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Thursday, December 18, 2025
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MLF Pros Give Back to Lake Murray and Local Students During MLF Bass Pro Tour PowerStop Brakes Stage 3

Brian Carter
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MLF Pros Give Back to Lake Murray and Local Students During MLF Bass Pro Tour PowerStop Brakes Stage 3

COLUMBIA, S.C. (March 7, 2025) – On Wednesday, March 5, professional anglers from the Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Tour used their “off day” before PowerStop Brakes Stage 3 at Lake Murray to give back to the community in two meaningful ways: creating new fish habitat and improving bass fishing conditions in Lake Murray as a part of the Minn Kota Habitat Restoration Project Supported by Humminbird and Kubota and visiting with students at Piney Woods Elementary School.

LINK TO PHOTO GALLERY FROM EVENTS

In conjunction with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR), the Habitat Restoration event at Lake Murray brought together nine MLF pros, local volunteers and students from six bass fishing teams across the state Wednesday morning.

Despite a downpour that threatened to impede the event, the stormy weather didn’t dampen spirits as volunteers constructed nine MossBack Fish Habitat 40-inch Conservation Cubes, 12 MossBack Root Wads, and 15 MossBack Reed Mat structures, which were then deployed at three unique locations on Lake Murray. These newly created habitats will improve bass fishing conditions, which is a crucial part of the mission of the MLF Fisheries Management Division (FMD) – to sustain healthy fish populations for future generations of anglers. MLF Bass Pro Tour pros in attendance included Justin Cooper, Gary Klein, Bobby Lane, Jeremy Lawyer, Skeet Reese, Mark Rose, Fred Roumbanis, Greg Vinson and David Walker.

Students from the USC Gamecock Bass Fishing team, Mid-Carolina Fishing Team, Chapin Youth Bassmasters, Aiken County Anglers, Eagle Eye Anglers and Gilbert Bass Anglers worked side-by-side with MLF pros and staff from the SCDNR to build and deploy the essential structures. Kubota tractors provided by Carolina Power Equipment helped transport the habitat materials, ensuring the project ran smoothly despite the challenging weather.

Thanks to MLF sponsors, numerous student volunteers walked away with exciting giveaway items, including Abu Garcia rods and reels, a signed MLF angler jersey, bait packs and MLF hats.

“We had a blast, and it was so cool to have all these bass teams show up – in the rain – to help us build these structures,” Reese said. “The students were excited to learn about conservation, and why it’s important to protect our fisheries. It was awesome to work alongside them to benefit the fishery and create some new honey holes for these anglers to fish in the future.”

The second half of the day saw MLF pros head to Piney Woods Elementary School in Chapin, where they met with excited fourth graders to discuss the importance of conservation and fishing. MLF pros Jared Lintner, Brent Chapman and Mark Daniels Jr., along with MLF Competition Official Brian Poppe, spoke to students about what it means to be a professional angler and shared their personal fishing stories. The students were eager to share fishing stories of their own and ask questions, and they were amused to learn that Poppe got to assess penalties and put the adult pros in “time out” for fish landing violations.

The pros also demonstrated how MLF works to protect fish populations, including how fish are weighed on the boat in the Bass Pro Tour and immediately returned to their natural habitats.

“We love being able to give back to the communities we visit on the Bass Pro Tour,” Lintner said. “The fourth graders at Piney Woods were so excited to meet professional anglers and learn about protecting our fisheries. Someone visited my class to talk about fishing 35 years ago, and I still remember it to this day. It’s great to have the opportunity to make that same kind of impact on these kids.”

As the Bass Pro Tour kicks off its third stage, hosted by the Capital City/Lake Murray Country Regional Tourism Board , the pros and community members involved in Wednesday’s events left a lasting legacy – not only enhancing the lake’s fishery but also inspiring young minds to value and protect the natural resources around them.

For complete details and updated information on Major League Fishing and the Bass Pro Tour, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, X,  Instagram and  YouTube.





Donald Hinson & Shannon Tidwell Win CATT Phantom Outdoors Open Lake Wateree, SC 22.06 lbs

Brian Carter
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Donald Hinson & Shannon Tidwell Win CATT Phantom Outdoors Open Lake Wateree, SC 22.06 lbs

We had a great crowd, and the bass cooperated BIG TIME! We will hold the 2026 Lake Wateree Phantom in early March and hope you will be there! BIG MONEY will be awarded!

By entering the Phantom this past Saturday on Wateree you are eligible to enter the Lake Wateree Spring Final April 19th!!

We had several bass over 5lbs weighed in with multiple 4 pounders in anglers’ bags! 2 bags of 20lbs, 3 bags over 19 lbs and 3 bags over 18 lbs with all but 2 teams weighing in! The water level is finally stable, and the BIGGINS are up shallow! The next Lake Wateree Spring Qualifier is March 8th at Clearwater Cove Marina $80 entry fee and membership is $35 per person! If you just want to compete and not spend a lot of money, we will have an Open also with a $60 entry fee and no membership! Come join us! www.cattteamtrail.com

Donald Hinson & Shannon Tidwell weighed 5 bass at 22.06 lbs with a BF at 5.28 lbs taking 1st Place at the Phantom Outdoors Open! They cash a fat check for a day of fishing! $3,400.00! Great Job!

Todd Butler & Jeffrey Furr laid the smackdown on the bass as well with 5 weighing 20.21 lbs worth $2,500.00!

Jimmy Bass & Robbie King brought in a limit weighing 19.57 llbs along with the BF of the day weighing 6.52 lbs!

Dean Benfield & Donnie Maiers claimed 4th with 19.26 lbs!

5th Place Alan & Tanner Fletcher with a limit weighing 19.26 lbs!

TeamBFWeightWinnings
Donald Hinson & Shannon Tidwell5.2822.06$3,400.00
Todd Butler & Jeffrey Furr4.7920.21$2,500.00
Jimmy Bass & Robbie King6.5219.57$850.00
Dean Benfield & Donnie Maiers5.0619.26$600.00
Alan Fletcher & Tanner Fletcher4.1419.04$100.00
Dearal Rodgers & Trent McLaughlin4.7818.89
Johnny Barfield & Justin Barfield5.3718.88
Chad Gainey & Mack Kitchens4.8818.00
Jeff Norris & Jacob Norris0.0016.77
Mike King & Mark Healon4.4016.45
Michael Richardson & Shane Cantley3.8216.07
Craig Haven & Tim Haven3.7415.92
Dustin Compton & Jonathan Strickland3.5015.83
Robbie English & Jesse Childers3.7015.48
Jerry Freezon & Ken McFarland3.9315.14
Bubba Baker & Colden Baker4.8515.00
Kareem White & Jaylin White3.2214.26
Cole Jackson & Jeff Robinson4.4313.79
Thomas Hepstall4.0913.56
Kyle McElveen & Austin Nance3.2713.03
Greg Sigmon3.499.44
Casey Griffith & Colin Matthews4.354.35
Mitchell Gordon & James Thompson0.000.00
Kevin Compton & Jacob Compton0.000.00





Tariffs Are The Talk of The Town – And The Fishing Industry

Brian Carter
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Tariffs Are The Talk of The Town – And The Fishing Industry

Tariffs Are The Talk of The Town – And The Fishing Industry

  • By Toby Lapinski
  • March 7, 2025

A look at the soon-to-be-implemented tariffs and their potential effect on the fishing industry from those on the inside.

On February 18, 2025, the American Sportfishing Association (ASA) provided an update on two recently signed Executive Orders and their impacts on the fishing industry. As the ASA is the sportfishing industry’s leading trade association, this news caused a stir both by those who were already familiar with the ramifications of the Executive Orders as well as those who were caught off guard by the news.

We here at Fishing Tackle Retailer almost immediately began fielding inquiries from across the fishing industry. The concern was primarily related to the news that fishing reels would be subject to a 25% tariff and would have a major negative impact on sales as we enter the beginning of another open water fishing season. While our interpretation of the ramifications proved helpful, it quickly became apparent that more information was needed. To that end, we decided to reach out to several key members of the fishing industry for their position on the subject and how they were preparing to handle it. Some were eager to provide their take on the situation, recognizing that this is going to be a hot subject in the coming weeks, while others were not quite prepared to comment at this time due to the ever-changing nature of the subject.

Mike Leonard – VP Government Affairs, American Sportfishing Association

Over the past week, the Trump Administration has taken several actions related to trade that will impact the sportfishing industry. These include new tariffs on critical components used in the manufacturing of sportfishing tackle and accessories.

Citing failures to adequately address fentanyl shipments, President Donald Trump announced that the February 1 previously announced, and subsequently delayed, 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico will come into effect on March 4, 2025. He also stated that the 10% additional tariff on Chinese imports that went into effect on February 4 would be increased to 20% on March 4, 2025.

Separately, on March 2, President Trump issued two Executive Orders suspending the elimination of Section 321 de minimis entry for goods of Canadian and Mexican origin. De minimis entry will remain available for products of both nations until Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick notifies the President that “adequate” systems are in place to “expeditiously” process entries and collect applicable tariff revenue. This follows a similar modification to the de minimis prohibition contained in the February 1 Executive Order that imposed additional tariffs on China.

De minimis entry exempts products with an aggregate fair retail value of less than $800 from taxes and duties. In the case of sportfishing equipment, excise taxes and import duties would be deposited into the Sport Fish Restoration Fund, which grants the money back to states and territories for fisheries conservation.

Regarding previously announced tariffs on aluminum products, including fishing reels, reel accessories and landing nets, the regulation to implement these tariffs is scheduled to be published on March 5. The unpublished version is available to view here. The order now covers imports from all countries equally, including Canada and Mexico. View ASA’s policy alert for more information on the aluminum tariff announcement.

CLICK TO FINISH READING





Britt Myers Jr & Gabby Booker win CATT Lake Wylie with 5 bass weighing 20.33 lbs

Brian Carter
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Britt Myers Jr & Gabby Booker win CATT Lake Wylie with 5 bass weighing 20.33 lbs

Next Lake Wylie CATT Spring Qualifier is March 29th at Buster Boyd Bridge Access! $60 entry and $35 per person membership! Come join us!

Check out the Rusty Hooks Bait & Tackle online store! Tap on the Rusty Hooks logo and start shopping!

Britt Myers Jr & Gabby Booker win Lake Wylie with 5 bass weighing 20.33 lbs!

Hunter Hicks earned 2nd with 5 bass weighing 17.05 lbs!

Taylor Bonds & Sawyer Sparrow claimed 3rd with 16.93 lbs!

TeamBFWeightWinningsPoints
Britt Myers Jr/Gabby Booker4.9320.33$790.00110
Hunter Hicks3.5417.05$200.00109
Taylor Bonds/Sawyer Sparrow3.6316.93$100.00108
Glen Sparrow/Stephen Sparrow3.3016.10107
Dalton Russell4.0615.05106
Andrew Crotts/Alex Huffman2.9513.67105
David Winters/Derek Lilley3.8913.17104
Jason Rhodes/Jody Black2.5512.20103
Jason Cougar/Kimberly Cougar3.1411.78102
Jay Adams Jr/Kaylen Massey2.7610.47101
Jason Curtis/Spencer Curtis3.3510.30100
Zach Leech/Marcus Leech2.449.9599
Tony Colacurcio/Jay Adams4.358.5498
Luke Lang/Grant Lang2.666.4997
Dave Everly/Justin Sullivan0.004.4196
Bryan Whitworth/Jason Gilfillian4.224.2295
Grady Oliver/Mike Jennings0.000.0085
Jason Tannenbaum0.000.0085
Total Entrys$1,080.00
BONUS $$350.00
Total Paid At Ramp$1,090.00
Wylie 2025 Spring Final Fund$160.00
CATT$0.00
2025 CATT Championship Fund$0.00
2025 Wylie Spring Final Fund Total$280.00





Jay Wright & Mikey Anderson win CATT Lake Gaston with 5 bass weighing 23.94 lbs with a BF at 6.40 lbs!

Brian Carter
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Jay Wright & Mikey Anderson win CATT Lake Gaston with 5 bass weighing 23.94 lbs with a BF at 6.40 lbs!

Next Lake Gaston Spring Qualifier is Mar 29 at Summit Landing! The fishing is great right now on Lake Gaston! This past weekend we had 23 teams enter and weighed 5 bass over 6 lbs! They’re biting so come on out!

Jay Wright & Mikey Anderson win Lake Gaston with 5 bass weighing 23.94 lbs with a BF at 6.40 lbs! $1,596.00!

Ben & Dean Dalton 2nd with 22.96 lbs and another 6 pounder!

Shane Doughtie & Evan White 3rd with 21.10 lbs!

Mike May & Chris Cox 4th with 19.04 lbs!

Dennis Bradley & Allen Mitchell weighed in the BF at 7.16 lbs!

TeamBFWeightWinningsPoints
Jay Wright Mikey Anderson6.4023.94$1,596.00110
Ben Dalton Dean Dalton6.1822.96$865.00109
Shane Doughtie Evan White0.0021.10$380.00108
Chris Cox Mike May4.8419.04$175.00107
Dennis Bradley Allen Mitchell7.1618.58$154.00105
Rich Hartman Roger Castillo6.3017.66104
Land Weaver John Edwards Jr0.0016.36103
Jesse Severt Nelson Mayton0.0015.00102
Nolan Clark Ayden Rigsbee0.0013.38101
Jake Murdock John Murdock0.0013.34100
Justin Miles Alex Barnes6.2213.1099
Jerry Bono Gary Deangelo0.0012.1698
Curtis Vick Larry Freeman Jr0.0011.8297
Larry Witt Danny Williams0.0010.4696
Scott Griffin Jay Allen0.009.9295
Randy Broughman Bobby Kinsey5.028.8894
James Joyner Chris McDaniel0.008.0493
Brooks Woodard Scott Holmes0.006.6092
Frank Pridemore Mike Gunn4.326.3691
Joey Scott Michael Bryant4.644.6490
Jim Sampson Jeff Brodecky2.442.4489
Johnny Wilder Kevin Cheatham0.000.0079
Derrik Wyncoop Jerry Spain0.000.0079
Total Entries$2,640.00
BONUS $$950.00
Total Paid At Ramp$3,170.00
2025 Gaston Spring Final$320.00
CATT$50.00
2025 CATT Championship Fund$50.00
2025 Gaston Spring Final Total$655.00





Garmin Introduces New Force Pro Trolling Motor

Brian Carter
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Garmin Introduces New Force Pro Trolling Motor

Garmin Introduces New Force Pro Trolling Motor

  • By FTR Industry Wire
  • March 7, 2025

Next-gen Force Pro combines legendary power with superior anchor lock performance, innovative reverse thrust control and more to maximize anglers’ time on the water.

OLATHE, Kan.— Garmin (NYSE: GRMN), the world’s most innovative and recognized marine electronics manufacturer, today announced Force® Pro – a brushless trolling motor engineered with extreme power and Garmin’s most precise GPS positioning technology. It gives anglers everything they love about Force, now with multi-band GPS for superior anchor lock performance and a built-in GT56UHD, Garmin’s latest and most powerful Ultra High-Definition scanning transducer. Force Pro also adds reverse thrust capability which adds another dimension of control, useful for anglers slowing the boat or backing up through tight quarters, like creeks or dock slips.

Garmin Force has quickly become a trusted name in trolling motors for professional and recreational anglers all over the world. By adding premium features like our most advanced positioning technology with fishing-friendly enhancements like reverse thrust, we’re excited to offer anglers a trolling motor that’s second to none and continue to grow our presence in this market.–Susan Lyman, Garmin Vice President of Consumer Sales and Marketing

See why Garmin pro anglers are fishing behind the Force Pro at the 2025 Bassmaster Classic—the world’s most renowned bass fishing tournament.

After running the Force Pro, I can tell you that it’s everything I want in a trolling motor and more. The anchor lock and reverse thrust features are true game changers.–Jason Christie, former Bassmaster Classic Champion and Garmin Pro Angler

Legendary power and reverse thrust capability  

Force Pro features a brushless motor that uses a high-efficiency propeller to produce 100 pounds of thrust1. It can move anglers quickly from one dock or brush pile to the next, standing up to high winds and strong currents along the way. Now with reverse thrust control, anglers can quickly shift into reverse to control their boat without spinning the motor around. It’s whisper quiet, too, so the fish are less likely to notice. Thanks to its extreme efficiency, anglers can count on Force Pro to last all day while maintaining its power with minimal sonar interference.  

Outstanding anchor lock performance

Utilizing multi-band GPS signal reception and an integrated heading sensor, Force Pro delivers superior performance when in anchor lock or while following a route or heading hold, allowing anglers to position their boat more precisely near brush piles, schools of fish, channel breaks and more.

Force Pro is optimized for anchor lock—with the push of a button, anglers can automatically position the boat where they want to be. In calm conditions, the new reverse thrust feature can reduce steering activity and noise levels. In rough waters or windy conditions, Force Pro utilizes the full range of its powerful brushless motor to deliver superior anchor lock performance.

CLICK THE LINK TO FINISH





Hartman rides home-water knowledge to Day 1 lead at Bassmaster Open at Kentucky Lake/Lake Barkley

Brian Carter
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Hartman rides home-water knowledge to Day 1 lead at Bassmaster Open at Kentucky Lake/Lake Barkley

Jordan Hartman of Benton, Ky., leads the St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Kentucky Lake/Lake Barkley presented by SEVIIN with a weight of 25 pounds, 4 ounces.

Photo by Andy Crawford/B.A.S.S.

March 6, 2025

Hartman rides home-water knowledge to Day 1 lead at Bassmaster Open at Kentucky Lake/Lake Barkley

PARIS, Tenn. — The lead changed hands often on Day 1 of the St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Kentucky Lake/Lake Barkley presented by SEVIIN.

But when Thursday’s weigh-in was complete, a local stick was in the pole position.

Jordan Hartman, who lives in Benton, Ky., on the north side of Kentucky Lake, caught a limit of five bass weighing 25 pounds, 4 ounces and seized the early lead in the three-day tournament. That haul gave him more than a 1-pound cushion on the field, consisting of 226 anglers from around the U.S. and several foreign countries.

Hartman said he fished in 10 to 15 areas on Thursday and had consistent bites throughout the day. The best was a monster smallmouth bass that weighed approximately 6 ½ pounds.

“That doesn’t happen often around here, but I’ll take it,” he said, laughing. “I’m ready to go.”

As well he should be, with his knowledge of the lake likely to help if Friday’s weather forecast proves true. Thursday featured cloudless skies and temperatures that stayed in the upper 40s. By sunrise on Friday, however, winds are expected to pick up, blowing consistently from 10-15 mph and with higher gusts.

Hartman isn’t fretting even though he’s fishing the main channel and not likely near cover.

“It all depends on what I see when I get to my first area tomorrow,” he said. “You can usually tell if things are gonna be on when you get there. If not, I’ll move.”

Hartman said Thursday’s best bites came in 10 to 15 feet of water, with chartreuse and blue minnows proving his best lures.

“It’s all current-related,” he said. “That’s the deal this week. The water is moving pretty good through here right now. It’s a little lower than I’d like, so I’m fishing a little deeper than I might this time of year … And the water’s a little dirty. You have to get your bait on the fish. It’s not clear enough to keep the bait above them. You’ve got to put it to the cover, where they’re hiding.”

Japan’s Yui Aoki is in second place with a 24-pound limit. Though he’s fishing about 6,600 miles away from his hometown, he proved Thursday the ability to catch bass knows no geographic boundaries.

Like Hartman, the 25-year-old Aoki is fishing the main channel of Kentucky Lake for smallmouth bass, keying on timber in anywhere from 5 to 10 feet of water. He said he’s throwing a five-inch white swimbait and that his best fish came later in the day.

“I had 15 bites and caught 10 fish,” he said. “I had a limit by (noon), but the fish got bigger then.”

Andy Newcomb, of Camdenton, Missouri, is in third place with 23-6. He said he’s only fished Kentucky Lake once previously and that it was a complete failure.

Day 1 of this tournament, however, certainly was not.

“I weighed three largemouth and two smallmouth,” Newcomb said. “I wasn’t looking for one or the other in particular, but I was looking for areas where a lot of fish would be. On this lake they live together. That’s what I found, at least. I don’t know enough about the place to have specific spots to hit. I’m just looking around on the main river for current breaks. It worked today and hopefully we’ll get more of the same tomorrow.”

Rounding out the Top 5 on Day 1 of the derby are fourth, Missouri’s Brad Jelinek, 23-1; fifth, Alabama’s Fisher Anaya, 23-0. In all, 14 anglers weighed more than 20 pounds on Thursday.

Nebraska’s BJ Miller has the early lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass Award with an 8-3 he hooked on Day 1. The angler with the heaviest bass after Saturday’s final weigh-in will win $750.

A total of $334,028 cash will be split among the Top 45 competitors in the Open, including $50,305 to the winner. Top anglers also will earn valuable points toward a berth in the inaugural Bassmaster Elite Qualifier Series this fall.

Day 2 of the Open is scheduled to begin Friday at 6:15 a.m. CT from Paris Landing State Park, with weigh-in set to start at 2:15 p.m. The full field will fish again Friday and the Top 10 anglers will fish on Championship Saturday.

Bassmaster LIVE will stream the final day’s action on Bassmaster.com and the Roku Sports Channel will air coverage from 7:30 to 10:30 a.m. ET and from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Saturday. Stay up-to-date on all tournament coverage at Bassmaster.com/how-to-watch/.

The City of Paris is hosting the event.

2025 St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Kentucky Lake/Lake Barkley presented by SEVIIN 3/6-3/8
Kentucky Lake, Paris  TN.
Standings Day 1

   Angler                   Hometown              No./lbs-oz  Pts   Total $$$

1.  Jordan Hartman         Benton, KY               5  25-04  200
  Day 1: 5   25-04   
2.  Yui Aoki               Minamitsurugun JAPAN     5  24-00  199
  Day 1: 5   24-00   
3.  Andy Newcomb           Camdenton, MO            5  23-06  198
  Day 1: 5   23-06   
4.  Brad Jelinek           Lincoln, MO              5  23-01  197
  Day 1: 5   23-01   
5.  Fisher Anaya           Eva, AL                  5  23-00  196
  Day 1: 5   23-00   
6.  Clint Knight           Russellville, KY         5  22-15  195
  Day 1: 5   22-15   
6.  Tristan McCormick      Bon Aqua, TN             5  22-15  195
  Day 1: 5   22-15   
8.  Brock Reinkemeyer      Warsaw, MO               5  21-12  193
  Day 1: 5   21-12   
9.  Austin Cranford        Norman, OK               5  21-10  192
  Day 1: 5   21-10   
10. Christian Ostrander    Turlock, CA              5  21-02  191
  Day 1: 5   21-02   
11. Laker Howell           Guntersville, AL         5  20-14  190
  Day 1: 5   20-14   
12. Ethan Fields           Breese, IL               5  20-12  189
  Day 1: 5   20-12   
13. Tanner Hadden          Appling, GA              5  20-03  188
  Day 1: 5   20-03   
14. Wyatt Marler           Oldfield, MO             5  20-01  187
  Day 1: 5   20-01   
15. Jack Dice              Lynchburg, VA            5  19-08  186
  Day 1: 5   19-08   
16. Clark Reehm            Elm Grove, LA            5  19-06  185
  Day 1: 5   19-06   
17. Sam Hanggi             Knoxville, TN            5  18-14  184
  Day 1: 5   18-14   
18. Brad Leuthner          Victoria, MN             5  18-11  183
  Day 1: 5   18-11   
19. Brent Anderson         Kingston Springs, TN     5  18-09  182
  Day 1: 5   18-09   
20. Andrew Behnke          Fond Du Lac, WI          5  18-08  181
  Day 1: 5   18-08   
20. Buddy Benson           Dahlonega, GA            5  18-08  181
  Day 1: 5   18-08   
20. Bj Miller              Adams, NE                5  18-08  181
  Day 1: 5   18-08   
23. Brennan Flick          West Monroe, LA          5  18-06  178
  Day 1: 5   18-06   
24. Joey Nania             Cropwell, AL             5  18-00  177
  Day 1: 5   18-00   
25. Ty Faber               Pagosa Springs, CO       5  17-12  176
  Day 1: 5   17-12   
26. Julius Mazy            Phoenix, AZ              5  17-09  175
  Day 1: 5   17-09   
27. Jace Lindsay           Beckville, TX            5  17-08  174
  Day 1: 5   17-08   
28. Tommy Wood             Peregian Springs AUSTRA  5  17-06  173
  Day 1: 5   17-06   
29. Evan Cox-VanVliet      Loveland, CO             5  17-05  172
  Day 1: 5   17-05   
29. Garrett Paquette       Canton, MI               5  17-05  172
  Day 1: 5   17-05   
29. Blake Smith            Lakeland, FL             5  17-05  172
  Day 1: 5   17-05   
32. Chris Hellebuyck       White Lake, MI           5  17-04  169
  Day 1: 5   17-04   
33. Rylan Hamlin           Jackson, MI              5  17-01  168
  Day 1: 5   17-01   
34. Tyler Campbell         Martin, GA               5  17-00  167
  Day 1: 5   17-00   
35. Tai Au                 Glendale, AZ             5  16-14  166
  Day 1: 5   16-14   
35. Josh Butler            Hayden, AL               5  16-14  166
  Day 1: 5   16-14   
37. Jonathan Pimentel      Camdenton, MO            5  16-09  164
  Day 1: 5   16-09   
38. Darold Gleason         Leesville, LA            4  16-08  163
  Day 1: 4   16-08   
39. Brett Hite             Phoenix, AZ              5  16-07  162
  Day 1: 5   16-07   
40. Brandon Ackerson       Afton, OK                5  16-04  161
  Day 1: 5   16-04   
40. Dillon Harrell         New Caney, TX            5  16-04  161
  Day 1: 5   16-04   
42. Michael Harlin         Gravois Mills, MO        5  16-01  159
  Day 1: 5   16-01   
43. Cole Breeden           Lebanon, MO              5  15-09  158
  Day 1: 5   15-09   
44. Aaron Yavorsky         Palm Harbor, FL          4  15-08  157
  Day 1: 4   15-08   
45. Bailey Bleser          Burlington, WI           5  15-05  156
  Day 1: 5   15-05   
45. Trevor McKinney        Noble, IL                5  15-05  156
  Day 1: 5   15-05   
47. Matt Baker             Glenwood, AR             5  14-15  154
  Day 1: 5   14-15   
47. Stephen Browning       Hot Springs, AR          5  14-15  154
  Day 1: 5   14-15   
47. Mark Menendez          Paducah, KY              5  14-15  154
  Day 1: 5   14-15   
50. Jay Nyce               Rogers, AR               5  14-13  151
  Day 1: 5   14-13   
51. Mike McClelland        Blue Eye, MO             4  14-12  150
  Day 1: 4   14-12   
52. Miles Burghoff         Dayton, TN               5  14-11  149
  Day 1: 5   14-11   
53. Tim Sprouse            Clarksville, TN          5  14-04  148
  Day 1: 5   14-04   
54. Matt Robertson         Kuttawa, KY              5  14-03  147
  Day 1: 5   14-03   
55. Brian Post             Janesville, WI           4  13-14  146
  Day 1: 4   13-14   
56. Evan Poroznik          Nestleton Station Ontar  4  13-11  145
  Day 1: 4   13-11   
57. Michael Corbishley     Raleigh, NC              5  13-10  144
  Day 1: 5   13-10   
57. Pake South             Winnsboro, TX            5  13-10  144
  Day 1: 5   13-10   
59. Nic Rand               Paw Paw, MI              4  13-06  142
  Day 1: 4   13-06   
60. Rick Harris Jr         Carlsbad, NM             5  13-04  141
  Day 1: 5   13-04   
61. Nick Trim              Galesville, WI           5  13-02  140
  Day 1: 5   13-02   
62. Yusuke Miyazaki        Forney, TX               5  12-13  139
  Day 1: 5   12-13   
63. Connor Jacob           Peoria, IL               5  12-12  138
  Day 1: 5   12-12   
64. Cameron Mattison       Benton, LA               4  12-12  137
  Day 1: 4   12-12   
65. Chad Grigsby           Maple Grove, MN          5  12-07  136
  Day 1: 5   12-07   
66. Sammy Burks Jr         Joplin, MO               5  12-06  135
  Day 1: 5   12-06   
67. Russ Lane              Prattville, AL           5  12-04  134
  Day 1: 5   12-04   
68. Alex Heintze           Denham Springs, LA       5  12-03  133
  Day 1: 5   12-03   
69. Travis Ledford         Tuttle, OK               3  12-02  132
  Day 1: 3   12-02   
70. Jimmy Washam           Stantonville, TN         4  11-15  131
  Day 1: 4   11-15   
71. Matt Stefan            Junction City, WI        4  11-13  130
  Day 1: 4   11-13   
71. Joey Teofilo           Richmond Hill Ontario C  4  11-13  130
  Day 1: 4   11-13   
73. Jack York              Emory, TX                3  11-11  128
  Day 1: 3   11-11   
74. Brock Bila             Republic, MO             4  11-10  127
  Day 1: 4   11-10   
74. Jaden Parrish          Liberty, TX              4  11-10  127
  Day 1: 4   11-10   
76. Dillon Falardeau       Hixson, TN               4  11-09  125
  Day 1: 4   11-09   
77. Keith Brashers         Rogers, AR               4  11-08  124
  Day 1: 4   11-08   
78. Trent Palmer           Cumming, GA              3  11-08  123
  Day 1: 3   11-08   
79. Ryan Michl             Newton, IL               4  11-07  122
  Day 1: 4   11-07   
80. Casey Scanlon          Eldon, MO                4  11-06  121
  Day 1: 4   11-06   
81. Nate Caldwell          Fort Collins, CO         3  11-05  120
  Day 1: 3   11-05   
82. Doc Wootton            Collierville, TN         4  11-04  119
  Day 1: 4   11-04   
83. Denny Fiedler          Wabasha, MN              4  11-02  118
  Day 1: 4   11-02   
84. Dave Parsons           Yantis, TX               3  11-01  117
  Day 1: 3   11-01   
85. Chris Beaudrie         Princeton, KY            4  10-14  116
  Day 1: 4   10-14   
86. Randy Millender        Teague, TX               3  10-13  115
  Day 1: 3   10-13   
86. Trey Schroeder         Theodosia, MO            3  10-13  115
  Day 1: 3   10-13   
88. James Niggemeyer       Van, TX                  3  10-07  113
  Day 1: 3   10-07   
89. Isaac Peavyhouse       Monroe, TN               4  10-06  112
  Day 1: 4   10-06   
90. Riley Nielsen          Salt Lake City, UT       3  10-04  111
  Day 1: 3   10-04   
91. Kollin Crawford        Broken Bow, OK           3  10-02  110
  Day 1: 3   10-02   
92. Matt Wieteha           Port St Lucie, FL        4  10-01  109
  Day 1: 4   10-01   
93. Chris Groh             Spring Grove, IL         5  10-00  108
  Day 1: 5   10-00   
94. Beau Browning          Hot Springs National Pa  4  09-15  107
  Day 1: 4   09-15   
95. Dalton Smith           Taylorsville, KY         2  09-15  106
  Day 1: 2   09-15   
96. Greg Bohannan          Bentonville, AR          4  09-12  105
  Day 1: 4   09-12   
97. Lane Olson             Forest Grove, OR         2  09-11  104
  Day 1: 2   09-11   
98. Tommy Durham           Whitney, TX              4  09-10  103
  Day 1: 4   09-10   
99. Matthew Kennedy        Littlefork, MN           3  09-10  102
  Day 1: 3   09-10   
100. Blaine Bunney          Claremore, OK            4  09-05  101
  Day 1: 4   09-05   
101. Bailey Gay             Union, KY                3  09-05  100
  Day 1: 3   09-05   
102. Evan Barnes            Dardanelle, AR           2  09-05   99
  Day 1: 2   09-05   
103. Rick Clunn             Ava, MO                  2  09-04   98
  Day 1: 2   09-04   
104. Adam Rasmussen         Sturgeon Bay, WI         3  09-02   97
  Day 1: 3   09-02   
105. Seiji Kato             Los Alamitos CA JAPAN    3  09-01   96
  Day 1: 3   09-01   
105. Chris Whitson          Louisville, TN           3  09-01   96
  Day 1: 3   09-01   
107. Joe Lucarelli          Benton, NH               3  08-15   94
  Day 1: 3   08-15   
108. Bryan Partak           Marseilles, IL           4  08-14   93
  Day 1: 4   08-14   
109. Chase Clarke           Virginia Beach, VA       3  08-12   92
  Day 1: 3   08-12   
109. Randall Tharp          Port St. Joe, FL         3  08-12   92
  Day 1: 3   08-12   
111. Kyle Palmer            Winchester, TN           2  08-12   90
  Day 1: 2   08-12   
112. Billy Gilbert          Hamburg, NY              2  08-11   89
  Day 1: 2   08-11   
113. Tommy Dickerson        Orange, TX               3  08-10   88
  Day 1: 3   08-10   
114. John Murray            Spring City, TN          3  08-09   87
  Day 1: 3   08-09   
115. Grae Buck              Green Lane, PA           3  08-08   86
  Day 1: 3   08-08   
116. Timothy Matt           Lake Village, IN         3  08-07   85
  Day 1: 3   08-07   
117. Freddy  Palmer         Estill Springs, TN       3  08-06   84
  Day 1: 3   08-06   
118. Colby Dark             West Monroe, LA          3  08-05   83
  Day 1: 3   08-05   
119. Dylan Akins            Flowery Branch, GA       3  07-13   82
  Day 1: 3   07-13   
120. Chase Carey            Hoschton, GA             2  07-13   81
  Day 1: 2   07-13   
121. Christian Nash         Allons, TN               2  07-10   80
  Day 1: 2   07-10   
122. Ron Johnson            Skanee, MI               3  07-09   79
  Day 1: 3   07-09   
123. Kyle Metzger           Pearl River, LA          3  07-08   78
  Day 1: 3   07-08   
124. Anthony Garcia         Los Angeles, CA          3  07-07   77
  Day 1: 3   07-07   
125. Cliff Crochet          Pierre Part, LA          2  07-05   76
  Day 1: 2   07-05   
126. Joe Wieberg            Freeburg, MO             3  07-02   75
  Day 1: 3   07-02   
127. Kane Weekley           Davie, FL                2  06-10   74
  Day 1: 2   06-10   
128. John Hammersmith       Branson, MO              3  06-09   73
  Day 1: 3   06-09   
129. Matt Molitor           Canton, IL               2  06-09   72
  Day 1: 2   06-09   
130. Jason Barber           Gun Barrel City, TX      2  06-07   71
  Day 1: 2   06-07   
131. Jack Tindel III        Orange, TX               2  06-05   70
  Day 1: 2   06-05   
132. Nathan Thompson        Eagan, MN                2  06-02   69
  Day 1: 2   06-02   
133. Joey Punko             Broomfield, CO           1  05-10   68
  Day 1: 1   05-10   
134. Rick Pierce            Mountain Home, AR        2  05-09   67
  Day 1: 2   05-09   
134. Bo Thomas              Edwardsburg, MI          2  05-09   67
  Day 1: 2   05-09   
136. Billy Billeaud         Lafayette, LA            2  05-07   65
  Day 1: 2   05-07   
137. Brandon Hightower      Edgerton, KS             2  05-06   64
  Day 1: 2   05-06   
138. Zach Goutremout        Chaumont, NY             1  05-06   63
  Day 1: 1   05-06   
139. Tommy Parker           Delano, MN               2  05-05   62
  Day 1: 2   05-05   
140. Tyler Lubbat           Wheeling, IL             1  05-05   61
  Day 1: 1   05-05   
141. Scott Isaacs           Ladonia, TX              1  05-03   60
  Day 1: 1   05-03   
142. Drake Hemby            Tallbot, TN              1  05-02   59
  Day 1: 1   05-02   
143. Easton Lindus          Woodville, WI            2  05-00   58
  Day 1: 2   05-00   
144. Charlie Hartley        Grove City, OH           2  04-15   57
  Day 1: 2   04-15   
145. Curt Mcguire Jr        Buchanan, TN             2  04-14   56
  Day 1: 2   04-14   
146. Derek Sandlin          Mount Ida, AR            2  04-13   55
  Day 1: 2   04-13   
147. Cole Lamb              Russellville, AR         1  04-13   54
  Day 1: 1   04-13   
147. Dustin Reneau          Mckinney, TX             1  04-13   54
  Day 1: 1   04-13   
149. Johno Roberts          Golden, CO               2  04-12   52
  Day 1: 2   04-12   
150. Logan Johnson          Jasper, AL               2  04-08   51
  Day 1: 2   04-08   
150. Josh Wiesner           Fon du Lac, WI           2  04-08   51
  Day 1: 2   04-08   
152. Yukihiro Sawamura      Harker Heights, TX       1  04-08   49
  Day 1: 1   04-08   
153. Josh Gauthier          Petawawa CANADA          2  04-07   48
  Day 1: 2   04-07   
154. Tyler Conde            Chepachet, RI            1  04-07   47
  Day 1: 1   04-07   
155. Robert Davenport       Brooksville, FL          2  04-06   46
  Day 1: 2   04-06   
156. Trent Holloway         Groesbeck, TX            1  04-05   45
  Day 1: 1   04-05   
156. Kenny Mittelstaedt     Minnetonka, MN           1  04-05   45
  Day 1: 1   04-05   
158. Joseph Titus           Bemidji, MN              2  04-04   43
  Day 1: 2   04-04   
159. Ian Waterer            East Selkirk CANADA      2  04-03   42
  Day 1: 2   04-03   
160. Joey Hanna             Corsicana, TX            1  04-03   41
  Day 1: 1   04-03   
161. Brooks Anderson        Marietta, GA             1  04-02   40
  Day 1: 1   04-02   
162. Allan Nail             Sand Springs, OK         1  04-01   39
  Day 1: 1   04-01   
162. Troy O’Rourke          Bentonville, AR          1  04-01   39
  Day 1: 1   04-01   
164. Caz Anderson           Hayesville, NC           1  04-00   37
  Day 1: 1   04-00   
165. Paul Browning          Monahans, TX             1  03-13   36
  Day 1: 1   03-13   
166. Satoshi Egawa          Fort Lee, NJ             1  03-06   35
  Day 1: 1   03-06   
167. Ryan Thompson          Seymour, MO              1  03-05   34
  Day 1: 1   03-05   
168. Neal Gilmore           Magnolia, TX             1  03-04   33
  Day 1: 1   03-04   
169. Jacob Welch            Jefferson City, MO       1  03-02   32
  Day 1: 1   03-02   
170. Jonathon VanDam        Gobles, MI               1  03-01   31
  Day 1: 1   03-01   
171. Jacob Thompkins        Myrtle Beach, SC         1  03-00   30
  Day 1: 1   03-00   
172. John Soukup            Sapulpa, OK              1  02-15   29
  Day 1: 1   02-15   
172. Wade Werner II         Portland, TN             1  02-15   29
  Day 1: 1   02-15   
174. Josh Douglas           Isle, MN                 1  02-12   27
  Day 1: 1   02-12   
174. Anastasia Patterson    Sumter, SC               1  02-12   27
  Day 1: 1   02-12   
176. Ken Day                Kennewick, WA            1  02-11   25
  Day 1: 1   02-11   
176. Dylan Mayo             Athens, TX               1  02-11   25
  Day 1: 1   02-11   
178. Mark Condron           Murfreesboro, TN         1  02-10   23
  Day 1: 1   02-10   
178. Angel Rosario          Kalamazoo, MI            1  02-10   23
  Day 1: 1   02-10   
180. Kevin Ledoux           Choctaw, OK              1  02-09   21
  Day 1: 1   02-09   
180. Billy McDonald         Greenwood, IN            1  02-09   21
  Day 1: 1   02-09   
182. David Boelkins         Waukesha, WI             1  02-07   19
  Day 1: 1   02-07   
182. Matt Pangrac           Shawnee, OK              1  02-07   19
  Day 1: 1   02-07   
182. Blake Schroeder        Bullard, TX              1  02-07   19
  Day 1: 1   02-07   
185. Josh Pladies           Belton, MO               1  02-06   16
  Day 1: 1   02-06   
186. Bryan Finch            Belton, TX               1  02-05   15
  Day 1: 1   02-05   
186. Keith Tuma             Brainerd, MN             1  02-05   15
  Day 1: 1   02-05   
188. Jordan Knutson         Saint Croix Falls, WI    1  02-03   13
  Day 1: 1   02-03   
189. Danny McGarry          Newcastle CANADA         1  02-01   12
  Day 1: 1   02-01   
189. Jacob Policka          Twin Lake, MI            1  02-01   12
  Day 1: 1   02-01   
191. Kenta Kimura           Osaka OK JAPAN           1  01-15   10
  Day 1: 1   01-15   
192. Shannon Abbott         Louisville, TN           0  00-00    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   
192. Ryan Bass              Royse city, TX           0  00-00    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   
192. Jacob Bigelow          Cecil, WI                0  00-00    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   
192. Drew Boggs             Lebanon, TN              0  00-00    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   
192. Tripp Bowman           Princeton, LA            0  00-00    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   
192. Wyatt Burkhalter       Coker, AL                0  00-00    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   
192. Kaden Casey            Clarksville, TN          0  00-00    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   
192. Douglas Chapin         Tigerton, WI             0  00-00    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   
192. Gary Clouse            Winchester, TN           0  00-00    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   
192. Connor Cunningham      Springfield , MO         0  00-00    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   
192. Tony Dumitras          Winston, GA              0  00-00    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   
192. Clay Dyer              Fayetteville, TN         0  00-00    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   
192. Dewayne French         Mammoth Spring, AR       0  00-00    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   
192. Darrell Ivey           Lebanon, MO              0  00-00    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   
192. Aaron Jagdfeld         Rochester Hills, MI      0  00-00    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   
192. Teb Jones              Yalaha, MS               0  00-00    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   
192. Jacob Lang             Bullard, TX              0  00-00    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   
192. Jason Lieblong         Conway, AR               0  00-00    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   
192. Eli Lubbehusen         Huntingburg, IN          0  00-00    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   
192. Mike Mayo              Athens, TX               0  00-00    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   
192. Chris Miller           Spirit Lake, IA          0  00-00    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   
192. Ish Monroe             Oakdale, CA              0  00-00    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   
192. Jim Moynagh            Outing, MN               0  00-00    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   
192. Brian Neal             Big Lake, MN             0  00-00    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   
192. Kara Pasma             Golden Valley, MN        0  00-00    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   
192. Lucas Ragusa           Gonzales, LA             0  00-00    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   
192. Danny Ramsey           Trinidad, TX             0  00-00    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   
192. Forrest Reasons        Big Rock, TN             0  00-00    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   
192. Niko Romero            Coldspring, TX           0  00-00    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   
192. Brent Shores           Savannah, TN             0  00-00    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   
192. Jeremy Simmons         Warsaw, MO               0  00-00    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   
192. Kirk Stickler          Eden, UT                 0  00-00    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   
192. Tim Tyndell            Mineola, TX              0  00-00    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   
192. Chancy Walters         West Des Moines, IA      0  00-00    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   
192. Wyatt Wisian           Ardmore, OK              0  00-00    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   
———————————————————————–
Totals
Day   #Limits    #Fish      Weight
 1        62       607      1993-00
———————————-
          62       607      1993-00





Jeff Sprague Leads Early at MLF Bass Pro Tour PowerStop Brakes Stage 3 at Lake Murray

Brian Carter
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Jeff Sprague Leads Early at MLF Bass Pro Tour PowerStop Brakes Stage 3 at Lake Murray

Texas pro catches 18 largemouth weighing 59-13 to lead after Day 1 on Lake Murray, full field to complete Qualifying Round Friday

COLUMBIA, S.C. (March 6, 2025) – Cold, windy, post-frontal conditions might have chilled the bite a tad from what some anglers expected on Day 1 of the Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Tour PowerStop Brakes Stage 3 Presented by Strike King . But Lake Murray’s healthy largemouth population still made its presence felt, with 21 of the 66 Bass Pro Tour anglers topping 30 pounds and doing so with a variety of techniques.

Bites seemed to come in flurries, and no one had a more prolific one than Jeff Sprague. The veteran Texan rocketed to the top of SCORETRACKER® when he stacked up nearly 40 pounds in a 90-minute span during Period 1. He maintained his lead for the rest of the day, totaling 59 pounds, 13 ounces on 18 scorable bass. That has him 9 pounds clear of Marshall Hughes in second. Brent Ehrler sits right behind Hughes with 49-15.

Link to Photo Gallery of Day 1 On-the-Water Highlights
Link to HD Video of Highlights from Day 1 Competition

Lake Murray has been good to Sprague over the years. He finished 12th in the 2017 Forrest Wood Cup on the fishery and seventh when the Bass Pro Tour visited in 2023. Yet he admitted he didn’t take the water Thursday morning expecting to find himself leaving with the lead.

For one thing, Sprague heard the pre-tournament chatter about how many fish anglers were seeing during practice and figured the weights could get heavy in a hurry – especially for those anglers utilizing forward-facing sonar. He also didn’t hook many fish during practice, so he didn’t know just how productive his bank-oriented approach could be.

“The way I’m fishing, I would have potentially burned it up, burned fish that I don’t want to burn,” Sprague said. “So, once I figured out what they wanted to eat, I just kind of looked at the area and milled around and tried to find some other areas that set up similar to that.” 

Turns out, while 45 anglers utilized forward-facing sonar during Period 1, Sprague outpaced all of them. He found several sweet spots in the same vicinity that produced multiple bass apiece. He totaled 42-1 during the opening frame, distancing himself from his nearest pursuer by more than 14 pounds.

“I had a starting area; I didn’t have a starting spot,” Sprague explained. “I was just fishing the conditions, and I knew where the fish were at. It’s just put the trolling motor down and go. Once you’re going, you could locate those fish in little groups on little turns and little rolls, then you’re able to Spot-Lock and make multiple casts and catch multiple fish off each one of those little special areas.”

From there, Sprague spent the rest of the day covering water and looking for more key spots. He turned his Lowrance ActiveTarget on during Period 2 but never deviated from winding around the shoreline.

While Sprague didn’t want to divulge many details about his technique of choice, he believes the groups of bass he found were fresh fish staging prior to the spawn. Quite a few anglers found the bass to be finicky, but Sprague said those that recently migrated from deeper water are willing to bite. He’s optimistic that more groups will move in, replenishing those areas as the tournament progresses.

“The fish are coming,” he said. “The fish are really starting to move in, to get there, and that’s the thing that’s the most intriguing. Guys are going to have to find the fish that are starting to move in and are fresh and haven’t been messed with at all.” 

Sprague’s goal now is to finish atop the Qualifying Round standings, which would earn him a direct trip to Sunday’s Championship Round and his 14th career Bass Pro Tour Top 10. However, he did note that if he falls behind the pace Friday morning, he’s willing to ease off his best areas and spend the afternoon preparing for the Knockout Round.

“It’s great to get a strong start like that,” Sprague said. “It takes a little pressure off. But then it adds an additional pressure, because now you start to think about making it to the Championship Round if you’re able to put it together two days in a row and skip that Knockout Round. That’s kind of what we’ll shoot for in the morning. We’ll just see what the day gives us, and then we’ll make a decision on whether we lay into them and try to make that Championship or if we lay up and just go fish the Knockout Round and try to make it through that way.” 

With seemingly infinite creek arms, coves and contour lines to explore, Lake Murray can be an intimidating place for a first timer. That learning curve is only exacerbated by the collective experience on the fishery for much of the Bass Pro Tour field and the fact that competitors had just two days of official practice.

Hughes addressed the challenge by picking one area to spend his entire first day of practice then another where he spent all of the second day. That seems to have paid off.

“It was like a maze trying to get around,” Hughes said of Murray. “It’s got all them little islands and pockets. I kind of picked an area the first day of practice and picked an area the second day of practice, and here we are.”

The BPT rookie found two distinct bites, one that he targeted during his lone period with forward-facing sonar and another that produced after he turned off his transducers. Fishing water protected from the wind, Hughes boated six bass for 19-5 while using his forward-facing sonar in Period 1. He then added 31-8 on 10 fish the rest of the day, bringing his total to 50-13.

Hughes actually expected the fish he targeted with forward-facing sonar to bite better. However, he was pleasantly surprised by his secondary pattern. He ended up using part of Period 3 to run new water and find more areas that set up the same way.

“I just kind of started hopping around,” Hughes said. “I had marked some different things in the lake that looked good, and I kind of figured one little pattern out, and I ran with it, and it turned out to be pretty good. I spent a lot of the last period idling around, looking for more of that, marking that kind of stuff.”

Hughes is optimistic that he can replicate his Day 1 success – although having never fished on Murray before, he admitted he’s not sure what to expect as conditions change. Like Sprague, his plan is to gauge where he stands midway through Day 2 and then decide whether to make a push for the Qualifying Round win.

“I’m going to see how tomorrow starts shaking out, and we’ll go from there,” he said.

The top 20 pros after Day 1 on Lake Murray are:

1st:          Jeff Sprague, Wills Point, Texas, 18 bass, 59-13
2nd:        Marshall Hughes, Hemphill, Texas, 16 bass, 50-13
3rd:        Brent Ehrler, Redlands, Calif., 17 bass, 49-15
4th:         Drew Gill, Mount Carmel, Ill., 17 bass, 43-3
5th:         James Elam, Tulsa, Okla., 13 bass, 41-8
6th:        Anthony Gagliardi, Prosperity, S.C., 15 bass, 39-14
7th:        Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., 14 bass, 37-14
8th:        Wesley Strader, Spring City, Tenn., 11 bass, 37-13
9th:        Colby Miller, Elmer, La., 11 bass, 35-15
10th:      Matt Becker, Ten Mile, Tenn., 11 bass, 35-15
11th:      Justin Lucas, Guntersville, Ala., 12 bass, 35-13
12th:      Mark Davis, Mount Ida, Ark., 11 bass, 34-3
13th:      Terry Scroggins, San Mateo, Fla., 12 bass, 33-10
14th:      Alton Jones Jr., Waco, Texas, 10 bass, 33-7
15th:      Nick LeBrun, Bossier, La., 10 bass, 32-9
16th:      Mark Daniels Jr., Tuskegee, Ala., 11 bass, 32-9
17th:      Ott DeFoe, Blaine, Tenn., nine bass, 32-0
18th:      Jesse Wiggins, Addison, Ala., 11 bass, 31-11
19th:      Marshall Robinson, Landrum, S.C., nine bass, 31-9
20th:      Britt Myers, Lake Wylie, S.C., 10 bass, 30-15

A complete list of results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Justin Lucas of Guntersville, Alabama, earned the Day 1 Berkley Big Bass Award Thursday with a 7-pound, 4-ounce largemouth that he caught on a crankbait in Period 3. Berkley awards $1,000 to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass each day.

The full field of anglers compete in the two-day Qualifying Round on Thursday and Friday. After the two-day Qualifying Round is complete, the pro with the highest two-day total advances directly to Sunday’s Championship Round. Anglers that finish 2nd through 20th will advance to Saturday’s Knockout Round. In the Knockout Round, weights are zeroed, and the remaining anglers compete to finish in the top nine to advance to Sunday’s Championship Round. In the final-day Championship Round, weights are zeroed, and the highest one-day total wins the top prize of $150,000.

Anglers will launch at 7:15 a.m. ET each day from Dreher Island State Park, located at 3677 State Park Road in Prosperity. Each day’s takeout will be held at the same location, beginning at 3:45 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend all launch and takeout events and also encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLFNOW!® live stream and SCORETRACKER® coverage at  MajorLeagueFishing.com.

The MLFNOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action live on all four days of competition from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET. MLFNOW!®  will be live streamed on  MajorLeagueFishing.com, the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app and Rumble.

On Saturday and Sunday, March 8-9 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. MLF welcomes fans of all ages to visit Dreher Island State Park for the MLF Fan Experience & Watch Party. Fans can watch the pros live on the MLFNOW!  big screen, enjoy free food, participate in casting contests, enter to win hourly giveaways, listen to live music and cheer on their favorite pros. The first 50 kids 14 and under will receive a free Abu Garcia rod and reel each day. The event also includes a meet and greet with Paw Patrol’s Skye and Marshall and a youth fishing derby. The Bass Pro Tour anglers will be on hand both days to meet and greet fans, sign autographs and take selfies.

The PowerStop Brakes Stage 3 at Lake Murray Presented by Strike King is hosted by Capital City/Lake Murray Country Regional Tourism Board and features anglers competing with a 2-pound minimum weight requirement for a bass to be deemed scorable. The MLF Fisheries Management Division determines minimum weights for each body of water that the Bass Pro Tour visits, based on the productivity, bass population and anticipated average size of fish in each fishery.

The 2025 Bass Pro Tour features a field of 66 of the top professional anglers in the world, competing across seven regular-season tournaments around the country, for millions of dollars and valuable points to qualify for the annual Heavy Hitters all-star event and the REDCREST 2026 championship.

Television coverage of the PowerStop Brakes Stage 3 at Lake Murray Presented by Strike King will premiere as a two-hour episode starting at 7 a.m. ET, on Saturday, Oct. 4 on Discovery, with the Championship Round premiering on Sunday, Oct. 5. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on Discovery, with re-airings on Outdoor Channel.

Proud sponsors of the 2025 MLF Bass Pro Tour include: 7Brew Coffee, Abu Garcia, Athletic Brewing, Bass Force, B&W Trailer Hitches, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, BUBBA, E3 Sports Apparel, Fishing Clash, Grizzly, Lowrance, Mercury, MillerTech, Mossy Oak Fishing, NITRO, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Power-Pole, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Star brite, Suzuki Marine and Toyota.

For complete details and updated information on Major League Fishing and the Bass Pro Tour, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook , X, Instagram and  YouTube.





Timmy Sheridan & Caleb Wood win CATT Lake Anna with 5 bass weighing 19.02 lbs!

Brian Carter
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Timmy Sheridan & Caleb Wood win CATT Lake Anna with 5 bass weighing 19.02 lbs!

Next Lake Anna CATT Spring Qualifier is Mar 23 at Sturgeon Creek Marina!

Timmy Sheridan & Caleb Wood win Lake Anna with 5 bass weighing 19.02 lbs!

Dylan Powers & Kyle Owen earned 2nd with 5 bass weighing 17.86 lbs and they weighed in the BF at 7.98 lbs!

TEAMBFWEIGHTWINNINGSPOINTS
TIMMY SHERIDAN – CALEB WOOD4.4419.02$750.00110
DYLAN POWERS – KYLE OWEN7.9817.86$520.00109
WIL VICKERY – DEE KIDD0.0017.51108
TREY PERRIN – ALVIN CARROLL4.3914.79107
NATHAN SULLIVAN – ERIC JOHNSON6.3714.36106
JOHN DOYLE – TAYLOR MCCANN4.8812.62105
CLAY GATEWOOD – JEFF PARRISH5.0612.28104
ROB GRIKE – BOBBY FINCHUM6.029.06103
NATHAN BALOG – SCOTT CONNERS0.000.0093
COLE MILLER – SHANE DUNKIN0.000.0093
JIMMY ASHLEY – MATT KETCHUM0.000.0093
BRIAN EVANS – BILLY EVANS0.000.0093
Total Entrys$1,440.00
BONUS $$250.00
Total Paid At Ramp$1,270.00
Anna Spring 2025 Final Fund$370.00
CATT$0.00
2025 CATT Championship Fund$50.00
2025 Anna Spring Final Fund Total$775.00





Lippert joins as presenting sponsor of Progressive Bassmaster Classic Tailgate

Brian Carter
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Lippert joins as presenting sponsor of Progressive Bassmaster Classic Tailgate

March 5, 2025

Lippert joins as presenting sponsor of Progressive Bassmaster Classic Tailgate

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. —B.A.S.S. is proud to announce the return of the Progressive Bassmaster Classic Tailgate and the addition of Lippert, a leading supplier of premium RV, towing and marine products designed to enhance your outdoor recreation adventures, as the Tailgate experience’s presenting sponsor.

The Progressive Bassmaster Classic Tailgate presented by Lippert will take place in conjunction with the 2025 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour and will include an experiential activation including cornhole and ladder ball games, product giveaways and caricature artists Saturday, March 22, and Sunday, March 23, from 12:30 to 3 p.m. The crown jewel of the Tailgate will be the stage of the Bassmaster LIVE set, featuring host Tommy Sanders, who will be broadcasting live as the Classic contenders compete on nearby Lake Ray Roberts for the Ray Scott Bassmaster Classic Trophy.

“We’re excited for Lippert to come on board as presenting sponsor of the Bassmaster Classic Tailgate,” said B.A.S.S. Chief Operating Officer Phillip Johnson. “Bass fishing fans from all over will be experiencing the best in recreational vehicle products and accessories in an exciting and fun atmosphere designed to showcase Lippert’s broad lineup of … what else? Essential tailgating gear for RV, camping and water sports enthusiasts!”

Lippert will follow up their Classic participation by signing on as the presenting sponsor of a regular-season Elite event. With this sponsorship, Lippert is reinforcing its commitment to the outdoor and fishing communities. As a premier outdoor brand serving the RV, marine and automotive industries, Lippert continues to innovate and support those who live life on the water and the road.

“The Bassmaster Classic is the pinnacle event for fishing and outdoor enthusiasts, and we’re honored to be the presenting sponsor (of the Tailgate),” said LippertChief Marketing Officer Jarod Lippert. “At Lippert, we’re committed to delivering premium products that enhance every aspect of the outdoor experience — whether that’s on the water, on the road or at the campsite. With CURT and Lewmar alongside us, we’re excited to connect with attendees and showcase how our brands support their adventures and way of life.”

Joining Lippert at the Progressive Bassmaster Classic Tailgate presented by Lippert are CURT, a leader in towing solutions, and Lewmar, a trusted name in marine anchoring and docking systems. Together, these brands will showcase products that enhance the outdoor lifestyle, from seamless towing experiences to premium marine equipment. Attendees can engage with the Lippert family of brands and explore the innovations designed to support their passions.





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