Month: April 2021

Monster Bag Lifts Livesay To Bassmaster Elite Series Victory At Lake Fork

Post author By jcarrigan
Post date April 25, 2021
No Comments on Monster Bag Lifts Livesay To Bassmaster Elite Series Victory At Lake Fork

QUITMAN, Texas — For three days, Lee Livesay caught quality fish, but nothing close to the Lake Fork potential he intimately knows. On Championship Sunday, the third-year Elite Series pro and local guide showcased his home lake’s treasures by winning the Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork with a phenomenal four-day total of 112 pounds, 5 ounces.

As the 32nd individual to enter the prestigious Bassmaster Century Club (a five-fish limit of 100 pounds or more), Livesay outpaced Day 1 leader Patrick Walters by a 10-pound margin. Along with his second Elite trophy — his first came last fall at Chickamauga Lake — Livesay won a first-place award of $100,000.

For Livesay, it was a monster final-day limit that weighed 42-3 and ranks as the third-heaviest, single-day weight in Bassmaster history that sealed the deal.

“I have no words right now, it’s amazing,” he said. “I’ve been around them, but I haven’t caught any big ones all week; I just survived. Everything just worked out and it never goes like that.”

Hailing from Longview, Texas, Livesay made no assumptions and fished hard until the last minute. But when the smallest bass in your five-fish limit goes 7 pounds, 6 ounces, good things are likely.

“I caught big ones everywhere I went,” he said. “I started off with big ones (a 9-2 at 7:14 a.m.) and ended with big ones (7-14 at 1:10 p.m.). It was just one of those surreal days, and it was amazing because I’ve spent a lot of time on this lake.”

Spending his tournament in Little Caney Creek, Livesay rotated among several secondary points where bass were chasing big gizzard shad. His main spot — a bar extending off a small island — allowed him to sneak into range of bass schooling on the opposite side without spooking them.

Throughout the tournament, Livesay caught fish on a mixed arsenal that included a 3:16 Lure Company line-through Rising Son swimbait, a 3:16 Lure Company Work Horse glidebait, a Megabass Vision 110 jerkbait, a Carolina rig with a Netbait Little Spanky, a 6th Sense Magnum Squarebill and a bone color Heddon Saltwater Super Spook.

On Sunday, the latter produced all of his weight fish. A 7-foot medium-heavy Halo HFX cranking rod and 40-pound braided line was essential for reaching distant fish and keeping them connected.

“Those fish are wanting to feed up and they’re seeing so many swimbaits, they’re just not eating them,” he said. “I kept getting bites and I kept throwing it.

“Working that big topwater really erratic and just getting them to react was the deal. I think they really think it’s a shad.”

Livesay kept himself in the hunt all week, starting with a seventh-place bag of 25-6 on Day 1. He slipped two spots on Day 2 after catching 17-14, but put himself within striking distance on Semifinal Saturday by adding 26-14 and improving to fifth.

Overcoming the hometown curse — succumbing to the pressure of local expectations — made Livesay’s victory even sweeter.

“I’ve spent thousands of days with clients and fun fishing on this lake,” Livesay said. “I never thought I had it. I knew I was around them, but I never thought I’d catch 42 pounds.

“So, doing it in front of family and friends, and a lot of sponsors were here, too, it’s just amazing. I couldn’t ask for anything better.”

Notably, Walters claimed his second Century Club belt after earning his first at last November’s Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest benefiting Texas Parks and Wildlife Department with a four-day Lake Fork total of 104-12.

Hailing from Summerville, S.C., Walters started strong this week by leading Day 1 with 32-14. He slipped to third on Day 2 with a smaller limit of 15-7.

Walters got back on track Saturday with 22-13 and reached the final round in fourth place. Adding 31-3 Sunday, he tallied 102-5 and was the only competitor to break 30 pounds twice.

He did most of his work at the mouth of Little Caney where prespawners were staging on the breaks. Leveraging his forward-facing Garmin Panoptix LiveScope, he fished a mix of jerkbaits, swimbaits and topwaters.

After a slow start, Walters got rolling with a midmorning rally that produced several big topwater bites. He steadily chipped away at the lead Livesay had built for much of the morning until the leader’s midday rally put the event out of reach.

“If you’re going to get beat on Lake Fork, it has to be a 40-pound bag,” Walters said. “Big hats off to Lee, he is the man. I had a great week; I really do love this place.”

Quentin Cappo of Prairieville, La., held the second-place spot for the first three days and finished third with 99-6. He turned in daily weights of 28-15, 25-13, 19-4 and 25-6.

Cappo targeted shallow areas with shell bottom in Caney Creek looking for submerged root masses, where deflecting a Strike King KVD 4.0 squarebill triggered strikes. When bass drove gizzard shad topside, he threw a Strike King Sexy Dawg topwater.

“The topwater came into play huge today, as expected,” he said. “One to 3 o’clock has been my window. I was just pacing around, hitting as much as I could and looking for bait activity.

“When that water temperature got warm throughout the day, they would come up and get active. And when the wind pushed those shad against the bank, they showed themselves.”

HOTTEST NEW LURES FOR 2020

Clifford Pirch of Payson, Ariz., won the $1,000 Phoenix Boats Big Bass award for his 9-13 largemouth. He also won $1,000 for the biggest bass of Day 2. Walters claimed Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors for Days 1 and 4 (8-14 and 9-5), while Australian pro Carl Jocumsen took the award on Day 3 with a 9-5.

Brandon Card of Salisbury, N.C., took home $3,000 for being the highest-placing entrant in the Toyota Bonus Bucks program, and Chris Zaldain of Fort Worth, Texas, earned $2,000 for being the second-highest placing entrant.

As part of the Yamaha Power Pay program, Walters earned $2,500 for being the highest-placing entrant, while Cappo claimed an additional $1,500 for being the second-highest placing entrant.

Seth Feider of New Market, Minn., leads the Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings with 436 points. Walters is in second with 432, followed by Drew Cook of Cairo, Ga., with 387, Livesay with 385 and Chris Johnston of Peterborough, Canada, with 384.

Josh Stracner of Vandiver, Ala., leads the Rookie of the Year standings with 333 points.

The tournament was hosted by the Sabine River Authority and Wood County Economic Development Commission.

2021 Bassmaster Elite Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota

2021 Bassmaster Elite Series Premier Sponsors: Berkley, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Ranger Boats, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha

2021 Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: AFTCO, Bass Pro Shops, Garmin, Huk Performance Fishing, Marathon, Rapala

2021 Bassmaster Elite Series Conservation Partner: AFTCO

MLF BIG-5

Becker Earns First Career Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Victory at Googan Baits Stop 3 at Lake Murray

Post author By jcarrigan
Post date April 25, 2021
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COLUMBIA, S.C. (April 25, 2021) – Favorite Fishing pro Matt Becker of Finleyville, Pennsylvania, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Sunday weighing 17 pounds, 11 ounces, to hold off a massive charge from local favorite Anthony Gagliardi of Prosperity and win the four-day MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by Bad Boy Mowers, Googan Baits Stop 3 Presented by Favorite Fishing – Lake Murray in Columbia, South Carolina. Becker’s four-day total of 20 bass weighing 76-5 earned him the victory by a 2½-pound margin over Gagliardi and earned Becker the top prize of $137,500, including the lucrative $35,000 MLF Phoenix BIG5 Bonus.

“This has been years and years in the making,” said an emotional Becker on stage after being crowned champion. “I was really beginning to think that I couldn’t win. I’ve always been consistent, near the top of the standings. But I was really starting to doubt that I could win. Just to make a top 10 against this group of hammers is unbelievable. They always say when it’s your time, it’s your time. And man, did I live that this week.”

The 2018 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Rookie of the Year started Day 1 of the event with a plan to target docks and sight-fish spawning bass. But, before doing that, Becker slotted in a little time to try a risky timing/herring-spawn pattern, and he ended up never changing. He kept hitting, and re-hitting, as many points as possible knowing that eventually the schools of bass would move shallow to feed.

“The spot I caught them Day 2, I had fished three times before I caught them,” said Becker. “I knew the fish were there, but I rotated through multiple times and never had a bite. Then I came back and they were there and they were eating. I went from zero to 14 pounds in minutes.”

Becker said his key baits throughout the week were a couple of different soft-plastic jerkbaits, with the Googan Baits Dart (Green Gizzard Shad) being his best option. He rigged the Dart on rigged on a TroKar TK 180 hook with a TroKar TK 300 treble hook as a stinger. He threw that on a 7-foot, 5-inch medium-heavy Favorite Fishing Hex rod, Favorite Fishing Soleus XCS reel and 15-pound-test Seaguar InvizX fluorocarbon line.

“All week, the little things just always lined up,” Becker said. “Today, I pulled into a cove and I got this overwhelming feeling I was going to go to the first point and catch a 3 ½-pounder, and then I’d go to the second point and catch another 3 ½-pounder. And that’s exactly what happened. That pretty much got me the win.”

The top 10 pros on Lake Murray finished are:
                1st:        Matt Becker of Finleyville, Pa., 20 bass, 76-5, $137,500
                2nd:       Anthony Gagliardi of Prosperity, S.C., 20 bass, 73-13, $30,000
                3rd:       Michael Neal of Dayton, Tenn., 20 bass, 71-8, $25,000
                4th:        Adrian Avena of Vineland, N.J., 20 bass, 68-2, $20,000
                5th:        David Williams of Maiden, N.C., 20 bass, 64-13, $19,000
                6th:        Tai Au of Glendale, Ariz., 20 bass, 64-9, $18,500
                7th:        Evan Barnes of Hot Springs, Ark., 20 bass, 63-10, $17,000
                8th:        Cody Huff of Ava, Mo., 20 bass, 63-0, $16,000
                9th:        Derrick Snavely of Piney Flats, Tenn., 18 bass, 60-2, $15,000
                10th:     Skeet Reese of Auburn, Calif., 17 bass, 57-9, $14,000

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

Overall, there were 46 bass weighing 151 pounds, 5 ounces caught by the final 10 pros Sunday. The catch included eight five-bass limits.

The four top performers who now qualify to compete in the MLF Bass Pro Tour B&W Trailer Hitches Stage Four at Lake Chickamauga in Dayton, Tennessee, June 4-9, are Matt Becker, David Williams, Tai Au and Evan Barnes.

The MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit presented by Bad Boy Mowers, Googan Baits Stop 3 Presented by Favorite Fishing – Lake Murray air on a two-hour action-packed television show that premieres on the Outdoor Channel on Sunday, July 25 from 7 to 9 a.m. ET and re-air on the Sportsman Channel this fall.

The MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit presented by Bad Boy Mowers, Googan Baits Stop 3 Presented by Favorite Fishing – Lake Murray was hosted by the Capital City Lake Murray Country Regional Tourism Board. The next event for Pro Circuit anglers will be the Grundéns Stop 4 Lake Eufaula in Eufaula, Alabama, May 13-16, 2021.

In Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit competition, the full field of 161 anglers competed in the two-day opening round on Thursday and Friday. The field was cut to 50 anglers on Saturday. Only the top 10 pros based on their three-day cumulative weight advanced to Sunday where the winner was determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from all four days of competition.

HOTTEST NEW LURES FOR 2020

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.

MLF BIG-5

Pennsylvania’s Becker Moves Ahead on Day Two of Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Googan Baits Stop 3 at Lake Murray

Post author By jcarrigan
Post date April 23, 2021
No Comments on Pennsylvania’s Becker Moves Ahead on Day Two of Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Googan Baits Stop 3 at Lake Murray

COLUMBIA, S.C. (April 23, 2021) – Pro Matt Becker of Finleyville, Pennsylvania, caught five bass weighing 19 pounds, 9 ounces Friday to move from second into first place after Day 2 of the MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by Bad Boy Mowers, Googan Baits Stop 3 Presented by Favorite Fishing – Lake Murray in Columbia, South Carolina. Becker’s two-day total of 10 bass weighing 41 pounds, 2 ounces gives him a 2-pound, 12-ounce advantage heading into Day 3 of the four-day competition that features a field of 161 bass-fishing professionals from around the world competing for a top cash award of up to $135,000.

Pro Derrick Snavely of Piney Flats, Tennessee, jumped from 15^th place to 2^nd with a five-bass limit weighing 20 pounds, 15 ounces, giving him a two-day total of 38 pounds, 6 ounces.

Becker managed to turn only a couple 10-minute flurries into some of the biggest bags on Lake Murray. Utilizing great timing and a schooling-fish pattern, he turned three flurries into 21 pounds, 9 ounces on Day 1, followed by just one flurry on Day 2 that helped him toward his 19-9 bag – putting him in the lead with 41-2 total.

“We survived another day, but boy was it stressful and risky,” said Becker, the 2018 Pro Circuit Rookie of the Year. “I was super lucky on my timing again where I pulled up and was able to catch four of the five I weighed in within a few minutes. Otherwise, it was a struggle.”

Becker said that flurry came at 9 a.m. but before that, he hadn’t had a bite.

“I fished that spot three times today before I caught anything,” said Becker. “I knew the fish were there, but I rotated through multiple times and never had a bite. Then I came back and they were there and they were eating. I went from zero to 14 pounds in minutes.”

Becker said he originally planned to just hit the edges of the points quickly on the first morning before moving on to bed-fishing or fishing docks, but was fortunate to get a couple bites early on Day 1 to point him in the right direction.

Although that timing has held out so far, a significant storm system is set to roll through the region early tomorrow morning, with a 100-percent chance of severe thunderstorms most of Saturday, which could change everything for Becker, as well as the other pros.

“I say we cancel tomorrow. It’s one less day I have to hang on to the lead,” laughed Becker. “I think it’s going to be really hard and it’s going to hurt my fish. The sun has been real important, and that rain is probably going to put a damper on that tomorrow. With this weather changing, it’s anyone’s game going into the weekend.”

The top 20 pros after Day 2 on Lake Murray are:
            1^st:       Matt Becker of Finleyville, Pa., 10 bass, 41-2
            2^nd:      Derrick Snavely of Piney Flats, Tenn., 10 bass, 38-6
            3^rd:       Miles Howe of San Juan Capistrano, Calif., 10 bass, 37-9
            4^th:       Evan Barnes of Hot Springs, Ark., 10 bass, 37-0
            5^th:       Dean Rojas of Lake Havasu City, Ariz., 10 bass, 35-9
            6^th:       Tommy Dickerson of Orange, Texas, 10 bass, 34-15
            7^th:       Skeet Reese of Auburn, Calif., 10 bass, 34-14
            8^th:       Clabion Johns of Social Circle, Ga., 10 bass, 34-9
            9^th:       Matthew Stefan of Junction City, Wisc., 10 bass, 34-9
            10^th:     Adrian Avena of Vineland, N.J., 10 bass, 33-13
            11^th:     Casey Ashley of Donalds, S.C., 10 bass, 33-10
            12^th:     Jim Tutt of Longview, Texas, 10 bass, 33-5
            13^th:     Jamie Horton of Centerville, Ala., 10 bass, 33-4
            14^th:     David Williams of Maiden, N.C., 10 bass, 33-3
            15^th:     Josh Butler of Hayden, Ala., 10 bass, 32-14
            16^th:     Michael Neal of Dayton, Tenn., 10 bass, 32-11
            17^th:     Kurt Mitchell of Milford, Del., 10 bass, 32-10
            18^th:     Anthony Gagliardi of Prosperity, S.C., 10 bass, 32-5
            19^th:     Mitch Crane of Columbus, Miss., 10 bass, 32-4
            20^th:     Jimmy Reese of Witter Springs, Calif., 10 bass, 32-1

For a full list of results and to see the top 50 anglers that will continue to Day 3, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Zack Birge of Blanchard, Oklahoma, won the day’s $500 Berkley Big Bass award bringing a largemouth weighing 7 pounds, 11 ounces to the scale.

Overall, there were 744 bass weighing 1,983 pounds even caught by 160 pros Friday. The catch included 133 five-bass limits.

The MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit presented by Bad Boy Mowers, Googan Baits Stop 3 Presented by Favorite Fishing – Lake Murray is hosted by the Capital City Lake Murray Country Regional Tourism Board.

In Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit competition, the full field of 161 anglers competed in the two-day opening round on Thursday and Friday. The top 50 pros based on their two-day cumulative weight advanced 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 6:30 a.m. ET Saturday and Sunday from Dreher Island State Park, located at 3677 State Park Road in Prosperity. Weigh-ins will also be held at the park daily at 3 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, Googan Baits Stop 3 Presented by Favorite Fishing – Lake Murray 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 25 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, April 24-25 on MLF NOW! beginning at 7 a.m. ET at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

BASSMASTER Elite Series/Opens

Walters Takes Lead With Massive Catch At Bassmaster Elite On Lake Fork

Post author By jcarrigan
Post date April 22, 2021
No Comments on Walters Takes Lead With Massive Catch At Bassmaster Elite On Lake Fork

QUITMAN, Texas — Patrick Walters of Summerville, S.C., took advantage of a dramatic increase in opportunity to sack up a five-bass limit of 32 pounds, 14 ounces to lead Day 1 of the Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork.

November saw Walters capture his first Elite title on Fork by topping the Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest benefiting Texas Parks and Wildlife Department with a four-day total of 104-12. In that fall event, Walters targeted standing timber, but today’s leading limit came from staging areas outside the spawning pockets.

“My plan this morning was to start on shallow points and catch one or two fish,” Walters said. “When I got out there, I was surprised how many fish I started to see; it was like they multiplied from practice.

“I caught my first 7-pounder (around 7 a.m.) and I said, ‘That’s the fish I was here for.’ Then, I caught my second one and I was like, ‘Whoa, this may happen.’”

From there, Walters began running points and inspecting each spot with his Garmin Panoptix LiveScope. He reported finding bass grouped in numbers far exceeding anything he’d found in practice.

“Every point I started going to, the fish quadrupled on the places I found them, whereas in practice, on my starting spot, I caught one on a glidebait and it had one with it. I went back there today and there were 15 fish sitting on that spot.

“After that, I just starting running areas like that, and I’m pretty surprised what’s showing up. They almost seem prespawn, so I don’t know if that bite is going to get even better.”

Noting that he caught one small fish in 45 minutes of bed fishing, Walters said he spent the majority of his day throwing a glidebait and multiple jerkbaits on the offshore spots.

He wants to see his fish in a particular depth zone, as this indicates an interest in feeding. Walters found that not all of the fish he spotted on LiveScope were actually ready to go.

“I’m really surprised by the fish that are showing on the majority of spots I’m fishing, but it’s just getting them to bite,” he said. “There’s a weird bite going on; you have to fish slow sometimes, but I think if we keep our foot on the gas and fish for the aggressive fish, I think we can catch some fish this week.

“Hopefully we can just ride it out and make it to the weekend. That’s the plan — just make it to Championship Sunday.”

Friday’s forecast for rainy, windy conditions could play well for Walters. Many of his competitors spent larger portions of their day sight fishing. A dimmer day will significantly limit that pursuit, but Walters is prepared to deal with any impacts on his game plan.

“You can’t control any of the variables, especially Mother Nature, so you just have to adapt and go with whatever you’re presented with,” he said. “We’re just going to go fishing tomorrow and stay on our toes, adapt as much as possible and hopefully get five good bites.”

Enjoying a quick start, Walters tallied approximately 20 pounds with four fish by about 8:20 a.m. A dry spell followed, until Bassmaster LIVE saw him come tight on a serious fish that went 8-14.

About 30 minutes later, he culled a 2-pounder with a 5-8. Hooked in the back, that fish put Walters through a nail-biting battle before rising into reach.

Quentin Cappo of Prairieville, La., is in second place with 28-15. Starting his day with an 8-3 at 7:25, Cappo did his damage on shallow, rocky bottom.

“I’m excited to go out tomorrow; I’ve found them, I know where they’re at, it’s just a timing thing,” Cappo said. “I need wind on my spots. When the wind blows, I can catch them.”

Cappo caught all of the bass he weighed on a large-body squarebill. He’s using an aggressive presentation he described as “dredging” to stir up the bottom and trigger bites.

“The fish are feeding on big gizzard shad and I’m looking for five good quality bites,” Cappo said. “Fortunately, I had 18 keepers in the 3- to 8-pound range. I stepped on the gas because you don’t know what tomorrow’s going to bring.

“This is a heavily pressured lake and they see these baits (often), so something different gets them fired up. When I’m there at the right time, it’s fast and then I get off of them.”

Brandon Card of Salisbury, N.C., is in third place with 27-6. Bed fishing was his opening game plan and while Card sight fished a 4 1/2-pounder, he ended up catching all of his weight fish by targeting offshore hard spots from 7 to 20 feet.

“I actually found a couple more areas that had some really good spawners, but the carp had muddied them up and finally, I said, ‘Forget this, I’m going to go out there and fish offshore like I like to fish,’ and it just kind of unfolded.

“I had some offshore places that I was confident about but I didn’t know how good they were going to be. On my best spot, I thought I was going to be able to catch a few, but it was unbelievable. I probably caught 20 fish off that spot.”

Card said he caught some fish with dragging presentations but most bit reaction baits.

There were 36 bags of 20 pounds or more caught and 10 bass over 7 pounds. Walters is in the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors with his 8-14 largemouth.

Walters leads the Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings with 433 points. Seth Feider of New Market, Minn., is in second with 424, followed by Chris Johnston of Peterborough, Canada, with 382.

Josh Stracner of Vandiver, Ala., leads the Rookie of the Year standings with 340 points.

Friday’s takeoff is scheduled for 6:45 a.m. CT from Sabine River Authority (SRA) — Lake Fork. The weigh-in will be held at SRA at 3 p.m.

The Top 49 anglers after Friday’s weigh-in will advance to Saturday’s semifinal round.

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

MLF BIG-5

Johns and Dickerson Tied at Top After Day 1 of Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Googan Baits Stop 3 at Lake Murray

Post author By jcarrigan
Post date April 22, 2021
No Comments on Johns and Dickerson Tied at Top After Day 1 of Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Googan Baits Stop 3 at Lake Murray

COLUMBIA, S.C. (April 22, 2020) – A field of 161 bass fishing professionals from around the world began their four-day competition for a top award of up to $135,000 at the MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by Bad Boy Mowers, Googan Baits Stop 3 Presented by Favorite Fishing – Lake Murray Thursday in Columbia, South Carolina.

Pros Clabion Johns of Social Circle Georgia, and Tommy Dickerson of Orange, Texas , both weighed a five-bass limit totaling 21 pounds, 12 ounces to sit tied atop the leaderboard and share the early lead after Day 1. The pair holds a mere 3-ounce lead over pro Matt Becker of Finleyville, Pennsylvania, who caught five bass weighing 21-9, good for second place.

With anglers having numerous patterns available to them across the fishery, Day 1 saw pros catching fish down the lake, up the river, sight-fishing, chasing the herring spawn, throwing topwater baits and more. However, with 34-degree air temperatures making for a cold morning bite, Dickerson said he was pretty worried halfway through the day.

The Texas pro had hoped to get on a herring-spawn bite first thing, only to find no herring up shallow due to the cold. He then decided to try sight-fishing, to no avail, and found himself without a fish at 11:30 a.m.

“I was starting to get negative,” said Dickerson. “I kept thinking I’ve got to stick with what I know worked, because I was catching some big fish in practice with the herring spawn. Even if I caught two today, they could weigh 10 pounds and I’d have a chance for another day.”

The sun finally peeked out and Dickerson said it didn’t take him long to get dialed in.

“I pulled up on one place and I caught four in about 10 minutes, and one of those was over 5 pounds. After that, I knew what I was doing the rest of the day.”

Surprisingly enough, Johns had almost the exact opposite day as Dickerson.

“I spent the day blind bed-fishing, (catching) fry guarders, fished a little bit of the shad spawn and fishing bank grass. Today fit perfectly in my wheelhouse,” said Johns. “I did a little swim jigging, flipping, threw a frog and a spinnerbait – it all worked and worked right away. I figured I could catch 15 pounds easy. But when I caught a 4-pound and a 5-pound fish early, I figured I’d just go for big bites the rest of the day.”

Johns said he typically finds remote areas serve him the best, but he didn’t even go to his best area on Thursday.

“I fished the water everyone else leaves alone,” said Johns. “I fished the mud and the nastiest stuff I could because that’s what gets left alone. I went to areas I looked at on Google Earth – I knew it was going to be scary, but I knew that I could get there.’”

Those secluded areas provided Johns some very unpressured fish, making him all the more excited to get back out on the water on Friday to see what his best area may hold.

Dickerson said he’s a little less enthused going into Friday.

“Tomorrow is calling for clouds, and I need the sun,” said Dickerson of his herring-spawn pattern. “So, we’ll just see what happens. I may have to figure out how to get them to bite, but if the herring are still there, the bigger bass will be, too.”

The top 10 pros after Day 1 on Lake Murray are:
            1^st:       Tommy Dickerson of Orange, Texas, five bass, 21-12
            1^st:       Clabion Johns of Social Circle, Ga., five bass, 21-12
            3^rd:       Matt Becker of Finleyville, Pa., five bass, 21-9
            4^th:       Miles Howe of San Juan Capistrano, Calif., five bass, 21-2
            5^th:       Dean Rojas of Lake Havasu City, Ariz., five bass, 21-0
            6^th:       Jim Tutt of Longview, Texas, five bass, 19-8
            7^th:       Lance Crawford of Broken Bow, Okla., five bass, 18-9
            8^th:       Cody Meyer of Star, Idaho, five bass, 18-8
            9^th:       Chase Serafin of White Lake, Mich., five bass, 18-4
            10^th:     Joseph Webster of Winfield, Ala., five bass, 17-13

For a full list of results visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Rojas won the day’s $500 Berkley Big Bass award in the pro division after bringing a largemouth weighing 6 pounds, 12 ounces to the scale.

Overall, there were 766 bass weighing 2,122 pounds, 9 ounces caught by 159 pros Thursday. The catch included 144 five-bass limits.

In Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit competition, the full field of 161 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.

Anglers will take off at 6:30 a.m. ET Friday through Sunday from Dreher Island State Park, located at 3677 State Park Road in Prosperity. Weigh-ins will also be held at the park daily at 3 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

Austin Set to Host Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour – Berkley Stage Two at Lake Travis Presented by Mercury

Post author By jcarrigan
Post date April 21, 2021
No Comments on Austin Set to Host Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour – Berkley Stage Two at Lake Travis Presented by Mercury

AUSTIN, Texas (April 21, 2021) – Major League Fishing (MLF), the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, is set to visit Austin next week, April 30-May 5, for the second regular-season tournament of the 2021 Bass Pro Tour season – the Berkley Stage Two at Lake Travis Presented by Mercury. The six-day event, hosted by the Austin Sports Commission , will feature 80 of the best professional anglers in the world – including superstars like Kevin VanDam, Ott DeFoe, Jordan Lee and Jacob Wheeler – competing for a top payout of $100,000 and valuable points in hopes of qualifying for REDCREST 2022, the Bass Pro Tour championship.

As part of the event, fans will also be treated to the Hill Country Hangout at Bass Pro Shops in Round Rock, Texas, on Friday from 4 to 7 p.m., and on Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The free event includes the opportunity to interact with Bass Pro Tour anglers, enjoy activities and special fan-only giveaways provided by MLF sponsors, and learn more about the sport of fishing and other outdoor activities in fishing seminars. All activities are free and open to the public. For more information on the Hill Country Hangout hosted by Bass Pro Shops, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.

“We are thrilled to welcome the Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour and the 80 top anglers in the world to Austin,” said Drew Hays, Director of the Austin Sports Commission. “This event will showcase Austin and Lake Travis as a world class destination for sports and outdoor activities and certainly signals the return of major events to our city.”

For the first time since March of 2020, fans are encouraged to attend all of the happenings surrounding the event. Anglers will take off from the Mansfield Dam Park, located at 4370 Mansfield Dam Park Road in Austin, at 6:30 a.m. CT each morning. Each day’s General Tire Takeout will also be held at the park, beginning at 3:30 p.m. Fans are also encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLF NOW!® live stream and SCORETRACKER® coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

The tournament will be fished using MLF’s catch, weigh, immediate-release format, in which the anglers try to catch as much weight as they can each day, while also feeling the pressure and intensity of the SCORETRACKER® leaderboard. The tournament is being filmed for broadcast later this year on the Discovery Channel. The total purse up for grabs at the Berkley Stage Two at Lake Travis Presented by Mercury is more than $805,000.

Although Lake Travis has played host to MLF BIG5 (previously FLW) tournaments over the years, 2021 will mark the first time that the MLF Bass Pro Tour has visited the central Texas reservoir. One angler that has had success there in the past and is excited to get back is pro Bryan Thrift of Shelby, North Carolina, who finished runner-up on Lake Travis when the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit (previously FLW Tour) visited in 2017.

“I’ve only been to Lake Travis twice, and both times were in February, so I expect the fishing to be a little different this time around,” said Thrift, who has career earnings of more than $3.1 million. “I’d imagine that the fish have got to be postspawn by this point, so that’s how I’m going to approach this tournament. It’s a fun fishery, and I’m excited to return and try to get some redemption.”

Thrift said that with water levels down, he is expecting the water clarity to be clear.

“Travis tends to generally be clearer than a lot of lakes we visit, and the water is down 25 to 30 feet since I was last there. They haven’t had not a lot of rain, lately, so I’d imagine we’re going to see a lot of clear-water tactics,” Thrift said. “We’re going to see a lot of finesse fishing, and lots of topwater baits.

“The whole deal with Lake Travis is that it’s got a lot of fish in it, but it’s hard to catch multiple big fish,” Thrift continued. “It has a ton of fish under 2 pounds, and some fish that are 5 (pounds) or more. The key will be figuring out what those bigger than average fish are doing and putting yourself into the best situation to catch the 2+ pounders. I hope it’s a strong topwater bite.”

The Berkley Stage Two at Lake Travis Presented by Mercury will feature anglers competing with a 1-pound, 8-ounce minimum weight requirement. 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 76 of the top professional anglers in the world – joined at each event by 4 pros that qualify from the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit – competing across seven regular-season tournaments around the country, competing for millions of dollars and valuable points to qualify for the annual Heavy Hitters all-star event and the REDCREST 2022 championship.

The four pros from the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit that will join the Bass Pro Tour to compete at the Berkley Stage Two at Lake Travis Presented by Mercury are Jim Neece Jr., Dicky Newberry, Bill McDonald and Miles Burghoff. Those anglers qualified via their finishes in the first Pro Circuit event of the year – the 13 Fishing Stop 1 at Lake Okeechobee.

The 40 Anglers in Group A compete in their two-day qualifying round on Lake Travis on Friday and Sunday – the 40 anglers in Group B on Saturday and Monday. After each two-day qualifying round is complete, the anglers that finish in 2nd through 20th place from both groups advance to Tuesday’s Knockout Round, while the winner of each group advances directly to Wednesday’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.

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 6:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. CT. MLF NOW!® will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app.

Television coverage of the Bass Pro Tour Berkley Stage Two at Lake Travis Presented by Mercury will be showcased across two two-hour episodes, premiering at 7 a.m. ET, Sept. 11 on the Discovery Channel. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on the Discovery Channel, with additional re-airings on the Outdoor Channel and the Sportsman Channel. Each two-hour long reality-based episode goes in-depth to break down each day of competition.

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.

About Major League Fishing
Founded in 2011, Major League Fishing (MLF) brings the high-intensity sport of competitive bass fishing into America’s living rooms on Outdoor Channel, Discovery, CBS, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network, Sportsman Channel, and on-demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). According to Nielsen ratings, Major League Fishing remains the number one series on Outdoor Channel for five years and MLF premiered as the number one outdoor show in their time slot on Discovery in 2019.

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

BASS PRO SHOPS - US OPEN

Oklahoma’s Barton Cousins Win $50K in BPS Qualifier on Texas’ Lake Ray Roberts

Post author By jcarrigan
Post date April 21, 2021
No Comments on Oklahoma’s Barton Cousins Win $50K in BPS Qualifier on Texas’ Lake Ray Roberts

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (April 21, 2021) SANGER, Texas – Cousins Alan Barton and Tanner Barton claimed first place at the regional qualifying event for the Bass Pro Shops US Open National Bass Fishing Amateur Team Championships – a first-of-its-kind amateur fishing tournament offering the biggest payout in freshwater fishing history – on Sunday, April 18, at legendary Lake Ray Roberts.

After inclement weather postponed the regional qualifying event a day to Sunday, the wait was worth it for the Bartons from Stillwater and Edmond, Okla., who fished from a Ranger Z521 boat and hauled in a five-fish catch weighing in at 22.64 pounds to top the 250-team field. They collect a first-place prize of $50,000 and are one of 40 teams to qualify for the National Championship on Nov. 19-21 at Big Cedar Lodge on Missouri’s famed Table Rock Lake. The National Championship will be broadcast internationally on NBC and carries a $1 million cash prize to the winning team.

“With so many friends and families making memories, we couldn’t have asked for a better day at Lake Ray Roberts,” said noted conservationist and Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris. “Congratulations to all the winners, and thanks to everyone who participated and reminded us why we love fishing, conservation and the great outdoors. We look forward to hosting the top 40 teams for the National Championship in Missouri this fall.”

“At 62, your dreams still come true,” said first-place winner Alan Barton after winning the first-place $50,000 prize. “We’re going to spend our prize money on fishing! We’ll need to work hard and do our homework on Table Rock to do well in the National Championship, but we can’t wait to get up there in November.”

Proceeds from the Bass Pro Shops US Open benefit local fisheries conservation and the future of fishing thanks to Bass Pro Shops and Toyota. The event is a true celebration of bass fishing, exclusively for amateur anglers with a guaranteed purse value of $4.3 million.

“It was an honor for us to partner with Bass Pro Shops in hosting this event and also contributing to conservation in our home state of Texas,” said Bob Carter, executive vice president of sales, Toyota Motor North America. “We’re grateful to Johnny Morris for his vision in creating an all-amateur tournament that connects people of all ages and backgrounds to nature, while positively impacting conversation. After seeing all the big bass caught this weekend, it’s evident the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department’s Toyota ShareLunker program continues to be among the best bass management programs in the country.”

Angler Prizes
The top 40 teams received a payout and qualified for the National Championship. Additional prizes were awarded for catching the biggest bass within the following categories:

Overall/Hometown Hero: The biggest bass (9.06 pounds) was caught by Blake Slater from Mansfield, Texas, while fishing with buddy Eric Starnater from Waxahachie, Texas, winning $9,060 ($1,000 per pound). Slater will receive a replica mount of the bass, with a replica also going on display at Bass Pro Shops in Grapevine, Texas, earned 8 pounds of Black Rifle Coffee for landing a bass larger than 8 pounds, and was entered into a drawing for a Nitro Z20 boat. Additionally, Slater – a lieutenant in the Pantego, Texas, Fire Department – won an additional $1,000 Bass Pro Shops gift card for catching the biggest bass among veterans, active military and hometown hero anglers.Youth Angler: Easton Munro, a 7-year-old angler from Manitou, Okla., fished with dad Brandon and earned a $1,000 Bass Pro Shops gift card for the biggest bass (2.73 pounds) among anglers ages 10 and under.Junior Angler: Eli Still, a 12-year-old angler from Minden, La., fished with dad Chad and earned a $1,000 Bass Pro Shops gift card for the biggest bass (2.61 pounds) among anglers ages 11-17.Family Teams: Craig and Chris Sanders, a husband-wife team from Oklahoma City, Okla., earned a $1,000 Bass Pro Shops gift card for the biggest bass caught by a Family Team (8.18 pounds).

Families and Veterans Among the Amateurs Competing for $1 Million
The Lake Ray Roberts qualifying event featured anglers ranging in age from 6 – 84 years old. The amateur field of 250 two-person teams consisted of a cross-section of families and active military/veterans adding to the fun of the tournament, including:59 military veterans3 active military 35 father-son teams10 mother-son teams14 husband-wife teams11 brother-brother teams2 father-daughter teams20 female anglers
Benefiting the Future of Fishing in Texas & Beyond
The Lake Ray Roberts event benefits local fish habitat with proceeds supporting The National Fish Habitat Partnership. Thanks to Bass Pro Shops and Toyota, 100 percent of all entry fees – over $1 million throughout the tournament – will benefit conservation.

Under the visionary conservation leadership of Johnny Morris, Bass Pro Shops has made significant contributions to the future of the outdoors in the Lone Star State as a longstanding conservation partner of the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD). From fisheries management to restoring Eastern wild turkey and cutting-edge bobwhite quail research, Bass Pro Shops and TPWD are working together to find solutions for critical conservation needs including the restoration and enhancement of native wildlife, public education, and nationally-recognized research programs.

Johnny Morris and Bass Pro Shops are proud partners of TPWD’s renowned Toyota ShareLunker program, a national model for trophy bass management that encourages angler participation in producing bigger, better bass for Texas lakes. Now in its 35^th year, the program enables anglers to donate bass greater than 13 pounds to TPWD Inland Fisheries biologists for a selective breeding program and genetic analysis, spawning bigger, better bass that will enhance fishing in Texas lakes for years to come.

To honor Johnny’s contributions and those of fellow conservationist Richard M Hart, TPWD established the Richard M. Hart and Johnny Morris Conservation Center at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens, Texas, which stands as a centerpiece of the campus and a lasting legacy of the partnership. The 14,000 square foot facility provides unparalleled educational opportunities for Texans and a place to celebrate Texas’ rich fishing heritage.

In keeping with its longstanding commitment to conservation, Johnny Morris and Bass Pro Shops partnered with TPWD to help ensure all fish caught during the Bass Pro Shops US Open regional qualifying event on Lake Ray Roberts were released responsibly following a fish-friendly weigh-in.

Remaining Regional Qualifying Events
April 24 – Lake Mead, Nevada (registration closed)
July 17 – Chesapeake Bay, Maryland (registration opens May 12)
Aug. 21 – Lake St. Clair, Michigan (registration opens May 12)
Sept. 11 – Old Hickory Lake, Tennessee (registration opens July 14)
Oct. 16 – Grand Lake, Oklahoma (registration opens July 14)
Nov. 17 – Bull Shoals Lake, Arkansas (registration date TBA)

To learn more about the Bass Pro Shops US Open and how to register for remaining regional qualifying events, visit www.basspro.com/usopen.

MLF BIG-5

Youth Fishing League Wins U.S. Army High School Fishing at Lake Somerville

Post author By jcarrigan
Post date April 21, 2021
No Comments on Youth Fishing League Wins U.S. Army High School Fishing at Lake Somerville

BRENHAM, Texas (April 20, 2021) – The Youth Fishing League duo of Zane Parker of Goodrich, Texas, and Garrett Wilson of Willis, Texas, won the U.S. Army High School Fishing Presented by Favorite Fishing at Lake Somerville Presented by Googan Baits on Saturday in Brenham, Texas. The event was hosted by Compete College Station and the victory advanced the winning team to the 2021 U.S. Army High School Fishing Presented by Favorite Fishing National Championship.

TOP 10 RESULTS

RANK	SCHOOL/CLUB NAME/CITY	ANGLER NAME	BASS	WEIGHT
1^st	Youth Fishing League*	Zane Parker Garrett Wilson	5	24-13
2^nd	All Around Anglers	Colton Hill Dylan Kallus	2	15-4
3^rd	CS Anglers	Colby Ash Aiden Service	1	5-14
4^th	Central High School	Jacob Childress Justin Nash	1	4-1
5^th	A&M Cons	Luke Bennett Chase Sodolak	1	2-12

*Top 10% of teams advance to the 2021 U.S. Army High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing National Championship
Complete results from the event can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

2021 UPCOMING QUALIFICATION OPPORTUNITIES

EVENT	DATE	LOCATION	HOST
U.S. Army High School Fishing Presented by Favorite Fishing Lake Guntersville Open Presented by Googan Baits	April 24	Lake Guntersville, Guntersville, Ala.	Marshall County Convention & Visitors Bureau
2021 U.S. Army High School Fishing National Championship & World Finals	Jun. 30 – Jul. 3	Lake Hartwell, Anderson, S.C.	Anderson Convention & Visitors Bureau

The first 25 high school teams that enter each U.S. Army High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing tournament will receive a free Favorite Fishing package, including one Favorite Fishing casting rod and reel, one Favorite Fishing spinning rod and reel, six packs of Googan Baits and two Favorite Fishing hats, a total package value of $230. Most tournaments will also be hosted by a Bass Pro Tour angler or Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit angler, giving high school students the chance to meet the sport’s top pros. As an added bonus, the winning team at each tournament will receive a guided fishing trip with their pro angler host.

U.S. Army High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing tournaments are free, two-person (team) events for students in grades 7-12 and are open to any MLF and Student Angler Federation-affiliated high school club. The top 10 percent of teams at each Open event along with the TBF High School Fishing state championships will advance to the 2021 U.S. Army High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing National Championship. The U.S. Army High School Fishing national champions will each receive a $5,000 college scholarship to the school of their choice.

In addition to the U.S. Army High School Fishing National Championship, all High School Fishing anglers nationwide automatically qualify for the world’s largest open high school bass tournament, the 2021 High School Fishing World Finals, held in conjunction with the National Championship. More than $2.8 million in scholarships and prizes were offered at the 2020 World Finals.
Full schedules and the latest announcements, photos and articles are available at HighSchoolFishing.org and MajorLeagueFishing.com.

MLF BIG-5

Texas A&M Wins Abu Garcia College Fishing Tournament on Lake Somerville

Post author By jcarrigan
Post date April 21, 2021
No Comments on Texas A&M Wins Abu Garcia College Fishing Tournament on Lake Somerville

BRENHAM, Texas (April 19, 2021) – The Texas A&M duo of Garret Bean of College Station, Texas, and Aaron Hawkins of Cypress, Texas, took the win on Friday at the Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI at Lake Somerville. The victory earned the Texas A&M team $2,000 and qualified the duo to compete in the 2022 College Fishing National Championship.
TOP 10 RESULTS*

RANK	COLLEGE NAME	ANGLER NAME/HOMETOWN	BASS	WEIGHT	AWARD
1^st	Texas A&M	Garret Bean of College Station, Texas Aaron Hawkins of Cypress, Texas	5	28-0	$2,000
2^nd	East Texas Baptist University	Cody Ross of Livingston, Texas Ethan Thurston of Kaufman, Texas	5	25-2	$1,000
3^rd	Texas Tech University	Brooks Lundgren of Midland, Texas Ryan Stimmel of Seminole, Texas	5	19-14	$500
4^th	Stephen F. Austin	River Lee of Nacogdoches, Texas Hunter Muncrief of Pineland, Texas	3	17-0	$500
5^th	Baylor University	Jude Bugenhagen of The Woodlands, Texas Parker Greer of Waco, Texas	4	16-15	$500
6^th	Texas A&M – Galveston	Trey Dawson of Montgomery, Texas Derek Pietsch of Montgomery, Texas	5	16-10
7^th	East Texas Baptist University	Cannon Bird of Marshall, Texas Jacob Keith of Jefferson, Texas	5	16-8
8^th	Texas A&M – Commerce	Dawson Cassidy of Gainesville, Texas Augustus McLarry of Quinlan, Texas	5	16-4
9^th	Schreiner University	Colby Calongne of Cypress, Texas Taylor Strange of Whitehouse, Texas	5	15-1
10^th	Texas A&M	Broxson Daigle of Katy, Texas Gabe Talley of Conroe, Texas	4	13-11

*Top 10 teams advance to the 2022 College Fishing National Championship

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

2021/2022 QUALIFICATION OPPORTUNITIES

EVENT	DATE	LOCATION	HOST
Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI	April 23	Lake Guntersville, Guntersville, Ala.	Marshall County Convention and Visitors Bureau
Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI National Championship presented by Lowrance	TBA – 2022	TBA	TBA

The event was the first of three qualifying tournaments for Southern Conference anglers and was hosted by Compete College Station.

Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI teams compete in regular-season qualifying tournaments in one of five conferences – Central, Northern, Southern, Southeastern and Western. The top ten teams from each division’s three regular-season tournaments and the top 20 teams from the annual Abu Garcia College Fishing Open advance to the following year’s Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI National Championship.

MLF BIG-5

Missouri’s Rogers Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League on Table Rock Lake

Post author By jcarrigan
Post date April 21, 2021
No Comments on Missouri’s Rogers Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League on Table Rock Lake

KIMBERLING CITY, Mo. (April 19, 2021) – Boater Wesley Rogers of Thayer, Missouri, wins the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine at Table Rock Lake Presented by Fenwick in Kimberling City, Missouri. Rogers earned $7,000 for his victory at the event.
TOP 10 RESULTS

RANK	BOATER NAME/HOMETOWN	BASS	WEIGHT	AWARD
1^st	Wesley Rogers of Thayer, Mo.	5	19-12	$7,000
2^nd	Aaron Stanphill of Bella Vista, Ark.	5	18-8	$3,500
3^rd	James Watson of Lampe, Mo.	5	18-7	$2,000
4^th	Cole Findley of Forsythe, Mo.	5	18-2	$1,400
5^th	Marcus Sykora of Osage Beach, Mo.	5	17-6	$1,150
5^th	Drew Tabor of Harrison, Ark.	5	17-6	$1,150
7^th	Clint Williams of Fayetteville, Ark.	5	17-4	$2,000
8^th	Dakota Millican of Highlandville, Mo.	5	17-3	$900
9^th	Dustin Lippe of Lampe, Mo.	5	17-2	$800
10^th	Shawn Kowal of Linn Creek, Mo.	5	17-0	$700

RANK	STRIKE KING CO-ANGLER NAME/HOMETOWN	BASS	WEIGHT	AWARD
1^st	Caleb Arterberry of Republic, Mo.	5	16-5	$3,000
2^nd	Clay Henderson of Purdy, Mo.	5	15-1	$1,500
3^rd	Jon Cordray of House Springs, Mo.	5	14-1	$1,000
4^th	Scott Suver of South Greenfield, Mo.	5	13-15	$825
5^th	Ronin Picker of Moscow Mills, Mo.	5	13-11	$600
6^th	Russell Taylor of Springdale, Ark.	5	13-2	$550
7^th	BJ Davis of Mountain Home, Ark.	5	12-15	$475
7^th	Kory Ries of Union, Mo.	4	12-15	$475
9^th	James Waggoner of Richmond, Mo.	5	12-14	$375
9^th	Mark Shields of Springfield, Mo.	5	12-14	$375

CONTINGENCY AWARDS

AWARD	NAME	CONTINGENCY	PAYOUT
Boater Big Bass	Clint Williams of Fayetteville, Ark.	5-pound, 14-ounce bass	$1,000
Strike King Co-Angler Berkley Big Bass	Joseph Lurkins of Jefferson City, Mo.	5-pound, 5-ounce bass	$500
Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus	Aaron Stanphill of Bella Vista, Ark.	Eligible Phoenix Boat*	$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 Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.
WINNING BAITS

ANGLER	BAIT	COLOR
Boater	Did Not Divulge	N/A
Strike King Co-Angler	Did Not Divulge	N/A

2021 QUALIFICATION OPPORTUNITIES

EVENT	DATE	LOCATION	HOST
Ozark Division – Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championship	Oct. 7-9	Lake Norfork, Mountain Home, Ark.	Mountain Home Area Chamber of Commerce
Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American	June 3-5	Douglas Lake, Dandridge, Tenn.	Jefferson County Department of Tourism

The 2021 MLF 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 Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championships. 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 Strike King co-anglers will fish for a new Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.

The top six finishers in each regional will then qualify for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.
The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division will also earn priority entry into the Toyota Series, the pathway to the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit and ultimately the MLF Bass Pro Tour.