Top 30 after Five Stages advance to compete for nearly $750,000 in winnings

March 5, 2020 (Tulsa, Okla.) Major League Fishing released standings for Heavy Hitters presented by Venmo following the first two Stages of the Bass Pro Tour. Jordan Lee leads the field with a two-stage weight of 14 pounds, seven ounces. Dave Lefebre leapt to third place after a nine-pound catch on Lake Okeechobee during the Favorite Fishing Stage Two presented by Bass Cat. Brent Chapman, who led the field at the end of B&W Hitches Stage One presented by Power Pole on Lake Eufaula with his eight-pound-15-ounce catch, fell to number four after only scoring a four-pound-two-ounce largemouth on Lake Okeechobee.

Click here for complete standings.

As previously announced, MLF will track each angler’s heaviest fish from each of the first five Stages of the Bass Pro Tour. The 30 Pros with the heaviest “virtual bag” after the first five Stages of the Bass Pro Tour will compete on the Kissimmee Chain, May 16-20, 2020 for $745,000 in winnings, including $100,000 top prize and a second $100,000 for the heaviest fish on the last day. Heavy Hitters presented by Venmo is hosted by Experience Kissimmee.

To qualify for Heavy Hitters Presented by Venmo, the weight of an angler’s single largest bass from each of the first five Stages of the Bass Pro Tour will be recorded. For example, if an angler’s heaviest fish in Stage One is 7 pounds; in Stage Two, 5 pounds; in Stage Three, 9 pounds; in Stage Four, 8 pounds; and in Stage Five, 6 pounds, that angler’s qualifying weight will be 35 pounds. The 30 anglers from the 80-angler field of the Bass Pro Tour with the highest cumulative weight across five stages earn a spot to compete in MLF’s Heavy Hitters.

The five-day tournament format will parallel REDCREST, featuring a 30-angler Qualifying Round on Days One and Two. The Top 20 anglers at the end of the two-day total qualify into a Knockout Round (Days Three and Four). The Top five anglers from each of days three and four will qualify into the 10-angler Championship Round (Day Five).

Scoreable bass vary each round. Shotgun and Elimination Rounds will score one pound or higher. For the Knockout Round, Major League Fishing will test a two-pound minimum for scoreable bass. In the Championship Round, MLF will test a three-pound minimum on scoreable bass on the Kissimmee Chain.

The full field of 30 anglers will receive a minimum payout of $6,000 and the tournament winner will earn $100,000. In addition to the championship purse, anglers will have the opportunity to earn a daily bonus for their biggest bass of the day based on the following graduating scale: Day One $25,000; Day Two $25,000; Day Three $50,000; Day Four $50,000; Day Five (Championship Day) $100,000. The five-day payout totals $745,000 for MLF Heavy Hitters.

The Bass Pro Tour continues next week, March 13-18, 2020, with the General Tire Stage Three presented by TrueTimber on Lake Fork (Texas).  Each day begins with launch 7:15 a.m. local time before lines-in at 8:00 a.m. Period 1 ends at 10:30 a.m. Period 2 spans 10:45 a.m. until 1:15 p.m. Period 3 begins at 1:30 p.m. and lasts until day’s end at 4:00 p.m. The General Tire Takeout show airs approximately 4:15 – 5:15 p.m. as anglers return to the ramp and interact with fans.

Fans can catch all the action every day of competition on MLFNOW! livestream on MajorLeagueFishing.com or download the MLF App for your Apple or GooglePlay device or on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV).