Month: March 2021

Major League Fishing - Bass Pro Tour/Cup Events

DeFoe Cruises to Win Qualifying Group A of Major League Fishing’s Toro Stage One at Sam Rayburn Reservoir Presented by Power-Pole

ASPER, Texas (March 23, 2021) – Pro Ott DeFoe of Blaine, Tennessee, caught 14 bass Tuesday totaling 34 pounds, 4 ounces to vault to the top of the leaderboard and win the two-day Qualifying Group A round at the Toro Stage One at Sam Rayburn Reservoir presented by Power-Pole . DeFoe’s two-day total of 25 bass weighing 59 pounds, 11 ounces earned him the win by a 9½-pound margin and now advances him directly into the Championship Round of competition, set for Friday. The six-day tournament is being live-streamed online and filmed for television broadcast on the Discovery Channel and the Outdoor Channel later this year.

Alabama’s Dustin Connell, the reigning REDCREST Champion, caught a two-day total of 16 bass weighing 50-3 to finish the round in second place, while day one leader Spencer Shuffield of Hot Springs, Arkansas, boated a two-day total of 13 bass weighing 41-10 to end the round in third place.

The top 20 anglers from Group A will now enjoy an off day, while the 40 anglers in Qualifying Group B will complete their two-day Qualifying Round of competition on Wednesday. The Knockout Round, featuring 38 anglers competing to finish in the top eight, will take place on Thursday. Friday’s Championship Round will feature DeFoe, Wednesday’s Group B winner, and the top eight anglers from the Knockout Round competing in a final-day shootout for the top prize of $100,000.

“It’s such a huge relief to win and not have to come back out here to compete in the Knockout Round,” DeFoe said. “And now, I don’t have to beat my fish up again and the way I’ve been fishing that is a huge, huge plus. I can let those fish rest and don’t have to try to catch them two days in a row. I only have to come back out when it really matters, so I’m very excited about that.”

DeFoe got off to a fast start, catching eight scorable bass in Period 1, but his day slowed immensely in the final two periods with just two scorable bass in Period 2 and a three-fish flurry right around 3:30 p.m. in the final period. He said that he caught his fish on five different moving baits.

“What worked for me on Sunday morning worked again for me this morning, and that got me off to a really solid start,” DeFoe said. “The midday deal was a lot harder for me today. I spent a lot of the final period looking and I finally hit a place that was good and caught the three scorable fish really quick in the final period. I might have figured a little something out, and that could be a difference maker for me in the end.”

DeFoe plans to return to the same areas during Friday’s Championship Round and said he hopes it will have enough to earn him his second Texas victory on the Bass Pro Tour in two seasons.

“I’m all in on where I’m at,” DeFoe went on to say. “I’m incredibly excited to get back out there – equally as excited as I was last year for the final day on Lake Athens.”

Other than DeFoe’s 34-pound day, Spring City, Tennessee’s Wesley Strader had the second-highest weight on the day, catching six bass totaling 28 pounds, 15 ounces – including a 8-9 and a 6-1. Strader’s two-day total of 10 bass for 39-5 landed him in fifth place.

“We had a really fun day today,” the Tennessee pro said. “Hopefully things keep improving and we can expand a little bit on what we had going this morning. I’m looking forward to spending tomorrow regrouping and getting retied and everything ready to go for the Knockout Round.”

Although DeFoe’s 9½-pound margin of victory didn’t really lend much dramatics at the top of the leaderboard, the race to finish above the Toro Cut Line inside the top 20 proved very intense. Pro Brett Hite of Phoenix, Arizona, boated a 3-pound, 3-ouncer, with less than 10 minutes remaining in Period 3 to move into the Cut Line and knock out Texan Alton Jones, who finished in 21st place.

“Wow, that was intense. That, right there, is what Major League Fishing is all about – fish hard right to the end and never give up,” Hite said. “I had a rough day, and I worked my butt off. I had a real tough morning, but made the decision to make a long run at the end of the second period into the third period and it ended up being the right call. That’s one of the biggest things out here – you have to go with your gut and trust that you are making the right decision. Today, it paid off, and I’m really looking forward to getting back out here on Thursday.”

The top 20 pros from Qualifying Group A that now advance to Thursday’s Knockout Round on Sam Rayburn Reservoir are:

1st:        Ott DeFoe, Blaine, Tenn., 25 bass, 59-11 (ADVANCES DIRECTLY TO CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND)
2nd:       Dustin Connell. Clanton, Ala., 16 bass, 50-3
3rd:       Spencer Shuffield, Hot Springs, Ark., 13 bass, 41-10
4th:        Wesley Strader, Spring City, Tenn., 10 bass, 39-5
5th:        Kevin VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich., 12 bass, 34-2
6th:        Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla., 10 bass, 31-12
7th:        Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., 13 bass, 30-15
8th:        Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn., nine bass, 30-9
9th:        Ish Monroe, Oakdale, Calif., nine bass, 30-7
10th:     Cliff Crochet, Pierre Part, La., 10 bass, 30-1
11th:     Anthony Gagliardi, Prosperity, S.C., 12 bass, 29-4
12th:     Cliff Pace, Petal, Miss., six bass, 28-0
13th:     Dean Rojas, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., 11 bass, 27-9
14th:     Marty Robinson, Lyman, S.C., 10 bass, 26-10
15th:     Luke Clausen, Spokane, Wash., nine bass, 26-2
16th:     Fletcher Shryock, Guntersville, Ala., 10 bass, 25-15
17th:     Edwin Evers, Talala, Okla., six bass, 25-10
18th:     Jason Lambert, Michie, Tenn., eight bass, 25-1
19th:     Brett Hite, Phoenix, Ariz., eight bass, 23-0
20th:     Fred Roumbanis, Russellville, Ark., eight bass, 22-0

Full results for the field can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Overall, there were 149 bass weighing 434 pounds, 13 ounces caught by 38 pros Tuesday, which included two 8-pounders, two 7-pounders, two 6-pounders and six 5-pounders caught from Sam Rayburn Reservoir.

Pace won Tuesday’s $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award, weighing in an 8-pound, 11-ounce largemouth which bit a jerkbait in Period 1. Berkley will award $1,000 to the angler that weighs the biggest bass each day, and a $3,000 bonus to the angler who weighs the largest bass of the tournament.

The MLF Bass Pro Tour Toro Stage One at Sam Rayburn Reservoir Presented by Power-Pole is hosted by the Jasper County Development District and the Jasper/Lake Sam Rayburn Chamber of Commerce.

The 40 Anglers in Group A competed in their two-day qualifying round on Sunday and Tuesday – the 40 anglers in Group B on Monday and Wednesday. After each two-day qualifying round is complete, the anglers that finish in 2^nd through 20^th place from both groups advance to Thursday’s Knockout Round, while the the winner of each group advances directly to Friday’s Championship Round. In the Knockout Round, weights are zeroed and the remaining 38 anglers compete to finish in the top 8 to advance to the Championship Round. In the final day Championship Round, weights are zeroed and the highest one-day total wins. Full breakdown of the format can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

BASSMASTER Elite Series/Opens

There’s A Tie At The Top At Pickwick Elite

Post author By jcarrigan
Post date March 22, 2021
No Comments on There’s A Tie At The Top At Pickwick Elite

March 22, 2021

There’s A Tie At The Top At Pickwick Elite

FLORENCE, Ala. — Tomorrow, there can be only one winner, but Bill Lowen and Chad Pipkens share the Day 3 lead at the Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at Pickwick Lake.

Both anglers head into Championship Tuesday with 62 pounds, 10 ounces.

If a tie occurs in the tournament’s final round, the winner will be determined by a fish-off between the tied competitors.

Hailing from Brookville, Ind., Lowen improved from second place by adding 17-10 to his previous days’ limits of 21-3 and 23-13. Pipkens, who lives in Holt, Mich., moved up from sixth. His daily weights were 21-2, 18-5 and 23-3.

Since last week’s fierce storm, the Tennessee Valley Authority has been moving a tremendous volume of water through Pickwick. Lowen started his day fishing main-river current breaks on the backside of Kogers Island and continued his quest to determine how the fish are adjusting.

As the water level slowly declines, warming conditions have set the stage for a possible spawning movement.

“It just seems like every day the morning has been the deal, that first three hours,” Lowen said. “After that, I just have to beat around and try other things. I’m just trying to find out where the fish have gone.

“I feel like the current is pushing those fish off the flats. I have some areas that they should be going to. I keep checking them, but they haven’t shown up yet.”

Lowen caught his fish on his signature series 3/8-ounce Lure Parts Online jig with a chunk trailer. This bait’s weight and buoyancy allows it to sweep across shallow wood cover without snagging.

Later in the morning, Lowen started exploring other habitat features, including tall stands of flat reeds where spawners may eventually move. Signs are pointing in that direction, he said, but Lowen’s not ready to commit his final day to this uncertain stage.

“At the end of the day, I had some fish come up on a swim jig that didn’t get it,” Lowen said. “I’ve been saying it all day that it’s time for that to happen. Tomorrow, I’m going down there and starting on that same stretch. The only thing I was missing today were those big bites. Hopefully tomorrow some of those big females will move up.”

Spending his day on the backside of a small island upstream of Kogers, Pipkens focused on a grassy ditch. Receding water seems to be working in his favor.

“The first day I caught every fish I weighed up close to that island on a current seam because the water was so high,” Pipkens said. “At the end of the day I caught a couple about 100 yards back, and yesterday I caught most of them [farther] back.

“Today, I caught them all there, except for one at the end. I think they’re starting to scatter back throughout that ditch. I’m ready to move around tomorrow.”

Pipkens anchored his bag with a 5-pounder around 10:46 a.m., but a 4-pounder at 2:14 p.m. gave him a key cull that secured his first-place tie. He caught his fish on a ChatterBait with a trailer hook and a swimbait trailer. Pipkens said his bites were subtle.

“There’s so much current, they’re just sitting down there and they’re not eating until the bait comes over them,” Pipkens said.

Pipkens is hopeful that tomorrow’s forecasted rain and dim skies could trigger a more aggressive bite.

“With tomorrow’s weather, it could get right,” he said. “I’ve said if you can catch 15 to 20 fish in this area, you can weigh in 25 to 30 pounds. I was one big bite away today and I only caught six. The right ones bit today.”

Cory Johnston of Cavan, Canada, is in third place with 59-1. Moving up from 22nd place, he added the day’s heaviest bag, 25-5, to his previous weights of 18-9 and 15-3.

“I caught most of my fish offshore in the Kogers Island area on current breaks in 3 to 8 feet, and then I went looking for some other stuff,” Johnston said. “I ended up finding some stuff on the bank and caught a 5-pounder.

“Up shallow, it was wood and junk they’re sitting behind out of the current. I was just trying to expand my options, but it’s hard to say which might play tomorrow. I’ll try both.”

Johnston said he rotated through a selection of 10 reaction baits. Continuously giving the fish different looks was the key to his success.

Hank Cherry of Lincolnton, N.C., is in the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors with his 7-11.

Patrick Walters of Summerville, S.C., leads the Angler of the Year standings with 264 points. Seth Feider of New Market, Minn., is in second with 246, followed by Brandon Palaniuk of Rathdrum, Idaho, with 245, Greg Hackney of Gonzales, La., with 242 and Bryan New of Belmont, N.C., with 239.

Tuesday’s takeoff is scheduled for 6:45 a.m. CT at McFarland Park. The weigh-in will be held at the park at 3 p.m.

Live coverage of the event can be streamed on Bassmaster.com and the FOX Sports digital platforms.

Major League Fishing - Bass Pro Tour/Cup Events

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Scroggins won Monday’s $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award, weighing in a 7-pound, 9-ounce largemouth which bit on a bladed swimjig right at the end of Period 3. Berkley will award $1,000 to the angler that weighs the biggest bass each day, and a $3,000 bonus to the angler who weighs the largest bass of the tournament.

The MLF Bass Pro Tour Toro Stage 1 at Sam Rayburn Reservoir presented by Power-Pole is hosted by the Jasper County Development District and the Jasper/Lake Sam Rayburn Chamber of Commerce.

The 40 Anglers in Group A compete in their two-day qualifying round on Sunday and Tuesday – the 40 anglers in Group B on Monday and Wednesday. After each two-day qualifying round is complete, the anglers that finish in 2^nd through 20^th place from both groups advance to Thursday’s Knockout Round, while the the winner of each group advances directly to Friday’s Championship Round. In the Knockout Round, weights are zeroed and the remaining 38 anglers compete to finish in the top 8 to advance to the Championship Round. In the final day Championship Round, weights are zeroed and the highest one-day total wins. Full breakdown of the format can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

MLF BIG-5

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Throughout the season, anglers are also vying for valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the 2021 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit TITLE presented by Mercury, the Pro Circuit Championship, where they will compete for up to $235,000. The 2021 TITLE will be on the Mississippi River in La Crosse, Wisconsin on Aug. 17-22, and is hosted by Explore La Crosse.

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

The MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit presented by Bad Boy Mowers, Covercraft Stop 2 – Lewis Smith Lake will feature live on-the-water coverage and a two-hour action-packed television show that will premiere on the Outdoor Channel on Sunday, July 18 from 7 to 9 a.m. ET and re-air on the Sportsman Channel this fall. Fans can catch weigh-ins and live on-the-water action all day Saturday and Sunday, March 13-14 on MLF NOW! beginning at 7:30 a.m. CT at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

MLF BIG-5

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MLF BIG-5

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

Post author By jcarrigan
Post date March 11, 2021
No Comments on Arkansan Milner Leads Day One ofTackle Warehouse Pro Circuit on Lewis Smith Lake

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

For a full list of results visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.

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

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

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

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

Throughout the season, anglers are also vying for valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the 2021 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit TITLE presented by Mercury, the Pro Circuit Championship, where they will compete for up to $235,000. The 2021 TITLE will be on the Mississippi River in La Crosse, Wisconsin on Aug. 17-22, and is hosted by Explore La Crosse.

Anglers will take off at 7 a.m. CT Thursday through Sunday from Smith Lake Park, located at 403 County Rd 386 in Cullman. Weigh-ins will also be held at the park Thursday and Friday at 3 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday at 4 p.m. Attendance is limited to competing anglers, family, essential staff and media covering the event. Fans are encouraged to follow the action online through the MLF NOW! live stream and coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com .

The MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit presented by Bad Boy Mowers, Covercraft Stop 2 – Lewis Smith Lake will feature live on-the-water coverage and a two-hour action-packed television show that will premiere on the Outdoor Channel on Sunday, July 18 from 7 to 9 a.m. ET and re-air on the Sportsman Channel this fall. Weigh-ins will be streamed daily and fans can catch live on-the-water action all day Saturday and Sunday, March 13-14 on MLF NOW! beginning at 7:30 a.m. CT at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

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