Month: May 2019

Categories
Major League Fishing - Bass Pro Tour/Cup Events

DEFOE IS LATEST RECORD BREAKER AS HE DOMINATES ELIMINATION ROUND ON TABLE ROCK

(Left to right) MLF pros Alton Jones Jr. (fifth place), Josh Bertrand (second), Ott DeFoe (first), and Cody Meyer (third) wrapped up their Elimination Round in style and will be heading to Tuesday’s Knockout Round. 

BRANSON, Mo., (May 20, 2019) – Another day, another record at the Major League Fishing® (MLF) Bass Pro Tour Berkley Stage Six Presented by TrueTimber on Table Rock Lake.

Ott DeFoe pushed his two-day weight total to 133 pounds thanks to 54-14 in today’s Group B Elimination Round, and while that fell just short of Cliff Pace’s record of 134-11 from the day before, DeFoe was still able to mint a new record with 91 bass caught during his Shotgun and Elimination rounds.

MLF NOW! live stream analyst Marty Stone summed up the week perfectly in the waning moments of the broadcast: “It wouldn’t be a day at Table Rock if we didn’t break a record.”
It has become the story during the Shotgun and Elimination Rounds, and both the Knockout and Championship Round records are likely to fall in the next two days if the weather cooperates.

The fishing today slowed down for many in the field, but it was still excellent. It seems Table Rock Lake has set the bar high and even 951 scoreable bass seems like a downturn, which sounds absurd.

It was the first day that the field brought in less than 1,000 bass. That’s how good Table Rock has been this week.

Jones Jr. and Browning Make Moves

Overall, the Top 20 remained largely the same from the start of the day to when competition wrapped up this afternoon. Dustin Connell and Chris Lane were the only two anglers to fall out of the Top 20 (19th to 27th, and 20th to 31st respectively), with Alton Jones Jr. and Stephen Browning replacing them. 

Both Jones and Browning had stellar days, Browning boating a day’s-best 37 bass and Jones racking up the most weight on SCORETRACKER® today. His 67-5 ounces catapulted him up 20 spots as he rose from 26th to fifth place in Group B.


MLF pro Alton Jones Jr. started his day with this 3 pounder, plus had five more bass over 3 pounds in his
Elimination 2 total catch of 31 scoreable fish. 

One of the keys to Jones’ success was the quality of fish he caught. While he still counted 31 scoreable bass, his weight total was helped by six bass over three pounds, including a 5-2 bass that earned him the Berkley Big Bass of the Day award.

“I’m on an early bite, and most of my weight has been coming before 10 a.m.,” Jones said. “The sun also helped, so I don’t know the changing weather for tomorrow is going to affect me.”

Browning’s stout day boosted him from 23rd to 14th and advanced him to Tuesday’s Knockout Round.

“I started the day strong and was able to ride the momentum throughout the day,” Browning recounted. “I was fishing the same areas as I did in the Shotgun Round, but I made two bait changes, and it worked. We’ll see what the weather does tomorrow. It could take 30, 40, 50, or 70-pounds to make the Top 10; you never know with the way this place is fishing.”

Evers Falls Short, Clausen Holds On

The ever-dangerous Edwin Evers slowly crept up the leaderboard from starting the day in 25th. He threatened for the final advancing spot and briefly held 20th place with one hour to go. In the end, he finished just short and is the first angler on the outside looking in, at 21st.

Clausen started the day in 16th and briefly fell below the cutline before rallying up a few spots. Catches in the final moments by Jordan Lee and Greg Hackney lowered his placement to 20th, but he was able to hang on.

Weather Changes Loom

The Branson area has been very welcoming to the Bass Pro Tour, but the weather has been in a state of constant change this week. The evening is under a flash flood warning and Tuesday calls for a 100-percent chance of precipitation with possible lightning to go with a predicted 20 mph wind in the afternoon.

Group Comparison

Group A had an eye-popping 15 anglers yesterday with over 100-pounds, and Group B posted slightly less today with 11 hitting the century mark. The 20th place was considerably different between the groups. In Group A, Randall Tharp’s 94-12 total put him in the final qualifying spot while Luke Clausen wrapped up 20th with 83-06 in Group B.

Looking Ahead

The Top 20 anglers from each of the Elimination Rounds advanced to the 40-angler Knockout Round to be held Tuesday – weights will be zeroed, making the Knockout a one-day scramble. 

The Top 10 anglers in the Knockout Round will advance to the Championship Round on Wednesday, May 22.

Daily Winners

Elimination Round 2 daily awards were:
*    The Berkley Big Bass of the Day was a 5-2 largemouth caught by Alton Jones Jr.
*    Jones also earned the Phoenix Boats Daily Leader award with 67-0
*    Browning was the Berkley Catch Count winner with 37 bass

How, When, Where to Watch

Knockout Round competition begins Tuesday, May 21 at 6:30 a.m. CT with live, official scoring available at “lines in” via SCORETRACKER on MajorLeagueFishing.com and on the MLF app. 

The MLF NOW! live stream starts at 9 a.m. CT, with live, on-the-water coverage and analysis provided by Chad McKee, JT Kenney, Marty Stone and Natalie Dillon until lines out at 2:30 p.m. The Berkley Postgame Show – hosted by Steven “Lurch” Scott – will start at 4 p.m. 

Elimination Round 2 Results

To see Elimination Round 2 final results for all Group B anglers, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com and click ” results.” 

Categories
Major League Fishing - Bass Pro Tour/Cup Events

15 ANGLERS WITH 100+ POUNDS – WHILE RECORDS CONTINUE TO FALL DURING ELIMINATION ROUND AT BASS PRO TOUR BERKLEY STAGE SIX PRESENTED BY TRUE TIMBER

BRANSON, Mo., (May 19, 2019) – Three days into competition at the Major League Fishing® (MLF) Bass Pro Tour Berkley Stage Six presented by TrueTimber, we’re starting to run out of superlatives to describe the bite at Table Rock Lake. Choose your favorite – “stellar” and “outstanding” fit – but “record-breaking” is still the most accurate.
Cliff Pace became the most recent record breaker, putting 38 fish on SCORETRACKER® for 60 pounds, 1 ounce on the day, giving the Mississippi pro a two-day total of 134-13 and obliterating the existing Elimination Round record of 105-6 held by Zack Birge. Pace’s two-day fish total of 89 is another record. The field combined to catch 407 fish in the first period and weighed 684-9 (both records).
And while all of the above numbers are impressive, the fact that 15 of the 20 anglers advancing out of the round surpassed the 100-pound mark tells the story of just how prolific this impoundment of the White River has been.

“Of all the years I’ve been around fishing, I don’t know if I’ve ever seen anything like this as far as sheer volume of fish,” said MLF NOW! analyst Marty Stone. “I knew when we came here that this lake was in good shape, but I’ve never seen a like that’s so good from one end to the next. We’re looking at where guys are catching fish, and we’re seeing anglers who are literally 50 miles apart catching them. It’s harder right now to find a place where there’s not a fish than a place there is.”

Pace was followed by Gary Klein (130-2), Birge (129-11), Greg Vinson (125-12), Aaron Martens (121-15) and Jacob Powroznik (116-15). Jesse Wiggins, Michael Neal, Mark Rose, Fletcher Shryock, Russ Lane, Jeff Sprague, Anthony Gagliardi, Casey Ashley, Dave Lefebre, Andy Montgomery, Fred Roumbanis, Brent Chapman, Randy Howell and Randall Tharp qualified for Tuesday’s Knockout Round.

Tharp Escapes Elimination
As has become the daily storyline during Elimination Round competition, the race around the Elimination Line came down to a difference of a single fish. Trailing Jason Christie by 7 ounces entering the final 10 minutes of official competition time, Randall Tharp caught two fish for 2-13 in the final seven minutes, finishing with 94-12 and moving past Jason Christie into 20th. 

“It was extremely intense,” Tharp admitted. “I struggled at times in the second period – dropped all the way to 25th or 26th – so to get on something that late and catch one with 5 to go to get to 20th, and then hook one with 15 seconds left … it was a stressful afternoon for me. I’m glad it worked out the way it did.”

“It’s crazy that you can catch 92 pounds and not make it,” said Christie, who finished with 92-6 on 48 fish. 

Elimination Round 2 Set for Monday
The Bass Pro Tour will see its first Monday action of the season when Group B returns to Table Rock tomorrow for the second Elimination Round of the event. Viewers tuning in on the MLF NOW! live stream will likely see 5 ½ hours of fish catches: 16 Group B anglers put 50-plus pounds on SCORETRACKER in their Shotgun Round on Saturday, led by Josh Bertrand’s 89-5. The biggest X-factor, though, is the water level, which sits at 917.54 as of this writing (just over 1 foot lower than when practice began on May 16). 

“This lake was way up when we got here, but water has been dropping: instead of there being a fish on every bush, there’s a fish on every 10th bush,” Stone said. “These anglers are having to cover more water to get the number of bites they need. As the week goes on, the 45-degree banks will become more relevant, and the guys fishing offshore will become more relevant. But the challenge for these Group B guys on Monday is that whatever they found in the first day of practice is five days old now – they might as well just go ahead and start practicing again. Group B has a big challenge in front of them.”

Today’s Round By The Numbers
The 40 pros caught 1,023 fish in Elimination Round 1, the third day in a row with over 1,000 fish making it into SCORETRACKER.

Daily Winners
Elimination Round 1 daily awards were:
*    The Berkley Big Bass of the day was a 5-9 largemouth caught by Mark Rose
*    Andy Montgomery was the Berkley Catch Count winner with 42 fish
*    Birge earned the Phoenix Boats Daily Leader award with 69-14            

When, Where & How to Watch
Elimination Round 2 competition begins at 6:30 a.m. CT, with live, official scoring available from “lines in” via SCORETRACKER on MajorLeagueFishing.com and on the MLF app. The MLF NOW! live stream starts at 9 a.m. CT, with live, on-the-water coverage and analysis provided by Chad McKee, JT Kenney, Marty Stone and Natalie Dillon until lines out at 2:30 p.m. The Berkley Postgame Show – hosted by Steven “Lurch” Scott – will start at 4 p.m. daily.


Elimination Round 1 Final Results

https://majorleaguefishing.com/event/bass-pro-tour-stage-six-table-rock-lake-branson-mo/results/

Categories
MLF BIG-5

POTOMAC RIVER READIES TO HOST TWO FLW BASS FISHING CHAMPIONSHIPS – T-H MARINE BFL ALL-AMERICAN AND YETI FLW COLLEGE FISHING NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

May 16, 2019  by FLW Communications – Photo courtesy of FLW

CHARLES COUNTY, Md. – The nation’s top weekend and collegiate bass-fishing anglers are set to compete at two of the most prestigious bass-fishing championships in the country on the Potomac River later this month – the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) All-American on the Potomac River presented by General Tire, May 30-June 1, and the YETI FLW College Fishing National Championship on the Potomac River presented by Lowrance, June 4-6.

An automatic entry to compete at the 2019 FLW Cup is up for grabs to the winners of each respective event, along with hundreds of thousands of dollars in prize money and a brand new Ranger Boat. The events are hosted by the Charles County Board of Commissioners and Department of Recreation, Parks and Tourism.

“The Potomac River has been fishing strong for the past few months and is the perfect fishery to host these two championships,” said FLW Tour pro Bryan Schmitt of Deale, Maryland. “They’re going to be hitting it at one of the best times of the year. You’re going to see a lot of different tactics – ChatterBaits, swimjigs, shallow-diving crankbaits, stickbait worms and flipping creature baits. The key to winning will be finding something – a pattern or a location – that nobody else is on.”

The 2019 BFL All-American on the Potomac River presented by General Tire will feature a field of the top 98 boaters and co-anglers from across the 24-division BFL circuit competing for a grand prize of up to $120,000 in the boater division and $60,000 in the co-angler division. The top boater will receive an invitation to compete for bass fishing’s most coveted prize – the 2019 FLW Cup – Aug. 9-11 on Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas.

Since its inaugural event in 1983, the BFL All-American championship has visited the Potomac River just once (2012) in its 36-year history. In 2012, boater Brian Maloney of Osage Beach, Missouri, targeted shallow flats with contoured ditches with dark-colored crankbaits to claim the title and the $120,000 top prize.

The 2019 YETI FLW College Fishing National Championship at the Potomac River presented by Lowrance will be comprised of the top qualifying teams from each of the 15 regular-season events from around the country, along with the top 20 teams from the annual FLW College Fishing Open. A field of 172 teams representing 100 different colleges and universities will be competing for a prize package that includes a new Ranger Z175 boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury or Evinrude outboard and an automatic qualification for both team members to move on to compete against the best bass-anglers in the world at the 2019 FLW Cup.

“Winning the FLW College Fishing National Championship last year kicked off my career as a professional angler,” said 2019 FLW Tour rookie Hunter Freeman, who won the event last year on the Red River while competing for the University of Louisiana-Monroe along with partner Thomas Soileau. “The entire experience was amazing. From the banquet, to the three-day tournament, the media coverage – everything was a blast. Winning the championship showed me that I had what it takes to become a professional fisherman and gave me the confidence to sign up to compete at the highest level – the FLW Tour.”

BFL All-American competitors will take off from Smallwood State Park, located at 2750 Sweden Point Road in Marbury, at 7 a.m. EDT each morning, May 30 to June 1. Thursday and Friday’s weigh-ins, May 30-31, will be held at the park beginning at 3 p.m. Saturday’s Championship weigh-in, June 1, will also be held at the park, but will begin at 4 p.m.

The FLW College Fishing National Championship anglers will also take off each day, June 4-6, from Smallwood State Park, at 7 a.m. EDT. All weigh-ins will be held at the State Park, beginning at 3 p.m. Takeoffs and weigh-ins are free and open to the public.

Television coverage of both events will premiere in the fall of 2019. The Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show airs each Saturday night at 7 p.m. EST and is broadcast to more than 63 million cable, satellite and telecommunications households in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean on the World Fishing Network (WFN), the leading entertainment destination and digital resource for anglers throughout North America. FLW television is also distributed internationally to FLW partner countries, including Canada, China, Italy, Korea, Mexico, Namibia, Portugal, South Africa, Spain and Zimbabwe.

The popular FLW Live on-the-water program will air on Days Three and Four of both events – Friday, May 31 and Saturday, June 1 for the All-American and Wednesday, June 5, and Thursday, June 6, for the College Fishing National Championship. FLW Live features live action from the boats of the tournament’s top anglers each day. Host Travis Moran will be joined by FLW Tour pros Luke Dunkin and Miles Burghoff to break down the extended action each day from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. On-the-water broadcasts will be live streamed on FLWFishing.com, the FLW YouTube channel and the FLW Facebook page.

Categories
BASSMASTER Elite Series/Opens

TIMING WILL BE EVERYTHING IN NEXT WEEK’S BASSMASTER EASTERN OPEN ON CHICHAMAUGA LAKE

May 16, 2019 DAYTON, Tenn. —

When a major professional bass tournament is held on Chickamauga Lake, there’s no question big bass will be caught.

But how they’ll be caught — and where — is always a question of timing.

That will be the interesting theme for the Basspro.com Bassmaster Eastern Open scheduled for May 23-25 on the 36,240-acre Tennessee River fishery.

Have enough bass moved out for the lake’s famed deep-water crankbait bite to dominate the standings? Or will anglers be forced to look shallower for the giant largemouth “The Chick” is known for?

“If somebody gets on a school that has just moved out deep, they could certainly win it,” said Scott Canterbury, a Bassmaster Elite Series pro from Odenville, Ala., who has extensive experience on Chickamauga. “But I’m not sure enough fish are really out there yet. Plus, the lake gets a lot of pressure this time of year, and a lot of those offshore places are already covered up with boats.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s won by somebody doing something a little different.”

The tournament will have daily takeoffs at 6:15 a.m. ET from Dayton Boat Dock. Weigh-ins on Days 1 and 2 will be held at 2:15 p.m. at Dayton Boat Dock, and the championship weigh-in on Day 3 will be held at 3:15 p.m. at the Bass Pro Shops in East Ridge, Tenn.

Canterbury, who currently ranks fifth in the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings, was planning to fish the event himself if it seemed like the offshore bite was in full swing. But he elected not to fish because he believes the winning pattern will be centered more around aquatic vegetation.

“I wouldn’t be surprised to see it won over some grass in that 4- to 8-foot range,” he said. “It’ll be fish that have spawned and have already moved out, but they haven’t made it all the way out to the ledges yet.”

During the 2017 Bassmaster Open held on Chickamauga in late April, Florida pro John Cox won with a three-day total of 68 pounds, 3 ounces, and the Top 4 anglers averaged more than 20 pounds per day. Spawning bass were the talk of the week for that tournament.

Canterbury said sight fishing for bedding bass could play a small role in this event, but not the vital one it played in 2017.

“There’s a bunch that haven’t spawned yet,” he said. “A lot of those fish on Chickamauga usually hold off every year — and it hasn’t been hot this year. It’s been in the 40s there the last two mornings.

“I think a lot of the fish that haven’t spawned will pull up to spawn, and you could see a few big fish caught that way — but not enough to win it.”

The Chattanooga Bass Association held a team tournament on the lake May 11, and the Top 2 teams had 30.1 and 27.03 pounds, respectively.

“In that CBA tournament, the talk was that the first- and second-place teams shared one deep hole all day,” Canterbury said. “So, they’re starting to get out there a little bit. But I don’t know if they’re out there enough.”

With fishing pressure increasing on Chickamauga, it’s also hard to predict how long bass will stay on the ledges once they make the move.

“For a week or two last year, tournaments were being won out deep there,” Canterbury said. “But those fish stayed out there a couple of weeks and then moved back shallow.

“Fishing pressure and timing always play a role on Chickamauga — and really all the lakes of the Tennessee River.”

The Chickamauga event is the second of four Eastern Opens being held this season. The Eastern and Central Opens are the main routes to qualify for the prestigious Bassmaster Elite Series. In addition, the winning boater in each Open is invited to compete in the 2020 Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods, provided he or she competes in all four events in the division in which the victory occurred.

Local host is Fish Dayton.

Categories
King Kat

EDWARDS AND KERNS WIN CABELA’S KING KAT AT TELL CITY, IN – OHIO RIVER ANGLERS WERE CHALLENGED BY A FULL MOON AND HIGH-PRESSURE

Louisville, KY – May 19, 2019 – Catfish anglers from nine states traveled to Tell City, IN on the Ohio River for a King Kat Tournament Trail event presented by Bass Pro Shops Cabela’s. Thirty-four teams gathered at Tell City to test their catfishing skills against other anglers and Mother Nature.

Competitors were vying for $ 8,855 in cash and prizes, and an opportunity to qualify for the $120,000 Classic Championship to be held November 1 and 2, 2019, on the Tennessee River (Wheeler Lake) at Decatur, Alabama.

The competitors faced a hot fishing day with air temperatures in high 90’s. The wind was blowing from the SSE at 10-20 mph. Rains had the water conditions high and muddy with the 65-degree water running at about 2 mph. Several anglers commented that the current was helpful to the bite.

Results for the Top Catfish Teams

The top spot at Tell City went to Greg Edwards and Dale Kerns from Norris City, IL. They had a total weight of 117.88 pounds to earn a check for $3,600. They added the Driftmaster Bonus $300 for using Driftmaster Rod Holders on their boat.

Edwards and Kerns fished at Derby, IN all day. They starting off by anchoring in the morning on log piles and structure. After not producing their intended results the team moved to the river channel in 35-40 feet of water.

“Since we were fishing the full moon and high pressure, we decided to stick with fishing heavy cove.” Reported Edwards. “We began by anchor fishing a log covered bank. After our bite went away around 10 am we started bumping covered ledges.”

The Indiana team stated that they thought the current helped them land about a dozen fish on the day. They caught fish from the morning hours until about lunchtime before the bite stopped after 1:00. All their fish came on skipjack.

The runner up spot went to Wayne and Travis Bodine from Bardstown, KY. Team Bodine brought 106.82 pounds to the scales to earn a check for $1,800.

The team fished up around the McAlpine Dam where they were targeting fish on the river channel. They bumped all day long using skipjack for bait in 25-30 feet of water. They targeted the current seams to land 10 fish for the day.

The 2018 Classic champs, Justin Cook and Gary Ryan drove their Excel StormCat 230 to third place. Cook, from New Franklin, MO, and Ryan from Columbia, MO had a total weight of 103. 2 pounds and earned a check for $1,300.

They fished below Cannelton Dam targeting fish in 35 feet of water. They were bumping with skipjack to land 10 fish for the day.

They started tournament day with the thought of the fish they caught the day before lingering in their mind. They caught a 95-pound blue during practice on Friday in the same area they fished on tournament day.

Fourth place went to Tom Petrowski and Henry Neafus. The Brooks, Ky anglers weighed 91.6 pounds to earn their place and a check for $700.

Petrowski and Neafus fished upriver toward the McAlpine Dam. They were targeting water of 25 feet or less. They caught 10 fish on the day bumping with skipjack.

Fifth place and Big Kat went to Wayne and Conner King from Mt. Vernon, IN. They brought 73.54 pounds to the scales and 58 of those pounds was in the Big Kat of the tournament. They earned a check for $475 for 5th place and added $680 for Big Kat.

5TH PLACE AND BIG CAT

Wayne and Conner only had 4 fish for the day but their 58 pounder lifted them to the 5th place spot. They bumped in the Derby, IN area using skipjack for bait.

The Remaining Top Catfish Teams

6th Place – Willie Smith and Nick Anderson – 69.52

7th Place – Rodney Hall and Justin Hodges – 61.64

8th Place – Denver Burden and Joe Garrett – 57.28

9th Place – Steven Fancher and Henry Price – 57.24

10 Place – Jon Reedy and Tyler Bennett – 47.94

Epilogue

Tournament director, Jeremy Coe thanked Betty Cash and her staff at the Perry County CVB for making this event possible. He also thanked all the local businesses and people for their hospitality toward the anglers.

“We really look forward to this stop on the schedule,” said Coe. “We saw some great fish this weekend in the high waters. Tell City is a beautiful area to travel to. It has some great fishing and we look forward to returning.”

National Sponsors

Bass Pro Shops Cabela’s King Kat Tournament Trail sponsors include: Bass Pro Shops Cabela’s, Excel Boats, Mercury Marine, Mustad Hooks, Humminbird, Minn Kota, B’n’M Poles, Gamma Line, Driftmaster Rod Holders, Ego Nets, Xtreme Bait Systems, Clear Boards, EFX Graphics, Catfish Now, Fin n’ Frames, and Crown Trophy

For more information on the championship and other King Kat activities visit their website at www.kingkatusa.com. Anglers can also follow the trail on the King Kat Facebook Page.

Categories
Crappie USA

CUSA PRO DIVISION VICTORY AT MONROE LAKE, IN GOES TO EGAN AND RITTER: WILLIAMS AND GUARD TAKE AMATEUR DIVISION

Louisville, KY – May 19, 2019 – Crappie anglers from several states traveled to Monroe Lake, Bloomington, IN to participate in a Crappie USA (CUSA) event. The May 18, 2019 event is presented by Bass Pro Shops Cabela’s. Local and traveling anglers fished for cash, prizes, and an opportunity to compete at the 2019 CUSA Classic which will feature a guaranteed payout of $125,000 in cash and prizes.

Crappie anglers were greeted with a beautiful day at Monroe Lake. Air temps in the 80’s and light wind made for comfortable fishing. The water level is still high at 11 feet over pool, but falling. The tournament produced a large number of crappie over the one-pound mark.

“We saw some of the best quality male white crappie I have ever seen,” observed Darrell Van Vactor, CUSA Operations Manager. “All our 2.0-pound plus fish

were males. The females have most likely spawned and males are guarding the nest and feeding.”

A total of 41 boats fished the Monroe Lake event—16 in the Pro Division and 25 in the Amateur Division. A total of $7,650 was distributed to the winners.

Pro Division Results

Bill Egan from Bloomington, IN and Ron Ritter from Bedford, IN teamed up to win the Pro Division on Lake Monroe. They brought a bag that weighed 11.91 pounds to earn the top spot and a check for $2000. They added an additional $500 for the Ranger Cup Bonus and $250 for the Talon Bonus.

“We were fishing on the east end of Lake Monroe in Middle Fork,” reported Ritter. “All of our fish came out of 3 to 5 feet of water. We were casting jigs to cover, tipping our jigs with various makes and colors.”

The team observed that the water had visibility to five feet. As the day got lighter it was obvious to them that some changes would have to be made.

“We rotated through 5 or 6 areas throughout the day,” continued Ritter. “Seemingly, as the wind picked up the areas with the most wind had the more active fish. I lost 2 big fish in the first dozen casts. That was very hard to overcome mentally. But you just have to try putting it out of your mind and keep fishing.”

Egan and Ritter included blue/white chartreuse Jenko jigs in their arsenal to catch more than 100 fish on the day with 60 weighing more than one pound.

The runner-up spot went to Tom Hankins and Ron Bilbrey. Hankins from Indianapolis, IN and Bilbrey from Bedford, IN weighed 11.33 pounds to earn $800.

Hankins and Bilbrey fished between Middle Fork and Pine Grove areas. They were vertical jigging Crappie Magnet jigs in pink/pearl in 6 feet of water. The team caught more than 20 fish that went over the pound mark

Patrick Stone and Aaron West from Anderson, IN joined Murray, KY’s Ashley Adams to claim the third-place spot. The threesome brought 10.54 pounds to earn their place and a check for $500.00.

Stone, West and Adams fished close to the bank in the Pine Grove area. They were targeting male fish in 4 to 6 feet of water. The team used bluegrass colored Jenko and Long Legs jigs to catch more than 30 one pound and over for the day.

In a Facebook post Adams said, “What a fun lake! Sure surprised me. It sure is hard to throw back 1 1/4-pound crappie when culling.”

The 6th place Pro team of Jim and Rob Raymer caught the 2nd Place Big Fish, a 2.21-pound slab. The big crappie earned them $240.00.

Amateur Division Results

Robert Williams from Ladoga, IN and Tim Guard from Waynestown, IN grabbed the top spot in the Amateur Division. They brought 11.92 pounds to the scales to earn a check for $1,000.00.

“What a beautiful day,” said Williams. “The water temp was 68 degrees. The crappie we found were in 4- to 6-feet of water. Casting plastic jigs around trees seem to be best for us.”

Williams and Guard fished up Pine Grove until about 11:00 am. They spent the rest of the day up Middle Fork.

“We had problems with trolling motor. It kept sticking on high and changing speeds on me. My partner Tim Guard and I kept busy pushing off trees,” joked Williams.

“I love fishing CUSA,” said Williams after catching more than 20 fish on the day.

Tony and Theresa Williams from Bloomington IN weighed a bag of 8.72 pounds to claim the second spot. The husband/wife team earned a check for $500.

Tony and Theresa used Christmas lights and pumpkin/chartreuse colored jigs in 4 foot of water to catch over 100 fish for the day.

Gretchen and Tony Sherrill traveled from North Vernon, IN to take the third spot. They weighed 8.17 pounds to earn $400 plus the $125 Ranger Cup Bonus.

Gretchen and Tony fished Middle Fork with chartreuse jigs on an orange jig head in 4 feet of water. They “went for broke” using 3-inch grubs to avoid so many smaller fish. The team caught a total of 10 crappies for the day.

Gleen and Scott Gill weighed 7.32 pounds to claim the third spot. The Indianapolis, IN team earned $300 for their day of fishing.

Gleen and Scott used pink/white Crappie Magnet lures in 6 to 7 feet of water to catch a total of 50 fish for the day.

Ricky Baker and David Gibson from Lancaster, KY took the 4th place spot with 6.49 pounds. Their bag included the big fish of the tournament at 2.29 pounds. They earned a check for $200 plus $560.00 big fish.

Baker and Gibson fished along the rocky bluff across from the weigh-in site. They were vertical fishing various jigs trying to target 6 to 8 feet of water. They said the color was not as important as getting the jig in front of the suspended fish.

Epilogue

Darrell Van Vactor, CUSA Operations Manager, sent special thanks to Perry-Clear Creek Fire Dept for hosting the seminar and to all the anglers who participated in the event.

The CUSA Classic Championship will be held October 23 – 26, 2019 on Old Hickory Lake, Gallatin, TN. It features a guaranteed payout of $125,000 in cash and prizes.

National Sponsors

National Sponsors of Crappie USA are: Bass Pro Shops Cabela’s, Ranger Boats, Mercury Marine, Mustad Hooks, Minn Kota, Humminbird, Talon, Lake Master Maps, Gamma, B’n’M Poles, Driftmaster Rod Holders, Ego Nets, Xtreme Bait Systems, Cumberland Crappie Double Seats, Brushpile Crappie, Charlie Brewer Slider, Crappie Now Magazine, Church Tackle Co., Jenko Fishing, Big Bite Baits, Lake Cumberland CVB, Crappie Magnet, AWD Baits, EFX Graphics, Fin n’ Frames, Crown Trophy, JR Madd Breading, and Freaky Franks Tackle.

For more information on the Classic and other CUSA events visit the website at  www.crappieusa.com and Crappie USA Tournament Trail Facebook Page. The CUSA office is available by phone at 502-384-5924.

Categories
Major League Fishing - Bass Pro Tour/Cup Events

JOSH BERTRAND BEATDOWN: ARIZONA PRO REWRITES RECORDS DURING SHOTGUN ROUND 3 ON TABLE ROCK

BRANSON, Mo. (May 18, 2019) – Well, that didn’t last long. Greg Vinson’s record-setting performance on Table Rock Lake in Friday’s Shotgun Round was short-lived and then one-upped by Josh Bertrand. 

The Arizona pro claimed the record for the total number of fish caught, and the single-day total weight for the Major League Fishing® (MLF) Bass Pro Tour just 24 hours after Vinson laid claim to both. When all was said and done, Bertrand had racked up 59 bass and 89 pounds, 5 ounces on SCORETRACKER® in today’s Shotgun Round 2 at the Berkley Stage Six Presented by TrueTimber. 

Bertrand will enter the Elimination Round with an 11-pound, 3-ounce lead over second-place angler Ott DeFoe.

Period 3 Was Key for Bertrand

The top of the leaderboard was in flux throughout the day. After Period 1, Jacob Wheeler held the lead. At the close of Period 2, Ott DeFoe was leading before Andy Morgan briefly overtook him. All of those anglers had banner days, but nobody could catch Bertrand.

The final period was Bertrand’s to own, and he went on a tear. Midway through the period, he landed 10 bass in fifteen minutes and continued catching them until time expired. 

His Period 3 numbers were impressive: He caught 31 bass for 47-6. To put that into perspective, his Period 3 weight would have been enough for 18th place on the day. 

“Periods 1 and 2 were good, but not great. I think they just started to bite late in the day and I have to give credit to the weather,” Bertrand said. “We had a big storm coming, and those pre-frontal conditions helped to get them active.”

With a considerable lead, Bertrand may not need to catch a bass in the Elimination Round to move on, but he plans to expand on what he learned. 

“I expect it to be different when I get back there because of the weather and water levels,” he said. “The fish want to move towards their summer pattern, and I am going to try to figure out what their next move is.”

DeFoe Stands in Second

To catch 55 bass for 78-2 and finish the day in second place is a testament to how well Table Rock is fishing right now. DeFoe’s 55 scoreable bass is the second most bass caught in the young history of the Bass Pro Tour, but he’s still over 11 pounds behind Bertrand.

His total weight was great despite going over an hour without catching a scoreable bass. 

“I had a really good start and slow start to Period 2. It picked up from there and was fairly consistent the rest of the day,” said DeFoe. “The good news is I have a good gap over 20th place and am not in a position where I have to catch one every 20-minutes to keep pace.”

Group Comparison

During Friday’s Shotgun Round 1, four anglers topped the 70-pound mark. Today, six anglers crossed that threshold. The 50-fish target was hit by four anglers today as compared to just two yesterday.

Each day’s numbers were fairly similar overall. Group A scored 1,894 pounds of bass on 1,173 fish whereas Group B had 1,800 pounds with 1,132 fish. Casey Ashley holds down 20th with 47 pounds, 1 ounce for Group A, while Gerald Spohrer has 41 pounds, 11 ounces for 20th in Group B.

Weather Holds, but Forces Cancellations

An approaching storm was part of the story today and likely helped the fishing for some anglers, but it did affect plans at the event. While anglers were able to complete the entire day without any weather delays, it did force the cancellation of fan events at the MLF Midway as well as the Postgame Show Presented by Berkley.

How this will affect the rest of the week is still to be determined, but post-frontal conditions tomorrow could make for more challenging fishing for Group A anglers during the Elimination Round.

Looking Ahead

The field will carry their Shotgun Round weights into Elimination Rounds on Sunday and Monday. The Top 20 anglers from each of those Elimination groups will advance to a 40-angler Knockout Round on Tuesday – weights will be zeroed, making the Knockout a one-day scramble. The Top 10 anglers in the Knockout Round will advance to the Championship Round on Wednesday, May 22.

Daily Winners

Shotgun Round 2 daily awards were:
*    The Berkley Big Bass of the day was a 4 -06 bass caught by Matt Lee
*    Bertrand was the Berkley Catch Count winner with a new record 59 fish
*    Bertrand also won the Phoenix Boats Daily Leader award with record-breaking 89-5

How, When and Where to Watch

Elimination Round 1 (Group A) competition begins Sunday at 6:30 a.m. CT with live, official scoring available at “lines in” via SCORETRACKER on MajorLeagueFishing.com and on the MLF app. The MLF NOW! live stream starts at 9 a.m. CT, with live, on-the-water coverage and analysis provided by Chad McKee, JT Kenney, Marty Stone and Natalie Dillon until lines out at 2:30 p.m. The Berkley Postgame Show – hosted by Steven “Lurch” Scott – will start at 4 p.m. 

Group B Standings Shotgun Round 2

PlaceAnglerTotal WeightTotal # FishLargest Fish
1stJosh Bertrand89 – 05592 – 08
2ndOtt DeFoe78 – 02552 – 09
3rdAndy Morgan78 – 01503 – 01
4thBobby Lane73 – 07512 – 02
5thCody Meyer70 – 09393 – 13
6thJacob Wheeler70 – 07463 – 12
7thJustin Atkins57 – 12332 – 15
8thGreg Hackney56 – 12323 – 12
9thScott Suggs56 – 07373 – 07
10thGerald Swindle54 – 06362 – 04
11thCliff Crochet54 – 01344 – 02
12thMark Davis53 – 14323 – 05
13thBrent Ehrler53 – 08322 – 14
14thMarty Robinson51 – 10343 – 03
15thWesley Strader51 – 00362 – 02
16thLuke Clausen50 – 06342 – 08
17thJonathon VanDam48 – 04262 – 13
18thJordan Lee43 – 01253 – 06
19thDustin Connell42 – 13243 – 02
20thChris Lane42 – 00233 – 01
21stGerald Spohrer41 – 11252 – 15
22ndTerry Scroggins39 – 04223 – 05
23rdStephen Browning38 – 08262 – 02
24thMatt Lee38 – 07264 – 06
25thEdwin Evers38 – 06242 – 04
26thAlton Jones Jr.38 – 05252 – 12
27thBrandon Coulter38 – 02262 – 02
28thKevin VanDam37 – 10214 – 01
29thKeith Poche36 – 10272 – 03
30thBrandon Palaniuk33 – 11183 – 15
31stKelly Jordon32 – 10212 – 07
32ndTommy Biffle32 – 08203 – 08
33rdAlton Jones32 – 02222 – 08
34thMike McClelland31 – 05192 – 11
35thTakahiro Omori28 – 04202 – 06
36thJames Elam25 – 15162 – 07
37thShaw Grigsby23 – 10132 – 04
38thJason Lambert18 – 05122 – 02
39thDavid Walker14 – 0183 – 10
40thBoyd Duckett7 – 1452 – 07
Categories
Major League Fishing - Bass Pro Tour/Cup Events

MLF PRO GREG VINSON BATTLES ONE OF HIS RECORD 52 FISH IN FRIDAY’S SHOTGUN ROUND OF GROUP A ANGLERS AT THE BASS PRO TOUR STAGE SIX EVENT ON MISSOURI’S TABLE ROCK LAKE.

BRANSON, Mo. (May 17, 2019) – There’s an old saying about records being made to be broken. Greg Vinson got that memo. Twice.
The Alabama pro staked a claim to the Major League Fishing® (MLF) Bass Pro Tour record books Thursday in the first Shotgun Round of the Berkley Stage Six Presented by TrueTimber, stacking a record 52 bass from Table Rock Lake onto SCORETRACKER® for 83 pounds, 6 ounces (also a record). Vinson was one of seven anglers who weighed 60 pounds on the day (yet another Bass Pro Tour record). 

Vinson’s performance was part of the most prolific day of fish-catching in the young history of the Bass Pro Tour. 

Vinson Voracious
After a slow start to the morning, Vinson staked a claim to the top of SCORETRACKER® midway through the first period. After moving to the lower end of the White River arm, he weighed 18 fish in the first period for 28-5, and followed that up with 25 pounds in Period 2. Over the course of the 7 ½ hours of official competition time, the Mercury pro averaged a fish every 8.6 minutes.
“That was the most unbelievable day of fishing I ever had,” Vinson admitted. “I got off to a slow start, but once I made a move to something new, everything I did seemed like it was right. Everywhere I went, I caught fish, and I didn’t see another angler all day long. To be on something that good and not see another competitor in this field is pretty rare.”


Shotgun Round 1 Loaded with Heavyweights
If professional bass fishing doesn’t work out for Jeff Sprague, he has a future in fortune telling. As reported in the live blog, Sprague’s assessment of the Table Rock bite was that “Somebody is going to wreck ’em today.”
Sprague was absolutely correct, if a little understated. SCORETRACKER® was loaded with anglers who indeed wrecked ’em in Group A: 26 anglers weighed 40 pounds or more, 17 connected with 50 pounds or more, and four surpassed the 70-pound mark. 

The overall catch weight for the field of 40 anglers was 1,894 pounds of bass on 1,173 fish (both Bass Pro Tour records).
“This place has just been pelted with tournaments and locals, and it’s putting out numbers and fish like it did today,” said Sprague, who finished fourth on the day with 70-4. “This is just an amazing fishery. I actually expected to catch bigger fish than I caught today, so I know there are some bigger ones that aren’t being caught. And we’re going to catch those fish. There are going to be some more phenomenal numbers ahead.”


Group B Takes Its Shot at the Rock
Now that the Elimination Line has been established above the 50-pound mark, the 40 anglers in Group B will take their turn on Table Rock on Saturday for Shotgun Round 2. Unlike the anglers in the first round – who fished in mostly sunny, sometimes-breezy conditions – Group B heads into Saturday morning just ahead of a storm system that will bring 20- to 30-mph winds and possible thunderstorms.
As outlandish as it sounds, that could make the bite even better.
“I’m looking at a forecast for south wind, seeing 10 to 20 (mph),” said MLF NOW! analyst Marty Stone. “The harder the wind blows on these Ozarks Mountains lakes, the more the fish bite, and the bigger they are. Our grade of 3- to 5 pounders could go up if it blows 20. This lake is slam-full of 3- to 5-pounders, and they didn’t really show on Friday. 

“Group B now knows that they have to go out and catch 50 pounds, so they’re going to be a lot less patient with marginal water, and they’ll get more aggressive. Our total weight could be more. I won’t say something crazy like we’ll catch more scoreable bass, but I’m not going to rule it out, either.” 


Looking Ahead to the Weekend
The field will carry their Shotgun Round weights into the Elimination Rounds on Sunday and Monday. The Top 20 anglers from each of those Elimination groups will advance to a 40-angler Knockout Round on Tuesday – weights will be zeroed, making the Knockout a one-day scramble. The Top 10 anglers in the Knockout Round will advance to the Championship Round on Wednesday, May 22.


Daily Winners
Shotgun Round 1 daily awards were:
* The Berkley Big Bass of the day was a 5-2 largemouth caught by Jeff Kriet
* Vinson was the Berkley Catch Count winner with 52 fish
* Vinson also earned the Phoenix Boats Daily Leader award with record-breaking 83-6


How, When and Where to Watch
Shotgun Round 2 competition begins Saturday at 6:30 a.m. CT with live, official scoring available at “lines in” via SCORETRACKER® on MajorLeagueFishing.com and on the MLF app. The MLF NOW! live stream starts at 9 a.m. CT, with live, on-the-water coverage and analysis provided by Chad McKee, JT Kenney, Marty Stone, and Natalie Dillon until lines out at 2:30 p.m. The Berkley Postgame Show – hosted by Steven “Lurch” Scott – will start at 4 p.m. 

Group A Standings Shotgun Round 1


Place		AnglerTotal WeightTotal # FishLargest Fish
1stGreg Vinson83 – 06522 – 13
2ndJacob Powroznik76 – 15462 – 15
3rdCliff Pace74 – 12512 – 07
4thJeff Sprague70 – 04482 – 09
5thGary Klein67 – 14472 – 07
6thJesse Wiggins67 – 13393 – 10
7thJustin Lucas62 – 04422 – 08
8thAnthony Gagliardi59 – 13382 – 06
9thZack Birge59 – 13352 – 14
10thDave Lefebre58 – 01402 – 02
11thRuss Lane57 – 15352 – 13
12thMichael Neal57 – 00372 – 07
13thAaron Martens56 – 15352 – 05
14thFletcher Shryock55 – 10334 – 01
15thMark Rose54 – 05354 – 14
16thRandall Tharp53 – 15284 – 06
17thFred Roumbanis53 – 05253 – 08
18thAdrian Avena47 – 09342 – 00
19thJason Christie47 – 04262 – 13
20thCasey Ashley47 – 01312 – 14
21stJohn Murray46 – 15252 – 15
22ndBritt Myers44 – 15272 – 14
23rdBradley Roy43 – 12312 – 05
24thJeff Kriet42 – 08235 – 02
25thSkeet Reese41 – 11282 – 05
26thMike Iaconelli41 – 10252 – 11
27thRandy Howell39 – 10233 – 00
28thTodd Faircloth37 – 02234 – 07
29thBrent Chapman36 – 12202 – 12
30thJames Watson36 – 07233 – 06
31stAndy Montgomery34 – 11271 – 15
32ndTimmy Horton33 – 14194 – 01
33rdJared Lintner32 – 06193 – 03
34thMark Daniels, Jr.30 – 13192 – 13
35thDean Rojas30 – 06163 – 05
36thShin Fukae28 – 05192 – 06
37thRoy Hawk25 – 05142 – 12
38thIsh Monroe21 – 11134 – 13
39thBrett Hite19 – 13123 – 04
40thPaul Elias14 – 03101 – 14
Categories
The National Angler

MOLIX SUPERNATO FROG IS THE HOTTEST FROG FOR 2019 – featuring Justin Lucas

The Molix Supernato Frog is going to be the hottest frog for 2019 and it packs some amazing features. This frog is a combination of your everyday frog with a new set of legs that have a unique design that creates a commotion that bass has yet to see on the water. The action of these legs is excellent either fast or on a slow retrieve.

The big problem with frogs that have this style of legs, instead of skirt legs is simple. Once the legs get destroyed or ripped off the frog is done. Molix has really stepped up the advancements of this frog with its replaceable legs and the way they have designed the method for holding the legs in place. Plus, you can technically put any type of soft plastic as legs or trailer for this frog. For example, if you wanted a more subtle approach you could add on a short twin tail grub.

Molix Supernato Frog – Product Description

A new hybrid bait developed by Molix, with the contribution of Carl Jocumsen, Australian-USA Pro Angler, expert and talented frog angler. It was conceived by exploiting the hydrodynamics and the buoyancy of the realistic body of a classic frog bait. The double tail made of a high density mixture creates high frequency vibrations. The two parts of the bait are joined by a solid mechanism fixed in the back part of the body of the frog. The fastening system allows a quick and precise assembly and the possibility to use customized tails of any type and shape. The inward-facing appendages can move during the retrieval phases like a true propeller. It lends itself to slow and fast retrieval over the vegetation or also to powerful jerks-strokes. The Supernato Frog is armed with a double and strong OMTD Custom hook.

Check out the Molix Supernato Frog yourself now and just how much Justin Lucas loves this hot new frog.

Make sure and go to Tackle Warehouse to get your hands on the Molix Supernato Frog!
https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Molix_Supernato_Frog/descpage-MLXSF.html#customer_reviews

Categories
Major League Fishing - Bass Pro Tour/Cup Events

MLF BASS PRO TOUR SETS STAGE EIGHT DESTINATION FOR WISCONSIN’S LAKE WINNEBAGO!

TULSA, Okla. (May 14, 2019) – Major League Fishing® (MLF) announced today that the last stop of the 2019 Bass Pro Tour eight-stage season will be hosted by Neenah, Wisconsin, on Lake Winnebago.

The Evinrude Stage Eight Presented by Tracker Off Road competition will take place June 25 – 30 on Wisconsin’s largest lake, which spans approximately 138,000 acres and covers an area of about 30 miles by 10 miles.
Neenah has nearly 7,500 feet of shoreline parks, making it an ideal setting for the visiting MLF anglers, fans and sponsors.
“The Neenah community is incredibly excited about the opportunity to share our unique fishing destination with the world,” said Nikki Hessel, executive director of Future Neenah. “We have no doubt that our guests from Major League Fishing and beyond will fall in love with the stunning waterfront, impressive recreational activities, and exceptional dining and culture.”
Sharing in the enthusiasm for the venue is MLF’s Michael Mulone, the league’s senior director, events & partnerships, who knows well what the area and its hosts have to offer.
“Winnebago is overdue to host a bass-fishing competition of this magnitude, and what better way to put it in the spotlight than by bringing the best bass anglers in the world here to participate,” Mulone said. “Neenah is a can-do community which is welcoming MLF with open arms. We are excited to see how the weights of this fishery’s smallmouth and largemouth bass light up SCORETRACKER® for all the world to follow throughout each competition day.”

Neenah was named by early-day Wisconsin Governor James Duane Doty; it means “running water” in the language of the Ho-Chunk Native American tribe of the region.

The competition will occur primarily on Lake Winnebago, but will extend to other waters nearby, including Lake Butte des Morts and Green Lake.
The area has a rich history of quality fishing for a variety of freshwater species, especially walleye and yellow perch. League officials are confident that the MLF competition will also show just how good the bass fishing is, too.
“I’m confident our Bass Pro Tour anglers will showcase the size and numbers of the bass in the Neenah region, because this late June competition falls right on top of the very best timing for catching largemouth and smallmouth here. It’s going to be an exciting event for sure,” Mulone added.
Five Bass Pro Tour Stages have been held to date, with the Bass Pro Tour Stage Six Presented by TrueTimber up next at Missouri’s Table Rock Lake, May 17 – 22, near Branson.
Stage Eight is the finale of the 2019 MLF Bass Pro Tour regular season, and will be the field of 80 anglers’ final opportunity to earn points to qualify for the REDCREST. Only the Top 30 points earners from the regular season will advance to this prestigious league championship, which is also destined for Wisconsin (REDCREST will be held Aug. 19-25 in La Crosse).
“Chances are high that few, if any, MLF anglers will have had previous experience on Winnebago, but I’m predicting they’ll all be hopeful for a return after this visit,” said Don Rucks, MLF executive vice president and general manager. “And the productive fishery will likely cause lots of shifting in the final chase for one of REDCREST’s 30 positions, adding even more fuel to this expected high-octane shootout.”
All MLF Stages and the REDCREST use the league’s entertaining and conservation-friendly catch, weigh and immediate-release format.
The Lake Winnebago competition, as with each of the Stages, will result in its own two-hour television episode that will air on Discovery Channel in the fourth quarter of 2019. It will repeat on Sportsman Channel in first and second quarters of 2020.
MLF also has programming on Outdoor Channel, World Fishing Network, CBS, CBS Sports Network and Discovery Channel, and all episodes are available on-demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV).