Final 10 Anglers Now Set for Final-Day Shootout for $135k on Championship Wednesday
LEESBURG, Fla. (March 15, 2022) – Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit rookie Andrew Loberg of Rocklin, California, caught a five-bass limit Tuesday weighing 22 pounds, 10 ounces to lead the final 10 anglers and advance to the final day of competition at the Bass Boat Technologies Stop 2 at the Harris Chain of Lakes Presented by Frogg Toggs in Leesburg, Florida. Loberg narrowly edged the reigning Pro Circuit Angler of the Year (AOY) Michael Neal of Dayton, Tennessee, by just 8 ounces.
After starting the day in 31st place, Neal weighed in the largest limit of the event – five bass totaling 27-11 – to vault up the leaderboard into second place. Oklahoma pro Jeff Reynolds also catapulted up the leaderboard, weighing in a limit totaling 27-4 to end the day in third after starting the day in 44th place. Tampa, Florida rookie Christian Greico, who led the tournament after Day 2, fell to 8th with a limit weighing 11-4.
Link to Photo of Day 3 Leader Andrew Loberg
The final 10 anglers are now set, and competition will resume tomorrow morning on Championship Wednesday, where weights are zeroed, and the angler that catches the heaviest five-fish weight will earn the top prize of up to $135,000.
The four-day tournament, hosted by Visit Lake County, marks the second regular-season event of the year for the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by Fuel Me.
“I’m stoked to be fishing Day 4,” Loberg said. “This is the first time I’ve ever made the final day of a four-day event. Usually, it’s always been three days for me. So I’m really excited for tomorrow. The weights are zeroed, everyone is even, and I’m just going to have to go out and fish my hardest and get everything I can get.”
Loberg spent Tuesday fishing in Lake Eustis, targeting postspawn fish in the grass.
“The fishing here really reminds me of Clear Lake, which is my home lake in California,” Loberg said. “There is lots of shallow grass, the tules, and dirty-ish water. I really like targeting postspawn fish and they love going to the grass after they spawn. I found a few areas and I’ve really just capitalized on those and milked them each day. And that has helped, because I’ve learned more and more each day about the spots and what is going on.
“The bites are coming in little spurts,” Loberg continued. “The morning bite each day has been my best deal, especially for the bigger bites. As the day goes on, it’s harder to get multiple bites – it’s kind of one here, one there. But the weather is changing so much, and I fished a lot of different baits today. You kind of almost have to practice in your areas to see how they are going to bite with the changing conditions.”
With just one day of competition left, Loberg is excited at his chances.
“I feel like I’ve learned where the sweet spots are, and if I can figure out a few other baits it could be a good day. I know I’m going to be throwing a big swimbait tomorrow – it’s definitely going to take more than 20 pounds to win, so I really need to capitalize on them in the morning. I’ve put a lot of pressure on that area over the last two days, we’ll see how it holds up.”
The top 10 pros advancing to the final day of competition on the Harris Chain of Lakes are:
1st: Andrew Loberg, Rocklin, Calif., 15 bass, 57-11
2nd: Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., 15 bass, 57-3
3rd: Jeff Reynolds, Calera, Okla., 15 bass, 55-5
4th: Grant Galloway, Houlka, Miss., 15 bass, 52-7
5th: Shonn Goodwin, Moore, Okla., 15 bass, 51-6
6th: Mark Rose, Wynne, Ark., 15 bass, 49-14
7th: Corey Neece, Bristol, Tenn., 15 bass, 49-11
8th: Christian Greico, Tampa, Fla., 15 bass, 49-4
9th: Grae Buck, Green Lane, Pa., 15 bass, 48-4
10th: Jason Reyes, Huffman, Texas, 15 bass, 48-2
Finishing in 11th through 50th are:
11th: Clark Reehm, Elm Grove, La., 15 bass, 47-13, $11,000
12th: Aaron Britt, Yuba City, Calif., 15 bass, 47-12, $11,000
13th: Justin Lucas, Guntersville, Ala., 15 bass, 47-8, $12,000
14th: Chase Serafin, White Lake, Mich., 15 bass, 47-7, $11,000
15th: Kurt Mitchell, Milford, Del., 15 bass, 47-4, $11,000
16th: Lance Crawford, Broken Bow, Okla., 15 bass, 47-1, $11,000
17th: Miles Howe, San Juan Capistrano, Calif., 15 bass, 46-14, $11,000
18th: Todd Walters, Kernersville, N.C., 15 bass, 46-7, $11,000
19th: Michael Matthee, Centurion, South Africa, 15 bass, 46-0, $11,000
20th: Jimmy Neece Jr., Bristol, Tenn., 15 bass, 45-14, $11,000
21st: Mitch Crane, Columbus, Miss., 15 bass, 45-3, $10,500
22nd: Dicky Newberry, Houston, Texas, 15 bass, 45-2, $10,500
23rd: Casey Scanlon, Eldon, Mo., 15 bass, 45-0, $10,500
24th: Spencer Shuffield, Hot Springs, Ark., 15 bass, 44-14, $10,500
25th: Skeet Reese, Auburn, Calif., 15 bass, 44-12, $10,500
26th: Kerry Milner, Fisher, Ark., 15 bass, 44-8, $10,500
27th: Wesley Strader, Spring City, Tenn., 15 bass, 44-6, $10,500
28th: Keith Carson, DeBary, Fla., 15 bass, 44-5, $10,500
29th: Cole Floyd, Leesburg, Ohio, 15 bass, 44-5, $10,500
30th: Rusty Salewske, Alpine, Calif., 15 bass, 44-2, $10,500
31st: Derrick Snavely, Piney Flats, Tenn., 15 bass, 44-0, $10,000
32nd: Ramie Colson Jr., Cadiz, Ky., 15 bass, 43-15, $10,000
33rd: Bill McDonald, Greenwood, Ind., 14 bass, 43-13, $10,000
34th: Justin Cooper, Zwolle, La., 15 bass, 43-8, $10,000
35th: Jacopo Gallelli, Florence, Italy, 15 bass, 43-6, $10,000
36th: Matt Becker, Finleyville, Pa., 15 bass, 43-0, $10,000
37th: Steve York, Bronson, Mich., 15 bass, 42-9, $10,000
38th: Jacob Wall, New Hope, Ala., 15 bass, 42-7, $10,000
39th: Brad Knight, Lancing, Tenn., 15 bass, 42-7, $10,000
40th: Mike McClelland, Blue Eye, Mo., 15 bass, 42-5, $10,000
41st: Colby Miller, Elmer, La., 15 bass, 41-15, $10,000
42nd: Laramy Strickland, Bushnell, Fla., 15 bass, 41-15, $10,000
43rd: Tommy Dickerson, Orange, Texas, 15 bass, 41-2, $10,000
44th: Jon Canada, Helena, Ala., 15 bass, 39-9, $10,000
45th: Randy Howell, Guntersville, Ala., 15 bass, 39-9, $10,000
46th: Dakota Ebare, Brookeland, Texas, 14 bass, 39-6, $10,000
47th: Jimmy Reese, Witter Springs, Calif., 15 bass, 37-15, $10,000
48th: Tom Monsoor, La Crosse, Wis., 15 bass, 35-14, $10,000
49th: Phillip Dutra, Guntersville, Ala., 14 bass, 35-14, $10,000
50th: Stuart Arthur, Benton, Mo., 15 bass, 35-9, $10,000
For a full list of results visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Overall, there were 249 bass weighing 716 pounds, 13 ounces caught by the 50 pros Tuesday. The catch included 49 five-bass limits.
In Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit competition, the full field of 157 anglers competed in the two-day opening round on Sunday and Monday. The top 50 pros based on their two-day cumulative weight advanced to Tuesday. Now, only the top 10 pros, based on cumulative weight from the first three days, will continue competition on Championship Wednesday, where weights will be zeroed and anglers will compete in a one-day shootout for the grand prize of up to $135,000, including the lucrative $35,000 Phoenix MLF Bonus for qualified anglers.
The four-day MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Bass Boat Technologies Stop 2 on the Harris Chain of Lakes Presented by Frogg Toggs features a total purse of more than $850,000.
Throughout the season, anglers are also vying for valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the 2022 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit TITLE Presented by Mercury, the Pro Circuit Championship, where they will compete for up to $235,000. The 2022 TITLE will be on the St. Lawrence River in Massena, New York on Aug. 16-21, and is hosted by the Town of Massena.
The final 10 anglers will launch at 7:30 a.m. ET Wednesday from the Ski Beach at the Venetian Gardens, located at 201 E. Lake Harris Drive in Leesburg. Wednesday’s Championship weigh-in will also be held at the Ski Beach at 3:30 p.m. Fans are encouraged to attend the morning take off and afternoon weigh-in, and also follow the live on-the-water action online on MLF NOW! beginning at 8 a.m. ET at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Bass Boat Technologies Stop 2 on the Harris Chain of Lakes Presented by Frogg Toggs will feature live on-the-water coverage and a two-hour action-packed television show that will premiere on the CBS Sports Network on Saturday, July 16 from 7 to 9 a.m. ET.
Proud sponsors of the 2022 MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by Fuel Me include: 4WP, 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, A.R.E. Truck Caps, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, E3, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, Gary Yamamoto Baits, General Tire, Lew’s, Lowrance, Lucas Oil, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, Wiley X and YETI.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit on the MLF5 social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.