DETROIT (July 27, 2024) – Looking to pull off a sweep of Polaris Rookie of the Year, Fishing Clash Angler of the Year and the tournament win, rookie pro Alec Morrison of Peru, New York, wrangled 23 pounds, 6 ounces of smallmouth Saturday to move into the lead at Stop 6 Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches at the Detroit River.
With a two-day total of 46-4 total, Morrison is trailed by pros Keith Carson of DeBary, Florida, (44-14), and Jon Canada of Helena, Alabama, (44-6), with multiple other pros entering the final day over the 40-pound mark and within striking distance, given the right circumstances. So, as has been the case all year, the Tackle Warehouse Invitationals will not lack drama, even down to the final day.
Link to Photo Gallery of Day 2 Highlights
Link to Video of Fish-Catch Highlights of Day 2 on the Detroit River
Running to Lake St. Clair from takeoff in the Detroit River, Morrison has been going hard all day, on both of the first two days of competition. While a culling mishap cost him 2 pounds and a big lead on Day 1, he backed up his opening round performance with another top tier bag on Saturday.
“It was definitely a good day, I felt like I really needed to push hard after yesterday,” Morrison said. “Yesterday was a tough deal, and I knew the only way I could get through it was if I caught ‘em the next two days.
“I got off to a good start this morning in one of my primary areas and then did some searching around. I think there are still fish left in my areas, they’re just getting a little tougher, by the hour it seems like. As long as I can get five of them to bite, I should be okay.”
Scanning around in the open water of St. Clair, Morrison has seen the fish get tougher to catch by the day.
“They’re definitely not easy to get to bite, as it seems like they are everywhere during this schedule,” he said. “The weights have been crazy, but we see a lot more of them than we get in the boat. It’s been tough. I’ll definitely see them tomorrow, hopefully I’ll be able to get the right ones to connect.”
A New Yorker with a ton of smallmouth experience, Morrison has taken well to St. Clair, despite never fishing an event there before.
“St. Clair is very much its own fishery as far as smallmouth go,” he said. “It’s a different beast. It was tricky during practice to find them and figure out areas, but I’m learning to love it the last two days for sure.”
In 2023, Morrison won a Toyota Series event at Sam Rayburn, and he’s been on a tear since, knocking down numerous Top-10 finishes. Barring disaster, he’ll make AOY official on Sunday, and with a winning effort he’d wrap up about as perfect a season as you could ask for.
“It’s not official yet, but it’s something I’ve really pushed for the last few events,” Morrison said of AOY. “The second I got in somewhat of a good position around Kentucky Lake, I’ve been pushing for that ever since. The goals have been to win (an Invitational), and to get Angler of the Year. To get one of those, that would be unreal – hopefully we can have a magical day tomorrow and put it all together.”
Only the top 30 pros, based on their two-day cumulative weight, now advance to Championship Sunday. The three-day tournament, hosted by the Detroit Sports Commission, featured a field of professional anglers competing for a top prize of up to $115,000 and an invitation to compete at REDCREST 2025.
The top 30 pros advancing to the final day of competition on the Detroit River are:
1st: Alec Morrison, Peru, N.Y., 10 bass, 46-4
2nd: Keith Carson, DeBary, Fla., 10 bass, 44-14
3rd: Jon Canada, Helena, Ala., 10 bass, 44-6
4th: Kyle Hall, Granbury, Texas, 10 bass, 43-10
5th: Scott Dobson, Clarkston, Mich., 10 bass, 43-9
6th: Adrian Avena, Marmora, N.J., 10 bass, 43-5
7th: Cory Johnston, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, 10 bass, 42-10
8th: Brad Jelinek, Lincoln, Mo., 10 bass, 42-8
9th: Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn., 10 bass, 42-7
10th: Jaden Parrish, Liberty, Texas, 10 bass, 42-7
11th: Nick LeBrun, Bossier City, La., 10 bass, 42-5
12th: Jack Daniel Williams, Kingsport, Tenn., 10 bass, 41-13
13th: John Cox, DeBary, Fla., 10 bass, 41-13
14th: Andrew Nordbye, Guntersville, Ala., 10 bass, 41-9
15th: Lane Olson, Jackson, Mich., 10 bass, 41-7
16th: Robby Lefere, Jackson, Mich., 10 bass, 41-5
17th: Mark Condron, Murfreesboro, Tenn., 10 bass, 41-4
18th: Jesse Wiggins, Logan, Ala., 10 bass, 41-0
19th: Colby Dark, West Monroe, La., 10 bass, 41-0
20th: Connor Cunningham, Springfield, Mo., 10 bass, 40-11
21st: Chris Groh, Spring Grove, Ill., 10 bass, 40-10
22nd: Jeremy Gordon, Rutledge, Tenn., 10 bass, 40-5
23rd: John Hunter, Shelbyville, Ky., 10 bass, 40-4
24th: Chase Serafin, White Lake, Mich., 10 bass, 40-3
25th: Terry Olinger, Louisa, Va., 10 bass, 40-3
26th: Mitchell Robinson, Landrum, S.C., 10 bass, 40-2
27th: Jordan Wiggins, Cullman, Ala., 10 bass, 40-1
28th: Cameron Mattison, Benton, La., 10 bass, 40-1
29th: Colby Miller, Elmer, La., 10 bass, 40-1
30th: Jake Lawrence, Buchanan, Tenn., 10 bass, 39-13
Complete results for the entire field can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Pro Braxton Setzer of Wetumpka, Alabama, brought a bass weighing 6 pounds even to the scale to earn Saturday’s $1,000 Berkley Big Bass award.
Overall, there were 589 bass weighing 2,088 pounds 13 ounces caught by 122 pros Saturday. The catch included 113 five-bass limits.
In Tackle Warehouse Invitational competition, the full field of anglers competed in the two-day opening round on Friday and Saturday in a five-fish, weigh-in format. Only the top 30 pros, based on their two-day cumulative weight, now advance to the final round on Championship Sunday, where they will compete for the grand prize of up to $115,000. The winner of the Tackle Warehouse Invitational Stop 6 at the Detroit River Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches will be determined by the heaviest three-day cumulative weight and will receive an invitation to compete at REDCREST 2025 on Lake Guntersville in Huntsville, Alabama.
The final 30 anglers will launch at 6:30 a.m. ET each day from Elizabeth Park, located at 202 Grosse Ile Parkway in Trenton, Michigan. Weigh-ins will also be held at the park and will begin at 2:30 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend all launch and weigh-in events and also encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLFNOW!® live stream and coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The MLFNOW! broadcast team of Chad McKee and Rob Newell will break down the extended action live on Championship Sunday from 7:30 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. ET. MLFNOW! will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) and Rumble apps.
Television coverage of the MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitationals Stop 6 at the Detroit River Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches will air as a two-hour episode, premiering at 9 a.m. ET, on Saturday, Nov. 9 on CBS Sports Network.
Proud sponsors of the 2024 MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitationals include: 7Brew, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, E3 Sports Apparel, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, General Tire, Lew’s, Mercury, Mossy Oak Fishing, Onyx, Phoenix Boats, Polaris, Power-Pole, PowerStop Brakes, REDCON1, Strike King, Suzuki, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, WIX Filters and YETI.
For complete details and updated information on Major League Fishing and the Tackle Warehouse Invitationals, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Tackle Warehouse Invitational updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the MLF5 social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
