Lake Fork and Yantis, Texas, will host the 2025 Yamaha Rightwaters Bassmaster Kayak Series Championship scored by TourneyX March 19-20, 2025.
Photo by Mark Cisneros/B.A.S.S.
Sept. 12, 2024
Lake Fork to host Bassmaster Kayak Series National Championship
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Bassmaster has announced the Yamaha Rightwaters Bassmaster Kayak Series Championship scored by TourneyX will be held on Lake Fork in Yantis, Texas, as part of the festivities surrounding the 2025 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Jockey Outdoors in Fort Worth.
The championship at Lake Fork will be a two-day event, March 19-20, 2025. The awards ceremony will be held on the Bassmaster Classic stage at the Dickies Arena in Fort Worth March 21 prior to the Day 1 Classic weigh-in.
“I would like to express how Wood County is beyond thrilled to welcome the 2025 Bassmaster Kayak Championship to Lake Fork in Yantis, Texas, next spring,” said Wood County Economic Development Commission Executive Director Christine Thomas. “This event provides an incredible opportunity to not only showcase Lake Fork’s status as a world-renowned bass fishing lake and its breathtaking natural beauty, but also to bring together passionate anglers from across the country. We’ve seen a growing interest in kayaking on Lake Fork, and it’s a privilege to host the nation’s top kayak anglers here in the spirit of competition. We look forward to sharing this experience with our community and visitors alike.”
According to Texas Parks and Wildlife, Lake Fork boasts more than 27,000 acres of prime largemouth water, made possible by a combination of restrictive harvest regulations, the stocking of Florida strain largemouth and abundant habitat. More than 65% of the Texas Top 50 largest bass (including the current state record) and more than half of those entered in the Toyota ShareLunker Program were caught from Lake Fork.
“When it was time for us to start planning the upcoming championship in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, for me, it was obvious that the place to go would be Lake Fork,” said Bassmaster Kayak Series Tournament Director Steve Owens. “The Texas Parks and Wildlife management do an amazing job at keeping these bodies of water healthy. This will be the fourth time the Bassmaster Kayak Series makes a stop there, and we expect our anglers to have the best experience the Kayak Series and Lake Fork can provide.”
Kentucky’s Chris Beaudrie leads Day 1 of the St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Mississippi River presented by SEVIIN in La Crosse, Wis., with a weight of 19 pounds.
Photo by Andy Crawford/B.A.S.S.
Sept. 12, 2024
Beaudrie finds fallback spots for Day 1 lead in Bassmaster Open at Mississippi River
In a tight race where only 1-14 separates first and 10th places, Beaudrie leads Brady Vernon by 11 ounces. Making his first visit to the upper Mississippi River, Beaudrie said his lack of local experience plus the minefield of shallow bars and obstructions proved daunting.
“It was really tough for me to navigate this place in low water because I’ve never been here,” he said. “I just tried to put myself in good places.”
Addressing the newness, Beaudrie drew upon his Tennessee River knowledge. Seasonally, the fall reservoir drawdowns that impact his home waters have taught him what bass prefer during falling-water periods like the upper Mississippi has recently experienced.
“It was just understanding the conditions and adjusting to that,” Beaudrie said. “They’ve had high water all year, and I’m sure that had fish positioned a little easier to catch. But I knew the falling water would pull them out and group them up.”
Beaudrie’s intuition was spot-on, as he found most of his fish in deeper troughs along the shallow grass beds.
“I’m looking for ditches and (deeper) edges that run up against these shallow grass beds,” Beaudrie said. “It’s just a safe haven for them to pull to. If you have 300 yards of a foot and a half of water and the water’s been falling for a week or more, they gotta get out of there.
“That’s what I struggled with in practice. Shallow wasn’t working and everywhere that looked good didn’t have hardly any water. I just did what instinct told me to do and I looked for their safe haven.”
Spending his day in Pool 8, Beaudrie said that after the cooler temperatures of practice week, he had been waiting for warmer weather. This week’s warming trend is working in his favor, as it seems to be stimulating his shallow fish.
Beaudrie said he caught his fish early on topwaters and once the day turned sunny and the water slicked off, the bite slowed significantly. During that tough period, he explored other areas and switched to slower presentations, which yielded a couple of key culls.
“On the way in, I culled out a 3 1/4 with a 4 maybe 2 miles from the weigh-in,” Beaudrie said. “I had over 18 pounds before that.”
Looking at his Day 2 plan, Beaudrie said: “I think I pushed those (early fish) to another area in the mat. Luckily, I was able to relocate them, so, hopefully, I can get back on them tomorrow.”
Hailing from Sterrett, Ala., Vernon is in second place with 18-5. Given the late-summer falling-water scenario, he said he’s happy with the day’s productivity.
“I was surprised to catch what I did; I was expecting 15 to 16 to be at the top,” he said. “I caught 16 and some change pretty early. I (locked) up to Pool 7 and had that by like 8:45.
“I fished around for about 2 hours and I wasn’t getting any bites, so I was like, ‘I’m probably going to go back down to Pool 8 before I get stuck up here.’”
Relying on a clue from practice, Vernon started his day by targeting vast duckweed mats with blown-in eelgrass. He caught those early fish on a frog.
“I found a key place in practice that I got three bites out of, and they were big ones,” Vernon said. “I went back there this morning, and I had no idea, but I caught them fast out of one mat.
“I found one little place that’s deeper than the rest of the bay. I think all the wind in practice pushed the dead eelgrass and matted it up. It kind of protected what I was fishing.”
After leaving Pool 7 around 11:30, Vernon flipped a big jig in hopes of finding another big bite. This strategy added two of his keepers, including a 4-pounder that culled out a 2.8-pounder.
Tucker Smith of Birmingham, Ala., is in third place with 18-4. Entering the tournament fourth in the Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Opens Elite Qualifier (EQ) points, Smith opted to protect his standing by remaining in Pool 8 and minimizing the risk of lock delays.
“I did a few different things today,” Smith said of his diverse game plan. “This morning was tough. I caught a limit really quick, but it was only like 9 to 10 pounds.
“I fished hard all day and finally pulled up on a place and caught two 2 1/2s. Then I pulled up on another place and caught a smallmouth that was 4-12 and a 3 1/2. I fished a couple more places and caught some nice largemouth.”
Smith caught his fish on a mix of reaction baits and slow presentations. Maintaining his composure under pressure was essential to his productive day.
“It’s so hard to stay calm, especially when you’re in the points race, to keep a calm mind,” Smith said. “I was out there by myself today. I didn’t have a co-angler, so I really just thought to myself and tried to stay calm. I just ran around a bunch and eventually caught some.”
Jimmy Brumfield of Madison, Miss., and Richard Conrad of Arcadia, Wis., share the lead in the co-angler division with 10-8.
Amanda Riley or Galesville, Wis., holds the Phoenix Boats Big Bass lead among co-anglers with a 4-7.
Friday’s takeoff is scheduled for 6:30 a.m. CT at Veterans Freedom Park. The weigh-in will be held at the park at 2:30 p.m.
Coverage of the St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Mississippi River presented by SEVIIN will air on FS1 on Saturday from 8 to 11 a.m. ET. Bassmaster LIVE will be streaming on Bassmaster.com Friday and Saturday.
2024 St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Mississippi River presented by SEVIIN 9/12-9/14 Mississippi River, La Crosse WI. (BOATER) Standings Day 1
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Chris Beaudrie Princeton, KY 5 19-00 200
Day 1: 5 19-00
2. Brady Vernon Sterrett, AL 5 18-05 199
Day 1: 5 18-05
3. Tucker Smith Birmingham, AL 5 18-04 198
Day 1: 5 18-04
4. Cade Laufenberg Onalaska, WI 5 18-01 197
Day 1: 5 18-01
5. Cody Meyer Eagle, ID 5 18-00 196
Day 1: 5 18-00
6. Ish Monroe Oakdale, CA 5 17-14 195
Day 1: 5 17-14
7. Danny McGarry Newcastle CANADA 5 17-09 194
Day 1: 5 17-09
8. Brad Leuthner Victoria, MN 5 17-05 193
Day 1: 5 17-05
9. Randy Howell Guntersville, AL 5 17-03 192
Day 1: 5 17-03
10. Satoshi Egawa Fort Lee, NJ 5 17-02 191
Day 1: 5 17-02
11. Josh Butler Hayden, AL 5 16-15 190
Day 1: 5 16-15
12. Seth Feider New Market, MN 5 16-13 189
Day 1: 5 16-13
13. Mike Brueggen La Crosse, WI 5 16-10 188
Day 1: 5 16-10
13. Parker Kratochvill Onalaska, WI 5 16-10 188
Day 1: 5 16-10
15. Randall Tharp Port St. Joe, FL 5 16-09 186
Day 1: 5 16-09
16. Easton Fothergill Grand Rapids , MN 5 16-09 185
Day 1: 5 16-09
17. Mike Feldermann Galena, IL 5 16-08 184
Day 1: 5 16-08
18. John Engler Vinton, IA 5 16-05 183
Day 1: 5 16-05
19. Chris Hellebuyck White Lake, MI 5 16-03 182
Day 1: 5 16-03
20. Joey Nania Cropwell, AL 5 16-01 181
Day 1: 5 16-01
20. Brian Post Janesville, WI 5 16-01 181
Day 1: 5 16-01
22. Kevin Ruh Onalaska, WI 5 15-15 179
Day 1: 5 15-15
23. Darold Gleason Many, LA 5 15-14 178
Day 1: 5 15-14
24. Lance Keene Manistee, MI 5 15-13 177
Day 1: 5 15-13
25. Connor Jacob Auburn, AL 5 15-12 176
Day 1: 5 15-12
26. Adam Hamann Prairie Du Chien, IA 5 15-11 175
Day 1: 5 15-11
27. Brett Hite Phoenix, AZ 5 15-10 174
Day 1: 5 15-10
27. Emil Wagner Marietta, GA 5 15-10 174
Day 1: 5 15-10
29. Cody Stahl Barnsville, GA 5 15-09 172
Day 1: 5 15-09
30. Garrett Paquette Canton, MI 5 15-08 171
Day 1: 5 15-08
31. Andrew Behnke Fond Du Lac, WI 5 15-07 170
Day 1: 5 15-07
31. Nathan Thompson Eagan, MN 5 15-07 170
Day 1: 5 15-07
31. Nick Trim Galesville, WI 5 15-07 170
Day 1: 5 15-07
34. Elijah Benson Dahlonega, GA 5 15-04 167
Day 1: 5 15-04
34. Jack Dice Lynchburg, VA 5 15-04 167
Day 1: 5 15-04
36. Clayton Weber West Salem, WI 5 15-03 165
Day 1: 5 15-03
37. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 5 15-02 164
Day 1: 5 15-02
37. Paul Marks Cumming, GA 5 15-02 164
Day 1: 5 15-02
37. Tom Monsoor La Crosse, WI 5 15-02 164
Day 1: 5 15-02
37. Cliff Pace Ovett, MS 5 15-02 164
Day 1: 5 15-02
41. Beau Browning Hot Springs National Pa 5 15-01 160
Day 1: 5 15-01
42. Andrew Loberg Grant, AL 5 14-15 159
Day 1: 5 14-15
42. Dan Mohn Lansing, IA 5 14-15 159
Day 1: 5 14-15
44. Garrett Warren Scottsboro, AL 5 14-14 157
Day 1: 5 14-14
45. Austin Felix Eden Prairie, MN 5 14-13 156
Day 1: 5 14-13
45. Derek Lehtonen Woodruff, SC 5 14-13 156
Day 1: 5 14-13
47. Matt Adams Oxford, AL 5 14-11 154
Day 1: 5 14-11
47. Trey Schroeder Theodosia, MO 5 14-11 154
Day 1: 5 14-11
49. Yui Aoki Minamitsurugun JAPAN 5 14-10 152
Day 1: 5 14-10
49. Alex Redwine Blue Ash, OH 5 14-10 152
Day 1: 5 14-10
51. Tai Au Glendale, AZ 5 14-09 150
Day 1: 5 14-09
51. Adam Crigger Le Claire, IA 5 14-09 150
Day 1: 5 14-09
53. Blake Smith Lakeland, FL 5 14-08 148
Day 1: 5 14-08
53. Mitch Van Ert Okauchee, WI 5 14-08 148
Day 1: 5 14-08
55. David Boelkins Waukesha, WI 5 14-07 146
Day 1: 5 14-07
56. Kollin Crawford Broken Bow, OK 5 14-06 145
Day 1: 5 14-06
56. Dakota Ebare Brookeland, TX 5 14-06 145
Day 1: 5 14-06
58. Jamie Bruce Kenora Ontario CANADA 5 14-05 143
Day 1: 5 14-05
58. Zach Goutremout Chaumont, NY 5 14-05 143
Day 1: 5 14-05
58. Kenta Kimura Osaka OK JAPAN 5 14-05 143
Day 1: 5 14-05
58. Chancy Walters West Des Moines, IA 5 14-05 143
Day 1: 5 14-05
62. Christian Ostrander Turlock, CA 5 14-04 139
Day 1: 5 14-04
63. Dave Parsons Yantis, TX 5 14-02 138
Day 1: 5 14-02
64. Brock Belik Orchard, NE 5 14-01 137
Day 1: 5 14-01
64. Jason Elliott Warsaw, IN 5 14-01 137
Day 1: 5 14-01
64. Tyler Lubbat Wheeling, IL 5 14-01 137
Day 1: 5 14-01
67. Andy Newcomb Camdenton, MO 5 14-00 134
Day 1: 5 14-00
67. Jack York Emory, TX 5 14-00 134
Day 1: 5 14-00
69. Chris Aswegan Tiffin, IA 5 13-15 132
Day 1: 5 13-15
70. Bailey Bleser Burlington, WI 5 13-14 131
Day 1: 5 13-14
70. Greg Bohannan Bentonville, AR 5 13-14 131
Day 1: 5 13-14
70. Casey Scanlon Eldon, MO 5 13-14 131
Day 1: 5 13-14
70. Kyle Seubert Chaseburg, WI 5 13-14 131
Day 1: 5 13-14
74. Billy Gilbert Hamburg, NY 5 13-13 127
Day 1: 5 13-13
75. Allen Armour Cumming, GA 5 13-12 126
Day 1: 5 13-12
75. Kyle Minke Lindsrom, MN 5 13-12 126
Day 1: 5 13-12
77. Casey Goode La Crosse, WI 5 13-10 124
Day 1: 5 13-10
77. Jack Tindel III Orange, TX 5 13-10 124
Day 1: 5 13-10
79. Chris Blanchette Edisto Island, SC 5 13-09 122
Day 1: 5 13-09
80. Kyoya Fujita Yamanashi CA JAPAN 5 13-08 121
Day 1: 5 13-08
80. Brady Hanna Silvis, IL 5 13-08 121
Day 1: 5 13-08
80. Freddy Palmer Estill Springs, TN 5 13-08 121
Day 1: 5 13-08
83. Casey Ashley Donalds, SC 5 13-07 118
Day 1: 5 13-07
83. Kyle Austin Ridgeville, SC 5 13-07 118
Day 1: 5 13-07
83. Brandon Gann Sparta, WI 5 13-07 118
Day 1: 5 13-07
83. John Voyles Petersburg, IN 5 13-07 118
Day 1: 5 13-07
87. Bobby Bakewell Orlando, FL 5 13-06 114
Day 1: 5 13-06
88. Charlie Hartley Grove City, OH 5 13-05 113
Day 1: 5 13-05
89. Caden Cowan Stephenville, TX 5 13-04 112
Day 1: 5 13-04
89. Mike McClelland Blue Eye, MO 5 13-04 112
Day 1: 5 13-04
91. Trevor McKinney Noble, IL 5 13-03 110
Day 1: 5 13-03
91. Andrew Smith Chesterfield, MI 5 13-03 110
Day 1: 5 13-03
91. Trey Swindle Cleveland, AL 5 13-03 110
Day 1: 5 13-03
94. Aaron Jagdfeld Rochester Hills, MI 5 13-02 107
Day 1: 5 13-02
94. Rich Lindgren Lakeville, MN 5 13-02 107
Day 1: 5 13-02
96. Yukihiro Sawamura Harker Heights, TX 5 13-01 105
Day 1: 5 13-01
97. Chad Pipkens Dewitt, MI 5 13-00 104
Day 1: 5 13-00
98. Evan Kung Pickering Ontario CANAD 5 12-14 103
Day 1: 5 12-14
98. Kyle Patrick Cooperstown, NY 5 12-14 103
Day 1: 5 12-14
100. Manny Sciberras Liberty Twp, OH 5 12-13 101
Day 1: 5 12-13
101. Jackson Swisher Lake City, FL 5 12-12 100
Day 1: 5 12-12
101. Josh Wiesner Fon du Lac, WI 5 12-12 100
Day 1: 5 12-12
103. Cole Drummond Effingham, SC 5 12-10 98
Day 1: 5 12-10
103. Logan Parks Auburn, AL 5 12-10 98
Day 1: 5 12-10
103. Jeremiah Shaver Holmen, WI 5 12-10 98
Day 1: 5 12-10
106. Lafe Messer Warfield, KY 5 12-09 95
Day 1: 5 12-09
106. Randy Ramsey Burlington, MI 5 12-09 95
Day 1: 5 12-09
108. Bryan Finch Belton, TX 5 12-08 93
Day 1: 5 12-08
108. Jody Gardner Tippecanoe, OH 5 12-08 93
Day 1: 5 12-08
110. Harvey Horne Bella Vista, AR 5 12-07 91
Day 1: 5 12-07
111. Robert Gee Knoxville, TN 5 12-06 90
Day 1: 5 12-06
112. James Watson Lampe, MO 5 12-05 89
Day 1: 5 12-05
113. Chase Clarke Virginia Beach, VA 5 12-04 88
Day 1: 5 12-04
113. Fernando Lobato Sparta, WI 5 12-04 88
Day 1: 5 12-04
115. Teb Jones Yalaha, MS 5 12-03 86
Day 1: 5 12-03
115. Masayuki Matsushita Porter TX JAPAN 5 12-03 86
Day 1: 5 12-03
115. Christopher Welch Fall River, WI 5 12-03 86
Day 1: 5 12-03
115. Doc Wootton Collierville, TN 5 12-03 86
Day 1: 5 12-03
119. Bryan Partak Marseilles, IL 5 12-02 82
Day 1: 5 12-02
119. Jeremy Radford Huntly, VA 5 12-02 82
Day 1: 5 12-02
121. Cody Steckel Las Vegas, NV 5 12-01 80
Day 1: 5 12-01
121. Alexander Welter Onalaska, WI 5 12-01 80
Day 1: 5 12-01
121. Zack Williams Shell Knob, MO 5 12-01 80
Day 1: 5 12-01
124. Andrew Julson Stoughton, WI 5 11-15 77
Day 1: 5 11-15
125. Josh Douglas Isle, MN 5 11-14 76
Day 1: 5 11-14
125. Tommy Dunaway Havana, FL 5 11-14 76
Day 1: 5 11-14
125. Laker Howell Guntersville, AL 5 11-14 76
Day 1: 5 11-14
128. Fritz Lubinski Rochester, MN 5 11-14 73
Day 1: 5 11-14
129. Andrew Harp Linden, TX 5 11-13 72
Day 1: 5 11-13
129. Tristan McCormick Burns, TN 5 11-13 72
Day 1: 5 11-13
131. Adam Bartusek Clearwater, MN 5 11-12 70
Day 1: 5 11-12
131. Cody Bird Granbury, TX 5 11-12 70
Day 1: 5 11-12
131. Glenn Walker Savage, MN 5 11-12 70
Day 1: 5 11-12
134. Ty Faber Pagosa Springs, CO 5 11-11 67
Day 1: 5 11-11
134. Cody Salzmann Southgate, MI 5 11-11 67
Day 1: 5 11-11
136. Kevin Dritschler Prosper, TX 5 11-10 65
Day 1: 5 11-10
136. Russ Lane Prattville, AL 5 11-10 65
Day 1: 5 11-10
138. Billy McDonald Greenwood, IN 5 11-08 63
Day 1: 5 11-08
138. Dalton Smith Taylorsville, KY 5 11-08 63
Day 1: 5 11-08
140. James Niggemeyer Van, TX 5 11-07 61
Day 1: 5 11-07
140. Cole Zagrzebski Stevens Point, WI 5 11-07 61
Day 1: 5 11-07
142. Tim Frederick Leesburg, FL 5 11-06 59
Day 1: 5 11-06
143. Steven Caldwell Whitesboro, TX 5 11-05 58
Day 1: 5 11-05
144. Brett Cannon Kiln, MS 5 11-04 57
Day 1: 5 11-04
144. Jacob Thompkins Myrtle Beach, SC 5 11-04 57
Day 1: 5 11-04
146. Adam Rasmussen Sturgeon Bay, WI 5 11-03 55
Day 1: 5 11-03
147. Ethen Preston Tower City, ND 4 11-03 54
Day 1: 4 11-03
148. Vue Thao Madison, WI 5 11-02 53
Day 1: 5 11-02
148. Jimmy Washam Stantonville, TN 5 11-02 53
Day 1: 5 11-02
150. Brandon McMillan Clewiston, FL 5 11-01 51
Day 1: 5 11-01
150. Kenny Mittelstaedt Minnetonka, MN 5 11-01 51
Day 1: 5 11-01
152. Richard Lowitzki Fort Myers, FL 5 10-15 49
Day 1: 5 10-15
153. Kyle Weisenburger Columbus Grv, OH 5 10-14 48
Day 1: 5 10-14
154. David Bromenshenkel Sauk Centre, MN 5 10-13 47
Day 1: 5 10-13
155. Dylan Mayo Athens, TX 5 10-11 46
Day 1: 5 10-11
156. Brandyn Baum La Crosse, WI 5 10-10 45
Day 1: 5 10-10
156. Kevin Johnson Sparta, WI 5 10-10 45
Day 1: 5 10-10
158. Jim Moynagh Remer, MN 5 10-09 43
Day 1: 5 10-09
158. Joe Wieberg Freeburg, MO 5 10-09 43
Day 1: 5 10-09
160. Cody Detweiler Guntersville, AL 5 10-07 41
Day 1: 5 10-07
161. Andy Dassow Medford, WI 5 10-06 40
Day 1: 5 10-06
161. Jordan Knutson Saint Croix Falls, WI 5 10-06 40
Day 1: 5 10-06
161. Avery Williams Murrells Inlt, SC 5 10-06 40
Day 1: 5 10-06
164. Jacob Bigelow Cecil, WI 5 10-05 37
Day 1: 5 10-05
165. Blake Schroeder Whitehouse, TX 5 10-04 36
Day 1: 5 10-04
166. Derrick Sadlowski Monaca, PA 5 10-00 35
Day 1: 5 10-00
167. Chad Grigsby Maple Grove, MN 5 09-14 34
Day 1: 5 09-14
167. Sam Hanggi Knoxville, TN 5 09-14 34
Day 1: 5 09-14
169. Chris Kingree Inverness, FL 5 09-13 32
Day 1: 5 09-13
170. Lance Crawford Broken Bow, OK 5 09-12 31
Day 1: 5 09-12
171. Lucas Murphy West Columbia, MI 5 09-11 30
Day 1: 5 09-11
172. Paul Browning Monahans, TX 5 09-09 29
Day 1: 5 09-09
173. Phillip Kroll Otego, NY 5 09-07 28
Day 1: 5 09-07
173. A.J. Menssen Bloomington, IL 5 09-07 28
Day 1: 5 09-07
173. Matt Messer Warfield, KY 5 09-07 28
Day 1: 5 09-07
176. Matt Thompson Stacy, MN 5 09-05 25
Day 1: 5 09-05
177. Scott Isaacs Ladonia, TX 4 09-03 24
Day 1: 4 09-03
178. Wayne Hall Cottonwood, AZ 4 09-01 23
Day 1: 4 09-01
179. Tripp Noojin Bryant, AL 5 08-13 22
Day 1: 5 08-13
180. Austin Cranford Norman, OK 4 08-01 21
Day 1: 4 08-01
181. Joey Punko Broomfield, CO 4 08-00 20
Day 1: 4 08-00
181. Ryan Redmann Brandon, WI 4 08-00 20
Day 1: 4 08-00
183. Brian Bird Eastland, TX 4 07-14 18
Day 1: 4 07-14
184. Brian Bengtson Bloomington, MN 5 07-13 17
Day 1: 5 07-13
185. Sean Clayton Seneca, SC 4 07-13 16
Day 1: 4 07-13
185. Clemente Gutierrez Woodbridge, VA 4 07-13 16
Day 1: 4 07-13
187. Logan Johnson Jasper, AL 4 07-12 14
Day 1: 4 07-12
188. Mike Mayo Athens, TX 4 07-08 13
Day 1: 4 07-08
189. Kyle Palmer Winchester, TN 3 07-01 12
Day 1: 3 07-01
190. Chris Miller Spirit Lake, IA 3 06-15 11
Day 1: 3 06-15
191. Kevin Ledoux Choctaw, OK 4 06-14 10
Day 1: 4 06-14
192. Clint Leonard Jr Saint Cloud, FL 3 06-13 9
Day 1: 3 06-13
193. Daisuke Kita Ostu Shiga JAPAN 3 06-12 8
Day 1: 3 06-12
194. Brayden Rakes Winston Salem, NC 2 06-11 7
Day 1: 2 06-11
195. Scout Echols Monticello, AR 3 06-08 6
Day 1: 3 06-08
196. Keith Brumfield Vicksburg, MS 3 06-05 5
Day 1: 3 06-05
197. Brent Shores Boise, ID 3 06-00 4
Day 1: 3 06-00
198. Frankie Arado Eastman, WI 3 05-11 3
Day 1: 3 05-11
199. Parker Knudsen Minnetonka, MN 3 05-10 2
Day 1: 3 05-10
200. Andrew Hargrove Moody, TX 3 05-09 1
Day 1: 3 05-09
201. Tadd Johnson Lakeville, MN 3 05-01 0
Day 1: 3 05-01
202. Joey Hanna Corsicana, TX 2 04-14 0
Day 1: 2 04-14
203. Tony Dumitras Winston, GA 2 04-12 0
Day 1: 2 04-12
204. Brady Schran Zumbrota, MN 2 03-13 0
Day 1: 2 03-13
205. Scott Kerslake Okeechobee, FL 2 03-12 0
Day 1: 2 03-12
206. Mark Tonjum Spencer, IA 2 03-11 0
Day 1: 2 03-11
207. Lance Owen Greer, SC 2 03-07 0
Day 1: 2 03-07
208. Austin Anderson Ashley, IN 1 02-03 0
Day 1: 1 02-03
209. Dale Salzmann Hazel Green, WI 1 01-14 0
Day 1: 1 01-14
210. Brian Fitzpatrick La Crosse, WI 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
210. Jay Przekurat Plover, WI 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
210. Bo Thomas Edwardsburg, MI 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
210. Joseph Titus Bemidji, MN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
210. Tim Tyndell Mineola, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
210. Kelvin Wilcox Hazlehurst, GA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 177 982 2557-07
----------------------------------
177 982 2557-07
2024 St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Mississippi River presented by SEVIIN 9/12-9/14
Mississippi River, La Crosse WI.
(NON_BOATER) Standings Day 1
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Jimmy Brumfield Madison, MS 3 10-08 200
Day 1: 3 10-08
1. Richard Conrad Arcadia, WI 3 10-08 200
Day 1: 3 10-08
3. David Riggs Highland, IL 3 10-03 198
Day 1: 3 10-03
4. Danny Knispel Grimes, IA 3 09-14 197
Day 1: 3 09-14
5. Niko Romero Coldspring, TX 3 09-02 196
Day 1: 3 09-02
6. Mack Traynor Hanover, MN 3 08-10 195
Day 1: 3 08-10
7. Tanner Visco Chicago, IL 3 08-05 194
Day 1: 3 08-05
8. Anthony Kromke La Crosse, WI 3 08-03 193
Day 1: 3 08-03
8. Andre Yee Columbia, SC 3 08-03 193
Day 1: 3 08-03
10. Ricardo Guzman Farmington, MO 3 08-01 191
Day 1: 3 08-01
10. Chris Stelter Chisago City, MN 3 08-01 191
Day 1: 3 08-01
12. Tom Howland Riceville, IA 3 07-15 189
Day 1: 3 07-15
12. Bob Zagrzebski Stevens Point, WI 3 07-15 189
Day 1: 3 07-15
14. Dan Mcadams Reedsburg, WI 3 07-14 187
Day 1: 3 07-14
14. Amanda Riley Galesville, WI 3 07-14 187
Day 1: 3 07-14
16. John Miller Sunrise Beach, MO 3 07-12 185
Day 1: 3 07-12
17. Jamie Gomez Holmen, WI 3 07-10 184
Day 1: 3 07-10
17. Richard Simmons Pewamo , MI 3 07-10 184
Day 1: 3 07-10
17. Taylor Umland Carlock, IL 3 07-10 184
Day 1: 3 07-10
20. David Ondrla Elmhurst, IL 3 07-09 181
Day 1: 3 07-09
21. Erik Gaffron Hanover, MN 3 07-08 180
Day 1: 3 07-08
21. Aaron Konopacki New Albin, IA 3 07-08 180
Day 1: 3 07-08
21. Mark Ripp Belmont, WI 3 07-08 180
Day 1: 3 07-08
24. Darrin Wood Rochester, MN 3 07-07 177
Day 1: 3 07-07
25. Dennis Duffy Westmont, IL 3 07-06 176
Day 1: 3 07-06
26. Mike Steckel Las Vegas, NV 3 07-05 175
Day 1: 3 07-05
27. Josh Hubbard Citrus Springs, FL 3 07-04 174
Day 1: 3 07-04
28. Joshua Kantor Tomah, WI 3 07-03 173
Day 1: 3 07-03
28. Chad Stahl Barnesville, GA 3 07-03 173
Day 1: 3 07-03
30. Gary Baranowski Otsego, MN 3 07-02 171
Day 1: 3 07-02
30. Roy Biwer Shakopee, MN 3 07-02 171
Day 1: 3 07-02
30. Shane Kuehn Bennington, NE 3 07-02 171
Day 1: 3 07-02
30. Leo Morris Beaver Dam, WI 3 07-02 171
Day 1: 3 07-02
30. Nic Rand Paw Paw, MI 3 07-02 171
Day 1: 3 07-02
35. Calvin Landsberg Raleigh, NC 3 07-01 166
Day 1: 3 07-01
36. Levi Warner Hilbert, WI 3 06-14 165
Day 1: 3 06-14
37. Larry Peterson Hammond, WI 3 06-11 164
Day 1: 3 06-11
38. Eugene Kim Lindenhurst, IL 3 06-11 163
Day 1: 3 06-11
39. Kevin Yeska Madison, WI 2 06-11 162
Day 1: 2 06-11
40. Brian Forcier Akron, IA 3 06-10 161
Day 1: 3 06-10
40. Adam Panoff Waukesha, WI 3 06-10 161
Day 1: 3 06-10
40. Hayden Spradling Gilbert, AZ 3 06-10 161
Day 1: 3 06-10
43. Makoto Maehira Hiroshima JAPAN 3 06-09 158
Day 1: 3 06-09
44. Steven Lopez Sparta, WI 3 06-08 157
Day 1: 3 06-08
44. Shawn Overton Coal Valley, IL 3 06-08 157
Day 1: 3 06-08
46. JJ Patton Eldridge, IA 3 06-07 155
Day 1: 3 06-07
46. Brandon Troupe Chicago, IL 3 06-07 155
Day 1: 3 06-07
48. Brian Brecka Alma, WI 3 06-06 153
Day 1: 3 06-06
48. Mark Dempsey Dixon, IL 3 06-06 153
Day 1: 3 06-06
48. Art Gneuhs Plainfield, IL 3 06-06 153
Day 1: 3 06-06
51. Willie Meyer North Mankato, MN 3 06-03 150
Day 1: 3 06-03
52. Andrew Brandstrom Shoreview, MN 3 06-02 149
Day 1: 3 06-02
53. Tyler Jaskiewicz Rogers, AR 3 06-01 148
Day 1: 3 06-01
53. Gary Michalski Naperville, IL 3 06-01 148
Day 1: 3 06-01
55. Jimmy Obrien Southampton, NY 2 06-01 146
Day 1: 2 06-01
56. Josh Mohn Lansing, IA 3 06-00 145
Day 1: 3 06-00
57. Mark Schill Minneapolis, MN 3 05-13 144
Day 1: 3 05-13
58. David Zimmermann Eagan, MN 3 05-12 143
Day 1: 3 05-12
59. Christopher Morgan Greendale, WI 3 05-11 142
Day 1: 3 05-11
59. William Salzmann Galena, IL 3 05-11 142
Day 1: 3 05-11
61. Donald Biggs Murphysboro, IL 3 05-10 140
Day 1: 3 05-10
62. Kenny Stelter Forest Lake, MN 2 05-10 139
Day 1: 2 05-10
63. Jacob Collins Hillsboro, IL 3 05-08 138
Day 1: 3 05-08
63. Gary Haraguchi Murfreesboro, TN 3 05-08 138
Day 1: 3 05-08
63. Danny Mancini Necedah, WI 3 05-08 138
Day 1: 3 05-08
66. Troy Jutting Savage, MN 3 05-08 135
Day 1: 3 05-08
67. Todd Lee Jasper, AL 2 05-08 134
Day 1: 2 05-08
68. Curt Blomquist Wright, MN 3 05-06 133
Day 1: 3 05-06
69. Scott Hill Sunrise Beach, MO 3 05-05 132
Day 1: 3 05-05
70. Matt Commerford Wendell, MN 3 05-04 131
Day 1: 3 05-04
70. Kyle Dowdy El Paso, IL 3 05-04 131
Day 1: 3 05-04
72. Scott Dunn Morris, IL 2 05-04 129
Day 1: 2 05-04
73. Jason Barber Gun Barrel City, TX 3 05-03 128
Day 1: 3 05-03
74. Patrick Andres Long Grove, IL 2 05-03 127
Day 1: 2 05-03
75. Dawson Wisner Palatka, FL 3 04-11 126
Day 1: 3 04-11
76. Justin Oppegard Eagan, MN 2 04-11 125
Day 1: 2 04-11
77. Mitch Johnson Dayton, OH 2 04-04 124
Day 1: 2 04-04
78. Carson Knutson St Croix Falls, WI 2 04-03 123
Day 1: 2 04-03
79. Albert Jones Jr Covington, GA 2 04-02 122
Day 1: 2 04-02
80. Richard Kiblinger Kansas City, KS 1 04-02 121
Day 1: 1 04-02
81. Chase Traeger Lino Lakes, MN 2 04-01 120
Day 1: 2 04-01
82. Bradley Juen La Crosse, WI 2 04-00 119
Day 1: 2 04-00
83. Hunter Stanislawski Lake Geneva, WI 2 03-11 118
Day 1: 2 03-11
84. Sean Ruegemer Bloomington, MN 2 03-10 117
Day 1: 2 03-10
85. Ma Xiong Menomonee Falls, WI 2 03-09 116
Day 1: 2 03-09
86. Martin Terveer Otsego, MN 2 03-06 115
Day 1: 2 03-06
87. Jimmy Fellegy Mustang, OK 2 03-04 114
Day 1: 2 03-04
88. Derrick Peterson Brooklyn Park, MN 2 03-03 113
Day 1: 2 03-03
89. Kurt Chelminiak Delafield, WI 2 02-14 112
Day 1: 2 02-14
90. Dave Van Ert Watertown, WI 1 02-13 111
Day 1: 1 02-13
91. Mark Cowart Kearney, MO 2 02-12 110
Day 1: 2 02-12
92. Zachary Demler Marinette, WI 1 02-12 109
Day 1: 1 02-12
92. Bob Harper Lombard, IL 1 02-12 109
Day 1: 1 02-12
94. Devin Sulk Marinette, WI 1 02-08 107
Day 1: 1 02-08
95. Adam Omlid Grand Forks, ND 1 02-07 106
Day 1: 1 02-07
96. Don Kimmel Fishers, IN 1 02-05 105
Day 1: 1 02-05
96. Nick Veselka Fishers, IN 1 02-05 105
Day 1: 1 02-05
98. Scott Dondlinger Scottsboro, AL 1 02-04 103
Day 1: 1 02-04
98. Greg Spaid Brainerd, MN 1 02-04 103
Day 1: 1 02-04
100. John Rawdin Jr Foosland, IL 1 02-03 101
Day 1: 1 02-03
101. Gary Dennis Ravenswood, WV 1 02-01 100
Day 1: 1 02-01
101. Matt Houman Chisago City, MN 1 02-01 100
Day 1: 1 02-01
101. Ty Kenyon Dodgeville, WI 1 02-01 100
Day 1: 1 02-01
104. Will Yelverton Hazel Green, AL 1 02-00 97
Day 1: 1 02-00
105. Jerry Fullen Clifton, TX 1 01-15 96
Day 1: 1 01-15
105. Klaus Kuester Forest Park, IL 1 01-15 96
Day 1: 1 01-15
105. David Waack Cary, NC 1 01-15 96
Day 1: 1 01-15
105. Brandon Welke Lacrescent, MN 1 01-15 96
Day 1: 1 01-15
109. Tim Krantz Somonauk, IL 1 01-14 92
Day 1: 1 01-14
110. Maggie Carsello Stoughton, WI 1 01-13 91
Day 1: 1 01-13
110. Landon Winton Salado, TX 1 01-13 91
Day 1: 1 01-13
112. Daniel Vasquez Boynton Beach, FL 1 01-12 89
Day 1: 1 01-12
113. Brad Thieman Sioux City, IA 1 01-10 88
Day 1: 1 01-10
114. Christopher Majerle Trenton, MI 1 01-09 87
Day 1: 1 01-09
114. Aric Wilber Saint Paul, MN 1 01-09 87
Day 1: 1 01-09
116. Patrick Bartley Waconia, MN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
116. Tim Berg Prior Lake, MN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
116. Thomas Berkowitz Littleton, MA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
116. Eric Breitkreutz Sheboygan, WI 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
116. Matthew Cunningham Independence, MN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
116. Tristian Dupuis Shreveport, LA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
116. Brad Goetz Waunakee, WI 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
116. Carter Golat Bruce, WI 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
116. Alex Grimbos Innisfil CANADA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
116. Charles Johnson Newberry, MI 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
116. Matt Kelley Detroit, MI 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
116. Sean Lofgren Forest Lake, MN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
116. Tom Lyskawka Arlington Heights , IL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
116. Stephen Martens Milwaukee, WI 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
116. Larry Miller Onalaska, WI 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
116. Troy Sippl Sussex, WI 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
116. Joshua Sokol Orland Park, IL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
116. Jason Steger Stanley, WI 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
116. Nicholas Van Ert Menomonee Falls, WI 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
116. Michael Zawicki Muskego, WI 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 69 273 624-11
----------------------------------
69 273 624-11
BENTON, Ky. (Sept. 11, 2024) – Major League Fishing (MLF) today announced the schedule for the 2025 Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats, which kicks off in early February at Pickwick Lake in Florence, Alabama, and concludes in early November with the Toyota Series Championship on Grand Lake in Grove, Oklahoma.
“We live and breathe fishing in Grove, Oklahoma, and to host a world-class championship of this caliber with international anglers from around the world is an honor,” said Brent Malone, Grove Convention and Tourism Director. “Our town is super excited for the 2025 Toyota Series Championship that will be held at Wolf Creek Park. We have hosted thousands of tournaments, but when MLF comes to town, we roll out the red carpet. We will be ready and prepared to make everyone feel at home in our wonderful community. “
Offering the biggest payouts for the lowest entry fees of any national tournament trail, the Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats provides anglers the opportunity to fish close to home for lucrative awards and advancement to the nationally televised Toyota Series Championship, where pros compete for a top prize of up to $235,000, including a $35,000 Phoenix MLF Bonus, and Strike King c o-anglers compete for a $33,500 Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat powered by a 115-horsepower outboard motor.
In addition, the winning pro at the Toyota Series Championship earns an invitation to compete in REDCREST 2026 – the Bass Pro Tour championship – for the chance to win $300,000.
“We’re wrapping up a stellar season on the Toyota Series and are excited to announce our 2025 schedule,” said MLF Toyota Series Tournament Director Mark McWha. “Next year’s lineup promises to offer many exciting opportunities for anglers and a return to some of their favorite locations. We’re confident that the 2025 season will bring even more competitive and memorable experiences for both our participants and fans.”
As part of its ongoing efforts to focus on key growth areas, MLF will suspend the Toyota Series Western Division in 2025 and expand its Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) schedule with six additional Regionals serving its 24 BFL divisions. The 2025 Bass Fishing League will include 12 Regionals, up from six in 2024, to drastically reduce travel requirements for qualifying anglers. More information on the BFL expansion will be announced soon.
MLF is committed to providing compelling tournament options for all anglers and will evaluate opportunities to return to the West with something new in 2026.
2025 MLF Toyota Series Schedule:
Central Division
Feb. 5-7 Pickwick Lake Florence, Ala. Hosted by Visit the Shoals
March 18-20 Lake Chickamauga Dayton, Tenn. Hosted by Fish Dayton – Rhea Economic & Tourism Council
May 14-16 Lake Guntersville Scottsboro, Ala. Hosted by Mountain Lakes Chamber of Commerce
Northern Division
June 26-28 Lake Champlain Plattsburgh, N.Y. Hosted by the City of Plattsburgh & the Adirondack Coast Visitors Bureau
Aug. 14-16 St. Lawrence River Massena, N.Y. Hosted by the Town of Massena
Sept. 11-13 Potomac River Marbury, Md. Hosted by Charles County Recreation, Parks and Tourism
Plains Division
Feb. 27 – Mar. 1 Lake of the Ozarks Osage Beach, Mo. Hosted by the Tri-County Lodging Association
April 8-10 Kentucky Lake Gilbertsville, Ky. Hosted by the Kentucky Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau
Sept. 25-27 Lake of the Ozarks Osage Beach, Mo. Hosted by the Tri-County Lodging Association
Southern Division
Feb. 13-15 Lake Okeechobee Clewiston, Fla. Hosted by the Hendry County Tourism Development Council
March 27-29 Harris Chain of Lakes Leesburg, Fla. Hosted by Discover Lake County Florida
April 24-26 Lake Seminole Bainbridge, Ga. Hosted by Visit Bainbridge
Southwestern Division
Jan. 23-25 Sam Rayburn Reservoir Brookeland, Texas Hosted by the Jasper – Lake Sam Rayburn Area Chamber of Commerce
March 6-8 Sam Rayburn Reservoir Brookeland, Texas Hosted by the Jasper – Lake Sam Rayburn Area Chamber of Commerce
May 1-3 Lake Eufaula Eufaula, Okla. Hosted by Vision Eufaula
Toyota Series Championship
Nov. 6-8 Grand Lake Grove, Okla. Hosted by the City of Grove & Grove Convention and Tourism Bureau
Full program rules and details for the 2025 MLF Toyota Series will be announced later this year.
For complete details and updated information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Toyota Series on the MLF5 social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube .
Students will meet with coaches and college anglers to showcase their fishing skills at the 2024 Skeeter Bassmaster High School Combine Sept. 13-15 in Decatur, Ala.
Photo by Kyle Jessie/B.A.S.S.
Sept. 11, 2024
2024 Bassmaster High School Combine connects students and college fishing coaches
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — College coaches will have the chance to meet and evaluate the country’s next generation of young fishing talent when the fourth annual Skeeter Bassmaster High School Combine kicks off on Sept. 13 on Wheeler Lake in Decatur, Ala. The Combine gives young anglers the opportunity to show off their skills and meet with coaches to discuss taking their fishing aspirations to the next level at colleges and universities around the country.
More than $7 million in scholarships were offered over the course of the first three Combines, and now 97 anglers and representatives from 27 schools will be on hand in Decatur to discuss the potential for a future in competitive bass fishing.
“We look forward to the Bassmaster High School Combine each year,” said Angela Mayo, head coach for the Catawba Valley Community College Red Hawks fishing team. “As a community college, we don’t have the resources that many of the other colleges and universities have at their disposal. The Combine gives us the opportunity to see so many talented anglers together in one place, in one weekend. We have signed five anglers in just the last two years because of the Combine.
“The Combine also gives us an avenue to let people know about all the great things we have going on at CVCC, especially our Marine Mechanical Technology program,” Mayo went on to say. “We have built the only two-year degree in the country in which a student can graduate as a fully certified Yamaha and Mercury Outboard technician. As a trade-focused school, we fill a need for those students that don’t necessarily want to attend a four-year school but want to fish at the collegiate level. The Combine gives us an outlet to connect with those students.”
The High School Combine affords anglers the opportunity to demonstrate their on-the-water skills in three different disciplines — Casting Distance, Technical and Casting Accuracy. Each of the disciplines will operate on a point system and will be timed by an official judge. There are bonus points opportunities in addition to the skills challenges that include a safety quiz, a knot-tying test and a one-cast challenge.
After the first day of the Combine, schools may select anglers for a “second look” to further evaluate the potential fit for their fishing program.
“Attending the Bassmaster High School Combine is a great experience for the up-and-coming angler who is looking to fish at the next level,” said Glenn Cale, B.A.S.S. tournament manager for the College, High School and Junior Series. “Being under one roof with 25 or more of the best colleges in the country and being able to meet with the coaches is an invaluable experience.”
“Decatur is honored to partner with B.A.S.S. to continue serving as host of the Bassmaster High School Combine,” said Don Dukemineer, director of sports development for the Decatur Morgan County Tourism. “Now in our fourth year, our joint efforts with B.A.S.S. continue to strengthen this prestigious event in providing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for these anglers to showcase their talents. Ingalls Harbor and Pavilion offer the perfect set-up for this unique event, and we are thrilled with this beneficial relationship that highlights Decatur and Morgan County as a fishing destination.”
The following colleges have committed to participating in the Bassmaster High School Combine:
Auburn University (Auburn, Ala.)
Bethel University (McKenzie, Tenn.)
Blue Mountain Christian University (Blue Mountain, Miss.)
Bryan College (Dayton, Tenn.)
Campbellsville University (Campbellsville, Ky.)
Carson-Newman University (Jefferson City, Tenn.)
Catawba Valley Community College (Hickory, N.C.)
Dallas Baptist University (Dallas, Texas)
Drury University (Springfield, Mo.)
East Texas Baptist University (Marshall, Texas)
Emmanuel University (Franklin Springs, Ga.)
Erskine College (Due West, S.C.)
Faulkner University (Montgomery, Ala.)
Kentucky Christian University (Grayson, Ky.)
Lander University (Greenwood, S.C.)
Louisiana State University Shreveport (Shreveport, La.)
Murray State College (Tishomingo, Okla.)
Murray State University (Murray, Ky.)
Southeastern University (Lakeland, Fla.)
Tennessee Wesleyan University (Athens, Tenn.)
University of Florida (Gainesville, Fla.)
University of Montevallo (Montevallo, Ala.)
University of North Alabama (Florence, Ala.)
University of Pikeville (Pikeville, Ky.)
University of South Carolina Union (Union, S.C.)
Wabash Valley College (Mt. Carmel, Ill.)
Webber International University (Babson Park, Fla.)
2024 Bassmaster High School Combine Title Sponsor: Skeeter 2024 Bassmaster High School Combine Gear Partners: Lew’s, Strike King 2024 Bassmaster Youth Sponsors: Seaguar, Shimano
This makes win No. 2 on the season for Fitzpatrick, who also won the Lake of the Ozarks BFL tournament back in March. Like then, Fitzpatrick took advantage of his recent transition into retirement to put in extra time on the lake. In fact, he made several trips over three weeks to Table Rock to put in the prep time.
“As soon as I got here I realized there were some good fish shallow,” he said of his practice. “The other thing I noticed was the water color had a slight stain to it for Table Rock. It had a Lake of the Ozarks color to it – nice and green.”
Right away, Fitzpatrick found a good practice bite throwing topwater and flipping a jig on shallow rock banks and around docks where bass were targeting spawning bluegills. Eventually, that pattern transitioned. As the bluegills wrapped up their spawn, gizzard shad moved into nearby areas. The bass shifted to targeting gizzard shad, and Fitzgerald followed them.
“Everything I was catching before was on a rocky bank,” he said. “Now it’s all gone to gravel – at least the good ones. I had a 6-2 today (Sunday), and it came real shallow on gravel.”
Fitzgerald caught most of his fish throwing a Berkley Choppo topwater and flipping a 1/2-ounce Omega jig in water 5 feet deep or shallower. He also worked in a glide bait.
“I fished from the mouth of the White River all the way to Indian Point, which is a pretty good area,” he said. “The water was the same color everywhere. The key for me was I had to be fishing around either the bluegills or the gizzard shad. If you weren’t around one of those two, you were just twiddling your thumbs. But when you found them, you had to be on your tiptoes because you were going to get a bite. A lot of the fish came around docks; any kind of shade. Had to have some shade.”
On day two, Fitzpatrick only weighed in four bass. He said the bite is really starting to slow down. Keeping his head down and knowing he was around the right quality of fish from his extensive practice helped him stay confident.
“It went from being you could just go down the bank three weeks ago and reel them in, to you had to know there were fish there to keep doing it, because anybody with any sanity would’ve given up doing it,” Fitzgerald added. “I just knew if I kept going, eventually a good one would grab it.”
Ricky Crawford of Shell Knob, Missouri, caught a bass that weighed 5 pounds, 9 ounces, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $840.
Chris McClellan of Desoto, Missouri, won the Strike King co-angler division and $3,060 Sunday, after bringing a two-day total of six bass to the scale that weighed 11 pounds, 13 ounces.
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers finished:
1st: Chris McClellan, Desoto, Mo., six fish, 11-13, $3,060 2nd: Geoff Blair, Nixa, Mo., six fish, 11-2, $1,530 3rd: Kieth Rhymer, Mountain Home, Ark., five bass, 10-14, $1,020 4th: David Blankenship, Galena, Mo., five bass, 10-9, $714 5th: Brian Weaver, Lampe, Mo., five bass, 10-0, $762 6th: James Welch, Bolivar, Mo., five bass, 9-13, $561 7th: Jake Mantovani, Naperville, Ill., four bass, 9-10, $510 8th: Kirk Short, St. Clair, Mo., four bass, 9-8, $459 9th: Jeremy Johnson, Kansas City, Kan., four bass, 8-6, $408 10th: Kevin Witty, Rogersville, Mo., three bass, 7-10, $777
Kevin Witty of Rogersville, Missouri, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $420, catching a bass that weighed in at 3 pounds, 14 ounces – the largest co-angler catch of the day.
At the conclusion of the event, Eric Olliverson of Shell Knob, Missouri, was crowned the Fishing Clash Ozark Division Angler of the Year (AOY) with 1,320 points and took home the $1,000 payout, while Kirk Short of St. Clair, Missouri, won the Fishing Clash Ozark Division Co-Angler of the Year race and the $500 payout with 1,348 points.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, have qualified for the Oct. 3-5 BFL Regional tournament on Pickwick Lake in Counce, Tennessee. Boaters will fish for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $50,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard.
The 2024 Phoenix BFL Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 events throughout the season, five qualifying tournaments in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five qualifying event winners, will advance to one of six BFL Regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. The 2025 BFL All-American will take place May 29-31, 2025, at Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and is hosted by hosted by Visit Hot Springs and the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism.
Proud sponsors of the 2024 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 7Brew, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, E3, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, General Tire, GSM Outdoors, Lew’s, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, PowerStop Brakes, REDCON1, Strike King, Suzuki, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, WIX Filters and YETI.
For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Bass Fishing League updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
For Bowlin, this is obviously a big win – his first in BFL competition – but he was hesitant to reveal the winning details because he’s hoping to keep the success rolling in another fall regional event scheduled for Rend Lake next weekend.
What he would reveal is that changing seasons and heavy fishing pressure are making it tough to pattern the fish.
“The fish are moving around, and some want to be halfway deep, some want to be shallow,” he said. “Yesterday (Saturday) we had the wind, so that’s what really helped me. I fished the windy banks yesterday. Then today it kind of got a little bit slicker.”
The difference maker for Bowlin was a 6-pound, 7-ounce bass that boosted his day-one total to 14-13. The kicker earned him the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $457. A fish like that is clutch anywhere, but especially on Rend Lake.
“Especially when it ain’t been taking much to win,” Bowlin said. “It was probably about 10:30 or 11 (when he caught it). I was thinking please give me two more bites because at that time I had only three fish.
“It was tough. I just got fortunate and got enough bites.”
Of note, the champ’s son, Jordan Bowlin, actually won the co-angler side of the 2023 Illini Division Super Tournament, which was held on Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley, making it two in a row for the Bowlin family.
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:
1st: Lonnie Bowlin, Benton, Ill., nine bass, 23-11, $4,579 2nd: Riley Walk, Neoga, Ill., six bass, 20-13, $2,061 3rd: Curtis Samo, Rochelle, Ill., seven bass, 17-13, $1,499 4th: Toby Corn, Paducah, Ky., seven bass, 17-3, $962 5th: Travis Boley, Weldon, Ill., eight bass, 16-11, $824 6th: Joshua Tyner, Spencer, Ind., five bass, 15-10, $756 7th: William Walker, Mulkeytown, Ill., six bass, 15-4, $987 8th: Richard Skiff, Edwardsville, Ill., five bass, 14-5, $618 9th: Cecil Downing, Mount Carmel, Ill., six bass, 14-4, $550 10th: Andrew Harper, Shelbyville, Ill., five bass, 11-13, $481
Matt Chumbler of Carbondale, Illinois, won the Strike King co-angler division and $2,061 Sunday, after bringing a two-day total of seven bass to the scale that weighed 17 pounds, 14 ounces.
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers finished:
1st: Matt Chumbler, Carbondale, Ill., seven bass, 17-14, $2,061 2nd: Marion Cordes, Sullivan, Ill., five bass, 12-3, $1,031 3rd: Myles Louthan, Mattoon, Ill., four bass, 12-2, $915 4th: David Workman, Harrisburg, Ill., four bass, 10-13, $631 5th: Jack Ryan, Salem, Ill., five bass, 10-7, $412 6th: Eric Mahn, Herculaneum, Mo., four bass, 9-11, $378 7th: Troy Boley, Mahomet, Ill., four bass, 9-7, $344 8th: Roman Perun, St. Louis, Mo., two bass, 7-6, $309 9th: Michael Kinkade, Benton, Ill., three bass, 6-9, $275 10th: Aaron Arning, Walnut Hill, Ill., one bass, 4-12, $240
Myles Louthan of Mattoon, Illinois, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $229, catching a bass that weighed in at 5 pounds, 15 ounces – the largest co-angler catch of the day.
At the conclusion of the event, Adam Brookman of Bonnie, Illinois, was crowned the Fishing Clash Illini Division Angler of the Year (AOY) with 1,311 points and earned the $1,000 payout, while Ryan Murphy of Paris, Illinois, won the Fishing Clash Illini Division Co-Angler of the Year race and the $500 prize with 1,322 points.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, have qualified for the Oct. 10-12 BFL Regional tournament on Pools 13-17 of the Mississippi River in Quad Cities, Illinois. Boaters will fish for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top award of $50,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard.
The 2024 Phoenix BFL Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 events throughout the season, five qualifying tournaments in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five qualifying event winners, will advance to one of six BFL Regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. The 2025 BFL All-American will take place May 29-31, 2025, at Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and is hosted by hosted by Visit Hot Springs and the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism.
Proud sponsors of the 2024 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 7Brew, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, E3, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, General Tire, GSM Outdoors, Lew’s, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, PowerStop Brakes, REDCON1, Strike King, Suzuki, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, WIX Filters and YETI.
For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Bass Fishing League updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
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