For over 15 years, Walter James, a dedicated bass fisherman from Braselton, Georgia, has entered MLF sweepstakes, hoping for a chance at winning a major prize. After entering the Bass Pro Shops Nitro Z19 sweepstakes a dozen times, he was thrilled to learn that his efforts had finally paid off.

“I was in the truck with my brother when I saw the email, and at first, I didn’t believe it was legit,” said James. “We both laughed about it for a while, but then I called the sweepstakes number and called MLF and was shocked to confirm I’d actually won it!”

As a dedicated angler who competes in the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) and has fished tournaments with his brother for years, winning this prize was a dream come true, and James is excited for the opportunity to put the new Nitro Z19 to good use.

“I’ve been watching pros like Kevin VanDam (KVD) and Jacob Wheeler for years,” he added. “You can’t keep Wheeler out of the top 10 no matter where you go. It’s unbelievable! I can only dream of being half the angler those guys are.”

The Bass Pro Shops Nitro Z19 sweepstakes began February 28 of 2024 and ran through the conclusion of the Bass Pro Tour Stage Seven event at the St. Lawrence River. The sweepstakes included the grand prize Nitro Z19 with Mercury outboard motor and trailer, valued at $49,995 and runner-up prizes from Ascend and Champion Power Equipment.

Around the same time, Mary Schabdach, a retired fishing enthusiast from Marco Island, Florida, had a similarly thrilling experience after entering the MLF Toyota Tacoma & More sweepstakes each day. The sweepstakes – which began on June 3 and ended on September 11 – included a chance to win a Toyota Tacoma TRD Off-Road vehicle, valued at $47,000, as well as runner-up prizes from General Tire, Bubba, Rapala and Onyx, and an additional 100 daily prize winners.

Schabdach said when she got the email notification that she’d won the 2024 Toyota Tacoma, she could hardly believe her luck.

“I was so excited—I had to pinch myself,” said Schabdach, whose new white Tacoma, featuring sleek black highlights, has been turning heads on the road. “It’s been such a joy to drive. Just the other day, a group of guys here in Florida for spring break stopped me to say how much they loved the truck!

“My mom and I drove about 500 miles on our first road trip with it. It was such a pleasure to drive, and we felt very safe in the Tacoma.”

Both winners had high praise for the MLF team who helped guide them through the sweepstakes process.

“My contact at MLF kept in touch with me the whole time to ensure everything was taken care of and ran smoothly,” said Schabdach. “The entire experience was easy and seamless from start to finish.”

For James, his newfound Nitro Z19 marks the culmination of years of participating in MLF sweepstakes. As he looks forward to getting back out on the water, he encourages other anglers to enter to win.

“I’m living proof that it doesn’t matter how old you are, you can still win,” said the 79-year-old tournament angler. “It’s easy to sign up, doesn’t cost a thing and you never know – you might walk away with the next grand prize.”

Fans can go online to enter the MLF Bass Pro Shops Nitro Z19 Sweepstakes, currently underway at MajorLeagueFishing.com. The grand prize winner will receive a brand-new Nitro Z19, with runner-up prizes including an Ascend Sit on Top Kayak and Champion Power Equipment. The MLF Bass Pro Shops Nitro Z19 Sweepstakes is open now through September 11.

For more information on current Major League Fishing sweepstakes opportunities, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com/promos. For complete details and updated information about Major League Fishing, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, X , Instagram and  YouTube.

About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery Channel, Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 20 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.