Month: May 2021

Thliveros Wins Toyota Series Event on Lake Seminole

Post author By jcarrigan
Post date May 10, 2021
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BAINBRIDGE, Ga. (May 10, 2021) – Toyota Series angler Nick Thliveros of St. Augustine, Florida, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 21 pounds, 13 ounces to win the three-day Toyota Series Presented by A.R.E. at Lake Seminole in Bainbridge, Georgia. Thliveros’ three-day total of 15 bass weighing 62-11 earned him the win by a 1-pound, 12-ounce margin over second-place angler Matt Baty of Bainbridge, Georgia, and earned Thliveros the top payout of $37,809 in the third and final tournament of the 2021 Toyota Series Southern Division.

Settling down in Spring Creek, Thliveros said he fished one 50-yard stretch all week.

“It’s something I’ve had some previous knowledge on but I’ve never really been here at the right time for it,” said Thliveros. “I’ve never been here far enough in the postspawn to make those fish get in the deeper water.

“It’s basically a sand spot with hydrilla on the edge. The water’s about 10-foot deep around it and the sand is in 15 feet of water. It’s a depression and today they were on the sand.”

The unique aspect of his area was that Thliveros was essentially fishing side-by-side the fourth-place finisher Braxton Clements all three days. The two fished different areas all week, though the areas were nearly a cast apart.

“I have to give a huge shoutout to Braxton,” Thliveros said. “You got to watch him because that boy can fish and he is first class. We were 40 yards apart every day. I didn’t know him, but that’s a good man right there. We worked together – he had his hole, I had mine. We’d congratulate each other on catching fish all week and in this sport you don’t see that often, so to be a part of it is amazing.”

Thliveros said dissecting the grass and sand was a repetitive and meticulous process the entire week. Getting bites early in the day helped to reinforce the fact that the tiny spot still had fish and gave him the confidence to keep grinding.

“I’ve never been in a situation where you can go to one spot and just catch ‘em all three days,” he said. “Today, I could see them on my down imaging and I backed off and it was awesome.”

Thliveros kept it simple and a bit old school with two worms of choice – a Strike King Cut-R Worm or a Strike King Anaconda worm rigged on a 3/16- or ¼-ounce Bullet Weights Tactical Tungsten weight. Though he tried other baits, Thliveros said the worm was his primary producer.

“My dad has, you know, 35 years in [tournament fishing on a worm], so I had a pretty good teacher,” he said. “He taught me how to drag a worm and that’s what it took this week.”

With his family cheering him on from the crowd, Thliveros was emotional on stage when his name was announced as champion.

“It’s been two years since my last win,” he said. “I won Okeechobee [2019] and I hadn’t cashed a check since the end of that year, but I came back on this one. I’ve got to thank my family and sponsors, because without y’all I wouldn’t be here. I’m speechless.”

The top 10 pros on Lake Seminole finished:
            1^st:       Nick Thliveros of St. Augustine, Fla., 15 bass, 62-11, $37,809
            2^nd:      Matt Baty of Bainbridge, Ga., 15 bass, 60-15, $15,651
            3^rd:       Clint Brown of Bainbridge, Ga., 15 bass, 59-14, $11,343
            4^th:       Braxton Clements of Donalson, Ga., 15 bass, 51-3, $9,452
            5^th:       Joey Cifuentes of Clinton, Ark., 15 bass, 50-04, $8,507
            6^th:       Brandon Classon, Sr. of Leesburg, Ga., 15 bass, 48-11, $7,562
            7^th:       David Ellis of Crestview, Fla., 11 bass, 47-7, $6,617
            8^th:       Anthony Ford of New Smyrna, Fla., 12 bass, 44-4, $5,671
            9^th:       Nicholas Davico of Cantonment, Fla., 12 bass, 42-2, $4,726
            10^th:     Terry Segraves of Kississimmee, Fla., 13 bass, 37-2, $3,781

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

Cole Hewett of Orange Park, Florida, took home an additional $136 for the Day One Berkley Big Bass award in the pro division, with a bass weighing 7 pounds, 15 ounces. Nolan Gaskin of Broussard, Louisiana, won the Day Two Berkley Big Bass award in the pro division, bringing an 6-pound, 12-ounce bass to the scale.

Pro Matt Baty of Bainbridge, Georgia, took home an extra $1,000 as the highest finishing Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus member. Boaters are eligible to win up to an extra $35,000 per event in each Toyota Series tournament if all requirements are met. More information on the Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.

Stephen Draghi of Sparrowbush, New York won the Strike King Co-angler Division Saturday with a three-day total of 13 bass weighing 34 pounds, 6 ounces. Draghi took home the top prize package of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard motor.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers on Lake Seminole finished:1^st:       Stephen Draghi of Sparrowbush, N.Y., 13 bass, 34-6, Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat w/115-hp outboard
2^nd:      Joe Cifuentes of Clinton, Ark., 11 bass, 32-3, $4,762
3^rd:       Allen Carter of Bainbridge, Ga., 13 bass, 31-5, $3,809
4^th:       Brandon St. Pierre of Cape Coral, Fla., 12 bass, 28-7, $3,333
5^th:       John Stahl of Land O’Lakes, Fla., 10 bass, 26-1, $2,947
6^th:       Gary Haraguchi of San Jose, Calif., eight bass, 23-13, $2,381
7^th:       Ronald Young of New Braunfels, Texas, eight bass, 21-9, $1,905
8^th:       George Kapiton of Inverness, Fla., eight bass, 21-6, $1,667
9^th:       John Ebbe of Wisconsin Rapids, Wisc., seven bass, 20-7, $1,428
10^th:     Mark Denney, Jr. of Perry, Ga., 10 bass, 19-0, $1,515
In the Strike King co-angler division, the $90 Day One Berkley Big Bass award winner was Charles Tucker of Eustis, Florida, with a 6-pound, 6-ounce bass, while the $90 Day Two award went to John Stahl of Land O’Lakes, Florida, with a 7-pound, 10-ounce bass.

The Toyota Series at Lake Seminole was hosted by the Bainbridge Convention and Visitors Bureau. It was the third and final regular-season tournament in 2021 for Southern Division anglers. The next event for Toyota Series anglers will take place May 13-15 – the Toyota Series at the California Delta in Oakley, California. For a complete schedule, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com .

The 2021 Toyota Series presented by A.R.E. consists of six divisions – Central, Northern, Plains, Southern, Southwestern and Western – each holding three regular-season events, along with the International division. Anglers who fish all three qualifiers in any of the eight divisions and finish in the top 25 will qualify for the no-entry-fee Toyota Series presented by A.R.E. Championship for a shot at winning $235,000 cash, including a $35,000 Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus for qualified anglers. The winning Strike King co-angler at the championship earns a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard.

Major League Fishing - Bass Pro Tour/Cup Events

Find Out How Takahiro Omori Won the 2021 MLF USAA Patriot Cup Presented by Berkley

Post author By jcarrigan
Post date May 10, 2021
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KISSIMMEE, Fla. (May 10, 2021) – Major League Fishing (MLF) pro Takahiro Omori of Tokyo, Japan, caught 16 bass totaling 35 pounds, 11 ounces, to win the Championship Round of the 2021 MLF USAA Patriot Cup Presented by Berkley in Kissimmee, Florida, which premiered Saturday on the Outdoor Channel. The win was the second MLF Cup win in as many years for the Japanese pro, who also claimed the 2020 Wiley X Summit Cup Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches Title at Lake of the Ozarks.

Omori said that he did the bulk of his damage on two baits – an unnamed 1.5 squarebill crankbait and a vibrating jig with a swimbait trailer. He fished boat docks, around the bank and in pockets in 3- to 5-feet of water.

“I love shallow-cranking, and I was thinking the conditions were perfect for me,” Omori said. “The 1.5 did it for me. It’s my most trusted bait right now.

“In the final period I come into the back of the creek where the wind was blowing, and I said if this doesn’t happen right here, I’m done. But, it did.”

With two Cup wins under his belt, the veteran Japanese angler now knows that he can excel at the MLF catch, weigh, immediate-release format.

“I wasn’t that good in the beginning. It took me seven years to really understand this format, but now that I do, I love it,” Omori went on to say.

The final eight anglers at the 2021 USAA Patriot Cup Presented by Berkley in Kissimmee, Florida, finished:

                1^st:          Takahiro Omori, Tokyo, Japan, 16 bass, 35-11
                2^nd:         Jared Lintner, Arroyo Grande, Calif., 15 bass, 33-8
                3^rd:         Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., 15 bass, 26-9
                4^th:         Jesse Wiggins, Addison, Ala., 10 bass, 23-7
                5^th:         Terry Scroggins, Palatka, Fla., 12 bass, 22-1
                6^th:         John Murray, Spring City, Tenn., 11 bass, 19-8
                7^th:         Mike Iaconelli, Runnemede, N.J., nine bass, 16-14
                8^th:         Mark Rose, Wynne, Ala., nine bass, 15-1

Complete results along with photos from the event can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Wiggins caught the Berkley Big Bass of the day – a nice 8-pound, 9-ounce largemouth that came on a finesse worm.

Overall, there were 97 bass weighing 192 pounds, 11 ounces caught by the final eight pros during the Championship Round of competition on Lake Bellalago.

The 2021 21 USAA Patriot Cup Presented by Berkley was hosted by Experience Kissimmee and premiered on the Outdoor Channel as six, two-hour original episodes each Saturday afternoon debuting on April 3, 2021, and running through May 8, 2021.

All six episodes of the event are available for viewing on the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) streaming app.

The event was shot over six days in November 2020, in Kissimmee and featured 28 MLF pro anglers competing on three different fisheries across the region, including John’s Lake, Lake Toho and Lake Bellalago. The fisheries are unknown to the anglers – they do not learn where they are competing until they arrive to the launch ramp each morning of competition.

BASSMASTER Elite Series/Opens

Local Pro Wes Logan Gets First Bassmaster Elite Series Victory At Neely Henry Lake

Post author By jcarrigan
Post date May 10, 2021
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GADSDEN, Ala. — Wes Logan said memories came flooding back to him throughout the Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Neely Henry Lake.

That’s bound to happen when you’ve fished a place since you were 5 years old.

Logan now has countless new reasons to think fondly of his home water after claiming the tournament title here on Championship Monday. The 26-year-old from Springville, only a 30-mile drive from the Gadsden City Boat Docks, caught a four-day total of 20 bass weighing 57 pounds, 9 ounces. He capped the competition with a 14-1 limit Monday, the third-heaviest of the day.

Logan earned $100,000 for the win, his first in 26 B.A.S.S. events.

The second-year Elite Series angler charged into the lead on Day 3 with a 16-15 bag that tied for the heaviest of the tournament. That made him the last man to weigh in Monday and the only one with a chance to knock Connecticut pro Paul Mueller from the hot seat.

Logan peeked silently at the scale while his bass were weighed. When his winning total flashed on screen, he let out a victorious yell and pumped his right fist over his head. Then he hugged Mueller and hoisted his first blue trophy for his home-based fans to see.

“I started tournament fishing with my dad when I was 5,” Logan said. “We’d come here, Logan Martin and Weiss … I went into practice trying to not put pressure on myself. I wanted to fish like I’d never seen the place before. I wanted to figure out a pattern.”

Having an open mind, even on water he knows so well, was critical this week. Neely Henry was a difficult read for most of the 98 anglers who started the tournament on Friday, postponed by a day because of heavy rains earlier in the week. The storms sent the water table rising and shot sediment throughout the lake. The Elites scrambled to find stable water, many relying on junk fishing to see which lures and techniques produced the best bites.

A trio of lures worked best for Logan — a 5/8-ounce Dirty Jigs Matt Herren flipping jig (black/blue skirt) with a Zoom Big Salty sapphire blue Chunk; a Dirty Jigs No Jack swim jig with a Zoom Super Speed Craw trailer; and a frog, which he used to fill his Day 3 limit.

Logan started the tournament strongly, putting 14-1 on the board Friday, good enough for ninth place. He caught 12-8 on Day 2, climbing to eighth and surviving the cut to 48. He made his move on Day 3 with the 16-5 haul, pointing to a pair of unusual catches as the turning point.

“I caught two bass under a bridge right by the Gadsden City Boat Docks on a crankbait,” he said “I’m not a crankbait fisherman. It was about 11:30, and I only had two keepers at the time. But I caught a 2 1/2 there, and then two casts later, I caught a 5 1/4. I only got one more bite that day.

“When you get that kind of bite when you’re not supposed to, that let me know I had a chance to win. Stuff like that just doesn’t happen all the time.”

Logan didn’t divulge specifics on the crankbait, other than to say it’s specially painted, similar to a black/chartreuse combo.

“I keep that one in my hand around here,” he said. “It’s a confidence thing.”

Logan planned to fish down-lake from the start, but low water in that area made him choose otherwise. Each of the 20 bass he weighed was caught between Cove Creek and Minnesota Bend — both only a 10-minute run from the Gadsden City Boat Docks.

Mueller, meanwhile, went straight for the lower end of Neely Henry and found success. He seized the lead after Day 2 and was in second place going into Day 4, trailing Logan by just more than a pound. Mueller caught the heaviest bass of the tournament Monday, a 6-6 largemouth, but his 13-13 closing weight wasn’t enough to overtake Logan.

“My pattern went away today and I knew that would be the deal,” Mueller said. “I had to fish new water. I was able to catch some fish, and I had a good day. I’m glad at the way this turned out. As short as the morning bite was, I could have been sitting in sixth or seventh right now.”

Mueller caught his best bass, including the 6-6, on a Deps Evoke 2.0 squarebill crankbait (chartreuse/brown back). He earned an additional $2,000 for having the Phoenix Boats Big Bass on Day 4 and overall.

Alabama native Gerald Swindle caught the second-heaviest bag on Day 4 (a 15-0 limit) and finished third with 54-2 overall.

Mueller took home an additional $3,000 for being the highest-placing entrant in the Toyota Bonus Bucks program, and fourth-place finisher Jason Christie of Park Hill, Okla., earned $2,000 for being the second-highest placing entrant.

As part of the Yamaha Power Pay program, Logan earned $4,000 for winning while Christie claimed an additional $1,500 for being the second-highest placing entrant.

Minnesota pro Seth Feider finished 12th in the derby and didn’t qualify for Championship Monday, but he still left Gadsden with a commanding lead in the Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings. His season total of 525 points gives him a 41-point cushion over Patrick Walters of Summerville, S.C., (484) with three tournaments remaining.

Brock Mosley of Collinsville, Miss., is third with 464, followed by Brandon Palaniuk of Rathdrum, Idaho, with 462 and Christie with 457.

Bryan New of Belmont, N.C., is leading the Rookie of the Year standings with 372 points.

The City of Gadsden and the Greater Gadsden Area Tourism hosted the event.

HOTTEST NEW LURES FOR 2020

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

Cullman’s Wiggins Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League on Lewis Smith Lake

Post author By jcarrigan
Post date May 4, 2021
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JASPER, Ala. (May 4, 2021) – Boater Jordan Wiggins of Cullman, Alabama, wins the Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine at Lewis Smith Lake in Jasper, Alabama. Wiggins earned $5,839 for his victory at the event, hosted by the Chamber of Commerce of Walker County.
TOP 10 RESULTS

RANK	BOATER NAME/HOMETOWN	BASS	WEIGHT	AWARD
1^st	Jordan Wiggins of Cullman, Ala.	5	17-6	$5,839
2^nd	John Simmons of Jasper, Ala.	5	14-3	$2,419
3^rd	Andy Chappell of Warrior, Ala.	5	14-0	$1,614
4^th	Justin Blalock of Cullman, Ala.	5	13-12	$1,859
5^th	Lee Black of Danville, Ala.	5	13-8	$968
6^th	Wesley Smith of Vinemont, Ala.	5	13-6	$846
6^th	Destry Ford of Tuscaloosa, Ala.	5	13-6	$1,346
8^th	Ethan Flack of Baileyton, Ala.	5	13-4	$726
9^th	Carl Hayes, III of Eatonton, Ga.	5	13-3	$645
10^th	Greg Pugh of Cullman, Ala.	5	12-15	$536
10^th	Cameron Robinson of Jasper, Ala.	5	12-15	$536

RANK	STRIKE KING CO-ANGLER NAME/HOMETOWN	BASS	WEIGHT	AWARD
1^st	Michael Benson of Cullman, Ala.	5	11-7	$2,419
2^nd	Chaz McMahan of Leoma, Tenn.	5	11-5	$1,210
3^rd	Johnny Suratt of Lawrenceburg, Tenn.	5	11-3	$807
4^th	William Maddox of Trussville, Ala.	5	10-15	$565
5^th	Troy Calloway of Sylacauga, Ala.	5	10-13	$484
6^th	Brad Smith of Montevallo, Ala.	5	10-12	$769
7^th	Willie Hill of Tuskegee, Ala.	5	10-9	$403
8^th	Randy Wiggins of Birmingham, Ala.	5	10-5	$363
9^th	Daniel Corkern of Florence, Miss.	5	10-1	$302
9^th	Terry Harper of Ranburne, Ala.	5	10-1	$302

CONTINGENCY AWARDS

AWARD	NAME	CONTINGENCY	PAYOUT
Boater Big Bass	Justin Blalock of Cullman, Ala.	5-pound, 14-ounce bass	$730
Strike King Co-Angler Berkley Big Bass	Jacob Robinson of Temple, Ga.	4-pound, 11-ounce bass	$365
Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus	Destry Ford of Tuscaloosa, Ala.	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	Unspecified Shaky Head	N/A
Strike King Co-Angler	Unspecified Berkley MaxScent	N/A

2021 QUALIFICATION OPPORTUNITIES

EVENT	DATE	LOCATION	HOST
Bama Division – Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championship	Oct. 7-9	Wheeler Lake, Decatur, Ala.	Decatur Morgan County Tourism
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.

MLF BIG-5

Georgia’s Pare Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League on Lake Hartwell

Post author By jcarrigan
Post date May 4, 2021
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LAVONIA, Ga. (May 4, 2021) – Boater Mitchell Pare of Statesboro, Georgia, wins the Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine at Lake Hartwell in Lavonia, Georgia. Pare earned $4,072 for his victory at the event.
TOP 10 RESULTS

RANK	BOATER NAME/HOMETOWN	BASS	WEIGHT	AWARD
1^st	Mitchell Pare of Statesboro, Ga.	5	15-14	$4,072
2^nd	Tra Dumit of Greer, S.C.	5	14-6	$1,796
3^rd	Ronnie Wilson of Kings Mountain, N.C.	5	13-14	$1,201
4^th	Sammy Moody of Piedmont, S.C.	5	13-13	$1,338
5^th	Matthew Guffey of Simpsonville, S.C.	5	12-12	$718
6^th	John Bitter of Maitland, Fla.	5	12-9	$659
7^th	Steve Thornhill of Pineville, S.C.	5	11-12	$599
8^th	Roger Vinson of Flowery Branch, Ga.	5	11-7	$539
9^th	Lane Gerbers of Blackstock, S.C.	5	10-11	$479
10^th	James Wade of Loris, S.C.	5	10-9	$419

RANK	STRIKE KING CO-ANGLER NAME/HOMETOWN	BASS	WEIGHT	AWARD
1^st	Harold Addison, II of Columbia, S.C.	5	10-4	$1,796
2^nd	Brandon Hendrix of Anderson, S.C.	5	9-15	$898
3^rd	Samuel Jones of Raleigh, N.C.	5	9-9	$598
4^th	Wayne Hancock of Cumming, Ga.	5	8-13	$419
5^th	Kenny Mathis of Boiling Springs, S.C.	5	8-5	$359
6^th	Tim Chadwick of Mount Pleasant, S.C.	5	8-4	$329
7^th	Westley Denny of Westminster, S.C.	5	8-1	$299
8^th	Brian Bultman of Aiken, S.C.	5	7-7	$269
9^th	Gage Spagnola of Columbia, S.C.	5	7-3	$239
10^th	Ken Hodges of Hodges, S.C.	5	7-2	$210

CONTINGENCY AWARDS

AWARD	NAME	CONTINGENCY	PAYOUT
Boater Big Bass	Mitchell Pare of Statesboro, Ga.	4-pound, 15-ounce bass	$230
Boater Big Bass	Brian Anthony of Pickens, S.C.	4-pound, 15-ounce bass	$230
Strike King Co-Angler Berkley Big Bass	Jace Ramey of Easely, S.C.	4-pound, 9-ounce bass	$230
Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus	Sammy Moody of Piedmont, S.C.	Eligible Phoenix Boat*	$500

ANGLER	BAIT	COLOR
Boater	Unspecified Jig/Blades	N/A
Strike King Co-Angler	Unspecified Jerkbait/Dropshot	N/A

2021 QUALIFICATION OPPORTUNITIES

EVENT	DATE	LOCATION	HOST
South Carolina Division – Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championship	Oct. 21-23	St. Johns River, Palatka, Fla.	Putnam County Tourist Development Council
Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American	June 3-5	Douglas Lake, Dandridge, Tenn.	Jefferson County Department of Tourism

MLF BIG-5

Tenn’s McDavid Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League on Douglas Lake

Post author By jcarrigan
Post date May 4, 2021
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DANDRIDGE, Tenn. (May 4, 2021) – Boater Gregory McDavid of Blountville, Tennessee, wins the Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine at Douglas Lake in Dandridge, Tennessee. McDavid earned $13,056 for his victory at the event, hosted by the Jefferson County Department of Tourism.
TOP 10 RESULTS

RANK	BOATER NAME/HOMETOWN	BASS	WEIGHT	AWARD
1^st	Gregory McDavid of Blountville, Tenn.	5	18-8	$13,056
2^nd	Jeremy Shuman of Louisville, Tenn.	5	16-0	$2,403
3^rd	Jacob McCray of Big Stone Gap, Va.	5	15-5	$1,605
4^th	Rocky Huff of Chilhowie, Va.	5	14-11	$1,121
5^th	Curtis Hoskins of LaFollette, Tenn.	5	14-7	$961
6^th	Nick Hatfield of Greeneville, Tenn.	5	14-4	$881
7^th	Michael Anderson of Knoxville, Tenn.	5	14-0	$801
8^th	Bryant Ailor of Knoxville, Tenn.	5	13-11	$721
9^th	Philip Gordon of Middlesboro, Ky.	5	13-9	$641
10^th	Hunter Price of Morristown, Tenn.	5	13-8	$561

RANK	STRIKE KING CO-ANGLER NAME/HOMETOWN	BASS	WEIGHT	AWARD
1^st	Matthew Jones of Bean Station, Tenn.	5	14-0	$2,415
2^nd	Jeff Short of Bean Station, Tenn.	5	13-0	$1,207
3^rd	Dusty Kelley of Kingsport, Tenn.	5	12-4	$806
4^th	Travis Pridemore of White Pine, Tenn.	5	11-13	$523
4^th	Mike Holtsclaw of Limestone, Tenn.	5	11-13	$523
6^th	Lloyd Pickett, Jr. of Bartlett, Tenn.	5	11-7	$422
6^th	Pop Catalin of Cookeville, Tenn.	5	11-7	$422
8^th	Harrison Heins of Knoxville, Tenn.	5	10-8	$362
9^th	Bradley Stringfield of Oliver Springs, Tenn.	5	10-4	$322
10^th	Konnor Sweet of Abingdon, Va.	5	10-3	$282

CONTINGENCY AWARDS

AWARD	NAME	CONTINGENCY	PAYOUT
Boater Big Bass	Brian Vicchio of Gray, Tenn.	5-pound bass	$725
Strike King Co-Angler Berkley Big Bass	Matthew Jones of Bean Station, Tenn.	4-pound, 13-ounce bass	$360
Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus	Gregory McDavid of Blountville, Tenn.	Eligible Phoenix Boat*	$7,000

ANGLER	BAIT	COLOR
Boater	Unspecified Swim Bait/Jig	N/A
Strike King Co-Angler	Neko Rig	N/A

2021 QUALIFICATION OPPORTUNITIES

EVENT	DATE	LOCATION	HOST
Volunteer Division – Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championship	Oct. 14-16	Lake Murray, Columbia, S.C.	Capital City Lake Murray Country Regional Tourism Board
Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American	June 3-5	Douglas Lake, Dandridge, Tenn.	Jefferson County Department of Tourism

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.

MLF BIG-5

North Carolina’s Blankenship Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League on Kerr Lake

Post author By jcarrigan
Post date May 4, 2021
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HENDERSON, N.C. (May 4, 2021) – Boater James Blankenship of Siler City, North Carolina, wins the Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine at Kerr Lake in Henderson, North Carolina. Blankenship earned $5,488 for his victory at the event, hosted by the Vance County Tourism Development Authority.
TOP 10 RESULTS

RANK	BOATER NAME/HOMETOWN	BASS	WEIGHT	AWARD
1^st	James Blankenship of Siler City, N.C.	5	19-9	$5,488
2^nd	Billy Shelton, III of La Crosse, Va.	5	18-2	$3,824
3^rd	Aaron Falwell of Forest, Va.	5	16-8	$1,829
4^th	Wesley Cashwell of Roanoke Rapids, N.C.	5	16-3	$1,281
5^th	Larry Church of Keysville, Va.	5	15-11	$1,098
6^th	Kevin Kane of Woodbridge, Va.	5	15-10	$1,006
7^th	Alden Patterson of Mebane, N.C.	5	15-9	$915
8^th	Greg Lahr of Fayetteville, N.C.	5	15-3	$823
9^th	Wayne Burchett of Pulaski, Va.	5	14-11	$732
10^th	Brian Morgan of Mooresville, N.C.	5	14-10	$640

RANK	STRIKE KING CO-ANGLER NAME/HOMETOWN	BASS	WEIGHT	AWARD
1^st	Kenneth Brown of Leesburg, Va.	5	18-1	$2,744
2^nd	Lenny Baird of Stafford, Va.	5	14-1	$2,012
3^rd	Matthew Waldron of Wake Forest, M.C.	5	11-10	$702
3^rd	Christopher Mills of Manassa, Va.	5	11-10	$702
3^rd	Timothy Kinder of Manassas, Va.	4	11-10	$952
6^th	Jason Hinger of Tinberlake, N.C.	5	11-7	$503
7^th	Tanner Glasglow of Newport News, Va.	5	11-4	$457
8^th	Scott Howard of Bedford, Va.	5	11-2	$389
8^th	Philip Ragland, Jr. of Fairfield, Va.	5	11-2	$389
10^th	Anthony Pulley of Chester, Va.	5	10-14	$320

CONTINGENCY AWARDS

AWARD	NAME	CONTINGENCY	PAYOUT
Boater Big Bass	Billy Shelton, III of La Crosse, Va.	6-pound, 7-ounce bass	$880
Strike King Co-Angler Berkley Big Bass	Lenny Baird of Stafford, Va.	5-pound, 5-ounce bass	$440
Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus	Tyler Trent of Nathalie, Va.	Eligible Phoenix Boat*	$500

ANGLER	BAIT	COLOR
Boater	Unspecified Jig	N/A
Strike King Co-Angler	Carolina Rig	N/A

2021 QUALIFICATION OPPORTUNITIES

EVENT	DATE	LOCATION	HOST
Piedmont Division – Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championship	Oct. 14-16	Potomac River, Marbury, Md.	Charles County Board of Commissioners
Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American	June 3-5	Douglas Lake, Dandridge, Tenn.	Jefferson County Department of Tourism

MLF BIG-5

Tenn’s Singleton Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing Leagueon Kentucky-Barkley Lake

Post author By jcarrigan
Post date May 4, 2021
No Comments on Tenn’s Singleton Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing Leagueon Kentucky-Barkley Lake

GILBERTSVILLE, Ky. (May 4, 2021) – Boater Gary Singleton of Dickson, Tennessee, wins the Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine at Kentucky-Barkley Lake Presented by TINCUP Whiskey in Gilbertsville, Kentucky. Singleton earned $5,743 for his victory at the event, hosted by the Kentucky Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau.
TOP 10 RESULTS

RANK	BOATER NAME/HOMETOWN	BASS	WEIGHT	AWARD
1^st	Gary Singleton of Dickson, Tenn.	5	18-0	$5,743
2^nd	Brady Bickers of Carrollton, Ky.	5	16-3	$2,082
3^rd	Stephen Barga of Benton, Ky.	5	15-13	$1,387
4^th	Doug Caskey of Madisonville, Ky.	5	14-15	$971
5^th	Keith Claridge of Oakland City, Ind.	5	14-11	$1,333
6^th	Richard Meuth of Henderson, Ky.	5	14-5	$763
7^th	Edward Gettys of Paris Tenn.	5	14-1	$694
8^th	Scott McWaters of Clarksville, Tenn.	5	13-12	$625
9^th	David Hames of Trezevant, Tenn.	5	13-10	$555
10^th	Brandon S. Johnson of Crofton, Ky.	5	13-9	$486

RANK	STRIKE KING CO-ANGLER NAME/HOMETOWN	BASS	WEIGHT	AWARD
1^st	Terry Bassemier of Carmi, Ill.	4	8-13	$2,041
2^nd	Kevin Mulverhill of Moria, N.Y.	3	8-11	$1,021
3^rd	Carl Oelker of Greenbrier, Tenn.	4	8-10	$808
4^th	Brant Gish of Evansville, Ind.	4	8-9	$476
5^th	Chuck Ledbetter of Fort Campbell, Ky.	3	8-5	$408
6^th	Chuck Condiff, Jr. of Fort Branch, Ind.	3	8-3	$374
7^th	John Dunn of Paducah, Ky.	4	7-13	$340
8^th	Jordan McWhirter of Carmi, Ill.	3	7-12	$306
9^th	Johnny Brantley of Medon, Tenn.	3	7-10	$272
10^th	Dalton Wilson of Bowling Green, Ky.	4	7-7	$238

CONTINGENCY AWARDS

AWARD	NAME	CONTINGENCY	PAYOUT
Boater Big Bass	Gary Singleton of Dickson, Tenn.	5-pound, 12-ounce bass	$580
Strike King Co-Angler Berkley Big Bass	Alan Scott of Shelbyville, Ind.	5-pound bass	$280
Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus	Keith Claridge of Oakland City, Ind.	Eligible Phoenix Boat*	$500

ANGLER	BAIT	COLOR
Boater	Unspecified Chatterbait & Beaver Bait	N/A
Strike King Co-Angler	Unspecified Chatterbait &Bandito Bug	N/A

2021 QUALIFICATION OPPORTUNITIES

EVENT	DATE	LOCATION	HOST
LBL 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 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.

Major League Fishing - Bass Pro Tour/Cup Events

Bobby Lane Wins Knockout Round at Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour – Berkley Stage Two Presented by Mercury at Lake Travis

Post author By jcarrigan
Post date May 4, 2021
No Comments on Bobby Lane Wins Knockout Round at Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour – Berkley Stage Two Presented by Mercury at Lake Travis

AUSTIN, Texas (May 4, 2021) – Berkley pro “Big Fish” Bobby Lane of Lakeland, Florida, caught 14 bass Tuesday totaling 28 pounds, 1 ounce to win the Knockout Round and advance to the final day of competition at the Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Tour Berkley Stage Two at Lake Travis Presented by Mercury event in Austin, Texas. The final 10 anglers are now set, and competition will resume Wednesday morning with the Championship Round. Weights are zeroed, and the angler that catches the most weight will win the top prize of $100,000.

The six-day tournament, hosted by the Austin Sports Commission, featured 80 of the top professional anglers from around the world competing for a purse of $805,000, including a top cash prize of $100,000 to the winner.

The top eight pros from Tuesday’s Knockout Round that will compete in Wednesday’s Championship Round on Lake Travis are:

1^st:        Bobby Lane, Lakeland, Fla., 14 bass, 28-1
2^nd:       Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn., seven bass, 24-11
3^rd:       Brent Ehrler, Redlands, Calif., 11 bass, 24-2
4^th:       Casey Ashley, Donalds, S.C., nine bass, 18-11
5^th:       Mark Daniels Jr., Tuskegee, Ala., 10 bass, 18-2
6^th:       Cody Meyer, Star, Idaho, eight bass, 17-7
7^th:       Stephen Browning, Hot Springs, Ark., six bass, 17-3
8^th:       John Cox, DeBary, Fla., nine bass, 16-10

They’ll be joined by Qualifying Round Winners:

Group A: Brent Chapman, Lake Quivira, Kan.
Group B: Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla.

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

“Man, am I excited to be going to my second straight Championship Round in Texas,” said Lane, who finished in 10^th place at the season-opening Bass Pro Tour event at Sam Rayburn Reservoir. “Last year it seemed like I finished in 11^th and 12^th place all year long, but this is a new year and Bobby Lane is heading to his second straight Championship Round.”

Lane said he caught his fish Tuesday fishing the outside of marinas, mainly targeting docks and rocks.

“The key to my success so far this week has been my equipment,” Lane said. “I’m using the new (Abu Garcia) Veritas, 7-foot, medium, and this rod has been absolutely phenomenal. I love it. I’m fishing a wacky-rigged Berkley PowerBait (MaxScent) General worm (green-pumpkin) with a size 1 hook and a nail weight right in the head.

“I’ve got 10-pound braided line and I’m using an 8-pound-test Berkley 100% Fluorocarbon leader,” Lane continued. “I’m using a very long leader – around 14-foot. Fishing here on Lake Travis you’re going to break off, you’re going to get hung on the cables and you’re going to have to re-tie quite often. The longer leader allows me to re-tie more quickly and efficiently.”

Second-place angler Academy pro Jacob Wheeler of Harrison, Tennessee, was much more optimistic after his day on the water, Tuesday, than he was after only boating two fish in Monday’s Qualifying Round.

“It was a good morning, and a really tough afternoon – just as it has been the last few days – but we got it done and I’m so thankful for those quality bites this morning,” Wheeler said. “If I can get at least 10 keeper bites tomorrow, I think I’ll have a shot at this thing. I’m going to have to generate some big bites, though, so we’ll see what happens. I’m looking forward to going to the Championship Round. This feels good after yesterday’s struggles, so I’m ready to get after it tomorrow.”

Third-place pro Brent Ehrler of Redlands, California, also made the Championship Round in his second-straight event after a ninth-place showing at the General Tire Heavy Hitters all-star event last month.

“I left a fair amount of water today that I didn’t fish, so I’ve still got some stuff left to fish tomorrow,” Ehrler said. “I got kind of lucky today. I had a couple of key bites that really helped me get to where I’m at right now – over that 20-pound mark. I don’t know if I’ll be able to get those again tomorrow; they were kind of single fish. I found an area that had a few fish that had moved up – I’d already fished it earlier in the week – but a few more had moved up. I don’t think I can go back and catch those fish again. I’m going to have to bob and weave by the minute tomorrow, and hopefully I’ll have a chance at winning this thing.”

Rounding out the top 40 finishers were:

11^th:     Mike McClelland, Blue Eye, Mo., eight bass, 16-4, $10,000
12^th:     David Dudley, Lynchburg, Va., nine bass, 16-2, $10,000
13^th:     Mark Rose, Wynne, Ark., seven bass, 15-5, $10,000
14^th:     Russ Lane, Prattville, Ala., seven bass, 14-10, $10,000
15^th:     Jared Lintner, Arroyo Grande, Calif., seven bass, 14-10, $10,000
16^th:     Alton Jones, Woodway, Texas, three bass, 13-8, $10,000
17^th:     Anthony Gagliardi, Prosperity, S.C., seven bass, 13-4, $10,000
18^th:     Justin Lucas, Guntersville, Ala., seven bass, 12-15, $10,000
19^th:     Andy Montgomery, Blacksburg, S.C., five bass, 12-12, $10,000
20^th:     Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., four bass, 12-5, $10,000
21^st:     Alton Jones Jr., Waco, Texas, six bass, 11-15, $10,000
22^nd:    Ott DeFoe, Blaine, Tenn., four bass, 11-10, $10,000
23^rd:    Chris Lane, Guntersville, Ala., five bass, 9-14, $10,000
24^th:     Takahiro Omori, Tokyo, Japan, four bass, 9-6, $10,000
25^th:     Jesse Wiggins, Addison, Ala., five bass, 9-1, $10,000
26^th:     Luke Clausen, Spokane, Wash., five bass, 8-14, $10,000
27^th:     Dave Lefebre, Erie, Pa., three bass, 8-9, $10,000
28^th:     David Walker, Sevierville, Tenn., four bass, 8-7, $10,000
29^th:     Fred Roumbanis, Russellville, Ark., two bass, 8-5, $10,000
30^th:     Miles Burghoff, Soddy-Daisy, Tenn., five bass, 8-3, $10,000
31^st:     Fletcher Shryock, Guntersville, Ala., four bass, 7-9, $10,000
32^nd:    Edwin Evers, Talala, Okla., three bass, 5-10, $10,000
33^rd:    Gary Klein, Mingus, Texas, three bass, 5-0, $10,000
34^th:     Keith Poche, Pike Road, Ala., two bass, 4-14, $10,000
35^th:     James Watson, Lampe, Mo., two bass, 4-2, $10,000
36^th:     Tommy Biffle, Wagoner, Okla., one bass, 4-2, $10,000
37^th:     Ish Monroe, Oakdale, Calif., two bass, 4-0, $10,000
38^th:     Gerald Spohrer, Gonzales, La, two bass, 3-11, $10,000
39^th:     Roy Hawk, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., two bass, 3-8, $10,000
40^th:     Dustin Connell, Clanton, Ala., zero bass, 0-0, $10,000

There were 202 bass weighing 443 pounds, 6 ounces caught by 37 pros Tuesday, which included one 6-pounder and six 5-pounders caught from Lake Travis.

Browning won the $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award on Tuesday, catching a 6-pound, 3-ounce largemouth in 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.

The MLF Bass Pro Tour Berkley Stage Two at Lake Travis Presented by Mercury is hosted by the Austin Sports Commission.

The 40 Anglers in Group A competed in their two-day qualifying round on Friday and Sunday – the 40 anglers in Group B on Saturday and Monday. After the two-day Qualifying Round, the anglers that finished in 2^nd through 20^th place from both groups advanced to Tuesday’s Knockout Round, while the winner from each group advanced directly to Wednesday’s Championship Round. In the Knockout Round, the weights were zeroed and the remaining 38 anglers competed to finish in the top 8 to advance to the Championship Round. Tomorrow, 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.

The final 10 anglers will take off at 6:30 a.m. CT Wednesday from Mansfield Dam Park, located at 4370 Mansfield Dam Park Road in Austin. The General Tire Takeout will also be held at the park beginning at 3:15 p.m.

HOTTEST NEW LURES FOR 2020

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 MLF NOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee, Marty Stone and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action from the final day of competition from 7 a.m. to 3:45 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.

MLF BIG-5

Keith Combs Wins Toyota Series Event on Sam Rayburn Reservoir Presented by Berkley

Post author By jcarrigan
Post date May 3, 2021
No Comments on Keith Combs Wins Toyota Series Event on Sam Rayburn Reservoir Presented by Berkley

BROOKELAND, Texas (May 2, 2021) – Pro Keith Combs of Huntington, Texas, brought five bass to the scale Friday weighing 10 pounds, 15 ounces to go wire-to-wire and win the Toyota Series presented by A.R.E. at Sam Rayburn Reservoir Presented by Berkley . Combs weighed in 15 bass over three days of competition totaling 63 pounds, 3 ounces, earning the win by an 8-pound, 10-ounce margin over second-place angler Josh Bensema of Willis, Texas. For his victory, Combs earned the top payout of $36,764 in the third and final regular-season tournament of the 2021 Toyota Series Southwestern Division.

Combs said it was actually his first win of any kind on Sam Rayburn, which was surprising considering his Huntington, Texas, address, and his years as a top-level pro angler.

“I’ve fished very few tournaments and not had a top 10 or 15 on this place,” said Combs. “I’ve finished second and third, but never won one. That was fun, I always wanted to.”

Weighing 22-9 on Day 1 and 29-11 on Day 2, Combs staked himself to a lead of more than 17 pounds heading into the third and final day. After a weather delay at takeoff that lasted more than 2 hours, Combs was forced to scramble a bit Friday to make sure of the win.

“The first couple days were really easy, but today we just didn’t have enough time,” said Combs. “I went to try to catch a couple big ones, but I had to just catch some fish. I would have loved to have had a full day to go out and stand on ‘em and try to catch a big bag again. They’re definitely there.”

On the first two days, Combs did what he’s famous for – catching big bass offshore.

“I stayed out, I cranked, I threw a big spinnerbait and a big swimbait,” said Combs. “I fished a lot of different spots, some of them were shallow, 4- to 6-foot. Some of the fish I’ve caught this week have been as deep as 16.

“There’s just not many fish out there. I had a good bag the first day and moved around and checked on a bunch of places. I felt like if I stayed out all day and fished for those big ones, I’d have a chance to catch five. Thursday, I stayed out all day, and I only caught seven fish, but the smallest one was a 4-pounder.”

On Day 3, Combs ended up altering his strategy and put a jerkbait and a crankbait in hand to nab a limit.

“Friday I just went and caught schooling fish on a little gravel bar,” said Combs. “It has a ton of 2- and 3-pounders. I hadn’t fished there all week, but I felt like I just needed to go catch a limit of fish today, so that’s what I did.”

Combs said he targeted a mix of hard spots on points and flats and isolated stumps. For the stumps, he could often pull up and make just a handful of casts, but he found himself fishing around a little more on the other offshore areas.

“I used my Humminbird MEGA 360 a lot. The stumps I know about, but a lot of the stuff was real big flats, and main lake points,” said Combs. “I would pull up, and I could look at 360 and fish around, and eventually you might see a fish or two. Then at least I knew which direction to throw. They’re big areas, so it was very important to run that this week.”

For his baits, Combs said he used a big single swimbait, a 1-ounce Strike King Bottom Dweller Spinnerbait in blue glimmer, a Strike King Magnum Squarebill 4.0 in Tennessee shad and a Strike King 6XD in chartreuse and blue.

With his fourth-place finish in the Southwestern standings and his win, Combs is now qualified for the Toyota Series Championship this fall on Pickwick Lake. From the sounds of it, he’s going to be a handful.

“I’m excited about that,” said Combs. “That’s a big money tournament. It’s pretty good to get an opportunity to fish for that kind of money. To me, it’s pretty incredible to fish for that kind of jack without having to spend $50,000 in entry fees. I think it will be a really good tournament. I got the opportunity to see what really lives in Pickwick when we were there for the Elites, and I know it will be tougher in the fall, but I think I’ll get a lot of practice time and I’m excited about it.”

The top 10 pros on Sam Rayburn Reservoir finished:

                  1^st:           Keith Combs, Huntington, Texas, 15 bass, 63-3, $36,764
                  2^nd:          Josh Bensema, Willis, Texas, 15 bass, 54-9, $15,147
                  3^rd:          Jeff Bridges, Prosper, Texas, 15 bass, 52-0, $10,952
                  4^th:           Todd Castledine, Nacogdoches, Texas, 15 bass, 44-4, $9,127
                  5^th:           Cameron Mattison, Benton, La., 15 bass, 42-7, $8,214
                  6^th:           Troy Roder, Brookeland, Texas, 15 bass, 40-14, $7,302
                  7^th:           Mitchell Webb, Skiatook, Okla., 13 bass, 38-1, $6,639
                  8^th:           Shawn Temple, Krugerville, Texas, 15 bass, 37-12, $5,476
                  9^th:           Garrett Hilton, China, Texas, 13 bass, 36-9, $4,564
                  10^th:        River Lee, Nacogdoches, Texas, 14 bass, 35-11, $3,651

Results for the remainder of the field can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Combs also earned both of the Berkley Big Bass awards, weighing a 7-pound, 15-ounce largemouth on Day 1 to claim that prize of $128, then weighing a 7-14 on Day 2 to again earn the $128 awards.

Bensema took home an extra $1,000 as the highest finishing Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus member. Boaters are eligible to win up to an extra $35,000 per event in each Toyota Series tournament if all requirements are met. More information on the Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.

Kevin Carter of Spring, Texas, won the Strike King Co-angler Division Friday with a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 36 pounds, 1 ounce. For his victory, Carter won the top prize package of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard motor.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers on Sam Rayburn Reservoir finished:

                  1^st:           Kevin Carter, Spring, Texas, 15 bass, 36-1, Phoenix 518 Pro boat w/115-hp Mercury outboard
                  2^nd:          Kevin Bonds, Cleveland, Texas, 15 bass, 31-6, $4,616
                  3^rd:          Robert Davis, Lufkin, Texas, 12 bass, 30-12, $3,693
                  4^th:           Jason Geesey, Heartland, Texas, 12 bass, 27-5, $3,231
                  5^th:           John Goebel, Lumberton, Texas, 14 bass, 26-9, $2,770
                  6^th:           Dustin Robinson, Glendale, Ariz., 13 bass, 25-1, $2,308
                  7^th:           Jason Cochran, Pearland, Texas, 12 bass, 24-11, $1,846
                  8^th:           Robert Spangenberg, Magnolia, Texas, 12 bass, 23-8, $1,616
                  9^th:           Mike Power, Conroe, Texas, 12 bass, 22-13, $1,385
                  10^th:        Kenny Moser, Alba, Texas, 10 bass, 20-5, $1,154

HOTTEST NEW LURES FOR 2020

Co-angler Steve Baskins of Owasso, Oklahoma, weighed the largest bass of the day for co-anglers on Day 1, boating a 5-pound, 15-ounce bass to earn the $85 Berkley Big Bass award. Tristan Riddle of Nacogdoches, Texas, earned the $85 Berkley Big Bass award on Day 2 with a 6-pound, 8-ounce largemouth.

Despite the successful tournament on Sam Rayburn Reservoir, the fishing community was deeply saddened on Thursday after an accident at the event claimed the life of a co-angler. Major League Fishing (MLF) announced Friday that the identity of the co-angler that died after falling from the boat had been released. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) confirmed that co-angler Pete Lammons of Houston, Texas, fell overboard near the San Augustine Park area. Attempts to rescue Lammons were unsuccessful. Lammons was an experienced co-angler, competing in his 57^th career MLF event. He was also a former NFL football player, who played tight end for the New York Jets from 1966-1971, including winning the AFL Championship with them in 1968 and Super Bowl III in 1969.

The Toyota Series Presented by A.R.E. at Sam Rayburn Reservoir Presented by Berkley was hosted by the Jasper-Lake Sam Rayburn Chamber of Commerce. It was the third and final regular-season tournament in 2021 for Southwestern Division anglers. The next events for Toyota Series anglers will be a double-header, both held May 6-8 – the Toyota Series at Lake Seminole in Bainbridge, Georgia, and the Toyota Series at Lake Dardanelle Presented by Fenwick in Russellville, Arkansas. For a complete schedule, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com .

The 2021 Toyota Series Presented by A.R.E. consists of six divisions – the Central Division Presented by Neat Companies, Northern, Plains, Southern, Southwestern and Western – each holding three regular-season events, along with the International division. Anglers who fish all three qualifiers in any of the six divisions and finish in the top 25 will qualify for the no-entry-fee Toyota Series Presented by A.R.E. Championship for a shot at winning $235,000 cash, including a $35,000 Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus for qualified anglers. The winning Strike King co-angler at the championship earns a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard.

The 2021 Toyota Series Championship Presented by A.R.E. will be held Oct. 28-30 on Pickwick Lake in Counce, Tennessee, and is hosted by the Hardin County Convention and Visitors Bureau.