Month: March 2024

McKinney wins Bassmaster Elite Series event at Lake Fork with fourth-highest weight ever caught

Post author By jcarrigan
Post date March 3, 2024
No Comments on McKinney wins Bassmaster Elite Series event at Lake Fork with fourth-highest weight ever caught

March 3, 2024

YANTIS, Texas —

Trey McKinney made history, with authority, on Championship Sunday at the AFTCO Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork.

The Carbondale, Ill., native, exactly one week removed from his 19th birthday, finished with a four-day total of 20 bass weighing 130 pounds, 15 ounces, outlasting the field of 103 anglers in what was one of the most productive tournaments in the history of competitive bass fishing.

He became the youngest winner in Elite Series history and earned $100,000, while missing the all-time record for total weight in a four-day B.A.S.S. event — set by Paul Elias on Falcon Lake in Texas in 2008 — by just 1 pound, 9 ounces.

“This is crazy to even be up here, much less come that close to setting the all-time tournament record,” McKinney said. “To think, that one more fish and I could have had it. I lost a 7 1/2-pounder yesterday that would have given me 33 pounds and enough weight to break it.

“But I couldn’t be happier. This lake is just awesome. It was stressful and I had adrenaline. I was really spinning out today when I had 28 pounds and didn’t know if I had enough to win. I knew I had to have more.”

McKinney’s total was the fourth-highest produced in a four-day tournament in B.A.S.S. history, trailing Elias and two other angler who each caught more than 131 pounds at that historic 2008 event at Falcon.

The tournament on Lake Fork was only McKinney’s second since qualifying for the Elite Series. The rookie caught more than 30 pounds each day (the only angler to do so this week), posting totals of 33-11, 33-10 and 30-0 before closing with another 33-10 limit to clinch the win on Championship Sunday.

McKinney figured he could get the extra weight in his favored spot of the week, but it was filled with locals when he arrived there Sunday morning, compounding his stress. Then, showing a maturity beyond his age, he slowed down and considered his options.

He settled into a small pocket just a stone’s throw from the Caney Point Recreation Area where daily takeoffs and weigh-ins were held. He noticed the small cove earlier in the week, but didn’t rely on it until the final minutes of the tournament.

What a choice.

“It was just loaded in there,” he said. “I finally wound up catching one more that weighed 7-6 and that put me over 33 pounds overall with 30 minutes left to fish. I had a feeling it was gonna happen right there, and it just worked out perfectly.”

McKinney adjusted to rapidly changing conditions on Championship Sunday, just like every other day of the shootout on Fork. He caught his Day 4 bass using a Strike King KVD Ocho stickbait with 8-pound Seaguar Tatsu line on a St. Croix 7-foot medium-heavy Legend X rod. Earlier in the week, he hooked his biggest bass using a St. Croix Physyx 7-1 medium rod with a Strike King Z Too lure on 10-pound Seaguar Tatsu line.

“The Lowrance ActiveTarget was essential to finding these fish up on the shallow flats, too,” McKinney said. “I started the tournament fishing in 20 to 30 feet of water and then today, I was in 4 feet … They were moving off the timber toward the bank. I had to follow them.”

Each of the 10 Elites who survived the final Phoenix Boats Cutline became members of the Century Club, meaning they caught more than 100 pounds of bass over four days. It was only the second time in history that has happened, with the historic 2008 tournament on Falcon the only comparison. A total of 12 competitors surpassed the 100-pound mark in the Falcon event, which featured a final-day cut of 12 instead of 10.

McKinney, who led here after Day 2 and Day 3, fell from atop the leaderboard early on Sunday, but he regained the upper hand when he hooked a 6-7 largemouth just after noon. Justin Hamner, of Northport, Ala., jumped into second place soon after with a gigantic 11-7 largemouth that pulled him within 18 ounces of the lead.

But then McKinney closed with his 7-13 and pulled away again.

Tyler Rivet, of Raceland, La., finished second with 125-9. Hamner finished third with 124-10 and his 11-7 was the Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the day and the tournament, earning him an additional $3,000 in prize money.

Rivet’s 125-9 is the eighth-highest four-day weight in B.A.S.S history. Hamner’s 124-10 is ninth all-time and Tyler Williams’ 124-9 is 10th.

Lake Fork has now produced 19 Century Club members, passing Falcon (15) for most in B.A.S.S. history.

With only two of the nine Elite Series tournaments completed, the race for Progressive Insurance Bassmaster Angler of the Year is just beginning.

After his victory, McKinney tied Texas pro Ben Milliken for the AOY lead with 195 points and Patrick Walters of South Carolina follows closely with 194 points.

McKinney and Milliken also lead the race for Dakota Lithium Rookie of the Year.

Japan’s Taku Ito won the Rapala CrushCity Monster Bag of the tournament for his 39-1 Day 1 catch, earning him an additional $2,000.

McKinney earned an extra $4,000 for the Yamaha Power Pay contingency award while Williams earned a $2,500 bonus.

McKinney also earned $3,000 in Toyota Bonus Bucks, second-place Rivet earned $2,000 in Bonus Bucks.

This event was hosted by Wood County Texas.

MLF BIG-5

Last Minute Cull Gives Louisiana’s Angler the Win at Tackle Warehouse Invitational Stop 2 Presented by Suzuki at West Point Lake

LAGRANGE, Ga. (March 3, 2024) – The final day of the Major League Fishing (MLF) Tackle Warehouse Invitational Stop 2 Presented by Suzuki on West Point Lake was as dramatic as anticipated. With the clock ticking down, none of the leaders had pulled clearly ahead or had spectacular days, until Tyler Stewart of Dubach, Louisiana, iced it with a last-minute kicker fish.

“Honestly, I was hoping to catch a 2½-pound spotted bass, to get a few more pounds, because I knew it was going to be so close,” Stewart said of his final fish. “There was a dock that I caught one 2-pounder on in practice, in front of the ramp. I rolled up to that dock with 10 minutes left, slung a ChatterBait under it and caught a 3½-pounder and culled out a 1-pounder. When it’s meant to be, it’s gonna happen.”

That fish bumped Stewart up to 14 pounds, 4 ounces on the day, enough to clear Todd Walters of Kernersville, North Carolina, by 7 ounces and win his first Tackle Warehouse Invitationals event with a three-day total of 45-3. For the win, Stewart takes home the top prize of $80,000 and a coveted spot in REDCREST 2025.

Having fished as a pro on the FLW Tour and its various iterations since 2018, Stewart has fished the Forrest Wood Cup and the Tackle Warehouse TITLE Championship and been in the hunt to win before. A winner in college in 2016, Stewart fished at the University of Louisiana-Monroe, and has since fished his way around the country.

This week, he took a couple of clues from practice, added some veteran savvy, and put together a win.

“The first day of practice, I caught an 8-pounder, or about that, on the docks I fished the first day,” he said. “It ate that ChatterBait, and that was the only big bite I had. I said ‘Well, there’s big ones around here, I might as well start here.’ I went down that stretch first thing on Day 1 and caught 15 pounds.”

From there, Stewart was able to let his skills take it the rest of the way.

“When I got bit doing that in practice, I was excited, because I’ve done well in tournaments where that (dock bite) was going on,” he said. “Clarks Hill last year, I had a bad second day, but the first day I did the exact same thing on docks and caught 16 or 17 pounds real quick. I love doing it, I do it a lot back home – the Ouachita River has a bunch of marinas and I catch them like that all the time on it.

“Most of those docks were in 15 or 20 feet. The fish were definitely sitting under the floats, like a foot under the water. I was slow rolling it through there, trying to get one to react.”

Fishing some laydowns as well, and catching a few spotted bass off rock places, the bread and butter for Stewart was a ChatterBait and docks, either along shorelines or in marinas. His bait of choice was a 1/2-ounce Z-Man Evergreen ChatterBait JackHammer with a shad trailer, which he threw on a 7-foot, 5-inch, medium heavy Favorite Hex, with 17-pound P-Line Tactical .

On the final day, Stewart caught two kicker largemouth, one early, one late, and that was the difference maker. Combined with a stellar Day 1, which saw him catch the biggest bag of the event, it was just enough to get the job done.

“I haven’t won since college, it’s so hard to do it,” Stewart said. “Leading a day is one thing, but finishing it out, I’ll just be honest, I’m not really a closer. I usually catch them really good, and then fall off. This feels really good.”

It also sets him up for a run at Bass Pro Tour qualification – MLF’s most prestigious circuit. After finishing 66^th at Sam Rayburn to start the year, he’s now 23^rd in the points.

“I’m excited about it,” he said. “Last year, I had a couple unfortunate things happen that might have cost me the Bass Pro Tour qualification. But, I’m going to try to be more responsible this year, make sure to charge my batteries before the second day, and stuff like that. The schedule looks like a lot of fun, I’ve been doing it eight years now, and I’ve been to all these places other than where we’re at right now.”

The top 30 pros at the Tackle Warehouse Invitational Stop 2 Presented by Suzuki at West Point Lake finished:

1st:          Tyler Stewart, Dubach, La., 15 bass, 45-3, $80,000
2nd:        Todd Walters, Kernersville, N.C., 15 bass, 44-12, $50,000
3rd:        Derik Hudson, Concord, Va., 15 bass, 43-8, $20,300
4th:         Colby Miller, Elmer, La., 15 bass, 41-14, $18,000
5th:         Drew Gill, Mount Carmel, Ill., 15 bass, 41-6, $17,000
6th:         Cole Breeden, Lebanon, Mo., 15 bass, 41-1, $16,000
7th:         Jake Lawrence, Buchanan, Tenn., 15 bass, 40-5, $15,000
8th:         Ethan Greene, Eufaula, Ala., 15 bass, 40-2, $14,000
9th:         Troy Stokes, Trenton, Mich., 15 bass, 39-13, $13,000
10th:      Ken Thompson, Roaring Springs, Penn., 15 bass, 39-12, $12,000
11th:      Brody Campbell, Oxford, Ohio, 15 bass, 39-12, $10,000
12th:      Alec Morrison, Peru, N.Y., 15 bass, 39-10, $10,000
13th:      Charlie Williams, LaGrange, Ga., 15 bass, 38-13, $10,000
14th:      Marshall Hughes, Hemphill, Texas, 15 bass, 38-8, $10,000
15th:      Taylor Parker, Lake View, Ala., 15 bass, 37-13, $10,000
16th:      Jack Daniel Williams, Kingsport, Tenn., 15 bass, 37-13, $10,000
17th:      Alex Davis, Albertville, Ala., 15 bass, 37-12, $10,000
18th:      Keith Poche, Pike Road, Ala., 15 bass, 37-11, $10,000
19th:      Brock Reinkemeyer, Warsaw, Mo., 15 bass, 36-14, $10,000
20th:      Cameron Mattison, Benton, La., 15 bass, 36-12, $10,000
21st:      Bobby Padgett, LaGrange, Ga., 15 bass, 36-3, $10,000
22nd:     Michael Harlin, Sunrise Beach, Mo., 15 bass, 36-2, $10,000
23rd:     Keith Carson, DeBary, Fla., 15 bass, 35-15, $10,000
24th:      Brett Carnright, Plattsburgh, N.Y., 15 bass, 35-15, $10,000
25th:      Spike Stoker, Cisco, Texas, 15 bass, 35-13, $10,000
26th:      Brian Gay, LaGrange, Ga., 15 bass, 35-8, $10,000
27th:      Chris Blair, Newnan, Ga., 15 bass, 35-7, $10,000
28th:      Kyle Cortiana, Broken Arrow, Okla., 15 bass, 35-3, $10,000
29th:      Brad Jelinek, Lincoln, Mo., 15 bass, 34-6, $10,000
30th:      Kelly Jordon, Flint, Texas, 11 bass, 28-4, $10,000

Complete results for the entire field can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Overall, there were 146 bass weighing 333 pounds even caught by 30 pros Sunday. The catch included 29 five-bass limits.

The three-day tournament, hosted by Visit LaGrange , featured a roster of 150 anglers competing for a top prize of up to $115,000 and an invitation to compete at REDCREST 2025. The next Tackle Warehouse Invitational event will take place April 19-21 at the Tackle Warehouse Invitational Stop 3 Presented by Phoenix Boats on Kentucky-Barkley Lake in Calvert City, Kentucky.

In Tackle Warehouse Invitational competition, the full field of 150 anglers competed in the two-day opening round on Friday and Saturday in a five-fish, weigh-in format. Only the top 30 pros, based on their two-day cumulative weight, advanced to the final round on Championship Sunday. The winner of the Tackle Warehouse Invitational Stop 2 at West Point Lake Presented by Suzuki was determined by the heaviest three-day cumulative weight and now receives an invitation to compete at REDCREST 2025 on Lake Guntersville in Huntsville, Alabama.

Television coverage of the MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitationals Stop 2 at West Point Lake Presented by Suzuki will air as a two-hour episode, premiering at 9 a.m. ET, on Saturday, Oct. 12 on CBS Sports Network.

Tackle Warehouse Invitationals anglers will compete throughout the 2024 season for the prestigious Fishing Clash Angler of the Year award, its $50,000 payday and qualification for the 2025 Bass Pro Tour. After Stop 2 Presented by Suzuki on West Point Lake, pro Drew Gill of Mount Carmel, Illinois, sits in first place with 396 points. Pro Jake Lawrence of Buchanan, Tennessee, sits in second place just 3 points behind Gill with 393 points.

Fishing Clash – an interactive 3D fishing simulation game that’s played by more than 80 million people worldwide – is the official AOY sponsor of the Bass Pro Tour, Tackle Warehouse Invitationals, Toyota Series and Phoenix Bass Fishing League. You can download Fishing Clash for free in the App Store and on Google Play or log on to www.fishingclash.game for more information.

Proud sponsors of the 2024 MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitationals include: 7Brew, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, E3, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, FX Custom Rods, General Tire, Lew’s, Mercury, Mossy Oak Fishing, Onyx, Phoenix Boats, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Suzuki Marine, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota and YETI.

MLF BIG-5

North Carolina’s Todd Walters Leaps Ahead to Lead Day 2 at Tackle Warehouse Invitational Stop 2 Presented by Suzuki at West Point Lake

LAGRANGE, Ga. (March 2, 2024) – Weighing 18 pounds, 15 ounces on Day 2, Todd Walters of Kernersville, North Carolina, rocketed up from 32^nd place to take the lead Saturday at the Major League Fishing (MLF) Tackle Warehouse Invitational Stop 2 Presented by Suzuki on West Point Lake. With a total of 31 pounds, 10 ounces, Walters is 5 ounces ahead of Concord, Virginia’s Derik Hudson and 11 ounces ahead of Day 1 leader Tyler Stewart of Dubach, Louisiana, entering Championship Sunday. Less than 4 pounds separates first place from ninth, so the final day of the event promises to be thrilling.

The three-day tournament, hosted by Visit LaGrange , featured a roster of 150 anglers competing for a top prize of up to $115,000 and an invitation to compete at REDCREST 2025. The field is now trimmed to 30 and the winner will be determined on Championship Sunday by heaviest three-day cumulative weight.

Dock talk entering the event suggested that big largemouth would be key for the top performers, though perhaps difficult to find consistently. That has proven to be the case through the first two days, with each of the top four pros in the hunt thanks to one strong day keyed by big largemouth.

On Day 1, Walters weighed two largemouth and three spotted bass for 12-11. Today, he blasted up the leaderboard with four largemouth and one spot.

“I dedicated myself to staying shallow,” he said of Day 2. “I was trying to fish brushpiles and crank and throw moving baits and stuff. But dead slick calm like today, there was only one way to catch them. You could see them in the trees and the brushpiles and stuff, just targeting them with LiveScope, and you could throw different stuff to them. I could see them go down for it — a lot of them are going down for it, but not a lot of them are getting it.”

Fishing shallow wood for the most part, Walters did most of his damage on a homemade jig, a Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver and a Neko rig. According to the North Carolina pro, a big key is fishing in the right water clarity, which has changed a lot since practice, as the lake is clearing in some places and further muddying in others.

“I think I’ve got something figured out, but the water clarity is changing throughout the lake,” he said. “So, I’m trying to stay in the right water clarity. It seems like the fish are more active, more aggressive, feeding better in the right stuff. It’s right in between — if it’s too clear, they won’t commit to the bait. They’ll go down to it, but they won’t commit. If it’s the right clarity, they’ll go down to it, and 50 percent of them will bite.”

Though Walters is one of many in the field who had never been to West Point prior to this week, he likened it to some of the lakes along the Yadkin River in North Carolina. He’s optimistic about his ability to stay steady tomorrow, which has been tricky for the leaders so far.

“They’re around; I just have to get them to bite,” he said. “I might have to switch up and do more finesse stuff tomorrow. I noticed late in the day they were reacting to the Neko better. I just need to do what I’ve been doing. I need to just fish and trust my instincts. That’s been the biggest thing, not relying on a specific spot or a specific lure, just knowing that I’m around the right group of fish and figuring out through the day how to catch them.”

The top 30 pros advancing to the final day of competition on West Point Lake are:

1st: Todd Walters, Kernersville, N.C., 10 bass, 31-10
2nd: Derik Hudson, Concord, Va., 10 bass, 31-5
3rd: Tyler Stewart, Dubach, La., 10 bass, 30-15
4th: Ethan Greene, Eufaula, Ala., 10 bass, 29-12
5th: Colby Miller, Elmer, La., 10 bass, 29-5
6th: Troy Stokes, Trenton, Mich., 10 bass, 29-1
7th: Drew Gill, Mount Carmel, Ill., 10 bass, 28-15
8th: Ken Thompson, Roaring Springs, Penn., 10 bass, 28-14
9th: Jake Lawrence, Buchanan, Tenn., 10 bass, 28-6
10th:      Taylor Parker, Lake View, Ala., 10 bass, 27-12
11th:      Alex Davis, Albertville, Ala., 10 bass, 27-7
12th:      Keith Carson, DeBary, Fla., 10 bass, 27-0
13th:      Cameron Mattison, Benton, La., 10 bass, 27-0
14th:      Alec Morrison, Peru, N.Y., 10 bass, 26-14
15th:      Cole Breeden, Lebanon, Mo., 10 bass, 26-13
16th:      Brody Campbell, Oxford, Ohio, 10 bass, 26-12
17th:      Jack Daniel Williams, Kingsport, Tenn., 10 bass, 26-11
18th:      Chris Blair, Newnan, Ga., 10 bass, 26-8
19th:      Brock Reinkemeyer, Warsaw, Mo., 10 bass, 26-8
20th:      Kelly Jordon, Flint, Texas, 10 bass, 26-4
21st:      Keith Poche, Pike Road, Ala., 10 bass, 25-10
22nd:     Kyle Cortiana, Broken Arrow, Okla., 10 bass, 25-8
23rd:     Brian Gay, LaGrange, Ga., 10 bass, 25-7
24th: Spike Stoker, Cisco, Texas, 10 bass, 25-4
25th: Marshall Hughes, Hemphill, Texas, 10 bass, 25-2
26th: Brett Carnright, Plattsburgh, N.Y., 10 bass, 25-1
27th: Charlie Williams, LaGrange, Ga., 10 bass, 24-15
28th: Michael Harlin, Sunrise Beach, Mo., 10 bass, 24-13
29th: Bobby Padgett, LaGrange, Ga., 10 bass, 24-12
30th: Brad Jelinek, Lincoln, Mo., 10 bass, 24-10

Complete results for the entire field can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Jeff Harper of Fleming Island, Florida, earned Saturday’s $1,000 Berkley Big Bass award with a largemouth bass that weighed in at 7 pounds, 7 ounces.

Overall, there were 637 bass weighing 1,361 pounds even caught by 136 pros Saturday. The catch included 109 five-bass limits.

In Tackle Warehouse Invitational competition, the full field of 150 anglers competed in the two-day opening round on Friday and Saturday in a five-fish, weigh-in format. Only the top 30 pros, based on their two-day cumulative weight, now advance to the final round on Championship Sunday, where they will compete for the grand prize of up to $115,000. The winner of the Tackle Warehouse Invitational Stop 2 at West Point Lake Presented by Suzuki will be determined by the heaviest three-day cumulative weight and will receive an invitation to compete at REDCREST 2025 on Lake Guntersville in Huntsville, Alabama.

The final 30 anglers will launch at 7 a.m. ET Sunday from the Pyne Road Park Mega Ramp, located at 4481 Roanoke Road in LaGrange. Sunday’s Championship weigh-in will also be held at the ramp and will begin at 3 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend all launch and weigh-in events and also encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLFNOW!® live stream and coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

The MLFNOW! broadcast team of Chad McKee and Rob Newell will break down the extended action live on Championship Sunday from 7:30 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. ET. MLFNOW! will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app.

Tackle Warehouse Invitationals anglers will compete throughout the 2024 season for the prestigious Fishing Clash Angler of the Year award and its $50,000 payday. After Stop 1 Presented by Power-Pole MOVE on Sam Rayburn, pro Drew Gill of Mount Carmel, Illinois, is in the lead.

BASSMASTER Elite Series/Opens

Another big day puts McKinney on the verge of history in Bassmaster Elite Series event at Lake Fork

Post author By jcarrigan
Post date March 2, 2024
No Comments on Another big day puts McKinney on the verge of history in Bassmaster Elite Series event at Lake Fork

March 2, 2024

YANTIS, Texas —

Trey McKinney already is the youngest angler ever on the Bassmaster Elite Series. Now, he’s only a day away from possibly winning the AFTCO Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork and scratching his name into another chapter of the B.A.S.S. record books.

McKinney, a 19-year-old Elite Series rookie from Carbondale, Ill., maintained his lead on Semifinal Saturday at this 27,000-acre big-bass factory in the northeast corner of the Lone Star State. He caught a Day 3 limit of five bass that weighed 30 pounds even, giving him 15 total bass for 97 pounds, 5 ounces.

BassTrakk had McKinney falling out of first place with only 5-3 caught after 75 minutes of fishing. His confidence shot skyward, however, after hooking a chunky 8-8 largemouth an hour later.

“The nerves were getting to me,” McKinney said. “I was trying to stay calm. When I finally hooked that big one, I said ‘This bass is what’s going to get me through.’ It took the pressure off me and I was able to fish better.”

It’s almost unfathomable that McKinney flirted with the Century mark (a 100-pound total or higher) through only three days of the four-day derby. In fact, the Top 10 anglers who survived the Phoenix Boats Cutline after Saturday’s fishing all are within striking distance of the celebrated Century Club, with the 10th-place angler having 86-5 after three days on Fork.

Still, the tournament appears McKinney’s to win or lose. Only a teenager, he’s displayed wisdom beyond his years in this tournament, making key switches when needed and maintaining focus with the spotlight shining squarely on him.

After calming down with the 8-8, McKinney caught a trio of 5-pounders over the next few hours to build a 7-pound cushion on the field. But Louisiana’s Tyler Rivet hooked a crucial 8-15 largemouth just after 11 a.m. to complete his limit and reel McKinney back to the pack.

Tyler Williams, a 22-year-old Elite Series rookie from Belgrade, Maine, is in second place with a three-day total of 94-11. Williams posted 33-14 on Saturday, following limits of 30-4 and 30-9 earlier in the tournament, and he and McKinney are the only two anglers to catch 30 pounds each day of the derby.

Williams’ 33-14 was the third-heaviest total caught Saturday. He hooked a pair of 7-pounders early and ended with a flourish, catching an 8-5 lunker on his last cast.

“I’m fishing in 40 feet of water sometimes and in 2 feet of water other times,” he said. “The big one today came really shallow. If the water was clear enough, I probably could have seen it with my eyes.”

Williams is covering a lot of water, but he’s doing so methodically. On Saturday, he trolled parallel to the bank and leaned on a 3/4-ounce Greenfish brown jig to boat his best bass.

“I put my trolling motor down about 7:15 a.m. (just after takeoff) and picked it up at about 2:45 p.m. (just before weigh-in,)” he said.

Rivet, a 29-year-old Elite angler from Raceland, La., is in third place with a 92-15 total. He followed limits of 31-5 and 29-13 with a 31-13 stringer on Semifinal Saturday.

“I just keep moving,” Rivet said, responding to how he’s maintained consistency in an event featuring a 40-degree temperature drop to start the tournament, bluebird skies and rapidly climbing temps on Day 2 and steady 15 mph winds on Day 3.

“I’ve been catching them where there’s a lot of timber in a pretty long pocket, and I’m getting new fish every day,” Rivet continued. “I think I can get another big bag. I’m confident.”

Others surviving the Phoenix Boats Cutline were Stetson Blaylock, fourth, 92-7; fifth, Justin Hammer, 91-3; sixth, Kyle Patrick, 90-5; seventh, Justin Atkins, 90-0; eighth, Cooper Gallant, 88-0; ninth, Ben Milliken, 87-3; and 10th, Wesley Gore, 86-5.

Five of the remaining Top 10 are Elite Series rookies (McKinney, Williams, Patrick, Milliken and Gore). Gore still has the Phoenix Boats Big Bass (a 10-9 caught on Day 1), while Milliken caught a 9-10 for the Big Bass on Day 3.

With the remarkable totals on the board, it’s realistic (if not probable) that each of the 10 remaining anglers will crack the 100-pound mark on Championship Sunday. That’s happened only once before in the era of four-day tournaments and five-bass limits — in 2008 on Falcon Lake in Texas when 12 Elites caught 100 pounds or more. Paul Elias caught 132-8 that year on Falcon, a four-day B.A.S.S. record that still stands.

It’s worth noting that the 2008 Falcon event was limited to 12 anglers on the final day of fishing instead of 10. Under similar circumstances on Fork, that record would likely be equaled — and there’s no telling how many 100-pound totals would be caught if the full field fished Sunday.

“Getting a Century belt is just about the coolest thing I can think of,” McKinney said, noting he still has 2-11 to get to that storied milestone. “That’s something you can’t do every day. But this tournament has been something special.

“And if they bite again tomorrow like they have the first three days, it’ll be a fun day. If not, I’ll have to tooth-and-nail them every minute of the day.”

FS1 will have live action from Championship Sunday from 8-11 a.m. There also will be live coverage on Bassmaster.com from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

This event is being hosted by Wood County Texas.

BASSMASTER Elite Series/Opens

Another big catch gives McKinney the lead at Bassmaster Elite Series event on Lake Fork

Post author By jcarrigan
Post date March 1, 2024
No Comments on Another big catch gives McKinney the lead at Bassmaster Elite Series event on Lake Fork

March 1, 2024

YANTIS, Texas —

Just when you thought the fishing at the AFTCO Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork couldn’t get better, it did.

Fifteen of the 103 anglers in the field caught 30 pounds or more on Day 2 of this four-day derby in the northeast corner of the Lone Star State. That was up from a total of 14 who caught 30 pounds or more on Thursday to start competition on the 27,000-acre fishery.

Trey McKinney, the 19-year-old wunderkind from Carbondale, Ill., leads with 10 bass totaling 67 pounds, 5 ounces. He was in fourth place after Day 1 with a 33-11 limit and held steady with a nearly identical 33-10 limit a day later.

McKinney is an Elite Series rookie who qualified for the tour through the 2023 St. Croix Bassmaster Opens presented by SEVIIN. After finishing third in the Tackle Warehouse Elite Qualifiers division of the Opens, he’s the youngest angler to ever qualify for the Elites — and he’s already displaying a mastery beyond his years.

Not only does he have the lead at the halfway point of this tournament, but he has the best story of the derby to date, too.

It happened early Friday when a heavy 5-pounder broke off one of his favored jerkbaits. The misfortune briefly dampened the 19-year-old’s spirits. But an hour later, he caught the same bass, adding nearly 6 pounds to his Day 2 total.

He also got his jerkbait back — part of another amazing day for the teenager on this fabled fishery.

“I grabbed his lip and my jerkbait is staring me in the face,” McKinney said, shaking his head in near disbelief. “And I caught him the second time on the same kind of jerkbait. It was crazy. He had two baits in his mouth. He could barely fit the second one in there, but he was determined.”

McKinney didn’t offer specifics about which jerkbaits he’s using, but he did say he’s deploying them in two different ways.

“I’ve got one that sinks and one that suspends” he said. “It just depends on what kind of mood they’re in. You have to read them to know which one to use … It’s a feeling really. For the less active fish, I like to use the suspended one.”

McKinney also said he’s opting occasionally for a Strike King Z Too to excite Fork’s best bass.

Friday began much like Day 1, with temperatures in the 40s. The weather warmed throughout the day, however, and by midday, it was in the mid-60s and Day 1’s stiff winds had dissipated.

“Today, I think the fish were feeling the pressure,” McKinney said. “These conditions have been crazy, so the fish are moving around a lot. They want the bank, but they can’t quite get there. So, these next two days are going to be very interesting. We’ll have to make some changes, no question. Hopefully I make the right ones.”

Matty Wong, who was in sixth place after Day 1, caught his second 30-pound limit in as many days, and is in second place with 63-10. The 36-year-old Honolulu native caught 33-2 on Thursday and was hoping for some of the same cold and blustery weather that aided his bite.

Warmer temps and bluebird skies didn’t hurt his bite one bit, though, as he tacked on a 30-8 limit Friday. A personal best of 9-3, which he caught just before 10 a.m., anchored his Day 2 bag.

“I’m keying on prespawning fish and I think these cold mornings have got them up where they need to be,” Wong said. “These fish are trying to feed up their eggs, and I think I’m cutting them off as they move in … And there are more fish coming. I dumped two really good ones today that could’ve given me 40 pounds.”

Justin Atkins, a 33-year-old pro from Florence, Ala., is in third place with 61-13. He followed a 32-11 total on Thursday with 29-2 on Friday.

“The wind made it harder to fish, but I think it got them more active,” Atkins said of the main difference he saw between the first two days of the derby.

“When you get your bait out there by them, they seem a little more anxious to just get it. But today, I really had to coax them. The biggest one I caught, I bet my bait had been out there more than a minute before it finally bit. The slick conditions today just made them come up, get high on the timber, get on the bed — all the things you want. I’ll take these conditions the next two days, without a doubt.”

Wesley Gore, of Clanton, Ala., maintains his lead for the Phoenix Boats Big Bass prize with the 10-9 largemouth he caught on Day 1. Rookie JT Thompkins, of Myrtle Beach, S.C., had the big bass on Day 2 (a 9-13 lunker).

Four Elite Series rookies are in the Top 10 heading into Semifinal Saturday, including six of the Top 12. The Top 50 anglers after Friday’s action survived the Phoenix Boats Cutline and will fish on Day 3.

After Saturday’s competition, the Top 10 will advance to Championship Sunday to fish for the tournament title and the accompanying $100,000 prize.

Follow all the live action on FS1 from 8-11:30 a.m. and on Bassmaster.com from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. On Championship Sunday, watch live coverage on FS1 from 8-11 a.m. and on Bassmaster.com again from 9-4 p.m.

This event is being hosted by Wood County Texas.

MLF BIG-5

Louisiana’s Tyler Stewart Leads Day 1 at Tackle Warehouse Invitational Stop 2 Presented by Suzuki at West Point Lake

Post author By jcarrigan
Post date March 1, 2024
No Comments on Louisiana’s Tyler Stewart Leads Day 1 at Tackle Warehouse Invitational Stop 2 Presented by Suzuki at West Point Lake

LAGRANGE, Ga. (March 1, 2024) – According to the locals, Day 1 of the MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitational Stop 2 Presented by Suzuki on West Point Lake went about as planned. For Dubach, Louisiana, pro Tyler Stewart, it went a lot better than he’d planned. With 21 pounds, 5 ounces, Stewart is squarely in the lead as the only pro to crack the 20-pound barrier. Still, the event is far from over – keeping up the pace figures to be a challenge at West Point and the rest of the Top 10 is packed pretty tight.

Stewart brought a five-bass limit to the scale Friday weighing 21 pounds, 5 ounces, to take the early lead on Day 1, holding a 2-pound, 2-ounce lead over pro Derik Hudson of Concord, Virginia, who sacked 19-3 to end the day in second. Albertville, Alabama, pro Alex Davis sits in third with 18-13 and Troy Stokes of Trenton, Michigan, is fourth with 17-3. Behind them are a handful of 14- and 15-pound bags, and 12 pounds goes all the way down to 40^th – which is really strong for West Point Lake, though there’s obviously very limited recent tournament history to compare to.

The full field of 150 anglers will conclude the two-day opening round on Saturday, with only the top 30 pros based on their two-day cumulative weight advancing to Championship Sunday. The three-day tournament, hosted by Visit LaGrange , features a roster of 150 anglers competing for a top prize of up to $115,000 and an invitation to compete at REDCREST 2025.

Weighing three largemouth over 4 pounds, Stewart turned around a miserable practice in a big way.

“My roommates are gonna call me sandbagger so bad,” Stewart joked. “I told them yesterday that if I have 10 pounds, I’ll be pretty happy. I don’t know if they just bit really good in the rain (today), but it was a lot better than I was expecting.

“It was just one of those days where you couldn’t make a wrong decision,” he added. “I had a terrible practice and just went out with a clear mind and put my head down. I ran into a couple good areas with some big fish and got them in the boat.”

The smallest lake on the schedule, there’s not much you can do to get away from other anglers. That could be cause for concern as the week goes on as pressure might get to the fishing in a big way. Still, Stewart hopes he can replicate what worked on Day 1 (maybe not to 20 pounds again, but to some degree).

“There’s a lot of fish in the areas I’m fishing; I think they could definitely replenish, because fish are moving in and out of those areas,” he said. “I got a lot of bites today that I didn’t hook, fish just slapping the bait and stuff, so I know there’s more fish in the area.”

Worst case scenario, Stewart thinks he’s got some backup spotted bass figured out.

“This afternoon, I went and targeted some spotted bass,” he said. “I caught four or five and some 2-pounders I had to throw back. My game plan tomorrow is to go and try to catch a few big ones, and if I have to go catch some spots, I don’t know that I will, but I feel like I can.”

The top 20 pros after Day 1 on West Point Lake are:

1st:          Tyler Stewart, Dubach, La., five bass, 21-5
2nd:        Derik Hudson, Concord, Va., five bass, 19-3
3rd:        Alex Davis, Albertville, Ala., five bass, 18-13
4th:         Troy Stokes, Trenton, Mich., five bass, 17-3
5th:         Brad Jelinek, Lincoln, Mo., five bass, 15-15
6th:         Brock Reinkemeyer, Warsaw, Mo., five bass, 15-8
7th:         Charlie Williams, LaGrange, Ga., five bass, 15-6
8th:         Keith Carson, DeBary, Fla., five bass, 15-3
9th:         Colby Miller, Elmer, La., five bass, 14-15
10th:      Jake Lawrence, Buchanan, Tenn., five bass, 14-13
11th:      Alec Morrison, Peru, N.Y., five bass, 14-10
11th:      Darrell Ivey Jr., Lebanon, Mo., five bass, 14-10
13th:      Jaden Parrish, Liberty, Texas, five bass, 14-5
14th:      Brian Gay, LaGrange, Ga., five bass, 13-12
15th:      Matt Baty, Bainbridge, Ga., five bass, 13-8
16th:      Kelly Jordon, Flint, Texas, five bass, 13-7
17th:      Taylor Parker, Lake View, Ala., five bass, 13-6
17th:      Kyle Cortiana, Broken Arrow, Okla., five bass, 13-6
17th:      Drew Gill, Mount Carmel, Ill, five bass, 13-6
20th:      Ryan Armstrong, Robinson, Ill., five bass, 13-5

Complete results for the entire field can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Baty earned Friday’s $1,000 Berkley Big Bass award with a largemouth bass that weighed in at 6 pounds, 9 ounces.

Overall, there were 662 bass weighing 1,420 pounds, 13 ounces caught by 143 pros Friday. The catch included 117 five-bass limits.

In Tackle Warehouse Invitational competition, the full field of 150 anglers compete in the two-day opening round on Friday and Saturday in a five-fish, weigh-in format. Only the top 30 pros, based on their two-day cumulative weight, advance to the final round on Championship Sunday, where they will compete for the grand prize of up to $115,000. The winner of the Tackle Warehouse Invitational Stop 2 at West Point Lake Presented by Suzuki will be determined by the heaviest three-day cumulative weight and will receive an invitation to compete at REDCREST 2025 on Lake Guntersville in Huntsville, Alabama.

Anglers will launch at 7 a.m. ET each day from the Pyne Road Park Mega Ramp, located at 4481 Roanoke Road in LaGrange. Weigh-ins will also be held at the ramp and will begin at 3 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend all launch and weigh-in events and also encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLFNOW!® live stream and coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

The MLFNOW! broadcast team of Chad McKee and Rob Newell will break down the extended action live all three days of competition from 7:30 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. ET. MLFNOW! will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app.