Catching up with Kayak Ace Drew Gregory

By Vance McCullough - AC InsiderMy dad taught me young, “There are dreamers. And then there are doers. Be a doer.” Then you meet a guy like Drew Gregory. A doer of dreams. Big dreams. Winner of too many bass tournaments to enumerate here, including the 2024 Bassmaster Kayak Series championship held concurrently with the Bassmaster Classic in Oklahoma. Gregory works his magic from  the…

Largemouth carry Clarke to victory on Clarks Hill

Jan. 25, 2025   EVANS, Ga. — It didn’t result in many bites, but Chase Clarke perfectly executed a big-bass pattern to win the weather-shortened St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Clarks Hill Reservoir presented by SEVIIN with a two-day total of 47 pounds, 7 ounces. The 2022 Auburn University graduate caught three 6-pound or better largemouth during the tournament, two on the first day…

Fishin’ Tip Friday – Taking the Red Eye with KVD

What a winter blast! Even in Florida it’s colder than a (insert favorite reference to a well digger or witch here). But, since y’all like to come down here and start the tournament season way too early every year, we’ve discovered ways to catch fish, quality fish – tournament winning fish – under any conditions. Tournaments are the best laboratory for the development and exchange of…

Major League Fishing Expands International Presence with Addition of Japan to Global Tournament Network

BENTON, Ky. (Jan. 23, 2025) – Major League Fishing (MLF), the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, announced today an exclusive licensing agreement with Eisaku Kato to operate MLF events in Japan. Through this partnership, Kato will introduce the MLF format to Japanese anglers starting in 2025 with the launch of the MLF Japan Kasumi BMC Series. Kato, a long-time advocate for bass…

MLF’s Daniel Fennel: From Lake Life to the Big Leagues as Bass Pro Tour Tournament Director

BENTON, Ky. (Jan. 23, 2025) – Fishing has been at the center of Daniel Fennel’s life for as long as he can remember. Now entering his third season as the Bass Pro Tour Tournament Director and celebrating 20 years with Major League Fishing (MLF), he’s turned his passion into a career that resonates with anglers and fans across the country. “I feel like I’ve been part of this world forever,”…

Yamaha Becomes Title Sponsor of the Collegiate All-Academic Team presented by Yamaha

SAN ANTONIO, TX (January 22, 2025) – The Association of Collegiate Anglers announces longtime supporter of college fishing Yamaha Outboards as the title sponsor of the Association of Collegiate Anglers All-Academic Team. New for the 2024-25 school year, as part of its historic celebration of the 20th season of college bass fishing, the ACA created the All-Academic Team to reward anglers for…

Icy roads force postponement of Bassmaster Open at Clarks Hill Reservoir

Jan. 22, 2025 EVANS, Ga. — Due to unsafe and icy roads, Day 1 of the St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Clarks Hill Reservoir presented by SEVIIN has been postponed to ensure the safety of anglers, fans and tournament staff. Tournament officials made the decision after seeking guidance from local authorities. “With temperatures forecast to drop to 17 to 19 degrees, any areas that have thawed but…

Why Vexus Wednesday – Catching up with Cox

By Vance McCullough - AC Insider John Cox has forged a brilliant bass tournament career from aluminum boats. He can run any brand, any model he choses and he has chosen the Vexus AVX2100. Why? “I just fished a redfish tournament with (fellow bass pro and erstwhile redfish competitor) Keith Carson out of the new ACX2210 and I am completely in love with that boat. I have never been in a…

The Wait Is Over: MLF Bass Pro Tour Returns Next Week at Lake Conroe

Field of 66 Anglers Ready to Compete for Top Prize of $150,000 at B&W Trailer Hitches Stage 1 Presented by Power-Pole CONROE, Texas (Jan. 22, 2025) – All eyes will be on Lake Conroe next week, Jan. 30 – Feb. 2, when Major League Fishing (MLF) kicks off the 2025 Bass Pro Tour (BPT) season with the B&W Trailer Hitches Stage 1 Presented by Power-Pole. Hosted by Visit Conroe, the…

B.A.S.S. announces 2025 Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers schedule

Jan. 21, 2025   BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — B.A.S.S. has announced the schedule for the 2025 Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers series, and the slate offers up three of the hottest fisheries in the country for anglers to compete for the opportunity to walk across bass fishing’s biggest stage. For the 2025 season, the St. Croix Bassmaster Opens Series presented by SEVIIN evolved into an eight-event…

A student angler bonus program to Bragg about

High school angler Caige Bragg of Trussville, AL is not a boastful young man, despite the fact he’s fast proving himself as one of America’s most talented young bass anglers. He’s got the Vexus® Varsity trophy banners, and $500 Tackle Warehouse gift cards to prove it. The 17-year old Springville High School junior registered for the Vexus® Boats Varsity program that rewards qualifying high…

Keachi’s Howe Earns First Career Phoenix Bass Fishing League Win at Toledo Bend

Sulphur’s Gilder Tops Strike King Co-Angler Division MANY, La. (Jan. 20, 2025) – Boater Evan Howe of Keachi, Louisiana, caught a five-bass limit weighing 27 pounds even Saturday to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on Toledo Bend Reservoir . The tournament was the second event of the season for the BFL Cowboy Division. Howe earned $3,804 for his victory.…

West Columbia’s Murphy Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Lake Murray

Columbia’s McClinton Tops Strike King Co-Angler Division PROSPERITY, S.C. (Jan. 20, 2025) – Boater Lucas Murphy of West Columbia, South Carolina, caught a five-bass limit weighing 26 pounds, 10 ounces, Saturday to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on Lake Murray . The tournament, hosted by Capital City Lake Murray Country Regional Tourism Board, was the…

Reigning Bassmaster Kayak Series champion heats up desert to win at Lake Havasu

Jan. 19, 2025 LAKE HAVASU CITY, Ariz. — While most of the United States prepared for a polar blast on Sunday, Drew Gregory was heating up the Arizona desert on the closing day of the Newport Bassmaster Kayak Series at Lake Havasu presented by Native Watercraft. Gregory, a 45-year-old resident of Kent, Ohio, earned a come-from-behind win in the two-day tournament, the first derby of the 2025…

Herber uses home-water knowledge to lead first day at Bassmaster Kayak Series at Lake Havasu

Jan. 18, 2025 LAKE HAVASU CITY, Ariz. — While a blistering Arctic storm made its frigid march across much of the continent Saturday, temperatures remained mild in the Arizona desert on Day 1 of the Newport Bassmaster Kayak Series at Lake Havasu presented by Native Watercraft. The catch was fairly tepid, too, with Paul Herber of Canyon Lake, Calif., being the hottest angler of the day with…

Winter showdown on tap for first Bassmaster Opens event at Clarks Hill Reservoir

Jan. 16, 2025 EVANS, Ga. — A true winter showdown is on tap for anglers fishing the first tournament of the St. Croix Bassmaster Opens presented by SEVIIN season at Clarks Hill Reservoir. Even with the cold temperatures and a daunting practice forecast, the potential for big bags is high, and 2024 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Team Championship Classic Fish-Off winner Tyler Campbell believes…

MLF’s Mark McWha: Leading the Toyota Series with Passion and Purpose

BENTON, Ky. (Jan. 16, 2025) – Fishing has been a way of life for Major League Fishing (MLF) Toyota Series Tournament Director Mark McWha since he was a teenager. Growing up in Hot Springs, Arkansas, McWha spent countless hours casting lines into local waters like Lake Hamilton and Lake Ouachita. Back then, it wasn’t about big wins or national acclaim. It was about night tournaments, friendly…

Harris Chain success will be weather dependent at first College Series event of the season

Jan. 15, 2025 LEESBURG, Fla. — The 2025 Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops season kicks off at the Harris Chain of Lakes, and St. Croix Bassmaster Opens presented by SEVIIN pro Bobby Bakewell believes weather conditions will play an important role. “It is solely going to be dependent on cold fronts,” the 2025 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by…

Beau Knows Bass

Z-Man® officially welcomes Bassmaster Elite Series angler Beau Browning to the family Ladson, SC (January 13, 2025) – Freshly qualified for the 2025 Bassmaster Elite Series, twenty-three year old Beau Browning recently paused to reflect on his earliest fishing memories. At seven years old, little Beau was already fishing Arkansas high school bass tourneys—and winning. “It’s kind of funny…

A Rodeo Cowboy’s 4,000 Mile Journey to the MLF Co-Angler Ranks

Jan. 9, 2025 Charity Muehlenweg • Major League Fishing Ted Brown of Ontario, Oregon, is no stranger to competition. A rodeo athlete with the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA), Brown has spent decades mastering the grit and determination needed to succeed in a highly demanding sport. But after years of traveling the country on the rodeo circuit, Brown found himself yearning for a…

BFL Gator Division Opener Scheduled for Saturday on Harris Chain Postponed

WHAT: The Major League Fishing (MLF) Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine tournament scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 11 has been postponed due to the extremely high winds being forecast provided by the National Weather Service. The event, set to be the season opener for the BFL Gator Division, has been rescheduled to Sunday, March 23, piggybacking on the next BFL event on…

Corrigan’s Wyatt Frankens Wins 2025 Phoenix Bass Fishing League Season Opener at Sam Rayburn Reservoir

Arkansas’ Thomas Tops Strike King Co-Angler Division BROOKELAND, Texas (Jan. 6, 2025) – Boater Wyatt Frankens of Corrigan, Texas, caught a five-bass limit weighing 29 pounds, 1 ounce, Saturday to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine event at Sam Rayburn Reservoir . The tournament, hosted by Jasper County Development District, was the first event of the season…

MLF Introduces Lock Box to Enforce 2025 Forward-Facing Sonar Rules

BENTON, Ky. (Jan. 3, 2024) – Major League Fishing (MLF) has unveiled a new lock box, designed and manufactured by Precision Sonar, that will support new rules limiting anglers to the use of two forward-facing or 360-degree sonar transducers during competition. The innovative, simple-to-use device will be provided free to all anglers who need to lock out excess transducers during competition.…

Catch the Anglers Channel Bass Wrap Up Show on the Pursuit Channel in 2025

Columbia, SC (January 02, 2025) – The Anglers Channel Bass Wrap Up show is now airing on Pursuit with multiple airings per week, for both Q1 and Q2 2025. You can tune in on Tuesdays at 5:30 am, Wednesdays at 7:00 pm, and Thursday 7:00 am EST.  The Anglers Channel Bass Wrap Up show is an informative recap of professional, amateur, and grassroots-level bass fishing tournaments across the country.…

Gritter Grabs Yamaha Power Pay on Grand Lake

Courtesy of Dynamic Sponsorships Michigan angler and former Bassmaster Elite Series® pro earns $5,000 at the 2024 B.A.S.S. ® Nation Championship on Oklahoma’s famed Grand Lake.  It’s no secret that blue-collared anglers are the lifeblood of tournament bass fishing. Many anglers work long hours throughout the week, waking up early and coming home late to take care of their families and…

Bailey Gay Secures His First NPFL Victory on Lake Murray

Kentucky angler Bailey Gay earned his first-ever NPFL win at Stop Six on Lake Murray, with a two-day total weight of 39 pounds, 15 ounces. Demonstrating consistency throughout the shortened event, Gay brought in 18 pounds, 12 ounces on Day One and an impressive 21 pounds, 3 ounces on Finale Friday, securing victory by a margin of 2 pounds, 7 ounces. Gay faced a tough practice, with bites…

B.A.S.S. announces 2025 Bassmaster Kayak Series schedule

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — B.A.S.S. is continuing to build the wildly popular Bassmaster Kayak Series and has announced the schedule for the 2025 Newport Bassmaster Kayak Series presented by Native Watercraft. The schedule features six stops across six states and presents some of the best fishing opportunities in the country for tournament kayak anglers. “In 2024 we saw the anglers’ continued…

Z-Man® Adds New Talent

Fishing industry vets Richard Dunham & Abbie Skeen enrich tackle company's creativity, culture Ladson, SC (December 10, 2024) – It’s just some random Tuesday, and the vibe inside Z-Man headquarters is popping. Offices and their occupants pulse with positive energy. Phones buzz and rattle off desks. Front doorbells chime, nearly nonstop. Up and down halls, spirited voices punctuate…

B.A.S.S. welcomes Native Watercraft as presenting sponsor of Bassmaster Kayak Series

Dec. 9, 2024 BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — B.A.S.S. has announced Native Watercraft has taken the role of presenting sponsor for the 2025 Newport Bassmaster Kayak Series. Native Watercraft takes pride in their decades of boat-building knowledge and their passion for paddling’s history and its future. “Today we welcome Native Watercraft as presenting sponsor of the Newport Bassmaster Kayak Series,”…

Ounces are enough for Campbell to win Bassmaster Team Championship Classic Fish-Off

Dec. 7, 2024 PARIS, Tenn. — The bitter cold and whipping winds anglers endured during the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Team Championship this week on Kentucky Lake took a much friendlier turn Saturday. Things were especially bright for Tyler Campbell, who caught five smallmouth bass weighing 22 pounds, 5 ounces — just enough to win the one-day Classic Fish-Off on this storied, 160,0000-acre…

Major League Fishing Announces 2025 Phoenix Bass Fishing League Tournament Directors as Registration Opens

BENTON, Ky. (Dec. 2, 2024) – As registration opens today for the 2025 Major League Fishing (MLF) Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine, the organization announced the tournament director assignments for each of the 24 divisions for the upcoming season. With a total of 134 tournaments held throughout the season, the BFL is the sport’s premier grassroots tournament circuit for…

NPFL Completes 2025 Schedule

WILKESVILLE, Ohio — The National Professional Fishing League is excited to announce that the second stop of the 2025 tournament season will be held on Lake Norman, April 16-18, 2025, out of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. This completes scheduling for the season and will be the league’s first tournament out of the Tar Heel State. “It’s wonderful to complete the schedule for 2025 and to…

Nation’s top teams set for ‘slugfest’ at Kentucky Lake for Bassmaster Team Championship

PARIS, Tenn. — When it was announced that the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Team Championship had to be moved from Louisiana's Ouachita River to Kentucky Lake in Tennessee, there certainly were more than a few people who started scrambling. Lloyd Pickett, Jr. was not one of them. Pickett lives in a Memphis suburb, about two hours’ drive from Kentucky Lake, and considers the mammoth 160,000-acre…

Support Systems, Work Ethic and Thanksgiving Fellowship

Courtesy of Dynamic Sponsorships Team Toyota pro Mark Daniels Jr. reflects upon his journey to the top ranks of professional bass fishing and his love and dedication to family ties.  Every single time I’ve ever shared a boat, or even a passing conversation, with Team Toyota pro Mark Daniels, Jr. I have noticed one commonality that’s difficult to ignore. Aside from his endless optimism and…

Truck Cap Testimonials – LEER Has you Covered

Courtesy Dynamic Sponsorships Truck caps and tonneau covers are extremely functional pieces of equipment for your truck. LEER caps and tonneaus offer additional safe and secure storage for your truck bed, and allow you to keep anything you’re packing protected from the elements, secure from wandering eyes and organized when you make it to your destination. Especially for outdoorsmen and…

2024 Bassmaster High School All-American team names 12 new members

Nov. 22, 2024 BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Twelve of the top high school anglers in the country have been selected as new members of the prestigious Bassmaster High School All-American Fishing Team. “Over the past 10 years, the Bassmaster High School All-American program has spotlighted some of the hardest working and most successful student anglers in the country,” said Chase Anderson, B.A.S.S. CEO.…

With Sons Now Grown, Hammaker Appreciates Toyota Owners Fellowship More Than Ever

Courtesy of Dynamic Sponsorships,, Walker Smith A nine-hour drive wouldn’t deter anglers Guy Hammaker and Jim Thornburg from getting in on the fun on Lake Hartwell. The culture and fellowship brought them and the fishing action was just an added bonus.  A few weeks ago, I spent a lot of time wandering around the registration site of the Toyota Bonus Bucks Owners Tournament on Lake Hartwell…

Myers/Scroggins and Gill/Robinson Advance after Elimination Round Match 2 on Headwaters Lake at General Tire Team Series

INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, Fla. (Nov. 18, 2024) – Four new teams set out on Headwaters Lake early Monday morning for Elimination Match 2 of the Bass Pro Shops Summit Cup Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches, the final event of the 2024 General Tire Team Series Presented by Bass Pro Shops season. Whether due to the fact that he was the only Florida native in the field or celebrating his birthday, no one…

B.A.S.S. Nation Qualifier Series schedule set for 2025

Nov. 14, 2024 BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — B.A.S.S. officials have announced the 2025 Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Qualifier Series presented by Lowrance schedule, and the slate features some of the hottest bass fisheries in America to give anglers the opportunity to qualify for the Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Championship presented by Lowrance and a shot at the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by…

Hayden Marbut Wins 2024 Toyota Series Championship Presented by Bass Boat Technologies on Wheeler Lake

Standout collegiate angler for Auburn University reels in $235K with three-day total of 57 pounds, 12 ounces HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (Nov. 9, 2024) – Bass Pro Tour angler Keith Poche gave it a great run, but in the end, it was 21-year-old Hayden Marbut of Birmingham, Alabama, that stole the show at the 2024 Toyota Series Championship Presented by Bass Boat Technologies on Wheeler Lake . Weighing 21…

Marbut Doing the Right Things When No One is Looking

Photo Credit: Rob Matsurra - MLF Courtesy of Dynamic Sponsorships The past 12-months of bass fishing have been nothing short of incredible for Hayden Marbut, a 21-year-old Auburn University student and college angler. The talented young Alabama pro won two of college fishing’s biggest trophies, the Bassmaster College Series National Championship and the Collegiate Bass Fishing National…

An Industry Veteran’s First Experience at the 2024 Toyota Bonus Bucks Owners Tournament

By Walker Smith With a lot of tournaments under my proverbial belt, I can’t believe it took me so long to check out the Toyota Bonus Bucks Owners Tournament. As it turns out, that short ride to Lake Hartwell started a tradition my wife and I can’t wait to continue.  I’ve been working in this industry for roughly 18 years. I’ve attended countless tournaments as a fan in my younger years,…

Knoxville’s Clevenger Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Wild Card on Cherokee Lake

Murfreesboro’s Haraguchi Tops Strike King Co-Angler Division JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. (Oct. 28, 2024) – Boater Gavin Clevenger of Knoxville, Tennessee, caught a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 26 pounds, 14 ounces, to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine Wild Card on Cherokee Lake . The tournament, which was hosted by Visit Jefferson County, TN, concluded…

Prince Family Wins 13th Annual Toyota Bonus Bucks Owners Tournament

The father-son duo of Trevor and Alex Prince caught a mixed bag of spotted and largemouth bass weighing 17-lbs 15-ounces to win the 13th Annual Toyota Bonus Bucks Owners Tournament on Lake Hartwell. This was the Prince’s first time fishing the Bonus Bucks Owners event, though the 2023 Tundra they drove to legendary Green Pond Landing in is the fourth Tundra Trevor Prince has owned. “I’ve…

Moreno and Viator redeem themselves with Redfish Cup Championship win

Oct. 27, 2024 APALACHICOLA, Fla. — The letters R-E-D begin both the target species and the term of motivation that drove Gary Moreno and Tony Viator to victory at the Yamaha Bassmaster Redfish Cup Championship presented by Skeeter at Apalachicola Bay. After finishing last in the 2023 event at South Carolina’s Winyah Bay, the Texas anglers came to town seeking Redfish and Redemption. With a…

Robinson’s Preview Toyota Owners Tournament on Hartwell

Courtesy of Dynamic Sponsorships When it comes to fishy families, you’d be hard pressed to find a household with more bass on the brain than the Robinson’s. Marty, the patriarch, has won nearly a million dollars throughout his 17-year career and his eldest son Marshall joined him on the Bass Pro Tour in 2024 after being crowned the Rookie of the Year in the MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitationals…

Tennessee’s Snyders repeats as Bassmaster Kayak Series Angler of the Year

Oct. 24, 2024 SHREVEPORT, La. — For the second year in a row, Tennessee’s Rus Snyders has won the Dakota Lithium Bassmaster Kayak Series Angler of the Year title, accumulating 730 points throughout the five-event season. Along with a customized trophy, Snyders earned a prize of $5,000. It is the first time in Kayak Series history an angler has repeated as Angler of the Year. “I’m just…

2024 Junior College National Championship Details

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER Murray State College, in working with the TBF, is hosting the 2024 Open Junior College National Championship. Find out more tournament details and get signed up: Tournament Details When – November 14th and 15th Where – Lake Eufaula, Eufaula Oklahoma Ramp Location – Nicholes Point Pavilion Dabbs Rd, Eufaula, Ok 74432 Both days -…

Unified Pros and the State of Alabama Join Forces to Launch The Ultimate Angler World Championship: the Largest Professional Bass Fishing Tournament and Winner Payout in History

Scottsboro, AL (October 22, 2024) – If you dig into the history of tournament bass fishing, you’ll find the blood, sweat, and tears of a dedicated group of anglers and hard-working folks in Alabama. Front and center, you’ll find the late Ray Scott, the genius behind the first professional bass fishing tournaments dating back to the 1960s. Years after the launch of the Bassmaster Series and the…

B.A.S.S. announces schedule for enhanced 2025 Bassmaster Opens season

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — B.A.S.S. officials have announced the schedule for the revamped 2025 St. Croix Bassmaster Opens presented by SEVIIN, and the schedule features eight events — including some vintage tournament stops for the organization — across two divisions.   For 2025, Opens anglers placing in the Top 50 in each division’s Angler of the Year race will advance to the Bassmaster…

Nicholas Turner and Joe Lay win the ABT Championship with 31.43

By Jason Duran The 2024 Alabama Bass Trail Championship, was held on October 18-19 at Lay Lake. This highly anticipated event brought fierce competition from the best of the best in team fishing. Teams qualified for this no-entry-fee event with a guaranteed $50,000 first-place prize plus another $50,000 paid out though 25th place. The top 75 teams from the north and south divisions plus 5…