a current increase that triggered the fish. McKinney capitalized on the flurry that spanned the last two hours of his day.

“I went and found some new stuff. I caught a 3-pound smallmouth and my confidence skyrocketed,” he said. “It was one of those comeback days you dream of.”

McKinney caught his fish by dragging a Strike King Structure jig with a Strike King Rodent trailer over offshore structure. Current positioned the bass in predictable feeding spots.

JT Thompkins of Myrtle Beach, S.C., endured a frustrating day that left him with no keepers at 1 p.m. The afternoon current also aided Thompkins, who sacked up 13-5 and moved into third with 25-2.

Thompkins, who placed 17th on Day 1 with 11-13, said his morning brought multiple heartbreaks.

“I lost a 4 1/2- and a 4-pound smallmouth this morning and I tried to boat flip a 3 that came off at the boat,” he said. “I ended up catching all of my weight in the last three hours. I caught a 4-pounder in the last 15 minutes.

“Everything just worked out, even though it shouldn’t have. I’m just super blessed to be here.”

Thompkins threw a topwater and a jig earlier in the day. He ended up catching his fish on a jig with a Strike King Rage Bug trailer.

Ish Monroe of Oakdale, Calif., is in the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors with a 5-2.

Sakae Ushio of Tonawanda, N.Y., won the nonboater division with a two-day total of 14-6. His daily weights were 5-8 and 8-14 — the event’s largest nonboater bag.

Ushio won his second of three nonboater titles three months ago at Lake Eufaula. He also won the 2022 title at Lake Hartwell.

Ushio caught his Day 2 fish on a Geecrack Imo Kemushi 95 (a 3.75-inch worm). On Day 1, he used a free-rigged Berkley MaxScent Critter Hawg. The key to his success was making the difficult casts.

“As a (nonboater), it’s very difficult to fish shallow because of the boat angle,” Ushio said. “Three years ago, I worked on becoming ambidextrous, so I can make those difficult casts.

“Also, I was using a Daiwa Zillion 10:1 reel, so I could reel up quickly after each cast.”

Ushio won the $250 Phoenix Boats Big Bass prize among nonboaters with a 4-8.

Saturday’s takeoff is scheduled for 7:15 a.m. CT at Kingston Boat Ramp. The weigh-in will be held at the Kingston Boat Ramp at 3:15 p.m. FS1 will broadcast live with the leaders beginning at 8 a.m. with continuing coverage on Bassmaster.com.

2023 St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Watts Bar 9/14-9/16
Watts Bar Reservoir, Kingston TN.
(BOATER) Standings Day 2

Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$

1. Tyler Williams Belgrade, ME 10 29-05 200
Day 1: 5 14-15 Day 2: 5 14-06
2. Trey McKinney Carbondale, IL 10 28-06 199
Day 1: 5 12-04 Day 2: 5 16-02
3. JT Thompkins Myrtle Beach, SC 10 25-02 198
Day 1: 5 11-13 Day 2: 5 13-05
4. John Garrett Union City, TN 10 24-12 197
Day 1: 5 13-01 Day 2: 5 11-11
5. Greg Bohannan Bentonville, AR 10 24-09 196
Day 1: 5 10-02 Day 2: 5 14-07
6. Bobby Lane Jr. Lakeland, FL 10 24-03 195
Day 1: 5 15-02 Day 2: 5 09-01
7. Ish Monroe Oakdale, CA 9 23-15 194
Day 1: 4 08-07 Day 2: 5 15-08
8. Chase Henley Kingston, TN 9 23-14 193
Day 1: 4 07-01 Day 2: 5 16-13
9. Jason Lambert Savannah, TN 10 23-12 192
Day 1: 5 12-11 Day 2: 5 11-01
10. Wesley Gore Clanton, AL 10 23-09 191
Day 1: 5 12-02 Day 2: 5 11-07
11. Dale Hightower Mannford, OK 9 23-06 190 $4,773.00
Day 1: 5 14-08 Day 2: 4 08-14
12. Jason Abram Piney Flats, TN 10 22-12 189 $4,177.00
Day 1: 5 13-00 Day 2: 5 09-12
13. Brett Cannon Willis, TX 10 22-10 188 $3,282.00
Day 1: 5 10-07 Day 2: 5 12-03
14. Miles Burghoff Dayton, TN 8 22-03 187 $3,282.00
Day 1: 3 08-00 Day 2: 5 14-03
15. Jeff Salmon Mechanicsville, VA 9 21-04 186 $3,282.00
Day 1: 5 11-06 Day 2: 4 09-14
16. Rob Digh Denver, NC 8 21-01 185 $3,282.00
Day 1: 4 10-09 Day 2: 4 10-08
17. Zeke Gossett Pell City, AL 10 20-15 184 $3,282.00
Day 1: 5 09-14 Day 2: 5 11-01
18. Kurt Mitchell Milford, DE 9 20-10 183 $3,282.00
Day 1: 4 08-08 Day 2: 5 12-02
19. John Soukup Sapulpa, OK 10 20-09 182 $3,282.00
Day 1: 5 09-04 Day 2: 5 11-05
20. Michael Vanosdale Knoxville, TN 6 20-06 181 $3,282.00
Day 1: 1 04-11 Day 2: 5 15-11
21. Adam Rasmussen Sturgeon Bay, WI 9 20-05 180 $2,983.00
Day 1: 5 12-09 Day 2: 4 07-12
22. Kyle Patrick Cooperstown, NY 9 20-05 179 $2,983.00
Day 1: 5 11-07 Day 2: 4 08-14
23. Chris Dillow Waynesboro, VA 9 20-04 178 $2,983.00
Day 1: 4 09-00 Day 2: 5 11-04
24. Tommy Brown Louisville, TN 8 20-03 177 $2,983.00
Day 1: 3 05-08 Day 2: 5 14-11
25. Kyle Austin Ridgeville, SC 9 20-03 176 $2,983.00
Day 1: 5 12-03 Day 2: 4 08-00
26. Jacob Thompkins Myrtle Beach, SC 8 20-02 175 $2,745.00
Day 1: 3 09-08 Day 2: 5 10-10
27. Andrew Upshaw Hemphill, TX 10 20-01 174 $2,745.00
Day 1: 5 09-14 Day 2: 5 10-03
28. Blake Sylvester Plaquemine, LA 9 19-15 173 $2,745.00
Day 1: 4 07-00 Day 2: 5 12-15
29. Kyle Monti Okeechobee, FL 9 19-15 172 $2,745.00
Day 1: 5 10-12 Day 2: 4 09-03
30. Matt Messer Warfield, KY 7 19-13 171 $2,745.00
Day 1: 2 06-02 Day 2: 5 13-11
31. Lucas Murphy West Columbia, MI 9 19-13 170 $2,745.00
Day 1: 5 12-00 Day 2: 4 07-13
32. Josh Hubbard Dunnellon, FL 10 19-13 169 $2,745.00
Day 1: 5 08-13 Day 2: 5 11-00
33. Alex Heintze Denham Springs, LA 9 19-13 168 $2,745.00
Day 1: 5 09-02 Day 2: 4 10-11
34. Casey Scanlon Eldon, MO 8 19-12 167 $2,745.00
Day 1: 3 05-12 Day 2: 5 14-00
35. Shane Lineberger Lincolnton, NC 10 19-10 166 $2,745.00
Day 1: 5 10-05 Day 2: 5 09-05
36. Lafe Messer Warfield, KY 9 19-07 165 $2,745.00
Day 1: 5 11-04 Day 2: 4 08-03
37. Chad Warren Sand Springs, OK 9 19-06 164 $2,745.00
Day 1: 5 11-12 Day 2: 4 07-10
38. Ryan Broughman Corapeake, NC 10 19-04 163 $2,745.00
Day 1: 5 09-09 Day 2: 5 09-11
39. Louis Monetti Brielle, NJ 9 19-03 162 $2,745.00
Day 1: 4 08-05 Day 2: 5 10-14
40. Logan Parks Auburn, AL 9 18-11 161 $2,745.00
Day 1: 4 09-01 Day 2: 5 09-10
41. Jacob Bigelow Cecil, WI 7 18-08 160
Day 1: 5 13-07 Day 2: 2 05-01
42. Charlie Hartley Grove City, OH 10 18-06 159
Day 1: 5 08-13 Day 2: 5 09-09
43. Robert Gee Knoxville, TN 10 18-05 158
Day 1: 5 09-10 Day 2: 5 08-11
44. Griffin Phillips Mount Olive, AL 8 18-04 157
Day 1: 3 05-08 Day 2: 5 12-12
45. Destin DeMarion Harborcreek, PA 9 18-04 156
Day 1: 4 08-02 Day 2: 5 10-02
46. Taylor Watkins Clinton, TN 7 18-03 155
Day 1: 3 08-00 Day 2: 4 10-03
47. John Conway Jr Henrico, VA 9 18-00 154
Day 1: 5 09-15 Day 2: 4 08-01
48. David Williams Newton, NC 8 17-15 153
Day 1: 5 11-08 Day 2: 3 06-07
49. Brad Knight Lancing, TN 9 17-14 152
Day 1: 5 09-04 Day 2: 4 08-10
50. Sam George Athens, AL 7 17-13 151
Day 1: 5 12-13 Day 2: 2 05-00
51. Shaine Campbell Brookeland, TX 9 17-12 150
Day 1: 5 10-09 Day 2: 4 07-03
52. Allan Nail Sand Springs, OK 8 17-09 149
Day 1: 5 09-13 Day 2: 3 07-12
53. Logan Johnson Jasper, AL 8 17-08 148
Day 1: 4 09-15 Day 2: 4 07-09
54. Tucker Veronee Gilbert, SC 7 17-07 147
Day 1: 5 13-14 Day 2: 2 03-09
55. Jason Meninger Yulee, FL 7 17-04 146
Day 1: 2 06-00 Day 2: 5 11-04
56. Kenta Kimura Osaka JAPAN 6 17-04 145
Day 1: 2 06-05 Day 2: 4 10-15
57. Keith Tuma Brainerd, MN 9 17-04 144
Day 1: 5 09-05 Day 2: 4 07-15
58. Matt Pangrac Shawnee, OK 10 17-02 143
Day 1: 5 08-07 Day 2: 5 08-11
59. Denny Fiedler Wabasha, MN 7 17-00 142
Day 1: 3 07-14 Day 2: 4 09-02
60. Alex Murray Lake Charles, LA 8 16-15 141
Day 1: 5 10-04 Day 2: 3 06-11
61. Hunter Sales Blaine, TN 8 16-14 140
Day 1: 5 10-00 Day 2: 3 06-14
62. Yusuke Miyazaki Forney, TX 8 16-11 139
Day 1: 5 11-03 Day 2: 3 05-08
63. B.J. Usie Bourg, LA 7 16-09 138
Day 1: 2 04-09 Day 2: 5 12-00
64. Wil Dieffenbauch III Hundred, WV 6 16-08 137
Day 1: 4 11-05 Day 2: 2 05-03
65. Trey Swindle Cleveland, AL 9 16-07 136
Day 1: 4 06-04 Day 2: 5 10-03
66. Tripp Noojin Bryant, AL 7 16-06 135
Day 1: 2 05-08 Day 2: 5 10-14
67. Jake Maddux Birmingham, AL 8 16-06 134
Day 1: 5 10-12 Day 2: 3 05-10
68. Dane Mitchell Ten Mile, TN 8 16-05 133
Day 1: 3 05-05 Day 2: 5 11-00
69. Harvey Horne Bella Vista, AR 7 16-02 132
Day 1: 5 11-11 Day 2: 2 04-07
70. Jack York Emory, TX 6 16-02 131
Day 1: 3 10-03 Day 2: 3 05-15
71. Christian Shoda Homosassa, FL 7 16-01 130
Day 1: 3 06-12 Day 2: 4 09-05
72. Jason Carpenter Castle Pines, CO 6 15-13 129
Day 1: 5 12-07 Day 2: 1 03-06
73. Scott Hamrick Denver, NC 8 15-13 128
Day 1: 3 05-05 Day 2: 5 10-08
74. Billy McDonald Greenwood, IN 8 15-13 127
Day 1: 3 05-12 Day 2: 5 10-01
75. Chase Clarke Virginia Beach, VA 8 15-13 126
Day 1: 5 09-12 Day 2: 3 06-01
76. Paul Browning Pecos, TX 7 15-12 125
Day 1: 4 10-00 Day 2: 3 05-12
77. Johnathan Crossland Chapin, SC 7 15-11 124
Day 1: 2 03-10 Day 2: 5 12-01
78. Tim Frederick Leesburg, FL 8 15-11 123
Day 1: 3 05-12 Day 2: 5 09-15
79. Julius Mazy Phoenix, AZ 9 15-11 122
Day 1: 5 08-11 Day 2: 4 07-00
80. Brayden Rakes Winston Salem, NC 7 15-08 121
Day 1: 4 08-11 Day 2: 3 06-13
81. Mike Surman Boca Raton, FL 7 15-06 120
Day 1: 5 13-04 Day 2: 2 02-02
82. Chris Dover Blacksburg, SC 8 15-04 119
Day 1: 3 05-15 Day 2: 5 09-05
83. Ben Milliken New Caney, TX 7 15-02 118
Day 1: 2 04-04 Day 2: 5 10-14
84. Ty Faber Pagosa Springs, CO 7 14-14 117
Day 1: 4 08-05 Day 2: 3 06-09
85. Blake Smith Lakeland, FL 8 14-12 116
Day 1: 5 09-15 Day 2: 3 04-13
86. Paul Bouvier Kingston CANADA 6 14-06 115
Day 1: 1 02-00 Day 2: 5 12-06
87. Austin Cranford Norman, OK 8 14-04 114
Day 1: 5 09-01 Day 2: 3 05-03
88. Keith Brumfield Vicksburg, MS 7 14-02 113
Day 1: 4 07-09 Day 2: 3 06-09
89. Brad Leuthner Victoria, MN 8 14-02 112
Day 1: 4 06-10 Day 2: 4 07-08
90. Daisuke Kita Ostu Shiga JAPAN 7 14-01 111
Day 1: 5 11-05 Day 2: 2 02-12
91. Chris Whitson Louisville, TN 7 14-00 110
Day 1: 4 07-06 Day 2: 3 06-10
92. Clark Reehm Elm Grove, LA 6 13-15 109
Day 1: 4 10-02 Day 2: 2 03-13
93. Cole Drummond Effingham, SC 8 13-14 108
Day 1: 4 06-12 Day 2: 4 07-02
94. Chris Kingree Inverness, FL 6 13-12 107
Day 1: 5 11-01 Day 2: 1 02-11
95. JT Russell Mc Calla, AL 7 13-12 106
Day 1: 3 05-05 Day 2: 4 08-07
96. Powell Kemp Scotland Neck, NC 7 13-12 105
Day 1: 3 07-06 Day 2: 4 06-06
97. Brandon Tallhamer Parkersburg, WV 7 13-12 104
Day 1: 4 06-14 Day 2: 3 06-14
98. Cody Stahl Barnsville, GA 7 13-10 103
Day 1: 2 03-15 Day 2: 5 09-11
99. Cody Detweiler Guntersville, AL 7 13-09 102
Day 1: 5 09-11 Day 2: 2 03-14
100. Matt Henry Milledgeville, GA 7 13-08 101
Day 1: 4 07-06 Day 2: 3 06-02
101. Takayuki Koike Otsu-City JAPAN 6 13-04 100
Day 1: 5 10-14 Day 2: 1 02-06
102. Kenji Yamada Hixson, TN 8 13-03 99
Day 1: 5 09-07 Day 2: 3 03-12
103. Jonathan Dietz Corry, PA 6 13-00 98
Day 1: 5 10-13 Day 2: 1 02-03
104. Bryan Bickell Newcastle CANADA 7 12-14 97
Day 1: 2 03-06 Day 2: 5 09-08
105. Victor Alford Kingston, TN 8 12-14 96
Day 1: 5 08-14 Day 2: 3 04-00
106. Darrell Davis Dover, FL 6 12-13 95
Day 1: 1 02-07 Day 2: 5 10-06
107. Trevor McKinney Benton, IL 6 12-10 94
Day 1: 1 01-12 Day 2: 5 10-14
108. David Perdue Wirtz, VA 7 12-10 93
Day 1: 2 03-06 Day 2: 5 09-04
109. Joey Nania Cropwell, AL 7 12-09 92
Day 1: 3 05-01 Day 2: 4 07-08
110. Chris Hellebuyck White Lake, MI 6 12-08 91
Day 1: 5 10-02 Day 2: 1 02-06
111. Tyler Lubbat Wheeling, IL 6 12-05 90
Day 1: 3 06-00 Day 2: 3 06-05
112. Pete Gluszek Mount Laurel, NJ 6 12-03 89
Day 1: 5 10-03 Day 2: 1 02-00
113. Jimmy Washam Stantonville, TN 5 12-03 88
Day 1: 1 04-05 Day 2: 4 07-14
114. Kyle Goltz Cornell, WI 6 12-03 87
Day 1: 3 06-02 Day 2: 3 06-01
115. Jack Dice Lynchburg, VA 6 12-02 86
Day 1: 5 09-15 Day 2: 1 02-03
116. Tommy Williams Shepherdsville, KY 6 11-13 85
Day 1: 4 08-06 Day 2: 2 03-07
117. Teb Jones Yalaha, MS 5 11-05 84
Day 1: 4 08-11 Day 2: 1 02-10
118. Brandon McMillan Clewiston, FL 6 11-03 83
Day 1: 5 09-02 Day 2: 1 02-01
119. James Niggemeyer Van, TX 6 11-03 82
Day 1: 3 05-02 Day 2: 3 06-01
120. Andrew Mlotek Indianapolis, IN 6 11-02 81
Day 1: 4 07-06 Day 2: 2 03-12
121. Joey Hanna Corsicana, TX 6 11-02 80
Day 1: 3 05-04 Day 2: 3 05-14
122. Jamie Bruce Kenora Ontario CANADA 5 11-01 79
Day 1: 3 06-12 Day 2: 2 04-05
123. Whitney Stephens Waverly, OH 5 10-13 78
Day 1: 1 01-15 Day 2: 4 08-14
124. Scott Kerslake Okeechobee, FL 5 10-13 77
Day 1: 3 04-03 Day 2: 2 06-10
125. Bo Thomas Edwardsburg, MI 6 10-11 76
Day 1: 5 08-10 Day 2: 1 02-01
126. Jonathan Bowling Harriman, TN 6 10-08 75
Day 1: 1 01-10 Day 2: 5 08-14
127. Chad Grigsby Maple Grove, MN 6 10-08 74
Day 1: 3 04-15 Day 2: 3 05-09
128. Chris Keeble Lenoir City, TN 5 10-03 73
Day 1: 2 04-13 Day 2: 3 05-06
129. Casey Smith Victor, NY 5 09-12 72
Day 1: 3 05-15 Day 2: 2 03-13
130. Andrew Harp Linden, TX 4 09-12 71
Day 1: 2 05-14 Day 2: 2 03-14
131. Brady Vernon Sterrett, AL 4 09-10 70
Day 1: 3 07-01 Day 2: 1 02-09
132. Rich Ortiz Fort Ann, NY 6 09-08 69
Day 1: 4 07-03 Day 2: 2 02-05
133. Justin Kimmel Athens, GA 5 09-02 68
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 5 09-02
134. Scout Echols Monticello, AR 4 08-15 67
Day 1: 2 03-08 Day 2: 2 05-07
135. Lucas Bogosian Harrington Park, NJ 5 08-14 66
Day 1: 1 02-05 Day 2: 4 06-09
136. Tom Frink Southside, AL 4 08-14 65
Day 1: 2 04-01 Day 2: 2 04-13
137. Derek Lehtonen Woodruff, SC 5 08-09 64
Day 1: 1 -00-05 Day 2: 4 08-14
138. Phil Killian Solomon, AZ 5 08-06 63
Day 1: 4 05-13 Day 2: 1 02-09
139. Buck Mallory Lawton, MI 4 08-04 62
Day 1: 3 06-03 Day 2: 1 02-01
140. Danny Ramsey Trinidad, TX 4 08-03 61
Day 1: 2 04-01 Day 2: 2 04-02
141. Shayne Berlo Mclean, VA 4 08-00 60
Day 1: 3 05-03 Day 2: 1 02-13
142. Angela Mayo Maiden, NC 4 07-11 59
Day 1: 1 01-10 Day 2: 3 06-01
143. Evan Kung Pickering Ontario CANAD 4 07-06 58
Day 1: 1 01-13 Day 2: 3 05-09
144. Jason Tibbetts Centreville, VA 4 07-06 57
Day 1: 2 03-04 Day 2: 2 04-02
145. Craig Chambers Midland, NC 3 07-05 56
Day 1: 3 07-05 Day 2: 0 00-00
146. Brian Post Janesville, WI 4 07-03 55
Day 1: 1 01-10 Day 2: 3 05-09
147. Chris Blanchette Edisto Island, SC 3 07-03 54
Day 1: 1 03-00 Day 2: 2 04-03
148. Daniel Valois Gomez Caracas FL VENEZUELA 3 06-04 53
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 06-04
149. Chancy Walters West Des Moines, IA 3 06-03 52
Day 1: 2 04-02 Day 2: 1 02-01
150. Wesley Cashwell Roanoke Rapids, NC 2 06-01 51
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 06-01
151. Bronk Mcdaniel Alexandria, LA 2 05-10 50
Day 1: 2 05-10 Day 2: 0 00-00
152. Flash Butts Roanoke Rapids, NC 3 05-07 49
Day 1: 1 01-12 Day 2: 2 03-11
153. Brock Belik Orchard, NE 3 05-06 48
Day 1: 1 01-12 Day 2: 2 03-10
154. Lance Owen Greer, SC 3 05-05 47
Day 1: 1 01-13 Day 2: 2 03-08
155. Josh Bragg Fayetteville, GA 4 05-01 46
Day 1: 3 02-13 Day 2: 1 02-04
156. Stacey Jefferson Conway, SC 2 04-07 45
Day 1: 1 01-14 Day 2: 1 02-09
157. John Murray Spring City, TN 2 04-06 44
Day 1: 2 04-06 Day 2: 0 00-00
158. Chad Pipkens Dewitt, MI 2 04-03 43
Day 1: 1 01-15 Day 2: 1 02-04
159. Andrew Hargrove Moody, TX 2 04-01 42
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 04-01
159. Brian Mullaney Ijamsville, MD 2 04-01 42
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 04-01
161. Steve Tennison Lexington, OK 2 04-00 40
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 04-00
162. Clay Samples South Boston, VA 2 03-12 39
Day 1: 2 03-12 Day 2: 0 00-00
163. A.J. Menssen Bloomington, IL 1 03-12 38
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 03-12
164. Scott Isaacs Ladonia, TX 2 03-04 37
Day 1: 2 03-04 Day 2: 0 00-00
165. Ryan Clark Whitby Ontario CANADA 2 02-08 36
Day 1: 0 -01-00 Day 2: 2 03-08
166. Chris Beaudrie Princeton, KY 1 02-04 35
Day 1: 1 02-04 Day 2: 0 00-00
166. Jonathan Reames Helena, AL 1 02-04 35
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 02-04
168. Destry Ford Tuscaloosa, AL 1 02-03 33
Day 1: 1 02-03 Day 2: 0 00-00
169. Mike Mayo Athens, TX 1 02-00 32
Day 1: 1 02-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
169. Jenny Nevans Dayton, TN 1 02-00 32
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 02-00
171. Jack Tindel III Orange, TX 1 01-15 30
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 01-15
172. Evan Barnes Dardanelle, AR 1 01-13 29
Day 1: 1 01-13 Day 2: 0 00-00
172. Zack Williams Nashville, TN 1 01-13 29
Day 1: 1 01-13 Day 2: 0 00-00
174. Jerry Gallogly Jr North Tazewell, VA 1 01-11 27
Day 1: 1 01-11 Day 2: 0 00-00
175. Tony Dumitras Winston, GA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
175. Jeff Mcbeth New Phila, OH 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
175. Jordan Sanderlin Kill Devil Hills, NC 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
175. William Patrick Turner Crossville, TN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
179. John Watts Jr Flushing, MI 0 -1-00 0
Day 1: 0 -01-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 61 569 1212-08
2 53 552 1203-02
----------------------------------
114 1121 2415-10

2023 St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Watts Bar 9/14-9/16
Watts Bar Reservoir, Kingston TN.
(NON_BOATER) Standings Day 2

Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$

1. Sakae Ushio Tonawanda, NY 6 14-06 200 $10,450.00
Day 1: 3 05-08 Day 2: 3 08-14
2. Darren Kelly Wartburg, TN 5 11-12 199 $2,400.00
Day 1: 3 06-14 Day 2: 2 04-14
3. Alex Reece Greenville, SC 5 10-06 198 $1,800.00
Day 1: 3 06-09 Day 2: 2 03-13
4. Curtis Crooke Washburn, TN 5 09-09 197 $1,350.00
Day 1: 3 04-10 Day 2: 2 04-15
5. David Waack Cary, NC 5 09-07 196 $1,260.00
Day 1: 3 05-10 Day 2: 2 03-13
6. Brandon Smith Knightdale, NC 4 09-02 195 $1,200.00
Day 1: 2 04-10 Day 2: 2 04-08
7. Gary Haraguchi Murfreesboro, TN 5 08-09 194 $1,140.00
Day 1: 2 02-10 Day 2: 3 05-15
8. Chad Stahl Barnesville, GA 4 08-04 193 $1,080.00
Day 1: 2 04-11 Day 2: 2 03-09
9. Akira Okuyama Forest Hills, NY 4 08-01 192 $990.00
Day 1: 3 05-09 Day 2: 1 02-08
10. Travis Nelson Wartburg, TN 4 07-02 191 $900.00
Day 1: 3 05-04 Day 2: 1 01-14
11. Joe Tucker Osceola, MO 3 07-00 190 $840.00
Day 1: 2 04-10 Day 2: 1 02-06
12. David Chamberlain Hampton, VA 4 07-00 189 $780.00
Day 1: 2 03-08 Day 2: 2 03-08
13. Russell Nicewander Bluefield, WV 4 06-15 188 $660.00
Day 1: 2 03-04 Day 2: 2 03-11
14. Gary Hall Wardville, OK 3 06-10 187 $570.00
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 06-10
14. Bird Jones Loxahatchee, FL 3 06-10 187 $570.00
Day 1: 3 06-10 Day 2: 0 00-00
16. Harold Addison Columbia, SC 3 06-08 185 $480.00
Day 1: 3 06-08 Day 2: 0 00-00
17. Ryan Patterson Scott Township, PA 2 06-06 184 $450.00
Day 1: 1 01-15 Day 2: 1 04-07
18. Perry See Rochester, MN 2 06-04 183 $450.00
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 06-04
19. Steven Robbins Piketon, OH 3 06-04 182 $450.00
Day 1: 2 04-06 Day 2: 1 01-14
20. Mark Guhne Hixson, TN 3 05-12 181 $450.00
Day 1: 1 01-14 Day 2: 2 03-14
21. Johnnie Garrett Union City, TN 2 05-11 180 $420.00
Day 1: 1 01-08 Day 2: 1 04-03
22. John Sanderlin Chesapeake, VA 3 05-10 179 $420.00
Day 1: 2 04-00 Day 2: 1 01-10
23. Alex Watts Salem, VA 3 05-08 178 $420.00
Day 1: 3 05-08 Day 2: 0 00-00
24. Joe Lineberry Ramseaur,, NC 2 05-08 177 $420.00
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 05-08
25. Ray Lehrman Spring City, TN 2 05-06 176 $420.00
Day 1: 2 05-06 Day 2: 0 00-00
26. Robert Bruguiere Roseland, VA 3 05-06 175 $360.00
Day 1: 1 02-02 Day 2: 2 03-04
27. Riley Nielsen Murray, UT 3 05-02 174 $360.00
Day 1: 2 02-12 Day 2: 1 02-06
28. Levi Allgeier Bardstown, KY 3 04-14 173 $360.00
Day 1: 3 04-14 Day 2: 0 00-00
29. Bryant Bradley Murfreesboro, TN 2 04-10 172 $360.00
Day 1: 1 01-11 Day 2: 1 02-15
30. Nick Melcher Gypsum, CO 2 04-09 171 $360.00
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 04-09
31. David Booth Erin, TN 2 04-09 170 $330.00
Day 1: 1 01-12 Day 2: 1 02-13
32. Todd Mowery Madison, AL 2 04-07 169 $330.00
Day 1: 1 01-11 Day 2: 1 02-12
33. George Malcolm Gainesville, FL 2 04-01 168 $330.00
Day 1: 2 04-01 Day 2: 0 00-00
34. Ricky Fulk Shenandoah, VA 2 04-00 167 $330.00
Day 1: 1 02-03 Day 2: 1 01-13
35. Keith Gunsauls Dandridge, TN 2 03-15 166 $330.00
Day 1: 2 03-15 Day 2: 0 00-00
36. David Booth Tazewell, TN 2 03-15 165 $330.00
Day 1: 1 02-02 Day 2: 1 01-13
37. Josh Roberts Ocala, FL 2 03-15 164 $330.00
Day 1: 1 02-01 Day 2: 1 01-14
38. Joshua Torres Port Tobacco, MD 2 03-14 163 $330.00
Day 1: 1 01-07 Day 2: 1 02-07
39. James Roten West Jefferson, NC 2 03-14 162 $330.00
Day 1: 1 02-00 Day 2: 1 01-14
40. RD Roulston Little Rock, AR 2 03-13 161 $330.00
Day 1: 1 01-10 Day 2: 1 02-03
41. Joseph Essary Knoxville, TN 2 03-12 160
Day 1: 2 03-12 Day 2: 0 00-00
42. Melvin Fults Hendersonville, TN 3 03-11 159
Day 1: 2 01-13 Day 2: 1 01-14
43. Rick Cheatham Carterville, IL 2 03-10 158
Day 1: 2 03-10 Day 2: 0 00-00
44. Tim Kellam Crittenden, KY 2 03-09 157
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 03-09
44. Michael Leach Shenandoah, TX 2 03-09 157
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 03-09
44. Harvey Reece Chesterfield, VA 2 03-09 157
Day 1: 2 03-09 Day 2: 0 00-00
47. Colin Cooper Roanoke, VA 2 03-07 154
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 03-07
48. George Headden Oakdale, TN 2 03-05 153
Day 1: 1 01-07 Day 2: 1 01-14
49. Tristan Bramblett Tiger, GA 2 03-05 152
Day 1: 1 01-12 Day 2: 1 01-09
50. Scott Peters Knoxville, TN 2 03-04 151
Day 1: 2 03-04 Day 2: 0 00-00
51. Dennis Lane Rutledge, TN 1 03-03 150
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 03-03
52. John Higginbotham Slaughter, LA 1 03-00 149
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 03-00
53. Nathan Isaacs Knoxville, TN 1 02-15 148
Day 1: 1 02-15 Day 2: 0 00-00
54. Dylan Mayo Athens, TX 1 02-10 147
Day 1: 1 02-10 Day 2: 0 00-00
55. Eric White Vinemont, AL 1 02-09 146
Day 1: 1 02-09 Day 2: 0 00-00
56. Don Bible II Knoxville, TN 1 02-07 145
Day 1: 1 02-07 Day 2: 0 00-00
57. Alicia Raytrowsky Delaware CANADA 1 02-04 144
Day 1: 1 02-04 Day 2: 0 00-00
58. Randy Tallhamer Brandenton, FL 1 02-02 143
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 02-02
59. Dean Gibbs North Chesterfield, VA 1 02-01 142
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 02-01
59. Dalton Munsey Washburn, TN 1 02-01 142
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 02-01
61. Travis Branstetter Deer Lodge, TN 1 02-00 140
Day 1: 1 02-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
62. Sergio Render Crockett, VA 1 01-15 139
Day 1: 1 01-15 Day 2: 0 00-00
62. Avery Williams Murrells Inlt, SC 1 01-15 139
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 01-15
64. Wesley Carroll Wartburg, TN 1 01-14 137
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 01-14
64. Scott Walker Morristown, IN 1 01-14 137
Day 1: 1 01-14 Day 2: 0 00-00
66. Laz Durham Dumfries, VA 1 01-13 135
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 01-13
67. Travis Turcotte Pembroke CANADA 1 01-11 134
Day 1: 1 01-11 Day 2: 0 00-00
68. Bob Harper Lombard, IL 1 01-06 133
Day 1: 1 01-06 Day 2: 0 00-00
69. Peter Bates Dayton, TN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
69. Charlie Beasley Maryville, TN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
69. Charles Bowman II Kernersville, NC 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
69. Cole Burdine Dandridge, TN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
69. Michael Cochran Mount Pleasant, SC 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
69. Marrell Deering Rome, GA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
69. Dustin Dyer Johnson City, TN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
69. Terry Ford Harriman, TN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
69. Jason George Farragut, TN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
69. Anthony Glassco Powhatan, VA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
69. Dj Holland Murfreesboro, TN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
69. Yu Kawamura Kashiwashi JAPAN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
69. Ty Kenyon Dodgeville, WI 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
69. Kevin Mallow Kansas, OK 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
69. Ed Mlotek Naperville, IL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
69. Kenneth Ott Manahawkin, NJ 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
69. Steve Ouellette Knoxville, TN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
69. John Rico Daisytown, PA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
69. Jim Short Liberty Twp, OH 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
69. Tyler Smith Portage, MI 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
69. Tim White Welaka, FL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
90. Thomas Crosswhite Hartwell, GA 0 -1-00 0
Day 1: 0 -01-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 11 92 175-03
2 3 69 153-04
----------------------------------
14 161 328-07

by David Xiong

Major League Fishing General Tire Team Series Wraps Production at First Event of 2024 Season in Grand Rapids, Michigan

Bass Fishing Event Completes Week-Long Television Shoot in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with Nine Three-Man Teams Competing to Advance to Bass Pro Shops Team Series Championship

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (Sept. 15, 2023) – Major League Fishing (MLF) and 27 of the best pro anglers in the world officially wrapped production this week at the first event of the 2024 General Tire Team Series – the Lucas Oil Qualifier Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The competition was filmed entirely for television broadcast and shot over six days this past week, featuring nine teams of three anglers competing to finish in the top three to advance to the Bass Pro Shops Team Series Championship.

The General Tire Team Series Lucas Oil Qualifier Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches event marked the first time that MLF had visited the Grand Rapids, Michigan, area with an event that showcases the catch, weigh and immediate-release tournament format.

The event featured professional anglers visiting the Grand Rapids area to compete on one of three fisheries on each day of competition: Muskegon and Bear Lakes, White Lake and Grand River. The competition waters for each day of the event were not disclosed until the anglers arrived at the launch ramp each morning, creating a reality-based television episode that showcases how the top anglers in the world work with their teammates to break down new and unfamiliar waters.

The nine teams that competed in the General Tire Team Series Lucas Oil Qualifier Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches in Grand Rapids, Michigan, were:

Team B&W Trailer Hitches:
Adrian Avena, Vineland, N.J.
Spencer Shuffield, Hot Springs, Ark.
Ryan Salzman, Huntsville, Ala.

Team Builders FirstSource:
Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla.
Mark Rose, Wynne, Ark.
Cliff Pace, Petal, Miss.

Team Crockett Creek:
Jonathon VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich.
James Elam, Tulsa, Okla.
Matt Lee, Cullman, Ala.

Team Ferguson:
Dakota Ebare, Brookeland, Texas
Justin Cooper, Zwolle, La.
Tommy Biffle, Wagoner, Okla.

Team Knighten Industries:
Wesley Strader, Spring City, Tenn.
Scott Suggs, Alexander, Ark.
Matt Becker, Ten Mile, Tenn.

Team Kubota:
Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn.
Dylan Hays, Hot Springs, Ark.
Boyd Duckett, Guntersville, Ala.

Team Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff & Pouches:
Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C.
Luke Clausen, Spokane, Wash.
Josh Butler, Hayden, Ala.

Team Sqwincher:
Dustin Connell, Clanton, Ala.
Cole Floyd, Leesburg, Ohio
Roy Hawk, Lake Havasu City, Ariz.

Team Star brite:
Chris Lane, Guntersville, Ala.
Jared Lintner, Covington, Ga.
John Hunter, Shelbyville, Ky.

The MLF General Tire Team Series Lucas Oil Qualifier Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches will air on Outdoor Channel as six, two-hour original episodes each Saturday afternoon starting Jan. 6, 2024, airing from 2 to 4 p.m. EDT. The full television schedule can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com/tv-schedule.

The 2024 General Tire Team Series is comprised of three qualifying events, filmed for production in the fall of 2023, where teams compete for advancement to the Bass Pro Shops Teams Series Championship, set to film in early December 2023. Each of the three Team Series Qualifiers consist of nine teams, each comprising three anglers.

Nearly a half a million dollars will be paid out over the three no-entry fee Qualifiers, and the total season-long purse for the General Tire Team Series is more than $720,000.

Proud sponsors of the MLF General Tire Team Series include: Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Barbasol, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, Bubba, Builders FirstSource, Costa, Crockett Creek Beef Jerky, Ferguson, General Tire, Knighten Industries, Kubota, Lowrance, Lucas Oil, Mercury Marine, Mossy Oak, NITRO Boats, Onyx, Optima Batteries, Power-Pole, Quad Lock, Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff & Pouches, Sqwincher, St. Croix Rods, Star brite, Toyota and YETI.

For complete details and updated information on Major League Fishing and the General Tire Team Series, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

by David Xiong

En Fuego!

DAIWA launches “significantly changed”, high-performing FUEGO mid-price spinning reel.

FOOTHILL RANCH, CA (September 15, 2023) – We know a lot of fishing guides who swear by the current DAIWA FUEGO LT, even though they could fish with any spinning reel in DAIWA’s line-up. For example, Minnesota’s National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Famer, Tom Neustrom, who’s still guiding in his mid-70s.

“The FUEGO just gets the job done. Day-in, day-out, it’s a reel I can trust to fish walleyes, bass, pike, whatever—as well as my clients—because it’s smooth, provides great drag performance, and stands up to real-world fishing. It should cost a whole lot more, I’ll tell you that,” says Neustrom.

Well, guides like Neustrom and everyone else are going to be even more impressed with the performance of DAIWA’s improved FUEGO.

Looking at the new DAIWA FUEGO—compared to the existing FUEGO LT generation—the design changes are significant.

“First,” says DAIWA Senior Marketing Manager, Marc Mills, “we went to a true ZAION V carbon-fiber body, not a nylon-based plastic that you see in other manufacturers’ reels at this price. The new FUEGO stands alone in the marketplace at this price. You get some weight reduction because of this material design change. We also went to an AIRDRIVE ROTOR that reduces weight, too, and incorporated a solid AIRDRIVE BAIL versus a tubular design. The reason for that is the metal we’re using is very strong, rigid, and doesn’t bend—yet, it’s thinner and lighter. Our goal was to reduce the weight of the rotation, which decreases the weight of the reel as well. It also makes it easier to turn the handle. We’re making the performance better and better with each generation of FUEGO.”

“The other big deal with the FUEGO redesign is we added true 5000- and 6000-size reels, which allows us to step into the inshore market, especially with northeast anglers chasing striped bass,” Mills adds.

DAIWA FUEGO Features:

NEW! ZAION V Body (3%-5% lighter than current model)
NEW! AIRDRIVE ROTOR
NEW! SOLID AIRDRIVE BAIL
NEW! MAGSEALED
NEW! 5000 and 6000 sizes for saltwater
TOUGH DIGIGEAR^®
Machined aluminum screw-in handle
Ball Bearing-Supported Advanced Tournament Drag (ATD™)
Gear ratios between 5.2:1 and 6.2:1 for effectively playing fish
Line-Per-Turn: 25.5-inches (1000 size) to 36.2-inches (6000 size)

MSRP $109.99-$129.99

by David Xiong

Dallas Welcomes SITKA Gear's Newest Retail Location for Outdoor Enthusiasts

BOZEMAN, Mont. (Sept. 26, 2023) - SITKA Gear, the industry leader in technical hunting and outdoor gear, announces the opening of their brick-and-mortar storefront in Dallas, Texas. The SITKA Dallas storefront is located at 4438 McKinney Ave #200 Dallas, TX and will be hosting Grand Opening festivities for the Dallas community on September 30th, 2023, with a special meet and greet with Dallas Cowboys Linebacker Leighton Vander Esch from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM, where fans can stop by for a photo opportunity.

In addition to the meet and greet, the Grand Opening of the Dallas store will feature exclusive in-store promotions, giveaways, and a chance to engage with SITKA Gear's ambassadors. Whether embarking on a hunting trip or simply embracing the great outdoors, SITKA Gear's newest retail location is poised to become the go-to destination for gear that's engineered to excel in any environment.

As the second retail location for SITKA Gear, and the first outside their hometown of Bozeman, MT, this venture marks a significant milestone in the brand's journey.

"We're excited to bring SITKA to our Texas and Southern customers," said Alley Ray, Retail Experience Manager."Our gear is designed to elevate outdoor experiences, and with our new Dallas store, we're providing enthusiasts with a hands-on opportunity to completely understand the difference our gear can make."

Visitors to the new Dallas store can expect to be immersed in the complete SITKA Gear experience showcasing the brand's dedication to high-quality, functional gear, mirroring the rugged yet refined nature of the products themselves. Knowledgeable staff members will be on hand to guide customers through SITKA’s product line, helping them find the ideal pieces for their specific activities.

Schedule of events:
10:00 AM: SITKA Store Opens
4:00 - 5:00 PM: Leighton Vander Esch Meet and Greet for fans
4:00 - 7:00 PM: Grand Opening Festivities with live music from The Swon Brothers and Texas BBQ

For more information, visit the new SITKA Dallas store at 4438 McKinney Ave #200 Dallas, TX, or explore the brand online at sitkagear.com. Join SITKA Gear in celebrating this remarkable milestone and discover a new era of outdoor gear excellence on September 30th, 2023.

by David Xiong

Lane leverages key spot for Bassmaster Open lead on Watts Bar Reservoir

Bobby Lane of Lakeland, Fla., is leading after Day 1 of the 2023 St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Watts Bar Reservoir with 15 pounds, 2 ounces.

Photo by Andy Crawford/B.A.S.S.

September 14, 2023

KINGSTON, Tenn. — Bobby Lane didn’t want to overstay his welcome, but protecting a special spot allowed the Lakeland, Fla., pro to bag a limit of 15 pounds, 2 ounces to lead Day 1 of the St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Watts Bar Reservoir.

In a tight Top 10 with 2-7 separating first place from 10th, Lane leads second-place Tyler Williams by 3 ounces.

“The problem with where I was this morning was I caught ‘em quick and there were about eight boats around, so I couldn’t leave the spot,” Lane said. “That was where the fish were and the minute I left they would go right there because no one was catching anything around me.

“I would have loved to have had the place to myself where I could have caught five and gotten out of there. As tough as it is to get bit out here right now, I really wish I could have saved some of those fish for Day 2, but I couldn’t leave as early as I wanted to.”

Having grown up fishing Florida’s grassy lakes, Lane said he enjoyed fishing familiar habitat, although he had to adjust his Sunshine State tactics for local scenarios.

“I felt at home, but it doesn’t fish like home,” Lane said. “The grass fishes differently and it sets up differently. There are so many different kinds of grass here. Back in Okeechobee, we have hydrilla and eelgrass. Up here, you have coontail, you have hydrilla, you have milfoil, you have this leafy grass and it’s all mixed together.

“A lot of it’s matted up and some of it’s thin and you kind of had to fish your way through in practice to figure out which grass they wanted. After today, I decided they didn’t care which grass it was. You just had to fish your backside off.”

An early topwater bite with the new Berkley Swamp Lord popping frog in the copperhead color yielded seven keepers, two of which crossed the weigh-in stage. Lane ended up filling his limit by fishing Texas-rigged Berkley Powerbait plastics.

“I hadn’t caught many on topwater this week,” he said. “But this morning, one of those big ones came on the frog. Right after that, one came up schooling, so I threw over there and caught it. It was a 2 1/2-pounder.”

Notably, Lane said he initially had not planned on fishing what turned out to be a surprisingly productive area.

“It finally clicked today. It was a tough practice, and I only had a limit one day,” Lane said. “I shook a few fish off (in practice) and I said, ‘Man, I've got to go back.’

“I put that Power-Pole Move trolling motor on about 10 and just cruised through that grass.”

Lane said the key to maximizing his main area’s productivity was dialing in a specific habitat element. Once he finally yielded his spot, he did so for the purpose of checking on a possible Plan B that might serve his Day 2 objective.

“I left one little area alone today. I ran into it, made one cast, caught one almost 3 pounds and left,” Lane said. “I’m hoping that will pan out for tomorrow.”

Hailing from Belgrade, Maine, Williams is in second place with 14-15. He did most of his work without his trolling motor and Power-Poles, which stopped functioning early into his day.

Anchoring his bag with a 4-12, Williams salvaged his day by drifting across promising areas and doing his best to fish as many isolated targets as he could. Defining resilience, Williams overcame what he termed the most mentally taxing day he’s ever spent on the water and made the best of what he had to work with.

“I don’t get spun out on the water and I was getting spun out today,” Williams said. “I nearly gave up this morning, but I sat down, ate some Jack’s Links beef jerky — the barbecue flavor — and gave myself a pep talk.

“I figured the best thing to do was to fish areas with these isolated targets — a stump, a brushpile, a grass clump — but because I couldn’t use my trolling motor, I couldn’t turn my (forward-facing sonar transducer), so I had to lean over the bow and turn it by hand. I nearly fell in three times.”

Dale Hightower of Mannford, Okla., is in third place with 14-8. Similar to Lane’s story, Hightower was not planning to fish the area that carried his first-round effort, but a last-minute decision delivered surprisingly favorable results.

“I almost didn’t go to this spot, but then I thought, ‘No better than what my practice was, I’d better go,’” Hightower said. “I never really keyed in on a topwater bite all through practice. It happens early and it’s only a short window. In practice, I don’t think I was getting out there early enough to cover enough water to see.

“I got 15 bites doing that today. Later in the day, I just went fishing in the area where I’d caught some fish in practice. I just slowed down and caught them on finesse baits.”

Jason Abram of Piney Flats, Tenn., is in the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors with his 4-14.

Darren Kelly of Wartburg, Tenn., leads the co-angler division with 6-14. With a 3-pounder boosting his day’s efforts, Kelly said diversity was the key to his success.

“We did a little bit of everything today,” Kelly said. “I had a fish on every bait I threw. I’d catch one flipping, then I’d turn around and catch one on a shaky head, then I’d turn around and catch one on a ChatterBait.

“I was rotating a lot of rods and the good Lord gave me three keepers. That’s what I needed.”

Kelly caught his big fish around 12:30 p.m. by flipping a Berkley Havoc Pit Boss with a 5/16-ounce tungsten weight.

Harold Addison of Columbia, S.C., holds the Phoenix Boats Big Bass lead among co-anglers with a 3-4.

Friday’s takeoff is scheduled for 7:15 a.m. CT at Kingston Boat Ramp. The weigh-in will be held at the ramp at 3:15 p.m. Full coverage will be available on Bassmaster.com.

2023 St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Watts Bar 9/14-9/16
Watts Bar Reservoir, Kingston TN.
(BOATER) Standings Day 1

Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$

1. Bobby Lane Jr. Lakeland, FL 5 15-02 200
Day 1: 5 15-02
2. Tyler Williams Belgrade, ME 5 14-15 199
Day 1: 5 14-15
3. Dale Hightower Mannford, OK 5 14-08 198
Day 1: 5 14-08
4. Tucker Veronee Gilbert, SC 5 13-14 197
Day 1: 5 13-14
5. Jacob Bigelow Cecil, WI 5 13-07 196
Day 1: 5 13-07
6. Mike Surman Boca Raton, FL 5 13-04 195
Day 1: 5 13-04
7. John Garrett Union City, TN 5 13-01 194
Day 1: 5 13-01
8. Jason Abram Piney Flats, TN 5 13-00 193
Day 1: 5 13-00
9. Sam George Athens, AL 5 12-13 192
Day 1: 5 12-13
10. Jason Lambert Savannah, TN 5 12-11 191
Day 1: 5 12-11
11. Adam Rasmussen Sturgeon Bay, WI 5 12-09 190
Day 1: 5 12-09
12. Jason Carpenter Castle Pines, CO 5 12-07 189
Day 1: 5 12-07
13. Trey McKinney Carbondale, IL 5 12-04 188
Day 1: 5 12-04
14. Kyle Austin Ridgeville, SC 5 12-03 187
Day 1: 5 12-03
15. Wesley Gore Clanton, AL 5 12-02 186
Day 1: 5 12-02
16. Lucas Murphy West Columbia, MI 5 12-00 185
Day 1: 5 12-00
17. JT Thompkins Myrtle Beach, SC 5 11-13 184
Day 1: 5 11-13
18. Chad Warren Sand Springs, OK 5 11-12 183
Day 1: 5 11-12
19. Harvey Horne Bella Vista, AR 5 11-11 182
Day 1: 5 11-11
20. David Williams Newton, NC 5 11-08 181
Day 1: 5 11-08
21. Kyle Patrick Cooperstown, NY 5 11-07 180
Day 1: 5 11-07
22. Jeff Salmon Mechanicsville, VA 5 11-06 179
Day 1: 5 11-06
23. Daisuke Kita Ostu Shiga JAPAN 5 11-05 178
Day 1: 5 11-05
24. Wil Dieffenbauch III Hundred, WV 4 11-05 177
Day 1: 4 11-05
25. Lafe Messer Warfield, KY 5 11-04 176
Day 1: 5 11-04
26. Yusuke Miyazaki Forney, TX 5 11-03 175
Day 1: 5 11-03
27. Chris Kingree Inverness, FL 5 11-01 174
Day 1: 5 11-01
28. Takayuki Koike Otsu-City JAPAN 5 10-14 173
Day 1: 5 10-14
29. Jonathan Dietz Corry, PA 5 10-13 172
Day 1: 5 10-13
30. Jake Maddux Birmingham, AL 5 10-12 171
Day 1: 5 10-12
30. Kyle Monti Okeechobee, FL 5 10-12 171
Day 1: 5 10-12
32. Shaine Campbell Brookeland, TX 5 10-09 169
Day 1: 5 10-09
33. Rob Digh Denver, NC 4 10-09 168
Day 1: 4 10-09
34. Brett Cannon Willis, TX 5 10-07 167
Day 1: 5 10-07
35. Shane Lineberger Lincolnton, NC 5 10-05 166
Day 1: 5 10-05
36. Alex Murray Lake Charles, LA 5 10-04 165
Day 1: 5 10-04
37. Pete Gluszek Mount Laurel, NJ 5 10-03 164
Day 1: 5 10-03
38. Jack York Emory, TX 3 10-03 163
Day 1: 3 10-03
39. Greg Bohannan Bentonville, AR 5 10-02 162
Day 1: 5 10-02
39. Chris Hellebuyck White Lake, MI 5 10-02 162
Day 1: 5 10-02
41. Clark Reehm Elm Grove, LA 4 10-02 160
Day 1: 4 10-02
42. Hunter Sales Blaine, TN 5 10-00 159
Day 1: 5 10-00
43. Paul Browning Pecos, TX 4 10-00 158
Day 1: 4 10-00
44. John Conway Jr Henrico, VA 5 09-15 157
Day 1: 5 09-15
44. Jack Dice Lynchburg, VA 5 09-15 157
Day 1: 5 09-15
46. Blake Smith Lakeland, FL 5 09-15 155
Day 1: 5 09-15
47. Logan Johnson Jasper, AL 4 09-15 154
Day 1: 4 09-15
48. Zeke Gossett Pell City, AL 5 09-14 153
Day 1: 5 09-14
48. Andrew Upshaw Hemphill, TX 5 09-14 153
Day 1: 5 09-14
50. Allan Nail Sand Springs, OK 5 09-13 151
Day 1: 5 09-13
51. Chase Clarke Virginia Beach, VA 5 09-12 150
Day 1: 5 09-12
52. Cody Detweiler Guntersville, AL 5 09-11 149
Day 1: 5 09-11
53. Robert Gee Knoxville, TN 5 09-10 148
Day 1: 5 09-10
54. Ryan Broughman Corapeake, NC 5 09-09 147
Day 1: 5 09-09
55. Jacob Thompkins Myrtle Beach, SC 3 09-08 146
Day 1: 3 09-08
56. Kenji Yamada Hixson, TN 5 09-07 145
Day 1: 5 09-07
57. Keith Tuma Brainerd, MN 5 09-05 144
Day 1: 5 09-05
58. Brad Knight Lancing, TN 5 09-04 143
Day 1: 5 09-04
58. John Soukup Sapulpa, OK 5 09-04 143
Day 1: 5 09-04
60. Alex Heintze Denham Springs, LA 5 09-02 141
Day 1: 5 09-02
60. Brandon McMillan Clewiston, FL 5 09-02 141
Day 1: 5 09-02
62. Austin Cranford Norman, OK 5 09-01 139
Day 1: 5 09-01
63. Logan Parks Auburn, AL 4 09-01 138
Day 1: 4 09-01
64. Chris Dillow Waynesboro, VA 4 09-00 137
Day 1: 4 09-00
65. Victor Alford Kingston, TN 5 08-14 136
Day 1: 5 08-14
66. Charlie Hartley Grove City, OH 5 08-13 135
Day 1: 5 08-13
66. Josh Hubbard Dunnellon, FL 5 08-13 135
Day 1: 5 08-13
68. Julius Mazy Phoenix, AZ 5 08-11 133
Day 1: 5 08-11
69. Teb Jones Yalaha, MS 4 08-11 132
Day 1: 4 08-11
69. Brayden Rakes Winston Salem, NC 4 08-11 132
Day 1: 4 08-11
71. Bo Thomas Edwardsburg, MI 5 08-10 130
Day 1: 5 08-10
72. Kurt Mitchell Milford, DE 4 08-08 129
Day 1: 4 08-08
73. Matt Pangrac Shawnee, OK 5 08-07 128
Day 1: 5 08-07
74. Ish Monroe Oakdale, CA 4 08-07 127
Day 1: 4 08-07
75. Tommy Williams Shepherdsville, KY 4 08-06 126
Day 1: 4 08-06
76. Ty Faber Pagosa Springs, CO 4 08-05 125
Day 1: 4 08-05
76. Louis Monetti Brielle, NJ 4 08-05 125
Day 1: 4 08-05
78. Destin DeMarion Harborcreek, PA 4 08-02 123
Day 1: 4 08-02
79. Miles Burghoff Dayton, TN 3 08-00 122
Day 1: 3 08-00
79. Taylor Watkins Clinton, TN 3 08-00 122
Day 1: 3 08-00
81. Denny Fiedler Wabasha, MN 3 07-14 120
Day 1: 3 07-14
82. Keith Brumfield Vicksburg, MS 4 07-09 119
Day 1: 4 07-09
83. Matt Henry Milledgeville, GA 4 07-06 118
Day 1: 4 07-06
83. Andrew Mlotek Indianapolis, IN 4 07-06 118
Day 1: 4 07-06
85. Chris Whitson Louisville, TN 4 07-06 116
Day 1: 4 07-06
86. Powell Kemp Scotland Neck, NC 3 07-06 115
Day 1: 3 07-06
87. Craig Chambers Midland, NC 3 07-05 114
Day 1: 3 07-05
88. Rich Ortiz Fort Ann, NY 4 07-03 113
Day 1: 4 07-03
89. Chase Henley Kingston, TN 4 07-01 112
Day 1: 4 07-01
90. Brady Vernon Sterrett, AL 3 07-01 111
Day 1: 3 07-01
91. Blake Sylvester Plaquemine, LA 4 07-00 110
Day 1: 4 07-00
92. Brandon Tallhamer Parkersburg, WV 4 06-14 109
Day 1: 4 06-14
93. Cole Drummond Effingham, SC 4 06-12 108
Day 1: 4 06-12
94. Jamie Bruce Kenora Ontario CANADA 3 06-12 107
Day 1: 3 06-12
94. Christian Shoda Homosassa, FL 3 06-12 107
Day 1: 3 06-12
96. Brad Leuthner Victoria, MN 4 06-10 105
Day 1: 4 06-10
97. Kenta Kimura Osaka JAPAN 2 06-05 104
Day 1: 2 06-05
98. Trey Swindle Cleveland, AL 4 06-04 103
Day 1: 4 06-04
99. Buck Mallory Lawton, MI 3 06-03 102
Day 1: 3 06-03
100. Kyle Goltz Cornell, WI 3 06-02 101
Day 1: 3 06-02
101. Matt Messer Warfield, KY 2 06-02 100
Day 1: 2 06-02
102. Tyler Lubbat Wheeling, IL 3 06-00 99
Day 1: 3 06-00
103. Jason Meninger Yulee, FL 2 06-00 98
Day 1: 2 06-00
104. Chris Dover Blacksburg, SC 3 05-15 97
Day 1: 3 05-15
104. Casey Smith Victor, NY 3 05-15 97
Day 1: 3 05-15
106. Andrew Harp Linden, TX 2 05-14 95
Day 1: 2 05-14
107. Phil Killian Solomon, AZ 4 05-13 94
Day 1: 4 05-13
108. Tim Frederick Leesburg, FL 3 05-12 93
Day 1: 3 05-12
108. Billy McDonald Greenwood, IN 3 05-12 93
Day 1: 3 05-12
108. Casey Scanlon Eldon, MO 3 05-12 93
Day 1: 3 05-12
111. Bronk Mcdaniel Alexandria, LA 2 05-10 90
Day 1: 2 05-10
112. Tommy Brown Louisville, TN 3 05-08 89
Day 1: 3 05-08
112. Griffin Phillips Mount Olive, AL 3 05-08 89
Day 1: 3 05-08
114. Tripp Noojin Bryant, AL 2 05-08 87
Day 1: 2 05-08
115. Scott Hamrick Denver, NC 3 05-05 86
Day 1: 3 05-05
115. Dane Mitchell Ten Mile, TN 3 05-05 86
Day 1: 3 05-05
115. JT Russell Mc Calla, AL 3 05-05 86
Day 1: 3 05-05
118. Joey Hanna Corsicana, TX 3 05-04 83
Day 1: 3 05-04
119. Shayne Berlo Mclean, VA 3 05-03 82
Day 1: 3 05-03
120. James Niggemeyer Van, TX 3 05-02 81
Day 1: 3 05-02
121. Joey Nania Cropwell, AL 3 05-01 80
Day 1: 3 05-01
122. Chad Grigsby Maple Grove, MN 3 04-15 79
Day 1: 3 04-15
123. Chris Keeble Lenoir City, TN 2 04-13 78
Day 1: 2 04-13
124. Michael Vanosdale Knoxville, TN 1 04-11 77
Day 1: 1 04-11
125. B.J. Usie Bourg, LA 2 04-09 76
Day 1: 2 04-09
126. John Murray Spring City, TN 2 04-06 75
Day 1: 2 04-06
127. Jimmy Washam Stantonville, TN 1 04-05 74
Day 1: 1 04-05
128. Ben Milliken New Caney, TX 2 04-04 73
Day 1: 2 04-04
129. Scott Kerslake Okeechobee, FL 3 04-03 72
Day 1: 3 04-03
130. Chancy Walters West Des Moines, IA 2 04-02 71
Day 1: 2 04-02
131. Tom Frink Southside, AL 2 04-01 70
Day 1: 2 04-01
131. Danny Ramsey Trinidad, TX 2 04-01 70
Day 1: 2 04-01
133. Cody Stahl Barnsville, GA 2 03-15 68
Day 1: 2 03-15
134. Clay Samples South Boston, VA 2 03-12 67
Day 1: 2 03-12
135. Johnathan Crossland Chapin, SC 2 03-10 66
Day 1: 2 03-10
136. Scout Echols Monticello, AR 2 03-08 65
Day 1: 2 03-08
137. Bryan Bickell Newcastle CANADA 2 03-06 64
Day 1: 2 03-06
137. David Perdue Wirtz, VA 2 03-06 64
Day 1: 2 03-06
139. Jason Tibbetts Centreville, VA 2 03-04 62
Day 1: 2 03-04
140. Scott Isaacs Ladonia, TX 2 03-04 61
Day 1: 2 03-04
141. Chris Blanchette Edisto Island, SC 1 03-00 60
Day 1: 1 03-00
142. Josh Bragg Fayetteville, GA 3 02-13 59
Day 1: 3 02-13
143. Darrell Davis Dover, FL 1 02-07 58
Day 1: 1 02-07
144. Lucas Bogosian Harrington Park, NJ 1 02-05 57
Day 1: 1 02-05
145. Chris Beaudrie Princeton, KY 1 02-04 56
Day 1: 1 02-04
146. Destry Ford Tuscaloosa, AL 1 02-03 55
Day 1: 1 02-03
147. Paul Bouvier Kingston CANADA 1 02-00 54
Day 1: 1 02-00
147. Mike Mayo Athens, TX 1 02-00 54
Day 1: 1 02-00
149. Chad Pipkens Dewitt, MI 1 01-15 52
Day 1: 1 01-15
149. Whitney Stephens Waverly, OH 1 01-15 52
Day 1: 1 01-15
151. Stacey Jefferson Conway, SC 1 01-14 50
Day 1: 1 01-14
152. Evan Barnes Dardanelle, AR 1 01-13 49
Day 1: 1 01-13
152. Evan Kung Pickering Ontario CANAD 1 01-13 49
Day 1: 1 01-13
152. Lance Owen Greer, SC 1 01-13 49
Day 1: 1 01-13
152. Zack Williams Nashville, TN 1 01-13 49
Day 1: 1 01-13
156. Brock Belik Orchard, NE 1 01-12 45
Day 1: 1 01-12
156. Flash Butts Roanoke Rapids, NC 1 01-12 45
Day 1: 1 01-12
156. Trevor McKinney Benton, IL 1 01-12 45
Day 1: 1 01-12
159. Jerry Gallogly Jr North Tazewell, VA 1 01-11 42
Day 1: 1 01-11
160. Jonathan Bowling Harriman, TN 1 01-10 41
Day 1: 1 01-10
160. Angela Mayo Maiden, NC 1 01-10 41
Day 1: 1 01-10
160. Brian Post Janesville, WI 1 01-10 41
Day 1: 1 01-10
163. Wesley Cashwell Roanoke Rapids, NC 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
163. Tony Dumitras Winston, GA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
163. Andrew Hargrove Moody, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
163. Justin Kimmel Athens, GA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
163. Jeff Mcbeth New Phila, OH 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
163. A.J. Menssen Bloomington, IL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
163. Brian Mullaney Ijamsville, MD 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
163. Jenny Nevans Dayton, TN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
163. Jonathan Reames Helena, AL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
163. Jordan Sanderlin Kill Devil Hills, NC 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
163. Steve Tennison Lexington, OK 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
163. Jack Tindel III Orange, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
163. William Patrick Turner Crossville, TN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
163. Daniel Valois Gomez Caracas FL VENEZUELA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
177. Derek Lehtonen Woodruff, SC 1 -0-05 24
Day 1: 1 -00-05
178. Ryan Clark Whitby Ontario CANADA 0 -1-00 0
Day 1: 0 -01-00
178. John Watts Jr Flushing, MI 0 -1-00 0
Day 1: 0 -01-00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 61 569 1212-08
----------------------------------
61 569 1212-08
2023 St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Watts Bar 9/14-9/16
Watts Bar Reservoir, Kingston TN.
(NON_BOATER) Standings Day 1

Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$

1. Darren Kelly Wartburg, TN 3 06-14 200
Day 1: 3 06-14
2. Bird Jones Loxahatchee, FL 3 06-10 199
Day 1: 3 06-10
3. Alex Reece Greenville, SC 3 06-09 198
Day 1: 3 06-09
4. Harold Addison Columbia, SC 3 06-08 197
Day 1: 3 06-08
5. David Waack Cary, NC 3 05-10 196
Day 1: 3 05-10
6. Akira Okuyama Forest Hills, NY 3 05-09 195
Day 1: 3 05-09
7. Sakae Ushio Tonawanda, NY 3 05-08 194
Day 1: 3 05-08
7. Alex Watts Salem, VA 3 05-08 194
Day 1: 3 05-08
9. Ray Lehrman Spring City, TN 2 05-06 192
Day 1: 2 05-06
10. Travis Nelson Wartburg, TN 3 05-04 191
Day 1: 3 05-04
11. Levi Allgeier Bardstown, KY 3 04-14 190
Day 1: 3 04-14
12. Chad Stahl Barnesville, GA 2 04-11 189
Day 1: 2 04-11
13. Curtis Crooke Washburn, TN 3 04-10 188
Day 1: 3 04-10
14. Brandon Smith Knightdale, NC 2 04-10 187
Day 1: 2 04-10
14. Joe Tucker Osceola, MO 2 04-10 187
Day 1: 2 04-10
16. Steven Robbins Piketon, OH 2 04-06 185
Day 1: 2 04-06
17. George Malcolm Gainesville, FL 2 04-01 184
Day 1: 2 04-01
18. John Sanderlin Chesapeake, VA 2 04-00 183
Day 1: 2 04-00
19. Keith Gunsauls Dandridge, TN 2 03-15 182
Day 1: 2 03-15
20. Joseph Essary Knoxville, TN 2 03-12 181
Day 1: 2 03-12
21. Rick Cheatham Carterville, IL 2 03-10 180
Day 1: 2 03-10
22. Harvey Reece Chesterfield, VA 2 03-09 179
Day 1: 2 03-09
23. David Chamberlain Hampton, VA 2 03-08 178
Day 1: 2 03-08
24. Russell Nicewander Bluefield, WV 2 03-04 177
Day 1: 2 03-04
24. Scott Peters Knoxville, TN 2 03-04 177
Day 1: 2 03-04
26. Nathan Isaacs Knoxville, TN 1 02-15 175
Day 1: 1 02-15
27. Riley Nielsen Murray, UT 2 02-12 174
Day 1: 2 02-12
28. Gary Haraguchi Murfreesboro, TN 2 02-10 173
Day 1: 2 02-10
29. Dylan Mayo Athens, TX 1 02-10 172
Day 1: 1 02-10
30. Eric White Vinemont, AL 1 02-09 171
Day 1: 1 02-09
31. Don Bible II Knoxville, TN 1 02-07 170
Day 1: 1 02-07
32. Alicia Raytrowsky Delaware CANADA 1 02-04 169
Day 1: 1 02-04
33. Ricky Fulk Shenandoah, VA 1 02-03 168
Day 1: 1 02-03
34. David Booth Tazewell, TN 1 02-02 167
Day 1: 1 02-02
34. Robert Bruguiere Roseland, VA 1 02-02 167
Day 1: 1 02-02
36. Josh Roberts Ocala, FL 1 02-01 165
Day 1: 1 02-01
37. Travis Branstetter Deer Lodge, TN 1 02-00 164
Day 1: 1 02-00
37. James Roten West Jefferson, NC 1 02-00 164
Day 1: 1 02-00
39. Ryan Patterson Scott Township, PA 1 01-15 162
Day 1: 1 01-15
39. Sergio Render Crockett, VA 1 01-15 162
Day 1: 1 01-15
41. Mark Guhne Hixson, TN 1 01-14 160
Day 1: 1 01-14
41. Scott Walker Morristown, IN 1 01-14 160
Day 1: 1 01-14
43. Melvin Fults Hendersonville, TN 2 01-13 158
Day 1: 2 01-13
44. David Booth Erin, TN 1 01-12 157
Day 1: 1 01-12
44. Tristan Bramblett Tiger, GA 1 01-12 157
Day 1: 1 01-12
46. Bryant Bradley Murfreesboro, TN 1 01-11 155
Day 1: 1 01-11
46. Todd Mowery Madison, AL 1 01-11 155
Day 1: 1 01-11
46. Travis Turcotte Pembroke CANADA 1 01-11 155
Day 1: 1 01-11
49. RD Roulston Little Rock, AR 1 01-10 152
Day 1: 1 01-10
50. Johnnie Garrett Union City, TN 1 01-08 151
Day 1: 1 01-08
51. George Headden Oakdale, TN 1 01-07 150
Day 1: 1 01-07
51. Joshua Torres Port Tobacco, MD 1 01-07 150
Day 1: 1 01-07
53. Bob Harper Lombard, IL 1 01-06 148
Day 1: 1 01-06
54. Peter Bates Dayton, TN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
54. Charlie Beasley Maryville, TN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
54. Charles Bowman II Kernersville, NC 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
54. Cole Burdine Dandridge, TN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
54. Wesley Carroll Wartburg, TN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
54. Michael Cochran Mount Pleasant, SC 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
54. Colin Cooper Roanoke, VA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
54. Marrell Deering Rome, GA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
54. Laz Durham Dumfries, VA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
54. Dustin Dyer Johnson City, TN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
54. Terry Ford Harriman, TN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
54. Jason George Farragut, TN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
54. Dean Gibbs North Chesterfield, VA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
54. Anthony Glassco Powhatan, VA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
54. Gary Hall Wardville, OK 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
54. John Higginbotham Slaughter, LA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
54. Dj Holland Murfreesboro, TN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
54. Yu Kawamura Kashiwashi JAPAN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
54. Tim Kellam Crittenden, KY 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
54. Ty Kenyon Dodgeville, WI 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
54. Dennis Lane Rutledge, TN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
54. Michael Leach Shenandoah, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
54. Joe Lineberry Ramseaur,, NC 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
54. Kevin Mallow Kansas, OK 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
54. Nick Melcher Gypsum, CO 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
54. Ed Mlotek Naperville, IL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
54. Dalton Munsey Washburn, TN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
54. Kenneth Ott Manahawkin, NJ 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
54. Steve Ouellette Knoxville, TN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
54. John Rico Daisytown, PA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
54. Perry See Rochester, MN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
54. Jim Short Liberty Twp, OH 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
54. Tyler Smith Portage, MI 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
54. Randy Tallhamer Brandenton, FL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
54. Tim White Welaka, FL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
54. Avery Williams Murrells Inlt, SC 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
90. Thomas Crosswhite Hartwell, GA 0 -1-00 0
Day 1: 0 -01-00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 11 92 175-03
----------------------------------
11 92 175-03

by David Xiong

Excellent bass population could counter boat traffic for Bassmaster Open at Lake of the Ozarks

Current Bassmaster Opens EQ leader JT Thompkins will try to hold on to his top spot at the 2023 St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Lake of the Ozarks Sept. 22-24.

Photo by Andy Crawford/B.A.S.S.

September 14, 2023

OSAGE BEACH, Mo. — Lake of the Ozarks has much to offer, but during the St. Croix Bassmaster Open Division 2 event on the 54,000-acre Osage River impoundment, Elite Series pro Cody Huff said anglers have to take the good with the not-so-good.

Competition days will be Sept. 22-24 with daily takeoffs from Public Beach #2 at 7 a.m. CT and weigh-ins each day at 3 p.m. Full coverage will be available on Bassmaster.com with FS1 broadcasting live with the leaders on Sunday morning beginning at 7 a.m.

Huff, who hails from Ava, Mo., said the combination of a 93-mile-long waterway and the seasonably pleasant boating weather will present the most formidable challenge for competitors seeking to uncover the largemouth treasure that lives here.

“If we get warm, sunny, pretty conditions, the pleasure boaters are going to absolutely trash some of the areas anglers want to fish,” Huff explained. “Their wakes are going to make it super-hard to get around, and they’re going to make it super-hard to get back (to weigh-ins) in the afternoon.

“People are going to make a nice, long run in the morning; it’s going to be nice and slick, and then, after that, there are going to be a lot of giant boats on the water. You’re going to have to be very careful.”

As Huff notes, recreational boating traffic won’t necessarily deter bass feeding activity. The fish see this every summer, so they’re used to it. The challenge, he said, is safely and efficiently fishing the lake’s primary cover — docks.

“The boat wakes won’t mess up any of the fishing. It’s just going to make it pretty hard for guys to get around without beating up their equipment,” Huff said. “They’re going to be trying to fit into small spaces and skip a bait back behind docks.

“When you have big waves, it’s hard to make that jig go where you want it to. The boat wakes will make it hard for them to get to the targets they want to fish a lot of the time.”

On the upside, Lake of the Ozarks offers plenty of areas where anglers can flee the main-lake mayhem. Even departing the main tributary arms and fishing smaller creeks and pockets will offer relief from the daily increasing wave action.

“This lake is absolutely huge, so they can get into some more protected areas where they can fish,” Huff said. “It bends and twists and you can run as far as you want. It’ll just be hard to get back.

“That will be something to consider in practice. You’ll want to have some stuff to fish if it does get busy out there.”

About a week prior to the tournament, the Lake of the Ozarks water level stood at approximately 1.85 feet below full pool. Huff said he’s not expecting any dramatic changes — and considering this lake’s annual drawdown typically starts in December, significant fluctuation is unlikely.

Rainfall can bear some degree of impact, mostly via the runoff that can affect the river section and the lake’s numerous major and secondary creek arms. The long-range forecast suggests thunderstorms just before the start of the event, but duration and volume will determine their effects.

Fortunately, no major weather changes are expected, so Huff predicts the usual summer reservoir scenario.

“From everything I’ve been hearing, it should be pretty normal,” he said. “When you get up the river, the water is going to have some stain to it. Down at the lower end, you’ll have probably 4 to 6 feet of visibility, while up the river, you’ll have 2 to 3 feet.”

While points, laydowns and various offshore sneaky spots will factor into this event’s action, those docks will see most of the attention. As Huff observes, Lake of the Ozarks offers an enormous number of structures, but time efficiency will require anglers to dial in the high-value targets.

“It can be kind of overwhelming,” Huff said. “You have to get on a pattern on that lake and run with it. You might get on a pattern where you fish the first three docks in a pocket, or it might be the last three docks in the back of a pocket.

“The docks with the best brushpiles will be the most productive. You’ll see some guys catching them behind docks, but most of it will be on stuff you can’t see.”

In addition to skipping docks with jigs, Huff looks for Texas-rigged plastics, shaky heads and buzzbaits to produce. Crankbaits and swimbaits could play into the equation, and if the bite gets tough, someone may figure out a finesse pattern to save the day.

Overall, Huff said he’s looking for a strong showing. With plenty of 5-pounders and the occasional 6-plus making an appearance, Lake of the Ozarks is well known for its big-bag potential. Huff predicts 18 pounds a day will make the Top 10 cut and 20 pounds a day will win.

“I’ve been seeing some weights from local tournaments, and they are smashing them,” he said. “It looks like they’re biting, so it will be a fun tournament.”

by David Xiong

The Puppet's First Pitch

Limited supply of Northland^® Fishing Tackle's Pitchin’ Puppetavailable now!

BEMIDJI, Minn. (September 14, 2023) – The new Pitchin’ Puppet was originally planned as an early 2024 introduction. But there was a problem. Fishing fandom was unwilling to wait. The bait looked too cool. The technique is so wickedly effective. In response, Northland stepped on the gas, sped up production, and now, anglers have immediate access to this incredible lure.

The Pitchin’ Puppet features a lead frame with an over-molded resin exterior and fin, giving it a lifelike translucent baitfish appearance with exceptional durability. When jigged, snapped, or ripped, the Pitchin’ Puppet darts and rolls to trigger strikes. A wide-gap rear hook – and absence of a front nose hook – make this lure perfect for darting across the bottom, and the split-ring connected treble hook keeps fish pinned all the way back to the boat.

GREEN PERCH

LIMITED SUPPLY NOW AVAILABLE

Old School Puppetry

Longtime Minnesota fishing guide, Brian “Bro” Brosdahl, has been fishing glide baits for walleyes since word spread after Kim “Chief” Papineau took 2nd place fishing heavy glide baits in open-water at a 2001 In-Fisherman Professional Walleye Trail (PMT) tournament on the Detroit River. Unable to keep his winning ice-bait tactic a secret given the bumper boats, Chief’s walleye lure hack spread like wildfire, Ron and Al Lindner eventually taking the technique into a whole new realm.

“I had glide baits in my ice fishing box and started playing with them in open-water pretty early on,” says Brosdahl. “They’ve put tons of fish in the boat for me and my clients over the years. However, the problem has always been that front nose hook, which tends to foul-hook as many fish as it catches, and frequently snags everything from rocks to wood to weeds. The original glide baits on the market were not designed for casting; they were designed for vertical jigging.”

Not to say various tackle manufacturers haven’t tried to fix the issue. There are a number of retail-pegged baits out there sans nose hook, but none have caught on to the level of original glide bait designs.

New School Puppetry

Mille Lacs Lake guide, Brad Hawthorne, helped prototype the new Northland Pitchin’ Puppet and has put countless hours on the odometer chasing marble eyes around the Big Pond (Mille Lacs), putting various design iterations to the test over the past two years.

“The technology is awesome,” says Hawthorne. “The encasing—whatever they’re calling it—is the most durable finish I’ve ever seen on a glide bait. You might get a few scratches working it through the rocks, but get it wet, and it goes right back to normal,” notes Hawthorne.

He says the bait is designed to be “ripped and ripped and ripped some more. It’s a fast-thinking deal to get in front of fish.”

The other thing he likes about the new Northland Pitchin’ Puppet design is it eliminates having to cut off nose hooks from three-hook glide bait designs.

“You can catch fish on just about any glide bait on the market, but they lack a well-designed hooking system. That’s what took us the longest with this new design. We knew it needed a perfect rear hook, something with a wide gap to pierce meat and bone and keep fish pinned. Fact is, your glide bait standards were designed for ice, not casting or pitching. If everyone was being honest, they’d admit that one out of three walleyes are snagged on a traditional minnow-style glide bait. Not the case with the new Pitchin’ Puppet; fish are inhaling this lure.”

For Hawthorne, he says working the Pitchin’ Puppet is a “rinse and repeat kind of thing.”

“I like to set the bow-mount trolling motor to .8 to 1 mph and pitch the bait out 60 to 70 feet behind the boat and just sit, pop, and snap jig it,” shares Hawthorne.

With walleyes well into mid-summer patterns, Hawthorne has been fishing the middle 2-3/8”, 5/8-ouncer a lot in deeper waters. “It’s basically your old’ #7, but a little bit more compact and lacking the nose hook.”

Hawthorne also likes the bait for running rocks. “Without the nose hook you don’t get snagged nearly as often as with most glide bait designs. So, I’ve replaced all the glide baits in my boat with Pitchin’ Puppets. It’s not unheard of to fish four or five different bottom substrates on a given day, everything from rock, sand, to mud. Now I don’t have to clip the front hook off to do my job and make things easier for clients. It comes right out of the package ready-to-fish.”

SILVER RACECAR

GOLD SHINER

SUPER-GLO WHITE

SUPER-GLO PERCH

Brilliant Forward-Facing Sonar Returns

As more and more anglers invest in forward-facing sonar to chase $9.99/lb. fillets, it’s worth mentioning that the new Pitchin’ Puppet has an incredible forward-facing sonar signature.

“The bait shows up like a beam of light on forward-facing sonar,” says Hawthorne. “There’s no mistaking that you’re throwing a brand-new bait with a much-improved sonar return. It really lights up.”

Pitchin’ Puppet Proponent

21-year-old ace guide, trophy walleye hunter, TikTok creator, and Pitchin’ Puppet tester, Michael Showalter, has been fishing the bait extensively everywhere from the St. Croix River to northern Ontario—where his family operates the oldest fly-in outfit in the province, Showalter’s Fly-In Outposts.

“It’s been crazy, man. Just nuts. We’ve caught 16 fish 30-inches or bigger already this year, most of them on the new Pitchin Puppet,” says Showalter.

SUPER-GLO CHUB

PINK TIGER

SUPER-GLO REDFISH

PARROT

Showalter’s program?

“I start out looking for walleyes with LiveScope and once I spot ‘em, it’s pretty much game over. If they're stationary, I move right on top of them and drop the Pitchin’ Puppet down and let it hit bottom. I bring the Puppet back up, give it a wrist snap and then let it descend on what I call a ‘controlled fall.’ A lot of times they'll hit it when you first drop it down or after a few snaps. If I can’t get the fish to go within 30 to 45 seconds, I move on and find another one,” notes Showalter.

Besides his current deepwater vertical jigging program, Showalter also spends plenty of time pitching the bait, which jibes with the new lure design. Anytime walleyes are moving, pitching is Showalter’s program.

“Here’s the thing, though. I don't like to pitch more than 60-feet because it’s harder to get a good hookset. But, yeah, if the walleyes are moving around, I'll Spot-Lock in the general area and pitch over to them here and there.”

Showalter continues: “Right now, I’m fishing anywhere from 25 to 35 feet, so I’m using the 5/8-ouncer. Color doesn't seem to matter too much, but I do like the brighter colors on brighter days and dark, natural colors on darker days.”

In terms of 2023 open-water PBs, Showalter has scooped sixteen 30-inchers and one client recently landed a 31.5” on an orange, 5/8-ounce Pitchin’ Puppet.

PURPLE RACECAR

GOLDEN PERCH

WONDERBREAD

PURPLE WONDER

SNEEZE

Showalter’s Puppetry Gear

Given the deeper waters Showalter’s fishing right now, he opts for 10-pound fluorocarbon, bucking the trend of either braid to fluoro leader or the straight-up monofilament used by many glide bait anglers. “I like fluorocarbon because it still has some stretch to it to absorb trophy walleye headshakes,” offers Showalter.

His rod and reel choice is nothing out-of-the-box: a 7’1” medium-power, fast-action spinning rod paired with a 2500-size reel.

Fewer Hook Fouls

Given Northland’s two hook, nose hookless bait design, Showalter says he’s snagging “way fewer” walleyes on the new minnow glide bait.

“Walleyes are inhaling these baits. Honestly, I don't think I've snagged a fish with a Pitchin’ Puppet. Seems like everybody is worried about that front hook being excluded, but the wide-gapped rear hook gets ‘em every time. Set the hook and there’s no coming off. I really like that about them. It’s big fish insurance for me and my guests.”

The other plus? Showalter says his live bait expenses have gone way down.

“I don’t have to spend a bunch of money on live bait when I can pitch or vertical jig the Pitchin' Puppet and catch the big ones.”

The Pattern

Guiding on Lake Pakwash, Ontario, and nearby Lac Seul, Showalter says some Canadian walleyes are currently on a cisco feed, with fish belching up giant forage.

“We caught a 30-incher the other day that had a 15-inch cisco in its throat. I couldn’t believe it. But I saw that big ol’ tail sticking out of there, so I pulled it out. We measured it at over a footlong.”

Showalter has been targeting deep rock structure, typically positioning his big ‘glass tiller off the structure and along hard bottom-to-mud substrate transitions.

“I’m catching most of my fish in that 2-foot from the bottom zone, not suspended way up in the water column,” adds Showalter.

And when he does mark fish suspended over deeper basin areas, he says it can be hard to get those fish to commit because they’re moving off structure to digest their food, not necessarily to chase down another meal. Then, once they’ve digested their prey, they move back on or slightly off nearby structure where Showalter says you can “get a few to go, that’s for sure.”

Details: Pitchin’ Puppet

For decades now, anglers have been using vertical jigging lures like the Northland Puppet Minnow® for casting—and with great success. Now Northland has designed a bait specifically for the job. The Pitchin’ Puppet features a lead frame with an over-molded resin exterior and fin, giving it a lifelike translucent baitfish appearance with exceptional durability. When jigged, snapped, or ripped, the Pitchin’ Puppet darts and rolls to trigger strikes. A wide-gap rear hook – and absence of a front nose hook – make this lure perfect for darting across the bottom, and the split-ring connected treble hook keeps fish pinned all the way back to the boat.

Over-molded resin body and tail that’s extremely durable
Baitfish profile
Wide-gap rear hook for better hooking percentages
Cast and retrieve or vertically jig to create a darting action like a dying minnow
15 Colors
SIZES: 2-inch (5/16 oz.), 2-3/8-inch (5/8 oz.) and 2-3/4-inch (1 oz.)

MSRP $9.99

by David Xiong

Two Firsts at KVD’s Final Tournament

Courtesy of Luke Stoner - Dynamic Sponsorships

While Minn Kota Stage Seven may have been the last regular-season event of Kevin VanDam’s unparalleled competitive career, the 33-year tournament veteran still experienced a couple of firsts during his swan song last month. KVD won his first $3,000 bonus from Costa’s popular Compete + Conserve contingency program and was the first angler to wear Costa’s brand new, award-winning King Tide sunglasses at Saginaw Bay.

VanDam was the highest finishing angler wearing Costa Sunglasses with his second-place effort, which awarded him the Compete + Conserve prize and allowed him to choose a conservation partner to receive an additional $500 donation. The money that’s donated to one of five program cause partners directly benefits the freshwater ecosystems we all enjoy. KVD made his donation to The Bass Fishing Hall of Fame.

Anglers of all levels can take advantage of this contingency program if you own a pair of Costas, register online for free, and compete in one of the over 300+ supported events including high school, college, team trails, or professional tournaments. Of course, the opportunity to win bonus money is appealing, but the included conservation payout is what really gets VanDamexcited about Compete + Conserve.

“Throughout my career I’ve always placed a lot of value in partnering with brands who support conservation,” VanDamsaid. “Costa is the ultimate example of that. They champion a myriad of efforts like Kick Plastic, #OneCoast, and the Untangled Series to name a few and they’ve done something really special with Compete + Conserve for us bass fishermen. They don’t just talk the talk; they walk the walk.”

Stage Seven also served as the coming out party for Costa’s new King Tide Sunglasses. The king of tournament bass fishing for the past three decades was honored to be among the first to wear these sunglasses in competition. Two kings rode together on Saginaw Bay.

VanDam first got his hands on the frames at ICAST in July. After trying out a pair during a round of golf, VanDam was so impressed that he immediately struck up a conversation with one of Costa’s engineers and talked him out of a pair of the King Tide 8s with Sunrise Silver Mirror glass lens.

“Even though I figured we’d be well past the spawn at Stage Seven, sight fishing is always key to the way I like to fish in Michigan,” VanDam explained. “The new King Tides (size 8) fit my face like a glove with the full wrap and added side shields to block out light. I knew they would give me an advantage on the water. They only had one or two pairs with the Sunrise Silver lens at ICAST and I just had to have one. I’m glad I did… they are amazing.”

KVD’s intuition proved spot on, as his primary pattern on Saginaw Bay was power-fishing flats for smallmouth with a Strike King Thunder Cricket and a KVD Spinnerbait. His best areas were too shallow to find structure using only electronics, so he relied on his eyes in practice to find isolated rock vanes and weed clumps holding fish.

In fact, VanDam insists that his eyes and new King Tides were crucial in finding the specific spot that produced over 20-lbs of smallmouth at the start of the Knockout Round.

“I was driving my boat across a big flat and I saw one small prime looking weed clump,” VanDam said. “I marked the spot on my Humminbirds and started on that waypoint in the Knockout Round. I ended up catching like 17 fish in 19 casts or something crazy like that. It was magic, and exactly the kind of thing that can happen if you keep your eyes open.”

The Team Toyota pro has produced a lot of magic over the course of his legendary career, and certainly has more in his future during what promises to be an active retirement. The King Tides are officially available on Costas website, www.costadelmar.com, and for information on the Compete + Conserve website follow this link www.costacompeteandconserve.com/.

by David Xiong

Bassmaster Redfish Cup heads to South Carolina’s Winyah Bay for 2023

The 2022 defending champions Edward Adams and Sean O'Connell will be among the field when the 2023 Yamaha Bassmaster Redfish Cup Championship presented by Skeeter Boats takes on South Carolina's Winyah Bay Oct. 27-29.

Photo by Andy Crawford/B.A.S.S.

September 14, 2023

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Ten teams will compete for their share of a $100,000 purse when the 2023 Yamaha Bassmaster Redfish Cup Championship presented by Skeeter Boats travels to Winyah Bay in Georgetown, S.C., Oct. 27-29.

“We’re excited to bring the Redfish Cup to Georgetown for the first time,” said Tournament Director Hank Weldon. “This is always such a compelling fishery for bass competition, and we expect nothing less for this event. Over the past two years, it's been fun to see a mix of inshore and bass tactics being used, and the competitors, sportfishing fans and viewers have all really embraced this format.”

This made-for-television tournament has been a hit with fishing fans, who streamed a whopping 22.5 million minutes of Redfish Cup coverage in 2022 and can once more look forward to live coverage on both Bassmaster.com and FS1.

Redfish World Series champions Sean O’Connell and Edward Adams took the title last year in Texas, edging out the 2021 Redfish Cup winning team of Bassmaster Elite Series veteran Chris Zaldain and IFA Redfish Tour standout Ryan Rickard.

“The stage that we were fishing and the platform that B.A.S.S. created is unparalleled by anything I’ve ever fished in redfishing,” O’Connell said of the 2022 Redfish Cup event. “We’ve never been able to fish live and have the BassTrakk live standings. People now get to see what we do. This brought redfishing to a new stage, and I can’t thank B.A.S.S. enough.”

In a twist to the format for 2023, each angler can weigh in up to two fish in the 17- to 23-inch slot per day for a total of four fish per team.

Once more the contest will feature a mix of championship-caliber professional redfish teams along with four all-star teams featuring Bassmaster Elite Series pro anglers paired with redfish pros.

Forrest Wood Cup and St. Croix Bassmaster Opens champion Justin Atkins and 2023 Redfish World Series qualifier Rickard, who finished third in the Power-Pole Pro Redfish Tour Team of the Year standings and has two Top 2 finishes in the Bassmaster Redfish Cup.
2019 Progressive Insurance Bassmaster Angler of the Year Scott Canterbury and veteran redfish angler and charter captain Krista Miller, known in many circles as “Krista Redfish.”
Two-time Bassmaster Classic qualifier Ray Hanselman and former FLW Redfish Championship winner Dwayne Eschete, who is making his second appearance on a Bassmaster Redfish Cup all-star team.
2020 TNT B.A.S.S. Nation Champion Pat Schlapper and Charleston-native and popular charter captain, Ben Powers.
These all-star teams will not only be joined by the returning champions O’Connell and Adams, but five additional redfish teams representing the Professional Redfish League, Elite Redfish Series and Power-Pole Pro Redfish Tour will compete as well. Aaron Salazar and Ben Human edged out the team of Ken and Jeff Mullett by five points to win the Power-Pole Pro Redfish Team of the Year title. The remaining teams will be announced at a later date.

Fans can catch Bassmaster Redfish LIVE coverage all three days of the tournament on Bassmaster.com. FS1 will broadcast live Oct. 28-29 beginning at 8 a.m. ET.

The 2023 Yamaha Bassmaster Redfish Cup Championship presented by Skeeter Boats is being hosted by Georgetown County, S.C. This is the event’s first visit to South Carolina since its revival in 2021 after a 12-year hiatus.

"Georgetown County began working with B.A.S.S. in 2015,” said Beth Goodale, director of recreation and community services for Georgetown County. “Since that first event, we have continued to enjoy working with B.A.S.S. and welcome all levels of bass fishing events to our unique coastal fishery. This year, we are thrilled to have the opportunity to welcome this relatively new version of the Bassmaster Redfish Cup to Georgetown County."

by David Xiong

MDJ’s treasured week at sea with no cell service

Courtesy of Alan McGuckin - Dynamic Sponsorships

Team Toyota’s Mark Daniels Jr. fell in love with fishing as a kid with his dad, while growing up a short cast from San Francisco Bay. In fact, the first 10 years or so of his angling lifestyle had almost nothing to do with largemouth, and everything to do with saltwater.

So, the recent opportunity to finally partake in a ‘long range’ saltwater trip with his close friend Josh, and two dozen other electrician buddies of Josh’s, aboard an 86-foot long boat for a solid week, is an experience the now Alabama resident is still celebrating.

“Josh has been inviting me on this annual late summer trip for at least five years, but my tournament schedule always had a conflict. This year it finally worked out, and I’m already calling it the trip of a lifetime,” says Daniels.

The long-distance trip was a total of seven days, the first two of which were spent running 80 miles to the magical location in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Once there, all heck broke loose as a school of 30 to 60-pound yellowfin tuna tore apart the party’s offering of sardines on weightless lines to the point of tangling a few, before “MDJ” eventually landed the biggest one of the trip. A 59-pounder.

That fish earned him a treasured keepsake in the form of a belt buckle trophy created to honor and remember a gentleman named Kyle who was once a part of the trip, prior to a tragic ATV accident that claimed his life. His parents not only chose to remember Kyle’s love of the trip through the commemorative ‘jackpot fish’ buckle, but actually joined the group as two of the 24 anglers on board.

“Kyle’s parents are obviously pretty special people, and our crew even had photos of him displayed on the boat throughout the trip. We definitely felt his presence,” reflected Daniels.

By the trip’s end, MDJ had landed more than 600 total pounds of fish, which is all being processed and shipped to his South Alabama home. Although, because he adheres to a plant-based diet, he will gladly share most of the formerly finned protein with friends.

“It was 100-percent a trip filled with lessons in fellowship, and the greater meaning of life. Especially with Kyle’s parents on board. Plus,learning how to live at sea for a week with nearly two dozen people I had never met,” he says.

“But the part of the trip that also keeps resonating on me was not having any cell phone service. Social media is a monster that constantly needs to be fed. So, I’m not gonna lie, being able to totally disconnect from it for seven days was something I absolutely treasured too,” says Daniels.

What an incredible week for the lifetime angler. Seven days at sea. Six hundred pounds of fish. A commemorative belt buckle. And an immeasurable amount of soulful peace that precipitated from a week of separation from a digital device most of us think we can’t live without.

by David Xiong

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