MLF Completes Builders FirstSource Qualifier Presented by Berkley Television Shoot on Local Lakes with Nine Three-Man Teams Competing to Advance to Bass Pro Shops Team Series Championship
LONGVIEW, Texas (Oct. 30, 2023) – Major League Fishing (MLF) and 27 of the top pro anglers in the world officially wrapped production Friday at the third and final regular season event of the 2024 General Tire Team Series season – the Builders FirstSource Qualifier Presented by Berkley in Longview, Texas. The competition was filmed entirely for television broadcast and shot over six days last 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 event featured professional anglers visiting East Texas to compete in select areas of Lake O’ the Pines, Lake Bob Sandlin, Brady Branch Reservoir and Martin Creek 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 Builders FirstSource Qualifier Presented by Berkley in Texas were:
Team B&W Trailer Hitches:
Randall Tharp, Port Saint Joe, Fla.
Gerald Spohrer, Gonzales, La.
Russ Lane, Prattville, Ala.
Team Builders FirstSource:
Jesse Wiggins, Addison, Ala.
Kyle Hall, Granbury, Texas
Gary Klein, Mingus, Texas
Team Crockett Creek:
Ott DeFoe, Blaine, Tenn.
Andy Montgomery, Blacksburg, S.C.
Brandon Coulter, Knoxville, Tenn.
Team Ferguson:
Stephen Browning, Hot Springs, Ark.
Anthony Gagliardi, Prosperity, S.C.
Keith Poche, Pike Road, Ala.
Team Knighten Industries:
Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn.
Takahiro Omori, Tokyo, Japan
Dean Rojas, Lake Havasu City, Ariz.
Team Kubota:
Alton Jones, Jr., Waco, Texas
Nick LeBrun, Bossier City, La.
Britt Myers, Lake Wylie, S.C.
Team Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff & Pouches:
Josh Bertrand, Queen Creek, Ariz.
Edwin Evers, Talala, Okla.
Marty Robinson, Lyman, S.C.
Team Sqwincher:
Mark Daniels, Jr., Tuskegee, Ala.
Randy Howell, Guntersville, Ala.
Cliff Crochet, Pierre Part, La.
Team Star brite:
Alton Jones, Lorena, Texas
Brent Chapman, Lake Quivira, Kan.
Dave Lefebre, Erie, Pa.
The MLF General Tire Team Series Builders FirstSource Qualifier Presented by Berkey will air on Outdoor Channel as six, two-hour original episodes each Saturday afternoon starting March 30, 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 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.
