TULSA, Okla. (Sept. 13, 2022) – Major League Fishing (MLF) announced today the formation of a new qualifying series that will launch in Spring of 2023 – the MLF Invitationals. The Invitationals will feature six events in 2023 and serve as the sole qualifying circuit into the MLF Bass Pro Tour.
The MLF Invitationals will feature a 150-angler field, competing over three days in a five-fish, weigh-in format. All 150 anglers will compete over the first two days of competition, with the top 50 anglers advancing to the third and final day. The winner of each Invitational will be determined by heaviest three-day cumulative weight. Each event will feature a total purse of more than $650,000, with the winner receiving a top payout of up to $115,000 and automatic qualification into MLF’s REDCREST, the Bass Pro Tour Championship that awards the sport’s top prize of $300,000.
MLF Invitationals will feature a $5,000 per tournament entry fee with payouts to the top 50 anglers that place it among the top three circuits in the nation along with providing a qualifying path to the Bass Pro Tour in only six events.
“MLF is committed to offering a wide selection of tournament opportunities to anglers of all skill levels – from our high school and college anglers all the way to our pros who compete on the Bass Pro Tour,” said Kathy Fennel, MLF Executive Vice President and General Manager. “The MLF Invitationals are a new qualifying series geared toward the best interests of anglers and the sport. We believe the Invitationals will be a valuable and efficient option for anglers seeking to compete in high-level five-fish-limit tournaments with an opportunity to qualify for REDCREST, while also providing a pathway for anglers that aspire to compete at the sport’s highest level on the Bass Pro Tour.”
In addition to the six “Win and You’re In” Invitational REDCREST qualifications, the season-long Invitational Angler of the Year (AOY) will also earn a berth into REDCREST for a total of seven REDCREST qualification opportunities. The top eight anglers in the season-long Invitational AOY point standings will qualify for the 2024 Bass Pro Tour.
The MLF Invitationals will replace the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit. Every angler who would have qualified to compete in the 2023 Pro Circuit will receive the first invitations to register for the new MLF Invitationals. The balance of the 150-boat field will be filled by professional anglers from the Bass Pro Tour and 2022 Pro Circuit and Toyota Series anglers who missed initial qualification. All qualified anglers may compete in any number of Invitational events. There will be no co-anglers in the MLF Invitationals.
Every day of competition will be broadcast live on MLF NOW!® and streamed to the Major League Fishing app, MyOutdoorTV (MOTV), and at MajorLeagueFishing.com. Each event will also air on CBS Sports Network, with 13 consecutive weeks of 2-hour shows scheduled in 2023.
Full schedules and locations for all 2023 MLF circuits will be revealed next week.
For complete details and updated information on Major League Fishing, the MLF Invitationals and the Bass Pro Tour, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
About Major League Fishing Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, the Discovery Channel, the Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, the World Fishing Network, and on-demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with offices in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 13 countries. In 2019, MLF expanded its portfolio of catch, weigh, and immediately release events to include the sport’s strongest five-biggest-fish format tournament circuits. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement, and fish care.
Arizona Pro Weighs 27 Bass Totaling 86 Pounds, 13 Ounces to Lead Early for Group A – Group B to Start Competition Sunday
ONAMIA, Minn. (Sept. 10, 2022) – Berkley pro Josh Bertrand of Queen Creek, Arizona, caught 27 scorable smallmouth bass weighing 86 pounds, 13 ounces, to grab the early lead after Day 1 of the Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Tour Bally Bet Stage Seven at Mille Lacs Lake Presented by Minn Kota. Right behind Bertrand in second place is Hot Springs, Arkansas’ Stephen Browning, who caught 20 scorable bass weighing 84-13. The duo traded the lead back and forth multiple times throughout the third period, with Bertrand ending on top by the narrow 2-pound margin as time expired.
It’s seems to be a two-horse race in Group A, as Bertrand and Browning have a substantial 30-pound lead on the rest of the field. Weights are fairly stacked up in the remainder of the top 10. Pro Matt Lee of Cullman, Alabama, ended the day in third place with 15 bass totaling 53-11. Ardmore, Oklahoma’s Jeff Kriet caught 13 bass weighing 50-5 to end the day in fourth, while Berkley pro Jordan Lee of Cullman, Alabama , rounds out the top five with 15 bass weighing 46-11.
The 40 anglers in Group A will now have an off day from competition on Sunday, while the 40 anglers competing in Group B will begin their first day of competition. Group A will resume competition on Monday.
“It was a great first day – I caught a bunch of fish, and a lot of really good quality ones,” Bertrand said. “I caught them multiple different ways. This morning I caught them cranking and throwing a Carolina rig – they were really biting the reaction baits early. Then this afternoon it slicked off and I ended up catching them on a drop-shot rig, using a Berkley (PowerBait) MaxScent Hit Worm.
“The forecast is calling for really calm conditions for the next few days, but it’s supposed to get nasty again in our Knockout Round on Wednesday. So, I’m really going to try hard to win this Qualifying Round and advance straight to Championship Thursday – I do not want to be out here when it’s nasty,” Bertrand went on to say. “We’ve got a lot of fishing still ahead of us, but I’m thankful to be off to a really good start.”
The top 20 pros in Group A after Day 1 on Mille Lacs Lake are:
1st: Josh Bertrand, Queen Creek, Ariz., 27 bass, 86-13 2nd: Stephen Browning, Hot Springs, Ark., 20 bass, 84-13 3rd: Matt Lee, Cullman, Ala., 15 bass, 53-11 4th: Jeff Kriet, Ardmore, Okla., 13 bass, 50-5 5th: Jordan Lee, Cullman, Ala., 15 bass, 46-11 6th: Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., 13 bass, 43-14 7th: Mark Daniels, Jr., Tuskegee, Ala., 12 bass, 43-14 8th: Mark Rose, Wynne, Ark., 14 bass, 42-12 9th: Brent Ehrler, Redlands, Calif., 11 bass, 41-9 10th: Marty Robinson, Lyman, S.C., 11 bass, 41-2 11th: Anthony Gagliardi, Prosperity, S.C., 11 bass, 38-8 12th: David Walker, Sevierville, Tenn., 11 bass, 37-10 13th: Jesse Wiggins, Addison, Ala., 10 bass, 34-7 14th: Luke Clausen, Spokane, Wash., nine bass, 34-6 15th: Mike McClelland, Blue Eye, Mo., nine bass, 34-1 16th: Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla., 10 bass, 33-10 17th: Boyd Duckett, Guntersville, Ala., 16 bass, 33-6 18th: Cole Floyd, Leesburg, Ohio, 10 bass, 32-4 19th: Brent Chapman, Lake Quivira, Kan., 11 bass, 31-11 20th: Takahiro Omori, Tokyo, Japan, eight bass, 31-5
A complete list of results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Overall, there were 396 scorable bass weighing 1,339 pounds, 2 ounces caught by the 40 pros Saturday.
Browning caught the biggest fish of the day, a chunky 5-pound, 8-ounce smallmouth bass during Period 1 to earn the first $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award of the event. Berkley awards $1,000 to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass each day, and a $3,000 bonus to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass of the tournament.
Texas Pro Catches 25 Scorable Smallmouth Weighing 92 Pounds, 13 Ounces to Lead Group B Qualifying Round By 27 Pounds after Day 1, Group A to Wrap Up Their Qualifying Round Monday
ONAMIA, Minn. (Sept. 11, 2022) – Although widely regarded as a shallow-water, sight-fishing expert, Texas pro Alton Jones, Sr., demonstrated Sunday that he also knows a thing or two about catching northern smallmouth as well. The Lorena, Texas, pro caught 25 scorable smallmouth bass Sunday weighing 92 pounds, 13 ounces, to pace the field by 27 pounds after Day 1 for Group B at the Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Tour Bally Bet Stage Seven at Mille Lacs Lake Presented by Minn Kota.
Jones will bring a comfortable lead over second-place, Googan Baits pro Dustin Connell of Clanton, Alabama, into Tuesday’s second day of competition in the Qualifying Round for Group B. Connell landed 17 scoreable bass – all smallmouth – weighing 65-13, while Bally Bet Angler of the Year (AOY) leader pro Jacob Wheeler of Harrison, Tennessee, rounds out the top three with 17 scorable bass weighing 58-13 to end the day in third place.
The 40 anglers in Group B will now have a day off on Monday, while the 40 anglers from Group A will wrap up their two-day Qualifying Round. Group B will finish their Qualifying Round on Tuesday.
“It’s humbling when you have a day like this,” Jones said in his post-game interview. “It was a great day – better than the other 39 guys today, and better than everyone that was on the water yesterday, too. So, I’m very pleased, and very thankful.
“I had a good practice, but that doesn’t always translate into a good tournament. This week it has, so far,” Jones continued. “I was able to move around to a lot of different places today and get bit, so I’m feeling really good with how my day went.”
With a 27-pound lead heading into the second day of Qualifying Round competition, Jones is already eyeing the automatic qualification to the Championship Round.
“I think I’ve got a strong enough lead that I can really try to go for it and win the round on Tuesday,” Jones went on to say. “The negative part is that if you go for it and someone passes you and you don’t win the round, you end up burning a lot of fish that you’ll need in the Knockout Round. We’ll see. If someone catches up real quick Tuesday and passes me and I’m struggling, I’ll back off and just start practicing. There is so much strategy that goes into this game. We’ll see how it goes.”
The top 20 pros in Group B after Day 1 on Mille Lacs Lake are:
A complete list of results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Overall, there were 382 scorable bass weighing 1,291 pounds, 14 ounces caught by 39 pros Sunday. Pro Keith Poche of Pike Road, Alabama, did not compete due to illness.
Pros Cliff Pace and Gerald Spohrer tied for Sunday’s $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award for the largest bass of the day – each caught a smallmouth weighing 5 pounds, 10 ounces. Pace caught his 5-10 on a Ned rig during Period 1, while Spohrer’s 5-10 came on a medium-diving crankbait, also during Period 1. Berkley awards $1,000 to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass each day, and a $3,000 bonus to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass of the tournament.
The six-day tournament, hosted by the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, showcases 80 of the best professional anglers in the world competing for a purse of more than $805,000, including a top payout of $100,000 to the winner. The tournament is livestreamed each day at MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MOTV app, and also filmed for television broadcast later this fall on the Discovery Channel.
The 40 Anglers in Group A compete in their two-day qualifying round on Saturday and Monday – the 40 anglers in Group B on Sunday and Tuesday. After each two-day qualifying round is complete, the anglers that finish in 2nd through 20th place from both groups advance to Wednesday’s Knockout Round, while the winner of each group advances directly to Thursday’s Championship Round. In the Knockout Round, weights are zeroed, and the remaining 38 anglers compete to finish in the top 8 to advance to the Championship Round. In the final day Championship Round, weights are zeroed, and the highest one-day total wins the top prize of $100,000.
Anglers will launch each day at 7:30 a.m. CT from Eddy’s Resort, located at 41334 Shakopee Lake Road in Onamia. Each day’s General Tire Takeout will be held at the Resort, beginning at 4 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend all launch and takeout events and also encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLF NOW!® live stream and SCORETRACKER® coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
On Championship Thursday, Sept. 15, from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. MLF will host a Celebration Event for fans of all ages, inviting fans to come out and celebrate with the professional anglers from the Bass Pro Tour as they crown the champion of the Bally Bet Stage Seven on Mille Lacs Lake Presented by Minn Kota. The first 50 youth anglers 10 and under in attendance will receive a free Pure Fishing Shakespeare Kid’s Rod and Reel combo. The final 10 Championship Round Bass Pro Tour anglers will be on hand at the trophy celebration to meet and greet fans, sign autographs, and take selfies.
The Bally Bet Stage Seven on Mille Lacs Lake Presented by Minn Kota features anglers competing with a 2-pound minimum weight requirement for a bass to be deemed scorable. Minimum weights are determined individually for each competition waters that the Bass Pro Tour visits, based on the productivity, bass population and anticipated average size of fish in each fishery.
The Bass Pro Tour features a field of 80 of the top professional anglers in the world competing across seven regular-season tournaments around the country, competing for millions of dollars and valuable points to qualify for the annual General Tire Heavy Hitters all-star event and REDCREST IV, the Bass Pro Tour championship, which will be held next March on Lake Norman in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The MLF NOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee, Marty Stone and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action on all six days of competition from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CT. MLF NOW!® will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app.
Television coverage of the Bally Bet Stage Seven on Mille Lacs Lake Presented by Minn Kota will premiere as a two-hour episode at 7 a.m. ET, on Saturday, Nov. 19 on the Discovery Channel. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on the Discovery Channel, with additional re-airings on the Outdoor Channel. Each two-hour long reality-based episode goes in-depth to break down each day of tournament competition.
Proud sponsors of the 2022 MLF Bass Pro Tour include: 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, A.R.E. Truck Caps, B&W Trailer Hitches, Bally Bet, Bass Cat, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, Covercraft, Favorite Fishing, Garmin, General Tire, Googan Baits, Grundéns, Guaranteed Rate, Humminbird, Lowrance, Luminox, Mercury, Minn Kota, Mossy Oak, Nitro Performance Boats, Onyx, Plano, Power-Pole, Power Stop, Rapala, Starbrite, Toro, Toyota, Wrangler, Yellowstone Bourbon and Zoom.
For complete details and updated information on Major League Fishing and the Bass Pro Tour, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
Bass Pro Summertime Drop Shot Fishing: The Best Way to Catch Fish When It’s Hot Out! – Featuring Clark Wendlandt and Kevin VanDam
When the summer sun is beating down, and the fish are hiding in the depths, a drop shot is the best way to catch them. This technique involves suspending your bait in the water column, often near the bottom, and jigging it up and down to attract attention. Drop shot is an effective way to catch fish of all sizes, from sunfish to bass, and can be done from a boat or the shore. So, whether you’re looking to beat the heat or want to up your fishing game, give the drop shot a try. You might be surprised at how many fish you catch.
It’s no secret that the summer months can be brutal on anglers. The heat drives fish into deep, cool water; longer days mean more time spent in the sun frying like a strip of bacon. But don’t despair, there is a way to keep catching fish even when it’s hot out and that’s with the drop shot rig. Also known as the down shot, this rig is incredibly versatile and can be used in a variety of situations to catch fish when they’re being difficult. So if you’re looking for a way to keep catching fish all summer long, read on for everything you need to know about drop shot fishing.
A drop shot rig is a fishing rig that consists of a weighted hook that is attached to the line below a swivel. This setup allows the bait to be presented horizontally in the water column, which is key for enticing finicky fish to bite.
There are a few different ways to rig a drop shot, but the most common is to tie the dropper line (the line that goes from the swivel to the hook) to the main line using a Palomar knot. This solid knot ensures that your rig won’t come undone even when battling big fish.
Once the rig is tied, it’s simply a matter of attaching your bait of choice to the hook and casting it out. The weight of the hook will ensure that your bait stays in the strike zone even if you’re fishing in deep water or currents.
Now that you know how to rig a drop shot, it’s time to learn how to fish it. These tips will help you get the most out of your drop shot rig and catch more fish all summer long.
1. Use the Right Bait
The beauty of the drop shot rig is that it can be used with various baits, from live bait to plastic worms. But for summertime fishing, plastic baits are usually the best bet.
Small plastic worms and grubs are great options for drop shot, as they offer a small profile that won’t scare off finicky fish. Another great option is a plastic minnow bait, which can effectively target summertime bass.
2. Let the Bait Do the Work
One of the biggest mistakes anglers make when drop shot is using too much weight. Because the rig is designed to keep your bait in the strike zone, you don’t need a lot of weight to get it down deep.
In most cases, a 1/8 ounce weight will be more than enough to get your bait down to the fish. And if you’re fishing in deep water or strong currents, you may even be able to get away with using a lighter weight.
3. Vary Your Retrieves
Another common mistake anglers make when dropping shots is using the same retrieve repeatedly. This can be a big mistake, as fish often get conditioned to seeing the same thing repeatedly.
To avoid this, it is essential to vary your retrieves and keep the fish guessing. Sometimes a slow, steady retrieve is all it takes to trigger a strike, while a quick jerk of the rod is necessary other times. It’s about trial and error and finding what works best in each situation.
4. Be Patient
Finally, it’s important to remember that drop shot is a finesse technique that requires patience and perseverance. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t get bit right away, as the fish will eventually start biting if you give them time.
So next time you’re struggling to catch fish in the summer heat, give drop shot a try. With a bit of practice, you’ll be drop-shotting like a pro in no time!
Don’t Overdue It.
Do not overwork your bait in an attempt to attract fish. Shaking the bait makes it appear like it is having a seizure, which will scare away potential catches. Instead, keep your rod still and let subtle movements in your arm or hand create a natural undulation. If you are fishing from a boat, the waves also provide movement. If you want to add more action to the bait, gently shake the slack in the line instead of the lure itself.
Don’t Be So Tight.
The second skill for successful drop shot is keeping your line slightly bowed at all times. This allows the hook and lure to move freely, giving it a natural appearance that fish are more likely to bite. If your line is kept too straight, the lure will appear stiff and unnatural, making it less likely to attract bites.
Become One With The Bait.
Knowing what your bait looks like underwater is important to give it the right action. Use a fish tank, bathtub, or swimming pool to observe the bait and see what type of action it needs. The more you understand your equipment, the better your fishing decisions will be.
If You Have Electronics, Use Them.
To be successful at drop shot fishing during the summertime, it is vital to become familiar with your Electronics. This will allow you to locate fish when it is hot out better. With practice, this skill can make all the difference in winning or losing a competition.
Bass Pro Shops is the place to go if you’re looking for the best gear for drop-shot fishing. They offer a wide variety of lures and weights to choose from, so you can find the perfect setup for your fishing conditions. They also have a great selection of electronics to help you locate fish in the summer heat. So next time you’re looking to up your drop shot game, head to Bass Pro Shops.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (July 13, 2022) – Major League Fishing (MLF)’s REDCREST, the world championship of professional bass fishing, is heading to the Queen City.
REDCREST IV will showcase the top 40 anglers from the 2022 Bass Pro Tour season competing for the REDCREST Championship trophy and the top prize of $300,000. Previous winners of the prestigious event include Bobby Lane (2022), Dustin Connell (2021) and Edwin Evers (2019).
In addition to the tournament and the international media coverage it receives, the MLF Outdoor Sports Expo featuring hundreds of exhibitors and activities will be held at The Park Expo & Conference Center in Charlotte. Fishing and outdoor enthusiasts will have the opportunity to visit booths and vendors showcasing the latest and greatest in fishing, boating, hunting, camping and more. The biggest names in the outdoor industry will be on hand, including all 80 Bass Pro Tour anglers. Visitors from around the globe will not only watch the world’s best bass-fishing action, but they’ll also receive great deals on everything from crankbaits to rods and reels to bass boats at the outdoor show.
As Charlotte’s hospitality industry continues to see strong recovery, we are ecstatic to welcome Major League Fishing’s REDCREST IV championship next year,” said Tom Murray, Chief Executive Officer of the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority. “Charlotte offers a diverse mix of experiential activities for travelers and locals alike including thrilling outdoor adventures. We look forward to welcoming MLF fans and outdoor enthusiasts to the Queen City.”
“Following an exciting and successful REDCREST in Tulsa, we’re thrilled to announce that we’re bringing REDCREST IV to Charlotte. The city has a passionate outdoor community and offers numerous locations and facilities that will enable us to build the tournament and outdoor show in unique ways,” said Michael Mulone, MLF Vice President of Strategic Business Planning. “We are excited to work with the CRVA, Visit Lake Norman and the Mecklenburg Park and Recreation Department to deliver a memorable celebration of fishing and the outdoors to our fans and outdoor enthusiasts.”
Although Lake Norman has played host to dozens of MLF (and former FLW) tournaments over the years, this event will mark the first time that the MLF Bass Pro Tour will visit Lake Norman. The majority of MLF experience is limited to some Phoenix Bass Fishing League tournaments, a handful of Toyota Series events and five Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit events – the last in 2016. This tournament will feature the MLF catch, weigh, immediate-release format in which anglers catch as much weight as they can each day, while also feeling the pressure and intensity of the SCORETRACKER® leaderboard.
“REDCREST IV is the most prestigious fishing event Lake Norman has ever hosted, and we very much appreciate the partnership with MLF, and formerly FLW, in hosting their events over the last couple of decades. Also, we could never host this type of event without our continued partnerships with the CRVA and Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation. We are thrilled to partner in making sure this is the best REDCREST yet,” said Sally Ashworth, Executive Director of Visit Lake Norman.
Each day of competition will be livestreamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app. Television coverage of REDCREST IV will be showcased across two two-hour episodes, premiering next summer on the Discovery Channel. A one-hour special episode, MLF REDCREST IV, is also scheduled to air next summer on CBS.
Proud sponsors of the MLF Bass Pro Tour include: 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, A.R.E. Truck Caps, B&W Trailer Hitches, BallyBet, Bass Cat, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, Covercraft, Favorite Fishing, Garmin, General Tire, Googan Baits, Grundéns, Guaranteed Rate, Humminbird, Lowrance, Luminox, Mercury, Minn Kota, Mossy Oak, Nitro Performance Boats, Onyx, Plano, Power-Pole, Power Stop, Rapala, Starbrite, Toro, Toyota, Wrangler, Yellowstone Bourbon and Zoom.
HOTTEST NEW LURES FOR 2020
About Major League Fishing Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, the Discovery Channel, the Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, the World Fishing Network, and on-demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with offices in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 13 countries. In 2019, MLF expanded its portfolio of catch, weigh, and immediately release events to include the sport’s strongest five-biggest-fish format tournament circuits. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.
If you’re looking for an edge in catching more fish, the Live Imaging TargetLock from Humminbird is exactly what you need. With the ability to lock in on clear, real-time views of structure, you’ll never have to shoot from the hip again. And with independent motor control, you can always keep your boat in the perfect position. Plus, the One-Boat Network integration gives you instant access to programmable features like MEGA Live Sweep and more. So don’t miss out – get the Live Imaging TargetLock from Humminbird today!
Features and Benefits of TargetLock
-The TargetLock feature allows anglers to set a directional lock of the live sonar and it will keep itself oriented, so anglers never lose sight of the structure, even while the boat moves in the water. This is perfect for anglers who want to stay on top of a specific spot without having to constantly adjust their trolling motor.
-The MEGA Live Sweep provides a constant 120 degree sweep out in front of the boat to help identify structure and fish while maintaining control of the trolling motor. This is perfect for anglers who want to be able to see what’s around them at all times, without having to take their hands off the trolling motor.
-MEGA Live Imaging allows fish and structure to be seen in real-time, with no gaps in sonar coverage, powered by the unmatched detail and clarity of MEGA Imaging throughout the entire sonar view. This is perfect for anglers who want to be able to see everything that’s going on under the water, in real time.
-Connect MEGA Live Imaging to compatible Humminbird models via the included Ethernet cable. There is no external sonar box required for installation, allowing for the connection of optional sonar source like MEGA 360 Imaging or Built-in MEGA Imaging to the same control head. This is perfect for anglers who want to be able to use all of their Humminbird products together, without having to worry about compatibility issues.
-Compatible Humminbird control heads: All APEX models, All SOLIX models, and HELIX 8-12 G3N & HELIX 7-15 G4N models (Must be MEGA Side Imaging or MEGA Down Imaging model). This is perfect for anglers who want to be able to use their Humminbird products with the Mega Live TargetLock.
-MEGA Live TargetLock is exclusively compatible with Minn Kota Ultrex – 45”& 52” trolling motors. This is perfect for anglers who want to be able to use their Minn Kota trolling motor with the Mega Live TargetLock.
-2-Year Limited Warranty This is perfect for anglers who want to be able to use their Mega Live TargetLock with peace of mind, knowing that it is covered by a 2-year limited warranty.
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TULSA, Okla. – Country music star Clayton Anderson (Visionary Media Group) will perform a free concert on the Mossy Oak Music stage at the SageNet Center at Expo Square in Tulsa on Sunday, March 27, beginning at 4 p.m. before the world’s premier bass anglers return from Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees to crown the REDCREST 2022 Champion – professional bass fishing’s world championship. Fans of all ages are encouraged to attend the free concert which is presented by Ugly Stik.
Anderson’s latest hit: “Show Me Your Fish” resonates with anglers of all ages and included mention of the iconic fishing brand Ugly Stik throughout the song. The summertime anthem, which had its World Premiere on Country Music Television (CMT) earlier this week, is sure to be heard blasting from boats and trucks across the country this year as he encourages fishermen and women of all ages to break out their Ugly Stiks and show off their best catch.
“I’m so pumped to be headlining REDCREST this year. Country music and fishin’, what goes together better than that,” said Anderson. “And it couldn’t be better timing with the release of ‘Show Me Your Fish’. As a little kid floating the East Fork of the White River, if you told me this would be happening, I’d never believed ya. Really looking forward to grabbing an Ugly Stik, getting out there and hanging with the pros, amateurs, and all the fishin’ fans. Gonna be a heckuva time.”
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A country singer-songwriter with a midwestern rock flair, Anderson grew up on the lakes of Southern Indiana — fishing, boating, and playing his guitar. As a student at Indiana University, he kicked off his music career, building a grassroots fan following playing local bars and parties. In 2008, he walked onstage at Kenny Chesney’s Next Big Star Battle in Cincinnati and walked off as the winner. He released his debut album, Torn Jeans & Tailgates, in 2011, followed by Right Where I Belong (2014) and Only to Borrow (2016). Pre-COVID, he toured nonstop, opening for Eric Church, Blake Shelton, Jason Aldean, Jimmy Buffett, Thomas Rhett, Lee Brice, and Carly Pearce.
During the pandemic, Anderson got creative, going virtual and diving back into his roots on the water with a lineup of Lake Tour concerts. To kick off 2022, Anderson released two brand new singles: “Nothin’ But Net” (produced by Grammy-winning Dave Audé and as heard on ESPN for College Basketball Season) and “Get After It” (produced by Nash Overstreet), a song that celebrates hard work and getting the job done. Stay tuned for much more to come from Clayton in 2022.
Anderson’s appearance at REDCREST 2022 is presented by Ugly Stik. The brand will also be hosting a meet and greet with Anderson at the Berkley booth during the expo and hand out Ugly Stik giveaways to fishing fans who watch his appearance on the Mossy Oak Music Stage. More information on Anderson’s appearance can be found by following Ugly Stik on Facebook and Instagram.
Hosted by VisitTulsa, REDCREST 2022 Presented by Costa will take place March 23-27, 2022, with competition set for Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees, and the REDCREST Outdoor Sports Expo Presented by Costa in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The event will showcase the top 41 Bass Pro Tour anglers from the 2021 season competing for the prestigious REDCREST Championship and the top prize of $300,000.
About Clayton Anderson’s Partner, Visionary Media Group
Visionary Media Group is a homegrown, Nashville-based Music, Film, Media and Technology company. Our mission is to illuminate purpose-driven stories through a new end-to-end storytelling paradigm. Visionary employs world-class talent and state-of-the-art technology to Empower Creators, Enhance Content, Engage Community, and Amplify Storytelling. We invite you to join us in an exciting new journey to empower artists and fans to reimagine authentic connections and rekindle a shared sense of purpose as we launch our interactive storytelling platform, Evernova.
PALATKA, Fla. — Fighting through a painfully slow morning, John Crews of Salem, Va., capitalized on the afternoon bite and caught a limit of 17 pounds, 3 ounces to retain his lead in the AFTCO Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River with a two-day total of 45-3.
After posting a Day 1 limit of 28 pounds, Crews edged Bob Downey of Hudson, Wis., by 12 ounces. On Friday, Crews greatly improved his position and will head into Saturday’s semifinal round with a 9-13 lead over Elite Series rookie Masayuki Matsushita of Tokoname-Aichi, Japan.
A telling moment that bespoke the attitude driving Crews’ decisions came midmorning when Crews’ cameraman asked if he had a target weight.
“I never do that; I want to catch as much as I can,” Crews said. “If you say, ‘I’ll be okay if I get 15,’ or, ‘I’ll be okay if I get 18,’ if you reach that, you might take your foot off the gas.
“Early on in my career, I settled more than I should have in a tournament, instead of going for the kill. Whether I finish first, second, 12th, 15th or whatever, I’m going to try to catch every fish I can catch.”
Despite high-pressure, postfrontal conditions, Crews did not take his foot off the gas Friday. Retracing his Day 1 game plan, he returned to Rodman Reservoir, where he threw a jerkbait and a drop shot. Rigged with a prototype Missile Baits worm, the latter produced all of his Rodman catches.
By the time he left Rodman at 1 p.m., Crews had only a small limit of 10-9 that he anchored with a 4-pounder. The reservoir was much more productive on Day 1, as Crews locked out with a 24-pound bag that included an 8-1.
“I got very fortunate to catch the bag that I caught yesterday, but I made some good adjustments today,” he said.
Specifically, he fished his way out of the Rodman canal and spent the rest of his afternoon targeting shallow cover on the main river. His afternoon effort allowed him to make three upgrades with a 4 1/2-pounder, a 4 and a 2.
Crews caught his main-river fish on a 1/2-ounce Z-Man ChatterBait JackHammer with a Missile Baits D Bomb in the bruiser (black/blue) color. While the bulky 4-inch creature bait is typically used for flipping and pitching presentations, Crews said the D Bomb proved appealing to the quality bass he needed.
“It’s a big profile and when the (ChatterBait’s) blade is vibrating, the whole tail portion of it kicks and it looks big,” Crews said. “These big fish are used to eating bream and crappie. If you throw the little stuff, you can catch some fish, but I like the bigger stuff.”
Crews’ most notable catch came around 2:35 when a fish bit and missed his bait. He threw back to the same spot and again missed a bite. On his third cast to the spot, he caught his largest fish of the day.
“I think it was the same fish,” Crews said. “Sometimes, they just get mad that they missed it.”
Crews said he’s unsure if he will return to Rodman on Day 3. After Friday’s flat calm conditions seemed to hinder the bite, he said he needs wind to stimulate the fish. If Saturday looks windy, he’ll go; if not, he’ll work his main-river spots.
Matsushita caught nearly twice what he caught on Day 1 and improved from 41st place to second with a two-day total of 35-6. Spending his day in the main river, Matsushita bolstered his Day 1 weight of 12-1 with 23-5 — the day’s heaviest catch.
“I fished all shallow water; 3 to 5 feet,” he said. “I got bites all day. I caught two big ones in the morning and when the (sun shined brightly) I caught three big bites.”
Matsushita caught all of his bass on a free rig — a Texas-rigged worm with a tear drop weight hanging from his line. He used a 3/16-ounce weight and a Zoom Magnum Finesse worm in junebug and redbug colors.
Stetson Blaylock of Benton, Ark., added 13-5 to his Day 1 limit of 22 pounds and remained in third place with 35-5. Returning to the Rodman canal, Blaylock caught most of his fish on a wacky-rigged watermelon red Yum finesse worm.
Blaylock caught one of his keepers on a Booyah Hard Knocker lipless bait. While the reaction bait played a bigger role on Day 1, he was unable to replicate that success Friday.
“I went through the whole area with moving baits and never got a single bite,” Blaylock said. “It never did feel right and then once I started picking up finesse, I started catching one here, one there. I just knew right off the bat that, as soon as I got the first one, this is what it’s going to take to get bites today.
“I kept the other stuff honest throughout the day, but it just wasn’t working.”
Brandon Cobb of Greenwood, S.C., is in the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors with the 9-13 largemouth he caught on Day 1.
Crews leads the VMC Monster Bag standings for the event’s heaviest limit with his 28-pound first-round bag.
The Top 47 remaining anglers will take off at 7:30 a.m. ET Saturday from Palatka City Docks. The weigh-in will be held at Palatka Riverfront Park at 3:30 p.m., with only the Top 10 pros advancing to Championship Sunday with a chance at the $100,000 first-place prize.
Live coverage for the event can be streamed on Bassmaster.com and the FOX Sports digital platforms. FS1 will also broadcast live with the tournament leaders beginning at 8 a.m. ET on Saturday and Sunday.
2022 AFTCO Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River 2/10-2/13 St. Johns River, Palatka FL. (PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 2
1. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 10 45-03 100 Day 1: 5 28-00 Day 2: 5 17-03 2. Masayuki Matsushita Tokoname-Shi JAPAN 10 35-06 99 Day 1: 5 12-01 Day 2: 5 23-05 3. Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 10 35-05 98 Day 1: 5 22-00 Day 2: 5 13-05 4. Patrick Walters Summerville, SC 10 34-13 97 Day 1: 5 17-12 Day 2: 5 17-01 5. Bob Downey Hudson, WI 6 33-15 96 Day 1: 5 27-04 Day 2: 1 06-11 6. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 10 33-12 95 Day 1: 5 19-07 Day 2: 5 14-05 7. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 10 31-08 94 Day 1: 5 13-04 Day 2: 5 18-04 8. Austin Felix Eden Prairie, MN 10 30-13 93 Day 1: 5 12-12 Day 2: 5 18-01 9. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 10 30-02 92 Day 1: 5 20-00 Day 2: 5 10-02 10. Chris Johnston Otonabee Ontario CANADA 10 29-05 91 Day 1: 5 17-09 Day 2: 5 11-12 11. Gregory DiPalma Millville, NJ 10 29-01 90 Day 1: 5 13-01 Day 2: 5 16-00 12. Clent Davis Montevallo, AL 10 28-05 89 Day 1: 5 13-02 Day 2: 5 15-03 13. Jake Whitaker Fairview, NC 10 28-03 88 Day 1: 5 12-12 Day 2: 5 15-07 14. Micah Frazier Newnan, GA 8 27-13 87 Day 1: 5 20-04 Day 2: 3 07-09 15. Wes Logan Springville, AL 10 27-10 86 Day 1: 5 13-15 Day 2: 5 13-11 16. Scott Canterbury Odenville, AL 9 27-09 85 Day 1: 5 12-13 Day 2: 4 14-12 17. Gary Clouse Winchester, TN 10 26-11 84 Day 1: 5 12-04 Day 2: 5 14-07 18. Ray Hanselman Jr Del Rio, TX 10 26-11 83 Day 1: 5 14-02 Day 2: 5 12-09 19. Matty Wong Honolulu, HI 7 26-10 82 Day 1: 5 19-14 Day 2: 2 06-12 20. Caleb Sumrall New Iberia, LA 9 26-08 81 $1,000.00 Day 1: 4 08-11 Day 2: 5 17-13 21. Jonathan Kelley Old Forge, PA 8 26-07 80 Day 1: 5 18-04 Day 2: 3 08-03 22. Jay Yelas Turner, OR 10 26-07 79 Day 1: 5 13-12 Day 2: 5 12-11 23. Brandon Card Salisbury, NC 10 26-06 78 Day 1: 5 14-10 Day 2: 5 11-12 24. Chris Zaldain Fort Worth, TX 9 26-03 77 Day 1: 5 19-03 Day 2: 4 07-00 25. Drew Cook Cairo, GA 8 25-11 76 Day 1: 3 04-00 Day 2: 5 21-11 26. Taku Ito Chiba JAPAN 10 25-10 75 Day 1: 5 16-04 Day 2: 5 09-06 27. Jamie Hartman Newport, NY 10 25-09 74 Day 1: 5 12-13 Day 2: 5 12-12 28. Jacob Powroznik North Prince George, VA 9 24-15 73 Day 1: 4 08-09 Day 2: 5 16-06 29. Tyler Rivet Raceland, LA 10 24-14 72 Day 1: 5 11-13 Day 2: 5 13-01 30. Jason Williamson Wagener, SC 10 24-14 71 Day 1: 5 11-14 Day 2: 5 13-00 31. Justin Atkins Florence, AL 10 24-13 70 Day 1: 5 14-13 Day 2: 5 10-00 32. Lee Livesay Longview, TX 8 24-07 69 Day 1: 5 18-15 Day 2: 3 05-08 33. Jay Przekurat Stevens Point, WI 8 24-07 68 Day 1: 4 13-01 Day 2: 4 11-06 34. Cory Johnston Cavan CANADA 9 24-02 67 Day 1: 4 07-07 Day 2: 5 16-11 35. Matt Arey Shelby, NC 10 24-01 66 Day 1: 5 16-07 Day 2: 5 07-10 36. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 10 23-09 65 Day 1: 5 13-07 Day 2: 5 10-02 37. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 10 23-08 64 Day 1: 5 11-03 Day 2: 5 12-05 38. John Cox Debary, FL 10 23-03 63 Day 1: 5 09-06 Day 2: 5 13-13 39. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 8 23-02 62 Day 1: 3 08-07 Day 2: 5 14-11 40. Chad Morgenthaler Reeds Spring, MO 10 23-01 61 Day 1: 5 14-05 Day 2: 5 08-12 41. David Williams Newton, NC 9 22-07 60 Day 1: 5 11-11 Day 2: 4 10-12 42. Bryan New Saluda, SC 7 21-14 59 Day 1: 5 18-11 Day 2: 2 03-03 43. Buddy Gross Chatanooga, TN 6 21-12 58 Day 1: 5 17-02 Day 2: 1 04-10 44. Bryan Schmitt Deale, MD 9 21-11 57 Day 1: 4 08-04 Day 2: 5 13-07 45. Caleb Kuphall Mukwonago, WI 7 21-11 56 Day 1: 2 09-08 Day 2: 5 12-03 46. Chad Pipkens Dewitt, MI 7 21-06 55 Day 1: 5 19-00 Day 2: 2 02-06 47. Luke Palmer Coalgate, OK 10 20-15 54 Day 1: 5 10-14 Day 2: 5 10-01 48. Joseph Webster Hamilton, AL 9 20-12 53 $2,500.00 Day 1: 5 11-05 Day 2: 4 09-07 49. Brandon Cobb Greenwood, SC 6 20-11 52 $3,500.00 Day 1: 1 09-13 Day 2: 5 10-14 50. Jason Christie Park Hill, OK 9 20-01 51 $2,500.00 Day 1: 4 10-14 Day 2: 5 09-03 51. Jeff Gustafson Keewatin Ontario CANADA 10 19-14 50 $2,500.00 Day 1: 5 09-03 Day 2: 5 10-11 52. Gerald Swindle Guntersville, AL 10 19-14 49 $2,500.00 Day 1: 5 09-10 Day 2: 5 10-04 53. Marc Frazier Newnan, GA 8 19-08 48 $2,500.00 Day 1: 5 15-00 Day 2: 3 04-08 54. Josh Douglas Isle, MN 6 19-04 47 $2,500.00 Day 1: 1 02-07 Day 2: 5 16-13 55. Cody Huff Ava, MO 9 19-02 46 $2,500.00 Day 1: 5 09-07 Day 2: 4 09-11 56. Scott Martin Clewiston, FL 8 19-00 45 $2,500.00 Day 1: 4 09-05 Day 2: 4 09-11 57. Hank Cherry Jr Lincolnton, NC 8 18-14 44 $2,500.00 Day 1: 5 13-14 Day 2: 3 05-00 58. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 9 18-09 43 $2,500.00 Day 1: 5 08-00 Day 2: 4 10-09 59. Clark Wendlandt Leander, TX 7 18-06 42 $2,500.00 Day 1: 2 05-14 Day 2: 5 12-08 60. Seth Feider New Market, MN 8 18-04 41 $2,500.00 Day 1: 5 15-00 Day 2: 3 03-04 61. Matt Robertson Kuttawa, KY 8 17-15 40 $2,500.00 Day 1: 5 13-00 Day 2: 3 04-15 62. Drew Benton Blakely, GA 8 17-15 39 $2,500.00 Day 1: 5 11-05 Day 2: 3 06-10 63. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 8 17-05 38 $2,500.00 Day 1: 3 04-09 Day 2: 5 12-12 64. Matt Herren Ashville, AL 10 17-05 37 $2,500.00 Day 1: 5 12-10 Day 2: 5 04-11 65. Ed Loughran III Richmond, VA 7 17-04 36 $2,500.00 Day 1: 4 06-14 Day 2: 3 10-06 66. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 10 17-02 35 $2,500.00 Day 1: 5 08-15 Day 2: 5 08-03 67. Frank Talley Temple, TX 7 16-11 34 $2,500.00 Day 1: 5 14-07 Day 2: 2 02-04 68. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 9 16-03 33 Day 1: 4 07-05 Day 2: 5 08-14 69. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 5 15-00 32 Day 1: 5 15-00 Day 2: 0 00-00 70. Carl Jocumsen Queensland AUSTRALIA 7 15-00 31 Day 1: 5 09-06 Day 2: 2 05-10 71. Todd Auten Lake Wylie, SC 9 14-14 30 Day 1: 5 06-00 Day 2: 4 08-14 72. Justin Hamner Northport, AL 9 14-13 29 Day 1: 4 07-00 Day 2: 5 07-13 73. Skylar Hamilton Dandridge, TN 9 14-06 28 Day 1: 4 05-10 Day 2: 5 08-12 74. Shane LeHew Catawba, NC 6 14-05 27 Day 1: 4 07-00 Day 2: 2 07-05 75. Hunter Shryock Ooltewah, TN 7 14-00 26 Day 1: 4 09-11 Day 2: 3 04-05 76. Koby Kreiger Alva, FL 7 13-15 25 Day 1: 2 02-05 Day 2: 5 11-10 77. Mike Huff London, KY 10 13-14 24 Day 1: 5 07-10 Day 2: 5 06-04 78. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 5 13-00 23 Day 1: 1 03-14 Day 2: 4 09-02 79. Alex Redwine Blue Ash, OH 7 12-15 22 Day 1: 5 09-15 Day 2: 2 03-00 80. Pat Schlapper Eleva, WI 7 12-03 21 Day 1: 5 10-08 Day 2: 2 01-11 81. Joshua Stracner Vandiver, AL 8 12-02 20 Day 1: 5 06-08 Day 2: 3 05-10 82. Darold Gleason Many, LA 6 11-15 19 Day 1: 4 07-03 Day 2: 2 04-12 83. Jesse Tacoronte Kissimmee, FL 6 11-15 18 Day 1: 3 04-13 Day 2: 3 07-02 84. Jacob Foutz Charleston, TN 5 11-10 17 Day 1: 3 08-14 Day 2: 2 02-12 85. Kenta Kimura Osaka JAPAN 4 11-03 16 Day 1: 3 04-11 Day 2: 1 06-08 86. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 5 09-03 15 Day 1: 3 05-04 Day 2: 2 03-15 87. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 6 09-01 14 Day 1: 1 01-11 Day 2: 5 07-06 88. KJ Queen Catawba, NC 6 08-13 13 Day 1: 2 03-15 Day 2: 4 04-14 89. Kyle Welcher Opelika, AL 4 06-14 12 Day 1: 2 03-12 Day 2: 2 03-02 90. Derek Hudnall Denham Springs, LA 3 04-11 11 Day 1: 3 04-11 Day 2: 0 00-00 91. Brad Whatley Bivins, TX 3 04-10 10 Day 1: 2 03-09 Day 2: 1 01-01 92. David Fritts Lexington, NC 2 03-15 9 Day 1: 1 02-06 Day 2: 1 01-09 93. Michael Iaconelli Pittsgrove, NJ 3 03-06 8 Day 1: 1 00-14 Day 2: 2 02-08 94. Daisuke Aoki Minamitsurugun Yamanash 2 03-04 7 Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 03-04 ———————————————————————–
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS Day 1 Brandon Cobb Greenwood, SC 09-13 $1,000.00 2 Caleb Sumrall New Iberia, LA 09-07 $1,000.00
VMC MONSTER BAG Day 1 John Crews Jr Salem, VA 28-00 $0.00
MONROE-WEST MONROE, La. (Feb. 10, 2022) – The Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Tour B&W Trailer Hitches Stage One Presented by Power-Pole in Monroe-West Monroe, Louisiana, won’t necessarily be remembered for the number of fish caught, but it will go down in the history books for the size of the fish caught.
In an incredible day of fishing on Bussey Brake, the final 10 Bass Pro Tour anglers caught 31 scorable bass weighing 163 pounds, 2 ounces – an average weight of 5 pounds, 5 ounces. The catch included three 7-pounders, one 8-pounder, two 9-pounders and one 12-pounder, a remarkable day that had the professional bass fishing world buzzing.
After the final fish had hit the SCORETRACKER™ leaderboard Thursday evening, it was Covercraft pro Bradley Roy of Lancaster, Kentucky, whose name remained at the top. Roy weighed in five bass totaling 26 pounds, 2 ounces, enough to hold off a hard-charging Alton Jones of Lorena, Texas, by a 1-pound, 3-ounce margin.
“Man, this has been a long time coming. God gets all the glory for this one, because I tried every way in the world to mess this one up,” Roy said in his post-game interview. “The third period for me was miserable. I just felt like I was taking blow after blow. Randy (Howell) catches a 12. Jordan Lee was coming – I knew he wouldn’t quit. Then Alton (Jones) – I could see him. I could see (Bryan) Thrift. They were all catching them, and I couldn’t get a bite.
“SCORETRACKER is bad when you’re around the cut, but it was another level this afternoon,” Roy continued. “I just kept looking down at the clock and listening to my official. Every time he’d clear his throat and get ready to speak again my heart would just drop. I’m just so grateful that I had enough weight. To come out on top is pretty special.”
“I think the baby pattern must be the deal,” Roy said, of his new son Lucas who was just born in August. “Everyone always says – you have a new baby, and you win a tournament. Well, we just had Lucas, and now I win. I think there might be something to that.”
For the second consecutive day, pro Randy Howell of Guntersville, For the second consecutive day, pro Randy Howell of Guntersville, Alabama , broke the Bass Pro Tour record for heaviest bass ever weighed in during competition. After earning Wednesday’s $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award for his then record-setting 10-pound, 11-ounce giant from Caney Creek, Howell backed it up on Thursday with a new record-setting 12-pound, 14-ounce lunker – a new Bass Pro Tour record and a new lake record for Bussey Brake. Howell also won Thursday’s $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award and earned the $3,000 Berkley Big Bass award for the overall largest bass of the event.
“Overall, I didn’t catch many bass this week, but I made it all the way to sixth place,” Howell said. “It just goes to show you that one flip, one cast can change your whole life. Never give up, fish to the last minute and good things will happen.
“I never really found what I know this lake is capable of, but we ended up a lot better than how we started today,” Howell continued. “Towards the end of the day I was flipping the old (Yamamoto) Senko – and the big one bit. It was a black and blue Senko, with a red Bass Pro XPS tungsten weight – I think the red gives it a little flash – and I threw it on a 7-foot, 6-inch Daiwa Ish Monroe Flipping Stick with a 8:1 Daiwa Tatula reel and 22-pound Daiwa Fluorocarbon line.”
The top 10 pros at the B&W Trailer Hitches Stage One Presented by Power-Pole finished:
1st: Bradley Roy, Lancaster, Ky., five bass, 26-2, $100,000 2nd: Alton Jones, Lorena, Texas, five bass, 24-15, $45,000 3rd: Jordan Lee, Cullman, Ala., five bass, 24-9, $38,000 4th: Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., four bass, 23-15, $32,000 5th: Jeff Sprague, Wills Point, Texas, four bass, 18-13, $30,000 6th: Randy Howell, Guntersville, Ala., two bass, 16-3, $26,000 7th: Mark Daniels, Jr., Tuskegee, Ala., three bass, 13-6, $23,000 8th: Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn., two bass, 11-4, $28,000 9th: Shinichi Fukae, Osaka, Japan, one bass, 3-15, $19,000 10th: Jared Lintner, Covington, Ga., zero bass, $16,000
The B&W Trailer Hitches Stage One Presented by Power-Pole featured anglers competing with a 1-pound, 8-ounce minimum weight requirement on Lake D’Arbonne, and a 2-pound minimum weight requirement on Caney Creek and Bussey Brake for a bass to be deemed scorable. Minimum weights are determined individually for each competition waters that the Bass Pro Tour visits, based on the productivity, bass population and anticipated average size of fish in each fishery.
The B&W Trailer Hitches Stage One Presented by Power-Pole, hosted by Discover Monroe-West Monroe, showcased 80 of the top professional bass-fishing anglers in the world competing over six days for a total purse of $805,000, including a top cash prize of $100,000 to the winner.
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Television coverage of the B&W Trailer Hitches Stage One Presented by Power-Pole will premiere at 7 a.m. ET, Sept. 3 on the Discovery Channel. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on the Discovery Channel, with additional re-airings on the Outdoor Channel. Each two-hour long reality-based episode goes in-depth to break down each day of competition.
The Bass Pro Tour features a field of 80 of the top professional anglers in the world competing across seven regular-season tournaments around the country, competing for millions of dollars and valuable points to qualify for the annual General Tire Heavy Hitters all-star event and the REDCREST 2023 championship.
Proud sponsors of the 2022 MLF Bass Pro Tour include: 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, A.R.E. Truck Caps, B&W Trailer Hitches, BallyBet, Bass Cat, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, Covercraft, Favorite Fishing, Garmin, General Tire, Googan Baits, Grundéns, Guaranteed Rate, Humminbird, Lowrance, Luminox, Mercury, Minn Kota, Mossy Oak, Nitro Performance Boats, Onyx, Plano, Power-Pole, Power Stop, Rapala, Starbrite, Toro, Toyota, Wrangler, Yellowstone Bourbon and Zoom.
PALATKA, Fla. — Looking past current conditions and considering the forthcoming weather patterns, John Crews of Salem, Va., employed a two-stage strategy and sacked up a Day 1 limit of 28 pounds to lead the season-opening AFTCO Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River.
Leading Bob Downey of Hudson, Wis., by 12 ounces, Crews also sits atop the VMC Monster Bag standings for the event’s heaviest limit.
Following the miserably rainy, cold conditions that plagued practice, Day 1 dawned clear and bright. It was definitely a postfrontal, high-pressure scenario, but air temperatures quickly rose and spurred the fish.
“At the beginning of practice, I was practicing for these conditions, so it made me look really smart, like I made a good decision,” Crews said. “Hopefully, it will hold up. I think we’ll have the same weather tomorrow.”
Running upriver from Palatka, Crews started his day in Rodman Reservoir. While 22 other boats passed through the Buckman Lock with him, Crews said he never felt cramped or crowded. Covering a 2-mile area, he had to hit several spots to secure a limit.
“There was no aggregation of boats; there were three or four boats in sight of where I was at, but nobody was on top of anybody,” Crews said. “I don’t think anything is that good — at least I didn’t find it.
“It was one here, one there, one here. Then, at the end of the day, it was like, ‘You smoked them.’ But it wasn’t like that.”
Anchoring his bag with an 8-1, Crews said he used multiple techniques in Rodman and combined moving baits with slower presentations.
“I used these baits in relationship to similar places,” he said. “All the places I fished in Rodman were similar. I think I can go back tomorrow and catch some more fish, but catching big fish like that — I don’t know.”
Around 1 p.m., Crews locked out of Rodman. While he waited, he spoke with the Bassmaster LIVE crew and told them his plan was to return to the St. Johns and look for another big bite. He checked that box around 2:45 by relocating to a familiar spot and adding a 4 1/2-pounder.
“I had some things in mind; I tried some offshore stuff and I tried some other shallow stuff,” Crews said. “It’s an area where I’ve caught some in the past. I caught a 2 1/4-pounder and then I caught that 4 1/2 and then I left. It’s one of those places where you can usually catch one or two, but I’ve never caught a limit there.”
As Crews explained, his decision to leave Rodman was based on factors beyond his control.
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“With (Rodman), you have to lock when you can lock (based on the predetermined schedule),” he said. “I thought, ‘When I come back to the river, maybe I can get another bite or two, and maybe it will help me at some point.’ It helped me today.”
Overcoming an early mechanical issue, Downey placed second with 27-4. He would eventually leave the water around 11:30 a.m. to have the service crew address the issues, but not before reaching his planned destination south of Palatka.
“I limped down to my area and had all my weight by 10 o’clock,” Downey said. “I caught a good fish in that area in practice and I think the weather conditions set up right — the cold last night just sucked them into this area. I only caught five fish today.
“I would have loved to have gone and practiced elsewhere today; I had some stuff south of Lake George and I would have loved to run some canals later today just to see if I could find a bigger one, but I didn’t do that because I didn’t know if I could get back or not.”
Downey caught his fish in what he described as a backwater creek. He caught his fish off the bank and used his Humminbird 360 to locate key areas. Winding a reaction bait produced all of his fish.
Stetson Blaylock of Benton, Ark., is in third place with 22 pounds. Starting with a solid game plan, Blaylock realized the situation was not going to produce, so he made a wholesale change and salvaged his day.
“There are a couple of little places that people keep overlooking and every year that I’ve caught them (well) here, I’ve caught some key fish in those areas and this year was no different,” Blaylock said. “I just happened to catch a couple of really nice ones midday that really helped the cause.
“In my primary stuff, only one place out of all the stuff I’d found in practice had a fish on it. I just got one bite and that was it. Hopefully, there’s enough left in that backup spot to carry me on to a Top 10.”
Blaylock caught his bass on a trio of moving baits. His strategy was to “buzz through” the area to locate active fish that were positioning off the bank in open water.
“I definitely left them biting today,” he said. “But it’s not like you just pull up and just throw at one spot and catch them; you have to work hard to get those bites.”
Brandon Cobb of Greenwood, S.C., is in the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors with his 9-13 largemouth.
Friday’s takeoff is scheduled for 7:30 a.m. ET from Palatka City Docks. The weigh-in will be held at Palatka Riverfront Park at 3:30 p.m.
After Friday’s weigh-in, the Top 47 remaining anglers will advance to Saturday’s semifinal round.
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The tournament is being hosted by the Putnam County Tourist Development Council and Putnam County Chamber of Commerce.
2022 Bassmaster Elite Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota 2022 Bassmaster Elite Series Premier Sponsors: Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha 2022 Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: AFTCO, Daiwa, Garmin, Huk Performance Fishing, Marathon, Strike King, Triton Boats, VMC
MONROE-WEST MONROE, La. (Feb. 9, 2022) – After surviving a tough four-day Qualifying Round on Lake D’Arbonne, the 38 Bass Pro Tour anglers that advanced to Wednesday’s Knockout Round on Caney Creek Reservoir were rewarded with an incredible day of fishing, that included a new record for the all-time heaviest bass weighed in Bass Pro Tour competition.
When time expired at 5 p.m., Academy Sports + Outdoors pro Jacob Wheeler of Harrison, Tennessee, had tallied “one of the best fishing days of his entire life” – nine bass totaling 43 pounds, 7 ounces – to win the Knockout Round and advance to the final day of competition at the Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Tour B&W Trailer Hitches Stage One Presented by Power-Pole in Monroe-West Monroe, Louisiana. Wheeler’s closest competitor was Berkley pro Jordan Lee of Cullman, Alabama, who boated six bass – including a pair of 8-pounders – for a total weight of 34 pounds, 10 ounces.
MLF NOW! analyst Marty Stone often likes to say, the best anglers will catch fish and win, no matter the format. His point was well proven, Wednesday, as Wheeler’s best five-fish weight would have been 32 pounds, 5 ounces, and Lee’s best five would have gone for 32 pounds even – magical days by any format.
Guntersville, Alabama’s Randy Howell won the day’s $1,000 Berkley Big Bass award after he caught the largest bass ever weighed in Bass Pro Tour competition – a 10-pound, 11-ounce giant that bit his lipless crankbait in Period 1. Berkley awards $1,000 to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass each day, and a $3,000 bonus to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass of the tournament.
The final 10 anglers are now set, and competition will resume Thursday morning with the Championship Round when weights are zeroed, and the angler that catches the most one-day weight will win the top prize of $100,000.
The six-day event, hosted by Discover Monroe-West Monroe, showcases 80 of the top professional bass-fishing anglers in the world competing for a total purse of $805,000.
The top eight pros from Wednesday’s Knockout Round that will compete in Thursday’s Championship Round on Bussey Brake are:
1st: Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn., nine bass, 43-7 2nd: Jordan Lee, Cullman, Ala., six bass, 34-10 3rd: Bradley Roy, Lancaster, Ky., six bass, 27-12 4th: Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., six bass, 23-0 5th: Randy Howell, Guntersville, Ala., three bass, 18-3 6th: Jeff Sprague, Wills Point, Texas, five bass, 18-1 7th: Alton Jones, Lorena, Texas, four bass, 15-6 8th: Shinichi Fukae, Osaka, Japan, three bass, 14-9
They’ll be joined by Qualifying Round winners:
Group A: Mark Daniels, Jr., Tuskegee, Ala. Group B: Jared Lintner, Covington, Ga.
Full results for the entire field can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
“What an unbelievable day,” said an excited Wheeler said in his post-game interview. “That was so much fun. As many big ones as I caught – it was definitely the best tournament fishing day I’ve ever had. One of the best fishing days of my entire life.”
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Wheeler spent the day throwing a jerkbait, targeting offshore structure – rock, points and brush.
“Multiple different jerkbaits played for me today,” Wheeler said. “It was pretty much Jerkbait Fishing 101. I threw it on a 6-foot, 8-inch medium-action (Duckett) Kelly Jordon Pro Series rod with 12-pound Sufix line.
“I promise that this isn’t the last time that you’ll see me here,” Wheeler went on to say. “I’ll definitely be making a couple of trips back to Caney Lake, this place was unreal.”
Also having a special day on the water was Alabama’s Jordan Lee, who weighed in two fish over 8 pounds and one over 7 pounds.
“Today was just crazy, the size of fish that I caught today,” Lee said. “I only caught six, but they were big. It was an incredible day.
“I caught the first fish on a ½-ounce football jig with a Berkley Chigger Craw, and it was one of those 8s,” Lee said. “From then on, I couldn’t get those fish to bite. I could see them on my Lowrance, so that’s when I went to a little Ned Rig.
“I was cutting a Berkley Hit Worm in half and using that on a spinning rod, and that was pretty much my 1-2 punch out deep.”
Rounding out the top 40 finishers were:
11th: Edwin Evers, Talala, Okla., four bass, 14-5, $10,000 12th: Mark Davis, Mount Ida, Ark., three bass, 12-2, $10,000 13th: David Dudley, Lynchburg, Va., three bass, 10-13, $10,000 14th: Kevin VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich., three bass, 8-15, $1, $10,000 15th: Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., three bass, 7-13, $10,000 16th: Greg Vinson, Wetumpka, Ala., three bass, 7-12, $10,000 17th: Gerald Spohrer, Gonzales, La., two bass, 7-11, $10,000 18th: Casey Ashley, Donalds, S.C., three bass, 7-4, $10,000 19th: Chris Lane, Guntersville, Ala., three bass, 7-1, $10,000 20th: Jeremy Lawyer, Sarcoxie, Mo., two bass, 6-6, $10,000 21st: Bobby Lane, Lakeland, Fla., three bass, 6-5, $10,000 22nd: Jesse Wiggins, Addison, Ala., two bass, 6-0, $10,000 23rd: Randall Tharp, Port Saint Joe, Fla., two bass, 5-15, $10,000 24th: Stephen Browning, Hot Springs, Ark., two bass, 5-5, $10,000 25th: Jonathon VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich., one bass, 5-1, $10,000 26th: Roy Hawk, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., two bass, 4-14, $10,000 27th: Josh Bertrand, Queen Creek, Ariz., one bass, 4-7, $10,000 28th: Britt Myers, Lake Wylie, S.C., one bass, 3-12, $10,000 29th: Andy Morgan, Dayton, Tenn., one bass, 3-11, $10,000 30th: James Elam, Tulsa, Okla., one bass, 3-2, $10,000 31st: Cody Meyer, Star, Idaho, one bass, 2-7, $10,000 32nd: Adrian Avena, Vineland, N.J., one bass, 2-6, $10,000 33rd: Andy Montgomery, Blacksburg, S.C., one bass, 2-5, $10,000 34th: Dean Rojas, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., one bass, 2-2, $10,000 35th: Alton Jones Jr., Waco, Texas, zero bass, $10,000 35th: Ott DeFoe, Blaine, Tenn., zero bass, $10,000 35th: Timmy Horton, Muscle Shoals, Ala., zero bass, $10,000 35th: Keith Poche, Pike Road, Ala., zero bass, $10,000 35th: Fletcher Shryock, Guntersville, Ala., zero bass, $10,000 35th: Anthony Gagliardi, Prosperity, S.C., zero bass, $10,000
Overall, there were 91 scorable bass weighing 342 pounds, 14 ounces caught by 32 pros on Wednesday, which included six 7-pounders, two 8-pounders, and one 10-pounder.
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The 40 Anglers in Group A competed in their two-day qualifying round on Lake D’Arbonne Saturday and Monday – the 40 anglers in Group B on Sunday and Tuesday. After the two-day Qualifying Round, the anglers that finished in 2nd through 20th place from both groups advanced to Wednesday’s Knockout Round on Caney Creek Reservoir, while the winner of each group advanced directly to Thursday’s Championship Round. In the Knockout Round weights are zeroed, and the remaining 38 anglers competed to finish in the top 8 to advance to the Championship Round on Bussey Brake. Tomorrow, in the final day Championship Round, weights are zeroed and the highest one-day total wins the top prize of $100,000.
The final 10 anglers competing in Thursday’s Championship Round on Bussey Brake will launch from Bonner Ferry Road, five miles northwest of Bastrop off of Hwy 593 at 8:30 a.m. The General Tire Takeout will be held at the launch ramp, beginning at 5:30 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend all takeoff and takeout ceremonies and also encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLF NOW!® live stream and SCORETRACKER® coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The B&W Trailer Hitches Stage One Presented by Power-Pole features anglers competing in the Championship Round with a 2-pound minimum weight requirement on Bussey Brake for a bass to be deemed scorable. Minimum weights are determined individually for each competition waters that the Bass Pro Tour visits, based on the productivity, bass population and anticipated average size of fish in each fishery.
The Bass Pro Tour features a field of 80 of the top professional anglers in the world competing across seven regular-season tournaments around the country, competing for millions of dollars and valuable points to qualify for the annual General Tire Heavy Hitters all-star event and the REDCREST 2023 championship.
The MLF NOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee, Marty Stone and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action on all six days of competition from 8:45 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. ET. MLF NOW!® will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app.
Television coverage of the B&W Trailer Hitches Stage One Presented by Power-Pole will premiere at 7 a.m. ET, Sept. 3 on the Discovery Channel. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on the Discovery Channel, with additional re-airings on the Outdoor Channel. Each two-hour long reality-based episode goes in-depth to break down each day of competition.
Proud sponsors of the 2022 MLF Bass Pro Tour include: 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, A.R.E. Truck Caps, B&W Trailer Hitches, BallyBet, Bass Cat, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, Covercraft, Favorite Fishing, Garmin, General Tire, Googan Baits, Grundéns, Guaranteed Rate, Humminbird, Lowrance, Luminox, Mercury, Minn Kota, Mossy Oak, Nitro Performance Boats, Onyx, Plano, Power-Pole, Power Stop, Rapala, Starbrite, Toro, Toyota, Wrangler, Yellowstone Bourbon and Zoom.
