23-year-old boater hauls in 19-13 limit and takes 3-7 lead, final 10 boaters and co-anglers set for Championship Saturday

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. (May 30, 2025) – Boater Matteo Turano of Puryear, Tennessee, caught 19 pounds, 13 ounces on Day 2 to move up from second place and take the lead in the 2025 Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) All-American Presented by T-H Marine on  Lake Hamilton . After weighing 19-10 on Day 1, Turano is up to 39-7 with one day left, and he has a 3-7 lead over his roommate this week, Clint Knight of Russellville, Kentucky, who is in second with an even 36 pounds.

Behind the two LBL Division sticks, Appling, Georgia’s Tanner Hadden is in third with 33-4, and Cody Ross of Livingston, Texas, cracked 18-3 on Day 2 to move up to fourth with a 31-2 total. Dropping to fifth after leading on Day 1, Dahlonega, Georgia’s Buddy Benson only managed 10-14 on Day 2.

The final 10 boaters and co-anglers are now set, and competition will resume tomorrow morning on Championship Saturday. The three-day All-American, hosted by Visit Hot Springs and the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism, showcases the nation’s best weekend grassroots anglers, and awards the winning boater a top prize of up to $120,000 – and an automatic qualification into REDCREST 2026, MLF’s most prestigious event – and the winning co-angler a top prize of $50,000.

A recent transplant to Tennessee to chase bass, Turano is one of several remarkable young anglers who grew up in Illinois. Now rigging boats for A.C.S. Marine and catching fish up and down the Tennessee River like it’s his job, Turano is on the cusp of the sort of achievement than can define a fishing career.

On Day 2, he really only needed an hour or so in the morning to put himself in the driver’s seat.

“I just started on an area where I was seeing a lot of fish yesterday,” said Turano. “I had no idea that there were any real big fish there, but I just wanted to get a limit early. And getting a limit early turned into catching an 8- to 9-pounder on my second fish. After that fish, I was just able to fish super clean the rest of the day and do what I wanted to do, and I just had no stress.”

At weigh-in, the kicker rang in at 7-15, and it was one of a number of big fish that have been caught. So far, nobody has managed to catch two giants in a day, but if someone can do it tomorrow, they might be able to charge from anywhere in the Top 10 for the win.

Turano saw some more big ones today, and he’s hoping to take another crack at them tomorrow.

“I think there’s some left tomorrow,” he said. “It’s going to be really hard to get a big one, but I’ve got a couple that I just couldn’t get to eat, and I’m starting on one of them.”

Since the morning, Turano has started to think about what a win could mean.

“I’ve been fishing since I was 2 years old,” said Turano. “My mom’s taken me to little kids’ fishing derbies ever since I was 4 or 5, and it’s just something I’ve always loved. I fished my first bass tournament in high school. I think we got third place, and after that, I’ve just been hooked.

“I’ve been thinking about it all day,” he said. “This is probably the longest tournament day I’ve ever had to fish, just because I caught that big one so early. And, man, my mind has been racing all day, but I just had to stay in it and remember it’s not over, and we still got one more day of fishing.”

The Top 10 boaters advancing to the final day of the 2025 All-American on Lake Hamilton are:

1st:        Matteo Turano, Puryear, Tenn., 10 bass, 39-7
2nd:       Clint Knight, Russellville, Ky., 10 bass, 36-0
3rd:       Tanner Hadden, Appling, Ga., 10 bass, 33-4
4th:        Cody Ross, Livingston, Texas, 10 bass, 31-2
5th:        Buddy Benson, Dahlonega, Ga., 10 bass, 31-1
6th:        Caz Anderson, Haysville, N.C., 10 bass, 30-1
7th:        Harbor Lovin, New Concord, Ky., 10 bass, 29-4
8th:        Jake Lawrence, Paris, Tenn., 10 bass, 29-1
9th:        Dillon Falardeau, Hixson, Tenn., 10 bass, 28-15
10th:     Zack Fogle, Longview, Texas, 10 bass, 28-9

Finishing in 11th through 49th are:

11th:     Bradley Sullivan, Shawnee, Okla., 10 bass, 27-11, $3,000
12th:     Jeremy York, Conyers, Ga., 10 bass, 26-13, $3,000
13th:     Logan Anderson, Sherrills Ford, N.C., 10 bass, 26-6, $3,000
14th:     Mike Bruggen, La Crosse, Wis., 10 bass, 25-2, $3,000
15th:     Brad Stalnaker, Eatonton, Ga., 10 bass, 25-1, $3,000
16th:     Chad Sykes, Killen, Ala., 10 bass, 24-11, $3,000
17th:     Gavin Clevenger, Knoxville, Tenn., 10 bass, 24-1, $3,000
18th:     Jeremy West, Hamilton, Miss., nine bass, 22-14, $3,000
19th:     Yeej Moua, Renton, Wash., 10 bass, 22-6, $3,000
20th:     Jonathan Lang, Joppa, Md., 10 bass, 22-5, $3,000
21st:      Tyler Campbell, Martin, Ga., 10 bass, 22-0, $2,000
22nd:    Nathan Reynolds, Nashville, Tenn., 10 bass, 21-12, $2,000
23rd:     Scott Wiley Jr., Bay Minette, Ala., 10 bass, 21-9, $2,000
24th:     Chris Baldwin, Lexington, N.C., 10 bass, 21-7, $2,000
25th:     Dillon Roberts, Oologah, Okla., 10 bass, 21-5, $2,000
26th:     Cody Kelley, Plainwell, Mich., 10 bass, 21-0, $2,000
27th:     Matt Thoin, Bolton, Mass., 10 bass, 20-13, $2,000
28th:     Grant Neubauer, Medford, Wis., 10 bass, 20-0, $2,000
29th:     Brandon Pritchett, Goode, Va., 10 bass, 19-12, $2,000
30th:     Kevin Powers, Unicoi, Tenn., 10 bass, 19-12, $2,000
31st:      Matt O’Connell, Brooks, Ga., 10 bass, 19-12, $1,500
32nd:    Brandon Morton, San Tan Valley, Ariz., 10 bass, 19-10, $1,500
33rd:     Trent Suratt, Lawrenceburg, Tenn., 10 bass, 19-8, $1,500
34th:     Andrew George, Poplar Branch, N.C., 10 bass, 19-4, $1,500
35th:     Jamie Fountain, East Dublin, Ga., 10 bass, 19-4, $1,500
36th:     Jake Monti, Mooresville, N.C., 10 bass, 18-14, $1,500
37th:     Adam Crigger, Le Claire, Iowa, 10 bass, 18-14, $1,500
38th:     Parker Batts, Dandridge, Tenn., 10 bass, 18-10, $1,500
39th:     Wade Grooms, Bonneau, S.C., 10 bass, 18-10, $1,500
40th:     Colby Schrumpf, Highland, Ill., 10 bass, 18-1, $1,500
41st:      Chad Poteat, Mount Airy, N.C., 10 bass, 17-14, $1,500
42nd:    Glen Bingham, Texarkana, Texas, 10 bass, 17-7, $1,500
43rd:     Vernelle Quinnie, Duncanville, Ala., 10 bass, 17-4, $1,500
44th:     Billy Shelton III, La Crosse, Wis., 10 bass, 16-15, $1,500
45th:     Mel Kennedy, Hiawassee, Ga., seven bass, 16-9, $1,500
46th:     Travis Boley, Weldon, Ill., 10 bass, 16-1, $1,500
47th:     Dustin Dyer, Johnson City, Tenn., nine bass, 14-10, $1,500
48th:     Mike Puterbaugh, Montello, Wis., six bass, 11-7, $1,500
49th:     Doug Rochelle, Texarkana, Texas, nine bass, 10-11, $1,500

A full list of results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Overall, there were 238 bass weighing 569 pounds, 14 ounces caught by the 49 boaters on Friday. The catch included 47 five-bass limits.

Co-angler Scott Standafer of Milford, Ohio, crossed the stage with a three-bass limit weighing 9 pounds even to lead the co-angler division at Lake Hamilton after Day 2, with a two-day total of six bass for 21-6. Michael Lowe of Clinton, Tennessee, sits in second place with 18-10, and Richard Williams of Sutherland, Virginia, ended the day in third with 17-0.

The Top 10 co-anglers advancing to the final day of competition at the 2025 All-American on Lake Hamilton are:

1st:        Scott Standafer, Milford, Ohio, six bass, 21-6
2nd:       D. Michael Lowe, Clinton, Tenn., six bass, 18-10
3rd:       Richard Williams, Sutherland, Va., six bass, 17-0
4th:        Robert Massey, Calhoun, La., six bass, 13-13
5th:        Kade Wesner, Lancaster, Pa., six bass, 13-9
6th:        Harold Grizzle, Gainesville, Ga., six bass, 13-4
7th:        Brad Sampson, Knoxville, Tenn., six bass, 12-15
8th:        William Easley, Pollok, Texas, six bass, 12-13
9th:        Ernest Stephens, Orrum, N.C., six bass, 12-10
10th:     Brent Jones, Okeana, Ohio, six bass, 12-9

Finishing in 11th through 49th were:

11th:     Nathan Hall, Hensley, Ark., six bass, 12-8, $1,500
12th:     Levi Allgeier, Bardstown, Ky., six bass, 11-15, $1,500
13th:     Cy Matlock, Crump, Tenn., six bass, 11-4, $1,500
14th:     Tony Stevens, Monroe, Ga., six bass, 11-2, $1,500
15th:     Bill Hockaday, Nashville, Ark., six bass, 11-1, $1,500
16th:     Brian Townley, Wyoming, Mich., four bass, 10-15, $1,500
17th:     Luke Shrader, Monticello, Ky., six bass, 10-14, $1,500
18th:     Ryan Sykes, Fairfield, Ohio, six bass, 10-14, $1,500
19th:     Cedric Jackson, Sicily Island, La., six bass, 10-11, $1,500
20th:     Tim Greene, Loganville, Ga., six bass, 10-10, $1,500
21st:      Arthur Stahlhut, Garrett, Ind., six bass, 10-10, $1,000
22nd:    Corey Smith, Hazard, Ky., six bass, 10-3, $1,000
23rd:     Andrew Rogers, Johnson City, Tenn., six bass, 10-1, $1,000
24th:     Jason Mordhorst, Hillsdale, N.J., six bass, 9-10, $1,000
25th:     Shaquille Freeman, Farmville, Va., six bass, 9-10, $1,000
26th:     Chase Johnson, Quincy, Ill., five bass, 9-10, $1,000
27th:     Logan Slaughter, Lewisville, Texas, six bass, 9-6, $1,000
28th:     Austin Abadie, St. Amant, La., six bass, 9-5, $1,000
29th:     Jeffrey Webb, Watkinsville, Ga., six bass, 8-15, $1,000
30th:     Mark Sloan, Harrison, Ark., five bass, 8-14, $1,000
31st:      Cornell Badra, Clarksburg, Md., six bass, 8-11, $750
32nd:    Jason Anderson, Heron, Mont., five bass, 8-10, $750
33rd:     Hunter Tibbetts, Centreville, Va., five bass, 8-10, $750
34th:     Chris Medlin, Dumas, Miss., four bass, 8-5, $750
35th:     Andy Morita, La Jolla, Calif., five bass, 8-2, $750
36th:     Gabe Montgomery, Jackson, Mo., six bass, 8-0, $750
37th:     Gary Haraguchi, Murfreesboro, Tenn., five bass, 7-12, $750
38th:     Dewayne Drummonds, Gray, Ky., six bass, 7-4, $750
39th:     Noah Gurkin, Pelzer, S.C., five bass, 7-1, $750
40th:     Shelton Yonce, Lexington, S.C., five bass, 7-1, $750
41st:      Joe Yocum, Commercial Point, Ohio, four bass, 6-15, $750
42nd:    Riley Smallwood, Shallotte, N.C., three bass, 6-10, $750
43rd:     Daniel Arnberg, Auburn, Ala., four bass, 6-3, $750
44th:     Billy French, Hamilton, Ohio, three bass, 5-9, $750
45th:     Justin Lemaster, Royston, Ga., four bass, 5-3, $750
46th:     Mark Folsom, Waterville, Iowa, three bass, 4-3, $750
47th:     Wes Proctor, Manhattan, Kan., three bass, 3-8, $750
48th:     Ross Davis, St. Elmo, Ill., one bass, 0-14, $750
49th:     Barrett Washburn, Hardin, Ky., zero bass, 0-0, $750

Overall, there were 121 bass weighing 222 pounds, 15 ounces caught by 45 co-anglers on Friday. The catch included 36 three-bass limits.

The final 10 boaters and co-anglers will launch Saturday at 6:30 a.m. CT from the Hulsey Hatchery Access, located at 350 Fish Hatchery Road in Hot Springs. Saturday’s Championship weigh-in will be held at the access and will begin at 2:30 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend the final day launch and weigh-in events and encouraged to follow the event’s online coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

The MLFNOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee and Rob Newell will break down the extended action live on Championship Saturday from 7 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. CT. MLFNOW!®  will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app. The weigh-in will be live streamed starting at 2:30 p.m.

The full field of 49 boaters and 49 co-anglers competed on Days 1 (Thursday) and 2 (Friday) of the event. Now the field is cut to just the top 10 boaters and co-anglers, based on two-day total cumulative weight, and the final 10 anglers compete tomorrow on Championship Saturday. The boater and co-angler that catch the heaviest three-day total weight will be crowned the 42nd Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American Champions.

The 2024 Phoenix BFL Presented by T-H Marine was 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 co-anglers from each division, along with the five qualifying event winners, advanced to one of six BFL Regional tournaments where they competed to finish in the top six, which then advanced them to compete in the 2025 BFL All-American. The field also includes the top eligible finisher from each of seven The Bass Federation (TBF) divisions in the 2025 TBF National Championship.

Television coverage of the 2025 Phoenix BFL All-American Presented by T-H Marine will premiere at 10 a.m. ET, November 22, on CBS Sports. The full television air schedule can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Proud sponsors of the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 7Brew Coffee, Abu Garcia, Athletic Brewing, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, Deep Dive App, E3 Sport Apparel, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, Grizzly, Humminbird, Lew’s, Li Time Batteries, Mercury, Minn Kota, Mossy Oak, Mystik Lubricants, Onyx, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Phoenix Boats, PiranhO2, Polaris, Power-Pole, Precision Sonar, Strike King, Suzuki Marine, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, WIX Filters 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.

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.