Team Crockett Creek (Wheeler-Hays-Lambert), Team Knighten (Strader-Suggs-McClelland) and Team Fox Rent A Car (Elam-Chapman-J. VanDam) Advance to Championship
ALEXANDRIA, Minn. (Feb. 7, 2023) – The final episode of the Major League Fishing (MLF) General Tire Team Series Lucas Oil Qualifier Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches premiered this past weekend, and three teams have moved one step closer to the Bass Pro Shops Championship Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches and the $300,000 top prize.
Team Crockett Creek (Jacob Wheeler, Dylan Hays and Jason Lambert) rolled in Match 1, as Lambert led his squad to a huge 66-pound, 4-ounce lead after the first day of competition that allowed Team Crockett Creek to play ‘defense’ on the second day and coast to an easy victory.
In Match 2, Team Knighten Industries (Wesley Strader, Scott Suggs and Mike McClelland) dominated to earn the victory over Team Builders FirstSource by more than 100 pounds. Suggs was the top performer for Team Knighten, as the Arkansas pro alone caught 71 bass over the two days of competition totaling 146 pounds, 4 ounces to pace his squad.
In the third and final match, which premiered on Outdoor Channel this past weekend, despite starting the day with a 26-pound, 2-ounce deficit, Team Fox Rent A Car (James Elam, Jonathon VanDam and Brent Chapman) smashed 188 pounds, 12 ounces on the final day to overtake Team Star brite and earn the final qualification into the Bass Pro Shops Championship. VanDam had a stellar second day of competition, catching 43 bass for 81-10 to lead the way for Team Fox Rent A Car.
The final results from Match 1 at the Lucas Oil Qualifier Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches in Alexandria, Minnesota, were:
1st: Team Crockett Creek, 165 bass, 310-7
Jason Lambert, 76 bass, 131-9
*Jacob Wheeler, 44 bass, 93-11
Dylan Hays, 45 bass, 85-3
2nd: Team Kubota, 119 bass, 224-8
Bradley Roy, 47 bass, 94-15
Ryan Salzman, 40 bass, 68-11
*Greg Vinson, 32 bass, 60-14
3rd: Team Ferguson, 72 bass, 129-14
Corey Neece, 22 bass, 44-4
Marty Robinson, 27 bass, 43-4
*Shin Fukae, 23 bass, 42-6
The final results from Match 2 at the Lucas Oil Qualifier Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches in Alexandria, Minnesota, were:
1st: Team Knighten Industries, 177 bass, 369-13
Scott Suggs, 71 bass, 146-4
Mike McClelland, 57 bass, 120-1
*Wesley Strader, 49 bass, 103-8
2nd: Team Builders FirstSource, 142 bass, 269-10
*Stephen Browning, 66 bass, 124-14
Jeff Kriet, 48 bass, 93-9
Timmy Horton, 28 bass, 51-3
3rd: Team Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff & Pouches, 115 bass, 237-15
Andy Morgan, 22 bass, 44-4
Brandon Coulter, 27 bass, 43-4
*Josh Bertrand, 23 bass, 42-6
The final results from Match 3 at the Lucas Oil Qualifier Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches in Alexandria, Minnesota, were:
1st: Team Fox Rent A Car, 173 bass, 313-15
*James Elam, 65 bass, 109-12
Jonathon VanDam, 54 bass, 103-1
Brent Chapman, 54 bass, 101-2
2nd: Team Star brite, 158 bass, 281-14
*Alton Jones, Jr., 53 bass, 106-14
Britt Myers, 67 bass, 105-6
Roy Hawk, 38 bass, 69-10
3rd: Team B&W Trailer Hitches, 153 bass, 254-14
Cliff Pace, 67 bass, 107-5
Gary Klein, 49 bass, 87-9
*Mark Davis, 37 bass, 60-0
Complete results along with photos from the event can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Overall, for the entire week, there were 1,274 bass weighing 2,247 pounds, 14 ounces caught by the nine teams during three matches in the Lucas Oil Qualifier Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches.
The 2023 MLF General Tire Team Series Lucas Oil Qualifier Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches was hosted by hosted by Explore Alexandria Tourism and aired on the Outdoor Channel as six, two-hour original episodes each Saturday afternoon, debuting on Dec. 31, 2022, and running through Feb. 4, 2023.
The next General Tire Team Series event will premiere on the Outdoor Channel on Saturday, Feb. 11 – the Costa Qualifier Presented by Toyota on Stockton Lake in Bolivar, Missouri. For a complete schedule of General Tire Team Series events, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The Lucas Oil Qualifier Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches was shot over six days in October and featured nine teams of three anglers visiting Alexandria to compete on Lake Le Homme Dieu or Lake Ida on each day of competition. The fisheries were unknown to the anglers – they did not learn where they were competing until they arrived at the launch ramp each morning of competition.
All six episodes of the General Tire Team Series Lucas Oil Qualifier event from Alexandria, Minnesota, are now available for viewing on the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) streaming app. The full television schedule can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
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 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.