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Major League Fishing - Bass Pro Tour/Cup Events Uncategorized

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

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March 23, 2020 (Tulsa, Okla.) Major League Fishing (MLF) announced the league will postpone the next stop on the Bass Pro Tour originally scheduled for April 3-8, 2020 in Raleigh, North Carolina in an abundance of caution surrounding the novel coronavirus. The League will monitor the situation and follow the advice of medical and Public Health officials to reschedule as quickly as possible. 
 
“The safety and health of our anglers, volunteers, staff, and host community are our primary concern,” said Jim Wilburn, Major League Fishing President and CEO. “While our format inherently allows for social distancing and other recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control to minimize the spread of COVID-19, we feel it’s in the best interest of all involved to pause our 2020 season.” 
 
The Berkley Stage Four presented by Covercraft was originally scheduled to take place on Jordan Lake, Falls Lake, and Shearon Harris Reservoir hosted by the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance.
 
“We understand the decision by MLF to postpone the event,” commented Tori Collins, Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance Director. “These proactive measures are tough decisions but in the best interest for all involved. The Greater Raleigh area looks forward to welcoming the MLF Pros and staff back to North Carolina and showcasing our region’s beautiful lakes in the future.”
 
Major League Fishing will continue to assess the impact of COVID-19 and take the advice and mandates set forth by local, state, and national medical and Public Health officials to address the potential impact on future events and potential dates for rescheduling Stage Four.  
MLF strongly encourages everyone to follow the recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) on everyday prevention of viral infection, which include: 

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

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

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Major League Fishing - Bass Pro Tour/Cup Events

MLF Records and Rallies on Lake Fork: Atkins Breaks Christie’s Record; Neal Rallies in the Third to Sneak into First Place

March 14, 2020 (Lake Fork, Texas) 40 Pro anglers (Group B) competed on Lake Fork in the Bass Pro Tour General Tire Stage Three presented by TrueTimber. Justin Atkins broke the record for the largest bass caught in Major League Fishing and Bass Pro Tour histories less than 24 hours after Jason Christie set it. Brandon Coulter led the field for much of the day only to slip into second place in the last seven minutes of the day. Michael Neal came from behind in Period Three with a 35-pound, 10-fish run to end the day in first place. Group A returns to the water Sunday for their second and final day of the Qualifying Round; the bottom 20 will be eliminated.  
Alabama-resident Justin Atkins gave himself a belated 30th-birthday present on Lake Fork today by catching the largest bass in the history of both MLF and the Bass Pro Tour. Weighing in at 10 pounds, eight ounces, a personal best for Atkins, this fish beat Christie’s catch by 4 ounces, less than 24 hours later. “Look at this guy,” exclaimed Atkins moments after he calmly set the hook in a fashion resembling the experience of a Pro twice his age. “It will not last a day or two,” said Christie, in an interview late Friday after catching the first record-breaker of this Stage. “I’m looking forward to getting back out there.” Atkins won the Berkley Big Bass of the Day for Saturday and receives $1,000.

Brandon Coulter took over the lead from Dave Lefebre early in Period Two thanks to a steady stream of significant catches, including his big bass of the day weighing in at nine pounds, five ounces with 45 minutes left in the second. 49-year-old Coulter looked like he would end the day in first place until fellow Tennessean Michael Neal rallied, rising into the Top Ten with a 10-fish, 35-pound-10-ounce run in Period Three. With seven minutes remaining on the day, Neal caught a three-pound-eight-ounce largemouth to take the lead by one pound.  “Sneaky Mikey,” commented Coulter as the clock wound down to lines-out for the day. “Congratulations Michael; I wanted to win that Round bad. We had a good day and I will be back out on Monday working to win and skip the Knockout Round.”

The competition continues Sunday when Group A returns to the water for their final day of the Qualifying Round. Mark Daniels, Jr. is currently in the lead with 84 pounds, 15 ounces. Texas Pro Jeff Sprague sits in second place 12 pounds behind Daniels. The angler with the highest two-day cumulative total wins and the bottom 20 anglers will be eliminated. The weather forecast suggests thunderstorms may hinder the competition midday. 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.  
 
Pending no weather delays, the day begins with launch at Oak Ridge Marina, Quitman, Texas, 9:15 a.m. CT before lines-in at 10:00 a.m. Period 1 ends at 12:30 p.m. Period 2 spans 12:45 p.m. until 3:15 p.m. Period 3 begins at 3:30 p.m. and lasts until day’s end at 6:00 p.m. The General Tire Takeout show airs approximately 6:15–7:15 p.m. as anglers return to the ramp.
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Categories
Minnow Blog

A New Fishing Tournament Trail Set to Take Over Professional Bass Fishing – Master what???

Ever since the introduction of the Bass Pro Tour from Major League Fishing, vanity bass tournament trails have been popping up all over the country. We have just confirmed a humdinger of a new trail that is sure to take over something. Confirmed by Minnow Blog Insider Willie Funkybunch, the new tournament will be named Master Bait Makers (MBM) Tournament Trail.

The Master Bait Makers Tournament Trail founded by a handful of custom bait makers. They are setting the bass fishing world on fire with custom painted knock-off fishing lures. Their goal is to recruit a new breed of elite bass anglers. To become an elite bass angler in the Master Bait Maker Tournament Trail, they must all be active on YouTube and Instagram. Additionally, they must support all sponsors of the Master Bait Maker’s regardless of use of the company’s lures. Action cameras will be worn on their foreheads during all tournaments for the appearance of “Live Action”

Willie couldn’t confirm exactly what the format was or the location of the tournaments. When asked about the participants, he simply stated they were “Instagram Anglers” that nobody knew. Apparently, all profiles don’t have any actual pictures of fish just promotional lure pictures. Willie also stated that the anglers were all ready to start “jerking some bass” in the near future. Let’s all hope it’s not each other.

While we are still waiting for this breaking news to develop about the tournament. This group of unknown anglers will be fishing unknown locations is sure to be an Instagram hit with the moms of this supposed elite group of bass anglers.

-Minnow Blog

Categories
MLF BIG-5

Tennessee’s Chambers Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Tournament on Douglas Lake

Kentucky’s Bailey Wins Co-angler Division

KODAK, Tenn. (March 10, 2020) – Boater Bobby Chambers of Newport, Tennessee, brought five bass to the scale Saturday totaling 18 pounds, 14 ounces to win the 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine event at Douglas Lake in Kodak, Tennessee. For his victory, Chambers earned a total of $3,337.

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“I fished from Dandridge to the river, way up the lake,” said Chambers, who earned his first career victory in just his fifth event. “I had the boat sitting in 6 to 8 feet and was casting to the bank. Most of the fish were coming shallow – around 2-foot-deep – and they were holding to any cover near the bank.

“I caught them on a little bit of everything,” Chambers continued. “I caught some on a spinnerbait, some on a ChatterBait and some on a Rapala DT6 crankbait. Most of my fish came on a custom-painted Strike King Red Eye Shad lipless crankbait.

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“I really didn’t plan on going out that far, but I had found those fish earlier in the week and knew that I was going to have to do something. We stuck it out there and the bite got better as the day went on and the sun came out. It had the fish moving up.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:

            1st:       Bobby Chambers of Newport, Tenn., five bass, 18-14, $3,337

            2nd:      Eddie Ball of Newport, Tenn., five bass, 16-7, $1,668

            3rd:       Dylan Fehr of Crossville, Tenn., five bass, 15-6, $1,312

            4th:       Chris Ferguson of Wittensville, Ky., five bass, 14-11, $779

            5th:       Bryan Leonard of Blountville, Tenn., five bass, 14-8, $767

            6th:       Taylor Humberd of Spring City, Tenn., five bass, 14-5, $612

            7th:       Brett Rodefer of Knoxville, Tenn., five bass, 14-3, $966

            8th:       Kevin Edwards of Knoxville, Tenn., five bass, 13-12, $501

            9th:       Kyle Smith of Elizabethton, Tenn., five bass, 13-8, $417

            9th:       Justin Coffey of Rockwood, Tenn., five bass, 13-8, $417

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Rodefer brought a 5-pound, 15-ounce bass to the scale to win the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $410.

Jim Neece Jr. of Bristol, Tennessee, 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.

SHOP – THE NATIONAL ANGLER

Jarrod Bailey of Salyersville, Kentucky, won the Co-angler Division and $1,668 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 18 pounds, 6 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:

            1st:       Jarrod Bailey of Salyersville, Ky., five bass, 18-6, $1,668

            2nd:      Brian Pilon of Greeneville, Tenn., five bass, 13-3, $834

            3rd:       Ben Arnold of LaFollette, Tenn., five bass, 12-0, $558

            4th:       Bill King of Greenback, Tenn., three bass, 11-14, $389

            5th:       Terri Davis of Chilhowie, Va., four bass, 11-7, $334

            6th:       Jessee Roberts of Big Stone Gap, Va., five bass, 11-2, $306

            7th:       Johnny Lytle of Seymour, Tenn., four bass, 10-8, $278

            8th:       Jason Taylor of Harriman, Tenn., five bass, 10-6, $250

            9th:       Jim Neece Sr. of Bristol, Va., four bass, 9-13, $222

            10th:     Hunter Price of Morristown, Tenn., two bass, 8-14, $297

Price caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, weighing in at 6 pounds, 12 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $102.

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

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the Volunteer 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 Richmond Region Tourism. 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

Ohio’s Haunert Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Dale Hollow Reservoir

West Virginia’s Sansom Wins Co-angler Division

BYRDSTOWN, Tenn. (March 10, 2020) – Boater Andrew Haunert of Blue Ash, Ohio, brought a five-bass limit to the scale weighing 19 pounds, 10 ounces to win the 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine event at Dale Hollow Reservoir in Byrdstown, Tennessee. For his victory, Haunert earned a total of $5,103.

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The tournament was the first of five events in the Music City Division presented by A.R.E. Truck Caps.

“It feels awesome to get the win. I just got a new boat – it’s actually Hank Parker’s old Ranger – and hopefully it continues to bring me good luck,” said Haunert, who earned his first career victory in FLW competition.

“I caught my fish mid-lake, and I stayed there all day throwing a jig,” Haunert continued. “I was fishing in 15 to 20 feet of water, and I pretty much grinded it out in the same spot all day. I kept leaving them and then coming back, and it kept producing.”

Haunert said he caught his fish on a ½-ounce Stan Sloan’s Zorro jig with a Zoom Twin Tail trailer.

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“The key was persistence – I knew the fish weren’t biting everywhere, so I stayed in the water that I knew was productive and just kept at it.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:

            1st:       Andrew Haunert of Blue Ash, Ohio, five bass, 19-10, $5,103

            2nd:      Scott Brummett of Brentwood, Tenn., five bass, 17-15, $2,232

            3rd:       Hunter Bouldin of McMinnville, Tenn., five bass, 17-0, $1,489

            4th:       J.B. King of Byrdstown, Tenn., five bass, 15-15, $1,041

            5th:       Jimmy Gayhart of Sadieville, Ky, five bass, 15-7, $855

            5th:       Tim McDonald of Prestonsburg, Ky, five bass, 15-7, $855

            7th:       Brian Copeland of Rickman, Tenn., five bass, 14-15, $744

            8th:       Jayson Johnson of Smithville, Tenn., five bass, 14-14, $632

            8th:       Robert Reagan of Byrdstown, Tenn., five bass, 14-14, $632

            10th:     Josh Tramel of Smithville, Tenn, five bass, 14-12, $721

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Haunert also earned the day’s $640 Boater Big Bass award with his largest fish, a 5-pound, 1-ounce bass.

SHOP – THE NATIONAL ANGLER

Eric Moore of Union, Kentucky, 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.

Mick Sansom of Salt Rock, West Virginia earned the win in the Co-angler Division Saturday after catching a five-bass limit weighing 14 pounds, 6 ounces. Sansom earned $2,197 for his victory.

The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:

            1st:       Mick Sansom of Salt Rock, W.Va., five bass, 14-6, $2,197

            1st:       Brandon Barker of Nancy, Ky., five bass, 13-6, $1,098

            3rd:       Douglas Lyon of Cincinnati, Ohio, five bass, 13-5, $733

            4th:       Lucas Devere of Berea, Ky., five bass, 12-4, $513

            5th:       Brad Goetz of Montello, Wis., five bass, 11-14, $439

            6th:       Ryan Mealer of Spring Hill, Tenn., four bass, 11-11, $403

            7th:       Brian Gentry of Smyrna, Tenn., five bass, 11-9, $366

            8th:       Matthew Poss of Smithville, Tenn., five bass, 11-3, $330

            9th:       Timothy Ernst of Winchester, Ky., four bass, 10-14, $293

            10th:     Bill Haunert of Byrdstown, Tenn., four bass, 10-11, $256

Joe Gentry of Gallatin, Tennessee, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 5 pounds, 2 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $315.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on Dale Hollow Reservoir was hosted by Star Point Resort.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the Music City 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 Lake Lanier in Gainesville, Georgia, hosted by the Gainesville Convention and Visitors Bureau. 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

Georgia’s Austin Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Clarks Hill Lake

Hollywood’s Hoy Wins Co-angler Division

MCCORMICK, S.C. (March 10, 2020) – Boater Kyle Austin of Ridgeville, South Carolina, brought five bass to the scale totaling 13 pounds, 15 ounces to win the 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine event at Clarks Hill Lake Saturday in McCormick, South Carolina. For his victory, Austin earned $3,426.

“I was fishing mainly on the bottom end of the lake, fishing a mixture of muddy and clean water,” said Austin, who earned his first career victory in FLW competition. “I was trying to find creeks that were muddy at the base but had clean water in the backs.

“I was catching them a few different ways,” Austin continued. “I caught two in the morning out deep, then a couple up shallow and a couple off boat ramps – I was just kind of hodge-podging around.

“My first two fish came on a Carolina rig with a black Zoom Lizard, with a chartreuse tail. Two of my fish came on a Treeshaker spinnerbait and one came on a Treeshaker bladed jig. I caught a few non-keepers on a Rat-L-Trap.

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“The key to my victory was probably just fishing my style of fishing,” Austin went on to say. “I like to not be on anything. I like to drive as fast as I can down the lake and fish whatever looks good.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:

            1st:       Kyle Austin of Ridgeville, S.C., five bass, 13-15, $3,426

            2nd:      Jeff Bailey of Inman, S.C., three bass, 13-7, $1,713

            3rd:       Nick Gant of Myrtle Beach, S.C., five bass, 11-14, $1,141

            4th:       Brayden Rakes of Winston-Salem, N.C., four bass, 11-3, $799

            5th:       Nelson Walker of Manning, S.C., five bass, 9-9, $685

            6th:       Charles Cannington of Moncks Corner, S.C., five bass, 9-8, $828

            7th:       Timmy Thompkins of Myrtle Beach, S.C., five bass, 9-6, $514

            7th:       Michael Campbell of Pineville, S.C., five bass, 9-6, $514

            7th:       Ross Burns of Columbia, S.C., five bass, 9-6, $614

            10th:     Jerry Pelfrey of Laurens, S.C., three bass, 9-1, $400

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Roger Farr of Little Mountain, South Carolina, 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.

Robbie Mills of Appling, Georgia, brought a 6-pound, 14-ounce bass to the scale to win the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $430.

Jack Daniel Hoy of Hollywood, South Carolina, won the Co-angler Division and $1,928 Saturday after catching a five-bass limit weighing 13 pounds, 15 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:

            1st:       Jack Daniel Hoy of Hollywood, S.C., five bass, 21-2, $1,928

            2nd:      Casey Griffith of Guyton, Ga., four bass, 10-11, $1,006

            3rd:       Taylor Barnette of Landrum, S.C., three bass, 9-11, $485

            3rd:       John Joyce II of Inman, S.C., five bass, 9-11, $485

            5th:       Lonnie Drusch of Sumter, S.C., five bass, 8-10, $443

            6th:       Brian Ruppe of Irmo, S.C., four bass, 8-4, $314

            7th:       Stephen Britt of Chapin, S.C., five bass, 8-2, $285

            8th:       Danny Bickley of Chapin, S.C., five bass, 6-15, $257

            9th:       Travis Ruff of Connelly Springs, N.C., three bass, 6-14, $228

            10th:     Terry Coleman of Sumter, S.C., five bass, 6-10, $200

SHOP – THE NATIONAL ANGLER

Hoy also earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $215 after bringing a bass weighing 6 pounds, 13 ounces to the scale.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on Clarks Hill Lake was the second of five events in the South Carolina Division.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the South Carolina Division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 16-18 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Lake Cherokee in Jefferson City, Tennessee, hosted by the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce. 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 Uncategorized

Mississippi’s Coker Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Tournament on Ross Barnett Reservoir

West Point’s Armstrong Wins Co-angler Division

BRANDON, Miss. (March 10, 2020) – Local boater Clyde Coker of Brandon, brought five bass to the scale Saturday totaling 16 pounds, 13 ounces to win the 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine event at Ross Barnett Reservoir in Brandon, Mississippi. For his victory, Coker earned a total of $4,315.

“The water temperatures had dropped, so I started out throwing a spinnerbait in the morning,” said Coker, who earned his first career victory in FLW competition. “I caught a bunch of short fish, then switched over to a ChatterBait.

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“When the wind picked up and the sun came out they wouldn’t hit the ChatterBait anymore, so I started swimming a jig and that is what the majority of my fish came on.”

Coker said he was mainly fishing main-lake flats in 3 feet of water. His jig of choice was a green-pumpkin and orange-colored Blacks Custom jig. He used a twin-tailed trailer with the tails dyed chartreuse.

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:

            1st:       Clyde Coker of Brandon, Miss., five bass, 16-13, $4,315

            2nd:      Taurian Parks of Clinton, Miss., three bass, 11-7, $2,157

            3rd:       Joel Barber of Brandon, Miss., five bass, 11-2, $1,439

            4th:       Andy Graves of Clarksdale, Miss., two bass, 10-9, $1,617

            5th:       Mike Jones of Brandon, Miss., four bass, 9-15, $1,063

            6th:       Andy Coy of Corinth, Miss., four bass, 9-4, $1,291

            7th:       Lloyd Pickett Jr. of Bartlett, Tenn., two bass, 9-2, $683

            7th:       Gary Caruso of Baton Rouge, La., two bass, 9-2, $683

            9th:       Darrell Hunter of Lena, Miss., two bass, 8-13, $575

            10th:     Bryant Adam of Madison, Miss., three bass, 8-8, $503

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

SHOP – THE NATIONAL ANGLER

Graves brought a 6-pound, 4-ounce bass to the scale to win the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $610.

Coy 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.

Eddie Armstrong of West Point, Mississippi, won the Co-angler Division and $2,157 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 17 pounds, 10 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:

            1st:       Eddie Armstrong of West Point, Miss., five bass, 17-10, $2,157

            2nd:      Desmond Champion of El Dorado, Ark., three bass, 13-5, $1,384

            3rd:       David Hug of Collierville, Tenn., four bass, 11-7, $717

            4th:       Louie Parkman Jr. of Brandon, Miss., three bass, 8-0, $503

            5th:       Daniel Corkern of Florence, Miss., two bass, 7-2, $581

            6th:       Tim Davis of Laurel, Miss., two bass, 7-1, $396

            7th:       Joel Ross of Brandon, Miss., two bass, 6-14, $460

            8th:       Chris Godfrey of Columbus, Miss., two bass, 6-8, $324

            9th:       Chris Bray of Southaven, Miss., two bass, 5-12, $288

            10th:     Tyler Patterson of Tupelo, Miss., one bass, 5-11, $252

Champion caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, weighing in at 7 pounds, 15 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $305.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on Ross Barnett Reservoir was the first of five qualifying events in the Mississippi Division.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the Mississippi 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 Lake Chickamauga in Dayton, Tennessee, hosted by the Rhea Economic and Tourism Council. 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

Georgia’s Hicks Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Lake Chickamauga

Chattanooga’s Bradford Wins Co-angler Division

HIXSON, Tenn. (March 9, 2020) – Boater Derek Hicks of Rocky Face, Georgia, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 22 pounds, 10 ounces to win the 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine event at Lake Chickamauga in Hixson, Tennessee. Hicks earned a total of $5,519 for his victory.

“Lake Chickamauga is my home waters, so it feels pretty nice to get a win here,” said Hicks, who earned his second career victory in Bass Fishing League competition. “I fished the lower end of the lake all the way to above Dayton – about 25 different spots in that 20-mile stretch.

“I was targeting shallow rock – 1½- to 3-feet-deep,” Hicks continued. I caught my fish on three baits – a 5/8-ounce Stan Sloan Zorro Bango Blade spinnerbait, a Sonny McFarland Flat-Shad crankbait and a homemade 5/8-ounce brown jig.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:

            1st:       Derek Hicks of Rocky Face, Ga., five bass, 22-10, $5,519

            2nd:      Seth Davis of Harrison, Tenn., five bass, 21-4, $4,345

            3rd:       Justin Freeman of Dayton, Tenn., five bass, 19-0, $1,837

            4th:       Steve Barnes of Harrison, Tenn., five bass, 18-3, $1,288

            5th:       Brian Hatfield of Spring City, Tenn., five bass, 18-2, $1,104

            6th:       Chase Henley of Kingston, Tenn., five bass, 17-11, $1,012

            7th:       Brian Elder of Locust Grove, Ga., five bass, 17-8, $920

            8th:       Derrick Blake of Rockwood, Tenn., five bass, 17-5, $782

            8th:       Kevin Drake of Cleveland, Tenn., five bass, 17-5, $782

            10th:     Jay Fagan of Lebanon, Tenn., five bass, 16-15, $644

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Davis brought an 8-pound, 7-ounce bass to the scale to win the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $885.

Davis also 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.

Jeff Bradford of Chattanooga, Tennessee, won the Co-angler Division and $2,760 Saturday after catching a five-bass limit weighing 21 pounds, 1 ounce.

The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:

            1st:       Jeff Bradford of Chattanooga, Tenn., five bass, 21-1, $2,760

            2nd:      Adam Godsey of Harriman, Tenn., five bass, 14-15, $1,380

            3rd:       Joshua Jernigan of Rocky Top, Tenn., five bass, 14-1, $918

            4th:       Elliott Gault of Leesburg, Ala., four bass, 12-15, $644

            5th:       Wayne Hancock of Cumming, Ga., three bass, 12-12, $552

            6th:       Thomas Pierce of Calhoun, Ga., two bass, 12-11, $506

            7th:       Tony Pendley of Oakman, Ala., five bass, 12-7, $460

            8th:       Ryan Wallace of Odenville, Ala., three bass, 10-8, $564

            9th:       Shane Browder of Lynnville, Ind., four bass, 9-4, $368

            10th:     Gene Delk of Georgetown, Tenn., three bass, 9-2, $322

Adam Hickman of Caledonia, Mississippi, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 8 pounds even. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $442.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the Choo Choo Division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 16-18 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Lake Cherokee in Jefferson City, Tennessee, hosted by the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce. 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

Categories
MLF BIG-5

Florida’s Batson Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Lake Toho

South Carolina’s Hall Wins Co-angler Division

KISSIMMEE, Fla. (March 10, 2020) – Boater Clay Batson of Bradenton, Florida, brought a huge five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 34 pounds, 8 ounces to win the 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine event at Lake Toho in Kissimmee, Florida. For his victory, Batson earned a total of $4,740.

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

“I was fishing on the north end of Lake Toho,” said Batson, who earned his first career victory in FLW competition. “Targeting hyacinth mats mixed in with pads, flipping a black and blue-colored Missile Baits D-Bomb with a 1¼-ounce weight.

“The key to my victory was that the mats and pads had to be adjacent to open lanes,” Batson continued. “The fish were using those access lanes as highways. All my fish were females that were staging for the spawn. The heavy cover had to be up next to an access lane.”

The Florida angler said that a positive attitude kept his mind in check and was a big factor in his win.

“It’s been a very tough year, but I just kept practicing and grinding and knew that one day, my luck would change. Today, it all came together,” Batson went on to say. “I didn’t lose any fish fishing that thick cover – that is rare. I got them all in the boat and it was a blessed day. I’ve been doing this a long time and always wanted to get one of these wins. It feels awesome.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:

            1st:       Clay Batson of Bradenton, Fla., five bass, 34-8, $4,740

            2nd:      Marlon Crowder of Tampa, Fla., five bass, 24-15, $2,000

            3rd:       Thomas Clark of Wildwood, Fla., five bass, 20-14, $1,334

            4th:       Trevor Brown of Deltona, Fla., five bass, 18-11, $933

            5th:       Arthur Jackson of Kissimmee, Fla., five bass, 16-11, $800

            6th:       Blaine Partee of Oviedo, Fla., five bass, 15-2, $833

            7th:       Dan Blanchard of Kissimmee, Fla., five bass, 15-1, $667

            8th:       Anthony Ford of New Smyrna, Fla., five bass, 14-11, $600

            9th:       Robert Crosnoe of Inverness, Fla., five bass, 13-15, $533

            10th:     Kyle Gelles of Pingree, Idaho, five bass, 13-8, $467

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Batson’s big 11-pound, 6-ounce kicker also won the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $540.

Eddie Carper of Valliant, Oklahoma, 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.

Sean Hall of North Augusta, South Carolina, won the Co-angler Division and $2,000 Saturday after catching a five-bass limit weighing 14 pounds, 6 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:

            1st:       Sean Hall of North Augusta, S.C., five bass, 14-6, $2,000

            2nd:      Alan Clayton of Live Oak, Fla., five bass, 13-13, $1,000

            3rd:       Mike Tucker of Yalaha, Fla., five bass, 13-0, $666

            4th:       Steve Proctor of Minneola, Fla., four bass, 11-6, $467

            5th:       Dale Tomlinson of Lake Worth, Fla., four bass, 10-15, $550

            6th:       Wesley Hall of Glen St. Mary, Fla., five bass, 10-10, $367

            7th:       Charles Owens of Rockledge, Fla., five bass, 9-12, $333

            8th:       Aymon Wilcox of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., five bass, 9-11, $300

            9th:       Jason Suvak of Lauderhill, Fla., five bass, 9-10, $267

            10th:     Steve Smith of Jacksonville, Fla., four bass, 9-9, $233

Ryan Meyer of Orlando, Florida caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 8 pounds, 2 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $270.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on Lake Toho was hosted by Experience Kissimmee.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the Gator 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 Lake Lanier in Gainesville, Georgia, hosted by the Gainesville Convention & Visitors Bureau. 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.

Categories
BASSMASTER Elite Series/Opens

HANK CHERRY JR. – 2020 Bassmaster Classic Champion

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Across the country, there are thousands of ultra-talented bass anglers who would have loved to compete in this week’s 50th Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk.

Only 53 got the opportunity — and from start to finish, there was no doubt which one of them owned the event.

Hank Cherry, a 46-year-old pro from Lincolnton, N.C., and an eight-year veteran of the Bassmaster Elite Series, caught five bass on Championship Sunday that weighed 19 pounds, 8 ounces. It gave him a three-day total of 65-5 and put the exclamation point on a dominant wire-to-wire victory that netted him a $307,500 first-place prize and the title of 2020 Bassmaster Classic Champion.

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The competition was held at historic Lake Guntersville, but Cherry’s raw emotion shined through most back at the final weigh-in, which was held at Legacy Arena inside the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex.

“I talked to (fellow competitor) Paul Mueller in the boatyard, and he told me the devil was gonna try to get in my head today,” Cherry said. “He said just tell the devil to get out of your boat. He said tell him you don’t have time for him.

“That’s what I did. I caught my first fish and then I lost a big one. I could hear those voices in my head, but I didn’t listen to them. I just went and caught four more.”

This was the fifth Classic appearance for Cherry, and he had come close to hoisting the trophy once before — back in 2013 on Oklahoma’s Grand Lake, when he came in third after losing a key fish on jerkbait.

That same lure was one of his weapons of choice this week during three days of fishing that saw him catch 29-3, 16-10 and 19-8.

He did most of his damage during Friday’s first round with a Z-Man Jack Hammer ChatterBait. The bait allowed him to cut through a strong wind on his way to a tournament-best bag that featured a pair of 7-2 largemouth.

On Days 2 and 3, he relied mostly on his own Hank Cherry Signature Series Jig from Picasso in green pumpkin with a matching Berkley MaxScent Chunk trailer and the jerkbait — a Megabass 110+1 in the French pearl OB color. He replaced the factory hooks on the jerkbait with Berkley Fusion EWG No. 5s.

“I changed the hooks out to make it sink just the right way,” Cherry said. “About 90 percent of the fish I caught would be when it was directly falling. I had it heavy enough that I could see it falling, and if I saw one following it, I could watch them kill it.”

Cherry suffered an arm injury on Day 1 that he said may have limited the amount of running he did the rest of the week. But the major factor in his limited travel, he said, was the wind that blew hard on Lake Guntersville for most of the tournament.

He spent practically the whole event fishing one causeway and one grass flat.

“I never put gas in the boat all week,” Cherry said. “Y’all know me. If it’s windy, I’m not going to be making a lot of long runs — and anyway, I just didn’t need to.”

Cherry said Garmin LiveScope allowed him to keep track of the giant schools of gizzard shad that were drawing fish to the area. He also said a solid understanding of the way bass use causeways helped him catch big limits each day.

“Everybody has a misconception about those causeways,” Cherry said. “They think they should just fish the four corners. But bass use those causeways like highways. When they’re coming in, they come through the causeways and go down the rocks and to the back. Then they go exactly the same route when they come back out.

“That Garmin LiveScope just made them easy pickings.”

The win brought Cherry’s career earnings with B.A.S.S. to $934,500. He now has three career victories and 10 Top 10 finishes and the 2020 Bassmaster Classic Champion.

Perhaps more important than any statistic, however, was the fact that he exorcised some old demons that had lingered in the back of his mind since his near miss at Grand in 2013.

“When I caught that biggest bass on a jerkbait (Sunday), I felt some redemption,” he said. “I’ve learned a lot — and I’m still learning. I learned from this event how to handle the situation when you start with a big lead and have to protect it. I learned that your body will do wild things when you need that last fish to seal the deal, but you have to work through it.

“Those kinds of things make for an amazing feeling — and once it sinks in that I won this thing, I think that will be the most amazing feeling of all.”

South Carolina pro Todd Auten finished second with 58-10, and Arkansas angler Stetson Blaylock was third with 58-1.

Hank Cherry added an additional $7,500 to his winnings for being the highest-placing eligible angler in the Toyota Bonus Bucks program. Todd Auten was awarded an additional $2,500 for being the second-highest placing eligible angler in the Toyota Bonus Bucks program.

Virginia pro John Crews took the Berkley Big Bass award for the day with a 6-10 largemouth. But the Berkley Big Bass award for the week went to Auten for the 7-9 he caught on Day 1.

SHOP – THE NATIONAL ANGLER

2020 Bassmaster Classic Title Sponsor: Academy Sports + Outdoors

2020 Bassmaster Classic Presenting Sponsor: Huk Performance Fishing Apparel

2020 Bassmaster Classic Platinum Sponsor: Toyota

2020 Bassmaster Classic Premier Sponsors: Abu GarciaBerkley, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Ranger Boats, Skeeter Boats, Talon, Yamaha

2020 Bassmaster Classic Local Partners: Alabama Power, Black Rifle Coffee, Books-A-Million, Coca-Cola Bottling Company United, Jack’s Family Restaurants, Thompson Tractor, TNT Fireworks, TVA, Wind Creek Casino

2020 Bassmaster Classic Hosts: Greater Birmingham Convention & Visitors Bureau, Alabama Tourism Department and Marshall County Convention & Visitors Bureau

Hank Cherry Dominates From Start To Finish At 50th to become the 2020 Bassmaster Classic Champion