MLF Completes Week-Long Television Shoot in West Virginia with Nine Three-Man Teams Competing to Advance to Bass Pro Shops Team Series Championship
ROANOKE, W. Va. (Oct. 6, 2023) – Major League Fishing (MLF) and 27 of the best pro anglers in the world officially wrapped production this week at the second event of the 2024 General Tire Team Series season – the Costa Qualifier Presented by Toyota in West Virginia. Hosted by the West Virginia Department of Tourism, the competition was filmed entirely for television broadcast and shot over six days this week, featuring nine teams of three anglers competing to finish in the top three and advance to the Bass Pro Shops Team Series Championship.
The General Tire Team Series Costa Qualifier Presented by Toyota marked the first time that MLF, the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, had visited West Virginia. The event that showcased MLF’s unique catch, weigh and immediate-release tournament format.
The event featured professional anglers visiting West Virginia to compete in select areas of Stonewall Jackson Lake and Summersville Lake. The competition waters for each day of the event were not disclosed until the anglers arrived at the launch ramp each morning, creating a reality-based television episode that showcases how the top anglers in the world work with their teammates to break down new and unfamiliar waters.
The nine teams that competed in the General Tire Team Series Costa Qualifier Presented by Toyota in West Virginia were:
Team B&W Trailer Hitches:
Todd Faircloth, Jasper, Texas
Jeff Kriet, Ardmore, Okla.
Jeff Sprague, Wills Point, Texas
Team Builders FirstSource:
Andy Morgan, Dayton, Tenn.
Fletcher Shryock, Guntersville, Ala.
James Watson, Lampe, Mo.
Team Crockett Creek:
David Dudley, Lynchburg, Va.
Bradley Roy, Lancaster, Ky.
Greg Vinson, Wetumpka, Ala.
Team Ferguson:
Jeremy Lawyer, Sarcoxie, Mo.
Cody Meyer, Star, Idaho
Shinichi Fukae, Osaka, Japan
Team Knighten Industries:
Brent Ehrler, Redlands, Calif.
Brett Hite, Phoenix, Ariz.
John Murray, Spring City, Tenn.
Team Kubota:
Jordan Lee, Cullman, Ala.
Mark Davis, Mount Ida, Ark.
Timmy Horton, Muscle Shoals, Ala.
Team Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff & Pouches:
Casey Ashley, Donalds, S.C.
Terry Scroggins, San Mateo, Fla.
Jacob Wall, New Hope, Ala.
Team Sqwincher:
Justin Lucas, Guntersville, Ala.
Skeet Reese, Auburn, Calif.
Fred Roumbanis, Russellville, Ark.
Team Star brite:
Kevin VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich.
David Walker, Huntingdon, Tenn.
Kelly Jordon, Flint, Texas
The MLF General Tire Team Series Costa Qualifier Presented by Toyota will air on Outdoor Channel as six, two-hour original episodes each Saturday afternoon starting Feb. 17, 2024, airing from 2 to 4 p.m. EDT. The full television schedule can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com/tv-schedule.
The 2024 General Tire Team Series is comprised of three Qualifying Events, filmed for production in the fall of 2023, where teams compete for advancement to the Bass Pro Shops Teams Series Championship, set to film in early December 2023. Each of the three Team Series Qualifiers consist of nine teams, each comprising three anglers.
Nearly a half a million dollars will be paid out over the three no-entry fee Qualifiers, and the total season-long purse for the General Tire Team Series is more than $720,000.
Proud sponsors of the MLF General Tire Team Series include: Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Barbasol, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, Bubba, Builders FirstSource, Costa, Crockett Creek Beef Jerky, Ferguson, General Tire, Knighten Industries, Kubota, Lowrance, Lucas Oil, Mercury Marine, Mossy Oak, NITRO Boats, Onyx, Optima Batteries, Power-Pole, Quad Lock, Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff & Pouches, Sqwincher, St. Croix Rods, Star brite, Toyota and YETI.
For complete details and updated information on Major League Fishing and 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.
