5-hour ENERGY® announced as Presenting Sponsor of First MLF Fishing Clash Team Series event of season
PORT HURON, Mich. (Aug. 14, 2025) – The Major League Fishing (MLF) Fishing Clash Team Series Presented by Bass Pro Shops is set to kickoff the 2025 season next week at Port Huron on Michigan’s Thumbcoast with the season-opening B&W Trailer Hitches Challenge Cup Presented by 5-hour ENERGY®.
5-hour ENERGY® joins Major League Fishing for the first time as the presenting sponsor of the B&W Trailer Hitches Challenge Cup, marking the brand’s debut in the professional bass fishing arena. Known for fueling go-getters across the country, 5-hour ENERGY’s entry into the sport underscores the shared values of endurance, focus and high performance – qualities that define both MLF anglers and the brand’s loyal consumers.
“Major League Fishing is a perfect collaboration for us. Their high-energy competitions truly align with our brand and our fans,” said Leah Key, President of Living Essentials, LLC, the maker of 5-hour ENERGY® products. “Anglers know that early mornings and long days on the water require focus and a fast and effective energy boost. That’s where our portable and tasty 5-hour ENERGY shots really deliver.”
Hosted by Discover the Blue Michigan’s Thumbcoast, the B&W Trailer Hitches Challenge Cup Presented by 5-hour ENERGY® is the first of the four-event Fishing Clash Team series. In keeping with traditional MLF Cup protocols, Port Huron, Michigan, was not revealed to Team Series competitors until six weeks prior to the start of the tournament. All fishable waters within 60 miles of Port Huron then went off limits to anglers. Fans watching the MLFNOW! livestream will find out the day’s competition waters right along with the anglers each morning.
“We are thrilled to welcome Major League Fishing’s Team Series to Michigan’s Thumbcoast,” said Terra Damchuk, Director of Sports and Groups for Discover the Blue Michigan’s Thumbcoast. “Our beautiful waterways provide the perfect backdrop for this exciting competition. We can’t wait for the anglers to experience the incredible fishing opportunities and our vibrant community that make our region so special. We look forward to welcoming the MLF team and anglers next week.”
On Day 1 in Port Huron, RFD-TV will broadcast the full day of competition live – a special one-time feature to kick off the season and new broadcast partnership. For the rest of the season, RFD-TV will carry the final period of each day’s competition. Every day of every event will still stream in full on MajorLeagueFishing.com, the MLF and MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) apps, RFD-TV Now, Game & Fish TV, and Rumble, with post-produced episodes starting in January 2026 on Outdoor Channel.
The 12 teams that will compete in the Fishing Clash Team Series B&W Trailer Hitches Challenge Cup Presented by 5-hour ENERGY® at Port Huron on Michigan’s Thumbcoast are:
Team 7Brew Coffee:
Alton Jones Jr., Waco, Texas
Alton Jones, Lorena, Texas
Team B&W Trailer Hitches:
Mark Davis, Mount Ida, Ark.
Gary Klein, Mingus, Texas
Team BUBBA:
Justin Cooper, Zwolle, La.
John Hunter, Shelbyville, Ky.
Team Ferguson:
Brent Ehrler, Redlands, Calif.
Justin Lucas, Guntersville, Ala.
Team Fishing Clash:
Anthony Gagliardi, Prosperity, S.C.
Jeremy Lawyer, Sarcoxie, Mo.
Team Knighten:
Jake Lawrence, Paris, Tenn.
Colby Miller, Elmer, La.
Team Kubota:
Edwin Evers, Talala, Okla.
Skeet Reese, Auburn, Calif.
Team Lucas Oil:
Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn.
Andy Morgan, Dayton, Tenn.
Team O’Reilly Auto Parts:
Ron Nelson, Berrien Springs, Mich.
Martin Villa, Charlottesville, Va.
Team Smokey Mountain:
Dean Rojas, Lake Havasu City, Ariz.
Josh Bertrand, Queen Creek, Ariz.
Team StarTron:
Jacob Wall, New Hope, Ala.
Bobby Lane, Lakeland, Fla.
Team YETI:
Adrian Avena, Vineland, N.J.
Dustin Connell, Clanton, Ala.
The MLF Fishing Clash Team Series B&W Trailer Hitches Challenge Cup Presented by 5-hour ENERGY® will also air on Outdoor Channel as six two-hour original episodes each Saturday afternoon starting January 3, 2026. The complete television schedule for the Fishing Clash Team Series on Outdoor Channel will be posted at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Proud sponsors of the MLF Fishing Clash Team Series include: 7Brew Coffee, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Bass Boat Technologies, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, BUBBA, E3 Sport Apparel, Epic Baits, Ferguson, Fishing Clash, Knighten Industries, Kubota, Lowrance, Lucas Oil, Mercury, NITRO Boats, Onyx, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Power-Pole, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Smokey Mountain Caffeinated Pouches, Star brite, Toyota, YETI and Zenni.
For complete details and updated information on the MLF Fishing Clash Team Series, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube.
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery, Discovery+, Discovery GO, Animal Planet, Outdoor Channel, VICE, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network, RFD-TV and Game & Fish TV, and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 20 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.