Day: July 14, 2020

Major League Fishing - Bass Pro Tour/Cup Events

Pace Passes Poche to Win Auto-Berth to Friday’s Championship:

Post author By jcarrigan
Post date July 14, 2020
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 13, 2020 (Sturgeon Bay, Wisc.) Major League Fishing (MLF) Pro Cliff Pace won Covercraft Stage Five presented by Abu Garcia Group B Qualifying Round to advance directly to the Championship, joining Group A winner Justin Lucas in one of ten spots. With half the field eliminated, 38 anglers begin Tuesday’s Knockout Round at zero weight to compete over the remaining eight spots in Wednesday’s Championship Round. The 2020 Bass Pro Tour Seasons Points Championship may come down to Tuesday’s Knockout Round with Jordan Lee, Jacob Wheeler, and Ott DeFoe all battling to advance. Competition resumes Tuesday at 8:00 a.m. CT on MLFNOW!

40-year-old Pace caught 107 pounds, nine ounces to climb from seventh place after Day One (Saturday) and win with a two-day total of 174 pounds on 58 bass. Pace advances directly into Wednesday’s Championship Round joining Justin Lucas who won Group A Qualifying Round on Sunday. The HIGH-SEAS Pro said it wasn’t easy this week and he’s grateful for a day off (Tuesday).

“I’m one happy man!” said Pace shortly after MLF Official Mike David confirmed his victory on SCORETRACKER®. “I’m tickled to death to have won today because everything here is such a variable. You don’t know what Mother Nature is going to do and everything can fall out of place. A win today means that I don’t have to compete tomorrow and maybe capitalize on a great event in Wisconsin on Wednesday.”

Pace caught nearly all 58 bass over two days with a wacky worm in clear water – both 20, 25-feet deep and shallow. His told fans that a consistent, long cast was a key to his victory. A Mississippi-resident, Pace won the final Stage of the 2019 Bass Pro Tour in Neenah, Wisconsin last July

Keith Poche started out slow with zero scorable catches in the first three hours of competition and ultimately ended the day with 53 pounds and a two-day total of 165 pounds, 11 ounces. Jordan Lee and Mike Iaconelli led the field at different points in the day before ultimately being out paced by Pace as well.

Stephen Browning caught the Berkley Big Bass of the day weighing in at five pounds, one ounce. His two-day total of 82 pounds, 10 ounces was enough to maintain a 20^th place finish and secure a spot in Tuesday’s Knockout Round. After finishing Day One in the top 20, Britt Myers and Adrian Avena fell below the Elimination Line in 21^st and 26^th places respectively making room for Matt Lee and Ish Monroe to advance. After only scoring 12 pounds, 13 ounces on Day One (Saturday), Jared Lintner made the biggest gain of the day by scoring an additional 119 pounds, five ounces to finish in sixth with a two-day total of 132 pounds, two ounces.

The Top Ten of Qualifying Group B finished as follows:
PlaceAnglerTwo-Day Total Two-Day TotalLargest Fish over Two-Day Round1Cliff Pace174-00584-142Keith Poche165-11624-033Jordan Lee155-04554-104Mike Iaconelli144-05494-085Bobby Lane132-09434-095Jared Lintner132-02444-047Cody Meyer122-11414-078Jason Christie116-01424-019Alton Jones112-05424-0310Bradley Roy109-06394-09

20 anglers fell below the Elimination Line ending their respective 2020 Bass Pro Tour seasons, including Chris Lane, Zack Birge, and Brent Ehrler who had all won Qualifying Rounds in previous 2020 Bass Pro Tour stops. For complete results, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com, Bass Pro Tour, Results.

The competition continues Tuesday when the 38 qualifiers take to the water for the Covercraft Stage Five presented by Abu Garcia Knockout Round, including current Season Points contenders Jordan Lee (276), Jacob Wheeler (267), Ott DeFoe (264), and Jeff Sprague (249). Each angler earns Points (80-1) awarded by finishing place (1-80) at each Stage of the Bass Pro Tour. The Pro with the most points at the end of the season earns the title of “Bass Pro Tour Points Champion.” With Fletcher Shryock and Michael Neal eliminated and the remaining four battling out for one of eight spots remaining in Wednesday’s Championship Round, Tuesday’s competition may be the most consequential of the 2020 Bass Pro Tour season.

Pending no weather delays, the Knockout Round begins at Sawyer Park Boat Launch, Sturgeon Bay, Wisc., 6:15 a.m. CT when the field reports to pick-up their MLF Official and camera operators before trailering to the ramp of his choice. With lines in at 8:00 a.m. CT, the competition consists of three, 150-minute periods.

MLF BIG-5

Illinois’ Shoraga and Wisconsin’s Brueggen Tie for Win at Phoenix Bass Fishing League on Rend Lake

Post author By jcarrigan
Post date July 14, 2020
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WHITTINGTON, Ill. (July 13, 2020) – Boaters Dan Shoraga of West Frankfort, Illinois, and Mike Brueggen of La Crosse, Wisconsin, each brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 11 pounds, 3 ounces, to tie for the win at the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine event at Rend Lake. For their wins Shoraga earned a total of $4,321, including the $1,000 Mercury Marine contingency bonus, while Brueggen brought home $3,321.

“I had seven bites all day, and managed to put them all in the boat,” said Shoraga, who earned his fourth career BFL win. “I knew it was going to fish tough, but I put my head down and just flipped the creeks all day.”

Shoraga said that he flipped black neon- and hematoma-colored beaver-style baits on the north end of the lake.

Brueggen, meanwhile, started in the mid-lake area and worked his way north, catching five fish throughout the day.

“I started early with a buzzbait, mid-lake, then worked my way north as the day progressed,” Brueggen said. “I caught two on the buzzbait and one out deep on a worm. As I worked up north, I caught one flipping and got my fifth keeper on a crankbait in the afternoon.”

Brueggen is now the early favorite for the October Regional Championship tournament, scheduled for his home waters of the Mississippi River in La Crosse.

“I don’t think there has ever been a regional championship in La Crosse before, so I’m really looking forward to that one,” Brueggen went on to say. “The river in October should be really good.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:

1^st: Dan Shoraga of West Frankfort, Ill., five bass, 11-3, $4,321

1^st: Mike Brueggen of La Crosse, Wis., five bass, 11-3, $3,321

3^rd: Addison Eggertsen of West Frankfort, Ill., five bass, 10-5, $1,478

4^th: Toby Corn of Paducah, Ky., five bass, 10-2, $1,033

5^th: Terry Holsapple of Greenup, Ill., five bass, 9-7, $886

6^th: Darren Frazier of Anna, Ill., three bass, 9-6, $812

7^th: Colby Schrumpf of Highland, Ill., five bass, 9-3, $738

8^th: Mark O’Brien of Carterville, Ill., five bass, 8-14, $664

9^th: Brad Porter of Bluford, Ill., four bass, 8-10, $553

9^th: Martin Conaughty of Fairview Heights, Ill., four bass, 8-10, $553

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Terry Fitzpatrick of Waukon, Iowa, claimed the day’s Boater Big Bass Award of $635 after bringing a 5-pound, 3-ounce bass to the scale.

Jodie Lanter of Carlyle, Illinois, took home an extra $500 as the highest finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member. Boaters are eligible to win up to an extra $7,000 per event in each Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine tournament if all requirements are met. More information on the FLW PHOENIX BONUS contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.

Ryan Fancher of Olney, Illinois, won the Co-angler Division and $2,214 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 11 pounds, 5 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:

1^st: Ryan Fancher of Olney, Ill., five bass, 11-5, $2,214

2^nd: Ryan Murphy of Paris, Ill., three bass, 6-15, $1,107

3^rd: James Jarvis of West Frankfort, Ill., three bass, 6-8, $738

4^th: Mike Swetland of Tamaroa, Ill., two bass, 6-5, $717

5^th: Charles Dammerman of Owaneco, Ill., two bass, 5-12, $443

6^th: Anthony Balding of Lebanon, Ill., two bass, 5-6, $406

7^th: Yong Yeun of Elgin, Ill., two bass, 5-2, $369

8^th: Ashton Nielsen of Mount Zion, Ill., one bass, 5-0, $471

8^th: Rod Mandrell of Benton, Ill., one bass, 5-0, $471

10^th: Alan Bernicky of Joliet, Ill., three bass, 4-13, $258

Mandrell caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, weighing in at 5 pounds even. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $158.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on Rend Lake was the second of five qualifying tournaments in the Illini division.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the Illini Division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 15-17 Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on the Mississippi River in La Crosse, Wisconsin, hosted by Explore La Crosse. Boaters will compete for a $60,000 prize package, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new 18-foot Phoenix bass boat with a 200-horsepower outboard.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American will be held Nov. 11-13 at Lake Hartwell in Anderson, South Carolina and is hosted by Visit Anderson. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division earn priority entry into the FLW Series, the pathway to the FLW Pro Circuit and ultimately the MLF Bass Pro Tour, where top pros compete with no entry fees.

MLF BIG-5

Tennessee’s Lebanon’s Johnson and Hendersonville’s Hopkins Earn Wins at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Double-Header on Old Hickory Lake

GALLATIN, Tenn. (July 13, 2020) – It was a double-header for bass anglers this past weekend in Gallatin with the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on Old Hickory Lake events.

Boater Daniel Johnson of Lebanon, Tennessee, brought a five-bass limit to the scale weighing 16 pounds, 6 ounces to win Saturday’s event and earn $4,418, while John Hopkins of Hendersonville, Tennessee, brought in a limit weighing 20 pounds, 11 ounces on Sunday to earn the win and $3,164.

The tournaments were the second and third of five events in the Music City Division presented by A.R.E. Truck Caps.

“It was pretty much the same old, same old for me,” said Johnson, who earned his fourth career victory in BFL competition. “I live about ¼ mile from the lake, and fish it all the time – primarily shallow. I caught everything that I had flipping soft plastics in 1- to 6-feet-of-water.

“The hot and sunny weather really helped me,” Johnson continued. “It positioned the fish right where they needed to be for flipping.”

Johnson said that his key bait was a Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver, which he estimated he threw 70% of the day.

The top five boaters on Saturday were:

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1^st: Daniel Johnson of Lebanon, Tenn., five bass, 16-6, $4,418

2^nd: Tim Messer of Hendersonville, Tenn., four bass, 16-0, $1,709

3^rd: Lance Oligschlaeger of Gallatin, Tenn., five bass, 15-6, $1,138

4^th: Dustin Hinkle of Mount Juliet, Tenn., five bass, 14-8, $1,218

5^th: Adam Wagner of Cookeville, Tenn., five bass, 14-2, $1,184

Complete results for Saturday can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Hinkle brought a 6-pound, 2-ounce bass to the scale to add Saturday’s Boater Big Bass award of $420 to his winnings.

Wagner was the highest-finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member and took home an extra $500 Saturday. Boaters are eligible to win up to an extra $7,000 per event in each Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine tournament if all requirements are met. More information on the FLW PHOENIX BONUS contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.

Beaufort, South Carolina’s Jared Kutil won the Co-angler Division and $1,868 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 11 pounds, 10 ounces.

The top five co-anglers Saturday finished as follows:

1^st: Jared Kutil of Beaufort, S.C., five bass, 11-10, $1,868

2^nd: Benjamin Fouts of Morehead, Ky., five bass, 11-8, $834

3^rd: Ricky England of Sparta, Tenn., five bass, 10-15, $558

4^th: Curtis Cline of Lafayette, Tenn., five bass, 10-6, $389

5^th: Jimmy Cartwright of Smithville, Tenn., four bass, 9-5, $539

Cartwright caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division Saturday, weighing in at 4 pounds, 1 ounce. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $205.

Sunday’s tournament was a completely different story as winner John Hopkins spent his day catching huge numbers of fish out deep on the ledges.

“I caught probably 60 fish throughout the day,” said Hopkins, who picked up his fifth career BFL win. “Old Hickory is fishing better than it ever has.”

Hopkins said that he caught two good fish on a jig, but most of his damage was done with an unnamed crankbait.

The top five boaters on Sunday were:

1^st: John Hopkins of Hendersonville, Tenn., five bass, 20-11, $3,164

2^nd: Mickey Beck of Lebanon, Tenn., five bass, 18-2, $1,582

3^rd: Dylan Wright of Murfreesboro, Tenn., five bass, 17-14, $1,054

4^th: Clabion Johns of Social Circle, Ga., five bass, 16-7, $738

5^th: Hunter Bouldin of McMinnville, Tenn., five bass, 16-5, $633

Complete results for Sunday’s event on Old Hickory Lake can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Scott Ellis of Madison, Tennessee, brought a 6-pound, 3-ounce bass to the scale to win Sunday’s Boater Big Bass award of $380.

William Merrick of Mount Juliet, Tennessee, was Sunday’s highest-finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member and took home an extra $500.

Doug Thompson of Mabelvale, Arkansas, won the Co-angler Division and $1,582 Sunday after catching five bass weighing 14 pounds, 15 ounces.

The top five co-anglers Sunday finished as follows:

1^st: Doug Thompson of Mabelvale, Ark., five bass, 14-15, $1,582

2^nd: Ryan Mealer of Spring Hill, Tenn., five bass, 13-12, $981

3^rd: Chris Hughes of Centerville, Tenn., five bass, 12-12, $526

4^th: Taylor Wisniewski of Lexington, Ky., five bass, 11-5, $369

5^th: Benjamin Fouts of Morehead, Ky., five bass, 10-15, $316

Mealer caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, weighing in at 5 pounds even. The catch earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $190.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine Double-Header on Old Hickory Lake was hosted by Sumner County Tourism.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the Music City Division presented by A.R.E. based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 22-24 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Lake Lanier in Gainesville, Georgia, hosted by the Gainesville Convention and Visitors Bureau. Boaters will compete for a $60,000 prize package, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new 18-foot Phoenix bass boat with a 200-horsepower outboard.