Category: MLF BIG-5

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

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

* 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 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 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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Anglers will take off at 6:30 a.m. ET Saturday and Sunday from Dreher Island State Park, located at 3677 State Park Road in Prosperity. Weigh-ins will also be held at the park daily at 3 p.m. Attendance is limited to competing anglers, family, essential staff and media covering the event. Fans are encouraged to follow the action online through the MLF NOW! live stream and coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

The MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit presented by Bad Boy Mowers, Googan Baits Stop 3 Presented by Favorite Fishing – Lake Murray will feature live on-the-water coverage and a two-hour action-packed television show that will premiere on the Outdoor Channel on Sunday, July 25 from 7 to 9 a.m. ET and re-air on the Sportsman Channel this fall. Weigh-ins will be streamed daily and fans can catch live on-the-water action all day Saturday and Sunday, April 24-25 on MLF NOW! beginning at 7 a.m. ET at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

For a full list of results visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.

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

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

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

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

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

Anglers will take off at 6:30 a.m. ET Friday through Sunday from Dreher Island State Park, located at 3677 State Park Road in Prosperity. Weigh-ins will also be held at the park daily at 3 p.m. Attendance is limited to competing anglers, family, essential staff and media covering the event. Fans are encouraged to follow the action online through the MLF NOW! live stream and coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com .

The MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit presented by Bad Boy Mowers, Googan Baits Stop 3 Presented by Favorite Fishing – Lake Murray will feature live on-the-water coverage and a two-hour action-packed television show that will premiere on the Outdoor Channel on Sunday, July 25 from 7 to 9 a.m. ET and re-air on the Sportsman Channel this fall. Weigh-ins will be streamed daily and fans can catch live on-the-water action all day Saturday and Sunday, April 24-25 on MLF NOW! beginning at 7 a.m. ET at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

AUSTIN, Texas (April 21, 2021) – Major League Fishing (MLF), the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, is set to visit Austin next week, April 30-May 5, for the second regular-season tournament of the 2021 Bass Pro Tour season – the Berkley Stage Two at Lake Travis Presented by Mercury. The six-day event, hosted by the Austin Sports Commission , will feature 80 of the best professional anglers in the world – including superstars like Kevin VanDam, Ott DeFoe, Jordan Lee and Jacob Wheeler – competing for a top payout of $100,000 and valuable points in hopes of qualifying for REDCREST 2022, the Bass Pro Tour championship. As part of the event, fans will also be treated to the Hill Country Hangout at Bass Pro Shops in Round Rock, Texas, on Friday from 4 to 7 p.m., and on Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The free event includes the opportunity to interact with Bass Pro Tour anglers, enjoy activities and special fan-only giveaways provided by MLF sponsors, and learn more about the sport of fishing and other outdoor activities in fishing seminars. All activities are free and open to the public. For more information on the Hill Country Hangout hosted by Bass Pro Shops, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. “We are thrilled to welcome the Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour and the 80 top anglers in the world to Austin,” said Drew Hays, Director of the Austin Sports Commission. “This event will showcase Austin and Lake Travis as a world class destination for sports and outdoor activities and certainly signals the return of major events to our city.” For the first time since March of 2020, fans are encouraged to attend all of the happenings surrounding the event.  Anglers will take off from the Mansfield Dam Park, located at 4370 Mansfield Dam Park Road in Austin, at 6:30 a.m. CT each morning. Each day’s General Tire Takeout will also be held at the park, beginning at 3:30 p.m. Fans are also encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLF NOW!® live stream and SCORETRACKER® coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com. The tournament will be fished using MLF’s catch, weigh, immediate-release format, in which the anglers try to catch as much weight as they can each day, while also feeling the pressure and intensity of the SCORETRACKER® leaderboard. The tournament is being filmed for broadcast later this year on the Discovery Channel. The total purse up for grabs at the Berkley Stage Two at Lake Travis Presented by Mercury is more than $805,000. Although Lake Travis has played host to MLF BIG5 (previously FLW) tournaments over the years, 2021 will mark the first time that the MLF Bass Pro Tour has visited the central Texas reservoir. One angler that has had success there in the past and is excited to get back is pro Bryan Thrift of Shelby, North Carolina, who finished runner-up on Lake Travis when the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit (previously FLW Tour) visited in 2017. “I’ve only been to Lake Travis twice, and both times were in February, so I expect the fishing to be a little different this time around,” said Thrift, who has career earnings of more than $3.1 million. “I’d imagine that the fish have got to be postspawn by this point, so that’s how I’m going to approach this tournament. It’s a fun fishery, and I’m excited to return and try to get some redemption.” Thrift said that with water levels down, he is expecting the water clarity to be clear. “Travis tends to generally be clearer than a lot of lakes we visit, and the water is down 25 to 30 feet since I was last there. They haven’t had not a lot of rain, lately, so I’d imagine we’re going to see a lot of clear-water tactics,” Thrift said. “We’re going to see a lot of finesse fishing, and lots of topwater baits. “The whole deal with Lake Travis is that it’s got a lot of fish in it, but it’s hard to catch multiple big fish,” Thrift continued. “It has a ton of fish under 2 pounds, and some fish that are 5 (pounds) or more. The key will be figuring out what those bigger than average fish are doing and putting yourself into the best situation to catch the 2+ pounders. I hope it’s a strong topwater bite.” The Berkley Stage Two at Lake Travis Presented by Mercury will feature anglers competing with a 1-pound, 8-ounce minimum weight requirement. Minimum weights are determined individually for each competition waters that the Bass Pro Tour visits, based on the productivity, bass population and anticipated average size of fish in each fishery. The Bass Pro Tour features a field of 76 of the top professional anglers in the world – joined at each event by 4 pros that qualify from the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit – competing across seven regular-season tournaments around the country, competing for millions of dollars and valuable points to qualify for the annual Heavy Hitters all-star event and the REDCREST 2022 championship. The four pros from the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit that will join the Bass Pro Tour to compete at the Berkley Stage Two at Lake Travis Presented by Mercury are Jim Neece Jr., Dicky Newberry, Bill McDonald and Miles Burghoff. Those anglers qualified via their finishes in the first Pro Circuit event of the year – the 13 Fishing Stop 1 at Lake Okeechobee. The 40 Anglers in Group A compete in their two-day qualifying round on Lake Travis on Friday and Sunday – the 40 anglers in Group B on Saturday and Monday. After each two-day qualifying round is complete, the anglers that finish in 2nd through 20th place from both groups advance to Tuesday’s Knockout Round, while the winner of each group advances directly to Wednesday’s Championship Round. In the Knockout Round, weights are zeroed and the remaining 38 anglers compete to finish in the top 8 to advance to the Championship Round. In the final day Championship Round, weights are zeroed and the highest one-day total wins the top prize of $100,000. The MLF NOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee, Marty Stone and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action on all six days of competition from 6:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. CT. MLF NOW!®  will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app. Television coverage of the Bass Pro Tour Berkley Stage Two at Lake Travis Presented by Mercury will be showcased across two two-hour episodes, premiering at 7 a.m. ET, Sept. 11 on the Discovery Channel. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on the Discovery Channel, with additional re-airings on the Outdoor Channel and the Sportsman Channel. Each two-hour long reality-based episode goes in-depth to break down each day of competition. For complete details and updated information on Major League Fishing and the Bass Pro Tour, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter,  Instagram, and  YouTube.

About Major League Fishing Founded in 2011, Major League Fishing (MLF) brings the high-intensity sport of competitive bass fishing into America’s living rooms on Outdoor Channel, Discovery, CBS, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network, Sportsman Channel, and on-demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). According to Nielsen ratings, Major League Fishing remains the number one series on Outdoor Channel for five years and MLF premiered as the number one outdoor show in their time slot on Discovery in 2019.  In 2019 MLF acquired FLW, which expands their portfolio to include the world’s largest grassroots-fishing organization, including the strongest five-biggest-fish format professional bass fishing tour, the MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit presented by Bad Boy Mowers, as well as the MLF Toyota Series, MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine, MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI, and MLF U.S. Army High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing.

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

TOP 10 RESULTS

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

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

2021 UPCOMING QUALIFICATION OPPORTUNITIES

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2021/2022 QUALIFICATION OPPORTUNITIES

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

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

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

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

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

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

CONTINGENCY AWARDS

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

* Boaters are eligible to win up to an extra $7,000 per event in each Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine tournament if all requirements are met. More information on the Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.
WINNING BAITS

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

2021 QUALIFICATION OPPORTUNITIES

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

The 2021 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championships. Boaters will compete for a $60,000 prize package, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while Strike King co-anglers will fish for a new Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.

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

LA CROSSE, Wisc. (April 19, 2021) – Boater Aidan Brown of Onalaska, Wisconsin, wins the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine at Mississippi River Presented by TINCUP Whiskey in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Brown earned $4,915 for his victory at the event, hosted by the La Crosse County Convention & Visitors Bureau.
 TOP 10 RESULTS

RANK	BOATER NAME/HOMETOWN	BASS	WEIGHT	AWARD
1st	Aidan Brown of Onalaska, Wisc.	5	18-1	$4,915
2nd	Mike Brueggen of La Crosse, Wisc.	5	17-6	$2,049
2nd	Devin Teigen of Nelson, Wisc.	5	17-6	$2,549
4th	Nick Trim of Galesville, Wisc.	5	17-0	$1,147
5th	Ben Potaracke of La Crosse, Wisc.	5	16-3	$983
6th	Cade Laufenberg of La Crosse, Wisc.	5	16-2	$901
7th	Chia Vang of Holmen, Wisc.	5	15-15	$819
8th	Dustin Bliss of Brooklyn Park, Minn.	5	15-13	$737
9th	Brandon Gann of Sparta, Wisc.	5	15-6	$655
10th	Joe Pollak of Lake Geneva, Wisc.	5	14-14	$544
10th	Kory Krienke of Annandale, Minn.	5	14-14	$544

RANK	STRIKE KING CO-ANGLER NAME/HOMETOWN	BASS	WEIGHT	AWARD
1st	Alan Pierschalla of Slinger, Wisc.	5	15-3	$2,458
2nd	Thomas Clearman of De Soto, Wisc.	5	14-3	$1,229
3rd	Ron Mairet of Columbus Junction, Iowa	5	12-12	$817
4th	Ryan Coon of LeClaire, Iowa	5	11-5	$532
4th	Nicole Jacobs Stelmach of Saint Paul, Minn.	4	11-5	$532
6th	Alan Bernicky of Joliet, Ill.	4	10-7	$901
7th	Mike Marr of Oxford, Wisc.	4	9-5	$410
8th	Thad Vettrus of Chippewa Falls, Wisc.	3	9-4	$369
9th	Cody Rothstein of Rogers, Minn.	4	9-1	$328
10th	Kalvin Korotka of Manawa, Wisc.	4	8-14	$287

CONTINGENCY AWARDS

AWARD	NAME	CONTINGENCY	PAYOUT
Boater Big Bass	Troy Anderson of Galesville, Wisc.	5-pound, 2-ounce bass	$750
Strike King Co-Angler Berkley Big Bass	Eric Breitkreutz of Sheboygan, Wisc.	5-pound, 6-ounce bass	$375
Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus	Devin Teigen of Nelson, Wisc.	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 Ned Rig	Black/Blue
Strike King Co-Angler	Berkley Powerbait Maxscent The General Worm	Green Pumpkin

2021 QUALIFICATION OPPORTUNITIES

EVENT	DATE	LOCATION	HOST
Great Lakes Division – Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championship	Oct. 21-23	Lake Ouachita, Mt. Ida, Ark.	Visit Hot Springs
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.