Author: jcarrigan

Wisconsin’s Joe Pollak Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Wolf River Chain

Post author By jcarrigan
Post date June 15, 2020
No Comments on Wisconsin’s Joe Pollak Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Wolf River Chain

WINNECONNE, Wis. (June 15, 2020) – Boater Joe Pollak of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 15 pounds, 2 ounces to win the 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine event on the Wolf River Chain of Lakes in Winneconne, Wisconsin. For his victory, Pollak earned $5,127.

“I went up the Wolf River and ended up catching a few fish on swim jigs,” said Pollak, who earned his third career victory in FLW competition. “I didn’t really catch them good, and it took a little bit to figure them out. Towards the end of the day I switched to a Carolina rig as I was fishing back down and upgraded a few times.

“I ended up having a few largemouth to go along with three smallmouth,” Pollak continued. “It was definitely unexpected. I was fishing for smallmouth, so when the largies popped up I was surprised.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:

1^st: Joe Pollak of Lake Geneva, Wis., five bass, 15-2, $5,127

2^nd: Clayton Reitz of Morton, Ill., five bass, 13-7, $2,064

3^rd: Mike Brueggen of La Crosse, Wis., five bass, 13-5, $1,377

4^th: Adam Hatfield of Sparta, Wis., five bass, 13-3, $963

5^th: Kyle Meyer of Blaine, Minn., five bass, 13-0, $825

6^th: Rick Miller of Eastman, Wis., five bass, 12-15, $1,332

7^th: Brian Fitzpatrick of La Crosse, Wis., five bass, 12-11, $653

7^th: Mike Kochanski of Bolingbrook, Ill., five bass, 12-11, $653

9^th: Kevin Ruh of Onalaska, Wis., five bass, 12-10, $1,016

9^th: Neal Wisinski of Stevens Point, Wis., five bass, 12-10, $516

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Miller claimed the day’s Boater Big Bass Award of $575 after bringing a 4-pound bass to the scale.

Ruh was the highest-finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member and took home an extra $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 FLW PHOENIX BONUS contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.

Michael Gray of Stoddard, Wisconsin, won the Co-angler Division and $2,078 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 12 pounds, 1 ounce.

The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:

1^st: Michael Gray of Stoddard, Wis., five bass, 12-1, $2,078

2^nd: Bradley Thatcher of Preston, Minn., five bass, 11-0, $1,039

2^nd: Bruce Biermann of Byron, Ill., five bass, 10-12, $691

4^th: Ed Remian of Schiller Park, Ill., five bass, 10-11, $485

5^th: Andrew Hegerty of Colgate, Wis., five bass, 9-6, $416

6^th: Jason Olson of Wisconsin Rapids, Wis., five bass, 9-2, $381

7^th: Douglas Ley of Janesville, Wis., three bass, 8-8, $346

8^th: Mike Marr of Westfield, Wis., four bass, 8-6, $312

8^th: Scott Miller of Burlington, Wis., four bass, 7-11, $277

10^th: Gregg Kizewski of Saint Germain, Wis., three bass, 6-15, $242

Alan Pierschalla of Slinger, Wisconsin, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, weighing in at 3 pounds, 12 ounces. The catch earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $285.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on the Wolf River Chain of Lakes was the opening event of five qualifying tournaments in the Great Lakes division.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the Great Lakes Division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 22-24 Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Table Rock Lake in Branson, Missouri, hosted by ExploreBranson.com. Boaters will compete for a $60,000 prize package, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new 18-foot Phoenix bass boat with a 200-horsepower outboard.

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

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

MLF BIG-5

Louisianas’ Brett Hortman Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Lake of the Pines

Post author By jcarrigan
Post date June 15, 2020
No Comments on Louisianas’ Brett Hortman Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Lake of the Pines

JEFFERSON, Texas (June 15, 2020) – Boater Brett Hortman of Natchitoches, Louisiana, earned the win at the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine event at Lake of the Pines Saturday after bringing a five-bass limit to the scale weighing 26 pounds, 11 ounces. For his victory, Hortman earned $4,315.

The tournament was the fourth of five events in the Cowboy Division presented by A.R.E. Truck Caps.

“I was mid-lake, fishing secondary points,” said Hortman, who earned the first tournament win of his FLW career. “I was mainly fishing around 10 feet of water, throwing a 5/16-ounce magnum shaky head-rig with a Zoom Magnum Trick Worm (red bug).

“The key was my Humminbird electronics,” Hortman continued. “I hadn’t been on this lake before, but I put in a lot of windshield time during practice. I pretty much idled the whole lake and the shade mapping allowed me to idle right at that depth for two days and find a couple of good schools.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:

1^st: Brett Hortman of Natchitoches, La., five bass, 26-11, $4,315

2^nd: Shane Gibson of Kilgore, Texas, five bass, 24-7, $2,157

3^rd: James Ware of Longview, Texas, five bass, 22-12, $1,939

4^th: Lamonte Loyd of Pittsburg, Texas, five bass, 21-6, $1,007

5^th: Brad Smith of Longview, Texas, five bass, 19-1, $863

6^th: Kevin Lasyone of Dry Prong, La., five bass, 18-8, $791

7^th: Blake Istre of Orange, Texas, five bass, 18-7, $719

8^th: Wyatt Frankens of Corrigan, Texas, five bass, 18-4, $611

8^th: Kyle Dragulski of Lufkin, Texas, five bass, 18-4, $1,221

10^th: Andrew Harp of Linden, Texas, five bass, 17-11, $503

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Dragulski claimed the day’s Boater Big Bass Award of $610 after bringing a 7-pound, 10-ounce largemouth to the scale.

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

Austin Roach of Big Sandy, Texas, won the Co-angler Division and $2,1577 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 20 pounds, 6 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:

1^st: Austin Roach of Big Sandy, Texas, five bass, 20-6, $2,157

2^nd: Clarence Schwarz of Irving, Texas, five bass, 17-2, $1,079

3^rd: Ron Aulds of Choudrant, La., five bass, 16-13, $717

3^rd: Julio Garza of Houston, Texas, five bass, 15-14, $503

5^th: Chris Morris of Forest Hill, La., five bass, 15-5, $431

6^th: James Moore Jr. of Lampasas, Texas, five bass, 14-14, $396

6^th: Jake Inderman of Allen, Texas, five bass, 14-9, $360

8^th: Ty Haymon of Oakdale, La., five bass, 14-8, $324

9^th: Larry Davis of Gladewater, Texas, five bass, 14-1, $288

10^th: David Cox of Silsbee, Texas, five bass, 13-12, $252

Alford Cherry of Monroe, Louisiana, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, weighing in at 7 pounds, 7 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $305.

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

The National Angler

FIRST LOOK – TECKEL BLADEWAKER!!!

Post author By jcarrigan
Post date June 12, 2020
No Comments on FIRST LOOK – TECKEL BLADEWAKER!!!

The long anticipated release of the hottest new chatterbait concept from Japan is finally here! This is the new Teckel Bladewaker!

The Bladewaker has a unique shaped front blade element that allows it to be fished at any speeds at the top of the water column, as a wake bait! Tranditional chatterbaits have struggled at the surface and at high speeds, and the Bladewaker now gives anglers the ability to fish a bladed jig at the surface and in the top column of the water. A stout Gamakatsu flippin hook ensure great hook ups, and a brush weedguard allows anglers to fish the Bladewaker in any type of cover.

Now you will see why this is a “Game Changer”, if you are serious fishermen. This is like no other, and it’s so Teckel. Check out the Bladewaker.

Teckel Bladewaker Rigging

The Teckel Bladewaker can be tied on 2 different ways. It comes in the “REGULAR” position in the package as seen in the top of the image here. I do the snap and simply twist the snap 180 degrees and you have it in the “FRONT” position.

REGULAR POSITION: Wide wobble with a slower speed and adapted for shallow water. This is also the position I have the best luck on the surface.

FRONT POSITION: Tight wobble with a higher speed and geared toward deeper water

As noted by Teckel the most ideal trailer for the Bladewaker is a Zoom Super Fluke. Check out the rigging video below.

RETRIEVE ADVICE: I received some of the first shipments that hit the U.S. market and had them out on the water the same day. I was utilizing my Shimano SLX DC 150 and absolutely bombing this bait out on the water. The SLX is 8.2:1 gear ratio and I found it was best to keep my rod tip high until the bait broke the surface and then lowered my rod to for the rest of the retrieve. By lowering the rod tip it allowed me to retrieve the bait at a faster speed and control the action.

Teckel Bladewaker Colors

Right now the Bladewaker comes in 8 colors; Black Blue, Bluegill, Citrus Shad, Green Pumpkin, June Bug, Pearl White, Silver Shiner, and Sprayed Grass.

Soooo, what is the difference between the Bladewaker and a bladed jig...A LOT!

Available at Tackle Warehouse, but not for long!!!

MLF BIG-5

Jacob Wheeler Wins Toyota Series Tournament at Pickwick Lake

Post author By jcarrigan
Post date May 30, 2020
No Comments on Jacob Wheeler Wins Toyota Series Tournament at Pickwick Lake

May 30, 2020 by FLW Communications

FLORENCE, Ala. – Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Tour angler Jacob Wheeler of Harrison, Tennessee, brought five bass to the scale weighing 17 pounds, 11 ounces to win the three-day Toyota Series at Pickwick Lake event Saturday in Florence, Alabama. Wheeler’s three-day total of 15 bass weighing 56-8 earned him the win by a 5-pound, 8-ounce margin over second-place angler Buddy Gross of Chickamauga, Georgia, and earned Wheeler the top payout of $38,545 in the second tournament of the 2020 Toyota Series Central Division season.

“I truthfully can’t even believe that just happened,” said Wheeler, the reigning MLF World Champion who earned the first Toyota Series win of his career. “I’ve competed at all levels, and it is so tough to win one of these Toyota Series events. A lot of pros compete in them, but they also have the great local fisherman that know their home bodies of water so well. They’re extremely hard to win, so to come out today with the victory – I am tremendously tickled.”

Wheeler said that he had no magic spot on Pickwick Lake, but estimated he fished around 30 different places throughout the week, throwing a variety of baits.

“I tried to find little 3- to 5-fish schools that were a little out of the way off the beaten path, and then when a community hole opened up I’d stop in there and try to catch a few fish. I caught fish from 10 feet to 30 feet, and I was constantly changing my baits based on where I was fishing,” Wheeler said.

Wheeler said that his key baits this week were a Rapala DT20 crankbait (Caribbean Shad), a Texas-rigged Googan Baits Mondo Worm and a 6-inch Lunker Log stick bait, and an Accent Ol’ Big Spinnerbait. He also mixed in some other baits, including a scrounger and a swimbait.

“My electronics setup was a huge deal for me this week, as well,” Wheeler went on to say. “Instead of signing with one company, I’m running Lowrance, Garmin and Humminbird units this year and that really helped me tremendously when I was finding those 3 to 5 fish schools.”

The top 10 pros on Pickwick Lake finished:

1st: Jacob Wheeler of Harrison, Tenn., 15 bass, 56-8, $38,545

2nd: Buddy Gross of Chickamauga, Ga., 15 bass, 51-0, $14,936

3rd: Michael Bean of Bowling Green, Ky., 15 bass, 49-9, $11,563

4th: Michael Brewer of Lawrenceburg, Tenn., 10 bass, 48-13, $9,636

5th: Justin Atkins of Florence, Ala., 15 bass, 48-12, $8,673

6th: Marshall Deakins of Dunlap, Tenn., 15 bass, 47-15, $7,709

7th: Brent Anderson of Kingston Springs, Tenn., 15 bass, 46-4, $6,745

8th: John Murray of Spring City, Tenn., 13 bass, 44-15, $5,782

9th: Jimmy Washam of Covington, Tenn., 13 bass, 39-11, $4,959

10th: Ricky Robinson of Greenback, Tenn., 10 bass, 36-14, $3,854

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

Seth Davis of Harrison, Tennessee, took home an extra $1,000 as the highest finishing FLW PHOENIX 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 FLW PHOENIX BONUS contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.

Washam brought an 8-pound, 9-ounce largemouth bass to the scale Friday – the largest fish weighed by a boater in the event – to earn the day’s Big Bass award of $141.

Josh Lockard of Somerset, Kentucky, won the Co-angler Division Saturday with a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 48 pounds, 7 ounces. For his win, Lockard took home the top prize package of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard motor, worth $33,500.

The top 10 co-anglers on Pickwick Lake finished:

1st: Josh Lockard of Somerset, Ky., 15 bass, 48-7, $33,500

2nd: Phil Williams Jr. of Jamestown, Ky., 13 bass, 36-13, $4,868

3rd: Nathan Woodruff of Iuka, Miss., 14 bass, 33-14, $3,894

4th: Chris Quaintance of Muscle Shoals, Ala., 11 bass, 32-4, $3,502

5th: Clint Pegg of Columbus, Miss., 12 bass, 31-14, $2,921

6th: Andrew Gordon of Columbus, Miss., 12 bass, 29-11, $2,434

7th: Todd Lee of Jasper, Ala., 11 bass, 29-1, $1,947

8th: Benton Peoples of Bardstown, Ky., 11 bass, 26-8, $1,704

9th: Bryan Dowdy of Florence, Ala., 11 bass, 25-10, $1,460

10th: Samuel Maxwell of Vincennes, Ind., 10 bass, 23-12, $1,217

Quaintance weighed in the largest bass in the co-angler division on Thursday, bringing a 7-pound, 3-ounce bass to the stage. He earned the days Co-angler Big Bass award of $95.

The Toyota Series at Pickwick Lake was hosted by Florence/Lauderdale Tourism. It was the second of three regular-season tournaments in 2020 for Central Division anglers. For a complete schedule, visit FLWFishing.com.

The Toyota Series consists of eight divisions – Central, Eastern, Northern, Plains, Southeastern, 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 Championship for a shot at winning $235,000 cash, including a $35,000 FLW PHOENIX Bonus for qualified anglers. The winning co-angler at the championship earns a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard. The 2020 Toyota Series Championship will be held Dec. 3-5 on Lake Cumberland in Burnside, Kentucky, and is hosted by the Somerset Tourist & Convention Commission and the Burnside Tourism Commission.

MLF BIG-5

FLW Revamps 2020 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Schedule: Extends Invitation to Major League Fishing Pro Anglers

Post author By jcarrigan
Post date May 8, 2020
No Comments on FLW Revamps 2020 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Schedule: Extends Invitation to Major League Fishing Pro Anglers

BENTON, Ky. (May 8, 2020) – FLW, the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, announced today a revised 2020 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit schedule, which will return June 23-26 on Lake Chickamauga. The regular season will conclude on the Detroit River, Aug. 11-14. The Tackle Warehouse TITLE, the FLW Pro Circuit Championship will remain on the St. Lawrence River, but will now take place Aug. 24-29. The 2020 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit regular-season schedule has been shortened from seven events to six. After completing three events in the original 2020 schedule, FLW suspended the Pro Circuit on March 22 in an abundance of caution surrounding the coronavirus pandemic.

2020 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Updated Schedule:

June 23-26 Lake Chickamauga Dayton, Tenn.

Hosted by Fish Dayton and the Rhea Economic & Tourism Council

July 29- Aug. 1 Mississippi River La Crosse, Wis.

Hosted by the La Crosse County Convention & Visitors Bureau

Aug. 11-14 Detroit River Trenton, Mich.

Hosted by the Detroit Sports Commission

2020 Tackle Warehouse TITLE, the FLW Pro Circuit Championship:

Aug. 24-29 St. Lawrence River Massena, N.Y.

Hosted by the Town of Massena

By its nature, the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit allows for social distancing as anglers compete in individual boats on thousands of acres of water. Fans are encouraged to watch the tournaments and daily weigh-ins online from their homes through expanded live on-the-water broadcasts rather than attend weigh-ins, in an effort to avoid crowds. FLW will livestream all four days, instead of only the final two days as previously done, and the on-the-water camera crew will also be expanded to help capture more of the action. The events will proceed with marshals unless COVID-19 mitigation guidance in the host community at the time of each event dictates otherwise.

“It’s an understatement to say that these are historic times in professional bass fishing, but that’s exactly what we’re dealing with – a situation our industry has never faced before,” said FLW Executive Vice President and General Manager Kathy Fennel. “We had no choice but to shift some of our previous host commitments to finish out the 2020 season, but we are confident that the revamped schedule will make for a very exciting conclusion to the season. We will return to Lake Hartwell, Cherokee Lake and Lake Dardanelle in the future.

The abbreviated season for both MLF and FLW enabled FLW to extend invitations to Major League Fishing’s (MLF) Pros for the three final events, which will grow the field and create “Super Tournaments.” All current Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit anglers will retain their spots on the roster, but the field size will be expanded to include any MLF pros who commit to compete in all three events.

“The major changes to the remainder of our season offered us the opportunity to create what will arguably be the most memorable bass fishing tournaments in history,” Fennel said. “FLW has extended an invitation to all MLF Pros to compete with us.

“As we discussed how FLW should emerge from the quarantine period, we realized that we could work together with MLF to give both organizations’ anglers more opportunities to earn money and represent their sponsors for the remainder of this season. We’re going to give fans an incredible show, with the best anglers in the world fishing for five-bass limits. FLW and MLF will come out of quarantine even stronger.”

As has been the case throughout the 2020 season leading up to the shelter-at-home orders that paused competitive fishing, numerous MLF pros had elected to fish other FLW tournaments. Jacob Wheeler, Jordan Lee, Marty Robinson and Michael Neal have all represented their sponsors at Toyota Series events earlier this year. The 2020 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit “Super Tournaments” will also offer the chance for fans to tune in and see major stars from MLF compete in the traditional five-bass format against FLW’s top pros. FLW has asked that MLF pros indicate their intent to fish by May 15, 2020.

Assuming a 200-boat field, the total purse in each tournament will expand from $820,000 to $1,279,000, for an increase of $1,377,000 over three events. The first-place prize will increase from $100,000 to $125,000, and FLW will pay out $10,000 through 100th place. Contingency prizes will also remain in effect, meaning qualified FLW PHOENIX BONUS pros fish for a top award of $160,000 in each tournament.

MLF pros who choose to compete in the final three Pro Circuit “Super Tournaments” will fish for prize money only. No points will be awarded toward any championship or title to MLF competitors. Only the original Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit anglers will compete for the Angler of the Year (AOY) title throughout the remainder of the season. AOY points in the final events will be awarded based on Pro Circuit anglers finishing order. The top-finishing FLW pro will receive “first-place points” regardless of where he finishes in the overall standings, and so on.

Qualification into the Tackle Warehouse TITLE, the FLW Pro Circuit Championship, is also open only to the original Pro Circuit field based on the anglers’ finishing order in the season-long, points standings. The TITLE remains a six-day, MLF-style catch-weigh-immediately-release tournament.

Major League Fishing - Bass Pro Tour/Cup Events

Major League Fishing Returns June 7 to Kissimmee Chain: 2020 Bass Pro Tour Schedule Cut Short in Wake of COVID-19

Post author By jcarrigan
Post date May 8, 2020
No Comments on Major League Fishing Returns June 7 to Kissimmee Chain: 2020 Bass Pro Tour Schedule Cut Short in Wake of COVID-19

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 8, 2020 (Tulsa, Okla.) Major League Fishing (MLF) announced today the return of the 2020 Bass Pro Tour on June 7-12 with Heavy Hitters featuring a $745,000 purse and the full field of 80 Pros. The 2020 Tour will conclude July 10-15 on Lake Champlain after five Stages. For the safety of all involved, fan events and gatherings are cancelled for the remainder of the season. This revised schedule permits MLF to deliver an additional 100+ hours of live-action sports as well as meet television production deadlines to fulfill sponsorship agreements despite the unprecedented season. On March 23^rd following three successful Stages, MLF paused the Bass Pro Tour in an abundance of caution due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“After working with state, local, and Public Health officials, we feel we can return to the water for two final tournaments in 2020,” said Boyd Duckett, MLF Co-Founder and pro angler.  “Fishing is an inherently socially distant sport and while we will miss seeing our fans face-to-face, the Bass Pro Tour can deliver the drama of live-action sports to fans, while participating responsibly in a phased approach to help restart the economy.”

Heavy Hitters presented by Venmo will take place on Lake Tohopekaliga (Toho) and the Kissimmee Chain two weeks later than originally planned, June 7-12. No longer a mid-season qualifier, the event will feature all 80 MLF Pros in a traditional six-day, Bass Pro Tour format while still featuring an untraditional $745,000 purse and full-field payout. Heavy Hitters will serve as Stage Four toward the season-long Bass Pro Tour Points Championship, awarded to the angler with the most points at the conclusion of the season.

In addition to the traditional payout schedule based on finishing order, the biggest bass caught for each Group over the two-day Qualifying Rounds (June 7-10) will pay a $25,000 big bass bonus ($50,000 total). The Knockout Round on day five (June 11), will feature a $50,000 big bass bonus, while the Championship Round (June 12) will feature a $100,000 big bass bonus, on top of the Stage Title $100,000 prize.

In response to the shortened season, MLF revised the payout schedule for Heavy Hitters presented by Venmo to include all 80 anglers: 1^st $100,000; 2^nd $40,000; 3^rd $15,000; 4^th $13,000; 5^th $12,000; 6^th $11,000; 7^th $10,000; 8^th $9,000; 9^th $8,000; 10^th$7,000; 11^th – 20^th $6,000; 21^st – 40^th $5,000; 41^st – 80^th $4,000. Each competitor is guaranteed a $4,000 check.

“As an angler-driven league, we worked with the Pros to identify a schedule that preserves as many opportunities as possible for our guys to compete and receive a paycheck during this unprecedented time,” said Jim Wilburn, MLF President and CEO.  “Our media-centric format and exceptional production team enables us to create significant exposure for our field with over 550 hours of original programming via livestream, Discovery Channel, CBS, CBS Sports, and Sportsman Channel.”

As the economy begins to reopen in Florida, Experience Kissimmee looks forward to welcoming Major League Fishing to their community.

“We are thrilled to welcome back Major League Fishing to Kissimmee for another successful event,” said Kissimmee Sports Executive Director John Poole. “While the destination is following the Florida governor’s plan to reopen in phases, we are grateful to have the opportunity to provide both live and recorded television content for viewers across the country to continue experiencing Kissimmee from home.”

The 2020 Bass Pro Tour will conclude with the Evinrude Stage Five presented by Covercraft July 10–15 on Lake Champlain hosted by Experience Vermont. The abbreviated five-stage Bass Pro Tour encompasses the race to qualify for the 2021 REDCREST Championship and win the overall 2020 points race. After the General Tire Stage Three presented by TrueTimber on Lake Fork, Ott DeFoe leads the field with 227 points, while reigning Champion Edwin Evers sits near the Elimination Line at 29^thplace with 146 points.

“I’m glad that we’re able to return to fishing at this point,” said DeFoe. “Five stages are better than three and the fisheries that we have ahead of us are outstanding fisheries that will make for great contests. Despite being only five stages, this is a very diverse schedule and we will take what we can get in what has turned into an unprecedented season.”

“I’m excited to get back to fishing,” said Evers. “It’s in our blood and for me to have the National Anthem go off and get back in the boat and compete against the best guys in this race for a REDCREST qualifier will be fantastic. Over these last few weeks, this competition has been missing in my life!”

With the remainder of the 2020 season cut short due to the worldwide pandemic, MLF continues to work with 2020 host Bass Pro Tour hosts – Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance, the Fox Cities Convention and Visitors Bureau, and the City of Ogdensburg – for future events. As announced last month, Grand Lake O’ The Cherokees will serve as the competition waters for REDCREST 2021 hosted by Tulsa Sports Commission, February 23-27, 2021 with the inaugural REDCREST Outdoor Expo February 26-28, 2021.

About the Bass Pro Tour:

The Bass Pro Tour began in 2019 and features 80 of the best professional anglers in the world, including Kevin VanDam, Edwin Evers, Aaron Martens, Mike Iaconelli, Jordan Lee, and Skeet Reese. Each stage includes six days of competition using the Major League Fishing, catch-weigh-and-immediately-release format, where every bass over a variable minimum weight, which is two pounds on Lake Eufaula for Stage One, toward a cumulative weight total for the day.  Variable minimum weights are determined by fishery akin to a golf course handicap. The field of 80 anglers is divided into two groups (Group A and B) of 40 to compete in the Qualifying Round where a two-day cumulative weight total determines the winners. The winners of Groups A and B receive automatic berths to the Championship Round and the anglers finishing in places 2-19 (38 total) advance to the Knockout Round on day five. The top eight from the Knockout Round join the winners in Groups A and B (field of 10) to compete in the Championship Round and a shot at the $100,000 top prize and Stage Title.

Each of Eight Stages of the Bass Pro Tour have the following payout schedule: 1^st $100,000; 2^nd $42,000; 3^rd $30,000; 4^th$24,000; 5^th $18,000; 6^th $16,800; 7^th $15,600; 8^th $14,400; 9^th $13,200; 10^th $12,000; 11^th – 40^th $6,000; Big Bass Daily $1,000; Big Bass Overall $1,000.

In addition to the economic impact on a host community, Major League Fishing showcases the region through their award-winning, live and linear programming. Each Stage of the Bass Pro Tour is broadcast live on the Major League Fishing app, MyOutdoorTV (MOTV), and majorleaguefishing.com, totaling more than 325 hours of original programming. Fans can follow the fast-paced nature of the MLF format as it unfolds on the live leaderboard through “SCORETRACKER® updates.” Highlights from each Stage of the 2020 Bass Pro Tour will air on Discovery Network beginning in July 2020 and Sportsman Channel in early 2021.

“MLF offers the strongest broadcast presence in the industry to fans and sponsors,” said Jim Wilburn, President and CEO of Major League Fishing. “And with these lakes planned for this coming Bass Pro Tour, we know 2020 will be our best year yet as we continue to capture a broad audience of both longtime fishing fans and those new to the sport, thanks to our fast-paced, fan-friendly format,”

Japanese Domestic Market

Where to buy JDM or Japanese Domestic Market Tackle

Post author By jcarrigan
Post date May 7, 2020
No Comments on Where to buy JDM or Japanese Domestic Market Tackle

Where to buy JDM or Japanese Domestic Market Tackle

10 years ago, this just started to become more prevalent and now it’s slightly more common. Some of the bigger names in fishing are carrying more and more JDM tackle. Plus, more professional anglers are coming to the U.S. to fish and bringing their techniques with them.

Almost 20 yrs ago when I got my first pack of JDM soft plastics, it was from eBay and that was it for me. Google didn’t do a great job a translating and it was kind of difficult to find them. Today there are a decent amount of tackle shops from big names to mom and pops tackle shops that carry JDM.

I won’t make this long and I will get right to it. What I am willing to share is where to buy in the U.S. and buying in Japan is a different story.

Tackle Warehouse

FishUSA

Monster Tackle/Outdoor Pro Shop

Cabela’s

Carolina Fishing Tackle

Japan Import Tackle

The Hook Up Tackle

This is not all of the tackle shops in the U.S. that sell JDM it’s just the ones that I personally use.

Where to buy JDM or Japanese Domestic Market Tackle In Japan

I also have an extensive list of tackle shops that I have bought from in Japan with absolutely zero issues. I can’t even begin to tell you how many hours of research and scraping of the internet that I have done, probably hundreds to find all of these. I have 10 online shops in Japan, 1 in Europe, and 1 in Australia; they are all easy to buy from and ship to the U.S. Why am I selling the list? It took time to develop and I’m going to give you something really valuable in my mind. Plus, for $10, I’m going to save you sooooo much time. This is also one way to support the back-end of keeping this website going. If you do purchase the list, it will be a digital download. That $10 will save you so much time!

JDM Digital Download List

$1.00

Add to cart

If you have any questions, please let me know.

Semper Fish!

Joe, The National Angler

Japanese Domestic Market

Japanese Domestic Market or JDM Lures

Post author By jcarrigan
Post date May 6, 2020
No Comments on Japanese Domestic Market or JDM Lures

I’m going to expand The National Angler to cover more of the Japanese Domestic Market lures and tournaments. There is so much to be learned from Japanese anglers and in some aspects, they are the leading authority when it comes to precision and pressured fishing. Our fisheries will only continue to see more pressure and the techniques coming out of Japan are innovative and groundbreaking. The detail being put into Japanese lures is also something to note, the detail and quality are second-to-none and you absolutely get what you pay for.

Why, well with all the fishing products being produced in China, I think this is one way to move away from that dependence on mass-produced Chinese lures. Helping push other companies to produce domestically and/or put an emphasis on quality only helps us. While I can’t immediately start buying 100% U.S. made fishing gear, I can stop buying less of the mass-produced Chinese lures.

SHOP – THE NATIONAL ANGLER

Let’s take the Lucky Craft Pointer for example and this lure is absolutely replicated closing by many other companies. However, when you look at the details the quality of the lure to include the terminal parts and part are so much better. Let’s face it, those jerk baits are widely popular and they work.

I’ve been intrigued by JDM lures since I bought my first pack of soft plastics off eBay almost 20 years ago. He is the thing, those worms produced and I highly doubt anyone really had the same thing. Price is an issue for a lot of people, but that just weeds out most and leaves these highly sought-after lures to a few still. I’ll be sharing and introducing everyone to more and more that the JDM has to offer so stay tuned.

Enough rambling and now its time to start sharing more JDM!!!

Next article will be where to buy!

Semper Fish!

Joe, The National Angler

Major League Fishing - Bass Pro Tour/Cup Events

Major League Fishing Announces Tulsa To Host REDCREST in February 2021: REDCREST Kicks Off the 2021 Bass Pro Tour Schedule

Post author By jcarrigan
Post date April 14, 2020
No Comments on Major League Fishing Announces Tulsa To Host REDCREST in February 2021: REDCREST Kicks Off the 2021 Bass Pro Tour Schedule

April 14, 2020 (Tulsa, Okla.)  Major League Fishing (MLF) announced that Tulsa, Oklahoma and Grand Lake O’ The Cherokees will host REDCREST 2021, the Bass Pro Tour Championship on February 23 – 27, 2021. The field of the top 30 MLF Pros, based on points accumulated during the 2020 Bass Pro Tour season, will compete for the REDCREST title and top prize of $300,000. In addition to the five-day tournament streamed live, the event will feature a consumer Outdoor Sports show in the 350,000-square-foot River Spirit Expo at Tulsa’s Expo Square February 26-28, 2021.

“We’re thrilled to bring our premiere event and the top 80 Pro anglers in the world to our hometown, Tulsa,” said Jim Wilburn, President and CEO of Major League Fishing. “Northeastern Oklahoma offers exceptional bass fishing as well as a central location for our fans from across the country to gather and celebrate the best in competitive bass fishing. We look forward to showcasing Tulsa to the world in over 60 hours of live and linear broadcasts.”

Major League Fishing partnered with VisitTulsa and the Tulsa Sports Commission, divisions of Tulsa Regional Tourism, to host REDCREST 2021.

“We are excited to announce that Tulsa was selected as the host city for REDCREST, the MLF Bass Pro Tour Championship,” said Ray Hoyt, President, Tulsa Regional Tourism. “Hosting clearly has a huge economic impact for Tulsa. Luring in thousands of fishing fans from across the U.S., Tulsa will create a significant boost to our hotels, restaurants and shops, as well as taxes that will benefit Tulsans regionally. We’re honored to partner with the great team at Major League Fishing and look forward to showing attendees and viewers alike all that Tulsa has to offer.”

MLF will stream REDCREST live over 50 hours on MLFNOW! and MyOutdoorTV. In addition, MLF produces 11 hours of original television programming to air on Discovery and CBS Network as well as over 100 hours of re-airs on Sportsman Channel and CBS Sports, which amounts to significant exposure to the host community.

REDCREST includes five days of competition using the Major League Fishing, catch-weigh-and-immediately-release format, where every bass over a variable minimum weight counts toward a cumulative weight total for the day. Variable minimum weights are determined by fishery, akin to a golf course handicap. The championship field of 30 anglers competes in the Qualifying Round (Feb. 23-24, 2021) where a two-day cumulative weight total determines the top 20 who will advance to the Knockout Rounds. In the Knockout Rounds (Feb. 25-26, 2021), the field is divided into two groups of 10 with each group fishing one day only.  The top five from each group in the Knockout Rounds compete in the Championship Round on Saturday, Feb. 27, 2021 and a shot at the $300,000 top prize and title of “REDCREST Champion.”

According to MLF rules, the REDCREST field of 30 is determined by points ranking at the end of the eight-Stage, 2020 Bass Pro Tour, which was originally scheduled February through July 2020. MLF paused the 2020 season earlier this year in response to the novel coronavirus pandemic by postponing events through April. MLF leadership is monitoring the national situation and will follow the advice of medical and Public Health officials to resume the 2020 Bass Pro Tour season as soon as safely possible.

“As our nation shelters to protect our neighbors and our families from this unprecedented situation, we find comfort knowing that we have the 2021 REDCREST to look forward to,” said MLF Co-Founder Boyd Duckett.  “Fishing is inherently a socially distancing sport and with proper precautions can be at the forefront of our nation’s economic recovery.”

“We are excited to welcome Major League Fishing to Tulsa,” commented Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum. “At a time when our tourism industry, and those around the world, are struggling, this news is a welcome reminder that our community will bounce back quickly as a visitor and event destination.”

After the first three Stages of the 2020 Bass Pro Tour, the following 10 anglers lead the REDCREST 2021 points race: Ott DeFoe(227 points); Brent Chapman (209); Andy Montgomery (204); Fletcher Shryock (200); Michael Neal (198); Jacob Powroznik (198); Jacob Wheeler (196); Jeff Sprague (196); Jordan Lee (196); Alton Jones, Jr. (185). Kevin VanDam, the winningest angler in competitive bass fishing history, currently sits in 18^th place with 166 points while reigning REDCREST Champion and Northeastern Oklahoma resident Edwin Evers sits at 29^th place. With a $700,000 total purse on the line, MLF pros strive to earn an appearance in the Bass Pro Tour Championship.

“I’m really excited for our biggest event to be in Tulsa and on Grand Lake, where I personally have had a lot of success,” said VanDam. “And when it’s all said and done, one of us will walk away with a check for $300,000 and the prestige and notoriety that goes along with the title ‘REDCREST Champion’.”

“REDCREST is our biggest event of the year and we all work hard all year long to put as many fish on the SCORETRACKER® as possible to make it to the Bass Pro Tour Championship,” said Evers. “Northeastern Oklahoma has a huge community of competitive bass fishing fans and I have no doubt they will all come out of the woodwork to support us!”

REDCREST 2021 will launch from Wolf Creek Park and Boating Facility on Grand Lake in Grove, Oklahoma.

“The City of Grove is very excited to be chosen as the launching site for a tournament as prestigious as the 2021 REDCREST Championship,” said Mayor Ed Trumbull. “We will be looking forward to having the best anglers in the world utilizing Wolf Creek Park and fishing on Grand Lake O’ The Cherokees.”

In addition to the competition, REDCREST 2021 will feature an outdoor sports consumer expo at Tulsa’s Expo Square February 26-28, 2021. The three-day, family-friendly celebration will feature meet-n-greets and seminars from MLF pros and other celebrity guests, entertainment, as well as the latest in outdoor gear with the top fishing, hunting, boating, and consumer brands showcasing new products and offers.

“Expo Square is enthused to be selected as the host venue for Major League Fishing’s Bass Pro Tour Championship, REDCREST in February 2021,” said Mark Andrus, Expo Square President and CEO. “We strive to provide excellent customer service, throughout our clean and family-friendly facilities. Our teams are ready to build a partnership with Major League Fishing and look forward to developing an impactful event to the sport.”

The full lineup of exhibitors and schedule of events will be announced later this year. Fans, sponsors, and exhibitors alike welcome the fact that Major League Fishing has built its competition format to enable 50+ pros to be on-site, meeting fans each day of the expo. The festivities will culminate into Sunday’s celebration – a first for competitive bass fishing – when the full field of 30 REDCREST competitors, including the newly crowned Champion, will be in attendance. All activities, including interaction with the MLF pros, are free and open to the public.

REDCREST kicks off the Major League Fishing 2021 Bass Pro Tour schedule. As always, Bass Pro Tour events will be streamed live on MLFNOW! to fans around the world:

2021 REDCREST, February 23-28, 2021
2021 Bass Pro Tour Stage One, March 19-24, 2021
2021 Bass Pro Tour Stage Two, April 9-14, 2021
2021 Bass Pro Tour Stage Three, April 23-28, 2021
2021 Bass Pro Tour Stage Four, May 14-19, 2021
2021 Bass Pro Tour Stage Five, June 25-30, 2021
2021 Bass Pro Tour Stage Six, July 9-14, 2021
2021 Bass Pro Tour Stage Seven, August 6-11, 2021
2021 Bass Pro Tour Stage Eight, September 10-15, 2021

“Since announcing the Bass Pro Tour in 2018, our team has worked diligently to build the most robust schedule possible while giving our anglers holidays at home with their families as they desire,” said Don Rucks, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Major League Fishing. “The 2021 tournament schedule demonstrates our commitment as a League to bringing the best in competitive bass fishing to our fans, sponsors, and host communities.”

About Major League Fishing
Founded in 2011, Major League Fishing (MLF) brings the high-intensity sport of competitive bass fishing into America’s living rooms on Outdoor Channel, Discovery, CBS, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network, Sportsman Channel, and on-demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). The Bass Pro Tour consists of eight events and a championship streamed live on www.MajorLeagueFishing.com and MOTV.

In late 2019 MLF acquired FLW, which expands their portfolio to include the world’s largest grassroots fishing organization, including the strongest five-fish format professional bass fishing tour, the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit, as well as the Toyota Series, Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine, and Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI, and High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing.

Major League Fishing - Bass Pro Tour/Cup Events Uncategorized

MLF Postpones Stage Four of the Bass Pro Tour in an Abundance of Caution

Post author By jcarrigan
Post date March 23, 2020
No Comments on MLF Postpones Stage Four of the Bass Pro Tour in an Abundance of Caution

March 23, 2020 (Tulsa, Okla.) Major League Fishing (MLF) announced the league will postpone the next stop on the Bass Pro Tour originally scheduled for April 3-8, 2020 in Raleigh, North Carolina in an abundance of caution surrounding the novel coronavirus. The League will monitor the situation and follow the advice of medical and Public Health officials to reschedule as quickly as possible.

“The safety and health of our anglers, volunteers, staff, and host community are our primary concern,” said Jim Wilburn, Major League Fishing President and CEO. “While our format inherently allows for social distancing and other recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control to minimize the spread of COVID-19, we feel it’s in the best interest of all involved to pause our 2020 season.”

The Berkley Stage Four presented by Covercraft was originally scheduled to take place on Jordan Lake, Falls Lake, and Shearon Harris Reservoir hosted by the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance.

“We understand the decision by MLF to postpone the event,” commented Tori Collins, Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance Director. “These proactive measures are tough decisions but in the best interest for all involved. The Greater Raleigh area looks forward to welcoming the MLF Pros and staff back to North Carolina and showcasing our region’s beautiful lakes in the future.”

Major League Fishing will continue to assess the impact of COVID-19 and take the advice and mandates set forth by local, state, and national medical and Public Health officials to address the potential impact on future events and potential dates for rescheduling Stage Four.
MLF strongly encourages everyone to follow the recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) on everyday prevention of viral infection, which include:

Clean your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
Avoid close contact with sick persons
Practice social distancing among your community
Stay home if you’re sick
Cover the nose and mouth when sneezing or coughing
Routinely clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces and objects
Consult a healthcare provider as needed
For more information about the novel coronavirus, visit cdc.gov.

MLF fans can tune into the Outdoor Channel and Sportsman Channel to see original airings of the MLF Cup events including the Premiere of the 2020 Patriot Cup on Saturday, April 4, 2020. MLF Cup events feature 30 Pros from the Bass Pro Tour filmed exclusively to premiere on Outdoor Channel. 2020 MLF Cup events were filmed in late 2019. For a complete listing of the MLF television schedule, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com/tv-schedule.