Bass Fishing Event Completes Week-Long Television Shoot in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with Nine Three-Man Teams Competing to Advance to Bass Pro Shops Team Series Championship
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (Sept. 15, 2023) – Major League Fishing (MLF) and 27 of the best pro anglers in the world officially wrapped production this week at the first event of the 2024 General Tire Team Series – the Lucas Oil Qualifier Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The competition was filmed entirely for television broadcast and shot over six days this past week, featuring nine teams of three anglers competing to finish in the top three to advance to the Bass Pro Shops Team Series Championship.
The General Tire Team Series Lucas Oil Qualifier Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches event marked the first time that MLF had visited the Grand Rapids, Michigan, area with an event that showcases the catch, weigh and immediate-release tournament format.
The event featured professional anglers visiting the Grand Rapids area to compete on one of three fisheries on each day of competition: Muskegon and Bear Lakes, White Lake and Grand River. 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 Lucas Oil Qualifier Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches in Grand Rapids, Michigan, were:
Team B&W Trailer Hitches:
Adrian Avena, Vineland, N.J.
Spencer Shuffield, Hot Springs, Ark.
Ryan Salzman, Huntsville, Ala.
Team Builders FirstSource:
Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla.
Mark Rose, Wynne, Ark.
Cliff Pace, Petal, Miss.
Team Crockett Creek:
Jonathon VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich.
James Elam, Tulsa, Okla.
Matt Lee, Cullman, Ala.
Team Ferguson:
Dakota Ebare, Brookeland, Texas
Justin Cooper, Zwolle, La.
Tommy Biffle, Wagoner, Okla.
Team Knighten Industries:
Wesley Strader, Spring City, Tenn.
Scott Suggs, Alexander, Ark.
Matt Becker, Ten Mile, Tenn.
Team Kubota:
Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn.
Dylan Hays, Hot Springs, Ark.
Boyd Duckett, Guntersville, Ala.
Team Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff & Pouches:
Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C.
Luke Clausen, Spokane, Wash.
Josh Butler, Hayden, Ala.
Team Sqwincher:
Dustin Connell, Clanton, Ala.
Cole Floyd, Leesburg, Ohio
Roy Hawk, Lake Havasu City, Ariz.
Team Star brite:
Chris Lane, Guntersville, Ala.
Jared Lintner, Covington, Ga.
John Hunter, Shelbyville, Ky.
The MLF General Tire Team Series Lucas Oil Qualifier Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches will air on Outdoor Channel as six, two-hour original episodes each Saturday afternoon starting Jan. 6, 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.
