Author: jcarrigan

Major League Fishing - Bass Pro Tour/Cup Events

Shuffield Leads Group A & Davis Leads Qualifying Group B of Major League Fishing’s Toro Stage One at Sam Rayburn Reservoir Presented by Power-Pole

JASPER, Texas (March 21, 2021) – Fishing in his first career Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Tour event, Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit angler Spencer Shuffield of Hot Springs, Arkansas, wasted no time in making an immediate impact. Shuffield boated nine scorable bass Sunday totaling 29 pounds, 12 ounces to jump out to the early lead in the Group A Qualifying Round at the Toro Stage 1 at Sam Rayburn Reservoir presented by Power-Pole . The six-day competition, which awards a top cash prize of $100,000 to the winner, is being live-streamed online and filmed for television broadcast on the Discovery Channel and the Outdoor Channel later this year.

Just 1-ounce behind Shuffield in second place on the SCORETRACKER® leaderboard is a red-hot Dustin Connell, of Clanton, Alabama, the reigning REDCREST champion who caught 10 bass totaling 29-11. Bass fishing superstar Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Michigan, sits in third place, just 2 pounds back of Shuffield with 10 bass weighing 27-12.

The 40 anglers in Group A will now enjoy a day off Monday, while the 40 anglers in Group B will begin their first day of competition. Group A resumes competition on Tuesday.

“I’m really excited about it,” Shuffield said when asked about leading after day one in his first Bass Pro Tour event. “I got on a little something today that I didn’t know was happening, but it’s a way that I really like to catch them. Everything that I’m catching is postspawn, and the way things are looking I think they’re just going to continue coming to me, more and more.”

Shuffield said that he caught all of his fish on two different baits Sunday – a Yo-Zuri 3DB Jerkbait 110 Deep and a drop-shot rig.

“In practice I was catching 50 to 70 fish a day, but today I probably caught around 30,” Shuffield said. “I caught a lot of 1-12 to 1-15 (pound) fish, today. But, all in all, I’m satisfied. Of course, I’d like to have a 5-, 6- or 7-pound cushion over second – one ounce isn’t even really leading – but I’ll take it for my first day.”

Like Shuffield, most of the anglers near the top of the leaderboard were also throwing a jerkbait at certain points of the day, including Connell and VanDam.

“I caught a lot of fish on a jerkbait, today,” Connell said. “These fish are kind of staging up right now. It got pretty slow for me later in the day, so I was kind of bouncing around and practicing in the third period. I found a little zone that I like, so I’ve just been trying to expand on that a little bit.”

VanDam spent a lot of the day looking for schools of bass that were grouped up but didn’t have any luck, and spent the day picking off stragglers.

“I wasn’t really sure how it was going to happen, today, but it ended up being a solid day,” VanDam said. “I caught some good fish in practice, but I couldn’t find the big concentrations of them, and that’s the way it was today. One here, one there. I caught a few good ones and just mixed it up to keep myself in the hunt all day long.”

VanDam credited a Pro Blue-colored Strike King KVD jerkbait as being his key bait for most of the day, but he did also boat a few scorable bass with a gold-colored jerkbait as well.

“I’m just going to grind it out and fish the migration routes where these fish are coming into these big spawning basins – fishing points and ditches.”

The top 20 pros in Group A after Day 1 on Sam Rayburn Reservoir are:
1^st:          Spencer Shuffield, Hot Springs, Ark., nine bass, 29-12
2^nd:         Dustin Connell. Clanton, Ala., 10 bass, 29-11
3^rd:         Kevin VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich., 10 bass, 27-12
4^th:         Ott DeFoe, Blaine, Tenn., 11 bass, 25-7
5^th:         Edwin Evers, Talala, Okla., five bass, 23-9
6^th:         Jason Lambert, Michie, Tenn., six bass, 20-10
7^th:         Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn., five bass, 18-3
8^th:         Anthony Gagliardi, Prosperity, S.C., seven bass, 17-1
9^th:         Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., seven bass, 17-1
10^th:       Luke Clausen, Spokane, Wash., six bass, 16-8
11^th:       Marty Robinson, Lyman, S.C., four bass, 14-5
12^th:       Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla., six bass, 14-2
13^th:       Dean Rojas, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., five bass, 13-13
14^th:       Fletcher Shryock, Guntersville, Ala., five bass, 13-9
15^th:       Scott Suggs, Alexander, Ark., five bass, 13-6
16^th:       Bradley Roy, Lancaster, Ky., four bass, 12-15
17^th:       Adrian Avena, Vineland, N.J., five bass, 12-11
18^th:       David Walker, Sevierville, Tenn., five bass, 12-4
19^th:       Brett Hite, Phoenix, Ariz., four bass, 12-0
20^th:       Wesley Strader, Spring City, Tenn., four bass, 10-6

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

Overall, there were 155 bass weighing 439 pounds caught by 36 pros on Sunday, which included one 9-pounder, one 8-pounder, one 7-pounder and four 6-pounders caught from Sam Rayburn.

Connell won Sunday’s $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award, weighing in a 9-pound, 5-ounce largemouth on the jerkbait during Period 2. Berkley will award $1,000 to the angler that weighs the biggest bass each day, and a $3,000 bonus to the angler who weighs the largest bass of the tournament.

DAY 2 Arkansas Veteran Jumps out to Early Lead after Day 1 for Qualifying Group B with 10 Bass in First Period Flurry

JASPER, Texas (March 22, 2021) – For Major League Fishing (MLF) fans following the MLF Now!® live stream, it looked like pro Mark Davis was having a very tough day on the water. Mid-way through the second period, the Mount Ida, Arkansas, veteran had yet to weigh a single fish and he remained at the bottom of the leaderboard without a scorable bass. Then, all of a sudden, Davis returned to an area that had cellular service and the SCORETRACKER® leaderboard lit up.

In actuality, Davis had a fantastic morning, boating 10 bass in the first period and jumping out to a big lead on day 1 of Qualifying Group B at the Toro Stage One at Sam Rayburn Reservoir presented by Power-Pole. It just happened to be in an area that did not have cellular coverage, and therefore his SCORETRACKER updates were unable to send. When all was said and done, Davis caught a total of 12 bass weighing 28 pounds, 2 ounces, Monday to gain the early lead after Group B’s day 1, midway through their two-day Qualifying Round.

Pro Gerald Spohrer of Gonzales, Louisiana, sits comfortably in second place, just two pounds back of Davis with seven bass totaling 26-2. Brent Ehrler of Redlands, California, finished the day in third place with seven bass for 22-2, six pounds behind the leader. The six-day event awards a top cash prize of $100,000 to the winner and is being live-streamed online and filmed for television broadcast on the Discovery Channel and the Outdoor Channel later this year.

The 40 anglers in Group B will now enjoy an off day on Tuesday, while the 40 anglers in Qualifying Group A will complete their two-day Qualifying Round of competition. Group B will resume competition on Wednesday.

“I caught my fish this morning on a Strike King Red Eye Shad,” Davis said. “I had found this area in practice and I knew that the fish were there. I went in there this morning and started fishing shallow and there wasn’t much going on, then I saw a couple of them come up and bust, way out off of the bank.

“The trick was that I had to cast it out and let the bait sink, then kind of pump it,” Davis said. “It took a cadence with that lure to get them to bite. They wouldn’t just bite it on my cast and retrieve. You had to pump it, you had to work it out and kind of feel it around in the grass.”

Davis said that he threw the Red Eye Shad on a Lew’s KVD Composite Cranking rod paired with a Lew’s Hyper Mag reel, spooled with 15-pound test line.

“The fish were really biting it good – just swallowing it,” Davis said. “But, when it was over, it was done. I mean, it was done. I went to a Carolina rig and was able to catch a few more, but they were small. The shad were there and when the fish were ready to feed, they’ll feed. They’ll probably feed again later this afternoon.”

Spohrer did not have as fast of a start to the morning as Davis did, but his bite managed to be a bit more consistent throughout the entire day.

“The way my morning started, it wasn’t looking good,” the Louisiana pro said. “I had an area that I thought I was going to be my best spot where I’d get the most bites, and I didn’t get anything. I just kept my head down and kept fishing, swimming a jig all day and covering water. I figured out a little deal around the cypress trees, and it proved to be a good method for me.

“The fish are moving around, but I think I have a good feel for what they are doing and it should keep getting better and better for me. Hopefully I can get back out here on Wednesday and try to win the round to advance to Championship Friday,” Spohrer went on to say.

“It ended up being a brutal day for me,” said third-place angler Ehrler. “It started off really well – I felt like I was getting in a groove – then I went the entire second period without catching anything. Then with just an hour left in the third period I finally caught one more 3-pounder. So really, after the first period, I sucked pretty much all day. I’ve got some decisions to make here before Wednesday because I’m just really not comfortable. Hopefully I can change some things up and advance.”

The top 20 pros from Qualifying Group B after Day 1 on Sam Rayburn Reservoir are:
1^st:          Mark Davis, Mount Ida, Ark., 12 bass, 28-2
2^nd:         Gerald Spohrer, Gonzales, La., seven bass, 26-2
3^rd:         Brent Ehrler, Redlands, Calif., seven bass, 22-2
4^th:         Brandon Coulter, Knoxville, Tenn., seven bass, 21-4
5^th:         Mark Daniels Jr., Tuskegee, Ala., seven bass, 19-2
6^th:         Skeet Reese, Auburn, Calif., six bass, 18-10
7^th:         Stephen Browning, Hot Springs, Ark., six bass, 17-11
8^th:         Matt Becker, Finleyville, Pa., five bass, 17-1
9^th:         Brent Chapman, Lake Quivira, Kan., seven bass, 16-10
10^th:       Randall Tharp, Port Saint Joe, Fla., six bass, 16-3
11^th:       Tommy Biffle, Wagoner, Okla., five bass, 15-8
12^th:       Jeff Sprague, Point, Texas, six bass, 15-5
13^th:       Terry Scroggins, San Mateo, Fla., three bass, 13-15
14^th:       Cody Meyer, Star, Idaho, five bass, 13-8
15^th:       David Dudley, Lynchburg, Va., five bass, 12-11
16^th:       Chris Lane, Guntersville, Ala., four bass, 12-3
17^th:       Randy Howell, Guntersville, Ala., five bass, 11-10
18^th:       Casey Ashley, Donalds, S.C., four bass, 11-9
19^th:       Bobby Lane, Lakeland, Fla., five bass, 11-8
20^th:       Jeff Kriet, Ardmore, Okla., five bass, 10-13

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

Overall, there were 167 bass weighing 457 pounds, 11 ounces caught by 39 pros on Monday, which included two 7-pounders and six 5-pounders caught from Sam Rayburn.

Scroggins won Monday’s $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award, weighing in a 7-pound, 9-ounce largemouth which bit on a bladed swimjig right at the end of Period 3. Berkley will award $1,000 to the angler that 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 Toro Stage 1 at Sam Rayburn Reservoir presented by Power-Pole is hosted by the Jasper County Development District and the Jasper/Lake Sam Rayburn Chamber of Commerce.

The 40 Anglers in Group A compete in their two-day qualifying round on Sunday and Tuesday – the 40 anglers in Group B on Monday and Wednesday. After each two-day qualifying round is complete, the anglers that finish in 2^nd through 20^th place from both groups advance to Thursday’s Knockout Round, while the the winner of each group advances directly to Friday’s Championship Round. In the Knockout Round, weights are zeroed and the remaining 38 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. Full breakdown of the format can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

MLF BIG-5

John Cox Extends Lead at Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit on Lewis Smith Lake

Post author By jcarrigan
Post date March 13, 2021
No Comments on John Cox Extends Lead at Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit on Lewis Smith Lake

CULLMAN. Ala. (March 13, 2021) – Berkley pro John Cox of DeBary, Florida , who led the tournament on Day Two, brought a five-bass limit to the scale on Saturday, weighing 12 pounds even, to stay on top of the leaderboard after Day Three of the MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit presented by Bad Boy Mowers, Covercraft Stop 2 – Lewis Smith Lake in Cullman, Alabama.

Rookie Tai Au of Glendale, Arizona, jumped from fifth place into second on Day Three, with a five-bass limit weighing 12 pounds, 12 ounces, giving him a two-day total of 40 pounds, 6 ounces – a 5-pound, 4-ounce gap that could prove challenging on the stingy fishery. Spencer Shuffield of Hot Springs, Arkansas , made the biggest jump of the day, starting the day in 28th place and vaulting into seventh place with a five-bass limit weighing 16 pounds, 10 ounces, bringing him into the Top 10 with a total of 39 pounds, 3 ounces.

The event features 163 of the best bass fishing professionals from around the world, competing in a four-day competition for a top cash payout of up to $135,000.

“I want to win so badly on this lake,” Cox said. “I want to win here worse than anywhere else in the country. It would make a lot of really bad memories disappear. But, today was a little miserable. The only keepers that actually took my bait were the five I brought to the scale.”

Cox said despite the struggle today, he’s still not really looking at beds or trying to fish them.

“I saw some empty beds, and a few with fish on them, but the fish were really spooky,” said Cox. “They still needed to be surprised or tricked into biting. There aren’t any eggs down, so they are passed the point of where I’ve already caught them, and now are further in where they want to make their beds.”

Cox said he caught a lot of males today, but they just weren’t big enough to keep.

“I know I’m in the Top 10 and I’m trying to get excited for tomorrow, but I’m so burned out – there have been a lot of boats on a lot of areas today, so I tried to let some of those areas rest and ran around and fished more random stuff to try to get to those better pockets I wanted to fish. I don’t think we weighed one fish today out of any of the actual pockets I was looking forward to fishing.

“I think I’m just mentally and physically drained from fishing so much water and not getting bit. A lot of times through the day, I was thinking ‘I need to change baits – I need to change colors’, but I honestly just think if those fish were ready, they would have taken anything.

“I went to start on a stretch, but threw to a dock randomly and caught one, then threw to the dock again and caught another one, which got me excited – but that was the total excitement for the entire day.”

Cox said he almost ran all the way to the dam around 10 a.m., but changed his mind because he had three bass and thought he would be able to catch two more pretty easily.

“Hopefully it won’t be as crowded tomorrow – today it was nuts everywhere I went, with people on all the spots,” said Cox. “I’m planning to just rig up everything the same tomorrow and see what happens.”

The top 10 pros advancing to the final day of competition Sunday on Lewis Smith Lake are:
1st:      John Cox, DeBary, Fla., 15 bass, 45-10
2^nd:      Tai Au, Glendale, Ariz., 15 bass, 40-6
3^rd:       Kyle Cortiana, Coweta, Okla., 15 bass, 39-13
4^th:       Cody Meyer, Star, Idaho, 14 bass, 39-9
5^th:       Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla., 15 bass, 39-6
6^th:       Justin Cooper, Zwolle, La., 15 bass, 39-4
7^th:       Spencer Shuffield, Hot Springs, Ark., 15 bass, 39-3
8^th:       Cole Floyd, Leesburg, Ohio, 15 bass, 38-8
9^th:       Troy Morrow, Eastanollee, Ga., 15 bass, 38-4
10^th:     Kyle Hall, Grandbury, Texas, 15 bass, 38-1
Anglers finishing 11^th through 20^th are:
11^th:     Chase Serafin, White Lake, Mich., 15 bass, 37-12, $11,000
12^th:     Kerry Milner, Fisher, Ark., 13 bass, 37-3, $11,000
13^th:     Dylan Hays, Hot Springs, Ark., 15 bass, 36-13, $11,000
14^th:     John Hunter, Shelbyville, Ky., 15 bass, 36-13, $11,000
15^th:     Cody Huff, Ava, Mo., 14 bass, 36-9, $11,000
16^th:     Joshua Weaver, Macon, Ga., 14 bass, 36-7, $11,000
17^th:     Adrian Avena, Vineland, N.J., 15 bass, 35-10, $11,000
18^th:     Jesse Wiggins, Logan, Ala., 15 bass, 34-5, $11,000
19^th:     Dakota Ebare, Brookeland, Texas, 14 bass, 33-11, $11,000
20^th:     Terry Bolton, Benton, Ky., 14 bass, 33-10, $11,000
For a full list of results visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Overall, there were 186 bass weighing 423 pounds, 14 ounces, caught by 50 pros on Friday, which included 25 five-bass limits.

The MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit presented by Bad Boy Mowers, Covercraft Stop 2 – Lewis Smith Lake is hosted by the Cullman Area Local Organizing Committee.

In Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit competition, the full field of 162 anglers competed in the two-day opening round on Thursday and Friday. The field was cut to 50 anglers on Saturday. Now, the top 10 pros based on their three-day cumulative weight advance to Sunday where the winner will be determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from all four days of competition.

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.

Anglers will take off at 7 a.m. CT on Sunday from Smith Lake Park, located at 403 County Rd 386 in Cullman. Weigh-in will also be held at the park on Sunday at 4 p.m. Attendance is limited to competing anglers, family, essential staff and media covering the event. Fans are encouraged to 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, Covercraft Stop 2 – Lewis Smith Lake will feature live on-the-water coverage and a two-hour action-packed television show that will premiere on the Outdoor Channel on Sunday, July 18 from 7 to 9 a.m. ET and re-air on the Sportsman Channel this fall. Fans can catch weigh-ins and live on-the-water action all day Saturday and Sunday, March 13-14 on MLF NOW! beginning at 7:30 a.m. CT at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

MLF BIG-5

John Cox Surges Ahead at Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit on Lewis Smith Lake

Post author By jcarrigan
Post date March 13, 2021
No Comments on John Cox Surges Ahead at Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit on Lewis Smith Lake

CULLMAN. Ala. (March 12, 2021) – Berkley pro John Cox of DeBary, Florida brought a five-bass limit to the scale on Friday, weighing 16 pounds, 13 ounces, to take control of the leaderboard after Day Two of the MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit presented by Bad Boy Mowers, Covercraft Stop 2 – Lewis Smith Lake in Cullman, Alabama. Starting the day in fourth place, Cox’s two-day total of 10 bass weighing 33 pounds, 10 ounces moved him into the top spot heading into Day Three of the event.

Pro Kerry Milner of Fisher, Arkansas, dropped one spot, from 1st place into 2nd, with a five-bass limit weighing 13 pounds, 14 ounces, giving him a two-day total of 31 pounds, 14 ounces – just 1-pound, 12-ounces shy of Cox.

The four-day competition features a field of 163 of the best bass fishing professionals from around the world competing for a top cash award of up to $135,000.

Cox said he’d been itching to sight-fish beds, but didn’t allow himself to even look on Thursday or Friday.

“I just know they aren’t ready yet,” said Cox, the 2016 FLW Cup champion. “I’m hoping they get ready before the tournament is over, but there are too many on the move right now and there are way more opportunities to run into them while they are moving than to catch them on a bed.”

Cox said he went into the tournament planning to focus on dirty water until the bass committed to beds, then switch to cleaner water when he could sight-fish them. However, after the last two days’ haul, he will likely stick with what’s working.

“I caught many of Friday’s fish in random pockets that I hadn’t visited yet, so I think just following that pattern and catching them on the move is going to be my best bet,” continued Cox. “The water is warming up so fast – there was almost a 10-degree difference from the beginning of the day to the end – so I’m definitely keeping my options open to any changes in movement over the next two days.”

Cox said he had seven total keepers on Day Two, which was quite a feat considering it was a struggle for most of the field.

“I’ve been throwing a Dirty Jigs Swim Jig with a Berkley Powerbait Maxscent Meaty Chunk Trailer and mixing it up with a frog and a wacky-rigged Berkley Powerbait The General Worm,” said Cox. “I fished different areas of the lake, but basically used the same baits and techniques both days.”

Cox, who has a lot of history on the fishery, said he’s fishing many of the same pockets he’s fished in the past.

“They served me well then and I hope to continue the success through the remainder of this event.”

The top 20 pros after Day Two on Lewis Smith Lake are:
1st:      John Cox, DeBary, Fla., 10 bass, 33-10
2^nd:      Kerry Milner, Fisher, Ark. 10 bass, 31-14
3^rd:       Corey Neece, Bristol, Tenn., 10 bass, 29-12
4^th:       Chase Serafin, White Lake, Mich., 10 bass, 27-13
5^th:       Tai Au, Glendale, Ariz., 10 bass, 27-10
6^th:       Cody Meyer, Star, Idaho, 10 bass, 27-8
7^th:       Cole Floyd, Leesburg, Ohio, 10 bass, 27-7
8^th:       Justin Cooper, Zwolle, La., 10 bass, 27-6
9^th:       Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla., 10 bass, 27-0
10^th:     Cody Huff, Ava, Mo., 10 bass, 26-14
11^th:     Dakota Ebare, Denham Springs, La., 10 bass, 26-10
12^th:     Dylan Hays, Hot Springs, Ark., 10 bass, 25-13
13^th:     Joseph Webster, Winfield, Ala., eight bass, 25-10
14^th:     Jacob Wall, New Hope, Ala., 10 bass, 25-10
15^th:     Kyle Cortiana, Coweta, Okla., 10 bass, 25-7
16^th:     John Hunter, Shelbyville, Ky., 10 bass, 25-4
17^th:     Braxton Setzer, Wetumpka, Ala., 10 bass, 24-15
18^th:     Joshua Weaver, Macon, Ga., nine bass, 24-9
19^th:     Troy Morrow, Eastanollee, Ga., 10 bass, 24-8
20^th:     Greg Bohannan, Bentonville, Ark., 10 bass, 24-6
For a full list of results and to see the top 50 anglers that will continue to Day Three, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Birge won the day’s $500 Berkley Big Bass award, bringing a 5-pound, 4-ounce bass to the scale.

Overall, there were 535 bass weighing 1,212 pounds even caught by 163 pros on Friday, which included 62 five-bass limits.

The MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit presented by Bad Boy Mowers, Covercraft Stop 2 – Lewis Smith Lake is hosted by the Cullman Area Local Organizing Committee.

In Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit competition, the full field of 163 anglers competed in the two-day opening round on Thursday and Friday. The top 50 pros based on their two-day cumulative weight now advance to Saturday. Only the top 10 pros will continue competition on Sunday, with the winner determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from the four days of competition.

Anglers will take off at 7 a.m. CT Saturday and Sunday from Smith Lake Park, located at 403 County Rd 386 in Cullman. Weigh-ins will also be held at the park Saturday and Sunday at 4 p.m. Attendance is limited to competing anglers, family, essential staff and media covering the event. Fans are encouraged to follow the action online through the MLF NOW! live stream and coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

MLF BIG-5

Arkansan Milner Leads Day One ofTackle Warehouse Pro Circuit on Lewis Smith Lake

Post author By jcarrigan
Post date March 11, 2021
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CULLMAN, Ala. (March. 11, 2021) – Bass fishing professionals from around the world set out on Lewis Smith Lake Thursday to begin their four-day competition for a shot to win up to $135,000 at the MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit presented by Bad Boy Mowers, Covercraft Stop 2 – Lewis Smith Lake. Pro Kerry Milner of Fisher, Arkansas, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 18 pounds even, to take the early lead after Day One. Milner holds a mere 5-ounce lead over pro Joseph Webster of Winfield, Alabama , who caught five bass weighing 17-11, good for second place.

Milner brought five spotted bass to the scale but said he boated a whopping 20 keepers on the tough day.

“I’m seeing a lot of people fishing the same stuff I’m fishing, but having different results,” said Milner. “I’ve been able to go right in behind people and catch them.”

Milner said he has two spots on the main lake with schools of fish that he feels are especially good because of the herring in the area.

“I’m seeing herring float up, watching them on the graph and seeing fish spit them up when I catch them,” said Milner. “There are multiple fish in those areas – you can just sit there and catch them all day.”

When asked if he thought his bait was the difference-maker, Milner was guarded, but said he believed it was the total technique.

“I’m doing something a little different than everyone else and I think the other guys are missing them on the depth by just a bit,” said Milner. “I figured out what I was going to do in practice – I instantly went to a spot that sets up like these two areas, and caught a 3-pounder. I tried a few other things, then came back to this same technique and was able to shake off fish in five different spots on the lake. At that point, I knew what I needed to do and let the fish and the areas rest until competition day. That’s what I plan to do until those fish abandon me.”

It was refreshing for Milner to start out with a bang on Day One of the competition, as he said his prior two trips to Lewis Smith Lake didn’t go nearly as well.

“The other times we were at Lewis Smith, it was a little bit too early for the technique I’m using,” Milner continued cryptically. “I had a pretty good first day of practice one year, that set up just like this, but they left and got on beds. It’s still a bit too cold for that though, so I don’t think they are going to move up this week.”

Milner would only say that he was “fishing the way he wants to fish” and said it was very familiar and the way he typically fishes on Arkansas’ Norfork Lake, Lake Dardanelle and other fisheries.

“This is what I look for everywhere I go,” said Milner. “ My fans and followers back home know exactly what I’m doing.”

Perhaps if the spots hold and the technique continues, Milner will clue us in on his technique and what worked so well for him on Thursday.

The top 10 pros after Day One on Lewis Smith Lake are:

1^st:       Kerry Milner, Fisher, Ark., five bass, 18-0
2^nd:      Joseph Webster, Winfield, Ala., five bass. 17-11
3^rd:       Joshua Weaver, Macon, Ga., five bass, 17-4
4^th:       John Cox, DeBary, Fla., five bass, 16-13
5^th:       Cole Floyd, Leesburg, Ohio, five bass, 16-2
6^th:       Bobby Lane, Lakeland, Fla., five bass, 15-15
7^th:       Corey Neece, Bristol, Tenn., five bass, 15-3
8^th:       Tai Au, Glendale, Ariz., five bass, 14-15
9^th:       Ricky Robinson, Greenback, Tenn., five bass, 14-13
10^th:     Kyle Cortiana, Coweta, Okla., five bass, 14-8

For a full list of results visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Cox won the day’s $500 Berkley Big Bass award in the pro division, bringing home a bass weighing 5 pounds, 4 ounces to the scale.

Overall, there were 544 bass weighing 1,273 pounds, 10 ounces caught by 163 pros on Thursday, which included 65 five-bass limits.

The MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit presented by Bad Boy Mowers, Covercraft Stop 2 – Lewis Smith Lake is hosted by the Cullman Area Local Organizing Committee.

In Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit competition, the full field of 163 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.

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.

Anglers will take off at 7 a.m. CT Thursday through Sunday from Smith Lake Park, located at 403 County Rd 386 in Cullman. Weigh-ins will also be held at the park Thursday and Friday at 3 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday at 4 p.m. Attendance is limited to competing anglers, family, essential staff and media covering the event. Fans are encouraged to 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, Covercraft Stop 2 – Lewis Smith Lake will feature live on-the-water coverage and a two-hour action-packed television show that will premiere on the Outdoor Channel on Sunday, July 18 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, March 13-14 on MLF NOW! beginning at 7:30 a.m. CT at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Major League Fishing - Bass Pro Tour/Cup Events

Thrift Wins Qualifying Round at REDCREST 2021 Presented by Old Wisconsin Sausage on Lake Eufaula

Post author By jcarrigan
Post date February 23, 2021
No Comments on Thrift Wins Qualifying Round at REDCREST 2021 Presented by Old Wisconsin Sausage on Lake Eufaula

EUFAULA, Ala. (Feb. 23, 2021) – Pro Bryan Thrift of Shelby, North Carolina, weighed in 15 bass totaling 50 pounds, 4 ounces over the first two days of competition to win the two-day Qualifying Round at REDCREST 2021, the Bass Pro Tour championship at Lake Eufaula in Eufaula, Alabama. The five-day competition features a field of 40 of the best anglers in the world from the Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Tour competing for a top cash prize of $300,000.

The field is now cut to 20, and weights are zeroed as competition moves into the Knockout Round. A field of 10 anglers (Group A) will compete on Wednesday and the remaining 10 anglers (Group B) will compete Thursday. The top five anglers from each day advance to the fifth and final day of competition, Championship Friday.

Lake Eufaula was a bit tougher for anglers on Tuesday, however quite a few anglers, including Thrift, spent most of the day practicing and searching for new areas to fish during the upcoming Knockout Round.

“I didn’t catch a lot of fish today – only two scorable bass – but it was a fun day because I eliminated a lot of water,” Thrift said. “That’s pretty much all we got accomplished today, but that’s just a part of it. Sometimes that’s almost as good as finding the winning hole, because now I’ve got a great idea of what not to do when I get back out there, and that’s definitely a plus.

“It feels great to be leading in my very first REDCREST, but I’ve still got some work left to do,” Thrift said. “You can’t win if you don’t make it to the Championship Round. I’m looking forward to getting back out there and seeing what we can do.”

Reigning REDCREST champion, Oklahoma’s Edwin Evers, had a great day Tuesday, catching eight bass weighing 22 pounds, 4 ounces – the largest weight of the day – to vault from 25^th place to inside the Toro Top 20 Cut and end the day in 8^th place.

“I caught the largest weight of the day, and I know that doesn’t mean a lot to some of the guys that laid off their fish, but it gives me a lot of confidence going into the Knockout Round,” Evers said. “The majority of my fish today came on a Berkley PowerBait Power Hog. I’m learning more and putting more pieces of the puzzle together each day and I can’t wait to get back out there and compete in the Knockout Round.”

The top 20 pros that made the cut and will advance in competition at Lake Eufaula are:1^st:           Bryan Thrift of Shelby, N.C., 15 bass, 50-4
2^nd:          Andy Montgomery of Blacksburg, S.C., 12 bass, 39-7
3^rd:          Zack Birge of Blanchard, Okla., 10 bass, 36-3
4^th:           Ott DeFoe of Blaine, Tenn., 10 bass, 33-8
5^th:           Takahiro Omori of Tokyo, Japan, 10 bass, 33-2
6^th:           Stephen Browning of Hot Springs, Ark., 11 bass, 31-1
7^th:           Andy Morgan of Dayton, Tenn., nine bass, 31-1
8^th:           Edwin Evers of Talala, Okla., 11 bass, 30-0
9^th:           Alton Jones Jr. of Waco, Texas, 10 bass, 29-7
10^th:        Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Mich., nine bass, 28-12
11^th:        David Dudley of Lynchburg, Va., eight bass, 28-7
12^th:        Anthony Gagliardi of Prosperity, S.C., 10 bass, 27-4
13^th:        Randall Tharp of Port St. Joe, Fla., eight bass, 27-0
14^th:        Mark Davis of Mount Ida, Ark., seven bass, 26-8
15^th:        Jacob Wheeler of Harrison, Tenn., eight bass, 26-4
16^th:        Brent Chapman of Lake Quivira, Kan., nine bass, 26-3
17^th:        Jordan Lee of Cullman, Ala., six bass, 23-5
18^th:        Fred Roumbanis of Russellville, Ark., nine bass, 23-3
19^th:        Dustin Connell of Clanton, Ala., seven bass, 22-15
20^th:        Michael Neal of Dayton, Tenn., eight bass, 20-10
Full results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Overall, there were 105 bass weighing 101 pounds, 3 ounces caught by 35 pros on Tuesday, which included eight 5-pounders and eight 4-pounders caught.

Fletcher Shryock of Guntersville, Alabama, won Tuesday’s $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award, weighing in a 5-pound, 14-ounce largemouth during Period 1. Berkley will award $1,000 to the angler that weighs the biggest bass each day, and a $7,000 bonus to the angler who weighs the largest bass of the tournament.

The 10 anglers that will compete in the Group A Knockout Round on Wednesday are:

Zack Birge of Blanchard, Okla.
Stephen Browning of Hot Springs, Ark.
Dustin Connell of Clanton, Ala.
Mark Davis of Mount Ida, Ark.
David Dudley of Lynchburg, Va.
Andy Montgomery of Blacksburg, S.C.
Andy Morgan of Dayton, Tenn.
Fred Roumbanis of Russellville, Ark.
Jacob Wheeler of Harrison, Tenn.
Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Mich.
The 10 anglers that will compete in the Group B Knockout Round on Thursday are:Brent Chapman of Lake Quivira, Kan.
Ott DeFoe of Blaine, Tenn.
Edwin Evers of Talala, Okla.
Anthony Gagliardi of Prosperity, S.C.
Alton Jones Jr. of Waco, Texas
Jordan Lee of Cullman, Ala.
Michael Neal of Dayton, Tenn.
Takahiro Omori of Tokyo, Japan
Randall Tharp of Port St. Joe, Fla.
Bryan Thrift of Shelby, N.C.
REDCREST 2021 Presented by Old Wisconsin Sausage, the Bass Pro Tour championship at Lake Eufaula, is hosted by the Eufaula Barbour County Chamber of Commerce.

All 40 Anglers competed on Day 1 (Monday) and 2 (Tuesday) of the event. Now, the field is cut to just the top 20 based on two-day total cumulative weight. The remaining 20 anglers are split into two groups – 10 compete on Day 3 (Wednesday) and 10 compete on Day 4 (Thursday). The top five anglers from each group based on total single-day weight will advance to the fifth and final day of competition (Friday), where weights are zeroed and the angler that catches the highest total weight on the final day will be crowned the REDCREST 2021 champion.

Attendance is limited to competing anglers, essential staff and media covering the event only. Fans are encouraged to follow the event online through the MLF NOW!® live stream and SCORETRACKER® coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com

The 2020 Bass Pro Tour featured a field of 80 of the top professional anglers in the world competing in a COVID-shortened five regular-season tournaments around the country. The top 40 anglers in the Angler of the Year (AOY) standings after the five events qualified to compete in Bass Pro Shops REDCREST 2021 presented by Old Wisconsin Sausage.

The MLF NOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee, Marty Stone and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action each day of competition from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. MLF NOW!® will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com. and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app.

Television coverage of REDCREST 2021 presented by Old Wisconsin Sausage, the Bass Pro Tour championship, will be showcased across two two-hour episodes, premiering at 7 a.m. ET, July 3 on the Discovery Channel. A one-hour special episode of MLF Inside the REDCREST will premiere at 2 p.m. ET, Sunday, July 18 on CBS. 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.

MLF BIG-5

Florida’s Smith Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League on Harris Chain of Lakes

Post author By jcarrigan
Post date February 23, 2021
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California’s Sharp Wins Strike King Co-Angler Division

Leesburg, Fla. (Feb. 22, 2021) – Boater Corey Smith of Clermont, Florida, won the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine at Harris Chain of Lakes presented by Googan Baits in Leesburg, Florida. Smith earned $6,000 for his victory at the event, hosted by Visit Lake County, Florida.

TOP 10 RESULTS

RANK	BOATER NAME/HOMETOWN	BASS	WEIGHT	AWARD
1^st	Corey Smith of Clermont, Fla.	5	29-9	$6,000
2^nd	Neil Nix of Okeechobee, Fla.	5	27-3	$3,000
3^rd	Tyler Sheppard of Jacksonville, Fla.	5	23-4	$2,000
4^th	Eric Panzironi of Longwood, Fla.	5	23-2	$1,400
5^th	Robert Crosnoe of Inverness, Fla.	5	22-8	$1,200
6^th	Michael King of Riverview, Fla.	4	22-7	$1,100
7^th	Tim Frederick of Leesburg, Fla.	5	22-1	$1,000
8^th	Casey Marsh of Dunnellon, Fla.	5	21-15	$900
9^th	Jonathan Hoobler of Alachua, Fla.	5	19-7	$800
10^th	Joel Willert of Prior Lake, Minn.	5	19-1	$900

RANK	STRIKE KING CO-ANGLER NAME/HOMETOWN	BASS	WEIGHT	AWARD
1^st	Brennon Sharp of Folsom, Calif.	5	21-6	$3,500
2^nd	Joshua Dunn of Mulberry, Fla.	5	20-3	$1,500
3^rd	Justin Brown of Frostproof, Fla.	5	18-4	$1,050
3^rd	Luis Lindstedt of Melbourne, Fla.	5	18-4	$850
5^th	Dawson Wiles of Fruit Cove, Fla.	4	16-2	$600
6^th	John Brown of Deltona, Fla.	5	15-15	$550
7^th	Kenneth Hunnicutt of Jacksonville, Fla.	5	14-11	$500
8^th	Adam Giran of Wesley Chapel, Fla.	5	14-3	$450
9^th	Sean Ripley of Lakeland, Fla.	5	13-13	$400
10^th	Bill Richards of Davenport, Fla.	3	12-13	$350

CONTINGENCY AWARDS

AWARD	NAME	CONTINGENCY	PAYOUT
Boater Berkley Big Bass	T.W. Garten of East Palatka, Fla.	10-pound, 7-ounce bass	$1,000
Strike King Co-Angler Berkley Big Bass	Brennon Sharp of Folsom, Calif.	8-pound, 10-ounce bass	$500
Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus	Matt Gee of Grand Island, Fla.	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	Jigs	N/A
Strike King Co-Angler	Jigs	N/A

2021 QUALIFICATION OPPORTUNITIES

EVENT	DATE	LOCATION	HOST
Gator Division – Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championship	Oct. 21-23	St. Johns River, Palatka, Fla.	Visit Lake County, Florida
Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American	June 3-5	Douglas Lake, Dandridge, Tenn.	Jefferson County Department of Tourism

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

South Carolina’s Parker Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League on Lake Norman

Post author By jcarrigan
Post date February 23, 2021
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Hickory’s Benfield Wins Strike King Co-Angler Division

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Feb. 23, 2021) – Boater John Parker of Gaffney, South Carolina, won the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine at Lake Norman in Mooresville, North Carolina. Parker won by a 1-ounce margin, earning $5,843 for his victory at the event, hosted by the Mooresville Convention and Visitors Bureau.

TOP 10 RESULTS

RANK	BOATER NAME/HOMETOWN	BASS	WEIGHT	AWARD
1^st	John Parker of Gaffney, S.C.	5	14-5	$5,843
2^nd	Craig Chambers of Charlotte, N.C.	5	14-4	$2,921
3^rd	Eric Moser of Concord, N.C.	5	13-8	$1,948
4^th	Christopher Brown of Lexington, N.C.	5	12-15	$1,363
5^th	Shane Lehew of Catawba, N.C.	5	12-0	$1,169
6^th	John Wiese of Charlotte, N.C.	4	11-11	$2,031
7^th	Curtis Dillon of Advance, N.C.	5	11-0	$974
8^th	Ben Hudson of Lynchburg, Va.	4	10-15	$876
9^th	Ron Farrow of Rock Hill, S.C.	5	10-13	$779
10^th	Aaron Digh of Denver, N.C.	5	10-12	$682

RANK	STRIKE KING CO-ANGLER NAME/HOMETOWN	BASS	WEIGHT	AWARD
1^st	Michael Benfield of Hickory, N.C.	4	6-15	$2,921
2^nd	Ernest McIntyre of Fayetteville, N.C.	4	6-14	$1,461
3^rd	Charles Wood of Thomasville, N.C.	3	6-11	$973
4^th	David L. Deciucis of Chester, Va.	3	6-10	$682
5^th	Drew Lumpkin of Cameron, N.C.	3	6-2	$584
6^th	Mike Shatley of North Wilkesboro, N.C.	4	6-1	$536
7^th	Artie Phillips of Monroe, N.C.	2	5-14	$727
8^th	Grant McPeters of Marion, N.C.	3	5-11	$438
9^th	William Britt of Clarkton, N.C.	2	5-5	$390
10^th	Scottie Elswick of Gordon, W.V.	2	4-15	$341

CONTINGENCY AWARDS

AWARD	NAME	CONTINGENCY	PAYOUT
Boater Berkley Big Bass	John Wiese of Charlotte, N.C.	5-pound, 15-ounce bass	$910
Strike King Co-Angler Berkley Big Bass	Patrick Brondos of Wilkesboro, N.C.	4-pound bass	$455
Strike King Co-Angler Berkley Big Bass	Artie Phillips of Monroe, N.C.	4-pound bass	$240
Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus	Matt Stark of Mooresville, N.C.	Eligible Phoenix Boat*	$500

WINNING BAITS

ANGLER	BAIT	COLOR
Boater	Jerkbait	Did Not Disclose
Strike King Co-Angler	Shaky Head & Rapala Shad Rap Crankbait	Did Not Disclose

2021 QUALIFICATION OPPORTUNITIES

EVENT	DATE	LOCATION	HOST
North Carolina Division – Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championship	Oct. 14-16	Lake Murray, Columbia, S.C.	Capital City Lake Murray Country Regional Tourism Board
Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American	June 3-5	Douglas Lake, Dandridge, Tenn.	Jefferson County Department of Tourism

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.

Crappie USA

Crappie USA Pro Division Victory at Lake Harding goes to Williams and Dowda

Post author By jcarrigan
Post date February 18, 2021
No Comments on Crappie USA Pro Division Victory at Lake Harding goes to Williams and Dowda

Louisville, KY – February 14, 2021 – Crappie anglers from several states traveled to the Lake Harding at Opelika, AL to participate in a Bass Pro Shops/Cabela’s Crappie USA (CUSA) Region 2 event. Local and traveling anglers are competing in the $50,000 points race and an opportunity to compete at the Regional Championships and the 2021 Crappie USA Classic on Lake Hartwell, Anderson, SC.

Competing anglers were met with rain and cool temperatures as the tournament day started. A morning low in the high 40s and breezy winds kept the day feeling cool.

“The weather was challenging in every way,” said Tournament Director, Darrell Van Vactor. “We had rain all day Saturday with winds blowing 10-15 from the NE. The water conditions changed from clear to muddy in many areas giving anglers an added challenge. The anglers definitely faced Mother Nature at her worst all day for the Lake Harding event.”

A total of 27 boats fished the event,10 in the Pro Division and17 in the Amateur Division. Halawakee Creek was the hot area on tournament day.

Pro Division Results

First Place

The top spot at Lake Harding Matthew Williams and Nick Dowda from Batesburg-Leesville South Carolina. They teamed up to bring 10.54 pounds to the scales and claim the $3,000 top prize. They added $200 for the Crappie Magnet Bonus, $300 for the Drift Master Bonus, $100 for the Jenko Bonus, and $190 for the second big fish.

“We started our day with rain and cool temperatures that lasted for most of the morning,” Williams said. “We focused on the mid-lake area targeting fish that were suspended 10-12 feet deep in 30-40 feet of water. We were one pole fishing using the Jenko Fishing Trick Stick Light.”

The team used a combination of Slab Slayer Jigs Willow Tail and Crappie Magnet products. They indicated gray colored combinations performed best.

“We started out fishing towards the back of Halawakee Creek,” reported Dowda. “We were catching a lot of small fish. Around 12 o’clock we moved out towards the mouth in 30-40 feet of water and caught all our weigh-in fish after lunch.”

“The fish were suspended all the way from 5 feet down to 30 feet,” added Dowda. “We used a mixture of jigs over the day. Anything grey worked and we caught some on straight minnows. We used LiveScope and caught around 30 fish total for the day.”

Second Place
The runner-up spot went to Forrest Walker and Jacob Walker from Byron, GA. They caught a 9.96-pound bag of crappie to claim the second-place cash award of $1,500.00.

They also found their fish in Halawakee Creek. They fished with one pole in hand, using hair jigs in natural colors. The crappie were found suspended at 8 feet deep in 30 to 50 feet of water.

“The best bite was early morning,” reported Jacob. “We caught about 20-25 fish on the day.”

Third Place
Morristown, Tennessee angler Scott Bunch teamed up with Neal Alvis from Rogersville, Tennessee to earn the third-place award of $500. The Crappie Magnet team’s tournament day bag weighed 8.95 pounds.

Bunch and Alvis also fished Halawakee Creek, finding the fish suspended at about 20-30 feet deep in 30-50 feet of water. They fished Crappie Magnets on a heavy jighead. An assortment of colors did the trick to catch a total of 20-30 crappie on the day.

Other Awards

In other awards, the Talon Bonus of $250.00 went to Robert Harris and Richard Greer Jr. who finished in 5^th Place in the Pro Division.

Amateur Division Results

First Place Amateur Division

Richard Malcom from Madison, GA, and Joey Dickens from Waynesboro, GA brought 10.31 pounds to the scales to claim the top spot in the Amateur Division. They earned a check for $3,000 for first place and added $435.00 for catching the Big Fish of the tournament. Their big Lake Harding slab weighed in at 2.01 pounds.

Malcom and Dickens also fished Halawakee Creek. They were one poling in 30 foot-plus water and catching their fish suspended at about 12 feet deep. The team used black and gray Jiffy Jigs in clear water. The result was around 25 to 30 fish on tournament day.

Second Place Amateur Division

Mike Nipper from Perry, GA, and Ethan Nipper from Gray, GA showed up at the scales with a bag weighing 7.46 pounds to claim the runner-up spot and earn the second place award of $1,500.00.

The team fished Halawakee Creek in much shallower water than other competitors. They were also one poling, but in 4 feet of water. They used live bait to catch around 20 Lake Harding crappie on tournament day.

Third Place Amateur Division

Brian Stacey from Bostic, NC, and Jeff Lowdermilk from Morgantown, NC teamed up to bring 6.68 pounds to the scales to earn third-place and a check for $500.

Stacey and Lowdermilk fished Halawakee Creek in 30 feet of water. They also used the single pole technique to catch their crappie. They were rigged with Cajun Cricket colored jigs to catch 10 fish on the day.

Other Awards

In other awards the $125 Ranger Cup Bonus in the Amateur Division went to Bob Denen from Youngstown, Ohio.

Epilogue

Darrell Van Vactor, CUSA Operations Manager, sent special thanks to Anthony and his staff at Auburn-Opelika Tourism Bureau for hosting the event and the Comfort Inn for allowing our TV crew to use their beautiful den area for filming.

The 2021 CUSA Classic Championship will be held October 14th – 16th at Lake Hartwell, SC at Anderson, SC. The 2021 Crappie USA Classic presented by Bass Pro Shops/Cabela’s features a guaranteed payout of $165,000 in cash and prizes.

MLF BIG-5

Skeet Reese Brings Home the Win at Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit on Lake Okeechobee

Post author By jcarrigan
Post date February 14, 2021
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CLEWISTON, Fla. (Feb. 14, 2021) – General Tire pro Skeet Reese of Auburn, California, already had a stacked resume when he crossed the stage on Sunday at the Major League Fishing Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by Bad Boy Mowers, 13 Fishing Stop 1 – Lake Okeechobee in Clewiston, Florida. With 10 career victories, a 2007 Elite Series Angler of the Year title and a 2009 Bassmaster Classic championship, Reese is one of the top 5 tournament money-winners of all-time with more than $3.4 million in earnings. Reese added another monumental victory to the Major League Fishing (MLF) record books and is bringing a $100,000 check and a big trophy back home to California.

The win brought the 2019 merger of FLW (now known as the MLF BIG5) and MLF full circle and was a moment that marked the significance of the unity that now exists between the blended MLF family.

Reese weighed a five-bass limit on Sunday totaling a whopping 27 pounds, 9 ounces, to win by a 7-pound, 9-ounce margin over fellow Bass Pro Tour angler Chris Lane of Guntersville, Alabama. Lane weighed in five bass for 20 pounds, 1 ounce, including an 8-pound, 13-ounce giant, which carried him to a second place finish on the final day of competition.

“This feels really good,” said an emotional Reese. “I’ve had some tough fishing the last few years and to be able to come back and win; it is recognition that my new mindset and hard work paid off. Everybody who fishes tournaments does it to win and to be able to do it against this level of competition, with this big of a field – it’s priceless.”

Reese said he mixed up his approach each day and alternated between two key lures for the win, a 6″ Berkley PowerBait The General and an unnamed green-pumpkin-colored vibrating jig with a Berkley PowerBait The Deal in the Skeet’s green money-color serving as the trailer.

“The first day, I focused on the isolated clumps of reeds that were a little deeper,” said Reese. “I targeted water that was four feet deep because all of the shallower stuff was getting so much pressure. I stayed out a little further from the bank on the isolated pencil reeds and caught a few good ones the second day by pitching The General on a 5/O hook with a ¼-ounce weight on 25-pound-test Berkley Trilene 100% fluorocarbon.”

On the second day, Reese said he opted to stay solely off the bank and was able to catch a 21-pound bag that included the day’s biggest bass, an 8-pound, 8-ounce giant.
The final two days offered vastly different weather conditions, with wind speeds picking up throughout the lake. Reese said this caused him to make a change to the vibrating jig and helped him seal the win.

“It got too windy and made it hard to flip and pitch The General,” Reese said. “I also think it moved some of those fish out a little deeper. On the final day, it seemed like every big female was set up out in the open.”

Reese said the area had cleaner water and he felt it offered him the best chance to get multiple bites.

“I maximized what little I had and fished it all four days,” he continued. “I was trying to be in an area and get as many bites as I could. I never thought I was on the winning fish this week. I’m a believer that everything happens for a reason.”

The top 10 pros on Lake Okeechobee finished:1^st:       Skeet Reese, Auburn, Calif., 20 bass, 82-14, $100,000
2^nd:      Chris Lane, Guntersville, Ala., 20 bass, 75-5, $30,000
3^rd:       Jim Neece, Jr., Bristol, Tenn., 20 bass, 74-2, $25,000
4^th:       Dicky Newberry, Houston, Texas, 20 bass, 72-12, $20,000
5^th:       Bill McDonald, Greenwood, Ind., 20 bass, 71-0, $19,000
6^th:       Miles Burghoff, Soddy-Daisy, Tenn., 20 bass, 70-11, $18,200
7^th:       Pete Ponds, Madison, Miss., 20 bass, 66-7, $17,000
8^th:       Ryan Salzman, Huntsville, Ala., 20 bass, 64-3, $16,000
9^th:       Cole Floyd, Leesburg, Ohio, 20 bass, 63-14, $15,000
10^th:     Anthony Gagliardi, Prosperity, S.C., 20 bass, 63-2, $14,000
For a full list of results visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.

The four top performers from Sunday’s Pro Circuit event who will receive invitations to compete at the Bass Pro Tour Toro Stage One presented by Power-Pole at Sam Rayburn, March 21-26, in Jasper Texas, are Jim Neece, Jr. of Bristol, Tennessee, Dicky Newberry of Houston, Texas, Bill McDonald of Greenwood, Indiana, and Miles Burghoff of Soddy-Daisy, Tennessee.

Overall, there were 50 bass weighing 173 pounds, 5 ounces caught by the final 10 pros on Sunday. All 10 weighed in a five-bass limit.

The Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by Bad Boy Mowers, 13 Fishing Stop 1 – Lake Okeechobee’s two-hour action-packed television show will premiere on the Outdoor Channel on Sunday, July 11 from 7 to 9 a.m. ET and re-air on the Sportsman Channel this fall.

The Major League Fishing Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by Bad Boy Mowers, 13 Fishing Stop 1 – Lake Okeechobee was hosted by the Hendry County Tourism Development Council and Roland & Mary Ann Martin’s Marina & Resort. The next event for Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit anglers will be the Major League Fishing Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit presented by Bad Boy Mowers, Covercraft Stop 2 – Smith Lake , Mar. 11-14, in Cullman, Alabama. The tournament will be hosted by the Cullman Area Local Organizing Committee.

In Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit competition, the full field of 163 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 fish on 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.

For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit presented by Bad Boy Mowers on the MLF BIG5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

About MLF BIG5
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BASSMASTER Elite Series/Opens

Bryan New Notches Victory In Bassmaster Elite Series Debut At St. Johns River

Post author By jcarrigan
Post date February 14, 2021
No Comments on Bryan New Notches Victory In Bassmaster Elite Series Debut At St. Johns River

PALATKA, Fla. — Bryan New launched his rookie season in blockbuster form by topping a stout field of well-established finalists and winning the AFTCO Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River with a four-day total of 79 pounds, 7 ounces.

Starting Championship Sunday in sixth place, New trailed Day 3 leader and rising star Patrick Walters by 5-7. Saving his best for last, New posted the event’s second-heaviest bag, 26-4, and edged Elite veteran Greg Hackney by a margin of 9-9. For his efforts, New earned $101,000.

New caught most of his fish out of lily pads, but he found a few keepers over main-river shellbars about halfway between Palatka and Dunn’s Creek, which connects to Crescent Lake. Targeting bars in about 5 to 7 feet, he fished a Berkley Warpig lipless crankbait in the bleeding shiner color with a slow yo-yoing technique.

“That wasn’t a winning-fish deal, but without those fish, I don’t win this tournament,” New said.

The pads that produced the bulk of his weight were located at the lower end of Lake George. Fishing 5-inch black and blue Zoom Zlinky worms Texas-rigged on a 5/0 Berkley Fusion hook with a 1/8- and 1/4-ounce weights, New said he focused on isolated pads.

“I fished dense pads too, but I definitely liked the sparse pads for multiple reasons,” he said. “First, on an isolated target, it’s easier to pick out where the fish are sitting and they have more light penetration. That’s important for the spawning fish I was targeting.”

The key, New said, was a meticulous presentation that maximized every aspect of his target area.

“You don’t just have one target on each cast; sometimes you’ll have 10 targets on each cast,” he said. “You can feel the sweet spots. You can feel a little rough patch on the bottom where there’s a bed or you can feel the hard spot of the root. Sometimes, you can even feel a little depression.

“I’ve always heard that slow and steady wins the race,” New said. “That’s not always my style, but I can do it.”

New caught good numbers the first three days. Day 1, which was shortened by a three-hour fog delay, yielded 12 pounds and put him in 22nd place. The second day, he added 20-3 and rose to ninth before securing his Championship Sunday berth with a Day 3 limit of 21 pounds, which pushed him up to sixth.

Following the Day 3 weigh-in, New said he’d approach Championship Sunday focused on getting the big bites. On Sunday, he caught four in the 5-pound class and another over 4.

New qualified for the Elites by winning the Falcon Rods Bassmaster Opens Angler of the Year title, an accomplishment that began with a win at his first 2020 tournament — the Basspro.com Bassmaster Eastern Open on Florida’s Kissimmee Chain.

Before the St. Johns event began, New stated that his 2021 goals included winning Bassmaster Angler of the Year — not only Rookie of the Year — and winning the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk, which is set for June 11-13 on Lake Ray Roberts.

New summarized his Elite debut: “I have a pretty good start!”

Hackney committed his tournament to fishing cypress trees on Lake George’s east side. He caught 12-7 on Day 1 and placed 19th and then rose to third on Day 2 by adding 22-10. He’d improve to second on Day 3 and held that final position with weights of 23-6 and 11-7.

Returning to the Elites after a two-year break, the Gonzales, La., pro caught all of his fish on a junebug-colored Strike King Rage Bug rigged on a 5/0 Hack Attack Flipping hook with a 1/4-ounce Tour Grade Tungsten weight.

“There’s not any cover left in the lake (2017’s Hurricane Irma killed the eelgrass) and this was one of the few areas that had enough depth and enough protection from the elements for those lake fish to spawn on.

“There’s only a handful of docks and cypress trees in the lake and I spent one whole day in practice fishing all the way around (Lake George). I knew this was the area of the lake where the biggest population of fish lived and I knew where they used to spawn. I just looked for anything that was close by.”

Seth Feider of New Market, Minn., finished third with 69-6. He turned in daily weights of 8-3, 18-8, 25-8 and 17-3.

Derek Hudnall of Denham Springs, La., and Brandon Palaniuk of Rathdrum, Idaho, split the event’s Phoenix Boats Big Bass award of $1,000 for their 9-pound, 8-ounce fish. Hudnall won $1,000 for the big bass of Day 1, while Palaniuk claimed the Day 2 award. Wes Logan of Springville, Ala., won the Day 3 award with his 8-8 and New won the Day 4 award with his 5-14.

2020 Bassmaster Classic champion Hank Cherry of Lincolnton, N.C., took home $3,000 for being the highest-placing entrant in the Toyota Bonus Bucks program, and Cliff Prince of Palatka, Fla., earned $2,000 for being the second-highest placing entrant.

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