Author: jcarrigan

Major League Fishing - Bass Pro Tour/Cup Events

Matt Lee Dominates Opening Day at MLF Bass Pro Tour Toyota Stage Six at Lake Champlain Presented by Googan Baits

Post author By jcarrigan
Post date August 5, 2021
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PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. (Aug. 5, 2021) – Normally on the Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Tour when an angler breaks the 100-pound mark in a single day of competition, it’s done with a large school or two of smallmouth bass. Thursday, at the Toyota Stage Six at Lake Champlain Presented by Googan Baits in Plattburgh, New York, pro Matt Lee did it with largemouth.

Lee dominated Day 1 of the Group A Qualifying Round, catching 40 bass totaling 103 pounds, 5 ounces to give him a massive 55-pound, 6-ounce lead in Group A – the largest Day 1 lead ever held in Bass Pro Tour history. The six-day event, hosted by the Adirondack Coast Visitors Bureau and the City of Plattsburgh, features the top professional anglers from around the world competing for a purse of $805,000, including a top cash prize of $100,000 to the winner.

Behind Lee, in second place, is Berkley pro John Cox of DeBary, Florida, who boated 18 bass totaling 47-15. Rounding out the top three was General Tire pro Britt Myers of Lake Wylie, South Carolina, who caught 18 bass for 45-12 to end the day in third.

The 34 anglers in Group A will now have the day off on Friday, while the 39 anglers in Group B will begin their first day of competition. Group A will resume competition on Saturday.

“We still have a lot of derby ahead of us, but today was sick,” Lee said in his post-game interview. “I have bass hand. Not even bass thumb – bass hand. It was unreal.”

Lee said that he tried to target smallmouth early in the day, but when that plan fizzled he tried some of his largemouth areas and ran into what looks like the potential motherlode.

“I hit like four smallmouth places this morning and I could see them, but I couldn’t get them to bite,” the Cullman, Alabama pro said. “I figured they had to be biting a topwater somewhere, so I ran around to a largemouth place that I had fished before and caught a 3-10, and when I was reeling it in there were like 10 with it. So, I sat right there in that 100- to 150-foot section of grass and flipped up 100 pounds worth of bass.”

Lee said that he used just two setups on the day – his first bass came on a Lucky Craft Gunfish, and the rest came on a Texas-rigged Yamamoto Senko.

“I stayed in that same 75-yard stretch for five hours,” Lee said. “I went through some worms. The color didn’t even matter. I was just flipping hydrilla in 12- to 15-feet, and it was juice money. I had so much fun. I’ve got one more day to go to win the round and I’m just going to put the hammer down and hopefully advance straight into the Championship Round.”

Third-place angler Britt Myers chose another route to catch his 18 bass, mainly targeting smallmouth, although he did catch four largemouth as well.

“To be honest, Champlain was a little bit tougher than I thought it was going to be,” Myers said. “I thought I’d have to catch 30 pounds just to be in the hunt for the Knockout Round, but I’ve almost solidified that today. If I can catch a few more fish on Saturday, I’m very confident that I’ll make it in.

“The Duckett Baits swimbait was the key for me today – the 3.5-inch Real Thing Shad. I’ve been looking for an opportunity to use it and today when it was overcast, they really liked that swimbait. At the end of the day I also caught a few on a special little secret bait that I’ve got in my pocket for Day 2. So I’m looking forward to getting back out there.”

The top 20 pros in Group A after Day 1 on Lake Champlain are:

1^st:          Matt Lee, Cullman, Ala., 40 bass, 103-5
2^nd:         John Cox, DeBary, Fla., 18 bass, 47-15
3^rd:         Britt Myers, Lake Wylie, S.C., 18 bass, 45-12
4^th:         Scott Suggs, Alexander, Ark., 12 bass, 44-6
5^th:         Andy Montgomery, Blacksburg, S.C., 16 bass, 42-4
6^th:         Takahiro Omori, Tokyo, Japan, 14 bass, 40-8
7^th:         Edwin Evers, Talala, Okla., 13 bass, 39-15
8^th:         Shin Fukae, Osaka, Japan, 13 bass, 39-11
9^th:         Aaron Martens, Leeds, Ala., 14 bass, 38-10
10^th:       Dave Lefebre, Erie, Pa., 12 bass, 37-5
11^th:       James Elam, Tulsa, Okla., 12 bass, 36-12
12^th:       Ott DeFoe, Blaine, Tenn., 10 bass, 31-14
13^th:       Jason Lambert, Michie, Tenn., 12 bass, 31-13
14^th:       Gerald Spohrer, Gonzales, La., 10 bass, 30-9
15^th:       Bobby Lane, Lakeland, Fla., eight bass, 25-15
16^th:       Jacopo Gallelli, Florence, Italy, eight bass, 24-8
17^th:       Jared Lintner, Arroyo Grande, Calif., nine bass, 23-14
18^th:       Brent Chapman, Lake Quivira, Kan., seven bass, 22-4
19^th:       Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., eight bass, 22-0
20^th:       Cliff Pace, Petal, Miss., seven bass, 19-13

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

Overall, there were 308 bass weighing 884 pounds, 3 ounces caught by the 34 pros on Thursday.
DeFoe won Thursday’s $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award, weighing in a 6-pound, 13-ounce largemouth bass on a worm during Period 1. Berkley will award $1,000 to the angler who weighs the biggest bass each day, and a $3,000 bonus to the angler who weighs the largest bass of the tournament.

The MLF Bass Pro Tour Toyota Stage Six at Lake Champlain Presented by Googan Baits is hosted by the Adirondack Coast Visitors Bureau and the City of Plattsburgh.

MLF announced Wednesday that the normal 80-angler Bass Pro Tour field would be reduced to 73 for this event, as seven anglers withdrew from competition for undisclosed reasons. After consulting with the MLF Angler Advisory Board, a slight change was made to the Qualifying Round Toro Cut Lines due to the unbalanced angler groupings.

The 34 Anglers in Group A compete in their two-day qualifying round on Lake Champlain on Thursday and Saturday – the 39 anglers in Group B on Friday and Sunday. After each two-day qualifying round is complete, the anglers that finish in 2nd through 17th place from Group A (50% of field) and 2nd through 20th place from Group B (50% of field) advance to Monday’s Knockout Round, while the winner of each group advances directly to Tuesday’s Championship Round. In the Knockout Round, weights are zeroed and the remaining 35 anglers compete to finish in the top 8 to advance to the Championship Round. In the final day Championship Round, weights are zeroed and the highest one-day total wins the top prize of $100,000.

Anglers will take off from the Plattsburgh City Marina, located at 2 Dock St., in Plattsburgh, at 8 a.m. ET each day of competition. Each day’s General Tire Takeout will also be held at the Launch Ramp, beginning at 5 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend all takeoff and takeout ceremonies and also encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLF NOW!® live stream and SCORETRACKER® coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

MLF officials have divided the lake into two zones in which anglers will compete – Zone A (north end of lake) and Zone B (south end of lake – Ticonderoga area). Anglers choosing to fish in Zone B must go through the normal takeoff procedure at the Plattsburgh Boat Launch and then trailer to a public ramp within Zone B. Anglers will depart the Boat Launch at 8 a.m., and competition will start with “lines in” at 9 a.m.

The Toyota Stage Six at Lake Champlain Presented by Googan Baits features anglers competing with a 2-pound minimum weight requirement for a bass to be deemed scorable. Minimum weights are determined individually for each competition waters that the Bass Pro Tour visits, based on the productivity, bass population and anticipated average size of fish in each fishery.

The Bass Pro Tour features a field of 76 of the top professional anglers in the world – joined at each event by 4 pros that qualify from the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit – competing across seven regular-season tournaments around the country, competing for millions of dollars and valuable points to qualify for the annual Heavy Hitters all-star event and the REDCREST 2022 championship.

The MLF NOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee, Marty Stone and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action on all six days of competition from 8:45 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. ET. MLF NOW!® will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app.

Television coverage of the Toyota Stage Six at Lake Champlain Presented by Googan Baits will premiere at 7 a.m. ET, Nov. 6 on the Discovery Channel. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on the Discovery Channel, with additional re-airings on the Outdoor Channel and the Sportsman Channel. Each two-hour long reality-based episode goes in-depth to break down each day of competition.

Major League Fishing - Bass Pro Tour/Cup Events

Statement from MLF Executive Vice President Don Rucks

Post author By jcarrigan
Post date August 4, 2021
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PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. (Aug. 4, 2021) – The following statement was released today by Major League Fishing (MLF) Executive Vice President & General Manager Don Rucks regarding the Toyota Stage Six at Lake Champlain Presented by Googan Baits event that starts Thursday:

Good afternoon –

We have had some unique circumstances this week for our Bass Pro Tour Toyota Stage Six event at Lake Champlain.

At this time, the following anglers will not be participating in competition on Lake Champlain this week:

Luke Clausen
Dustin Connell
Mark Daniels Jr.
Anthony Gagliardi
Randy Howell
Chris Lane
Fletcher Shryock

Due to privacy protocols, we are unable to divulge the exact reasonings for each angler’s absence. We do look forward to welcoming all of them back for the upcoming Carparts.com Stage Seven at Lake St. Clair Presented by Covercraft next month, Sept. 10-15.

Because the angler starting groups were set going into Stage Five, and now flipped for Stage Six, we will not be changing the starting groups. If an angler is unable to fish, for any reason, that group will simply be smaller. All other rules will remain the same this week – the two group winners will advance directly to the Championship Round, while the top 19 from each group will compete in the Day 5 Knockout Round to determine who fishes in the final 10 on Championship Tuesday.

As a result of this situation, and after consulting with our Bass Pro Tour angler advisory board, MLF has made the decision to allow each angler to drop one (1) event from this year in the following manner:

We will finish the 2021 season with the current points system and crown our 2021 Angler of the Year (AOY).
After the 2021 season has ended and the AOY has been crowned, each angler will drop one (1) 2021 BPT event of his choosing.
After everyone has dropped the event of their choosing, a new 2021 points structure based on each angler’s remaining six (6) events will be used for angler requalification, REDCREST 2022 qualification, and the 2022 General Tire Heavy Hitters event qualification.

We believe this is ultimately the fairest solution for all of our Bass Pro Tour competitors across the board.

I would also like to take this opportunity to welcome back Bass Pro Tour angler Aaron Martens, who has made the trip to Plattsburgh, New York and will be competing on Lake Champlain this week. His ongoing health battles have been well-documented, and we are thrilled that Aaron is feeling well enough to compete this week. It truly shows his grit, toughness, and love for the sport that we all admire him for.

We look forward to a fantastic event on the water this week at Lake Champlain. Don’t forget to tune in to the MLF NOW! livestream each day from 8:45 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. ET.

Sincerely,

Don Rucks
Executive Vice President & General Manager, MLF

MLF BIG-5

Virginia Rookie Cody Pike Claims Victory at Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Savage Arms Stop 6 Presented by Abu Garcia at St. Lawrence River

MASSENA, N.Y. (Aug. 1, 2021) – Rookie Cody Pike of Powhatan, Virginia brought a five-bass limit to the scale Sunday weighing 22 pounds, 3 ounces to win the MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by Bad Boy Mowers, Savage Arms Stop 6 Presented by Abu Garcia at the St. Lawrence River. Pike’s four-day total of 20 bass weighing 82 pounds, 12 ounces earned him the win by a 1-pound, 12-ounce margin over pro Matthew Stefan of Junction City, Wisconsin, and the top prize of $135,000, including a lucrative $35,000 Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus.

“You don’t do this sport for the money, you do it because you love it,” said a very emotional Pike after earning the win. “This is awesome – it’s like a dream. I’ve tried to make it here for so many years.

“I qualified [for the Pro Circuit] through the Toyota Series last year,” continued Pike. “You aren’t guaranteed the opportunity to make it and fish these professional circuits every year, so I went ahead and jumped on the opportunity and I’m loving it.”

Pike said he came into the final qualifying event of the Pro Circuit with just the hope of qualifying for the 2021 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit TITLE presented by Mercury, the Pro Circuit Championship, where anglers have the opportunity to compete for up to $235,000.

“Things happened this week that made no sense – things that weren’t supposed to happen and there was no explanation to it,” said Pike. “I had one main area that I was fishing today, with 15 to 20 good spots along it. I just kept making circles through those areas and kept getting bites.

“I honestly couldn’t ask for more,” continued Pike. “To qualify for the TITLE, then fish in the Top 10, find myself in contention for the win – then take home the win, all in my rookie season – it’s just unbelievable.”

Pike said he loves catching smallmouth but would not consider himself a smallmouth angler. Add his lack of experience fishing rivers to that and his expectations for this event were low.

“I could understand figuring out fish that I was more comfortable with, but to do this on a smallmouth fishery is just incredible,” said Pike. “I usually get my tail kicked in smallmouth tournaments.

“I mostly fished shoals and rock piles the size of my boat this week. If I didn’t get bit on the first cast, I just moved to the next one. I probably had 40 to 50 spots that I found during the tournament. Once I knew I had a solid bag each day, I could just go fish and look around. That helped a lot.”

Pike said he caught most of his fish this week drop-shotting a green-pumpkin Berkley PowerBait MaxScent Flat Worm with a 1/2-ounce Eco Pro Tungsten weight and 6- and 7-pound-test Gamma Touch fluorocarbon line.

“I had no idea what I needed to do to catch Joey [Cifuentes] going into today. He had such a strong lead, I just didn’t think it was going to happen,” said Pike. “I still can’t believe it.

“This trophy means a lot. People work their whole lives for this and don’t ever get one. I got lucky and everything lined up just right to go home with one my rookie year – that doesn’t happen often.”

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The top 10 pros at the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Savage Arms Stop 6 on the St. Lawrence River finished:

                  1^st:           Cody Pike of Powhatan, Va., 20 bass, 82-12, $135,000
                  2^nd:          Matthew Stefan of Junction City, Wis., 20 bass, 81-0, $30,000
                  3^rd:          Joey Cifuentes of Clinton, Ark., 20 bass, 79-10, $25,000
                  4^th:           Scott Dobson of Clarkston, Mich., 20 bass, 78-6, $20,000
                  5^th:           Jon Canada of Helena, Ala., 20 bass, 76-11, $19,000
                  6^th:           John Cox of DeBary, Fla., 18 bass, 76-8, $18,000
                  7^th:           Skeet Reese of Auburn, Calif., 20 bass, 76-6, $17,000
                  8^th:           Ron Nelson of Berrien Springs, Mich., 20 bass, 75-8, $16,000
                  9^th:           Justin Cooper of Zwolle, La., 20 bass, 73-7, $15,000
                  10^th:        Aaron Britt of Yuba City, Calif., 20 bass, 71-9, $14,000

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

Overall, there were 50 bass weighing 183 pounds, 4 ounces caught by the final 10 pros Sunday. All of the final 10 pros brought a five-bass limit to the scales.

The four top performers who now qualify to compete in the MLF Bass Pro Tour Carparts.com Stage Seven at Lake St. Clair Presented by Covercraft in St. Clair Shores, Michigan, Sept. 10-15, are Cody Pike, Matthew Stefan, Joey Cifuentes and Scott Dobson.

The MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by Bad Boy Mowers, Savage Arms Stop 6 Presented by Abu Garcia at the St. Lawrence River was hosted by the Town of Massena.

In Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit competition, the full field of anglers competed in the two-day opening round on Thursday and Friday. The top 50 pros based on their two-day cumulative weight advanced to Saturday. Only the top 10 pros continued competition on Sunday, with the winner determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from the four days of competition.

Pro Michael Neal of Dayton, Tennessee, clinched the 2021 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Angler of the Year title Saturday, after finishing the event in 11^th place. Neal will receive his entry fees paid for the entire 2022 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit season for his win.

Pro Clabion Johns of Social Circle, Georgia, clinched the Polaris 2021 Rookie of the Year (ROY) award on Friday, which is awarded to the rookie pro angler who finishes the season with the highest point total. For his efforts, Johns won a Polaris Ranger 1000.

Throughout the season, anglers are also vying for valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the 2021 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit TITLE presented by Mercury, the Pro Circuit Championship, where they will compete for up to $235,000. The 2021 TITLE will be on the Mississippi River in La Crosse, Wisconsin on Aug. 17-22, and is hosted by Explore La Crosse.

MLF BIG-5

John Cox Leads Day 1 of Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Savage Arms Stop 6 on St. Lawrence River Presented by Abu Garcia

Post author By jcarrigan
Post date July 29, 2021
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MASSENA, N.Y. (July 29, 2021) – A field of 154 bass-fishing professionals from around the world began their four-day competition for a top award of $135,000 at the MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by Bad Boy Mowers, Savage Arms Stop 6 at the St. Lawrence River Presented by Abu Garcia Thursday in Massena, New York.

Berkley pro John Cox of DeBary, Florida, weighed a five-bass limit of St. Lawrence River smallmouth totaling 24 pounds, 12 ounces to take the early lead after Day 1. Cox holds a slim 7-ounce lead over pro Joey “Cowboy” Cifuentes of Clinton, Arkanas, who caught five bass weighing 24-5, good for second place.

“I am in absolute shock to be leading this thing,” Cox laughed after weighing in. “I’m not kidding – this was probably the worst practice that I have ever had before. Coming into today I was thinking, ‘If I can somehow catch 18 or 20 (pounds) and maybe catch a couple tomorrow I could get out of here with a check.’ And I would have taken that. I was shooting for 50^th place. So to weigh what I did today is just unreal.”

Cox said that he caught just seven fish on the day – all before noon.

“I didn’t catch many, but the ones that I did catch were the right ones,” Cox said. “Tomorrow I’m going to try to do what I did today and just bounce around and hit some new areas. I tried so hard to make those areas that I fished in the Bass Pro Tour event here last month work, but I couldn’t catch anything. They’re not even the same areas anymore – there is grass growing in now and it’s just changed completely. I had to change everything up and treat this place like I’d never fished it before.”

Cox spent the afternoon scouting new areas and trying to find a couple of spots that could possibly carry him through the remainder of the four-day tournament.

“It looks so good when I weigh in 24 pounds, and it was a lot of fun today, but I’ve got nothing for tomorrow,” Cox went on to say. “All I can do is keep trying to find new stuff, but honestly I think I’ll be lucky to catch five again.”

The top 10 pros after Day One the St. Lawrence River are:

1^st:        John Cox, DeBary, Fla., five bass, 24-12
2^nd:       Joey “Cowboy” Cifuentes, Clinton, Ark., five bass, 24-5
3^rd:       Ron Nelson, Berrien Springs, Mich., five bass, 23-7
4^th:       Miles Howe, San Juan Capistrano, Calif., five bass, 22-10
5^th:       Matthew Stefan, Junction City, Wis., five bass, 22-7
6^th:       Alex Davis, Albertville, Ala., five bass, 22-0
  6^th:       Erik Luzak, Fenelon Falls, Ontario, Canada, five bass, 22-0
8^th:       Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., five bass, 21-8
9^th:       Tom Monsoor, La Crosse, Wis., five bass, 21-2
10^th:     Justin Lucas, Guntersville, Ala., five bass, 21-0

For a full list of results visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.

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Stefan won Thursday’s $500 Berkley Big Bass award, weighing a 6-pound, 8-ounce smallmouth to earn the day’s award.

Overall, there were 711 bass weighing 2,270 pounds, 12 ounces caught by the 153 pros on Thursday, which included 124 five-bass limits.

The MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit presented by Bad Boy Mowers, Savage Arms Stop 6 at the St. Lawrence River Presented by Abu Garcia is hosted by the Town of Massena.

In Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit competition, the full field of 154 anglers compete in the two-day opening round on Thursday and Friday. The top 50 pros based on their two-day cumulative weight advance to Saturday. Only the top 10 pros continue competition on Sunday, with the winner determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from the four days of competition.

Anglers will take off at 6:30 a.m. ET, Thursday through Sunday, from the Massena Intake Boat Launch located at 1415 State Highway 131 in Massena. Weigh-ins will also be held at the boat launch daily at 3 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend the event or follow the action online through the MLF NOW! live stream and coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

The MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by Bad Boy Mowers, Savage Arms Stop 6 Presented by Abu Garcia at the St. Lawrence River will feature live on-the-water coverage and a two-hour action-packed television show that will premiere on the Outdoor Channel on Sunday, Sept. 1 from 7 to 9 a.m. ET and re-air on the Sportsman Channel this fall. Weigh-ins will be streamed daily and fans can catch live on-the-water action all day Saturday and Sunday, July 31 – Aug. 1 on MLF NOW! beginning at 7 a.m. ET at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

MLF BIG-5

Ohio’s Knauf Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League on Mosquito Lake

Post author By jcarrigan
Post date July 26, 2021
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CORTLAND, Ohio (July 26, 2021) – Boater Kyle Knauf of Berlin Center, Ohio, wins the Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine at Mosquito Lake Presented by TINCUP Whiskey in Cortland, Ohio. Knauf earned $5,428 for his victory at the event.
TOP 10 RESULTS

Ohio’s *Blinn Wins Strike King Co-Angler Division*

RANK	BOATER NAME/HOMETOWN	BASS	WEIGHT	AWARD
1^st	Kyle Knauf of Berlin Center, Ohio	5	16-5	$5,428
2^nd	Shaun Brown of Slippery Rock, Pa.	5	15-13	$2,214
3^rd	Jeffrey Yost of Lima, Ohio	5	14-10	$1,478
4^th	Josh Kelly of Cortland, Ohio	5	14-1	$1,033
5^th	Chuck Willis of Dayton, Ohio	5	13-15	$886
6^th	Jay Ellis of Celina, Ohio	5	13-12	$2,012
7^th	Butch Dobransky of North Canton, Ohio	5	13-9	$738
8^th	Luke Fulton of Ray, Ohio	5	13-2	$627
8^th	Danny Reaves of Cleves, Ohio	5	13-2	$627
10^th	Josh Smith of Hamilton, Ohio	5	13-1	$517

RANK	STRIKE KING CO-ANGLER NAME/HOMETOWN	BASS	WEIGHT	AWARD
1^st	Brian Blinn of Troy, Ohio	5	12-3	$2,214
2^nd	Mark Miller of Baltic, Ohio	5	11-14	$1,107
3^rd	Jarrod Simmons of Athens, Ohio	5	11-13	$738
4^th	Brian Zelinskas of Beavercreek, Ohio	5	11-12	$517
5^th	J.R. Selke of Waynesville, Ohio	5	10-12	$443
6^th	Dan Goforth of Monroe, Ohio	5	10-10	$406
7^th	Jordan Voigt of Celina, Ohio	5	10-8	$369
8^th	Jeff Turner of Plainfiled, Ill.	5	10-5	$532
9^th	Alfie Bricker of West Portsmouth, Ohio	5	10-4	$295
10^th	Billy French of Hamilton, Ohio	5	10-3	$258

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CONTINGENCY AWARDS

AWARD	NAME	CONTINGENCY	PAYOUT
Boater Big Bass	Brody Campbell of Oxford, Ohio	5-pound, 3-ounce bass	$635
Strike King Co-Angler Berkley Big Bass	Preston Hake of Mineral Ridge, Ohio	4-pound, 4-ounce bass	$317
Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus	Jay Ellis of Celina, Ohio	Eligible Phoenix Boat*	$500

* 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 Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.
WINNING BAITS

ANGLER	BAIT	COLOR
Boater	Unspecified Drop Shot	N/A
Strike King Co-Angler	Z-Man Evergreen Chatterbait Jack Hammer	N/A

2021 QUALIFICATION OPPORTUNITIES

EVENT	DATE	LOCATION	HOST
Buckeye Division – Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championship	Oct. 14-16	Potomac River, Marbury, Md.	Charles County Board of Commissioners
2022 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American	June 2-4	Lake Hamilton, Hot Springs, Ark.	Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism & Visit Hot Springs

The 2021 MLF 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 Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championships. 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 Strike King co-anglers will fish for a new Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.

The top six finishers in each regional will then qualify for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.

The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division will also earn priority entry into the Toyota Series, the pathway to the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit and ultimately the MLF Bass Pro Tour.

MLF BIG-5

Virginia’s Lachniet Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League on James River

Post author By jcarrigan
Post date July 26, 2021
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HENRICO, Va. (July 26, 2021) – Boater Ryan Lachniet of Gum Spring, Virginia, wins the Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine at James River in Henrico, Virginia. Lachniet earned $4,127 for his victory at the event.
TOP 10 RESULTS

Virginia’s *Titus Wins Strike King Co-Angler Division*

RANK	BOATER NAME/HOMETOWN	BASS	WEIGHT	AWARD
1^st	Ryan Lachniet of Gum Spring, Va.	4	21-15	$4,127
2^nd	Marshall Johnson of Montpelier, Va.	5	18-12	$2,064
3^rd	Jason Tibbetts of Centreville, Va.	5	18-10	$1,377
4^th	Thomas Milton of Chester, Va.	5	18-8	$963
5^th	Steve Colgin of Lanexa, Va.	5	18-1	$825
6^th	Travis Lugar of McGaheysville, Va.	5	17-7	$757
7^th	Drew Parks of Union Bridge, Md.	5	17-4	$1,188
8^th	Tim Chaffin of Quinton, Va.	5	16-5	$619
8^th	Mike Hicks of Goochland, Va.	5	16-1	$550
10^th	Chris Daves of Spring Grove, Va.	5	15-11	$482

RANK	STRIKE KING CO-ANGLER NAME/HOMETOWN	BASS	WEIGHT	AWARD
1^st	Alex Titus of Annandale, Va.	5	14-5	$2,064
2^nd	Lazarus Durham of Dumfries, Va.	5	13-8	$1,157
3^rd	Rob Hilliard of Vinton, Va.	5	12-12	$688
4^th	Dean Dalton of Keeling, Va.	5	12-7	$482
5^th	Tracy Gravely of Petersburg, Va.	5	12-3	$413
6^th	Doug Griles of Providence Ford, Va.	5	12-2	$378
7^th	Matt Hummel of Lancaster, Pa.	5	12-1	$344
8^th	Greg Chuhta of Germantown, Md.	5	11-13	$310
9^th	Thomas Greenberg of Montpelier, Va.	3	11-10	$275
10^th	David L. Deciucis of Chester, Va.	5	11-7	$241

CONTINGENCY AWARDS

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AWARD	NAME	CONTINGENCY	PAYOUT
Boater Big Bass	Richard Hodges of Knotts Island, N.C.287	7-pound, 4-ounce bass	$575
Strike King Co-Angler Berkley Big Bass	Dick Allen of Sumerduck, Va.	5-pound, 7-ounce bass	$287
Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus	Drew Parks of Union Bridge, Md.	Eligible Phoenix Boat*	$500

ANGLER	BAIT	COLOR
Boater	Yamamoto Senko/Wacky Rig	Black/Blue
Strike King Co-Angler	Zoom Magnum Shakey Head Worm	N/A

2021 QUALIFICATION OPPORTUNITIES

EVENT	DATE	LOCATION	HOST
Shenandoah Division – Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championship	Oct. 14-16	Lake Murray, Columbia, S.C.	Capital City Lake Murray Country Regional Tourism Board
2022 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American	June 2-4	Lake Hamilton, Hot Springs, Ark.	Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism & Visit Hot Springs

The top six finishers in each regional will then qualify for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.

MLF BIG-5

Vermont’s Barkyoumb Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League on Lake Champlain

Post author By jcarrigan
Post date July 26, 2021
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PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. (JULY 26, 2021) – Boater Jared Barkyoumb of Winooski, Vermont, wins the Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine at Lake Champlain in Plattsburgh, N.Y. Barkyoumb earned $4,695 for his victory at the event, hosted by the City of Plattsburgh and the Adirondack Coast Visitors Bureau.
TOP 10 RESULTS

Conn’s *Pellegrino Wins Strike King Co-Angler Division*

RANK	BOATER NAME/HOMETOWN	BASS	WEIGHT	AWARD
1^st	Jared Barkyoumb of Winooski, Vt.	5	20-8	$4,695
2^nd	Thomas Waltz of Saint Albans, Vt.	5	20-2	$2,348
3^rd	Stephen Estes of Auburn, N.H.	5	19-14	$1,565
4^th	Pete Gluszek of Mt. Laurel, N.J.	5	19-10	$1,796
5^th	Cameron Chase of Conway, Mass.	5	19-6	$900
5^th	Kyle Hall of Granbury, Texas	5	19-6	$1,400
7^th	Henry Fristik of Blandford, Mass.	5	19-5	$783
8^th	Gary Longley of So. Londonderry, Vt.	5	19-4	$704
9^th	Dakota Ebare of Brookeland, Texas	5	19-3	$626
10^th	Andrew Bechard of Plattsburgh, N.Y.	5	19-1	$520
10^th	Robert Bordeaux of Essex Junction, Vt.	5	19-1	$520

RANK	STRIKE KING CO-ANGLER NAME/HOMETOWN	BASS	WEIGHT	AWARD
1^st	Dominic Pellegrino of Torrington, Conn.	5	20-8	$2,309
2^nd	Scott Minch of Feasterville, Pa.	5	19-2	$1,155
3^rd	Michael Burke of Breinigsville, Pa.	5	18-3	$770
4^th	Charles Peart of King of Prussia, Pa.	5	17-13	$539
5^th	Chris Hurley of Carlisle, Pa.	5	16-10	$802
6^th	Craig Cleveland of Frankfort, N.Y.	5	16-0	$423
7^th	Jim D’Ambra of Hanover, Mass.	5	15-8	$385
8^th	Romano Duncan of Andover, Mass.	5	15-5	$346
9^th	Ethan McMahon of Swanton, Vt.	5	15-4	$288
9^th	Thomas Illar, Jr., Hyde Park, Pa.	5	15-4	$288

CONTINGENCY AWARDS

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AWARD	NAME	CONTINGENCY	PAYOUT
Boater Big Bass	Jared Barkyoumb of Winooski, Vt.	5-pound, 7-ounce bass	$700
Strike King Co-Angler Berkley Big Bass	Chris Hurley of Carlisle, Pa.	5-pound, 6-ounce bass	$340
Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus	Kyle Hall of Granbury, Texas	Eligible Phoenix Boat*	$500

ANGLER	BAIT	COLOR
Boater	Berkley Flat Worm/Drop Shot	N/A
Strike King Co-Angler	Roboworm/Drop Shot	N/A

2021 QUALIFICATION OPPORTUNITIES

EVENT	DATE	LOCATION	HOST
Northeast Division – Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championship	Oct. 14-16	Potomac River, Marbury, Md.	Charles County Board of Commissioners
2022 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American	June 2-4	Lake Hamilton, Hot Springs, Ark.	Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism & Visit Hot Springs

The top six finishers in each regional will then qualify for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.

MLF BIG-5

Major League Fishing Announces 2022 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit and Toyota Series Schedules

Post author By jcarrigan
Post date July 22, 2021
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ORLANDO, Fla. (July 22, 2021) – Major League Fishing (MLF), the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, announced Thursday schedules for the 2022 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit and the 2022 Toyota Series at a live press event held at the International Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades (ICAST).

The 27th season of the MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit (formerly FLW Tour), professional bass fishing’s premier five-fish limit circuit, will feature six regular-season stops showcasing the best anglers in the world competing for thousands of dollars across the best bass fisheries in the United States. The 2022 season will culminate with the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit TITLE, in which 50 anglers will qualify – the top 48 finishers in the Pro Circuit Angler of the Year standings along with the reigning 2021 TITLE Champion and the 2021 Angler of the Year.

2022 MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Schedule:
Jan. 27-30         Stop 1 at Sam Rayburn Reservoir     Brookeland, TexasHosted by the Jasper County Development District March 13-16   Stop 2 at Harris Chain of Lakes           Leesburg, Fla.
Hosted by Visit Lake County, Florida April 21-24      Stop 3 at Pickwick Lake                           Counce, Tenn.
Hosted by the Hardin County Convention & Visitors Bureau
May 12-15        Stop 4 at Lake Guntersville                   Guntersville, Ala.
Hosted by Marshall County Tourism and Sports June 16-19       Stop 5 at the James River                        Richmond, Va
Hosted by Richmond Region Tourism July 29-Aug. 1 Stop 6 at Lake Champlain                       Plattsburgh, N.Y.
Hosted by the City of Plattsburgh & the Adirondack Coast Visitor’s Bureau Aug. 16-21       TITLE at the St. Lawrence River         Massena, N.Y.
Hosted by the Town of Massena
“We’ve got some great momentum as we near the end of a very successful 2021 season and we look forward to carrying that momentum into 2022,” said Kathy Fennel, MLF Executive Vice President and General Manager. “Our team has put together a pair of great schedules that I know will have our fans and anglers excited – a nice mix of some of our historic venues along with a few fisheries that we haven’t visited in a while. Our MLF anglers are the best in the world, and we look forward to providing our world-class tournaments to them again in 2022.”

“The Town of Massena is excited and proud to be selected for the 2022 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit TITLE Championship,” said Don Meissner, Massena Tourism Promoter. “After years of working to promote our community, Massena is now being recognized as one of the most beautiful fishing destinations in the United States. On behalf of all of the communities in the North Country, we can’t wait to host the TITLE anglers that will visit us in upstate New York.”

Also announced Thursday was the 2022 MLF Toyota Series schedule, which kicks off its regular season in early-February at Lake Okeechobee in Clewiston, Florida, and runs through late-September when it wraps up at the St. Lawrence River in Massena, New York.

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2022 MLF Toyota Series Schedule:
Central DivisionFeb. 22-24                        Lake Guntersville                        Scottsboro, Ala.
Hosted by the Mountain Lakes Chamber of Commerce
March 31-April 2         Dale Hollow Lake                        Byrdstown, Tenn.
Hosted by Byrdstown-Pickett County Chamber of Commerce
May 5-7                              Lake Chickamauga                     Hixson, Tenn.
Hosted by Chattanooga Sports
Northern DivisionJune 23-25                       Potomac River                              Marbury, Md.
Hosted by Charles County Board of Commissioners
Aug. 9-11                          Lake Champlain                           Plattsburgh, N.Y.
Hosted by City of Plattsburgh & Adirondack Coast Visitors Bureau
Sept. 22-24                      St. Lawrence River                      Massena, N.Y.
Hosted by the Town of Massena
Plains DivisionMarch 1-3                         Lake of the Ozarks                      Osage Beach, Mo.
Hosted by Tri-County Lodging Association April 28-30                      Grand Lake                                      Grove, Okla.
Hosted by City of Grove & Grove Convention & Tourism Bureau
Sept. 15-17                      Truman Lake                                  Warsaw & Sedalia, Mo.
Hosted by the Sedalia Convention and Visitors Bureau & Visit Benton
Southern DivisionFeb. 3-5                              Lake Okeechobee                        Clewiston, Fla.
Hosted by Roland & Mary Ann Martin’s Marina and Resort and the Hendry County Tourism Development Council
April 7-9                            Santee Cooper                               Summerton, S.C.
Hosted by the Clarendon County Chamber of Commerce
May 19-21                        Harris Chain of Lakes                Leesburg, Fla.
Hosted by Visit Lake County, Florida
Southwestern DivisionFeb. 10-12                        Sam Rayburn Reservoir          Brookeland, Texas
Hosted by the Jasper-Lake Sam Rayburn Chamber of Commerce
April 7-9                            Lake Texoma                                 Durant, Okla.
Hosted by TBD
May 4-6                              Sam Rayburn Reservoir          Brookeland, Texas
Hosted by the Jasper-Lake Sam Rayburn Chamber of Commerce
Western DivisionMarch 3-5                         Lake Havasu                                   Lake Havasu City, Ariz.
Hosted by Go Lake Havasu
April 28-30                      Clear Lake*                                      Clearlake, Calif.
Hosted by the City of Clearlake
June 2-4                             California Delta*                          Bethel Island, Calif.
Hosted by TBD
* Subject to California permit approval

After resounding positive feedback from anglers, the Toyota Series Wild Card Division will also return in 2022. Pros and co-anglers have a second chance at qualifying for the Toyota Series Championship by fishing four or more tournaments in any combination of divisions and keeping their three highest finishes. Twelve pros and 12 co-anglers will qualify for the 2022 Toyota Series Championship based on Wild Card division points.

Further details for both circuits will be announced later this year. The full schedule for the 2022 MLF Bass Pro Tour and the dates and location for the 2022 Toyota Series Championship will be announced in the coming weeks.

BASSMASTER Elite Series/Opens

Ito’s Mega Bag Earns Bassmaster Elite Series Win At St. Lawrence River

Post author By jcarrigan
Post date July 18, 2021
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WADDINGTON, N.Y. — Saving the best for last may not have been his intention, but Taku Ito’s eye-popping 26-pound limit propelled the Japanese sensation to a convincing victory at the Farmers Insurance Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River with a four-day total of 90 pounds.

Hailing from Chiba, Japan, the second-year Elite placed 38th on Day 1 with 17-15, then improved to 11th with a second-round limit of 22-14. Day 3 saw Ito secure his Championship Sunday berth by adding 23-3 and improving to seventh.

Earning $100,000 for his Elite win, Ito anchored his third and fourth days’ limits with 6-pound smallmouth, both of which earned $1,000 daily awards for Phoenix Boats Big Bass.

“I love Waddington — I’m very, very happy,” Ito said with the engaging sincerity Elite audiences have come to love. “When I was 8 years old, I won the (Bassin’s Black Bass with Hank Parker) video game and now, on the St. Lawrence River, I won the Bassmaster Elite Series.

“Big Bass. Big Stage. Big Dreams. Bassmaster!”

Ito, who placed sixth at last year’s St. Lawrence River event, devoted all four days to Lake Ontario. The first two days, he fished rock structures in approximately 20 feet. On Saturday those areas failed to produce, so he relocated to a spot in 26 to 27 feet near Chaumont Bay.

Calling this spot “Taku Disneyland” for its abundance of fish, Ito caught his Day 3 limit there and started on the spot Sunday.

“I was driving about two hours (each way) and I had about two hours and 30 minutes of fishing time,” Ito said.

Arriving at his spot this morning, Ito thought his graph was malfunctioning when he saw what appeared to be a false bottom at 13 to 14 feet. To his delight, it was a massive school of Lake Ontario giants.

“Usually, smallmouth are on the bottom, but today there was a school of big smallmouth suspended,” Ito said.

Ito said he noticed a distinct water clarity difference, and he assumed the fish had followed the clean water into his area. Also, Ito said the gobies he incidentally caught on his drop shot were a couple of inches larger than the 3- to 4-inchers he saw the previous three days.

“My spot had bigger gobies today, so maybe the smallmouth were there for the big gobies,” Ito said.

Ito caught some of his bass on a drop shot with a 4-inch Ecogear Aqua Swim Shrimp rigged on a 1/0 Ryugi Talisman hook with a 1/4-ounce Ryugi TG Delta sinker.

He also caught keepers on a Neko-rigged 5 1/4-inch Nories Latterie straight worm and a Berkley Hit Worm. For this rig, he used a 3/16-ounce Neko weight and a 1/0 Ryugi Talisman hook.

“I was using many Japanese techniques,” Ito said. “I would cast and sometimes the fish would take (the bait) while it was falling. Sometimes, I kept my bait on the bottom for 10 seconds, 15 seconds, with no action.”

Justin Atkins of Florence, Ala., finished second with 88-12. Atkins tied Gerald Swindle of Guntersville, Ala., for eighth place on Day 1 with 21-6, then added 22-14 and rose to fifth. He caught 23-10 on Day 3 and moved into second before settling at that position with Sunday’s limit of 20-14.

“I caught all of my fish out of the lake,” Atkins said. “I found a flat that had some grass and rock with some sand mixed in 12 to 20 feet. There was big school of fish on it, and I was using my Lowrance Active Target to look for them.”

Atkins caught his fish on a drop shot with a Berkley MaxScent Flat Worm and a 3/32-ounce Marabou jig with a piece of MaxScent worm on the shank. That adjustment added bulk and scent appeal, which helped convert more bites into hookups.

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“I really liked the brown Marabou jig this week,” Atkins said. “I had some followers on black, but the brown, for whatever reason seemed to get them to trigger.”

Clark Wendlandt of Leander, Texas, finished third with 88-10. On Day 1, the 2020 Bassmaster Elite Series Angler of the Year tied Stetson Blaylock of Benton, Ark., for sixth place with 21-12.

Wendlandt added 23-3 on Day 2 and moved up to fourth. Catching 20-10 on Semifinal Saturday kept him in that spot until his final-round limit of 23-1 advanced Wendlandt one more spot.

“I fished the lake and used a lot of different depths, but the shallowest I caught one was probably 12 feet and the deepest was 28,” Wendlandt said. “The best seemed to be about 20 feet.”

Wendlandt caught his fish on a 3/16-ounce Ned rig and a drop shot with a green pumpkin minnow-style bait.

Patrick Walters of Summerville, S.C., won the $1,000 Phoenix Boats Big Bass award for the week with a 6-5. Walters also claimed the $1,000 daily Big Bass award for Day 2.

Bernie Schultz of Gainesville, Fla., who led Days 1 and 2 and finished eighth, won the $1,000 daily Big Bass award for Day 1.

Schultz took home an additional $3,000 for being the highest-placing entrant in the Toyota Bonus Bucks program, while Chris Groh of Spring Grove, Ill., earned $2,000 for being the second-highest placing entrant.

As part of the Yamaha Power Pay program, Ito also earned $4,000 for winning while Wendlandt claimed an additional $1,500 for being the second-highest placing entrant.

The Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River was hosted by the Village of Waddington and St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce. This tournament is supported by a Market New York grant from I LOVE NY/New York State’s Division of Tourism awarded as part of the Regional Economic Development Council initiative. The tournament and all associated festivities were planned to ensure the safety of anglers, marshals, staff and fans.

2021 Bassmaster Elite Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota

2021 Bassmaster Elite Series Premier Sponsors: Berkley, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Ranger Boats, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha

2021 Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: AFTCO, Bass Pro Shops, Garmin, Huk Performance Fishing, Marathon, Rapala

2021 Bassmaster Elite Series Conservation Partner: AFTCO

2021 Farmers Insurance Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River Local Hosts: Village of Waddington, St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce

MLF BIG-5

Estes Wins Toyota Series Event on Lake Champlain

Post author By jcarrigan
Post date July 18, 2021
No Comments on Estes Wins Toyota Series Event on Lake Champlain

PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. (July 18, 2021) – Toyota Series angler Stephen Estes of Auburn, New Hampshire, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 21 pounds, 15 ounces to win the three-day Toyota Series Presented by A.R.E. at Lake Champlain in Plattsburgh, New York. Estes’ three-day total of 15 bass weighing 61-3 earned him the win by a 2-pound, 3-ounce margin over second-place angler Matt Becker of Finleyville, Pennsylvania, and earned Estes the top payout of $44,000 in the first tournament of the 2021 Toyota Series Northern Division.

Pro Circuit angler Kyle Gelles decided to jump in on the co-angler side at Lake Champlain. The decision seems to have paid off well. Photo by Cobi Pellerito. Angler: Kyle Gelles.

Estes fished the dream on Lake Champlain, weighing in all smallmouth and averaging more than 20 pounds per day. Looking hard for the mother lode, Estes said he started his four-day practice period with 90 hours on his motor – by the time he was back at the dock after Day 3 of the event, he had over 126 hours logged.

“I was just doing a lot of looking and trying to find something special,” said Estes. “I don’t like to fish around other people and I felt like that was the deal and I just happened to stumble across it. I was idling around and I saw bait and decided to drop the Lowrance ActiveTarget down. I wouldn’t have known the fish were there without the ActiveTarget.”

Estes said he set his target range out to 120 feet, catching fish anywhere from a long cast away to right under his boat. One of his keys on the first two days when it was windy was an independent pole mount from Cornfield Crappie.

“I bought that mount maybe a year or so ago,” said Estes. “I started with LiveScope on the trolling motor, then I changed trolling motor brands and now I’m running all Lowrance. The Lowrance isn’t quite as easy to line your bait up, because the arrow isn’t perfect, but the whole point of the independent mount is when you’re on Anchor Mode, you can independently control it – that was huge the first two days. I keep a remote in my pocket and it has foot pedals.”

Throwing a drop-shot on a 6-foot-9, medium action Hammer Rods spinning rod with 10-pound Vicious No-Fade Braid and an 8-pound Seaguar Tatsu leader, Estes went with a ½-ounce Eco Pro Full Contact Drop Shot Weight and a drop-shot bait from Hawg Pours Hand Made Bass Baits called the Hawg Teaser.

“Every fish was different,” he said. “I caught some fish suspended, I’d watch my drop-shot fall, I’d see it stop falling and set the hook. I would never feel the fish bite. I’ve been doing that for three years and I’ve learned to watch my bait real close.

“Some of the fish I was catching 100 feet out from the boat – I can’t make a cast with a drop-shot further than 100 feet according to ActiveTarget,” continued Estes. “There was no rhyme or reason and I can’t tell you how many fish swam up to my bait and didn’t bite it. I just kept my head down and kept fishing and put it in front of a lot of fish.”

Though he had to relocate his fish a bit each day, Estes definitely hit the mother lode daily throughout the event. His co-anglers nearly always caught big weights as well, and doubles from the front and the back were common. Given the fish he found and his skill with electronics, it would have been a feat to beat Estes this week.

“I had a feeling [after Day 1] but I chose not to acknowledge it,” said Estes. “This is just an awesome feeling. I never expected this at all, this group of anglers is so good.”

The top 10 pros on Lake Champlain finished:
1^st:           Stephen Estes of Auburn, N.H., 15 bass, 61-3, $44,000
2^nd:          Matt Becker of Finleyville, Pa., 15 bass, 59-0, $18,000
3^rd:          Bryan Labelle of Hinesburg, Vt., 15 bass, 57-13, $12,750
4^th:           Dakota Ebare of Brookeland, Texas, 15 bass, 57-7, $10,750
5^th:           Kyle Hall of Cleburne, Texas, 15 bass, 57-7, $9,750
6^th:           Bryan Thrift of Shelby, N.C., 15 bass, 56-9, $8,625
7^th:           Martin Villa of Charlottesville, Va., 15 bass, 55-7, $7,300
8^th:           JJ Judd of Saint Albans, Vt., 15 bass, 54-4, $6,300
9^th:           Joseph Thompson of Coatesville, Pa, 15 bass, 53-14, $5,300
10^th:        Jason Bacon of Nutting Lake, Mass.,15 bass, 53-1, $4,200
A complete list of results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

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Nick Radtke of Greenwood Lake, N.Y. took home an additional $150 for the Day One Berkley Big Bass award in the pro division, with a bass weighing 5 pounds, 9 ounces. Kevin Martin of Crown City, Ohio won the Day Two Berkley Big Bass award in the pro division, bringing a 5-pound, 4-ounce bass to the scale.

Becker took home an extra $1,000 as the highest finishing Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus member. Boaters are eligible to win up to an extra $35,000 per event in each Toyota Series tournament if all requirements are met. More information on the Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.

Kyle Gelles of Pingree, Idaho won the Strike King Co-angler Division Saturday with a three-day total of 14 bass weighing 48 pounds, 10 ounces. Gelles took home the top prize package of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard motor.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers on Lake Champlain finished:
1^st:           Kyle Gelles of Pingree, Idaho, 14 bass, 48-10, Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat w/115-hp outboard
2^nd:          Ted Kephart of Philipsburg, Pa., 15 bass, 48-3, $5,375
3^rd:          Jeff Crowley of Goodrich, Mich., 15 bass, 46-5, $4,300
4^th:           Carter Wijangco of Naperville, Ill., 15 bass, 45-10, $3,650
5^th:           Stephen Draghi of Sparrowbush, N.Y., 15 bass, 45-8, $3,350
6^th:           Jakob Labelle of Hinesburg, Vt., 13 bass, 37-15, $2,650
7^th:           Sakae Ushio of Tonawanda, N.Y., 12 bass, 37-11, $2,150
8^th:           John Detweiler of Harleysville, Pa., 11 bass, 35-12, $1,825
9^th:           Tommy Sikes of Como, Texas, 12 bass, 35-8, $1,530
10^th:        Romano Duncan of Andover, Mass., 11 bass, 33-7, $1,290
In the Strike King co-angler division, the $100 Day One Berkley Big Bass award winner was Geoffrey Montgomery of Seneca Falls, N.Y. with a 4-pound, 15-ounce bass, while the $100 Day Two award went to Randy Brown of Lugoff, S.C., with a 4-pound, 14-ounce bass.

The Toyota Series at Lake Champlain was hosted by the City of Plattsburgh and the Adirondack Coast Visitors Bureau. It was the first of three regular-season tournaments in 2021 for Northern Division anglers. The next event for Toyota Series anglers will take place on August 3-5 – the Toyota Series at the California Delta in Oakley, California. For a complete schedule, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.

The 2021 Toyota Series presented by A.R.E. consists of six divisions – Central, Northern, Plains, Southern, Southwestern and Western – each holding three regular-season events, along with the International division. Anglers who fish all three qualifiers in any of the eight divisions and finish in the top 25 will qualify for the no-entry-fee Toyota Series Presented by A.R.E. Championship for a shot at winning $235,000 cash, including a $35,000 Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus for qualified anglers. The winning Strike King co-angler at the championship earns a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard.

The 2021 Toyota Series Championship presented by A.R.E. will be held Oct. 28-30 on Pickwick Lake in Counce, Tennessee, and is hosted by the Hardin County Convention and Visitors Bureau.