Categories
MLF BIG-5

Arkansas’s Ray Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Tournament on Lake Hamilton

Conway’s Allen Wins Co-angler Division

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. (March 2, 2020) – Boater Josh Ray of Alexander, Arkansas, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday totaling 18 pounds, 14 ounces to win the 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine event at Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas. For his victory, Ray earned a total of $12,350, including the lucrative $7,000 FLW PHOENIX Bonus contingency award.

“It feels good to win, and to win in a Phoenix boat makes it that much sweeter,” said Ray, who earned his second career win in Bass Fishing League competition. “I caught them all over the lake today – three on an Alabama rig and two on a brown football-head jig. I just got lucky and had six or seven good bites.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:

            1st:       Josh Ray of Alexander, Ark., five bass, 18-14, $12,350

            2nd:      Quincy Houchin of Mabelvale, Ark., five bass, 16-5, $2,175

            3rd:       Brian Bean of Hot Springs, Ark., five bass, 13-15, $1,651

            4th:       Chris Darby of Hot Springs, Ark., five bass, 13-10, $1,015

            5th:       John Carroll of Cabot, Ark., five bass, 13-4, $1,585

            6th:       Travis Mosley of Benton, Ark., five bass, 12-15, $798

            7th:       Mark Hensiek of England, Ark., five bass, 12-12, $725

            8th:       Russell Richmond of Sheridan, Ark., five bass, 12-11, $653

            9th:       Dustin Huggins of Russellville, Ark., five bass, 12-4, $580

            10th:     Steve Howard of Conway, Ark., five bass, 12-3, $508

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Carroll brought a 6-pound, 9-ounce bass to the scale to win the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $615.

Ray was the highest-finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member and took home an extra $7,000. 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.

Jared Allen of Conway, Arkansas, won the Co-angler Division and $2,175 Saturday after catching four bass weighing 10 pounds, 10 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:

            1st:       Jared Allen of Conway, Ark., four bass, 10-10, $2,175

            2nd:      Steve Duggan of Pearcy, Ark., five bass, 9-12, $1,088

            3rd:       Jody Jones of Harvey, Ark., five bass, 9-8, $726

            4th:       Chris Cusick of Hot Springs, Ark., four bass, 9-4, $507

            5th:       Kanon Harmon of Benton, Ark., four bass, 7-14, $435

            6th:       Justin Wagner of Mena, Ark., four bass, 7-10, $399

            7th:       Glenn Russell of Sherwood, Ark., four bass, 7-6, $363

            8th:       Luke Hendrixson of Conway, Ark., three bass, 6-11, $326

            9th:       Terry Dugger of Little Rock, Ark., three bass, 5-8, $290

            10th:     Robert Bogard Jr. of Conway, Ark., three bass, 5-7, $241

            10th:     Jordan Pirraglia of Booneville, Ark., three bass, 5-7, $241

Joshua Elmore of Hot Springs caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, weighing in at 4 pounds, 13 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $307.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on Lake Hamilton was the first of five qualifying events in the Arkie Division.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the Arkie Division 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 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 April 30 through May 2 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.

Categories
MLF BIG-5

Louisiana’s Jeane Jr. Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Toledo Bend

Trout’s Pearson Wins Co-angler Division

ZWOLLE, La. (March 2, 2020) – Boater George Jeane Jr. of Evans, Louisiana, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 24 pounds, 2 ounces to win the 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine event at Toledo Bend Reservoir in Zwolle, Louisiana. For his victory, Jeane earned a total of $5,911.

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

“I was in the mid-lake area, fishing ditches and drains with standing timber in it,” said Jeane, who pushed his career earnings to more than $310,000 in FLW competition. “I started off catching them on a sexy blueback herring-colored (Strike King) 10XD, than I went to a P.J.’s jig and a Carolina-rigged 6-inch lizard.

“The key was definitely the 6-pound, 14-ounce kicker that I caught later in the day,” Jeane went on to say. “It’s been awhile since I won one of these. I’ve had a Tour-level win, a Series win, and now this is my second BFL win. It feels good.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:

            1st:       George Jeane Jr. of Evans, La., five bass, 24-2, $5,911

            2nd:      Dwight Abshire of Santa Fe, Texas, five bass, 19-6, $2,561

            3rd:       Bart Stanisz of Brookeland, Texas, five bass, 17-8, $1,705

            4th:       John LaFitte of Keithville, La., five bass, 17-0, $1,195

            5th:       Josh Champagne of Breaux Bridge, La., five bass, 16-9, $1.024

            6th:       Leon Stone of Carthage, Texas, five bass, 16-5, $939

            7th:       Scotty Villines of Ponca, Ark., five bass, 15-9, $854

            8th:       Daniel Blanton of Huntington, Texas, five bass, 15-6, $725

            8th:       Jim Dillard of West Monroe, La., five bass, 15-6, $725

            10th:     Kyle Dragulski of Lufkin, Texas, five bass, 15-5, $598

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Jeane’s 6-pound, 14-ounce kicker was also the largest bass weighed on the day and earned him the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $790.

Dicky Newberry of Houston, Texas, 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.

Travis Pearson of Trout, Louisiana, won the Co-angler Division and $2,561 Saturday after catching a five-bass limit weighing 12 pounds, 13 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:

            1st:       Travis Pearson of Trout, La., five bass, 12-13, $2,561

            2nd:      Grayson Honeycutt of Temple, Texas, five bass, 12-7, $1,280

            3rd:       Loren Rives of Austin, Texas, four bass, 12-2, $854

            4th:       Brandt Dillon of Houston, Texas, four bass, 11-12, $598

            5th:       Randy Hitt of Belton, Texas, four bass, 10-12, $512

            6th:       Ken Ford of Benton, Ark., five bass, 10-10, $469

            7th:       Jordan Ebarb of Stonewall, La., five bass, 10-7, $427

            7th:       Cody Laird of Goodrich, Texas, five bass, 10-3, $384

            9th:       Ron Aulds of Choudrant, La., five bass, 10-2, $341

            9th:       Bradley Mock of Ragley, La., five bass, 10-1, $299

Don Johnson of Lufkin, Texas caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 6 pounds, 3 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $395.

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 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 April 30 through May 2 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.

Categories
MLF BIG-5

North Carolina’s Morgan Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Tournament on Lake Norman

Monroe’s Phillips Wins Co-angler Division

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (March 2, 2020) – Boater Brian Morgan of Sherrills Ford, North Carolina, brought five bass to the scale Saturday totaling 18 pounds, 13 ounces to win the 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine event at Lake Norman in Mooresville, North Carolina. For his victory, Morgan earned a total of $5,014.

“The key to my victory was cranking all day,” said Morgan, who earned his first career victory in FLW competition. “I told my co-angler that I was not going to put the crankbait down and we ran all over the lake. I kept the crankbait in my hand all day.”

Morgan remained tight-lipped about his specific color and presentation but mentioned that his lure of choice was a Lucky Craft crankbait.

“I was fishing stained water on the south end of the lake,” Morgan went on to say. “It feels awesome to get this win. I’ve had a chance to win many of them, and then I end up blowing it. To win this one feels great – it’s been a long time coming.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:

            1st:       Brian Morgan of Sherrills Ford, N.C., five bass, 18-13, $5,014

            2nd:      Cole Blythe of Stanley, N.C., five bass, 17-14, $2,507

            3rd:       Stephen Cannon of Wilkesboro, N.C., five bass, 17-8, $1,670

            4th:       Derik Hudson of Concord, Va., five bass, 17-0, $1,370

            5th:       Roger Pope of Statesville, N.C., five bass, 16-11, $1,103

            6th:       David Cooke of Mooresville, N.C., five bass, 16-7, $877

            6th:       Scott Hamrick of Denver, N.C., five bass, 16-7, $877

            8th:       Kelly Logan of Morganton, N.C., five bass, 16-3, $752

            9th:       Robert Walser of Lexington, N.C., five bass, 15-14, $1,433

            10th:     Michael Stephens of Gastonia, N.C., five bass, 15-12, $585

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Walser brought a 7-pound, 2-ounce bass to the scale to win the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $765.

Adam Waters of Denver, North Carolina 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.

Artie Phillips of Monroe, North Carolina, won the Co-angler Division and $2,507 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 15 pounds, 5 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:

            1st:       Artie Phillips of Monroe, N.C., five bass, 15-5, $2,507

            2nd:      David Deciucis of Chester, Va., five bass, 13-2, $1,253

            3rd:       Nathan Grose of Summersville, W. Va., five bass, 12-15, $837

            4th:       Colby Schuping of North Wilkesboro, N.C., five bass, 12-11, $585

            5th:       Mathew Baker of Asheboro, N.C., five bass, 11-10, $501

            6th:       Quin Motley of Sherrills Ford, N.C., five bass, 11-6, $439

            7th:       Stuart Hicks of Statesville, N.C., five bass, 11-6, $439

            8th:       Josh Neal of Lincolnton, N.C., five bass, 10-11, $376

            9th:       Charles Wood of Thomasville, N.C., four bass, 10-4, $334

            10th:     Jesse Jodon of Windber, Pa., three bass, 9-10, $674

Jodon caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, weighing in at 5 pounds, 5 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $382.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on Lake Norman was hosted by the Mooresville Convention & Visitors Bureau and was the first of five qualifying events in the North Carolina Division.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the North Carolina Division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 8-10 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on the James River in Richmond, Virginia, hosted by Visit Richmond. 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.

Categories
MLF BIG-5

Arkansas’ Blevins Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Table Rock Lake

Kansas City’s Ladehoff Wins Co-angler Division

KIMBERLING CITY, Mo. (March 2, 2020) – Boater Dustin Blevins of Harrison, Arkansas, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 19 pounds, 5 ounces to win the 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine event at Table Rock Lake in Kimberling City, Missouri. For his victory, Blevins earned a total of $7,000.

The tournament was the first of five events in the Ozark Division presented by Tournament Anglers Group.

“I caught all of my fish today on an Alabama rig and a Strike King Coffee Tube,” said Blevins, who earned the first win of his FLW career. “I weighed in two black bass on the A-rig and three smallmouth on the tube.”

Blevins said his tube of choice was a green pumpkin-melon-colored 3½ inch Strike King Coffee Tube, and he used sexy shad-colored Keitech 3.3 swimbaits on his Alabama rig.

“I was fishing a 15- to 20-minute run from takeoff – near Shell Knob – running windy gravel points, fishing in 25 to 30 foot of water. The smallmouth were in 15 feet,” Blevins said.

“I’ve been so close to winning before,” Blevins went on to say. “I’ve finished second and had a couple of third place finishes, so it feels good to finally get one.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:

            1st:       Dustin Blevins of Harrison, Ark., five bass, 19-5, $7,000

            2nd:      Shawn Kowal of Linn Creek, Mo., five bass, 18-15, $4,000

            3rd:       Dustin Lippe of Lampe, Mo., five bass, 18-6, $2,500

            4th:       Ben Verhoef of Osage Beach, Mo., five bass, 18-0, $1,400

            5th:       Roger Fitzpatrick of Eldon, Mo., five bass, 17-11, $1,200

            6th:       Mike Gold of Billings, Mont., five bass, 17-7, $1,100

            7th:       Rick Johnston of Webb City, Mo., five bass, 17-4, $1,000

            8th:       Tyler Stewart of Mount Vernon, Mo., five bass, 16-15, $850

            9th:       Brock Reinkemeyer of Lone Jack, Mo., five bass, 16-15, $850

            10th:     Adam Boehle of Warrenton, Mo., five bass, 16-13, $700

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Kowal brought a 7-pound, 1-ounce bass to the scale to win the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $1,000.

Lippe 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.

Troy Ladehoff of Kansas City, Missouri, won the Co-angler Division and $3,000 Saturday after catching a five-bass limit weighing 18 pounds, 14 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:

            1st:       Troy Ladehoff of Kansas City, Mo., five bass, 18-14, $3,000

            2nd:      Alan Bernicky of Joliet, Ill., five bass, 15-5, $1,650

            3rd:       Zach Wilson of Kansas City, Kan., four bass, 13-2, $1,000

            4th:       Christian Singer of Bunceton, Mo., four bass, 12-15, $1,200

            5th:       Rob Melendez of Bourbonnais, Ill., five bass, 12-4, $600

            6th:       Dennis Kube of Arnold, Mo., five bass, 11-5, $550

            7th:       Joseph Lay of Gardner, Kan., five bass, 11-1, $500

            7th:       Zachery Hanzlik of Basehor, Kan., four bass, 10-12, $450

            9th:       Jacob Wade of Mountain Grove, Mo., five bass, 10-8, $400

            9th:       Chris Gebhardt of Columbia, Mo., four bass, 10-7, $350

Singer caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 5 pounds, 15 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $500.

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

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

Categories
Major League Fishing - Bass Pro Tour/Cup Events

Powroznik Makes a Period 3 Power Play to Win: Final Day of Favorite Fishing Stage Two presented by Bass Cat Brings the Action

February 26, 2020 (Okeechobee, Fla.) Jacob Powroznik rose to the top of the leaderboard by catching half his day’s fish in the final Period to win. The Virginia-native tallied 49 pounds, 11 ounces to beat his closest competitor by 11 pounds, six ounces and win $100,000. With sunny skies and a third day of warming air temperature, Lake Okeechobee emerged into an exciting, action-packed playing field for the final day of the Bass Pro Tour Favorite Fishing Stage Two presented by Bass Cat. Jacob Wheeler led for a time midday after catching 10 of his 12 fish before noon but fell short of back-to-back Bass Pro Tour Titles. The Bass Pro Tour continues March 13-18 on Lake Fork near Emory Texas.

Powroznik opened his day with a four-pound, one-ounce largemouth within the first forty minutes of competition. He continued a steady catch each period with enough weight to keep him in the hunt for the Title. Ultimately, he found late-day success catching 23 pounds, nine ounces in the final period of the day to win with 15 bass for 49 pounds, 11 ounces. 

“Words just can’t describe it,” said Powroznik moments after returning to shore. “You put yourself in a position and if it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be. For a period of 15 minutes in the third period I think I caught about 15 pounds and that’s momentum; momentum drives us and that’s what this sport’s all about.” 

Like Powroznik, Michael Neal found a productive area and worked it for all he could. SCORETRACKER® looked as if the two were playing “strike, counter-strike” all day long. The 29-year-old Tennessean recorded his first bass, weighing in at six pounds, one ounce, at the exact same time as Powroznik. Neal had a more productive first period than Powroznik but ultimately lost the lead with only three catches in the Period 3 for a total of 38 pounds, five ounces on the day. 

Midday it appeared that Jacob Wheeler might be on his way to back-to-back Bass Pro Tour Titles after catching nine of 12 fish for the day in the first period. With only one catch each in Periods 2 and 3 respectively, Wheeler fell to third place with 34 pounds, six ounces. 

“I gave it all that I had,” he said as time ran. “I was focusing on really shallow pockets where the fish were pulling up to spawn. The water had to be shallow enough that it wouldn’t even register a depth on my electronics, the shallower, the better.”

Jeff Sprague caught the Berkley Big Bass of the day at six pounds, 12 ounces. Jacob Powroznik had the most fish on SCORETRACKER® with 15, as well as earning the Phoenix First award with a total weight of 49-11. 

The Favorite Fishing Stage Two presented by Bass Cat Championship Round, hosted by Okeechobee County Tourism Development Board, finished as follows:

PlaceAnglerTotal WeightTotal BassLargest BassWinnings
1Jacob Powroznik 49-11155-05$100,000
2Michael Neal38-05146-01$42,000
3Jacob Wheeler34-06126-00$30,000
4Randall Tharp32-06113-15$24,000
5Jeff Sprague31-0686-12$18,000
6Fletcher Shryock31-00115-07$16,800
7Jordan Lee15-1536-00$15,600
8Takahiro Omori9-1243-00$14,400
9Zack Birge6-0623-04$13,200
10James Elam4-0622-05$12,000

For complete results from the entire week, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com, Bass Pro Tour, Results.

The Bass Pro Tour continues March 13-18, 2020, with General Tire Stage Three presented by TrueTimber on Lake Fork (Texas).  Each day begins with launch 7:15 a.m. local time before lines-in at 8:00 a.m. Period 1 ends at 10:30 a.m. Period 2 spans 10:45 a.m. until 1:15 p.m. Period 3 begins at 1:30 p.m. and lasts until day’s end at 4:00 p.m. The General Tire Takeout show airs approximately 4:15 – 5:15 p.m. as anglers return to the ramp and interact with fans.

Categories
Major League Fishing - Bass Pro Tour/Cup Events

Wheeler Wins the Knockout Round: Wednesday’s Championship Round Set

February 25, 2020 (Okeechobee, Fla.) Jacob Wheeler won the Knockout Round in the Bass Pro Tour Favorite Fishing Stage Two presented by Bass Cat. Zack Birge took second with only a two-pound-five-ounce deficit. SCORETRACKER® moved today on Lake Okeechobee with more than 190 bass caught as compared to 71-110 on the previous four days of competition. Five anglers tied for catching the most scorable bass at 10 caught each. Alton Jones landed the Berkley Big Bass of the Day with an eight-pound, three-ounce largemouth late in Period 3. The Championship Round begins tomorrow at 8:00 a.m. ET as 10 Pros compete for the $100,000 prize and Stage Two title. 

Academy Sports Pro Jacob Wheeler will enter his second Championship Round in as many Stages on the 2020 Bass Pro Tour. He steadily caught fish all day long but his burst of six fish in Period 2 ended with a four-pound, 13-ounce largemouth that placed him comfortably at the front of the pack. Wheeler then used Period 3 to look for additional areas rather than running up a larger lead. 

“It’s going to take a lot of weight to win tomorrow,” Wheeler predicted. “The big ones are starting to move up and it’s going to be fun. The ‘Big O’ saved the best for last.” 

At the end of the day, Wheeler scored 35 pounds, one ounce to win the Knockout Round only two pounds, five ounces ahead of Favorite Fishing Pro Zack Birge. After catching no fish on his first day of the Qualifying Round, Birge surged on Sunday to catch 27 pounds, three ounces to advance to today’s Knockout Round. Today he bettered himself with 32 pounds, 12 ounces and a second-place finish to advance to tomorrow’s Championship Round. 

“I had a good day,” Birge said, adding that his success helps ease the pain of coming up just short at Lake Eufaula where he missed the Knockout Round by one place. “I cleared my mind and went fishing with one rod on my deck all day long.” 

Birge, Wheeler, Jeff Sprague, Michael Neal, and Stephen Browning all caught 10 scorable bass today. All but Browning will advance to the Championship Round, whose last-minute catch of three pounds, two ounces still left him one pound, five ounces behind Fletcher Shyrock. 

The top eight of the Knockout Round, who will join Qualifying Round Group A winner Takahiro Omori and Qualifying Round Group B winner Jordan Lee in Wednesday’s Championship are as follows:

PlaceAnglerTotal WeightTotal BassLargest Bass
1Jacob Wheeler35-01105-15
2Zack Birge32-12105-10
3Jeff Sprague31-08105-04
4Randall Tharp30-0585-06
5Michael Neal29-11104-09
6Jacob Powroznik29-0595-12
7James Elam27-1497-05
8Fletcher Shyrock27-1176-05

For complete results, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com, Bass Pro Tour, Results.

The competition concludes Wednesday with the Championship Round where ten anglers compete for the Favorite Fishing Stage Two presented by Bass Cat Title. The weather forecast suggests thunderstorms may hinder the competition in the morning. Bass Pro Tour Tournament Director Aaron Beshears will consider safety over competition every time. 

“We continuously monitor weather on the entire body of water to determine the safest situation for the anglers and MLF staff,” said Beshears. “With a lake the size of Okeechobee, we will be especially cautious for all involved.” 

Pending no weather delays, the day begins with launch at C. Scott Driver Park, Okeechobee, Fla. 7:15 a.m. EST before lines-in at 8:00 a.m. Period 1 ends at 10:30 a.m. Period 2 spans 10:45 a.m. until 1:15 p.m. Period 3 begins at 1:30 p.m. and lasts until day’s end at 4:00 p.m. The General Tire Takeout show airs approximately 4:15 – 5:15 p.m. as anglers return to the ramp.

Categories
Major League Fishing - Bass Pro Tour/Cup Events

Jordan Lee Leaps from Last to First, Advances Directly to the Championship Round: 38-Angler Field Set for Tuesday’s Knockout Round

February 24, 2020 (Okeechobee, Fla.) Jordan Lee won the Group B Qualifying Round of the Favorite Fishing Stage Two presented by Bass Cat with a one-day total of 36 pounds, 10 ounces. The 29-year-old steadily climbed SCORETRACKER®, passing Dean Rojas, who began Monday with the lead after catching 20 pounds, five ounces on Saturday. Lee earns a day off on Tuesday to advance directly to the Championship Round. Two other anglers who began their second day at zero pounds – Stephen Browning and Jeff Sprague – will join Rojas and 35 others to determine the final eight who will compete against Lee and Takahiro Omori, the winner of Group A Qualifying Round on Sunday, on Wednesday for a chance to win $100,000.

Lee said that he began the day with nothing to lose. After a scoreless Saturday, Lee opened his day with three, four-plus-pound largemouth bass in the first Period for a total weight of 13 pounds, five ounces. Lee retained his lead through a scoreless third Period after a catching one weighing six pounds, seven ounces late in Period Two. 

“Today is a day for the history books; it was special,” said Lee as he returned to the ramp for the General Tire Takeout show on MLFNOW! “I went to a place I hadn’t fished since college; I had to work for them, but it was just the right move.”

When asked if his scoreless first day impacted his outlook going into today, Lee shared that he had hope starting today and decided to listen to his instincts, a strategy that also paid off for him in Eufaula at Stage One of the Bass Pro Tour earlier this month.

“Last night I was thinking about how I had gone with my gut already this season and it paid off big,” said Lee. “So, I went someplace today that I hadn’t been in a long time again and it worked. I could tell halfway through the day I had something special.” 

Dean Rojas made the most of difficult lake conditions on Saturday to begin today with a two-pound lead over Britt Myers. Despite best efforts, Rojas caught only three scoreable bass weighing in collectively at seven pounds even to finish second, just missing the automatic berth to the Championship.

“I tried my hardest; I just never had a big bite,” reflected Rojas. “I’m going to think about my game plan and will have to make an adjustment. I missed an opportunity to qualify for the Championship Round, but I plan to change areas for tomorrow and see what I can make happen.” 

Stephen Browning made a run in Period 3 catching six scoreable bass in only 38 minutes. These, plus the one he caught midway through today’s second Period, gave him a two-day total of 18 pounds, two ounces after catching no scoreable bass on Day one of the Qualifying Round. Enough to secure 12th place, Browning advances to the Knockout Round.

“The area I fished on Saturday suffered a major temperature change in only two feet of water,” said Browning. “Then late in the third Period, I hit a flurry – a fisherman’s dream.” 

Much of the day’s drama unfolded on the elimination line as anglers battled for their place in Tuesday’s Knockout Round. Chris Lane snuck into 17th place with two, two-pound bass within the last 30 minutes of the day. With only five minutes left in the day, Alton Jones caught a three-pound, two-ounce bass, which moved him to 18th place and knocked Boyd Duckett out of the Knockout Round into 21st place. 

The Top Ten of the Qualifying Round, Group B finished day two as follows:

SHOP – THE NATIONAL ANGLER

PlaceAnglerTotal 2-Day Weight Day Two Weight TotalBiggest Bass
1Jordan Lee32-1032-106-07
2Dean Rojas27-087-033-13
3Josh Bertrand25-0716-106-03
4Jacob Powroznik24-1113-063-11
5Scott Suggs22-1516-046-11
6Anthony Gagliardi20-047-126-09
7Jeff Sprague20-0320-033-07
8Andy Montgomery19-132-116-06
9Todd Faircloth19-0515-055-07
10Britt Myers18-040-005-12

For complete results, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com, Bass Pro Tour, Results.

Scott Suggs caught the Berkley Big Bass of the Day weighing in at six pounds, 11 ounces. Suggs finished 5th overall and will advance into the Knockout Round with a strong showing toward his Heavy Hitters qualifying weight. MLF Heavy Hitters presented by Venmo brings together the 30 anglers with the heaviest “virtual bags” after five Stages of the Bass Pro Tour. Anglers will compete for over $750,000 in prizes including a Berkley Big Bass payout ranging from $25,000 to $100,000 per day. Heavy Hitters takes place on the Kissimmee Chain (Fla.) May 16-20, 2020. 


Today’s event concluded the Qualifying Round of the Favorite Fishing Stage Two presented by Bass Cat. Two anglers advanced directly into the Championship Round on Wednesday: Takahiro Omori, winner of Group A and Jordan Lee, winner of Group B. The remaining eight spots in the Championship Round will be determined in Tuesday’s Knockout Round, in which the anglers who finished in places 2-20 on their respective days will compete in a field of 38 for the top eight spots. 

The 38 anglers competing in the Knockout Round include: Wesley Strader
Zack Birge
Ott DeFoe
Cody Meyer
Michael Neal 
Mike McClelland
Ish Monroe
Shaw Grigsby
Dustin Connell
Dave Lefebre
Jacob Wheeler
David Dudley
Randall Tharp
Jason Lambert
Adrian Avena
Fred Roumbanis
Kevin VanDam
Fletcher Shyrock
Gerald Spohrer
Dean Rojas
Josh Bertrand
Jacob Powroznik
Scott Suggs
Anthony Gagliardi
Jeff Sprague
Andy Montgomery
Todd Faircloth
Britt Myers
Greg Hackney
Stephen Browning
Mark Rose
Brent Chapman
Cliff Pace
Andy Morgan
Chris Lane
James Elam
Alton Jones
Mark Daniels Jr.

Tuesday’s Knockout Round begins on Lake Okeechobee (Eastern Standard Time) with launch 7-7:30 a.m. before lines-in at 8:00 a.m. Period 1 ends at 10:30 a.m. Period 2 spans 10:45 a.m. until 1:15 p.m. Period 3 begins at 1:30 p.m. and lasts until day’s end at 4:00 p.m. The General Tire Takeout show airs approximately 4:15 – 5:15 p.m. as anglers return to the ramp.

Categories
Major League Fishing - Bass Pro Tour/Cup Events

Takahiro Omori Climbs Leaderboard to Win and Advance to the Championship Round: Zack Birge Surges 31 Places after a Scoreless First Day

February 23, 2020 (Okeechobee, Fla.) The Bass Pro Tour continued on Lake Okeechobee Sunday for the third day of the Favorite Fishing Stage Two presented by Bass Cat. Anglers in Group A found some relief with less wind and warmer temperatures when compared to Friday’s start to the Qualifying Round. Takahiro Omori rose seven places to win the Qualifying Round for Group A securing an automatic berth in the Championship Round. Wesley Strader doubled his Friday catch to secure second place with a two-day total of 28 pounds even. Zach Birge rose 31 places after a scoreless first day by catching 27 pounds, three ounces today. Group B, currently led by Dean Rojas with 20 pounds, five ounces, will return to the water on Monday to determine the remaining 20 anglers to advance.

Ranger Boats Pro Omori opened his day with an eight-pound-four-ounce bass in the second half of the first period. He then sealed his first-place position throughout the day with a steady pace of two-pound catches. By winning “Group A” of the Qualifying Round with a two-day total of 33 pounds, nine ounces, Omori skips the Knockout Round and advances directly to Wednesday’s Championship Round. This guarantees him a minimum payout of $12,000.

Tennessee-resident Strader moved from 14th place on Friday to 2nd place today. He caught six of seven before noon and said he found a rhythm that didn’t necessarily align with his original plan. 

“Today was about having an open mind,” said Strader. “I had to go into today doing things that are not usual to Florida fishing but rather getting back to how I like to fish. I found an area that wasn’t exactly my original plan, but I stayed and figured a few more things out.” 

Zack Birge credits fellow MLF Pro Mike Iaconelli with inspiring him to go into today with a winning attitude despite a scoreless first day on Friday. Iaconelli ended his first day of the 2020 Bass Pro Tour without a catch and then surged forward in day two of the B&W Hitches Stage One presented by Power-Pole Qualifying Round with a one-day total of 23 pounds, three ounces to make the Knockout Round. 

“You’re never out of it in this game,” said Birge. “I thought about how Ike caught nothing on the first day in Eufaula and then came back with a ‘big bag’ on the second day. I got a little momentum this morning and then (Ike’s success) kept me motivated.” 

After finishing 78th out of 80 anglers in 2019 – the first season with the Bass Pro Tour, Mike McClelland continued his 2020 renaissance today by earning a second top-twenty finish. He caught 19 pounds, three ounces Sunday – the third highest weight of the day behind Strader and Omori. McClelland finished seventh overall with a two-day total of 25 pounds, two ounces. One of the first anglers to join MLF, McClelland expressed his enthusiasm for both the MLF format and the variable minimum weight rule change in 2020 as energizing to him as well as the sport of competitive bass fishing. 

“This is the most stressful, intense, and exciting format I’ve ever fished,” said McClelland. “When we started MLF where every fish counts and no limits, we raised the bar for competitive fishing and now with a two-pound minimum on Lake Okeechobee our fans get to see the best pros in the world compete at the highest level in the history of bass fishing.” 

Pennsylvania native Dave Lefebre landed today’s big bass weighing in at nine pounds. He ended the day in 11th place and will advance to Tuesday’s Knockout Round. This catch will also improve his position to qualify for Heavy Hitters when added with the four-pound-nine-ounce bass from Stage One in Eufaula. MLF Heavy Hitters presented by Venmo brings together the 30 anglers with the heaviest “virtual bags” after five Stages of the Bass Pro Tour. Anglers will compete for over $750,000 in prizes including a Berkley Big Bass payout ranging from $25,000 to $100,000 per day. Heavy Hitters takes place on the Kissimmee Chain (Fla.) May 16-20, 2020.

The Top Ten of the Qualifying Round, Group A finished day two as follows:

SHOP – THE NATIONAL ANGLER

PlaceAnglerTotal 2-Day Weight Day Two Weight TotalLargest Fish over Qualifying Round
1Takahiro Omori33-0919-138-04
2Wesley Strader28-0018-113-09
3Zack Birge27-0327-035-13
4Ott DeFoe25-135-095-07
5Cody Meyer25-134-146-03
6Michael Neal25-090-004-09
7Mike McClelland25-0219-033-11
8Ish Monroe23-0218-153-01
9Shaw Grigsby23-0015-134-10
10Dustin Connell23-0010-113-03

For complete results, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com, Bass Pro Tour, Results.
    Group B will return to the water Monday morning for their second day of the Qualifying Round. Take-off begins at C. Scott Driver Park in Okeechobee, Fla. at 7-7:30 a.m. ET with lines-in at 8:00 a.m. ET. Forecasts indicate the weather will continue to improve after the group’s dismal first day on Saturday when high winds and rough conditions resulted in nine anglers ending Day One scoreless.

Tuesday’s Knockout Round begins with launch 7-7:30 a.m. before lines-in at 8:00 a.m. Period 1 ends at 10:30 a.m. Period 2 spans 10:45 a.m. until 1:15 p.m. Period 3 begins at 1:30 p.m. and lasts until day’s end at 4:00 p.m. The General Tire Takeout show airs approximately 4:15 – 5:15 p.m. as anglers return to the ramp. 

Categories
MLF BIG-5

Local Rookie Strickland Wins Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit at Harris Chain of Lakes presented by Bad Boy Mowers

LEESBURG, Fla. (Feb. 23, 2020) – Pro Laramy Strickland of Bushnell, Florida, brought five bass to the scale weighing 15 pounds, 4 ounces, to win the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit at the Harris Chain of Lakes presented by Bad Boy Mowers Sunday. Strickland’s three-day total of 15 bass totaling 61 pounds, 4 ounces gave him the win by a 4-pound, 6-ounce margin over second place angler Jimmy Washam of Covington, Tennessee. For his victory, Strickland took home a top prize of $100,000.

A person standing in front of a crowd

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The tournament, originally scheduled for four days, was shortened to three after strong winds forced a postponement of competition on Friday. The full field of 154 anglers competed on Thursday and Saturday and only the top 30 anglers advanced to Championship Sunday.

“This is unbelievable – just as awesome as I always dreamed it was going to be,” said Strickland, a former FLW/TBF High School Fishing Florida State Champion fishing in just his second event as a professional on the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit. “If I was going to win just one, ever, in my whole career, I would have wanted it to be right here. There was so much family and friends here, the crowd was humongous. This still doesn’t even feel real.”

Strickland caught his fish this week fishing an area in Lake Griffin called the marsh. He described the marsh as “a 500- to 600-acre duck marsh, with hydrilla everywhere and full of cattails and hyacinth mats.” As a local angler he knew that big fish had been in there for months, and when he went there during the official practice period the big fish were still there.

Reaction Innovations Spicy Beaver
Reaction Innovations Spicy Beaver

“I caught them this week flipping mats with a Reaction Innovations Spicy Beaver (Tramp Stamp), but also added two big ones on a (Reaction Innovations) Machete Worm,” Strickland said. “Those were the only two baits I used all week – just flipped and threw that worm. I caught 12 fish on the first day. On the second day, I caught 8. Today I caught around 8 as well – they were just the right bites.”

Strickland said he threw the Spicy Beaver on a 7-foot, 6-inch Fitzgerald Rods hydrilla rod with a Shimano reel and 70-pound-test Fitzgerald Vursa braided line. He threw the worm on a new all-purpose 7-foot, 6-inch medium-heavy Fitzgerald rod, with 17-pound-test Fitzgerald Vursa fluorocarbon line and pegged with a 1/16-ounce weight.

Fitzgerald Hydrilla Rod
Shimano Reel
Fitzgerald All Purpose Rod

“I fished fairly clean all week. I lost a couple that I really thought were going to haunt me, but my fish held up,” Strickland said. “I just kind of stuck in that area and luckily I had it all to myself this week.

Fitzgerald Vursa Fluorocarbon
Fitzgerald Vursa Braid

“Two years ago, when the Pro Circuit was here, the boat that I won out of today was sitting in the parking lot as the demo boat for Ranger,” Strickland went on to say. “I bought that boat and here we are two years later. I’m on the big stage, and I won. I don’t even know what else to say. This has been surreal.”

The top 10 pros on the Harris Chain of Lakes finished:                                                                                                             

1st:       Laramy Strickland of Bushnell, Fla., 15 bass, 61-4, $100,000
2nd:      Jimmy Washam of Covington, Tenn., 15 bass, 56-14, $30,000
3rd:       Hunter Freeman of Monroe, La., 13 bass, 54-6, $25,000
4th:       Kyle Gelles of Pingree, Idaho, 14 bass, 52-11, $20,000
5th:       Matthew Stefan of Junction City, Wis., 15 bass, 51-15, $19,000
6th:       Miles Burghoff of Soddy-Daisy, Tenn., 15 bass, 51-5, $18,000
7th:       Jared McMillan of Belle Glade, Fla., 15 bass, 50-5, $17,000
8th:       Chad Warren of Sand Springs, Okla., 15 bass, 50-0, $16,000
9th:       Casey Scanlon of Lake Ozark, Mo., 15 bass, 49-7, $15,000
10th:     Brandon McMillan of Clewiston, Fla., 15 bass, 49-7, $14,000

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

Overall there were 145 bass weighing 366 pounds, 9 ounces, caught by the pros Sunday. Of the final 30 pros, 27 of them were able to bring a five-bass limit to the scale.

Television coverage of the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit at the Harris Chain of Lakes will premiere in 2020. The 2020 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit will have 156 two-hour airings on network television, including 26 consecutive weeks of Friday night primetime airing on Outdoor Channel and 130 airings on Sportsman Channel for a total of 312 hours of Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit programming.

The Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit at the Harris Chain of Lakes presented by Bad Boy Mowers was hosted by Lake County, Florida. The next event for Pro Circuit anglers will be the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit at Lake Martin, March 19-22, in Alexander City, Alabama. The tournament will be hosted by the Alexander City Chamber.

SHOP – THE NATIONAL ANGLER

In normal Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit competition, the full field of 154 pro anglers competed in the two-day opening round on Thursday and Friday. The top 30 pros based on their two-day accumulated weight advanced to Saturday. Only the top 10 pros continue competition Sunday, with the winner determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from the four days of competition. After Friday’s weather postponement the format was changed to a three-day event, the full field fished the first two days of competition (Thursday and Saturday) and the top 30 pros advanced to Sunday, the final day of competition.

Throughout the season, anglers are also vying for valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the 2020 FLW TITLE, the Pro Circuit Championship. The 2020 FLW TITLE will be on the St. Lawrence River in Massena, New York, Aug. 8-13 and is hosted by the Town of Massena.

Categories
Snakehead Mayhem

Northern Snakehead Potomac River Fishing Locations

Northern Snakehead Potomac River Fishing Locations     

Welcome to SNAKEHEAD MAYHEM!

The Potomac River was the hardest hit by the Northern Snakehead after they were first discovered in Maryland. They have taken a foothold within the ecosystem and they are not going anywhere. However, there is one thing that makes the Potomac different than Blackwater and its water clarity. The waters will run gin clear most of the year on the Potomac in the snaky areas. So what? So what…the water clarity allows the bow hunters to be very successful with taking of the Northern Snakehead and some people will contribute their success to helping keep the snakeheads in check.

Northern Snakehead Potomac River Fishing Locations: As far as locations go, they are pretty much everywhere. However, after reviewing public data on catches of Northern Snakeheads the Virginia side of the Potomac seems to have higher concentrations. I think the reason is also for the abundance of aquatic vegetation which creates cover. I will give you the best spots for catching Northern Snakehead from a boat, kayak, and shore.

B = Boat, K = Kayak, and S = Shore

Get the HOTTEST Snakehead Lures!!!

rs (38)
R2S Whopper Plopper
rs (39)
Booyah Poppin Pad Crasher
F17064_White Pearl !01
Zoom Super Fluke
Z-Man Chatter Bait
Double Bladed Spinnerbait

Northern Snakehead Potomac River Locations: Maryland/Virginia

  • Wicomico River B,K,S
  • Mattawomen Creek B,K,S
  • Anacostia River (Bladensburg) S
  • Tidal Basin: B,K,S
  • Roaches Run: K,S
  • Four Mile Run: B,K,S
  • Cameron Run: K,S           
  • Ft Belvoir: B,K,S
  • Neabscoo Creek: B,K
  • Chopawamsic Creek: B,K
  • Aquia Creek: B,K

I hope this helps in your search for the Northern Snakehead, and if you have luck please share with us your success and let us know if you have any new locations.

Semper Fish!

Joe, The National Angler