Category: Major League Fishing – Bass Pro Tour/Cup Events

HARRISON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (June 24, 2023) – Berkley pro Jordan Lee of Cullman, Alabama weighed in 12 scorable smallmouth bass, with his best five totaling 22 pounds, 8 ounces to grab the early lead for Group A after Day 1 of the Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Tour General Tire Stage Six at Lake St. Clair Presented by John Deere Utility Vehicles. Pro Spencer Shuffield of Hot Springs, Arkansas sits 1 ounce behind Lee in second place for Group A with five scorable bass totaling 22-7. 

The six-day event, hosted by the Detroit Sports Commission, Macomb County and Lake St. Clair Metroparks, showcases 80 of the top professional anglers in the world, competing for a purse of more than $805,000, including a top payout of $100,000 and valuable Angler of the Year (AOY) points in hopes of qualifying for the General Tire Heavy Hitters All-Star event and REDCREST 2024, the Bass Pro Tour championship.

The 40 anglers in Group A will now have an off day from competition Sunday, while the 40 anglers competing in Group B will begin their first day of competition. Group A will resume competition on Monday.

Lee started the day off with a bang, catching a 5-pound, 14-ounce smallmouth – the biggest fish of the day – in the first 10 minutes of competition to catapult into the early lead.

“I honestly expected to find a lot more schooling fish on this Canada side of Lake St. Clair, but that has not been the case,” said Lee. “I’ve basically just been practicing all day since we couldn’t fish over here during practice. I know it’s all about finding a good area, so I’ve been running around all over, bouncing here and there. The size of fish is just a little bit better over here, though, which is what I was hoping for.

“When you get around them, you catch some smaller ones, but they look healthy – they aren’t paper-thin,” Lee continued. “I also caught a couple bigger fish (today), which is key.”

Lee said his Lowrance ActiveTarget was critical to his success, and he caught his bass on several different baits, including a hair jig and drop-shot rig, a Berkley PowerBait MaxScent The General on a 3/8-ounce Ned Head and a Berkley PowerBait MaxScent Lil’ General.  

“I’m not sure what to expect on Monday with the winds that are being forecast, but maybe the bite will be better,” said Lee. “I thought they would be a lot hungrier than they were because these fish haven’t seen a bait in a long time. The slick calm weather we’ve had today was great for being able to move around on the water, but it’s notorious for making fishing more difficult.  

“If we get a little wind on Monday, I think the bite will pick up,” Lee continued. “They just weren’t firing today, but I’ll definitely take it. Maybe I can learn a little something and just take it day by day. Winning the first day doesn’t really mean a lot in the grand scheme of the tournament, but it feels great to get off to a good start.”

The top 20 pros in Group A after Day 1 on Lake St. Clair are:

1^st:           Jordan Lee, Cullman, Ala., five bass, 22-8
2^nd:          Spencer Shuffield, Hot Springs, Ark., five bass, 22-7
3^rd:          Alton Jones Jr., Waco, Texas, five bass, 21-5
4^th:           Greg Vinson, Wetumpka, Ala., five bass, 20-12
5^th:           Matt Becker, Ten Mile, Tenn., five bass, 20-9
6^th:           Ryan Salzman, Huntsville, Ala., five bass, 20-9
7^th:           Terry Scroggins, San Mateo, Fla., five bass, 20-5
8^th:           Cody Meyer, Star, Idaho, five bass, 19-11
9^th:           Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., five bass, 19-6
10^th:        David Dudley, Lynchburg, Va., five bass, 19-4
11^th:        Brent Chapman, Lake Quivira, Kan., five bass, 19-4
12^th:        Kelly Jordon, Flint, Texas, five bass, 18-14
13^th:        Fletcher Shryock, Guntersville, Ala., five bass, 18-12
14^th:        Andy Morgan, Dayton Tenn., five bass, 18-12
15^th:        Boyd Duckett, Guntersville, Ala., five bass, 18-9
16^th:        James Watson, Lampe, Mo., five bass, 18-4
17^th:        Mark Rose, Wynne, Ark., five bass, 17-13
18^th:        Randall Tharp, Port St. Joe, Fla., five bass, 17-12
19^th:        Ott DeFoe, Blaine, Tenn., five bass, 17-10
20^th:        Dean Rojas, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., five bass, 17-10

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

Lee’s 5-pound, 14-ounce smallmouth in Period 1 was the biggest fish of the day, earning him the first $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award of the event. Berkley awards $1,000 to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass each day, and another $3,000 bonus to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass of the tournament.

The 40 Anglers in Group A compete in their two-day qualifying round on Saturday and Monday – the 40 anglers in Group B on Sunday and Tuesday. After each two-day qualifying round is complete, the top 20 anglers from each group advance to Wednesday’s Knockout Round. In the Knockout Round, weights are zeroed, and the remaining 40 anglers compete to finish in the top 10 to advance to Thursday’s Championship Round. In the final day Championship Round, weight carries over from the Knockout Round and the angler with the heaviest two-day total wins the top prize of $100,000.

Anglers will launch each day at 7:20 a.m. ET from Lake St. Clair Metropark, located at 31300 Metro Parkway in Harrison Township. Each day’s General Tire Takeout will be held at the Metropark, beginning at 4 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend all launch and takeout events and also encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLFNOW!® live stream and SCORETRACKER® coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

On Championship Thursday, June 29, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., MLF will welcome fans of all ages to celebrate the top 10 and crown the General Tire Stage Six at Lake St. Clair Champion at the Watch Party and Trophy Presentation. The final 10 Championship Round Bass Pro Tour anglers will be on hand at the trophy celebration to meet and greet fans, sign autographs and take selfies.

The General Tire Stage Six at Lake St. Clair Presented by John Deere Utility Vehicles features anglers competing using the MLF catch, weigh, immediate-release format, with each angler’s five (5) heaviest bass per day tallied as their day’s weight. Anglers strive to catch their heaviest five fish each day, while also feeling the pressure and intensity of the live scoring SCORETRACKER® leaderboard. 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 2023 MLF Bass Pro Tour features a field of 80 of the top professional anglers in the world competing across seven regular-season tournaments around the country, fishing for millions of dollars and valuable points to qualify for the annual General Tire Heavy Hitters all-star event and REDCREST 2024, the Bass Pro Tour championship, held March 13-17, 2024, on Lay Lake in Birmingham, Alabama.  

The MLFNOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee, Marty Stone and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action live on all six days of competition from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET. MLFNOW!®  will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com  and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app.

Television coverage of the General Tire Stage Six at Lake St. Clair Presented by John Deere Utility Vehicles Championship Round will air as a two-hour episode starting at 7 a.m. ET, on Saturday, November 4 on the Discovery Channel. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on Discovery, with re-airings on the Outdoor Channel.

Proud sponsors of the 2023 MLF Bass Pro Tour include: 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, Ark Fishing, ATG by Wrangler, B&W Trailer Hitches, Bally Bet, Bass Cat Boats, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, Daiwa, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, Ferguson, Fox Rent A Car, General Tire, Grundéns, Humminbird, Lowrance, Minn Kota, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Power-Pole, Rapala, Star tron, T-H Marine, TORO, Toyota, U.S. Air Force, Yellowstone Bourbon, Yo-Zuri and Zoom Baits.

BENTON, Ky. (June 22, 2023) – Major League Fishing (MLF), the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, announced today the results of the 2023 General Tire Team Series Draft, which took place Wednesday in Harrison Township, Michigan. During the second annual General Tire Team Series Draft, the top 27 Bass Pro Tour anglers – based on 2022 Angler of the Year (AOY) point standings – selected two additional Bass Pro Tour anglers to create 27 three-man teams that will compete over three qualifying events.

The General Tire Team Series will showcase the 80 anglers that compete on the Bass Pro Tour, joined by the next available highest-ranking 2022 MLF champion, competing as three-man teams across four events for more than $700,000 in cash payouts.

“After a successful transition from the extremely popular MLF Cup events in 2022, it was exciting to watch our Bass Pro Tour anglers work together again and strategize to create their winning lineups,” said Kathy Fennel, Executive Vice President and General Manager of MLF. “We look forward to another round of exciting programming again this fall.”

2023 General Tire Team Series Draft Results:

CAPTAIN: Josh Bertrand, TEAMMATES: Edwin Evers and Marty Robinson
CAPTAIN: Greg Vinson, TEAMMATES: Bradley Roy and David Dudley
CAPTAIN: Chris Lane, TEAMMATES: Jared Lintner and John Hunter
CAPTAIN: Wesley Strader, TEAMMATES: Scott Suggs and Matt Becker
CAPTAIN: Todd Faircloth, TEAMMATES: Jeff Sprague and Jeff Kriet
CAPTAIN: Ott DeFoe, TEAMMATES: Andy Montgomery and Brandon Coulter
CAPTAIN: Stephen Browning, TEAMMATES: Anthony Gagliardi and Keith Poche
CAPTAIN: Casey Ashley, TEAMMATES: Terry Scroggins and Jacob Wall
CAPTAIN: Jonathon VanDam, TEAMMATES: James Elam and Matt Lee
CAPTAIN: Bryan Thrift, TEAMMATES: Luke Clausen and Josh Butler
CAPTAIN: Brent Ehrler, TEAMMATES: Brett Hite and John Murray
CAPTAIN: Alton Jones Jr., TEAMMATES: Nick LeBrun and Britt Myers
CAPTAIN: Randall Tharp, TEAMMATES: Gerald Spohrer and Russ Lane
CAPTAIN: Jeremy Lawyer, TEAMMATES: Cody Meyer and Shin Fukae
CAPTAIN: Dustin Connell, TEAMMATES: Cole Floyd and Roy Hawk
CAPTAIN: Adrian Avena, TEAMMATES: Spencer Shuffield and Ryan Salzman
CAPTAIN: Andy Morgan, TEAMMATES: Fletcher Shryock and James Watson
CAPTAIN: Michael Neal, TEAMMATES: Takahiro Omori and Dean Rojas
CAPTAIN: Mark Daniels Jr., TEAMMATES: Randy Howell and Cliff Crochet
CAPTAIN: Justin Lucas, TEAMMATES: Skeet Reese and Fred Roumbanis
CAPTAIN: Zack Birge, TEAMMATES: Mark Rose and Cliff Pace
CAPTAIN: Jesse Wiggins, TEAMMATES: Kyle Hall and Gary Klein
CAPTAIN: Kevin VanDam, TEAMMATES: David Walker and Kelly Jordon
CAPTAIN: Dakota Ebare, TEAMMATES: Mitch Crane and Tommy Biffle
CAPTAIN: Alton Jones Sr., TEAMMATES: Brent Chapman and Dave Lefebre
CAPTAIN: Jordan Lee, TEAMMATES: Mark Davis and Timmy Horton

CAPTAIN: Jacob Wheeler, TEAMMATES: Dylan Hays and Boyd Duckett

For complete details and updated information on Major League Fishing and the MLF General Tire Team Series events, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter,  Instagram and YouTube.

About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, the Discovery Channel, the Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, the World Fishing Network and on-demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 13 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.

MARBURY, Md. (June 19, 2023) – Pro Nick Hatfield of Greeneville, Tennessee, caught a five-bass limit Monday weighing 20 pounds, 11 ounces – the largest limit weighed throughout the three-day tournament – to win the MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitational T-H Marine Stop 5 at the Potomac River . Hatfield’s three-day total of 15 bass weighing 53 pounds, 12 ounces, earned him the win by a 5-pound, 3-ounce margin over Bass Pro Tour angler Cody Meyer of Star, Idaho, who finished second with a three day total of 15 bass weighing 48-9, good for the $50,000 runner-up payout.

After a Polaris Rookie of the Year win in 2021 on the Pro Circuit, Hatfield signed on to the new-look Invitationals for another go-round. After finishing 101st at Lake of the Ozarks in May, it looked like his Bass Pro Tour dreams may have gone by the wayside; but winning the Potomac vaulted him back into the Top 10 in points and may prove to be a key moment in a long career.

Starting the day in second behind Martin Villa, Hatfield knew he was close to a win. Still, the Top 10 was about as stacked as can be on the Potomac, and he also knew he needed to do more than just hold serve.

“Today I decided to scrap where I’ve been starting because it sucked yesterday,” Hatfield said. “I didn’t want to try to go in there and scrap out 14 or 15 pounds, I wanted to go for the win.”

So, he rolled into Chicamuxen Creek and started fishing in a recently opened spawning sanctuary.

“I knew it hadn’t had the pressure; I didn’t know if I could catch them in there, but I figured it hadn’t had the pressure like everywhere else,” Hatfield said. “So, I went in there and started catching them pretty quick. I got in a few areas there and caught them on a bunch of different things, but there was one little area in there that was a bream bed, and most of the big ones I caught, I caught off of it. When it went down it was pretty crazy.”

After catching a few swimming a jig and frogging in a marshy creek, Hatfield pulled out a popper as he roamed around. Things happened in a hurry after that.

“I stumbled into it as I was fishing, just going down the bank,” he said. “I threw a popper up close to the point, and one engulfed it. I kept throwing over there, and upon further inspection, after I caught some, I saw it was a bream bed. So, I actually went back to it later in the day and caught another 4-pounder off of it.”

Running bream beds has gotten a bit trendy recently, and the Top 10 definitely added them into the mix with the usual Potomac staples. For Hatfield, a big patch of spawning bluegill in Quantico Creek did a lot of the heavy lifting.
“I saw the one in Quantico the second day of practice and I saw there were a bunch of big ones swimming on it and it was easy to get bites,” Hatfield said. “I never found another one until today.

“I’d say out of 15 bass I weighed, maybe four or five came off something else,” he said. “Swimming a jig, a frog, ChatterBait, something like that. It was all on bream beds, basically.”

For his bream beds, Hatfield’s primary weapon was a wacky-rigged Yamamoto Senko with a No. 1 Hayabusa WRM. He also mixed in a 3/8-ounce Z-Man Evergreen ChatterBait JackHammer, a 3/8-ounce  Hayabusa Lil’ Schmitty Swim Jig , a popping frog and a bone Lobina Rio Rico. He used Doomsday rods for all of his techniques, opting for a 7-foot, medium-heavy model for the wacky rig.

“I’ve wanted to win one of these, I’ve tried hard,” Hatfield went on to say. “I knew that I could do it, and today just shows that I can. I can’t wait for the next one, I’m ready to go right now.”

The top 50 pros at the T-H Marine Stop 5 at the Potomac River finished:

1st:        Nick Hatfield, Greeneville, Tenn., 15 bass, 53-12, $117,500 (includes $35,000 Phoenix Bonus)
2nd:       Cody Meyer, Star, Idaho, 15 bass, 48-9, $50,000
3rd:       Eric Panzironi, Longwood, Fla., 15 bass, 48-8, $20,000
4th:        Wyatt Frankens, Corrigan, Texas, 15 bass, 46-9, $18,000
5th:        Martin Villa, Charlottesville, Va., 15 bass, 46-8, $17,000
6th:        Blake Hall, Rogersville, Ala., 15 bass, 46-1, $17,000
7th:        Andrew Loberg, Rocklin, Calif., 15 bass, 46-0, $15,000
8th:        Keith Carson, DeBary, Fla., 15 bass, 45-13, $14,000
9th:        Bryan Schmitt, Deale, Md., 15 bass, 45-12, $13,000
10th:     Kyle Weisenburger, Columbus Grove, Ohio, 15 bass, 44-11, $12,000
11th:     Pete Ponds, Madison, Miss., 15 bass, 44-8, $10,000
12th:     Jim Moynagh, Shakopee, Minn., 15 bass, 44-5, $10,000
13th:     Jordan Collom, Canyon Lake, Calif., 15 bass, 44-4, $10,000
14th:     Troy Stokes, Trenton, Mich., 15 bass, 44-1, $10,000
15th:     Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., 15 bass, 43-13, $10,000
16th:     Cody Spetz, Hollister, Mo., 15 bass, 43-12, $10,000
17th:     Flint Davis, Leesburg, Ga., 15 bass, 43-11, $10,000
18th:     Hunter Eubanks, Inman, S.C., 15 bass, 43-11, $10,000
19th:     Cole Hewett, Orange Park, Fla., 15 bass, 43-10, $10,000
20th:     Spencer Shuffield, Hot Springs, Ark., 15 bass, 43-9, $10,000
21st:      David Walker, Sevierville, Tenn., 15 bass, 43-7, $10,000
22nd:    Jeremy Southerly, Fulks Run, Va., 15 bass, 43-6, $10,000
23rd:     Robert Nakatomi, Sacramento, Calif., 15 bass, 42-14, $10,000
24th:     Jason Vance, Battle Ground, Ind., 15 bass, 42-13, $10,000
25th:     Ron Nelson, Berrien Springs, Mich., 15 bass, 42-11, $10,000
26th:     Matt Becker, Ten Mile, Tenn., 15 bass, 42-7, $10,000
27th:     Charlie Reed Jr., Gloucester, Va., 15 bass, 42-5, $10,000
28th:     Justin Cooper, Zwolle, La., 15 bass, 42-4, $10,000
29th:     Wayne Vaughan, Chester, Va., 15 bass, 42-3, $10,000
30th:     Mike McClelland, Blue Eye, Mo., 15 bass, 42-2, $10,000
31st:      Blake Felix, Warsaw, Mo., 15 bass, 42-1, $8,000
32nd:    Cody Pike, Powhatan, Va., 15 bass, 42-1, $8,000
33rd:     Michael Catt, Jacksonville, Fla., 15 bass, 41-14, $8,000
34th:     Tyler Stewart, Dubach, La., 15 bass, 41-14, $8,000
35th:     Christian Greico, Tampa, Fla., 15 bass, 41-13, $8,000
36th:     Kyle Hall, Granbury, Texas, 15 bass, 41-11, $8,000
37th:     Joe Wieberg, Freeburg, Mo., 15 bass, 41-9, $8,000
38th:     Matt Greenblatt, Port Saint Lucie, Fla., 15 bass, 41-4, $8,000
39th:     John Duarte, Middle River, Md., 15 bass, 41-2, $8,000
40th:     Marshall Robinson, Landrum, S.C., 15 bass, 40-15, $8,000
41st:      Braxton Setzer, Wetumpka, Ala., 15 bass, 40-15, $8,000
42nd:    Ramie Colson Jr., Cadiz, Ky., 15 bass, 40-10, $8,000
43rd:     Terry Olinger, Louisa, Va., 15 bass, 40-9, $8,000
44th:     Eddie Carper, Valliant, Okla., 14 bass, 39-11, $8,000
45th:     Travis Harriman, Huntsville, Ark., 15 bass, 39-4, $8,000
46th:     Austin Culbertson, Moberly, Mo., 14 bass, 39-2, $8,000
47th:     Jack Daniel Williams, Kingsport, Tenn., 15 bass, 38-4, $8,000
48th:     Drew Gill, Mount Carmel, Ill., 15 bass, 37-7, $8,000
49th:     Joshua Weaver, Macon, Ga., 15 bass, 36-15, $8,000
50th:     Kyle Minke, Lindstrom, Minn., 14 bass, 36-12, $8,000

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

Overall, there were 247 bass weighing 663 pounds, 3 ounces caught by the 50 pros Monday. The catch included 47 five-bass limits.

The three-day tournament was hosted by the Charles County Board of Commissioners and featured a roster of 150 pro anglers competing for a top prize of up to $115,000 and an invitation to compete at REDCREST 2024. The next Tackle Warehouse Invitational event will take place July 25-27 at the Tackle Warehouse Invitational at the Mississippi River Presented by Mercury in La Crosse, Wisconsin.

In MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitational competition, the full field of 150 anglers competed in the two-day opening round on Saturday and Sunday in a traditional five-fish, weigh-in format. Only the top 50 pros based on their two-day cumulative weight advanced to the final round on Championship Monday, where they competed for the grand prize of up to $115,000, including the lucrative $35,000 Phoenix MLF Bonus for qualified anglers. The winner of the MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitational T-H Marine Stop 5 at the Potomac River was determined by the heaviest three-day cumulative weight and will now receive an invitation to compete at REDCREST 2024.

The season-long Invitational Bally Bet Angler of the Year (AOY) will also earn a berth into REDCREST and the Top 8 anglers in the season-long Invitational AOY point standings will qualify for the 2024 Bass Pro Tour. After four events in the six-event Qualifying Circuit, pro Ron Nelson of Berrien Springs, Michigan, leads the AOY race with 953 points. Charlottesville, Virginia, pro Martin Villa sits in second place with 929 points, while Keith Carson of DeBary, Florida, is in third with 911 points. Pro Michael Neal of Dayton, Tennessee, is in fourth place with 905 points, while Junction City, Wisconsin’s Matthew Stefan rounds out the top five with 874 points.

The MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitational T-H Marine Stop 5 at the Potomac River will feature live on-the-water coverage and a two-hour action-packed television show that will premiere on the CBS Sports Network on Saturday, October 28.

Lucas Oil Qualifier Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches to Kick Off First Season of Major League Fishing’s General Tire Team Series on Outdoor Channel, New Episodes Premiere Every Saturday from 2-4 p.m. ET

BENTON, Ky. (Dec. 29, 2022) – The first season of Major League Fishing’s (MLF) General Tire Team Series is set to premiere this Saturday, Dec. 31, at 2 p.m. ET, with a two-hour episode on the Outdoor Channel – Match No. 1 of the Lucas Oil Qualifier Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches. The event was filmed this fall in Alexandria, Minnesota. 

The General Tire Team Series showcases the superstars from the Bass Pro Tour competing as teams across four events for hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash payouts. Each episode will feature nine MLF anglers competing as three, three-man teams. 

The anglers on each team wear wireless earpieces, which provide constant communication with their teammates. This communication allows each team to work together and strategize in real time on the water, shifting baits, techniques and areas as needed.

Each Qualifier is broken down into three matches. Saturday’s two-hour premiere will feature three teams visiting the Le Homme Dieu Chain of Lakes in Alexandria, Minnesota. The anglers do not learn where they are competing until they arrive to the launch ramp each morning of competition.

The complete premiere schedule for the 2023 General Tire Team Series on the Outdoor Channel is:

– Dec. 31 Lucas Oil Qualifier Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches: Match 1 – Day 1 (Alexandria, Minn.)

– Jan. 7 Lucas Oil Qualifier Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches: Match 1 – Day 2 (Alexandria, Minn.)

– Jan. 14 Lucas Oil Qualifier Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches: Match 2 – Day 1 (Alexandria, Minn.)

– Jan. 21 Lucas Oil Qualifier Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches: Match 2 – Day 2 (Alexandria, Minn.)

– Jan. 28 Lucas Oil Qualifier Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches: Match 3 – Day 1 (Alexandria, Minn.)

– Feb. 4 Lucas Oil Qualifier Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches: Match 3 – Day 2 (Alexandria, Minn.)

– Feb. 11 Costa Qualifier Presented by Toyota: Match 1 – Day 1 (Stockton Lake, Mo.)

– Feb. 18 Costa Qualifier Presented by Toyota: Match 1 – Day 2 (Stockton Lake, Mo.)

– Feb. 25 Costa Qualifier Presented by Toyota: Match 2 – Day 1 (Stockton Lake, Mo.)

– March 4 Costa Qualifier Presented by Toyota: Match 2 – Day 2 (Stockton Lake, Mo.)

– March 11 Costa Qualifier Presented by Toyota: Match 3 – Day 1 (Stockton Lake, Mo.)

– March 18 Costa Qualifier Presented by Toyota: Match 3 – Day 2 (Stockton Lake, Mo.)

– March 25 Builders FirstSource Qualifier Presented by Berkley: Match 1 – Day 1 (College Station, Texas)

– March 31 Builders FirstSource Qualifier Presented by Berkley: Match 1 – Day 2 (College Station, Texas)

– April 8 Builders FirstSource Qualifier Presented by Berkley: Match 2 – Day 1 (College Station, Texas)

– April 15 Builders FirstSource Qualifier Presented by Berkley: Match 2 – Day 2 (College Station, Texas)

– April 22 Builders FirstSource Qualifier Presented by Berkley: Match 3 – Day 1 (College Station, Texas)

– April 29 Builders FirstSource Qualifier Presented by Berkley: Match 3 – Day 2 (College Station, Texas)

– May 6 Bass Pro Shops Championship Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches: Match 1 – Day 1 (Lake County, Fla.)

– May 13 Bass Pro Shops Championship Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches: Match 1 – Day 2 (Lake County, Fla.)

– May 20 Bass Pro Shops Championship Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches: Match 2 – Day 1 (Lake County, Fla.)

– May 27 Bass Pro Shops Championship Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches: Match 2 – Day 2 (Lake County, Fla.)

– June 3 Bass Pro Shops Championship Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches: Match 3 – Day 1 (Lake County, Fla.)

– June 10 Bass Pro Shops Championship Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches: Match 3 – Day 2 (Lake County, Fla.)

– June 17 Bass Pro Shops Championship Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches: Championship Final (Lake County, Fla.)

The winning three-man team in the General Tire Team Series Championship will claim the $300,000 top prize. The second-place team will earn $60,000, and the third-place team will win $30,000. Teams 4-9 in the championship will each earn a $15,000 prize. All anglers receive $3,000 for participating in the no-entry fee qualifying events.

Proud sponsors of the MLF General Tire Team Series include: B&W Hitches, Barbasol, Bass Cat Boats, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, Builders FirstSource, C-MAP, Crockett Creek Beef Jerky, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, Ferguson, General Tire, Knighten Industries, Kubota, Lowrance, Lucas Oil, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Optima Batteries, Phoenix Boats, Power-Pole, Rapala Baits, Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff, Star brite, T-H Marine, Toyota, USAA, and YETI.

For complete details and updated information on the General Tire Team Series visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

About Major League Fishing

Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, the Discovery Channel, the Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, the World Fishing Network, and on-demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 13 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement, and fish care. 

Major League Fishing – WE ARE Bass Fishing™

# # #

TULSA, Okla. (Sept. 13, 2022) – Major League Fishing (MLF) announced today the formation of a new qualifying series that will launch in Spring of 2023 – the MLF Invitationals. The Invitationals will feature six events in 2023 and serve as the sole qualifying circuit into the MLF Bass Pro Tour.

The MLF Invitationals will feature a 150-angler field, competing over three days in a five-fish, weigh-in format. All 150 anglers will compete over the first two days of competition, with the top 50 anglers advancing to the third and final day. The winner of each Invitational will be determined by heaviest three-day cumulative weight. Each event will feature a total purse of more than $650,000, with the winner receiving a top payout of up to $115,000 and automatic qualification into MLF’s REDCREST, the Bass Pro Tour Championship that awards the sport’s top prize of $300,000.

MLF Invitationals will feature a $5,000 per tournament entry fee with payouts to the top 50 anglers that place it among the top three circuits in the nation along with providing a qualifying path to the Bass Pro Tour in only six events.

“MLF is committed to offering a wide selection of tournament opportunities to anglers of all skill levels – from our high school and college anglers all the way to our pros who compete on the Bass Pro Tour,” said Kathy Fennel, MLF Executive Vice President and General Manager. “The MLF Invitationals are a new qualifying series geared toward the best interests of anglers and the sport. We believe the Invitationals will be a valuable and efficient option for anglers seeking to compete in high-level five-fish-limit tournaments with an opportunity to qualify for REDCREST, while also providing a pathway for anglers that aspire to compete at the sport’s highest level on the Bass Pro Tour.”

In addition to the six “Win and You’re In” Invitational REDCREST qualifications, the season-long Invitational Angler of the Year (AOY) will also earn a berth into REDCREST for a total of seven REDCREST qualification opportunities. The top eight anglers in the season-long Invitational AOY point standings will qualify for the 2024 Bass Pro Tour.

The MLF Invitationals will replace the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit. Every angler who would have qualified to compete in the 2023 Pro Circuit will receive the first invitations to register for the new MLF Invitationals. The balance of the 150-boat field will be filled by professional anglers from the Bass Pro Tour and 2022 Pro Circuit and Toyota Series anglers who missed initial qualification. All qualified anglers may compete in any number of Invitational events. There will be no co-anglers in the MLF Invitationals.

Every day of competition will be broadcast live on MLF NOW!® and streamed to the Major League Fishing app, MyOutdoorTV (MOTV), and at MajorLeagueFishing.com. Each event will also air on CBS Sports Network, with 13 consecutive weeks of 2-hour shows scheduled in 2023.

Full schedules and locations for all 2023 MLF circuits will be revealed next week.

For complete details and updated information on Major League Fishing, the MLF Invitationals and the Bass Pro Tour, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter,  Instagram, and  YouTube.

About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, the Discovery Channel, the Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, the World Fishing Network, and on-demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with offices in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 13 countries. In 2019, MLF expanded its portfolio of catch, weigh, and immediately release events to include the sport’s strongest five-biggest-fish format tournament circuits. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement, and fish care.

Major League Fishing – WE ARE Bass Fishing™

Arizona Pro Weighs 27 Bass Totaling 86 Pounds, 13 Ounces to Lead Early for Group A – Group B to Start Competition Sunday

ONAMIA, Minn. (Sept. 10, 2022) – Berkley pro Josh Bertrand of Queen Creek, Arizona, caught 27 scorable smallmouth bass weighing 86 pounds, 13 ounces, to grab the early lead after Day 1 of the Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Tour Bally Bet Stage Seven at Mille Lacs Lake Presented by Minn Kota. Right behind Bertrand in second place is Hot Springs, Arkansas’ Stephen Browning, who caught 20 scorable bass weighing 84-13. The duo traded the lead back and forth multiple times throughout the third period, with Bertrand ending on top by the narrow 2-pound margin as time expired.

It’s seems to be a two-horse race in Group A, as Bertrand and Browning have a substantial 30-pound lead on the rest of the field. Weights are fairly stacked up in the remainder of the top 10. Pro Matt Lee of Cullman, Alabama, ended the day in third place with 15 bass totaling 53-11. Ardmore, Oklahoma’s Jeff Kriet caught 13 bass weighing 50-5 to end the day in fourth, while Berkley pro Jordan Lee of Cullman, Alabama , rounds out the top five with 15 bass weighing 46-11.

The 40 anglers in Group A will now have an off day from competition on Sunday, while the 40 anglers competing in Group B will begin their first day of competition. Group A will resume competition on Monday.

“It was a great first day – I caught a bunch of fish, and a lot of really good quality ones,” Bertrand said. “I caught them multiple different ways. This morning I caught them cranking and throwing a Carolina rig – they were really biting the reaction baits early. Then this afternoon it slicked off and I ended up catching them on a drop-shot rig, using a Berkley (PowerBait) MaxScent Hit Worm.

“The forecast is calling for really calm conditions for the next few days, but it’s supposed to get nasty again in our Knockout Round on Wednesday. So, I’m really going to try hard to win this Qualifying Round and advance straight to Championship Thursday – I do not want to be out here when it’s nasty,” Bertrand went on to say. “We’ve got a lot of fishing still ahead of us, but I’m thankful to be off to a really good start.”

The top 20 pros in Group A after Day 1 on Mille Lacs Lake are:

1^st:          Josh Bertrand, Queen Creek, Ariz., 27 bass, 86-13
2^nd:         Stephen Browning, Hot Springs, Ark., 20 bass, 84-13
3^rd:         Matt Lee, Cullman, Ala., 15 bass, 53-11
4^th:         Jeff Kriet, Ardmore, Okla., 13 bass, 50-5
5^th:         Jordan Lee, Cullman, Ala., 15 bass, 46-11
6^th:         Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., 13 bass, 43-14
7^th:         Mark Daniels, Jr., Tuskegee, Ala., 12 bass, 43-14
8^th:         Mark Rose, Wynne, Ark., 14 bass, 42-12
9^th:         Brent Ehrler, Redlands, Calif., 11 bass, 41-9
10^th:       Marty Robinson, Lyman, S.C., 11 bass, 41-2
11^th:       Anthony Gagliardi, Prosperity, S.C., 11 bass, 38-8
12^th:       David Walker, Sevierville, Tenn., 11 bass, 37-10
13^th:       Jesse Wiggins, Addison, Ala., 10 bass, 34-7
14^th:       Luke Clausen, Spokane, Wash., nine bass, 34-6
15^th:       Mike McClelland, Blue Eye, Mo., nine bass, 34-1
16^th:       Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla., 10 bass, 33-10
17^th:       Boyd Duckett, Guntersville, Ala., 16 bass, 33-6
18^th:       Cole Floyd, Leesburg, Ohio, 10 bass, 32-4
19^th:       Brent Chapman, Lake Quivira, Kan., 11 bass, 31-11
20^th:       Takahiro Omori, Tokyo, Japan, eight bass, 31-5

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

Overall, there were 396 scorable bass weighing 1,339 pounds, 2 ounces caught by the 40 pros Saturday.

Browning caught the biggest fish of the day, a chunky 5-pound, 8-ounce smallmouth bass during Period 1 to earn the first $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award of the event. Berkley awards $1,000 to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass each day, and a $3,000 bonus to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass of the tournament.

Texas Pro Catches 25 Scorable Smallmouth Weighing 92 Pounds, 13 Ounces to Lead Group B Qualifying Round By 27 Pounds after Day 1, Group A to Wrap Up Their Qualifying Round Monday

ONAMIA, Minn. (Sept. 11, 2022) – Although widely regarded as a shallow-water, sight-fishing expert, Texas pro Alton Jones, Sr., demonstrated Sunday that he also knows a thing or two about catching northern smallmouth as well. The Lorena, Texas, pro caught 25 scorable smallmouth bass Sunday weighing 92 pounds, 13 ounces, to pace the field by 27 pounds after Day 1 for Group B at the Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Tour Bally Bet Stage Seven at Mille Lacs Lake Presented by Minn Kota.

Jones will bring a comfortable lead over second-place, Googan Baits pro Dustin Connell of Clanton, Alabama, into Tuesday’s second day of competition in the Qualifying Round for Group B. Connell landed 17 scoreable bass – all smallmouth – weighing 65-13, while Bally Bet Angler of the Year (AOY) leader pro Jacob Wheeler of Harrison, Tennessee, rounds out the top three with 17 scorable bass weighing 58-13 to end the day in third place.

The 40 anglers in Group B will now have a day off on Monday, while the 40 anglers from Group A will wrap up their two-day Qualifying Round. Group B will finish their Qualifying Round on Tuesday.

“It’s humbling when you have a day like this,” Jones said in his post-game interview. “It was a great day – better than the other 39 guys today, and better than everyone that was on the water yesterday, too. So, I’m very pleased, and very thankful.

“I had a good practice, but that doesn’t always translate into a good tournament. This week it has, so far,” Jones continued. “I was able to move around to a lot of different places today and get bit, so I’m feeling really good with how my day went.”

With a 27-pound lead heading into the second day of Qualifying Round competition, Jones is already eyeing the automatic qualification to the Championship Round.

“I think I’ve got a strong enough lead that I can really try to go for it and win the round on Tuesday,” Jones went on to say. “The negative part is that if you go for it and someone passes you and you don’t win the round, you end up burning a lot of fish that you’ll need in the Knockout Round. We’ll see. If someone catches up real quick Tuesday and passes me and I’m struggling, I’ll back off and just start practicing. There is so much strategy that goes into this game. We’ll see how it goes.”

The top 20 pros in Group B after Day 1 on Mille Lacs Lake are:

1^st:          Alton Jones, Lorena, Texas, 25 bass, 92-13
2^nd:         Dustin Connell, Clanton, Ala., 17 bass, 65-13
3^rd:         Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn., 17 bass, 58-13
4^th:         Justin Lucas, Guntersville, Ala., 16 bass, 57-4
5^th:         Adrian Avena, Vineland, N.J., 15 bass, 53-4
6^th:         Cliff Pace, Petal, Miss., 14 bass, 52-2
7^th:         Alton Jones, Jr., Waco, Texas, 15 bass, 47-13
8^th:         Ryan Salzman, Huntsville, Ala., 14 bass, 46-11
9^th:         Jared Lintner, Covington, Ga., 16 bass, 46-7
10^th:       James Elam, Tulsa, Okla., 13 bass, 45-11
11^th:       Kevin VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich., 13 bass, 43-6
12^th:       Wesley Strader, Spring City, Tenn., 12 bass, 42-12
13^th:       Shin Fukae, Osaka, Japan, 14 bass, 42-7
14^th:       Gerald Spohrer, Gonzales, La., 11 bass, 41-3
15^th:       Jeremy Lawyer, Sarcoxie, Mo., 12 bass, 39-12
16^th:       Casey Ashley, Donalds, S.C., 12 bass, 39-8
17^th:       Terry Scroggins, San Mateo, Fla., 12 bass, 35-5
18^th:       Bobby Lane, Lakeland, Fla., 11 bass, 33-15
19^th:       Randall Tharp, Port Saint Joe, Fla., 11 bass, 33-8
20^th:       Ott DeFoe, Blaine, Tenn., 10 bass, 32-13

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

Overall, there were 382 scorable bass weighing 1,291 pounds, 14 ounces caught by 39 pros Sunday. Pro Keith Poche of Pike Road, Alabama, did not compete due to illness.

Pros Cliff Pace and Gerald Spohrer tied for Sunday’s $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award for the largest bass of the day – each caught a smallmouth weighing 5 pounds, 10 ounces. Pace caught his 5-10 on a Ned rig during Period 1, while Spohrer’s 5-10 came on a medium-diving crankbait, also during Period 1. Berkley awards $1,000 to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass each day, and a $3,000 bonus to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass of the tournament.

The six-day tournament, hosted by the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, showcases 80 of the best professional anglers in the world competing for a purse of more than $805,000, including a top payout of $100,000 to the winner. The tournament is livestreamed each day at MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MOTV app, and also filmed for television broadcast later this fall on the Discovery Channel.

The 40 Anglers in Group A compete in their two-day qualifying round on Saturday and Monday – the 40 anglers in Group B on Sunday and Tuesday. After each two-day qualifying round is complete, the anglers that finish in 2nd through 20th place from both groups advance to Wednesday’s Knockout Round, while the winner of each group advances directly to Thursday’s Championship Round. In the Knockout Round, weights are zeroed, and the remaining 38 anglers compete to finish in the top 8 to advance to the Championship Round. In the final day Championship Round, weights are zeroed, and the highest one-day total wins the top prize of $100,000.

Anglers will launch each day at 7:30 a.m. CT from Eddy’s Resort, located at 41334 Shakopee Lake Road in Onamia. Each day’s General Tire Takeout will be held at the Resort, beginning at 4 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend all launch and takeout events and also encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLF NOW!® live stream and SCORETRACKER® coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

On Championship Thursday, Sept. 15, from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. MLF will host a Celebration Event for fans of all ages, inviting fans to come out and celebrate with the professional anglers from the Bass Pro Tour as they crown the champion of the Bally Bet Stage Seven on Mille Lacs Lake Presented by Minn Kota. The first 50 youth anglers 10 and under in attendance will receive a free Pure Fishing Shakespeare Kid’s Rod and Reel combo. The final 10 Championship Round Bass Pro Tour anglers will be on hand at the trophy celebration to meet and greet fans, sign autographs, and take selfies.

The Bally Bet Stage Seven on Mille Lacs Lake Presented by Minn Kota features anglers competing with a 2-pound minimum weight requirement for a bass to be deemed scorable. Minimum weights are determined individually for each competition waters that the Bass Pro Tour visits, based on the productivity, bass population and anticipated average size of fish in each fishery.

The Bass Pro Tour features a field of 80 of the top professional anglers in the world competing across seven regular-season tournaments around the country, competing for millions of dollars and valuable points to qualify for the annual General Tire Heavy Hitters all-star event and REDCREST IV, the Bass Pro Tour championship, which will be held next March on Lake Norman in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The MLF NOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee, Marty Stone and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action on all six days of competition from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CT. MLF NOW!®  will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app.

Television coverage of the Bally Bet Stage Seven on Mille Lacs Lake Presented by Minn Kota will premiere as a two-hour episode at 7 a.m. ET, on Saturday, Nov. 19 on the Discovery Channel. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on the Discovery Channel, with additional re-airings on the Outdoor Channel. Each two-hour long reality-based episode goes in-depth to break down each day of tournament competition.

Proud sponsors of the 2022 MLF Bass Pro Tour include: 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, A.R.E. Truck Caps, B&W Trailer Hitches, Bally Bet, Bass Cat, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, Covercraft, Favorite Fishing, Garmin, General Tire, Googan Baits, Grundéns, Guaranteed Rate, Humminbird, Lowrance, Luminox, Mercury, Minn Kota, Mossy Oak, Nitro Performance Boats, Onyx, Plano, Power-Pole, Power Stop, Rapala, Starbrite, Toro, Toyota, Wrangler, Yellowstone Bourbon and Zoom.

For complete details and updated information on Major League Fishing and the Bass Pro Tour, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter,  Instagram, and  YouTube.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (July 13, 2022) – Major League Fishing (MLF)’s REDCREST, the world championship of professional bass fishing, is heading to the Queen City.

MLF, in conjunction with the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority (CRVA), Visit Lake Norman and the Mecklenburg County Park & Recreation Department , announced today that Lake Norman and Charlotte, North Carolina, have been named the location and hosts of REDCREST IV, the Bass Pro Tour championship event, and the MLF Outdoor Sports Expo, March 10-12, 2023.

REDCREST IV will showcase the top 40 anglers from the 2022 Bass Pro Tour season competing for the REDCREST Championship trophy and the top prize of $300,000. Previous winners of the prestigious event include Bobby Lane (2022), Dustin Connell (2021) and Edwin Evers (2019).

In addition to the tournament and the international media coverage it receives, the MLF Outdoor Sports Expo featuring hundreds of exhibitors and activities will be held at The Park Expo & Conference Center in Charlotte. Fishing and outdoor enthusiasts will have the opportunity to visit booths and vendors showcasing the latest and greatest in fishing, boating, hunting, camping and more. The biggest names in the outdoor industry will be on hand, including all 80 Bass Pro Tour anglers. Visitors from around the globe will not only watch the world’s best bass-fishing action, but they’ll also receive great deals on everything from crankbaits to rods and reels to bass boats at the outdoor show.

As Charlotte’s hospitality industry continues to see strong recovery, we are ecstatic to welcome Major League Fishing’s REDCREST IV championship next year,” said Tom Murray, Chief Executive Officer of the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority.  “Charlotte offers a diverse mix of experiential activities for travelers and locals alike including thrilling outdoor adventures.  We look forward to welcoming MLF fans and outdoor enthusiasts to the Queen City.”

“Following an exciting and successful REDCREST in Tulsa, we’re thrilled to announce that we’re bringing REDCREST IV to Charlotte. The city has a passionate outdoor community and offers numerous locations and facilities that will enable us to build the tournament and outdoor show in unique ways,” said Michael Mulone, MLF Vice President of Strategic Business Planning. “We are excited to work with the CRVA, Visit Lake Norman and the Mecklenburg Park and Recreation Department to deliver a memorable celebration of fishing and the outdoors to our fans and outdoor enthusiasts.”

Although Lake Norman has played host to dozens of MLF (and former FLW) tournaments over the years, this event will mark the first time that the MLF Bass Pro Tour will visit Lake Norman. The majority of MLF experience is limited to some Phoenix Bass Fishing League tournaments, a handful of Toyota Series events and five Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit events – the last in 2016. This tournament will feature the MLF catch, weigh, immediate-release format in which anglers catch as much weight as they can each day, while also feeling the pressure and intensity of the SCORETRACKER® leaderboard.

“REDCREST IV is the most prestigious fishing event Lake Norman has ever hosted, and we very much appreciate the partnership with MLF, and formerly FLW, in hosting their events over the last couple of decades. Also, we could never host this type of event without our continued partnerships with the CRVA and Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation. We are thrilled to partner in making sure this is the best REDCREST yet,” said Sally Ashworth, Executive Director of Visit Lake Norman.

Each day of competition will be livestreamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app. Television coverage of REDCREST IV will be showcased across two two-hour episodes, premiering next summer on the Discovery Channel. A one-hour special episode, MLF REDCREST IV, is also scheduled to air next summer on CBS.

Proud sponsors of the MLF Bass Pro Tour include: 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, A.R.E. Truck Caps, B&W Trailer Hitches, BallyBet, Bass Cat, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, Covercraft, Favorite Fishing, Garmin, General Tire, Googan Baits, Grundéns, Guaranteed Rate, Humminbird, Lowrance, Luminox, Mercury, Minn Kota, Mossy Oak, Nitro Performance Boats, Onyx, Plano, Power-Pole, Power Stop, Rapala, Starbrite, Toro, Toyota, Wrangler, Yellowstone Bourbon and Zoom.

About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, the Discovery Channel, the Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, the World Fishing Network, and on-demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with offices in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 13 countries. In 2019, MLF expanded its portfolio of catch, weigh, and immediately release events to include the sport’s strongest five-biggest-fish format tournament circuits. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.

Major League Fishing – WE ARE Bass Fishing™

TULSA, Okla. – Country music star Clayton Anderson (Visionary Media Group) will perform a free concert on the Mossy Oak Music stage at the SageNet Center at Expo Square in Tulsa on Sunday, March 27, beginning at 4 p.m. before the world’s premier bass anglers return from Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees to crown the REDCREST 2022 Champion – professional bass fishing’s world championship. Fans of all ages are encouraged to attend the free concert which is presented by Ugly Stik.

Anderson’s latest hit: “Show Me Your Fish” resonates with anglers of all ages and included mention of the iconic fishing brand Ugly Stik throughout the song. The summertime anthem, which had its World Premiere on Country Music Television (CMT) earlier this week, is sure to be heard blasting from boats and trucks across the country this year as he encourages fishermen and women of all ages to break out their Ugly Stiks and show off their best catch.

“I’m so pumped to be headlining REDCREST this year. Country music and fishin’, what goes together better than that,” said Anderson. “And it couldn’t be better timing with the release of ‘Show Me Your Fish’. As a little kid floating the East Fork of the White River, if you told me this would be happening, I’d never believed ya. Really looking forward to grabbing an Ugly Stik, getting out there and hanging with the pros, amateurs, and all the fishin’ fans. Gonna be a heckuva time.”

A country singer-songwriter with a midwestern rock flair, Anderson grew up on the lakes of Southern Indiana — fishing, boating, and playing his guitar. As a student at Indiana University, he kicked off his music career, building a grassroots fan following playing local bars and parties. In 2008, he walked onstage at Kenny Chesney’s Next Big Star Battle in Cincinnati and walked off as the winner. He released his debut album, Torn Jeans & Tailgates, in 2011, followed by Right Where I Belong (2014) and Only to Borrow (2016). Pre-COVID, he toured nonstop, opening for Eric Church, Blake Shelton, Jason Aldean, Jimmy Buffett, Thomas Rhett, Lee Brice, and Carly Pearce.

During the pandemic, Anderson got creative, going virtual and diving back into his roots on the water with a lineup of Lake Tour concerts. To kick off 2022, Anderson released two brand new singles: “Nothin’ But Net” (produced by Grammy-winning Dave Audé and as heard on ESPN for College Basketball Season) and “Get After It” (produced by Nash Overstreet), a song that celebrates hard work and getting the job done. Stay tuned for much more to come from Clayton in 2022.

Anderson’s appearance at REDCREST 2022 is presented by Ugly Stik. The brand will also be hosting a meet and greet with Anderson at the Berkley booth during the expo and hand out Ugly Stik giveaways to fishing fans who watch his appearance on the Mossy Oak Music Stage. More information on Anderson’s appearance can be found by following Ugly Stik on Facebook and Instagram. 

Hosted by VisitTulsa, REDCREST 2022 Presented by Costa will take place March 23-27, 2022, with competition set for Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees, and the REDCREST Outdoor Sports Expo Presented by Costa in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The event will showcase the top 41 Bass Pro Tour anglers from the 2021 season competing for the prestigious REDCREST Championship and the top prize of $300,000.

For complete details and updated information on Major League Fishing, its tournaments, and sponsors, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.Follow Clayton on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and YouTube.

About Clayton Anderson’s Partner, Visionary Media Group

Visionary Media Group is a homegrown, Nashville-based Music, Film, Media and Technology company. Our mission is to illuminate purpose-driven stories through a new end-to-end storytelling paradigm. Visionary employs world-class talent and state-of-the-art technology to Empower Creators, Enhance Content, Engage Community, and Amplify Storytelling. We invite you to join us in an exciting new journey to empower artists and fans to reimagine authentic connections and rekindle a shared sense of purpose as we launch our interactive storytelling platform, Evernova.

MONROE-WEST MONROE, La. (Feb. 10, 2022) – The Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Tour B&W Trailer Hitches Stage One Presented by Power-Pole in Monroe-West Monroe, Louisiana, won’t necessarily be remembered for the number of fish caught, but it will go down in the history books for the size of the fish caught.

In an incredible day of fishing on Bussey Brake, the final 10 Bass Pro Tour anglers caught 31 scorable bass weighing 163 pounds, 2 ounces – an average weight of 5 pounds, 5 ounces. The catch included three 7-pounders, one 8-pounder, two 9-pounders and one 12-pounder, a remarkable day that had the professional bass fishing world buzzing.

After the final fish had hit the SCORETRACKER™ leaderboard Thursday evening, it was Covercraft pro Bradley Roy of Lancaster, Kentucky, whose name remained at the top. Roy weighed in five bass totaling 26 pounds, 2 ounces, enough to hold off a hard-charging Alton Jones of Lorena, Texas, by a 1-pound, 3-ounce margin.

“Man, this has been a long time coming. God gets all the glory for this one, because I tried every way in the world to mess this one up,” Roy said in his post-game interview. “The third period for me was miserable. I just felt like I was taking blow after blow. Randy (Howell) catches a 12. Jordan Lee was coming – I knew he wouldn’t quit. Then Alton (Jones) – I could see him. I could see (Bryan) Thrift. They were all catching them, and I couldn’t get a bite.

“SCORETRACKER is bad when you’re around the cut, but it was another level this afternoon,” Roy continued. “I just kept looking down at the clock and listening to my official. Every time he’d clear his throat and get ready to speak again my heart would just drop. I’m just so grateful that I had enough weight. To come out on top is pretty special.”

Roy spent the day flipping bushes and isolated pieces of structure with a beaver-style bait, using a 7-foot, 6-inch Ark Essence Series flipping stick with a 7:1 gear ratio reel, spooled with 22-pound Seaguar Tatsu fluorocarbon line and a 3/8-ounce Ark tungsten weight.

“I think the baby pattern must be the deal,” Roy said, of his new son Lucas who was just born in August. “Everyone always says – you have a new baby, and you win a tournament. Well, we just had Lucas, and now I win. I think there might be something to that.”

For the second consecutive day, pro Randy Howell of Guntersville, For the second consecutive day, pro Randy Howell of Guntersville, Alabama , broke the Bass Pro Tour record for heaviest bass ever weighed in during competition. After earning Wednesday’s $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award for his then record-setting 10-pound, 11-ounce giant from Caney Creek, Howell backed it up on Thursday with a new record-setting 12-pound, 14-ounce lunker – a new Bass Pro Tour record and a new lake record for Bussey Brake. Howell also won Thursday’s $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award and earned the $3,000 Berkley Big Bass award for the overall largest bass of the event.

“Overall, I didn’t catch many bass this week, but I made it all the way to sixth place,” Howell said. “It just goes to show you that one flip, one cast can change your whole life. Never give up, fish to the last minute and good things will happen.

“I never really found what I know this lake is capable of, but we ended up a lot better than how we started today,” Howell continued. “Towards the end of the day I was flipping the old (Yamamoto) Senko – and the big one bit. It was a black and blue Senko, with a red Bass Pro XPS tungsten weight – I think the red gives it a little flash – and I threw it on a 7-foot, 6-inch Daiwa Ish Monroe Flipping Stick with a 8:1 Daiwa Tatula reel and 22-pound Daiwa Fluorocarbon line.”

The top 10 pros at the B&W Trailer Hitches Stage One Presented by Power-Pole finished:

1^st:          Bradley Roy, Lancaster, Ky., five bass, 26-2, $100,000
2^nd:         Alton Jones, Lorena, Texas, five bass, 24-15, $45,000
3^rd:         Jordan Lee, Cullman, Ala., five bass, 24-9, $38,000
4^th:         Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., four bass, 23-15, $32,000
5^th:         Jeff Sprague, Wills Point, Texas, four bass, 18-13, $30,000
6^th:         Randy Howell, Guntersville, Ala., two bass, 16-3, $26,000
7^th:         Mark Daniels, Jr., Tuskegee, Ala., three bass, 13-6, $23,000
8^th:         Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn., two bass, 11-4, $28,000
9^th:         Shinichi Fukae, Osaka, Japan, one bass, 3-15, $19,000
10^th:       Jared Lintner, Covington, Ga., zero bass, $16,000

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

The B&W Trailer Hitches Stage One Presented by Power-Pole featured anglers competing with a 1-pound, 8-ounce minimum weight requirement on Lake D’Arbonne, and a 2-pound minimum weight requirement on Caney Creek and Bussey Brake for a bass to be deemed scorable. Minimum weights are determined individually for each competition waters that the Bass Pro Tour visits, based on the productivity, bass population and anticipated average size of fish in each fishery.

The B&W Trailer Hitches Stage One Presented by Power-Pole, hosted by Discover Monroe-West Monroe, showcased 80 of the top professional bass-fishing anglers in the world competing over six days for a total purse of $805,000, including a top cash prize of $100,000 to the winner.

Television coverage of the B&W Trailer Hitches Stage One Presented by Power-Pole will premiere at 7 a.m. ET, Sept. 3 on the Discovery Channel. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on the Discovery Channel, with additional re-airings on the Outdoor Channel. Each two-hour long reality-based episode goes in-depth to break down each day of competition.

The Bass Pro Tour features a field of 80 of the top professional anglers in the world competing across seven regular-season tournaments around the country, competing for millions of dollars and valuable points to qualify for the annual General Tire Heavy Hitters all-star event and the REDCREST 2023 championship.

Proud sponsors of the 2022 MLF Bass Pro Tour include: 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, A.R.E. Truck Caps, B&W Trailer Hitches, BallyBet, Bass Cat, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, Covercraft, Favorite Fishing, Garmin, General Tire, Googan Baits, Grundéns, Guaranteed Rate, Humminbird, Lowrance, Luminox, Mercury, Minn Kota, Mossy Oak, Nitro Performance Boats, Onyx, Plano, Power-Pole, Power Stop, Rapala, Starbrite, Toro, Toyota, Wrangler, Yellowstone Bourbon and Zoom.

MONROE-WEST MONROE, La. (Feb. 9, 2022) – After surviving a tough four-day Qualifying Round on Lake D’Arbonne, the 38 Bass Pro Tour anglers that advanced to Wednesday’s Knockout Round on Caney Creek Reservoir were rewarded with an incredible day of fishing, that included a new record for the all-time heaviest bass weighed in Bass Pro Tour competition.

When time expired at 5 p.m., Academy Sports + Outdoors pro Jacob Wheeler of Harrison, Tennessee, had tallied “one of the best fishing days of his entire life” – nine bass totaling 43 pounds, 7 ounces – to win the Knockout Round and advance to the final day of competition at the Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Tour  B&W Trailer Hitches Stage One Presented by Power-Pole in Monroe-West Monroe, Louisiana. Wheeler’s closest competitor was Berkley pro Jordan Lee of Cullman, Alabama, who boated six bass – including a pair of 8-pounders – for a total weight of 34 pounds, 10 ounces.

MLF NOW! analyst Marty Stone often likes to say, the best anglers will catch fish and win, no matter the format. His point was well proven, Wednesday, as Wheeler’s best five-fish weight would have been 32 pounds, 5 ounces, and Lee’s best five would have gone for 32 pounds even – magical days by any format.

Guntersville, Alabama’s Randy Howell won the day’s $1,000 Berkley Big Bass award after he caught the largest bass ever weighed in Bass Pro Tour competition – a 10-pound, 11-ounce giant that bit his lipless crankbait in Period 1. Berkley awards $1,000 to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass each day, and a $3,000 bonus to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass of the tournament.

The final 10 anglers are now set, and competition will resume Thursday morning with the Championship Round when weights are zeroed, and the angler that catches the most one-day weight will win the top prize of $100,000.

The six-day event, hosted by Discover Monroe-West Monroe, showcases 80 of the top professional bass-fishing anglers in the world competing for a total purse of $805,000.

The top eight pros from Wednesday’s Knockout Round that will compete in Thursday’s Championship Round on Bussey Brake are:

1^st:          Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn., nine bass, 43-7
2^nd:         Jordan Lee, Cullman, Ala., six bass, 34-10
3^rd:         Bradley Roy, Lancaster, Ky., six bass, 27-12
4^th:         Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., six bass, 23-0
5^th:         Randy Howell, Guntersville, Ala., three bass, 18-3
6^th:         Jeff Sprague, Wills Point, Texas, five bass, 18-1
7^th:         Alton Jones, Lorena, Texas, four bass, 15-6
8^th:         Shinichi Fukae, Osaka, Japan, three bass, 14-9

They’ll be joined by Qualifying Round winners:

                Group A: Mark Daniels, Jr., Tuskegee, Ala.
                Group B: Jared Lintner, Covington, Ga.

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

“What an unbelievable day,” said an excited Wheeler said in his post-game interview. “That was so much fun. As many big ones as I caught – it was definitely the best tournament fishing day I’ve ever had. One of the best fishing days of my entire life.”

Wheeler spent the day throwing a jerkbait, targeting offshore structure – rock, points and brush.

“Multiple different jerkbaits played for me today,” Wheeler said. “It was pretty much Jerkbait Fishing 101. I threw it on a 6-foot, 8-inch medium-action (Duckett) Kelly Jordon Pro Series rod with 12-pound Sufix line.

“I promise that this isn’t the last time that you’ll see me here,” Wheeler went on to say. “I’ll definitely be making a couple of trips back to Caney Lake, this place was unreal.”

Also having a special day on the water was Alabama’s Jordan Lee, who weighed in two fish over 8 pounds and one over 7 pounds.

“Today was just crazy, the size of fish that I caught today,” Lee said. “I only caught six, but they were big. It was an incredible day.

“I caught the first fish on a ½-ounce football jig with a Berkley Chigger Craw, and it was one of those 8s,” Lee said. “From then on, I couldn’t get those fish to bite. I could see them on my Lowrance, so that’s when I went to a little Ned Rig.

“I was cutting a Berkley Hit Worm in half and using that on a spinning rod, and that was pretty much my 1-2 punch out deep.”

Rounding out the top 40 finishers were:

11^th:       Edwin Evers, Talala, Okla., four bass, 14-5, $10,000
12^th:       Mark Davis, Mount Ida, Ark., three bass, 12-2, $10,000
13^th:       David Dudley, Lynchburg, Va., three bass, 10-13, $10,000
14^th:       Kevin VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich., three bass, 8-15, $1, $10,000
15^th:       Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., three bass, 7-13, $10,000
16^th:       Greg Vinson, Wetumpka, Ala., three bass, 7-12, $10,000
17^th:       Gerald Spohrer, Gonzales, La., two bass, 7-11, $10,000
18^th:       Casey Ashley, Donalds, S.C., three bass, 7-4, $10,000
19^th:       Chris Lane, Guntersville, Ala., three bass, 7-1, $10,000
20^th:       Jeremy Lawyer, Sarcoxie, Mo., two bass, 6-6, $10,000
21^st:       Bobby Lane, Lakeland, Fla., three bass, 6-5, $10,000
22^nd:      Jesse Wiggins, Addison, Ala., two bass, 6-0, $10,000
23^rd:      Randall Tharp, Port Saint Joe, Fla., two bass, 5-15, $10,000
24^th:       Stephen Browning, Hot Springs, Ark., two bass, 5-5, $10,000
25^th:       Jonathon VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich., one bass, 5-1, $10,000
26^th:       Roy Hawk, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., two bass, 4-14, $10,000
27^th:       Josh Bertrand, Queen Creek, Ariz., one bass, 4-7, $10,000
28^th:       Britt Myers, Lake Wylie, S.C., one bass, 3-12, $10,000
29^th:       Andy Morgan, Dayton, Tenn., one bass, 3-11, $10,000
30^th:       James Elam, Tulsa, Okla., one bass, 3-2, $10,000
31^st:       Cody Meyer, Star, Idaho, one bass, 2-7, $10,000
32^nd:      Adrian Avena, Vineland, N.J., one bass, 2-6, $10,000
33^rd:      Andy Montgomery, Blacksburg, S.C., one bass, 2-5, $10,000
34^th:       Dean Rojas, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., one bass, 2-2, $10,000
35^th:       Alton Jones Jr., Waco, Texas, zero bass, $10,000
35^th:       Ott DeFoe, Blaine, Tenn., zero bass, $10,000
35^th:       Timmy Horton, Muscle Shoals, Ala., zero bass, $10,000
35^th:       Keith Poche, Pike Road, Ala., zero bass, $10,000
35^th:       Fletcher Shryock, Guntersville, Ala., zero bass, $10,000
35^th:       Anthony Gagliardi, Prosperity, S.C., zero bass, $10,000

Overall, there were 91 scorable bass weighing 342 pounds, 14 ounces caught by 32 pros on Wednesday, which included six 7-pounders, two 8-pounders, and one 10-pounder.

The 40 Anglers in Group A competed in their two-day qualifying round on Lake D’Arbonne Saturday and Monday – the 40 anglers in Group B on Sunday and Tuesday. After the two-day Qualifying Round, the anglers that finished in 2nd through 20th place from both groups advanced to Wednesday’s Knockout Round on Caney Creek Reservoir, while the winner of each group advanced directly to Thursday’s Championship Round. In the Knockout Round weights are zeroed, and the remaining 38 anglers competed to finish in the top 8 to advance to the Championship Round on Bussey Brake. Tomorrow, in the final day Championship Round, weights are zeroed and the highest one-day total wins the top prize of $100,000.

The final 10 anglers competing in Thursday’s Championship Round on Bussey Brake will launch from Bonner Ferry Road, five miles northwest of Bastrop off of Hwy 593 at 8:30 a.m. The General Tire Takeout will be held at the launch ramp, beginning at 5:30 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend all takeoff and takeout ceremonies and also encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLF NOW!® live stream and SCORETRACKER® coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

The B&W Trailer Hitches Stage One Presented by Power-Pole features anglers competing in the Championship Round with a 2-pound minimum weight requirement on Bussey Brake for a bass to be deemed scorable. Minimum weights are determined individually for each competition waters that the Bass Pro Tour visits, based on the productivity, bass population and anticipated average size of fish in each fishery.

The Bass Pro Tour features a field of 80 of the top professional anglers in the world competing across seven regular-season tournaments around the country, competing for millions of dollars and valuable points to qualify for the annual General Tire Heavy Hitters all-star event and the REDCREST 2023 championship.

The MLF NOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee, Marty Stone and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action on all six days of competition from 8:45 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. ET. MLF NOW!®  will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app.

Television coverage of the B&W Trailer Hitches Stage One Presented by Power-Pole will premiere at 7 a.m. ET, Sept. 3 on the Discovery Channel. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on the Discovery Channel, with additional re-airings on the Outdoor Channel. Each two-hour long reality-based episode goes in-depth to break down each day of competition.

Proud sponsors of the 2022 MLF Bass Pro Tour include: 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, A.R.E. Truck Caps, B&W Trailer Hitches, BallyBet, Bass Cat, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, Covercraft, Favorite Fishing, Garmin, General Tire, Googan Baits, Grundéns, Guaranteed Rate, Humminbird, Lowrance, Luminox, Mercury, Minn Kota, Mossy Oak, Nitro Performance Boats, Onyx, Plano, Power-Pole, Power Stop, Rapala, Starbrite, Toro, Toyota, Wrangler, Yellowstone Bourbon and Zoom.